"Riley! What are you doing here?" Kayylla asked her assailant.
"Watching over you." The other Lasthunian said, blue eyes blazing.
"Why?"
"Your face is being broadcasted all over the holonet, that's why. What if someone recognized you?" Riley said putting her hands on her hips. "The Council sent me to keep you safe or bring you back, which ever I choose."
"Why is my face being broadcasted on the holonet? I haven't done anything...oh wait." Kayylla said recognition showing on her face.
"Now what have you done?" Riley said with exasperation.
"I gypped the Empire on my run from Alderaan."
"Oh I wish that were so. The broadcast said you've kidnapped an Imperial officer and that you are holding him for ransom. They've called out bounty hunters on you as well." She explained brushing a strand of white hair out of her face.
"I can't leave with you. I have two others with me and I can't leave them here. Besides I didn't kidnap him, he cam with me by his own will."
"Well then where are they?"
"They were in front of me when you dragged me in here. So they are probably still walking."
"Let's go find them." Riley commanded taking the lead out of the alley.
Davro spotted the parts shop up ahead, breaking into smile, seeing that his old friend's sense of style hadn't changed. The facade in front of the building was built to look as though a racing pod had crashed into the structure, it's engines framing either side of the door.
"This is it. You're gonna love the owner, Kayylla......Kayylla? Jace, she's gone!"
Jace began to draw his blaster, but Davro forced his hand to drop the weapon back in it's holster.
"Don't draw your gun, best way to attract attention is draw a weapon on crowded streets. Let's backtrack, see if we can find her, you cover the right, I'll cover left."
Jace nodded in agreement as they began to retrace their route, systematically searching to the sides for any possible alleys or paths Kayylla might have gone down. Within a short time, they spotted her coming their way with her new acquaintance.
Davro raced to her. "Thank goodness, you're okay. I was about to start breaking down doors to.......", he started, then noticed her companion. "Just someone from back home who happened to be in this neck of the galaxy?", he asked, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "I'm sorry about that, where are my manners.......Captain Davro Stfal, at your service.", he stated to the newcomer, offering his hand with an apologetic look in his eye. "Or I was a captain until we had to bid some rather hasty retreats lately...", he added. "Kayylla has been good enough to put up with me hanging around and lending a hand. Just hoping my services will do her proud...", he continued, tossing in a wink at Kayylla's friend. He turned fully to Kayylla. "I've spotted the shop up ahead. A friend of mine from the old days runs the place. You'll love it...". Davro rattled on as they continued back to the shop, Jace seeming completely bored, Kayylla's friend seeming completely confused.
Riley kept Kayylla back a few paces from the others. "I can't believe you actually hooked up with these two. You're going to have to think up a way to get rid of them, they are excess baggage for us."
"Since when did you decide who stays and who goes on 'my' ship? Both of these men have helped me, it's the least I can do for them." She hissed back keeping her voice low so Jace and Davro were unable to hear her.
"Where are we headed anyway?" Riley asked going up on her toes to try and see over Kayylla's tall companions. "I don't like not knowing where I'm headed."
"If you must know, we are headed to a parts shop owned by one of Davro's friends. I know being couped up back home makes you a little paranoid, so why don't we trust my judgment for once alright." Kayylla said trying very hard not to let the anger she felt inside leak through to her voice.
"So this is your friends shop? Remind me to ask him who does his decorating." The blue eyed alien said with heavy sarcasm once they reached the shop. Davro said nothing as he allowed the two women to enter first.
"I'll explain later." Kayylla said giving him an apologetic smile as she entered the shop.
Once her eyes adjusted to the interior lighting Kayylla was amazed at the many rows of shelves and bins the place held. On the far left wall hung every tool you could imagine ever needing for any repair job. The shelves were stacked with power cores, couplings and much more. She wanted to wonder through out the shop but thought better of it.
Davro walked around the on lookers to the front counter calling for his friend.
"Hey, Mezz!", Davro shouted. "What's a guy have to do for some service around here?!"
A rotund little human came waddling from in the storeroom, his arms carrying an impossibly stacked number of boxes to the front counter, unable to see where he was going and apparently steering from pure memory.
"Be right with you, sir....." he puffed as he slid the packages onto the counter to another customer, took his money, and turned to face his new customer. "Great thundering.......Davro? Is that you?! You old son-of-a.....How the hell are ya'?! It's been years!" The fellow stepped around the counter, gripping Davro in a hug that lifted his feet off the dusty floor of the shop.
"Nice to see you too, Mezz...." Davro wheezed, trying to catch his breath after his friend's embrace. With his second wind, Davro made quick introductions between Mezz and his traveling companions, hesitating only with Riley, saying she was a friend of Kayylla's. Mezz shook hands vigorously with them all, insisting "Any friend of Davro's is a friend of mine."
"What brings you back here, Davro? The "Stormrider" needing more upgrades already? Looking for antique fighter parts again?"
"Nothing like that, Mezz." He motioned to Kayylla. "This lovely lady requires some for a YT-2800 freighter that I'm giving her hand with. Some of the special stock you would be nice..."
Mezz nodded knowingly, hurried in serving the other customers and getting them out, then closed and locked the door. "Okay, shipmate, we're secure, and I'm ready to what I can to repay ya'." He threw Davro a quick salute and led them all back into the storeroom, then down a set of stairs and through a locked pressure door. On the other side was an underground warehouse, the entry of which was made up to look like the commons' area of a Corellian Corvette, complete with the ship's emblem on one wall, an autochef in the corner, and the dining tables for the crew. Non-standard additions had been made, like a small bar along the far wall, and some kegs of very old fozbeer stacked next to the autochef. "Ya have time to relive a few war stories before you have to go? I got a keg of your favorite in cold storage....Your friends are more than welcome, too. You all look like you could use a rest.", he said with a nostalgic gleam in his eye.
