Before - Legends Crash Course- Repost (Action/Adventure Non-JA OC) *completed* 6/15

I've been thinking for quite some time now of changing it so that he's just some miscellaneous Jedi, and it would still work, but I like it this way much better.


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We were in there for almost two hours. Knight Jinn asked questions and I answered them, then I would ask and he would answer. I got to know a bit more about the concerns the authorities had over the building hostilities, and he got a whole lot more familiar with gang life and the nature of the relations between the various gangs.

It all came down to money, who had it, who didn't, and who wanted it.

In our little sector the corporations had plenty of it and the gangs didn't have enough of it. Both groups wanted more of it and therein lay the problem. At least that's how I saw it.

With an area as large as a planetary sector, there were lots of companies, but only a few very large ones. The rising gang violence was playing merry havoc with shipping schedules, not to mention the extra credits being paid out for added security, or being lost when shipments were delayed or outright destroyed. Until Knight Jinn spelled it out for me I'd had no clue just how wide spread and destructive the strike-n-fades some of the gangs were staging had been. In our territory and near our borders things were a lot cooler, mostly because Death wasn't big into the retaliation scene. When you fight, your enemies aren't the only ones who get hurt. Your own people will get hurt, and so will many innocent bystanders.

And these companies, the big ones anyway, had the money to spend on lawyers and lobbyists to pressure politicians, who in turn pressure their staffs, who in turn pressure the sector chief of police, and so on down the chain until everyone is feeling the pinch to stop the street violence. That, my Jedi explained, was why the cops had been trying so hard to infiltrate the gangs lately, and why he had been brought in when they had failed so miserably to find out what was going on.

I listened carefully to the recitation of dates and numbers and estimated damages. I thought of the food shipment I had been instrumental in stealing, but shook off the guilt before it got past the twinge stage. We needed that food desperately and no one but the big company supplying the food had been hurt. The guards had been stunned, the transport taken and returned before they woke up. No one had paid for the food, I'd made up a false shipping request as well as an invoice and proof of payment, so there wasn't someone else out there waiting for that shipment who was going to go hungry because we had taken it. What did I care if a big company with more credits than compassion lost a little money on a false transfer order?

"Is something bothering you, Crash?"

My head came up and I realized that I'd missed what he'd been saying. "Uh, no. I was just thinking about something else, sir."

"Crash, please don't call me 'sir'," he requested with a soft laugh. "It makes me feel old, and I'm not even two years older than you."

"Sorry. Old habits die hard, and I'm not in a hurry to kill this one," I waved a hand in an uncertain manner. "So what do I call you, then?"

"Mason worked just fine."

Immediately, in a knee-jerk reaction, I jumped to his own defense. "But that wouldn't be the least bit proper! You're a Jedi, a Knight! I couldn't possibly-"

"You did just fine earlier when you thought I was lying to you," Qui-Gon said mildly.

Blushing furiously, I ducked my head. "I have a quick temper, and I apologize. I knew you were a Jedi then, but it hadn't really sunk in. I'm not known for my tact."

A gentle finger curled under my chin and lifted my face until our eyes met. It amazed me that his whole body as well as his expression were still so open to me. I could read his amusement and concern for my feelings as easily as an academy student could read a child's first primer. "If I needed tact or respect I would have brought an initiate or another knight with me. What I need is street sm

 

Pics are gone

 

Okay, okay, Qui he stays. And for some reason tf.n never links to geocities the right way. But Shaindl was right, if you click and drag the links to the navigation bar they work just fine. Very strange.


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"You want to go where?" Roble's question was understandably astonished and his expression didn't so much say 'are you on drugs?!' to me as scream it while waving neon signs, but I ignored it and answered him in a bright and cheery voice.

"I want to go visit Bobby. He still owes me some credits from the last time I was over there."

"Crash, we're on lockdown."

"Yeah, so?"

Death ran a hand through his short hair in exasperation and shook his head. He didn't even glance at Mason who was leaning casually against the wall behind me. Things were quiet. None of our scouts had seen so much as another gang's ride in traffic. I honestly couldn't see why he was balking at letting us out. Sure, we still didn't know who had taken those shots at Shael and Trapper, but it's not like we were asking him to let us go do a drive-by on the Angels. And the ?Card's territory bordered our own, so we wouldn't even have to cross disputed space.

"Crash, why now? Why didn't you go visit him before the lockdown?"

"I forgot. Look, Bobby and his folks are not going to hurt me. The most they'll do is meet me at the door and tell me to turn around and go home. What's the stress?"

