Safety In Numbers

[Darth Chagrin]

Jerolme relished the opportunity to get away from the stress and tedium of political life in the Core. Problems had conspired against him in all the time that he had held Coruscant's top office, and he was convinced that he had had the most difficult term of any Coruscanti Governor in many years. The recent military conflicts the Alliance was involved in brought no relief. Truly, it was thankless work. Nothing to break the tedious ten-mile run in the summer heat, nor are you allowed to walk. Only the strong can survive in such a relentless business.

He turned to the woman beside him, the Queen of Commenor, one of the few people in this galaxy who might've been able to sympathise with his plight. They were old friends, and it amused Jerolme to think about the fact that he studied her so intently during their first encounter as if she were some enemy. But in a galaxy of lesser statesmen and women, it was refreshing to see someone of her stature, dignity and conviction. So it behooved him to establish a positive and long-lasting relation with her, which had so far been met with unbounding success. Equally, the relationship between the Galactic Alliance and CSA had been fruitful and positive to date. A good deal of that, Jerolme thought, could be attributed to Lady Kay here and myself. She wasn't exactly his opposite number in Commenor, but it had been her that Jerolme had had the pleasure of meeting when he arrived on their world to establish relations, not he husband. Accordingly, it was she that he had cultivated a friendship with.

So Jerolme had chosen [member="Lady Kay"] to join him in taking a break from the ennui of displeasing political work, and travel to Voss, far away from all the issues they dealt with in day-to-day life. The vivid colours and lush environment of the distant world were popular with visitors, and he was sure that Kay, ever the admirer of beautiful natural landscapes, would enjoy the place. Jerolme had even brought a rifle for a much-needed hunting session. He intended to enjoy this day to the full, to forget about the dark shadows lurking in his mind. He was sure that Kay would eminently enjoy a brief chance at relative freedom from the burdens of raising her new children. Speaking of which, "How are little Caedyn and Loreena, by the way?" Jerolme asked Kay. "I must pay them a visit some time."

With the pair were their respective staff, travelling to the planet capital Voss-Ka in Lady Kay's private ship The Free Lady. The ship touched down, the landing ramp lowered, and the party allowed themselves to be exposed to the bountiful beauties of this new world.

"What do you say to spending a couple of hours out in the wilderness?" he asked Kay with a smile. "Then we can return to Voss-ka and I'll buy you the best lunch in the city."

 

[Kay-Larr]

A break. Oh yes that was needed. Having a newborn baby was one thing, but twins? That was quite another. It was double the trouble, double the fun, and double the messes. Fortunately, as far as babies went, they were pretty good. Both [member="Veiere Arenais"] and Kay were very lucky. Still, after a few months of being hidden away at the Estate, she needed a chance to stretch her legs and spend a day away from home. She had been itching to find out what's been going on in government, but was not really allowed to do so as it would only give her the want to take control again when she had to focus on her family.

So when [member="Jerolme Moore"] had reached out with an equal need to escape the turmoil that is the climate of Galactic Alliance space, Kay was quick to oblige. The two had met some time ago, setting up trade agreements with their respective worlds that proved to be very fruitful for both sides. Not only that, but their friendship grew as well. For a while Jerolme had promised her a little hunting trip and it was only now that they both had time to do so. Of course that was something that she had arranged quickly.

The Governor of Coruscant had requested their venture to be in neutral territory, so the two had selected Voss as their destination. Given that it had been vacated by the Silver Jedi, it was bo doubt a quieter place to visit. Both were looking firward to that.

Kay smiled as Jerolme inquired about her newborn twins. "They are beautiful children. Fortunately they sleep through the night. Yet when one starts crying, the other starts too. It's nice to have help too. Veiere is there with us and his voice sooths them just as much as it does to me. Fatherhood suits him. And yes, you'd be welcome to see them soon enough."

There hadn't been many visitors. No baby shower or big ceremony for the world. Instead, both Kay and Veiere had decided to keep it all quiet and let their children try to have as normal of a life as possible.

Another smile was given as Jerolme made a couple of suggestions of what could be on their agenda when they arrived. "That would be lovely, Jerolme. I've been wanting to go out and explore for some time now. It's possible that I was getting cabin fever. But as always, we can't be out for too long, otherwise they'd get worried." Understandably too. Kay had a certain knack for finding trouble. Or rather, trouble had always found her.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

The conversation about the babies had reminded Jerolme of his decision with his wife to not make such a commitment. The decision had been made many moons ago, and Jerolme had never regretted their decision, but occasional discussions like this sparked his wonder about what things might be like if they had chosen otherwise.

