09 Reflections and Flight

Avran gazed out the front viewport window down to the hot sands of Korriban. The last time he had set foot on those sands it had not been on a mission to kill.

A small hand found his and big blue eyes gazed up at him. "Papa, are we going on the big ship?" a little boy's voice asked. "Yes Gavin - you're going to live with me now." Gavin's lower lip trembled and he turned his head to look back at the sands. "I miss you mommy." he mumbled. Avran's heart felt as if it had been rent in two. The boy had been too young to lose his mother. He picked up his son and hugged him. "It'll be alright Gavin. I won't leave you."

Avran jerked himself out of his recollection. Memories of Gavin were still too painful, even now five years after his death.

He'd sat down at the viewscreen, ready to receive the daily message from his son, now graduated from the Academy and awiting his first officer placement. "Lord Avran-"

"Lord Avran-" once again, Avran turned his attention back to the present. "My lord, we've found the smugglers."

"Good. Prepare for the landing." Avran turned back to the window. "I have no wish to remain here long."

Deep inside Korriban's medical facility, Rhia rejoined Korran. "They've got him in a bacta tank." she commented as she sat down next to Korran.

"You know, you've got an odd way of picking up new crew members."

Rhia shot him a glare, then leaned back and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

Amidst the bubbles of the bacta tank, Zayne regained conciousness. He gave a start at finding himself submerged in some strange liquid, but he quickly found he could breathe and tentatively checked his senses. There were lifeforms everywhere and none felt familiar except - there. He found two people ina room a ways off and one of them was the woman he'd met on Yavin. Zayne closed his eyes and searched farther, trying to find anything else that was familiar. He stopped abruptly upon feeling what could only be described as darkness. Alarmed, he searched for a way out of the tank but was stopped by the med driod adding sedatives to the tank.

Rhia had just shut her eyes when she felt a surge of panic and fear. She was standing before another thought could cross her mind.

"A bit jumpy aren't you?" Korran asked with a grin.

"We have to go Korran."

"But-"

"Now." interrupted Rhia, spinning and heading out the door.

Korran got to his feet and followed her out, wondering what the heck had happened to get Rhia so intent upon leaving. As they scurried along the maze of corridors, Korran glanced out a window and saw a Sith capital ship landing. He caught up to Rhia and tapped her on the shoulder. "Rhia - we've got company." he hissed.

"I knew there was something wrong." Rhia mumbled.

They rounded a corner and were met by a protocol droid leading a Sith officer and seven soldiers towards them. Rhia kept her face lowered and moved against the wall to let the procession past. The second they were out of sight, Rhia raced down the hallway, Korran followed struggling to keep up. Once outside the med center, Rhia turned not towards the Rebirth, but towards the slum of the city.

"Rhia! Will you tell me what is going on!"

Rhia stopped and faced Korran, fear showing in her eyes. "They're here for us Korran. We must have gotten more than a few blasters in the last run. That officer was Lord Avran."

Korran's jaw dropped.

"We need to find a ship. They'll have secured the Rebirth by now." Rhia added, stopping to wipe a tear off her cheek. "If they find us Korran, our lives are not worth living."

She spun again and continued walking.

"Where are we going?"

Rhia tossed her head angrily. "There's got to be someone on this bloody planet who'll sell me a bloody ship.