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

Thank Goodness it was only Darth Real Life. I was afraid we had lost you during the-move-that-wasn't-the-move-just-a-long-pizza-run.

I guessed they were Huttese words. Makes sense for the Rask brothers to know them.

Thanks for the ages. That helps.

The scene where Yaja was training was very nice. I enjoy her interaction with QP.
I keep stumbling about QP's name, because I keep mispronouncing it in my mind. I always think it's like "creepy", only without the "r" sound. Hence my spelling of the droid as QP. Maybe that'll help me stick to the right pronunciation.

I have to question Kyp's sanity in bringing 2 young teenagers of roughly the same age on the same ship. Thankfully they aren't 15 or 16 yet.
But it's good that Yaja is there for Ejen.

I like how Ejen still loves his brother and how Kyp is trying to give Jamor a chance to come along. Sadly it didn't work out.
I wish Kyp had told Jamor "I'm not judging you. I know what your life is like. I grew up in the Spice Mines of Kessel." or something like that. Might have made a difference. Then again, apparently the Ghosts aren't going to let Jamor go.

The Ghosts made sure the unwritten rules of the street - no hurting kids, no shooting wildly, no finking out to the cops - were followed.

As bad as the Ghosts are, this sounds like an improvement to the previous situation.

<Pretty little addict. We'll discuss where you are after we deal with who you are ... and who you'll be,> a voice teased.

I'm having a bad feeling about this. I worry that Jamor will grow into a powerful underworld boss with a strong hatred for his brother - and Kyp.

"Let's see what's in that brain of yours ... before we rewire it."

Oh no! Poor Jamor.

I'm glad the Ghosts were willing to let Ejen go. I could see how they might be interested in their own private force-user. Thank goodness that isn't going to happen.


Nice, long update! I enjoyed it! More soon?

 

Interesting new OCs here in Ejen and Jamor, sad about Jamor. Yaja was a great help... Kyp's probably wondering though LOL how'd I suddenly get two passengers?

 

Oh, DRL's still at it. I wanted to reply, though - thanks for the feedback.

(nods) Welcome. I figured it would be best to establish that. And Huttese seems to be the language of the galactic underworld, especially in the Outer Rim.

Maybe I should spell it QP, instead ... I've often thought astromechs would be the best droids to have around. They seem to have common sense.

I think the kids are going to be all right - eventually. Yaja's a bit further along the healing route than Ejen is, and sometimes just having a friend can make all the difference.

Kyp, unfortunately, wasn't given much time to convince Jamor - one way or another. Maybe the elder Rask brother will listen a bit more after he works on getting out of his current predicament.

IIRC, Molavar was a rough world decades earlier - it was introduced in an issue of Dark Horse Comics, where Darca Nyl, a mercenary-turned-farmer-turned-mercenary, tracked down and defeated a Dark Jedi. Wookiepedia describes Molavar as being very like Tatooine.

 

A/N: Urgh. Rough week. But I have some time now, so ...

Also: The Phindians, and their renewal memory-wipe technology, is canon, and thus LFL's. For more info: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Renewal

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28.3 ABY: Slobooda the Hutt's Molavar Base, Molavar,
Abrion Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
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Spice withdrawl was never good under the best of circumstances.

Jamor had been able to avoid hard-core withdrawl in the four years since he'd gotten hooked on spice. The lesser withdrawls, going for a day without a dose, had been bad enough - the sweats, the temperature flashes, the twitching, the paranoia.

This ... this was worse. Slobooda, like any competent dealer, knew what hard-core withdrawl did to a buyer. Andris, especially the high-grade stuff Jamor had been used to through the Ghosts, led to a harsh crash when the user was cut off for more than a day.

It'd been two days.

I look like something the bantha ran over, Jamor thought humorlessly, looking in the mirror of his cell. It was a cell, but surprisingly well-furnished; decent refresher, comfortable cot, a sink, lighting.

Jamor, on the other hand, had the start of sunken cheeks, bloodshot eyes, and waxy skin. He'd kept up with basic hygiene so far, but it was getting harder and harder to care about anything but the spice ...

Hard-won street instincts still made him turn to look at the door when it slid open, and one of the Ghosts - the leader, the tallest male - walked in, still fully masked. "Camera's scrambled for 60 seconds. Come on," the Ghost ordered, grabbing Jamor by the upper bicep and pulling the ganger after him.

"B-but - why help me?" Jamor asked, suspicion overriding his relief. He had an idea of what Slobooda and Phath K'and, the Hutt's Phindian majordomo, had in mind for him, but the Ghosts had been the ones to drag him to the Hutt in the first place.

"Because you're not so far gone that I want you to end up dancing for Hutts. The Phindian wants to use some forbidden mind-kriffing technology on you, something left over from his homeworld's bad old days. Nobody organic deserves to get their memories erased," the lead Ghost said, tapping at a panel on what looked like an otherwise-smooth wall.

Renewal, Jamor thought, fear rippling down his spine. The Phindians' mindwipe tech had supposedly been outlawed decades earlier, but there were still stories ...

