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Freedom - Akbar Hangar "Kavrik. Admiral Belina is setting up a meeting in meeting room three in around twenty minutes and would like you to attend." Startled, Kavrik jumped back from the table at which he sat, stumbling over the chair, but managing just barely to stay upright. For a moment, he simply stared at the datapad still resting on the table. It was showing blank now, though just a moment ago, it had been scrolling rapidly through a detailed history of the last hundred and thirteen years. Checking his memory of what he'd been reading, he realized he had indeed been near the end. "I'll reset the datapad to where you left off," Lysandra told him. "For now, you'd better get that." Kavrik nodded and crossed the room to the com panel. "I'd like nothing better, Admiral Garja. Thanks for the heads up." He snatched the datapad up from the table and moved to leave his ship. Just leaving the common room, he hesitated. "Uh, Lys, seeing as I didn't really sleep..." "You'd like a stimulant," Lys filled in. "You've only got one hyper-caf left. Use it well." "This is using it well," Kavrik argued. "If I come off as a half-asleep lunatic to the Admiral, how could she seriously feel at ease with hiring me?" "Well you did save her life," Lys countered. "Never mind. Hyper-caf is where you left it. Panel's unlocked." "Thank you," Kavrik said, moving into the galley. One panel was slightly popped and he pulled it open, retrieving from it a small, cylindrical container. Dropping it on the counter, he ripped the top off and smiled in satisfaction at the quiet hiss followed by an immediate upward draft of steam. "Oxygen and hyper-caf powder mix," he said. "Hot, energizing beverage in a split second. Could there be anything better? Lys, don't you dare comment." Snatching up the container, he kicked the wall panel closed and headed out, datapad in one hand and hyper-caf in the other. As he walked, he ordered his datapad to resume playback. The information on its screen scrolled past with astonishing rapidity, but he did not order it slower. In just a few seconds, it was over and he tucked the pad under his arm. Not much later, he arrived at the assigned meeting room and entered, finding again that he was the first to arrive. So much the better, he thought, again choosing a seat that faced the door, its back to a solid wall. Seated, he waited, sipping his hyper-caf slowly, and with each sip, looking more and more alert and energized.

Ugh... evidently, I should never make promises here. Sorry 'bout that...

Ackbar Belina's reaction to Velerc's condition wasn't lost on Kavrik, and neither was the fact that she said almost nothing about it. When she offered him the night off, he nodded. "I'll meet your bridge crew in the morning," he said. "After a night like this, I think we can all use the extra time. Goodnight, Admiral." And with a two-fingered salute, he turned to go. But instead of going directly to his ship, he made his way to the repair bay Garja had told him of. There, he rummaged through all the available parts, finding only three to his satisfaction. With these three parts in hand, he returned to his ship. "Got a few more parts for you, Lys," he said. "We'll have you up and about again sooner than you originally projected." "Partnering with the Resistance does look to be a profitable venture for the both of us," Lysandra answered. "But install the new parts later. You've got some heavy reading to catch up on." Kavrik chuckled. "Yeah. How many years have I missed?" "You were killed in the year of the Battle of Yavin," Lys replied. "Essentially year one of the current counting scheme. You were resurrected five years ago, which ship's computers place at 108 ABY." "Which makes this 113 ABY," Kavrik surmised. He heaved a weary sigh. "A hundred and thirteen years of history." "That's where you're wrong," Lysandra said cheerfully. "You asked Garja for a history of recent events. He sent over information regarding the last year, starting from the Sith taking Coruscant." Kavrik grimaced. "Request access to the ship's historical databanks. I want everything, if I can have it." "I already have most of that," Lysandra said. "I suffered my accident at roughly 87 ABY, but I was able to keep a backup data collection unit running between then and 109 ABY, when you managed to bring me back online." Kavrik scowled. "Why haven't you mentioned this before?" "Twenty-seven years of constant data collection is a lot to process, even for me. Then it was a matter of filtering all that information for data regarding historical landmarks. Finally, I had to arrange it in the proper order. Uploading the full history of the time since your death to your datapad now." "Thanks," Kavrik said, heading for his room. "I'll be catching up then. Don't hesitate to interrupt if you need something."

