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_ "Beauty is easy to tarnish; when it's made of wood, it's easier to set aflame." _

~Unknown Sith Inquisitor

No natural light showed in the captain's quarters. Kajex had always preferred it to be dimly lit, his natural night-sight eliminating any real need for significant lighting. What the cabin lacked in illumination, it made up for in noise to alert the wolf of the ship's goings-ons. A quiet yet clear beeping near the head of his bed caused him to stir, his eyes fluttering open as he awoke, the last ghostly images of his dreams fading away. No nightmares this time- just dreams that inspired apprehension.

He squeezed the Trianii in his arms gently- she was always his best reason to not do anything until she woke up, the sensation of warmth and affection too alluring for him to want to draw away from. Even after a brief fight the night before, there was no tension between them at the moment. Reluctantly, he shifted away from her and sat up, stretching out a bit and letting out a quiet, whining yawn. His ears perked up as he heard shuffling behind him- Syrra had awakened.

"Are you having reservations, love?"

It was a question Kajex had been waiting to hear for a week, since he had agreed to take on Talrik as a crew member- it had been the source of their argument last night, when stress had built up in him and he'd snapped at Syrra. He had told Talrik he liked him, expected him to do alright- it was true enough, but that didn't amount to him trusting him. With their next mission starting within a few hours, old doubts had resurfaced and festered into distrust and anxiety. He and Talrik hadn't talked much, perhaps saying less than 100 words in total to each other in that period, and Kajex knew part of it had to do with the fact that he still wasn't completely sure this was a good idea. The only real question to him was why Syrra was even asking, when she clearly already knew.

He answered anyway as he slipped on a shirt, nodding as he sat at the edge of the bed. "I am, yeah," he admitted. "I'm sorry for lashing out last night, I'm just... not sure how this will even work."

"Have you talked to him?" she asked.

He shook his head. "He knows what's expected of him. He's a trained soldier, he knows how to follow orders," he said shortly. He didn't have to look at her to know she was frowning at the statement- even to him it sounded a bit harsh.

"That may be, but he's also another sentient being, Kaj. Your attitude towards him affects him, too." She put a paw on his back. "If there's something about him that's bothering you, you should at least talk to someone about it. Is there any reason you're so distant with him?"

The wolf shrugged. "I just don't know what kind of person he is. Jury's still out on whether I can trust him, or whether he's doing this because it's the right thing to do." He sighed, standing to put on a pair of trousers before sitting back down again. "With you, I had expectations because you were a Jedi. Even my own misconceptions about the current Order didn't keep me from acknowledging you were trying to do good work for others. Talrik is different- he's Imperial."

"Ex-Imperial," she corrected him softly, moving in behind and hugging him, pressing her bare chest against his back and leaning over his shoulder. "One that had no choice and resented his circumstances- and one now trying to atone for the things he's had to carry out on the Remnant's behalf. I may never truly understand why you find it so difficult to trust others, but do you at least believe that he wants to help?"

He paused, considering the question seriously. If only because the fox's course of action meant that he'd once again be taken from his family, it was easy to answer. "I can believe that, yeah," he agreed, nodding.

"We should at least try to make that our point of reassurance," she said, nuzzling his cheek. "And you'll still have me, love- I'll keep an eye out for him. Just try to treat him a little better from now on- being away from his family and risking his life isn't going to be easy for him."

Kajex nodded, turning his head and kissing his lover. "I'll try."

The wolf had walked into the lounge to find Talrik already up, finishing a set of push-ups as he tossed a few ration bars onto the holotable and took a seat. "Sleep alright?"

The fox got up, stretching a bit and nodding. "Pretty much. The ship runs pretty quiet, sir."

"Kajex," the wolf corrected him with slight abrasiveness. "I know it's probably a hard habit to break, but try your best to remember it." The fox looked a little subdued, but nodded. Kajex took a breath, let it out. "Sorry. I'm just feeling the pressure right now- there's a lot riding on us, I'm just concerned you might not be up to it," he admitted as he grabbed a ration bar and started chewing into it.

Talrik nodded. "You haven't seen me in action yet, I get that. But I'll follow your orders to the letter, Kajex," he said clearly. "As long as I have a rifle and few explosives, and you have a solid plan, you can count on me."

"I hope so," the wolf said uncertainly around a piece of food. "Did you review the mission details?" The Amaran nodded. "Good. Repeat them back to me, I want to make sure you know what we're dealing with."

"Our mission is on the planet Kurah, in the Dartibek system, to support a Ho'Din settlement that has recently come under fire from pirates using Clone War-Era droid technology. The attacks started 2 months ago as small skirmishes that the settlement was able to escape from easily due to the forest terrain and poor use of tactics on the pirates' part, but things are coming to a head with the Ho'Din running out of space and resources to draw from. The research team represents significant New Republic interests that focus on agriculture and environmental restoration, so securing the team's welfare and putting a stop to these attacks is highest priority- protecting the research is a very close secondary priority."

