Saga Working In Darkness - Chapter 14 - Diplomatic Interruptions

Face - Thanks for the reply, and the very kind words! They're always greatly appreciated

Hehe, poor old Eva. Originally I thought that if Eva got captured it'd be good to see what Clip can do on his own. But then Craft came along, and wrote himself into the story, once again providing Clip with a mentor-like character. But since Eva was never really a mentor, more of a protector (almost a parent and confidant), I decided it would be okay

And yes, the primary thrust of the story begins now! The summary on page one finally makes sense and it only took some 100,000 words to get around to it, hehe.

Thanks so much for reading Face!

Oh, and just as an aside to everyone: Chapter Eleven marks the end of what I've been calling 'act one'. It's kind of like the first book of a trilogy, only it's all combined into one big story. Kinda like Lord of the Rings.

 

And now, a short interlude between acts Actually, it's the beginning of chapter twelve - but this way, I have an excuse to post an unusually short update



ACT TWO - WiD
12. P.O.W


Kasserheul couldn't hear what the Dark Lord was saying to the troops, but he could take guesses based on their reactions to him. With a sweep of his hand, a group of men seized an unconscious Twi'lek from the ground and carried her to a transport close by. Another sweep of his hand, and he was presented with dozens of holographic reports from the soldiers of the Empire. He could hardly be seen amidst the dust and the gloom of the once well-ordered courtyard, and yet he was all that Kasserheul could look at.

I wish I could fear him, is all he thought.

He had been given a choice by the Dark Lord - serve him, or die. He had chosen to serve, for it was the logical choice. What point was there to death? It was highly unprofitable. The Benelex Bounty Hunter's Guild was all that mattered to him, and more specifically, his continued leadership of it. To die would have been to sacrifice this. And now, faced with the prospect of failing to serve the Dark Lord, death was his fate most likely.

I wish I could fear him.

For in the absence of fear, all he felt was a great sense of dissatisfaction. There would be no gain in his death. Nor would there be any mystique or grandeur. He would be known only as a failed leader. It was disappointment of the highest order. His ancestors and predecessors would have disowned him, had he not killed them for his own advancement. So much work - so many deaths. All for naught.

Fear would have been a welcome distraction from this infulfilment.

"You lead ussss to great peril, Kasssserheul," a voice hissed into his aural cavity.

Pussk, his second in command. He had not understood the arrangement from the start. He could not. He could not see the undeniable rationalism in serving the Empire - a force traditionally considered an enemy. His judgement was clouded by fear. Fear, deftly focused through anger.

"Do not begin, Pusssssk," he replied shortly.

"You leave me little choiccce," Pussk answered. "What happensssss now, when the Imperialsss decccide that you have failed them?"

Kasserheul hesitated a beat.

"I believe they sssshall kill me."

Pussk was enraged, his anger tangible in the air.

"Do you not hear thessse wordssss!" he hissed. "You believe they ssshall kill you! Thissss iss not how the Trandossshansss talk!"

"I am Trandosssshan - I talk assss I will. And you sssshall remain mute."

"You are not Trandossshan - you are no greater than Busstakka. Busstakka are you," Pussk hissed deeply.

Kasserheul felt a veiled sense of anger at this accusation - or, as much anger as he could muster within himself. Busstakka was the tale of a Trandoshan warrior who was defeated by his enemies when he surrendered in battle - an act of extreme cowardice. The word Busstakka stemmed from this tale, used as a deeply severe insult when questioning a Trandoshan's honour and fitness to call himself a warrior. Until now, Pussk had never made such biting allegations. Kasserheul constructed a reply, but never vocalised it.

For now, the Dark Lord had finished with his reports. And he was approaching.

If only I could fear him.

His words were brief.

"Skywalker was not among them, Bounty Hunter. You indicated to me that this would not be the case."

There was no painful grip of anger on his throat this time. He did not rise into the air on the fingers of hate as he had before. No voices penetrated the edge of his consciousness. These words were cold and entirely unemotional. They were statements of fact.

"The Rebellion were suitably suspicious of this meeting that they took precautions to ensure their escape. You also indicated that this would not be the case."

He had indeed indicated it would not be the case, because it had been what he believed to be the truth. But that truth was misguided, and now the conse

 

Verrrry interesting. I really like the way you wrote Kasserheul's lost emotions. I wonder, though, what Vader has planned for him - if anything. For a moment, I thought he was going to make Pussk kill Kasserheul.

