"Sins of the Daughter"
By: Amii'a Val'or

Location: New Plouton
Date: Lythe 28, 4ABY

***

It was cozy and warm inside the domed facilities of one of New Plouton's Botanical Gardens. It was growing colder outside, as winter set in. People of all walks of life and from any given corner of the galaxy leisurely strode about the maze-like paths of alien fauna from far off places. Some people came in from the cold of outside, a stop from their daily bustle, perhaps for a lunch break from work. There were children on some field trip, being corralled by their chaperones. Some were lovers, stealing a moment of time in their busy day for a romantic interlude.

Amii'a sat on a hover-bench watching the people around her. Especially that of an older couple and their young child. Anyone else would probably deduce that the child was their grandchild, but Amii'a knew otherwise. Amii'a wasn't there to take in the plant life. She wasn't there on a lunch break, nor was she awaiting a romantic interlude. She was spying. Spying on the couple and their young child. She watched as the man and woman showered affection upon the small girl, their eyes bright with love and approval, the smiles on their faces showing their pride and their personal joy for their offspring. Amii'a's heart sank as she recalled the affections she once knew of her own parents, the exact same look in their eyes, the exact same smile...and at the same time her heart burned with anger and sorrow, as her memories and feelings replayed the looks of betrayal, where once trust was conveyed. Where once her parents' eyes shone with approval and pride, all she could see and feel was their dismay, their embarrassment...

The little girl's name was Ro'dhina. Ro'dhina Val'or. She was the daughter of Qristoff and Narrisa Val'or, the man and woman that stood across and down the path from where Amii'a sat and watched. Her own parents, once upon a time. It wasn't so long ago, Amii'a knew, when she still had the love, the support, of being her parents' pride and joy...but that all changed with her joining the rebellion. From that day on she ceased to be their daughter, she might as well have had died, for to her parents, she was dead to them.

Look how they have moved on, Amii'a thought to herself as she watched the little family of three. Their sweet little girl, born into a free galaxy...going about their lives just as content as can be. She had thought things might have changed after the Empire fell. Her parents ostracized her for her disloyalty to the Empire, and her desire to join the Rebellion against the Empire. They were staunch loyalists to the rightful regime of the galaxy. Palpatine had been elected, given powers to create an army to protect and defend the Old Republic, having come out a hero after the Clone Wars...Amii'a herself once thought as they did, caught up in the propaganda of the New Order, blinded from the truth. But she saw the truth, why couldn't they? Why wouldn't they?

Amii'a had attempted to contact and reconcile with her parents once before, after the Rebels' victory on Endor. She had gone to her parents' home in the Yesdol District. The Empire had lost, its evil was being extinguished so that freedom could again spread throughout the galaxy, freedom for all. She had risked her life time and again in service of the Rebellion, in service for all those who had been subjugated, for her own family who blindly believed in the New Order, or at least in its supposed ideologies in contrast to the failed and corrupt Old Republic. The butler who answered the door simply told her he was sorry, that she had the wrong address, because the Val'or family only ever had one daughter, and her name was not Amii'a. She was crushed.

Her parents gathered their little girl in their arms, showering her with the love Amii'a once knew. After all I helped to fight for, the sacrifices I have made... They just turn their backs on me, the horrible daughter, the traitorous daughter! Amii'a raged to herself. They remain here, to live their life, a new life with a new daughter, amidst the freedoms I risked my life to help bring about...and yet I am still dead to them...

Her mother and father took the child by her hands, and walked with her towards Amii'a's position. They walked past her, oblivious to her presence. Amii'a rose and followed them at a slight distance. The little girl turned her head back and smiled at Amii'a, the big sister she didn't know and probably never would know.

---

"Bargaining Tools"
By: Dargus Kandran
Jadda the Hutt
Raeila Selrid

Location: Jadda's Palace
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

***

Dargus Kandran strode into the throne room of Jadda the Hutt with a snivelling majordomo at his heels prattling about appointments. Dargus ignored her and continued to move forward until he was before the Hutt's throne. Dargus was dressed impressively in black with silver scrollwork on the sleeves. A pair of lightsabers hung from his belt and a dark cloak billowed behind him as he moved. Even as he came to a stop before the dais, the cloak still seemed to move as if still in a breeze.

He swept his gaze across the dais and those gathered around the Hutt. His eyes finally settled on Raeila Mullerin, chained to the Hutt's dais. His lips curled into a slow smile behind the newly fashioned, neatly trimmed goatee. He offered a bow of courtesy, an inclining of the head with a subtle shifting of the shoulders.

"Most Excellent Jadda," he began, his voice carrying without any need to use the Force, "I have come to ask a favour of you. There is to be a gathering in just a few short days, and I find myself without a companion for the evening. I can think of no one more radiant than the beauty at your side." With a flourish, he indicated Raeila. "I intend to arrive at this gathering with Raeila Mullerin at my side. I am here to secure your leave to bring her with me."

Jadda laughed loudly, his booming voice going through the corridors in a loud echo. "Meendeeya nobata dwana! Boska andoba shag! Raeila ma!" he answered. The droid that stood near Jadda translated. "Master Jadda states that there is no deal regarding Raeila Mullerin, and that you should choose another of his slaves. Raeila is his companion."

"Slave you mean," Dargus said. "There is a considerable difference between slaves and companions. Chains, of course, are the biggest. However, it is unfortunate that you feel this way." He seemed to think for a moment, then arrived at a possible alternative. "However, perhaps you would agree to a trade for the time when Raeila would be accompanying me." Dargus pulled out a small disc and held it before him in his palm. From it, a life sized hologram of a young woman sprang. She was very pretty and very naked. "Her name is Talara and she is a slave to whom I have access. If you allow Raeila the time with me, you may have Talara for twice the amount of time. I assure you, you will not be disappointed by this one."

Raeila gasped softly at the image of her friend - only a child and undeserving of her fate. She turned onto her knees at the base of Jadda's throne, heavy chains rustling as she moved. Swallowing back her disgust, she laid her hands upon the approximation of his knees. "P-Please, Master Jadda," she begged timorously. "Not her. She's...she's an impudent little girl - I've met her myself! She would be unworthy of your attentions."

"How touching," Dargus said. "Protecting your friend? Is that it? Protecting her from the great Jadda the Hutt? That is not very loyal of you, my dear. Jadda should be allowed to choose for himself. Unless, that is, you deem yourself worthy to make his decisions for him." He turned his attention back to Jadda. "I have been with Talara, great Jadda. I am certain you will not be displeased."

Jadda laughed, and then grabbed his long pipe to smoke some spice. Yellow smoke puffed out of his mouth while he thought about the proposition. "Jee hagwa lapti chuba bargon! Jee shoo yovoo stoopa shag wata eef jee oto! Meendeeya shag yum yum yafulkee! Nobata wamma che copah shag bargon! Jee shoo Vorgoth bolla moova tonka shag shado... Nieme Yaresh oob chuba! Poota Nieme... Poota shag!" Jadda said, motioning for Vorgoth who stood half concealed in the darkness near Jadda.

The droid next to the Hutt translated. "Master Jadda does not fancy your bargain. He states that he can have your foolish slave here if he wants to, and he thinks she is quite attractive. But he will not pay the price you offer in your bargain, as Illustrious Jadda may have Vorgoth get her if he wants to. Nieme Yaresh has your slave, and all he has to do is find Nieme to find your slave..."

"I would like to see your lackey try," Dargus said with a disdainful glance toward the Zabrak. "I don't think he would find the task as simple as you make it sound. Alone, Nieme was easy for him to catch. Now that she and Dani are rejoined, I do not think that is nearly the case. If you have no interest in Tala, and I assure you that if you do not get her through me, you will never get your hands on her, then what price would you set for a night with Raeila Mullerin?"

"Nobata che copah!" Jadda waved off. "Wamma foo killee Weibran stoopa!" The droid translated again. "Master Jadda states that there is no price you can pay. But he will compromise to the deal if you kill Weibran for him."

Dargus laughed. There was a wickedness to it, but it was still filled with mirth. "What's the matter, Jadda? Darth Mattock not up to the task that you have to recruit from outside? Very well, consider Weibran Dontoragal dead. When do you want this deed done, and when can I pick up my date for the party?"

"Never," Raeila interjected brazenly. Disgust and revulsion were all he saw in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere with you! Not even if Master Jadda commands it!"

Jadda jerked Raeila's chain and gave a loud shout as if to shut her up. The then looked back at Dargus and this time he was serious. "Jee hagwa choee Vorgoth tah ha nolee... Cheeska ciboba crispo chuba jeejee tula moosta! Joppay uba pus Weibran kopo, chuba pus Raeila che two dais!" he told Dargus. The droid translated the Hutt's words. "Master Jadda says that he does not wish Vorgoth do to it because if it is a contract kill from the outside, he cannot be linked to it. When you bring Weibran's head, you may take Raeila for a period of two days."

"I'll bring you your trophy," Dargus said, then turned on his heel. "Of course, you are the only Hutt on the planet, and the only one publicly known to have any serious problems with Weibran. Then again, most people are probably stupid, and wouldn't put it all together." With a flourish, he was gone.

***

Several hours had passed since Dargus Kandran's exit from Jadda the Hutt's palace. The time had, as it always was within the compound, uneventful. The dancers danced. The gamblers gambled. Life went on.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the corridor leading to Jadda's throne room. Suddenly the body of Jadda's majordomo came flying from the doorway, limbs flailing as she tried to control his flight. She landed in the middle of the floor and slid for several meters before finally sliding to a stop. A moment later, Dargus Kandran appeared in the doorway, a heavy sack slung over one shoulder.

"I told you to get out of my way, you little maggot," Dargus snarled, then strode forward over the body and toward the throne. It took every microgram of willpower not to curtsey to the Hutt. He figured Jadda would not take kindly to the gesture.

As perhaps a stage magician would, Dargus reached into the bag and pulled out a head. It was the head of an ugly Gamorrean. Dargus tossed it to the edge of the dais before the Hutt. He reached in again, pulled out a Rodian head this time, and added it to the pile of one. Two human heads followed, then a Wookiee head.

As he reached yet again into the sack, Dargus smiled. "Weibran had a very large staff of bodyguards," he said, then tossed out a Zabrak head. Another human and quarren landed in the pile, and finally Dargus paused. He raked those before him with his gaze and reached into the bag one last time. The remaining head came free and was held aloft for all to see. Dargus thrust it toward Jadda so the Hutt could get a good, long look. It was Weibran the Hutt.

"Weibran is dead," Dargus called out. "And, as requested, I give it to you. I claim Raeila for a period of two days, per our agreement. Though, I must ask if you'd still like Talara here? It really would be no trouble at all for me to bring her to you...if you so desire."

"Ree mee jewz..." Jadda said, unimpressed. "Ta Raeila che two dais, chuba azalus, chuba hoodoo! An boola pus Talara wata cha che copah." The droid translated. "His reverence, Master Jadda, congratulates you and says that you may take Raeila for a period of two days, after which you will have to return her, unhurt and untouched. Master Jadda also states he would like to have this Talara brought over for the same period of time you take Raeila Mullerin."

"Master Jadda," Raeila whispered, her fearful gaze on the newest incarnation of Dargus Kandran, "please...I can serve you so much better here...."

Dargus bowed to the Hutt, this time a much more respectful bow. "I thank you, Great Jadda," he said. "I will have Talara brought before you immediately. I am certain you will be quite pleased with her service." He moved forward toward Raeila. As he did, he extended a hand, and the chain leapt into his open palm. "Come along, Raeila. Do not disgrace and dishonour your master by seeming ungrateful. You don't wish to anger Jadda, do you?"

"I don't want to go with you!" she hollered and jerked back the chain with both hands. It rattled loudly, but barely moved. Raeila sneered at him and tugged again. "Don't make me go with him, Master! He'll touch me and force me to be with him! He's vile!"

"Raeila," Dargus said patiently and calmly, "carrying on in this manner will not help you. Come along and you will be treated well. Go on as you are, and I'm certain you will leave Jadda no other option but to punish you. Please, Raeila, don't make this any harder on yourself."

"Take Dani or Nieme," Raeila groaned, sliding along the stone dais as Dargus twined the rope around his fist, link after link. She dug her feet into the floor, but she only succeeding in scraping layers of skin from her heel painfully. "I don't want to go!" she complained.

Dargus reached out a hand, held it steady for a moment, and then raised it slightly. In response to the movements of his hand, Raeila lifted gently into the air. He made another bow to Jadda, and then moved toward the door, Raeila trailing behind him with legs dangling and eyes wide. She raised no further protest.

Jadda made a small gesture with his hand. In fact, it was barely noticeable, as he moved just one of his fingers. But Vorgoth saw it and needed no words nor comments from his Master to know what he was expected to do. Vorgoth bowed once and went after Raeila and Dargus, concealing himself from sight and from the Force with utter perfection.

---

"Political Games"
By Strider Ixion
Raydan Levaithan - NPC
Regent Duke Yu of Gallor - NPC
Prince Regi Gellar - NPC
Rita Keares - NPC

Location: Palace Gardens, Midgar, Gallor
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

***

"No of course not, Ambassador. We do not accept to join the warlord domain." He paused. "We will never submit to foreign rule."

