Home In Time for Supper--Wraith Squadron/OCs >>Update! 1/6<<

woo! Xaara's back...and UPping this again...

-JSD

 

UP you go again...

 

Kell's mood had changed rapidly from upset to anxious. He didn't want to admit that, of course?a jittery wingmate was not someone anyone wanted at his side in a potentially violent situation. But however much he tried to quash all the tendrils of fear that crept through him, he was unable to quell the sensation of disquiet.

"Where are we going?" asked Myn from somewhere ahead in the darkness. "If this is an official arrest, I demand a show of identification."

It's worth a shot, Kell supposed. He doubted very much that the people who had attacked their speeder were in any way associated with law enforcement officials. As he expected, one of the captors snorted and whispered to a companion walking near him. The first figure laughed aloud, then drew his blaster in a single smooth motion and fired a shot that skimmed just over Kell's head. Kell had time to notice that the blaster was still not set on stun; then he was on the ground, rising to his hands and knees, spitting sand, and reaching for a blaster that was not attached to his hip.

"Get up," said the man who headed the line. "We don't have time for this."

Reflecting that he would rather run across the desert and take his chances in the dark than follow an anonymous group of people over that same dry land, Kell continued to trail the other members of his group. Whatever he wanted to do would have to be cleared through Myn first. Myn, as the ranking officer in the group, would decide if there was to be any sort of resistance or escape effort.

Then there was the little problem of determining exactly who had taken the four Wraiths captive. If, as the apparent leader had hinted, the group actually formed part of a Rebel organization, the pilots had unwillingly, though somewhat fortunately, stumbled upon the people they sought. If, however, the group did not actually belong to a Rebel cell, two questions arose: who were they, and what did they want? Another shout from up ahead, and Kell left his unanswered questions simmering in the hot desert sand behind him.

"We're here," came a voice Kell hadn't heard before. "Light, please."

Someone produced a glowrod and aimed it toward a door nested horizontally in the sand. Another person punched a series of buttons on the door, then stepped back as it swung open and revealed a long and dimly lit tunnel that seemed to disappear under the earth. Kell squinted and peered into the gloom, but the vague sense that the tunnel took a turn somewhere about a hundred meters in was his only reward.

Another voice, this one female, ordered the Wraiths into the tunnel. Turning, Kell tried in vain to determine where his squadronmates walked in relation to the other people?it seemed they all belonged to the human species?around him. A quick cuff on the back of the head was his only gain for his curiosity.

?Where are you taking us?? Myn asked from somewhere in the dank shadow.

Someone grunted a reply too muted for Kell?s ears to discern, and Myn again retreated into silence, evidently dissatisfied with the response. The group marched through the passageways at a brisk pace, hesitating briefly at junctures as if the leaders harbored misgivings as to the correct direction. Though Kell attempted to keep a map of the tunnels in his mind, the abundance of intersecting channels made the task all but impossible. He catalogued what he could remember, but seriously doubted his ability to find his way out of the labyrinth without a guide to accompany him.

Slowly, Kell became aware of the fact that the tunnel had ceased its downward slope and had leveled out into what resembled an interior hallway. The floor had been finished, and the illumination shone more brightly than it had at the outset of the march. Kell took the opportunity to study his captors.

To his left strode a tightly knit group of human males, none over thirty, all heavily armed. Their skin gleamed the dark color of the natives of Noráshi, and though they conferred among themselves, all three sets of eyes remained fixed on their ch

 

Glad your back Xaara!

Again another great post. I am intrigued as to where the Wraiths ended up and who the mystery woman at the end was.

Looking forward to more!

 

Xaara's definitely back...and nice post, i like the way you're building up the tension in this...

-JSD

 

I'm still reading, I'm just slow in replying because of the Awards.

I loved the way the mysterious group thought they were lost or had taken a wrong turn! But now I wonder who this mysterious woman is. Looking forward to more!

 

Thanks, TKeira. I had fun writing this post, especially as all of the plot threads are beginning to come together. I'm glad you liked it!

