Daggers

Visas didn't like cities. And while Bothawui's cities were not so densely packed as Nar Shaddaa, they were no exception. The pulse of life within any city was terribly disorienting. Visas failed to understand how the inhabitants of cities could stand such an oppressive environment as she walked along the crowded streets.

Or am I missing something? Evrain seemed to find something aesthetic in cities. Did he see something I am blind to?

Curious, Visas suppressed her misgivings and tried to feel the millions of people around her rather than wall them off. She visibly stumbled in the same instant. The vibrant pulse of life nearly overwhelmed Visas as she withdrew back into herself. Perhaps that is something better experimented with in meditations.

Visas took a steadying breath and started forward again, aware that others in the throng were watching her. It was only a short walk to the spaceport and Visas felt the pulse quicken as she approached.

The bothan male who had sold Visas the shuttle told her it would be in bay twenty-three. The label was meaningless to Visas since she had no sight with which to read signs. The bothan had been hesitant to sell the shuttle to Visas since she was obviously blind.

Fortunately Visas had tools other than sight at her disposal. Every sentient, and most non-sentients, had a unique aura which permeated it and everything it touched, especially the things it owned. That being the case Visas merely had to isolate the trails of the bothan's aura and follow it. It was not as easy in the busy spaceport as it might have been in a more static area but was hardly difficult.

Visas stood in front of the security door to the bay, she was certain it was the correct one, the bothan's aura was all over it. Visas slid the keycard the bothan had given her through the keypad. Seconds later there was a click and the door slid open.

Visas honed her awareness on the shuttle and determined that it was in good condition, just as the bothan had said it was. The shuttle was an optimal configuration for a small number of long distance travelers. Visas began to walk toward the shuttle, then stopped.

Something is wrong. Visas opened her awareness and felt three other objects in the room. Objects with will, purpose, and malice.

Visas's twin lightsabers hissed to life as the hanger was lit up by volleys of blaster fire. Drawing on the force, Visas mustered the speed to turn and deflect the deadly energy bolts. The urgency of combat allowed Visas to better hone her focus and she became intimately aware of her attackers: three droids of a similar configuration to the HK-47 droid Evrain had restored. All three wielded repeating blaster rifles, and had been standing to the sides of the door, obviously meaning to shoot me in the back.

There was a brief pause in the laser volley during which Visas hurled both of her lightsabers at the two flanking droids. On leaving Visas' hands the weapons seemed to take on a power of their own as they flew unerringly into the chests of the assassin droids.

Now weaponless, Visas activated her stealth unit. The remaining HK-50 could still detect her with infrared sensors but those were not so accurate as visual sensors and most of the droid's frenzied shots missed wide.

The mirakula ran toward the remaining droid and used the force to pull her lightsabers back. The blades ignited as soon as the lightsaber hilts returned to her hands. Visas lunged forward and swung with one lightsaber while blocking the HK-50's last shots with the other. The energy blade cackled as it sliced the assassin droid in half. The motors in the HK-50's frame slowly wound down as the upper torso slid off and clattered noisily upon meeting the ground.

What was this about? Visas wondered, deactivating her lightsabers and examining what was left of the droids. I will find no answers here, that is for certain. But somebody sent these droids, and likely paid a great deal for their services. Am I being targeted in the same way Evrain was? He spoke of HK-50 droids hunting him.

Visas continued to ponder as she walked over to the shuttle. The remote sensor the bothan had given Visas worked and the ramp lowered automatically as she approached. As Visas sat down in the pilot's seat, another thought occurred to her, will they be going after the others as well?

Part of Visas was unconcerned for the others, in whose company she had been scorned. But a greater part did feel a share of responsibility for them.

My pilgrimage will have to wait, Visas decided


The Ebon Hawk was no where in particular, just in that vast emptiness between star systems. Both of the ship's occupants were in the aft section, where Atton was working on the Ebon Hawk's temperamental hyperdrive while Mira leaned against the heavy power conduits along the wall.

"Maybe you should have tried to keep that astromech droid," Mira said.

"I'm willing to bet that can did this on purpose," Atton responded.

"Somebody's cranky," Mira said under her breath.

"I'm not cranky!" Atton vehemently declared, dropping his hydrospanner in the process and cursing soon thereafter.

"Okay," Mira replied indifferently, a tight grin spreading across her face as she walked back toward the cockpit and finally settled back into the copilot's seat. While irritating Atton does have its appeal it's only a matter of time before he really snaps.

Then Mira heard a succession of grinding noises and the cackling of sparks from the engine room followed by a succession of curses, most of which Mira had not heard since leaving Nar Shaddaa. Mira failed to suppress her laughter. But her laughter ceased when the console started urgently beeping.

"Atton!" Mira called when the beeping persisted.

"What?" came the abrupt response. Mira didn't bother to explain since she could already hear Atton coming. "What?" Atton asked again once he was in the cockpit, then heard the beeping, "proximity alert? Out here?"

Atton hurried to take his seat but was cut short when a series of impacts rocked the Ebon Hawk, knocking Atton to the ground and nearly sending Mira out of her chair. The lights flickered then another series of blasts shook the vessel and the lights went out completely, even the console displays. Then Mira felt the awkward sensation of weightlessness and tried to anchor herself to the chair.

"What's going on?" Mira asked, her voice more than a little tremulous.

"Ion cannons," Atton groaned, "whoever was shooting at us wanted to disable the ship's power sources. Even the emergency generators are out."

Mira was no stranger to darkness, but she had never known darkness like she was overwhelmed with now. However much the stars might shine, they weren't lending any light to the interior of the Ebon Hawk.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Atton said, and it sounded like he was moving away, "whoever disabled this ship is going to be coming in."

The bounty hunter jumped when a deafening clang resounded throughout the Ebon Hawk and promptly lost her hold on the chair. In a panic, she tried to catch hold of it again but only drifted further away. She had always thought weightlessness would be something fun to experience, instead she felt ready to vomit.

And I had to leave my equipment scattered around the dormitories! How am I going to find any of it with no light and no gravity? By now the equipment's not just scattered, it's floating!

Okay . . . come on . . . pull yourself together Mira. You didn't come this far just to be defeated by a little darkness and weightlessness.

Mira propelled herself forward. Just like swimming. Then she realized that there was no resistance to slow her down and flailed about before running headfirst into a wall. Anchoring herself with one hand, Mira used her free hand to feel the gash across her forehead. Realizing that treating weightlessness like being underwater wasn't such a good idea, Mira pulled herself along the nooks and crannies of the corridor at a more controlled pace.

Mira winced as a second clang reverberated throughout the ship but continued forward. The curving of the wall told the bounty hunter she had made it to the common area. Just a little bit further.

A sharp grinding noise from above was the next unpleasant noise that encouraged Mira to move faster. But more disturbing was the silence once the grinding stopped, then Mira heard a soft hiss. Gas.

Paralysis came almost instantaneously, beginning with the hands and feet and quickly working its way inward. Then the bounty hunter was blinded by a flash of light as a hole was bored through the ceiling of the common area. Mira dimly saw the silhouettes of several humanoid shapes descending through the hole as she passed out.