Trouble's Legacy: A Guardian's Heavy Burden!

Diana

LOOK HOW CALM SHE IS
Original poster
ADMINISTRATOR
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Not accepting invites at this time
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
  2. Slow As Molasses
Online Availability
10AM - 10PM Daily
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Female
Genres
Romance, Supernatural, Fantasy, Thriller, Space Exploration, Slice of Life
Siann's Journal, Entry... new Journal!

I was arrested by the Fleet. Forced in to an undercover mission that failed. Captured by slavers. Rescued by a Jedi. Found out I have an older brother who is also a Jedi. Nearly eaten by an Alien. Chased by a bounty hunter. And now wanted by the Fleet as well as Gorren Tohrek, scourge of the galaxy.

I am never going to daydream about adventure ever again!

I guess I can't complain. Eva is really nice and trying to show me self defense moves in case someone tries to attack me. Adam is really funny. He always makes goofy faces when Eva isn't looking. I think he really likes her, but he changes the subject when I bring it up. Right now, we're headed for a planet with this big long name I can't even remember to find out what some guy knows about the latest Fleet gossip...? I don't know! I hope we get to eat something tasty, though!


Siann put away her palm compy when Adam's voice echoed over the com system that they were about to land. The ship he picked up was a lot smaller than Eva's, but there was enough comfortable room for her to hide and not get in anyone's way.

When the ship was down and stable, Siann was bouncing up out of her seat to greet her new traveling bodyguards. "What are we going to do first? Can I help this time?"
 
Eva was happy. Yes she had lost her ship. Yes they were now on a very dangerous mission. Yes she was now protecting a very clueless young woman. Despite all of this Eva was happy.

Siann was smart and she was learning, not only about how big and scary the universe really was, and part of Eva was sad this had to happen, but also about self defense. Not that Eva was going to let the girl go off on her own anytime soon and Adam likely even longer.

Adam was very much himself. Eva had wondered if he would be trying to pull off his Longshot persona, but was very pleased that he was letting Siann get to know the real him. Eva found it much easier to deal with Adam when he was himself for that matter.

If it were not for the Fleet and Gorren Tohrek things wouldn't be perfect, because Adam would find some other mission, and really, Eva wouldn't want it any other way. There was so much to do in the galaxy.

But sometimes, just sometimes, she wished for a little peace and quiet just with him. Not that he'd let her take advantage of that.

These were the thoughts Eva was musing as Adam landed the ship. Patting his shoulder she got out of her seat and walked back to smile at Siann.

"We're going to go find an old friend to talk to. Then, I don't know. I'm not sure even I'm going to be that helpful, but we'll see what happens." There was something else, Eva was seeing in Siann a new person she could be herself around.
 
"Everyone will have a part to play. Don't you have a doubt about that." Adam replied as he stepped out behind Eva. He didn't seem to be wasting any time with preparation or instructions as he opened up the ship and led the way out.

The planet they landed on, Johiliaghyrudeth (of which most just called Johil) looked more like a friendly trade and residence planet than anything else. Ship docks were open air and sunny. Care takers and staff seemed to have friendly faces. Adam nodded to a few as he passed, going on down a dirt street towards rows of shops and houses.

He finally stopped outside a rugged looking little building and stepped inside. Little doilies and bits of clothing hung up on the walls and on wracks. With an old wrinkly man sitting behind a counter sipping a hot black liquid.

"What do you know, Joe?" Adam asked, leaning lazily on the counter.

"Too much, too much." replied the old man, shaking his head. "Condors feed on little birds while the jackals still roam for prey. Even Johil now has problems with poaching, but no hunter can seem to step in to the forest. A wile man might try sugar. Though, sometimes you catch ants."

Everything the old man spoke sounded like a bunch of gibberish, but Adam would nod, occasionally ask a question and the process would repeat again. At the end of the ordeal, Adam made a purchase before stepping outside to speak with Eva and Siann.