Thank you, JSD?tension is one of those things that is a little hard to judge from the author's POV. I'm glad you're enjoying the way the story is building.

Don't worry about being slow to review, Jane Jinn?at the rate I'm writing, you'll have plenty of time. More coming up!

READERS: I apologize for the long wait between posts, but life has been more than hectic and it's not getting any better on the horizon. I'm writing whenever I get a few minutes, which I can assure you is not at all as often as I'd like. I was just looking at this story the other day, and I realized that it's been in the works for over a year. So I guess I could call this a sort of anniversary post.

Oh, and one more thing. I don't know if any of you have been wondering about the title of this story, but in case you have, there was supposed to be a plot thread explaining it that never really got off the ground. Now, it's Home In Time for Supper more for historical reasons than any real concrete literary ones. If any of you have ideas for a more applicable title, please PM me?I'd be happy to take a look. All right, the public service announcements are now officially over. Here you go!

*******************************************************************

Something white and hazy and fuzzy around the edges hovered in front of him, teasing his eyes open. He tried to focus, jumped at the searing pain that shot through his head, and immediately closed his eyes again. Slowly, as he became aware of the sounds around him?beeps and whirrs, murmurs and the scuffle of feet and wheels?he tried to piece together what he knew of what had happened.

There had been some sort of emergency, Jax knew, and he had been forced to flee with?someone, and maybe that someone?or was it two people? And what had happened? When had he hurt himself? Was in the actual flight out, or later? Had he gone back in? Something nagged at the back of his consciousness: a name, perhaps, or a face. Something important had happened, dammit, and he couldn't remember what it was.

"Jax?" A voice penetrated the haze surrounding him. "Jax, son, can you hear me?"

When Jax?yes, that's my name?tried to respond, his vocal cords produced only an obnoxious and dissonant groan. He tried again, with the same result. Concluding that efforts to speak would not result in coherent conversation, he opened his right eye. If I can't talk, I'm at least going to be able to see.

A tall man stood over him, smiling vaguely in the encouraging way doctors smile at their patients. Jax began to wish he had not opened his eye. Again, the man spoke. "You're Jax Arvid, correct?"

Jax nodded.

"You suffered a rather serious concussion on your way out of the command center. Do you have any idea how that happened?"

Jax wondered whether the man seriously expected him to answer the question in sentences composed of subjects, predicates, and appropriate adjectives, adverbs, and punctuation. When the man waited, Jax shrugged.

"You were brought here by a young man who was part of the Imperial crew that defected recently. He stayed for a while, but then he had to go with the New Republic personnel in charge of making sure that the Imps stay where they're supposed to."

To his mild surprise, Jax found that his mouth had moistened somewhat. He tried opening it experimentally, and discovered that he could speak in a truncated manner. "Oh?" he said. He took a few moments to recover from the effort, and then croaked, "Water."

Though the man before him did not seem highly intelligent, he did understand Jax's request. Within a minute, he had gone from the room and come back with a tiny plastic cup full of clear liquid. Jax sipped gratefully, savoring the cooling sensation as the water ran down his throat. It was nice to have something cool, because sometim

 

I just read all thats been posted. Nice story, I've always thought that the Wraiths have been neglected since that merry band of rejects is so ammusing (Its the Ewoks)

 

Happy posting anniversary!

Jax has a pretty good memory for someone who's just suffered a severe concussion. Still, it's good that he can remember Nascha. I liked the description of how awful she looked, with her face an unhealthy yellow colour. That's a pretty big promise he's made there, to appropriate furniture from the pilots' lounge! Wonder if she'll really hold him to that.

 

Welcome to the thread, _3MD_PsychoSniper! I agree, the Wraiths as a group have generally been neglected--there are so many rich characters to draw from, and no one's using them. Yes, it's definitely the Ewoks. Thank you for stopping by.

