Dark Shadows

She was awakened by her arm being shaken. Jax voice came through her sleep.

"Nelkf! Nel! Get up!"

"What? Where?" They were by some kind of shop. The door stood open, spilling a narrow column of white into the darkness. "Jax, where are we?"

"Shhhhhh! Close your eyes! You don't want them to see us, do you?"

Nelkf obediently shut her glowing eyes. "What's happening?"

"Shhhhhh!"

"Stop 'shhhh-ing'. You sound like a snake! First you tell me to shut my eyes, then I have to be quiet. Either tell me what's going on or I'll open these glowing specs of mine and find out for myself."

"Rakson's goons."

Nelkf made her voice as silent as possible. "What are they doing?"

"Ransacking Ky's place. They're trying to find us."

Nelkf gasped. "No," she whispered, "me."

"Stop going all weird and freaking out like that!"

"I can't help it, it's true. They know we're here."

"Whuuuuh?" Cail began to sit up.

"Quiet, the goons."

Cail hushed his voice. "My head feels like zuxu got inside and got mad. Where are we?"

"Ky's place."

"Did they get her?"

"I guess so."

"Will somebody please tell me what they're doing now?"

"Leaving."

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Not just yet, lantern specs."

"Now?" Nelkf asked a moment later.

"Sure."

Nelkf flicked her eyes open. The door still stood ajar, and curiosity pricked at her mind. No one seemed to be around. "Let's go in."

Cail remained ducked low in the speeder. "I agree. Oooooo. Remind me never to go into another cantina again. My head is splitting."

Jax ignored his younger companion. "Are you going to use the lightsaber, Nel?"

She shrugged. "I have to learn sometime how to handle the thing. Why not now?" she ignited the green shaft with a snap-hiss. The relaxing hum filled the air.

Cail hopped out of the speeder, followed by Jax and Nelkf. "That saber," Cail pointed to the weapon in the Sklinth's hands. "It matches your eyes, you know. It's like it's always been yours."

"Yes," Nelkf nodded. "but I don't think it was. This is all just a big mistake. At least I hope it is." Then again, the old woman did use my last name. Hell, there's probably a billion Karlians from a million different species all over the Galaxy. Aren't there? Nelkf looked to the skies, but her own star, the star Necho, was just another spot in the thousands dotting the sky. Just like she was only one being in a Galaxy of others. But someday, she hoped there would be those who would know of her, and be able to know she was out there, just as she knew her star was there.

Cail seemed to grow impatient. "Well? Are we standing around or moving? Ky said she has something here that'll matter to me. If she's gone, I should get it."

"And we'll need to see if we can fix up this speeder enough to get us back to Mos Eisley." Jax reminded him.

"Why?" Nelkf wanted to know.

Jax grinned, his gray eyes looked pale green in the saber's light. Nelkf thought that was as it should be. "You want to get off this dust-ball, don't you?"

Nelkf smiled, but not too broadly. "I guess you're right." It was odd for her to be finding that Jax, a Human, was being right more then she was.

The trio entered the small house adjoining the garage, Nelkf's eyes and lightsaber showing the way. The Sklinth decided to try something she had been thinking about. She sent her mind deep, down, into the floor, searching for life. It wasn't too effective, Nelkf had no idea how to use the Force. But if there was any danger, she would feel it. Nelkf inhaled, softly. She could feel something. It was like the whisper of a wraith in her ear. She couldn't understand it, but it most definitely was there.

Nelkf shook her head. No, she wasn't able to understand the Force just yet. Cail seemed to not notice her concentration. He tapped her on the shoulder with the handle of a blaster.

"Mind telling me if it's okay to talk yet?" he whispered. "My head hurts and I don't want to give us away if there are still people here."

Nelkf didn't know. She glanced into Cail's eyes, looking for something again. They were still glazed over with the remnants of intoxication, but other then that, they were fine. Nelkf wasn't so sure she should say anything until Jax put his hand on her shoulder. He understood this power, this whisper. Well, maybe not understood it, but knew it was there. Yes, now she was sure. It was safe. Maybe they weren't alone, but they were safe. "It's okay, Cail. You can talk."