[member="Lady Kay"] was very receptive to Jerolme's offer. Her only condition was that they not be out for too long.

"You needn't worry," he said reassuringly. "We can head back on command."

The two and their crew ventured out into the open plains. A soft breeze caused the orange-yellow grass to waver and the trees to shift ever so slightly. Clouds were suspended above them like an ever-present blanket, but the sun shone through them with an orange hue. Uxibeasts, horranths and wingmaws dotted the landscape, as did several rocks jutting out of the earth like small monoliths. The group passed a couple of cliffs as well, even a cavern with a mouth of a beast: huge, dark and uninviting. Yet even that failed to detract from the eminent beauty of the place. If anything, it added to it.

"This place reminds me of Dantooine, you know," he remarked to Kay as they walked. Reminiscing, he continued, "Not quite as exotic, but just as beautiful. I enjoyed hunting the kath hounds there greatly. A pity that the presence of the Sith Empire in that sector has made another trip there an impossibility..." he paused thoughtfully, then added with a smile, "For now."

Clasping a 6-2Aug2 hunting rifle in his right hand, Jerolme called one of his staff to hand another rifle to him, which he promptly offered to Lady Kay. It was a slugthrower, an old-fashioned but reliable design that was favoured in the Outer Rim worlds. Tatooine moisture farmers used it regularly to pick off womp rats. Even the slugthrowers today were loaded with technological supplements for ease of use, convenience, what not. But in Jerolme's mind it all just made it a bit too easy.

"As you may know, hunting has been a sport of kings and lesser men for millennia." He kept his tone friendly and affable so as to not appear lecturing and imperious. "And women, of course." He chuckled. "People of all races and manners of being have always hunted. For the more bloodthirsty, the "male", it can simply offer undue satisfaction. But of course that was not the reason that it appealed to so many." He gestured at some of the beasts roaming the plains. "It was a test. A test of strength, a test of character. And I think a fitting exercise for those of us in politics. Those in power know very well what they can bring about with just a press of their fingers."

A rocky plateau, elevated about fifteen metres above the ground, provided the perfect spot to hunt from. Jerolme invited Kay and the others to head up there, where a picturesque vista greeted them. Perfect. Beckoning for Kay and the others to join him in lying down in a prone position, Jerolme offered those who hadn't tried their hand at the activity before a demonstration. He fell into a classic shooting position and began aiming.

"When you shoot you always want to push the butt of your rifle against your shoulder like this. Press your cheek against the stock — squint if you wish — and pick a target." A flying wingmaw caught his eye. The barrel of his rifle followed its movements. Almost reciting platitudes he remembered from his time in the military, Jerolme continued, "Take a deep breath. When you fire, do it without tension or hesitation. You only need one shot." He fired. A whipcrack sounded and the winged beast fell to the ground without ever knowing what hit it.

"Your turn, milady."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled as [member="Jerolme Moore"] reassured her. He was a fine gentleman, a vanishing breed. Or maybe it was just his peaceful nature. Regardless, he was a pleasant sort of fellow to be around.

Her eyes were drawn to the landscape as they walked. At times she'd stop to run her fingers through the thick blades of grass, or to pick up a stone and study it's colours and texture before dropping it to the ground again. The sounds of the wildlife that surrounded them were also heard. Everything was in harmony, as it should be. No doubt this was a great escape from the city-planet of Coruscant for Jerolme.

Kay considered herself lucky to live on Commenor. Yes Chasin City was big and growing, but the vastness of nature was all around them and but a short speeder ride away for most of the residence. While the backyard of her Palace led to the Twin Canyons. The vast field gave them an ample view in case of a ground attack.

"Sith Empires, like so many others, rise and fall. And lately that's happened rather quickly. But I'm sure that you'll be able to go to Dantooine again, my friend." Of course she wasn't 100% sure of that, but it was certainly a remark that she was half right on.

Kay took the offered rifle in both hands. She'd used blasters before, but nothing of this size. She listened to his commentary on the subject of hunting. It was true. As politicians, they had the same kind of power and control over others as any hunter did. They can cause death just as easily. Sometimes with only a word or nod of the head.

