The em-dee droids had stripped her to prepare her for the bacta tank, noting the recent wounds from what must have been a firefight of some kind. There was one across her right deltoid muscle that was already cauterized, and an oozing hole in her thigh from a low grade blaster bolt. The droids noted it all, but drew no conclusions of their own. Their job was to get the human female back into working condition.

A breathing tube was placed down her throat and the breath mask attatched to her face. Her skin began to pink up again, the greyish tinge receding as her heart began to pump oxygen through her system. Within moments of arriving in the medbay, she was placed into a bacta tank, the greenish goo enveloping her in it's healing embrace.

One of the droids turned over the clothing they'd expertly clipped away from their patient, and noted the patch on the breast of the jacket. Huttese symbols on a green field, depicting the Desilijic clan. It appeared to be livery of some kind. The boots resting on the floor were standard Imperial issue, combat class.

Commander Aragon marched down the corridor of the DragonClaw, warning klaxons echoing in his ears as he paced himself toward the bridge. More experienced crew members, easily indentifiable by their black uniforms, rocketed past him in all directions as they raced toward battle stations, scrambling along like hyperactive spiders. He was returning from sickbay to witness their new visitor recovering from her ordeal.

"Unscheduled ship detected in system," the SubCommander's amplified voice echoed through the <I>Deimos</i>. "All hands to emergency stations. This is no drill."

This was another of the unfortunate results of being on patrol so far from the Tion Cluster. Now, unless arrangements were made far in advance, every incoming ship was "unscheduled," and therefore a matter of concern, given the current state of affairs between the Imperium, the Galactic Coalition, and the Hutt Syndicate.

The ship could be friend, foe, or neither-- and even if it was an enemy, the old traditions might allow it to slide past without shots being exchanged. Still, the arrival of any unexpected ship created tension, and was cause for a full alert, just in case.

The armored bridge doors were just ahead. A Drhazi Dameun stood at guard outside, heavy concussion rifle across his armored chest, his back rigid. Sim didn't envy him. It was work to keep your body encased in an armored bodysuit. A full watch must be agony. Then again, these were Dameuns, and who knew what kind of conditioning these soldiers endured.

The Drhazi recognized him and saluted. Sim held his security pass near the lock, and the heavy doors slid open. He stepped through the security field and felt them snap shut behind him.

The lights on the bridge were dim and red, indicating a state of alert. Subcommander Sirtek watched a holodisplay that Aragon knew showed the point where the incoming ship had appeared from.

Sirtek looked over to Aragon. "<I>Kaloth</I>-class vessel. She just jumped from the vicinity of Hutt Space. Big enough to be a threat. We've plotted an intercept course, Commander."

Sim felt his stomach tighten. He knew it was probably nothing. Even if it wasn't, the <I>Deimos</I> was armed to the teeth with enough turbolasers, wyvern cannons, PIM launchers, and fusion beam cannons to turn it to slag. Not to also mention three full squadrons of Deathgliders. More than enough to take care of itself.

"Target pinpointed," said the tactical officer, studying a holodisplay floating abover her console. "Shall I raise shields and power up weapons?"

"Have they contacted us?" Sim inquired. "Any signal from it?"

"Negative, sir."

"Raise shields and contact them. Do not power up our weapons." Sim ordered. "We're not at war with the Hutt Syndicate, so there is no reason to be hostile-- yet."

"What of our patient?" Sirtek asked, looking over the shoulder of another officer at their display.

"The medic droids have just pulled her from the bacta," Aragon informed, "when she recovers, there's going to be some questions needing answers-- especially when a <I>Kaloth</I>-class vessel has arrived to snoop around."

Sirtek nodded.

"I'll be heading down to sickbay again, once this situation is resolved-- peacefully I hope," Sim concluded...

"Capital vessel has pulled in snubfight, sensors detect rising energy levels."

Either the ship was preparing to jump to hyperspace, or readying it's offensive and defensive capabilities. Koril would rather have seen the former than the latter. The BDE was known to be a technologically advanced people, and had the strength of a mighty Empire backing their action. Koril was no the type of person wuld would readily back a losing cause... and engaging the BDE vessel was very likely to result in a loss.

"Raise shields... begin calculation escape vectors."

