Logged Sept. 8, 2001
Logged by Ashton
Titled:  Clearing the Air
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Characters: 
Ashton 
Merina 
Kastanje 
Moira 
Davros 
Rruka
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Aft - Ageis
A small cargo bay but it has plenty of room to hold the goods it needs to contain. 
The walls are all black in color and there are a few benches set into the bulkheads. 
Over need the hatch going fore appears to be a locked storage locker, On the other 
side of the door appears to be the cargo computer.

The door to the Aegis opens, and Moira Brennan climbs on board. Her expression is 
very, very serious. Not worried or upset, just not the usual cheerful, happy go 
lucky Moira that everyone is usually greeted with. Something is on this girl's 
mind. As she gets inside, she takes a good look around, to see what seems to be 
the situation on board. Her coat and gloves are gone, as Nar Belsa isn't the 
coldest planet and they're really no longer necessary.

Merina , for the most part, has been quiet on this trip. She pulled the same ploy 
of feigning sleep so that she could be alone with her thoughts that she had pulled 
on the trip from Coruscant to Arkania. This time however, her thoughts have been on 
her brother, on the crash, and on what she is still keeping secret. Why is she so 
afraid to talk to these people, if truly they are trying to help her. Is it because 
she is afraid it will change their mind, or is it because she is afraid that in 
speaking the words, the walls she's built up will come crashing down again. She 
reaches into a pocket of her cloak, and pulls out a small amulet. She turns it 
over and over in her hands. She looks up as the door opens, and smiles at Moira. 
Moira's change in clothes reminds Meri, that she had better change as well.

Close behind the Padawan, Kastanje enters the ship and promptly leans against the 
patch of hull right near the still-open door. "Well, that was one way to pass the 
time," she comments vaguely, fingers plucking at the hole in her vest absently. 
The new cloak from Arkania is hanging from a hook on the wall meant for securing 
cargo, but she's still wearing the warm shirt - albeit with rolled up sleeves - 
that she left the cold planet it. "Really though, why Nar Belsa? Last time we 
were here things got rather interesting."

Merina gives a small shrug. "well, it was here we picked up the cor... er... 
cargo" she says, as way of an explanation.

Moi manages a small smile at that. "True enough, Kas." She says, then turning to 
smile at Merina as well. "How are you? Nice rest?" Even if Moi knows she wasn't 
really asleep, she doesn't let on. Then, the Padawan girl shoves her hands in her 
pockets, glancing around again. Now -where- is Ashton?

Ashton emerges from the cockpit, also changed into different clothing now that 
they're somewhere with better climate control. He seems surprised to see everyone 
gathered back aboard, but it's a welcome surprise. He picks up the gun-metal 
cylinder from the top of a storage unit and clips it to the clip on his belt. 
"Back so soon?" he asks of all three women as he approaches them.

Merina rises. "I've not been back here since we collected the cargo." She looks 
down the ramp. "Nothing's changed though"

Kastanje catches the word-substitution from Merina, and offers a soft smile to the 
woman. She remembers what Merina told her the cargo really consisted of, and if this 
is where they got it, well, that makes a bit more sense. A bit unsettling, though. 
"So soon?" She repeats to Ashton a bit incredulously, not moving from her post by 
the door. They would've been back sooner if they knew the Knight was here.

Moira blinks as Ashton emerges. "Actually, we were searching for you..." Moira says. 
"On the trip here, I was meditating, and I...I saw something. Tai, with an ignited 
lightsaber. I could sense he was in great danger, but that he was calm in facing it. 
Kastanje suggested perhaps it was his gem quest, but it did not feel that way. It 
felt unpleasant." Moira stops. Now what? "I did not know why I was shown these 
things. So I thought I should ask you about it." True enough, that.

Ashton smirks, shaking his head slightly. "Well, I just got back ... " He listens 
to Moira's tale with some interest, and then only nods. "Okay, well padawan, what 
do you want to know?" He leans up against one of the bulkheads and props a booted 
foot up onto the seat closest to him.