"You must understand if you do not accept we will attack you."

"Then attack, Ambassador. We once survived and won against a foreign ruler, we can do it again."

"That was a long time ago, Duke, and these are not some pathetic regional colonists that you will be facing. The warlord has the finest Stormtroopers of the Outer Rims. You don't stand a chance."

"Look, Ambassador. I say it again: Gallor will not submit ever to foreign rule, specially an Imperial Remnant. We are not going to be the Warlord's pathetic slaves. If you want the minerals I advise you to pay the right amount or you will be dealt with accordingly."

"No you will be dealt with, Duke. You think your mighty Necron will stand against the Warlord's fleet?"

"Ambassador, if you press this matter further I will seize commerce at all to that system of the warlord's. No food, no more nothing, Ambassador."

"But..."

"Good day, Ambassador!" Two guards approached the Ambassador. He bowed and exited.

As he exited he saw a man on his way towards the throne room. He was dressed well, with black clothes and a pendent on his neck. "Hello, Ambassador. It's good to see you, again. I hope it went well with the Duke."

"Prince Regi Gellar. You have been away from here for quite sometime!" the ambassador said.

"Yes, my half brother wanted me to do diplomatic sessions on the Core Worlds. Now I hope to stay longer."

"Good. The Duke is head strong, Prince Regi. He is risking a war that he cannot win. If he does not accept the Warlord's proposition, the warlord will take this planet by force." The ambassador glanced towards him and put his hands on his back.

"Don't worry, Ambassador! I will have a conversation with him. Good day, Ambassador, it was good to see you again." Regi extended his armed.

"And you too." And the Ambassador extended his and they both shook their hands. The ambassador saw Regi walking towards the throne room.

Prince Regi was tall, more beautiful and better looking than his half-brother. He had some Grey hair, but he was younger than the Duke. He could be half Gallorian and another half human. "Brother, so good to see you again."

"You too." The duke rised in his chair and went to meet Regi. "So how goes the Core Worlds?"

"Fine, brother. Some many enterprises were interested to extend their business here. I saw the Ambassador of the Corporate Sector on the way out. He seemed not very happy."

The duke glanced down to the floor and smiled. "The Ambassador still thinks that I'm going to let the Empire take this planet for their domain. I declined his proposition!"

Regi looked surprised. "I think your age is affecting your brain, brother. We can't stand before an attack by the Empire. Also look to the advantage they could bring. They can train our people, can give us ships to protect our world, help us rebuild our cities, in exch..."

"No, brother." He paused as he walked away from his brother with his hands behind his back. "If I accepted they will march through our planet, enslave us all to extract the mineral that they wanted and once it is depleted they will leave us to starve."

Regi walked near his brother and looked in his eyes. "Brother, you're weak to fight another war. You have to accept their offer, brother. If you die, it is I who have to continue to fight that war. I can't bear to see Gallorians being killed on the battle field of war that we cannot win."

The Duke laughed. He hit hard with his hand on his brother's shoulder and smiled. "You will not continue that fight, brother. It will be my grandson who will."

Regi was caught by surprise. "What? Your Grandson? You mean two year old Strider?" He paused and then laughed. "You are crazier than ever, brother. How can a two year old child make orders on an entire army?"

"I'm not crazy, Regi. While he is young, Raydan will take control of the army until Strider is fit to give orders. So as you can see you will not have that burden. So you can take your money and live on some beach that you normally do." Duke smiled and exited the room.

Regi stood there, still is brain retained all the information he received. It was so hard to believe. "You cannot do this to me! You can't, brother." He then glanced to the throne as he saw a marvelous sight. He walked near the throne and touched it - he felt a warm feeling that made him shiver and smile. "You will not do this. You will not ruin my plans, brother." He walked around the throne chair and sat on it. He glanced to the vast empty room.

It is time to call her! Regi thought and then smiled in a most evil way.

***

Raydan was chasing Strider in the gardens of the Palace. The kid was happy and laughing out loud as Raydan kept pretending that he couldn't capture him.

Rita was seated on the table, looking to how Rayden and Strider were having a good time. She kept looking to Raydan, examining his smile of happiness. Once in a while Rita laughed as well.

"It's so good to see you laugh again in these gardens," a voice came from behind.

"My Lord?" Rita got up and bowed. "Sorry I didn't see you approaching."

"I didn't want to disturb you." The Duke smiled. "Please, sit."

Rita sat on her chair and Duke occupied the other chair. He smiled as Raydan kept making a fool of himself, but he seemed not to care. Since Rayden was only to make Strider laugh even if he had to act like the Village idiot, he would do it, just to make Strider happy.

"You love him don't you?" the duke said.

"Yes of course I love him. We are engaged..."

"No, I was asking about Strider?"

"Oh... I uh... yes I guess so, My Lord."

"Now, now give a straight answer!" The duke smiled.

Rita thought for while, but after a second she knew how she felt about Strider, but she didn't know how to say it. Get a grip, Rita, just say it. "Well, sir. I love Strider. He is a cute kid. I will love to raise him. To hear the first word. He caled me mommy last night, I just melted." Oh shit, I said too much...

"You speak like a true mother..." the duke said while he looked to Strider.

"I... uh.... sorry. I didn't meant to substitute his real mother... I sound like it, but that wasn't what I meant..." Just keep digging, just keep digging, Just keep digging, Rita thought.

"No need to apologise, Rita." The duke paused. "You have been more Strider's mother than my daughter will ever be. I think that is a good thing, because he will need mother and probably a father and some good friends..."

"Is there something troubling you, my Lord?" Rita asked.

"Yes it is. The meeting with the Ambassador of the Corporate Sectors didn't go well. I declined the offer of the ambassador to join the warlord's regions."

"That is great! Isn't it?" Rita was hoping for the Duke to say yes, but she saw in his face that he wasn't going to say that.

"No. The ambassador threatens that the Warlord will attack us. So an attack by the Empire can be imminent in the next few days, but I hope that the ambassador lost his head during our meeting or he was just making a bluff. Anyway, as the days pass more I see the danger falls on this p... How is your training?"

"My training? Uh... I haven't been practising that much since Strider arrived in my hands, but I'm good. Why?"

"I want you and Raydan to protect Strider at all times. Rayden is well known as a Loyal protector, but only I know that you were once in time also a loyal protector. Will you protect Strider in case, if any problem that impossibilities for Raydan doing so?"

"My lord... you're scared!"

"No absolutely not... Is it too obvious?" the Duke said with a smile.

"Yes, it is, sir."

Duke looked back to Strider as examined for a while like he was recording a warm memory. "I'm scared that I will not see my grandson grow up. I'm scared for his life, because my decision will have affect his life as well. I want him to be happy, I want to compensate the way I raised my daughter. I know I have failed her many times, but I see it now. I don't want Strider to have so severe a childhood, so full of my mistakes."

"Duke..." Rita didn't know what to say. "Sir. I will give my life if I have to to protect Strider from any enemy of any shape. This is my promise to you and I will keep that promise long after you died. Me and Rayden will raise him as our own child if it has to be that way."

Duke simply smiled, got up and went back inside again.

Raydan approached Rita and he kissed her on her lips. "The Duke went away with some face!"

"Well... he obligated me to protect Strider in case you can't." Rita picked up Strider and set him on her legs. "Do you want a cookie, Strider?"

Strider made the sign with movements of his hand that he wanted that delicious cookie.

Rita glanced back to Raydan. "The Duke thinks that imminent attack on Gallor will be happening soon."

"So the meetings go that well, huh? Well I think it best to make some arrangements for the three of us as soon as possible!" he looked up and saw Prince Regi looking towards them.

"What's the hurry?" Rita asked, while she held Strider.

"Because I'm not worried about the Imperial, but I'm worried about some one that I know." Raydan kept looking to Prince Regi that was still looking to them.

***

As the night came to that part of the planet it also brought the rain back, but this time with thunder that ripped the sky. The transit was gone at that hour of the night and the rain made the people go to their homes earlier since the streets were empty. A black closed speeder flew round the streets. Regi was seated on the back, with his Gallorian wine in one of his hands. He drank a little of his glass as the speeder stopped in front of a building.

The motorist exited and opened the door and a man with some clothes entered the large speeder, followed by one tall man that was seated next to him. "Prince Regi, I was glad you invited me to your speeder. I hope you have something to tell me and I hope good news from your brother."

Regi looked towards the Ambassador in a serious way. "My brother's decision will stand. I think he is dooming us all to die, but I'm not here to talk about my brother's decision."

The ambassador looked and strangely for moment. "Then why are we here?"

"We are here to discuss Gallor's future. You know and I know that we cannot win against the Warlord stormtroopers. So I have a proposition for you." Regi gave a smile.

"What is that proposition?"

"Once I succeed my brother on the throne I will open the negotiations to join the warlord's regions." Regi smiled as he drank the rest of his wine.

"How are you going to do that, if Duke's grandson is his successor?"

"My brother's heart is going to fail in the next few days. Since Strider is too young I will be the Regent Duke until Strider comes of age to take the throne."

"I see. You intend to murder your own brother?"

"Half-Brother, Ambassador." Regi leaned towards the Ambassador. "He will have so drastic a death and just a few days after his death, I open the warlord's proposition again."

"You will never have total control of Gallor, Prince Regi!"

Regi examined the ambassador's expression. "I know that, just mere months after the tragic death of my half-brother, Strider will be kidnapped and killed. Since I only have to be preoccupied with my niece, she will also suffer a really tragic death as well."

"You are cruel man, prince. The warlord will be extremely happy if you succeed the Duke's position. If you mind my asking, how do you plan to kill the duke?"

Regi smiled. "I have my own people who are extremely loyal to me, especially a woman that I met on the Core Worlds. Don't worry, ambassador I guarantee that my plan will not fail."

"Very well, Princ... I mean Duke Regi."

Regi smiled and nodded. "Duke Regi, it has a ring to it does it not?"

---

"Refusing Rescue"
By: Raeila Selrid
Dargus Kandran

Location: Jadda's Palace
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

Once they were clear of the throneroom, Dargus set Raeila down. "First thing we'll need to do is take you shopping," he said. "The party is to be a fairly extravagant affair, so you'll need a gown. There are several places in New Plouton that will serve. I believe Rumeck's is the best." He looked her over and smiled. "I know you'd like to see your brother. Perhaps I can arrange something while you're out, but I don't want you getting near Nieme and Dani. I fear for what they'd try to do to you."

Raeila watched the stranger's face, though with a remembered hatred. He was still Dargus beneath the exotic tattoos and train of inky black hair, and her resentment was clearly written in her glower. "What is it you want, Dargus? Me?" She gave a short, harsh laugh. "Jadda would kill you...and I hope he does!"

"There is a very big party being held in New Plouton," Dargus said. "I don't believe that either Nieme or Dani could behave themselves in such a place. You're a very beautiful woman, Raeila. You shouldn't be chained in there like that, forced to entertain and serve. At my side, you'll experience freedom and hopefully you'll be able to enjoy yourself for a night. The wealthiest citizens of New Plouton will be there, dressed in their best and looking to impress. I promise you, for as much as you'll accept my promise, that I will not force myself on you or try to take anything from you. I just want one of the most beautiful women on the planet at my side for the event."

Raeila smirked. "Lies. I'm nothing to you, Dargus Kandran." She closed a hand around her thick chain once more, and in this instance, she managed to pull it free of Dargus' loose grip. "And maybe," she sneered, "I'd rather entertain a Hutt than be seen with you. How could you use Talara like this? How could you turn her over to that...worm!"

Dargus raised an eyebrow. "Do you believe Talara will be safer with that worm...or with Nieme and Dani?"

"You don't care about Talara," she whispered, her petulance losing its intensity. "If you did...you'd have found some way long before this to get her away from them...and Ferrig too. She loves him, you know." Raeila somberly turned away, hugging the cold chains to her chest. "I love him...and I want to see him again."

"As I said, I'll find a way to let you see him again," Dargus answered. "But it will have to be away from Nieme and Dani...if I can get him away from them."

"If they aren't in on this," Raeila countered with a vicious glance back at Dargus.

"I assure you they are not," Dargus answered. "If they were, you would be either in pain or in their bed. As it is, you and I are going to get into a speeder and go to New Plouton to find you suitable clothing for the party."

"You should look into rentals." Raeila fixed him with a chilling gaze. "I'm not keeping anything bought with your credits." Her chains jangled loudly as Raeila marched off hotly.

Dargus quickly caught up to her and with a wave of his hand, her chains dropped away. "Just a friendly reminder, Jadda's painted stooge is going to be following us and watching our every move. Unless you want him hauling you back to Jadda, you'll stay close to me. And, just think, two days of not being licked, fondled, and made to feel like a piece of meat."

Raeila smiled wryly at Dargus. "I've just been bartered away to a despicable crime lord," she riposted. "How is that any different?" She shoved the useless shackles with her foot, and the heavy chains slid towards Dargus. "If you want me close, you'll have to put that back on. I'll stay as far from you, and that tattooed freak, as I want."

"We'll see just how despicable I am in two days," Dargus said.

