-- .:New Risings:. --

Kail finished form seven, the Way of the Vornskr and deactivated his short lightsaber. It may have taken him a little over two hours, but he'd managed a mild mastery over each of the forms, and without the Force.

Of course, he'd been practicing them since he was five years old, his mother had insisted on him being trained to face danger as early as possible; stating that Dark Jedi wouldn't hold back just because he was five.

Deciding it was time to get a little sleep Kail hooked the lightsaber onto his belt, and headed toward the Port Dormitory. Hopefully when he woke up, Rick and Alison would be back with information on what they were planning on doing while on the planet.

One good thing about not feeling the Force: both Kail and Padme were free of Force visions during the night, which seemed to become more and more frequent lately.

Kail woke the next morning completely refreshed, and, seeing that Kevin and Torne were still sleeping, got up quietly and only realized after he'd gotten to the Garage that Alison and Rick had not returned.

Shrugging and muttering under his breath, he fixed himself some of what some would call breakfast, and others would call a tray of katarn manure, and not just because of the smell, from the food processor, and then went and sat down at one of the three small tables that took up the corners of the Garage.

It wasn't long before Kinraar woke, and she came out and got herself some breakfast, before leaving him to his own and heading in the direction of the Engine Room, taking with her one tray of food, and another tray covered in mechanical bits and pieces.

"What exactly are you making, Kinraar?" Kail asked as she left. An indistinct grunt told him to mind his own business. Frowning at the Wookiee's disappearing form, Kail stood and went over to the workbench. Nothing was missing, which had to mean Kinraar had her own supplies and her own tools.

The crystal is the heart of the blade - The heart is the crystal of the Jedi - The Jedi is the crystal of the Force - The Force is the blade of the heart - All are intertwined: The crystal, The blade, The Jedi. We are one.
He stumbled back away from the workbench, tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his back. It wasn't possible to hear something like that, not here on Mykr. Not in the ysalamiri anti-Force bubble.

"Maybe I'm just going crazy…" Kail whispered. Then he shook his head. "Great, now I'm talking to myself. I am going crazy!"

Torne was tired of the ship and hiding out in the little caches, but it was safer there. His refuge and time to talk to Kari and Illusen, well at least once they were off Mykr.

He supposed he should talk to Alison about keep the Hawk's controls locked, still as though she didn't trust the crew, though maybe that was a good sign.

And then maybe it wasn't, but at least the droids could and would fly the ship at any rate. Torne smiled at that thought; Rick didn't know what to do with JAINA, much less wanting anything to do with her.

He shook his head, at least with Alison she treated JAINA respectfully; keeping them from being killed and all ...and she was dating Rick. Torne wondered about that, too. With Alison's relationship with Rick, once again the Stareth family was related to the Mandalorians again, twice over.

"Torne?"

He jumped in spite of himself and turned around to face Alison who was standing in the shadows, looking out at him from under her hood.

He looked closer as he saw the hood and clothes she was wearing; they greatly resembled Revan's garb from before and during the Wars.

"How come you're all dressed up like that?" He asked, gesturing to her clothes. "I thought you weren't going to be your mother."

Alison frowned, "I'm not being my mother, and if you start down that lane, then take a look at yourself. You're going into exile just like your mom and uncle."

Torne stiffened, a flash of anger lighting his flash, "You have no right to speak to me like that, Alison."

"I have every right, when you push all that is human away from you." Alison looked at him with anger, "And your sister, Rain? What about her? You barely stayed around yesterday with her, from what I gleamed out of the security cameras."

Torne's temper flared as he pointed a finger in her face, "You stay out of my life, Stareth! Stay out of my life!"

Alison shook her head, standing her ground, "If I didn't care, Torne then I'd have dumped you as cargo long ago. Buck up and grow up."

"Why did you come back here? Too annoy me to my death?" Torne growled as he placed his hands on his hips, glaring uselessly at Alison who glared back at him with the same amount of anger.

"I'm going on an exploration, coming or rotting in here?" She asked bluntly and turned away, "Kinraar, Kevin, and Rain are coming with me; stay here and rot or grab your weapons and come."

Alison left the room and Torne stood there for a minute before he grinned.

Finally maybe something good was going to happen.


