Admit it Asri...this was not one of your brighter ideas. She thought as she tore around another corner, narrowing missing getting peppered with hot blaster fire. Not only was she not able to fight all those men behind her straight on, but she had no idea where she was going! I could be about to run into Miknak himself! She thought, the memory of his warning to her on Nar Shadda all too clear in her head.

The only reason she even kept the armor on at this point was that it protected her from the few shots that had hit her so far. Besides it's not likely she would have time to strip it off anyway and she seriously doubted they would wait patiently while she took it off. She wanted to pick them off by taking ambush positions, but they were too close on her heels to have time to set one up. So she was stuck just running, turning randomly in hopes of losing them and so far that wasn't working.

Then her luck just got worse when she turned a corner to face a whole fresh group of mercs and they immediately trained their guns on her. "Oh Skrag..." She cursed, trapped with no where to go.

WARNING! SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED! The station computer screamed suddenly. The mercs instantly 'forgot' about her, thinking of their own survival as they immediately started running for the escape pods.

"Guess Lavality got to the Core...but did she set that or Miknak?" She muttered. Asri knew she couldn't just stand here and debate that, as she had to get back to the ship fast!

~~~

Trazu's nerves were tense the whole time Lavality was doing her hacking thing, all his senses alert for any guards that may interrupt them. He did sense a large group of something outside one of the doors, but that disappeared quickly after Lavality locked the pad, though he got the feeling it was due to something else other then the pad getting locked. When the self destruct warning shouted and they opened that door, Trazu recognized Asri's handiwork as Lavality did and it worried him.

Kazuk Asri...I told you to stay on the ship. He thought as they raced down the cooridors. He wanted to track her down and make sure she was alright, but they just didn't have time. He could only hope she was able to make her own way back to the ship.

It was then one of those mercs slammed into him from a side passage. With a growl Trazu raised his saber, about to strike.

"Trazu! It's mo! Asri!" The 'merc' screamed in Clan dialect, holding up her hands.

"Asri!?" Trazu gasped in disbelief as the albino ripped the helmet off. "Don't scare me like that! And what do you think you are doing running around in that get up!?"

"No time to explain we got to ge to the ship." Asri said as she took off after Lavality. "And you missy shouldn't be running on that leg!" Before she could protest, Asri scooped Lavality up in her arms. "Just tell me which way to go."

Trazu just shook his head with a sigh and ran after them.

Lavality was geniuingly surprised, but at the same time was slightly at peace with what had just occured. She wanted to say that she was just fine and could take care of herself but something nagged at her and caused her to not say that, she pointed the way for Asri and before long they managed to get back to the ship

When they got onboard the ship the leader of Gold Squadron, Shariean, had been talking with Maskis this whole time. Lavality had limped her way into the cockpit. "Shariean, clear a path for us."

~Wait.. your flying?!~

The answer to that question came when Lavality sealed the ramp, but not before six of the security guards ran on board, Maskis had trained his rifle but Lavality's words caused him to lower it, apperently these guards where the main reason they hadn't encountered any resistance on the way back

She blew through the hanger bay doors using the shuttle's weaponary, then out into space and away from the station.

~Two Aegis behind us, along with four prowlers~

Lavality snarled. "Hand on!" she yelled and dove for an asteroid then quickly rounding in a semi-loop, the first prowler mimiced her move but the second one got splattered across the asteroid

She then spun the shuttle around and inside an asteroid, two captured tie's from the asteroid base's own defense group tried to follow her but either the pilots where wookie's or they just couldn't see the side of the asteroid, for they became nothing more than debrie

When the shuttle flew out of the asteroid the two Aegis where still on her, Lavality mentally glanced backward then back forward.

Miknak is on board one of those Aegis Kasyyyk said and shook her said, although Lavality couldn't see that. I suggest we jump, not sure where, but jump. If Miknak get's ahold of you or Asri, it could spell trouble for both the Trandoshan's and Serendivus.

"I know I know!" Lavality shouted loudly, not even realizing she had actually 'said' it instead of mentally saying it. A second after she shook blaster fire littered space in front of her, that prowler had caught up with them and was laying down a field of fire, she grinned wickedly and reversed the shuttle thrust, then used a nearby asteroid, she spun around it and soon came up behind the prowler, the way it moved told her that the bridge crew had gotten rather confused on where she had gone

The grin got bigger when she activiated the shuttle's confusion missiles and fired four of them at the prowler, then opened up on with a few well placed blaster shots that tore a hole in the side of her hull, at this range shields be damned. The concusion missiles flew into the breach and detonated, taking half the prowler with them, the other half which held the bridge floated lazingly in space

She looked to her left and saw Gold Squadron. "Make a jump to Naboo, we must regroup." Lavality said and soon hit the shuttle's hyper-drive, a second later the shuttle jumped

What Lavality hadn't seen before was an interdictor that had jumped just five minutes before they had.

