OOC: Looong combo with J-L and the GM

IC: Pascale, Feyna, Rene, and Marcus
Aboard the Fortuna, Coruscant, then Kaikielius, then Eclipse station

It had only been days since Recee. Since they had successfully managed to secure the base from Peace Brigade scumbags.

Thankfully with no injuries this time.

But not long after he and Feyna departed, Recee fell. The Vong were pushing hard towards the Core. There were rumours that Coruscant could be next. Pascale tried to keep Fortuna out of the way of the advance.

But the news Pascale was dreading came. Coruscant was falling. And Rene and Marcus were there. Had they not been able to get a comm out?

Now Pascale was conflicted. Go and save Rene? Or walk away and leave him to uncertain fate? Both he and Feyna would have to come to a decision.

He was trying to process the news his hand over his mouth. All those civilians dying. All because the New Republic failed. It was like Commenor all over again.

He looked at his wife, sadness in his face. How did she feel?

Feyna reached for her husband's hand, trying to wrap her head around it all.

The New Republic had failed, and Coruscant had fallen.

Hundreds of billions dead.

And there'd been no word from Pascale's brother; Rene and his partner had been living on the capital since Commenor. We told them to get out if it got bad.They said they'd leave the moment the war started up again.

Her eyes met Pascale's. "What do you want to do?"

Going to Coruscant to look for them was to go into a war zone on what might amount to a fruitless suicide mission.

She could try Drayson, but she didn't know if he was still at Chandrila, if he would have any useful Intel for them, if he was even still alive...

But walking away, leaving Rene and Marcus for dead, meant living with the guilt and a 'what-if' for the rest of their lives.

Pascale took Feyna's hand and squeezed it in thanks, with his other arm he wrapped it around Feyna's shoulders as much to support her as she was supporting him.

"I'm conflicted" he said simply "In my head I know that going into Coruscant is dangerous, potentially fatal. That Rene and Marcus maybe did get out, or maybe they didn't. That we could die trying to save them".

"But my heart says we should go and help, do at least something good in all this mess. He is my brother after all, my only living relative left. To walk away would mean leaving him to an uncertain fate".

"Do I want to live with that for the rest of our lives? To have that cast a constant shadow?" Pascale shook his head.

"What are your thoughts cheri?"

Feyna gave him a slow nod. "I'm having the same conflict. I know that it's dangerous, but...he's family. We shouldn't abandon family. And I don't want that shadow on my conscience forever, either. I still feel guilty that we didn't try harder to make your parents come with us when we left Commenor."

She didn't say it out loud, but she suspected he felt that way, too.

"We could try to comm Drayson...we haven't heard from him in a while, I don't know if he'd have any info, or if he's even..." She didn't finish the sentence. "But he might have something, which would be better than going in with nothing."

Pascale squeezed his wife's hand again, he knew how much Drayson meant to her.

"My parents made thier choice, they wanted to stay behind. We did what we could do but….I feel the same guilt as you do" he kissed her cheek.

"Drayson is a survivor, he showed me that when me and him were stranded on Taris. Hopefully he has kept out of the way, and if he has some information about Coruscant it may help us with an insertion".

"I expect we will be dodging fire like we did on Commenor but if we can get in and out with minimal damage I will call that a win".

He nodded "Give him a call".

Feyna nodded back and got out her comlink, and dialed Hiram's code.

But he didn’t reply.

The HoloNet was perfectly functional, but nobody was free to answer - the Core was simply besieged. With the military having abandoned hundreds of worlds to defend Coruscant -

It was a free-for-all.

Pascale blew out a breath "That is not good at all" he squeezed both his wife's hand and shoulder "I'm sure he's fine".

"I suppose we will have to go and hope for the best. But I don't like going in blind…."

"I don't, either," Feyna agreed. Drayson not answering was unsettling, but hopefully he was just busy.

"But I don't think we have any other options."

Pascale stood up removing his arm from Feyna's shoulders but still holding her hand.

"Well let's just hope we get in and out in one piece. And that my brother and Marcus are somewhere in that chaos".

"I will be so glad when this war is over. Then we can do what we should've been doing before this all started. Finding your father, planning our future, starting our family".

"After this war is over I will definitely be retiring. No more jumping into war zones".

"I can definitely agree with that," Feyna replied, with another nod.

"Let's make sure all the ship systems are at one-hundred-percent, then we'll get going?"

The sooner they got there, the sooner they could get out.

Pascale smiled "Yes ma'am" he said with a wink before heading to the cockpit.

Strapping himself in, he did a final systems check before inputting the coordinates to Coruscant.

"Well let's see if our new upgrades and other bits and pieces work".

Hold on brother, Marcus we are coming for you…

He pulled the hyperdrive lever and off they went.

Pascale had a worried expression on his face.

They made it to Coruscant to see a a world besieged. Coral dropships were everywhere, mountainous ships smothering buildings and concealed turbolaser emplacements. Air superiority V-wings were winning out against coralskippers, but the enemy numbers were the key factor.

Some twenty thousand Yuuzhan Vong ships were spreading out across the surface, expanding an area of control that began in the Senate district. The two immense data towers were gone, seemingly destroyed, as was a sizeable wing to the former Imperial Palace too. The government had clearly been crushed, regardless of the hundreds of battles occurring across the world.

A five thousand strong New Republic Fleet held at the edge of the envelope, holding its own but struggling to do much. Ships were fleeing up the well, and even as they arrived, warships were abandoning the battle en masse. Worse, a Yuuzhan Vong worldship had arrived to support the conquest… and then a second one.

They didn’t have much time to reach out for Rene and hope that they’d survived.

Pascale let out a surprised curse as they exited hyperspace. The Vong had decided to unleash all hell on Coruscant. And the New Republic well what was left of it was running away with it's tail between it's legs.

Time to go in. And hope they got back out.

"Weapons control is yours" he said simply, arming the torpedo launcher and the laser cannon "Shields up, gravitic signature online. Comm system active to all channels, just in case they do try and contact us".

He took a deep breath, let it out. Reached for his wife's hand and quickly squeezed it. They would have to work as a team to get through this.

Placing his hand back on the throttle he said Commencing dive...now".

He turned the yacht towards Coruscant and hammered the throttle and stick forward to dive straight down.

Despite knowing full well what they were headed into, even though she'd been at Commenor, and Dantooine, and so many other battles before--Feyna was still left in shock at the sight of Coruscant under siege.

There actually was a New Republic fleet here, but it might as well not be, for all the good it was doing. Most ships were just trying to get out. And there were not one, but two Vong worldships in orbit.

Get in, get Rene and Marcus, get out.

Feyna strapped in and braced herself as the Fortuna dove for the surface, nodding acknowledgement as Pascale confirmed that comms were open, shields were up, and weapons were armed. Feyna took the controls for the laser cannon--she wanted to try to save their torpedoes until the run out, if she could--ready to blast any Vong out of their way.

The planet was a hellhole. Buildings were melting under a fireball onslaught… civilian ships were being drawn into slave-ships arms… monstrous creations were being unleashed… and slave armies were being sent into the depths.

They weren’t even being targeted, there was so much errant turbolaser and plasma fire that their yacht took two grazing hits from each as they made their way down.

But where to look?

There was but one signal in a hundred billion they knew. It told them where Rene was… or at very least where his comlink was… within a skyscraper that was already half-damaged, a mountain of a drop-ship above it - fire jellies had been dropped and burned the New Republic troops on the roof, and rappel lines were allowing Yuuzhan Vong warriors to descend -

And there were a dozen coralskippers keeping a watchful eye on the situation.

No, wait, half teased off to fend off four V-wings -

Pascale was watching it all with a sense of deja vu. This was like Commenor all over again except the fleet was bigger. And he was watching the destruction unfold in front of him this time.

Focus Pascale. Feyna is here with you. Keep going…

Fortuna took teo hits and Pascale watched as his shields dropped a few percentage points. They had to hurry it up.

Rene's comlink had been found, he just had to hope he and Marcus were there. But there was a big problem, there was a massive dropship there and fighters, only half now since some V wings took their attention.

Pascale swore again "Looks like we have a double problem, we'll need to get both the dropship and the fighters out of the way in order to take a closer look".

"Those coralskippers will probably see us first. Any chance we could take out that dropship with a torpedo?"

Pascale moved the yacht closer.

Feyna frowned; how were they going to get Rene and Marcus out of there?

"We'll see," she said, aiming the cannon at the drop ship and jamming down the trigger.

"I might use just one, if I have to."

Maybe if some of the Republic fighters saw them targeting the drop ship, they might join in...

Feyna didn't get her hopes up, though.

The laser fire was intercepted by a dovin basil, and the coralskippers sent three their way. Otherwise Yuuzhan Vong warriors began to secure the roof and filter into the building -

For now, nobody was coming to help…

Pascale nearly cursed again, the Vong were now entering the building and three coralskippers were heading their way.

"Definitely going to need that torpedo cheri, we've got company coming".

He began to juke and jink on the approach so the fighters would hopefully miss.

Feyna scowled as her laser blasts were intercepted, but switched over to the torpedo launcher, aimed for the drop ship--wait for just the right shot--

And fired.

The juking meant her laser shots stitched an erratic stream of damage that a plaque of dovin basils appeared to consume, allowing the torpedo to arc in perfectly between and explode - a vomit of liquefied coral appearing from the side of the small mountain.

The drop-ship began to veer away, leaving only a few dozen Yuuzhan Vong behind and the coralskippers took advantage to knock out their shields -

Pascale snarled. Shields down but now the coralskippers had basically stripped Fortuna of it's shields.

"Good shooting on the drop ship however we cannot take any more hits. Our shields are down and if we get anymore damage...let's just say we won't be making it out in one piece…"

He stopped juking and jinking so his wife could try and get a clear shot.

"All yours my dear".

Feyna muttered a curse under her breath; how they were going to get out with no shields...

She armed one more torpedo for good measure, determined to save the rest, and fired, then hopped back to shower the Vong with laser fire from the cannon.

The torpedo slid into the hole in the drop-ships side, causing a gout to turn into a spray, hitting the coralskippers and meaning her well placed shots took them out while they were busy compensating to the damage.

The drop-ship went down, slamming into the tower as it went, ripping open an immense rent and causing it to wobble precariously. A few people even toppled from the windows of the skyscraper, but there remained at least half a dozen Yuuzhan Vong on the roof, flinging thud bugs at the approaching yacht.

Closer, and with sensors able to focus rather than track variables, it became apparent that the trace was lower down the tower, but of course it was on the same side as the way it was tipping -

Pascale was about to congratulate his wife on some good shooting once again when he saw bodies tumbling out after the dropship smacked into the bulding.

He quickly reached across and squeezed Feyna's hand. "That wasn't your fault" he softly said.

"Rene's signal is coming from a lower level, with it tipping i'll have to open the ramp and hold her steady. Maybe perhaps you could go to the ramp and offer assistance? Or I can go and you can pilot".

He began to quickly lower the yacht down, with no enemy ships about they had to be quick before the building toppled.

Feyna squeezed back, trying to take his words to heart, that it wasn't her fault.

"I'll go to the ramp," she said. "But we've got to hurry."

The ramp protruded to the window, which was already cracked and exposed to the elements, but nobody was coming to the it. There was flame in another room of the apartment, blocking that window.

But they just couldn’t see in.

Feyna--wary of the Vong scaling the building and thus with blaster in hand, called back to the cockpit, "I'm going to have to go in!"

She used the butt of the blaster to strike against the cracked window, to break in.

"Be careful cheri" Pascale called back "Please get back safetly. If it gets too dangerous, get back on board".

His heart lept in his throat. Feyna could handle herself but it looked bad in there.

Hurry back...he tried to focus on keeping Fortuna stable.

The window gave way and she was in - the kitchen, it looked?

The sensors of the Fortuna complained - a coral blastboat analog was heading towards them and had a pair of coralskippers as an escort. Heavily armed and armoured, a blastboat was also small enough to be quite nimble, so it was aptly nicknamed a hunter-killerby most who saw one.

The apartment was swaddled in smoke, even though the central lounge was the only room aflame.

But what that did do was cut off the bedrooms.

"Is someone there?" A voice called out.

"We're trapped!" Another voice.

Over the crackle of the burning plasteel it was clearly the two of them - Rene and his partner.

They were here!

"Rene! Marcus! I'm coming!"

Feyna pulled the collar of her shirt up over her nose and mouth to filter out at least some of the smoke and headed into the apartment, toward their voices.

Pascale couldn't talk to Feyna and now there was another big problem. A blastboat and two coralskippers. And Fortuna was shieldless.

Come on, get back...please.

He switched weapons control over to himself, activated the trigger on his stick and fired the cannon.

That should keep them occupied.

It did not so much as keep them busy as enable them to pinpoint his exact location all the quicker. The Hunter-killer shifted and rushed to close into weapons range, the coralskippers pacing it and using the slower approach to protect the blastboat all the better -

“Marcus is trapped!” Rene called out as Feyna made it into the room. His leg was indeed caught beneath a chunk of the ceiling, thankfully not a supporting strut. “It happened when the building tipped -“

“Just leave without me,” Marcus bit. “Can’t you hear that?”

Indeed, there was a noise - alien guttural speech. Yuuzhan Vong, in the hallways!

Feyna ignored Marcus's insisting. She slung her blaster's strap over her shoulder and went to grasp the edge of the ceiling fragment. "Together," she told Rene. "We've got to do this fast, though."

Pascale knew Feyna would have to hurry now, the sooner she and the others got aboard the better.

Or there would be no ship to come back to, and he would most likely be dead.

He loosed a torpedo off following up with the cannon. The other option would be to take off and possibly come back around. But there would be no gurantee he would not be chased or more ships on the way.

I'm not leaving her...

Marcus and Rene pushed from their respective angles, Marcus crying out loudly. Rene reached for his mouth to cover it the moment he could, as the ceiling was pushed aside. The door to the apartment began to bang loudly, as the Yuuzhan Vong tried to break in -

The dovin basils gobbled up the laser fire and the torpedo, because the enemy was heading forward and Pascale was stationary. A plasma ball was lobbed -

And it hit the building!

Pascale watched with dread as the ships kept on coming. And what was worse was that they were now hitting the building.

The building did not have long, neither did Pascale. If the ships continued towards him they would overwhelm the yacht. If they continued hitting the building it would collapse with his wife, brother and Marcus in it.

If he moved away they would die, if he stayed they would probbably all die. Or maybe get out of this. Pascale hoped it was the latter.

Come on, please. I can't stay here much longer...

Feyna reached to help Marcus up as they all managed to get the ceiling off of him, jumping slightly at the sound of the Vong out in the hall. "I came in through the kitchen window," she told her brother-in-law, voice low. She readied her blaster again just in case, as they felt the building sway and the front door banged again. "Let's go."

They were nearly to the window when the door caved in, a pair of Yuuzhan Vong warriors bundling in.

"Just leave me," Marcus hissed, demanding.

Worse, the hunter-killer fired a magma missile that was on-target - it slammed into the side of the Fortuna, and began to bury in -

Oh no…

Fortuna had taken a hit, a magma missile had gone into her side and was causing damage.

Pascale tried to keep the ship steady so the others could get back in. But if he took another hit either Fortuna would be severely damaged. Or he would have to move before the next hit came.

He waited for the moment.

"We're almost there," Feyna said, again paying no mind to Marcus's demands and continuing toward the ramp. "Pascale, we're coming!" Hopefully he could hear her...

The Vong were inside the apartment, two of them. "Get him on the ramp," she told Rene, stepping over to cover him and Marcus, firing at the Vong. She didn't care if she actually managed to kill them or not, she just had to hold them off until all three of them were on the ramp.

