The creaking of the tree limbs outside the small vessel was what finally forced Brodey's eyes open. Before that point he had been perfectly content to drift in and out of consciousness, feeling strangely tired in spite of their recent ordeal. That exhaustion was replaced with disorientation as he couldn't distinguish the floor from the ceiling. After a moment of consideration he finally had it figured out: They were facing nose-down toward the planet and he was hanging limply from the restraints on his seat. It only appeared to be on the ceiling.

A stinging pain punished him each time he took in a breath but a quick scan of his ribs told him that none were fractured. He almost felt like laughing as he realized that he'd made it through with only a few bumps and bruises. Almost. Then he thought about the others.

Brodey craned his stiff neck to his left and relief washed over him as he saw Anja dangling from her restraints. She was still knocked unconscious but he could hear her breathing regularly. He reached out with the force to probe her vital signs and found that nothing was amiss. She too had evaded major injury.

"Kid, you're awake," A voice groaned weakly from two meters below. Brodey turned his head back to what was now the floor and focused his vision on the source of the sound. Kyp Durron was sprawled out on his back, his left arm twisted beneath him at an odd angle. His pain radiated back at Brodey through their force connection, making the younger man wince as he felt it like his own.

"What happened to you?" Brodey asked in a joking fashion, trying to lighten the mood and take Kyp's mind off the pain.

"I think I got the economy seat," Kyp quipped feebly.

"Let me find a way down from here so I can help you," Brodey muttered as he studied his restraints and calculated the least-painful way down. He released the fasteners, gripping on tight to straps on either side of his body so he could lower himself down at arm's length before dropping to the ground. The landing would have been perfect if not for Kyp's cry of agony as Brodey landed close enough to the jedi master to cause painful vibrations in the durasteel wall.

"Sorry about that," Brodey said with an apologetic grin. "Did you break your arm in the fall?"

"No, I'm just lying on my arm right now because I feel like it!" Kyp snapped sarcastically. "Of course I broke my arm! Now, are we just going to chat or are you going to get a bacta patch on me?"

"You know, I think I'm going to see how Jaina and Jag are doing," Brodey mumbled, ignoring Kyp's curses and crawling along the wall to the cockpit entrance.

He found them still seated but awake and checking each other over for injuries. Jaina dabbed at an oozing laceration on her forehead with the sleeve of her jumpsuit as Jag flexed his right hand to make sure it still worked properly.

"How did you two fare?" He asked, using the grooves in cockpit's floor to support his weight as he lowered himself down to their level.

"We'll live," Jaina said frankly. "I'm not so sure we can say the same about your ship."

"Yeah, about the ship," Brodey began hotly. "Why in all hells did the power suddenly go? Don't tell me you don't know, because I know better!"

"Hey, nerf-breath! I'm still in need of assistance, you lousy turncoat!" Kyp yelled furiously. "So get your sorry-excuse-for-an-apprentice behind in here and help me!"

"We'll finish this discussion later, once we find a way out of this wreck," Brodey promised, pointing a finger in her face. He then set off up the rungs of the grating that made up the floor, leaving the other two in edgy silence.

"Don't you think we should go and help them?" Jag suggested, finally breaking the awkward moment.

"Let's," She replied.

"Narundi, when this arm heals I'm going to hurt you," Kyp snarled as his apprentice clumsily moved him, freeing his trapped arm.

"You tried that a few times before, remember?" Brodey pointed out. "You lost."

"Mark my words, you worthless brat, you're going to get the beating of a lifetime!" Kyp spat back as beads of sweat trickled down his bright red face.

"Jaina, can you find my pack anywhere in this room?" Brodey asked, trying his best to resist the urge to punch Kyp in the face. "I need something from it."

"Is it sort of brownish?" She asked. "Because I think I saw a khaki bag somewhere in the cockpit."

"That would be the one," Brodey sighed as Kyp tossed more insults in his direction. "Can you get it for me?"

"That depends," She answered wryly. "Is there a roll of channel tape in there that we can use to shut him up?"

"You want a piece of this too, Solo? I'd be happy to oblige!" Kyp growled. He strained hard against Jag's weight as the younger man held him down to keep him from hurting himself or anyone else.

"No, but there's something important in there that I need, RIGHT NOW," Brodey said with a wink.