Kastanje pushes off from the wall as Moira composes a response. "It's too hot in 
here," she suddenly announces, fingers at the collar of her shirt. Actually, the 
hold is rather nice temperature wise, but who knows. "I'm just going to duck out 
for another walk... I'll be back," she assures, offering a smile to the others in 
the cargo hold, and then slips back out down the ramp.

Merina wonders if she should leave as well, this sounds like something the two 
should discuss in private. She doesn't really want to leave the ship though. She 
sits down on a bulkhead, and busies herself sorting through some things she has 
in a small daypack.

"Well..." Moira starts, unsure how to phrase this, "Am I being shown this because 
I'm to go and get involved somehow, or is it simply information that I'm to have, 
just because?" And the answer is probably going to be 'consult the Force.' Moira 
just knows it. So, what did the Force show her, exactly? Moira replays this in her 
mind. Tai, lightsaber ignited, and danger approaching. Definate bad vibes from the 
danger, much like when that Ba'Sha fellow was playing with Rruka. Moira frowns, 
considering that part of it. But Tai's dealt with this before, hadn't he? Of 
course, weeks of nightmares came of it. "Oh...bye Kastanje." Moira says absently 
as she thinks.

Ashton shrugs lightly, "Padawan, Tai Jinn's fate is in his own hands. You're seeing 
these things because you've reached a place in your training where visions will come 
to you unbidden. Tai Jinn is quite capable of taking care of himself... and the 
future is always in motion, so we can't know if you going there would actually help 
Tai Jinn or not." he smiles comfortingly. "I'll check in with Master Phanton though. 
It's about time I called back to Coruscant anyway." He smiles over at Merina, "Maybe 
you and I can poke around the city a bit? I'll need Moira to stay behind to watch 
over Rruka."

Merina looks up from her perusal of the things in her bag. She tries to look 
surprised, though she'd been listening the entire time. "Sure" she says "that 
would be great"

Moira nods, accepting this as truth. What would Tai need her for, anyways? Moira 
stands, making her way over to the corner, to sit beside Rruka. "Have a nice 
stroll around the city." She says with a smile, before closing her eyes to go 
back to meditating.

** Merina and Ashton move outside of the ship **

Free Public Landing Pad - Nar Belsa Spaceport Taboon Moon
        The spaceport here seems a bit dingy and unkempt, a clear sign that the 
locals have other things in mind then maintenance and cleaning. Scorch marks left 
behind by other ships can be seen along the walls and flooring of the area. In some 
places along the wall, the actual outer layer appears to be chipped, cracked, and 
pealing. The spaceport looks well used, plenty of activity seems to be happening 
when looking about. The general crowd has a roughness about them, but in this 
place, one almost has to in order to avoid unwanted attention.

Merina walks down the ramp and sighs. She recognizes this berth.

Ashton emerges from the Ageis, tucking something back into the small of his back - 
into its cleverly concealed holster. He looks back as Merina exits the ship after 
him, and then he palms the ramp closed. "Okay, well, first let's find the place 
where you picked up the cargo and we'll track from there..."

Merina laughs uncomfortably. "The cargo was delivered to us right here. Ric met 
with some guys over at some Bistro, what was it called, the Blue Umbra? no...well 
something like that, and then the cargo was delivered to us. I was here though, 
doing some other stuff Ric wanted done. So I don't know who he met with. He was 
a long time gone though" she thinks about this. "and when he came back, he had 
us change course to take that hop over to Corellia."

Ashton nods, "So do you remember anything about the cargo containers at all? 
Logos? Company name?" His eyes sweep the landing pad, searching for any attention 
drawn to their ship. None that he can detect, either visually or with the Force. 
He starts off at a slow walk, in the general vicinity of the spaceport itself, 
expecting Merina to be walking with him.