They just needed to get on the ramp...

They made it!

The Yuuzhan Vong took the shots in their armour, one lobbing a razor bug -

The Hunter-killer fired again, a full plasma ball, large enough to rip the rear off the yacht -

Feyna hopped onto the ramp, helping Marcus further into the ship, pausing to fire back at the Vong again. "We're in, go!" she shouted up to the cockpit, reaching to slam the control to close the ramp.


Pascale did not have to be told twice.

He shifted the ship to the side so the plasma ball would hopefully miss then tipped the nose of Fortuna up. "Hold on to something!" Pascale called before hammering the throttle and stick forward to shoot the ship up.

As soon as he was free of the gravity well he would jump to hyperspace, where he difd not know.

"Anyone hurt?" he called backwards.

The ship shot up and found the gravity well of Coruscant deeper than before; the Yuuzhan Vong presence no doubt.

The ramp was retracted of course but the coralskippers were in pursuit, chasing them up the well.

The two Worldships came three, and they reached for one of Coruscants moons with their immense dovin basils -

And shattered it.

Just like that.

The New Republic fleet had vanished; fled, undoubtedly, but there were hundreds of thousands still fighting from the rooftops, damaged snubfighters, crippled cruisers and frigates. The Yuuzhan Vong were irresistible. Completely and utterly. The gravity well was deeper than ever -

They'd be caught in its well long enough for an immense battleship analog to reach out a capture tentacle at them -

Rene suddenly screamed out. Marcus was holding his stomach - the razor bug, it'd caught his gut. "Why didn't you say anything!"

"Didn't want Pascale to... stop..."

Feyna grabbed the medkit and handed it to Rene as she helped Marcus to a chair--she wasn't sure if they could do very much, she couldn't see how bad the wound was; she didn't know if they could get him somewhere fast enough, or even where they could go.

She called up to Pascale again. "Marcus got cut by a razor bug--do you need my help up there?" There was an awful sound, like an explosion...what the hell was that?

Well that's quite something...Pascale thought as he saw Coruscant's moons shatter.

Coralskippers were chasing them and the gravity well was getting depper. He had to keep away from that fleet and try and find maybe a gap or escape deeper into space. He kept the throttle pushed to full.

Seeing a tentacle shooting towards Fortuna he tilted to the side so that it would hopefully miss and continued full throttle towards deep space.

He heard Marcus scream and he winced, Feyna confirming that he was badly injured. Marcus...would Rene blame him and Feyna if he did die?

"If you can help Marcus stay where you are, if not….I may need you back on weapons control just in case".

Rene took off his outer shirt and placed it on the wound. "We need to find somewhere to put down, to get him to a med-droid."

"No," Marcus said, angrily. "We need to go. Feyna, go. If we get shot down, then I don't get to live anyway."

The coralskippers behind Pascale were fast, and in space were even faster.

More plasma spat, clipping the hull, which was already weakened because of the magma missile that had bored a hole in it -

Pascale began to juke and jink again to try and stop more hits. Any more hits the armour on the hull would be gone.

"Definitely need you cheri!" Pascale called "Need you on the cannon to keep those coralskippers busy!".

Feyna nodded and left Rene to tend to Marcus, rushing back to the cockpit and taking over the guns again. She gave Pascale's shoulder a squeeze as she sat down.

It was a mess out there--now there were three worldships.

"We need to get out-system, but we'll need to get Marcus to a medic--somewhere," she told her husband. "He's cut pretty bad, and he was trapped under part of the ceiling when I found them, so his leg is probably broken, too."

She opened fire on the nearest coralskipper, and went to arm another torpedo--how many did they have left?


They had none left.

The coralskippers shifted their dovin basils to defense and lost speed for it; they had breathing space, at least!

Rene managed to get Marcus up and to the cockpit.

In-front of their screen, a pair of corvette analogs began to sweep around to block their path -

As the moon came apart into more and more pieces.

There were thousands of wrecks in orbit, as well as dozens of slagged Golan battle stations, plenty of fodder, but it wasn't in-front of them to use to dodge, it was mostly behind them.

All that was nearby was the rapidly expanding moon, surrounded by three worldships that weren't much smaller than it as a miniature asteroid belt was formed -

Rene released a breath. "I can't see a way out of this."

Pascale nodded and smiled at his wife as she sat back in the copilots position but Marcus's news wiped it off again.

Looking in front, not good "I did not come here so I could die today. We are getting out of here one way or the other".

He looked at Feyna "Well we could go for that asteroid belt forming or we could go back and use the debris. Not a lot of options".

No torpedoes left, so Feyna kept up a steady spray of cannon fire. The coral skippers couldn't maintain higher speeds while in defense mode, so they were starting to fall behind.

"I'd rather take our chances through the asteroids. As least we'd be moving more out, as opposed to back in."

Pascale nodded "Then towards the asteroids we go" he looked to his brother and Marcus "Strap yourselves in the common room, we are about to have a rough ride".

He gunned Fortuna towards the asteroids "Cheri if you would'nt mind keeping those coral skippers busy that would be grand. Might have a problem with those corvettes and worldships but we'll just have to wing it".

He smiled at her "Just like old times eh?"

Feyna let out a sarcastic chuckle, raising an eyebrow at her husband as she continued firing. "Not quite the sort of 'old times' I care to relive, I think," she teased back.

Their progress was swift, especially as the coralskippers that were chasing them had shielding that drew the debris towards them! In short succession the two were destroyed, but that simply cleared the corvette analogs to lace the debris field with plasma fire -

But even then, the yacht was small enough to make all manner of progress in the asteroid field, which hadn’t yet broken into smaller pieces. Yes, the the hull was rattled, but never breached. In a few minutes they were nearly halfway through when their sensors identified other refugee ships following them -

And a knot of coralskippers belatedly rushing around the moon’s debris field for the jump point -

Too late!

They were out, and through, and they could jump! The nearest coralskippers desperately belched a stream of plasma balls at maximum range -

Pascale couldn't believe that he and his wife were leading a refugee convoy out of the system. Those few that had survived would now have to go on the run.

So would they.

There was nowhere else to go to in the galaxy apart from the Deep Core. The rest was too dangerous. And with Marcus as he was…he had no other choice.

He entered coordinates and jumped Fortuna into hyperspace. Pascale just had to hope it was fast enough.

He unbuckled himself from his seat and stood up wipinvg the sweat from his forehead. Turning he placed his hand on Feyna's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he said softly.


Feyna nodded, reaching up to squeeze his hand. "Yeah, I'm okay."

She glanced back toward the common area. They should probably check to make sure that Marcus was stable, at least. "Where do we go now?"

Her brow furrowed, worried.

"There's not many places to go i'm afraid cheri" Pascale responded keeping hold of her hand "The Deep Core will have to do for now. The Vong have'nt covered much here".

"Let's go and see my brother and Marcus first, make sure Marcus is alright then get them settled in. They might be with us until we can get somewhere to drop them off."

They decanted from hyperspace at the very edge of the Deep Core at Kaikielius, on the Koros Trunk Line. It was, for the moment, just another quiet ecumenopolis in the Core Systems, much like Metellos or Corulag, or farther out systems such as Eriadu and Contruum - beyond Coruscant itself.

Rene had moved Marcus to the rear of the ship to stabilise him. His leg was bruised but not broken, and the slash across his stomach was deep but had not, by luck, cut the gut beneath. The largest concern was blood-loss, and that could be patched to stop.

Their conversation was quite heated though. “Don’t you ever do that again. We’re not leaving each other behind.”

“We barely escaped the end of the world,” Marcus said -

“There will be other words,” Rene replied sharply.

“After the New Republic capital falls? The most heavily defended planet in our galaxy?”

Pascale felt the ship drop back out of hyperspace and turned around to look at their destination.

But he could hear raised voices coming from the back of the ship and shook his head with a slight smile.

"Looks like they have settled in already" he gestured for Feyna to follow him out and back, picking up the medkit on the way.

He approached them both "We have arrived in the Deep Core, figured it was the only place we could escape to".

He nodded his head at Feyna "You are very lucky we came along" he offered the medkit to Feyna to see if she was alright to patch Marcus up until they landed.

"Next time, you follow my instructions and get off wherever you are. Because next time you might not be so lucky."

Feyna started sorting bacta patches out of the medkit. "Do you really think we'd leave anyone behind?"

After Commenor? She didn't say that part out loud, though.

"Let's not fight about it, okay?" She was trying to diffuse the situation; Marcus probably shouldn't be getting worked up like this. "We made it out, next step is figuring out where it's safe to set down for repairs and medical treatment. We're at"--she had to pull up a map--"Kaikielius, which I know nothing about, but the chances of being followed by the Vong are pretty slim." I hope. "The HoloNet's still working, or it was, at least, but just about everyone we know is probably tied up with what's happening at Coruscant."

In other words, she had no idea what to do next.

The HoloNet was indeed full of reports.

Bad ones.

The Yuuzhan Vong had leapt from bridgeheads near Bilbringi and Arkania to consume the entire Northern Line - Supreme Commander Sovv's so-called invincible wall between the invaders and the Core. Borleias and Reecee had fallen first, then Rhinnal and Ralltiir had been struck just before the attack on Coruscant. In the backdrop, Corulag, Brentaal and Chandrila had fallen, emphasizing just how bad matters were - even during Pellaeon's final push he had been stopped at Brentaal. But the enemy had bypassed their original targets and would simply sweep back to Bilbringi and Arkania now opposition had collapsed.

The closest New Republic stronghold was Kuat, and closest refugee port was Ruan and its twenty-eight colonies.

Otherwise, they were charting a dangerous course, skirting imperiled Corellia, tucking around the Southern Core, and fleeing south where the invasion had yet to reach. Going north or west was a death sentence now, with the majority of the Yuuzhan Vong territory between them and safe zones in the Corporate Sector or as distant as Mon Calamari.

Marcus had gone silent and rolled over, presenting his back to them. Rene looked unhappily at him, but nodded. "Well, what now? Is there a resistance we can join up with, or are we just running now? South? Eriadu or Naboo? Or are we going further? Bakura?"

"Eriadu has shipyards, the Vong will go there at some point," Marcus said.

ascale tapped his chin in thought.

"Well it's either South I guess, maybe Ruan. I don't know if I have enough fuel to get to Bakura. Not without making a stop off first".

"The only other thing I can think of...the Jedi? Skywalker? Would they perhaps know where it is safe?"

He looked to Feyna.

Feyna was concerned to find that Chandrila had fallen, though the news itself wasn't that surprising; she was getting worried about Drayson.

But she had to focus on their current predicament. "I don't know about Ruan, we know the Vong like to attack refugees. I do still have the comm codes Katarn gave me, to reach the Errant Venture, but as that's where they're safeguarding Jedi children, we'd have to make absolutely sure that we're not tracked or traced."

Rene looked concerned. “I thought you were working with the Jedi? Don’t they have a secret base you can get to?” He was referencing Eclipse, which remained hidden in the Deep Core, roughly equidistant between Corellia and Kuat.

There was a hyperspace chime, and suddenly ships began to emerge from hyperspace - Yuuzhan Vong ones. They’d come for here, too!

Pascale heard the sensor pings and shook his head "I thought we had left them behind. Well we don't have much choice on where to go but Feyna's right we cannot risk the Errant Venture being traced".

He looked at Rene and Marcus, "You two stay here, i'm going to go back to the cockpit and get us out".

He looked to Feyna as he headed back out "We can take a quick swing by Eclipse, see if that's still safe. But we can't do many more jumps, we'll need a refuel soon".

Feyna mentally swore as the Yuuzhan Vong ships appeared again, following Pascale up to the cockpit. "I don't want them following us to Eclipse, either," she pointed out.

But with an injured passenger, limited fuel, a damaged ship, no shields, and only their laser cannon for defense, they might not have a choice.

Before sitting in the pilot's seat Pascale placed a gentle hand on her shoulder "I know cheri, I know. I hate this. But in our situation...sadly we have no choice".

"If we get there and it's unsafe we will quickly go. But I hope we can land. The ship won't take much more. And Marcus needs help".

He settled back down into his seat, entered the coordinates for Eclipse and jumped into hyperspace. "I really hate the Vong..."

As far as they would be able to tell, the Yuuzhan Vong let them go, heading to fight the rising tide of starfighters that were the world’s defence force. It would be a terrific but short battle, one the Yuuzhan Vong would definitely win - they hadn’t been here for them, no, just another victory in a wewk of them.

This jump was a longer one, and they reached Eclipse without issue - save for the notification about their fuel being nearly out. They would make it - but only just.

As Fortuna decanted again everything seemed to be alright so far, apart from the warning flashing up that fuel was now low.

"I really hope we don't have to run again" Pascale said tiredly "I feel like I could sleep for a month. It's just getting constant now."

He looked at his wife "Hopefully we can stay here for a bit, refuel, recharge and repair before we go back out there again. Get Rene and Marcus sorted out and have some rest for us".

He reached over and took one of her hands in his "Just some together time would be nice."

"Agreed--on all points," Feyna replied. The together-time, the rest, hoping they didn't have to run again...

TAG: @Sinrebirth @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

OOC: Mega floofy combo time with @JediMasterAnne and @Sinrebirth

IC: Pascale and Feyna Rouser
Location: Eclipse, then Naboo

Pascale watched as Kyle began to spill his words out. The war had taken its toll on everyone.

Madelyn and Paz were not back yet, probably still out on missions.

"I'm going to cut right to the chase," Pascale said folding his arms "What me and my wife have just seen at Coruscant was like when we watched Commenor die. My wife risked her life so my brother and his partner were saved".

"So we are not going anywhere until my ship is properly fixed, recharged and refueled and me and my wife deserve some rest and alone time. Because quite frankly I don't know when we will get a chance to do so again".

Feyna nodded in agreement, and elaborated a little more on what they'd seen. "The Vong destroyed one of Coruscant's moons. And they've started moving on to Kaikielius now; we jumped there just to get away from Coruscant, they showed up just a few minutes later."

She still hoped that it was coincidence that the Vong had gone there, that they hadn't tracked the Fortuna there--but why would they? More likely it had been in the Vong's plans anyway, to keep moving inward, to take as many worlds as they could.

That was what she told herself, anyway.

Kyle looked severe for the briefest of seconds, but it was a private memory; a not too dissimilar fight he had with Jan after he saved her from Desann, a leader within the Empire Reborn. His apprentice Tavion had caused Feyna, Pascale, Madelyn and so on grief two years later at the Battle of Korriban.

But the moment passed, and Kyle gave Feyna a knowing glance.

Didn't stop him being at least somewhat barbed. "I am glad you can speak so strongly for Feyna, but frankly I had intended to authorise refuelling and repairs anyway." He shrugged, landed on his waist as was his habit. "This is an all-volunteer private navy, Pascale. We'll hang on to Rene and Marcus if you like, and transfer them wherever they want after, but you're welcome to go. As soon as you're ready, that is."

A nod to Feyna. "I appreciate the Intel, we've had similar news from Anaxes, Alsakan, Corulag, Chandrila and the Vong seem to be heading to Ixtlar and Wukkar too. The Guardian has been put on high-alert in-case they go for Kuat, but apparently Wedge has a plan before they get that far. Apparently the Vong went back and took Bilbringi and Arkania as they skipped over them to get Reecee and Borleias." He winced. "Didn't take Tsavong Lah for that kind of strategic genius but apparently he's not just focused on us Jedi."

Another shrug and the hands slid into his pockets.