"He's got something for me, but we'll have to do a little favor for him first. Some farm hands outside of town are harassing people in the village, grabbing up women for wives and boys for work. No better than slave trading, I imagine. If we can figure out where they are, we can break it up."
 
Eva always enjoyed watching Adam work when it came to undercover work for information. So she was in good humor when Adam told the two of them what was really going on.

"Sounds like a fair trade to me," Eva said with a shrug. She then looked over at Siann. "Think you'd like to see the stop of some local slave trading?" Already Eva was making a mental inventory of what they had and likely what they wanted to take with them. A land cruiser would be helpful and perhaps clothing that made them look less like outsiders. Outsiders could be avoided, or so she assumed. If you're raiding places for wives you didn't want to get people more powerful then yourself upset.
 
"I certainly don't have anything else to do today!" Siann replied with good humor. Of course, she was occasionally cross about all of this recent trouble. But it sure felt better to be involved by choice rather than getting dragged out by force!
----

Adam Longshot

Adam looked thoughtful as he rubbed his chin and looked between the two ladies. He and Eva had been on a number of missions where being undercover was a priority. In this case, they were going to need to find a way to find those renegade farmhands. Neither he nor Eva could blend in and pretend to be a local. Nor did Eva look like the sort of woman that could easily be grabbed. No matter how sweetly they tried to dress her.

Shaking the thoughts of dressing (or undressing) Eva out of his mind, he examined Siann. She looked like a local, talked like one, and though he hate to admit it... She would be so very easily picked up and hauled off by those unsavory types.

He cleared his throat. "I have an idea. Of course, this is entirely up to you, Siann. We need to hunt down those men, and we can do it with a little bit of questioning. But it's far faster to follow the source..."

Siann blinked. "I have no idea what you mean."

Coughing, Adam explained. "They are taking young ladies and boys. Eva and I are hardly young, where as you... You'd make a fine trap. We would be only feet away in case anything goes wrong s-"

"I'll do it!"

"-o, you- ...You'll do it? Just like that?" Adam was surprised!

Siann just nodded. "Yes. I'm not actually going to fight with anyone, right? I want to be useful and not just dead weight dragged across the galaxy because you have to. As long as you promise no one will be all creepy with me!"

Adam couldn't be sure if he were amused by her enthusiasm or worried about just how naive she was. But, he and Eva WOULD be right there. There would not be a problem. "All right. You can shop around town. Explore places. Be the opposite of safe and wary. Stray near suspicious people. We will be close, but out of sight. We'll make sure you aren't taken by the wrong people and when you are grabbed, don't do anything that might get you hurt. As soon as we're led to their home we will get you out."
 
"Here," Eva said handing Siann some credits. "Try to make a few practical purchases if you can." After all Eva wouldn't have time to pick up supplies since they'd be watching Siann and the people around her.

Once Siann started to do her shopping Eva looked up at Adam. "I hope you don't plan on making a habit of using her as bait." Eva was aware of the fact that this was not Adam's first choice. He didn't agonize over it for long simply because it really was the quickest way to get to the bottom of this problem. As Siann wandered about as though she didn't have a care in the world, Eva and Adam started watching those around them.

There were few aliens on this planet which was not unusual for a homestead system. Here in towns like this one was likely were the bulk of them were. Aliens could not automatically be discounted as part of the plot, but they were much less suspect then the local looking humans around them.
 
Adam snorted. "If I had it my way, she'd be back home where she belongs." He watched carefully as Siann wandered away further and further from them. If they tailed her too closely, it would be obvious she had someone following her. They needed to be subtle. When she was just nearly out of sight, Adam started walking. Staying close to the buildings, even occasionally stepping around a corner.

The people of this planet looked as if they lead good hearty lives. Lots of hard work, and from the looks of things there wasn't any widespread poverty or starvation going on. A lot would turn their heads curiously at the strangers in town, but at first glance there didn't seem to be anyone too suspicious...

