The Short Fic Weekly Challenge Thread!

[Striges]

Firsts

 

 

Maura woke up her little sister, excited for her. This day, her fifteenth birthday, was going to be a wonderful day, or at least as wonderful as Maura could make it. Miriah never got the parties and such that Maura and Magdalane had as small children, so now that Maura was working in the receiving facility at the temple and making a little money, she wanted to do something special for her.

 

Miriah had been saving herself for this day. She’d spotted the one, the one she wanted and intended to make her own. She hadn’t told her sister, since she knew Maura wouldn’t approve. She’d even dreamed of it, sighed over what was to come. She felt a sensation in her very being that was exciting to her. Everything she had done over the past few days had been laced with this anticipation, this need. So when her sister woke her and told her that she had a day planned for them both, Miriah felt the anxiety of her plans being reset. She felt the disappointment, sharp and breathtaking, take over the happiness of her birthday, but she knew one day wouldn’t matter. He would still be hers.

 

They spent the day doing girl things, talking and laughing, visiting with their older sister at the temple. Maura and Magdalane had both given Miriah what she’d requested, credits. When they had dinner at home, Miriah was beaming, knowing her destiny was in sight now. She fell asleep dreaming of what would be, and woke with the sun.

 

Miriah paced anxiously, waiting for the first glimpse, the rush of seeing her wish fulfilled. When the weapons shop opened, she was almost giddy with the prospect, but she’d been looking long enough to know exactly what she was after. She made a direct line to the display of shotguns, seeing the slightly smaller, double-barreled model she’d been dreaming of still there. She eagerly handed over her credits, and took the weapon in her hands, releasing a slow breath of admiration. It was perfect! It fit her small frame as if it had been made for her, and on the way out of the shop, she slung it over her shoulder, and smiled.

 

You never forget your first shotgun, after all.

 

 

 

Nice. I love the way you handled this, especially in such a short piece.

[Magdalane]

@ iamthehoyden-- a Sana story!! Yay!!

 

@Striges -- Kirya, Rixik, and Corso-- oh my! Loved it!

 

@kabeone-- poor Quinn, but I believe he had it coming!

 

@Svein-- nice piece, I'm sure some have speculated that to be true.

 

Thanks, Striges. I'm going through a period of insomnia, short is all my brain can do at the moment, but I'd been thinking on that one for awhile.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Magdalane

[Striges]

Sorry about the insomnia--having my own trouble with sleep deprivation. Spoiler for your piece:

I had just been thinking that with a prompt like "first time" it was a bit surprising that no one had even alluded to *ahem* that kind of first time. So I loved the fact that the early part of yours suggested Miriah was all excited over something other than her first shotgun.

[Striges]

Prompt: My First

 

Character: Varrel Umrahiel (Sith marauder…eventually)

 

Title: First Lesson, First Principles

 

Varrel is, shall we say, very young here.

 

 

“Here, hold it like this,” Valeri guided his young son’s right hand to the hilt of the training blade, folding the boy’s fingers around it just below the crossbar. He did the same for the left, placing it properly at the base of the hilt. “Power and strength come from your left hand. The right hand controls. You need both.”

 

“So why do you only use your right, papa?” the boy asked.

 

“Because I’ve trained at fencing since I was your age, Varrel,” said Valeri, “It is a way of making things more even. I teach others, not overpower them. My students learn nothing from broken arms and wrists.”

 

“But what of a real fight?” Varrel pressed, “Or a competition?”

 

Valeri tousled the boy’s brown hair, “Swordsmanship is about skill and finesse. In competition I’d be matched with another of similar skills, or the arbiters might request such a handicap. In a real fight you would fight to win, of course. Hopefully you’ll never need to use your skills in anything but a friendly competition.”

 

“But—“

 

“Enough ‘buts’ for now. Adjust your grip, Varrel,” Valeri moved the boy’s fingers, correcting his hold on the blade. Satisfied, he sat back on his heels. “Now, hold it before you, arms straight but relaxed, not locked. Your eye should just see over the point, the toe. Yes, that’s correct.” Valeri leaned forward and adjusted the boy’s grip again.

 

“I’m trying, papa,” he said.

 

“In time it will become second nature,” said Valeri. “Now, there are four basic cuts. Men, Doh, Kote, and Ski. We will learn men first.” Varrel nodded agreement. His father sat back on his heels again. He moved Varrel to a position directly in front of him and placed the toe against his forehead. “One step back, Varrel, and take first position,” he said.

 

Varrel complied, his feet placed apart as he’d learned earlier, holding the practice sword tightly, meeting his father’s eye over the toe. Valeri scooted forward to correct his son’s grip as well as the tension in his arms, “Relax, Varrel. The sword is part of you, like a hand or foot. Don’t think about moving it, think about where you want it to go.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“When you think about your feet, you trip on them. When you think about going into the next room, you just walk there. Understand?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“It’s all right,” Valeri scooted back to his original place. “Now, men. A proper men cut strikes the center of your opponent’s forehead. Raise the sword over your head so it is flat like the floor. Your arms should be—yes, that’s very good, Varrel. Keep your eyes on your partner, excellent.” The boy held the practice blade just as his father specified, his gaze fixed on a point in the middle of Valeri’s chest.

 

“Now, take one step forward on your right foot and bring the blade down sharply.”

 

Crack!

 

“A yi yi yi yi,” muttered Valeri, both hands rubbing a red welt growing on the top of his forehead, exactly centered.

 

“Papa, are you all right?” asked Varrel.

 

“I’m,” Valeri paused and blinked several times, “I’m fine, Varrel,” he said, rocking to his feet, “you practice your swing while I go get my mask.” He left the boy working on men while he headed for the armory cabinet, weaving only a little bit.

 

 

[kabeone]

Prompt: My First

 

Character: Varrel Umrahiel (Sith marauder…eventually)

 

Title: First Lesson, First Principles

 

Varrel is, shall we say, very young here.

 

So cute!

I'm not sure I mentioned it before, though I have thought it all this time, I love the way you describe sword fighting it feels like each cut is crisp and precise just like the description.

 

 

Edit: @Magdalane You had me fooled! hahaha.

Edited August 19, 2012 by kabeone

[SveinEternity]

Prompt: My First

 

Character: Varrel Umrahiel (Sith marauder…eventually)

 

Title: First Lesson, First Principles

 

Varrel is, shall we say, very young here.