"Sure, I guess we can take a load off our feet for a while, but could you have your people get the stuff we need and deliver it to our ship?"
"Hey, no problem....if you've got a list I can get them right on it, and we can go over some old times."
Davro handed him a data-pad with their needs, Mezz browsed over it. "I got all this stuff in stock upstairs, you anything else? Weapons, ordinance, armor, vehicles...?"
"Nah, that's it. I think we're square on what you owe me."
Kayylla took out her data-pad to arrange payment, only to have Mezz motioning for her to put it away. "This is on me. I owe more than just credits to the great Davro Stfal. This man saved me, and the whole ship during the blockade run we made at Barkhesh some ten years ago."
Davro rolled his eyes, knowing there was no way to avoid having to tell the tale again, and no way of stopping Mezz from embellishing it. "Yeah, yeah.....I saved the ship from being blown to bits....."
"Oh, quit being modest." said Mezz. "He's one of the finest people ever to wear The Kalidor Crescent, and his is better than ours are. The whole crew of the 'Corellia's Gamble'", he motioned to the ship's emblem on the wall, "received the Kalidor Crescent, but the captain, Capt. James Culley, the "old man" as we call him, praised Davro's efforts so highly and touted his bravery under fire so much, that the Rebels gave him the Crescent with FULL HONORS; silver talons, bronze cluster, emerald eyes, golden wings, the works!" Mezz was looking on Davro with undisguised admiration, oblivious to the looks from Jace and Riley. Riley cleared her throat, breaking the sudden silence.
"You'll excuse me if I don't quite swallow the story..." Riley started. "I mean, it's kinda hard to believe....."
The color drained from Mezz's face, his eye grew wide as he glanced at Davro and back to Riley. Shaking visibly he stood and went to a chest near the kegs, rummaged for a moment and produced a holo-cube that he plugged into the projector built into the table. The image flickered to life, showing a huge hangar facility that had been cleared and decorated for a ceremony. The scene zoomed in to show a vessel's crew being given awards for service and bravery, a younger man who was clearly Davro stepping up and having The Kalidor Crescent hung around his neck by Mon Mothma herself, then a gentleman in a Rebel Captain's uniform stepping forward and motioning between the award and Davro, and not backing down. Davro was asked several questions which he nodded answers to. An aide brought a case of medallions, Mon Mothma sorted through it, and brought forth The Kalidor Crescent fully decorated with all of it's augmentations. The image faded, Riley still seeming unimpressed.
"That could have been made up...."
Mezz returned to his chest, brought out another box, and opened it upon the table. Inside was a Kalidor Crescent medallion, with a small plaque inside which read: "To Mezz Darklighter, with the gratitude of the Rebel Alliance for his bravery and service aboard the 'Corellia's Gamble'."
"Satisfied seeing mine, ma'am?", Mezz asked indignantly.
"Mezz, it's okay....c'mon, have a drink...." Davro led him to the bar, poured him a tankard of fozbeer, and stepped back to Riley.
"All due respect, Ms. Riley, it isn't proper to go upsetting the host of a place that offers you refuge and hospitality. Give me few moments, and we can go." He stormed away to the bar and joined his friend for a drink, casting the occasional glare at Riley. Presently, Davro embraced his friend again, then returned to Kayylla. "Mezz says his workers have delivered the stuff and are guarding the ship. He said something about seeing your picture on the holo-net, so he's sworn to me that he doesn't know a thing about us being here. We should get going, I want to change those laser tips before we take-off."
He shook hands once more with Mezz before leading them up and out of the shop. He glanced back past Riley for a last look at the shop. "Good-bye, shipmate...", he trailed as he led the way back.
Davro had decided not to take the same route back to the ship. They found themselves being lead down many different alley ways and doubling back a few times to try and loose any pursuers.
"We are still being followed." Riley commented when Kayylla mentioned they were almost to the ships docking bay.
Kayylla would always be amazed at Riley's tracking skills. From what she had read from her previous journals they had been partnered many times and her skills had saved them on more than one occasion.
"Why do you say that?" Jace asked over his shoulder.
"Because I'm never wrong." She responded matter of factly.
Jace and Davro only threw her questioning looks as they entered the docking bay.
"Trust her on this one, she knows what she's tailing about. Riley has saved my life countless times with this talent of hers." Kayylla said as she sealed the door behind them.
Jace was about to ask how that was possible but thought better of it. Once they reached the 'Atropos' Kayylla saw Mezz's guards and the repulsar sleds piled with the parts Davro had requested.
"I suggest we get to work as quickly as possible. After all I do have a price on my head and I would really like to leave the Bounty Hunter capitol of the galaxy in one piece." Kayylla advised as she looked over the parts on the sleds.
"Lets get he laser tips changed first. If it comes to a shoot out, you'll be glad they've been replaced. Once those are finished we can go from there. Jace, Riley you take the lower quad lasers while Kayylla and I take the upper quads. I'm sure you two can handle it." Davro said separating what parts each group would need. He didn't pay attention to the glares he was receiving from Riley and Jace as they took their parts and headed to the belly of the ship.
"Wonder if they'll kill each other before the job is finished?" Kayylla asked as Davro gave her a boost to the top of the freighter.
Without pausing or turning from his work, Davro continued speaking to Kayylla. "So, is Riley always so cordial with strange hosts, or was she just doing that for my benefit?", he asked, sarcasm thick in his tone. "If that's normal, I'm surprised she hasn't got herself blasted by now...."
He finished attaching the last of the new tips on the dorsal turret and was checking the angle of the flash-back suppressers as he waited for some explanation for Kayylla.