An excellent little update, mjs.

 

And so Kesserheul survives Vader's wrath. He could join Piett in the club. I wonder what he'll do with the release (not much if Vader's prediction comes true).

 

Very interesting indeed! The lost emotions, Kasserheul's inability to fear - all very intriguing.

Nice little "interlude". Keep up the fantastic work, and WRITE FASTER!

 

His ancestors and predecessors would have disowned him, had he not killed them for his own advancement.

Wow, I certainly didn't expect the last half of this sentence. Did a double-take on that one. Cool line.

I thought Pussk was going to kill him at the end, too, but obviously that was wrong, so I had to modify my theory to have a different timeframe. And whatever will end up happening, yes, I think Kasserheul should be afraid.

Great interlude. Looking forward to the next update.

-Thumper

 

Oh, thanks so much everyone! I've been a baaaaaaad writer the last month or so, haven't I? Its all I can do to apologise to you all. Things have just been hectic. Not bad hectic, life has just been full

Anyway! Onto the responses to the overly-short-interlude-that-is-actually-the-opening-of-chapter-12!

Face - Ta very much! Vader is a crafty fellow, so you can bet whatever he has planned for Kasserheul will not be pretty

Forcefire - Ha, I wonder if Piett would be happy to have someone join his little club or if he's quite content to be the only one Thanks so much for reading!

'Nana - May I call you 'nana? Your pleas for me to write faster appear to have been wasted, sorry about that! But I ought to be back soon enough, and the writing process will march inexorably onward

Thumper - Haha, yeah, Kasserheul comes from a long line of family members that kill one another for advancement. It's a Trandoshan thing, I think


Thanks alot you guys!

One more apology for not being around:

Sorry!

There we go

I ought to be back here as a regular by the end of the week (or thereabouts), and might even have something to post for an update! Fingers crossed, heheh.

Until then - hope you all enjoyed RotS!

See ya'll around!

 

He has returned!

And the readers said: Huzzah!

 

Chapter Eleven: Badly Awry (2/3)
Liked Clip?s thoughts on how feeling lousy was becoming a familiar feeling. Also liked the description of his slow recovery from his shock and figuring out what was going on.

The description of the roof of the warehouse and the way the light of the Blaster fire affected the shadows was vivid.

Liked that Eva found Clip first, shows that although he is learning and trying (and would be someone you would be willing to have at your back in a fight, rather than a liability) that he still has some to learn.

Liked Clip?s thoughts on Lord Vader, and liked Vader?s attitude (both because it is very Vader and because his attitude is the sort his men could draw encouragement from).

Also liked Clips thoughts on the battle.

Poor Stormtroopers, what they need are Grenade Launchers (or something to launch those thermal detonators they carry at the small of their back) to lob some explosives onto the roof.

Liked Clips description of the Nogri and of how their arrival changed his perception of the warehouse roof.

Good tactics by the Nogri, and good reactions by Eva. I hope that Clip realises that Craft would (likely) have not managed to parry the attack had Clip not slowed the Nogri, Clip needs some confidence. Felt sorry for Clip watching the Nogri approaching and knowing his fate was out of his hands, that there was nothing he could do personally to change it.

Badly Awry (3/3)
Nice description of the surroundings Clip found himself in, made me want to go and have a drink to wash the taste of imagined smoke from my mouth. Good work by Clip on realising, even in his disorientation, who he had to blame for the change from roof to fire and smoke filled interior.

Agree that they were in even worse trouble then they were on the roof.

Felt sorry for Clip as he looked for Eva and his mind went through the possibilities.

Liked Craft ordering Clip to keep his gun out, and Clip protesting about being expected to get Craft out one handed, before Clip thinks of letting Craft hold the gun. Ironic both that it was the less combat-experienced person who had the idea and that as it turned out Clip could have kept his gun since he used a kick rather than using his hands to lift or dig.

Good review of their options by Clip. Not sure that his mind was wandering dangerously, had he been alone then it would be true but with Craft with him (watching the immediate dangers) it could count more as thinking ahead.

Poor Clip, yet again the Rebel Alliance cause him pain. They strafe him into the interior and then knock him about with the blast from the torpedo. So far the Rebels have done more damage to Clip in this fight than the Empire have.