 

 

“Here, hold it like this,” Valeri guided his young son’s right hand to the hilt of the training blade, folding the boy’s fingers around it just below the crossbar. He did the same for the left, placing it properly at the base of the hilt. “Power and strength come from your left hand. The right hand controls. You need both.”

 

“So why do you only use your right, papa?” the boy asked.

 

“Because I’ve trained at fencing since I was your age, Varrel,” said Valeri, “It is a way of making things more even. I teach others, not overpower them. My students learn nothing from broken arms and wrists.”

 

“But what of a real fight?” Varrel pressed, “Or a competition?”

 

Valeri tousled the boy’s brown hair, “Swordsmanship is about skill and finesse. In competition I’d be matched with another of similar skills, or the arbiters might request such a handicap. In a real fight you would fight to win, of course. Hopefully you’ll never need to use your skills in anything but a friendly competition.”

 

“But—“

 

“Enough ‘buts’ for now. Adjust your grip, Varrel,” Valeri moved the boy’s fingers, correcting his hold on the blade. Satisfied, he sat back on his heels. “Now, hold it before you, arms straight but relaxed, not locked. Your eye should just see over the point, the toe. Yes, that’s correct.” Valeri leaned forward and adjusted the boy’s grip again.

 

“I’m trying, papa,” he said.

 

“In time it will become second nature,” said Valeri. “Now, there are four basic cuts. Men, Doh, Kote, and Ski. We will learn men first.” Varrel nodded agreement. His father sat back on his heels again. He moved Varrel to a position directly in front of him and placed the toe against his forehead. “One step back, Varrel, and take first position,” he said.

 

Varrel complied, his feet placed apart as he’d learned earlier, holding the practice sword tightly, meeting his father’s eye over the toe. Valeri scooted forward to correct his son’s grip as well as the tension in his arms, “Relax, Varrel. The sword is part of you, like a hand or foot. Don’t think about moving it, think about where you want it to go.”

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“When you think about your feet, you trip on them. When you think about going into the next room, you just walk there. Understand?”

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“It’s all right,” Valeri scooted back to his original place. “Now, men. A proper men cut strikes the center of your opponent’s forehead. Raise the sword over your head so it is flat like the floor. Your arms should be—yes, that’s very good, Varrel. Keep your eyes on your partner, excellent.” The boy held the practice blade just as his father specified, his gaze fixed on a point in the middle of Valeri’s chest.

 

“Now, take one step forward on your right foot and bring the blade down sharply.”

 

Crack!

 

“A yi yi yi yi,” muttered Valeri, both hands rubbing a red welt growing on the top of his forehead, exactly centered.

 

“Papa, are you all right?” asked Varrel.

 

“I’m,” Valeri paused and blinked several times, “I’m fine, Varrel,” he said, rocking to his feet, “you practice your swing while I go get my mask.” He left the boy working on men while he headed for the armory cabinet, weaving only a little bit.

 

 

Oh I love the way you did this! It was cute to think of a father and son Sith bonding time. Excelent work once more. Also, I wanted to say that I agreed with Kabe a 100% when he said you have like awesome descriptions when it comes to stuff like that! Great job:D

 

@Mag,you always have awesome stories! I loved his one a lot. It reminded me that I will never be able to do that because I can't save a dime. anyways great job once again!

[Zethrodek]

What If... [Hoth Story spoilers]

JC/Smugg on Hoth

Decent size

 

 

 

The Shadow frowned as she sensed Revald's Chief Engineer approaching them even as she nodded to the pirate Captain's words. "You speak wisely sir, but I sense uncertainty. Please have patience with those who approach."

 

The pirate Captain frowned as the Jedi turned to address the approaching group of Republic people. He waited to see what the new arrival would say while trying to keep the Jedi's word in mind.

 

"Okay, let's take this cannon back. You ready?" The Chief stalled as he noticed the Jedi looking perturbed and felt himself calm down. "Er, what's the situation Master Jedi?"

 

Zethryncia knew Theran didn't like her manipulating others, and she found it distasteful as well at times, but this was one of those times where it needed to be done. "Let's all take time to listen and understand the present situation." She stated with the force assisting her voice, "Now Captain, you said your people had made copies of the Null Cannon?"

 

The Captain relaxed and nodded, "Yes, our engineers reverse engineered the prototype."

 

The Jedi nodded and turned to Arim, "I realize that the mission was for one cannon and you didn't expect this surprising turn of events, but would it be feasible to as the Captain for his engineer's assistance in moving these cannons to the Republic Base?" Again, she paused to use some persuasive logic. "After all, these pirates have simplified things for you in their replication efforts; maybe you should consider this option."

 

"I think I will. Thank you Master Jedi."

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Same quest, Smuggler point of view.. What if

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

"Captain, try to keep calm and let me handle this." Xynri stated as she heard some crunching of the hard ice floor behind her and turned to face the approaching group of three. "Nice to see you Chief, now shut up and listen to the situation-"

 

Chief Arim frowned at the smuggler captain before him, really wishing that he could see her face instead of the helmet she wore. "I'm sorry, but orders are orders."

 

Xynri scowled at the engineer and her eyes caught Tuno's, `I hate that sort of person.' "I'd like to-" What little apology she was going offer was shunted aside by the two lackeys handling their weapons.

 

"I was attempting to give you a peaceful solution," The pirate captain growled, glaring at the Chief engineer. "But since Revald's insistant on sending people here as well; You will all die."

 

It didn't take long for the firefight to be over and the White Maw bodies to be burning on the permafrosted floor, because scarcely a second after the captain had fallen, the freighter captain had the Chief Engineer back up against a wall. "What in the galaxy was that idiot? We could've worked out an agreement to take all the cannons here, but nooo." She snarled and punched the wall beside his head, uncaring of the fact that hitting said wall had a nasty side effect of pain. Arim flinched as her voice got more involved in the tirade, "Mr. Shoot-first-observe-situation-AFTER- the-fact here..." She stepped back and released him, still fuming. "LOOK dammit. See all the cannons they made; these could go on ships! Don't you see that theyve done part of your work for you?"

 

The engineer frowned and pulled out his comm unit, getting Admiral Revald. "Sir, the situation is not quite as expected."

 

"Go on." Xynrti liked Revald's demeanor and unflappable attitude as the chief explained the extent of the issue. "I see." The large admiral stroked his chin in thought, "So you made a mistake of shooting first without listening to the situation and needlessly caused violence when we were on the apex of a peaceful solution?"

