The Life of a Slave

Chapter 6: New Leads

Author's Note: Well, thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far and all that so, you know. Here's the new chapter and all that…

"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you."
-Elbert Hubbard

"So, what are we doing today?" Barriss asked as we exited the house, ready for another day in 1313. She seemed to be maintaining a perky personality, though I saw bags under her eyes. Has she been having trouble sleeping?

I shrugged and said, "Well, after yesterday, Kade has insisted that I take a day off, considering I'm his favorite servant. So, I was thinking that I show you around everywhere. You know, let you observe the crime-lords' houses, show you the best viewpoints, and take you to places where you could practice your Jedi stuff without getting caught."

"Viewpoints?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I looked down at her and replied, "Places where you can view 1313 with little difficulty. There are tons of places around here where you can do so."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah," I responded. I pointed upward and said, "If you haven't noticed yet, 1313 is a city on the ground and the ceiling." We both looked upward and Barriss' jaw dropped. Above us, there were buildings and lights on the "roof." Speeders and small starcraft could be seen loading and unloading goods onto platforms attached to the upside-down structures.

"Wow. I hadn't noticed that," she mumbled, taking a step back and trying to look at the architectural wonders.

I laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll look at that later. First, let's go visit Yolanda."

Yolanda was one of my closest friends, right behind Hafiz, and she was a Mirialan like Barriss and Luminara. The difference between her and said Jedi was the fact that she practically broke every rule in the Mirialan book of Tradition. For example, the people of Mirial were pretty religious and practiced a primitive understanding of the Force. But Yolanda had said many times, "Screw those old windbags. I'll practice whatever the kriff I wanna practice!"

And she also refused to wear headdresses, as "They're a pain in the ass!" But the thing I really think set her apart from most Mirialans was the fact that she enjoyed partaking in one-night stands. And as I've already mentioned, the people of Mirial are religious.

So, I don't think that I was surprised when a green-skinned Duros ran out of Yolanda's apartment, only wearing boxers and bawling his eyes out. He pushed past us and ran down the streets. "Yeah, that's right! You better run, you big-headed freak!" a voice shouted.

Barriss and I averted our attention to a female Mirialan, standing in the doorway. She was only wearing a black bra and black panties so her assorted markings and body areas were very visible to the spectators. I shook my head and said, "Yolanda, at least have the decency to put some clothes on before you chase away your one-night stands!"

She finally noticed me and Barriss and said, "Yeah well, that Duros guy actually had the nerve to ask me out on a date!"

She entered her house and we followed her. "Oh, no! He sounds just dreadful!" I exclaimed sarcastically, mock gasping.

Yolanda glared at me and sat down on her couch. She lit a Glitterstim stick and said, "What do you want, Ethan? I have a hangover from last night and you know how I am when I'm hungover!"

"Barriss and I just came to visit you," I replied, gesturing to my friend. Barriss just stood there, eyebrows raised, and taking in her new acquaintance. But hey, if I were a Mirialan, I would've been surprised too.

Yolanda examined her for a moment. Then her eye widened and she stood up abruptly. "Oh no! I am not going to let this little Jedi bust my Glitterstim-stick-making-business! And I swear on my mother's terrible name if she tries to get me off of Glitterstim, I will kill myself! I'm a glit-biter and I'm gonna stay that way!"

"What's a glit-biter?" Barriss asked, taking a step back from Yolanda.

"Someone who's addicted to Glitterstim," I replied, raising my hands and trying to calm Yolanda.

"That's right, you Mirialan Jedi! And I'm damn proud of it!" she said, grabbing a blaster and pointing it at Barriss. I snatched it out of her hands sat her down on the couch.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's alright, Yolanda! She's here on the slave trade matter, not to bust you for making Glitterstim sticks!"

Yolanda gave a sigh of relief and breathed in the Glitterstim stick. "Good. This is the only income I have and I'm not about to let some goody-two-shoes Jedi ruin it." She leaned back into the couch and blew out smoke. "Oh, yeah! That's some good glit. Anyway, what can I do to help you two? Need some weapons? Clothes? Condoms? Birth control pills? I've got lots of those."

