Selyce landed her ship on the outskirts of Mos Eisly, and stared out
at the endless, glittering sand. She turned to shake Jaina, who had been
napping in the copilot's chair. Jaina stretched before taking in the
desolate sight of the Tatooine desert. "There's not much to see here, huh,
Selyce?" asked Jaina, grinning.
"No...not much at all. Although, it does have a sort of serene beauty
to it. Oh, well. Time to start working. I'm going to go to the nearest
cantina and I'm going to put the Callisto on lockdown, so you can go
anywhere you want. Maybe you ought to try and find out where Obi-Wan and
Luke used to live."
"What? No!" cried Jaina. "I'm staying close to you! We'll go out to
the Dune Sea together."
Selyce smiled in spite of herself, and then chuckled. "Okay! I'd like
to see Luke's home, too. Did your uncle tell you where to find it?"
Jaina absently shook her head, so Selyce took that as a 'no'. The
human girl replied, "No, but I can use the Force to locate it. Besides, it
shouldn't be all that far away. All we have to do is to head past
Anchorhead."
Selyce nodded and again looked out over the barren desert, and then
to the bustling city. "I must be leaving now. Do you need anything while
I'm out?"
Jaina pulled out her datapad and scanned the inventory. "Yeah, I do.
We're running low on Marrik and andris, and we've only got three bottles of
Chimera Blitzer left. You think you could get those?"
Selyce thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I can." She then
pointed in the direction of the cantina. "Ill be that way if you need me.
Have fun finding a landspeeder! And remind Mosa and Kit of what they're
supposed to be doing...not sleeping!"
Jaina grimaced and mimicked Selyce. "Have fun finding a
landspeeder...yeah, sure. Fun. Ha ha." After she woke Kit and Mosa, she
picked up her gear and headed off in the direction of the shops, checking
to be sure she had enough credits to buy a working landspeeder. Moving from
shop to shop, she searched, her doubts in finding even a whole landspeeder
increasing until she came to a junk dealer close to the cantina. Stepping
inside the dark shop, she grunted in Tusken to alert the shopkeeper of her
existence.
"What may I do for you?" asked the Rodian in a scratchy voice.
Jaina paused for a moment, turning to stare around the shop, then
returned in Huttese, "I'm looking for a good, working landspeeder. It needs
to be big enough to fit two humans, two droids, and a lot of equipment."
"Then this is your lucky day A sky-hopper just arrived today, in good
condition. Will that do?"
"A sky-hopper? T-16, I suppose. How much?" asked Jaina, trying not to
smile.
"Well," began the Rodian. "I suppose I can take 4000 credits for it."
"4000! I demand to see the T-16!" said Jaina forcefully. The Rodian,
who was startled at her tone, immediately complied.
"Right this way, miss. I assure you, 4000 credits is a bargain for
this thing. It's in perfect condition, it works, and I even put new engines
and a fresh coat of paint on it."
Jaina stared at the speeder, felling its components, searching for
any flaws. When she did not find any, she smiled. "2000 credits. It's
sound, I can tell, but not in the best condition ever."
The Rodian seemed to think for a moment. "3050. It took me a long
time before I was able to find one of theses. It'll take me a long time to
find another."
Jaina shook her head and stroked her lightsaber, which was hidden at
her side. "2050, and that's my final offer. If you say any higher, I will
cut off your arms and your tongue, and take the speeder myself, leaving
only fourteen truguts behind instead of 2050 credits. You don't want that,
now do you?" she asked sweetly.
The shopkeeper looked at Jaina strangely, then decided to let her
have it. "Be my guest, miss. 2050 credits it is!" He reached around the
counter for the access codes and handed them to her. "When shall I have it
ready?"
"I will be back for it by nightfall. Have it prepared to leave at
second dusk, Rodian. You get half of your money now, and the rest when I
come for the speeder." She rummaged through her satchel and tossed a bag,
with 1025 credits inside, and tossed it onto the counter before picking up
the codes to the speeder. She then turned and walked out of the shop,
heading for the cantina to meet up with Selyce.
Selyce stared into the dank cantina, her gaze flicking across those inside. She spotted a section of empty stools in front of the counter and wove her way through the crowd to them. Cautiously, she smelled the air, tasting the perspiration, pheromones, and liquor. Delicious, she thought. Simply exquisite. She slapped her hand on the counter and stared at the bartender from under the hood of her cloak. "Marrik. Red. And andris, ryll, and glitterstim. And don't bother trying to fool me. I know what I want, and I know what I get. I want the Marrik. Get it." The bartender, Nuero, nodded furiously and hastened to get the drink. "So, uh, what brings you to these parts, miss? Not many outsiders come 'round these days." Selyce chuckled and looked up at him. "Well, if I told you, then it wouldn't be my little secret." Then she thought for a moment. She did have business in town. "You know someone named Rikan, bartender? I'm lookin' for him." Nuero's eyes widened. "Rikan?! Miss, ain't you heard nothing? Rikan don't talk to no one, not unless they gonna die!" Selyce simply grinned. "oh, I've heard. But, see, that doesn't bother me. Rikan and I go back a long way...a very long way." Then she picked up her glass and sipped it, savoring the rich, smooth taste of the blood-red liquid.