A secret hatch swung upward, and Jamor followed the Ghost through a series of tunnels. They emerged in the hangar and stepped into the pilots' locker room, where the Ghost shoved a pile of dark-colored cloth and a pair of boots into Jamor's hands. "Change, quickly, and let me do the talking until we're gone," the older male ordered, before turning his back.

"OK ..." Jamor said, confused. He changed from the coverall into the dark-colored garment, his eyebrows raising when he realized it was a Ghost bodysuit. "Uh ..."

"This isn't recruitment, boy. We value our anonymity more than even our steady paychecks from Slobooda. And don't get any ideas that you're staying on Molavar. Your life as a gang member is done. First, it's detox for you; then, you really begin to repay me for how I'm sticking my neck out for you," the lead Ghost growled. Even though his voice was disguised, Jamor heeded the older man's grumpiness, and hurried to put on the boots he'd been given.

The lead Ghost turned, nodding, and waited until Jamor pulled the 'suit's facemask into place. The whole outfit was a little claustrophobic, but Jamor's sight quickly adjusted to the rangefinders built into the mask's goggles. "Good. At least you're not wasting time. Come on," the lead Ghost ordered.

He threw Jamor's coverall into a decontamination chute, the kind leading to the incinerators, and waved for Jamor to follow him. Jamor struggled not to let his shakiness show while they walked past some Gammorean enforcers of Slobooda's, and he kept quiet when th

 

Glad to have you back!

The lesser withdrawls, going for a day without a dose, had been bad enough - the sweats, the temperature flashes, the twitching, the paranoia.

This ... this was worse. Slobooda, like any competent dealer, knew what hard-core withdrawl did to a buyer. Andris, especially the high-grade stuff Jamor had been used to through the Ghosts, led to a harsh crash when the user was cut off for more than a day.

It'd been two days.

Wow! That's some terrible stuff if he has to take it daily! Okay, I have no clue how drugs work, but that seems like really strong, highly addictive kind of stuff.

"Camera's scrambled for 60 seconds. Come on," the Ghost ordered, grabbing Jamor by the upper bicep and pulling the ganger after him.

Didn't expect the Ghosts to spring him...

"The Phindian wants to use some forbidden mind-kriffing technology on you, something left over from his homeworld's bad old days. Nobody organic deserves to get their memories erased," the lead Ghost said, tapping at a panel on what looked like an otherwise-smooth wall.

Shreds of decency left in the Ghosts.

"Because, nephew, your father, spirits rest his and your mother's souls, was the one Rask who went into legitimate work. That deserves respect, even from a spice-running murglak like me," the man said, as Jamor's eyes widened.

Didn't see this coming! Nice revelation!

The other Ghosts removed their masks as well, revealing various degrees of relationship to Jamor.

Entire family of criminals... well, almost. I wonder if their Hutt boss knows who they are.

"Second, we're going to go around Slobooda, cut our ties to Molavar and make a name for ourselves on the larger galactic stage. And to do that, we need to get Ejen back and kill that Jedi poodoo who took your brother."

Well, I applaud their decision to get away from the Hutts. Unfortunately it seems as if they just want to start their own crime syndicate. And enter bounty hunter business. I hope they'll realize that with Kyp, they bit off more than they can chew.

"As for how we know so much about the Jedi's itinerary ... we have friends in high places," Orfax said.

Don't like that at all. But makes it all the more interesting.

"Our target is Jedi Master Kyp Durron. And we can not only make a name for ourselves by killing him, but also make a planetload of credits."

Just what he needed now...Thankfully Kyp is a good fighter.

Ejen had gotten over the shock pretty quickly, and his hope that he might become a Jedi was strong enough to overcome his fear of Kyp ... for the moment.

It's sad that Ejen is afraid of Kyp. But I'm sure in time he'll realize that Kyp isn't a bad guy.

Fortunately, Ejen was still at that awkward stage where girls were a mysterious quantity, while Yaja'torva was more emotionally mature and had Jedi training to fall back on.


My little brother is Ejen's age and I can tell you that right now, girls are about the most disgusting things on Earth for him.

The bad news was the report from Anakin and Tahiri, who with a detachment of Imperial Remnant forces had run into a band of Bothan rebels attacking a Yuuzhan Vong civilian refugee camp on the planet Siskeen. The battle had left hundreds of innocent Yuuzhan Vong slain, and stoked more calls among Bothans for the ark'rai to continue against the Vong. Siskeen was in the Hunnovers Sector - which was, itself, next to the Arkanis Sector.

Definitely something I can see happening even after the war has ended. Still much hatred left. I would have liked to learn more about the "clean up" following the Vong War, but sadly the official books didn't have much on it.

Again, you are setting the stage for another possible conflict. I'm curious if Kyp will do something about that or not.

A lot of that had come about because Ahsoka Tano, the former Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, had effectively raised Rotta in secret on Nar Shaddaa during the Imperial era, and thus Rotta had learned a surprisingly democratic outlook for a Hu

 

Cool and plausible dynamics between Ejen and Yaja.

And I think it is way cool that Ahsoka is in your AU story arc

And oops another nefarious party to deal with but I know Kyp can !!

 

(bows) Thanks.

According to the Wook, and the Anja Gallandro stories from YJK, andris is among the most powerful forms of spice. It sounds like it would be very hard to shake.

