Tropis-on-Varonat

Myranda slowly moved her speeder closer to the group as her husband spoke and nodded her agreement, "Hop in the trailer and we can get going..." She turns to look around as she hears the soft footsteps of a very tiny girl approaching.



Joshuana bounds up to the group, both her lightsabers drawn and skids to a halt, almost crashing into the two-meter tall armored hulk that is Sam. She looks the group over and then addresses Myranda, "You'll need me to do the repairs, I'm coming along!"



Myranda nods, "So what are you waiting for?"



The girl quickly hops into the trailer and takes a seat, deactivating her lightsabers, but keeping her senses active, readying herself for hostile counterattacks.

The only thing worse than waking up and finding yourself covered in white paint and lying in a puddle of engine grease in some filthy back-ally, is waking up and not being able to find yourself at all.





Karana screamed.
It was a logical response, really. Hell, you try re-entering consciousness without knowing you├óÔé¼Ôäóre wearing an invisibility cloaking device, let├óÔé¼Ôäós see how you react. Heart thudding, she scrambled awkwardly up from her sitting position, hyperventilating as she clung to the vines twisted around the tree trunk she├óÔé¼Ôäód been propped against. She stared wide-eyed at the spot where her hands should have been, wiggling her fingers, mind whirling through sets of possibilities. Pain seared through the side of her head, intensified by her quick movements. The world of green foliage swam in front of her. She had to calm down and figure this out. Now. The acrid scent of whatever plant surrounded her burned through her nose. Not calming by any measure, but it sure cleared her head.

Her head. There were things to remember. She could see them, waiting at the back of her mind, but she was too focused on this new development to deal with them. It never occurred to her panicked self that remembering what had happened here in the jungle might actually solve her current predicament.

Maybe I hit my head harder than I thought. Or maybe that plant smell is making me hallucinate. Or maybe I├óÔé¼Ôäóm really dreaming, and I├óÔé¼Ôäóm gonna wake up in seven seconds. Yeah. That├óÔé¼Ôäós it. I├óÔé¼Ôäóm just dreaming├óÔé¼┬ª







No use. Time to flail around like a panicked idiot and hope the answers appeared.

With a shout of alarm, Karana spun around and ran two steps--

--right into Wade. Wow, he had good timing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWADEWHEREDIDMYBODYGO?!├óÔé¼┬Ø she squealed, mouth in high-speed. ├óÔé¼┼ôBRINGITBACK!!├óÔé¼┬Ø

[quote="Taralorn Melvarrik":1xm2tfs3][color=#FFBF00:1xm2tfs3]He places his helmet back on, and the eyes glow in a bright blue.[/color:1xm2tfs3] [color=#00FFFF:1xm2tfs3]"My wife can take you there, if you can repair the ship and then bring it over here. I'll keep the gnats off your back while you do the repairs...and we still need to locate Wade and Karana."[/color:1xm2tfs3][/quote:1xm2tfs3]

[quote="Asyeline Skyrah":1xm2tfs3]Myranda slowly moved her speeder closer to the group as her husband spoke and nodded her agreement, [color=#FFFF40:1xm2tfs3]"Hop in the trailer and we can get going..."[/color:1xm2tfs3][/quote:1xm2tfs3]

[npc name=Dax:1xm2tfs3][action:1xm2tfs3]The Rodian winces as he rises from his crouched position, holstering his left DC-17 handblaster and putting the hand to his injured hip as he says,[/action:1xm2tfs3] "Thoundth like we've got a plan, let'th get to it." [action:1xm2tfs3]Walking over to the trailer, he nods to Myranda before boarding, sitting wearily for a moment before shaking his head and assuming a more attentive and alert posture as the need to stay ready asserts itself and he pushes his exhaustion aside.[/action:1xm2tfs3][/npc:1xm2tfs3]

[npc name=Claude "Mack" Dieter:1xm2tfs3][action:1xm2tfs3]Not yet abandoning his position behind the downed and petrified log, Mack rubs the top of his bald head and looks at the man in the armored suit and says,[/action:1xm2tfs3] "You sure you're good to hold here alone until Fel, Malora and Wade, was it, show? [action:1xm2tfs3]He grunts a laugh, lifting a hand from his Imperial heavy repeater and waving it up and down in the direction of the armor, saying,[/action:1xm2tfs3] You look more than capable, no question, but another set of eyes never hurt and I'm not used to leaving before everyone is accounted for."[/npc:1xm2tfs3]

Wade watched in amazement as the series of extremely unfortunate events befell the stranger, ending in her shooting herself. Well that was a streak of amazing luck. Then Karana screamed. That wasn't good for two reasons. First, she was screaming, and second, it was loud. Wade immediately took off for the stump and slowed when he got within three paces of it, which was a good thing because after two more steps the invisible Karana slammed into him and started babbling like crazy. So he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling or running off again. "Hey, you're fine. It's a cloaking device on your belt. Tap it to turn it off."