"The stress, my dear slicer, is what if someone else sees you?" Death set his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers. "I don't want to be the one who let you out into an unsafe situation."

"Fine, you won't be," I told him happily. He immediately became suspicious, as well he should have, and I continued. "You told me quite firmly not to go out." Nodding once in acceptance of that, I turned and stepped toward the door. I was halfway out of the office when Death rose from his chair and called after me.

"Crash, where are you going?" There was a note of warning and dawning comprehension in his voice.

"To visit Bobby Fawkes. See ya when I see ya."

"Crash!" I kept right on walking and Mason followed me out.

I scooped up my helmet from the rack, and together Mason and I strode across the floor to his swoop. Behind us, the door to Roble's office slammed open and he shouted after us, but I kept walking and Mason followed my lead. I plopped my helmet over my head and the sounds of Armageddon were instantly muffled to an indistinct background murmur. I could no longer hear Roble's shouts that I stop. Death's next tactic would be to have one of the boys stop us, so I hopped up on the back of Mason's ride with no delays and snuggled up against his muscled back as soon as he was astride. The engine coughed once then roared to life. I waved a merry goodbye to the triplets as they rushed toward us, their arms waving in exaggerated motions. Then we eased around the rest of the swoops and gunned it through the exit.

My last view over my shoulder was the sight of Shael's angry, hurt expression.

*******

Three blocks later it occurred to me that Mason hadn't a clue as to where we were going. With taps on his chest, I guided him across the line and into Wildcard territory. It didn't take long for us to pick up an escort. My clearly visible jacket made identification easy for them ? further aided by the fact that I'm one of the few remaining swoopless Horsemen ? and my cheery wave was answered in kind. One rider sped off home to let 'em know that company was coming and the rest led us right in.

Bobby Fawkes jogged into the Wildcards' garage to meet us, our engine noise racketing around the interior of the smallish permacrete structure. He stopped short as soon as Qui- Mason pulled off his helmet. It wasn't hard to see that he had been expecting someone else to be at the controls, Sloan maybe.

"Crash, who's your friend?"

I set my helmet on the swoop's seat and skipped forward for a hug. "Bobby, you cad, give me

 

Why do I think Crash is going to turn out to be a card sharp? And that Qui's not? Loved the line about being madder than a shaved Wookiee. You certainly have a way with words.

Shaindl

 

I dunno Shaindl. I think Qui-Gon would be good at cards. Jedi can put on that really intimidating face you know A few friends and I always joke that Qui-Gon shoulda been a professional gambler instead of a Jedi cause he doesn't seem to lose. He's got that instinct .. the Living Force probably could be a huge help to him in a setting like that

 

I guess, Layren, that's why I see him not being good at it. He should be good at playing cards - like you said, everything points to it. But wouldn't it be much funnier if he was completely hopeless at something like cards?

Lovely post again, Lilith!

Shaindl

 

I don't know why, but the line Crash, why now? Why didn't you go visit him before the lockdown?" Makes me think of a mom asking her little kid why he didn;t go to the bathroom before he got in the car.

 

Thank you, Ladies. Here's the next bit.


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"Kriff!"

The short, emphatic word summed it up for almost everyone at the table. Bobby watched the pile of chips in the center of the table get pulled away from him, and frowned in consternation. I was just glad that it wasn't me he was frowning at. I'm only an indifferent sabacc player, and I'd only barely managed to break even. Mason, on the other hand, had multiplied his original stake by an unbelievable amount.

"Ante up."

As red chips plunked into the center of the table, I sensed that all the other players were only continuing the game for the sake form and not from any real enthusiasm. I didn't blame them. They'd all lost a lot of money to a man who had been playing very badly half an hour ago. Of course, being a Jedi, he had an unreasonable advantage seeing as how he could read the emotions of the players even more accurately than I could.

I was bored with playing, but didn't want to drop out until Bobby and the others decided to call it quits. To do otherwise would have been rude. Win or lose, games of chance only interested me as a way to keep my hands busy while I chatted with friends.

"So, Bobby, how are you guys getting on with the rest of your neighbors?"

"You know what it's like, Crash. Everybody's tense and quite a few of the gangs are starting to get paranoid. It wouldn't take much to push this over into a sector-wide bloodbath. We've already had a few skirmishes with the Demons and the Hounds." Bobby shook his head and signaled for another card. "And I've got a feeling that it's gonna get worse before long."

"I pray to the Force it doesn't," I said quietly and tossed in my hand as my card total jumped up over twenty-three. "That kind of a mess none of us needs."