I was aiming for a bit of surprise - I didn't think that Jamor and Ejen would've gotten too far away geographically from the homestead. And the Ghosts do tend to look out for their own.

Slobooda probably has an idea, but Orfax is a sneaky operator. More on this as the Rasks' plot thread unwinds ... their "friends in high places" are canon characters.

(nods) The Ghosts have no idea how much trouble Kyp can cause for them. Or how many friends he has.

As Kyp noted when they escaped Molavar, the kid's entire world just got thrown upside down. There'll be more about Ejen and his skills (Force and non-Force alike) soon.

And as for girls ... not for a while. Ejen needs to get his head around all the changes he's gone through first. But someday, maybe ...

This was more a reference to stuff going on in the background; Shores was started as a companion piece to another story, about the aftermath of this AU's Vong War, and I need to get back to that other piece ...

That said, Kyp and co. won't be oblivious to what's going on. It just might show up in unexpected ways and places.

It was "pedunkee-muffin." I never liked how Rotta's fate was essentially dropped - the EU states that Jabba died without an heir, so I wanted to address that, and Ahsoka's fate, also.

And yeah, Rotta's upset some apple carts, to be sure. He might even be willing to help Kyp out ...

 

Just wanted to let you know I finally finished reading this story. I really like the direction you're taking it, and the tone and writing. It's very fluid, very easy to read and follow, and yet there's so much detail worked in there that's so neatly added in. Great story so far!

I love the way you're characterizing Kyp. I think you're doing a great job of keeping him on key to character. I'm also interested to see how the young Force sensitives are handled.

Well done! Please add me to the PM list, if you don't mind.

 

Jedi_Perigrine: Thanks for reading. I'll add you to the PM list.

This is a short update, but I'm planning a longer one soon - hopefully Wednesday.

And the new character is a nod to another 'fic of mine ... some readers may recognize her surname.

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28.3 ABY: Piroket, Arkanis Sector, Outer Rim
Territories:
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Stupid, girl, focus ...

She knew her target had picked up on her - although he couldn't have pinpointed her identity, because he wasn't smirking. For once, Kyp Durron was focused on his locale ... or the huntress' skill at cloaking her Force signature was improving.

Responsibilities distracting him? Durron? Seriously? I find that hard to believe, the huntress thought, chuckling inside her gold-tinged helmet.

The armor was vintage beskar'gam, passed down through more than 20 generations of her bloodline and well-maintained by her particular branch. It'd seen service for more than a dozen of the huntress' female ancestors, more than a few of whom had kept the tradition of their legendary matriarch. Not even the foppish "New Mandalorians" or the occasional disapproving Desevran nobility could stop the duty that the huntress was carrying on.

Let the jetiise simper. We put dark-siders in the ground. That was why I had to leave Yavin ... and then the Vong War came up ... the huntress remembered, keeping her stealth field active as she followed Kyp through the crowd.

Yavin. The huntress had heard about it - visited the planet after the kriffing Vong ruined it. She'd cried.

It brought back a lot of memories, good and bad alike. Skywalker and his crowd meant well, but they hadn't understood her methods ... even if they respected her family's history. Shab, two of her younger cousins were Padawans now, and the huntress wished them the best.

Some of us just remember the stories, and carry on the tradition in other ways, she thought, looking left and right as she risked a Force-sweep -

Snap-hiss

OSIK! the woman cursed inwardly, freezing when a purple lightsaber blade was stuck just in front of her throat.

"OK, you're good. Hiding your Force-signature means you're an adept. And stealth-field-capable armor is top of the line. But I'm a Jedi Master, so ... well, I have to maintain my rep as the Order's bad boy," Durron said, half-smirking, half-deadly-serious.

"Fine, Kyp. You got me. Proud?" the huntress growled, a slight Desevran accent to her Basic as she powered down the stealth field. Durron pulled back his lightsaber, raising an eyebrow as he watched the huntress turn to face him.

She wore gold-painted beskar plates on a black bodyglove, with a pair of blaster pistols, a vibrodagger, and a lightsaber at her belt. The beskar'gam's color was the oddest thing about the ensemble - gold was the color of vengeance in Mandalorian culture. It was hardly the most subtle color.

But most bounty hunters hadn't had their bloodline founded by the then-illicit union of a Jedi Consular and the eldest heiress of Clan Ordo more than five centuries earlier, either.

"Well. You're a long way from your usual stomping grounds. Don't tell me you came all the way to the Arkanis Sector just to remember the good old days?" Durron joked, and the huntress rolled her blue eyes as she removed her helmet.

She smirked, her reddish-brown hair cut short so it didn't get in her eyes or mess with the fit of her buy'ce. "Mandalore Sector's still recovering from the Vong's payback, and the Allied Tion and Tion Hegemony sectors are busy with Kane' Kwaad's losers. I decided to go somewhere I'd be useful," the huntress said, relaxing when Kyp shut down his lightsaber.

"Dalonera Milthiad. Damn, if I knew things were going to get this interesting, I'd've waited for you to ask yourself along back on Mon Cal," Durron tried to joke.

"Loner" just rolled her eyes and kissed Kyp's cheek. "I dropped by Heurk

 

Interesting exchange. Mandos always add something intriguing to the mix.

