I wish he would hurry up, the Handmaiden thought. These laigreks are beginning to get to me. She and Seth were leaning up against the wall a few rooms away from hordes of laigreks guarding one specific door. Atton was taking forever. He was cloaked with a stealth field generator since he was the only one on the ship with actual talent using one. I wonder why he's so talented, the Handmaiden thought cynically. He'd been laying mines for awhile, and hadn't come back.

She signed, and sank down to sit on the floor; Seth was busy studying the walls as if there was an inscription on them. He blinked a few times when dust would occasionally come on his head and brush it off.

All of a sudden Atton appeared out of nowhere. "I hope you're happy," he said. The Handmaiden cringed: he was covered in laigreks guts, just as her vibroblades were. "I'm going back to the ship," he said. "I'll sent Bao-Dur, okay?" He made for the pathway to the exit. Seth looked up from the wall. "Just be careful," he said. "You don't know what rogue salvagers want from us or if anybody's down here." Atton gave a blank faced nod as he ran for the exit.

After he left, Seth said, "We won't need to wait for Bao-Dur. He's smart enough not to come or just to find us on our own. These damn laigreks are everywhere…and luckily we've taken out a lot of 'em. Just keep your vibroblades ready just in case any slip by the mines." The Handmaiden nodded. Seth proceeded forward and went up to the laigrek-infested hallway. He knocked on the wall with the hilt of his single bladed blue lightsaber. The laigreks looked up hungrily and ran forward through the rows of mines Atton had laid. The mines blew and most of the laigreks fell except for about three.

"Brace yourself," he warned, glancing at the Handmaiden who looked afraid of either getting killed or getting dirty like Atton. She put her vibroblades in a ready position and awaited the first attack. She slaughtered it and its innards spilled everywhere—on the floor, on the swords, and on her. Seth took on two and cut them down with a single slash of the lightsaber. A bit of laigrek was on him, but she was covered in it.

It is just part of nature, she reassured herself, not knowing if that helped at all because many things are apart of nature. Noticing her clothing, Seth took off the cloak of his robes and gave it to her. "Temporary protection," he said grinning. She returned the smile and took it eagerly.

Seth looked at the door and walked toward it. The Handmaiden followed, fastening the cloak over her. He opened the door and expected to find the room empty or maybe a few bodies and stray laigreks. But somehow there was a blonde man standing in the center of the room as if he was expecting them with armor clad bodies behind them. Seth guessed they were the bounty hunters all the militia spoke of.

He stepped forward into the room. "Uh," he said, not knowing how to greet this lone survivor. But the blonde man bowed to Seth. Seth's eyes grew wide. He just bowed to a man! Is this natural? Respectful? Or just plan strange? He thought.

"Perhaps introductions first," the blonde said nervously. "I am Mical, a researcher for the Republic. May I ask what you are doing here among the laigreks and salvagers? You apparently don't appear to be one since you carry a lightsaber." His eyes lit up. "Are—are you a Jedi?" he asked excitedly. Oh no, Seth thought. He nodded. "And," he said, stopping Mical before he could speak, "I'm here because I'm looking for a lost Jedi Master…"

Oh come on, this can't be that long! Seth thought as he slouched in a chair in the waiting area. He needed to speak to the administrator but she "was busy" like all administrators are. He'd been waiting at least a half an hour. The Handmaiden still hadn't returned from getting some clothes from the shop and she'd left at the same time he'd sat down.

Women and their vanity, Seth thought. How can she spend so much time on herself when she just goes and gets messed up battling anyways? Stopping at this thought, he got up and went to the shop. A Rodian owned it and he said he was here when the attack happened. Seth doubted this because his speech was a bit slurred, but overall thought the shop to be alright.

The Handmaiden was no where in sight. "Was a white haired girl just in here?" he asked the Rodian. "She just left," he said. "She said something that to tell man with dark hair she was going back to the ship." Seth rolled his eyes. "Thanks," he said as he exited.

Why can't she just stay in one place? He strolled through the grass back to the landing pad. Even though it was a short distance, he enjoyed it: the grass was a little bit below his knees and it smelled like plants; the bluffs and the sun were beautiful. He walked onto the concrete landing pad and proceeded up the loading ramp.

When he reached the ship, he got a strange feeling as he stood there. Something seemed wrong or something was out of place. A quizzical look on his face, he went to check out the empty dormitory which seemed to be the likely hiding place.

Expecting to find it empty, he jumped with he saw a woman clad in armor wearing a red head thing. "What the hell!" he said involuntarily and a bit loud. She stood up instantly and drew her lightsaber which made Seth's eyes bulge a bit in surprise as they did when Mical bowed to him. She's—she's a Jedi! His mind exclaimed. He reflexively reached for his own and drew it.

