Star Wars: Fugitives

[Tysyacha]

Tysyacha was definitely puzzled at the sudden appearance of Niera, but even more puzzled as to the Cathar that had also boarded the Ebon Hawk when she and the Twi'lek had been battling the thugs aboard. As her cheeks were flushed hot with flattery and the joy of being complimented as well as aided in a tough fight, the Exile extended her hand to Niera. "Tysyacha Dvyx."

 

As for the Cathar, she narrowed her eyes. "Who are you? Another thief? Did you take out those thugs back there, or were you with them?" Her head suddenly felt like it had been squeezed in the grip of a rancor's jaws. "I'm sorry. Let's get off this landing pad and out of here before anyone else shows up. We can dump the bodies out the airlock once we're airborne, or at least airborne enough to do so." She wiped her hands on the old, frayed robe she still wore. Once a Jedi, always a Jedi, unless you fall or die.

 

"T3, get us out of here. Please...now...I don't know how much more I can stand." With a tweedle and twirp of acknowledgement, he took over the piloting functions until the Ebon Hawk was safely above the surface of Nar Shaddaa. Putting her into cruise mode, the utility droid thought it would be safest, or at least safer, to patrol the atmosphere surrounding the moon.

 

"Now, then," said the Exile. "We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, Miss Secura and Miss...?" She didn't know the Cathar's name, first or last.

 

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

 

CORUSCANT

 

Chandria, nursing an ailing wrist, skittered away from the two men. Incidents like this were never good. She'd have to put it in her report of the day's events, and not only that, she would have to ask her boss to keep an eye on the two for as long as they were on board Citadel Station. No problem.

 

What did that old coot mean when he said that the Jedi Bastila was training are becoming more extreme? Jedi are all about peace and balance. Surely he must be joking, or he's been away from the Order for too long.

 

She remembered to do a composite sketch of him and the Mandalorian male once she got back to the office. Bald black man with unknown helmeted thug.

[CommanderQ]

"I really don't think you'd want the kind of job that she'd send you on..."

 

Gelvik watched helplessly as the TSF Officer left quickly.

 

"A job is a job.....but....damn...you scared her away, Old Man. Now what am I going to do for money? Chutkla....I'll have to wait until the next job comes up...whenever that may be."

 

His mind seemed to be drifting back into his earlier drunkeness.

[Chevron 7 locke]

"We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, Miss Secura and Miss...?"

 

Juhani stared at the woman. "I am Juhani...and this ship you are flying belonged to an old friend of mine. Perhaps you can tell me how it came to be in your posession?"

 

Telos

 

"A job is a job.....but....damn...you scared her away, Old Man. Now what am I going to do for money? Chutkla....I'll have to wait until the next job comes up...whenever that may be."

 

Jolee stared at her retreating back. "Make no mistake...you eventually would have ended up dead if you'd taken that job. Bastila has changed, it's almost as if she's lost her compassion since I last saw her. But...if you really feel the need, go after her and ask her about the job."

 

He clapped the Mandalorian on the back.

 

"Well, good look on getting that job if you decide you want it."

 

Jolee turned and headed for the Cantina.

[Tysyacha]

Tysyacha knew that the Ebon Hawk had belonged to many owners. Revan had commandeered her, yes, but he was not the first, nor would he be the last. There was also Davik Kang, for instance, a deceased crime lord...

 

"The ship was left to me," replied the Exile, "or, rather, left for me by its previous owner and pilot. I knew him well, and he has gone to complete some unfinished business." She gestured to the main hold of the ship. "Please, sit down and I'll have T3 bring us all some strong shots of juma juice." With a dwoooo of concern, he obeyed the order promptly.

 

"Thank you, T3! As I was saying, the Ebon Hawk was in good hands before, and she's in good hands now." A smile, and the briefest of pauses. She took a sip of her drink before continuing. "You may call me by my first or last name--just don't call me late for chow when it's around 1800 hours!" Laughter. Tysyacha hoped she didn't sound as nervous as she was feeling.

 

"I was on Nar Shaddaa because--well, I wanted to play a little pazaak and a little shakhmaty to earn some credits, but it looks like that plan's shot. I'm not exactly on vacation, but you could say I'm trying to remain incognito. I tangled with the wrong people, two associates of the Exchange." Silence.

 

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

 

The holovid reception in the cantina was terrible. A news report flickered on:

 

"...hunt for Jedi...operative killer...reward...two million credits if alive."

 

"Narg!" cried one of the other patrons. "If I had my own ship, I'd go!"

 

(NOTE: Bastila doesn't trust Psycho, exactly, so she's looking for some other hunters...)

