"Back In the Real World"
by: Rylaa Lyssander - PC
Lorgal - NPC+

Location: Ares Macrotechnology HQ, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 23, 4ABY

***

Rylaa was sitting in his massive office on the top floor of the Ares building. The office, while lushly and expensively furnished, was still tasteful. He sat behind a desk several sizes too large, in a chair that was several times too small. Two piles of paperwork sat to either side and he was carefully making one pile smaller than the other.

"Stupid chair," he was grumbling to himself. "You'd think that with as much money as I have I could get me a better chair." Another paper was signed and moved over to outgoing. Rylaa stopped when he noticed the time on the chrono, it was almost 7 in the morning, he'd worked all night again. This was the third time since the battle in the desert. But it was ok, he was keeping himself up with a steady diet of kaf and energy bars.

"Hmmm," he hmmed. "The first shipment of material should be reaching the palace right about now, I wonder how the Empress likes her new toys. I never did hear any feedback from her about the battle except she wanted the walkers and the contract got signed." He blinked when he realized he was talking to himself.

Reaching over and pressing a button on his desk, he said, "Lorgal, bring me the shipping manifest of the armaments sent to the palace."

"Right, boss," came Lorgal's voice from a built in speaker. In addition to making an excellent bodyguard, Lorgal apparently had picked up clerical skills from a previous employer. He was turning out to be quite the secretary, much to his own disappointment.

After a few minutes a servitor droid was hovering into the office with a datapad in its hand. It placed it on the desk and sped out before Rylaa could order some more kaf. "Frag it," he muttered to himself.

The shipping manifest showed everything that Ares had sent to the palace with this first shipment. Within a month, the entire palace guard should be outfitted with Ares Macrotechnology weapons and armor and he stop worrying about the government. His cleverly written contract stated that even should there be a change in the government, or a change in who ruled, his company would continue to supply the palace. Heh, makes me look loyal to the throne, not the person sitting in it.

"Man, we really did send her a lot of stuff, I hope she likes it." He pressed the button on the desk again, "Lorgal, come in here a moment."

This time Lorgal didn't reply, he just lumbered through the door with the surprising grace and agility that his race was not known for and stood in front of his boss. "Right," Rylaa said, "I want you to send a message to Zale Tregat, of Zenarr Inc, and ask he would meet with me here, or somewhere of his choosing, about a contract deal."

"Ok boss, you got someone in mind for a courier?"

"Yes... you."

Lorgal blinked at the unexpected news but didn't say anything further. He knew that Tregat was a ruthless crimelord and had actually worked for his organization several times. "Right, boss, I'll get on it. I should have a reply to you by tomorrow."

"Good, you can have the rest of the day off if you want. Get the protocol droid to sit at the desk. Oh, and could you get me another cup of kaf?"

---

"The Killer's Name"
By: Kusna Coalb

Location: CoroNet, Corellia and later Arcadia
Date: Vadris 23, 4ABY

***

Kusna sat alone in his single bedroom apartment. All around the room were bottles from alcohol. He had been drinking lately. All the other jobs he tried out for wouldn't hire him.

He walked over to his closet and put on a black business suit, he was going to try to get one again. As he walked towards the door he heard a voice on his comm.

"Mr. Coalb," the raspy voice said. It sounded electronic. "I have something to tell you. Something that might interest you."

Kusna ran over and grabbed the comm from his bed stand. "Is it a job?"

"In a sense it is a job. I know the name of the Dug who killed your brother and I know where he is."

"Who the hell are you? How the hell do you know what happened to my brother?" Kusna demanded.

"Do you want to know his name?"

"Yes!" For the first time in a long time Kusna felt hopeful. He had given up but now he'd finally know his name. Finally he could find and kill the bastard. "What is his name and where is the bastard?"

"His name is Zarrak and he's at Arcadia, Tae'Karada."

"Who are you?" There was just static at the other end.

He changed out of the business suit and put on a white shirt and black pants. He gathered all of his clothes and belongings into suitcases. He ran out of his apartment and headed in the direction of the starport.

He got his ticketed to Arcadia and climbed aboard the shuttle that would take him to the planet. He slept for most of the ride but a sudden tap on his shoulder woke him up. He walked down the boarding ramp and looked around. He was there. Now time to search.

---

"Returning"
By: Kel Denab, Bounty Hunter

Location: Various places
Date: Vadris 23, 4ABY

***

Kel walked out of the Jedi temple, and looked around. His speeder was gone, and he had no way of remembering where he had left it. He shrugged, and started walking back to the city. From there he would catch a speedercab to his place. Pushing a button on the side of his helmet, he activated the sensors. No sense being stupid and getting killed on the way back, he thought to himself. Kel had spent some time at the temple trying to come to terms with what he had done, what had transpired. He was definitely changed because of it, to say the least. His feelings reminded him of the time just after his fiancée was killed in front of him: the same grim determination, the same emptiness. Even meditating had not really helped. It was amazing, really, how the paths that each person took through life was different, and how they could be interwoven at any time.

Kel walked a while, and finally came to the edge of one of the cities. Stepping into it, he got some odd looks. Frowning, Kel continued to walk among the crowd, and it seemed that everyone would part as he came forward. Finally, he saw a news hologram, and stepped up to it. "...and if anyone sees this fugitive, let the local authorities know so that he may be apprehended. His name is Kel Denab, and this is what he looks like with armor on, and with it off." And there, Kel stood looking at various pictures of him. "Oh hell," he said out loud. That damned beaurocrat had turned him in! Now he had to do something...his apartment was no longer safe, and his ship was either impounded or being watched. Fantastic, he thought to himself.

There were not many people in low places that he knew, since he would always capture them and turn them in for money...now he was the hunted. His rage against his sister had caught up to him. There was no bounty out for her, nor had she been a fugitive. To the world, it would appear that Kel was a cold blooded murderer, and they would never know the truth about what happened.

Suddenly, his sensor alerted him to a group of people approaching. Turning, he noticed that the local police had arrived, complete with a light repeating blaster. "Freeze," the captain said. "Put your hands where we can see them, and you won't be shot."

Kel thought for a moment of the various possibilities he had. He did not want to kill any of the officers, as that would really get him in a bind. And unfortunately his suit did not have the jump pack on it, so he could not fly away. Think, he thought to himself. Then he remembered something.

"Ok, now step forward slowly..." the captain said. Kel started to do as the police captain asked, and suddenly, a grenade shot out of his arm.

"GRENADE!" He heard someone yell, and the various people ducked down behind their speeders. Kel started running just as the flashbang went off, and from the various yelps he heard, it seemed to have worked as expected.

He darted down an alleyway, and continued to run. By now, the various people had regained their site, and were firing up their cars. Pushing a button, he managed to scramble his signature. That would work for a while, until they broke through the static. As he ran, he spotted an empty speeder. Running over to it, he jumped in, and pressed his hand against the control panel. A slight surge went through it, overriding the starting mechanism. He took off with a shot, heading out over the jungle. Now what was he going to do.....

---

"How to Kill Heroes"
Zarrak - Bounty Hunter/Slaver

Location: Thanatos
Date: Vadris 23, 4ABY

***

Zarrak borrowed a landspeeder and proceeded to head into the desert. He wore thick goggles to protect his eyes from the sunlight and the sand. The heat didn't seem to bother him, he did grow up on Tatooine after all.

Before he rode out into the desert he did some research on Pack and Yannick and learned something about them. Both were former gang members from Thanatos that helped to get all gangs to help each other out to become a police force in Thanatos, to keep the peace. This of course was going to make his mission even more difficult considering their popularity; they were going to have a hell of a whole lot of friends.

He glanced at his datapad, he was getting closer. He stopped for a moment and took a swig of water from the pouch he attached to the side of the speeder. He checked the charge on both Scatter pistols. Everything was good.

"You two had better pray to whatever gods you believe in that I will kill you quickly!" he shouted aloud.

A face appeared in the window of the house the Feltreys, including Pack and Yannick, occupied. The face frowned at the being in the landspeeder outside their home. The face disappeared and called back inside. A moment later, a young man with dark hair appeared on the front step of the house. "You shouldn't go shouting like that into the morning, stranger," the man called out. "People are likely to take offense at this hour."

Zarrak removed one of his Scatter Pistols from its holster and aimed it at the man's head.

"Where's Pack and Yannick?" he growled. "Go get them now or I'll blow your brains out of your head, boy!"

The young man chuckled and nodded, then disappeared back into the house. Several minutes later, another man appeared on the porch, followed closely by yet another.

"What's all the shouting about, shorty," the one in front said. He wore a blaster at his hip, and one hand was hidden behind his back. "I'm Pack, and you don't have to go shouting for the whole desert to get my attention." He indicated the Dug's weapon with a nod. "I take it you're not here for a friendly chat."

An expression of sheer anger clouded the Dug's face at being called short. "Well aren't we just the fucking genius? I was sent by Empress Nieme to get a girl back. She said I should kill you to get her back. But I know you have friends and even if I kill you there's no way I could get my ass out of here alive." Zarrak licked his lips. "I'm willing to make a deal. Interested?"

He mentally kicked himself for being this weak. Of course with Nieme's promise of him spending the night with that girl made Zarrak want to live.

Pack studied the Dug for a moment, then frowned. "Sure," he said. "What deal do you have in mind? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you're looking for a particular girl, yes? So, how can we help you reach your goals?"

"Yes, I'm looking for a particular girl," Zarrak said, nodding. "Only thing is I forgot to ask what the girl's name is. All I know is that she must be important to Empress Nieme if she would send me to get her. Here's the deal: you give me the girl and I'll leave and won't come back."

Pack raised an eyebrow. It took considerable effort not to laugh. "Can you give me any information that might possibly help me find this person you're supposed to be looking for? Do you have a description? Or possibly an idea where in the desert she may be?"

"Nieme is under the impression that you and Yannick took her and if you two die than that is the only way she can come home. That's all I have. Did you take any girl from her?"

Pack frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "We didn't take anyone from her. Dani agreed of her own volition to come here. They requested our assistance in their cause, and Dani agreed to undergo the trial to become one of us, so that we may help. It required her to survive in the desert for a period of time. She came here on her own, and she is the only one who can choose to return."

Zarrak blinked in surprise. Something told him that Dani was the one he was sent to find.

"Where is she now?" He holstered his pistol, but kept both feet as close to his blasters as possible.

"Right here," came a voice from behind the Dug. Dani stood watching him with several others behind her. Her purple hair was pulled back from her purple-skinned face. She wore a pair of tight-fitting leather pants that tucked into a pair of boots, and a corset that left her shoulders bare. A cylinder hung at her hip, but her arms were crossed over her chest. Even so, her stance suggested a readiness. "What do you need?"

"Nieme wishes for you to return to the palace," the Dug answered. "Let's say her mental health is...fading fast. She needs you, I can take you back to her."

"Of course," Dani answered with a nod. "Just let me say my goodbyes here, and I'll be ready."

"Make it fast." The Dug kept his eyes moving. "The sooner I get out of here the better."

Dani narrowed her eyes. "I will take as long as I need to," she said. "If you're in such a great hurry, you can return to Arcadia now and I will find my own way. If you wish to deliver me as a package, you will have to wait until I'm ready. That is, unless you wish to force me to hurry...and I think that would turn out very bad for you."

Zarrak mentally cursed and slowly nodded. "Fine by me."

Dani moved over to where Raeila was standing with Kael. Her eyes took in both, but finally settled upon Rae. "I'm going to have to go now," she said. "But, I will return very soon. It seems as if Nieme has sent him after me. I need to go and begin undoing some of what I've caused." She reached out and took Rae's hands into her own. "And, I promise you will see me again very soon." Her eyes shifted to Kael with a sultry grin, then back to Rae. "We have unfinished business, I think."

"We...we should come with you," Raeila insisted. "Dani, don't do this alone. Please...."

"It's better that I go alone," Dani said. "Nieme is unstable, my love, and I think if I were to bring you with me, it would make things worse. Stay here and enjoy your new home. And, I will be home soon to enjoy it with you too. You don't know how much it means to me that you would be willing to go with me, but I really must do this...and I...I don't want Nieme to have the chance to hurt you again. I want you here safe with Kael. Stay safe and happy for me, Rae." She leaned close and brushed her lips against Raeila's.

Sighing deeply, Raeila savoured what might be the final moment with her friend, and embraced Dani fiercely. "I love you," she whispered. "We'll be waiting."

"Don't you dare think I'm going to stay away for long after last night," Dani whispered back, and once again kissed Rae fiercely. She then turned to Kael, who accepted her hug equally willingly, as well as the kiss.

"If you need any help," he began.

"I will contact you," Dani answered for him. "But, I don't expect to. I will see the two of you soon once I finish what I need to do. I don't anticipate it will take long."

She quickly hugged Raeila again. "I love you," she said. "Keep a watch on him, and enjoy your time here. I'll see the two of you soon."

