I have officially finished this story (barring the beta-ing of the last few chapters). It will be 16 chapters long. I'll keep up my once-a-week posting schedule until it's finished. I haven't yet started on the sequel, but I have written a couple of Interludes - bits and pieces of the story that happened "off-camera", so to speak. Since this story is entirely from Rian's point of view, there were some other events that I wanted to show that she didn't see, so I couldn't include.

So I'd like to open it up to suggestions - are there any scenes in this story, or in Event Horizon, that you guys would like to see? Let me know either in the comments or in a private message. I'm not promising that they'll all get written, but I'd love to know what you guys want to see!

I'll probably post the Interludes once a week (possibly twice a week, if I end up with a lot of them), as soon as Escape Velocity is finished. Depending how many Interludes I have, and how the sequel is going, there may or may not be a break before I start posting it. I just hope it won't be a whole year. :P I am working on a couple of other things, but nothing that's ready to post yet. So I'm not planning on disappearing for a year again, though life (and inspiration) may have other ideas! :P

The Republic Command building on Taris was a dull grey plasteel building pressed up against one of the walls that surrounded Olaris Spaceport. A set of broad steps led up to an open door and Viggota and Jorgan led them into the building. It was dim and cool inside and Rian blotted sweat off her forehead and sighed in relief.

There was an open space just inside the door, with a desk blocking the way further into the building. A uniformed Human officer with a bald head sat behind the desk and looked up at their approach. He made a startled noise and half rose from his seat, hand automatically going for a cane that was leaning against the desk beside him. "Sir?"

Jorgan's face split into a broad grin and he bounded forward. He stretched his arm out to clasp wrists with the tall, dark-skinned man. "Berix! What are you doing here?"

The tall man laughed delightedly, swapping his cane to his other hand to return Jorgan's gesture. "Recovering," he said ruefully, tapping the cane on the ground. "Nerve damage in my leg," he clarified at Jorgan's questioning look. "Senflax poisoning, on Cadannia, about three months ago. I'm told I'll recover fully, I just have to give it time." He made a face down at his cane and the leg that Rian could see wasn't supporting his full weight.

Jorgan shook his head as he released the man's hand. "That's rough, Berix. But it's good to see you anyways. I kind of lost track of you guys after I left the Deadeyes."

The man smiled, leaning more of his weight against the desk. "We'll have to have a couple of drinks and catch up, sir. What are you doing here, anyways? I thought you were on Ord Mantell, coordinating things against those Seps."

Rian saw the wince that Jorgan tried to hide, though she didn't think that Berix had noticed. She also noted that he wasn't correcting Berix's assumption that he was still part of the army. "We're here to see the base commander, actually," Viggota interjected before Jorgan could reply. "Do you think he's got some free time?"

Berix looked from Jorgan to the others, one eyebrow raised. "Who's this bunch?" he asked the Cathar. "Did they put you in charge of another squad?"

Jorgan forced a chuckle. "Do they look official to you?" he said, sidestepping the question. "But we do need to see the base commander. It's sort of urgent."

The man still looked doubtful, definitely noticing Jorgan's evasiveness. "Well, I'm sure he'll see you, sir. I'm surprised you don't know. It's Torve."

The Cathar lit up. "Really? How'd he end up here? He's not hurt too, is he? And what happened to the Deadeyes?"

A quick glance around the rest of her crew showed that Rian wasn't the only one lost here. She knew that the Deadeyes were Jorgan's old squad, a team of snipers that had specialized in decapitation strikes against the officers of enemy units, and it was clear that Berix had been one of Jorgan's men, but just like Jorgan, she wondered what had happened to his old unit. Despite the example of Havoc squad, it wasn't usual for the Republic to disband successful teams.

"He's the acting commander. He made Captain last year, and the Deadeyes got assigned here to take out rakghouls and Imps. But when the base commander got taken by rakghouls last month, Torve got a field promotion to Major. And Colonel Gaff got arrested last week and dragged back to Coruscant to face a court-martial, so that just left Torve." Berix shrugged at Jorgan's confused look. "I don't know the whole story, sir. I guess some of it's pretty hush-hush."

