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[Lentrax]

Elsewhere in space:

The ship pierces the darkness around it. Gleaming silver hullplates reflecting the light of thousands of stars as it races across the blackness.

All aboard the ship are frantically doing everything they can to make sure nothing goes wrong, scurrying about like womp rats in a maze. All except one.

The only one who does not run about stares through a viewport into space. Dressed all in black, black robe flowing gently to the floor, hood drawn over face, this one person stares out at thier destination.

A man dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Navy walks along the brige to the lone figure. Then he kneels, bowing his head.

"What is it?"

"Empress. One of our patrols has reported spotting a ship in the Outer Rim."

The Empress does not turn around, instead she remains staring into space. "Indeed? Only one? Not a very good patrol route then, is it."

"The ship matched a profile in our databanks, Empress. Our Analysts have confirmed the data, it is Sara, Empress."

With a cry of rage, the Empress turned to the kneeling man, cloak billowing open to reveal the lightsabers on her hips. In one smooth gesture, the blade was free. In another blink, the blade was ignited, its unmistakable hum filling the air. People at consoles turned to look at the display, but one look at the look at the Empress' face was enough to turn them back to work. "Don't you dare ever say that name in public again, Captain. If you do, I will see that you are assigned to a trooper battallion. " She left the point of lightsaber in the man's face, a scant centimeter from his eye. "Do you understand me?"

He nods.

"Good. Now dispatch a fleet to track that ship down. I want it intact." The blade is extinguished and the Empress hangs it back on her belt.

With a small sigh of satisfaction at feeling the rage flow through her, Darth Dreana IV, Supreme Ruler of the Second Sith Empire, turnd back to stare at her new flagship, still under construction. Crossing her arms beneath her breasts, she smiles as the possibility of capturing Sara crosses her mind.

[Snowfire]

Grace arched an eyebrow at Kaz, questions clearly evident in the expression, then tapped Robb again on the ear with the barrel of her blaster before holstering it. Stepping around, she held out her hand in greeting.

"As Kaz just informed you, I'm Grace. And your name is..?"

Turning her head slightly, whilst keeping an eye on Robb, she spoke to Kaz.

"And you do know that we're heading for Tatooine, not Nar Shadda, right?"

[theskorpionking]

"Tatooine? But that's not home. I live on Nar Shadda." Sadness takes over Kaz's whole body, she feels like she wants to cry. But she doesn't, She stands up a little straighter, her mouth in a wide grin. She then squeals like al illte girl, "Oh my stars! That means we could go and visit the Mos Eisley cantina. Where Han Solo and his faithful companion, Chewbacca, single handly fought off the entire cantina. With Han, himself, dealing the death blow to the vile gangster Greedo. Oh I wish I had my holorecorder, you know to take pictures. My father told me all about it when I was younger. He even gave me a holster for my blaster that looks like the one Han wore. I have an outfit that matches his, well mine don't have the corellian bloodline on it. My brother said that once I earned it, he'd have them put on for me. I just wish I could remember which one it was." Kaz is bouncing up and down in excitement. "I wonder if Jabba's palace is still around? Cuz, Grace have I got an amazing story about how Chewie fought everyone one in there to save Han from the carbonite. And once Han was free, well, I guess you probably heard What happened to Jabba after that."

[Holice]

Holstering his own blaster and shaking off the tenseness of the last moment Robb looks at this Grace, and immediately turns to Kaz.

"In the future a little heads-up would be a appreciated," he says with a strict tone.

Turning back to the newest addition to this rag tag bunch, he shakes her hand but holds on to it and moves in a bit, "As for you...Grace...perhaps you should act a little more as your name implies. You never no when someone like me could be carrying a thermonuclear detonator. But then again, for you to think that this Twi'lek would be wandering around alone on a ship this size with an enemy aboard, and stop to repair something, implies that you must not think much before you act. That must make you some kind of military personnel or at the very least a henchman for an unsavory folk."

Releasing his hand shake and looking back to Kaz then returning his eyes on Grace, "And speaking of this ship, where exactly did you come from and why are we headed to Tatooine?"

[Snowfire]

Idiot.

Seconded.

Thirde-wait a second, does that even work?

Not really, but for the purposes of this...yes.

All right then.

Grace smiles as Robb moves closer, then pulls sharply on the man's arm, one foot flashing forward.

[Holice]

Seemingly having let go of Grace, Robb suddenly realized that she was not so eager to end this confrontation.

As he felt his arm get pulled, and noticed Grace stick her foot out, Robb smiled as he immediately spun and disengaged from the hold. In one fluid motion, he had his blaster up in his other hand pointing directly at Grace's head.

