Star Wars - Tales from the Outer Rim

"A Kiffar Life Debt, Part 1"
by Kelldon Jusk
Docko'lar (NPC)

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Vadris 10, 4ABY

***

Kelldon awoke with a start. Not from a nightmare or a vision of impending doom or anything. It was more like a feeling of distant dread. He wasn't sure whether to blame it on his sensitive intuition or the round of mad mrelf he'd had last night. It wasn't his choice of drink but a spacer stumbled in through the door of the bar Kelldon was at and ordered a round of the nasty stuff for the whole place. There was a faint ache in his temple now from that little episode.

Kelldon swung his feet over the side of the bed and rubbed his face. The room was still dark save for a dimly lit wall panel making the gray alumisteel walls glisten ever so slightly. It was meant to simulate a comforting moon-glow on a space station with no atmosphere. The hotel suite was small but had everything Kelldon needed. It was basically made up of three rooms. The main room contained a bed that could transform into a sitting lounger, a holovid screen, and a dresser to keep all of his belongings. Two doors in front of the bed led to the two other rooms that made up the suite. A small kitchen off to the left and a fresher to the right. This was the place Kelldon called home for now.

He got up and walked to a panel by the door and hit a button that lit the small apartment. Clad only in a pair of red brief-shorts, Kelldon went over to the holovid screen, turned it on to the news-feed, and started his morning exercise routine. As he finished he caught a short blurb about his home planet; the New Republic was having peace talks on Kiffu to reinstall a new leader and put the fighting to rest. Kelldon smiled. This was good news for his people.

A beeping came from a flat data-pad on the dresser. Kelldon got up and activated the call. His droid RED's tinny voice came even more electronic over the comm. "Sir, there is a male twi'lek here. He says he knows you and must speak to you as soon as possible. He says his name is Docko'lar and..."

"Sure, RED," Kelldon interrupted. "Have him meet me over at Dirg's. I'll be right out after I get cleaned up." The droid relayed the twi'lek's agreement and clicked the comm off. He went to the fresher to shower and dress.

***

Kelldon entered the bar freshly showered and shaven. His black hair was still damp and air drying, uncombed as always and hanging to about the middle of his shoulder blades. He was dressed in his usual dark brown form fitting pants, burgundy knee high boots, and a black long sleeved shirt with a double breasted closure. Clothes he typically saved for leisure times and social events when he attended them.

As he walked into the main seating area of Dirg's Descent Kelldon spotted a tall green skinned twi'lek stand up and smile at him. Kelldon immediately recognized the thirty-something male he had served with during his shipping days aboard the Dorvat. His name was Docko'lar and was an old friend who had once saved his life from a group of poachers. The scum had been snooping around a shipment of Nabooian tuskcats when the young kiffar walked into the cargo bay and caught them. Kelldon was almost blasted by the pirates when Docko took them out with a flash grenade followed up by a couple well placed blaster bolts.

The two former crew mates shook hands and sat down at the table Docko was sitting at before and ordered a couple drinks. "So, what can I do for you? Or were you just passing through and decided to say 'hi'?" Kelldon asked.

Docko's expression became heavy and burdened. With furrowed brows he replied in a thickly accented voice, "I'm afraid that this meeting isn't merely a social call, although I wish it were. I did not expect to meet you here but once I spotted the old freighter I knew it must be you. Kelldon Jusk, I must ask a favor of you although I do not expect you to accept." The twi'lek eyed him worriedly.

"What is it, Docko?" Kelldon urged on.

The twi'lek went on hesitantly. "Some time ago my younger sister, Filo, was taken from my family's home on Ryloth. I had just come back from a freighter run when I returned and heard that a ruthian twi'lek man had come to the compound, influenced young Filo's mind. Before he blasted off the planet with my sister he poisoned my father who mistrusted the shifty gangster. When I returned home my father was still violently sick but was still alive. I had gotten word that he was taking my sister to an outer rim planet called Chimaeria."

"I think I understand where this is going. You want me to help you find this gangster and get back your sister." Kelldon thought about this for a minute. He had an agreement with the Republic to take no other jobs. But, he supposed, this wasn't really a job. More of a favor really. Docko had saved his life, after all. "I'd be happy to help you out," Kelldon said with a smile. "So, who is this guy anyway?"

"His name is Lohmoh'tak." Docko spat the name. His lekku, which hung over his shoulders in front of him, curled violently at saying the name.

***

"Agent Nay'lon just got back to me about this Lohmoh'tak character." Kelldon sat listening to his bothan Alliance contact through a hologram emitting from his ACE communication device on the dresser. "I've decided to let you pursue this man but I advise you to be very careful when dealing with him. Even though he has no connection with the Hutts in this system he is still linked to several crime organizations on Tae'Karada and we cannot afford to botch up any future plans in this system. Tread carefully, Kelldon Jusk. I will upload the schematics to Lohmoh's compound to your droid."

"Thanks, Karnek. I owe this guy for saving my life back in the day. I promise, I'll try to only be there for back up." The bothan nodded and the transmission shut down. Kelldon stepped out of his room and met Docko'lar in the hall. "It's a go. We'll arrive at Lohmo's compound at dusk planet-side. Prepare to leave in twelve hours."

"Lightsaber Retrieval"
by Daemor'rah

Location: Toprawa, Toprawan System
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

She still considered the words and actions which had taken place a couple of days ago. Though the so-called time guardians did not foresee the key to solve their puzzle, they had known many things to begin with. And she wasn't sure what to make of it.

In all her life, she had never seen such a thing, but she decided to place it in the fact that the Force was able to grant a certain level of sight into a possible future. And perhaps that was what the time guardians were all about...

She was now away from those events, and had continued her journey, which had taken her to Toprawa. It was a similar planet to Tae'Karada in its climate and this was to her a blessing. The sun shined and it seemed to be spring in this particular system.

Daemor'rah stayed in the spaceport for a while, but then decided to take on a trek along the nearby forest and perhaps meditate for a while. She wondered how the others were at the Temple, namely Aurra. Perhaps she would return to Tae'Karada soon. Not to join them, but to see how they were.

It was then that she felt something. It wasn't very clear what it was, but it was dark. And not within the forest, but nearby. Using her senses, and trusting the Force, she came to find a small palace on top of a cliff. Determined to proceed, she made her way there.

At the top of the cliff, there was a stone path that lead the way to the entrance of the palace. The nearby grounds consisted of beautiful gardens with flowers and green grass. There were also a few trees aligned alongside the stone path.

At the entrance, there were two guards stationed. They didn't seem all too surprised when they got there, but perhaps it was usual to have guests of some sort. They did, however, block the entrance as she approached.

"State your business?" one of the guards demanded.

"I'm here to see your enforcer," Daemor'rah replied simply.

"I'm sorry, but..." the guard started. Alas, the white skinned woman waved her hand ever so slightly.

"You will grant me safe passage," she said.

"I will grant you safe passage," the guard repeated almost automatically, as he moved to the side to let Daemor'rah pass.

She walked in slowly and in a calm fashion and was a bit surprised to see that there weren't any guards on the inside. Or at least none stationed nearby. Beyond the large main entrance, were some large double doors, so Daemor'rah decided to try going that way.

She opened the doors and walked inside a very large room. There were a couple of steps and there was a very large wooden table with a fireplace behind it. The room was almost deprived of any other furniture, save for a few lounge chairs and a big screen.

A woman sat at the desk and overlooked Daemor'rah with a sight, as if she was not important. But when she saw the lightsaber at Daemor'rah's hilt, she raised her eyebrow. "Ahh... A Jedi," she said lazily.

"I'm here to speak to the one in charge..." Daemor'rah told the woman, hoping to find out if this was the one she was looking for, and if not, where to look.

"Too busy to help..." she smiled, obviously telling a lie. "Have you come for revenge on the fallen Jedi?" she asked.

So there was something! I thought I sensed death in this room! Daemor'rah told herself as she studied the woman. "Revenge is the dark side temptation. No," she answered. "What Jedi was that?" she asked.

"Jedi Master Phang Yan," someone called from behind. It was a blue skinned man who was smiling. And in his hand he held a lightsaber, though Daemor'rah could tell that he was not Force sensitive. Or should he be, he was masking himself very well.

"You hold a lightsaber, and yet you are not a Jedi," Daemor'rah stated. "You have no right to hold on to such an object, so I will take that with me."

"I don't think so..." the blue man smiled. "I have... Grown attached to it. So, perhaps I will have one more Jedi toy for my collection," he answered as he ignited the lightsaber and took a second one from his back.

"Or two less..." Daemor'rah answered. Clearly this man had somehow been able to kill two Jedi. And this only reminded her of herself, when she too collected the lightsabers of the fallen Jedi she would butcher as trophies.

The blue skinned man positioned himself with one of the lightsabers behind his back and one in front. He was calculating his opponent as Daemor'rah took a few steps aside and took hold of her lightsaber, igniting it.

The blue skinned man jumped down the few steps and whirled once around himself, clashing with both his lightsabers at Daemor'rah. But she was quick and had her blade meet his and fended him off. He countered with an attack from the other side with his second lightsaber and then one attack below. But even those she was able to fend off.

Daemor'rah then struck him with a high strike, but the blue skinned man crossed his lightsabers and defended himself against the strike, then taking a step back. He went back for the offensive and tried a high strike with one hand and a low one with the other, figuring that she could not defend both.

But Daemor'rah ducked from the high strike and blocked the low one, then using the Force to push the man back several feet. She could feel that this man was in no way a learner of the Force, but he was skilled with a lightsaber nonetheless.

He moved forward and tried another strike, but, once more, Daemor'rah fended the attack off, twisting one of his blades in hers and pushing it. The result was that the blue skinned man lost one of his lightsabers. But even so, he would not quit and punched her in the face with his bare hand.

She stumbled a few feet back but kept her guard up. So when the man came back at her for another series of attacks, she was ready and dodged them, kicking him back after she blocked his attack.

Meanwhile, the woman who had been standing still in the desk, just watching, got up and picked up the fallen lightsaber. Igniting it once more, she hurled it at Daemor'rah to strike her down. But Daemor'rah would not have it and dismissed the lightsaber with a single thought, sending it towards the wall. As for the woman, she Force pushed her against the wall also, knocking her senses out.

The blue skinned man got back up and ran for yet one more strike. And since he would not stop, Daemor'rah used the Force to move faster than him and cut his wrist clean off. The man yanked in pain and backed up as he held his wrist and knelt down.

Daemor'rah used the Force to retrieve the lightsabers back into her hands. "May this be a lesson to you. And should you try to pursue more Jedi, I will see to it personally that you get your punishment in full."

"Then I will have my life pursuing you!" he swore.

Daemor'rah bowed to the blue skinned man. "I will be waiting, should you prevail in finding me. But I would warn you to do otherwise," she answered as she made her way out of the room.

This had been one more journey which she had not found what she was hoping for. Peace. But perhaps these were not easy times to find such a thing. But all in all, she trusted the Force to guide her well, and it was now time to leave this planet also...

"Plans for the Assault"
By Skillgannon
Dorian Falkyon - NPC
Kaya V. Yasuyo - NPC
& Other Minor NPCs

Location: Somewhere Near Terlin System, Outer Rim
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

The new Zeus Class Star Destroyer called the Titan, flew quietly among the stars. A few fighters made surveillance of the surrounding areas for any possible threat.

Also the officers on the bridge worked around the clock, especially the people that controlled the radar of the area. But the other officers also continued to work around the clock, doing the final preparations to put the Titan fit to combat, just in case, but all the officers knew that Skillgannon, their enigmatic leader, was now joined in the meeting room with his high officers.

Skillgannon approached the table. "So what do we have on Trelonin?"

A man approached the Holoprojector and lit it on. The image of a planet. Then moved around it with a remote on her hand. "Trelonin is the only living and breathable planet on Terlin System. This planet isn't much. It has a few mining facilities that we want to build weapons. Their fabrics are not so advanced, but with some investment they will serve our purpose..."

"Major. We all know about what do we need the planet for. Just move along to the part we want to know," Skillgannon said with a tone of serenity, but somewhat iced.

"Yes, recently with plans of their politics, facilities and their military, they are to concentrat their fighter squadrons in five different bases." She pushed a button and appeared five red dots.

"These locations are heavily guarded by a system of defense of missiles to have any invasion. That is a problem to us, since we estimate we probably lose 40 percent of our fighters, but luckily we found a way to minimize that." Major Fawkes spoke with very continuous speech and seriously.

"How?" one of the generals asked.

He clicked on the remote and the holoprojector divided in two. On the left side it showed a terrain of hills and a castle that was built on a very high and sharp cliff that had only one way to reach it. Everyone in the room knew that a main assault through that point would definitely be a smashing defeat to the invasion force. "This is the castle of Dolonion, it said that it never had been conquered and the current location of the computers that control the systems. Once we have it neutralized, our squadrons can decimate their fighter's squadrons making the main assault somewhat easy."

"How do we plan to conquer this unconquerable and well defended Castle without losing people in the process?" asked the same general that made the last question.

"Your lack of brains is disturbing, General. It makes me wonder how you reached your rank with all that stupidity inside your head." He paused and the general didn't dare to answer back. "Major Falkyon, explain."

"Yes, sir. The 101 Skysurfers will have this dangerous mission, but to reach it is the easiest part, because we will take it from a place they least expected." He paused. "From the sky!"

"As you can see, General," Skillgannon spoke, "the 101 will hold this position as long as possible, with the castle walls protecting them will make the 101 easy to hold, until we reach them. That location is not our primary target. The cities are where our primary and secondary targets are located, Major!"

He clicked on the remote. The red dots in the world changed to a map of the city. "The main assault is to take down their political and military headquarters and also the palace to capture their president. Without no one to lead them, they don't know how to respond to the invasion making it even easier. Of course problems can surface, because if the military forces refuge in the woods and the mountains they will star guerrilla war that we have not the resources to fight in both places."

"So, what can we do to prevent that?" the general on the right of Skillgannon asked, turning to him.

"Absolutely nothing," Skillgannon said, sitting on his chair with a smile on his face.

"Nothing...?" asked one of the generals that was interrupted by a woman that entered without asking permission. She had beautiful long blond hair with warm blue eyes, that face lunch some peace in others. It was all that witch made her one of deadly persons on the Immortals. Only being a mere captain, Skillgannon trusted her with his life.

Skillgannon launched a smile to see her. "Captain Yasuyo! So glad you can join us. Any news?"

Kaya glanced and nodded towards every single of Skillgannon's high officers. They didn't dare to even make a sound or insulted Skillgannon's right arm. To make maters worse, Major Falkyon was the left hand of Skillgannon. The two most trusted men of Skillgannon that followed his orders without question and the only ones Skillgannon would ever listen to. "Yes, Sir!"

"We got a response from the Trelonin Kilon. They will be in position as agreed." Kaya smiled for a while with make the rest of the room, not knowing what was that about.

"Gentleman, we are not doing anything to prevent them from running to mountains because the Trelonin Kilon, our Imperial supporter in Trelonin will aid us. Making them run towards the forest where my personal men and woman will kill any rebellions for good." Skillgannon got up and walked towards the doors followed by Dorian and Kaya. He stopped at the exit and turned to the rest of his high officers. "Gentleman, we have a planet to conquer, so let's do what it is needed."

"Brutball Training"
by Auron Ronso
Tifa Alexandros Lionhart - NPC+
Kilgara Saaknor - NPC
Jubey Khaanor - NPC
Special guest Ellemiek Vermolen
and Aeris Strife - NPC+

plus a few NPCs

Location: Brutball Dome, Yandrosa D., New Plouton
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Auron entered the Dome and glanced to the chairs where the fans were going to sit. The dome was empty and there wasn't a living soul inside. It amazed him so much, that he wouldn't know how he was going to feel when there was a full house.

Auron walked to the middle of the ring with a smile on his face, followed by his fellow team mates. He was interested in what Tifa was capable of doing, but to be called she had to have some skill.

He looked to the chairs of the audience and saw the only two people seated there. He waved towards Aeris and Ellemiek.

Aeris waved back and smiled. "So, did you play this game?"

"Once or twice... It's fun and all, but I preferred to spend my leisure time amidst greasy engines and the cockpits of starfighters or simulators," she said with a laugh. "But I often saw games, though."

"It is so hard to see that you didn't play it. What Auron told me was that every Tae'Morad played the game before the Imperial occupation," Aeris said as she looked at Auron's team, as they began their warm up.

"Actually that's not correct. Most Tae'Morad did play the game, but that was while at the Academy. It's sort of a national sport, very popular..." Ellemiek replied as she remembered the older days. "But overall, anyone could choose whether to play it or not. I guess some of us preferred other things when we were still at the Academy. And after that, I simply didn't have the time to play the game. But hey, I guess that not playing it also contributed to my fighter pilot skills!" she said with a laugh.

She then yelled at the court. "Come on you guys! Let's see some ball action!" Ellemiek told them. She then turned to face Aeris once more. "I was top in my class and given a position as instructor. But I declined it to join the piloting ranks. Don't tell him I told you this, but I had more academy points than Auron!" she winked.

Aeris smiled and saw Auron still making the warm up. "He told me, he doesn't value that sort of stuff. He only wants us to give our very best. And to tell you the truth I agree with him. Because the highest score or who has the higher grades in the academy isn't the best pilot on war, specially on this one. The more skilled are common people with average grades. Some of them probably never finish the academy. Others simply grow up on fighters and you're a good example of that, but if I had also grown on a fighter, I would probably be as good as you. But since I'm not, I only have to give my very best for the squadron."

Ellemiek laughed. It seemed right out of a textbook of some kind. "Mind you, the Imperial Academy is famous for its pilot training programs... You're a good pilot, Aeris. And Auron is one of the best I've seen. Maybe he is just as good as I am. Real life and simulators are indeed different things," she agreed. "My father made that clear when I started playing in the flight simulators when I was still a child," she said as she remembered those days. "I think you have what it takes to be a leader... You have the same look as Auron. It is the look of someone born to lead. And I've seen how you love flying."

Aeris blushed somewhat. "Do I think I have the material to lead...?" She stopped realizing what she said before the phrase born to lead. "Do you really think I have the same look as Auron?"

"Yeah..." Ellemiek nodded. "I think it's the eyes, the look in them. You could almost be siblings!" Ellemiek laughed softly. "But seriously, I do think you have what it takes to be a great fighter pilot, and a good combat leader."

Aeris didn't know what to say. She simply smiled back at Ellemiek and tried to focus on what Auron was doing.

On the field, everyone was ready to go. They had all the necessary gear and things seemed ready. Auron took a look around the players and nodded to each one of them.

"Ok, you all read the file on this game. Rules are simple. Nothing is penalty, with the slight exceptions of kicking or elbowing in the face or groin, or in the case of midfielders, doing the very same things with your sticks," Auron reminded them. "Everything else goes!"

"Defenders and goalie never cross the line of defense. The goalie may use his or her hands, but the striker and defenders may only use their torso, head or feet," Auron said, almost as if out of the textbook. "As for the midfielders, they can only touch the ball with the stick and have to maintain themselves within the limit of the lines...

"Remember, there is a tunnel at the midfield. Shooting the ball through there will result in it popping out in the opposite side of the court. This is good if you think you will lose the ball, and are able to use the tunnel to pass to a team-mate," Auron reminded them. He then clapped his hand and smiled.

"Jubey, you play defender with Trent. Slayton plays goalie. Kilgara, Tifa and Razchak play midfielders. And I'll play striker," Auron informed, even though everyone already knew their positions. "Anyone has questions?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jubey chuckled. "When do we get to whoop some real opponent ass?"