"Good," Kajex responded approvingly. "Have you worked in this kind of environment before?"

"In a demolition role, yeah. I can still shoot straight in a leafy setting, though."

"Well, don't be in a hurry to draw your rifle, kid. The Ho'Din are generally pacifistic, they don't like seeing an overabundance of technology. They respect Jedi fairly well, but you and I... we're probably going to need to watch our step so as not to offend them." He tossed the fox a ration bar and finished his off, chewing on the piece thoughtfully. "I think the best thing for us to do is divide up- Syrra and I will meet with the research team and get a feel for the situation, while you scout out the area and give us a heads up on any movement."

"Is there anything you can tell us about these droids?" Syrra asked as she finally joined them, pushing her hair back and grabbing a bar of her own.

Talrik nodded. "They're Confederacy B1 and B2 battle droids, standard Trade Defense Force clankers from the Clone Wars. Not a very smart design, the only reason the Confederacy ever got as far as they did was through their sheer numbers as opposed to battle tactics. They'll shoot at the usual vectors and they'll never look up." He grinned. "We used to have a bunch of them for live-fire exercises. You'd stop getting nervous during the 1st exercise, when you figured out they couldn't shoot worth a damn- and they used to say we stormtroopers couldn't shoot straight..."

"They're likely going to have some manner of droid controller, either in orbit or on the surface," Kajex added, inwardly thinking they'd be_very_ lucky if they came across it so soon after landing. "If we want to end this quick, we should stick to cutting out that middle man- for that, we'll need info. You got the gear we need for this, kid?"

"Brought some remote detonators just in case- the Ho'Din are just going to have to put up with some explosions, that's all."

A rapid beeping noise sounded from the cockpit. "That's our stop- everyone grab your goodies and be ready to head out, I'll bring us in."

Kurah as a planet was not nearly as lush as Yavin 4, yet it was certainly teeming with just as much fauna. Avian creatures of many colors flew from their roosts in the dark green trees below, gliding upward and blotting out the blue-white sun above as the Rush soared over the canopy, making a visual confirmation of the research camp difficult. Within half an hour the ship had finally zero'd in on the team's transponder and within another half hour they found a suitable landing zone atop a greystone plateau only half a kilo away.

Talrik had possessed the foresight to get Republic forest fatigues from the quartermaster before leaving, which all of them had donned in favor of their usual attire (though Kajex kept his coat on). All three of them were armed with firearms, Talrik sporting a high-powered scoped rifle and Syrra with a pistol in addition to her lightsaber at her hip. Before they set off into the forest, Kajex handed both his partners wireless headsets, a pair of which he was already wearing.

"Alright, be careful with these- I bought them off the winnings from the last Sabacc pot a couple nights ago, and I want to rub it in Lynch's face when we get back," he said, grinning vindictively as they equipped them. "The signal is boosted from the Gold Rush and has a range of about 30 klicks- I added a smuggler scrambler to prevent our transmissions being sliced and intercepted. Keep out of sight," he told Talrik directly. "You see anything weird out there that doesn't look like it belongs on this planet, kid, you let us know quick."

"Got it, si-- Kaj." He slung his rifle over his shoulder and started to head off.

Syrra nudged the wolf encouragingly, gesturing to the Amaran. Kajex nodded, clearing his throat. "Hey, Talrik." The fox paused, looking back. "Seriously- come back to us safe, alright?"

Looking a little confused but gratified for his concern, Talrik smiled. "I'll do my best. You guys take care too." Before the scene could get awkward, he jogged off into the wilderness.

Syrra smiled approvingly. "He liked that."

Kajex nodded, watching him disappear into the foliage. "I hope so. I'll try not to be too hard on him, I know he's taking a big risk going out on his own- even is he is a trained soldier." He locked the ship up and they set off for the encampment soon afterward, trudging along the soft forest floor, their senses alert as they proceeded.

It didn't take them long to locate the camp- the sight of their wooden huts suspended among the branched of a massive tree, supported almost symbiotically with its vines, was difficult to ignore even from the ground. Before long, Syrra spotted one of the tall and graceful Ho'Din at a distance- a black-eyed, ropy-haired, pale green-skinned humanoid standing about 9 feet tall waved to them with a look of visible relief, her arms spread open wide as she bowed to them both, gesturing them to follow.

"You should lead," Kajex suggested. "You're the Jedi."

Syrra shook her head. "You're my master, Jedi or not. They'll treat you with the same respect." She put her paw on his shoulder encouragingly. Deciding not to argue the point Kajex obliged, keeping in front of her.