She swung at him. What is she doing? "Who are you?" he asked as she swung again. Her movements were streamlined; it looked like she trained. "What the hell do you want?" he shouted at her, just in case she didn't hear or understand. He talked in all the alien dialects he knew and she didn't respond.

He instinctively ran to the garage where Bao-Dur could at least aid him, except Bao-Dur wasn't there and Seth was getting a bit annoyed.
"What the hell do you want?" he shouted again. Is everyone on this ship deaf? He pulled out his blaster as she ran towards him. She took the shots and kept running to him. Is she invulnerable? "Why are you here!" Is she a mute?

He threw down the blaster, figuring out it wasn't her weakness. He took out his lightsaber and parried her moves. How can she see with that veil thing on her head?

In a flick of his wrist, he cut her lightsaber hilt in two. She dropped it to the floor and got on her knees. She spoke for the first time—her voice was smooth. "My lightsaber," she said, stating the obvious, "…you broke it." She looked downwards. "Please…end this…end this…" She mumbled something Seth didn't hear. "What?" he asked. She collapsed on the floor. He felt her neck—her heart was still beating. "Hey! Are you people deaf!" Seth shouted, hoping to signal someone to help him the medlab. He wasn't fully trained, but knew he could at least get her there.

You're going to carry her? He looked at the crumbled red figure on the floor. Her full, red lips were open a bit and she was silent, still. He shook his head and gently picked her up. She was light and limp.

Seth shuffled quickly to the medlab and dumped her on the bed and performed some basic diagnostics. As they were running, he stepped out to find the group not in the main hold. At this, he walked forward to the communications room: the door was shut. He didn't bother going in since he heard Mandalore's metallic voice coming from behind the door. Mandalore always acted crazy when interrupted.

He walked past the door and into the cockpit to find Atton asleep. "Hey," he said a bit frustrated. "We got security problems or are breeches normal from where you come from?" Atton was half awake but woke up to get defensive. "Hey," he said angrily. "Talk to that metal guy in there. He's occupying the security terminals and communication channels all the time when you're gone." He stared at the consoles. "And why am I always on the defense?" Seth shrugged. "We've got company—or we had company," Seth said. "Besides, I need help and an incapable one like yourself fits the job perfectly." Atton got up. "What I'm here for," he said as he followed Seth out of the cockpit.

"I'll be damned…" he breathed as he laid eyes upon the girl. "It's a Miraluka." "What?" Seth asked. "You don't know what a Miraluka is? Hell, I'm surprised you know what women are by the way you are so clued into the galaxy," Atton said as he moved over to the other side of the bed where all the consoles were and began working one.

"What?" Seth said again. "Where do they come from?" "Well," Atton began, still working on the console, "if you want the simple version, here you go: the Miraluka people are some kind of race that are blind and they use the Force to see. They come from Katarr. Planet was annihilated, like all those other ones from this war. So anyways, her species was supposed to be dead but she's the remainder. I'm guessing she's a lone survivor. What'd she attack you with?"

"Red saber," Seth said calmly. Atton looked at him. "A red saber?" he said. "We've got to either get out of here or just kill her where she stands—or well, where she lies if you want to get technical about it." Seth gave him a quizzical look. "She's a Sith," Atton said. "And the last time I checked they are hunting us."

"Always with the details, aren't you?" Seth said as he looked at the veiled Miraluka. "She must feel so alone," he mused. "You know, being the last one of her race and all." Atton gave him a confused look. "Oh so now you're going to be her best friend?" he said. "Go right ahead. But when she pulls the sneak attack, don't cry for me. I'll be in the cockpit, driving this piece of junk—or on Nar Shadda."

Seth shrugged. "Uh, yeah. Where did everyone go?" he asked. "Around. Khoonda I think," Atton said. "Bored or something. Oh but not Atton—he gets to babysit the ship, a crazy old witch, and man made out of metal. Anyways, if you're looking for them, just go out and check Khoonda or the hills or something."

What are you doing here? Mira thought as she sat in the grass, pulling up strands of it in anger. Why didn't you just stay on Nar Shadda? She got up and began to walk forward a bit.

She'd gone off over some rocks by a camp full of what appeared to be mercenaries. She walked off through some strange shaped standing rocks and had arrived at a strange looking hill with a stone entrance.

The stone door looked misplaced, and sealed. It was sealed with the strongest stuff and even some top grade explosives would have trouble entering through it. Mira briefly touched the stone, expecting it to be cold.

Instead, a wave of electricity and heat sailed through her arm. Jumping back, she rubbed her hand the ease the sudden pain. Whoever sealed this meant business. She pulled out her blaster and took a shot at the door; the shot was just soaked up. It would take at least a year of constant blaster shot to get through the door just a bit to see what was inside of it.

