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Message: <blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 634432" data-attributes="member: 386">A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. . .A vast sea of stars serves as the backdrop for the main title.  War drums echo through the heavens as a roll-up slowly crawls into infinity.STAR WARSEPISODE V: The Path of the AncientsOur heroes have gained a moment ofquiet rest.  After scoring big ina card game with Gulguthra du Hutta, our heroes found themselvesthe guests of Moff Darksun aboardhis flagship, the Falstaff.Set free in accordance with Darksun's sinister plan to takecontrol of Kalarba, our heroes havereunited on Shownar to rest and refuel before the beautiful LadyBrooke Ashby leads them to a nearby Rebel stronghold.But enemies made long ago persueour heroes, threatening theirdestinies...CUTSCENE:An IMPERIAL CUSTOMS FRIGATE falls out of hyperspace, Shownar's rust red surface in the background.  The polished chrome armour catches a star's light, reflecting towards the planet.  The crusier turns towards the planet.INT - CUSTOMS FRIGATE - BRIDGEThree Imperial PILOTS sit at various controls, monitoring system controls and the ship's heading.  Captain ZABEL TORSH sits above the crew in his command seat.  Three men operate the ship's sensor suite.PILOT: We've dropped out of hyperspace at Shownar, sir.ZABEL TORSH: (to sensor operators) Scan the planet for any signs of my brother's ship.  I will find Troy Chance.EXT - SPACEThe Customs Frigate banks and heads towards Shownar.CUT TO:Berrol's Donn was a muddy, run-down refugee planet.  Serving as the main resistance point for the entire quadrant, almost all rebel ships ended up here at one time or another.  It was a great place to drop off any refugees or prisoners picked up along the way.  The refugees had created their own small ghetto on the edge of the main rebel base, and many of them were recruited into service.Darius was reminded of home.  The place that he was born in, grew up, and left so many years ago.  Run down, packed mud for streets, barely enough food to feed the starving.  A place where wolves prosper and cubs grow fangs or die.  Darius was one of the latter.  He walked through one of the streets just on the edge of the base.  People kept their distance.  They had seen enough of guns and violence for a hundred lifetimes.  Darius reminded them of what they so dearly tried to forget.He spotted a small, pre-fabricated cantina down the street and made his way there.  At the entrance a pair of winos slept through the day, lost in their own drunken worlds.  The cantina was dark and dingy, lit with ancient oil lamps.  A fire burned in a hollowed out cargo crate in the corner.  The depression and hoplessness was overpowering.  Darius sat at the bar and ordered a drink.This place had it all.  Whores watching gamblers wearing gaudy clothes, trying to impress.  No credits on the table.  The pot was made up of blasters, clips, and heirlooms lost long ago.  A holo-music box sat dead in the corner, out of energy.Darius took a drink.  It was hard and burned its way down his throat.  It warmed him up and he sighed.Shouting in the back drew his attention.  "Get out!" a man's voice shouted.  A grease-covered cook opened the kitchen door.  He had a small girl over his shoulder.  The cook threw her to the ground.Darius looked at her.  She was a near-human, a halfer.  Her skin was a pale shade of blue, like the sky high in the mountains.  Tears ran down her grime-covered face.  Her fingernails were cracked and blood was under them.  She was tiny, a waif, desperate."If I catch you trying to steal food from here again, I'm going to turn you over to Big Treat!"  It was a real threat.She slowly stood up.  Darius realized that she wasn't a girl at all, but a woman; so starved and beaten that she had lost her figure.  But something in her face caught Darius' interest.  Here eyes were large and wanting, her face rounded and smooth.  Darius could see the lost beauty in her, beauty that had become secondary to simple survival.She pulled herself up.  Darius looked over.  "You want something to eat?" he asked.She looked at him with eyes that had seen too much.  A moment passed, then she sat down next to the armoured man."She's a no good theif," the cook said.  "You don't want her around you.""I don't need your opinion.  Just throw some meat on the grill."  The cook looked down at his feet and turned away.Darius offered her his drink.  She took it cautiously, then took a long gulp.  He face wrentched up in a grimace, but soon went away.  Darius shot another look at the bartender and soon he had a new drink.They said nothing until after she was done her meal.  She wiped her face with a napkin, using the faded chrome of the plate for a mirror.  Her tears and the grime was wiped away.  She had a child-like innocence in her face, but her eyes spoke of things seen, things experienced, that would turn Darius grey."Darius," he said when she was finished."Hmm?" she looked at him."I'm Darius," he said."Tess," she replied.  Her voice was deep and strong."How well do you know weapons and armour?" he asked."I've seen my fair share of them.""Do you think you could keep mine in good condition?"Her eyes lit up.  "Yes!" she said, embarassed after the words came out.  "Um... I can do that.""That's good."  Darius sat quietly.  Tess watched him intently.  He knew she was trying to decide whether she could trust him or not, whether he wanted something more than what he was asking for.She was a good study of character.  Darius got up and she followed him back to the Bee-A."This is my ship," he said.  "You get room and board for free.  I'll pay you ten credits a week."  She smiled.--- Star Wars ---Troy was lounging in the Bee-A when Darius walked in.  He had a small, thin, near-human woman with him.  Her skin, where it was not covered with grime, was a pale shade of blue."This is Tess," he said.  "She's going to be helping me out with my equipment."Troy looked at her and back at him.  He didn't like it much.  He had already allowed Darius a bunk on the Bee-A, and now he was bringing in street trash."I thought you ought to know," Darius said.  He turned to Tess.  "You know where my bunk is; go shower up.  You can put on one of my outfits, if you want."  Tess nodded and left the room."Finding it hard to meet women these days?" Troy asked.Darius glared at him.  "Nothing like that.  She's just here to keep my weapons and armour in repair.""I'm sure.""I don't care what you think.  It's my business.  I guess you've got no objections to letting her stay here?""Nope.  Just make sure she gets herself clean."Darius left.  Troy didn't like this much.  He didn't trust Darius with the young girl; he didn't think he should be using her like that.  Taking someone so obviously desperate for anything... it wasn't good.Then again, Troy thought, Darius hadn't shown much vice since he knew him.  Arthur said he had been pretty much celibate when they were on Casino Royale for those six months.  And he had proven himself in combat, willing to fight for them when it was Brooke who needed it.  It was his buisiness, anyway.  Troy shuffled his deck of sabaac cards and took a drink.--- Star Wars ---Brooke walked into the Bee-A's lounge.  Troy, Darius, and Feyd were waiting there.  Troy was teaching Feyd to play some variant of sabaac, but the youth didn't seem to be getting it.  Darius was polishing a blaster silently."Well, that's it," she said.  She was wearing a loose-fitting jumpsuit, belted tightly at the waist.  Her hair was simple and she had no makeup on.  "I've just resigned my comission from the alliance.""Did they give you any trouble?" Troy asked."Ahh, you know," she said, walking to the drink cart.  She turned and faced the rest of them, leaning against it.  "It's over with now.""So where to now?" Feyd asked.  He didn't do a good job of covering up where he wanted the question to lead."Not to see your master," Troy answered.  "I want to get this thing fixed up first.  I've got some ideas for this place, to make it a little nicer."  He looked around the lounge, an emptied crew bunk with a few gaudy benches and couches added.  "First thing I'm going to do is get a bar put in."Feyd looked down.  He wondered if this is what his master had planned for.  It had been nearly a year since he left their hidden base.  And he had yet to convince Arthur to return with him.  He hadn't even convinced Arthur to accept the Force.And he still felt the anger in him.  The anger that came when they first took the Bee-A.  He could still see the face of the naval trooper he killed, overkilled, plunging his lightsabre deep through him until the twitching stopped.  He still smelt the burning flesh and boiling blood.  He didn't want to turn away from it, though.  He wanted to face his actions and deal with them in the Jedi way.Or did he?  The anger gave him so much more power.  It ran through his veins, beat with his heart, through every fibre of his being.  It was a part of him now, and unlocked much of the Force that was hidden to him before.  He could see it now, even in the lounge, the anger within him crying out for release, to reach out and subdue the living energies that surrounded everything and everyone."The closest non-Imperial port is at Ploorad, the sector capital," Brooke said after taking a sip.  "It's a short trip, only a day or two.""Maybe I can check up on my accounts," Darius said.  "If that bastard Darksun wants to keep paying me, I'm not going to stop him.""Ploorad, then," Troy said.  "I'll let Arthur know and we'll leave this place."--- Star Wars ---Dinner in deep space.  It was a good meal.  The Bee-A's consumables were made for a full crew of some 24 men.  They had hardly made a dent in the supplies, although the Captain's meals, the best ones, had already been finished.  Thanks to Darius and his grill, the general crew's meals were much better, if a little greasy.It was dinner on the first day when Brooke and Feyd met Tess.  She followed Darius into the mess, still wearing her work clothes spotted with grease.  Darius' clothes did not fit her at all.  She had rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, but it fit her like a jacket.  She had cleaned herself up, washed her hair and filed her nails.  The beauty that Darius had first seen was more apparent now, and everyone could see it."Who's this?" Brooke asked with a smile on her face."This is Tess," Darius said.  "She's going to be working for me."  Feyd shot a troubled look at Troy, but Troy waved it off.  Feyd seemed mollified by the gesture.Brooke stood up and walked over to Tess.  "Tessalonia," Brooke said, using the proper name, "I'm Lady Brooke Ashby."  Brooke made a curtsey.  "Pleased to meet you."This seemed to put Tess at ease.  She smiled and brushed her hair.  "Nice to meet you," Tess said.  Her voice was stronger still.  She had not been broken."Come, sit with us," Brooke said, and waved her over to a seat.  "What would you like?  Darius is a good cook, but his meals are a little... rich for my tastes.""It's okay," Tess said.  "I'll have whatever you've got."Brooke fixed her a plate and gave her a large glass of water.  They chatted for a while, talking about girlish things.  When the meal was done, Tess excused herself and headed back to the engineering bay."Where did you find her?" Brooke asked."Berrol's Donn," Darius said.  "She was living on the street, stealing food to survive.""How sweet of you," Brooke said.  "But don't hurt her.  She's still a fragile thing."  There was a tone of threat in her voice and Darius picked up on it.  He nodded.Brooke was satisfied with that.  "It'll be nice to have another woman on board.  Living with you brutes was beginning to get to me."  She smiled playfully, and Troy threw a small peice of food at her.  She screamed girlishly, and returned it.  Laughter went through everyone.</blockquote>

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