The Ho'Din lead them to the base of the trees from where their camp was suspended- several other of the tall beings descended steadily from the huts, displaying expert climbing skill as no fewer than 10 of them gathered around. They spoke to one another gently, in tones of hope and trepidation. The one who had guided them to the camp spoke, her voice smooth and melodious as she bowed low before them.

"We welcome you, Jedi Masters, to our camp. I am Aija, and I am the lead Gardener of this team."

Both Syrra and Kajex bowed respectfully in turn. "I'm Captain Kajex Surnahm, a civilian associate of the Jedi Order- this is my Padawan student, Syrra. We, and another associate of ours, were sent by the Praxeum to help you with your problem."

Aija looked mildly surprised. "You are not... masters?"

The wolf shook his head. "I'm afraid not, ma'am. But I assure you that my student is more than capable of handling this task, and I'm not inexperienced in these kind of missions either." He paused. "Will you allow us to help you as much as we are able, at least?"

The Ho'Din nodded, bowing low again. "Forgive my apprehension and inquiry- I did not mean to suggest either of you might be incapable. I failed to take into account that even saplings must grow, and can still bear fruit." She stiffened, looking out into the west- the motion was repeated by all others who had joined. "There is someone else out there."

Kajex nodded. "That'll be Talrik, a soldier and recent hire to my ship. I've told him to scout out the area and report to me if he encounters anything suspicious."

"No... we were aware of your compatriot's presence the moment he stepped into the forest. As we speak he is climbing the trees to gain a better view- but there is another out there." She pointed to two of the tallest Ho'Din. "Gerai, Koljah, stand watch while I speak to our guests. If you'll follow me to the huts, I will tell you what we know."

The interior of the pod-like structures were cozy and fresh-smelling, as if the two had wandered into a room of harvested and washed vegetables. Several sweet-smelling capsules to the side gave off an aroma that seemed to soothe the wolf's nerves as they followed into a sitting area, where Aija offered them seats, a few of the botanists remaining either to continue their experiments or to listen in. "Can we offer you anything to eat or drink before we discuss our issue?"

"We ate recently, we appreciate your hospitality," Kajex responded. "I'm sure you'll want us to put an end to this incident quickly, we're ready to help." He triggered his headset. "Talrik, you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Kajex- nothing on my end yet. What's up?"

"Story-time, kid, you'll need to listen in on this," Kajex advised. He returned his attention to Aija. "He'll probably need this intel also in order to remain effective."

"Very well," she agreed, putting her cup-like fingers together- the master and student leaned forward, listening intently. "We arrived on Kurah a year ago on behalf of the New Republic. They wanted us to investigate this forest and its flora as a means of research, to aid their revitalization efforts on several planets that share a similar ecology- most notably Honoghr, the Noghri homeworld. Our people have had a terrible history concerning our own damaged planet- we have come a long way towards repairing the damage we had done in our ignorance, and so we sympathize with the Noghri all the more, particularly since the pollution on their world is not even their fault. We accepted the task and came here- we have since made great strides."

She gestured to the forest. "Fungal pods, fruit-bearing trees, even some of the natural pesticides of this planet have proven to be most useful in our efforts. Some of our research goals were nearly completed when the troubles started. It began in the shadows- one night about 3 months prior, we noticed a glow within the edges of one of the forests some distance from our first camp, and we went to investigate. What we thought at the time was a wildfire had started to spread through the trees in that area, and was burning with great speed. We chose to monitor the flames to ensure they did not get out of hand, but the seasonal rains soon put a stop to it. What we could not understand was how the fire had started at all- it was a cool night, and our own form of illumination does not draw upon any volatile energy source. Curious, we located the ignition point and searched for answers."

She paused, drawing an object from the satchel at her side and lifting it for them to see- a thick, disk-like durasteel capsule, a severe burn having warped the container at the middle from what looked like a gouge mark.

"A Golan Arms energy cell," Kajex growled quietly. "From a CR-1 blaster cannon. It's an overkill weapon, the kind of weapon that appeals to the desperate or violent- a favorite of criminals and pirates. It looks like somebody sabotaged the cell and then just left it behind."

"Indeed," Aija said solemnly, placing the munition pack on the table before them. "We could find no traces of who had left it, but this was at the ignition zone all the same. It was our first indication that we were not alone on this planet. Our second encounter occurred 2 months ago, and was much more elucidating and dangerous- 3 armed men in rag-tag outfits came across our camp and attempted to hold several of my people hostage with their weapons. We were able to repel the invaders by releasing a swarm of angry insects that we kept and tutored for pollination. They fired wildly and injured one of my team- she has recovered well, but the incident compelled us to move away from where we had initially set up camp."