"You don't!" Kilgara said. "We'll only be meeting our opponents on the field just before the match."

"That sucks big time!" Jubey grinned. "I'll be looking forward to the match then."

"Good," Auron smiled. "Let's play ball!"

"Secrets In Business"
by Dumah Gardan
and Darius Drake

Location: Med Center, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

The Med Center was now almost one hundred percent open and functioning. They had more staff, more droid and more equipment and had already begun to take locals into treatment for whatever was needed - ranging from small concussions to limbs being transplanted or being replaced by mechanical ones.

Dumah was pleased and he knew that his sister was also content. In fact, this had proved to be quite a good investment for the family. But then again, it was what they had already done in different systems, so they knew what they were getting into before they did it.

Dumah was greeted at the door. He had access to the whole compound as investor and part-owner. He made his way to the Brutball section, as he had a meeting with Darius Drake. He found the good doctor waiting for him when he got there.

"Ahh...Dr. Drake. Nice to see you again," he smiled as he shook the man's hand. "I trust all is ready for you to begin supervising the medical aspects of all the players who will be entering the Brutball match?" he asked. "We will be needing to do a complete checkup on all of the players before we let them play."

"Yes, everything is prepared. I have scheduled to receive the players of the Stallions this afternoon. They are now doing their training," Darius smiled to Dumah. "When they are here The Rancors are doing their practise. I have to admit, to make the two teams to meet only at the game is intriguing."

"It's the opening match, but not one for the league. Still, this one is supposed to show the people what it will be like... What sort of quality to expect. And if we keep the teams in secrecy from each other until the match begins, then both will have to give their best and neither will know what the other is planning to do at all," Dumah grinned. "Now, I wanted to speak to you about something, but in private. Can we go to your own office?"

"Sure!" Darius said, wondering what exactly was so important that Dumah had to talk on Darius' office. He showed Dumah where his office was, but Dumah seemed to know well the Med Center.

As he opened the door, Dumah slid inside the office and Darius closed the door and locked the door. "What is so important?"

"Well... First of all, do you know who owns the team named Rancors?" Dumah asked, seeing that Darius hadn't the slightest clue. "Jadda the Hutt. And he made me a deal about his team. A deal to have them injected with serum to make them stronger and have more energy... It is hard to say no to a Hutt," he explained.

Dumah then walked a couple of steps and sat down in a comfortable couch. "You see, in Brutball this happens quite often. Cheating is almost a second name to the game... But I want this match to be, unique," Dumah said. "So, Dr. Drake, you are to administer a serum to the players of the Rancors. But one that doesn't give them more than a few hours of effect. This way, when they go onto the match, they are no different than the other team, and the match is even."

Darius smiled and looked at his eyes. "Very clever, Dumah. And call me Darius. Of course, I have to win something from the deal." He paused for a moment without turning his eyes off Dumah. "It isn't money, if that's what you're thinking."

"I wouldn't expect you not to want something. Everyone wants something, of course," Dumah nodded. "As long as I find it reasonable enough... What is it you want?"

"Well, lately I have been busy around here. Since I'm still a bit low on staff, I had to fill extra-time, and that didn't allow me to take care of some business of my own. I want you to find someone for me. His name is Ferkinos. He is Duro who works in Thanatos. I want him brought to me, so I can retrieve some information out of him." Darius looked at Dumah. "I know that you can do this and you know that many people owe you some favors."

"Yes... Many people do," Dumah grinned. "Ferkinos you said? In Thanatos? Not a common thing, an alien in the desert of the Thanatos region. As I understand it they don't like outsiders... But, if he is there, he should stand out well enough. I won't make you any promises, but I will have someone go there to find him and bring him over," Dumah stated.

"Thank you!" he paused as he sat on his chair. "Now explain what kind of serum Jadda is implanting on his players so that I can insert the counter agent."

"You misunderstood," Dumah said. "Jadda wants you to give them a serum to make them stronger and faster... And I want you to do it, only applying one that only works for a few hours. The players will think they're better, but they'll be just the same as they are now. And Jadda will think that his players are doped, and that leaves us out of trouble with him."

"Oh, alrighty." Darius was somewhat embarrassed by not having understood Dumah's words. "That is a different story, and I know just the thing to work."

"Good," Dumah grinned. "The illusion must be complete and perfect. If Jadda the Hutt finds out, it's both our heads that will roll," he said as he got up. "I won't be taking anymore of your time. And I'll be sure to send you extra help to make sure that you don't have to do those extra-hours."

"Thank you," Darius said as he saw Dumah leaving. Now he had to make arrangements to administer the wrong injection to Jadda's players.

"The Doctor Was Found!"
by Garnet Seifer
Aeolus - NPC
Doctor Nightlong - NPC

Location: Somewhere in Dantooine
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

The hot breeze of the final afternoon struck Doctor Nightlong as he flew his own speeder back to his small and peaceful ranch.

He knew very well what he was called back in town, for being a mad doctor and he considered as one. Mad doctors were the ones that succeeded in many weird fields of medicine.

He remembered very well that it was about six or seven years ago that he was hunted down by Gallorian forces, because he simply used Gallorian guinea pigs, to test that it was possible to cure the Ursurr'ai. That every Gallorian reached at one point that every Gallorian had to pass it. His theory was that it was possible to bring the good and the evil back together if there was understanding in both sides. If he knew that, at that time he used Gallorians, the result would be so horrible.

As he reached his home, he stopped his speeder and took out bag of few supplies for his own necessity and also to his lab necessities. He opened the door and saw that his place was turned around like signs of a fight took place. "Ooro? Yart? Zer? Where are you?" Fear struck in his heart.

It didn't take long to see his own three personel bodyguards laying on the ground, the life had been taken out by a mere vibroknife cut. He dropped the bag of his necessities to the floor in panic. "Oh no!" He knew that only meant one thing. Yes... His guards were owing some money to a local crime lord. He knew that the murder was simply an amateur, because he saw that all his money had been taken from his personel safe.

He heard a sound that came from his lab. He quickly grabbed a large wooden instrument and started to walk towards the lab. He knew that the amateur was still in his lab. He opened it carefully and in the tiny edge he could see the amateur was very well dressed with white clothes and hair. He moved carefully trying to catch the intruder in surprise, but moments before he could make the attack the intruder pulled his blaster and pointed towards the doctor's head, without looking.

"Doctor, put down your weapon and move around the table to be in front of me, if you please," Aeolus said.

The Doctor did as the white man had told and moved slowly around the table. "Who are you?"

"I'm simply a man that is on behalf of my boss," Aeolus said, putting his blaster over the table. He was looking through the telescope, glancing to a sample of blood.

"I don't owe any money. Tell that to your boss!" the doctor said.

Aeolus looked up and started to laugh. "You are very funny, Doctor."

"So if you're not for money..."

"Just wait, doctor, no more questions. Let me explain to you, so that we can spare some time." He paused. "I walked in, saw your three bodyguards stealing your money of the safe and struggling between themselves for the money. I came in, fired three shots in each of their heads and tried to kill time by seeing what was in here." Aeolus glanced again through the telescope. "Imagine that these little tiny creatures can be the cause of big plague. They look so defenseless..."

The doctor nodded and tried to make comfortable. "What does your boss want with me?"

Aeolus moved slightly over the table and then looked up without moving his head. "My boss is Gallorian that a few months ago passed to the stage of Ursurr'ai. Now she suffers from double personality and wishes to return to her old state and we learned that you're the only doctor that has the knowledge to do so."

Aeolus got his full and unconditional attention when he said Ursurr'ai. "Ok. You can tell me at least her condition?"

"You only need to know that both personalities agreed to do the procedure. My boss also told me never to return without you, so I'm bringing you back the easy way or the bad way. Your pick, doctor!"

"No need to become that, gentleman, this is the opportunity that I was so eagerly awaiting. I just need a few things to bring along."

"Good." Aeolus got up and exited the house, walking the dead bodies that started to stench. He took out his comm and inserted a frequency. The image of Garnet showed. "I found him, Miss Garnet. He accepts willingly to help you."

"Excellent!" Garnet said with excitement in her voice. "Bring him the fastest way you can, Aeolus. You have done well."

"Thank you, mistress." He turned off his Comm and went to aid the doctor to save some time.

"The Hidden Truth"
by Quistis Knox
and a Black Figure - NPC

Location: Green Forest, Gallor
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Quistis looked up as she saw Elina's Ship blasting off. "Yup, that went well!" She cursed a few times for being betrayed like that.

The best part that they didn't keep her new sword since she ran off out of there losing their pursuers, but she couldn't understand now what the hell was going on. She didn't understood any bit from the day she was hired; the only thing was that this sword belonged to a mythical fighter that is considered in some cultures a true hero and since she had the sword in her hands that meant that he existed once in a very long time.

Quistis started to walk through the dense forest, without realizing that she was now going around in circles. "Fuck!" she screamed. "Great, just great, now I'm lost." Out of nothing the pain in her chest grew stronger, but she decided to fight it.

Out of nothing she saw a woman laughing. Her voice was darker and scary at that point of the night. "Who are you?"

"The question that you must ask yourself is who are you!" the voice said and Quistis still trying to see where the voice came.

"Show yourself!" Quistis demanded.

"Very well..." The sound of someone walking through the forest was heard. In the dim light of the moon. The woman who spoke walked towards the light, revealing her figure.

Quistis stepped back seeing the woman. It had very dark skin, with yellow eyes and red hair. At first Quistis saw that the woman was naked, but she noticed that she had in her skin even darker spots that located over her breast and in the lower zone between her legs, but the creature made Quistis scared which was thing that she had in a very long time. "What?"

The woman walked forward and then stopped. "The question you must ask yourself is who are you?"

"I know who I am very well."

The black figure laughed. "You are so sure of yourself. So tell me why do you struggle not to show the pain inside of you."

"What? How do you know that?" Quistis said, still making her distance of the black figure.

The woman simply let out a smile. "Because I have it too, but it is not pain, it is a warm cozy feeling. Release from the prison you put in or the pain will kill you without mercy and compassion."

Words without mercy or compassion ringed in her head. The very essence I became when my master died. Vengeance, death were part of her for a very long time, but now she didn't care anymore, ever since she put her hands on the sword something inside was happening, but it was unclear. She decided for a wild reason to listen to the woman and released in her.

The pain started to dissipate and a warm feeling started to fill her heart. She then started to get her brain to function; she began to realize that she knew very well that warmth in her heart. It was the same feeling that she had for her beloved father that was murdered. She connected every tip of each rope together. "You're my... you're my... you're my..."

"Yes, Quistis I am."

Quistis felt her legs failing her and she hit with her butt hard on the dirt. "It can't be! How?"

"Ask your Stepfather, you will believe more in his word than in mine." The woman walked to leave.

"Wait! Here I can meet you again?" Quistis said, realizing that part of her started to doubt about the past.

The woman released a happy smile, but without showing it to Quistis. "The Force is in all, even the non Force sensitive ones express the wills of it. It was the will of the Force that chose to have this conversation, so it is the will of the Force to someday join us together, when you understand clearly the gift you have inside of you."

The woman disappeared, leaving Quistis alone in the forest.

All that moment started to become somewhat unreal to her, but what shocked in her that part of her believed what the woman spoke. Now she didn't know what to believe; she was conflicted of what is or is not true. She had to get it all clear. It was time to return home and have a serious conversation with her stepfather, but first she was going to pass through Tae'Karada to get a few things done.

"Missing"
By Girra Xel-Xux Zillar

Location: In transit to Drogen Station
Date: Vadris 10th, 4ABY

***

After her passengers had been unloaded on the New Republic Star Destroyer Star Fury, Girra took off for home.

Home had always been the Helix, her modified Corellian Engineering Corporations Republic Star Cruiser. Of late, home had been the Drogen Space Station.

The station was only a few days travel from the planet Gallor, where the Star Destroyer had been in orbit, and where she had delivered her cargo of rescued political prisoners. Girra left Chakka in the cockpit to watch over the ship's controls as she went back into the bowels of the ship to check on her guest.

Some days back Girra had gone on a rampage, knocking off a few of Vekker's toadies, and having captured the assassin Laerron. It was payback, retribution for having been abducted, beaten, humiliated and made to participate in some gross human sport for the amusement of some criminals.

Laerron had been kept in a secured cargo storage hold off from the main bay. In a cage. Like the animal he was.

When Girra entered into the cargo hold, she stopped dead in her tracks. She unfastened the Death Hammer she carried on her person, and carefully scanned the room.

Sithspit! she cursed to herself as she inspected the room, and moved closer to the cage, its door wide open and the occupant missing.

The room had no other access or exit, and there wasn't really anywhere to hide. It was more or less bare.

She walked back towards the door and commed the cockpit.

"Chakka, our friend has flown the coop," she said with venom in her voice. "Grab a blaster and start searching back this, I will meet you in the 'entertainment' hold."

She waited for his growl, and made her way further back into the ship to search.

After sometime she had made her way back up and met Chakka in the small opened area that was known as the 'entertainment' hold. It was little more than a squared off section about mid-ship. There was a cantina style booth and mini bar, a holovid player and a Dejarik board.

"Wrooowrl wuff graaang!?" Chakka huffed in his throaty Kashyyyk.

"Hells if I know," Girra replied as she slumped down onto the booth and placed her blaster on the Dejarik table. "He must have slipped out with those damned Gallorians."

Chakka let loose an ugly half roar and growl at his distaste for the Elomin assassin.

"I hear you there," Girra said. "Next time, we will just shoot the bastard."

"Rending Admissions"
By: Kael Selrid
Raeila Selrid
Laedra Vorrel

Location: Jedi Temple
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Kael Selrid stepped out of the refresher dressed in a light robe but feeling slightly refreshed. He'd just finished a lightsaber workout that hadn't quite served its purpose. His thoughts regarding Nieme were still vying for his attention, and it made concentration difficult at times. He'd hoped the concentration required in the workout would purge the thoughts, but as soon as the last of the remotes was deactivated, Nieme's evil resurfaced. He would need to engage in a much deeper meditation later.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the room he shared with Raeila. As he stepped closer to her, he realized just the sight of his wife helped to calm a part of him, but another part railed against Nieme's wickedness toward his wife. He took another calming breath and approached where she stared out the window into the distance.

"The shower helped, I think," he said as he moved to sit on the corner of the bed nearest her. "I don't think I quite smell like a sandyak any longer."

"Either way," she answered absently, "I don't mind." From the tissues balled up in her hands, Kael guessed she had been crying again.

He moved closer until he was kneeling at her side. "There's going to be a gathering tomorrow night for him," Kael said softly, though there was no need to specify who. "Ferrig's very upset about Tala. According to Oot's people, she was taken in a speeder. They took her to the desert, to the Hutt."

Raeila flinched visibly at the inspired memory of her own time with Jadda. "She...she's strong." Her voice came in a breathless whisper. "And the Jedi will save her. I-I know it...just like...like they would've saved Forlan if they could have..." Tears spilled from her eyes again. "If they could..." she finished thickly.

"If I can, I'll save her for my brother," Kael said. "I don't know if I'll be able to get out to the desert, but if they can spare me..." He shook his head, then reached out to rest his hand on her forearm.

It took some time and a prolonged silence for Raeila to master her emotions. Once she was no longer threatened by tears, her eyes turned to Kael and she smiled down at his upturned face. "Promise me," she whispered. "When we have a child of our own, we'll name him after Forlan. We owe him that, Kael. He fought for this temple...for us all. Please...can we do that, at least, for his memory?"

Kael took her into his arms. "Yes," he whispered. "Rae...when we were at the Palace, Nieme...she said some things. She said...she said she did something to you...so...so you can't...can't have a baby..." Tears had filled his eyes, and one was making its way down to his chin. "Whatever she said, Rae, we won't give up. We will...we'll show her..."

Raeila went pale, and grew limp in Kael's arms. It explained far too much, answered too many questions Rae had been asking herself for months. Unbeknownst to Kael, she had been actively trying to conceive since their return for Nar'Shaddaa. Now, she realized why all her attempts had proven unsuccessful. A strangled cry fetched in her throat as, at once, all her hopes for a family with Kael evaporated. She was barren. And it was perpetrated by Kael's ex-lover. This time a scream ripped clear of her lips, Raeila twisting free of Kael's hold and shoving him away. She staggered back from the bed, watching him in astonished despair. "How could this be? How... She never touched me, Kael! How!?"

"She must have done it with the Force," Kael said. "Something dark and twisted that only her sadistic mind could come up with. But, I'm not willing to leave it at that, Rae. I'm not willing to just give up because Nieme said so. There are doctors. There are those who can heal with the Force. This isn't over."

"Oh Thana," she whispered tremulously, all the while backing away from Kael in horror. "She can do that...with the Force...with this power you want to wield." Raeila's face screwed up into an expression of anguish as she sobbed. "I told you, Kael," she murmured. "I told you to stay with me in the desert.... If you hadn't chosen the Jedi Order over our love...." Shaking her head, flaxen hair whipping about her, Raeila rushed past Kael for the door. Her high-pitched sobs trailed behind her.

"Raeila," he called. "The power I have, I use for good. My power, I use to stop people like Nieme. If there aren't people fighting for good, how easy do you think it would be for people like Nieme to take over, just like the Emperor?"

She whirled on him in the open doorway. Her cheeks were slick with tears and her blue eyes now red-rimmed. "I don't care about all that, Kael," she rasped. "I only care about the child we were supposed to have. If you hadn't led her on...if you hadn't given her cause to believe you two could've been together if I weren't in the way she wouldn't have done this to me." Raeila's voice rose in pitch as she shrieked, "If you hadn't screwed her on our wedding day, this never would have happened!" She allowed the accusation to linger, to pummel Kael, then bolted from the room, nearly bowling over an off-guard Laedra Vorrel. Still, she managed to sidestep the young woman as Raeila made her frantic retreat.

"Kael Selrid?" Laedra asked, eyebrow raised inquiringly at him.

"Raeila is upset," Kael said. "I told her what Nieme told me. And, she blames me."

She sighed. "As you said, she is upset. Give her time alone to think, Kael. Once she comes to terms with what has happened, she will be able to respond to it more rationally."

Kael sighed. "And, if she never forgives me? And, if she never realizes it was what she and Ferrig did to Nieme and Dani that started them down this path? Perhaps Nieme hasn't forgiven Rae for cutting her cheek open, but Nieme isn't the eye for an eye type. You take out her eye, she'll rip out your lungs...or your hopes and dreams, in this case."

"I do not think, Kael," Laedra answered with slight amusement, "that Raeila is in the mood to hear such recriminations, not yet. I don't believe she's thinking clearly at all. Don't take her words to heart. That will only lead to dark thoughts."

"She needs someone to talk to her," Kael said. "And, before her own dark thoughts take root. I understand that she needs time, but there needs to be someone who can let her know that all the things she's saying, all that she's believing, it's only part of what happened, and not the whole. And, I don't know if even Ferrig could get through to her now."

Laedra watched Kael curiously, wondering at his insensitivity. "Kael...what is it that you want from Raeila?" she asked gently. "She seems to be in much pain...will you not let her grieve before you thrust the blame onto her?"

