[Residences]

Jin-ho walked through the various rooms where, much as she had expected, training took place. There was a broad selection available, it seemed, from artillery gunner to pilot to infiltrator to... well, a lot more, that was for sure. She'd stay and look at a number of them, trying very hard to come to a decision on which to follow -- for now, at least.

She looked around for a moment, trying to spot someone that looked as if they were in charge. With the little she knew about the various types being what she had seen just now, she could use the help of someone that knew his (or her) way around...

Jin-ho went through the list of available options for what felt like the hundreth time. There were so many choices here, so many specialisms to choose from! She had spent most of the day simply watching the Rebels train, asking them about what they were aiming for and how it was like, curious as she was.

Still, she had managed to shorten the list -- which basically had nearly every type available on it -- to a much more manageable amount, and decided through an old-fashioned coin toss which of them would end up being the first she'd follow: Heads for Pilot, like her father, or tails for Pathfinder, which had felt somewhat similar to what she had been doing as a Handmaiden.

The coin landed on heads.

As she made her way out of her room again, Jin-ho flipped the coin up a couple of times. During one of said flips, she accidentally missed a catch, and the small silver coin bounced off over the metal floor and rolling down the corridor.

She chased after it, passing in between two people before jumping on top of it, blocking it's path before reaching the nearby drain. She stood up then, turning around to face the two she had just darted past.

- "Heh, sorry about that... It's my lucky coin, it'd be a shame if i lost it." ^^;

She then put the runaway coin safely into her breast pocket, before walking further down the corridor, towars the Rebel Pilot training facility.

"Did you see that?! That was her!" Kalin looked back at Jin-Ho as walked through the corridors.

"Stop perving Kalin!" Ayanna replied.

Kalin raised his eyebrow and rethought the current situation.

"Mmmm, this changes things...I mean we can't just kill her right in front of everybody! We wouldn't walk out of here!"

"You think?!" Ayanna said sarcastically.

Kalin and Ayanna followed up to Jin-Ho, and he ticked her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss, but can we talk to you...It's pretty important....it concerns Princess Leia..."

Jin-ho had stopped on an intersection, looking in both directions trying to remember which way led to the Landing Pad again, when she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She turned around, and noticed the two people she had ducked past trying to catch her coin.

- "Hm? Oh sorry... You were heading to my room back there? Heh, my bad."

When she heard Kalin bring up a message from Princess Leia though, she frowned, tilting her head slightly in thought. Normally, she'd be quite trusting of people she never met before, especially being in a Rebel Base and everything, but the encounter with that Sith was still just a little too recent for her liking.

- "Princess Leia? As in the Senator of Alderaan? Uhh... sure, what is it?" :huh:

"Hehe, let's not play dumb here, every pilot or soldier knows she is one of the leaders of the Rebellion...well I want an audition with her...It's extremely important...But I can't explain it here...it would be too dangerous for both of our sakes..."

He gave a fake smile but looked serious again.

"I'm not kidding, It's important...it's a matter of life and death...."

Ayanna stood still and straight, still posing as a simple handmaiden, despite the place and without Princess Leia being around, but perhaps her being there would convince Jin-Ho more of the situation, and perhaps she and Kalin were sent concerning the situation by Leia herself. She nodded a little at the importance of Kalin's claim.

Jin-ho smirked, shaking her head slightly after Kalin's comment. While he would quite likely take it to be due to his own comment, the smirk was actually one of ironic realisation. The very reason she left Alderaan in the first place, with all traces of her ever having lived there being erased to the point of faking her own death, was to prevent having her traced back to Leia.

And here, on her new 'hiding place', two people she never met before came to her to ask about that, rather than just go to Mon Mothma or someone else in charge that could actually do what they had just asked of her? Not likely. Her look went to the one wearing the robes, similar to Handmaiden ones.

- "Umm... I don't know how i could help with that... Oh, hey, are you a Handmaiden? Cool! From what planet?" :)

She smiled at Ayanna, bowing slightly to get a better look of her face while appearing to do so out of enthousiasm.

Kalin turned all serious as he saw his act wasn't working on her. He could kiss his theater career goodbye now...He whipered to her so nobody else would hear it.

"Okay here's the deal...I know u have contact with the Princess...so if you arrange an audience and all goes well...I'll make sure of it that the Empire stays off your back!"

Kalin wanted her to realise what was happening in the real world.

"You don't know in what situation you are in...The Empire is hunting you down. There's a bounty on you head, they want you dead or alive. What choice do you think is the easiest for a bountyhunter? And yes even the Sith are looking for you!"

He paused again, cause he wanted her to realise he was aligned with them.