***

When they reached the airspeeder he had waiting outside, Dargus opened the passenger door for her with a wave of his hand. "We'll get you a gown first," he said. "Then we can get you some other clothing to wear."

Raeila pointedly gestured to her outfit - nothing but two pieces of underclothing covering her groin and breasts, and quipped, "You're going to take me shopping like this?" With a snort of incredulous laughter, she held out her hand. "Give me your cloak, and you have a deal."

"How about you slip inside and you can change into the clothing I brought especially for you," Dargus asked. "I had to guess at your size, but hopefully it will be passable for our shopping trip."

"How long have you been planning this?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously and edging towards the open hatch.

"Not very long," Dargus said. "Only a day or so, actually. There's a privacy screen inside as well if you don't wish for me to see you change."

"I don't," she affirmed, and sealed the hatch herself, leaving Dargus standing alone outside the speeder.

Dargus sighed and waited for her to finish, keeping a Force-aided eye on her activities inside. It was going to be a trying two days, he was certain Raeila would see to that.

***

Wearing the simple shirt and slacks Dargus had provided, Raeila sullenly stared forward through the viewport, with arms folded over her chest in a wholly stubborn pose. Her pouting lips completed the image. "Are you even allowed in New Plouton?" she asked. "Won't the Jedi come after you if they smell you?"

"If I keep a low profile," Dargus said, "they shouldn't notice me. I imagine if they smelled me, however, they would. I don't intend to be smelled, however."

Raeila rolled her eyes, and idly turned her gaze to the passenger window as she muttered, "Then you should think about bathing...."

"You are very cute when you're acting childish," Dargus said. "You, on the other hand, smell like you've bathed in the sweat of a Hutt."

Her lips puckered as her pout deepened. "He...likes to lick," she admitted uncomfortably. "Otherwise, I bathe plenty."

"After we find you your dress and other clothing," Dargus said, "we'll get you a bath if you'd like. Have you ever had in-room service before, Raeila?"

She wrinkled her nose inquisitively at that. "I...I don't know what that is. So..." Regarding him finally, she shook her head. "No, I've never."

"It's where they bring food directly to you in your hotel room," he said. "Most of the hotels in New Plouton have a fairly wide selection of many dishes, most of them native."

"I told you I didn't want anything from you," Raeila told him rudely. "And I still don't!"

"I'm certain you'll be hungry in two days," Dargus said, then glanced at her. "You'll gladly accept Hutt food though? Well, if you don't want anything until you're back in Jadda's stubby arms that's your choice."

Raeila sighed irritably and again shifted her back fully to him, leaning her forehead against the window of her hatch. "I don't want to go back to him," she admitted, all sign of agitation diminishing. "But Vorgoth would hunt me down if I didn't return. I've seen what he can do. He'll kill me if Jadda orders it."

"Not if you have someone to protect you from him," Dargus said. "No one should be in the service of a Hutt who doesn't wish to be. They smell bad, are completely grotesque, and you can't understand a word they're saying most of the time, even if you're fluent in Huttese."

"I'm not," Raeila mentioned absently, shrugging. "If I had the backing of all the Jedi, they could protect me." The wistful thought carried with it another, no matter how foolish. Tentatively, Raeila shifted around towards Dargus, wearing her most winsome and pitiable smile. "Will you take me to them? I'm sure they'd reward you."

Dargus frowned, then sighed. "If you're good for the next two days," he said, "I will very strongly consider it. Whether I do or not take you to them, I will not return you to Jadda if you don't wish to go back." He knew that anyone who knew him would accuse him of being an imposter if they were to listen to the conversation he was having. He knew he was the same person, but...but the dreams had started...and...and he couldn't help it. He couldn't force her into suffering...he'd done enough of that, and now she haunted his nights.

"And at what cost?" she asked with blatant pessimism. "I'll have to take to your bed, and it won't be any different from how Jadda treats me. I know you, Dargus Kandran. You're truly evil."

"Try to make these next two days bearable for both of us," Dargus said, "and we'll see what sort of mood I'm in. You're not required to attend me in my bed or anywhere else. As desirable as you are...I don't want to force you, not like that. Two days is all I ask, and there is no other cost to you."

Again, she could do nothing but snort cynically at him. "There's always a cost, Dargus Kandran - I learned that when I was just a tiny whore. You'll name your price," she promised him, "and when you do, I know it won't be cheap, not for a man with your...refined tastes."

He regarded her for a long moment, then smiled. "We'll see," he said. "We shall definitely see." And, with that, the speeder set down on top of a moderately tall building in the heart of New Plouton. "They sell gowns down in the lower floors," he said. "Come, let's go find one in your size."

Raeila sighed, nearly whimpering as she curled away from Dargus upon the seat and wrapped her thin arms around her knees tightly. She buried her face into the dark hollow created between chest and thigh. "I don't want to shop," came her muffled protest, albeit feeble. "I'm tired...and homesick and afraid that that stupid Hutt made little Hutt babies in me." Grey eyes peered up at him briefly. "I'm not protected, you know." Then they returned to the darkness.

"The only life I sense in you is yours," Dargus said. "And, yours and his species are far too incompatible for him to make little Hutt babies in you. If you don't want to shop, how about that bath then? We can shop later." He gently touched her shoulder. "You're only two days away from possibly returning to the Jedi Temple, Raeila."

"But I can't trust you," she groaned. "And...and I don't..." Raeila whimpered softly and unfolded herself to morosely sit upright again. Picking at the leg of her pants and pouting fully again, she whispered, "I don't know if I want to go back there. Orn hates me, Ferrig and Tala are gone...and Kael, he--" Her voice cracked and her shoulders heaved as the first of many sobs began. "I don't want to see him, not after what he did."

"I don't know who Orn is, but Ferrig and Talara's situations are temporary," Dargus said. He leaned closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "And, what did Kael do?"

"Stop touching me," she said hotly, twisting herself away from him. "All you men are alike! You can hardly keep your hands off a beautiful woman." Raeila glared at Dargus tearful. "He's just like you, the bastard."

"My apologies," Dargus said and withdrew his hand. "So, he's a vile, wicked bastard who hopes to enslave the entire planet and become their emperor?"

"Well, at least you're no longer lying about your true intentions...." Raeila sighed impatiently, and exclaimed, "He cheated on me! With Nieme and he didn't even tell me! I had to hear it from her. So, yes, he's just like you, Kandran," she told him quietly. "He's just as cruel."

"And, of course Nieme is the paragon of truthfulness," Dargus said with a snort of laughter. "Well, considering you're buying everything she feeds you, you might as well start believing everything I say as well."

"That you really are concerned about my best interests?" Raeila gave a short, derisive laugh and shoved open the hatch. "Sorry, Kandran - I'll never be stupid enough to believe that." Then she hopped out of the vehicle and started across the rooftop.

Dargus put up a hand and an invisible wall formed in front of Raeila. He moved to catch up with her, and once he was at her side, allowed the wall to drop. "So, you're willing to believe whatever Nieme says before you've even had a chance to talk with Kael? Your love for him must not be very strong at all if you're willing to just give him up so easily. I suppose that's for the best then."

"I still love him," she spat, rounding on Dargus. "She just.... Everything she said! He had the opportunity and...and they were married before I was around, and I know he still loves her. I can see it sometimes when he looks at her!"

"Talk to him, Raeila," Dargus said. "I've played the game of assumptions and I've been burned by it. I've acted out of anger...and hurt people I loved. If you do love him, you'll talk to him about this. Talk to him before you hurt him even more based on what you assume is the truth as given to you by the woman who still desires to possess and corrupt Kael."

"Talk to him how?" she asked wryly. "Will you escort me to the Temple to chat with him while you and the Jedi share tea?"

"Let's see how these two days go for us," Dargus said. "I won't stay for tea, but I can let you speak with Kael at the Temple if you're good."

"I can be good," she assured him, though her smile was mischievous. "All depending on what you consider good."

"Try not to anger me, and you'll be seeing Kael before you know it," Dargus said. "How does that sound?"

Raeila shook her head in disbelief. "You're no different from Jadda, are you? You just want me to serve you obediently and submissively." Stalking away once more, she hollered, "You're still Dargus Kandran after all!"

"No," Dargus said as calmly as he could manage, "I just would prefer not spending the next two days with you trying everything you can to anger me. I don't want you to prepare my food, dance for me, or serve me. I just would prefer it if you refrained from shouting at me every seven and a half seconds, and then storming away in a huff. I'm trying to treat you as a human being, Raeila...all I want is for you to at least attempt to do the same."

She whirled on him again, her look one of incredulity. "But the things you've done.... You're hardly a human being, Dargus. How can you claim to be one? You've hurt people and killed.... That can't be erased so easily."

"How many people did you hurt when you were in Thanatos?" Dargus asked. "How much pain and death have you been responsible for? And, you claim to me that people can't change for the better. Because of my past, how I treat you now is pointless, is that it? Do you want me to be the animal you accuse me of? Do you want me to rape you and toss you back to the Hutt, Raeila? Do you want me to enslave you? Nieme and Dani are the way they are because of you and your brother. They fell from the high auspices of Jedihood because of how you treated them. Yet, here you are. Can't that be erased so easily?"

"It can," she stammered unconvincingly. "I don't hurt people anymore. You...you killed that Weibran man! How does that make you different?"

"That's complicated," Dargus answered. "People can change, Raeila. I've seen it. Liam Zaneth used to be dark, then he was grey, and finally...he's a light Jedi. People can choose not to be despicable. There are far too many people who refuse to see that a person is trying change, and they continue to push them back. The righteous can be just as guilty as the wicked. I am trying to change what I was. I've done a lot of bad things, and I'm certain I will do a lot more. But I am trying to be less of what I was. I've been nearly killed twice. I killed a woman who had...she got inside of me...and now what I did to her, it haunts me. I don't want to be what I was before. I want to change...if those around me will allow me to."

Raeila sighed. "But I don't understand what this has to do with me," she said softly. "How am I supposed to help you change?"

"You're not," Dargus said. "I have to change myself. I'm trying to be nice to you, Raeila. I'm trying to treat you like a decent person, like a person who shouldn't be locked up or chained up. People shouldn't be subservient to one another. That said, I really do wish for you to be my date for this party. I know I'm not perfect and I know I'll never be perfect or good. You're free of the Hutt for now, and you have me to protect you should Vorgoth come after you. If you'll allow me, I'd like to show you a different side of New Plouton and Tae'Karada."

As stubborn as she had been, Raeila was suddenly receptive to Dargus' words, though she'd no doubt it was the prospect of freedom at his hands that had inspired her sympathies. With a grudging nod, and a wan smile, Raeila held out a hand to him. She didn't quite believe him yet, but what he could give her was worth more than absolute trust. "I'll go to the party with you," she told him timidly. "And I'd like to see the province with you...for a while, at least."

Dargus gave her a smile. "So, you up for that gown yet?"

Raeila slipped her hand into his, grinning. "Better than chains...."

"Much better," Dargus said as they started off.

It wasn't quite an amends, but it did mean two days of peaceful relations between the two. She was still not quite certain what Dargus' true motivations were in bargaining for her temporary release - she did not wholly believe he intended to change his nefarious reputation, but as long as he believed she did, Raeila might just have found the path to freedom.

---

"Motley Brigade"
By: Cirran Tyris
Tasia Harough
Lerrah Breijal
Chamlembac
Ty Kat'ritara
Walker

Location: Fool's Hope on route to Gallor
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

***

One moment stars were streaking past, elongated shafts of light that stretched into infinity, and the next everything snapped back into focus, the stars once again reverting to individual points of light hanging in space. The reversion was smooth and brought a smile to Lerrah Breijal's face. She adjusted their course slightly and brought the power up to the sublight engines.

The Fool's Hope broke into the system, aiming for Gallor. So far, there were no pickets to pick them up. Looked like it'd be smooth flying all the way in.

"Gallor in two minutes," she said to those gathered around her. Ty had taken up a sensor station, Tasia hovered behind her, and Cirran bristled that she'd taken his chair. She glanced back in his direction and gave him a sweet smile. It was mostly enough to win Cirran over, although he still smarted to see his ship being flown by someone else, but Lerrah had insisted.

"Talk to me, Tase. Hit high orbit and hold there for Ty to get a lock, or just bring us in and hope for the best?"

"We don't want to crash into the mountains, do we?" Tasia quipped, and patted Lerrah's shoulder. "Ask him to find a nice place to land nearby."

Lerrah looked back at Ty. "You know what you're looking for?"

"I know what I'm looking for. Need to get closer though, resolution's still bad from this distance. Wait...getting it now...Roch'llor Mountains. There."

"Paint it pretty for me, Ty," Lerrah shot back.

"There we go. Taking us in. Brace yourselves."

"What the-- I'm picking up something else in there..."

Cirran craned his head towards the readouts. "Imps?" he said.

"Abort?" asked Lerrah.

Ty shook his head as he adjusted the gain on the sensors and filtered out the excess noise. "No," he vocalized. "I'm picking up a fairly heavy concentration of mining equipment. That's going to be our place. Set us down in there, but not too close." He adjusted his indicator and gave Lerrah a wink. "I'll even look for somewhere flat for you."

