Author's Note: A collaborative effort between myself and Firebird87 when she had the brilliance to ask what it would like if Vector and Elara met. Well, now we know. Check out her story Found.

Rishi
The Thunderclap

Fynta stopped on the way to the kitchen and took three steps backward to the medbay door. She eyed the shirtless man on the medtable with a raised eyebrow before sticking her head inside to see if Elara was around. The medbay was empty. Except, of course, for the half naked Imperial lying motionless on the table. Last time Fynta had checked, Elara wasn't into cadavers.

Growing concern gnawed at Fynta, who had yet to actually enter the medbay, when the Havoc medic swept past. "Excuse me, sir."

Fynta hopped out of the way, startled to find that it wasn't just Elara, but the woman known as Cipher Nine as well, or formerly known as, at least. Her name was Zolah Holran, and Fynta didn't trust her one bit. The woman had black hair, cropped just below her light blue ears, and the telltale red eyes that carried so little emotion. The Chiss crossed her arms and paced inside the medbay door, completely ignoring Fynta.

"Uh, Dorne?" The major squeezed into the small room, walking to the table to find that the man was, indeed, alive. "Who's this?" And why is an Imperial Intelligence agent on my ship? Fynta thought, watching the Chiss from the corner of her eye.

"Apologies, sir. This is Vector Hyllus, a member of the Imperial Diplomatic Service." Elara nodded to the woman, "Zolah Holran, is his handler."

Fynta just barely kept her expression casual. Elara had just used a lot of words that she didn't like. "Is he injured?" She hedged. It was more polite than saying, Why the shab have you brought two Imperial agents onto my ship?

"No sir," Elara replied with a shake of her head. "He volunteered for a few scans, and the ones set up at the safe house are far too primitive for what I require."

A machine beeped, and Elara hurried to read the results. Fynta took the opportunity to make eye contact with the cipher agent. She knew about them, they were the Imperial's version of SIS field agents, which made Fynta want to reach for her blaster. Which she didn't have with her because the Thunderclap was her shabbing home. Fierfek! Now she'd have to get creative, and creative was messy. Elara hated messes.

"You can relax, Major Wolfe," the woman commented smoothly, her eyes fixed on the dark haired human male. "I am no longer in Intelligence. We are here at the request of Lana Beniko."

"Fascinating!"

Elara's exclamation interrupted Fynta's retort, which was a shame, because it was a really good one. Instead, the major gave the medic her full attention. "Got something, Dorne?" The man had yet to move or speak.

"This is amazing, they are hibernating in the subcutaneous layers of your skin, waiting for stimuli to teach them, and then they sleep again." Elara was all wide eyed wonder as she stared at her datapad.

"Yes," the man said. His voice was incredibly smooth, and Fynta was transfixed by its musical quality. "They are most curious, but can only sustain consciousness for short periods. What they learn is broadcast, for lack of a better word, to the rest of the hive."

From silence to chatter box, and Fynta still didn't understand a word of it. Her expression must have given her away, because the Chiss woman chuckled. "You get used to it."

"Right," Fynta responded, pulling her eyes from Vector to Zolah. "You understood that?"

Fynta liked to think of herself as a relatively open minded woman, however, she had the feeling she wasn't going to like the upcoming explanation just by how excited Dorne was about the encounter. "Mr. Hyllus is a Joiner, sir," Elara elaborated in a way that still didn't answer any of Fynta's questions. "Do you remember the Killiks on Alderaan?"

"Vaguely," Fynta answered. They hadn't spent much time there, but she remembered crossing over lands filled with giant insectoid beings while making for Marcus's wife and daughter. "Are you saying Vector is a bug?"

Elara's expression screwed into a frown, even as Vector sat up. "They are not bugs, Major," the woman snapped.

Vector laid a hand on her arm, and Fynta was disturbed by the familiarity therein. Cormac was going to snap this man's neck, and then Fynta would have to either kill, or placate Zolah and Kaliyo.

"If we may explain, Major. The Killik are a sentient being much like you. However, they listen to the song of the universe, ever curious about what lies beyond. Our position as Dawn Herald acts as a link between our kind and theirs. We are their voice, and they are our kindred."

"Dorne?" Fynta asked, eyebrow still raised. This man was harder to understand than Yuun, and he was speaking Basic.

"He is a Killik host, Fynta. He shares a physiological connection with them, one that spans the distance. The Killik living inside his body are able to transfer information both to and from the Killik on Alderaan. It's amazing," Elara breathed, blond head bobbing as if that was supposed to clear everything up. Truthfully, Fynta was still stuck on the, living inside his body, bit, and had missed most of what came after.