"Now don't panic...I think we can work this out nice and smooth without anybody getting harmed...and like I said...If all goes well, I'll make the Empire stop hunting you and I'll get that bounty from your head. I can only discuss the full deal in private...It's your choice Jin-Ho."

Waiting he saw her thinking and he didn't know what was going through her head at the moment.

"We can make a good deal out of this, or we can create a massacre here and now, which will only cause blood....and more blood...so what do you say?!"

Jin-ho looked nervous now, realising this would be Alderaan all over again should things get out of hand. And if the almost casual way Kalin appeared to talk about the Sith -- and knowing what they wanted, for5 that matter -- was an indication, she guessed the two of them were Sith as well.

- "I see... So what would you suggest?"

She fidgeted a bit with her hair and her uniform, before tucking her hands into her pockets, then crossing them in front of her chest. She realised she still had the comlink on her, in her inner coat pocket. She memorised the faces of the two as she looked between Ayanna and Kalin though, the Rebels would surely be interested in who they were...

"Don't even try anything, young lady, or this saber goes...."

He lifted up his lightsaber which was still hooked on his belt and held his thumb on the ingition button.


"Now I'm ready to die...so is she...we are trained to...But like I said we can solve this without blood. Just arrange me a meeting with Princess Leia and I'll solve everything for you. You can take my weapons later if you feel more safe then...."

Kalin talked more soft as he wanted Jin-Ho to trust him.

"I have no intention to harm you or the princess, you have my word...I just want to meet her...Only for a brief moment...I just have a few questions for her...."

Kalin gave a genuine smile, he wasn't faking for his words were true, he didn't want to create a massacre here. He did not want to kill Jin-Ho as it was not in his interest. He didn't care what she did, but his reasons to meet Princess Leia were selfish nonetheless just as any Sith.

Jin-ho sighed, realising she didn't really have a choice. Even if she'd somehow be able to get away, she figured these two would tear the place apart looking for her. That they'd be looking for her specifically she didn't doubt, simply because she had arrived on the planet less than a few hours ago herself.

- "I see... So, what exactly are you planning to ask the Princess then... Sith? I could tell you what's on my mind now, but that would attract every Rebel in the base in my current mood, so i'll wait for now."

Her voice was tight, the effort to hide her anger was plain even if one didn't look into her eyes. Sith. Again. And two of them. Which reminded her...

- "Oh, and don't start that mind control crap like that Enyar guy tried to, or i'll tear you a new one, lightsabers be damned!"

And with that, she barreled down the corridor heading for the Landing Pads, not even bothering to look over her shoulder to see if the two kept up with her fast pace. It'd be too much to hope for if she'd manage to lose them now, anyway.

"Don't worry...I wouldn't even think about using a mind trick as they only work on the weak-minded...the one who tried it on you, must have undersestimated you...come to think of it...yes I know him...and I can assure you, he was punished for his actions, regardless what you think of us, we still have our honour and we are loyal to our leaders...Christopher Enyar was an exception....we're not like him...so I advice you not to be close-minded in your opinion and view upon us..."

They walked further and the two of them followed the red-haired girl.

"My questions for the Princess however...they are private...sorry but I can't tell them. Even the Princess wouldn't want this kind of information to leak to anyone. But I assure you, it has nothing to do with exposing her or your small Rebel band here! Like I said...those are not my intentions."

Kalin looked back at Ayanna who was still following them and felt uncomfortable in her handmaiden uniform. He could guess she wanted to wear her old black uniform again.

Ayanna continued after them, she still seemed moody and uncomfortable from before. She wasn't sure what exactly Kalin wanted with Princess Leia, but she knew she would find out soon. This journey to the Rebel Base had been less than pleasant, and she just hoped she wouldn;t bump into the same soldier, Caster, as she had before.

- "Depends. Was he punished for attacking me... Or simply for getting caught? Because i suspect the latter."

No matter what Kalin said, or how sincere he appeared, Jin-ho didn't trust the Sith as far as she could Force Throw him. Which was not at all, obviously. However, she couldn't help but wonder that since the Sith appeared to be popping up everywhere like weeds, that the Jedi might not be as rare as people claimed they were.

Still, she kept up her pace, deliberately taking a wrong turn every once in a while to stall for time, time which she needed to come up with a plan. Kalin had said he could keep his weapons, if it'd make her feel safe... That meant he had more than enough Force Powers to simply not need them. Chris' lightning had hurt like hell when it had hit her, and she felt little need to go through that ordeal again.

"For both if you want me to be honest...but more for the second one, than the first one...sorry but that's just the way things work at the academy..."

She hardly spoke and Kalin sensed something in her he was all too familiar with.