With a laugh, Lerrah cut from sublights to repulsors. "Make it good," she said. "We're touching down in just a few minutes." She looked up at Tasia. "You ready?"

She winked at her lover. "For adventure? Always!" Then moved off to strap in. "While you're at that, let's see if we can contact Aknor. We don't want to go in blind."

"Good idea," Lerrah said,then looked around. "Comms are right over there. You want to talk to him, Cap'n?" She gave Tasia an impish grin.

She chuckled. "Who else?" Tasia grinned and motioned for Lerrah to patch them in.

Lerrah reached over to the comms as Cirran took over piloting the ship in. She quickly made the necessary contact and ginned over at Tasia. "You're on," she said.

"This is Tasia Harough of the cargo freighter Fool's Hope to the Gallorian communications outpost," she announced, glancing aside at her lover to smile. "We request permission to land, and a short parley with your Admiral Aknor if we may."

"Your contact is a godsdamned admiral?" Cirran said from the co-pilot's seat. "That should go well if he decides to take an exception to us..." He continued mumbling under his breath. "Bounty hunters...shoulda got bounty hunters.."

"Confirmed Fool's Hope," came the reply from the planet. "Transmitting coordinates for landing. The admiral will be waiting for you."

Tasia nodded to Lerrah, answering, "Thank you. Fool's Hope out." Sighing, she relaxed back into her seat looking wholly pleased with herself. "You got that, Lerrah?"

Lerrah nodded. She was already bringing them in, breaking to lose some of their momentum. "We'll touch down in thirty seconds," she said.

Cirran was impressed at the approach and was able to relax a little. He smiled appreciatively. "Very nice, Miss Breijal, very nice indeed. Just so you know though, if we get into a hairball at some point, then we'll be swapping seats - providing I'm still alive at that point, of course."

"And why's that?" Tasia asked, scowling playfully at him. "You don't think my girl can handle herself in a fight?"

"On the contrary, I've got no doubt she can handle herself in a fight. I just think that I can to a better job, especially in this ship. No offence intended, Lerrah, but it's just that I haven't seen you in action, and I know I'm better than most, even the good ones. I don't like to boast, but...no, wait, I do! I did survive the Sector Forces, after all. Plus if me and my ship are going to get vaped, I'd like to be the one responsible for it... and for all of you, of course." He grinned.

Lerrah gave Cirran an unreadable look. "You getting us vaped is exactly why I feel more comfortable with me at the controls of this crate."

"Now, now, children," Tasia chided. "Our journey has only begun. Save your bickering for after we get out with our lives intact."

Cirran laughed. "Ah yes, our lives. Tell you what, Lerrah, what say we try to avoid space combat on this jaunt altogether, and then when we get back I'll go you best out of three on a simulator. I'll win, of course, but then at least next time we're out on some crazy mission together, you won't be so uncomfortable with the prospect of me flying my ship...oh come on, I'm joking!" He laughed again at her stony-faced look.

"Stow the testosterone, fly boy," Lerrah snapped. "You're on, and you'll see just how wrong you are." She looked at Tasia and rolled her eyes. "Men!"

"They're good for some things," Tasia agreed, her smile suggestive, "but horrible for others." She nodded towards the viewscreen. "We're coming in for a landing. Make it a smooth one...captains."

Cirran sat back in his chair and gestured towards the controls. "Ladies first," he said, smiling and wondering if he was going to get backhanded across the cockpit. He liked these women, and was beginning to see that the 'Hope's current crew would make a formidable team after all.

Lerrah dipped the ship's nose into a steep angle towards the planet, cutting through layers of atmosphere without turbulence, until the ship was plunging through cloud cover and blue sky. A reverberant, inquisitive call sounded behind them. Tasia chuckled at the Wookiee standing in the hatchway, both furry hands bracing either side of the frame. "Come for the view?"

Cham let out a woofing bark, then a snorting laugh. Behind the Wookiee came a tootling beep as a small white and purple droid rolled into view.

"Don't worry," Tasia assured them, "Lerrah's a great driver. Now, the man over there...." She rolled her eyes teasingly and jerked a thumb in Cirran's direction. The droid twittered laughter.

Lerrah rolled her eyes and set the ship into its landing cycle as Elf began singing his song. Someday, she would either kill or kiss Keeve. She still wasn't certain whether she liked the song or not. She couldn't deny how cute Elf was when he sang it though. A moment later, with a soft thump, the ship was on the ground.

"Everyone out!" Tasia announced, and after tossing off her restraints, she swung out of the chair. "Be sure to wake that big oaf you've got bunking in the back," she called back to Cirran as she made for the hatchway. "It's about time he proved his usefulness."

Cirran bent over the little droid on the way out. "So, is she ss good as she says?" he whispered. The droid warbled an affirmation. "Well, just between you and me, I am too. But I'm not sure we're going to convince her, just quietly." He stood up and called after Tasia. "I'd be a little careful before I used the term 'big oaf' to the man's face," he yelled.

"Yeah, I prefer 'lumbering brute'," growled a deep voice, as Walker ambled into the cockpit, standing as tall as the Wookiee. "Are we shooting people yet, or what?" he said, chuckling gruffly at his own joke.

Cirran smiled. "Not yet. Diplomacy first, shooting later. I've often had cause to wish we could skip the diplomacy phase, but that's how it is. Follow Miss Harough, big fella." He gestured towards the exit. "Oh, and watch the ramp, Tasia!" he warned. Not going to look good if we roll out of the ship in a heap... he thought.

There was a curse farther up ahead - it was undeniably Tasia, who had received Cirran's caution nearly too late. She cleared her throat, and started down haughtily just as the rest of the gang rounded the corner. "This ship is a bloody death-trap," she muttered. Though she had no idea how much more dangerous their journey was about to get.

***

Aknor was talking towards two men discussing the situation. Things were difficult, since half the mountain had blown up and what was left of the passage to to the entrance of the tunnel had disappeared. There was no way to walk up there, so the only way to enter was by ship. The door of the entrance made a sound that Aknor looked behind and saw the strangest group he ever saw in his life. But sometimes the strange groups are the most efficient, Aknor thought for a moment.

"Hi there, you must be Tasia Harough. I'm Admiral Aknor of B.I.G." The Admiral smiled and extended his hand towards Tasia.

Tasia scanned the man's face warily, but clasped his hand at any rate. "You're the one I spoke with," she recalled.

Cirran leant over to Walker in the background. "B.I.G?" he inquired under his breath.

"I'll explain later," hissed Walker. "Let the brass and the lady talk."

"Nothing like the brass for talking," whispered Cirran, and the big man broke into a grin, but put his finger up to his lips nonetheless.

Aknor glanced towards Walker and Cirran and without saying nothing or doing nothing he looked back to Tasia. "Yes, I am. I was wondering when you and your odd team would arrive. The situation is a lot worse than when we last spoke."

"Ship just set down about five minutes ago," Lerrah offered.

Tasia nodded in affirmation. "So, what's going on, Admiral? These guys" --she thrust a thumb in Cirran and Walker's direction-- "were anticipating a fight. We really shouldn't disappoint them."

Cirran interjected. "Hey, 'anticipating' doesn't necessarily mean 'looking forward to'," he said.

"Speak for yourself," said the giant next to him. "What or who needs blasting, Admiral?"

The Admiral saw the enthusiasm on those people. "We don't know yet, but our preliminary search of our heavy scanners suggest that there are about over 20 million people inside that mountain in different levels, there are about fifty levels in the prison. We also were able to rescue a few prisoners, but they weren't any help at all. The only value information that this isn't an Imperial prison, we are somewhat lucky in that, but the guards have heavy training." The admiral paused. "The prisoners said that the prisoners are from New Republic, Empire, smugglers, pirates, scoundrels, every faction that you can think of is in this place."

"Then what are we doing here?" Tasia asked. "Don't you have an army under your command? We're nothing but a motley crew of technicians, pilots and ruffians."

"We could deploy our army there, but there is a problem we had to do several trips to the access point. The entrance of the cave can fit a Corellian Corvette easily, but we fear that the guards of the prison start to shoot innocents. I would like to keep them alive. That is where your team and mine comes in." Aknor paused. "You can easily infiltrate the prison and locate Quistis and the prison leaders and arrange for them to be ready to fight. 25 million people is quite an army!"

Tasia snorted in disbelief. "And you think we can accomplish this?"

Cirran nodded in agreement with Tasia's sentiment. "We're just going to go up there and organise the uprising of 25 million people? Right! Fine. No problem. Why don't you call the New Republic?"

"Now you're seeing our problem. It will take much time to organise 25 million people, it is almost impossible. That is why only your team and mine is going to infiltrate the prison. Your team will find where Quistis is, while mine tries to organise the prisoners in some way. When you move to get out with Quistis and any other prisoners that you want to take, you do it, because my team will attack the guards with any prisoners they have." Aknor glanced and tried to comfort. "I know that is a rough plan, but it is the best one we've got. We fear that Quistis is fighting for her life and right now she is a priority." Aknor looked serious enough to show that he didn't agree with priority thing, but he received orders and he had to obey them.

Tasia sighed deeply and signalled with a raised forefinger that she required a moment alone with the crew. She turned to them and waved them into a huddle. "So...what's it gonna be? We turn back or go on?" Her eyes fixed on Cirran. "Really, it's your choice. That woman in there might be the only one with information on your sister."

Cirran took a deep breath, and looked at the faces around him. "You're right, Tasia. Remember I told you I'd fight an AT-AT with a spoon if I had to? Well, this seems to be at about that level of crazy, but I've got to try it - I've been all over the galaxy in the past months and this is the best lead I've had. I can't ask you guys to come with me though, it's my problem and there's no need for any of you to stick out your neck for me. If anyone wants to turn back, we can arrange it somehow."

Walker was the first to speak. "Hell, spacer, that blaster I've loaned to you is expensive, and I'm not going home now so that you can shoot yourself in the face with it and leave me to fork out for another one. Besides, I came to blast stuff. Plus I reckon there might be a decent fee in this, should we somehow manage it. So I'm staying."

Cirran smiled. "Thanks, Walker."

"And I'm not turning my back on you, either," Tasia put in. "If I don't return to Drogen with you, Administrator Anoran will have my hide."

Cham bellowed and thumped his chest with one hirsute fist. Tasia grinned. "I think that means he's in, too."

Lerrah rested an elbow on Tasia's shoulder. "Where you go, I go. I'm in too." Behind her, a series of toots and whistles sounded. Lerrah grinned. "Elf says he doesn't trust me off alone on a strange planet, so he's not backing out either."

"Ah, guys, I'm getting all misty-eyed." Cirran laughed. "I owe you all. Free flying lessons for everyone - except Lerrah," he retracted hastily, "...who we've established doesn't need them." He smirked at the beautiful smuggler, then turned his attention to the young man to her right. "What do you say, Ty? We could definitely use you, too."

"I'm not going to be the only one left behind," Ty said with a chuckle. "So, I guess that means I'm in."

"Great, so we're all equally insane," Cirran said, barely straight-faced. "Admiral, I suppose you have yourself a suicide squad."

"Great." The admiral saw a man approaching the Admiral. "Oh, may I present Marius, he was up there when all this happened. He was one that saw the prison. Well I wish all of you good luck. Marius will tell how the mission is going to proceed." The Admiral left the group and went to the person he was previously talking to.

Tasia grinned at the man. "Nice to meet you." Then stepped back and shoved Cirran forward. "This is our leader, and that's his lackey." She jerked a thumb at Walker. "If there's something especially dangerous that needs doing, he's your man."

Walker made a noise that was a cross between 'Hmmph!' and a growl that indicated his displeasure at the term 'lackey', and shifted his considerable weight menacingly, but took no further action. He nodded towards Marius.

Cirran meanwhile, ignoring the man the Admiral had introduced temporarily, was whispering back to his eclectic collection of colleagues. "Oh, so I'm leader now? Does mean I get to fly my own ship?" He was met by sarcastic glances. To the sound of Marius clearing his throat, he turned. "Right, so I suppose I'm in charge," he said to the tough looking soldier, slipping back into the tones he had used as a Rebel officer. "Where do we go from here?"

"You didn't see it did you?" Marius asked. "Please follow me." Marius walked near a holoprojector and there was a big piece of the mountain missing, Marius could feel almost his arm in the piece of the mountain that was missing. "It isn't much here, but in reality I can fit an entire Corellian Corvette barely." Marius smiled. "That is our entrance."

Lerrah looked around. "So, what are we waiting for?"

Tasia shrugged. "Nothing I can think of." Then hooked her arm through Lerrah's and sauntered off with her lover. "Rescue mission, here we come!"

Cirran glanced at Walker, who shrugged his shoulders. "Just a stroll in the park, spacer," he said. "A stroll in the park!" He broke into laughter and slapped Cirran on the shoulder, which had the effect of catapulting him forward about a metre, and then turned to follow the two women.

Cirran sighed. "Bounty hunters," he re-emphasised, shaking his head. "Shoulda got bounty hunters." He smiled grimly to himself and followed his colleagues back towards his ship.