"Coming from you, I'm guessing your brand of good news includes death." Kavrik eyed Tonatius for a moment before saying, "Where Sith assassins are concerned, absolutely." "Easy there...I think I have an idea of who this is. Kavrik, I presume? I'm going to assume that they were trying to get at me?" Kavrik took her hand in his and nodded. "That they were, Admiral." He gestured to the two Dark Jedi. "Those two, I believe were to be distractions while this one here," he pointed to the headless one, "got after you."

Kavrik rolled under the assassin's blow and brought his sword up to block the incoming second strike. Hissing in displeasure, the assassin ignored Komad's comments, trying again and again to land a blow on the man he couldn't sense. But Kavrik matched him effortlessly, seeming almost to enjoy the assassin's growing fear. Then abruptly, he slipped his sword inside the assassin's guard, severing his hand first, and quickly finishing the job with an efficient sweep of his arm, severing the man's head. Holstering his blaster, he took a moment to wipe the assassin's blood from his sword. Then, he sheathed the sword as well, turning to face the newly-lightsaber-scarred door. He glanced first to one side at Komad, then to the other at Kalla and Tonatius. "Assassins averted," he said casually. "Would you all like to tell Admiral Belina the good news, or should I?"

Akbar With a quick "thanks" over his shoulder Kavrik bolted for the turbolift. As it descended, he called Lys again. "Did you find the intruder?" A narrow band extended from behind his ear and dropped a single lens in front of his left eye. The Akbar's floor plan appeared and a red dot dropped into view just as the turbolift doors opened. Kavrik swore. "He's heading for Belina now." He ran out of the turbolift drawing a sword in his right hand and one of his blasters in his left. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- The newly freed Dark Jedi moved along confidently behind their rescuer, eager to kill. As he readied his lightsaber to do away with the door before him, the sound of fast-approaching footsteps caught their ears. They turned to face the sound and were surprised to find that instead of a Jedi, their daring challenger wielded a sword and a blaster. The pair drew away from their rescuer to meet him. "Idiot," one of them said, drawing his lightsaber. But the other was more cautious, reaching out in the Force to find her opponent. And so, as her partner raised his saber to slice Kavrik Zall in two, the woman drew back, fearful, for she had heard rumors of the one the Force could not see. For his trouble, her partner's hand was severed and he'd been shot through the heart before he knew what was going on. "D-don't," the woman stammered, drawing back further, drawing her own lightsaber and calling her partner's to her hand. "If you surrender, I'll seriously consider not killing you," Kavrik answered coolly. But her fear of her rescuer was greater than her fear of a myth. She brought the two lightsabers together, attempting to scissor Kavrik in half. He jumped back, thrusting his sword forward to catch her sabers, and raising his blaster. The last thing his opponent saw was the business end of his blaster. With the two Dark Jedi dealt with, Kavrik ran forward, finding the would-be assassin as he plunged his lightsaber hilt-deep into the door. "Hey tough guy," he growled. "If you fancy an unfair fight, you should try me on for size."

Akbar Kavrik was almost back to his ship when the alarms went off. He stopped in his tracks and called his ship. "Lys, scan the hangar and don't bother being subtle about it. Is the intruder still there?" "Negative. He's moved out." Swearing, Kavrik turned and bolted for the bridge. "Find him if you can, Lys. I didn't come out here to work for a dead woman." "You think he's after Belina?" Lys asked. Kavrik hit the back of the turbolift and ordered it upward. "Who else? Taking her out would certainly cripple the Resistance." The turbolift opened on the bridge and Kavrik wasted no time finding Garja. "Where's Belina?" he demanded abruptly. "I think it's fair to assume this intruder's after her. I can help."

