Before - Legends Under the Shadow of the Builders (KOTOR Era) - COMPLETE!

I'm on a roll with this! I just crossed 75 pages, and it's a little baffeling to realize how long this thing will get before it's done.

As you can probably tell, this isn't actually me posting this story any more. My internet connection consists of a cell phone connected to one of the work computers with a USB cable. It's not the most reliable thing and is acutually pretty weak. Unfortunately, TFN is really hard to load and my connection isn's strong enough to post things.

The amazing DWH will be posting my chapters under the sock SoAbroad either until I get back or until I can find a stronger connection.

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[b]Part 5[/b]- [i]Waiting[/i]

Time dragged on. Ev's training continued and Carth didn't catch sight of her for several more days. He submitted his report; it could only be revised so many times before there was nothing left to change. Despite daily correspondence from the front, Carth felt supremely disconnected. He could be out there, fighting and making a difference. Instead, he was stuck at a remote Jedi Enclave. Doing what?

Waiting.

The Jedi seemed to think that in Ev and Bastila, and their dream, they had another way at winning the war. It gave him hope, but it didn't make the wait any easier. Couldn't they just finish Ev's training on the road?

But didn't Jedi take years to train? The masters said themselves that it would be even harder at Ev's age. The Republic couldn't wait years.

Left with nothing but his thoughts, Carth began to tinker with the [i]Ebon Hawk.[/i] It was a highly modified vehicle, and, if he was to pilot it on a secret mission for the Jedi, he should know every nook and cranny, every feature. When he grew cross-eyed from squinting at screens and machinery for too long, Carth took walks around the enclave.

One particular walk took him to the dueling arena. Amidst students practicing against remotes or their peers, Carth spotted Ev and Bastila in a heated duel, the Twi'lek Jedi Master watching over them. Carth hung back out of the way and watched. As long as he wasn't disturbing any of the Jedi, they had no reason to complain.

Both women wielded simple vibroblades. Ev was every bit as skilled with a blade as Bastila was, if not more. Carth smiled. At least that was one bit of Jedi training that they didn't need to spend years teaching her.

As he watched, suddenly Ev leaped high into the air and somersaulted over Bastila's head. In one swift movement, she landed, swinging her blade up to Bastila's neck and held it steadily there, only finger widths away from her skin. Bastila's jaw dropped and she dropped her own weapon in surprise. Master Zhar's eyes widened and his lekku twitched madly.

Carth felt his own mouth hanging open. He quickly closed it and composed himself.

Under Bastila and Zhar's questioning, Ev only shrugged, gesturing lightly in the air. Then Zhar himself took up Bastila's blade and stood at the ready. After a lengthy explanation, Ev mimicked his pose and they began. What followed was like nothing Carth had ever seen before.

The two Jedi, master and apprentice, were no longer simply swinging blades at each other. They were moving; dancing, tumbling, jumping. It was more of a show of acrobatics than of dueling, and yet their blades kept swinging and connecting. Zhar moved aggressively at her, but she always responded in style, mimicking his moves. Every now and then Zhar would stop them and correct Ev's form. Carth was too far away to hear his advice. Then they would start again. Many of the other students in the practice arena had stopped their own exercises all together and watched as he did.

Some time later, Carth had lost track of time, it came to an end. The other students hurriedly resumed their work so as not to be caught gawking, and Ev and Bastila put away their weapons. They left the arena and walked down the corridor close enough to Carth for him to catch their conversation.

?You have made great progress Ev,? Zhar commended, ?You have already done in weeks what many cannot do in years.?

?Thank you, Master,? Ev rep

 

Since I missed that comment and now have trekked up the mountain to find stronger internet...

DWH, thanks! The game focuses on the PC, in this case, Ev, but I've challenged myself to write this story entirely 3rd Person limited on Carth, so it's been fun exploring what exactly he's been doing.

Edit: I'm sorry about the multiple PM updates. I didn't realize that DWH had already sent them out under the sock.

 

I just found this, and finished the first chappie. I'm a sucker for KOTOR Fics, and you have me hooked. *runs back to read the other chapters* If you're still doing it, I'd love to be on the pm list.

 

PadmeSolo00- Thanks for reading! This is definitely still going and I'll add you to my PM list.

So, it's been a long while since we last visited our stir-crazy crew. During November, I participated in NaNoWriMo and worked on this story. It's not finished, but it is a lot closer now, all the way up through chapter 17. I will be working my way through and revising it all, so hopefully you will all get more to read soon.

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[u]Part 6[/u]- [i]The Builders' Ruins[/i]

Carth was still blearily sipping his morning cup of caf when Ev strode briskly into the communications deck and smiled slyly at him. ?Morning, Onasi,? she said brightly, ?Still up for a trip into the outback today??

?Mind if I finish my caf?? he asked. The idea of parading out into the grasslands at the crack of dawn without the extra energy punch was unappealing to him.

?It doesn't look like I can stop you,? Ev observed, and sank down in a chair across the room from him.

?Hm?? he hummed through his drink.

?You know how Corellian mushrooms look when they're latched onto a dead log?? Ev asked, staring at him thoughtfully, ?Like they're not going anywhere at all unless you pry them up.?

?So you're calling me a fungus, then?? Carth asked and raised and eyebrow. The cup was warm in his hands and he drank from it sip by drawn-out sip.

?No,? she replied thoughtfully, ?Not exactly. Metaphorically maybe.? She broke her scholarly face and snickered.

Ev was clever and maybe even funny, but Carth was too dreary to give any more reaction than take another drink of caf.

Ev shifted and fidgeted in her chair. She stood up and paced two laps of the room, then sat down again. ?You really are taking your sluggish time with that,? she commented, but there was hardly a hint of impatience in her voice. She sounded more amused than anything.

?You're comparing me to a slug now?? Cart asked over his caf.

?Nice catch, Onasi,? Ev chuckled, ?You're more awake than you look. I would have thought someone who has lived the military life as long as you have would be used to rising early and brightly.?

?Maybe I was,? Carth replied, ?But living here has made a slug of an officer out of me.? He watched her reaction when he threw her metaphor back at her.

?And nice volley,? Ev grinned. ?Well, with any luck, that lifestyle is about to change.?

This made Carth straighten up. He drained the last of his caf and set the dirty mug onto the edge of control panel behind him. ?What do you mean by that?? he asked, watching her carefully.

Kicking back in her seat, she looked at the ceiling and replied, ?Like I said the other day, Master Zhar said he only has one more test for me.?