He hoped the slight tremor in his voice wasn't apparent, but he doubted it.

"Communication relay's receiving transmission. Capital ship is hailing us. Transpoder identity confirmed."

Koril might have had a talk with the deveronian relaying that last message, if he didn't have more imporant things to worry about. Even if the vessel had a fake transponder id (which was highly unlikely), they were'nt about to start announcing that to the world.

"Open a channel. Identify us as an envoy from his opulence Plurga the hu..."

He had started to say Hutt, but that would have been incorrect. The elder Plurga certainly held more sway, and commanded more respect..... but if Koril used his authority without the fat slug's permission, he was likely to lose a bodily organ he was not ready to part with.

"Plurga the Lesser."

As an afterthought he added.

"And mention that we're not seeking hostilites, just looking for something."

Like they're going to believe that. BDE was not likely to be too welcoming to a ship at the edge of their territory, and even less so at a warship (if you could call the aging Kaloth that). Still, if push came to shove they could always hightail it out of their, and hopefully avoid a big incident.

Frotz!!! Why did I have to run across a BDE vessel??! Of all the stupid place to find...

And then a thought that hadn't occured to Koril floating into his mind.

What was the BDE vessel doin here anyway?

Green eyes blinked open in the murk as a stimulant was added to the bacta tank. The girl suddenly jerked, arms flailing in slow motion as she started to panic. Her legs kicked her to the top of the tank, the greenish slime clinging to her as her head broke the surface. Arms reached for her as she choked around the breathing tubes, but she slapped away help as she slipped back under the surface of the bacta.

A hand grabbed her underneath the armpit and hauled her upwards. Her face breaking the surface once more, Lilaena stared through blurred eyes at her surroundings. The medical aides laid her trembling body on the grate that half covered the top of the tank. The excess bacta dripped off her naked body and back into the tank as one of the aides undid the breathing apparatus and pulled it away from her face.

The girl gagged and choked as the long breathing tube was drawn out of her throat, fingers curling around the grating and knuckles whitening. An absorbant cloth was used to remove most of the bacta before she was taken down to the deck of the medbay and placed on a monitoring bed. She struggled against the aides pressing her down, mouth open with soundless curses. The breathing tube had roughened her throat enough to render her momentarily speechless.

A medical droid loomed to her right, and pressed a hypodermic into her deltoid muscle. She felt herself relaxing onto the hard surface as her wrists and ankles were restrained. A sheet was placed over her prone body, but her eyes remained open, looking wildly about.

When SubCommander Sirtek arrived at the isolation chamber in the medical wing of the <I>Deimos</i>, he saw the doctor and medical droids already inside the airflow "walls" and sterile field that kept pathogens from entering or escaping. Next to the bed, just outside the field, stood a figure in black uniform, his Commander, Sim Aragon. His superior was observing the patient's recuperation. He approached and nodded. Aragon nodded back.

"Status of our guest from Hutt Space?" he inquired.

"The <I>Kaloth</I> has raised its shields and has transmitted its identity as an envoy from an entity named Plurga the Lesser," Sirtek informed. "They claim they are looking for something."

"Looking? Seems like we found it, if this is what they are inquiring," Sim replied, nodding at the young woman upon the bed.

"I have not given them a response, yet," Sirtek added. "What should I tell them? Or should I take evasive action to cripple and board her? I don't trust the Hutts."

"Negative," he shook his head. "Stall them. Let us see what they have to say. We need to buy time while we find out who she is." The Commander picked up a scrap of her clothing, primarily her jacket. "From what I can see, she was either part of the Desilijic clan or was property of them."

"Yes, sir," Sirtek nodded. "I'll keep them on the defensive."

The doctor stepped out of the field, which crackled slightly. He looked around, saw the commanding officers, and reported. "Well, that's the best I can do for now."

"Will she live?" Aragon questioned, as he eyed the medical droid with an empty hypo.

"Yes. She is stabalizing rapidly."

"Hard to imagine a quick recovery from that sort of ordeal." Sim looked down at the prone form in the bed. "Anything else to report?" The woman looked somewhat better than the last time he received an update. Her skin had been pale and anhidrotic, but now it was taking on a normal, healthy glow. The flatscreen chart hung on the bed's foot, and the medic picked it up and scanned the stats. Blood pressure normal, heart rate normal, white cell blood count...