Rikan walked into the cantina and looked around, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark interior. The droid detector buzzed as he walked by, stepping even further into the cantina. There she is, he thought. Selyce is here, right on time...and probably scaring the sand out of everyone. He made his way to the counter and sat down next to her, watching her amused expression. "Nuero, get me a Marrik. Same kind as you gave the lady." He chuckled and watched Nuero bustle about, fixing his drink. Then he turned his attention to Selyce. "So, what brings you to these parts, miss?" Selyce looked at him and grinned, flicking her tongue out at him. "Oh, not much. Just looking for an old friend, and making some new ones. And you? What brings you here?" Rikan laughed good-naturedly. "Same as you, my friend, same as you." He gave her a light punch on the arm and looked around the cantina. "So, where's your friend? I thought you said someone was coming with you." "Oh, she's around. Still bargaining, I'm sure. Landspeeders in good condition sure are hard to find around here, wouldn't you agree?" inquired Selyce, humor tingeing her voice. "Yes, they are. Took me months and a few killings to finally get hold of one, myself. Not that I didn't enjoy the wait. What have you been up to these past few years?" "Me? Oh, not much. Pillaging, killing, training. Same as usual, I suppose. And you? What have you been up to?" "I've been up to no good, of course. I'm glad you've been all right. Say, when do you think your friend will be here?" Selyce looked up at the entrance and noted the tall, cloaked form standing there. "Right now. Come, Rikan, we must make room for her, else she'll be very displeased. And we don't want her displeased, now do we?" Rikan shrugged and moved to the other side of Selyce, knowing she preferred to have Jaina on her left. "fine with me. She knows that you're meeting me, right? You did tell her, I presume." "Oh, I told her I was meeting someone, just not who. Don't worry, she won't kill you. I'll make sure of that." Nuero watched all this from behind the counter, taking in everything. So, the woman knew Rikan, and Rikan knew her. But why did she not say her name, or her friend's? Maybe they did not have any? Doubtful. The cantina was made for fugitives and scoundrels. So maybe they were wanted. That was probably the case. However, Rikan was involved with them, so Nuero would do nothing, for fear of his life.
Jaina stepped into the dark cantina and noted the two cloaked figures at the bar. Selyce and the person she was meeting. He looked familiar to Jaina, somehow, but she could not quite place the name. She shrugged lightly and approached the bar, glaring at the bartender, knowing his mind was working to figure them out. He moved away from her, and she smiled as she gripped Selyce's arm in greeting. Selyce and Rikan had both stood to greet her. Selyce smiled at her, her tongue flicking out, smelling the oil, sweat, and sand on Jaina. "You're thirsty. Let's get you a drink, all right?" Jaina chuckled. "Fine by me." She glanced at the two drinks already on the bar, and then at the bartender. "I'll have what they had, and a platter of Savanae, with klanga slices on the side. She'll have the same...without the klanga." Selyce grinned. "You didn't have to do that, friend!" she exclaimed. "Oh, but I wanted to,. Besides, I'm so hungry I could eat a krayt!"
Mosa walked around Mos Eisly, holding a holoprojector and showing passerby the pictures it produced. She stopped a young human male. "Excuse me, sir, but have you seen these two blue kids, with pointy ears and brown, silver striped hair?" He shook his head and brushed past her, causing her to growl in anger. She continued going from shop to shop, home to home, asking all that she saw about the two missing Eselike children.
Kit arrived in Anchorhead about two hours before first dusk. She pulled out a ration packet and ate quickly before heading to the nearest cantina to begin her search. She pulled out an appropriate credit chip and walked into the dim cantina. All eyes turned to her as she walked slowly, carefully, to the bar, her boots clicking on the stone surface. A Chadra- Fan skittered away from the bar when she approached, and Kit smiled in satisfaction. With measured movements, she set the credit chip and a small holoprojector onto the bar top. "Excuse me, tender. I would like some information." The bartender looked warily at her, then at the credit chip. "How much are you willing to give?" he grated out. Kit smiled slowly. "Enough for your tastes, I'm certain. Two hundred truguts for an answer to my question." The bartender, a Rodian, looked thoughtful. "Sounds good to me. What information do you need?" he asked, reaching for the chip. Kit slapped his hand. "I get my info first, tender! Then you get the truguts!" The bartender looked very disappointed. "All right. What's your need?" Kit smiled and reached out a hand to flip on the holoprojector. She noticed with amusement that the lighting of the cantina brought out the bluish hue in her skin, causing her to appear alien. "I'm looking for these two children. Have you seen them?" A flicker of recognition flashed in the Rodian's eyes before he ruthlessly erased it. He shook his head. "Nope...sorry miss." Kit growled, the throaty sound rising in volume as she stood. "Don't lie to me tender! Where are the children?" He backed away from her, fear flashing across his face. His mouth moved, as if to speak, but no sound came out. Suddenly, a blaster was in his hand, aimed directly at Kit. She began to laugh and flipped back the hood of her cloak. Her bright green eyes darkened ominously, and the bartender nearly dropped the pistol. "Give me the information, tender, and I'll spare you your life." The little Chadra-Fan, who had been standing nearby, cautiously approached the bar, and began tugging on Kit's cloak. He was chattering excitedly, and what Kit's translator picked up, along with the sense of urgency in his tone, helped to realize what he meant. "I see. You know where they were last, don't you, little one?" She glanced reproachfully at the bartender, then turned back to the Chadra-Fan. He gestured again, and she followed him out of the cantina. When they were out in the bright sunlight, the Chadra-Fan broke into a run, chattering. Kit followed, struggling to put the holoprojector away. She would not worry about the chip, especially since she had disabled it. The bartender, like the idiot that he was, was undoubtedly attempting to crack into it to receive all of the credits. She was so lost in thought that she nearly ran into her guide, who had stopped at a small warehouse. She nodded and handed him a sack full of truguts, twice as much as she had offered the bartender. He chittered thankfully and ran off. Kit reached into her belt pouch and pulled out a comlink, sending an encrypted message to Selyce, Mosa, and Jaina.
