Beyond - Legends Shores Yet Untrod (AU; Kyp, OCs, post-TUF; A/N - on hiatus, 3/19)

------------------------------------------------------------
28.1 ABY: Mercantile Militarists' Center, Randon, Mid Rim:
------------------------------------------------------------

Hustra Ark'helys was, at heart, much like many other Bothans - intrigued by information, adept at gathering and analyzing it, and more than willing to share what she received with the legendary Bothan Spynet.

The species stereotype about Bothans would, at first glance, seem to make Hustra's choice of career unlikely. What good was a receptionist who could be collecting and reselling private intelligence, some might argue?

That was more of a Core Worlder slur, though. So close to Bothan space, the humans of Randon had no issues with a Bothan receptionist; Bothan trade had helped build the merchant world, as had Lantillian, Wookiee, Bimm, and even Hutt business. (And if Hustra did pass along some info, so what? She could just as easily pick up useful information also.)

The only real surprise about where Hustra worked was that she was employed by the Randoni equivalent of a planetary defense force.

Which, after a quick local Holonet check by Qewpee, was why Kyp had sprung for a lunch for two and an offer to trade some information with the tawny-furred, emerald-eyed Bothan sitting across the table from him at an outdoor bistro.

"A chance to have a real lunch with a real lightsaber duelist. I'll never forget this," Hustra purred, smiling at Kyp between bites of greyclimber surprise (a casserole prepared from the meat of Kashyyyk's unique greyclimber banthas).

"Well, those hand-waving mystics aren't the only ones who can use an energy blade," Kyp quipped, sipping a Randoni Yellow Plague. The beverage was about as powerfully alcoholic as the stories about it implied, and certainly wasn't what a Jedi Master should be expected to drink.

On the other hand, Kyp Durron wasn't the human who'd contacted Hustra - as far as she knew, anyway.

While Kyp was more used to a stand-up fight, he was hardly unschooled in the art of deception. Setting up a lunch meeting with a Bothan employed in Randon's defense ministry was a blatantly obvious attempt to fish for information on who'd attacked Kyp and Qewpee, and Kyp didn't want to scare off whoever had sent those Peace Brigade goons after him.

So, he'd fallen back on the one suggestion of Mara's he would admit - openly - had been a good one: His disguise kit.

Being only 30-something, with Force trances to help moderate the effects of some of his more interesting escapades, Kyp could pass for a good standard decade younger than he actually was. That, with some creative hair dye and razor work, a pair of contact lenses (which he'd employed on occasion even while not disguised, just to create some mystery - one day green, one day brown), and some leftover clubwear, and Kyp Durron wasn't having lunch with a Bothan.

"Narroc Huffquek," on the other hand, was definitely drawing more attention that Hustra, who was dressed fairly conservatively in a snappy blue business suit and skirt.

It wasn't every Bothan who met with a blue-eyed human male sporting a half-shaved, half-neon-green-hairdo. Much less a human wearing leather pants, steel-toed combat boots, a sleeveless durasteel-plated blast vest, and an earring that featured a hoojib making a gesture of considerable taste.

Narroc's sliced identity would reveal that he was lower-class Eriaduan, the only survivor of a pirate band annihilated circa 24 ABY by a rakish but wise Jedi Knight and his lethal circle of allies. Ever since then, Huffquek had sworn a death oath to personally throttle the light out of the eyes of the dashing-but-dire Jedi whose snappy purple blade had claimed the lives of his pirate friends.

Why, Narroc had already outsmarted a Jedi Padawan and claimed the idealistic young woman's weapon for his own ... although he'd spared her life, more out of pity for her inability to hang onto a boyfriend than actual mercy.

A little over the top. But if you're going to scam the underworld, why not have fun with it? Kyp tho

 

something tells me kyp would look great even with a buzzcut and all the suspensefulness etc and intrigues always figure a bothan would be mixed up in it somehow

 

Jade_eyes: Thanks. I'm sorry I haven't updated this more frequently ...

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Early 28.2 ABY: Ukio, Outer Rim Territories:
---------------------------------------------------------------------

While the first few weeks of Kyp's trip had gone relatively fast, he'd suspected things would get difficult the closer he got to Bothan space. It wasn't necessarily because of the Bothans, but more because there had been many Vong attacks and fleet movements in the Mid-Rim between Hutt Space and Bothan Space.

The Trax Tube hyperlane, between Randon to Daalang, was proof enough of the Vong's relatively recent presence. There'd been more than one dovin basal space mine that had dragged Kyp's XJ-3 out of hyperspace until he'd stuttered his lasers and incinerated the pesky gravitic trap. With all the problems along the Trax Tube, it'd taken Kyp almost a week to reach Daalang.

Worse, Daalang itself had been one of the worlds conquered by the Vong, so it'd taken some creative bartering to trade for fuel. Kyp had a decent credit line yet, but finding fuel to buy had been the problem. His storytelling skills had been put to the test as he described the Liberation of Coruscant to a group of free traders on Daalang, and he'd been able to get enough fuel to make it to Moonus Mandel on the edge of Bothan space.

Things had gone a bit better on Moonus Mandel, the homeworld of the Veknoid species. The Bothans had defended their worlds ferociously, especially in the later stages of the war after Borsk Fey'la's death, so the main spaceport had been operational. Kyp invested in an extra fuel tank, not wanting to stop on Bothawui or another Bothan world because of their ark'rai vow to kill any Yuuzhan Vong they could catch.

Granted, I'm not Vong. But I am Jedi, and we're sort of expected to protect noncombatant Vong, which might not go over well among Bothans ... Kyp recalled as he approached the Ukio system.

Once he'd gotten through Bothan space - a long slog using the extra fuel tank and putting himself into a hibernation trance - he'd reached Manda, a major trading world on the Outer Rim and home of the famous Baobab family of explorers. Sharing his collected hyperspace data and travel information with them (he'd decided that keeping more than one record of his data might be a wise idea, as well as transmitting it back to the rest of the Jedi), Kyp found that the majority of the galactic southeast was relatively free of damage from the Vong.