"So where are you going? Somewhere south I guess? The Vong haven't gone there yet, though Eriadu was happy to help the Vong hunters kill a Jensaarai Force user recently so I'd avoid it if I was you."

Pascale narrowed his eyes at Kyle "That was rather impolite about me speaking up for my wife. We actually speak from the same page regarding bits and pieces.".

"As to where we are going...I was hoping to get a little rest time here and then see that my brother gets off to his next destination safely. And then...who knows".

He looked to his wife to see if she had any ideas.

"We can figure it out while the ship is being repaired," Feyna replied, letting the more barbed comments slide. Tensions were high at the moment, and everyone was feeling it.

She looked to Kyle, concerned--he'd mentioned Chandrila. "Is there any word on Drayson? Or Madelyn and her family?"

“No word on either,” he said solemnly.

“Madelyn and Paz were in Shocker Squadron. We had four squadrons at Coruscant - Saber, Shocker, Wild Knight, and Kyp’s Dozen. We were cut off from the Dozen early on, and the Wild Knights we pulled back to work on Danni’s gravity detector/jammer. Saber and Shockers were hit hard - out of the Sabers and Shockers we only have what is left here.” He indicated the dozen X-wings.

“They could be dead, but Tionne says that their children have reacted so as don’t think so. Force sensitive kids would know,” Kyle explained. “I don’t recommend going back to Coruscant.”

He nodded to them. “Stay with Rene and Marcus, and work out what you want to do. Eclipse will remain manned, but we’re going to ship out to the Third Fleet and join the counter-offensive. Now the Senate is crippled… maybe we can act like a military.” He huffed and went to walk off.

Pascale unfolded his arms and reached for Feyna's hand. This did not sound too good at all.

"Thank you for the update" he said his tone more gentle "Be careful out there".

Feyna gave another nod, squeezing Pascale's hand. Hopefully Madelyn, Paz, Drayson, and the rest would come out okay. "Yes, good luck."

To her husband: "Let's go find somewhere to wait, while they're fixing up Marcus and the ship."

Pascale nodded "I agree. And I hope that place to wait includes a bed in it. I need to have a good lie down, I don't know about you…."

It did. Master Cilghal had spare beds in the ward, but also the waiting room. Marcus was out anyway, and Rene had fallen asleep besides him, laying on the floor.

“He insisted,” Cilghal said. She was multitasking, studying the medical readings but also a grotesque image of a Yuuzhan Vong war coordinator on another monitor.

Pascale shook his head, he had been hoping for somewhere more private so he and Feyna could discuss and have some together time…

But at least he got to check in on his brother and partner. They seemed fine.

"They both seem fine, which is good. They have been through a lot. First Commenor now Coruscant. Let's hope where they go next is safer".

He looked at the image that she was studying, looked like a creature of some sort.

"Let's hope they get some rest. Speaking of which...is there a private room available?" Pascale looked at Feyna "I would like to discuss things in private with her".

"I think this is about as private as we're going to get, at the moment," Feyna remarked quietly. But Marcus and Rene were out, and Cilghal would probably leave them be. Some real alone time together would have been nice, but it looked like that might still be a way off. And how much privacy could one actually get, with a bunch of Jedi around?

Cilghal had already moved on to the next set of patients a ward over. There were a lot of injuries from Coruscant, from an earlier attack on Eclipse, and generally from the fall of Reecee and Borleias.

As Feyna said, this was as private as it would get, but at least all the beds had sound-dampening curtains…

Pascale nodded and moved towards a bed that was a little bit away from where Rene and Marcus were but still not too far away.

He removed his jacket, hat, tie, shoes and socks and lay down on the bed with a sigh. He wondered if it might be a tight fit with the two of them side by side.

With the war continuing when would Feyna and him get a chance of having some real time together? He hated not spending some proper time with his wife.

"We managed to escape again by the skin of our teeth again" he said wearily "When will this madness ever stop? When can we get back to normal? When can me, you and our family get back to having some time together?"

"I don't know," Feyna said, also shedding her boots and jacket and sitting down on the edge of the bed. "How much longer can this go on? They took Coruscant, for crying out loud."

At what point did they say, enough is enough?

"So where do we go from here?"

Pascale shifted onto his side so Feyna could lay down if she wanted. It would be tight but he didn't mind that at all.

"I'm so tired of this war, so tired of fighting. We are both going to run out of energy soon enough. We are being tested to see how long we can last before we break".

"As to where we can go? It's either back out there to join the fight or as Kyle said maybe South. To maybe I don't know see if we can help somewhere or maybe just to get some peace and quiet for a bit".

"I feel like we've earned a little peace and quiet," Feyna said, lying down next to him, though she stayed propped up on one elbow, facing him. "Like you said, we got out of there by the skin of our teeth, how many more times will we get away with that before our luck runs out? I tell myself we're doing the right thing...but it feels more and more like we're just fighting a long, losing battle, and I'm tired of it, too."

Pascale put one of his arms around Feyna and leaned up so he could put his face close to hers.

"I keep thinking to myself, what if I get injured again? What if you do? What if heaven forbid some Vong bastard kills one of us? Or both?".

"I know Madelyn and Paz are out there fighting, Drayson is too. But...can we actually think of ourselves for once or is that too selfish a thought?"

Feyna nodded in agreement. "It feels selfish, but I'm at a point where I'm okay with being a little selfish. I've been fighting someone's war for my entire adult life, first with the Rebellion, and then NRI--and I signed up for that. But at the time, I didn't have much of anything or anyone else to care about.

"Now I have you, and there are things that I still want to do, things outside of the war, that are still important. We're not in NRI anymore, we're not required to stay."

"I believe in what we've been fighting for here, but I don't want to die for it."

Pascale softly kissed her "I quite agree. With everything you say".

"We have given our hearts and souls to this cause. And what thanks do we get for it? I think it is time for us to set our own rules, do what we want to do. Of course we can still help if need be".

"But now I think it is time to do what we want to do. To be husband and wife. To find your family like you deserve to. To have our own family. To have a brighter future".

He trailed his fingers up her arm "To have as much time together as possible".

Feyna nodded again.

"So I think we should find somewhere to lay low until the war is over. I'd like to try picking up the search for my father again, but if it needs to wait until the fighting ends, then, better safe than sorry."

She looked over to Rene and Marcus. "Maybe they can stay with us, so we won't have to rescue them again?"

"But again, the main question is, where?"

Pascale absent mindedly stroked Feyna's arm as he thought.

"Rene and Marcus will want to fight back. My brother has always been more of a fighter than a lover" he chuckled at that "But he will have to learn that next time we won't be there to save his backside. I've always had to do it".

"He's a big boy now, he can take care of himself".

"South it seems is best. If I remember correctly Naboo is south is it not? I cannot think of a better place to lie low"

"If it's safe," Feyna agreed. "Naboo would be perfect."

Perhaps they could appeal to his friend Eldres, see if he would let them use his lake house again…

He nodded, smiling and kissing her "It's settled then. If I can get hold of Eldres see if we can make his lake house our temporary home. And maybe get our own place eventually, maybe after the war as no doubt we will be going backwards and forwards''.

His voice turned into a purr "Go back to our paradise island……"

"And still be available if say Madelyn or Drayson need us".

She smiled back. "Sounds like a plan."

When they did reach out, Eldres would be happy to have them - relieved they’d survived. Better, Rene and Marcus wanted to come too. They would all be able to get out, and the Vong, by the time they were up and running, would be too busy with the Third Fleet’s counter-offensive at Borleias, complete with Jedi support and the Lusankya holding the line.

Even better, Bel Iblis had taken Fondor back, opening the back-door to the Core. They could get out, get to the south, unless of course they decided to stay and fight at the last minute.

There was however no news of Drayson or the Linnett’s. The children were safe, hidden away in a secret place, and the Venture went to Borleias to fight - the world was simply too Coruscant for the Vong to ignore Wedge, Luke and the others.

They were free.

Fortuna had arrived at Naboo in one piece but still nothing from Madelyn nor Drayson.

As he landed he looked at his wife with a smile. Rene and Marcus had come along but would they be joining them at Eldres's place? Or would they find it too remote?

"Well cheri here we are. Eldres has everything ready for us and Fortuna will be safe here".

He took one of her hands in his "We can finally have that together time we asked for".

Rene and Marcus were used to city worlds so at the first opportunity excused themselves to go and hunt down a place to rent and jobs in Theed.

The siege of Borleias was ongoing, with the Third Fleet holding the line against Tsavong Lah’s father, by all reports. The Jedi Great River was sure to funnel occasional updates to them as they made their way out the Core and around the invasion corridor, but the Yuuzhan Vong seemed to have settled with the rule of half the galaxy - which included most of the Core, but not Kuat or Corellia.

Which meant the Vong wholesale advance into the south seemed to not be coming.

They were out.

Entirely out.

Feyna squeezed her husband's hand, feeling more at ease than she had on a long time. There'd been a few updates--nothing from Madelyn, Paz, or Drayton, though--and it was thought that the Vong might not even move on the southern quadrant, so they ought to be safe enough.

Rene and Marcus were already off to look for apartments and work, leaving Feyna and Pascale to themselves.

"I'm looking forward to it," she replied with a smile.

Pascale got up from the pilot's chair, stretched and moved to their cabin to grab the bags he had packed whilst they were in hyperspace. Eldres no doubt had laid something on to take them there.

It was a few hours trip after all.

He brought the bags off and outside. "One day this will be our permanent home. I've always liked Naboo. It was after all where we started our romantic journey".

"And thankfully it seems the war has dodged us. We can start maybe planning our future. Finally".

"Hopefully," Feyna said, helping him load the bags. "It'll be nice to just relax for a little while, put our feet up, not worry about the war..."

Hours later they arrived, Pascale smiling as he opened the door into the familiar place. A lot of good memories were forged here and there would be more to come.

"Home sweet home" he said dropping his bags down on the floor "Well at least for now".

He turned to Feyna with a smile "We could unpack now….or maybe in a few hours perhaps? Now that we are genuinely alone, I would like to do what I should have been doing before this war started".

He wrapped his arms around her "Which is giving my wife the pleasure, affection and love she deserves".

He kissed her deeply and passionately.

Having set down her own luggage next to his, Feyna was only too happy to return his embrace, and his kiss. It felt like a long time since they'd had any significant amount of time to themselves...

"It's not like we have anywhere we have to be," she smirked. For the first time in a while, they had all the time they wanted. "No need to rush anything..."

"Oh indeed" he purred "No more rules, no more limits…"

He winked at her and headed upstairs. When he got there he waited for Feyna.

The fun was about to begin and he was going to take his sweet time doing it.

Feyna made sure the front door was shut behind them--not like anyone was going to bother them out here--then followed him, joining him in the bedroom.

As soon as Feyna was inside Pascale scooped her into his embrace before kissing her once again full of passion and love for her.

Slowly but surely he began to undress her not once removing his lips from hers.

He had yearned for a moment like this again where he and Feyna could enjoy each other again. The war had put a dent in that.

Not anymore.

Feyna eagerly reciprocated his attentions, helping him remove her clothing, then beginning to relieve him of his attire as well.

And from there it carried on.

Pascale took all the time in the world with Feyna. He didn't know how long it all lasted but he took his time over everything.

And he loved it. And he hoped she did too.

And even when he was done he didn't want it to stop there.

After all, Feyna deserved her turn too.

Feyna took her time with him as well, and by the time they'd each had their way with each other, she had lost all track of time.

Afterwards, she laid on her side next to him, head on his shoulder as her fingers traced lazy lines across his chest, feeling quite contented.

Pascale kept one arm around Feyna holding her close. And this time he was worn out in a good way.

He had a smile on his face that could light up the galaxy. He had Feyna beside him, they were out of the war and they had just enjoyed one of the best love making sessions ever.

He kissed the top of her head "I wouldn't mind if we spent the next couple of days just in bed, I think there is still a lot more exploring to do".

"But we can actually start planning on doing things. And I suppose we will have to be ready just in case Madelyn or Drayson get in trouble. But right now? All I want is you".

"I love you".

"I love you, too," Feyna replied.

"And I have no objections to those plans. We have all the time we could want."

Pascale kissed the top of her head again and settled down to sleep, feeling his wife's breaths against his body.

He was in heaven right now. And he hoped it would not come crashing down.

He was not going to let it happen this time.

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @JediMasterAnne

 

OOC: Monster combo time with the ever wonderful @JediMasterAnne and @Sinrebirth

Part 1
IC: Pascale and Feyna Rouser, Carlos Morrow, Hiram Drayson
Location: Naboo, then Fondor

It was finally over.

Listening to it all it seemed like time had stretched on for so long and that Pascale and Feyna would never get out.

But for two glorious years Pascale had Feyna all to himself. They had not moved out of the Lake Country retreat they were currently borrowing but it was bliss.

And Pascale took advantage of it.

Of course he kept in contact with Rene and Marcus and he did sometimes wonder about Madelyn, Paz and their nieces and nephews. But most of the time he only thought about one person...his wife.

And a message had arrived that Hiram was coming which would please her even more.

"Well that's it" he said with a smile kissing his wife and putting an arm around her shoulders "Some good news for a change".

"Hopefully now we can start that quest of finding your father. And…." Pascale's smile grew wider "starting our own family".

"I was hoping maybe we could celebrate with a party that goes on all night long" he winked at her "But with Hiram here we might have to postpone for a little bit".

Feyna smirked back at her husband's tease. "He probably won't hang around long, they'll have their hands full with all the cleanup."

But it would be nice to see Drayson again; the HoloNet crash had kept her worried about him, and about Madelyn and Paz, and the kids--hopefully Hiram would have heard something about them, as well.

And it was a relief that the war was finally over. Naboo had been left mostly untouched by it, and Feyna had been genuinely enjoying all the free time with her husband, but that didn't stop her worrying about their friends still involved.

"But I am looking forward to seeing him, and then yes, hopefully getting our own plans back on track."

The Yuuzhan Vong War had been a cruel interruption after the thirty-year Galactic Civil War, but comparatively, the four year conflict had been a rude awakening, undoing a great deal of good will that had been generated by the great rebellion against authoritarianism. On distant Naboo, monarchists and democrats and Imperials had long debated the pros and cons of the Empire, Republic and now the new Galactic Alliance, which seemed at once too democratic and too authoritarian for everyone.

It had been easy to debate when the alien invaders had not made it to Naboo, and now that it was over, the debate would become everyday life, as the galaxy came together to put itself back together...

Hiram arrived a few hours later, and his ship parked up near Fortuna at Theed. He climbed out of his speeder and looked both older and brighter for the end of the destructive conflict.

Pascale smiled at the man, he had come a long way. After all, it was a few hours' journey from Theed.

"Hiram" he said with a smile, "Glad you made it."

Feyna smiled as well as she went for an embrace. "It's so good to see you."

Pascale had to grin at the reunion between Feyna and Hiram. After all he was more of a father to her than her own one was.

What sort of a man he was remained yet to be seen.

He drew Feyna into a hug, and then Pascale. "It is good to see you both. The war is won, but it's not over, so I expect to return to service, but, well, the Chandrilan refugees don't need me for the moment. Will you visit Chandrila one day?" He eyed Naboo. "Or is this where you intend to stay now? I remember you married here, and that Graul lad interrupted your wedding."

Feyna scrunched up her nose at the mention of Arek Graul; the memory still brought up a sense of annoyance, but the good memories outweighed the bad. "We've still got one possibly-long-term-trip planned," she answered; no telling how long it would take to find her father. "But I think eventually, Naboo will be 'home.' A visit to Chandrila now and then wouldn't be out of the question, though."

