"Massacre at Drogen Shipyards"
by Akesha Valerious
Garnet Seifer (aka Lady Ammut)
Ambassador Theen Fida
Amii'a Val'or
Alicia Ashantee Gardan
and Kaede Aoki

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

The machines were controlled by many species in the location, making the final arrangements in the outer hull. The sparkle of joining metals to the outer hull was visible.

A lot of people worked on the outside of the ship. The hangar where the Karadan cruiser was situated was huge, and the space outside could be seen, but there was a force field making the working area breathable. Inside the ship there was a lot work happening, since the final stage of the building was the installation of the ship's inner systems, computers, holoprojectors, main control of the direction of the ship and many more.

Akesha stepped out of the Karadan Cruiser, being followed by Ambassador Theen Fida, Amii'a Va'lor, Alicia Gardan and Kaede. "As you can see, Ambassador, this Cruiser is built from scratch. It is not based in any other previous models. It will be the fastest and strongest of its kind and, like I showed you, this ship can hold more enemy fire than any Star Destroyer or Super Star destroyer ever built."

"Quite impressive," Theen complimented.

"Indeed..." Alicia concurred. She had been in touch with the project before, having seen some of the designs and having arranged for a few crews of the best engineers from certain corporations, such as the Naboo Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps. But she hadn't seen the vessel itself yet. She was surprised to see that it was far better to look at in reality than to see the sketches or smaller models.

"I have been told that it can outrun any known model of a Star Destroyer, while sharing the maneuverability of a smaller transport," Alicia commented.

"That is true. This ship was firstly designed by my father. He thought this ship should correspond in a more military way. Why do other cruisers look like a sitting duck for enemy fire? Why don't cruisers move more rapidly to avoid the incoming enemy fire, making the damage to it less than before? These were the questions that my father made at the time. I continued his work, but made it not only more maneuverable, but with more firepower and stronger shields than anything that was previously built." Akesha paused. "Of course, IX Technologies is not the only one to get the credits for this ship. Many enterprises gave their support in this project."

"Very commendable," Amii'a commented. "It never ceases to maze me what can be accomplished with by such group efforts."

"Exactly why I have worked so diligently to create the co-op," Theen added. "With the pooling of resources for the benefit of all involved...this ship is testimony as to such bilateral cooperation."

"Is there a specific purpose to the construction of this cruiser?" Amii'ia asked. "Is it to be a one of a kind vessel, or a prototype that would secure the procurement of a contract to a fleet of them?"

"Well, if this prototype goes beyond the New Republic officials perspectives, then we intend to make contract with them. All these enterprises are mainly not only seeking out the contract. They want to contribute to this Cruiser, since we expect that people like you and everyone who gives their lives to fight against tyrannical factions, like the Empire, need it. I think that this ship can be a tool to free other worlds," Akesha said.

Theen already knew that he had an exclusive bid for the ship, he was quite impressed with it and the fact that those contributors were so generous in the construction funding. He knew full well the capabilities the ship could have as an instrument in peacekeeping, and he was determined to make sure and see the project through, and to procure it for his own use under the authority granted him for such involvements in the outer rim, both official and unofficial.

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "Yes... The only downfall that I can see is the overgrown price. Technology like this doesn't come out cheap and neither do the workers and engineers that were recruited. Overall, the ship is worth it. But I can see that setting a price that is easily affordable just isn't possible." And that was the reality. The New Republic wasn't yet what one would call rich enough to be able to support large funding and expenses. "But I'm sure that something can be arranged," Alicia nodded, mostly for Ambassador Theen.

"Arrangements can always be made," Theen said. "Especially when one is resourceful."

Akesha didn't move but watched Ambassador Theen. "I'm glad we agree on the same thing Ambassador. I hope you don't mind, but I had a meal prepared for us, where we can work on the details?"

"That was most thoughtful and generous, I would be delighted," Theen said.

Akesha turned to Alicia. "Care to join us, Alicia? This cruiser is equally your baby too!"

Alicia nodded simply. "Of course."

The group walked towards the repulsor lift, where two entrances could be seen. They entered from the side that gave entrance to the huge shipyard. The other entrance made way to an adjacent big room, that was currently empty.

***

Garnet sat on the throne, overviewing the Drogen Shipyards, as they got nearer. Behind the mask, Garnet playing the role as Lady Ammut was all too well, but she wondered whether soon enough there would be no more use for the mask. But for the time being she could easily play both sides. "Report!"

Admiral Vazier approached her with a smile. "They have not yet detected us. Even if they were looking for us, it is impossible to find us. It is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Garnet got up and walked towards the frontal viewshield. "There it is, out target, Admiral. The new brand Karadan Cruiser... The new menacing cruiser to have ever been built. It is shameful that we have to do what we are about to do."

"Yes, my Lady, but it keeps me wondering if it would be more lucrative to steal it, rather then destroying it!" the Admiral commented.

"Why not building two for the price of one?" Garnet asked amused, looking at the Admiral who had an astonished face. Clearly the Admiral was not expecting that. "You see, The Brath'Nam Inter-Galactic Guild has the reputation of playing both sides of the fence, before the defeat of the Empire at Endor. With the destruction of this one, the Lord will have the only existing one."

"I see. Clever..."

"That is precisely the job of the Lord. To be more clever than others... Now, Admiral, do you mind if I take the helm of the ship?"

"Of course not, my Lady. We are here to serve you and the Lord, like always."

"Good..." She paused. "Gunner, fire at will towards the cruiser. Make sure that nothing is left to salvage!" Garnet said, behind her mask.

"Yes, ma'am," the gunner replied.

"Deactivate the cloaking device and fire at will!" Garnet ordered, with happiness in her voice.

***

Akesha looked through the glass of the lift that hadn't closed its double doors yet to travel to the upper levels. She saw a ship appearing from nothing. "Hey, what is that..." she asked the others, slowly realising what it was. Her face turned pale in an instant.

Kaede looked at what Akesha had pointed out. In fact, she had seen the very same thing almost at the same instance, and knew what it was the moment it appeared. Bad news. A cloaking ship that big showing up from out of nothing so close to that hangar could only mean one thing. An imminent attack of sorts, leaving only two questions to be answered: who and why...

Kaede moved quickly and almost instantly to cover Alicia from any given attack with her body. She pushed her employer and friend towards the other end of the lift where the empty room was. From their current location, it seemed like the best place to gain cover. "Incoming!" Kaede shouted. "Pull up the security measures and warn someone of our attackers! Close those blastdoors!" she told the workers on the hangar bay. She then turned around to Alicia. "Get into that room! Now! You'll be safer there."

Theen growled a curse as he glared upon the encroaching vessel.

"Blast!" Amii'a exclaimed. "I have got to get the Ambassador to safety!" she demanded to Alicia.

***

Garnet saw the Gunner punching the button to fire the missiles. She saw about six to ten missiles flying, making curves across the front viewscreen of the Necron. She saw the missiles hit the shield, and all was suddenly surrounded by flames. In the first strike, the shield that maintained the air inside was shut down. Mechanical instruments, people and everything that was loose on the hangar was almost promptly sucked into the vast blackness of space.

***

Akesha saw one missile coming in the direction of the lift. She ran as fast as she could towards the big room that was empty. Since she was the last one of the group that moved to the blastdoors, she jumped to the empty room and the explosion threw her against the far side wall of the room. As the air started to get sucked into space, the blast doors that divided the lift from the room they were now in were activated as a security measure.

The ground started to shake and the rooftop started to collapse itself upon the ground and upon the people in it.

***

Garnet saw several explosions hitting upon the Karadan Cruiser and everything that surrounded it, including the shipyards. The missiles hit several points on the Karadan Cruiser, breaking it in two. The front part slowly floated off, and, since it was constantly being hit by missiles, it exploded, projecting several tiny pieces back towards the shipyards and towards the Necron.

Garnet looked towards the shield officer, waiting for his reply. "Ma'am, the shields are holding the debris. No damage to the hull.

"Good. Keep firing!" Garnet ordered.

More missiles flew towards the shipyards, causing several structural damages in the area that surrounded the hangar. Garnet saw the other half of the cruiser, where she could clearly see the division the explosions hit. Not only that half, but the walls of the hangar itself, burned with flames for a short while before going off. Without air, the fire wouldn't keep on burning for long.

She was enjoying the view, explosion after explosion. The systems that held the back part of the Karadan Cruiser in mid air could not hold such an attack, so the system completely shut down itself... Or perhaps it had a direct hit to the machine that held the Cruiser in the air. That was unclear to Garnet since she barely saw what exactly where the missiles were hitting, since the vast light of the explosions made it unclear.

In the middle of the light, Garnet saw the second half falling, being pushed by Tae'Karada's gravitational pull. The second half hit the floor of the hangar, compromising the lower levels under it. Garnet saw several explosions under the hangar going off, having been caused by the fall of the cruiser.

A huge explosion stated that the second half of the Cruiser was now destroyed, taking part of the shipyards that surrounded the hangar along with it. Garnet had a glorified smile under her mask. She was clearly happy that the mission had been successful.

"My Lady... The scanners show us that the Drogen Shipyards are deploying their fighters to intercept us. Also there is an MCC exiting from hyperspace and is moving in to intercept us, as well."

"The Concordia... Admiral, our job here is done. It is better to get a move on things and jump to hyperspace before they can scan our jump coordinates."

"Yes, my Lady."

Garnet glanced to the shipyards. A small part of the huge shipyards burst with a few flames. Almost the entire hangar and lower levels were blasted to oblivion. Only a few pieces of metal that had once belonged to the Karadan Cruiser existed. Also, the image of several burned and not burned bodies floating in space made it a morbid view. Anyone with regard for life would be extremely sick with that view, but Garnet saw those people as insignificant and their deaths had no meaning to her. She even enjoyed the view.

"Entering hyperspace in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." The Necron entered hyperspace, leaving the destruction that was caused on part of the Drogen Shipyards. In a matter of minutes they had completed the mission and entered hyperspace before anyone could have a lock on their coordinates.

***

Akesha, tried to get up, but felt her back hurting her like hell. She could barely move. Her face was covered in blood, her own blood. She tried to move her legs but her right one hurt like hell as she moved to look. She saw that a girder was on top of her right leg. She didn't know what condition was her leg was, but the pain was all too unbearable. She tried to look to the condition of the room, but all that she could see was destruction. The rooftop fell upon them, smoke and sparkles from the electrical wiring was what she could see, but no fire. She was able to get the strength to speak. "Is everyone okay?" she asked, as the pain in her leg got even stronger.

"Shit..." Akesha said. The pain made her cry, but not in out of being scared or panic. It was nothing but pure pain.

"Akesha?" Amii'a called out, hearing her cries of pain. "Theen? Are you alright?"

"I'm...I'm fine," he growled groggily, obviously being stunned by the explosions.

Kaede got up from atop Alicia. In the midst of the confusion and explosions and the ceiling dropping on them, she had pushed Alicia into a corner that seemed to serve as one of the main pillars to hold the structure of the room itself, and had thrown herself to protect her friend. It was all too fast and she would not have things otherwise. She knew that Alicia was ok because she herself would have been hit before her, and she was ok. She helped Alicia get up and gave her a nod.

"We'll be ok... for now," she said in a low voice. "The attack seems to have stopped," Kaede told Alicia, then turning to get a feel of what was left of the room. She short sparkles from the electrical wiring gave a few impressions. Mostly debris and smoke it seemed. Luckily enough, Kaede had a flashlight with her. She reached into her pocket and took it out, turning it on. She moved to Akesha and pointed the light at Amii'a.

"Give me a hand here..." Kaede asked, as she held to the debris that had fallen over Akesha's leg. "We'll get you out. Just don't move..." she assured Akesha.

"Okay..." Akesha said as she lay down on the floor looking towards the ceiling she could see some metal on it, upon a hard look she saw it was the air conducts.

Theen moved over to help, "I am considerably stronger than an average Human."

Theen reached down to Akesha, he knelt and placed a slight grasp of his forefinger and thumb at a specific point upon her neck. "We Anx have an uncanny knack for manipulating the neurology of many species," he said as he applied pressure. "Your pain will subside enough that you may function better," he said as he arose to help lift the metal platting from her body.

Akesha felt the unbearable pain start to dissipate. She could still feel some pain, but not as much. She prepared herself when the others prepared to take the big girder off her.

When Akesha was free, Kaede helped her get up. Although apart from Akesha's injury they were all well, they were still trapped in that room.

"We have to find an alternative way out," Alicia pointed out as she moved towards Akesha to help her stand on her two feet. "The main doorway is blocked, and even if we could get out that way, we'd be sucked into outer space. If the missiles got to the door, then its because the shields went down. We need some other way out."

As Akesha got up with the aid of Ambassador Theen and Kaede, she glanced over to the ceiling and saw the smoke moving as it was pushed by some kind of wind. She noticed that it was the air vents. "About we exit through there?" Akesha suggested.

Kaede looked up and saw the air vents. If they were able to breathe, then the air vents weren't totally compromised, meaning that at some point they would be able to get to another room, and from there back to safety. "Seems viable enough," she commented. "If we can get to the vents in the first place..." she said as she glanced around with her flashlight. "Maybe we can pile up some of these things..."

"How about we start to pile here? The girder makes a secure base for our newly engineered construction that will get us out of here..." Akesha said, trying to soften the mood of what had just happened.

"Seems viable enough," Kaede nodded as she started to pile up a few things for them to be able to reach the air conduits. It didn't take too long for them to get a solid structure high enough for them to reach. It wasn't too good, but it would do just fine. "Ok, I will go first to test it and help pull one of you up. Each of us is going to have to pull in the next person, so make a viable line..." she told them, sort of taking charge of the situation. "Ambassador, I believe that I ought to pull you up first, being that you should be the heaviest."

"Hmmphh." Theen huffed. "Were it any other circumstance I might take offense to such a comment!" he said with a wink.

"Please forgive Kaede's blunt way of saying things. She was never one for diplomacy but rather someone practical. But she means well..." Alicia stepped forward with a bit of a smirk, knowing that the Ambassador wasn't exactly offended. Not that Alicia thought Kaede cared even if he would be offended, since at a time like this it would surely be the last thing on her mind.

Kaede looked at Alicia and blinked, then looking back at the Ambassador. "What I meant was that you should form a pattern from the heaviest to the lightest, since it is easier to pull someone lighter than your own self..." she said simply. "There was no pun intended, Ambassador," she said with a short nod. She then climbed the small structure and jumped up to the air conduits. Holding on with one hand, she slid the air vent grate to the side and climbed in, then offering a hand down. "Let us get out of here..." she said offering her hand to help Theen up.

Theen huffed a laugh and winked to show he had no ill feelings.

"I swear when we get out of this mess I'm going to find someone to shoot!" Amii'a hissed.

"You shouldn't shoot just someone... You should shoot the people responsible for this station's security. Obviously they were not prepared and their response isn't good for these situations..." Akesha said. "Quite frankly, I'd rather find out who leaked the information on our project."

"Could have leaked from many positions..." Alicia commented. "Maybe someone who saw the workers or those who had to clear the raw materials and personnel we used. But yes, I believe that someone will have to pay, and I don't mean financially. For now, let's just get out of here..."

Kaede helped the Ambassador up to the air conduits and from there they followed the plan. Each pulled up the next one up and soon they were all crossing into a different section of the space station and crawling back out of the air conduits onto another room. They were received by the station's personnel and offered both assistance and medical attention. But all knew that this was just the beginning. The attacker was obviously well away, but they'd find him yet.

---

"Headline News"
By Tallia Xephuma, Tae'Karadan Intergalactic NewsNetwork (NPC Written by Theen Fida)

Location: New Plouton (Holo-News Broadcast Station)
Date: Vadris 21, 4ABY

***

"Good morning New Plouton! And what a beautiful morning it is this morning of Vadris 20th.

"Our top story this morning, reports have been flooding in that a renegade group of Kir'thana had gotten a hold of a fusion bomb! Reports have been coming in that they apparently set the bomb off in the Tae'Sollar desert unwittingly, many deaths have been reported.

"This just in! A massive explosion ripped through a section of the Drogen Shipyards. Reports are still coming in as to what exactly caused the explosion. We have reports of a ship crashing, another has stated that construction of a vessel went awry and had exploded, sending debris, smoke and fire throughout several levels. More on this story when we have the information.

"In our continued coverage of the rag-tag group of freedom fighters dubbed as the Karadan Rebels, who oppose the rule of our benevolent Empresses, rebel forces have been pinned down in the mountains.

"In other news, starting Praeda 1st of the upcoming new year, a fantastic new series of reality holo-vids will air across the Outer Rim! Xivanti Enterprises based here in New Plouton will be producing three new reality shows; Galactic Idol, The Amazing Galactic Race, and Survivor: Outer Rim! All three reality shows are in pre-production and screening. Here to give us a little insight on these fantastic new reality shows is Vice President Hogave Fedariv of Xivanti Enterprises. Good morning Mr. Fedariv, what can you tell the people of New Plouton about these exciting new holo-vid endeavors?"

"Why thank you, Tallia! Indeed we have some really exciting entertainment shows lined up for the new year! The first to air will be Galactic Idol! What this particular show is about, is a talent search for the next biggest musical entertainer superstar! As we speak, associates of the shows production team are interviewing prospective raw talents who will compete against one another in a series of grueling musical and entertainment contests where only one shall win and be awarded a multi-million credit entertainment contract. We have plans to include famous entertainers as guest judges, and our talent scouts will be searching the whole of the Outer Rim for the next superstar! Interviews are being conducted right here in New Plouton as we speak!"

"Well that is indeed fantastic Mr. Fedariv!"

"Thank you! Now our next show is called The Amazing Galactic Race! We have high hopes for this daring and adventurous reality show! Contestants will compete in teams around the Outer Rim to collect clues, partake in challenges of skills and race one another across the stars for a prize package worth one-million creds! The teams will be comprised of freighter crews who race around the Outer Rim and stop off at various planets and space-stations to test their resolve, wits and prowess! But not all of the contest will be just flying in their ships! We have big and daring plans for these people, but I cannot divulge too much, as you can understand! What I can tell you though, is that this is planned to be a long and drawn out contest that will be played over the course of and entire month!"

"That does sound quite interesting and daring, Mr. Fedariv! Now tell us about this third show!"

"Our third program we are working on is Survivor: Outer Rim, where contestants will be dropped off with little supplies to survive in some of the Outer Rims harshest and most dangerous locations! This isn't all about surviving in the wilds of course, there will be strenuous challenges the contestants must perform for points and supplies. Several different teams will compete with one another, and with themselves, for there can be only one survivor! The winner of the contest will be awarded a luxurious and well deserved vacation at the locale of their choice, as well as a sizeable prize award of creds and goods!"

"Truly fantastic programs to be airing after the first of the year! Thank you, Mr. Fedariv! We look forward to following along with the exploits of these daring contestants! So, people of New Plouton! If you think you have what it takes to tough it out and strut your stuff in any of these three new exciting programs, apply now and you may just be the next luckiest being in the galaxy!

"Well that's all we have time for this morning, I hope you all have a great day, catch us for the latest in breaking news stories from New Plouton and across the Outer Rim, every standard hour on the hour! This is Tallia Xephuma, signing off!"

---

"Time For Action"
By: Cirran Tyris
Captain Dresh Kano
Tasia Harough
Lerrah Breijal
Captain Rilanna Kir
Administrator Shrezade Anoran
Ty Kat'Ritara

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Cirran took another mouthful from his glass and sat back. As much as he hated to admit it, the dressing down from Kano had affected him. Although he had come to hate the red tape and political maneuverings of the Alliance, he had always essentially believed in its cause - bringing down the Empire - and it felt somehow wrong to now be so seemingly at odds with the people who had trained him and fought with him - hells, practically raised him. Still, he told himself, it was as much the fault of the paper-pushers who had refused to tell him where Jax was, that it was 'too sensitive', 'too risky', 'too important to the cause'...he angrily belted back the rest of his drink.

If they'd have just given me five minutes with that sandworm when I asked for it, I wouldn't be in this pissant bar in this backwater system drinking overpriced watered-down ale and wondering what to do and where to look next... He banged his empty glass on the table which attracted a few stares from the seedy patrons, but since word on the station had got around that he was a friend of Sgt. Coin, he was generally left alone, and he simply glared back until the voyeurs lowered their eyes.

He drew in a deep breath. Well, there was one thing he could do to occupy his time - one thing he'd been wanting to do since being locked up in a tiny dark room, and besides, Walker was on duty right now and with these prices he certainly couldn't afford to stay in this bar and get drunk. He tossed some credits on the table, stood up slightly unsteadily - correction - I can't afford to stay and get more drunk - and began weaving towards the lift to the flight decks.

***

Operating in a slight alcoholic fog, Cirran barrel-rolled the 'Fool's Hope' through a slow and lazy port-side turn, enjoying the revolving panoramic view of the station above him, and the many coloured moving lights that represented the comings and goings of commercial traffic in the area. Beyond them was the planet of Tae'Karada itself and then the stars, a whole galaxy of them. Cirran grinned widely to himself at the sheer space of it all, the freedom...although other parts of his brain, that even when slightly drunk were permanently hardwired to produce only fighter jockey thoughts, were not failing to note that the 'Hope' was slightly sluggish responding to the stick.

Cirran was alerted by these instincts through the fog to the briefest of flickers in the corner of his eye. He lowered his gaze to the sensor reading, which appeared normal - but wait, there it was, the quickest of blips which vanished almost instantly. This caused his grin to fade slightly. He could have sworn Tasia had replaced those parts. Ha, she can play with my parts, if she likes... chipped in Drunk Cirran, but another flicker on the screen sobered him up slightly. He tapped the display, which was again looking normal, and stayed that way for 15 seconds. But then there it was again! It was almost like one of the sensor ghosts you could sometimes apparently pick up on newer sensor systems if there was a cloaked ship nearby...

The sobering up process suddenly became very fast indeed. Cirran punched open a channel. "Drogen Station, this is the freighter 'Fool's Hope', I think that..." he started, but a sudden burst of loud static cut across his message. His readout confirmed his commlink was being jammed. Performing a quick and functional turn back towards the station, he looked apprehensively towards the station, his worse fears confirmed as moments later a metal monster shimmered magically into view from the blackness of space and began to deal out death.

***

The entire station shook as the superstructure strained against the incoming barrage of enemy fire. Klaxons sounded all throughout the station, announcing the most serious alert status. Screams could be heard from several decks away. Panic reigned throughout the station.

Rilanna Kir struggled back to her station in the Operations Bay. She felt a warm trickle of blood running down into her eyebrow.

"Status report," she shouted into the comms.

"Heavy structural-- --Ecks three-seven-eight down to-- Heavy casualties--Venting--"

"Clear up this channel," Rilanna called. "Launch fighters. All bays! Charge up all available laser cannons and return fire!"

The attack had come out of nowhere. One moment, everything was calm, and the next a Hapes Super Nova-class Battle Cruiser was opening fire on them. It hadn't taken long to determine the target, despite the severe damage the station was taking. It had taken Ty just a slight bit longer to determine who was attacking them.

***

Cirran came down the ramp at a jog, taking the chaotic situation in the bay around him in. The situation was a mess. The injured cried for help while around them those that had been fortunate enough to escape injury were torn between the task of helping them and that of the vital task of keeping the bay operating for fighter launch and damage control ships to get out and do their work. Cirran had ignored the warnings of the deck control officer that landing conditions were unsafe and had plonked the Hope down in the first available space amid some fallen girders. Many of the other decks were out of action and some - well, some were just gone. Nobody appeared to be in charge, and there was an ongoing cacophony of panicked shouts, scream, secondary explosions and creaking metal. Cirran grimly took the scene in. He'd seen this sort of thing before, but it never got easier.

