Book Three – Sands of Time
Division
Two lone figures were standing on the ridge of a sand dune. After a long trek through the desert they had found what they were looking for, tucked away in a cavern in the valley stretching below.
"So Darth Sion was right after all," Malak muttered, his face betraying he was surprised by this fact. "For a decaying corpse looking like it should've died decades ago he certainly holds a lot of dark knowledge." He glanced at his master.
Revan stared down on her target, dark robes billowing widely around her, sensing the unspoken question. "My opinion on him is irrelevant. He led us to a part of the Star Map, which is all that matters."
"I don't think we should trust him," the tall Sith pondered.
"Kreia trusts him," Revan replied matter-of-factly, voice brooking no contradiction.
A lesser soul would've cowered away, but not Malak. "I don't think we should trust Kreia either."
"Now there's a good lad," the Dark Lord answered with the edge of mirth lacing her voice. Her tone turned grave again. "But again, irrelevant. A different evil should be at the forefront of your mind right now."
As on cue the roar of an abomination vibrated the air, the sheer volume betraying a size defying all laws of biology and gravity. A single violet lightsaber was activated as the Dark Lord of the Sith stepped forward, posture brimming with passive confidence. "It might save your life."
"Stop your dawdling and get a move on!" Juhani's strongly accented voice disrupted Xana's window shopping. She was standing in front of a droid shop, mouth watering from all gizmos on display, but to her dismay the strong Cathar grabbed her shoulder and wanted to drag her along.
"Hey, wait a sec!" the padawan exclaimed as she resisted being manhandled. "Can't we go in? They might sell useful stuff."
"No," the feline replied simply yet firmly. "Bastila ordered us to investigate the city, not to procure equipment."
Xana watched the knight miserably. They had arrived early that morning at Anchorhead, the city on Tatooine where Revan and Malak had been spotted five years ago. Eager to launch their investigation at a brisk pace Bastila had divided them in three duos. By pairing together people who didn't get along she had tried to kill two birds with one stone, as it would speed up their investigation as well as improve relations. Or so the theory went…
There were of course a hundred things wrong with this plan, like anyone with basic leadership training would know, but Bastila stubbornly refused to listen to the advice of her apprentice. Somewhere inside that head of hers she was certain she was the most capable leader of their group, not Xana who had aced the Republic Lieutenant program. She had let it slip for now, confident that Bastila would see reason sooner or later.
Mission had been paired with Carth, Bastila with Canderous and Xana with Juhani. She had been sensible enough not to tie the Cathar to the Mandalorian, for it would no doubt give the Sith a free kill. Zaalbar had been ordered to stay with the ship in its defense, giving him the chance to socialize with T4…
They hadn't even taken two steps outside the Ebon Hawk or Juhani had been all over Xana, establishing hierarchy. Juhani – under the impression she was the superior Jedi – had reduced the padawan to her little bitch, though not with as much words. For the sake of peace she had accepted her role, but she found it increasingly hard to pander to the whims of this crazy hellcat.
She folded her arms and threw the Cathar a stubborn look. "The shopkeeper might know something about the Star Map, or about our favorite bad girl and bad guy."
Juhani had become increasingly annoyed by Xana's stubborn comments and finally snapped. She dragged the smaller human into a nearby alley and pushed her against the wall with her sinewy body. Xana rolled her eyes at the familiarity of the situation, though admittedly the feline's strong presence intimidated her slightly.
Four slender fingers grabbed the side of her neck and the claw of Juhani's thumb pressed into her lower jaw, pushing Xana's face up to meet with two furious yellow eyes. "Don't disrespect me," she hissed. Xana could practically feel the hot breath on her own lips.
"This is the third time you have me in a full body lock," the padawan snarled, her weariness dripping into her voice. "Are you just that fascinated by my body or is this the way all Cathar lecture their underlings?" She couldn't entirely blame the Cathar if she wanted to get closer look of her body, half of Tatooine's thugs had eyed her like they wanted to do just that. Her sexy new robes had the desired effect.
Juhani's grasp became even tighter. "If I were you I wouldn't tempt me to use my former battlemaster's methods on you."
The raven haired woman rolled her eyes, familiar with this threat as well. "Could you at least explain to me why we can't enter the droid shop? We've been in at least three shops this morning, you didn't have a problem with those."
"Bastila told me all about your fascination with droids. If I send you in there you won't be out for hours to come. I don't have time for your antics, little girl."
"Little girl, huh?" the padawan asked darkly, while trying to shove the other woman away to no avail.