"I sense much fear in you, Jin-Ho...but there is no reason to fear me...I am aligned to the Sith, but in reality I'm just a rogue Jedi...to give my allegiance to the Sith was the only way I could survive in this galaxy that hunts Jedi...I'm sure you would understand that..."

Kalin noticed she was very nervous and the walk back to the platform took such a long time, too long for Kalin's patient and too long that the walk back in reality was.

"I advice you not to try anything irrational...I don't want to harm anybody, but if I have to I will..." That is not a threat...I'm just trying to get some facts straight and at this moment the Princess is my only hope..."

Kalin kept walking behind Jin-Ho as she kept walking, she didn't say anything, but she was very nervous, so it seemed. Kalin understood after her experience with Chris.

Jin-ho nodded somewhat hesitantly. True, Kalin seemed different from Chris, the other Sith she had met. More... genuine. Still, she figured a 'Dark Jedi' to be somewhat of a cross between a Jedi and a Sith, which in her eyes just made him even less predictable. Still, he had answered her questions truthfully up until now, so she might as well go along with it for now...

- "I suppose... Still, it sounds a bit weak, if you don't mind me saying so. Kind of like you're collaborating with your enemies for fear of being prosecuted if you aren't." :huh:

She knew that she wasn't a Jedi, so she couldn't really relate to it from her point of view. Still, she had spoken what was on her mind. Half to herself, she kept thinking out loud.

- "...But why do that, when you could just as well join the resistance, so to speak..."

It occurred to her then that she had spoken out loud, and she tried to apologise for it, waving her hands frantically.

- "Umm... Did i just think that out loud? GAH! I sounded like i'm trying to recruit you two or something... Though, i suppose, that thing you wanted to talk to Princess Leia about would be just that?" :unsure:

They had reached the Landing Pad now, and she looked at the ships that were parked there. Scratching the back of her neck, and tugging her collar gently, she decided she wanted to know one more thing before taking off.

- "Umm... After we get to Alderaan... What'll happen to me?" :unsure:

Kalin sorta laughed with Jin-Ho's comment on joining the resistance,

"Look I joined the Sith just to safe my own neck, I am as loyal as possible to them as far as I don't have to cross my ideals, but I admiit that I have crossed them sometimes in the past....everyone does...otherwise how could we survive? The Jedi are hunted down and killed...I do not want to be a part of that...at least no yet...."

Strange answer Kalin gave, was he doubting about something?

"And thanks for the offer, but I must decline, joining the resistance is not what I have in mind. I have my own goals and I fear for this Rebel group...the future of the rebels is unstable and I don't think I would change much in that..."

They walked further, there seemed to be no end to this walk or this conversation,

"Don't get me wrong...I admire your ideals...some are even identical to mine...but I rather follow my own path instead of that either of the Jedi, the Sith or the Empire. That is why I don't want to call myself a Sith or a Dark Jedi...their purpose and ideals are very different than mine..."

- "Ah i see... Heh, my dad always used to say it didn't matter what you did, as long as you could still look at yourself in the mirror, and smile. It's why i decided to join the Rebels, honestly. It just felt like the right thing to do, in here."

She tapped her heart while talking, a small smile appearing on her face, and the nervousness she had been feeling up to then appeared to fade somewhat as she spoke. Still, when she realised just where she was again, she looked at Ayanna and Kalin again, sweatdropping.

- "Umm... Which of these is your ship again?" ^^;

"My ship?! No...I though you were taking us to a ship of yours...cause my ship is of course not stalled here, I wouldn't dare to land here....I came and sneaked my way in with an X-Wing Starfighter, Ayanna came in a....euhm well....a cargo box"

Kalin couldn't but laugh a bit, but he guessed Ayanna didn't think it was funny.

"No my ship is stalled in the distance, far from the Massassi temples...."

He pointed the direction outside the hangers.

"It should still be there...I hope..."

Jin-ho looked at the various fighters that were parked in the hangars, looking as puzzled as she was feeling.

- "Well umm... I doubt the three of us are going to fit into a single fighter, and i have no idea how to fly one of those things yet... Ironically, i was about to head out to my first pilot training when we met." :blink:

She looked into the direction Kalin pointed in, off in the distance. Of course, she didn't really expect to see the ship, but it nonetheless still worried her how much jungle they'd have to cross. And given her current skill in close combat, she figured that wasn't much of an option either.

- "So, now what? I can't fly, there's nothing larger than fighters parked here and i doubt i'd make it to your ship in one piece." :ph43r:

"Why is that? Afraid of me or those jungle creatures, cause if it's the second, I'll protect, why wouldn't I...would I go through all this effort, just to kill you in the jungle while I could kill you right now, without somebody even realising it...."

At that moment a rebel escort landed.

