"Unlikely Allies"
By: Dargus Kandran - Crimelord, Kandran Syndicate
Kace Mordin - Traveler

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 5, 3 ABY

***

Fingering the pendant hanging from his necklace chain, Dargus grinned at the doorway. With the ysalimiri encased in cylindrical ornament, his Force senses were severely diminished, but at least there was the assurance that his most worthy adversary could not harm him.

From the object of his focus strode through Kace Mordin moment's later, and Dargus fixed him with a slippery grin. He gestured to the vacant seat before his desk, then offered, "A drink?"

Kace looked around the office. The absence of the Force around the man in the center chair was readily noticeable. He smiled. Ysalamiri. He looked over the dead space and did a few quick calculations. Either the creature was in his desk, or Kandran was wearing it as a codpiece. He dragged a chair along with him as he moved closer to the desk, and settled it well outside of the range of the ysalamiri's reach.

"I'm fine," Kace said. "I actually just had something back at my ship before I was summoned here." He settled his cloak around him and shifted into a more ready position. He looked around the large office, using only his eyes. After a moment, he shifted them back to Dargus. "Nice place you have here."

"Only the best," Dargus replied. "Now, no need to sit so far. I do so hate to shout. Won't you consider moving a tad closer? Hm?"

Kace made a show of thinking about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No," he said, "I'm pretty comfortable right here. Besides, the Force is for my protection, not meant as a threat against you. I'm sure you can understand."

Dargus spread his hands in resignation, then clasped them together behind his head. "Now, I wish us to be honest with one another, Kace-- I can call you that, can I not? Okay, whatever makes you comfortable," Dargus laughed.

Kace smiled. "If you wish, Dargus," he said, he said with a smile. "And, of course we can be honest with each other. So, what's on your mind?"

"Your life," he answered simply, though his smile carried an ominous darkness to it. "You're a smart, talented man.... What is it you truly desire to do with yourself?"

Kace chewed on his lower lip as he contemplated his answer. What was he looking for in life? That really was a good question. He looked around Dargus' office and smiled. "To rape your women, pillage your coffers, and declare myself emperor of the Outer Rim," he said. "I really don't know. At the moment, it's to survive. To make sure I wake up tomorrow morning."

Dargus smiled mirthlessly at his jest, and dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "What would you say if I were to offer you some stability...a real job?"

Kace looked around. "Most likely, no. I've sort of had my fill of working for other people. I'd like to go my own way now. Though, all that is without hearing your job offer."

"Well, it's a simple enforcement job," Dargus explained. "Defense of the shipyards..." His look was pointed and held a deeper underlying meaning. "Perhaps handling the more unruly members of my ship repair staff?"

Kace nodded. There must have been other copies of the recording. He was certain Yelara wouldn't have handed it over. "It's a good offer," he said. "Though, as I said, I've had my fill of working for other people. Also, I've never stayed in one place for too long. Once the repairs to my ship are finished, I'll probably be heading back out. I appreciate the offer. I'll keep order where I can while I'm here, but I don't think I can accept a job."

He shrugged, not looking at all upset, then reached into his desk's drawer and pulled out a credit chip. "There's 1000 on there," he told him, then tossed the plastic disc. "Enjoy."

Kace never moved a muscle, but a half-meter from his hand, the chip stopped and just hovered where it was. He looked at it, then up at Dargus. "A thousand? That's a lot of food and drink, but thank you. I'll try to not use it all in one sitting." He smiled across the space separating him from the crimelord.

"My pleasure," he replied with an inherently vicious smile. "Your ship should be repaired in a few days. Then you're free to go find whatever it is you search for in this life."

Sitting within the void generated by the ysalamiri, Kace couldn't really determine how sincere Dargus Kandran was. If he were to go with gut instinct, he would say that Kandran was probably not the least bit sincere in his statements. He probably really does think I want to take all his women and credits away from him. He stood, and slid the chair back to its proper place with the Force. "I guess I'll get back to repairing my ship then," he said. "And, maybe a drink and an extravagant meal later."