---

"Harvest Rescue, Part 1"
By: Cirran Tyris
Tasia Harough
Lerrah Breijal
Ty Kat'Ritara
Cham
Walker
Sas Ter - NPC
Jasto Ferwer - NPC
Vinas "Dealer" Castur - NPC
James Suster the 3rd - NPC
Marius Befur - NPC
Shaes Yur Malin - NPC

Location: Roch'llor Mountains, Gallor
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

***

The gaping mouth of the cavern awaited them, crags of sharp stone hanging down from the opening to resemble jagged teeth and presenting a less than inviting sight. Tasia exchanged a skeptical gaze with her fellow crew as they prepared to plunge into the darkness, and likely danger.

She turned her back to the viewport and addressed them all, wookiee, hulking strongman, tech, and pilots alike. "Well...any last words?" Tasia grinned.

"In my experience, most people's last words are usually 'arrrggghh!' " said Walker, standing to the rear of the crowded cockpit.

"Yeah, it's a popular favourite in space battles too..." said Cirran. "No pressing need to say it just yet though, so I suppose we're doing OK." He maneuvered the 'Fool's Hope' into position over the yawning crevice as the sun rose behind the ship, casting more light onto the fissure, although the cave nonetheless stretched inky black into the mountain below them.

"So far my plan is just to drop the ship down there as far as it will go, and see where we can get out. If we can't find a suitable landing spot, I'll have to drop you guys off and join you later somehow - or maybe fly a few laps around the mountain while you do all the work." He smiled. "No, but we should be able to have the autopilot hover down there, if it comes to that. Sound good?"

"I guess that sounds alright," Lerrah said with a grin. "Though, I think I'd feel better with a real person flying...like me."

"How about you two fly together?" Tasia suggested. "This way we don't end up dying while you're fighting over the controls!"

Cirran grimaced. "By all means," he said sarcastically, gesticulating towards the co-pilot's seat. I'll show these people I can fly yet, he thought, ...although crashing into their station probably didn't provide the best first impression. He looked across at Lerrah as she sat down. "Headed down some tight holes before, have we?" he asked innocently.

Lerrah glanced back at Tasia, then to Cirran. "Oh a few," she said. "Oh definitely a few. Now, don't you start trying distract me from this piloting."

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Cirran, his face not leaving the readouts, although his smirk was evident. "I just got this baby back into something like good shape - thanks to Miss Harough's generosity - and I'd hate to see all that effort wasted when a distracted co-pilot impaled the ship on the first stalactite." He winked at Lerrah. "OK then, partner, keep an eye on the power flow levels and the proximity sensors - I'm taking us down."

The 'Fool's Hope' began to drop slowly out of the morning light into the unknown depths of the maw below, waiting like a mouth to swallow them. Cirran looked into the unsettling depths below as he descended the ship cautiously but steadily. "I have to say, I think I prefer flying around planets, rather than into the middle of them," he muttered, as they plunged towards gods knew what. "Whoever reckons they're the best gunner might want to go strap into the turret, we don't know what's down there. Any takers?" He glanced briefly towards Walker, who grunted.

"If I'm in the turret, how am I gonna be first out the door?" said the giant. "Besides, I'm no fighter jockey or artilleryman, I like to work with something smaller." He indicated his blaster, which ironically was about as big as blasters got, and grinned. "I'll pass."

"You need me here," Lerrah said with a grin toward Cirran. "Provided you trust them touching your guns, I think our new friends might be able to pop into the turret."

"Cham," Tasia called. "Why don't you go help them out. Keep on eye on them?"

The Wookiee let out an affirmative growl and headed toward the back of the ship where the weapons were kept.

Lerrah watched him go and glanced at Tasia. "I'm glad Captain Kir was kind enough to lend him to us. Are we down yet? Hurry up, Cirran." She shot him a grin.

"I could go faster if you like," said Cirran, "although we might land on a tank platoon or something without realising it." He flicked on the landing lights as the ship became enveloped in darkness, but left the powerful searchlights off, continuing to adjust their descent in the dim light, as the shadowy rock walls closed in on all sides. "Lerrah, seeing anywhere good to set her down?" he said, concentrating on his flying.

"I'm seeing a flat, level spot right over there," Lerrah answered, and sent the coordinates to his display. "Should give us a nice spot to set down, and enough maneuverability around it that we don't have to worry about falling off when we get out. I think I see a path further back in too."

"OK, I'm heading over. Here we go." He flicked on the comms to the rear of the ship. "We're coming in guys, keep your eyes peeled." He drew the ship steadily down towards the large natural shelf, which looked deserted. The only sound to be heard in the huge cavern was the landing of the freighter as it touched gently down onto the rock. Cirran powered down the engines.

"Ground floor," he said. "Housewares, furniture and the slave labour prison mine."

Walker peered through the cockpit into the darkness, towards the tunnel that Cirran had landed them facing, which seemed to lead down into the mountain. No lights or movement could be perceived. "I don't like this," he growled. "Where the hell is the opposition? A bloody big hole at the top of their little fortress, and they don't bother defending it?"

"Hey, that's their problem, not ours," said Cirran. "We good to go, people?"

Tasia gave a loose salute. "Aye, Captain," she drawled.

"I'm guessing this rescue isn't going to involve any computers," Ty said as he buckled a blaster belt around his waist. "I guess that means I'm just going to be out there trying to look impressive for the prisoners we're supposed to be rescuing." He glanced at Tasia and grinned, but the tightness around his eyes showed his fear and uncertainty. He seemed to be holding together though.

"How about you, big man?" Tasia swatted Walker's lumpy, heavily-muscled shoulder and grinned. "Not gonna back out, are you now? I promise to watch your back." She puckered her lips in a jesting kiss.

Walker laughed loudly, which was slightly unnerving in the silence of the cavern, even inside the ship. "Well, there's a lot of it to watch, Miss Harough!" he said. He primed his blaster and snapped out his wristblades, appraising that they were working to his satisfaction. He gave a satisfied grunt and resheathed them with a flick of his wrist. "Right, you greenhorns follow me, I'm taking point. We'll have the wook' follow up at the back. I reckon he can handle himself. Tyris - try not to shoot anyone on our side! Better organise Marius and his boys, we should probably have a couple of them guard the ship - it would be good to still have one when we come back."

"Right, here we go," said Cirran, standing up and making sure the two remotes Walker had returned to him were clipped to his belt, along with the DL-44. He took a deep breath. "After you, sergeant." He and the others followed Walker to the ramp, where Marius and his men were waiting with Cham. "The plan so far is we're going down that tunnel," said Cirran. "We'll have to take it as it comes and try and find out where they're keeping Knox first. Listen to Walker, 'cause he knows what he's doing a lot better than I do."

"Stay low and aim high, if it comes to it," said the veteran. "Cham, keep an eye out at the rear. Marius, I take it you and your men know what you're doing?"

Marius looked to Walker and smiled. "We are Quistis' team, so to be a part of it wasn't for our own good looks!"

Tasia rolled her eyes. "Arrogant men," she muttered and pushed her way to the front of the pack alongside Cirran. "So...what kind of resistance should we be expecting?" she asked Marius. "Sentry droids? Highly trained strike teams?" She smirked. "Should I be carrying a blaster?"

"Lady, you should have brought Boba Fett to this one," Dealer said before Marius could say anything.

"Dealer, shut your fucking mouth for two minutes," Marius said as he turned to Tasia. "Sorry about that. We expect a trained strike team and I hope you consider them the best of the galaxy, because it is the only way to survive this. Also I advise you to be carrying two blaster pistols and a rifle, but you can have my repeating blaster pistol. Be careful, it is not as the other repeating blasters, this one is faster than the others."

Tasia hefted the proffered weapon, weighing it in her arms. She made a low sound of approval. "If I can lift this thing, I think I'll be good to go."

Cirran smiled nervously. "Well then, without any further ado..." He thumbed the control on the ship's ramp. If anyone was unaware of the tension of the situation, it was the 'Fool's Hope', which once again decided that the ramp hydraulics system was simply a waste of time, and it was a lot better to dispense with all that boring gradual descent malarkey and cut to the chase. The heavy metal ramp crashed onto the rock floor, making everybody jump and sending a deafening crash echoing throughout the vast chamber.

Cirran gritted his teeth. "Bollocks," he said.

Walker growled. "Well, if anyone's within 15 clicks, they know we're here now. Keep a lookout everyone. Let's go." He led them out into the dark.

After a few metres in, Tasia oofed and let loose with a vile curse after nearly toppling over a buried rock. Her voice rebounded off the stone walls of the cavern. "Is that their first line of defense?" she asked sardonically. "I'll break my neck long before we encounter any sentient resistance."

Walker turned around, which blocked most of the dim light coming from further up the passage. Nonetheless his scowl could almost be felt through the dark. "Miss Harough," he said in a hoarse whisper, "...when sentient resistance does arrive - or we arrive at it, and I can assure you one or the other will happen - it will likely be well trained and carrying a great deal of weaponry, and will need no further encouragement than that kind of noise to shoot you in the dark, probably before you've even had time to rub your shin. So if it's alright with you, can we please dispense with this amateur-hour bantha shit and try to proceed quietly?" He harrumphed, and turning, headed back up the passage.

Next to Tasia, Cirran shrugged his shoulders at her annoyed looking glance. "I suppose he has a point," he offered vaguely in a whisper, as he fell in after the giant.

She shot a scathing glare at Cirran, then jammed her fists into both hips and marched up to Walker, stopping just before her forehead could touch his chin. "I'm a tech, you oaf," she rasped. "Not a mercenary, so I'm sorry if I can't exactly see in the dark well enough to avoid obstacles! If you'd prefer to carry me, I'm sure we can prevent further interruptions as I attempt to avoid smashing my head against a rock. If not" --she jabbed her finger into his solid chest for emphasis-- "get out of my way."

A huge shadow appeared at Tasia's side, and despite the darkness, it was more than apparent that there was a glower to match the hulking shape. A low, rumbling growl could be felt as well as heard. A moment later, Lerrah appeared out of the darkness to move between Cham and Cirran. "Unless you want to fly your ass out of here and find yourself a group of trained commandos, you're stuck with us. And, unless you don't want your friend's pieces scattered throughout this place, I suggest you have a talk with him, and enlighten him as to the nature of this group he's with. Next time he pops off like that, he's going to have to deal with a few hundred kilos of angry Wookiee. And, after that outburst, I'm not inclined to warn him off in any way." She leaned close. "This is amateur hour, flyboy. If your friend doesn't like it, he can go wait back at the ship. Otherwise, he'd better learn to deal with it."

Cirran stopped for a second to consider the mental picture of any kind of physical confrontation between the giant security man and the wookiee. It would probably be worth watching - from a distance. Waking up and shaking himself free of the worrying images in his head, he looked over to where Walker was staring straight down with a mixture of annoyance and amusement at the feisty tech chief, and then back to Lerrah and Cham, who didn't look in a happy mood either. This is not good. We can't fight if we're at each other's throats, he thought. He spoke so everyone could hear him.

"OK, unaccustomed as I am to acting as the voice of reason, everybody calm down! Walker, we're not mercs, and I don't know if I speak for anyone else here, but I'm pretty damn scared as well. We're doing our best, so cut us some slack! And you guys, we may not be soldiers, but the sergeant here is one, and if he makes a suggestion, I'm pretty sure it's because he doesn't want us all to get shot. Am I right?" Walker nodded slowly.

"Right, so everybody lay off," Cirran continued. "Save the harsh language for the enemy, we'll probably need it when we run out of ammunition." He smiled, and then sobered his features. "Seriously guys, we need to be acting as a team on this one if we're gonna come near pulling it off. So let's save the arguments until we get back to a bar somewhere, agreed? Who's with me?"

Tasia smiled a touch alluringly at Walker as she answered Cirran. "I certainly am. I think I almost like this temperamental hulk, here."

Lerrah just rolled her eyes and started forward with Elf right behind her. Cham crossed his arms over his chest to regard those around him briefly, but stayed next to Tasia.

"OK then..." Cirran said in the uncomfortable silence. "I'll take the lack of blaster fire as a good sign." Walker grunted, smiled down at Tasia, and began to lead the party forward again. Cirran took the opportunity to sidle over to Ty.

"Help me keep an eye on things, Ty, I don't think Lerrah appreciates Walker's suggestions or Tasia's little looks too much. We don't want to fight amongst ourselves," he said quietly. "Gods know what Marius and his men think of this. We need a united front, especially if we get into a firefight."

"That's the downside of taking a bunch of people who don't belong in a firefight into a situation where they might end up in one," Ty answered. "And, I don't see why Lerrah's so upset with Tasia flirting with Walker, considering how much she's been flirting with you."

Cirran opened his mouth but nothing came out except strange stammering noises. After a few seconds his brain re-engaged. "That stuff has been flirting? Gods, I suppose it is. Er...yes, well, I suppose it's been a while since I've had to think about that sort of thing. Do you think she..."

The end of Cirran's question had to wait as further up the tunnel, there came the sound of blaster fire. The initial shot was followed by two more in quick succession, and then a cry which was rapidly cut off. Cirran unholstered his blaster in an unexpert manner and hurried around the corner with everybody else.