With that, she turned back to the Dug. "Okay," she said. "Let's go."

Zarrak nodded and helped her into the speeder. He had parked close by so if anything did happen he would use the speeder as a shield. Once she was in there he grabbed the speeder and pulled himself up into it. The Dug started up the engines and headed in the direction of Arcadia and its palace.

---

"Royal Interrogation"
By: Dame Oot Kovan
Ambassador Theen Fida
Master Liam Zaneth
Amii'a Val'or
Yelara Neerou
Various NPCs

Location: New Republic Embassy, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 23, 4 ABY

***

Oot Kovan's eyes swept around those in the office, then returned to Yelara. She moved to stand behind Yelara's chair, the skirt whisking softly as she stepped.

"Gentlemen," she began, finally fixing her gaze upon Theen Fida, "I present to you Yelara Neerou, our future High Princess. And, I do believe it should be High Princess. There were good years prior to Tarkin, and between Palpatine and Nieme and Dani, I do not believe our people wish to be uttering emperor or any of its variants for some time. And, Princess Neerou's head of security, Jedi Master Liam Zaneth." She inclined her head to the robed figure standing in the back of the room. "I believe, at this point, our plans are firmly in motion, and we can begin moving fully on the realization of the bold, new changes for Tae'Karada's future."

The Anx Ambassador bowed before the young woman. "Your Majesty," he said. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, and an esteemed honor to see you to the throne. As you are probably aware I am the New Republic Ambassador to Tae'Karada. I have lived here for many years and consider this world as much a home as my own world."

Amii'a Val'or also bowed and greeted the eventual High Princess, "Our people will be blessed and honored to have one of your character lead us into the future."

"And Jedi Master," Theen added. "How assuring it is to have one of your wisdom and skill to protect over Tae'Karada's High Princess."

Liam forced a smile and bowed in the ambassador's direction. "It is an honour to be able to be here," he said. "And, I only hope my service will be invisible and not intrude on Princess Neerou's daily life." He shifted his eyes in Yelara's direction and gave her a slight bow.

"He will be more than my protector," Yelara told them all, smiling furtively at Liam. "He'll act as my advisor, as well. I trust him implicitly."

"That is good to hear," Theen said, a little troubled by the revelation of the Jedi as an advisor. Nothing had been mentioned in prior meetings of Jedi involvement with a new heir.

Everything that had been worked up to depended on having such a figurehead that could be molded and directed; how were they to do so with a Jedi Master at her side? The other representatives seemed to be of the same mind as they shared furtive whispers of silent outrage. Before anyone could raise an objection, Yelara addressed them all again, saying, "Have we set a date for the coronation, then? What of the Empresses currently residing on the throne?"

"Surely we cannot just hold a ceremony and expect the Empresses to secede their power?" the Twi'lek representative said. "What say you, Master Jedi? What wisdom do you have for us in this situation?"

"After all," the Aqualish representative added, "if he is to be the High Princess's guardian and advisor, this would be an ideal exercision of such a role!"

"Indeed we would not want to put our Lady in any danger in the ascension of the throne," Theen said, most interested in hearing what the Jedi had to say on the situation - knowing full well that the Empresses were, after all, failed Padawans from his Jedi enclave.

"Nieme and Dani will need to be removed from the throne, of course," Liam said. He cast a pointed look in Theen's direction as he added, "Of course, it is my hope that in this endeavour we will not be betrayed from within. As they are currently separated, if a strike force can be prepared, now would be an ideal opportunity to remove Nieme, seize the throne, and leave Dani knocking on the front gates."

Theen took the jab, though he took it more as a personal stab than professional. He still seethed at the thought of the botched attempt to kick the Empresses from Arcadia. But he had since come to find out that there were unknown forces involved. Information and timing was everything in such matters.

"Since the unfortunate events of the last attempt to strike at the Empresses," Theen assured the Master Jedi and the eventual High princess, "my office has taken extra precautions in our security and personnel. I can assure you that a strike team is ready and capable of helping in this endeavor. Would the Jedi also be involved in their removal, again?"

"Many of the Jedi are currently working on other projects," Liam said. "Though, I am certain those who are still on Tae'Karada will assist in the removal of Dani and Nieme from the palace."

"What about these rebels I've heard about on the newsnet?" Yelara interjected, looking around at all those surrounding her. "Will they approve of me? It would seem they don't want a monarchial government any longer, yet dethroning Nieme and Dani won't solve a thing if another moncarch is coroneted. How is this to solve anything?"

"My Lady," Amii'a responded. "For one the rebels are disgusted with what has become of the monarchy due to the brazen take over by Dani and Nieme. True, there are many advocates for a democratic change here on Tae'Karada, I am certain that these rebels will throw down arms once you are placed, and it is known that you are not just another monarch."

"Yes, indeed," Theen continued. "I cannot condone their entire course of action, but I am sure we can sympathise with their passion for freedom - though quite misguided and having run-a-muck. As we believe, the people shall come to know you as a most benevolent and compassionate head of state," he swooned as he looked to the others for their approval and backing. "You were approached, my Lady, because of your character. You are the future of change for this world and her people."

Yelara smiled mildly. "You mean, I will be a spokesperson for what you and your associates wish for this planet. I won't have power to do a thing, will I?"

"My Lady?" Theen questioned, taken slightly aback by her comment. "Whatever gives you cause for such an idea?"

"Then it isn't so?" she asked him pointedly.

"No," Representative Sloss, the human female from Yandrosa, replied curtly, "it is not so. You will be a leader...but we will advise you intensively on what changes this planet needs. No offense" --her smirk was obvious-- "but you're hardly a politician, and although you would make a fine High Princess, you are hardly qualified to rule a planet on your own. So, yes, you will represent our ideals to the people of Tae'Karada, but you will not simply be a puppet. We need an individual who can carry herself in the face of scrutiny and can withstand whatever the opposition might throw at her. All eyes will be upon you, Ms. Neerou, and because of that, you must not falter." Sloss snorted wryly and added, "A mere puppet cannot do that."

"I'm sure you will find that we all have the best interests of the people at heart," Cho'lub Ueb, the obese Twi'lek representative from the Yoyen District added as-a-matter-of-fact like. "We represent the people, after all, not our own agenda."

"No?" Yelara queried with a faint smile. "You deny, then, that you wish to mould my son into a future ruler? That is part of the plan, is it not?"

"That would be a decision of your own making, my Lady," Theen replied as he grew tired of the banter. "For the integrity of the new line, yes. That would be his right when he is of age, and your own right, as his mother to groom him for such a role. We would not have any such part, he would learn and decide on such a matter for himself, through your example. But rest assured that we have no desire nor ulterior motives in respect for your child. This is a dire time, Tae'Karada needs you to fill the vacuum that will be left with the downfall of Dani and Nieme. Less you are prepared to turn away and allow those with these very same motives that you question of us, take their place and further run this world and its people into oblivion."

"And I will have assurances that, if I no longer wish to fill this position, that I am free to resign?" she asked.

"This position is not one to take so lightly," Cho'lub replied. "We have every confidence in your ability to step up to this challenge and give to the people what they need and desire...which is freedom and security. You, of course, are free to step down, you are not a hostage to this change. But just think of all the good you can help to accomplish, the life you can give your child, compared to what life on Tae'Karada would be like without someone of your character in its lead."

"We chose you for the exact reasons you are questioning us Miss Neerou," Theen added, playing to her uncertainty and her natural goodwill. "It is important for the people to have someone of your qualities, as opposed to another who would be so easily moulded and misguided by the desires and faculties of ones who serve only themselves. History has shown us, throughout the galaxy the consequences that can come from the lack of succession of a government. We will not hide, as we discussed before, that we look to you not just for the near future, but for the long run."

"You are not alone in this," Amii'a continued. "All of us are here to help in this transition, and to move Tae'Karada into the future. For assurance that you are free to resign, would it not be proper to assure us in the interest of the people to at least follow through and help hold this world together as we remove Dani and Nieme? The people need you, Miss Neerou, when Dani and Nieme fall, to ensure them that another dictatorship will not fill that hole."

"Many things are possible for the future," Theen finished. "For the good of your people. With you at the head to ensure that freedom will prevail, perhaps we can hold free elections in the near future. A constitutional monarchy if you will. Once a viable and just leadership for the people has been instituted under your goodwill, you could step aside after a successor has been chosen. Perhaps by that time you will have the confidence in our motives, of yourself and of the people and remain at the head of a new era for this world."

Yelara inhaled deeply and exhaled again silently. Her heart settled somewhat, but the weight of the responsibility she was expected to bear still troubled her. "I...have to do this," she told them all quietly. "My son was born on this planet, and I want him to be proud of where he was given life. I have to make it that kind of place for him, for all the Karadan children." Yelara raised her head and passed her gaze over all seated around her. "I will do this, and I will do my best....but," she added firmly, "it's Ms. Neerou, if you please. I will go by the name of that woman I once was, and who I know will perform this duty I'm entrusted with better than I ever could. I hope that satisfies you all."

The various ministers and representatives chattered happily at the near-future High Princess's final acceptance, and the end to her inquisition of her role and the motives of those around her.

"Well," Oot said with a satisfied smile. The look she gave Yelara was one of encouragement and support. "Now, I guess we just need to clean the trash out of the Palace for you."

As attention slowly began to focus back on the matter at hand, they began their initial plans to rid the palace and Tae'Karada of the self-proclaimed empresses, and to once again return order and sanity to the people.

---

"Darkening Paths"
By: Keeve Shivral
Kimara
Kaysa Zenarr
Maeren Shivral
Cadwin Tarell
Tav [NPC+]

Location: Various, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 23, 4 ABY

***

"Okay, I'm ready."

As Keeve looked up from the files he'd been reading, Kimara was standing there grinning at him. She was still giddy from their time together last night, and had spent most of the day while working with a large grin on her face. The consummation of their love had been a beautiful experience for both, and more than either could have truly hoped for. When morning finally came, with Keeve in Kim's bed, neither had really wanted to go to work.

The need to finish their work, however, had been too great, and so both showered and dressed together. Most of the day had gone by already, and the lunch they shared was amazing. Kim's grins had only gotten bigger when presented with the flowers Keeve had ordered brought to their table. They now adorned her desk, and gave off a wonderful scent.

The end of the day had finally arrived, and Keeve was trying to get a last bit of work done before going home. Kim seated herself on the edge of his desk as she watched him.

"You know," he muttered in amusement, barely glancing up from the datapad upon which he was entering his notes, "it's difficult to work with you grinning so...hard at me. You're undressing me with your eyes, aren't you?"

"Oh, don't worry," Kim said with a laugh, "I've had you undressed all day long." She made a noise that was halfway between a purr and a delightful moan. "If you want, I'll turn my back so you can't see me smiling."

Keeve chuckled and tapped off his padd. "No...no, that won't be necessary." Sighing wearily, he pushed back his chair and rose. "Been a long day, hasn't it?" he mentioned as he moved to stand before Kim. His smile returned as Keeve smoothed his fingers over Kim's glistening, blonde locks. "Let's go home, and we can figure something out for dinner. Then later, we can just" --he leaned forward to brush his lips against her brow-- "relax."

Kim sighed happily as she slipped her arms around him. "That sounds really nice," she said. "Maybe we can curl up and watch something off of HoloNet. I've heard there are some really nice programs being broadcast. If one of those idiots doesn't blow up a broadcasting station again."

"If they do, we'll just need to move far away from them." Glancing down at her hesitantly, he asked, "Would you...well...like that? To just go...just me and you, alone?"

Kim smiled, then nodded, her excitement at the idea suddenly almost bubbling over. "Yes," she said "I think I'd like that very much. Just you and me. It'd be wonderful, Keeve."

"Really?" Keeve exhaled a relieved laugh. "Then we can make preparations and just...go. Believe me, Kim, having our own place to live will be great. We can even have Saris and Moril over for dinner - I hear dinner parties are very fashionable, aren't they?"

"Oh, I am very certain they are," Kim said with a wide grin. "Where should we live? And, what about work?"

"We won't move far," Keeve assured her. "Just...far enough, but still close. We can still work, and you'll still be near Saris. And, I have to be close to my little sister, right?" Chuckling gently, Keeve gave Kim a brief kiss. "We'll talk about it over dinner, alright? There's still time, Kim. We've got a long future ahead of us."

"We sure do," Kim said with a very large grin. "And, I don't think I'd want to move far away. There are too many friends here, and I'd really feel like we were abandoning Merrick and Zale to psychotic Kaysa if we left."

His posture visibly tensed as Keeve reminded her, "And Maeren. As much as she's betrayed me...I'm still worried about her."

Kim nodded. "I wonder what would happen if we took her away from Tae'Karada for a time," she said. "That could help reduce her...need, I guess."

"And then she'd be right back where she started when we returned," he pointed out bitterly. "She hasn't even come home, Kim. Does that sound like someone who wants to be rehabilitated?"