The Baobabs were able to confirm that the Vong only got as far as Rodia ... which is still too far. But they didn't reach Ukio, which is a good sign, Kyp thought, bringing his XJ-3 into an approach vector to Ukio. The agriworld was the home of the mostly-pacifistic Ukians, hairless humanoids who were easily bothered by unexpected events, so Kyp had made sure to make a request to visit when he'd been on Manda. The regional Holonet grid was still active, which was another stroke of luck - or the Force.

"Freep-dweedoot?" Qewpee asked while Kyp landed the fighter, and he took off his helmet to rub a hand through his still-regrowing hair. His approximately two weeks of travel from Randon had only given Kyp the equivalent of a buzzcut for hair length, and he was starting to worry that he'd find a bald spot as it grew back in.

"Sure, feel free to get out and do an overall check. I've got to meet with the locals, then - hopefully - find Nali Toleth, the Mirlukan Jedi Counsular I'm looking for ... ah, there she is," Kyp said, popping the cockpit as he nodded toward an approaching group of sentients.

There were about 10 altogether - a dark-robed Ukian holding a staff, flanked by four armored guards, and a group of traditionally-robed Jedi. The central Jedi among the group was a Miralukan woman, her eye sockets covered by a blindfold and her black hair flowing behind her. The others were three humans - a teenaged boy with dark skin, a light-skinned teenaged girl with brown hair, and a young blo

 

Ah! I can feel the easing up of continued vigilance -- nice to stop over with friendly folks for a change

 

Jade_eyes: Yeah, there'll be a fair amount of laid-back scenes in this 'fic. It's a lot of vacation, with some action.

An agriworld, however, is fairly quiet, which is conducive to training Jedi ...

------------------------------------------------------------
28.2 ABY: Ukio, Outer Rim Territories:
------------------------------------------------------------

One good thing about visiting an agriworld: You're guaranteed to eat well.

After Kyp had gotten a chance to clean up and find a room, he'd wasted no time in accepting Nali's offer of a good meal. There were plentiful slices of roast gornt, an array of fresh vegetables and fruits, some casseroles, and a wide variety of drinks (except for alcohol, but it was a Jedi praxeum, not a cantina hostel).

The praxeum was made up of a converted farm plot and its various buildings. In fact, the farm still operated, since Nali and many of the refugees whose children she was teaching had sought to both give back to their Ukian hosts and also find healing from the scars of the Vong War. Farming and building - making, contributing - were excellent therapies, Nali explained.

She'd know about healing, Kyp thought between bites of nala-berry shortcake and sips of blue milk as he watched an improv performance of "The Song of Ulic and Nomi" by some of the older students, while Nali Toleth sat beside him at the teachers' table.

The file on the Alpheridies-born Miralukan woman had described her as one of the most widely-skilled Consulars at the Yavin Praxeum before she'd been asked to take part in Operation: Green Sowing. Her foresight, healing, and overall Force comprehension among the highest for her class of students, none of which were particularly surprising.

Miraluka, as a species, were all Force-sensitive, gifted with a unique ability to "see" through the Force that replaced their eyes, and the Miralukan-founded Luka Sene Force tradition had developed Force sight to a remarkable degree. While some Luka Sene techniques could be learned by humans and other species, mastery of the techniques - which had been shared with the reborn Jedi by sympathetic Luka Sene in a reciprocal agreement early during the Order's refounding - was almost entirely limited to the Miraluka themselves.

Nali had been an exchange student from Alpheridies, the Miralukan species' birthworld. But she'd chosen to stay with the new Jedi Order, much as many Miraluka before her had become Jedi before the rise of the Empire. Instead of specializing in Luka Sene techniques, Nali had a wide array of skills - some Luka Sene abilities, some Fallanassi, even (reportedly) a Dathomiri technique or two.

A perfect choice to be a teacher, Kyp thought, applauding with the Miralukan woman as the students finished the play's final act. A few of the kids assigned to kitchen duty swept away Kyp and Nali's dishes once Kyp finished his shortcake, and he caught a flicker of curious assessment from his hostess.

Like almost all Miraluka, Nali's non-existent eyes were covered by a blindfold; there'd be nothing but skin beneath it, what with Miraluka having evolved distinctly from human baseline millions of years before. With the Force as their sight, the Miraluka didn't need eyes, but Kyp could imagine how unsettling the Vong must've been to a species that would literally not have been able to see them.

Nali gave Kyp one of those once-creepy, but now almost droll smiles that meant his emotions were obvious through the Force. He'd gotten used to deeply insightful types years earlier - it was an adaptation to living with and working with other Force-sensitives. "You're wondering how my people dealt with the Yuuzhan Vong. Not easily - Alpheridies was one of the worlds attacked viciously during the Yuuzhan Vong advance in the Expansion Region," she admitted, standing.

Kyp followed her, draining his blue milk as they stepped outside into the cool but not uncomfortable night air. Ukio was in its summer at the moment; unlike Coruscant and other worlds, the galactic calendar di

 

nali's gentleness is just what kyp needs and the quietness to breathe a little after all the hectic events -- warriors on the front line are nine times out of ten the last ones to cut themselves some slack.

 

Jade_eyes: Yeah, Kyp's one of those who needs a break from the war.

I, however, took too long of a break in updating this.

--------------------------------------------------------
28.2 ABY: Jedi Praxeum, Ukio, Outer Rim Territories:
--------------------------------------------------------

The strange sensation that pulled Kyp from his reverie was something fairly foreign, at first - a sort of light warmth he'd almost forgotten in all the running and fighting and living in artificially maintained environments for so long.

... morning sunlight on a non-ocean planet. Says a lot that I consider that a novelty, he thought, savoring the feeling for a long while. Finally, he rousted himself, getting cleaned up and preparing for the day to come.

