Survival, Dark Times 3

[Revan Jast]

"Ain't that the fucking truth," Kurt said as Solon walked off. The merc's glare at the Chief of State was so deadly that if looks could kill, Solon would be dead a few times over. Maybe there would be a time and place for that day.... but not now.

Turning back to HoS, he said: "Rules dictate that for every eight hours of work, there's a one hour break. Both of ours has only been forty minutes at best, so lay the hell off. As Winter said, we're not machines, and if machines were what you wanted, then the boss should have thought of that before he ran his old crew off. They had two perfectly good cyborgs."

------------

Dawn quickly engaged his wireless hacking device as they approached the outer gates of Mos Eisley. The security system was extremely poor, not made to keep out cyborgs that had been created with the term 'superweapon' in mind. The large steel doors slid open in moments and they were free.

[hk47fan]

Rhynna

I narrowed my eyes at Kurt. "Watch your mouth...I may not be slandering you as much as the Chief-of-State, but I won't take that from either of you. I can have you arrested any time I want if you keep that up, so don't try to start anything with me. But I say we put all of this aside...as much as I may clench my teeth doing it, we all have to work together, correct?"

Duskbringer

"Thanks for that, Dawn," I said with a heavy breath, as we zoomed out of Mos Eisley and into the desert. Those security officers wouldn't dare to chase us out into the wild, and they'd get their speeder back, anyway.

"Okay, now...to the East, right? Do we just go around and look for any sight of them, or what?" I asked Dawn, slowing the speeder down slightly.

Naos

Caleb and I had scavenged around a bit, and were back near the others now, just setting some small things that we found down. It wasn't much, just small supplies that remained intact...at this point, anything was good. I'd take what I would get, and I was pretty sure the others were that way, too.

I began to turn back around, but I saw Jan coming up to me.

Oh great, what now?

"Naos, wait, please," Jan said kindly. She still looked nervous, though. "I...I've procrastinated long enough, its time we talk about this."

I crossed my arms. "Jan, what is it? What is so important that you just have to talk to me about? You've been going on about it for awhile, you keep giving me these weird looks...I know you are obsessed with me, but this really is starting to confuse me."

Jan gulped. "Its more than that, Naos, it is...you...you know I love you, but this is more than that."

I clenched my fists, feeling all the Jedi traits that I had studied for so long fade away, and that deep anger that I had boiled up again, for the first time in awhile. "I've heard it all before...when you pointed a blaster at me and professed your insane love to me inside the Council Chambers, for one. I know what you are and what you want, and I don't want to listen to it again. I'm cooperating with you for now, but thats it."

"Naos, won't you just listen to me for five minutes?! I know this seems strange, but why can't you at least be a little more accepting and stop being so judgemental of me?! Thats all I ask!" Jan exclaimed.

"More accepting? Of a woman who consistently acts like a psycho?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

No, no, don't be like this...no. I can't help it, though...everything lately has been so crazy, and now my emotions are coming out.

"I know you have this perfect little family life, that you don't want me to be a part of," she began, her voice starting to crack. "But just hear me out. You have to."

"Perfect family life?" I repeated, stuck on the first part of her sentence. "Perfect family life?!"

She was silent, just staring up at me. I stared right back at her, as more and more anger came to the surface.

"Let me tell you about my life, Jan," I began, my voice a very low one. "Let me tell you about my perfect family life, as you call it. When I accepted someone, when I trusted someone, when I respected someone, do you know what they did? The first adult I ever accepted and loved ended up slaughtering all of my friends...all of my comrades, except for three. I was forced to leave my home and everything behind, so he wouldn't kill me, either."

"Then, we can barely stick together, and I come across this crew that I find strange, and feel like I can't trust...I learn to trust them, but more chaos happens. Thats all that ever happened...I still lost people that I cared about. I fought, physically and mentally, for the people I liked...the people I loved. But in the end, after it was all over and done with....my fiancee left me. She took one of my children and left me....my best friend left, too....for a reason that I understand but at the same time, want to scream about because it has to be like that."

I paused for a moment, looking right into her eyes. "That is the story of my life, Jan. That is what happens when I trust and love people."

[Rain]

Winter

"Yes." I smiled, "Yes we do. No matter what differences we have our main allegiance is to the Supreme Admiral and the New Republic. Our own dramas are insignificant next to that."

[Revan Jast]

"You bet your ass," Kurt replied, rolling his eyes. "Winter, let's go to your office. I've got some files I need to rummage through. Good day, Ms. Volt."