Luckily for Kay, she wasn't wearing a gown today. For such an excursion, she had decided on trousers and a mid length coat. As Jerolme led the way up to the plateau, she followed suit, laying down on her belly beside him so that just her head and rifle poked up over the top. She listened to his instructions and followed them, putting the rifle and head into position.

His marksmenship was impressive, as was his shot. Kay felt a little intimidated by it. But still, she was going to give it a good try. A wingmaw came into view that was slightly bigger than the others. Closing one eye, she followed the creature with the barrel of her rifle and then pulled the trigger. Unlike Jerolme's spot on targeting, Kay had made the rookie mistake of not aiming slightly ahead, causing her to miss. Of course she wasn't experienced enough to know what she did wrong. "Well, I guess this means that I don't have beginner's luck."

 

[Darth Chagrin]

Jerolme chuckled in response to [member="Lady Kay"]'s remark. She was only inexperienced, not unlucky. Here, that carried no cost. Once again, Jerolme was reminded of how fortunate they were to enjoy this brief time away from their daily jobs. In politics, inexperience was a fatal weakness that needed to be corrected immediately. Like disloyal dogs, mistakes would always return to bite you in the back. To enjoy freedom from such a thing made for an almost surreal experience.

"An innocent mistake," Jerolme remarked. "You must always predict what their move is before it happens, and move to intercept it accordingly." Kay would've surely known this as well from her time in politics. The hunting exercise was but an object lesson in the rules of politics. "In other words, shoot ahead."

The wingmaw was still well within range. "Try it again, milady."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows. From what [member="Jerolme Moore"] had spoken, it sounded almost like he was gping to suggest the art of hunting to be similar to using the Force. Afterall, trying to predict the movements of an opponent was often used during a lightsaber battle. But of course Jerolme couldn't of guessed her secret. The same technique could be used in the military, the navy and even in political circles. It was all about the strategy behind it. One has to outsmart their opponent.

She smirked as Jerolme gave her a valuable hint; shoot ahead. And so Kay followed the wingmaw's movements with the barrel of her rifle, one eye closed as tried to focus her aim. Twice she nearly fired, her finger pushing on the trigger just part way before she changed her mind. But her opportunities were fleeting as the distance between herself and the creature were getting greater. Finally she took her shot after adjusting her aim to be just ahead of her target. A split second after the shot was heard, the wingmaw fell from the sky.

Kay looked to Jerolme both in shock and joy. "I did it!"

 

[Darth Chagrin]

Breaking into a warm chuckle at the sight of [member="Lady Kay"]'s success, Jerolme remarked, "I knew you would be a quick learner. One doesn't get as far as you have without that capacity." Returning to a shooting pose, he invited everyone to commence the sport. He asked teasingly, "Shall we keep score?"

For several minutes, the report of slugthrower fire almost always preceded the dropping of a wingmaw or the toppling of an uxibeast. Misses were few and far between. Building confidence in what he had thought were atrophied skills, Jerolme continued plugging away at the beasts that dotted the landscape. The horranths were fewer, smaller and faster, an inherent mix of traits that challenged the hunters' abilities, but even they proved to be of relatively minor challenge. Still, in his older age Jerolme wasn't as fast as he used to be. The few members of the politicians' security details who were participating were leading the competition, enjoying the advantages of youth and the lack of a need to acclimatize to the use of firearms. On a number of occasions, Jerolme set his sights on a creature, only to watch it drop dead without him having pressed the trigger. He imagined he was doing the same to others, though on fewer occasions. The exercise did produce a minor annoyance for Jerolme. It was a reminder that he didn't wield unquestionable, undeniable power.

Even so, the illusion of youth sung through Jerolme's veins. This was a liberating experience; a genuinely enjoyable one that he reminded himself that he would have to enjoy more often. For a moment, Jerolme drifted into fantasy, mentally painting the faces of political rivals onto the beasts that he targeted.

A distinctly different firing sound snapped him out of his reverie. Had it not, the accompanying gurgle and sight of a security guard tumbling off the rock onto the plains below certainly would have. His reflexes dulled by age and many years away from the military, Jerolme was merely shifted from a trance of fantasy to one of shock. A member of his security detail — or Kay's — grabbed both of them and hoisted them up, safely away from the edge of the rock plateau.

