Hello dear readers! This is the second piece I'm getting back to after a long hiatus on it. Motivations to get my stories done and the fact that we're getting a new Star Wars in December has been a fine kick to get back onto this story.

mkpunk: You're batting a thousand with the parallels for the characters. I hope you enjoy where we pick up.

Fanfic-Reader-88: Trina is actually one of the heroes of this story in quite a big way. After all, someone has to really bring balance back to the 'Force' and defeat the Emperor and Empress. Once she does figure out that she and Tori are sisters, I do wonder if she'll throw a fit about being denied being a princess.

Challenge King: Thank you. She's Trina, there has to be that sliver in her that makes her the Trina we all know and love.

Rating: T Language

Chapter 9: I Think We Can Take a Breath Now

Dusty took over the flight controls and held onto the control yoke for dear life as he accelerated the tramp freighter away from the Star Destroyer. The freighter was easily outpacing the warship, but it wasn't the only thing to worry about as four TIE fighters vectored in to intercept the freighter.

Sinjin called out from the copilot seat, "We have fighters inbou—"

The freighter captain called out, "I know, I know. Did you dump everything into the shields except life support and hyperdrive?"

"Yep."

"Then we're going to plow through them. Take over getting me those blasted calculations."

"Okay, okay, it's working."

The first two lead fighters veered off, but the following two maintained their heading and cut loose with a stream of green laser fire as they strafed the vessel.

The freighter rocked from the laser fire, but didn't seem to have any real effect on the ship other than a little rocking.

Dusty looked at the display for the shields and muttered to himself, "We're fine. We're fine."

The fighters snapped around and opened up their throttles in order to catch up with the fleeing ship.

Sinjin eagerly informed them as he watched the sensor display, "They're catching up and catching up fast."

"How's that calculation going?"

The co-pilot glanced at another display and answered, "Almost done, but I think they'll catch up before it's done."

The others had rushed to the cockpit after the first jostle of laser fire. Tori hung on tightly on Dusty's seat and called out, "Doesn't this thing have any weapons?"

Dusty clenched his teeth, not eager to hear the obvious course of action from the princess, but couldn't deny it either. "Yes, but I don't want to have a drag out fight with them."

Freddie suggested with a tempered voice, signaling he was still someone cool under fire, "Why don't we swipe a few off our tail instead?"

Dusty eyed the starship captain then made the logical decision. "Transfer some power back into the quads," Dusty ordered as he jumped out of his seat and slipped between the pair. "Come on Captain," he called out over his shoulder.

The Star Fleet captain started after him down the short corridor and around the center of the freighter towards the exit hatch. On the opposite side of the exit, there was a vertical tube with an opening with a ladder.

Dusty motioned for Freddie to head down the ladder while he climbed up. Freddie followed the instructions and seconds later reached the bottom of the ladder. He grabbed the sides of the end of the tube as he realized there was a shift in gravity. He slipped into the chair and bulked himself into the seat. He noticed the headset and slipped it over his ears.

"All set down there?" he heard Dusty's voice over headphones.

"Yeah," Benson answered while adjusting the volume and taking the control yoke.

"Crash course. The HUD in front of you tells you the vector they're approaching, a whining sound in the headphones indicates if they're approaching or moving away and the buttons are the triggers. Don't try to run them hot. Hold the trigger for a second or two then cool down about the same amount of time."

"Gotcha."

Benson turned the controls to his right, shifting about nearly one-hundred-eighty degrees and saw the fighters catching up with them. He lined up his first shot and fired, sending out staggered fire of two shots at a time from the four barrels. The first half a dozen shots caught the first fighter off guard, striking it dead in the center and exploding in a fireworks display.

A following couple of shots he saw overhead streaked by and struck the support beam of another fighter, cleaving off one of the solar fins and sending the vessel in a tailspin.

"Good shooting," Dusty called out with a jovial tone.