 

"Yes sir." Arim really looked like a kicked dog now, Xynri smirked a bit behind her mask as the Admiral nodded in thought and continued.

 

"We can talk about that after you return. You say there's multiple copies of the cannons now? Bring the prototype back to base and I'm sure the Captain can help clear the way for additional teams to collect the copies. Revald out."

 

The engineer frowned as he pocketed his comm unit, looking at the blood that had been spilled earlier, "Captain, I'm sorry-"

 

"It's okay really. I know how it is. Us Zabrakians tend to shoot first sometimes without taking the situation in."

 

Arim looked surprised, "Really?"

 

Xynri pulled off her helmet and grinned at the dark skinned Zabrak, "Yeah."

 

"Wow... Now I feel really down."

 

The small woman clapped him on the back and turned to depart with her crewmate in tow, then stopped. "Would it be possible to put one of those guns on ship?" She grinned at him winningly; a grinned that slid down a few degrees as the Chief engineer shook his head.

 

"Sorry, but the power requirements are a bit large for a ship like yours. But I will designed a smaller version to see if that can be worked around." He added hastily at her frown.

 

"See you at the base." She turned and walked with the fishman out of the room.

 

"Right." Arim steadied himself and got to work on the cannon, securing it for transport.

 

 

 

Notes

 

 

I'm not happy with how this null cannon quest culminates. Obviously, I've done this on cons and smuggler so far. Sent in a ticket about the mission, very unhappy with the lack of choice options. Jedi has no force persuade options when there clearly should be some. Horribly played out. Revald is very unflappable person tho, great character in my thinking.

 

 

Some of these short stories posted here are hilarious! Great job!

[Striges]

@ Zethodek: I agree with you to a degree on the null canon. I haven't seen all the options (only played through on a smuggler) and It seemed to move to violence much too quickly. From what I've read, the peaceful option (if there is one) is not obvious. Heck, I think I picked something like "impeccable timing" (i.e. the smarta** response) and ended up in the middle of a firefight. Good one for a "what-if".

 

@Kabeone and SvienEternity: Thanks for the compliment on the fight scenes; I always get concerned that I don't do that well. On any character. For Varrel I borrow from Kendo in the main, with a little European fencing thrown in. He's also very technical and precise that way, so I try to describe things the way I imagine he thinks of them. I'm glad it comes through.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Striges

[bright_ephemera]

What if?

 

Lord Ninka killed Quinn

SW Chapter 3 spoilers and JK Chapter 3 spoilers and me being dumb some more.

 

 

 

Lord Ninka stared in morbid fascination as the Captain’s face went from pink, to red, to purple, to blue. He had lost consciousness long ago, he was probably dead, but she was not done yet. She snapped his neck. Something in her heart shifted, as if a long present thorn had been removed. It hurt, it bled, but it would heal now. She breathed deeply and looked at her faithful companion, he had warned her it was probably a trap, and she agreed to bring him along.

 

When the Voss warned her that she would be betrayed, she assumed it was either Pierce or Quinn, but did not know which. The one thing she did know, the two men could not possibly work together. Either way, she would have an ally in this room.

 

 

 

I thought those first two paragraphs made me transcendently happy, and then I read the rest of it and realized that my previous definition of transcendent happiness was inadequate Gloriously done.

 

Prompt: What if? Rixik actually fell in love with Kirya. And Kirya decided not to shove him out an airlock.

 

Title: Hope and Kisses

 

Characters: Rixik (umm, not a bounty hunter?), Kirya (smuggler)

 

Crazy sweet.

 

 

Prompt: My First

 

Character: Varrel Umrahiel (Sith marauder…eventually)

 

Title: First Lesson, First Principles

 

Varrel is, shall we say, very young here.

 

 

“Papa, are you all right?” asked Varrel.

 

“I’m,” Valeri paused and blinked several times, “I’m fine, Varrel,” he said, rocking to his feet, “you practice your swing while I go get my mask.” He left the boy working on men while he headed for the armory cabinet, weaving only a little bit.

 

 

That last paragraph made me giggle. A lot.

[Selentar]

Another one featuring my agent

 

What If...a member of your crew was not who he pretends to be? (contains major spoilers from the IA storyline)

 

Sorry for the long post

 

 

 

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Vector was standing in the doorway leading to the ship's holo room. Lilith was fidgeting with the controls of the display and she did not answer, lost in her thoughts.

 

“Agent?” he asked once more

 

She suddenly looked up, torn from her own inner turmoil

 

“Vector...sorry, I was just...”

 

What was she doing? She was not sure as her hands moved over the controls. It was a way to keep hold of reality as she had to do something to keep her mind occupied. The last few weeks had been taxing: being undercover changes all rules and all loyalties. She had seen what most people would never even dream of, she had to make decisions that changed her, the type of decisions that leave marks difficult to remove. Yet, she knew that she would be the only one to bear such scars as she had not revealed much to the rest of the crew wanting to keep them away from the brutal reality.

 

Each had a different reaction to her choice: the ensign would just follow orders, like a good soldier. Lokin would accept her decisions but Lilith knew that the good doctor had way more experience in matters on imperial intelligence. Yet, he never asked questions. Many times she had wondered why, but then she came to realise that someone who has spent so many years as an agent knows better than to ask questions. If Lokin wanted to know something, he did not need to ask.

 

Scorpio was more intent on understanding human nature and evolution. Her own. Working with a fully developed AI was interesting, to say the least, and Lilith saw such cooperation as an experiment, just as Scorpio had intended.

 

Kaliyo was not the sort of person to ask too many questions. She was always the one to remind her that she had joined the crew for her own reasons and she enjoyed the freedom of shooting people in the face and getting paid for it.

 

And then there was him, Vector. A diplomat, a joiner. He was different from the others as he always seemed in control, always calm in every situation and during her last few weeks, he had become a peaceful haven and refuge from the storms outside. His presence was comforting and she found herself leaning on him more that she wanted to admit.

 

“If you want us to leave, just say so.” he said, interrupting her train of thought once more

 

“No, Vector. Stay”

 

Lilith looked at him, a frown crossing her face “Do you know why we have to go to the Star Chamber?” she questioned bluntly

 

“We are not entirely sure but we believe that it is important, otherwise you would not have made such decision” he replied.

 

Lilith was not surprised by his response as many times he had come up with such matter-of-fact answers. Yet, she was not reassured.

