| Kat's dream turned nightmare when Gamth showed up in it. She had gotten Kalex out of Hershia's hands, but wound up in a fire fight. Christa showed up trying to be of help, but only acomplishing getting herself captured. Kat spun around she had senced something was wrong and turned aroud just in time to see someone use a lightsaber deflect a bolt that would of torn right through her . . . " What?! Tell me your lyin'! Please?" Tabby begged. Kat shook her head, she couldn't of imagined that something like this would of happened. Or that Kalex' capture would hurt Tabby as much as it did. Kat felt Tabby's emotional turmoil strongly, "Tabby I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do except head to Thilan." Tabby shook her fist violently. Whoever did this would pay, and pay dearly, "I'm going with you." Tabby's tone gave no room for arguement. Kat shook her head and rubbed her temples. She still had a headache from the . . . Kat didn't really know what to call it, "Christa, I want you to stay here with the rebels, give them whatever aid they need." "I want to come with you!" Christa protested. "You're of more value to the rebels and the Jedi alive, Christa," Kat replied firmly. She was only fifteen and she felt like a parent talking to her child. Christa probably thought that she was much older than she actually was. In truth they were about the same age, Christa being maybe a year or two older, but being isolated like she had been, she was acting like a child. Christa didn't argue. She knew Kat was right, this was a battle she had to fight alone. Kat and Tabby ran to Kat's ship, Tabby knew how they could juice the hyperdrive up to get to Thilan in five days. "How long will it take to do the modifications?" Kat asked. "About four hours if you help me," Tabby replied and they set to work. Hershia looked at Kalex sitting on the bench. She smiled as she sent the images to Kat, and was pleased at her reaction. She realized what an impact seeing the gash on Kalex's arm did to Kat. She had done that deed. "She'll never come," he said leaning his head against the wall looking up at the roof of the ship. "She won't will she?" Hershia mocked. "Than why is she and your other smuggling friend on their way?" Kalex just rested there. There was nothing he could do at the moemnt, but if he conserved his strength maybe he could be on some use to Kat and Tabby. His arm throbbed where the Hunter had slashed it. She was atleast kind enough to stop the bleeding, I guess she wants me alive. He smiled. She had the same weakness that every other Imperal had, even the non-force users. She was over confidant. "There, we're done," Tabby stated as she finished the modifications. "Now let's get outta here!" Kat nodded in agreement and ran up the exit ramp. They would make it to Thilan in 5 days or less. Kat knew it was probably a trap, but she had to try and save her friend. It was her fault he was in this mess. Entering the cockpit she fired up the engines, using the force to pull levers and flick switches that were out of her reach. Tabby entered a few minutes later, saw levers and swiches moving on their own, and turned around to head to the lounge area. Kat smirked, "Tabby, where do you think your going?" Tabby just glared at Kat as if the answer was obvious. Kat didn't need to turn around to know Tabby was glaring at her and she simply laughed. "What's so funny?" Tabby asked as the ship started to take off. Kat just laughed more, she continued flying the ship with the force as her co-piolit. She ploted the corse throught hyperspace and watched the starts elongate. "Your afraid of the force?!" "No, why should I be?" "Than why did you start to leave? I would of stopped if you had asked and started helping me!" Kat laughed again. "Ok, ok I admit seeing the ships controls move on their own is a little creepy," Tabby replied chuckling at how foolish she had been. She should of known that Kat would never use the force against her. "That's better, now, let's do the best we can to be prepared for what's ahead shall we?" Kat motioned to the back of her ship. Tabby nodded and followed Kat. Behind his mask Bobba Fett scowled. He had tracked the feline to Tattione and all he found was a city in confusion. Obviously some smugglars had escaped Imperal capture, and there was something familiar about the scent here. Kat had been here, but she was gone now. Where would a smugglar likely go if they had just escaped capture? The answer was obvious, but the problem was Kat wasn't. She could be on another smuggling run, or hiding. That was the problem tracking people like Kat. They were never predictable, but that made the hunt all that much more interesting. "Where was that cargo ship headed?" Boba Fett asked, his eyes pierced through his mask and scared the heck out of the creature he had asked. "Dantioone, they were gonna smuggle something to Dantioone!" the creature squeeked. Fett spun around on his heal back to his ship. If there was anyplace Kat might likely be now it would be there to apologise to whoever she was suposed to be smuggling for. "AH HA!! I got you!" Tabby exclaimed as her holo creature attacked one of Kat's holo characters. "Almost, but not quite," Kat replied calmly one of her creatures attacked the one that Tabby had just moved. "You baited me didn't you?" Tabby replied.. Kat nodded. "You were trying to teach me something through this weren't you?" Kat nodded again. "Let me guess, not to fall for the most tempting thing on the board." Kat nodded again. "This wasn't just for the board was it?" Kat shook her head. "You were trying to teach me this for smuggling too, huh?" Kat nodded. "Is that all you can do?" Kat smiled and nodded again. "I think I'll shut up now." "No, you don't have to. You did