As far as Kyp could tell, Ukio's Praxeum was a complete success. Nali Toleth had recruited a respectable number of students and provided them and their families with both shelter and gainful employment. The academy was remarkably sizeable, even though the Miralukan headmistress had had nearly three years to get things going.

What I want to find out is how they got this place up to its current levels. I know what they said about using Fallanassi techniques to hide Ukio, but that didn't stop the Vong from finding Yavin, Kyp thought, heading to breakfast.

Instead of heading for the head table, though, Kyp sat at one of the smaller tables, near a family of other humans - a father, mother, and two kids, a boy maybe about 11 years old and a girl about 7. They were all blond, and the father nodded as Kyp sat down with his tray. "Master Durron - this is an honor. I'm Olis Vortaw, and this is my family - my wife, Thera, our son Tolan, and our daughter Geaia," the father said, shaking Kyp's hand.

"Nice to meet you all. You don't have to be formal. I'm a pretty easy-going kind of guy. Where are you from originally?" Kyp asked, noticing whom among the Vortaws was Force-sensitive (the mother and son) and who wasn't (the father and daughter).

Olis smiled a little sadly and said, "We started out from Chandrila a few years ago, and were among the first settlers at Dubrillion. We were among those who were able to escape the Vong attack early in the war, and came to Yavin 4 when Tolan started to show signs of Force sensitivity. If our son could have a chance to serve in the Order, we wanted to give him that opportunity."

"My midi-chlorian count just wasn't high enough, although Master Tionne taught me some meditation techniques that helped me immensely. We left for Ukio when Obroa-skai fell - I was too afraid that the children would be targeted if they stayed at Yavin. But the Masters Solusar were very understanding. And then we met Nali - Knight Toleth - here, and it seemed like an ideal opportunity," Thera said, smiling proudly at Tolan as he nodded respectfully to Kyp.

"I'm getting better at my lightsaber work, Master. I'm still not really good with telekinesis, though," Tolan admitted, shrinking a little until Geaia patted his forearm.

"You're gettin' better, though. At least you got the Force," the girl said, sighing.

"Hey, you're important too, sis," Tolan said, and Geaia smiled a little while Kyp considered the tone of the conversation.

"Is there a lot of ... I don't know, discussion about what the non-Force-sensitives here can do? I mean, farming's important, but do you see yourselves settling down permanently on Ukio?" Kyp wondered aloud.

The adult Vortaws traded a look, while Geaia smiled. "I like it here. We can play when our chores an' school are done, an' there's animals, an' we can go outside!" the girl cheered.

"The Ukians are very hospitable, and honestly, after all the running the last few years ... we want some stability, Master Durron. Ukio's not a Core world, but the simpler life has helped us heal. And it's not like the praxeum is a prison. We can come and go as we please," Thera said, curiosity and a little concern coloring her reply.

"I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. It's just that - well, Ukio sits on the Manda

 

Ah! Nali is truly selfless and Kyp made a compassionate choice.

 

A/N: GAH - I'd meant to update this LONG ago, but RL and other things conspired against me. Anyhow ... another installment in Kyp's adventures on the Outer Rim agriworld Ukio.

--------------------------------------------------------
28.2 ABY: Jedi Praxeum, Ukio, Outer Rim Territories:
--------------------------------------------------------

One of the great truths of being a Jedi, Kyp had learned long ago, was that really effective Jedi never stopped learning. Another was that - as far as he was concerned - he was a bad choice to lead any group bigger than a barhopping band.

Kyp had had no real clue what being Miko Reglia's Jedi Master had entailed, and at first, he'd treated his first student more as a kid brother than an apprentice. Master and Padawan had quickly found the blind spots in that form of relationship (farsight was NOT to be used to peer into the girls' changing rooms, Kyp had had to point out to Miko).

Thus, Kyp had become somewhat more strict, albeit not to the degree that most of the old Order had been with their apprentices. If anything, having to check his own techniques in order to properly teach Miko had meant that Kyp had had to relearn skills he'd taken for granted - "unlearn what he had learned," to borrow a Yoda-ism - and both Master and Padawan had benefitted.

By the time of the Vong War, Kyp and Miko were once again on a more level plane, at least in terms of camaraderie. Kyp had even made Miko his second-in-command of the first Dozen-and-Two ... but that had had its own set of issues. Wrangling a group of Vong-hating pilots had been another education in and of itself.

The various pilots of the Dozen hadn't lacked for a will to fight the Vong, but they'd also been adults, many of whom had little idea of a military (or quasi-military, in the case of the Jedi) chain of command. Kyp had had to work more with diplomacy than with threats, and it had produced varying results, mostly a trail of dead pilots.

Kyp's apparently unflappable confidence had quietly been stretched to the breaking point during the Vong War. First, it'd been shaken by Miko's death at the hands of the Vong, then by losses of various pilots - mostly non-Jedi - throughout the war's early stages. And the near-complete annihilation of one of the Dozen-and-Two squadrons during the Fall of Coruscant had done nothing to help Kyp's flagging spirits.

He'd found how much he had to learn about being a leader, and that he'd left a trail of people who held deep grudges. Wedge Antilles would probably never forgive Kyp for what had happened to Qui Xux, and Octa Ramis still held lingering resentment toward Kyp for Miko's death and the disaster at Coruscant. For a time after the destruction of the Sernpidal shipwomb, even Jaina had been positively wrathful (although, Kyp admitted, the Sernpidal business had been entirely his fault - and later, he'd blown up at Jaina on Borleais for her narcissism when she'd tried to keep him flying with her).

So, when the staff of the Ukio Praxeum had asked Kyp to fill in for their leader, the Miralukan Jedi Knight Nali Toleth, as she recovered from overexerting her Force powers, Kyp had done something he usually never did.

He'd called a planning meeting.

The structure Nali set up can still work just fine. They just need someone to guide them, keep giving them confidence, Kyp figured, sitting at Nali's desk as he looked at the representatives of the praxeum. The entire praxeum, including non-Force-sensitive families and workers, only came to about 100 beings, but half of them were 18 standard years or younger. And on top of having to manage a school full of Force-sensitive kids, there was a staggering amount of administration just to keep the place running.