The other two fighters took evasive to the right and left and in the process, bleeding off speed and allowing the freighter to further pull ahead.

The ship suddenly jerked to the left, catching the gunners off guard.

Benson could hear the aggravated call over his headset, "Sinjin, what are you doing?"

"We're going in the wrong direction for the jump."

Dusty muttered in disgust, "Sith spit… okay, look alive, we're coming straight at them!"

The former science officer held back a remark that he realized such a thing and pulled the control stick hard to the left and swung the guns back in the directing of the front of the freighter. His HUD displayed the two fighters streaked towards them with several other ones in the distance trying to catch up. He lined up his targeting retinal and prepared to fire.

The TIEs opened fire with a string of dual green laser blasts as they tried to juke and jank to get out of the line of return fire that the pair of gunners was offering. As the fighters moved about wildly while still trying to maintain an interception course, each side's fire went fairly wild with only a few shots hitting the freighter since it was the larger target.

The pair of fighters flew past the Son, overshooting without any real damage inflicted.

Dusty shouted, "We're clear Sinj, anytime!"

Sinjin didn't need to be told twice as he pushed the throttle forward with the next moment of the stars stretched out in front of them then turning into swirling blue tunnel.

The pair of gunners simultaneously sighed in relief as they were safe in the cocoon of hyperspace.

In the cockpit, Robbie turned and pulled Jade into a hug. The doctor let a smile form and patted her friend on the back as she returned the hug.

The Star Fleet officer's pulled away and exited out of the cockpit to make their way back to the center of the ship and to the ladder to meet them.

As the pair exited onto the deck, one after the other, Dusty spared a compliment, "That was good shooting."

"Prime training was good at learning the basics of gunnery… plus I played a lot of video games when I was a kid."

The freighter captain nodded his head to the side, unsure what 'video game' meant and remarked, "You'll have to tell me about it sometime."

Freddie wasn't sure when that would happen with the crazy situation they found themselves as there didn't seem to be a moment's breath.

As they made their way back to the corridor towards the cockpit, Jade, Robbie and Tori met them.

The princess threw her arms over Freddie's shoulders and pulled him into a celebratory hug.

Freddie threw on a surprised expression and looked over Tori's shoulder to see Jade raising an equally surprised raised eyebrow.

The brunette took a step back, but held the starship captain's shoulders. "That was great shooting. You did it."

"We did it your highness," Dusty sarcastically remarked as he slipped past them and headed to the cockpit.

Tori let her eyes follow the prickly scoundrel and muttered under her breath, "Grouch."

"Stuck up princess," he called over his shoulder and continued to the cockpit.

Jade made a face as if she was about to whistle while Robbie looked uncomfortable.

Tori pushed down her annoyance with the freighter captain and switched her attention back to Freddie, turning on a flirtatious smile. "Now that are the excitement is over for the moment, I can properly introduce myself. I'm Tori Ablingada, Senator of the planet Alderaan and one of the leaders of the Alliance to Restore the Republic."

Jade teased with a bit of sarcasm lacing her voice, "Wow, fancy title."

Freddie raised an eyebrow to the doctor, asking without speaking for her to save her witty remarks.

The dark haired doctor raised a corner of her mouth in a half smirk, signaling she understood the message and she'd 'behave' as to not blow a diplomatic meeting.

Tori quietly observed the pair, easily picking up on the nonverbal exchanged. The years of political wheeling and dealing and involvement with the Alliance had made her a keen observer of people—regardless of species—some her instincts were telling her that there was something a little more than superior giving an order to a subordinate.

Freddie turned his full attention back to the princess and politely nodded his head and answered, "Princess, I am Captain Fredrick Benson of the USS… Tori, representing the United Federation of Planets."

The princess raised an eyebrow, questioning if she heard her rescuer correctly. "USS Tori?"

Freddie awkwardly let out a soft laugh, "I see the universal translator is working. It's a funny coincidence with the name."

Tori knotted her brow and asked, "Translator?"

