[CCOM 1000] A3: (yelling) Karrde. Karrde. Come in, now! [CCOM 1000] A1: *after a slight pause* Karrde here, what is it? [CCOM 1000] A3: (in a voice a bit calmer, but still insistent) You need to get over here now. I need to be picked up. And I'll be bringing a friend. [CCOM 1000] A1: *calm, as usual, though quietly* Of course, where are you? [CCOM 1000] A1: Jade? [CCOM 1000] A3: We're over the Tatooine desert. (gives some coordinates) [CCOM 1000] A1: Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes, I'm in orbit. Karrde out. [Karrde lands at the desert location.] You step out the airlock and down the ramp. Desert From the whiteness of the ground and the broiling double suns above, one might wonder if _anything_ lives out here, or ever has. The question could be answered quickly by noting the presence of a ramshackle hovel, rounded and covered with a peeling and faded covering of white paint, sandblasted by torturous winds and baking heat. A dilapidated water unit rests at an angle against the shack. As far as mechanical or electronic gear, there are no signs of anything else. A single door leads into the dark and somewhat cooler interior of the dwelling. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Jade => STARFIGHTER: SubPro Ilyrian Gnat -- Starry Ice => Luke => STARFIGHTER: Sienar Lambda Class Shuttle -- Whitewing -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ouse une Sea Karrde steps down the lowering ramp, squinting at the sudden glare. Luke is lying unconscious and sprawled in the sand near the house. A bloody gash on his forehead causing a dark pool to form near him. He has numerous scratches through his clothing, which is tattered and muddy. His saber is two inches form his right hand, broken in two pieces. There are signs everywhere of a recent skirmish, broken gaderfii, splotches of blood. Here and there a cauterized greyish arm from some strange creature. The sand is disturbed all about, showing tracks leading to where a large ship had landed. (Repose from earlier to set the scene.) Luke has since come to somewhat, but blearily, and is muttering "Ben.." He is still _out_ of it. Mara has the Lightsabre. Jade emerges from the house quickly, carrying two packs. One appears rifled through and Mara has a length of rope in her hand. Seeing Karrde entering the picture, she tosses the packs at him and moves over closer to Skywalker. "Hold these," she calls. Karrde deftly catches the packs, looking surprised. He doesn't ask, spying Skywalker on the ground. He frowns further, inspecting him. Then the mess. Luke moves his hand to his head again, groans, then promptly rolls to his side where he wretches. Jade works quickly and efficiently, as if she's done this kind of thing before, and ties the rope around Luke's upper body tightly, his arms against his torso. She dodges his sickness easily and without response, totally focused on the job at hand. When satisfied with the results, she turns to Karrde. "Do we have anything to sedate him with? We don't have long." "Bennnn.." Luke murmurs, oblivious to being tied up. Karrde walks closer, remarking, "Did you intend to finish the job whomever did not?" Jade glares up at Karrde from her position kneeling next to Luke. "Why do you cae? We just need to get out of here. If the NR finds us here with him...." Karrde finishes patiently, "...they'll want him back." He shakes his head, murmuring, "Fine time for a hydrospanner such as Skywalker." He sounds mostly bemused, and a touch irritated. Luke's body is wracked by a fit of coughing as he rolls to his side once more. He strains to raise his head, blinking blearily, the drops it face first into the sand. Jade growls lowly and gives Karrde the hardest stare she's ever had to use. "You either get us out of here now, or you can leave me here with him. I can settle for finishing it off now." She pulls her blaster back out and holds it over Luke. I just thought it might better if there were more time to plan." She seems barely able to restrain herself and is being careful to not point it directly at Luke. She glances down at him stirring again, and looks back up at Karrde,urgency mounting in her voice, "Decide now! He'll be awake soon!" Karrde stares at her calmly, as a lion tamer would to a particularly difficult charge. "Very well, bring him to the ship." His response is oddly noncommital and hardly a final say on the matter. Luke coughs out sand. Jade glares quietly