Slipping Destiny
CHAPTER 2: Hello All!
"Look at me." Bastilla snaps as she grabs Ken's shoulders to turn him around. "I'm not doing this."
"I think I heard you the first time." He grabs her hands and eases them into a prayer position, holding them there. "And I think we came to the conclusion that you wouldn't."
"I'm not going to let you kill yourself."
"I don't think that was in the description." He lets her go and continues to walk out the door. "Come on, Big Z, let's go."
"What you're doing is suicide!"
Ken stops at the door stopping it from closing with his hand. He raises a finger. "Careful what you think; you greatly underestimate us non-Force users. I think I told you that a little over a year ago. Chow." He waves as he leaves.
"Ah, Yuthera, how are you this fine evening?"
"It's pouring out." The Sith answers, taking a sip from her drink.
Ken looks out the windows of the cantina. "Ah, so it is."
"So what did you call me here for?"
"I just wanted to congratulate you on making it to the head of the Academy."
"You're a little late for that."
"I was busy."
"You're always busy. Is it only now you have found time off?"
Ken nods. "And I'm deeply sorry." He reaches forward and touches her hand that's on the table. She pulls back slightly but doesn't stop his second attempt. "If I could make it up to you I would."
The Twileck grins. "The Force can do amazing things."
"I told you: I'm not interested in the Force."
Her grin widens. "That's not what I meant."
A knowing grin crosses his face; she had talked about this before. "Yo! Bartender! A bottle of your finest wine and the honeymoon spread."
Surene walks in behind the two lovebirds, cloaked thanks to the dampening device. She remains as quiet as possible; the belt may help but its best to be cautious around a Sith, even a drunk one. She was exceedingly interested in Ken but Ken seemed to know what he was doing. She didn't see this; appears everyone sees exactly what they want to see.
Surene follows them until they come to a stop.
"My private quarters…Some changes have been made." Yuthera grins, tapping in the password and key.
Ken whistles. "It's bigger."
They step inside and she turns around. Now where is the entrance? Zaalbar I hope you left a trail of some kind. She flicks through her sets of visions on the headset as she enters the main room. A special brand of paint leaves steady drops and she follows them, silently congratulating the wookie. Far better than bread crumbs, my friend.
She waits patiently for the doors to open and eases herself out as three students talk merrily. She walks down the path, searching for the entrance to the caverns. Zaalbar may not be there yet but if not he can find her frequency. She activates the tracker. Zaalbar isn't in the caves but in the site with the other archaeologists. Obviously he didn't find a safe window of time to sneak out.
She finally finds the entrance and steps inside, bypassing the flying beasts. She cant see very well in the caves without light and that would attract attention even if most of the cave dwellers used echo-location it was best to try and be unseen. She turns on her night-vision and begins searching the vast caverns and tunnels. Many lead to dead ends or dens of carnivorous animals she didn't have the heart to try to name.
Her search seemed almost fruitless until she saw some flickering on the walls. Looking down she found human tracks. She followed them to a large hollow area with a dirt pillar near the centre. A fire-pit sat in a dip in the ground near it. There were tents placed at the walls in such a way they couldn't be seen from the entrances. They looked like they had been there so long they had melded onto the dirt about them.
"Someone's there." One whispered.
The group flourish their blades in the air, taking offensive and defensive stances.
Surene raises her hand and clicks her belt buckle. "Whoa, whoa fellas, someone asked for help?"
"The rodian said he was calling a specialist named Ken Dorr and that's a man, not a woman." One raises his light-sabre forward accusingly. "Who are you?"
"A henchman of Ken's. Can I lower my hands now?"
A second passes before they all agree. "What's the plan then?"
"He says it would be easiest if you had found another exit besides the one that leads to the Academy, if not we have to take a few more steps. But before I get lost again, I would really like a map of this area or a tour before someone I know gets here."
"Where's Ken?"
"Where's Ken?" Surene rolls her eyes. "He's sacrificing himself here to save you. He's posing as distraction right now. He'll be your pilot and work out everything else that has to happen once we get out of here. So don't worry about him. If he dies, well we have a back up plan set up but he doesn't know about it yet. Now that tour please?"
Zaalbar wiped his sweating forehead and growled something to the lead digger who nodded and continued digging.
Big Z walks up the path, thankful for the shade and ducks his head into the cavern and easily finds the scent he is searching for. Surene beat him there but he was delayed. He follows the scent, greatly hungry.
"Ah, there you are, Big Z. We've been waiting." Surene stands and hands him some food and some pieces of paper. "These are the tunnels they know of compared to the global charts. We should be able to either find a tunnel out around this point or make our own exit. It's easier than walking through the Academy with the extra belts. You see if that can happen and I'll get word to Ken, okay?" She grabs one of the papers, the one of the main exit from the encampment. She begins to follow it. "You guys are lucky to have him on your side."
"Whoa!" Ken pulls his pants on, panting. "I am so going to learn the Force now!"
"Where are you going?"
"There's only so much a guy can take before he needs some air. Care to join me?"
"No." She stands up, wrapping her arms around him. "I've got some work to do."
"Oh," He kisses her, touching her thigh and sliding up a little higher with one hand and cupping her chest with the other. "And what is that?"
"Nothing too important." She rams her tongue into his mouth, feeling the teeth. "But important enough that you cant watch. Sith and Master business, you know."