He'd been able to do nothing to prevent it, of course. Cirran had never seen a ship of the class that had attacked Drogen before, but he didn't need to know exactly what type of ship it was to spot heavy armour, multiple fighter launch bays and more weapon blisters than he could count. In an old, if modified, light freighter, he had been in no position to stop the cruiser from doing exactly what its commander had wanted. Though he had tried to rally the traffic around Drogen into a defensive screen, most of them were commercial pilots without the vessels or stomach for a fight. He and a Quarren pilot that had agreed to help had managed to swoop in close, largely unnoticed, and shoot down 4 or 5 of the mass of missiles that had been headed for the station: but the price of even this token effort had been for them to be raked over with withering fire from the cruiser, almost as if in afterthought. Cirran's shields had barely held long enough for him to twist out of danger, and the Quarren was out there right now drifting in his severely damaged ship and waiting for Cirran to organise his rescue - which wasn't going to be for a while, by the look of things here. He grabbed a passing deckhand by the arm as he ran past.

"Have you seen Sgt. Coin?" he asked pointedly. The man looked at him blankly, shaking his head.

"You know, Sgt. Coin - Walker?" Cirran tried.

A look of recognition came into the tech's eyes. "He was headed for damage control duty on the lower decks. That area got hit pretty bad. We've lost contact with certain parts of the station. Look, you'll have to find him yourself, I'm needed over here." The man hurried on.

Cirran tightened his jaw and set out towards the bay exit to head for the emergency tubes leading to the lower decks.

"Hey," came a voice from beneath one of the ships preparing to hastily depart, "what the hell are you doing here? Keep standing there with your mouth open like that, one of the ships jetting out of here's likely to fly right in."

Cirran breathed an inward sigh of relief as he recognised the emerging head of Tasia Harough. "Tasia - everything OK?" he asked, and then immediately frowned, abashed, at the stupidity of his own question. "Who in the hells was that out there, anyway?" he continued. "It didn't look like the Imps."

"Who do you think it was?" answered Lerrah Breijal as she emerged from beneath the ship behind Tasia. "If you're just going to stand around gawking and not doing anything to help why don't you go somewhere you'll be out of the way. The New Republic may think you're some kind of golden boy now, but I still think you're just a slacker." Despite the words, she was grinning at him.

"Sorry, been a bit busy shooting down incoming missiles," Cirran retorted. His face softened however as he saw the exhausted expressions of the two women. "Look, I know you guys need some help down here - hells, looks like you need all the help you can get, and I'll come back, I promise - but right now I've got to find out what happened to Walker. Do you know if he made it through the attack?"

"I haven't seen him," Lerrah said. "I imagine he's been pretty busy with things that don't bring him here. I'd check through the security office, though I'd stay clear of Ril right now. I heard her on the comms, and she sounded ready to kill. Someone sabotaged some of the detection equipment. That's how they got so close without anyone knowing, I think."

"And besides," Tasia put in gruffly, smearing grease across her brow as she wiped it with the back of one hand, "that lumbering oaf can take care of himself. He survived a night with me, didn't he?" She winked mischievously at Cirran.

Cirran grinned lopsidedly. "Uh, yeah, so I hear," he said and then hastily added: "...not that I, you know, heard any details, or anything...". He caught sight of the two women taking obvious amusement in his obvious embarrassment. "Anyway...we all know he's tough, but I'm not sure he's so tough that he can survive sudden decompression or being at the center of large explosions." He surveyed the destruction and death around them again. "Few people can," he said grimly. "Look, I'm gonna see if I can find the big lug. Take care, you guys - I'll be back." He turned and left the bay at a jog.

Lerrah and Tasia looked to one another once Cirran disappeared around the corner, Tasia shrugging faintly. "You really think the brute's in trouble?" she asked, a touch of concern spilling through her cool front.

"I'm sure he's fine," Lerrah said. "He's too stubborn to not be fine. I'm sure once the crisis is over, he'll come swaggering in here as if nothing was wrong at all." She grinned at her friend and lover, and started back toward the flight deck. There wouldn't be much more to do until the ships came back in.

***

The station had sustained heavy damage. Rilanna was uncertain if the lower levels would ever be salvageable. The bay would be closed down for at least a month while repairs were made. The other bays would be more crowded, and techs would be in shorter supply. She was just glad Tasia and Lerrah had made it out alive.

"Talk to me, Ty," she said, turning to their resident computer expert.

The young man tapped some keys before him, and a holographic display of their attacker shimmered into view above the holotank.

"The Necron," he said. "It's a Hapes Super Nova-class Battle Cruiser. There are very few of them outside of Hapan space, so picking this one out was easy. It didn't stick around long, but I didn't need it to. Registry information marks it as belonging to Garnet Seifer."

Rilanna scowled and she could sense Shrezade's jaw clenching hard enough to break teeth. The loss of some of the Downsiders, something that normally would have made the station admin giddy, was inconsequential compared to the damage done to her station. The lower decks of the station had been blasted to oblivion. So far, the loss of life had been marked in the thousands.

"It's equipped with a cloaking device," Ty continued, "and is heavily armed."

Across the room, Dresh Kano snorted with a half laugh. "I'm sure they like to think that's heavily armed," he said. "But, they'll soon know the real thing. I've got a good part of my fleet on the way here now. Give it two more hours, and you'll have a fleet ready to give chase."

"Rumours exist that not long ago the ship was stolen by a woman calling herself Lady Ammut."

"I don't care who she is," Rilanna growled, "or what she's calling herself. We're going to find her, and we're going to make her pay. I've got my ship prepped. Lerrah and Elf will be with me. I'll be pulling some of the security team as gunners."

Dresh nodded. "I'll be taking command of the Shimmering Light," he said. "I could use someone at my side, someone to bridge the gap between Drogen and Republic forces." He glanced at Shrezade. "And, someone who can help me not get lost in the middle of a Mon Cal command cruiser."

Shrezade Anoran, planted stiffly in the command chair, loosened her deadly grip on the arm rests and tugged on the hem of her jacket. She smiled harshly at Dresh. "I'll join you. There's nothing more I can do from here."

Dresh turned to Reza. "I'll leave Admiral Eckrus here to watch over things," he said. "He's a capable commander, and I'm sure he can keep the repair crews moving. We'll also leave a force behind for any additional attacks."

"Don't think there's much chance of that," Ty said. "They got their target, and didn't seem to care much about the station." He shrugged. "It happened to be there."

"Ty will remain here on the station and help coordinate our efforts through HoloNet," Dresh continued. "If nothing else, the forces that do remain here will be able to discourage those who might use the attack as an opportunity to gain."

"When we find the ship, we'll have to be careful," Rilanna said. "Those ships come heavily loaded, and we don't want to lose too much more with it. Captain Kano assures me we'll have enough firepower with us to bring it down. I've still got some others I'd like to talk to to help fill out our ranks. They've got good ships that may be able to give us even more of an edge. And, if not an edge, at least another set of eyes. We'll need them out there."

"Then get them," Reza told Rilanna, and rose from her chair. "I want that idiot who nicked my station punished." Nodding curtly to Dresh, Reza stalked away.

"I'm just glad we were here on the station when it happened," Dresh said with a frown.

"Garnet Seifer or Lady Ammut, whoever's controlling that ship, will definitely not be when I get through with them. I'm grabbing my battle armour, then I'll be prepping my ship. If you need me before your fleet gets here, you know how to find me." With that, Rilanna was gone as well.

She'd gotten soft lately, since coming here. She only hoped she still had her edge. With a deadly smile as she disappeared into the turbolift, she felt confident knowing that she still had her edge and she was anything but soft. Whoever was controlling the Necron would pay.

***

Cirran moved through the shattered corridors, ducking and climbing through the maze of blackened metal. Heat still radiated from every surface, and the air was thin, life support systems struggling to replenish the oxygen lost to fires and hull breeches. Where the flight deck some levels above had been all noise and movement, this wrecked section was eerily silent. He coughed as his lungs filled with acrid smoke, and kept picking his way down the corridor where a damage control coordinator had said Walker had been assigned with his team.

Through the haze, he caught sight of an exhausted clump of men, their fire suits blackened, collapsed up against the wall by a heavy blast door ahead, their faces grubby and drained. Stretched across the corridor was a long form which Cirran soon recognised. He hurried forward, looking down at the prone form of Walker.

"Is he dead?" he asked the ranking officer, a lieutenant who sat slightly apart from the others.

The tired man looked up at him, his eyes dull, his face looking impossibly young to Cirran. "No, he's just out. We had to stun him. Took about four or five shots, too. The sarge is a big man," he said, with exhaustion in his voice.

"You stunned him? Why?" Cirran asked.

"He wanted to go back. But we had orders to close these doors or we might have lost the whole section, hells, maybe even the station. There's some pretty serious equipment in this section which is linked to the power core. A fire in here, explosions - could been a chain reaction. We had orders to seal this door. But he wouldn't listen. He wouldn't do it, but we had orders." The young officer's face fell. His men too were quiet.

Cirran took in the silence with a building sense of dread. "What's through there?" he asked.

"Nothing's through there, not anymore," came a gruff voice from the floor. Walker grunted and propped himself up on his elbows, shaking his head to clear the effects of the stun ray.

The other soldiers looked on apprehensively as the giant awoke. "I'm sorry, sarge," the young officer blurted, "but we had orders, you wouldn't listen to reason, you left me no choice--"

"It's all right, sir," Walker assured him. "You did the right - the proper thing. I apologise for my actions, sir. It's OK, boys," he added to the rest of the men, who looked relieved.

The lieutenant looked although he was about to cry. "Thank you, sergeant," he said in a trembling voice.

Walker stood up, cricking his neck. "If you'll excuse me sir, I think I'll report back to my regular security detail now? I have some things need taking care of."

"Very well, sergeant. Dismissed." The officer could not seem to meet the eyes of Walker or his men.

Walker turned his back on the blast doors and began to stride down the corridor, closely followed by Cirran. Cirran stayed quiet, sensing Walker's mood, but Walker answered his silent question anyway.

"It was a school," he said softly, "A day school for the kids of people who work in this section. There was a fire down there in the flight decks - a big one - and after they sealed the section they vented the atmosphere into space to deal with it. There's no-one alive in there now. Not those kids, not anyone."

Dismay came over Cirran, and he swore under his breath as the extent of the damage to the station hit him for the first time. More innocent victims of war, of violence. And for what? Nobody he had talked to even seemed to know why the station had been attacked. It was senseless, and there was only one thing to do - try and prevent it from happening again. For the moment looking for Kemma could wait. His 'to do' list only had one item on it - payback.

"What's the plan?" he asked the giant.

Walker clenched his fists. "We're gonna go sign up with whoever says they're lookin' to make these bastards bleed," he snarled.

***

The command station was a hive of confusing activity as station personnel hurried to deal with the emergency. No-one paid much attention as Cirran entered, looking for the one man he'd really not rather have another conversation with. Walker had left him to organize and prepare station troops for the retaliation operation that all the lower ranks assumed was already being set up - and universally wanted to participate in.

Cirran spotted his target hunched over a communications console, probably mustering his fleet.

"Captain Kano?" he said.

Dresh Kano glanced up from the holographic image of Admiral Eckrus' face. The bulbous head of the Mon Cal officer nodded at Dresh's comment, and turned away to converse with someone on his side of the connection, giving Dresh some privacy. "Not exactly the best place for loitering right now," he said. "We've got a lot to do, and I don't have time to go over all that again with you, Tyris. Why don't you come see me again after this crisis is over."

Cirran bristled at the brush-off, a sarcastic reply springing immediately to mind, but he bit down on it like he had done many times when dealing with his superiors in the Alliance. Instead he said: "Look - if you're short on time, Captain, I'll make this quick. I don't know what this was all about, and I may not be a poster-boy for the New Republic any more, but it doesn't mean I intend to sit by and let those bastards - whoever they were - go on their merry way and do this again somewhere else. I figure an upstanding military officer such as yourself is going after them, and I'm putting me and my ship at your disposal, if you'll have us. You've seen my record - if you've got an X, A or B Wing that's missing a pilot, so much the better." His brain caught up with his emotional outburst at the last part and reminded him of some pertinent facts.

"I, uh, promise not to run off with it this time," he added somewhat sheepishly.

"Don't think so," Dresh answered. "But, I'm sure there's a ship with a spot open in its crew you can fill. I don't think we'll be trusting you with hardware that can be so easily carried off."

There was a short silence as Cirran swallowed his pride. "OK, that's...that's fair," he started. "So are you going to put me in a pilot's seat, Kano? Because if not I'll take the 'Hope'. She's mostly a hunk of junk, of course, and I'll most likely end up vaped - but she's got a few tricks up her sleeve, or at least with a hotshot like me in the cockpit anyway." He looked at the captain determinedly, but with a twinkle in his eye.

"Whether you want to bring your ship or crew another ship, that's fine by me," Dresh answered. "Just as long as you don't disappear in the middle of the fight when your help is needed most..." He let the words hang for a moment before continuing. "I don't like the thought of putting someone of your record into an important place here. We need people we can count on, rely on to watch our backs when things get hot. You're not that person, Cirran, no matter how much you claim to be. You're unreliable and about as trustworthy as a Toydarian. You can be assured you're not going to be sitting in a crucial role because you're not the type of person I want to rely on to be watching my back, or anyone else I want to see come out the other end of this fight. But if you want a spot, you can bring your own, or I'll put you in Captain Kir's crew."

Cirran's stretched facade of politeness finally snapped. "To the hells with you, Kano," he spat angrily. "I may have jumped ship on the Alliance, but I never backed down from a hairball and I sure as sithspit never cut out on a wingman. Maybe if you had got beyond the big red 'deserter' stamp on my service record you might have seen that - some of us were actually out there fighting the war while guys like you were behind a desk reading the rulebook." In the back of his mind Cirran knew this last comment was probably totally unfair, as word on the station was that Kano had seen a lot of action against the Empire, but right now to Cirran he seemed to embody the officialdom and authority that had first caused him frustration, then anger and finally bitterness. "I'll take my own ship, and shoddy as she is the two of us will still be an asset to you, whether you like it or not. Some bastard out there just had a pretty good crack at wiping out the few friends I've managed to make in this place, they killed a lot of people besides and if they've done it here, they can do it again somewhere else. I don't want that any more than you. So I suggest you look out for the 'Hope' on your radar, because she'll be in your fleet, and she can be expected to do her part as well as anybody else - and a damned sight better than most. Consider your back officially watched, Captain."

Without waiting for a reply from the officer, Cirran gave him an angry and sarcastic Alliance salute, turned his back and stormed out of the command center, heading for the damaged flight decks to fulfill his promise of aid to Tasia and Lerrah.

"Just see that you come out the other end of this fight," Dresh said softly after Cirran was gone. "And, maybe you'll regain some of the trust you've lost with the Republic, especially if you do watch some backs out there." He chuckled softly to himself and turned back to the comms. There was a part of him that had the eerie feeling of having been looking into a mirror.

---

"Traitor Are the Ones Who Sided With the Empresses"
by Kyra Ronso
Cloud Everblades
Hector Gilgamesh - NPC
General Saluis (Internal Security General of Tae'Karada) - NPC
Ambassador of Riga - NPC
Tae'Morad General Cairus - NPC
Tairus (Financial Advisor of the Empresses of Tae'Karada) - NPC

Location: Arcadia & New Plouton, Tae'Karada
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

"...In last night interview, the Financial Advisor Tairus reassure that the financial situation of Tae'Karada is never been so high since the controversy passage of power of the two empresses. Also Mister Tairus reassured last night that the so called rebels are just mere thieves and terrorists to destroy the stability of the planet. 'The rebels are the plague of this planet and I assure you that everything is being done to resolve the situation. If the Karadan people want to keep up with the rest of the galaxy, is imperative to continue to evolve towards that way and this mere criminals are making possible to stop that development.' These were the words of Mr. Taurin. In other news the investigation still regard the recent attack at Drogen Shipyards, is still to know who is responsible for such awful and unpredictable attack, made the security to become heavier in the last days. It has not been the first time that the Drogen Shipyards was in such risk. The first one the Drogen authorities where able to find the bomb in time, before the worse could happen. This time, the Drogen Shipyards were so lucky, the north side of the shipyards suffered an attack five days ago, killing several workers and the destruction of a cruiser. Authorities say that was retaliation towards the owners of the Enterprises building the cruiser, but as investigation proceeds, more the investigators reach a conclusion that the attacker didn't care if any structural damage at the Drogen itself. The question still remains. Who would profit in such attack? With that question, I leave you with." The holographic image turned off.

Tairus walked looking towards General Saluis. "You see, what I have to do to quiet the rumours of the rebels?"

Saluis was seated on his chair looking carefully to Tairus. "We have in the last couple of days trying to find this rebels, ever since the Clone elite squad of the Empresses, were caught in the middle of the fire at the Gallorian Embassy, I used every last resource in this situation."

"That is not good enough!" Tairus said, angrily. With his hand he punched his table. "I had conversation with the Empresses, and they were not very happy with the situation. Now, I want you to get up in your ass and take care of the rebels for once and for all. Do you know how much money the rebels are costing us?"

"Don't know, Mr. Tairus. But I guess a lot."

"You are funny man, General. I don't like a funny man. Do you know how this make us look to other planets in this system? A Bunch of weak people, who doesn't know how to resolve our inner problems, the relations between Riga and Tae'Karada at risk and if we don't take care of the rebels we can kiss goodbye to that deal. All rebels are traitors and so they must be executed at once without trial."

"The Ambassador of Riga is weak and scary person, ever since this all thing started he cancelled every single appointment he had with the Empresses and every appointment that actually means exiting from the Riga Embassy." Saluis told, keeping seated on his chair.

"That is true General, but in two hours that sex maniac you call an Ambassador will arrive here in a few minutes." He paused. "Now, you will put every resource you have to take care of the Rebels, I don't care if use the cadets, suubtars or even ducks, but make sure it is resolved as fast as Forcedly possible! Is that clear?"

"Yes. I will do as you asked." He got up and left the room without saying anything else to Tairus. I'm using every resource I have you stupid fuck. The Empresses I follow, not you!

***

The Ambassador looked towards the entrance of the Riga Embassy where he could see outside the Limo-speeder waiting for him. He walked towards the limo, where he got in. "How is the request I sent to Riga?" he asked the woman beside her.

"Well sir, the response was no." She said, she noticed the way he looked at him, that always made little uncomfortable.

"No! I promise the Empresses that I would deliver a few weapons. When he come back contact Riga, tell them to find away to deliver those weapons!" The Ambassador demanded.

"Sir, may I remind you that you are serving the Riga government, not commanding."

The Ambassador approach her and slapped in her face. "Shut up, you little bitch." He approached and ripped her cloths off and started to rape her, has the Limo-speeder carefully drove through the streets of New Plouton. The dark window glasses of the Limo-speeder, concealed from the rest of the people in what was happening.

Once the Ambassador stopped, the woman, in pure tears, took what was left her cloths and exited the Limo-speeder once it stopped on sign. The Ambassador was not fast enough to stop her off leaving. The Limo continue his drive towards the building where he was going to have meeting with Mr. Taurin the Financial Advisor of Tae'Karada.

A few minutes later the limo stopped and the Ambassador punch a button that open the window that separated the driver to the back part of the limo. "Why do we stopped?"

"Sir, there is a crazy woman standing in front of us. Her swoop is blocking us. I will backward the limo and find another way."

"I don't care what are going to do, just do it!"

***

Kyra was standing above her swoop, blocking the limo to move forward. Steal concealed behind her black helmet, she exited from top of her speeder bike, taking out a rocket launcher. She pointed towards the Limo.

The driver seeing the rocker launcher in panic he opened the door and run as fast has he could. The Ambassador of Riga was surprised the way his driver exited the Limo. He walked toward the front part window and saw the woman with rocker launcher pointed towards the limo he was in. "Oh shit!"

Kyra fired the rocket launcher and saw the rocket flying towards the Limo. The Limo exploded into a million pieces taking the live of the Ambassador of Riga.

She placed back the rocket on her swoop and rove off from the location before the authorities could arrive.

Has she drove off. She place on of her hands over her mechanism on her neck. "Bravo to Home. Riga is on fire! Over."

"Understood, Bravo. Wait for further instructions. Over."

"Copy that!" Kyra said, accelerating her swoop.

***

Taurin was seated on the his chair waiting for arrival of the Ambassador of Riga. One hour waiting and he hopes to make relations with Tae'Karada. Incompetent fool!

Taurin's secretary entered fast without asking permission. "Mr. Taurin, you wanna want to see this." She said turning on the Holovid to the public channel.

An image of reporter in one of the streets of New Plouton, Taurin glance close and saw behind her a speeder still on fire. "We are here on location, where the Limo-speeder of the Ambassador of Riga is on fire. Witness told that woman dressed in black fired rocket missile towards it, taking the life of the ambassador himself. This bunch of criminals as were described by Mr. Taurin, last night shows that are well organized. As you can see this attack happen about an hour ago, and the firedroids still weren't able to contain the fire. I asked the droid chief of the operation and he stated that the liquid used on the rocket is hard to extinguish, only liquid found in military facilities. We get back for further information."

Taurin as he saw the images of the Holovid. "Shit. Upon investigation they will find that the liquid that makes the rocket is owned by our clone Armies. Riga will never now believe in our word." He got up and walked passed his secretary. "The empresses won't like this. Well I better go there and explain what happen and how this is affecting our finances." He stopped right in the entrance of his office. "Send message to the Empresses that I'm on my way!"

"Yes sir," the woman said, exited the room to send message to the Royal Palace.

Taurin stopped has a he saw one of the people that worked for him to enter the speeder and turning on the speeder. The engine of the speeder came to life as it was normal. The man inside the speeder was relief that nothing happen. He exited letting Taurin enter to the driver seat. Taurin looked around and drove off the speeder. He then saw that his personal datapad was in the seat next to him. He picked up and started to look at it, reading his last entry. Upon reading he saw an entry that he made today. He open the file he saw the phrase the made his face to pale. "Everyone who sided with the Empresses are consider Traitors to Tae'Karada. Penalty for traitor is death without a trial.

The speeder where Taurin was driving, exploded, making huge sound in the parking lot. The explosion knocked other several speeders.

Cloud exited from a dark corner. "Now, Empresses, let's see how you manage the financesl of this planet by your selves."

***

"This is the daily news with you host Car'runi."

"Good afternoon Tae'Karada. This morning, Mister Taurin the Financial Advisor to the Empresses was killed when his speeder exploded. This is the second attempt of today making the numbers of political victims, especial since the advisors of the Empresses were the prefer targets of the rebels. This morning Ambassador of Riga was killed in similar attacks, making the relations with Riga to shatter for good. Connie."

Cairus got up and exited his room. He walked fast through the corridors approaching five Tae'Morad people. "What is the situation of the rebels?"

"Sir, we know that they have base somewhere in the New Plouton Mountains. Where we not sure, but we are blocking every entrance and exit of the mountains.

"Good," Cairus told exiting. "Send message. Reinforce security in all five advisors that are alive. Unimaginable how these untrained rebels could have killed ten advisors so far."

Cairus exited the room. This is a fucking nightmare! And we are now paying for supporting the Empresses. This is the price.

***

General Saluis was exiting from his residence house for an extra meeting with the Empresses. With the death of Taurin, was deadly blow. No one expected that the crises with the rebels were reaching such point, that Tae'Karada government was now entering in collapse with the death of several Advisors. Taurin was the most important of them all since it was through him that the government still worked. Now with him dead the government was drifting away, General Sluis and the rest of the advisor knew that now the government will not work at all. Damn that day we accept Dargus Kandran as the Emperor of Tae'Karada.