at Karrde as she starts to get to her feet. Leaning over Skywalker, she grabs the ropes that are tight against his back and pulls up roughly. She glances over her shoulder at the ship and starts to drag him toward the ramp. Luke's head lolls as he is dragged forward, boots leaving furrowed grooves in the sand behind him. Karrde stays where he is standing, glancing quickly at the mess, noting details. He looks thoughtfully along the path to where signs of landing lead, before following the trail in the sand caused by Skywalker's body. Karrde enters in a code and unlocks STARFIGHTER: SubPro Ilyrian Gnat -- Starry Ice Jade has left. Jade enters STARFIGHTER: SubPro Ilyrian Gnat -- Starry Ice Luke has left. Luke enters STARFIGHTER: SubPro Ilyrian Gnat -- Starry Ice Karrde enters in a code and enters STARFIGHTER: SubPro Ilyrian Gnat -- Starry Ice Corridor - Starry Ice(#6721RUtF) -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Luke => Jade -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- leads to Desert. ft leads to Cargo Hold - Starry Ice. ore leads to Cockpit - Starry Ice. Karrde enters Corridor - Starry Ice Sweat trickles down the side of Jade's head and makes tendrils of her hair stick there as well. The effort of pulling Skywalker has not drained her, but hasn't left her completely fresh either. She pulls him up into the middle of the corridor and turns to Karrde. "Where do you want me to put him?" Karrde sets the packs by the hatch and keys in the closure code, saying calmly, "Right there is fine." He turns, facing her. "What were you thinking?" Jade plants Skywalker roughly in the corner. "Two things. Something big has apparently happened here if the great Skywalker has been taken down. I wanna know who was capable of this. And you said earlier you were having discussions with the Imperials. Commander Skywalker here," she turns back and gestures towards Luke on the ground, "would be a particularly nice bargaining chip, wouldn't he?" She sneers down, sarcasm dripping in her mentions of Skywalker. Luke lands roughly, blinking his eyes to peer through the haze he is imagining. Seeing a red haired figure, he murmurs a question, "Jessa?" before passing out once more. Karrde nods, keeping his attention on Jade. "I took up low orbit to watch the traffic lanes, and noted a ship departing from this location. I'll have to check the sensor logs." He pauses thoughtfully. "Yes, he would be a rather good chip." Jade stares at Luke, momentarily losing sight of her surroundings. "Jessa," she whispers thoughtfully. Her eyes narrow quickly and then she smiles...an eerie, satisfied and bone-chilling smile. "Miss Valios," she whispers. Then remembering that Karrde had spoken to her, she turns back to him. "This is your ship and I am your employee. So I will give you first choice. Do you have any use for him?" Karrde is watching the red-haired women intently as he looks to him, the expression on his face somewhat deadpan as he studies the unsettling smile on her lovely face. He answers quietly, "Yes, I do. Do you?" Jade watches Karrde carefully and gives him a measured answer. "Of course. I always plan ahead." Luke groans from his corner, blinking his eye and wondering why he can only see out of one. He quickly surmises that blood has pooled there, shutting the eyelid with a shock of matted hair. "Wha.." he manages. Karrde nods, regarding her in turn, mildly. "Then do you accept that..." He glances at Luke again. Jade swivels around and stands over Luke, watching him cautiously. "Rest well?" she asks sarcastically. Karrde takes a step to the side, putting himself well withn Luke's range of view. "Jess?" Luke says with effort, pushing himself up to a seated position despite the ropes. He glances down at them, realizing quickly that this _isn't_ Jessalyn. He inhales a breath sharply, calling upon the Force for perceptions his eyes won't divulge. "Where am I?" he says, with more control. Karrde answers, "A guest, aboard my vessel." His chin lowers and he adds, "For now." Jade keeps her tiny blaster palmed inside of her hand, but readily visible, waiting for a response from Luke. Looking up at the man hesitantly, Luke blinks once more. "Where have you taken her?" he nearly spits, now pushing with his shoulders against the cords wrapped tightly around him. Karrde says smoothly, "I was about to ask you where -they- took her. I'm afraid whoever assaulted you took her and is gone." He