A real woman for Kyp Oh, raptures! A role to which many aspire, but only one deserves LOL

!!!

 

Responsibilities distracting him? Durron? Seriously? I find that hard to believe, the huntress thought, chuckling inside her gold-tinged helmet.

She knows him well.

The armor was vintage beskar'gam, passed down through more than 20 generations of her bloodline and well-maintained by her particular branch.

Hopefully well-cleaned, too!

Yavin. The huntress had heard about it - visited the planet after the kriffing Vong ruined it. She'd cried.

So even though she had to leave, she still likes the jetiise.

Shab, two of her younger cousins were Padawans now, and the huntress wished them the best.


Force-sensitive Mandos...always a good combination. Lots of trouble for their enemies, though.

The beskar'gam's color was the oddest thing about the ensemble - gold was the color of vengeance in Mandalorian culture. It was hardly the most subtle color.

Interesting. One of these days I'd like to know why she's wearing gold. Then again, if the armor has been in the family for 20 generations, the reason for the color is probably just as old.

But most bounty hunters hadn't had their bloodline founded by the then-illicit union of a Jedi Consular and the eldest heiress of Clan Ordo more than five centuries earlier, either.

Interesting. Wonder what Fenn Shysa would have said to that. He was looking for force-sensitive Mandalorians.
I was wondering if she were a decendant of Etain and Darman, but that's not it.

"Loner" just rolled her eyes and kissed Kyp's cheek. "I dropped by Heurkea on occasion. You were too busy pining over Her Royal Harem-Gatherer to remember the last time you dated a real woman," the ex-Jedi apprentice turned bounty hunter teased.

They have a history, it seems. But glad she's not after him to kill him.

Jaina Solo was a damn fine pilot, but she treated men like dirt, and that was both immature and petty in the Mandalorian's opinion.

I diagree here, but I'm a Jaina fan....admittedly, she didn't treat them well at times, but not all the time.
Hihi. I'd like to hear her opinion of Boba Fett training Jaina and putting her in beskar'gam in "Revelation".

"We can debate the merits of the 'Goddess' once we've gotten your crew and transferred them to my ship. You need to pay closer attention to the Bothan Spynet," Dalonera warned.


Oh, she going to help him! Yay!


I like this latest addition to the cast. Keep up the good work!

 

Ooooooooo this sounds like an interesting matchup! I'm very interested in learning more about her, and seeing what Kyp's gonna do with a hanger-on. Nice post, keep 'em coming!

 

I'm still working on the next chapter, but wanted to reply ...

Thanks. Dalonera's ... opinionated; she's got her beliefs, but she can change course ... with enough evidence. More on her background will be coming in the next chapter.

(nods) Dalonera's rather sharp like that.

Dalonera's definitely dangerous, and she's not as patient as a Jedi would need to be. But that might be just what her family needed during the Vong War.

The Milthiads have a complicated backstory; I can PM you with a link for Up To Our Neks, if you want.

Dalonera's opinion of Jaina will be directly addressed, within a couple chapters. It should be ... interesting.

Thanks, Chilla.

Thanks for reading. The next chapter will have more on Kyp and Dalonera's past.

- Thanks again,
Onderon1

 

Sounds interesting. I'll have a look.

 

A/N: A real update, at last ...

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28.3 ABY: Piroket, Arkanis Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
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"Now wait a minute - I'm not ditching the Yapping Nusito just because it might've been ID'd as my ship. A YT-1760's got plenty of room," Kyp pointed out as he and Dalonera made their way back to the spaceport's docking bays.

The Desevro-born woman just smiled indulgently, in that way that had been part of why she and Kyp had fallen apart shortly before the Vong War. Kyp liked strong women, but Dalonera could take the "self-reliant Mando woman" stereotype too far sometimes.

Then again, she's got a point about the Order being too passive. But even that, she took too far - use of excessive force during her later training missions, questioning the Jedi Code ... we were simply too jetiise for a Mando lady. And I couldn't keep up with her, Kyp admitted, hiding a happy smirk while Dalonera's smile became a wary expression.

"A YT-1760's also too rare and too distinctive. I've got a YT-1300 that my partner and I keep up rather well," Dalonera replied, looking left and right before she put her helmet back on.

"Partner? Professional or otherwise?" Kyp asked, raising his hood and leading Dalonera across the street toward the Yapping Nusito.

Dalonera's brief frustration turned to sly amusement that Kyp could read through the Force. "Professional, poodoo-brain. I'll explain when we get to my ship - comm your passengers. I don't want to stick my buy'ce up into your cargo hold and risk getting my head chopped off by some twitchy Padawan," she said.

"Touchy-touchy. I can't wait to meet your friend," Kyp teased back. He activated his comlink before Dalonera could snark back at him, and called, "Yaja'torva, get Ejen and Qewpee - tell Ejen to bring his gear. We're ditching the Yapping Nusito."

"Master Durron? But - well ... you're the Jedi Master," the Twi'lek girl called back, understandably confused. Kyp projected reassurance through the Force, and was rewarded when the YT-1760's ramp lowered only a minute later. Yaja'torva and Ejen descended, both carrying packed backpacks, while Qewpee followed, tweedling.

