I'm on chapter number six. Hmm. This one isn't quite as long as some of the others, but oh well. Expect more talking than anything else. I'll try to get more action in the next chapter. And hopefully get going on the romance part. Everytime I think, "Yay, it's going right!" It inevitably goes way, way off track. I'm cursed.
Declaimer:I only own my own ideas and own nothing more than that.
SIX
"We've been accused of what!" Emlyn cried out in shock, her violet eyes wide.
"Theft, murder, and betrayal," Dustil listed, "And a bounty on each of our heads, probably whether or not our bodies are still attached."
"Why?"
"I have no idea. Fa – the Admiral had just heard about it. Someone knows we got off the planet, and possibly what we're trying to do," Dustil said darkly, "And this is more evidence against Senator Sholden; whoever did this had to have high priority and a lot of power with the Republic."
"Frack," Emlyn muttered, sliding down in her seat. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at the wall of the ship.
"How have they found out?" Freya asked, her hands nervously clasped together.
"It's not like we were subtle with the Sith," Dustil pointed out, "Bodies attract attention."
"You and Miss Jedi over there weren't exactly quiet with your record breaking race scores, either," Cole sneered.
Emlyn opened her mouth to give him what for, but was interrupted by Mackenzie.
"Shut up, Cole; if they hadn't been there we would probably be lying dead in a ditch," the redhead snapped.
Cole glared at her before turning his attention to the far end of the room. Freya looked between the two and frowned. "It is not a good time to have friends fighting like this," she said meaningfully.
"What friends?" Cole snapped at her.
"All of us. We are companions now," Freya said sternly.
"All I see is a group of misfits that have nothing better to do than go on a suicidal mission trying to make sure that justice is served," Cole snarled.
"Who're you calling a misfit?" Mackenzie demanded, smacking him on the arm.
Emlyn frowned and thought about what he said. Maybe Cole, Mackenzie, and she were misfits, but Freya was too much of a princess to be called anything close, and Dustil… well, Dustil was special, Emlyn could feel it. She didn't know exactly what it was about him, but there was definitely… an aura of sorts. Maybe it could be called destiny, or perhaps it was simply a trick of her mind.
"So what are we going to do now?" Cole asked.
"Get the Flare's ID signature changed before someone decides to collect our heads," Dustil said with a grin.
"Is this funny to you?" Cole growled, "Because this is the last thing I need right now."
"I'm serious; Hobino knows our signature, and he'll give it away to anyone who waves enough cash under his nose, which will be just about every bounty hunter from here to the Unknown Regions," Dustil said as he leaned back against the door frame.
"You are so brave, Dustil," Freya said admiringly, "even with so many threatening your life."
Emlyn scowled irritably, wishing they would get a room or leave the ship through the nearest exit.
"It's not just me," Dustil said seriously, "It's actually more you and Cole, since you're the ones with the evidence against these people."
"And what exactly do you expect us to do with our information? Give it to the Republic?" Cole sneered.
"I don't expect anything," Dustil said calmly, "But I am going to Nar Shadaa and having a chat with that Hut; if we don't get concrete evidence we've got nothing, not even our lives. And we're not the only ones that will suffer if the Sith are actually behind this."
"I agree with Dustil," Freya said softly a wavy lock of raven hair falling in front of her face as she looked down, "But I am afraid."
"We all are, I'm sure," Mackenzie said matter-of-factly.
Dustil looked at the group of young adults and felt determination fill him; he felt responsible for them, and for the mission. "Anyone else coming?" he asked, his eyes turning toward Emlyn.
She lowered her eyebrows at him and crossed her arms. "What? You have to ask? You're my teacher, remember?" she pointed out crossly.
:Just making sure: Dustil thought to her.
:Idiot:
:Call me what you like, just remember who's piloting this piece of junk:
:Yeah, yeah, sing me another song:
"I'll go too," Mackenzie said, "Sounds like it'll be fun."
"Good for you. I'm out of here as soon as the ship docks on Nar Shadaa," Cole said snappishly.
"Cole…" Mackenzie began, but didn't get to finish. He strode out of the room, hands in his pockets, and headed for the Starboard bunks. "Men," Mackenzie muttered before following him.
"I feel I should be insulted," Dustil said to Emlyn.