Thanks for the anniversary wishes, Jane Jinn. (This story has been in the writing stages for a rediculously long time). And yes, appropriating furniture from the pilot's lounge could prove somewhat challenging, but for now [hopefully] Jax and Nascha will concentrate on recovering from their respective injuries. (Oh, and I just noticed the fanfic newsletter link in your signature--I'll be heading over there right away. There hasn't been a FF newsletter in far too long. )

 

Wow...nice post, Xaara. And it's no big deal, we know what a hectic life is like...i have exams in two weeks and should actually be studying right now. Ah well.

-JSD

 

Ah the joys of examinations. Thanks for reading, and I should have a new post up this weekend.

 

I know I said I'd have a post up...a long time ago...but as usual, life's been hectic. Thanks for your patience everyone.

*******************************************************************

I don't like this. Wes knew he wasn't claustrophobic ? he'd spent hours inside the cockpit of an X-wing, after all ? but something about the rock passageway close about him caused his breathing to quicken along with his pulse. Perhaps it was the cold dampness of the tunnel, or the fact that he was in it with several people he didn't entirely trust to let him back out. Or maybe, he thought wryly, I'm just getting paranoid. The last explanation seemed the most logical, and he accepted it for the time being, turning his mind to more practical matters. Like where he was going.

"When exactly is this meeting?" Wedge asked. "And what is it supposed to be about?"

Charla continued walking at a quick pace. "It's scheduled to start within several minutes, and we will be discussing several minor issues pertaining to the Society. Nothing of great importance, I assure you. I won't be missed for a half hour at least."

Wes frowned. Though he felt relatively safe with Piggy and Tyria behind him and Lucio and Wedge in front, the unease that he felt did not abate. Subtly, he fingered the soft outline of his holdout vibroblade, reassuring himself that it was still inside his pocket, ready should he have any pressing need to defend himself. Now, he chided himself, you're being melodramatic.

The group had reached the end of the hallway; with a quiet command, Charla opened a door. "Though here," she said. "We're actually inside the meeting area once we pass through those doors."

A sigh of relief almost made its way past Wes' lips. He clamped his mouth shut to stop the sound and followed the rest of his squadronmates through the doorway. Once inside, he glanced around what appeared to be a small conference room cut out of solid bedrock, its walls roughly hewn and its floors uncovered. It resembled, he thought uncomfortably, a very small box. The overcrowded portable chairs did little to dispel the feeling of closeness; the people sitting in them, turned without exception to watch the newcomers, did even less. Wes tried a little smile. He noticed with some misgiving that no one smiled back.

Charla nodded at the human male standing at the front of the makeshift presentation projector. "These are the ones we discussed," she said. "They were brought here by Melcia."

The man nodded. "Very well. Take the empty seats at the back." He returned to his presentation, and the meeting attendees again directed their eyes in his direction. "As we all know, the Resistance movement calling itself the People's Freedom blew up a portion of the tram tracks that run between the station here and the station in Arteria. This is counterproductive for several reasons. First, there were quite a few hapless Noráshi on that tram, and it only inconvenienced them, making them hostile to our cause. Second, it further angered the Imperial powers here, who are, needless to say, already against our cause. Finally, it makes travel between here and Arteria exasperatingly difficult, as there is only one tram line and it is, as of the moment, not going to be fixed for at least a week." Pausing to scratch the side of his nose, the man nodded to a meeting attendee in the middle of the crowd.

"What do we intend to do? It's not as if we can prevent them from doing what they see fit."

"No, and I want it to be very clear that we must never resort to violence to stop them. This cannot degenerate into a civil war." The man looked over the room, his eyes hard. "Is that clear?"

Nods came from around the small space ? Wes had to admire the man's knack for speechmaking. Something about the way he phrased even the simplest ideas managed to hold most of his audience's attention. Had Wes been a member of the rebellion on Noráshi, he might have found himself equally interested; a

 

Hmmm...I wonder what'll happen next? More soon please Xaara darling?

-JSD

 

So do I. But seriously, I have the next post mostly done, so I should be able to post again soon. Thanks for reading!