"Good to see you two know how to move. Direct your questions to Tall, Dark and Wise-Shebs there, and let me get you to our new ride," Dalonera ordered. Kyp let her lead the way, gesturing for the teens and Qewpee to follow.

"Why are we leaving the ship behind - uh, Master?" Ejen asked, wariness clear in his tone.

"And why are we trusting a Mandalorian? I thought they hated Jedi," Yaja'torva added, keeping her voice low.

"Dwoooo. Twee-bweet-prwedeweteet?" Qewpee queried, turning her dome left and right.

"Not every Mando hates Jedi, Yaja'torva. Short version - the lady in the armor is a former Jedi apprentice who didn't see eye-to-eye with the Masters on Yavin. Her family had at least two Jedi in the Old Republic, though, and she's trustworthy. Her name's Dalonera Milthiad. If she says we've been ID'd by the Bothan Spynet, I have no reason to mistrust her," Kyp said.

Yaja'torva still seemed wary, as did Ejen (but then, the boy was still getting used to the idea of not having to watch his back every few minutes), but the teens quieted down. Given the circumstances, Kyp approved, but he still felt bad that they had to be so careful at all.

Then again, welcome to the Outer Rim. Life's usually short, brutal and hard here ... and as for covering our tracks ...

Kyp whispered into his comlink a series of seemingly-gibberish letters and numbers. A second later, he was rewarded with a loud crackling noise, the sound of fire alarms, and the whiff of burning plasteel.

Dalonera glanced over her shoulder and asked, "Self-destruct wired into your ship? How ... refreshingly practical for a jetiise."

"We've learned a few tricks since the Vong War," Kyp replied confidently, nodding

 

Wow! On all kinds of levels

 

"Partner? Professional or otherwise?" Kyp asked, raising his hood and leading Dalonera across the street toward the Yapping Nusito.

Knew he had to ask this.

"Master Durron? But - well ... you're the Jedi Master," the Twi'lek girl called back, understandably confused.

I wonder how long her textbook behaviour will last under Kyp's tutelage.

"Good to see you two know how to move. Direct your questions to Tall, Dark and Wise-Shebs there, and let me get you to our new ride," Dalonera ordered.

Tall? Yes. Dark? Yes. Wise? Ehm....

"Why are we leaving the ship behind - uh, Master?" Ejen asked, wariness clear in his tone.

"And why are we trusting a Mandalorian? I thought they hated Jedi," Yaja'torva added, keeping her voice low.

"Dwoooo. Twee-bweet-prwedeweteet?" Qewpee queried, turning her dome left and right.

Seems everyone has a question for Kyp today.

Kyp whispered into his comlink a series of seemingly-gibberish letters and numbers. A second later, he was rewarded with a loud crackling noise, the sound of fire alarms, and the whiff of burning plasteel.

Dalonera glanced over her shoulder and asked, "Self-destruct wired into your ship? How ... refreshingly practical for a jetiise."

Have to say, that was mightily smart.

"We've learned a few tricks since the Vong War," Kyp replied confidently, nodding when they entered the docking bay with Dalonera's YT-1300.

Unfortunately they only learned some very slowly. Like "sometimes it's not smart to look like a Jedi". Glad that Kyp has learned this lesson and is putting it to use now.

"Yub. Loner, engines hot. Yub. Slanar?" a tan-furred Ewok - in full Mandalorian armor - asked.

Yupp, yupp, Master Jedi! That is hilarious (although I'm sure the Ewok would disagree).

"We're helping them out of the kindness of our hearts."

Say what? "Mandalorians" and "kindness of heart" in one sentence....

"I agreed to see Yaja'torva there safely, and I have ... contacts I need to meet with there," Kyp said, getting over his shock at seeing a Mando'wok.

You realize that a "wok" is a Chinese frying pan/pot?

He didn't mistrust Dalonera, but it'd been three years since they'd last seen each other - and he didn't know Norbok from Jon Sentient.

It usually pays off to be cautious.

"Yub. Kyp Durron, helping from kindness of heart? Yub. I Ewok, not dini'la," Norbok shot back, his paws flying over the controls as the Atin's repulsors started to hum.

He knows what's going on...

Kyp's knowledge of Mando'a was mostly limited to curses and "where's the refresher," but he wasn't entirely in the dark about the odd exchange between his hosts.

Cusses and "where is the 'fresher" are important things to know.
Did he learn Mando'a from Dalonera?

"Yeah - Yaja'torva, you know how to use a quad-laser?" Kyp asked, unbuckling himself. "Or Ejen, do you?"

Ehm...How old were they, again? I understand that they are in danger, but Kyp is essentially telling children to go and kill the attackers.

Short version: Headhunters are still karkin' dangerous...

Which might be why Mara Jade was flying one...until Kyp stole it.

The thump-thump of the cannons could be heard from below, and Yaja'torva called, "That's another one!"

14 and has already killed someone. *sighs*

"Don't get cocky!" Kyp reminded her - Han had told him that, and it certainly seemed to apply here.

Deja-vu.... Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away. 4 people on a YT freighter, running from 4 fighters. Luke Skywalker blasts one away. Han: "Don't get cocky!"

