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Mordranna felt grateful for Angel confiding in her as she did. With an order to the Hope Eagle, she had the Squires form up on her, and thus, they in turn formed up with the Sundered Rose.
"I would like to avoid conflict with .. Phoenix if at all possible," she offered to Angel, trying on the name for size, assuming him to be the Sith Lord Imperius. "And, I agree that we need not be enemies." Extending her a little trust of her own, she offered, "As for myself, there too is someone I care for as you care for Phoenix," she stated, allowing herself to turn her thoughts to Sami for a moment.
She then landed aboard the cruiser alongside Angel, and the Squires went back to the frigate to await further orders. She then gave Angel a warm smile. "Now, let's get to the bottom of this, shall we?" With that, her expression bore a severe gravity. "I sense a bit of darkness here - do you feel it as well?"

Cale continued on his way, his head still a little groggy from his continual intake of lubrications. He only noticed the grey armored fellow infront of him when he bumped into him.
"whoops. sorry there fella." Cale said as he backpeddaled abit and moved to walk around him.
The Armored man stepped in his way. "Are you Cale Darksun?"
Cale blinked and remembered the wanted poster.
He looked blurrily up at the helmeted visage of the hunter. "who?"
"Don't play stupid with me space scum. Im looking for Cale Darksun. and from what Ive seen, you look close enough like him to be him."
"whoa buddy. Im not Cale Darksun. never heard of him. The name's Lowe Geer, pilot for hire. did you need one by the way? got a sweet ship. she could make the Kessel run in 12 parsecs."
The man drew a blaster carbine and leveled it at Cale. "Well then Mr. Geer. you wouldn't mind me taking you in to make sure you aint who I think you are."
In a more sober moment, the hunter would have been lying at Cale's feet with a smoking hole in his chest.
This was not one of those moments. Cale's reflexes were dulled by hard partying the night before. the whisky he had had earlier didn't help either. when the outlaw reached for his gun, he got it stunned numb by his assailent who also stunned one of Cale's legs.
The outlaw fell and collapsed in the street.
"ah sithspit. this aint going well." Cale muttered as he eyed the hunter who was looming over him. Cale tried reaching for his other pistol but juts got that arm paralized in the process.
"Nice try outlaw scum. Im taking you in. and with the cash on your head, I'll be able to retire in style."
Y'know, Cale thought, I might just be in a bit of trouble.
then a scaly black claw grasped the hunter's helmet almost entirely and squeezed.
the helmet started to crack as the claw applied pressure to it. franticaly the hunter slipped out of the helmit and rolled away, bringing his rifle up at his attacker.
The assailent was a massive Barabel, a reptilian sentinent from the world of Barab 1. This specimen stood over two meters tall and had a build like a draft animal. He wore a pair of pants torn from an old space suit, belted at the waste with a gunbelt. a pair of bandoleers crossed his bare chest and a scarlet bandana capped his head. gripping the helmet in his palm, he grinned a smile of crocodilian teeth and cruched it like an empty soda can.
The Hunter pulled the trigger of his rifle and a red bolt flashed out, lancing over the barabel's left shoulder.
The Barabel snorted in amusement. Witha sudden burst of speed he crossed the distance between him and the hunter and jabed a huge fist into the man's torso. the armor cracked and the blow knocked the hunter's breath out. as the man kneeled over the barabel drilled his elbow into the back of the man's head smashing him to the ground.
The Hunter wasn't getting up any time soon. if he was even alive after that.
The Barabel snorted again and walked over to Cale. he picked the outlaw up by the colar and seemed to smile an unerving reptilian smile.
"Cale's eyes darted over to the man the barabel had just creamed and back to the pointy teeth in the creature's grin
"Please tell me I don't owe you money." he said nervously.

I feel so tired...drained... Cajin thought, as he leaned back against the console, waiting for some reply.
I need air, I need to see outside this helmet... he thought, as he pulled the grimy helmet off of his head. It was greyed after years of use, repairs, and numerous paintings.
Breathing with great gasps, he sucked in the acrid and slightly smoky air of the bridge, though the ventilation systems had already cleared out most of the smoke. He leaned back, though his hand remained tightly clenched around his blaster rifle.

***

...RH-2302 awoke. He was felt numb, and disoriented, though he knew he had a vise-grip on his weapon. He was being carried, supported by someone, as...several Stormtroopers limped through the woods.

"Come on, rookie, you'll make it out of here fine." said someone near him.
"...My...name 's Cajin..." he managed to mumble out.
"I'm Krolan. And you'll be okay." someone said, a white helmeted face popping briefly into view.
"Come on, get the wounded in the shuttle, we'll go back and slow them down!" someone called out.

Time passed in a haze. A long shuttle-ride, full of the wounded and dying. Agony as a new leg was attached. A year, seemingly wasted, in the Imperial Remnant. His desertion, with a few friends and companions in a stolen shuttle.