He pointed to his right ear and explained, "I'm not speaking your language. They earpiece is translating what you're saying then translates what I'm saying to you back into your language."

The princess laughed, feeling the first sense of relief since her capture, "It would explain why your lips aren't matching what you're saying. I thought it was really strange, but with the whole fleeing for our lives, it didn't seem as important."

Benson shared the laugh while Shapiro smiled on goofily and Jade rolled her eyes. The captain motioned to Shapiro and continued his introductions, "This is my first officer and chief science officer, Commander Robert Shapiro."

The science officer maintained his goofy smile and eagerly answered, "Hi, you can call me Robbie."

The brunette returned the smile, a little flattered by his nearly childlike innocence in his introduction.

The starship commander continued with a motion towards Jade, "This is my chief medical officer, Doctor Jadelyn West… the vampire as you put it."

The princess gave a polite nod to the doctor, suddenly feeling embarrassed about the insult she had thrown in her direction during her rescue. "Doctor."

Jade easily returned a smile, appearing not to hold the remark against her. "Princess."

Tori apologetically answered with a disarming smile, "Sorry about the vampire comment."

Jade wore a neutral expression. "You have no idea what you said translated into my language."

The Rebel leader struggled with an uncomfortable smile, feeling that she was suddenly put on the spot and answered, "No, I don't."

Freddie was about to speak up to nip the potential argument before it started, but Jade continued, "It means a person that has become a blood sucking immortal monster with fangs that can't go out in the sun that feeds on people. I hope it translates what I just said properly."

Tori slightly blushed, seeing that what the doctor had at least heard was more offensive than she initially believed in remarking.

Benson looked to Jade with a questioning gaze.

Jade glanced to the starship captain and remarked, "Out of all the first contact missions we've been on, I like it for a change to be offended from a faulty translation—which apparently wasn't a faulty translation."

Benson's gaze turned into 'please knock it off' look towards his former sister-in-law.

Jade wasn't going to heed the advice or perhaps order. "You hate when that happens: we meet someone new, everyone realizes that there is a communication barrier and mutual cultural ignorance, yet while it's still being worked on, they find some reason to find something offensive."

"That's used to put one on the defensive when the contact is happening, either as psychological leverage or as a pretext. Something we don't have to do nor do it here in this conversation," he finished as a gentle reminder.

"Of course it's needed. You're entering into negotiations with a foreign power and you're going to try to get as much as you can out of the deal, so it helps to keep her off-guard."

Freddie raised an eyebrow and asked, "And you think saying that out loud in front of her helps?"

Jade smiled, almost deviously, and answered, "It can't be too easy for you. It wouldn't go with how the rest of this mission has gone."

Freddie rolled his eyes and shook his head, drawing a bigger grin on her lovely face.

Tori darted her eyes back and forth between the captain and doctor, trying to figure out what she was watching. Her experience and just good old fashion human intuition was telling her something more than a professional relationship. She decided to put on hold about figuring what exactly was the extent of the pair's relationship and spoke up, "It's not a power struggle or negotiation where we're trying to do that. The Alliance and the Federation are facing a common enemy and what we're going to negotiate is simply how we can best help the other defeat the Empire."

Jade turned a scrutinizing gaze to the princess, trying to put the girl on her heels.

"And I'm truly sorry about the vampire comment. Thank you for helping to rescue me. I truly appreciate it."

Jade did the unexpected and politely answered, "Apology accepted and you're welcome."

Freddie suggested, hoping to move things along before something truly sabotaged the conversation, "Now that is settled, the ship has a little lounge in the main hold, so why don't we retire there? I'd like to get a chance to get out of this armor."

Tori half giggled at realizing that he was still in the red Skynaut armor and wondered the comfortableness of the suit. "I would, but I'd like to check on our 'Captain' and see exactly where we're going first if that's alright?"