[Chevron 7 locke]

"I was on Nar Shaddaa because--well, I wanted to play a little pazaak and a little shakhmaty to earn some credits, but it looks like that plan's shot. I'm not exactly on vacation, but you could say I'm trying to remain incognito. I tangled with the wrong people, two associates of the Exchange."

 

Juhani nodded. Even she didn't like to mess with the exchange unless it was necessary. Bounty hunters struck at all hours of the night and she didn't like dealing with them.

 

"It's been such a long time since I've been aboard the Hawk...It was home to me for many months. It's good to see it in such nice condition."

[The Betrayer]

"The Ebon Hawk has left the docks, sir.", said one of the Invulnerable's crew.

"I want it followed. Send 2 of our stealth fighters. I want our best pilots on it. Tell them not to engage the Ebon Hawk. Just follow and report their course to me. Understood?"

"Yes, sir." The crew member ran to the docks of the Invulnerable.

[Tysyacha]

The Exile was intrigued. "You were aboard the Hawk?" she asked. "When? This has been my ship ever since I found it abandoned--or, rather, waiting for me--at a deserted medical facility on the former planet of Peragus. The planet exploded when...well, that's a long story, but it wasn't my fault. Anyway, you didn't happen to be an associate of a crime lord named Davik Kang, did you?"

 

She honestly didn't think Juhani would trifle with such a one, being as wary of the Exchange as she seemed at the moment. Still, it didn't pay to be too naive or too trusting of anyone, especially with a dark secret such as she held...

[Chevron 7 locke]

((I can't seem to find the fic that this is based on. Was Revan dark sideded or light sided?))

 

"You were aboard the Hawk?" she asked. "When? This has been my ship ever since I found it abandoned--or, rather, waiting for me--at a deserted medical facility on the former planet of Peragus. The planet exploded when...well, that's a long story, but it wasn't my fault. Anyway, you didn't happen to be an associate of a crime lord named Davik Kang, did you?"

 

Juhani sighed. "No...I was part of Revan's journey to defeat Darth Malak...I had a lot of fun on this ship...We would often travel for months at a time...but Mission would always keep us entertained by pranking someone...Jolee would tell tales of his youth...and Zaalbar would tell us the myths and legends of his homeworld. It was the best time of my life."

 

She got up and headed for her old dormitory. Maybe some of the things I left hidden are still there. I hope those old pictures are.

 

"If you'll excuse me, I would like to rest now."

[Tysyacha]

((He was light-sided. Look for "Vremya" in the CEC and a lot of Russian titles.))

 

The Exile caught her breath. This Cathar had traveled with Revan as well? How was it that the Force always seemed to arrange things so perfectly, so exactly, so that this very meeting would take place? It was the kind of thing the Jedi Masters reveled in, and that Kreia had adamantly warned against.

 

Was this crossing of paths a boon, or a bane? What was more, what of Niera? It was for this reason that she smiled at Juhani and gave her leave to visit either the starboard or port dormitory to rest. Tysyacha wanted to get to know the Twi'lek a little better, and a little more immediately. After all, Juhani may have snuck aboard the Ebon Hawk, but Niera was the one who'd tried to steal it. Funny--she didn't look like much of the thieving type, though her beauty did little to conceal the tremendous strength within her.

 

"Hello," said the Exile again. "Sorry for the rude way I greeted you, but I did not know if you were of the caliber of the thugs we just eliminated." She tried to laugh, or at least giggle, but the Exile's joke fell flat. "Sorry again." She had rarely found herself stammering this much, especially with a woman. Then again, this was no ordinary woman, or even an ordinary pretty one. Niera had an aura of being hunted, but not hunted prey. Gently, the Exile reached out through the Force and moved Niera's collar back a little to reveal a deep gash on the collarbone. Ugly, yes, but also strangely moving.

 

"I think I know how that got there," Tysyacha whispered. "Thugs, yes?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

Juhani slowly settled into her old bunk and looked around the room. It looks almost exactly the way I last saw it...except for that gauntlet hanging off the side of the wall. Is it possible it's still here?

 

She reached under the bed and felt around for a certain something...something that she had considered her greatest treasure.

 

Is it possible someone found it...I should ho-wait. here is is...

 

She pulled out a small datapad that she had hidden in the bunk so many years ago...nearly a lifetime ago.

 

She switched it on to see a holo taken of the group in front of the swoop. Canderous leaning on an assult rifle...Mission sitting atop of Zaalbar's shoulers and Zaalbar leaning against the swoop...Jolee holding a bottle of Fire-whisky and Carth trying to steal the bottle and Revan and Bastila in an embrace while T3 and HK sat in the front. Juhani though...Juhani was leaning against Zaalbar's other shoulder and smiling.