At that moment, a small Killik Fingerling crawled out of the strange totem that Vector had brought onto the ship, and began to chitter excitedly. Vector smiled pleasantly; paternally, if Fynta had to put an exact word to it, before looking back at Elara. "The hive wishes to know if you would like to visit the nest."

The little creature fluttered over to rest on Dorne's head and seemed content to stay there for the time being. Elara's eyes shone with excitement as her hand wavered between reaching towards the creature, and not wanting to frighten it away. "It would be an honor." She gave her commanding officer an expected smile. "I imagine Yuun would agree to accompany me, as Balic would most certainly not be an appropriate escort."

Fynta rubbed her forehead; this was probably one of the weirdest situations she'd ever been in, and she began to wonder if it would have been better to have ignored the Imperial Joiner all together. At least then, she'd have gotten her lunch by now.

"Vector, are you sure that is wise?" Zolah asked, her posh accent so much like Elara's, despite her alien species. "After all, we've only just met them. Perhaps warriors and . . ." the woman paused to glance at Elara. "Scientists, are not the best to so blindly invite—"

When the woman cut off, Fynta peered out from behind her fingers to see that both subordinates were astutely ignoring their commanders. Vector, now with legs hanging over the side of the bed, smiled brightly at the Havoc medic, while she bent closer, poking at his skin. "Do they ever hurt? Or are you unconscious of their presence until they need something?"

Fynta smirked at the expression on Zolah's face, all too familiar with Elara's ability to completely ignore her when she felt her major was being particularly dense. Apparently, this mindset was catching, as Vector seemed to have no problem doing the same.

To add to the already tense environment, Jorgan chose that moment to walk in, datapad in his hand, and brow furrowed. "Sir, I've been reviewing—" his words died on his lips when he glanced up at the spectacle on display. Fynta imagined it was a lot to take in. A half-naked human with jet black eyes, Elara with her hands under Vector's chin, head tipped back and her face a little too close while she examined those odd eyes. And Fynta standing side by side with the Imperial Chiss, who moments earlier, had vowed to bring the entire Republic military to its knees. Right after they dealt with Revan, of course.

The Cathar blinked a few times, while Fynta waited for him to erupt. Instead, he headed back towards the exit. "You know what, I don't even want to know. I'll figure this one out on my own." The Killik made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snicker, and Fynta wanted desperately to follow. Surely, wherever Jorgan was going had to be better than this, and have food.

"I'll take a few days of leave," Elara was saying when Fynta pulled her attention back to the topic at hand. "Balic can see family while I visit the nest." She released the man and chewed on the inside of her cheek while considering her notes. "There is so little known about them, I wonder if they would allow me to bring some equipment?"

Vector tipped his head, pulling his shirt back over his shoulders, and fastening the buttons while he spoke. "We imagine there will be certain regulations, as you are an outsider, but we will ask."

"I would very much appreciate that."

"Question," Fynta interrupted, eyeing the little, not-bug creature that had taken to examining each strand of Elara's hair, one at a time. "Are there more of those things on my ship?" Both Elara and Vector looked up at her. One with an expression of curiosity, the other with exasperation. "I only ask because I'd hate for the little, uh, guys, to be hurt when we purge for bugs."

Elara's lips pursed into a thin line, eyes narrowed, and Fynta understood her mistake. "Ah, the surveillance kind, I mean."

Zolah snorted a laugh, and quickly covered her mouth is her hand, feigning a cough. Vector dipped his head, pleasant smile still unmoved. "Only the one, Major. You have offered no great offense, therefore, your ship is not to be marked as a conquest. This one was merely curious."

"Uh-huh," Fynta responded, still watching the creature, feeling her skin crawl despite her best efforts not to see it as a pest in need of eradication. When her thoughts turned towards wondering if baby Gand looked anything like this, Fynta knew it was time to go. She squeezed her eyes shut and waved at the door. "Agent Holran, perhaps you would join me for a ration pack in the galley." Or a drink. A really stiff drink, Fynta thought. "Let the scientists finish doing—whatever it is they plan to do next."

The Chiss woman nodded, looking at Vector. "You'll be alright?"

"We are perfectly safe in the lieutenant's presence." Fynta marveled once more at how smooth his voice was, like honey pouring from a cistern.

Without asking again, Zolah preceded Fynta into the main room, then spun on her. "If anything happens to that man, I'll make it my personal mission in life to ruin you, Major." The threat was delivered in such a calm and eloquent voice that Fynta found she had no comeback. Instead, she gaped at the blue woman, and considered the bottle of Corellian Whiskey Jorgan had stashed in their room. Fynta had a feeling she was going to need it.