The Force and the Freebooter (Jack Sparrow/Katarine Ryiah)

[Jack Sparrow]

Outer Rim
Somewhere between Maryx Minor and Cotellier

The Black Pearl glided silently through the inky blackness of space. For eight days the crew within had followed the trail left by the modified YT-1300f light freighter. The Jedi ship.

"How much longer?" asked the man rising from the captain's chair in the center of the bridge.

"Ship'll be in visual range in three parsecs," replied Lagan Cloudburner, the Pearl's dark-skinned pilot.

The captain sat once more, adjusting his tricorne hat absently. "Move quicker, Lagan. Quicker is better." The captain's baritone voice was slurred, sliding around the words like they rode a river while coming out of his mouth. He waved a loose-wristed hand in the direction of the fore viewscreen as he spoke. "Quickest, even, when dealing with sorcery."

A roar came from the co-pilot's chair, courtesy of a Wookiee with a red bandana wrapped around it's massive, hairy dead.

"Easy for you to say," retorted the captain. "But as I've always said, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be magic."

"Captain Sparrow," commed a new voice through the ship's systems, "we'll be needin' to slow down, an' in somethin' of a hurry I fear."

The captain sighed and keyed the comm to respond to his chief engineer. "What is it now, Mr. Hamsax? We are in the middle of closing on our quarry at the moment."

"Number two starboard engine, Captain. She's gonna blow like a Zelton pleasure pal in less than an hour if we don't give her a break."

Captain Jack Sparrow scratched his nose. "How long 'til we reach the ship, Dewkazza?"

The Wookiee growled out a response.

"That's fine then. Shut up, Mr. Hamsax." He killed the connection.

******​

​

Fourteen Minutes Later

The Black Pearl moved to within 200,000 kilometers of its quarry.

"Open a channel, Dewkazza," said Jack. "Let's try to convince this fellow to cooperate."

The Wookiee did as he was bidden, and indicated to his captain that the channel was open.

"Terran's Luck, this is Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl. Please stand by to be boarded. Yes, yes, I know, you're a Jedi, and a very powerful man. But I'm way over here, in a bigger ship, with larger guns, and they're all trained on you. So let's do this the easy way. You have something I want, I have something you want. The something you want, of course, being not to be shot. Savvy?"

 

[KitKat]

Today just wasn't her day. Katarine hated being aboard this particular ship. The controls.. The smell... The bunk room... It all reminded her of a love lost so long ago. It was painful to sit in the pilots seat when rightfully James should be. Her slender hands weren't the same as his strong ones navigating with expert ability. She would never be the pilot he was. And she certainly needed a good pilot today. Not only was she dealing with the bone crippling sense of loss in his absence.. She was dealing with a follower.

They were catching up for whoever was piloting their vessel was a lot more skilled than she was. She wasn't certain when they picked up her trail but there could only be one reason they had it. In the seat next to her sat a very old chest made of pure gold. Little designs marked the outside and a small hole indicated the need for a key. Legend had it that inside was the heart of Lord Havoc who ripped the organ out to spare him the betrayal of his lover. Katarine knew better than believe the lore. Lord Havoc was Zedious Riah, her great great great great great and probably even more great grandfather. Knowing her family the way she did whatever lay inside the chest was far from a decaying heart. She would guess it was a dark powerful Force relic the type her family was famous for. She could feel the thing inside as if it were a pit of despair eating away at her already tortured heart. The artifact was dangerous but unfortunately for Kat it was also very valuable and so present company followed her.

She hid the chest in one of the secret smuggling holds courtesy of her husbands old piracy days. When she returned her droid informed her communication was attempted.

"Lets hear what they have to say R7."

The message poured over the line causing Katarine to flinch. Whoever was chasing her must know James owned the vessel and know that James was a very powerful Jedi. She briefly wondered if this could be a grudge match between old pirate enemies. Perhaps the artifact wasn't the issue today. Could she be so lucky? James had spend decades among the life of those profitable proponents of theft after all.

She listened to the message and frowned. If the Captain knew of James then he was prepared to handle a strong Jedi Knight with great aim. What he was not prepared to handle was the very Jedi Master who taught James everything he knew. Maybe he didn't have a net ready to catch a much larger fish today. It wasn't much but just now it was the only advantage Katarine had.

She cleared her throat and hit the channel. A moment latter her kind soft voice came over the transmission.