"We're under attack! Down this way, down this way!" a guard was shouting. Two other guards went down first, then Kay, then Jerolme and then another guard. Half-pushed, half-moving of his own accord, Jerolme descended the rocky path to safety while the four security personnel still on top exchanged fire with hidden enemies. Desperation settled into Jerolme's joints as he heard several more connecting shots and the inevitable cries of pain that followed. Risking a glance back up at the plateau, he saw the security detail diminished by a count of two. The distraction precipitated a misstep, and Jerolme half-fell onto the rocky surface beneath him, cutting his leg. The sting of pain was accompanied by a half-sigh, half-grunt sound, along with a yearning for the fitness of his military years. He found himself propped up by the guard behind him and continued his descent to the backdrop of more blaster-slugthrower exchanges.

At the base, the two guards in front allowed Kay and Jerolme to occupy the front of their party while they covered the rear with the other guard. "Hurry, hurry!" they shouted, pointing at the cavern that the group had passed before. The gift of adrenaline surmounted the pain of his wounded leg for a while, but Jerolme continued to feel a beating panic in his chest as he ran to the best of his ability. He risked another glance back and saw a band of people with balaclavas shooting in their direction. Marauders of a sort, undoubtedly. While the guards continued to exchange fire with the marauders, Jerolme offered a slightly pained "Come on!" of encouragement to Kay as they traversed the plains.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed and nodded at his suggestion to keep score, although she was quite certain that she'd be at the bottom of the leader board. Still, she was feeling quite a lot of pride at being able to hit one. And on her second try to boot!

More shots were fired around her as [member="Jerolme Moore"] had invited their guards to partake. And in just the same circumstance that befell the Governor as his target was taken from him by another shooter, so too did she lose her own target. Yet she did manage to get another few shots off, striking down another wingmaw from the air. The thrill of it all was addicting. It made her wonder if soldiers in battle felt the same way. Although in this instance, their lives weren't in danger.

The gurgling sound and the falling guard changed all that. Kay looked to Jerolme in shock, but there was no joy in her eyes. Instead they hinted at fear. She had no bounties on her head, so it couldn't be tha--

Her thought was interrupted as she was hoisted away from the edge of the plateau and told to run. Was the war against the Galactic Alliance coming here? Or were they hunting down someone elses source of food? Regardless, they weren't in a talking mood. They were in a killing one.

Kay ducked her head each time the shots behind them rang out, some hitting their intended targets directly. A couple of times her footing slipped on some loose rocks, caushing her to gasp in shock, but she was able to keep her balance and remain on her feet. Jerolme wasn't quite so lucky. He had stumbled and just as she was about to help him, one of the guards went to his aid. But there was no time for resting. They had to keep going. Her heart pumped hard against her chest and her breathing became just as heavy. A sharp pain was felt in her abdomen from the strain. Being a stay at home mom didn't really help her stay as fit as she could have been. The lack of sleep some nights didn't help.

The cavern was pointed out and she headed straight to it, following in behind Jerolme. He was hurt. She saw the gash in his leg through the tear of his pant leg. He wouldn't be able to run forever. None of them could. They had to take a stand. At least the darkness of the cavern would provide them some cover. "I hope my husband doesn't find out about this!" If he did, he surely wouldn't let her venture out without more than a few guards again. That is if she'd be allowed out of their sector of space at all.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

As the ran across the plains, [member="Lady Kay"] somehow managed to find the time and breath to remark. "I hope my husband doesn't find out about this!"

Jerolme's impulses betrayed his instinct to retain as much air as possible when he expelled some in the form of the retort, "You hope?"

His surge of adrenaline dissipated just as he reached the sanctuary of the cavern, banished to the past by a foreboding disquiet as he surveyed the dark, capacious depths. Catching his breath in strained bursts, Jerolme limped along, groping blindly for context until he found a rock he could sit on. Propping his leg up, he used the sling of his hunting rifle as a tourniquet for the wound on his leg.

Turning to Kay, he said forlornly, "I'm terribly sorry that you've had to endure this, milady. I've no idea in the slightest why those barbarians attacked us, but it goes without saying that it will be our priority to leave here as safely and quickly as possible." Offering a light touch, he added, "And I promise I won't invite you to another hunt. Next time, we can head to a tea drinking contest on Chandrilla."

Two of the guards came in from the cave mouth, one of whom appeared to be limping. The other took out a torch, lighting the cavernous gloom beyond, and called out, "Get in! Get deep inside! There's still more of them!"

Silently cursing the people who had ruined his day and Kay's, Jerolme hobbled further into the cavern's depths...

