Date: 78159.134.00:23

An explosion rocked the ship again, slamming Yahnna into the bulkhead. She looked like she had been on the losing end of a battle. "Dev! You've got to...." The rest of her words were lost in the hiss of steam from the newly burst pipe next to her.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Dev cried out, wrestling with some sort of control on the bridge. He did not look any better than Yahnna did

Moving in slow motion, Yahnna fought her way onto the bridge, her blaster in hand. She moved to one of the control stations. Looking at the monitor and the people within it, her eyes widened in horror as she pushed her hair from her face. "Oh... no!"

*blur of motion*

Duvessa was running with Val through the ship, easily navigating the obstacles: debris, bursting pipes and running figures. They were both wearing the same basic thing: a brownish looking jumper with knee high black boots. They were heading towards the trouble, knowing that they were the ones who had to stop it.

Suddenly, there was a crash and a strong disturbance in the Force. Val and Duvessa looked at each other, both reaching for their lightsabers at the same time. Then, there was a familiar sound as a sapphire blue lightsaber lit up the dark hallway. In response, Val and Duvessa lit their own lightsabers; crimson for Val; emerald for Duvessa, and waited, poised together to face this oncoming threat.

He moved in slow motion, dark cloak fluttering with each deliberate step. Slowly, through the darkness and the steam, he was revealed to the Jedi who awaited him. There was no mistake. It was the Marquis DeLorik. When he spoke, eyes burning a hole through Duvessa, his words hung in the air. "I have come for you."

Duvessa's heart froze as the fear threatened to overwhelmed her. Then, she heard Val's voice in her mind. "Face your fear. Quell your emotions, young one." Immediately, the fear dissipated and a sense of purpose set itself firmly in her mind as her Jedi training took over once more.

As one, Val and Duvessa advanced on DeLorik, attacking with speed and agility. DeLorik seemed to parry their blows with no effort. Back and forth the battle waged on against the Marquis. It seemed to be an even match. Then, DeLorik turned on the offensive, driving his two opponents back. Val and Duvessa fought even harder, barely holding their own...

The ship continued to shudder and explode around them.

Duvessa woke up with a start, her eyes wide as she rolled out of her bunk into a low combat crouch, not sure it what she was remembering was a dream or reality. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slowly reassured herself that it had been just a dream. Still, as she remembered it, it seemed too real to be just a dream.

"DeLorik's alive." She murmured to herself in the dark, her body tensing more at the thought. As the words were spoken, she was absolutely certain that he was alive. That he had suvived the explosion and the intervening years. He was out there. Somewhere. Waiting for them. Waiting for her.

(c) 2000 - Eden Blackthorn