Dargus bowed his head and watched Kace Mordin leave, knowing the man saw through all his false pleasantries and generousity. He had rejected his offers, but had taken the chip. Perhaps he could be bought after all.

---

"Lost!"
By: Elisia Melouet

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 5, 3 ABY

***

Elisia scrambled from the container as soon as the last of the crew left the ship. Moving carefully, she managed to make it to the ramp out. She saw a man at the bottom going over the manifest.

"Please don't see me," she whispered.

Obligingly, though the man looked up at her as she came down the ramp, he did not seem to care or notice. Such events happened a lot when Elisia wished. She didn't know why but was glad that they did.

She didn't know where they were. It looked like some kind of shipyard. She looked around more carefully. It was not a planet though. She had to get to a planet. Only in a city could she lose heself amongst the people. She went into a dining area and sat at a table. She did not have the credits to pay and looked around. Finally, she spotted a man who was clean and neat and smiled at him. "I wish he would buy me dinner," she whispered.

The man got up and walked over to the small dirty sprite that had smiled at him and sat down. "You look lost little one, can I buy you something to eat?"

She nodded. Her dirtied state and small stature made her appear to be about thirteen but really she was almost seventeen. She had been alone as long as she could remember. She only survived because she could wish. She knew that such wishes were dangerous and could draw attention, so she didn't use them often.

She made conversation with the man who bought her dinner. He reached out to touch her and she wished he would just go away. The man got up and went back to his friends. They must of asked him what he had been doing; he flashed her a puzzled glance and then shrugged and laughed it away.

She had to get away soon and began to listen for conversation that would lead her to a ship bound for a planet. She couldn't afford to become a focus. Little did she know, it was too late.

---

"Polarity"
By: Yelara Neerou - Shipyard Mechanic
Kace Mordin - Traveller

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 5, 3 ABY

***

"Well if you had been paying more attention to your work, you wouldn't have wrecked 500 creds worth of equipment!" Yelara hollered as she stood inches from the worker's face.

"But, Ms. Neerou..."

"Don't speak," she warned, her voice cold and threatening. "I'm taking it out of your pay...all 500 creds." Yelara walked back to her desk and sat down in her chair, her face still hot with rage. It wasn't so much the equipment she cared about or that this man had wrecked it, it was just her way of venting some of the guilt and anger she had built up from her fight with Kallia the other night. Yelling was the only way she knew how to do that.

"Ms. Neerou, I don't even make 500 creds in a month! You can't take it out of my pay," the worker pleaded.

"Oh? Can't I?" Yelara said as she cocked an eyebrow at the man. "I'm the foreman in case you've forgotten, and I can do anything I damn well please!" Her voice rose until it reverberated through of her office and into the flight deck, where some of the workers stopped what they were doing to see the commotion.

"You're lucky I didn't fire you on the spot!" Yelara continued as she rose from her chair and placed her hands. She leaned in closer to the man and gave him a threatening glare. "If I say a word to Kandran about this..." Yelara cut herself off and looked away, disgusted that she could even think about using her position with Dargus to indimidate the man. She let herself fall back into her chair and began rubbing her left temple with her fingers. "Close the door behind you on your way out," she commanded to the worker as she shooed him out.

Yelara had managed to vent some of her bottled up anger this morning when she had had her talk with Dargus, but there was still a lingering regret and anxiety brought about from her devastating confrontation with Kallia. She began to rub both her temples simultaneously as the fight replayed in her mind - Kallia's tears, the darkness in her eyes, the fact that Yelara wanted to cry, but couldn't. She knew it would be cathartic if she just let her emotions pour out, but not a tear fell.

Was it that Kallia truly didn't mean anything to Yelara? Was everything they shared just a physical, animal attraction that held no emotional value? It would explain why she felt no sadness about the situation...or maybe she did but her emotions were in such a tumult that the sadness was really disguising itself as the rage she had just expressed towards that worker moments ago.