 

It's been so long since I've smiled like that...felt true happiness like I did back in those days.

 

She was about to switch it off when she took a closer look at it.

 

Two other logged images.

 

Maybe some other time...I really would like to rest now.

[Alkonium]

"Yes, actually. I recently found myself on Vogga the Hutt's bad side. Naturally, he sent bounty hunters after me, and with me being a Twi'lek woman and all, them finding me means something a good deal more humiliating than death. I wouldn't mind wearing that outfit, but there's no way I'm dancing for him in it." Niera explained, getting a feeling this Tysyacha knew what she meant. "As for why I was trying to steal this lovely freighter, Vogga impounded my ship and sold it to my replacement, and the sooner I get out of Hutt space, the better. Since you seem to be on the run yourself, perhaps we can help eachother out?"

[The Betrayer]

"Have you word of the Ebon Hawk?" Gorrak was anxious. He asked this question 5 times in the span of 1 hour.

"Not yet, sir", answered the crewmember operating the terminal.

============================================================

5 MINUTES LATER:

 

"Master Gorrak, our two fighters have successfully tailed the Ebon Hawk.", said the crew member Gorrak was pestering earlier. He ran to the bridge panting.

"Perfect. Tell them not to lose the ship or they will lose their lives."

[Tysyacha]

"Agreed," replied the Exile. "Welcome aboard, and I'm glad to have you with me--us," she amended quickly, remembering Juhani and T3-M4. Without further ado, she showed Niera to the cargo hold, garage and workbench, cockpit (which the latter had already discovered), hyperdrive, starboard and port dormitories (Juhani was sleeping in one of the bunks in the port one), and of course, the refreshers. There was the standard option available if you needed to relieve yourself, but there were two if you wanted a wash.

 

"Either the automatic shower can scrub you down with jets of cleansing fluid and three clean cloths, or you can always request it be turned off if the mechanical arms startle you too much. They move fast, so watch out."

 

Why had Tysyacha's face suddenly started becoming hot? True, she was speaking about an embarrassing subject, but the showers were big enough--

 

No. Not now, not here, not ever. Good thing only Jedi can read minds...

 

"Anyway," she continued, turning toward Niera, "those are the facilities. As for where we're headed next, how about Telos? I helped out the Republic about two years ago with some pesky Czerka mercs. Cleaned them out. I also dealt with the Exchange, sending it into disarray and leaving only one slimy Quarren alive. I hope the Republic's finally put him in a maximum-security prison somewhere." Again, Tysyacha felt herself blushing.

 

"What do you think? Juhani's asleep right now. Want to set the coordinates?"

[Jedi_Man]

Sam'kil Nevar stepped out of the bar, swaying left and right ever so slightly. The inside was a bloody mess now, the target he'd been told to take out had more friends than he was aware of.

A few years of no-force-usage and you suddenly forget to check your surroundings, Brilliant! He downed the last of his Juma-Juice and threw the cup over his shoulder. After this job, he'd have enough money to purchase a ticket to Tatooine. Wish I hadn't given up my ship, no need to go find tickets adn do odd-jobs to get going.

A presence moved through the Force, making him look behind him. A large man, his boss on this mission, stepped up.

"Nice job, but the guards didn't need to be killed." The man said.

"They kinda got in the way, but you never specified letting them live. Where's my money?" Sam'kil pushed.

" Uh-uh, you've got one last job. My, err, company, is feeling the need to have some more muscle." He began.

"Sorry, not interested." Sam'kil interrupted.

"No-no-no. We have our eyes on another Jedi, an exiled one, like you." No ones like me, trust me you murkglack." We'd like to acquire the jedi, unharmed if at all possible. Deal? We'll even pay for your ticket."

Sam'kil thought about this. He could kill the man right here and now, but that not only defied his personality, he probably didn't have the money recquired to get off this rock on him.

"Deal"

[Tysyacha]

"We all know that crap is king--give us dirty laundry!" --Don Henley

 

Usually, the Coruscanti media were completely objective, unbiased, and factual--if you didn't count on the fact that they themselves were owned by CMC Enterprises, a conglomerate that rivaled the Exchange in power but without all the organized crime and ruthless assassinations going on behind the scenes. At the present moment, they had a new financial backer--the leader of the Jedi Order. Of course, none of the Jedi in the Temple knew of Bastila Shan's being in bed with "the fourth estate", and if they did find out, what concern was it of theirs? If the Jedi didn't have at least a small stake in the workings of the press, how would their interests be promoted within it? Traditionally, the Jedi held a passive role in galactic affairs, preferring to mediate and act as diplomats--and executors of justice--if push came to shove. Bastila, however, thought the Jedi needed to "step up their game" and take a more proactive role in combating evil and punishing those who were.