Add in the bribes to smugglers to keep quiet about the praxeum's location, the negotiations with the Ukians to do the same, and a dozen other little things ... kark, am I glad of the help, Kyp thought, nodding at the first speaker.

"Nali's doing better. I've got her on an

 

I enjoyed this muchly seeing Kyp in a new kind of capacity - but one I never doubted he could fill admirably !!

Great that the Ukians will be getting help.

Nice also about the Ossus Academy.

Yeah, I think it'd be stellar to apprentice under Kyp as well

 

Hello there, Onderon!

Soooo....found this this morning and had a fanfic marathon to catch up with you. I like Kyp and that's what has attracted me to your story (besides the interesting title).

Your Kyp is simply amazing. I disliked the way he was in the books following the NJO. Your Kyp is very convincing - I can see him developing into a more mature and controlled person after everything he has been through. The way he drifts and his (sometimes surprising) kindness fits the impression I had of him in the NJO novels and before.

I don't have Atlas, so the hyperspace parts where a bit difficult to follow for me, but I liked them nonetheless. It is very nice to see an author give so much attention to the the various planets and hyperspace routes, not just the well known planets.
To me, that shows how large and diverse the SW galaxy is. I admit I'd like to see more of this in the SW novels.

As for the character cast, languages and species, I greatly enjoyed the diversity there as well. Some known species, some unknown. Several dialects - It just makes me feel like I've entered an exotic, exciting place.

You've also blended the lightsaber fighting styles in nicely. I only know a few of those style from the one time I read the novel to Episode 3, so I hardly know them. But the dialogue that went with it was enlightening. So thank you here for always giving additional information (also to space routes, species, events, etc.).

Finally, your writing stlye is wonderful. It's very smooth to read and contains no spelling mistakes (though I don't mind mistakes, I do appreciate the care you took while writing).
The parts that were descriptive - landscapes, space routes, travel, inner monologues & thoughts (in general, parts without dialogue and action) - where also very interesting to read. Not every author can keep those parts captivating. So a huge compliment here.

I also like the bits of humor you have added. It fits nicely without changing the overall atmosphere of the story.

I hardly know anything about Marvel comics aside from 1 or 2 movies I have watched, so you might lose me when you get to the crossover part, but so far, I simply enjoy this fic. It reads like a full-fletched novel.
Would you send me a PM when you update, please?

On a side note, you may want to add "SW/Marvel crossover" or something similar to the title so that fans of both fandoms will be alerted to this story.

Again, great work and I look forward to more!

 

Jade_eyes: Thanks. The help for the Ukio Praxeum will be arriving soon - and things are going to be picking up, as well.

Chilla: Thanks for reading, and for your kind words. I really appreciate the feedback, and I'll add you to the PM list.

The list of planets for this 'fic is definitely long and exotic. I wanted to make use of the wealth of worlds and cultures in SW, and Kyp is a perfect character to explore them with. There won't be much, if any, direct connection to Marvel in this 'fic, but I wanted to make sure I got the disclaimer right.

A/N: Paragraphs marked with a * make reference to The Suppression Crusades, another 'fic of mine that desperately needs updating. The link is here: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/30840854/p1/

-------------------------------------------------------------
Late 28.2 ABY: Jedi Praxeum, Ukio, Outer Rim Territories:
-------------------------------------------------------------

As much rest as Kyp was getting on Ukio, he hadn't lost sight of his overall mission, nor of the continuing unrest in the wider galaxy. Shortly before he'd left Mon Calamari almost three months earlier, the Outer Rim shipyard world of Rothana had been struck by renegade Yuuzhan Vong forces belonging to the Jedi-hating Kane' Kwaad, son of the diabolical Vong Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad. *

Repeated attacks by Galactic Alliance forces had driven the Vong holding Rothana into a siege around and on the planet, but the majority of Kane's forces had escaped to attack a variety of other worlds and harass the Galactic Alliance. Kane' himself, who'd had his arms altered so he could split them into four arms, was a deadly foe - Kyp had fought the rogue warlord during the first Alliance counterstrike at Rothana and had found Kwaad a match for even his skills. *

But the risk to Ukio from Kwaad's forces was greater than one anti-Jedi imitator of General Grievous. Ukio was in the Abrion Sector, which was next door to the Quiberon Sector, which contained Rothana. Galactically speaking, Rothana was a stone's throw from Ukio, and the Ukio Praxeum wasn't terribly hidden from the rest of the galaxy.

Another reason why Nali insisted on hiding the Praxeum using Fallanassi techniques. She's gotten a lot better, but Ja'mada isn't ready to let her get back to work full-time, Kyp thought, watching as Nali worked with some of the younger students on basic object levitation. Telekinesing small items, up to 5 kilograms in weight, was a skill that practically every Force-sensitive with basic Force control could accomplish, and it was an excellent way to practice fine "motor control" with the Force.

Had this been the first time Kyp had met Nali, he wouldn't have noticed the slight tremor in the small toy ball she was levitating in a specific orbit around herself. The Miralukan woman had recovered a great deal of her strength and skill, but Kyp had talked with her enough during the past few weeks to get a good sense of her real abilities. A powerful Jedi she was, but Nali wasn't 100 percent yet.

She smiled at Kyp, then set the students to practice and sat down on a bench near the entrance to the makeshift gymnasium - originally a converted warehouse. "I could say something about a 'mother nuna,' but I wish to be more grateful," Nali half-joked, her appreciation clear in her voice as Kyp sat beside her.

"I just don't want all your rest to go for nothing. Give yourself some more time. There's no rush," Kyp said, blinking as he realized how much like a mother nuna he did sound.

