The Intro:
The day Rogue Squadron infiltrated the colony world of Yaragano was a day no member would foget. Ever. It was deep in the middle of Yuzzhan Vong territory, and refused New Republic- or Bothan- aide to hold it's position. Now, however, there was a need to check for infiltration and warn of an increased Vong threat now that the New Republic was starting to win. However, the Bothan Freedom team decided to ground an x-wing: a single x- wing, and this before ever knowing what was going on. All they knew was they would make a statement against the New Republic, the newest haven for crooked Bothan politicians.
The ship they grounded just happened to belong to Gavin Darklighter. A fact that, if they had know, would have created a totally different scenario.
Love Remembered.
Gavin was truly amazed by his position, even if he wasn't entirely enraged. The Bothans on Yaragano weren't cruel, just totally prejudiced against themselves and humans. He looked around the encampment's lone "Holding Center;" apparently, they recruited Bothans and either killed or enslaved humans. Some of the other prisoners seemed tired, the others furious. Gavin sighed, debating which fate was worse: being held for your race, as the others were, or awaiting death- simply so others could make a point- a fate he found himself yet again facing.
Remembering the far past, the x-wing commander dug through a single large pocket. It took several minutes to find his own secret compartment, a hidden deposit for his real memories even his wife didn't know about. Only Wedge knew, since it had been his advice to put this here in the first place.
Gavin grabbed hold of a small rectangular device hidden inside his flight suit. It was full of holographs, and the edge broke a fragile seam quickly. Favin pulled any extra thread and tossed it on the dirt ground, releasing his precious treasure into his hands so he could see the most loved scenes from his past.
The first showed a major party after Coruscant's liberation: actually, the main festival, though few knew that. There, hanging on Gavin's arm, was a Bothan female. Her markings were remarkably similar to those of on of his captors, though the coloring was far from similar. Gavin briefly wondered is his Asyr was related to Anista, yet decided never to ask.
Gavin flipped to the next scene, which showed a calm Life Day celebration. Gavin and Asyr were throwing paper at each other- just having fun! There were several others, ranging from fancy occasions like on Isard's Lusankya to casual holos taken as they crossed the street to visit the twin boys there. Gavin smiled, wondering if his adopted sons remembered the Bothan their father had been with so long ago. And Gavin sighed, realizing he didn't care what happened next while he couldn't recapture the far off youth- the one taken when Asyr died.
Another smile: what would these "patriots" think if they found these holos? How innocent he would be if they saw! But that was impossible; it would compromise the mission, and bring the Vong right up on top of Yaragano now that they saw a threat in him, the leader of the New Republic's forces- who had gotten more than his share of the enemy.
"What are you looking at?"
For an instant, Gavin swore he'd heard Asyr's voice. When he turned, though, he saw only Anista. He pretended to sneeze, then wiped his hand on the suit. In that motion, he snuck the holos back in their space and answered, "Nothing. Just- gazing at the stars." Then he showed his hands to prove it.
The female humphed, grabbing his hands as they stuck out. She held each firmly by the wrist, enclosing them with a single palm. Such a thing had been Asyr's favorite trick with enemies; Gavin made a connection, letting the last iron click, and almost collapsed as it hit.
"You sure are weak," she said mockingly.
"Sorry," Gavin said, forcing strength into his voice. "You just remind me a lot of a Bothan I knew long ago." That was enough for Anista to let him go slightly as he concluded, "I'll never see her again." He tried to disguise his feelings, hoping to get Anista to confirm his suspicion.
"Did you hate her?" Anista asked, enraged. "Did you kill your Bothan?"
"No," Gavin answered truthfully. "I loved her."
Anista enforced her hold again, this time twisting; Gavin didn't respond. He knew she was just inspecting the markings from his wedding band until she came to a conclusion.
"The ring you wore is unacceptable to Bothans, and your female must wear an identical band. You married another, breaking her heart. This makes you guiltier than we presumed."
"Don't talk when you don't know," Gavin said quietly, remembering Luke Skywalker's advice from long ago. "She died, hurting me deeply, but I moved on because she asked me to do so."
Anista tried to make Gavin look at her, as if to gauge if she knew him. Gavin avoided her eyes, still not knowing what it would mean if he were right- and she found it was him. She just calmly asked, "Who are you, boy?"
Boy no longer, Asyr! "I- I can't say."
Anista smiled and seemed to make a sudden decision. She led him to the center of the encampment, where there was a small stone covering, and stood there with him. They were silent a moment before she became certain of her decision- and Gavin saw in her eyes that he was right all along.
"You are New Republic?" She seemed to be checking.
"Yes, a pilot. I have been most of my life."
"You know Darklighter?"
"Yes- by, ummm, reputation?" He wanted to sound unsure, give her a subtle hint. She didn't pick it up.
"Can you tell him Asyr is here, and loves him?"
Gavin didn't know what to say. He was right, that was certain. He turned his eyes from her pained gaze, and forced himself to wipe tears from his own. Then she continued, his back still turned.
"I will let you go, but only because you remind me of one I loved. Same past, same innocent look. Tell him- for me?"
Gavin was about to turn to her, to comfort her. Then he saw them- Vong fighters, ready to simply blow the place. He had a split second to make his decision: run for the edge to get out from falling rock, or try saving Asyr. Then he knew it was no decision; he turned, looked into her eyes, and jumped on her- forceing her to the ground.
"Stay put," he warned. "And- he already knows."
There was firing.
"Gavin?" she said.
Then the entire rock surface collapsed onto them.