With a smirk he remarked, "You're not the only one with surprises here!" Spinning his gun with style he quickly re-holstered it.

Stepping back from woman, "If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer that we reach our destination in one piece."

With that he quickly turned and headed back for the steering console.

[theskorpionking]

Kaz watches Robb storm out, "This might sound kinda weird, but you have to trust me when I say that he's okay. I mean I literaly ran into him a few hours ago, but for some reason I just knew I could trust him. And I think he must trust me, or he wouldn't have helped me when the droids had me in their sights, he certainly wouldn't have gotten on this ship with me if he didn't."

[Lentrax]

The next few hours pass without incident.

Sara drops out of hyperspace, and follows a course through space and into the atmosphere of Tattooine. The hull heats up, and glows a bright red before breaking through.

Endless desert greets you. There are bright seas, oceans of sand, interspersed with islands of rock. Sara guides you over settlements, over bantha herds, and a pack of womp rats.

She finally comes to a small hut overlooking more desert. As she approaches to land, a large portion opens, revealing an underground hangar.

Lights flick on, though you note that not all of them do, leaving the empty space dim and dark. You can just make out a door at the far end of the vast chamber Sara parks you in.

[theskorpionking]

Kaz waits for the ramp to lower before heading out of the ship. She has changed out of her flight suit and wears a pair of black pants, with a belt and holster around her waist. She's also wearing a white long sleeved shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Kaz slowly walks down the ramp, letting her eyes adjust to the near darkness. When she reaches the bottom of the ramp she inhales deeply. "This place smells old." She looks around and notices a door. Once again her curiosity gets the best of her and she heads towards the door.

[Lentrax]

The door groans a little, belying it's great age as it grinds open. The stench of stale air blasts past as pressures equalize between the two rooms. The room beyond is not lit much better. It seems no one has been through to maintain the glowpanels, but you think you can make out a table at the far end with something on top of it. The room is free of the ever present tattooine sand though, and the air here is more stale than the air on the other side of the door.

[theskorpionking]

Kaz digs in her bag and pulls out her glow rod, wanting to get a better view of the room. Her lekku twitch as she nears the table, once again her curiosity is getting the better of her.

[Lentrax]

Your glow rod emits a soft hum as it comes to life. You can see that the table is all that remains of what looks like a security station. An ancient blaster rifle, covered in a thick layer of dust, is propped against the table, and there are some mugs and a few thin rectangles on the table.

[Snowfire]

Grace spends the vast majority of the rest of the journey trying to explain true history where Han Solo is concerned. Even with Sara's help she doesn't get that far, although she does seem a great deal more relaxed when Sara drops out of hyperspace.

However, that ease fractures when she looks down on Tatooine, forcing her to retreat to another portion of the ship for the landing, and only returning when they are down. Her face twitches slightly as she walks down the ramp behind Kaz, mind busy behind it.

What...happened?

Are we all that's left?

How could that b-

No! Focus. We had a mission. We had a duty. So did they.

And...and if they fell in that duty?

Then we....we....w-

We go on. We remember their sacrifices, honour their memories, and do everything in our power to ensure that one day they are remembered by more than just ourselves.

Moving quickly to put herself between Kaz and any possible threats - if any of the automated systems had remained online they should recognise her (hopefully) - she leads the way through the door and into the old security station.

Her resolve cracks a little further at the utter emptiness of the room, the dust and disrepair, but she forces the pain down again with practiced ability as she pulls her glow rod off her belt and steps across to the table. A deep breath sends the dust scattering and whirling away, and she holds out the glow rod to examine the contents of the table.

The blaster rifle is deliberately ignored - but she has it in the back of her mind. Rebuilding something like that would probably help after they're done with this planet...

[Lentrax]

Dust billows off the table as you blow off its contents. A few datapads, a package of freeze dried nerf meat, and a few power packs are uncovered.

[theskorpionking]

Kaz can see that Grace knows this place, and that it isn't making her happy. She wants to joke with Grace about Grace's version of Han's history. But she can't, because Kaz has an uneasy feeling about this place. She's not sure if it's because of Grace, or if it's the place itself. "I've got a bad feeling about his place."

[Holice]

Having landed safely and intact, Robb breathes a sigh of relief. At last something went well.

Checking the monitors for any concerns, apparently everything is well with the ship for now, so he turns to follow the others out. But it would seem that some are more anxious than he is, so he picks up the pace a bit to catch up.