 

It was why she'd paid for that thirty-second all-points bulletin on Tysyacha. Bastila wanted the Exile to be pursued, and to know that if the credits stopped flowing, so would Bastila's lenience. It was time to lay down the law and let this murderess know her double homicide would not be overlooked. Thus, she and her assistants interviewed hundreds upon hundreds of possible candidates for apprehending the Exile, with all of them being turned down so far. Psycho was as yet unheard-from, and the rest? They didn't care about justice. They only cared about the two-million-credit reward, or so Bastila sensed through the Force. Rewards helped, but they weren't ends in and of themselves. How could these idiots who applied fail to understand that?

 

She sighed, hoping that her holonews advertisement would soon pay off.

[Jedi_Man]

Sam'kil sat in the third class seat on a cruise to Coruscant, a good place to check for info on this 'Exile' as his temporary boss called her.

It'd better be, I can't afford a ticket off it if I'm wrong.

He stepped off the loading ramp a few hours later, trying to step off any kinks and knots he had in his system.

"Coruscant, how long has it been since I've been to here? A lot has changed in you, oh metal city of a planet." Sam'kil mused. An ad was playing through the holo-screen on the side of a large towering spiral. It was advertising a holo-book about the Mando Wars.

Pfft! As if anyone would ever get the story right!

The ad was interrupted by several exclamation points and a banner reading 'emergency' under it. A picture was shown, and an announcer was talking about Tysyacha Dvyx, a bounty of some sort to calim, and how Bastila wanted her.

"Bastila, now that's a name I've not heard in a long, long time." Sam'kil said. "A twenty million credit bounty, eh? Hmmm, It might be worth it." He made a quick perusal of his credit chips, enough to buy some food and supplies, and the datapad his boss gave him, all about the Exile.

Let's see what she's done to get on Boss' nerves.

Powering up the pad, a picture was shown of the 'Exile'. Now he knew why he recognized the face of Tysyacha. She and this Exile were one in the same.

Hmm, I can track her for Bastila, take her to Boss, and earn a hefty wage! Good, those old instincts are starting to return. Let's get cracking! Wait, which way to the temple?

(Tysyacha, Basty shouldn't figure him out)

[CommanderQ]

"Well, good luck on getting that job if you decide you want it."

 

Gelvik nodded to the old man, strangely, he was finding his words encouraging. A rare thing for a Mando'a to stumble upon.

 

"I'll figure out something...but thank you anyway, Old Man."

 

Gelvik was now standing straight up, and seemed a lot more confident then when he was more drunken. Mandalorians, with their enhanced healing capabilities, recovered quite fast from drunkeness, which worked well for him.

 

He knew that Female Officer had a job, dangerous, as it might've been, very few things could kill Gelvik, Malachor was an example of that.

 

How was he going to contact the female TSF Officer?

 

The answer hit him in its obvious nature. Create some attention that would require TSF attention, from there he'd be able to speak to the female officer with discretion.

 

He raised his rifle at a nearby group of people.

 

"OKAY! Hand me your valuables, and I'll consider letting you live!"

[Tysyacha]

Even though half of the patrons at the cantina were in a drunken stupor at the moment, all of them realized what a Mandalorian pointing a gun at you meant. Screams rang out. Several people fell down off of their barstools and scrambled underneath the metal counter where their drinks rested. Others raised their hands in unconditional surrender, throwing down rings and chronometers. Still others fled the cantina, calling for the TSF to help.

 

It didn't take long for Chandria Sakhar, back at headquarters, to finish her sketches of him and the old man to send to Bastila via holowire. It also didn't take her long to hear the shouts from the cantina and rush to the scene. There stood the exact-same Mandalorian she had been drawing, and with the precision born of countless hours of training, she drew her augmented blaster.

 

"Halt! Telosian Security Force!" she cried. When the Mandalorian turned toward her, Chandria, in quite an unladylike fashion, hawked and spat upon the floor. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gun you down right now." She narrowed her eyes. He may have still been drunk, but that was no excuse to try a stickup in the middle of a crowded cantina. Not at all.

[Alkonium]

"Alright." Niera replied, making her way to the ship's navicomputer and punching the coordinates in. Out of politeness however, she waited for Tysyacha to make the jump into hyperspace.