"Sir. There is communication from one internal security teams protecting the Foreign Advisor. That they capture five rebels that were suppose to kill Foreign Advisor."

"Excellent, that is good news to tell the Empresses." He paused. "Deliver them to General Cairus and tell them to execute as traitors."

"Yes, sir!"

The General exited from the residence towards the speeder. He had total five Tae'Morad protecting him. As he walked nearer he saw a woman approaching.

Kyra approached the group that was protecting the General. Her eyes were ice cold. She took out her knife and with swift move penetrate the knife on to his throat and taking the bloody knife throwing the knife to the second guard that hit right on his head. She picked up the first guard's blaster pistol and fired towards every other guard. One shot one kill.

She then approached the general that was caught by surprise with the Blaster pistol pointed towards him he did not move. "General Saluis!"

"Rebel. So I guess this is it, isn't it?"

"You got it."

"Before you kill me hear this. Five of your companions were captured."

Kyra fired the blaster and the energy beam hit on General Saluis face, killing him instantly. She took out her knife. She saw speeder stopping right in front of the generals speeder. She got in it and the speeder drove off.

Kyra glanced to Cloud that delivered an old tissue so that Kyra could clean her knife. She took it. "Thank you." She started to clean it. "We might have problem! General Saluis told me before he died that they captured five our companions."

"Oh I see." Cloud picked up his comm. "Firun to Callon, please respond?" There was no response. "Anne change of plans. Go to the Foreign Advisor residence!"

The woman driving the speeder change course and in minutes they arrive to the residence seeing several clone troopers and Tae'Morad guards. "Shit. Here is you new assignment, find out where they are taking them and report back to me."

"Yes, Cloud," she said icily, opening the door of the speeder still in motion, but only exiting when the speeder had stopped.

Kyra glanced towards the commotion and saw when the five rebels were loaded to the big speeder truck, on the side with the logo of the Tae'Morad. "This is bravo to Firun. The rebels are being loaded in Tae'Morad truck."

"Copy that, follow them."

Kyra walked down the street and got up in the first swoop and hotwire it, before anyone could see that she was stealing it. She drove off few meters and waited for the Tae'Morad Truck speeder passed by.

She followed the Tae'Morad truck speeder to the Tae'Morad headquarters in Arcadia. She stopped the swoop in dark alley and made way to one of the buildings that surrounded the large square. She got in the lift towards the rooftop of the ceiling.

She approached the side and took her electrobinoculars and saw in the distance. She waited few hours seeing this huge wooden building being built. When the sun began to set, she saw huge crowed started to gather in the square. The five rebels were standing there being the target of rotten food, which was thrown to the crowed. As the five rebels climbed the small building, Kyra saw that they were being executed by hanging. "Firun, this is Bravo. They are executing our friends by hanging! Over."

"I know, Bravo. They are transmitting to the entire planet via Holovid. Over."

"Roger that," Kyra said. She saw the Tae'Morad General Cairus to climb the wooden steeps to turn over the large crowed that was standing in the square of the Tae'Morad.

"People of Tae'Karada. These rebels are consider of murder, conspiracy and crimes against Tae'Karada. They are the plague that threatens the future and the stability of this planet. In the name of our beloved Empresses, they are to executed at once, by hanging." The sound of drums were sounded as the crowed.

Kyra saw placing the ropes on each five rebels' necks and the General Cairus activate the device that sent the five rebels to their deaths.

Kyra anger rose to her veins. How this people could be so dumb to believe the words of this murderer. "Bravo, this Firun. An eye for an eye. Meet me back on Home. Over"

"Roger that, Firun."

***

Later in that day, as the Night was high Kyra and Cloud stepped in the square of the Tae'Morad seeing the distance the building of the Tae'Morad. They were carrying two large bags approaching the wooden building where five of their companions had been executed.

There no guards in view. Cloud clicked on his transmitter. "Everything is clear bring the in!"

Has the truck-speeder arrived they unloaded several dead bodies and hanged the by their feet on the large beam that had the rope where their friends were executed. The dead bodies were several soldiers that they killed. Once that was done, Kyra contemplate in the view of the naked dead clone troopers that were symbol of the Empresses power. Written in large piece of white cloth all across the large wooden beam the dead naked clone troopers were hanging from: "Traitors are those who side with the Empresses!"

Kyra and Cloud picked up the two bags and move closer to the Tae'Morad building. They set the bags on the floor, Kyra took out a rocket launcher and placed on top of her shoulder. "Load me!"

Kyra said, as cloud open his bag full of rocket missiles. He place the first one. "Let's do it."

Kyra fired the rocket launcher towards the frond doors of the Tae'Morad making it exploded into a million pieces. Cloud loaded a different missile then the first one, and tap over Kyra's shoulder.

The second missile flew across the square and entered inside the building a huge explosion was hear and huge fireballs exited from the windows of the building.

Kyra continue to fire the rest of missiles all across of the front side of the Tae'Morad building making the huge tower of the frontside started shift.

***

General Cairus approached the window seeing two persons firing at the building he was in. He finally saw a missile coming in his direction. "Oh, no." he said taking huge blast that took part of the building with it and also took his life.

***

The windows exploded compromising the main tower that fall to the square. Kyra stopped seeing the Tae'Morad building in flames the smoke went high enough that probably could be seen from the palace. The wreckage of the tower made pile just in front of the Tae'Morad Building that was partially destroyed, but the front side of the building was entirely destroyed.

Kyra put her rocket launcher in her bag both exited the place before the authorities could arrive. When the authorities arrived the attackers were long gone and the sight they face was unimaginable one!

---

"After-Party Refreshments"
By: Merrick Braston
Analesse D'vrishay

Location: Analesse's Apartment - Yesdol, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Merrick Braston looked at the button to the side of the door he stood before. He reached out, as he had four other times since arriving, but stopped himself. He dropped the hand back to his side and turned to head back down to the speeder parked down by the curb. He took in a deep breath and let it out. Could he really do this? Was it a betrayal or not? He wasn't here for anything more than the friendship. He didn't think anything romantic could happen even if it were possible. The argument with Kaysa, the incident with Cadwin, and Kaysa's departure had destroyed any desire on his part for any intimacy. He needed a friend now, more than he could remember needing one in a very long time.

He sighed at the memory of his and Kaysa's last falling out. It seemed like so long ago now. More than anything, he remembered the horrible stench that had eventually become a cloak to him. The alcohol mixed with the other aspects of a slovenly existence had made him a fairly unbearable person. She'd finally gotten through to him, and they'd reconciled. More than reconciled, he told himself. But now? Could anything work to bring them together again when Kaysa only wanted him around when it was convenient for her? Could he really offer her the things she seemed to desire and receive from Cadwin? He couldn't cater to that. He couldn't lead her down that road again.

He had to stop Kaysa's self-destruction, but wasn't sure if he was strong enough. Perhaps... He sighed. Perhaps.

Merrick Braston spun on his heel again and reached out once again. This time, there was no pulling back. This time, a resonant chime sounded within. This time, there was no turning away.

The wait seemed endless and gruelling, each moment testing his resolve and giving his tortured thoughts time again to resurface. Then, she was standing there in the doorway in a long, silken robe and eyes wide with astonishment. Analesse D'vrishay pushed the loose curls of hair away from her face to gain a better look at the man before her. "Merrick?" she whispered, a note of concern in her voice. "What's going on?"

"After today, I'll understand if you want nothing more to do with me," he said. "But, things keep getting worse, and...and I...I couldn't think of anyone else..." He looked up into her eyes. "If you no longer wish to be a friend, I will understand and go. But, I could really use a friend besides a bottle of brandy right now." He tried for a laugh, but it came out strained. "Right now, you and Zale are the closest friends I have, and...and I came here first... Can we talk?"

Analesse cleared her throat gently as she stared down at her bare feet, yet seeing nothing in particular. "We...do need to talk," she answered softly. "So...." Sighing, Analesse raised her eyes to Merrick's and stepped back. "Come in. I don't want anyone to catch a glimpse of you standing out there."

"Thank you," Merrick said, then stepped inside and moved past her. He glanced back at her and gave a half smile that was also part sigh. "I'm really sorry about this..."

"Why?" she asked, and when the door sealed behind them, she finally allowed a warm smile to soften her formerly serious expression. "I tried to catch you before you left tonight...I was more concerned about you than what those simpletons would begin saying." She gestured to a plush sofa arranged within an expansive, yet modestly decorated living area. It seemed far too capacious a space for just a single person; likely, it only enhanced one's sense of loneliness. "Did you need a drink?" she asked, already making her way to a side table carved into elegant curves from native Karadan wood. Atop it was a faceted, crystal bottle and beside that, a half-filled glass. It appeared Analesse had begun drinking long before Merrick's arrival.

"Please," Merrick answered. "And, I'm sorry for the way Kaysa treated you earlier, that the whole event was...well, probably not ruined, but for me it was. I had looked forward to spending the time there with you. It was a great opportunity to talk to people about the project, and to get to know each other better. But, my dear wife is unable to handle me having a woman as a friend because she doesn't trust me. I tried to explain, but again, she didn't believe me. I just...I don't know. So, I take it we're still friends?"

Analesse chuckled lightly and carried the filled tumblers back to where Merrick was standing. Smiling fondly at him as they stood face-to-face, she assured him, "Friends...and partners, at least as long as I'm able to keep back all the negative publicity." And she handed him one of the glasses.

"Do you suppose there will be much negative publicity over today?"

Thinking back on her startling encounter with Rich, Analesse nodded faintly and murmured, "I think that's a great possibility. Though," she added, "that isn't your fault. You couldn't know your wife would react that way to me." And she settled onto the sofa with both knees folded to one side. The lower flaps of her robe parted to reveal pale, bare legs up to the knee. Analesse waited for Merrick to join her before continuing. "I...knew slightly of your troubled past before I offered you this partnership, Merrick. I knew somewhat of what I was getting into. You're not to blame for any of this."

"I guess I could always just divorce her and the problem will resolve itself," he said then shook his head. "As much as I do love her, she's giving me a lot of reasons to not. At this stage, I honestly don't know. The woman I fell in love with is still there, but...but I hardly see her lately. I don't know if I ever will again, really." He looked up at her and shook his head. "I have had a troubled past, haven't I? I thought it was all behind me. I guess it can always be blamed on my rock and roll lifestyle."

"That is hardly the case with you," Analesse told him, smiling with mirth. "You're more than a rock star, Merrick. You're an artist. I hope people can begin to see how talented you are, and give you some credit when it comes to this project." Her lighthearted demeanour changed quickly enough as Analesse gazed into her glass. "But...Merrick," she began again, hesitantly, "I've had.... There've been certain individuals who...well...who are very interested in this project and would do anything to insinuate themselves into it. They will use this incident to do just that." She sighed and reached across the gap separating them to touch Merrick's hand lightly. "But...I won't let that stop us. I can't. You don't know how I've dreamed of transforming the White Noise, of having it the perfect place to showcase your talent. I won't let this go."

"We've also got Zale on our side," Merrick said. "Between his money and mine, there are few on the planet who have the financial clout to budge us. And, provided Kaysa keeps away, we won't have any repeats of what happened today. I will not let her self-destruction pull this project down."

Analesse nodded slowly, and with great hesitation asked, "You're not seeing her again then? Was it that bad?"

"I won't go into all the details, but she and Cadwin are out doing who knows what," Merrick said. "I have no doubt that I will see her again, because as soon as she's sober enough to worry, she'll have to make sure I'm not doing anything she doesn't approve of. It's bad. Very bad. But...I don't know what will happen."

"You still love her," Analesse explained with a shrug, and kept her eyes fixed to Merrick's glass, and the perfect ly strong yet delicate hand encircling it. She sighed quietly. "That doesn't go away, Merrick. 'In the Storm' says so - true love doesn't fade. You'll...never let her go, I think, I wonder...."

Merrick stared off into the distance for several minutes. "Things that happened before, about eight years ago now, they're happening again here. It's...it's just like with Liane all over again. I don't want it to happen...not again."

"Liane?" Analesse murmured pensively. Her eyes flicked up towards his as she discovered why it had struck her as familiar. "The woman from your song - from 'Perpetual Dark'? She's real?"

Merrick nodded. "Yes," he said. "It's a part of my life I've been trying to...to put behind me. It's not so easy with everything happening now. It's...the drugs, the other man...it's all the same." For a moment, he could almost see Liane's eyes again, except it wasn't Liane's eyes he was seeing but Kaysa's. He shook his head. "It's...all...so much the same."

It took a long gulp of liquor to settle Analesse after Merrick's revelation. She hadn't ever interpreted Merrick's song as an account of true events. He always wrote and sang with such passion, that it was often difficult to tell reality from imagined. Her large, dark eyes looked upon him now with a new understanding and compassion. There was not a trace of fear. "Merrick," she whispered, and shifted closer until her knees pressed up against his thigh. She kept his hand beneath her own. "Listen to me, Merrick...that won't happen again. You're not that person, not anymore. You're stronger, I know that for a certainty, and I know you'll find a way to work this out with your wife...if that is your choosing." Again, her eyes questioned him. "Is it? Are you planning on fighting for Kaysa?"

"I...I don't know," Merrick said. "I don't know if she really wants to be fought for. She...it's so messed up, Analesse. I'm like a pet. She wants me there when it's convenient for her, but has no care for my needs or desires. The relationship is horribly unbalanced."

"Then why have you stayed so long? Merrick...why are you making yourself so miserable? Is love really worth all that?" she asked a touch wistfully, then smiled and whispered absently, "It must be wonderful, love must, if it has the power to make you endure such suffering for it."

"I didn't realize how much suffering until I met you," Merrick said. "I'd forgotten what it was like to be in a room with someone who cared what I said or did."

Chuckling demurely and avoiding his gaze to hide her sudden onset of bashfulness, Analesse told him, "It can't have been that long, Merrick. But" --her smile faded and a sudden somberness came over her-- "I know how you feel and what you mean. Sometimes, I'm not sure if all those businessmen and women, aristocrats, and feisty jerks like Rich Tas truly see me or consider seriously anything I say. I'm still untested and unwelcome; they compliment me when I'm facing them, but when my back is turned, what they truly think comes out." She chuckled wryly. "Even in their compliments the insults are there, just veiled by false praise and subtle jabs they don't think I'll discern. I'm an outsider and an upstart, and I'll never really be accepted. And all I really want is to build things, Merrick. To just...." She sighed and raised her face towards the ceiling as if staring past the layers of durasteel and ferrocrete into the stars. With a dreamy smile, Analesse whispered, "I've always wanted to go farther than anyone has before, Merrick. I have grand visions, and I want them realized. And for some reason, no one can understand that passion. No one" --she lowered her eyes to stare significantly into his-- "except you."

Merrick smiled as he kept his gaze on hers. "Passion is something that's always been a part of me, and...I'm drawn to it in others. It's difficult not to share in your vision and want to build right along with you. And, we'll see this vision realized. We'll show all those who don't believe just how much there is to believe in."

"If Rich doesn't ruin it for us," Analesse reminded him. "He's...persistent. And frankly," she admitted with some reservation, "he scares me."

"I can have Zale watch him," Merrick said. "His people are very good at that."

Analesse chuckled mildly. "I don't mean he's a physical threat, Merrick, no matter how feisty he may get. I just mean that he knows a lot of people who can make this project difficult for us. We just need to remain always one step ahead of him."

"I'm sure we can manage that," Merrick said. "I can't imagine this guy can come close to being as smart as us together."

"I always knew there was a touch of arrogance in you," she teased with a laugh. "I should get you another drink and see what other character flaws expose themselves in your uninhibited state."

"Oh, I'm a terrible drunk," Merrick said with a laugh. "But, I wouldn't refuse a drink, that's for sure. Thank you for this, Lesse. I'm actually feeling much better than I was."

She squeezed his hand and whispered, "It's no trouble, Merrick. I'm glad you came. I was worried...and," she admitted, "a little disappointed." At his quizzical smile, Analesse confided, "We never did get to dance. I was hoping we'd be able to."

"Well, you do have a fairly impressive audio system here," he said with a grin. "There's nothing to say that we couldn't have that dance now."

Shaking her head briskly, silky curls bouncing against her cheeks, Analesse told him, "I don't think so, Mr. Braston. I'm hardly dressed for such a thing!" She grinned. "My dress would've been perfect for dancing - this robe is a disgrace in comparison." And pulling her hand away from Merrick's, Analesse suddenly rose. Her smile was sly and enigmatic. "Wait here. I'll be back." Then she was hurrying off with the train of her robe fluttering behind her.

Merrick chuckled and sat back on the couch, looking around the room again as he had the other night. It was a nice place, and as he looked the room itself reminded him of Analesse. It seemed to carry her personality. He smiled and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander where he knew he should not. In his reverie, he barely noticed the dulcet chords of a piano breaking the room's silence - a very familiar melody Merrick quickly placed, and as he opened his eyes Analesse was standing in the room's entryway wearing the same dress she'd donned that evening, and an even more dazzling smile.

"Recognize the song?" She laughed softly as a rich, mellifluous voice began crooning - one intimately recognizable to Merrick. Descending the short staircase leading to the living area, Analesse shrugged and quipped, "I told you I had every album."

"It's been a very long time since I've heard this one," Merrick said with a smile as he stood up. "I'll have to sing it in my next show. Brings back memories."

"Of what?" she asked, still moving invitingly towards him.

He held a hand out to her with a wide grin. "Of dancing," he said.

Chuckling soundlessly, Analesse lay her fingertips against his and slid them over the length of his long fingers until their hands met. Analesse watched him languidly beneath her lashes, and was so entranced by his charming smile she didn't notice herself being pulled into his arms until the heat of his torso permeated hers. Exhaling shakily, Analesse pressed her free hand to his chest and admired her fingers as they brushed over the lapel of Merrick's tuxedo jacket. "Still suits you," she murmured.

"Thank you," Merrick said as they started moving with the music. "I don't get nearly enough chances to dress up these days. Though, I'm very glad I got to see you all dressed up."

"It's nothing amazing," she dismissed with a half-shrug. "I do this once or twice a month. It's a pain, really, having to purchase a new outfit for each occasion. I'd much rather just stay home and listen to some good music. You?"

"I'll never say no to good music," Merrick said. "Sometimes it's nice to go out...but, yes, sometimes, staying home would be nicer. I think the only real trouble with spending time with an upper class crowd is that the pretentiousness begins to wear thin very quickly."

"That can't be helped," she sighed. "It comes with the competitive territory. No one can afford to show their true face. I hope it's not rubbing off on me." Being thrown unexpectedly into a spin by Merrick, Analesse clung tightly and pressed into him with a gasp. She laughed once they were safely around. "No one dances like that at those parties! I definitely know what I've been missing now."

"There's nothing worse than having a life sheltered from real dancing," Merrick said with a laugh. "Well, now you know what you have been missing, so if you show up at one of those parties without me, you can show them how it's really done."

Grinning slyly, Analesse asked, "Now why would I do that? Go to a party without you...that would seem foolish, wouldn't it?"

"That's what I was thinking," Merrick said, "but I didn't want to be too presumptuous." He gave her another spin, letting her twirl away from him before pulling her back into his arms. "Next time we're at a party, we're dancing, and we'll show them all what dancing is really like."

"Then they'll really talk," she warned him, and added more seriously, "They'll think you've got a mistress...and that I'm her. And that's not something you want for your career, is it?"

"Well, you'll just have to make sure you dance with Zale too," Merrick said. "That should stop some of the tongue-wagging. You're dancing with both of your business partners...it just happens that we dance better together."

"That could work," Analesse allowed and led Merrick into a turn this time, nearly knocking them into the coffee table. With some fancy footwork by Merrick, the two avoided a collision, laughing once they'd gotten back into rhythm. Analesse leaned her forehead against his shoulder as she continued chuckling with mirth. "Gods, I don't laugh like this. I haven't ever. Are you always this much fun?"

"I hope so," Merrick said with a laugh of his own. "I can't remember the last time I had this much fun. It must be the company."

Analesse smirked up at him and retorted, "It must be the drinks. Do you want another?" she asked, and was already pulling away to retrieve him another. "It'll only take a second...."

"Sure," Merrick said with a smile. "I could use another." He released her so she could get their drinks, watching her as she did.

"Merrick?" Lessa called softly to him while pouring, "what will you do tonight? Will you go home to your wife?"

"I should go home," Merrick said. "Not to Kaysa though. We each have our own rooms in the house, and that's where I'd go. I don't know what will happen with her, but I know it can't go on like it is."

"You can--" Analesse cleared her throat gently and turned to face him with both drinks in hand. "I was going to say.... You can stay here tonight...if you want, I mean," she finished hastily. "There's a-a couch" --she motioned with the glass towards the sofa behind Merrick-- "and I have blankets...so you don't have to go home if you don't feel comfortable." By now a dark blush had suffused her cheeks and Analesse was smiling awkwardly. "Unless that's really too inappropriate, in which case I'm sorry I asked."

"It might be inappropriate," Merrick said with a smile, "but you don't have to apologize. I'll think about it. I know it'll cause a stir, but...maybe that's what's needed."

"A stir?" she asked uncertainly. "With who? You mean...people?" Before Merrick could respond, Analesse gnawed at her lower lip pensively and knitted her brow in worry. "Yes...you might be right..." And looking up at him again, she decided, "I shouldn't have asked. It would cause problems for us both. We don't want people getting the wrong idea."

"I meant with Kaysa," Merrick said. "A catalyst to force something to happen. But, you're right. It would be best to confront her, and not fuel her anxieties."

Analesse nodded wanly and approached Merrick to hand him one glass. Her previous lightheartedness was toned down dramatically. "One more drink, then I guess we really say goodnight," she told him quietly.

Merrick nodded as he accepted the glass. "We'll see each other in the meeting tomorrow," he said. "And, I imagine we both could use the sleep."

"I imagine so," she echoed with a tight smile and concealed her sudden uneasiness by sipping at her drink. Analesse intentionally avoided his gaze, not quite certain any longer where either of them stood. Friendship, she reminded herself. That's where we are. That's where we'll always be...so get over it, Lessa. Don't be such a child. She smirked wryly into her glass without pulling it away.

"I know so," Merrick said. "I hope you don't mind if I take my time with this drink?"

She sighed. "I don't. Do you want a seat?" And foregoing his answer, she stiffly took up her own offer and sat.

Merrick moved over and sat on the couch beside her and took a sip from his drink. "What's wrong? You're far more subdued than you were just a few minutes ago."

"Because I have to be," she answered ruefully. "I don't know what this all is, Merrick...and I don't want to turn it into something it's not and end up making a fool of myself. And most of all," she admitted with a heavy sigh, "I don't want to lose a friend. A good friend, at that. It's just...Felicita, she told me that-- Well, she indicated that--" Lost for words and overcome by hesitation, Analesse shook her head and stared down solemnly into her glass.

Merrick frowned and reached out and brushed a hand over hers. "She indicated what, Analesse?"

Willing herself not to weaken at his touch, Analesse continued hesitantly. "Felicita...she meddles sometimes, but I do trust her insight. She...said that...she noticed something there. She noticed how I looked at you and how you looked at me...." Analesse rolled her eyes and snorted derisively at her own stupidity. "I told her I thought I'd noticed the same, and she insisted I was right, but to be careful because of your situation.... I wanted to tell her she was wrong, that it was too soon to even think about anything like that, because we were friends...that there was nothing there...." Blushing profusely at having been so candid, Analesse whispered, "I shouldn't have listened to her...I shouldn't have thought this was something more than friendship." Releasing a frustrated sigh, Analesse exclaimed, "I just...I thought we were on a path towards something special, Merrick! I've never had that before and I was so looking forward to it and...I hate that I was wrong. I hate that I started thinking that way, because now I just...I can't just think of you as a friend, and it's so very wrong to think of you as more because I want to be your confidante, Merrick. I really do want to help you and be there for you...but now I've just made things" --she lowered her voiced and muttered, "awkward."

