Chapter 3: Archaic

[Princess 35]

Nima got up off the floor and picked Jil up. "If that's the way you want it. I'm going to go get some more caf, do you want some?"

[Ayingel 24]

Szen peered into the room. From what she could catch of the lip movements of the men, she knew it wasn't good. "Looks like negotiations are over. Go for it. Braomar second."

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

Atuarre grinned wickedly and set her sights on Braomar's second in command. However, before she could get a shot off, a blaster bolt shattered the opposite window of the conference room, sending everyone inside diving for cover.

"Where did that come from, 'cause it sure wasn't me!" she snarled.

[Pandora 77]

"Deign, I can't." Layla told him, looking down at the floor. "I just don't trust you like that yet. Bad things come from good intentions." And that's just considering you're intentions are good. "Sena's safe from Gallamby." And she's safe from you.

"As far as Gallamby's concerned, that whole incident with the CorSec agents was my fault." He looked at Layla finally, all the anger and impatience gone from his eyes. "I want to send my family to be with her. If Sena's stayed hidden from me all this time, surely..."

He took a deep breath. "I'll be excommunicated from the Argos family for all I've done, Lay."

Deign looked down at the floor. "They're going to come for you, aren't they? Did you ever tell your squadronmates how to find this place?"

[Mara 29]

Once inside the room, he scanned it thoroughly and quickly with his eyes before sitting down. Could never been too careful or know too much. Kaden was trying to get a hang of this commando stuff, making it easier by imagining his permacrete surroundings was open space instead. He was in a starfighter, not a chair; waiting in space, not in a closed room; opposite an enemy.

Through the entire conversation, Kaden listened quietly as the two captains discussed possibilities. When it took a bad turn, however, he was conflicted. He wondered whether to take out his own weapon and give away any advantage they might have or to simply way for a more opportune time while his CO was beaten in front of him.

Kaden's mind whirled. Any sudden movement he made, whether to Captain Tunon or to his blaster, he knew the others would shoot him. But he also knew he couldn't just sit by and watch...

Then the next few moments happened fast, he barely knew what was going on. One minute he was sitting there contemplating a move, the next he heard the glass shatter and everyone was on the ground wondering what had happened.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Mara

[Drake 53]

Aeric was already on the ground when a sniper's slug round blasted through the far window, sending jagged fragments of glass raining across the floor.

Cutting it a little close, Atuarre, he thought.

He yanked Kaden down, behind a flipped table, as the Blood Carver stumbled backwards and tripped over a chair. A jagged piece of window stuck out of the alien's stomach. Orange blood flowed from the wound but that didn't stop him from trying to pick up his weapon. A hard boot to the head was enough for Aeric to knock the Blood Carver out and commandeer his weapon.

He looked around and saw Captain Braomar leaning up against the wall, next to the shattered window, sporting a gaping hole through his left shoulder. With his right hand, the pirate was struggling to aim his blaster at Aeric.

"Your snipers are fast, Captain," said the pirate leader. "Let's see if they're fast enough to stop me from putting a..."

He was cut off when a second sniper shot passed through the other window. The ionized shard of atoms speared through the glass, leaving a molten hole instead of shattering it like the previous slug. Similarly, it passed through Braomar's head and the wall behind him.

The door to the room started sliding open. No doubt the pirates stationed outside had heard the commotion and were coming to help. Aeric tossed the Blood Carver's blaster to Kaden. "Cover me!" he shouted then rolled across the room, behind a desk, and grabbed Braomar's fallen weapon. He popped up from his cover and littered the doorway with blasterfire.

***

After Jaim and Jya had gotten comfortably set up in their hideout, they left again to scout the area. Much of the past three hours had been spent in cantinas, gambling halls, and even a brothel, looking for their respective contacts in their various haunts. They ran into a few but those knew as much about Archaic as the Revenants already did.

It was just after 15:30 in the afternoon when Jya entered the cantina called The Spicey Spacer, and found a seat at the nearest end of the bar. She got herself a drink and casually sipped at it while looking around at some of the male patrons, making it looks like she were browsing for potential companions.

