Subject: [OTL]: (alt. Betsy/Star Wars) Fanged Butterfly 2: Knightcross 50B/? (R) From: Phil Hartman Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2008 03:50:57 +0000 will1@earthling.net Fanged Butterfly Vol. 2: Knightcross Chapter 50B by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Marvel's are Marvel's. LFL's are LFL's. Any original characters are mine. The rest belong to their owners/creators. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. WARNING: Violence, language, themes. ------------------------------------------------------- 40 ABY: Endor, Outer Rim Territories, Galactic West: Eight Days after the Battle of Corellia: ------------------------------------------------------- It was ... chaos. Betsy narrowly dodged Rogue's downswing, igniting her own lightsaber as a dozen different firefights broke out around the encampment: Katarn was struggling to protect the ships from a gargantuan Feeorin Sith with red and black tattoos, as Sith troops fired. Alema Rar was dancing between Sith blasterfire as a snarling Lethan Twi'lek Sith female hurled lightning. The Horns were protecting the youngest Padawans from a GAMORREAN Sith, grunting something about young meat. "Marie, how could you? Even if you blame me for Charles' arrest, becoming Sith won't change his guilt! And if you think mere months of studying a holocron beats 15 years as a Jedi, you're SORELY mistaken!" Betsy insisted, deflecting Marie's strikes and Force pushes. "Depends on the holocron, Betts. 'Sides, ah started out dark. All your backstabbing did was return me t'type," Marie taunted, spinning away from Betsy's snarl of purple lightsaber weaving - all right, Marie had SOME skills as a Force user. But Betsy had years of knowledge of her ex-teammate's mind ... except that between darkside shields, rampant hatred, and Marie's considerable willpower, Betsy could only see one memory ... ******************************************** 8/1/07: Slopes of Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica: -------------------------------------------------------------- Her insulated uniform was proof enough against the icewind, while her furlined hood kept her head warm. But Marie had no warmth in her heart. Remy kept her going; him, and the hope that Jennifer Walters could commute Charlie's expected sentence to life. The deaths of 200 plus Genoshans in her son's assault on the Presidential Palace, all to try and kill his father, spoke to the almost inevitable guilty verdict. That, and global fear of a charismatic Lehnsherr stirring anti-authoritarian views among young mutants ... And Charlie had just asked Marie to stop visiting him at the Raft. #My son isn't even trying to fight. He WANTS to be a martyr for his mission against Erik. My son wants to die,# Marie thought, trying not to let her grief and ... desire for answers pour forth from her in a SCREAM ... Then she saw the odd pyramid shaped object, gold leaf hieroglyphs on the sides, a red crystal embedded in its top, in the snow. Marie picked it up, surprised at the brief shock that the handspan sized ... holocron? Why did THAT word leap into her mind? ... gave her ... and a handsome young man, yellow orange eyed with a shaved head and two blue striped tattoos, appeared, holding Marie's gaze. /Your anger awakened me, lady. I am ... Alek. Or Malak, depending on your mood. Are you a Jedi?/ the ... gatekeeper? ... asked. /No ... but I have the Force?/ Marie replied, instinctually, as she somehow KNEW she was Force positive ... Alek smiled. /And hurt. Betrayed. Hungry for revenge. You knew the dark side long ago. Let me unlock your potential. Your son's plight can be alleviated. Just follow me,/ he offered. Before July 2, Marie might have thrown the holocron aside in disgust, even destroyed it. But she felt warm again, holding it ... ******************************************* Betsy was thrown out of Marie's mind, as the Mississippian kicked the telepath aside and raised her red lightsaber for a lethal blow - "ROGUE! NON, CHERE!!" Marie ... gasped, the darkness collapsing around her as she turned to see Remy running toward them, eyes wide, while Warren helped Mara