I'm not gonna bother with the disclaimer and author crap anymore. Its now 20 chapters long so if you haven't got the hint by now, you're kinda useless. *smirk*

Back to pre-chaos dedications at last! And heeeeeeeeeeere they are!

Sage the Psychic Slytherin: Thanx! Dunno if I can do that again, it'll have to be a pretty damn good trick! Any ideas?

Vegesa: SSJ Jedi Knight: Next? What is below this useless space-filling waste of text that is known as Authors Note. She will have much, much fun. As soon as I can decide what to make the information. *evil grin*

Drama_Princess87: Woohoo! Praise from a fellow lunatic is always welcome! Especially when she deems you to be her great mentor. Read her review if you don't believe me! I don't quite know myself I'm afraid. I think its still in his meditation ball unless its been smashed into the wall, always a distinct possibility even when the player isn't Force-sensitive.

Annoying Brat: *stares at screen in astonished amazement* Why the hell didn't I think of that?! Though I somehow doubt the Vader would allow any love letters between Ani and Padme to be circulated on the holonet or the Palace Information Network, (I don't know if that's its real name but it sounds pretty cool huh? ^_~) so I don't think that'll work. But the other one! *rubs hands together in glee* Thank you!!

Amaris Sandstone: No doubt, yes I couldn't leave him out any longer, and most definitely! Dirt on Palpy? Most promising! Padme, I dunno I'd have to go complex and my brain hurts when I go complex! *grin* harassing Xizor is always major fun. I think I'll leave Thrawn alone for a while though with that. Great ideas and if you have any more, let me have 'em! I'll give them a good home.

Baru-chan: Yes I most definitely agree! J Yeah I'm biased, I know. Road to Padme turns complex I'm afraid. I've tried working it in but I usually have to give up cos it doesn't even make sense to me! Uh, emotional anguish? In this fic? Um, wont work. But If you like I'll write another fic for you with anguish galore, how's that? Tell me what you'd like in it and I'l do something up, k?

Neko Megami: Short, sweet and to the point. Thank you!

Lgirl: *grins widely* thankyouthankyouthankyou!! And definitely!

Dragonlet: You are exactly right on all counts. Thank you for guessing! And thanks.

BTW, ONE and one only (thanx again Dragonlet) of you guys mentioned the fact that in chap 18 I gave lotsa Rebels nicknames. Maybe you didn't spot them cos the chappie was unformatted, but since it is now formatted you have no choice in the matter, *a la Vader when talking to Luke on Endor in ROTJ* you MUST submit your guesses. *smirk* All right you don't have to, but please?

ABTW In case you haven't guessed from above BTW I reuploaded chap 17 and 18 so they are formatted. *starts praying that they are* OK? Kewl.

And now, on with the show!

The small group of Imperial Army officers standing by the wall in the large training area stared at Aisling in a kind of shocked amazement. Since she had walked into the large courtyard some ten minutes before and started roaring laughing, she had insulted each one of them personally, grabbed control of the assorted troops training there and proceeded to do a better job of training them than all of the officers put together. 

 'ABOOOOUT! TURN!!' Aisling roared and as one, the three deep twenty long rank in front of her smartly turned about and marched in the other direction. 'Good, keep in time now.' *About bloody time they bloody got it* she thought grimly. 'HALT! Fall out.' Aisling turned and walked smartly up the officers, who eyed her with ill-concealed distaste.

 'Have you finished playing soldiers?' one sneered.

 'No, just wanted to know where the target butts are.' She looked at their faces. 'You have got target butts, don't you? A gun range? A bull's-eye painted on a large piece of canvas? That is held up in the air? While people shoot at it? Tell me that you train troopers how to shoot straight!'

 'Of course we do,' another snapped.

 'Then what do you have them aim at?'

 'Rebels.' Aisling stared at them, then walked away in disgust. Within half-an-hour she and the troopers had constructed five targets at one side of the training area and the troopers were lining up to take shots. After a few minutes Aisling told them to stop and showed them how to do it properly.

 'Alright listen up,' she shouted after another ten minutes. 'Since you are all showing a marked improvement and most of you are hitting the target at last,' there were a few sniggers and nudging as she said that, 'how about a competition? The person to hit the bulls-eye most times in a row wins the prize.'

 'And what's the prize?' one leered.

 'A night out,' she paused as they got the cat-calls and whatnot out of their systems, 'paid for by everybody here who didn't win. The officers and myself are exempt of course,' she added.  'So, are you up for it?' The way the troopers pushed and shoved to get into place in line showed that, yes they were up for it.

*~*

 'Let me get this straight,' Beth said. 'You walked into a training ground, told a group of officers that they're basically useless and then took the troopers and pretty much bullied them till they did what you said?'

 'Yep.'

 'Have fun?'

 'Oh yeah. Felt like home, except that I'm usually the one getting bullied.' Beth made no reply to this, being preoccupied enough trying to sort out her hair.