Jorgan nodded his understanding. Promotions sometimes happened quickly in situations like this. Taris wasn't exactly Coruscant, where soldiers angled for advancement for months or years, and few promotions were true surprises. On dangerous frontier planets, people were lost and anyone who could do the job was promoted into their place.

"Still," Berix continued. "I'm sure he'd be glad to see you, sir. Let me let him know you're here." The man sat back down carefully and reached for the comm stud in his ear. "Major, you've got visitors." He paused. "Yes, sir. But I think you'll want to make the time to see Lieutenant Jorgan, sir." He grinned and nodded up at Jorgan. "Yes, sir. I'll send them right in. Go ahead through," he said as he disconnected the comm line. He gestured to one of the halls behind him. "All the way down, last door on the left."

"Much obliged," Jorgan said, returning the salute that Berix offered him. "I'll see you on the way out."

The Cathar led the way down the hall and Rian quickly shushed Corso and Xirra when the girl whispered to Corso to ask what was going on. "Later," Rian hissed in an undertone. "Let's get things sorted out first, and then we can get the whole story."

The door at the end of the hall was open, and Jorgan rapped his knuckles briskly on the wall beside it to announce their presence. A black-haired Human man with deeply tanned skin stood from behind a desk that was littered with datapads and moved to the door to meet them. His uniform jacket was half undone and his hair looked like he had been running his hands through it in frustration but he was grinning broadly at Jorgan. "Ell-tee! Fancy seeing you here." He saluted, which Jorgan and Viggota quickly returned.

"Shouldn't I be the one saluting you, sir?" Jorgan asked. There was genuine pleasure on his stern face. He clearly had liked Torve, and was glad to see him again.

"Actually, I thought I heard that you weren't saluting at all any more," Torve said with an arched eyebrow. "I can't help but think that there must be quite the story behind that." He waved them in, pulling some folding chairs from a slim closet near the door. "Sorry, I don't usually have this many visitors at once," he explained as Rian's crew helped to set them up. "I have a meeting room for that. But please, have a seat." He slid the door shut and returned to his chair behind the desk. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, thanks," Viggota said, sitting down next to Jorgan. The rest of the crew settled into a loose semicircle in front of the desk. "We're here on business, unfortunately."

"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that report of an incident in the mess hall?" Torve's eyes were twinkling, and he laughed outright when Jorgan winced. "Sorry, news travels fast here. Lieutenant Muro has already submitted a formal complaint." Torve rolled his eyes. "Another one. So, I'd like to get your side of the story."

Corso drew breath to speak and Rian kicked him lightly on the ankle. They had agreed to let Jorgan and Viggota handle this. And Jorgan being on good terms with the base commander certainly wouldn't hurt their cause any.

"Well, sir, I didn't directly see the incident with Lieutenant Muro, so someone else will have to provide that part of the story, but I can explain the lead-up to it," Jorgan said, sitting ramrod straight in his chair.

"I think we can dispense with the 'sir' part," Torve said with a wave of his hand. "Just go ahead."

Jorgan looked like he was about to argue, but just shook his head. Military command structure was still deeply ingrained in the former soldier. "As we were finishing our lunch, we could hear a Human civilian at a nearby table complaining to his dining companion about aliens stealing his land. Riggs and Xirra were not at the table at the time," he said, indicating Corso and Xirra, "And that left several non-Humans sitting directly in his line of sight. He seemed to be intoxicated, and turned his anger on us. Lomning tried to diffuse the situation, though he was unsuccessful, and the civilian drew a blaster pistol. At this point, Captain Tsel'rianeen attempted to get the man's dining companion to a safer location. He took this as an indication that his dining companion was in league with us 'aliens', and opened fire. Captain Tsel'rianeen returned fire, striking him in the upper arm. Lomning was able to use this distraction to take the man's weapon, and Viggota and I were able to subdue him until security arrived."

Torve nodded thoughtfully, sorting through the datapads on his desk. "I don't have that report yet," he said. Lieutenant Muro seems to have been much quicker than the security team to submit his report."

"I assume Muro is the short guy with the bad comb-over?" Rian asked, watching as Torve's lips quirked upwards at her description. "He approached me while Vig and Jorgan were taking care of the drunk guy. He continually refused to address me as Captain, despite my repeated requests, and advised me that we were barred from the cantina because I had drawn a weapon."