Selyce had been talking with Rikan when the message came. It was from Kit, who was in Anchorhead at the time. She stood up and walked to a corner, Jaina following. "Kit?" she said. "What's wrong? Why did you send an encrypt?" When Kit finally replied, she sounded very excited. "I've found a trace! I found a trace of them, Selyce! In a warehouse here in Anchorhead! Come quickly!" Selyce and Jaina exchanged glances, then broke into organize confusion. Jaina activated her comlink and ordered Mosa to meet them at the cantina, while Selyce got their supplies together. Rikan watched, amused, and then followed them out of the cantina. Jaina broke into a run, pulling out a credit pouch and running at top speed to where their speeder was still being held. The Rodian let loose a startled squeal when she barged in. "Here's your remaining credits! I'm taking the T-16 out now!" She quickly punched in the access codes and sped out onto the street, where Selyce and Rikan waited. They jumped in and sped off to pick up Mosa, before turning and hightailing it over to Anchorhead, where Kit awaited anxiously on the outskirts for them to arrive. Selyce and Jaina used the Force to help push their speeder along faster, so that it would not take as much time to reach Anchorhead.
Nearly an hour and a half later, just past second dusk, they arrived in Anchorhead. Kit stood just outside of town, her long braid swinging in the wind of the oncoming dust storm. "We must take shelter, Selyce! I know a place to stay!" "When did it get this bad?" screamed Selyce, trying to make herself heard over the howling wind. "About half an hour ago! The storm just came on! I don't know what happened!" exclaimed Kit, walking towards them, struggling against the wind. "Get back into your speeder! I'll get into mine and lead you to safety! We can't stay out in this much longer!" Wisps of her hair came loose from the elaborate braid and whipped her cheeks, stinging them painfully. Her cloak billowed out behind her, nearly choking her with its force, as she struggled back to her speeder. She gunned it into high power and sped as quickly as possible to the docking bay that she had rented. Selyce jumped back into the speeder and motioned for Jaina to follow Kit. When they arrived in the docking bay, Kit slammed her hand onto a button, closing the shield doors from the force of the wind. Rikan and Mosa coughed furiously, hacking up sand that they had inadvertently inhaled. Selyce ran over to Kit, who sagged against the door. "When will the storm be over?" she demanded of her friend. "I don't know, Selyce, but we'd better stay here, at least until it dies down a bit. We don't know what'll happen if we go back outside now," explained Kit, tossing everyone dirty brown cloths. "We need to change before we go into town. And put on facial colorings, you guys. I saw some holos of all of us. It looks as if our Sith friends really want us back!" Jaina ran her fingers through her hair, combing it out, and pulled out a small capsule. "How bad is it, Kit? How badly does the Lady Grim want us?" "A pretty good bit. She wants you alive, Selyce dead or alive, and she wants me...well...she just wants me to be there," stated Kit. "Those holos were awful. I think she might want us to go back with her." Kit shuddered as memories of those dreadful months on Korriban resurfaced. "There is no way in hell that I'm going back to that shit-hole!" Selyce and Jaina exchanged worried glances. They did not know much about what had happened to Kit while she was in the Academy, but they knew enough to know that she deserved vengeance on all of the Sith there, and probably more. "Kit, please, just calm down. None of us is going anywhere," said Rikan, quite firmly. Jaina groaned inwardly, and Selyce reached out a hand, trying to warn him, though she was too late. Kit turned on him, glowering. "Nobody asked for your opinion, boy!" exclaimed, hatred etching her tone. Selyce grimaced. "I...I meant to warn you, Rikan. Kit doesn't take kindly to men telling her what to do. She...doesn't take kindly to most men at all. Trust me!" Jaina smacked the back of Rikan's head. "You dolt! You've gone and pissed her off, of all things to do! Sithspit and hell spawn!" she exclaimed. Kit's eyes were already beginning to darken, and Selyce could detect a small bit of red film covering them. "Oh, hell! Rikan, you've gone and activated her bloodlust, too!" "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just trying to help!" exclaimed Rikan, shuddering. He gulped when he saw the daggers lining Kit's weapons belt, though she was not reaching for any of them. "Really! I'm truly sorry, Kit! I won't do it again." Kit seemed to visibly calm down, the red film disappearing, and her eyes returning to their normal bright emerald green. "Apology accepted," she grated out. Selyce and Jaina both heaved a sigh of relief, and Mosa, who had been hiding behind the speeder, slowly crept back out. Kit reached into her belt pouch, and all held their breath for a moment. "I saw your holo, too, boy. Your eyes are too noticeable. Put these in." She tossed him a small pack, and he looked at it. "What are they?" he queried, noting the color inscribed on the pack. "Disposable eye lenses. Selyce, you'll need them, too. What color do you prefer?" replied Kit. "Do you have your color in there? They'll go good with the hair coloring that I'm going to put in," remarked Selyce. "Yeah, I do." Kit reached into her pouch and tossed a vial to Selyce. "Here you go. Jaina, you want any?" "No, I think I'm fine. I'll just color my hair and put some markings on my face. Once I dress in the brown robes, I'll be fine." She grinned and popped open a color-bug vial, dumping the tiny, probing bugs onto her hair. Mosa watched, amazed, as Jaina's hair turned from light brown to a mixture of silver, yellow, and an auburn-like red. "Looks, good, Janie," commented Selyce. "You got the color-bugs labeled? I need a green and silver mix. And I think Kit will need, oh, say...a black and silver?" Kit nodded. "Yeah. I'll borrow Anona's colors for a bit. I've even got eye lenses colored like hers, though they don't shift and swirl like hers do." Jaina pulled out the two requested colors and tossed them to her friends. "Say...I know where I've seen you before," she said, glancing at Rikan. "I saw you in one of Selyce's holos!" Selyce chuckled. