Hearts of Stone

[Karmack]

Chapter 8: Regroup Part One
Near Hutta Town
Nar Shaddaa
5 ABY

Travelling on the Nar Shaddaa mass transit system and on foot, it took Alex and his party several hours to reach what he would only call "The Igloo".  Officially "Cryogenic storage sector 23-A-277-D", the vast cold-storage facility on the edge of Hutta-Town was one of several primary "refrigeration" sectors where everything from cryogenic medical supplies to frozen vegetables were stored for distribution.  The massive cooling systems were serviced by miles of service corridors and tunnels crammed with machinery, resevoirs and conduits of their own. 

Alex shivered as they moved down one of those corridors now.  He'd hidden it, but he was more than a little relieved when the service access hatch opened to his palm-print.  Security for what was essentially a vast frozen food warehouse might be lax, but it had been years since he'd been here last.  Something as simple as a computer system upgrade could have compromised his access, and he was grateful it hadn't happened.   Unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about the cold until they reached the 'Igloo' itself except to keep moving.

"How ... much .. further?" Shalon asked behind him through chattering teeth. 

Alex started to snap back a reply but stopped himself.  The small sorceress had her cloak wrapped around herself but was clearly losing ground to the cold faster than her larger companions.  Alex bit off his impatient retort and softened his tone. "We're nearly there.  We should be challenged at the next bend, then only another minute or two of brisk walking and we'll be there."

"Challenge?" Donovan asked from the rear. "What kind of security arrangements did you make?"

"Well it's not unlike..." Alex paused as he heard rapid footsteps approaching.  "...not unlike a guard dog."

The party stopped as the steps rounded the corner to reveal a white-and-black security droid.  The droid was short and squat, less than a meter tall with a wide stance, its arms ending in menacing black weapons ports.  The legs were also widely spaced with large v-shaped toes and had reversed knee joints optimized for running.  The droid settled, a scanner whirring, before it boomed its challenge in deep-voiced basic.

  << ACCESS UNAUTHORIZED!  IDENTIFY! >>

Alex stepped forward.  "Zuzu?  Where's Eddie?"

The droid crouched down, emitting what sounded like a supressed growl before booming again.

  << VOICEPRINT RECOGNIZED.  PASSPHRASE NEEDED FOR AUTHORIZED ACCESS.  >>

Alex grinned and stepped forward as he rolled its eyes.  "C'mon Zuzu, this is Eddie's schtick.  What's up?  Where's the big guy?"

The droid braced and the arms locked into firing position.  The growl was clearly audible now.

  << PASSPHRASE NEEDED FOR AUTHORIZED ACCESS! >>

Alex shook his head and sighed.  "Ok, ok....   What a pretty puppy!"

THe effect on the droid was instantaneous.  Immediately the growl stopped, and the arms dropped from their threatening position.  Somehow the overall demeanor of the droid became chipper and it bounded forward, practically dancing at Alex' feet.  Alex knelt down and patted the droid on the head.  "There's the Zuzu I know!  Good girl!  How's my good girl?"

Donovan and Ja'Mason both relaxed the combat stance they'd adopted and shared a look that clearly questioned Alex' sanity.  "You ... know that thing?"

"Of course he does.  Zuzu is like a pet kit." Shalon stepped up next to Alex and crouched down.  "Would you introduce me?"

Alex grinned.  "Of course.  Zuzu, this is Shalon.  Shalon, Zuzu."  He watched as the girl extended a tentative hand, which the droid scanned with his sensors before leaning forward so she could touch the top of his torso behind the cluster of sensor domes.

"It's a dog." Donovan said, shaking his head. "A droid guard-dog."

"With some serious teeth." Ja'Mason added.  "Those are legit weapons ports."

"Yup.  Two heavy blasters, one in each arm.  The left arm also has a back-up slug thrower and the right arm has a small grenade launcher."  Alex blew on his hands.  "But its freezing out here, and I still need to find out what happened to Eddie."  Alex turned to the droid.  "Zuzu, Joanna will be along shortly.  Tap into the sensor net and meet her when she arrives.  She should have some guests with her.  R O E yellow.  Understood?"

"Yessir!" The droid responded with a bounce, every inch the happy puppy now that his security protocol was satisified.  The voice had also modulated into mid-alto range and was now definitely feminine.  "The heat is on, but it will be fourteen point two-seven minutes before optimal temperature is reached."

"Got it.  Zuzu, you never answered my question: Where's Eddie?"

The short droid deflated slighlty.  "He's ... in the bay.  Something zapped him seven months ago and he's been offline since.  I am fearful his motivator or CPU are critically damaged." Zuzu sighed.  "I have been worried since he went offline that if we were to be raided my abilities alone would be insufficient to guard the igloo.  I am greatly relieved that you have arrived.  I hope you can repair him.  I ... miss him."

Alex patted the droid on the head again.  "Thank you, Zuzu.  I'll see what I can do.  Now ... go find Joanna."

The droid actually yipped, turned and trotted off.  Alex watched it go, then turned to find all three of his companions staring at him.  "What?  I had a dog as a kid.  She was a great guard dog."  Alex blew on his hands again and started walking.  "C'mon, lets go get warm."

  <<<<<  >>>>>

Alex was head-and-shoulders into the access port, carefully removing the primary motivator module when he heard a low whistle from behind him.  "Wow..."

With a brush from the force Alex moved some cables and pressed gently on another board, creating just enough clearance for the main module to extract without contacting other parts of the main logic bus.  His scanner had shown that Eddie's primary and secondary neural nets were fully intact, but that they were being blocked from interfacing with the Motivator, effectively cutting his brain off from his body.  It was a saftey measure Omnicorp built into their Enforcement Drones, both as a safety measure against a droid going rogue as well as an effective anti-theft device. 

Alex was no thief, but owning such a droid required many permits that Alex had not been able to obtain.  Reprogramming Eddie's base personality matrix and loyalties had been time consuming but not overly challenging.  Bypassing the motivator lockout ... that had been far trickier, and obviously not as foolproof as he'd hoped.

Finally clear of the delicate electronics inside Eddie's armored core, Alex extracted himself from the outer warhull, drawing the motivator out with him.  He looked over to see Donovan standing and staring at the droid, two steaming cups of cafe forgotten in his hands.  "Is that for me?"

"What?  Oh, yeah."  Donovan extended the cup in his left hand, his eyes never leaving the menacing droid.  "I've never seen a battle droid like this one.  Where did it come from?"

Alex set the motivator down on his electronics bench and took the offered cup.  "I'm not surprised you've never seen one.  They were designed by a start-up here on Nal Shaddar called OmniCorp.  They built several lines of small security droids, culminating in the ED-100-Z.  However, the Zees were unpopular, the main complaints being that they were to small and underpowered to fend off serious attacks and no one took them seriously as a threat.   So, they upsized.  ED-201 through 212 were built, ranging from about twice the size of Zuzu to the biggest.  Three meters tall and armed with two heavy blasters and a kinetic railgun in each arm, as well as a stunner and two light blasters in the chin there." 

Donovan whistled again, running a hand appreciatively down the bright white armor on Eddie's arm to the menacing, black weapons ports.  "That's a lot of firepower.  Why didn't they sell?"

"Oh they did.  But only in small lots.  Unfortunately, at about the same time Bactoid Combat Automata released their OOM-series security droids for sale, followed shortly thereafter by the B1 battle droid.  They cornered the market during the Clone Wars and drove OmniCorp right out of business.  I found Eddie here in an old storage container, in pretty much the same condition he's in now.  I managed to buy the container for scrap dirt-cheap and brought him here.  Spent a few days not long after uploading a new personality matrix and logic pattern matrix to his neural nets.  But this..." Alex tossed his head toward the motivator sitting on his bench.  "This was a far greater challenge.  One that i apparently did not solve as well as I had thought."

"Bad motivator?  Can't you just replace it?"

