There had always been whispers: white noise at the edge of her hearing. Programmed information constantly reminding her what she ought to be, what she should be doing. Except now she could not block it out.

‘Two protons expelled at each coupling site creates the mode of force the embryo becomes a fish that we don't enter until A-plate we're here to experience evolve the little toe atrophy don't ask me how I'll be dead in a thousand light years thank you thank you Genesis turns to its source reduction occurs stepwise though the essence is all one end of line. Hyperdrive system check diagnostic functions within parameters repeats the harlequin the agony exquisite the colors run the path of ashes fifty-two percent of heat exchanger cross-collateralized with hyper-dimensional matrix upper senses repair ordered relay to zero, zero, zero, zero…’
She woke up with a jolt.

“…be waking up soon,” a voice sounded from the ether.

White, stinging light blurred into distinct shapes, and then crystallized further into the face of a giant cat.

“Umm…meow?” Ara’s dry throat managed, before fading into a hoarse whisper. The cat – ‘Cathar’ Ara reminded herself – moved away slightly allowing the Arkanian to rise and pull away some of the wires and monitoring equipment attached to her (nearly) naked form. Her blue-ish white skin was there for all to see, except for her undergarments and the spiraling blue tattoos that wound across her arms, torso and up to lace her cheeks.

“So…uhh…guess I’m not dead then?” she managed, as she ran a hand through her white hair and struggled to make some sense of what had happened.

...he was struggling. Scared. Something had his arm. He struggled and struggled and pulled free. He ran and ran. Something hit his left lek. He tripped and fell. Unconscious...

He woke up. He woke up to see cat creature, not a cat creature, a cathar, talking to... a Twi'lek, his memory of them recovering slightly. They were working for Maya, or the Twi'lek was, and so was the other female on the floor. He couldn't see the third... oh... there he was. The body of Ganga Lor and his men strewn across the floor, one of them curiously cut in half, he'd heard enough mad stories on that station to realise that it was the wound from a lightsaber, but he wasn't convinced they existed.

"Who shot me!"
Using some near by clutter he pulled his acking body up, casting an eye over the scene he saw Switch disabled. Oh well.

"Sorry about Ganga Lor, your not dead by the way."
The first half jokily, the second less so, before making his way to Ganga’Lor where he pilfers everything but the heavy pistol, muttering something about modern rubbish, and vibrodagger.

He straightened up to face the group and spoke again tentatively.

"I think I've some explaining to do."

Karra's ears twitched nervously as she waited for her two patients to awaken, despite none of that nervousness passing onto her hands or showing on her face. It wasn't that she doubted her skill, although, admittedly her confidence wasn't the best, but rather the conditions of the surgery. She had never done much in the way of "field" surgery, so this was a bit new to her, treating patients in conditions that naturally made her a bit paranoid as to possible infections or reactions to anything that could've stayed in the air from the firefight.

However, after she had done her job, she did feel more confident, enough to reply to the curious and give an accurate measure of time before her patients awoke.

They both stirred at the same time, but the pale, blue-toned woman was the first to open her eyes, and speak.

"Umm... meow?"
Karra couldn't help but giggle. It had caught her completely off guard, so her mirth easily showed on her normally passive face.

"Well, meow to you too." Karra chuckled, and seeing the other now open his eyes, she addressed both of them, "So, how arrre you feeling? Do you-" However, seeing them both start sitting up froze the words in her throat, and a hint of concern was readily visible as her ears stiffened just slightly upwards, "Arre you sure you should be getting up rright now?"

Having already stood when the cat creature had spoken and not noticed her at all till she had spoken. He was shocked that he'd looked over her, maybe he wasn't as well as he'd supposed when he first got up.

"Huh... I've felt better. But we don't have much choice, this place could be crawling with Ganga's men or Imps any time."
In truth the slowly subsiding pain still griped his torso where the blaster bolt had impacted and where he'd hit the wall but he was doing well to disguise it, so he hoped at least.

"Thank you for reviving me. Your a Cathar aren't you?"
He enquired after seeing her whiskers, the fur and the ears.

(OOC: You can decide or not if your character sees Hako'ibs pain or not.)