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to figure that out, Janie," she teased. Jaina stuck her tongue out at the Eselike. Kit suddenly waved her hand for silence. "Do you hear that?" she said softly. "No. What is it?" replied Selyce. "It's a ship...a big one, and it's heading this way. I detect life scanners on it. Don't move, anyone! Selyce, Jaina, help me envelope everyone to hide our life signs!" The two complied immediately, and all in the docking bay felt a tingle go up their spines as the ship scanned them. When it had passed, Selyce glanced at Kit. "How did you know it was coming, Kit? The storm is still out there." "I recognized a being on the ship, and knew they would be looking for us. Be glad I was here, because if I hadn't been, they would have blasted through the roof and tractor beamed you up to their ship!" she exclaimed, the first hint of fear in her voice. "Kit, what's wrong? Who was on the ship?" queried Jaina worriedly. "They were on the ship!" she stated. "Lady Grim...and some of them," she spat out acidly. Though her friends did not know the they that Kit was speaking of, they had a fairly good idea as to who it was...and why Kit was so pained by their arrival. "Grim?" demanded Selyce. "Were my children with her?" "No, my friend, your children were not. The ship will fly back to their base soon, where they have the children. We must hurry." "We can't, though, for the storm!" exclaimed Mosa, frightened. "We can't go out there right now!" "Of course we can," replied Kit. "The storm is dying down. By the time we all have our new faces on, it will be over and we can venture back outside. But we must hurry. I did not have a chance to examine the warehouse, and we might be able to get a clue as to where they're at by looking around. We can also tell the condition of the children!" "Yes!" exclaimed Selyce. "I must find out whether or not my children are okay! I must!" A tiny teardrop slid down her cheek and plinked onto the floor. Jaina patted her friend's back, doing all that she could to comfort her. "Selyce, I'm sure that they're fine. Don't worry about them right now, all right? We have to worry about not getting caught at the moment." "Yes, Selyce. Jaina is absolutely right. We have to focus on disguising ourselves," remarked Kit. Rikan cleared his throat. "If I may be of service?" he queried. Kit glared at him, but nodded her head. "Go on," she said. "Well, I know a few people here in town. I might be able to get some information about the Sith travelers from them," he suggested. Rikan was trying not to shudder, for he knew now that if Kit did not like him, or anything that he said, he was surely a dead man. Besides, who was this Kit? Where did she come from? He would have to find out. She nodded, only slightly, but it was a recognizable nod. "You do that, boy, while we search the warehouse. Watch your back, too, because if something happens to you, I'm gonna hate to have to come and save your sorry hide." Jaina giggled behind her hand, but regained her composure when Selyce glared at her. She pulled out her lightsaber and checked it, and then, to Kit's dismay, she pulled a blaster out of her knapsack. As if reading her mind, Jaina suddenly said, "I know you don't like blasters, Kit, but I don't happen to have any daggers on hand. You'll just have to deal with them." Mosa scurried over to Kit and tugged on her cloak. "Hey, Kit, do you have a weapon to spare? I didn't have any to bring with me," she stated. Kit pulled out a vibroblade from the inside of her cloak. "Here you go, Mosa. Use it well!" she exclaimed as she tossed it to her Dug friend. "Thanks, Kit!" replied Mosa, tucking the deadly axe-like weapon into her belt. "I'll be sure to be careful with it, too." Rikan sighed and turned to the speeder, searching for his weapons. When he did not find them, he turned to Selyce, confused. "Hey, Selyce, do you remember where I put my weapons?" he queried. "Yeah, they were on you the last time I checked," she remarked dryly. Someone sniggered, though he could not tell who it was. "Well, I can't seem to find them. They're not here!" "Sure they are," remarked Kit. "They're just not in your possession." By the expression on her face, Rikan knew that she was not the person who had been laughing earlier. It seemed to him that this human - or was she humanoid?