Jaim entered the establisment a couple minutes later, walking straight past Jya without so much as a passing glance. He found a seat at the opposite end of the bar, next to a scrawny Balosar wearing a tattered old suit, who was nursing a glass of some green beverage. "A glass of whiskey. Neat," said Jaim to the bartender. He glanced at the being next to him, then amended, "Better make that two glasses."

When the bartender had gone to fix the drinks, Jaim turned to the Balosar. "I don't know what that is you're drinking, Benni, but it smells like the bad end of a reek."

The young man's antennapalps retracted slightly at the comment and then almost fully when he realized who was sitting next to him. "A...Adarra!" he stuttered nervously. "How did you find me? I...I mean, what are you doing here? I havn't seen you in...two years. I thought you were offworld!"

"I'm back in town on business. What have you been up to these days? Still peddling pyrep and giggledust?"

"Nah, Jaim, I'm not doing that stuff anymore," said Benni, with a forced chuckle. "I got honest work now!"

Jaim nodded. "Do you now?" Before the Balosar could react, he slipped a hand into the young alien's pocket and pulled out a packet of white crystalline powder. In a lowered voice, Jaim asked, "And what's this, Benni? Andris?" Out of the corner of his eye, Jaim saw the bartender returning with his drinks so he slipped the packet of spice into his jacket pocket then smacked Benni's hand as he tried to reach for it. After paying for the drinks, Jaim pulled Benni to his feet. "Come on. Let's go find a private booth."

Benni nodded without saying anything, grabbed his own foul beverage and stood. Jaim walked behind him, making sure the jumpy spice dealer didn't try to run off. When they found a booth near the back of the cantina, Jaim let Benni sit first then took a seat across from the Balosar and switched on the privacy screen. With the screen up, no one would be able to see or hear anything from the booth save blurs and muffled sounds.

The packet of spice was now on the table between the two men. "Now tell me, Benni," said Jaim, "How did a lowlife slythmonger like you suddenly switch from trading cheap tricks to selling highly-refined Andris?" The dealer managed to make a squeeking sound, that could have been the start of a reply, before Jaim continued. "Were you aware that Andris is the drug of choice amongst much of the Imperial military? Apparently, it stims the senses enough for a marked improvement in combat. Too bad it's also addictive. Did you know that, Benni?"

The Balosar was a couple shades paler than before. "I...I don't..."

"Who's your supplier?"

"I...I can't say."

The privacy screen suddenly dropped and Jya stepped inside before Jaim raised it again. Benni made a surprised yelp as she took him by the collar and lifted him, with one arm, out of his seat and against the wall.

Jaim absently swirled the amber liquid around in one of his glasses, his feet now up on the table. "Benni, this pretty lady is a co-worker of mine. She hopes that you'd be kind enough to answer our questions." He took a sniff of his whiskey, savoring the aroma for a moment before saying, "We know who you work for. Stakes ratted you out."

Benni's eyes bugged out and his antennapalps flipped back and forth. "Stakes doesn't know nothin'! I swear!"

"Under the circumstances, he and I came to an understanding. Just as, I believe, you and I can come to an understanding." On cue, Jya grabbed Benni's throat with her free hand, giving it a little squeeze. "Do you understand, Benni?" Jaim asked, calmly. When the Balosar nodded vigorously, Jya let go and set the dealer back on his feet.

"Sit down, Benni," said Jaim, pushing the second glass of whiskey to the other side of the table, "And let's talk about where Archaic is supplying you from."

Edited July 27, 2008 by Drake

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

"Szen, see if you can get a location on that other shooter," Atuarre said. She'd had to find another position and once again had a target in her sights. A smirk crossed her lips as she squeezed the trigger and put a bolt between the pirate's eyes. Not a moment too soon, either.

[Mara 29]

After the initial shock, he sat up and took in his changed surroundings. He really didn't think their squadron mates had done this, not after they were close to getting some information, but he also didn't want to bother spending any length of time on it. No matter who fired the shots, there was still one man down.