Merina walks beside Ashton. She thinks for a moment. "The containers were unlike 
any I had ever seen before, certainly they were not like anything else we'd ever 
carried. The containers themselves were a very unique color, a deep red. They had 
seals the likes of which I've never seen. Heat and light seals, but the sealing 
was more extensive." she thinks. "and they were heavy for their size. It was a 
heavy load we carried. Those containers must have been lined with something heavy, 
like lead or something." She closes her eyes, trying to will he mind to see some 
detail she forgot. "I remember some sort of bird on the containers. And some word 
with a p, Phoenix, maybe?" She puts out a hand to stop Ashton. "But there is 
something I need to tell you" she hesitates. "I know what the cargo was."

Ashton stops obediently as Merina puts out her hand. They've almost reached the 
sliding doors leading to the spaceport. His left eyebrow arches slightly, "What 
was it?" he asks simply, not bothering to ask how she knows this now after a two 
day flight and she didn't know before they left. Or at least hadn't offered that 
information. This was her mission and the sooner she felt comfortable sharing 
information with Ashton, the more help he'd be able to be.

Merina bites her lip. SO this is it then. Moment of truth. Actually, a great many 
people already knew. She had no idea how it had come to pass that she hadn't 
mentioned it to Ashton. Likely because she was afraid what he'd think. Likely that 
he'd ask her how she knew. "I was told it was" she leans towards him and says in 
a whisper. "dead bo..corpses. And not ones for burial, or for a bounty. Because 
there was way more than one"

Ashton reacts dubiously at first, but then realizes Merina has been nothing but 
straight with him. Despite holding back some information, she had been truthful 
about the information she had relayed. He frowns, almost deeply. "Well, that 
certainly makes the list of possible recipients smaller, doesn't it." He looks 
down for a moment, and then looks back up at Merina. "So you said the logo was 
a bird... and maybe the name was Phoenix? And they delivered here? So that means 
there are either records of them transporting the cargo here or a local office 
if they used private transport."

Merina is relieved he hasn't probed further into this, and that is evident from the 
look on her face. Maybe he doesn't need to know some of those other details. Hadn't 
he said before they didn't matter? She has doubt. Maybe she just needs to tell him 
the whole story. "well, they were delivered here by private transport. And the 
containers were covered until they were loaded. There should be records somewhere 
I guess" she doesn't seem sure. "But seeing as our manifests were not, uhm, 
accurate, I wouldn't even know where you'd want to begin"

Ashton hrms softly, and then frowns. "When you were talking to me on Coruscant... 
you mentioned that someone had brought you there. It sounded as if you were 
avoiding someone, or perhaps more than one someone. Maybe the person who wants you 
tracked down went so far as to put out a bounty on you?" And he did know many of 
the bounty hunters congregated here on Nar Belsa.

Merina shuts her eyes. There wasn't going to be any avoiding this, was there? "No, 
I wasn't exactly avoiding anyone." True enough. She was avoiding something else, 
not a someone. She looks down. "I was on Arkania, and somehow I got to Corellia. 
I don't remember how I got there." She looks up "I was in the park there in the 
city, you know, Scepter Park? And I was talking to this Twi'lek." She tenses, and 
takes a moment to 

compose herself. She can do this without falling apart. "He was called" and here she 
thinks for a moment trying to find a name for the face. "Jhrogan. I must have told 
him what had happened and he took me to Coruscant. For my own safety. Wanted to 
deliver me to the Jedi. I met Rruka and Tai then, but I didn't go with them." she 
stops this line of the story. "Jhrogan and me, we...we...I think we must have taken 
a shuttle" She once again stops this story, and latches on to the bounty hunter bit. 
"I don't think there is a bounty out on me. There might be one on Ric, and there most 
certainly is one out on Enfield Alcott, the original owner of the 'cat." She for the 
moment doesn't say how she knows this. She just absently rubs her wrists which still 
bear the faintest trace of ligature bruising. "No one's after me" she says. "but they 
might be... now" And again, she doesn't elaborate. 

Rruka has arrived.

