I'm new to this. Let me know what you think.

Prologue

"Sloppy."

"Query: Sloppy, Master?"

"4 years of searching and we find him here. "

Her feet propped on the control panel, Aula stared out the forward viewport of the Ebon Hawk down on a small, dustbowl, planet. Ladarra, as it was dubbed by the locals. What locals there were. The last planet they had visited that was this barren was probably Malachor V. With a wince at the memory of Malachor, she had to admit it could have been worse. At least there was life here. It was far off the star charts; indeed, if they hadn't gotten the coordinates from that drunk Rodian on Korriban, they wouldn't have found it at all. But now; now they finally found him.

Nine years of staying off the charts before giving himself away like this. He really is getting sloppy. It's been 24 years since I last saw him; now I have to challenge him, beat him, and drag him home to a "furious" girlfriend. Yeah, "furiously" worried maybe.

She rolled her eyes slightly at the thought but she also had a soft smile. Anyone who could make that girl loosen up was worth dragging home. Even if it was her old commander.

Bastilla, you better appreciate this.

Landing

The Ebon Hawk landed with a muted thud and a slight jarring to its occupants.

I need to have Atton look at- oh, right. Every single time! This is pathetic. How hard can this be?

"Beep, boop-boop, whir!"

"Yes, yes, I'll work on the landing gear before we leave."

"Hesitant statement: Perhaps we should have an actual mechanic-"

"Are you doubting my mechanical skills?"

"Beep."

I should have removed his vocabulator.

"Oh fine, I'll have the port mechanic look at it."

"Relieved statement: Thank you, master."

Droids.

Aula couldn't hide a small smile when she considered her companions. T3-M4 was being his usual, snarky, self but he was the loyalist astromech she had ever met. He never hesitated to speak his mind about situations or people but he could work magic with a welding arm. He practically rebuilt the engine once with nothing than the components from a frag missile.

And Atton called him a trash compactor.

While it hurt, she smiled slightly at the memory. Hk-47 was a different story altogether. Just looking at him, you never would have guessed he was built for combat. Without meeting him, you would have believed the story that he was just another protocol droid.

Protocol droid, my foot. Actually, I'm pretty sure he shot my foot once during that fight last week. I should probably look at his targeting system soon.

Once you met him, however, you would never make that mistake again. His vocabulary only seemed to consist of the words "kill", "interrogate", and "meatbag." In the past week alone, he had asked twenty times to help with her "interrogations." While there had been several times she wished she could have, she could get the information faster by playing her part as a cantina girl.

Worst. Plan. Ever. But it did get the job done.

Aula shuddered at that memory.

Never again. So long as Revan's here, I won't have to do that again. Oh, Force, let him be here.

Aula listened to the chatter over the comm. Mostly complaints about how she stole their spot.

Oops.

Once she was sure no one was actually going to open fire, she shut down the ship's systems and listened to the engine ticks as the ship cooled down. Finally, she stood and made her way to the loading ramp. As the ramp lowered, she got her first breath of planetary air. And then choked on it.

Dust. Lots of dust. With a hint of hyperdrive coolant and a dash of sarlacc breath. And by "a dash", I mean enough to make a Gamorrean choke. Well, at least it's breathable. Barely.

Aula turned to her companions. Both stood behind her on the ramp watching her apprehensively. After being stuck on a freighter for weeks at a time, it was understandable that even droids could get cabin fever. She sighed slightly, knowing that both desperately wanted off the ship but also knowing that you don't leave ships unattended in places like this even if the guard is just a droid. And she just so happened to have two deadeye shooter droids. It's amazing what droids will pick up when they're bored during flights.

"Alright lads. We need to make a good first impression. And by 'good,' I mean not terrorizing half the spaceport. That said, T3, you're with me and HK, I want you to stay and watch the ship. Ok, boys?"

She felt slightly guilty watching HK's metallic shoulders sag slightly as T3 cheerily whistled he was fine with this plan. Against her better judgment, she'd grow close to the assassin droid. Watching T3 practically vibrating in anticipation, she decided she would make it up to the assassin droid.

What is it with me and a soft spot for assassins? Ex-assassins. Atton isn't Jaq anymore and poor HK can't fight without permission. Even if we're between systems, T3 can still find something to do on the Hawk. Hmm. Maybe I could use some combat training later. That always cheers him up. Speaking of which, even with my training, it'd be pretty dumb to go out unarmed.