Like how history repeats itself and suddenly Kyp finds himself in the position of the responsible teacher.

"Yub. Imp-Star II! Yub! Who want you so

 

Thanks, Jade_eyes. I'd always planned to work Daala in here somehow, and this seemed as good a time as any.

Yaja'torva's aunt, Ban'torva, might have something to say about that, actually ... and the fact that Kyp had to ask Yaja'torva to be the other gunner during their escape.

(nods) If anyone out of the NJO would glom onto that lesson, I'd figured Kyp would be among them.

Norbok's been a character I've had in mind for some time, for another 'fic, but he seemed like too much fun not to include here. And not every Mando'ad is mercenary - Dalonera's family does have something of a jetiise tradition.

Yeah; I wondered if that abbreviation would sound too silly.

(nods) Some from Dalonera, some from travel. I see Kyp as having picked up just enough of various languages to get by.

Ugh. Guess they don't have much of a choice...but Tatooine is still bad. Again, like how it coincidences with parts of "A New Hope".

Ta-daaa! Kyp's slowly turning into a strange Han/Obi-wan mix.... [/quote]

Kyp is his own Jedi, to be sure. And the parallels were intentional, although if they were really spot-on, Ejen should've been the other gunner ...

The Ukio Praxeum will be safe. Kyp made sure to cover his tracks very well - even if who's hunting him has a few tricks of her own.

The "alliance" might not go as either side planned - Orfax Rask has some big secrets to reveal, and Daala's got issues with Force-users.

AFA the Chimaera, Daala had it when she disappeared in 17 ABY during her last canonical attack against the New Republic. Things are going to get busier fast, and the bad guys might find themselves a little ... outnumbered.

- Thanks again for reading,
Onderon1

 

A/N: Hoping to get a longer update done later this week - sorry for the delays, but RL's been VERY hectic. In the meantime ...

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28.3 ABY: Tatoo System, Arkanis Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
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Much to Kyp's relief, the Atin hadn't stopped at any of the Foroon Worlds, nor Ooo-temiuk (regardless of how tempting a greel wood desk might be, Kyp was willing to wait until shipping had stabilized more). As Norbok had pointed out, the Triellus was the fastest south-Rimward hyperlane through the Arkanis Sector, and the trip from Piroket to Tatooine had taken only hours.

Unfortunately, the hit from the Star Destroyer attack over Piroket had left some unexpected mechanical problems. Qewpee, unsurprisingly, had been the first to notice the unsettling grumbling from the power regulator system - astromechs had a literal sixth sense (sometimes even seventh and/or eighth senses) about mechanical problems.

By the time the Atin reverted to realspace near Tatooine, it was obvious that the YT-1300 was in real trouble. The lights were flickering, and different systems started to either flare with too much power or sputter with too little. Dalonera figuratively exploded with colorful Mandalorian curses as she and Norbok rushed to reroute the remaining power, and Qewpee had been plugged in as a makeshift power regulator core.

The Atin's droid brains were more focused on overall shipboard functions, and YT-1300 droid brains frequently lacked the processing speed to reroute power as needed anyway. A new core was necessary, and fast, before the freighter started blowing fuses or irreplaceable systems - or both.

"That osik'la turbolaser hit started all this. The shields were overloaded, and what energy they couldn't disperse got through into the power grid. The core was what took the worst hit - we carry spare shield parts, so we can fix that easy enough. But we keep running like we are, we'll risk burning out the core, and then we drop like a beskar buy'ce to the bottom of a lake," Dalonera explained as she showed Kyp the scorched, wheezing power regulator core in the circuitry bay.

"Dwooo," Qewpee - who'd been happy to help by serving as a stand-in power regulation monitor - trilled sadly from where she was plugged into the Atin's systems.

"Shavit. Only good news is that Tatooine's probably got the parts we need, between Jawas and the starports. Bad news is the Hutts, the other criminals, and any petty bounty hunters are probably looking for me," Kyp said, shaking his head.

"OK, so you stay aboard. It's not that difficult to handle, Durron. I'm not entirely broke, so we just find a reasonable ship parts dealer, get a new core, install it and the deflector shield components, and haul jets," Dalonera pointed out.

"And what if we waited until Andooweel? Could the Atin handle another jump?" Kyp asked, suspecting the answer.

The familiar "you're an idiot, Durron" look that Dalonera gave him all but confirmed his suspicions.

"Maybe," she nevertheless snarked. "At the risk of cooking probably the hyperdrive, the navigational deflectors, and certainly what little is remaining of the core we have. And Andooweel might have a better climate, but it's even poorer than Tatooine is. At least here we've got a fighting chance to get what we need before we run the ship into the ground."

"Fair enough," Kyp agreed - he didn't snark back, he had been dumb enough to ask a rhetorical question of a Mandalorian. "So ... do you and the Ewok barter well?"

Dalonera's confident smirk lifted Kyp's spirits, and he followed her back to the cockpit. "I wouldn't send Norbok to negotiate. Too many sentients find the idea of taunting an Mando Ewok tempting, and we don't need to upset the local 'authorities,' such as they are, with corpses. I'll handle it - I'm not dainty like your Goddess, but I get by," she quipped, and Kyp fought the urg

 

A/N: Hoping to get a longer update done later this week - sorry for the delays, but RL's been VERY hectic.

