Episode XX: The Jedi, the Sith, and the Hunger

[Writer]

The elevator door slid open and the soldier stepped out, looking around. Riebe and Alyssa came out behind him and Alyssa sent him the suggestion that he urgently needed to return to the elevator and return to the floor he'd been on. The soldier wheeled abruptly, barely missing the women and practically threw himself into the elevator and pounded the button for his floor. The door closed and Riebe threw an amused grin at Alyssa.

 

"Next time, try not to make the suggestion so urgent," she chuckled. "But you're doing great. Learning this a hell of a lot faster than I did."

 

"But you had to teach yourself," Alyssa pointed out. "If I'd had to teach myself, I'm not sure I'd ever have gotten it. But with us joined..."

 

"... you're getting it much faster," Riebe concluded. "Right. Keep moving."

[jokemaster]

Seeing that Cuth could handle himself, Jack carefully reached out to Riebe.

 

How's it going over there?

[Writer]

Fairly well, Riebe reassured him... or had it been Alyssa? The voice was almost like a mixture of the two. Just as the two women were Force-joined, so were their voices.

 

Without saying anything, they continued, moving down a long corridor and approaching a door. Riebe sensed Alyssa's questioning, Here? Sending confirming feelings through their close bond, Riebe moved forward, triggering the door to open.

[jokemaster]

Jokemaster relaxed, then two of the guards began speaking.

 

"You find anything?"

 

"No, but we're still searching the rest of the ship."

 

"Well hurry up, we're going into hyperspace."

 

The four men cursed silently, and jokemaster contacted Riebe again.

 

Better get a move on, they're about to go into hyperspace.

[Writer]

What fun! The comment was clearly sarcastic and clearly Riebe. The two women had found what Riebe was sure was the tractor beam generator, but there were no visible controls. For the first time since Riebe and Alyssa Force-joined, they spoke.

 

"The controls must be rerouted to the bridge," they said in unison. Alyssa turned to go, but Riebe stood staring at the device. Suddenly, Alyssa paused.

 

"What happened to our connection?" she asked, startled. Riebe half-turned.

 

"I broke it," she said. "It was the only way to really get your attention."

 

"Well now you have it," Alyssa snapped.

 

"That I do," Riebe agreed. "We have to sabotage this... we can't go running off to find the bridge now. It'll take too long."

 

The connection reestablished and the women attacked with their sabers. After only a few seconds, both came running out of the room. Any who saw them were soon incinerated as a large explosion rocked the area. Riebe and Alyssa shielded themselves in the Force and practically threw themselves down the nearest elevator shaft.

 

Each woman held a part of her own weight as well as part of the other woman's weight in the Force. And so it was that they managed to come down gently atop the elevator. Alyssa cut a hole in the top and dropped in. Riebe followed her. Alarms began to sound. Riebe disengaged from the mental bond she'd created with Alyssa once again.

 

"Get to the ship," she ordered. "I'm going to make this thing self-destruct."

 

"Let me help," Alyssa pleaded.

 

"Get to the ship," Riebe repeated. "When I come back, we're going to want to get out of here as fast as we can... you need to be on the ship, waiting... go!"

 

Alyssa ran back to the ship, too confused and frightened to mask her presence, choosing instead to use both sabers. At least fifteen soldiers; at the most fifty. Alyssa took them on in twos and threes as she fled back to the ship.

 

Back on the ship the comlink of one of the soldiers crackled to life. "There is a single Jedi... probably the crew of that ship we brought in. Destroyed the tractor beam generator and is on her way back. Be ready... she's dangerous."

[jokemaster]

Hearing the comlink message, Reynolds, Orlov, Burne and Cuth began shooting, and Jokemaster drew his saber. They quickly and silently took care of the guards in the ship.

 

The ship's clear sent jokemaster to Riebe. His bond with Alyssa was nowhere near as strong.

[Writer]

Riebe 'forwarded' the message on to Alyssa, who was by that point on the boarding ramp of the Fable. She entered the ship and sat down with a shaky sigh. She'd accidentally touched her fear of her master's death. It startled her. She didn't like it. She didn't like the feelings she'd experienced. Hesitantly, she looked up at Jokemaster.