Barriss blushed and I laughed nervously. "Just some clothes. Barriss needs to look like a civilian if she wants to avoid suspicion."

Yolanda nodded and said, "Yeah, I'll loan her some clothes. And do you need anymore medical supplies? I watched your last fight with that Twi'Lek and he got you good across the shoulder."

I waved her off and she shrugged, then walked into her room. Barriss elbowed me in ribs and asked, "Why do I need new clothes?"

"No offense Barriss, but you stick out like a sore thumb down here wearing that outfit," I said, giving her a apologetic grin and hoping that she would understand. By the roll of her eyes, I don't think that she did.

Yolanda tossed her a bundle of clothing and said, "I'm pretty sure that what you got there is my least revealing outfit. And I hope that you'll appreciate it, considering the fact that you're probably religious like the rest of the Mirialan population."

Barriss gave her a sheepish smile and we both examined the clothing. It was pretty modest and consisted of a black Corellian jacket with a forest green shirt and black pants with more green running down the sides of them. And to top it off, black combat boots with hidden sheaths for knives. "Thanks..." Barriss trailed off, asking for a name.

"Just Yolanda. Not Ms. Yolanda or any of that formal kriff because I am not a formal person. Anyway, get outta here, you two. And remember, if you ever need condoms, I'm your Mirialan." Yolanda blew out more smoke and motioned for us to get out.

"Well, she's a character," Barriss said once we walked out.

I chuckled and replied, "Yeah, but she's a good friend, even if she can be a pain in the sheb at times." I noticed a small cantina and said, "Let's go in here for a minute. You need to change into your new clothes and I need to gather some intel on the killer."

"The killer?"

"You know, the dude that we talked about a few nights ago. The one killing children."

"Oh, yeah." But I noticed that she kept biting her lip when we entered the cantina and I don't think that it was from all the lust-filled stares that men were giving her.

I nudged her before she went in the restroom and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's just that... I've never worn any clothing besides my Jedi robes and Master might not approve," she replied, looking a little embarrassed. But I smiled softly and gave her light pat on the back.

"Don't worry, Barriss. Luminara doesn't have to know. You can just wear that outfit when we're exploring 1313. It'll be our little secret." I gave her a sly grin and the corners of her mouth tilted upwards.

She entered the restroom and I immediately headed to the bar. I sat down and knocked on the counter. "I'll have some Dragonjuice, please." The Twi'Lek bartender nodded and filled up the glass. I leaned over the counter a little and said, "I'm also looking for information."

The female bartender looked around for a moment before setting my drink down next to me. "What kind of information?"

"Lord Omarian's latest exploits with bounty hunters and assassins," I said, downing half of my drink afterwards.

The bartender said, "Be right back," and disappeared behind a door.

"How do I look?" a Coruscanti accent asked from behind me. I turned around and raised my eyebrows because before me was a Barriss I hadn't ever seen before. She was wearing the outfit that Yolanda had given her and it looked really good on her. It wasn't exactly tight, but it stuck to her skin enough that I could see the outline of her curves. And her dark hair streamed down her back in curls that caught my attention very quickly. She looked like, well, an average person... yet the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

"Um..." I said, trying to tear my eyes away from some of her noticeable attributes. "You look... normal." I nearly kicked myself as the words spilled out. One thing I had learned from being around Jacinda and Jadella was that you should always tell a girl that she looks good, not "normal." So, as I stared at the hurt look on her face, I held my hands up and stammered, "I mean, you look like a girl, now! No! I'm trying to say that... you look... beautiful! For a Jedi, I guess! No, you... just look... amazing, Barriss."

But that statement only managed to make her blush and she looked down at the ground in embarrassment. I opened my mouth to apologize for my behavior, but the bartender came back and plopped a datapad on the table. "This what you're looking for?"

I turned around and picked up the datapad. I scrolled through the contents and sure enough, it was a record of Omarian's latest exploits and deposits. "Yes, ma'am. How much?"

"Three hundred."