"What's the matter, druggie? Need more of that extract?" Kyp taunted angrily as he managed to sneak a quick punch to Brodey's midsection before his apprentice sensed what was coming. What seemed like a glancing blow resulted in a greater stab of pain than Brodey had expected. He made a mental note to check over his ribs again when he had the time.

"Here you go," Jaina said, tossing the pack up through the cockpit opening into Brodey's waiting hands.

"Thanks Jaina," He grunted, searching quickly through the contents of his bag before Kyp could take another shot at him.

"Ah ha, thought so," Kyp snorted as Brodey removed a vial of extract and another pressure syringe.

"Contrary to what you might think, Kyp," Brodey muttered as he drew a dose from the vial and tapped the syringe in preparation. "This isn't for me."

Brodey quickly placed the syringe against the wounded jedi master's neck and expelled the dose before Kyp could say another word in protest. The serum had an almost immediate effect, rendering the older man wide-eyed and semi-comatose.

"Wow," Jag commented. "How did you know it would have a calming effect on him?"

"I took a wild guess," Brodey grinned roguishly. "It relieves pain in members of my species. I figured it would have a stronger effect on yours."

"You figured?" Jaina asked crossly. "How did you know it wouldn't kill him?"

"I didn't," Brodey shrugged nonchalantly. "But look at him. He's fine, just drooling like a baby."

"Gross!" Jaina exclaimed, pulling a face in disgust. "He looks like he's had one Lomin Ale too many!"

Kyp's mouth contorted in a goofy and placid smile at her remark. "I love you too, Jaina!" He yelled rather obnoxiously.

"What are you guys doing on the wall?" Asked a feeble voice from above.

"Glad you decided to join us again," Brodey laughed as he gazed up at the young woman who hung precariously from her seat.

"Hey Anja!" Kyp slurred happily, and Jag had to hold his left arm down to keep him from waving with it and damaging it further. "I love you too!"

"What did you do to Durron?" She asked skeptically.

"We sedated him a bit," Brodey admitted with a sheepish grin.

"No, YOU sedated him," Jaina said defiantly, crossing her arms. "We had no idea what you were going to do."

"Hey, come on," Brodey pleaded. "You have to admit that it's an improvement!"

"I'll agree to that," Anja drawled.

"Yeah, me too," Jag added.

"Arrrgh, you people just don't think!" Jaina yelled in frustration. "We're trying to avoid getting captured and killed and you sedate one of our men to the point where he's useless beyond the occasional drunk talk! Where's the logic in that?"

"Think of it this way, Jaina," Brodey explained. "Kyp without the sedative would have been in a lot of pain, made a lot of noise, and given us lots of trouble. At least he's not in pain anymore."

"Yes, space-dust-for-brains, but he lacks motor control right now," Jaina scolded, poking at one of Kyp's legs as it shook with an involuntary spasm.

"So we leave him behind," Brodey suggested. "It's not like he would have been that much help to us while he was still healing."

"True," Jaina conceded agitatedly.

"Look at all the happy dancing ewoks!" Kyp cried with starry eyes and then he began to sing along. "Yub yub, eecha yub yub!"

"I'm never going to let you live this one down," Jag chuckled with the broadest smile Brodey had ever seen from the older man. "I should slip Wes Janson some of that stuff in his drink the next time I see him, just to watch him freak out!"

Everyone, even Jaina, had a good laugh at the idea of Wes running away from a horde of imaginary ewoks.

"Ahhh! They're becoming violent!" Kyp shrieked in terror as he threw his arms around a bewildered Jag. "Hold me, I'm scared!"

"Watch that arm!" Brodey ordered as he placed a hand on Kyp's forehead and administered a calming influence. "Kyp, I need you to breathe slowly. I need you to calm down and close your eyes. There are no ewoks in here. It's all in your mind. Concentrate for a second on clearing your head."

Kyp gave a shuddering breath and complied, the muscles of his body slowly relaxing along with his breathing. Brodey heaved a sigh of relief as he felt Kyp go into a healing trance.

"Now, where's that med kit?" Brodey asked as he scanned the room with his eyes.

"Right there, above Kyp's head," Jag replied, pointing at a small metal box.

"Good," Brodey answered. "Get me out a few bacta patches. He's going to need more than just a few with that kind of break."

"Hello! I'm still hanging from the ceiling here!" Anja complained. "Any time you can help me down, I'd appreciate it!"