 

“Do you want to know?” she asked after a moment of silence

 

“We will listen if you want to tell us”

 

“Damn it Vector! Yes or no?” her frustration was surfacing and he was taken by surprise by such outburst

 

“We...would like to.” he paused “There are a lot of things we would like to ask but we always thought that most of your decisions are shrouded due to the nature of your assignment”

 

He was right and she knew it. Too much had been hidden, all the files, the encrypted documents, the recordings. All this secrecy was at times a lot to bear for one mind but this was what she had been trained for. Yet, all the training in the world could not have prepared her for what she had to endure while undercover and she had still trouble coping with the mental conditioning.

 

Watcher X warned her, saying that no one is worth of trust, that once you are an agent, you can only rely on yourself but she did not really believe that. She had come to rely on her crew and they had followed her into the line of fire many times, without questions or hesitation. No, Watcher X had to be wrong.

 

“We have to go to because we need to stop Hunter. He is part of something that could destroy the galaxy as we know it. And...” she paused as memories suddenly made her flinch “...and I have a score to settle with him.”

 

“What...sort of score?”

 

She looked at him for a long moment before replying “While undercover, he used my mental conditioning against me and against the SIS. He never had any trouble in...forcing me to obey his commands”. She did not expect to be so hard to admit it.

 

“We do not know what it was like but...it is not easy to be forced to obey”

 

“It's like having someone else in your head, someone who takes over and controls your actions. It is difficult to explain...” Why would he understand, she asked herself.

 

“We do understand” he replied, almost as if he had read her thoughts “When we first joined with the hive, it was difficult at first, We heard the song for the first time and we were unsettled. However, the hive never forced us to go against our will.”

 

A smile crept across her lips “If you want to put it that way, I guess mine was like a forced joining. Without the song or the freedom. Anyway...” she cut short “...I need to do a gear check”

 

“Of course” he replied “You know were to find us if you need us”

 

******

 

The fight had been quick. Lilith was now standing in the conference room were, a moment before, she had listened to the members of the Star Cabal laying their plan for the galaxy. He was there, her target. Or had been for he had managed to escape leaving the others behind. Typical, she thought, Hunter was not someone for direct action as he preferred to sit in the shadows and let others do his dirty work. However, he was still in the base and, surprisingly enough, had challenged her to come and find him.

 

“You are not escaping this time, Hunter...” she said to no one in particular.

“Give me a moment, Agent”. Lokin was busy trying to slice into a terminal

 

“What's going on Doc?”

 

“I'm downloading the plan of the station. Hopefully, this will give us the quickest way to Hunter”

 

“Good. Let's make it quick. I'm sure Hunter has activated all sorts of security”. She reloaded her rifle.

 

“One more moment....aha!”

 

“Doc? Don't leave me hanging...” she interjected while scanning the area. She could almost hear Watcher X telling her to scan for any potential opponents, potential exits or structural weaknesses, anything that might be turned into an asset, just like he had done some time ago, the first time they had met on Nar Shaddaa.

 

“I have activated the life scans. Three targets and, with two being us, the third must be Hunter. Central chamber and he seems stationary” the agent in Lokin had taken over since they had first landed and he was analysing the plan for any hazards on the way “It would seem that the station is on full alert. I pick up defense droids, and some sort of power surge coming from one of the corridors leading to the central hub”

 

“Traps” she said, answering a question that had no need to be asked

 

“Most likely”. Lokin used his datapad to download some of the information. “There, I have what we need”

 

Lilith somehow knew that he did not just download a map of the area “All we need?”. Disconnecting from the console, Lokin replied “Come on Agent, it is not every day that you come across such information”

 

She smirked. “Let's move Doc”

 

******

 

Entering the central chamber had not been easy between the waves of droids, laser traps and trapped floors but they had both managed to finally face Hunter. Lilith had expected a tough fight and she had not been disappointed but, eventually, her target had been defeated.

 

Hunter was on one knee, holding his right side where her last bullet had torn flesh and bone. She approached him, kicking his weapon to the far wall. Victory was sweet.

 

“I must admit...” he croaked “...you have been a tenacious adversary. I should have taken steps to eliminate you earlier.

 

“Bad mistake” she replied

 

“Yes, indeed.” he pause and then smiled “You have won. But do not believe that the fight is over”

 

“It is. Now, give me the Black Codex”

 

He chuckled “It's over there, take it.” he pointed at a console “The result won't change. The Empire and the Republic will destroy each other and our work will not have been for naught.

 

“Our work?” she interrupted him “Your so called colleagues are dead. I have killed them not long ago in the conference room or have you forgotten? The Star Cabal is over and done”

 

“They were pawns. We will die today but before we do, let us show you something” Hunter pressed a device on his armor and his image shimmered.

 

A holoimage, she thought. Clever. The ultimate disguise. But when it disappeared, her heart sank for nothing had prepared her for such a revelation. She was still pointing her side arm at his head but she was no longer staring into cold, human eyes. They had been replaced by blackness, an all too familiar one.

 

To her side, Lokin stood motionless as a creepy silence fell over the scene. A chill ran down her spine as she took a step backward and then froze. She wanted to believe that this was just a dream, a nightmare. Her mind tried to cope with the vision, trying to make some sense of it but it was too much. A tear streaked across her cheek. Why was she crying? This was all a bad dream after all. There was no reason to cry.

 

But she was not waking up. Reality was staring up at her, a bleeding wound on his right side.

 

“Why?” she asked, her voice a barely audible whisper “Why?”

 

Vector coughed, blood spattering on the floor. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he continued

 

“You do not know what it means to be one of us. To be seen as nothing, to be hunted to extinction...”

 

“Don't give me that!!” she shouted, tears now flowing freely “You used me! You...you were...” the lump in her throat had grown too big and she was unable to speak.

 

“There is nothing more to be said, Agent. Do what you came here to do”. He closed his eyes.

 

She knew that all she had endured had led to this, the final moment where she would have completed her mission. Hunter was dead and the Black Codex had been secured but it was not that simple. She just had to squeeze the trigger one more time and her objective would be complete but she no longer felt the gun in her hand. Her body was numb from pain, the kind of pain that cannot be countered with a shot of kolto. The same kind of pain that stays with you, forever engraved within you. A sense of light-headedness was taking over and she was giving in.