Alex sipped his drink before answering, his eyes already going opaque with his thoughts. "If only it were that simple.  OmniCorp was very worried about one of these droids turning on their masters.  There had been some instances with other security droids going rogue, and apparently a batch of ED-22's bought by one of the local Hutts to guard his slave operations decided they were also slaves and didn't want to be anymore.   They slaughtered the Gamorean guard contingent, the Hutt, and several of his retainers in the process of freeing about two hundred slaves.  OmniCorp managed to show proof that the droids in question had in fact been infected with a virus uploaded to their tactical subnet by Sons of Kessel slicer, but that didn't keep the Hutts from extracting damages from them.  As a result the company included a fail-safe in all future droids.  If there is any discrepancies between embedded keys in the main and secondarly neural nets, the primary logic center programming, the primary heuristic programming, the memory core, and the motivator interface quantum signatures the motivator shuts down the interface and isolates the brain from the body.  You can jack into the motivator manually, but all you can do from there is walk the droid to a maintenance bay."

Donovan shook his head slightly.  "Ok...  Can't you just, I don't know, substitute your own keys when you reprogram?"

Alex smiled.  "Usually.  That's how I got around it on Zuzu, but the Zees didn't have this quantum relay.  They used normal interface matrix ports with a logical key behind it, which is difficult to reprogram but not impossible.  But these babies?  They're literally hard-coded at the molecular level.  Which was actually another reason the line failed: If these ports were damaged in any way, the only way to replace them was to completely wipe and reprogram the droid to match the new signature code in the quantum port on the motivator."

"So, no field repairs."

"Exactly.  Which is why Eddie here ended up in a storage bin instead of guarding whatever his owners wanted him to guard."  Alex set his cup down and turned the motivator module around so Donovan could see the interface ports.  "It was a devil to program, but I eventually developed a masking interface that matched my programming keys to the hard-coded molecular key in the port itself, then back to my keys on the flip side.  It seemed to work great, but apparently something knocked it off-line..." Using a micro-spanner Alex unlatched the key interface, which fit into the native interface.  He held it up for Donovan to see - a complex weave of circuitry embedded in a thin, translucent epoxy matrix. "Let's see if we can figure it out..."

Alex carefully placed the part on the bench and fired up his diagnostic systems, attaching leads to the exposed translation module he'd developed. A magnified visual examination exposed a spider-web of micro-fractures in the matrix, several of which bisected parts of the circuit web inside.  Test patterns sent through the web confirmed that one or more of these had resulted in a loss of signal and failure in critical quadrants of the device, which had led to the lock-out.  Alex sighed and crossed his arms as a holographic representation of the interface floated in front of him, with several of the breaks highlighted in red.  "Well, that explains that at least..."

"But what caused it?  Was Eddie attacked?"

"No, I don't think so..." Alex pointed at the breaks.  "There's a pattern here.  Each of these series of fractures radiates out from a point of contact with the neural network's plug.  I designed the matrix that holds the circuitry to be flexible, to cushion the interface to combat this kind of damage, but apparently after a while the epoxy became brittle and poor Eddie lobotomized himself by just walking around."

"Ouch." Donovan took a drink of his own cafe.  "So...can you fix it?"

"This?  No." Alex shut down the diagnostic and picked up the epoxy cone, crushing it in his hand and tossing the remains into an incinerator.  "Fortunately I made spares."

Alex opened a cabinet, revealing stocks of electronics parts and a smaller, locked chest.  This he accessed with a thumb print, withdrawing a nearly identical interface translator cone.  "One small addition, I think..."  Alex laid the cone on his bench then applied a thin layer of conducting silocone spray.  "That should cushion it this time, but the fit is going to be tight..."

Alex locked down the new component with the micro-spanner and again wiggled into the maintenance access hatch.  Closing his eyes, he used the force to guide the motivator back into place, squeezing it into place with less than a millimeter of tolerance.  He had to push a little harder than he liked to get it into place even then, but with the force he was able to push evenly on every surface and thus avoided any collateral damage to the delicate components inside the motivator.

Back outside, he hooked up leads for a full diagnostic and began the program.  "It will take an hour or so for the full program to run, then we can fire him up and introduce you all properly."

Donovan looked at the intimidating droid.  "I can't wait."

[Karmack]

Chapter 8: Regroup Part Two
Near Hutta Town
Nar Shaddaa
5 ABY


They heard the yipping and scampering of an excited Zuzu before anything else.  Donovan and Ja'Mason shared a look.  "Guard dog..."

The armored portal into the 'Igloo' opened to reveal Joanna, followed by a tall, rakish looking man with sharp eyes wearing the universal 'free trader' uniform - white shirt, dark pants, utility vest, boots, low-slung blaster holster on his right hip.  His eyes scanned the room over Joanna's shoulder and immediately settled on Alex.

For his part, Alex was just glad to see his wife.  "Joanna!  About time!" He enveloped her in a hug, armor and all, and indulged in a long, deep kiss.  When they broke apart he grinned at her  "I was worried about you.  How did it go with Zimra?"

Joanna grimaced.  "It didn't.  Before I could meet him Joe here warned me off.  Seems 'Uncle Zimmie' has a price on our heads.  I was able to confirm the contract and how much through other sources, but Joe saw me in the club and managed to warn me off before Zimra's thugs could get ahold of me."

Alex stepped back and looked at Joe directly.  "Joe Singleton.  I've heard a lot about you, Captain."

Joe smiled and extended his hand.  "Alex Krin.  I've heard a lot about you as well.  You're ... quite popular in these parts."

The two men shook hands.  Alex could feel a supressed sense of worry and fear emanating from the free trader but he had them well in-hand.  Nor was he overly smitten by Joanna, though his affection for her was clear.  Alex decided to clear the air up front.  He focused his senses on Joe and asked "Joe, forgive the question, but this is Nar Shaddaa.  Why exactly did you pass up on the bounty?"

Joe never blinked, his eyes level and locked with Alex.  "Your wife is a friend of mine.  A true friend, and one I care about.  True friends are rare in this business ... and no bounty is worth losing one."

Alex felt the sincerity behind the words and his face softened.  "That's good to know, Joe.  I hope we can also become friends."

Joe smiled and his own face relaxed slightly.  "So do I."

"Good."  Alex stepped back.  "So, introductions...  Joe Singleton, Captain of the..."

"The Shoshana" Joe filled in.  "She's a modified Y-1300.  Not as fast as the Millenium Falcon, but also not as famous."

"Right.  Joe, these are Koawans Do'Na'Vann and Ja'Mason'Crin of the Mak'Tor, and this," ALex gestured to the dark-cloaked figure in the corner, "is Shalon, Sorceress of Tund."  Alex put his arm around Joanna.  "Sholan, this is my wife Joanna, and Opal..."  Alex looked back at the hatch.  "Um, where is Opal?"

"She's coming.  She wanted to linger a bit at the last turning, in case we were followed unaware." Joanna replied.  "Shalon?  That's a pretty name." Joanna said, smiling.  She approached the young woman.  "So, how did you get mixed up into this?"

"That is ... complicated." Shalon replied shyly.  "My master sent me to search for ... The One!"

Joanna took a startled step back as Shalon cried out the title and dropped to one knee.  "Shalon?"

"She is here ... The One..."

Joanna turned, following the line of the young woman's eyes back to the door, where Opal had just entered.  "Ah, Friend Joanna!  Friend Alex!  Knights!  Greetings.  No one follows and Zuzu has established a listening post beyond the bend against future incursion..."

Shalon, still kneeling, grasped her amulet.  Muttering words incomprehensible to anyone else she made an intricate and precise pattern with her right hand while holding the amulet in her left.  Her incantation climaxed and she seemed to gather a glowing red orb in her hand, which she then flung directly at Opal's chest.

Alex felt the power build-up and managed to pull Joanna back and out of the way of the red orb as it passed.  The visual was a simple trick of the light, effective but harmless, but the slug of force-energy was immensely powerful.  His first assumption, even as he pulled Joanna back and reached for his saber, was that it was a force push attack aimed at Opal.  As his saber lit the thought rocked him: he'd brought an assassin into range of a friend and would now see her die...