Freddie nodded in approval, but his instincts told him that he should be present as there was clear tension Dusty was feeling towards the princess. "I'll go with you." He looked to his companions and suggested, "We'll meet you in the lounge in a few minutes."

"Right, don't get lost," Jade quipped then turned with Robbie to head for the main hold.

Tori and Freddie returned to the cockpit, watching as the master-of-the-ship and first mate were busy looking over the ship's status and checking star charts. She looked over their shoulders and suggested, "They're tracking us."

Dusty snapped back in annoyance, "Of course they're tracking us. We all left the ship at some point and I'm not going to assume they didn't get something on her while we were having a grand little adventure trying to rescue you." He looked to Freddie and asked while pointing to Robbie, "He's a science officer, right?"

Freddie narrowed his gaze, wondering where he was going with the question. "Yeah."

"Then he can make himself useful and track down whatever they put on my ship."

The Star Fleet captain looked over his shoulder and called out down the corridor, "Robbie, start scanning the ship to see if you can find any kind of tracking device."

"Yes sir."

Dusty looked back to Sinjin and asked, "Sinj, do you have those coordinates for the Bespin system."

Tori questioned almost incredulously, "Bespin?"

"Yes, it's a safe refuge where we can get a get a look over and topping off of fuel. Once we're there, you can find plenty of transport to anywhere you want to go."

Tori clenched her mouth shut, fuming that he was being so rude and dismissive of her.

Freddie didn't look all that pleased either as he wasn't sure if he could arrange any further transport back to Federation space if the Rebels weren't interest in any kind of alliance.

"Sinjin go with him to help and make sure he doesn't break anything."

The first mate eyed his friend for several seconds then stood up from his seat and slipped between the others.

Dusty focused on the console, seemingly giving the others a cold shoulder.

The starship captain and princess quietly watched Dusty brought the vessel out of hyperspace in the space between the stars. He manipulated the controls and turned the vessel several dozen degrees before pushing the throttle again to jump the ship back into hyperspace.

As the ship slipped back into the safety of the swirling maelstrom, Tori idly commented, hoping to ease back the tension in the cabin with a casual tone in order to confirm a suspicion about one of her rescuers. "That was pretty impressive standing up to Vega. I didn't think anyone could stand up to a Sith Lord and survive."

Dusty rolled his eyes and slightly glanced over his right shoulder. "Sith lord, smith lord, whatever… No one's unbeatable. Nevel was able to wipe out most of the Jedi and everyone always thought they were unkillable."

Tori pushed down the bile that threatened to come up from her stomach at the story her father told her about the massacre at the Jedi Temple. Her father barely escaped with his life when he went there to find out what had happened. She calmed her demeanor and continued, "Still, it takes someone pretty special to go up against one in a one-on-one fight… I'm guessing another Jedi, especially since you were wielding a lightsaber."

The pilot turned in his seat and grinned, but it wasn't a happy one, more like one trying to keep his patience. "I'm an excommunicated Jedi."

The senator was taken aback by the confession, not expecting a qualification to being a Jedi. She questioned in a mildly fearful voice as if she was speaking with a potential Sith, "Excommunicated? Why?"

"My views are heretical to the Jedi code, so I left/got kicked out, take your pick. I just wasn't welcome to them."

"What you do you mean 'heretical'?" She swallowed in mild worry and subconsciously took a step back.

Freddie alternated his gaze between the pair, curious as to why such information would frighten her.

Tori quietly asked, wishing she had a weapon at the moment, "You weren't embracing the 'Dark Side' were you?"

Dusty smiled, calmly answering, "There is no 'Dark Side'."

Tori's potential fear turned into confusion as he questioned, "What?"

The exile-Jedi leaned forward and repeated, "There is no 'Dark Side'. There is only the Force and saying that led me away from them. It's a heretical view. They see anyone that follows that belief or spreads the teaching as either a naïve fool at best or someone corrupting those towards the dark side at worst, so I was expelled."