"If I weren't married, I think...it would have...between us," Merrick said. "And, even though I am married, I...I'm pulled toward you. I'm definitely attracted to you, and if things were different. With Kaysa as she is, it's difficult. Don't think that I haven't had...thoughts. But until something happens with Kaysa...I can't let myself think otherwise. But, that said, I do care about you, Analesse. It's not an easy situation, but despite the awkwardness, I do want to remain friends, close friends."

"I know," she said a touch irritably, and sighed as she turned her head away. "I'm sorry...I don't mean to push you. I was just telling you how things are...or at least how I sometimes perceive them," she murmured. "I shouldn't have said anything. I should know when to practice restraint, and when to show more tact...and this is one of those situations. And I've failed to do both. I don't need you to say anything to assure me or placate me or...." Sighing again deeply, Analesse willed herself to look at Merrick as she admitted, "I have no one, Merrick, not like you. I guess...I was just yearning to have someone. I didn't mean to confuse your offer of friendship for something it wasn't because I'm desperate for something akin to affection. I'm sorry, and I accept your position. I won't pressure you into anything, I promise."

"I said what I did because I wanted to," Merrick said. "Because I wanted you to know what I was feeling. For whatever I can be to you, you do have me." And, if there's a time when I can be more... "And, besides, my best work comes under pressure."

"What work?" she queried, and even allowed a curious smile for him. "Are you writing a song about all this?"

"I'm writing a song about everything," Merrick said with a laugh. "I'd thought about it, and eventually I will. I think it'd make a good one."

Analesse chuckled weakly. "Just don't mention how much of an idiot I am, okay?"

His eyes found and held hers. "Don't worry," he said. "It's going to be about what an idiot I am."

A genuinely warm, contented smile found Analesse's voluptuous lips. "Then I'm safe," she replied softly and ended their long, significant stare by rising as she set down her glass. "This album's got twelve more songs on it." Analesse, grinning, held out a hand to him. "Interested?"

"I'm surprised you even have to ask," he said as he placed his own glass beside hers. "I hope you have sturdy carpeting."

"It cost a fortune," she assured him, and pulled him to his feet as she finished, "it'll last."

With a flourish, Merrick gestured toward the floor and then led the way. "Good. It'll need to. This album has twelve, but you've got a lot more songs in your collection."

At the center of her living area, Merrick and Analesse assumed their former dancing posture - bodies pressed close, hands clasped tenderly, and eyes sparkling - then began moving to the relaxed rhythm of 'Distance'. But there was none between them then, and Analesse relished the sensation more than she should have. Though, it did help to banish all the disappointment and grief of that evening. At least, she hoped her very presence could do so for Merrick.

---

"Opposing Destinies"
By: Yelara Neerou
Meer'esh [NPC+]
Oot Kovan
Kambra Gant [NPC+]

Location: The Zacacea Blossom, Yuarteira District
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

"You know I wouldn't just pick up and leave," Yelara assured the man seated beside her, laughing softly.

Meer'esh, still mildly concerned about her unexpected departure to Vendra the other day, finally relaxed against the bench's backrest to watch the passersby. "It was...disconcerting," he stated pensively. "I do not say that you must tell me of your comings and goings but...." His delicate, pale brow wrinkled as he fought to put his thoughts into coherent words of Basic. "We are... I am--" Meer'esh pressed his perfect lips thin in irritation at his inability to express himself properly.

His tense features, however, softened when Yelara's fingers laced with his. Her expectant smile coaxed a chuckle from Meer'esh, despite his usual reservation about open expressions of any emotion other than constant frustration over his limited Basic vocabulary. Surprising even Yelara, he curled his fingers over the back of her hand instead of bashfully pulling away. With a contented grin, Yelara leaned her head upon his strong shoulder and whispered significantly, "I am too, Meer'esh. Very much so."

Despite their break having ended minutes ago, Meer'esh and Yelara remained seated on the bench facing Yuarteira's famous, yet now frozen, canal. It was a picturesque scene, to be sure: two would-be lovers gazing dreamily out upon the glistening, crystalline stretch of ice disappearing into the horizon, and each seeking warmth from the other's proximity. It would have been, however, if free of disruption.

"I'm sorry," came a voice from behind, "Miss Neerou? I was hoping I might have a word with you." As they both turned, a Twi'lek woman in an elegant gown stood behind them with a pleasant smile on her face. Standing several paces back was a one-eyed Gungan who was watching without appearing to watch the Twi'lek woman.

Meer'esh withdrew his hand from Yelara's as he rose abruptly. Yelara remained seated, watching the woman suspiciously. "Do I know you?" she asked slowly.

"Not any longer," the woman answered. "But, before your tragedy, we were friends after a fashion. But, that is not what I wish to speak to you of. I am here on behalf of Tae'Karada, and it is the future of which I would like to speak."

Yelara opened her mouth to answer, but was thoroughly shocked when Meer'esh moved around the bench to stand between herself and Oot. "Yelara must be getting to work once more," he told her with a firmness in his tone Yelara hadn't heard before. "You are unable to speak to her now, Twi'lek."

"The rightful government of Tae'Karada will compensate you for any time lost," Oot said. "If she is unable to speak with me now, I will wait until her shift is complete. But, it is imperative that I speak with her as soon as possible."

"What are you talking about?" Yelara asked impatiently before Meer'esh could again intervene. Now, she too had moved away from the bench and was standing beside Meer'esh. The suspicion in her eyes hadn't diminished. "What does the government of Tae'Karada want with me? I haven't done anything."

"I know that you have no memories of your life from before," Oot said. "However, after Tarkin was removed from power, Dargus Kandran ascended the throne. At the time, you were married to him and were his empress, just as your son was the crowned prince. There are plans in the works to remove the current Empresses from power before they destroy the entire planet. The old line is dead, and you are the representative of the new line. You and your son. We would like for you to ascend the throne of Tae'Karada as the new High Princess."

Yelara paled, despite her skeptical nature urging her to dismiss Oot's tale. Become a planetary ruler? She was still trying to get her mind around it when pain shot up her arm. Torn from her daze, Yelara winced and looked down at the pale hand tightly gripping her upper arm. Meer'esh's face was lowered towards hers, and in his eyes she noted a touch of desperation and anger. "Yelara," he whispered insistently, "let us go. This woman is telling you lies."

More inclined to believe the man she had grown close to and fond of, Yelara nodded slowly, despite his strangling hold of her arm. Her bewildered gaze met Oot's and her mouth opened to speak, but instead she simply shook her head in denial.

"Please, Yelara," Oot said softly. "At least consider what I'm saying. You would have an entire staff behind you, helping to make decisions. You would never have to worry about money again, and little Va'Lesh would have the best of everything. I have been your friend from the first time we struck down Dargus Kandran. I would not lie to you now, not in a matter this important."

"I don't even know you," Yelara explained. "I don't know you, and I don't want what you're offering me! Will you please leave me alone?" Meer'esh's hand loosened its grip as his panic abated slightly. Yelara felt the pressure on her arm lessen, and shifted closer to Meer'esh for shelter.

"Yelara does not want this," he told Oot firmly. "Why must you upset her?"

"Because she is one of this planet's last hopes," Oot said with a level stare at Meer'esh. "Because I would rather see the planet in the hands of someone who could responsibly run it, like Yelara, than one of the current representatives of the government who are more interested in their own power than in what they can do to help build this planet back into something new. Because the woman I knew as Yelara Neerou was that type of woman." She glanced at Yelara and sighed. "Perhaps it's for the best, since this Yelara is barely a shadow of the Yelara I knew. The true Yelara Neerou wouldn't be scared of her own shadow, and she never needed a man to help urge her to her decisions."

"I'm not afraid," Yelara snapped. "That woman isn't me - I'm not her damned shadow; why can't you people stop comparing us! This is my life, that was hers.... Just let me live mine, will you?"

"Of course," Oot answered. "You are entitled to that. I will just hope that you remember that if you like none of the changes that will undoubtedly be happening on this planet soon, you were in a position to make a difference. And, I did not say that you were her shadow; just that you are a shadow of what she was...meaning that while she was a great woman with immense inner strength, you lack that. But, you are interested in nothing more than living your new life, casting out everything from your old life, and sitting here with your new lover. My apologies for intruding where no other is wanted. We will seek another to lead us, if one is available. If not, I'm certain we will figure out a solution...without you."

Yelara watched Oot with a hardened, resentful stare. She hated that what this woman was saying struck a nerve, and that she was truly bothered by it. Tense and prepared to lash out, Yelara instead jerked her arm free of Meer'esh's hand and stalked back towards the Zacacea Blossom. Meer'esh narrowed his eyes balefully at Oot and rasped, "Leave her. It is best. You will not cause her harm; I will not let you."

Oot met his gaze with a hard expression. "That's a quaint sentiment, to be sure," she hissed, "but it is not up to you. You have no choice, I assure you. I would strongly suggest that you remove yourself from this issue. The officials trying to rebuild this planet are reaching a point of desperation, and I cannot say what they will demand for the greater good. There are many who have lost their lives for aiding the current Empresses. Beware that those who see you discouraging Yelara from this don't equate those actions with helping Nieme and Dani. Have you seen the bodies recovered by those killed by the Karadan rebels? Very unpleasant, I assure you."

"I am doing this for her own safety," Meer'esh informed Oot. "You are jeopardizing it. Go away. I will deal with Karadan rebels if they come my way," he promised fiercely, "and believe me, they will not get close before they are being dealt with. Now leave here; I will not have Yelara seeing you about when she is outside." And with a withering scowl at both, he followed after Yelara.

After he was gone, Oot turned back to the bench. "Kambra, this is a very nice view," she said. "I believe I will stay here and enjoy it for a time."

"Of course, Dame Kovan," Kambra said as he moved to stand behind her. "Mesa stay right here. It is bombad view."

"Indeed it is." She took a glance back toward the diner, then turned back to the canal with a smile.

***

Meer'esh found Yelara in the employee lounge, her back to him and her face in both hands. His composure had slipped easily away during their discussion with Oot - he had performed disgracefully, doing little towards dissuading Yelara from accepting the Twi'lek's offer. It was time to redeem himself, and convince her to banish the foolish idea from her mind. His duty must be fulfilled.

Meer'esh was surprised at the flinch he received when one hand lightly touched Yelara's shoulder. She was weeping - that much became certain when she swung to face him with swollen eyes.

"Why me?" Yelara asked hoarsely, and with definite bitterness in her tone. "Why does my past keep haunting me? Why do I have to suffer for that woman's choices! I'm not that Yelara!"

And Meer'esh echoed her previous reflex by jerking back in the face of her fury. Then, despite his restraint and better judgement, he stepped forward and took her into his arms. Yelara melted into him, weeping against his shoulder. He stroked her back soothingly, albeit awkwardly. Yelara didn't notice in her grief.

"I just want a normal life for me and Leshie," she whispered. "Why do they need me? Why can't they find someone else?"

"Maybe," Meer'esh began slowly and carefully, "they think you are best for it. They think you remember your past and your want to become Empress." He waited anxiously for her reply, hoping it was the right one when compared to what might befall her if she did remember.

"Well...they're wrong," Yelara told him, and Meer'esh relaxed visibly. She still remembered nothing. He was smiling comfortingly when Yelara finally looked up at him. "That was, as far as I'm concerned, just a horrible nightmare I have no memory of. I promise, I'm not going away, Meer'esh, especially not with those people. This is my life now, and I like how it is."

Her smile, and the affectionate manner in which she gazed up at him gave Meer'esh a sudden sense of anxiety and discomfort. Not entirely acquainted with infatuation in all its forms, even he knew the manner with which Yelara watched him wasn't entirely chaste.

"You'll help me, right?" she asked softly. "You'll help me keep those people from bothering me?"

Meer'esh swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes, Yelara. I will do that." And deftly, Meer'esh slipped free of Yelara's embrace just as she had raised her lips to his, and held her at arm's length with both hands upon her shoulders. He couldn't allow such intimacy; there was no room for it. "I must be going out there now, Yelara. The customers are being waiting. You will come out soon?"

She smiled wanly and nodded. "Thank you for defending me out there," Yelara whispered. "I'm glad to have you as a protector."

"I am glad to be," he replied, and unable to resist the longing for comfort in her eyes, Meer'esh leaned forward and placed a fleeting kiss to her brow. Before she could open her eyes again once the surge of excitement left her, Meer'esh was gone.

Sighing, Yelara moved off to collect her uniform and make herself presentable, all the while wondering why Meer'esh was so intent on keeping distance between them. She knew he was shy but.... As she dabbed at her eyes to dry the tears, Yelara wondered more importantly about her future and what else she didn't yet know of her past. Why had Liam not mentioned this one, highly interesting fact? She would most definitely have to ask him that evening, though, what other surprises would find her that day before she got that chance? Smiling weakly, Yelara hoped there weren't any.

***

Exhausted emotionally and physically, Yelara Neerou - successor to the Tae'Karadan throne and potential saviour of the planet - left after completing her shift at the Zacacea blossom wishing only to go home and lose herself, and her entire day, in a deep, undisturbed sleep. Meer'esh had demanded to escort her, but Yelara had refused, insisting she needed time alone to sort her thoughts. Reluctantly abiding by her wishes, Meer'esh had returned to his work, albeit grimly.

So, having found solitude at last, Yelara began her trek to the hoverrail station, but was stopped short when she approached the bridge built over Yuarteira's canal. Standing behind the seated figure of a tall, regal Twi'lek was a one-eyed Gungan, who looked her way as she gasped in agitation. And joining him was the Twi'lek, Oot Kovan. Yelara frowned, and with determination she strode past them both, holding her head high. They could not wear her down, no matter how persistent, and they could not guilt her into taking the throne. Her mind would not be changed.

They fell in step behind her, several paces back. Finally, she spoke up. "I do hope you will at least think about what I said earlier. Time is critical. If I have not heard from you by tomorrow night, we will have to move on and make the best of it. You are our best, first choice, but if you are unable or unwilling, we will need to find another way."

"Then find another way," Yelara hollered back, her breath rushing out in a large cloud of vapour. "I'm not a politician, and I'm not a monarch. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't be this ruler you expect of me!"

"There will people to guide you, to make the hard decisions with you," Oot said. "I will give you until tomorrow night. If I have not heard from you by then, if you have not changed your mind by then, we will find another way. But, as I said, you are our best hope."

Yelara halted suddenly and whirled on Oot. She noticed the Gungan reacting, readying himself to act if necessary. Yelara sighed and reined in her rage to ask calmly, "Who is this 'we'? The planet? You and whoever else concocted this ill-conceived scheme?" With a wistful smile, Yelara whispered, "I'm no one special. I...I still don't really have an identity. I'm just trying to create a normal life for my son and I. If...If you say we were once friends then why would you want to throw my life into turmoil for something I most likely won't even succeed at? Why do you want to do this to me?"

"I would rather have you there, Yelara," Oot said. "I would rather put someone I trust to do the right thing for this planet on the throne, rather than some plotting bureaucrat. I don't want to force you into a life you wouldn't want, but if you accept your child will never want for anything, you will never have to worry about where your next meal will come from. You will have all you will ever want or need. And, the difficult decisions can be made by others. You will not have to make them."

"By others?" she asked quizzically. "I can just...hand-off my responsibility like that? Then what's the point of having me at all when others could easily do what I'm meant to do?" Yelara sighed and murmured as she gazed absently into the vast canal, "I don't know if I can do this.... I don't even know if I want to. For Leshie, I would...but how do I know it won't make his life even more difficult?"

"In time, once you know more of the politics and procedure, you will be more influential, I'm sure. You are a beautiful woman, Yelara, with a beautiful child, and your charisma is tangible. Yours could be the hand that unites this planet together again, after so much hardship. Eventually, Leshie could become High Prince, when he comes of age. I know it's a difficult decision, and not one to be taken lightly. I sat the throne for a time, and know that it is not easy. You were my friend before, Yelara, and I hope that in some way I can still be a friend to you. If you do accept, if you will have me, I would like to be one of your personal advisors in matters of state. That means, of course, Kambra would be one of your protectors, and you can't ask for a better one than he. It could be very symbolic; as you are making a new start in your own life, you could lead Tae'Karada through her new start as well."

"Gods," Yelara whispered, closing her eyes tightly, "this is all too much to take in.... I mean, I'll be in the spotlight constantly, when all I've wanted to do since waking up was to just live peacefully with Leshie. I--" Her striking violet eyes locked with Oot's, and smiling wanly she admitted, "I don't even know if I can do this. I'm just.... I'm just a waitress, nothing great. And like you said, I'm not strong - not like the Yelara you knew. I'm weak, and I'm afraid of my own shadow most days. Those qualities don't make a good ruler, I know that much, at least."

"I believe there is still strength within you, Yelara," Oot said softly. "She didn't die completely with what happened at the palace. Your life since waking again has been different and confusing. If you don't wish to do this, I will not press you. But if there is a part of you that does, I will help you in every way I can. You are just a waitress because you tell yourself that, and because you probably have not tried to be anything else. Who's to say you aren't a high princess without trying. Again, I will not ask for a final answer until tomorrow night. Until then, perhaps you and your child would like a meal? And, the secret government of Tae'Karada is picking up the bill."

"I-I don't know," she answered. "His father is taking care of him...I don't know if he'll approve. And I don't really like large crowds and public places...." Chuckling gently, Yelara added, "Though, Va'Lesh does. His face seems to brighten when he's around others. It's all such a wonder for him...."

"If you could only see the way your face lights up whenever you speak of him," Oot said. "He is a wonderful little boy, that's for certain. If you wanted to go for that meal, would you object to your husband joining us?"

Yelara's brow furrowed slightly. "Should he-- Will he learn of your offer, of what you want me to do?"

"We don't have to speak of it if you don't wish for him to know," Oot said.

"I'd rather tell him myself," Yelara decided, nodding to herself. "He'll find out I'm hiding something - he always knows, and I don't want him to hate me more when he finds out I'm lying to him about something else."

Oot nodded her understanding. "I will leave that to you then," she said. "And, if you would prefer he not join us, I'm certain he will understand. And, if you prefer not to go, I will understand."

Eyes wandering away from Oot again as she considered her offer of a dinner out, Yelara caught a hint of a smile tugging at Kambra's comically large mouth. Yelara laughed softly back at him, at the deadly, yet friendly bodyguard, and nodded decisively. "Alright. Dinner it is. Where should Liam, little Leshie and I meet you?"

"There's a restaurant called the Heart of Karada," Oot said. "It's just across from the Estri-Casren if you know where that is."

"Liam should," Yelara assured her. "And speaking of him...he'll be wondering where I am. I really should go...but we'll see you soon." She smiled past Oot at the Gungan. "Both of you?"

Oot nodded to her and Kambra gave her a graceful bow. "We shall see you soon, Yelara," Oot said with a smile. She nodded to Kambra and the two of them started off in the direction of their speeder. She tried to keep her worry hidden, uncertain that all would work out as she hoped.

---

"Spirits of Flight"
By: Empress Nieme
Cailin Fawkes

Location: Arcadian Palace, Arcadia
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Cailin Fawkes stood at the window of her room. The room itself was luxurious only for the men and women she was to service there. Of those sent to her, she had only been forced to endure eight. The others, she'd been able to use the Force to convince them coupling was unnecessary. Three of the others had been too strong-willed, and she'd had no choice but to go to the bed with them. The act itself, while pleasurable to her body, was utterly degrading to her mind. The remaining five had been because of something she believed had been placed in her food, and she had been unable to summon the strength to resist. Every fiber of her being had screamed for the touch of flesh, and she had given in without hesitation. Since then, she'd been very careful of which food she ate. Each day, she sought new ways of escape, but none had been found. She felt her hope waning, but thoughts of Adam's return kept her going from day to day.

One of the soldiers in the courtyard below looked up at her, and her first instinct wasn't to cover her nakedness. That in itself was frightening. She did not want to become accustomed to this way of life, the unending need to seek pleasure at every turn. Sharing herself with Adam had been fine, she thought with a slow smile at the memory. While she'd resisted the thought at first, she gave in quickly enough. There was a spark of something between them, and it had felt right. With the strangers sent to her bed, there was nothing. She just wanted to get away.

The soldier turned away, quite possibly to bring more of his friends to watch her window. It was also possible he was on his way to her room. She figured his willpower wouldn't be an issue if he made it through the door. So, she turned her thoughts once again to her escape, gazing off into the distance and wondering where Adam was and if he was planning her rescue. She would see him again, she was certain. Though, if she escaped before he rescued her, she was uncertain how she would find him again. They'd find a way...she knew it.

"Thinking of him again?" asked a low, hoarse voice from behind. When Cailin spun around to face her impromptu visitor, two wild, deadened eyes stared back at her from the darkness. Stepping forward into the patch of moonlight spilling from Cailin's window came Nieme Yaresh's frail, trembling body. "You're so very loud," she rasped. Her mouth twitched into a pained grimace. "You all are. I can hear you from every corner of the palace." Nieme whimpered, and thin, quivering arms came up around herself. "Won't you stop thinking so hard, dear Cailin?"

"I'm sorry," Cailin said softly. "I...I didn't know it was... I do miss him though...he...when he hired me, I didn't even realize...but now, it seems like... I just...I hope he's alright. I know he'll be fine without me. I don't think he really needed me as a bodyguard, but... I'm sorry, I'll try to keep my mind more quiet."

"Yes," Nieme muttered distractedly. Her eyes stared sightlessly past Cailin as she continued forward to the window. "It is difficult, isn't it? When those you love are torn from you." Nieme stopped at the window and leaned heavily against the embrasure as if her weakened legs laboured to support her. "You can't will them back. I have tried."

Cailin took a step back. "No," she said. "I suppose not, but...but I do have faith that he will return for me. Just as I'm sure Dani will return to you."

Nieme whirled on Cailin wearing a vicious mask. One hand shot out to grip the girl's neck. "Don't you dare speak that name," she hissed, and as quickly as it had come, Nieme's burst of strength waned and her hold on Cailin's throat slackened. She sagged against the wall, shaking with mute tears. "They make promises...they do it to placate us, like we're foolish, naive children." A sorrowful, bitter laugh. "And we believe them."

"Maybe you think that," Cailin said, "but I know Adam will be coming back for me. You may have given up, but I haven't."

"Well you should," Nieme told her. "Because if he tries, he will die." Her smile was sad, and consolingly she caressed Cailin's smooth cheek with icy cold fingertips. "But...we will have each other still, won't we, dear? You'll stay with me, and then we can help each other to not be so sad."

"Until their return," Cailin said, but did not feel it. As Nieme's fingers trailed along her cheek, Cailin had a thought. "You are so very sad. What can I do to help?"

She studied Cailin's face thoughtfully, tracing her plump, shivering lips with little tenderness. "You...would do that for me?" Nieme whispered. Her bruising touch moved to Cailin's throat and dropped to her chest, leaving a path of cold fire in its wake. "The voices...maybe y-you can help silence them. Just for awhile, maybe." Brown, pleading eyes caught Cailin's. "For awhile...?"

"For awhile," Cailin whispered, the opportunity for freedom growing in her mind. "For awhile, yes."

"Dani...she could always keep them quiet," Nieme murmured desperately. Her seeking hands clenched the thin, gauzy fabric of Cailin's equadi for anchorage as her legs crumpled beneath her. Staring up at Cailin with tear-filmed eyes, Nieme whispered hoarsely, "At least try. Please. You...you could be just like me one day. These...these powers we have, they do strange things." She emitted an agonized, tearful laugh. "My mind will never be free again. You should pity me, dear girl...because this could be you soon. So very soon...."