Ashton stands there for several minutes, looking at Merina, but not really seeing her 
as he contemplates their next move. "Well, I can look into that tomorrow... For now, 
I'd say you're pretty safe even if whoever might be looking for you knew where to 
look." He frowns slightly as he mentally reviews the information they have so far. 
"Maybe going to Arkania wasn't the best idea if we're trying to keep you out of 
danger... but I think the fact that we left the system bound for Coruscant, and 
then changed course near Commenor should have thrown off any pursuit." He raises 
an eyebrow to Merina, "Unless you told anyone where we were going... oh wait, you 
didn't know anyway until we got to Commenor."

Merina shakes her head. "no. I didn't tell anyone anything. I didn't have anyone to 
tell" There is some disappointment in her voice. She wonders what else to say. It 
isn't intentional really, she just isn't sure what is relevant and what is not. There 
was danger on Arkania, but she'd taken care of at least some of that herself. "I don't 
think Arkania was a mistake." certainly not, she'd gotten her things back. "The only 
person on Arkania who linked me to my brother isn't going to tell anyone now."

Ashton nods, offering that reassuring smile to her once again. "We're on the right 
track now, Merina. It'll get interesting, but I doubt there'll be any serious danger 
from now on." He lifts his head and turns back towards the ship as he senses the 
Trianni emerging. "Hrm, looks like Rruka's up and about..." He sends out a mental 
nudge to the Trianni to let him know where they were.

Merina sighs. She's conflicted over what she should tell Ashton. Nothing she says 
seems to make any difference to him. She looks back toward the spaceship and sees 
Rruka. She cannot believe that when they first met she was frightened by him, but 
then things were different then. She looks back at Ashton. "You think we are on the 
right track, do you? What track is that? Our records were forgeries. The ship is 
scrap and the cargo is gone. And no one will ever believe I didn't know what we were 
carrying, which I didn't until...well until recently. My brother went back to the 
ship, I am sure after the crash, and aside from a few messages to me, I haven't 
heard anything" She shakes her head. "and you don't think there is any *danger*?" 
she is incredulous. "Tell that to Enfield when the two guys who grabbed me actually 
had him in their sites"

Ashton listens to Merina's outburst without response or any other interruption. 
"You're right, of course, Merina. There is danger involved in anything. In the 
flight here, we were this close," he says evenly, holding his fingers up nearly 
touching, "to slipping into the gravity well of a an uncharted planetoid. The 
man Rendafar battled after you left the cantina in Trade City? Is a Sith General, 
who, in weren't aware, do not have a large tolerance for Jedi." He pauses, 
realizing he might be dramatizing a bit, but if she continually insisted on 
concentrating on what a waste of time this was and how dangerous it would be... 
this mission was over before it started. He clearly wasn't as trained in personal 
compassion as he was political and council etiquette, but with Kastanje and Moira's 
help, he was learning. "Now, I don't expect you to believe in the Force or that 
it's guiding this mission, but I do. I'm sorry about Enfield and I wish there was 
something I could do to alleviate your worry about your brother..."

Maybe the force is guiding this mission, although perhaps in her current mood 
Merina might consider this as a working of the dark side as Davros enters the 
Spaceport, briefcase in one hand and tool case in the other, heading towards a 
few of the ships labeled BHG.

Merina is duly chastised and falls silent. She always seems to set a foot wrong 
with Ashton. He is trying to help. Why is she continually sabotaging the efforts. 
"Of course you're right" she says, her eyes slightly hazed by unshed tears. "I'm 
sorry" and she resolves to fill in any details that might be pertinent. She is 
about to offer just this, when she catches sight of Davros. "now what's he doing 
here" she says aloud, without meaning to.

"No, there's nothing to be sorry about..." Ashton starts to say as Merina spots 
Davros and says something. He glances over there and nods, "Who knows?" he says, 
not all that interested in what Davros is doing here, but some interest in that 
he is indeed here. Abruptly, he turns back to Merina and his facial features have 
softened a bit. "It's just... Merina, if you feel that there is something I'm 
overlooking ... something I don't know that might help me see more of the picture, 
please tell me. Otherwise, let me assure you that we may not be producing solid 
leads, but we will..."