"You must be one of the independent ship captains that's been stuck here," Torve said, glancing at Rian to see her nod. "Why wouldn't he address you as Captain?"

"He said it was because it wasn't an earned rank, and strongly implied that I had slept my way into the position," Rian said. Beside her, she could tell that Corso was fuming. "I was about to ask for his name to report the incident when one of my crew members took offense to Muro's insinuations and gave him a shove. Muro tripped over a chair and dropped his datapad, but didn't seem injured." She shrugged. "And that's when we left, and came to report the incident to you on Jorgan's recommendation. Oh, and I would also like to put in a formal complaint about Lieutenant Muro's conduct. I found him to be rude and condescending. He insulted me to my face and blatantly suggested that I didn't actually earn my position and my ship."

"Acknowledged," Torve said, making a notation on one of his datapads. "You understand that I will need to collect witness statements? Lieutenant Muro is asking to have that young man arrested," he said, pointing at Corso. "Or at least I feel safe in assuming it's you," he added. "His report said a dark-skinned Human man with dreadlocks, who he last saw in the company of a blue Twi'lek female. He's choosing to press assault charges."

"Really?" Jorgan said with a wince.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Torve said, leaning back in his chair. "If I'm counting right, I think this is the eighth official complaint that's been lodged against Lieutenant Muro since I've been here. It will still need to be investigated, of course, but the man has a talent for antagonizing people."

"Do they all assault him, though?" Viggota asked dryly.

"Not usually," Torve replied with a laugh. "And you're right, that's going to make this trickier. But if you can just lay low for a bit, I can probably smooth this over."

"Ugh, we're going to be stuck on the ship, aren't we?" Corso sighed. "Uh, not that it's not a nice ship," he added hastily when he caught Rian's raised eyebrow. "It's just... awfully small to be stuck on while we're actually planet-side and not doing anything."

"I understood," Rian said with a grin. "And I agree with you. But we don't really have a lot of other choices."

"Well, if you don't mind a bit of danger, I might have something else you could do during the investigation," Torve offered casually. Rian gave him a hard look. Knowing the planet they were on, she doubted it was a 'bit' of danger.

"What exactly are you proposing?" Jorgan asked suspiciously.

"Look," Torve said, leaning forward. "You'd be helping me out. My to-do list basically encompasses the whole planet, and I don't have nearly enough troops to do everything that needs doing. I've got the planetary government, the brass, and hordes of colonists breathing down my neck. If you help me out here, we'll both get something out of the deal. It'll look good on an official report that you volunteered to help with the reclamation project, and I'll get some stuff crossed off my list. And it will keep you away from Lieutenant Muro while the investigation is going on, without forcing you to be confined to your ship."

Jorgan looked over at Rian, and she shrugged slightly. "We'll need a little more information," she told Torve.

"Of course," he said, digging through his stacks of datapads again. "I've got a dozen things you could help out with. I mean, you're working with Jorgan, so you guys must be pretty competent. How are you at data recovery?"

"Depends what it entails," Rian drawled. "Specifics, man. Come on."

Torve laughed and handed her one of the datapads. "How much do you know about the history of Taris?"

"A bit," Viggota said, leaning back in his chair. "I know it was a city-planet, like Coruscant. It was bombarded by the Sith three hundred years ago."

"They were trying to kill a Jedi," Jorgan interjected. "They destroyed a whole planet to try to get one woman. Billions of people were killed. And they still failed."

Torve nodded. "Exactly. The planet was conquered by the Sith during the Jedi Civil War. There was a great big battle in orbit, and one of the ships in the battle was carrying a Jedi that the Sith were trying to capture. Her ship was crippled, and the crew abandoned the ship. The escape pods that weren't destroyed by the Sith fleet landed on Taris. The Sith locked down the whole planet to try to find her but when they couldn't, they ordered the bombardment instead."

Rian shook her head incredulously. She wasn't exactly a student of military history, and had never heard the story before. "That's ridiculous. But what does this have to do with us?"

"That ship, the Endar Spire, actually survived long enough to record the whole bombardment," Torve said. "It was heavily damaged, but its orbit held up long enough for that. It actually crashed after the destruction of Taris. Survey teams have found the ship. It's surprisingly mostly intact, and Republic Command is keen to see how much of its memory core has survived."