well coming to that conclusion on your own without my helping." "You can be a pain you know that?" "Sure do!" "How is it you got this smart and your only fifteen?" Kat grinned, "Never underestimate the power of the fifteen-year-old." Tabby laughed. Over the long trip she had come to terms with her friend's gift. She would never understand it, but atleast she had a friend that could fight back. And in a way Kat was family. There was just something in the bond between them that made them fiercely loyal to each other. The alarm from the cockpit went off. Kat and Tabby immeadetly got serious. They knew they were coming onto Thilan. They knew that they had a hard road directly infront of them. Kalex needed help. "Rides over," Kat said running to the front of the ship. They had made it just barely in time. "Don't remind me," Tabby groaned, sitting next to Kat doing half the work so Kat wouldn't have to waist using the force on the controls. They landed the ship without incident. Nothing really happened, Kat knew it was a trap and didn't really know how to react. "React! That's it!" Kat exclaimed suddenly. "Huh? Kat what the heck are you talking about?" Tabby replied. "I've been trying to think on how to react to the trap ahead of us and that's just it! If this is a Jedi Hunter than she won't be expecting us to just react! She'll be expecing certin reactions so if we give her the wrong one's we should make it out of this one alive!" "Huh? Kat, I think you've lost it." "I thought you said she wouldn't come?" Hershia mocked walking into Kalex' cell on the Imperal base on Thilan. Ever since Kat had escaped killing the two Jedi Hunters the Empire had made it's presence known. Although how much longer they would be staying would be determined by the events ahead. "She didn't," Kalex smiled he knew Kat would come, and her knew Tabby would come to. "Than why is she here?" Hershia shot back frustrated at the way Kalex confidantly spoke about Kat not being here. "She's not here, they are here." "Ahh, so you play mind games, too? Well after today you won't have to worry will you?" "Nope, but you will." "And what make's you say that?" a young female feline walked in. Her pure white fur gleamed in the dim light, her black tiped tail twitched. She wore a skin tight black outfit, and black spacer boots that ended just before her knees. "Hmmm, you know you look an awful lot like Kat," Kalex remarked sarcasticly. The feeling smiled grimly, "I am Kat . . . in a way." "Kalex I'd like you to meet Katrina," Hershia introduced the feline. "Katrina Kariena, it rymes. I take it you two are . . . sisters?" Kalex asked half sarcasticly. "I'm Kat's clone actually. That weak excuse for a Jedi will soon learn of me. She has no idea what she's walking into," Katrina replied. "If you think Kat's stupid enough to just walk in here you've got another thing coming," Kalex replied smugly and hoped he was right. "Sir I'm only here beacause Kat said to help you, but I'm telling you we need to get to Thilan!" Christa exclaimed, she wanted to help Kat and this was the only way that she could think of how. There was danger on Thilan and she knew it. The Imperals covered that planet, she knew that, but she didn't think the rebels would. "I'm sorry, we can't afford to go all the way to Thilan for a Jedi," Gamth replied. "Sir, Kat's not just a Jedi, she's a smugglar, you know that. There were bounty hunters where we just came from I'm sure some of them are on their way! If you go to Thilan you might be able to compensate for the supplies lost from their base there!" Christa knew she was treading on thin ice, it only took a little prodding with the force to convince the comander to take the fleet to Thilan. "Alright, you convinced me. Let's go to Thilan boys!" Gamth replied. Kat walked silently through the halls, Tabby not far behind. Kat could sence something was wrong, there weren't any yasamari, she would have known the moment she had arrived on planet, but something didn't feel right. "Kat what's wrong?" Tabby whispered. "I don't know . . . but somethings wrong . . ." Kat moved her hand to her lips making the motion for silence. Then she used her hands to explain that there were gaurds around the corner. Tabby nodded and pulled her blaster from its holster and sneaked up to the corner. She jumped around and opened fire. Tabby had excellent markmanship for a non-force user. She only fired one shot per gaurd and they were all dead. "Impressive," someone said from behind, she sounded like Kat but there was something different in her voice. Something intimindating. Tabby turned around and looked at the person who spoke, she looked just like Kat. Her pure white fur shimmered in the light and her black tiped tail twiched impaciently. "You're not Kat." "Close, my name is Katrina, I'm her sister. I've been held prisoner on this planet for over a year now." "You don't look like an Imp prisoner." Katrina laughed, "It pays to cooperate, I sorta became the adopted daughter of the Imperal Comander here." "Look, I don't know who you are, but I dont believe you. The Imperals aren't that kind hearted, once you're a prisoner of theirs you don't be come 'adopted,'" Tabby snapped. Something didn't click with this girls story. Katrina sighed, this non force user was stronger willed than she had thought, "What can I do to convince you that I'm not one of them?" "Nothing," Kat replied from behind Katrina, before Tabby could reply. "I don't have a sister, and your presence in the force it's complete. You're a clone. A clone of me." "Very good, Sis!" Katrina exclaimed. "I was wondering when you'd show up!" "Where have you been?" Kat replied half laughing, "I've been standing right behind you the whole time. I could sence you trying to trick my friend