Kaden caught the blaster with one hand, pulling his hidden one from his back at the same time. He figured now was more than a good time to expose his own weapon. It seemed all pleasantries were now far gone. Keeping one eye on the Blood Carver, he moved into a better position and flicked both his blasters to the kill setting, using the overturned table as cover.

[Drake 53]

Havenhold - 25km outside Tyrena

Havenhold was one of the last few cities, in the Greater Tyrena Area, to remain free of amalgamation into the metropolis. For over two centuries, it stood as a residential community, with its inhabitants commuting daily to Tyrena for work. As it was getting into the afternoon, many people were returning from their jobs and the streets were starting to fill up with speeders rushing to get home.

Takeshi walked down the sidewalk of the busy main street in town. He passed by a variety of shops and occasionally paused to look inside the display windows. It wasn't until he came across a pawn and trade store, called Starwind Trader, that he went inside.

The interior of the shop was what one could consider far from orderly. There were shelves and display cases strewn about with walkways meandering randomly through them. The cases were filled with all kinds of odds and ends, ranging from discount holovids to rare Sullustan geodes. The pricier items were, of course, behind the front counter under lock and key. There weren't many people in at this hour. A pair of teenage boys sifted through a collection of holozine comics while an elderly woman spoke with the store's proprietor.

Tak stopped at a display case holding several gemstones of varying colour, shape and size. One, in particular, caught his eye. The small, dark grey crystal seemed to blur and fade around the edges as he stared into its facets.

"Stygium," came a voice from behind Tak. He turned and came face-to-face with the store owner, the elderly woman now gone. He hadn't heard the man approach. "From the ruins of Aeten II. A rare find, I say."

"How much?"

"Two thousand," said the man.

Tak raised an eyebrow. "For this little pebble? seven-fifty."

The owner laughed. "Used properly, and this little pebble can cloak a person from any sensor. One thousand seven hundred."

"I have sensor jammers that can do the same. One thousand."

"Those can't let you avoid plain sight in the shadows. Fifteen hundred."

This continued until the two teenagers, annoyed by the constant bartering, got up and left the store. Once gone, the owner went to the front door, locked it, and switched the 'Come In, We're Open' sign to 'Sorry, We're Closed'.

"Good to see you, Rasp," said Tak. "Sorry I couldn't call ahead."

The man, known as Rasp, shook his head. Blue hair, streaked with the silver of age, hung about his shoulders. Though Takeshi knew him to be in his early forties, Rasp looked to be at least ten years older. "Don't worry. I knew you were coming."

Takeshi nodded. "Right. Your hunches. I forgot."

Rasp motioned to the back of the store. "Come on upstairs. I'll make you some tea." He led Tak through a set of doors into a small hallway with a stairway leading up to the next level. They went up and into Rasp's loft. The room was equal to the size of the shop beneath it, giving the man a fair amount of space. "Take a seat anywhere. Make yourself comfortable. No boots on the table, though. I just cleaned it."

While Rasp went to the small kitchen to fix up some tea, Tak took off his boots and went over to the windows looking out over the street. The traffic had gotten a little busier and there were more pedestrians along the sidewalks.

"Sorry to have to shut you down at an hour like this," Tak said, moving back from the window and taking a seat on the couch. "I've been busy so I couldn't come sooner."

"No problem for an old friend," said Rasp, from the kitchen. A couple minutes later he emerged with a tray bearing two cups of tea and the pot. He set it down on the table between them and sat in his recliner with a cup. "Now, Skirata. What brings you to scenic Havenhold?"

Tak took his own cup of tea and held it. "A mission. I'm working for the Starfighter Corps. now. We're in Tyrena looking for Archaic."

Rasp looked at Tak for a few long seconds before saying, "You're not just looking for Archaic. You're looking for one of your own, aren't you? They took someone from your squadron. Someone you care for, if I'm reading you right."

"I don't know how you figure that stuff out but...you're right."

"Well, I can't tell you much in the way of where Archaic is. I've had a few of their smugglers pass through here before. Never on official business but I know their kind." The older man took a drink of his tea and sank back into his seat, savouring the drink. "That organization is slipperier than a Gamorrean slime cat."