Opal's reaction was droid-fast and ... curious.  Instead of moving or dodging, she stepped back into a braced stance and raised her left arm in front of her as if it bore a shield.  When the red orb hit it, it dissipated, scattering red light and force-energy harmlessly.  The Shard straightened and made a clucking sound.  "Young lady, was that really necessary?"

Alex froze as what felt like a subtle ripple flashed out from the Shard.  He was in a defensive stance, purple blade humming, but he wasn't looking at Shalon.  "Opal?"

The Mak'Tor, shoulder-to-shoulder and also with their sabers lit and at the ready, were also entranced with the Shard.  "Opal ... your song is ... beautiful."

Alex didn't hear a song, but the 'hum' of the force that he felt from any force user was suddenly present and quite strong from the Shard.  Before he could say anything, however, he was bumped from behind and Joanna's breath tickled his ear.  "Alex, what's going on?"

Alex looked back at Shalon, still crouched, still clutching the glowing amulet, but otherwise passive, her eyes filled with adoration.  He looked back at Opal, now standing relaxed, her force-presence revealed for the first time.  He chuckled, deactivated his saber and scratched his nose.  "Well, my dear, it seems Shalon has just met her goddess face-to-face ... and its an Iron Knight named Opel."

"Iron Knight?  What the frell is an Iron Knight?  And where did you get those laser swords?" Joe asked, his own back to the wall and his blaster in his hand.  "What the frell is going on here?!?

Joanna turned slowly and stepped over to him, her hands empty again and spread wide.  "Joe.  Joe.  Look at me, Joe."  She captured his eyes and held them, letting him focus on her.  "That's right.  Breathe.  Think.  You're among friends here."

"Friends..."  Joe took a few deep breaths and visibly gathered himself.  "You're a friend.  Them?  Anyone who carries one of those swords is either suicidally stupid, has a death wish, or is far to dangerous to be around.  I mean, light that thing up in public and someone might think you're a Jedi or something.  Then what?  You want that kind of trouble?"

Despite the words, Alex could feel the tension receding in the smuggler as he spoke.  He was coming back on balance.  Well, might as well see if he's really ok...   Alex stepped close to his wife, his hands also spread wide.  "Joe ... its worse than you think, my friend."

Joe's eyes shifted to Alex, but they were again level, the shock past.  His voice was not tinged with anger.  "Worse?  How could it be worse?"

Alex smiled again.  "We're not stupid or suicidal or have a death wish.  But we are ... Jedi."

"Well, sort-of Jedi." Donovan added in from behind.  "The Mak'Tor Order hasn't been associated with the Jedi for six hundred years now."

Alex shrugged.  "OK.  I'M a Jedi.  These guys are wanna-be Jedis.  Shalon here is a Sorceress of Tund, another type of force-user, and Opal is apparently an Iron Knight, a force-sensitive Shard wearing a droid body and trained in the Jedi arts sometime before the Jedi were purged by the Emperor at the end of the Clone Wars."  He looked around the room.  "Sound about right?"

A chorus of assent returned to him and Alex perched on the counter.   "So, Joe.  Are you OK with all of this?  Or should I have Zuzu escort you out?"

  <<<<< >>>>>


It had taken some time to sort everything out and get everyone calmed down.  Opal, no longer hiding her force presence, radiated like a beacon in the force.  Shalon was glued to her side, never more than a couple of feet away.  She had explained to everyone more about her own origins, her Master's oracle and their belief that Opal would bring them to a new home.  For her part, Opal had not rejected the duty, only listened calmly and promised to consider it. 

And so they'd eaten and drank, the Mak'Tor had grilled Opal on her stealth technique, and they'd discussed the benefits and drawbacks of lightsabers as melee weapons.  Opal, despite her force abilities and admitted training as an Iron Knight, actually preferred not to carry one.  She said it simply marked her as unique, pointing out the way Alex and the Mak'Tor had to keep their sabers hidden lest they raise undue attention.  For his part, Alex couldn't really say she was wrong ... but he had no intention of giving his sabers up.

Joseph Singlton remained quiet through it all.  Listening and observing, speaking only when spoken to.  He was on edge, had been since the room erupted in saber blades.  As they prepared to get back to business Joanna sat down next to him.  "You've been awefully quiet.  What's up?"

Joe sighed and set his caf cup down.  "You remember the Rimmer's Rest?"

Joanna nodded.  "Yeah, it was near the Port.  One of the primary watering holes for spacer crews making layover.  Did something happen to it?"

"Yeah." Joe sighed and as he spoke and his eyes tracked Alex and the Mak'Tor, who were talking across the room.  "The Shoshana was down for repairs, and my XO and second mate were working security one night.  A fight broke out ... which became a firefight.  They were caught up in it.  I don't know what happened, but I do know this - the guy who killed them?"  Joe looked back at Joanna and his eyes were suddenly smoldering with hate.  "He wasn't shooting a blaster.  He was carrying one of those laser swords, and he knew how to use it."  He leaned in close.  "You shouldn't be mixed up with these people, Joanna!  They're killers!  All of them."

Joanna felt her face stiffen in reaction and she recoiled slightly from his passion. "Joe, you don't know these people.  They're good people..."

"Good?  Anyone who carries one of those ... things ... is either lording it over everyone or a mind-bender!  They are never just 'good'."

Joanna leaned back in.  "I know Alex.  I love him.  He's the best person I've ever..."

"Love him?  Are you sure?  Or is he just bending your mind, making you his personal who..."

Joanna slapped him.  Hard.  The crack stilled the conversation in the room and suddenly all eyes were on them.  Joanna practically spat her next words, her voice barely audible but still intensly clear.  "He is my husband and the most honorable and good man I have ever met.  He never even tried to touch me until after our hand-fasting ceremony.  That's more than you can say."  She stood suddenly, dumping her chair.  Wheeling on the room she growled "What are you all looking at?" before retreating from the room.  Alex started to follow her but she brushed him off.  "Go ahead and get started, I just need a second..."

Alex watched her retreat, then stepped forward.  "Okay...  Lets get this show on the road.  Captain Singlton, Joanna said you had some information for us?"

The smuggler nodded.  "Yes.  After some losses recently in my own crew, I did a little investigation into an Imperial Remnant power poking its nose into the workings around here.  The fragment is called the Pentastar Alignment.  I'm not sure why they're poking around this area, but they've been seen in several places in recent months.  For the most part they're working through local hired help, a group using the name Crimson Nova.  They use Mando armor, weapons and ships but they're not fully Mandalorian.  There are also some shadowy types called Inquestors, but I don't know much more about them except that when they appear, other people tend to disappear."  Joe tossed a data stick onto the table.  "This is all I have.  I was thinking about doing something about them, to get some payback for Hopper and Jules, but I think you people and they deserve each other.  That has what I know about where they hang out, who they're working with, and the few images I've gotten of thier members."  Joe stood up.  "Now, where's that puppy?  I think its time for me to leave."

[Lord_S_Gray]

Poor Captain Singleton - hurled into a world of crazed laser sword fighters, talking stones in droid bodies, a sorceress and and igloo guarded by droid dogs....can't blame him for getting out as fast as he could.

He did make one good comment

"Love him?  Are you sure?  Or is he just bending your mind, making you his personal who..."

How would she know if Alex had? This is why it was so easy i think for the galaxy to turn on the Jedi, they are pretty scary able to bend minds and objects for the average person that is terrifying if like the vast majority you know them only from stories and not in person (or only saw then as Jedi General's cutting up battle droids).

And Shalon and Opal...yeah not sure that is going to go fully the way either expect...

[Karmack]

Yeah.  When I first sketched this scene out it went very differently in my mind, but then I started thinking about how this might come across.   I was reminded a little of Han Solo in the original Star Wars, his talk with Obi Wan and his attitude about "hokey religions". 

I also did some research, this scene would have happened shortly after Katarn tore up the Rimmer's Rest in his own conflict with the Pentastar Alliance's head InQuestor Jeric and his goons.   

And you're right: Jedi would be downright scary to most people.   "Mind-benders" would be one term they might use.  "Baby thieves".  Wizards.  An aura of power when they were the "Guardians of the Republic".   But now?  A generation after order 66 and their fall from grace?

