Of the Past...

"Dad!"

Xander Griff smiled as he kneeled down on the porch of his ex-wife's house. Sion, his son, ran up into him, and jumped into Xander's arms.

"Whoa! You are getting more heavy each day!" Griff exclaimed. "What is your mother feeding you?" He asked, glancing up at Nerenda, who kept an easy distance away.

He and his wife had been married fifteen years before, as Griff had settled into an easy life as the head of a small company, Outer-Rim Trade Inc. Just before the invasion of the Ssi-ruuk. They had had one child together, Sion. But when the Ssi-ruuk invaded Bakura just after the fall of Palpatine, Griff had feared the worst. His uncle had died in service to the Empire, an Empire that Griff thought to be evil.

The Rebel Alliance had overthrown that Empire, but then the Ssi-ruuk invaded. Griff had just lived a life under one evil Empire, and he wasn't about to do the same again. Usuing his company, he had begun to procure weapons, ships, and other armaments. He had hoarded them on one small planet, deep within the outer-rim.

It had been like that for months, even after the Rebels defeated the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium. Griff continued his quiet procurement of weapons, stockpiling them on this hidden planet. But because of this, he was rarely home, and didn't see his wife and child much. His marrage suffered, untill finally Nerenda filed for divorce, keeping custody of Sion.

Griff had reacted the only way possible, he had merely sighed, acknowledged the fact that he could do nothing, and had moved on. He made trips to Honoghr, where his wife was living with Sion, every week to see his son.

Nerenda was a biological scientist, specializing in creating anti-toxins for biological matter that had been infected with a virus of toxin. She had worked for the New Republic, under Leia Organa Solo, and was part of the team charged with cleansing Honoghr's devestated landscape.

"Mom says I need to eat more jhor fruit."

Griff frowned, picking his ten year old son up.

"What is jhor fruit?" He asked.

"A carrot, Xander." Nerenda said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh."

"Come on in." She said, guesturing to him, and then dissapearing inside the wooden house that had been provided to her by the Noghri.

"Hey Sion, has mom had any friends over lately?" Griff asked, innocently.

"Yeah, Jokran."

"Who is Jokran?"

"A man that mom works with." Sion replied.

"Damnit." Griff muttered under his breath.

"What, dad?"

"Oh, forget it."

Griff set his son down, and followed him into the house, and to the common room. Griff raised his eyebrow curiously as he noted a man sitting in next to his wife...ex-wife.

"Xander, this is Jokran." Nerenda said, indicating the man sitting next to her.

Jokran stood, offering his hand.

"Good to meet you sir." Jokran said, as Griff took his hand.

"Indeed. It is good to meet you." Griff said.

Jokran sat back down, and Griff did lifewise, next to Sion.

"So, Xander. What brings you to our neck of the galaxy?" Jokran asked.

"I am here to see my son, of course." Griff answered.

"And what do you do for a living?"

"I run a...trading company. How about you?"

"I am the team leader here. I am responsible for making sure quotas are filled on time."

"I see."

An uneasy silence followed, and Griff decided that was enough small talk.

"So, are you two together?" He asked both of them.

Jokran placed a hand on Nerenda's knee. "Yes we are. And are thinking of marriage."

"Jokran..." Nerenda said in a low voice.

"No its okay." Griff said, "I am happy for the both of you."

Nerenda looked at him as if he thought he was lying, which of course he was.

"Nerenda, I was hoping I could take Sion for a flight." Griff said.

"Where to?"

"Just around the moons, maybe up to my ship in orbit...I'll have him back in a couple of hours."

"Okay..."

"Come on Sion. Lets leave mom to her businessess." Griff said, happy he was able to say that.

"Xander!"




"Mr. President, I have those status checks you wanted." A voice said from behind Griff, snapping him out of his memories.

"Thank you, Durin." He said, taking the stack of flimsiplast, and sitting in his chair.