"She freely thrusts all of the blame upon me," Kael answered. "She pushes herself further away from me. She blames me for what's happened, and now appears to want nothing to do with me. I've always been here for her, but one time I failed her. I wasn't able to rescue her, and now I'm worthless to her along with the rest of the Jedi. My life is being turned upside down by Nieme. She's taken away any chance of Raeila and I having a child together; she's hurt people I care about, people I love. My thoughts are a storm, and if I follow the path of the Jedi, Nieme and Dani continue their reign of terror upon the people of this planet. How long before they turn their attentions elsewhere? How long before the people of this planet and beyond turn against us because we are unable to protect them? Perhaps no one else feels the pain as deeply as I because none of the other Jedi have looked into the eyes of one they have failed, and seen the loss there. None of you have seen the hate borne by our inability to do what we're supposed to be doing here. And, I could have ended it all with one stroke, but now Talara has sent off to be a slave to the Hutt. How long before the people no longer want our pathetic attempts to help them and keep them safe? All our actions only serve to bring more pain and suffering."

"And what would you prefer to do?" Laedra asked calmly. "Engage in outright slaughter of all those who oppose what we stand to do on Tae'Karada? Undermine the fundamentals of what the Jedi Order is based upon?" She shook her head slowly, for a moment truly concerned for Kael's well-being. "Or is it, Jedi Selrid, that you no longer believe in the ideals the Jedi promote...or the Jedi themselves?"

"All I see right now is the pain and suffering that Nieme and Dani are causing to the people of this planet, to this Jedi Order, and the people I care about and love. And, all I can see is that we are unable to do anything about it. All I can see is Nieme and Dani having the free reign to do whatever they please to whomever they please. And all I see is people like you who seem completely unconcerned about it, calling into question my concerns and fears. Who will be the next of us to fall? Will it be another Forlan? A child who has no part in this sand forsaken conflict? Or will it be Koran Darr? What if the next time, the strike does not miss vital organs?" He met Laedra's gaze. "Or is that why, Jedi Vorrel, you fear getting further involved in this conflict? We cannot allow Nieme and Dani to do as they are. If the fundamentals of the Jedi Order dictate that sadistic tyrants like Nieme and Dani should remain in power to harm whomever they like, then I want no part of this Jedi Order. I want no part of any group that tells me that I must stand idly by while people are killed and worse."

"You know me, Jedi Selrid," Laedra reminded him. Her pleasant tone adopted a harsher quality. "You've known both sides of me - the undisciplined, love-sick woman who would have murdered Liam's wife herself just to possess him fully, and now, a woman in greater control of her emotions, one who knows that rushing headlong into a situation only exacerbates matters." She took a step towards him, narrowing her eyes probingly. "Tell me, Kael, if you were to storm that palace now, what is it you would do?" Laedra leaned in closer and her voice dropped to an ominous pitch. "And when you are done...what will be left of you?"

"Turn it around," Kael said. "What do you propose we do about the problem of Nieme and Dani? Do you honestly believe that we should leave them in place to do as their whims take them? If, after you've looked on the body of the very young Padawan Learner Forlan, and after you've seen what's happened to Raeila, Zari, and your own apprentice Talara, you still preach a plan of inaction and sitting back to let them do as they please, as you are to me now, then it is you who are closer to darkness than I. At least I desire to remove their evil influence, to stop them from hurting others. Whereas you only desire to allow them to reign free, to kill more like Forlan, and to steal away our Padawans to corrupt time and again."

"Is that what you believe we wish to do, Kael?" Laedra asked, and only a hint of her disappointment leaked through her composed features. "Do you truly think we are resolved to the idea of allowing Nieme and Dani to rule Tae'Karada, to corrupt and kill without intervention? Do you think so little of us?"

"How do you propose the threat of Nieme and Dani is eliminated," Kael said. "How do you propose we get Talara back from the Hutt? Or will we abandon her there as we did my wife? Are we to leave her there for someone else to rescue? Are we going to fail her as we're failing everyone else? We are incapable of protecting our Padawans and keeping them safe. Which gallant soul among Tae'Karada's populace will bring Talara back to us while we hide here in our temple? How many more of our people will we fail? How many more lives are you willing to sacrifice, Laedra?"

"Their lives are not for me to forfeit, Kael," she informed him coolly. "Though, perhaps you will find the answers to your questions through meditation...while you are deciding whether you can continue walking the path of a Jedi with such notions in your mind." Laedra stepped back and bowed stiffly to him. "For now, I must check on those injured during our raid of the palace." Her features hardened. "The ones, Kael, who sacrificed themselves for the ideals of the Order they so truly believe in, ones you seem content to slur. Good day, Kael Selrid." Laedra's robes swirled around her as she turned to depart. She only exhaled a grave sigh once out of earshot.

Kael watched her go and shook his head. She didn't understand; he wasn't sure if any of them did. How could the public, the people they were sworn to protect, trust the Jedi to keep the peace under these conditions? They couldn't stop Nieme and Dani, and they couldn't rescue their own held against their will. And, the Jedi seemed to be in no hurry to protect the planet from Nieme and Dani's actions. If they wouldn't do something, he would. With that, Kael turned away from his room and started out through the Temple. He didn't think he could do it alone, but he had an idea of someone who might be able to help.

"Mistaken Flirtation"
By: Keeve Shivral
Maeren Shivral
Kimara
Kaysa Zenarr-Tregat
Zale Tregat
Merrick Braston
Aria Tregat

Location: Yelldon District Hospital
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

He remained suspended, this time without a cord as his lifeline, only a firm, yet gentle pressure constricting his hand. It was that keeping him afloat, and that which pulled him free of the darkness and carried him to the warm, soothing light. He squinted in the face of it, and raised his hand to block it out. To it, though, was linked another hand, one smaller and frailer than his own. A light squeeze assured him of its existence; it was nothing imagined in his disoriented sleep. It was real, and soft, and so familiar.

Keeve willed his eyes to open further, though a lingering ache in his head gave him second thoughts as to the intelligence of doing so. The pain, though, was validation that he lived. And when his vision focused a touch, the sight of blonde hair and a brilliant, beautiful smile reinforced the identity of his visitor that had been alluded to by that single pale hand alone. He smiled groggily. "Hey..."

"Hey yourself," she whispered back softly. "You were out like you wouldn't believe. Sleep well?"

He chuckled hoarsely. "So that was sleep and not death?" Keeve quirked a wiry grin and weakly raised her hand to his lips. He kept it pressed to his chest as his eyes adjusted to the light, and glanced around the room. This was the hospital... Memories of his collapse were vague, but he didn't doubt that his injuries had finally overcome him. Sighing, his bleary gaze shifted back to Shiv. "How long have we been here?"

"You got here last night," she said. "We're now at about halfway into the afternoon, and you've been sleeping soundly for most of your time here. You really got banged up."

"Don't remind me," he muttered, grimacing. "It could've been worse though. I almost didn't..." Sighing, Keeve decided there was no need to worry his wife. Instead, he shifted to lighter topics. "The entire time, I thought of you. You were the one thing driving me to get free. I had to come home...I had to see you again."

"I was," she whispered with a grin. "Well, I was very worried about you too. I couldn't stop thinking about you, imagining what horrible things could be happening to you. When I saw you last night, it was like the first time I was able to breathe since you left."

He chuckled weakly. "Did Merrick give you that line?" With his free hand, he managed to touch her cheek briefly before the strain was too much and he lowered his arm again. Still, though, the brief tactile contact of his fingertips against Shiv's silken flesh was enough to rouse him further. "I love you, you know," he whispered. "You give this stubborn fool some reason to live when he gets himself into dangerous messes."

"I do," she whispered, her voice filled with awe. "I love you too, you know. And...and I knew you were okay, knew you'd make it back. I would have felt it otherwise. I would have known. I think people have a feeling about things like that, especially with the ones they truly love."

"Yeah..." he mumbled absently, passing his thumb over Shiv's, "a feeling..." Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes against his suddenly swaying vision, but Shiv's hand was there to keep him grounded. "Must've hit my head hard.... Though all this laying down isn't helping." Cracking an eyelid, he peeked at her sidelong, and his irrepressible, mischievous smile formed. "How about you and I go for a walk? I still have to visit my little sister, after all."

"Oh, she's so beautiful, Keeve," she said. "Come on, I'm sure she'll be so happy to meet you."

With Shiv's arms encircling his waist, and his hands bracing the mattress, Keeve struggled upright. He paused to catch his breath and let pass the aches moving triggered, but with Shiv half on the bed, pressing up against him to help maintain his sitting position, Keeve felt ten times better already...even though Shiv's face was spinning. "If I were half better," he drawled, drawing a hand up her side, "I'd ask you to climb in here with me."

She grinned from ear to ear. "Well, let's just hope you get better quickly," she said, her breath catching at his caress.

"Even though the room won't stop turning," Keeve quipped, "I think I'm feeling a little better...." He leaned in towards her, missing her lips with his and landing the kiss on her chin instead.

"Close," she said, "but no cigarra. But, I'll take it anyway." When she leaned forward, her aim was better and she brushed her lips over his. "You sure you're up for a walk? You still seem pretty wobbly."

Keeve chuckled low in his throat as he reclined on the bed once again, this time pulling Shiv down with him. When they were settled, with her slender body laying half atop his, Keeve sighed and closed his eyes to clear the black splotches that had invaded his vision. Despite the lightheadedness, he was content with Shiv's warmth bleeding through his hospital gown. "Yeah," he murmured, blindly stroking her back, "definitely wobbly. We might have to stay like this for a while...."

"That sounds nice," she said. "I guess you're not too groggy for this. And, you're very cute in that little gown."

He grinned, eyes still closed as he savoured her nearness. "And you're very cute in...whatever it is you're wearing." And on that topic, he slipped his hands beneath her top. The texture of her skin and the detectable flush stirred something in him...something that pressed against her thigh. Keeve smiled serenely. "Is the door closed?"

"Oh," she gasped. "Yeah...it's closed. I closed it. Oh your hands feel so nice..."

Chuckling against her ear, Keeve whispered, "Forgotten so soon, have we?" A medicine-induced daze combined with his sudden arousal and Keeve was helpless against the delirium that distorted his perception. His head felt heavier by the moment and his laughter grew uncontrollable as he dipped one hand into Shiv's pants. Keeve maneuvered beneath her until she was fully atop him, and his erection was pressing against her abdomen. Still he chuckled, and giddily when the short wisps of her hair brushed against his cheek. "I didn't know," he said between laughs, "that you cut your hair... Was-- Was it like that last night?"

"I...I cut it...the other day..." she whispered. "After you...you left...I...I hope you like it..." His touch was like fire, beautiful, exquisite, sensual fire. As one of her hands dipped beneath his flimsy gown, the other struggled to remove her top. "I'll grow it out again if you don't like it..."

Keeve's chuckles were now thick with arousal as her warm hand wrapped around his shaft. He gasped with slight surprise at her expert caresses. "Oh...Shiv," he crooned, and blinked rapidly, trying to disperse the fog clouding his sight. His yearning, however, was in complete clarity.

"Oh Keeve," came the reply, but it was further across the room and followed by a fit of giggles. "I was always wondering when the two of you would finally get together. Now, Kimmie, you'd better treat my husband right, or I'll have to spank you."

Still hazy, Keeve laughed right along with Shiv, whose breasts he perceived himself to be groping. "Now, Kimmie," he repeated, still fending off snickers, "you treat me right or I'll have Shiv spank--" He halted abruptly, and his hands stilled as a brief break in the mist allowed a single thread of realization to sneak into his mind. Finishing his previous thought, he mumbled, "...herself," and slowly pulled back to study the face hovering before his.

He squinted, tilted his head to one side, rubbed at his eyes - everything to focus his vision, but the tranquilizing medication he had been administered that evening was slow to dissipate. Still, his drowsy mind was beginning to function. That was when he looked to the door and spied Shiv leaning against the frame, smiling in amusement. His gaze cut back to the woman lying atop him and Keeve groaned. "Kim?" he whispered, slightly uncertain, but more so saddened by the misunderstanding. Keeve sighed, noting the quivering of her chin that heralded the onset of tears. Withdrawing his hands from beneath her clothing, Keeve murmured apologetically, "Ah Kim..."

Realizing the mistake that had been made, tears filled Kim's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I...I just thought...I...oh gods, I'm sorry, Keeve, I thought...you knew, I thought..." She slid off of him and off the bed, but somehow managed to remain on her feet. She glanced between Shiv and Keeve, then quickly ran toward the door, almost bowling Shiv over as she raced out into the hall, the sound of her sobs fading as she gained more distance from them.

Keeve jolted upright in bed. "Kim!" But that was as far as he got before he doubled over, both hands holding his pounding head. He groaned. "Why didn't you warn me?" he managed to grumble at Shiv.

"Warn you about what?" Shiv asked as she moved over to his bed and sat on the side. "That she's madly in love with you? That she would be alone in the room with you when I was gone down the hall because I didn't want to make a mess in here? What was I supposed to warn you of, my love, and when was I supposed to do it?" She grinned and kissed him on the lips. "You know, the two of you make a very cute couple, especially with your hands in each other's...well, you know." She gave him a wink and kissed him again quickly.

Keeve attempted a scowl, but it came across as more of a pained grimace. With great care, he lay back upon his pillow and sighed at the dissipating tension in his head. "Well...if anything it's her own fault for taking advantage of me while I'm not in my right mind." One eye snapped open, and he studied Shiv's appearance warily. "You didn't cut your hair?"

"No, I didn't," Shiv said with a grin. "Kim cut hers. And, do you really think she'd try to take advantage of you? I think she just thought you'd finally seen the light and decided to express how you feel about her to her."

Now both eyes opened to fix her with a mildly unamused glare. "And how, my love, do I feel about her exactly? My all-knowing meddler of a wife, do tell."

Shiv reached under his robe and gave him a squeeze. "Well, judging by that, I'd say you like her quite a bit."

"Hey!" He swatted at her hands, but was quickly infected by her giggles and pulled her down into his arms. His profound, hungry kiss stifled Shiv's laughter. "Now," he sighed once their lips parted, "that's better."

"Yes," she whispered and nuzzled her lips against his throat. "Honest, Keeve, what do you think of Kim?"

"Does it matter?" he countered irritably. "There's you and only you, Maeren. Do you think I'd be stupid enough to fall in love with her and risk losing what we have?"

"Do you really think there's a risk of that, Keeve?" Shiv asked. "Look at me, and tell me you think that I would stop loving you, stop wanting to be with you, stop all of this, if you loved her, wanted to be with her. Hell, even if you were with her. Do you really think that I'd want to leave you?"

His charming smile returned as he drew Shiv in closer, their lips brushing. "No...but is there really room in our bed for one more? Besides, this isn't healthy for her. She needs to establish her own identity, not take yours...and your husband."

"I understand that," Shiv said softly. "We should find her someone, you know. And...I...I don't know. I like her a lot, and I don't want her to get hurt. I know we'd take care of her, but you're right. She needs to be herself."

"The haircut was a start," he agreed. "So, that's settled. Once I get out of here - which will be today" --Keeve winked at her conspiratorially-- "we'll take her out somewhere and introduce her to some people. But, before that...." Grinning rakishly, Keeve stole another kiss from his wife.

"I like the way you think, Mr. Maeren," she said with a grin, and settled into the kiss.

***

Kim was nowhere in sight when Keeve and Shiv finally emerged from his hospital room, but she was hardly on Keeve's mind now after Shiv's ministrations. Arm slung across her shoulders, and both of hers circling his waist, they strolled at a leisurely pace through the sparsely occupied corridors of Yesdol's Central Hospital. As they neared Kaysa's room, however, the amount of traffic decreased until there was no one in sight save for some medical staff and, of course, Zale's look-outs. He nodded stiffly to two of them, rough-cut looking fellows with shadowy eyes and stern expressions. Keeve watched them as he passed, and immediately developed a dislike for them. He and the blond guard out of the two exchanged dark gazes, seeming to have come to an understanding about their mutual distaste towards one another. Keeve broke off with a smirk and steered Shiv into Kaysa's room.

Arranged around the bed in chairs were Zale and Merrick, the latter humming softly to the child in Kaysa's arms. Zale looked up when they entered and Keeve offered him a smile, but briefly, for within moments he and Shiv were nearly racing for the bed.

"How's everyone doing?" Keeve asked with a detectable note of excitement. Kaysa, no longer haggard or disheveled from her night's labour, smiled fondly at the two and shifted Aria to her other arm for a better view. Keeve and Shiv stopped at the bedside and marveled at the small bundle she cradled.

"Oh, wow..." Keeve murmured. "Who knew Zale Tregat could make such a cute baby."

Zale chuckled. "The cute comes from Kaysa," he said. "The appetite comes from me."

Keeve, still wonderstruck, sank down on the edge of Kaysa's bed and stared wide-eyed at the child. "So...what did she get from me, you think?"

Kaysa parted the blankets shrouding Aria's face to give Keeve an unobstructed view of his sister. "You know," she told him, "I think she's got your forehead...if anything."

Relying on his mother's opinion, Keeve leaned over the child and peered closely at her face to inspect. Aria's sleepy eyes opened a crack, then two of the brownest eyes he'd seen - even compared to Shiv's - were staring fully at him. Keeve grinned and drew a finger over his sister's pudgy cheek. "You've got my forehead," he whispered. "Did you hear that?" Her tiny mouth spread into a yawn as if in reply. Keeve chuckled, as did Kaysa.

"She likes you already, I think. She knows her big brother's watching." Kaysa slid a hand over Keeve's and squeezed it tenderly. He didn't flinch or jerk it away, proving to Kaysa she had finally gotten her boy back. Whether it was her hormones running amok, or the pure joy of this moment, she soon found herself sniffling.

"Our happy family is all back together again," Shiv said with a grin as she put a hand on Keeve's shoulder.

"Just like it's supposed to be," Merrick said as he watched Keeve with Aria.

Kaysa chuckled tearfully as Aria fussed. She gave Keeve a shooing gesture to turn his head away while she bared her breast for the child. Keeve did so quickly, turning his neck to near breaking lest he catch even a glimpse of his mother's flesh. That, though, was enough to set his head spinning again. He growled at the inconvenience and dropped his head forward into one hand.

"Keeve?" Kaysa asked softly, concerned. She laid a hand upon his shoulder. "You're alright?"

"Fine," he assured her through gritted teeth. The vertigo was lessening, but the ache remained. "Not so hard-headed after all, huh?"

"He'll be fine," Shiv said with a smile as she helped support him. She glanced down at her own breasts and up to him. "Maybe he needs a treat like Aria, hm?"

"Not here," Merrick and Zale said in unison, then Zale continued: "We don't want the two of you making any bad examples for our daughter."

"Or my sister," Keeve piped up, frowning chidingly at Shiv. "You promise not to be a bad influence on her?"

"Keeve," Shiv said as she put both of her fists on her hips, "think about who her parents are and ask me that again. Do you really think I'm the one you'll have to worry about here?"

"Good point," Merrick said, then glanced up at Zale. "Mr. Shac'tae master?"

"I thought you were on my side," Zale said.

"Oh, I am, but I have to be on Shiv's side too, you know."

"She's married," Zale added.

"So are you," Merrick countered.

Zale nodded, then frowned. "That doesn't make any difference. She's the bad influence with her...well...what is it she does?"

Merrick glanced over at Shiv. "You mean other than never wearing a bra and having a fairly irrepressible personality?"

"She's off-limits to you now," Zale said with a grin.

"No," Merrick said with a similar grin. "She's off-limits to you; I have a special arrangement."

"How about," Keeve interjected gruffly, "you keep both your hands off my wife and pay more attention to your wife. She's got Aria now - if you're not careful, you could both become superfluous."