Pascale caught his wife's expression at the mention of the wedding and Arek Graul. That day had nearly been wrecked totally but at least he and Feyna did tie the knot.

"I quite agree" he said to Hiram "Fortuna will need an outing every so often and I would like to visit Chandrila. A beautiful planet much like Naboo is".

"But do tell us, have you heard from anyone since the war ended?"

"I have," Hiram said, smiling. "Bhindi survived the war, she helped organise Yuuzhan Vong rebels on Yuuzhan'tar - on Coruscant."

"And Madelyn and Paz ended up stranded on Lothal after the Fall of Coruscant; their kids stayed with the Jedi for the rest of the war. Mara and Luke are fine, they were in the thick of things until the wars end, as normal. Their son is good, though maybe a little withdrawn for his age."

He shrugged. "It's a new galaxy, nobody really knows how they fit in the new ways. But life will continue as normal, no doubt."

Pascale nodded, glad that their friends and their nieces and nephews were alright. Madelyn and Paz were hardened Mandalorians, they knew how to survive.

"I'm glad to hear it" he responded and then looked to Feyna "We have enjoyed for the past two years some relative peace and quiet, some normalcy. And long may that continue".

"But we are about to embark on a trip that means a lot to my wife and will test us no doubt. But in the end I hope like most others around the galaxy we can reconnect with missing loved ones"

"We're going to try looking for my birth father again," Feyna elaborated. "We were waiting for the fighting to be over first."

"But I am glad to hear they all got through okay."

Hiram nodded, hesitantly. "That's part of why I came to see you in person."

He handed her a datapad. "He was last seen on Fondor, after General Bel Iblis retook the planet. He was arrested with a group of Peace Brigaders, and has been held there since. I don't know how long he'll be there before the trial."

Feyna stopped in her tracks.

"They...found him?"

But the rest of what Hiram had said was sinking in, too. They'd found Carlos, but he'd been arrested. With the Peace Brigade, of all things.

She reached over for Pascale, not entirely sure what to do with this particularly unwelcome piece of information. She tried to keep an open mind--innocent until proven guilty. How strong was the case against him? Maybe he'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time... but what had he been doing at Korriban those years ago? She and Pascale had wondered if Carlos had been looking for Feyna there, but if that were the case, what would he have been doing on Fondor? She hadn't visited there at all, he wouldn't have tracked her there...

Was it even really him? Surely Drayson would have made certain before coming out here to tell her, but could he be wrong? "You're sure it's him?"

It wouldn't take much to be sure, though, a simple blood test could confirm, if she had to.

Pascale looked as just as shocked as Feyna, what was going on? A Peace Brigader?

Something did not add up though. What was he doing on Korriban, a famed world of the Sith and then he showed up on Fondor. Was their quest about to end so quickly?

He put his arm around Feyna, his other hand holding hers. "Do you have any more details?" Pascale asked.

Drayson looked glum. “I don’t, no. Just that he may very well get the death penalty for collaborating. While we’re being careful which Yuuzhan Vong we target, the Peace Brigade are completely free for whatever penalty is set. The Hutts aren’t going to complain if most of their former clientele are executed.” A shrug.

“If you want to speak to him, Feyna, you’ll have to get going.” He looked apologetic. “I’m really sorry, Feyna. The peace is so fragile, I daren’t step in to save a Brigader.”

He tapped the datapad. “It’s him. He’s using his real name.” The image showed the man; he had her nose. Or, rather - she had his.

Feyna was still trying to process it all; everything was happening very fast.

She tried focusing on the image Hiram had pulled up, her first glimpse of Carlos as he was now. There was some resemblance, and she tried to pick out other traits that she might have inherited from him, but she had no reference for her mother to compare to.

Part of her was still sceptical; perhaps she should have a proper blood test done before she got emotionally invested in this man. But he had the resemblance, and the name. Odds of a random stranger having both were slim.

From what Hiram was saying, Carlos's case was not looking good, and Feyna paled at the mention of the death penalty.

Feyna was in her late forties now, Carlos was probably at least in his seventies. Old age could sometimes mean a more lenient sentence, but Peace Brigaders were viewed as traitors, and the new Galactic Alliance was coming down on them hard.

"I'm guessing you haven't talked to him, then? Do we know what his side of the story is? Does he admit to being with them?"

Of course, most alleged Peace Brigaders probably denied their involvement in any case, but could she hope?

Pascale stayed quiet, all he could do was provide his love and support to Feyna as always.

He was ready though to call ahead and get Fortuna prepped. If they went with Hiram they had a few hours to get there and Fortuna would be ready.

Hiram shook his head. "I haven't, no. A New Republic Admiral, enquiring after a Peace Brigadier?"

The Chandrilan looked glum. "I'm sorry, Feyna. I hoped to have more to work with for you."

Pascale looked as if he wanted to get going; it was a fair point. There were still minefields between here and Fondor - lain to intercept New Republic reinforcements by way of Bothawui some three plus years ago. Those mines had mauled the Fifth Fleet, allowing the Yuuzhan Vong to destroy half the First Fleet.

Bad memories.

They'd need to go around the mines, towards the Corellian Trade Spine, which would take time.

Time Carlos didn't perhaps have.

Feyna bit her lip; a tiny part of her wanted to simply wash her hands of the situation, to not even go, to let her father go back to being dead, as she'd thought him so for forty years.

But she shouldn't condemn him without hearing his side, and she knew that she'd regret it if she didn't go. If Carlos was found guilty and executed, she'd never get the answers she was looking for.

She nodded slowly, still holding to Pascale for support. "Let us get some things together, and we'll get going."

Pascale nodded and got on his comlink, his arm still around Feyna and ordered Fortuna prepped.

"We won't need much" he said "We'll leave the rest of our bits and pieces here as we will be returning".

He kissed Feyna on the cheek "I'll get you to him as quick as I can"

Hiram simply nodded. "May the Force be with you, Feyna, Pascale."

A few hours later Pascale had Fortuna in the air and away. Of course they were taking the long way round but it was the only way unless he wanted his ship to get blasted by mines.

He'd said goodbye to Hiram promising that he or Feyna would let him know how it all went.

As they shot into hyperspace he turned his pilot's chair around to face Feyna "Are you alright?"

Feyna sat in her customary spot in the copilot's seat, still absorbing what they'd learned so far.

"I'm...okay, I guess?" She probably would have felt a little better about going if Hiram had come with, but she knew he was still busy with the aftermath of the war.

"It just happened so suddenly, I don't really know what to think."

Pascale took both her hands in his "It's alright to say if you are not alright cheri. You can tell me anything, your thoughts, whatever you are thinking".

"But know this. Whatever happens you have a family that loves you. Hiram, Rene and Marcus, Madelyn, Paz and the kids" he smiled "Me and one day our own child".

"Did you want me there with you? I'll understand if you wanted it to be just you and him…."

Feyna squeezed his hands and managed a smile, reassured but still nervous.

"I think just him and me at first, but I'm sure we can arrange it so you can still see what's going on. I still want you nearby, and to introduce you at some point, if it all goes fairly smoothly." She didn't know how things would go with Carlos, how he would react to seeing her again after nearly fifty years.

As for what she was thinking, she was feeling so much, it was hard to put everything into words, but she tried. "I don't want to think he's guilty, but the way Hiram was talking, it's like they've already decided and the trial is just a formality. Even Hiram sounded like he thinks he's guilty, even though he also admitted he hadn't heard Carlos's side yet. Which makes me wonder if he's being treated fairly under the law and they've done their due diligence to prove it, or if the whole thing has been rushed to make an example of this group and he's being made a scapegoat?

"If he was looking for me, there's no reason for him to have ended up at Fondor. We know he was near Korriban around the same time we were, but we've never been at Fondor. So whatever he was doing, I'm starting to think that it wasn't to do with looking for me. Maybe he doesn't even know I'm alive? For all he knows, I could have died when Alderaan was destroyed.

"And if he is guilty, if he did do this thing, is he even the sort of person I want in my life? I know I'll regret it if I don't meet him, if I don't at least try to get some answers, but I'm worried that I'm going to find out something that I'll wish I hadn't."

She paused for a moment, still holding her husband's hands. "And I feel like that's a selfish thing to think, when it's his life on the line. What if he is innocent, and they convict him anyway? Would he have any options to appeal, or is this his only chance? Would I be able to do anything that would make a difference?"

She trailed off, realising bitterly that this probably wouldn't have happened if she'd gone looking for Carlos sooner. But she wasn't going to say that out loud.

Pascale listened carefully as his wife laid out her thoughts.

"I understand and I will be nearby I promise. I want to be there for you if not inside the room then at least in spirit. And you've met my family, it's only fair that you get to see yours and I hope to meet him".

"We can only hope that it all goes successfully. And I hope he is innocent and not being made a scapegoat. Who knows if we can even get to the bottom of it".

He raised one of her hands and kissed it "We won't know until we get there. You can only ask the questions you feel you need to ask and hope he gives you the answers."

"And if it was my family and they were in the same position? I would do what I could to find out anything I could. And if he is a person you don't want in your life? Then you have a family that loves you".

"Our quest it seemed turned out to be simpler than we thought. Sadly though Carlos could lose his life. And if we had gone earlier? We might have grabbed him when he was on the run so to speak".

"But if you need me, I'll be there".

Feyna gave another small smile, leaning over to kiss him. "Thank you."

"It certainly isn't what we were anticipating, is it?

"At this point I'm hoping it's not as bad as it sounds, but I'm still preparing myself for some kind of disappointment. We still don't know why he left Alderaan in the first place." Why he'd left her behind.

Pascale's expression turned serious "That is the biggest question you need answers to. Why he had to leave and leave you behind to be raised in an orphanage".

"And what about your mother too? Did he flee? Was he pushed away? Was it grief? Who knows."

"You did not deserve to be left like that cheri. You deserved some stability. If he was with the Peace Brigade could he have a criminal past? Or was he associated with them? Could he have been forced to run and leave you behind to keep you safe?"

"I just hope he can explain himself because you deserve to know the truth. All of it. And if you feel you cannot take any more you walk away or signal me to come in".

"Because I will not take him treating you unfairly. Or being dishonest".

He smiled "If it does go well maybe we can have a double celebration"

Feyna smirked back. "We could indeed."

They emerged from hyperspace at the shipyards of Fondor.

The world had been attacked by the Yuuzhan Vong three times by the end of the war, and five battles of Fondor had occurred.

But even then, the planet still had ample shipyards, and the city world wasn't entirely shaped by the invaders due to the repeated interruptions of their rule. The remnant of the first battle was the scorched surface of Fondor's moon; it had been clipped by a shot from Centerpoint Station.

But in orbit was a single ship with a Fondorian flag - a Nebula-class Star Destroyer, a sleek and powerful warship. "This is Captain Shas Vadde. Please state your identity and reason for entering Fondor sovereign territory." His tone was curious, more than anything. Refugees had been returning to Fondor for weeks now, since the war ended - none had braved it months ago, when the GA took back the world; if they could lose it once, they could do it twice (or rather a third time).

Feyna glanced to Pascale. Should they tell them the truth, that they were there to see an imprisoned Peace Brigader?

"What do you think? Honest but vague, maybe? Conducting a private investigation into one of their prisoners?"

Visiting a member of the Peace Brigade probably looked strange, but it would probably be worse if they got caught in a lie.

Pascale nodded, they could only give it a go.

"This is the Fortuna with Pascale and Feyna Rouser aboard. We are conducting a private investigation into a man you are holding prisoner."

"A Peace Brigader to be exact"

Vadde sounded surprised. "Oh? Which one?"

Rather unsubtly, a turbolaser aboard the warship powered up.

Feyna quickly tried to diffuse, before any shots were fired. "Carlos Morrow?

"We don't want to cause any trouble, we just have some questions for him."

Pascale shook his head, why did people always have to resort to violence over an innocent query?

He stayed quiet, his wife had explained it all.

"Oh, him."

The turbolaser powered down.

"Might you be Feyna Morrow? He was asking for you."

The question startled her, but Feyna responded quickly. "Morrow was my maiden name, yes. Carlos is my biological father."

Pascale continued to wait patiently, although he was wondering if they would eventually be let through.

Time was of the essence here.

"Come on, you were his last request so we try to honour those."

The line cut, and a beacon activated aboard the Nebula for the hangar.

Feyna scowled at the comm, wanting to ask more but the line was already cut. Well, she'd get answers soon enough.

"'Last request' sounds like he's already scheduled for execution," she frowned.

Pascale nodded as he took Fortuna towards the Nebula "I sadly agree, it looks like someone has made themselves judge and jury and convicted him without trial".

"Although what is confusing me is what is he doing aboard that ship? Should he not be in prison on the planet itself?"

Feyna shook her head. "I don't know, but yes, it does seem strange." The situation was creating more questions than it was answering.

"We'll find out when we get there."

The hangar to the NSD revealed that the motley group of Peace Brigadiers was already present, in prison uniforms. In the weeks since the war had ended, the locals had tried them, listed their crimes, and even had a full trial. There were Fondorian soldiers evident, and the guards headed into the gathered crowd and dragged a man out to their ship.

He was held suspended between the two of them as the ramp lowered.

With the way the others - an eclectic bunch of humans and otherwise - were lain out on the wall, it seemed as if -

There was a crack of blasters and all the other prisoners were shot.

- it was a firing squad.

Pascale spat something rude in Commenori as he looked out at the execution.

"I seriously hope they had a fair trial" he growled as he watched Carlos being dragged towards the ship "Barbaric".

He gave the guards a steely eyed stare.

Feyna flinched at the sound of the blaster fire--she was starting to feel nervous now, and the realisation that that might also be Carlos's fate actually made her afraid.

She hated that this was how they had to meet, and watching the guards drag Carlos over like an animal did not improve her opinion of the circumstances. Whatever he'd done did not warrant this kind of treatment.

"Can we have somewhere to speak privately with him?" Polite as the phrasing was, it wasn't meant as a request.

The officers looked to each other. There was a parting of doors to the rear of the hangar, and a man in a Naval uniform appeared. "It is the Last Request, allow it, officers. I am sure that his daughter has no intention of whisking Carlos away."

Carlos looked nervously at them. "I can speak to her aboard her ship -"

"No," said the officer, the voice matching that of Vadde. His eyes took in Pascale and Feyna. "Unless you think you can handle him?"

Pascale looked to Feyna "I wouldn't trust these officers as far as I could throw them. It will be much more private aboard the ship".

"And if he does try anything I'm sure we can both handle him. But let's hope it doesn't come to it".

Feyna nodded agreement--she wasn't planning on aiding an escape, but she wasn't liking these guards either.

She turned back to the officers. "On our ship is fine, I'm sure we can manage."

Vadde shrugged, and the man was released to then, depositing him on the floor.

Carlos took hesitant steps up the ramp. "Feyna, I can't believe you're here. I have been caught up in all this Peace Brigade mess - they held me hostage, were ready to sacrifice me to the Vong Gods to give them some kind of blessing." There were all manner of reports like this; the Yuuzhan Vong had sought to sacrifice five thousand prisoners as an offering to their deities. One for each capital ship sent to the Battle of Mon Calamari - leading another forty-thousand escorts. All gone now, but still - and the actual sacrifice on Coruscant before the battle had been sabotaged by rebel Yuuzhan Vong anyway.

Feyna was studying him, but glanced back toward the officers upon hearing his defence. A hostage?

"Then why are we finding you literally on Death Row?"