He idily flipped through shipyard progress reports, bits and pieces of his memories still rising up in his mind. After an hour he abandoned the reports, and resolved to fill out a suggestion sheet later for Captain Xexes, Chief of Production. He instead picked up a stack of intell reports. He leafed through untill he came to the 'Outer-Rim Territories' only.

One came up prominently.

Honoghr.

He picked it up and began to read, much of which he had already known. But then again, he had not been to that planet in five years.

Originally, the planet had been non-aligned, with the Republic or the Confederacy of Independant Systems. But in a battle over Honoghr, most likely between those two powers, the loosing vessel had plummetted down and crashed on the planet's surface, releasing noxious gasses and chemicals into the Noghri world's atmosphere. This devestated the landscape, killing off most animal and plant life, and a good portion of the Noghri.

There were pockets of survivors, here and there. But the Noghri soon realized that the poisoned kholm-grass was not suitable for farming. All hope was lost.

But then Darth Vader appeared, with the Empire alongside him. He told the Noghri that in exchange for their skills at assassination and combat, the Empire would repair the damaged surface of Honoghr. Vader then ordered a hybrid of kholm-grass to be created. This mutation would replace the poisoned grass, and would be very easy to destroy by agriculture droids. And then he ordered it to be spread all over the planet. He then set the agriculture droids to cleanse the planet.

The work seemed like it took forever, to the Noghri. The agriculture droids worked very slowly, just as Vader had wanted. Vader left, leaving the Noghri to Grand Admiral Thrawn, who used them very effectively. Then he was killed as well, by the hand of one of the Noghri. And then Leia Organa Solo came, and then New Republic took up the work.

And yet again, the Republic fell, and the Mon Calamari Republic decided to take up the work of restoring Honghrim the Empire again intervened and then the Noghri were back to square one.

But then the Wrath Virus had struck, leaving the Noghri with a half-ravaged planet, and without a benefactor to help them.

Griff frowned, at reading the report. Honoghr was unaligned...

He had not heard from Nerenda in five years, aside from the occasional holo of Sion. They had had an arguement, at the end of which, Griff decided to never return. He remembered her eyes when he had said this, full of hurt and pain. Probably because Sion would never really know his real father. Or perhaps it was something else...

Griff sighed again, and returned to his former veiw of the gasseous chaos of the nebula surrounding CN-1344.

"Nerenda..."

"What is it Xander?" She asked.

Griff set his son's sleeping form on the bed, and covered him with a blanket. He and Sion had flew all day long, in his shuttle. And the boy was so exhausted, he had fallen asleep on the way back. Griff backed away slightly, looking at his son.

"I cannot stay here." He said, at last.

"I know. You have duties. Things to do..." He heard her say from behind him.

"No. It isn't that...Nerenda, I cannot keep doing this."

She remained silent, allowing him to speek.

"I cannot live like this, only seeing my child once a month, only seeing you once a month..." His voice trailed off into the silence.

"What are you saying, Xander?" She asked.

"I am saying that I will not be returning to Honoghr. After I leave tonight."

He heard her start.

"But...what about Sion...what about...?" She asked, surprised.

He knew what she was going to say, What about me?. But he didn't finish the sentance for her.

"Nerenda, it irked me to see him with you, with Sion. I am being replaced as a father,"

He turned around, to look into her eyes.

"As a husband."

"But Xander..."

"I still care for you, Nerenda. And it gets worse the more I am apart from you. I love you as much as I love Sion.'

She placed her hand over her mouth, shocked at what he was saying.

"Then why...?" She asked.

"Because it is time for you to move on, you and Sion both. I shouldn't interfere with your lives, lives I clearly have no place in." He said.

"But you do, in Sion's life..."

"But not in yours. Sion has Jokran, you have Jokran. I fear that my presence will only hurt you and Sion, more than it would help. The ORT Inc. is moving, preparing for something big soon. We could not meet again, even if I had a choice."

He looked back at the sleeping child.

"I will not cause you more hurt and pain."


"Xander, you never have. Sion needs you to be here, he needs his father."