Freddie watched the exchange in curiosity, his scientific background never having taken a backseat after making the Captain's Chair. He was still in the dark about the whole 'Force' thing as a philosophy or religion, but he couldn't deny witnessing Dusty's telekinetic powers or superhuman reflexes in deflecting blaster bolts. Psychic abilities weren't something knew to the Federation as there were a handful of true human telepaths and Vulcans as a species on the whole had psychic abilities, though nothing at the level of what Freddie had seen. He could imagine Star Fleet Medical and the Federation Science Bureau wanting to examine Dusty from head-to-toe, possibly inside and out to explain how such things were possible.

Dusty continued in what looked like the hopes of easing Tori's apprehension, "They use the 'Dark Side' as an explanation for why people use the Force to commit evil acts—quicker, easier, more seductive is what they say and that's what entangles those that succumb to the 'Dark Side'."

He shook his head. "They're wrong. Anger, rage and hate are usually just easier emotions to invoke to channel one's connection to the Force and it gives you the sense of greater power that is unbridled. It gives the person a sense of invincibility and belief they can do anything… a god perhaps… but that is only means and consequences of wielding the Force in that manner. I will concede that can be intoxicating, but so can any form of power a person can wield and we don't make such excuses for them to get out of their responsibility. You walk your own path and the Force doesn't make you do anything."

Freddie spoke up, "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Tori and Dusty turned a shared gaze to the 'alien' human, surprised by his sudden input.

The captain shrugged his shoulder and explained, "An old saying from my world."

Dusty nodded along. "An apt idiom. It doesn't matter where you go, what species you are, political persuasion or belief, some things are universal."

A silence fell between the three and the brunette quietly observed the former Jedi, quietly contemplating his words and weighing their value. She wasn't entirely verse in Jedi teachings, but what he said seemed to make very good sense to her. She wasn't opened at all to the idea that Vega or any other Sith being exonerated of their crimes against the Republic and her people.

Tori turned her attention to their pilot, studying the back of his head. She may have found the young man brash, but he was intelligent with critical thinking skills and she couldn't deny the value of having even a half-trained Jedi could be a considerable asset to the Alliance. She calmed her breathing and began in a consolatory tone, "The Alliance could use yo—"

Dusty rolled his eyes and remarked, "Rebel, Imperial, just two sides of the same coin."

Tori stared at him as if he had suddenly transformed into a narf then snapped as she was suddenly filled with rage by his statement, "We are nothing alike and I'm trying to take him out!"

Dusty didn't back down and responded just as harshly, "You blasted politicians put him into power! The only reason you want to 'take him out' is because you're pissed that he cut you out of the power structure and put his own people in. This whole 'Alliance' is nothing but the disgruntled senators and planetary royalty getting together to get their jobs back. As I said, Imperial, Rebel, it'll all be the same thing."

The dark haired princess fiercely countered, "We're fighting for freedom of the galaxy, not for our own power."

"I have news for you princess: while you were all cozy on Corusant with your guards and massive fleet orbiting the planet safe from harm, the Republic decided to say to hell with freedom and happily voted Nevel in as Emperor—they don't want the freedom you're offering them; they want 'security' to the point where they will accept an authoritative government and just invade everyone around them to make sure they can feel safe."

Dusty glanced to Freddie to emphasize his point of the aggression towards the Empire's neighbors.

Tori frowned and took several deep breaths, her chest starting to burn with the outrage of his words, but what disgusted her more was that perhaps he was right. She recalled what she had whispered to her father when the Republic Senate was voting in Nevel as Emperor: "This is how liberty dies… in thunderous applause."

Dusty turned back to the control console, believing he had thoroughly made his point.

Tori studied him for several seconds, seeing the weariness she had seen in plenty of Clone War veterans and Rebel soldiers. She whispered out regretfully, "You were a soldier in the war?"