protect John and Elaine, and Luke fought a hooded figure. "Marie, dis ain't de way. Betts HAD t' stop Charlie. You seen de movies; de dark side gonna make you prematurely gray an' wrinkly," Remy warned, his accent going thick as it did when he was stressed. "Remy ... you d-don't understand ... the power ..." Marie pleaded; her shame and her love for Remy were driving back the darkness, Betsy sensed. Remy made a contemptuous noise, then carefully put his hands on Marie's shoulders. "Dat all be shavit, as de locals say. Gambit be no Jedi, but he remember: 'Quicker. Easier. More seductive.' You KNOW de darkside not stronger," he said, his charm weaving a web ... Marie shook her head, crying, "Betsy got mah BABY locked up!" "Charlie ain't a baby. He pulled stupid stunts, an' now he payin' de price. Don' throw away your future, ma cherie," Remy asked ... but the hooded figure shouted, in an IMPOSSIBLE voice, "FIGHT their lies, Lady Rogue! You command the Star Forge! You have TRUE power! USE IT!" Betsy looked at the hooded figure with horror, as Luke went deathly pale and his opponent threw his hood back ... revealing hideous electrical burn scars around ruined eyes and sandy gray hair. "Your woman should have made sure I was dead, `brother,'" Luuke Skywalker - cloned from the hand Luke had lost at Bespin, believed more than 30 years dead by Mara's hand - taunted, igniting a SECOND red lightsaber. "My Force echo allowed me to shield Korriban from you; my near death triggered cellular memory, gave me a mind. "Now, face DARTH TANTISS - and -" FWACHOOOOMMMM!!!! The clone was thrown a few dozen meters by a repeating blaster barrage, and ELAINE blew out its barrel. "Imitate MY longlost daughter`s husband, will you? HMPH!" she sniffed. Luke smiled gratefully, then told Mara, "She IS your mom." Unfortunately, Marie bolted, and Remy was thrown aside by a Force push, as Betsy turned to face a new wave of Sith troops ... and then an Ewok horn stirred the hearts of the Jedi. But instead of random Ewoks coming out of trees, logs and bushes, a rhythmic marching cadence shook the forest floor. And a singsong chant filled the distance, rapidly growing in volume, as Betsy heard: "Yubyubyub yub-YUB-yub yub-YUB-yub ..." Then the blasterfire - green - poured from the bushes ... And the Sith were DECIMATED, breaking ranks and SCREAMING, as white plastoid armored figures about a meter high lunged. Their helmets, Betsy somehow noticed, had EARS. The Storm Ewoks had been unleashed ... and Sith limbs or heads started flying. Often both. "Betts? Remind me never t` upset an Ewok..." Remy gulped. "Just realized that?" a jaunty, familiar voice teased from among the Storm Ewoks, a tall human figure in black armor the source ... "Lord Shadowpaw, at your service. But I`m authorized to entrust the Jedi with my true identity. My death was feigned to help with the Storm Ewok development," "Shadowpaw" continued, removing his helmet and grinning. He winked as his furry troops helped rout the Sith, and he added, "We diverted here on a hunch. And I can`t wait to give Jag grief again." And all the shocked Jedi could reply was: "CHAK FEL!?" -------------------------------------------------------------- Bast Castle, Vjun, Outer Rim Territories, Galactic East: -------------------------------------------------------------- Ben struggled against the tentacles dragging him toward the shaping pod - but his Force access was blocked by the ysalamiri hanging from the walls, and he was starting to hyperventilate - "Wait," he heard, his nightmare come to life ceasing as Paaxis halted the tentacles. The Shaped Ben-clone walked to stand in front of where Ben hung spreadeagled and naked, looking ... confused. "Paaxis, PLEASE! I`m sorry about the Phoenix attacking Jacen, but Shaping me isn`t gonna help! I don`t WANT to be Shaped again - it destroys your individuality, even if it feels good!" Ben begged. Paaxis` face fell, and Ben could feel his "brother" feeling guilty; their telepathy was working ... "I don`t want to hurt or scare you! I`m sorry - I thought you liked being Shaped! I ... you`re really AFRAID. That`s not what I wanted at all," Paaxis