Bakura

[Sethe Bhren]

Against all odds, and a little on the paculiar side, there was very little interruption considering their race to the coordinates Lucas had given them. A few times, Tseneca blocked shots and shot back in some kind of miraculous double fistedness he loved her for, but nothing chased after them.

He looked up into the night sky, watching the firefight rage on above. flashes of colored charge lit up like shooting stars and he felt a cold shiver run up his back. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been closed in by a working blockade....

They drove for almost an hour, rushing past the smaller cities and residential groupings His eyes watered at the cold breeze that blew past. None of them spoke, only to direct his piloting. They entered the forest and mauvered the vehicle through the dark trees and underbrush, listening to flora whip past it against the subtle whine of its engines.

"There." Finally, Tseneca pointed over his shoulder. The dark forms of ships in the distance loomed over the trees, there was no hiding them. Sethe slid the speeder to a stop a ways away from the clearing and they got out, taking the approach my foot.

It was so dark, but there was a low , wide glow of a heat lamp toward the edge of what was obviously a small camp site. The four of them walked up quietly. Sethe couldn't see Tseneca's face, but he knew she was concentrating hard, trying to sense if it really was Lucas who was there, or anyone else.

"Tseneca." A figure came forward out of the shadows even as they came forward toward the campsite. She shadow embraced Tseneca, and after a second she met it, wrapping her arms around Lucas.

"Thank God." He heard her whisper. Lucas released her and greeted Sethe and Jonas, moving with them toward the campsite.

"A lot has changed..." Lucas said. His voice was soft, in an unnatural calm.

"We've had some run-ins ourself, where is everyone?" She asked.

"Allison is back near the hospital, We have no idea where Kyp and Coral are. Its possible they're together, but I know The Leapers not back at the hangar. SAMM must have hidden it." Lucas said.

They approached the campsite. Sethe's eyes adjusted slightly to the lamp-light. Then a cold shudder ran through him at the look of one of the ships...

"Lucas, is that--" He began.

The snap-hiss of a lightsaber cut him off as Tseneca leapt to attention at the sight of the figure exiting the wrecked Firespray.

Lucas snatched the saber out of her hand with the force and it fell silent in the grip of his palm. "Its alright... she's on our side."

Vera Nico stepped forward, carrying a box of supplies. The woman's eyes narrowed, but her mouth drifted into a sharp, sly smile.

"The Lowry girl... what a surprise." Nico said wryly.

Tseneca glowered, but said nothing. She wouldn't give the other woman the satisfaction. Nico nodded to Sethe. "is this your new toy?"

Tseneca fixed Lucas with a sharp gaze, ignoring Nico. "Do you mind telling me what's going on, or am I going to have to add it up myself?"

[Sara Soto]

Sara was interrupted by her blind-spot in The Force again, interrupting her currently self-appointed task of questioning Nico, for the reason why Lucas hadn’t sliced her already. Not that she wasn’t grateful for the rescue, it’s just she didn’t know what game she was playing. Or if it was a deadly one. All she was able to get out of Nico was It’s not my place to explain. Damn her. Another mind game.
Sara’s mind shifted to focus on her blind-spot, looking at the mangled mess of the two crashed ships, The Khan and The Millenium Falcon. The Falcon, for one, was a bit of a ways off from The Khan, laying in a swamp portion of the area. She saw a figure walking around his Corellian vessel, and she had a vague idea of who it could be.

One of the Heroes of the Republic, she guessed. Han Solo. Seeing he wasn’t in any apparent pain, other than the damage to his ship, she shook her head and looked upwards. The smoke filled sky was beginning to darken. With a sigh she moved her attention away from the crash, Nico, everyone for a moment and concentrated on getting a fire started. Probably one of the useful features of a lightsaber, over it over some wood for long enough and instead of cutting into wood, it should ignite it.

* * *

Sara carried several thick branches from nearby over her shoulder, using The Force to carefully carry four, two foot logs in front of her to the fire pit she had made before searching for wood. Already she had a fire going and had went on to search for fuel.

Placing what she had in a pile, she hefted one of the logs and carefully placed it in. Sara straightened and saw the sun just setting. Lucas had bounded off somewhere. To meet Tseneca she assumed. Instead of waiting around, Sara looked around, Nico was just entering The Khan for supplies and Sara noticed Mr. Solo wasn‘t anywhere she could see. Placing her hand on her neck and giving it a gentle rub she went back out to gather more firewood.

* * *

With another load of wood in her arms, Sara made her way back to camp once more, this time stopping to the sound of work around The Falcon. Moving over to the boarding ramp, seeing what lights were intact lit in the corridor. Sara turned away, hearing the sounds not coming from within The Falcon. She saw an arc welder going off on the hull, with Han Solo himself making repairs. Waiting for him to stop welding and take his goggles off to inspect his work, Sara gulped before calling. “Need any help?”

Tag: Han, Alex, Jess, Cray

Sara Soto

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
Jedi Initiate Sara Soto

[Tarison Var]

A change of plans. Tarison had hidden his shuttle in the forests as he had planned, but then he felt many Force Sensitive beings moving towards one, single point. With a thought, he was able to determine Sara was at the center with Lucas. So many of them. But one stands out. He mused to himself while he made his way towards the outskirts of Salis D’aar. Keeping his Force essence small and difficult for others to track, he moved to find someone he sensed was here, someone he had known during his time in The Order. Kyp Durron.

Tag: Kyp If you don‘t agree with Tarison meeting and then dueling with Kyp, then we‘ll just have Tarison not able to approach Kyp because he‘s getting close to the campsite. Whichever works. Your call.

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
"Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."
Code of the Sith

[Han Solo]

The others had moved away to make camp long ago. Their dancing shadows against the glow and quiet crackle of the campfire was the only sign of their presence in the waning twilight. It would have been harmless if the same scene were to occur on a regular evening on Bakura, but on a night when an invasion force was hanging over their heads, it acted as a bright beacon calling to the enemy against the darkening sky.