 

"Do you think she'll be ok?" she whispered, barely trusting her voice.

[jokemaster]

"If there's anybody who can get out of there, it's Riebe." Said Jokemaster, meanwhile the others swept the ship for any hidden guards. "Trust me, she can probably stop by the break room, have a couple of drinks, and still make it."

[Writer]

"Well if anyone here knows her, it's you," Alyssa said, trusting his word.

 

----------------------

 

Meanwhile Riebe continued toward the bridge, intent on getting there and initiating self-destruct. She reached the door to the bridge, but when she tried to open it, an alarm sounded. "Warning: Unauthorized Access."

 

"Not quite how I'd pictured this going," Riebe murmured, pulling back from the door.

[jokemaster]

Jokemaster felt Riebe's situation, and without letting Alyssa know, he contacted her

 

Need a hand?

[Writer]

Just a minor setback... Riebe answered him. No need to worry the others. I'll be fine.

 

She retreated from the door and accessed the ventilation system. Once inside, she made her way to where the system had a grate-covered vent over the bridge. Under the power of Riebe's foot, the grate clattered to the floor capturing the attention of all working there. They came over cautiously and looked up. Seeing nothing, one of them said, "Must've just been loose."

 

"Right," another agreed. They went about their business and Riebe dropped down from the vent onto the bridge. Thanks to her grip on the Force, she was unseen as she approached a computer console. Just as she'd bypassed the security encryptions and activated self-destruct, something went wrong.

 

Alarms rang, warning of self-destruct... and a blaster bolt was fired at the offending console. Time seemed to slow for Riebe as she realized she would be unable to dodge it. So she accepted it... and dropped to her hands and knees.

 

Pain... Jack, stay with the ship. I'll be along in a minute. She knew Jack would sense her pain and want to rescue her, but she couldn't allow him to do that... not now that she herself was very visible.

 

"Thought you were running back to your ship," the ship's captain said mockingly. "Came back, did you? A shame your life has to end this way... Jedi."

 

"Try Sith Hunter on for size," Riebe quipped, throwing her unlit saber at his stomach. It hit with a thud and the captain grunted. Then, he grinned... just in time to hear the last sound he'd ever hear; the sound of an igniting lightsaber. Riebe called it back to her, but in the process was shot twice more. It was time to be going. She hit the door control with the Force and hurled herself off the bridge.

 

In too much pain to care who saw her, Riebe used the Force dually, first to speed up, second to do hide again.

 

Coming... she sent to Jack. "Be ready," she murmured. She was leaving blood behind. It was by this that she was found again. But by that time, she was just entering the docking bay that held the Fable.

 

She gave up trying to hide and lunged for the ramp. Alyssa appeared on the ramp and began deflecting blaster bolts as Riebe crawled further into the ship. Then, the ramp started to close and she ducked back in.

 

"Go!" she screamed. Riebe was loosing a lot of blood, but she was still conscious and trying to use the Force to heal herself.

 

"Damn fool thing to do, Riebe," Alyssa snapped. "Are you trying to get killed?"

 

"Shush and let me concentrate," Riebe murmured, her eyes closing. And so she passed out.

[jokemaster]

Jack closed his eyes while he waited for Riebe. He hated when he had to wait while she got hurt. When she arrived the crew swore, and picked her up. They carried her to the infirmary and applied a bacta patch. They looked extremely worried.

 

"It's okay." Said Jack. "She's going to be okay. This.....sort of happens often."

 

"Right." Said Reynolds. "Burne ge-"

 

"On my way." Replied Burne, already on his way to the cockpit. They took off in the nick of time, entering hyperspace just as the ship split in two behind them.

[Writer]

Riebe's eyes fluttered open and she smiled weakly. "Hey, Jack..." Her eyes closed again, but she did not slip back into unconsciousness. After several seconds, her eyes opened again. "Help me out..." By this, she meant for him to let her use some of his Force energy.