"You had no weapons with which to drive them away?" Syrra asked.

"We are a peaceful people, sapling. Though we understand the necessity of armed resistance in the face of evil, very few of us engage in it if it can be helped. We feared that any form of aggressive retaliation would only serve as an excuse for them to continue harassing us, or worse prompt them to a more violent outcome." Aija sighed. "Not that it mattered- perhaps we should have fought actively. They came for us all the same. Each time we found a new way to repel them through non-violent means: a foul-smelling pesticide that caused them to retch; a rapidly-growing razorwheat that cut into the armor and flesh as they attempted to move in on us; a mildly toxic spore that irritated their bowels such that they... well, perhaps it is enough to say the effects were both unpleasant and effective. Each time, we were forced to relocate. The expenditure of our resources has been heavy, and our research suffers for it."

Kajex nodded. "And I assume it got worse when these droids started to appear, as nothing you could throw at them would have been effective, right?"

Aija inclined her head. "These mechanical abominations are well-known to us, if only from what we saw of them during the Clone Wars. Their numbers are many- at least several hundred. What was strange was that we were able to walk among them without incident for a long while, as if our presence was completely ignored, but that changed 2 weeks ago, when a group of them started opening fire on my team as they were collecting fungal samples. Nobody has been severely injured by these droids- though that could change easily."

Talrik's voice sounded in Kajex's ear. "They were probably calibrating the droids over that period of time. Have they located any droid control-facility?" he asked through the headset, the wolf conveying the query to Aija.

"We know their base camp is around 30 kilometers away, in the ruins of a Clone Wars vessel- an immense, dome-like structure embedded in the slopes of the opposite side of the mountains to the north-west."

"Yeah, that sounds like a Droid Control Sphere," Kajex sighed, his main concern becoming realized. "Optimal range would be about 75 kilometers, even without a supplementary transmission array. And it's likely these brigands found at least a couple of unmolested multi-troop transports. Weapons wouldn't be a problem, the standard-issue E-5's power cell can last more than a few decades without needing to be swapped out."

"Begging your pardon, Captain, but what does that mean?"

The wolf leaned forward, deciding to give it to them straight. "The good news is that if you keep running, you could actually get far enough that the droids won't even be a factor- if the DCS is embedded in the mountains like you said, then it's likely that it fell there and is too damaged to actually lift off. Even if it could, there's no_Lucrehulk_-class battleship for it to hook up to, so it's range would only actually decrease unless it moves with the army- and those spheres have no real active defense systems, to say nothing of the fact that it's got all the grace of a beached whale while it's in the air."

"Then... you could destroy it with your ship, could you not?" Aija asked hopefully.

The wolf shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no. My line of work has never had to engage in capital ship combat. Because the DCS were so central to Trade Federation tactics, they boast some pretty tough shells. The_Gold Rush_ is outfitted so it can serve as a decent gun-platform role in a firefight, and it's fast enough to qualify as a bona-fide smuggler ship- but the Millenium Falcon it ain't. It has nothing in the way of missile pods or turbolasers- short of plowing my ship into the thing, I just don't have the punch necessary to pierce that kind of armor. That's not even taking into account whether these thugs have set up their own nasty surprises, like an energy shield that can deflect orbital bombardment or anti-air static defenses."

"That, unfortunately, leads us to the bad news," he continued. "This scum we're dealing with is probably dug in as deep as a bantha tick- and you can bet they'll have some means of getting off-world quickly. If we call in the New Republic for a standard orbital bombardment, they could just abandon the area and hide somewhere else. Even if you got out of range of these scumbags, nothing would prevent them from continuing to harass you until you either fight back, you're dead, or you leave. And then there's the fact we don't even know why they're here to begin with."

"You speak as if there is no hope, Captain," the Ho'Din responded sadly.

The wolf smiled. "It does sound a bit grim. That's just the reality of it, I'm afraid. But we're still going to help, because we have the Force on our side- and sometimes you just need to get a little clever and land a lucky shot in order to turn things around."

Syrra cocked her head. "What's the plan then, Kaj?"

"Find the leader, bag them, disable the DCS- and take out as many droids as we can without causing excessive damage. We'll iron out the details as we go." He thought for a moment, considering their options. "Hey, Talrik."

"What's up?"

"Trade Federation droids will show up on ship scanners, right?"

"Uh... yeah, they do. All units have a miniature IFF-transponder to make it easier for their ships to retrieve them after a fight. You could easily set the Gold Rush's scanners to bring them up, if that's what you're thinking."

The wolf turned to Syrra. "Any suggestions to add?"

The Trianii nodded. "If we're heading back to the ship, we might as well take the research team with us and leave this camp standing, minus essentials, research notes and the like. That way, the worse-case scenario means they can use the Gold Rush to get clear and deliver what they have back to the Republic- provided you're alright with this course of action, Gardener," Syrra added respectfully.