- had a very infinitesimal sense of humor. He would have to watch his back with this woman. "Where are they, then, if I may ask?" "That I shall not reveal. You'll just have to make do without all of those fancy weapons. I think you are resourceful enough to use only a blaster, as much as I despise the things." Kit pulled her only blaster out of her weapons belt and tossed it to him. "I expect it back, boy. If you don't return it, you'd better have a damn good excuse!" she threatened. "I understand fully," replied Rikan, shoving the blaster into the hem of his trousers. "You're blaster will be returned to you the moment I return." With that, he turned and walked calmly out of the personnel door, flipping the hood of his brown robe over his head to protect him from the flying sand, though it had died down a bit. Kit snarled at his back, nearly hissing in anger. Jaina put a hand on her arm, but Kit threw it off with a shrug of her shoulder. "Don't bother, Janie. I can handle it." She turned and rummaged through her speeder. "We'd better get going soon. Preferably before the storm disappears. We don't want to be seen going out to the warehouse." Selyce nodded her agreement, and they split into pairs; Selyce and Mosa in one speeder, and Kit and Jaina in the other. Kit punched in the commands to open the shield doors and sped out into the raging dust. Selyce followed behind in the other speeder, putting on a pair of Tusken goggles to protect her eyes from the stinging dirt. They sped off down the road, dodging debris that had been scattered by the worst of the storm. It did not take them long to reach the warehouse, and Selyce immediately jumped out as soon as her speeder halted. "Kit, can you crack the lock without looking like you cracked it?" she queried hurriedly. "Sure thing, Selyce. Just give me a moment," replied the tall woman, reaching into her belt pouch for her lock picking tools. She retrieved them and stooped down in front of the door, pulling out the two picks that she would need for the job. A few moments later, the lock popped off of the door and she stood, sliding open the warehouse door. "Here you go, my friend. The key to your answers." Selyce hurried inside, with Jaina following closely behind. Mosa stayed outside of the door, acting as a lookout, and Kit examined the outside of the building for any signs of struggling. When she found none, she joined Mosa at the door. Inside, Jaina and Selyce found several empty storage crates. One of them looked to have been previously occupied. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Selyce? Because if you are, then I'm very worried," remarked Jaina. "I'm thinking that they had one of my children in that crate. I don't see any blood, though I do see indentations in the crate. And...that looks like they tried to melt through it! See the handprint, Jaina?" she queried.
Selyce stared into the dank cantina, her gaze flicking across those inside. She spotted a section of empty stools in front of the counter and wove her way through the crowd to them. Cautiously, she smelled the air, tasting the perspiration, pheromones, and liquor. Delicious, she thought. Simply exquisite. She slapped her hand on the counter and stared at the bartender from under the hood of her cloak. "Marrik. Red. And andris, ryll, and glitterstim. And don't bother trying to fool me. I know what I want, and I know what I get. I want the Marrik. Get it." The bartender, Nuero, nodded furiously and hastened to get the drink. "So, uh, what brings you to these parts, miss? Not many outsiders come 'round these days." Selyce chuckled and looked up at him. "Well, if I told you, then it wouldn't be my little secret." Then she thought for a moment. She did have business in town. "You know someone named Rikan, bartender? I'm lookin' for him." Nuero's eyes widened. "Rikan?! Miss, ain't you heard nothing? Rikan don't talk to no one, not unless they gonna die!" Selyce simply grinned. "oh, I've heard. But, see, that doesn't bother me. Rikan and I go back a long way...a very long way." Then she picked up her glass and sipped it, savoring the rich, smooth taste of the blood-red liquid.
Rikan walked into the cantina and looked around, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dark interior. The droid detector buzzed as he walked by, stepping even further into the cantina. There she is, he thought. Selyce is here, right on time...and probably scaring the sand out of everyone. He made his way to the counter and sat down next to her, watching her amused expression. "Nuero, get me a Marrik. Same kind as you gave the lady." He chuckled and watched Nuero bustle about, fixing his drink. Then he turned his attention to Selyce. "So, what brings you to these parts, miss?" Selyce looked at him and grinned, flicking her tongue out at him. "Oh, not much. Just looking for an old friend, and making some new ones. And you? What brings you here?" Rikan laughed good-naturedly. "Same as you, my friend, same as you." He gave her a light punch on the arm and looked around the cantina. "So, where's your friend? I thought you said someone was coming with you." "Oh, she's around. Still bargaining, I'm sure. Landspeeders in good condition sure are hard to find around here, wouldn't you agree?" inquired Selyce, humor tingeing her voice. "Yes, they are. Took me months and a few killings to finally get hold of one, myself. Not that I didn't enjoy the wait. What have you been up to these past few years?" "Me? Oh, not much. Pillaging, killing, training. Same as usual, I suppose. And you? What have you been up to?" "I've been up to no good, of course. I'm glad you've been all right. Say, when do you think your friend will be here?" Selyce looked up at the entrance and noted the tall, cloaked form standing there. "Right now. Come, Rikan, we must make room for her, else she'll be very displeased. And we don't want her displeased, now do we?" Rikan shrugged and moved to the other side of Selyce, knowing she preferred to have Jaina on her left. "fine with me. She knows that you're meeting me, right? You did tell her, I presume." "Oh, I told her I was meeting someone, just not who. Don't worry, she won't kill you. I'll make sure of that." Nuero watched all this from behind the counter, taking in everything. So, the woman knew Rikan, and Rikan knew her. But why did she not say her name, or her friend's? Maybe they did not have any? Doubtful. The cantina was made for fugitives and scoundrels. So maybe they were wanted. That was probably the case. However, Rikan was involved with them, so Nuero would do nothing, for fear of his life.