Loved the description of the Nogri bounding towards Clip and Clip?s thoughts on this approaching fate. Liked that Clip didn?t recognise that the Nogri had been shot immediately, that it took him a few moments to put it all together. Nasty turnaround from triumph to disaster, I felt really sorry for Clip?s frantic reaction to Eva being grabbed and for his despair over what he saw as a failure.

Hopefully hunting the Rebels will keep Lord Vader busy and hopefully the fact that Lord Vader thinks she will be an interesting subject for interrogation will prevent anyone else from interrogating her in the meantime.

Act Two ? WiD. 12. P.O.W
Liked Kasserheul?s thoughts. For a Trandoshan to be thinking logically and to not even be able to feel fear when faced with Darth Vader?s imminent wrath really shows to what extent Lord Vader rebuilt his mind and turned him into little more than a tool to be used or discarded. Not even feeling anger at being called Busstakka by a subordinate only reinforces this.

Felt marginally sorry for Kasserheul when Vader was reciting the list of failures as although Kasserheul can be blamed for inadequate security it was the fault of the Imperials that Luke was not there and that the Rebels were suspicious. Of course in the Vader (or Thrawn) school of leadership even that one failure would warrant de

 

Face - Well, he's ALMOST back getting there. Save those huzzahs for the first actual post

JM - Great to see you back! Your detailed responses are always such great things to read - its great to know exactly what worked for people That in mind, Thankyou very much for the time you took to read and reply!

I am really hopeful to get an update here soon everyone Dont give up on me! hehe.

Until then!

 

Alright, here we go, here we go, here we go

Chapter twelve is set for its first update in some months, hehe. This is the first part of the chapter and there is another short section to come before we go abroad in the galaxy in chapter 13. Again, my apologies for the absence the last few months. Life is a hectic thing

OH, and one more issue:

Thankyou for the Nominations.

Working in Darkness has been nominated in a whopping THREE categories this year, and I am so grateful that even in spite of a long lull, my lovely readers think enough of the story to nominate it Again, thankyou so much guys. No qualifing category yet, but the nominations are totally reward enough The categories are:

Best Action

In a surprise move, Best Canon Interpretation for Darth Vader, and:

Best Original Character for Craft!

I'm so flattered guys - thanks a bunch


And now, enough wallowing in self congratulation Onto the update!


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

WiD - Chapter Twelve (1/2)

Clip had never done anything like it before, but emotions were running high and the damned guard was standing in his way. In hindsight, he wished he hadn?t done it. Not because the victim was now spitting traces of blood from his mouth, but because his hand now ached with the feeling of blunt contact with the guard?s jaw. The pain was nothing to him, however ? and when the two other men came forward to restrain him, he was ready to have another swing.

?Just take me to Car?Das,? he ordered in a shaky voice.

The guards of the Hutt?s Bane were not obliging. He felt powerful arms forcing him back from the furious and injured man on the ground who, if not for a second pair of burly sentries, would have been more than happy to throw a punch straight back at the much smaller Clip.

He couldn?t help but feel a little proud of himself. In fact, he had been longing to do something exactly like this ever since he had landed. That one guard represented everything he had come to hate over the course of the day. In one symbolic move, he took out his frustration over the Raging Cusper, over Eva?s capture and his own imprisonment. His one regret was that Craft was not there to see him take such an aggressive action ? but at their own mutual suggestion, he had made himself scarce around Car?Das? ship. However hard it was for Clip alone to get access to the ship, it would be harder to bring a complete stranger along for the ride.

?You got ten seconds to explain yourself, buddy,? a husky voice yelled into his ear. ?And make it good ? Murray over there don?t take kindly to scuffs.? Clip was too busy struggling against the grip of the guards to care what Murray may or may not take kindly to. This was typical. He had been through this twice already ? why would the guards not listen? Surely someone here must at least recognise him from earlier that day.

?I told you already!? Clip protested, trying to twist out of the powerful grip.

?So tell me again ? better, this time.?

?How much better can I make it?? Clip demanded. ?I work for Car?Das! I?m back from an assignment that just went straight to the hells of the Sith and I need to see him now.?

The sentries were unmoved, and only tightened their grip.

?If you work for Car?Das, where is your I.D? What?s your number??

?I don?t have one ? Eva had it! And if I don?t see Car?Das right away, then she could-?

?Eva who??

?Pah?ker, the Twi?lek who?s name I?ve been shouting for the last five minutes!?