"Really?" Rian asked sceptically. "They're that interested in three hundred year old data logs?"

Torve shrugged. "I don't ask questions. It's marked as a high priority, so I'm trying to juggle my resources to get it done."

"It could be strategically important," Jorgan rumbled thoughtfully. "There aren't generally a lot of recordings of orbital bombardments. Generally, when that happens there aren't any friendly ships left in orbit, or any recording equipment. And anything on the surface is usually too badly damaged or destroyed to get good information from. Besides, recordings from orbit would be completely different than any ground-based logs."

"Well, if you think so," Rian said slowly, looking back down at the datapad in her hand. It showed the location of the Endar Spire relative to Olaris Spaceport. It wasn't too far, but she didn't know what the terrain was like outside the walls. "Okay, so what's the deal?"

"Get to the Endar Spire, and see how intact it is. Everything we managed to get from our long-range scans are on there," Torve said, nodding to the datapad. "Download any of their data logs that you can get, and bring them back. I'll deal with the investigation here, and keep you apprised of the situation." He laced his hands together on his desk. "What do you think?"

"I think that if we're working for you, we'll need a little more than that," Jorgan told him. "At the very least, you should provision and outfit us just like you would for one of your own squads."

"Are you saying you don't have your own gear?" Torve asked sceptically.

The Cathar shrugged. "I'm saying that you shouldn't expect us to expend our own resources to do you a favour. We could easily stay on the ship and not have to worry about lugging food, water, and medical supplies around in a swamp. Or about getting turned into rakghouls."

Rian was surprised to hear Jorgan negotiating on their behalf, but he was doing quite a decent job so far. She wasn't sure how things usually worked in the Republic Army, but the Cathar was right. Soldiers weren't required to provide their own food and gear for maneuvers.

"Fine, you've got a point," Torve said with a sigh. "But honestly, there's nothing I can do about the rakghoul plague. If you get infected, you're on your own. We don't have a cure, or even an effective treatment. You start to turn, and you're not welcome in the base. The patrols by the river will shoot you on sight."

Xirra made a small noise of distress, and Corso reached over to squeeze her hand tightly. Jorgan looked over at the two of them and then back at Torve. "That's fair," he rumbled. "I don't want to be responsible for infecting anyone else."

"Then do we have a deal? We'll give you enough food and water to make it to the Endar Spire and back - with extra, of course," Torve said before Jorgan could speak up. "I don't know how long it'll take you to retrieve the data logs. "I'll also try to clear up the situation with Lieutenant Muro. In return, you'll bring back any information you're able to retrieve."

"We'll also need some gear," Jorgan rumbled. "Xirra hasn't got any armour, and there's no way she's leaving these walls without it." Rian nodded her approval. Xirra was integrating well with the crew, but she definitely wasn't about to leave the girl unguarded on her ship while the rest of them went to find the Endar Spire, and she certainly wasn't leaving anyone behind to watch her either. There was no telling what they would face out there, and leaving someone behind when they might need the firepower wasn't the best idea.

"Sensible," Torve said, giving the girl an assessing look. "We should have something that'll fit her. I'll get Berix to send you to see the quartermaster."

Jorgan glanced at Rian, who nodded. She wasn't thrilled with the idea of taking on rakghouls, but it beat being stuck shipboard for however much longer this quarantine lasted. Corso was right. She loved the Event Horizon, but being essentially trapped on her while they were dirt-side and there wasn't anything to do on board wasn't her idea of a good time. Jorgan had done a good job in negotiating with Torve, and she was pleased with the outcome. And if the major could smooth over the situation without Corso landing in a jail cell, so much the better.

"Deal," the Cathar said, standing to clasp hands with his former squad mate.

"I appreciate the help, Jorgan," Torve said, standing with a smile. "I just don't have the manpower to get this done, but the brass is pushing hard for it. It'll be good to get them off my back about at least one thing."

"Welcome to command," Jorgan said dryly, and Torve laughed.

"I'm starting to wish I hadn't accepted the promotion," he said with a rueful shake of his head. "Once this is all sorted, I want to try to find the time to hear all about just what happened!" He tapped his rank insignia. "It's crazy, seeing you out of uniform."