"I don't wanna talk about it anymore!" Yelara hollered, hearing her door slide open. As she looked up, expecting to see the worker at her door, she gasped as she realized it and shot up from her chair. Seeing Kace's tall, dark figure standing in her doorway, about to turn away and leave, instantly dispelled all her rage. "No, don't go," she pleaded gently. "I thought you were someone else, I didn't mean to raise my voice. Please." She began to slowly sit down in her chair and motioned for Kace to take a seat as well.

Kace nodded, then took the offered seat. He watched Yelara a moment before speaking. "I can tell that everything is not alright, so I won't ask if it is," he said. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Is that why you came?" Yelara asked as she rested her back against the chair. "Because if you did, then you're wasting your time. Everything is..." Yelara cut herself off and closed her eyes as she let out a long sharp breath. "Well if you want a lie, then everything is fine, but the truth is that I don't know what I'm feeling right now. I'm just a confused, frightened little girl," Yelara said with a rueful smile.

Kace gave her a caring smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked. "If not, how about we go somewhere for something to eat and a drink. I just had a run in with Dargus Kandran and he gave me a thousand credit credit chip I want to spend as fast as possible."

Yelara looked at Kace in surprise. "You met with Dargus? What brought that on?" Yelara was beginning to worry that Dargus had seen her talking and helping Kace and that his jealousy had flared again. She hoped Dargus' interest in Kace was innocent enough, but she knew that was somewhat unlikely. "Did he seem...angry?"

Kace shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. "It was very strange actually. He sent for me, and I was busy working on my ship. I ignored the summons. Then he sent a droid. I figured I might as well show up. I was leery, and wondered if he suspected something between us. I showed up, there was a customary period of marking territory and sizing each other up. Then he asked me what I wanted out of life and offered me a job." He looked at Yelara and frowned. "I turned him down. I'm still not sure what happened. He seemed friendly, but I thought he was just testing the water. He knew about those men I killed." He shrugged. "Hopefully he will leave me alone now."

"I swear, Kace, I never told him about those men," Yelara answered genuinely, leaning in closer and staring into his piercing blue eyes. "You must believe me. I would never betray you."

"I believe you," he said, keeping her gaze and wondering just how long he'd be able to uphold the promise he'd made to her. "I think he's just completely paranoid and hates that there's someone on his station who isn't in his control."

Yelara got out of her chair and walked over to the large, glass partition of her office, staring out into it. "You do know that he'll have his eye on you from now on. The only reason he called on you in the first place is because he is intrigued by you." She turned around, leaning against the wall and watching Kace. "I think he considers you a threat," she said with a smile. "You're going to have to watch your back now." Yelara couldn't tear her eyes away from Kace's. She hated that she lost complete control of herself when she was in his presence. He had been keeping up his end of the bargain and had been keeping his distance from her, but she wanted to rush over there, right now, and jump into his lap with her kisses showering him. The urge soon faded, however, as thoughts of Kallia entered her mind. She didn't know if she could trust herself to be with anyone else after what she did to Kallia; she didn't deserve to be.

"Always," he said with a smile. "And, I hope to keep him on his toes. It's the least I can do." Watching her leaning against the wall was nearly painful. Kace couldn't imagine a more beautiful or desirable woman anywhere else in the universe, and he'd promised to push her away if they ever started to get close. How could you agree to something to painfully stupid, he asked himself. "Dargus Kandran won't be able to touch me unless I want him to. And, ysalamiri will only make it more difficult for me to do things, not impossible. And, the creatures are easy to dispose of if you know how. But, enough about Dargus Kandran and his paranoid jealousy. I think we're making some good headway on the Corellia. I think she may be able to actually fly soon."

Yelara turned around to look back outside her office, back towards the Corellia. "Yeah, she's looking a bit better." She then turned back to face Kace, walking towards him, but stopping just a few feet from where he was sitting. "How's the wound? Is it completely healed now?"

