Before - Legends The Blue Side of the Force: Book I- Complements (6/14 -An unknown planet and an ACTUAL NEW CHAPTER)

Yay, new post!

Aiden considered the merits of debating the nature of evil as it concerned Czerka corporation, and decided that it really wasn?t worth it.

That is such a Jedi mentality.

Jolee considered this for a moment. ?You?re small, someone could carry you.?

Aww, you missed a precious moment for some Carth/Leiraya manhandling! That and a Tarzan yell.

?Of course not. This monster?s been here for centuries, they merely wish to say they faced the beast and made it out to tell the tale.?

Says a lot about Wookiee bravery.

 

The quest for Bacca's Blade?!? I like how you've gotten back to the serial feel, and I'm really looking forward to the next chapter DWH.




P.S. - Did I mention how much I love Wookiees? (I think every r & r).

 

sorry i'm late

this chapter brought back all kinds of nice memories! kashyyyk is one of my fave parts of kotor. as usual, you do a fantastic job of telling a story that is familiar to some of us, but adding enough things to make it so fresh and exciting!
i especially loved the vine swinging!

 

Handmaiden_Azul: yeah, our intrepid tree-hugger is afraid of heights. Or, rather, falling from them.

Striker: Yeah, it's an absurd search. And yet, it's Star Wars, and somehow things will work out...
Rogue_Pilot: The swinging was, believe it or not, inspired by watching people fall off the in-water obstacle course at my pool. I would just like to highlight that this idea has been sitting on file for more than a year. Thanks for reading!

JoE: Complications are what KOTOR is all about. You thought you were doing one thing? Ha! You only thought so! Someday I'll have to add a short story about Elise and her abused 'droid...

JadeSolo: Hey, Jedi have important things to consider that don't involve the evils of massive corporate conglomorations.
correllian_ale: Wookiees? You mean... you like Wookiees?

obi_webb: Hey, better late than never! Glad you're still reading and enjoying.

And now, without further ado, I present you with a reasonably long chapter!

Chapter 20

“Leiraya, I want you to back up very slowly,” Aiden instructed. “Try not to fall off the cliff.”


Nodding, she started moving away from the extremely large creature staring them down. “Yeah, good plan. And what, precisely do you plan to do?”

Keeping eye contact with the strange beast, Aiden merely shrugged. “Not die.”

Sensing that Leiraya was far enough away, he turned on his lightsaber and dove between the creature’s legs, coming up on its other side. The beast looked confused for a brief moment, but quickly turned around and swiped a massive claw at Aiden. He deftly rolled out of the way, shoving the beast back with a wall of Force energy as he moved.


“Carth,” Aiden shouted. “Set up some land mines! I’m going to distract it!


“On it!” Carth reached into his pack and pulled out some of the small mines they’d collected on their journey. Wasting no time, he set them up in a line, completely blocking land access to one of the paths leading off into the jungle.

Aiden, meanwhile, was jumping, diving, rolling, and trying to hack at the monstrosity with his lightsaber, with little success on the last. “You just about finished, Onasi?”

“Go for it,” Carth yelled, clearing himself well out of the area. Aiden saw the line of mines, and bolted for them. The monster lumbered after him, an ungraceful mass of craggy joints and bad teeth. Running, Aiden waited until he was almost on top of the mines, then launched into a leaping flip that carried him up and over them.


The beast seemed to get a curious look in his eyes, but he lacked the dexterity to even attempt to duplicate Aiden’s maneuver, so it settled for advancing forward in a more conventional fashion. This more conventional fashion, however, did exactly what Aiden hoped it would- it caused a very large explosion, which knocked Aiden, Carth, Jolee, and Leiraya off their feet, and blew the beast into many small and roasted pieces.


Picking himself up, he brushed the small monster bits off him. “Well, that was effective.”

“Effective, and just a little disgusting,” Leiraya agreed, hoisting herself up with the help of a low-hanging tree branch. “You blew it up.”

“Well, I’m not dead, am I?”

“Not yet, you’re not,” she frowned, brushing dirt and charred skin bits from her skirt. “You’re killing my wardrobe, though.”

“And yet, I will somehow manage to survive,” he grinned.

“Much unlike our fried friend, here,” Carth observed, stepping closer to the still steaming pieces of monster corpse. “Looks like anything less would have only irritated him, though. See this blade just sticking out of his side?”

Jolee looked at it closer. “Wait a minute... that’s not just any blade. See that inscription?”

Carth squinted. “Yeah, looks to be in some ancient form of Shyriiwook... you don’t think this is actually... it can’t be, can it?”

Jolee started laughing. “And here I was, thinking you’d never find it.” He slapped Aiden on the back in congratulations. “You’ve blown apart a very nasty beast, and found Bacca’s blade.”

Aiden blinked at it for a couple of seconds, then carefully reached down and pulled it from the crusty and charred flesh of the beast. “Who’d have guessed? The Force must really like me.”

“Apparently so,” Leiraya nodded, walking over to see the blade. “That has to be the most disgusting way to find a ceremonial blade I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe it just lived with a giant sword lodged in its side.”

“Tenacious creature,” Aiden agreed. “Though I admit I’m surprised you’re not reaming me out for cruelty to animals.”

“I make exceptions for animals that try to kill my friends,” she shrugged. “Though I might have preferred you knocked it unconscious or something.”

“Knock it unconscious?” Carth echoed incredulously. “With what, an entire wroshyr tree?”

“Do you notice how I’m not making a big deal out of it?”


“And we’re all very proud of you,” Aiden grinned.

“You should stow that thing away, son, and keep moving,” Jolee advised. “Nasty things tend to wander about these parts, and you’ve done a lot of fighting without a lot of sleeping.”

“Right. Star Map.” Aiden handed the blade to Leiraya. “Here, stow this in your bag, or something.”

“You want me to put a giant sword blade in my shoulder bag?”

“Well... yes.”

She made a sour face, but tucked it inside. “If this makes a hole in my trusty bag, I’m blaming you.”

“And I am ready to accept that responsibility.” He turned to Jolee. “So, where is the Star Map?”

“Not far from here, actually.” Jolee started walking down a path parallel to the ravine. “Come along this way.”