Jorgan's smile froze on his face and Rian held her breath for a moment. She knew the Cathar was still touchy about the way things had gone down. "Sure," he finally said. "It's quite the story, though."

"I bet it would have to be," Torve said, shaking his head again. The comm unit on his desk beeped and he groaned. "Sorry to kick you guys out, but duty calls. I'll send a message to the quartermaster to tell her to expect you. Berix can show you where you need to go."

"Thanks, Torve," Jorgan said as the others stood. "It was good to see you again."

"You too, Jorgan," Torve said with a genuine smile. Rian nodded to him, datapad tucked under her arm, and led the way back out into the hall.

"Duck," Lomning said, voice strained. Rian threw herself flat, uncaring of the damp ground beneath her. A twisted lump of moss-covered plasteel and duracrete that had once been part of a building flew over her head and slammed into the middle of the clump of rakghouls that had ambushed them. There was a sickening wet crunch as at least one of the creatures was crushed beneath the weight of the debris, but there were still nearly a dozen of them trying to get closer.

Viggota, Jorgan, and Corso had their big guns out and the three of them formed a rough triangle in front of Rian, who was trying to find some cover that didn't leave her hip-deep in the swamp, and Lomning, who was shielding Xirra and himself and occasionally throwing chunks of debris at any rakghoul that got close enough. At least he had plenty of ammunition to hand, though most of it was half-buried under thick vegetation.

Rian wished they had had a little more warning about this pack of rakghouls, but she had barely even had time to draw her blasters before she and her crew had been swarmed. Lomning had pushed them back with the Force, giving the soldiers time to ready their assault cannons, but Rian wished they could have found a spot with better cover, or with a sniper nest for Jorgan.

One of the rakghouls had managed to dodge enough shots that it was about to close with Viggota. The big soldier's assault cannon wasn't great for close-range fighting so Rian rolled up onto one knee and snapped off a quick pair of shots that rocked the creature's head back an instant before its claws reached Viggota's armour. The big man took a step backwards and unloaded his cannon into the rakghoul's chest and the creature slumped to the ground, unmoving.

All of the gossip Rian had managed to gather about the rakghouls had prepared her for how fast and vicious they were, but not how tough. It was taking several shots to down each one of them and with the way the creatures were shrieking and chattering, she was worried that they would draw more rakghouls to their location.

At least they didn't seem to have a very good grasp of tactics. The whole pack tended to rush straight forward, right into the line of fire. None of them were circling around to where Rian and Lomning were guarding their rear, which was a good thing. This rough path through the swamp left them horribly exposed.

Corso clicked a fresh power pack into his rifle and charged up the meter to let off a powerful shot. He caught one of the rakghouls square in the centre of mass as the grey-skinned beast scuttled forward and the creature shrieked as it died.

Rian did a quick count. There were still eight rakghouls that were being held off by the threat of blaster fire, but she knew it wouldn't be long before they charged again. "Grenades?" she called to Viggota and Jorgan. "Let's try to get them clustered up tighter."

"Sounds good," Viggota said, unclipping one from his belt. "Do you want it? I need both hands here." Rian tucked Flashy back into its holster and darted forward to grab the grenade from Viggota's outstretched hand. As if her movement was a signal, the remaining rakghouls howled and charged them again.

Lomning threw up a hurried Force shield before the creatures overran their line, and Rian hastily primed the grenade. She set the countdown for three seconds, and ducked back into the meagre cover of a low-growing shrub that clung tenaciously to a bit of solid ground. "Everyone ready?" she asked, aiming her pistol with her free hand.

"Good to go, Captain," Corso shouted. Grunts of assent from the two soldiers were enough.

"Drop it, Lomning!" she yelled, arm already drawn back to throw. The grenade arced through the air the instant the Force shield went down, and Lomning snapped it back into place the moment it was past his guard. "Everyone brace yourselves!"

The explosion was very loud, nearly drowning out the shrieks of the rakghouls as it shredded through their bodies. Lomning's Force shield and the shield generators on Viggota, Jorgan, and Corso's armour kept Rian's crew from taking any serious harm but the rakghouls weren't so lucky. The grenade blast had downed most of them, even if several of them were still moving sluggishly. But it was now easy for Rian and her crew to pick off the injured and disoriented creatures.