"Oh Keeve," Shiv said with a giggle. "Merrick's Merrick. And, well, Zale just had a baby. You can't expect him to think clearly at a time like this." She kissed his cheek, then brushed her lips against his ear, using the gesture as a way to hide her whisper to him. "Are you alright?" she asked softly. "Do you need to lie down again? We can go back to your room so you can lie down."

"With these oafs talking such nonsense, I just might do that," Keeve muttered stubbornly, then sighed and smiled wanly at Shiv. "I think I'll be okay for a while...though, do me a favour?"

"Anything," Shiv said with a smile.

He hesitated, then: "Can you go check on Kim for me? If she's anything like you, she's probably crying herself sick."

"I'll check on her," Shiv said as she kissed his cheek. "Do you want me to send her in to see you when I'm sure she's alright?"

"What?" Keeve appeared startled. "What for! She'll just take advantage of me again!" Aria whimpered at his disruption to the lulling rhythm of her suckling and Kaysa's soft humming. The latter glared at the back of his head for silence.

"Alright," Shiv said softly then grinned at him. "I'll tell her she's no longer allowed to be near you without a chaperone."

Keeve pulled on Shiv's arm, bringing her down towards him. "Don't do that!" he whispered. "That'll make it worse!"

"My poor husband," Shiv said and kissed the end of his nose. "Don't worry, I'll just make sure she's alright and then let you know."

"Fine," he grumbled and poutily kissed Shiv back. He scowled at Zale and Merrick as they let loose with teasing 'ahhhs'.

Shiv stuck her tongue out at the two. "I'm going to take Keeve back to his room so he can rest," she said. "I'll stop in in a little bit."

"Don't be too long," Kaysa told her, stifling a giggle as Keeve glanced briefly in her direction, saw a flash of breast, and hastily looked away. "We have to talk about the party we're planning for Aria's birth." She smiled facetiously at Zale. "The big man promised."

Shiv let out a squeal of delight. "Oh, I love parties," she said, then after debating whether or not to go give Aria just a little more attention, helped Keeve to his feet. "Come on, my dear, let's go get you out of this little gown and into something comfortable."

The two left Kaysa's room, Keeve bemoaning the indignities of Shiv's intractable frankness. Kaysa chuckled, while Merrick and Zale arranged themselves once again closer to her bed. "Our child will not be that silly," she promised.

"No," Zale said with a grin. "I'm sure with us raising her, she'll be sillier."

Kaysa raised her chin defiantly, hugging Aria to her as she rubbed the baby's back. "Not my child, not this time," she declared. "Aria's going to put us all to shame with her sophistication." Kaysa turned her lips to the girl's fine, black hair and smiled with indescribable joy. "My Aria..." she whispered.

Zale moved from the chair he'd been sitting in over to the side of the bed where Kaysa had left more room for moments like this. He settled himself onto the edge of the bed and held a finger out to his daughter as he kissed Kaysa gently. "We did good," he said.

"We didn't do much but sit around while I screamed in agony for hours," Kaysa reminded him with an accusatory smile. "But..." She smiled fondly at her husband. "Let's not screw this up, alright?"

"Definitely not," Zale said with a tender smile. "And, you may have done the hard part, but she is both of us put together into one tiny little package. I think we go well together, don't you?"

"We always have," she whispered, and sensing Merrick's close presence, Kaysa turned her gaze onto him and promised, "As will we, someday soon, my musician."

"I know," Merrick said as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "Though, how long do you suppose it is before Keeve convinces Maeren to have one too?"

She laughed. "How's the end of the day sound?"

Both Zale and Merrick laughed. "Sounds about right knowing your son," Merrick said as he watched Aria yawn. He smiled. "If you need any help at all with her, let me know. I've heard those middle of the morning feedings can be rough."

Tears nearly sprang to her eyes once again at Merrick's devotion. "I will," she whispered, and pressed her cheek to Aria's delicate brow as the girl dozed off.

The room lapsed into silence as they all watched the newest member of their very unorthodox family sleep happily. It was the first time in a very long time the three of them were together, sharing in a moment that would be dear and precious to them for all of their lives. For the first time in a very long time, Kaysa, Zale, and Merrick all knew true happiness.

"Visitations"
By: Kel Deneb

Location: Arcadia
Date: Vadris 10th, 4ABY

***

Kel sat at his desk, reading over some information he had received about some possible new bounties. He smiled, and figured that they would bring in some good money if he could track these people down on the planet. It had been a while since his sister had said she would come and visit him, once Kel had found her again. He shook his head, knowing that she probably would not come.

There was a knock at his door, and Kel frowned. Only Laedra knew where he lived, and that caused him pause. She usually would let him know when she was coming over. Standing up, he picked up his blaster, and went to the door. He looked at the video scanner, and his heart leapt suddenly. He opened the door. "My god...." Kel said softly.

"Hi Kel," Jordan said, smiling to her brother. "I thought maybe...I'd stop by," she said to him.

"Uhhh...come in," Kel said, and let her through. She looked the same as the last time he had seen her. Her red hair still came just a little past her shoulders, and she did not look like she weighed a pound over 52 kilos. "You look great, Jordan," he said, indicating for her to have a seat on his couch. "Would you like anything to drink?" he asked.

"Sure," she said with a smile.

He went into the kitchen, and brought out a glass of wine for her, and an ale for himself. "Here you go," Kel said, and sat in the chair opposite of the couch. "So how have things been?"

"Ok," she said to him with a gentle smile. He could see behind her smile that there was a sadness, which must be why she came here to see him.

"What's wrong?" Kel asked, looking to her.

Jordan let out a sigh, and spun the glass in her hand. "I need someplace to stay, Kel," she said to him softly.

"Jordan, we haven't seen each other in ages..." he said, starting to protest a little. She was his sister, but they had been out of contact for many years.

"I know, but hear me out," she said to him. "I'm not sure who it is, or who they are, but they killed the person I love, and as far as I can tell, they're coming after me."

"What did you get yourself mixed up in?" he asked, taking a drink.

"Urgona was in...a group, I found out later. I knew nothing about it until his death. Apparently he crossed some people, and this group doesn't stop with just killing you, they kill everyone who knew you too. Pretty much erase you from existence."

"Lovely...but how can I possibly stand up to these people?" Kel said, raising an eyebrow, mulling over the various groups he had heard about. He would have to research it further and try to figure out who these people were, and exactly how dangerous they were too.

"They actually know who you are, and are a little afraid of you, as far as I can tell," she said with a slight smile.

"Ohhh great," Kel said, rolling his eyes slightly. Just what he needed, a group coming after him that would throw every piece of manpower they have at him. He was not equipped for something like that!!

"I know, I'm sorry," she said. "I should go..."

"No, you can stay... We'll think of something," Kel said, reaching over and taking her hand in his. "And you'll be ok," Kel said with a smile.

"Thank you," she said, smiling back to her brother softly. "I owe you."

"Nah, I'm just glad to see you again," Kel said, smiling to Jordan.

"Recuperating"
by Alisson Blair
and Nyah Daraser

Location: Jedi Temple
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Rapidly Nyah felt her remaining physical strength fading fast. That battle had taken a lot of energy out. Interacting with the Force was a constant thing. Harder for a Padawan than a full Jedi but they both relied on it just the same.

Silently, she had to admit they simply got lucky. Things could have turned out the other way. An outcome Nyah chose not to think about. With everything the Empire had done, those few remaining Protectors of good were needed now more than ever.

Alisson entered the room that was used as a med center and found Nyah there, resting. She had been wounded during the attack on the Temple, and Alisson could not help but think that perhaps the Jedi had been much too hasty in their decision to attack the Palace. A thing that almost cost them the lives of the Padawans at the Temple. Luckily enough, no one got severely injured or died.

Alisson took the hands of her Padawan into her own and gave her an encouraging smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Physically and emotionally drained," Nyah admitted, "Not to mention very relieved." She knew all too well the cost of defending the Jedi Temple during the recent attack.

"The attack on the Temple was quite a surprise... We underestimated Nieme and Dani's capabilities," Alisson nodded. "Plus there was a leak on information and we were double-crossed while on the Palace," she added. "I believe they knew all too well our moves and had time to plan a counter offense. We owe you and the other Padawans a debt of gratitude for defending our home and making sure that the others were safe."

Nyah slowly nodded. "That is what you are training us for, to carry on the legacy of the Jedi. Battle may not be our first choice. However there are times it simply can not be avoided. Things could be a lot worse than they are."

"They could," Alisson agreed. She then looked at Nyah and her wounds for a brief second. "You should heal properly over the next few days. Is there anything you need?" she asked.

With a tired smile she replied, "Trying to relax myself enough to be able to properly rest but I could use something to drink before I try again."

"Of course," Alisson smiled. She walked to a nearby table and poured Nyah a glass of water, then taking it over to her. "Here, drink up," she offered. "I will be staying here for a while myself, if you don't mind..." she said. She just wanted to make sure that Nyah was able to rest properly and recuperate herself.

Nyah sipped the water carefully. "Thank you and no, I don't mind if you stay. I was worried you wouldn't make it back."

"We were lucky to be able to get out of the Palace unharmed," Alisson stated. "But the Force was with us and we survived. It seems that the ordeal with Nieme and Dani is yet to be resolved."

Slowly Nyah nodded. "It appears that way. These are dangerous times." Momentarily she closed her eyes, focusing her energy on trying to achieve a proper state of meditation so she could heal.

Alisson nodded and sat next to Nyah. She felt the girl trying to meditate and relax so she decided to let her concentrate. She closed her eyes and focused herself as well for a while, just to feel the Force and clean her mind of questions.

"Expressing Concern"
By: Laedra Vorrel
Koran Darr

Location: Jedi Temple
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Koran Darr opened his eyes and looked around the room. He smiled as he spotted the figure across the room, seated in a chair and leaning against a table. The light seemed to wreathe her dark hair in light, stealing away a lot of the strain of the last couple days. He forced himself to sit up, managing it with only a wince. He used the Force to assess his condition, and found that it met with his approval. He was mostly whole again, and the wound was healing well. He shifted in the bed and was about to put his feet on the floor when Laedra stirred. He chuckled at the thought that somehow she was aware that he was going to be doing something he shouldn't. He placed his feet on the floor and she was fully awake.

Gauging the mood by her expression, Koran was able to discern that he wasn't supposed to be out of bed yet, so he swung his legs back up onto the bed. "Good morning," he said with a soft laugh.

She smiled tiredly and passed a hand through her long tresses to neatly arrange them once again after a night's awkward sleep. Despite her peak, physical condition, sitting hunched over a table all night was proving unkind to her back. "You slept well?" Laedra asked him, stifling a yawn.

"A little sore," Koran said with a nod, "but I made it through. How about you? I think they heard you snoring at the other end of the Temple."

"They did not," Laedra chided playfully. She moved away from the table to join Koran on his bed. Motioning for him to lie back, she proceeded to peel away his bacta dressing for an examination of his wound. "Everyone is recovering," Laedra continued on the topic of well-being. "Despite the deaths, the Padawans are coping well." She glanced up at him briefly, significantly. "At least some of the students are."

Koran nodded, understanding the implication beneath her words. "Go on," he said.

Leaning closer to inspect his healing scar, she did just that. "I had an interesting conversation with Kael today. He's told Raeila about Nieme's sabotage. As you might expect" -- she replaced the patch and straightened with a heavy sigh-- "Raeila was upset...and in turn, so was Kael."

"He hasn't done anything rash, has he?" Koran asked while reaching out into the Force to detect any tremors, but found none. "What do you think about the situation, between the two of them?"

Laedra smiled flatly. "As I stated before...a separation might do them good. He's lost faith in the Jedi Order, in us all. If his strife with Raeila is the trigger...." She shrugged, pushing a loose strand of hair behind Koran's ear. "I'm not certain what else can be done. She needs time...as does he.... It's a precarious situation."

"Do you believe, in its current state, their relationship and marriage would be able to handle the strain of separation?" Koran asked.

"I believe their relationship is what set these events in motion, Koran," she reminded him gently. "He should not have been allowed to wed...and Kael needs to be as far from both Nieme and Raeila as we can get him. He's prepared to storm that palace on his own, even if it means his death, and all to avenge his wife, and himself." Laedra sighed and sat back to regard Koran steadily. "What do you believe is the correct course of action, Koran?"

"That's hard to say," Koran said as he concentrated on Kael through the Force. "I sense a darkness beneath the surface, one he's fighting to control. His motivation is good; he wants to do the right thing: to protect Tae'Karada, the Jedi, and his wife. He wants to end what they've started and bring peace back to his world." He opened his eyes and looked up at Laedra. "The difficulty for him is that he could become reckless. It is difficult to see where this will lead. The path upon which Nieme and Dani rest is clouded in darkness. I do not see Kael falling to darkness, though there is another danger with him. I am not certain if it is a path he will follow, but his desire to do good could drive him too far to the light, to far into zealotry. We both know that Nieme and Dani need to be stopped, and I believe in order to do that, we will need to make sacrifices. Just as Skywalker had to face Vader and Palpatine, we will need to face our Empresses. It is not the path I would have chosen, but for the safety of this planet and the rest of the galaxy we must."

"I am not denying that they must be stopped," Laedra reassured him. "Just that Kael's loss of faith is the greater danger. He is powerful, Koran. If he should fall..." She shook her head, unable to think of the dire consequences. "All we have is abstraction, Koran. We need a firm solution, and we need it soon or we may lose him." Amending, Laedra added, "If we haven't already...."

Koran nodded. "Then we'll prepare a firm solution to deal with Nieme and Dani," he said. "And, we'll include Kael in the planning. We will watch him carefully, and encourage him on the path he was trained for." He stopped for a moment, as if listening. "And, we'll probably need to get to the desert very soon, to assist in case he requires it...against the Hutt."

Laedra cocked an eyebrow. "You believe that is his next step?"

"I sense it very strongly," Koran answered. "But, what's in the desert? Surely he can't be returning to the life he led before."

"That may not be his plan," Laedra reasoned, "but it may become the end result just the same."

"But, why the Hutt?" Koran mused. "Especially after everything before with Raeila."

"It is precisely because of Raeila's imprisonment, Koran. He's gaining revenge on all those who have interfered in his relationship, and will do away with them one by one until there is nothing to remind either himself or Raeila of those times in their lives that were not filled with complete joy....to erase any memory of their hardships." Laedra squeezed Koran's hand fondly. "He just wants to regain their happiness, Koran...and he believes if he shatters those memories for Raeila, he can recapture that. Meanwhile, he'll only be driving them farther apart. But...I will not be the one to convince him of that." She smiled wanly. "He despises me at the moment, though I think it's Jedi in general he can't tolerate. Although" --Laedra pushed her hand up Koran's arm in an affectionate caress-- "he might take pity on an almost dead man and listen to what he has to say."

Koran nodded, then chuckled lightly. "I'll talk to him," he said.

Laedra laughed softly and kissed Koran's brow. "You can do that later. For now, just relax. I'll find us something to eat."

"Thank you," he answered. "I feel like I haven't had a bite to eat in months."

She nodded and left Koran to commission Orn for a sumptuous breakfast, somewhat satisfied that the matter of Kael's future was in good hands now.

Once Laedra was gone, Koran closed his eyes. He didn't think he would find a solution to the problem facing them in the few moments he had for meditation, but hopefully he would find some sort of inspiration on how to guide the Jedi through their current crisis. He only hoped they could make it through without losing more. And, for that, he put his trust in the Force.

"Help"
by Vyn Kether
& Leere [NPC]

Location: The Midnight Rogue
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Vyn stared forward into the stars from the cockpit of the Midnight Rogue, thinking about what had happened to Vicks. He had no more family left, and for the first time ever he felt alone. His ego usually kept him in good company, but things changed when his only family member and the only person he could call best friend was murdered. He took it upon himself to find out who, but his intuition told him that he wouldn't find out just yet.

He kept the ship on manual, deciding on what he was going to do next. He planned to contact the New Republic and seek shelter and enlist the aid of some of the pilots there, but he needed to clear his head first. Flying was relaxing, especially when he was free to maneuver anywhere he liked. It was nice to have a sense of freedom, but it was also clouded due to the bounty pinned on his head. It was dangerous enough for him to be hanging around Tae'Karada.

Before taking off, he received an automated message from Vicks that was sent several months prior.

"Hello, Vyn, if you've received this message, I'm dead and the Star's either destroyed or in the hands of the Empire. For the last few months I've been hiding out in a little place on Talakaa Prime. You remember, that forest planet on the outer rim? The co-ordinates have been input in your navicomputer, all you need to do is bring them up and punch them in and it should lead you right to the place. I have a few surprises there that could help you out. That's about all I have to say, except that you were always a true friend and brother to me... thanks for everything, Vyn. May the Force be with you..."

A message that will continue to live on in his memory for the rest of his life. He turned to his trusty, loyal and modified LE repair droid, "Pull up those co-ordinates in the navicomputer and go to hyperspace. I have an old debt to clear..." he said, standing up from the pilot's seat and leaving for his living quarters.

"Aye, sir. Talakaa Prime it is," responded Leere as he sat in the pilot's seat and entered the co-ordinates. He pulled the lever to hyperspace and the ship jolted forward into the bright tube of light speed.

"Home Coming"
By Amii'a Val'or
And Theen Fida

Location: New Republic Embassy, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 10th, 4ABY

***

Amii'a had went straight home to her apartment. All she wanted to do was crash. The events of the past few days had taken its toll on her. But as fate had it. There was no rest for the weary. She had checked her secured messages and had found what had transpired upon her home world while she was away.

A girl leaves home for a few days and everything goes to shit! she thought to herself as she prepared to leave for the Embassy.

While she was away, a couple of psychopathic failed Jedi had taken over the Palace and announced themselves the new Empresses. Theen had sent a message to her as well, about the failed rescue attempt by the Jedi and the attack on the Jedi Palace. He wanted her in his office as soon as she was back.

Amii'a jumped into her personal speeder and took off for the New Republic Embassy...

"Propositions of Business"
by: Empress Dani
Empress Nieme
Adam Edwards
Cailin Fawkes
DB-7

Location: Transit between Chimaeria and Maldorish
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

With no need to enter hyperspace for such short distances, the Elusive was cruising back towards Chimaeria. Its sublight engines made their familiar hum, and Adam sat in the pilot's seat.

He had left Dax in control to the base, and now he, DB, and Cailin were headed back to Arcadia.

Adam had some hard choices to make. Running a business was expensive, and he needed investment in his enterprise if it was to prosper.

Buying ships, hiring men, setting up contacts all required money. Money that Adam didn't have. He had spent all that he had setting up the infrastructure of his new base.

So, maybe the government would invest in Adam's business. However, from what Adam had heard, the government on Chimaeria had turned a little more ruthless.

Adam sat down at his comm, and opened up a channel to the Palace in Arcadia. After a few seconds, a young woman appeared on screen. She was a nice looking woman, who wore the native equadi, which left little hidden. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun, revealing a long, white neck and soft, young features. Brown eyes stared hard at him, as if she resented being stripped of her soldier's uniform and thrown into nothing more than a gauzy slip. The Yara clone responded. "You have reached the Arcadian Royal Palace. I am Empress Nieme and Dani's aide. What is it you seek?"

"I wish an audience with the Empresses. Is that possible at this time?" Adam asked the girl

"It is always possible," came her monotone reply. "What is it you wish to speak of?"

"A business venture that the Empresses may be interested in," Adam told the secretary. "I will be arriving within the hour, will an audience be available then?"

"That depends on the nature of this venture. You will provide me with details that I may pass on to my mistresses."