"There's another option if you still dont trust me...we take a transport with your soldiers, if that makes you feel more safer and we go back and take my transport....to wherever the Princess is that is...you can take your soldiers with you on my ship...there's plenty enough room. My ship is at least capable of carrying 12 passengers so with 11 soldiers you should be very well protected."

Kalin gave a genuine smile, also a bit of sarcasm that after all protection he offered, after all his attempt for Jin-Ho to trust him, she still didn't. It was understandable he thought. But he was anything like Chris Enyar, they were practically opposites.

- "No, don't worry, i already noticed you're different from Chris. The thing is... Oh, one moment. Excuse me! Captain!"

She waved her hand at the officer that left the transport, running over to him to see if she could arrange something.

- "Ah, sorry about that. There's a small ship that was left in the jungle, belonging to those two people over there. If it's not too much trouble, could you please give us a ride and drop the three of us off there?" ^_^

A few minutes -- and some feminine charms -- later, they were on board the transport, heading for Kalin's ship. The officer had given the pilot permission, and the three of them were alone in the transport's passenger section.

- "...Anyway, as i was saying it would have been too complicated explaining the situation to about a dozen guards. You have my word that i'll cooperate, and i have yours for not fighting anyone. It's still a bit risky, but i suppose that's the best we can do."

She looked out of the window, watching for signs of the transport Kalin mentioned. She didn't see anything, and figured it was probably hidden from view anyway, so she turned back to the two Dark Jedi in front of them.

"Actually now we are sitting in the ship, I don't think we have been properly introduced...My name is Kalin...this is Ayanna...you understand that I can't give you further information about my identity...but I thougth you should at least know our first names, so we are not complete strangers from each other"

The three of them stepped out of the transport and walked in the Thranta, Kalin's ship. Inside Kalin told Jin-Ho.

"Well you'll have to tell me where we are going, but you don't have to stay in the cockpit all the time. you can make yourself comfortable in one of the quarters of the ship."

They all walked to the cockpit,

"So yeah...where are we going? Do you know the coördinates yourself or do you want me to put them in?"

The ship started to levitate and left the planet's atmosphere. Orbiting around Yavin, the red planet itself they waited for Jin-Ho's repsonse.

Jin-ho found herself looking out of the window again as the planet disappeared from view, a habit from when she was a kid she had been slipping back into. She nodded at the introductions, giving her own even though it was already known to them, and turned back to Kalin.

- "Well, for now, just set a course for Alderaan. In the meantime, i have to think of a way to get you in touch with Leia without alerting every guard, bounty hunter and imperial soldier in the system. I am still rather infamous at the moment, after all." ^^;

Remembering something, she frowned at the thought, before giving Kalin a puzzled look. It still felt somewhat odd, being on first name basis with two Sith -- even though she didn't have a choice -- but she figured it couldn't be helped.

- "Oh and by the way... How did you plan on getting the 10,000 Credit bounty off of my head? I mean, you're a Sith, so how can you get rid of a Bounty that's higher than some Warlords?" :huh:

The thing was, she wasn't stupid. She had a hunch of what this was all hinting at, including her 'mysterious' upgrade to the Bounty shortly after Chris had been transferred. Even if he was a Sith, he was still a captive, and there simply had been too little time to even verify the information even if he had been screaming it from when he first boarded the Imperial transporter.

Better to hear it from the horse's mouth, for that matter.

"Simple...as I am connected to the Sith, I'm also connected to the Empire...It's a sick plan, but it's the only way we can get you safe...we find ourselves a dead body from the morgues...whevever we can find it...we make it unrecognizable so no proof can be found that it is not you...so they will have my word and in theory...Your body as proof that you are not alive anymore..."

Kalin set the coördinates for Alderaan. The journey didn't take as long as they expected and when they finally arrived they flied close to the royal hanger bays.

Continue on Alderaan

Taves cursed to himself, which brought alot of attention to him since he had returned to the hanger. He had been so close to springing his plan until those Sith had showed up, and ruined it. He walked back to the area outside the temple where he had stashed his armor, and put it back on. Now things were in a very difficult position. Having listened to the conversation in the hanger and on the transport in the guise of a soldier he felt he needed to contact Fett before making his next move. He returned toward the landing pads to use his ship's communicator.

[New Beginnings]

- "Well, looks like i'm back where i left off..." :ph43r:

Figuring that the best thing she could do in this situation was pretend nothing out of the ordinary had happened -- the Rebels were away on missions a lot as well -- and decided to go on with what she had been trying to do before meeting Kalin. She went to her quarters, changing into her own clothing as well as putting the holo-projector away in a drawer before heading out to Pilot Training. Who knows, given that her rank allowed her to have her own ship, that she might even end up piloting it herself when the time was right...

[Rebel Pilot Training]