They're at best a legend.  At worst ...

So I started thinking about it.  Singleton really liked Joanna.  Then she up and falls for some guy and disappears.  And now Singleton finds out that his girlfriend's husband is one of those mind-benders...   Yeah.  It was to much for him.   He was willing to help her, but a whole room full of them?

Time to cut his losses and get out...

As for Shalon and Opal...   Well.  We'll see.  :-)

[TheDutchman]

One of the best things about "Hearts of Stone" is the retro-adventure story ambiance that I always feel whenever I read.  There is action (the best kind: lightsabers!  ), drama, and well-timed comedy that contributes to a fluid narrative.  Wonderful!

Now, I have to admit that one "facet" in my own writing that I tend to forget is that SW need not be Force-centric.  You and LSG incorporate the "real world" grittiness and repercussions that not only add to the authenticity of the scene but of the overall story as well.  Joe's reactions are EXACTLY what a non-Forceuser would be (the fact that a generation has past since Order 66 is a poignant point that tends to get underplayed; not so here  ).  And I have to admit that Joanna's "reaction" slap was priceless 

Another overarching theme within SW seems to be "the Will of the Force" and it is prevalent here w/ Shalon finding Opal.  Once again: this works perfectly in the narrative.  Besides: what do we REALLY know about Shalon...or Opal for that matter?  Alex best watch out 

And it's always a pleasure seeing the Easter eggs incorporated within the story ("Sons of Kessel?" [cheering]) 

[Taegin Roan]

Agree with Dutchman and LSG, I do. Well written this chapter was. Lots of interesting developments there are.

[Karmack]

Chapter 9: Going Nova
Hutta Town
Nar Shaddaa
5 ABY

   *** Authors Note: Alex uses a saber staff, essentially two Initiate V3s with a custom coupler system/pommels.  Donovan's saber is a slighlty

modified Guardian with a blue blade.  Ja'Mason's saber is an Apprentice V5 LE with a War Glaive pommel, with an SRD colored blade. ***


Pretenses were gone.  They moved together, in tight formation.  There had been some debate about bringing Eddie and/or Zuzu with them, but in the end both droids were left behind. They were needed to secure the Igloo against future need, and Alex suspected that Ja'Mason (the main proponent of bringing Eddie with them) simply wanted to see the massive droid in action.

But this wasn't to be a direct assault.  It was an infiltration, a recon-in-force to gain as much information from their enemies as possible without being detected.

Shadow work...

It was for this that Alex' training had originally been designed.  Jedi Shadows were trained to be invisible, to hide their presence both physically and in the force.  They were trained to get in, find what they needed, acquire it, and get out without anyone ever knowing they were there.  Master Cunn had once told him that the perfect Jedi Shadow mission was one that no one else ever knew had even happened.

And that was the plan.  Armed with Joseph Singleton's information Alex and Donovan had laid out an infiltration path that would allow them to bypass most of the electronic security and allow them to 'data mine' the Crimson Nova's command center.  If Joe's observations were right, the unit was smaller than its name-sake had been and there shouldn't be more than a dozen or so commandos on site.  No problem at all - if they could breach the outer perimeter undetected.

Which would be ... tricky ... at best.

The urban sprawl of Nar Shaddaa, particularly in Hutta Town, was a three-dimensional maze of passages and allyways.  A few main streets cut hundreds of levels deep into the sprawl, carving massive canyons, but most of the 'streets' were really wandering tunnels a few levels high and sometimes no more than four or five meters wide.  The Crimson Nova had made their headquarters in an old office complex in the residential area known as "Marlboro".  The neighborhood was fairly well-off and high up, with relatively clean air and enough security patrols to make walking the streets a reasonable exercise.  The flats were interspersed with shops, food stores, resturants and entertainment venues, all of which gave way to office space and light industrial as you dropped further down.  

The offices in question appeared to have been converted from one of those light industrial centers, as it had a direct access airway suitable for bulk hauler cargo delivery - or a Kom'rk transport.  Worse, the space only had three entrances: The cargo loading dock, which was only accessible by air short of cutting through a thick duracrete wall in the access corridor, or one of two lobby entrances.  From the information they'd been given, both approaches were down long, straight "streets" followed by an equally long, narrow corridor.  The streets were covered by cameras and heat sensors.  The corridors as well, plus pressure pads and laser tripwires.

They'd spent a good deal of time kicking around breaching options before settling on their current strategy.  They were moving spaced out, in pairs.  The Mak'Tor were actually on point, moving as a team.  Ja'Mason had been blathering about some new 'motif' they'd picked up from Opal for their own stealth efforts.  Alex still didn't get the connection.  He loved music, but the force was the force!  Not some grand song that could be sung or worse, bent like a disco-tech DJ using a distortion bar.  Yet whatever they'd done he could feel the difference, and if he hadn't already been tuned in to them he doubted he would have seen them at all, let alone sensed them in the force.

In the slack position he was covering himself and Joanna, wrapping them in his own blanket of protection and holding them in a particularly deep hole he'd discovered years ago.  More like a crack, actually, but he could back well into it, to the point where he and anyone he wrapped into his aura were invisible in the force and nearly invisible in the physical world.  A security guard staring at a camera feed wouldn't notice them as they walked by.  Unfortunately, droids and automated computer systems tended to be impervious to the force effect.  Which was why....

Opal, with Shalon, were in the rear.  Working together, the two were using a high-powered laser system to blind the optical and IR feeds as they advanced.  Automated systems would record the temporary glitches as a maintenance issue, as long as the outage didn't last to long.  The biological guards wouldn't notice, again, because of the force effects at work on them.

Which left them with the simple physical task of walking briskly down the thinly-populated walkway and on into the lobby beyond.  Had they been on the main level of the Crimson Nova HQ this would have been suicide. Joanna had been the one to suggest coming at them from above or below instead, and they'd chosen a nearly identical warehouse space above them as their penetration point.  This had eliminated a lot of the electronics, though the Mando's still had a good amount of systems covering even these approaches.

The small lobby was empty and Ja'Mason already had the internal electronic systems bypassed.  Concentrating, Alex reached out in the force, slowly tracking down the people moving in the suite below them.  Most of the people were clustered directly below and in adjacent areas, but there were a few of them isolated here and there.

Alex opened his eyes and nodded to Donovan.  "You have them?"

"Yes.  We'll take the one on the left." Donovan gestured with his head and the two Knights headed into the warehouse, looking for a way down.  

Alex turned to Opal.  "Opal, you have your target?"

The Shard had her data port plugged into the primary terminal, the interface turning and whirring with activity.  "Initial penetration completed, Friend Alex.  I have high confidence successful database access will be achieved within the mission perameter."

"Excellent.  Carry on."  He shifted his gaze to Shalon.  "Keep her covered, sorceress."

Shalon only nodded, her hand resting lightly on her sword.  

Alex centered his attention on the last target.  "OK, lets go."   He moved out, Joanna behind him.  Together they moved through the empty warehouse until Alex felt they were close but not directly over his target.  "OK ... here goes nothing..."  Alex activated his saber and plunged it into the flooring, scribing a wide hole through the permacrete and steel decking.  Reaching out with the force he did his best to dampen the sound and vibration from the cut, flooding the area with the suggestion that it was just heavy construction equipment moving through the floors above.

Once the cut was complete Alex levitated the plug up and out of the hole, gently setting it down on the floor next to it.  The room below was dark ... and the floor was impossible to see.

"How far down is that?" Joanna whispered, peering into the inky blackness.

"According to the plan, warehouses in this block were each designed to be three levels high.  So figure ... ten meters or so." Alex grinned at his wife.  "No sweat!" he said, stepping off into the blackness.

His saber lit the room as he dropped, and Alex caught himself with a levitation technique as he reached the floor.  The purple saber cast its violet light into the corners of the room, which appeared to be an unmanned data center with multiple stacks of fixed computer equipment wrapped around an open core.  He looked up at his wife's worried face.  "C'mon, jump.  I'll catch you."

