Aboard the shuttle, Tyscio heard the comment but let it pass until everyone was safely back aboard the Judicator.

The travel time between Providence and Capricia would be a few hours...

"Can't believe you are doing what exactly?" Tyscio asked, holding two glasses of warm liquid...handing one to her.

He was in some pajama like clothing, his hair wet from washing the grime of Providence off him in a nice hot shower.

His bare feet slapped against the duralsteel floor as he walked down the hall of the Caprician Star Destroyer, trying not to spill anything on his way from the mess.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Ship's floor is cold as ice...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Leia knew what Tyscio was referring to, and she remained silent. She was a few paces behind Tyscio, following him to... well, she didn't quite know where they were going or why. Not that she cared, really. Any place was some place better than nowhere.

As if just noticing Tyscio was actually waiting for a reply to his question, Leia began to fumble for an answer. She wasn't even really sure why that thought had come to mind earlier, and even less sure of why she had voiced it.

"I... don't know, just..."

She trailed off and shook her head.

"It's nothing. I don't even know why I said it." There was a hint of wryness in her voice, but she really didn't want to pursue the subject, preferring at the moment to look ahead into the rather near future.

A little bubble of curiosity nudged itself into her mind.

"Where are we going?"

She glanced down at the glass in her hand.

"...and what are you feeding me?"

This brought an involuntary grin to her face. Out of all questions, she sure tended to ask those two the most nowadays...

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Bonadan<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> VC-HQ...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->




<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...No!?! DAMN IT!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


*..Yana swung round to see the three security Guards run towards her, grabbing all the files she could, she instinctively ran to behind Vinda's desk, pulling out a small blaster as she did so, and fired. killing one of the guards instantly.
One of the Guards, a tall burly Correlian, shouted towards her, "Stay where you are!..."
( and the other drew his blaster).
Yana looked helplessly towards him, then at the other who was guarding the exit ,then relented, briefly glancing up at the security camera...her eyes desperate....she threw the gun onto the floor, lifting up her hands...

The Correlian Guard moved cautiously towards her , while the other covered him with his blaster...retrieving some handcuffs from his belt in one hand, the Guard inched forward to try to reach for her left arm to restrain her, with the other...
Yana looked around in desperation for something that could help her...*

"..now listen up!, you try that again, I'll shoot you myself!.."

*Suddenly A small alert sounded, the noise seemed to make everyone jump and just for a second distracted both the guards as they swung around in its direction...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...my Comm-link!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


*In her hurry Yana had left her comm-link on-top of the Cabinet where she had been only moments before. She saw her chance, surging into the Correlian almost head first, her momentum took the Guard completely by surprise, and sent the Guard flying off balance into the Cabinet.
As she lunged past the floored guard, she grabbed the nearest thing to hand, which just happened to be Vinda's priceless Antique Cigarra Ashtray....
She threw it towards the other guard striking him square on the head, and as he reeled in pain , almost in reaction, he shot at her missing her by barely inches...
...Yana made a rush for the door....striking the door switch repeatedly out of impatience...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...got to reach the stairs!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*The beleagured Correlian security Guard got up , just in time to see the Woman trying for the door, unholstering his Blaster, the Guard fired...

.. Yana cried out in pain and terror as the Guard's shot hit her square in the back, sending her sprawling to the floor in agony, the nerve-splitting pain engulfed her entire body...her eyes could see the end of the corridor , and she reached for it, arms outstreched , as if in a vain attempt to bring her exit closer ....trying to scream aloud, Yana mouthed the words
...but nothing came from her but silence....


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...NO!?!....<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

...and the last thing Yana heard before she lost conciousness, was the voice of the guard behind her......*



"..why don't they ever frellin listen!..."

Bonadan

VC-HQ...

Miles had stood in the security room, watching the scene fall into place through its whole entirety. Rather than make the woman suffer anymore than she already was suffering, Miles placed a communications link to the guards that now held her at her place, requesting that they keep her there until he arrived.