Sam nods and turns around to scan the perimeter. They had a fairly defensible position, if Mack stood behind him, he would have protection. :: It's your life, and your call. May the Force be with us all... :: He brings all his weapons online again as he detects movement, which he was fairly certain was not Wade and Karana, because he could sense those two through the Force, they were fine. Wade's an excellent protector.

:: Almost five thousand years ago, when the Sith Lords, Darth Revan and Darth Malak attacked my planet, I fought on the shores of Ghealdean against thousands of Revan's Sith Troopers alone. This armor... :: He thumps on the thick chest of the Marauder armor, :: Was the very same armor I used on that day. Nothing today is going to penetrate this. And none of us are going to die. :: He extends his right hand to Mack, :: Sergio 'Sam' Ghomesz, at your service. ::

He was pretty sure the revelation of his age would be a handful for Mack to handle. But it probably would do him good to know he was accompanied by a veteran of thousands of wars.

Myranda kicks her speeder into high gear and takes off, quickly disappearing back into the forests of Varonat. Her head droops momentarily and she quickly shakes her head. Damn! Don't get everyone else killed just because you feel like dying! She mentally scolded herself. Drawing on the Force, the soldier borrows strength from the life around her, enabling her to sharpen her focus and giving her the will to go on.



Joshuana sat across from the Rodian, Dax. She gazed impassively at him with those strange, glowing purple-green eyes of hers. He can be certain she was thinking something, but her face was a neutral mask that gave away no indication just what she thought.

[quote="Taralorn Melvarrik":1a8mxopo] [comlink:1a8mxopo][color=#00FFFF:1a8mxopo]Almost five thousand years ago, when the Sith Lords, Darth Revan and Darth Malak attacked my planet, I fought on the shores of Ghealdean against thousands of Revan's Sith Troopers alone. This armor...[/color:1a8mxopo][/comlink:1a8mxopo] [color=#FFBF00:1a8mxopo]He thumps on the thick chest of the Marauder armor,[/color:1a8mxopo] [comlink:1a8mxopo][color=#00FFFF:1a8mxopo]Was the very same armor I used on that day. Nothing today is going to penetrate this. And none of us are going to die.[/color:1a8mxopo][/comlink:1a8mxopo] [color=#FFBF00:1a8mxopo]He extends his right hand to Mack,[/color:1a8mxopo] [comlink:1a8mxopo][color=#00FFFF:1a8mxopo]Sergio 'Sam' Ghomesz, at your service.[/color:1a8mxopo][/comlink:1a8mxopo][/quote:1a8mxopo]

[npc name=Claude "Mack" Dieter:1a8mxopo][action:1a8mxopo]Extending his hand to shake that of Ghomez, Mack pauses slightly when, the exact words Ghomez had used sink in, but recovers quickly, managing to, despite his suddenly churning thoughts, get out with an expression somewhere between awe at the possibility Ghomez is, as claimed, nearly five thousand years old and the belief he is the victim of an inside joke,[/action:1a8mxopo] "Mack Dieter."

[narration:1a8mxopo]Shouldering his Imperial heavy Repeater and lifting the barrel to the sky, Mack looks around, eyes narrowing slightly as he watches the speeder disappear into the forest, and tells himself that whether Ghomez is five thousand or fifty years old, he is, from the brief moments he saw him in action, a force to be reckoned with, and lets himself feel marginally more optomistic about getting off Varonat alive.[/narration:1a8mxopo] [action:1a8mxopo]Returning to his position crouched behind the cover of the moss covered log, Mack finds a clump of foliage to conceal the barrel of his repeater in and, after scanning the jungle ahead briefly, asks Ghomez,[/action:1a8mxopo] "Any idea where Malora and this Wade are? Or Fel, for that matter? If the hostiles saw [i:1a8mxopo]the Unfair Advantage[/i:1a8mxopo] lift off, and I'm betting they [i:1a8mxopo]did[/i:1a8mxopo], they might still move in this direction. Maybe, now that everyone else if safely away, we should do something unexpected, like advance, search for who we left behind. [action:1a8mxopo]Grinning lop-sidedly, he adds,[/action:1a8mxopo] You've got a bit more practical field experience than I've got or [action:1a8mxopo]he laughs[/action:1a8mxopo] ever [i:1a8mxopo]will[/i:1a8mxopo] have, though, so I think I'll defer to your lead, Sam."[/npc:1a8mxopo]