Han understood the danger and instead of agreeing to roast marshmallows with the rest of the kids, opted to put his best efforts in getting the Falcon spaceworthy. With limited resources to draw upon, it would be a long, hard night of work and he could only hope the cover of the trees would be enough to hide their little pow-wow long enough in order to succeed in his plans.

So far, things weren't looking too promising.

Leia had been quick to disagree with his hasty decision to start on the repairs now and suggested they wait until morning before disappearing into the ship and leaving him to his own devices. That sort of attitude from his wife only proved to fuel his determination and instead of taking any sort of break, had jumped right to the task.

He had only managed to crack open and mess with the wiring of a single panel before the light started to disappear and his eyes began to betray him. He had made his fair share of mistakes before coming to the conclusion that he would need external lighting of some sort to continue. And that was completely out of the question...especially in their delicate situation.

Still, he wasn't about to admit defeat. Maybe he could switch gears and concentrate on the interior for a few hours before Leia caught on and put a stop to his obsession...

“Need any help?” a voice suddenly called from below, pulling him from his thoughts and nearly shaking him from where he was straddling a portion of the hull several feet above the ground.

When he managed to regain his balance, he pressed his lips into a thin line and turned to face the speaker, the welding goggles still firmly in place over his eyes and preventing him from seeing anything except the dancing flames of the fire in the distance. With a curse, he pushed them sloppily to the top of his head and squinted as he focused his gaze on the young, fiery haired girl looking back at him.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" he quipped after a moment, taking a deep breath and returning his attention to the panel after asserting that she was harmless...or at least, she appeared harmless. "Why aren't you off toasting marshmallows and telling scary stories around the campfire with the rest of your friends?"

Leaning down, he ran an index finger over his most recent weld to test its durability. When he was satisfied that it would hold up to the stress, he straightened and returned his attention to the girl. "You're a little young to be interested in an old guy like myself," he added teasingly, one corner of his mouth turning up into a lopsided grin.

"But to answer your question - no, I think I'm done here." He jumped back down to the ground, a little shaky on the landing, but managing to straighten up to his full height after a brief moment. Turning towards the lowered landing ramp, he jerked a thumb in that direction. "I was just about to head inside and knock out a few things in there before it got too late."

Tag: Orrion Carn, Alex, Jess, Cray

The Invasion of Bakura

Catching a Corellian

Sara Soto

[Sara Soto]

Sara couldn’t help but feel bad for surprising Solo, but she felt less so after his comment.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Han remarked, then went back to work on the panel. "Why aren't you off toasting marshmallows and telling scary stories around the campfire with the rest of your friends?"

Sara smirked and leaned against a tree. “Gathering firewood.” On cue she casually dropped said firewood to rest her arms. Her lightsaber clanging when a branch touched it on it’s way down. “’sides. When you’re in the forests this late, it reminds you of Kashyyyk.” Sara drifted her attention to the campsite, quickly reminding her of how often she had to gather firewood for her own fire in the Shadowlands. And honestly, Nico made this place seem just like the Shadowlands. Dangerous. “The Shadowlands tend to remove bedtime after the first night.”

While Han checked his weld line, Sara asked again. “You sure you don’t need help? It’d get done a lot faster--”

"You're a little young to be interested in an old guy like myself," he cut her off teasingly, one corner of his mouth turning up into a lopsided grin. She shook her head and smiled.

“I’ve got my own interests, thank you.” Not that she had any interests right now. But who's to say Solo had to know?

"But to answer your question,” Han said, jumping down from his work area shakily. Sara felt like helping to straighten him, but he had a handle on it. “No, I think I'm done here."

Turning towards the lowered landing ramp, he jerked a thumb in that direction. "I was just about to head inside and knock out a few things in there before it got too late."

“I think it’s a little late as it is.” Sara smirked, pointing towards the dark sky. “Sara Soto.” She stated her name plainly, crouching down to pick up the firewood and get back to camp. She had studied enough on her own to know that Han didn’t accept handshakes from strangers, so didn’t extend her hand. Straight and to the point was his method, might as well not look like a fan girl.

She was about to begin heading off and said, “Have fun with repairs, Solo.” That was when she heard a distant snap-hiss, coming from the campsite. Her eyes trained to the site and she saw a crimson blade ignite. On instinct she dropped the wood and gripped her lightsaber. Not igniting her own blade, lest Solo get startled and blast her behind her back.
Taking a closer look at the action, she could see Tseneca’s face in a red hue, several other figures were lit also, including Nico. Lucas pulled Tseneca’s blade from her and the scene went dark once more. Shaking her head, she clipped her lightsaber to her belt and picked up the wood again, walking off to camp. "Frakkin' hell of a night this is going to be." She muttered while leaving The Falcon.

She made it to the fire and placed the wood in the pile. She turned to The Leapers, seeing they were still distracted by Lucas and Nico. Her eyes fell on the wood pile, and went off to get more.

Tag: Alex, Jess, Han

Sara Soto

Catching a Corellian

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
Jedi Initiate Sara Soto

[Lucas Pallanén-Davad]

"Hello," The cool and collected response came from the man standing next to the Millennium Falcon. Lucas felt two things simultaneously. The first was an overwhelming scream from the Force that something was terribly wrong with this man. It felt like his body was on fire. The second felt like this man was a friend, someone he could trust, almost like one of his own brothers. Lucas extended his mental prowess, attempting to sense and probe the man's mind, but nothing ill could be found.

"Hello," Lucas responded after a while, "You're guarded."

"Shouldn't I be? I handle a lot of important work," the man leaned against the ship, looking off and away from them.

"I guess," Lucas put it to the back of his mind, and walked passed him completely, "I need to speak with Solo."

"That can wait for now. He's most likely tinkering with the Falcon."

