Last time: Sasha is guilty for killing the brother.

Now: Kyr checks on Viran.

Chapter 20- Distraction

Kyr walked around the core of the ship, Scamp was hanging out in the cockpit with Tac, and Cien was having fun with some kind of teasing battle between her, Nova and Kelce over the backdrop of a game of holographic chess. QT rolled by him, and she was beeping happily to herself. He did perform a double take though when she mentioned something about resetting the containment core for the fusion reactor, but she seemed on top of whatever she was doing so he just shrugged.

He stopped in front of the door to the meditation room that Viran had secreted himself in for almost the whole trip. Pausing for a moment, he tried to figure out what to say. Viran was his best friend, and he had taken the whole situation understandably hard. He knew Cien had been checking on him, he had as well. He remembered how desperate Viran had been when Sasha had been kidnapped the first time, and he let out a sigh before he knocked on the door.

"Viran, want to go shoot stuff in the range?" Kyr asked the closed door.

"Uh… sure," Viran called from the other side of the door. "Give me a second." A moment passed then the door slid open. Viran stood there, looking a little sleep deprived, but somehow wired and alert. Probably from a lot of caf. "Shall we?"

"Sure." Kyr said. "Missed ya at lunch." Kyr observed as they walked back towards the armory.

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Viran said as he scratched the back of his head. "I was distracted."

"No problem. Ya doing okay Viran?" Kyr asked.

"I'm doing alright," Viran said with a nod. He seemed slightly out of it, but appeared to be okay. On the outside at least.

"Found anything interesting out?" Kyr and Cien and Nova and Kelce and Scamp had noticed the datapads in the room whenever they went to go check on him.

That seemed to perk Viran up. "Well the more I look at it, the datapad, the more I think I understand what this guy was planning," Viran stated simply. "Why he took them to Myrkr."

"Those ysalamiri?" Kyr asked as they walked through into the armory.

"Yeah those," Viran acknowledged.

"What did you find out?" Kyr said, stopping and leaning against the rack of blasters.

Viran stopped and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, the information he had on Sasha noted that she was a powerful Force user. And according to the research he had done, those ysalamiri have the ability to take the Force away. Or that's the rumor around their species. No one has actually recorded any proof that those creatures can do that, but there is enough rumor around it that it got this Von curious enough to test it," he explained. "And I think he found the proof. We haven't been able to sense Sasha or Oppie since they disappeared. Plus right now, they are on a planet that these creatures come from. Meaning they are most likely trapped in a ysalamiri hell hole where the Force is just… gone." He tried to hide a shudder at the mere thought of not having any connection to the Force. Viran wasn't as strong as Sasha or Cien with the Force, but it still was a part of him.

"Any information on what the effects are?" He asked, "is it like a chemical or something they secrete?"

"From what the research says, it says that they supposedly create an invisible bubble or shield that just blocks the Force from predators as they are Force sensitive too," Viran said. "But again those are just rumors. What the creatures actually do, I'm not entirely sure, but they can block the Force somehow."

"Hmph." Kyr thought for a moment. "If it was a chemical or something we could give you guys rebreather gear, but if it's stuff like that not sure what we can do."

"I guess we won't know for sure until we get there," Viran said as he shrugged.

"Yeah." Kyr said with a slightly worried shrug. "Whatcha want to shoot?" He asked.

"Hmm, can I try one of the rifles?" Viran asked, pointing at the wall of blasters. "Maybe that light repeater?"

"Sure." Kyr said. He hit a button, and one of the bulkheads slid back and projected a holographic targeting range.

Viran grabbed the light repeater, stepped over to the range, aimed it at the holo-target, and unleashed a barrage of gunfire. After a moment, he lowered it with a stupid grin on his face, enjoying himself.

"Not as much fun as an actual range, but it works." Kyr said with a grin of his own.

"Yeah, but as much as I love to use my lightsaber, I love using a good blaster," Viran said with a smile. Something he hadn't done a whole lot of recently.

"You fired the DLT?" Kyr asked, gesturing at the weapon he had taken from some Death Troopers all those years ago, one of his favorites.

"No, but that would be awesome," Viran said eagerly as he put the light repeater back. He then grabbed the DLT and turned back to the range. He pulled the trigger and fired off a few shots. He laughed after the last shot. "Damn, that's amazing!"

"You really are a mando now." Kyr said with a grin.

"Thanks, Kyr," Viran said as he lowered the blaster. He gave him a genuine smile.

"Here, try my T1." Kyr said, pulling it off the rack. "It's kind of become my favorite."

Viran put the DLT back and grabbed the T1. He turned to the range and fired off a few shots.

"WHOA!" He laughed out. "That's amazing! I see why you like it."

"Yeah, it's such a nice little rifle." Kyr smirked, "saw me through the war."