[quote="Asyeline Skyrah":1a8mxopo][color=#BF80FF:1a8mxopo]Joshuana sat across from the Rodian, Dax. She gazed impassively at him with those strange, glowing purple-green eyes of hers. He can be certain she was thinking something, but her face was a neutral mask that gave away no indication just what she thought.[/color:1a8mxopo][/quote:1a8mxopo]

[npc name=Dax:1a8mxopo][action:1a8mxopo]Rising up when the speeder first takes off, Dax tries to watch in every direction, but the blurring of green as they speed through the jungle isn't, he thinks, going to offer a lot to see in the way of anything other than a lot of blurred greens and the occasional brown, so he sits back down, checking the remaining shots in his DC-17 handblasters - 20 in the right and a not very comforting 4 in the left.[/action:1a8mxopo] [narration:1a8mxopo]With the lack of a pause between the crap on Carida and jumoing into more crap here, there was no chance to resupply. Hopefully, Dax thinks, it won't come down to just him and the vibroblade in his boot.[/narration:1a8mxopo]

[action:1a8mxopo]Gradually becoming aware of a feeling he is being watched, the Rodian looks over at Joshuana, who is, it seems to him, looking intently at him, and, unable to read the expression in her eyes, tries to think of something to say to break the silence. His tapir-like snout curling up into a grin, Dax, after much consideration, cleverly comes up with saying chipperly,[/action:1a8mxopo] "Hi! I'm Daxth."[/npc:1a8mxopo]

Not wanting to be rude, Joshuana smiles at Dax and returns the greet, "Hello Dax, I'm Joshuana. We'll be reaching the ship momentarily. We should get ready...it's out in the Open Terrain." She noticed Dax had an injury of some sort and she looks at him in concern. "Would you like me to take care of that?" She asks tentatively, referring to his leg. Without waiting for approval, she uses the Force and scans the Rodian, allowing her to see every injury on his body with precise detail. While waiting for his approval, she quietly uses the Force to ease his pain somewhat and fill him with a warm, soothing sensation.

Sam nods, he quickly scans the vicinity and decides it may be safe enough. He hands over a small personal shield generator to Mack, :: Use this, it'll protect you from laser fire. I'm going to try and reach Wade or Karana. :: Tuning into the Force, Sam senses Wade and Karana's presence not too far away. << Wade, Karana? Are you both all right? >> He begins walking, his every footstep shaking the ground enough to disorient anyone following close to him.

[quote="Asyeline Skyrah":zfteozhg][color=#00FF80:zfteozhg]"Hello Dax, I'm Joshuana. We'll be reaching the ship momentarily. We should get ready...it's out in the Open Terrain."[/color:zfteozhg] [color=#BF80FF:zfteozhg]She noticed Dax had an injury of some sort and she looks at him in concern.[/color:zfteozhg] [color=#00FF80:zfteozhg]"Would you like me to take care of that?"[/color:zfteozhg] [color=#BF80FF:zfteozhg]She asks tentatively, referring to his leg.[/color:zfteozhg][/quote:zfteozhg]

[npc name=Dax:zfteozhg][action:zfteozhg]A slightly confused expression on his face as he looks around for any kind of medical supplies, Dax shrugs, saying,[/action:zfteozhg] "Yeah, thure, if there'th thome med thuplieth, I thould probably redreth thith," [action:zfteozhg]he pushes his vest aside and peels his blood stained shirt from the blaster wound above his hip, surprised when doing so doesn't give rise to the expected pain, in fact, he thinks, he feels unaccountably better than he has ever since receiving the wound on Carida. The puncture wounds on both shoulders, he thinks, ache less as well, and he looks at Joshuana with a questioning look, starting to understand that there is more to her than it would seem. . .[/action:zfteozhg][/npc:zfteozhg]


[quote="Taralorn Melvarrik":zfteozhg][color=#FFBF00:zfteozhg]Tuning into the Force, Sam senses Wade and Karana's presence not too far away.[/color:zfteozhg] [force_speak:zfteozhg][color=#00FFFF:zfteozhg]Wade, Karana? Are you both all right?[/color:zfteozhg][/force_speak:zfteozhg] [color=#FFBF00:zfteozhg]He begins walking, his every footstep shaking the ground enough to disorient anyone following close to him.[/color:zfteozhg][/quote:zfteozhg]