Akbar Kavrik knew the Sith were greater in number now than they had been last he knew, but the taking of Coruscant was something he had not realized them capable of. Ever since his resurrection, he'd been sticking to the Outer and Mid Rims, knowing that the Core Worlds would be the more likely location of anyone who might remember him, and remember what he'd once been known for. If there was anything he wanted in this new life he'd been given, it was to gain considerable distance from the past in which he commonly associated with the Sith. "I've been living under a rock," he said quietly, finding only a little amusement in the fact that a phrase often used metaphorically applied to him literally. "I confess, I've run into more Sith in my Outer Rim travels than I had anticipated, but I never imagined them powerful enough to take Coruscant." He ran a hand through his hair and took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. Then, seeming almost cheerful, he jumped to his feet. "Well, it's late, or something. Think I'll get some rest before it's time to meet Belina and your Jedi security chief. And maybe I'll read that current events report too. It'll be good to go into that meeting being up to date." He moved toward the door, pausing only as he drew near to Garja. "You're an honest man, Garja. Few men in your position would admit to having once been part of the Imperial fleet. Maybe soon, I'll repay you that kindness, tell you of the demons of my past." He moved to the door and paused in the doorway to call over his shoulder, "Until then, I bid you goodnight."

Akbar "Thank you," Kavrik said. "Now on to the reason I'm here." He paused thoughtfully. "Given the fact that Admrial Belina's little friend Viron got a lightsaber through the heart, I know you're going up against Sith." He hesitated again, wondering how much these people had heard about him. "I'm afraid I've been more than a little out of touch with what's going on in the galaxy these days. If you could also send a report on recent events to my ship, I'd appreciate it." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "With that aside, may I ask exactly what I've gotten myself into here? I've established with Admiral Belina sort of vaguely which of my services you require, but that's not much to go on. What's your mission that means you need someone like me, someone adept at... dealing with Sith?"

Akbar "I am Admiral Garja, formally of the Imperial Fleet and second in command of the Resistance forces. If you wish to, you may use whatever resources we have to repair or resupply your ship. I'm sorry that Admiral Belina isn't here but I will relay any questions that you have to her as soon as I can. She will most likely will meet with you in the morning." "Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them." Kavrik listened intently as the Admiral spoke, but kept silent until he paused for questions. If anything about Garja impressed Kavrik, it was that he did not shy away from his past, from who and what he had been. The fact that the Resistance had placed so much trust in him was also intriguing, but that was a subject for a later date. "I have many questions," Kavrik said, "most of which I am content to find answers to later. Most of those, you'll have to forgive my being rather out of touch with current events." He shook his head. "But no, my immediate question relates to your offer of supplies to repair and resupply my ship. Does that extend to supplies to repair something I have aboard?" Knowing no one in their right mind would answer yes with so little to go on, he went on. "She's a droid, a highly unique droid and I've been trying to repair her ever since I acquired her. The best I've been able to do thus far is to patch her into my ship's computer system. She was the voice you spoke to earlier, the one who told you my reasons for the scans I was having her run."

Akbar After relaying the information to Kavrik, Lys told Garja, "He's resourceful. He'll meet you there." As Kavrik headed for the conference room, he considered the information Garja had given Lys. On the one hand, having only one Jedi aboard would make explaining his "nonexistence" less of a hassle, but the Jedi acting as ship's chief of security could make things interesting. People who were accustomed to using the Force as a loyalty check tended to be decidedly hesitant to trust someone like Kavrik, who did not present anything to their superior senses. Only time would tell how this one would react. He arrived to the conference room before Garja and picked a seat that faced the door. When Garja arrived, Kavrik wanted to be able to see him, a habit developed from years of successful bounty hunting and merc work; never turn your back on an unknown person, an open space, or a door, since you can never be fully sure what will present itself there.

Akbar "This is Admiral Garja to the Freedom. If I may ask what are you scanning for?" Before answering Garja, Lysandra opened a secure channel to an implant behind Kavrik's right ear. "Kav, the Akbar is pretty sophisticated. They detected my scan, though they were not able to determine its purpose." "Well, you're in an older ship," Kavrik reasoned. "Makes sense they'd catch it. Tell them what it's doing and why I want it. Then offer to cancel if they'd prefer to give me the information the old-fashioned way." A beat. "And tell them I've left the Freedom and want to know where they want me to meet them." Satisfied, Lysandra opened a channel to Garja. "Certainly," she told him. "I am running a scan on request of my captain. First pass will confirm your crew count. Second pass will determine number of Force-sensitives. Third pass will detect which of these has had basic training. Fourth pass will single out how many have received extensive training." After a brief pause, she went on, "I expect you'll be asking next what the hell Kavrik Zall needs with such a report, and I am authorized to tell you. He's a very unusual man. Force-sensitives can tell. He wants to be aware of them so he can set them at ease when they become uncomfortable by his presence. "If however you prefer to introduce him to your Jedi face-to-face and deal with their discomfort in one fell swoop, I can and will terminate this scan immediately upon your request. Also, Captain Zall is standing just outside the Freedom now and he's asking where you want him to meet you."