The trio followed him silently for several minutes down the path, stepping over vines, branches, and all manner of growths. The Shadowlands were treacherous, but strangely beautiful, Aiden had to admit. And though he knew he’d never been to Kashyyyk before, it all seemed oddly familiar. Most likely since he did his Watchman internship on a heavily forested world, though the forests of Carenis did not really compare to these forests at all... few forests in the galaxy were so dense, with the sense of sheer massiveness that these had. But maybe Leiraya was on to something when she talked about getting to know trees. Maybe all trees, when it came right down to it, were the same.


And maybe he was turning into a crazy tree-hugger like her. He glanced back at her, pushing ahead through the undergrowth in spite of the obvious physical pain she was in. But... he couldn’t see it in her face. No, she was about as happy as he’d seen her, eyes shining as she absorbed the nature around her. Carth, walking steadily next to her, looked more like he was ready to shoot anything that moved. No, Leiraya was the sparkling one of the group, even with her cane and the shoulder bag she carried everywhere with her, laden with supplies and now the blade of a sword. He never knew what to make of her from one minute to the next, but at this moment, in the deepest depths of Kashyyyk, where even the Wookiees feared to tread, she was absolutely beautiful.

With that thought, he snapped his head back forward. Oh, I am in big trouble... Shaking his head, he turned his attention to Jolee. “So, how long have you been living down here, anyway?”


“Oh, a long time. Twenty years, I believe.” Jolee chuckled. “Crash-landed and liked it so much I thought I’d stay for a while.”

“Twenty years? Wow.” Aiden shook his head. “I’m not sure I’d stay here that long.”

“Ahh, the trees are nice, and the Wookiees really are charming neighbours once you get to know them... at least, they were before Czerka came in and made them hate humans.”

“So you’ve pretty much explored everything down here, I’d imagine,” Aiden commented.

“Most everything, yes. Keeps a man occupied.” Jolee squinted. “Ha! There we have it.” He pushed ahead to a small clearing. On the edge of the clearing sat a computer terminal, and a closed Star Map identical to the one on Dantooine.

“Looks like we’ve found it.” Aiden reached for where he knew a button should be, but he found instead a cord, which led to the computer interface.

Jolee walked up to the interface. “Yeah, I found this a year or so ago, but I haven’t been able to get it to do anything. Just brings up this stupid hologram and tells me I can’t access anything.”

“Really?” Aiden peered at it, and as he bent close, a hologram of an unfamiliar alien species materialized on the platform, in what would be about a quarter of its normal size, assuming it had approximately human proportions. It started speaking, what he assumed was an automated response.

“Lifeforms detected. Determining Parameters. Initializing neural recognition.”


“This is the part that I can never get past...” Jolee started.

“Primary neural recognition complete. Preliminary match found.”

Jolee gaped at the machine. “What? That’s not fair.”

Aiden grinned. “It likes me more than it likes you.”

The computer did not respond to this, but merely continued. “Greetings. This terminal has not been accessed for quite some time.”

“Are you saying you’ve just been sitting here?” Aiden asked cautiously.

“Error. Subject displays unfamiliarity with environment. Behavioural reconfiguration will be needed before access.”

“Behavioural reconfiguration?” Aiden echoed.

“I am sorry,” the image apologized. “I did not mean to confuse you. I will answer questions to the best of my programming limitations.”

“Irritating little thing, isn’t it?” Jolee harrumphed. “Never tells you what you want.”

“Who has tried to access this terminal?” Aiden asked the image.

“Sorting by identity.” There was a slight whirring noise. “Three attempts by the Wookiee Freyyr, all denied. 152 Attempts by human Jolee Bindo, all denied.”

Aiden raised an eyebrow at Jolee, who merely looked sourly at the computer. “What can I say? Call me stubborn, I guess. There really wasn’t much else to do around here.”

“Was Revan here?” Aiden asked the computer.

“Error. Data regarding subject “Revan” corrupted.”

“What do you mean, corrupted?”

“Corruption has resulted in gaps appearing in my memory, and in that of the original installation,” the computer responded.

“Corruption, huh?” Aiden looked over at Jolee, Carth, and Leiraya. “What do you want to bet that Revan came through and erased all the relevant information?”

The computer, apparently not caring that it had not been addressed, answered. “It could be theorized that these gaps are intentional, but I have no information on that.”

“Well, do you have information on the Star Map?”

“Accessing.” There was a pause before it continued. “Yes, I have found a Star Map in my original system memory. Access is restricted.”

Aiden frowned. “Well, how can I get to this data?”

“Your request requires additional security access. You must be made to match the parameters I have been supplied.”

“Parameters? What do you mean by parameters?” Aiden looked helplessly at Jolee, who merely shrugged.

“Subject is unfamiliar with the environment. Behavioural recognition process is required.”

“Some lot of help you are,” he muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, “And what if I don’t match these parameters?”

“Then you are not worthy of further access. You will be rejected as unsuitable.”

“Well, then, what must I do?”

The computer responded impassively. “I will evaluate your responses to a series of questions.”

“Wait a minute,” Aiden protested. “What good will questions do you?”

Ignoring him, the computer simply continued. “Evaluation commencing. Results will be compared against the pattern in memory. Just act like you should.”


“And the winner for vague instruction goes to...” Leiraya scowled. “Computers are by far overrated.”

“Shush, you. You’re not helping.” Aiden sighed and turned back to the computer, which had started asking its first quesetion.

“You travel with a Wookiee and have encountered complications. Hypothetical: You and this Zaalbar have been captured and separated. If you both remain silent, one year in prison for both of you. However, if you accuse Zaalbar of being a traitor, and he will serve five while you serve none. He is offered the same deal, but if you both accuse the other, you both serve two years.”


“Hey,” Aiden pointed his finger at the hologram. “How did you know about Zaalbar? I’ve never mentioned him.”

“I hear what happens on Kashyyyk, and a great deal beyond. Answer the question I have posed.”

“How about I tear you apart piece by piece and scatter your circuit boards throughout the Shadowlands, never to be reconstructed again?”

The hologram was unfluttered. “Implied threat matches pattern in memory but subject has failed to demonstrate required recognition.”

Aiden scowled. “Fine. I’d remain silent. Happy?”


“Are you sure?” The machine seemed almost confused by his response. “If you turn, you risk two years or none at all. If you rely on loyalty, you risk five.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Aiden stated firmly.


“Your loyalty is dangerous. Your companion could take the opportunity to benefit by turning on you.”


“He wouldn’t. Zaalbar has a lot more honour than you give him credit for, and you’re not getting me to change my answer.”