?How do you know Eva Pah?ker?? the guards asked coldly. Clip felt frustration surge through him like electricity. It was near debilitating.

?We. Were. On. Assignment.? Clip allowed each word to be it?s own sentence. He spoke with such condescending calm that not even he could believe it was his own voice. It was as though he were still trying to fight the guards around him, though since he was physically restrained he now had to rely on his tone of voice. It would be considered as a less brutal form of assault, bu

 

Holy cow, you're alive - and not just posting on stories, but you're writing, too! Sweet!

Congrats on your nominations! I'm sure you'll qualify in at least one of them. You deserve it.

Great job with this post - I love seeing the protagonist go off and do something downright stupid like Clip's about to do. Dramatic irony is fun; it's fun to know the other side of the story that Clip's too blinded by his fear for Eva to see.

Fantastic job making Clip realistic.

Clip heard the voice of guardsman behind him. ?This guy came wandering in looking like a vagrant and biffed Murray, Mr. Car?Das.?

?Biffed him?? Car?Das repeated.

?Right in the gob,? the other guard elaborated.

?Loosely translated from Agamarian, he appears to have hit Guardsman Murray in the jaw,? Karrde offered for Car?Das.

Ah, gotta love Agamar. Nice use of a dialect to add a bit of humor to an otherwise heavy scene -

- and speaking of, you did a great job with the emotions in this scene; I almost felt as worked up as Clip until I remembered the other parts of the story, with the five steps to taking over the world and all that. Car'das's coolness contrasted with Clip's heated urgency makes for a fascinating read.

The thoughts on allegiance being false were absolutely chilling. Great job.

?Airen Cracken."

*flashback to the first story*

Oh! Yeah. That. Nice throwback.

Keep up the awesome work!

 

Hey Talkingbanana - good to be back! Alive, healthy and ready for some serious catchup work

I am so very happy you found Clip to be realistic in this post. I was worried it might have been TOO out of character for him to go around punching people, but then again, he's a bit upset at the moment

I almost felt as worked up as Clip until I remembered the other parts of the story, with the five steps to taking over the world and all that.

Anyone could be forgiven for not remembering earlier parts of the story, its been that long since I was around. Though I'm sure people will get back into the swing of things - and I agree, dramatic irony is awesome

Hmm, Clip is pretty down on allegiances at the moment. God bless that Seedy Side thread over in the resource forum for addressing this issue just recently

Haha, and yes! Your friend and mine Airen Cracken has worked his way back into the story. You've gotta be worried when the only person in the galaxy you feel you can turn to is a man you met a year ago for less than 2 hours and havent seen since...I guess Clip is counting on having made a really, really big impression back then

Thanks so much for reading and replying! And your kind words regarding noms, too

Looking forward to more nameless, too

 

An update!

Great stuff. I have to echo talkingbanana on the Agamar bit. A little light before bringing on the emotionally resonant conflicts.

Everyone was portrayed brilliantly. Clip isn?t one to biff someone in the gob like that, but the way it was done and the circumstances leading to it still fit perfectly into his character. Good job on that.

His confrontation with Car?Das was very well-executed. High tension becomes high stakes when manifested in blaster-pointing. The imagery was all fantastic ? Car?Das hesitating, Clip ordering him, finally turning around, entering the light, etc. Like watching an action holo.

?Fantastic,? Clip called on every fibre of his Corellian ancestry to inject the maximum sarcasm into that one word.

Well put.

Hmm, I wonder how it?s all going to come together now. Valis Lorn, Craft, Wedge, the Benelex Guild, and now Cracken? Can?t wait for it.

Congrats on entering the 100,000 Word Club (that?s a swell button) and, of course, the nominations!

 

Liked that Clip only regretted the pain in his hand rather than the pain in Murray?s jaw.

Also liked that Eva?s reputation is such that the idea she has been captured is laughable, even if this does make it so much harder for Clip to persuade the guards of the truth. At least the guards get to think ?Oh?Vader was there, that explains it, I suppose with enough Stormtroopers he would be able to take Eva?maybe.?

Biffed him in the gob is Agamarian dialect? Oyah! (Nods head while wearing a shirt of the sort seen on the seafront).

Liked Clip being a little incoherent in the order he mentioned things.

Felt sorry for Clip realising that he cared more about Eva having been captured than the possibility that his oldest friend (and semi-brother) had been killed.