Without a second thought, Kurt grabbed Winter's arm and stormed up the main stairs to the second floor. He pushed through the small crowd of workers, a disgusted look on his face. "It's getting bad already," he muttered to himself. "Winter, lead the way."

He followed her to her workplace, an unremarkable room in an otherwise remarkable building. Once inside he shut the door and leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowed in thought.

-----------

Dawn came to a halt and landed, giving his thrusters time to cool down. "Well, let's activate our scanners. I doubt we can tap into the satellites overhead, so we'll have extremely limited range. Let's stay about fifty feet apart and keep heading east. If either of us detects an anomaly on the scanner, alert the other and let's investigate."

[hk47fan]

Duskbringer

I nodded. "You're right...I'll go up ahead. If I find them, I can get to them quicker and provide them transportation faster. You stay behind and just keep a look out," I said, slowing down myself, but then heading forward after a moment.

I activated my scanner, and through my eyes, the land before me became green, little squares encasing the entire place. An icon extended outwards, beginning the scan.

Nothing yet.

Naos

Jan looked up at me, silent for a moment. "Naos, I...I'm sorry. I know you've had a hard life, but please, don't use that to judge everyone...just listen to me. You really need to, because its going to be important to you. And wait...what was that about your fiancee? Scout's gone?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied with a sigh. "Throw a party...she left, for her own reasons, and I'm not going to see her for...a long time, if ever."

"I think I would've been alot happier about that several months ago than I am now...I'm no fan of Scout, and I love you, but its alot more serious now." Jan whispered, turning away slightly.

I scowled, feeling my anger right on the brim of pouring out again. It was like I was an angry teenager again...so much frusteration, so much rage. Maybe everything that had happened was affecting me more than I originally thought. I was losing control of my emotions, something very un-Jedi like.

However, I felt like I couldn't keep it back now.

"Don't play coy, Jan," I hissed. "You know this makes you happy...be honest, be open. Not like it matters anymore."

"I'm not the cold bitch that you think I am!" Jan screamed, tears forming in her eyes. "I know I've done some bad things, maybe I did handle some things wrong, but I have a heart! You should know that above anyone!"

"So you got Lumiya to kill Scout, and then once she really is out of my life, you're all non-chalant about it?!" I exclaimed. "I don't buy it."

"That was a long time ago...alot has changed since then. I'm still the same Jan, but even some parts of my life have changed. You need to get over these issues you have and believe me!" Jan yelled. "Or else we're never going to be able to handle this."

"Handle what?! What?!" I asked, feeling my anger grow and grow. "A relationship? Is that what you're pushing here?! Because thats not happening, and it never will! Snap back into reality!"

"Thats not it!" Jan screamed back.

"Uh, guys..." Arthren started, walking over.

We both ignored her.

"It is, isn't it?!" I said. Now, it was like anger was controlling me...I didn't even bother to feel her emotions through the Force. I knew what they were. "Admit it! You had no problem doing that before! All that you've wanted to tell me this whole time is that we should be together. Well forget it, I'm done."

I turned to walk away, but Jan grabbed my arm.

"Naos, I'm-"

And that was when I finally unleashed my rage on her.

"Get off of me!" I screamed, turning around, and before I knew it, Jan was sent flying.

A huge Force blast, caused by me, sent the woman flying in mid-air. She went right past everyone else, and her head came to a landing on a very sharp rock.

She grunted, but then...nothing. Her eyes slowly closed.

And mine widened.

By the Force...what did I just do?!

I looked up to see several other people approaching...with guns, and sticks.

I quickly realized that they were probably friends of those Tuskens that we killed.

Great.

They yelled out some gibberish, pointing their weapons at us, but then they looked at Jenn, and Jan....and did nothing.

[Rain]

Arthren

I saw the Tusken Raiders, but I didn't care about them. I felt rage build up inside of me. I pulled out my blaster and aimed it at the Jedi's back. "You'll pay for what you just did you son of a bitch!" I fired, but just as I did so Daron Aethel managed to push my arm up. He delivered a strike to my arm that made me drop the blaster, and put himself inbetween me and Naos.

"Don't even think about it..." He said seriously. He then glanced around at the Jedi Master, "And just what the hell was that, huh? Grand Master or not, that was out of line!"

I ran over to Jan and checked her pulse. "She's breathing." I said looking up at the others, imparticular Naos. "And you... you better hope she doesn't die because if she does I swear I will hunt you down until my last breath you schutta!"

I heard another Tusken scream.