"Well, it's great. Mind if I borrow it sometime?" Viran asked in a joking tone.

"Sure, I can always use the DLT." Kyr said.

Viran chuckled. "Thanks." He placed the T1 back and slowly backed away. "Thanks for the distraction and for everything," he said, changing the subject.

"No problem, want to shoot more stuff?" Kyr asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah, but…" Viran bit his bottom lip. Normally, he would love to just stay at the range and shoot more or sit in the cockpit and fly. But he really wanted to get back to those datapads. For some reason, looking through all of that information was keeping him motivated to find Sasha and Oppie. And getting a better idea of this Von Signa guy. "I should get back. I still have more research to do," he said sorrowfully after a moment.

"What are you researching?" Kyr asked quizzically.

"I guess it's more just digging through that datapad and learning more about this bounty," Viran explained. "I feel like I am close to understanding what exactly is happening to them there." He was sounding like Sasha.

"You talked with Kitsu and Illara about it at all? They have more experience with bounties and the hunters thereof." Kyr suggested. He was a little surprised Viran was spending his time so deep in research. Back during the temple runs he had been a brash young hotshot, and when Sasha was taken last time he had seemed too despondent to think of doing research.

"Yeah, I've spoken with them about it," Viran nodded. "They gave me a few suggestions as to what Von was doing with them. The only ones that make the most sense are either they have been delivered to the client who lives there or…" he hesitated. "Or they were taken there for another purpose. Like an actual hunt." He frowned at that.

Kyr crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Like a hunt hunt?"

"Like what the Trandoshians do for fun," Viran said, a little bitterly.

Kyr was silent for a while. "How good are you with a blaster?" Kyr asked him.

"I think I'm pretty good. Why?" Viran asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, just without the Force you might prefer a blaster over your saber." Kyr suggested.

"Not a bad thought," Viran agreed. "I'll keep it in mind."

Kyr nodded. "Anything we can do to help with the research?" He asked.

"Umm…" Viran thought about it for a moment. "Sure, but I think I've got it. It's been keeping me busy while we've been traveling." But he was just going in circles with all of this. Maybe a little aid from the others wouldn't be a bad thing. He sighed. "But any help would be great." He gave in. "Maybe you guys can take a look at it all and see if I'm missing anything. Or if my theory is off about the 'hunt'." He used his fingers to emphasize the word hunt as if it were in quotations.

"I can come take a look," Kyr suggested, "might help us figure out a plan for what to do once we arrive."

"Alright. Here let me grab the datapad," Viran said as he turned and started to head back to the mediation room.

Oppie sat on the ground, his back against a tree trunk that gave him a good view of the surrounding area. Even without the Force he had found some of the focusing techniques and meditative training to be useful, but the last few days wore on him. The last time he'd seen days like this he had been in his early teens, with Master Redika and the clones at their side. He felt tired, and for the first time, he realized he felt old and worn out. He looked down at Sasha, it was later into the morning than they probably should have waited, but he wanted to give her a chance to sleep in a little more. She had stubbornly insisted on taking the first watch, and he had relented after he made her promise to wake him for his watch, which she had.

But they needed to keep moving, to get away from whatever hunters might come for them this day. He tried to push his pessimistic thoughts aside and put on a good front for Sasha as he got up and moved over to her. He patted her gently on the arm. "Hey, Sash."

Sasha slowly stirred as she felt his hand on her arm. She groaned as her body felt sore and exhausted. But something else felt off. Something she hadn't felt before in their time here on Myrkr. She couldn't quite put a finger on it at first as she slowly peeled open her eyes. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, Sasha looked around in a bit of a haze.

"Hey," she croaked. Her throat was dry. "Is it morning?"

"Yes, another beautiful day on our vacation." Oppie said.

Sasha chuckled at that at first before rubbing her eyes, clearing them. "How long have I been asleep?" She asked when she moved her hand away and noticed it was brighter out.

"I don't know," Oppie said with a shrug. "How are you feeling this morning?" He asked as he started gathering their things.

"Sore. Tired. Wishing to sleep for a week," Sasha said as she laid there for a moment before starting to sit up. She winced at her ribs still hurting, but compared to the day before they were much better. However, her head felt like it was spinning for a moment as she sat up. Most likely from her being sleep deprived, hungry, and dehydrated, if she had to guess.

"Do you want to have that last dose of bacta?" Oppie asked, sure she would say no, and trying to figure out if he should insist.

Once her head stopped spinning and cleared up, she thought for a moment before answering. "I think I'm okay right now. But if I don't feel great later, I promise to let you know and you can give it to me then," she suggested.

He looked at her for a moment. "Okay, but if you start feeling worse tell me, okay?"

"I promise," she said as she met his gaze.

He nodded and pulled some two ration bars out and handed her one. "Ready to continue our adventure?"