 

She would have continued to fall had it not been for the sharp sound that sent a jolt through her body. She managed to refocus her sight. Vector was now laying on the floor, dead. Lokin had fired his blaster thus putting an end to the Star Cabal once and for all.

 

******

 

That night she sat in her room realising the truth of what Watcher X had told her once. “Trust no one”. And he had been right all along.

 

 

[elliotcat]

@irishfino - I wish that really happened. I'd have so much more respect for Quinn.

 

@kabeone - omg I laughed SO HARD. Please write more, forever.

 

@hoyden - Awesome!! I always LOVE seeing more about Mirialans. They are so interesting!

 

@Striges - I love it - so sweet. :3 Love the one with Varrel, too. Sith family dynamics are always fascinating.

 

@Svien, don't mean to skip yours but I haven't made it that far in the SW story yet.

 

@Mags - I love that! Bait and switch is always fun, too.

 

@Zethrodek - nicely done. Makes me wish I had a consular.

 

@Salentar - so sad. The Agent really needs someone to just...truly trust. How awful to lose that.

 

So, I had this idea after doing one of Vette's companion quests (spoilers for that). What if...someone else got to Tivva first? Sith Warrior Aranea investigates.

 

 

Vette and I were silent as we walked down the streets of Nar Shaddaa. I knew this trip wasn't what she'd really wanted. She had been so hopeful when she told me she had a lead on her sister - and seemed so dejected when she'd told me that things had become more complicated. "Apparently she's not there anymore," she'd told me. "It sounds like she may have gotten sold."

 

"We can still find her," I said. Sometimes I wondered whether Vette or I was more of an idealist; apparently now I had my answer. She didn't look very convinced by what I'd said.

 

"Don't give up hope," I said. "We'll go meet with this informant of yours. Wherever Tivva is, we'll find her. I promise."

 

Vette smiled at me, and even though it was tinged with a little sadness, I was glad I'd at least been able to give her some sort of hope.

 

So here we were, on the seediest moon in the galaxy, meeting with some slaver in a cantina. I felt out of place, and hated the stares I was attracting. Apparently Sith Lords weren't frequent guests of this city. I took a deep breath and reminded myself I was doing it for Vette.

 

I followed Vette into a side room, where an older Twi'lek woman was waiting. She stood up when she saw us enter, giving us a little nod in greeting. "You're the girl looking for her sister?"

 

"Yeah," Vette said. "Do you know where she is?"

 

"My information isn't free."

 

Vette looked at me, a little nervously. I handed a stack of credits to the older woman, who pocketed them. "Your sister was sold a few months ago. To a woman."

 

I could sense the horrible, crushing blow this dealt to Vette. She didn't even seem able to speak, so I did for her. "Why? What did this woman want?"

 

"She was a friend of Tivva's. Apparently, at one point she'd been a slave here, too. Said she'd been looking all over for her, bought out her contract, and Tivva left with her." The older woman seemed to be satisfied that she'd given out enough information for the price we'd paid, and folded her arms as if to end the discussion.

 

I wasn't finished. "So...you believe Tivva is still with this woman?"

 

She shrugged.

 

"And you don't know her name? Who she is? Where she is?" I asked, trying to stay calm. I had a strong feeling she was withholding information.

 

The woman considered for a moment. "It will cost you. She's a woman with enemies."

 

I handed over another stack of credits, which disappeared into her pocket. "The woman you're looking for is a con artist and thief. Small-time, until a few months ago. There was some big shakeup, and now she's some sort of hot shot. She's not around now, but I'm sure she'll be back around sometime, if you're sticking around. Probably in the next few weeks."

 

"We can't wait around," I said. "Can't you give us a way to contact her?"

 

The older woman sighed. "Because you're looking for family, I'll do it. But you didn't hear it from me." She lowered her voice and handed Vette a small datachip. "Her holofrequency. You can try calling her, she's very busy, though." The woman's demeanor seemed to shift a little; she brushed her hands together and started toward the door.

 

"Wait!" Vette cried, her voice buoyed by a new glimmer of hope. "What's her name?"

 

The older woman didn't stop walking away, but she did turn her head and say to Vette, "Her name's Cardani. Think her first name is Ayang. That's all I know."

 

Vette nodded. She looked back at me, her eyes expectant and hopeful. "I hate to ask, but..."

 

I put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll find her. I promise."

 

 

notes:

 

Of course, the awesome (imho!) irony here is that Tivva ends up with Risha.

 

[Crezelle]

Another one featuring my agent

 

What If...a member of your crew was not who he pretends to be? (contains major spoilers from the IA storyline)

 

Sorry for the long post

 

 

 

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Vector was standing in the doorway leading to the ship's holo room. Lilith was fidgeting with the controls of the display and she did not answer, lost in her thoughts.

 

“Agent?” he asked once more

 

She suddenly looked up, torn from her own inner turmoil

 

“Vector...sorry, I was just...”

 

What was she doing? She was not sure as her hands moved over the controls. It was a way to keep hold of reality as she had to do something to keep her mind occupied. The last few weeks had been taxing: being undercover changes all rules and all loyalties. She had seen what most people would never even dream of, she had to make decisions that changed her, the type of decisions that leave marks difficult to remove. Yet, she knew that she would be the only one to bear such scars as she had not revealed much to the rest of the crew wanting to keep them away from the brutal reality.

 

Each had a different reaction to her choice: the ensign would just follow orders, like a good soldier. Lokin would accept her decisions but Lilith knew that the good doctor had way more experience in matters on imperial intelligence. Yet, he never asked questions. Many times she had wondered why, but then she came to realise that someone who has spent so many years as an agent knows better than to ask questions. If Lokin wanted to know something, he did not need to ask.

 

Scorpio was more intent on understanding human nature and evolution. Her own. Working with a fully developed AI was interesting, to say the least, and Lilith saw such cooperation as an experiment, just as Scorpio had intended.

 

Kaliyo was not the sort of person to ask too many questions. She was always the one to remind her that she had joined the crew for her own reasons and she enjoyed the freedom of shooting people in the face and getting paid for it.

 

And then there was him, Vector. A diplomat, a joiner. He was different from the others as he always seemed in control, always calm in every situation and during her last few weeks, he had become a peaceful haven and refuge from the storms outside. His presence was comforting and she found herself leaning on him more that she wanted to admit.

 

“If you want us to leave, just say so.” he said, interrupting her train of thought once more

 

“No, Vector. Stay”

 

Lilith looked at him, a frown crossing her face “Do you know why we have to go to the Star Chamber?” she questioned bluntly

 

“We are not entirely sure but we believe that it is important, otherwise you would not have made such decision” he replied.