Uli

I was in shock at what had happened, and also at the Tuskens. They were just standing there. Watching. I looked over at Jan, and then back at Jenn who had passed out a few minutes ago. I slowly stood up and walked towards the sand people. One of them screamed and raised his gaffi stick, but another held his hand up to silence the screamer.

I continued to cautiously look towards them. "Our friends..." I indicated towards both the unconcious women. "They need help. We crashed... our ship crashed here. We have no supplies. Do... do you understand me?"

There was a long pause, before the Tusken Raider nodded...

Winter

There was a silence. It only lasted for ten seconds or so, but it felt like a millenia. Finally, I broke that silence.

"Way to invite yourself in." I sat down in the chair and leaned on the cluttered desk. Normally I was very neat, very organized. Moreso than anyone else I knew in fact. But I just didn't seem to have the time these days. We had an increased workload, and due to the fact that a large portion of CoruSec walked out after Han was fired, we were severely understaffed. "So, any particular reason you disrupted my grovelling?"

[Revan Jast]

"Can't stand her. Besides, you're here all the time. You have plenty of time to grovel. Get on your knees and grovel all you want when I'm not around. As it stands, bugs the fuck outta me to see a fellow employee do it to someone like her. And if it were Solon... actually, we're not going there."

Kurt took a seat in front of Winter's desk. "Actually, I'm sorry if I seem out of line. I haven't quite been myself since... well, since an incident with a being who favors sweets a little too much. That evil fuck."

The merc leaned back and started to light a smoke, then changed his mind. Fucking death sticks would probably be the end of him. At least he was an extremely casual smoker.

"Please tell me you've got something open that I can assist you with," Kurt said, folding his hands and placing them behind his head in a sort of support. "I'd rather be busy doing something while I watch the place go fucking head over heels towards insanity. If you've got nothing, I'll have to go visit the boss himself, and I'll have to restrain myself from busting a cap in his ass. Heh, sounds like something a gangster would say. Hope I never meet one of them..."

-----------

Caleb had found a blanket while he was rummaging, and he quickly folded it up and placed it under Jan's head. "Good going, Naos," he said, standing. "Glad to know at least one of us is a close-minded, act-before-he-thinks fucktard. Great, now I sound like that merc. Gods help us all..."

He jumped down from the ship and slowly approached the Tusken. "Can you... help us? Because we clearly can't help ourselves with this wonderful rag-tag team here."

[hk47fan]

Naos

I stumbled backwards, staring at Jan. "I....I didn't mean to....I...I don't even know how that happened," I said to Caleb, Daron, and Arthren. Everyone didn't look too pleased with me.

I stared at Jan...I could see blood starting to trickle out the back of her head, before Caleb put the blanket under it. She had taken a nasty fall.

How could I do that to someone like that? She wasn't even attacking me...I let my anger get the better of me...no Grandmaster does that....

Maybe all of this had got to me far more than I originally thought.

How can I be a Jedi after this? How can I raise a son after this? Can I be trusted at all?

If she died...I'd be a murderor.

I glanced to the Tuskens, who seemed to be silent in thought.

Finally, one who looked to be the leader, looked to the others, and yelled out. One screamed back, but several Tuskens roared right back at him, and he didn't say anything else.

The leader suddenly pointed to both Jenn and Jan, and two rushed to Jan. Likewise, two rushed to Jenn.

I looked back at the woman that was near-death because of me...one of the Tuskens began taking off some of his bandages that he had wrapped tightly around him, and another held her. The Sand Person then gently grabbed her head, and began to wrap his bandages all around her wound...

[Rain]

Uli

Two of the sand people lifted Jenn up and began carrying her. The leader, at least I guesse dhe was the leader, pointed out towards the desert. He then began walking, and the rest followed.

"They... they must be taking us to their camp..." I said in amazement.

How could this help us after we demolished a group of their kin earlier?

Daron watched Arthren, and waited for her to begin wlaking before he did. He glanced back at Naos, then he too began walking, shaking his head as he did so. I was unsure if the Tuskens could help, but right now, we didn't have a choice.

So I too, began walking.

Winter

I walked toward the door, opened it and looked around. I then closed it again, moved to the filing cabinet and pulled out a file. I glanced at Kurt. "OK, this is top secret stuff. Stuff I shouldn't be telling you, despite you being close to Sora. It's strictly confidential. If I put you on this job, it'll be off the record. That means no pay. But it'll give you something to do. Plus if you ask me, you're the right man for the job. So... before I tell you what it is, are you interested?"

Xandyr

I felt completely fine, but Jak and Aleeya kept nagging at me to go get checked out just incase. So I did. What was the harm? I had been waiting about two hours before I got called through.