Kim sighed and shook her head. "I just...I wish there was something we could do, Keeve. Maybe we'll find something." She took his hands in hers. "I know together we can do anything. But at least we have each other now."

"Finally," he amended with a fond smile, then kissed his new lover tenderly. "Come on," Keeve whispered. "Let's get home. It's late and I don't want to waste a single minute of our night together."

"I like the way you think," Kim said with a beaming smile as she helped him gather what he needed to bring home, and put away what needed to remain in the office. Once done, they left the office hand-in-hand. As they sped their way home in Keeve's speeder, Kim couldn't help reflecting on just how happy she was. She'd been walking on clouds since the previous night, and anticipated she would be for some time to come. She knew he was still concerned about Maeren, as was she, but she only held a little fear at what a meeting between Keeve and Maeren would bring. Her greater fear was what was truly happening to Maeren, someone she thought of as a sister. She could only hope things would work out for the best.

***

"I wonder what's taking so long," Kaysa mused as she stared out of Cadwin's window onto the streets of Yallder. Dressed only in a robe tied loosely closed, she provided an enticing view to all the riffraff wandering drunkenly below, but Kaysa cared not for their lewd calls and stares. She only wondered why her husband had not returned with the spice promised them. Sighing, Kaysa glanced back at Shiv, sprawled nakedly across the sofa. "You bored? It's still early; don't worry, the fun will start soon."

"Not bored when I have you to watch," Shiv said with a lazy grin. "And, he'd better return soon, or we may have to start the fun without him." One hand dipped between her legs to caress herself. "He did say he had a big surprise for us tonight, right? I wonder if it's a new type of spice. I've heard of one that sounds amazing. Longest high you could ever want, and you practically orgasm off the first hit."

Kaysa chuckled deeply as she sauntered towards her lover. "Don't I have the same effect on you, my star?"

"Oh, you do," Shiv said with a sultry grin. "Though, I would love to see Cadwin take a hit of that. But, only as long as I got to be right in front of him when he did. He is a very...flavourful man, isn't he? With his body and size, he should be making holos."

Snickering, Kaysa dropped onto her knees on the sofa to straddle her lover's waist. "You see why I married him?" she purred. The robe she wore slid easily off her shoulders with one tug of its belt and fell across Shiv's knees. "Though, I'm just as pleasing to the eye, aren't I?"

"Oh yes," Shiv purred. "I think we could all make a holo. Me, you, and Cadwin. Wouldn't that be so perfect?" Shiv reached up, allowing her hands to caress Kaysa intimately.

"It would," she agreed with a hungry smile, "if only he'd get here."

"I guess that means next time I go out, I'll have to pick up one of those camera droids," came a voice from behind Kaysa. As she turned, Cadwin stood there with a cloth bag dangling from his fingers. "And, I hope you don't mind, but I brought a friend." He stepped aside to reveal a man standing behind him.

The man was young, perhaps Shiv's age. He was attractive in a roguish way, with the body of someone who led an active life. He gave them a disarming grin, and his eyes seemed to soak in and approve of their nakedness.

Cadwin moved over to the couch. "His name is Tav."

"Bringing home strays now, are we?" Kaysa drawled, though there was no hint of complaint in her tone, or in her salacious grin. Her enticing stare beckoned Tav forward. "Come on then. Let's get a look at you, young man."

As he moved closer, his eyes never left Kaysa. There was a hunger there, deep and insatiable. If she hadn't already been naked, his eyes would have been undressing her. "You're a beautiful woman," he said, his voice a deep baritone. "Both of you." There was no hiding the bulge in the front of his pants, and he made no effort to cover it up. "Cadwin's words fall far short of the reality."

"Oh," Shiv said, pushing herself up onto her elbows, "I like him."

Kaysa reached out and laid her hand upon his chest. "Firm," she breathed as she dragged her fingers across the planes of muscle concealed beneath Tav's shirt. Her face and bosom flushed at merely the sight of him. "I hope you didn't just bring him to share spice, Cad," Kaysa purred.

Before Cadwin could answer, "Definitely not," Tav had reached out and cupped one of Kaysa's breasts as he leaned close to give her a deep, sensual kiss. His other hand reached down, and Shiv let out a gasp, and then moaned. Behind them, Cadwin was already undressing. "So, Kaysa, would you like to be the first to enjoy my gift? Or should we allow him time with Shiv first?"

"I want him," Kaysa rasped breathlessly, hands clutched to Tav's shirt as she remained pressed against his torso. Their eyes never strayed, despite Kaysa's body trembling uncontrollably with excitement. "Shiv can share after...but he's mine first. If" --she grinned ravenously-- "he agrees, of course."

"Oh," Tav murmured, "I agree." He lifted Kaysa clear of Shiv and pulled her away from the couch where Shiv reclined. Cadwin quickly moved in to take his place with Shiv, and soon the sounds of their carnal activities filled the room, but neither Tav nor Kaysa were paying attention. Suddenly, Kaysa found herself flipped over and staring at his crotch. There was only a heartbeat before his tongue set to giving her pleasure unimaginable.

Overcoming the initial surprise at finding herself face-first in his groin, Kaysa greedily accepted the rigid organ brushing against her lips once she'd freed it from his trousers. Her actions were made all the more eager by his display of vigor and power; supporting her entire body clear of the ground with just his two arms, while pleasuring her beyond belief, was a testament to the young man's virility. She climaxed prematurely merely thinking of Tav's erection thrusting into her, and shuddered as the liquid evidence of her arousal trickled down the inside of her thighs and onto her belly. "The bedroom," she groaned plaintively. "Please...I want more of you."

Tav adjusted his hold on her, shifting her until she was cradled in his arms. He stepped out of his pants and strode toward the bedroom, intent on kissing Kaysa passionately as he moved. "You are beautiful," he whispered as he moved toward the bed. "When Cadwin mentioned that he wanted to share his wife and mistress with me, I had no idea just how enticing you would be." He set her upon the bed and climbed on next to her. "I don't know if Cadwin will wish me back, but I do hope you will have me even if he doesn't." To punctuate his desire, he thrust himself inside of her.

Kaysa gasped sharply and pressed her fingernails into his shoulders in response to the immense pleasure, and to prevent him from leaving if he changed his mind. Her entire body throbbed and burned from his touch; she couldn't recall anyone affecting her as Tav was, even Zale with his Shac'tae training.

"Cadwin can't control me. If I want you...you stay," she managed unsteadily before crying out in ecstasy. Consumed by the primal sexual energy he was inspiring in her, Kaysa aggressively clawed open his shirt and bit into the rippling, shifting muscles of his shoulder before suckling on it insatiably. His taste - of salty perspiration and pure, earthy flesh unaltered by cologne or stripped away by the cleanly effects of a fresh shower - drove Kaysa into a frenzy that Tav was able to control with another enthralling thrust. Kaysa remained at his mercy.

"Good," Tav said as he continued with their frenetic lovemaking. "Because I happen to enjoy it here. Especially right--" he gave a thrust for emphasis "--here. You will let me have a swing with your girlfriend, right? Not going to keep me all to yourself? I'd really like a swing with both of you at once. That would be delight."

>From the other room, the sound of Cadwin and Shiv's lovemaking could be heard, wild and frenetic. Tav gave Kaysa a deep kiss. "For this, Cadwin is my new best friend."

"And you," Kaysa replied in a strained whisper, "his only...." She sucked in a shuddering breath and exhaled a thick moan as Tav's hand dipped down between them to further send Kaysa into rapture. Chuckling throatily, she promised, "You can have Shiv after...if only I get another turn."

Tav grinned. "Then you'll get one," he said. "Oh yes, you'll get one."

Giggling deliriously, Kaysa wrapped herself fully around Tav and surrendered utterly to his ministrations, with Shiv and Cadwin's own cries providing blissful accompanying music.

***

Surprisingly, the bed was large enough to fit all four of them. Kaysa was lying in Tav's arms with Shiv on the other side with a hand idly caressing his thigh. Cadwin was on Shiv's other side with a hand stroking the length of her thigh.

"That was wonderful," Shiv said as she stretched lazily.

"You're okay?" Tav asked, glancing down at her. "I didn't..."

Shiv laughed. "Oh, it was just a pinch," she said. "What came after more than made up for it." She rubbed briefly at her inner thigh, then smiled. "Still stings a little, but the rest of me is all tingly."

Tav chuckled. "That's just as I like it."

"I think," Kaysa murmured drowsily, "that Tav should stay tonight." Glancing across her husband's chest to leer at the young man, Kaysa purred, "And every other night. Don't you think, Shiv?"

"Oh, yes indeed," Shiv said with a wide grin. "That way he can make up for pinching me before screwing my brains out."

Tav leaned in and kissed both Shiv then Kaysa. "I heartily accept," he said. "Just make sure you don't leave Cadwin out."

Shiv giggled. "Well, next time, I want both of you to take me at once. It's been so long since I've had that, and I know you and Cadwin will be perfect."

Tav glanced at Cadwin, who grinned and nodded. "Then you shall have your wish."

"Oh gods, Kaysa, how would you feel about another husband," Shiv asked with her eyes on Tav.

Cadwin chuckled. "Funny you should mention that, Shiv," he said. "With the situation with Keeve, I was thinking. I would like to ask for your hand as my wife."

The smile on Shiv's face suddenly vanished, and she found herself staring wide-eyed at Cadwin. After a moment, she looked at Kaysa, then back. "Yes," she whispered. "Oh gods, yes!"

Kaysa laughed languidly. "Another wedding? Oh, I can't wait to see that." Lazily, she extended her arm and dragged her hand along Tav's bare thigh. "You're invited, of course, Tav. We can even have a naked wedding." She chuckled. "Wouldn't that be a riot?"

"Done," Cadwin said with a grin.

Shiv laughed. "Can we have it tomorrow? Oh that would be so perfect!"

"I think that can be arranged," Cadwin said. He turned to Kaysa. "Are you up for a wedding tomorrow, my dearest?"

"Should we invite my husbands?" she joked, then laughed and embraced Cadwin. "We'll just let them hear of it on the holonews!"

"A perfect idea," Cadwin said. "I have a feeling they would be somewhat grumpy over the affair, and would doubtless spoil the mood. Same with our son."

Kaysa grinned slyly at her husband. "Son? I know of no son..."

"Point taken," Cadwin said. "I guess one of the positive points will be that we won't have to worry about what to wear."

Intoxicated by spice and their rambunctious lovemaking, the four bedpartners chuckled over their nuptial plans. Deriving a surge of energy they had thought exhausted by their long night from the energizing talk, no sooner than their plans were laid did the quartet again begin attending to their carnal desires.

***

Curled together on the sofa, Keeve and Kimara were watching the holoprojector across the room. It was displaying a show where a pair of Jedi Knights were responsible for tracking down those who had stolen some data from a Senator and were trying to use it for their own gain. Knowing something of Jedi, the two were amused at the displays on the holo, since they were very dissimilar from the Jedi.

"I wonder if any of the Jedi watch this program," Kim said as she turned to Keeve. "It's very silly."

Keeve shifted his eyes towards her without moving an inch and asked, "Then why are we watching? You did insist on this one." Suppressing a grin, Keeve craned his neck forward to kiss the top of Kim's head, comfortably pillowed against his chest. "We can switch to something else. There's that pod race - The Tae'Sollar Championship, I think."

"Then let's watch that," she said. "Are you ever going to race pods again? I heard you were the best at it. I'd love to see you in a race."

Keeve shrugged and sighed deeply as he returned his drowsy focus to the holoscreen. "That's...the past," he murmured. "I don't want to revisit that. Too many memories." Of Maeren, his mind finished for him bitterly. "Let's-- Forget about pod racing. This is fine."

Kim nodded. "Okay," she said. "It's not a bad show, really. And, that one guy is funny. The little green one."

But Kim's joke earned her not even a chuckle, and Keeve's touch lacked increasingly in warmth. Stiffening beneath where she lay against his torso, Keeve grumbled in frustration and slid off the sofa and away from Kim. "Keep watching," he told her moodily as he stalked towards the front door. "I'll be back in a while."

"Where are you going, Keeve?" Kim asked as she sat up.

He snatched his jacket from the hook, calling back, "Just a walk. I'll bring you something when I return."

"Fine," she muttered and sank back onto the sofa. "I'll be waiting here when you get back." With a sigh, she returned to the program, but it seemed to have lost its enjoyment with Keeve's departure. And for Keeve, there would be no enjoyment in anything until he found closure to his short marriage with Shiv - until his heart decided to stop caring for her as much as it did. And, despite that love and caring, it seemed as if Shiv was doing everything she could to ruin their marriage. Eventually, something would bend, something would break. For now, it seemed as if nothing was certain but chaos.

---

"Returned to the Light"
By: Kael Selrid
Talara Sorenne
Koran Darr
Laedra Vorrel

Location: Jedi Temple
Date: Vadris 23, 4 ABY

***

The Helix spun gracefully as it descended toward the waiting landing berth at the New Plouton starport. Landing struts extended as braking jets fired. While the city itself was fairly clean, the jets managed to find some dust and debris to whip into the air.