Adam grimaced at the girl. "A very, profitable venture, I can assure you. I would rather discuss the details with the Empresses, if you don't mind."

Her expression remained unchanged; she still appeared disinterested. "Your name, please. I will pass on the message; my Empresses will decide."

"My name is Adam Edwards, and you can assure the Empresses that they will like my proposition."

She blinked slowly. "I will relay your message. When you arrive, give your name to the guards outside the gates. If you have piqued the Empresses' interest, they will grant you passage. Good day." And the connection abruptly severed.

Half an hour later, the Elusive set down on one of the palace's many docking pads. He checked the charge on his blastech, then stuck a smaller one in his boot. DB didn't carry his concussion rifle, but a large heavy blaster pistol was attached to his chest. And Cailin of course, had her lightsaber under her clothes.

They descended the Elusive's docking ramp, and proceeded to the guard post. The first guard stopped them with his weapon.

"I am Adam Edwards," he told them, "I requested an audience with the Empresses."

The soldiers said nothing, unbeknownst to Adam awaiting permission to grant him entry through their earcomms. Once the Empresses deemed him attractive enough to stand in their presence, the soldier nodded and stepped aside, allowing the gates to part. Two more clone soldiers were waiting to convey them to the palace.

"You will divest yourself of any weaponry now," one ordered, and held out a gauntleted hand.

Adam sighed, and drew the Blastech out of his holster, and the pistol out of his boot.

He nodded to DB, who detached the heavy blaster from his chest, and Cailin, who took the lightsaber out.

All their weapons were accepted, while the other guard pointed his rifle at DB. "The droid must stay here."

Adam grimaced, but accepted the demands. If it was a trap, DB could cause much more trouble out here.

"Watch our weapons, DB. We'll be back soon," Adam told his droid. He looked back at the guards. "After you."

The soldier nodded and ushered them through the gates, where they were flanked by the waiting escorts.

"What is it we're hoping to get here again?" Cailin asked as she walked beside Adam.

Adam turned to her. "When you run the kind of operation I do, you need certain things. Contacts, money, that sort of thing. Unfortunately, I don't have enough. Obviously, since my operation is less than legal, I can't go to a bank for a loan, and I'd rather not go to some sort of crimeboss. That's why we're here."

Cailin shrugged. "Sounds fair," she said. "Well, let's hope we get what we need then. This place...it feels...odd."

Adam knew that Cailin had Jedi senses, and he didn't try to understand them. He knew she'd warn him if things got bad.

The guards led them to the throne room, and motioned for them to enter.

Ensconced on their thrones in various poses - a leg dangling here, an arm propped there, and exposed flesh in abundance - Nieme and Dani smiled lasciviously at their guests and beckoned them forward.

"So, you're Mr. Adam Edwards, are you?" Nieme drawled, and visibly ate up the sight of him.

Adam took in the sight of both the "rulers" of the planet. Neither of them seemed to care much about modesty.

"Yes, Empress, I am Mr. Edwards. Thank you for agreeing to see me. It was most generous of you," Adam told them.

"Oh," Dani said with a languorous smile, "you will find that generosity is one of our strongest points." She let her gaze linger on Adam Edwards for a moment before shifting her gaze to the young woman at his side. She smiled and looked back to Adam. "So, you have come to us...now, how can we be of assistance to you, our most loyal subject?"

"Well, Empress, I am a businessman. However, I work in a slightly illegal trade. It seems that, in my haste to set up my business dealings, I ran a little low on funds," Adam told them. "I was hoping to convince you to invest in my dealings. It is not much now, but I am very sure it will become very profitable in the future."

"If it involves the sale and trade of slaves," Nieme replied as she eyed Cailin, "then I am rather...interested." She smiled silkily at the girl, lending sexual innuendo to her statement.

"Ohh no, ma'am. I am not a slaver," Adam quickly corrected. "I smuggle spice and weapons. I am in the middle of setting up my own smuggling operations, but that's where the trouble started, which is why I came here."

Nieme pouted. "Too bad..."

"Well, if you're not slaving off delicious looking young women," Dani said with a smile, "then what is it you do want from us? What sort of deal are you looking to arrange? What sort of cut are you willing to bring us in for? Make us want to support you, Mr. Edwards."

"In the first year, I expect my ventures to bring in between thirty and 50 million credits. I have the means to do that, just not the ships, or money to hire smugglers to run it," Adam told them.

Adam halted abruptly, as his eyes glanced quickly over Dani. Something about her purple skin made her very...exotic. He snapped back into the present. He had come to discuss business.

"I offer that twenty percent of my profits come back to you, in a five year contract," Adam said.

Nieme snorted in clear disdain, while languidly stroking her chest. "My dear, twenty percent of zero profit is hardly lucrative."

"Every investment is a risk, Empress. With my business just starting out, you are correct that I have zero profits," Adam conceded. "However, I am very sure that I can reach my intended goal within the first two years."

"So you say," Nieme mused. "But why offer such generosity to us? Is this your sign of fealty?" She chuckled throatily. "I can think of other acts of allegiance I'd prefer much more..."

"I'm sure you can," Adam said. "And it goes both ways. If you offer your generosity now, than I will offer my generosity with my profits in the future."

"This is a difficult decision, to be sure," Dani said. "It requires trust on both sides, and trust is hard to come by. What we need is...some sort of assurance that this will be profitable for us. Right now, we only have your word to go on. What proof can you provide us, Adam? What assurances can you give us of your loyalty? What are you willing to provide us as collateral on your good faith?"

Nieme grinned, her gaze settling on Cailin again. "Or...is that what the girl is for?"

"Cailin works as my....protector. She has talents and abilities which make her very valuable to me," Adam said to the women.

He looked back at Dani. "And what kind of collateral are you thinking about, Empress?"

"You will of course furnish us with the location of this base you're establishing," Dani said. "Beyond that, what do you have of value that you would be willing to offer us as an indication of your good faith in this deal?"

The young smuggler grimaced at her statement. "I suppose since you are trusting me with your funds I have no choice but to trust you with the location of my base?"

Shrewdly, Nieme leaned forward, exposing a wealth of cleavage. "And what base would that be, Mr. Edwards?"

"I would rather not disclose that information just yet, Empress. I realize you are taking a risk investing in my operation, but every good smuggler has his secrets," Adam told her, attempting not to stare at Nieme's well endowed figure.

"It's a very big risk, one that I don't know we'd be willing to take...without something else in its place." As punctuation, Dani drew her hand up her thigh, brushing lightly against the cleft between her thighs. "Is there anything else you're willing to give us, to show your faith? Of course, you may also send your lovely protector in your place to convince us you're worth this risk."

Cailin had to force herself to stand her ground, and not step back against the empress's suggestive comment.

"Empress, Cailin is my employee, and I doubt she would agree to such a thing. I didn't realize asking for a loan would require so much," Adam told them.

A husky laugh bubbled in Nieme's throat. "You make it sound like a chore, Mr. Edwards. Though, believe me, if you were to spend an evening entertaining our desires" --her eyes held an open invitation-- "you would believe very differently, I do think."

Dani smiled silkily. "Please us, and I believe you may find yourself in possession of whatever monies you find necessary for your operation."

Adam grinned his best scoundrel grin at the purple ruler. "It seems, Empress, that you are trying to seduce me. Wouldn't that mean I was 'sleeping my way to the top,' " Adam asked them.

Nieme emitted a short laugh. "Only if you can meet our rigid standards." She licked her smiling lips at the intended double-entendre. "We can give you both quarters for the evening. You can dine with us, then later," Nieme finished, raking her wanton gaze over his lean, young body, "we can see about your offer, hm?"

Adam considered. He turned, giving Cailin a brief "How did I get us into this situation" look.

"Very well, Empress. Where might these quarters be?"

Dani smiled deliciously. "Oh, they're this way," she said. "Follow us. And, if you'd like, we have fresh clothing set out for you. I know, after being cooped up in a starship, it's nice to put on something clean and relaxing."

Slipping from her own throne, Nieme's silken robes settled around her to outline the slender, appealing curves beneath. She crooked her finger at Adam and his supposed protector as she and Dani started towards the far end of their throne room. "I hope you don't mind," she told Adam, "but your rooms will be under heavy guard." Her sultry smile found him. "For protection, of course."

"I am sure, Empress," Adam said back. "I am grateful you two care so much for our well-being."

As Dani and Nieme led them away, Cailin glanced at Adam. "I have a bad feeling about this," she whispered. "They're both very powerful. I'll do what I can to keep us safe, but I don't think I'd want to anger either of them."

Adam smiled back at her. "And they apparently never got over their teenage hormone years," Adam whispered back. "Don't worry, I have no intention of actually going through with what they seem to want."

Cailin nodded, and glanced ahead to make certain Nieme and Dani weren't listening to them. "Do you have any other options for getting the funds you need?"

"The crime bosses are looking better and better, but it doesn't look like now is the best chance to plan our escape," Adam sighed, half smiling at her.

"Yeah," Cailin said. "And, I have a feeling, based on how they were looking at you, they really don't want you to get away."

Adam flashed her a grin. "You aren't the only one who is drawn to my dashing good looks."

"These are your chambers," Nieme announced upon reaching a pair of doors in the guest quarter, and forestalling a retort from Cailin. Both rooms already held posted guards. She turned gracefully towards Adam and Cailin, red silk swirling around her ankles and revealing a flash of pale thigh. "Servants will arrive shortly to provide you with appropriate attire for a dinner at our table." With a greedy smile at Adam and Cailin, she added, "If there's anything you require...please do ask. It is truly our pleasure."

Dani smiled as she watched their two guests disappear into their respective rooms. "Oh," she said once she and Nieme were alone in the hallway, "this is going to be delightful. Come, let's go check on the preparations for food."

Nieme chuckled as they walked away. "I already know what's for dessert...." Both burst into boisterous laughter.

"Two helpings," Dani purred as they disappeared down the hall together.

"Master Of The Game"
by Zion "The Worm" Xandler
Nieme Yaresh
and Dani

Location: Palace
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Zion stopped his swoop right up front the main Palace building. He had traveled quite a lot, but he hadn't been to the Palace ever before. It wasn't quite what he expected... Though he knew that the place was one of luxury and wealth; he hadn't conceived the look to be retro or the grounds so beautifully cared after.

The main doors were ahead of him, just beyond the large stone stairs that went all the way down to where he was. There were guards in many places to be seen, but none seemed to pay too much attention to him being there, and Zion figured out that they would have known that he was coming. After all, he had asked permission to have an audience with the Empresses.

Getting off his swoop, the systems operator took out from his trenchcoat a small portable computer, just about the size of a regular info padd. He had built it himself and checked something before anything else. He smiled once and decided to go up the stairs, shutting off the small computer and activating the security for his swoop.

At the top of the stairs he was greeted by a stunning looking woman who told him she was expecting him and that she would lead him to the Empresses. Zion smiled and followed the woman, not being able to help himself from gazing at her beautiful behind. As he recalled, Nieme and Dani were also quite good looking. He hadn't seen them in quite a while, and wondered how they were now that they were Empresses.

As soon as he walked into the room, he saw them both. His first reaction was a grin which he could not hide at all. Both Nieme and Dani were wearing almost no clothes and both were still as he remembered them... Beautiful.

"Empresses..." he said with a bow. "Thank you for your time. I'm sure you'll be interested in what I have to offer to you."

Dani smiled broadly when she saw Zion standing before them. "Shiny," she said with a laugh. "I've wondered where you've been. We've come up in the world, that's for certain." She drew a hand up along a purple thigh, her gaze smouldering into his. "You've come to visit us?"

"Or," Nieme interjected, "you've come to lure us." Her eyes narrowed. "Did the Jedi send you? You're close to Raeila Selrid, Mr. Xandler, and she's close to the Jedi." Shrugging, she concluded, "It makes sense that you would be working on their behalf."

Zion chuckled. "I may have been close to her, but she chose the Jedi the last time I saw her, so no, I'm not here on the behalf of the Jedi..." he told Nieme. "In fact, it's no secret that I never even liked the Jedi for that matter, so you needn't worry. But...it is a little bit ironic that you should mention them because they are in part, the reason why I came here," he said with a mischievous grin.

Zion then took his small portable computer unit and looked at it. "Tell me, how much do you know about the security systems at the Palace?"

Nieme laughed haughtily. "My dear Mr. Xandler...we now occupy the Palace! Of course we are aware of their security systems." She grinned. "Did you truly believe you had secrets to sell us?"

Zion thumbed with his computer. "As for secrets I would have to sell..." he added sarcastically as he pressed a few buttons. Immediately, all the exits were double blocked by security blastdoors and the ground opened on the middle of the room, and two automated turrets came up. A secret emergency procedure that the High Prince and High Princess had as a last resort for defense. The cannons pointed at Nieme and Dani, fully activated. "Yes, I do believe I have secrets you would like to buy."

Dani reached out a hand, her face a mask of concentration as she did. At once, both turrets spun away from Nieme and Dani with a groan, and instead pointed themselves at Zion. "Cute," she said. "Rumour has it you change sides as frequently as most people change their underwear, Mr. Zandler. Regardless of what you've shown us here, both easily defeated by anyone remotely close to the level of power we wield, you are an untrustworthy man. And the feelings you still have for Raeila, they will not earn you any kindness from us. I wonder how it was she managed to escape from the Hutt, hmm?"

"By my hands," Zion stated clearly as he shut down the turrets. "Make no mistake. I never said that I didn't like Raeila. I wasn't about to leave her in the hands of a Hutt. And the Jedi had made no effort to get her back from the Hutt's lair either. But my ties with her are seemingly finished," he told them with a bit of a grievous tone in his words.

Zion sighed. "I did what I had to do at the time. And my loyalties lie for myself alone," he explained. "But the fact remains that the Palace has many defenses that are open to a slicer who would want to come in and shut down all the power grids and cameras. Hell, I can do it now from right here if I wanted to. Now, you can either let that remain as it is, or you can repair that fault. And that's where I come in."

Zion took a few steps, letting that thought linger for a second. "What if I told you that I can get you a new security system, with access codes that are virtually unbreakable and a motion detector that will detect any type of lifeform you choose? For instance, let's say that your guards all wear a small transmitter. Should anyone come within a two mile radius from any place at all, airborne or under the ground, and the alarm would go off. Also, I can get virtual training programs for your guards, encrypted comlinks so that they can't be cut or tampered with from outside and power grids that run by themselves. You are much too open to attacks, and the proof of that is the recent attack by the Jedi and the New Republic. Do you really want to wait in on intel from a Hutt for the next time?"

"And you," Nieme mused, "would hold all the encryption codes, all the blueprints for these devices?" She smirked. "Would that not make you a very dangerous man to us, Mr. Xandler? If you were not completely loyal, you could easily give us over to our enemies with such knowledge as you hold."

"Well, actually that's the interesting thing. You see, this is kind of a fail-safe plan for two reasons. The first one is that not even I can access the main-core of this new security which I myself created, because it works based on a security key that changes every 5 seconds..." Zion smirked. "I would have to break it in less than that, which is impossible. The only way to do that would be with a special code word that you and you alone know. And even that code only delays all the process from five seconds to a minute... And the other reason is the simple fact that I can screw your whole security systems as it is. Wouldn't it be better to be safe and sound than at the hands of any given slicer who would know enough?" he asked.

"We don't trust you, Shiny," Dani said. "We don't trust you to make a deal with us, and turn around and make one with the Jedi. You're untrustworthy and fickle in your allegiance, and we despise those who are disloyal to us." She raised a hand toward him and immediately it was as if a fist were closing around his throat. "We would be better off to kill you now, and save us the problem of your eventual betrayal." She released the hold she had on him. "How will you prove to us that we can trust you, Shiny?"

"Well... I thought that the simple fact that we both don't like the Jedi would be more than enough," Zion said as he rubbed his hand on his throat. "I never had any deal struck with them before, nor have I been an ally to them, so why the hell start now?! Anyway, you don't need to trust me because it's fail-safe. Now... I have better things to do with my time than sit and discuss trust. I trust no one but myself. Plain and simple. So, as for the deal, you interested? Or maybe you don't care if people just walk right in and screw all your electronics at the Palace..."

"I don't care if you don't trust us, Shiny," Dani said. "But if we are to enlist your help in securing the palace, we'll need to be able to trust you. You've given us no reason to do so." She stood and took a step toward him. At her second step, her lightsaber was in her hand and igniting. "You've given us every reason to kill you now. I don't know if you've noticed, Shiny, but nothing you could do with our electronics could even come close to what we can do with you." She leveled her lightsaber at his throat. "Now, will you prove yourself to us with a test, or will we give you the chance to walk out of here. If you turn your back on us, Shiny, just pray that we never see you again. And, if anything ever happens with the electronics, we know who to kill."

As she spoke, the air seemed charged, as if a storm were brewing. Wind began to swirl around them, making it difficult for Zion to remain on his feet, even though Dani seemed firmly planted on the floor. "Do not for a moment think that we're two little girls for you to swindle, Zion Xandler. Do not think for a moment that you will profit from this. You will serve us, or you will perish." The raw power that seemed to roll from Dani in waves could be felt, even by someone with no talent with the Force.

Zion thought for a moment that this had been a rather bad idea. But he was not a person to come unprepared. Not when he was meeting with two Empresses who were trained in the Jedi tricks. "If there is no profit for both ends, then why would I want to do any deal with you in the first place?" he asked. "I would consider what you are doing. If you can truly feel like you say you can, then you can feel that my heartrate is being monitored by a chip that is within my body. If you kill me, the reactor that feeds this palace will overheat in less than a minute. And when that happens my Empress... Boom," he warned. "However, I am not a person who seeks death. So... What exactly did you have in mind?"

Nieme giggled from behind, applauding briskly. "Oh, he's a delightful one, isn't he! I do so like his spunk." Her smile adopted a sultry quality as her eyes wandered to his groin. "So...are there piercings we can't see, Mr. Xandler? That certainly offers you some leverage if it's so."

"That's rather personal, Empress Nieme," Zion answered with a raised eyebrow. He was surprised that she had asked such a question to him. If the proof of loyalty would be to share Nieme and Dani's bed, then perhaps it wouldn't be so bad... "But, considering you are an Empress, I will answer you this time. Yes, I do have one."

Nieme chuckled huskily and leered more intensely at him.

Ignoring Nieme, Dani continued on. "You will abduct Raeila Mullerin from the Jedi Temple, and together, we shall deliver her to Jadda the Hutt in the desert. We had intended her to be a gift to the Hutt, and you ruined that. So, now you must put things right. If you are incapable of doing this, then we have no use for you or your talents."

"I would sooner have this whole thing blow up!" Zion answered. "I may have cut ties with Raeila, and I'll probably never speak to her ever again, but I still do love her. Do you know what that means? It means I'd be willing to die for her!" he answered. "Wouldn't you be willing to do the same for Empress Nieme?"

"For her, I would die," Dani said. "But, she is worthy of such a claim; Raeila is most certainly not. But, that is beside the point. My dear, I believe he has chosen Raeila over us." She turned to Zion with a gleam in her eye. "That is quite possibly the worst thing you could do to her, you know."

"No... It's the right thing, and you know it! What do you gain from her being with Jadda? Besides, I got her off his lair in a fair deal. You gave her to him and he gave her to me!" Zion answered, somewhat afraid for his life. "I came here to offer you a deal. I came here because I prefer you over the Jedi and over the beaurocrats that used to run the planet. But don't ask me to betray Raeila. That I cannot do. Now, if you're smart - and I know you are - you won't strike me down, because I'm a good ally to have, and you know this."