Carth sighed frustratedly. [i]Damn Ev and her enigmatic answers.[/i]

?But I see you're finished with your caf,? Ev observed brightly and stood up. ?If there's nothing else you need slothily put yourself to, shall we go??

Carth chuckled. ?Fine, just let me get my blasters,? he replied.

Together, Ev and Carth headed out across the plains. The sun barely hung over the horizon to the east and hints of pink still colored the wispy clouds in the distance. It was so early that even the cath hounds seemed to be still asleep.

As Ev confidently led the way through the tall grasses, Carth shadowed her, always alert and ready to pull his blasters on a cath hound that might appear. Not far out of sight of the Jedi Enclave, they did encounter a small pack of cath hounds, but the creatures were fast asleep. He and Ev cautiously backtracked and tip-toed around them.

It didn't take long for them to pass beyond where Carth was familiar with from his daily walks. Ev pushed them deeper and deeper into the outback.

As the walked, Ev murmured, ?I hope this place doesn't have ticks, or we'll be crawling with them by the time we get back.?

?Ticks?? Carth asked.

Ev seemed surprised that she had been speaking out loud. ?Nasty little blood-sucking bugs we had back on Deralia when I was a kid,? she replied. ?They hang out in the woods and tall grasses waiting for you to brush by so the can latch

 

And here's another one! My plan, until I catch up with myself, is to post one chapter per week, so if you are reading, you can look forward to weekly updates for the next couple of months.

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[u]Part 7[/u]- [i]Following Whispers of the Past[/i]

The [i]Ebon Hawk's[/i] departure from Dantooine was as uneventful as Carth liked it. Their flight from Taris was not something he wanted to repeat any time soon. Once safely traveling through hyperspace, Carth and Ev left their station in the cockpit and joined the rest of the crew in the central part of the ship. Everyone settled in for a long hyperspace journey. Even at the [i]Ebon Hawk's[/i] speeds, it would take them over one standard day to reach Kashyyyk.

By the time Ev and Carth joined the rest of the crew, Mission had already challenged Canderous to a game of pazaak. Zaalbar watched on thoughtfully. Juhani propped herself up in an unoccupied corner, staring vacantly up at the ceiling. Only Bastila was missing.

?Probably off meditating somewhere,? Ev murmured, clearly wondering the same thing as Carth.

Carth, having prepared for the long nothingness of hyperspace, pulled out a datapad loaded with all of the most recent updates from the war front. He found an unoccupied seat and sat down, pouring over it.

Ev seemed to ponder the pazaak game for a minute before heading over to Juhani's corner and sinking down onto the ground next to where she sat.

?You look like something's bothering you, Juhani,? Ev observed gently.

?Ah, Ev Pell,? Juhani said, shaken out of her thoughts, ?I must thank you again for what you did for me back on Dantooine. I can only hope that in coming along, I can make it up to you. I am very sorry for how I treated you in the grove.?

?You don't have to be,? Ev reassured her, ?You had been consumed by the Dark Side. You weren't in your right mind.?

?All the same, I am sorry,? Juhani persisted, ?Will you accept my apology??

?Of course,? Ev nodded. After a pause, she added, ?I'm sorry about your master.?

As he stared at the datapad, Carth found himself following their conversation rather than reading the reports in front of him.

?Ah, Quatra,? Juhani said thoughtfully, ?She did not die as I had supposed, although I wounded her severely. By the time I returned to the Enclave, she had been healed and left Dantooine on other duties. She had nothing more to teach me.?

?Well, I'm glad,? Ev replied, ?But it's too bad you didn't get to say goodbye, or even sorry.?

?It is best this way,? Juhani replied calmly, ?Perhaps I was growing too attached to her. Farewells are always difficult.?

The cabin fell quiet again, only cut by the noise of pazaak cards slapping a-rhythmically down on the table.

?I am glad that I can help you, and that in this we are working towards ending the war,? Juhani said after a long pause. ?After what the Sith did to Taris...?

?You've been to Taris?? Ev asked.

?I grew up there,? Juhani said shortly.

?On Taris?? Ev clarified.

Juhani nodded. ?Even after how terrible the humans were to my parents, after how miserable my life was there, it was still my home,? Juhani continued sadly. ?I can't believe anyone could do something so horrible as destroying the whole city.?

?It's crazy what the Dark Side can do to someone,? Ev agreed darkly, ?I would never have imagined that Darth Malak would have gone that far, but he did. Now we know what he's capable of.?

?Which is why we must do everything we can to stop him,? Juhani agreed forcefully. ?Taris must be avenged.?

?You grew up on Taris too?? Mission asked, overhearing them. She turned to Zaalbar and passed her deck of cards into his furry hand, ?Big Z, finish this round for me.? With that, she scurried across the cabin and sat down with them. ?What did you think of it?? she asked eagerly.

?Taris was a cesspool of corruption and hate,? Juhani spat bitterly.

?It wasn't that bad,? Mission argued, taken aback by Juhani's forcefulness, ?I mean, it had it's great points to.?

?As in?? Juhani pressed.

?I k

 

I've read up till the part Taris got bombarded, great so far,
Keep up the good work

 

I've played KOTOR so many times that the plot can sometimes seem rote, but you've done an excellent job in paring down a lot of the really draw-out quests and showing the dynamics between many of the characters. Your writing makes the story easy to read - there's no dwelling on unimportant details.

I like that Ev and Bastila are grating on each other. I loved playing with a male character just for the extra dialogue options to tease Bastila with.

 

Merry Christmas from Pune, India! And in case I don't find internet again until afterwards, Happy New Year! I'm in the midst of a crazy India trip and having a great time, but I won't break my promise of one chapter per week. I'm all the way through chapter 18 now in writing, but revisions are still coming.

NalanaBrookes thanks for reading! Our heroes have gotten even farther now.

ElvisTheCat, thanks! I'm glad it's working. Writing this story just like the game would be boring for me and for everyone else who has ever played the game. I really wanted to focus on characters, so I put then in situations that would draw out the interactions more. One of the weak points of KOTOR I is that the NPCs hardly ever interacted with each other. And I admit, I love tormenting Bastila too.

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[u]Part 8[/u]- [i]The Shadowlands[/i]

?Well, someone has to stay with the ship,? Bastila argued, ?I know you're all anxious to help out on this important mission, but it just important that our ship doesn't get stolen or dismantled while we are out.? The entire crew, including their astromech droid and newly acquired droid remote, clustered around the lowered cargo ramp, eager to disembark.

?T3 can,? Mission offered, ?He's a pretty competent little guy.?

?T3-M4 is an astromech droid,? Bastila replied dryly.

?With blasters,? Mission replied optimistically, pointing her finger into the air to accentuate her idea.