Gonna finish this laters...

[Drake 53]

Aeric glanced over at Kaden, who was keeping an eye on the Blood Carver. "Leave him! He's unconsious and he'll be gone soon with that stomach wound."

The first pirate entering the room dropped from Aeric's fire. The second was a little more cautious, peeking out from around the door to shower Aeric and Kaden's positions with blaster fire. However, another precision shot from Atuarre took him down through the wall.

Then there was only the sound of air passing through the open window and the distant noise from air traffic nearby.

***

Takeshi nodded in agreement. "And more of a pain in the ass to find than a piece of hay in a stack of needles."

"How are you intending to go about finding such elusive prey?" Rasp asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Well, they're based in or very near Tyrena. That much we know. It's only a matter of time before we find some clue or trail that leads to their hidden base. They can't be that good at hiding."

The older man looked down into his tea, seeming to momentarily loose himself in its greenish-brown murk. "How do you know she's not dead already?"

Takeshi's eyes narrowed and his voice turned hard. "Because then I would not be sitting here drinking tea. I would be carving a swath through this city, reputation and court martial be damned."

"But you can't be certain."

"No. Maybe that's why I came here."

Rasp smirked. "Why, because you suspect I'm some kind of Jedi or something?"

"Are you?" asked Tak.

"No."

"I mean, you say your people were wiped out by the Empire."

Rasp chuckled and replied, "So were yours, if I recall. Now drink up."

"Touche," said Takeshi. He took a sip of his tea but found it had turned lukewarm during their conversation.

"Give it here. I'll pop it in the reheater," the other man said. He stood and took the cup from Tak.

Rasp paused when Tak said, "But you have powers. Telepathy."

"Would you say a Wookiee is a Jedi because of it's strength? Or a Verpine for it's exceptional sight? There are several species who have developed natural telepathy. Like the Iktotchi. Maybe I was an Iktotchi this whole time and you didn't know it."

Tak shook his head and laughed despite himself. "I'm pretty sure you're not an Iktotchi."

"Here." Rasp handed the cup of tea back to Takeshi, who took it and just about dropped the cup when he felt that it was hot.

"How did you do this?" he asked. "You didn't leave."

Rasp smirked. "Didn't I?" He sat back down, seemingly content with the way their conversation had ended up. "You should be less concerned with my past, my friend, and more concerned with your future. In other words, mind your own business."

Tak shrugged and drank his tea. Not caring how hot it was, he downed the rest of it before standing up and saying, "So about my business then. What do you think I should do?"

"I think you know that I can't say for certain," said the older man. "Only that your path will be long and difficult...unless you risk it all and sacrifice yourself."

"You know, you're really starting to sound like a Jedi." Tak walked over to the only display case in the entire upstairs room. It contained a large, bound leather book that looked ancient. The cover bore four symbols that he didn't recognize. There were also three parallel slash marks through the middle of the cover as well as what looked to be old blood. "You really did have an interesting past."

"You have no idea."

Takeshi walked back over to stand next to Rasp. "What about my squadronmate? Is all this in vain?"

Rasp looked away. He was staring out the window. Not so much outside, Tak realized, but farther away than even a Verpine could see. After a moment, he was back and looking up at Tak. "Let's just say I'll need to gift wrap that rock for you."

Tak grinned.

Edited July 23, 2008 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

Layla wanted to believe that her squadronmates would come after her. That they'd come to Corellia and tear Tyrena apart to find her, like she'd do for any of them. That Takeshi wouldn't disappoint with one of his normal flashy entrances, probably assisted by some sort of explosive device of Jya's. But the more she thought of it, and the more time passed, the less she thought it was likely.

Still, in the small chance it could happen, she didn't want to blow the surprise.

"None of them know where this place is. Only the commanding officer and his lieutenants even knew about my history with this place."

[Ayingel 24]

Szen looked at all the other buildings around their target. She found one on the face of the building the shot came from; it was a building a little smaller than theirs. She saw the glint of a sight as the rifle moved to face them. "Atuarre! Get down!"