"Hello Captain Sparrow. You are right this is a Jedi vessel but I am afraid I'm not half the man you are expecting me to be. I would say its a pleasure to meet you but I haven't had the privilege yet. Please come aboard." Ever kind and ever polite Katarine sent the transmission and turned to the droid.

"Make certain our guests are able to board R7. I'm afraid a space battle is one we can not win. ". The little droid beeped and headed towards the back.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

Jack wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes. "That sounds like a very effeminate man," he said to the bridge crew. "Is it a Chadra-Fan? They all sound like chorus girls to me, with their high-pitched chirping and their singing about romance."

"The Chadra-Fan, or the chorus girls?" asked Lagan.

"Yes, replied Jack.

*****​

Eight minutes later the Black Pearl had pulled up alongside the much smaller Terran's Luck and attached its docking ring. Jack opened a comm channel to the crew. "Pex, report to the airlock. Mr. Milord, you have the bridge. Hamsax, do get to work on the engines now, with my sincere thanks." He killed the channel and added, "Dewey, with me, please, and bring the key."

Jack walked the space between the two ships armed with his traditional vibro-cutlass and blaster slung low against his leg. The Wookiee Dewkazza trailed a step behind, a bowcaster in his massive arms, while the droid known as Pex held a blaster rifle in its darkly golden hands.

Whoever this man was, he had the treasure known as Havoc's Heart, and Dewkazza had, on a leather strap wrapped around his powerful wrist, the key that would, if information was correct, open the chest that contained it. But that was only one part of the prize. The other part, the part few knew about and even fewer believed in, was where Jack would be taking the heart once he obtained it. For Jack knew where the body was.

The air lock slid open, and Jack's eyes widened as he saw the man he sought was very much not one at all.

"Hell's...lo. That is, hello," said Jack, sweeping his tricorne hat from his head with a bow and deftly replacing it. "Thank you so much for not putting up a fuss. Much easier for everyone this way, don't you think? Now then. My name is Captain Jack Sparrow. Perhaps you've heard of me. The metal fellow is my protocol droid Pex." The droid looked little like one versed in protocol. In fact, if a droid could take a stance called "ready for anything," it would likely be this one. "And the third member of my party is my first mate Dewkazza. To whom have I the pleasure of addressing?"

 

[KitKat]

When they entered Katarine was standing in the center of the room with a kind smile on her face. James had once said Kat didn't look like the old man robe wearing Jedi. Truthfully she didn't. She was dressed as always in tight black flight pants, a white tank and a black flight jacket. She had no Jedi braid or other haircut, instead letting her brown locks flow down her back. The only sign at all she was a Jedi was her lightsaber clipped to her belt. This was most abnormal for Kat. Usually she hid the weapon but it seemed only the polite thing to do and show her enemies she was armed. She smiled and nodded her head to each of them but did not walk forward to shake their hands. She didn't want to spook them and get shot in the head.

"It's a pleasure Captain Sparrow. My name is Katarine Ryiah." She smiled again as her droid buzzed around the corner, no doubt informing her they had been boarding. "Tell me, what brings you gentlemen here today?" She watched them with her deep green eyes curiously.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

"Booty," said Jack, returning Kat's polite smile. "Your booty, to be precise. And, to be specific, I want to put my hands on your box." His hands came together, the fingers intertwining sinuously until only the index finger of the pirate's right hand pointed at the Jedi. "You're a Jedi too," he said matter-of-factly. The finger angled downwards, to her lightsaber. "I notice these things." He nodded. "What I'd like to do is conduct my business with you and be on my way. What I'd really like is if you'd cooperate, since I wasn't expecting you to be here." He spread his hands. "You have something I want." He paused a moment to take in her lovely face and athletic figure, then returned to business. "I'd like to have a look at your chest, if you'd be so kind."

 

[KitKat]

As the Captain spoke his twisty words Katarine raised her eyebrow and her lips twisted into a playful smile. Where most might be offended by this language Katarine was a different breed, literally. The Captains dark eyes and hair were worth admiring and Kat couldn't help but notice how attractive the man was. (He's quit literally the most attractive man in the universe after all!). It was a good thing he wasn't darker. Kat had a genetic weakness to be attracted to dark powerful men. She would need to be ontop of her game with this one. The box was dangerous and men ought not play with danger of this kind.

The playful smile remained in place all through his words. "Charming Mr. Sparrow but I'm afraid my chest is very dangerous. I'm not certain you can handle it." She grinned at him but didn't move or get into an attack position. She simply stood there smiling. They were at an impasse and they both knew it. She couldn't give him what he wanted and he wasn't willing to leave without it. It was the verbal chess game before the storm.