"You're no one's ally, Shiny, and you know it," Dani said. "You won't be any more loyal to us than you would to anyone who waves a couple credits at you. Your only allegiance is to money, and that means that even if you do this for us, you could be bought. That is a risk we will not take...not until you can prove to us that you're ours and no one else's, even someone waving a large sum of money under your nose."

"Well... Consider this," Zion said. "I value my life. And I'm no match for either of you. So, should I ever betray you, I would sign my own death sentence. So, since my life would be on check, you can consider that I am yours to serve. However, don't expect me to do the job for you, for free, of course! After all, there are expenses to be met."

"You're the one who came to us," Nieme reminded him. "We will offer what we wish, and you would be wise to accept." She grinned slyly. "Shiny."

"Meaning that your offer is?" Zion asked simply.

"Make your offer to us, Shiny," Dani said as she returned her lightsaber to her belt. "What do you ask for this service you wish to perform for us?"

"Well... Setting up a new security network across the whole Palace will cost something like 200 thousand credits for the equipment. So, let's round that off to a quarter of a million, which will include the service of setting it up," Zion said. "Besides that, I want only one guarantee. I want your word that you will not go after Raeila Mullerin or harm her in any way, which includes giving her back to Jadda the Hutt. As for the Jedi, I couldn't care less about them."

Nieme emitted a curt, derisive laugh. "200 thousand," she countered. "But we can't promise anything when it comes to Raeila Mullerin. Even so...she's not one of our main targets at the moment." Her smile was jeering. "Don't worry, we won't harm your lover."

Dani glanced sidelong at Nieme. "If we decide that Raeila Selrid deserves punishment," she said, "then she shall be punished. If you are incapable of working with us under those conditions, then take your spineless, lovesick ass out of our palace and find a rock to hide yourself under. You will take what we offer you and be happy for it. If you think to ever dictate terms to us, your life will end quickly."

"Well... Like I said. Two hundred thousand is just the equipment. Buying the equipment, that is," Zion told Nieme. "The additional fifty was for me placing it up for you. I think it's a very reasonable price."

"Perhaps you need to have your hearing checked, Shiny," Dani said, her voice taking on a frostiness that seemed to drop the temperature in the room. She seemed to tower over the slicer. "Two hundred thousand. You will accept that, or you will leave. We have no desire, interest, or intent to quibble over prices with you. You appear to be having a difficult time acclimating to your position here. Let me re-iterate: You have no power here, no matter what you may think. We have power beyond anything you could conceive of. I will say it again...you will serve us or die. Now, choose."

Nieme chuckled in delight. "I do so adore when she gets vicious." She winked at Zion. "Imagine her in bed, Shiny. It can be included in the deal if that will sweeten our offer."

"No thanks..." Zion waved. Bedding Empresses seemed too complicated to say the least. "And perhaps you may want to consider that I am serving you. If I wasn't serving you I wouldn't have come here and tell you of your poor security systems and offer to help. However, my time is worth my prices, and I always deliver in utter perfection. But if you're not paying anything, I will earn my money with my regular costumers."

"If your list of clientele is so large, Mr. Xandler," Nieme mused, "then why come to us in the first place? Besides the profit, what's in it for you?"

"Revenge," Zion answered simply. "The Jedi got in here with way too much ease the last time. I don't care for them doing the same thing again or perhaps even being successful in it! After all, if not for them, I would have Raeila all to myself. So, by aiding you in this matter I can get a partial revenge," he told them. "I am not a fighter so I can't battle them. But there are other ways to fight back," he added.

"The Jedi entered the Palace because we allowed them to," Dani said. "They entered because we wished to face them, and we left the two obvious choices for their entrance open for them. With help from Jadda the Hutt and our own powers, we knew they were coming, and we wanted them inside. The Hutt you stole our gift from, Shiny. For that, I will make certain you never possess Raeila Selrid; that will be your punishment for defying us. Admittance to this palace is our concern, not yours." She approached him and slid a hand down his chest until it cupped his groin. "We allow in who we wish, and keep out those we don't. We desired you to enter, and so you did. Now, forget about Raeila. Join us, Shiny and we can make you powerful and rich." She gave him a squeeze. "Raeila hurt us, and be assured that she will be hurt back. Protect her, and you will have to face us... and you will have to die. With us, you will prosper."

Zion looked down at Dani. "I wouldn't dare to share a bed with an Empress. As Empress you are supposed to be divine and therefore out of my reach," he stated as almost out of a rulebook. "And what I offer you is a chance to be free from ever needing Jadda's help. As for Raeila having been sold to me, that was business between Jadda and myself. If you dislike that simple fact, then your quarrel is with the Hutt and not with me," he added. "My price stays. A quarter million. As for the rest you do what you have to do and I do what I have to do. As simple as that."

"And what, Mr. Xandler," Nieme drawled airily, "would your offer be if we threw Raeila Mullerin into the bargain?" Her smarmy grin slid into place as Nieme watched him, watched for any sign of piqued interest. "If we could retrieve Raeila for you, what would that be worth?"

Zion considered the words. An odd request. One that made him think for a while. "I don't want Raeila. She went away last time. She left me. It was her choice to do so..." he stated. "But I don't wish her harm. Only that she is safe."

"Then it appears that we have no deal, Shiny," Dani said. "You will need to take your greedy self somewhere else to earn your riches. You will not make your fortune from us."

"Unless you're not opposed to received payment for services rendered in bed," Nieme added with a leering smile.

"Oh, my love, he won't do that," Dani said, her eyes never leaving Zion. "He feels that he's unworthy of going to our bed. Apparently Shiny knows all about this sort of thing, and as empresses we are unable to make such decisions for ourselves. I think we should castrate all men who feel themselves unworthy of our bed."

Nieme chuckled darkly as she leaned forward upon her throne. "Shall we begin with you, Shiny?"

"Well..." Zion paused. "I'm not unreasonable. And you are wrong, Empress Dani. As empresses, you are maybe the only ones who can actually tell others what to do. It is I who shouldn't suggest sharing your beds. But... If you would have it otherwise..."

"Did you just say I am wrong," Dani snapped. Her gaze seemed to burn his body as she raked it over him. The backhand that caught Zion across his face lifted him off his feet and dropped him back to the floor of the audience chamber. "The next time you ever suggest such a thing, Worm, it will be the last. As an Empress, if I wish you in my bed, that is where you will be. If that is were we want you, then you will most certainly dare to be there. Think before you speak, Shiny, or we shall remove your ability to speak."

At this point Zion decided to just play along, lest he lose his life. "Of course, my Empress," he bowed. "I did not mean to offend."

"Just don't let it happen again," Dani said as she held a hand out to help him up. "Now, we have invited you to our bed. What is your answer?"

"I am honoured," Zion answered with a sly grin. After all, even if the idea of bedding such vile women was not the most attractive thing, they were still two very stunning women. "I think this may be the first time I grant allegiance to someone else besides myself..."

Nieme chuckled lowly. "Not even Raeila Mullerin was given that privilege?" She smirked and rose from her throne, the diaphanous material of her dress floating down around her legs. "Shall we, Mr. Xandler?"

"Please, my Empress... After you," Zion gestured.

Tossing her head back imperiously, Nieme descended the dais and swayed past Zion. Her finger hooked into his pants as she strode by, tugging him forward. "Don't dawdle, now," she purred. "We have certain appetites that require indulging."

Dani moved up beside Zion, pressing her body to his as they moved. "If I caused you any discomfort earlier, Zion, I promise to make it up to you."

Zion smirked back at Dani and nodded. He then looked at Nieme and wondered to himself that this might not be such a bad payment after all. He let his hand slide softly down over Dani's breasts and then her stomach, and moved in to kiss her neck. He lifted her up and wrapped his arms around her waist to be able to hold her in that position, kissing her gently from her neck to her breasts and back again.

Zion then sat down on the dais, still with Dani over him and turned to kiss Nieme, as he toyed with her soft gown and started to take it off, slowly. "Your skin is so soft...so perfect..." he told her.

Nieme chuckled and sat down next to him as her gown fell around her shoulders. "See? Who needs desert rats when you can have royalty, Mr. Xandler?"

"Indeed..." Zion grinned. "Indeed."

"Reminiscing On Carbosyrup"
By: Yelara Neerou
Liam Zaneth
Va'Lesh Zaneth

Location: Jedi Temple; New Plouton
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Leshie was completely content suspended snugly against Yelara's chest in the sling Liam had provided her with. Carrying him in her arms had become a labour, with as hearty as was his appetite.

Her child seemed to glow brighter in the Temple, to thrive, and more so in having spent the evening with Liam. There was little use in denying it; the two held a bond with one another, and Yelara didn't dare keep them apart. She was the stranger, not Liam, which left little reason in denying the two their time together. It ached Yelara's heart to know she may have once had just as powerful a bond with Liam, yet couldn't seem to restore it. Perhaps, though, their outing that day would be a first step towards doing so.

By no means acquainted with the attire befitting an excursion into the city, and lacking much selection in her wardrobe, Yelara donned a plain ensemble of white blouse and comfortable slacks, topped with a warm overcoat to fend off the winter's chill. It had yet to snow, but the air was downright frigid. Leshie was just as prepared, with a down-filled jumper and a woolen cap. He was the most precious thing in her life, and she would not risk his health by letting him fall ill.

Prepared for their journey now, Yelara waited in the Temple's foray, wondering what a day all alone with Liam would bring. She was nervous, that much was certain, and mostly at coming up with topics of conversation. What did one say to a man who claimed to be your husband, yet about whom you knew nothing? Yelara sighed and brushed her lips against the wisps of red hair peeking out from beneath Leshie's cap at his forehead. At least if all went badly, Leshie wouldn't mind keeping her company.

Liam arrived in the foyer just a few minutes after Yelara and Leshie. He smiled as he approached, dressed in civilian clothes. His lightsaber was hidden on his belt, beneath a large longcoat. "You two look ready for the day," he said. "The speeder's just outside if you're ready to go."

Yel cradled Leshie's bottom as he bounced in the carrier. His father's presence was enough to spark his excitement at any moment. "Looks like someone's definitely in a hurry," Yelara replied fondly, smiling at her child.

"Come on then," he said gesturing toward the door. "It's pretty chilly out there, but I think we'll be alright. We'll probably want to spend most of the time either inside or at least somewhere heated. Don't want the little one to catch anything. He's been very good so far about staying healthy. Should be nice and warm in the speeder though, and I've already got a carrier inside for him."

Yelara nodded mutely and followed Liam out. It seemed he would do enough talking for them both, that day, though she hardly minded.

As they neared the speeder, and Liam popped open the hatch, Yelara hesitated. Was there a point to reclaiming their past? What wounds might reopen if they did? And was she fully equipped to deal with them, just yet? But Leshie's squealing giggles urged her on, and Yelara settled into the speeder with her child still strapped to her torso. She stared through the viewport, straight ahead, as she waited for Liam to join her inside.

It was only a moment later before Liam slid into the driver's side of the speeder. He double-checked the instruments, then activated the starter. A few moments later, they were on their way into the city. Other than Leshie's happy noises, they were silent for the beginning of the trip. Finally, Liam glanced in Yelara's direction. "What do you think you'd like to do today? We can shop for some new clothing if you'd like. There are lots of places. And, we should get Leshie a toy, I think."

"I don't have any credits," Yelara informed him. "Truly, Leshie and I are fine. We don't need anything at all."

"I have credits," Liam said. "And, it's no trouble at all. If you don't want, I won't. But, I'd like to if you're...well, if you'd like."

As politely as she could, Yelara demurred, "I don't want charity. Please don't try to buy your way into our lives again."

"That's not my intention," Liam said. "I just want to make sure you're provided for. I just want to be kind. So, what would you like to see in the city?"

Exhaling slowly, Yelara answered, "Something...something we've shared together. Somewhere we've already been." For the first time during their ride, Yelara turned her head towards him. "I want to try and remember. Help me remember."

"I'll help you," Liam said with a warm smile. "If you'd like, we should also go to the station. We spent a lot of our time there. But, for now, we'll go to the city and see what we can find of our past there."

Yelara displayed a spark of enthusiasm in the light that illuminated her eyes. "Then lead the way. You're our guide, Liam. And," she added, nodding down at their son, "you can buy Va'Lesh something if you wish. He's your child...you should be allowed to give him a gift from the heart now and then."

Liam grinned. "Before we go anywhere, I just want to know...what do you think of...of carbosyrup?"

"Carbosyrup?" She frowned, puzzled by the question, but more so at the sudden churning in her stomach. "I think...I think I hate it," she revealed with a touch of surprise at the realization. "Why do you ask?"

"When you were pregnant with Leshie, you couldn't get enough of it," Liam said with a bigger grin. "If you could have found enough of it, you would have probably taken baths in it. As soon as he was born, you couldn't stand the sight or smell of it. We had a dispenser put into our home especially for it, but after he arrived, I had to have it removed for you to even go into the apartment. After we started the Temple, we didn't spend too much time there, but the home is still ours. That's where we're heading first."

Yelara was chuckling by the end of his explanation, as much as she tried to suppress it. "You put in carbosyrup dispensers for me? Were you always so indulgent?"

"You can be a very stubborn woman at times, you know," Liam said with a glance at her. "Add a pregnancy to that, and I had no choice. Besides, it wasn't much of an addition and it meant we wouldn't have a vat of carbosyrup sitting in the corner of the kitchen."

"Is that why Leshie's hair is nearly the same colour?" Yelara asked humourously. She laughed as he shrieked and bounced against her, apparently aware that the conversation had touched upon him. "Well, he's certainly excitable enough - he must have carbosyrup for blood."

"I think he may," Liam said. "Where you hate carbosyrup, he definitely loves it. Though, it's a rare treat for him, that's for sure. I think the hair colour comes from your mother's side of the family."

Yelara's moment of levity seemed to end abruptly at yet another memory she could no longer recall. She was a woman without a history, even for as much as Orinth had filled in the blanks. There was still so much more, and that detail was just one of the many lost ones. "Do you know much about my parents, then?" Yelara asked softly. "Orinth...he didn't have time to tell me everything."

"No," Liam said softly. "I wish I did. When I first met Orinth, he didn't like me at all. I'm glad that's no longer the case though." The speeder swerved out of the forest and toward the much more populated New Plouton. "We're nearly there."

Yelara watched past Liam, through his window and out into the street. New Plouton impressed upon her a feeling of familiarity and warmth... If they truly had lived there at one time, Yelara certainly sensed it. It was not home completely, but it was the closest thing to it lately. She sighed and buried her lips in Leshie's hair. He cooed and twined one small hand about a loose curl from her own.

It wasn't long before Liam stopped the speeder outside a tall apartment building. He glanced at Yelara and their child. "Come on, my dears, let's go see the home we haven't seen in quite a while." He quickly got out of the speeder and moved to the other side to help with the hatch and taking Leshie so Yel could get out of the speeder herself. As the speeder closed itself up, they started up toward the building. After they reached the door and went inside, fickle Leshie decided he wanted to see the ride from mama's arms, so Liam passed the little one back to her. "We're up a ways, but we can take the lift."

Yelara nodded, and the three piled into the nearest one, which smoothly ascended towards their destination. Yelara smiled awkwardly at Liam as they drew nearer to the upper floor. "Nothing's surfacing yet," she reported.

"If nothing does, it may mean that this place didn't leave any lasting memories," Liam said as the door opened and let them off on their floor. "I do know one place that should...after this would you like to go up to the station?"

She let out a deep, pensive breath and shrugged noncommittally. "Let's just take things one step at a time, okay? Or are you trying to overwhelm me?" Liam received one of her rare smiles, one that truly held mirth. "It's understandable. You want your wife back."

"You did say you wanted to remember," Liam said. "I think of all the places we were, that one may have the most memories. That's where we met."

"Really?" Yelara shook her head in amazement. "What was I doing all the way up there?"

"Working as the foreman in the repair bays," Liam said. "You're a great mechanic on every level. The defenses around the Jedi Temple, you designed those."

She sighed, resigned by her inability to recall even the most intimate of details about herself. Their endeavour to jog her memory seemed a hopeless one to Yelara. At Liam's gesture, Yelara preceded him through the corridor. "Which way?" she asked.

Liam motioned ahead of them. "This way," he said. "We had some fairly nice neighbours." About halfway along the hall, he stopped at a door, pulled a key from within his jacket, and slid it through the reader on the side of the door. With a whisper, the door opened, revealing the small home they'd shared for a brief time.

Although Leshie had never lived in the apartment, he gave a joyous shriek. Yelara, too, felt the rush of sensations her son was experiencing. The cozy abode evoked warmth and happiness, as if Liam and Yelara's bliss had permeated the very walls of their former home. And now, it assailed them, leaving Yelara in awe. She took a reverent step into the room, trembling arms wrapped around her child. It was as Liam had described briefly - modest, plain, yet filled with a homey atmosphere. There was the living area that flowed into a kitchen, at the far end of which she recognized the hole where the spigot Liam mentioned had once been. She wondered if it would still dispense carbosyrup if repaired. "All this," she breathed, "was ours?"

"It was," Liam said with a nod as he followed after her, his finger caught in Leshie's tiny fist. "We shared it for a little while with Kallia, until we all moved to the Temple."

Yelara let out a slow breath. "She told me that...that she and I have a past. I just...can't seem to believe it."

Liam chuckled. "I imagine you're running into a lot of things that are hard to believe. You two were very close. She even got a tattoo for you."

"Does that explain the ones I have on me?" Yel asked.

"You had some of those when I met you," Liam answered. "The one on your breast, I didn't know you had until I was brought aboard Dargus' ship and we finally reconciled. I guess Dargus was so smitten with you, he put an exact duplicate of your tattoo on another young woman here in the city when he captured her. I think I've seen her a couple times, but I've never met her."

Yelara's features tensed, conveying how troubled the revelations were making her. "Dargus," she whispered, nearly shuddering. "That day you brought me to the Temple...I thought he was..." Closing her eyes, she sighed gravely. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize he was an enemy...that you were the one I should have trusted."

"I'm not sure if he's quite the enemy he was," Liam said. "He's changed from who he was. He's very different now, and I sense no threat from him when he's near. I know he feels remorse for what he did to you...I can feel it. When he was bad, though, he was very bad. He has a very long road of atonement ahead of him."

"Well I have other things to worry about," she told him. "I don't have time for Dargus' quest for redemption."

"I understand," Liam said. "And, I think he does as well. Come on, let's go see the rest of the place." He started toward the hall that led toward the refresher and the bedrooms.

"How long did we live here?" Yelara asked, her gaze shifting from side to side as she took in either wall of the corridor. There were no pictures of them there; she imagined the answer to her own question was: not very long.

"We weren't here very long," Liam answered. "We were only here for around a month before we moved to the Temple."

Yelara nodded slowly. "And you maintain ownership of it? Why?"

"It's a nice place to stay if I remain overnight in the city," Liam said. "And, even though we didn't stay here long, it was our home. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."

"We were happy here," she guessed.

Liam nodded with a smile "Yes, I believe we were. Happier here than I believe we were at the Temple. Do you sense anything here?"

Yelara sighed as she looked around, attempting to draw any feelings from the room. As with everything else she'd tried to restore her memories, this was useless as well. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Nothing past some surface emotions."

"It's alright," Liam said. "Like I said, we weren't here long. Would you like to take a trip up to the station? It may be the best place to jog your memories."

Yelara smiled tightly and nodded. "It's worth a try."

"Come on then," he said. "We can catch a shuttle at the starport. We should be there in about a half hour."