 

In hyperspace, when the two of them had a moment alone, she asked, "This ship, it's the Ebon Hawk, isn't it? From what I've heard, don't you think it'd be better to ditch it for a less well known freighter?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"OKAY! Hand me your valuables, and I'll consider letting you live!"

 

Jolee chucked to himself, that was one way for someone to draw attention to themselves. Wasn't the kind of attention people didn't normally want but still...

 

He watched as a TSF officer ran into the cantina with blaster drawn and her eyes blazing with anger.

 

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gun you down right now."

 

Jolee chuckled again and watched back as the show began.

[Tysyacha]

Tysyacha chuckled softly to herself. "Call me a sentimental fool," she replied, shrugging her shoulders, "but this ship, the Ebon Hawk, is like home to me. Not only have I had many travels within her metal confines, but she has served me more reliably than any other ship that I--or, rather, T3-M4, my utility droid--has ever flown." She gazed out of the viewport into space.

 

"Your advice is sound, however. I've changed this vessel's transponder codes more times than I can count. Once we reach Telos, we can either sell her to a parts dealer, of which there can't be too many these days, or abandon her in some vacant lot where someone else can have the hassle of being tailed by who-knows-who." She gave a derisive snort. "Or, if we want to be really sneaky, right before we hit Telos' atmosphere, we can climb into the escape pods aboard the ship. There are two, but each one can only hold two people. That means you and I will go together, and Juhani and T3 will take the other."

 

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "What's your preference? Ditch or escape?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

"What's your preference? Ditch or escape?"

 

Juhani was going to check and see what was going on after she felt the ship lurch into hyperspace from her bunk when she heard the two of them conversing.

 

"I for one do not intend on abandoning this ship. It is my home and I will not let it go."

 

Juahni stared daggers at the two of them.

[Tysyacha]

"Uhhh...okay." The Exile suddenly felt her bowels turn to water. This Juhani was strong in the Force, and, Tysyacha suspected, even stronger in combat. There was no way in space she'd risk alienating one of her two new allies aboard the Hawk--for as long as they stayed aboard. She thought of another plan.

 

"There is something I've heard about, from one of my...late acquaintances. It's called the UMBRA device, meaning Undetectability Manifested By Radioactive Anisotropy. The contraption bends light particles or some such like so that you're virtually invisible. All that could ever blow your cover under UMBRA is jumping to hyperspace. It's the most advanced cloaking device on the market, or should I say, the black market. The Republic has made it illegal for private citizens to own such a device, so only military, law enforcement, and smugglers have access to it." She sighed. "I've heard it costs a full one million credits. Do either of you have that lying around?"

 

T3-M4 suddenly appeared, listening intently to his Master's explanation.

 

"It's also incredibly rare. I've heard that the Twi'lek who created the UMBRA prototype, an arch-crime lord himself, had all of his technicians assassinated once the device was complete. He didn't want them suddenly branching off on their own to make more of them--out from under his control.

 

"Either we find a smuggler," she said, "or we take our chances with the law."

[Ataris]

Walking the dark understreets of Coruscant under the shining moonlight, Drayden was shrouded in blackness so that no one could possibly see him passing by, much less hear him, with all of the noise around the galaxy's capitol planet.

 

He was feeling quite tired today. Tired of everything--the blood, the screaming, the walking, the work of trying to stay in the shadows. But staying in the shadows was his specialty by now, and he knew it would be extremely difficult to get out of them. Once you go, you can never come back. That was what his father had told him before a group of thugs had robbed him.

 

Drayden had never been to this part of the city before. He was moving again, which he had to do from time to time for obvious reasons. At least, they were obvious to him. He never understood how crime-lords would sit in one place and become powerful only to succumb to the Republic's iron fist when they were discovered.

 

But Drayden was no crime-lord. No, he was just a puppet on a lonely string, forced to endlessly wander his life away. That appealed to him in some ways, of course, but he wished he could leave Coruscant. He had only left a few times before, and as of late he was forced to go into hiding. There was no way for him to get off-world.

 

Reaching a spot that he could sense was safe, through a means he did not quite understand yet, he sat down on the ground and took a deep sigh.

 

Why was he questioning himself like this? He only wished that he knew why....

[CommanderQ]

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gun you down right now."

 

Gelvik lowered the rifle. He had accomplished contact.

 

"You mentioned a job."

 

He then tossed the rifle to the ground and lifted his hands slightly to show that he was not hostile.

 

"This seemed the most likely way to somehow achieve contact....the rifles not even loaded."

 

He hoped that this TSF officer wasn't a trigger-happy one, he was still deadly, even with an unloaded blaster-rifle. He took a short step forward.