studies Skywalker somewhat languidly. "Who were they?" Luke sighs and leans his head against the wall, "I don't know." he answers. He glances between the two of them, settling his gaze upon Mara, "I know you though." he adds distantly, "You tried to kill me once, so.." he glances back at Karrde, "Why should I believe you both aren't involved in what happened?" He squeezes his eyes shut, forcing back the pain and groaning, "Where _are_ we?" Jade almost snickers before barking, "Just make sure you hold still, Skywalker," she nearly sneers the name. "I know most of your tricks and I'm willing to bet that in your condition, I would have the upper hand." Luke bends forward, still wrestling with the bindings, then calms, "You _will_ untie me." he says dreamily. Karrde flicks a look at Jade, registering her reaction to his words, and continues in a slightly more careful tone, "You have only our word, though what little comfort..." He pauses at Luke's request, and smiles faintly. Jade blinks and looks into Luke's eyes with a glazed-over expression. With her head cocked to one side, she starts to lean down and kneel beside Luke, but before she gets within his reach, she seems to throw herself backward as if she'd been slapped in her face. Yelling in pain, she clasps her hands to the sides of her head and backs away quickly, still on the floor. "Get out of my mind. You don't belong there!!" Luke levels his gaze, head bent slightly, looking _up_ at Mara defiantly, "Let me go." he intones hypnotically. "_I_ don't belong _here_." he looks to Karrde, "I won't harm you." he adds gently. Karrde's faint smile quickly shifts to a frown and he glances at Mara, concern evident. He straightens, understanding -something- just happened, and turns to Luke, saying evenly, "Stop what you're doing to her, else I may have little luck in preventing her from doing you injury." Jade calms down a bit and glares at Luke defiantly, "Stop now." She raises her blaster and aims it directly at him. "Try it again and I will not hesitate to use this." She is breathing heavily and obviously in distress. Luke exhales a breath, nodding, "I've done nothing to her." he eyes Mara sidelong, "Except tried to tell her of her true path." He slumps against the wall, "I don't understand fully what is going on. If you'll untie me, I'll try and explain it. Obviously, if you aren't involved with the creatures who attacked us, you must have saved me. For that I am thankful." There is no dreaminess to his voice now, no concentration of sheer will. Only the voice of normal persuasion. Karrde turns his attention to Jade, watching her closely as he answers Luke, "I'm afraid it isn't as simple as that. Given this display, I almost would rather you not be awake." The look he gives Luke is thoughtful, and once again detached. "Then decide what is right." Luke answers, "I've not harmed you, and I have no intention to do so." Jade glances up at Karrde, awaiting his response. Karrde smiles at that, regretfully. "People such as you have an interesting way of harming by their presense. The damage is done." Luke nods plainly, expression unreadable and intent, "That was not my intention, believe me. If you'll just untie me, I'm certain we can resolve this." Karrde looks instead to Jade, asking, "Will that hold him?" He motions at the bound man. Jade growls in frustration. "Probably not for long. We can sedate him, but that wouldn't last long either." Luke reassures, "I won't harm you or your ship." Karrde says wryly, "And I don't believe asking him to kindly remain bound while I think through a few things would be practical. I suppose his bound self in the cargo hold will be adequate; I can control the air and locks from the cockpit." Luke doesn't react much, just a simple, "If that is your wish." He stares at the floor, managing to work his hand around a few inches under the ropes. No Lightsaber. He makes a note of this, looking from Mara back to Karrde. Jade glances down at Luke's hand movement and chuckles quietly, but doesn't say anything. But she does look up at Karrde as she pulls herself slowly to her feet. "I can at least make it difficult for him. Do we have any more restraints or rope?" Karrde gives Luke a thoughtful glance before nodding. "There's quite a bit of cargo restraint materials in the hold. Rope, bindings for heavy cargo. Let's see what we can find." His manner has gotten noticably more sober since Luke was first brought