She was nearly finished packing. Finally after all these long years of living dead to the Force she was going to get to go and experience it all.

To be free soon, like her Father had been before he and her mother had crashed here; and then eventually left. Like her brother and sister before her…

You're too young to leave yet, her mother had told her, when she had begged to leave with the family. And you have a purpose here, even if it takes time to show itself and you can't feel the Force.

Just several more days...

Rick came back into the Ebon Hawk, looking around for Alison. She'd ran ahead of him on their way back, which resulted in him trying on his own to find his way through the rain soaked forest. Now he was back inside the Ebon Hawk, soaked to the bone and dripping all across the floor as he walked into the Port Dormitory.

He grabbed some dry clothes and went into the Refresher for a shower. He got back out, wearing a black coat, grey tunic, and brown trousers. He only had one pair of boots, and they had been soaked in his trek back to the Ebon Hawk.

He found Kail in the Garage, eating, and Padme at the work bench, adding a vibration cell to one of her Zabrak Vibroblades, swords she'd earned when she'd turned thirteen.

She'd been so proud of herself back then, it had been before she'd earned her lightsaber, but even after she had, she continued to take care of the swords, even though she rarely used them anymore. This was one of those 'rarely' times.

She looked up as Rick entered, nodded at him, then went back to her vibroblade. Rick walked over to the food processor, got some katarn manure, and went and sat down next to Kail to eat.

"Excuse me." Kail said, getting up. It was a rare thing indeed for anyone to make it through a meal without bringing it back up again, so he didn't notice very much as Kail fled the room, nor did he pay much attention to the retching sounds that followed a few seconds later. Rick shook his head and began eating the glop formerly known as 'food' on his plate.

Kinraar came in for a few minutes after a while, and then left again after taking some parts from the workbench. Alison joined Rick after a while, though she wouldn't say where she'd been or why she was wearing her black hooded robes.

"I suggest we wear civilian clothes when we head into the city." Rick said. "I don't think the folk here are too fond of Jedi."

Alison nodded, and kept eating. Kail came back, a little pale faced, but seemingly completely fine aside from that. He eyed what was left of his manure, then lifted the tray and dumped the contents in the trash compactor. They'd eject it into space during their next Hyperspace jump.

"I'll go get changed." Kail said after Rick repeated what he'd said to Alison and Padme. "I'm not going to be left behind on the ship." Padme nodded in agreement and they went through different exits toward their respective dormitories.

They came back a few moments later, Padme dressed in clothes that resembled her mothers' when Biggs and Elaine had first met her on Nar Shaddaa. Kail wore a pair of grey trousers, a white tunic, a blue denim coat and a pair of dark brown boots.

"Well, we're ready." Kail said. "Alison, you may want to change, I doubt the natives will like you very much if you are dressed like that."

"Noted..." Alison walked over to the cleaning dispenser and dumped the empty dish in it and left the room.

Kail looked at the dispenser and gulped, turning green; "how can she eat that stuff and not have trouble with it coming back up?"

Rick shook his head, "I'd rather not know."

He quickly departed from the room and tracked Alison down by the odd grunt of pain here and there, echoing faintly in the corridors.

Alison was kneeling on the floor, clutching a pillow as she groaned and whimpered. "Hey," he said softly entering the room, "are you okay, there?"

Rick knelt down besides Alison and wrapped his arms around her as she shuddered against him, crying from the obvious pain she was in.

"I… I'm fine." Alison gasped out between shudders and grunts of pain, "it's just that…" She broke off with a confused look on her face and shook her head as Kevin entered the room.

"Okay, you two love birds, you'll have to hold your desires until after the visit to the village. Come on, everyone's waiting for you lot."

Rain sighed with relief when Kevin appeared unhurt with Alison and Rick following him. She grinned at him, "see? It wasn't so bad."

Kevin shook his head, "next time I get to hold the straws and then the rest of you get to tempt death."

Halfway through the forest, HK and JAINA who had silently been shadowing the large group went into their assignation-modes; bring up their respective weapons to fire when—

"Shayera!" Alison laughed as the caat jumped, using Rick as leverage and into her arms, purring contently. Rick glared at the caat who had stolen Alison completely from his attention and his arm space around her waist.

Shayera purred loudly and looked at his with her sharp murderous like eyes and slowly closed one eye, yawning so he could get a good look at her fangs.