"Freedom, this is Admiral Garja aboard the Ackbar. You are cleared to dock in docking bay three. After you arrive I inform the Admiral of your arrival. I will most likely be meeting with you in one of the conferance rooms." Flicking off the com system, Kavrik aimed the ship for the designated docking bay. As he touched down inside it and sent ship systems into standby, he spoke. "Lys, Freedom's got sophisticated scanning systems," he said. "Now that we're inside their defenses, run a quick scan, tell me how many Force-sensitives we have aboard. No, scratch that. Just tell me how many trained ones." "There are a lot of people aboard," Lys answered. "Sorting Force-sensitives from non-Force-sensitives will take time, and then further sorting the trained from the untrained..." "Yeah, yeah," Kavrik interrupted. "Just send the results to me when you're finished, thanks." "If you say so." Satisfied, Kavrik left the ship.

Tython system All told, Kavrik Zall spent five hours on Tatooine. Directly after accepting the job from Admiral Belina, he hired a mechanic to perform a full checkup of the Freedom and was informed to his pleasure that there was less to repair than he'd anticipated. The Freedom was a tougher ship than she looked. The hyperdrive had been knocked out of alignment and would require some work, but the ship had retracted the landing gear as soon as it had detected the impending crash landing. There were a few minor issues the mechanic also pointed out, but Kavrik was confident he could handle them on his own. The ship was also running low on power reserves and fuel, but both were easily remedied. His second order of business, while the mechanic saw to the necessary repairs, was to visit a local-based courier with a reputation for shady operations. They arranged a deal in which the courier would deliver a heavily drugged Nasrene Kaytlen to an undesired family reunion and Kavrik would ensure that some of her grandparents' money would find its way into the courier's pocket. When at last Kavrik arrived in the Tython system, he was not surprised to find the Akbar already waiting. "Open a com channel," he told Lys. "Channel open," she answered. "Akbar, my ship is the Freedom," Kavrik said, "and my name is Kavrik Zall. I've accepted employment from your Admiral Belina. Requesting permission to board."

Tatooine Kavrik had not entered the cantina looking for a job; he was already in the middle of one, and had informed the girl's grandparents he was on his way. But killing a Sith, seeing the fear in the man's eyes as he realized there was no way he could predict or prevent his downfall had reawakened something deep within. It was an intense hunger for justice he had not felt since defeating his own killer. There was now nothing that could keep him from taking this job, not even the high payout that was Nasrene Kaytlen's delivery. "I'll take whatever pay you can manage comfortably," he growled through clenched teeth. "I have a ship I don't intend to leave behind. Give me coordinates and I'll come to you."

Tatooine Kavrik grinned. "That took you a bit," he said. "I'm Kavrik Zall." He waited a moment to let that sink in before going on. "Your informants don't seem to have given you the full picture. Yes, Sith tend to avoid me if given the chance. However, that is a chance I have learned not to give them. So the real question to be asking here is, do you want the best or are you willing to let other mercs that owe you favors die?"

I wondered what was up. Sorry I didn't get in on the last one in time. I will for this one, I promise!