?At least let everyone off the ship for a little while for a stretch break,? Ev suggested, ?I don't know about you, but I've never been to Kashyyyk before. I want to get a good look at those woshyr trees.?

?Fine,? Bastila threw her hands up into the air, ?But before we leave the port, someone needs to volunteer to stay behind.?

?Since you're so eager to find a volunteer,? Canderous pointed out, ?Why don't you do it yourself.?

?This is my mission Mandalorian,? Bastila snapped at him, ?I cannot stay with the ship.?

?Ours,? Ev put in sourly, but Bastila didn't seem to hear her.

The young Jedi strutted off the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i], the rest of the crew, save for the droids, followed. They stepped out onto a huge wooden platform with sturdy looking braided wicker rails. The docking platform narrowed into a rather wide path and the whole structure wrapped around the trunk of one massive tree. Not far off, more of the same landing platforms clung to the bark of the giant woshyr trees. Giant wooden support structures suspended the platforms and walkways up so near the leafy canopy. Birds and other creatures called through the humid night air. The very air seemed alive. Carth had seen amazing works of architecture before in glass, stone, and steel, but never anything so impressive as this, hanging leagues above the ground.

Despite the early morning hour, even the area around the landing platform was already bustling with activity. Most of the people present, however, wore the orange and green Czerka Corporation uniforms. Not a Wookiee was to be seen, aside from Zaalbar. One of them Czerka employees approached them from across the landing platform. ?Welcome to Edean, trade designation G5-632,? he said professionally, with only a hint of actual welcoming warmth. Prodding over a datapad he glanced up at the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i], ?Your ship isn't on our list of expected arrivals for today. As such, you will have to pay the 100 credit docking fee.?

?100 credits!? Mission exclaimed quietly from the back of the party, ?That's crazy. Are you trying to cheat us.?

Bastila shot Mission a steely cold glare then politely answered the docking officer, ?Certainly. We will be allowed to stay as long as we need??

?Of course,? the man said nodding, ?You will also have access to our refueling station and be admitted to our supply store.?

?Fine,? Bastila said nodding, and dug the credits out of one of the leather pouches that hung at her belt. She handed they over quickly and gazed expectantly at the man.

?Thank you, travelers,? he said, ?You may now be on your way.?

Bastila started forward, the others trailing

 

I had hoped we'd get to join the crazy old codger fairly soon; Jolee is an endless source of amusement.

 

ElvistheCat- I was in this huge stupor of angry characters and it was weighing me down. Adding Jolee into the mix lightened everyone's mood, including mine. I am very glad to have him around. ^_^

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[u]Chapter 9[/u]- [i]The Builders' Garden[/i]

?I hate jumping through hoops,? Ev murmured.

?And why should we take you with us, old man?? Bastila demanded, ?We don't even know who you are.?

?I told you my name and that I live down here like a hermit,? Jolee replied. He didn't seem bothered by Bastila's brash response. ?What more do you need??

?Why would you want to come along anyway?? Ev asked.

?You can only find kilometer high trees interesting for so long,? Jolee laughed, ?I presume you have a ship that could get me off of this planet. And you seem to have a destiny ahead of you that might just be interesting.?

?Destiny? What are you talking about?? Ev asked.

The old man laughed, ?Anyway, if you want my help getting past the barrier, you're going to have to pay my toll.?

?You mentioned poachers,? Ev recalled.

?Yes, I did,? Jolee smiled, strolling closer. ?In the past, Czerka came down here now and then, but they mostly left me alone. Until now, that is. A group of them set up camp not far from my home. They're stirring up the wildlife and messing with my garden. Regular old poachers, if you ask me, with what they're doing to the tachs.?

?Why haven't you chased them off yourself already, if it bothers you so much?? Bastila asked shortly.

?If I could, I would have by now,? Jolee snapped, ?They know who I am, so they get all touchy whenever I come by. The only way I could drive them out would be by force, and that could get the Wookiees into a load of trouble. I suspect you can find another way.?

?We might as well give it a try, Bastila,? Ev advised, ?He said he could get us past the barrier.?

?I don't like it,? Bastila replied, ?But fine. You win, old man. We'll play by your rules.?

?I knew you would, in the end,? Jolee smiled. ?Now, follow me. I'll take you back to their camp.?

Despite his age, Jolee led them off at a lively pace, back down the winding path towards the clearing they had already spent so much time in. Ev did her best to keep pace beside him.

?So, Jolee,? Ev started, ?You're friends with the Wookiees then??

?As much as one can be,? he chuckled in reply, ?I respect them, they respect me. I leave them alone and they leave me alone. It's a working relationship.?

?Then, do you know anything about this slaving operation that Czerka has going on?? Ev asked.

?I do, and that's a saga riddled with pain and sadness,? Jolee answered. ?I see you have one of them with you. Does he talk about it? Whose side is he on??

?Zaalbar was exiled some twenty years ago when he tried to expose his brother for making a contract with the slavers,? Ev explained.

?So you're all a little out of the loop, I see. Your friend must have been exiled right about the time I crashed here,? Jolee answered thoughtfully. ?That brother wouldn't have happened to be Chuundar, would it? Czerka was smart to put him in power. He's about as good at destroying Wookiee culture as injecting a plague into their water source, but he does make a reliable business partner.?

?If you've been here all this time and don't like it, why haven't you done anything about it?? Ev asked.

?You're one to accuse,? Jolee snapped, ?You'll just take one look at the star map and leave this place again, forgetting the Wookiees every had any problems. Listen, it's a bad idea to make people angry with you when you don't have a way off the planet.?

?That sounds like a poor excuse to me,? Ev shot back. ?Frankly, if we can find a way to disrupt this slaving operation while we're here, I'd be glad to do it. These Wookiees don't deserve to be treated like animals.?

?Ah, I think I'm beginning to like you, kid,? Jolee said with an amused smile, ?But your friend over there might have something else to say about it, hm?? He pointed towards Bastila.

?Yeah, well Bastila has her priorities,? Ev commented. ?I'm Ev Pell, by the wa

 

Very nicely done. I really like how you manage to be pretty faithful to the canon story of KOTOR here yet completely original at the same time. Very nice.

 

Wookiee revolution! Yay!

Your Jolee is spot on, and I like how you sneakily rolled sidequests together. Looking forward to seeing them stick it to The Man!

 

MiralukaJedi, I'm glad! That's really what I've been aiming for in this project.
DWH, Jolee is fun to write, that's for sure.

Here's a short one this time: a not-so-welcome Wookiee family reunion.