promised, and Ben was relieved when the tentacles released him. "I did like being Shaped, at first. Then Jasa went crazy ... Sith, and he wanted to erase my memories ... to make me ... you," Ben said, wincing; he didn`t want to hurt Paaxis, either. The clone boy gulped, tearing up as Ben let him scan Ben`s memories, and Paaxis shivered. "You ... you`re more ... complete. If I was the original Ben, why would Father make a clone? Genetic drift would show up on a medscan if you infiltrated the Jedi. And Father ... cried for you," the clone admitted. Ben put a cautious, gentle hand on Paaxis` shoulder; he couldn`t hate his ... brother. Paaxis practically WAS Ben ... just Shaped. #I`ve been where he is, or almost. I have to help him,# Ben figured. "Look ... just because you`re a clone, doesn`t mean we have to be enemies. You could escape with me," Ben offered. "... Ben ... Father Shaped me WAY beyond what he did to you ... you and I COULD be friends. Brothers. But ... Father needs me to help keep him ... focused," Paaxis said. "You KNOW Jasa is sick, he needs help - we`re just kids, Paax! Some stuff, we still can`t tackle alone!" Ben insisted. Paaxis paced, his thoughts rolling around, and Ben felt his exhaustion, hope and fear ... but he teared up as he said, "I CAN`T." Ben frowned and accused, "I CAN`T is shavit." Paaxis frowned back, finally sighing ... and the portal swallowed them ... but a massive Force ripple distorted the ride, and they were spat out, naked, on hard ground. "What ... WAS that ...?" Ben groaned - gasping when he looked up ... They were laying under a cloudy sky, before a ruined Jedi temple. And a statue of a bloblike being looked down at them ... Ben and Paaxis both gasped, "That`s Sar Agarn!?" A statue of one of the first Jedi consulars could only mean ... they`d landed on Tython. Homeworld of the first Jedi. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Valley of the Dark Lords, Korriban, Outer Rim, Galactic East: ------------------------------------------------------------------ The unmitigated GALL of his opponent was what INFURIATED Caedus. Oh, the Shaped shocktroops he`d brought were distracting "Darth Krayt`s" poor Maul imitators, but Krayt himself just refused to DIE ... "Arrogant child. You are not Sith. You play at Sith dynasties while you poison yourself and our species with Vong diseases. You mewl and whine and throw tantrums like your grandfather did before his fall," Krayt taunted, meeting Caedus` lightsaber technique easily. Caedus refused to let the taunts distract him; he sensed something ... familiar about Krayt`s Force aura ... Caedus grinned maniacally, latching onto Krayt`s Vongtech infestation, and infused it with Force energy. The result was a HOWL of agony, and Krayt`s armor growing uncontrollably, and the One Sith gasped. /INFANTS! The pretender deserves what it gets,/ Caedus heard, and he bowed as the spirit of Darth Andeddu materialized. /Still, Krayt is true in one regard: Caedus is too caring to be Sith. You hew too closely to Vectivus and his weakness of compassion, boy,/ Darth Bane sneered. /And whatever would you do to young Skywalker if he actually stood against you? Your faith in your cousin, in your family, is your undoing,/ Caedus heard ... and he was briefly SHOCKED as Darth Sidious appeared. "YOU were the one who threw away the galaxy, you hooded FOOL! You scorned love, instead of using its passion to TRUE Sith PURPOSE! Your self indulgent BARBARISM inspired fanatics to keep kidnapping me and mine! YOU COST ME MY CHILDHOOD - BUT MY CHILDREN *WILL NOT SUFFER!*" Caedus ROARED, drawing in the dark side - - and he struck down at Darth Krayt, adding a blast of lightning to the lightsaber stroke, but Krayt SURGED, blocking the blast. Barely, and the Force disturbance almost cost Caedus control over his escape portal. Both Sith staggered, exhausted, but Caedus snarled, "TAKE THEM, WHILE THEIR LEADER SIMPERS!" #DAMNIT. At least Onimi`s legacy was worth it ...