Kace touched the spot where the vibroblade had stabbed him. "For the most part," he said. "Sometimes it feels like the knife's still in there, but it's been feeling okay most of the time. The scar's pretty nice though."

Yelara stared at where Kace had placed his hand over his stomach, almost yearning to ask him if she could see the scar, but she knew that one look at his bare flesh, even a bit of it, and she would crave more. She swallowed hard, turning her eyes away from Kace and trying to find something - anything else to look at. She finally decided upon a datapad lying on her desk. "So, dinner, you said?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "If you're hungry, of course. And don't mind eating with me." He smiled. At least we'll be in public where we'll be forced to keep our hands to ourselves, he thought.

"It's not that I mind eating with you, it's just that..." Yelara looked back at Kace, catching his eyes again and feeling herself blushing. "I think for the time being, we shouldn't really be seen together...in public." Yelara moved towards her chair again and stood. She gripped it firmly with her hands, causing the leather to squeak. "However, we could have dinner in my quarters...well, your quarters at the moment. It would be much safer, don't you think?"

He nodded again. "Of course," he said. "Much safer, and less public. And, won't arouse anyone suspicions. We should probably arrive separately though. So people don't think..." Oh, what a nice thought it was too. Kace quickly shifted his thoughts back to the conversation. "Well, you know...whatever they would think."

Kallia... The thought of her once again crept into Yelara's mind. It was as if she could push the thoughts away for a moment, but they just fought to resurface, and when they did, they came back in full force. She began pacing the room slowly, distracted by the thought of the harsh words she had said to Kallia. Dinner with Kace would take her mind off things, but it might also lead her to do something she would regret. It was too soon; she couldn't move on yet, or if she could at all. "Can we postpone dinner until, say, the end of the week?" Yelara ran her hand through her short, black hair, still pacing around nervously. "I mean, I have some catching up to do on the flight deck. You know, inventory, administration stuff...that sort of thing." Yelara lied, but hadn't done a very good job of making it sound believable either. "Besides, I do have to come to my quarters and pick up some of my clothes, so we will have dinner..." Yelara began making nonsensical ramblings; she just hoped Kace wouldn't think she was trying to get herself out of having dinner with him.

Kace watched her and knew there was something wrong. The way she moved, the way she rambled. But, he couldn't push her. He only nodded and stood from his chair. "Sure," he said, not turning to go. He continued watching Yelara. "Whenever you want to is fine. If you'd like some time alone, I can leave. I should probably keep working on the Corellia anyway."

"I mean, I can't exactly go around wearing the same old clothes everyday." Yelara continued as if she had not even heard a word Kace had said. "These aren't even my clothes! And even though I can't exactly give them back, I don't want to wear them anymore either." Yelara's voice was getting ragged as she continued to ramble, pacing around the room more frantically now. "I find it amazing how long a person's scent can remain on their clothing. It's as if they leave a bit of their essence behind...the smell can almost drive you crazy, its presence lingering and always there no matter how hard you try to get rid of it..."

Yelara's breathing became shallow, and she was beginning to wheeze as she continued to talk. "I smell her all over me," she whispered as she stopped pacing and fell to her knees. She tried desperately to catch her breath, but the more air she took in, the more ragged her breathing became. "Her smell...it's....everywhere," she wheezed.

Kace was at her side, kneeling, immediately. There was a moment's hesitation while he debated whether to touch her or not. He knew it could lead to places they didn't want to go, but he couldn't let her have a breakdown without doing anything. He put his arms around Yelara and tried to soothe her. "It's okay," he murmured into her ear. "Slow down and breathe easy. Deep breaths."

Things fell into place as he held Yelara. He'd never experienced it himself, but he could tell the signs of a breakup. He knew it wasn't Kandran, or else his meeting with the crimelord would have gone much worse than it had. By her words, Kace guessed that Yelara had had a relationship on the side, and it had gone bad. And, to his surprise, it sounded like it was with another woman. "Big deep breaths."