Yelara paused, suddenly stricken by an inexplicable fear. She stayed well back, even as Liam took a step towards the door. Her mouth was dry as she rasped, "No...I'm not-- I don't feel so well anymore. I'm sorry."

Liam regarded Yel carefully. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "I sense....fear."

She shook her head, chuckling weakly. "I...I don't know what's wrong. I just...my stomach's in knots. Can't we just stay here a while? Sit and talk until I feel well?"

"Of course," Liam said, leading the way into the living area. "We can stay here as long as you'd like. Is it the thought of the station?"

"I'm not sure," she sighed. "You mentioned the shuttle...and going there...." Yelara swallowed hard, allowing herself to lean against Liam as he led the way. "Did something bad happen there?"

"There were bad times," Liam answered. "But there were good times too. As you can expect, it was Dargus. But, we did manage to survive. There was also a man...Gin Toran."

Yelara raised an eyebrow. "Another lover?"

"No, he wasn't," Liam answered. "I believe he was a worker on the station, but he didn't appreciate your being appointed foreman. He kidnapped you and tried to kill you. Kallia is the one who rescued you from him."

Together they settled onto the couch, Yelara appearing more stunned the longer Liam's revelation processed. "It's no wonder I was panicked," she murmured. "And...were you there at that time?" Yelara's troubled gaze found his. "Had we met and fallen in love?"

"We'd met, and I believe we were in love with each other. Your fear of what Dargus would do kept us apart."

The truth of Dargus' vile nature was slowly becoming apparent, and the more it did, the less she liked him. And with good reason. "Tell me all about him, Liam," she said softly. "What exactly was he to me? What kind of hold did he have over me?"

"He wasn't strong in the Force then," Liam said. "He was rich and powerful though. I wasn't there when you first arrived on the station, but from what I learned from you and Kallia, it sounds like you encountered him fairly soon after arriving. You had little choice but to go with him, and when you did he kept you. Anyone who got close, he hurt. I believe he even killed one man you'd contacted, thinking him a lover." He continued on, explaining as well he could of Yelara's earliest times on the shipyards. "That we finally made it away, it was a lucky thing."

Her heart had begun racing as the story unfolded, and now clenching her pant legs in both hands was all she could do to keep her breathing steady and her anger in check. She'd been right to trust her instincts, to turn away from him at the Temple. Dargus was not the man she needed to be near right now, not while she was still vulnerable. Yelara sighed sharply. "He did all that...and yet you welcomed him to the Temple? You've forgiven him?"

"I haven't, and I never will," Liam answered. "He has changed though. He is different from on the station, and different from after the station." He quickly explained the situation with Laedra, and Yelara and Kallia's flight to Corellia and afterward.

At this, Yelara's only response was a wry laugh. "And because of all that, because of all we went through...you couldn't bear to let me go? That's why I'm alive now?" Again, she chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. "Hearing all that...it's probably a good thing you and I are starting fresh. That's a lot of pain, a lot of heartache for two people to withstand. It seems almost impossible that we could remain a couple after all that."

"It was the strength of our love for each other," Liam answered. "Even through all of that pain." He reached out and Leshie grasped his finger. "On my own, I could have gone on without you, as much as I wouldn't want to. I didn't want our baby to grow up without his mama."

"I know," she whispered, shifting her gaze to their child as Liam had. "But...if you had done it for yourself, to have me back...I don't mind. I don't mind that you needed me in your life again." Yelara smiled as she brushed her fingers over Leshie's hand, not shying away from letting her caresses reach Liam's finger tight in their child's grip. This time, Yelara wasn't startled by the sudden link she felt with Liam through their physical bond. "I'm grateful that you brought me back, Liam," she told him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Liam whispered. "And I think Leshie is happy you're back, too. He's always been a happy baby, but he's happiest when you're here. Maybe even when we're here too."

"He's just happy because he can start breastfeeding again," Yelara quipped. Leshie gibbered excitedly in agreement.

Liam chuckled. "Well, I guess I'd be happy too."

Yelara smiled curiously, her hand resting atop his. "I still know nothing about you, Liam. Will you tell me? We can't go any further if you remain a stranger to me." Recalling her conversation with Orinth the previous night, Yelara admitted, "My grandfather said you were a good man...that I should give you a chance." She sighed, though with resolve. "I would like to give you that chance, if I could."

"I used to be not so good," he said. "At least, until I met you." His own story took a considerable amount of time, but he told it, up to the point when he met her, and then their time together. "Not sure if that enlightens you to who I am..."

"More than I could have expected," she breathed, nearly winded by his extraordinary story. "Gods, Liam...we went through so much together. I feel so...so angry that I can't remember, that it was all for nothing because I am not the same person who experienced all that with you. That drew you and the Yelara you knew closer." She shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if it can do the same for us...because I wasn't there. And I truly wish I were."

"But we have a chance for something new together," Liam said. "We can't go back to that, but we have the lives ahead of us to hopefully find bonds similar to what we shared before...if that is the direction we end up going again."

"But won't you continually compare me to that woman?" Yelara asked. "How can there be anything between us if she's in the way?"

Liam nodded. "We can only try," he said. "I can't put my past away, but we can start over. In time, you may remember some of the things that have happened, or not. But all we can do is try...if that's what you'd like."

She studied him thoughtfully, measuring the type of man he was by that expectant look in his eyes. Chuckling lightly, Yelara patted his hand, then withdrew her own. "Let's give it some time and not decide anything. If it's meant to be, our hearts will decide for us, right?"

Liam nodded. "I think you're right," he said. "Any desire to go to the station, or would you like to return to the Temple? Or, if you'd like, we can run down to the corner and grab some things, and I can make us something to eat here."

"You cook?" she asked incredulously. "What don't you do, Liam Zaneth?"

Liam laughed. "I'll let you know," he said. "I'm willing to try anything, and usually do. I didn't cook much until we married, but once I started I found I enjoyed it quite a bit."

She smiled admiringly at Liam and gave a decisive nod. "Let's do that then. We'll grab a few things, have some lunch, then I can put Leshie down and we can just...talk."

"Sounds like a perfect afternoon," Liam said with a warm smile. He held a hand out to her as he stood up. "Come on, we can decide what we want to eat on the way down to the store."

Leshie flapped his arms and let out a great laugh as he tried to swat at Liam's hand. Laughing herself, Yelara slipped her palm against Liam's and their fingers laced. On her feet now and nearly eye level with Liam, she whispered, "I don't know where this will all lead yet, but at the least, Liam, I believe I've found a good friend in you."

"Always," Liam said as they started toward the door together.

"Heeding the Call"
By Vaya Bek, Padawan
& Jori, Street Urchin (NPC)

Location: New Plouton
Date: Vadris 10th, 4ABY

***

Vaya made her way down one street after another, across and through an alleyway here and there, trying to pick up the trail of the young boy that had tried to snatch her satchel, for the second time. She tried using the Force, to get an idea of where he was, like a Corellian Blood Hound on the hunt for a Thicket Thumper. She had never had any particular training in such a skill, it was a touch and go trial for her. But she was determined, and she felt a sort of kinship for the boy, both from their previous encounters and the sensations through the Force she had been privy to.

Vaya had been no stranger to the abuses dealt by another. She had a strong will, and the abilities of the Force to help her through the scars of an abusive upbringing. She knew the boy was not as fortunate, but people didn't have to have the Force to get through the troubles of their lives. Vaya wanted to help him, if she could, even if it just meant to be a friend to listen and help the child unburden himself.

She knew it was the will of the Force, and that was her life calling.

Stretching out with her feelings, she tried to get a sense of where the boy was, trying to sense if he had been down the path she had been following. Vaya could feel many, many life forces about her, and it was difficult to try and focus in on one in particular, especially one she didn't know and only had brief interactions with. But those interactions had proven to be strong, coupled with her gift of psychometry, it was almost like two magnets. She felt drawn to him, yet his opposition as she felt it through the Force, was like being pushed away at the same time.

I'm truly going to have to talk to Master Laedra about working on these skills! she thought to herself as she continued her search.

She felt as if she were on the right track, like she was following the footsteps of the boy. He had definitely been that way she thought as she continued forward. From one alley corner to another, across one street and yet another, until she found herself in a neighborhood that left a lot to be desired.

Then she spotted him, more accurately, he had already spotted her. The boy was with a group of other children of varying ages. He was animated in his conversation with them, and Vaya had no doubts it had to do with her. The group moved as one towards her.

Well Sith spit! she cursed to herself as she surveyed her surroundings. It was always good to know your whereabouts for the possibility of a confrontation, to use them to your advantage. Or to make an easier get away if such a confrontation was not desirable. Vaya wasn't looking for a fight, nor trouble. But she thought perhaps she might have found one or both in any case.

"Hey, you!" a chubby Zabrak called, looking to be about the age when puberty struck.

It was hard to tell with Zabraks. They matured physically at a much earlier age than humans. Ten was considered an adult by Zabrak physical standards.

Behind the Zabrak boy, who seemed to be a leader of sorts, was another human boy about the same age as the one she had been tracking, a human girl, an older Twi'lek boy, and a Duros boy.

"Uhh, hey, how are you all," Vaya smiled as she took a defensive posture by second nature.

"Jori say's you look'n fer touble girlie girl!" the Zabrak said in rough Basic.

"Yeah, you lookin' for trouble huh? Huh?" the Twi'lek smarted with a giggle.

Vaya silently shook her head at the antics of the group, knowing how individuality was lost in such cohortion. And how dangerous it could be.

"No, no trouble," Vaya said with her hands out and down, showing that she had no weapon and that she was not intending on any trouble.

"Well why are you following me then?" the boy who she had sought out asked with a tough-guy look.

"I just wanted to talk, after all, you were trying to take something from me," Vaya said with a raised eye-brow.

A Morality Guard speeder turned the corner, and gave the gang reason to pause. It swerved by Vaya and the group, and stopped. A human male officer poked his head out.

"What are you all up to? Got some calls that there was some fighting down here? That involve you?" he asked.

Before the boys could speak up, Vaya interjected on their behalf.

"Nothing going on here, Sir," she said. "We were just going to try and get a game of Botchi Ball going down at the center."

"Uh huh," he said wearily.

Vay waved her hand. "Nothing going on here, no trouble, we can go about our business," she said, reaching out with the Force.

"Haha, what do you think you are, a Jedi or something? I'll be the one to decide on that," he said.

Vaya felt no wrong intentions in the man's voice or facial expressions. Which relieved her after her foolish and botched attempt at using the Force to alter the man's perception.

"You kids go on then, and stay out of trouble, you hear?" he said as the speeder took off down the street.

"Well, now that he is gone," the Duros said with a smack of his fist to his open hand.

"No, wait," the human girl said. "She could have busted us, but she didn't."

"Yeah, forget this," the Zabrak boy said. "Come on, let's go down to Feeorio's!"

The gang filed back one after the other, but the one boy, he paused and looked back at Vaya.

"I told you to leave me alone, alright?" he said

"I just want to be a friend, if you want," she said.

"I have friends, in case you didn't notice, now go away," he said as he smacked the ground with a stick for emphasis.

Vaya used the Force to snatch the stick from his hand and took it into her own. The boy had a wide eyed look as his mouth gaped open.

"Hey.." he said in wonder.

"Neat trick huh?" she said.

"How'd you do that?" he asked.

"Mm, magic?" she said with a playful smile.

"Well...give it back, it's mine," he demanded as he put one hand out for his stick.

"Well..." Vaya mocked. "This satchel was mine, but you were quick to try and take it from me, and twice for that matter!" she said sternly, but with no anger. Just matter-of-fact like.

"I'm sorry okay?" he said with a smart mouth.

"You don't have much for manners now do you?" she asked as she tossed the stick back up to him, catching it with the Force to hover just in front of his face.

The boy had stepped back and reached to grab it, but paused when he saw that the stick was not going to continue with its flight. He looked at it, and then to Vaya.

"Go ahead, take it," Vaya told him. "I'm going to go back to the park now, the one where you tried to steal from me. I'll be there for a few hours, if you'd like to come back. I'll show you another trick," she said with a smile as she released her Force grip of the stick.

The boy snatched the stick and ran off, but stopped to look back for a moment, then continued on to catch up with his friends.

"Solace In The Unlikeliest of Places"
By: Raeila Selrid
Zion Xandler

Location: New Plouton
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Unthinking and physically aching with grief, Raeila had somehow managed to stumble her way through the forest, though it had taken all night and left her exhausted. Upon reaching New Plouton, she'd slumped against the wall of the first building within reach to regain both her breath, and to cease weeping convulsively. Loss of the greatest gift Thana had given to her children - the ability to join with one another and fill her sands with generations of Kir'Thana - had been ripped from her grasp, leaving her empty and bitter. Raeila clutched at her stomach and wailed pitifully.

This had been Nieme's doing, no matter how fervently she'd blamed Kael. Remembering her harsh words to the man she loved struck her with a new pang of grief. How she had hurt him, but at the time she could do nothing but lash out, even if it was at the wrong person. Nieme was unreachable, though, leaving her incapable of exacting vengeance for the child she would never bear with Kael. But she would find a way, even if it killed her. Kael...he would understand, in the end.

It would have to wait, however, until she could find a way to get close to the whore, close enough to throttle her with her bare hands. And before that time came, Raeila would seek consolation somewhere. Not at the Temple, no - she did not think she could go back there, not with the resentment she harboured for the Jedi. If they hadn't convinced Kael to leave the desert...

Sobbing anew and fresh tears stinging her eyes, Raeila pushed off the wall and ran. She imagined she looked a horror racing unsteadily through the crowds, strangled cries trailing behind her. Her destination wasn't clear, but her feet carried her there nonetheless, and upon her arrival, Raeila heaved a last great, shuddering sob and collapsed upon the stoop, finally too exhausted to continue.

The last thing her bleary eyes glimpsed as she drifted off was Kael's face swimming before her vision, and that of the baby she would never know.

***

Zion was just reaching his building when he glimpsed something that was quite unusual. Someone was seated on the stairs that led to the front doorway. And it only took him a second to see who it was... Raeila.

Zion stopped his swoop right in front of the building, in his usual spot, and got off. "Raeila?" he asked, not sure if he could believe she was there after what had happened the last time.

Groggy and drained from her bout of grief, Raeila raised her head weakly. Her eyes teared up soon enough and she sobbed his name. "I'm sorry...I had nowhere else to go."

Zion folded his arms. The way that Raeila seemed to pop in and out of his life was just too much for him to be toyed with. "And so I find you at my doorstep once more... Raeila, you tell me. What am I supposed to do? Comfort you and send you back to Kael? Or just let you stay until he decides to come and force you to go away with him? Him and his Jedi friends who have done nothing whatsoever to make you happy or to make you safe from harm?! I'm just not sure what it is that I'm supposed to do... You tell me."

Raeila's mouth worked soundlessly, revealing her own uncertainty. Why was she there? But, it seemed her aching soul knew, for Raeila pushed off the stoop and fell against Zion in a crushing embrace. Her body shook violently and her sobs were loud and awful, but amid them, she pleaded with him. "Just help me, Zion. You're my only true friend...just help me!"

"I did, the last time..." he whispered. "And you ran off on me. And yet here you are again. You can't just pop back into my life whenever you feel like it, you know?" he asked her.

"I know," she murmured. "I didn't mean for that...but I thought you were mad, and that's why I ran." Shaking her head ruefully, Rae backed up, swaying visibly, and pulled her jacket tight around herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to bother you." Fighting back tears, Raeila stumbled down the stairs and rushed past Zion.

Zion ran after her and grabbed Raeila's arm. "I didn't say that you had to go, you know?" Zion told Raeila, then opening his arms for her. "Come here..." he said in a whisper.

The offer of comfort was just what Raeila needed, and she accepted with a heaving sob as she fell into his embrace. "Everything's so wrong," she wept, her hands clutching the back of his longcoat. "Oh Thana, Zion... why is this happening to me?"

He looked down upon Raeila and gave her a soft caress along her cheek. "Maybe you can tell me what's wrong, Raeila... But maybe upstairs where we're comfortable?" he suggested.

She nodded somberly and remained clinging to Zion as they mounted the stairs. "Kael and I...we had a fight," she began, though even mention of it caused her to shake with fresh tears. The rest of what she said was lost against Zion's coat and her own sobs.

When they reached his living area, Raeila and Zion stood embracing in the center of it while she wept. It was some time later that Raeila pulled back, smiling bashfully at him. "Sorry," she whispered. "Maybe a drink will help calm me."

"Sure..." Zion said as they entered his apartment. He turned to Cylo, his holographic housemaid, who was already waiting for him. "Cylo, prepare a cocktail for Raeila. Make it a relaxing one..." he said.

"Of course," Cylo answered just before she disappeared into thin air.

Zion took off his coat and let it rest on a chair that was nearby. "You should rest. I'm thinking you don't want to be at the Temple. You are welcome to stay here as always..."

She chuckled tearfully. "It didn't sound that way a moment ago out there. You don't have to put yourself out for me.... I...I just need someone to listen without throwing back recriminations." Thinking on her argument with Kael, Raeila sagged onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. "Oh Thana, Zion," she breathed. "Everything's undone...and it's because of them."

"Them?" Zion asked. "You mean, the Jedi?"

Rae shook her head and murmured a thank-you to Cylo as she handed her a drink. "I mean those witches...Nieme and Dani. They...they did something to me, Zion." She whimpered again and swallowed a gulp of the concoction to settle her emotions. "I...I can't have kids, Zion, and it's because of them." Her grief was overwhelming and Raeila was unable to refrain from weeping into her glass. "It was the one thing I wanted...and now I can't have it!"

"Well..." Zion whispered. He thought about how Nieme and Dani had pulled that one off. And then he thought about how Kael might have reacted to the news. "You have to wonder, though..." he told Raeila. "How Nieme and Dani learned those tricks. I mean, they were once taught by the Jedi, right? I would think that the Jedi would know the reverse process."

"Maybe," she admitted softly. "But...I just couldn't be there anymore, Zion. It was like...like this was all their fault, that if they hadn't made Kael choose the Order over me...we could've been safe and happy in the desert." Raeila gazed up at Zion. "Do you think that's true?"

"To be honest?" Zion asked with a raised eyebrow. "No, I don't. No matter what you might say, or what Kael might say, but I don't think Kael would ever have any stable relationship. He cheated on you, he didn't go and rescue you from the Hutt's lair, and now he does nothing to make you happy," Zion pointed out. "If you think about it, you didn't really have any real happy moments with him ever since you were married. Not even so much as a trip or a honeymoon!"

Zion then sat himself down, looking at Raeila. He knew his words were not what she wanted to hear, but he did mean them. "If you want my sincere opinion, I don't think you should stay with him at all. Because even if he says that he has a commitment to the Jedi, he also has a commitment to you. And I don't think that there was a promise to them that he would cheat on you, or that he promised not to make you happy. And you said so yourself, he chose the Order over you, so why stay with him? To be tossed aside all the time? Was that why you married him, Raeila?"

"No," she whispered tearfully as his words penetrated. They all rang true. "I married him because... because he was full of life and brought me joy with just a smile..." Raeila smiled nostalgically at her short time with him in the desert, when they first fell in love unawares. "We were going to rule the desert together...and now we can barely go through a day without crying or fighting..." She swallowed hard, trying to suppress another sob, but the emotions were overwhelming. Raeila dropped her face into both hands and wept convulsively. "What do I do, Zion?" she wailed. "I love him...but what do I do? He's...he's different - too different. I don't know if...if he's still the man I want to rule beside."