# Caedus reflected ... ********************************************** 28 ABY: Yuuzhan`tar, Well of the World Brain, Core Region: -------------------------------------------------------------- Jaina, Anakin and Kyp`s Dozen had destroyed Shimmrra`s escape ship; Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, Mom and Dad had annihilated the Slayers. Ganner ... Jacen had let Vergere whisk him away. The idea was to let Ganner`s apparent death inspire Betsy to finish Shimmrra. It still felt ... cruel, to Jacen, but ... And Betsy WAS fighting Shimmrra in a lethal ballet - there, she slipped past his guard. And the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong was carved from groin to throat. But ... "NOM!" Betsy SHRIEKED, racing after the treacherous Vong intendant, leaving Jacen to check the Well for that anomalous aura ... THERE. He Force grabbed a misshapen Vong, Shimmrra`s jester, and demanded, "HOW can you have a Force presence!?" "I`ll tell you nought, but tarry not, for -" Onimi tried to singsong ... but after three years of war and trillions of dead, Jacen was DONE. /TELL. ME,/ Jacen Force snarled, digging into the full spectrum of the Force ... and ripping apart Onimi`s mind. The little fool tried to possess Jacen, but he was having NONE of that; Jacen drained his prisoner of raw information, not memories or compulsions. And ALL SEVEN - no, EIGHT cortexes of Vong Shaper knowledge filled Jacen`s mind; he was staggered by the overflow ... but it was just pain. Pain, like much the rest of the Vong experience, was an old friend. Jacen dropped Onimi`s corpse and accelerated the decay rate; it melted into the floor, as he heard Betsy`s frustrated Force cry. Nom Anor had escaped. But his distraction had helped Jacen to achieve a new understanding: Yammosk cells used the Force. Hence Onimi`s Force powers. #And if Vong and human DNA are almost compatible ... I could UNDO so much damage they caused ...# Jacen hoped. He slowly smiled. First, a visit to Zonama Sekot, to verify. And then ... the galaxy was the limit. Maybe Jacen could even free Tahiri of her shaping ... ******************************************** -------------------------------------------------------------- 40 ABY: Freighter Shawnkyr, En Route to Alzoc III, Outer Rim Territories, Galactic South: -------------------------------------------------------------- "Circuit patterns ... always thought those`d be good tattoos for you." "Got a little too permanent, Tahiri, thanks to Lumiya ... uhm ..." "Alone in the sanisteam, at LAST ... Ani, she really marked you." "Yeah ... scrub my back, please? Before we ..." "Dummy. Why not do BOTH? Let me ... She marked THAT?" "Rii ... back, please? Nuh ... uhuh .. OK, frounnnuu..." "Knew that would - WHAT are you nibbl ... oh. OOHHHH." "Not fair to exclude you, love. Want you to be happy ... MMM ..." "Love you, tooOOOoooo ... dummy." -------------------------------------------------------------- Jaina both sighed and smiled; Little Brother was a machine in at least ONE sense besides his Force affinity for tech ... #I just wish he`d shield better. Still, emoting is important,# she reminded herself as she checked the systems; Jag was sleeping, Tesar and Lowie were sparring, and Tekli was making sure their medical gear was packed. Jaina used to emote more herself, really. But she`d gotten too used to blocking the twin bond, first out of spite ... and now, out of fear Jacen would drag her down with him. She teared up; Jasa was her TWIN. But she`d let him drift away after the Vong War, then bitterly turned on him when he used her and other Myrkr survivors to attack Thrago. They`d DUELED. #I used to fight to the death FOR him. When did that change?# ******************************************** 27.2 ABY: Yuuzhan Vong Frigate Ksstar, fleeing Myrkr System: -------------------------------------------------------------- "TURN THE KRIFFING SHIP AROUND," Jaina DEMANDED. The rest of the Myrkr survivors - pitifully few, even if they dared hope Lomi and Welk didn`t kill Raynar - looked at Jaina like she`d blown a circuit. Maybe tossing Force lightning around hadn`t helped, Jaina agreed. But there were Vong to kill - like they`d killed - "He`s alive, Jaina. But if you go back to Myrkr, you likely won`t be," Betsy replied, so reasonable. So HYPOCRITICAL. "YOU killed HUNDREDS