Mason's mellow voice drifted over the slight sounds of shuffling cards and plinking credit chips. "What I can't figure out," I could hear the slightest of hesitations in his voice as he said ?can't' instead of ?cannot', "is how all this started. I mean, I know that I have not been in the area long, but why is everyone up in arms all of a sudden, and why just in this sector?"

"Mostly it's about money." The nameless cousin who made this revelation tossed down a twenty-two that no one could beat and raked in the small pot of chips. "On the surface it's about territory and pride, but down deep it's all about the credits."

A few surprised looks were pointed his way and the man blushed slightly. "Pay no attention to him, Crash," Bobby told me. "Trev actually went to the university before the cash ran out. He was an Economics major. With him, everything is about money."

"But if it's really all about money, Trev, who stands to gain?" I'm a slicer. I don't know economics from astral navigation, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. "I mean, the gangs all spend money on weapons and energy packs and fixing up the resultant mess, money that could be used for more education, or more food, or better medical supplies. I just don't get it."

"It's the territory, really. The more a gang controls, the more money it can bring in, through legitimate channels or otherwise." Trev appeared to really enjoy his current chance to show off a bit and quickly warmed to the topic while the cards were shuffled and cut. "And the violence the wars inspire actually stimulate the cash flow. The populace is aware of the implied threat and is more likely to cooperate in order to stave off more of it. The resulting mix of cooperation and need balances out in favor of the gang."

"Unless the cops get involved and they manage to pull off a major bust," Bobby grumbled as his brother-in-law dealt the cards. "I've seen entire gangs smashed and scattered that way."

And it was true. There had been several smaller gangs over the years who had gotten too bold in their approach to making money. The cops, when they managed to do anything, were usually terribly thorough. There had been five gangs t

 

And the mystery thickens. I like how we were all right as to Qui's cardplaying abilities - terrible at first, but he's a quick learner. Can't wait to see where you're taking us with this!

Shaindl

 

Ahh well Qui-Gon was more interested in conversation and information than in his card game I don't imagine Jedi do a whole lot of card playing in their spare time

 

Oh dear, Qui using the force to help him at Sabbac

Wonder where he honed his skills - if this was Jemmiah's fic it would have been with Sexy Dexy

Yes, economics probably is part of the reason for the hightened tension, but it can't be everything, as money as a motive has always been there. Or ..... I could be totally wrong.

 

Sorry for the delay, yet another round of emergency babysitting... Sometimes it sucks being everyone's favorite aunt....



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If they couldn't hear our voices outside of the office, it wasn't from lack of trying. I was shouting at the top of my lungs and Death was giving as good as he got. The datacards and holos sitting on the desk jumped every time Roble's heavy fist impacted on the duraplast surface.

"What did you think you were doing?"

"For the thirtieth time: I went for a ride to visit a friend. The patrols haven't seen anything, there's been no news of more fights from the other gangs, I figured it was plenty safe."

"You figured? Crash, I am the one in charge here. I decide when it's safe and when it's not. You could have been killed."

"But I wasn't killed. I half wish I was because then I wouldn't be standing here listening to you rant about my plots to drive you into an early grave."

"I suppose I shouldn't have heart attacks every time you plan to make my life miserable, but-"

"Plan?! You know me, Roble. I don't plan anything except my next slice."

"Yes, you go flying off without a thought of who might have to pay the consequences for your actions. If you're not going to think about how I might react to you pulling stunts like that, at least take a nanosecond to think about how Shael might feel."

That stopped me flatter than a twenty story drop. And in the following sharp silence I couldn't help but remember the look on Shael's face when Qui- Mason and I had returned. At first it had been vast relief, backed by a solid wall of very real fear. Then his emotional safety valve had kicked in and all that had been pushed aside by his well known temper. And that temper only ever served to spark my own. If I hadn't been in that office getting reamed by Roble, I'd have been in one of the other rooms driving an even bigger wedge between Shael and myself.

The ache I felt at the very thought must have been plain on my face because Death eased down into his chair and sighed. "He loves you, Crash. And I know you love him. The two of you make me crazy."

"We make each other crazy," I muttered. "Everyone else we drive completely around the bend into lip-flipping insanity."

I hadn't meant to be funny, but Roble laughed anyway and a bit more of the tension drained away. Roble and I were good for each other that way. Like a brother and sister, we could scream and shout horrible things at each other and then let it all go and be friends again. Shael and I just pump each other up higher and higher until one of us explodes. I prayed fervently that we'd find our balance someday and be able to laugh off things like that.

"I'm really sorry, Roble, but it just seems like every male I know is trying to protect me from living my life," I explained as I slumped down into a chair. "But I'm not a child and I'm not helpless and I chose the life I have. If I screw up and get myself killed, that's my choice, my life. It's not your failure."