With a grimace Joanna shrugged and stepped lightly into the air.  Alex let her fall about half-way then gently 'caught' her in the force, setting her down gently next to him.  "See, that wasn't so bad."

Joanna grinned and hugged him.  "Why haven't we done anything like that before?  That was awesome!"

Alex smiled down at her.  "Hiding my abilities has always been a priority.  But maybe going forward..."  Impulsively he kissed her.  She kissed back, relaxing into his arms for a moment before they mutually broke apart.  "Now ... we have work to do."

"Yes we do." Joanna stepped back and drew her weapon.  "Lets go get him."

Alex nodded and moved to the door.  The portal was locked, but from inside unlocking the door was simply a matter of pushing a button.  Alex unlocked the door then paused, extending his senses into the room beyond.

His target was there, alone, concentrating intently on whatever work he was doing.  Alex held up is hand and counted off.  One ... Two ...

Three

The door burst open and Alex sprang into the room, followed by Joanna.  Their target was a man, a typical-looking Mandalorian soldier, his armor in good repair and purposefully blackened to make it non-reflective.  Nor were his reflexes diminished by his sedentary post.  Before Alex could do anything he was already turning back to this station, fingers clacking on his keyboard...

With a pulling gesture Alex grabbed the Mando with the force and yanked him bodily across the small room, accellerating the helpless Mando's head into his force-reinforced elbow strike.  The soldier dropped like a rock, stunned to semi-consciousness by the blow.  Alex worked his elbow a bit to work out the impact and knelt down over him.  "OK.  Keep a close watch.  If someone shows up, give me a shove so that I break contact with him.  Understand?"

Joanna nodded, moving toward the door.  "Got it."

Alex composed himself, found the neural pressure points he needed, and carefully insinuated himself into the other man's consciousness.  "Now ... Who are you and why are you hunting us..."   Information flowed, flew by in disorganized streams.  Alex sorted through it, diverting most away, drawing other streams toward himself, only to divert much again.   One stream caught his attention: a need to follow up with a local contact.  Something about Ruusan and a massive crystal rumored to contain unlimited power...  Alex noted the information, mainly the hyperspace coordinates and some details about the contact, then moved on.

Crystals... He probed deeper.  It was about crystals.  Crystal mines on Orax...  Tracing the last Iron Knight...  Worried about the Mak'Tor involvement...   Mak'Tor targetted ... and Alex, last of the Krin family, and his wife...  Al'Verde Stourr stripped of rank, probably dead...  InQuestor Jeric in direct command of overall operation...  His apprentice, Gabriel, hatched a plan...  Co-opted Zimra Ceopas... Others...  Planting contact information with someone she knew ... Joseph Singleton...  The Dark Jedi, InQuestor Gabriel, demanding room...  Power for strange equipment...  All for an elaborate trap...

Alex jerked himself free of the contact.  "Its a trap..."

"What?" Joanna turned to him.  

Alex jerked himself up onto his feet, shaking off the probe, reaching out with his senses.  "Its a trap.  At least, this guy thinks it's a trap..."  There was nothing.  Nothing at all.  Just the concentration of Mando's at the front entrance...

Nothing.  Not empty.  Nothing!

"Oh bantha poodoo..."  Alex dropped stealth and sent out a pulse of pure energy in the force.  It lit him up like a white-hot strobe to anyone who was force sensitive but it also acted like a sound pulse in an echo-location system.  Sure enough, for an instant the blinding pulse 'painted' an array of targets all around their perimeter.  Instantly they disappeared again, hidden behind what Alex could only assume to be some kind of force null-field generators or maybe they were using ysalamiri, a tactic some of the Hutts employed to this day to negate force-users from influencing their staff or guards.  Alex raised his comm. "Donovan, Opal: Omega.  I say again: OMEGA!"

[Karmack]

Chapter 9: Going Nova (Part 2)
Hutta Town
Nar Shaddaa
5 ABY


"Waste of time..." Donovan stood, slowly shaking off the deep meditation required for the probe.  "Janitor.  All he knew about .. or cared about .. was what would take the grime off the floor..."

He blinked as the pulse hit him.  "What the..."

"That was Alex." Ja'Mason confirmed the unasked question.  "What in the name of the Maker does that amatuer think he's doing?"

"Don't sell him short." Donovan replied, lifting his communicator.  "He's not a Mak'Tor but he's no amateur..." He lifted the device but before he could key it Alex' voice burst out.  "Donovan, Opal: Omega.  I say again: OMEGA!"

Omega was the emergency distress word.  Omega meant they were in a trap or facing overwhelming odds and needed to flee immediately.  The two Knights dropped into defensive stances.  "Where is he?"

"That way." Ja'Mason replied, pointing toward the pulse.  

"Let's go." Donovan took off at a sprint, weaving his way through the corridors.  Logic dictated they should go back up, replace the plug they'd cut out, and break contact by going further up before heading back toward the igloo.  But the song's sudden quickening and frantic melody indicated that it was already to late for that, and the prominent emergence of the melody associated with Alex and his presence made it clear they needed to rejoin him as quickly as possible.  Ja'Mason wasn't as clear on the latter but he trusted Donovan and followed, senses primed and scanning for threats.  

The Mandalorian patrol they ran into two turns later never stood a chance.   The double squad of storm troopers that appeared to reinforce them did better, forcing them to disengage and make a run for it.  The remaining troops advanced carefully, eager to pursue but wary of an enemy most of them had thought was a myth that morning...

  <<<<< >>>>>

When the pulse from Alex hit them, Shalon drew her sword.  "My Lady, we must depart."

Opal paused her data search.  "I sense nothing..."

Shalon drew her tremor sword, and clutching her amulet began chanting an incantation.  With a flash the room lit in bright light ... and both Opal and the sorceress were suddenly aware of a dozen troopers closing in.  Shalon changed her incantation, and a second burst of light porpegated from her amulet, scattering the thought processes of the closing troopers.  Their formation immediately fell apart as the Storm Troopers, utterly confused and debilitated, struggled to recover and remember just what they were supposed to be doing.  "My Lady, we should go.  Now."

"Illuminating. I am disconnecting. Thank you, Friend Shalon." Opal said.  She closed down the connection and withdrew a heavy rapid-fire blaster from her thigh.  "I suggest we depart to the left."

"Agreed." Shalon replied.  Her black sword hummed quietly, the vibro-blade glowing a bright, energetic orange as she backed out of the room, covering the Shard.

They were blocks away by the time the Storm Troopers recovered enough to enter the room.  Finding nothing, they continued their sweep of the upper spaces.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Alex had time to pull out both of his hilts and link them.  He'd always favored staff work to single blade fighting, and he'd spent hours working out with Joanna, keeping his forms in shape and practicing blaster fire deflection.  Somehow he was pretty sure he was going to need all of that skill now...

"Here they come!" Joanna called, her warning immediately followed by the scream of her DL-44 firing.  Joanna fired from cover, aiming carefully, and her shots were telling, but they were in a dead-end room with dozens of armored troops outside the only door.

Time to change the rules... Alex ignited his saber blades.  "Hold 'em, I'm making a hole..."  Alex started to cut through the wall behind them, but a tremor in the force drew his attention and he diverted, cutting instead into the wall to the left of the door.  The wall was made of fairly stout material but the saber slid easily through it and Alex had a portal cut within seconds.  "C'mon!"

Joanna fired one last shot and then darted behind Alex and through the wall.  Alex stayed for a moment, purple blades flashing as he deflected fire back at the troops, driving them to cover before following her.  Once through he slammed the falled plug back in place and made a couple of quick slashes across the cuts to tack it back up.  "Won't hold for more than a few seconds ... but every little bit counts."

"Lets go!" Joanna was already in the hallway, covering the space.  

She took two steps before Alex turned her with a hand on her shoulder.  "This way."

Joanna pulled free.  "Why?  This is the quickest way out..."

"Alex shook his head.  "More troops.  I can feel them now, their moving out of the null fields.  Donovan and Ja'Mason are this way.  We need them with us to get out."