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[u]Part 10[/u]- [i]Bacca's Legacy[/i]

Ev had the foresight to bring a long length of braided nylon rope down into the Shadowlands with her. The Wookiees proved to be geniuses at knots and lashing. Using a similar technique they would to carry their kills back up into the treetops, Freyyr and Zaalbar prepared each other's passengers. They twisted a sort of crisscrossing harness out of the rope that allowed Carth, Ev, and Mission to sit back comfortably while lashed across the Wookiees' backs.

By the time Zaalbar harnessed Carth to Freyyr's back, the Wookiee squatting down so Carth's feet could still touch the ground, Ev and Mission were already tied onto his own back. For balance reasons, Mission was somewhat sandwiched between Ev and Zaalbar. Both of the girl's legs dangled out to Zaalbar's sides and their arms wrapped around his chest for extra security.

Carth found himself doing the same. Finally, Zaalbar finished the lashings and tested his knots. Everything was secure. As Freyyr rose up to his full height and Carth's feet left the ground, he felt a sudden surge of terror. [i]What have I gotten myself into?[/i] With one hand, he made one last check to make sure his blasters and all the rest of his gear was secure, then wrapped his arm back around Freyyr's furry chest. He could feel the rise and fall of the old Wookiee's rib cage with each breath.

The father and son conferred for a few moments then started towards the base of the nearest woshyr tree. As they walked, the Wookiees didn't seem at all bothered by the weight on their backs.

?Zaalbar says we're all ready to climb up,? Ev reported, ?How are you doing Onasi??

?Well enough,? he reported, trying not to remember just how high up they had to go.

Freyyr growled something quietly.

?Oh, and he says that we should stay quiet once they're climbing so we don't attract anything unfriendly,? Ev advised.

Carth was about to reply when Freyyr leaped up onto the trunk of the tree. His heart pounded, and it felt as if the bottom of his stomach had just fallen out. Soon, however, he began to feel comfortable with the rhythm of the old Wookiee's climbing. Lunge up, lurch down. Swagger to the right, swagger to the left. Carth couldn't guess how old Freyyr was, but he was still strong and confident.

Carth looked over and saw Zaalbar rising up next to them. On his back, Mission grinned and Ev winked at him. Carth tried to smile back without looking terrified.

[i]Carth, you're a pilot. Flying around in space, or even in the atmosphere, is much more dangerous than riding a Wookiee up these trees, especially when there's battle. You never get worked up for afraid of heights then. Buck up.[/i]

His pep talk failed him. Carth accidentally stole a look down and he was already a few stories high. High enough to set his heart pounding again. He wondered how Mission and Ev were doing but couldn't bring himself to look.

Carth shut his eyes and buried his face in the matted fur on Freyyr's back. The next half and hour or so was a period of time Carth tired not to think about and, afterward, tried not to remember. He tried to loose himself in Freyyr's rhythmic breathing and the muffled thunk-thunk as his claws connected with the woshyr bark.

After a long time of climbing, Freyyr's rhythm broke. He paused and swayed slightly from side to side. Carth opened his eyes, hoping expectantly for the Great Walkway. Zaalbar climbed up close next to him and the two Wookiees conferred quietly. Not far to their right was a massive bough sprouting off from the trunk.

?Fun, isn't it?? Mission whispered.

?Sure,? Carth replied. [i]Fun could be one word for it...[/i]

Suddenly, the Wookiees moved of again. They walked their way sideways across the trunk until they reached the limb, and then began jogging along it. Carth bobbed along behind Freyyr

 

And so Czerka gets their just reward. Once again, you've managed to take an exceptionally long questline and condense it into an easy-to-digest chunk without taking anything away from it.

 

elvisthecat- I'm glad you're still enjoying this. I really am trying to condese the story and make it fun for people who have already played it as well as those who haven't.

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[u]Part 11[/u]- [i]Hyperspace Confinement[/i]

Carth settled into the pilot's chair and numbly regarded the controls in front of him. He blinked a few times but couldn't seem to remember just what it was he needed to do.

?You okay, Onasi?? Ev asked, sitting down in the chair to his right.

?Just tired, I guess,? he shrugged and began to move his hands over the controls.

?You look more than a little tired,? Ev observed and stared evenly at him. He couldn't stand to return her gaze for more than a second. He looked away mumbling.

?Are you sure you don't need some rest before you pilot this thing out?? Ev asked. She sounded genuinely concerned. ?Heck, Bastila had us up at the crack of dawn. It's so late now, the moon is already setting.?

?How is it that you look so alert?? Carth asked.

?I know a little Force trick,? Ev replied, ?Call it a Jedi power-nap, if you will.?

?Great,? Carth chuckled wearily, ?Care to teach me sometime??

?Get yourself a stronger connection to the Force, and we'll talk,? Ev replied with a light laugh herself.

Carth yawned deeply. ?Well, let's get this show on the road,? he said through second yawn.

?Sir, I know you're the hot-shot pilot and all, but why don't you let me fly this one out?? Ev asked politely.

Carth wanted to argue, but his vision was growing blurry with weariness again. ?Fine, she's all yours,? he submitted and flicked the switch that transferred primary functions to the copilot.

?Thanks Onasi,? Ev said, already beginning to initiate the takeoff sequence. ?Just don't you start nodding off on me yet. I'll still need a copilot and someone to get the navacomputer calculations worked out for our trip to Tatooine.?

?Tatooine?? Carth asked blearily, ?That's our next stop? It's a good three day journey from here.?

?Add decoy jumps to Taanab, Duro, and Rodia on the way, and that will make it four,? Ev added, ?Only, just jump to the outer part of those systems so we won't be picked up on any planetary sensors.?

?You're going to have to say that again,? Carth laughed, ?Once I get the navacomputer running.?

?Oh, come on,? she teased. ?I thought I was the one with the bad memory.?

Carth smiled a little, ?But you've also had your power-nap and I haven't.?

?I'll cut you some slack just this once,? Ev promised with a grin. She fired up the engines, eased on the repulsorlifts to raise them off the landing platform, then took off through the woshyr canopy. Stars glittered like diamonds in the sky while a huge luminous moon glowed just over the horizon. Their departure stirred up only a few night birds as the Ebon Hawk soared up into the sky. They rumbled through the atmosphere and into silent space.

?Nice flying,? Carth commended her. She certainly did know how to handle a ship well.

?It wasn't anything fancy. We'll be clear of the planet's gravity well pretty soon,? Ev announced, ?How are the hyperspace coordinates coming? Need me to remind you where we're going??

