Disclaimer: Okay. I don't own Lucas Arts!! GRR!! Oh, and, this is un-beta'ed but everyone seems to think it's all right….
Chapter Fifteen
Callis slipped from the shadow-strewn courtyard and
raced to the large dark blob that marked the presence of her modified-for-atmosphere-X-wing-turned-hovercraft.
Scrambling up into the pilot's seat, she checked her black sash and was
gratified to see the three small Corusca jewels wink
at her in the moonlight. Beginning the pre-flight sequence, she scrambled down
the check list, trusting her men to have taken care of the outer portion of
requirements for her ship. "Okay JadeSeeker," she
whispered, "Lets go break our bird out..."
"I am assuming that you mean that we should set forth and liberate Qol from the
vile beings that are currently holding him captive against his will?" Her droid
asked in a prissy, irritating, female voice.
"Grrr… Yes JadeSeeker." Callis grumbled, looking up at the starry banner of the
night sky."
"Ah. Then yes Mistress lets go break him out."
And the ship sliced through the hydro-oxygen atmosphere of the planet,
streaking towards the caverns of the Pirate Queen… and Qol.
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Javen and Tenel Ka were lying inside a room that was more water then walls. Javen
was "displaying marvelous skills beyond his age realm" by sitting up and
looking curiously around the room. Tenel Ka, for her part, was trying to get
her eyes to focus on a branch that twisted in and around itself in a never
ending puzzle. Her almost-crossed, blue eyes were fading into a grey that left
you feeling breathless.
"Naaaa!" she squealed in frustration and hurled it
across the room.
"Meehhhh…" whined Javen, almost as though on cue, as
one of the nursemaids clenched her teeth and strove not to scream.
"Bless the Maker are they… ooooorrrrrrggggg…" She
muttered darkly even as she strained her facial muscles into repose of
relaxation and kindness with which she approached the so called twins. "There,
there…" she cooed mindlessly.
Javen and Tenel Ka sensed the teeming emotions that were barely under control
and screamed in fear; something dark was in this woman and all they knew was
that letting her touch them was a baaaad idea.
Teneniel stormed into the room, her storm colored
eyes flashing with anger directed at the entire Hapen cluster and their idiotic
rules.
"Queen Mother?" The nurse asked anxiously as she
jerked back from the "twins".
"Remove yourself." She hissed, "And do not return, I
shall care for them."
"Yes Queen Mother…" She bowed low and backed out of the room, reminding Teneniel of a turtle. This frivolous image in her minds eye
only served to infuriate the flame haired Queen even more. No sooner had the
door closed behind the nurse then Teneniel caught up
an elegant brocade pillow and screamed into it, Javen and Tenel Ka exchanged a
skeptical knowing glance.
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"Let me take a wild guess that in a few seconds I'm going to desperately
want to pull you circuit from measly circuit and then carefully, oh so
carefully, re-wire you to panic every two seconds and inspire every being you
come across to rip you apart again..." Mirax Terrik hissed at the R7 droid as her fingers fairly flew
over the console, the droid gave an indignant bleep and their ship slowly
glided away from Kessel. Mirax
tried so hard to act casual, defying every emotion that demanded that she
immediately jump into lightspeed. Please let us
escape please don't catch us please let us escape please don't catch us please…
The endless refrain echoed ceaselessly through her mind, putting on even more
of an edge then she was currently.
As the stars stretched into starlines, Mirax sat still, hoping against hope that they had gotten
away with it. Please say he's safe… Her heartfelt prayer flew off and
then a flurry of bangs from further back on her ship launched her from her
seat. Mirax's eyes were wide as she scrambled to
reach her largest smuggling compartments, her heart calming as she saw her
father lift himself from it. "Dad!" she cried with relief as she raced towards
him.
The tall man jumped to his feet and back, trying to regain his balance as his
daughter threw her arms around him and just about crushed his ribs, knocking
both of them over. "Oohh… Mirax…"
Booster groaned lightly, making it sound much worse then it really was –
teasing, Mirax realized with a wide grin.
"I've missed you dad." She said quietly, tears glistening in her beautiful
eyes.