Had the Fondorians simply not listened, dismissed the tale as a desperate attempt to save himself? Was there more to the story? In the aftermath of the war, she could see how the Alliance might be a little vindictive…

Pascale was beginning to wonder whether he should stay for this bit or retreat. After all Feyna had said she did want to talk to him quietly alone first off.

But things had changed, they were essentially all aboard the ship now. He was still wondering what to do.

Two people hearing Carlos's story if he was innocent were better than one….

Pascale stayed where he was for now.

"Because the Alliance Senate has said that Vong are to be ordered to surrender and handed over to the military. They're not allowed to slaughter Vong, because High Command is processing. But Peace Brigaders?" Carlos snorted. "They're being blamed for everything bad that happened in the last war so the Senators can get away with being incompetent for the first half of the war."

"The Fondorians don't even need to apply due process. I wasn't allowed an Inquisitor. But even then, the Alliance employs former soldiers for those jobs - they're only here to create the appearance of fairness. So I wouldn't have been better with one anyway." He sighed. "Wrong place, wrong time - story of my life."

"And the other prisoners that they just executed?" Feyna asked.

She was becoming less and less inclined to give Carlos back to the guards. Taking him would obviously spell trouble for them with the new government, but getting away would at least give them a chance to actually fight to clear Carlos's name--maybe there were others, too, in the same situation.

"Some of them were innocent too," Carlos said glumly. "But the Fondorians want blood - their world suffered as bad as Coruscant, Commenor or any of the Rim worlds."

Feyna's frown deepened as she looked to Pascale. "We can't hand him back over," she said quietly.

Question was, did they try to reason with the guards for Carlos's release--which from the sound of it, wouldn't work anyway--or just make a run for it and fight their way out?

Pascale was conflicted. On the one hand they could run for it but they would become fugitives, going on the run. Not even Naboo would be safe.

On the other hand they could not leave him here to be executed by barbarians.

"We need to find middle ground cheri" he said quietly back "We need to find out the whole truth here. If he is innocent then things like what we just saw need to be stopped".

He shook his head "I don't want to go on the run again. We did enough of that during the war, part of my past and yours was always running away from things".

"I don't want our lives and his destroyed. We go on the run, we'll be hunted down and executed. We need to find a way to take him with us".

Feyna pursed her lips, but nodded; she wasn't keen on going on the lam again either.

"If we try a more legal route then, who has the authority to stop what they're doing?"

Pascale did wonder about that.

"Could Hiram help?"

Feyna looked uncertain. "I don't know, we could try...he didn't want to stick his nose in before--" Feyna actually found herself a little angry at Hiram for not getting involved sooner; if he had, perhaps those innocent prisoners could have been saved. "But if they're executing innocent people, someone needs to do something."

"I think he might want to now, especially with what we have seen and what Carlos has been saying"

He was still uncertain about whether Carlos was still truly innocent. They had not touched his past yet. Or why he had left Feyna behind.

"Especially if the New Republic seem to be turning a blind eye to these sorts of things" he took one of her hands in his "We can only try cheri".

Feyna nodded again, "It can't hurt to try calling him." She turned back toward the ramp. "How long do you think we have before they get suspicious?" She wondered aloud.

"Not long I would say" Pascale responded squeezing her hand "We still do not have all the answers to the questions you need answering. So we had better hurry".

"If we get this handled, then we'll have time for that," Feyna replied. Yes, she still wanted to know the rest of Carlos's story--he'd said something about constantly being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and she wondered if it had anything to do with why he'd faked his death--but just getting him out of here now was taking precedence. She wasn't one-hundred-percent certain of his innocence either, but from what they'd seen here, she'd rather let a guilty man go free than see another innocent person executed.

Pascale nodded "Comm Hiram, i'll try and see if I can placate the guards, give you a little more time" he kissed her on the cheek "Be right back".

He then turned to Carlos "Ah where are my manners, let me introduce myself. I'm Pascale Rouser, archaeologist. A pleasure to finally meet you".

Before he walked down the ramp he smiled "I'm your daughter's husband".

He then walked down the ramp and approached the guards, apologising that it was taking time but it was Carlos's last request….

Feyna gave Pascale a quick 'thank you' as he went back to speak to the guards, then beckoned Carlos to come with her the comm, punching in Hiram's code.

"Admiral Drayson is our former boss, and a friend," she explained. "He might be able to help us out."

Carlos followed along, and smiled at Pascale's departing form as he left. "I knew his grandfather. Back in the day, he was the sharpest con artist in the galaxy - second only to Solo." He hesitated, looked back at Feyna as he followed her. "I've been in rough corners, I know, but that doesn't make me instantly guilty."

"We should call up your Admiral friend, I bet if he exerted himself he could get what he wants. War heroes have a lot of political clout, after all."

Vadde, for their part, glowered at Pascale from the bottom of the ramp. "You have five more minutes. That man helped drive refugee ships into suns. He programmed them; we have his fingerprints all over the console that gave those orders."

Pascale folded his arms "Now excuse me for being suspicious due to that barbaric way you treated those prisoners but is it possible Carlos was coerced to do it?"

To be continued....

 

Part 2

"And we need proof of this in order to make sure you are not condemning an innocent man to death. I come from Commenor and the Vong deserve everything they get''.

"But what I do not want is innocent people being tried and executed because of revenge".

Feyna raised an eyebrow, more curious than anything. Pascale hadn't ever talked about his grandfather, and it was interesting that Carlos had known him. "Maybe you can tell us the story later," she replied.

She'd put in the code for Hiram's comm, she was waiting for him to answer now.

Hiram answered, and his eyes cut to Carlos and then back again.

Carlos lifted his hands and stepped back, away from the screen and Feyna. "Look, I get it. I abandoned Feyna and she could have died on Alderaan but that was a long time ago, Hiram."

"I don't want to hear it." He looked at Feyna. "Why is he here?"

In the hangar, Shas Vadde snorted at Pascale. "Who made former NRI officers judge and jury? A military tribunal tried and convicted Carlos. Is that insufficient?"

Feyna didn't like the quickly building tension between the two men, though if Hiram was partly indignant on her behalf, she could understand. And he didn't know the whole of Carlos's story.

"I need to secure a stay of execution for him," she explained to Hiram. "We have concerns that the Fondorians may be executing Peace Brigade hostages that they've declared guilty by association.

"Pascale and I saw a firing squad take out Carlos's fellow prisoners when we arrived, some of whom he says were innocent."

She knew that she was going out on a limb, simply taking Carlos's word for it, but if he had been a Brigader, why would he stick up for those others?

"He was tried without representation, and the vibe we're getting here is that even if he had, it wouldn't have made a difference."

Pascale scowled "How impolite of you".

"And yes it is. I have concerns that those people we saw executed perhaps did not receive a fair trial. And I have concerns the same as my wife that Carlos has had the same done to him. Innocent until proven guilty".

"So show me your proof that Carlos Morrow is guilty. Or you have condemned an innocent man to death".

Hiram looked unhappy. “You have to decide whether he’s telling the truth or not. If you steal him from the Fondorians, and you’re right - you win. If you steal him and he’s as guilty as you say - you’re on the run.”

Carlos glowered at Hiram.

Vadde for his part stared at Pascale for a moment before deciding something. “I don’t think I will.” He lifted a hand and the guards that had been dealing with the bodies a few meters away turned to look at the confrontation, some already reaching for blasters -

Feyna frowned; she'd been hoping for a little more support. Just stopping the execution would give them some time to get the facts straight.

And Hiram's negative attitude toward Carlos was making her even more uncomfortable--she wanted to believe Carlos, but they'd met literally five minutes ago, and it had been a harried five minutes. She usually trusted Hiram's instincts, too, but he didn't know more than she did--did he? And Hiram hadn't liked Pascale to start with, either...

"So that's our only option, to steal him?

"We're trying to get to the bottom of this without having to go on the run again. We spent most of the war sneaking all over the galaxy, praying we didn't get caught. Gods only know how long he's been on the run from one thing or another.

"No one's shown me definitive proof of his guilt, all I have from either side is hearsay, and last I checked that isn't enough for condemnation."

She was getting frustrated, and she was thinking that calling Hiram might be turning out to be a waste of precious time.

Pascale shook his head "Then as far as I am concerned you have no proof ergo he is innocent. As are possibly those other brigaders".

He reached into both his jacket pockets and removed both the Sith lightsabers he had taken from Korriban all those years ago. One Arek Graul's the other from the crazy Sith. He did not ignite them.

"You resort to violence instead of providing the truth. How despicable".

Vadde stared at Pascale. "This a Fondorian warship. Pulling a weapon on the commanding officer is a capital offence, Mr Rouser." He sniffed. "Choose your next words carefully."

Hiram, for his part, pursed his lips. "I'm on my way. Stall them." The line cut, and Carlos deflated from the evaporating tension.

"Fey, thank you, I know this can't be easy for you."

"And executing someone who you have no proof is guilty is a crime against humanity. You are lucky we are not at war otherwise it would be a war crime".

Pascale kept the lightsabers unlit.

"They think I sent refugee ships into a sun," Carlos said. "My prints are on the console, but it's my ship that the Peace Brigade stole - of course my prints are on it." He sat down and held his head in his hands. "I didn't do it."

Vadde glared at Pascale, but didn't let the moment go.

He bellowed an order; the sound would carry into the ship, to Feyna's location.

"Present arms!"

The six guards pointed them at Pascale.

"I would ask that you return the prisoner to me now. He has had sufficient time with his daughter."

"No he has not" Pascale said with a growl and ignited both blades, the red blades springing to life.

"You will not touch him, me, my wife or my ship. Last chance. The proof please or are we going to end up in a fight?"

Feyna nodded to Carlos, then scowled the direction of Vadde's voice. Sounded like he was tired of waiting. Did she hear a lightsaber power on? Pascale still had the two that he'd picked up on Korriban.

Feyna picked up her blaster and headed back toward the ramp, keeping the blaster at her side, but prepared to cover her husband if she needed to.

"Admiral Drayson is on his way," she said, more to Pascale than the officers, but they'd probably hear. To Vadde--"I know what my father is accused of, but his fingerprints on his ship don't prove anything. Unless you can produce something more than circumstantial evidence, no, we will not be handing him back."

The guards looked uncertain, aware they had no chance against a Force user - but unaware that Pascale was not one!

"Your father is a ship-thief," Vadde bit. "It's evidence enough."

As if on cue, the ship jerked forward, sending Feyna tumbling forward down the ramp -

Carlos was stealing their ship.

Pascale turned...and snarled. No way was he stealing his ship, his beloved Fortuna.

He turned and deactivated his blades, popping them back in his jacket pockets again for now.

He lifted his chrono and spoke into it "Computer, activate anti theft systems aboard, command and control through my voice and fingerprint only".

With his other arm he reached out to grab Feyna.

Feyna couldn't argue against Carlos's history of stealing ships, he'd stolen that prototype off of Delaya years ago. But before she could point out that being a thief didn't equate to genocidal tendencies, the ship jerked under her, and she grabbed out for Pascale to catch her balance--Carlos was trying to steal their ship--

She heard Pascale trying to shut the ship down, as she managed to right herself she tried to get back on the ramp, maybe she could get to the cockpit--

Vadde pointed at the ship, and the guards began to rake the engine area with blaster fire -

The ship jerked forward as Feyna hung onto the ramp, passing through the magcon field -

Feyna would have a grip, Pascale would have a grip on her -

The ramp began to retract -

Whatever Carlos had done, he was good -

It looked like the anti theft measures had been disabled and now they were firing on Fortuna's engines!

I will be sending them a bill for that he growled in his head.

He grabbed Feyna from behind and then leapt forward, hoping they would make it on board the ship before the ramp closed up.

Had Carlos managed to disarm Fortuna's anti-theft protocols? That quickly?

Why had she left him alone in the cockpit?

Feyna felt betrayed, like she'd been played a fool--had this been Carlos's plan all along, to play on her sympathies to get her to let her guard down? Or was he just panicking?

Pascale had grabbed her and was making a jump for the ramp--she'd managed to get a grip on it, but let go and jumped with her husband.

The ramp shut, taking them both in, and the yacht crossed into space. With a shudder, the yacht vanished into hyperspace. The door into the next part of the yacht was shut, and an internal comm buzzed. "Yes, I stole your ship."

It was her father, across the channel. At least they were in the ship and not space!

Pascale released Feyna and reached for one of the lightsabers in his jacket pocket. He couldn't believe he was about to break into his own cockpit.

"How dare you steal MY ship" he snarled "This has been my home for years and Feyna's and mine too. And you DARE to steal it?".

"Do you realise what you have done? What you have created trouble wise for me and your own daughter?"

"You are lucky I am not a violent man, or I would slice one of your limbs off for this treachery".

Feyna didn't have much to add to her husband's rant--she agreed with him, and father or not, there was a part of her that wanted to throttle the man.

"Get out of our cockpit," she demanded angrily. "My husband keeps a pair of lightsabers he picked up on a mission, we can cut through the doors to you." She wasn't above stunning Carlos, either.

Carlos hesitated. "Lightsabers?"

"Well then," he sounded jovial. "Maybe I'll open that room to vacuum."

"I'd quite like you to sit there, like a good boy and girl." He cut the line.

Whatever was going on with Carlos; it wasn't good.

Pascale activated his blade. He had no choice but to risk it.

"I don't know what's going on with your father cheri but since he has been on a Sith world...maybe he has been possessed?".

He turned and held her hand "We don't have a choice my dear. Either I cut our way in there or we are stuck out here at his mercy".

"Just in case though, I love you. And know that whatever happens, I always will".

Feyna nodded, locating her blaster as she squeezed his hand and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I love you, too."

She didn't know what else they could do either, and it was becoming rapidly clear that Carlos wasn't stable. Despite the threat, they couldn't just sit here.

Pascale gave his wife a brief smile before turning and adopting a serious expression.

Well here goes…

Still holding his wife's hand with his other one he tilted the blade forward, made contact with the door and started cutting.

The door opened immediately.

Carlos was standing there, his hands up. “I’m not recording anymore, it’s fine.” He waved behind him. “I wanted some footage to send to the authorities. You can claim I stole your ship now.”

A shrug. “You were stuck, weren’t you? If you took me, the Fondorians would mark you as criminals. If you left me, I’d be dead. This way, we’re all fine.”

Pascale raised his blade up to Carlos's throat "Oh no, this is not fine at all. You still stole our ship, you are a ship thief and you have still created trouble for us".

"So I advise you to start giving us some proper answers. I want you to start from the beginning and leave nothing out…"

"Or maybe I'll let my wife just stun you".

Feyna was also still angry, and at Pascale's warning she actually went to check to make sure her blaster was on the right setting.

"Drayson told us to stay put," she reiterated. "He was on his way to help, but I don't know if he'll still be able, or inclined, to do anything after this stunt. You still have a death sentence over your head, and Vadde will put out an alert for authorities to look for this ship.

So we're still stuck on the run, exactly where we didn't want to be."

Carlos held up his hands a bit higher. "Alright, alright."

"I get why you're angry, I do, but I had to. I need to get back to your sister."

He looked a bit sheepish. "Half-sister, anyway."

The blaster lowered, as shock and confusion crept across Feyna's face, though there was still suspicion, as well.

"Sister?"

He had another family somewhere?

Pascale kept the blade steady but he caught the look on his wife's face.

"Start talking, enough stalling"

"I had to say I'd go with the Peace Brigadiers when they came to Ando - or they'd take her. She promised she'd stay there, but I know the Vong reneged on their word and took the planet anyway." He grimaced. "We gave them our Jedi, and our droids, and our people too - but that wasn't going to stop them, was it?"