Aija nodded. "Our vessels lack any measure of defense, you are both wise and kind to offer us your ship as refuge. We can have everything we need packed and moved in 2 hours."

Before Kajex could respond, Talrik's voice burst into his ear. "Kaj, I've got a visual on armed droids!"

The wolf raised up his paw, unease settling in as both he and Syrra stood abruptly. "How far?"

"I'm looking out from the edge of the forest line about 2 klicks from the_Rush_- got about 30 of them in formation about 3 klicks away, moving in at a marching pace towards our position!"

"Keep yourself hidden for now, kid- stay on them and keep me up to date." The wolf looked up grimly. "We're going to have to push it faster, Gardener- my sniper has visual confirmation on droids coming this direction." Aija groaned, and the few Ho'Din that had stayed to listen muttered anxiously. "We might still be okay- they may not know where your camp is, and droids march at a slower rate than average sentients. We have about 30 to 40 minutes to grab what we can and get it to the Gold Rush before they reach the forest line. The woods might slow them down but we shouldn't take any chances."

Aija nodded, turning to her associates. "Forget cataloging our latest finds- get everyone rallied and bring out the cargo trollies. Get our frozen samples and all current data loaded up and ready to go." She turned to them both. "We're putting our lives in your hands."

"You can count on us," Syrra responded confidently.

Within 10 minutes the camp was abuzz with activity- a total of 20 botanists, all Ho'Din, loped through the tree-mounted huts and began to bring down their supplies in quick order. It was fascinating to Syrra, watching them scale the tree effortlessly even as they used only three limbs during their descent, bringing down cooling units and cargo blocks, such that she had to force herself to draw her eyes away as she followed Kajex back to the Gold Rush.

"Got a plan, Kaj?"

The wolf shook his head. "Beyond telling them to pack it up and head home, no. We still don't even know who's really behind this or how to approach them."

Talrik spoke. "I found something that might help- I spotted a Falleen at the rear of the marching column, had an insignia on her jacket and helmet I've never seen before."

"Falleen?" Syrra asked.

"A reptilian humanoid species," Kajex answered. "What did the insignia look like?"

"Completely black, a central dot surrounded almost completely by a spiked ring and three narrow triangles at the top."

"... Aww shit," Kajex groaned, stopping and putting a paw to his face. "That's the mark of Black Sun."

"That's... pretty bad," Talrik said quietly over the headset.

Syrra frowned. "Does someone want to tell me what's going on?"

"It's a crime syndicate, easily worse than most Hutt cartels. We're dealing with some heavy hitters, we really need to step this up," he growled, quickening their pace as they neared the ship.

"We could engage them in the air, couldn't we?" Syrra asked, keeping up.

"We'd lose any element of surprise- all these criminals know for sure right now is they're facing a bunch of pacifists who won't fight back. The moment they see us flying in cannons blazing, they'll know something is up- they won't hesitate send out their own fighters to engage us, either, and Black Sun has never skimped on good ships before," he added, punching in the ramp codes. "Get back to Aija, let them know what we're dealing with- I got some sensors to modify."

Within half an hour there was a steady train of Ho'Din hauling cargo to and from the Gold Rush, carefully moving the sensitive equipment and cargo into the ship's hull and taking up space in the lounge and hidden cargo compartments throughout the ship. Tensions were high as one of the trolley's malfunctioned at the base of one of the huts and tipped over, spilling the vegetable contents of the cargo blocks along the floor. Bickering anxiously among themselves, they only stopped when Aija convinced them to leave the spilled contents behind. Throughout the entire time, Talrik kept them informed on the droid battalion's movement, noting with dismay that they did not seem to lose any speed once they'd shifted into the woods, making a direct beeline towards the camp.

By this point, most of the important pieces of equipment and research developments had been secured. Kajex sprinted out of the ship just as the last trolley approached, Syrra and Aija bringing up the rear. "I've got the sensors set up, they're not far," he stated, helping the last trolley up the ramp. "I've sent a transmission to the Jedi Order and requested support. Here's what's going to happen- you and your team are going to wait here, and I'm going to lock the ramp behind you. If someone tries to slice into the ship instead of keying in the code, take off and head back to the New Republic, no questions."

"What about you?" Aija asked, surprised.

"We're going to engage."

Talrik called in, a note of surprise evident in his voice. "I thought you said we'd lose the element of surprise."

"That's right- and this is the surprise."

Syrra looked as if the wolf had lost his mind. "That's 10-to-1 odds, Kajex," she said weakly.

Kajex grinned. "So we'll rig the game."