----

Siann Acai

Practical purchases in mind, Siann was enjoying her part of the plan. All she had to do was shop! There was the urge to look around and see if anyone was chasing after her - how could she not? It was hard not to be nervous about danger when you spent the past few weeks going to jail, getting rescued, and being hunted. But for now, she knew Eva and Adam were watching, so she could relax just a bit.

Siann made a few useful purchases first. They needed food so that was the first stop. She liked how most of the places would deliver straight to the ship with all of the supplies. All she had to do was pay and tell them where the ship was docked. She was on her way to see about first aid supplies when she got distracted by the local flower cart. The local flora and fauna of this planet was... not all that impressive. But there was some imported greenery that looked pretty interesting.

She had been so distracted, that she didn't even notice the man that approached until he took her by the shoulder. "So, y'like plants, missy? I could show ya a whole crop of foreign greens."

Blinking, Siann carefully removed her arm out of his grasp. "Maybe another day. I have a lot of errands to run. But thank you for the offer." He was pretty tall and covered in about three layers of dirt. He looked pretty much like every other person in town. Siann wasn't sure if he was just hitting on her or what, but either way she probably had to resist or it would look suspicious, anyway.

"Aw naw, it won't take a moment an' I'll even let ya have a two fer one deal!" This time he took her hand and gently pulled her down the street away from the flower cart.

"I wasn't going to buy any plants today though." replied Siann with a nervous, unsure tone. It was an honest reaction - she wasn't sure the right way of playing bait, or what one was supposed to say to someone being friendly but not taking No for an answer!

"One look an' you won't know what hit ya!" he said.
 
"The lady said she wasn't buying plants today," a man said in a serious voice as he came into view. It was obvious from his accent he was well educated and while his cloths didn't scream rich, they were nicer then most of the locals wore.

Theodore wasn't looking for a fight. In fact if he thought there was going to be a fight involved he might have gone about this differently. The young man just saw a woman that looked like she was being harassed and thought he'd give her a chance to get out of it.[/dashed]

----

Eva Starflare

Eva grinned this was looking promising. There was a very persistent vendor that was trying to take Siann away. Of course there was a chance he was just trying to get overly friendly with a pretty good. Either way the dirty man would get a lesson he wasn't likely to forget.

"Where did he come from?" Eva would have sworn he wasn't anywhere near Siann, but there he was talking to the vendor and trying to get between the bait and the animal!
 
"All the scum in the universe and now there's a good Samaritan." commented Adam. He ran his hand over his face, trying not to groan in annoyance. From the looks of it, he was some young man without a lick of common sense in the real world. He dressed too well to be a local, and nothing good ever came from a man trying to rescue a damsel. Adam knew from experience.


-----

Hey! This guy was going to ruin her trap! After all the nonsense she'd been through now someone came to the rescue? Siann tried not to look annoyed.

"Would you please go away, I can handle this myself." Siann tried to explain to the guy.

"Thas right. Ain't gonna be ya business, now is it, boy? I'm thinkin' she wants to come an' see my plethora o' goods!" replied the larger man. He hadn't released Siann's arm, and now he was pulling her around the interrupter to continue on their way.

"I can walk for myself, you know!" Siann complained as he pulled her along!
 
Teddy

"Plethora of goods?" If anything sounded like a dirty come on, it was that. Theodore was sure the girl really had no idea what this man was really after. She likely thought she was just going to get a good bargain on some plants. Well if that was the case, Teddy could indeed ruin his day. "If your goods are all that good, I might be interested. I am in need of a house warming gift and flowers really are the best kind."

----

Eva Starflare

"This isn't good. If that IS one of the kidnappers, he might just take our young white knight as well you know Adam." Eva was more then prepared to call this a failed plan and pull Siann out of the situation. That was till a large transport stopped in the street in front of them and their line of sight of the two youths and the would be kidnapper.
 