 

Well, after reading Renewal and liking it very much, I figured I'd better check this story out at long last. The fact that I started reading it yesterday and stayed up late both last night and tonight to read everything up to this point should give you an indication of how addictive and how good this story is (and I'm a slow reader, too! ).

What can I say. Wow. I love your characterizations of the Wraiths and your OCs as well. Awesome, awesome story.

Quite a ways back, when Falynn, Ton and Face were talking in the mess hall, was that a reference to Falynn's eventual death? I should probably know but it's 3am and I haven't read the Wraith books in much too long (...must change that...).

Anyway, keep up the good work. Looking forward to more.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! (And if you don't celebrate this particular holiday, have a great day!)

-Katie
Thumper

 

Thank you, Thumper! The fact that I started reading it yesterday and stayed up late both last night and tonight to read everything up to this point should give you an indication of how addictive and how good this story is?.

Wow, I'm flattered that you think that much of it. I'm having an incredible amount of fun writing, and I'm glad to see that you're having a good time reading as well. As to your question about foreshadowing, I don't think it was intentional, but I can definitely see how you could interpret the conversation as a reference to Falynn's death in WS. *Mental Note: Must be careful. I have an attentive reader.*

Happy [belated] Thanksgiving to you, too, and I hope you enjoy the next post!

*******************************************************************

The speeder was not in its first years of service. Flakes of its originally red paint had come loose and peeled away from the metal beneath, exposing a dirty grey that had weathered under constant sun and wind. One of the windows was cracked across the center, and one of the door handles had come partially off and dangled from three grimy wires. All of this registered in the second Alahna had to examine the vehicle. A moment later, she had dropped into the driver's seat, allowed the startup systems to scan her keycard, and rotated the speeder to face the doors of the bunker.

Ton pulled the rear passenger door open and climbed in. "Set Moira back here so I can keep an eye on her," he ordered when Face and Saro appeared carrying the unconscious woman. "Saro, you'll probably want to be in the front so you can give Alahna directions; Face, I want you back here to help me if anything happens." Saro opened his mouth as if to argue, but Ton was having none of it. "Kid, I know we're not very well acquainted but I'm a doctor and you're going to have to trust me on this one. If you can trust us to protect your friend once she reaches wherever we're going, then you can trust us to protect your friend?"

"Sister," said Saro.

Face glanced up from where he was settling Moira in the backseat. "What?"

"She's my sister. And if anything happens to her?."

"Nothing's going to happen to her," Ton said. "At least not if we keep moving and get her somewhere safe. Now let's go and not stand around arguing."

"I brought the stack of tablecloths that was sitting on the counter," Face said, producing said cloths from a back pocket and handing them to Ton before clambering in the opposite side of the speeder and pulling the door closed behind him.

Ton smiled. "I always knew you'd be good for something. Unlike our driver, who has a remarkable propensity for sitting in the control seat without any indication of her eventual intention to take us out of this mess and into a somewhat safer situation where I can administer to my patient in an appropriate setting."

"Ton," Alahna grated out, doing her best to remain calm, "I would be moving a lot faster if I didn't have to contend with your backseat driving."

"How do you know I'm a backseat driver? You haven't driven anywhere with me yet."

By this time, Saro had worked the front passenger door's handle open and slid into the seat. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a small cylinder with a green button on one end. He pointed the device at the doors in front of the speeder and depressed the button; the doors opened without complaint and Alahna was through them as soon as the speeder could fit. She squinted against the glare of the sunset and fought her eyes' instinct to fill with tears, blinking rapidly until she could adjust.

"Turn left," Saro said, "and then right, and then there'll be another right several kilometers away. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes."

"Good," said Ton. "This woman is, quite frankly, in no condition to be moved like this. The sooner we can get her somewhere similar to a hospital, the better. I don't suppose you people have a bacta tank handy?"

"We do," murmured Saro, "but it'll take a few minutes to

 

YESSSSS! MUSH!!!! WHOOOOOOO!

Heehee, look at me...I've got colours! Wooo! UP!

Loved that post muchly, Xaara...finally, the KISS we've all been waiting for...Lovely! More! Soon!