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Jerolme Moore"] might think that she'd be more than happy with her husband coming to her rescue, but in truth she was worried that she'd just get into trouble with him. One reason being that she didn't bring her light armour suit with it's personal cloaking device with her. Kay would have brought it, but she hadn't slimmed down enough for it yet after her pregnancy.

Her eyes were drawn down to Jerolme's leg as he did what he could to help his wound. She could fix that, she really could, but it would involve revealing her secret and she wasn't about to do that yet. Perhaps later, if it looked worse or something. Or if he had passed out.

Jerolme's words took her from her thoughts. Kay shook her head. "It's not your fault. It's probably mine. I'm a magnet for trouble and I don't know why. Bad things always hap--"

Kay's voice was cut off as the guards came in. The small respite that the two politicians had was over. She took hold of Jerolme's arm and kept them both steady while they moved further into the cavern. It was hard to see, but that was a good thing. If it was difficult for them, then it was difficult for their pursuers too.

She kept quiet while they moved, following some centuries old path in the dark, silently praying that they weren't going to find themselves at a dead end. Fortune was upon them as it wasn't a dead end that they came across, but a fork giving them a few choices. Kay led them down the left tunnel. Hopefully it was the correct one. Most people would've chosen the right or the middle. Neither of them knew how smart the marauders were.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

Demonstrating the bountiful resourcefulness and courage innate to her, [member="Lady Kay"] led the group through the tunnels. Hitting a fork in the path, she was the first to make a decision — to go left. Jerolme might have chosen the opposite himself, but he trusted Kay's lead.

Jerolme forced himself along, fighting the pain in his injured leg to stay just behind Kay while the guards ran behind him. He told himself that it was a minor wound, but unfortunately old age and diminished physical fitness appeared determined to remind him otherwise. Worse, he had been expecting a day in the fields, not the caves; his boots weren't designed to absorb the shock of repeated steps on hard, unyielding rock. Sooner or later, this will take its toll...

Ducking to avoid stalactites, Jerolme's eyes caught sight of an abrupt chasm in front of them — in front of Kay. One of the guards behind him must have noticed earlier; before he could say anything they had already shouted, "Watch out!" to Kay as she approached the chasm. If she realised in time she could extend her pace to something of a leap and miss the gap in the floor, but if she didn't...

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was worried about [member="Jerolme Moore"] 's leg. But it wasn't as though she could outright heal him without him noticing it being abnormal. Yet she notice his pace slowing down somewhat, and the heavier breathing that came with handling pain. Quietly she reflected on how ironic the situation was. Does she let him slowly bleed out and not aid him, much like her government leaves others to fight their own battles? Or does she reveal what she is and pick a side, leaving the protection that neutrality gave and put herself in harm's way.

That train of thought was broken by the guard shouting. Kay looked behind her, expecting to find an enemy coming up their path, yet she had kept walking forward. A short scream escaped her throat as she dropped into the chasm, the darkness swallowing her up. Desperate and wide eyed, her feet hit a ledge on the side. Momentum kept her going down, until her hands found purchase on the ledge and she gripped it. Her feet dangled down below, looking for something to hold her weight, but there was nothing. Her only saving grace right now was holding herself with her hands. "I'm okay!...I just...don't know how long I can hold on!"

That was the truth of it. She didn't know how long her grip would last. Nor did she know how far the chasm went. It seemed that the choice was made for her. She had to use the Force. But how was quite another story.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

This was not one of Jerolme's finer moments. His breath and strength were already fleeing from him when [member="Lady Kay"] slipped into the chasm ad he instinctively arrested himself before he joined her in the chasm's depths. Nobody could see how deep the abyss was; the poor lighting didn't help with that. But what was evident was that Kay was horizontally distant enough that Jerolme had no hope of reaching her while standing up.

Dropping to his knees, he tried outstretching a hand towards Kay, but she was still too far away. Close enough that their fingertips would have been just outside of touching range if she could reciprocate his outstretched hand, but it was certainly not establish meaningful enough contact for Jerolme to help pull her back. Slowly, he dragged himself along the floor, subtracting centimetres from the gap between Kay and himself. The action added renewed pain to his leg, but he fought the sensation.

"Hold on," Jerolme called to her. He continued to slide across, then he felt the earth abruptly stop before him. He couldn't slide himself any further, and he wasn't sure that he could establish a solid grip at this range either. There had to be another way. Taking out his hunting rifle, he began to extend the barrel towards her, but this too was a tenuous tactic.