"Come," Cailin said. "The bed will be more comfortable." With that, she tried to lead Nieme over to the bed.

Nieme gave a grunt of denial and pulled Cailin down to her knees. "No," she rasped, her breathing coming heavily and her wide eyes expressing panic. "Not in the dark. Please not in the dark! Right here, where there's light, where the spirits can't sneak up on me."

"We'll keep the lights on," Cailin said. "I'll keep you safe, Nieme. I promise." She reached up and caressed Nieme's cheek with one hand and brushed her hair back with the other. "Everything will be alright. I'll keep the spirits away for you."

Nieme nodded unsteadily, her tangled hair writhing like mad snakes as her head bobbed. With a whimper, Nieme collapsed again Cailin's supple body and trapped her lips in a rough, manic kiss.

Cailin quieted the part of her mind that wanted to pull away from Nieme, to run from her dark touch. But, in the end, she knew that down this path lay the chance she may need. If only she could soothe the mind of her captor enough to give her a chance to flee. But, the question would remain, even if Nieme's mind was addled with her own insanity, would it be enough to get away?

Though, as Nieme's arduous lips sought more tender flesh, Cailin shut the thoughts out of her mind, and gave herself over to the task before her.

***

Cailin let out a shaky breath and looked aside at where Nieme lay sprawled out. Her eyes were closed and her chest was rising with each breath. She sat up slowly, careful not to rouse Nieme too greatly. "Nieme," she whispered. "Nieme?"

It seemed Cailin had managed to silence her demons through their detached and frantic lovemaking, for Nieme didn't stir. Her face displayed a tranquility, despite the black circles still beneath her eyes which alluded to her previous anxiety; Nieme was more sound asleep than she had been in days.

Cailin slipped away from where Nieme lay and picked up her equadi. She wished she had more substantial clothing, but she figured there was little to no substantial clothing in the entire place. Making certain to keep her mind quiet, she began pulling on the flimsy garment. She had no idea how she would get off the palace grounds, but that was an obstacle to figure out later. For now, she just had to get herself out of this room.

She managed to do so, stepping past the threshold of the room that was moments ago still her prison. Her head snapped left, then right, surveying the corridors for any clone patroller who would pose a difficulty to her not-so-thought-out plan. When she looked right again, Cailin stopped cold, not even the warm breath falling against her ear banishing it.

"Leaving so soon? I thought we were having fun."

Cailin turned quickly and found Nieme's eyes, wide and wild, staring at her. She reached up and deftly released her equadi, letting it fall to the floor and pool about her feet. She pressed her body against Nieme's. "I thought you were asleep," she said softly, huskily. "I didn't want to disturb you when you seemed so at peace." She pressed her lips against Nieme's and let her hands find their way to Nieme's breasts. "It's never been so fulfilling before. Are you ready for more, my Empress?"

Nieme watched her skeptically, either not certain if she was deceiving, or certain she was and attempting to convince herself otherwise to once again find abandon with the girl. "What-- What were you doing out there?" she asked unsteadily; Cailin's touch was quickly drawing her to surrender.

"I was looking for the guard," Cailin lied easily. She continued to use her body as best she could to continue convincing Nieme her intentions had been anything other than what they had been. "I figured we might need some refreshment if we were going to continue again when you woke. I hope you are not upset with me."

Nieme sighed as one of Cailin's hands slid between her thighs. Her eyes fluttered closed. "You-- You shouldn't have ventured out there, so far away from me." Nieme's eyes flew open, and again her fearful gaze returned. She grasped Cailin's wrist painfully. "I need your strength. The voices...they stop when you're near. You shouldn't leave me like that!"

"I won't," Cailin whispered. "I promise I won't. If we go back inside, I can help the voices go away again, Nieme. I'll make them go away for a very long time. Forever...if I can."

Nieme laughed, a weak, pathetic choke of a laugh, and leaned her face in closer to Cailin's. At that proximity, the young girl was able to see clearly the jagged lines of blood streaking the whites of Nieme's eyes, and the cold, dark depth of them. Nieme smiled sickeningly. "You're not her," she whispered. "You make promises you...you can't keep."

"You're wrong," Cailin said softly with a smile. "I can keep my promises, and I always have. Do you want me to keep my promise, Nieme? Do you want me to take the spirits away?"

"How can you?" she accused, her face twisting into an ugly mask of anguish and disdain. Her grip on Cailin's wrist tightened. "You're not her. You're not! Why are you trying to replace her? What have you done to her!?"

"I've done nothing to her," Cailin said evenly as she could under the circumstances. "Nieme, you must calm down. You're going to bring the spirits back up like this. You need to calm down." She brought one hand up to cradle Nieme's head. "You don't want to bring the spirits back..."

"But I can't stop them," she whispered pitifully. "I'm not strong, not like Dani..." Nieme whimpered and her eyes took on a faraway look as she murmured, "Dani...."

As the distractions pulled Nieme's attention away again, Cailin realized that she either had to seize her chance now, or allow herself to remain a prisoner until she was rescued. And, as much as she felt pity for Nieme, as much as a part of herself wanted to do something to help, she knew that she was standing on a precarious edge. While Nieme was vulnerable and weak now, there was no telling what tomorrow would bring. It had to be now.

Calling out into the Force, Cailin struck quickly, but even so Nieme had become aware of her actions. A cry stilled in the empresses throat as Cailin's hand struck the side of her head. It wasn't a hard blow, but it was filled with the Force. Nieme's eyes rolled back into her head as she struggled for consciousness, and then she was toppling to the floor. Cailin caught her before she hit, and moved into the bedroom with her. She acted quickly, placing the empress on the bed and adjusting the lights to keep her bathed in their glow. As evil as Nieme was, Cailin couldn't believe she was completely corrupt. The love she felt for Dani was a testament to that. While she hadn't searched too deep, she suspected most of Nieme's condition was driven by anger and the pains of life, not from a truly black, malicious spirit.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Fear not, Nieme, she will return to you soon." As Cailin fled for the door, she hoped that would truly be the case. She did not know if Tae'Karada could handle Nieme without Dani's balancing hand.

But, that was a problem for someone else, Cailin told herself as she sped through the doorway. She ignored her equadi, knowing that speed was important and she couldn't stop to retrieve the flimsy garment. Besides, if she was lucky, she may be able to find more suitable attire that might see her free of the palace altogether, and from there she only needed to contact Adam.

***

Finely tuned senses and sharply honed reflexes swung the armoured soldier towards the almost undetectable patter of footsteps approaching. Her sidearm was in her gloved hand and levelled in a single motion. But there was no target. There was silence as the female soldier listened, identifiable as such by the black breastplate that moulded precisely to her womanly curves. The footsteps had vanished.

It was a trick Cailin had used on many occasions. A slight trick of the Force to make someone believe something that wasn't truly there. As the soldier was distracted, it gave her the chance she needed. She sprung from her hiding place. The armoured woman brought her weapon around, but wasn't nearly quick enough for the Force enhanced reflexes of Cailin Fawkes. The blaster was wrenched from the woman's hand as a leg swept low, forcing her off-balance. Suddenly, the black clad form was on the ground with her opponent seated on her chest, pinning her to the ground. The woman's nakedness was no consequence, and appeared to offer no hindrance against the fully armoured clone. Even as she tried to dislodge her opponent, it was too late as the blaster was reversed and leveled against her chest.

"I'm sorry," came the words from the naked warrior, and a bright blue glow enveloped the clone, dropping her immediately into unconsciousness.

Cailin stood and checked the setting on the blaster once more. She'd used the heaviest stun setting to be safe, but she didn't think that would keep the clone out for long. With a speed both enhanced by the Force and encouraged by her desperate situation, she stripped the clone of her clothing, donning the bodysuit and armour herself. She left the clone with her underclothes for the sake of modesty. Despite her treatment, Cailin couldn't just leave one of the clones lying naked in the hallway, no matter how she'd been treated by Nieme and Dani.

She dragged the inert body into a side corridor and bound her using some of the restraints from the armour's utility belt. That done, Cailin pulled on the helmet to hide her identity, and quickly started off toward the exit. With a subdued excitement she could feel building with each step, Cailin could feel her freedom approaching. Soon...very soon, and all she had to do was get to the other side of the walls.

Nieme's sentries and patrollers were oblivious to her presence as she passed through the corridors somewhat awkwardly in the oversized armour. It seemed the clones were all focused on their singular tasks, and gave their comrade not even a glance. Not until, that is, Cailin turned down a deserted corridor towards the rear, main level courtyard. She had stepped foot on the lush, dewy grass, her sights on the tall retaining wall beyond that, once successfully cleared, would bring Cailin her freedom; and from behind a flat, emotionless voice called out to her. "Sister, what are you doing far from your post?"

Cailin stopped her movement, and reached out with the Force. "An errand for our Mistress," she said, trying to imitate the emotionlessness the clones spoke with. "I will return to my assigned post as soon as I have completed this, Sister."

The female clone cocked her helmeted head to one side, studying Cailin and her response. "If I may ask...what errand is this, Sister? It is rather late and the Empress has retired already."

"The Empress sought comfort from the female prisoner," Cailin answered as she slowly began to turn back toward the cloned woman. "I was asked to check with those guarding the front gate, so as to not disturb them in their activities."

The clone's head straightened. "But...sister, you are at the rear of the palace. What purpose could there be in that?"

"The Empress wished for privacy in dealing with her internal demons with the prisoner," Cailin answered as she prepared to strike. "She suggested I take a circuitous route to achieve my objective."

There was silence as the clone's concealed eyes studied Cailin's visor. Her still, unmoving gaze seemed to penetrate the blackened duraplast covering Cailin's face. Then, the clone's blaster was unholstered and aiming at Cailin. "Sister...you do not feel right. You will surrender so you may be inspected."

"As you insist," Cailin responded, then raised her hands, placing them slightly apart from her body. With the Force, she focused on the clone, preparing to act the instant she sensed the danger of attack. "Shall I remove my helmet for your inspection, Sister?"

"I am beginning to suspect," the clone informed her, "that you do not deserve to address me so. If you are damaged, you will be disposed of. Let me see your face."

Cailin reached up slowly and unfastened the seals holding her helmet in place. Once the seals were broken, she removed the helmet with deliberate slowness. As she sensed the sudden intake of breath at the clone's surprise, the world seemed to decelerate toward infinite slowness. Cailin whipped the helm up, then brought it crashing down on the blaster pointed at her even as the shock was still registering in the clone's mind. She let the helm go, and dropped one hand to the weapon holstered at her hip while the other was thrust outward to off-balance the clone. With speed that only a Jedi could attain, Cailin brought the weapon up and fired a stunning shot right into the clone's chest.

A pain-stricken groan escaped the clone's hidden lips as she fell backwards. Her armour clattered when she crashed onto the stone-slabbed pathway winding through the courtyard. There was no more movement, no sound, save for Cailin's booted feet hurrying away. Moments later, she heard before she felt the hiss of the blaster bolt glancing off her right arm.

Cailin bit back a cry of pain. Even through the armour she wore, the pain blurred her eyes and nearly sent her stumbling to the ground. From her periphery, she saw the clone's arm fall limply to the ground, and the blaster slide free of her opened hand as the girl succumbed finally to her injury. With a deep breath, she re-focused her energies, and pressed on. Others in the courtyard were turning toward the commotion, and she had no more time to delay. She had one chance, and if she failed, she knew they would cut her down like a stalk of wheat in the field. Drawing on the power deep within herself, she raced toward the wall.

A rhythmic clomping of heavy boots drew closer, and from the intensity of their approach, Cailin guessed their number were many. Then, the shots began loosing, impacting against the large barrier before her. Duracrete chipped away from the wall, sending explosive puffs of debris at Cailin.

Now or never, Cailin thought, and summoned the Force within herself. She leapt just as a bolt shattered the duracrete she'd been running upon. The wall loomed before her, and then she was above it. The moment of celebration was cut short as a blaster bolt from below slammed her shoulder and pitched her tumbling forward. She was over the wall, but the crash into the ground on the other side left her momentarily dazed. As she pushed herself up, she heard the troops from inside rushing for her, trying to get through the gate. She glanced back once, and sent a silent surge of hope toward Nieme still inside the palace.

Then, she turned and ran.

---

"Friends in High Places"
By: Cirran Tyris
Sgt Mathias 'Walker' Coin
Captain Dresh Kano

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Cirran rolled over. Darkness. He tried opening his eyes. Darkness. He looked around the small cell. Additional darkness. Much as he had disliked the company of the other prisoners on Drogen, he had to admit that solitary confinement was not exactly the most exciting option going. He was starting to seriously lose track of how long he had been in here. There was no word from Walker, or indeed anybody else. Every few hours, or at least he assumed they were hours, the door field would deactivate - Cirran could only tell because the otherwise ever-present and quite maddening hum of the field would stop - and a 'meal' would be shoved through. Then, unaccompanied by so much as a grunt, two sets of footsteps would lead away from the door, that infuriating hum would start up once more, and he would be once more alone in this tiny room. He had been taken aback by the diminutive size of the berth they had given him when he first arrived on this cursed station, but the confines of this lightless cage were even more insufferable. He longed desperately to be throwing the Hope around in a nebula somewhere, enjoying the infinite freedom of wide, open space...how many times had the meals come now...6? Or was it twice that? A long time anyway to sit huddled in the dark, the walls close, and think about old battles that went wrong, dead friends, and your missing sister...it must have been like this for Kemma all that time, in the dark - down in those mines...

"Snap out of it, Cirran," the pilot said aloud to the walls, trying to jog himself out of his gloomy train of thought. The people in charge on this station might want to make sure he made it to his trial with the Rebel... No, they're the Republic now, remember? All official and respectable, he reminded himself bitterly. So, the people in charge here clearly wanted to make a good impression by having him to show up in a Republic courtroom with all his limbs still attached - but they obviously didn't care if he went as mad as a sun-struck Jawa waiting in this place in the meantime. If that's gonna happen, he thought, I'd have been better off if that Saurin had spilled my intestines all over the floor.

Cirran's maudlin was interrupted by a sudden silence. The field had been deactivated again. Although Cirran knew his sense of time had been well and truly disoriented, he was pretty sure he'd last been subject to the degradations of the prison chef only less that an hour ago, and now here was his next meal. "Am I really going this crazy already?" he mumbled to himself out loud.

Suddenly Cirran was blind, dazzled by the harsh light that had filled the room. "I dunno - what do I look like, a psychiatrist?" came a gruff but recognisable voice in way of reply to his question. Through the dazzling light Cirran could make out a large frame folding itself under the doorway. "Walker?" he queried.

"That's Sergeant Coin to you, you low-life rocket-jockey scum!" was Walker's barked rejoinder. "Get up!"

Cirran was hauled blinking and wincing to his feet by the scruff of his prison jump suit. "Hey!" he protested. "Walker, what's--" he started, but his line of inquiry was unceremoniously interrupted by Walker's knee in his solar plexus. Cirran doubled over, gasping for breath, and Walker bent down to his ear.

"Sorry about that, spacer," he whispered hurriedly, "but they're letting you out of here on some kind of technicality into my temporary custody...and I just managed to get your ship unimpounded. So it's best we get you out of this hole and as far as the flight deck with no-one down here knowing we're mates, so as no-one looks at a rulebook, ties it all together and starts asking questions, right?"

Cirran nodded through clenched teeth, his breath starting to come back to him. Walker straightened up, yelling, "And they won't be able to reattach it, either!" as if adding to a whispered threat, for the benefit of the two guards behind him outside the door. "Now move it, lizard bait!"

Cirran was frog-marched out of the cell and down to the administration area of the prison level, blinking and shaking his head as his eyes and ears readjusted to such surprises and sight and noise. Flanked by more guards, the officious commander of the prison who had sent Cirran to solitary following the riot was awaiting him, together with a New Republic officer that Cirran didn't recognise; but his uniform announced that he was of a high rank. Walker shoved Cirran down the ramp - rather harder than Cirran thought was strictly necessary - and presented him to the officials.

The warden sneered and ran a critical eye up and down Cirran's dishevelled form. "Are you sure about this, Captain?" the warden asked the officer.

"No," Dresh Kano, recently arrived from the New Republic's base in the system, said. "But someone above me is, and at this point that's all we need to know." He turned to Cirran with a hard eye, the frown expressing more of his thoughts than any number of words could. "I don't like mincing words, Tyris, so here it is plainly. Someone with clout doesn't want you in a cell, and actually believes you have some value to the New Republic. I've got my doubts, but I have my orders. You're being released."

Cirran did something of a double take, and then smiled broadly at the frowning figures all around him, taking pleasure in their obvious reluctance to let him go anywhere... "Whaddaya know!" he beamed. "Guess someone somewhere likes me...so where's the party going to be? Your place?" he dead-panned to the unimpressed New Republic officer. Behind him, Walker viciously suppressed a smirk with admirable success.

"Just a friendly reminder," Dresh said with a smile that very well could have been evil, "someone up top does like you, but they're not the one who will be giving you your day-to-day orders. Have you ever taken a peek at the waste reclamation post on a station as big as Drogen? Keep your nose clean, and stow the cocky attitude and you may not see the inside of a cell for some time. Go back to the tricks that led you to the cell in the first place, and you can be sure you won't make it as far as the cell next time."

Cirran opened his mouth to retort and then stopped. It simply had not occurred to him that technically he was still a member of the New Republic armed forces. That could pose a problem. "Look, Captain," he tried, "I'm sure you don't want a washout like me hanging around here, lowering the tone...you must have plenty of experienced pilots on the roster already, am I right? I could just toddle off and, er, find myself another posting, save everyone a headache?"

"Perhaps there is a touch of intelligence in your head," Dresh said. "And, being part of a military organization means that you go where you're told, not that you get to pick and choose, especially when you're in a position such as yours. Command will tell you where you get to go, and until then you will remain here. You won't be back on active duty until Command has a chance to assign you, but as with all things, you can be expected to fill in should additional reserve forces be required."

Cirran was unsure whether or not to be relieved that he still had some limited freedom, or offended that a pilot of his skills and experience would be stuck on a reserve roster. Wherever this reprieve had come from, it meant the New Republic, if no longer hunting him, would be pulling his strings once more, and he'd probably have to do something criminal again if he wanted to get back to looking for Kemma full time again. He settled for a frown - above all else, right now it was time to get out of this hole and go and think about things. He pulled himself into a reasonable impression of standing at attention. "Will that be all then, sir?" he asked Dresh tersely, sarcasm dripping off the last word.

"That will be all, Tyris," Dresh said. "But before you go, a bit of advice. The ice you're standing on is thin and weak. It's holding for now, but there's no telling just how long that'll be the case. I don't know if you want to be a part of this crew, but if you don't, I suggest following the normal channels out next time you decide to ditch. There's nothing worse than expecting someone to have your back and to find out they're not even in the same system as you. You've got promise, but you've almost thrown it all away once. It's time you did some thinking, and decide where you want to be. Don't deny yourself a future because you're not happy with your past. Screw up again, and I'll make sure I'm there to bring you down for the last time...and whoever your secret admirer is in the Republic, they won't be able to save you again. Dismissed."

Cirran shot his new superior an angry glance and stalked past him in a hurry, startling Walker who almost forgot to follow after him. The pilot strode out of the prison complex, the captain's words burning in his brain. The war had been over when he had deserted, the Empire defeated, the danger past - hadn't it? Cirran found himself questioning himself, and he didn't like it. Walker obviously sensed his mood as he kept quiet.

"What are the conditions of this custody arrangement, then?" Cirran eventually asked Walker quietly, as soon as they were out of earshot of anyone within the prison complex.

"Well, I'm meant to keep an eye on you for a while spacer, make sure you don't take off anywhere, and hold onto this." Walker held up a key card.

"What's that?" Cirran asked.

"It's the security pass to the new lock system they put on your ship, which as I mentioned before is no longer impounded now. But oops - looks like I dropped it somewhere and lost it," the giant said, pressing it into Cirran's hands.

Cirran produced his first genuine smile in a while. "How did you wrangle this, anyway, Walker? Kir knows we're friends, I can't imagine she'd put you in my custody."

"Ah, but Kir isn't in charge of New Republic military prisoners, or running the prison level day-to-day - and what she don't know won't hurt her. However, if you've a mind for it, if I were you I'd get around to using that card before she has much of a chance to talk to your new friend the Republic brass back there. Me, I'm going to go do my duty shift. What about you?"

"I'm headed to a bar," Cirran said. "I need to do some serious thinking."

"Thinking, or drinking?" Walker retorted.

"Both," Cirran said. "See you later. And Walker - thanks." The two men headed in separate directions.

***

Across the hall their departure was watched by a familiar cloaked figure.

"Well, it's done," it said softly, seemingly to no-one in particular.Closer inspection however would have revealed a commlink in his hand. The small device spoke.

"It took a good deal of influence too," the tinny voice said. "The New Republic is not fond of deserters. But Tyris would have ended up dead in that prison - he was a sitting duck. He has no understanding of the newly elongated reach of Durga the Hutt."

"He might end up dead anyway!" the cloaked figure retorted. "Is it worth all this effort for one man? You risked exposure getting him out of prison. There are others who might be able to do the job anyway!"

The malicious smile by the figure on the other end of the line could almost be sensed down the channel. "I have reason, as you know, to believe that Tyris will go the extra mile to achieve our ends for us. Everything is almost in place - rest assured that we will be recruiting him very soon, before he has the chance to get himself in any more trouble. Continue to monitor him."

"Very well," said the cloaked figure, deactivating the commlink and adding only to itself, "...although I think the chances of this man staying out of trouble for long are slim indeed."

---

"Retribution, Part 1"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Administrator Shrezade Anoran
Cirran Tyris
Rilanna Kir
Lerrah Briejal
Garnet Seifer

Location: Space, Tae'Remok Sector
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

On the bridge of the Shimmering Light, Dresh Kano stood gazing out the forward viewer with Reza at his side. The fleet had spread out enough to more effectively search for the Necron. They had been periodically dropping powerful sensing equipment set to detect gravity distortions. While the Necron may be able to cloak itself from sensors and sight, nothing could hide its mass. They'd been out for two days and had covered a considerable amount of space.

The spiral search pattern was a standard New Republic method, and Dresh was surprised at just how effective Rilanna was at conducting it. He'd only ever had a chance to observe her as Drogen's security chief. Prior, she'd been a bounty hunter, and he could see by her work she was a very effective one at that.

Dresh glanced at Reza. "We're getting close," he said. "Won't be long, and the Necron won't be able to dump waste without every Republic listening post within twenty lightyears knowing it."

"I've been gone too long," she complained tensely, arms folded tightly over her chest. "How long will we continue to search before calling this hunt off? My station needs me."

"I don't think Rilanna intends to stop until we find the Necron," Dresh said. "Whenever you need to return, we can transport back to the shipyards. Will you give it until the end of the day?"

Reza glanced aside at Dresh with a spark in her eye that was answer enough. "Until the end of the day. They did attack my station and will be punished."

"Between you and Rilanna, I really wouldn't want to be whoever is controlling that ship," Dresh said. "I think the attack on the station will easily be considered one of the biggest tactical blunders of all time once the two of you get a hold of the Necron."

"And you?" She smiled accusingly. "You're not at all doing this to stretch out your legs? You have been lazing around on that base for some time."

"You're right," Dresh said with a grin. "I've been sitting idle on that station for too long. I'm glad to be back with you, and glad to be doing something, even if it did take a crisis to get out here."