The day Rogue Squadron infiltrated the colony world of Yaragano was a day no member would foget. Ever. It was deep in the middle of Yuzzhan Vong territory, and refused New Republic- or Bothan- aide to hold it's position. Now, however, there was a need to check for infiltration and warn of an increased Vong threat now that the New Republic was starting to win. However, the Bothan Freedom team decided to ground an x-wing: a single x- wing, and this before ever knowing what was going on. All they knew was they would make a statement against the New Republic, the newest haven for crooked Bothan politicians.
The ship they grounded just happened to belong to Gavin Darklighter. A fact that, if they had know, would have created a totally different scenario.
Love Remembered.
Gavin was truly amazed by his position, even if he wasn't entirely enraged. The Bothans on Yaragano weren't cruel, just totally prejudiced against themselves and humans. He looked around the encampment's lone "Holding Center;" apparently, they recruited Bothans and either killed or enslaved humans. Some of the other prisoners seemed tired, the others furious. Gavin sighed, debating which fate was worse: being held for your race, as the others were, or awaiting death- simply so others could make a point- a fate he found himself yet again facing.
Remembering the far past, the x-wing commander dug through a single large pocket. It took several minutes to find his own secret compartment, a hidden deposit for his real memories even his wife didn't know about. Only Wedge knew, since it had been his advice to put this here in the first place.
Gavin grabbed hold of a small rectangular device hidden inside his flight suit. It was full of holographs, and the edge broke a fragile seam quickly. Favin pulled any extra thread and tossed it on the dirt ground, releasing his precious treasure into his hands so he could see the most loved scenes from his past.
The first showed a major party after Coruscant's liberation: actually, the main festival, though few knew that. There, hanging on Gavin's arm, was a Bothan female. Her markings were remarkably similar to those of on of his captors, though the coloring was far from similar. Gavin briefly wondered is his Asyr was related to Anista, yet decided never to ask.
Gavin flipped to the next scene, which showed a calm Life Day celebration. Gavin and Asyr were throwing paper at each other- just having fun! There were several others, ranging from fancy occasions like on Isard's Lusankya to casual holos taken as they crossed the street to visit the twin boys there. Gavin smiled, wondering if his adopted sons remembered the Bothan their father had been with so long ago. And Gavin sighed, realizing he didn't care what happened next while he couldn't recapture the far off youth- the one taken when Asyr died.
Another smile: what would these "patriots" think if they found these holos? How innocent he would be if they saw! But that was impossible; it would compromise the mission, and bring the Vong right up on top of Yaragano now that they saw a threat in him, the leader of the New Republic's forces- who had gotten more than his share of the enemy.
"What are you looking at?"
For an instant, Gavin swore he'd heard Asyr's voice. When he turned, though, he saw only Anista. He pretended to sneeze, then wiped his hand on the suit. In that motion, he snuck the holos back in their space and answered, "Nothing. Just- gazing at the stars." Then he showed his hands to prove it.
The female humphed, grabbing his hands as they stuck out. She held each firmly by the wrist, enclosing them with a single palm. Such a thing had been Asyr's favorite trick with enemies; Gavin made a connection, letting the last iron click, and almost collapsed as it hit.
"You sure are weak," she said mockingly.
"Sorry," Gavin said, forcing strength into his voice. "You just remind me a lot of a Bothan I knew long ago." That was enough for Anista to let him go slightly as he concluded, "I'll never see her again." He tried to disguise his feelings, hoping to get Anista to confirm his suspicion.
"Did you hate her?" Anista asked, enraged. "Did you kill your Bothan?"
"No," Gavin answered truthfully. "I loved her."
Anista enforced her hold again, this time twisting; Gavin didn't respond. He knew she was just inspecting the markings from his wedding band until she came to a conclusion.
"The ring you wore is unacceptable to Bothans, and your female must wear an identical band. You married another, breaking her heart. This makes you guiltier than we presumed."
"Don't talk when you don't know," Gavin said quietly, remembering Luke Skywalker's advice from long ago. "She died, hurting me deeply, but I moved on because she asked me to do so."
Anista tried to make Gavin look at her, as if to gauge if she knew him. Gavin avoided her eyes, still not knowing what it would mean if he were right- and she found it was him. She just calmly asked, "Who are you, boy?"
Boy no longer, Asyr! "I- I can't say."
Anista smiled and seemed to make a sudden decision. She led him to the center of the encampment, where there was a small stone covering, and stood there with him. They were silent a moment before she became certain of her decision- and Gavin saw in her eyes that he was right all along.
"You are New Republic?" She seemed to be checking.
"Yes, a pilot. I have been most of my life."
"You know Darklighter?"
"Yes- by, ummm, reputation?" He wanted to sound unsure, give her a subtle hint. She didn't pick it up.
"Can you tell him Asyr is here, and loves him?"
Gavin didn't know what to say. He was right, that was certain. He turned his eyes from her pained gaze, and forced himself to wipe tears from his own. Then she continued, his back still turned.
"I will let you go, but only because you remind me of one I loved. Same past, same innocent look. Tell him- for me?"
Gavin was about to turn to her, to comfort her. Then he saw them- Vong fighters, ready to simply blow the place. He had a split second to make his decision: run for the edge to get out from falling rock, or try saving Asyr. Then he knew it was no decision; he turned, looked into her eyes, and jumped on her- forceing her to the ground.
"Stay put," he warned. "And- he already knows."
There was firing.
"Gavin?" she said.
Then the entire rock surface collapsed onto them.