"Good feeling, then: go with it," she replied.
"Watch it, Padawan," Dustil warned mockingly, "Or I might just have to teach you a lesson."
Emlyn resisted the urge to slug him, thinking that it wouldn't make for a very good start to their trip. There was also the risk that Freya would scream and gush over him if Emlyn gave into the temptation; it wasn't worth it. Instead she gave short laugh and said, "Take your best shot, Onasi! You'll be on the floor before you can say 'spittoon'."
"What if I don't mind?" Dustil teased.
Emlyn felt her face beginning to turn red from embarrassment. "I'd rather kiss Jobba, for your information," she retorted, lobbing the closest object she could find – a wrench – at his head.
Dustil caught it with one hand, feigned a hurt expression, and made his way back to the cockpit. Emlyn was trying very hard not to blush. She decided that revenge was inevitable. Suddenly Freya's voice interrupted her scheming thoughts.
"How can you speak to him so?" the younger girl asked sternly, "He is such a kind person, and yet you treat him as though he is…"
"Whoa, whoa," Emlyn said, holding up her hands, "I don't treat him as anything he isn't. He's a friend and my fellow Jedi."
"That is no way to treat a friend," Freya said heatedly.
"Look, I don't know why you're so angry, and frankly I don't care. I tease him, he teases me, and that's all," Emlyn said irately.
"Then why did he run away from you at the race?" Freya demanded.
"Because I was threatening his life," Emlyn said.
"How can you be so…" Freya began to say, her voice high.
"I was joking. You're just so high and mighty that you wouldn't recognize humor if it bit you on the…!"
"We've got another passenger!" a voice interrupted. It was Mackenzie. Cole followed her back into the room, still not looking very happy, but not quite so angry. "What's going on here?" Mackenzie asked, frowning at the looks on the other two women's faces.
"Nothing," Emlyn said. She rose to her feet and marched toward the cockpit. She was angry. One thing that would calm her down at the moment was reading the hyperspace sequences. It was a habit that she had picked up from a friend… She took a deep breath as she walked up behind Dustil.
"Something up, Em?" he asked her, turning his head to look at her.
"Yeah. It doesn't matter though: I just have to calm down and I'll be fine," Emlyn mumbled, making her way to the star chart. She began settling in to read her way through the coordinates of every planet in the ship's memory. She whistled as she scanned the list. "There're a load of destinations on here," she mentioned to Dustil.
"Yeah, twenty-seven, I think. Ships don't usually have more than seven or eight," he replied.
"That tour must've been something. Or would have been," Emlyn murmured, deciding on a pretty blue planet that she hadn't heard of before. It was pretty far out near the Rim; what would a band be doing playing way out there?
"Are you okay about Nar Shadaa?" Dustil asked suddenly.
"What?" Emlyn asked, turning to him.
Dustil stood up and walked over to her, frowning slightly. "I didn't really consider how you would feel about going back there until I had already said I was going. I wasn't sure if you'd come," he explained.
Emlyn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She could feel Dustil's concern for her, but somehow that just seemed to irritate her. "I'm fine. It's no big deal, Onasi."
"It is if you're bothered by it."
"Well, I'm not," Emlyn snapped. She glared at him, expecting him to get angry, but the emotion on his face was not anger. He was watching her, studying her. She supposed it was his job: Jedi couldn't have their student's losing their minds on a regular basis. The truth was that she was bothered by it, more than she wanted to admit even to herself, but that didn't mean she wouldn't go. She had been very frightened, all the time, back on Nar Shadaa, and old habits died hard. But they did die.
Feeling Dustil cautiously brush her consciousness, Emlyn felt her cheeks heat up a bit. The brush was out of concern, but it was too intimate for her comfort, but that was to be expected when you had someone linked to your mind.
:I don't believe you: she felt him say softly.
:Didn't ask you to: Emlyn replied.
"There's more to it, isn't there?"
Emlyn turned her head away and closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about it, didn't want to talk about it… didn't want it to be true. To lose someone that one cared about deeply created a wound that nothing but time could heal, and sometimes even time didn't seem to work.
Suddenly she felt fingers gently take her chin and turn her face. Opening her eyes, Emlyn stared at Dustil blankly. He would listen if she wanted to talk.