"Look, I'm sorry for the way she acted back there, she's used to getting her own way I guess. Her mouth has really gotten us into trouble on more than one occasion and it takes more than a few near misses to get through that thick skull of hers." She said crossing her arms across her chest. "I'll have a talk with her about it as well. Hopefully I can talk her into going back home, I don't want another innocent person dragged into this mess. Besides the council would never forgive me if she were killed. If you thought a Bounty Hunter was mean wait until you see an angry mob of Lasthunians after you." Kayylla said quickly slapping her hand to her mouth, shock registering on her face. She let her hand drop slowly and cleared her throat. "Forget what I just said." With that she walked quickly to the edge of the ship and jumped off, leaving Davro there with a very puzzled look on his face.
Landing on the balls of her feet Kayylla dashed up the ramp and into the lounge. Fate beeped happily as she entered but she paid little attention to the droid as she paced the lounge. Hearing booted feet on the ramp Kayylla whirled around to see who it was. Riley walked, or rather glided into the lounge. The extra height she had over Kayylla made her movements more graceful than what she could ever hope to accomplish.
"There is no record of Lasthunia on any star chart right?" Kayylla asked resuming her pacing and glancing occasionally at her ex-copilot of many life times.
"Why? You didn't tell him did you? You know what this means?!" Riley asked angrily and stepping closer to her. "He's going to want to know more about us. There's no way you can come back now."
"He won't ask, I know he won't. Besides if we aren't listed, there's no way he can try and locate our planet on a star chart." She responded trying to control her voice.
"If he does ask, I'll burn him down without a moments hesitation. It's our peoples lives over his." Riley said with an edge to her voice and cocking her head to listen for possible footsteps up the ramp. "So why did you tell him?" She continued.
"It slipped out when I was defending your rudeness towards his friend. You are going to have to hold that tongue of yours from now on or else someone is going to burn you down if you are not careful." Kayylla retorted then stormed off towards the cockpit.
"No one asked you to defend me you know." She called after her.
From behind her, Riley heard the sound of light clapping. She spun quickly, seeing Davro leaning against the bulkhead, his lopsided grin spread across his face.
"Congratulations. I had no idea that you make your friends as angry as you make strangers. Now, THAT is a rare skill..."
"What do you want, Corellian?", Riley snapped, wondering how long he had been standing there.
"I want a word with you, let's go talk in my office.", he said, gesturing toward the engine section and heading that way. He opened the pressure door to the engines, allowed her to step through, followed her, then closed and locked the door behind him. He then unbuckled his gun-belt, dropping it in his toolkit, then closing and locking it. "There, now you don't have reason to 'burn me down' because you're armed, and I'm not.....", he started. "Kayylla let your race's name slip by accident. Let me sum it up for you in three words: I DON'T CARE! It doesn't matter to me who or what you are. If it would have been any other person docked at Coruscant in the same situation, I would have helped. Okay, not if it was an Imperial, but nearly anyone else. I don't have a problem with you, YET. I don't know you from the next nurf-herder, but you seem to have a problem with me. Let's clear the air. WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?! I'm not asking you to love who I am, hell, I'm not even asking you to like me. A little courtesy for me and my friends is all I'm asking. Jace is a former Imperial Major, I'm okay with him, and I really dislike Imperials. Now, you're not leaving from down here until we have an agreement to at least be civil with each other. I made a sort of peace with Jace, and I can make one with someone who is beautiful but acts like a Gamorean. Question is can you do it, or is a Corellian better than your people?" Again, Davro's lopsided smile returned as he waited for Riley's response, whether it was words or blows.
Riley stood there glaring at the Corellian wondering how long she could make him wait for her explanation, while he stood there with that stupid smirk on his face as if he could wait as long as she could. She quickly came to the conclusion that it was pointless to keep quiet any longer, after all Kayylla would start looking for them soon. The longer they delayed the faster it would be for their pursuer to find them and bring in reinforcements.
"Alright." She said finally giving in. "The last time a member of my race told another being about us, our world was nearly destroyed. Half our population was killed in the battles that followed the assault. We all live in fear of that happening again, so we made an oath that we would never tell another being about us. That also includes the telling of our species name. If we break that oath we will be hunted down and brought back to be executed along with anyone else we told, or worse we would be banished never to return to our planet again. A death of one of us is felt by all, for our population is small. I can only hope you can see why we are jumpy about what we tell others about ourselves." She said keeping her arms crossed over her chest and keeping her voice low as she continued. "Kayylla never told me you saved her life. We could never repay you for saving the life of a sister. I also don't have a problem with YOU, if Kayylla has trusted you this far then I guess I can trust you as well. Remember though, Kayylla and I have been friends longer than you can possibly imagine and I will not allow any harm to come to her."
"Do you think I would let anything happen to her as well? She's my friend too you know." He interjected.
"I can see that now and I will try and be civil to you and any of your other friends we might encounter on this journey. I only ask that you do not bring up anything about us to anyone. Our people have suffered enough lose in anyone's life time." She said looking at him with concern on her face. "I have never thought of us as better than any being either. In fact I see my race as inferior to all. You see every race can do something we can not. I am not allowed to tell you anymore than what I have already said. Anymore questions you wish to ask me?" She retorted.
Davro breathed a sigh of relief. His features became grim, the smile rushing away.
"What you have told me will not pass to anyone else, even if it means my own death.", he swore, wearing the most serious face that Riley had ever seen on another race. He fished out his gun-belt, unlocked the pressure door, and was stepping out when he stopped, listening intently. "You hear that? Listen.....". Faintly, over the ambient engine room noise, the sound of blaster fire could barely be discerned. "Did Jace
come in with you?!"
"Without waiting for her to answer, Davro drew his pistol and bolted to the entry ramp and out of the ship. He caught glimpses of Mezz's men returning fire on an unknown attacker, but quickly losing their resolve to stand their ground. Three of them already lay motionless on the ground, and fourth fell as Davro watched. He spotted Jace pinned-down behind a large cargo crate that they had emptied earlier, blaster rounds blanketing the area from an archway opposite in front of the ship.