"If I'd known that was what it would take to get you out of seclusion, I'd have manufactured an attack long ago," Reza quipped.

Dresh chuckled lightly. "And, you would have too," he said. "Well, now that I'm here, you're stuck with me."

"Until you get yourself killed, of course." Grinning, Reza gave his arm a playful nudge with her elbow before turning back to the viewscreen. "We'll find those bastards. I'm sure of it."

Dresh smiled. "So am I," he said. "So am I."

"Captain Kano," called one of the communications officers. "We have an incoming message from the Shadow Storm."

"Let's hear it," Dresh said with a nod to the officer.

A moment later Rilanna Kir's face filled the screen. Her lips quirked into a smile. "We've found them," she said.

Reza's face brightened. "Coordinates?"

"Transmitting now," Rilanna said. In the background, Elf's tootling beeps could be heard. Moments later, the information appeared on the screens before Dresh and Reza. "I recommend a short hyperjump in. We can surround the Necron and give them no opportunity to get away. Then, we show them what payback feels like."

"Agreed," Reza snapped with growing fury. "Rilanna, keep back until the support ships can arrive. And" --she smiled viciously-- "don't have all the fun without us."

"Oh, I wouldn't think of leaving you out," Ril said. "We all go in together?"

"Yes," Dresh said. "We'll jump on my mark, all ships. Good work, Captain Kir. Looks like we won't have to send you back without a fight, Reza. Let's do this." With that, he prepared jump coordinates for all the ships in their fleet. The Necron wouldn't know what hit them.

***

Garnet stood in her chair and was with her own thoughts ever since they left from the Drogen Shipyards. The Admiral of the Necron, even wondered why she was not happy for a job well done, but decided to get lost in her thoughts.

Out of nothing the alarm started to sound. The admiral faced his crew. "What is it?"

"Several ships are exiting from hyperspace. I count about ten or so, sir."

The admiral looked to Lady Ammut and she was watching him, for what he'd done. "Lady Ammut, do we flee or engage?"

"Engage, Admiral!" Garnet said rapidly.

"Yes, sir!" The Admiral turned towards his crew. "Activate shields, launch our fighters. Let's greet them, gentleman." He approached Lady Ammut. "Sorry if I failed you..."

"You didn't fail, Admiral. This is simply something that happens. Don't mind me, Admiral, concentrate on your work."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Garnet inclined her body forward in the admiral's chair. Seeing the admiral moving away from her, Garnet said, almost quietly, "So it begins!"

***

Rilanna Kir's ship was the first out of hyperspace. The inside of the ship thrummed with the sound of the shields and the charged weapons. The Shadow Storm rolled into an attack vector as the other ships dropped into realspace behind her. She frowned as the Necron was already preparing for their attack, but put it out of her mind as she drove the Storm forward.

"Going in hot, team," she said into the comm. "They're deploying, but we'll have a couple shots before they get their fighters launched. Target their fighter bays and keep as many of them inside as we can." She switched to the fleet channel. "We're beginning our run. Flight Two, follow on my lead. You've got One, Captain Kano. Make it count."

"We plan to, Captain Kir," Dresh said over the comm. "May the Force be with all of us. Flight One, take care of any fighters they do launch. We'll be concentrating our fire on the Necron." Aboard the Shimmering Light, he glanced aside at Reza and smiled. It was time.

"Look sharp back there, Walker," Rilanna called back to her main gunner. "Put 'em where it counts."

"Yes, ma'am!" snarled Walker, hunching over his gun, thumbing the safety and preparing himself for some serious payback. He was going to enjoy this.

With that, Rilanna led Flight Two in against the Necron, all her weapons blazing brightly.

Aboard the Shimmering Light, Dresh's command chair swiveled to take in his officer at gunnery control. "While they're working to take out the Necron's offensive and defensive capabilities, I want you working to take out their engines."

The gunnery officer nodded. "Aye, sir." He quickly began relaying the information through to his subordinates.

Dresh returned his gaze to Shrezade. "Are you ready for vengeance, my dear?"

"Of course," she answered slowly, "but only if you plan on succeeding." And with a smile, she gave her blessing, then moved to the nearest seat to prepare for the battle to come.

"Alright," Dresh said with a hard smile. "Let's give them hell. Nav Control, take us in. Gunnery, fire at will!"

***

Garnet stood watching her people doing their job. The situation was a bad one. She could see that they were in a tough situation. "Admiral, shields?"

"56 percent and holding. The gunners are having a difficult time in hitting the fighters."

"Our fighters?"

"Are engaging the enemy..." The Necron shook. "What happened?"

"Sir, someone has just shot our engines," the officer replied.

Garnet saw. "Shut down all engines. Tell the fighters to draw their fighters to the following coordinates..." Ammut approached the officer that was on the radar console. "Six-five-two. In case the enemy fighters don't follow them, the pilots have orders to do whatever they want to make those fighters draw away from us to those coordinates!"

"Yes sir!"

***

"They're trying to do what?"

"Looks like they're trying to lead us away," came the static-filled reply. "Sending projected coordinates."

Rilanna Kir looked at her board and frowned. "I don't like it," she said and glanced at Lerrah.

"I don't either," came the brunette's response. "There's no reason for it I can think of. Elf?"

The beeping reply was as she expected and shook her head at Rilanna. "Just trying to get us away from the Necron."

"Flight Two, stay on your targets and keep working at the bays. Those fighters are trying to draw us away, but we're not biting."

With the Shadow Storm in the lead, the flight of fighters and other assorted ships continued pounding away at the Necron's fighter bays. The ship blossomed with the blasts from the many laser cannons concentrating their fire on their designated targets. They wouldn't give up, and they wouldn't be led away. They were here for blood.

***

Garnet saw that her plan was not working entirely, but it was sufficient to attack the fighter bays that were already empty. The other side was able to launch every fighter, but didn't stay to protect the Necron. Those ships made way in the direction Reza's capital ships that were not even considering such a possibility.

"Concentrate the task force fighter fire on their bridges."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes later Ammut saw that the fighters were attacking the enemy capital ships and since their fighters were as small as the enemy fighters were hard to hit, even with the most experienced gunner in all of the galaxy.

***

On the bridge of the 'Fool's Hope', circling near the Shimmering Light, Cirran recognised the danger. With a couple of exceptions, the smaller ships from the two opposing fleets had virtually ignored each other and headed straight for the opposing capital ships, while the behemoths themselves hammered away at one another at range. There was no caution here, he reflected: this was a battle of attrition. Since he hadn't really received official instructions on his part in the battle beforehand, he had just been hanging around trying to decide where he might have been of most use - which he knew was a pretty poor way to go into a battle, but at least the chance to make a contribution had now raised itself - someone had to play interceptor. He flicked open a comm channel. "'Fool's Hope' to 'Shimmering Light' - watch your fire around those incoming fighters, one of them's about to be me".

He bought the freighter into a dive and fell in behind a formation of three fighters who were heading intently for the bridge of the Shimmering Light, their cannons blazing, following the run of a previous group. Their shields should probably hold through this run, Cirran thought, but it might be close...too close. He threw more power to the engines and screamed in after the attacking fighters.

So intent were the three pilots on their target, and confident as they were that most of the New Republic and Drogen fighters were busy elsewhere, they had lost their overall positional awareness - always a fatal mistake in space combat. The first sign of Cirran's attack from behind was when one of the fighters exploded violently upon receiving a brace of concussion missiles. This got the attention of the remaining two pilots, who began to break off in separate directions. Cirran snapped off another missile salvo at the first ship, his auto-turret also blazing away at it, and dropped in behind the second. As the three ships neared the bridge, one of the missiles caught its target, the shields of which had already been damaged from rapid turret fire by the 'Hope', and it too exploded, a good deal of its right half showering the bridge shields spectacularly but mostly harmlessly with red-hot shrapnel. Corkscrewing right just past the bridge and into open space in close pursuit of the hapless remaining fighter, Cirran linked his guns and blasted it into scrap.

Another formation of enemy fighters took this in and their pilots evidently objected to the swift destruction of three of their fellows, because as Cirran peeled away from his attack line, they dropped in behind him and began pounding on his rear shields. Cirran took desperate evasive action while his computer used his turret to blast away mostly ineffectually at his pursuers, although the steady stream of fire at least kept them jinking. "Damn it, Walker," he said aloud, "could have used you on this ship, you know..."

He threw the ship wide of some more incoming fire and gave thanks for Tasia's shield improvements. However, the YT-2000, although no slug, was not the most maneuverable ship in the galaxy, and this could only have one eventual ending. He flicked open the comm again.

" 'Shimmering Light', this is 'Fool's Hope'," he said quickly. "Not sure if I've got your attention in there" --Cirran smiled grimly to himself, they could hardly have missed that-- "...but I'm on the receiving end of some aggression here. I'm coming in hot past your port side, I could seriously use a hand!"

"Gunnery emplacements targetting to assist," came the reply from one of the Light's comm officers.

As if on cue, the port side batteries lit up as Cirran's Fool's Hope thundered past. Two of the pursuing fighters raced right into the oncoming fire from the Light's turbolaser batteries, reducing them to a cloud of ionized vapour.

In the cockpit of the Fool's Hope, the comm crackled to life again, this time the voice was Kano's. "Fool's Hope, turn to oh-eight-seven. We've got your back, but you're racing into a null-zone where our own weapons can't cover. Turn out, and we'll vape your pursuers."

"Roger, 'Light', much appreciated!" Cirran replied, "Good to see gunnery standards are still high in the New Republic! In fact, I might see if I can bring in some more friends and point out just how good they are..."

With only one fairly demoralised ship pursuing him for the moment, Cirran spotted a double group of six enemy fighters ahead who were staying beyond the heavy fire zones of the 'Shimmering Light', sniping effectively away at the big ship with quick runs into the null-zones that Kano had mentioned. Ignoring Kano's suggested coordinates for the moment, Cirran spurred the 'Fool's Hope' audaciously into the midst of this group head-on, splitting his weaponry amongst different targets. While his attack was too confused and hasty to do much damage, it caused all kinds of consternation amongst the enemy pilots, who swerved in all directions to avoid the onrush of this obvious madman.

Two clipped each other in their haste to take evasive action and the glow from the engines of one spluttered and then faded, its pilot helpless as it began to drift in space, disabled. The other was damaged sufficiently by the collision that some of the 'Hope's turret fire, spraying randomly backwards as Cirran shot out of the maelstrom, punched through weakened shields and hull and hit something important in the substructure of the ship. An initial flash was followed by an intensifying chain of blue electrical energy that jumped from point to point on the outside of the fighter before the light show culminated with an impressive explosion. Cirran whooped as the 'Hope' rode the shockwave of this conflagration into open space, now hotly pursued once again by several angry enemy ships intent on putting a danger like him out of the fight so they could get back to their attack on the capital ships unmolested.

He flicked open the channel again. "Heads up, Light! Turning to point oh-eight-seven as suggested - and I really can't get there fast enough, either," he added to himself, as his readouts warned him that his already strained rear shields were beginning to falter.

He increased power to the engines beyond the theoretical maximum and the ship began to actually shudder, but the increase in speed shot the 'Hope' into one of the main fire zones of the 'Shimmering Light'. "All yours, boys!" he yelled, as shots from his determined pursuers began to puncture his shield and impact on his rear hull, their energy only partly dissipated. Cirran wrenched his protesting ship all over space in an effort to avoid further damage. And I really hope your shooting is as good as it was last time... he hoped fervently.

The turbolaser batteries on the Shimmering Light opened up with a lightshow that could very well have been the origin of her name. The ships that had been trying to tear through the Fool's Hope's shields were slammed with the barrage and turned to space dust. Not all were destroyed, and some rolled away and streaked back to regroup. In either case, they were no longer in pursuit of Cirran's ship and Cirran was no longer in a position where he might find himself scattered across the system.

"Looks like you're all clear, Fool's Hope," Dresh Kano said over the comm. "Looks like three boogied off, but the rest are vapour. We've still got you covered if you wanted to swing on out after the rest."

Cirran took a gasp inwards and realised he had been holding his breath. He eased his throttle back down past the redline. A glance at another part of his readout indicated his rear shields simply weren't there for the moment. "My thanks, Captain - good shooting again, 'Light'!" he added for the benefit of the gun crews. "It was getting a little bit warm in here - I had it covered, of course," he added with a smirk. "Breaking to pursue enemy fighters...just warming up!" With that Cirran rolled the freighter up and away and back into the fight.

---

"Retribution, Part 2"
By: Captain Dresh Kano
Administrator Shrezade Anoran
Cirran Tyris
Rilanna Kir
Mathias "Walker" Coin
Lerrah Briejal
Tasia Harough
Garnet Seifer

Location: Space, Tae'Remok Sector
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Ammut looked and stood quietly as the fighters continued to protect the Necron, but it began to be unfinished.

"Ma'am, I see several capital ships dropping from Hyperspace right behind us!"

Garnet got up and looked to the officer that spoke. "Who are they?"

"Their insignias tell us they--" The helm officer swivelled hastily towards her and announced, "They're New Republic cruisers, Ma'am! Three of them, and they're moving in to flank us!"

Before Garnet could snap off her next orders, their vessel lurched violently as another volley from the attacking ships struck the Necron. The Empress' future was looking grim indeed.

***

"Reserve units are engaging the Necron," the navigation officer called.

"Got it," Dresh said with a nod to the man. "See that that beast stays pinned down. We don't want that witch getting away before Administrator Anoran gets a shot at her." He snapped a switch in his chair. "Captain Kir, the Necron should be staying in place now. Switch target from fighter bays to engines. I have a feeling this woman is jumpy, and we don't want her getting away."

"Roger, Captain," Rilanna Kir answered, and out in the battle, the Shadow Storm spiraled down and toward the Necron's engines. Garnet Seifer would rue the day she attacked the Drogen Shipyards, that's for sure.

Dresh opened another channel to the Fool's Hope. "Cirran, once you've finished playing with those fighters, why don't you take those big guns of yours over to the Necron and help the Shadow Storm tear apart the engines."

"Roger, 'Light'," replied Cirran, as he turned hard to the right to follow another enemy fighter, and ended its unsuccessful attempts to evade him with the last of his concussion missiles. "Seems you're all clear here for the moment, anyway. Engaging that big bitch." Cirran rolled away from the 'Shimmering Light' and pointed the battered freighter towards the heart of the conflict.

***

As his vessel was threaded through the defensive fire of the big guns,Walker lined up what he thought were crucial looking protrusions on the capital ship, but incoming fire of a different nature searing past his turret changed his priorities. He turned and let loose a violent stream of energy towards a pursuing fighter as the 'Shadow Storm' shot past the Necron, and swore equally violently as he missed his target, although he had forced it to veer off. Two more ships darted in and out of his gunsights to join it however, blasting away at the 'Shadow Storm'. Walker thumbed the switch that allowed him to communicate with the cockpit and Captain Kir while he took pot shots at the enemy. "I'm no spacer, ma'am," he told his pilot and superior officer, "but something tells me we're not gonna be allowed such a free reign anymore." Although that of a layman, Walker's assessment was correct. All around the raging battle the remaining fighters of the Necron fleet were breaking off their attacks on capital ships and swarming into form a desperate defensive fighter screen for their mother ship.

"Just need a clear shot with some proton torps, and we'll turn their engines to slag," Rilanna said. Rilanna gave a strained chuckle and banked her ship away from the onrushing cluster of fighters. "As I see it, they have a finite number of fighters, and we just need to make sure they don't shoot us down before we shoot them down. Easy if you keep your hopes up. Though, I'd never turn down a little extra help."

"I don't see what the trouble is, Walker -- oh, cripes! there! shoot! yes! -- Tasia says you like it hot and heavy," Lerrah chimed in. "One of their big fighter thingies is coming in, gonna swing past us. It's all yours, Walker!"

"Shoot them down before they shoot us down," Walker mumbled to himself. "Sound military thinking." He broke into a sharkish grin and hunched over his gun as the gunboat that Lerrah had been referring to drifted lazily into his sights, seemingly oblivious to the fact its belly had been exposed by Rilanna's adroit maneuver. Walker let rip with the heavy cannons into the ship, pouring a steady stream of fire into the area of its engines and tearing through its overloaded shields in a couple of seconds. The big ship twisted away sharply, but too late - Walker's attack had done mortal damage. The gunboat flamed onwards for a few meters and then broke into two largish chunks in a shower of metal and sparks.

The rest of the gunboat flight however was not to be so easily disposed of. two latched onto the tail of the 'Shadow Storm', with one opening up with its hard-hitting array of heavy weapons while the other sought a missile lock. Walker blasted away scoring several hits, but the big fighters were strongly shielded at the front and proving more difficult targets to crack when out for blood and firing back. Aiming was also hard as Rilanna put the ship through violent evasive moves, trying to avoid being painted by the targeting systems of their enemies. In addition the nearby Necron was still throwing up a lot of flak in their direction. This is decidedly hairy, thought Walker, as several near-misses buffeted him in his turret.

Things looked up however when a half gleaming, half beaten up freighter dropped into space and began hammering away at both of the Shadow Storm's pursuers, causing both of them to veer away in an attempt to avoid destruction, one up, and one down. The Storm's rescuer followed the lead ship, blasting away and chasing it across the lines of Walker's turret. The security officer whipped around his guns and, with the freighter pursuing, caught the gunboat in a crossfire, reducing much of the assault fighter to its component molecules in a spectacular death-blossom.

A voice crackled in the comm systems throughout the 'Shadow Storm'. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" said Cirran Tyris. "Looked like you could use a hand. I like the look of your assault," he said, referring to the increasingly sorry state of the enemy battle cruiser, "...but doesn't anyone know how to dogfight anymore?" he teased.

"Only when needed," Rilanna answered back. "I'm sort of a blow-it-up-right-now kind of girl, instead of a play-with-it-until-I'm-bored girl."

"Blow it up now it is then," Cirran agreed. "I'm out of hard ordinance, but I'll cover our run at the engines," Cirran suggested.

"Walker!" snapped a familiarly querulous voice from over the internal comms. "Are you the one tossing this ship around like a sack of Pota roots?" The distinct sound of coolant vapour venting hissed louder than did Tasia Harough's string of expletives. She grunted in a sign of effort, then sighed as the whistle of steam abruptly stopped. "You keep flying so sloppily, old man, and these maneuvering thrusters are gonna blow! Lay off the fancy turns, will you?"

"I'm the one flying, Tase," Rilanna said as she rolled the Storm out of the path of one of their pursuers, "and I'll ease up when they stop trying to vape us. Just keep us together, and we're fine. Walker, got another one ready for your magic."

"Ha! Me, messing about with a control stick...not that I can't appreciate a fancy maneuver, as you know, Chief..." Walker retorted, checking his power levels and grinning mercilessly as another hapless victim came into range of his hungry guns.

Cirran watched as the fire from Walker's turret atomised another enemy that had been exposed by Rilanna's turn. The turn was a standard move, but well executed. Not fancy, but she knows what she's doing, he thought appreciatively. "Good flying, Captain," he acknowledged. "Looks like the sector's all clear for now, but keep an eye out for those two at three-three-zero. Start your run and I'll keep 'em off your tail if they get any ideas." Cirran keyed himself up, his almost preternatural battle senses tingling; he was determined that nothing should happen to the one ship that contained essentially all the people left in the galaxy he could even come close to calling 'friend'. A thought occurred to him. "This the Gallor reunion, then?" he said for the benefit of Tasia, Lerrah and Walker. "Maybe we should just go to a bar next time..."

Walker harrumphed. "Yeah, just like Gallor except this time around you're actually useful for something, spacer...give me that mess over this mess any day," he added as fire from the cruiser streaked around the ship. With the arrival of the Alliance capital ships, most of the Necron's weaponry was now focused on going toe-to-toe with the big guns, but there was still enough anti-fighter fire to be dangerous, especially to the lone pair of ships now lining up the behemoth's engines, probably looking to observers like two tiny gnats about to attempt to sting the back of a shaak.

"Watch your backside, Fool's Hope," Rilanna called over the channel. "You've got one of their blastboats coming to try to get cozy. If you break hard, I'll take care of it."

"Yeah," came Lerrah's reply, "at least Walker's still shooting at things and not just flapping his jaws."

"Everyone's a critic," snapped Cirran, frowning inside the cockpit as he tried to hold the approaching blastboat at an awkward firing angle. He glanced at a readout and then made the briefest of visual confirmations out the top of his cockpit dome. "Unfortunately though it looks like I'm not the only one with new friends...looks like someone in charge of their fighter operations finally did something smart."

Cirran was referring to the three fighters that had swooped in after the Shadow Storm, approaching its tail as their pilots suddenly realised the danger posed by the ship to the Necron. Both Cirran and Rilanna's ships were suddenly taking a lot more fire from hostile craft and more were sure to be on the way. Cirran grimaced as he tried to keep his pursuer off him while at the same time making life hard for the people chasing his wingman. He let loose an accurate snap burst, some of which hit home, in combination with Walker's returning fire, forced Rilanna's pursuers to rethink things a little, giving her a few seconds. "It's your call, Captain, but staying straight long enough to get a good lock on the engine is going to be tough with these guys around - we need more cover. What do you want to do?"

"Cover us," Rilanna snapped into the comm, her exasperation clearly coming through, "we'll take the Necron, you keep the fighters off us." With that, Shadow Storm rolled onto her back and roared in the direction of the Necron, dropping into a spiral that would make them harder to hit.

"Fighters are still back there," Lerrah called.

"Shift as much power as you can to our aft shields," Ril said. "Angle the deflector, and we should be fine. Tase, keep us together if you can. It's gonna get hot from here."

"Don't you think I'm already doing that?" the tech replied snarkily from the static-hazed comm. "I don't plan on ending up as space dust, Captain, so concentrate on flying."

The ship rolled again as Rilanna juked her away from more incoming fire. "I can talk and fly at the same time, Tase," Ril said. "It's why I was the best at what I did." She came out of the roll with the ship perfectly placed for a shot at one of their pursuers, and at the guns Walker turned it to dust. Rilanna grinned. "Still am. Nice shot, Walker. Now, let's get in there and take the Necron down."

"Ril," Lerrah said, her voice suddenly strained with worry. "The Necron, it's starting to move. They're breaking away."

"They will not get away from me," Rilanna snarled. "Cirran, stay close. We're gonna get her before she dogs out of here!" With that, the Shadow Storm roared forward with guns blazing.

Behind and above Cirran weaved a defensive screen back and forth between the Shadow Storm and some of its various pursuers, essentially utilising his ship's delicate and complicated construction as a crude physical shield. Shots whistled past him and occasionally into him. "I can't tell you how much I love being tail-end-charlie," he said into the comm through gritted teeth; but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. Cirran had faced this situation many times. Mind you, an A-Wing has a lot more maneuverability than this old girl... he thought to himself. Although he'd been through plenty of minor skirmishes in the 'Fool's Hope', this was the first time Cirran had used her to participate in a full-blown battle and he prayed the ship was up to seeing it out.

Ahead the Shadow Storm neared firing range on the Necron. Three enemy fighters swooped recklessly in front of Cirran in a desperate attempt to stop Rilanna before she could do any damage. Cirran quickly blasted one into scrap, but the pressure from his own rear quarter intensified and he was forced to throw the 'Hope' into a series of wild twists to avoid destruction, keeping the Shadow Storm and her new enemies roughly in front of him but making accurate laser fire impossible.

"We could use a hand here, spacer, these ones are persistent," growled Walker, returning their fire with little noticeable effect on the tenacity of the Shadow Storm's pursuers

Cirran tried to straighten up for another shot but fire from behind him all but wiped out his rear shields. He twisted away again. Sloppy, Tyris, he reprimanded himself. "Working on it, sergeant," said Cirran, glancing down at his readings which confirmed he was out of concussion missiles. He jabbed at the targeting console, initiating a sub-routine he had pre-programmed into the computer.

