Kamon yelled angrily at Dakkon.

"What the hell are you doing?! Pull those fighters back in. You can't shoot at him!"

Kamon drew on the Force and reached out to Ren. He felt another unfamiliar presence, but that didn't worry him.

Ren. Don't run. I'm here to help. If you run, I will follow you.

There was no respoonce and the other ship didn't slow. It was going to jump.

What is going on to make you run from me?

Kamon turned to Dakkon.

"I'm leaving. I'll take my fighter and go after him. Don't follow me and don't try and stop me."

He stormed out of the bridge and to the Hnagar. There, he powered up his ship and shot away from the Starhome. He entered the asteroid belt in hot pursuit of the Greyhawk.

The asteroid field, recently created by a passing comet, was small enough for them to escape major damage, and big enough for them to escape the starhome.

Ren's piloting skills, combined with his mastery of the force aided him in plotting the Greyhawk's path through the field.

<font color=lime>"I'm picking up a new signal from the StarHome."

<font color=red>"Another fighter?"

<font color=lime>"Yes, but this one's different.There's something familiar here."


<font color=white>The little freighter strode deeper and deeper into the mouth of the asteroid field. Huge chunks of what was once a great comet now spiralled off in multiple directions, crashing and smashing together, pulverising each other into oblivion.

<font color=lime>"You know Vess, some say that the chances of successfully navigating an asteroid field are seven thousand, three hundred to one." <font color=white>He chuckled.

<font color=red>"Have you ever navigated through an asteroid field?"

<font color=lime>"Oh sure, a million times. . .well, maybe twice. No." <font color=white> He smiled again, giving Vessana some cheerful reasurrance, for what it was worth.


The console in front of Vess began to beep eratically.
<font color=red>"Ren, that fighter is gaining on us rapidly."

<font color=lime>"It's Kamon. He's too stubborn for his own good.Hopefully he won't get himself killed."

<font color=white>Ahead of the ship, two large chunks of the comet were converging on them.

<font color=lime>"I've got an idea. Scan those two asteroids ahead. What are they made of?"

<font color=white>Vess scrambled commands into the computer, while Ren gazed on in deep thought.

<font color=red>"Um . . oxygen . . .nitrogen and large amounts of tibanna gas."

<font color=lime>"Excellent. One my signal, release a batch of proton bombs from the rear bay."

<font color=white>Ren pushed forward on the throttle, taking the GreyHawk to her maximum speed, pushing her above and beyond her limits.

<font color=lime>"Just a little more speed."

<font color=white>The ship hurtled towards the immense asteroids ahead, the gap between them was closing fast.

<font color=lime>"Release the bombs!"

<font color=white>Shooting through between the giant masses of Ice, the greyhawk burst out onto the otherside, escaping with only a minor hull scrape. The proton bombs collided one by one with the asteroid, exploding in a massive firey flash of light.



Kamon winced under the visor of his flight helmet, then looked back on the explosion.

"Ren." He gasped. "no."

<font color=blue>"Come in Kamon." <font color=white>Crackled Dak over the comm. <font color=blue>"We're seeing an enormous explosion back here. What's happening?"

<font color=white>"R . . .Ren's gone."


Onboard the Starhome, Dakkon slumped back into his chair, his eyes locked onto the ball of fire that was rapidly fizzling out.

Dak gulped, ahgast at the events unfolding in front of him.


<font color=blue>"Scan for debris, escape pods, anything!!"

<font color=white>"Sir there's nothing left. If there was it wouldv'e been vapourised in the explosion."



Ren and Vess grabbed each other , hugging and cheering that they had escaped safely from what couldv'e been a rather grisly death.

<font color=lime>"Wait a minute. . . something's wrong." <font color=white>Said Ren, noticing an alarm light flashing.

<font color=lime>"It looks as though we got a little more cooked that I'd thought."

<font color=red>"What?"

<font color=lime>"The rear deflector is totally shot and the engines took quite a whack. We'll need to land and repair the ship. "

<font color=red>"Ren, no!" <font color=white>Insisted Vessana.