Not surprised Clip drew his blaster, more surprised that Car?Das didn?t get a nice hole in him (though considering how many holes Clip would have got in him in return that is a very good thing). Liked the idea of drawing his blaster being an even more stupid idea than throwing thermal detonators at Lord Vader (though getting shot a lot is probably a quicker death than the Dark Lord would allow ).

Enjoyed the way Kaarde put it. ?I don?t want to kill you, but I also don?t know you well enough to stop myself.?

Also enjoyed the way that Clip turned Car?Das?s attempt to crush him with condescension back against the crimelord. Have to agree that a temper tantrum is less of a disservice than abandoning an employee/operative without the slightest attempt at assistance.

Glad that Clip has the Corellian sarcasm gene.
More glad that Kaarde is a good enough man to ignore this and try to help Clip as much as he can within the constraints of the operation.

Airen Cracken. Okay, Car?Das is forked (to quote Shatterpoint since with Cracken about there would be two threats from different directions rather than just one) as if Car?das knows the ?5 steps to overthrow a planet? then Cracken knows the ?5 steps to overthrow an attempt to overthrow a planet?.

 

Face...

haha, i try to work a bit of Agamar humour into my stories whenever possible. It appeals to my Australian sense of community rivalry...except on a galactic scale, hehe.

I'm really happy you thought everyone was in character - its hard to know what works and what doesnt when you're so close to a story. Having Clip fly off the handle and start lashing out was about the only option he had left, considering the scope of danger he'd just experienced and taking into account his tendancy to whine alot


Hmm, I wonder how it?s all going to come together now. Valis Lorn, Craft, Wedge, the Benelex Guild, and now Cracken?

Haha, I can only hope that it DOES all come together like I've envisaged. Fingers crossed, eh

And thankyou for the congratulations While I'm on it, congratulations yourself for all the noms you've recieved! More on that at the next GN update


JM

Heheh, I figure that Eva would have made a name for herself after a year working with Car'Das. You've gotta forgive the guards for thinking "Well, I suppose if she was asleep, and feeling really Ill, and was wearing shock-binders...then maybe Darth Vader could catch her unawares."


Felt sorry for Clip realising that he cared more about Eva having been captured than the possibility that his oldest friend (and semi-brother) had been killed.

Haha, I realised as I was writing this that although it was natural for Clip to prioritise people in his brain, he'd still be pretty shook up that Wedge had been 'killed'. That was my valiant attempt to keep motives balanced lol.


Enjoyed the way Kaarde put it. ?I don?t want to kill you, but I also don?t know you well enough to stop myself.?

Hah, writing dialogue for Karrde can be so daunting seeing as Zahn styled him so particularly. I basically envisage what a very proper english gentleman would say and then overlay it with a Corellian accent, which forces me to change some of the words around. The end result is something that resembles Karrde speak


Also enjoyed the way that Clip turned Car?Das?s attempt to crush him with condescension back against the crimelord.

It kind of represents a bit of a change in Clip - one that will develop over the next few chapters. Wont say anything more, except that I hope you'll stick around to check it out

Airen Cracken. Okay, Car?Das is forked (to quote Shatterpoint since with Cracken about there would be two threats from different directions rather than just one) as if Car?das knows the ?5 steps to overthrow a planet? then Cracken knows the ?5 steps to overthrow an attempt to overthrow a planet?.

Haha, thats a great way to describe Cracken Cracken, a man with a traditional distrust of bounty hunters and smugglers. Car'Das, and indeed everyone else, certainly have their work cut out for them now. Way to stir up chaos, Clip




Thanks both of you for taking the time to read and reply!

And as a further little announcement, I'm overwhelmed to report that enough people have nominated WiD for 'Best Action' that it has now qualified for the awards! Thankyou very much to everyone that voted the story through - this is a first for me so with that in mind, I guess I need to find out what happens now

Thankyou readers you make writing worth it.

 

Atta boy, Clip! Biff 'im!

Mind you, IRL I'm a very nonviolent person...but when I read this update, that was my very first reaction. With all that Clip has been through in the story to this point, I think it's perfectly understandable that he flew off the handle here.


?Argentsson ? you look quite awful,? Karrde greeted him with a polite nod and a grin.

I liked this line. It also serves as a good reminder about how much happened to Clip during the warehouse fight and how he must look (and feel) as a result.

Poor Clip keeps running into so many walls. Maybe his next ship should be a blockade runner to help with that.