Roble looked at me, his expression calm, but serious, and finally nodded. "I know that, Crash, but I couldn't worry about you more if you were my own sister. Most of the guys feel the same way. We just want to keep you safe and happy."

I rolled my eyes. I knew all that. I've heard it dozens of times. It's their standard 'protecting you from yourself' excuse. "If I were as tall and muscley as Ishtari you guys wouldn't do this to me," I muttered.

"True. We don't think of Ishtari as our little sister. More than half the guys would love to date her but are scared to ask. And when you become a Jedi and can see the future, we'll stop hovering and trying to protect you, okay?"

"Okay," I ruefully agreed. //Jedi. Protecting. Oops!// I jolted suddenly to my feet. "Speaking of protecting people, I need to go find Mason. Shael's just mad enough to blame him for driving me to Bobby's today."

Roble shook his

 

Baby sitting .. what fun.... Another very excellent post as always. Great job my dear. Looking forward to the sequel more and more

 

Loved the seemingly throwaway line by Death at the end about Jedi. If he only knew...

Your dialogue is really incredible, Lilith - wonderfully realistic. That's something that can really make or break a story for me and you do it so well.

And I know what you mean about the babysitting. I'm 11 years older than my only sibling - growing up, my parents had a built-in babysitter in their home. If only I could have charged them what I usually would have for babysitting back then...sigh.

Cheers,

Shaindl

 

That's why I love being auntie- after I have fun with the little munchkins for a few hours, I can give them back!!!

 

Looking at you, people, talking I can only thank God (and my parents) that I have only one sibling who is 2.5 years younger than me.

 

Hey, they're not so bad and I love 'em to death, it's just that since I'm the only one without rugrats of my own, I'm the default babysitter, and I have to put my foot down if I'm going to get a weekend to myself.


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I closed my eyes and would have sobbed from frustration if I'd thought it would have done me any good at all. Mason hadn't been touched, but that was because Ishtari had both Shael's arms pinned behind his back and Sloan was standing between them, trying to talk some sense into his older brother. Mason's face expressed an understanding and forgiveness that were only serving to make my man even madder still, and a calmness that only the Jedi or the truly naive could project with any sincerity.

Shael wasn't going to come down from his screaming rage without some serious venting. Anyone could see that. Unfortunately, Roble and I weren't too keen on letting him beat the living Force out of Mason. I mean, I know Jedi are taught to defend themselves, but Shael knows rough hand-fighting as only a street survivor can. It seemed to me that the only way I could defuse the problem was to let Shael scream and shout at me for a while.

"Red, put him in room two for me. I'll be there in a minute." Ishtari nodded and marched Shael away, Sloan beside him, talking quietly the whole distance. As Mason's sponsor I had an obligation to shepherd him and keep him safe, from himself if need be. Not that this one was really his fault at all, but he obviously hadn't figured out that he should have stayed far away from a violently enraged War.

"Mason, you okay?"

"Yes, he was not all that subtle in his approach."

"I take it Ishtari stepped in before he could actually swing at you?"

"No, I ducked the first one, and then she put him in a very neat double hammer lock."

"She likes that one, taught me how to slip it." I sighed and tugged at the hem of my jacket. "Look, he needs to vent a bit to calm down, and even after that I think it would be a good idea if you stayed as far away from him as circumstances allow. He's the type to hold a grudge."

Mason acknowledged that with a nod and I strode away to face the inevitable. //Might as well get it over with. I suppose I should be used to getting yelled at by now.// Ishtari gave me a nod as I met her at the door. She dropped a gentle hand to my shoulder and gave it a squeeze before walking away. Sloan wrapped me in a gentle, brotherly hug.

"Go easy on him, he's hurting."

"I know," I whispered back into his ear. He released me, a hopeful little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and walked away.

I took another deep breath. I'd vented in Roble's office, so I needed to keep a lid on my temper while in that room. It wasn't going to be easy because I'd never had any reason to keep a hold on my temper before. Letting my breath out in another weary sigh, I opened the door and stepped in.

And was immediately swept up in a fierce hug.

I was confused beyond all previous definitions of the concept. Shael just stood there and held me tight against him. There was no yelling, there was no shouting, no angry words. In fact, there were no words at all. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around him to return the hug. Through the thin shirt he wore, I could feel the tension drain out of his muscles and he sighed, with what I interpreted as relief, into my hair.