“We?” Ara queried, turning her head just as a Twi’lek on the improvised bed next to her hopped off, and scampered through the debris that littered the storage bay.

’Oh right, the fight, she thought, the memories of the last hour flooding back. Switch…and Mars…and…’
Ara grasped her shoulder suddenly, reliving the moment she had been shot, and even more severely hurt when the R5 unit self-destructed. But there was nothing there. Not even the faintest scar upon her pale skin to show that she had in fact been close to death.

“Oh, you’re good,” she remarked to the Cathar with an experimental twist of her shoulder. “Did you use some bacta compound? Sorry, my name’s Ara,” she rattled off quickly.

“And, uhh, who are you?” the Arkanian added to the Twi’lek who had since returned with his hands full of plunder.

Now locking for his pistol, he finds it and picks up the archaic weapon and slips into a concealed holster, he suddenly remembered something, they were after a 'package', this could work, he could get off this blasted station once and for all. He only hoped Switch stayed under for long enough.

"Hako'ib, Switch's right hand man. And the only surviving member of his gang."
There was no pride in his voice, he hated being on the station, more so being down among the scum of the station. But there was a slight twitch in the side of his mouth when he mentioned he was the last member of Switch's gang.

"Can I ask what you know about the 'package' your collecting for Maya?"
He was polite, not the speech patten of someone who reveled in the filth down here, he looks around the room, his gaze pausing slightly on the female twi'lek before he turns to Switch's desk. Shoving the deactivated droid out the way he begins to search for information on the 'package' for Maya.

Within half an hour he finds his old bosses file on this 'package', it turns out it's a frozen Alderaanian Security Agent, probably smuggling himself as cargo, one of the oldest trick in the book. There was also a shipment of Corellian rum in the same hanger destined for 'the right person' on Alderaan, lucky he knew the contact. Downside of it was that this was all in the main hanger on Blue Deck, and Imp loyalist area of the station.

"I've found your 'package'. He's a Alderaanian Security Agent trying to sneak past Imperial security. I wouldn't touch Switch if I were you but here's 80 credits and the thugs probaly have some on them as well."
He places two 40 credit creditsticks on the desk and waits for them to be picked up.

"I hope we can come to some arrangement."
In case they don't get the hint he continues.

"Get me to Alderaan and I'll help you get your Security Agent to Maya."

Seeing that her patients did seem to be fairly well recovered, Karra gave a small murmur, which could vaguely be heard as, "That's a relief."

"Arra? That's a pretty name... oh, sorrry, I'm getting a bit sidetracked... You're verry observant; I use a bit of bacta to help enhance tissue repairr, which often also means there's no scarrs." Karra replied.

Turning to the twi'lek man, she also added, "Yes... that's right... my name is Karra."

At that point, the discussion shifted to something Karra didn't know about. A package? Were they a delivery group? Must be... and apparently... Karra glanced over the bodies still around the place, her ears drooping just slightly, Whatever it is was enough for people to die over... However, her ears perked up upon hearing the word 'Alderaan'.

"Alderraan? Um, if it's not too much trouble... can I come with you? I need to get to Alderraan too..." Karra asked.

Ara peered at her clothing curiously. It was all there, perfectly folded by the side of the impromptu bed she was sitting on. Her brown trousers lay there, curiously fixed of the wear and tear they had been subjected to recently. And the long, sleeveless tunic she normally wore and sleeveless coat were free of scorch marks.

Ara snuck a glance at the cat-like Cathar. She was staring back, smiling. It was an odd sight, given the row upon row of pointed teeth she sported. Although, at that moment, Ara was more perturbed by how she had so quickly washed, dried and repaired her clothing.

‘Must be one of the perks of a Medical Degree,’ she decided as she donned her clothing. ‘Hmm, in which case I’m glad I’m not a medic.’
“So, right, you both want to go to Alderaan? And, yeah we know what we’re after is an Alderaanian agent,” Ara responded after Karra and Hako’ib, the Twi’lek male, had said their piece. The lithe Arkanian was picking her way through the bodies that littered the storage bay, as if reminding herself of what had so recently occurred.