Lucas sighed, he retreated back to a spot they had begun to unload supplies. Nico stood around a small pile of wood, "We might as well light it," She looked upwards, "Might give us away, but then again, tonight they have bigger fish to fry." She looked in the general direction of Salis D’aar.

She leaned forward and lowered her torso and the wood ignited. Sara appeared, her eyes glancing towards Nico. She still didn't know, and Lucas felt bad, but in time, he could tell her. "You're in charge of the firewood," She shoved a laser-ax into Sara's arms and walked back towards the firespray.

Sara looked at him, and Lucas only shrugged, "I'm about to take a patrol..." A large bird of prey called in the distance, "Sorry, I'll tell you later. She isn't....that bad."

Sara opened her mouth, but something caught her, and she disappeared into the woods. Lucas prodded the fire, before a twig snapped. A group was approaching, but the Force created a warm glow, and he knew it was Tseneca. He'd never forget her Force-presence.

"Tseneca," He called out and embraced the woman. Thank God, she whispered as he pulled away to greet her companions. Jonas was with them, but his facial expression was oddly detached, more friendly, than anything else. That's how he wanted it to be?

"A lot has changed..." Lucas said, referring to more than one thing, in a calm emotionless way.

"We've had some run-ins ourself, where is everyone?" She asked.

Lucas answered carefully, trying not to leave anyone out, ""Allison is back near the hospital, We have no idea where Kyp and Coral are. Its possible they're together, but I know The Leapers not back at the hangar. SAMM must have hidden it."

They returned to the campsite, "Sorry about this," Lucas muttered, "Both ships lost their ability to...cook things properly" He used a little Kuati pride to sound it off, "So we'll have to do things the old-fashioned way."

"Lucas, is that-" Her lightsaber ignited, as her eyes fell on the small figure emerging from the Khan. He used the Force to call the weapon from her hands, he was mildly disappointed it was so easy. He'd have to mention that to her later.

"It's all right, she's on our side." He answered as Vera approached the new arrivals. He could sense she was enjoying this, a cool grin, before she narrowed her eyes on Tseneca.

"The Lowry girl... what a surprise." Lucas looked towards the Millennium Falcon and noticed Sara.

"Is this your new toy?" Nico pointed towards Sethe, though she already knew about him. Lucas folded his arms, things were getting a little defensive.

"Do you mind telling me what's going on, or am I going to have to add it up myself?" Tseneca looked fired up. Sara dropped the firewood, and started to walk away.

"Sara, wait." Lucas called to her, and she stopped, "I think you should listen to this." He had to play his cards carefully here, but he was without Master Durron, he could tell this, and they would believe him. What he was about to say was true, only his intentions were not so...aligned.

"With the invasion of the True Empire, the Queen of Naboo, has offered Vera Nico a place in an organization simply referred to as the Brotherhood. Their directive is to assassinate Grand Admiral Zend and destabilize the leadership. And no one in our galaxy is more equipped to topple governments, than Nico."

Sara let out a repulsed sound, but Lucas continued, "She has agreed to cease all engagements on all planets against or neutral against the True Empire. In addition, she has agreed to stand trial, after the war is over, and submit to any and all crimes against her."

Nico added, "Don't look so disappointed," She snarled in Tseneca's direction, "While you're flying your pointless missions whining over your late lover's death, I've been working actively to save future generations from this." She pointed to Bakura's background, "I don't have to explain myself to you, either."

She started to walk away, and Lucas thought very hard to call to her, but instead, let her go. "She saved my life," Lucas added, "And Solo's, and Leia.... she deserve a chance, at least here, on Bakura. We don't have to like it, but I think we could use her right about now..."

He let that sink in, as Han Solo's aide brought over a box full of nutritional cans.

Lucas looked at Sethe, wondering how many medications he had, before he would run dry. It was the only time he looked towards the man. "Sara, I wish I could explain this in detail, but that is the bigger picture. Please accept it." He paused, "Tseneca, can I have a moment? In private."

Tag: Han, Jess, Orrion Carn

Catching a Corellian

The Invasion of Bakura

[Tseneca Lowry-Fink]

Tseneca took her lightsaber back from Lucas and walked with him to the far edge of the camp. The trees there were sparse from the tops and she could look up to see the night sky and the burn of lazer fire.

"This isn't a good idea" She said to her friend absently, sniffing the air for traces of ozone. There was nothing.

"You need to trust me on this. I know what I'm doing." He said and crouched, finding a seat at the root of a tree.

"Do you?" She asked folding herself across from him. "I'm not sure I can be certain of that." She fixed him with a look. In the dark, his eyes were barely visible beneath a hank of hair that fell before his face. He knew what she meant, knew that she could feel how withdrawn he was.

"Tseneca please." He whispered. So, once more, she gave him the benefit of the doubt. She wouldn't pry, because he never had.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked

He nodded toward the camp. "Sethe. How far in is he?"

She shrugged. "He's fine as long as he keeps himself under. We snagged enough drug to last us at least three weeks, more if he keeps minimal."

"You're talking about it like he's a droid."

She averted her eyes. "Well, he's not dying."

"Yet. We don't know how this is going to effect him in the long term." He said.

"Well, it seems we have other things to worry about." She snapped. She didn't want to talk about this, not when there was an invasion raging above them, and infinite danger below. And isn't that what they had been doing lately, avoiding important matters? Avoiding each other? She sighed, and silence followed, met with the sounds of Bakura's nocturnal wildlife, the short hums of insects and amphibians like an orchestra.

After a long while she shifted, her voice soft. "Lucas, do you remember when we first met? When you got me out of that rancor pit back at Oxanna?"

He chuckled softly. "How could I forget?"

"I'm not sure, but lately it feels like you have." He stiffened visibly, and she sent out sentiments of calm, trying to let him know her intentions were benign. "The young man I knew then was so happy, so lighthearted, even when he was being shot at at both sides. He had such a gusto for life. What happened to him, Lucas? Where did you go? You've helped me when I needed it most, now let me help you."