“Zaalbar’s family is mired in treachery. What loyalty or honour do they know? Your answer is incorrect.” Aiden opened his mouth to protest, but the computer merely continued. “Hypothetical: you are at war. Deciphering an intercepted code, you learn two things about your enemy. A single spot in their defense will be at its weakest in ten days and they will attack one of your cities in five. What do you do with this information? What is the most efficient course of action?”


“I don’t like you,” Aiden stated simply.


“Your opinion of me is immaterial. Answer the question.”

“I’d protect the city, then. Evacuate if necessary.”

“Evacuation would alert the enemy to the loss of their codes. Are you sure this is what you would do?”

Carth eyed the computer suspiciously. “It really seems to want a specific answer, doesn’t it?”

Aiden nodded. “Yeah, and I don’t like the types of answers it’s coaxing. It’s like it wants me to answer a certain way. I don’t get it.”

“Well, if you’d like, I can help you tear the thing to shreds,” Carth offered.

“No, I need to get to that Star Map. It’ll have to happen some other way.” Returning his attention to the computer, he replied. “We evacuate and deal with the consequences. I’d rather not lose a city.” Watching Taris was bad enough.

“Sacrificing the city would be the logical course of action. Your answer is incorrect.” There was a pause and a slight whirring noise. “You do not match the pattern in memory. Subject has failed to demonstrate the required behaviour.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t like your required behaviour,” Aiden snapped.

“Your opinion is immaterial,” the computer repeated. “Defense systems activated.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Carth muttered.

“With good reason,” Leiraya pointed. Two ‘droids emerged from what had appeared to be a pile of rubble, but apparently was not. Immediately, her free hand dove into her shoulder bag, removing two ion grenades. She quickly hurled them at the ‘droids in rapid succession, but it did not do much to slow them down.

Aiden ignited and threw his lightsaber, the cerulean blade whirling through the air, cutting through both the ‘droids before coming back to his hand. It didn’t seem to have much of an effect, but before he could come up with a better plan, his danger senses went off and he reflexively flipped back out of the way. Two thermal detonators sailed into the ‘droids, turning them into twitching heaps of scrap metal. Aiden walked over, sliced off the few moving pieces left then turned back to Leiraya, who was putting the spare grenades back into her shoulder bag. “Good work.”

Meanwhile, the computer was back to making whirring and clicking noises. “Behavioural recognition changed: you have satisfied the criterion.”

“Huh?” Carth blinked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“What do you mean, I now satisfy your criterion?” Aiden looked skeptically at the machine. “My answers certainly haven’t changed.”

“During battle your emotions were more clear and easier to read,” the computer replied. “The Star Map is at your disposal.” With that, the image disappeared and a Star Map looking just like the one they found on Dantooine materialized in front of them.


“All right, that was strange,” Carth frowned. “What were the criterion? Why was this thing set up, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” Aiden shook his head. “And I don’t really like it. Something’s wrong about this.”


“Revan was a tactical genius,” Carth continued. “If he left this thing here, it was for a reason. And I can’t imagine it’s a good one. What if all that was one big ruse so it could signal Malak that someone was accessing the Star Map?”


“Well, it certainly isn’t Malak’s style,” Aiden observed.

“No, but it is Revan’s. And he would have been the one to plan this.”

“That still doesn’t explain why Jolee could never access it.”

“Probably wanted a real Jedi,” Jolee shrugged. “There are ways to detect that sort of thing.”

“Well, if he knows we’re here, then we’d best get moving.” Aiden turned to leave the area. “Let’s get that blade to Freyyr and get Zaalbar back where he belongs.”

 

Awesome! This is my day for updates!!!! Great chapter, too. I like the computer, in all its incredibly annoying...annoyingness...

Yeah. Anyway...back to making sense now...

So glad you found time for another update. Can't wait for the next one!

 

I've been lurking around here for a while, but I thought I'd tell you how much I like what you've down with the game I love so very much. You seem to know just where to add stuff and when the original dialogue should be preserved (I too liked the star map droid scene, it was very good, especially when you look back on it after the Leviathan) so bravo!

Oh aaaaaaaand, you're doing very well with the combat. You don't seem to need any help But if you do, you know who to call

Excellent Job!

 

Loved how you put the in game text in your story. Nice update.

 

Awesome way to find Bacca's Blade. And that star map doo-hickey needs a good computer virus. Neat way to determine the matching criterion, though.

Awesome as usual, DWH.

 

Wonderful update!

I always liked the computer dialogue too.

 

Ooh, roamnce between leiraya and aiden. What shall prissy Bastila do?

 

?Leiraya, I want you to back up very slowly,? Aiden instructed. ?Try not to fall off the cliff.?
Nodding, she started moving away from the extremely large creature staring them down. ?Yeah, good plan. And what, precisely do you plan to do??
Keeping eye contact with the strange beast, Aiden merely shrugged. ?Not die.?

It?s a good thing Leiraya has Aiden around to dispense such sage advice.

?I make exceptions for animals that try to kill my friends,? she shrugged. ?Though I might have preferred you knocked it unconscious or something.?
?Knock it unconscious?? Carth echoed incredulously. ?With what, an entire wroshyr tree??
?Do you notice how I?m not making a big deal out of it??
?And we?re all very proud of you,? Aiden grinned.

They?re such a merry group. Love the banter.

Jolee gaped at the machine. ?What? That?s not fair.?
Aiden grinned. ?It likes me more than it likes you.?

How mature.

Awesome update.

 

I found the Blade...stuck in this corpse...


The computer's obnoxiouness was a nice touch.

Thanks for the PM DWH!

 

?Knock it unconscious?? Carth echoed incredulously. ?With what, an entire wroshyr tree??

?Do you notice how I?m not making a big deal out of it?? I love the banter and the action.

?And the winner for vague instruction goes to...? Leiraya smirked. ?Computers are by far overrated.? Hee.

Great updates.

 

The monster lumbered after him, an ungraceful mass of craggy joints and bad teeth.

I really liked this description.

?I make exceptions for animals that try to kill my friends,? she shrugged. ?Though I might have preferred you knocked it unconscious or something.?

?Knock it unconscious?? Carth echoed incredulously. ?With what, an entire wroshyr tree??

?Do you notice how I?m not making a big deal out of it??

Even tree-huggers feel the need to let loose, I suppose.


?You want me to put a giant sword blade in my shoulder bag??

Another great line! And hmmm, does Aiden have a little crush on Leiraya now?