((As of this evening, the Doctor is withdrawing from this RP. In an effort to stay involved myself, I will now resort to some minor character control.)) Tatooine As soon as the airlock cycled open enough to see the light of day on the other side, Nasrene made a run for it. But just as he had been the first time she tried to run from him, Kavrik was too fast. His right hand caught her weapon; his left closed around a handful of the fabric around her neck, throwing her roughly back into the cargo hold. As she tried to scramble back to her feet, he turned her weapon on her, switched it to stun, and fired. "Darn," he muttered. Abruptly, the ship's power came back on. With a little scowl, Kavrik glanced up at the ceiling. "Welcome back, Lys," he said. Lysandra took a moment to answer. "Still just you and me then?" Kavrik nodded. "Looks like. Stick a ray shield around her here. She's lost the right to comfortable digs now." With that, Kavrik left the ship, paid a technician to repair the landing gear, and wandered into town. It was time to tell Nasrene's grandparents he had her. -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Viron's move for his blaster had not gone unnoticed. The man with the lightsaber advanced, raising his hand and closing it into a fist. In less than three seconds, Viron was dead and his comlink clattered to the floor. With the cantina's full attention now on them, he and his companion were just turning to go when a low voice interrupted their departure. "That was a damn fool move to make, Sith." The Sith spun to find the voice, puzzled by the fact that the cool fearlessness behind the words did not match any of the emotions he felt echoing through the cantina. While the rest of the cantina's patrons hurriedly ducked their heads, fearing the Sith's wrath, one man stood, wielding a rather unusual blaster in one hand and a sword in the other. Feeling for the stranger, the Sith noted in astonishment that no one stood before him in the Force. Seeking to match the picture his eyes saw with the one the Force was showing him, he again raised his hand and clenched it into a fist. The man who wasn't there merely laughed. "You're in over your head, Sith," he said. And indeed he was. He was so astonished at his failed choking that he failed to see or stop a blaster bolt from drilling through his forehead. His companion bolted from the scene and took a bolt through his spine. With a satisfied smirk, Kavrik Zall reclaimed his seat, scooping up Viron's discarded comlink, which had rolled near his chair. He checked the number and learned absolutely nothing from it. With nothing better to do for the moment and a fair bit of curiosity to satisfy, he spoke into it. "Kriffin' brilliant, you are," he said, not caring who was on the other end of the line to hear it. "Send a third-rate merc like Viron to snoop for Sith information and you gotta expect he's gonna wind up dead. Next time you want Sith, whether information or heads, go with a pro from the start. Someone like, oh, I don't know... Kavrik Zall, maybe."

((So sorry for my long absence. I was getting distracted by reading Harry Potter and I fear Doc was waiting on me. I'll try to get back to this more often again. Alkonium, sending you a PM once I post this.)) Tatooine For having just endured a crash landing, the Freedom didn't appear to be terribly wrecked, at least from the inside. It was cocked at an angle that suggested only part of the landing gear had broken, and due to the power outage, they were forced to use a maintenance shaft instead of the turbolift to depart. Other than that, the interior seemed remarkably intact. As they reached the airlock that would lead to the intense heat of Tatooine, Kavrik glanced at Nasrene. "Way I see it," he said, one hand on the manual release, "you've got three options. One," he yanked the manual lock open, "you try to run soon as I've got this door open. Maybe you get to the city before I get you back, maybe you don't. Either way, you end up back in a cell, probably chained to something sturdy until I can get the power back online. "Two," he started wrestling with the release wheel, "you try something now. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down again, but you still get chained up, which I'm pretty sure is something you're eager to avoid. After all, you've been remarkably peaceful since I let you out from behind the ray shield. Biding your time for an escape attempt, I shouldn't wonder." There was an audible clunk deep within the door and Kavrik stopped spinning the wheel, turning to face Nasrene. "I think you'll like option three. You stick with me, become a partner. And when I say partner, I don't mean twenty/eighty. I mean fifty/fifty. I can promise you excellent pay, interesting sighteseeing opportunities, and never a dull moment." He grinned, adding, "And we can let your grandparents hang out to dry until you're damn well ready to face them. And with me at your side, you'll face them on your terms, not theirs." He paused to pull the door roughly open, then turned back to Nasrene. "In the end though, it's your choice. What say you?"