<font color=lime>"We can't repair it up here, it's too dangerous. We have to land.


Hmm." <font color=white>Grumbled Ren. <font color=lime>"Bonaden's too far away, besides, we won't be going back there any time soon.

The nearest planet is Roonadan.

Damn, it's far too crowded, they'd spot us in no time.

Wait, one of it's moons, it's rather devoid of technology, but habitable, That'll have to do.

It's a jungle moon, so we won't be noticed."


<font color=white>Placing a hand on Vessana's palm, he looked her in the face.

<font color=lime>"It's ok Vess, we're going to be ok. Trust me."

Dakkon listened with disgust as the Vinda Corporation controller called on him to cease and desist. His eyes narrowed he picked up the comms.

"VC controller, you and your corporation are in violation of Hapes/VC treaty in regards to harbouring of criminals and withholding vital intelligence information in regards to the ongoing terrorist hunt for an attack on the Royal Palace last night.

Don't you dare try to enforce rules when you yourself do not abide by them."

Dakkon hunched over as he slammed the receiver down. His breathing was rapid, his nostrils flared. Kamons ship came on the radar just as there was an explosion from the asteroid field.

"Escort 1 to Star Home, we have registered the craft destroyed. Assuming standard search patterns."

Dakkon shook his head.

"Belay that order, return to hangars. Its gone..."

Any sorrow that might have been felt for the loss of his friend was very nearly surpassed by the anger he felt over the entire situation. As the fighters returned and the StarHome began to make its way back towards Bonaden, Dakkon thought he could sense that familiar feeling again, but distantly. Banishing the thought, he rose and made his way to the Hangar bay.

"Ready my shuttle. I'm going to talk to who ever caused this."

Jai had calmed down a great deal by now. The tears had stopped completly, the redness in her cheeks was washed away, and her composure had returned. The only thing that remained was a slight trembling she'd developed after the whole Vess fiasco.

She'd been holding her affections towards Kas deep down, buried so his force ability wouldn't be able to catch it. But...the way he looked at her, the soft worry in his voice, the way he moved, the way he sat, the way he even breathed...

No! No, Solo...don't think about it. He's my boss, he's my boss, he's my boss, he's my boss...Damn!

She been trying to push her feelings for him out of her mind, when it happened agian. Jai couldn't stand her mind being penetrated with these force links, and she was scared out of her wits that Kas had read her thoughts as he transferred his own....

"W..w-what are you trying to tell me, Kas? What do you mean?"

OOC: Stop posting for me Ren.

IC:
Kamon looked aghast at the scene in front of him. He couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. It was not possible. Ren was too good for that. Is too good for that. He corrected himself.

He powered down his ship and landed on one of the chunks of comet. A scan told him he wouldn't be in immediate danger there. He had to lose Dakkon. He had to lose everyone.

He had lost so many people in his lifetime. He had vowed never to lose anyone else. He had failed himself. Another of his friends was dead. He was always so close and yet so far from saving them.

Once the Hapans were gone, he powered up his ship and headed away from Bonaden. He had to lose himself. The stars would guide him to where he needed to be. They always have.

Kas was silent for a moment, thinking. This could hurt even more than what Vessana had said. Was it worth it? An idea floated across his field of thought. Why not just let her find out herself? Let her discover it. Yes, it was easier if you found out this kind of thing yourself, usually. It would be easier for him, certainly. The real question was, would it be easier for Jaina. Something told him that yes, it would be.

Standing up, and brushing the back of his pants off, Kas reached his hand down, and pulled Jai up. The distant hum had grown to a thrum. “Planetary shields are coming up Jai, something is happening.” His com went off again, this time with an ear splitting screech. Emergency signal. Pulling the small unit out of his pocket, Kas practically yelled into it. “What is going on up there!”. This generated a garbled response, from which he barely managed to discern “Hapens, Fighters, coming down now.”