Brodey stood up, extending his arms confidently up to her. "Just drop down from there. I'll catch you."

"All right," She said with warning in her voice. "You better not drop me."

She yelped in fear as she fell, worried that he wouldn't catch her in time, but Brodey used the force to levitate her and slowly lower her to the ground.

"There," He grinned. "Nothing to be worried about."

"Whatever. Let's just get the bacta patch on ewok boy so we can get out of here," She muttered. "It's starting to give me the creeps."

"She's got a point, Narundi," Jaina said cheerfully even though Brodey knew she was far from it. "Patch him up so we can go survey the damage."

"Women!" Brodey moaned with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm serious, Brodey! You're already in a heap of trouble for drugging Durron! That doesn't exactly put you in my good graces," Jaina warned.

"So court-marshal me when we get back," He said tersely. "Right now all I care about is surviving this big mess, as should you."

"And you'd have a greater chance of surviving if you obeyed orders for once in your life!" She snapped irritably. "Every time I turn around you're doing whatever you want to do! Forget about what the Commander thinks. She doesn't know anything, right?"

Brodey stared emotionlessly down at Kyp's arm as he placed the last bacta patch on it and wrapped it with a sterile dressing. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"Why not? Are you afraid that I speak the truth?" Jaina challenged.

"What you just said to me, that's a whole load of bantha poodoo, and you know it!" Brodey barked in indignation.

"So now I'm not even right when it comes to you being wrong," Jaina acknowledged in an icy tone. "Explain to me again why I don't transfer you to a different squadron?"

"Because I'm the best pilot you got, and you know it," Brodey proclaimed.

"Heh, nothing like a huge ego to tide you over when we're all in mortal danger," Jaina commented sarcastically.

"It's one of the best ways to survive mortal danger, from what I hear," Jag offered calmly.

"Quiet, you!" She ordered with a smirk, feigning a punch at him. Jag didn't flinch.

"Listen, I want to survive this just as much as you all do," Anja began, "So can we stop arguing about stupid stuff like the chain of command and work on surviving?"

"What do you know, Narundi. Another woman with a good point," Jag said slyly.

"Gods, Fel, you're awful wordy today. Are you sure you don't want to try some of this extract? It'll clear that right up!" Brodey drawled, pointing to his pack with a devious grin.

"Thank you, but I'll pass," Jag muttered as the façade of seriousness was erected once more.

"You sure?" Brodey asked, waving the vial in front of the stern man's face. "Okay then. Let's grab our packs and move."

"What about Kyp?" Anja questioned, biting her lower lip in thought.

Her inquiry was answered as Kyp's prostrated form levitated off the floor. "I got it," Brodey promised them as the emergency door flew open and he floated Kyp through the opening.

"I should have known never to ask that kind of question of a jedi," Anja snickered as she followed the others on their way out the door.

The group climbed down to the soggy ground through stalks of dense foliage. Insects swarmed instinctively around their faces and other areas of uncovered skin. They seemed to take a special liking to Brodey, who spent half his effort swatting them away.

"Why won't these things leave me alone?" He cried impatiently, itching at the red bumps that were beginning to rise on the surface of his skin.

"Perhaps they find you tasty," Jag proposed with a shrug.

"Maybe it's because you ate half a nerf yesterday," Jaina growled as she dealt with her own swarm. "I've heard that blood-sucking creatures prefer prey with a high protein concentration in their blood."

"Good to know," Brodey laughed half-heartedly. "You're still not going to convince me to eat more foliage."

"I wasn't trying," Jaina insisted. "Wow, the damage doesn't look too bad from here."

"Yeah," Brodey said as he examined his ship from all angles. "It looks like we just have to find a new power converter."

"That should be really easy in the middle of a jungle," Anja snorted. "Why did the power go off in the first place?"

"Yeah, Jaina. I'd really love to have that answer right now," Brodey asserted, turning back to face in her direction.

"I don't know why it failed," She said softly. "Jag checked it over before we left Eclipse. It should have been fine."

"Wait, I was supposed to check it over?" Jag asked in shock. "I thought you took care of it. . .oh stang!"

"And what were you two doing that distracted you so from a simple pre-flight check?" Brodey asked suggestively, still swatting fiercely at the mass of freeloading insects.

"Well, um," Jaina began as color rose to her face.

"I see," Brodey muttered somberly, looking unblinkingly at the couple.