"Tell me what does a man like you want with my chest? Legend says its cursed." She doubted she could implore to his superstitions but she did want to stress how dangerous this thing was. If the Captain wante to play with fire she intended to show him the heat.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

"Well now," smiled Jack, before adding, "wait, we are talking about an actual chest, yes? I mean, I'm as big a fan of play, word or otherwise, as anyone, but...yes? Yes. Good." The pirate's hands seemed to move of their own accord as he spoke, weaving like well-tanned serpents. "So. The chest, it is said, contains a relic known as Havoc's Heart. It is further said, or so I'm told, that it's a Jedi artifact of no small power. My benefectitious employers have sent me to retrieve said H. H., and to meet them at a predestined location. Dewkazza, my large first mate there, is holding what I was still further told is the key to open the chest." Jack took a step closer, and Katarine caught a whiff of a spicy incense waft gently from the man. "I don't know the specifics about the curse; if you do I'll be happy to hear them. I do love a good story. But it'll have to be after you hand over the Heart."

Somehow, one of Jack's movements had unholstered his blaster, which was now held in his hand and pointed up at Kat, point-blank. "Now, Katarine. May I call you Katarine? It's a lovely name. Now, Katarine. You're a Jedi. I'm a pirate. You might be able to get to your lightsaber before I shoot, but if you do, Dewkazza and Pex will most assuredly mow you down. And if you get them, my ship will reduce your transport to a large number of very small pieces, and all of this will happen in a very short amount of time. So I'll ask again: hand over the chest. Please."

 

[KitKat]

It was her worst fear confirmed. He knew far more than she had expected him to about the chest. Worse even he was considering selling the dark artifact to someone else. Kat was worried about the type of person who would purchase such a dark artifact. No doubt they knew about the curse or maybe they didn't. Either way the situation was trouble. What was really surprising was the fact that he had a key. This made her wonder if he really was selling this thing or if he intended to try and use it. Was he delivering the key and the chest? Seemed like a big trouble. No doubt he was being well paid.

"Well you see Captain I am afraid we have a problem. You see the legend is a tale of tragic romance gone wrong. I will spare you the mushy details just now. Maybe latter we will have time for campfire stories. The real important thing here is the fact that Lord Havoc didn't want his heart falling into the wrong hands so he put a curse on the chest to ensure only his heir could open the chest. I don't know what will happen to someone who opens it but I assure you Lord Havoc was not a forgiving man. So unless your a distant cousin or something..." She trailed off knowing full well the pureblood obsessed Ryiah didn't have cousins.

Kat smiled sweetly thinking he might see reason here. What she did not see was she was only giving him a reason to steal both her and the chest if he made the connection that Kat was indeed Havocs relative.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

Jack took a step back, countering his previous move, but elevated his blaster so it was now held at arm's length and pointed at Kat's chest. "So you're saying you're a Havoc? Kat Havoc. Well, I must admit it's a much better-sounding name than Katarine Ryyyyyeaow...ah. Terrible name for a Jedi though. I can understand why you changed it. The question now is, do I shoot you and take the chest anyway?" He closed one eye and quirked up the corner of his mouth in concentration. "If it were that easy I'd space you, steal your ship, and be done with it. But if you're a Havoc and what you say is true, you're likely more use to me alive and warm. So methinks this is what we'll do instead. Dewey and Pex will return to the Black Pearl and send over the rendezvous coordinates. I'll stay here and keep you company, and by company I mean of course my hostage. We'll all go together to see what the final fate of Havoc's Heart is." He lowered his blaster, and as he did, the Wookiee and the droid raised their own weapons, keeping the Jedi covered. "I can see it in those jade green eyes, Kat Havoc. You're curious to know what's in the box. Or if you're not, you can at least pretend to be, as it's the one thing likely to save your life." He allowed himself a small, dangerous smile.

 

[KitKat]

And the chess match had started. The smile she wore faded when he aimed a weapon at her head. She briefly considered her options. She didn't want to hurt any of them. As it were Kat had a soft spot for pirates. They had a life she envied. Perhaps a small part of her also wanted to know what was in the chest and unless he was mistaken she needed that key. Her deep green eyes scanned his handsome face for a long moment before her kind smile returned.