Momentarily distracted, Carth got back to work, ?They're coming. Give me a few more minutes. The computer whirred through the calculations and finally gave an acceptable output. ?Alright, we've got them,? Carth announced.

?Ready?? Ev asked, although she didn't have to. Sliding forward the control that engaged the hyperdrive, the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] accelerated and snapped into hyperspace.

Ev reclined back in her chair. ?We'll come out in the Taanab system in four hours or so,? she calculated, ?You get some sleep. I'll wait up for it and turn the ship around for the next jump.?

Carth smiled thankfully back at her and rose slowly from his chair. ?Thanks Ev,? he said and turned to go, then added, ?It's good to have you around.?

?You too, Carth,? Ev replied gently. ?Sleep well.?

?Will do,? Carth chuckled and retreated down the corridor towards his bunk room where Canderous, Zaalbar, and Jolee undoubtedly alread

 

I'm really enjoying this! Of course I love the games, but this just brings a whole new life to it. Great job!

 

JediDingo, thanks for staying with me. I'm really glad you're enjoying it.

To everyone else, I'm sorry for not sending PM updates the last few weeks. My internet has been really limited if working at all. I love rural India, but I can't say I love how internet works here. ^^''

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[u]Part 12[/u]- [i]A Dry Welcome[/i]

Four days in hyperspace, considering the company, could have been worse. Ev and Bastila only fought three times. Canderous and Carth only accidentally offended Juhani on two occasions, each. Zaalbar kept to himself. Mission brooded about her brother. And Jolee poked into everyone's business while letting no one pry into his own. Ev was as fluid as ever.

Carth was glad that he at least had Ev to confide in without fear of offending or angering her. Of course, it did happen now and again, but she was quick to get over it and move on. As a soldier and ex-soldier they seemed to understand each other. The rest of the crew still remained largely a mystery to Carth.

It was late afternoon, into evening, local time, when the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] came out of hyperspace above Tatooine. ?Sorry sir, I lost track of the time,? Ev said as she slid into the cockpit and took her seat in the copilot's chair.

?Don't worry about it,? Carth replied, already preparing to descend through the atmosphere. ?It looks like we'll have a pretty easy landing. There's only one spaceport and only one settlement.?

?Anchorhead,? Ev reported ran her fingers across the dials. ?Yeah, looks like there is clear weather. No sign of sandstorms in the area.? Ev glanced up through the wide front viewport. ?Although, why anyone would settle on a ball of dust like this is beyond me,? she commented, ?I can't see either green or water.?

?Probably for money,? Carth shrugged. The ship began to burn easily down through the atmosphere.

?So, are you going to go looking for Mission's brother?? he asked after a pause.

?She has been talking about nothing but Griff since she found out we were headed here, hasn't she?? Ev mused, ?Yeah, I'd like to. Mission has done a lot of favors for us. We owe her this one. Though, Bastila may take some convincing.?

?Maybe Bastila will surprise you some day,? Carth suggested.

?Maybe,? Ev replied noncommittally. ?Anyway, we're through the atmosphere now, so we clear to hale the spaceport.?

?Right, go ahead,? Cart responded.

Ev adjusted the com channels and pressed down the comlink button, leaning close to the microphone outlet. ?Anchorhead space port, this is the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] requesting permission to land,? Ev announced clearly.

Shortly a male voice replied, ?[i]Ebon Hawk[/i], we read you. What is your purpose on Tatooine??

?Tourism,? Ev replied quickly.

?Tourism?? the voice replied skeptically.

?And visiting some family,? Ev amended, ?Griff Vao.?

?Very well, [i]Ebon Hawk[/i], you have permission to land in docking bay 32,? the voice replied, ?We will transmit the coordinates to you momentarily.?

?Thank y...? Ev's eyes suddenly rolled up in their sockets and she released the call button. She lurched limply in her seat with the swaying of the ship.

?Ev?? Carth asked urgently, ?Ev!? Quickly checking to make sure the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] was on a safe and even course, Carth leaned over and pressed the call button, ?Thank you for your time, Anchorhead space port.? He then grasped her nearest shoulder and shook her. ?Ev, wake up! What's the matter?? She didn't respond. He momentarily took the controls again to redirect the ship, and then shook her one more time. Again, there was no response. ?Bastila!? he yelled, ?Get up here!?

Mission scurried up instead. ?She just fainted or something,? the Twi'lek reported quickly. Seeing Ev, she gasped, ?Her too??

All of a sudden, Ev came to. She blinked rapidly, as if disoriented. ?There's a star map here too,? she said distantly.

?Ev are you okay?? Carth asked urgently.

?Yeah...? she replied, still distantly. A moment later, fire came back into her eyes. She looked directly at Carth and retorted, ?I was just having a vision

 

So here's another one before I run off on my huge 2-month trek across Asia. Hoorah for visa renewal runs. I'll still try to keep up with weekly updates when I'm traveling though.

---

[u]Part 13[/u]- [i]The Builders' Wasteland[/i]

Bastila woke up and demanded to be put down just as they were entering their hanger bay again. The residual anger from meeting with her mother had not yet faded.

?You two didn't have to leave your dinner on my account,? Bastila said irritably.

?If you're looking for someone to blame for interrupting our meal,? Carth pointed out, ?I'd fault Calo Nord and his bounty hunter buddies.?

?If they tracked us all this way...? Bastila started, but she trailed off. She turned and stormed off towards the Ebon Hawk's loading ramp.

?Um, Bastila,? Ev called after her, ?Mission just called on the comlink and she said there's a slight problem on the ship.?

?What sort of problem?? she called back as she disappeared up the ramp. A moment later, she shrieked, ?What are these things??

Ev trotted up the ramp, Carth following after her. Even after what Mission had said, he wasn't sure what to expect. Small green and yellow amphibious creatures with two webbed feet, wide mouths, and bulbous eyes hopped everywhere around the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i]. Occasionally, one would stop and croak before hopping on. Drawn by Bastila's shrieks, a crow of them hopped curiously over to entrance ramp.

?Gizka,? Ev said dryly.

?And how did these gizka get on to our ship?? Bastila demanded, wading through the amphibians at her ankles.

Ev tried to pick one up, but it wriggled out of her hands. ?The better question is: how do we get them out?? she said.

Mission poked her head in. ?Oh good, you're back,? she said, ?Big Z said some Aqualish came by with a huge crate, saying it was our shipment. He put it in the cargo hold, but the crate broke, and now these things are everywhere on the ship except in that crate.?

?It looks like we got a shipment that was meant for someone else,? Carth concluded.

?Then we have to find out whose it is before we're accused of theft or something,? Ev said, ?That's the last kind of attention we want.?