It's fine. Just glad you haven't abandoned this. There are far too many good stories that never get finished (I'm ashamed to say I haven't finished one of mine, either).

Unfortunately, the hit from the Star Destroyer attack over Piroket had left some unexpected mechanical problems. Qewpee, unsurprisingly, had been the first to notice the unsettling grumbling from the power regulator system - astromechs had a literal sixth sense (sometimes even seventh and/or eighth senses) about mechanical problems.

Having an astromech on board is useful.

By the time the Atin reverted to realspace near Tatooine, it was obvious that the YT-1300 was in real trouble. The lights were flickering, and different systems started to either flare with too much power or sputter with too little.

uhh, what's happening to the ship sounds very bad. Tatooine isn't the greatest place for a stop, either. Dangerous fellows everywhere and may be difficult to get spare parts out there.

"Shavit. Only good news is that Tatooine's probably got the parts we need, between Jawas and the starports. Bad news is the Hutts, the other criminals, and any petty bounty hunters are probably looking for me," Kyp said, shaking his head.

"OK, so you stay aboard. It's not that difficult to handle, Durron. I'm not entirely broke, so we just find a reasonable ship parts dealer, get a new core, install it and the deflector shield components, and haul jets," Dalonera pointed out.

Some girl action ahead?

The familiar "you're an idiot, Durron" look that Dalonera gave him all but confirmed his suspicions.

That line says a lot about their relationship....

"I wouldn't send Norbok to negotiate. Too many sentients find the idea of taunting an Mando Ewok tempting, and we don't need to upset the local 'authorities,' such as they are, with corpses."

True. Most people won't take him seriously - and he'll be mad.

"Me? Not specifically. It's her type of woman that grates on me, y'know? She's got some real skills, no doubt - good pilot, competent lighsaber duelist, technical capabilities. But it's her personal life that's just a shu'shuk, and she never gets off her shebs and makes a choice," Dalonera sighed, almost sympathetically.

Gotta say the way she couldn't decide between 3 guys throughout the majority of the NJO was annoying. Plus I thought it was silly that all 3 guys had green eyes and black hair.

Ejen yelped when the remote he was sparring zapped him, and Yaja'torva had to do a quick side-step and twisting of her lightsaber blade to deflect the series of bolts from her remote. "Yeah, we're coming to Tatooine. What kind of power regulator core you need?" Ejen asked, rubbing his hip where the remote's sting-blast had clipped him. "A YT-4456 or a 4389?"

Well, this is an interesting development, Kyp allowed, sharing a curious glance with Dalonera.

Hey, that's interesting. I like how the kids can contribute.

The eagerness - the need to belong, to start over - in Ejen's being was painfully evident, both in the boy's poorly-masked expression and his Force-presence.

So much like Kyp.

This kid needs someone who's been where he is, before he ends up in the same place you sank to, an unfamiliar voice nattered at Kyp like a rather annoying teacher.

Or maybe like Corran Horn.



"Tell you what, Ejen. We'll work together, at least as far as Socorro - see if we're not going to drive each other up the wall. Let's get this straight up front. I'm fair, but tough. You train with me, and I'll teach you what I think you're ready to know, when I think you're ready to learn it. No Sith garbage, no easy tricks, no quick shortcuts. You can't handle that, I'll help you find another Jedi Master, but I won't train you. Period," Kyp warned, g

 

A/N: Blergh ... busier weekend than I'd originally planned. However, a short update ...

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28.3 ABY: Mos Eisley Spaceport, Tatooine, Arkanis
Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
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Stang. It really is like home ...

The heat, the smells - Tatooine was a lot like Molavar, and Ejen had to shove the memories aside.

He was still grateful to Mr. - Master - Durron for giving him a lift off of Molavar. Maybe the whole Jedi thing could work out - the training had been tough so far, but it was starting to get easier to track a remote with his mind. The lightsaber was the trickiest thing; he could've sworn plasma had weight, but the rules seemed different in reality.

Kind of like the streets, Ejen thought, shaking his head and focusing. He listened to the parts vendors in the sheltered booths outside the spaceport, tuning in to their Bocce calls for parts sales, while Qewpee and Ms. Milthiad stood nearby.

"There, ma'am. The Aleena - he's desperate. Look at how his booth's ragged," Ejen told Ms. Milthiad, politely. She'd been nice to him and the others, and she didn't seem like someone to tick off.

"You think he'll give a discount?" Ms. Milthiad asked, sounding doubtful. But she and Qewpee followed Ejen, and he nodded.

"I learned how to spot a mark - er, a ... well, I picked up on to how tell who was more likely to fall for a sob story. I won't cheat him, though. That's done," Ejen promised, still embarrassed about his past. But he was the best choice to speak to a parts vendor - Ms. Milthiad might be carrying the credits, but she was a little ... intimidating. And Qewpee had the technical readouts they needed, but an astromech by itself might get stolen.

"Beweep-teweet," Qewpee chirped, while Ejen waved at the Aleena. The little droid turned on her holoprojector, and Ejen spoke quickly in Bocce as the Aleena looked at the hologram of the power regulator core they needed.