"You are sharper than you look Mr. Sparrow. Lord Havoc is the name Zedious R-eye-ah took when he became a master of the dark side. Like it or not I am an heir to Zedious so you need me and it seems you have me in a difficult situation so I'll have to play along. However I won't spend this whole trip at blaster point so kindly tell your crew to lower thier weapons or I will use the Force to push all the air out of this ship and see which one of us can hold thier breath the longest." She was still calm and spoke as if they were merely discussing the weather but her eyes were serious. Soft spot or not Katarine didn't like having weapons trained on her.

After a moments stare she smile again. "If we can all play nicely we will make it through this little adventure."

 

[Jack Sparrow]

The Wookiee roared a response, and Jack nodded. "My sentiments exactly. Very well, let's all take each other at our respective words." As a show of good faith, the pirate captain holstered his blaster. Dewkazza and Pex lowered their weapons in response, but the Wookiee at least was clearly not pleased. The droid, silent all this time, remained so.

"Dewey, back to the ship. Keep the key with you as a safeguard. Have Strewth send the meetup coordinates to our new partner, and let me know when Hamsax says the engine's been fixed." He looked to Katarine. "Routine maintenance. Can't be too careful, way out here on the Rim."

With a nod, the two other pirates exited the ship.

"Can we move more...into the ship now?" Jack asked Katarine. "Any other crew aboard? Or will it just be the two of us? And have you anything to drink, perchance? Something not laced with poison would be preferred."

 

[KitKat]

The tension seemed to ease as the the two crew members exited the ship. Kat watched them go before turning to the Captain. "Of course." She motioned for him to follow her into the actual ship. It wasn't fairly clean though bore signs that Kat had been living on it a while.

"It's just me and R7 on the ship. This was supposed to be a top secret mission after all." She smiled sideways at him before gathering the drink he requested. "I'm not sure what year but I'm told blossom wine is very good. Especially when it's not poisoned." She sat it down in front of him and sat the bottle next to his glass.

She wasn't certain how long it would take his crew to get ready. She motioned for him to sit down at the small table and had a seat herself. Her green eyes traced his face, suddenly curious about this stranger who had her in such a situation.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

Jack picked up the glass and sniffed the contents three times before swirling it around gently. "I have no idea why I'm doing this," he admitted, "but I saw someone do it once in a very posh cantina I was about to light on fire, so I imagine it serves some purpose. Ignites the flavor, perhaps. Or maybe tests one's sobriety." He sipped the drink. It was very much a wine. With a shrug, he finished the glass in one swallow, then reached for the bottle to pour himself a refill.

"I do hope you'll join me?" he asked, replacing the bottle on the table. "It's not that I hate drinking alone. On the contrary, I prefer it. It keeps people from asking me to stop, or to get out, or to not pee in the corner." He threw her a smile that was all lips, no teeth. "So now, Kat Havoc. The descendent of a Sith, are you? I may not know much about your sorcery, but I do know the Sith are dangerous foes. It's why I've worked so hard to stay on their good side, or at least out of their permanent ledgers." He drank from his glass. "And you a Jedi? I hope you're not planning to wind up like so many of the others; a heart that's true but is slowly beaten down and warped by the evils of the galaxy until she herself turns into the thing she's spent her lifetime fighting against. Or is that the lot of every Jedi? It does seem to be a story told more often than the Fable of the Crystalline Kåhlyt. Which, by the way, as a fable? Terrible. Greed and impatience can ruin a good thing? A ridiculous lie told to keep children unmotivated. Pfffft." He waved a hand dismissively.

 

[KitKat]

Katarine laughed at his comments about posh wine testing. He certainly was a rare breed. She sat down across from him and smiled. He offered her wine and she immediately thought about the time she drank at a ball and practically threw herself at James. She smiled and got up, returning with a pitcher of water and a glass, which she poured and held up as if toasting his company.

"Well none of us know our end game but I certainly hope that isn't how I go. I see myself on some little island sipping fruity drinks and playing in the sand in my late old age." This wasn't the truth at all but neither was warping her heart until she died. Truthfully she would have loved to retire at the orphanage James was from and raise their children together. She flinched at that particular thought. She hadn't seen her husband in years and all signs pointed towards his death. She pushed the pain away and sipped her water.

"Captain bedtime stories are supposed to teach lessons. You wouldn't want every little boy and girl growing up to compete with you in your profession would you?"