***

He started out of his dazed revire, panting slightly.
It's been a long time since then...and I haven't led a very good life, have I...? he thought to himself.
Bah! The past is behind me, and it should stay that way. I'm living for now and tomorrow, and my past can go hang! I can't afford to waste tim-
-What was that? he thought, pausing.
He thought he saw something move in the half-light of the hallway.

"Who's there?" he called out, raising his blaster rifle. "Identify yourself!"

The Barabel tried to set Cale on his feet but when the outlaw almost fell over, he snatched his collar agan and just held him up.
Cale looked about the area as he tried to figure out what to do. turning back to the huge reptiloid that was still holding him and grinning at him.
"Ok toothy, what do you want with me?" Cale said, a bit iritable about what the Barabel's claws were doing to his shirt.
In a rumbly low voice, the creature spoke. "I wanna be a pirate."
Cale blinked. "say what?"
"I wanna be a pirate." The creature repeated.
Cale blinked again. now he was certain he was confused.
"ok, I'll bite. why do you want to be a pirate?"
"Shockboxing didn't pay." the Barabel said.
Cale blinked yet again. he stared at the barabel and pondered upon where he had seen that toothy mug before. "wait a minute...you're Raklar the Render! The Undergound Heavyweight Shockboxer! I thought I recognized those moves!"
The Barabel seemed to beam. "Heard of me?"
"Damn straight. On the Ord Mantell circuit, you were undefeated for two years." Cale felt the numbness fade from his limbs as he continued to speak. "So what happened that night you had a bout with the Mantilian Savripper? You didn't show up."
The Barabel sneared. "Management problems. Manager was skimming my take. Got sick of it. Bit his head off. Left town."
Cale nodded. "yeah. I can see how someone would deserve that. but why seek me out?"
Raklar grabbed Cale's right arm and slid his sleave up, revealing his namesake tattoo. He tapped the tattoo with a claw, an action Cale felt. Damn those claws are sharp.
"Read about you guys. Bad a** pirates, the Darksun clan."
Cale blinked again. "Read about us?"
"Pirates of the Late Republic, By Prof. Anam Larin of Coruscant University. Very good Read." The Barabel said.
A well read Barabel? well there are stranger things in the galaxy. Cale thought. "Uh, can you put me down now?"
The Barabel dropped him. landing on his feet Cale dusted himself off. "well, the thought had crossed my mind of taking up the family buisness...alright then Raklar. Piracy it is then."
Cale spotted something in the crowed-a mandalorian who seemed to be paying him far too much attention.
"Sithspit, not these guys again." he muttered. he patted Raklar on the back and motioned for him to follow. "Alright big guy. we'll draw up the proper paperwork on your new home. how do you feel about alchohol and greasy food?"
"Depends on who makes em."
"Droids?"
"a minor dislike."
"well then, lets head on over to the ship. I get a feeling we're gonna get along famously."
the two made their way to the Auric Runner, Cale ocasionally looking over his shoulder.

Cale suddenly noticed the mandelorian leap over an astromech droid.
way too cospicuous.
Cale tapped a code into his comlink and looked at Raklar. "tell you what big guy. why don't you head on over to the ship. I'll be there in a jiffy."
Raklar looked a bit confused.
"Yeah, don't question me. just get over there asap. I want you to make sure she's ok."
The Barabel looked over his shoulder at the Mandalorian and he started to growl.
"No no big guy. My problem. not yours. now head on over to the ship. this guy is mine. Honor of the Hunt and all that."
The Barabel blinked and nodded. he moved across the street to find Cale's ship, though he really had no idea where it was.

Alone, Cale grinned as he looked at the hunter trying to worm his way through the crowd. sliding his shades up his nose, the outlaw tipped the man an uncomplimentary salute and ducked under the crowd and out of the man's sight. Cale rolled into an alley and took to his heels, darting down the alley and came out into another street. he noticed he had emerged infront of a clothes shop and grinned again. "perfect." he darted in and snagged a few items off the racks. he headed into the changing rooms and swapped into a disguise.

after a short wait a group of people exited the shop: some guy wearing a cloak, a pair of college girls, a small group of 4 mercenaries all sporting flight jackets and blaster pistols, and a tourist couple wearing holiday shirts. the groups started to walk away, getting on with their lives when a sudden commotion went on in the shop. a short dark haired man in a dark jacket and green shirt was dodging blaster bolts fired from the proprietor, both cursing and swearing in huttese. the dark haired man had several clothing items tucked under his arm as he ran.
Angrily the proprietor fired a few shots more at the man, (all wich missed) and looked to the mandelorian.
"You! Hunter, I'll give you 500 credits to catch that thief and bring his a** back here. no disintegrations."

The man took the shots in the leg and fell to the ground screaming in pain. he looked at the two that came upon him and threw his hands up, terrified completely.
"You shot me! you crazy a** sleemo you spitting shot me! whats the matter with you!" the man looked at his leg and seemed even more paniked "you shot me with a slug thrower?! you sick Barve what the Hutt is wrong with you! I'll sue your spitting a**!"