I coughed and asked, "What kind of kriff are you trying to pull?"

The bartender glared at me and said, "This isn't kriff. Lately, it's been getting more and more difficult to get this kind of intel! Three hundred or you can get the hell out!"

Knowing that I didn't have another choice, I got out my small fortune of credits and placed them on the table. The bartender raised her eyes and said, "I wasn't aware that slaves had this kind of money."

"My father gave it to me before we arrived in 1313."

The Twi'Lek gathered up the money and didn't respond. I got up from my bar stool and Barriss, who seemed to have recovered from my previous comments, asked, "What's that?"

"King Omarian's credit balances."

We sat in silence at the arena with Hafiz until I groaned and slammed the datapad on the durasteel seats. "This is getting us nowhere!" I placed my head in my calloused hands.

Hafiz gave me his signature grin and patted me on the back. "Don't worry, man. We'll find out something." But the uncertainty in his voice made me see through his ruse. He didn't know whether or not we would discover the killer.

"Maybe deposits on poisons or weapons wouldn't be located in these records," Barriss chimed in, staring straight ahead with her arms crossed over her chest. She wouldn't meet my gaze when I looked over at her.

"We don't even know that Omarian is doing this."

She finally met my eyes, but it was with a glare. "Then why did you buy the records?" she shot at me.

Normally it wouldn't hurt me when someone was mad at me, but I almost flinched when Barriss used that tone with me. It had been an awkward walk to the arena, but I hadn't expected her to be angry. Well maybe a little angry, but not to this degree. "You PMS or something?" Hafiz asked, nonchalantly picking at a scab on his arm.

"Koochoo," Barriss said, rolling her eyes and letting her scowl deepen. I looked at her with concern and opened my mouth to say something, but in the end, I held back. Better to let her vent off some steam.

Hafiz smiled and replied, "I've been called worse, pateesa."

He probably couldn't hear it, but a small growl erupted from the back of Barriss' throat. I stood up and brushed off my pants. "Well, we won't get any information just sitting here like Hutts." I waved them up. "Come on. We're going to the Loca Sector."

"Why is it called the Loca Sector?" Barriss asked in a less strained voice than before. Now it held uncertainty and a dash of fear.

Hafiz smirked at her and replied, "Because you have to be mentally incapacitated to ever go there." Or in our case, looking for answers.

"I can see why it's called the Loca District," Barriss said, eyebrows raised and expression displaying disgust. Around us, bounty hunters and assassins were roaming the streets, shooting glares at Hafiz and I and a few lustful glances at Barriss. Most of the lust was coming from men- most of it.

Homeless sentients and stranded tourists could be seen at trash cans, trying to light the garbage on fire. Many of the durasteel and duracrete walls were covered in graffiti that said things like "Abandon all hope ye who enter" or "Death starts here." They were probably written as jokes by young teens, but the phrases couldn't have been any truer.

You could hear the strangled cries of children and women as the gangs made their rounds around the neighborhood. I saw Barriss take a few steps toward me and I chuckled. "Scared, Jedi?"

She gave a nervous laugh and shook her head. "I'm just preparing to push you down so they won't go for me when we have to run."

Hafiz grinned and nodded. "I'm with ya, sister! Give 'em the gladiator and take off!" He elbowed me in the ribs and whispered, "This one is starting to grow on me. Can we keep her?"

Normally, I would've laughed at such an absurd proposition, but my blood warmed at the though of Barriss staying down here with us. Just imagining the times that the three of us could have together sent sparks of happiness and joy throughout my body. Forget sparks! More like lightning bolts!

"Where should we start?" said Jedi asked, scanning the area with keen eyes. I looked around as well, yet frowned when I saw that most of the cantinas were filled with tattoo-covered thugs and scarred-over mercenaries. I figured that bringing Barriss in there would result in either a large scale fight or a gang rape.

Neither sounded ideal so I replied, "We'll have to go deeper into the sector. And, just out of curiosity, did you bring your lightsaber with you, Barriss?"