Silence permeated the now-abandoned camp site, disturbances at a distance driving away all manner of beast and insect from the woods. 3 pairs of eyes watched as the squad of droids marched towards the site, weapons raised- at the rear was a Falleen, at a distance almost indistinguishable from a human aside from her pale green skin and hair. 3 pairs of ears listened as she hollered for the droids to halt.

"Burn those huts in the tree to the ground!" she shrieked, raising a blaster and opening fire as 30 blaster rifles angled upwards and peppered the empty husks with hundreds of red energy lances, the huts quickly becoming engulfed in flame as the heat ignited the wood and foliage both in and out. A sharp crack came from one of the huts as its supports snapped and crumbled, the hut groaning and leaning for a moment before a second, louder crack sounded through the air, the hut tumbling from the tree and crashing to the ground. The Falleen's eyes followed the wreckage, stopping briefly as she noticed the base of the tree was heavily scarred and cut into deeply.

A pair of blue eyes closed, their owner breathing deeply and calmly as she concentrated.

Without warning, a wedge-shaped chunk of wood shot out from the trunk of the tree, the massive, charred slice smashing into 4 of the droids unfortunate enough to be standing in its path. The Falleen backed away in bewilderment, rifle raised as she sought out the source of the strange phenomenon- her attention was diverted as she heard a dull groan and the rustling of leaves, a shadow looming overhead as the ancient tree toppled in her direction.

The floor of the forest shook violently as the massive tree collapsed to the earth, smashing into half of the remaining droids and kicking up soil and foliage into the air, the deafening sound of the tree's landing echoing through the woods. Three pairs of ears could barely hear the sound of a blaster going off, striking one of the 13 remaining droids in the head. Another shot rang out and a bolt struck the midsection of another, destroying it. A snap-hiss followed and a blue rod of light sailed through the air, cutting into 3 more before sailing back out of sight into the bushes.

The droids continued to follow their orders, not bothering to locate the source of the return fire as they shot at the huts, their attack lessening every moment as they were destroyed one by one. Without a spoken command from their leader they were completely vulnerable, until the last droid fell, just as the Falleen thug raised her head from the dirt in time to see it crumpled uselessly to the forest floor.

She reached for her belt, thumbing a comlink and opening her mouth to speak, only to be cut off as a well-placed rifle shot completely destroyed the device. She lifted her weapon to fire in the direction the bolt had come from, only to have herself lifted violently from the ground as if carried by a powerful gust of wind, slamming against another tree and falling to the ground completely incapacitated.

Kajex, Syrra and Talrik all stepped out of cover; the wolf looking impressed, the Trianii looking apprehensive, the Amaran looking satisfied. "Was that all of them, Gardener Aija?" Kajex spoke into his headset.

"Affirmative, Captain Surnahm- your ship sensors detect no more mechanics in the area."

"Perfect. Good work, both of you- especially that nice shot to the comlink, Talrik."

"Thanks, boss," Talrik responded smugly. "What do we do with her?" he asked, gesturing to the Falleen.

"Not kill her, I hope," Syrra said as she frowned at their disabled foe, crouching next to her.

"No, we'll need to take her with us," Kajex replied reassuringly. "We won't have much time, though- I've no doubt she's supposed to report in at some point. Now that she can't, someone will probably some looking for her." He crouched down, draping the reptilian humanoid over his shoulders and hauling her up in a fireman's lift. "Let's get back to the ship for now and see if we can get anywhere with questioning."

"Yeah, and let's see what the researchers will say about Syrra cutting down a tree," Talrik stated flatly.

"It was his idea," the feline shot back and jerking her head towards the wolf, who only grinned.

"I wish you would have consulted us before deciding on your course of action, Captain," Aija intoned coolly. "You might have been better served with another course of action."

They had returned with the prisoner in tow, still unconscious, but tensions high as it became quickly apparent that Kajex's ambush had not gone unnoticed by the Ho'Din researchers. Feeling there was no point in being dishonest about his decision, the wolf instead opted to give them the truth and justify his choice in felling the tree.

"I understand you being upset in how I decided to go about doing this, but you didn't see how much damage those blasters were already doing to the vegetation. If I'd let them keep it up any longer they would've set more trees on fire and then we'd have a real problem with environmental destruction," he reasoned. "Knocking over that tree minimized the damage by dousing the flame with dust and debris- at least every other tree out there was spared."

Aija considered, then sighed. "I suppose it was not an easy decision for you. As your student said, it was 10-to-1 odds. Nevertheless, we would appreciate you considering alternatives when combating these criminals and their mechanical constructs, particularly where it concerns damaging your surroundings."

"We'll do our best," Syrra assured her. "Hopefully whatever info we get out of the captive will help us put an end to this quickly. At least we learned a few important details."