"The whole student/teacher trust thing?"
"Yeah." Her leg rides up his, wrapping. "You'll come back later?"
"I'm not too sure actually. Burke may have a job for me and I do have other duties besides him."
"Kay," She purrs in his ear. "Just send word when you're back on planet. You're always welcome."
He kisses her forehead. "I'll do that."
Surene finds Ken walking down the residential hallway and pokes his stone-hard stomach, shoving a data pad into his pocket, a communicator in his reacting hand. She leans in and whispers as he continues to walk. "They're there and I think we've found a better way out. We'll talk later."
He walks out of the Academy and into the cantina. Opening the data pad, he reads the new information. He switches on the communicator and gives the affirmative as he pulls on his shirt.
"They have a new plan?" Burke asks.
"Not exactly; I was kind of hoping for this."
"Hoping does me no good." Burke hands him a drink.
"The plan was to go without it but to see if we could find it anyway. Things are quicker this way and less dangerous. We'll need to borrow a ship as discussed."
"I haven't forgotten my end of the bargain, friend. Here are the things you'll need. It's stored in port 8."
"The carrier belongs to a traveller, a rich one too."
"We don't want to be suspicious; if there's a break out best we take something we'll never use again."
"Looks like I wont be using HK on this round either. Ah well, he's supposed to guard the Ebon Hawke anyway." He shrugs. "I need a change of clothes."
Opening his door he finds Bastila inside. "How'd you get in? Last I checked you weren't too good a hacking security."
"The locks here are low grade."
"I don't keep much important here." He shrugs, throwing off his shirt. "Otherwise I'd change it."
"You assume too much." She spreads her legs, taking firm ground, arms tensing.
"So do you." He throws the garment aside and takes his pants off, opening the closet and then the foot locker. "When was the last time I showed interest that wasn't to embarrass you?"
He throws on the armour and over-clothes. He grabs a pair of blasters from the footlocker and a vibro-blade. He pockets various types of grenades before heading out the door. "I expect this to be in perfect condition when I get back and you out. Unless you have something important that is. Never mind actually, you can stay here as long as you like. See you when I get back. Bye."
She stamps her foot. "I'm not here because I want to be."
"Really?" He turns. "I wasn't aware you did anything like that; it's against your nature."
"It's about the starmap."
"I don't give a damn about the starmap." He snaps as he throws on his helmet and leaves her in the hallway.
"I saw it when I came to this planet."
"Another premonition or it was just standing there in front of you?"
"Another premonition; I've had it on several planets I've been to in my search for you and all have been different."
"I think you were dropped on your head as a child." Ken turns a corner. "If they're so important to you, why don't you find them yourself and open them and find that blasted thing yourself?"
"Where are you going?"
"Out!"
"This isn't the way to your ship." She stops.
"That's right, princess." He stops at a door and opens it. "Hello gents, I've a little business to take care of so if you two wouldn't mind leaving." He points a blaster at the two of them. "Schooch-ma-gooch."
The two raise their hands; not paid enough for this.
"Thank you."
"You can't do this!" Bastilla hisses but continues to follow Ken to the ships door. "Do you know what kind of trouble you could get in for this?"
"How about aiding and abetting?" Ken quirks, shaking his gun. "An armed criminal, no less."
"But I'm a…"
Ken smiles under his helmet. "Yep, can't admit that on this planet can you? And I don't think your mind tricks are going to work on those security cameras. Care to take a joy ride?" Without waiting for an answer, he pulls her wrist. "Come one; it'll be fun."
"Now, in all honesty, Bastila, you haven't been chasing me around the last year, have you?" Ken revs the engines and launches. "Admittedly I would be flattered but chasing me across the universe isn't exactly going to win you the war."
"And what if it can?"
"Isn't your Battle Meditation needed in this war to tip the scales? That is why Carth was able to convince me into helping you; he wouldn't help me out otherwise. Or am I wrong about that?"
Bastila seemed slightly flustered. "I, uh…I…" She coughs into her hand, clearing her throat. "There are others able to do so, maybe not to my calibre but enough of them in a battle and it doesn't matter. The Council believes it is in their best interest that you join the Academy and help me find the starmaps."
"Oh, I'm sure." Ken rolls his head. "You'd think you would have gotten the hint by now. I'm not going; there's no benefit to me, only lost profit."
"Way-tah-go." Josh rolls his eyes as he climbs over a large plant. "I saw the first time." And the second time and the third time and about the thousandth time.
Harry whoops for joy as he swings from tree to tree, using the vines. "You've got to try this!"
"I did and it didn't turn out too well."
Harry lands on one of the large trees, bending his legs to lower himself. Crouched, he waits for his friend to catch up. "It'd be so much quicker and I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time." He extends his hand to lift the Sith trooper.
"I said no."
"Look, they're doing it." Harry points to the distance.
"Huh?" Josh turns his head. "Uninhabited my ass!" He leaps onto the nearest vine and swings to a nearby tree, kicking off and leaping for another. "How long have they been following us?"
Harry shrugs. "About seventeen minutes after the Ackley. Why?"
"And you didn't tell me?" He demands.
"Didn't think it would be important." He jumps onto another vine and quickly catches up with Josh. "So what's the problem?"
Josh slumps on the vine and let's go onto a large plant. "I don't know, Harry, maybe because we're surrounded!"