Standing to the side of the landing ship, awaiting its arrival, two cloaked figures stood waiting. Deep hoods shrouded their faces, though the wind managed to catch at the edges of the cloaks, and nearly dislodged the smaller of the figures' hood.

The wind in the berth ceased as the struts touched ground and the landing jets were shut down. The two figures started forward as the landing ramp descended. As more cloaked figures arrived at the top of the ramp, the two were standing at its base.

In unison, they reached up and drew back the expansive hoods and bowed to those above.

"Welcome home, Master Darr, Master Vorrel," the young Jedi said. Though he was young, he had been raised to the rank of Knight. His calm demeanour and easy grace bore the rank well. "Padawans." He smiled briefly at the Jedi now starting down the ramp. "Master Zaneth and his Padawans are meeting with representatives of the New Republic, and Master Brael has taken a leave of absence for the birth of her child. The other Masters were unavailable. I hope we will suffice as the welcoming committee." From where he had started, Kael Selrid's progress as a Jedi was remarkable. There was only one thing in life he loved more than being a Jedi, but together he and Raeila would find a way for him to be a Jedi and be her husband without having to sacrifice either.

At Kael's side, Talara Sorenne bowed as well. Several months ago, the bow would have been a mimicking gesture of the one Kael had given. After her ordeal at the hands of the Empresses and Jadda the Hutt, the action, in perfect sync with Kael's own, was a gesture solely her own, given precisely at the right moment. She shared a brief look with Zari, a hint of a smile and relief at seeing her friend returned safe and healthy shone in her eyes.

After Kael had finished speaking, Talara took a step toward Master Vorrel and bowed low. "Master, I am pleased to see you returned safe from your journeys." She straightened herself to stand before Laedra, calmly awaiting any deserved rebuke for her previous actions.

"Welcome back, Talara Sorenne," her former Master replied formally. "I hope you are prepared to begin training upon our return to the Temple - there is much lost time to make up for."

Talara bowed again. "I am prepared, Master," she said. "I hope that I may serve you well as your student, and honour the memory of Master Andro. I am prepared."

Laedra smiled faintly. "Again? I do recall having this conversation with you before, Ms. Sorenne."

"It will be the last time the conversation will be needed, Master," Talara answered, then blushed slightly. "My commitment and dedication to the Jedi Order is greater than anything in my life."

"Then," Laedra told her softly, "we have much to discuss, Talara."

"Of course, Master," Talara said. "I look forward to learning from your teachings."

With a half-bow, Laedra dismissed herself from the short exchange and stepped past her former Padawan, heading toward the speeder awaiting them.

Koran and the other Padawans were telling the story of their trip with the Hjarii as Kael slipped behind the controls of the speeder and they started for home.

***

Laedra Vorrel and Talara Sorenne stood facing each other in one of the small, enclosed rooms within the Temple. They had been back at the Temple for three hours and the sun was beginning to set. Light filtered through the small window, casting a reddish glow through the room. Talara faced her former teacher calmly.

"Are you at peace with what has happened to you, Talara Sorenne?" Laedra asked quietly. Her features conveyed little emotion, but there was a softness in her expression that was not lost upon Talara.

"I am, Master," Talara answered. "I have spent a lot of my time since my return in meditation, and I believe I have accepted what happened to me, and I've moved forward. The ordeal I went through taught me much about myself and others, and about the Force."

"And what is it you have learned about yourself, Talara?" she asked.

"I am at peace when I live in harmony with the Force," Talara said. "My thoughts and emotions are clear when my emotions are calm. I was tempted by darkness, and I believe I had fallen to the Dark Side for a time. But, I have found that I am stronger when walking the path of the Light Side, when I am at peace and in harmony with life."

Laedra's inscrutable gaze remained unwavering as she continued to question Talara. "Have you discovered, Talara, why you succumbed to the darkness?"

"I was tempted by promises of pleasure," she answered. "It was feelings I had never felt before, and they were enjoyable. The promise of more lulled me farther after Nieme and Dani. While I did find great pleasure in their offering, I was not at peace. A good man pulled me back from the abyss, opened my eyes to the path on which I was standing. It was then I knew for certain I had gone wrong, and needed to return to the path of the Jedi. I could not destroy the memory of Master Andro. I could not throw away his teaching. I could not, when you had offered me so much, turn my back to you. And, I had to help Keeve and the other prisoners get free of Nieme and Dani. I succumbed because I was weak."

"No," Laedra told her with a tenderness to her tone, "it wasn't weakness, Talara. You simply encountered temptation and all these other influences you had never been exposed to previously. I...didn't prepare you well enough for them. I, myself, wasn't prepared when I first faced such trials." Allowing a hint of a smile to surface, she confided, "I failed, too...but I'm a better person, and a far more disciplined Jedi for it. That is not to say you should do that again," Laedra added firmly, "but...learn from your experiences, Talara, or you really will have accomplished nothing through your struggles."

"I believe I have learned, Master," Talara said. "Kael told me that it seemed that my control with the Force was stronger."

She nodded slowly, but seemed not yet satisfied. "And...are you still involved with Ferrig Mullerin, Padawan?"

"I have not had a chance to speak with him yet, Master," Talara said. "I do still care for him very much. I love him, as much as I am able to. I have been uncertain how to say what I need to say to him, and I do not want to hurt him. We have not been intimate since I was rescued, even after I did realize the idea of making love to him no longer held the fears associated with my captivity in Jadda's palace. I knew that to do so would be contrary to my dedication to the Jedi Order."

"But what do you intend to do about it?" Laedra pressed. "Talara...if you wish to return to training, I must demand that you cease your intimate relationship with Ferrig Mullerin at once. I will not force you...I won't even threaten to have you expelled from the Order if you don't do so, but do realize that you run the risk of repeating what has happened if you do not."

"It is my intention to do so, Master," Talara answered. "It's just...I know I'm going to hurt him when I tell him, but I know I must tell him. I will go to him tonight and talk to him, tell him that I will be unable to continue our relationship, for at least as long as my training continues. Though, I am unsure what will happen after, and I do not wish to lead him on. I have known that I must end my relationship with Ferrig, but I have hesitated to put off possibly hurting him. I hope that is understandable, Master."

"It is not," Laedra informed Talara gently. "Even now you are allowing that relationship to interfere with what you know is right. That is precisely why the Jedi of old forbade such attachments - they hinder action when action is sometimes necessary. I fear you still have a long way to come before you can learn this, Talara."

"Master, were the old rules to be reinstated, would you find difficulty in telling Master Darr that you had to end the relationship?"

"It would be difficult, of course," she answered forthrightly, "but I would not hesitate, Talara, as he would not, I'm certain. If we find it interfering with our primary duties as Jedi, then we would have no alternative."

Talara nodded. "I have known that I must talk to Ferrig," she said. "While I know I cannot lead him on, or allow him to believe the situation is different than it is...I have been uncertain his emotions are ready for this. I am certain his friends will be able to comfort him, and I will offer him what friendship I am able under the conditions. He seems to have been in a rather fragile mental state lately."

Sensing Talara's distress over the situation, Laedra's obdurate facade dropped away and was replaced by compassion. She laid a hand on Talara's shoulder. "Is this anything you'd wish to discuss? We are not cruel beings, Talara. Although this must be done, we still must consider Ferrig's emotions, and discover the most delicate manner in which to accomplish this."

"Thank you, Master," Talara said. "While I was a prisoner, Ferrig was very worried about me, and he has been very supportive of me. It would be inconsiderate for me to just turn him aside after what he has done for me. I would like to be able to...to break it to him gently, I think. But, it must be soon, and it will be a clean break. And, I will be strong."

"You will," Laedra assured her, then added softly, "but it will still hurt, Talara. Do know that I am here if you need to talk about it."

"Thank you, Master," Talara said, and her expression clearly showed that she truly was thankful. "Perhaps there will be a future for me with Ferrig someday, but I will have to see when that eventual day arrives, if it ever does."

"But in the meantime, focus on your training, Talara. We do not want to lose you again." Her sentiments were reinforced with a fond smile, then Laedra established the necessary distance between herself and her Padawan by stepping back and stating formally, "Meet me tomorrow morning at daybreak by the waterfalls. Your training shall resume then."

"I will be there, Master," Talara said, and bowed. "Have a good night, Master."

Laedra returned the bow. "And to you, Padawan. I hope to see you in the morning."

Talara stood for several moments after Laedra was gone. "I will be there, Master," she whispered. "I will not let you down again. I promise."

She moved to one of the meditation couches, pausing to look out the window. The sky had gone dark, and stars could be seen through the trees surrounding the temple. Settling herself onto the couch, Talara closed her eyes and relaxed into meditation. The anxiety over what she needed to do with Ferrig slipped away. She knew the right of it, and knew what she needed to do. Her fear was in hurting Ferrig, but it would have to happen. She could not become a Jedi with the distraction of love, the division of her loyalties. Peace settled around her like a cloak, filled her with light and life.

Talara Sorenne, Jedi Padawan, was ready to resume the path to becoming a Jedi, ready to become the Jedi Master Andro and Master Laedra wanted her to be, the Jedi she wanted to be.

---

"Routine Checkup"
Dr. Lyza Royale - Director, Yallder Free Clinic
Senior Attending Physician, Chimaerian Medical Center
Jae Dyn Brael - Jedi Knight

Location: Chimaerian Medical Center, Yesopol District, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 23, 4 ABY

***

Dr. Lyza Royale took one last sip of her tea before selecting the last remaining datapad in the queue set aside for patients awaiting to be seen. As she expected, her "colleagues" had managed to come in early and grab what they felt would be the most interesting and challenging cases available, leaving Royale what they assumed would be grunt work.

In short, her colleagues resented her. Truthfully, Lyz couldn't say she blamed them. She'd applied for the position as an attending physician at the CMC and received it, despite the fact there were others with far more experience than she who had been dreaming of landing the position. Of course, she didn't find that out until after her arrival, after she realized her superiors were interested in perhaps seeing her fail, or perhaps seeing if her surname, which matched that of her two once prominent and well respected researcher-doctor parents, could bring the CMC the notoriety it craved. Good or bad notoriety apparently didn't matter. As long as the spotlight were kept on Chimaerian Medical Center, the coffers would remain full.

And so, despite the CMC's bright lights, freshly painted walls and seemingly endless supply of medicines and cutting edge medical equipment, Lyz much preferred her job at the Yallder Free Clinic as its director to her job at the CMC. Both were rewarding in their own ways, and she knew without the CMC she could not afford to eat, so Lyz resolved to do what she could to help her patients and wish the rest of the job to hell.

Today, the gods had smiled upon her. A routine prenatal exam was hardly noteworthy for most doctors looking for prestige, but it was a far cry from pronouncing drug addicts or cleaning up vomit.

Lyz gently knocked on the door before walking into the exam room, her slightly too long white coat trailing behind her. "Jae Dyn Brael?" she asked with a polite smile. "I'm Dr. Lyza Royale. I'll be doing your pre-natal exam today."

"Good morning, doctor," Jae Dyn said. "I'm glad you were able to see me. I haven't been having much success finding a replacement doctor since the accident." She kept her face neutral, though inside she was still upset that her doctor had been killed in one of the reprisal attacks resulting in the ongoing war with Nieme and Dani. "Thankfully I'll be moving in with friends in the city this week for the duration of my pregnancy. It should keep me close, at least, until the birth."

Lyz wondered where the child's father was, but knew better than to pry from her time at the clinic. "I'm glad you'll be close to the hospital for the remainder of your pregnancy." Royale indicated Jae should undress behind the privacy screen and put on the gown laying over the screen. "I hope you don't mind, but I want to do a complete exam since it has been awhile since your last exam according to your records. I must say, I'm surprised to hear you say you've had trouble finding a replacement physician. Weren't any of the others on staff available?"

Jae Dyn stepped behind the screen as directed and began removing her clothing. "I'm certain someone was available," she said. "I didn't really take the time needed to seek someone out. Things have been quite busy for me lately, and taking time away wasn't really a possibility until now."

Outwardly, Lyz's expression remained neutral, but she wondered what could keep a mother so busy that she could neglect necessary prenatal appointments. "Well, I'm glad things worked out for you, and I hope you will make an effort to avoid stress as much as possible for the time remaining."

"That's why I'm relocating to the city," Jae Dyn said from behind the screen.

A moment later, Jae Dyn emerged from behind the screen now wearing a hospital gown. Lyz indicated Brael should make herself comfortable on the examination table and she consulted the scanners and Brael's medical records. "Before I take a look, do you have any specific concerns you'd like me to address? Have you had any problems with this pregnancy? According to your records, this is your second, correct?"

"That's correct," Jae Dyn said. "And, so far everything has been fine. I've been keeping a good watch on my own body, and I've made sure to avoid any activities that would overtax my body. Though, generally it takes quite a bit to overtax my body, even when I'm about ready to give birth."