"I've missed you too, and I'm glad you got me out of those smuggling compartments,
those things double as torture chambers. Frellin' Banthas Mirax, places like those
are liable to make a man claustrophobic!" He deadpanned as one large hand crept
up her side and tickled her mercilessly, her squeals of delight rebounded off
the walls.
"Uncle?" He challenged her.
"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" She
screamed; her face red with laughter, her face and throat sore from her wide
grin and merriment.
With a fond smile, Booster allowed her to escape "The Tickling Monster Fingers"
that had haunted in her childhood. His mood became pensive. "Do you realize
that, that was the first time since CorSec locked me
away that I've had reason to smile?" He asked his little girl, his eyes locked
on something far away. Mirax's breath hitched as she
realized her father had missed her just as terribly as she had missed him. "The
worst was not being able to see you… It was life in hell. As
if Kessel wouldn't be hell enough." He said
wryly, shaking off the mood from the past. "But now that's behind me." A look
of awe crossed his lined face. "I'm free."
And he was.
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Carson sat on the edge of the wide bunk of her new
quarters, a yawn escaped her and she didn't even think of trying to hide it.
"...that you'll like it here!" Rosie finished her
two-minute-one-breath speech with a flourish.
Carson raised her eyebrows
as a wry expression crossed her face, "You done yet?"
"Yes Blondie, I'm done." Rosie stuck her tongue out at the sleepy
blonde.
"Don'a call me
'Blondie'." Carson grumbled; more then
ready for sleep. A gigantic yawn split her tiny, oval face and Rosie snickered.
Carson eyed Rosie warily as the dark haired girl
bounced from foot to foot, still hyper for some reason unknown to the blonde.
"Stop bouncing…" She yawned again and Rosie suddenly attacked her, her fingers
tickling Carson's newly clean feet,
sending Carson into fits of giggles.
Carson's wet hair made whistling sounds as she shook
her head, laughing hysterically and tried to escape Rosie's Questing Tickling Fingers.
Finally pinning herself up against the wall, Carson managed to get a deep
enough breath, "S-stop!" She dissolved into giggles again as Rosie experimented
with the Force and discovered that even though Carson was digging her toes into
the blankets on her bunk, if she used the Force she could tickle the bottoms of
her feet.
"Haha! I win!" Rosie
exulted.
"N-no!" Carson laughed, "Noooo-o!"
"Yes!"
Carson rolled off the bed and bounced back against the wall on the other side
of the room, "No!"
"Yes!"
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"YEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!" Rosie's face was
crimson from screaming and Carson slumped backwards, exhausted even more then
before.
"Na fair…" Carson muttered as she stumbled back to her bed and fell onto it,
not really caring where she landed. "G'night Rosie…"
She mumbled sleepily, one hand groping for her pillow.
Rosie smiled fondly, then messed up Carson's wild mane
of blonde hair. "G'night Carson, don't worry about a
thing. Me 'an Dankin can
take care of it. I might even get to pilot!"
"Me wants to pilot…" Carson mumbled, already
half-asleep.
"G'night Carson…" Rosie said softly
as she lowered the light level and closed the door to Carson's quarters softly
behind her, slipping off to the ships helm where one of the survivors from Karrde's organization awaited her.
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Shada D'ukal walked down the street, alone for the
first time since she had joined the Mistryl all those years ago. Her childhood
vision of the Order now shattered; they now catered to the highest bidder, they
were hired assassins; killers. That's all they were. And that's all they wanted
to be.
She shivered as a spike of cold lanced down her spine. The shadows pressed
against her and she knew that her life had changed.
Whether it was good or not.
Shada savagely shook her head, making her long black tresses bounce. Her stride
lengthened and she melted into the shadows, sliding around light and buildings,
no destination in mind.
A faint whimper teased her ears and she halted, it sounded like a child. Shada
gritted her teeth. It was easily five degrees Celsius outside and from the
sound of the child, it knew that from experience. Alerting all her senses, she
began hunting for the lost one.
Even if the Order of the Mistryl is corrupted, Shada promised to
herself, I will uphold their ideals. This is my vow and my creed, let me die carrying it out.
With a grim smile, Shada D'ukal glided off into the
darkness to in search of the cry.