of Vong to get the voxyn queen! And STOP saying Jacen is ALIVE! I *FELT* him go out of the Force! I`M his twin! VENGEANCE SHOULD BE *MINE*!!!" Jaina demanded, grabbing her lightsaber - Betsy ... SLAPPED Jaina. The blow, from a friend, a sparring partner, practically a FAMILY member, made Jaina drop her lightsaber; what was Betsy DOING?! "Was it out of character? Offensive, betraying, frightening?" Betsy challenged, motioning Anakin back as the rest of the younger survivors watched, shocked. Betsy`s tone wasn`t cruel, though. Jaina was most cut by that. And she gasped, shuddering as she stepped back from her rage. "No ... less than me sizzling Vong. Betsy, I ... Ani ..." Jaina stammered; she`d gone ... ~A little crazy. A little dark. Your world just got blown apart, dear. You SHOULD vent. Just not by skewering us or frying Vong,~ Betsy soothed, apologetic, while Jaina clung to Anakin and let him hold her. /We`re here, Jaya. It`s gonna be OK, somehow,/ Ani sent. For right now, the Trickster was just happy not to lie to herself. ******************************************* Jaina surfaced from the memory, smiling despite her concerns. #We manage to pull through, somehow. I`m just tired of halfhearted victories. We deserve some karking PEACE,# she thought. After they got Zekk back, she decided, it was time to visit Vjun. -------------------------------------------------------------- Bast Castle, Vjun, Outer Rim Territories, Galactic East: -------------------------------------------------------------- It was late on Endor, so Leia`s body clock was telling her it was time to sleep. As far as she cared, her body clock could go do something her etiquette teachers back on Alderaan would have fainted at hearing. The entire ... feel of the Force around Castle Bast was off. These Shaped Ones were IN the Force, but fuzzy ... the best comparison was yammosk victims. #Not all that inaccurate,# she thought, crouched down beside Han, Chewie and Threepio in a thornbush. They`d pushed the hyperdrive on the Falcon to get here while Jacen ... Caedus ... WASN`T. Leia felt a pang at the idea of her elder son, a SITH. But she`d had to accept that Jacen WAS an adult. Allana and Tace - the very idea of another grandchild helped Leia feel better about the whole mess - were just children. Shaped or not, Leia loved them, and she was NOT going to let them be twisted. It all really came down to how deeply brainwashed Tenel Ka was, and just walking into Castle Bast to ask the younger woman how she felt about Jacen wasn`t exactly Plan A. So, Leia did what she had done in these situations for almost 40 years: Trust in the Force. And let Han try Plan H ... I.E., his improvisation. His new hat, whip and leather jacket weren`t inspiring confidence. "Really, General Solo, your accessories are quite out of style. Taking fashion tips from Artoo is rarely wise," Threepio said. "It`s a DISGUISE, Goldenrod. Lessee ... hmm. 75 kilos," Han said, checking his comlink scanner after scanning the counterweight to the rear entrance of the castle. The door was on a pully system, with a bag of sand the Shaped pulled down to raise the door. It was surprisingly primitive, but Leia figured the use of Vongtech discouraged artificial technology ... #If Jacen`s sacrificing people to the Vong gods ... or the dark side ...# she worried, before she saw Han eyeing Threepio. With that Han eye ... Han smiled, Leia and Chewie shared a long suffering look, and Threepio moaned, "Oh, DEAR." "Use Threepio to replace the sandbag if they cut the rope?" Leia asked. She knew Han. Chewie growled. "Hey, it`s MY plan. Don`t worry," Han said, grinning ... Leia shook her head, fighting a smile. It was insane, but ... Han. He had that crazy effect on everyone, she remembered ... ********************************************* 26 ABY: New Republic Medical Frigate Panacea, Orbiting Bespin: -------------------------------------------------------------- Leia stirred, trying a meditation technique to ease the pain in her legs; the bacta dunks had helped repair the damage caused by the Vong Warmaster Tsavong Lah. But she was still feeling ... stung. #Han. Running espionage missions by himself, without Chewie. Or me,# she reflected, looking down at Bespin`s clouds. She knew why Han was distancing himself; he felt guilty. His overreaction at Anakin`s choice to flee Sernpidal had torn their son`s heart out, even IF Betsy had saved Chewie. Anakin hadn`t been able to look Han in the eye for weeks. And Han needed to just TELL Ani that he didn`t hate him, but ... ~Solo stubborness?