She walked briskly away from the structure, afraid of what would happen or might happen if she dawdled around it too long. Once she was about five hundred meters away, she sat back down on the grass and pulled out her blaster. She shot a discolored stone in the side of a bluff. Perfect shot, she thought as the watched the stone become a fried little segment against the dirt.

Her mind jumped around—to Goto's yacht and to Seth. He's just business, she thought. Never mix pleasure and business. Besides, it'd never work if it ever came to be. She sighed and threw a stone off the hill she was perched upon. Peaceful Dantooine.

Mira then began to get a craving for some Juma. Not here—there's no cantina. Honestly, this place is as dead as Telos, but at least there's a cantina there. All that's here is some scrawny salvagers, some militia, one strange looking admin, and some rowdy mercs. What's new? There's basically nothing here except for "serenity"—can see why this place is the perfect spot for a "hidden" Jedi academy. Hell, I bet even the most stubborn were subdued by this "miraculous sunset" and swaying of trees. But Nar Shadda fits me perfectly. It's home.

In between her musings, she heard footsteps in the long grass behind her. They were at a run. Mira instinctively grabbed for her blaster. "Oh save it," she heard the Handmaiden say. "I've just come to get you." Mira looked up at her. The Handmaiden wasn't wearing her hood, and her bare legs were showing. She was covered in a layer of sweat and was breathing harder. Out for a run? She thought. "Out for a run?" Mira asked, repeating her thoughts. The Handmaiden nodded. "It's just so warm here," she said. "It's a lot different from the academy." Mira eyed her confusedly. "The academy?" she asked. "Don't tell me you're a Jedi too." The Handmaiden shook her head violently, apparently somewhat offended by Mira's remark. "No," she said. "We've taken an oath not to become a Jedi. The academy's in a polar regions of a…" Don't give away the location! Her mind shouted. "…a remote planet."

Mira gave a small shrug. "Hm, okay." She paused for a few seconds. "Why are you here?" "Seth needs us at Khoonda," the Handmaiden explained. "Said he needed help in a firefight. Told me to get you since you're a merc and all." "I am not a merc," Mira said hotly.

"And bounty hunters are different?" The Handmaiden just looked at her. She thinks she can stare me down! Mira got angry now; nobody challenged her title. "Hell yes!" she shouted. "It's like calling you a servant girl who does their master's bidding—whether it be cooking up a human for his dinner or even getting intimate." The Handmaiden glared for a few seconds, but then remembered Seth's wishes. "Just come with me," she said, trying to control her temper. "And don't ever say something like that again—ever." Mira just shrugged. "Same here, sister," she said.

As Mira and the Handmaiden neared Khoonda, they hear blaster shots and the sound of vibroblade against vibroblade. A lone militia who was positioned at a door said, "They're waiting. Hurry, otherwise you'll be too late!"

Who is "they" and why would we be late? Mira wondered as she jogged across the grass to the doors into Khoonda.

Once inside, another militia handed Mira a blaster rifle. "Here," he said. "Jedi told me to give it to you." Mira took the rifle and holstered it. The Handmaiden rejected hers. "I have my staff," she said. And how is that little piece of plastic supposed to stop an army of crazy mercs? Mira thought to herself, knowing she shouldn't repeat the question aloud.

Mira ran out of the armory and to Seth. "Glad you're here," he said. The rest of the crew was present to help, save Kreia and the droids. Does that woman ever come to anything? Is she just here to suppress his views and distort his morals? The Handmaiden thought, glancing at Seth. She threw up her hood; Mira readied her blaster as Atton, Mandalore, and Bao-Dur drew up their swords and Force pikes, and Seth drew his lightsaber as they heard the pounding down of doors.

Then a mercenary with a large scar across his face and a dysfunctional eye started to talk. "I have worked past your militia," he said, "but I am growing tired of this. If you would just step aside, I will deal with the administrator and you will receive your reward. If not, I will be forced to kill my way there."

Seth made an angry face—but it wasn't anger of hatred or revenge; the look appeared to be only described as sober anger that drew itself up from Jedi from the Mandalorian Wars: senseless slaughter. "How shall I let you pass?" he asked. "How can you get by?" He then put up his hand. "You won't go to the administrator. You will leave here in peace."

The leader laughed at this. "You think your Jedi tricks will fall upon me?" he scoffed. "I trained among Malak's flanks and they taught us to avoid petty tricks such as this." Seth stared at him, trying to stare him down.

"My offer is still open, Jedi," he said, his speech had a bit of an accent that nobody could place. Seth still had the angry face as he said, "What is the reward?" The merc took this as a positive response. "Good, now let us work together."