Yelara gripped Kace's arms as her body shook uncontrollably. She tried to take deep breaths as Kace had instructed, but they seemed to get caught in her throat, never reaching her lungs. Yelara let her head fall into Kace's chest and tightened her grip as she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind of all thoughts of Kallia. She knew if she could just cry, all the pain might go away, but being with Dargus, she had cried all the tears she had and there were none left for Kallia. "It never goes away...does it?" Yelara said in a breathless voice.

Kace pulled Yelara even tighter to him. He didn't know how to answer the question. If he was right about her, then he had no idea. How could he? Yelara was the first women he'd ever been close to. She was the first he'd ever held in his arms. "I don't know," he said. "But, after a time, I guess you get used to it." He figured that was close enough to satisfy the question. Emotional pain was similar to other pain. The Jedi he'd killed still hurt inside, but the pain had dulled over time.

Yelara finally caught her breath; being in Kace's arms was so soothing to her and she momentarily got lost in them. She looked up into his eyes, their faces so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. She wanted to pull away, knowing what she feared most was on the verge of happening, but she felt so safe and calm in his embrace that she couldn't move. "I don't deserve for the pain to go away. I brought it on myself..." she said softly, her hand beginning to caress his cheek of its own volition.

Kace closed his eyes and blocked off the emotions racing for the surface. "Everyone deserves for the pain to go away," he said softly. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Yelara frowned as she went over what happened in her mind. "I just hurt someone I thought I cared about, but the way I behaved towards her...I'm not so certain I ever loved her at all if I could treat her the way I did." Yelara's eyes locked onto Kace's as her fingers moved through his hair, her voice distant and expressing more than she was actually saying. She knew if Kace didn't stick to his promise, they would be doing more than eating dinner in her room.

Kace couldn't take his eyes from Yelara's, but he continued speaking anyway. "Emotions do strange things," he said. "If you thought you cared for her, then you probably did. When emotions run hot, people say things that are very hurtful. You are a passionate woman, and I can't imagine you holding back even for someone you love."

"But I only end up pushing everyone away. The things I said can never be forgiven." Yelara brought her face closer to Kace's, their lips almost brushing. "I'd only ending up hurting you too, Kace. Please don't let this happen," she whispered, becoming breathless again. "Remember your vow to me."

He nodded, turning his head to the side slightly. "I do remember, which is why it will go no further than this. You need someone with you right now, and I'm here. And, I'm a strong person. I may be emotionally naive, but I do have very strong control of my emotions when I need to. I'll be okay." Nothing you could ever say or do to me can hurt more than keeping my distance from you, he thought. "I killed many Jedi Knights before I woke up. If I can redeem myself from that, then whatever you said can definitely be forgiven."

Yelara brought her hand down to Kace's chest, feeling it gently as she nuzzled her face into his neck. "I hope you're right, Kace. But right now, I don't think she wants to see me. I think we need...time." Yelara was thinking about Kallia, but at the same time her mind was filled with thoughts of being with Kace. She didn't know if she was being selfish, or heartless, but she couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around Kace and pressed her lips to his neck, kissing him desperately.

Kace closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Yelara's warm lips against his neck. He brought his hand to her back, gently rubbing over the soft fabric of her shirt. He stopped himself and pulled the hand away. He opened his eyes and smiled. "I am right," he said. "And, you're definitely making this vow a difficult one to keep." He smiled, but kept his hands where they were, one at her waist, the other hovering centimeters from her back. "We need to do something to get your mind off things." He thought about it for a moment, then decided on an addendum. "Something that doesn't require us getting all sweaty and intimate. Maybe we should get food. We can't kiss each other while we're putting food in our mouths."

Yelara closed her eyes, swallowing hard and beginning to tingle at the feel of Kace's hand on her waist. "You're right. I don't know what I'm doing. I...I'm sorry." Yelara pulled away from Kace, slowly and reluctantly. She got to her feet, staggering slightly from the flood of emotion and desire that she was now trying to contain. She leaned against her desk to steady herself and stared down at Kace with her chest heaving. "I think we should definitely postpone dinner until the end of the week or not even food will keep me away from you."