So? Is that so bad? These people welcomed me, and I want to see them do well, Kyp thought, reaching out with the Force to get a general sense of the praxeum's overall condition. Nali was brighter and stronger in the Force than she'd been for some time, and it lifted Kyp's spirits - so did the children's joy as they worked, and their families' overall positivity while they took care of chores and went about various duties. Beyond the praxeum, fields of gr

 

Yay! Another Kyp-centric fic!!

Awesome work here. O. I'm enjoying the exploration of the SW Universe, although I'm not overly familiar with it myself, so most of the descriptions of the hyperspace lanes and such go over my head... I really do need to invest in an Atlas at some point.

Looking forward to the next post!

~Celeste

 

Celeste: Thanks for reading. Another update should be coming Saturday, moving to the smugglers' hideout of Socorro - and some Jedi who are rather more martial than the crowd on Ukio.

I highly recommend the Atlas, too. It's not just good for finding where a planet is, it's full of intriguing lore and tidbits. (It was a major help when I wrote Up to Our Neks.)

- Thanks again,
Onderon1

 

Kyp was fantabulous in this !!

Makes the fangirl in me just purrrrr!

 

Jade_eyes: There'll be more of Kyp in action soon. Socorro can be, in the words of a certain famous "crazy old wizard," a little rough.

In the meantime, however, I'm going to indulge a bit more of the travelogue. The area of the Outer Rim where Kyp is right now holds some fun worlds, and some obscure faces from EU lore ...

And I want to recognize Patricia Jackson. She wrote the WEG sourcebook The Black Sands of Socorro, and the Adalric Brandl stories, both of which I'll be referencing in the next few chapters.

------------------------------------------------------
Very Late 28.2 ABY: Jedi Praxeum, Ukio, Abrion Sector,
Outer Rim Territories:
------------------------------------------------------

In the end - and with great reluctance, given that he preferred the armaments in his X-J3 - Kyp agreed to trade the starfighter for a nondescript, beat-up YT-1760 freighter that would have plenty of room for him, Yaja'torva and Qewpee. When Kyp learned how old the Twi'lek girl actually was - 14 - he quickly decided that taking two starfighters all the way to Socorro was a bad idea.

I sure as stang didn't let Miko fly solo when he was 14. And he was less excitable at that age than Yaja'torva is. Not to mention that letting Ban'torva's niece get killed on my watch would be terrible, Kyp thought while he checked the Yapping Nusito's systems. The Corellian Engineering Corporation-made ship wasn't the most comfortable craft, but it had plenty of room for two sentients and a droid, a Class 1 hyperdrive for the fastest possible hyperspace flight - and after-market shields and two quad-laser turrets.

Where they were going, the shields and weapons systems would be critical. Even next door to the Quiberon Sector and the Vong leftovers still flitting around there, Abrion Sector was quiet compared to the southwestern corner of the Outer Rim. The eternal lawlessness of the Rim worlds had only gotten worse with the Vong War, and it didn't help that Kyp Durron was known as a pirate-slayer and smuggler-buster. If word of his identity got out, he'd be a hunted target.

And the trip we're planning won't be simple. Another reason why any kid should NOT be traveling alone out here, Kyp thought, nodding in the cockpit as Yaja'torva ran through a systems check at the communications station. The Twi'lek and Qewpee had, unsurprisingly, hit it off well the first time they really talked (or talked and chirped, as the case may be), and Kyp found he was rather glad of the company.

Despite her youth and occasional excess of "the Vong are evil scum who killed my father" (not that Kyp could blame the girl on that score), Yaja'torva was trying hard to be a good Jedi apprentice. She did what was asked of her, kept focused on the assignment (and there'd been plenty of work to prepare the YT-1760 for the spaceflight ahead), and she had more skills than just Jedi teaching.

Kyp had had to repress a wince when he'd heard Yaja'torva explain how she'd learned mechanical skills. "Father was an enforcer for the Hutts, and Mother was a dancer for Slobooda, a Hutt on Teth. Slobooda was angry, at first, when he learned Mother was pregnant, but he was nicer than you'd think a Hutt would be - Father got to raise me. Mother ... was never the strongest, and she died when I was little. I did cleaning for Slobooda, and the other slaves taught me how to fix things," Yaja'torva said one day when she helped Qewpee reinforce some conduits.

The girl had understandably been sad as she'd spoken, but she'd brightened quickly when she said, "Father was given a boon when he helped Slobooda's relatives escape Nar Shaddaa during the Vong invasion a couple years ago. Slobooda freed me, and Father got to take me with him on shipping runs - legal shipping. Life was good ... until ... well, the Vong caught us."

"You were shot down, you said," Kyp had asked, and Yaja'torva had had to wipe her eyes.

"We went down on Rodia. Some of the native Rodian resistance fighters gave me a lift as far as Molavar, and I

 

enjoyed the history of the places they're heading and Yaja's personal history.

 

Dude, you blow my mind updating so frequently!
I din't even have the time to reply to your previous update and now there's another one....

Wow! That's what I call a well-researched story!
Your previous update kinda got to me, though, because I once botched up the location of The Wheel in one of my stories....
I liked the traveling part once again. I hope Kyp will take little Yaja as an apprentice.

Interesting back story to Yaja. But poor little girl. Always seems to me that every Twi'lek female has a sad past.

I was a bit suprised that Kyp didn't stay, now that there is a Vong threat. But he has a job to do and is very late already. Plus, there's someone else who will help now....

Brandl....I think I read one or two short stories with him as a protagonist in like...Tales from the Empire?

Thank you for the PM and keep up the good work!

 

Jade_eyes: Thanks. I have a map of the Outer Rim sectors, so it's helped immensely.

Chilla: I misplaced the Wheel once, also, actually - earlier in this very 'fic. It's been corrected by now, but the Besh Gorgon system fooled me for a bit.

Things are going to improve for Yaja, also. She's been through quite a bit, but she's a sharp kid. She won't be Kyp's apprentice ...

But one never knows whom Kyp might meet, either ...