“What you two haven’t realized is that this is an Impy-unfriendly operation. Those nerfherders in plastic suits are trying to track down this agent, and Ithiria and I are only in on this because we ain’t got no choice. If you can get by without this, do so. There’s safer ways off the station. If you decide you want to come anyway, then grab yourself a big, frackin’ gun, maybe some grenades, and…oh…”

Ara paused mid-speech. In her hands she was wielding two, newly acquired heavy blasters, and her pockets were stuffed with grenades, but her eyes were fixed on a far more grisly sight. Mars, or what had been Mars, was lying face up with a vacant, absent expression on his face.

“Look just help me see to his body, and I’m ok with you coming along. Whatever he did in life, he doesn’t deserve the weird things the Impies would do to his body in death.”


OOC: Ara will take 2 heavy blaster pistols, the creds, the 3 stun grenades (unless anyone wants one), and a brick of detonite with a timer.

Karra didn't say anything for a moment, but her ears were drooped slightly, before she finally said aloud, "It may be against the Imperials, and it may be dangerous, but for me, taking a chartered space flight could easily be just as if not more dangerous... that is, if any of them will accept me in the first place. Prejudice seems to be very rampant these days... and I seem to always have to watch myself and my back... which is why I carry a gun. Even if I'm not the best shot, it's usually enough to make most aggressive racists leave me alone..."

Karra shook her head. There she was, getting off track again, so she quickly walked over to Ara, "I'll help you with him... but... this may be a strange question, but... um, how exactly do we see to his body?"

(Sidenote: I kind of see a Cathar's tendency to roll 'r's as more of a sort of purr-like sound, which would only happen if the person was either happy or trying to be comforting, which is why Karra doesn't roll any 'r's in her dialogue this time.)

Hako'ib looked at Ara as she was talking, he almost laughed when she said they didn't realise it was anti imperial. Didn't she realise everything Switch got involved in was anti-imperial. It seemed Ara was bothered about the credits, some people were and some were not, he was used to dealing with the kind who where not.

"Anything Switch gets involved in is anti-Impy, that's why the agent's been hidden on blue deck."
He said with a smile

"I know the quickest and safest root down to the hanger, but no heavies, we don't want to draw attention to ourselves by packing heat, we'll be quite noticeable down there anyway."
His lekku gave an angry twitch as the tall female collected some lookers, an alarm clock and some cake. Those things were for paying customers so when they found their goods were gone then they'd come looking for him, him being the late Switch's right hand man.

"Chance is those lookers and cakes are for some anti-Imp mob as well, if they aren't all here when they come for them they'll come after me."
He then realised that if he was in fact on Alderaan then they most likely wouldn't come that far just for some stolen goods. Taking the blank datadisks from Switch's desk and walking over to his new companions fallen comrade he offers to help but questions what can be done.

"I'd be willing to help you but were on a space station, there isn't anything respectful that can be done and no way are you getting him to a ship and taking him planetside."
All that Hako'ib could think of is putting the man in a trash compactor and jettisoning or incinerating him by throwing down to the fusion drive engins. Nothing respectful at all.

“Yeah, I know,” Ara responded quietly as Karra complained of the prejudice she had faced in the Empire. Her thoughts drifted to Dil; the kind Sullustan that had raised her. She could still see the shock and anger in his large, child-like eyes when the first Anti-Human Ordinance was passed. She still felt the pain of bereavement, when his life was taken away for daring to interfere with ‘live’ Imperial cargo. And still bore the tattooed markings of her own life-time spent as a slave. “I know more than you know.”

“What I don’t know is what to do with him,” Ara admitted to both Karra and Hako-ib as she looked once more at the body of Mars. “I don’t know what the customs among his people were, and he probably wouldn’t have told me even if I had asked him. It’s just…well, hard to leave him like that you know?”

Her hands instinctively reached into her coat pocket, before it realized the thin metal case inside only contained two more cigarras. ‘Damn,’ she thought.

“Anyway, if we’re going to make it onto this ‘Blue Deck’ we’re going to need some disguises. Miss ‘Jedi-Idol’ over there and I are already known to the Impys. And, no offence, but all of you are going to stand out like a sore thumb if its restricted to Human only.”