Jaina stepped into the dark cantina and noted the two cloaked figures at the bar. Selyce and the person she was meeting. He looked familiar to Jaina, somehow, but she could not quite place the name. She shrugged lightly and approached the bar, glaring at the bartender, knowing his mind was working to figure them out. He moved away from her, and she smiled as she gripped Selyce's arm in greeting. Selyce and Rikan had both stood to greet her. Selyce smiled at her, her tongue flicking out, smelling the oil, sweat, and sand on Jaina. "You're thirsty. Let's get you a drink, all right?" Jaina chuckled. "Fine by me." She glanced at the two drinks already on the bar, and then at the bartender. "I'll have what they had, and a platter of Savanae, with klanga slices on the side. She'll have the same...without the klanga." Selyce grinned. "You didn't have to do that, friend!" she exclaimed. "Oh, but I wanted to,. Besides, I'm so hungry I could eat a krayt!"
Mosa walked around Mos Eisly, holding a holoprojector and showing passerby the pictures it produced. She stopped a young human male. "Excuse me, sir, but have you seen these two blue kids, with pointy ears and brown, silver striped hair?" He shook his head and brushed past her, causing her to growl in anger. She continued going from shop to shop, home to home, asking all that she saw about the two missing Eselike children.
Kit arrived in Anchorhead about two hours before first dusk. She pulled out a ration packet and ate quickly before heading to the nearest cantina to begin her search. She pulled out an appropriate credit chip and walked into the dim cantina. All eyes turned to her as she walked slowly, carefully, to the bar, her boots clicking on the stone surface. A Chadra- Fan skittered away from the bar when she approached, and Kit smiled in satisfaction. With measured movements, she set the credit chip and a small holoprojector onto the bar top. "Excuse me, tender. I would like some information." The bartender looked warily at her, then at the credit chip. "How much are you willing to give?" he grated out. Kit smiled slowly. "Enough for your tastes, I'm certain. Two hundred truguts for an answer to my question." The bartender, a Rodian, looked thoughtful. "Sounds good to me. What information do you need?" he asked, reaching for the chip. Kit slapped his hand. "I get my info first, tender! Then you get the truguts!" The bartender looked very disappointed. "All right. What's your need?" Kit smiled and reached out a hand to flip on the holoprojector. She noticed with amusement that the lighting of the cantina brought out the bluish hue in her skin, causing her to appear alien. "I'm looking for these two children. Have you seen them?" A flicker of recognition flashed in the Rodian's eyes before he ruthlessly erased it. He shook his head. "Nope...sorry miss." Kit growled, the throaty sound rising in volume as she stood. "Don't lie to me tender! Where are the children?" He backed away from her, fear flashing across his face. His mouth moved, as if to speak, but no sound came out. Suddenly, a blaster was in his hand, aimed directly at Kit. She began to laugh and flipped back the hood of her cloak. Her bright green eyes darkened ominously, and the bartender nearly dropped the pistol. "Give me the information, tender, and I'll spare you your life." The little Chadra-Fan, who had been standing nearby, cautiously approached the bar, and began tugging on Kit's cloak. He was chattering excitedly, and what Kit's translator picked up, along with the sense of urgency in his tone, helped to realize what he meant. "I see. You know where they were last, don't you, little one?" She glanced reproachfully at the bartender, then turned back to the Chadra-Fan. He gestured again, and she followed him out of the cantina. When they were out in the bright sunlight, the Chadra-Fan broke into a run, chattering. Kit followed, struggling to put the holoprojector away. She would not worry about the chip, especially since she had disabled it. The bartender, like the idiot that he was, was undoubtedly attempting to crack into it to receive all of the credits. She was so lost in thought that she nearly ran into her guide, who had stopped at a small warehouse. She nodded and handed him a sack full of truguts, twice as much as she had offered the bartender. He chittered thankfully and ran off. Kit reached into her belt pouch and pulled out a comlink, sending an encrypted message to Selyce, Mosa, and Jaina.
Selyce had been talking with Rikan when the message came. It was from Kit, who was in Anchorhead at the time. She stood up and walked to a corner, Jaina following. "Kit?" she said. "What's wrong? Why did you send an encrypt?" When Kit finally replied, she sounded very excited. "I've found a trace! I found a trace of them, Selyce! In a warehouse here in Anchorhead! Come quickly!" Selyce and Jaina exchanged glances, then broke into organize confusion. Jaina activated her comlink and ordered Mosa to meet them at the cantina, while Selyce got their supplies together. Rikan watched, amused, and then followed them out of the cantina. Jaina broke into a run, pulling out a credit pouch and running at top speed to where their speeder was still being held. The Rodian let loose a startled squeal when she barged in. "Here's your remaining credits! I'm taking the T-16 out now!" She quickly punched in the access codes and sped out onto the street, where Selyce and Rikan waited. They jumped in and sped off to pick up Mosa, before turning and hightailing it over to Anchorhead, where Kit awaited anxiously on the outskirts for them to arrive. Selyce and Jaina used the Force to help push their speeder along faster, so that it would not take as much time to reach Anchorhead.