[Mara 29]

With no prior experience with Blood Carvers, Kaden hadn't been sure as to their resilience. But if his captain was sure he would be dead in moments, that was good enough for him. One less being to worry about.

Just a half a minute later, there were two less to worry about. Kaden let himself half-relax, pulling out of his crouch, but kept his blasters at the ready just in case. Still glad he hadn't had to shoot yet. And hoping he wouldn't have to.

* * * * *

On a backwater planet he had forgotten the name of already (he had been to so many in the past few days) somewhere in the Outer Rim, the tall blond man walked out of a dilapidated old farmhouse. Another dead end from a would-be source. So many people thought they had information on a new, secret X-wing squadron in their sector, but when he questioned them about it, nothing. The people couldn't even think of rumors of a unit. A day or two ago, he talked with a woman, who had heard from her father, who had heard from a friend, who had heard from his sister, who had heard from her mother-in-law about seeing some TIEs.

The man wasn't even sure if he was looking in the right place. He had just assumed that the pilot he was looking for, who had seemed to disappear, and the fragmented rumors of this squadron were related. They could be isolated incidents. Which would put him back to square one. As if he had been past it.

He sighed, heading to the nearest town to go back to his ship, go back over his notes. He needed something, anything, a lead of any kind. But no matter how long it took, he would make sure he fulfilled his mission.

Edited July 25, 2008 by Mara

[Princess 35]

Nima walked back into the room and handed steaming cups of caf to Brier and Nat then sat back down with one for herself. She grimaced as she took a sip. "Wow, this stuff is almost as strong as they made it in med school. I thought that was outlawed in 9 systems." She picked her datapad back up and slipped another chip in, starting to read. A name flashed across the screen that made her stop. "Hmmm, maybe this will be useful. 'Suspected Archaic lakey, Cale Sanos, seems to be paranoid delusional.' Maybe we can find a way to use this to our advantage."

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

Atuarre hit the ground just as a round passed through where her head had been a split second before and rolled for cover. "That was close." She snapped her own rifle up to return fire, but the other sniper was too smart to stay put. She growled a curse and waited for the other to show him or herself.

[Vergere 1]

"Thanks..." Brier raised an eyebrow as Nima spoke. "What else does it say?"

[Princess 35]

She frowned. "Not much else. It seems that he owes a debt of some kind, but other than that, it's just a mention of him."

[Rogue 4]

Nat listened to Nima, filing that information away thoughtfully. "It's good to know possible Archaic members. If all else fails we might be able to follow them to their headquarters."

As for himself, he wasn't finding much. He had been looking through Tyrena building records but hadn't found any building records that might indicate an Archaic front. He would have to keep digging.

[Drake 53]

Aeric got up from his cover, still keeping low and out of a direct line with the window that had been shattered at the start of the attack. That one had not been Atuarre, Aeric now realized. That one had been a high-powered slug sniper rifle while Atuarre used a blaster. The difference being that the former tended to blast through windows, shattering them, while the latter melted holes in them.

Once he could hear nothing outside the room, Aeric took a quick glance both ways down the hall. "It's clear," he said to Kaden. The Blood Carver let out a low, gurgling moan and coughed up orange blood. Aeric turned back. The alien, Braomar had called him Rel, looked over at him with black eyes. It gave him a slight, weak nod, and Aeric returned it before putting a blaster bolt in the Carver's chest. "Let's go."

He led the way out into the hallway, once again checking both ways before turning to the left. Down that way was a stairwell while the other would have led to a pair of lifts. "Cover our backsides," Aeric said to Kaden, who was coming out of the room behind him.

The pair made their way down the hall quickly but carefully. There was no sign of any more pirates so Aeric stepped through the doorway and into the stairwell. They were pretty standard duracrete spiral stairs that were primarily used in case of emergencies or if the lifts weren't operating.

They started down at a brisque pace, making it a full two levels down before Aeric stopped. "Wait, I hear something," he said quietly. Then they could both hear it, several booted feet and voices coming from below. Aeric looked over the railing down the middle of the spiral and saw the arms of six men, all in Crimson Dagger colours, coming up the stairs. One glanced up right before Aeric pulled back.