He lowered his hands.

"Look, when we get to Ando you can just drop me off and I'll leave you alone. I need to find her."

Feyna was already shaking her head, getting angry again. "No, just dropping you off won't get us off the hook for your escape.

"And you don't get to just disappear again, without explaining where the hell you've been all this time.

"I thought you were dead for forty years, now not only are you alive, but there's another family that I've had no idea about?"

Pascale could see his wife getting angrier and angrier by the second...and so was he.

"You are a disgrace" he growled. "Look what you've done to my wife, to your own daughter. And still you cannot explain yourself. Lies. Deception. And oh look you've got another family on the side".

"You could have looked for her, you could have given Feyna what she needed. A father. But instead you disappeared and left her to fight alone. But she is alone no more thankfully".

He moved the blade towards one of Carlos's arms "I am sick and tired of you. So answer my wife's questions right now or you start losing limbs. Maybe I'll get to something rather precious at some point…."

Carlos narrowed his eyes. "Sure, I left. A job went south and I had to go - to protect you from Black Sun. I was going to come back for you as soon as I'd fixed my mess. But then Alderaan exploded - and I thought you were dead. Both of you." He glared at Pascale. "So yeah, I made a new family. It was either that or commit suicide. I've failed you badly."

His lips grew wistful. "And then you became a NRI agent, and I didn't have any way to know you were alive."

"It wasn't until I was picked up by the NRI before the Second Imperium Crisis that I found out the truth - but I thought the NRI was lying to me; making up that you had survived to squeeze me." His eyes became unfocused. "I dug into it after I escaped, and then, well, invaders from another galaxy turned up."

That fire returned to his expression. "I had to get my new family out, not dig into the past and find you."

He sagged a bit. "So yes, I am sorry, Feyna, but I didn't know you were alive. I thought you were dead." His eyes watered, and welled up.

Feyna's frown started to slip--she didn't want to feel sorry for him again yet, dammit!

But it made enough sense to be plausible, and she had theorised that Carlos might have thought her dead a long time ago.

"What were you doing in the Stygian Cauldera some sixteen years ago?" She was more curious now, and she reached over to gently tug at Pascale's arm, to get him to lower the blade. "We apparently just missed each other there, Pascale and I met on a mission on Korriban around the same time."

Carlos had believed her to be dead at that time, so he wouldn't have been there looking for her.

Pascale did as his wife wished, lowering the blade and extinguishing it but kept the hilt in hand just in case.

He moved back and next to his wife, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. The mention of Korriban though...he and Feyna had suffered a lot there. But he had met the woman who would become his wife there.

He studied Carlos closely.

Carlos hesitated. "How did you know I was -"

He shook his head. "I was working for a contact named White Eyes. He wanted me to look for something on Ziost - a ship, a Sith sphere of some kind. I didn't find it," he shrugged. "And that was that. After the New Republic attack and the end of the crisis, I assumed he was dead. I didn't hear from him again, after all."

"You were at Korriban? During the Battle? Against the Resurrection?"

Feyna nodded; she wasn't sure how she felt about his allusions to working for the underworld, but Pascale had once done so as well, so she didn't judge. "Yeah, we were there. It was the last lead Drayson had on you, in the information he gave me when he found out you were alive--actually around the time you got picked up by NRI, but I don't know if he knew about that."

Hiram hadn't mentioned anything about it, but Carlos had mentioned that he'd been apprehended by NRI just before the Second Imperium crisis, which was the same time Drayson had approached her with the information.

Kind of a convenient coincidence--but surely if Hiram had known that Carlos had been picked up, he would have told Feyna about it.

"Let's just say that that day will live long in my memory for as long as I live. There was a lot of bad things happening but we made it out alive. I never knew when I got there that I would meet my future wife" he smiled at Feyna.

"I was still working for the underworld then. I knew quite a lot of figures back then but strange that I never heard of you".

"And how did you know Pascale's grandfather?" Feyna asked, moving to sit down.

Now that the initial tensions were fading, she had so many questions--she didn't know how long they had before they reached Ando, where things would likely get chaotic again, so she intended to take advantage of what hyperspace time they had.

“Black Sun, like I say,” he eyed Pascale. “I’m sure you knew, right? You went into the criminal artefact business for a time, I heard. Before becoming an NRI agent.”

“The things your grandad said. He used to try and get the weird jobs. Tomb-robbing in Atrisia, trying to find an ancient hyper route through the Cloak of the Sith, picking up mystery boxes that had been passed between the Hutts for so long nobody knew what was in it.” He shrugged. “But he’d always find something - a trinket or other, but I reckoned he was looking for something. He definitely hid some of the shiny statues he found, gave them to Crimson Dawn’s main lieutenant to keep him off his back.”

“Your grandad knew how to play them all - the Hutts, Black Sun, Dawn, even the Pykes. I watched him talk his way out of a Death Watch ambush once.” A shrug. “I thought the job from that White Eyes guy would be right up his alley, but nope - he said that he wouldn’t touch it. Said he had a bad feeling. Funny, right?”

Pascale narrowed his eyes. This was stuff he never knew.

"What's interesting is a man I have only just met knows more than me. Probably why my parents hated me working for disreputable people and cast me out. Oh and I had been working for criminal syndicates since my teens, Korriban was when I decided to make a change".

"Probably also why my parents never mentioned him or why I never saw him either. Looks like he got the casting off treatment too".

"Turns out he was Force sensitive too" he looked to his wife "Probably where I got the Echo from."

Feyna nodded. "Sounds like it." Pascale had given it up, though, she knew.

She didn't want to go too far into detail about their bizarre experiences with their alternate selves in front of her father, but she did remember that part of the Korriban mission quite vividly.

"I don't think we met White Eyes while we were there--I don't remember any such, at least. Tavion, the Grauls, Katarn and Madelyn of course..." She opted not to mention the ghost in the tomb.

So much had happened on that mission, it was hard to keep all of it straight.

Pascale smiled at his wife "Who could forget the legendary Luke Skywalker too" he said moving next to Feyna and wrapping his arm around her shoulders again.

"I don't recall seeing this White Eyes either".

"And Luke," Feyna confirmed, smiling. "Was Mara there at the end, too, or am I just remembering Drayson talking about assigning her to the team?"

"I believe she was' ' Pascale replied "I think she was assigned Madelyn whilst we were assigned together".

He looked at Carlos "And the rest they say is history".

Carlos nodded. "It's been fifteen years since the Battle of Korriban, yeah. The last time we saw the Sith, thankfully. They're pretty messed up." He wondered to himself. "I wonder what happened to White Eyes." A shrug. "Well, it's history now. I'm gonna guess he didn't make it, or we'd have had to contend with him by now - maybe the Vong took him out for us."

He nodded. "I hear they attacked the Yevetha and Ssi-Ruuvi for us, so we don't have to deal with them anymore." He named two xenophobic species' that had troubled the New Republic. "So that's something."

He scratched at the back of his neck. "Can I get some rest? I don't want to be dressed like this when I see my daughter. Pascale, do you have any spare clothes? Does the yacht have a shower? Or food? I'm, like, famished."

Pascale nodded "Take one of the guest cabins, the shower is towards the back. Food is near the common room. As for spare clothes I'm not sure what we have".

He nodded to Feyna "I think my wife and I need to digest everything that has gone on. And I need to fix what you did to our ship".

Feyna silently nodded again; there was still more she wanted to ask about, but Pascale was right, they all needed a chance to absorb everything they'd learned so far.

Carlos nodded. “Thank you,” he said, relatively simply. He looked as if he wanted to say more to Feyna, but decided against it.

“Thanks,” he said again, and off he went.

"You're welcome," Feyna replied, before heading up into the cockpit, knowing that Pascale would head there next to reset the security protocols, and that with Carlos in the back of the ship, the couple would have more privacy to talk.

Pascale followed his wife and sat down in the pilot's seat. He started a security systems rest and did a general check. Engine one was now on amber, no doubt thanks to the Fondorian's shooting at it.

He turned his chair round as the computer did it's work and pulled Feyna towards him, she could sit on his lap if she wished.

"So, what do you think?"

Feyna took the silent invitation and settled in his lap, wrapping one arm behind him.

"I'm not sure, honestly," she said. It certainly hadn't been the reunion she'd expected. "We definitely got off on the wrong foot, and I think I have just as many questions as before, now they're just different ones."

Pascale nodded, wrapping an arm around his wife's back pulling her close.

"Indeed. What did not help matters was that he stole our ship, putting us all in a rather tight spot. Whatever intentions he had".

"What he said about his story. It could very well be plausible and believable. Especially if he got into trouble with the underworld. And his story with the Peace Brigade? The jury is still out on that one. And the fact he has another family now...".

"Were the ones you wanted asked answered? And what would you want to ask in future?"

"Yeah, I expect our comms to start blowing up once we drop out of hyperspace--Drayson, maybe Vadde, maybe authorities at Ando trying to arrest us…"

"To some degree, yes, some of my questions are answered. I know why he had to run and leave Alderaan. I want to ask for more details, but he may not want to talk about it." She shrugged.

"And I want to ask about his other family; he's only mentioned the daughter, is that all there is? What happened to her mother? Do they know about me?"

"That I think is the big question" Pascale said 'When he moved on would he have mentioned you because he thought you were dead? Would it have caused too much pain?"

"What happened to the mother is also a puzzle. Did she die? Did he have to run again? Since it seems he is a notorious ship thief it could be that he got in trouble again".

He gave her a squeeze "How do you feel about him having another family? You were alone all those years, never knowing that in fact you had a family out there…."

Her expression was thoughtful. "I'm not upset that he has another family"--perhaps it had come across that way at first, but she'd been understandably surprised, and they'd been on edge at the moment with Carlos having just stolen their ship and fake-threatening them. But she couldn't resent him trying to rebuild his life.

--"I suppose I do feel a little envious of them, though. They've had him all these years, probably seen a different side of him than we've gotten so far. They'll have a different connection with him that I don't, and maybe can't."

She didn't say out loud, but there was something about Carlos's manner toward her that just felt off to her, like she hadn't been missing from his life for nearly five decades. But she probably shouldn't jump to conclusions based on the last half-hour. Perhaps he was just preoccupied with his situation, and getting back to his other daughter, and like Feyna and Pascale, he was still catching up mentally and emotionally.

Pascale squeezed her again "Forgive me cheri but I do find something strange. That he did not come and find you even though there was a chance that you could be alive".

"If I was in the same position, I would do all I could to find my lost loved ones. Even though there could be a slim chance they were alive".

He shrugged "Maybe it is just me. Maybe because I lost my mother and father thanks to the Vong but if I were told they could be alive I would find them".

He kissed her cheek "Even if you feel envious, you still have a family that loves you. My brother, Marcus, Madelyn, Paz and our nieces and nephews. Hiram who was more of a father to you" he smiled "Me".

Feyna squeezed him back, smiling. "I love you, too."

"And he did say that the war stopped him trying to look for me, just like it stopped us looking for him. That's not bothering me so much. I don't know how to describe it, and maybe it's nothing; we probably shouldn't judge his behaviour based on one rather stressful incident."

She glanced toward the nav-comp, wondering how long they had before Ando. "What are we going to do about Vadde? I don't know what Hiram will say or if he'll even have any sway over him, but I doubt the problem is going to be resolved before we get where we're going."

"Carlos said to just drop him off, but we'd probably never see him again if we did, and I think he maybe said it because we were mad about him stealing the ship and thought we wouldn't want to see him anymore. Even if that were the case, I wouldn't just leave him with a death warrant on him. I'd want to know that he'll be okay--and the rest of his family, too."

Pascale blew out a breath, his smile fading "That cheri is the difficult bit".

"We have been put into a very difficult situation indeed. The Fondorians said they had proof but would not hand it over. I think it's going to be very difficult to placate the Fondorians unless Drayson can figure out a way to maybe meet halfway".

"Perhaps Carlos serves jail time whilst his family are guaranteed safety. The Fondorians won't want him running free".

"He shouldn't have to do time just to placate them, if he didn't do what they're accusing him of," Feyna scowled. "I wasn't under the impression that he was on trial for every crime he's done in his life."

Pascale sighed "I quite agree, but who knows what the Fondorians will ask for. They won't just let him go unless Hiram or we can successfully plead his case".

"Unfortunately stealing our ship has put him in an even worse position now".

"Do you have any ideas on how we can help?"

Feyna was still frowning. With Carlos's fellow prisoners/hostages already executed, they'd lost valuable witnesses who could corroborate his story. They didn't have access to Carlos's ship--the only known physical evidence. There was no guarantee they'd find anything else on it, anyway--whoever had really entered the codes to reroute the refugee ships could have worn gloves, leaving no additional prints behind.

Did Carlos have an idea of who it had been? He hadn't said as much, at least, and it was very possible that he didn't.

"I don't know," she admitted. "The daughter could at least back up the story that he was a hostage, but we have to find her first. And it doesn't disprove the Fondorians' accusations."

Her shoulders slumped. "We'll think of something, we'll find out more when we get out of hyperspace and everyone starts calling us."

Pascale kissed her softly "Don't worry cheri, together we can try and help your father. And once Hiram knows the full story he could bring some much needed New Republic muscle in".

"Now I don't know much time we have left so maybe perhaps I could give you a welcome distraction?" Pascale smiled at her "And don't worry about disturbing your father, I had our cabin soundproofed last upgrade so we don't disturb our esteemed guests".

"Who knows when we could be alone again".

Feyna smiled playfully back, got up and without a word tugged him along with her to their cabin.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @JediMasterAnne

 

OOC: Combo with J-L and Sinre

IC: Pascale and Feyna Rouser, Carlos Morrow, and Hiram Drayson
Aboard the Fortuna

Pascale grunted as he awoke, thanks to the internal comm going off. He yawned and if truth be told, he did not want to move from his current position.

His limbs still entwined with his wife's after what had been a rather emotional day, more for his wife. And of course he distracted her as much as he could and in a way she would enjoy.

And of course they had a mess to still clean up thanks to Carlos.

His head on Feyna's shoulder he said still trying to come awake "Why oh why can we never have another five minutes…."

Feyna groaned a little as she woke from the contented post-lovemaking doze, also wishing for just a little longer. She gave her husband a squeeze and kissed his head.

"I rather agree, but we probably shouldn't leave him unsupervised once we get out of hyperspace," she pointed out. She didn't think Carlos would try anything else, but he'd already surprised them a few times in their short acquaintance.

Pascale blew out a breath "Fair point cheri" he began to disentangle himself from his wife "And since we are now marked as a stolen ship with a fugitive on board who knows what sort of greeting we will get".

The cabin had looked like a bomb had hit it but Pascale didn't care as he searched for his clothes to put back on. Seeing his wife like that in front of him...it made him want to distract her again.

Maybe later…

"I'll meet you in the cockpit" he said, blowing her a kiss and heading out. He passed Carlos on the way giving him a brief nod before settling into the pilot's seat.

The computer had done it's reset and everything looked fine apart from engine one which was still showing amber.

He waited for Feyna to arrive back, he pulled the hyperspace lever back so Fortuna could exit.

Feyna went about re-dressing and making herself decent again before going to join Pascale. She paused for a moment upon seeing Carlos lingering by the ramp, wondering if she should stay with him, but decided against it, heading for the cockpit, leaving it to Carlos if he wanted to follow or not.

While Pascale went about getting them out of hyperspace, Feyna called out to Carlos over the on-board comm, "So where on Ando do we need to start looking? Where do we need to go?"