"Yes, little girl," the Cathar growled, pushing the smaller human a little firmer against the wall. "Our people had ways of punishing childish behavior, and it involved wearing a little dress, tying up hair in cute pigtails and carrying around a child's doll. Walking through town everyone knew this was a grown woman too stubborn to accept the will of their betters. Believe me when I say the shame brought sense into even the most hardheaded skull."
Xana saw Juhani's utterly sincere stare, which immediately smothered the snort she was about to produce. "Damn woman, you're not even making that shit up."
"Damn right I'm not. So, are you going to obey your superior? Or are we going to have to search for a nice dress and cute doll?"
Juhani stared down hardly on the padawan and Xana decided not to complicate things further. If she didn't swallow her pride right now she'd only put more fuel to the fire of a fellowship that was already approaching boiling point. Her pride would only serve Malak and his madness.
She heaved a resigned sigh. "Fine, we'll do things your way." She was becoming tired of bowing down to this woman and realized this couldn't go on like this. If she didn't stick up for herself right now it would become troublesome in the future.
It was time to make a small gamble, based on the things she had learned about Cathar customs. She might not be able to influence this woman like she could all other team members, she could establish she was not as helpless as Juhani liked to believe.
So instead of cowering away she shot a determined look upward. "But remember this: I'm going to train twice as hard, just as long till I'm stronger than you. And when I do I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll go crawling to your three Goddesses for mercy. You'll be begging me to make you my obedient little kitten."
For a moment the Cathar just stared down at her, then slowly an approving grin spread across her features. "Well, well, will you look at that? Sensible and honorable words leaving your mouth, I'm surprised." She released the raven haired woman and patted her shoulder briefly. "Train hard padawan, and if you need any encouragement: I'll gladly bow down to you should you prove to be my superior. Pride can never get in the way of hierarchy, after all."
She finally stepped out of Xana's comfort zone and walked away. "The shit I put with," the padawan muttered as she followed the feline, but her mood had been lifted considerably. Perhaps fathoming the proud hellcat wasn't as hard as she had originally thought. All she had to do was to become the biggest bully on the ship.
Which in all honesty was a marvelous goal to work to. Xana loved goals, it helped her divide her life into proportionate parts that were relatively easy to handle. And this was a goal she was going to tackle with a passion. She'd show that damn Cathar. By the end of their mission Juhani would deeply regret her bitchy behavior.
About two miles south Canderous Ordo was silently following the other Jedi Knight, his eyes constantly alert for danger. They hadn't shared a single word ever since they left, the brunette was clearly not very fond of him.
The Mandalorian considered her silence childish and counterfeit to the woman's intentions. "I don't think this is what you had in mind when you teamed us up," he finally pointed out to Shan. He didn't mind silence, quite the contrary, but this was just silly. "Is there a reason why you're constantly eying me like I might unload the contents of my repeater in your exposed back?"
The pale woman turned to him with clear aversion. "My padawan might trust you Ordo, but I don't. You're with the Exchange and their methods and goals are too similar to the Sith's for my taste. Force knows what they ordered you to do."
Ordo snorted. "It seems you've got your facts muddled up. I'm not with the Exchange. I was a mercenary who did some freelance work for a crime lord who had ties to them, do you really think I mattered anything to them? I was cannon fodder, that's where their trust in me ended. For them my existence died with Davik. None of them know I'm working with a group of Jedi on a highly covert operation, trust me."
"Well, I don't. Not yet anyway. You're going to have to prove yourself to me. This whole 'restore the glory of the Mandalorian'-business reeks."
"For a woman cautious about my intentions you aren't exactly trying your hardest to get to the bottom of it," Canderous countered calmly. When she kept stoically marching forward he shook his head. "Look, even if you don't trust me, my advice might be worth listening to. For one I don't think it was a good idea to send Onasi and Vao into town on their own."
The Jedi threw him a disdainful look. "I would trust Carth with my life! And as for Mission, did you know her measured IQ isn't that far off from Xana's? She's a bright child." Her brows knitted. "It's a shame she only uses her intellect for wanton mischief."
"Another thing not that far off from Grey?" he asked smartly. When he received a haughty scowl he shrugged. "Should you really put so much trust in Onasi? Republic war veterans aren't known for their stability, even Malak took a slip down the far end. And while I respect the Republic Navy, their methods are downright pathetic. Without Revan's interference the Outer Rim would be ours."