He wasted no time getting to Vinda's office. He wasn't able to keep tabs on the room, so he needed to get to Vinda's office rather quickly.

After eight or so minutes, Miles found himself at Vinda's door leading into his office, he caught the woman's gaze first before anyone else's, looking into her eyes.

"Your eyes...when I looked into them in the corridor, I saw suspicion held within them. Now they just hold pain, and they hold trouble."

He walked into the room, keeping his eyes on Yana.

"Mind telling me just who you are...You're obviously not knew here, you seem to know your way around here.."

Both of his eyebrows narrowed inward.

"..and very well, might I add. After that, you can explain to me just why you went into Mr. Vinda's office and what you're looking for."

He reached out with his right arm, not looking behind him as he did, and closed the door behind him. Backing up, he pressed his back against the door. Reaching with his left hand this time, he locked the door. He then placed his arms in front of him, folding his hands together.

"You're very lucky that Mr. Vinda is not here to catch all this. Though that's probably what allowed you to make a move, isn't it?..Who are you?"

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Bonadan...<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Mr Vinda's Office...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->




<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...Frelling Stun guns!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


*...Yana looked up towards Miles, still bleary eyed, but she did her best to focus on him...*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ..still better than being dead....I suppose...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*..Yana slowly, and painfully rose to her feet...*

" I am Mr Vinda's secretary, I just had some last minute work to do, when the Guards came, they scared me, I thought they were going to kill me, and I panicked...I'm sorry...I ...didn't mean to kill the Guard..."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...say nothing Yana...say nothing...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*She watched as Miles picked up some of the files she had taken from the once-secured cabinet, browsing through them...and her eyes widened...*

"..er...theres nothing important there, just some old maintainence reports...."

*Miles picked another file up from the floor, as he did,
a set of blueprints fell out...


...Blueprints for Bonadan's Planetary shield...


...Yana's face sank...*



<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ..FRELL!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Capricia<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Hyperspace Reversion..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->




*Vinda-Corp's Core fleet exited Hyperspace ,and seconds later The small band of ships that had broken off from the fleet before, under Vinda's instruction , joined them...

Vinda, in his chair from the Bridge, watched the scene onscreen, observing the Mass of ships that seemed to surround Capricia, it was difficult to distuingish between which were Caprician and those that were not...

..Vinda gestured for Omar's attention...*

"...secure a freqeuncy, and hail them..."

*Omar nodded, and patched the transmission through the ASD system that Vinda-corp had given to the Capricians...*

"...This is Seth Vinda of the Vinda Corporation , we are here to aid, what is your Status?..."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...To the point I suppose....<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*..As they awaited an answer, Vinda's face grew serious..*

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...Here we go again!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"..position the fleet, defensive formation, get the fast ships to protect our flank, and get those battle dragons up front...I want them to smother anything that gets near...divide them into squads of three..."

*..No sooner had Vinda issued the commands, than it was done...Omar looked up at Vinda expectantly...*

"...and Hold..."

*Omar's face seemed to drop....*

"Sir we should move in quickly, and help!..."

*...Vinda turned his chair round to face Omar, and focused his attention onto the captain...*

"...I am not committing this fleet until I know what we are up against, Look out there!,
(Vinda pointed to the battle onscreen),
...to differentiate between whats hostile and what isn't seems to me, almost nigh impossible!
Not to mention they could be in the action of something critical, we can not afford to rush in, timing in this instance is imperative, no!, we wait for them to respond, then we'll know what they need...."

*Omar's face gave away his thoughts...*

"...what if they can't Sir?..."

*Vinda, glanced to the screen then back towards Omar, and replied, his tone implying the discussion was over...*

"...They will ..."

*Turning his chair back round to face the screen , Vinda's eye's narrowed as he watched the battle in progress...*



<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...they will...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"You can put on that inscrutible Jedi Master's face as much as possible but sooner or later your woman's curiosity will get the better of you..." he waxed philosophically and turned to give her a grin.