Walker was standing over two corpses in front of a plastisteel door where the tunnel terminated, smoking blaster in one hand, his other arm outstretched. Those who followed this arm quickly saw that his wristblades were imbedded in the rock. More readily apparent than this fact however, was that they had first passed through the chest of one of the three hapless guards Walker had run into, who was now transfixed upright and quite dead against the tunnel wall.

"What in the hells happened?" Cirran asked.

Walker grunted, strained, and managed to withdraw his arm, leading to a spray of blood and allowing the perforated guard to collapse onto the floor. He rehoused the blades. He gestured vaguely towards the two bodies on the floor. "They missed. I didn't," he said.

"Well, you might have left one alive for questioning!" Cirran said.

"Oh, so sorry, spacer, for some reason that didn't occur to me when they started shooting at my head," Walker growled. He took a step forward and thumbed the door control. Nothing happened.

Cirran sighed, and stepped somewhat gingerly over the messy corpse and towards the door. "Squeamish, spacer?" Walker said, smiling ghoulishly.

"Not really," said Cirran. "When you've experienced the smell of your own legs on fire, you tend to get past that sort of thing. But blood is hard to get out of your shoes." He perfunctorily examined the doors. "Looks like they've gone into some kind of lock-down status. Anyone?" He turned back to the now fully assembled team gathered in the dim light.

Ty moved forward and crouched down before the door. He quickly pulled out a small box with a series of blinking lights. He plugged one end into the panel to the side of the door and the other slipped back behind his ear. As he searched for the right encryption routine, his eyes glazed over. Several moments later, a smile crept over his lips.

Behind him, a rather sarcastic toodle and beep sounded, followed by Lerrah's voice, "Oh hush, Elf. He may not be as fast as you, but at least he can manage stairs." The only response was a morose sounding whistle.

"Got it," Ty announced quietly. "Looks like there may be some resistance just up ahead. Everyone stay sharp."

"Nice work, Ty," said Cirran.

Tasia executed a lazy salute, and winked up at Walker. "You first, human shield of rippling muscle." She raised her rifle to a haphazard angle and promised, "I'll cover you."

Walker grinned. "See that you do. Right!" He rechecked his blaster and unbuttoned a small canister on his armour at chest level that contained three small spheres.

"Are those what I think they are?" Cirran asked somewhat incredulously.

"Thermal detonators, low yield," Walker confirmed, adjusting some settings on a wristpad.

"Won't they bring the mountain down on us?" Cirran inquired.

Walker gave a trademark grunt. "What am I, a geologist? I think that's gonna be the least of our problems anyway. This section is on alert now, so they've probably set up a hard point ahead somewhere. Fan out and find cover anywhere you can when we hit it."

"Thanks," said Cirran sarcastically. "Any other handy advice?"

Walker turned, smiling. "Yes," he said deliberately. "Try to avoid a grizzly death." He turned and headed quietly through the door.

Cirran swore under his breath. "Right." He looked around in the dark. "Where's Marius?"

"Here," Marius said and glanced to the strange group as he kept his mouth shut since it was not his discussion; he even thought that speaking so loud would give the position up. "Sas, Jasto and Mr. Malin take the left side."

"Yes sir," Sas Jasto and Mr. Malin said, without discussing the order.

"Suster, Dealer you're with me - we take the right side. Stay behind Walker," Marius said as the team moved to form up the group.

"Yes Sir," Dealer and Suster said at the same time as they were in front. "I was quite enjoying the view from behind," Suster said to the ear of Dealer.

"Me too, but now try to do this mission without thinking of girls," Dealer said seriously enough.

Tasia watched with slight amusement as Marius' soldiers filed into the cavern behind Walker. "Well, if anyone can shield us from a hail of blaster fire, it's certainly them." Then, with some seriousness, she looked to her remaining companions. "Are we ready?"

Cirran took a deep breath. "No," he said. "Not much I can do about that though, really." He looked around at his strange assortment of colleagues as he made sure the remotes on his belt were ready to go, his face also serious. "Thanks again, guys," he said. "I really appreciate this and I'll do my best not to accidentally hit any of you." He broke into a grin, unable to let a serious moment linger for too long without a joke; but his nervous use of humour demonstrated his anxiety.

Putting a hand on Cirran's shoulder, Lerrah laughed softly. "I think, in that case, I'll be staying behind you. Get us out of this on the other side, and I'll even let you fly your own ship."

Cirran laughed. "Hey, no need to spoil me! I guess we'd better catch up. Wouldn't want to be late to the gunfight, after all." He gave a last look around, nodded, and headed through the door to follow Walker, Marius and his men.

---

"Conquering Underworld, Part 1"
by Auron Ronso
Kyra Ronso
Ellemiek Vermollen
Adam Edwards
Vyn Kether
Vicks Mason
Aeris Strife - NPC+
Tifa Alexandros Lionhart - NPC+
Taja West - NPC+

Location: Underworld Station, Alderaan System
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

***

Kyra had a strong grip on the controls of the Decoy which was the transport that was in trouble. The transport shook everywhere. She was sweating just to keep the transport in line to the correct hangar. She could see three Star Destroyers that were there. The Firster, the Starnova and the Endless Whisper. "This is Transport Univel to Station, do you copy? I was attacked by pirates and my stabilizers don't function. I don't have shields and have a hull breach, leaving me with only two minutes of breathable air."

"We copy Univel. Just go to hangar 11, where a team will be standing by."

"Control, is hangar 11 the one right in front of me? Because the controls respond just barely."

"Ok, Univel. Just come in slowly!"

Kyra put her breathable mask on and started to feel weightless. She made it just in time to punch on the accelerator. The transport approached the hangar very quickly.

***Meanwhile, Inside Underworld***

Taja kept her eye on the transmission, and when she heard the conversation with transport Univel that was with problems, Taja knew that was the transport she was waiting for. She then looked up and nodded towards Saman, who was on the other end of the room. Saman nodded back and turned to Asd. "Lieutenant, I'm checking a problem on level 65. Go there and make a test run on that terminal."

Asd stood and looked towards Saman. "But..."

"That was an order!" Saman said.

"Yes, sir!" Asd said and walked out of the room. Saman punched in the keyboard to lock the room where he and Taja were standing.

Taja got up, picked up the bag next to her and started to walk towards the corridor that accessed the main computer. Saman joined her with another bag and walked through the same corridor. They entered the small room that had a large computer with two screens. Taja sat in front of one and Saman took the other one. They set on the controls and passed their respective cards to access the keyboard. "Ok, let's rock this joint. Closing main computer access doors and setting up the corridor defence system." The door behind them closed as Taja flipped to the security cameras of the hangar where Kyra was landing.

***On Univel Transport***

Kyra moved the transport fast and saw the hangar approaching.

"Transport Univel, you're coming in too fast!"

"Control, I don't have control of the transport! I'm going to crash!"

The Univel hit hard on the hangar floor, breaking in half. The cockpit side flipped and hit upside down on the hangar, then slowly rolling near to one of the entrances. The back part of the transport exploded when the cockpit side stopped, taking most ship on that section.

Kyra hit hard on a white pastel that filled the entire cockpit to protect her. This was a prototype and had never been used. Kyra got out of the transport as fire spread across the hangar.

***On Main Computer***

"That is the signal, Saman," Taja said simply. "I'm sending a short encoded signal... now."

"Disconnecting all camera systems and scanners. Phase one is under go," Saman said.

The Midnight Rogue flew in at an average speed and velocity to avoid arousing suspicion. Vyn noticed the wreckage of the Univel in one of the hangars and nodded his head; everything was going as planned. He turned to his co-pilot and nodded. "Alright, now everyone quiet, we don't wanna blow this thing when we've come this far." Everyone complied and Vyn activated a communication with the station.

"Control, this is Sabra Transport on approach. We request permission to land in hangar 11 to offload supplies, over."

"Negative, Sabra. We are experiencing major difficulties in hangar 11, proceed with your landing in 12 and wait for a representative to greet you, though it may take some time."

"Roger that, control. Sabra transport on approach..." responded Vyn as he ended his communication.

Vyn landed the Rogue in the hangar bay without any problem occurring and he grinned, turning to his co-pilot. "It worked. Stay here and keep an eye on my ship while I go and prep the soldiers. Get the ground defense blaster ready and don't activate it until Adam's landed and our soldiers have begun to pour out. We can't afford to mess this up now."

His Sullustan co-pilot nodded and got to work. Vyn left the cockpit and went to prep the soldiers, waiting for the Elusive to arrive.

Adam swept his ship in, waiting for the last minute to cut the thrust. The Elusive entered the hanger rather forcefully, shaking everyone inside the freighter.

DB pressed a button, lowering the ship's automatic belly cannon, to cover the troops unloading. The ramp lowered, and Adam heard the New Republic troops move out.

Kyra looked to the hangar that was bursting in flames. It went better than she had planned, because she took almost every fighter in that hangar. The smoke was high enough and covered the control windows near it. She was the only one still standing there who had survived the last stunt of hers. She moved to one of the entrances and the door opened itself. She saw that the corridor was empty and moved to the end of the corridor, where the enemy was waiting for her. She placed a small headset on her ear.

Taja looked to the screen and saw Kyra moving. "Kyra, you've got six stormtroopers at the end of the corridor."

"Roger that T. Is there any word of the transports?" Kyra asked as she continued to move to the end of the corridor.

"The Transports just landed right now. The control didn't scan the transports, so we are ok," Taja said as she flipped to see the prison cells.

"Ok. Let's move to phase two. Open comm channel to the Fighter Squadrons."

"Saman released the prisoners of cell block five." Taja flipped the comm frequency to the same as the New Republic. "Ok, K. You're live, from Underworld."

Kyra smiled. "This is K. Phase Two is under go. I repeat, phase two is under go!" she said as she took her blaster rifle and shot against the enemies.

***In Space***

Ellemiek got the message from Kyra and opened all the frequencies to the other fighters. "This is Commander Vermolen, to all fighters. Phase two is go! I repeat, phase two is go! Engage lightspeed!" she said as she pulled the throttle slowly up to the maximum. Soon she was seeing all the stars become mere lines of light and then the blue corridor came to life.

It only took about a minute from where they were to get to Underworld, so when they came off lightspeed, they were right next to the Space Station. "Attention all fighters, engage quickly. Watch for fighters and get close to those Star Destroyers! We need to take them out!" Ellemiek ordered.

"Copy that, Black Leader! Wild Cards, engage enemy fighters. Let's lure those Destroyers to position."

"Copy that, Wild Leader!" all of Auron's pilots said at the same time.

"Black Leader, this is Black 2. I have TIEs on my visual scanner. Radar detects a TIE Interceptor squadron!" Jubey said.

"Copy that info, Black 2," Ellemiek answered. "Attack formation. Keep it tight and fast, boys and girls!" she added as she maneuvered her X-Wing to engage.

***Underworld Cell Block***

Vicks heard the crash and felt his cell jolt. That was the sign, so he prepped himself for the guard to walk by and make sure the cells were secure. All of his other cell mates were in this plan as well, for most of them were captured New Republic soldiers. He used the typical maneuver to act as if he was injured, and the guard stopped and opened up the cell. Vicks knew that Moff Gustalv wanted him alive, so the guard rushed in to see if he was ok. With a quick swift punch to the nose, the guard fell back. Vicks took the guard's blaster and hit the guard over the head for confirmation and took his authorization key for the cells.

He quickly began opening the cells and springing the prisoners, and together they began to outnumber the guards, took their blasters and made their way to the docking bay 12...

***

Auron flew his X-Wing towards the Star Destroyer. The TIEs and X-Wings crossed and spread Auron's unit, but they were divided by pairs. The TIEs tried to eliminate any X-wing they could see, but confusion was already installed as the X-Wing flew close to the Star Destroyer named Firster, and some of the hangars were already blown up by Kondor squadron. Auron moved his X-Wing, facing the Star Destroyer, as the Wild Cards formed behind him. "Black Squadron, prep your concussion missiles to take out their shield generator. Just follow us and we clean those shields!"

"Roger on that attack run, Wild Leader," Ellemiek said in agreement. "Black Leader to Black Squadron, prep your missiles and watch those turrets and batteries on the Star Destroyer! Aim for the shield generator!" she said as they closed in right behind the Wild Cards.

Auron pushed the throttle of his X-Wing to maximum as the X-Wing started to shake. "Whinner, give me a proper lock on the shield generator from here and send it to the other astromech units of the Wild Cards! I want every missile to hit the same shields!" Whinner responded to Auron's order, and as he did, Auron stood right on target. "When I say three, fire two concussion missiles and then break in pairs and protect the Black Hawks!"

"Roger that," Aeris said as she followed Auron's lead. She only hoped that Kyra was alive.

"One, two, three...!" Auron said and fired two of his concussion missiles. He saw the rest of the Wild Cards fire and all missiles hit on target. The last three hit on the Star Destroyer's surface. Auron broke off, followed by his wingman, trying to protect the Black Hawks.

Ellemiek came in, with less than a second behind the Wild Cards, as they split out to clear the room. She already had a lock and had received confirmation from her squadron members. "Fire!" she commanded.