and use the force on her. Why do you think she wasn't swayed?" Katrina growled, "You will pay for this, Kat Kariena." "Not before you do," Kat replied calmly. Katrina ignighted her lightsaber and Tabby aimed her blaster at her. "No Tabby, this is my fight. You know what to do," Kat replied. Then she connected with Tabby's mind through the force :: Don't think, react. Give them the wrong reactions. :: Then she turned to Katrina. "You're the fake, you go first." "Welcome to your death, Kariena," Katrina hissed and she lunged at Kat. Tabby ran down the hall, she's have to strangle Kat later for using the force to communicate with her. She needed to find Kalex' cell and she needed to find it quickly. Tabby came to the first bank of cells, she started looking in them one by one. She felt a call to one of them, like some one was beconing to her. She didn't like the feeling but she opened the cell anyway. She saw in the coner a batterd feline, she had white fur except for her right hand was black. Other than that she looked just like Kat. The feline looked at Tabby. "Help . . . me . . . please," she begged. Her eyes filled with pain and her body weak from not eating in several days. Somehow Tabby could tell that she wasn't faking it. This girl really needed help, and maybe . . . just maybe Kat had some family that did survive. She walked over to the girl and helped her up. There was a sence of calm that didn't belong here, but it was comforting. She continued on her way to find Kalex. "Stop . . . Here . . . here is where you're friend is," the feline said weakly. Tabby stopped and looked into the cell . . . there sitting on the bench was Kalex, he looked alright, but she couldn't be sure. She ajusted her hold on the young feline she was helping and opened the door to Kalex' cell. "Kalex are you-" "Get out of here now! Come on! Move!!" Kalex exclaimed as he ran over to Tabby and the young girl. Kat easily side stepped Katrina's attack and she backhanded her neck. Kat felt a sharp pain at the back of the neck exactly where she had hit Katrina at the same moment she had hit her. "You'll pay for that weakling!" Katrina roared as she stood up. "Usualy the one who provokes the fight is the weak one," Kat replied as she swepted down tripping Katrina. Again she felt sharp pain where Katrina had impacted the floor. "What the heck is going on?!" "Oh? Is the weakling hurt? Here let me help!" Katrina replied, she aimed a blaster at Kat. It was set for stun, but Kat didn't know that. She fired several quick shots that Kat deflected with her lightsaber. Katrina's eyes lit up in surprise, "You're good!" "You're evil, so what? Am I more of a challange than you expected?" Kat retorted. "You wish, I don't expect anything," Katrina snapped as she lunged at Kat again. She shot another shot from her blaster this one hit Kat in the arm. "AHH!!" Katrina reeled back in pain holding her arm where the bolt had hit Kat. "What the heck did you do to me?!" "I didn't do anything, this is what I was trying to figure out earlier!! We're connected Katrina. Somehow we're connected and if one of us gets injured, the other feels it! If one of us dies, both of us die!!" "Than you won't die will you?" Katrina hissed. "No, I'm gonna get out of here," Kat replied and she deactivated her lightsaber and ran down the corridor towards Tabby. They got around the corner just before Kalex' cell blew up. "That was to close," Tabby said bluntly. "Now lets go back, get Kat, and get outta here." "I'm with you," Kalex replied and looked at the girl that they were helping. "Are you sure this isn't Kat?" "I'm not Kat, I'm one of the three of us, I'm Katri," the girl replied. "Three of you? Are you including Katrina in that?" Tabby asked trying to go faster. "No, Katrina is Kat's clone. I am mearly Kat's sister," Katri replied. "Hmmm, interesting," Kalex replied as he noticed Kat running down the hall towards them. "Come on, let's get outta here before that clone dicides that the best way to keep me alive is to carbon-freeze me!" Kat exclaimed. "You've met Katrina haven't you?" Kalex replied just before firey darts of deadly energy started blazeing around the four of them. They took cover around a corner Tabby, Kalex, and Kat started firing their blasters back. Kat felt people approch form behind and turned to see Christa, Gamth and several of his men running and approching, "Stay down!" she ordered as she kept firing. They may get out of this one alive yet, but she wished Christa hadn't been there. She could feel the rebels aiming around them and firing at the Imperals. "We need to get this girl out of here!" Kat yelled to Gamth, she started to help Katri back and away with the rebels covering for her. Tabby and Kalex as true smugglars used this chance to save their own skins and helped Kat get Katri out of there and to her ship. "You failed Katrina! You let her escape!!" Hershia yelled in her private office. "Why didn't you tell me that we were connected?!" Katrina spat back. "I didn't know! If you get her back here you can have her carbon frozen!! Just get her!!" Hershia snapped. Katrina raised her hand and seemed to squeeze her fingers together, using the force to choke Hershia, "Don't cross me, Hunter. I may only be a clone, but I had more force sensitivity than you and that pathetic weakling Kat! I reached the rank of Sith Knight before you were given this assignment! You may be my superior here but keep that in mind before you dicide to ever cross me again!" Katrina waved her hand in the air like it was of no concequence and her grip on Hershia's throat disapated. Tabby, Kalex, Katri, and Kat were almost to their ship, but something didn't feel right. Kat turned around just in time to see a blaster bolt deflected by a lightsaber. |