Asri was trying to take the armor off, but Lavality's flying was sending her stumbling all over the place. Trazu was having just as much trouble and during one particularly sharp turn, ended up crashing right into her, sending them both to the floor.

"Erm..." Trazu blushed when he realized he had end up on top of her. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Asri said with a sigh. "At this rate we are safer laying down anyway. Remind me to ban Lavality from flying..."

"No need...I intend to ban her from it myself." He layed his head on her chest, letting himself relax. "Oh I missed this sort of thing..."

Asri giggled. "Save it for the bed snuggle puff." She said. "I think it's safe to stand up again. Feels like we just entered hyperspace."

"Awww...do I have to get up?"

She giggled again and pushed him off before pulling herself to a seated position and started working on getting that armor off again. Before she knew it Trazu was behind her and had wrapped his arms around her waist. "I was worried you wouldn't find your way back to the shuttle in time." He said softly. "What possessed you to go running about?"

"I was bored and saw an opportunity." Asri explained as she tried her best to remove the rest of the armor without dislodging him. "Good thing I did too, as there were eleven mercs right at that central core door. Well...there would have been sixteen, but I took a few out before we got to the door."

"That...would have made things difficult for us." Trazu admitted. "Still...that was a big risk you took."

"I know. I'm sorry I worried you."

Trazu simply sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck with his snout. Asri sighed and leaned into him. They would have stayed that like for some time, if the shuttle didn't suddenly jerk and throw them to the floor once again.

"What the skrag was that?" Trazu said.

"I don't know...but that didn't sound like a normal hyperspace exit. It's far too soon to exit anyway."

The pair rushed to the cockpit and neither liked what they saw.

Lavality slammed forward just as the shuttle came out of hyperspace abruptly. "What the hell?!" she yelled as she regained her sense's and saw something in front of her. "Shit!" she yelled and hit the shuttles engine's and flew downward, but it wasn't fast enough, the ship infront of her opened up and two turbo laser blasts cut across, taking the port wing and top wing right off, leaving her with only the starboard wing

The shuttle stayed on a course toward the planet in front of her, which she soon realized was Hoth. The door's suddenly opened but she didn't have time to look and just spoke anyway. "Interdictor in orbit, I couldn't get a good look at it so i'm not sure if it was a piriate or someone else, either way we are without directional control's and on a collision course for Hoth. I hope we packed some cold weather gear." Lavality said as she made a vain affort to set a course for the abandoned rebel base, thankfully the shuttles thrusters where still operational so she did manage to get them on a trajectory that would land them 'near' the base, but it would still be a good walk

"I really would like to know who has it in for us." Lavality said as she cluched the controls, trying to keep what remained of the shuttle on course. "Brace for impact!" she yelled as the shuttle broke through the upper atmosphere

Trazu and Asri looked at each other then raced for the nearest seats that had restrants and strapped themselves in. Around them Maskis, the two medics and the guards they brought with them were doing the same. The pair look at each other again, their faces matching equaly worried expressions as the held hands and prepared for the worse.

The impact made their teeth rattle. Then their stomachs lurched as the ship apparently rolled a few times before finally coming to a rest on it's side.

"You know...after this adventure we are on...I think I never fly again." Trazu muttered as he undid his restrant and landed on what used to be the wall of the ship.

"Seconded." Asri said as she did likewise. Around them there were some moans and groans as the rest of the passengers got their senses back in order after that ride.

"You alright?" Trazu asked her.

"A little bruised, but I'm ok." She replied. "You?"

"Same." Trazu down at one of the windows at his feet. "Of all the planets to land on, it had to be Hoth. Not exactly friendly to arid climate loving beings like us."

"Look it this way." One of the guards quiped. "She would blend right in with all the snow."

Asri gave him a look, then socked him right in the face. Trazu winced and shook his head before climbing into the cockpit to make sure Lavality was ok.

"ow...." Lavality said as she righted herself, she had a headache now thanks to the crash. She placed her hand up against her head and noticed that she was bleeding from a head wound, but she ignored the pain and undid the belt, which resulted in her crashing against what was now the deck

That was when Trazu came in, she got back up on both legs and used her hand to keep her up. "Any landing you can walk away from, is a good one." she said and started toward the exit.