[npc name=Claude "Mack" Dieter:zfteozhg][action:zfteozhg]Accepting the shield, Mack decides to wait to activate it until there is a need, and nods when Sam says he will try and contact Malora and Wade. Falling gradually, his movements purposeful and as stealthy as he can make them in the terrain, back and to the left of Sam to cover him and to get into a position where the footsteps are not so disorienting, Mack keeps his repeater shouldered and ready, moving from cover to cover and scanning the jungle ahead of them alert and poised to react to any sign of danger . . .[/action:zfteozhg][/npc:zfteozhg]

He'd hardly been paying attention to the chaos around him, barely taking notice as his body reacted on instinct. Punch that, jump there, spin left, shoot, dive, roll, shoot, kick, punch, headbutt, and on and on. The explosions were nothing but static in his ears, a minor annoyance that wasn't allowing him to concentrate as he would have liked to. She was here. Had to be here. He didn't even want to think about what that damned lizard had probably done to her, but there was a bigger problem weighing on his mind. This little battle was going to draw attention, his attention. He needed to find Karana and get her out of here.

And then like fate had been reading he heard a scream and spun. There, of by the trees, a man standing alone...talking to someone? He barely took a second to switch his visors thermal vision on and saw another person leaning on the man. He sighed in relief, he knew that form. With a growl he started sprinting toward her. Out of here. They needed to get out of here.

[quote="Wade Connors":3j83tevz]Wade watched in amazement as the series of extremely unfortunate events befell the stranger, ending in her shooting herself. Well that was a streak of amazing luck. Then Karana screamed. That wasn't good for two reasons. First, she was screaming, and second, it was loud. Wade immediately took off for the stump and slowed when he got within three paces of it, which was a good thing because after two more steps the invisible Karana slammed into him and started babbling like crazy. So he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling or running off again. [color=#FF8000:3j83tevz]"Hey, you're fine. It's a cloaking device on your belt. Tap it to turn it off."[/color:3j83tevz][/quote:3j83tevz]

[color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ôBELT? ├óÔé¼┬ªBELT?? WHAT BELT?!├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:3j83tevz]

Squealing, Karana twisted in Wade├óÔé¼Ôäós arms, both hands slapping frantically at where she figured her stomach would be. Her fingers found something unfamiliar. A thin, hard surface, cool and to the touch. It encircled her waist.

Bingo.

[color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ô[size=85:3j83tevz]Get it off, get it off, get it off[/size:3j83tevz],├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:3j83tevz] she chanted under her breath as she jabbed at it with her pointer finger. Nothing happened for a moment. [color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ôWADE, IT├óÔé¼ÔäóS NOT--├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:3j83tevz] There was a tiny whirring noise as she depressed something, and Karana Malora appeared in all her black, dirty, leaf-encrusted glory. [color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ô--WORking. ├óÔé¼┬ªOh.├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:3j83tevz] She froze, staring at her hands as if they├óÔé¼Ôäód disappear again. When she realized her Invisible Girl adventure was truly at an end, she sighed in relief, rotating back around to face Wade. She closed her eyes and wiggled, shuddering in disgust. Like she├óÔé¼Ôäód seen a five foot centipede or something. [color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ôThat was [i:3j83tevz]gross[/i:3j83tevz],├óÔé¼┬Ø [/color:3j83tevz]she said, making a face. [color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ôI never [i:3j83tevz]ever[/i:3j83tevz] want to wake up and not have a body again.├óÔé¼┬Ø [/color:3j83tevz]

Speaking of bodies, now that the panic was over, hers had finally rid itself of the momentary adrenaline.

And now everything hurt.

The young woman clapped a hand to the side of her head as her sense of balance failed her. Good thing Wade was holding her, or she├óÔé¼Ôäód have gone toppling over. Pulling her hand away, she inspected it, eyes squinted in concentration. Blood. Only a little. Her left cheek and arm smarted, too, as the humid air slid over her open wounds, and she had a funny feeling her back would need a few Band-Aids. Karana frowned, trying to focus her eyes. It wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót workin├óÔé¼Ôäó out too well. [color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ôWhy├óÔé¼Ôäóm I always gettin├óÔé¼Ôäó beat up?├óÔé¼┬Ø[/color:3j83tevz] she mumbled, glaring at Wade. [color=#40BFFF:3j83tevz]├óÔé¼┼ôAnd why are you always [i:3j83tevz]not[/i:3j83tevz] gettin├óÔé¼Ôäó beat up?├óÔé¼┬Ø [/color:3j83tevz]

Wade smiled at Karana's outburst as he held her up. "What do you mean I don't get beat up? I got stabbed! Right here!" He said, pointing to the point on his armor that was over his right pectoral muscle where Xaxan had stabbed him with the hook. Then ripped it out. That had hurt like hell. Come to think of it, if he wasn't so focused on survival it probably still would.

