Greetings and salutations, my loyal readers! I'm back from the sideshow circuit to bring you another chapter for your reading pleasure! I had my show, made my money, and saw both a giant watermelon and the world's angriest, most profane old man. Both would have been great additions to my sideshow. Haha. But you're not here for cheap talk about grifts, gaffs and freakshow foibles. You're here for Imperials, and that's what you get. Let's jump in as Drakken and dear Freya embark on their first leave together. Enjoy!

"Are ye ready t' go, me darlin'?" Freya called as she carried two large duffel bags into the small ship. She sat them beside a seat in the passenger area of the strange shuttle, and joined Drakken in the cockpit. "Oi, ye hear me, Drakken?"

"Yeah…just trying to figure out the controls on this thing." Tharcourt replied, flipping on overhead switches. "She's a might bit different than The Huntsman, not that I'm an expert pilot anyhow." Thorne looked around the rounded interior of the small space.

"Where did ye get this thing anyway?" She asked. Drakken chuckled.

"It's an old Executive Transport Shuttle." He answered. "Firmus rented it for us for the week. He said it's about time I take some leave, and I'd better use it well."

"Awful nice of 'im." She commented. "Speakin' o' which…when was the last time you went on leave?" He paused a moment, thinking.

"Uh...hmm...something like two years ago?" He responded. Freya leaned up against the pilot chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Och…neu wonder ye can be such a crabbit soom days, Drakken." He raised an eyebrow and powered up the engines.

"I'm not a crabbit." He stated.

"Ah Drakken, me darlin'…some days yer like an ol' man yellin' at a scarecrow tae get outta his yard." She giggled. "I take it in strides cause yer me best mate." She sighed. "An cannae say I blame ye after all ye've 'ad t' put up with in this sad ol' galaxy." Drakken pulled back on the throttle and the ship hummed to life.

"Happy thoughts, Freya." He said. "Isn't that what you told me?" He shot her a small grin. "This holiday is for rest and relaxation…"

"An' fer ye t' finally stop workin' yerself to death, Drakken Tharcourt." She added. "How's the hands?"

"Good enough. The bacta treatment's really helped. They should be fully healed by tomorrow."

"Sure ye don't need me a flyin'?" She asked. He maneuvered the fifteen-meter ship out of the docking bay of the destroyer easily, and slid out into the emptiness of space.

"Can you fly?" He asked. She dropped her arms to her side and emitted a little choking sound.

"Aye…I mean…I did on…on th' simulator." She said haltingly. "Back in academy…"

"You cant fly?"

"Ee ne'er said that!" She squeaked angrily. "I jus' said I n e'er flew a…real ship." Drakken laughed. "An' what's so funny?"

"Gimme a second…" He muttered, inputting some coordinates into the nav computer. "You grab that ration box, by the way?"

"Aye, it's in th' back."

"Good. You ever been up here in the cockpit when a ship goes into hyperspace?" He inquired. She stared out of the transparasteel window into the blackness ahead.

"No…never." She answered. Tharcourt smiled, and put an arm about her waist and guided her closer.

"When I say, pull this lever back slowly." He instructed. "And brace yourself up against this seat. I wish there were two chairs up here, but we'll make do." He motioned to the controls. "Go ahead, get ready." Thorne nervously placed her fingers around the bar of the small lever. "Remember, nice and slow."

"Aye."

"You ready?" He asked, finishing up the calculations and getting the ship ready for its jump.

"I dunno." She said.

"Do it." He stated. Freya pulled the handle back slowly, and she felt a slight backwards push. The stars, which had been only tiny white dots, seemed to elongate, stretching toward them. Tharcourt placed a hand on Freya's back to steady her, and now she felt a strange sensation. It was like a discombobulating lurch both forward and rearward at the same time. The ship seemed to be engulfed in a tunnel of white streaks and flashes of color. Her eyes widened.

"Well…I'll be jiggered…" She said in a trance-like voice. "It's beautiful, Drakken."

"Yeah…I'll give it that." He agreed. "One of those things you take for granted. I usually ride in the back…wanted to see this all the time when I was a kid."

"So did I." Freya said softly. "All th' bloody time. Funny thing is, part o' me joined to see this…"

"And you see everything but." He added. She sat on the armrest of the chair.