Walking past what seems to be an empty security station, Robb notices a blaster rifle leaning against it. Nothing is ever beyond repair, he tells himself and picks it up, and slings it over his back.

Catching up to the group, "So what exactly was this place and who was supposed to be stationed here?"

[Snowfire]

Grace's body freezes, muscles going rigid as text fills the datapad her hand is resting on. Thoughts race behind her eyes, as the very same fight a valiant and losing battle against the moisture rising to fill them.

No.

She straightens slowly, her right hand grasping the datapad and lifting it up to read it again. Her entire body quivers with an overwhelming cocktail of rage, sorrow and endless, burning loss.

No.

She hears the human's question, Kaz's statement, and forces her lips to move. At least she tries to, the emotional void slicing into her making even speech impossible.

No, no, no, no, no!

Blue eyes dart across the pad again, desperately searching for something, for anything. And then she looks across at her companions, her eyes not marred by tears - instead simply...broken somewhere. Shattered sapphires that echo with the screams of a young woman who has just found everything she ever knew or loved dead and gone. And then...nothing. Not even pain.

No...

Grace's eyes go blank, the mind behind them slipping away into a soft cocoon of almost-catatonia. And she topples to the ground like a fallen tree.

[theskorpionking]

"Grace!" Kaz yells as she watches Grace hit the floor. She immediatly drops down beside her and checks for a pulse. She breathes a sigh of relief when she feels it. She picks up the datapad that Grace had dropped, the screen was black. She tried to turn it on, but it wouldn't respond. Kaz put the datapad down and bent close to Grace's ear and said, "Grace? Can you hear me? Look, I know you're in there somewhere. You have to come back. Even if half of what you told me about Han is true, there has to be a reason we met. There has to be more than a random chance that a Solo and a Skywalker met. It's as if we were fated to meet. You know?"

[Snowfire]

The visions race across the canvass of her mind, memories and faded feeling fighting against the endless void of loss and separation from the world she now found herself in. Voices whirl about her, snippets of battle chatter clashing static-filled with heartfelt words spoken in silence and companionship.

On and on it goes - was it seconds or hours ago that it started? She can't tell. How could she? The world Outside doesn't exist here. It was that that sent her here, to a dreaming sanctuary far from the anguish of her reality.

Mother and father gone at ten, falling into the abyss of battle to save their children.

Kieran giving himself to save them - his older sisters - at sixteen.

And now everyone else gone - or so it seemed. Fallen to the Sith like the endless ranks of spectres that had always fought against them - and always inevitably failed.

...ace!

A whisper of her name? What did it matter. There was no point. Even the Force deserted them in time. What point was there if even that greatest of powers abandoned its children.

..now you're in there so...

Why did they continue to try? Because it was right? Because so many others had already tried and fallen and that could not be allowed to pass? But...if it was the latter...was that not simply vengance in fancy clothing? Revenge in the dress of dignity and righteousness?

...as to be a reason we m...

A reason? That very word seemed to ignite something inside of her, but even as it tried to spread the void around her snuffed it out. A reason. Simple whimsy. There was nothing more to make that happen, noth-

...Solo and a Skywalker met. I...

Solo. Reason. Why did those words seem to mean something more than their own sounds?

"Promise me, Grace."

Who? When? Images flashed again, cracking the blanket of nothingness around her. Flashing sabers, screams, fighting, death and blood. So much...how could there be that much? But then came the words, the words that had tended her in her death of sleep. That had flitted through her dreams and held her sanity.

"...when you do find your Solo, promise me you'll take care of him, and help him find his way."

Words spoken by a friend, a brother. Another taken far before his time.

"Promise me."

She had given her word then. That was why those words meant so much. Why she could not deny them, even if she wanted to. So much lost, so much fallen to death and dust. But hope...that was the one that could not be taken. And she had almost thrown it away...

Light spread across the dark fabric choking her mind, cinders of belief and honour burning through it to shine like tiny stars. She had chosen this. She had given herself to fate, to whatever might remain of the Force. And to forsake that? After all that had been lost and shattered to preserve her?

No.

You will always be the best of me, beloved. Remember that when doubt preys on you. And when darkness rises within you, let this moment be your shield.

The blackness around her mind cracked, light etching blazing lines through the ink that sought to drown her. And feeling started to return. The floor beneath her, the dust in the air around and above her. The warm breath against her ear. And her hand moved, gently pushing Kaz back until their eyes could meet.

"Thank you, Kaz'meen." She whispers, lips barely moving and voice pitched low. Tears sparkle in the faint light of the room, and she reaches up slightly, desperately wishing that Naomi was still here to give her that last hug.