"Jace! Stay there, but be ready to move!" Jace waved his acknowledgment to Davro, who turned and ran into the ship, then slid into the ventral gun-well. "Kayylla, Riley! Get the engines started, I'm laying down cover fire for Jace to get aboard...", he shouted into his headset as he swung the new guns forward. After aiming for a moment, opened fire on the archway, easily blowing apart the stonework and collapsing the
tunnel on the other side. He waited as Jace scrambled on board, and the rest of their guards exited through another arch, then blew the other arch to bits, sealing the last entrance.
"I'm in, let's get out of here!", Jace shouted, running past the gun-well and up to the cockpit.
"Fate, watch those engines.", Davro ordered into his headset, receiving Fate's whistle in return.
The 'Atropos's' squealed with the sudden increase in throttle as they easily lifted the ship into the skies and rocketed them toward the darkness of space. Still in the ventral turret, Davro scanned for signs of pursuit. All too easily, he found four targets heading their way.
"I don't mean to complain, but there are four marks on our tail, somebody want to give me hand back here? I can cover our belly, but top-side is wide open...."
"I'll take the other gun." Riley said as she left the cockpit and ran to the turrets, she nearly jumped up the ladder to reach the dorsal turret. She quickly strapped herself in, turned on her targeting computer and put her headset on. From her vantage point at the top of the ship she was able to get a good look at their pursuers.
"What kind of ships are those?" She asked into her headset.
"Their uglies." Jace responded. "They're starfighters that have been cobbled together from components of other fighters. Watch yourselves back there, they can be unpredictable in everything." Jace cautioned.
Kayylla flew the craft to give Davro and Riley every opportunity they needed to keep the crafts in their sights. Even with the ships modified engines the uglies were still gaining on them. In moments the uglies were upon the 'Atropos' and their laser canons targeted the ships drive units. Luckily the shields had enough power to deflect the laser shots.
Davro sighted in on one of the uglies, combinations of an X-Wing body and the solar wing arrays of a TIE fighter. His targeting brackets flashed green for an instant when he fired. The ugly exploded on impact with the laser.
Riley didn't have time to congratulate him on his kill. Her own targeting computer beeped with a lock of her own, she fired and another pursuer was destroyed.
The two remaining uglies were more cautious then their late partners. They positioned themselves behind the sublight drives and out of the range of both turret guns. Kayylla thought about maneuvers to pull when the uglies opened fire on her engines once again.
"I have an idea." Jace said when he saw Kayylla checking her aft viewscreens. "Let me take the controls." Kayylla flipped a few switches and Jace was now in control. He put the ship into a tight downward spiral then banked quickly to port. The maneuver brought both uglies into the targeting brackets of the guns. Both ships blew simultaneously when Riley and Davro's lasers punctured their cockpits. Both gunners stayed in the turrets until the stars outside the canopy became starlines and they were safe in hyperspace.
Riley waited for Davro as he came up from the ventral turret. They walked briskly to the cockpit. "Where are we headed now?" Riley questioned as she took the passenger seat behind Jace.
"I've plotted a course that will take us ten light-years away from Ord Mantell. From there we can reorient ourselves and go someplace else. Any suggestions on where we will be heading next?" Kayylla asked as she turned the pilots chair around to look at everyone. "I'm not choosing again. Every place I've chosen we've been shot at. So now it is someone else's turn to decide."
There was silence in the cockpit for a few moments, no one suggesting any potential destination. Then Davro spoke up.
"Dantooine. It's remote, there is no tactical advantage to going there, and I've got connections and business associates there who could help us out. The downside; it's a long trip, but we definitely have enough fuel and supplies to make it. Comments?"
Not surprisingly, Jace was the first to speak up.
"You must be crazy....", he started. "In this situation, no Imperial officer would ever entertain the thought of heading to Dantooine. However, I personally think that it's a brilliant idea."
Davro did a double-take and shook his head, shocked at the compliment. The surprise was apparent on Kayylla's and Riley's faces as well, staring at Jace. Jace continued, "The only way to get anymore remote would be someplace with no civilization or space port facilities. As none of those are nearby, and we can't disappear back to The Rock for the time being, we may as well head there. There will be fuel available to continue from there, we can restock any consumables we might need, and Davro can contact his friend about the N-1 being done."
"That's right, I almost forgot it with all the action!", he stated with excitement. His emotion darkened quickly. "I guess you guys will be rid of me then.....at least I helped. Felt like the old days for while there....". He rose and walked back out turning toward the engine section and walking out of sight.
The trip enroute to the next jump point was quiet. The engines ran perfectly, the sensors were supremely accurate, and extra power was routed to the shields from the new backup power unit. Davro had finished perfecting a new power linkage system on the sublight drives, eliminating the need for constant adjustment and watching. Everyone noticed that he seemed even more gloomy after the course change for Dantooine. What time that wasn't spent tinkering with the ship or his gear was spent laying in his bunk or snoozing in a gun-well chair.
One evening, after three weeks in hyperspace and nearing their destination, Kayylla walked in on him as he was going though his pack at his bunk. He was intently studying an item in a small black case, the trace of a tear in the corner of his eye.
"Hi...", she said quietly, startling him just the same. He snapped the case shut quickly and trying to drop it into his pack. It hung on the opening, then slid quietly to the deck next to his pack.
"Hi...", he replied hoarsely, hastily wiping at his eye. "Just got up from a nap, going to check the, uh, debris extractors, yeah. I thought they might be getting dirty....I'll be back out in a while to eat." He hurriedly walked off to the engine room, not noticing the dropped case.
Kayylla slowly reached for the case, glancing to see Davro was returning. She opened the case to take a tiny peek inside. Within was a medal, Davro's Kalidor Crescent, kept in blindingly polished shape. She had never seen a decoration heaped with so many honors from the Alliance in all her life.
"This must remind him of so many friends and comrades lost in battle and in service to his old Captain. No wonder he is so depressed, he probably thinks he's losing another crew by disbanding."