"They're up there!" the pirate shouted. Aeric practically pushed Kaden through the door to the nearest level. "Level five!" they heard the pirate say, right before the door slid shut.

"Let's try the lifts," said Aeric, although it was starting to look like the pirates had anticipated this and the lifts would no doubt be equally as dangerous as the stairs. Sure enough, one of the lifts, down at the other end of the hall, opened and emptied six more Crimson Daggers into the hall. Thinking quickly, Aeric turned to the door next to him and pressed the button to open it. Thankfully it wasn't locked and the door slid open onto a business meeting of some sort. Several humans in suits sat around the conference table and all turned to the door, looks of surprise and annoyance on their faces at the disruption to their meeting. Aeric and Kaden went in, shut the door and locked it.

"Excuse me, but you can't be in here!" said one of the business men. The Corellian started to get up but Aeric pushed him back down.

"A dozen pirates are about to break through that door," said Aeric, "And they don't care if you live or die. So either get behind the table and shoot them or get under it so my sniper friend can do it." Not waiting for an answer, he went over to the window and kicked open the panel leading to the emergency escape. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the business men draw their blasters and duck down behind the thick durasteel conference table. Good Corellians, Aeric thought. They would slow, even stop the pirates from entering the room as they would have to pass through the doorway one at a time.

Aeric waved Kaden out first then followed down the steep metal stairway that blurred the distinction with a ladder. "So much for making deals with pirates, eh Cam? Can I call you Cam?"

There was a crash from the room above, as the door was battered down, followed by the sound of several blasters firing.

Edited July 27, 2008 by Drake

[Chickenman 9]

As the sounds of blasterfire rang out, gradually growing fewer in number, Aeric tried to ignore the fact that he'd just doomed those men.

Familiar territory, isn't it, Aeric?

There was a small detonation from above and Aeric realized that not only was his distraction gone, but the enemy was carrying heavy ordinance.

"Kaden, jump!" Not waiting for an answer, Aeric leapt the rest of the way to the balcony beneath, making sure to keep clear of where Kaden would land. He hit the floor harder than he anticipated and rolled to absorb the shock. In the same motion, he reached behind his vest and withdrew his hidden blaster. Rolling to his feet, he threw the blaster up towards the conference room's window as a pirate craned his neck out of it.

Only have one shot at this.

He brought his other blaster to bear, aiming. He fired.

The bolt missed, slamming into the hotel wall.

Stang!

The pirate simply stared, confused, at the blaster rose above his window.

And then gravity took hold of it, bringing it back down.

Focus...it's just like shooting tin cans back home.

Gritting his teeth, he pulled the trigger.

The bolt connected with the blaster pistol, causing the powerpack inside of the to explode, creating a small detonation of its own. The pirate would have screamed, if he had remembered to do so. His comrades fared no better.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Aeric went to check on Kaden, unaware that he was in a sniper's sights.

[Winters 0]

Cale Sano was walking to his room with earbuds filling his head with soothing music. He was excited to finally get to his room and have some privicy to finally open the datacard.

The door swished and closed as he entered it. He looked around and thought for a moment about looking for bugs, but didn't care, he just hoped something would turn his life around. He sat at his desk and put the datacard in, opened it up, and sat back to watch the holo.

A small holo of a tall, brunette woman with wavy hair came up with a blue glow. "Hello Cale." She simply said. "Forgive me for not contacting you, after what I heard about you, well, my communications were monitered." She bowed her head. "Forgive me, I know it's hard on you just to see this, but I feel as if I've been a bad woman for not even trying." She started to sniffle and cry. "It's been tough without you. Father, he tries to marry me off, but I always drive them away, but it gets more and more difficult with each new suitor..." She rubbed her eyes, clearing away tears. "I've had enough. I can't take my father anymore. I've been saving up my money and now I have a few thousand credits. I was hoping that we'd run away together, away from our families and worries and lead a new and happy life in the Republic. You could join the Army as you said you would love to and I could get a job doing datawork to support us." She was looking up, tears gone and a smile on her face. Her hair fell into her face and she brushed it aside. "I know where you work, from Karrde, so I'll meet you at Groola's Palace tomorrow at 2400. I've included at frequency so that you may contact me if you either can't find me, althought I'm sure you won't have a hard time, or you are unable to make it." She let go a crooked smile. "I know that you have an impossible boss, but please try to make it." She paused and let go a full smile. "Good bye Cale, I love you." She blew a kiss and flickered off.