"Not yet," she said softly.
"I'm here when you're ready, if you ever are," he said simply. Turning to the map, he asked her if she knew of any ideal docking areas on Nar Shadaa. "We'll need one that's out of the way if we're going to avoid the authorities."
"Yeah, hold on," Emlyn said with relief at the change of subject. She brought up the planetary map on Nar Shadaa and pointed to a small section on the west side of the planet. "If I remember correctly, and if things haven't changed too much, there should be a few… unoccupied landing pads around here."
"You mean illegal," Dustil said absently as his hands flew over the control switches and keys of the ship.
"I prefer to think of them as… unwanted," Emlyn replied.
Dustil shook his head and didn't respond.
Soon they were docked on an older looking pad. Thankfully it was completely stable; the last thing they wanted was to fall for hours and hours to the ground on Nar Shadaa. If there even was a ground anymore, that was.
"If we're going to find Jobba, the best thing to do would be to check the cantina or the pazaak lounge," Cole said contemplatively as the five of them gathered in the main room of the ship.
"If we have time I'll give you the honor of being beaten by me in pazaak," Mackenzie teased Cole, who glared at her.
"Before we get too far with the details, who's staying behind with the ship?" Emlyn asked as she made sure her lightsaber was secure on her belt.
The five looked at each other, blank looks on their faces. Dustil sighed. "I'm guessing that no one wants to stay," he said.
"Hey, I have to come: it's my contact," Cole argued.
"I do not wish to remain behind…Dustil," Freya said, her face turning a shade pinker when she said his name. Emlyn nearly rolled her eyes, but caught herself just in time.
"Fine," Mackenzie snapped, "I'll stay. The Jedi obviously have to stay, Cole doesn't have a choice, and Freya's so love sick over Dustil that she wouldn't notice if someone spaced the whole ship around her ears."
Blushing furiously now, Freya turned her face away from Dustil, who was looking at the dark haired girl in surprise. Emlyn almost laughed at the expression on his face; he really hadn't noticed! She would give him a terrible time about it later, she vowed with an evil smirk.
"Great, I get two crazy Jedi and a princess. I'd rather stay on the ship," Cole grumbled, hoisting a pack over one shoulder and heading for the exit ramp of the Solar Flare.
My sentiments exactly, only I have to deal with one crazy Jedi, Miss Princess, and a moody...
:In a good mood, huh: Emlyn heard Dustil say.
:How could you tell? Is it my shining aura of happiness: Emlyn asked sarcastically.
:Claws are out today, Em: Dustil replied calmly.
Emlyn immediately felt bad: he hadn't done anything to her other than be nice, and here she was snapping at him because she was annoyed with Freya because… Why was she frustrated with the girl?
'You have feelings for the Onasi boy,' Lea said quietly.
Shock shot through Emlyn; she stood, unmoving for a moment before vehemently denying that she had any such feelings at all, especially for Dustil.
'Just the fact that you are trying so hard to disprove my words tells me that you are also trying to convince yourself that you do not care for him.'
I didn't say that I don't care for him. I do, but like a swoop bike or a pet fish. I mean, I'd cry if I had to flush him down the refresher, but I wouldn't want to kiss him!
'Wouldn't you?' Lea asked gently.
Emlyn hesitated and images sprang into her mind unbidden. Dustil looking at her in a special way, moving closer until…
No! He's my friend, and nothing more. Jedi aren't supposed to…
'Love? Feel? No, I suppose not. But do Jedi not protect the galaxy from harm because they love it?'
That's different!
'Yes it is. But there are Jedi that have fallen in love.'
Yeah, and we all know how well that turns out, Emlyn said, mentally snorting as she walked to the bunk room that she shared with Freya and Mackenzie.
'I feel that you care for him much more than you let on.'
Well, I don't, Emlyn thought lamely.
'Just be careful, Emlyn. Jedi are saviors, and saviors are slaves to the good of all, which often requires the sacrifice of all they have. And you have not been a Jedi for very long.'
Don't worry, Lea. I'm fine, really, Emlyn said, trying to convey a comforting feeling. She was interrupted Dustil popped his head in the room and asked Freya and her if they were ready to leave. "Yeah, I'm done," Emlyn replied, careful not to look at him. Freya said that she needed a minute more. "What's the hold up?" Emlyn asked Freya after Dustil left.