It was a pretty speech, but she meant every word. If her friend was falling apart, she would be there for him. Even in this short time, in all the worlds they's been too, they were partners. That's what counted.

He stood. "There's nothing to help. Maybe I have changed, but isn't that part of growing up?" He moved past her, but she caught his wrist.

"Fine. But let me have at least one more word in before you evade me, like your doing, like you've been doing. I don't need you like you think I do. I don't need Sethe, or Badim, I don't even need Kyp. I've survived alone for long enough that I know that much to be true. But this baby..." She forced him down, pulling his hand to her still flat stomach, keeping it there roughly even as he tried to pull away. "This baby needs you. She needs you to be strong for her and survive whats coming. You're going to be her Godfather"

[Sethe Bhren]

Sethe watched the two of them go, wondering at the strange way they worked as a pair.

Sara dusted her hands off on her pants and they stood a little awkwardly, not sure what to say to one another. They were a motley group, especially with the addition of Nico, who marched pointedly back to the firepit. Rueth stayed close behind Sethe, obviously perturbed at what she'd gotten herself into.

"How've you been?" Sara asked, as they followed.

"Been better." He responded. He didn't know her well, only as much as the time they'd spent on the Leaper before Badim left. She had been flighty then, but it seemed much had changed. "This is new." he pointed his chin toward Nico.

"So's that." She said pointing to The Millennium Falcon.

"I think this time we may have bitten off more than we could chew."

"Don't we always?" She said and they took a seat near the fire, Nico across from them.

Yes, they were definitely a strange bunch.

[Lucas Pallanén-Davad]

"You're going to be her Godfather" His hand was still on her stomach as the words slipped from her mouth and stung him like a Koo'a Viper. It burned, then left his body completely numb that he lost the ability to speak. He looked up to her and for a moment, he felt the Lucas she was talking about surface and flash her a grin. He had been absent, so distant for so long, that he laughed out loud. He felt pure joy in this.

"I'm a little shocked that you'd pick me," Lucas answered finally, retracting his hand, "I know things aren't what they used to be," He was beginning to retract, to pull the exposed emotions back inside of him, "But the galaxy is a much different place now. I'm different." He paused, he could tell that he was heading down the wrong path with this. "I-I- don't think I-"

"Don't say that," She said, "It's not a question. I know who you are," Her finger hit his chest, "Just find your way out of it."

Lucas nodded, and he returned to his seat on the tree's root. He leaned back, looking at her differently than he had before. "She's going to grow up in a terrible place."

"More the reason to have you."

"I'm not sure I can protect her from all this. No one can. The galaxy is going to be swallowed by Zend, and my people," He was talking about Kuat now, "We're going to have to take a side. My mother is adamant about resisting the True Empire..." Lucas shook his head, "It'll be the end. All our pride, everything, burned... like this." He looked forward, "This is the penance for a world that gave the New Republic a treaty, think of what they will do to a world which delivers military war vessels to rebel-Imperials?"

"You believe we are on the losing side? Look around Lucas, you live on one of the most fortified systems in the galaxy. Not even Zend would dare cross that."

Lucas disagreed, he'd have to do something, he'd have to protect his homeworld, his family, everything that he had taken pride in. He needed that. "I will do whatever it takes to make they are safe, including her," He motioned towards Tseneca's stomach. "I've learned all that I can from Anakin, I think there is someone else out there."

He was going to tell her about Necropolis, but something told him not to. "I don't know." He said, "I'm not sure what to do," He sounded conflicted, he hated that, but it was true. He had told her about the recording, she knew something was out there, something that wasn't supposed to be. Maybe she could put the pieces together, but unlikely. She needed him to tell, to say something, anything.

He swallowed his tongue, instead looking towards Sara. "You should go to Thyferra, go to Naboo... Damian, as stubborn as he is, will protect you. I have to fight this war," He said softly, "Just get away from all this." Lucas tried to make it sound so it included himself.

Tag: Jess, Han, Orrion Carn

The Invasion of Bakura

[Tseneca Lowry-Fink]

Get away... not hardly.

"Please." She snorted derisively, but with good humor. "You have to know me better than that. Have I ever backed down?" She pulled her jacket closer as a breeze picked up. "You're personal war, I won't interfere with. But you know I'm here for you, I always will be, you know that." She stressed the last words, wanting him to remember. Whatever he was seeking, she might not be able to come along, but he could come to her.

She continued. "You are right about one thing. This war... because thats what it is is a war, no doubting it... I'm not stepping out of. If that means I go to Kuat to fight with your mother than that's what I'll do. Imperials or no, no one wants what Zend is planning. The losing side is to side with them."

He looked at her straight. "You'd go to Kuat then?"

She nodded. "If I have to. Your mother is a strong woman. If she's planning to keep a fortress against renegade Imperial invasion, I'll stand by that. Zend wouldn't dare to go near Thyferra, not with Bacta at stake." It was true. Alatáriël Pallanén-Davad would be a prize target for an imperial fleet, especially if she resisted. And while Zend my not like a Vratix/human regency in charge of Bacta production, siezing hold of the planet wouldn't be in their best interest. No, the optimal thing to do was to side with the Kuatis. This was a new kind of war, the past didn't matter when choosing sides, and if she was going to promise herself to fight, then she might as well pick an allegiance worth fighting for.

She stood, stretching her back. "I'm not going anywhere Lucas. And I'm sure as hell not going to hide. Get that in your head." She gave him a wry smile and headed back toward the campfire, leaving him to his thoughts.

[Morgan ZIM]

(And in the interests of getting things going, I have moved the Jedi/Morgan group forward so we can meet up with everyone else.)

The escape from the starport hadn’t been entirely clean, but they had lost any initial pursuers. More importantly, though, they were all alive. Morgan kept his eyes open and his weapon up, but it was some time before they encountered anyone again. Fortunately for them all, they weren’t Imperials.