Making a split-second decision, Aula turned towards T3, who was now staring at her as best he could; no doubt wondering why they hadn't left yet.

"T3, I probably shouldn't go out carrying a lightsaber and I left my blaster on the workbench in the garage. Could you take my lightsaber there and bring me the pistol and the swoop bike data pad? Not that the last track asked for it but you never know. These planets just keep getting stranger."

T3 whistled his agreement and headed to the garage tweetleing something about absent-minded Jedi. With a wry smile, Aula turned her attention back to HK. His photoreceptors were dim with disappointment. His metallic shoulders still hung slightly lower than normal and his paint-chipped hands looked limp without their customary blasters. Even so, a small smile spread its way across her face. Before, Aula would have been worried but after spending over 4 years traveling with the droid she knew a ploy for sympathy when she saw one.

One day it won't work.

"Now, Hk, you know full well you would terrorize half the spaceport."

She watched, amused, as his photoreceptors lit back up and he returned to his full stature.

"Bemused query: Only half the spaceport? Do you doubt my terror protocols, Master?"

Now, she didn't even try to control the smirk spreading across her face. HK could be so amusingly predictable when it came to comebacks but, still, she had to admit her fondness for the droid.

"Never, HK. Despite what some beings seem to believe, I'm not an idiot."

"Placating statement: Of course not, Master."

She put on mock affronted face as she grumbled about "placating statements." She tried to keep it up but as she watched HK's photoreceptors flicker with his equivalent of laughter she had no choice but to chuckle too. After they both got over their bouts of laughter, she decided it was time to make her deal.

"I know you want off the ship, HK, but someone has to take care of things here and T3 couldn't hit the broad side of a moisture vaporator." They both knew she was lying but she continued on. "I need him to hack into the track data frame and find out when the 'Mysterious Stranger' is racing and put me in the races that will let me challenge him directly. I need to make sure it is him. We've had too many close calls and false alarms to be lazy now. You can come with when I take the swoop bike to the track. Force knows someone will try to steal it."

"Resigned Acceptance: Very well, Master."

"We can do some sparing after I get back." Now for the final piece. "I might even let you use one of my old lightsabers."

HK obviously took a moment to process those words but, once processed, his photoreceptors shone like miniature glow-rods. It was a rare occurrence when she let the droid anywhere near her lightsabers. To be fair, the first time he held one he nearly took T3's head off. He still swears it was an accident but neither T3 or Aula believed him. For her to willing give him a saber and spar with him, well, she must really be trying to make it up to him.

I'm going soft.

"Jubilant statement: Very well, Master. I will guard the ship until your return."

At that moment, T3 came rolling back in holding a modified Mandalorian blaster in his utility arm. Sometime it pays having the Mandalore as a friend. Aula could tell T3 had also armed himself. She couldn't tell with what but his panel didn't close all the way so it probably wasn't something you wanted to be on the receiving end of. She accepted her blaster and the two of them made their way down the ramp when Aula remember one more thing. From the bottom of the ramp, she yelled one last warning.

"HK, you can shoot to defend the ship but don't kill anyone. If you do we'll have to dispose of the body and the only way to that around here is in a sarlacc pit. We don't want a repeat of Felucia, do we?

"Emphatic agreement: Certainly not, Master."

Aula turned and started walking through the dusty space port with a small smile on her face and a bounce in her stride. Without looking, she heard T3 catch up and cut him off before he could even begin.

"No, I will not tell you what happened on Felucia. That's my blackmail."

T3 beeped something that she didn't quite catch but she got the feeling it wasn't a blessing to Jedi everywhere. Still not looking at the droid, she said, "Thanks for waiting until we were finished. I know it doesn't take that long to go to the garage and back. Even with arming yourself." T3 didn't respond to that but he did whistle a comment of his own. Aula smirked but couldn't argue.

"Yes, I'll keep HK and the lightsaber away from you while we spar."

Once T3 was assured of her cooperation there, he beeped one last comment. Now Aula rolled her eyes but the smirk remained as they made their way to the port exit.

"Of course I know you can shoot. You shot a pazaak card out my hand last week after you accused me of cheating." They left the port still arguing whether or not Aula had cheated her way out of giving the droid an oil bath.