 'You do realize that you're meddling in things that aught not to be meddled in, right?' Aisling rolled her eyes.

 'And they call me a fanatic,' she murmured. 'Alright, I'm just about overdue for a lecture. What am I meddling in that aught not to be meddled in?'

 'The Army. I thought that the main reason why the Rebels weren't annihilated and cold by now is because of the inept training of the troopers. You said as much to the Rebels, remember?'

 'I was there wasn't I?'

 'I'm pretty sure of it, though I'm not certain. But what I'm saying is, I thought you,' Beth paused, remembering that they and the apartment were under surveillance. 'Had decided not to interfere with anything here.'

 'Yeah, but then I walked into the training ground and saw "trained men" who didn't know their left foot from their right hand. I had to step in, they were disgracing every armed force in the galaxy.' Aisling scowled, she was beginning to get dammed sick of having to tip-toe around every sentence in case it gave them away. 'And besides,' she muttered in their peculiar mish-mash of languages. 'We've been interfering since Vader walked in the door of my uncles house.'

 'How?' Beth asked, curious despite herself.

 'Because Vader wasn't supposed to crash-land on Earth, he's supposed to have been found comatose in his wrecked TIE Advanced fighter, turned over to Han Solo, who in turn had to hand him over to a bounty hunter called Alfreda Goot to get Leia back who was being held captive by Goot. After which he gets revived and jumps back on the Rebels tails again.'

 'All that?'

 'And more, I'm too annoyed to remember details.'

 'Do I want to know what you're annoyed at now?'

 'How about everything and anything?'

 'Usual complaint then.'

 'Pretty much.'

 'Who won the competition by the way?' Beth asked after a moment.

 'Hmm?' Aisling had been staring at the middle distance. 'Oh, a navy trooper called Colclazure on his way to somewhere else had a go. Got ten straight bulls-eyes. Most the rest of them got was three.'

 'So I'm guessing he's getting a good night tonight.'

 'I daresay.' Aisling looked to her friend who was humming to herself while brushing out her hair. 'Gonna see Eellan tonight?'

 'Yep. His leave is finished tomorrow at noon.'

 'And I'll just bet that you're gonna spend some time with him.'

 'How'd you guess?' Beth asked dryly, enroute to her room and the wardrobe.

 'Are you gonna go back to his place or what?' Aisling asked, following her to the door. 'Cos I have plans tonight.'

 'Yeah, no bother. He's a sergeant so he only shares digs with three other people. I'm sure they wont mind getting booted out,' Beth replied airily.

 'Great, that's settled then.' Aisling went to the sitting-room and flopped down in front of the holo-vid. *Sometimes what a girl needs is junk food and a good movie*

 'Bye,' Beth yelled half-an-hour later, while heading out the door. Aisling waved from the couch and turned her attention back to more important things, like deciding between a horror flick with one fine lead man and an action flick with two. After a while she gave up and headed out to the pub.

*~*

Beth waved to Eellan as he boarded the shuttle that would bring him back to his post on the Avenger.  He had been on leave for two weeks and now he had another tour of duty to perform. Beth was standing on the platform away from the large crowd of other well-wishers.

She watched Eellan climb the ramp and disappeared inside.

 'Now what?' she muttered, suddenly bored. She cast a look around the platform in the hope of seeing something interesting.  There were shuttles bound for other destinations and ports being loaded up with their cargo.

 *Wonder where that one's going?* she thought idly, watching an oversized shuttle being stocked up with food and medical supplies. She cast an eye at its hull, noting the brand-new paint job that didn't quite cover the carbon-scoring. At the back of the shuttle in the side facing her, a door stood open and inside was a dazzling array shining and blinking buttons.

 *Pretty buttons!*

Walking as if one asleep, she drifted over to the shuttle and walked in the invitingly open door. The mass of mechanics and droids for the most part didn't notice her. A power droid saw her enter and the door close and lock behind her, but it didn't take any notice.

 'Okay Charlie!' a mechanic yelled, banging the side. 'Take her up!'

Inside, Beth noticed the thrum of the engines as they powered up but took no heed of it. She had buttons to push!

*~*

 'Alright, alright I'm up, I'm coming,' Aisling muttered as she shuffled across the apartment in answer to the loud knocks coming from the door. 'What!' she snapped as she pulled open the door. The knocker, a hapless officer, jumped a foot and shrank back. Aisling pulled her hair back out of her face and growled, 'Out with it man, I only just fell into bed and I want to get back there as soon as possible.'

 'Package for Miss Bethany Walsh,' the officer said at last, the sight of Aisling just back from the pub wasn't too much of a pretty sight. (A/N this is true, I nearly gave myself a heart-attack one morning when I turned on a light and saw my reflection in the mirror. J )

 'She isn't here,' Aisling yawned. 'Try Sergeant Eellan Pietts place.'