((JP with the Doctor)) In a chair he'd grabbed from the common room, tipped back against the wall, Kavrik Zall stared lazily into one of the crew-quarters-turned-holding-cells of his ship, the Freedom. The ray shield was active, keeping his latest target contained. In retrospect, he thought it a shame she'd resisted him. After all, wasn't he trying to bring about a family reunion here? That he was getting paid to do it was only a minor bonus. He snorted. Major bonus. Whoever this girl was, her grandparents were certainly far more well off than she was. Even well enough off to keep their granddaughter imprisoned against her will. "Word has it," he said, "that you've been looking for your family history. Suddenly it falls in your lap and you don't want it?" Nasrene glared at him, her arms folded across her chest, and sighed through her nose. "Sorry, I'm having trouble with the 'drag her at gunpoint into a force cage' bit. I'm no expert, but it doesn't seem very grand-parental to me." Kavrik chuckled. "Be fair. You've got a bed and a chair, and your own private refresher..." He glanced into the corner of the room where yet another door had been removed and amended with a grin. "Well, it used to be private." He shrugged. "More amenities than most prison cells can offer though." "Yeah, it's a real pleasure yacht, your ship here," she replied venomously. "I forgot to ask when I came in - when do they serve breakfast? I'm a real beast before my morning bagel." "Ah, so that's the attitude problem," Kavrik said. "And here I was thinking it was because I shot you with a stun bolt and carried you here against your will." Suddenly, the ship lurched, nearly throwing Kavrik off his chair. He scowled. "Lys, tell me that wasn't what I thought it was." A feminine voice replied calmly, "Interdictor field, sir. Looks to be pirates." Kavrik shook his head. "Stall them as long as you can, then prepare to take them out as they board." He laughed. "Fools don't know who they've caught..." Nasrene had braced herself against the wall when the ship rocked, and was standing at the edge of the force field as her captor rose from his seat. "What's going on?" she demanded to know. "What does she mean, 'pirates'?" Kavrik shot her a glare. "Pirates are pirates, darlin'." He frowned thoughtfully. "Well financed ones, it seems, if they're able to afford and maintain an interdictor." "Kav," the woman's voice said urgently, "the hyperdrive was damaged by that interdictor field. I might be able to get it active in spurts, but the sooner we land somewhere for repairs, the better. Either way, it's looking like we'll have to fight them off this time." "Understood," Kavrik growled. He grinned faintly at Nasrene. "I'd say stay put, but really, where you gonna go?" She balled her fists and glared, but the forcefield prevented her from reacting exactly as she'd have liked. Just as Kavrik turned to enter the common room, the woman he'd called Lys spoke again over the intercom, "The pirates have a boarding ship inbound, Kav. By its size, I'd say there'd be forty of them at best." Kavrik rolled his eyes. "Maybe they do know who they're tackling. Thanks for the reassuring enemy count, Lys." Nasrene's insides turned to ice, her anger momentarily forgotten. "Forty?" she asked quietly. "Did she say forty?" She moved right up against the force cage, close enough to feel the faint heat rising from its surface. "Let me out," she said suddenly. It wasn't an order, more a statement of fact. "You can't have a crew of any more than ten. If they're sending a boarding party that size, you'll need all the help you can get." Kavrik hesitated just inside the common room, considering. Slowly, he turned back and glanced toward the cockpit. "Lys, options?" "Wouldn't hurt to have an extra hand," Lys answered. "Besides that, you did tell me she was a challenge to catch." Kavrik glared. "I said almost a challenge." He grinned to Nasrene, switched off the ray shield, and held out one of his blaster pistols to her. "No offense, darlin', but I'm used to taking down Force users." "None taken," she said resentfully, snatching the blaster from his hand. She deftly checked the powerpack before meeting his eye again. "Lead the way, captain." "Lys," Kavrik called, "where are they breaching?" "Looks like cargo hold," Lys answered. "I'm projecting false life signs in most other places. That's their cleanest entry point." "Alright," Kavrik said, entering the common room and flipping the table. He glanced at Nasrene. "We'll hold here. Most of 'em probably won't make it up here anyway..." He grinned and winked at Nasrene. “Trust me on that.” "Trust you, right..." Nasrene muttered darkly. To him, she said "So the rest of your crew will hold them down below, yeah? How many people do you have, anyway?" Kavrik's grin widened. "Depends on your definition of people." "Kav, they've breached the cargo bay." "Let 'em