The little alien nodded, then ducked inside his booth for a second. When he came out, he chatted again in Bocce, and Ejen asked Ms. Milthiad, "How does 250 sound?"

"That's - good, kid. Really good. We got a deal," Ms. Milthiad said, sounding surprised. She paid the Aleena, and Ejen took the core as they headed back to the Atin. "How'd you get him to agree to go so low?"

"Actually, we paid about 15 percent higher than market average. But he has a family to feed," Ejen said, pointing at a group of Aleena younglings playing ball by the booths.

"I've been one of those kids, so helping him a little helps us, too - and it's the right thing to do. Feels nice to do that for a change, 'stead of ripping someone off."

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tbc ...

 

Nice to see Ejen make some progress in his training.
I think it's really cute how polite he is all the time.

"I learned how to sport a mark - er, a ... well, I picked up on how tell who was more likely to fall for a sob story. "

Ah, so that is how he usually got a discount. Find someone who has a kind heart and tell them some sad story about your life.... Doesn't surprise me that Ejen is embarassed he had to do that. He was exploiting other people's kindness.

"Actually, we paid about 15 percent higher than market average. But he has a family to feed," Ejen said, pointing at a group of Aleena younglings playing ball by the booths.

Aww, Ejen is so cute. He'll make a fine Jedi.

Good to see you are still around. I'll be waiting for the next update!

 

Love Kyp's early setting of limits and boundaries with Ejen when it comes to training. Ejen really does have a knack for negotiating

He seems a quite decent sort who just needs a chance

 

Great updates! I love the depth you've put into your Mando character. It's impressive, you even huck in some of the language. Nicely done, keep em comin!

 

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28.3 ABY: freighter Atin, registered to
Dalonera Milthiad, Docking Bay 49, Mos Eisley,
Tatooine, Arkanis Sector, Outer Rim Territories:
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"A day!? But whoever took potshots at us over Piroket might catch up to us by then!" Kyp groaned, watching as Dalonera and Qewpee worked on installing the new power regulator core.

Dalonera lifted her welder's goggles and tilted a hydrospanner at Kyp, giving him a warning look. "Listen, Durron, my ship, my safety tolerances. Which means I'm not going to install a new part without making shabla sure that the problem it's supposed to fix is actually fixed. Besides, the turbolaser hit that caused all this trouble in the first place strained a lot more than the power grid. Norbok's got to finish replacing the damaged deflector shield components," she said with a forced patience.

"Bwee-tweep-dwee-pwee-deet," Qewpee chimed in, sounding happy. Kyp and Dalonera both relaxed a little when the indicator lights on the core's interface terminal lit up green. It appeared, at least, that the install was proceeding well.

"Good first step. Solid little droid you got here ... look, Kyp, I'm sorry about snapping. I'm just saying, we stopped over on Tatooine for a reason. If we don't make sure things hold together when we leave, then we're just going to risk getting shot up or blowing systems out again, and that doesn't help anybody," Dalonera pointed out.

"You're right. I'm just - maybe it's the Force, maybe it's my instincts, but the longer we wait to get going, the more nervous I get," Kyp said, frowning at how whiny he sounded to himself.

Dalonera's smile in reply was uncharacteristically patient for her. "Listen to those instincts. I don't like idling thrusters either, but Ejen and I were careful not to use our real names when we bought this part. We'll do what we can to speed things up, but you know as well as I do that botching an install can make things worse than letting the problem go," she said.

"Yeah ... anything I can do, or would I be an extra pair of hands?" Kyp asked. He might have to hide inside the ship, but he'd be karked if he was just going to sit around - or worse, meditate. He wasn't cut out to be one of those kinds of Jedi Masters.

"Coordinate things from the cockpit. We're actually ahead of schedule, since everyone on-board seems to have some degree of mechanical training. The kids are pulling their weight, helping Norbok, so we've already got three people there," Dalonera said.

"OK," Kyp said, trying not to sigh. He left the circuitry bay, poking his head in the main engineering hold, and watched for a bit as a pair of stubby, tan-furred legs kicked every so often while sticking out from underneath the main deflector shield generator.

"Yub. Wire-stripper," Norbok called, and Ejen - whose face was smeared with grease as he worked on a rather beat-up power coupling - dug in a tool box. He handed the Ewok the tool, while Yaja'torva, who was still clean, stayed away from the hands-on work and checked a computer terminal while holding a datapad.

No less important. If she doesn't calibrate the shield input/output ratios right, we could blow the entire generator up instead of just singing a few individual components, Kyp realized. He nodded politely when Yaja'torva waved at him, and Ejen nodded back while Norbok stuck his face out from underneath the generator.

"Yub. Durron, we need power readings from master engineering control. Yub. Let Twi'lek girl send you info and call back numbers," Norbok all but ordered.

Kyp repressed a snarky reply and managed a polite smile. "Sure," he said, keeping his cool in front of the kids. "I'll go be ... the coordinator in the cockpit."

I accept Luke's request to go see the galaxy, go reopen hyperlanes and reconnect with lost praxia. It'll be a 'vacation,' he says. Instead, I'm coordinating stuff on board a ship that isn't even mine, Force knows how many months