"Such as?"

Kajex answered as he set the Falleen down, allowing Talrik to start checking her for weapons. "Well, she had to issue voice commands to get them to halt and to have them fire, which means the droids are using rudimentary AI as opposed to something more advanced. They didn't even notice when we started gunning them down, they just kept going." He started setting his gear aside, taking a seat as he continued. "If I had to guess, their controller is probably damaged and working inefficiently. It also shows that these things are pre-Clone Wars constructs."

"How do you know that?" Talrik asked as he set aside a pistol and a rather nasty-looking curved dagger from the Falleen's gear.

"Before that war started, Federation battle droids were modified so they wouldn't have to rely on a droid control ship to be combat-capable. But prior to that, the old B1 models were entirely dependent on them. These droids are those old models- kinda makes you wonder how they got here and why there were here at all." He shook his head. "Nevermind that, though- this makes our job easier, since disabling the ship itself will be enough to put a stop to this."

Everyone froze as the Falleen started to stir, letting out a deep groan as she shifted and started to open her eyes. Talrik moved first, flipping the dazed and confused woman onto her stomach and wrenching her arms behind her, pinning her back down with his knee as Kajex tossed him a pair of binders and snapped them over her wrists quickly. Moments later she growled and started to struggle, squirming and getting a look at her surroundings.

"The fuck are you filthy karkers?!" she screamed at them as she kicked around, trying to get back on her feet as Talrik kept her pinned. "Let me up you flaming sacks of shit, or I'll gut every last one of you!"

"Hell of a mouth on her," Syrra said dully, regarding the Falleen with disdain. She cleared her throat, masking her usual Corsucanti-accent and adopting a passable Mid-Rim accent. "Ah, what should we do with her, boss?" She traded significant looks with Kajex, who nodded while grinning, both of them out of sight from the Falleen.

Clever kitten, he thought to himself, sparing a glance at Talrik as the fox also caught on to the ploy. "Move the Ho'Din prisoner back into the brig and keep her there- we'll get the info one way or another, but first I want to know what this bitch is up to." He watched as Aija nodded, understanding the charade, letting Syrra guide her down the hall, though they stopped halfway and kept out of sight as Talrik yanked the Falleen up to her knees, grabbing her by the top-knot and twisting it hard to keep her down. The wolf knelt in from of her, glaring. "Now, why don't you play nice and tell us what the hell you're doing here with a buncha clankers?"

"Nothin' doin', kark-sucker!" she snarled, spitting in his face. "Black Sun doesn't talk to scum like you- I'll have you all murdered in your beds!"

Kajex sighed, wiping his face with the back of his left paw. "This is yours." He used that same paw to backhand the Falleen. "Keep it in your mouth next time, cunt." His eyes flicked up as he saw Syrra frowning.

Was that really necessary?

Only to keep up the act, he thought- Syrra nodded as she latched onto his internal dialogue. He returned his attention to the Falleen, who looked murderous. "We'll try that again- who are you, and what is Black Sun doing here?" She didn't answer and he continued. "There no sense in trying to hide everything, I'll know eventually. We've been watching you and your fellow bastards-in-arms for the last 3 months, we know you've been targeting our quarry and failing the entire time. Every time you attacked, our quarry moved, and we had to modify our strategy to fit the terrain, pushing back my valuable time-table by days if not weeks. The only reason I intervened _this_time is because for a while it looked like you actually had a half-decent idea- if I'd known you were using shit-calibrated B1's that needed voice commands to function, I wouldn't have fucking bothered."

He sneered at her, noticing the change in her entire skin tone as it shifted from green to a blood red, and the look on her face turning into impressed confusion. He went on. "Oh yeah, that's right- it took only a single scouting trip to figure out you found and reactivated an old Trade Federation DCS. Don't look so surprised, I know the concept of scouting is well beyond you, or else you would have found my ship during those 3 months- but it wouldn't be the first time Black Sun was so fucking inept. So why don't you save me the trouble and actually answer my questions?"

The Falleen glared at him. "Go to hell."

Kajex shook his head. "Alright. The hard way it is, then." He took out a blaster pistol and saw Syrra stiffen again.

What's going on? she asked, looking apprehensive.

Don't worry, just going to put the scare in her- I promise I won't hurt anything but her pride, he assured her. "Tell me, bitch- ever heard of The Burning?"

You can't be serious!!! she exclaimed mentally, looking horrified. Talrik himself raised an eyebrow, looking mildly concerned.