As Lyz took a brief scan to check on Brael's vitals as well as those of her child, she turned and smiled. "It's definitely more of a marathon than a sprint. Were there any complications with your daughter's birth? Your medical records are a bit sketchy when it comes to that. I believe you were off-world at the time?"

Royale noted the child's heartbeat was strong and scans showed the child was right where expected in terms of development. Lyz noticed the child was positioned "head first" just as expected, and she knew that soon, Jae Dyn would be feeling the pressure.

"I was on Tatooine when Yelara was born," Jae Dyn said. "And, there were no medical complications with her birth. While I had little money at the time, I did receive very good care at the time."

Lyza became naturally curious about Jae Dyn's earlier lack of finances, but as this was not a tell all interview, she chose to focus on the pertinent medical facts. "And the child's father?"

"Yara's father is here on Tae'Karada," Jae Dyn replied. She touched her swollen belly. "I am uncertain who the father of this one is."

Lyza's face showed no trace of judgement, but inwardly she wondered why a beautiful and seemingly well cared for woman like Jae Dyn Brael would have concerns about her child's paternity. She was used to it with the young girls at the clinic, but it surprised her to think that a similar fate had befallen this woman. "That isn't a problem," Lyz reassured with a smile, "if you're aware of some conditions in the genetic histories of the potential fathers, we can scan for those and then of course, conduct comprehensive scans just to make sure things are fine."

Jae Dyn looked briefly confused, then nodded. "Whatever you think is best," she said. "Though, I don't really have any knowledge of what anyone's genetic histories might be."

Lyza was hesitant to pry, but the doctor in her felt compelled to ask, especially since Jae Dyn had not seen a doctor for some time. "Forgive me for getting so personal, but I feel it's necessary to ask to ensure your health: Was this pregnancy planned? What I mean to ask is, were the relations which resulted in the conception of this child consensual? If they weren't, there are additional blood tests we can perform just to make sure you didn't contract anything. No one has to know but you and I."

Royale wondered if that was perhaps why Brael was staying with friends rather than a husband, but she didn't want to rush to conclusions.

"This pregnancy was not planned," Jae Dyn answered. "I have not been with anyone with whom I wasn't at least passing familiar. And, I can assure you there are no health issues from my encounters. At the time this child was conceived, I was going through a difficult time, and sought comfort from a number of different men to whom I was close. It was a fairly open series of relationships, and I was not paying attention at the time to when the child was conceived."

Even as her brain reminded her how wrong and misleading it was to judge a book by its cover, another part of her couldn't believe that this woman would make those kinds of choices. Her teenagers at the clinic, certainly, and perhaps only one other man if they weren't pleasure girls, but Jae Dyn Brael, a grown woman with a child?

Lyza gestured for Brael to lay down while she calibrated the scanner once more. "Will these men be attending the birth?" Lyza gently palpated the other woman's abdomen to check the baby's size and condition. "Let me know if you feel anything other than the pressure of my fingers. Sometimes the scanners can miss things like fractures or bleeding, so a manual check is better." Royale didn't mention that the scanners had been known to miss a second baby, not wanting to scare her.

Jae Dyn nodded. "I don't believe they will," she said. "Liam may, but I'm not sure. I know Keeve will be there. He wouldn't miss it."

"Keeve?"

"He's a very close friend," she said. "He's the one I'm staying with in the city."

Royale nodded, helping Jae Dyn rise to a sitting position. "Before I draw blood and send you off for those scans, I need to know if you'd like anything specific for the birth. For example, do you want pain medication or are you planning for this to be a natural birth? Also, I'll need to know if you have a labor coach?"

"Natural," Jae Dyn answered. "And, I should be fine. This will be my second, after all. I made it through Yara, so I'm fairly certain this one will be fine. As in, I don't believe I'll need help for that." She smiled at the doctor, hoping it was a reassuring gesture. "I'll be fine."

"I'm sure," Lyza replied with a nod, noting it seemed Jae Dyn was trying to be reassuring. "Although are you trying to convince me or yourself? There's no shame in painkillers, Jae Dyn. And perhaps I'm misreading things, but I just wanted to say it's ok to be afraid. I get the sense you've been through a great deal."

Jae Dyn laughed. "You could say that, yes," she said. "And, I just wanted to assure you that I am capable of withstanding a considerable bit more pain than the average person."

"You're talking from considerable experience, I presume?" Royale did not want to pry, but she was definitely curious about the people she met, particularly if she thought it would make her a better physician for them.

"I have been trained as a Jedi, Doctor," Jae Dyn said. "Through the Force, I am able to accomplish many things that average people cannot."

Lyza frowned, as if to say, 'Oh. That.' Royale smiled politely. "Good to know. Though I'd definitely advise against delivering this child on your own all the same."

Royale turned, but before she summoned a nurse to escort Brael to the lab where they would draw blood and do the necessary detailed scans, she met Brael's eyes. "I'm now your physician of record. Barring any major catastrophes, I'll be delivering your child. I will be on-call for you day and night. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach me. Now, I'm going to have a nurse escort you to the lab for your blood tests and additional scans. That nurse will be arriving with a wheelchair. Please use it and think of it as a well deserved rest. After the results have been compiled, you'll come back here at which time we'll go over the results. If all goes well, you can get dressed and escape from my clutches."

Jae Dyn laughed softly. "Thank you, doctor," she said. "Though, I have a feeling that we probably won't have any more meetings until after I've had the baby. I have a feeling soon will be very soon."

Lyza smiled. "I sure hope you don't mean you're planning to deliver this baby by yourself. I don't care what you're guided by, whether it's the Force or the Great Bird of the Galaxy, when the time comes, it will help to have someone with you to assist you in bringing this child into the world. You'll find I'm very persistent when it comes to my patients."

"You have no need to worry," Jae Dyn said with another laugh. "I have no desire to try to do this on my own. Besides, Keeve would explode if I even tried, and I couldn't do that to him."

Lyza waggled a finger in the Jedi's direction teasingly. "I'll hold you to that," she replied with a smile. "I need the job security."

"You have nothing to worry about, Doctor," Jae Dyn said. "I will be here for you to deliver my baby, and I doubt you will ever need to truly worry about the security of your job. Good doctors are very hard to find, especially with times as they are now. So, I guess I'm okay to go home now?"

Royale nodded. "Assuming all checks out with your test results, as soon as you're done at the lab, you're free to go."

---

"When The Bough Breaks"
Dr. Lyza Royale - Director, Yallder Free Clinic
Senior Attending Physician, Chimaerian Medical Center
Taleel - Teen Runaway/Yallder Pleasure Girl

Location: Yallder Free Clinic, Yallder District, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 23, 4 ABY

***

The tension left her shoulders slowly as she gently lowered the blaster and placed it under the counter that served as the clinic's reception desk, her trigger finger easing from its bent position to back to normal. It was the third time in the last half hour she'd heard weapon's fire seemingly just outside her clinic's doors. The walls of the cobbled together building continued to vibrate in time to whatever music Yallder's night owls insisted on listening to.

Not for the first time in the three hours since the clinic had opened its doors for its first day of operation, Dr. Lyza Royale wondered what the hell she was thinking when she decided to open the clinic in the city's most dangerous district. It certainly wasn't for money. Serving citizens who otherwise couldn't afford medical care, the clinic depended on the donations of others, or when possible, whatever her patients could afford to spare. Royale wasn't sure the clinic would last till tomorrow let alone long enough for her to see any real profit.

It wasn't for prestige. Lyza already landed a job with the Chimaerian Medical Center. A place with working lights and plenty of supplies, not to mention staff that had gone to the best medical schools Tae'Karada and the Outer Rim had to offer. She smiled reassuringly at her meager staff of six nurses, four of whom were medical interns looking to gain more experience. They were greener than Lyz could ever remember being, but after reviewing their academic records, Lyz had no choice but to allow them to see patients. They had earned it, and she needed the help. The other two staff members were people she had "borrowed" from Chimaerian. She winked at the male she'd promised to have dinner with tomorrow night. At this point, she might have promised to have dinner with all six if it kept them from running for their lives.

"Doctor Royale!" came a shout from the doorway. Her hand went again to her blaster until she achieved recognition. One of her male nurses was supporting a wholly unkempt woman in tattered clothes - her dress nearly concealed all sign of her distended stomach, but Lyz's trained eye detected immediately the source of the girl's troubles. She was groaning in pain and breathing rapidly. Her sweat-soaked face raised to eye Lyz groggily, and abruptly screwed up as she emitted a pained scream.

"Over here," called Lyz, directing the nurse to move the woman to the exam table. Her scanner was in hand, but she had a feeling everything she needed to know could be determined using more traditional means. "Alysa," she called over to the young female intern, "take over for Clint." Lyz smiled apologetically to the male nurse, but he seemed to understand that a young woman would not want another man seeing her in such a position. What's more, he seemed relieved that he wouldn't have to assist.

The young female intern followed Royale to the bed and Lyz closed the curtain that was to give the woman some semblance of privacy. The clinic's budget wasn't large enough to afford privacy forcefields. She spoke gently to the young woman who was currently gasping for air. "My name's Lyza, and that's Alysa. We're going to take care of you, but I need to ask you some questions. Can you tell me your name and how far along you are?"

"How the hell should I know, lady?" she snapped breathlessly. "I didn't know I was knocked up until--" The young girl gritted her teeth and cradled her stomach.

This wasn't the beginning she'd dreamt of when she decided to open the clinic, but she should have remembered what living in Yallder did to some people. Showing any kind of emotion or tenderness was akin to wearing a bull's-eye. "That's ok, but it would help if I knew your name." Royale directed Alysa to help the young woman into a gown. Despite obviously being in pain, scans showed it wasn't quite time for her to push yet and it would be helpful to get her in something clean. From what she could tell, the baby was healthy, if a little small, most likely from malnourishment. There were no signs the girl was a chronic drug user, but she would have to rule that out before administering anything.

Lyza was just about to yell for one of her students to set up a tray containing everything she would need to facilitate the delivery and attend to the baby once he or she arrived, when she turned and was pleasantly surprised to see it had been provided for her. Granted, it looked like half their inventory had been brought out, but at least she knew all was sterile and the instruments were calibrated correctly. The seven of them had done all of that just three days ago. She would of course have to talk to them about specific protocol later.

Lyza's attention returned to her patient just as the girl was being helped onto the examination bed. She was resisting and fussing, but the nurses managed to accomplish their task once the pain again overwhelmed the young woman. Her plaintive groans were punctuated by whimpers. "I should've been more careful," she sobbed. "I...I didn't think this would happen. I haven't been out there that long...."

Fortunately, Lyz was too busy easing the young girl's legs into position to openly reveal her surprise. She'd forgotten just how young the girls were who started their lives in the pleasure trade. "You've been working as a pleasure girl?" Royale's tone (she hoped) hadn't come across as judgemental. It helped, however, to have all the information she could to properly treat the dark haired, dark eyed slip of a girl who couldn't have been older than sixteen.

Lyz saw from the corner of her eye that Alysa was already prepping an IV line full of fluids. They couldn't risk pain medicine this far along in delivery and she still had no idea if the girl had used any drugs.

"I had no other choice," the girl admitted weakly. "It...it was only supposed to be for a while - until I made enough to find a place and got a job..." She cried out and folded over her stomach as another contraction seized her. "Get it out!" the young girl screamed. "It hurts!"

Royale nodded and filed this information away. There was too much going on to shake her head at the travesty. "I know, Hon, I know. This will be over soon. I want you to take some deep breaths for me." Lyz took a last look at the scanner and saw that all was as it should be. The baby's heart beat was increasing with the contractions and recovering nicely between contractions. Alysa had managed to attach a fetal monitor to the girl's burgeoning abdomen and Royale was comforted by the dual sounds of mother and child heartbeats. "That's a fetal monitor, it's going to allow us to monitor you and the baby between your contractions. But I need to know, have you taken any drugs during your pregnancy?"

Even in the girl's agony, she managed a scathing glare askance at Lyz. "I'm not a spicehead, if that's what you mean," the girl rasped. "I drink a little. Helps my nerves settle before I have to...to do stuff."

Royale held up her hands in apology. "I'm asking to protect the health of your baby. There are precautions we can take, but it helps to know."

Lyz locked eyes with her nurse. "Prep an incubator and breathing mask just so we're covered."

Alysa was just about to leave the monitors when they began emitting a steady beep. "She's fully dilated, Lyz." Alysa nodded to the closest intern, who appeared to be hovering just outside the curtain. "Get Dr. Royale an infant breather and the incubator." The student nodded and seemed relieved to be doing something besides listening to the poor girl scream.

"Ok, Hon, the nurses are getting ready for your little one, but you have some work to do. On the next contraction, I want you to take a deep breath in and push. Once the baby's head is out, I'll ask you to stop pushing so I can suction his or her nose and throat. Do you think you can push?"