Taking the initiative on their own — and fortunately so, as Jerolme had all but forgotten their presence as he engaged in his own struggle — the two guards were aiming in the hallways behind Kay and Jerolme, in expectation, perhaps, of the bandits drawing ever closer to their exposed forms.

 

[Kay-Larr]

As [member="Jerolme Moore"] held out his hand, so too did Kay reach out for it. Yet their fingertops barely touched. He told her to hold on, for which she again brought her hand back to the small ledge that kept her from falling to her death. Beads of sweat was forming now. Levitation wasn't quite a trick that she had learned, yet she had to find the strength to not let go.

Where was a rope when they needed it? The barrel of the rifle came into view then. Kay reached for it, her fingers wrapping tightly around it, yet still she held onto the ledge with her other hand, not trusting to put all of her weight on the rifle. "I got it! Try to pull me up!"

Her mind drifted back to some of the lessons that she had learned. She knew how to lift small objects, so why not try herself? If anything, she could try to make herself lighter in order to make it easier for Jerolme. Kay closed her eyes and focused on the Force moving and swirling around them. She tapped into it, visualizing it decreasing her body's weight and pushing it upwards. If Jerolme was pulling both herself and the rifle up, he might notice that she seemed lighter than she appeared to be, or that perhaps adrenalin gave him more strength than he thought. It wasn't until Kay felt herself moving upwards that she gripped onto the rifle with both hands and found the ledge with her feet. Soon she was pulling herself up the rest of the way, a look of relief in her eyes at having such a close call.

But that relief was short lived as blaster fire interrupted the otherwise silent cavern. It had seemed as though the marauders had caught up with them. One of the guards fell, having been struck in the neck. Clenching her jaw, Kay outstretched a hand and created a Force Shield. Whether Jerolme could see it or not, she didn't know. But she needed to keep them safe.

And right now it seemed as though they were trapped.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

Jerolme slowly pulled his rifle up and then in, careful not to accidentally discharge his weapon. [member="Lady Kay"] proved disproportionately light; Jerolme chose to chalk that up to the surge of adrenaline flowing his veins. It was a painfully slow and surgical process — not unlike moving legislation through a house without a majority — but soon enough Kay was able to pull herself along as well. After an eternity of a few moments, Kay returned to solid ground. Jerolme pulled his gun back and sighed. Relief.

Not so.

The report of blaster fire shattered the relative silence the company had enjoyed for about two seconds, and it was followed by the pitiful thud of a lifeless body dropping to the ground, precipitating an explosion of action from those three who remained. For Kay and Jerolme, this mostly meant involuntarily turning to see what had happened behind them in surprise. The last security officer, less surprised than the duo, unloaded his rifle — not on the approaching enemies, but on the stalactites in the cavern ceiling in front of them. Like great teeth, they descended, sending the marauders hurrying to the sides of the walls for safety. As he did opened fire, the guard backpedaled, expecting to lean on the wall for support... but he kept going.

A side passage! Jerolme, too, had grabbed his rifle, but seeing the diversion that had been created, he began to move to the side.

"Kay!" Jerolme called to his companion as he turned to see her. What was she doing? Instead of scrambling for cover, she had held out a hand like a talisman. No... like a Jedi.

The momentary distraction expended, the marauders opened fire mercilessly. Blaster bolts streaked towards Kay and Jerolme with impunity... then they dissipated mid-air, as if they had struck an invisible wall. The marauders paused, and for a moment Jerolme thought Kay had compelled them to freeze as well. It proved instead to be shock, as they resumed fire a moment later, but to no avail.

No doubt this was exacting a toll on the lady, though. It took a moment for Jerolme to realise that he too had been stunned by what he saw. Breaking free of his stupour, he called to her again, careful not to touch her lest he break her concentration. At the same time, he retreated towards the wall and aimed his rifle at the enemies opposite to him. Kay and Jerolme's lone surviving guard had come back out to see what had been holding them up, and his eyes widened at the sight of the blaster bolts being walled by some invisible force.

But surely it couldn't last...

 

[Kay-Larr]

The stalactites falling down into the cavern were thankfully far enough away to not hit them. Kay didn't even notice the passage that they helped to reveal. That is until [member="Jerolme Moore"] called out her name. She gave her friend just a quick glance to be sure that he was okay, before turning her attention back to what she was doing. The onslaught of blaster fire not once, but twice had required a lot of focus to absorb. Her brows furrowed, beads of sweat once again appearing on her forehead as she continued to keep that Force shield up.