Merina looks at Ashton full in the face. She is more direct than she has ever been. 
She distances herself emotionally from what she is about to say. Perhaps they should 
be somewhere more private, but the buzz of activity in the spaceport makes it as 
secure as any quiet cantina. "There's things you don't know, but I don't know how 
relevant they are." she looks quite apologetic. "It isn't that I ever intended to 
not tell you. There are at least two groups of people who are either looking for 
the cargo, or looking for someone who might know something about it. They are on 
Arkania and on Corellia, but I don't know if they are working together, they likely 
are. The ones on Corellia likely didn't realize who I was, or I'd never have been 
able to escape" she licks her lips which have become quite dry. "Now, although I 
have no hard proof, I believe that Ric got at least some of the cargo and for a 
time had it in a safe house on Arkania. There was a Verpine who was his contact, 
but he's dead. He's the one who told me what the cargo was." she stops. Is that 
enough information? "And I know he's dead because I shot him" there, she'd said it. 
"I shot him sometime before I found myself on Corellia, and then on Coruscant" She 
looks at him pleadingly. "I know you think I don't believe what you believe in. 
But I don't know what I believe in, so it isn't a fair accusation" she simply 
wasn't making sense, but she was desperate to put right what was wrong. "You're 
dense, but she was desperate to put right what was wrong. "You're doing what you 
can. I know that. I can't ask anymore of anyone" she casts her glance downward.

Ashton nods, now smiling with a bit more understanding than he had before. That 
had to have taken a lot to keep repressed... or maybe it took her more to say it. 
Regardless, it's apparent she's been through a lot and doesn't need any more grief 
from him. "Okay... well, we'll get the truth, Merina. That's all we can hope to 
find at this point, whether it's pretty or not." He snerks lightly. "Tell you 
what..." he says, pointing back toward the flight line and Davros. "I happen to 
know he knows a few bounty hunters... maybe he knows something that can help us 
find out who might've put out contracts on your brother... or even you."

Merina resolves to stay on Ashton's right side. Somehow. "he seems to know quite 
a few people" she says of Davros. Why does he keep turning up everywhere she's at.

Davros slaps the briefcase on top of the anti-grav manifold of the BHS Agile, and 
drops the toolbox with a gleam in his eye, Die evil maintenance problems! He's 
fairly engrossed in his work at the moment, as he slides under the Agile, amazing 
what Simon taking a Spinnaker into space can do to the systems, like he's still 
in his racing days.....a twist here...a rewiring there....and he's lost in nerd 
land Davros is.

This particular corner of the Nar Belsa landing pad is scorched by ship engines and 
peopled by a rather rough crowd, but Kastanje doesn't seem to notice that as she 
approaches from the main city, on a track among the ships that should take her towards 
the Ageis. She's a spot of color against chipped walls and dingy hulls, and realizing 
that, she doesn't even try to blend in with the stooped and suspicious spacers. It'd 
only make things worse. "Now I just have to hope someone's still around here," the 
Major comments to herself, hands clutching a couple bags as she starts scanning the 
landing pad for familiar figures.

Ashton turns to head back towards the Ageis, which is parked no more than 50 feet 
from the Agile. He figures it will be better to approach from the ship rather than 
from the spaceport entrance as if they had been looking for him. Okay, a bit of 
subterfuge there, but he isn't sure how Davros would take it if he thought they 
were watching him. "Yeah, he does, doesn't he..." he says with a grin. As they 
move back through a small group of beings who have entered from another entrance, 
he nearly stumbles up behind Kastanje. His eyebrow arches as he realizes it is 
her, although she's got new clothes on. He smiles as he walks a bit faster to 
catch up to her. "Kast..." he says, just loud enough to grab her attention.