 

[Jack Sparrow]

Jack picked up the pitcher of clear fluid that Kat had poured for herself and sniffed it. Wrinkling his brow, he tipped it up and took a long drink. Swallowing, he shook his head. "Awful," he told her. "I was going to spit it all over your deck, but that'd make it slippery, and dangerous. But don't offer me any more, because I won't drink it. And neither should you." He held up the wine bottle. "This," he explained, "is a drink. That," he pointed at the picher, "is for bathing in."

A beeping sound came from the front of the ship. "Ah. And that would be Strewth, sending you the coordinates for our next stop. Shall we?" He rose to his feet and motioned with a sweep of his hand, and taking a moment to admire her posterior in the flight pants she wore.

 

[KitKat]

Katarine laughed, her musical voice softly filling the small area. "I am a mean drunk Captain."

She stood and lead him into the other room where sure enough coordinates were waiting for her. She keyed them into her navigational unit and made the preparations needed for the journey. As she did this she asked in a casual offhandedly way.

"Have you considered the possibility that this is a very bad idea and whatever is in that chest was locked away for a reason?" If she was hopping he would change his mind she would probably be disappointed.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

Katarine laughed, her musical voice softly filling the small area. "I am a mean drunk Captain."

"Well that can't be right," sniffed Jack. "Jedi aren't meant to be mean. They're meant to be warm and peace-loving, right up to the point someone loses a hand, at any rate."

She stood and lead him into the other room where sure enough coordinates were waiting for her. She keyed them into her navigational unit and made the preparations needed for the journey. As she did this she asked in a casual offhandedly way.

"Have you considered the possibility that this is a very bad idea and whatever is in that chest was locked away for a reason?" If she was hopping he would change his mind she would probably be disappointed.

"Yes I have," said the pirate, watching her enter the data. "But in my experience, money and fame are good ideas that almost always outweigh any bad ones on the grand scale. They gang up on them, see, and push them aside. And then the bad ideas get mopey. That's how the Empire was originally formed, you know. What was I talking about?" He looked again at the coordinates. "You know the really interesting thing about the coordinates you just entered, Katarine, is that, while they appear to take us further into Wild Space, they don't actually appear on your map. And isn't that interesting?" He pointed to her star chart, and sure enough, the coordinates seemed to indicate a planet in sector T17 on the galactic map, between Lameredd and Morje.

"And as for being locked away for a reason, I believe it was, and that the reason it was locked away was because it was waiting for me to find it and bring it to...wherever that is."

A voice came over Kat's comm system. "Terran's Luck, this is Second Officer Strewth Miloord of the Black Pearl. Cap'n Sparrow, we're ready to leave at your convenience, sir."

Jack smiled at Kat. "I'm convenient. How about you?"

 

[KitKat]

"Now that you mention it that is odd." She glanced at the map and frowned. An uncharted world... that held something to do with her dead relative... whose chest they were carrying containing a very dark artifact... this day was getting better and better!

"I have a bad feeling about this." She sighed and finished making the preparations. "Convenient as I'll ever be."

 

[Jack Sparrow]

"Not to worry my dear," said Jack nonchalantly, settling into the co-pilot's chair. "You're travelling with Captain Jack Sparrow. We fly, we find the uncharted planet, we hand over the box, we get paid, you find out something about your decidedly dark and twisted family history, we leave, and everyone's happy!"

Soon the Terran's Luck was underway, with the Black Pearl trailing close behind. The two ships shared their hyperspace plot and, with a rush of streaming light, made the jump.

"We'll be in hyperspace for three point something-odd hours," mused Jack. "That's a long time to do nothing but stare at streaks of light." He pulled the bottle of wine up from the floor, which he had somehow managed to carry to the cockpit without Kat noticing. Shaking the bottle, he held it to his lips and took a healthy pull, then held it out. "Come come," he said. "Unless you'd rather have that bath?"

 

[KitKat]

Katarine sighed and took the bottle. She took a swig and started coughing. It had been a while since she'd had anything hard to drink. Still coughing, she handed the bottle back to Jack and smiled weakly.

"So tell me Mr. Sparrow, how does one choose a life of piracy? There isn't exactly a career booth at the mall about these types of professions." Katarine had been fascinated by pirates for a long time. The way they did what they wanted with no regards for the consequences amazed her. She was the type of person who couldn't do wrong or she worried... worried so so much! She worried who she would hurt and worried what would happen and worried if it was the right thing. But sometimes she wished she could be neutral in this war and just do what she wanted without having a Republic agenda.

@[member="Jack Sparrow"]