Now what could she do? They were trapped, or so it seemed, and she couldn't maintain the shield for long. She was too much out of practice for that. An idea sprang to mind, one of the guard shooting more stalactites down...Yet that thought was quickly brushed aside as they didn't want to risk a cave-in that could leave them all trapped.

Once again the firing stopped. After a split second, Kay lowered her hand and dropped her shield as she turned to run towards the new passage that Jerolme and the guard were standing next to. Her mind was racing at revealing her secret, thoughts of Jerolme getting angry at her like others had been when they found out. Would he shun her now? Would he hate her? Would he be afraid or hurtful for hiding such a thing from him? Only he had the answer for that.

"Hurry..." she whispered. Now that she was more open to the Force, she could get a better sense of her surroundings in the dark. And instincts told her to keep to the right. Hopefully they'd be correct.

For the moment she was hopeful that they would be. That is until they arrived to a steep rockface. Looking up there appeared to be light at the top of the ledge. An opening maybe? Or more marauders? She hoped for the former.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

A few skipped breaths were compensated for by the sigh of relief Jerolme let out as [member="Lady Kay"]'s mad dash for safety succeeded. They didn't waste a heartbeat seeing where their new passageway could take them, running with such desperate fervour that Jerolme forgot his leg had even been injured. Twists and turns marked the path, and thankfully so, as it kept the marauders from shooting ahead and striking the trio down. Every so often Jerolme risked a glance at Kay to ensure she was still in fine condition; apparently blocking a storm of blaster fire twice with an invisible wall wasn't all that detrimental to her health. Curious.

The more surprising issue, was, of course, that Kay had such hidden talents to begin with. Perhaps that accounted for the nearly inexplicable list of successes and near-misses to her name. Jerolme was no user of the Force, but what little he did know told him that it was a more nuanced gift than a mere blaster repellent. Still, bewilderment or not, it wasn't something he could mull over as the jaws of death were chasing him — and Kay — right this moment. And, with considerable experience in masking surprise, Jerolme kept himself from being flooded with shock. It probably didn't matter if Kay was Force-sensitive anyway. She could well sense it in him regardless.

As the trio's collective panting grew more audible, so too did the cavern's darkness brighten. A light was shining from outside, and that could only mean one thing — a cave exit was nearby! This last stretch of the cavern proved to be unmercifully straight, meaning that the marauders only had to reach the start of it before it was open season for them to slaughter their fleeing targets. Anything they could do to break from running in a straight line would be the difference between life and death here. Knowing this, as soon as they reached the exit, Jerolme took Kay to the left while the guard headed to the right. Jerolme wasn't quite prepared to part ways with his security guard yet though.

"Seal those bastards in there!" he called to the guard even as he turned and began launching indiscriminate rounds from his rifle into the ceiling of the cave mouth; the guard joined in the endeavour almost simultaneously. Even as they backed away from the mouth in their opposite directions, they kept firing with all the speed they could muster. This time, it wasn't bringing down stalactites as a distraction. It was caving in the entire mouth so the poisonous rats couldn't come any further. Shards of rock showered down, but calling down the entire ceiling before the marauders could get there was a tall order at best. Jerolme cast a brief look at Kay. Even wordless, his message was abundantly clear.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was running on adrenalin, just the same as [member="Jerolme Moore"] was. Her want of getting them out of there and on their way back home was something that drove her on. Though there was no doubt that she'd have a deep sleep once this was over. The adrenalin crash would see to that.

At times when they ran she could feel the shock from Jerolme as he had learned of her secret. She hated having to do that and there was no doubt in her mind that her worry was written on her face. Fortunately they both had the same goal right now.

Instead of climbing up the rock face as she expected, Jerolme led her down a different path. She took his lead with their last guard behind them. It was straight, the light almost teasing them as it seemed to take forever to get there, but then finally they made it.

Jerolme took her one way while the guard went the other, each turning to face the opening. The Governor began firing at the ceiling first, followed soon after by their guard. The look that she was given distinctly told her his intentions; to kill the marauders that hunted them. And he needed her help to do it. She hadn't killed anyone for a very long time, but in this case it was self defence. The marauders didn't seem to intend on sparing their lives at all.

