<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dravin was already very close to the hangars, he had used the Force to hasten his return to the ship. From the noise and commotion behind him, Dravin knew his master had done something unnecessary again. He hoped Rusty wasn't letting his impatience get the better of him. Dravin looked back and saw Rusty yelling into the forest.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Master, I am over here!" <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> he shouted.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Rusty took Cairo's hand again, as he exited the forest.

"That kid...I swear...he's gonna get himself into trouble one of these days."

Rusty walked briskly, in a hurry to return to the hangars. He and Cairo caught up with Dravin and Rusty glared at him.

"Dravin. You need to not run off so much. If a Sith Lord were to attack, what would you do? The Sith always target those weaker than themselves. And if something happened to you, it would not please me, obviously. Not to mention that the Rogue Council would have my head. Do not let it happen again. Now come along."

Jerusha smiled at his thoughtful offer. "I'd love to come, but let's ask Rusty first. I don't relish the thought of getting you in trouble."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dravin sighed as he walked along side Rusty and Cairo to the hangar bay.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"I've been beside you, and following you for along time. I got the feeling that you wanted to me explore, so I decided to isolate myself for a while and practice using the Force. If a Sith were to attack me, he or she would have underestimated my abilities."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> As they entered the hangar, Dravin walked over to a small crate in the corner and picked up a backpack. He hoisted it over his shoulder and returned to Rusty's side.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Also I wasn't playing hero. I had a plan, and I could have handled it myself, without damage to the forest."

Cairo had kept kinda quiet throughtout all of this....cm'on, what is there to say when being picked up off your feet, carried/ran through a forest, and then lead around by the hand while your love-interest scolds his padawan? Not much...not to complain, that is.

She spotted Jerusha and Tec by Rusty's ship and wondered if there'd be yet <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> another<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> passanger...this was turning out to be a grab-a-girl-and-go trip. Not that she minded, maybe getting to know Jerusha on this trip---not to mention, Rusty, as well---might be fun.

Rusty looked harshly at Dravin.

"That forest is fairly new to Dellalt, Dravin. My cutting down 4 or 5 trees did not do that much damage, I assure you."

Rusty looked up, noticing Jerusha at the ship as well. He pointed toward the YT, still scolding Dravin.

"Get on board."

Rusty put an arm around Cairo, smiling at her as Dravin trekked off.

"Looks like we got another passenger."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dravin looked at his master, but decided not to push it. Rusty thought he was a little brash or reckless, but it served another purpose for him.

As he walked towards the ship, he couldn't help but think of the Ghests. With Rusty's different approach upon the situation, the Ghests could take the humans as new predators within the forest, or worse still, a viable food source. Dravin would have to deal with that when he returns from the trip.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Rusty approached the ship, stopping in front of Tec and Jerusha. He pulled his robes over his head. Dusk was approaching, and it was getting cool. He turned to Tec, then to Jerusha, his smile concealed by his robes.

"Let me guess. Jerusha, you'd like to join us as well. That's not a bad idea. We could use the extra company, one more person never hurts."

Rusty turned to Tec, his hood still concealing his grin as he walked aboard The Defender.

"And Tec, lets try to keep your hormones at bay this time, shall we."

Rusty was still grinning as he proceeded up the ramp, pausing behind the pilot's chair. He ran his hand over the old leather, remembering his days of flying the old girl. She was a good ship, and despite previous situations, she was indeed quite reliable in her age. Rusty felt, and the midi-chloreans reassured him, that this time, with the work done by Cairo, she'd do just fine. Rusty took a seat, behind the pilots chair, and sat quietly, enjoying his memories.

Cairo had paused at the ramp to say hello to Jerusha and Tec, and then entered the ship. She glanced towards the cockpit and saw Rusty deep in thought...she decided to go back to the lounge area and kill time there.

She walked into the lounge-ish area...<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Maybe I should have mentioned the new addition<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, she thought with a smirk. "The new addition" was an up-to-date sabacc table and mini-droid-dealer. If she was going to go on this trip, she knew she'd get bored once and awhile, and a good game of sabacc was her fav pastime---besides working on ships.
Then she had a afterthought...with rusty around....maybe this trip wouldnt get boreing at all...

She slide down into a bucket-seat-styled chair at the sabacc table and leaned back in it, wondering when this trip was going to get underway...

Tec grinned at Jerusha, and then shouldered his bags. "Well, I think that may very well be possible, after I hit him for saying that out loud." Tec laughed quietly and then walked with Jerusha onto the ship. He flashed a grin at Cairo, and she returned it and he said, "I may come back and join you in a game of sabaac in a while." Then he went up to the cockpit, sat down, and set the coordinates and prepared for take-off as Jerusha and the others got settled in.