"You…ye e'er think a doin' somethin' else, love?" She asked softly. Drakken was taken aback for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"Like…ye e'er jes wonder if there was something else out there ye could be doin'…somethin' a might bit more fulfillin' or some little slice a' the galaxy with yer name on it?" Drakken stared out at hyperspace a moment.

"Sometimes." He said. She looked at him as the pulsating light played on his face. "You ever wonder if we're doing the right thing?" He said, and was silent a moment. "The Empire, I mean?"

"At first? No. I thought we was keepin' the peace…thought we was doin' right by everyone...helpin' defend the poor folk as what cannae fight fer themselves, you know wot I mean?" Tharcourt shook his head. "Anymore? Bollocks, I dunno."

"I felt the same way." Drakken confessed. "Still do sometimes, I guess. I look at what good the Empire…what we're doing, and even holding it up to the bad…" He shrugged. "It almost feels like a dumb thing to consider."

"How can a whole Empire be evil?" She said. "Right? Fer feck's sake, look at who we serve."

"You ever meet Tarkin?" He asked.

"No."

"Didn't miss much. He was like Vader without the suit and the magic. Still a megalomanic with rank." He shook his head. "Then you have people like Firmus, like Veers. I met this Chiss Admiral once, Thrawn was his name. Pure…genius." He tapped the side of his head. "We have some good people…sometimes I think we just do some kriffed-up things because of the people running the show." Thorne looked at the deck in silence a few moments.

"Would ye leave had ye a chance?" She whispered. "If somethin' better yer way came? Would ye take it an' set up somewhere, an' not have t' be doin' things what made ye hate yerself in the mornin'?"

"I don't hate…" He began, and huffed. "You…you feel that way, don't you?" She shook her head softly.

"Sometimes..." Came the quiet reply. Drakken didn't know what to say. Freya was not only a fierce soldier and an amazing officer, she was the most important person in his life. Now here she was, admitting that she sometimes hated herself for what she was doing, and that she entertained thoughts of leaving the Empire.

"But you stay…" He finally said. Freya sat down on the floor next to his chair.

"An' I will." She stated. "Unless ye go too, Drakken."

"You're…serious." He said emotionally.

"Aye. I'll stick with ye no matter wot, me darlin'." She said. "Mebe I'm jes hopin' ye come t' see wot I see." He nodded gently. "So, where we goin' first, Drakken?" He glanced at her, having changed the subject so abruptly, and decided to let it sit.

"Our rock." He answered. "We have to drop something off before we jump over to our destination." She smiled a little.

"Th' ration box." She said. "I was wond'rin why ye wanted tae bring that 'ol thing." He chuckled.

They landed on the isolated planetoid and stepped off of the shuttle. Thorne carried the box for Drakken as they entered the small cave containing the secret stockpile of weapons and gear. Freya sat the box down and Drakken opened it, immediately setting the disrupter rifle against the now-full rack of weapons. He placed the two smaller blasters next to it, and took out a bag of credits. He carried these to his private box and deposited them inside. Ekks' blasters and credits were sealed in the ration box and placed in the Corellian's corner of merchandise.

"Anything you want to add while we're here?" Tharcourt asked.

"Maybe a few credits." She sighed, and deposited a hundred in the currency into her own tin box. "Ne'er know when I'll need it." She added.

"Well…that's what all of this is for." Drakken shrugged.

"Really?" Freya asked. "Ye said you did this back in the war when ye were a lad. Makin' caches and whatnot."

"Yeah, we did it in case we needed a quick resupply." Drakken explained. "No need for headquarters…no bases or infrastructure this way. It's easier to move when you're travelling light. That was our way of thinking at least. You know, I was thinking about setting up another one closer to the Outer Rim." Thorne rolled her green eyes.

"Ye ought to. But ye think we'll be needin' supply dumps all o'er the galaxy?"

"Better safe than sorry, I guess."

"Aye…maybe we best be thinkin' like that, me darlin'." She said in a cautionary tone. "But not fer our missions." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Wh…what do you mean?" He asked.

"Like ye said…" She muttered vaguely, "…ye ne'er know when we might be needin' this stuff." She walked out of the cave, and Drakken followed her up the ramp and onto the shuttle. He sat in the pilot seat and lifted off as Freya sat cross-legged on the floor next to him, watching through the windscreen as the ship reentered space. He finally spoke.