Okeday, that Star Map thing was way weird, especially when it said that protecting the city would be the logical course of action but incorrect. But it seems to like the fact that Aiden's a Jedi, so either there's something very sinister going on, or the Star Map is just finicky.

 

What a great story. It'll be good to see the wookie uprising.

 

You are surrounded by deadlines! They bite! They bite! --more--
The deadline kicks! You feel weak! They bite! --more--
You die...--more--
Would you like your possessions identified? [ynq]

...triple coolness points to whoever gets the reference, because you are possibly as big of a geek as I am.

So, yeah. This semester is busy. Really busy. I mean, it's my last one, so I suppose it's allowed to be. But now I'm on spring break and I have a chapter for you! And I plan to keep writing over break, too. We'll see if I actually crank out a full extra chapter while I'm home. If not, I've already made the decision that, since Networks is a class I'm never going to pay attention in anyway, that I should just bring my computer and write fanfic. Much better use of my time.

Anywhoo... on with replies and a whole new chapter!

RoguePilot: When you work with computers long enough, you realise how stupid they are. Invariably. You just have to poke fun at them.
Darth_Pixel: Thank you! *is honoured* I'm glad you still enjoy this not-so-little tale.
princess_of_naboo: Thanks for reading!
Striker: Thanks. That computer needs more than a virus, though, in my opinion...

padawanlissa: Thank you. Sometimes the game just does it better than I could hope to, so why bother trying to improve?

Handmaiden_Azul: What indeed? This will hopefully have some interesting backlash.

JoE: Let's face it, Aiden's still got the hint of a 14-year-old boy in him.

c_ale: Hey, don't you find ancient blades stuck in corpses?

Lovely-in-Orange: Banter is love.
JadeSolo: Something is definitely going on the question is... what?

Jherron: Thank you for joining us! Always good to see a new reader.

Chapter 21

Aiden knew, certainly, that showing up on Chuundar's doorstep with his father and a severed blade was not likely to be received kindly. He also knew that Chuundar would probably try to talk him over to Czerka's side, hoping that maybe he wouldn't have to fight. Furthermore, he knew that when Chuundar failed at that, he would attack their crew.

Knowing didn't make it any less irritating.

Aiden was a warrior, that he knew. He'd come up through the Republic military like any other solider, and been handed a destiny bigger than most for reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom. And truthfully, he enjoyed a good fight. It kept him loose. But this, all this ridiculous fighting because some megacorporation was absurdly greedy? He liked to think he was fighting the good fight, but cutting down Czerka's muscle? It wouldn't stop the source of the problem, and the source of the problem wasn't his mission.


It was decidedly unfair.


However, the Wookiees didn't seem to care much about the intricacies of human politics. They just wanted Czerka gone, and were happy to assist anyone willing to smash the bad guys. Plus, Leiraya complained less about the fighting if it served a greater cause. And that was a worthy cause if there ever was one.


“Is it over?” Leiraya poked her head inside the hut after the blasterfire ceased. She’d purposely kept far out of the way, as much because her knee really couldn’t take a fight as for the fact that she was morally opposed to fighting.

“[It is done],” Freyyr nodded towards Zaalbar. “[My son, I am glad you returned.]”

“[I could have done no less],” Zaalbar replied. “[I am only glad my life-debt to this human also helped free our people.]”


“[Bacca’s blade is yours],” Freyyr growled proudly. “[The village will be in good hands under your leadership.]”

“You mean…” Leiraya looked from Freyyr, to Zaalbar, to Aiden and back. “Big Z is going to stay?”

“Well, he does have a responsibility to his village,” Aiden replied slowly. “And he’s been away from home long enough.”

“It’s true,” Carth agreed, though there was a distinct thread of regret in his voice. “We’d really miss you, big guy.”

“Even though you don’t talk much,” Leiraya nodded. “I’ve always liked having you on board.”

“[Do not wax sentimental],” Zaalbar warbled with a touch of amusement. “[I am not going anywhere; my life-debt to Aidenstar still stands, and I will honour it.]”

“Are you sure?” Aiden asked. “We’d certainly be happy to keep you, but this is your home.”

“[This has not been my home for many years. And while it has been good being back… I would much rather stay with your crew.]”

Aiden smiled broadly. “Well, then, let’s go find some more Star Maps.”

Freyyr held Bacca’s blade out towards Zaalbar. “[Here, keep this with you. If you ever return home, we will be waiting for you. You will always have a place here.]”

“[Thank you, Father.]” Zaalbar accepted the blade. “[I will do my best to honour you with my actions.]”

“[You already have, my son.]”

* * *

The trip back to the Ebon Hawk was eventful, to say the least. Having caught wind of the sudden upheaval in leadership, Wookiees all over the village and all the way back to the ship were revolting against the Czerka personnel stationed everywhere. From the mechanics, to the guards, to the annoying sales representatives, everyone bearing the Czerka insignia was having a decidedly bad day. It was something of an adventure reaching the ship in one piece, but they made it.

“I don’t think I ever want to see that many Wookiees fighting again,” Carth observed, breathing heavily. “I’m glad we’re on their side.”

“No kidding,” Aiden agreed. “I didn’t realize we’d set off an entire Wookiee revolution.”

“It was about time,” Jolee chimed in. “I think they should have thought of revolting a long time ago against those dirty corporates.”

“Yeah, really. I-“ Leiraya stopped when she saw Bastila standing before them with a slightly goofy grin mixed with a pained expression on her face. “Bastila… are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine,” Bastila waved her hand dismissively. “Cleaning chemicals… not enough ventilation… and can you not all talk at the same time? Your voices clash.”

“Our voices what?” Carth repeated incredulously.

“They clash,” Bastila scowled. “Your voice is dark green, and Aiden’s is lavender, and they look really bad together. So don’t talk at the same time, you’re giving me a colour headache.”

Aiden and Carth stared blankly at her for several long seconds before Aiden replied, “What’s a colour headache?”

Leiraya, on the other hand, had a flash of realization. “You’re a synesthete… you hear sound and see colour, don’t you?”

Bastila looked somewhat annoyed. “Well… yes. Among other things.”

“Synesthete?” Carth looked from Bastila back to Leiraya. “How’s that work?”

“It’s a psychological condition,” Leiraya replied. “It’s when something in the brain didn’t quite separate correctly during development, so things get associated. Sound and colour are the most common ones, but any sense can be involved… for instance, if you heard sound and tasted things, that’d be pretty terrible.”