“Ok, slow down son, slow down. Am I correct in assuming from your battered message that the Hapens are sending fighters down at the planet?” he doubted this was true, no commander would be so stupid, and the Happens were considered close friends of the Vinda Corporation. A new voice came on the com, this one much steadier, and calm from experience. The true story was relayed to Kas. “Ok, ok, I’m on my way. Mr. Vinda is not present on the planet now corporal, he is on Roonaden. I’m on my way to the main space port. Have a few vehicles ready to convey the Hapen dignitaries to HQ. Katta out.” Placing the com back in his pocket, Kas headed toward the Elevator, still holding Jaina by the hand. Once inside, he released her, and sent the elevator to the main floor. Nothing was said on during the trip, but Kas could feel Jai’s eyes on his back. “Poor kid. I know how you feel Jai… I really do.” ruthlessly suppressing a faded memory, Kas turned, and smiled at Jaina.

With a ping, the elevator doors opened, and the two exited. Once outside, Kas stopped, and reached into his pant pocket. Pulling out a data chip, he pressed it into Jaina’s hand. “Read this when you get to your apartment Jai. I have to go now, it appears that the Hapens tracked Ren and Vessana here. I’ll see you tomorrow, eight o-clock at my place, now that you know where it is.” With a wave, he slid into his speeder, left.

He was fuming as his comms officer organised his landing on the planets surface. The fighters had long returned, as had the nagging feeling that he was missing something. The feeling was similar to that he thought he felt earlier about the freighter, but in his infuriated state, he could not put the two together.

He stepped aboard his shuttle, his royal retinue waiting in the wings to join him in either his or one of the following shuttles that was to take him down to sort out this mess.

"I'm going down now."

He glared angrily at the crew around him, his usually benevolent self completely missing now as he begun to tap his foot impatiently. Finally a hiss was heard as the gas pistons lowered the shuttles boarding ramp, the other two shuttles following suit as Dakkon grumbled, boarding his craft. Members of his 'inner circle' immediately flooded to him, spouting theories and suggestions, but Dakkon paid them no heed as he sat off to the side, staring out a porthole into the black abyss.

His mind wandered, anger flowing gently from his crumpled form.

Its all been wrong since you've been gone 'Ana...

I dream of a world where you are you understand that i dream a million sleepless nights. I dream of fire when your touching my hand, but it twists into smoke when i turn on the lights. I'm speechless and fading, its too complicated.

An invisable tear fell from his eye, his head resting against the wall.

This is the place in my heart, this is the place where i'm falling apart. Isn't this just like when we first met? Is this the last chance that i'll ever get?

I wish i was lonely instead of just stony, crystal and see through and not enough to you.

I just wanted to keep you...

His head fell into his hands, his mind crying out to her, the love he had lost, the love his brother had taken from him.

"I'll never find someone quite like you again 'Ana..."

I'll never, love someone quite the way that I loved you...

Fighters streaked out into his view, escorting the shuttles to the planet and breaking the Crowned Prince from his somber but heartfelt reverie. The ships descended slowly, allowing the broken ruler to compose himself fully. He felt a bump of tarmac on landing gear and rose, his retinue long ago falling to silence once their calls came upon deaf ears.

"This ends now."

He stepped out onto the landing ramp and walked down towards the light of Bonaden. He stepped out with a dour frown on his face, his eyes roving for an opponent.

The message was uniform in nature, taking no undue notice from anyone who might have been monitering traffic to Jaina Corellia Han Solos personal datapad. And yet it bore a message that, to those who must only look, would be worth more than anything in the galaxy.

It was a song, a gentle beat of acoustic guitars and light drums with the occassional string ensemble interjecting. But the song was sung for the words to be heard.



The last line was spoken softly, intimately, the whisper of a lover echoing over the mind of the listener with quiet intensity. It was followed with a simple sentance.

"I'm just leaving a certain holiday planet you might remember. If you can spare the time to see me, i've left my location on our island.

You are my everything..."

To those who knew the man at the end of the voice, those who really truly knew him, would know that this was a desperate cry for help, resurrection and redemption. It escence it was a test by the true Lupercus, hoping to drag himself back from the abyss of his mind.