"You alright?" He asked. Freya just shrugged.

"I really ought t' be." She answered, dodging the question. "We're finally goin' somewhere nice. 'Ow long's it been since we talked about doin' this?" He smiled a little.

"I think it was shortly after you joined the team." He said, then Drakken added humorously, "And you've made a point to badger me about it regularly ever since."

"Aye, I had tae. It was in th' manual."

"What was?!"

"And I quote: 'Another requirement of th' ensign officer is t' ensure the physical an' psychological well bein' of th' officer they serve under.'" She grinned. "Ye see? I had t' make ye take some pers'nal time, or I wouldnae be doin' me job."

"As you say, ma'am." Drakken replied. "Now take the yoke." Her eyes widened.

"Wh…why?"

"Because I'm popping out of hyperspace for a while, and you're going to learn to fly."

They touched down on a pad near the center of town, and exited the shuttle, looking about at the city around them. Tharcourt was dressed in his usual off-duty fashion of black utility trousers tucked into a pair of tall black leather boots, the latter buckling down the sides with metal tabs, and sporting tall steel guards on the fronts. He wore a gray shirt and black leather jacket along with a gray utility cap. Freya of course had on her short gray skirt, with her tall sandals and a sleeveless, light gray sweater. Both carried their RK-3 blasters in holsters at their side, and both carried their Imperial identification cards and a pocketful of credits.

It was early afternoon on Kwenn, and the city seemed to be alive with some sort of festival. Colorful banners were strung between the taller buildings, and a large open-air market could be seen further down the large main avenue of the town. Humans and aliens of every walk were mingled together in the throng that filled the streets and alleys. Occasionally, they could see a quartet of stormtroopers patrolling together down a sidewalk, or a lone imperial officer entering or leaving one of the many structures in the surrounding area.

"Wot…wot is it, some kind of holiday?" Thorne asked.

"Oh come on now." Drakken returned. She glanced at him questioningly. "It's Empire Day."

"Och…I'd nearly forgot." She muttered. "So why this planet?" He shrugged.

"Never been here before." Tharcourt answered. "You wanted an adventure, right? Kwenn has some bizarre foods, exotic wares from all over, and it's not in the middle of a warzone."

"I'm already sold." Freya commented. They walked down the wide street side-by side, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the rural world on Empire Day. Freya stopped at a food vendor. The Dug was serving large chunks of some sort of meat, skewered on a stick and grilled over a pit of fire. The smell was intoxicating, with hints of a peppery aroma, and her stomach growled.

"Choy Kava get u, pretty lady?" The alien asked.

"I'd really love me one o' them kabob's, sir." She answered. The Dug looked to Drakken.

"Make it two." He added. The alien cook grabbed two of the roasted meat skewers off of the grill with his feet, a sight Freya found entertaining to see. He handed them to his customers.

"Six-ah credits, my lovely couple." He said. Freya reached for her money, but Drakken was quicker on the draw, placing three two-credit coins on the vendor's wooden table. Freya took her skewer and bit into it, tearing off a large hunk of the meat and chewing it greedily. Drakken took a more conservative and exploratory bite of his before deciding that it was actually quite good, and taking a larger bite.

"Mmmph…" Thorne sounded, working on her second round. "Thish ish crackin, mate…what is it?" Tharcourt tore off a large portion with his teeth and chewed.

"Isa my specialty…" The Dug answered. "Fire-roasted womp rat…my ah-mother's recipe." Drakken stopped chewing for a moment, picturing the huge rodents. Freya gulped down her bite and glanced down at the rest of the kabab. She shrugged and tore into it again.

"Your mum knowf how a' roash a womp rat!" She commented with a mouth-full of the meat. "Cheers!" She walked off, and Drakken smiled at the alien, and followed her, now taking smaller nibbles of the questionable dish. He watched Freya walk from vendor to vendor, a big smile on her face as she felt all of the fabrics, sniffed the air pleasantly, and giggled at odd little pieces on some of the tables. It brought a sense of joy to him to see the young woman so happy. She had seemed so depressed lately, and he fancied that maybe she needed this holiday as much as he did. Drakken finished his skewer and tossed the stick into a trash bin as Freya called him over.