----------------------------------------------------
Late 28.2-early 28.3 ABY: Triellus Trade Route,
headed galactic southwest:
----------------------------------------------------

As Kyp had expected, the first few hyperjumps went smoothly. The Vong scout he'd captured on Ukio hadn't had a chance to alert the remaining renegade warrior forces in this part of the Outer Rim, so the first portion of the trip had no real problems. It didn't hurt that Kyp still had up-to-date hyperspace coordinates for the entire Manda Merchant Route, given to him by the Baobab family during his stopover on the Mid-Rim world weeks earlier.

The Bureau of Ships and Services station on Ukio also had recent data, and Kyp was all too glad to update that information. While BOSS had its own rules and regulations, one of the most critical - one that almost every galactic government abided by nowadays - was that spacers had to share hyperspace data.

Keeping up-to-date hyperspace coordinates was essential for interstellar commerce, and even before the Vong War, not exchanging data often meant criminal charges. (The Empire, on the other hand, hadn't played fair, but even they hadn't dared mess with BOSS, since the bureau had Force only knew what kinds of secrets.) Part of Kyp's job on the mission was to update hyperspace maps, so he was relieved that things were working in that department.

The first stop was Molavar, the world where the Manda Merchant Route from Ukio met up with the Triellus Trade Route. Molavar was a nondescript, second-rate version of Tatooine - slightly more hospitable, but moisture farming was still the main legal profession. The world's few spaceports were less rough than Mos Eisley, but Kyp still insisted that Yaja'torva stay aboard the Yapping Nusito with Qewpee while he visited the BOSS office.

No way am I going to put a teenaged Twi'lek girl at risk on a rock like this. Better she stay on the ship, Kyp thought, preparing his datapad to upload what he hoped would be an accurate measure of the Triellus. The route actually stretched for about 75,000 total light years in length, going all the way from Centares in the Maldrood Sector of the northeastern Mid Rim, then heading south and east along sectors in the Outer Rim and finally re-entering the Mid Rim between Zhar and Farstine. The Triellus' ultimate southern endpoint was Enarc, a trading world near Naboo that had been crushed by the Empire shortly after Order 66 because of Trade Federation resistance.

Kyp had no real plans to go any further along the Triellus than he had to. But if the Hutts and other semi-legal travelers had been keeping BOSS stations updated along the Outer Rim portion of the route, it could prove to be a big boost to his efforts to update the Galactic Alliance's hyperspace data. He kept his head down while he was in line - his hair had grown out to a somewhat normal length for him, although it hadn't gotten past his ears yet. So, he wasn't as well-disguised and ruffian-like as he usually preferred to look, despite his traveler's cloak over his simple flight suit.

Gah. Kyp Durron, respectable businessman. I'll never live this down, Kyp thought. He had to repress the urge to laugh, since he didn't want to draw attention to himself, even in a BOSS office.

BOSS, being its own strange entity, was rumored to be controlled by a series of intermarried families - probably descended from Core World nobility whose ancestors had made it rich in shipping and exploration millennia ago during the various galactic expansions. In his m

 

I misplaced the Wheel once, also, actually - earlier in this very 'fic. It's been corrected by now, but the Besh Gorgon system fooled me for a bit.

I guess that makes two people who don't know where The Wheel is. Don't worry - I didn't notice your mistake. I never knew where that station was, which is what caused my problem with my fic in the first place....

Things are going to improve for Yaja, also. She's been through quite a bit, but she's a sharp kid. She won't be Kyp's apprentice ...

Oh, oh!!! Spoiler! Can't wait to see Kyp shouldering the responsibilities of a teacher again.



Gah. Kyp Durron, respectable businessman. I'll never live this down, Kyp thought.

Lol! Kyp Durron keeps running into situations that aren't typical for him in this fic.

Wow. Guess those stories about the BOSS bosses are true, he thought, looking down - not condescendingly, but literally down - at a short, pinch-faced human man with a painfully thin physique, wearing a baggy burgundy robe that had to be sweltering in the office's intermittent air conditioning. The BOSS representative had wispy black hair, and looked annoyed, although the latter part could just have been because of his facial structure.

Love this description.

Or busting his shebs for hours in a boring job could stink, too.

Kyp's use of "shebs" startled me a bit. I was under the impression that that is Mandalorian.... Then again, Kyp has travelled so far that he might have picked up a few words of other languages.

The Triellus would be about 35,000 light-years - say, 10 and a half thousand parsecs. But, say we stop at Piroket, then take the Trans-Gulf Route through the Gulf of Tatooine to Pii. That's 20,000 light-years out of our way right there. Then, we head almost another 50,000 light-years down the Old Corellian Run from Pii to Khubeaie - hells, we'd be almost into the Dalchon Sector by that point. Then another 30,000 back across the Vaschean Way to Arkanis and onto the Triellus, Kyp thought, shaking his head a little.


That sounds like an awfully long detour.

He focused his attention on where he was, sensing restlessness and excitement in the local Force. Kyp wasn't surprised to find the source when he rounded a corner and saw a rather scruffy cluster of human youths hanging around a beat-up landspeeder.

Dude, Kyp, I hope it's not your speeder...

The boys looked like wanna-be swoop gang members, ranging from early adolescence to near-adulthood - probably moisture farmers' kids ditching work to try and impress the knot of girls orbiting the 'speeder and yammering about Force knew what.

Sounds like a typical situation.

Doesn't matter the dirty corner of the galaxy you're in, you'll run into arrogant teenagers, Kyp thought, shifting his smirk to his best "run along, little punk" expression, a mix of a hard stare and a slight frown.

Lol at his thoughts and nice reaction.

You've got to be kidding me. I survive getting possessed by a Sith Lord, fighting the prakking Vong, and nearly getting creamed by debris at the Fall of Coruscant, and I'm getting threatened by street punks on a Rimrock? Kyp thought, rolling his eyes.

That sentence was awesome!

You're kidding. Blond, blue-eyed, Rimkin, probably a moisture farmer's kid ... and Force-sensitive. This is no way to run across a recruit for the Order. My last name's Durron, not Kenobi, Kyp snarked inwardly, watching the boys glare at each other.