?Perhaps the spaceport control office has some record of who they belong to,? Bastila suggested.

The three of them left Mission to babysit the gizka while they rushed back out of the hangar bay and to the spaceport control office. Thankfully it was still open. The office, however, did not keep records of that kind and offered no help in finding the gizka's rightful owner. Nor did they offer to help remove the creatures. Bastila, Carth, and Ev returned back to the ship empty handed.

Canderous, Jolee, and Juhani returned later with the promised supper. The rest of the crew took a late supper then headed to bed. That night, Carth not only had the snores of Canderous, Jolee, and Zaalbar to contend with, but the hopping and croaking of the gizka as well.


Carth sauntered out into the main cabin of the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] the next morning and looked around. Zaalbar and Canderous were still asleep. The Wookiee always did his share of sleeping, and Canderous had been up late the night before telling more of his war stories to Ev and Mission. That was always something Carth made a habit of avoiding. He couldn't understand how those two got enjoyment out of tales of Mandalorian slaughter.

In the central part of the ship, Jolee, Mission, and Juhani sat slurping some sort of porridge around the pazaak table.

?There's more of this back by the synthesizer,? Mission gestured with her spoon to the cargo hold. ?It's not bad. Ev must have whipped it up this morning.?

?Where's Ev anyway?? Carth asked.

?She is already gone,? Juhani answered.

?Said something about Jawas,? Jolee added.

?The bartender last night mentioned that if anyone knew about a star map, it would be the Jawas,? Carth nodded slowly, before heading into the cargo hold. He returned with a bowl of porridge and shoveled it down as fast as he could.

?You're in a hurry this morning,? Jolee observed.

?I'm going to go see if Ev has

 

Sorry I'm a little late on the update this week.

A little FYI for those who might be reading. Because DWH had to edit my first post for me once, now only she or other mods can edit it. She's been too busy to keep up with updating the thread title every time I update, so that's not going to change any more. Just assume whenever I post weekly, it's a new chapter.

This chapter was a lot of fun to write and was one I'd been looking forward to for a long time.

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[u]Part 14[/u]- [i]Jawa Caravan[/i]

Dusk was turning into night when Carth, Ev, and their Jawa guides reached the sand crawler. The Jawas seemed to be able to see fine in the darkening light with their glowing eyes, and Ev produced a small flashlight from one of the many pouches around her waist to assist her and Carth.

For all of Iziz's insistence that their clan was a small one, the trapezoidal sand crawler was still at least two stories tall and over twice as long as the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i]. Light blazed out from a doorway in the side where several silhouetted Jawas milled about.

Iziz scampered to meet them. He waved his arms in the air and chattered happily. The other Jawas returned the gesture and swarmed around him. Soon, they moved off leaving just Iziz. He chattered happily. First grabbing Ev's and shaking it, then moving on to Carth and doing the same.

Ev laughed merrily, ?He says thanks and invites us to feast with his clan, I think. As soon as everyone and everything is loaded up, they'll even start out for us tonight. We'll be to the place by morning.?

?That's great,? Carth grinned back at her, ?And I could do with a feast right about now. I'm starved.?

?That's what you get for playing hostage with me,? Ev teased and gave him a pointed poke in the chest. ?You could have gone back with the others and grabbed some lunch with those moisture vaporizers. Come on.? She waved him forward. The Jawa chief had already begun skittering back towards the sand crawler. It was easy for them to catch up with his short strides, however.

Inside the sand crawler, Carth realized that what had looked like two stories to him, was really three for a Jawa. While Ev had no trouble moving around and only had to duck through doorways, Carth continually forgot to stoop, hitting the back of his head regularly on the metal plate ceiling. The Jawas seemed to find that hilarious.

The promised feast was grand by Jawa standards, but nothing memorable for Carth and Ev. He hardly got his fill of the gritty whatever-it-was. While they were eating, the whole structure began to hum and vibrate then lurch into motion. During the meal, Ev spoke for both herself and Carth. While she could mostly understand the Jawas, Carth didn't catch a single word. It was alright though. He enjoyed the warm company and just watching Ev laugh while conversing with the tiny people around them. It seemed as if the rescued Jawas were making up grand tales of Carth and Ev's heroics in their rescue.

After dinner, one of the Jawas led them up a shallow but narrow staircase to the second floor and to a mostly empty store room. It had been cleared out for their use, with a few blankets and cushions piled in the corner.

?This is probably the most comfortable place for giants like us to sleep on this sand crawler,? Ev explained. ?He's sorry that they don't have more to offer.?

Carth looked at the bare metal flooring and shrugged, ?It's no problem.?

The Jawa, seeming satisfied, scurried away and shut the door behind him.

Ev pulled out two cushions from the corner and sat down on one, leaning against an odd looking piece of machinery. She tossed the other cushion at Carth. ?Sit down and you won't have to keep hitting your head all the time,? she suggested.

?It's not that big of a?ow!? Carth straightened up again, ?deal.?

Ev cackled, rocking back and forth on the ground. ?Well, if you like smacking your head on the ceiling, who am I to stop you?? she laughed.

?Fine, fine, you win,? Carth laughed at himself and sat down across from her on the cushion, ?You always seem to.?

 

Hey so, if I have silent readers out there, hello from China again! Though, this time I'm out in Shanxi province visiting some friendly English teachers I know. Here's another weekly update. Here we have the beginning of an experiment in light angst. We'll see how this goes.

---

[u]Part 15[/u]- [i]The Chill of Hyperspace[/i]

Manaan was in the same part of the galaxy as Kashyyyk, which meant another long hyperspace flight. Again, Ev insisted on several decoy jumps to assure that they weren't being followed. The four days passed much the same way as their trip to Tatooine had been, with one refreshing difference.

During the time that Ev and Carth were on a Jawa caravan to the star map, Mission discovered a substantial library of holodramas on the ship's secondary computer. It was a much easier way to pass the time.

One afternoon, Ev strode purposefully up to Carth in the ship's corridor. ?I had this thought,? she started, ?I might be able to help you understand the Selkath better on Manaan.?

?What do you mean?? Carth asked, ?Lend me HK??

?No, no, better than that,? Ev seemed to be growing excited, ?Here, just give me a second. Let me try this.? She reached up and grasped Carth's head in her hands and then closed her eyes.

Suddenly an incredible pressure came over his head. It felt like it was going to burst. When the headache became almost too much to bear, suddenly it receded.

?What the hell was that?? Carth demanded, swatting Ev's hands away.