Griff looked at her coldly.

"He already has one, your precious Jokran."

Griff walked past her, into the common room.

"Xander, don't bring him into this. He has nothing to do with it." She said, following him.

"He has everything to do with it!" He shouted, "He is replacing me!"

"Jokran could never replace you!"

"It doesn't matter if that is his intention or not, he is doing a pretty damn good job!"

"Stop this. You are being irrational" She said.

"This isn't my fault! This wasn't my decision!" He yelled.

"Because I could not bear to be with someone who was never there!"

"I was! I was just trying to protect you!"

"You did a damn good job, Xander. Sion barely knew your face."

Griff clenched his fist.

"Well that settles it. I have to go."

He glared at her.

"Always remember, Nerenda. This was not my doing."

And with that he stormed out.





"This was not my doing."

The words of the past haunted Griff during sleep. He never had slept very well after leaving Honoghr. His words, her words, Sion's words. They all tormented him. He had long since believed that it was his fault that his life had been ruined. His only consolation was his work.

Ironic.

It was work that had done all this in the first place.

He got up out of bed, and checked the chronometer. It was around Four A.M., and it would be about Seven P.M. on Esseles.

He got up, grabbed his robe and threw it on, and then went to his computer terminal, and searched for the Honoghr records. Wht he found surprised him, according to the Board of Application, Honoghr had applied for entrance into the Sovereignty. He switched over to the communications netowor, and put in a call to Wayland, where the Board was based.

"Hello, Mr. President." A voice greeted him, "I am Commandant Gretter's personal secretary. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes. I need to get into contact with a representative of the Board of Application please."

"Of course, one moment." She said.

He waited, and five minutes later a male voice greeted him.

"Mr. President, I am Director Bosdan, of the Board of Applications. You wanted to speak to me?"

"Yes. I want to know if the world of Honoghr has applied for entrance into the Sovereignty." He said.

"Actually, yes sir. Honoghr has. We have been debating that for two days so far."

"Why wasn't I informed?" Griff asked, still half-asleep.

"Uh...it is not standard operating procedure to inform you of every world, especialy the unimportant ones, that apply..."

"It is now. Tell me about Honoghr."

"Well, the ruling body, the Dynasts, have applied for membership. As procedure, we asked if there were anything of resource value that would benefit the entire Sovereignty..."

"There is. Honoghr has now been accepted into the Sovereignty." Griff said.

"But sir, I must protest!'

"Spare me the protests, Bosdan. If you do not wish to acknowledge this, you will no longer retain your title and position. You will make the arrangements immiedietly, I will be accompanying the diplomatic party to Honoghr. I expect to depart in two days." Griff said.

"Yes sir. It will be done."

Griff ended the transmission, and sat down on his bed, and looked up at a picture displayed prominantly on the wall, it was one of him, Nerenda, and baby Sion.

It was time to go and pay them a visit.

The world looked the same. That was the first thing Gruff noticed as the Defiant exited hyperspace over Honoghr.

The world, due to it’s destruction, was a horrid brown color, disrupted by the occasional splotch of green.

During their alignment with the Empire, The New Republic, The Mon Calamari Republic, and then the Empire again, the Noghri had been able to cleanse only a fraction of the total land percentage. These areas were called the ‘Clean Lands’ and were where most of the Noghri actually dwelled. The center of Noghri culture was in the capital city of Nystao. The leaders of each clan, called a dynast, gathered in the Grand Dukha, every once in a while to discuss Noghri affairs. Griff had been told that there would be a gathering of the dynasts to greet the President, and negotiate for Honoghr’s membership within the Sovereignty.

But Grff was here for other reasons.

He wanted to see his son again. And his ex-wife, who had been living here for fifteen years or so. Griff hadn’t seen either of them for five years. Too long, he knew.

“Scan the planet.” Captain Cage, temporary captain of the Defiant said to the sensor operators.

“There is moderate air speeder activity. No ships, in orbit or outgoing. And very few communication satellites.”