Kay raised her arms, almost holding her breath as she focused on the Force. It wasn't as though she could break apart huge boulders with her mind and let them loose. That was impossible. Instead she had another idea. Once she felt her connection was strong, she crouched down, lowering her arms and touching the ground with her hands. She closed her eyes and visualized the cavern, sending ripples through the Force and creating a centralized earthquake. If she couldn't break boulders from the ceiling, then she was going to make the cave do it itself. The earthquake grew from a slight tremer to a magnitude of 6, not strong enough to knock one off their feet, but good enough to make one very unsturdy as though they were on a boat during a storm.

 

[Darth Chagrin]

Unorthodox as it was, the combination of rifle shots and [member="Lady Kay"]'s artificial tremors proved sufficient to begin displacing considerably larger chunks of stone from the upper cave mouth. The marauders, slowed by the quaking ground, might just be denied an exit from the cave...

One of the corsairs emerged at the cave mouth, and Jerolme gazed upon his face. He was no older than 25, but everything about his face, his attire and, well, his conduct suggested the markings of an uneducated, uncivilised man. The sort of vermin that Jerolme would have no qualms with killing. As he turned towards the Governor and the Queen, Jerolme fired another shot; this time not at the ceiling but at the bandit. The slugthrower round went through his neck, and a heavy sound marked his collapse to the ground. Though it was hardly a good sign, Jerolme felt satisfaction at knowing for the first time that one of these dull thuds signified not the fall of one of his own, but an enemy.

Another one made it out, but a block of stone that had been dislodged from the roof by Kay's use of the Force dropped on his head, crushing his skull and leaving another corpse at the entrance of the cavern. More of the ceiling fell, and the cave's entrance was now looking more like a shoddy artificial construct. Yet there remained an opening sufficiently large for a man to come through, and indeed one did, attempting to squeeze his way through the jagged ingress that Jerolme and Kay had at least partly engineered. Another unkempt figure with a disgusting beard, a vicious scar through one eye and a sadistic glint in his other; too bad he was stuck, however, and Jerolme spared him any further effort by firing another --

He was out of rounds. Before he even had time to curse, he saw the bandit stop struggling and raise his blaster at Jerolme, a grin doing anything but concealing his pleasure at knowing that the old governor's time was up. The eluding of death so many times must have constructed a false sense of invincibility, for now Jerolme found himself dismally reminded of his mortality as he stared at barrel the marauder's blaster. With Kay concentrating on bringing down the cave entrance, there was no way she could shield another blast... And so it ends.

KRAK!

Jerolme flinched in accordance to his human instincts, weak as they were, before his rational mind detected that the sound was that of a slugthrower firing, not a blaster. Confirmation came in the form of the bandit's head dropping lifelessly rather than his. Jerolme sighed in relief with the realisation that his security guard had emptied the round into the marauder's brain.

That didn't mean the threat was over, though. More marauders were coming through, trying to push the corpse wedged between the rock forward so they could get out. When that failed, one began to climb on top of him, now fueled by desperation ironically similar to that which Jerolme recalled feeling just moments earlier. The climber's feet planted themselves on the corpse's shoulders for whatever support they could offer, and he prepared to jump --

Half a second too slow.

The rest of the ceiling gave way, and with a thunderous crash the cave mouth finally collapsed on the bandits' heads, sealing the exit and trapping the unfortunate climber — and his equally unfortunate comrades — underneath tonnes of rock. As for the slow ones who hadn't made it to the cave mouth and had thus survived... well, if there were any, they would have to find another way out. By which time Kay and Jerolme could expect to be long gone.

The Governor breathed a second sigh of relief.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay held onto her focus for as long as she could, maintaining the waves of tremors that unlodged some of the boulders and rocky ceiling to the victims below. The rifleshots sounded distant as all of her attention was deep below the surface. That is until the entrance to the cave was entirely blocked.

Knowing that it was over, for the moment at least, Kay kept herself crouched on the ground, figuring that trying to stand would just make her faint. The whole thing just zapped her energy, causing her breathing to be heavier.

Now what? For one thing they still needed to get out of there and for another, she was worried about what [member="Jerolme Moore"] and the guard would think about her secret. Such a thing was always a worry. Her secret wasn't a trivial one. It carried with it consequences too.

"I just...need a few minutes...and some water." Did either of them have water on hand? She knew that she didn't. Regardless, she knew that they couldn't stay for very long.