?You should be able to understand Selkath now,? Ev replied smugly, only the sounds that came out of her mouth sounded more like hissing and slurping than Galactic Basic.

?But what did you do to my head?? he demanded.

Ev laughed, ?Ha! It worked. You understood me. It's a Jedi trick for learning languages quickly, only in reverse. There are more subtle ways of doing it, but that takes a lot longer.?

Carth rubbed his forehead, ?You've left me with a nasty headache though.?

?You've got a whole nother language up there that you didn't a minute ago. Of course it's going to ache,? she replied. ?Anyway, you'll thank me later.? She turned around and walked back down the corridor.

?I'll never understand that woman,? Carth muttered and shook his head.


One night Carth found himself sitting around with Bastila, Jolee, and Juhani while the rest of a the crew was watching a film that none of them had any interest in.

?Say, Jolee,? Carth asked, ?Why did you join up with us in the first place??

?You've got yourself a fast ship,? Jolee pointed out.

?If you just wanted off Kashyyyk, you could have asked us to drop you on Tatooine or somewhere else,? Carth observed.

?I could have,? Jolee agreed, ?Or maybe it's the food. The slop your synthesizer turns out isn't half bad.?

?Must you be so elusive?? Bastila put in.

?Elusive? Me? Clearly you have never tried to catch a Twi'lek dancing girl after one too many Corellian whiskeys,? Jolee laughed at his own joke.

?No really, Jolee,? Carth persisted.

?Frankly, I don't have to tell you my reasons,? Jolee replied stubbornly, ?But since you're probably not going to give up, I'll give you this much. After twenty years of the Shadowlands, I could use some excitement in my life again. I have never seen the Force swirl around anyone quite so much as around your Ev. That girl has a destiny before her, and I'd like to be around to see it.?

?A destiny? What kind?? Juhani asked eagerly, ?You saw the future for her??

?Whether I did or not is irrelevant,? Jolee replied enigmatically, ?The future can always change. What matters is that it's going to have to be interesting.?

His answer didn't satisfy Carth, nor did it seem to satisfy the two Jedi, but Bastila changed the subject, ?You know, Jolee, I've been thinking...? she started.

?Oh this is going to be the, 'Jolee, please come back to the Order' talk isn't it?? Jolee asked sourly.

?Well, of course,? Bastila replied, a bit surprised, ?You were trained as a Jedi, you walk in the light, and yet you do not belong to the Jedi Order. Why did you leave??

?Like I said b

 

Very interesting twists and turns here. Nicely done.

 

miralukajedi- hoorah! I'm glad you're enjoying it.


Sorry for the late update friends. In hopping from China to Japan, I didn't have a proper plug converter for my computer until yesterday night. But now I'm back in business.

---

[u]Part 16[/u]- [i]The Price of Neutrality[/i]

From the sky, Ahto City was a wonder to behold. Like one giant silver disk, it floated gently over the waters of the vibrantly blue sea. The Selkath loved circles and the architecture of it clearly gave that way. The city had a hole in the center, rising to a sort of peak around it with tall buildings across the top. It sloped down from there to the level of the sea around the outer edge, with circles scooped out of the great disk in graceful shapes. One of these semicircular gaps around the edge held the spaceport and docking bays.

It was an easy landing and they met no trouble with the local bureaucracy. The lurching and rattling of the landing must have awakened the rest of the crew. By the time Carth and Canderous had the ship securely shut down, the crew had assembled in the hangar bay.

?So we're on Manaan now?? Mission asked, yawning.

Carth nodded, ?This is Ahto City.?

Juhani addressed Ev and Bastila, ?Has the Force given you any visions into what we must do on this planet??

Bastila nodded, ?Yes, during our descent, very close to the city, we had a vision of yet another star map.?

?It's in the city then?? Mission asked eagerly.

?Below it, more likely,? Ev replied, ?It seemed to be underwater.?

?Good luck with that,? Canderous chuckled, ?This planet is all water and probably not mapped very well.?

?Well, Revan and Malak seem to have found it somehow,? Bastila said defensively, ?Certainly we will be able to.?

?That's the infallibility of youthful confidence, if you ask me,? Jolee muttered.

Zaalbar muttered something.

?Yeah, how about some breakfast?? Mission agreed.

?I think we're talking about more of an early dinner,? Ev corrected her. ?I guess the time zone we had for Ahto City was out of date. The city is always floating freely on the ocean, so the time zone changes little by little all the time.?

?So what time is it then?? Bastila asked.

?Late afternoon,? Ev answered. All the while she kept her back to Carth. She hadn't even acknowledged him when he entered the room.

?The space port authorities mentioned that we need to check in with the Manaan Bureau of Tourism and pay our docking fee. I'm sure they will have some recommendations of where to eat,? Carth put in.

?I suppose we should get going then,? Bastila suggested, ?HK-47, you will remain here and guard the ship in our absence.?

?Observation: So the meatbag assumes that just because I have no need of organic nourishment I have no curiosity in this world,? HK-47 replied.

?Droids aren't supposed to be curious,? Bastila shot back, ?Now stay here and do as you're told.?

Leaving the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] in the care of their war-mongering protocol droid, the entire crew disembarked.

The interior of Ahto City was immaculately clean and engineered without any straight lines or abrupt angles. Cylindrical cleaning droids floated down the long corridors and tiny spherical security droids whizzed lazily through the air. The group passed a few loitering Selkath. The amphibious creatures walked erect and stood about as high as a human, but their skin was pale bluish and their hands and feet were webbed for swimming. Their wide flat heads had small eyes on the side and mustache-like flaps of skin that hung down on either side of their mouths.

A few men jostled past, carrying large canisters of kolto between them.

As the crew rounded into a wide hallway with a long pond in the middle, they caught site of a Republic soldier in his brilliant yellow and orange armor in a heated argument with a Sith soldier in black and gray.

?You Republic scum don't know the meaning of power,? the Sith soldier taunted, ?You are weaklings that are doomed to fail.?

?It's you who are on the wrong side of this war,? the Republic soldier retorted.

?There is no way your p

 

Here is another short one, and at last, the final chapter I wrote during NaNoWriMo 2009. I'm still not caught up with myself in revisions yet though.

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[u]Part 17[/u]- [i]A Little Bit of Espionage[/i]

?Field team, this is Gizka Central,? Carth said into the comlink as he surveyed the holoprojection in front of him. Between Canderous and Mission, they had managed to hack into the planetary satellite data, which provided them with an aerial video feed of the Sith Embassy. He asked, ?Are you at your positions.?

?Tree Climber one, reporting in,? Jolee's voice came over the comlink, ?We are at our position and out of sight.?