aboard, and has become positively businesslike. Jade nods and motions at Luke with her blaster. "You want to go peacefully? Or do I drag you?" Luke looks up at Mara, "I'll comply." he answers. Karrde takes a step back, to move out of the way, and turns his attention on the man. Luke manages to push himself up to his feet, and wobbles there for a moment as if he'll keel right back onto the deckplate. He shakes his head. Jade watches Skywalker through lowered eyelids and makes another motion with her blaster, this time towards the cargo hold. "After you, Commander," she sneers. Luke eyes the weapon harshly, then does as instructed. Luke activates the aft airlock mechinism and the door opens for him. Luke has left. Jade activates the aft airlock mechinism and the door opens for her. Jade has left. You activate the airlock cycling mechinism and the airlock opens for you. Cargo Hold - Starry Ice(#2278RtF) -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Jade => Luke => Cargo Computer: Starry Ice -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ut leads to Corridor - Starry Ice. Karrde follows, stopping by the door as it shuts behind him. Remembering countless times during her training when she lost her weapons due to Vader's hard-edged stare, Jade keeps a white-knuckled grip on her blaster and watches for Karrde's decision. Luke steps into the center of the room and turns. "What do you plan on doing with me?" Karrde glances about the empty cargo hold, and spies what he's looking for. Walking to one of the more vertical walls, he tugs hard on a metal handle and yanks a large drawer out of the wall. He inspects the contents, and pulls out a coiled length of rubber coated rope. "Honestly, Skywalker, I haven't decided. I want to know who attacked you, first, and then perhaps why they left you and took Miss Valios." He turns to the two, coiled rope in hand. "I don't know who they were. But I've seen their kind before. Small grey creatueres." He eyes the rope Karrde is handling, "I figure they must be Imperial." Jade raises an eyebrow. "Do you want to, or should I?" she asks Karrde, staring at the rope. Luke sighs, "The only explanation I can come up with is.." he shrugs beneath the bindings, looking at Karrde with a tilt of his head as if to surmise the man's intentions. -Well.. he won't help you unless you tell him Skywalker- he thinks. "The Empire has a Dark Lord. I believe he is behind this." Karrde walks over to Jade, offering her the rope. "You know more about what he's capable of," he replies, before turning to Luke. "That does not make me feel any better about the situation," he comments dryly. "Why would he let you live?" Jade turns back around to Luke, totally ignoring Karrde for the moment. She stares at Luke in disbelief. "But there can't be..." Luke nods succintly to Jade, answering Karrde, "That I don't know. But I think the creatures believed me to be dead." Jade glares at Luke, willing him to be lying, but finally turns back to Karrde and wordlessly takes the rope. Karrde frowns and nods, passing the rope over to Jade. "That would be a key question...will they report that to whomever sent them?" Jade whispers. "He'll know," almost to herself. "I'm sure they will. It could have been their plan. Sabbath has wanted me dead for as long as I've known him." He now watches Mara curiously, "You don't need that." he says softly. Karrde gives Jade an odd look, and says, "I don't want him moving." Luke now turns to face Karrde, "You don't _need_ that." he repeats. Mara, lost in a whirlwind of emotion at this point, barely even notices the control and starts to put the rope down. Karrde's look to Luke is sidelong, and he says quietly, "I'm very sorry about this, Skywalker, but I do. You have become a very unexpected liability, and..." He frowns and a small blaster appears in his own hand. "I did warn you." Blue eyes dart to the weapon in Karrde's hand, then to Mara, "Very well. If I comply, will you see that I mean you or your organization no harm?" Karrde replies evenly, "I know you don't, but I insist. Leave her be." The concern over just what is being done ot Mara is apparent in his eyes, as he glares at Luke. "All I'm asking is that you remain as you are long enough for me to gather my facts and consider them." Jade blinks and shakes her head, looking between Karrde and Luke as the rage filters back into her expression through the dreaminess. Turning on Luke, she