"Drakken! Oh Drakken!" She chirped as he joined her. Freya was holding up a scarf. The large square of material had a gray field, with a decorative red border and rosettes, with green, white and black accents worked into it. "Id'n it gorgeous, me darlin'?"

"It's…nice." He replied, having never really cared much about any article of clothing save for good boots.

"Those are handmade." An elderly human woman said, coming to stand behind the table. "I make them as my mother did, as her mother did, as…"

"Ye 'ad me at first sight." Thorne remarked with a grin. "How much?"

"For you, ten credits."

"Deal!" She announced, and handed over the payment. She donned the scarf and flipped it around her shoulders dramatically. "Ye like?" She asked her companion. Drakken smiled.

"It does look better on you than on the table." He said.

"It's the colors." Thorne explained. "On me world, colors mean different things. They 'ave their own meanin's, yeah…but they can 'ave special meanin's to a person or a clan too." They walked on as she continued, pointing out the pattern on the scarf. "Lookee, Gray for the Empire, red fer battle, black an' white fer power an' faith an' green fer life. It should be our own clan colors, Drakken!" She clamped her mouth shut. He paused a moment, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Clan?" He asked softly.

"I didnae mean nothin' like that…" She began.

"I know what you meant." Drakken said. "Clan is family. Family…" He had a momentary look of sadness pass over his face. "I guess it means different things to different people." She nodded, and slowly embraced him in a hug.

"Yer me family, Drakken Tharcourt." She whispered.

"Really?"

"Really." She stated warmly, and kissed him briskly on the cheek. Drakken pulled back and looked into Thorne's eyes a moment.

"I…" He began, and seemed to get a little choked up. "Freya…you are, hands-down the best friend I've ever had…you're…" He smiled and scoffed. "Hell, you are the most amazing person I've ever known, and…" He trailed off.

"And?" She goaded. He raised an eyebrow.

"I'll be right back, okay?" He said, and backed away. Drakken held up an index finger, and disappeared into the crowd. Thorne stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed over her chest, waiting for him to return and wondering what had made him run off like he did. He appeared from the throng, and she couldn't help but to exhale a few hitching breaths in surprise.

"You like it?" He asked, and adjusted the scarf around his neck. "She had one more that was the same as that one. Figured…you know, why not." Thorne smirked.

"Why not…" She repeated dryly. He took out a cigarra and lit it, then pulled the scarf up around his head slightly, adding a touch of mystery to his look. "I reckoned…if we're a clan, we ought to have matching colors, right?" Thorne let out a small squeal and hugged him again. He put his free arm around her. "You're a Hell of a better family than I ever had, Freya."

"Aw, Drakken…It's alright. Ye got me now. Tell ya what…ye can be part o' me clan, an' I'll introduce ye to me folks." He chuckled. "Though me ol' wan'll prolly wanna arm wrestle ye."

"I'd…be honored to meet your family one day." He returned. "Any people that can make somebody like you have to be pretty remarkable…and tough." She giggled and shook her head lightly. Drakken took a drag from the cigarra. "Come on, let's see what else we can get into."

They visited another food vendor, and each bought a carton of Mantell Mix for seven credits a carton, and from another vendor, they bought two cups of Chalactan tea. As they walked through the festivities, enjoying their snacks, their duties and the war seemed to melt away in their minds, like a fog when the morning sun begins to burn it away. An Imperial lieutenant walked down the street, announcing that a parade was about to begin on the next street over.

"Can we see it?" Freya asked hopefully.

"Sure." Tharcourt shrugged. "At least I get to see big guns without having to shoot them at anyone." They tried to make their way down the thoroughfare and around the block, but the crowd had become too thick.

"Come on, let's cut through here." Drakken proposed, shrugging toward a long alley between two tall buildings. "It's quicker." They started down the darker passageway, making their way to the next street.

"Hold it, you two." A voice ordered. They both recognized the sound of a Stormtrooper's voice amplifier immediately. Drakken halted and raised his hands to shoulder-height, and Freya did the same. Three stormtroopers emerged from a shadowy grotto in the wall to their right. "What is your purpose back here?"

"Stand down, trooper." Drakken said calmly. "We're on the same side."