Rick growled and clenched his fist, that caat was nothing but trouble.

"Halt!" The loud voice rang out into the silence as a bunch of village folk broke through the forest, various weapons pointed all in their general direction.

Rick stepped slightly in front of Alison shielding her with his body, "now what?" He asked out of the side of his mouth with a grimace. "I told you, you should have changed."

"Humph." I have no need to hide what I am and besides…"

"YOU!" Another voice rang out, as a young girl stared at Torne, "it's you!"

"Uh, hi… do we know each other?" Torne asked in the awkward silence.

"Not yet, we don't." The girl turned to the man who had called for them to halt. "I'll vouch for them, Victor… They won't do anything to bring us harm."

"Bah. Jedi, they're all the same, always want something from you and never give anything in return." Victor snarled and pointed to Alison who had remained in her robes; "she doesn't stay under my roof and if she does, then I'll throw her to the Garcia and see how they have fun toying with her."

"That's enough!" The girl shouted and slapped Victor on the face hard, before Rick could even make a move. "I'm a Jedi too, Victor and so where my parents and brother and sister… or did you forget that?"

She turned to Alison, "Never mind him. We'd better get going soon, it'll be dark quickly and with the Garcia out and around, being out here is not a good idea."

"Yes, I've heard of them, let's get out of here soon." Alison said in a faint voice, weak enough that Rain looked up sharply and Rick turned around.

"Hey!" Rick grabbed her shoulders, "are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes," Alison whispered as Rain who had been at the back of the group crossed over to Alison who seemed very tired and exhausted, "It's normal to feel like this…"

"Feel like this…? Alison, what's wrong with--" Before Rick could get another word in the nameless girl interrupted his thoughts.

"Come on," the girl who had greeted them …or rather Torne, shook her head. "Let's get you to the village and we'll get you looked over there."

The group trudged off, with the two disgruntled droids in the rear.

"Insertion: I thought we were going to blast some meatbag scum on this planet."

JAINA cocked her head and her eyes gleamed, "That mek-bag, Victor did threat our mistress though…"

HK chuckled as a droid with his skills only would, "Insulting thought: And then he shall dance later on when they're all sleeping for insulting Mistress Alison."

JAINA cackled, "Excited thinking: Indeed."

Kail turned to look at the two droids, who returned his stare. After a moment he nodded and turned back to the path ahead.

"Vornskr!" One of the men at the front of the group shouted.

Rick, Torne, Padme, Kinraar, and Rain all fell into fighting stances. Kail fell into Form VI, though he was using two vibroswords, and Alison assumed Form VII, also with vibro-double-blade.

It didn't take long to kill off the Vornskr pack, between the flurry of sword attacks and the volley of blaster fire. When all the Vornskr lay dead, they continued toward the nearest village.

On board the Ebon Hawk, two lights flickered in the Engine Room, and stopped flickering, only to become two glowing blue eyes. The faint light of the eyes showed smudged, slightly dented, rust-colored amour plating. The thing let loose a mechanical cackle, stood, and exited Ebon Hawk.

They were staying at an inn in the closest town to where they'd landed. Rick, Kevin and Kail shared one room, Alison, Padme, Rain and Kinraar shared another.

Torne had insisted on a room of his own.

Rick was currently giving JAINA a few upgrades, and a few new surprises. "Okay, I've added four new lightsaber fighting sessions, each one using a different style. You're welcome to go through them later, just don't use them on anyone who doesn't attack me first, got it?"

"Statement: Yes, Meat-Bag Master." JAINA said. Rick frowned at the droid' lack of respect, though he was sure the new adjustments he'd made to her chassis would change her tune.

"Okay, show me lightsaber training level 26." Rick said. JAINA cackled with glee, and ignited the lightsabers she held – all of them. The assassin droid looked down in surprise, the let off another cackle of glee and surprise. Rick was sure JAINA would smirk if she could.

"So, how do you like your two new arms?" Rick asked, standing back to examine his handy-work. Not as good as Kinraar's, but still a well done job, considering his specialty was cloth, not machine.

"Gleeful Statement: Unit JAINA will enjoy decapitating enemies of Meat-bag Master Rick with new extensions. Unit JAINA will now present lightsaber training level 26."