come in, Lys," Kavrik said. "Let 'em think they're making good headway. Then spring the first trap." To Nasrene, he continued, "If you're talking sentient, organic life, there's just me. But Lysandra more than makes up for any imaginable shortfalls of that." "Hold on," she blurted. "What's Lysandra then? Are you telling me it's just you, me, and a computer against a crew of bloody pirates?" From somewhere below them, the faint sound of blaster fire could be heard. After several long seconds, it ceased. "Bit more than a computer, thanks," Lysandra's voice said. "Twenty-one down, seventeen of them dead. Half of the remainder have fled back to their boarding ship. The rest are either immobile from fear or pressing on. I count... eight coming your way." Understood, Lys," Kavrik said. "Thanks." He glanced at Nasrene. "Feeling better yet?" Nasrene looked around at the bulkheads apprehensively before replying: "About the pirates, maybe," she said. "Now it's your 'more than a computer' I'm worried about." With a laugh, Kavrik shook his head. "Well, she did speak up in favor of letting you out of the cage, didn't she?" At that moment, shouts were heard as the pirates moved through the deck, checking the aft storage compartments first. Kavrik motioned for Nasrene to drop out of sight behind the table and did so himself. The pirates moved into the common room and stopped. “Clear here, too,” one of them said. “What the hell? What about the life readings?” Panels in the walls slid open, revealing unmanned turrets, much as there had been in the cargo hold. Lysandra said coolly, “I lied.” Kavrik motioned to Nasrene and jumped up from behind the table, firing his blaster at the man who had spoken as the turrets in the walls opened fire. Eight pirates soon turned into six, then five. A shot from Kavrik found another hiding behind the bar in the galley, two met their end by shots from Nasrene. The rest were dispatched efficiently by Lysandra, the ‘more than a computer’. Satisfied with the result, Kavrik turned to Nasrene and held out his hand. "Good shooting," he said, "but I'll be having that blaster back now, thanks." Nasrene keept a firm hold on the blaster's grip. "You really think I'm going to just hand back a weapon and let you put me behind a forcefield again?" She laughed mirthlessly. "Think again." Kavrik shrugged. "Darn," he said carelessly, turning away. But he suddenly spun, closed the distance between them in a flash, and wrenched the blaster out of her hand. Holstering it with a flourish, he turned and headed for the bridge. "Pick a weapon from the dead pirates," he said. "Then pick a room that's still got a door. The only one that won't let you in is mine, and you can set your own security code on the one you choose. When you’re done, come up to the bridge.” Nasrene watched him walk away, a surprised and oddly suspicious look on her face. She gingerly bent down next to one of the dead pirates. She wasn't sure whether it had been her, the bounty hunter, or his ship that had killed him. Inexplicable fear clawed at her chest as she leant over him towards his belt - now that the heat of battle had past, the full realisation of what had happened was washing over her. She undid his holster and belt quickly, fumbling with it a great deal in her effort to keep from touching the dead man himself. She rose a few seconds later with his blaster and its holster in hand. She removed her jacket before wrapping the belt around her own waist. When she put her jacket back on, the holster was rather well hidden beneath the folds of leather. She threw an anxious look at the turrets in the wall before following Kavrik out of the room. As Nasrene left the lift and found herself on the bridge, Lysandra was saying, “The boarding ship has pulled out. They’re heading back to the mothership.” “You’re scrambling transmissions, I assume,” Kavrik said, bent over the pilot’s controls. “Any luck at canceling their interdiction field?” “Just about,” Lysandra answered, “but there’s another problem. This ship being old as it is, getting yanked out of hyperspace like that was hard on the hyperdrive. We’ll need repairs. I can manage a short hop. Looks like our best bet will be Tatooine.” Kavrik leaned back in his chair, wrinkled his nose and turned to Nasrene. “You ever been to Tatooine?” he asked. “I never did like the place. Back o’ beyond, and nothing but sand and hot.” Nasrene shook her head, frowning. "Sorry, never had the pleasure." A small smirk spread slowly across her face. "But not to worry - I like it hot." Kavrik grinned. "Promises, promises." "Interdictor's out!" Lysandra shouted suddenly. "Nasrene, you might want to brace yourself." Kavrik winked at Nasrene. "Never a dull moment with me." "We'll see..." she muttered under her breath, bracing herself against the back of Zavrik's seat. As soon as she had, the ship moved into hyperspace, headed for Tatooine.