"Yeah, I guess," Sasha said as she grabbed the ration bar. She peeled back the wrapper and took a bite. Her stomach turned slightly as she tried to swallow it. Where that came from, she wasn't entirely sure. However, she still ate as much of it as she could.

"Is that crutch okay, or should we keep an eye out for a better one?" Oppie asked as he munched on his breakfast.

"It's fine," Sasha said as she glanced at the crutch lying nearby. "I'm getting used to it."

"Okay." Oppie said, looking at her worriedly and trying to hide the glance.

"How are you doing? You okay?" Sasha asked after a moment.

"Yeah, I'm good." Oppie said with a shrug.

"That's good," Sasha said as she swallowed the last bite. Again, there was another weird stomach turn. At this point, now that she was more awake, still groggy but awake, she was able to discern what that odd feeling was once she woke up. She noticed that her shoulder not only ached, but felt warm. Like uncomfortably warm. Which made her feel the same way. But aside from her body temperature being warmer than normal, her shoulder feeling strange, potentially that momentary dizzy spell, and her stomach rejecting food, Sasha felt fine. Well as fine as she could be at the moment. She still did have a broken leg, bruised ribs, and a nasty wound in her shoulder and she was without the Force. Her mind felt a little foggy to try and figure out what was causing it. Most likely from her exhaustion more than anything.

"We'll take it easier today." Oppie suggested. "I know we're heading for the mountains, but we don't really have a particular goal, we aren't in a rush."

That pulled Sasha out of her thoughts. "Okay. What should we do if we run into another hunter today?" She asked, a layer of worry in her voice.

He grimaced, not quite sure how to answer. "Whatever we need to do. Let me handle them if we have that option." He said, looking back up at her.

"Are you sure? I can still help," Sasha tried to negotiate.

"Well I mean if you feel up to it, sure." Oppie said with a smirk.

"Even in my current state, I'm not going to let you do this alone," Sasha said, determined.

He shrugged. "Okay. If we encounter another hunter it really just depends on what happens anyway."

"Fair enough," Sasha said with a nod. "Should we go then?" She asked after a moment.

"Yeah." Oppie said, gathering the packs and readjusting his various slings as he stood up. He offered his hand out to Sasha to give her some extra leverage up.

Sasha took his hand and allowed him to help her up as she held the crutch in her other hand. Once on her feet, she wobbled for a moment as her vision blurred and she felt dizzy. The spell didn't last long, but it was enough to almost cause her to lose balance for a moment. Oppie wrapped his arm around under her good arm to steady her.

"Thanks," she said as she regained her balance. "I think I just stood up too fast."

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sasha shrugged off as she straightened up.

Oppie looked at her worriedly for a second before stepping away. "Maybe we'll be rescued today." He suggested as they started off.

"Hopefully yeah," Sasha said as she adjusted the crutch before following him.

The hyperspace tunnel dissolved into star lines and then to realspace after Illara pulled the levers back. Myrkr appeared before them, a green world. A very green world. The entire surface was covered with jungle and scattered, shallow seas, and only one major outpost. It was a lush, vibrant jungle from pole to pole. Which would make their job very difficult.

"How are we going to find them in this mess?" Kitsu said, looking at the sensor telemetry as it started showing up on their screens. The life signs detector lit up, which was no surprise. Trying to find Oppie and Sasha in this mess would be like trying to find a needle in an entire planet covered in needles. If they went in low enough maybe the detector might be able to discern their human readings, but that would take a miracle to actually work.

"We could look for Von's ship? If he's here, his ship has to be too." Illara said, the same dismay coming through in their voice.

"Yeah, I'm already running the scan." Kitsu said. "Can you put us in a lower orbit?"

"Sure." Illara said, tightening their orbit down to two thousand kilometers. "Should complete an orbit in about ninety minutes."

"'Kay." Kitsu said, looking at the scopes, waiting for a readout. "He probably has sensor mesh setup, though. I'm betting we won't find anything." She groused.

"Yeah." Illara agreed. "Shame we didn't get an invitation to join this hunt, we could have put an early end to it."

"Yeah, we should have gotten along better with that psychopath." Kitsu mused with a snort. "Man, if I get one shot at his scrawny little shebs I'm going to take it."

"Me too." Illara responded, looking down at the planet's surface again, trying to use their experience as a bounty hunter to try to figure out a way to narrow the search down. In a way this was like trying to track down an elusive bounty that had gone to ground. It would just take time. If they had an astromech to help sift through and process the data, it might go faster. Maybe when Kyr and the others arrived with Tac and QT they could help out. Illara got out of the seat, moving around Kitsu. "You want a snack?"

"No, I'm good, thanks though." Kitsu said, intently studying the sensor readouts.

Illara just nodded as they went back to the galley section of their ship.

Review!