He watched her and frowned. "Will you be okay alone? I mean, I'm willing to risk it to stay with you if you need a friend."

"I won't try and hurt myself, if that's what you mean," Yelara answered, turning around and placing her hands on her desk. "I would love to have you stay, but I'm afraid this will go too far and you might not be able to stop me."

He nodded. "I wasn't thinking of you physically hurting yourself," he said. "I know we haven't known each other long, but I do care about you. You're the first person I've ever really...well, you're the first friend I've ever had. And, I care what happens to you. If I leave, what will you do?"

Yelara shrugged her shoulders as she kept her back to Kace, not daring to look back at him. "I'll think, I guess. Wallow in self-pity and continue to hate myself for what I did." Yelara let a quiet laugh escape as she added, under her breath, "And think about what you look like under that outfit."

"Don't hate yourself," he said. "Hate leads to bad things, especially when you direct it at yourself. Think about the ways you can get her back. If she's smart, she'd take you back without a second thought."

"The question is: do I want her back? I mean, do I want to continue to inflict that kind of pain on her." Yelara sighed as she moved to her chair and sat down. "She's a beautiful person and doesn't deserve to be hurt like I hurt her. Maybe I shouldn't even try to get her back."

"What if she loves you more than you could ever hurt her?" he asked. He didn't think Yelara could ever hurt him more than he wanted to be with her. Of course, he was trying to help Yelara get back someone else, and she wouldn't even touch him. He laughed and shook his head. "If it were me, I'd be willing to deal with you if I could love you. Speaking as someone who's never loved anyone before, of course."

Yelara looked up at Kace, giving him a gentle smile. "You certainly know how to comfort a girl, Kace. And don't worry, you will find love. I'm certain there's a woman out there worthy of the love you can give her. But I swear, if whoever she is ever hurts you, she'll have to deal with me!" Yelara let out a laugh, feeling almost a touch better than she had been moment ago. Kace's presence comforted her and his voice was soothing. No wonder she was beginning to fall for him. "Thank you for listening to me Kace. I really needed a friend."

"In me, you will always have one." And, how would you deal with yourself if you're the one, he thought. He knew that Yelara wouldn't want to hear that he thought he might love her. She would tell him to find someone else, most likely. Someone "more worthy." He wondered if they would ever be able to get beyond that. Though, the present situation would make any pursuit of the feelings he thought he was feeling a difficult journey. Though, he was no stranger to difficulty, he guessed that Yelara wouldn't want him to suffer through it. "Do you want me to stick around, or do you need time alone now?"

"Well, I won't ask you to go," she answered, finally gathering the courage to look him in the eyes again. "But I don't think I'm good company right now. Besides, there's no reason you should have to stay here and help me pick up the pieces of my shattered existence. You have other things on your mind, like getting that ship of yours finished." Yelara tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at Kace as a thought suddenly crossed her mind. "What will you do once she's repaired?"

"When I first arrived here, I would have said right back out to continue doing what I do. But now... I've been avoiding asking myself the question lately. I guess I'll figure it out when it happens. And, if I were to go out there to work on her, I don't think she'd be the one on my mind."

Yelara tried to hide a smile, knowing exactly what Kace was hinting at. She knew it was too late to go back - that their feelings for eachother, although not spoken aloud, were already known and reciprocated. She felt almost disgusted with herself for letting it happen, but she didn't want to push him away, not as harshly as she had with Kallia. "Well, try and keep your mind focused or you'll end up electrocuting yourself again." Yelara almost got out of her seat to see Kace off, but she decided it best to keep herself at a distance for the time being. "I would be out there helping you, but I don't think we should be in close quarters right now."