And then Sam's voice jumped into his head. << "Figure it out mister mind reader." >> This whole force thing was really starting to get on his nerves again, just like it had with Zivanus. Sure it was handy, but the invasion of privacy was not worth it. Maybe he'd have to look into getting his hands on one of those lizard things. One of those could come in really handy.

And then an armored hulk came crashing through the bushes. And it wasn't Sam. Holding Karana up with his left arm, he grabbed one of his pistols with his right and aimed it directly at the approaching hulk, who happened to not be shooting at them so he returned the favor and decided to talk first and shoot later, even though the guy could be a friend of the mercenary lying unconscious only meters away. "You're the second stranger to wander in here and I don't believe in coincidence so you'd better have one hell of a reason for me not to blow you to pieces." Wade knew full well that his pistol wouldn't penetrate the armor, but if it came to a fight he also knew that all that weight on the man would turn out to be more of a hindrance than a blessing.

Dazac clenched his fists. He didn't know this man, but his proximity to Karana and the fact that he seemed to be holding her up rather than holding her as a prisoner made him question himself, and keep from pulling his blaster.

"If you want to you can try, but you'd better hope your blaster is powerful enough to kill me in one shot, or you'll be the one the hole in your head, now, I don't know who you are, and I couldn't care less, only thing I'm concerned about right now is getting her as far away from here as possible," he said, pointing at Karana, "So, either save the idle threats and help with that, or step aside, or, if you're feeling lucky, pull that trigger and see what happens."

"Don't need luck." And then he lowered the pistol, holstering it. The man's concern seemed genuine, although it was still hard for him to tell under all that armor. So since the man hadn't opened fire already Wade decided to trust him for the time being and gestured to the unconscious form of Liya laying next to what was left of the stump. "You carry her. Any idea which way?"

Crashing through the woods, Sam soon appears before Wade, Karana and another armored being, though not as bulky looking as himself, the Jedi wondered how well his armor would stand up in a melee. He nods at the pair and since Dazac wasn't shooting anyone, decided he must be a friend...for now. :: My wife and a few others will be going to try and repair the Eagle. That should help us get off planet and free of these Syndicate mercenaries. Meantime, we probably should try to get into the city. I believe we'll be able to find other modes of transportation. The Eagle obviously can't carry us all. :: He waves a weapons-laden right hand in the direction of the city.

And suddenly, there were people.

This happened a lot around Karana, it seemed, and always when she wasn├óÔé¼╦£t expecting it. There would be moments, long moments, of complete aloneness. Just Karana and the situation, which was usually loaded to the brim with some sort of evil emotional tension. And she├óÔé¼Ôäód spend more moments (long moments) wondering when someone was finally going to show up and help her out. And then when she stopped wondering, people would appear. It was a familiar pattern, and something about it was oddly comforting.

Except for this situation. Karana was too out-of-it to feel comfort on any level. She didn├óÔé¼Ôäót even know what she was feeling. Or if.

It was Dazac. Karana was 99% sure of it. She screwed up her face and squinted her eyes, trying to make the blurry double images merge back into one. Her throbbing head and urge to sleep weren├óÔé¼Ôäót helping matters, but she finally managed to clear her vision a bit. The armor, facemask, that posture├óÔé¼┬ªDazac always stood with his hands clenched into fists, shoulders back, and chin level. And then he spoke, and Karana found herself wrestling away from Wade and stumbling across the jungle floor to fall into Dazac├óÔé¼Ôäós arms.