"Snow Villiers to room eleven please."

"Finally..." I muttered unde rmy breath. I stood up and made my way towards room eleven. The sign on the door said nurse Foxx. "Good name." I said with a smirk before opening the door.

I closed it behind me and the nurse turned around to look at me. I wa sshocked to discover who it was.

"Mara?!"

[Revan Jast]

Kurt nodded. "I don't care about pay that much. Go ahead, give me the lay of the land and I'll work my merc magic on it."

As he received the intel, he thought back to the reasons that led him to even consider becoming a merc. Mostly it was the freedom of the job, but it was also a means to fulfilling his personal goal of helping those who could not help themselves... in a way, wasn't that what he was doing now? The thing he had-

"Don't you touch her ever again!"

-always done? Sometimes it seemed like the road of death in his life never really had a beginning. He had been killing for a long, long time, since the days of his youth, when-

A gunshot sounded, almost masked by the thunder...

-one was considered innocent, yet untouched by the horrors of life. He had lived in a house of horrors, and he had escaped.

He realized he was in a trance, recalling old memories best left at rest. Blinking, he stood as Winter paced, giving him the mission details.

----------

Caleb walked after the others, hoping they didn't have too far to go. Surely they'd be able to make it to a local camp in this heat, especially since the Tuskens went everywhere in those damn bandages.

[hk47fan]

Mara

I had just gotten set up in my new room, which wasn't too big, all things considered. It was just a room with a counter and cabinets above it, with all the supplies I'd need. There was also a computer, as well as some paperwork, mostly for logging.

Then there was a bed for examination and tending to, as well as a chair for anyone else to sit in while I worked.

I was about to get my first patient...I hoped I could still do this while being myself, and not someone like Janet.

I heard a familiar voice, and blinked.

I whirled around to see Xandyrr standing there...he looked okay, but had a cut on his cheek, and his clothing looked ripped. He couldn't just be coming by to visit me...I was going to tell him about my new job tonight, after we both were home.

"Xandyrr, what the hell happened to you, and what are you doing here?" I asked in shock.

Duskbringer

I had been gliding around on the speeder for just a little while, going deeper and deeper into the desert...my scanner had been on the whole time, and I had occassionally radioed in with Dawn, but we had seen nothing yet. Understandable, because we hadn't been out here long at all, but it just further proved that Tattooine was a desolate nothing.

There were some villages farther out, but for the most part, nothing. I had not picked up one single thing.

However, suddenly, the icon in front of me swerved to the left, and blinked. I looked to the left, but it stopped.

Thats strange...

I turned the speeder in the direction that the icon was facing, calculating it so that it was just right.

Finally, it blinked again.

I began slowly flying in that direction, believing I had found something.

Suddenly, it started blinking consistently.

Picking up lifeforms...

I got closer and closer, and every meter that I went, more info came in. The specifics started coming up right in front of me.

Five lifeforms. One of them looks to be...another cyborg? Other three are human. One male, four females.

I shifted through my databanks within a split second, trying to see if this could be them.

Serra Keto is listed as a cyborg, like Dawn and I. Yes, this just might be them! It has to be!

"Dawn," I said outloud, immediately accessing my built-in comm. "I am picking up lifeforms, and I think its some of the people we're looking for...can't be anyone else. Lock onto my position and follow me."

I proceeded to go forward, homing in on my target.

Naos

We all walked along the desert, and I spotted all the looks that everyone was giving me. It was no doubt that they all were disturbed, and angered by what I did, as they should be...Arthren especially. I may have killed her friend.

I frowned. I had anger problems in the past, but I thought I was beyond those now. And I never did something like this.

The Tusken Raiders were very gently carrying Jan, who's entire scalp, and forehead, was now wrapped tightly in the Tuskens' bandages. It seemed to clot the bleeding, and it was probably one of the few things that could. For once, the Sand People had arrived at just the right time.

I glanced at the unconscious woman, but immediately glanced away, as we continued on our journey to wherever the Tuskens were taking us.

[Rain]

Xandyr

I sat down. "Oh, you know my luck. I crashed." I answered with a laugh, "I mean can you believe it? My last race, and I crash. And when I say crashed, what I really mean is some jumped up rookie through me off my bike... but that's beside the point. Anyways 'Nurse Foxx', you got a job? That's great!"

Winter

"Well..."I began, "We have been keeping tabbs on Prince Xizor for some time now, and we think he's up to something. We think he's trying to create an army. A clone army. But we aren't sure. We believe that he is in need of certain materials to create this army..."