Cale continued to sit in his desk, looking at where the holo used to be. "I've got to be there tomorrow..."

[Pandora 77]

Deign wasn't entirely sure he believed Layla. It angered him again that he wasn't sure she was telling the truth but he kept it in check, painfully aware of how little progress his temper had made him thusfar.

"I know that the New Republic isn't the Empire, Layla. The Empire doesn't care about individuals, because individuals to them are easily replaced. But the New Republic values life, which is probably why I'm still alive, and I know that. I also know that I've still got rats and thieves working for me, despite my usual policy of... 'liberating' the common thugs working for me as their usefulness runs its course; I don't like to keep a lot of people employed on a permenant basis. You know I'm smart, Layla. I have to be. I know that all it would take to crack one of those two-bit sleeze bags is enough cash, booze, or spice, so I keep their life expectancies short." His voice rose ever so slightly with his stress though he tried to reign it in.

"So before your squadronmates charge in here with guns blazing and send me to hell where I probably belong, why don't you tell me where Sena is so she doesn't become the last survivor of the Argos family."

Edited July 29, 2008 by Pandora

[Rogue 4]

"As opposed to her becoming the first casualty of the Argos family?" Layla challenged, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think so Deign."

[Pandora 77]

He couldn't take it anymore. Deign stood and slammed his fist against the wall. "Damn it, Layla! I'm not saying what I did was right, I'm saying it was necessary. I don't even care about Sena anymore. I lost her the same day I lost you and I know that." He turned back to her in his anger and grabbed her jaw with his right hand, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You're probably lying to me about her even being alive, aren't you?" He shook her for emphasis. "And don't even try to make it my fault again. If she's dead it's because you couldn't protect her! And when you ran away to the New Republic, do you honestly expect me to believe that in all the medical miracles this galaxy has produced, that you couldn't find one doctor that could have saved the baby?!" He released her, shoving her to the side and turning his back on her.

"You never trusted me, did you? That's why you ran away. And you blame me for everything." He turned back and angled his index finger first at Layla, then tapped it against his own chest. "You ran away. I've always been right here. I haven't given up, Layla. When your friends in the new Republic start to disagree with you will you run away from them too?"

[Drake 53]

"Eight Sharnaff burgers and three Fizzade Classics," said Takeshi to the drive-thru droid. He was sitting in the rental speeder at a fast-food restaurant just around the corner from the hotel he, Aston and Arlan were staying at. Having just returned to Tyrena from his trip out of town, Tak felt hungry and figured the other two would be as well, as they had eaten nothing since before leaving Coruscant.

"Would you like to make three of the burger orders into a combo?" asked the overly friendly automated voice.

"Sure."

"Would you like fries with that?"

Tak glared at the droid, getting impatient. "Yes."

"Will that be everything today, sir?" the machine asked.

"Yes."

"Thirty seven point one seven credits, please." A slot opened on the droid's body and Tak inserted a payment chip. Once the appropriate amount had been deducted, the droid returned the chip and said, "Thank you. Please proceed to the food dispenser."

Tak drove the speeder up to a window in the side of the building where a different droid, this one with multiple long arms poured the drinks, grabbed the food and bagged it in a matter of seconds. When everything was in order, the window slid open and the droid handed the bags of food and drink tray to Tak. "Have a nice day," it said as Tak drove off.

Several minutes later, he was back at the Empyrean Arms hotel and walking through the door to their room. "Food for news," he said, putting the food down on the dinner table. "What do you guys have for me?"