Joanna looked back down the corridor, then took a deep breath and nodded.  "Okay then.  Let's go."  She fell in behind Alex, his blades casting a soft purple hue on the walls as they moved rapidly down the corridor - deeper into the Crimson Sun enclave.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Donovan's blade spun through orbit after orbit, intercepting incoming fire and deflecting most of it back at their pursuit.  He felt a grim satisfaction as the bounced bolts found targets, knocking down several troopers and driving the rest back.  He and Ja'Mason took the opportunity to turn and jog away, opening up the distance.

"Power cell..." Ja'Mason said, extending one in his hand.  "That went quick..."  

Donovan checked his saber.  "I'm good, 63% and I have two spares.  You're dry?  How are the compact cells holding up?"

Ja'Mason grimaced.  "Not as well as I'd like.  You were right, the cell is just too small for extended engagements."  Ja'Mason favored a shorter hilt, which had required him to use a smaller, high-density power cell.  While the total output was theoretically the same as the standard cell Donovan's hilt used, it seemed to discharge much more quickly.  "Guess I need to rework the design."

"How are you fixed?"

"I have seven with me.  Should be fine."

"Good." Donovan sensed the shot as they entered a hall crossing.  His saber sprang to life and he swept the shot out of the air, deflecting it back into the shooter.  The Mandalorian trooper went down hard, the heavy blaster bolt ripping his throat open.  The two knights turned left and picked up the pace, hoping the sight of a spreading pool of fresh blood would help deter pursuit.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Alex felt the edged of fatigue burn beginning to seep into his arms and legs from the uninterrupted flow of the force but he ignored it.  His saber spun a purple shield before him as he charged around a corner.  The space ahead of him was at the very heart of the suite converted by the Crimson Nova, a central nexus connecting the other areas.  It was larger than any other room in the suite, which would give Alex more room to maneuver.

Unfortunately, it was crawling with armored troops.

"Cover me!" Alex yelled, throwing himself into the milling crowd of troops.  There was confusion among them: The Storm Troopers and surviving Mandalorian mercenaries arguing about who was in charge and how to proceed.  Alex landed among them and ended their argument with his lightsaber blades, slicing through the chest of one while simultaneously beheading the other.  His swirling attack continued and the troops recoiled, exploding away from him like shattered glass.  Here and there troopers turned to face him.  These were usually greeted by a blaster bolt or two from Joanna, who found cover and worked to cover Alex as he cut through the troopers.

Shock and surprise were on his side and Alex managed to take down a dozen of the enemy, but slowly they began to recover.  There were simply to many of them for the two of them.  In desperation Alex drew harder on the force, ignoring the burn as he used the power to hurl pieces of industrial equipment and fallen troopers at any concentrations that seemed to be forming while he worked his way back toward Joanna.  "Joe!  Get ready to..."

He never finished his sentence as more bodies blew out of another portal across the room from Joanna's position.  Blue and Aqua blades flashed as the Mak'Tor Knights broke through the ring and into the room, splitting up to begin rolling up the enemy's positions.  "Never mind!  Keep picking them off!" With renewed energy Alex joined them, whirling his way around the ring of soldiers, now mainly panicked and desperate to get away.  Aimed fire stopped as the Grays scythed through their formations, their panic allowing them to only think of escape.

A few lucky ones made it.

Alex met Donovan and the two clasped hands.  "Donovan, am I glad to see you!  I thought we were done for."

"No fear, Alex.  The Song never wavered."  THe Mak'Tor grinned, a grin that soured as his companion swapped out another power cell.  "How many?"

Ja'Mason made a face.  "Four.  Three spare, fresh one in the hilt.  There's a drain or mis-alignment somewhere, but I don't have time to find it right now."

Alex shut down his saber.  "Power issues?  I can probably help you with that..."  His attention was drawn outward by the growing sense of determination ... and something else ...   "Donovan, do you feel that?"

The Mak'Tor nodded. "Yeah.  A strong presence in the force.  That's a very dark song..."

"Lots of help, too.  We need to go." Ja'Mason said.

"Agreed." Alex walked to the center of the room.  "We can't go up or out, so that only leaves..."  He ignited his saber, slashing through the floor.  The section of flooring fell away, revealing a wide and fast-moving conveyor of some sort of raw material. "...down."

Donovan looked down at the conveyor.  "Great.  I hope that's not what it looks like..."  He secured his saber, shook his head and stepped off.  

Ja'Mason just made a face and followed.

"Alex..." Joanna looked down.  "That's a long way down...."

"With me." Alex wrapped his arm around his wife's waist and stepped with her off the edge, guiding them down to a semi-soft landing.  A puff of dark dust popped up as they hit.  "Well, its not bio-waste..."

Joanna tried to brush some of the dark dust off her clothing, with little effect.  "No, but its everywhere.  We're going to be covered in it until we can find a shower."

Alex nodded.  "True, but its far better than the alternative."  He pulled out a small tracker, noting their location.  "About five minutes and we can hop off.  I sending the others a point where we can rendezvous."

Joanna gave up and sat down, replacing her weapon's power cell and making sure fresh cells were at hand.  "Great.  Where are we going?"

"The Works."


*** edit 3/31 to fix typo.  Thanks LSG! ***

[Taegin Roan]

Well that was fun.
Always good to see Jedi at work, whether they are traditional Jedi or something else.

[Lord_S_Gray]

Nice - Some classic action and sneaky plans going awry just like Han/Luke in the Death star!
OK I know I make tons of spelling and grammatical errors myself so don’t like to point out but this was pretty funny
"With me." Alex wrapped his arm around his wife's waste
Ummm…what waste was....better not to know...
Apart from that immersion breaker had a really nice action flow through the chapter.
Loved how their batteries are running out too all those little practicalities catching up.  Did they get enough info from the mad jumble Alex obtained?

[Karmack]

Nice - Some classic action and sneaky plans going awry just like Han/Luke in the Death star!
OK I know I make tons of spelling and grammatical errors myself so don’t like to point out but this was pretty funny
"With me." Alex wrapped his arm around his wife's waste
Ummm…what waste was....better not to know...
Apart from that immersion breaker had a really nice action flow through the chapter.
Loved how their batteries are running out too all those little practicalities catching up.  Did they get enough info from the mad jumble Alex obtained?

LOL   oops...   ;-)

On the power pack...   Its one of those little things that no one EVER addresses in Star Wars.  How are saber powered?  Maintaining a plasma stream bound by magnetic bottles and who knows what else going on...   That's a lot more power consumption than a simple blaster!  Yet you see folks like Han Solo carrying multiple spare power packs for their weapon.  Storm Troopers as well (though in fairness, we never see them swapping them out!)

So ... how are sabers powered?  And would a design problem perhaps cause a power issue?   

Providing a little "behind the scenes" on Ja'Mason's saber - his design uses a little different crystal layout.  It makes his blade stronger and more stable than most, but it is also more power-hungry.  Add in that his hilt is a shorter design, and understanding that the internals take more space than normal, and you arrive at the point where he chose to use a high-density power pack.  Unfortunately, under combat stress, the pack isn't standing up like it should. 

Experimental batteries.  LOL

As for 'waste'...   I will fix that.  Sometimes its good to be a mod!  LOL

[Taegin Roan]

Nice - Some classic action and sneaky plans going awry just like Han/Luke in the Death star!
OK I know I make tons of spelling and grammatical errors myself so don’t like to point out but this was pretty funny
"With me." Alex wrapped his arm around his wife's waste
Ummm…what waste was....better not to know...

Haha, I didn't catch that when reading through it. It's a pretty funny little mess-up though.

[Karmack]

Yeah.   Embarrassing it is.  Fix it I did!  :-)

[TheDutchman]

The tonality of this chapter reminded me of the original Star Wars (Ep.4 for our younger fans): wonderful adventure with hero-rooting action!  I think that Alex makes a great "everyman" Jedi, made even moreso by the inclusion of the Mak'Tor Singers, Opal, and Shalon.

