“Are you really friends of Mission…” Griff fidgeted, eyes drawn around the advanced system displays on the scout ship's bridge. “You guys don’t seem like the type, just look at this ship!”
“This ship is nothing,” May frowned at the shifty Twi-lek. Since they’d pulled him from his prison cell, he’d done nothing but try to draw them into one scam after the other. “As for being Mission’s friends, what type of people do you think we are?”
“Corporate elites… maybe in some secretive biotech firm?” Griff eyed HK-47’s semi-organic components, greed in his eyes. “That droid and your suits, alongside this ship… whoever you are, you’re not slumming with people like my sister without a good reason.”
“Think what you want, but stop trying to sell us on your pointless ‘business’ opportunities,” Dan shook his head at the Twi-lek’s assessment. It was logical enough, but well off the mark. “After you meet with your sister, you’re free to go where you want.”
If Griff decided to latch on to his sister, now that she had a connection to Dan and the others, he would need to be… educated on how to behave. There was no place in Krypton’s forces for scammers and thieves. Working toward your own benefit was all well and good, but anyone who actively hampered the efforts of others had to be weeded out.
“Observation: This spineless meatbag is the worst example of his kind,” HK’s fingers twitched, transformed into discrete plasma emitters. “He would make for a perfect target to calibrate my new systems…”
“Where is our next stop?” Revan interrupted the droid's musings, eyes on both Dan and May. “More random beings to collect?”
“Two more, for now…” Dan laughed as the scout entered Gladius’ landing bay and settled to the deck. Jolee Bindo and the feline Juhani were all that remained of Revan’s future companions. “Before that, we need to deal with Bastila… she’s about to start cutting her way through the ship.”
Dan peered through the layers of Gladius’ hull, to where the Jedi and her soldier companion had reached the end of their patience. Bastila ignited her yellow sabre and eyed the curved wall that blocked her path.
“She’d better not!” May frowned as she pushed past Dan, down the scout’s loading ramp. Eyes half closed, she connected to the ship's systems. “Gladius won’t play nice if she starts damaging the interior…”
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The Force guided her feet toward the wall on her left. This way would take her toward her target, not the endless corridor that swept to the side. Bastila raised her lightsaber in a pointed grip, ready to plunge it into the organic metal and forge a path.
“Hold up there!” May’s voice resonated from all around her, an inter-ship communication that spoke directly into the mind. “Go back and to your left, I’ve opened the way… just keep that thing away from the walls!”
“Why have you kept silent for so long?” Bastila sighed and deactivated the yellow sabre in her hands. Carth led the way, to where a new path had formed. “I had begun to assume you and your Husband intended to kidnap us!”
“Hardly,” May scoffed through the strange mental connection. “Just follow this hallway, you’ll meet with the rest of us soon!”
The woman’s voice faded away to leave Carth and Bastila alone on their walk. They shared a glance between them as the soldier loosened the blaster on his hip. This situation was suspicious, and the Force whispered a warning into her heart. She must be careful, true danger lurked ahead, but so did a great opportunity.
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“What do you want to do with them?” Dan turned to Revan, prepared to accept the woman’s decision. Carth had limited value, while Bastila would need more effort to turn from the Jedi than he was willing to invest. “They can stay, if you like, but you’ll be responsible for them.”
“I’m not sure…” Revan shook her head as they watched Bastila and Carth on the security monitors. “The Jedi and I are connected, a bond in the force that runs deep.”
“Such a bond would make her a valuable companion, if she can put aside the dogma of the Jedi,” May tapped her chin, deep in thought. “Master Merlyn has a number of spells that require such a connection before they can be used… powerful battle magic that magnifies the strengths of both!”
“Whatever you decide, I want you to take them both to Dantooine with May,” Dan stretched his shoulders. They would divide their efforts, May could collect Juhani, while he travelled to Kashyyyk and met Jolee Bindo. “You can speak with the Jedi council and expose their hypocrisy, maybe that will help pull her to your side.”
“Alright…” Revan was interrupted as the door whisked open. Bastila and Carth swept into the room with an air of relief, as if they hadn’t truly believed they would reach their goal. The Jedi stood in the centre of the bridge, eyes locked onto Revan.
“You have remembered… how is that possible?” Bastila let her hand touch the lightsaber on her belt, while Carth mirrored her actions with his blaster. “Nothing could have undone the council's work so easily.”
“Why don’t we all just sit down and relax!” May’s staff appeared in hand, faster than the jedi could react. She thumped it on the deck and a wave of suppression flowed over the two humans. “Violence isn’t the Jedi way, or so I’ve been told…”
“The disconnect between the beliefs of the Jedi Order and their actions suggests violence is their preference…” Dan shook his head at the Jedi and her faithful soldier. “You can discuss things with these two, I’m going to make my run to the homeworld of the Wookies!”
“Alright!” May flashed her Husband a smile, before she returned her attention to Bastila. “We can all get to know each other, just don’t forget to collapse the slave trade on Kashyyyk… we promissed Zaalbar, remember!”
“Don’t worry, Czerka will be my first stop, once I get there,” Dan gave May a quick hug from behind, before he walked from the bridge. He gave a final wave from the door, before it started to seal behind him. “Don’t forget, Juhani is waiting on Dantooine!”