"And with the blood of how many defenseless species on your hands, Mandalorian? It sure must've been an epic and honorable fight, wiping out the severely weakened Cathar race. They had hardly recovered from the Great Sith War, yet you murdered them without pity. Cowards!"
A pained grimace spread across Ordo's face. "I agree it was honorless," he answered silently. "It was a mistake."
"And your kind is now reaping the benefits of that mistake," Shan coldly reminded him.
"And the Jedi wash their hands of innocence, right?" Canderous growled. The brunette snorted and her nose shot straight in the air. "Look, I'm not here to start another war," he quickly pacified. "All I'm asking is for you to listen to my advice, because it could be beneficial to the mission." When she moved on without a word he pressed on. "For one, I'd have made two trios instead of three duos. Three's the perfect number for reconnaissance, and you'd have a Jedi in each group. Not to mention you'll always have a mediator when a fight breaks out between two."
"Are you telling me how to do my job, Ordo?"
"Lady, I've been waging war for over forty years. I know you're something of a hero within the Republic for resolving many large naval battles with your Battle Meditation, but I doubt you have much experience leading small reconnaissance teams. Or have underlings directly under your command, for that matter."
Shan eyed him warily. "And I take it you consider yourself a better candidate?"
He ignored her icy demeanor. "No, I hold too little respect within your group for that title. If you're really looking for someone to relieve you of your position Grey would be a good candidate. The Republic Lieutenant program produces excellent squad leaders and she has a strong will and holds authority. Even the Cathar is doing her best to intimidate Grey into submission. And with good reason, she'll be terrifying once she surpasses Juhani."
The knight cocked an eyebrow. "Once she surpasses her?"
"We both know Grey will become a mighty Jedi Knight once her raw edges are polished. Revan the Butcher showed us what a strong mind housing a strong body is capable off, once given control."
The brunette suddenly flared up. "Don't compare Xana with Revan! Xana will never do the wrong thing, ambiguous morals or not!"
Canderous watched the brunette with a knowing smile. "Oh but you don't think Revan did the wrong thing." It was more of a lucky guess, but judging from Shan's growing eyes he had hit the jackpot. He knew there were Revan sympathizers still in the Jedi ranks, but their ideas were highly controversial. He couldn't help but feel some sympathy for her. "Don't worry, even I can see she did what was necessary. Your Masters should've given the green lights years earlier."
For a moment it looked like Shan wanted to say something, but she made up her mind and moved on. "I am not looking for a replacement, but your advice is duly noted," she grated without looking back.
"Good, because if something terrible were to happen to young Miss Vao, I'd hate to be the one to tell Grey."
Her tightening shoulders and worried frown betrayed he had finally gotten through to the icy Jedi Knight.
"Mission, could you please stop being all over the place?" Carth was quickly growing tired of babysitting Grey's favorite Twi'lek girl. "You aren't usually this hyperactive."
The small thief had trailed off to investigate a small alley. "The sooner we finish the sooner I can get back to Xana and Big-Z." And away from you, her eyes said.
The unspoken words hurt him. "Why are you like this to me? I'm only trying to look after you."
She watched the Flight Commander with an angry glare. "Maybe if you stop treating me like a helpless little girl I wouldn't find you so obnoxious."
"But I'm not treating you like a helpless little girl," he explained for the third time that day. "Marines look after each other too, you know? It's called camaraderie."
"Yeah, because you totally consider me your equal," the girl said in perfect deadpan, before darting off in the distance.
Carth sighed and moved after her, determined not to let anything happen to her. Where his son perished in a planet wide genocide, the object of Grey's undivided affection had survived a similar event and gotten a second chance. He knew her past had already carved deep scars in Xana's soul, he was determined not to wound it more by letting something happen to Mission.
He saw a group of shady types watch the young girl in a questionable manner and immediately picked up his pace. The depths to which some people would sink never ceased to astound him. He had seen atrocities during the Mandalorian Wars which continued to haunt him till this day, but ruining a young girl's life for a quick moment of pleasure was an evil of a completely different order.
He found Mission standing still, shoulders slumped and staring at a point in the distance. "I've survived for almost fifteen years, you know?" she said in a tiny voice when he had caught up.
Her sudden uncertainty surprised him and he wondered where it came from. But more importantly, how to deal with it. "No one ever denied you did. But put yourself in my shoes. Do you think I could ever forgive myself if something happened to you?"
"Oh, so it's all about you, huh?" the blue alien asked with sudden acid in her voice. "Gee, I almost thought you were worried about me."