The exiled Jedi looked to Tori with a questioning and annoyed eyebrow. "Yes and I lost a lot of good people and dear friends… I've had my share of it, especially knowing now it was just for people like Nevel and you to accumulate power. I'm not going to keep fighting just so you can have your power trip and fill your coffers."

Benson watched the exchange in fascination as it gave him a political insight of the power structure on the other side of the galaxy and how people may have felt about the Alliance. However, as much as the conversation was a treasure trove of information, he couldn't let tensions explode. He raised his hands and shouted, "Enough! Tensions are running high and we're all coming off of an adrenaline high. Let's all take a breath and take a step back."

The arguing pair looked to Freddie, one caught up in frustrating embarrassment and the other with barely checked outrage.

Jade came running up the corridor and asked, "I heard shouting. What's going on?"

Dusty paused at seeing Jade, as if surprised by her presence, but quickly recovered, "It's nothing. We're just having a political discussion… one that I've had my fill." He looked to the former senator and instructed her, "You stay out of the cockpit or I will shoot you—and not on stun."

Tori's cheeks flared in embarrassment with being dismissed out of hand and she was about to snap in return, but he motioned out the back and remarked, "There is a set of cabins on the other side of the ship that you and the doctor can have for the rest of the trip. I suggest you take the first on you come across to your right in the ring. I assume Freddie and Robbie can make do in the holds?"

Tori wasn't letting it go and demanded, "Then what? You'll just dump us and leave? That's what you said when we got to Bespin."

Dusty turned in his seat and stated with an impatient voice, "Lady, my job was to simply take these three to meet you, not get captured, rescue you then blast my way out of a Star Destroyer flotilla. On top of it, they know my ship and they sure as Heaven know us now, so now on top of our troubles, we're wanted men. I've done enough for them and you. You'll be able to book passage to anywhere you want to go once we get to Bespin without any questions."

Tori was about to start fresh with another round of argument, but Jade spoke up with a kind word, "Thank you for all you've done for us."

Dusty stared into the doctor's eyes and Jade in return briefly wondered if he was actually looking at her. He cleared his throat, but still struggled to answer, "You're welcome."

Jade turned a smile to Tori and stated, "Let me check you out to see if you're alright."

"I'm fine."

"I'd like to confirm that if you don't mind. You were in their custody for a while."

The lighter haired brunette crossed her arms and answered, "I actually do mind."

Jade's bedside manner started waning, "All this is a waste if they did something to you we don't know about. We don't know how long they were holding you for or what interrogation techniques they used."

The princess looked like she wasn't going to budge, but Freddie politely suggested, "It would give the doctor piece of mind that she checked you out to make sure that you are alright. She is a highly skilled doctor after all."

Tori gave Freddie a contemplative look and he stared back with a hint of a smile, but one that showed he wasn't going to accept no as an answer.

Crew Quarters

The door whooshed open and Jade was the first one to step inside and surveyed the room. It was a fairly good size quarter, something about the size of a senior enlisted or junior officer. On her immediate left was an unmade bed with several pictures hanging on the bulkhead. Immediately in front of her on the opposite bulkhead was a closed closet and next to it on the left was a computer console. In the left hand corner, there was an L-shaped couch starting at the foot of the bed that rounded to the side of the computer console. On the right was a closed door, presumably to the head.

Tori glanced around as she slipped inside and commented, "A little cramped, but… it's kind of cozy." She pointed to the messy bed and joked, "Do you want the couch or do you want to share the bed for a couple of hours?"

Jade gave another glance around the quarters and lazily answered, "You wouldn't be the first woman I've shared a bed with."

The lighter hair brunette knotted her brow, stunned at the confession.

The doctor looked over her shoulder and saw the astonished expression. "I had a sister and did have sleepovers with my friends. You did have sleepovers with other princesses when you were a child?"

"Not exactly… I had sleepovers, but they were with kids of high ranking planetary officials. I was the only princess."

"Only child too?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"Why?"