"I'm so sorry, Chenowyth, really I am." His breath whispered in warm puffs across the top of my head. "I know you were mad at me, but I didn't think you were that mad. I just can't stand the thought of you getting hurt and I want to ..." he trailed off and his shoulders sagged as he realized where he was heading again. Shael still hadn't released the hug, as if he was afraid that I'd slam the door in his face again. "Please, I only get mad and yell because I'd be lost if you got hurt and it scares me to death. Please speak to me again."

I pulled back a little and he reluctantly allow

 

Hi there Lilith! Good to see and read this one again... I loved it the first time and haven't changed my mind since.

Sorry I missed the start but I've been AWOL for months with PC problems. Anyway, I'm caught up now and looking forward to the remainder.

 

Making up is ALWAYS better than the fighting. But I think they still have a lot of issues to work through. I kind of feel sorry for Shael - he doesn't have a clue as to what he's up against.

Wonderful as always, Lilith.

Shaindl

 

Issues? Oh yes, they have issues. And where would be the fun of getting through them all at once?



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"Uhgn?" Not the most intelligent thing to say, but it was the best I could come up with at the time. A furry paw the size of a dinner plate had shaken me out of a very pleasant dream long before it should have. The sleep-muzzy image of Reeabok's brown and black muzzle was the first thing I saw, so I groaned loudly. Short of another Wookiee, that's really not what anyone should see before their first cup of caf. Unless of course, you were into long fur, a mouth full of sharp teeth, and carnivore morning breath. I wasn't, and am still not.

Reeabok tried to pantomime her intentions, a common occurrence since only a few of us actually understand spoken Wookiee, and gave up when I blinked blurrily at her. I usually had no problem figuring out what she wanted, but I was usually fully awake when she tried. Instead of wasting time repeating her motions, she grabbed me by the arms and lifted me bodily out of my bunk and began dragging me across the floor. I managed to snag a blanket and pull it around my waist before I was hauled, stumbling and confused, around the girl's partition.

" 'Bok, slow down. The floor's freezing," I grumbled as she dragged me toward a whole pack of pajama clad Horsemen huddled around the holovid. Death, Mason and a few others were fully dressed and I frowned disapprovingly. No one should be awake and presentable before the sun came up, unless they were still awake from the night before. It's just not civilized. And from a glance at the chrono on the wall, the sun was only just then beginning to think about getting up and going to work.

Blinking grumpily, I shuffled my feet until I'd managed to get part of the blanket between them and the chilly floor. Then I raked a hand through my tangled mass of unruly hair in an attempt to get the coal black strands out of my face so I could actually see who was narrating the morning news on the holovid.

"... the company announced this morning that it will soon be marketing a cheaper equivalent of CoruCorp's 4T-71. This is the first significant challenge of CoruCorp's monopoly on the market, but they declined to comment on its possible impact on their year-end fiscal statement. Teletron's-" I was suddenly wide awake. "-spokesbeing forecasts that their TR-80 should hit the market as soon as next week." Layreen Si'chen! punched up her next data screen with a segmented chitonous digit and continued, but the important part was over and we no longer cared. Reeabok was totally forgiven for her rude wake-up call. First the successful 'shopping run', and then this. It was great news for the whole gang and if I knew Roble he'd have me hard at work in front of my computers in short order.

Everyone around me was grinning widely. Many made their way back to their bunks, hopping from foot to foot on the cold permacrete. Several headed for showers instead since they were already awake. With as many people as we had in Armageddon, you showered early, late, or did without hot water. Shael wandered over and gave me a side arm hug and a quick kiss before heading off to the showers himself.

I smiled sleepily after him and debated trying to catch a bit more sleep before Roble came looking for me. I spotted Mason picking his way through the dispersing crowd toward me and bid a fond farewell to the desire to close my eyes for just fifteen more minutes.

The Jedi's eyes flicked over me once, and though his expression didn't change in the least, I was suddenly very aware of my appearance. The collar of my over-large nightshirt hung loose off one shoulder and my blanket was slipping toward the floor. My sith-black hair probably looked like a mynock had nested in it and I'm certain my eyes were red from rubbing and the lack of a proper amount of sleep. With anybody else I wouldn't have given it a second thought.

With Mason it was different. I tugged at my shirt and pulle

 

Hi Lilith,

So did the sheet drop off when she stood at the end?

Sorry, mornings my mind tends to lurk in the gutter. Anyway, loved the post. I like how Crash is trying to fight off her feelings for Qui. You've got the girl's feelings down so well - I just love how you write her.

Great post, and can't wait for more!

Shaindl

PS: You might want to update your title line with the new post's date.

 

Ooops. Knew I forgot something.