Alysa, clearly the senior of her staff, was prepping the pillows behind the girl and offering her a hand for support. Too pain-stricken to be wary, the girl accepted and pushed with all her feeble might. Her efforts lasted a brief time before the girl coughingly exhaled and wheezed in a breath. She shook her head vigorously. "Too hard... I can't. I can't!"

Lyz wished she had at least the girl's first name so things wouldn't be so impersonal in this most intimate moment, but she understood the girl's reluctance. Trust no one but yourself was the unspoken Yallder motto. "I know it hurts, sweetheart, but I know you can do it. If you can survive Yallder, you can survive anything. I promise, we're not going to let anything happen to you here, but you need to help your baby."

A harsh, bitter laugh spilled from the girl's lips. "Why? Why should I help it?! No one's helped me!"

"Because you're this child's mother, and because he or she didn't ask to come into this world," Lyz replied evenly. "This baby's going to come, hon. You can't hold him or her in. Let me know when you feel the next one."

A grating moan rippled from her throat and the girl fisted the sheets in her hands. Her tearful eyes fixed on Lyz, and in them was complete resignation for her situation. With a bob of her head, the girl indicated she was ready, if not still frightened about what was to come.

"I know you're scared, Hon, but you're going to be fine. Take a deep breath in and push down. You can do this."

For a moment, as the young woman surrendered finally to Lyz's gentle commands, watching her wide-eyed and bewildered, Lyz caught a glimpse of the girl's true youthfulness. She truly was just a child herself caught unawares in a predicament she was hardly prepared for. And it showed in the utter fear written on her face. Accepting Lyz's guidance, for there seemed to be no end to her pain if she resisted, the young girl bore down and pushed until her face was red and her eyes were clenched shut in strain.

Royale's brain snapped back to reality as she saw a shiny patch of black hair begin to shine through. "One more big push and the baby's head should be out." Alysa was leaning over the girl to wipe her forehead.

She sucked in a deep, shaky breath to prepare for the next push, and gagged on it. Then, she was hanging her head over the bedside and vomitted what little she had ingested that day. And with the spittle still dripping from her lips, onto the stunned intern's shoes, the girl sobbed plaintively.

Alysa had the good sense not to react angrily or with disgust and like the trained medical professional she was, used the cloth to wipe the girl's mouth. The intern grabbed an emesis basin and held it under the girl's chin in case she felt sick again. "It's ok, sweetie, I hated these shoes anyway."

Lyz wished for once that she could be beside her instead of cracking the whip. "That's normal, Hon, that's your body's response to the pain and effort. Once this baby's out, you'll feel better, I promise." A quick glance at the monitors told her all looked well.

"What do I do?" the girl whimpered exhaustedly. She feebly pushed the basin away from her face and lay back against the elevated mattress. Stifling another pained cry, she watched Lyz desperately for guidance. "I'm so tired..."

With another look at the monitors, Lyz looked up at her most experienced intern. "Hey, Lys, you ever deliver a baby before?"

Alysa's eyes widened in surprise. "Sure. Once. In training."

Royale nodded but she was already moving. "I need you to do this. Now. We'll help."

Thankfully, Alysa knew better than to protest and although clearly unexpected, she took Royale's place at the foot of the bed between the girl's narrow hips. "The baby's retreated some, but he's almost crowning."

"Hear that?" Lyz said, looking to the fatigued girl. "Your baby needs you to be brave, and together, we're going to show the little one how." Royale helped the girl sit up some, and wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders to support her, while she offered the girl her other hand. "When you feel the next one, I want you to squeeze my hand and push."

The young woman studied Lyz sidelong and curiously, then asked, "I thought you were the doc? Aren't you supposed to be...doctoring?"

Lyz shrugged. "You're the one holding up the show. Unless you do your part to push this baby out, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. Alysa can deliver a baby, but apparently, she's no good for motivation. Time for the big guns."

"And," she surmised breathlessly, "that would be you?"

" 'fraid so," replied Lyza. "There's no trick or con here, hon. We're not going to hurt you, not like those men, not like the father of your child. Just let the pain come and know it's ok to cry or scream. We won't tell."

The girl continued watching her suspiciously, still wary of the strangers setting out to help her. But, much to Lyza's surprise, the young woman cracked a wiry smile and nodded. "Then...let's do this." And with a fount of unexpected vigor, the girl clasped Lyza's hand, squeezed, and pushed with all her might.

"Good girl," Lyz praised as she wiped the girl's forehead. "You're doing very well."

"The head's out," called Alysa, her voice a mixture of fear and wonder. She was already reaching for the bulb to suction the child's nose and mouth.

With a calm certainty, Lyz replied, "On the next contraction, she's going to push and you're going to gently guide the baby out. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need, Lys."

"The baby," Lyza's patient panted, trying to look down between her legs for the child. "Is it-- Can I see her soon?"

Lyz hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether the mother to be was planning to keep her child. "Of course. If you want to see him or her once he or she is born, you can."

"I do," the girl whispered. "I do very much." And overwhelmed again by the pain, she cried out then again began pushing until she was red in the face.

"That's it," Lyz crooned, "you're doing it!" Royale managed to see that Alysa was guiding the baby out with kid gloves. One second the baby was fighting to be free and the next moment, the baby was in her arms, starting to whimper.

Royale could tell Alysa was shocked at the suddenness of it all, but she managed to call out, "It's a girl!" while reaching for the bulb to clear the newborn's lungs.

"A-A girl?" the mother managed between breaths. She had collapsed onto the mattress in exhaustion, and despite it, the young woman tried to rise onto her elbows and view her child. "Is she here? Why-- Why can't I hear her?"

"You will," Lyz replied, "just as soon as Alysa clears her nose and throat and cuts the cord." It took a few minutes, mostly, Lyz surmised, because Alysa was nervous, but she managed to cut the cord and clear the baby's breathing passages. It didn't take long before the baby began to wail.

Wrapping the newborn in a blanket, Alysa handed the new mother her daughter.

She was hesitant and cradled the child awkwardly, but the wonderment experienced by the girl as she stared at her baby was not in doubt. "She's...I can't believe she actually came from me," the young woman whispered in awe. "I did this?"

"You did," replied Lyza, trying hard to keep the emotion from her voice. Royale still had no idea what was going to happen to the little girl or her mother, and she knew that she could not influence the girl's decision. So she returned to what she knew best. "How are you feeling, physically?"

"I'm tired," she answered absently. "But...but I want to look at her some more." Looking up at Lyza, the young woman asked expectantly, "Can I?"

"Of course," Lyz answered, nodding to Alysa to keep an eye on the girl. "Just don't overtax yourself and let us know when you get tired. You'll need to start nursing her soon. Babies get a lot of benefits from their mothers' milk, especially early on."

One of the disadvantages of the clinic was that it wasn't set up to be a place for long-term care. They had no separate nursery, nor any private wards. Any patient whom required extensive long-term care was to be stabilized in her clinic and then transferred elsewhere. The only problem was people from Yallder either didn't trust others to take care of them and bolted, or hospitals were reluctant to take people who couldn't pay.

Lyz wasn't about to kick this girl and her child out so soon after the girl had given birth, however. Royale looked to the girl's monitor to make sure her vitals were stable and then began staunching the bleeding. "Another minute and then Alysa will take your daughter and make sure she's ok. We'll get you cleaned up, and when you're up for it, I'm going to have you moved to a bed farther from the door where you'll have more privacy. Don't worry, you can be with your baby if you like."

"My baby..." The girl chuckled bitterly. "She won't be mine for long. How the hells am I supposed to take care of something so small and fragile...." Her voice dropped to a hoarse whisper and a glistening droplet of water splattered onto the baby's cheek from her mother's eye. "I...I can't keep her. I can't."

Like the professional she was expected to be, Lyz placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and asked her the dreaded questions. "Do you have any family? Someone who could help you raise her? A boyfriend?"

She shook her head sullenly. "I have no one." Raising her head abruptly, a glimmer of hope shone in her wide eyes. "Can't you keep her? I bet you'd make a good mother and she'd never be hungry or sad or cold... Won't you do it? Please...for her?"

Lyz smiled gently and somehow the words tumbled from her without her heart ever feeling their sting. "I wish I could, Hon, but I work too much to raise a child. I have two jobs and I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to care for her as she deserves to be cared for. I want you to take some time before you decide. There are shelters, places you can go, or adoption agencies that can find your daughter a good home. But there's plenty of time for all that. Will you tell me a little of yourself?"

"There's nothing to tell," she explained with a shrug. Her attention reverted to her baby girl, now resting silently in her arms. The sight of the tiny child seemed to cast off any of the girl's shields. "I...I'm Taleel. That's all I know about who I am." So soft was her voice, Lyza had to lean in closer to hear. "I started out there last year, when...when I arrived from Coruscant. I had nothing there, either." She chuckled weakly, bitterly. "I'm just a whore, Doctor, and I got a baby, now...but at the same time, I don't have anything. I can't keep her. I can't even get a job. How'm I supposed to feed her? How'm I supposed to keep her from turning into me?"

Lyza didn't realize how determined she was to save this girl until she heard the sense of urgency in her own voice. "I will help you find a good and safe place to live, Taleel. Social services will have a safe place for you to go, I'll make sure of it. You can go to school, find a better and safer job. If you need to find a home for your daughter, they will help you find a good home."

"No they won't," Taleel told her resentfully. "They've never done a thing to help me yet. They're gonna help me now because I've got a little baby? Is that how it works?" She shook her head firmly, rustling her damp, tangled locks. "I don't want help from those hypo-- hypaco--" Taleel stumbled on the word and frowned momentarily as she searched her mind for it. She gave up with a growl of frustration, startling her child, who whimpered sulkily. Taleel quickly and instinctively lowered her lips to the girl's brow and whispered soothingly. The baby silenced almost instantly.

"You went to them before," asked Royale, noting that the girl seemed to have good maternal instincts despite her fear.

She shrugged. "I...I tried, but I was too intimidated. I don't need people like that judging me. I get enough of it from jerks I pass on the streets."

Lyza wasn't exactly thrilled with the people at social welfare either, but they worked hard to find her a place to go after her parents were killed. "You shouldn't have to do this on your own Taleel. What if I went with you to the social welfare office? They wouldn't dare give you a hard time with me there."

"Then what?" Taleel asked harshly. "Once you're gone, they'll go right back to treating me like dung. It won't work, lady! It never does. People don't want to help us. They want us to roll over and die."

"I wanted to help, and I bet you didn't expect that, did you? Taleel, you'll always have me as an ally. I will make sure you know how to reach me. If people try to hurt you or treat you like dung, they'll have me to deal with. I haven't let you down thus far, have I?"

The girl smiled in disbelief. "I hardly know you. Why the hells would you want to help me and Feylia?" With a sad, bashful shrug, she explained, "It's...it's what I thought I'd name her.... It's a good name, isn't it?"

"Of course it is," Royale replied, nodding firmly. "It's the name her mother gave her. And to answer your question, I want to help you because I'm a doctor and that's what doctors do. Besides," and Lyza grew somewhat hesitant, but pressed on, "I've been where you are. My parents were killed and I didn't want to go into the care of social services, so I lived on the streets for awhile. I got pregnant and then had to give my son up for adoption. I worked hard to get where I am, but I'd like to think I remember where I came from. The truth is, I had to learn to trust people in order to survive, and to make a better life for myself."

Taleel's eyes were wide, Lyza's story truly resonating with the girl. "You...that really happened to you? How do I know you're not just saying that to get me to trust you?"

"You don't," replied Lyza honestly, "But then again, I have no reason to need your trust. You have and always have had, the right to do as you wish. I just know how scary it is out there."

"I...I don't know," she sighed, and gazed down fondly at her sleeping girl. "I just... I'm a little tired. And so much has happened.... Can I think about things for a while?"

"Absolutely," replied Lyza, reaching over to pat the girl on the arm. "As a matter of fact, I'll need to take Feylia and check her out to make sure she's ok. We'll bathe her and record her vitals, and then after you wake, I'll show you how to nurse her. I'd like you to stay here at least a day so I can monitor you."

Taleel smiled at Lyza noncommittally and after bestowing her daughter with a tender kiss, she handed the girl over to Lyza. "Take care of her, Doctor," Taleel whispered. "She's...everything to me."

Royale cradled the newborn in her arms and smiled down at her before bestowing a grin on Taleel. "I will. Now, you get some rest, Taleel. I'll be in to check on you in a little while."

She turned to go, but turned back and said, "It's important that you rest and receive good post-natal care. Infection and bleeding are real concerns. Let us know if you need anything or anything changes."

The girl nodded, smiling weakly. "Thank you for everything, Doctor. Truly," she whispered, and finally closed her weary eyes to seek out some deserved rest.