It was sad to see Clip feel worse when he remembered Wedge's predicament and the subsequent "prioritizing," but that was a natural thing to have happened. Even if he'd remembered about Wedge before he left the warehouse district, he couldn't go after both of them at once so he still would have had to choose.


He had already drawn his blaster.

Is this the same one that Car'Das had given him? I'll have to go back and check that...ironic if it is.

And yeah, definitely not the smartest move, but again, understandable given the situation.


He had stopped in his tracks some fifty metres away, and was turning to face the chaotic scene with the most expressionless interpretation of anger Clip had ever observed.

This was a cool image.


Sentient beings weren?t numbers on a piece of paper.

Great line. It also goes back to Clip's dislike of treating people like statistics.


What a bulk freighter full of Sithspit.

That's a great expression!


But listen carefully now ? in a very short time, the name Valis Lorn will be all over Andasala. A very smart man will stay well out of his way.

Hmmm...this defintely sounds important. But why do I get the feeling that Clip is going to find himself directly in Lorn's way too?

Okay, I'd better wrap up this reply now. Great job! Looking forward to the next installment!

And congrats on the noms!

Oyah.



-Thumper

 

I can understand how Clip feels - he wants to safe Eva and he wants help to do it. He thinks that her employer would help and then when they don't he gets angry. It makes sense that Cardas can't really do anything. He's looking at the big picture. It's not logical to risk several for just one. She knew the risks, but Clip can't accept that. I'm glad that Karrde at least told him that he'd help if he could.

 

Hey Thumper!

I'm very happy that Clip has maintained his believability It was new territory as far as his character was concerned - so thanks very much for the reassurance hehe.


I liked this line. It also serves as a good reminder about how much happened to Clip during the warehouse fight and how he must look (and feel) as a result.

Haha, I realised as I was writing that Clip is missing two sleeves and must be covered in both dust (from the building collapse) AND grease (from crawling throw those tunnels). Karrde always struck me as the kind of person who would notice these things first


Is this the same one that Car'Das had given him?

Haha, almost - it's his own blaster, but Car'Das provided the recharge packs that the Imperials confiscated, hehe. So I guess it's half-ironic

Hmmm...this defintely sounds important. But why do I get the feeling that Clip is going to find himself directly in Lorn's way too?

Haha, I have no idea



Thanks for reading Thumper - and I'm sorry for the delays


Hiya Rebelmom!

You summed up the whole situation perfectly - Car'Das the business man can't dedicate himself to a rescue operation and Clip in his desperation wont accept anything but. So many different points of view flying around the place! lol - I hope I can keep up with them all in future chapters

Thankyou so much for reading and replying - especially after the little hiatus the story recently went through! It is greatly appreciated

 

What's This? An Update?

Hehehe - the conclusion to chapter 12. Not the most exciting of chapters, but essential to the plot of course. Hope you enjoy it!




WiD - Chapter 12 - P.O.W (2/2)
****


Kasserheul had spent not twenty minutes overseeing his clean-up operation when he was rudely interrupted by one of his subordinates - an irritation of the highest order. It was bad enough that he had to deal with the Imperial search craft screaming through their district - impossible enough that at every turn, a new contingent of Stormtroopers waited to hinder their work - without distractions from within his own ranks.

"What isss it, underling?"

The Rodian bounty hunter looked affronted at being referred to as an 'underling', but Kasserheul ignored it. "Leader, we have received a transmission."

Kasserheul snorted sharply. "And why doess thisss concccern me?"

"It is an urgent transmission, Leader. Pussk has requested you to see to it."

"What Pussssk wishess isss of no conssequenccce. I am occupied here," Kasserheul answered simply. It was succinctly put, and very true - the process of sifting through the rubble of a dozen or more demolished warehouses for what equipment could be salvaged required his supervision. His subordinates were not of sufficient skill to identify what could be discarded and what could not.

"Please, leader - Pussk says it presents you with an opportunity. Presents the Guild with an opportunity."

Kasserheul snorted once more, this time more savagely. Frustration welled through him in such amounts that he had not known since his encounter with the dark lord of the Sith. It was inexplicably strong, given that even before the incident he was not prone to bouts of frustration. Anger, yes - but not frustration. Frustration was not the way of the Trandoshan.

"Very well," he agreed reluctantly. "Continue to work."