~ Leia heard, and she smiled wanly as Betsy walked in, sitting beside her bed. "I want to trust the Ryn will watch after Han. But after we were spending time together in quarantine, I thought he`d TALK to Anakin. Instead, we all scattered again ... at least Jacen`s back aboard the Falcon and not hiding on Yavin," Leia vented. She smiled at Betsy and added, "You want a crack at him?" Betsy turned several ... interesting ... shades of red, her Force signature roiling, before she finally said, "Truthfully?" "Betsy -" Leia began, realization hitting her ... Betsy became as serious as Leia had ever seen her, putting one hand on Leia`s bedframe and the other over her heart. "Leia, I swear, on the Force and my parents` graves, I would NEVER seduce Han. You two are ... you BELONG together," she swore. Leia almost laughed. It WAS ludicrous; she and Han had almost 18 years of marriage, and three children. But ... marriages took work, AND trust. Even after 18 years. "You`re like a sister. I know you wouldn`t betray me," Leia replied, sensing Betsy`s sincerity and relief. Betsy DID get a mischevious grin, then, and said, "As soon as you`re better, we`ll track General Solo down. "And if we ogle some young, fit NR soldiers on the way ..." ****************************************** That was Betsy, Leia thought, snickering; she was wild, but she was one of the finest friends to have at your back, in a fight or at a girls night out. And Betsy DID respect wedding vows. Leia watched as Han stunned the two Shaped males guarding the sandbag, but one of the Vongformed men cut the rope with a claw. Han shrugged, motioning Threepio to replace the sandbag by pulling the rope ... cautiously, to avoid tripping scanners ... and the protocol droid counterbalanced, opening the gate. "See? Sweetheart, watch the back door until Chewie and I find an inside door?" Han asked, and Leia nodded; Han wasn`t protecting her, just using common sense. She was his backup. And it WAS Han. Chewie with him or not, he might still need backup. The smuggler and the Wookie headed inside the castle, and THEN Leia`s Force senses screamed ... and Han, bellowing like he had during their Death Star escape, ran back OUT of the door with Chewie. Chased by a giant boulder. #OK. He HAS to lose the hat, whip and jacket,# Leia thought, sighing. -------------------------------------------------------------- Chief of State's Office, Coruscant, Core Worlds: -------------------------------------------------------------- No, it was NOT a good view from the COS` seat. At least not with World Brain tentacles tearing at spacescrapers, Vongformed maniacs BITING humans, and a Vongshaped woman who claimed to be Daala pounding at the doors to the COS office. #Borsk`s resignation method is looking better all the time,# Galactic Alliance COS Cal Omas thought bitterly, as he and Mon Calamari Admiral Cha Niathal checked their blaster power packs. Granted, Bothan COS Borsk Fey`lya HAD blown himself and 25,000 Yuuzhan Vong to space dust during the Fall of Coruscant. But at least Borsk had, reportedly, not had to fear bodyshaving and Vongforming. Cha turned a bulbous eye on Cal and said, "If it IS Daala ..." "Aim for the head?" Cal tried to joke; it was crude, but he likely wasn`t going to escape. Imminent doom loaned itself to dark jokes. At least, he REFUSED to be shaped ... and then, a male Zabrak with buzzed black hair and Jedi robes popped out of a vent, calling, "Your Excellency, Madame Admiral? May I offer a secure ship offworld?" "Who - never mind, YES, please!" Cal blurted, following the Jedi up the vent, Niathal bringing up the rear. "Please accept my apologies for my poor manners, Your Excellency. I am K`urod Var-Tasik, Jedi Knight and former Padawan of