Gesturing toward the cup (now in her hand), "Why? You don't trust me?"

Due to his being a male, he didn't quite understand her bringing up a comment only to not want to talk about it. However, his "maleness" allowed him to satisfy himself with the universal conclusion that it was a "woman thing" and better left unfigured out.

Watching her hold her cup warily, he nudged, "Couldn't be worried about it being fattening..those Jedi robes you like to walk around in can hide quite a bit.."

Leia's eyes shot daggers at him though without malice... (at least he thought).

"..And, my good princess, as for where we are going? It's a surprise."

He took a sip of his drink and gave a sigh of satisfaction and warmth.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> This Caprician Destroyer <!--EZCODE BOLD START--> is<!--EZCODE BOLD END--> cold..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Tyscio's bare feet continued to slap against the floor as they progressed through hall to hall, sometimes acknowledging passersby with nods.

After a while, his voice became almost wistful, "You know, it's strange... I feel so.." (grasping for words), "distanced..disassociated from everything it sometimes is scares me. My inability to remember anything past Almania except vague images leaves me feeling like a ship navigating hyperspace without maps."

The rounded a corner.

"I do care about people.... I care whether they live or die...but I don't feel the intense nationalism that other Capricians feel. I mean, that is evident in the fact that I live on Naboo and not Capricia.

I've been seeing things," he smiled ruefully, "I hesitate to call them visions for I am not a religious person..but perhaps they are flashes of insight."

His voice trailed off..

"You know.. it's hard to know what to think anymore.."

Then he smiled and shivered. "Those heated armor suits would come in handy about now.. too bad they were destroyed. At least that is what an attendant told me."


He felt Leia's countenance suddenly drop, as if remembering something.

A door parted and they walked into a darkened room, lit only by the hyperspace tunnel staring back in front of them in all it's glory. It was as if a large moon had suddenly cast it's soft light into the room and Tyscio moved over to the forward plexiglass window. The room was warm and comfortable.

"At least the environmental controls are working here.."

They were on an observation deck, the soft light throwing shadows as the patterns and direction seemed to change outside.

The sight was mesmerizing to say the least, and Tyscio put a hand up on the large plexiglass window.

"I think this design was a good idea.. I come here when I seek some type of inner peace.." He turned to Leia and put his hands in the pockets of his light slacks, "A place where everything seems right for a change.."

Despite the noticeably warmer climate Leia still found herself wrapping her arms tightly about her stomach, it had almost become a second nature of security in the dull yet anxious lull between two catastrophic events in a long story.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...a place where everything seems right...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> Tyscio was saying.

She allowed her gaze to become lost within the mottled and brilliant turbulence of hyperspace.

She recalled long hours of doing just the same thing in the past. She foresaw many more hours in the future.

"I would say it's effective, because that's exactly what my brain is like right now... something to identify with, perhaps"

She averted her gaze from the viewport, found herself staring fixedly at the floor again.

Preoccupied, and finding she had no taste for whatever was in the glass at the moment, she set it down on a nearby table.

She was aware that Tyscio was still watching her, and she turned to meet his gaze.

"Right now I doubt I could bear to set myself at or seek peace, even a temporary peace. Too much on my mind."

She blinked suddenly, as if surprised.

"Well, I guess in my own roundabout way I've vaguely answered your earlier question..."

Now it was her turn to do the asking. Hers was not a very 'safe' question to ask.

Yet, 'safe' was not the issue here. Nothing in this system was 'safe'.

"What happened back there, in the hospital? They brought that poor mutated... boy in, and... I dare say you took a stumble."

Her head tilted to one side and she squinted at him.

"And now... you're different somehow... I can feel the difference. Yes, everything everywhere has changed, including myself, and I feel that too. But you..."

She trailed off, almost for effect.

"Are different..."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ...are different Tyscio..


But, Hespante.. I am third. What difference I have will ultimately amount to nothing...for I can do...nothing.