I'm not, that's the point, he thought, frowning irritably and watching as the Falleen started to squirm with a look of fear in her features. "I'm assuming you've heard of it, but let's go over it just so you understand what's at stake. It involves shooting a blaster at a low power setting and continuing until it strips the flesh off of your motherfucking bones. The Jedi used to use it during a period of barbarism, as a way of testing themselves to be detached from pain. They weren't the only ones, of course- a lot of bounty hunters and mercs like to do it when they need information. You might think that I'm one of the more 'humane' mercs that actually has some sense of decency," he said, turning the blast to a low power setting, the Falleen's eyes growing wide. "And you'd be wrong," he added, aiming at her leg.

"Wait... no, please," she said, looking at the barrel of the blaster with abject horror.

"Name and reason," Kajex said quietly, kneeling in front of the Falleen and looking into her eyes with indifference. She said nothing, her breathing starting to accelerate as he lowered the weapon, aiming at her kneecap.

_ CRACK _

She screamed, writhing as the bolt speared next to her knee, missing it completely and splashing against the deck, leaving a red-hot scorch mark.

"NAME AND REASON!!!" he snarled almost ferally, his teeth bared.

"P-Praxah, my name is Praxah!" she wailed, her hard exterior crumbling completely as she started talking. "I-I'm with Black Sun, we're here to capture these f-fucking Ho'Din and steal their research, just_please don't hurt me!!!_"

Kajex nodded. "Now we're getting somewhere. Don't worry, you're safe as long as you keep answering my questions. Who's in charge?"

"H-he's a Quarren, calls himself Argus- got promoted last year and assigned a few months ago to our gang!" she gasped, trying to shift away from the spot where the blaster bolt had landed, her expression frantic.

"And what are you doing here targeting my quarry?" the wolf asked threateningly.

"S-same reason as you, take the Ho'Din researchers prisoner and steal their findings! Black market will pay a good price for some the materials, a lot of researchers wanted to beat the Republic in environmental restoration so they could cash in on the scum that need it!"

Kajex frowned. "What a sorry-ass plan. I'm glad we beat you to it, you were about to waste everybody's time with that uncreative nonsense. Be a sweetheart and tell me where this ship is, exactly."

The Falleen struggled. "W... what are you going to do to it?"

"What the hell do you think I'm going to do with it? I'll blow it the fuck up and make sure the rest of your friends get fried with it- and teach Black Sun not to fuck with the Hutt cartels."

The Falleen looked down, biting her lip and looking indecisive. "If... if I tell you, will you let me go?"

Kajex smiled. "Immediately? No. Eventually? You have my word- with both legs intact, even. But you need to tell us everything."

Syrra tried to calm herself as she watched the Falleen divulge everything she knew. It had been hard to read Kajex when he'd threatened the woman, but it was starting to become clear that she might have overreacted and her fear may have clouding her judgment. More to keep her mind off the threats she had heard Kajex make, she paid close attention to what the Falleen was saying- patrol routes, weak points in and around the DCS, people of interest, their numbers and their armaments. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but notice that the entire time, Kajex had kept his pistol out, at times jabbing the barrel against the Falleen's knee as if to remind everyone the risk of their prisoner's non-compliance.

Before long they had everything they needed, the wolf muttering a few words to her with a harsh growl before Talrik wrenched her up. The Trianii turned and waved for Aija to back up out of sight, just in time to avoid being seen as Talrik put a pistol to her back, keeping a firm grip on her arm.

"Cargo room and brig are full right now," Kajex bluffed, "so you get to use the port-side airlock. Don't get too comfortable- if I hear you making trouble, the deal is off and you lose your legs, clear?"

The Falleen averted her gaze away, looking cowed. "Y-yeah..." With no resistance she was led away from the lounge, leaving Kajex alone with Syrra.

The wolf sighed. "You're finding it hard to trust me, aren't you?" he asked.

Syrra hesitated to speak. "You weren't really going to administer The Burning if she hadn't talked... were you?"

Kajex looked a little hurt at the question. "Syrra... do you really think I could be that kind of person?"

She felt shame fill her at his counter-question. Of course he wasn't.

Kajex took a seat at the lounge booth, looking up at her. "I know the CSA used to do that to Trianii prisoners. I've seen it being administered to prisoners before in the past. It's a disgusting, inhumane and evil form of torture that I would put a stop to throughout the universe if I had the power to do it. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable just by bringing it up just now- I would never do something like that to anybody, for any reason. But I had to put the scare in her. I've seen Falleen before- that woman is barely old enough to take a male if she wants to, she's more or less a kid. Better to give her fair warning to what could potentially happen to her if she continues with Black Sun."

Syrra nodded, seating herself next to him and giving him a one-armed hug. "I believe you. I'm sorry for doubting you. I know that you had a part to play, and it worked."

The wolf smiled, returning the hug. "No sweat, Syrra. I'm told I can fake it pretty well." He looked up as Talrik returned. "So... now that we've got the info we need, what say we put our heads together and get a plan in the works?"