---

"Family Reunited, Part 1"
By: Yara Zaneth
Va'Lesh Zaneth
Keeve Shivral
Talara Sorenne
Kallia Brael
Tralesha Zibel

Location: Jedi Temple; Tralesha and Orinth's Apartment, New Plouton
Date: Vadris 23, 4 ABY

***

Yara and Va'Lesh Zaneth's heads perked up in unison, their meditation period having ended prematurely. With many of the senior members of the Jedi Order far from the Temple, they had been charged with aiding in protecting their new home from any uninvited guests who may intend more than to simply pay a visit. Alerted to just such a person entering the Temple's perimeter, Yara and Va'Lesh were prepared to leap into action. Uncrossing their legs and rising from the meditation mats arranged upon the training room floor, Yara and Va'Lesh nodded to one another.

"I will take the rear, Va'Lesh. You may have the front."

Va'Lesh moved forward, pacing himself to give his companion enough time to get into position to come in behind the approaching individual. He could sense no malice or darkness approaching, but there were more dangers than through the dark side. Master Liam Zaneth, Va'Lesh's father, had instructed that the dark side clouds everything, and Va'Lesh did not want to risk finding this situation to be one of those clouded. As he sensed Yara's readiness, he quickened his pace toward the intruder.

The two, former clones created by Dargus Kandran, were trained to work together. As they moved, they seemingly moved as one, each complementing the other's actions. There were few foes who could hope to survive an encounter with the two young Padawans.

The figure came into view, and Va'Lesh used the Force to relay his intention to Yara. Her response reached him within the span of a heartbeat. He removed his lightsaber from his belt, and sprung as he felt Yara doing from behind their target.

Twin lightsabers of cobalt blue like their father's ignited in a mirror reflection of one another, levelled before and behind at the intruder's chest and back. Va'Lesh's blade illuminated the face of the startled man, who forced a hesitant, crooked grin. Keeve Shivral. "Uh...bad time?"

"Mr. Shivral," Yara stated flatly and deactivated her weapon before moving around Keeve to stand beside her brother. "We should not harm him, Va'Lesh. He is a friend of my mother's."

Va'Lesh studied Keeve's face briefly then nodded his agreement. "I do remember Mr. Shivral," he said. "Though, I do not remember him being so hurried during his last visit. Is there some manner in which we may help you, Mr. Shivral?"

He glanced pointedly at the lightsaber still aimed at his throat. "You could...put that away," Keeve suggested with a weak chuckle.

"You are being impolite," Yara chided Va'Lesh. "Do you wish to frighten our guest?"

Va'Lesh glanced at his blade, then deactivated it and returned it to his belt. "My apologies, Mr. Shivral," he said with a bow. "I did not mean to cause you any undo stress or fear."

Clearing his throat, Keeve shrugged off the incident with much macho arrogance. "Nothing, really.... Happens all the time." Noting Yara's skeptically arched eyebrow, Keeve added hastily, "But...I'm not here to boast. I'm here to see Kal. Can we go inside?"

"Of course," Va'Lesh said and indicated the large doors leading to the Temple. "However, you will not find Master Jae Dyn Brael here. She has temporarily relocated to the city for the duration of her pregnancy. Only Master Liam Zaneth, Padawan Talara Sorenne, Yara, and myself are currently in occupancy, at least for another hour."

Keeve halted behind them. "What? She's gone? Where?" Shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "She never even said a wor--" Va'Lesh and Yara turned to regard Keeve curiously as nothing else proved forthcoming from the man, and stared even more inquisitively at the expression of shock frozen on his face. "Talara..." he whispered. "Talara...she's here?"

"Yes," Yara answered tersely, supplying no further information.

Overflowing with anticipation, Keeve blurted, "Well, let me see her!"

Unaffected by his fervent demand, Yara simply tipped her head at him and replied, "Of course," before she and Va'Lesh resumed escorting him into the Temple.

They led Keeve through the corridors of the Temple, until finally they arrived in what appeared to be a deserted corridor. Va'Lesh stopped before a door that stood slightly ajar. From within, a dim light shone, but there were no other sounds. With a bow to Keeve, Va'Lesh stepped aside allowing Keeve access to Talara's room.

He nodded his thanks to the young man, and did the same to Yara as he crept towards the opening. Keeve was careful not to make a sound, not even a creak of old wood as he pushed Talara's door open wider. Then, there she was, seated cross-legged upon her floor with both eyes closed and a decidedly tranquil aspect to her features. Keeve was overjoyed, for she appeared whole when he had thought her harmed or worse in Nieme and Dani's thrall. Grinning, he looked back at Yara and Va'Lesh to mouth them a thank-you, which they interpreted correctly as polite dismissal.

Now alone with Talara, Keeve closed the door behind him, then approached her as soundlessly as he was capable of. Staring down at Talara, it seemed she had matured much in their time apart, even though he had known her little before then; he hoped it wasn't evidence of any suffering she might have endured after his escaped, one she had helped to orchestrate even to her own detriment. Driven by the guilt his realization inspired, Keeve was unaware of his hand reaching out to caress Talara's cheek as he murmured, "I'm sorry...for everything."

Talara's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. When her eyes found his, her lips curled into a smile and her eyes shone with delight. "Keeve!"

She leapt up from where she'd been meditating, and flung herself into his arms. "I'm so happy to see you! You can't believe how worried I was about you." She stepped back to look up at him, feeling a happiness she hadn't felt for quite some time, most definitely since escaping from the desert. "I...it's been a very busy time for me," she said. "I've wanted to come by to visit you, but haven't been able. I'm so glad you're here, Keeve. If...if it's okay with you, I promise to come visit more often, if you want me to, of course."

"You're always welcome, Talara," he told her, laughing gently. "You helped save my life - I'm sure Kim will want to thank you for that." Searching her eyes almost anxiously, Keeve hesitated to ask, "Are you-- I left you there, Tala...and if anything bad happened to you in that time...." He sighed heavily and held her close to his chest once again while his lips brushed her forehead. "I should've come back for you. I'm so sorry, Tala."

"I don't think I would have been there when you returned," she said. "Something bad did happen, but it's over now. They sent me to the Hutt in the desert, but Kael, Raeila, and Ferrig rescued me. And...I don't know how, really, but I learned a lot about myself in that time. It was terrible, but it's in the past." She looked up at him, her chin pressed against his chest. "And, I don't want you beating yourself up for it, either. I saved your life, and you helped save more than mine. I was going down a very dark path, and you helped pull me back, Keeve. Thank you for that."

"Did I really do all that much?" he asked her, smiling wanly. "I would have come back for you, Tala...but so much happened...." Sighing, Keeve smoothed his fingers through her hair as she gazed up at him. "Come home with me tonight, Tala. Tomorrow, we can spend the day together - I'll even introduce you to Kim. You two would get along great, I think."

Talara nodded. "I'd like that very much," she said. "Master Vorrel hasn't returned yet, so as long as I keep up with my training and studies, I should be alright away from the Temple." With her eyes caught in his, she studied him through the Force. "Something's bothering you."

Keeve shrugged and slowly pulled back. "No...nothing," he lied. "Just looking for Kallia, that's all. I'm a little upset that she wouldn't tell me where she was going...but that's it."

"Don't let that bother you," Tala said as she smoothed the front of his jacket and shirt. "We can visit her. She's staying with Orinth and Tralesha, and Orinth was very insistent that she come stay with him. I'm sure he'll be alright if she stays with you, since you're really close to the hospital too."

"Then on the way to my place, we'll drop in," Keeve decided. "So...you ready?" He smiled expectantly. "I know you probably need to meditate or whatever it is you Jedi do...but I really need to see her."

"Just a moment," Talara said, then hurried back to the closet set into the wall. She emerged a moment later, wrapping her billowing cloak about her. She was wearing a pair of Jedi robes similar to those worn by fellow Padawan Aurra Sgall. They were comfortable and allowed a full range of movement. While she did have a set of traditional robes in her closet, the ones she wore now were far more comfortable, especially while in the desert's heat. She quickly grabbed the traditional robes and put them into a shoulder bag, and moved to stand before Keeve who was watching her with a grin. "Okay, I'm ready."

"You sure are," he commented, tilting his head to one side to get a look at the full bag she was shouldering. Keeve grinned. "You planning a long stay then?"

"Just want to be prepared," she said with a big grin for him. "And, I'm planning to stay as long as you'll let me, or until they need me back here. Just point me to whichever couch is mine."

Chuckling, Keeve shook his head slowly and escorted Talara from her room. They passed Yara and Va'Lesh in the corridors, again standing watch over the Temple, and bid them both farewell as they departed. Keeve sighed. "How do you live here? In such...solitude and quiet."

"It isn't very hard," Talara said. "It does help to commune with the Force. The younglings can get fairly loud when they're all together. The training room can also get pretty hectic when we're dueling. The peace is good, especially for those of us who strayed and are finding the path again. But, it means we can go other places when we don't want solitude and quiet."

"And you like training as a Jedi?" Keeve asked carefully. "Is this what you want to...well...be?"

Talara nodded. "It is," she said. "I've wanted this all of my life. I got lost a little there, but it was because I was introduced to things I wasn't ready for. I didn't know how to handle it. I found my control again, and...and I don't think I'll falter again."

Keeve sighed and told her, smiling crookedly, "Well...if you do, there's always a job for you at Zenarr Inc., and a place for you in our home. I won't abandon you again, Tala. I never should've to begin with."

"Thank you," Talara said softly as she smiled up at him. She knew she couldn't argue with him, but she also knew events had happened the way they did for a reason. Her time in the desert was awful, but she ended up learning so much about herself and about the Force. She had come out of the desert stronger than she'd gone in, and as a Jedi that was important for her. "Part of my life is here, and always will be, but I will treasure the time I can spend with you, Keeve. And, even though I'll be a Jedi Knight someday, I'll always save time to spend with you."

"Then I guess I better start scheduling my time more effectively," he quipped as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "So many ladies with such little time in a day.... I'll never be able to please you all."

Tala laughed. "Well, maybe, even though I am a Jedi Padawan, I can help you at work too. I don't really know what I'd do, but I'm a fast learner. And, I'm sure it would be helpful to me as a Jedi too."

Keeve cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why? You Jedi perform public service, too? Well, if it means I wouldn't have to pay you...." He grinned and shot her a wink. "Just do whatever your heart guides you to do, Tala," Keeve advised. "You don't have to follow me around just because you've got a crush."

Talara grinned at him. "But, I happen to like you, you know," she said. "And, besides, I'd probably learn things other than Jedi things. If I only know how to be a Jedi, then I'm fairly limited. If I know about shipping routes, I can be a better Jedi when I need to know about them. And, right now, my heart guides me to you. I hope you don't mind."

Keeve's smile waned. "Well...as long as you aren't expecting anything from me," he warned her. "I've already got enough woman trouble as it is, Tala. Please promise you won't start hassling me, too."

Talara laughed. "I'll never stop loving you, Keeve," she said, "but I promise not to interfere with your other women. Besides, I think you may be too old and slow to keep up with me."

"What?!" he exclaimed. "I'll have you know, little girl, that I've been genetically enhanced in every way." Narrowing his eyes playfully at her, he emphasized, "Every way. So don't you worry about me. I can handle myself just fine."

She gave him a knowing smile and nodded, though the effect was that she clearly didn't believe him. "Of course," she said.

Grumbling irritably, Keeve opened the passenger-side hatch and jerked his head towards the opening. "How about you get in and cease insulting my manliness, hm?"

Talara giggled and hopped into the speeder. "Don't worry," she said. "I have seen enough to know that you have nothing to worry about. Now, get in and drive before your head pops right off your shoulders."

"Great," he muttered, sealing Talara inside the vehicle and trudging to the other side, "sounds just like Kim.... How do I get stuck with all these silly women?" Following a heavy sigh and a silent appeal to whichever gods inhabited Tae'Karada's skies, Keeve slipped into the vehicle and sped off for home.

***

"Right there," Talara said, and pointed to the space between a pair of lines painted onto the street. The marker lights running along the lines illuminated the space available for a speeder, and Keeve deftly pulled the speeder into the spot. Tala referred to the screen in front of her on the speeder's control surface. "Looks like it's right over there." She pointed at the screen, and then to a building across the street. "And, they should be in number six on floor three."

Keeve nodded and powered down the speeder. "Let's get going. It's already late." And with noticeable anticipation, Keeve ducked out of the speeder with Talara close behind. As had seemed a constant over the past month, snow again was falling on New Plouton and Keeve offered Talara the shelter of his coat from the cold while they hurried towards the building. He helped brush flakes from her hair once they reached the interior. "It's going to fall thick, so we shouldn't stay long," Keeve told her.

There was a loving look in her eyes as she gazed up at him, and nodded. She bit her lip as they moved to the lift at the end of the hall, making a point of not looking at him. The promise would haunt her now that she'd given it. But, in truth, she knew that as much as she longed for Keeve's love, he would never give it to her. He cared for her, that was certain, but his heart belonged to another. She sighed softly as they stepped into the lift, and tried to keep her thoughts on anything but his lips kissing hers.