"Wait, no! That's not what I meant." But the girl had already trotted off. Carth chased after her, silently cursing his inability with words. This was why he preferred working with marines. Less chatter. Less female insecurities.
At the end of the day they all gathered at the entrance of the Ebon Hawk. Onasi seemed agitated, Mission angry and there was a painful silence between Ordo and Bastila. Xana couldn't help but smirk, apparently her master's little plan had backfired on her.
Like a magnet Mission was drawn to Xana's side, pushing into the bigger human while wriggling underneath her arm. Xana briefly patted the girl's head and let her fingers caress a lek on their way down to grab her waist to pull her close, and just like that the tension in the Twi'lek's body was gone. The raven haired woman smiled down on her briefly.
"Any word on Griff?" the small thief whispered hopefully.
Xana's smile fell. "Not a word."
A frown formed on the girl's face. "Bastila hasn't heard anything either."
"Don't worry. If he's on Tatooine we'll find him." Xana's assuring words and tight hold cheered Mission up, and the Twi'lek nodded in agreement, her frown making way for determination.
Despite the tension in the group Bastila briskly took the word, seemingly unaware of the frustrated faces around her. "Okay, so what've we learned?"
"Carth's a huge dork," Mission piped up without missing a beat.
Xana smirked widely. "She asked what we learned Blue, not what we already knew and got reaffirmed."
"Oh that's nice," Onasi said with a scowl, looking slightly dejected.
"Enough," the brunette said through gritted teeth. "Let's keep this civil for a change. What have we learned?"
"There's a mighty good candy store just down the lane," the Twi'lek continued unperturbedly, casting a hopeful look at the raven haired human. "Can we buy some candy later? Grandpa grumps wouldn't let me. Pretty please?"
Xana sighed at Mission's morbid obsession with sticky sweet stuff. "Candy's bad for you."
The little thief pouted. "Not if it's just a little bit."
"Implying you're able to moderate."
"Implying you won't give me what I want after I throw an obnoxious tantrum."
Xana chuckled and almost joked that Mission was quickly taking after Bastila, but luckily stopped herself making the cheap shot in time. "Buy the Twi'lek some candy," Ordo said in his gravelly voice. "It's not like it'll kill her, not before the Sith get the chance to do so anyway."
"Don't tell me how to raise my girl, Ordo," Xana snarled, shooting him a venomous look. Mission grinned happily at the possessiveness.
Bastila was tapping her foot impatiently. "Are we honestly discussing whether we should feed a pubescent girl candy or not? Honestly?"
"You're the pubescent girl," Mission murmured, thinking the knight wouldn't hear.
"Care to repeat that on audible level?" Bastila asked slowly, each and every syllable punctuated into an icy whip. Mission's face immediately turned a few shades paler and she stammered the negative, while trying to shrink back behind Xana. "I thought as much," the brunette continued. "Now, let's discuss what we've learned."
Mission glumly sucked her teeth. "Worst day ever," she muttered miserably, this time so really only Xana could hear. The padawan patted the thief's shoulder in sympathy, while throwing a yielding smile. Maybe she could spoil her girl a little bit.
Onasi was the first to turn professional – as expected from the straight-laced Boy Scout – and started telling of his findings. "The area around Anchorhead is under Czerka control. They started a mining operation here, but quickly found the ground is very stale. Instead of leaving they expanded their business to different branches: gambling, swoop racing and hunting. There's supposed to be big game around here."
Juhani snarled at that. "Hunting for the trophy and not to provide for the clan. Such a waste."
Xana watched the big feline dryly. "Let me guess: you're one of those types that chain themselves to a nuclear power plant to 'save the world', then act all surprised and undignified when the authorities arrest them?"
"How can you respect yourself when you can't even respect that where you came from?"
The padawan looked at the Twi'lek for support, but Mission shrugged. "Hey, I grew up on a city planet. The only nature I know is the mold I had to scrape off the food I found in waste bins."
"Can we please stop sidetracking here?" Bastila asked impatiently.
"We asked around about the cavern you saw in your shared vision," Juhani said. "There aren't many caves around these parts, only in the unmapped regions of the dune seas to the east."
"Why's that area unmapped?" a curious Mission inquired.
"The dunes are the home of the krayt dragons." All eyes turned to Ordo, whose voice carried the hint of fear. "Massive reptilian creatures that can grow to up to 300 feet in size."