 

Lilith was not surprised by his response as many times he had come up with such matter-of-fact answers. Yet, she was not reassured.

 

“Do you want to know?” she asked after a moment of silence

 

“We will listen if you want to tell us”

 

“Damn it Vector! Yes or no?” her frustration was surfacing and he was taken by surprise by such outburst

 

“We...would like to.” he paused “There are a lot of things we would like to ask but we always thought that most of your decisions are shrouded due to the nature of your assignment”

 

He was right and she knew it. Too much had been hidden, all the files, the encrypted documents, the recordings. All this secrecy was at times a lot to bear for one mind but this was what she had been trained for. Yet, all the training in the world could not have prepared her for what she had to endure while undercover and she had still trouble coping with the mental conditioning.

 

Watcher X warned her, saying that no one is worth of trust, that once you are an agent, you can only rely on yourself but she did not really believe that. She had come to rely on her crew and they had followed her into the line of fire many times, without questions or hesitation. No, Watcher X had to be wrong.

 

“We have to go to because we need to stop Hunter. He is part of something that could destroy the galaxy as we know it. And...” she paused as memories suddenly made her flinch “...and I have a score to settle with him.”

 

“What...sort of score?”

 

She looked at him for a long moment before replying “While undercover, he used my mental conditioning against me and against the SIS. He never had any trouble in...forcing me to obey his commands”. She did not expect to be so hard to admit it.

 

“We do not know what it was like but...it is not easy to be forced to obey”

 

“It's like having someone else in your head, someone who takes over and controls your actions. It is difficult to explain...” Why would he understand, she asked herself.

 

“We do understand” he replied, almost as if he had read her thoughts “When we first joined with the hive, it was difficult at first, We heard the song for the first time and we were unsettled. However, the hive never forced us to go against our will.”

 

A smile crept across her lips “If you want to put it that way, I guess mine was like a forced joining. Without the song or the freedom. Anyway...” she cut short “...I need to do a gear check”

 

“Of course” he replied “You know were to find us if you need us”

 

******

 

The fight had been quick. Lilith was now standing in the conference room were, a moment before, she had listened to the members of the Star Cabal laying their plan for the galaxy. He was there, her target. Or had been for he had managed to escape leaving the others behind. Typical, she thought, Hunter was not someone for direct action as he preferred to sit in the shadows and let others do his dirty work. However, he was still in the base and, surprisingly enough, had challenged her to come and find him.

 

“You are not escaping this time, Hunter...” she said to no one in particular.

“Give me a moment, Agent”. Lokin was busy trying to slice into a terminal

 

“What's going on Doc?”

 

“I'm downloading the plan of the station. Hopefully, this will give us the quickest way to Hunter”

 

“Good. Let's make it quick. I'm sure Hunter has activated all sorts of security”. She reloaded her rifle.

 

“One more moment....aha!”

 

“Doc? Don't leave me hanging...” she interjected while scanning the area. She could almost hear Watcher X telling her to scan for any potential opponents, potential exits or structural weaknesses, anything that might be turned into an asset, just like he had done some time ago, the first time they had met on Nar Shaddaa.

 

“I have activated the life scans. Three targets and, with two being us, the third must be Hunter. Central chamber and he seems stationary” the agent in Lokin had taken over since they had first landed and he was analysing the plan for any hazards on the way “It would seem that the station is on full alert. I pick up defense droids, and some sort of power surge coming from one of the corridors leading to the central hub”

 

“Traps” she said, answering a question that had no need to be asked

 

“Most likely”. Lokin used his datapad to download some of the information. “There, I have what we need”

 

Lilith somehow knew that he did not just download a map of the area “All we need?”. Disconnecting from the console, Lokin replied “Come on Agent, it is not every day that you come across such information”

 

She smirked. “Let's move Doc”

 

******

 

Entering the central chamber had not been easy between the waves of droids, laser traps and trapped floors but they had both managed to finally face Hunter. Lilith had expected a tough fight and she had not been disappointed but, eventually, her target had been defeated.

 

Hunter was on one knee, holding his right side where her last bullet had torn flesh and bone. She approached him, kicking his weapon to the far wall. Victory was sweet.

 

“I must admit...” he croaked “...you have been a tenacious adversary. I should have taken steps to eliminate you earlier.

 

“Bad mistake” she replied

 

“Yes, indeed.” he pause and then smiled “You have won. But do not believe that the fight is over”

 

“It is. Now, give me the Black Codex”

 

He chuckled “It's over there, take it.” he pointed at a console “The result won't change. The Empire and the Republic will destroy each other and our work will not have been for naught.

 

“Our work?” she interrupted him “Your so called colleagues are dead. I have killed them not long ago in the conference room or have you forgotten? The Star Cabal is over and done”

 

“They were pawns. We will die today but before we do, let us show you something” Hunter pressed a device on his armor and his image shimmered.

 

A holoimage, she thought. Clever. The ultimate disguise. But when it disappeared, her heart sank for nothing had prepared her for such a revelation. She was still pointing her side arm at his head but she was no longer staring into cold, human eyes. They had been replaced by blackness, an all too familiar one.

 

To her side, Lokin stood motionless as a creepy silence fell over the scene. A chill ran down her spine as she took a step backward and then froze. She wanted to believe that this was just a dream, a nightmare. Her mind tried to cope with the vision, trying to make some sense of it but it was too much. A tear streaked across her cheek. Why was she crying? This was all a bad dream after all. There was no reason to cry.

 

But she was not waking up. Reality was staring up at her, a bleeding wound on his right side.

 

“Why?” she asked, her voice a barely audible whisper “Why?”

 

Vector coughed, blood spattering on the floor. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he continued

 

“You do not know what it means to be one of us. To be seen as nothing, to be hunted to extinction...”

 

“Don't give me that!!” she shouted, tears now flowing freely “You used me! You...you were...” the lump in her throat had grown too big and she was unable to speak.

 

“There is nothing more to be said, Agent. Do what you came here to do”. He closed his eyes.

 

She knew that all she had endured had led to this, the final moment where she would have completed her mission. Hunter was dead and the Black Codex had been secured but it was not that simple. She just had to squeeze the trigger one more time and her objective would be complete but she no longer felt the gun in her hand. Her body was numb from pain, the kind of pain that cannot be countered with a shot of kolto. The same kind of pain that stays with you, forever engraved within you. A sense of light-headedness was taking over and she was giving in.