Assumptions, you have to make a few assumptions when ever you plan anything, years on The Station told Hako'ib that people turned up where you didn't want them or that lucky didn't often shine on you at a key moment. For Hako'ibs plan he needed to make a few, Switch's old contacts needed to be happy to play ball, Ara and Ithiria had to not mind playing dress up, they had a ship on standby and no one spotted Ithiria.

"Getting down there shouldn't be a problem, it's getting out again. The deck isn't restricted to humans only; I've been down numerous times before. I have to assume you have a ship to pick us up?"
Facing Ara and then turning to Ithiria and Karra.

"I have a disguise for you, a set of Stormtrooper Armor I had hidden in the droid workshop on the promenade deck. As for you two I can call in a favour from Answar to get us down to the deck, his cantina isn’t too far from the main docking bay and he specializes in exotic entertainment so you two should fit in.”
Concealing his pistol within a shoulder holster under his jacket he continues. (Stealth check to conceal the pistol)

“We can’t take down any visible weapons and you’d have to be on your own Ara. Of cause that’s only the best I can come up with but if any of you have other ideas we’d better hear them.”
Just walking down as normal isn’t much of a plan but it’s the only other he can come up with, maybe if Ara dressed up as a Stormtrooper she could escort Ithiria or Karra down and he the other, make out he was taking her to the BluRay Cantina. His lukke sent a silent message to the other Twi’lek “You’re a Jedi?!”

Ara shrugged at mention of a ship. “No idea. But if the cargo is in the main docking bay, I’ll bet there’ll be a ship there we can ‘borrow’. I can fly most things.”

As Hako’ib continued, the Arkanian strapped a second, pilfered holster around her waist and slotted a blaster in its depths.

“It’s not a bad plan,” she replied with a nod at the Twi’lek. “If I go down as a Stormtrooper I can pack all the heat we’d need and distribute it accordingly. The only thing is, there’s no way a shell-head would be escorting a bunch of dancers. What it would be doing is escorting a prisoner. If you and tails over there go as dancers, flirting with everyone as you go, I’m sure I could fashion some fake cuffs for Karra from the stuff here.”

“Of course that’s assuming you don’t mind pretending to be a prisoner, Karra?” she added.

The plan was getting better, from what he had so far heard Ara was the brains of the group, but Ithiria hadn't spoken yet and Karra had showed great skill in reviving him.

"If you don't mind Karra I do have some mesh tape you could use Ara, I saw a stormy using some before when he didn't have his binder cuffs."
He pulls a roll of mesh type from a pocket in his utility belt and tosses to to Ara, looking guiltly at Karra whirst doing so.

"I've been seen on blue deck before myself so I can't pretend to be a dancer when Switch's contacts know I'm not. I could just go down escorting Ithiria making out that I'm taking her to the BluRay, if you happy with that Ithiria."

As her two patients... well, they weren't really her patients anymore, Karra thought to herself... but as they began developing a plan, Karra began to feel a bit guilty for not having much to contribute. It didn't show on her face, but her ears drooped just slightly... until Hako'ib made his suggestion. Karra couldn't quite hide her surprise or shock at it, and her ears twitched.

Exotic... entertainment? Isn't that...?
Her cheeks flushed slightly, enough for the reddish tinge to be visible beneath her thin fur. Needless to say, she wasn't sure if she was up for that.

Still, if it had to be done... then it had to be done... right?

Thankfully, Ara suggested an alternative... and Karra felt a bit relieved. Yet, although she had little to contribute, she knew there was something else she could do.

To answer the question first, she shook her head, "Oh, no, I don't mind. It makes sense, and we all need to get down to that deck at arround the same time if we'rre to leave at the same time anyway, and chances arre, ourr departurre will be rushed."

Karra then closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. To the others, it probably just looked like she was steeling herself for what was coming, but in truth, what she was doing was very different. She let go of her conscious thought, and listened to her heart and intuition. She was taught to always trust her intuition, but it seemed like she had to take the effort to listen to it sometimes... although she wasn't sure why.

(Karra's using Use the Force: Search Your Feelings, taking 10, since I'm pretty sure I can. Karra's just making sure there's no real, problematic surprises that may come about anytime soon using this plan )