My brothers will handle the Nephys... to them will go the glory.. and I will drift into obscurity without a care..

Tyscio! Open your eyes!

(silence)

The Nephys have been with us for generations.. Generations!!

Changes are coming...and if you cannot change with them, then nothing.. NOTHING will be preserved.....and all this..(gestures grandly)...all this will be wiped away..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->



"Different?" even the mere word sounded distasteful, but there she sat..probing.... asking something he himself had no sure answer of.


What did he read in her? It was hard, for as she asked her quesitons, her emotions became cloaked with a veil of intent and direct curiosity.


Tsycio Korban was the epitome of disarm. With his shadow of a smile, soft, flimsy clothing, bare feet, and air of nonchalance he projected an image of absolutely no threat.


His eyes, though...his eyes registered a tired gaze ...


"Yes.... I feel different."

Suddenly, anything and everything he was detecting or feeling from the force was void....as if he had taken a jump into a dark hole with no end in sight..


..only to have his awareness replaced by something <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> else<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->.


Suddenly, it was as if everything else had taken on an extra invisible layer of texture in his mind... a texture he could shape.. mold.... project..

Part of his mind tried to reach back within himself to pull out his force awareness but as even the most minute action was taken, he felt a sharp pain in his mind.


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> This feels...natural....and yet.. so divorced from the force I don't know what it is..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


He turned to gaze back out into the hyperspacial lights and as he did so, Tyscio's glass shot out of his hand and smashed against a far wall in a matter of seconds..


<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Almost like what that little boy coud do...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->


The act was so sudden that Leia nearly jumped.


"I don't know..." he whispered.... "But I can tell you... it scares me.."

<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> Location Unknown<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Hyperspace Reversion...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->




*..The embattled, barely intact Victory Class Destroyer, limped out of hyperspace...

Its suffering crew , had narrowly escaped complete destruction from the Vong, and had managed a desperate last ditch attempt to launch into Hyperspace...it had worked..

At both a huge gamble and a price however, the ship was indeed on its last legs, severely in need of repairs, one third of the crew had been killed, and there was something else,
the navicomp was close to fried.
In fact it had been a miracle that it had managed to steer them safely to this point.....

That was before it had shutdown completely, causing premature reversion and ultimately leaving all onboard stranded...

...wherever they were, they were flying blind...

A tired dishevelled Richter tried his best to study the view given on the flickering unstable screen - display, his eyes searching for something familiar, a landmark...

...anything...

Although they had indeed escaped certain death, Richter was not counting his blessings, yet, they needed to land, to repair, Medicine supplies, and basic food rations, all were running out...they coudn't even radio for help, as the communications array had been decimated....

Then..something caught his eye...*

"...THERE!..."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> A Planet!...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

*He studied it, there was nothing outwardly special about it, a swirling mass of brown and amber...yet to these tired eyes it was a beautiful sight....

...Richter sighed, as he couldn't help but feel a huge wave of relief engulf what seemed like his whole being....
Turning around to face Tellum , Richter spoke, his voice clearly husky and drawn....*

"...set a trajectory for that planet....how far is it?..."

*..Tellum shifted slightly, as he tried to gauge the computations...*

"..I'm not sure sir, due to powerloss and engine failure, our sublight engines are operating at one step above drifting...but at this course and heading , I estimate about 2 days sir...though due to our long-range scanner failures we can't be sure it supports life...and with our navicomp down...well...
..we could be anywhere....."

*Richter read the cautiousness in Tellum's voice...and sighed as he glanced back towards the planet onscreen...*

"...very true, Tellum, very true, but short of a miracle we don't have any other options....do we?..."

*Tellum, simply nodded slowly and proceeded with the task of setting the course and heading....

Richter yawned, and felt himself almost drop into sleep, he was tired, so tired...and as he looked down at the damage reports and supply alerts...he sunk back into his chair...*



<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> ....I think we have used up all our miracles...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->