"Watching over you." The other Lasthunian said, blue eyes blazing.
"Why?"
"Your face is being broadcasted all over the holonet, that's why. What if someone recognized you?" Riley said putting her hands on her hips. "The Council sent me to keep you safe or bring you back, which ever I choose."
"Why is my face being broadcasted on the holonet? I haven't done anything...oh wait." Kayylla said recognition showing on her face.
"Now what have you done?" Riley said with exasperation.
"I gypped the Empire on my run from Alderaan."
"Oh I wish that were so. The broadcast said you've kidnapped an Imperial officer and that you are holding him for ransom. They've called out bounty hunters on you as well." She explained brushing a strand of white hair out of her face.
"I can't leave with you. I have two others with me and I can't leave them here. Besides I didn't kidnap him, he cam with me by his own will."
"Well then where are they?"
"They were in front of me when you dragged me in here. So they are probably still walking."
"Let's go find them." Riley commanded taking the lead out of the alley.
Davro spotted the parts shop up ahead, breaking into smile, seeing that his old friend's sense of style hadn't changed. The facade in front of the building was built to look as though a racing pod had crashed into the structure, it's engines framing either side of the door.
"This is it. You're gonna love the owner, Kayylla......Kayylla? Jace, she's gone!"
Jace began to draw his blaster, but Davro forced his hand to drop the weapon back in it's holster.
"Don't draw your gun, best way to attract attention is draw a weapon on crowded streets. Let's backtrack, see if we can find her, you cover the right, I'll cover left."
Jace nodded in agreement as they began to retrace their route, systematically searching to the sides for any possible alleys or paths Kayylla might have gone down. Within a short time, they spotted her coming their way with her new acquaintance.
Davro raced to her. "Thank goodness, you're okay. I was about to start breaking down doors to.......", he started, then noticed her companion. "Just someone from back home who happened to be in this neck of the galaxy?", he asked, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "I'm sorry about that, where are my manners.......Captain Davro Stfal, at your service.", he stated to the newcomer, offering his hand with an apologetic look in his eye. "Or I was a captain until we had to bid some rather hasty retreats lately...", he added. "Kayylla has been good enough to put up with me hanging around and lending a hand. Just hoping my services will do her proud...", he continued, tossing in a wink at Kayylla's friend. He turned fully to Kayylla. "I've spotted the shop up ahead. A friend of mine from the old days runs the place. You'll love it...". Davro rattled on as they continued back to the shop, Jace seeming completely bored, Kayylla's friend seeming completely confused.
Riley kept Kayylla back a few paces from the others. "I can't believe you actually hooked up with these two. You're going to have to think up a way to get rid of them, they are excess baggage for us."
"Since when did you decide who stays and who goes on 'my' ship? Both of these men have helped me, it's the least I can do for them." She hissed back keeping her voice low so Jace and Davro were unable to hear her.
"Where are we headed anyway?" Riley asked going up on her toes to try and see over Kayylla's tall companions. "I don't like not knowing where I'm headed."
"If you must know, we are headed to a parts shop owned by one of Davro's friends. I know being couped up back home makes you a little paranoid, so why don't we trust my judgment for once alright." Kayylla said trying very hard not to let the anger she felt inside leak through to her voice.
"So this is your friends shop? Remind me to ask him who does his decorating." The blue eyed alien said with heavy sarcasm once they reached the shop. Davro said nothing as he allowed the two women to enter first.
"I'll explain later." Kayylla said giving him an apologetic smile as she entered the shop.
Once her eyes adjusted to the interior lighting Kayylla was amazed at the many rows of shelves and bins the place held. On the far left wall hung every tool you could imagine ever needing for any repair job. The shelves were stacked with power cores, couplings and much more. She wanted to wonder through out the shop but thought better of it.
Davro walked around the on lookers to the front counter calling for his friend.
"Hey, Mezz!", Davro shouted. "What's a guy have to do for some service around here?!"
A rotund little human came waddling from in the storeroom, his arms carrying an impossibly stacked number of boxes to the front counter, unable to see where he was going and apparently steering from pure memory.
"Be right with you, sir....." he puffed as he slid the packages onto the counter to another customer, took his money, and turned to face his new customer. "Great thundering.......Davro? Is that you?! You old son-of-a.....How the hell are ya'?! It's been years!" The fellow stepped around the counter, gripping Davro in a hug that lifted his feet off the dusty floor of the shop.
"Nice to see you too, Mezz...." Davro wheezed, trying to catch his breath after his friend's embrace. With his second wind, Davro made quick introductions between Mezz and his traveling companions, hesitating only with Riley, saying she was a friend of Kayylla's. Mezz shook hands vigorously with them all, insisting "Any friend of Davro's is a friend of mine."
"What brings you back here, Davro? The "Stormrider" needing more upgrades already? Looking for antique fighter parts again?"
"Nothing like that, Mezz." He motioned to Kayylla. "This lovely lady requires some for a YT-2800 freighter that I'm giving her hand with. Some of the special stock you would be nice..."
Mezz nodded knowingly, hurried in serving the other customers and getting them out, then closed and locked the door. "Okay, shipmate, we're secure, and I'm ready to what I can to repay ya'." He threw Davro a quick salute and led them all back into the storeroom, then down a set of stairs and through a locked pressure door. On the other side was an underground warehouse, the entry of which was made up to look like the commons' area of a Corellian Corvette, complete with the ship's emblem on one wall, an autochef in the corner, and the dining tables for the crew. Non-standard additions had been made, like a small bar along the far wall, and some kegs of very old fozbeer stacked next to the autochef. "Ya have time to relive a few war stories before you have to go? I got a keg of your favorite in cold storage....Your friends are more than welcome, too. You all look like you could use a rest.", he said with a nostalgic gleam in his eye.
"Sure, I guess we can take a load off our feet for a while, but could you have your people get the stuff we need and deliver it to our ship?"