Kace laughed. "If you want, I can swing by to see how you're doing on a couple hours. I'll bring my lightsabers and some battle armor if you think it'll help."

Yelara tossed her head back and laughed aloud. "A man with a sense of humour? I didn't know you had it in you, Kace Mordin." Yelara looked down solemnly, the laughter replaced by a gentle smile. "Thank you for being here for me. You can't understand what a comfort you've been."

He smiled. "I'm glad I could be. If you need anything, I've got a comlink with me. " He glanced at the door, and back to Yelara. "And, now the difficult part." He took a couple steps toward the door and turned back. "You sure you don't need anything else?"

Yelara nodded her head, trying to stifle a laugh at Kace's hesitation. "You've given more than enough of your time. But remember, we're still on for dinner this week, right?"

"Good," he said, "I'm looking forward to it." He moved the rest of the way to the door and stopped. Without turning, he added: "And, for a friend, there is no enough." He tapped the release to the door and stepped through, hoping he had the strength to make it all the way to his ship.

---

"Of Endings and Beginnings"
By: Kallia Brael

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 5, 3 ABY

***

Kallia Brael stood in the center of the apartment she'd shared with Yelara for a night. They had planned for so much more than that.

Hadn't they? She thought they were planning for longer. Living together, sharing the bed.

And, now it was all dust. Destroyed in an instant because of her distrust of Dargus Kandran and a slip down a path she vowed to never follow. She'd reached for the Force for strength against her surging emotions, but only found the silky embrace of the dark side. In that instant, she'd lost everything that mattered in the universe.

Kallia looked at the large duffel packed on her bed. She had gathered most of her things, mainly clothing. She looked down at the bundle in her hands and sighed. The robes were heavy, and now that weight pressed down, unrelenting, smothering. In the past, the weight against her body had been a comfort, but no longer. Just holding the clothing in her hands was too much.

The crackling of the fire in the bedroom fireplace drew her attention away from her thoughts. With another sigh, she tossed the wadded clothing into the flames. They caught at once, sending up tendrils of smoke and small gouts of flame. She watched them until they were nothing but ash.

With a final sigh, she turned from the blaze and picked up the bag. She slung it over a shoulder and took one last look around the room. She would miss it, but mostly the woman she'd shared it with for a too brief time.

Kallia gathered her will around her like a cloak and started toward the door.

***

The flight deck was nearly empty. All the lights were down at reduced settings, and it cast the entire area in an eerie, shadow-speckled half-light. She moved to the foreman's office and tried the door. It was locked. She reached out with the Force and toggled the controls. The door slid open.

She set the recording device on the edge of the desk and activated it.

"Yelara," she began, looking to where she thought her friend's--former friend, she reminded herself--beautiful violet eyes would be, "I know you said you wanted nothing to do with me, and I plan to respect your wishes. I felt I owed you this message though." She felt the beginning of tears trickling down her cheeks. "I cannot stay here any longer. Everywhere I look, I am reminded of you. And, in that remembrance, I see your eyes from that night. I have hurt you more than I can bear. I can't stay here knowing what I've done to you. I don't know where I'm going, so it will make it difficult for Dargus to find me; I know he'll try." The tears wouldn't stop, and her words were interrupted by sobs as she continued. "I am so sorry for hurting you. I know what it was that lead us to this: it was my jealousy. It was me thinking about you and Dargus together, and getting upset because it wasn't me. I should have been satisfied with what part of you you were willing to give me. It wasn't fair to you. And, now I've destroyed us.

"I went to Dargus yesterday, and he made love to me in his greenhouse. It was beautiful, and passionate, and physically satisfying. He is a good lover when he's gentle and caring. It was a nice escape from my pain. But, something was missing. And in the beautiful tranquility of our lovemaking, I had a moment of clarity where I realized what was missing: you. I wasn't with you. I wasn't opening myself bare to you. I wasn't filled with the love I feel for you when we make love. And, while Dargus is skilled, and he says he loves me, it was still empty and lacking because it wasn't you.