"No hurry or anything!" said Walker, as scattered shots began to impact on the shields of the Shadow Storm.

Cirran straightened up for the half-second or so it took the 'beeeee' of the target lock tone to sound and punched the fire button. Less than two seconds later both pursuing ships were hit by something, and the impact while failing to destroy them knocked both wildly off course, the ships spinning away and down in different directions, leaving the Shadow Storm for the moment free of pursuers.

"What the hell was that?" Walker asked, pleased to still have the all equipment required to ask questions in one piece.

Cirran was a little busier still avoiding his own pursuers, but like Rilanna was quite adept at flying and talking simultaneously: "Old Alliance trick - fired some flares at them. Hardly does any damage but knocks you about a lot, and of course they're built to intercept missiles so they're pretty damned fast. Seems to have done the trick - you're all clear, Captain, but you'd better make it fast, the cruiser's turning for hyperspace, and I'm not sure I can hold them back here too much longer."

"Just a little bit longer," Rilanna growled over the comm.

***

Dresh Kano swung his command chair around to get a better view of the battle raging beyond his viewscreen. Shadow Storm and Fool's Hope were racing to stop Garnet Seifer's cruiser from escaping.

"Get the Interdictor in here," Dresh called. "All ships, converge on the Necron!"

"All wings reporting in," Dresh's tactical officer called back. "We're not going to make it, sir. She's too close already."

"Damn!"

"Necron's hyperdrives are powering up."

Dresh looked helplessly at all of his screens, then up at the viewscreen. The Necron was badly wounded, and it appeared all of her fighters were off-ship. It would take them some time to make the necessary repairs, especially for a ship as large as the Necron.

A string of curses punctuated Dresh's anger, then he opened the comm again. "All wings, break off pursuit." He turned to Reza. "We didn't destroy her, but we hurt her bad."

"Then," she answered flatly, "I will have to be content with that." Stony-eyed and silent, Reza pushed out of her chair and stalked across the bridge towards the lift. "Recall your ships, Captain," she called back. "It is pointless to pursue."

Dresh nodded, keeping his gaze on the viewer instead of her retreating form. "All fighters, return to your cruisers," he said over the comms. "Captain Kir, have your group begin rescue operations on the survivors. They will be turned over to Republic authorities for processing. Exercise extreme caution. Stun them if you need to."

"Aye, Captain," came Rilanna's reply. As her orders began filtering over the channel, and X-Wings, B-Wings, and A-Wings began working their way back to the various ships from which they were launched, Dresh turned away from the viewer where Reza had been not long ago.

Finally, he let his eyes settle on the man now standing at his side. Gad Evok was a good man, and Dresh was glad to have him as his second-in-command. "Commander, you have the bridge. If there are any emergencies, let me know immediately."

"Of course, Captain," Commander Evok answered with a nod. "I'll keep things quiet."

"I'll be back shortly and we can head home."

Gad chuckled. "I am home, sir," he said. "But, I understand your meaning. I'll have us ready to depart when you return, Captain."

Dresh gave the man a smile, then started toward the lift. He just hoped that their efforts had not been in vain. Garnet Seifer was hurt by their attack, and rebuilding from this would be long and hard. The smile faded from his face as the lift doors closed. If the bitch wasn't hurting, he'd hunt her down and make certain she felt pain unimaginable. For what she'd cost Reza, he'd see it revisited upon her a thousand fold. But, that was for another time. For now, they would all have their own healing to do.

---

"Coloured Schemes"
By: Zale Tregat
Analesse D'vrishay
Merrick Braston
Moril Astren

Location: Estri-Casren Tower - Antorial Industries Headquarters, Yelldon, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Zale looked up from his desk as the door opened. A glance at the chron told him it was about time for the meeting with Merrick and Analesse, however it was a surprise to find only Analesse standing in the doorway. He raised an eyebrow as she stepped in and the door closed behind her. He watched her all the way across his office until she was finally seated on the opposite side from him. "Good morning," he said with a smile. "I was actually expecting Merrick by now. You wouldn't happen to know where he might be would you?"

Analesse lightly scratched her brow, beneath where a ringlet of hair hung loosely. She couldn't help the nearly guilty smile that twitched her mouth as she answered Zale, "Maybe he slept in. We'll give him a few more minutes."

In truth, he had still been asleep when Analesse snuck out of her apartment that morning. She chuckled softly to herself at the memory of falling asleep against him, her head pillowed upon his shoulder, after a long night of dancing and talking. When her eyes had opened in the morning, they were still there, Merrick's head hanging back upon the top of the couch and his arm somehow having made its way around her shoulders. It took some doing to slip free without waking Merrick, but with as emotional as his night had been, he was too physically drained to even stir. And, it allowed her an opportunity to admire him without interruption.

Realizing Zale's eyes were on her, and becoming aware of the silly grin on her face, Analesse cleared her throat and sobered her features. "It's...it's a good thing he's not here, actually," she told Zale. "There's something I'd like to discuss, if I may."

"Of course," he said, gesturing for her to continue. "By all means."

Analesse made no delay in commencing. She shifted in her chair, settling in for a long retelling of her night's encounter. "You've heard of Reinrich Tas, have you not?"

Zale frowned, and his expression took on that of someone who had just swallowed the wrong half of a maroj melon.

"Yes," Analesse quipped, "I see that you have. Do you also know of his interest in the White Noise?" Before he could respond, Analesse elaborated, "He wants in on the project...and Merrick out." Recalling her frightening encounter with Reinrich, Analesse's smile went frigid as she confided, "He was...rather adamant about it."

"He tries to push his way in on a project I'm involved in, and I'll adamantly bust his skull open," Zale said. "Do you think he's going to try to use that party as leverage to weasel his way in?"

Her flat smile was answer enough, then she went deeper into her tale of Reinrich's exclusive "after party" in a limo. Analesse shook her head at the end of it and sighed deeply. "I've not known him long compared to you, but I do know what he's capable of. His actions were warning enough of what he intends."

"I've never actually come to blows with him or his people," Zale said. "My operation dwarfs his, however. If I need to, I can make his life miserable, far more miserable than he can make ours. Do you want me to keep him away from our project?"

"Through brute force?" Analesse guessed, and shook her head. "I think that will do more harm than good. He's a slippery character. He could easily turn such strategies against us. But," she sighed, "we have to do something. He won't let this go. Just--" Analesse slid to the edge of her seat and leaned forward to confide in Zale without risk of being overheard. "Zale, whatever you do," she said softly, "just don't tell Merrick. I've told him about Reinrich's interest and how he intends on seizing the White Noise...but I left out all the rest. He doesn't know much more than that, and I think it's better if he doesn't."

Zale nodded. "Of course," he said. "I won't say a word to him, and I promise to be extremely subtle. Despite everything, me and my organization are quite adept at working silently. We'll do what we can to keep him out, and the first punch, if there is one, will come from him. Me and my people will not throw it. But, I think, when it's all over, he'll wish we had."

Analesse chuckled softly. "So, you are a little of a brute, aren't you?"

"I can be when I need to be," Zale said. "Just ask--"

Before he could finish, the door opened and Merrick pushed his way through. Beyond the door, Moril's voice could be heard wishing the musician a good morning. Merrick gave them both an abashed smile as he pushed the door closed, then noted the marked silence. He glanced between the two and frowned. "Did I interrupt something? I can step out if I did. I still haven't had any caffe yet."

"Nothing at all," Zale answered. "We were just discussing the project, that's all. And, your rather rumpled arrival startled us."

Merrick looked down at his clothes then grinned. "Didn't get a chance to change. So, did I miss anything?"

Analesse smiled tautly and shook her head. "Just colour schemes, that's all," she lied, avoiding Merrick's gaze. "Have a seat and we can continue."

Merrick took the seat beside Analesse and opened up a pocket computer that he produced from his pocket. "So, what colours did you decide on," he asked. "I was actually thinking whether we should brighten the club up, or keep it closer to what it is. Anyway, what have you two decided?"

"We hadn't really gotten that far," Zale said smoothly. "Personally, I think the lighting should be made variable to adapt to any given occasion."

"And we definitely need to focus on that stage lighting," Analesse put in, easily slipping into the act. "Making certain our star looks his best is the most important." Glancing sidelong at Merrick, she smiled.

Merrick couldn't help grinning.

"But, we might want to have some green ready for the lighting just in case he gets too far above himself," Zale said with a smirk. "It was green you said that makes people on stage look sick, right?"

Merrick chuckled. "Correct," he said. "But, I promise to try to remain humble."

"If at all possible," Analesse teased. "Now shall we move onto confirming the blueprint before deciding on wall-colour for Merrick's en suite bathroom?"

"I was thinking royal blue," Merrick said with a grin. At the looks he got, he only laughed. "Okay, okay...Zale, go ahead and display it."

Zale reached out to a hidden panel on his desk and pressed a button. A moment later, the layout Analesse had given him was displayed above the desk. "There we go," he said.

And as Zale commed Saris to bring in a tray of caffe, Analesse started in on her presentation, while in the back of her mind she remained wholly concerned about the White Noise's future. Merrick, blissfully unaware of the extent of the threat Reinrich posed to their vision, smiled each time her eyes shifted his way. Despite all of Analesse's concerns, she couldn't help smiling back.

***

"I really like it," Merrick said as he peered closer into the holographic image. "It definitely opens everything up there, and that's always been one of the problems. Only trouble will be acoustics, but we should be able to take care of that easy enough."

The door to the office opened, and Moril stuck his head in. "Zale, Threaman's on the comm. Some trouble with one of the Riga plants."

Zale frowned. "I'll grab it out there," he said. "Please, continue without me. Hopefully this will be quick." With that, he stood up and strode around his desk toward the door. The door shut behind him, leaving Analesse and Merrick alone.

Sitting in silence for a brief time, and sharing furtive looks, Analesse finally shifted around in her chair to face Merrick. Before he could speak, she quickly told him, "I would have awakened you, but you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't want to disturb you...and then I'd had far too much to drink last night and in the morning I regretted dearly having been so bold and insistent...I didn't mean to pressure you so. At the thought of having to face you, I ran, and hoped all the while that you'd had too much liquor last night, yourself - so much so that you wouldn't remember a word I'd said." And she exhaled deeply once she ceased rambling before Merrick thought her completely insane.

Merrick chuckled. "Don't be silly," he said. "You didn't pressure me at all. And, besides, nothing untoward happened, right?" He turned to more fully face her. "I guess thank you for letting me sleep. I think I needed it."

"You did," she agreed, and looking him over she added, chuckling, "though...you could have showered."

"If I was later than I already was, I never would have heard the end of it from Zale," Merrick said. "And, I'll shower after. Though, I do think I would have looked lovely in that pink robe you had hanging in the refresher."

Analesse blushed slightly. "I wasn't expecting overnight guests," she told him. "Just...give me a little warning the next time you need somewhere to sleep. I know it shouldn't happen often," Analesse admitted, "but...I want you to know you can turn to me when you need to, Merrick. I don't want anything I said last night to dissuade you from doing so." A demure smile tugged at her full lips. "I enjoy your company too much for that to happen."

"You definitely don't have to worry about that," Merrick said. "I'm going to be your friend no matter what you say, and as much as I know I shouldn't, I can't help not caring about you."

"You're just very confused right now, Merrick," Analesse demurred quietly. "I might be, too...I'm just not sure..."

"I think we both are," Merrick said with a chuckle. "Next time something like that happens, I think I should try to not drink so much. I hope you don't mind if I borrowed some of your toothpaste."

She laughed softly. "Borrow as much as you like...and next time bring your toothbrush. Just make yourself comfortable. It is your haven away from your erratic wife; I want you to feel like it is...so take as many liberties as you like."

Merrick laughed. "I'll bring some things over next time I'm over," he said. "I figure having a spare change of clothes, and other essentials would be good enough."

"It...it would be," Analesse responded a touch uncertainly. "This is starting to sound like we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other. Is...that what we want?"

"Well, if it helps, I'll make it a change of clothes I don't wear very often," Merrick said with a smile. "We don't have to see each other too often, socially. But we will be working together. And, I feel like myself when I'm around you."

Smiling curiously, Analesse admitted, "And...I'm not sure what I feel like when I'm with you. I'm not quite myself when we're together. It's...strange. I've never been so open or direct with how I feel before. Being with you...you draw me out of my shell."

Merrick chuckled. "It's very much like that," he said. "It's a feeling of liberation. And, that's why I like to be around you. It feels good to smile."

It was easy to become pulled in by the smile he'd mentioned, and the sincerity in his eyes; Analesse felt just that happening and tore her gaze from his with a breathless laugh when she realized it. "Well...so much for blaming the liquor for my inability to prevent absolutely foolish things from leaving my lips. I guess it's just you. What I meant to express in all I've said is that...I'm glad to be a friend, Merrick. And whatever you need...you can come to me."

"Thank you," Merrick said with a smile and nod of gratitude. "And, if you ever need anything, you can come to me. Speaking of which, how would you like to be present the next time I record music?"

She laughed in surprise. "What? You want me to join you in the studio?" Slyly, she joked, "Do you invite a lot of women there?"

"I've only ever had four women with me, and not all at the same time," Merrick said. "Kaysa, when she was more sane. An old girlfriend. And, then Maeren and Kimara, who helped me with some backing tracks, and are really good friends."

"Well...alright then," Analesse agreed with a warm smile. "When do we go?"

"Well, if you want to stop by later on today," Merrick said. "I was going to be laying down some tracks. I expect a full session in the studio later this week though. And, before you think otherwise, you're welcome to come to either or both, or all of them."

"Today then," she answered quickly, as if afraid he would rescind the offer at any moment. Noticing how over-eager she sounded, Analesse smiled abashedly and reiterated calmly, "I'll meet you there if I can work it into my schedule. But...I'll definitely be at one of your sessions, Merrick. I wouldn't miss it."

Merrick grinned. "Well, whenever you're able, just drop by," he said. "I'll have your name on the list, so when you--"

"Time's up," came Zale's voice as he opened the door. He chuckled at the look that passed between Merrick and Analesse. "I can't just keep standing outside the door to my office, can I? The two of you would never give me a chance to get back in for the meeting."

"You were eavesdropping?" Analesse asked in mild shock, but far more embarrassment. Sighing harshly, she swivelled away from Merrick and rose, letting her skirt fall into place. "I think we've covered everything for today, gentlemen. My assistant will contact you with details of our next meeting." Although her tone was stern and formal, as Analesse bent down to retrieve her bag from the side of her chair, she furtively gave Merrick a wink and a subtle grin. When she straightened, she watched Zale stolidly. "Good day, Mr. Tregat. I will leave you to further hone your espionage skills." Then, she strode off haughtily.

Zale chuckled. Before Analesse could get to the door, he said, "If you stand on the other side of the door and listen, you'll find that even though you can tell people are talking in here, you can't understand what's being said." He winked at her. "Counter-espionage."

There was a hint of a smile on her lips, and in her eyes, then Analesse continued forward, but not before succumbing to the urge of glancing back one last time at Merrick. She did, and before their eyes could lock and ensnare her utterly, Analesse was gone.

For several long minutes once she was gone, Zale and Merrick watched each other. Finally, Merrick turned his gaze outward to watch across the city. He was uncertain the direction his life was going now. On one hand, his past was flying back up into his face. Kaysa's relationship with Cadwin was getting out of hand. While he had no doubts a night with her would still be exciting, he also knew she would want Cadwin along to help provide the adventure only he seemed able to provide. But, was it the excitement? Or was it the escape through drugs?

But the biggest question in Merrick's mind was what would he do about it? Could he just abandon Kaysa? But, had Kaysa already abandoned him?

"I won't say anything about this," Zale said as he moved back to his desk.

"Good," Merrick said as he finally fixed his gaze on his friend. "If you mention this to Kaysa or anyone else, next time I throw you over a table, it won't be the table that breaks. I know she knew about Analesse because you mentioned it, and while your intentions were good, Kaysa is incapable of reacting to any situation in a manner that comes even close to normal."

Zale nodded. "I know," he said. "It's just...I had hoped to snap her out of it."

"It's going to take more than that," Merrick said as he stood and moved to one of the windows. "As long as Cadwin is around to keep feeding her cravings, we can't get her back."

"I can have a team make Cadwin disappear," Zale said.

"While that may be a good idea in principle, I think Kaysa's crash after finding out would be worse."

Zale sighed. "Then what do you suggest?"

"I don't know," Merrick said with a shrug. "If I knew, I'd be doing it."

Zale picked up a stylus from the desk and started using it to clean his fingernails. "Would you really?"

Merrick gave him a sharp glare that softened. "I think I would. At this point, I...I don't know if it's worth it."

The stylus dropped back onto the desk with a clatter and Zale stood up. "I can't really say I blame you, not with how Kaysa has been behaving. Hell, if Analesse gave me a second glance, I'd be considering it myself." Once he'd moved close enough to Merrick, he put a hand on his shoulder. "In the interim, I'll do what I can," he said. He wouldn't have revealed Analesse's information about Rich, especially when Merrick was this wound up. "I'll keep an eye on Kaysa, and if things get worse than they are, I'll step in. You've taken enough heat; I'll take this round."

Merrick looked up and smiled. "Despite all of our differences, you're still a great friend."

"We wouldn't be friends if I didn't," Zale answered with a grin. "Come on, I need to go check on a few things. After that, I'll buy you some lunch."

With a glance back to the datachip Analesse had brought them for the project, Merrick nodded. "Sounds like a deal. But, I'm buying."

They were still arguing over who would pay when they reached the lift and started down. Back at his desk, Moril chuckled, happy to have at least a little normalcy returning. Especially, since he had a feeling things were going to be getting pretty hot in the very near future.

---

"Negotiating Royalty"
By: Yelara Neerou
Liam Zaneth
Leshie Zaneth
Dame Oot Kovan
Kambra Gant

Location: Yelara and Liam's Apartment - Yelldon, New Plouton; Heart of Karada Restaurant - Yesdol, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Yelara's homecoming was greeted with sounds of joy and laughter - everything she had been lacking that day. Had it even happened? Did the Twi'lek and her one-eyed Gungan truly exist? And was she really destined to become Tae'Karada's Empress? Yelara sighed unsteadily and pressed her forehead to the door of her apartment. Within, Liam and Leshie were still laughing, while she fought back her anxiety. What was she to do?

Mustering a smile, Yelara did all she could: she activated the door and stepped into the entryway just in time to witness Leshie struggling to his feet with help from the living area sofa. Liam was grinning in wonder and encouragement as their young boy wobbled, balancing on one foot. Yelara covered her mouth, muffling a gasp of surprise, and watched with pure excitement as Leshie planted his foot forward, then did the same with his left. Then, onto his bottom he fell, giggling boisterously as Liam cheered his boy's achievement.

Her own laugh caught Liam's attention. Yelara rushed forward and joined them on the floor to give her young son an ardent kiss. "He walked!" she exclaimed. "When did he start?"

Liam chuckled as he watched his son. "I'm not sure I'd consider it a walk," he said with a laugh. "It was more of a tottering sit. He's been trying all day. I kept hoping he wouldn't." He looked up at her and smiled. "I didn't think it'd be right if he started walking without his mommy there too. How was your day?"

She sighed and gave a half-shrug. "Eventful. Do you-- Have you heard of an Oot Kovan?"

Liam nodded. "I have," he said. "She's a friend. She's been staying with the Jedi at the Temple since she escaped from the Palace. I haven't had much time lately to speak with her. I take it she stopped by to see you today?"

"She did," Yelara confirmed. "And she told me some things - things that troubled me, Liam. I still don't know whether or not I should believe her."

Liam reached down and lifted Leshie into his arms as he moved toward the couch and gestured for Yelara to follow him. "What did she say," he asked as he reached into a bag to pull out a bottle for the little one.

Yelara chuckled weakly once she'd settled onto the couch. She took Leshie's tiny hand for comfort. "She... She told me I was once Empress of Tae'Karada." Again, she laughed uncomfortably. "Ridiculous... And the best part is, she wants me to reclaim the throne. Isn't that insane?"

Liam raised his eyebrows. "That's..." He looked into her eyes and shrugged. "I don't understand why she's doing this now. There is a hint of truth to what she's saying, perhaps far more than a hint. As Dargus Kandran's wife during his brief reign as Tae'Karada's emperor, you were his Empress. Va'Lesh would have been next in line for the throne of Tae'Karada. I can see where she'd want you to take his place until he was old enough. That is what she indicated, isn't it? It's something we had talked about shortly after...the incident. I don't understand why now, though."

"Neither do I," Yelara sighed. "She only mentioned that there was to be a change soon...and they would prefer if I took the throne." Snorting wryly, she told him, "And it seems I'm only to be a figurehead, a symbol for the people. I don't really mind that, Liam...but it's the part about Va'lesh that worries me. I don't want that life for him. It would be wrong of me to let anyone but Leshie choose what path he walks upon." Looking utterly defeated, Yelara murmured, "But...she seemed so insistent, Liam. It was as if she personally wanted me on that throne. And...and since she was once a friend, I don't want to disappoint."

"The choice should be for yourself, and our son, not because a friend wants you there," Liam said. "If it is something you are considering, perhaps it might provide for some stability for a time, and while you are High Princess you could work toward a change in the government." Liam shrugged again. "The Republic does well with elected officials, perhaps you could try to make a change to that effect if you did take it."

"But I don't know how to do any of that," Yelara insisted impatiently. "Listening to Ms. Kovan, it's as if I'm Tae'Karada's last hope. Do you know how much pressure that puts on me?"

"Personally, I'd prefer to have someone like you, with a pure heart, leading things than a politician." He reached out a finger and tickled Leshie's belly. "I don't blame you though. If you did take them up on it and become their figurehead leader, I'd help you however I could, of course. You may not be Tae'Karada's last hope, but I'm quite certain you could be one of the best leaders this planet has had in many years."

Yelara laughed. "Me? How can I possibly be a good leader when I've succeeded in alienating all those who have ever loved me in a matter of weeks?" Shaking her head, Yelara muttered, "Meer'esh was right. I shouldn't do this..."

"I don't think it's quite as bad as that," Liam said with a grin. After a moment, the smile faded. "What was Meer'esh's advice to you?"

Pausing to gauge whether Liam was prying out of jealousy, or true concern, Yelara studied her fingers stroking Leshie's hair while falling into deep thought. Still uncertain of his motivations, she answered in spite of her doubts, "He...he said she was trying to trick me into something - that she was lying about it all. He was just trying to protect me, that's all...."

Liam nodded, but gave no voice to the uneasy feelings he had toward Yelara's friend. "That is understandable," he said. "It does not sound as if this is something you want, Yelara. I've always felt that the best path to follow is the one your heart sets for you. What does your heart tell you?"

"Oh, you don't wanna know what my heart says," Yelara chuckled. "I don't think I want to know, either. So...." Sighing, Yelara rose and lifted Leshie into her arms. "Ms. Kovan is expecting us for dinner. I hope you don't mind my extending the invitation to you, as well."

Liam chuckled. "I'd be happy to go," he said. "And, as for the other situation, remember if you need someone to talk to, I'm happy to help. How much time do we have? I'm sure I could use a little freshening up."

"About 45 minutes," she told him with an apologetic smile. "Not much time, I know...but I'll change in my room. You can use the refresher."

"If you need the refresher, go ahead," Liam said. "I won't need it for long, so if you need it, go ahead."

"Liam, I said you could use it," Yelara insisted. "Now stop fussing and go get cleaned up. I'll take care of Leshie." And, smiling companionably, Yelara set off for her bedroom. "Go on, Liam!" she hollered back. "This is your apartment too, remember?"