-JSD

 

Glad you liked it, JSD - this post was actually in the making for quite some time before I got around to fitting it into the story. Anyway, thanks for stopping by. I'm posting from the library at the moment - no Internet at home - but I hope to be back online regularly sometime soon.

 

Sorry it took me a while to respond. Another excellent post.

Ton smiled. "I always knew you'd be good for something. Unlike our driver, who has a remarkable propensity for sitting in the control seat without any indication of her eventual intention to take us out of this mess and into a somewhat safer situation where I can administer to my patient in an appropriate setting."

hee hee, I like that line. And the whole "flirting shamelessly" conversation. Poor Ton, odd man out. But it's nice to see Face and Alahna get together after all the difficulties they had at first.

And you'll get another chance to tell your sister how much you love her.

Another illustration of how much Alahna misses her siblings. Very nice. I'd guess she's been thinking about them a lot lately with having Lucio there reminding her of everything that happened.

Looking forward to more!

-Katie
Thumper
who just finished rereading Wraith Squadron, yay!

 

I'm late, I know. *hangs head* Life has been so hectic lately.

I never thought of Ton as a backseat driver, but he is! I liked how ascerbic he is while giving instructions -- wonderful characterization there.

This resistance cell is definitely organized! A bacta tank, contingency plans in case of bloodstains in the hotel ... wow. They've got everything under control, haven't they?

I also liked the way Alahna is thinking back to when she was in the same situation, but how nothing could be done for her brother and sister, and the way that she suddenly felt that nothing could harm her now that Face was sitting next to her.

That kiss was wonderful! I wish I had your talent of writing scenes like this without making them sickly sweet. This was so realistic and yet not too mushy. Face's reaction was wonderful. And Ton's "It's about time," made me laugh.

"Not at all," said Face. "You sound like someone who's trying to figure out what just happened. So you sound a lot like me, and I'm not any lovelorn female going through my repertoire of clichés." Awww ... you're making me fall in love with Face, too!

 

Thumper09: Thank you for your kind review. I like it when my readers take time to reply as thoughfully as you have - it makes my day more fun!

And the whole "flirting shamelessly" conversation. If it doesn't sound too egotistical to say it, I liked that conversation, too. Face is one of my favorite characters, and it's a lot of fun to write him and Alahna together. Yes, Ton is the odd man out to a certain extent, but he's a wonderful character all by himself. One thing that's unfortunate about professional SW literature is that it can't explore all the facets of every character - there just isn't enough paper! I always thought Ton was a bit short-changed, even though everybody loves him.

I'd guess she's been thinking about them a lot lately.... I thought that as well. I mean losing relatives that are older than you is painful, but I think it's something you subconsciously prepare yourself for. Losing relatives that are younger than you, on the other hand, is something that isn't really part of the natural course of events.

who just finished rereading Wraith Squadron, yay! Good for you! (I reread the best parts of all my SW books all the time. I'm a total nerd, I know - I can recite word-for-word my favorite scenes. )

Jane Jinn: Life has been so hectic lately. Don't I know it! (Well, actually, I don't, but if it's been anything like mine you have my most heartfelt apologies. )

As for Ton the Backseat Driver, he just struck me as one of those people who would be perpetually hitting an imaginary brake when you're taking a turn, nagging you to speed up on the straightaways, commenting on when you turn on your turn signal or how you change lanes... He can't ever keep his mouth shut.

Yes, the resistance is rather well organized. I'm still working on the details, but I think they've been underground (both literally and figuratively) on Norashi for quite some time. And if Moira and Saro are who they claim to be, then it makes sense for them to have some sort of plan in case they have to get out of town in a hurry - after all, they're pretty important...

Thank you for the reassurance that my "mush" isn't too "mushy". Scenes like this are always difficult to write, because it's easy to fall into an endless stream of cliches when trying to express sentiment. I'm glad you think I managed to pull it off.

Awww ... you're making me fall in love with Face, too! Hey! What are you doing falling in love with my characters? Only I'm allowed to fall in love with my characters!