“You know an awful lot about this,” Carth commented.

“One of my friends back on Corellia- Cyana- she’s a synesthete.”

“My voice is lavender?” Aiden sounded disappointed.

“Yes,” Bastila replied wearily.

“Couldn’t it be a different colour, like… I don’t know, blue or something?”

“I don’t get to choose what colour your voice is.”

“Oh.” Aiden was silent for several beats. “Then I can’t trade with Carth.”

“Not enough credits in the galaxy to make me trade vocal shades with you, buddy.” Carth shrugged with a wry smile.

“Darn.”

Bastila raised an eyebrow at them, then merely shook her head. “I’m going to bed. You can look after Sasha for a while.” With that, she turned on her heel and exited towards her bunk.

Aiden looked at Carth, and blinked. “Sasha who?”

* * *

“So let me get this straight,” Aiden started ticking off bullet points. “While I’ve been gone, you found a stowaway who escaped from Mandalorian captivity, taught her Basic, scared her off, made friends with her again, and then she decided to clean the entire ship?”


Canderous nodded. “That sounds about right. Girl’s smart. And apparently bored enough to be very industrious. I can see her Mandalorian captors taught her well.”

“I would not be so proud of that,” Juhani said distastefully.

“You may as well ask a Jawa to not sell junk,” Carth shook his head. “Besides, that was a compliment to Sasha... I think.”

“It most certainly was,” Canderous scowled.

“Okay, let's not start any arguments,” Aiden held out his hands defensively and inwardly sighed. “We've had enough fighting for one day.”

“Where are we headed next?” Leiraya inquired.

“Let's see... we have our choice of Tatooine, Manaan, and Korriban.”

“Personally, I'd like to avoid what amounts to the Sith homeworld for as long as possible,” Carth stated flatly.

“I couldn't agree more,” Aiden nodded. “I'm not ready to go there yet."

"So we have a choice between the desert and the ocean. I think it will be much easier to get around Tatooine- have you heard about the court systems on Manaan?"

Aiden shook his head. "No, are they bad?"

"They're absurd," Carth grimaced. "It's unfortunate we have to go there at all, their regulations are so stiff. They at least try to maintain neutrality between the Republic and the Sith, but I wouldn't want to deal with them if we can avoid it."

"Maybe we should look into acquiring some false IDs?" Leiraya suggested.

"Tatooine is a notoriously criminal planet," Canderous nodded. "I doubt you'd have too much difficulty finding someone to accommodate you there."

"So Tatooine it is," Aiden nodded, and turned towards the cockpit. "I'll put the coordinates into the navicomputer."

"Sounds good to me," Carth agreed and followed, leaving Juhani, Leiraya and Canderous alone in the lounge.

"So.. where is this Sasha girl, anyway?" Leiraya asked the Mandalorian.

"Oh, running around somewhere, probably investigating some new corner of the ship. Kid's got an intense curiosity for technology. Chased T3-M4 around with a hydrospanner for about an hour one day." Canderous almost seemed to smile at that. "I think he's afraid of her now."

"I might be too, in his shoes." Leiraya grinned. "Where did you guys find her?"

"In the cargo hold, under some blankets," Juhani replied. "She looked so scared."

"Not as scared as she looked after Bastila frightened the living daylights out of her," Canderous smirked.

"What, Bastila's scaring small children now? I'm shocked," Leiraya rolled her eyes slightly. "Heck, I'd be slightly terrified of her if I were little."

"She did not mean to," Juhani said reprovingly. "And they are getting along quite well, now."

"Sorry," Leiraya sighed. "I like to think I can get along with just about anyone, but she pushes every button I have."

"I can't imagine why that would be," Canderous commented sardonically. "You two are more alike than you think- both of you."

"It is true," Juhani agreed. "If you would talk to each other instead of teasing each other mercilessly, maybe you would see it." The Cathar crossed her arms and shrugged. "I do not know what goes on in your heads, obviously, but if there is one thing I have learned during my training as a Jedi is that this sort of dislike can grow into something larger, something more destructive. I would not like to see either of you go down this path."


Leiraya paused to consider this. It was true, neither of them had ever been willing to listen to the other. Then again, Bastila's willingness to leave her on a planet that was about to be destroyed hadn't gained her any points. Juhani was right about one thing, though- the genuine dislike between them was not going to be productive. Aiden could only do a limited amount of moderation between them.


"Maybe I'll track her down before we arrive on Tatooine," Leiraya finally agreed.


"That would be wise," Juhani gave her a small smile. "I understand you don't get along with most Jedi."


"That's an understatement," Leiraya made a face. "Have you tried being a pacifist when the rest of the Order thinks we should all be warriors?"


"I can see the difficulties." Juhani nodded, still smiling. "Though I confess I've never been much of a pacifist myself."


"A guardian through and through," Leiraya smiled. "Don't worry, I won't give you any speeches. I think you've been through enough lectures lately."


"That is certainly true," the Cathar nodded. "Though I deserved them all. To give into my anger was foolish, and hurt many people."


"Yes, but at least you recognize it." Leiraya smiled. "I think you'll be fine."


"I thank you for your confidence," Juhani nodded appreciatively. "I think I shall find some place to meditate."

Canderous, who had long since tuned out of the conversation in favour of recalibrating his blaster pistol, looked back up as Juhani left. "Huh. I think I'll find something else to fix around here." Nodding at Leiraya, he stepped out of the room.

Leiraya blinked at the somewhat odd mode of his departure, shrugged, and went to find something to do herself. At least, until Bastila was enough recovered from her bout with the cleaning chemicals to talk.

* * *

Bastila rolled over in her bunk, groaning slightly and not really wishing to get up. However, there was a mission, and she could feel that Aiden was planning their next move. If there was one thing she ought to be in on, it was the planning. She'd been out of the loop for too long. Not that she couldn't feel everything he felt anyway- up to and including his wandering thoughts about a certain barefoot Jedi- it was the principle of the matter.

She frowned. It didn't bother her, of course. No, it couldn't. Jedi were not permitted to be jealous, and therefore... she wasn't.

Brilliant logic, she silently berated herself. Put your boots on, Shan, you've got a mission to fulfill, and it doesn't involve how you feel about Aiden.

Besides, Leiraya was completely not interested. If anything, she spent inordinate amounts of time with Captain Onasi which, while strange to her, did not bother her in the least.


