Gone

Chapter Four
The Wilde Karrde

Talon Karrde started to get simultaneous data streams from several sources. There was a lot of sudden activity from NRI on the Outer Rim and there seemed to be similar activity starting up with the Imperial Reminant. He had been getting reports over the last day that their agents had been asking a lot of questions. He had alerted all his contacts in the area but there was no fresh news as yet. The only information that had interested him, so far, was that a group of local petty criminals from Kyrash IV had managed to acquire some of the mining equipment that had been ripped off Lyntrax III before the sale. Karrde hadn't been happy about that.

He also been getting some strange reports from that mining complex. It looked like the team that Mara had left behind had found some anomaly with the base plans. He had the report on his desk in front of him. A survey showed some discrepancies between the schematics of the mining complex to what was actually on the ground. A hidden access tunnel had been found running from the landing pad which had alerted his team initially to this extra area. Karrde had authorised an investigation in to this but he was nervous about what may be found after Mara's relevations about the place. It had been awhile since he had been in contact with her since her trip to Coruscant with Bail Organa. Maybe it was time to recall her but he had seen exhaustion in her face that last time they had spoken. He had told her to take a few days off but he doubted she was actually would take an actual break but he could hope.

The mysteries of Lyntrax III could wait for a few more days.

* * * *

Mara arrived at the Organa-Solo's apartment to find that Han was looking out for her. Stepping in to the apartment, she saw that Bail Organa was seated in the reception area but there was no sign of Leia. She nodded in recognition to the former Senator.

"What is this about, Solo?" Mara was all business. She wasn't in the best of moods since Han had interrupted her bath. It had better be worth it. The only reason she was here was that he had mentioned that it was to do with Luke. Solo had better not be playing with her.

Han had caught Mara's initial assessing glance and he knew that she had immediately checked for Leia's presence. He had asked his wife to give them a little space which she had reluctantly done. However, Han knew that Leia wanted to be a part of this and knowing his wife, he suspected that she would be listening in.

"Mara, sit down." Han asked unsure if the red headed trader would acquiesce to his request. She looked as if she was about to start pacing across the room liked a caged feline.

"Spill it, Solo." Mara just stood still as her green gaze looked very evenly at him. "Or I am out of here."

"It is due to me, Mara." Bail's voice drew her attention away from the Corellian. He recognised the signs of tension in her posture. "Leia was showing me some pictures earlier this evening."

Mara stopped her sharp retort before it left her mouth.

"Photos of us, Luke and the kids." Han added.

"So?" Mara couldn't see the relevance. She didn't want to know about the Solo's family album just right now. Her own collection was rather sparse and it was another one of her regrets that she didn't have many holos of Luke and herself.

"I think that," Bail said slowly, "I somehow recognise Luke."

Mara's mind whirled with the implications of this, quickly thinking. 'How could the former Viceroy of Alderaan recognise Luke as their paths never have crossed? Unless, Luke had been on Lyntrax III after all!" Mara sat down with a thump as she finally caught on. The Force had been trying to tell herself something on that day and she had misinterpreted it.

"How certain are you that you saw him there? When was this? Was he hurt?" Asking a multitude of questions in quick succession, Mara swore to herself. She'd better head back there as soon as she could to check the place over again.

"I recognise him and the only logical conclusion is that I must have seen him while I was held in that place." Bail didn't name the place where he had been held for such a long time. The memories were not pleasant. "I don't have any details or specifics. I just know that I have seen him but I don't recollect it. I know that sounds strange but that is all I can say. I wasn't sure if I should even mention it."

Mara quickly calculated how long it would take her to get back there. "Okay, I'm going to head back there and check things out. I was due back to Karrde anyway."

"I'm coming with you." Han replied. "Whether you like it or not."

Mara started to protest but fell silent when Han held up his hand. "This is not up for discussion, Jade."

"One proviso, Solo. We are not going in your bucket of bolts that you call a ship."

"Watch it, Jade." Han warned. He would not allow the Falcon to be disrespected by anyone. He had, however, been looking forward to finding an excuse to see Mara's ship put through her paces and this afforded him the perfect opportunity. It looked like he was not going to get the time to finish the Falcon's repairs before they had to leave anyway.

* * * *

The Kracken Somewhere in the Outer Rim

Ruaridh Kerr quickly fitted in to the ship-based routine of the large freighter. He had kept a low profile since his gut feelings were telling him to be extra careful and not to draw attention to himself. His colleagues had quickly assessed that he had wanted to be left alone and had stopped trying to draw him out.

Sitting down on his bunk, Kerr sorted through his few belongings until he found the data chips and his battered reader. Now he had been left alone for awhile, he could finally see what was on the second one and try to figure out why the Zeltron had passed them to him.

Kerr tried several times to watch the first data chip but found he couldn't get past the introduction. Giving it up as a bad idea, Ruaridh stopped trying to access it as it made his head hurt more. As it was, he kept getting flashbacks. He couldn't place them all yet but he felt better that some of his memories were starting to return. Even so, Kerr remembered very little before the accident that had caused his recent amnesia. His intuition told him that he had been keeping away from the authorities which was why he was in the Outer Rim but there was this strong pull to the Core Worlds.