Nearly an hour and a half later, just past second dusk, they arrived in Anchorhead. Kit stood just outside of town, her long braid swinging in the wind of the oncoming dust storm. "We must take shelter, Selyce! I know a place to stay!" "When did it get this bad?" screamed Selyce, trying to make herself heard over the howling wind. "About half an hour ago! The storm just came on! I don't know what happened!" exclaimed Kit, walking towards them, struggling against the wind. "Get back into your speeder! I'll get into mine and lead you to safety! We can't stay out in this much longer!" Wisps of her hair came loose from the elaborate braid and whipped her cheeks, stinging them painfully. Her cloak billowed out behind her, nearly choking her with its force, as she struggled back to her speeder. She gunned it into high power and sped as quickly as possible to the docking bay that she had rented. Selyce jumped back into the speeder and motioned for Jaina to follow Kit. When they arrived in the docking bay, Kit slammed her hand onto a button, closing the shield doors from the force of the wind. Rikan and Mosa coughed furiously, hacking up sand that they had inadvertently inhaled. Selyce ran over to Kit, who sagged against the door. "When will the storm be over?" she demanded of her friend. "I don't know, Selyce, but we'd better stay here, at least until it dies down a bit. We don't know what'll happen if we go back outside now," explained Kit, tossing everyone dirty brown cloths. "We need to change before we go into town. And put on facial colorings, you guys. I saw some holos of all of us. It looks as if our Sith friends really want us back!" Jaina ran her fingers through her hair, combing it out, and pulled out a small capsule. "How bad is it, Kit? How badly does the Lady Grim want us?" "A pretty good bit. She wants you alive, Selyce dead or alive, and she wants me...well...she just wants me to be there," stated Kit. "Those holos were awful. I think she might want us to go back with her." Kit shuddered as memories of those dreadful months on Korriban resurfaced. "There is no way in hell that I'm going back to that shit-hole!" Selyce and Jaina exchanged worried glances. They did not know much about what had happened to Kit while she was in the Academy, but they knew enough to know that she deserved vengeance on all of the Sith there, and probably more. "Kit, please, just calm down. None of us is going anywhere," said Rikan, quite firmly. Jaina groaned inwardly, and Selyce reached out a hand, trying to warn him, though she was too late. Kit turned on him, glowering. "Nobody asked for your opinion, boy!" exclaimed, hatred etching her tone. Selyce grimaced. "I...I meant to warn you, Rikan. Kit doesn't take kindly to men telling her what to do. She...doesn't take kindly to most men at all. Trust me!" Jaina smacked the back of Rikan's head. "You dolt! You've gone and pissed her off, of all things to do! Sithspit and hell spawn!" she exclaimed. Kit's eyes were already beginning to darken, and Selyce could detect a small bit of red film covering them. "Oh, hell! Rikan, you've gone and activated her bloodlust, too!" "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just trying to help!" exclaimed Rikan, shuddering. He gulped when he saw the daggers lining Kit's weapons belt, though she was not reaching for any of them. "Really! I'm truly sorry, Kit! I won't do it again." Kit seemed to visibly calm down, the red film disappearing, and her eyes returning to their normal bright emerald green. "Apology accepted," she grated out. Selyce and Jaina both heaved a sigh of relief, and Mosa, who had been hiding behind the speeder, slowly crept back out. Kit reached into her belt pouch, and all held their breath for a moment. "I saw your holo, too, boy. Your eyes are too noticeable. Put these in." She tossed him a small pack, and he looked at it. "What are they?" he queried, noting the color inscribed on the pack. "Disposable eye lenses. Selyce, you'll need them, too. What color do you prefer?" replied Kit. "Do you have your color in there? They'll go good with the hair coloring that I'm going to put in," remarked Selyce. "Yeah, I do." Kit reached into her pouch and tossed a vial to Selyce. "Here you go. Jaina, you want any?" "No, I think I'm fine. I'll just color my hair and put some markings on my face. Once I dress in the brown robes, I'll be fine." She grinned and popped open a color-bug vial, dumping the tiny, probing bugs onto her hair. Mosa watched, amazed, as Jaina's hair turned from light brown to a mixture of silver, yellow, and an auburn-like red. "Looks, good, Janie," commented Selyce. "You got the color-bugs labeled? I need a green and silver mix. And I think Kit will need, oh, say...a black and silver?" Kit nodded. "Yeah. I'll borrow Anona's colors for a bit. I've even got eye lenses colored like hers, though they don't shift and swirl like hers do." Jaina pulled out the two requested colors and tossed them to her friends. "Say...I know where I've seen you before," she said, glancing at Rikan. "I saw you in one of Selyce's holos!" Selyce chuckled. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to figure that out, Janie," she teased. Jaina stuck her tongue out at the Eselike. Kit suddenly waved her hand for silence. "Do you hear that?" she said softly. "No. What is it?" replied Selyce. "It's a ship...a big one, and it's heading this way. I detect life scanners on it. Don't move, anyone! Selyce, Jaina, help me envelope everyone to hide our life signs!" The two complied immediately, and all in the docking bay felt a tingle go up their spines as the ship scanned them. When it had passed, Selyce glanced at Kit. "How did you know it was coming, Kit? The storm is still out there." "I recognized a being on the ship, and knew they would be looking for us. Be glad I was here, because if I hadn't been, they would have blasted through the roof and tractor beamed you up to their ship!" she exclaimed, the first hint of fear in her voice. "Kit, what's wrong? Who was on the ship?" queried Jaina worriedly. "They were on the ship!" she stated. "Lady Grim...and some of them," she spat out