At that, the assassin droid rushed forward, swinging the red, blue, purple and silver lightsabers at the training droids Rick had set up.

They were lucky the room was large enough to fit the Tarisan sewer Rancor and two Bantha's, or there may have been a slim chance she'd have decapitated them as well.

Rick suddenly looked up as he heard shouting outside. He, Kail and Kevin approached the window and saw some kind of devilish creature hidden in the shadows of the inn, firing volleys of blaster bolts from its Mandalorian repeating blaster.

Grabbing his vibroblades, Rick headed for the door.

"Suggestion: Master, I would highly recommend you remain where you are," came JAINA's voice. "Unit H-49K will easily take out those trying to stop it's approach and shall arrive here in an estimated six minutes and four point two seconds."

"Unit H-4 what? What are you-?" Suddenly, the answer dawned on him and he frowned. "Kinraar!" He shouted in Shyriiwook, just to make sure Kinraar understood he was not happy. He could speak very few words in the wookiee language, but his friends' name was one of them.

Kinraar came into the room, growling in annoyance.

"Tell me, Kinraar, why is it that there is a droid outside with a very distinct resemblance to HK and JAINA, and that JAINA appears to know it's name?" Rick said slowly.

Kinraar shook her head. "I – I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know Kinraar, despite the fact you've spent most of your life around humans, you're still not a very good liar." Rick said. "How did R-4-watsitsnumber come to be in existence?"

Kinraar suddenly went into a detailed and very entertaining reason of why R-49K had been built. It was, to say the very least, entertaining. It was also fictional.

"Y'know what, I don't really need the true version, just get it to stop killing people." Rick said. Kinraar nodded, and left the room. She returned a few moments later with H-49K, who seemed to have calmed down.

It resembled HK-47 mostly, except its coating appeared to be made out of rusted bits of metal, and its eyes glowed with a piercing evil looking blue, which seemed to see everything in the room at once.

"Conclusion: Location secure – this unit will now shut down." With that, the blue eyes stopped glowing and it's 'head' slumped.

"Thank you, Kinraar." Rick said. "Let's deal with it later; has Alison worked out why we needed to come here yet? I'm beginning to feel somewhat naked without the Force."

"Come on, you're too stubborn for your own good."

"No, really, I'm fine …Mia! Give me my clothes back!"

Mia shook her head at the enraged Alison standing half undressed before her. "Not until you let you examine you. You've thrown up nearly every meal we sit down to eat, and you're sick half the time."

"So?" Alison shot back, "I don't care, I'm fine, Mia; now give me my robes!" Alison grabbed her robes from Mia and had reached the door just as Mia called out to her.

"Say you're fine, Alison… but what if it's not you who's sick? What if it's something more precious than your life?"

Alison turned around, fury in her eyes, the flames from the small contained fire in the stove catching her eyes and reflecting its lights. "Shut up Mia; you do not know what you're talking about!"

Mia closed her eyes and sighed, "You need help. Alison, please don't throw my help away this time."

Alison growled, "I never threw your help away before."

"Then why did your son die before? He died at two; you left to return home that day, why didn't you stay the one day longer?"

"HE DIED BECAUSE OF THE BLASTED SITH WARROIRS WHO DESTROYED MY SHIP AND MY FAMILY!" Alison screamed back at Mia, tears running down her face; "I did everything I could to save Bryan..."

"Then don't let something hurt your baby now, Alison." Mia shook her head, "This is Mykr, you can't feel the Force here; let me help you this time. Please…"

Alison hesitated, as Mia looked at her sister-in-law, "please, I miss Bryan too. And Don as well…"

Alison nodded her head once slowly and nodded it again as she sank to the ground and started to undress again.

She said nothing as Mia started the examination and then grasped her silent friend's hand, "I miss them too, Mia…"

The girls looked into each others eyes briefly, the pain and love unspoken for their lost relatives in their face. They didn't need to speak, they knew.

Rick stepped out of the small hut that was serving for the boys right now. The village leader, Victor and its men were extremely protective of Alison, Rain, Padme, and Kinraar, though Rick suspected that Victor would rather gut Alison expect for that girl's insistence.

Mia, a young girl about his age and she had some authority or at least control over Victor as it seemed currently. Rick had only seen Alison during the meals and even then she didn't too well.