"We'll be the judge of that." The squad leader stated. "Let's see some identification. Wait." He motioned to his comrades. "Secure their weapons. We can't be too sure with all these rebel scum around." The other two stormtroopers stepped forward and took their blasters from them, keeping their E-11s trained on the two. Drakken noted the leader's white pauldron.

"You're really wasting time here, sergeant." He explained. "We're Imperial officers here on leave…"

"Quiet." The stormtrooper sergeant ordered. He eyed the two up and down. "You don't look like Imperial officers…especially her."

"Ye'd be surprised, trooper." Thorne stated.

"I want to see some ID." The sergeant demanded. Drakken started to reach for his pocket. "Slowly." Tharcourt rolled his eyes and huffed as he reached into his jacket and drew out his Imperial Military ID Card and handed to the trooper. Thorne did the same with another of the soldiers. The sergeant looked at the transparent data card and Drakken could almost sense his eyes widening behind the dark green lenses of his helmet.

"Sir! Apologies sir!" He gushed. "Stand down. Return their effects." Tharcourt took his blaster and Identification back. "Sorry, sir. There are rebels in the area, and we have orders to search anyone who looks even the least bit suspicious. I hope you understand, sir."

"She still doesn't look like an officer, sergeant." One of the stormtroopers commented. "Hadn't we better…"

"We're special forces, ya plonker!" Thorne said angrily, snatching her weapon and ID from the trooper and holstering her blaster.

"And you're addressing a lieutenant in the Imperial Navy, trooper." Tharcourt added. "You had best show some respect."

"Sorry, sir." The trooper replied, coming to attention. "Sorry, ma'am." Drakken shook his head disappointedly at the unprofessionalism these regs were displaying.

"You say there are rebels here?" Tharcourt asked.

"Yes sir. They have not caused anything but a small disruption, so don't worry. Have a good evening, Commander." The sergeant said politely. "Lieutenant." Tharcourt nodded, and marched past Thorne, who joined him in walking down the alley.

"Indecorous boots. Bet they wouldn't have been so apologetic if we were civvies." Drakken grumbled. "Ought to have a word with their commanding officer." Freya put a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Drakken." She sighed. "They're probably miffed cause they 'ave to be lookin' for rebels instead of enjoying the festival."

"Yeah…still no excuse." Drakken complained. "Day to celebrate the Empire, and they're out here bullying people like that. It's troopers like that that give us a bad name, you know?" They made it out onto the street, and a few people parted to allow them through. The two of them stood on the sidewalk, awaiting the parade to start.

"I saw that back there." A man stated, nudging Drakken gently. "Shouldn't ought to accost someone for just walking down the street. Disgusting." Tharcourt shrugged.

"I guess they're trying to be cautious." He returned. "Even if they're damned rude about it."

"Well, I think it's pretty rotten that a kid can't go pick up groceries for dinner without being detained these days." The stranger muttered bitterly. "Come into your home anytime they want…"

"They do that?" Thorne asked, a little surprised.

"Arrested a seventy-year-old woman for breaking curfew last week." The man answered, a glum look on his face.

"Maybe if the rebels weren't plying their trade here, the Empire wouldn't have to be so draconian." Tharcourt offered. The citizen gave him a sour expression.

"You ever think that the Imps treating everybody like this is why there's a rebellion in the first place?" He shot back. "Some people don't look to sweetly to military occupations." Drakken felt a lump in his throat. He realized that for whatever reason, he'd never rationalized it that way. He tried to picture a world, its citizens living the way they had for generations, then suddenly a GAV and a company of stormtroopers appeared on their streets. The curfews, the arrests…the lockdowns.

"Here they come!" A woman announced. From up the road, a pair of troop transports appeared, followed by a platoon of stormtroopers, then a pair of AT-STs. Some in the crowd cheered, while others remained silent and grave. Troopers and a COMPNOR officer moved down the sidewalk, trying to goad the civilians into cheering, and handing out small Imperial flags on sticks to the children. Tharcourt looked over to see that the grouchy man was gone. He gazed about the crowd, and spotted the bearded figure speaking with a pair of younger men. They all wore long coats, and one of the younger humans wore a pair of goggles. Drakken continued to scan the crowd, more intently now, and spied a female Rodian as she nodded to the trio, then moved closer to the road, her hand in her coat.