Master Elizabeth Braddock. I was diverted from a rendezvous with the rest of the Order to attempt your extraction," the Zabrak said. "You do know there is a small army of pseudoVong between us and escape?" Niathal said, as they crawled up the narrow vent. Although the vent was very dim, Cal SWORE he could see a brief smirk cross Var-Tasik`s face before the Jedi replied, "I am aware of our sitrep, Madame Admiral. "Master Braddock and I once faced a similar problem on Rhen Var ..." ********************************************** 29 ABY: Tomb of Nomi Sunrider, Rhen Var, Outer Rim Territories, Galactic East: ----------------------------------------------------------------- "Master Braddock, I -" Betsy heard K`urod ... gulp, as he tried to focus on exerting JUST the right Force push to open the sarcophagus containing Nomi`s remains and holocron in the icy chamber. Too much exertion would cause a preset cave-in, according to the hieroglyphs the 13-year-old had translated. Betsy`s job was to destroy the small army of battle droids she and her Padawan had stirred up by breaking into the tomb. Too much heat from blasterfire would ALSO cause a preset cave-in. "Look, K`ur, we agreed to trust each other, right?" Betsy reminded the Zabrak boy, and he nodded - albeit a little put out by the nickname. "Yes, Master. ... thank you," K`urod said, his usual Jedi resolve slipping a bit to reveal gratitude and a little teenaged aggravation. Betsy grinned; she`d learned to get past the boy`s Zabrak heritage, despite her irrational fear of Darth Maul (also a Zabrak, albeit a Sith), while K`urod had loosened up. A little. "Welcome. And ... NOW!" Betsy shouted, throwing her lightsaber and skewering the dozen droids, while K`urod pushed correctly - And they leapt clear with the holocron, as Nomi was reburied. ********************************************* Coronet, Corellia, Core Worlds: --------------------------------------------------------------- Honestly, Nom Anor was just ... FRUSTRATED. Both at these ... false Yuuzhan Vong running around, carrying off humans, and at having to be HONEST. He just didn`t feel right doing so. #What lies we feel comfortable with after all these years,# the former intendant and prefect of Yuuzhan`tar thought, hiding from the ... Shaped Ones as he moved between shadows from his alter ego`s office in the Five Worlds Ministry building to his escape ship. Nom had, of course, had an escape coralskipper 12 years ago, when his plot to promote Jacen Solo as a Priest of the True Way so spectacularly backfired. On the other hand, Jacen and that deliciously foul-mouthed warrior Braddock HAD slain Shimmrra for him ... Had Nom not witnessed Braddock savagely execute Viqi Shesh for trying to steal Ben Skywalker, he MIGHT have risked capturing and wooing the purple-haired daughter of Yun-Yammka. After settling on Corellia, Nom had found it easy to foment anger against the Galactic Alliance; Corellians were like feral nuna. Quick to peck, but easy to herd. He had had particular success with using his trademark coomb spores to poison Hapes ... but there was a problem: Dur Gejjen. The accursedly cautious human had become Prime Minister of Corellia after Thrackan Sal-Solo`s assassination (Nom actually MISSED Thrackan; cunning, vicious, crafty ... the human was almost admirable). "Going somewhere, Koarlos?" Nom heard someone call his Selonian alter ego, spinning as he cursed; he`d been trailed ... Gejjen advanced on Nom from the alley behind them, with a blaster; but where were Gejjen`s mate and brats? "Abandoning your kin, Dur? Rather shallow," Nom taunted - and he called on long unused reflexes to close the distance, his poison spitting plaeryn bol implant in his left eye showering Gejjen. Gejjen shrieked, falling down, satisfyingly wounded ... but Nom was surprised when Gejjen FOLDED, like the gablith masquer Nom wore, and gained green skin, chin wrinkles and pointed ears. #A shapeshifter? The war effort is tainted by alien interference?# Nom wondered as he fled. The next logical question was, how could he USE this information ...? --------------------------------------------------------------- tbc ...