Odd. All of her body functions were within normal limits. And she had barely survived out there.

The patient had turned around. The medic motioned to the officers and stepped away out of earshot from the bed.

"She seems to be recovering at a faster rate than I thought," he said. "My theory would be she could have the healing talents of a Force user. Or possibly genetically enhanced."

Sim frowned. "I see. If that is the case, we may have to take precautions." He eyed his SubCommander. "Place two Drhazi Dameuns outside the wing, and report back to the bridge. Keep our guests stalled. We need to get some answers."

The SubCommander left, leaving the doctor, medical droids, and the Commander of the <I>Deimos</I> in the room.

Commander Aragon got a good look at the young woman and she abruptly opened her eyes. She was now awake, and began to mumble. The medic made polite doctor noises, automatically checked the patient's vitals, then raised an eyebrow at his superior.

"Relax, you are safe now," he whispered. "I am Commander Sim Aragon of the <I>Deimos</I>, a ship of the Black Dragon Empire. We found your ship and towed it in. You have been rescued and you are recovering fine." He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Can you speak? We would like to know who you are?"

She was trying to struggle off of the table, but the sedative or whatever it was they'd given her kept her in place. Lilaena started cursing in Huttese, the only words she'd bothered to learn in the alien language, her voice still hoarse and painful. She was still trying to speak as the drug they'd given her knocked her out.

Abruptly her eyes blinked open, curses still on her lips, and she noticed that the doctor had been joined by another, more powerful man. The doctor murmured something soothing as he leaned over her and checked her vitals. She could feel the man's breath on her neck, and she trembled with sudden fear.

The uniformed man stepped closer as the doctor moved away. "Relax, you are safe now," he whispered. "I am Commander Sim Aragon of the Deimos, a ship of the Black Dragon Empire. We found your ship and towed it in. You have been rescued and you are recovering fine." Aragon put his hands behind his back, but he still appeared as one who was used to having people obey him.

"Can you speak? We would like to know who you are?"

She didn't want to speak, didn't want to let anyone know who she was, least of all this man on this ship. Her lips didn't feel quite as dry as they had earlier, before they'd put her under. She licked her lips, and forced her green eyes to meet his. "I was," she rasped, "a bodyguard for... a Hutt of no importance... There was an accident..."

Blades flashed in the sunlight as she battled for her life. The vibroblades that were strapped to her forearms extended out past her fingertips, or would have if her hands were not clenched into fists. With concentration, she caused a Gamorrean's head to simply explode - there was a cloud of red mist where beady eyes and a snout had once been.

She parried and slashed, catching a vibroaxe on her own blade and turning it aside before spinning and removing an arm from it's wielder. She could hear the delighted laughter of her former employer, Shadra the Hutt, as Lilaena fought off five Weequays at once. There really was nothing like a good arena fight, even if it wasn't happening in her arena.

The Hutt's small arms patted her swelling belly - even larger than usual because she'd decided it was time for her heir to be formed. The slave on her dias, a terrified young male human, got to his feet and removed himself to the other side, hiding from the violence that faced him. Shadra only chuckled, and continued to watch the woman fight for her life.

It was only fitting, after all, for the girl had proven herself in the arena in the first place. And now, for her death in Shadra's own audience chamber... it hadn't been planned, but it was terribly exciting. Lilaena ducked a vicious axe swing that might have decapitated her, and charged arms first into the soft part of the Weequay's belly. The vibroblades esvicerated him, entrails and bile spilling onto the stone flooring.

"...the Hutt died, they said it was my fault..."

Lilaena jumped up onto the dias. "This is all your fault, you daughter of slugs!" She spun the vibroaxe in her hands, watching the Hutt's orange eyes dilate in sudden uncertaintly. "You doublecrossed me!"

The Hutt chuckled then, waving aside her henchmen as they stood ready to take down the bodyguard. "Da hoonta va moonu bakk tronchu... no saan va mundo."

"The great Shadra the Hutt says, 'You were a good bodyguard, but too trusting." The translator droid trembled as Lilaena's green eyes focused on it. She returned her gaze to the huge, slobbering Hutt laying on the dias.

"Then consider this my resignation." Lilaena hefted the vibroaxe threateningly.