[theskorpionking]

Kaz saw the tears in Grace's eyes, she felt the tears running down her face. She was going to wipe them away, but stopped. She pulled Grace towards her and hugged her. "Welcome back." She whispered. Just as quick as she had grabbed Grace, she let her go. "Sorry, I just felt like I had to do that. But, it felt right. I haven't done that since the day Kord left." She turns and look up at Robb, "Sorry if I've gotten you into any trouble. If there's anything I cna do to repay your kindness, please let me know. I don't have many credits, but if we make it back to Nar Shadda. Well, I'm sure you and my father could work something out."

[Holice]

Robb realized that he had been standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face and his mouth slightly open. Seeing Grace pass out and come back with tears in her eyes made him realize that despite the thick skinned, soldier outside, on the inside Grace was still just a person, capable of feeling sadness just like the rest of us.

Shaking his head to bring himself back to reality, he looked at Kaz. "What?" he said absentmindedly not really paying attention.

Walking over to Grace, he took a knee by her. "Are you alright? Let's get you back on the ship to rest up a bit, this journey has been intense for all of us, and while I am sure that we are far from safe, for the moment we are secure?"

Robb outstretched his hand, offering to help Grace to her feet if she wanted the assistance.

[theskorpionking]

KAz watched as Robb helped Grace up. She stood up herself, brushing the dust from her pants. She was about to repeat what she had said, when her stomach let out a loud rumble. Glad that she couldn't turn any redder, she said, "Sorry, I haven't eaten much since I left home. I don't suppose there's anything to eat here?"

[theskorpionking]

After a quick look around, Kaz can see that the room has nothing to offer. Hearing Robb suggest something about returnig to the ship for rest, she says, Maybe Grace just needs some fresh air? We need to find the parts for the hyperdrive. Maybe Sara could take us to the nearest port where we could scavage around for the parts. Who knows maybe there'll be a junkyard where we could barter for the parts, Sara is a little old. Plus, we'll need other supplies, and who knows maybe we could find somehting to eat."

[Lentrax]

Listen check everyone, if you please.

[theskorpionking]

Rolling.

Spoiler

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(1d20+7)[13]

[Snowfire]

Grace grasps Robb's hand, accepting the offer of help as she rises to her feet, then shakes her head.

"This...this was the home of my family, many years ago." She says softly, releasing her grip on Robb. "They're...gone...or so it seems." Her tone twists with bitter irony. "Last one left now I guess." She shakes herself, then moves towards the door that leads further into the complex, tossing a packet of dried nerf meat to Kaz as she walks.

"And before we go, there's something that I need go. The Sith will likely have tracked our route - Sara didn't have the integrity to do an evasive jump - so we probably don't have much time."

Spoiler

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Listen check: (1d20+1)[2]

[Holice]

These Sith are persistant, I'll give 'em that much.

"Well in that case we'd best finish what we came here for and continue moving. I've heard that when these guys get their mind set on something they don't give up and that could mean we'd have star destroyers and such in orbit waiting to blast anything that tries to leave."

As Robb goes to follow Grace, he looked over to Kaz who now had the food she so desired. "I didn't help you looking for a pay day," he said quickly and then proceeded on.

Spoiler

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(1d20+3)[4]

[theskorpionking]

"Wait for me." Kaz says, dropping the packet of food Grace had given her onto the table. "Robb, I never meant what I said as an insult. You have to understand that I've never been this far from Nar Shadda, My father told me on more than one occasion that you don't get something for nothing. I guess in your case he was wrong.

[Lentrax]

Grace leads you down corridors that have through years of disuse become run down. Darkness permeates the halls, and in open doorways. The turbolift doesn't work, so you climb a stairwell. Going up three flights of stairs, you enter another corridor.

Sand is piled in the corridor and there are sections of ceiling that have collapsed. Still walking through the dark corridors, Grace finally stops outside a room marked "Grace's". Below that several words are painted on the door.

"Scan inconclusive. Manual search: Negative."

Below that is some graffiti: "Sith this!"

[Snowfire]

Bloody Sith...

More than likely considering they came in here.

Heh. True.

All right then, let's see if I remember this right...

Grace shifts her glowrod to her other hand, pulls a small tool from the kit on her belt and flips a panel beside the door open. Replacing the tool, she flips the blackened and burnt power pack out of its slot in the panel and slides a new one into place.

A few quick adjustments later, she slides the panel shut and places her hand on the panel.

Spoiler

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Repair if necessary: (1d20+11)[16]

Going for a localised reactivation of the door system if that's ok with you.