I pulled a photo out of the file, and put it down on the table. "We believe that this man, a mercenary like yourself, is Xizor's top choice for getting these materials. We don't know his name. We just call him Subject Epsilon. What I need you to do is try to get the job also, perhaps by tagging along with Epsilon. That way you can get up to all that mercenary stuff and gather intel for me at the same time."

I looked up at the mercenary and awaited his response. He wa sjust staring blanly at the wall. "Uh, Kurt..." I waved my hand in front of his face, "Kurt, you in there?"

Daron

As we were walking I faded to the back of teh group where Naos was.

"So..." I said with a sigh, "You want to talk about what happened? I'm still kinda pissed, but I can tell it's eating at you."

Serra

We had been walking for a long time now, and we still had nothing. Not only that, but we could now no longer see the ship at all. We were completely lost. Lost in the desert...

Then I spotted something. I wiped my eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving me.

"Hey, look!" I called to the others. Two flying objects were coming towards us. "Is that... That's Dawn and Dusk!"

[hk47fan]

Mara

I smirked. "Yeah, I've used a nursing career as a cover a few times...I know it well enough, so I thought why not pick up on it again? And I kinda don't want to be pregnant and working on a bunch of ships," I replied. "Not to mention, alot of that was Janet. I want to be Mara now...maybe leave out the Jade part, since that name will be behind me sometime anyways, but I want our child to know my real name: Mara Foxx."

I grabbed a small first aid kit, and began disinfecting the cut on his cheek. "Got beaten by a rookie, eh? That must be a major bruise to your ego," I sarcastically remarked. "Make any good money off the race?"

Naos

I looked at Daron, honored that anyone would actually speak to me right now other than a random insult or threat.

We continued to walk, and I nodded. "Yeah...thanks for asking," I replied. "I don't know you real well...in fact, I don't know anyone here too well. I'm not usually like this, really...I mean, I used to have alot of anger problems, but for awhile I kept myself under control...until today. I've just been going through alot, and I unleashed it on Jan. This whole crash and walk through the desert, my fiancee and best friend are out of my life, I'm a single father and I lead an entire Order..."

[Rain]

Xandyr

I grinned. "OK, let's get things straight, he didn't beat me. I crossed the line ahead of him... which is probably why he threw me off my bike! But yeah, I came second." I recoiled slightly as Mara dabbed the cut on my cheek, "Ow, that stings! Anyway, to answer your question: Yes. I got a decent sum for finishing as the runner up, and more on top of that for coming first in the seasons tables. We can use this money as a foundation. We've got an income from this job, and after I know I'm well and truly forgotten about among the swoop fans, then I'll get a job too!"

I smiled at Mara. "Oh and since you've so subtly dropped those hints... will you marry me?"

Daron

Woah. This guy had more on his shoulders than I realised. He was only a few years older than me, and I knw I would crack if I were in his place. That didn't mean I was softening up on hi mright away though. That girl could still die...

"Hey man, I'm sorry." I said as we continued walking, "That sound pretty messed up. But what happened back there... it was an accident. You somehow lost control, but I know you didn't intentionally mean to hurt Jan, and you sure as heck didn't mean to kill her. But trust me, you need to forget all that guilt right now, because we are still in this situation. Jan needs our help, and so does Jenn..."

[hk47fan]

Mara

I smiled. Usually, this would be the point where a woman pauses, and looks on in awe and amazement after the love of her life proposed...

Well, that was not going to be the case here.

"Of course I will. I do need to legally be Mara Foxx at some point, you know," I replied with a snort, still smiling. "I've already started on the guest list...a whopping zero, considering all the friends we have right now. But that doesn't matter...I just want to marry you, have our kid, and try to live as happily as we can."

I walked back over to the counter, and grabbed a bandage. I went back over to Xandyrr, and gently placed it on his cheek. "I know normal lives haven't really been our style...but I want our son to have a better life than we did. A different life...no Emperor's Hands, no Jedi, no war...just a life that a person should have. And I think getting normal jobs, like this one, is a good start."

Naos

I nodded. "Thanks...and you're right, I know that...but I still feel guilty. I have to, even if it was an accident...she could die because of me, if she does. But again, you've got a point: We need to try to make sure that she, and Jenn, live. They're not dead yet, and I don't think any of us want them to get that way."

I was silent for a moment, but spoke again. "And after this...Jan may hate me. All that obsession may be gone...couldn't blame her if it is. And...I probably..." I said, pausing as I gulped. The thought was very hard to say. "I probably should resign as Grandmaster."