Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1998619" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 142: Step by Step by StepThe first hour of the jump was spent in silence. Or at least, literal silence. Shadow was thinking, and doing so loudly. Akan was doing the same, but more in a worried way. Shadow rarely took time to actually think about what she was going to say. She usually just spoke her thoughts right away and got it over with. But Akan had this horrible feeling that she was actually trying to choose the right words. Why that was a horrible feeling, he wasn’t sure...it just was. Perhaps because it was so new, so very unlike her. Or was it? He sighed again and stared blankly out at the blue tunnel surrounding the cramped X-Wing.    He is still young Marix was saying. She was the reason Shadow was silent, as Marix seemed to be trying to convince her that what Akan did was okay. No. I’m trying to make you understand that I...we are nearly three times his age. We have more experience.    If Shadow could have found a way to glare at herself, she would have. But I...we...you weren’t such a fool at his age!    I could barely speak correctly at his age Marix ‘said’ flatly. And even so, he is not Tam-Day-U. He does not have the same conditioning.    For a moment, Shadow opened her eyes again and looked around the cockpit of the X-Wing. Realizing that it just made this whole thing more confusing, she gave up and closed her eyes again. Its not an excuse. He nearly got himself and the rest of us killed. He is dangerous.    So are we.    A pause. It was a pause that lasted just long enough for Shadow to find herself speaking before she could stop it, “Akan.”    She cursed Marix for doing that, knowing she wasn’t ready to actually speak yet. But it was too late now. Akan had jumped, shaking the seat that was right in front of her noticeably. Very carefully, his voice traveled back to her, “Y...yes?”    “Never do that again,” she responded without any emotion in her voice at all, “Ever.”    Though slightly silenced by the fact that he was facing the other direction, she heard him sigh before asking her, “I don’t understand what the problem is. I got us out of that situation!”    “And nearly got yo—...us killed!” Shadow fixed her words mid-sentence to hope that he got the point through his thick skull. Durasteel. Had to be made of it. No, probably something stronger. Something that even a lightsaber or a turbolaser would have trouble denting.    For a moment, she could feel his mind going crazy trying to think up what to argue back with. The whirling thoughts came to a stop and his voice returned much quieter, “I’m sorry.”    “No!” she snapped, even surprising Marix slightly at the quickness of the response, “Sorry doesn’t cut it. Sorry doesn’t undo things. Sorry is just an excuse for you to go on how you’ve always acted. Whatever happened to all those Jedi ideals you pretended to believe in, hm? Do you just toss them aside when they aren’t convenient? You think you can use that weapon and ignore all the baggage that comes with it as long as you just say that you’re sorry when all is over and done with?”    “Its better than being a heartless killer!” Akan yelled over his shoulder, and for a moment she could see his face moving to look around the headrest.    That comment got her blood boiling. It even angered Marix, but not nearly as much as it had Shadow, as was apparent in her yelled reply, “You are a heartless killer, Akan! Those bounty hunters. Did you even give them a chance? Did you try speaking with them? No. You killed them. Killed them. You didn’t even attempt to simply disable them. That would have been enough! But no, you had to kill them. You always have to kill them! You are much worse and much more dangerous than a heartless killer! You’re a killer who thinks with his heart, and its going to get you and everyone else killed, too! Never, ever fight with your emotions!”    “Oh, yes, wonderful,” she could feel Akan rolling his eyes as he mocked her, “I’ll just be an inhuman, walking droid like you. Never thinking abo—“    ”You are not human, Akan!” again, Shadow yelled at him, much too loudly for his ears which were ringing very slightly. In fact, she was beyond yelling, more to the point of roaring at him. She paused a moment, took a deep breath, and spoke more calmly, her voice changing just slightly to indicate that Shadow was not currently in charge, “You will have to learn to accept that one way or another. Alraxians are emotional creatures, even more so than humans, but you cannot fight with them. Not because of any Jedi ideals, but because it will blind you and you will get someone hurt.”    Akan was amazed at the change in tone, and couldn’t help but be amazed at Marix. So much like Shadow, yet so much different. But no, she was not that different at all. It was simply another tone speaking the same words. But was she right? At this point, he had no idea. The whole idea of this Shadow/Marix thing was bad enough, and being lectured by two at once wasn’t making anything better. The next ten minutes were quiet, with Shadow still internally fuming and Marix ignoring her, idly looking over the buttons and switches all around her. Not that she was going to press them, but she at least thought about it.    Then, very quietly so that even Shadow wasn’t sure for a moment if he’d said anything, Akan mumbled, “I don’t mean to mess things up so much. I...I just did what I thought was the right thing to do. Its what I always try to do.”    “Why?” the question was asked slowly, in that way that would force anyone to stop and think about it.    And, of course, Akan did. Why did he always try to do the right thing? It was always causing him trouble in the end...so why did he keep doing it? It didn’t take long before he knew exactly why. Through the link, he felt Shadow...or was it Marix? Well, one of them, latching onto his thought. They knew. Yet he also knew that wasn’t enough. He checked the chrono, but found that there was still another ten minutes left. There was no way to stall that long.    So, taking a deep breath and even closing his eyes(as if that would somehow help), Akan said quietly, “She always said...said that there was more to life than just living. If you did the right thing, even if you were alone in it, it would help someone. That was what mattered. And...the one time I didn’t, when I thought I was too busy to worry about stupid things like that, everything went to hell.”    “Akan, you can’t bring her back from the dead,” Shadow...no, it was Marix. Shadow had no idea how to deal with such situations. Honestly, Marix didn’t either, but she wasn’t angry and therefore figured it was for her to deal with if any good was to come out of it    “Why not?!” Akan was sounding desperate at that point, and she could feel the overall sense of it through their link. There wasn’t too much more time left until they would have to get to actual business. If this wasn’t done and over with than there was going to be much more trouble to deal with. But before she could say anything, he was speaking again, obviously at the brink of tears and, if Shadow knew anything about other things, a mental breakdown, “Why does she have to stay dead but I got to come back? What makes me so much better than her?”    So that was it. Usually, the creation of a Nothlit was a completely consensual process. In fact, it was only ever used when an Alraxian chose a non-Alraxian mate. Technically, Alraxians could breed with any species, but it was dangerous. Though there was always the chance that the child would turn out just fine, there was a much greater chance that it would be a very disgusting and very dead creation. To solve this, either the Alraxian or the other would give up their species. It was surprisingly common. But Shadow’s actions had been to save a life she had accidently taken. To correct a mistake. There hadn’t been time to think of any of the consequences on Akan’s end of things.    Taking a deep breath, Marix reached forward and put a hand on Akan’s shoulder. It was an awkward motion and she wasn’t exactly all that comfortable with it...but at the moment, it was the only way she could see past this problem, “We can’t change the past, Akan, no matter how hard we try. We shouldn’t forget it, either. But you can’t dwell on it. You have to live now. If you don’t, you will make a mistake, and someone else will die. Do you really want that to happen again?”    Though he didn’t say anything, she knew that he shook his head. After closing her eyes a moment, she continued, “Keep your emotions in check. We have to job to do right now. The right thing to do is to see this through and to stop Nine.”    “From what?” Akan’s voice was quiet and slightly distracted, as he had looked to the chrono and was preparing the ship to revert back to realspace.    Shadow just shrugged, “I don’t know. That’s what’s dangerous. But she’s already killed people on Obroa-Skai and blamed it on me, so that’s probably got something to do with it.”    “Framing you...” Akan thought about it a moment, “But why? You...well, we all have big enough bounties on our heads.”    “But she’s putting planet names to my face,” Shadow pointed out, sitting back and glad for the change of conversation. This she understood. This she could deal with.    For a moment, Akan did his best to look back to her again, “Then why are we following? That’s just like walking into another trap all over again.”    “Exactly,” she nodded, “But we don’t have any other choice and she knows it. Hopefully we can catch up with her before she’s gone.”    “Well, lets find out,” Akan mumbled as he pulled the hyperspace levers back and the stars suddenly changed back to normal. In the distance, a small, bright orange star could be seen. Even closer was the blueish glow of Alderaan’s sublight drives. The comm clicked, and Akan hit the switch on it, “Any news?”    “Yes,” that was Titus’ voice, “Tons of it, in fact. But before I give away all the fun why don’t you check your long range scanners.”    Akan raised an eyebrow and did so. At his sharp intake of breath, Shadow couldn’t help but ask, “Do I even want to know?”    “Probably not,” he mumbled back, checking it on more time just to be sure, “Though it looks like the scouts of that fleet have spotted us. They’re going to be after us in a moment. I don’t think many non-New Republic personnel have access to this kind of ship.”    “A fleet? Oh, that’s not problem, just fly right in and blow them all up, Akan,” Shadow said, rolling her eyes.    “We could skip this one. How about I owe you two fleets next time?”    That got a slight grin on her face, “Fine. Two fleets next time. But you’re on your own, then, I’d just like to sit back and watch.”    “Which is exactly why we aren’t sticking around,” Akan added before hitting the comm switch again, “So where are we heading?”    “Jen’s plotted a jump to a small nearby system where we should be able to figure out our next move,” Titus said as Alderaan pulled around to another trajectory, “Transmitting the coordinates to you.”    “Got em,” Akan said with a nod, pulling the X-Wing around with him and tried to ignore the three squadrons of fighters that would likely be in range in a matter of minutes, “Why do I get the feeling we’re going to be dealing with a lot of this?”    “The nature of the game,” Titus responded, “But between me and Shadow back there, we should be able to get a one up on this Nine.”    “You know where she is?” Shadow broke in suddenly, saying exactly what Akan would have but much more urgently.    “She’s not here, I can tell you that,” the comm crackled with Titus’ voice and the Alderaan banked slightly before the last few calculations for the jump were done, “But I’ve got an idea.”    “Where and how?” Akan got that in before Shadow could, though Titus did get a chance to hear Shadow start and stop just as Akan finished ‘where’.    “You think I’d make a detour at a time like this?” he almost sounded insulted, but there was a laugh after that, “It’s a small forested planet that the clones used to use a basic training grounds. They used to...prey on the natives. Lets just say Jen and I have a good feeling about this one.”    “Right,” Akan nodded to himself. But before he could say anything else, Alderaan shot off into hyperspace. Akan waited a moment, then said over his shoulder, “Do you know the place he’s talking about?”    But Shadow said nothing. Yes, she remembered. Very well. Though she hadn’t been one of the ones that had preyed on the locals, she knew the place well. It did feel right. But that brought about a whole knew bunch of troubles. Why go there? There was nothing but trees and a fairly primitive semi-human society. Obroa-Skai made sense. Get attention on Shadow. But why from there to some place the galaxy hadn’t even given a name to? As the hyperspace levers were pulled and the blue extended around them again, part of her wondered if they’d have been safer taking on that fleet.</blockquote>

Verification