Cail raised his eyebrows in a hopeful gesture. "Can I lie down on the couch?"

Why was he asking? It wasn't like the couch was booby-trapped! Cail was one of the strangest people Nelkf had ever met. One of. "I don't see why not."

Jax nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that Ky won't mind. An addict on her couch is the last of her worries right now, I think."

Cail flopped down on the couch and buried his face in the cushions. "Ow." he muttered. "Owch, owch, owch, owch, owch. I am in pain."

"Does your head really hurt?"

"Absolutely."

Nelkf was confused. Humans were supposed to react strangely to alcohol. Just as Sklinths were supposed to die. "then why aren't you all groggy and weird?"

"I am," Cail told her. "I'm just used to it by now, so it doesn't bother me as much. Of course," Cail made a sound that was as close as Nelkf had ever heard a Human come to a growl. "this is one of the worse hangovers I've had in days."

"Days?" Nelkf knew Cail was an addict, but she hadn't thought the condition was this bad. "Not months or weeks, but days?"

Jax muttered something behind her. "Do you understand how he usually is now?"

"Stop it," Nelkf hissed. Jax was acting as if Cail was some sort of animal! "before I ram this lightsaber into your rib-cage."

Cail started to laugh hysterically. Nelkf ignored him. Jax shot Cail a look, and the addict just managed to shut up. "Hey, glitbiter, this doesn't involve you. You're not participating in this conversation, okay?"

That just tore it for Nelkf. Jax couldn't be that nasty to a friend of hers. Not while she was around. "Okay," she snarled, pointing the lightsaber towards Jax's chest. "Look smuggler..."

"Oohoohoohoo!" Cail howled, just out of Jax's fist range.

"I've just about had it with you and your remarks on Cail," Nelkf hissed, her accent turning the whole statement into something equal to a declaration of war. "If your head were as quick as your mouth-"

"Whoaoooo! That's two versus zero!"

"You'd figure out that's just how he is! He can't help it!" Nelkf finished.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Cail stomped his feet on the floor in rhythm. "Now your turn to insult her, Jax! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"You keep out of this!" Jax growled, pointing at Cail. The addict whistled innocently and looked towards the ceiling.

"Now, look, Nel," Jax started calmly. "I don't have to be saving your tail all the time."

"Oh-ho!" Cail resumed laughing. "Nice one! Nice one!"

"And you know that if it wasn't for me, those goons would have you for whatever reason the Imps do, which I don't know, because you won't tell me!"

Cail stopped laughing and blinked in surprise. "Run that by me again? I heard no logical train of thought."

Both the Sklinth and the Human turned to glare at their eye-marked friend. "Will you stop it?" they demanded in unison.

Cail fell backwards on the couch laughing. Nelkf and Jax exchanged curious glances and watched their younger companion. Cail continued to laugh, a victim of total humor and showing no signs of recovering.

Suddenly, the sheer stupidity of the argument finally got to them. They began to snicker, then laugh out loud. Soon all three were in a fit of hysterics. Eventually, the two managed to regain sanity enough to sit down. Nelkf looked Jax in the eyes, not searching. Just looking and reflecting. Now we know we love each other, she thought. We've had our first major argument, and neither of us cares.

The Sklinth stood up, ending the foolish time. "Now I think we should look around. We may be able to find parts enough to fix the speeder. I'll take the upstairs."

Jax volunteered secondly. "I don't know what you expect to find upstairs, but I'll take the garage. Then again, you may find some credits."

Nelkf glared at him. "Don't steal anything!"

Jax drew back in an expression of mock horror. "Steal? Me? I'm hurt you would suggest such a thing. I'm a smuggler! Illegal is what I do!"

Cail raised his hand. "Hey, me too!"

Nelkf put her hands on her hips. "Not I, said the Sklinth! But try to hold back on the robbery for a bit?"

"Why?" Cail asked.

Nelkf sighed. "Just..do whatever. Cail, it looks like you've got the downstairs."

"Oh, that's just dandy for me!" he said cheerfully.

"Okay, ready?" she shut off the lightsaber and clipped it to her belt. "Let's go!"