"You still cold?" Keeve asked her curiously, watching Talara sidelong. "You're shivering."

"Too much time in the desert," Talara said softly. "I'll be fine. It's warm in here."

Keeve gave a cynical snort. "I think it's more to do with the fact that you're waifish. Don't they feed you at the Temple? Or is abstinence from food some part of your training?"

Talara laughed. "I eat," she said. "Not very much, but I do. I probably should eat more because of my training though."

"Uh huh..." he answered skeptically and continued to eye Tala with much curiousity. After a long moment of much scrutiny, Keeve sighed and eased off his jacket. "You women...so frail," he muttered while slipping it on around Talara's shoulders.

"You didn't have to," Talara said as she adjusted the jacket over her robe. "Thank you though. You're too good to me, Keeve."

He smirked. "Now you're starting to sound like Kim...or Maeren." The sudden souring of Keeve's mood was apparent, even to one without Force abilities. His mouth pressed into a taut line and his brows knitted to give his face its customary brooding look. Even mention of Maeren was apparently enough to put a damper on any glimmer of joy Keeve could find. Shaking his head bitterly, Keeve tramped out of the lift once it had halted, and waved curtly for Tala to follow. "We won't be long. You don't even have to come in if you don't want to," he told her.

"Oh, no," Talara said as she came up behind him. "I've always wanted to be around when you're all moody and ready to chew through durasteel. It's such a charming side of you. I don't know what your grumpy problems are, Keeve, but don't make me give you a spanking."

"Don't," Keeve warned gently, rounding on Talara. His expression was bereft of anything other than weariness and defeat. "Stop talking like that, will you? Just...everything...it reeks of Maeren and I can't have it. So...stop."

Talara let her expression harden and returned his stare levelly. "I will stop if I feel like it," she said. "Right now, I don't feel like it. If you believe you can behave that way toward someone you consider a friend, Keeve, then you have a lot to learn. If you're going to be angry or depressed over whatever is bothering you, that's fine. But, go crawl under a rock if you need to, but don't stay in my presence and ruin my day because you think you've got it bad. You swing your moods so fast that most people can't keep up, though I get the feeling that you don't care about that, which really just makes you a selfish brat who does deserve a spanking. And trust me, that isn't a spanking you would enjoy."

Keeve scowled at Talara and muttered, "Oh, but I bet you would." Then, he flashed her a smile that was nearly free of any tension. "Look, Tala...you have no idea what's going on right now. I've never had to deal with something like this in my life...and I'm not so sure I know how. You can understand that, can't you?"

"I can," she said with a smile. "I've been through some difficult times recently, Keeve. One thing that's helped me more than anything else has been having friends close. Don't shut those that care out when something bothers you. There's only so far you can push someone away...and if you push too hard, they may not be there when you do need them."

"I'm not pushing," he insisted. "I'm just...." Sighing, Keeve smiled apologetically at Talara and admitted, "Just being a brat. Sorry, Tala. I'll tell you everything, I promise. After we see, Jae, though, okay?"

Talara gave him a grin. "Of course," she said. "So, now that you're done being a brat, let's go."

Keeve saluted her with mock dignity. "As you command, Master Jedi." And, he turned on his heels sharply and marched for Kallia's door. After the first ring of her doorchime, Talara had joined him by his side. He shot her a sidelong wink and a grin.

After a moment, the door opened. A short, attractive woman stood on the other side. She smiled at Talara, then Keeve. "Hi Tala," she said. "It's great to see you again. And, hello to your friend as well."

"Tralesha, this is my friend, Keeve," Tala said. "We've come to see Master Jae Dyn."

Tralesha smiled and motioned them inside. "Come in, both of you," she said. "It's nice to meet you, Keeve."

"Yeah," he replied, eyeing the strange woman suspiciously. Before he could interrogate her on all subjects from parentage to her current employment, movement to his left caught Keeve's eye. He sighed sharply and hurried towards Kallia, waddling carefully into the living area. "What in all hells are you doing?" he chided fondly and wrapped his arm around her waist for support.

"I'm coming out to see you," Kallia said. "You're looking...well, worried. You do look good though. I guess you stopped by the Temple? You've saved me a call. Orinth and Tral asked me to stay with them to be closer to the doctor. Do you still have a spare bed at your place, my dear?"

"What?" Keeve asked in utter confusion. "Of course I do. But-- Kal, why didn't you comm me? I would've come by to get you if you wanted to leave the Temple. What if something had happened? How would I have found you?"

"Orinth or Tralesha would have contacted you," Kallia answered. "Or someone from the Temple. I'd only just decided, partially due to Orinth's convincing, and they were coming this way. I was going to be contacting you; I just hadn't had a chance to do so yet."

"It's lucky I found you first," he continued to admonish, helping Kallia onto the sofa. His eyes scanned her meticulously. "The baby's okay? Do you have everything you need here?"

"The baby is fine," she said, pressing a hand to her belly. "And Yara is good too. She loves being around Tralesha and Orinth, and I'm sure once she sees you, I won't be able to get her to sleep for hours. You're sure you have room for me at your place?"

Keeve sighed and finally settled enough to take a seat beside Kallia. "Yes, I'm sure," he told her gently. "There's room for you both." Looking around the room, Keeve mused, "Unless you'd planned on staying here...."

"It's a little small for four here," Kallia said. "And, they knew I was going to be talking to you. Besides, your place is close enough that I can visit when I need to, and maybe they can visit me."

"Of course." Keeve grinned. "Anything you want, Kal." Rubbing his hands together anxiously, Keeve asked, "So...you ready or do you need to pack? Snow's falling. Gotta hurry."

Kallia laughed. "I hadn't had a chance to really unpack yet. And, I'll need to get Yara ready to travel. She's in with Orinth now."

"Can I see her?" Keeve slipped his hand over Kallia's and leaned in to keep the others from overhearing. "I haven't been around lately - I know. I'm sorry. It's just...things with Maeren.... They're bad, Kal, and I've been trying to fix them...but I think I'm through trying. That's why I needed to see you. I wanted to just...get away."

"Come on," she said as she motioned for him to follow her. Tralesha and Talara had moved off to a corner together to talk. It appeared that Tral had made some tea for Talara, who was warming her hands on the cup as they spoke. As Kallia and Keeve disappeared from the room and walked down the hall together, she turned again to Keeve. "I'm very sorry things aren't working out with you and Maeren. Are you ready to talk about it, or did you want to wait until later?"

"There's no need. Things won't be changing any time soon," he said with a wry chuckle. "She took off, Kal. She took off and..." Keeve sighed and now his smile held a hint of bashfulness to it. "Me and Kim, we... Well...you know. I mean, Maeren's leaving just threw me over the edge, Kal. I was trying - really trying! - to resist Kim. But I couldn't torment her...or myself, anymore. So" --he shrugged-- "we're in love, and that's that, and Maeren be damned."

"Are you happy, Keeve," Kallia asked as she watched him. "Are you and Kim happy together? You don't feel regretful or guilty about your relationship with her, do you?" She gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

Keeve's gaze never wavered as he answered resolutely, "I love her, Kal, and I only regret that we didn't come together sooner. I hate that I'm turning my back on Maeren...but I've tried. What more am I supposed to do? Be miserable until she snaps out of it?"

"And, there is a chance she would never snap out of it, and you would spend the rest of your years in misery," Kallia said. She then smiled warmly at him. "I believe you did the right thing, Keeve. It was something you wanted, but were denying yourself previously. To deny your heart is unhealthy, especially in matters such as this. I am very happy for you, my dear."

"Happy? This only means you have to share me with one other woman," Keeve pointed out, and smiled knowingly. "Jealous?"

Kallia laughed. "Oh, I think I'll survive," she said. "And, I'm going to assume I won't have to share you with Talara, as much as she'd enjoy that."

Rolling his eyes, Keeve muttered, "She would, wouldn't she? Doesn't she have someone else she can drool over?"

Kallia laughed. "She cares for you very much," she said. "You're something of a hero to her. She has a boyfriend, though from what I understand he does have wandering eyes, as well as a very awkward relationship with his sister. For now, you're just an infatuation for her, and it'll pass in time."

"Hey!" Keeve exclaimed, affronted by the idea alone. "That's not true. She'll always have a thing for me. It's impossible for her not to!"

Kallia laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," she said. "I'm sure that after a time of your putting her off, she'll lose interest. And, then you'll be safe. She'll always like you, but after a time of being spurned, the torch she carries for you will dim. But, that is what you want, right?"

"I don't know, Kal," he answered significantly. "I've put you off for some time.... Is that what you feel happening, too?"

"I know that you've been busy, Keeve," she said. "And, I've been very busy as well, and I'm about to have my second child. But, I love you and I will always love you. You've put me off for a time, and perhaps we'll never be like we were again, but I don't feel you pushing me away. If you wish only to be with Kimara, and to not give your heart to another, then you should make that clear to those who have hope that you may love them back. For now, I am content with your love."

Keeve laughed a sigh of relief and embraced Kallia ardently. "I don't want to lose you or Yara. I want you both in my lives...however that's possible." Kissing the top of her head, Keeve pulled back and grinned. "Let's go see our girl now. I bet she's missed Daddy as much as he misses her."

"Oh, she has," Kal said as they started forward. "She's crawling now, and I expect walking isn't far away. I have no doubt that it will be a trial once the new one comes."

"Not if I'm around to take care of her," Keeve reminded Kal. "It'll be fine. You'll have help - Kim and I will be at your beck and call day and night. Just...enjoy motherhood, and we'll take care of the rest."

"Thank you, Keeve," she said and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "If there ever are any doubts about why I love you, your generosity and caring are one of the main reasons." Ahead of them, the sounds of little Yara could be heard, along with the voice of Orinth Neerou. "Come on, you have to meet our little one's grandfather."

---

"The Offer"
By: Durga the Hutt (NPC)
New Republic Armed Forces Personnel

Location: Saluya, Saluya system, Outer Rim
Date: Vadris 23, 4ABY

***

The officer stepped out of the sweltering humidity of the all but deserted town, and into the dank bar his frightened informant had told him about. Coming from the burning sun outside, his eyes were still adjusting to the gloom, and he could not see into the interior of the dark bar, but his sense of smell was not so impaired. The odour inside as compared to out was different, but just as rank, and much stronger. The place smelt of rot and decay. He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

His entrance had not gone unnoticed. Two hulking bodyguards stepped forward, clad in a motley arrangement of scraps of armour of all kinds, rags, and run-down equipment. Their faces were hidden behind grotesque horned visors, battered and bent. Their blasters too looked like they had been salvaged from a sandcrawler, but the officer had no doubt they would be effective on him, at this range at least. He officer raised his hands and smiled as politely as he could manage at the hired thugs, trying to contain his contempt for such lowlife. One of them prodded him in the chest and barked something unintelligible.

"Good afternoon, er, gentlemen," he assumed in way of response, speaking in clipped tones. "I seek audience with Durga, and I'm led to believe this is where he has ensconced himself. Perhaps you'll consider permitting me entry?"

There was more shouting from one of the two bodyguards in his guttural language. The officer merely kept his hands raised and continued to smile, even when one of the guards pressed the barrel of his gun into his chest. The officer could now pick the weapon as a neuron disrupter. From the shadows behind a counter by the door a smaller alien of a species he did not recognise appeared and began patting the him down for weapons. The officer was careful not to move, put down his hands, or stop smiling.

The doorman not levelling a weapon at him disappeared into the dark interior of the cantina, and the officer overheard a low rumble of conversation. Shortly afterwards the guard reappeared, and after being satisfied by a nod from the little alien, he gestured with his gun for the officer to move inside. The officer inclined his head, slowly lowered his hands, and moved into the main area of the bar, one of the guards following behind him with his blaster pointed at the small of his back.

The officer could now see that what was once probably a functional dance floor was now strewn with all manner of indescribable filth, rubbish, and a couple of bodies - whether they were dead or just too drunk or spiced out to move was impossible to tell. Beyond the dance floor in a large alcove in the wall sat the Hutt, his skin slimy and sickly pale. Hutts were of course notorious for letting themselves go to seed, but the officer reflected as he looked at the corpulent and oozing gangster that it looked like Durga had outdone himself in that department, even for a Hutt.

Chained to the Hutt's dais by an ankle, a thin woman sat downcast on the floor, clad in the skimpy outfit of a dancer. Her beauty was obvious, yet severely undermined by the dark rings under her eyes, greasy hair, and sunken face. As the officer approached, she noticed his uniform and looked up with desperation in her eyes, displaying a bruised neck.

"Greetings, mighty Durga," said the officer, ignoring the look from the girl and fixing his gaze on the Hutt the eye.

"Who you?" growled the Hutt in his imperfect Basic. "You New Republic? This Durga's rock! New Republic not welcome!"

"I am indeed an envoy of the New Republic mighty Durga, but you need not fear me