There was a large shower of missiles and most hit the Star Destroyer on the gap that was once the generator which only triggered a mass explosion. Ellemiek did not fire her missiles, however, turning at the last second and aiming them at the bridge. Without shields it was the death shot for them...

The Star Destroyer's bridge was covered in flames and Ellemiek called for all fighters to clear off before the Star Destroyer began to engulf itself with all the explosions.

"Watch for those incoming fighters!" Ellemiek said as the TIE Interceptors were now closing in on them.

"Got one!" Kilgara called out as she flew across the rear end of Ellemiek's X-Wing. The TIE spun around with a damaged left wing and hit another incoming one.

"Nice shot!" Ellemiek told her.

"A two-in-one special!" Kilgara laughed.

***Docking Bay 12***

Vyn ran down the ramp, blaster in hand, in front of the New Republic soldiers. The guard who was walking out to greet them with his two stormtrooper escorts stopped dead in his tracks and pulled his blaster. Quickly, Vyn shot the guard and one of the stormtroopers before the other one got a shot off, forcing Vyn to jump out of the way.

The New Republic soldiers quickly poured out of the two transports while stormtroopers quickly poured in. The battle for Underworld station had begun...

Kyra walked through the corridors with her blaster on her hands and she kept a close hidden position. She saw the commotion of stormtroopers heading towards the two hangars. Colonel Turkamen had trouble coming his way. She moved when she had no stormtroopers in sight, and went towards the room that led to both hangars. She looked one way and another. Kyra thought it was strange, because she saw few stormtroopers walking on this level. She was hoping to see more of a difficult time, and then this... The corridors were almost empty and once in a while she saw a group of only six stormtroopers.

Kyra walked near one of the entrances and hid herself, waiting for enemies. "Taja, do you copy?"

"I copy, Kyra," Taja said as she flipped the camera in the section Kyra was in.

"It's too quiet here, Taja. I barely saw any stormtroopers, and I think they weren't heading for the hangars. What's going on?"

"Don't know..." The sound from the other side of the access tunnel came. Taja got up and looked to the other side, and at the door she saw a stormtrooper helmet. "Oh, shit," Taja said as she walked near Saman. "I think they know we're here!"

Saman turned and smiled. "Don't worry. To access here will take a few hours. Anyway, the rebel squadrons have eliminated one of the Star Destroyers, and are working on the second one. But we need all three, and the third SD is not engaging the fight."

"That's weird..." Taja sat on her keyboard. She flipped her comm on. "Kyra, something is up! Not only are the stormtroopers not engaging, but the third SD is not engaging either."

"What?! That's not right...!" She saw a vault and she aimed towards the end of the corridor. "Who is there?"

"Kyra? It's Tifa!" She took her head out of cover and saw Kyra breathing in relief that it was her. She approached and kneeled down. "It's good to see you alive!"

"I barely used this baby."

"I know. We found little resistance when we landed and then we found almost no one. I don't like this one bit! It's like they are abandoning it," Taja looked and saw that Kyra was thinking.

Kyra glanced, and out of nothing she heard a sound, as if metal rolling. Kyra glanced to the other corridor and saw five to six metal things rolling towards them, and then stopping just before entering the room. The legs exited and held on the ground. They exited two blaster weapons and Kyra saw the eyes.

"Shit!" She hid herself just before the mechanical gadget started to fire against them. "All units on Underground, we have droidekas! I repeat, we have droidekas!" Kyra fired and her blaster hit on the droids' shields.

"They will overpower this position! Kyra, we've got to go!" Taja screamed as she fired her blaster to no use, as it hit the droids' shields.

"Retreat, Taja! Now!" Kyra said as she threw one a thermal detonator, destroying four of the six droids. Kyra, Taja and the rest used the smoke to run away.

***In space***

"Great shot, Black leader!" Auron stated. He saw both Star Destroyers moving towards the MCC Galleon. "They must have a second bridge and are moving to position."

"Roger that, Wild leader," Corey said as she tried to get rid of the TIE chasing her. The imperial starfighter exploded and Corey looked behind him. "Thanks, Wild five!"

"You're welcome, miss," Zendel said as he piloted his ship.

The station waited for the right moment and then its automatic torrents started to fire with everything they had, and hit the Star Destroyers.

"Get out of the way of those turrets!" Auron said as he flew out in a direction towards the MCC Galleon, followed by his squadron.

Ellemiek had to maneuver her X-Wing in a cross and spiral to get out of the line of fire, but managed to do it in two seconds, without getting shot. As for the rest of her squadron, they were out of the way before her, so they were cleared as well. She then read the scanners.

"It seems the Star Destroyers are occupied, but I read a squadron of TIE Bombers heading out to the MCC Galleon, escorted by two squadrons of TIE Fighters and TIE Interceptors. We need those bombers shot down now, before they reach their target!" she said over the comm to all fighters, as she herself engaged.

The imperial squadrons saw the incoming rebels and turned about to confront them, as the TIE Bombers had their course steady for the Galleon.

"Crossing paths!" Jubey called out as he flew fast between two TIE Fighters shooting down a third one that came in behind them.

"Right behind you, Black Two!" Kilgara replied as she dodged the first two TIE Fighters that Jubey had first crossed paths with.

Ellemiek got there a split second after them and went head on with a TIE fighter. She shot him down and passed in between what was left of the imperial fighter as it exploded. "All squadrons, engage those fighters! Black Squadron on me, after the bombers!"

Auron slid his X-Wing, passing near the MCC Galleon's surface and going after the incoming fighters. "Wild Cards, split in two. Corey, lead the second attack. Aeris, Zendel, you're with me. The rest go with Corey."

Auron flew to the side of the MCC Galleon and made a huge curve. He hoped to attack from the side the small protective convoy. "Ok, flip your guns to manual, and watch out for friendly fighters. If you see all TIEs you keep pressing until we've passed all of them."

"Yes sir! This is what life is for, sir. Destroying TIEs!" Zendel said, confident as he looked at the TIEs and at the Black Hawks heading straight to each other.

"I got it. You want them to think that there are more ships than they are seeing isn't it?" Aeris asked as she looked to the side to Auron's ship.

"Exactly! Ok, let's move fast and quick! Whatever you do, stay straight forward and don't hesitate, or you might collide with another fighter. Are you guys ready?"

"Yes, sir!" both said as they accelerated the speed of their X-Wings to maximum, following Auron's lead.

Auron flew as he got closer. "Wild Leader to Black Leader, stay clear of the back of the TIE convoy! I repeat, stay clear of the back of the convoy! We are going to make a crazy stunt that might help you out." Auron sighed to the convoy as it got closer. Whinner tried to jam some of those fighters' communications. "I don't want them to know what is going to happen. Tell Aeris and Zendel's droids to do the same. The more the merrier."

Whinner whistled, and after a few seconds answered that it was done. Auron tried to calm him down and then, when the moment came, he punched on his blaster cannons and they kept on firing. The three X-Wings fired as they created a huge straight line of green light, hitting the fighters, exploding the first line that was caught by surprise. Auron, Zendel and Aeris flew through the balls of fire. When they got through all three pilots breathed normally and screamed in joy that they had survived that last stupid stunt. But sometimes stupid stunts gave the edge to win the battles.

Auron turned his X-Wing around and saw that his plan worked. Auron, Aeris, and Zendel took almost six to twelve TIEs in on one single attack. It also made the convoy break in such confusion, that some TIEs hit each other. The confusion was made and that was an easy part for Ellemiek's squadron. They only had to point and fire.

Ellemiek opened the comm for her squadron. "I want each of you to lock on a different fighter and fire a missile at them. But keep your locks on for cannons in case any missile misses the spot!" she said. She got confirmations and went on through.

Auron had provided them with an excellent opening for them to attack the TIE Bombers. When they got to the right position, several missiles flew. There was very little that the TIE Bombers could do. They split up and tried to deviate from the missiles, but it was too late for most of them. And those who did manage not to be hit, were decimated by the laser cannons of the X-Wings.

Alas, there was a bomb that went on through to the MCC Galleon. Ellemiek's R2 droid beeped and the scanners immediately picked up the bomb that was enroute to the New Republic ship. Being a heavy bomb it was sure to make considerable damage.

"Shit!" Ellemiek cursed as she set her engines on maximum. She told her astromech unit to set all power to the engines and followed the bomb, trying to get a lock on it. She was lucky that it was a heavy bomb, and therefore, slow to get to its target. Ellemiek was able to get a lock and fired on it at the last seconds. The bomb exploded before impact, and the MCC Galleon was clear of danger, save for a few cannon shots that Ellemiek missed on the bomb.

"Sorry for those two shots that hit the shields, MCC Galleon," she called in, with a smile on her face for having saved the major impact of the bomb.

"Apologies accepted, Commander," came the reply from the Admiral himself. "It is I who have to thank you for destroying that bomb!"

"Part of the job, sir!" Ellemiek answered. She then rejoined her squadron, and looked out to the station. It seemed this battle was becoming somewhat easy, but then again, they did have the station's firepower on their side...

Adam watched as the New Republic soldiers moved into the corridors of Underworld Station. Adam and DB let them go. After all...Adam wasn't told to participate in the battle. He was getting paid to transport.

He had bigger plans. On his datapad, it showed the fastest route to the Moff's quarters. Adam figured, like any respectable Moff, this one had a taste for fine things. Fine...and expensive. And who would care if some of them wound up lost during a battle.

Adam pulled his blaster, signalled to DB, and started to weave his way towards the Moff's quarters.

---

"Harvest Rescue, Part 2"
By: Cirran Tyris
Tasia Harough
Lerrah Breijal
Ty Kat'Ritara
Cham
Walker
Sas Ter - NPC
Jasto Ferwer - NPC
Vinas "Dealer" Castur - NPC
James Suster the 3rd - NPC
Marius Befur - NPC
Shaes Yur Malin - NPC

Location: Roch'llor Mountains, Gallor
Date: Lythe 28, 4 ABY

***

Mathias Coin moved softly through the dark. Considering his size, his quiet passage would be surprising to those who didn't know him, and even many who did. Although he was widely known on the Drogen station as a boisterous and no-nonsense security officer, few knew of his past. Walker had fought in dozens of conflicts all over the galaxy for 35 years, as a soldier, a merc, a lawman, and sometimes much worse...and in all the hairy situations I've been in, this would have to be one of the all-time hairiest, he thought as he moved cautiously up the tunnel, scanning ahead.

Directly behind him, he knew Marius and his team of professionals were doing the right thing - the same thing as him. Taking it easy, staying cool and alert, watching for trouble. The problem was that behind them was a bunch of greenhorns - spacers, techs, a godsdamned slicer - and he had to worry about them as well as him. That was a recipe for trouble. At least the wook can probably look after himself, he thought. Coin had never known a wookiee that couldn't handle himself in a scrap.

The passage seemed to widen, and he came to a corner. Lowering himself to his knees in the dim light, he bent over, he flashed his head around the corner near ground level, and straight back. Sure enough, his glimpse ahead revealed the passage leading to a large set of doors about 5 to 600 metres down the passage. More important though was the fire team setting up in front of the doors, assuming a defensive position and manning heavy weaponry. There was not a lot of cover down the passage, and what little there was mostly already had the enemy behind it. Walker sighed gently, and gritted his teeth, knowing all too well from his extensive experience that it would be a miracle if everyone he had arrived with walked away from this one.

He turned and gave a hand signal to Marius, who was bringing up his squad just behind him, indicating he should bring everyone to a halt. The soldiers pulled up in an ordered fashion, and then the motley gaggle of greenhorns arrived in dribs and drabs behind them, sensing rather than being told that continuing to saunter up the passage might be a bad idea.

Marius moved up as Walker moved in front. He knew that Walker was a veteran in this kind of thing by the way he positioned himself, and the way he waved his hand.

"What's going on?" Tasia whispered to Cirran, squinting into the darkness. "Trouble already?"

"I'm not sure..." Cirran started, but was cut off by a menacing glare through the dark from Walker, who also raised an accompanying finger to his lips. He approached the group and spoke in a barely audible tone.

"There's a gun battle around that corner waiting to happen," he said. "Me and Marius and his boys are going around first - and we're taking your droid with us - assuming he has a utility compartment and launcher up the top there?" he added to Lerrah.

Elf let out a series of whistles that Lerrah frowned at. "Fine," she said, an edge of tension in her voice. "Just make sure he gets back to me in one piece. Okay? He gets hurt, and...and...and you'll be sorry."

Tasia laid a comforting hand on Lerrah's shoulder and explained, "He's more than a droid - he's a friend. He even sings." She smirked at Walker. "Just do what you have to do. If he's not hurt too badly, I can fix him."

"Relax, he's probably got less chance of being shot than the spacer here," whispered Walker hoarsely, gesturing towards Cirran, who frowned, and then he beckoned the droid over, and tapped him lightly on top. "Open up," he requested. A hatch popped open at the top of the R2 unit, and Walker dropped three of his small thermal detonators into it. He addressed the little droid. "Now I don't have to worry about shooting and throwing these at the same time," he said. "Over us, and at the bad guys - right?" he instructed.