”Hey, is that a ship over there?” Morgan said as he looked out through the forest as they made their way towards Denora’s ship. Zooming in with his left eye with night-vision, he took a closer look at what was going on.

”They don’t look like imperials.” He said, commenting on their appearance.

Clearly, that was good enough for the Jedi, as the speeder took a detour towards the small crowd of forest-dwellers. Closer examination revealed that the ship was, in fact, the infamous Millenium Falcon.

”Definitely not Imperials.”
_________________
Morgan ZIM: Bounty Hunter, Gun for Hire, Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Cybernetic Scoundrel, and all around disruptor of the normal order of things.

[Han Solo]

Han watched as the girl - Sara Soto - faded away into the night, a bundle of firewood tucked safely under one arm. She appeared to be a nice girl and all, but he could tell from her body language that she was feigning bravery. Han had been in way too many card games over the years to not recognize the telltale signs of a bluff.

But in this particular case, he couldn't blame her. Despite their skills and their apparent affinity for the Force, underneath the facade, they were all still kids - barely out of their teens and wide-eyed for adventure and a new way of life. The problem was they had been too eager to get away and they had now bitten off more than they can chew in the midst of a planetary invasion. Fear and uncertainty was only a natural response to what was going on around them.

Han had been there plenty of times during his youth and watching the same thing unfold from a distance brought a deep longing to return to the past. He knew exactly what these kids were going through and despite the imminent danger they faced, he was fairly certain they would turn out alright. After all, he was living proof that it was fine to live life on the edge and still be able to make it to the age of retirement.

With a sigh, Han returned to his previous task of gathering together the rest of the tools that had been scattered along the ground underneath the Falcon's berth. When he had gathered most of them up within his arms, he began to head to the landing ramp when raised voices from the camp drew his attention.

Stepping partway off the ramp, Han took a precautionary step towards the flickering firelight and narrowed his eyes to get a better look. From what he could discern from this distance, a new group of arrivals had ventured into the camp, their body language suggesting that their intentions were still unclear. That didn't sit very well with him, especially since they were acting as refugees to escape the stronghold the Empire was placing on all the major cities. If someone came to snuff them out, there would be hell to pay.

The tools that were previously in his arms dropped to the ground with a loud clatter, startling a bunch of birds roosting in the nearby trees, as he traded the conventional tools for the familiar grip of his blaster. From here, he watched and waited.

Tag: Alex, Space Jawa, Orrion Carn, Jess, Cray

The Invasion of Bakura

Catching a Corellian

[Morgan ZIM]

The group disembarked from the speeder and entered the camp, intent on getting a better idea what was going on. There seemed to be a sense of uneasiness from the people that were already there, but Morgan hoped that would go away once they found out who the new arrivals were. While he couldn’t say he had met most if any of the people present, he could at least recognize some of their faces. There was at least on Kauti brat amongst them, and if Morgan wasn’t mistaken it was a Jedi to boot. That gave Morgan reason to believe that there should have at least been some level of familiarity between him and Denora, what with the elder Jedi’s reputation.

”So what do we do?” ZIM asked.
”We stand back and wait to see what’s going on.” Morgan commented to the droid. As much as he would have liked to, going out to find Zu’fa and the Shape wasn’t much of an option at the moment. While the spaceport had been on the way to his pal’s ship, the direction they had come via the speeder had been in a much different direction. And Morgan didn’t like his chances going out after the ship alone. Not just yet, at least.

”I just hope bughead crashed somewhere safe.”

As he wandered around the outside of the camp, Morgan began to contemplate taking a look inside the droid head he had swiped, though he began to write that idea off due to a lack of a proper light source when he saw…her. It was Vera Nico, walking down the entrance ramp of some sort of Firespray-class vessel.

”You got to be frakkin’ kidding me.” He said nearly under his breath.
”Small galaxy. Now you going to kill her, or what?”

While the woman turned to look in Morgan’s direction, and he got the impression she did see he was there, there was little indication she recognized who he was before she turned off in another direction.

” straight.” Morgan said. He doubted he would ever get a better opportunity.

”And here I thought this day would be full of bad news.”

Walking towards Nico, Morgan raised his blaster towards her head, getting a bead roughly where her eyes would be when he got her attention and she in his direction and made a blaster bolt the last thing she ever saw.

”HEY!” He said, making sure to speak up loudly enough to get her attention. ”Nico Starbright!”

He pulled off his helmet with his open hand as she turned to look in Morgan’s direction. It was as much a conscious choice as half-calling her by her former alias – something that she would recognize, even if few others here did. When he killed her, he wanted her to know it was him that had pulled it off.

”When you get to hell, tell ‘em it was Morgan ZIM who sent you!”

The plan, if it could have been called that, would have gone off without a hitch. She was looking straight at him. She had no opportunity to fire back. And he could tell she knew exactly who he was.

The one problem that was that in the briefest moment before he would have pulled the trigger, he found that his rifle was no longer in his possession. Some jedi had yoinked it out of his hands and now held it safely out of reach.

”What the frak, dude!?” Morgan shouted at him, a stunned, open-mouthed look of disbelief on his face.

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
Morgan ZIM: Bounty Hunter, Gun for Hire, Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Cybernetic Scoundrel, and all around disruptor of the normal order of things.

[Sara Soto]

After talking to Sethe for a while, Sara excused herself and left to gather more firewood. Shooting a glance to Nico for the imposed duty. This time she gestured the laser-axe on her belt, promptly grabbing it and placing it where she had been sitting. It was nice talking to Sethe again, but she didn’t know how Jonas was going to react to her being here, so she simply left quietly in an dutiful fashion. Honestly she just wanted some alone time, this entire ordeal was still setting in. She didn’t know if anyone was going to make it out. Not with the blockade she saw in orbit, not the debris from the ships that didn’t make it.