"Oh dank farric…" Drakken uttered, aghast. "Thorne." He pointed to the group, and then across the street, where a small group of people had pushed their way to the front of the crowd, all wearing bags slung across their shoulders.

"Och…looks like trouble." Freya said, and blew out a breath. "What d'we do?" Drakken put his hand on his blaster.

"Come on." He urged. He took her by the hand, and pushed through the people until he found an Imperial security officer in a black uniform. Tharcourt shot a glance at his rank.

"Captain." He said hurriedly. "Commander Drakken Tharcourt, Imperial Special Forces. You're about to have a major problem. You need to stop the parade and get some men down there on the street. It looks like there's ten to twelve subjects…"

"Hold on for a moment." The captain spoke calmly, holding up a hand. "I am going to have to see some Identification…"

"There's no time for that, captain!" Tharcourt exclaimed. "I think a band of rebels is about to ambush the parade. Now if…"

"Rebels, you say?" The captain interrupted. "Sir, we have every precaution in place. There's personnel stationed all over the city. Now…"

"Captain, you are a damned fool!" Drakken exploded. "I will assume command of this garrison if you don't…" There was an explosion from behind them, and Drakken looked back to see that one of the rebels in the crowd had thrown some sort of explosive device into the lead troop transport. Thorne gasped as several people in the crowd began to fire blasters at nearby stormtroopers, and others began throwing whatever they could lay their hands on.

"Deploy the troops!" The captain yelled to the two junior officers behind him. "Fire at will!" He grabbed his commlink and held it to his mouth. "AT drivers…AT drivers, fire at will! All vehicle commanders, engage at once!"

"Strike those orders, captain!" Drakken commanded. The officer looked at him with the wild eyes of someone in the throes of panic. "There are civilians on the street!" The captain's expression hardened.

"Those who stand with the rebels are no different than they." He said coldly. Tharcourt could hear the sound of the vehicles' heavy blasters firing, and people screaming. Another explosive went off nearby, and a few blaster bolts shot past as a platoon of stormtroopers came rushing up. Drakken took Freya's hand, and they broke into a run.

"What are we doin'?!" She squeaked. "Drakken!"

"This ain't our fight!" He called back. "Just keep running!" After two blocks, they heard a familiar screeching sound and looked up to see two TIE fighters streaking in over the city street. He pulled Thorne into an alleyway, and the both of them pressed themselves against a wall, panting.

"Drakken…" Freya gasped. "All those people…"

"I know…" He growled. "That damned idiotic captain…and those kriffing rebels…" He kicked the wall with his heel. "Know how many innocent people they just got killed?!" He sighed, disappointed that he couldn't escape the war even for a day. "Sounds like it's all winding down. Hell-fire…let's get back to the ship. Think I'll try our luck on another world." He led her to a safer street, and back into the marketplace. He drew her aside as a contingent of stormtroopers ran past, and they backed into the opening of a small, striped tent.

"Hmmm…I sense much doubt about you…" A female voice spoke. "…both of you, in fact." They turned to see a green-skinned near-human sitting behind a small table. The surface was topped with a bowl from which offered forth a cloud of fragrant smoke. A couple small bags lay about the table as well, and the tent was decorated with all manner of esoteric and occult items. "Come in, come in." The young Mirialan woman said. "The street is perilous right now, but in this tent, you are safe." She gave a kind smile. They moved closer to the table, and Drakken could now see the woman better.

She had some sort of tattoos on her green face, small, symmetrical markings on her forehead and chin. She wore robes of dark green and black, and jeweled rings on her fingers. Glossy strands of black hair cascaded from her hood and fell to her shoulders. Drakken had seen a couple Mirialans before, but this one seemed to have an odd, mystical aura about her, no doubt aided in her impression by the spiritual nature of her surroundings.

"Thanks fer lettin' us in." Freya said. "There was a spot o' trouble down th' road. Who are you?"

"I…am a humble seer of many things." The lady greeted. "Pini Dodti…and I will gladly tell your fortune…for a small fee of course."

"Oh…I'm sure you would…" Drakken said sarcastically. Thorne nudged him.

"Aye…could be fun." She said. "An' I sure as th' void need somethin' amusin' after that mess."

"Oh, all right." Tharcourt grumbled, and took out a few credits. Dodti motioned toward a metal vase near where they stood, and Drakken let the credits fall into the container.