"I am having trouble focusing on what I should pack," Freya replied as she removed an item from her bag.
"Just take a change of cloths, some medpacs, a couple weapons, and anything else you think you might need for a short-ish trip," Emlyn replied practically.
Freya nodded absently. Emlyn looked at her curiously and asked, "Something bothering you?" even though she got the feeling that she wouldn't want to hear it.
"It is what Mackenzie said," Freya admitted, "about Dustil."
"You do like him?" Emlyn asked flatly.
"I…I think I do…very much. I do," Freya said helplessly.
"You just met him," Emlyn pointed out, "You should be careful about becoming so attached in so short a time."
"He would never betray me," Freya defended.
"I didn't say he would, only that you can't know the extent of your feelings yet, and…"
"Do you imply that I am too young to know my own mind?" Freya demanded.
"Shut up for a second," Emlyn ordered, "I was just going to say that you don't know if he feels the same way, or if you feelings are truly anything more than admiration."
"You do not feel what I feel, and what I feel is not mere admiration. I have felt much admiration before, but this is not it," Freya said defiantly.
Emlyn felt her stomach tighten with irritation and a bit of nervousness; what if Dustil felt the same? No, definitely not: his face had told her that much. But what about now that he knew how Freya felt? That would ruin their friendship if he were to fall for someone like her; she seemed a bit… over possessive.
But Dustil's a Jedi, Emlyn reminded herself sternly, and Jedi do not fall in love.
'Shouldn't, but do.'
Emlyn scowled at Lea's words and forced her attention back to Freya. "Look, all I'm saying is that you should be careful of interpreting emotions so quickly, Freya," Emlyn said gently.
"It is easy for you to say, Jedi!" Freya burst out unexpectedly.
Emlyn stared, slightly shocked, at the younger woman's red cheeks and flashing eyes. She really felt strongly about this. "Freya…"
"How easy for a Jedi to lecture about controlling emotions when they have none of their own!" the dark haired girl raged on, "You do not have the troubles I have! You do not feel this longing and know that it can never be! Because Jedi do not love, and he is a Jedi! You cannot understand, so do not give me lessons on emotion!"
Immediately Emlyn's temper rose. "I'd advise keeping your mouth shut about things you don't understand," Emlyn said, her voice wavering from her desperate attempt to keep her temper under control.
"And you should not criticize something you have never experienced! You give advice about something that you will never understand or know. Jedi do not feel," Freya said shrilly.
"Shut up!" Emlyn shouted, shocking both herself and Freya. The latter sat in stunned silence. "How dare you judge me?" Emlyn choked out, trembling from her anger and sadness, "You don't know me. You don't know where I've been or who I've known, or what I felt for them. So don't presume that you can pull that kind of garbage on me." Without a backward glance, Emlyn grabbed her bag and turned her back on Freya as she left.
"Where's Freya?" Dustil asked Emlyn as she walked into the cockpit and grabbed her data pad from the co-pilot's seat. Cole, he knew, was outside waiting, and Dustil wanted to get underway as soon as possible. Suddenly he was hit with a powerful wave of anger and sorrow coming from her. What had happened? He stopped his work at the galaxy map to look at her.
"She's finishing her packing. Go help her if you want to get out of here faster," Emlyn snapped as she pushed past him.
"Wait a second," Dustil said, putting a hand on her arm. To his surprise Emlyn swung around and Force Pushed him back against the wall. "Hey!" he yelled in surprise. He managed to keep a hold on her arm.
"Leave me alone, Dustil," Emlyn warned.
"Not in this state! What's wrong?" he asked her, very concerned.
"Let go of me," Emlyn demanded.
Dustil complied, and she wrenched away from him, heading toward the door. With a flick of his wrist the door shut with a whirring sound, and clinked as the lock slid into place.
"What is your problem?" Emlyn practically yelled after discovering the door would not open even after trying to force it with her own Force.
"Tell me what the matter is," Dustil said gently.
Emlyn glared at him. "Open that door," she ordered angrily.
"No. You've got a problem, and I think you need to talk about it," Dustil said correctly.
"Where do you get off telling me what I need, Onasi?" Emlyn demanded.