"Is everyone all right?" Lomning asked, sounding a little out of breath. He checked over each of his companions in turn, and Rian was relieved to see that no one had gotten bitten or scratched.

"We should keep moving," Jorgan said as he checked over his assault cannon. "That wasn't exactly quiet, and I don't know how rakghouls will react to all the noise."

"I agree," Rian said, rubbing ineffectually at the mud on the knees of her trousers. Nothing short of a sonic scrub was going to get it out, so she gave up on it for the moment. "We're not too far from the Endar Spire, from what I can tell. The terrain is a bit worse than I'd expected from the survey map, but I think we're getting close."

"We should be able to find a defensible position there, depending what shape she's in," Viggota said. He had pushed his faceplate up once the battle was over. He, Jorgan, and Corso were luckier than Rian, Lomning, and Xirra. Their heavy armour had built-in cooling units, but Rian was suffering even in her lighter gear. Torve's quartermaster had found something similar for Xirra, and the girl was red-faced and sweating. Even Lomning looked a little uncomfortable in the heat.

"Everyone ready to go?" Rian asked, giving her crew the once-over. They all nodded, though Xirra looked like she was more than ready for a break. Still, she was hanging in there, doggedly keeping herself next to Lomning no matter the terrain. "Let's go. Hopefully we can rest once we reach the Endar Spire, but we're not safe here." Xirra nodded her understanding, setting her jaw firmly. "Good. Let's move."

Rian let Viggota and Jorgan lead the way. The two soldiers worked well together, communicating mostly with hand gestures and possibly telepathy, Rian thought wryly, given how in sync they were. Corso brought up the rear, with Rian, Lomning, and Xirra in the middle. The faint path they were following was damp and muddy, but so far no one had ended up in the swamp.

All around them, gnarled trees grew up out of the wet ground. Some of them were little more than skeletal husks, draped with grey-green moss, but others were thick with leaves. Vines crawled up around the trunks and branches. In some parts, the leaves blocked out the sky and turned the shadows under them almost as dark as twilight. It was hard to believe that this planet had once rivalled Coruscant, though Rian could see evidence everywhere of the buildings that had once dominated. The Sith bombardment had taken its toll, and most of them were little more than crumbled chunks of duracrete, most of it almost completely covered with moss and vines. It made for treacherous footing, and she watched her feet carefully, while still trying to keep an eye out for other threats.

Dangerous as they were, rakghouls were far from the only threat on Taris. Animals from across the galaxy had been imported to Taris to populate zoos and exhibits to entertain the wealthy residents. The Sith bombardment had killed many of them, but some had escaped and bred in the ruins of the world-city. Rian had heard reports of nexu cat packs and akk dogs, in addition to the native Tarisian ferrazid hounds competing with the rakghouls.

Up ahead, Viggota signalled a halt with a raised fist. Rian was always impressed that he could still balance his assault cannon with just one hand. She slipped forward to join him and Jorgan. "What is it?"

"I think we've found what we're looking for," Viggota said, sliding his faceplate up.

The wreckage of the Endar Spire lay in a shallow valley beneath them, with an actual trickle of a stream running through the middle of it. It disappeared under the edge of the ship, but Rian couldn't tell if it went underneath it, or through it. The scars of its hard landing were still visible, even three hundred years later and through the thick growth of plants that was slowly reclaiming the cruiser. It looked like the valley itself had been carved by the crash landing. The ship had landed mostly upright, though parts of the hull had buckled and twisted. Vines had forced their way into every crevice and had cracked parts of the ship open to the warm, damp air.

Rian ran a practiced eye over the wreckage. For a three hundred year old wreck, it was in surprisingly good condition. She knew it had crashed after the Sith bombardment so it had missed that damage, but it must have been sheltered from the worst of the elements in this little valley as well.

There were fewer trees around the downed ship than there were on the edges of the valley, so Rian had a good look at the rakghouls that surrounded it. She counted at least a dozen at first glance, though there could have been more on the other side of the Endar Spire, or even inside it. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed her or her crew yet, so they would have and opportunity to set things up more to their liking.

"What are you thinking?" Jorgan asked.

Rian could hear the others coming up behind them to look down into the valley. "I think it's our turn for an ambush."