“Sir,” The comm. officer said suddenly, “I am receiving a hail.”

“Put it through the bridge speakers.” Cage said.

“President Griff.” A catlike mewling voice said from the speakers, “I am Dynast Ove’khim. We ghreet you.”

“Thank you, Dynast. I am President Griff. It is good to be here.”

“Yes,” The strange voice returned, “I will accept you in the grand dukha, if you are not too tired from your journey…?”

“No. I will be there shortly.”

“We await the honor of your presence.”

“Indeed.” Griff said, and the transmission was cut.

“Captain, order a shuttle to be prepared. Aeon, you are with me.” He said.

The Shi’ido glided easily behind him into the turbolift.

“Mr. President, if I may speak freely…?” Aeon asked, once the doors had closed.

“Yes of course.”

“Sir, what are you expecting to find down there?”

“The Noghri applied for membership. I am sure they would be happy to-“

“No, about your son and wife.” Aeon interrupted.

Griff nodded, “I knew that….I hope she is happy without me.” He said quietly.

“But you think otherswise?”

“Yes of course I do. I suspect she is married by now, to to Jokran fellow.”

“That was a long time ago, Xander” Aeon said, dropping the formalities.

“Yes.”

“But you hope she will be unmarried.”

Griff smiled weakly.

“I thought as much.” Aeon remarked.

“Well, there is always a second chance for everything. Maybe she will give me a second chance.”

“Perhaps.”

“You don’t think so…?”

“The future is not set, we make our own future.”

“Yeah…”

The doors opened and Griff and Aeon soon found themselves inside the hangar bay. They boarded a special shuttle, heavily armored and armed, for the President’s use only. Already inside, where the negotiators who had bee charged for finalizing the details of Honoghr’s membership in the Sovereignty were already sitting. Aeon notified the pilot that they were ready to go, and soon the vessel was spaceborne. Griff remained silent throughout the decent from the Defiant and through the Honoghr atmosphere.

“I ghreet you, Mr. President.” Ove’kihm said, as Griff made his way down the boarding ramp of the shuttle, followed by the three negotiators.

“And I greet you in turn, Dynast.” Griff said.

“The other dynasts are waiting for us inside.” Ove’kihm said, indicating the Grand Dukha to his right.

“Lead the way.” Griff said, and followed the small Noghri to the Grand Duhka, where two children, acting as honor wardens, opened the heavy metal doors for them. The inside was well lit, with five other dynasts each sitting in a chair. Griff guestured, and Aeon moved to the side. The negotiators hung back with the Shi’ido, but Griff stepped forward, straightening his black and red uniform.

“I am President Griff of the Outer-Rim Sovereignty. I am here at the requests of the dynasts of Honoghr.” He stated clearly.

Ove’kihm, who had joined his peers, became the spokesman of the group.

“We are the dynasts of Honoghr. And we are honored by your presence.”

“The honor is mine. I have a question, however.”

“Yes?”

“I have come here for personal reasons. The New Republic, under Lady Vader, sent a team to supervise the cleansing of your world. Do any of them still dwell here?” He asked, unable to hold I in.

The dynasts looked surprise at his question, probably because it didn’t relate to Honoghr’s application.

“Most of them are still here, in Nystao. We will assign someone to take you to them” Ove’kihm said, and said something in his language. One of the honor warden’s left her place and bowed to Griff and the dynasts.

“I would like to see them, while these men,” He indicated the negotiators behind him, “Will finalize everything. I welcome you to the Sovereignty” He said, smiling wanly.

The Noghri bowed, and Griff turned and left the Grand Dukha, Aeon in his shadow. The child guided their ship to the New Republic compound. Aeon landed the shuttle and Griff walked down the ramp. A human woman hurriedly ran out to greet them.

“I am Anaka, one of the biologists. The dynasts just informed us of your coming.”