Merina smiles to see Kastanje. Things haven't been going well, and she is glad for 
the diversion. She looks at the woman with a sidelong glance. What WAS she wearing? 
"Kastanje" she says. "I see you found something more...suitable to the climate?"

Clink, clang, clink, "Sith SPAWN!" Stupid rassum frassum converter...frickin 
frackin...apparently the battle under the Agile is not going well, "I swear this 
will be fixed by tomorrow if it's the last darn thing I do!!!"

Kastanje hardly expected the change of clothes to disguise her much, seeing as 
that's supposed to be an everyday occurrence. Although admittedly her present 
outfit might throw a few people off - even if simply because she isn't wearing 
that half-melted vest of hers. She pivots quickly on one foot at the greeting, 
"Ashton, Merina," she responds, a friendly smile offered once the startled look 
has faded. "And yes, all that fleece-lined everything was much too warm. 
Everything's going alright, I hope?"

Rruka comes out from the ship. It appears that he has been quite busy. Yawning 
greatly he finally takes a look around to see what type of planet this is.

"I think so," Ashton says with a warm smile, cupping Kastanje's elbow in his hand 
as he falls into step with her. He slows his pace a bit to keep Merina on his other 
side. "We were going to go visit your friend..." he says, nodding his head towards 
where Davros is. "He's got contacts with bounty hunters, right? You think we could 
find out if he can track down any bounties on Merina or her brother? Or that Verpine 
that was with them?" His tone is conspirital, but he wears a happy smile on his 
face. He sees Rruka come out of the Ageis as they approach and nods to the Trianni.

Must be Dav's unlucky day, as he fits the last bolt into place, and part of the 
manifold actually falls out and rolls away from the spaceplane, and now Dav must be 
really, really angry as the swearing begins coming out fast and hard in Sluissi, 
some of the words they don't even have translations into Basic for.

Rruka smiles a little, "Greetings Ashton....I am sorry if I was not out earlier, I 
was making sure that Rendafar was resting well. He has slept a while since his arm 
was healed."

Kastanje's eyes drift over to Davros at Ashton's nod and the string of epitaphs that 
in Sluissi. Her ears redden a hint, but at least she doesn't have too good a command 
of the language. "He gave me a few hints about the bounty on my brother," she agrees, 
somewhat hesitantly. "But misinformation as well." Verpine? Isn't that Screee, the one 
Merina kept referring to in the past tense? A curious cant of the medic's head meets 
Ashton's conspiratorial tone. "We could also try asking Simon, if and when he returns. 
I ran into him briefly on Arkania, and it seems he's the bounty hunter Guildmaster 
now. He might help us." A smile spreads again, prompted by Rruka's thoughtfulness and 
Ashton's own smile.

Ashton pauses then in his step as they come back to the Ageis. "Really... well, maybe 
we should look for Simon instead then... but we know Davros is here on Nar Belsa. 
Maybe we really should wait until he's having some better luck," the Knight says with 
a smirk. He gestures to the landing ramp where Rruka is standing. "How about we wait 
on that till tomorrow..." he says meaningfully.

Davros, completely oblivious to anything going on around him, slides even deeper under 
the ship, and can be heard banging around under there, although the force around the 
area is radiating sheer joy with only a tinge of frustration...no matter what else he 
does (and it's a lot) he's a tinkerer at heart.

Snowball fights and shopping... Well, the day hasn't been very productive so no need 
to change that now. "Alright, tomorrow," Kastanje accepts, flashing a grin at Ashton. 
Being outside the ship on a planet again has improved her mood quite a bit. "Besides, 
we'd have a hard time getting him out from under that engine, assaults on our ears 
aside." Her arm slips away from Ashton's slightly as she turns to regard Merina's 
quiet self, an her brow furrows a bit. "What've you folks been talking about without 
me? Or should I wait until we're safe in the ship to ask that?" She queries.

Rruka decides to be quiet now and let the two talk a bit. Maybe he can stay out of 
trouble.

END OF LOG