Great reference to Obi-wan and Luke. Could this boy become Kyp's apprentice?

It was pretty obvious that they were brothers, but Jamor wasn't looking at his sibling with anything like familial tolerance. "Shut your karkhole, Ejen. I told you, you don't mess with my business. You wanna starve? Huh?" Jamor spat, grabbing the younger boy's tunic with one

 

Thanks. I still haven't quite mastered the Atlas yet ... my light-year measurements of the Arkanis Sector were quite inaccurate in the last post. I've fixed the post since then.

 

Thanks. I still haven't quite mastered the Atlas yet ... my light-year measurements of the Arkanis Sector were quite inaccurate in the last post. I've fixed the post since then.

That's fine. I forgive you because you update so often.

Ejen will have some similarities to Kyp, but a few differences, also. Kyp might understand the kid better than Ejen will think, though.

Kyp has experienced a lot in his life, including many hardships. I think that he would be a good teacher because of that. He can teach his student a couple of things about life other Jedi Master might not teach.

The great thing about Kyp is that he can adapt to almost any situation.

That's true. I missed some of this versatility in the books.

Snark is a potent weapon when its wielder faces a larger force.

Ohhh, you teaching me new English words! *tries to look it up in a dictionary and fails* Eh....
Is it a combination of "snide" and "remark"?

Yeah, it is Mando'a; as you noted, I have this impression that as a piloting, crusading Jedi, Kyp's picked up a lot of languages. Or at least a colorful blend of curses.

Well, I have to say that being able to curse in different languages is fun.
But you are right, he probably has picked up some other languages. Huttese next?

Yeah - looking at the enlarged map, it's basically a backwards letter Z in space.

Oh, thank you! That's saves me from having to dig for a map online...

No, Kyp walked.

I guessed as much. But I couldn't resist that comment...

I imagined the BOSS office being right near the spaceport, maybe a few blocks away at most. Of course, the neighborhood could still be rough ...

Would only be smart for them to be close to the airport.

I know about small towns, and how little there is to do there when you're young. Plus, Luke and his friends hung around Tosche Station - juvenile delinquency seems to plague the Outer Rim.

Luke Skywalker, Biggs Darklighter....heroes of the Rebellion and juvenile delinquents!

As the Order's self-appointed gadfly, Kyp knows how to laugh at the bigger picture. And Ejen just might benefit from a teacher with a sense of humor.

Wait, are you telling me those enlightened beings called teachers are capable of humor?
Just kidding. Got a few friends who are teachers AND have a sense of humor....

The Rask brothers have been through a lot - some of it having to do with the Ghosts. More on this in the next chapter ...

I'm intrigued.

Impressive ... and potentially dangerous. This is exactly the kind of Force-sensitive whom the scattered praxia were founded to help - the ones who slip through the cracks.

That's right. Usually the ones with abilities as strong as that need a teacher soon before they become a danger to everyone around.

A hint: Jamor is to blame for a LOT of what's going down. Ejen's made a few mistakes, but nothing that should've angered the Ghosts enough to kill both Rask brothers.

You are making me wonder more and more about those Ghosts.

One sure prediction - there will be buttkicking.



Thanks for the in-depth reply. The weather's been a bit bumpy here, too, and I hope to update a bit more soon.

You're welcome. I know how much I loved to read long comments back when I was still writing fanfics.

All that forshadowing....I look forward to the next updates. I'm very curious about the Rask brothers now.

 

Chilla: Thanks for the reply. This is a short update - a longer one will be forthcoming, but at a better time of day to post.

------------------------------------------
28.3 ABY: Molavar, Abrion Sector, Outer
Rim Territories:
------------------------------------------

The lead "Ghost" - the one whose vibroblade had just been scrapped by Kyp's lightsaber - lowered his gun, and threw away the hilt of the ruined 'blade. "Jedi. Here. Interesting," the goon said, in a bass voice distorted by what Kyp suspected was a synthesizer built into the attacker's mask.

"I don't care about your local gang warfare or vigilante poodoo. But trying to kill a kid whose coward of an older brother appears to have crossed you isn't something I'll let slide," Kyp warned, glancing at - Ejen, he thought the kid had been called.

The blond boy was still terrified, but trying to hide it, and he managed to stand. "Th-thanks," he told Kyp, keeping an eye on the lead Ghost while the ones whom Kyp had thrown aside telekinetically started to find their bearings.

"We don't slaughter children for fun, Jedi. The older Rask, Jamor, is - was - a middleman in our ... distribution chain, into us for quite a few credits. Ejen here was going to be stunned, then brought back to our headquarters as bait for Jamor. But I guess the rumors are true," the lead Ghost said, looking at Ejen while the boy squinted at the man.

I'm no recruiter, but the kid's got potential. Not Skywalker-level Force-strength, but he could be stronger than average someday, Kyp thought, watching while Ejen sighed and looked at the ground.

"Yeah ... it must be the Force. I ... see, sense, things. And I can move small rocks and stuff. I ... I stole things, for Jamor - nothing anyone'd miss, but shuuras and other fruit and food, not people's jewelry or things. Or I was a lookout for his gang. I don't like doing it," the boy explained, looking at Kyp with both defiance and shame.

"And your parents?" Kyp asked, suspecting he knew the answer already.

Ejen blinked back tears, his flicker of old pain grating against Kyp's mental shields. "Dead, four years ago. Sandstorm got them. Jamor and I couldn't keep the farm, and we didn't want to get split up, so we ran. Jamor wasn't a skocha kung then," the boy said, frowning.

He blushed, anger and shame mixing inside him, as he added, "I don't want to be like him."

"No reason you have to be. You could come with me. We're recruiting ... that is, if the Ghosts are willing to let this little incident slide," Kyp said, looking at the lead Ghost.