She was a ways away from camp now, to an area that was fairly cleared out and open for her to see Salis D’aar through the trees. It was smoking and the city was red with flames, what ships were allowed to fly were Imperial Fireships, snuffing the flames to the buildings so they could be repaired in the way of the invasion. Imperial dropships came through the smoke from orbit, carrying scores of occupation forces to hold the planet. And with no guarantee that the signal that The Khan sent would reach anyone at all, there was little hope of the Republic coming.

Sara spied a dried tree trunk about six feet high. With a thought her lightsaber came into her hand and ignited, she was still a distance off from the city, and the smoke and forest hid her from view. So she was free to turn her blade on without being spotting.

The yellow lightsaber blade hummed, then hissed with each strike into the trunk. Before her lay three neatly cut logs, roughly the same length. All that was left was a warm stub almost ground level. She still had some time before she needed to be back. Besides, this could be her lookout point. It was far enough away from camp, and any sort of commotion would be within earshot for the crew to get away safely.

Sitting down on the warm stub, she let her mind meditate to calm herself for this first night. So much emotion, death and reunion.

Sara Soto

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
Jedi Initiate Sara Soto

[Vera Nico]

The newcomers weren't a surprise, the campfire was bound to alert any kind of stragglers of there location, but one was uniquely armored She had just left the plank of the Khan, and while she was armed, she would need the personal-missile launcher stocked just meters away to end him once and for all. Not wanting to make it obvious, perhaps the man beneath the mask did not make the connection, she continued in a different direction.

Nevertheless, he continued towards her. Her reflexes calmed, as she had her back to him, just a bit further and she'd be able to reach one of the assault rifles stashed against the Khan. "HEY. Nico Starbright!”

SHIT, Nico cursed, MORGAN ZIM. She turned around as he opened the helmet portion of his suit. For the longest time, she thought she'd go out on a blazing self-sacrifice that would end a figure of governmental tyrant, now identified as Grand Admiral Zend, but not here, not now and especially not by him. ”When you get to hell, tell ‘em it was Morgan ZIM who sent you!”

Nico cringed, she could see the finger squeeze towards the trigger, only instead of a brilliant flash of red released towards her, she found the blaster hovering in the air. Lucas had appeared out of the forest, his lightsaber was now active. Nico held out her hand to him, stopping him from chopping the poor droidman to pieces, before stepping forward. She could feel raw emotions boiling beneath her skin, itching to get out.

She folded her arms, "Hello Morgan," She said slowly, almost like someone would whisper intimately to their lover. "You still look... horrible." She rounded Lucas, her hands tracing along his shoulders as she passed, thanking him beneath her breath, "You truly are the worst. Theatric, maybe, but really?" She collected his blaster and shot at his feet, before tossing the blaster into a puddle of mud and what looked like a pile of animal shit.

"Of all the lives lost today, I wish you were one of them. Or, at least, trapped beneath some chunk of building, so your flesh would rot away, leaving nothing but that ghastly metallic creature." She stood between them as Lucas closed the distance.

"Enough Nico. Listen, we want no trouble here, if you want to pass-" He seemed to notice the others in the group, "You are Jedi." He paused again, then decided to continue with what he was saying, "You are welcome to join us. We are a collection of people attempting to get off this rock. If you want to inhibit a member of this group," He danced with his lightsaber again, "We can settle this here and now."

Nico flashed Morgan a smile, "Leave the tin can for me. I'm sure I could find a junkyard in the outer rim that would fetch a credit or two for the ingrown mug."

Lucas shook his head, "We don't have to get along, just agree not to shoot each other, until we escape."

Nico folded her arms, "I can play nice, Morgan, can you?"

Tag: Space Jawa, Solo, Jess

The Invasion of Bakura

[Morgan ZIM]

”This is…unexpected.”

”Horrible looking, am I?” Morgan said, rebuking Nico’s attempt to play with him. ”Funny. Seems when you first introduced yourself, you had a much different opinion on the matter.”

”Let me see…oh, yes, that’s right. ‘Great looking face, both sides of it.’”

”But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, seeing how it was all just a bunch of lies anyway. That’s all you really trade in, isn’t it? Deception and lies.”

He turned his attention to the Jedi.

”You’re really going to defend this woman?”
“With my life.” He replied.

”I don’t think he’s joking.” ZIM said.
”Yeah, I…got that impression.” Morgan said to ZIM as he tried to hold back a bit of laughter at the absurdity of the situation.

”It’s like a joke!” he said out loud. ”This is like a really bad JOKE!”

“What’s so funny about it?” The Kauti jedi asked.

”Vera Nico, wanted the galaxy over, and you’d die to protect her? This woman with an over-inflated ego and greater sense of self-righteousness than a frakkin’ hutt, that then goes around using it as an excuse to do whatever she well pleases like some pathetic little girl crying out for mommy and daddy?”

While he didn’t get a verbal response, he could tell that his words had at Nico on some level. He wasn’t sure what, but something he had said had gotten to her.

”Good.” He thought to himself. Maybe if he could get her to attack him, he could kill her anyway under the protection of self-defense.

”Is there anyone here that would truly and honestly be saddened by the death of this woman?” He said out loud, practically begging for someone to response one way or the other. But either through viewing Morgan as some kind of madman, not wanting to humor him with a response, or actually not caring, he got no reply.

”That’s what I thought!” He responded to the lack of noise.

”Really, woman,” he said back to Nico. ”You think I’m theatric? You think you’d be happy if I had gotten crushed? Take a look at yourself sometime! I’m thinking there’d be a lot more cheering over your death than there would be mine. Not to mention I could get a lot more than a credit or two for your pathetic a**. Not that I need it. We could kill you right here, burn your body, throw it in a lake, then tell the galaxy you died in the bombardment for all I care!”

”Uh, Morgan, I think you may be overreacting right now.”
”Shut up.” He said to ZIM, his mind currently running on a one-way track.