Liam chuckled softly. "I remember," he said. "I'll be out in just a few minutes then," he said after her. With that, he started toward the refresher.

***

"I think this is the place." Yelara peered through the hovercar's side-window and pointed at a restaurant to Liam's left. "It certainly looks formal...." Grinning, Yelara confided, "I hope she's paying."

"I have a feeling it's the government who will be paying for this meal," Liam said with a smile. "While I'm sure Oot would be happy to treat us to a meal, I have a feeling it would be less spendy. From my experience, she tends to get far more extravagant with other people's money."

"You know her well, don't you?" Yelara observed. "Can I really trust her?"

"I believe so, yes," Liam said. "I've worked with Oot quite a bit, and I do believe I've come to know her. As a friend, I believe she would do whatever she could to keep you safe. I do not believe Oot would ever deliberately hurt a friend or steer a friend into danger."

"So...if I do accept the position," she said quietly, "Leshie won't be in any danger?"

"I would imagine the only danger would be if someone doesn't like you," Liam said. "Though, I can't imagine that happening. I don't see the danger being greater than now, and he'll be better protected from any dangers in the Palace than out."

Yelara sighed and sat up, shifting around to regard Liam's profile. "This is all so strange, Liam. Do I look like the type of person who can rule a planet? I know nothing about protocol and etiquette and politics... I'm just...me."

Liam chuckled. "I think the biggest problem with most politicians and government officials is they are of the opinion they are better and more important than anyone else," he said. "At the end of the day, just 'me' is all any of us, including the leaders of planets, can truly be. I think you are a beautiful, charismatic, and compassionate woman, and probably have a far better chance of being the leader the people need, rather than who they get stuck with. If you took the job, I know you would do well at it. Most leaders have advisors who can guide them to decisions."

"But I'd be alone!" she told him anxiously, and barely noticed her hand clutching his pant-leg in desperation. "I don't know any of those people. I'll have no one, Liam. I don't want to leave my new life behind. Nor do I want to condemn Tae'Karada by refusing. I just...I don't know what to do."

"I understand," Liam said as he covered her hand with his. "And, one thing about being the one at the top, is rules can be easily adjusted. You don't have to be without your friends because they can be your friends there as much as here. If you don't take this, Yel, someone else will be found for it, and I'm sure life will still be better than it is now under Nieme and Dani. I think Oot merely wants someone she knows she can trust not to just be a puppet, and someone who won't succumb to the temptations of power."

"But...how does she know that?" Yelara asked gently. "She hardly knows me at all. I hardly know me at all."

"That's who you were before," Liam said. "You seem to be, in your heart, much the same person. Though, I think she's mainly going on faith."

Glancing down at their hands, Yelara smiled and asked softly, "Do you have faith in me, Liam? Can I do this?"

"With good people around you," Liam said with a smile, "to help guide you through until you know your own way, I know you can. Even if you had no one to help you, you'd do better than most. But, I have a suspicion you won't be wanting for friends and guidance through this if you choose to take it."

Liam's confidence and faith in her was enough, despite their recent conflicts. It was all Yelara needed to make her decision. "Alright," she whispered, and transferred her tender grip from his pants, to Liam's hand. "I'll...I'll give it a try. But promise you'll be there with me, Liam. Just...promise."

"I promise," Liam said. "And, not just because someone will need to watch Leshie while you're busy either." He gave her a warm smile and gently squeezed her hand. And much to his surprise, Yelara made no move to remove it, not until they exited the vehicle and she required both hands to retrieve Leshie. Even so, she remained close to Liam as they entered the restaurant and were led to Oot's table. Yelara smiled nervously as the Twi'lek raised her eyes to them. The woman's smile was somewhat unnerving.

"Liam, it's so good to see you again," Oot said as she stood and nodded. "Yelara, I am glad that you have come. Kambra will be joining us shortly. He decided to check the building's security again. Please, sit. Would either of you care for a drink?"

"Just water for me is fine," Liam said as he held a chair out for Yelara.

"I'll... Just some wine," Yelara answered, and took her seat, then busied herself with securing Leshie into his highchair to avoid Oot's penetrating stare.

Oot watched them both for a moment, then nodded and returned to her seat. A man dressed in nice pants, shirt, and vest approached. Oot gave him their orders and he marked them down on a datapad he carried in his hand. A moment later, he was gone.

"The menus are in front of you," Oot said. "Anything on the menu is available, but I highly recommend their poached strigan pike with butternut sauce."

"Before you woo me with an expensive dinner," Yelara began suddenly, finally looking up from Leshie, "I just...I wanted to tell you that you don't need to convince me about anything." Beneath the table, Yelara sought out Liam's hand and once found, clung to it like a lifeline. Through her touch, Liam could distinctly feel the tremors seizing her, but no one would know it to look at her composed features. "Ms. Kovan," she continued, "I have decided to help you and Tae'Karada. I will take the throne."

Oot smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Yelara," she said. "I will let my colleagues know in the morning. I'm certain they'll wish to meet with you...if I offer a little advice, make certain the time is convenient for you. If it is inconvenient for them, so much the better. We will proceed at a pace you are comfortable with, not one that is dictated."

"I don't want to be thrust into the spotlight," Yelara explained. "But...I know that may not be possible. I imagine your people have a schedule for these changes that are to take place?"

"It's been a little fluid up until this point," Oot said, "but we will probably see things begin to pick up now. We will do what we can to keep you out of the spotlight. Your private life will be private as well, and we will enforce that as vigourously as possible. We will also keep Va'Lesh out of the public's eye. There may be some who will be curious, but they will be turned away."

"And those who would oppose this change?" she inquired. "Those who might want to harm my son?" Glancing sidelong at Liam, Yelara amended, "Our son."

"Security in the Palace is higher than any location on the entire planet," Oot said. "They will not be able to get near him. And, if it will help you feel safer, I can assign Kambra to Va'Lesh's personal safety."

"Can't Liam stay with us?" she blurted out, looking quickly between Liam and Oot. "He's a Jedi. Who better to protect Leshie than that?"

Oot smiled and nodded graciously. "Of course, if Liam is willing," she said.

"Yes," Liam said, then turned to Yelara. Beneath the table, he gave her hand a squeeze. "I plan to stay close, and I will watch over security as well."

"And Leshie will be delighted to have you so close," she added, grinning; Leshie supported his mother's statement with a squeal of laughter. Yelara chuckled. "See? It'll be great."

Liam smiled at both Yelara and their son. "It will be," he said. "As soon as you're able, Oot, a timetable would help us immensely." He turned back to Yelara. "And, hopefully there will be time to give notice for work. I think we should keep the apartment, just in case. It's a nice place, and might be a nice place to go to get away from state affairs, if necessary."

"Give notice?" Yelara repeated absently. All trace of joy drained from her face. "I...I didn't even think about that.... And Meer'esh.... Can he not come along too?" she asked Oot. "I trust him immensely and I know he'd help protect me alongside Liam."

Oot gave a sour look, but it disappeared quickly. "If he wishes to," she said. "Though, I imagine he would need to find someone to run his restaurant while he's away. I did not have the impression he was supportive of this path for you, Yelara, but if he wishes to accompany you I do not foresee any problems."

"Well, I'm not leaving him behind," she declared adamantly. "He's important to me. I won't do this without him."

"And will you refuse if he is unable to accompany you," Oot asked. "As I understand it, Yelara, he is a business owner. You do not wish for him to just abandon his business, I'm certain. But, as I said, he is welcome to come with you if he wishes."

Yelara sighed and looked down at her empty plate to whisper, "I care for him. I don't want to leave him behind."

"Speak with him after our dinner, and you can work out the arrangements. If the situation changes, please notify me at once though."

Nodding somberly, Yelara acknowledged and lowered her lips to Leshie's head to seek some comfort. Again, doubts were creeping in; she wasn't yet ready to abandon her new life for one of great responsibility and pressure. Especially if it meant turning her back on Meer'esh. Dinner seemed like a very unappealing idea at that moment.

Beneath the table, Liam gave Yelara's hand a squeeze as he brushed a thumb over the back of it. "Well, for now, let us just enjoy our meal, and we can think about saving the planet tomorrow."

Yelara smiled wanly and gently eased her hand from Liam's. Her fingers played with Leshie's hair to busy themselves and to exhaust her own nervous energy. She wanted to simply hide, to disappear entirely. And nearly made a move to do so when Kambra finally arrived, immediately coming to her side and admiring Leshie. Yelara smiled up at the Gungan weakly.

Kambra smiled down at her, and his own smile faded. "Everything not good, mesa think," he said. "What be wrong for yousa be so sad?"

"Oh, it's nothing," she dismissed with a warm smile. "Just...so many changes so fast...I'm just not ready for them. But" --their attention shifted to Leshie, who was reaching out for Kambra and cooing happily-- "I'll manage."

As they watched Leshie, the server returned again with drinks. "Are you ready to order?" he asked.

"I would like the poached strigan pike," Oot said with a nod.

"An excellent choice," the man said, and turned to Yelara. "And, for you, madame?"

"A...just a..." Yelara fumbled helplessly until she sighed and finally settled on: "The same as Ms. Kovan, please. And some soup, if you can, for my son."

"Of course," the server said with a smile. "Sir?"

"I'd like the pike as well," Liam answered.

"Perfect." He turned to Kambra who shook his head. "Very well, I will return with your food shortly."

With a bow, he slipped away from the table.

Once he was gone, Liam turned his attention to Yelara, sensing her growing despair. She, instead, focused entirely on her child, flapping his arms and kicking his tiny legs with glee at Kambra, who had let the boy play with his long-hanging ears. "We probably won't get to do this in that big, cold palace," Yelara commented ruefully. "It's just...how can you keep warm in a place that large? With all that marble and stone.... It's like a prison," she whispered.

"Mesa like the palace," Kambra said. "It be warm with many peoples who care. Mesa ting you be happy there."

Yelara raised her doleful eyes to the Gungan and asked softly, "Will you live there too, Kambra? Leshie needs a friend."

"Mesa will," Kambra said, his rubbery lips curving up into a smile. "Mesa need friend too."

"Me, too," Yelara replied, laughing softly. "I guess we won't have a problem then, will we?"

"Mesa think no," Kambra said and sat down in the chair on the other side of Leshie who was still kicking his feet happily.

Having taken an instant liking to the Gungan - Leshie's obvious adoration of Kambra proving ample endorsement - Yelara focused her attentions on the Gungan, mentioning, "I'm having the pike and Leshie, the soup. Why aren't you eating?"

"Mesa not eat here," Kambra answered. "Mesa find food takes attention from job." He nodded, and smiled at Leshie, who giggled.

"Oh, go one and have something tonight, Kambra," Oot said with a laugh. "Between you and Liam, I think we'll be fine even if you're half paying attention."

Kambra's grin widened, and he nodded at Yelara. "Mesa think...mesa have the pike."

Yelara chuckled and found immediately that the kindly Gungan had managed to take her mind off the anxieties of what awaited her in the near future. At the least, it silenced any thought of taking Leshie and fleeing the planet...for the time being.

***

The last of the dishes were carried away, leaving the occupants of the table to themselves once more. Leshie was looking up between Kambra and Yelara, looking as if he was expecting more food to be set before him. Partway through the meal, he had amused all present as he tried to add one of Kambra's ears to his meal. Fortunately he'd only just managed to get it into his mouth before Yelara saved the Gungan.

"You'll contact us," Liam was saying to Oot, "when the others wish to meet with us?"

"Of course," Oot answered. "I would say expect that call within the next couple days. Kambra and I will be present as well, if that helps to settle any nerves you may have."

"It does," Liam answered, then looked to Yelara. "And, now, I think perhaps we should begin heading home. As excitable as he may seem, I think Leshie would actually love to go to sleep about now."

"As would his mommy," Yelara added, then she tipped her head to Oot. "Thank you for dinner. I haven't tasted anything that good since...well...for as long as I'm able to remember."

Oot nodded graciously in return. "I would hope you'd consider dining with me again in the future," she said. "And, hopefully the next time we will have no business matters to discuss. It can just be...fun."

"Fun?" Judging from her expression, it was apparent that Yelara doubted greatly Oot was capable of that. She smiled politely at any rate. "Leshie would enjoy that, thank you."

Oot laughed. "I'm sure Kambra will too," she said as she nodded to where Leshie had one of Kambra's ears in his tiny fist. "I look forward to seeing you soon, Yelara. Sleep well tonight, my dear. If you have any questions about any of this, please don't hesitate to contact me." She stood and moved around the side of the table where Yel and Liam sat. Liam stood and shook her hand, then moved to get Leshie.

The young boy fussed as he was moved away from Kambra. Yelara whispered assurances in her son's ear that they would meet again soon, and although it consoled Leshie somewhat, he was still whimpering when they reached their hovercar. Smiling tightly at Liam as he opened her door, she explained, "He must just be tired. It's been a long day."

"Very long," Liam said. "I'll bet he'll sleep soundly tonight, that's for sure." He studied her for a moment and smiled. "You look pretty tired too. I think it's been a long day for the both of you, and I bet you'll be asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow."

Yelara closed her eyes for a moment, sighing in anticipation of doing just that. "I think I might not go into work tomorrow," she murmured, then smiled and her opened her eyes once more to gaze at Liam. "Thank you for coming tonight. I couldn't have done this without your support. Truly."

"I'm happy to be here," Liam said with a smile. "Do you want me to come by to watch Leshie tomorrow even if you don't go in to work?"

"You would actually volunteer to spend an entire day with me?" she teased, but with a touch of genuine skepticism.

"Well, I know what a piece of work this little guy can be after a good night's sleep," Liam said with a smile. He looked up and met her eyes. "Yes, I would. Despite our arguments from before, I do like being around you and Leshie. And, I thought we got along well tonight. I think we may be finding a balance in our friendship, and I would like to continue that, if you'd like the same. Besides, if things get too hectic, I can hide under Leshie's bed."

Yelara smiled wanly. "And where will I hide, Liam, if everything doesn't go well? What if this entire Empress business falls to shambles?"

"You can hide under Leshie's bed too," Liam said with a smile. "If it doesn't work out, I'm sure we'll figure something out. For now, let's plan on it succeeding, and we'll handle the rest if it transpires."

"Okay," she whispered. Surprisingly, Liam's words managed to put her at ease, something she had not thought possible considering their shaky relationship. With a warm smile, Yelara kissed his cheek, then quickly ducked into their vehicle, while Leshie bounced happily in her arms.

Liam moved around to the other side of the speeder, and slid behind the controls. Once Yelara and Leshie were settled, he started up the vehicle and pulled away from the parking structure. They remained silent during the ride home, but it was a comfortable silence. Somehow, in the midst of all that had been happening, they had found an easiness in their relationship. Perhaps it was a good sign of what was to come. At least, Liam could hope so.

---

"Betrayal"
By: Vorasha, Mercenary
Several NPCs

Location: Mos Eisley, Tatoonine
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

Tatooine's binary suns occupied the eastern sky, creating yet another heat wave upon the parched surface. Those who lived here endured it while visitors tolerated it as bars filled for those who wanted to quench their thirsts.

Other than its noted pod races, the planet was a criminal haven often overlooked by whomever was governing at the moment. It was a perfect location for Vorasha to catch his bearing.

Vorasha was a Rodian career criminal and mercenary who had been employed by the Empire for all sorts of nefarious deeds. It paid well, allowed him unrestricted travel and gave him a reputation. The downward spiral really started at Yavin but ultimately concluded above Endor. Gone were the Emperor and Darth Vader whose presence was almost a necessity, doomed by a rag tag alliance of rebels. He would never have expected such a spectacular defeat even as entire star systems, no longer in fear, shrugged off the shackles of oppression.

There were a few interim leaders to keep the fragmented Imperial forces going. Grand Admiral Tarkin being one whom Vorasha had agreed to serve and believed would resurrect the Empire to new heights. It didn't happen. Tarkin either died or was in hiding. His forces were reduced to an ineffective fighting unit, leaving Vorasha very much exposed.

With two Imperial Fleet lieutenants that had become stranded during the retreat, Vorasha had left Tae'Karada and made his way to Tatooine, a place of sanctuary if one was open to such things.

The lieutenants were still extremely loyal to an ideology that was utterly defeated in war. They were hoping to locate an Imperial outpost where they could continue to serve in the counteroffensive. At Mos Eisley, there had been rumors that General Veers had survived though not confirmed. It was enough to give these young men hope.

Vorasha wasn't as sure. He had already pinned his hopes on Tarkin only to see them dashed. He still believed in the Empire but was not blindly going to follow any hack promising the moon.

He had received an encoded message from Iren. She had once been a slave girl of his dead gangster boss, Imxtin and had developed a soft spot for her. When he arrived, he was supposed to meet her near the arena. There was nothing going on there so it was a secluded place for a rendezvous.

Vorasha, with the help of the lieutenants, scoped out the location. Even sensors indicated nothing suspicious. When he finally saw Iren, he came out in the open.

"It's been a long time, Vorasha." Iren was also a Rodian whose taste in clothes revealed her financial success.

He almost didn't recognize her. "I've been busy but I can see so have you. You've done pretty well for a former slave."

"With Jabba gone, there is more opportunities."

"For the moment. Someone will fill the vacuum, that much is certain. I need you to find out where Garindan is?"

Garindan was a Kobaz informant for the Empire. Easily recognized by his long snoot. If there were still Imperial forces in the area, Garindan would know.

She looked suspiciously at him though her big black eyes did not reveal as such in a human perspective. "Why?"

"Just find him."

Iren stared at him a moment. "You shouldn't have come here. There is a bounty on your head for your involvement with the Empire. 20,000 credits."

Vorasha laughed or what amounted as such for his species. "The New Republic would never put such an amount for someone like me. I commanded no fleet or army during the Rebellion."

"You're right. The New Republic didn't."

There were screams then the mutilated bodies of the Imperial officers that had accompanied him were tossed at his feet. Limbs had been ripped off and several species had the strength to do so but the grunting gave these away. Wookiees.

Beside Iren was a human he knew all to well. "Joab Crag."

Crag's blaster was still holstered, feeling confident in the ability of his Wookie bodyguards. "You're a traitor, Vorasha but I'm not here on any official business." Crag was a gangster whose record was expunged because of his lavish support for the rebel cause. "You killed my brother."

"Derok Crag was a Rebel spy." Vorasha had been given a contract by Grand Moff Tarkin to locate the other Crag, who was suspected of spying for Bail Organa, prior to the destruction of Alderaan.

"Shut up traitor. Drop your blaster now." Crag now whipped out his blaster and made nodding motions to his Wookiees. Vorasha's sensory antennas picked up the Wookiees' retreat. "I'm going to kill you for what you've done."

Vorasha slid out his Imperial style blaster and dropped it to the ground causing the dust to stir.

"What about my money?" Iren asked, tugging on Crag's arm. She wanted it now before Crag changed his mind.

Vorasha sighed. It wasn't a big surprise that Iren had sold him out. Loyalty among thieves was just a bunch of nice sounding words anyway.

Crag shoved Iren aside. This momentary distraction was enough for Vorasha to unsheathe his dagger and tossed it in one fluid motion. The blade penetrated Crag's throat and even as he was dropping, he attempted to raise his blaster to fire. By the time he hit the ground, he was dead.

Vorasha's antennae picked up the charging Wookiees behind him. He scooped up his discarded blaster and fired two consecutive shots, killing them both. He then holstered his blaster.

Iren, seeing that her get rich plan had gone south, rushed over to give him a hug. "I'm so glad you are alive, my love."

Vorasha put his hand on her chin in what she misunderstood as a sign of affection. His grip tightened then with a quick jerk, broke her neck. He didn't ease her down but simply let go. She had betrayed him and deserved no special consideration.

He went over to Crag's body and checked his pockets, finding a credit disc. He put this in his own. Once aboard his ship, he could access Crag's bank account and transfer the funds to his own. Without the Empire's largess, he was becoming low on cash. Crag's money would keep him going for quite some time.

It wouldn't be long before some official inquiry into the murders took place since Jaob Crag was infamously well known. The surviving Crag, Ascar, would undoubtedly turn over every stone to look for him and try to shut down the planet's spaceports. He didn't need the attention.

He arrived at the spaceport, without having seen Galindan. His options were limited, as he didn't know where any Imperial outpost was. He would have to stay in the Outer Rim where Republic authorities were not represented in great quantities and Ascar Crag's own influence was somewhat diminished.

Vorasha boarded his Slave 1-type ship, Yuse, and inserted Crag's disc into his computer. Within a few seconds, he had the dead man's money. Next was where to go. He looked at his star charts until he eventually came to Tae'Karada. The Imperials had been there so chances were there might still be sympathizers or better yet, operatives. He also had made contacts when he was there before that could prove beneficial.

The Yuse blasted off, Leaving Mos Eisley and Tatooine behind. Next stop, Tae'Karada.

---

"The Return"
by: Vorasha, Mercenary

Location: Arcadia, Chimaeria
Date: Vadris 21, 4 ABY

***

As the Firespray-class transport 'Yuse' continued toward Tae' Karada, Vorasha put the ship on autopilot and went to the cargo hold.

This was his personal space as he often lived aboard the small craft. There were trinkets from his travels that included a Rebel commander's jacket covered in dried blood. In one corner was a green R2 unit he had never been able to repair so it remained discarded for the moment.

There were no pictures of family or favorite lovers, nothing remotely linked to a private life outside work. No letters, notes or even coded messages to cover his work station. He did have one thing he cherished. Kept in a display case was his Imperial Service Medal given to him by venerable Rodian Senator Onaconda Farr. As a result of regime change, he was no longer a hero but a traitor, having backed the wrong side. The medal however reminded him of glory, fame and power. The three things he so desperately wanted back and was willing to do almost anything to achieve that.

His nav computer started to beep, warning him that they were coming up on his destination. He returned to the helm, switched to manual and brought the 'Yuse' out of hyperspace. He didn't need to look at the star charts to confirm where he was for he recognized the constellations and the other stellar phenomenon. It had been a while but he had returned. Mind you, the last time, there had been an Imperial presence.

He headed for Chimaeria, passing a small patrol ship that did a passive scan for contraband. There wasn't any so he was allowed to continue without interruption. There were quite a few ships with almost all being civilian. He didn't see a New Republic naval vessel but that didn't mean there wasn't one nearby. Vorasha cursed himself for not checking out things before jumping in. For all he could have known, Princess Leia and a twenty ship entourage could have been here for some stupid tour.

He contacted the spaceport at Arcadia and was given permission to land. He still was a bit nervous at what sort of reception, if any, he would get once he was on the ground and prepared for a tactical retreat to Corulag. It had no intention of ending up in prison or before a firing squad.

There was no reception committee brandishing badges and blasters when he exited the 'Yuse'. In fact, those who passed by hardly noticed him at all; just another alien among many.

He took his hand off his E-11 and walked to a waiting sky-speeder cab. "Take me to the Serua Cantina."

"Where have you been bud?" asked the Snivvian who looked incredibly small to be seated behind the wheel. "That went under years ago and is under new management. It's a respectable joint now."

Vorasha cursed again for his oversight. "Is the Roska Arms still exist?"

"Yeah."

"Take me there." Vorasha took in the ride as they soared above the city. After only a few minutes, he arrived at the Roska Arms. It was a towering hotel supposedly with no mob connection but that was then. The owner was rich enough and powerful enough to not fall victim to any of the numerous gangsters allowing the place to be a sanctuary of sorts.

He rented a suite, having won the lottery with Crag's stolen bank account. He then made some calls, using a scrambler to prevent detection of his whereabouts. Vorasha did locate one of his old contacts.

"I need to locate some people."

---