Twisting her neck to loosen the knots, she made her way to the lounge, where Aiden and Carth sat, eating what appeared to be sandwiches of butternut paste and dried fruit. "Where are we heading next?"

"Tatooine," Aiden responded with his mouth still half full. "You feeling better?"

Bastila smiled inwardly as he swallowed. "Yes, much."

"Is the colour thing gone?"

She shook her head. "No, it's never gone. I just... try to ignore it most of the time. It's much harder to do when you have a massive chemical headache."

"Weird," Aiden said, then seemed to realise that was less than tactful. "I mean, in a good way."

"So, this synesthesia of yours- does it affect anything besides your hearing?" Carth inquired. "I did some research while you were asleep, found some interesting articles."

"I..." she shook her head. "I'd prefer not to discuss my mental illnesses, if you don't mind."

Aiden frowned. "It's not an illness, Bastila- just the way your brain is wired."

"Still." She was silent for a few moments. "Tatooine?"

"Yeah," Carth swallowed the last of his sandwich. "Safe haven for smugglers, largely controlled by the Hutts, overrun by Jawas... should be a good time. We'll be setting down in Anchorhead spaceport in two days."

"Good," Bastila rose, then turned to Aiden. "I'm going to go to the cargo hold to practice my saber technique- would you care to join me?"

"Hey, I'm always up for sparring with a beautiful Jedi." Seeing her raised eyebrow and slightly disapproving frown, he modified that statement. "I mean, a beautiful Jedi who can possibly kill me."

"Possibly?"

"Okay, probably. I'm working on narrowing the margin to possibly."

"That's much more like it." She grinned, and held out her hand. "Shall we?"

Aiden wiped his mouth with his napkin, pushed his tray back, and stood. "Bring it, sister."

Carth, left with only his thoughts and his tray, could only roll his eyes and smile.

 

Yay! I was just thinking about this fic. No lie, either!

Hehe, Zaalbar's welcome back and the Wookiees are revolting. What will that protocol droid say about them in a little under 4,000 years? Ah, yes. "Let the Wookiee win."

WOw. I've heard about what Bastila has. *Waves a towel in front of her to get the fumes away* Nice little touch, there. Makes her a bit more... human. And poor T3... *Stifles chuckle*

 

Wonderful update. I know exactly what you mean about school. I'm in my second semester of college and am swamped with work.

 

Striker: So nice to be remembered, even when the author is a little bit of a deadbeat. Glad you enjoyed the chapter!

princess_of_naboo: THE INHUMANITY. College is ridonkulous with all the work we have. It's my own fault- if I'd been on top of my paperwork, I wouldn't be in Networks now, and one less 300-level class would make my life ever so much happier. Blah. At least I now know I can use that class time to write fanfic- er, I mean, take meticulous notes.


Aaaaaand, since I was such a deadbeat before, I now present you with the next chapter!

Chapter 22

Mission Vao slept.

Or at least, she assumed she was sleeping, since she was bored out of her mind.

Oh yeah, she had friends. Big Z was always there for her, except for when he needed to be tour guide in Wookieeland. Leiraya was nice enough, but possibly too easily impressed by trees. Carth was like a... well, an annoying, grouchy uncle. But he was a grouchy uncle she'd really come to like, and when the three of them ran off with Aiden, who was a nice guy but kind of in charge of things.... well, she pretty much had no one left to talk to. Not that she'd had a lot of people to talk to in the first place.

Griff, where'd you go? She wondered this for perhaps the millionth time. Her brother had left Taris so many years ago with that homewrecking dancing tramp, Lena. She wrinkled her nose at the recollection. More than once she'd been told she should train to dance in order to make money- after all, everyone likes a Twi'lek dancer, and the blue tone of her skin went well with a lot of costumes. But after what Lena did? No thank you, sir. She'd sooner rot in the Tarisian sewers than turn out like that.


She rolled over on to her side, observing the cabin's now-sideways orientation. She'd heard voices, and people were back. Bastila had come, taken a nap, and left again. There had been some big commotion over refueling, but nobody had come looking for her.

Geez, she thought. What a way to make a girl feel useful.

Still, there was nothing to be gained from spending another day curled up on her bunk, wishing that her brother had never left for Tatooine. Or, more accurately, that he'd never met Lena. If she hadn't been in the picture, she wouldn't have stolen Mission's ticket off Taris. Griff wasn't stupid, she knew. His plans to start over were sure to work. But sometimes, he just didn't use his brain. Running off with the dancer-tramp was one of them.

Kicking her feet off the bunk, her bare toes hit the cold deck. Ignoring it, she stood, stretched, and ventured out of the cabin. Peering around the corner, she saw Sasha sitting in the middle of the hallway, playing with a datapad.

Well, at least someone else here didn't quite belong. "Hey, whatcha up to?"

Sasha looked up at her, somewhat startled. "Got bored. I found datacards, been practicing Basic. And other stuff."

"Other stuff? Like what?" Mission sat down next to her, hands around her knees.

"Card here for pro...gramming. I found steps for making game. Been trying to make it work." Sasha held up the datapad, which had multiple lines of broken code on them.

"Oh hey, I know what that language is. I used it to hack into databases back on Taris." Mission looked more closely. "Looks like you're making a... ball and paddle game?"

Sasha looked at the code uncertainly. "Maybe? I don't know. Doesn't work."

"Here, let me see." Mission held out her hand, and Sasha reluctantly handed it over. "I think I can help you... do you want to learn how to do stuff with this language?"

Sasha shrugged. "I guess so... don't have much else to do."

"Here, let's start with the basics- a variable is like a box you want to put your data inside..."

* * *

Bastila could see Leiraya coming.

Not just feel, like the other Jedi. She wished a thousand times it was only a feeling. The first time she had suggested to Master Vandar that people had colours, he had suspected something was wrong with her. He had sent her to the Healers for therapy. Master Zhar in particular had looked into her mental health.

Knowing now what he was capable of, the thought unsettled her all the more.

The Force does not have colours, child. Master Vandar's voice had been gentle, but firm. That way leads to darkness. There are two sides to the Force- the light, and the dark. To admit anything else would be to admit confusion- uncertainty.

And so she stopped. Not seeing colours, but mentioning it. When asked, she reported a negative. No one else could see the Force the way she did, and apparently they could not see it through her. After a while, the questions died down. And then she became their prodigy, their star pupil, and the questions stopped entirely. No one as committed to the Republic as she could ever see the Force in any way other than just the light and the dark.