More Stormtroopers flashed before him as he made his way from the ruined courtyard to the still untouched command centre. Armoured vehicles - he had heard them referred to as Chariots - buzzed between waypoints, presumably searching for the band of rebellion that had escaped their clutches.

Escaped Vader's clutches.

Vader was angry with him, of that he was certain. What he could not ascertain was why he had not been punished. Perhaps the Sith was planning something of a larger scale for him - something more public. Or perhaps they were still of some use, albeit a diminished one. He reviewed these scenarios with a fair degree of apathy, for the option of being afraid was not available. Whatever the case may be, the Benelex Bounty Hunters were in for trouble in the near future.

What they really needed...was an ally.

"Kassssserhuel," Pussk greeted him coldly at the entrance to the communications centre. "Today, you are mossst...fortunate."

"What of thisss transssmisssion, Pussssk?" Kasserheul demanded. The inferior Trandoshan curled his mouth into a wicked smile, and pointed lazily to the main receiver.

"Today, you are mossst fortunate - for you have a chanccce to ressstore the honour of the Benelex Bounty Hunterssss. He issss waiting to talk to you."

"Who isss waiting?" Kasserheul inquired.

Pussk's smile grew larger.

"The human called Valissss Lorn."



***********


It was a surprisingly short time before the Hutt's Bane lifted majestically out of the landing pit, and soon all that could be seen of it were the cluster of ion engines burning bright blue against the blackened sky. Clip stood at one of the more inconspicuous exits of the Spaceport, trying his best to avoid the looks from passers-by to whom he must have looked like hell.

That was it.

Car'Das was gone. His list of allies was, suddenly, ridiculously short. He sighed heavily, which in turn set his still clogged throat into a coughing fit. Doubled over in a doorway, coughing up dust and debris, cold, sleeveless and covered in grease - he had reached an all time low.

And yet, he'd never felt such a sense of purpose.

With a few

 

Yay, an update! And whaddya know, it's been less than a month.

"Today, you are mossst fortunate - for you have a chanccce to ressstore the honour of the Benelex Bounty Hunterssss. He issss waiting to talk to you."

"Who isss waiting?" Kasserheul inquired.

Pussk's smile grew larger.

"The human called Valissss Lorn."

*cheers* YES! The five-point plan for taking over the planet is kicking into full gear! 'Course, that's probably bad news for Clip, because he'll get stuck right in the middle of it all no doubt, but at least it'll be a good read for me.

The gaze of the pedestrians followed him as he left the lit roadways surrounding the spaceport, drawing whispered comments about his physical state. The homeless and uncontrollably drunk were not an uncommon sight on Andasala - he must have looked especially decrepit if people found him to be a talking point.

I really liked the detail here; I like that Clip isn't some magical superhero movie star who gets beaten to a pulp in one scene and is magically all cleaned up in the next. Good job portraying his . . . humanity, I guess, for lack of a better word. Makes 'im real.

If there were any trouble here, he wanted to make damn sure it started and ended with him.

*snickers* Good line.

Loved Craft's entrance, as usual. *is looking forward to the forthcoming fic where he and Eva meet Alias and Messuni with great anticipation*

If anyone could tell him what had happened to her, they could.

The Benelex Bounty Hunters.

Ooooooh, yeah, Clip's going to end up in the middle of something big. Again. Things would go so much better for him if he would just sit at home, drink that blue drink from the bar, and watch everything unfold on the HoloNet.

"Why can't we ever meet under normal circumstances?"

"Normal is for losers, Clip. You're with the in-crowd now."

"I'm thrilled, really - but you wanna stop hugging me now?" Clip asked.

Craft immediately released him, smirking broadly. "Okay, but you know I'm always here for you."

That's great.

Interesting detail with Craft's arm. There's much more to ol' Craft than meets the eye - he's very crafty! Oh, I crack myself up.

Looking forward to the next post!

 

Hey 'Naner! (I believe in Australian English this is how we'd spell the shortened version of Banana...someone let me know if I'm wrong )

My new rule is to try and update at LEAST once a month heheh.

Yes, the 5-point plan is getting underway Things are heating up on Andasala, hehe.

I really liked the detail here; I like that Clip isn't some magical superhero movie star who gets beaten to a pulp in one scene and is magically all cleaned up in the next.