 

"Alyssa, you too." Alyssa had been standing nearby and now came to her former master's side. Riebe took what she could and Alyssa gasped, dropping to her knees. Riebe's injuries began to heal more rapidly, but it wasn't quite enough... so she turned to Jack.

 

((Jack's reaction to the draw won't be as severe as Alyssa's was... he's much stronger than she is.))

[jokemaster]

Jack channelled his strength into Riebe. He didn't fall, but he did have to hold on to the table to steady himself. He watched the wound heal and soon disappear.

 

Meanwhile outside Orlov and Reynolds spoke.

 

"So now we drop them off, get the bounty off the ship and leave, right?"

 

"Maybe. Go check on the prisoner."

 

"What do you mean maybe?! You can't seriously be considering staying more time there? "

 

Reynolds gave Orlov a cold stare. "Go check on the prisoner. "

 

Orlov glared at Reynolds, then left.

[Writer]

Riebe's eyes opened. "Thanks. Big help there."

 

She sat up and looked around. "So what happens next?"

[jokemaster]

"I want to give Cuth a little training. Mind helping out?"

=========

Orlov, still angry at the Captain, opened the hatch and went in. The prisoner was awake now.

 

"You don't know how much trouble you're in."

 

"Yeah, like I've never been in trouble before." Said Orlov sarcastically while checking the prisoner's stun cuffs.

 

"I can help you. If you don't help me, things can go really badly for you. "

 

"So what? Things have been going badly for a long time."

 

"I can pay you also."

 

Orlov paused. "Would it mean betraying the captain?"

 

The prisoner smiled.

[Writer]

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure," Riebe answered with a smile. She got up and Alyssa prepared to follow Jack and Riebe to Cuth. She figured that she might perhaps learn something new from this too.

[jokemaster]

Jack led them to Cuth, who was resting in the lounge.

 

"What's going on?"

 

"We've decided we'd like to give you a little bit of training. At least until we get back to Yavin."

 

Cuth looked excited. "Really?"

 

"Yeah. You're a natural at this stuff. You could do great things if you were a jedi."

 

"Well, I don't know about that. But a little training wouldn't hurt."

 

"All right."

[Writer]

"Let's begin, then," Riebe said, settling into the seat across from Cuth. "You can feel the Force around you, yes? Call on it. Lift the chair you're sitting on."

[jokemaster]

"What..........I mean........I'll try."

 

Cuth closed his eyes and concentrated. Slowly the chair trembled at first, but then it began rising. After rising a foot, the chair suddenly tipped, and dropped Cuth on the floor. The fall broke his concentration and the chair fell.

 

"Ow." Said Cuth. "Y'know just when I say something totally innocent like 'A little trainign wouldn't hurt', the galaxy just has to go out and prove me wrong."

 

"You did good. A lot of first-timers wouldn't even be able to make the chair move. " Said Jack.

[Writer]

"You managed to look past the fact that it would take two men to lift the chair with brute strength," Riebe agreed. "Jack's right. You're a natural."

[jokemaster]

Cuth still looked uncertain.

 

"C'mon, kid. Try again. "

 

Using the force, Jack put the chair back as it was. Uncertain, Cuth sat back down and tried again.

--------

*2 hours later*

 

Cuth set the chair down lightly, and Jack smiled. He'd managed to lift the chair, move it around the room in the air a little, and set it back down without toppling himself over. He was proud of what Cuth had achieved in so little time.

 

Reynolds also saw that, and at first was alarmed to see his ship's furniture flying around, but then calmed down.

 

"We're leaving hyperspace soon. Where's Orlov?"

 

"Right here captain." Said Orlov, entering the room.

 

"Great. Did you get him to retract the bounty."

 

"Yeah."

 

"All right. He's in your hands now." He told the jed. "So we'll just pick up Kayla and be on our way."

[Writer]

"Alright," Riebe said, looking up at him. "So what's next for you and the Fable?"

[jokemaster]

"Try to get a job."

 

The ship exited hyperspace, and Reynolds began leading them out.

 

"I put this crew together with the promise of work. Which everyone makes harder every day. So we need to try to get as much money as we can. "

[Writer]

"Hard to find steady work, I'd imagine," Riebe said quietly.