Shadra only laughed. She spoke in Huttese between chuckles, and the droid translated. "She says, 'It is too late, your people are already here to collect you.'"

The woman turned her head as the doors to the audience chamber opened, revealing the one who had been training her. The one who she hated the most. He was accompanied with ten troopers, all armed with blaster rifles. Shadra clapped her little hands with glee as the droid continued to translate. "'I never would have hired you if I had known there was such a rich bounty on your head.'"

"Obviously you didn't do your homework." Lilaena thumbed the ultrasonic vibrations of the axe on, and sunk it into the Hutt's throat.

"...please... some water please..." she coughed hoarsely.

Koril waited anxiously as his communication officer received a flurry of transmissions. Though he couldn't here them, the tone signaled to him that something was out of whack. The communcations officer, a scrawny Rodian, turned and to relay the message to Koril verbatim. Koril didn;t usully have trouble understanding rodian, but the communication officer seemed to be excited, and was blazing along at about 500 words a minute in his singsong like voice. Why that paticular Rodian was communications officer was beyond Koril, like many of the things his employers did. Still, he was able to get the gist of the message.

This is BDE space. We realize you border us, but that doesn't really matter. If you know whats good for you, you'll turn you little tin can around while you can still do so under your own power. Oh, and by the way, we are a lot more advanced then you- and a hell of a lot smarter, so don't try anything.

That was it in essence. In relaity it was said a lot more diplomtically, and much more subtly, but the message was there. Koril was no man's fool (though he could't say the same thing about Hutts). BDE didn't like people snooping around their territory. The Hutts usually respected that, leaving the border area even more porus than the other areas the Hutt's "controlled". Koril knew why too.... the energy readings on thta BDE craft were downright scary.

The Nat Gruda was a good ship. Only a little over 300 meters, she packed an inordinate amount of whallop for a ship of that size, boosting over 40 turbolasers and an assortment of other weapons. Of course, all that firepower meant little room or energy for much else. The Kaloth's shielding system was infamously weak. The vessel could threw a few good punches, but like a pretender in a heavyweight shockboxing arena, would collapse when the champion landed a few solid blows.

Koril realized he had a problem. Deep down, he knew that the damaged snubfighter the BDE vessel had pulled in was the one they were looking for. (Trust his luck to have it make it all the way out here AND get found by a BDE vessel.) If BDE decided that they wanted to keep the fighter and its pilot, then there was going to be a serious problem. Barring a miracle, Koril wasn't going to be able to forcibly take the girl from BDE. Even if he could knock out the BDE ship, the dragons would quickly dispatch reinforcements, and that quickly became a game that the Hutts, as powerful as they were, couldn't play.

But if he didn't get the girl back- it sufficed to say Koril couldn't go back to Nal Hutta and expect to remain breathing.

Damned if he did, damned if he didn't.

Chewing unconsiously at the end of his lekku, Koril decided one last gasp effort had to be made, before he started really desperate measures.

"Signal the BDE ship. Tell them we are tracking a fugative, and would like to send a envoy over to inspect whomever they have just captured. "

Then Koril added, his eyes twinkling.

"And tell them that the Hutts will reward them handsomely for their assitance in capturing the fugative."

Commander Aragon nodded to one of the medical droids and a pitcher of water was quickly summoned. Sim patted the young woman's shoulder. "Just relax, young one," he comforted. "You are safe and secure aboard our ship. No harm will come to you."

<I>So this woman</i> did<i> work for the Hutts... it explains the Kaloth that arrived from their space.</i>

The doctor glanced at the IV pumps. The drug canister on one apparantly was the all-purpose sedative cocktail to keep patients quieted. The other was Morpidine, a powerful painkiller that was in every combat medical kit. Every soldier in the BDE knew about it.

The doctor approached to lean closer to the woman. "Your vital signs are improving. Once you have regained your strength, we will transfer you to a recovery room. For now, you need to rest." The droid returned with a pitcher and glass. Water was then poured and offered to the woman. It was an opportune moment for the medic to turn to his superior officer.

"I suggest you let her rest first, then begin your questioning later," he insisted. "She is too much in trauma to really be of any use to you."