"Hey, no problem....if you've got a list I can get them right on it, and we can go over some old times."
Davro handed him a data-pad with their needs, Mezz browsed over it. "I got all this stuff in stock upstairs, you anything else? Weapons, ordinance, armor, vehicles...?"
"Nah, that's it. I think we're square on what you owe me."
Kayylla took out her data-pad to arrange payment, only to have Mezz motioning for her to put it away. "This is on me. I owe more than just credits to the great Davro Stfal. This man saved me, and the whole ship during the blockade run we made at Barkhesh some ten years ago."
Davro rolled his eyes, knowing there was no way to avoid having to tell the tale again, and no way of stopping Mezz from embellishing it. "Yeah, yeah.....I saved the ship from being blown to bits....."
"Oh, quit being modest." said Mezz. "He's one of the finest people ever to wear The Kalidor Crescent, and his is better than ours are. The whole crew of the 'Corellia's Gamble'", he motioned to the ship's emblem on the wall, "received the Kalidor Crescent, but the captain, Capt. James Culley, the "old man" as we call him, praised Davro's efforts so highly and touted his bravery under fire so much, that the Rebels gave him the Crescent with FULL HONORS; silver talons, bronze cluster, emerald eyes, golden wings, the works!" Mezz was looking on Davro with undisguised admiration, oblivious to the looks from Jace and Riley. Riley cleared her throat, breaking the sudden silence.
"You'll excuse me if I don't quite swallow the story..." Riley started. "I mean, it's kinda hard to believe....."
The color drained from Mezz's face, his eye grew wide as he glanced at Davro and back to Riley. Shaking visibly he stood and went to a chest near the kegs, rummaged for a moment and produced a holo-cube that he plugged into the projector built into the table. The image flickered to life, showing a huge hangar facility that had been cleared and decorated for a ceremony. The scene zoomed in to show a vessel's crew being given awards for service and bravery, a younger man who was clearly Davro stepping up and having The Kalidor Crescent hung around his neck by Mon Mothma herself, then a gentleman in a Rebel Captain's uniform stepping forward and motioning between the award and Davro, and not backing down. Davro was asked several questions which he nodded answers to. An aide brought a case of medallions, Mon Mothma sorted through it, and brought forth The Kalidor Crescent fully decorated with all of it's augmentations. The image faded, Riley still seeming unimpressed.
"That could have been made up...."
Mezz returned to his chest, brought out another box, and opened it upon the table. Inside was a Kalidor Crescent medallion, with a small plaque inside which read: "To Mezz Darklighter, with the gratitude of the Rebel Alliance for his bravery and service aboard the 'Corellia's Gamble'."
"Satisfied seeing mine, ma'am?", Mezz asked indignantly.
"Mezz, it's okay....c'mon, have a drink...." Davro led him to the bar, poured him a tankard of fozbeer, and stepped back to Riley.
"All due respect, Ms. Riley, it isn't proper to go upsetting the host of a place that offers you refuge and hospitality. Give me few moments, and we can go." He stormed away to the bar and joined his friend for a drink, casting the occasional glare at Riley. Presently, Davro embraced his friend again, then returned to Kayylla. "Mezz says his workers have delivered the stuff and are guarding the ship. He said something about seeing your picture on the holo-net, so he's sworn to me that he doesn't know a thing about us being here. We should get going, I want to change those laser tips before we take-off."
He shook hands once more with Mezz before leading them up and out of the shop. He glanced back past Riley for a last look at the shop. "Good-bye, shipmate...", he trailed as he led the way back.
Davro had decided not to take the same route back to the ship. They found themselves being lead down many different alley ways and doubling back a few times to try and loose any pursuers.
"We are still being followed." Riley commented when Kayylla mentioned they were almost to the ships docking bay.
Kayylla would always be amazed at Riley's tracking skills. From what she had read from her previous journals they had been partnered many times and her skills had saved them on more than one occasion.
"Why do you say that?" Jace asked over his shoulder.
"Because I'm never wrong." She responded matter of factly.
Jace and Davro only threw her questioning looks as they entered the docking bay.
"Trust her on this one, she knows what she's tailing about. Riley has saved my life countless times with this talent of hers." Kayylla said as she sealed the door behind them.
Jace was about to ask how that was possible but thought better of it. Once they reached the 'Atropos' Kayylla saw Mezz's guards and the repulsar sleds piled with the parts Davro had requested.
"I suggest we get to work as quickly as possible. After all I do have a price on my head and I would really like to leave the Bounty Hunter capitol of the galaxy in one piece." Kayylla advised as she looked over the parts on the sleds.
"Lets get he laser tips changed first. If it comes to a shoot out, you'll be glad they've been replaced. Once those are finished we can go from there. Jace, Riley you take the lower quad lasers while Kayylla and I take the upper quads. I'm sure you two can handle it." Davro said separating what parts each group would need. He didn't pay attention to the glares he was receiving from Riley and Jace as they took their parts and headed to the belly of the ship.
"Wonder if they'll kill each other before the job is finished?" Kayylla asked as Davro gave her a boost to the top of the freighter.
Without pausing or turning from his work, Davro continued speaking to Kayylla. "So, is Riley always so cordial with strange hosts, or was she just doing that for my benefit?", he asked, sarcasm thick in his tone. "If that's normal, I'm surprised she hasn't got herself blasted by now...."
He finished attaching the last of the new tips on the dorsal turret and was checking the angle of the flash-back suppressers as he waited for some explanation for Kayylla.