”So let me ask you again.” he said, turning his attention back to the Jedi. ”You really want to defend this woman?”

All he got in response was for the Kauti to hold up his lightsaber, prepared to use it if necessary.

Looking around, he saw that there were a few other blasters pointed at him as well. But judging by where Nico was and where her defender was, he was pretty sure he could get a shot off before anyone could get him in turn. Especially since he still had his wrist blaster, which he knew they couldn’t force yoink away from him.

”Please tell me you’re not thinking what I think you’re thinking.”

”Worth it.” Morgan said with a matter-of-fact tone.

He raised his arm and prepared to shoot Nico, but again, his attempt to kill her was blocked. Before he could pop his blaster or anyone else could shoot him, he found himself thrown across the forest via a Force Push from an unknown Jedi till he crashed into the hull of the Falcon. From there, he dropped in a ‘thud’ to the ground.

”Ow.”

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
Morgan ZIM: Bounty Hunter, Gun for Hire, Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Cybernetic Scoundrel, and all around disruptor of the normal order of things.

[Han Solo]

The moment Vera Nico appeared from within the confines of her ship, Han found it extremely difficult to stay his hand and not shoot the kriffin' whore where she stood. He owed her that much after she single-handedly traversed an army of guards to reach them on the landing platform in order to threaten Leia's life. But in the end, this wasn't his fight - not when the newcomers that had showed up moments ago turned out to be bounty hunters looking to collect the prize on Nico's head. Han wasn't about to interfere in that kind of official business.

That is, until they made it personal...

Everything seemed to be under control until one of the young Jedi got the crazy idea to have a little fun and Force push the cybernetic bounty hunter through the air. With nothing in his way to stop his progress, Han could only watch in stunned silence as the bounty hunter collided with the newly welded section of the Falcon's hull that had taken him most of the evening to perfect.

A sickening crunch was the only confirmation he needed before his anger got the best of him. "Hey, watch it!" he growled out, his fingers turning anxiously about the grip of the blaster. "I'm trying to get this bucket back together and you go ahead and throw your excess baggage at it! Keep your damn problems to yourself!"

Shaking his head in both disbelief and annoyance, Han crossed the short distance from the landing ramp to where the bounty hunter had landed in a heap on the ground. Regarding the man for a moment, he quickly decided that he didn't appear to be any major threat to their little establishment and gently hoofed the man in the shoulder with the tip of his boot.

"Hey, pal," he uttered with very little emotion. "You alright?"

Tag: Space Jawa, Alex, Jess, Orrion Carn, Cray

The Invasion of Bakura

[Kyp Durron]

Despite the danger Kyp had rushed into the fight. He was just as determined to make his mark here as he was to prove that age had not weakened him. The city around him burned and collapsed under the invasion of the True Empire. Every few steps he wondered if he was hearing the screams of the dead or just bending steel.

Before the fire suppression ships had shown up it had been far worse. Kyp had taken two squads of Stormtroopers down in the fray. They had brought death to this world. They deserved worse. Nevertheless he was not the only one doing damage to the invading force. He had sensed other enemy fatalities but still had little idea to whom the credit was owed.

Kyp slid through the streets carefully using the now abundant cover to mask his movement. The fires of the city still lit the streets so he could not rely on the dark as he had many times before. Each step, each block, could hold a deadly surprise. What disturbed Kyp the most was the feeling that he was quickly transitioning from the hunter to the hunted.

Quick post, I have work in the morning but I'll make another post when I get home later or Thursday at the latest. Kyp can duel Var if you want to.

Tag: Orrion Carn

Back in the Saddle

_________________
Jedi Master Kyp Durron
Jedi High Council Member
Wields an Azure Lightsaber
Pilot of the Modified RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor Vigilance

"No change comes without conflict. Perhaps my destiny is to be the irritant that forces the discussion, the blister that lets you know your boots don't fit."

[Jase Denora]

Jase sighed and threw Morgan into Solo's ship with a push of the Force. He didn't mind watching him threaten Nico, but with Davad in the crossfire, it was his responsibility to intervene. "I am a Master on the Jedi Council, Morgan. Do what you will with Ms. Nico after you fulfill your contract to help me off this planet. Threaten a Jedi in my presence againhowever, and I shall kill you myself. Davad, stay your blade. We shall all need to cooperate if we wish to escape this invasion."

Shaking his head, Jase nodded to Sahana and Dryas, signaling to stay on guard. Walking over to the Falcon, Jase surveyed the damage. "You of all people should have been able to run that blockade, Solo. The Fury is not too far from here, I may have some spare parts that will be compatible with your ship."
_________________
Jase Denora

Jedi Master- Jedi Council

Force Specialty: Precision Force Manipulation

Saber Form(s): Vapaad, Denora Akimbo Style

Favored Techniques Force Choke, Telekinesis, Shatterpoint, Force Lightning[/b]

Combat Skills: Close combat, sabotage, multi-weapon usage, ship to ship[/b]



"Master the Force. Master your emotions. With these two tools, you will be feared by your enemies and your peers. Nothing else matters for the strong."

Please, please, PLEASE...... do not open the box....

[Tarison Var]

Tarison reentered the city of Salis D’aar, what opposition he faced was quickly snuffed without a single word leaking his location, the Stormtroopers were dead before they could make the call of an attack. Crushing the weak minds of the three soldiers wasn’t something he always did, he preferred to retain what energies he wielded for other tasks. But, it was seldom noted a Sith couldn’t destroy what opposed him, even if they didn’t know they would be in his way.
Tarison searched the city, killing patrols of Stormtroopers as, though he hated to, only as necessary. He didn’t need to raise an alert on himself. No. His goal was closing. His presence masked from the consciousness of the Jedi he sought out, he closed the gap on Kyp Durron.