She shook her head, eyes trained on the cantina I had been staring at. "Master said it would attract too much attention. But now, I think it might have been more helpful if I had something to let the locals know that I was dangerous."

We started walking down the street, but Hafiz said, "I thought that a lightsaber was meant to show peace, not violence." His tone was placid.

"It also means that if you attack me, I'll kick your sheb," she said jokingly. We laughed and she added, "Just kidding. The lightsaber was originally created to be a weapon for Jedi, peacekeepers, but it later became known as the unofficial symbol of the Order." The corners of her mouth tilted upwards. Though I saw nothing funny or happy about the statement, I was elated to see that she had gotten over her anger about my stuttering at the tavern earlier.

Really and truly, she doesn't have anything to mad about in the first place. I was just surprised, that's all!

I spotted a small bar to our right and raised my eyebrows. It looked to be a casual kind of place, with only a few people in it. I heard the soft symphony of music coming from the establishment and was delighted to see that it had a lack of graffiti along its walls. It looked like a normal place for people to talk, laugh and pry for information.

I nudged Hafiz and motioned to the small bar. He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Good choice, Ethan. In fact, I think it looks too nice to be in 1313."

"At least it has a shortage of bounty hunters," Barriss pointed out, smirking a little. Hafiz chuckled and we walked into the establishment. I looked around and saw that the bartender was a human male with half of his face scarred over. A female Togruta went around serving drinks to the few people sitting at tables and booths.

But the thing that captured my attention the most was Yolanda sitting in a booth with a burly, red-haired Morellian.

In case you didn't know, Morellians were Near-Humans that were very closely related to humans. The only distinctions were that almost all Morellians had red hair and their average lifespan was one-hundred sixty years.

Anyway, Yolanda and him seemed to be deep in conversation. Hafiz scowled and said, "Who's the scum talking to Yolanda?"

I rolled my eyes and replied, "I don't know, but he looks kind of familiar to me." And it was true. There was a familiar smirk on his face and I heard the heavily-accented Morellian voice. "Let's find out."

Hafiz took point and Barriss shot me a questioning look. I shrugged, surprised too at Hafiz's behavior, yet we followed the younger Nautolan. He stalked over to the table and leaned on it with both his hands. He forced a smile at Yolanda and said, "Hey, Yolanda. What're you doing here?"

Yolanda eyed him disdainfully. "Getting a drink." Her tone couldn't have sounded sounded more pissed off.

"And might I inquire who this sleemo is?" Hafiz pressed, his smile becoming more of a sneer. Without Yolanda answering his first question, he added, "It's a little bit too early to be whoring around, right?"

She glared at him. "Yeah and it's a little bit too early to be killing Nautolans, but that's exactly what I'm gonna be doing if you don't get the hell out of my face!"

Barriss stifled a laugh with her hand. It didn't go unnoticed by the older Mirialan because she turned on Barriss and said, "I ain't afraid to kill a Mirialan either! Keep that in mind, Offee, when you're around me."

The Morellian smiled and said, "Mmm. Fiesty. I like that."

Yolanda's mouth turned upward in a half smile. "We'll have more time for that later. Anyway, these are the idiots I was telling you about. Ethan Dabria and Hafiz Remvan. The other one's Barriss Offee, but unlike them, she has common sense. Well... maybe. I only met her this morning."

The Morellian smirked up at me and said, "Well, I never thought that I would see you again, Ethan!"

Suddenly, I was hit with a punch to the face. I tumbled backwards into a table and crashed into the ground. The music stopped playing and the bartender glared at the Morellian. The latter said, "Sorry 'bout that! Just had to settle some unfinished business with the lad!"

The music resumed and a hand pulled me to my feet. The man smirked at me and said, "That's for abandoning me in that fight club, Dabria!"

My eyes widened and I exclaimed, "Polca! Angus Polca!"

He tilted his head back and let out a guffaw. "I thought that you would never recognize me, mate!"