"Now…step forward and be seated." The mystic said. They sat in two small chairs in front of the table. "Your hands, if you please." Tharcourt and Freya exchanged a glance before placing their right hands on the table. The Mirialan woman placed her hands atop theirs, and let out a faint sigh.

"I sense…" She began. "How tragic…there is much blood upon you…both of you." She said. "You most of all, warrior man. Yes…you are soldiers, and you have done and seen many things. Some that was necessary…and some that you feel was not."

"Okay, I've heard enough of this." Drakken said, but the mystic gripped his hand.

"You are confused, are you not?" She asked. "You are seeking that which you do not understand, and trying to understand for what purpose you fight."

"I know why I fight." Drakken replied angrily. "I fight for peace."

"And that is why you are lost in your journey." She said. "Ohhh…I can sense the darkness about the both of you. No inside you, but all around you…like the cold surrounding a home in the depths of winter; Trying to seep in, but kept at bay by the fire within, eh?"

"Wh…what darkness?" Freya asked meekly.

"The only darkness…the blackest of black." Dodti answered. "It towers over you, and it tries to command your thoughts. You, my dear are stronger than this one at pushing it away…but you are most drawing to its wrath." The Mirialan fortune teller smiled. "Now do you want a good fortune?"

"Ughh…I thought that's what I paid for." Drakken complained. Dodti giggled.

"I see that you are both searching for something." She said. "And when you find it, you will both be free from the spell of the darkness. What you search for is not clear, but what is…is that you can only find it…together." Drakken pulled his hand away and stared at the alien woman a moment.

"How do you know all of this?" He asked.

"The Ashla is strange indeed." She answered. "It links us all and guides us to our destinies…if we only listen." Tharcourt stood, and took Freya by the hand.

"Yeah? Ashla huh? Well, I believe in making my own destiny." He declared. The Mirialan mystic smiled again.

"And that is what makes you so strong, warrior." She said. "So long as you believe your destiny is one of protecting others." Tharcourt sighed and nodded.

"I do." He returned. "Thanks for the uh…advice." She gave a bowing nod, and Drakken led Freya out of the tent. Outside, he lit a cigarra and took a long drag from it.

"That was certainly interesting…" Thorne commented. Drakken shook his head.

"You seriously believe in all that mystical mumbo-jumbo?" He queried.

"Och, Aye! I do, in fact!" She retorted. "An ye ought to too! There's a galaxy o' things out there what ye can't explain."

"On that, we will agree." Drakken said with a grin. "But I don't know about dark forces and ghosts and…what did that lady call it…some Ashla thing that lets you see the future." Thorne smiled softly and put her hand in his.

"Then what do ye believe in, Drakken?" She asked. "Deep down…" He sighed.

"I guess I believe in good and evil…" He said. "There's good people, and there's evil ones. Whenever you see the evil ones trying to hurt and oppress the good people, you gotta light them up like a supernova so they don't do it again." Freya cocked her head at the strange philosophy.

"If that's wot the evil folk do, alright…but what do the good ones do?"

"Usually suffer." Drakken answered.

"Which one are we?" She questioned softly.

"The third option." He said. "People willing to do the worst of things to help the best of people."

"Think we're helping the good people, Drakken?" She asked. "Sometimes I feel like we're just doing the bad things."

"I…" Drakken began, then threw his cigarra to the street. "Come on, let's find somewhere more relaxing to spend this leave. I didn't come here to fight an insurrection…or join one." He started to walk away, and Freya caught up to him.

"Some holiday, huh?" She commented.

"This is our lives on holiday."

What a start to their peaceful vacation, huh? I guess now that they're both outside of their bubble, they get to see what's really going on in the galaxy. Is it not so nice to see them together, not as coworkers or comrades in arms, but as best friends, just doing normal things though? I think it was long overdue for them both. They really needed a break, the poor things. No, I'm not okay, I promise. I have deep sympathies and attachments to the characters I create. Maybe I'm just crazy like that...

I will have another chapter up soon. I have another show in two weeks, and I'll maybe have the entirety of the story posted by then. Who knows though. This novel is at 98 chapters at the moment, and I'm still writing. I may be posting into the summer. But Requiescant in momento, sole fruere. A new chapter comes soon, my loyal readers. Until then, Cheerio!