“I am…Xander Griff. It is nice to meet you, Anaka,” He turned slightly to introduce Aeon and the honor warden, but both were not to be seen. If Griff had looked harder, he would have noticed a barely perceptible shadow, that followed him through the New Republic compound. Anaka led him though winding corridors, until coming to a conference room.

“Now, what can we do for you, Mr. Griff?” Anaka asked.

“I am looking for a woman, a scientist here, her name is…Nerenda. She has a son, his name is Sion.”

At the mention of both of those names, Anaka paled slighty.

“You are…President Griff…of the Outer-Rim Sovereignty…?”

Griff nodded, “Yes.”

“Its been around six years…?”

“Five. Now take me to Nerenda”

Anaka sighed slightly.

“Very well. Please come with me…”

Griff did, feeling a knot growing in his stomach.

“Where are you taking me?” Griff asked.

Anaka did not look back as she led him through the winding corridors.

“Nerenda is this way…follow me. I cannot answer your questions.” Anaka said.

Griff followed in silence, not wanting to ask a question he did not want to know the answer too. Anaka soon stopped at a particular door. Griff looked at her carefully.

“Anaka…”

“Please. One piece of advice…do not pass judgments until you know the whole story…”

Griff frowned at her, “Please notify me when the details are finalized, and bring me the papers to sign when they are ready.” Griff said.

Anaka nodded, and motioned for him to go in. Griff took a deep breath and walked in to the room.

He gasped slightly at the sight. It was a hospital room, or what qualified as a hospital room in these backwater lands. The room was empty except for a cot up against the wall, and some diagnostic equipment. There were two people in the room, one was Nerenda, laying on the cot and apparently unconscious. The other was an adolescent boy of about fifteen years. He was kneeling by the cot.

“Sion…” Griff said, unsure.

The boy stood and turned around. It was indeed his son, older than when he had last seen him. His eyes held a haunted and sad look.

“Why have you come here?” He asked, and Griff was slightly surprised at the amount of anger in the boy’s voice.

“I…Honoghr has applied for membership in the Sovereignty. I have come here to finalize the deal…”

Sion glared coldly at him, “Then go and finalize it.”

“I also came here to see you…and your mother.”

Sion snorted derisively, “Leave us alone. Just leave us in peace.” He said, and then returned to his former kneeling position.

Griff was slightly taken aback, he turned to Anaka.

“What happened?” He asked in a low voice.

“Jokran…” She said in an equally low voice.

Griff’s eyes widened slightly and he walked directly up to Sion.

“What happened?”

“I thought I told you-“

“What happened!” He yelled.

Sion looked as if he would protest but relented instead, Nerenda groaned slightly, beginning to wake.

“Jokran did this. He hurt her!” Sion said, “I couldn’t stop him!…I tried.” The boy broke down into sobs, Griff wrapped his arms around his son, and Sion replied in kind. Nerenda was now awake, and her blue eyes flitted open, to look directly up at Griff.

“Xander…?” She asked, unsure.

Griff let go of Sion and kneeled beside his wife’s bed.

“I’m here Nerenda…”

“I thought I would never see you again…”

“I know. But I’m here now. “

He looked up at Anaka.

“What is wrong with her? What did Jokran do?”

“He beat her, Mr. President. He became angry and hit her in a fit of rage.”

Griff’s eyes narrowed.

“And?” He prompted.

“And she is dying. There is internal bleeding that we cannot stop. We have tried calling for help, but we have received no answer on any New Republic channels.”

“There is no New Republic. Not anymore.”

“What!?”

Griff ignored her, and pulled out his comlink.

“Captain Cage, send a shuttle down with a full medteam, now. I have a female patient here in critical condition. Send them now!”

“They are on their way sir. We are homing in on your location. The medteam requests the nature of the medical trauma.

“Put me through.”

“Go ahead.”

“I have a female patient, of about thirty five years. She has severe internal bleeded, the result of heavy external trauma.”

“How was the trauma inflicted?” The medteam leader asked over the comlink.

Griff looked up at Anaka, who took the commlink.