Something happened somewhere inside her. She couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót pinpoint exactly where, but she could feel it in her stomach and her chest. The feeling was indescribable. Almost light a tightening? It would quiver, as if in anticipation. It usually happened when you were angry or upset about something, but it wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót always a bad feeling. Sometimes, it made your happy levels so high you actually cried. Karana didn├óÔé¼Ôäót like it. It made her feel all soppy and emotional.
Like right now.
Karana pressed her face to Dazac├óÔé¼Ôäós chest armor and clung to his metal-hard, bulky frame, unable to stop the little sighs of relief that issued forth from her lips. She couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót do squat about the ridiculous smile, either. The emotional weight of the past├óÔé¼┬ªwell, however long she├óÔé¼Ôäód been gone, suddenly grew wings and lifted from her shoulders, taking with it the images that had tormented her mental being: the explosion she├óÔé¼Ôäód heard on Ord Mantell, the imagined dead faces of her crew floating in front of her, Tir Kaarn├óÔé¼Ôäós dark gaze and cold skin, Xaxan Zadicus sneering triumphantly at her as he├óÔé¼┬ªwell, yeah. The memories settled somewhere in the darkest corner of her mind, and Karana locked the door after them. She├óÔé¼Ôäód been right to hope, right not to listen to Kaarn or Zadicus.

They were alive. He was alive. Everything would be ok. It really would.

She said nothing for a while. Even as she raised her dirty, cut-up face to grin stupidly into Dazac├óÔé¼Ôäós facemask, Karana remained silent. Mostly because she was too tired to form words, but also because she had no idea what to say. She was never good at putting emotions or feelings into words, and it was near impossible to do when she was tired. And she was beyond tired. She knew Dazac would understand.

Someone else came crashing through the jungle to join their party. Karana didn├óÔé¼Ôäót need to look to know who it was. No one made that much noise unless they were wearing ancient Atheiirnian battle armor. Twisting in Dazac├óÔé¼Ôäós arms, she managed a smile and a tired wave at Sam and├óÔé¼┬ªwho was that? Karana squinted again. A dude, with a semi-shiny bald head, a nifty-lookin├óÔé¼Ôäó heavy repeater, and a single green leaf clinging to the side of his shirt. She had no idea who he was, but he seemed to be on friendly terms with Sam the Iron Man. Karana wrote him off as 'decent and cool', and reminded herself to talk to him when she could string together coherent sentences.

They were all talking. About├óÔé¼┬ªsomething. She couldn├óÔé¼Ôäót put the words in order. That sleeping whispering thing had returned, and was egging her on towards unconsciousness again. She shook her head sharply, wincing when pain lanced through her skull. Wade was telling Dazac to carry ├óÔé¼╦£her├óÔé¼Ôäó, but he wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót pointing at Karana. Clutching her head, she followed his finger, and├óÔé¼┬ª

Well, would you look at that. A chick. In armor. With pretty hair. Knocked out on the jungle floor.

├óÔé¼┬ªOkay, cool. Karana nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôCarry her,├óÔé¼┬Ø she echoed Wade, patting Dazac on the chest and turning away. She wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót sure why, since Dazac was just as capable as Wade was, but Karana summoned the remainder of her energy, shuffled away from her armored best friend, and collapsed back into Wade├óÔé¼Ôäós arms. Maybe it was because she still felt indebted to him for├óÔé¼┬ªwell, everything. Maybe it was because he├óÔé¼Ôäód been the only (with the exception of recent friends Sam, Myranda, and Jace) tangible form of comfort, safety, and friendship she├óÔé¼Ôäód had during her horrifying experiences the past month. Maybe it was both. Whatever the reasons behind her actions, she wasn├óÔé¼Ôäót budging. She hoped Dazac would understand that, too.

Someone said Fel├óÔé¼Ôäós name. Karana perked up long enough to blurt out his personal comm code, and then went back to drifting somewhere between consciousness and the Land of the Loony People Who Hit Their Heads Too Hard And Don├óÔé¼Ôäót Listen To The Whispering Voices Telling Them To Frag It All And Go To Sleep.

Dazac grinned behind his helmet. He had Karana back. At least one thing in the galaxy had been put right again. But they still weren't out of danger, so celebration would have to wait. He watched as Karana stumbled back to Wade and immediately decided, the man was friend, not foe. He walked over to the unconscious woman laying nearby and looked at her for a moment. There was a blaster laying nearby, and her holster was empty. He wasn't even going to try and guess what had happened here.

He picked up the blaster and knelt down next to the woman, placing it in her holster, and picking her up and holding her over his left shoulder. He wanted one hand free in case he needed to use his blaster.

"Let's move. The sooner we're out of this system, the better."

"Duh. But we still need a direction, so I'll ask again. Any idea which way genius?" Needless to say, Wade was getting sick of this rock. He had already killed over a dozen men and wounded countless others. Something that he was normally very hesitant to do. But the reason had been sufficient. They wanted to either kill or capture Karana, and that was not going to happen. Not again. Not after he failed to protect her the first time.