He was jumpy now and founding himself, cursing the day Alison had brought them to Mykr, blinding them from the Force.

Rain's cryptic messages of letting Alison heal did nothing for him. If she wanted to tell him something, then why not just up and out with it!

"Hey Rick, you might want to stop before you leave the village." Kevin looked over at the young man who shook himself and looked at the village doors in surprise before glancing at Kevin.

"What are you doing here?" Rick asked as he moved to the side so the passer-bys could get through the path he was blocking.

"I was looking for Rain, but I couldn't find her;" Kevin smiled tightly, "strangely enough Torne's been able to visit that girl Mia and he's caught a glimpse of Alison once or twice."

"Alison!" Rick suddenly felt if his chest had been crushed in two. "If she all right; is she safe? What are they doing with her and when is she going to come back to us?" He grabbed Kevin's arm tightly as he slammed the older youth back into the wall behind him.

"Let go of me." Kevin said, staring coldly into Rick's eyes; the two youths stood there for a minute before Rick released Kevin's arm and shook his head.

"Sorry," Rick muttered, "I'm just—"

"Worried and concerned about Alison. I know." Kevin grinned slightly at Rick, "she'll make your hairs go grey before the year is over."

Rick nodded, a grin reaching his face this time, "that I can believe, that I can believe."

"KEVIN!" A blue blur of clothes came streaking out of an adjacent hut and burst into his arms, knocking him to the street in the mud. It was Rain and she was beaming as she hugged her boyfriend happily, kissing him strongly.

"I'll just leave you to get reacquainted." Rick trudged off forlornly, leaving the happy couple alone. Further up ahead, he saw Kail and Padme locked in a kiss as he brushed past them

"Hey, brownie, if you're going to mope about, why don't you haul your butt over here and help with some supplies?"

Rick looked up at the man who had called him brownie due to his brown hair and glared at the man who chuckled and stuck out his hand.

"I'm Hector, my brother's Victor but don't let that blow you away. So want to help out?"

Rick grinned, "Thanks. Anything would be better than just thinking and moping right now."

"Great!" Hector grinned and pointed to a crate, "we lift these and move them over to the barricade about ten clicks from here, think you're up to that?"

"Yeah, I'm stronger than I look anyways." Rick rolled up his sleeves and bent down, picking up a smaller crate.

"So what's this barricade for then?" Rick asked, curiosity pushing his growing concern for Alison aside briefly as he focused on the task at hand.

"Did you hear about the Garcia? My brother probably let that slip once or twice when they corned you and the Lady Stareth back there in the jungle a week ago."

"Yes the Garcia where mentioned once or twice, Rick furrowed his brow in thought, "and why are you calling Alison the Lady Stareth? I mean her mom, is called the Lady Revan usually, but Alison has a title!"

"The Lady Stareth? Of course she has a title, mekk – I mean why wouldn't she; really?"

"Because Alison is a normal human being…?" Rick snorted and dumped the crate in the barricade and shook his head at the eerie silence as he looked around. "Hey, Hector… isn't this barricade supposed to be guarded?"

Hector looked up, "yeah mekk, hello doesn't barricade work in your Jedi vocabulary?"

"Yes it does and how do you know I'm a Jedi?" Rick grounded his teeth as Hector inspected the barricade's computer, his fingers flying over the control panel.

"It's all in your stance, and build. You and your group were mostly staggering somewhat like you're recovering from being out at sea or a drinking binge. And you're kids, so I expect that you're all deeply connected to the Force more so than a drinking binge."

Rick sighed, "No lying there; so we're all Jedi." Going to run to Victor now and tattle on us?"

"Well, Jedi… as much as Victor and I hate each other, running to him doesn't seem so bad right now." Hector pointed to his screen that he was staring at so intently; "I hope you can fight without the Force, Jedi. We've got a whole pack of Garcia raining down on our heads!"

"You're at war?" Rick asked as he pulled out his vibroblades, Hector nodded. "We've been at war for over three years, as the Lady Stareth could attest to."

Hector's eyes went cold and hard as he stared at Rick, "aim to kill nothing less."

Rick nodded and gripped his weapons as his heart went cold, how well would he be able to fight against an army and for how long?

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