“Heavy beating inflicted by fists and feet.”

“Okay. We will be there as soon as we can.” The medteam leader said.

Griff switched the commlink off and replaced it on his belt. Sion was now kneeling next to Nerenda as well, who was now breathing heavily, more labored. Griff took her hand, and squeezed it. He felt a strong squeeze in return, although the grip was becoming weaker. She was fading.

“Xander…”

‘I am so sorry Nerenda…I am so sorry…”

“Its…not…your…fault…Xander…” She gasped, and as she did a frantic beeping started to go off, alerting them that Nerenda’s heart rate was going down.

“Nerenda I am here. Do not be afraid. Sion and I are okay…” He said, tears starting to stream down his face.

“I love….you…Sion…” She said to her son.

“I love you too mom…I love you too. “ Sion said.

“Xander….I love…” She was barely able to lift her head, and her breathing was now extremely labored, “I love…you…Xander…” She said, and then her final breath left her. She laid her head back, but her eyes were full of happiness. Happiness that they were all together again. Happiness that she was finally complete.

Griff slumped to the floor, eyes now blurred from the tears in his eyes. He barely noticed when the medteam rushed in, desperately trying to revive Nerenda. Griff felt strong arms surround him, and haul him to his feet. He barely hear Aeon’s voice as he pulled the President away from the cot and the furiously working medteam. The last thing he remembered was the medteam hooking up various instruments to Nerenda…





His eyes snapped open, and he looked down at himself. He was wearing the same uniform that he had been wearing…or was that a dream?

He looked to his left and saw Sion sitting next to him, a blank look in his eyes. Aeon stood at the door, as always. And Anaka stood in front of Griff.

“Mr. President, I have the papers you wanted…” She said, and placed a stack of papers on a table in front of Griff and Sion, “When you sign those, Honoghr will officially be a Sovereignty member.”

Griff ignored them.

“Jokran…where is Jokran?” He asked, darkly.

“The Noghri have him in a cell, in this compound. He has been there ever since Nerenda was found, three days ago.”

“And that is it?”

“I am afraid so. But when Honoghr becomes a membe of the Outer-Rim Sovereignty, he will be a criminal under ORS custody…”

“I want to go see him.”

“Very well sir. Come with me…”

The doors slid open slowly, revealing a round antechamber, with the cell doors facing the center of the room. There were eight cells, but only one that was currently occupied. Griff walked into the room, unbuttoning the strap over his holstered sidearm, a small Merr-Sonn made blaster pistol that was easy to conceal, and went perfect with the President's uniform. He didn't normally wear it out in the open, but he had told Aeon to give it to him after he and Sion had attended to Nerenda, her burial, and other affairs. The burial was scheduled for the next day.

Aeon was not in sight, but Griff had no doubt that he was near by. The Shi'ido had many shapes that he could take to remain hidden. A shadow, a snake, a small bird...anything. Anara stood a safe distance away, along with Griff's Noghri guide that Ove'kihm had provided. Griff rested his hand on the handle of his sidearm and turned clockwise to his left, and faced the only occupied cell.

"Jokran."

The man appeared to be sleeping, sitting on the small cot that had been provided for him, with his chin resting on his chest. At the sound of Griff's voice he looked up sleepily with bloodshot eyes, and a beaten look about him.

"Well, well, well. Look who comes to valiantly save the day." He scoffed, standing up and placing his hands on the metal mesh that made up the entrance to the cell.

"Yes. I am here." Griff responded calmly.

"So. Are you here to gloat?"

"About what?"

"Nerenda...getting her back. I am sure she is safe on your Star Destroyer in orbit, resting with little Sion." Jokran said.

Griff's eyes turned the color of ice.

"That would be the preferable scenario." He said darkly.

"Oh...so she isn't up there? Already healed? A wonder bacta truly is..."

"Shut up! Murderer!" Griff barked, silencing the other man.

"Murderer...murderer am I?" Jokran asked, thoughtfully.