<font color=CC3333>Trust him... It seemed like she was trusting him more than she probably should...

The Greyhawk touched down on the jungle moon and Ren was immediately was moving to begin repairs. Vess sat there for a moment just staring out at the canopy of trees her mind reeling as it registered everything that had happened.

Dakkon had come to Bonaden. He was out there, so close and yet further away than he had ever been. She rubbed at the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.

What was she doing? Dakkon was the one person in the entire galaxy that deserved to know she was alive, and here she was hiding from him like a criminal. She had told herself in the beginning that it was for his own good, that her coming back would just cause him more pain.

But now she had to wonder if she was hiding from him to keep her relationship from him.

Dakkon wouldn't understand. What Ren and Vess shared now was - could she call it love? She felt it in Ren, he had fallen in love with her and would do anything for her. He had already done so much for him, but was she in love with him?

With a sigh, Vess pushed those thoughts from her mind and focussed on the situation at hand. They needed to get the ship repaired and out of the system before they were detected.

She rose to her feet and started from the cockpit when a flood of emotions assaulted her, litterally taking her breath away. Love, pain, longing, loss, all wrapping around her heart and brining tears to her eyes.

Dakkon was reaching out for her!!

With a shuddering sob she fell to her knees, her hand resting over her heart as it raced within her chest. It was overwhelming! She could feel his pain and could practically hear his voice crying out her name. He still loved her and that love bound them together through time and space. It pulled at her soul and the desire to reach for him rose quickly within.

The most painful thing she had ever done in her life, she closed her heart to him.

Her chest heaved with every wracking sob as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Jai watched Kas drive off and sighed loudly. She looked down at the datachip in her hand and shrugged. Whatever this was, it must be pretty important. She decided to go back to her apartment and check it out.

One they way back up in the lift, Jai couldn't stop thinking about Kas. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help herself. Even after all she'd found out about Lupercus over the past few hours, she still felt guilty for having a crush on another man. Technically, and even emotionally, she was still Darksword's girl...even if he did embody all that she hated, she still loved him.

After the lift stopped with a jerk on her level, Jai strolled out of it and down to her room. As she was fumbling with her keys, the door, and the light switch, Jai's datapad went off saying that she had voicemail. Jai rolled her eyes at the little datapad's annoying electronic 'voice', and shut it off, tossing it onto the couch. She went to her room and prepared for bed, gently laying the datachip that Kas had given her onto her dresser. After changing into one of Lupercus' oversized dress shirt that he'd given her, Jai picked up the datachip and made her way to the living room.

She plopped down on the couch and sat her datapad in her lap, flipping on the HoloVid. HoloNet didn't have any interesting news, and the weather report wasn't much to talk about. Sports, as usual, bored her, and therefore she leaned forward and slipped Kas' datachip into her console. A few seconds later, Jai stared in horror and heated jealousy as pictures of Lupercus with dozens of different women came onto her HoloVid. There were pictures of Lup and many different women holding hands, making out, eating dinner, having drinks...and various other unmentionable circumstances. Jai's Solo blood boiled with angry, jealous, and unrestrained female rage.

"Why that good-for-nothing, low down, scum eating, pile of..." Jai stopped herself and decided to let it all out on him. She turned on her datapad that way she could get him on his and stopped short when the little pad beeped out that she still hadn't checked her voicemail. Ironically, it was from Prince Charming himself. "Ha! I shouldn't even read it.......but..." Her curiosity got the best of her, and Jai opened the message from Lupercus.

The message was opened, and the song played. Soft, sweet, and from the heart...and Jai fell for it hook, line, and sinker. She smiled and listened to it over and over, giggleing and blushing each time more and more. She hugged the datapad close and sighed dreamily, "Mmm, he does love me! Oooo, I knew it! I just knew it!"

Jai got up and ran to her room, shutting off the HoloVid and datapad as she did. She started packing right away, and all her sexy, fashionable clothes at that. All the doubt and hate was wiped from her mind, and all she could think about was leaveing first thing in the morning to be with her dear Lup...