"Look, I'm sorry for the way she acted back there, she's used to getting her own way I guess. Her mouth has really gotten us into trouble on more than one occasion and it takes more than a few near misses to get through that thick skull of hers." She said crossing her arms across her chest. "I'll have a talk with her about it as well. Hopefully I can talk her into going back home, I don't want another innocent person dragged into this mess. Besides the council would never forgive me if she were killed. If you thought a Bounty Hunter was mean wait until you see an angry mob of Lasthunians after you." Kayylla said quickly slapping her hand to her mouth, shock registering on her face. She let her hand drop slowly and cleared her throat. "Forget what I just said." With that she walked quickly to the edge of the ship and jumped off, leaving Davro there with a very puzzled look on his face.
Landing on the balls of her feet Kayylla dashed up the ramp and into the lounge. Fate beeped happily as she entered but she paid little attention to the droid as she paced the lounge. Hearing booted feet on the ramp Kayylla whirled around to see who it was. Riley walked, or rather glided into the lounge. The extra height she had over Kayylla made her movements more graceful than what she could ever hope to accomplish.
"There is no record of Lasthunia on any star chart right?" Kayylla asked resuming her pacing and glancing occasionally at her ex-copilot of many life times.
"Why? You didn't tell him did you? You know what this means?!" Riley asked angrily and stepping closer to her. "He's going to want to know more about us. There's no way you can come back now."
"He won't ask, I know he won't. Besides if we aren't listed, there's no way he can try and locate our planet on a star chart." She responded trying to control her voice.
"If he does ask, I'll burn him down without a moments hesitation. It's our peoples lives over his." Riley said with an edge to her voice and cocking her head to listen for possible footsteps up the ramp. "So why did you tell him?" She continued.
"It slipped out when I was defending your rudeness towards his friend. You are going to have to hold that tongue of yours from now on or else someone is going to burn you down if you are not careful." Kayylla retorted then stormed off towards the cockpit.
"No one asked you to defend me you know." She called after her.
From behind her, Riley heard the sound of light clapping. She spun quickly, seeing Davro leaning against the bulkhead, his lopsided grin spread across his face.
"Congratulations. I had no idea that you make your friends as angry as you make strangers. Now, THAT is a rare skill..."
"What do you want, Corellian?", Riley snapped, wondering how long he had been standing there.
"I want a word with you, let's go talk in my office.", he said, gesturing toward the engine section and heading that way. He opened the pressure door to the engines, allowed her to step through, followed her, then closed and locked the door behind him. He then unbuckled his gun-belt, dropping it in his toolkit, then closing and locking it. "There, now you don't have reason to 'burn me down' because you're armed, and I'm not.....", he started. "Kayylla let your race's name slip by accident. Let me sum it up for you in three words: I DON'T CARE! It doesn't matter to me who or what you are. If it would have been any other person docked at Coruscant in the same situation, I would have helped. Okay, not if it was an Imperial, but nearly anyone else. I don't have a problem with you, YET. I don't know you from the next nurf-herder, but you seem to have a problem with me. Let's clear the air. WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?! I'm not asking you to love who I am, hell, I'm not even asking you to like me. A little courtesy for me and my friends is all I'm asking. Jace is a former Imperial Major, I'm okay with him, and I really dislike Imperials. Now, you're not leaving from down here until we have an agreement to at least be civil with each other. I made a sort of peace with Jace, and I can make one with someone who is beautiful but acts like a Gamorean. Question is can you do it, or is a Corellian better than your people?" Again, Davro's lopsided smile returned as he waited for Riley's response, whether it was words or blows.
Riley stood there glaring at the Corellian wondering how long she could make him wait for her explanation, while he stood there with that stupid smirk on his face as if he could wait as long as she could. She quickly came to the conclusion that it was pointless to keep quiet any longer, after all Kayylla would start looking for them soon. The longer they delayed the faster it would be for their pursuer to find them and bring in reinforcements.
"Alright." She said finally giving in. "The last time a member of my race told another being about us, our world was nearly destroyed. Half our population was killed in the battles that followed the assault. We all live in fear of that happening again, so we made an oath that we would never tell another being about us. That also includes the telling of our species name. If we break that oath we will be hunted down and brought back to be executed along with anyone else we told, or worse we would be banished never to return to our planet again. A death of one of us is felt by all, for our population is small. I can only hope you can see why we are jumpy about what we tell others about ourselves." She said keeping her arms crossed over her chest and keeping her voice low as she continued. "Kayylla never told me you saved her life. We could never repay you for saving the life of a sister. I also don't have a problem with YOU, if Kayylla has trusted you this far then I guess I can trust you as well. Remember though, Kayylla and I have been friends longer than you can possibly imagine and I will not allow any harm to come to her."
"Do you think I would let anything happen to her as well? She's my friend too you know." He interjected.
"I can see that now and I will try and be civil to you and any of your other friends we might encounter on this journey. I only ask that you do not bring up anything about us to anyone. Our people have suffered enough lose in anyone's life time." She said looking at him with concern on her face. "I have never thought of us as better than any being either. In fact I see my race as inferior to all. You see every race can do something we can not. I am not allowed to tell you anymore than what I have already said. Anymore questions you wish to ask me?" She retorted.
Davro breathed a sigh of relief. His features became grim, the smile rushing away.
"What you have told me will not pass to anyone else, even if it means my own death.", he swore, wearing the most serious face that Riley had ever seen on another race. He fished out his gun-belt, unlocked the pressure door, and was stepping out when he stopped, listening intently. "You hear that? Listen.....". Faintly, over the ambient engine room noise, the sound of blaster fire could barely be discerned. "Did Jace
come in with you?!"
"Without waiting for her to answer, Davro drew his pistol and bolted to the entry ramp and out of the ship. He caught glimpses of Mezz's men returning fire on an unknown attacker, but quickly losing their resolve to stand their ground. Three of them already lay motionless on the ground, and fourth fell as Davro watched. He spotted Jace pinned-down behind a large cargo crate that they had emptied earlier, blaster rounds blanketing the area from an archway opposite in front of the ship.