"You know, that's not a goo-"

"Ha ha ha! Do ya indeed? Well then, boy, why doncha jus tag along then?" He wasn't letting go of Siann's arm, but it looked like he wasn't leading them too far away. Only a few paces down he stopped in front of a door on the side of what looked more like a shack then a building. Siann had been trying to subtly signal to the other guy to get lost, but stopped when they paused at the door. This was supposed to be a plant nursery?

"Here ya are! Now how abou' you two go on in there an pick out somethin' purdy?" he pushed Siann through the door first.

She didn't get farther than two steps before her nose hit a wall, but before she could back up, in came that interrupter right behind her! There was hardly enough room for herself, let alone someone else! As soon as Teddy was through the door, there was a SLAM and the close of a latch. Just as suddenly, the whole thing tilted, leaving Siann to yelp as she was on her back and with some dummy on top of her!

Well... at least she found those kidnappers!


----

"Indeed." he was muttering in reply to Eva. He was already moving to intervene, but when the transport landed, he had to back up to their hiding space again.

The transport had only landed for a few moments, but by the time it took off... Siann and the white knight were gone!

Adam let out a heavy sigh, probably with a wave of curse words under his breath. Until he stopped! Now too far down the street, there was that good. Behind him he was pulling a large metal crate on wheels. It was large enough to fit in a person or two. ...but it could have been a diversion.

"Looks like we've hooked a fish."
 
Teddy

Being all but pushed into the building, Teddy was about to object to being manhandled when he ran right into the girl. He didn't get more out then a sound of confusion before he found himself on top of the girl. Not that he was putting the moves on her or anything. It was as if their world had been tipped, which in reality it had been since they seemed to be in nothing more then a small box.

It took a moment to figure out what was going on, but when he did he groaned. "This is not how I wanted my trip to go," he muttered, mostly to himself, but obviously Siann heard it since he was muttering almost right into her ear. Why didn't he learn from all his parents stories? The moment you attempt to help others, their problems become yours, and while he did not mind that, his parents stories had far too much adventure in them. Teddy could only hope this was a gross misunderstanding that would be cleared up shortly and thus the most exciting thing to happen to him on his trip! He doubted it, but he could hope.

---

Eva Starflare

Eva did not believe in bad luck, or good luck, only the force. Though sometimes she did wondered. This was one of those times. The transport blocking their view seemed like bad luck, since now instead of just tracking where Siann was being taken by those kidnappers there was a second person that needed rescuing too and if Eva was to be any kind of judge, the young man was not a local.

Eva watched the man with the metal crate walk by and nodded. That man looked far too proud of himself if he had simply got a sale, and since Siann was no where to be seen, there was only one explanation.

Touching Adam's arm, the dark hair woman grinned. "I think it's time to reel them in." Now instead of waiting, they could track this guy back to his base of operations, and shut down the whole thing. Eva would be very happy to teach these bastards a lesson.
 
"Then you should have minded your own business! I have this entire situation under control!" Though, at the moment she was the one under. Huffing, Siann shifted, giving a lot of poking and proddings until she had the man shifting over to the side so he was no longer on her. Now it was a very awkward position of laying side by side, made all the more uncomfortable by the jostling of the box itself. It seemed their kidnappers didn't really care about what shape they were in. Adam was going to be furious with her. They weren't supposed to get any civilians involved and put in danger. Now she had to babysit this guy!


----

Adam had a small device in his hands. As he and Eva stepped out from their hiding spot, out on to the street, he tapped one of the buttons a few times. It gave a soft blip noise before lines of numbers started scrolling across the screen.

He cast a smirk over at Eva. "Tracker works. Lets get to the ship. We don't want them to catch us following. As long as Siann keeps the system on her, we'll be able to drop in on them the moment they stop moving. ...Hopefully right in the middle of the fish pond."