 

She would have continued to fall had it not been for the sharp sound that sent a jolt through her body. She managed to refocus her sight. Vector was now laying on the floor, dead. Lokin had fired his blaster thus putting an end to the Star Cabal once and for all.

 

******

 

That night she sat in her room realising the truth of what Watcher X had told her once. “Trust no one”. And he had been right all along.

 

 

if THAT didn't fully harden Crez into a full blown heartless machine of an agent, i don't know what would.

[Crezelle]

and since we seem to be on a vector roll...i might as well~

 

What if... at house cortess

also crossed with " what's in a name"

 

 

 

Dictionary definition of the word "Vector"

an insect or other organism that transmits a pathogenic fungus, virus, bacterium, etc

 

-------

"Agent... We- I .. Must know if you intend to oppose us. If you do, the nest WILL fight to defend it's claim."

 

Why must things always be so complicated? The contact for Alderaan had been more than co-operative the entire time. Of course there had to be a catch. There is always a catch. She read up beforehand about the nature of the species he was...absorbed into. The killiks biggest drive was to expand. Always expand, and always populate. Another fact that the joiner confirmed in the confrontation they were in now, is that the killiks don't recognise transgressions on an individual level; if one member of a group transgressed, the entire group was guilty. The offending member of Cortess had been neutralised, sacrificed, even, in front of the agent in a humble gesture of apology and defeat. But according to the man before her, that didn't matter; a member of Cortess, the entire house, it makes no difference.

 

He knew better than that, right? He was a shining example of a diplomat before, so he couldn't be that ignorant.He still knew how to lead a wrong impression in his favour, so he still had his wits about him. To demand payment for assistance AFTER it has been given, and then trying to reason that the killiks don't know any better.... Did he actually think that nobody would mind if him and his little flea circus took over an entire estate town, even assuming that everyone wanted that course of action? Again, he was merely hiding behind the feigned ignorance of this hive he had his head stuck in. This whole planet be damned; even the bugs are trained in treachery. She curled her lips back in a frustrated snarl.

 

As an agent, she should NEVER take things at face value.

 

" I'm not letting you take these people."

 

" Very well... We understand"

 

The man and killiks drew their weapons, his a bladed pole arm, and together faced the agent and the Cortess guards, each side assembling in formation, squaring off for battle.

 

-----

 

" Hey agent! These blasted thrantras won't fit in the cargo bay, let's just ride em ragged while we empty out these crates of brandy i also pinched off that fortress and then just ditch em?"

 

" How much did you manage to get your hands on?"

 

" Enough to load down the 2 thranthras the entire way back to the hangar! Come on! "

 

Crezelle grinned slightly. Kaliyo was nuts, but she proved to be a good teacher on how to unwind after a hard fought battle.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2012 by Crezelle

[Tatile]

First

Rochester/Broan

Time-line: I'd say this is set a bit before Family; they've definitely been together a while.

 

 

Broan rolled, one arm flung out awkwardly. It landed softly against the bed, waking him slightly.

 

"Good morning."

 

Broan blinked and groaned, vaguely understanding. Rochester was awake before him, as usual, and was fully dressed.

 

"Your shift doesn't start for..." A yawn cut off his mumbling and Broan could hear his lover chuckle.

 

"Ten minutes, actually. You overslept."

 

"I am Sith," He started to curl up under the covers again, punching the pillow to make if comfy. "Sith do not oversleep - we wake up exactly when we mean to." He felt Rochester's hand on his shoulder and his hot breath fall across his face.

 

"If you say so," Rochester kissed Broan's cheek and paused to watch him. The other man's breathing evened and he seemed to slumber again. "I love you." Broan brought a hand up to squeeze his own, eyes half-open and smiling.

 

"Love you too."

 

 

[bright_ephemera]

First

Rochester/Broan

Time-line: I'd say this is set a bit before Family; they've definitely been together a while.

 

 

 

"Sith do not oversleep - we wake up exactly when we mean to."

 

 

I see what you did there. <3 Sith are much scarier than wizards, which is impressive if you reflect on how Gandalf got when he was mad.

 

I had assumed until, well, right this minute, that this previous prompt was their first "I love you," but now that I look back your note said that both "I love you" and "crying where your partner can see" are big milestones, and that story was probably the latter.

[bright_ephemera]

First kiss, with the spoiler-free smuggler Nic. 550 words.

 

 

 

 

I was backing up the Twi'lek pilot Lendrekka on a standard smuggling run. We ran into trouble before we so much as left the spaceport; a chase through the underground warren of the city involved a little blaster fire, a lot of running, and, eventually, the two of us shutting ourselves in a storage room and locking the door to wait it out.

 

I pushed my back up against the door and grinned at my partner. She was a hero of mine: slim, dark-eyed, violet-skinned, and at twenty-one one of the youngest full-fledged pilots in boss Ozma's fleet. And she always looked great when her blood was up from a fight. So, yes, I grinned. "Another day, another spine-tingling showdown."

 

Drekka finished brushing dust off her lekku and looked up to meet my eyes. I was suddenly, intensely aware that I'd never been alone with her before. We'd been in each other's company with nobody else, sure, but there was always work or mortal danger or something to hold our attention. Here, at least until the danger outside cleared, it was just…us.

 

"Oh, hon," said the Twi'lek. "Don't look at me like that."

 

"Like what? You're a nice sight after a rough bit of work."

 

Drekka put her fists on her hips and gave me a look half affectionate, half stern. "I'm too old for you."

 

"You look good for your age."

 

The sternness got sterner. "Nic, you know the boss has a policy."

 

"I do? Wait, Oz has a policy? About me?"

 

"Well…yeah. Honey, you're underage. Nobody's going to do anything 'til you're sixteen."

 

"When did I get asked about this?"

 

"She's just looking out for you. Believe me, knowing some of the guys out there, it's for the best."

 

That figured. That just figured. I huffed. "What am I, back on Alderaan now, needing protection against all the nasty boys and my own wicked ways? Did I seriously escape one big stupid controlled nursery to step into a slightly different big stupid controlled nursery?"

 

Drekka looked genuinely sorry. "It's not like that. Oz trusts you to make decisions-"

 

"Except for the fun ones. I can't believe she put out a memo about this without asking me." Once again it was proved that everything in life took a little hustle. "Look, Drekka, do you want me or not? I don't see how anything else matters here."