"Jace! Stay there, but be ready to move!" Jace waved his acknowledgment to Davro, who turned and ran into the ship, then slid into the ventral gun-well. "Kayylla, Riley! Get the engines started, I'm laying down cover fire for Jace to get aboard...", he shouted into his headset as he swung the new guns forward. After aiming for a moment, opened fire on the archway, easily blowing apart the stonework and collapsing the
tunnel on the other side. He waited as Jace scrambled on board, and the rest of their guards exited through another arch, then blew the other arch to bits, sealing the last entrance.
"I'm in, let's get out of here!", Jace shouted, running past the gun-well and up to the cockpit.
"Fate, watch those engines.", Davro ordered into his headset, receiving Fate's whistle in return.
The 'Atropos's' squealed with the sudden increase in throttle as they easily lifted the ship into the skies and rocketed them toward the darkness of space. Still in the ventral turret, Davro scanned for signs of pursuit. All too easily, he found four targets heading their way.
"I don't mean to complain, but there are four marks on our tail, somebody want to give me hand back here? I can cover our belly, but top-side is wide open...."
"I'll take the other gun." Riley said as she left the cockpit and ran to the turrets, she nearly jumped up the ladder to reach the dorsal turret. She quickly strapped herself in, turned on her targeting computer and put her headset on. From her vantage point at the top of the ship she was able to get a good look at their pursuers.
"What kind of ships are those?" She asked into her headset.
"Their uglies." Jace responded. "They're starfighters that have been cobbled together from components of other fighters. Watch yourselves back there, they can be unpredictable in everything." Jace cautioned.
Kayylla flew the craft to give Davro and Riley every opportunity they needed to keep the crafts in their sights. Even with the ships modified engines the uglies were still gaining on them. In moments the uglies were upon the 'Atropos' and their laser canons targeted the ships drive units. Luckily the shields had enough power to deflect the laser shots.
Davro sighted in on one of the uglies, combinations of an X-Wing body and the solar wing arrays of a TIE fighter. His targeting brackets flashed green for an instant when he fired. The ugly exploded on impact with the laser.
Riley didn't have time to congratulate him on his kill. Her own targeting computer beeped with a lock of her own, she fired and another pursuer was destroyed.
The two remaining uglies were more cautious then their late partners. They positioned themselves behind the sublight drives and out of the range of both turret guns. Kayylla thought about maneuvers to pull when the uglies opened fire on her engines once again.
"I have an idea." Jace said when he saw Kayylla checking her aft viewscreens. "Let me take the controls." Kayylla flipped a few switches and Jace was now in control. He put the ship into a tight downward spiral then banked quickly to port. The maneuver brought both uglies into the targeting brackets of the guns. Both ships blew simultaneously when Riley and Davro's lasers punctured their cockpits. Both gunners stayed in the turrets until the stars outside the canopy became starlines and they were safe in hyperspace.
Riley waited for Davro as he came up from the ventral turret. They walked briskly to the cockpit. "Where are we headed now?" Riley questioned as she took the passenger seat behind Jace.
"I've plotted a course that will take us ten light-years away from Ord Mantell. From there we can reorient ourselves and go someplace else. Any suggestions on where we will be heading next?" Kayylla asked as she turned the pilots chair around to look at everyone. "I'm not choosing again. Every place I've chosen we've been shot at. So now it is someone else's turn to decide."
There was silence in the cockpit for a few moments, no one suggesting any potential destination. Then Davro spoke up.
"Dantooine. It's remote, there is no tactical advantage to going there, and I've got connections and business associates there who could help us out. The downside; it's a long trip, but we definitely have enough fuel and supplies to make it. Comments?"
Not surprisingly, Jace was the first to speak up.
"You must be crazy....", he started. "In this situation, no Imperial officer would ever entertain the thought of heading to Dantooine. However, I personally think that it's a brilliant idea."
Davro did a double-take and shook his head, shocked at the compliment. The surprise was apparent on Kayylla's and Riley's faces as well, staring at Jace. Jace continued, "The only way to get anymore remote would be someplace with no civilization or space port facilities. As none of those are nearby, and we can't disappear back to The Rock for the time being, we may as well head there. There will be fuel available to continue from there, we can restock any consumables we might need, and Davro can contact his friend about the N-1 being done."
"That's right, I almost forgot it with all the action!", he stated with excitement. His emotion darkened quickly. "I guess you guys will be rid of me then.....at least I helped. Felt like the old days for while there....". He rose and walked back out turning toward the engine section and walking out of sight.
The trip enroute to the next jump point was quiet. The engines ran perfectly, the sensors were supremely accurate, and extra power was routed to the shields from the new backup power unit. Davro had finished perfecting a new power linkage system on the sublight drives, eliminating the need for constant adjustment and watching. Everyone noticed that he seemed even more gloomy after the course change for Dantooine. What time that wasn't spent tinkering with the ship or his gear was spent laying in his bunk or snoozing in a gun-well chair.
One evening, after three weeks in hyperspace and nearing their destination, Kayylla walked in on him as he was going though his pack at his bunk. He was intently studying an item in a small black case, the trace of a tear in the corner of his eye.
"Hi...", she said quietly, startling him just the same. He snapped the case shut quickly and trying to drop it into his pack. It hung on the opening, then slid quietly to the deck next to his pack.
"Hi...", he replied hoarsely, hastily wiping at his eye. "Just got up from a nap, going to check the, uh, debris extractors, yeah. I thought they might be getting dirty....I'll be back out in a while to eat." He hurriedly walked off to the engine room, not noticing the dropped case.
Kayylla slowly reached for the case, glancing to see Davro was returning. She opened the case to take a tiny peek inside. Within was a medal, Davro's Kalidor Crescent, kept in blindingly polished shape. She had never seen a decoration heaped with so many honors from the Alliance in all her life.
"This must remind him of so many friends and comrades lost in battle and in service to his old Captain. No wonder he is so depressed, he probably thinks he's losing another crew by disbanding."