"I didn't accept it," Seth said. "What the reward? Tell me before I cut you down." "Anything you wish for," said the leader of the mercenaries who were getting anxious—they scratched their heads but their blasters, vibroblades, and Force pikes were still held at the ready. "What if I wanted intergalactic domination or Coruscant for my vacation place?" Seth asked. He paused. "You see, you must think before you speak." He drew up his lightsaber and the blue hilt flashed out. "I hoped you were more open to reason, but your death will serve Khoonda well," the mercenary leader said as he drew up his swords.

All at once, the mercenaries began to shoot at the crew aided by Master Vrook. Seth took on the leader while Bao-Dur, Mandalore, Atton, Mira, the Handmaiden, and Vrook took on the smaller groups of mercenaries. There were also some newly repaired sentry droids who were shooting away along with the Khoonda militia and their leader, Zharron.

The sounds of blasters and vibroblades rang throughout Khoonda as well as grunts and lone battle cries.

It was the end of it. Blood was everywhere, but it was finally over. There was a smell of the dead present in Khoonda outside the administrator's office. Seth was whisked away as soon as the fight was over along with Master Vrook.

Mandalore had walked backed to the ship right away ("To probably polish his armor," Atton had stated) and Bao-Dur went to bathe and return to his ever-present work on the Ebon Hawk.

Mira decided to loiter outside of Adare's office to wait for Seth; the Handmaiden stayed too. Atton had paraded out after Mandalore and Bao-Dur to sleep. Doesn't he want to bathe? The Handmaiden wondered. He hasn't been wearing his jacket and normal clothes. Come to think of it, he's been wearing Jedi robes. The untold events of Nar Shadda escaped her. Is he a Jedi? Hard to believe since his idea of a perfect day includes getting drunk off of Juma Juice and gambling at Pazaak.

The residence and regular lackeys that stayed in waiting rooms just because slowly began to trickle back inside as normal, thanking Mira and the Handmaiden for their bravery.

"Thanks," a woman said as she passed them to go to the medical facility. After she left, Mira said, "How do they know that we saved their skins?" It was a rhetorical question, but the Handmaiden answered her anyways. "Because we're covered in mercenary blood," she said blankly as if she wasn't red all over herself. Mira looked at her clothes with disgust on her face. "I mean…there was so many of them, and too much blood," she said. "And I like this jacket!"

The Handmaiden shrugged and sat on the floor. "Why are you here?" she asked Mira. Mira just looked at her. "Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?" she asked. The Handmaiden returned the look. "I guess we both could," the Handmaiden declared simply.

There was a slight pause. "I'm just here because I can't stand the rest of 'em," Mira said. "How so?" the Handmaiden asked, pretending to be interested. Whatever passes the time, she thought. "Well," Mira explained, "just look at 'em. I mean, Mandalore is just strange—straight out weird. He locks himself in the communications room and just talks to his camp endlessly. His reasons for coming along are to reunite the clans, though I doubt the Mandalorians will ever rise up to what the were before.

"Kreia—that woman's all twisted up inside. Maybe she thinks she's Seth's mentor? I have no idea why the hell she's here, and all I know is that she needs to be left at a star port. She even lectures me on how to do this and that.

"Atton. That's a name I'll never forget—sadly. I swear, that guy never shuts up about how much this trip sucks. I want to tell him, 'Then get off the damn ship.' But we need a pilot so he's staying, I guess. But he never showers at all and it seems as if he lives for Pazaak. I swear, I've seen him and Seth playing Pazaak about twenty times!

"Bao-Dur is just…too distant. He's always fixing the ship and talking to the droids. He is just about half machine because his arm is all…well, mechanical. But he fixes the ship so no harm.

"And did you hear that there's a new crewmate?" The Handmaiden suddenly lit up at this. "What!" she asked astounded somewhat of a new addition to the team. "Yeah…heard someone saying it was a Miraluka—" Mira started. "A Miraluka?" the Handmaiden interrupted. "But—but aren't they wiped out?"

"Apparently not," Mira said. The door of the office suddenly swung open and Seth stepped out and looked at them. "What're you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh—we were waiting for you," the Handmaiden said quickly. Seth shrugged. "Oh, alright," he said. Mira stood up and looked at the blaster rifle she was given; she forgot she had it. "What do I do with this?" Mira asked as she looked at it.

"I'll take it back to the armory," Seth said. "You two can go back to the ship." "Thanks," Mira said as she turned to leave. "I'm going to go with you," the Handmaiden said. "To—to talk about the battle and—" She said quickly as an excuse.

"Alright," Seth said indifferently. He didn't care if she came with him, although he did think something about it.