She still expected trouble once they reverted to real-space, so it would help if they had a destination, so they weren't trying to figure things out while possibly trying not to get arrested or shot down.

That of course was the main question, where did they start looking?

"Cheri just in case you'd better stand by on weapons. I don't want to shoot at anyone but if needs be we will have to defend ourselves".

Feyna nodded and moved to prep the cannon and check their torpedo stock--she hoped they wouldn't need the latter, but best to be safe.

“There’s a beacon, I keyed it into the comms,” Carlos called out.

Indeed, as they arrived, there was a signal to follow down to the surface. The planet Ando was below, but there wasn’t much going on, thankfully. Their sensors picked up civilisations, Vongformed buildings, and not much else but that signal -

Pascale nodded and started towards where the beacon was.

"Very quiet here" he noted "I was expecting at least a possible welcoming party…."

Feyna nodded agreement, hand still hovering on the cannon trigger. It did seem quiet, though--not necessarily guaranteed a good sign, however.

"What's at the beacon?" She asked, wanting more specifics.

“Family, hopefully.”

A bombshell of sorts, but not of munitions…

When they reached the location, it was to the edge of a burned out city - damaged by Vong attacks. The moment they landed the ramp dropped and Carlos ran off down it -

He’d clearly installed an override somewhere… what kind of ace ship thief was he?!

"Godsdammit," Feyna muttered as Carlos took off. "We're gonna have to go over the security systems with a fine-tooth comb when we're through this," she remarked, only half-sarcastic.

She started out after Carlos, grabbing a blaster on the way--no telling what was out there. "Let's go after him, I guess."

Pascale growled as he shut Fortuna's systems down "So much for a computer reset…."

Checking he still had the lightsabers in his jacket pockets he moved after Feyna, grabbing his blaster along the way.

Pascale raised the ramp after them but did not activate the security systems this time. He might not let Carlos back on this time.

Carlos was essentially running towards the wrecked city, desperate to clearly find something. The data said this was Imthitill, and that it had been protected by a Jedi Knight by the name of Dorsk 82 before the natives killed him to appease the Yuuzhan Vong - though Tsavong Lah had occupied the planet anyway.

They could easily track him, as one of the very few life signs evident, to a small hovel.

It was imploded; the house had collapsed inwards.

"I told her to stay here."

He was on his haunches, crying.

Pascale looked around. If Carlos's daughter had come to grief there could still be people about.

There could be an explanation that the daughter had moved because of trouble. She had to be around here somewhere if she was still here.

"Is there anywhere else she could have gone?" Feyna asked, lingering at the edge of the rubble. "Safehouse? A shelter? Friends?"

There weren't many other life signs around them, but there had to be other survivors somewhere.

Carlos looked back at her, eyes and countenance dark. "What is there here? This city has been bombarded into rubble." He stood up and stepped into the rubble; began moving debris, checking personal effects.

n't know what else to say, so she started looking for any signs of anyone having been here--were there bodies, or...remnants? Had the Vong completely wiped out the population? There had to be something.

Pascale didn't know what to do here, this place was still too quiet for his liking.

He decided to keep an eye on Carlos and watch for any threats.

He pawed through the rubble, but there was noise, and movement, in the direction of the other buildings.

Aqualish, Quara, and Harch, all three species of Ando, revealing themselves.

A Harch, known as a spider-like humanoid, spoke up. "The scarheads will be back. Their patrols are everywhere. You can't be here."

Carlos kept digging, his hands bloody.

"We're looking for someone," Feyna replied. "There should have been a woman living here. What happened to her?"

Pascale turned towards the new arrivals, but did not reach for his weapons.

He guessed these Vong clearly did not know the war was over.

"I beleive the woman's surname is Morrow?" Pascale was taking a guess here.

“You can look for her if you want,” the Harch said testily. “We’re not going to be here when the Vong come back around. You’ll bring doom on us all.”

Carlos suddenly stood and stalked towards the Andoan, producing a battered looking blaster and placing it under his nose. “Where is she!”

Clearly he’d found the weapon in the rubble of his house.

The Harch hissed, his suz arms writhing.

"Carlos we need to remain calm" Pascale said calmly "Violence will solve nothing"

If the Vong were coming thought they would have to move soon.

thing, tell us and we'll be on our way," Feyna pressed. Carlos had been under a lot of stress lately, she wasn't going to try reasoning with him.

“The scarheads took her!” The Harch bristled.

Carlos dropped to his knees, the blaster clattering to the floor. “No… I was too late.”

“The war - it’s over,” he said. “The Vong lost. In the last few weeks. The GA took back Coruscant.”

"Seems these Vong did not get the message the war was done" Pascale said and then looked at his wife.

"What shall we do now?"

Feyna wanted to try to offer comfort, but her relationship with Carlos was still new and still...awkward.

"They're coming back, we can find out what they did with her."

Pascale wondered whether asking the Vong where they took her would help. They were barbarians and were only interested in killing.

He reached into his pockets and pulled out the lightsabers. Just in case.

“What do you mean they lost?” The Harch and the other Andoans looked at each other. “We’ve not seen any scarheads for days. Do you mean they left?”

“Yes,” Carlos said.

“We were expecting them back any minute…”

“… they won’t be back,” Carlos said, despondent. He stood slowly.

The Andoans looked at each other, and the Harch spoke up. “Selvaris. They were taking them to Selvaris. Commander Carr wanted some of us to remain, so he could farm us later, when we were worthy of sacrifice.”

Carlos began to head back to the ship.

Feyna nodded to the Harch. "Thank you."

She started to follow Carlos. "I guess we head to Selvaris next," she said to Pascale. "Maybe try to find this Carr."

Pascale also said his thanks and started after his wife.

"He's got prisoners there for sure, whether he is one of the ones that have not surrendered after the war remains to be seen".

Selvaris was a dead end.

There was a former slave base there, but a passive HoloNet search would say that the slaves had been liberated and taken to Mon Calamari towards the end of the war. The few that had not been saved had been taken to Yuuzhan’tar and saved by the Wraith Bhindi Drayson… but neither Mon Calamari or Yuuzhan’tar (in the process of being rebuilt as Coruscant), were the current capital.

Denon was.

Carlos mooched over the news.

“So one of three planets.” He looked at Feyna. “Where would your GA have taken them?”

Feyna muddled over it. "Bhindi is Hiram's daughter, we could probably ask her if she knows anything, but I don't have her codes, and with the Vadde situation, I'm hesitant to contact Hiram unless he comms us first." She was a little surprised they hadn't heard from him yet, actually.

"Mon Calamari might be the safest option for us, I think we're less likely to be picked up by authorities there."

Officially, they were still on the run.

Pascale nodded from his position in the pilot's seat "I quite agree. The other two are definitely a no go, especially since this ship has probably been labeled as suspicious" he shot Carlos a look at his reflection in the viewport.

He set the coordinates "Plus I need to get engine one repaired. If we are going to be hopping around, I need Fortuna back to one hundered percent".

Pascale took them to hyperspace.

Carlos didn’t take the jab in any way. He just smouldered with despair. They emerged above Mon Calamari swiftly enough, which was strewn with traffic but nothing specifically aimed at them. Mainly Mon Calamari freighters and cruisers, but there was a confluence of ships - and the Unity, the aged Starhawk that Hiram Drayson commanded.

If you could head over to me without causing a scene, Hiram said with a message over Feyna’s personal comlink.

Carlos heard the chime. “I’ll be in my bunk waiting to be arrested.”

Feyna showed Pascale the message. "Hopefully this goes well."

Pascale sighed as he took Fortuna over towards Unity "I hope so too cheri, but knowing our luck? It could very well turn out to be different…."

The Starhawk was an immense battleship designed to destroy Imperial Star Destroyers. The warship provided a safe port for the yacht, allowing them to land.

Carlos laid on his bunk, muttering frustrations.

Hiram stood in the cavernous hangar. In typical Intelligence manner, everyone else was told to leave. It was a confidential discussion, and he, as the former Director of New Republic Intelligence, was known to operate in this manner. He held out a comm jammer, dumping local signal space with static.

Feyna paused outside Carlos's cabin before going out to Hiram. "Please don't try to steal our ship again." Her tone was plaintive, a plea, rather than a warning.

She didn't like that she had to ask, but she was still hopeful that these events would not go on to be the basis of their relationship with each other.

She didn't know what Hiram had to say, but as she joined him in the otherwise empty hangar, she got right to explaining. "Carlos gave himself to the Peace Brigade on Ando so they wouldn't take his other daughter. The Vong went back and took her later anyway, the group she was with was liberated at Selvaris, but we don't know where she was taken afterward--maybe here at Mon Calamari, or Coruscant, or Denon.

"And I still don't buy that he had anything to do with those refugee ships, Vadde couldn't provide any evidence besides the ship console, which isn't proof of anything."

Pascale shut down Fortuna's systems and by the time he turned around Feyna was gone. She had gone straight out. He didn't know why but he felt sad. Usually they always went out together.

This father business is taking up all of her thoughts. Small wonder really.

He didn't know now whether to stay put in case Carlos tried anything or go out to help his wife. As he moved from the cockpit to the top of the ramp it seemed his wife was explaining things to Hiram.

He stayed at the top of the ramp for now.

Hiram nodded to Feyna. “I agree, actually. But the Senate has devolved trials of local criminals to local governments. We have minimal official power over them.”

He smiled drily.

“So I’ve had to rely upon unofficial ones.”

Pascale suddenly erupted into pain, as he was electrocuted. Carlos stepped out of his room holding a remote and a strange gauntlet in the other hand - the one which had electrified Pascale. He flicked the remote and the ramp lifted up even as the ship lifted up.

“I’m not going to prison without finding my daughter.”

Hiram grabbed Feyna’s wrist as Pascale was illuminated at the top of the ramp, which separated them -

“Stay back! It’s the Sith artefact he found!”

"Pascale!"

Feyna panicked and tried to struggle against Hiram, even as the ramp lifted and the ship fired up.

"He lied...he told us he didn't find it..."

Pascale suddenly felt like his body was on fire. Electricity was shooting all over him.

And his beloved Fortuna was being stolen. Again. This time with him aboard as a hostage.

His eyes met Feyna's as he looked at her in shock. She was struggiling, trying to get to him. He didn't know if she did break Hiram's grip she would be quick enough. Or whether Carlos would hurt her.

Memories flashed through his mind of Feyna and him together. Whatever happened she would come for him, he knew it.

"Feyna…" he managed to groan out before he felt his body collapse.

Hiram realised he was holding her back and he let her go. He should never have held her, but it was instinct - a fatherly one, completely inappropriate.

He couldn’t say if that second or two of delay would have allowed her to reach the ramp. He could say he’d reduced her chances -

- and she’d missed that chance.

That Carlos had just kidnapped her husband.

He pulled out his comlink. “This is the Admiral. Tractor that -“

The yacht vanished into hyperspace.

“I’m so sorry, Feyna."

They were gone.

Feyna watched in anger and horror as the Fortuna vanished--though whether she was more angry at Carlos, Hiram, or herself, she couldn't say.

Without a word to Hiram, she walked off to fume for a bit--she fully intended to try to go after them, but she'd need some things first: a ship, for starters, and she'd need to get their trajectory to at least get an idea of where to look, and she needed to calm down a bit before talking to Hiram again.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

OOC: A combo with @Sinrebirth

IC: Pascale Rouser, Carlos Morrow
Location: Fortuna

Pascale groaned as he awoke. His body didn't feel thankfully as numb as it did when he was electrocuted.

The dreams were the same as when he had been back on Naboo. The other Pascale who was not dead (was he an earlier version?) And of course meeting his ancestor Vydra.

But now instead of being with his wife….he was alone. But he knew one thing for certain...Feyna would come. And not stop until he was found.

He patted himself down. His blaster had gone, and the lightsabers too. He let out another groan. Great. Held hostage on his own ship.

If he does anything further to it...i'll kill him.

Pascale looked at the comlink beside him and growled "Do you have any idea what you have done? What you may have just unleashed coming for you?"

Carlos answered. "Good day, Mr Rouser." His tone was dry. "You sounded like you were having quite the dream. Changes, Vydra, others too." The door opened. "Come to the bridge, and we'll have a chat. About Sith artefacts, and whatever you can tell me about Denon that's useful."

Oh fantastic, he was talking in his sleep. Did Feyna hear this after his dreams started on Naboo? He hoped not.

Pascale snorted and made his way towards the cockpit, stood in the doorway and folded his arms.

"You really think after stealing my ship, taking me away from my wife and kidnapping me that we are all of a sudden going to have a cosy chat you are very much mistaken".

"You deceived me and you deceived Feyna. Do you not care about her? Because if you did you would not be doing this to her. Hurting her. Betraying her".

"If any harm comes to me she will have no hesitation in shooting you or stunning you. And since you have added kidnapping to ship thievery I'm going to make sure when this is all done that you get off my ship and stay off it".

"My daughter comes first. This Glove, it's just a means to an end. Feyna... well, I thought she was dead until recently."

There was a surge of noise, as he squeezed the first.

A Force choke.

"This grants me power," Carlos said drily, releasing his hand. "Do not test it. I need to make some calls, and you need to steer this ship if you're not going to tell me about Denon. Former Imperial fortress worlds aren't my usual haunt."

Pascale made no move forward. Even after being choked.

"What are you doing with a Sith artefact anyway? And why the interest in them?"

"White Eyes promised me credits. I am sure I can trace the connection to him. I'll have enough money to start over - I can't make things right for Feyna." He groused. "Not now. Not after this. Not after I thought she died at Alderaan and I never looked, or found her."

Pascale shook his head as he moved forward and sat down in the pilot's chair. How he wished Feyna were beside him.

"You know I thought that. Selling as many artefacts as I could to make me rich beyond my wildest dreams. But Feyna made me see that it was wrong and I changed….for her".

"Sadly you put your faith in the wrong people. And sadly you are going to pay for it. You will lose Feyna, maybe for good. You do also realise that Drayson may have probably found a way to help? But with what you just did? You'll be looking at a jail cell".

Pascale settled in "So why Denon? You do realise this ship will be flagged as stolen and since it is the New Republic capital, why do you think your daughter is there? We were going to look on Mon Calamari before you did this".

"Galactic Alliance capital," Carlos absently corrected. "I heard that the New Republic Senate isn't comfortable being associated so tightly with Hutts and Imperials, and is going to set up its own capital on Hosnian Prime." He shrugged.

"I think she's here because of this," he squeezed a fist. "Lets me sense her. The Force, or whatever this is. Once I have found her, I'll let you go." His eyes took him in. "You're insurance. Hiram Drayson is the former Director of New Republic Intelligence. I know all about how dangerous he can be."

Pascale raised an eyebrow "It lets you sense her, is she Force sensitive?".

"Plus I don't think your daughter will be too pleased when she finds out what you did to find her. Unless she has underworld leanings like you".

He looked at Carlos's reflection "And I dislike being used as a pawn in your game. Threats against me will get you nowhere."

“She’s my daughter, I can sense her because she has my blood.” He looked at the Glove. “Nola will understand. We’ve been separated for three years. She’ll just be happy to see me.”

He keyed the comms. “Now be quiet so I can concentrate. It’s been a long time since I’ve input this code.”

After a second, an image appeared. It was a Chagrian. “How did you get this frequency?”

“Well, well,” Carlos crowed. “Mas Amedda. Didn’t expect to see the former Grand Vizier on the same line as that given to me by White Eyes. So that’s your code name, is it?”

Mas cut his eyes to Pascale and then to Carlos before replying. “You’re the hunter that was sent to Ziost to find the Ship. You failed.”