That elicited an amused giggle from Mission, who clearly thought it unbelievable. When six faces watched her grimly her grin quickly faded. She looked up to Xana inquisitively. "He's kidding, right?"
"'fraid not, Blue. There are some documented sightings of specimens that big. But Ordo has a tendency to overstate facts. There are two types of Krayt Dragons: the Canyon Krayt Dragon and the Greater Krayt Dragon. The latter is the badass one, complete with ten legs and massive, whip-like tale. It incredibly rare though, only two have been sighted during the last five centuries. The Canyon Krayt Dragon is the common one and has an average size of a modest 100 feet."
"Oh, you had me worried there for a moment," Mission replied sarcastically. "That's totally not frightening at all."
"But our biggest problem will be the Sand People," Ordo continued unperturbedly. "Native species, highly territorial. As to be expected they are violent towards Czerka and other strangers, attacking miners and their sand crawlers."
Xana let out a dry snort. "We're motherfucking Jedi, what's some Sand People to us? They probably still live in huts made from their own shit."
Onasi shook his head. "They are defending the lands that once belonged to them, but were invaded by aliens: Czerka."
"An organization that has been at the heart of the foundation of the modern Republic," Xana pointed out.
"Sure, by acquiring the necessary resources to do so, by whatever means necessary. But these lands are stale, there's nothing to gain here. Only mindless 'fun'."
Xana wanted to make another point to defend her case, but the silent voice of Juhani cut her off. "These Sand People see their lands defiled the same way the Cathar once saw their planet go to ruin." Her yellow eyes shot to Canderous. "Not to expand territory or gain resources. No, they did it purely to quench their lust for bloodshed. The Sand People are merely defending their lands, just like we once did."
The Cathar turned back to Xana, as to dare her defend the Czerka Corporation any further. Seeing the yellow eyes triggered something inside her brain, and for a second she saw a woman with similar eyes perish in a fierce skirmish against the Mandalorians. The vision was coupled with a deep sense of loss, like it had once shredded her heart into a million tiny pieces.
Had she once been in love with a Cathar woman?
Suddenly the senselessness of the Mandalorian crusades became a part of her, and when she reflected it on Czerka's business here she recognized the same futility.
Her green eyes filled with regret and her heart ached. "You're right, Juhani. Czerka doesn't belong here." For a moment the feline's eyes grew wide in surprise, but then she offered the padawan a sincere nod. "But even if Czerka is wrong, there's no way we can resolve this situation. The Sand People were wrong as well, for they attacked innocent miners. Calling a truce will be impossible."
"There might be a way," Onasi interjected. "We ran into an alien who claimed Czerka isn't even making attempts to broker peace. He thinks simply speaking to the Sand People will bring greater understanding."
"Well, good luck understanding the burping shit that comes out of their mouths," the raven haired woman smirked.
"You don't speak Sand Peoplish?" Mission asked with a disbelieving stare. "You speak like every language known to woman!"
Xana patted the girl's head briefly. "Nope, not every language. Just those that matter." When a couple of faces watched her in disappointment she lightly added, "It's not like we have time to play peacemaker. We have a galaxy to save, remember?"
Bastila had folded her arms and was holding her chin in thought. "Peace here would be beneficial to the Republic," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. Her eyes hovered over Juhani. "And if they've lived here for centuries they'll know these lands inside out. They might speed up our search for the cavern housing the Star Map."
"One point at a time, please," the Mandalorian interjected. "We're going to need a hunter's license to enter the desert, otherwise we won't be able to even leave Anchorhead. We inquired about it in the local Czerka office, but they claim licenses aren't given out anymore. The lady at the counter said there's simply too much hunters around. And before you ask: there aren't any vacancies for miners either."
"Leave her to me," Xana said calmly. "I'll work my silver tongue on her and get that license."
Bastila watched her uncertainly for a moment, almost as if she were jealous, but then slowly nodded. "Yes, that might be our best option."
"If we do get the license; we met a woman we could help with it," the Flight Commander said. "She's a widow, her husband was a hunter but found his end in the dunes. She desperately wishes to return to her family on Kuat, but doesn't have the money to do so. The only thing of value she possesses is a trophy left by her husband, but she can only sell it to the local broker with a hunter's license. Should we help her?"
"Well that depends now, does it?" Xana said with a smirk, pausing to make sure she got everyone's undivided attention. "Did she have a nice ass?"