"Yes. You are a murderer." Griff retorted.

"So...she is..."

"Dead." Griff said coldly, "She is dead because of you."

Jokran slumped down on the cot, and Griff turned and nodded to Anaka, who produced a key, for the metal mesh door to the cell. She opened the door.

"I...am sorry...Xander..."

Griff crossed the space between him and Jokran in two steps. He grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the cell, and slammed him against the wall.

"If you...ever say my name again...or even give the faintest impression that you even cared about her for one second...I'll kill you."

Jokran glanced past Griff to Anaka.

"I suppose you are going to come to my rescue now? Tell this buffoon to get his hands off me."

She merely stared at him, "Why?"

"The Sovereignty has no jurisdiction here! He has no right to-" Jokran started to protest, but Griff interuppted.

"Anaka, please bring me the papers." Griff said.

Anaka stepped forward and produced the top piece of flimsiplast off of a large stack. All the other papers had been singed, leaving Griff one more to sign.

"My signature on this paper signifies that the Outer-Rim Sovereignty accepts the world of Honoghr as a member planet. I, President Xander Griff, signs in favor of this act." He said, signing his name. Anaka took it from him, and with the rest of the stack, left the room. Presumably to deliver it to the dynasts.

Griff looked up and smiled at Jokran.

"Actually, fool. I have plenty of jurisdiction here." He said.

Jokran stared at him in shock.

Griff stared right back.

"Goodbye, Jokran." Griff said, and turned to walk away.

As he did so, he heard a rustle behind him, and the distinctive shick of a knife being drawn. He had no time to do anything, to try to duck.

A shadow suddenly detached itself from the wall, and moved faster than Griff would have thought possible. The shadow lifted its arm and the arm solidified, and elongated. It formed itself into a large rocklike fist, and slammed into Jokran's chest, sending the man flying backward as if tossed aside by a giant hand. He slammed into the wall, leaving an indention on the plaster surface.

Aeon returned to his regular, tall gray skinned form as Jokran slumed to the ground. He nodded once to Griff and then picked the man up by the collar and hauled him to his feet.

Griff made a small guesture and Aeon backed away. Griff shook his head.

"Coward." He said, and then turned his back to walk away again.

"She didn't scream, Xander." He heard Jokran say from behind him. Griff stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.

"We argued. About you...I was sure you would return, and she couldn't refuse you. Because you were successful, and you were Sion's father. She argued that that wasn't the case. But I knew she was lying. The argument escalated untill I..." His voice trailed off.

Griff fought the tears that were threatening to overtake him.

"She didn't scream...she was real quiet...I never wanted to hurt her." Jokran said, begining to let the fear creep into his voice.

Griff turned suddenly, and with practiced ease he swiftly drew his blaster from it's holster and aimed it directly at Jokran. He heard Aeon shout.

Griff did not pull the trigger. Jokran looked so small and weak.

"So...what are you going to do now, Xander?" Jokran asked.

Griff's muscles were taut, ready to pull the trigger and justly deprive this misrable fool of his life. Just as Jokran had done to Nerenda, and to Griff, and to Sion.

"You..." Griff said, regaining his calm composure, "You will be tried under the Judicial Laws of the Outer-Rim Sovereignty. You will be placed on a prison asteroid near a hidden Sovereignty base. You will be charged with murder. Do you dispute these allegations?" He asked, fighting the sobs.

Jokran shrugged, "No."

"If convicted of your crimes you will be given the death sentance, and executed accordingly."

Jokran slumped to his knees, looking up at Griff with tears in his eyes.

"But...I'm already....I'm sorry..." He said, his eyes holding the look of a broken man.

Griff lowered his blaster and replaced it in his holster. He looked at his Shi'ido bodyguard.

"Aeon, have him transferred to the Defiant's brig. Where he will await arrival to CN-1344, where he will be held untill his trial. See to it."

Griff looked at Jokran one last time, and then turned and left.




- Taken from President Griff's Honoghr Address.