Angus Polca was the most slimy, no-good, lying, backstabbing, conceited man in the galaxy and I loved him like a brother for it. He was an inch taller than me and maybe twenty pounds heavier. But it was all muscle, no fat. Anyway, we had met five years back, a few weeks after the Days of Ash. His master had been in Beggar's Row when assassins torched the place so Angus gained his freedom and stayed 1313 as a regular attender of the local fight club. Together, we were the greatest tag team that ever roamed the streets of Peedunkey Lane.

Barriss scowled at Angus and said, "I take it you two know each other?"

I smiled down at her. "Of course! He's practically family!"

"Practically?" Angus said, wrapping an arm around me. "If I recall, we share the same great-grandfather, cousin!"

We laughed and he sat down in the booth next to Yolanda. Barriss and I sat across from them while Hafiz muttered something about getting a drink. He sat down at the bar and Yolanda rolled her eyes. "What's up his ass?"

I shook my head in disbelief and said, "He had a rough day yesterday. Give 'em a break." I looked at Angus and said, "So what brings you back to 1313?"

He shrugged. "Needed money. Being a smuggler doesn't always bring in food. Anyway, I heard about some employer needing a man to take care of some unwanted distractions so here I am. Besides, I'm gettin' more money than I did fighting with your sorry sheb!"

He guffawed again and I laughed too. "Yeah, how'd you get outta that place anyway?"

Angus smiled mischievously and looked at the Mirialan women. "Better listen up, lasses! You won't get the chance to hear a story like this again!"

Barriss leaned forward in the booth, while Yolanda tried to look partially interested. But I could tell that she was excited about hearing this. Angus started, "So one morning, Ethan and I entered the fight club, ready to knock some skulls together when the gladiator thought it would be okay to hit on a girl of one of the brutes. When the brute saw what was goin' on, he ordered the rest of the blokes to attack us! But Dabria here decided that he would chicken out and he ran like a wampa rat goin' after week old bread! But not me! So in a matter of seconds, I had beaten all thirty-six of the di'kuts!"

I tilted my head back and laughed. "That has to be the biggest lie I've ever heard!" I looked at the Mirialans and said, "What really happened is that Angus walked in there drunk and demanded that one of them give him some head, whether they were straight or gay. The men got pissed off and almost beat us to death, but Angus told me to run. I got out and apparently, this idiot did too! And there was only ten of them, not three dozen!"

Angus smirked and said, "Yeah well, every story's exaggerated a little, right?"

His comlink went off and he added, "This'll only take a moment."

He got out of the booth and Yolanda's eyes followed his every movement. "Found yourself a boyfriend, Yolanda?" I asked, smirking a little. "Can't say that I'm happy about it being my cousin, but hey, if you want to get 'em in bed with you, that's your choice!"

She rolled her eyes. "If you're implying that he'll only be a one night stand then you're wrong! I plan to keep him around for a while, actually." She gave Angus a once-over again.

"Uh oh!" I exclaimed, mock-gasping and placing a hand on my chest. "Is Yolanda planning to settle down? Call the wedding planner, Barriss!" Looking down at Yolanda's stomach, I jokingly added, "I can already see the baby-bump!"

Barriss giggled and the other girl growled at me. "I'm not marrying him now! But... maybe in the future, if it works out. Besides, he's hot! Have you seen the muscle definition in his arms?"

She added, "And I'm really interested in seeing how big he is!"

I made a face of disgust, while Barriss, not understanding the innuendo, replied, "Well, he's obviously large."

Yolanda shook her face and sighed. "I know that he has tons of muscle, Jedi! I'm talking about the size of his dick!"

Barriss blushed and looked down at the table. I smiled softly at her reaction and noticed that the collar of her shirt had come down. Cleavage could be easily seen and I raised my eyebrows.

I never thought that a Jedi could have breasts like this!

Angus came back and said with a grimace, "Sorry, but I've got to go." He shook my hand and said, "See you around, Dabria." And to Yolanda, he gave a slip of paper. "My com frequency," he said with a wink.

The older Morellian made his way around the tables and, before exiting, threw the bartender a small bag of credits. "Sorry 'bout the mess, mate."

Hafiz finally slid into the booth and said, "I thought he would never leave! So, what're we doing now?"