"You didn't have the pleasures of being driven nuts by siblings," Jade asked with a half-hearted laugh, recalling Carly and not really getting to spend as much time as she wanted with Ian.

Tori had thought about the topic from time to time, but her time with the rebellion had caused her to look on a number of her friends as siblings. Her mind turning to them got her thinking about their safety.

Jade pulled the rebel fighter out of her thoughts and motioned to the edge of the bed and instructed, "Okay, have a seat on the bed and let's get this over with. I'm going to give you a quick physical examination."

Tori reluctantly followed the doctor's instructions and had a seat on the edge of the bed.

Jade pulled out her tricorder from her inner pocket then started running the scanner in front of Tori.

Tori commented, "Imperial interrogation techniques are infamous for their brutality, but they really didn't have the chance to work me over. I should be fine."

"I'm just double checking for piece of mind."

The lighter brunette didn't want to start another argument, so she remained silent as Jade completed her scan. However, she didn't want an awkward silence of a doctor simply examining her patient, so she commented to make conversation, "I still can't believe that you named the ship after me."

The darker brunette frowned at her and retorted, "Don't be ridiculous. The Universal Translator is just translating the name. I think it means bird in the Japanese language."

Tori tiled her head and questioned, "Japanese?"

"One of the many native languages from my homeworld. It's from a large island between what we call the China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It's a very lovely place. I've never had the chance to visit it though." She softly chuckled as she commented, "I've been to dozens of different planets and traveled tens of thousands of light years, but I've never visited Japan."

The alien princess suggested, "After all this, maybe you should treat yourself with a visit?"

"Yeah, I could do that… try to put

"I know, it was pretty scary."

"Yes it was, but not for that reason…" She paused then looked at her tricorder. "Back there was the first time I had to kill a person… and I killed several. I'm a doctor… it's not supposed to work that way."

Tori sympathetically offered, "I'm sorry."

The lovely doctor shook her head and focused back at the task at hand, trying to put aside the fact that she had taken several sapient lives. She passed the hand-scanner in front of Tori's forehead, getting the reading that her vitals appeared to be well within the normal range for a human. Surprisingly to the doctor, she couldn't tell from the readings that Tori wasn't anything other than a normal stock human than someone from the other side of the galaxy with supposedly several tens of thousands of years.

As Jade wondered about the significance of the readings, Tori muttered, "He's right to be mad at me."

Jade gave her a curious expression.

"Dusty I mean. We put Nevel and Nora into power. We were scared of the Separatist threat of them tearing the Republic apart. We bought the idea that they could protect us, so we just gave him more and more power until the point he turned on us and took control… I … I voted to make them Emperor and Empress and turn the Republic into an Empire."

"I'm guessing if you didn't… you probably would have disappeared soon after?"

"Yeah…"

"What about the part that you're just another group of powerbrokers just upset you're not part of the elite anymore?"

"I won't lie and say there aren't a few, but there are plenty of us that are still in the senate and have a considerable say in matters. I certainly not one of those after today…" Her face fell as if she finally realized one of the major consequences of it being revealed that she was a rebel leader. She uttered in a breath, "He's probably already put in a Moff to represent Alderean… my god, he's probably ended the blockade and just put Imperial troops on Alderean to make sure it's 'pacified'."

Tori bowed her head and stared at the floor, lost in her regret.

Jade rested her hand on her shoulder and attempted to comfort, "I'm sorry."

The princess looked up with a sad, but thankful smile. "Thanks."

Jade closed the tricorder and slipped it into her pocket as she continued, "Your initial vitals look alright.

This is a pretty biased opinion on my part, but it really doesn't matter about all the motivations that could be in play. Right now they are invading my home and we could use all the help we can get to stop them."

Tori couldn't help from smiling at the inadvertent support from the strange doctor. She readily commented in praise, "If all your starship commanders are as brave as Freddie, then I think the tide could turn

Jade could easily see the young woman was being a little flirtatious about Freddie even in his absence,

put on a small smile of pride as she agreed, "He's a little reckless with his life at times, but he certainly is brave. He's one of the bravest people I know."