Elf booped out a response that caused Lerrah to grin. "He's got it," she said.

"OK then, just make sure you aim well away from us, and once you've fired 'em all, find cover if you can, and sing away to your heart's content," Walker whispered gruffly. He turned to look for Cham. Even in the dark, the wookiee was not hard to spot.

"How's your aim, wook?" he quietly asked the hulking technician.

Cham barked a reply that sounded vaguely positive. He'd been around enough to know how to shoot, though living on the shipyards he didn't have much opportunity for it. He patted his bowcaster for emphasis.

Walker smiled. "Yeah, I figured. OK, you're with us too. The rest of you blasterbait follow behind a bit when things get started..." - his expression softened slightly - "...and keep your heads down. Have we got it?"

Tasia nodded and let out a short breath. "We've got it. Don't worry about us - if one of us falls, just keep going."

Lerrah moved in alongside Tasia. "You ever get the feeling you're in over your head?"

She smirked. "Yeah...but this time we aren't playing around." Tasia clasped Lerrah's hand in the darkness.

"Not even close," Lerrah answered as she gave Tasia's hand a squeeze. "We'll get out of here though. I don't think they'll let anything happen to us, even Cirran."

"Even that big oaf," Tasia added with a toss of her head towards Walker. "He likes me too much to let anything happen." She grinned slyly.

Walker beamed. "You know, in my experience, it's military tradition not to insult those primarily responsible for trying to keep you alive," he whispered. "But I'll take that as a compliment." He looked over to Marius and his men. "Here we go then, Marius," he said, and nodded towards Elf as well. He set himself as Aknor's soldiers took positions behind him.

Marius snuck a look around the corner to the heavily defended doors with his electrobinoculars. He knew that somewhere through them would be the medical facilities. "Sas, Jasto, you accompany the rest the group and escort them to a medical area. We are going to cover you and hold the position while you retrieve Quistis and anyone that is able to walk out of there. Got it?" He looked to his own men and smiled. "Walker, we are going to take as many prisoners as possible, we need the info of this prison for the strike team." It was weird Marius talking about a strike team, they were the strike team, but the admiral saw they were a rescue team. Marius saw it was little of both on this one. "Ready?"

"As ready as I can be during this kind of cluster-fuck," growled Walker. "See you through those doors or in hell, boys and girls!" He rose to a half crouching position, and bent over, jogged around the corner, searching left and right for cover. He made it to a small protrusion sticking out of the tunnel wall in the rock, threw himself behind it, and took stock.

It seemed quiet. Very quiet. In fact, amazingly, none of the soldiers at the end of the passage had noticed him, being busy with their defensive preparations. Walker shrugged to himself mentally. What in the seven hells are the odds of that? he thought. Still, he was a fairly pragmatic sort, and loath to waste an opportunity, so it was only a second or so later that he raised his blaster to his eyeline, took aim, and pinged a trooper in the chest at range as he was setting up a heavy repeater. "Still got it," he murmured to himself in a satisfied fashion, as blasters were raised in his direction from everywhere. He winged another trooper and pressed back into the wall as shots started coming in his direction.

"Well, that's torn it," muttered Cirran still safely behind cover, as first shouts and then the sound of multiple blaster fire erupted from the passage around the corner. "Guess that's your cue, Elf."

The little R2 unit tootled a response and rolled forward until he was in range. Once ready, he opened the top hatch of his dome, whistled happily, and with a noise that sounded like a cross between a cough and a sneeze, he launched the first thermal detonator. The rest followed quickly behind it.

Ahead, Walker swore as a detonator whistled past his ear. "Goddamnit, over, I said over!" he yelled. Nonetheless the lethal globes skipped off the floor and bounced randomly down towards the end of the corridor. Blaster fire continued to wash around him, and he caught a glance of two or three soldiers trying to hit the R2 unit. He snapped a few shots off in reply to try and keep their heads down, but was forced back into cover by some accurate shooting.

He yelled out to those behind him, who had been returning fire on the guards past him. "Marius! Get ready to go!" he bellowed, "...providing we're not all buried under the ceiling in 5 seconds," he added to himself. He threw himself up against the wall as hard as possible as a series of small explosions braced the enemy positions in front of the door. In the confines of the tunnel, they were ear-shatteringly loud.

Cirran put his hands over his ears as the echoes died away, replaced gradually again with the cacophony of multiple blaster fire. "Guess that's us," he said to those with him. "Good luck!" He jumped up and headed around the corner into the smoke.

"Hey!" Tasia jumped upright behind the large boulder providing cover, but yelped and crouched down again as a blaster bolt whizzed past her head. She grumbled and looked aside to Lerrah. "I'm not a soldier, Lerr. What the hell was I thinking!"

"And, you think I'm a soldier," Lerrah quipped. "I think next time anyone ever suggests we do something like this, we push them out an airlock and go fix up The Pride." She ducked away from a ricocheting blast and fired her own weapon out into the snarl. "This is insane."

"If you remember," Tasia reminded her, "I was sorta the one who suggested this little outing." She closed her eyes and blindly swung the muzzle of her weapon over the boulder to fire a series of shots. The soldiers answered with a flurry of their own. Tasia grumbled and sank against the rock. "Did I get one?" she asked hopefully.

"I think you did," Lerrah said as she peeked around the corner. She raised her weapon and fired. With a very pleased smile, she slid back around the corner knowing she'd plugged one of the bad guys in the chest. "You know, this certainly isn't as easy as they make it out to be on those HoloNet action shows."

"And definitely without the hunks," Tasia quipped, but their chuckles were cut short by the loud explosion of another thermal detonator going off. The entire cavern trembled, shaking loose rocks and jagged stalactites from the ceiling. Tasia raised her rifle above her head for protection. "This is bad!" she shouted above the din.

"If my droid kills us, I'm going to dismantle him and make him into an ornament for Anoran's desk. And, then I'm going to kill that blowhard for even suggesting such a thing. Walker, that is, the nerf wrangler who gave Elf the detonators in the first place."

"I'd tell you that Walker knows what he's doing, but I 'm not sure that he does!" Cirran yelled from across the passage, crouched down next to the wall. He hadn't even fired his blaster yet, as he didn't want to hit any of the real soldiers they'd brought with them, who were ahead somewhere veiled in the smoke and dust. He could hear Walker's booming voice above the chaos: "Move up! MOVE UP!"

Occasionally he flinched as stray shots flew out of the chaos, and came uncomfortably close. Well, Cirran, you're gonna get vaped if you stay here. I definitely prefer it when there's a ship's hull between me and the blaster bolts... he thought. He took a crouching half step forward, but then stopped and looked across to the two women snapping off shots through clear patches in the smog. "Where the hell is Ty?" he yelled.

"I don't know!" Tasia shot back irritably. "He's tiny. You tend to lose him easily!"

"But he is cute for a tiny guy who spends way too much time with computers," Lerrah added. "Not that that matters or anything. Would you like to call a time out so we can look for him?"

Cirran paused for a second to think that here was a mission where he had lost his usual monopoly on sarcasm. "Just keep-- sithspit!" A blaster bolt had just shot past his head and crashed into the rock wall behind him. He glanced up and for the first time actually caught a sight of the enemy, two of them down the corridor who were paying unhealthy amounts of attention to Cirran and his exposed position.

He whipped up his blaster and fired a number of shots in their direction, and then without stopping to see what the results were, he half-ran, half dived across to the relative safety of Tasia and Lerrah's boulder, tumbling somewhat roughly into the two of them. "Hello ladies. Everyone having fun?" he asked from the ground, and then more seriously added: "We've got to try and move up." The calls of a wookiee and the disturbingly similar snarls and shouts of Walker could still be heard ahead of them.

"Move?!" Tasia asked incredulously. "Through that sea of blaster fire, are you insane!"

"Unfortunately, I gather that's the idea in this sort of situation," Cirran replied. "On the plus side, it's hard for them to see you at the moment...of course on the negative side, it's hard for us to see them." He could see that Tasia was not being convinced by his argument. "OK, how about I go first, and you guys cover me, and that way if I get shot, you can use my body to hide behind?" He grinned, but this was only to disguise his very real fear.

"Good plan," Lerrah said. "So, if you get hit, we have a glimmer of hope for the couple seconds your body might protect us. How about we all make a mad dash and whoever makes it to the other side buys me drinks back on the station when we get there?"

"Well I can buy you a drink if you want to," said James. He fired as he moved forward following Marius and the rest.

Marius approached a defense position and fired his blaster, killing two guards. He didn't notice the nice chat that the others were making, because he wanted to be focused so that he didn't get shot. "Walker, we make the protection while the rest go to the medical tent. Keep your heads down!"

Somewhere ahead, Walker grunted his agreement, or at least what Cirran thought was agreement in the noise and the chaos, as the soldiers moved forward professionally. Got to find out what's going on, he thought. "Well, they're making us look pretty bad at this - probably because we are - but I'm not standing for it, or cowering behind a rock for it anyway. Let's see if I'm gonna owe you a drink, Lerrah! Some cover would be appreciated..." He fired a few shots over the rim of the boulder, got to his feet and went into the gloom in a crouched run.

As Cirran took off into the darkness, Lerrah spun herself low around the rock and fired off in the direction of their attackers. Her aim was true enough to discourage the soldiers in the darkness firing in their direction. "Go," she called to Cirran as she squeezed off a couple more shots and then ducked back behind the safety of the rock.

I can't see a godsdamned thing, he thought as he sprinted forward, and the dust closed in around him. Shouts and shots continued around him, as he caught half glimpses of people ahead in the haze. He kept going forward. Is that Marius, or one of his guys? he thought. Should I shout? Who knows... Further contemplation was suddenly ended however when he tripped headlong over a fallen rock brought down by the shock of the detonators, landing at someone's feet. As he looked up he caught a brief glimpse of a pair of feet, and then blaster rifle being lowered down at him, but suddenly there was a loud report, and the prison guard who had been about to shoot him like a fish in a barrel was blasted sideways with a crater in the side of his head. Cirran's view was now filled by a familiar hulking shape.

"Walker?" he said as he struggled to his feet. "Thanks again. But I thought you were at the forward position?"

"This is the forward position, cretin!" yelled Walker, and Cirran could see now that the hazy shapes ahead and advancing towards them were indeed the enemy. "Now get your arse behind some cover!" Walker ordered, as the guards opened up and Walker returned fire. Cirran scrambled over to Walker's position by some more fallen rocks and a ferrocrete crate, and fired his gun vaguely in the direction of the enemy.

"Where's that little slicer friend of yours? We're gonna need him shortly, providing we live of course," yelled Walker, grunting with satisfaction as he blasted another opponent. Cirran noticed that he had been hit in the arm. It didn't seem to be slowing him down any, however.

"We lost him," he replied over the din.

"Ah, I'm sorry spacer, but these things happen. He didn't really look cut out for this kind of scrap. Guess we'll have to rely on the pretty one's droid - not sure he's gonna be able to mess with their systems in the same way as a proper slicer though."

"No," yelled Cirran, continuing to blast randomly away as return fire came uncomfortably close, "I don't mean we lost him, I mean we can't find him. I can't find any damn thing in this mess. I haven't seen Elf either." He took careful aim, and actually succeeded in hitting someone in the thigh, which was pleasing.

"Well, we'd better hope they show up, or we're not getting through that door in a hurry," Walker grunted. "We could try bigger detonators, but something about the way the mountain nearly fell on us with the smaller ones tells me that maybe that isn't a good idea. Now turn around!"

"What?" asked Cirran, and then shots splashed the crate from the opposite direction. He whirled and fired at three advancing guards, who ducked into a small cleft in the tunnel wall.

"They're BEHIND us as WELL?" he yelled, firing enough to keep them pinned down.

"Of course," grinned Walker, continuing to repel the advance of the main body of enemy troops. "I couldn't stop them all from going past me. Not when, as you so correctly point out, it's completely fucking impossible to see anything. Better hope someone gets here fast, eh spacer?" His nonchalance was hardly reassuring.

Cirran stopped shooting, letting his opponents think he was out of ammo, and when one stepped out he unleashed a volley of shots that eventually put the man down, and forced the others back into cover. However, more figures could be seen moving up behind them. "Oh, this is not good, Walker!" he yelled. "NOT GOOD!"

Cirran swung his weapon towards the shadowy beings rushing towards them. Then a flare of orange light expanded behind them, briefly illuminating the darkened tunnel. Both figures stumbled then keeled over.

"What in the hells was that?" said Cirran, lowering his gun with a bewildered look on his face.

"Who cares, it stopped them," said Walker, not looking back. "Plenty more over this side still, if you'd care to stop gawping and turn around any time soon..." Cirran glanced over his shoulder to see Walker continuing to do a good job of holding off an entire squad by himself. He began to turn back to help, but his attention was caught some new arrivals.

With rifles propped upright on their hips, two smugly grinning soldiers stepped into the light. "Miss us?" the shorter of the two, Tasia Harough, quipped.

Cirran smiled, but Walker simply grunted: "What took you so long? Pick a target and shoot him. Doesn't matter which one really, I'm not fussy." He winced as the fire on their position intensified, the remaining enemy soldiers becoming ferocious in their desperation.