I'm in too! Thanks again Alkonium for accepting this guy. Really didn't think you would Everyone else: Please pay special attention to the note for Force-sensitives. You'll find it interesting at the very least Name: Kavrik Zall Species: Human Gender: Male Sexual Orientation: Straight Homeworld: Unknown Affiliation: He claims to be neutral, but he refuses to have anything to do with the Sith or their allies. While he does not seem to be thrilled with the Jedi either, he will at least work with them. Title: Mercenary Weapon: A pair of heavy blaster pistols, both heavily modified and in spite of obvious care taken in preserving their functionality, they’re also clearly very old. In addition, he carries an assortment of throwing knives, one long knife, and a cortosis alloy sword. He also carries two lightsabers; one is a single blade, pale blue in color; the other is half a lightsaber staff, which appears to have been chopped in half, but the other half is not in his possession. The broken staff's blade is burnt orange. He almost never touches either saber; they are clearly trophies from kills that meant a lot to him. DOB: 24 BBY Date of Death: two months BBY Date of Resurrection: 105 ABY Description: Image: Kavrik Zall History: If you look hard enough, there’s a partial record of someone named Kavrik Zall born a few years before the rise of Palpatine’s Empire. He grew up, became a bounty hunter, and under the encouragement of the Empire, he took to hunting Jedi. For reasons unknown early in his career, he proved highly adept at killing or capturing Force sensitive beings. What scattered records there are of this man suggest that he was killed not long before the Battle of Yavin. However, if you compare the only surviving image of that man with one of the mercenary Kavrik Zall alive and well today, you will find they are one and the same. The story of his death is true; he was killed by a woman named Reibe Vailar, of whom even fewer records have survived. Of her, it is simply known that she was a Force-user, and that she was impossibly old. Her name continued to crop up in the years following his death, the end of Palpatine’s empire, and beyond. Then eight years ago, Kavrik Zall was brought back to life. Two standard weeks later, all mention of Reibe Vailar was lost. Following her death and complete disappearance, Kavrik Zall emerged, calling himself a mercenary and offering his services to anyone who could pay, except anyone allied with the Dark Side. Though it took time, his reputation began to grow. He is now regarded as a highly competent mercenary, adept at facing down any situation, but he thrives when pitted against Force sensitives. Note for Force-sensitive characters: Reach out for a moment with your Jedi senses, if you will. Take a good look at the man standing before you. What do you sense? It may take you a moment to fully grasp it, so I’ll help you out. You sense nothing. No good, no evil, no thoughts, intentions, emotions, or desires. By all feeling in the Force, this man before you does not exist. There’s no echo of a man that once was; there’s simply nothing. In his own words: "If you've done any digging through history, you may have come across the prophecy of the Chosen One. It's no secret - or it wasn't in my day - that this was Anakin Skywalker, and he fulfilled the prophecy by defeating his Sith master and saving his son. Touching story really. Now hearing this, you may think I'm set up in some prophecy too. Why would I mention this little tale otherwise, right?" He'd laugh. "Well it's because I'm the other side of that coin. There were no prophecies concerning me. Couldn't be. I'm the one the Force overlooked. The one not chosen, not for anything, not by anyone. The Force can't see me. That's the reason you Force-users try to find me and get nothing. I'm not here. I can't be. I'm an impossibility and yet here I am. Wrap your superior senses around that." If he's speaking to a Jedi/light-sider/Gray Force-user aligned lighter, he'd tack on, "Now aren't you glad I'm on your side?" If he's speaking to a dark-sider, he'd grin menacingly and add, "Now doesn't that just terrify you to death?" In short, the Force doesn't touch him. Force powers can't be used on him. But he has this sort of innate sense (perhaps born of being beyond the Force's reach) who the Force-users are and which side they lean toward using.