 'But he's gone back on duty and the apartment is empty,' the officer explained quickly as Aisling started to close the door again.

 'What time?'

 'Now? It's ten-thirty.'

 'No, what time did he go back on duty?'

 'Eight this morning.' Aisling stared at him for a moment, chewing her lower lip and tapping her fingers on the door.

 'I'm sure she'll be back soon,' she said at last, rubbing at her eyes. 'I'll take it and give it to her when she gets in.'

 'I have instructions to give it into her hand,' the officer said as Aisling reached out for the package. 'Sorry, orders.'

 'Aw man,' Aisling half-whined half-growled. 'That means I gotta go look for her. Blast.' She yawned hugely. She blinked sleepily at him. 'What time is it again?'

 'Ten-thirty.'

 'Aw no, I only fell asleep ten minutes ago. Dammetophyte,' she grumbled. (I know that this one is mine cos I came up with it in Biology class whilst studying sporophytes and my pencil case fell onto a tile floor. While the whole class was silent. And I was in the very back row so EVERYONE turned around. And dammetophyte was what I used to express my feelings of embarrassment and mortification. So you see? It's my word! But you can use it if you like.)

 'I'm sure that when she returns you can send her down to pick it up.'

 'I would, but Beth gets picky about things like this. Last time I didn't go look when she got a package I heard about it for a week.' She rolled her eyes at the officer who grinned back. 'Alright,' she said at last, pushing her tiredness aside. 'Where can I find you when I find her?'

 'I can come with you,' the officer offered. 'I have no business today.'

 'Good,' Aisling said, holding open the door for him. 'You can hold the i.v. bag of caffeine.'

*~*

Aisling walked into Vaders quarters in the Palace The officer, who introduced himself as Roberts, was hesitant to pass the threshold until Aisling went back caught him by the arm and dragged him in.

 'Where's Beth?' she asked.

 'Don't you ever knock?' Vader said. He was in the middle of preparing to set off in the Avenger again. Aisling shrugged.

 'Why bother? You can sense me coming anyway.' Vader couldn't remember if he told her that, he was sure he didn't. 'Where's Beth?'

 'I thought you guys were meant to be inseparable.' Vaders mask turned to Roberts, who stopped his surreptitious snooping sharpish.

 'She went to see Eellan Piett last night, haven't seen her since.'

 'Who?'

 'Her on-again-of-again boyfriend? A sergeant on the Avenger?'

 'Oh, him.'

 'Have you seen her since?'

 'Who?'

 'Beth!'

 'Nope.'

 'Do you know where she is?'

 'Nope.'

 'Do you care?'

 'Nope.' Aisling rolled her eyes and humphed.

 'Great help you are,' she growled.

 'Usually,' Vader replied lightly. Roberts, only just transferred from the Outer Rim, hadn't come up against either Aisling or Beth before, which was the reason for his bafflement at why Aisling wasn't a pale blue at this stage. 'Look,' Vader said, closing his case. 'I'll have troopers keep an eye out for her if you prefer, but it's probably pointless. Beth's harder to get rid of than a Jawa clan.'

 'Yeah well,' Aisling said heading for the door. 'Search Avenger before you leave. She might be looking for more "pretty buttons." '

 'It's a big ship and we'll be behind on schedule,' Vader told her.

 'Nah,' Aisling disagreed, pausing in the doorway, Roberts already in the hallway. 'Just say something like "Hello George Weasley, so good to have you here," and she'll come running from the other end of the ship before the words have left your mouth.'

Vaders reply was lost as the door closed.

 'Where to now?' Roberts asked as they walked down the hallway.

 'Anywhere that sells big thick strong hot mugs of tea with the consistency of tar.'

 'Why?'

 'Cos right now I'd happily commit murder for a big thick strong hot mug of tea with the consistency of tar.'

  'Er, why?'

 'Cos I'm knackered, freezing and still half pissed and the only remedy is a big thick strong hot mug of tea with the consistency of tar.' They left the Palace and soon arrived at the Lazy Eye.

 'I got it,' Roberts said as Aisling went to the counter. 'Let me guess, a big thick strong hot mug of tea with the consistency of tar?'

 'You read my mind,' Aisling smirked and went to get them a table.

Only short and none too funny or good AT ALL I know but there are times when I have more things to be doing than sitting in front of a computer you know!

Thrawn: Like when?

Epiphany: … *sound of crickets*

Thrawn: Oookay, I'm gonna stand over here now. Out of range.

Epiphany: Do that. *smirks, turns back to computer*  Also had two twenty-firsts and a house-warming party in the last four days so be thankful that I can even SEE the keyboard never mind type anything on it.  Should have more up in a few days or when I have something written, *smirk* whichever comes first.

Ciao!

Epiphany: *moving away from computer* Thrawn, put the kettle on!