She climbed into the crew area, ignoring anything that Trazu might have said to her when she went by him. "Ok.. thankfully we landed near the rebel base, it's possible we can find a working shuttle, I know that the imperials didn't scavenge everything from that base." she said and walked toward the exit, before collasping, Maskis caught her and noticed that she was well out of it. "Looks like the crash did a little more than just bounce her around." He said and put her down

A guard looked around. "Well... if there is a base.. we might as well explore it and try to find an active medical wing."

"Don't bother, her injurie's aren't severe, thankfully. I can't explain it but she is some how healing faster than a normal human, she'll be fine in a few hours." The medic said and soon everyone turned to Trazu and Asri

Trazu felt the uncomfortable weight of all those eyes on him and he could guess what they wanted. Since Lavality was out for the count, 'he' was the most experienced individual on board to lead and a ranger to boot. Looking down at the window again, he shook his head. "There is no way I am stepping out of this ship..." He said.

"But..." One of the guards started to protest but he cut him off.

"I know...I am the most experienced...and a ranger...but there's a few little flaws in that idea of having me find the way to the base. One! My ranger experience lays in temperate and arid climates...not snow covered freezing hell holes. Two! Myself, Asri and Maskis would all freeze our scales off a lot quicker then you mammal types. Why? Cause we are reptiles...you know...cold blooded? I really don't want to become a frozen T'Doshokacle. And lastly, number three...considering we had only planned on visiting nice warm planets, the chances of there being cold weather gear on this scrap heap is practically nil."

"Yet if we stay here, the chances whomever shot us down will find us is that much greater." Asri pointed out. "They may just decide to blow up the rest of the ship rather then risk boarding it. We already know Miknak prefers Lavality to be dead."

"I know that...but even if we did happen to have the right survival gear on board...and that's a big 'if', how would we know which way to go? The chances we wouldn't find shelter before night fall is pretty high and I think we all know that it's only safe to travel outside during the day here."

"We can't stay here either, not for very long. We have no food or other necessities." Asri argued. "You know what 'I' require for food...and I'd rather not end up having to bump of a few passengers..." She glanced at the guards, whom looked at each other nervously.

Maskis thought about this for a few before tapping his claw on the dead console. "The shuttle has two bike's on them, not really made for this type of weather." he said and looked at the guards. "I say we-" he said before hearing a tom-tom outside, he looked out of the jaged remains of the ramp and saw four men approuching. "Hmmm... I thought this place was abandoned.." he said and then grinned. "Buy hey, they have cold weather gear." he said and looked at Asri and Trazu. "How about we... 'releave' them of there gear."

"Sounds like a plan." Asri said with a grin.

A couple of guards relocated the unconscious Lavality out of the way while the rest of them took up ambush positions. The four men soon came aboard, chatting excitedly about what potential loot they could salvage from the wrecked ship.

Seems pirates will set up shop just about anywhere... Trazu thought as the watched them from his hiding place, no question in 'his' mind what they were.

When the group was deep enough in, the trap was sprung and the pirates didn't even know what hit them. In quick order all four of them were unconscious and Trazu intended to kill them once they stripped them of their valuable cold weather gear. Dishonorable yes, but he'd rather not these guys cause any trouble while half their number was away looking for help.

"Ok." Asri said once they had helped themselves to the gear the men wore. "We need to decide who goes out."

"Before we do we should determine exactly what we need." Trazu pointed out. "If the abandoned base is a pirate base now, it may be in our best interests to just steal one of their ships."

Asri nodded in agreement. "So that count's Maskis here as being a 'goer' as he's the only one among us that can pilot...that is conscious anyway."

"Plus o' Maskis seems to be the only one that has any idea where the base is in relation to us." Trazu pointed out.

"Weeelllll...." Asri got a mischievous grin on her face. "We have tracks we can follow now and who's our tracker?"

Trazu, caught with no argeement to get himself out of it, could only say: "Fierfek."

Maskis sighed. "I was afraid you where going to say that." he said and began to put the gear on, thankfully the one he put on was a size bigger than he normally wore. "Those Tontom's should still be out there waiting, I don't think they'll freak to be honest."

"And how do you know?" A guard asked

The trandoshan grinned. "Hoth used to be a place I ..... would smuggle goods to before I got offered up by Fikan to be his right hand man." Maskis said, "The only base here is the one the rebel's abandoned sometime after the imperials attacked."

"I see..." The guard said and took note of that. "Well then... off you go." he said before Maskis grabbed his arm. "Your coming to." he said and the guard sighed

In a few minutes, him and the guard were ready to go. "Well.. lets get going..." he said and looked at Trazu. "You lead the way." he grinned