picks the rope back up viciously and heads towards him, putting her own blaster away as she sees Karrde's. "Why can't you just be a normal human being like the rest of us?" she growls angrily as she ties Luke tightly to a nearby cargo secure. Luke grunts as Mara pushes and ties him up, "If you untie me Karrde, I could help you find more information." he calls to the man with difficulty seeing as how he's being shoved around, "Let's work together. I want my friend back, and I want to get to the bottom of this _more_ than you do." Karrde relaxes, though his weapon continues to be directed at Skywalker. "We'll have plenty of time to, I assure you. You see, the ship that took Miss Valios also scanned mine as I was in orbit. If you're right, and it's some Dark Lord behind this, I am considerably more expendable to him than you, and they have my name." Jade turns completely white as the implication of this knowledge hits her and she backs away from Luke quickly to sit down against the wall of the ship. "I can _help_ you." Luke implores, eyeing the tightness of his new bindings. He lets out a ragged breathe, "Let me help you." Karrde notes Jade's reaction and lowers his weapon, keeping it gripped in his hand. "You might be able to, though not in the way you'd want." He shakes his head, adding, "Not in the way I want either, but these are the circumstances." Luke squints bluely, "And if the Dark Lord _does_ come after you? If that's inevitable, you _need_ me." He sighs once more, head dropping, "I don't even know your name." Karrde smiles. "Talon Karrde. I don't fight things like that, Skywalker, I work to avoid them altogether." He gives Mara a look as he says this last. Luke glances at Mara as Karrde speaks, "Well now it's too late for avoidance." Jade shakes her head, but she knows it's a futile gesture. "You can't be right. There weren't any after..." she trails off. "But how can there be?" Luke levels his gaze on Mara, "I believed the same thing. For a long time. Lord Sabbath called to me, he's strong in the Dark ways." he begins, voice turning distant, "We fought and I thought I had destroyed him." he shakes his head, "But he's still alive. Now he wants to turn my student. He's powerful." he adds resignedly. Karrde looks between the two, saying nothing. Jade gazes at Luke blankly for several moments, for the first time showing fear in her eyes. The voice keeps hitting her mentally and she is torn between what the Emperor told her is her destiny, and her deep fear of becoming controlled like that by another. Karrde says quietly into the silence, "I think everyone understands the situation. It owuld greatly help me if you would stay put for a while, Skywalker. Not for long, I imagine. I have a few things I need to do." Luke nods toward his bindings, "Looks like I'm not going anywhere." Jade jumps to her feet again, eager to get away from the uncomfortable tension. But before she goes she turns back one more time and stares at Luke with an unreadable expression. Karrde nods distractedly and turns to call to Mara, "Let's go. I want to move the ship before they can find us." He turns, walking out without another word. You activate the airlock and step through as it unseals. Corridor - Starry Ice(#6721RUtF) -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- leads to Desert. ft leads to Cargo Hold - Starry Ice. ore leads to Cockpit - Starry Ice. Karrde enters Corridor - Starry Ice Jade steps through the airlock to the cargo hold, the door sealing behind her. Jade has arrived. Karrde keys in a code on the small panel next to the airlock, silently. Jade remains lost in thought and doesn't look at Karrde. Karrde finished and regards the panel a moment before saying quietly, "I really wish you hadn't brought him on board." Jade finally looks over at Karrde and sighs resolutely. "I had to. I'm sorry that this may have caused trouble for you, but you wouldn't understand. But the consequences can't be helped now and even if you're upset with me, I would rather not discuss it right now. I'm not sure I could be rational." With that, she starts to move toward the cockpit. Sorrow is the overwhelming emotion apparent in her movements now. Karrde replies, looking up at her. "I'm not upset." The statement is soft, still distracted, and he continues in a tone closer to his usual, "You're right though, we'll discuss it later. Let's get out of here." He stirs himself and follows the woman.