"It was there, lying in Dargus' arms afterwards, that I decided I couldn't stay here. If I were to stay, it would kill me to see you, but not touch you. To look at you and still see the pain and hate. And, I could not live so close to you knowing that I have hurt you as I have."

Kallia wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled the lightsaber from her belt. She looked again to where Yelara's eyes would be, and set the lightsaber next to the recorder.

"I hope someday, when your thoughts turn to me, that there will be a glimmer of the happiness we shared before I destroyed it all. I love you, Yelara. Please know that my feelings for you have never wavered." She struggled with the next word. She knew it had to be the most difficult she'd ever said in her life, but she had to say it. "Goodbye." Before the sobs hit full-force, Kallia quickly shut off the recorder.

She took a look around the dark office and sighed. How could one person trying to do good be responsible for causing so much pain?

Kallia slipped out of the office and threaded her way toward her ship. Once there, she set up the second recorder she'd purchased. She activated it, and dried her eyes quickly.

"Dargus," she said, forcing her voice to a regular, even tone, "I have come to a decision I know you will not like. I am leaving the shipyards and Tae'Karada. A situation has come up that cannot be resolved, and I cannot stay. Not like this. Our brief time together yesterday was very pleasant, but it only helped to solidify my decision. I care for you, Dargus, but I do not love you. For me to remain and continue to see you would only bring me more pain. I must leave. I regret that I will be unable to help you reach for the light. I hope you will continue down that path as you have indicated. My stay here has been mostly a good one. May the Force be with you, Dargus Kandran."

Kallia shut off the recorder and summoned a courier droid. It took several minutes for the droid to arrive. She handed it the recording with instructions to deliver it to Dargus. It moved off and Kallia turned to her ship.

She stowed her duffel, and climbed into the cockpit. She took a long look around the shipyards, and felt a stab of pain as she started up the engines. The reservations hit as the fighter rose into the air and started the slow crawl to the launch bay.

As the ship neared the force field separating the flight deck from the rest of space, the tears had started again. They continued as she nudged the Tal Dan out into space, and as she veered off toward where she could make the jump to hyperspace.

Kallia activated the hyperdrive and the ship lurched forward, and Tae'Karada, Dargus Kandran, and Yelara Neerou became a tiny white dot in space.

***Two weeks later, on Tatooine***

Kallia Brael wandered through the center of Mos Espa. Her ship had set down only an hour earlier, and she still wore the black leather that comprised most of her wardrobe. With the unforgiving sun beating down, she knew she would need to change her wardrobe to something cooler.

According to her credit chip, she didn't have much money left. Most of the money she'd saved up since starting out on her own had gone into repairs for her ship. She would also need a place to live, and provisions.

She spotted the starship vender in a corner lot and approached. The Rodian who operated the place approached.

"Looking for a ship, are you?" he asked in basic.

Kallia looked him over. "Actually," she said with a smile. "I'm looking to sell the one I've got."

"Sell your ship?" he asked, again in basic. "A very wise choice to sell to Ganee, yes? I can give you a good price on your ship. Can I see?"

"It's on the docking platform."

"Then we shall go see your ship, yes?"

He called back to his partner, and started off after Kallia. When they arrived, he went over the ship several times, muttering to himself in what sounded to Kallia like excited tones.

Finally he climbed down. "Is a good ship, yes? Good condition. New hyperdrive. New repulsors. Good value. I give you ten thousand."

Kallia shook her head. "It's worth twenty," she said. "Eighteen."

"Eighteen? No. Not worth that much here. Twelve thousand for it."

"Seventeen," Kallia countered.

"Fifteen. No more."

Kallia nodded. "Fifteen."

"Is a good ship, this one, yes?"

She smiled. "Yes, she's a good ship."

The Rodian took a step closer. "And, why you sell, if I'm not too intrusive?"

Kallia sighed. "I need the money," she said. "And, I don't plan on leaving here any time soon. Do you know where I could find some good property around here?"

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