“I did, but I found this.” He held up the gauntlet. “The Glove of Darth Vader.”

It did make Pascale wonder if Feyna was Force sensitive too. But as he had lost his Echo there was no point trying to communicate with her via thought

Pascale remained calm and quiet and continued to listen.

"Where are you," Mas said.

"Denon, I thought I'd head to your backyard. Capital of the Galactic Alliance now. Very nice."

The Chagrian scowled. "Stay there; we shall send someone to collect you, and pay your fee."

"Same fee or...?"

Mas named a substantial figure.

"And now inflation..."

"It's taken you fifteen years to deliver."

"Not for want of trying; you forgot to answer before now."

Another figure was named, much higher.

"Done. I'm on a yacht, the Fortuna."

The eyes cut across to Pascale. "With a New Republic Intelligence Agent."

Those eyes bore into him.

"Former agent" Pascale simply said "Retired during the Vong war to spend some quality time with my wife" he nodded at Carlos "His estranged daughter".

"I would be very glad to get this waste of space off my ship."

Mas crinkled his brow into a smile.

"Indeed."

"I want that payment and a ship."

"You have a ship," the Chagrian replied evenly. "Just kill Pascale and be done with it. I could pay you for that..."

"No deal," Carlos said swiftly. "I'm not killing my daughter's husband. Not for you, not for anyone."

"Fine," the former Grand Vizier said. "A ship, too." His tone grew brittle. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Then my agent will meet you on Denon."

The line cut.

Carlos growled. "It's going to be a trap. But we'll give his agent a run around, find Nola, and then meet them."

Pascale had to give Carlos some credit for not thinking about killing him. If he did an inferno would head his way. And not just with Feyna.

"It seems you've gotten what you wanted, credits, a ship and perhaps your daughter. Well done, your plan has worked. I hope you are happy".

He shook his head "Of course it is a trap. Knowing these types of people they will try to kill you and me and take my ship. It is not going to happen. I've already had my ship stolen twice, it will not be done a third time".

“I know that,” Carlos said testily. “So we won’t play old White Eyes tune. Denon isn’t the kind of place you can just throw out an assassination.” He was keying in a new number.

“Here we go,” he said. The image appeared, showing an aristocratic looking man in an Imperial uniform. “Your Excellency.”

“Who is this?”

“My name isn’t important, Moff Vahali,” he said smoothly. “I’m purely here as a concerned citizen.”

“How so?” The man said, piqued. “Keeping in mind that I can order your death the moment you arrive on Denon.”

“With the Galactic Alliance Senate present?” Before the Moff could splutter a response. “Truly you are powerful. But that is my concern, you see - that an agent intends to kill me for this.” He held the Glove up.

Vahali was briefly dumbstruck and then he recovered. “That’s not relevant. Nobody believes in that.”

“And yet the Grand Vizier is sending someone after me as we speak.”

The man narrowed his beady eyes. You could see the thought process; if Amedda wanted it - “Give me your proposed landing coordinates and I’ll have a guard deployed.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency. Might I be rewarded for my efforts?”

“I’ll ensure as much.” At that he cut the line, hasty to put together a plan, no doubt.

Carlos looked smug. “So what do you think?”

Pascale snorted "You know you remind me of my old self. I'm glad I left that behind''.

"As to your plan you are very bold pitching two factions against each other. Perhaps it may work".

"However you are dealing with a Sith artefact, one which people are willing to kill for. If Korriban taught me anything it is that darksiders will use any means at their disposal to get things like this".

Carlos snorted. “Difference being I won’t go soft. I’ll have everything my way.”

They decanted from hyperspace above a world of innumerable ships, a miniature Coruscant in the Inner Rim, screened by over a dozen Empire-era Star Destroyers that were paying no heed to civilian traffic.

“Now get us to the coordinates.”

He folded his arms.

“I’m coming, Nola.”

Pascale did as instructed, hopefully they could get a refuel and an engine fix out of this as well.

Cheri you'd better hurry. Because I have a feeling this is potentially going to end up not going to plan….

TAG: @Sinrebirth @JediMasterAnne , @TheSilentInfluence

 

OOC: Combo with Sinre and Silent

IC: Feyna Rouser, Madelyn Linnett, Hiram Drayson, Paz, and Eleanor
Aboard the Unity

It was only a few minutes after the Fortuna disappeared that another ship entered the hangar, so Feyna hadn't had much time to calm down.

"It's Madelyn," She heard Drayson say, prompting a confused frown. What was Madelyn doing here?

"I had meant to surprise you with a reunion," Hiram grimaced. Ah. "But now we'll have to convince Madelyn to go after Pascale."

Feyna's frown deepened. "I'm going after him. He's my husband."

Why should Madelyn have to get involved?

As they arrived, Madelyn would sense something was wrong, tried to shield it from her children as they stood in awe of the unity except for Eleanor. She tossed a quick glance at her mother, confused before she turned her attention back outside.

Spotting Feyna, Madelyn glanced at Paz with worry. Pascale wasn't here? Has he been kidnapped? "Pascale's gone. Sonethings really wrong Paz."

Madelyn strode up to Feyna quickly, worried and unsure about where Pascale but wanting to help. "Feyna." She said softly, "what happened?

Feyna's expression softened--a little; she was still angry, but she wasn't going to take it out on Madelyn. Her tone was frustrated, though mixed with concern. "Carlos attacked Pascale and stole our ship, again. With Pascale unconscious on board."

Madelyn reached out and gently took Feyna's wrist in her hand, heart full of sympathy for the other woman, for her friend. She knew how much she loved Pascale. "It's going to be okay. We can get him back Feyna okay?" Madelyn explained.

Feyna gently, gratefully, squeezed Madelyn's arm, feeling slightly better.

She looked to Hiram. "What was the artifact Carlos has that you were talking about? I don't think it's the one he told me and Pascale about, now I think about it."

Carlos had mentioned a Sith sphere when talking about his Ziost mission, that he hadn't found, but he'd attacked Pascale with some kind of gauntlet. Was the artifact why Drayson wanted Madelyn going after them?

She knew Madelyn and Paz were probably wondering what she was talking about, but Feyna was in a hurry. The quicker they went after Carlos and Pascale, the better. Who knew what else Carlos might do?

Madelyn turned to look at Paz as Feyna mentioned the artifact. "Well that sounds familiar." She said, and her mind drifted back to when they used to hunt down artifacts together. "But it's a good place to start. We need to move though if we want to get to him on time."

Eleanor stepped beside her parents, and looked up at Feyna and Hiram. "I'd like to offer my services as a Jedi to help find Uncle Pascale if I may." She said formally and waited, dutifully for a response-

Hiram nodded. "Thank you, Jedi Eleanor."

He eyed Feyna. "That was probably a Sith gauntlet... but if so..." His expression narrowed. "It may have been the Glove... and if so, that's going to attract its own set of neo-Imperial wannabes if word gets out. We're seeing an upswing in support for the Empire, after all."

"Carlos was tasked by someone code-named White Eyes to recover a sphere of some kind on Ziost, but by all accounts failed, and the pseudonym hasn't been used all too often since the Battle of Korriban. But if Carlos is going after his daughter... he'll likely head to Denon or Coruscant. The prisoners from Selvaris were taken to those places, which is where she was originally held..."

"You don't think she's here, then?" Feyna asked. She didn't have much to go on to look for her half-sister--not even a full name-- but Hiram seemed to have found more information about Carlos since they'd seen him on Naboo.

Eleanor looked a little proud, and glanced at her parents for approval. Would they mind if she came along? They shouldn't. She was grown after all.

Madelyn glanced at Eleanor, and looked a little worried. But she tried to push aside that fear to focus on that task at hand. "That sounds...complicated." She looked at Feyna. "I'll trust wherever you think they are Feyna." Madelyn told her. "But we have to pick somewhere now."

"She could be... I've ten thousand refugees to sort through here, and we've been basically letting people go home since the war ended." Hiram sounded apologetic. "Everything is happening so fast, as you'd appreciate. People want to get back to normalcy."

"Her name is Nola, by the way... and Coruscant is a mess between Yuuzhan Vong holdouts, clear-out crews, a fixed fleet deployment - Denon is more organised, at least."

"Which way did Carlos take the Fortuna?" Feyna was mostly concerned about finding Pascale before Carlos did anything else drastic.

Paz answered before Madelyn, holding a datapad. “I’d bet Denon. 65% chance the Fortuna went that way. The jump angles from Mon Calamari aren’t all that different but we know he didn’t jump directly for the Perlemian, which would have taken him straight to Coruscant.”

"Let's go for Denon, then," Feyna decided.

Madelyn nodded in agreement. "Yes, alright. Denon it is then." She looked at Eleanor. "I hope you're prepared for this Eleanor. It might be more difficult then you realise."

Eleanor gave her mother a look that was half-offended. "I can handle myself Mama. Stop babying me." She replied, a little angry.

Madelyn gave her daughter a confused, yet stern look. "You might think you're grown, but you're still my daughter." She looked at Feyna and Paz. "We should get moving."

Feyna nodded, eager to get going.

Hang on, Pascale. I'm coming.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @TheSilentInfluence @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

IC: Feyna Rouser
Arriving at Denon

Feyna frowned--no sign of the Fortuna, but Carlos did have a bit of a head start on them; they might already be on the surface.

But how had Carlos, who was also wanted, gotten past this patrol?

"Maybe say we're looking for a refugee who may have been transferred here?" She suggested. Paz had his hand over the comm, but Feyna kept her voice low just in case.

It wasn't entirely untrue; looking for Nola wasn't their primary mission, but they could use it as a cover. They obviously couldn't give the real reason they were here without risking arrest.

But what if they asked about who they were looking for? Would they make the connection from Nola to Carlos?

It crossed Feyna's mind that Madelyn, or possibly Eleanor, could mind-trick the traffic controllers to let them by, but there was a chance that it might not work.


TAG: @TheSilentInfluence @Sinrebirth

 

OOC: A combo with @Sinrebirth

IC: Pascale Rouser, Carlos Morrow
Location: Fortuna, Denon

Pascale frowned. This was a bit much, even for an artefact.

He looked to Carlos folding his arms "Well you seem to be the genius here since this plan is yours. Might as well pop out, say hello and then you can be on your way to finding your daughter".

"Helpful," Carlos said. He stepped to one of the lockers and drew out some lightsabers. Pascale's. "Did you want these back?" He waved the fingers of his Gloved hand. "Keeping in mind I'll throttle you if you try anything, but I really don't want to."

Pascale took both lightsabers and popped them back into his pockets.

"I'd rather you stop threatening me, I do not take to threats very well".

"And this is your mess, you are going to clean it up, not me. The one thing I do know with Imperials is that you don't threaten them. If they get one whiff of you betraying them they will kill you on the spot".

"However bribery I find has worked in the past"

"I like that," Carlos said wryly. "What are we bribing them with?"

"I'm sure I have something in my artefact room that will tempt them. Nothing too expensive though. Or since that glove of yours is well prized we could stick them both in together".

"Show me," Carlos said, firmly. "We don't want to leave them waiting for too long."

Pascale got up from his seat and led Carlos to the back. He did not keep as many artefacts as he used to but he kept some of the less priceless pieces aboard just in case.

Having a look around he grabbed a necklace "This will do. Worth a few thousand credits at least. Got this off a dig quite a few years ago".

"Now let's greet our friends outside".

Carlos took it without thinking. "Sure." He hesitated. "Thanks, Pascale."

But then he turned his back on the man and trotted down the ramp. The troopers stiffened. "Are you Carlos?"

"I am," he said. "I'm here under the protection of the Moff."

"We're here to escort you to a safe-house," spoke the commander. His weapon was pointed at Pascale. "Who is this?"

Pascale had to think quickly, perhaps he had to be his old self again.

I'm glad Feyna is not here, otherwise she would kill me. I'd said I'd never go back….

"Doctor Pascale Rouser" he said with a smile "Archeologist. Me and the Empire go way back, I did jobs for you before I went straight".

"Now you do know this man is wanted by the Fondorians for resisting arrest and escaping. And that he is wanted by the Galactic Alliance for kidnapping, ship theft and hostage taking".

"But he has a valuable piece there you want. So take him and be on your way. I have no use for him".

The Stormtroopers looked to each other. "I think the Moff will want to meet you, too."

Pascale tilted his head to the side inquisitively.

"I would ask why but I guess the Moff can answer that. Lead on".

The more time they spent chatting the more of a chance that Feyna could get to him.

"The Moff can," he said firmly.

Carlos pulled a face. "I didn't agree for Pascale to be a part of this. I want my pay, and I want my Intel."

He held out the Glove. "Don't make me use this."

Pascale shot a look at Carlos "I'm afraid you got me involved when you stole my ship. Again" he did not mention that Carlos had kidnapped him.

"And what did I tell you about threatening them? Unless you want to get blasted into atoms right now…"

Carlos seethed. "Everyone should just do as I say."

He squeezed the Glove, and twenty Stormtroopers began to grasp their throats.

"But they don't, do they? They don't want me to find Nola, to take her away somewhere safe, to have the credits to never be bothered again." He wasn't even looking at the people he was killing.

Not good!

Pascale took one of the blades out and activated it, putting the blade to Carlos's throat.

"And you are not going to see her if you are dead. I hate violence but if you continue to harm people I will use it against you. Now please, back off. Now".

Carlos glared at him, but released his hand. "Talk to me like that again and I'll forget that my daughter loves you."

The troopers gasped, but they didn't target him. They were more wary, but more respectful. "Come with us, um, Lord Carlos? Lord Rouser."

If Feyna heard you say that Pascale thought she'd shoot you on the spot.

Things were getting dangerous now. Hurry Feyna…

Pascale deactivated his blade and followed the troopers not looking at Carlos at all.

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @JediMasterAnne , @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Pascale Rouser
Location: Denon

Pascale just simply ignored Carlos. He was probably congratulating himself at pulling off another heist.

Where was Feyna? Had she been held up? Had she been captured maybe by the Imperials as she tried to get here? He was missing her so much even though they had not been split up for long.

And then...it all went to hell.

The unmistakable sound of a lightsaber igniting. Lightning taking down a trooper. A Sith was here.

What have you done Carlos…

Pascale reached into his pockets, brought his lightsabers out and ignited, managing just to bat the stray bolt away.

He was about to battle a Sith. Again.

If somebody can hear me get the hell down here….

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @JediMasterAnne , @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Feyna Rouser
Denon orbit

She'd smiled at Eleanor's enthusiastic attempt to get them past the patrol--unfortunately, the guards didn't buy it.

And now they were being tractor-beamed.

Paz was checking their options, and, despite having pointed out earlier that Feyna was technically wanted, wondered whether telling the truth might be better.

Feyna wasn't keen on possibly getting arrested, but the only reason she had a warrant was because of Carlos, and she was getting more anxious about finding Pascale. I hope he's okay.

Maybe these Imperials didn’t even know about her being wanted--or maybe they didn't care about a warrant out of Fondor...yeah, right. Sure, there was probably a chance, but probably not a big one.

Still, if they kept trying to lie their way past (and the patrol was already getting suspicious) it was just going to get worse.

She stepped up to the comm. "We tracked a ship here, the Fortuna?" The yacht was nowhere in sight, so if it was here, either the Imperials had taken it aboard, as well, or they'd let them past.

Unless Carlos had managed a more successful cover story. Or, gods forbid, he wasn't even here.

"My estranged father took my husband hostage and took control of our ship. We need to find them."

It still wasn't all the information the patrol wanted, but it was the truth.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @TheSilentInfluence @Jerjerrod-Lennox