Mission giggled and Ordo barked a laugh, but Bastila took a deliberate step forward and slapped her apprentice right across the cheek. The raven haired woman let out a hiss and grasped the flaming skin, looking at her master with a wronged expression. "Hey, it was just a joke!" Bastila glowered at her, but Xana could feel uncertainty radiate through the Bond. "B-Bas, I'm sorry. You know your tight little butt is enough for me!"
The senior Jedi shook her head and looked away. "I'll speak with this woman tomorrow," she said, ignoring Xana completely. "There might be a way to help her." She shot her apprentice a sharp glare. "Not for personal gain, but because we're followers of the light side."
"Sure, let's waste our time on a woman we don't know," the padawan sarcastically remarked.
"I agree with Xana on this," Juhani surprisingly defended. "This woman is not clan, and her husband was a despicable hunter. Who knows what her true intentions are if she allowed her mate to violate these lands?"
"And what if she really is just a poor widow wanting out of this miserable place?" the brunette inquired icily. "We are Jedi, we cannot let personal feelings get in the way of our duty. We must protect the weak."
The Cathar faltered for a second, but didn't back down. "Even without my personal feelings, it would slow down progress on our mission. I think we should focus on our task, instead of going around as handymen. Each and every person in this galaxy has their problems, should we help them all?"
"Jedi are ever vigilant for injustice. If someone needs our help I refuse to look the other way."
Juhani shared a look with Xana, who shrugged helplessly, before caving in. "Very well commander, we'll do it your way."
With that out of the way they spoke about the results of their investigation some more. There was surprisingly little known about the dune seas or the two Sith Lords. Most people just had a lot of troubles and had begged the powerful Jedi for help. They discussed them long and short, always ending in a heated debate whether to help or not.
Bastila and Carth wanted to play saints, Juhani and Xana were more reserved and Canderous frankly couldn't give a damn. Zaalbar and Mission were the smart ones here; they never got involved in the discussion. The Wookie feared his opinion wouldn't be valued and would only get him scolded. Mission just wanted to satiate her gluttony, before cuddling up to Xana and getting her belly rubbed.
In the end Bastila called all of them off. "I've heard enough. We should get back into the Ebon Hawk and get food and rest. I'll make a plan of action for tomorrow." She turned to Xana looking like her confident self, but the padawan could feel uncertainty tingle through the Bond. "If you can come up to my quarters tonight, I'd like to discuss my plans with you. Two know more than one, after all."
Xana was surprised, this was already more progress than she had anticipated. Instead of taking the lead with headstrong and naïve certainty like this morning, Bastila now seemed aware she wasn't an omnipotent leader. At least she recognized there was knowledge to gain from her apprentice. "Sure thing," she answered with a sincere smile. A smile that quickly turned lewd as her eyes lazily hovered towards the brunette's nether regions. "I don't mind getting to the… bottom of it."
A deep blush spread across Bastila's cheeks, but she ignored the lecherous implication. Instead she approached the Ebon Hawk's loading ramp, only to be met with an incredibly nervous Zaalbar blocking her way. "Umm, there's a slight problem, Lady Bastila."
The silver eyed woman cocked an eyebrow and folded her arms, watching the large Wookie impatiently. "What is it? Speak up!"
Zaalbar had the posture of someone who'd rather be in the pits of hell than in front of the cold knight. "I err… might accidently have taken a nap while I was guarding the ship," he admitted sheepishly.
"You slacker!" the knight exclaimed, making the large Wookie flinch. "What happened while you were ignoring your duty?"
"Err, you see… this dockworker loaded a crate in the cargo hold. I told him we didn't order nothing, but he just left. I tried to haul it back out, but I let it slip and it… broke."
Bastila clasped her hand against her forehead and remained silent for a moment, no doubt counting to ten. "I don't want to know what was inside, do I?"
Zaalbar looked extremely uncomfortable. "P-probably not, ma'am. It was… it was a family of Gizka." A low growl escaped the knight's throat.
"Not a single creature can match the spawn rate of the Gizka," Xana mused, digging her memory. "They usually stick to a single territory they find comfortable, but are quite picky when it comes to choosing it. The Force is truly against us if these buggers decide to make the Ebon Hawk their home." She barked an amused laugh imagining a group of sex addicted reptiles living inside their ship.
The Wookie gulped and added timidly, "They sorta seem to enjoy the Ebon Hawk… I think I saw one making a nest."
Xana's amused face fell to a worried frown. "Oh drat…"
On a nearby rooftop two figures clad in tight black leather were watching the group enter their ship. As they turned to exchange a glance their soft, handsome faces transformed in dark smirks.