He appeared twenty feet ahead of the Jedi Master, his black robe flapping with a brisk turn as Lord Var faced the Jedi. The hem of his cloak hid his yellow eyes from view, and he and Kyp stood motionless, both of their hands ready to snatch their sabers if needed.
“It‘s been a long time.” Var spoke, glancing upwards at Kyp. “Far too long.”

Tarison let his aura show for a brief moment, long enough for Kyp to recognize it. “Yes. It is me, Tarison Var.” A sadistic smile crept across his face, and he pulled his cloak back to reveal the tired face that belonged to the Sith, his burning yellow eyes glowing in the night.

Tag: Kyp

The Invasion of Bakura

Back in the Saddle

_________________
"Peace is a lie. There is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me."
Code of the Sith

[Lucas Pallanén-Davad]

Lucas could tell the man had hit some kind of psychological breakdown. His eyes narrowed as he spoke about how much joy her death may create around the galaxy, but what he hadn't realized was that while her moves were bold and slandered as terrorism, she performed for the people, albeit in dramatic messages. A year ago, Lucas might have agreed with Morgan, but not now. His homeworld loved Nico, except the Noble class, the higher lot, they hated her. She disrupted the social balances and put a mirror to the politic system, just to show how ugly the face can be.

Lucas watched as Denora, a Master of the Jedi Council tossed the half-cyborg into the Millennium Falcon. For a moment, an ounce of pity rose up, but it quickly washed away. Not only was the man greatly disfigured, but he was most likely poor as he was pathetic. That would never be seen on Kuat, and though his father consumed anything about droids and technology, little interest could be taken with a man so easily triggered. His speech sounded a little off at times, almost as though he had been talking to himself.

Lucas lowered his blade on command, mostly out of respect for the Councilmember, but kept his eyes on the other two Jedi. Anakin had told him stories of this particular Jedi, and his private academy. They skirted the darkside more than anyone, yet he had never seen any of them perform anything worth bragging about. Still, he looked forward to dueling one of them, even if their abilities were cast in doubt. Denora's attention shifted and called to Han Solo, who had been angered by the cyborg's smack into a perfectly welded hull-patch.

Nico gave Morgan a cool smile and blew him a kiss as the situation slowly dissolved. She loved to flirt with emotions, and something about this man, aroused an obsession that toyed with not only his mind, but his soul. "Don't you think that might get you killed... We could use you alive, you know."

Nico turned her back on Morgan and proceeded towards Tseneca and Sethe. "Looks like you're not the only one that wants me dead," She scoffed as she passed Tseneca, "He got a lot closer than you, though." She retreated into the Khan, as Lucas gave Tseneca a wild look with a hint of annoyance.

It was going to be a long night.

The Invasion of Bakura

Catching a Corellian

[Morgan ZIM]

”What the frak, Morgan?” ZIM said as the cyborg tried to pick himself up.

”I swear, it’s like that woman is protected by the Dark Side or something.” Morgan said as he looked around to see where his helmet had landed.

”Are you listening to me?” ZIM said again, increasingly annoyed by the guy he was sharing a brain with.
”Nope.” Morgan replied.

”Fine.” Morgan said to the Kauti as he pieked his helmet up. ”I’ll let her live. For now. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean my blaster.”

”This is not just something you can ignore me on!”

The Invasion of Bakura

_________________
Morgan ZIM: Bounty Hunter, Gun for Hire, Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Cybernetic Scoundrel, and all around disruptor of the normal order of things.

[Tseneca Lowry-Fink]

Nico stalked off.

"I swear to god, if that woman--" She started glaring at Lucas.

"Please." He held up a hand, and she felt tendrils of calm flow through her. "Not you. you're the rational one."

"since when?" Sethe muttered and strode over to where the Falcon was.

Tseneca's eyes followed him, but she said nothing. Lucas looked at her strangely before clipping his lightsaber to his belt and busying himself. Yes, grudges seemed to be ruling the evening, that was to be sure. What reason had Sethe to be angry with her? She shook her head and went over to where the cyborg was cleaning his gun off. He moved vigorously, inwardly consumed. He looked up on her approach.

"That's some nice...equipment." she said. Whether she meant his gun or his face she wasn't certain. she was never good at first introductions.

[Sethe Bhren]

The group was getting bigger, and It made him antzy. between the two figures the new Jedi had signaled to stay on guard and the cyborg, it was a little nerve wracking. Then again, it could have been the venom.

He moved closer to the Falcon, it was hard to believe that that ship was still in one piece, not to mention right in front of him. for all the custom specs he's done on the Escrow, nothing was compared to this legendary ship. Altogether, how many people had taken to modifying it? After all that, it was a wonder the thing wasn't hanging by strings. No wonder Solo had to be towed in...

He heard the Jedi offer Solo parts and ducked under the overhang, making himself seen.

"I've got hands if you need them." He offered. If there was a competition between repairing the Falcon or Nico's firespray, he was going to lay claim to the former.

[Morgan ZIM]

”You have gone crazy!” ZIM said as Morgan attempted to clean his gun.

”Yeah, I did that a long time ago.” Morgan replied. While it was mostly an internal thought, if had been paying attention to himself, he would have noticed that he was just barely mumbling as well. Not loudly enough for most people to understand what he was saying, but enough that it wouldn’t be difficult for anyone close enough to hear that he was saying something or other.

”No, not that kind of crazy. Obsessive crazy. The kind of crazy that gets people put in asylums.”
”Says the voice of the droid that’s in my head.”
”A voice that is verifiably there, mind you.”
”Yes, and just try telling that to the average person on the street.”
”Badim believes you, doesn’t he?”
”Arguably.” Morgan replied, and looked up as he heard someone approach. He didn’t recognize the woman at all, but at least she didn’t seem hostile.

”Uh…thanks, I guess.” Morgan replied. ”Can I help you?”
_________________
Morgan ZIM: Bounty Hunter, Gun for Hire, Freelance Peacekeeping Agent, Cybernetic Scoundrel, and all around disruptor of the normal order of things.