The leader tilted his head, but one of the other Ghosts snapped, "You bust in here, get into our business -"

Kyp glanced at the human-sounding Ghost, squinted, and sent a Force-flicker toward the speaker. The Ghost rose into the air, spun about for a moment, and landed hard on his posterior. Most of the other Ghosts who'd started forward stopped their progress, and the lead Ghost held up a hand.

"Point made, robe-boy. I ... appreciate your restraint. We can deal - you get the redeemable brother, and we get the stoopa one. For a Jedi, you're very practical," the lead Ghost said, almost admiringly.

"Well, the kid's still in the crossfire of a dozen armed sentients, and I'm just one Jedi. The whole saving lives thing trumps the fighting crime thing in this case," Kyp said, deactivating his lightsaber.

The lead Ghost nodded, and Kyp gently but firmly grabbed Ejen by the shoulder, pulling the boy after him. "Y-you'll really teach me to be a Jedi?" the boy asked, suspicious but hopeful, too.

"I can at least get you someplace where real teachers can help you. Let's live long enough to figure out the rest," Kyp said, heading for the Yapping Nusito with Ejen close behind.

In their haste to get away from the Ghosts, neither of them noticed a pair of cold blue eyes watching them from the safety of an alleyway. A Jedi. Taking my brat of a brother, Jamor Rask realized.

That's my meal ticket, Jedi. I don't take well to thieves ...

 

Interesting! So those Ghots are like the local mafia... and Jamor got himself involved with them and now dragged his little brother into it, too.
But considering what their life is like, maybe getting involved with the Ghosts is what Jamor had to do in order to survive.

The boys's past is bound to make Kyp sympathize with them. After all, Kyp lost his parents, too.

So Ejen is aware that it is the Force he is using.

Great use of the Force from Kyp in this update. But, but, but----more buttkicking? Maybe I shouldn't say that as a girl. *shrugs* Well, I like action scenes. Provided they aren't too terribly long and don't make up 90% of a story....

Jamor apparently wants to face Kyp. I have to hand him that - he is brave. Or stupid. Or desperate.

"For a Jedi, you're very practical," the lead Ghost said, almost admiringly.

Hihi. Kyp Durron, business man. Object of Admiration of the Outer Rim Mafia. Next would be "Conscience of the Jedi Council". Ehm....

I liked reading the expressions in different languages. What language are "stoopa" and "skocha kung" from? And what exactly do they mean?

But now that Ejen is out of their reach, I'm worried what the Ghosts will do to Jamor. If they catch him, that is. And if he doesn't get himself killed trying to attack Kyp or something equally silly.

Looking forward to the next part!

 

Chilla: Stoopa and skocha kung are both Huttese. Stoopa translates literally as "stupid," while skocha kung is "burnout scum," probably a reference to a spice addict who's hit rock bottom. With Huttese being such a common underworld language in the GFFA, I figured it would be a likely language for use by Molavar's youth (and the less savory element).

My apologies for the lateness of this update; RL's been busy. Also, a note - Jamor's 18, while Ejen's 13. Just establishing that so it's clear.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
28.3 ABY: Molavar, Abrion Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Master Nali had once told Yaja'torva that the Force was as much instinct as it was intent. That'd confused the Twi'lek girl at first, until she'd thought about it from the Unifying versus Living Force point of view. The Unifying Force came to the Jedi in open moments; the Living Force was something the Jedi used.

Deflecting blaster bolts from a remote was somewhere between the two.

"Dwooo. Frepweet-dwee-pweep!" Qewpee chirped, a little awed, as she watched Yaja'torva work through a deflection exercise in the main hold of the Yapping Nusito.

While she was 14, Yaja'torva didn't worry about not yet being picked as a Knight or Master's Padawan learner - she understood that unlike the old Jedi Order, nobody was going to be sent away to the Agricorps. Nevertheless, she still wished - hoped - that her aunt Ban'torva would have room for her on Socorro as a full-time Padawan ... even if that was selfish.

FOCUS, Yaja. You've done good, don't let the remote zing you now, the purple-skinned Twi'lek reminded herself, bouncing back another bolt. One, or even two, bolts in quick succession were easy enough for a student, even a latecomer to the Order like Yaja'torva was; she hadn't started learning about the Force until she'd been 13. The problem was, the remote learned from practice.

The pace stepped up, and Yaja'torva focused on not deflecting bolts all over the hold. Stun bolts still stung, after all, and she didn't want to make a mess by putting little burn holes in the walls. Master Durron was a nice enough guy for one of the senior Jedi, but Yaja'torva didn't want to test how kind he was by ruining the interior decorating.

Something - a nagging tickle of the Force - pulsed at the back of Yaja'torva's neck, then, and she waved for the remote to stop while she deactivated her lightsaber (the real thing, not a training 'saber - Master Nali had been kind enough to build the purple-bladed 'saber for Yaja'torva as a going-away present).

"Qewpee, have you heard anything from Master Durron?" the girl asked her astromech friend, glancing at the tunnel to the cockpit with a mild frown.

"Dwoooo. Dweep-beep-bweet," Qewpee chirped negatively but kindly. Yaja'torva patted the little droid's dome, returning her lightsaber to her belt, and concentrated in the Force. Master Durron had told her not to leave the Yapping Nusito, and Yaja'torva had tried her best to listen to her Jedi superior. She might be young, but she'd escaped a life of slavery once. She had no desire to ever go back, and a trade planet on the Triellus could have slaver rings working for the Hutts.

Molavar wasn't heavily populated, but this town - which evidently didn't even have a name, at least none that Yaja'torva had heard - had enough residents to fill the local Force with strong emotions. The feelings weren't entirely foreign to the Twi'lek girl - she hadn't been raised Jedi, so she was fairly familiar with the desperation, yearning, and determination common to Outer Rim settlers.

Master Durron was getting closer to the ship, strong, confident, but a little annoyed. Yaja'torva was surprised at that, until she sensed another Force-user with him - young, male, a mix of hopeful and scared - and she opened her eyes.

Master Durron found a Jedi student? On Molavar? No, don'