"How long have you served with Freddie?"

"About two years."

"Only two years? You seem really comfortable with one another, more than what I've ever seen between a commander and a subordinate. I guess you've been through a lot together in your space travels."

Jade raised her once pierced eyebrow and cautiously answered, "We don't exactly have a strict professional relationship."

Tori responded with wide eyes, not expecting such a revelation, "Oh? So there's something between you?"

The doctor finished her scan then slipped her tricorder back into her pocket. She took a breath then answered before she could get the wrong idea, "Freddie is my brother-in-law and we've known each other since we were teenagers."

Tori knotted her brow, causing Jade to wonder if the translator had accurately translated what she had spoken. "Oh… oh… I ah…" She nervously laughed, "Freddie's married then?"

Jade tightened her smiled, embarrassed having to reveal such a thing, "My sister is deceased… he's a widower."

The brunette senator embarrassment shifted to being stunned then to sympathy. She took a breath then spoke barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry."

The doctor stared off to the side and muttered, her mind drifting to another time and place, "So am I."

The awkwardness soared between the pair as Jade was emotionally raw and bear and Tori wasn't sure what kind of comfort she could give to the stranger that helped rescue her.

The Rebel princess thought she could break it even if it was a pretty apathetic choice by suggesting, "If you don't mind, I'd like to see if you can get some sleep. It's been a very long day." She slipped into the unmade bunk without waiting for a response from the doctor, one part due to her own physical and emotional weariness and one part she didn't want to continue a conversation to bring more emotional to Jade.

Jade tightened a smile and politely answered, "Of course. I could use a little shuteye myself."

The Star Fleet doctor slipped off her shoes and pulled off her jacket to drape over the chair in front of the computer console then slipped into beside her on the bed. She turned her back towards the princess and looked at the bulkhead with the various pictures stuck to it. Her eyes glanced over them, seeing that they were taken at various events with friends and who she would assume were family. She noticed a few formal poses with people clearly military officers and who looked like Skynauts but in various camouflaged armor. It was the picture stuck directly in her line of sight that actually surprised her.

She paused at seeing the photo of Dusty holding a girl close to him while the pair looked at the camera, a girl that looked identical to her except with outright black hair.

The doctor's eyes opened wide and muttered, "Holy chizz…"

Tori called out, "What?"

Jade shook head and uttered, "Nothing."

The princess giggled and teased the absent freighter captain, "What? Some of those pictures are actually nudie pictures of girls? It must get lonely being out in space all the time."

The Star Fleet doctor sighed, letting her mind wonder for a second then answered, "Yeah, it can get pretty lonely…"

Tori knotted her brow and silently wondered if the doctor was speaking about herself as she tried to let sleep overtake her.

Sinjin and Robbie were finishing their sweep of the ship by going into the equipment bay in the heart of the ship. They stopped when they saw Drake and Josh tied up with their backs to one another dressed only in their boxers and undershirts. The mumbled under the equivalent of duct tape and struggled to get out of their bindings.

The first mate pursed his lips and uttered in embarrassment, "Oh yeah, we forgot about you two…"

Robbie questioned with an odd expression, "What are we going to do with them?"

The taller one of the pair idly answered, "We could space them."

The pair of skynauts picked up struggling in their bounds and muffled louder behind the tape.

Robbie looked horrified at the suggestion. "We just can't space them!"

Sinjin sighed then remarked, "Fine, I'll tell Dusty and let him decide." He turned and headed out of the cram maintenance area to go to the cockpit.

The Star Fleet science officer awkwardly smiled to the pair and began, "Okay fellas. I'll take the tape off, but if you try anything…"

Author's Note: Thanks for reading this update. I hope to have much more to this story up soon. Maybe I can get it done before the next Star Wars comes out, but who knows.