Even Hutta Town has become a character: great visuals Karm; I get the sense of the urban sprawl (reminds me of the "dodgy areas" of suburban Mexico City that I've been in).  But I've got to say: you've made the Storm Troopers and Mando's "the Dreaded" where it's better for our heroes to RUN instead of trying to fight them all 

And I love the lightsaber logistics that you've included!  Frankly, I'd like to see a bit more of this kind of detail (I certainly need to include it in my own writing  ).

I'm liking where you're taking us Karm!  Can't wait for more 

[Karmack]

Chapter 10: InQuest
Hutta Town
Nar Shaddaa
5ABY

Upon exiting the coal conveyor the four jumped aboard a nearly empty lev-train.  The train took them deeper into the industrial heart of Nar Shaddaa, cutting through densely-populated residential areas and a myriad of shopping and living spaces. They switched trains randomly, moving as unpredictably as possible while keeping Opal and Shalon updated.  And always, their pursuers were there, distant but in contact, always maneuvering to keep them cut off from both the spaceport and the Igloo. 

They traveled for several hours, resting as they could.  Joanna was still trying to knock off the black dust when they finally met up with Opal and Shalon.  The Shard greeted them enthusiastically while Shalon scanned the area intently.  "Friends!  It is good to see you!"

"And us you, Opal.  Shalon." Alex nodded to Shalon, who gave him a return nod.  Her hand was still on her tremmor sword, and her voice was quiet but filled with urgency when she spoke.  "They are near..."

"Yes, I can sense them as well.  At least they're not hiding behind more suppressor fields." Alex waved them on and the group followed him at a jog. "I just wish I knew how they were tracking us..."

"It is Dark Alchemy, of a type I cannot break." Shalon replied, clutching her amulet.  "We must confront them."

Alex shook his head.  "Not yet.  We're entering a heavy industrial area.  Lots of bodies and distractions.  Lets keep moving, maybe we can shake them off."

Tired and hungry, they kept moving.  The area they were in was similar to what Alex imagined The Works on Coruscant might have been like during their hey-day.  Where the Crimson Sun HQ had been in a 'light industrial' area with warehouses, offices and light manufacturing this area was dominated by heavy manufacturing centers churning out everything from computer cores to heavy machinery.  The air was close, hot and filled with fumes.  While it was safe in the short term, Alex as sure that long-term exposure was very bad for everyone, even the droid body Opal wore.  But with the close proximity of so much machinery and so many workers, it was also a good place to dodge pursuit.

And so, for the next two hours they half-walked, half-jogged through, over and under slag pits, manufactuaries, and assembly lines of every type and description.   And always, as they moved, the pursuit was there, unshakable and slowly closing in.

Finally Alex called a halt.  "OK, this isn't working.  Shalon is right, we're going to have to face them."

Donovan nodded.  "Agreed.  I don't like the odds, but we're never going to break contact, and once we leave this warren and try to return to the ship we'll be caught and overwhelmed anyway.  Better to fight here than somewhere up there."

"This ground looks pretty good, actually.  Using the term loosely." Ja'mason chimed in.  "Lots of obstacles, good cover.  Good for us and bad for them."

"Friend Ja'Mason is correct.  This is the best place to fight we are likely to find." Opal added.  "Friend Joanna and I can take a high over-watch and provide cover fire while you engage at close range among the obstacles."

Alex nodded.  "Close to what I had in mind."  He turned to Shalon.  "Shalon, can you project an illusion that Donovan and I are still with you?"

The girl nodded.  "For a time, yes."

"Good." Alex turned to Donovan.  "I propose that they continue on, but slowly, as if we're breaking down and having to slow for an injury.  I will create a hide for you and I.  When the pursuit passes, we will ambush them."  He turned to Opal and Joanna.  "When we spring the ambush, you will turn and support us."

"That's suicide!" Joanna's voice rose with her emotions.  "No! We need to stick together..."

Alex stepped close to her and gripped her face in his hands.  "Joanna... Listen.  Listen to me..." he kept his voice low, careful to suppress his urge to use any force-assistance.  "We will be together.  You're just going to be with Opal, so you two can come and rescue us.  I'm counting on you."

Tears appeared in Joanna's eyes.  "No you're not.  You're expecting to buy us time to get away."  Her eyes suddenly hardened, still glistening with tears but assuming the glitter of diamonds.  "Well, you've got another thing coming, buster!  Not only am I going to save your butt, I'm going to save his, too!" She jerked a thumb at Donovan.  "So ... stay alive until we get here.  You got it?"

Alex nodded.  "Yes, ma'am."  He looked at Shalon.  "You ready?"

"Yes." She gripped her amulet, begining to chant. 

Alex grabbed Donovan and they faded back into the shadows.  As they dropped into his 'hole' in the force even they were amazed to see themselves, Donovan now limping severely as if from a wound, moving off with their friends.  "I have got to get her to teach me how to do that..."

  <<<<< >>>>>

"That's odd..." Gabriel paused, rubbing his temple.  "Did you feel that, Alen?"

Alen, the youngest full InQuestor on the team, shook his head.  "No, Master Gabriel.  I still sense them, but they've slowed considerably.  It appears one of them was wounded after all."

"Yes.  They grow tired, their presence in the force weakens.  This one could no longer suppress his wound, and now hinders their escape.  We must press on quickly!"  InQuestor Jonal sniffed the air, his Bothan features giving him a decidedly felinoid, predatory look. 

Gabriel nodded.  "Agreed.  Commander, bring your men up to double-quick.  We will be engaged shortly."

The Storm Trooper commander saluted.  "Sir!" He turned and passed on the order, bringing the columns of troopers up from a fast walk to a jog. 

Gabriel smiled at his subordinates.  "Come!  We have Jedi to kill.  Grand InQuestor Jerec will be well pleased.  Victory will be ours!"

Sabers alight, the Dark Jedi clashed their blades and cried "Victory!" before spreading out to lead their columns of jogging troopers.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Donovan, watching from the shadows, noted the appearance of the troops moments later.  "Here they come.  Three columns, one behind us, one in front, and a third beyond."

Alex sighed.  "They split up.  Poodoo!  I was hoping they'd be more tightly packed."  He Sighed.  "Well...  Stick together?  Or split up?"

Donovan closed his eyes for a moment, as if listening to something.  "Split, I think.  The song is all over the place ... but there are two battle threads..."  He opened his eyes and nodded. "Split."

"Ok.  I'll take the middle column, you hit the one behind.  Ready?"

"Ready.  Maker preserve us."

"The One keep you, my friend." Alex gripped Donovan's arm, then stepped back.  "One ... two ... three!"

As he counted three Alex dropped his stealth and leaped out, somersaulting over the jogging column of troops and igniting his saber in mid-air.  He landed and became a whirling dervish of death, violet blades carving through Storm Trooper armor before the troops could even break stride.

Across the way he caught glimpses of Donovan's blue blade reaping a similarly grim harvest as the two cut through the troopers arrayed around them.  Alex launched a mental attack, augmenting the shock of his surprise with a heavy dose of dread and fear laced with confusion and doubt.  In response, the storm troopers milled about ineffectively, unable to come to grips with the ambush and unable to respond effectively.  Alex worked his way to the end of the column and drove back into the head of it before anyone around him managed to comprehend the attack.  His whirling blades didn't stop their deadly work until, with a crack light lightning, his final slice was blocked by a red-hued blade.

  <<<<< >>>>>

"C'mon! We need to engage!" Joanna said, on a run.  She sprinted, Ja'mason matching her stride for stride, headed for the space where Alex and Donovan had burst from cover.  Intent as they were on their goal neither of them saw the third column of troops, shaking out of their march formation and into battle line.

  <<<<< >>>>>

"Form up!  Form up!  Contact left!  Skirmish line to the left!" Gabriel called, his saber alight.  The red blade was comforting in his hand, even as an odd, sick feeling settled in his gut.  He didn't understand that feeling.  There were only two of them, after all, and even if they held their own against Alen and Jonal, his own troopers were steady and unshaken, his powers greater than his subordinates combined. 

He wasn't sure how they'd managed the ambush, but he would find out.  His method of questioning could be very persuasive at need...