"I got the right to help you when we became friends and you became a Jedi. It's what we do: we help one another and others," Dustil said calmly. He knew that she knew he was right.
Emlyn hesitated and was alarmed to feel hot liquid welling up in her eyes. She knew she wouldn't be able to control it for much longer. She was angry and upset, and she needed to cry, whether she wanted to or not. But not in front of Dustil. "Unlock the door," she tried again.
"Not yet, Em," Dustil said.
With three angry strides, Emlyn crossed the room. "Open the door!" she commanded.
"Em…"
"Let me out!" she cried, angry as tears began leaking from her eyes. She raised her fists and hit them against his chest once before salty liquid began running in rivers down her cheeks. She felt two warm arms wrap around her shoulders and almost pulled away, but didn't. After a second's hesitation, she leaned against Dustil, her breath becoming erratic as she tried to contain her sobs.
"Let it out, Emlyn," she heard Dustil say.
"He died," she managed to get out, "And I couldn't save him."
"Who?" Dustil asked, bewildered.
"Aidan."
Dustil held her protectively as he waited for her to continue.
"Aidan was my best friend, and he… I was going to marry him," Emlyn choked.
Shock shot through Dustil's body as her words registered. "What? When?" he asked without thinking.
"I'd known him since I was small, and when we turned eighteen he asked me to marry him. We were going to wait until we were twenty-one, but he… was killed. I didn't have the strength to do anything. I was hurt, and he died saving my life. That's why I hunt the Sith, and why…" she couldn't continue. Her sobs broke free, wracking her body as they burst from her mouth. She gasped and cried, trying to catch her breath, but unable to stop the sorrow that was escaping her heart.
Dustil held her closer as he listened to her heart-broken cries, his own heart having trouble not breaking at the sound. Three years. It had only been three years since he had died. She would have married him very soon. Then her last words sunk in: "That's why I hunt the Sith…"
"Emlyn, you're tracking Sith?" Dustil asked as she calmed down a bit.
"Yes," she said angrily between sobs, "They destroyed my life, and murdered innocent people; I need to get to the Republic and warn them about…" she stopped, closing her mouth with a snap. "But I can't," she said bitterly, the last of her sobs dying in her throat, "They probably wouldn't have believed me even before I had all those charges against me, but now… There's no way." She paused for a second before adding determinedly, "I have to try anyway."
"What are you talking about?" Dustil asked, his grip on her tightening the tiniest bit.
"I'm talking about another threat to the galaxy, the Jedi in particular. And most specifically, Revan. She's the only one who can lead a counter attack," Emlyn said in a low voice, "That's what they said, and that is why they want to kill her, or turn her: whatever it takes to get her out of the way. The Sith threat isn't over, and I don't know if it will ever be through with for good."
"We have to warn her and the Republic," Dustil said, feeling sick from what he had just heard, but not surprised, not when it came to the Sith. Dustil thought quickly. He could probably get through to his father, but Revan. He felt a thrill of horror course through his body as a terrible truth occurred to him. Slowly, he said, "If they're going to attack, it's going to be at the time when she's most vulnerable. She's going to have a baby, Em. They're going to threaten her child."
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW. Even though I don't really like this chapter...
Wow. I totally did not mean for it to get so angsty! So much for a lighter chapter. I so did not know that about Emlyn! I thought I might have her brother be the one who died along with… others, but not someone she was in love with! Is it healthy that I have minimal – sometimes almost no – control over my stories? It can't be.
How the heck am I supposed to continue on from this point? Corners, corners all around.
SPRING BREAK SOON! YAY! But wait! That means… WORK! Darn. Don't ask, it's the way my mom is. She believes that break time is a time to catch up on things. That's a good idea, but who wants to be on top of things? Really! Oh well, better than being with Dad, I suppose; I can at least use my computer and hang out some. I don't…think I'll be with Dad… hopefully… er…
Until next time! And then I'll try to lighten things up a bit, since they WILL NOT be able to contact Revan yet, and will have to follow their lead with Sholden. Maybe I'll even remember to throw in some evil things that are done to Dustil by Emlyn. I'm thinking… pazaak and undercover stuff! Yeah!
Oh, and a big, big thank you to Lady Drachir and Amme Moto!