acidly. Though her friends did not know the they that Kit was speaking of, they had a fairly good idea as to who it was...and why Kit was so pained by their arrival. "Grim?" demanded Selyce. "Were my children with her?" "No, my friend, your children were not. The ship will fly back to their base soon, where they have the children. We must hurry." "We can't, though, for the storm!" exclaimed Mosa, frightened. "We can't go out there right now!" "Of course we can," replied Kit. "The storm is dying down. By the time we all have our new faces on, it will be over and we can venture back outside. But we must hurry. I did not have a chance to examine the warehouse, and we might be able to get a clue as to where they're at by looking around. We can also tell the condition of the children!" "Yes!" exclaimed Selyce. "I must find out whether or not my children are okay! I must!" A tiny teardrop slid down her cheek and plinked onto the floor. Jaina patted her friend's back, doing all that she could to comfort her. "Selyce, I'm sure that they're fine. Don't worry about them right now, all right? We have to worry about not getting caught at the moment." "Yes, Selyce. Jaina is absolutely right. We have to focus on disguising ourselves," remarked Kit. Rikan cleared his throat. "If I may be of service?" he queried. Kit glared at him, but nodded her head. "Go on," she said. "Well, I know a few people here in town. I might be able to get some information about the Sith travelers from them," he suggested. Rikan was trying not to shudder, for he knew now that if Kit did not like him, or anything that he said, he was surely a dead man. Besides, who was this Kit? Where did she come from? He would have to find out. She nodded, only slightly, but it was a recognizable nod. "You do that, boy, while we search the warehouse. Watch your back, too, because if something happens to you, I'm gonna hate to have to come and save your sorry hide." Jaina giggled behind her hand, but regained her composure when Selyce glared at her. She pulled out her lightsaber and checked it, and then, to Kit's dismay, she pulled a blaster out of her knapsack. As if reading her mind, Jaina suddenly said, "I know you don't like blasters, Kit, but I don't happen to have any daggers on hand. You'll just have to deal with them." Mosa scurried over to Kit and tugged on her cloak. "Hey, Kit, do you have a weapon to spare? I didn't have any to bring with me," she stated. Kit pulled out a vibroblade from the inside of her cloak. "Here you go, Mosa. Use it well!" she exclaimed as she tossed it to her Dug friend. "Thanks, Kit!" replied Mosa, tucking the deadly axe-like weapon into her belt. "I'll be sure to be careful with it, too." Rikan sighed and turned to the speeder, searching for his weapons. When he did not find them, he turned to Selyce, confused. "Hey, Selyce, do you remember where I put my weapons?" he queried. "Yeah, they were on you the last time I checked," she remarked dryly. Someone sniggered, though he could not tell who it was. "Well, I can't seem to find them. They're not here!" "Sure they are," remarked Kit. "They're just not in your possession." By the expression on her face, Rikan knew that she was not the person who had been laughing earlier. It seemed to him that this human - or was she humanoid?- had a very infinitesimal sense of humor. He would have to watch his back with this woman. "Where are they, then, if I may ask?" "That I shall not reveal. You'll just have to make do without all of those fancy weapons. I think you are resourceful enough to use only a blaster, as much as I despise the things." Kit pulled her only blaster out of her weapons belt and tossed it to him. "I expect it back, boy. If you don't return it, you'd better have a damn good excuse!" she threatened. "I understand fully," replied Rikan, shoving the blaster into the hem of his trousers. "You're blaster will be returned to you the moment I return." With that, he turned and walked calmly out of the personnel door, flipping the hood of his brown robe over his head to protect him from the flying sand, though it had died down a bit. Kit snarled at his back, nearly hissing in anger. Jaina put a hand on her arm, but Kit threw it off with a shrug of her shoulder. "Don't bother, Janie. I can handle it." She turned and rummaged through her speeder. "We'd better get going soon. Preferably before the storm disappears. We don't want to be seen going out to the warehouse." Selyce nodded her agreement, and they split into pairs; Selyce and Mosa in one speeder, and Kit and Jaina in the other. Kit punched in the commands to open the shield doors and sped out into the raging dust. Selyce followed behind in the other speeder, putting on a pair of Tusken goggles to protect her eyes from the stinging dirt. They sped off down the road, dodging debris that had been scattered by the worst of the storm. It did not take them long to reach the warehouse, and Selyce immediately jumped out as soon as her speeder halted. "Kit, can you crack the lock without looking like you cracked it?" she queried hurriedly. "Sure thing, Selyce. Just give me a moment," replied the tall woman, reaching into her belt pouch for her lock picking tools. She retrieved them and stooped down in front of the door, pulling out the two picks that she would need for the job. A few moments later, the lock popped off of the door and she stood, sliding open the warehouse door. "Here you go, my friend. The key to your answers." Selyce hurried inside, with Jaina following closely behind. Mosa stayed outside of the door, acting as a lookout, and Kit examined the outside of the building for any signs of struggling. When she found none, she joined Mosa at the door. Inside, Jaina and Selyce found several empty storage crates. One of them looked to have been previously occupied. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Selyce? Because if you are, then I'm very worried," remarked Jaina. "I'm thinking that they had one of my children in that crate. I don't see any blood, though I do see indentations in the crate. And...that looks like they tried to melt through it! See the handprint, Jaina?" she queried.