Haha, I nearly fell into that trap actually I forgot that he's missing both sleeves, is covered in rubble and grease, and is most likely feeling a little disoriented from so many explosions, hehe. I wrote that part in draft two, after re-reading chapter eleven. Glad it was worth the effort


Loved Craft's entrance, as usual. *is looking forward to the forthcoming fic where he and Eva meet Alias and Messuni with great anticipation*

Haha, surely not as much as I am?


Interesting detail with Craft's arm. There's much more to ol' Craft than meets the eye - he's very crafty!

hahaha, I'm glad someone got that quip out of the way Thanks for being the brave one, 'Naner! As for there being more to Craft than meets the eye - there may or may not be a major subplot built around that very idea

Thanks for reading and replying once again! And congratulations so much on your qualifying nominations in the awards

 

Must be irritating having Stormtroopers getting in the way. Could be worse, they could have secured the area as a ?crime scene? (and done a little looting themselves, as I?m sure that they can tell what the good stuff is).

When I read Pussk says it presents you with an opportunity I thought the opportunity was going to be for Kasserheul to die.

Good work by Valis Lorn ton contact the Benelex just when Kasseheul was thinking they would need an ally. Either Lorn is lucky, or he?s well informed, and either is bad news for his opponents.

Like the touch of Clip looking so bad that even people used to battered and tattered vagrants found him a remarkable sight.

Also like that Clip has faith in Craft. And that the shifting light brought back the memory and instincts of the warehouse fight.

Can?t disagree with Clip?s analysis.

Good reactions by Clip, not his fault that Craft is quite so highly skilled. I don?t think Clip realises just how good he is, with Eva and Craft to compare himself with he?s got a bit of an inferiority complex. 9 out of 10 people he?d have managed to shoot, it?s just that he?s hanging around with the 1s the whole time.

Liked Craft?s reaction to ?I could have shot you?

Poor Clip, he?d given things some thought but Craft had anticipated him. Craft possibly realised that it was worthless to expect Car?das to do anything other than protect his own interests, and so had been able to move on to the next stage of thinking that much quicker.

Like that Clip is beyond worrying about trying to avoid traps, now he just wants to try to avoid running out of blaster power before he runs out of targets.

 

Not good. Valis Lorn and the Benelex in cahoots? And how fun is that word - cahoots? Very. Cahoots cahoots cahoots.

It?s good to see Clip so focused, even if his energies are quite negative toward? okay, pretty much everything.

"Normal is for losers, Clip. You're with the in-crowd now."

"I'm thrilled, really - but you wanna stop hugging me now?" Clip asked.

Craft immediately released him, smirking broadly. "Okay, but you know I'm always here for you."

"Oh, shut up."

I must echo talkingbanana. I really dig this little exchange, especially ?normal is for losers.? A very telling POV delivered in an entertaining way.

Craft knows this Pussk? Benelex Trandoshan #2 is a more important character than I previously assumed, it seems. This only reinforces my belief that Clip will, of course, end up very much in Valis Lorn?s way. Ain?t that the way it goes?

I also anticipate the crossover. I?ll PM you some time later this week, mjs, to hopefully get a little insight into Craft and Eva.

An excellent chapter, mjs. Even though nothing exploded, you presented the exposition masterfully.

 

Great post! I can't really add anything to what's already been mentioned by everyone else, so this'll be relatively brief. Though you did get me thinking on that "possible major subplot with Craft" mention...

He had no time for emotion any more. Well, detrimental emotion at least. Anger, hatred and recklessness he had plenty of time for.

Because anger, hatred and recklessness aren't detrimental at all. Loved that part.


"Craft! I could have shot you."
"Oh you could, huh?" the Nautolan asked, a knowing smile spreading across his features.

hee hee, another great part.

And you get yet another vote for the classic-ness of the "in-crowd" line. Y'know, it's a good thing I'm used to stifling laughter while at work.

The Benelex meeting should be interesting. Not only does it provide a chance for Clip and Craft to potentially get thrown in the middle of whatever will happen with Lorn, but it also may answer some questions for me, such as, "How in the world does Clip expect to convince the Benelex Guild to help them or even give them information?" And when I say "interesting" here, let me offer a quote to give it some context:

'Things could get interesting.'
"Define 'interesting'."
"'God, oh God, we're all gonna die'?" -Wash, Mal, Serenity

Okay, enough with my Firefly spazzing.

Excellent post as usual, MJS. Looking forward to the next chapter! At least once a month, huh? *marks calendar* j/k

-Thumper