But not yet.  First he had to support his fellows and kill the Jedi.  "Skirmishers!  Open fire!"

  <<<<< >>>>>

Donovan flew through ever-shifting orbits, his blade flashing as he alternated between deflecting a smattering of blaster fire from the few surviving storm troopers arrayed around him and parrying the blows of the InQuestor actively engaging him.  Fortunately the young man, while enthusiastic, was very young and his attacks were simple variations on Shii Cho.  His pace pushed Donovan's and threatened to overcome his nimble Niman if he made any grave mistakes, but so far he'd avoided that while slowly reducing the remaining storm troopers in number.  Once they were gone he would be able to concentrate on the Dark Jedi and finish him.   He just had to survive long enough to do it...

  <<<<< >>>>>

Alex ducked under another strong cut from the Bothan facing him and nearly fell when he stepped on an armored leg.  He caught himself with the force and found firm footing in time to keep the Bothan from exploiting the wobble, meeting his next cut with his own block and locking blades.  Nose to nose, the felinoid's teeth bared and Alex noticed his fur rippling in time to the growl in this throat...

With a yell Alex threw him off, breaking lock and thrusting him backwards with a force push.  The Bothan flew back with a howl, falling among the dead troopers in an awkward splay.  Alex was about to leap after him when a tingle in the force drew his attention...

Saber staff spinning, he turned toward the sudden flurry of incoming fire, deflecting blaster bolts at crazy angles while desperately looking for a place outside the line of fire while cursing under his breath as the Bothan InQuestor gathered himself, stood, and called his lightsaber to his hand behind him.

  <<<<< >>>>>

"Incoming!" Ja'Mason yelled.  He surged forward, placing himself between Joanna and the incoming fire.  Unlike the troopers around Donovan, which were shaken and scattered, the skirmish line firing was calm and under control.  Their fire was precise and heavy.  Only one squad appeared to be firing at them - for now - but at a full run it was all Ja'Mason could do to cover himself and Joanna.  "Joanna!  We need to take cover now!"

Heedless, Joanna sprinted forward to where her husband was deflecting fire with what appeared to be a purple shield, exposed in the open ... and with a Dark Jedi wielding a red blade closing behind him.

"ALEX!!!!"

  <<<<< >>>>>

Donovan hammered his opponent with a force push, driving him back.  He used the opening to spin outward, deflecting the desperate blaster bolts of the last Storm Trooper as he advanced.  The song crescendoed as he made a final turn and his sweeping orbit separated the trooper's head from his shoulders.  The armored figured toppled...

The scherzto in the song caught him off guard, and in his fatigue he hesitated for a brief second before reacting to the chaotic flurry of notes in the song.  His blade rose in time to intercept the descending stroke, saving his head and his life, but it left him out of position and off-balance.  He leaped back ... but not in time.  The simple Shii-Cho cut caught his  right thigh, searing the muscle and cutting deeply, nearly to the bone.  His leap saved his leg ... but he fell none-the-less, the force and the song leaving him, driven from him by the searing agony in his leg.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Shalon skidded to a halt as she and Opal rounded a corner and came into view of the third column.  Opal immediately went to cover, a heavy blaster in each hand as she opened fire on the troops still several hundred meters away.  Shalon, however, chose a different target - the tall human wearing black and wielding a red lightsaber.  Muttering spells, she reached into the force and summoned the energies she wanted. 

Like a rapid-fire cannon the young sorceress began hurling red balls of force energy at the Dark Jedi, attacks which combined hammering concussive force with demoralizing mental attacks.  The combination of blaster fire and force energies slammed into the formation, scattering troopers and drawing a response.  Within seconds fire shifted from their friends and toward them.  Shalon altered her chanting, putting up a telekinetic shield around herself and Opal while the two continued to hurl fire at the remaining troops and their InQuestor commander.

  <<<<< >>>>>

"Thank you, Maker!" Ja'Mason breathed as the fire raining on himself and Joanna suddenly died.  The song stabilized and he locked his saber on and hurled it with all his strength.  Flying straight and true the saber found its mark.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Donovan struggled to draw his saber to his hand, trying to reconnect to the force through the red haze of pain.  The hilt twitched but refused to move. 

"Lost something, didn't you old man?" The InQuestor raised his red blade high for the killing blow.  "Don't worry, I'll take good car of iURK."

Donovan watched as Ja'Mason's blue-green blade sliced neatly through the young man's chest, severing his body cleanly just below the armpits.  Blood showered over him as the wound, to large to cauterize, spewed blood as the body collapsed.

Ja'Mason ran up, his saber returned to his hand and at the ready.  "Don!  Are you OK?  Where are you hurt?"

"My leg.  The blood's not mine.  Help me up..." He extended a hand and Ja'Mason pulled him to his feet.  "Hnnngggggg...."  He waited a moment, letting his perception settle.  The song was slowly returning, a distant chorus now, barely audible and indistinguisable but the sound seemed far more placid all of a sudden.  "How are we doing?"

"Well enough.  C'mon, lets get to cover..."

"Wait..."  Donovan stopped his friend.  Reaching down, he picked up the fallen Dark Jedi's saber, as well as a small pouch he'd been carrying.  "OK, let's go."

  <<<<< >>>>>

Alex could feel the Bothan approaching, but the heavy fire continued.  If he turned to fight the InQuestor, he would fall to the blaster fire.  If he didn't...

Well.  Dead was dead.  No matter what he did he was going to die ... but maybe he could take the Felinoid with him. His resolve hardened and he focused his attention on the closing Bothan.  He would have to get in close, very quickly.  Even if he didn't get in a killing blow, the heavy blaster fire just might do the trick...

"ALEX!!!!"

There was no time to think, no time to respond.  Before he could do more than blink his wife was there, shoulder-rolling into the open and coming up into a kneeling position behind his spinning purple shield.  "What are you doing?"

"Saving your ass!" She replied, and the weapon in her hand fired, not the high-pitched scream of blaster fire but the long BRRRAAAAAAP of a slug-thrower.

The Bothan, snearing, raised his saber to block the incoming fire ... and his saber died as the cortosis slugs slammed into it.  Joanna's second burst was likewise on-target, and the Bothan fell as a dozen slugs tore through his torso.

Alex felt the InQuestor's death in the force and a grim sense of victory infused him.  "Nice! Now, lets get under cover..."  Moving like a dancer, Alex spun through his deflection orbits as he and Joanna shifted into cover from the fire still pouring in on them.

  <<<<< >>>>>

Gabriel cursed as he felt his companions die.  He marked the force signature of the one weilding the purple saber staff.  "We will meet again, Jedi..." He murmered, his blade busy as he deflected both blaster bolts and force energies.  The dark sorceress hurling curses at him was weakening at last, but with the loss of his fellows his flank was no longer secure.  "Commander, fall back.  We must withdraw."

"Sir!" The Storm Trooper passed on the order and his surviving troops began an orderly withdrawl.  He fell back with them, covering them as they moved out of the kill zone and back into the narrow corridors where they could shelter.  Once there they turned and jogged away.

The taste of defeat was bitter in his mouth, but he was comforted by the knowledge that there was more going on here than even Master Jeric had known.  A dark sorceress in league with a Jedi and the Singers?  A weapon that could defeat his best student's defenses in one burst?

There was much to think on.  His meditation would be ... intense.

  <<<<< >>>>>

It took them several hours to reach the Igloo, during which time they lost track of the remaining Dark Jedi and his troops.  Once there and with Zuzu and Eddie on guard, they applied a bacta patch to Donovan's wound and got him into a bunk.  Shalon attended him, muttering more of her incantations and directing healing energy into his wound.

Alex and Joanna showered and collapsed, exhausted from the fight.  Even Opal dropped into a form of restorative meditation, which served her like sleep.

Awake and energized for some reason, Ja'Mason sat and tried to meditate.  After an hour or so he gave up, grabbed a mug of cafe and sat down at the kitchen table, where they'd dumped the pouches and sabers they'd picked up. Opening one he extracted a standard data crystal.

"Okay...  If I can't sleep I guess I might as well do some reading...."