Aragon glanced up at the IV pump and sighed. "Very well, I will be in the bridge. Advise me the moment she is conscious and on her feet. Somehow, she is connected to that ship out there." He stepped away and exited the medical wing.

Sim stepped aboard the low-lighted bridge as SubCommander Sirtek held his position by the tactical readouts. He looked over at him. "Commander, I've got our engineers poking around those computer cores we salvaged from the Headhunter. The damage was pretty extensive, but they think data can be extracted from it. I've ordered them to report anything from their progress."

Aragon nodded. "Status of our guests?" The Commander stepped behind the navigation officer and ran his fingers through his dark, close-cropped hair as he studied the displays.

"We've send them a message, Commander," the comm officer replied. "They have responded their intrusion into our space was because of a fugitive hunt."

He looked up to his superior. "They wish to send an envoy and see about the guest we have detained. They also offer a substantial reward for the capture of said fugitive."

Sirtek stepped up beside him. "It could be a trap. Doesn't sound like the Hutts' style."

Aragon snorted. "Patch me through. Encrypted channel only."

Sim stepped onto the holopad and straightened his black tunic. He turned and a small holoprojection appeared in the middle of the bridge, displaying a Twil'lek with a sleazy look on his face.

"This is Commander Sim Aragon of the <I>Deimos</I>, a strike cruiser of the Black Dragon Empire," he announced. "We have sent you one warning already for intruding into our space. This fugitive you are looking for better be worth the price of your lives if you don't satisfy me with the answers I want."

He clasped his hands behind his back. "Indeed, we have obtained a passenger who crossed over into our space. If you can describe this person and their crimes, perhaps I may consider an envoy to be sent over.

"But... If you are here to attempt any kind of intelligence mission, then consider yourselves prisoners of the Imperium..."

A man ina black tunic suddenly was beamed into the Kaolth's old holo-projection unit.

"This is Commander Sim Aragon of the Deimos, a strike cruiser of the Black Dragon Empire," he announced. "We have sent you one warning already for intruding into our space. This fugitive you are looking for better be worth the price of your lives if you don't satisfy me with the answers I want"

Koril's worried demanor melted away, to be replaced by a sly smile. Despite his rough manner, the BDE captain meant business. And he was at least going to give Koril a chance.

" Gracious, Commander, I am pleased you have deemed me worthy for an audience."

Koril had no problem laying heavy on the honorifics and compliments. Working fo a Hutt had turned it into second nature.

"I bid you greetings from his humble majesty Plurga the Lesser."

Hopefully Plurga would never find out he had been decribed as humble, as that itself was tantamount to a slap in the face of an hutt.

"Plurga has tasked me with finding a certain human female, who is guilt of murder of Shadra the Hutt. Her actions were despicible, and unprovoked. She is a menace and must be dealt with for the good of the galaxy."

Koril knew full well that the Hutts had much different reasons for wanting Lilaena, and the BDE commander probably knew it, but they were best left unstated.

"If you would be so kind as to allow me to visit your ship, so that I can positvly identify her, I would be most thankful."

A man in a black tunic suddenly was beamed into the Kaolth's old holo-projection unit.

"This is Commander Sim Aragon of the Deimos, a strike cruiser of the Black Dragon Empire," he announced. "We have sent you one warning already for intruding into our space. This fugitive you are looking for better be worth the price of your lives if you don't satisfy me with the answers I want"

Koril's worried demanor melted away, to be replaced by a sly smile. Despite his rough manner, the BDE captain meant business. And he was at least going to give Koril a chance.

" Gracious, Commander, I am pleased you have deemed me worthy for an audience."

Koril had no problem laying heavy on the honorifics and compliments. Working fo a Hutt had turned it into second nature.

"I bid you greetings from his humble majesty Plurga the Lesser."

Hopefully Plurga would never find out he had been decribed as humble, as that itself was tantamount to a slap in the face of an hutt.

"Plurga has tasked me with finding a certain human female, who is guilt of murder of Shadra the Hutt. Her actions were despicible, and unprovoked. She is a menace and must be dealt with for the good of the galaxy."

Koril knew full well that the Hutts had much different reasons for wanting Lilaena, and the BDE commander probably knew it, but they were best left unstated.

"If you would be so kind as to allow me to visit your ship, so that I can positvly identify her, I would be most thankful."