His memory gaps were bothering him. He was unsure who or what he was hiding from or what, which made it difficult to know what to do. It was a vicious circle. The harder he tried to remember, the more his head hurt. He just couldn't remember what had happened before awakening on Kyrash station as the memory of pain was just too severe. If he tried to push in to that area, he started to blackout. However, despite this, certain things were coming back to him. He now could remember that when he had woken up for the first time on the station, he had concussion. Every time he moved, he had been physically sick and his vision slid rather disturbingly around him, lagging behind when he turned his head. His vision had been like that for weeks if he exerted himself too much or moved his head too quickly. It had been unpleasant. He had since realised that probably was a result of whatever blow had caused the scar on the side of his head. He appreciated that it was likely that the same trauma that had affected his memory. He hoped in time, all would become clear to him. He had found that if he didn't concentrate, his body remembered skills quicker than if he concentrated on doing them. It was strange to let muscle memory carry out half familiar actions. He felt detached as if he wasn't quite in control of himself.

Tentatively, Ruaridh reached up to the side of his head with his fingers lightly tracing the path of the scar. The area was still tender to touch. He remembered that he had a rough time when he had regained consciousness. The confusion and pain still remained vivid to him. He hadn't been able to defend himself properly at first as he was easy pickings for the gangs. Eventually, they had either tired of abusing him or realised he was far too gone to give much sport. Their respite had allowed him to crawl into a hideaway while he tried to regain his strength.

One of the tramps who also used the hiding spot took pity on him. She had taken him under her wing and managed to bring him a little sustenance. Without her kindness, Ruaridh doubted whether or not, he would have survived. The little lady had watched over him, her constant murmuring a comfort to him in those dark times. She had told him his name. She had said that she had seen his identity card before it had been stolen.

He had tried to find the old lady when he was on the station again but she was nowhere to be found. The hideaway was still there with new occupants but there was no sign of her. She was gone. He hoped that she was okay. He realised that there was no way to find her as he didn't know her name.

He had done a search on his own name whilst back on Kyrash but that had pulled nothing up. It was after that he had started getting strange flashes. His intuition was telling him that his search had tripped some alarm or security program as ever since then his feelings had been warning him to be on guard. Kerr felt that maybe it was time to disappear again. This had prompted him to quit the Stellar Byrd. It would be easier to slip away unnoticed from the much larger crew of Kracken when they reached their next planetary stop rather than the small trading posts they had visited up to now.

Inserting the second chip, the reader emitted a strange noise and it would not play it at all. Pulling it out, Kerr inspected the chip more closely. Something was telling him, that this wasn't what it appeared to be. Coupled along with already spooked senses, Kerr decided he would get rid of it as soon as he could. He was beginning to suspect that someone was trying to track him.

* * * * Lyntrax III

Han sat in the co-pilot seat in the cockpit as Mara exited out of hyperspace. Han had to admit that the ship was impressive. Mara had come alive showing off the Sabre. Han's estimation of Luke had gone up even further. The Jade Sabre even gave the Millennium Falcon a run for her money and to Han that was high praise indeed.

The comm unit buzzed and since Mara was busy, Han reached out and toggled the switch before Mara could reach it.

"Jade Sabre." Han's voice spoke over the comm unit.

On hearing a man's voice, Karrde was slightly taken aback before recognising who it belonged to. Talon swore. "Damn it, Han. Let me speak to Mara."

"Sure, Talon." Han just winked at Mara's furious face. She was not happy at him. She had already threatened to take his hands off at the wrists with her lightsabre if he touched the controls once more.

"Mara!" Talon took a deep breath, thankfully."Where are you now?"

"We've just come out of hyperspace, just coming up on Lyntrax III." Mara reported. Glaring at Solo's grinning countenance. He was irrepressible!

Mara's gaze gave Han all the warning he needed to back off as Karrde's voice repeated. "Is there anyone else with you than Solo, Mara?"

"Nah, he is more than enough trouble." Mara answered. Her voice softening as she found she couldn't stay annoyed at insanely grinning Solo for very long. "He is worse than any three year old for not leaving things alone and not doing what he is told."

Talon smiled. It sounded as if Han was succeeding in lightening Mara up a bit. "I've asked for you to be briefed on landing. There have been some developments on the base since you took off."

Mara raised an eyebrow at Karrde. "Oh? What sort of developments?"

"I'm not going to get into now. You will soon find out. So, what are you exactly doing with Solo?" Talon was curious to why he had accompanied Mara.

* * * *

Mara stood in the centre of the small cell. She and Han had been investigating the hidden wing for several hours now. The narrow fixed metal bench was the sole furniture in the room. It was so familiar to her. The design resembled all the Imperial cells which she had seen throughout the Empire in her career. It was austere. The white walls didn't give away any clues to what had occurred in here.

She wandered through the entire new section recently uncovered by Karrde's team. A self contained secure unit hidden alongside the mining and storage facilities. The rumours were true about this place. Mara could feel the despair and pain from the past echoing in place through the Force.

One room in particular, had given both her and Han cause for concern. She hadn't been able to stand it for very long. The small unit with it's restraining straps looking innocuous in the clinically white room. A deactivated torture droid rested in one corner alongside a small trolley containing a mixture of surgical instruments and syringes. Neither Han or Mara spoke at the sight of the other more, unspeakable implements which were also present. Neither hadn't even wanted to try and identify their individual purpose. It was too much even for the two war hardened veterans.

With a grim look, Han had taken it all in before leaving quickly. The contents of the room causing him to have flashbacks to Bespin. Mara was not long in following behind him. Neither saying anything to one another. They didn't need to.

However, it was to contents of one the drawers in an office desk that had caused Mara utter a small distressed cry out of discovery, causing Han to run over. Putting an arm round her shoulders, Han just supported her for a moment when he saw what had caused her reaction. Retreating his arm before she could snap it off for him, Han watched her face. He could have sworn that her eyes were unnaturally bright with unshed tears.

Mara pulled out the object, inspected it for damage before she clipped it to her utility belt.

It was Luke's lightsabre.

* * * *