 

I held her with a defiant gaze. She stared, sighed, spoke softly.

 

"That's what kills me about you, kid. You never see how anything but the wanting matters."

 

"I don't care about her stupid rule," I said. "But if you're not interested, and you want to say it's about rules, we can just go." I hooked my thumbs in my belt, right where I could draw and shoot on a tenth of a second's notice, because that's always the most calming place for my hands to be; and then I turned around to unbar the door.

 

"Nic." The sound of it twisted my stomach up in interesting knots. I turned back. Drekka walked right up and, studying my face, reached out to run a couple of fingertips over my hair. "You're trouble, you know that?"

 

That was the sound of something running my way. "Trouble hasn't started yet," I grinned.

 

The matter of actually kissing or being kissed was entirely new, but I'm a quick study. And Drekka, warm, sweet, intriguingly shifting between soft and firm, seemed willing to offer interesting lessons. Stars, everything about this girl was wonderful.

 

She broke away, and her smile was radiant. "We should stop for now."

 

"None of that." I reached up to toy with the Twi'lek's jacket collar. "Don't stop when you should. Stop when you want to."

 

Happily enough, Drekka didn't want to stop just yet.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

 

My smuggler doesn't get much attention from me. The more I played other classes the less interested I got in my first, and I hadn't set up cutscene recording yet, so I can't go back for reference and I don't have a clear timeline of quests. I have only the barest first-person notes/fic on random segments of the plot.

 

But sometimes, rarely, some idea of Nic's floats to mind anyway.

 

I had no idea she wasn't 100% vanilla straight until maybe 18 hours ago. Oh, Nic. You never did go in for doing what I expected.

 

Edited August 19, 2012 by bright_ephemera

[Tatile]

I see what you did there. <3 Sith are much scarier than wizards, which is impressive if you reflect on how Gandalf got when he was mad.

 

I had assumed until, well, right this minute, that this previous prompt was their first "I love you," but now that I look back your note said that both "I love you" and "crying where your partner can see" are big milestones, and that story was probably the latter.

 

It's the first time Rochester ever said "I love you" and he waited until he thought Broan was asleep. There are a few reasons for that, but I think I'll just say you are your own cover.

 

Edit: Bright, think vanilla with a raspberry ripple

Edited August 19, 2012 by Tatile

[iamthehoyden]

What if... #2

What Do You Do With a Rabid Dog?

BH - Skari

minor spoilers for bh Belsavis

 

"Threaten to take my ship, will you?" Skari growled as she walked over and kicked the all-but-incapacitated Houk, "You're not nearly scary enough, you dumb f**k."

 

Skadge made some kind of pleading sound as she raised her blasters and unloaded until there was nothing in front of her but corpse. Her lip curled, "There are days I love my job."

 

Mako pulled out a datapad and punched a few inquires in. "Hey, looks like this guy has a few bounties out on him."

 

"Figures. I doubt I'm the only one who wanted him dead as soon as I met him. Alright, let's get packed up and get these guys out of here. Payday today!"

 

"Can you imagine this guy on our crew?"

 

Skari snorted, "Over my dead body."

 

 

Author's Note:

By the way, I think it's excellent cathartic therapy to write out scenes that REALLY did not give you the options your character actually would have taken. It's probably why there are so many SW stories out there. At any rate, I feel better now, cause this is what actually happened in my head - the lump of gray lard hanging out on my ship is just a bad dream.

 

[Tatile]

I do very much approve.

[kabeone]

@Selentar <3 that idea. Vector would be the last person I would have expected. Except it would have been impossible because once I got him he never left my side

 

@elliotcat My fondest wish was for Vette and Risha to find each other somehow

 

@Crezelle did you just... did you just k... umm he wasn't with you when you got back to your ship... I take it he was simply unconscious and Keeper thought "Well he sucks at fighting, no need to force him on Cipher" right? .... right?

 

@Tatile eee Rochester and Broan, "I am Sith, I need fluffier pillows"

 

@bright_ephemera I like Nic, when I saw this post I kep thinking "There were hands." (from your mixing it up post)

 

@iamthehoyden haha I don't have a bh but I dread the skadge.

Edited August 19, 2012 by kabeone

[Magdalane]

Since I finally got to sleep (yay!) and am still groggy, I will simply say that every story I've read for this week's prompts has been excellent. Please forgive the lack of individual recognition, I will be better after a little more normal sleep. Keep up the great stories! Oh I do have to ask, did you really, Crez? And if you did, are you ok now? I seem to remember a time not long ago when you had to cue up you tube vids to help get over another killing of your favorite honey bee.

[Earthmama]

The husband is hell bent on getting his JK and my Trooper to 50 this weekend, severely cutting in on my writing and reading. Just got caught up, feels good to know I'm not the only Vector killer in the group..lol. Sana and Skari make me happy, and omg, killing Skadge is a favorite dream. Braun and Rochester also make me happy.

 

All in all fantastic writing all around per usual, I'll have my offerings up early in the week.

[Crezelle]

 

@Crezelle did you just... did you just k... umm he wasn't with you when you got back to your ship... I take it he was simply unconscious and Keeper thought "Well he sucks at fighting, no need to force him on Cipher" right? .... right?

 

 

hey,. it's " what if" day lol

nope, kill all the things, get back with kaliyo, get back to work as usual, never know what she missed .

thank goodness it's only what if

[Selentar]

@Selentar <3 that idea. Vector would be the last person I would have expected. Except it would have been impossible because once I got him he never left my side

 

Indeed, Vector is too much of a good person but I thought he would make an interesting villain in an alternate reality

[SveinEternity]

Wow I am so impressed with all the stories! I am really enjoying them all!

 

@Selentar, I was so surprised to find Vector as the villian! I would never have suspected him at all! Fantastic work on this one.

 

@elliotcat I wish you could reunite Risha and Vette in some awesome companion quest. That would be so cool... But, it is just a dream. For now..

 

@Crezelle Wow, poor poor Vector... He didn't make it so you just had to... Nevermind. Great story!

 

@Tatile, that was awesome! Sith need to be comfortable I suppose. Nice job.

 

@bright_ephemera I already adore Nic as much as Ruth! That was a great story, it really brought out his characteristics! I loved it, nice work!

 

@iamthehoyden Skadge is garbage nuff said. Nice job on this one!