 

*delurks*

That flirting shamelessly conversation was beautiful. I do hope you're going to continue this, and soon!

 

Here you go, talkingbanana. (You definitely asked for an update on the right day. ) Thank you for delurking and I hope you enjoy the post!

*******************************************************************

"Sir, you're in no condition to be in this hospital room, and furthermore, this woman is not to be disturbed. She is suffering from a serious case of smoke inhalation, and talking to her will only aggravate the problem, and ? sir! I must ask that you refrain from?"

"I'm not leaving," said Jax, folding his arms across his chest and swallowing hard in an effort to keep his dizziness from his face. "So do whatever you have to do around me."

The petite young nurse facing him appeared more than a little flustered. "I'm afraid I'll have to call hospital security, sir, if you refuse to leave the room."

"And they'll have to drag me kicking and screaming out of Nascha's room."

"If you insist, sir. Though you could maintain your dignity by simply leaving and returning to the hospital room you're supposed to be in."

"Not going to happen." The dizziness had become worse ? parts of the room kept doubling and spinning off in odd directions. Jax bit the inside of his lip forcibly enough to taste blood and was gratified to see his vision clear at the sudden pain. "I don't see why I have to leave anyway. I won't talk loudly. I won't jump on her bed. All I want to do is stay here and be next to her in case anything happens." And now I sound like I'm begging.

The nurse had regained her composure and now managed to look down her nose at Jax despite their disparity in height. "There is a provision for visits by family members ? are you related to the patient?"

"No," said Jax. Immediately, he regretted the word. "Well?not entirely."

"Sir, a yes or a no would suffice." The nurse looked doubtful. "But how are you not entirely related?"

Great, another one of those brilliant situations you always get yourself into when you refuse to think before you speak. "We're engaged," Jax said.

The nurse looked more doubtful than before. "There was no mention of that in the patient's record," she said, flipping open her datapad.

"That's because we ? we were only engaged last week, and, you see, her parents don't exactly approve of me and so I'm?staying off the record for now." Attempting what he hoped was a winning smile, Jax said, "I'm sure you understand. In fact, if you want to add it to the files, go right ahead."

Something about the expression on the nurse's face erased the grin Jax had struggled to maintain. "Very well, sir," she said, her voice brisk. "However, regardless of your relationship with the patient, you are only allowed in here during visiting hours. Those hours do not include the period from sunrise to oh-seven-hundred, which is the time frame in which we now find ourselves."

With a glance at the chrono above Nascha's bed, Jax argued, "It's only five minutes until I'm allowed to be in here. By the time I leave, turn around, and come back in, it will be visiting hours."

"Sir, I simply cannot allow you to?"

"Jax," came a harsh whisper from somewhere below his line of vision. "Just wait five minutes." Nascha coughed after her words, but managed to smile nonetheless.

"But Nascha, I?" Her glare interrupted him more successfully than any words could have.

"Listen to your fiancée, sir. You'll be allowed back in once I've done with her. I'll come personally to tell you when you can return."

Defeated, Jax muttered, "Traitor," before turning to leave. At the last moment, he decided that he should keep up appearances if he wanted to be allowed in to see Nascha, so he bent and kissed her cheek, murmuring, "I'll be right back." He forced himself to walk in a straight line as he exited the room.

Once he reached the hall, the spinning in his head surged and threatened to overwhelm him. Jax braced his back against a wall, closed his eyes, and scrubbed his hands over his face, realizing for the first time that he had not rested ? tru

 

YAY!

Jax shot him a dirty look. "We're not getting married, blaster brains. We're just engaged."

"Ah." A pause. "You know, that doesn't make a lot of sense."

Suddenly, Jax remembered something. "Aren't you supposed to be in New Republic custody? I thought Security rounded all of the defectors up and detained them for questioning."

"They did." Rison shrugged. "But they let us go after recording that we were all present. They didn't make a lot of sense either. Maybe you should join Security."

LOL!!! That was beautiful.

Keep up the great work!