"He's not a man to rule...period," Zion stated as he got up and sat by Raeila's side, placing his hand on her back softly. Zion sighed. "I guess, all in all, you have to think about things. If Kael changed that much, and if he's not the man you fell in love with, is it possible that he was never the man you thought he was? The man you wanted him to be?" Zion asked. "I don't know... Maybe you only got to know him recently. The true Kael Selrid. A man who you don't seem to like very much."

"But I do!" Raeila insisted, raising her head to regard him sorrowfully. "Oh Thana, Zion, I still love him...but...but I think we're growing apart. He's my husband and I should stand by him...." She sobbed and leaned her head upon his shoulder. "It's just that I'm miserable...I don't know what my place in his world is anymore or if I even have one."

"That's exactly what I meant," Zion whispered. "Maybe the Kael Selrid you see now - the man who left you in the Hutt's lair and who cheated on you - is the real Kael Selrid. Sometimes you only get to know people as they really are after some time..."

Raeila chuckled wryly. "You're right... I guess you got this wise by experiencing this sorta stuff on your own, huh? Did someone hurt you, Zion?"

"Nah..." he lied as he got up. Fact was that he always had intended to be with Raeila and she had chosen the company of Kael Selrid instead. "But I never trusted people much. I find that you get disappointed when you do that," he told her. "But yes, I have found out that you only get to really know people as they are after a while. And sometimes it takes a long while..."

"I always knew you were a good person," Raeila admitted, smiling fondly at Zion. "It didn't take me long to figure that out. You've always been willing to help me...even now." Rising, she took Zion's hand and kissed his palm in gratitude. "Thanks for listening to me and giving advice. I hope I haven't disrupted your night too much..." She laughed softly. "I didn't even know I was coming here until I landed on your doorstep."

"Well..." he said as he slid away. He wondered what it would be like now that he had sort of a contract with Nieme and Dani. "What will you do now? Go back to the Temple, or stay here?" he asked. It was clear that he wanted her to stay.

She smiled faintly. "I can't go back there...not yet. And I don't want to impose on you again. I mean... you've probably got a date or something." Raeila's large brown eyes regarded him hopefully. "Right?"

"I do if you stay," he grinned.

Raeila smiled slowly, gauging his sincerity. His own smile never faltered. With a laugh, she embraced Zion and said, "So you do, Zion. So you do..."

"Unexpected Encounters Over Dinner"
by: Empress Dani
Empress Nieme
Adam Edwards
Cailin Fawkes

Location: Arcadian Palace
Date: Vadris 10, 4 ABY

***

Adam finished putting on the clothes that one of the servants had brought to him. To Adam's surprise, it was more modest than he had given his hosts credit for.

The shirt was sleeveless, and fit well to Adam's chest. The pants were a little tight, but as far as Adam could tell, it wasn't as bad as he thought.

After he was done, he moved across the room, and knocked on the door to Cailin's room.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked.

"Go ahead," came the voice from the other side of the door. As Adam entered, Cailin was standing at the foot of one of the largest beds in existence (except for the bed in the center of Adam's own room, and every other room in the entire palace). Her arms were crossed over her chest, and over her body was draped a fairly flimsy, gauzy fabric that was the style of dress worn by many of the women under the High Princes, before the Empire. Dani and Nieme, however, had brought it back and now Cailin Fawkes was being forced to wear it. The dress left nothing to the imagination, except what Cailin's arms were now covering. She looked up at him as he stepped through the doorway. "This dress is ridiculous," she said.

Adam was shocked for a minute, then recovered. He smiled.

"Oh I don't know, you seem to pull it off," he said, grinning.

"Thank you," she said with a blush. "This is...it's...I don't know. I feel so exposed like this."

Adam looked up, down, across the room, anywhere really to keep from concentrating on Cailin. The funny thing was, he hadn't realized just how attractive his associate was until now.

"Sorry I got you into this," Adam fumbled out.

Cailin shrugged. "Well, I guess if it helps to get things moving at the base," she said. "And, as long as we get that money and get out of here quickly. I can't imagine what a prolonged stay here would entail."

Adam had just become aware of something he hadn't anticipated. There was a rather noticeable bulge building that his rather tight pants did nothing to hide. Something about this palace seemed to permeate with a sensual energy, and Cailin's smooth curves were doing little to stop his arousal.

Cailin looked up at Adam, and something in the way he was looking at her made her suddenly aware of just how unclothed she was. As she took a step back, she couldn't help notice how the front of his rather tight-fitting pants were tenting out toward her. She turned to go grab her regular clothes, but remembered that the Palace help had taken them away while she was in the shower. She turned back to him, couldn't help a glance down at his current state, and looked up with an apologetic wince. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Grinning sheepishly, Adam shrugged. "That's what I get for hiring beautiful women," he said.

Adam took a few steps across the room, to where he and Cailin stood face to face. "You'd never guess it from my occupation, but, I tend to go for the nice girls," Adam told her.

Cailin laughed softly. "Oh, in that case, you may not like me very much," she said. "I'm not exactly a bad girl, but I'm not a good girl either. I'm somewhere in between."

"Well...considering the situation, you're the best one I see. And right now, I can see a lot," Adam joked. "I might just skip dinner and stay here."

Cailin blushed and smiled at him. "I don't think our hosts would be very happy about that," she said. "Actually, I imagine they'd probably let themselves right on in. Sir...Adam...I don't know...about...well, if you stay here, and we...will that change our...our working relationship? You are my boss, after all. Not that that's a bad thing..."

"It seems a lot has already changed," Adam said. "No use it going back now. Our hosts can wait."

Adam leaned in, and kissed Cailin gently on the lips. His hands reach up, and gripped the transparent cloth over her right breast.

A whirlwind of thoughts swirled through Cailin's head as she felt his lips on hers and his hand massaging her breast. Her first instinct was to pull away from the sudden contact, but he was her boss. She wasn't certain if he'd fire her for refusing him, but could she afford it if he did? She smiled: at least he was nice to look at. With only slight hesitation, she returned the kiss.

Adam laid his newfound lover on the bed, moving one hand underneath her "clothing", up her slender body. His other hand drifted downward, between her legs.

He kissed her again, moving his lips from hers to tracing a path down her neck.

As his hands trailed toward the more sensitive areas of her body, Cailin's mind seemed to short circuit, and the reservations were replaced by sparks of arousal. She'd been with men before and her body seemed to take over matters without her consciousness needing to direct it. Inside her mind, a voice raised a meek complaint, but her body was already betraying her. As his lips traced a path along her throat, Cailin let out a moan that signaled the end of any internal protests. The flashes of fear that appeared briefly in her eyes were quickly replaced by a grin. As he pushed the gauzy fabric up over her body, and massaged between her thighs, Cailin decided that it'd been far too long, and the feelings she was feeling were ones she could get used to. "Oh wow," she whispered.

In the heat of their passion, neither of the lovers heard the door sliding open, though the throaty chuckle that followed was quiet audible. "And what have we here?" a very familiar voice drawled. "It would seem the protector also substitutes as plaything. How charming...."

"Oh, look at them," Dani purred. "Maybe we should skip dinner and go straight to dessert."

Adam was a bit shocked to see the two women standing in the doorway. He stood up quickly, stumbling over himself and almost falling over.

"Empresses, I'm afraid you caught us a little off guard," Adam said, visibly uncomfortable.

Dani smiled at Adam and his lover-protector. "Oh, we don't mind at all. And, by all means, don't let us interrupt you. It appeared that the two of you were beginning to have a very nice time."

Adam turned back to Cailin, a little self-conscious now, with their two "hosts" apparently intent on watching the two of them.

Still, it was oddly arousing.

Adam moved back onto the bed, where Cailin was still laying down. In between kissing various parts of her body, he worked to remove the rather tight pants that had been supplied for him.

"Oh, delicious," Nieme purred as she wound one arm down her torso, caressing breasts, abdomen, and finally dipping her hand between both legs. "I never expected entertainment before dinner...but I definitely approve."

Cailin tried to push herself away from Adam as her gaze focused beyond him where Dani and Nieme looked on in delight. "I can't do this," she whispered. "Not with them watching..."

"Oh, sure you can," Dani said with a smile. "I think everyone has a little bit of an exhibitionist in them. Besides, the two of you are adorable together."

Adam rolled over to the other side of Cailin, and looked into her brown eyes.

"If you want me to stop, I will," Adam whispered to her.

"No, don't," Nieme pleaded. "She's just shy because there are spectators." Grinning lecherously, she proceeded forward towards Adam and Cailin. "If you don't mind..." Stopping before their bed, Nieme's dress was unfastened by a single thought and dropped to her feet. In nothing more than shoes, she asked, "May we join you?"

Adam's bulge grew even more now, this time actually causing him pain because it was still caught in his pants.

"You're very beautiful, Empress, but it all depends on my friend. I don't want to make Cailin uncomfortable," Adam said.

"Oh, she'll be just fine," Nieme assured him dismissively as she knelt at the mattress' edge. She was watching Cailin, relishing the power emanating from her through the Force. It was difficult to stifle a moan. "You won't be harmed," she husked and pushed her hand over Cailin's bare thigh.

Dani moved over to Adam and helped him to ease out of his pants. "I think we'll be able to get you that money you're looking for," she said to him as she gently stroked along his shaft. "And more besides." She reached out a hand to Cailin and caressed her cheek. "I think your boss likes you very much, my dear." She indicated Adam's erection with her eyes. "Show him how much you like him."

Cailin hesitated, but under Nieme and Dani's pressing looks, and then at Adam's expectant look, she knew she had no choice. Her senses were going crazy between the touches she was receiving from Nieme to the sight of Adam's naked form. She couldn't deny the arousal quickly building within her body, a body that, between her stiff nipples and the incredible wetness between her thighs, was quickly betraying her. Finally, she smiled and leaned forward to him.

"Oh good," Dani purred. As Cailin took Adam into her mouth, she smiled at hers and Nieme's new business partner. She leaned forward and kissed him. "You're a lucky man, Adam Edwards."

Adam senses were going crazy as all of this was happening. Cailin's mouth formed a warm ring around Adam's rigidity.

He looked at Dani's beautiful face and grinned. "I hadn't noticed," he said, trying to repress a moan that was threatening to erupt. He hungrily kissed Dani, feeling his passion build as slid his tongue into her mouth.

As they kissed, Dani reached up and unclasped the single fastening holding her dress in place. It fell in a pool at her waist, and a shifting of her body sent it all sliding to the floor by the side of the bed. Beside her, Nieme seemed to be feasting off the Force emanations from Cailin as her mouth was clamped around one of the young woman's breasts while one hand had disappeared between Cailin's thighs. The other still worked between her own.

"I think we're all going to like this business arrangement," Dani huskily whispered to Adam. "And, I imagine your discovery of your protector's delights is quite a boon as well. Should make the trip back to your base a very pleasant one, hm?"

Adam smiled as he looked down at Dani's chest. "I'm not thinking past right now. I couldn't possibly think about the trip back."

He brought his hands up, squeezing Dani's breasts gently, and kissing passionately along her shoulder. Her purple skin seemed to radiate sensuality, and it spurred Adam on, moving one of his hands down between Dani's legs, massaging slowly at first, then faster.

"Good plan," Dani whispered as she kissed his chest. "I bet you can't wait to get yourself inside us, can you? Did you ever dream that you might have three women at once, Adam? I hope you've got enough steam for all three of us." She moved her lips to his ear, while one of her hands moved to cup Cailin's breasts. "So, Adam, who gets to be first?"

Adam looked across at Cailin and Nieme, then back to Dani. "Well, I'm closest to you," Adam said, winking.

Dani grinned. "True," she said. "Though, your girl is sucking you off, and appears to be doing a rather wonderful job of it. And, Nieme is just waiting for a chance for you to show her what kind of pleasures you can invoke in her." She took one of his hands and pulled it down between her thighs. "Do you still choose me?"

Adam felt Dani guide his hand between her thighs, and earnestly began stroking Dani. "You aren't giving me much choice." He pressed his lips to her, eagerly taking in the taste of her mouth.

As she was basically pushed out of the way while Adam and Dani moved to couple, Cailin was left little to do but sit and watch. Nieme's hands continued pleasuring her, and she was quickly losing focus in the waves of emotion rolling off of all of them. She knew she was in a dangerous position, and a misstep could mean both hers and Adam's life.

As his protector, she could not fail. In this situation, she was not certain that she had any choices but to go along with all that was happening, despite the feelings of wrongness. Still, there was something in the way he'd looked at her that had made her feel... She pushed the thoughts away, trying to reassert that all the feelings that were being forced upon her dulled senses and ability to do her job. She cried out as Nieme continued her pleasurable manipulations.

Despite everything, they were trapped and it took every ounce of her will and training to keep from despairing.

***

The arrangements for dinner were lavish. Nieme and Dani sat on either side of the table, with Adam and Cailin sitting across from each other. Nieme and Dani were draped in gauzy fabric that left nothing to the imagination. Adam was once again dressed in the tight pants and sleeveless shirt. Cailin, despite assurances that she should just go to dinner as she was from all three, had once again donned the equadi she'd been given for the dinner.

>From the head of the table, Dani smiled at her lover at the other end of the table. "I believe this arrangement will work out nicely."

Nieme nodded imperceptibly, squeezing Dani's thigh for affirmation. "Do you think the girl realizes we know of her potential? Whatever we do, she mustn't be allowed to leave here."

"Of course," Dani said with an unreadable smile. "How difficult do you believe it will be to convince her to stay? If we can turn her, she might prove to be a capable student."

" 'If'?" Nieme questioned. "Dani, we'll have no trouble bending that one to our will. She appeared quite eager enough when my fingers were causing her to cry out in ecstasy." The girl's eyes caught Nieme's from across the table. She smiled at Cailin with desire and passed her tongue over both lips to remind the girl of their intimacy shared.

Cailin quickly turned away, her cheeks colouring at Nieme's expression.

"Oh, she'll be a fun one," Dani said. "We should bring her to our bed tonight." She glanced at Nieme. "Unless we should give her one final night with her man."

"If it will gain her confidence, then she can have it," Nieme decided. "And, it will be pleasing to watch them together. What he lacks in talent he makes up for in appearance," she drawled, trailing a lazy hand across her bosom as the young man watched.

"Oh indeed," Dani said with a smile. "I was surprised he chose me first, though he appeared to be truly enthusiastic. And, he is built in a manner that is very pleasing." Had the table not been in the way, her gaze would have been focused on Adam's crotch. "I do wish she had chosen to forgo the equadi as we suggested. We'll have to change that once she's our apprentice."

"And I hope she proves to be less unruly than Talara," Nieme muttered, then beamed a smile at their guests. "Are you enjoying your meal, my dears?" she asked, seeming to startle them as she broke the room's silence.

"The food is very good," Cailin answered, but she kept her eyes in the direction of her plate.

"Yes, it's excellent," Adam agreed. His eyes moved from Cailin to Dani, to Nieme. "Empresses, Cailin is my employee. I wouldn't wish to leave her here," Adam told them.

Nieme chuckled musically. "Your employee? She sounds more a possession the way you speak." Her sultry gaze caught Cailin once again. "Is that so?"

"I am no one's possession," Cailin said. "I work for Mr. Edwards as his protector."

"Of course," Nieme replied with a dismissive gesture. "But you can do that anywhere, correct? Say...if Mr. Edwards were to take up lodging in the Palace? You would then be obliged to stay as well, is that not so?"

Cailin glanced at Adam, and then back to Nieme. Her features were guarded, but she nodded. "Of course," she said. "If he decided to take up lodging and remain here."

"Your offer is generous, but I prefer to run my operations from my base, Empress," Adam said.

Nieme arched an eyebrow at Cailin. "And you will go with him?"

"He's my employer," Cailin answered. "Where he goes, I go."

Smiling tightly, Nieme said, "Well...we can't have everything, now can we?" Her dark eyes raked over Cailin's barely concealed figure with hunger. "Perhaps you and Mr. Edwards would simply like to avail yourselves of our hospitality for a week or so. Would that please you?"

"If he wishes to remain here for a longer period of time," Cailin answered, "then I shall remain here as well." The gaze Nieme was giving her made her want to cover herself completely on one hand, and to strip off every stitch of clothing on the other. The two empresses were definitely dangerous. "My pleasure in the matter is irrelevant...it is my duty."

"And if Mr. Edwards were to relieve you of that duty?" Nieme asked, pointedly shifting her gaze to Adam.

Adam grew uncomfortable with Nieme's eyes centered on him. "I will have to consider that, Empress. I do not force my employees into anything," Adam said.

"We're not asking you to force your lovely employee into anything," Dani said. "We're just asking you to strongly encourage her, as it would make us very happy. And, when we are very happy, I'm quite certain you will benefit greatly. Imagine the wealth we could share with you, were you to make us very pleased. Just remember the screams of delight as the four of us were together, screams I am certain you will share in your bed with her tonight. After your display earlier, I believe it would only be right for the two of you to share a room. Your encouragement is all we ask, my dear. I'm certain her devotion to you and her honour will see her do the right thing."

"I will ponder what you ask, Empresses," Adam told them. "For now, I wish to retire to my room. I have matters to attend to."

"You mean our dear Cailin, here?" Nieme teased, casting a withering smile in the girl's direction.

"Yes," Dani said with a knowing smile. "Attend her matters well, dear Adam. I believe after our little foursome earlier, she could use a little special attention."

"Good night, Empresses. Thank you for your hospitality," Adam said, as he stood up.

Dani grinned at Adam. "Don't forget Cailin, my dear," she said. "It would be a shame not to have a naked woman in your bed to please your every whim."

"Of course," Adam smiled to her, then to Cailin.

As they were leaving, Adam subtly pressed a locator beacon hidden inside his pocket. DB would hear it. There was now something about their hosts that Adam found very....disturbing.

Dani watched as Adam and Cailin disappeared together. Once they were gone, and she was certain of it, she turned to Nieme. "We'll have to watch that one closely. Though, I wouldn't mind watching Cailin some more. The girl has talent, that's for certain."

"And it's more than sexual prowess," Nieme noted. "If we could help her hone her Force abilities...." She grinned cunningly. "We could have a great find on our hands, my love."

Dani smiled and nodded along with Nieme. "Yes, we could train her," she said. "But, we will need for her to fall from the light before we can. Are you up for a challenge, my dear?"

Nieme smiled boldly at her lover. "When aren't I in the mood for some fun?"

"Then," Dani said as she slid a hand along Nieme's thigh, "we shall begin at once in the training of our new student."

Chuckling, Nieme amended, "After Mr. Edwards is through satisfying his urges with her, no matter how unwilling the girl is."

"She is very unwilling," Dani said. "Though, perhaps not very. She is reluctant, but I can sense her arousal. There is a secret lust within her. With some nurturing, I am certain she will be perfect."

"And we," Nieme purred against Dani's cheek, "will be the perfect mentors. I think the girl will appreciate what we can teach her."

"Yes," Dani mused. "And, if her master gets in the way, we will have to sever our business ties with him...among other things." She smiled impishly. "Come, my love, this meal has made me frisky. Let us retire to our rooms and plan the rest of our domination of this planet...and beyond."

Nieme chuckled lowly. "Of course after we clear up our own business, hm?"

"Oh yes," Dani purred. "That's my favourite part. Our business awaits."

Agreeing with an emphatic kiss, Nieme departed the dining room with her lover and co-conspirator to think of and practice all those things they soon hoped to impress upon Cailin. The anticipation of acquiring a new pupil injected further excitement into their lovemaking that night.