Then Leiraya showed up, all full of ideas and theories that ran counter to everything she'd been taught-

-and made entirely too much sense for her own personal comfort.

The Corellians were wrong. All the Masters agreed. Even if she thought it could be different, clearly they had more wisdom than she. More depth in the Force. She'd always thought that, when she was strong enough, the colours would go away.

But if what Leiraya said was true- that it was a perfectly harmless psychological condition- then the colours would never go away. She didn't know if she liked this or not.


Leiraya's head poked into the room, finally giving a solid visual in addition to her usual violet glimmer in the Force. "Hey."


"If you're here to tell me what's wrong with me, you can turn around and leave." Bastila scowled.


Leiraya returned the sour face. "Actually, I wasn't here to lecture you. I came because we can't keep fighting like this. It's bad for the crew. Even if I don't agree with eighty five percent of the things you stand for, we can't walk around waiting to bite each others heads off."


Bastila's scowl turned into surprise. "You're the last person I would have expected that from."


"Yeah, well, it wasn't entirely my idea. But it was a sound one." Leiraya's face assumed a neutral expression and she shrugged. "I don't like you. You wanted to leave me on Taris to die, you don't want me here now, and you think I'm some crazy activist with no place in the Jedi Order."


"And I don't like you," Bastila countered. "Your philosophies are unstable at best, run counter to every sensible Jedi teaching, and you tried to steal my lightsaber back on Taris."

"Did steal your lightsaber, actually." Leiraya corrected. "Aiden made me give it back."

"Ah yes, Aiden." Bastila sighed. "He put you up to this, didn't he?"

"No, actually, it was Juhani. I haven't talked much with Aiden since we refueled. He's your special friend, remember?"

"If that's what it's called now," Bastila replied noncommittally. So, Leiraya really was unaware of Aiden's wandering mental trails. "We do share a bond."

"What does this bond involve?" Leiraya asked, honestly curious. "I've never met anyone with what would qualify as a full-fledged Jedi bond who weren't master and apprentice."

"That's because they're extremely rare outside of that context." Bastila shrugged, searching for any way to describe it. "It's really not that exciting- I can feel his emotions, obviously, but not his exact thoughts. And we've shared some visions, most of which qualify more as nightmares in my book."

"I think I can live without that particular drain on my resources."

"I think most would, given the option. I wasn't."

"The Force deals interesting cards sometimes. Speaking of, I've been meaning to ask- does your synesthesia involve coloured Force perception?"

"I-" Bastila frowned inwardly. She hadn't been meaning to bring it up at all, but she was also fairly certain that, unconventional as the other Jedi was, she would be able to easily sense a lie. Blast her curiosity. "Yes. It always has."

"Huh." Leiraya paused to consider this for a moment, leaning slightly on her cane. "So why did you throw a fit when I brought in the whole colour theory deal?"

Blast, and blast again. She had no desire to discuss her adventures with the Jedi psychology team with Leiraya Moran, of all people. "It's complicated."

Leiraya looked completely unsatisfied, but she could also tell she wasn't going to get more of an answer. "Well... should we be in a state of not fighting all the time?"

"I suppose." Bastila stood and offered her hand. "Truce?"

Leiraya passed her cane to her left hand and accepted the gesture. "Truce."

"How long to Tatooine?"

"Just a few more hours, I think." Leiraya reached down to her belt and checked a hanging chrono. "Yeah, something like that. You'll have to ask Aiden or Carth for anything more specific."

"I believe I will." Bastila brushed past her, but for the first time without the usual chill. Leiraya's gaze followed her down the hallway until she turned the corner, at which point she shrugged, put her cane back in her dominant hand, and set off towards her bunk. They'd all had a bit too much adventure recently, and she was pretty sure their lives weren't going to be remotely boring any time soon.

* * *

Carth squinted his eyes as he gracefully set the Ebon Hawk down in the Anchorhead spaceport. "They weren't kidding me when they said the glare here is ridiculous."

"Who wasn't kidding you?" Aiden asked, shading his eyes from the sunlight streaming through the viewport.

"Some of my old military buddies- did a mission on Tatooine years ago, even though it's not in the Republic. Some sort of prisoner recovery mission." Carth flipped a number of switches, finishing by lowering the landing ramp. "They said there were two important things to remember on Tatooine: water is like gold, and it'll fry you alive."

"Sounds about accurate," Aiden frowned. "I don't think I've ever been anywhere this... dry."

"Right, Deralian oceans." Carth smiled ruefully at him. "I'm afraid you won't find so much as a puddle here. Even if you poured a bucket of water on the ground, it would evaporate within the minute."

"Well, let's get this search going." Aiden moved to exit the cockpit, Carth following close behind. "Let's hope I have as much luck here as I did on Kashyyyk."

"You mean you hope to run into a cranky old Jedi in denial who can lead you straight to the map after he's sent you on an errand or two while he has his tea?"

"I heard that, dammit." Jolee sat on a bench in the lounge, eyes closed. "You probably think I'm old and half senile, don't you? Old man won't hear a thing I say, and wouldn't remember it even if he did..."

Carth shot a look that was a cross between amusement and skepticism towards Aiden. "Tell me again why we decided it was a good idea to bring him along?"

"Because by the time you hit my age, you get your way when you decide you want it." Jolee opened his eyes and stood. "Wait 'til you're half bald and have a grey beard. You can throw your weight around then."

Bastila looked as though she didn't know quite what to make of Jolee just yet. "He is a Jedi, correct?"

"No. No, no, no." He waggled his finger emphatically in her direction. "I'm no Jedi- the order left me a long time ago."

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean you left the order?"

"I mean what I mean, dammit." He looked sourly at her, daring her to question further.

"Okay, let's come together and figure out what's going on- is everyone here?" Aiden looked around the lounge, accounting for all aboard and silently wishing that his crew would stop arguing. "Yes? Good. Bastila, Canderous, you're with me. Everyone else... you can do as you like, I guess. Just make sure someone's always with the ship. And don't cause any trouble- we're trying to avoid Sith confrontations as much as possible."

Bastila grimaced. "Even though they're probably waiting here for us, if Malak's smart?"

"That's why we're not wandering around as one big group. And I'm sure we're more than a match for them," Aiden assured her. "Don't worry, everything will work out fine."

"Somehow, I have my doubts." Bastila replied, but nodded her assent. "I'll be happy to join you on this one."