"Ewoks," Kyp whispered sleepily, drawing the attention of the group. Anja's head popped back up from next to his ear and she quickly discarded the mischievous grin she'd been wearing.

"Anja, please don't," Brodey groaned wearily.

"What?" She asked innocently as the grin returned.

"Can't you leave him alone for just one second?" Brodey asked, raising his voice to her.

"So what if I like to pick on him? What's the big deal?" Anja protested as she pulled her thick hair back and fastened it with a leather strap.

Brodey approached her with calculated grace until his nose was an inch away from her face. He faced her with his jaw taut and his fists clenched. "He's my jedi master, one of the few people that gave a womprat's ass about me when nobody else in the galaxy seemed to care, and you have the nerve to ask what the big deal is?" He fumed, breathing out rapidly like an angry reek.

"Awwww, I didn't know you felt that way," Kyp cooed in a muffled voice. Brodey sighed in relief as he realized that the drugs were wearing off. Now, instead of knocking his master completely out, they could have their desired effect on Kyp. He would feel hardly any pain for more than a day, which would give him plenty of time to heal himself. It was important for Kyp to have that time, and Brodey's mind churned with a way to keep him safe and hidden.

"Is that what I think it is?" Jaina asked enthusiastically as she bounced up and down, using Jag's shoulders to push herself up so she could get a better view.

"All I see is trees," Jag admitted as he gave her a look indicating that he thought she was insane.

"You have to look up higher. Jump with me!" She ordered, giggling slightly. "See it now?"

"Are you referring to that brown mass sitting high up in the tree?" Brodey questioned, squinting in the direction she was pointing. "It looks like a piranha beetle nest."

"It's an ewok!" Kyp exclaimed with a voice full of awe, although he couldn't see more than a few branches above him from his reclined position.

"No, it's not an ewok, it's a nest of piranha beetles!" Jaina cheered, still jumping up and down. "And we're not on Endor, we're on Yavin 4!"

"And that makes everything much easier," Anja pointed out. "There's bound to be some old power converters somewhere on this moon, but only if we can find our way back to civilization."

"Lucky for you, I know the way!" Jaina said eagerly as she paced around with pure excitement. "Tenel Ka and I used to go for long runs through the jungle. I'm pretty sure I know almost all of the paths."

"I remember some of them too, from my short stay," Anja added with a slight blush.

"Actually, I was thinking that you should probably stay here," Brodey suggested hesitantly, not sure how she would take his idea.

"Why? What for?" She cried in shock, stomping her foot down into the squishy ground.

"Well, you'll be safer here and we need somebody to stay and take care of Kyp," He muttered, cringing as he said the words. He knew now that she wouldn't take it well and he prepared for the explosion.

"No. There is NO WAY that I'm staying here, with that disgusting, pig-headed, poor excuse for a human being! Forget about it!" Anja screamed, flailing about wildly.

Kyp, who was quietly observing, stuck his lower lip out and whimpered at her insults. "Why don't you love me anymore, Anja?" He whined sadly, extending his arms out to her like he wanted a hug.

Brodey chuckled at his master's delirious display of affection and at Anja's blatant refusal of his suggestion. "I don't understand why you're turning down such an easy job, Anja. Just look at him! He's totally subdued. He'll probably sleep for the entire time you're watching over him. And if he gives you any grief then just give him another dose of the stuff. It's simple, really."

"Fine!" She snapped furiously and darted back up the ladder into the ship. "You owe me, Narundi!"

"I'll be sure to pay you back, ten fold," He called back up at her as he reached into his pack. "You might want to have a couple of these, just in case."

Anja poked her head out of the door just long enough to reach out and catch the vial and syringe that Brodey threw at her. After that she simply vanished back inside without another word or a goodbye.

"Don't worry about her," Jaina said softly, placing a hand of reassurance on Brodey's shoulder. "She sometimes gets this way."

Brodey shrugged, "I know. I'm not worried. Not in the least."

"Good," Jaina grunted as she hefted her pack onto her shoulder. "Drop Mr. Ewok up there with her so we can get going. The sun's going to set in a few hours and we need to make good distance before we camp for the night."


"Anja," Brodey yelled up into the ship as he lifted Kyp through the hatch. "We got a present for you!" The only answer he got back from her was a smattering of curses.


'You're welcome,' He thought dryly.