I shrugged. "I thought that we would come here for information, but something tells me that we should be getting back to our own places." I leaned out of the booth to look out the window. Two bounty hunters, a female Twi'Lek and male Teevan, glared at me.

"I agree with Ethan," Barriss, having been silent for most of the time. "Something doesn't feel right."

Hafiz glanced at Yolanda and said, "You comin' with, 'Landa?"

She shrugged. "Let me pay the bartender and we'll get outta here. I'm thinking about getting an early start on Glitterstim sales today." After paying the bartender, we exited the establishment and Hafiz got down to business.

"By the way, I've got some good news. Apparently, the waitress knew a little about the killer and so we sat down and talked. The guy- or girl- who's doing this has been making a lot of kills around this place lately. When the killer murdered the latest victim, however, they found traces of Alderanian wine near the scene."

"So, he was drinking on the job?" Yolanda asked, not impressed by Hafiz's intel.

Hafiz glared at her. "No. It means that someone gave him the wine and he probably spilled it. The point is Alderanian wine is very rare in 1313 and only slavers can afford it. And natives of Alderaan fancy the wine themselves."

"So, does that mean that the killer is working for an Alderanian crime-lord?" Barriss asked.

Hafiz and I smiled at her brightness, while Yolanda raised an eyebrow. "Precisely," Hafiz replied, looking away from her, though he still had a smile on his face.

Suddenly, pain exploded behind my eyes and I collapsed to my knees. I gasped for breath and started choking on my spit. "Ethan!" Barriss cried, her voice several octaves high. Hafiz and Yolanda exchanged a quick glance and knelt beside me.

I grasped my head and managed to choke out, "Killer."

I lifted a strangled hand and pointed to the armor-clad man on the roof of an apartment building. Barriss yelled, "Scatter!" as a thermal detonator made its way toward us. Barriss and Yolanda placed both of my arms around their necks and barely managed to get out of the blast radius when the explosive went off.

They placed me behind a wall and I could hear many sentients screaming as Yolanda yelled at Barriss, "Who the hell is firing at us?!"

"I don't know!" Barriss replied, covering her ears as another detonator sounded.

But I could hardly make out what was happening because of the pain in my head. It felt like Besalisk was using my head as a punching bag and a clone using it for target practice. I groaned in pain and managed to say, "The killer," once again.

Hafiz came rushing into the alley that we had taken refuge in and said to me, "Here ya go, buddy." He injected a shot into my arm and I was immediately met with a bright light.

All of the pain went away in a flash and my vision cleared. I pushed myself off the ground and asked, "What was that stuff, Hafiz?"

"Meds for your headaches!" he shouted, looking around the corner. He ducked back into the alley when a blaster bolt almost got him in the head. "I decided to get you some painkillers for those migraines of yours!"

He added with a wicked grin, "I expect to get paid back."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "We need to find a way outta here."

Yolanda scoffed. "Well, duh! But if we try to make a break for it, he'll gun us down! Someone needs to cause a distraction!" Her gaze drifted to Barriss and I knew what she was thinking. Barriss had years of training to prepare for this so she would be the best candidate.

And if she got shot, Yolanda would grieve less about her than us if we caused the distraction.

I shook my head and said, "When I get his attention, you three will run all the way back to Yolanda's place, got it?"

Hafiz replied, "Oh no, gladiator! We are not going to let you die! Think about your family! What would they do without you, man? Barriss needs you too! How else is she gonna free us from this hell-hole?"

I scowled at him. "At least I'd die trying bring down the tyranny of the crime-lords!" Before any of them could stop me, I had rushed out into the street. I waved my arms at the killer to get his attention.

"Hey, sleemo!" I screamed at him. "Kiss my ass!" I shot him the finger and dove behind a trashcan when he shot at me. Well, you've got his attention, Dabria! Now what?

I looked over at the alley and to my relief, saw that my friends had left. At least they made it out...

"So, what's the plan of attack?" a voice asked from my side. I looked over and saw that Barriss had somehow managed to evade the constant blaster fire and make her way over here. She had her sheathed lightsaber in her right hand and her eyes never left the killer.