Zaalbar rumbled over the com as well. Carth assumed it to be something like, ?Tree Climber two, reporting in.?

?Plains Walker one, reporting in,? Bastila said over her comlink, ?We are securely in place.?

?Plains Walker two, reporting in,? HK-47's voice added.

?Bird's Eye, reporting in,? Ev's voice came. ?I am in place with the Divers.?

?Diver two reporting in, all systems functional,? Mission reported.

?Diver one, reporting in,? Juhani said.

?If everything is set, commence dive,? Carth ordered.

?We read you, Gizka Central,? Mission replied, ?We're going in.?

On the satellite image projected in front of them, tiny points moved about on the roof. It would have been impossible to notice if not for the bright tracking beacons that Juhani and Mission gave off. Canderous had managed to layer their position on top of the satellite photo. It seemed that Mandalorian had a flare for computers

Over the comlink, there came the sound of a lightsaber slicing through metal. A minute later, Mission whispered, ?Were in, and it's tight.?

?Great,? Carth replied, ?Find yourself a computer console to slice and we'll be able to be of more help to you.?

The points of light that marked Juhani and Mission's positions inched slowly along. Their comlink channel remained in complete silence. A few minutes later, they stopped moving, and there was the sound of grating metal, followed by scuffling, then typing at keys. Carth was on edge. Mission found a console, but they were blind to her actions.

?Downloading area schematics,? Mission announced at last, ?Prepare to receive transmission, Gizka Central.?

Just then a map flashed into the air, projected above the satellite image. ?Received, Diver two,? Carth confirmed. He turned to Canderous, who sat waiting lazily on the other side of the projector. ?See if you can't resize that map and get it lined up with the image we already have,? he request.

?Piece of cake,? Canderous replied and clicked away at the computer console on the ship. In moments, the two maps became one.

?Here come your security cameras,? Mission whispered. Making good of her promise, thirteen camera projections hovered in the air above the combined maps. One, labeled 'hall security' showed only fuzzy darkness. They must have knocked it out before Mission descended.

Without waiting for Carth's command, Canderous began dragging the security projections around, matching their labels with those of the rooms. Soon, they had a cohesive view of the interior of the Embassy. There was very little activity at that late hour of the night, but some droids and guards did patrol the halls.

?Diver two, you're about to have company,? Canderous warned, noticing a patrol droid heading down another hallway towards where she stood.

There was another sudden scuffling and grating of metal, signaling that Mission was again safe in the ducts with Juhani.

?We await your orders, Gizka Central,? Juhani said.

Meanwhile, Carth scanned all of the security feeds. Many of them showed darkness that was difficult to make out anything through.

?What about that one, Cart?? Canderous suggested. He pointed to one labeled 'disassembly room.' Through the near darkness, he could see the outline of what might have been the submersible droid and its gently blinking lights.

?Divers, I think we might have your target,? Carth announced, ?Continue forward until I tell you otherwise.?

The two spies crept forw

 

This chapter is probably my favorite so far. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

---

[u]Part 18[/u]- [i]The Builders' Marina[/i]

Bastila and Ev marched off the [i]Ebon Hawk[/i] with Canderous and Mission following behind. ?I'm not certain if our comlinks will be able to contact you from the ocean floor, so assume no news is good news,? Bastila said over her shoulder, ?In the meantime, something needs to be done about these gizka. See if you can't sell them to a zoo or pet shop or something.?

?Oh, that'll be fun,? Jolee chuckled.

?May the Force be with you,? Juhani said distantly, following the departing group with her eyes. The party descended out of the ship and into the immaculately clean corridors of Ahto City.

Seeing them go, Zaalbar yowled something quietly.

Jolee chuckled at him. ?Sure, they leave us to clean up the wriggling amphibians while they're off being heroic,? Jolee scoffed, somewhat amused.

?I would rather not be leagues under the water's surface as long as there are others more willing to do it,? Juhani said thoughtfully. By the look in her eyes, however, she seemed to regret not being among that group.

Carth sighed. He sympathized. Ev had made it abundantly clear that she didn't want him along. He felt a pang of anxiousness as she moved out of his sight. It wasn't that Ev was not the most competent woman he had ever met, but he knew there would be dangers down below. ?And, damn, I want to be with her when she faces them,? he muttered and slammed his fist on the wall then slumped against it.

?You look off balance,? Jolee observed. Both Juhani and Zaalbar had already disappeared into other parts of the ship.

?No,? Carth straightened up and moved towards the cargo hold. He stepped gingerly over gizka as he went. ?It's nothing,? he lied.

?You can't fool me,? Jolee cracked a dry smile, ?I've been around too long for that.?

Carth stopped in the doorway but neither turned around nor replied.

?You're not happy about the deception of the Republic envoy,? Jolee observed.

?That wasn't deception?? Carth faced Jolee.

?Call it what you like, but we're being played on their agenda,? Jolee said shrugging, ?They have us retrieve their stolen droid data and send us down to some secret kolto harvesting plant that they have lost contact with. Not to mention that no one has come back alive from it in the last couple of days. They want us to think that they're doing us a big favor. But, let me tell you, our little group looks like competent, free mercenaries that are eager to rush into danger to solve everyone's problems. Just watch: Ev will not only come back with with a star map, but she'll solve the disturbance, save many lives, restore connection, blah, blah, blah.? Jolee paused in his ramblings and scrutinized Carth, ?And it's that very woman you're all twisted up about.?

Carth abruptly turned away. ?I said it was nothing,? he replied tensely. ?Let's get working on the gizka.? He kicked lazily, scattering the hopping amphibians. One or two croaked irritably.

?Say what you want, if it makes you feel better,? Jolee warned, ?But pretending will hurt both you and her.?

?What would you know about that?? Carth asked coldly, ?You were a Jedi just like all the rest of them.?

?Hey now, don't stereotype,? Jolee said defensively. Then, all at once, his sarcastic facade dropped, ?I had a wife once.?

Carth felt suddenly ashamed.

Jolee measured him with another brief gaze before heading out into another room.

Zaalbar and Juhani soon had four large plasteel crates readied and strategically placed throughout the ship. Carth could have sworn that there were more gizka now than there had been only a few days ago.

The task proved to be more difficult than they originally anticipated. The wriggly creatures easily escaped their reaching hands and twisted free of their grasps. More than once, Carth dove for one gizka only to stumble on a second and trip on a third. The others hardly fared better, while HK-47 offered many helpful suggestions.

?Suggestion: If

 

Been away from the boards for far too long; its nice to come back to a good story. Especially nice work on writing Bastila there.