"And I'll be happy to sit this one out," Leiraya nodded emphatically. "The knee's pretty much healed, but I can do without any more fighting."

"All right then," Aiden grinned. "Let's go find a Star Map."

The trio exited, grabbing weapons on their way out, leaving the remainder of the crew onboard.

"So... he doesn't expect us to stay on the ship this time?" Mission asked hopefully.

"No, there's plenty to do in Anchorhead, and less people who are likely to kill you." Carth paused. "Well, as long as you don't do anything stupid."

"Pssh, I've dealt with some pretty nasty people over the years," Mission assured him. "I mean, I guess they could be worse than the Vulkars, but I know how to handle myself."

"Just be careful," Carth advised.

"You're such a bossy old man," Mission replied good-naturedly. "Don't worry about me."

"Well, I know I'm not planning on staying indoors this whole time," Leiraya said. "Never did like enclosed spaces."

"You're going to learn to love them here," Carth grinned. "If you stay out in this kind of sun too long, you'll fry pretty quickly. You're probably even going to need to cover more skin than that." He pointed at her bare shoulders. "Those are going to die pretty quickly out there. And unfortunately," he gestured towards her feet, "those aren't going to work."

Leiraya frowned and looked rather put out, but she knew he was right- hot sand would likely burn her feet the moment she stepped outside. "All right, I'll give. Where are the spare boots?"

Mission led her back to their cabin, where a handful of spare boots were stowed in an equipment locker. The end result was that Leiraya found herself wearing knee-high black combat boots that looked somewhat absurd with her increasingly patched skirt. Digging further through some of the cargo bins yielded a length of bright violet fabric that she quickly fashioned into a wrap-around poncho.


Coming back into the lounge, Carth could only smile at her new appearance. Leiraya narrowed her eyes and pointed at him in mock anger. "You'd better not have any smart-mouth comments to make about this, flyboy."

"Actually," Carth replied easily, "I was about to comment on how good a look this is for you. That poncho really sets off your eyes."

Mission rolled her eyes. "Oh, geez. I think you two should leave right now, so we don't have to listen to you two go all lovey on us." This remark caused Carth to work his mouth in silent protest, Leiraya to blush profusely, Juhani to smile, and Jolee to chuckle.

"Go on, kids, get off the ship. Neither of you are suited to staying indoors long." Jolee shooed them towards the landing ramp.

"Come on," Leiraya motioned for Carth to follow her. "I can see where we're not wanted."

"Yeah..." Carth followed somewhat uncertainly, but inwardly smiling. There were worse things that could happen to his day, and he was certainly ready for a break from all the intergalactic drama. Exiting the ship, they saw a number of people wandering around the docking bay. Mechanics, merchants, and other citizens who had chosen to land their ships in Anchorhead. Myriad species wandered about, and Carth silently wondered how many of them there actually were. Being a Hutt controlled planet, there were largely humans, Twi'leks, and a smattering of Rodians, but there were many more species of people that just passed through.


He had just oriented himself, identifying the entrance to the city proper, when he heard a voice calling his name.


"Carth! Carth Onasi, is that you? Looking military as ever, and with a lady, no less."


He whirled around, searching for the owner of the voice. It certainly sounded familiar, and running towards him was a dark-skinned man wearing a well-worn combat suit and a very large grin.


Carth returned the smile. "Jordo? Is it really you? I haven't seen you since, well.... since before..." he faltered, realizing just when he'd last seen his friend.


"Telos," Jordo finished. "I saw you just before Telos. I heard about your family... I'm very sorry."


There was a heavy pause that hung in the air until Carth smiled faintly at him. "Thank you."


"Morgan was something else. Never met a better software engineer in all the Republic." Jordo offered. "She's been missed a hell of a lot by a lot of people."


"I know. Force knows I miss her." Carth sighed. "But all the wishing in the galaxy won't bring her or Dustil back."


"Dustil?" Jordo frowned. "You mean... I mean, you haven't seen your son?"


"No," Carth replied slowly. "I looked for him for upwards of two years... eventually I gave up. Figured he died in the assault."


"Carth," Jordo paused, looking between the two companions, seeming as though he was trying to say something tactfully, and failing. "Carth... your son is alive."


Carth's eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open for a few long seconds. "I- he's- I mean.... what?"


"Your son's alive," Jordo repeated.


Carth's eyes lit bright as Tatooine's twin suns. "Jordo... that is possibly the best news I have heard in years!"


Jordo, however did not seem so excited. "Carth... I thought you knew."


"No," Carth replied, the grin fading from his face. "No, I didn't." He looked simultaneously confused and worried. "What's wrong? Did something happen? Is he sick?"


"Your son, I ran into him on my last run. On Korriban."


"Korriban?" Carth looked over at Leiraya, all light gone from his eyes, not wanting to accept what Jordo was implying. "What... what would he be doing on Korriban?"


Jordo looked at Carth sadly. "He's a Sith."

 

Yay, new chapter!

Poor Mission at the beginning, LOL. Cute that she and Sasha got along there. Aww...

Bastila, the Masters are wrong. They've been infected with prequel-itis. Let's hope she and Leiraya can get along, there. And good survival tips from Carth for her... and his son's a Sith.

Ho, boy...

Great post, DWH! Thanks!

 

Nice couple of posts! You do such a great job handling this ensemble cast. I really love the way you're taking the time to develop all of the characters; Bastila's condition was a nice, humanizing touch.

 

Yes, put that class to good use and write us fanfic!

Excellent, and fast, update!

 

Csrth's son is alive? Carth's son is a sith?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Great couple of chapters. Sorry i don't have time for a longer post than this. Can't wait for the next bit.

 

What?! Sith?! I sure didn't see that coming. That just throws several new layers of complication onto this adventure, yikes.

Bastila's color-sight is cool, and I especially like that Carth has a dark green voice. Dark green is nice. Speaking of colors, Leiraya's current ensemble might look like an artist's palette threw up, but you know how fashion is - she'd rock the runways.

Jolee's awesome. Nothing like cranky, crotchety old men to keep the whippersnappers in line.

And maybe, like Bastila, I'm a little high on cleaning chemicals, but I sense something between Canderous and Juhani. There must be a reason he dashed out to fix something just after she left the area.

And a final YAY! that this fic's chugging along! I may not outright encourage writing fanfic during class, but if your mind happens to wander to the topic of orange jackets, why deny the instinct?

 

Nice update. I have to pay more attention or I'll slog behind even more.