I gaped at her. "I told you to get out of here!"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. "Like I would run away!"

"What if someone discovers that you're a Jedi?"

She glanced at me and from the look in her eye, I knew what she was going to do. She would protect the people of 1313. "I'll cause the distraction while you climb up the building and take him down." Not looking away from me, she added, "Don't kill him."

Before she got up, I handed her my blaster pistol. "It's an S-5 heavy blaster pistol with modified ammunition and a grappling hook. It was produced by Theed Arms for Royal Security Forces." She raised her eyebrows. "A vendor stole it off of Naboo security forces and I stole it off of him."

She examined the gun then ran out into the open, firing several shots at the armor-clad man. I took one last meaningful glance at her figure before running down the side road leading towards the killer's vantage point. With my legs burning, I inhaled the scent of burning flesh and realized that the killer had turned on me.

"Ethan!" Barriss cried and fired at the man with a fierce growl.

The shot went straight through the man's shoulder and he tumbled off the roof with an audible "crash."

But I was hardly able to register that thought as I collapsed onto my knees. Cradling my rib-cage, I recognized the burn of a blaster shot. Why does all the bad stuff have to happen to me?

Hands were placed on my abdomen and a velvet voice desperately said, "Please tell me you're alright." I took deep breaths and sighed in relief as I realized that it was only a flesh wound.

"I've suffered worse, Barriss," I replied, taking a deep breath and looking into her azure eyes. Concern, and maybe a little anger, was apparent as she observed my wound. I drew in a sharp as she grazed her fingers over the burnt flesh. I stood up abruptly and immediately wished that I hadn't. Black spots danced across my eyes and Barriss steadied me.

"Ethan, if you're injured-" she started, but I waved her off.

I set off at a fast-paced walk and said, "We need to focus on getting to the killer before he..."

Trailing off, I arrived at the scene of the crime. I gaped and blinked a few times. Barriss raised her eyebrows and said, "I thought that I knocked him out with that blaster shot."

"Me too."

She walked over to a crushed waste container and rummaged through its contents. "He fell here. I'd say that he weighed about two hundred pounds and was a hair-growing species." I was about to ask about the last comment when she held up a small black object. "He dropped his comb. Sadly, he cleaned all the hair out of it so we won't be able to check for DNA."

A flash of silver and a shrill beep caught my attention and I hobbled towards the noise. I finally located the source and picked up the small object. It was a comlink. I ran my finger over the activation switch and an image of a tall, yet heavy-set male Human appeared. He said, "Kill the Mirialans and the Nautolan."

The message repeated and I realized that it was a recording. I switched it off and clenched my fists. Someone had tried to kill my friends. A surge of anger spread throughout my body and I drew in a ragged breath.

"Ethan?"

I turned my head to the left and saw Barriss, eyebrows raised. I shoved the comlink into my pocket and said, "We need to get back to Jadella."

"I think that we should have our facts straight before we tell her anything," Barriss responded, laughing nervously. We fell into step and she said, "First of all, I think that the killer had more people working with him than just one. There was blaster fire from other alleys and buildings."

Remembering the bounty hunters that had been glaring at me earlier, I nodded. "Definitely right about that. Secondly, he wants you, Yolanda, and Hafiz dead."

"Does he know that I'm a Jedi?"

"I don't think so. He would've brought more firepower if he knew about your abilities." I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "But as to why he, or his associate, wanted the three of you dead still remains unknown."

A few moments of silence passed. "Maybe it has something to do with you." Barriss looked expectantly at me for an answer.

The thought hadpassed my mind, but I never would've thought that a crime-lord would try to piss me off. The people of 1313 knew damn well that when you messed with me, you messed with Kade. When you mess with Kade, you don't come out alive, crime-lord or not. "I doubt that they would try to cross that line, Barriss."

But doubt lingered in my mind as we walked back to Beggar's Row.

Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait. Writer's block and all that... Anyway, if you have any questions about what some of these words or phrases mean, just hit me up in a review. See ya later...