Lei Kim Ness

Lei's hyperspace journey had not gone nearly as smoothly as planned. Her Nav computer had been off by three klicks on the first jump, landing her in the wrong system for the second, forcing her to manually recalculate her course. She'd been quick about it, but she still arrived several moments after the rest of the Helix forces had departed. And of course, she'd landed smack in the middle of utter chaos. "Dammit..." she juked about to avoid getting hit by random fire, searching her nav computer for the green blips that designated Jedi forces. "This is Lei Kim Ness from the Helix back-up, what the hell am I shooting at?" she queried over the comm, pulling hard to port to avoid a turbolazer blast nearly as big around her her shi's cockpit. Son of a Sith! Flipping upside down so fast her gravitational compensator almost shorted, she suddenly caught sight of an entire squad of familiar starfighters swarming the bottom of a destroyer. "Nevermind," she commed in again, feeling somewhat guilty for clogging the airwaves. She switched channels, steering her craft towards Kirlocca's squadron. "Old friend... need any help?" ((OOC: Sorry for posting brevity and infrequency, I'm halfway through final exams.))

"Will do," Lei replied to Kirlocca's com. The blood was rushing in her temples, a thrill running down her spine. She'd forgotten how much she'd loved flying. Perhaps all her memories were not so bad! The exhileration of aerial combat, however, would need to be cut short. "Droid thing back there, set a course for Cardia..." The astromech behind her bleeped in indignation at being called a 'droid thing,' then brought up the points of the series of jumps. "Entering hyperspace in 3...2...1..."

"Will do, over." Continuing her turn, she pulled up, arcing over Kirlocca's craft in a diagonal ring, looping around the Golan. Scattered spurts of fire lanced through the space around her, but only barely clipped her shields. "Going in for sensors... now!" The green targetting computer turned red as she got a lock for her proton torpedo. Pulling down on the trigger, she let go, then pulled back on the stick sharply, getting away as fast as possible... Behind her, there was a large explosion, with bits of shrapnel glittering like diamonds in the dying incandescence. "Sensor relay is down."

A starfighter shot out of hypersapce as inconspicuosly as a lightswitch turning on in the middle of Coruscant. Lei Kim Ness looked over her navigation computer, attempting to orient herself. Where the hell are the shipyards? "Abort. The Imperial shipyards are not in the vicinity...they're gone. Furthermore, we have failed to draw out the Imperial Fleet. In fact, we'll only stay a few more minutes to try and take out a few Golans, then I plan to add our might to the fleet at Carida." Well, that answered her question, she thought grimly. She spotted Kirlocca's fighter turning about for a strafing run on a Golan Defense Platform. "Kirlocca, I'm your wing," she called through the comm channel, hooking hard to starboard and yanking the stick back, sending her into a dive her gravitational compensator barely handled, shooting off after her old friend, fingers ready on the trigger... Approaching the Defense platform, she let fly several bursts of fire. Wish I was flying an X-wing, she briefly regretted, before pulling hard to port for another run....

She woke up not realizing she'd gone to sleep. She remembered little vo the previous evening apart from lights and the acidic and tangy taste of the ale in her mouth. She certainly didn't remember how she'd gotten here. The here in question was dim and metalic, full of crates. Cargo hold? Must have been. And she was outside the anti-force field of the Casino too ”“ she could tell as much from the incoherent whisperes in the back of her mind. With a groan, she covered her ears but they persisted, repremanding her for drinking too much. She willed herself not to vomit, even when her stomach rebelled, knowing that if she was aboard a ship indeed, her stomach bile would be keeping her company for an indefinite period of time. With her knees pulled to her chest and her hands over her ears she rocked back and forth until her mind and body were both soothed and under her control. She breathed in deeply and exhaled, matching her breaths to the rhythm of her rocking, and the pulsing of the engines. Engines? She stopped moving abruptly. Repulsorlifts were definitely on, which meant wherever she was, it was taking off. Wherever she was going, well, she'd know soon enough where it was...

Three ales later, she was looking even worse than when she'd entered. Although any who'd known her in a past life would have seen she'd grown, she remained a slight individual, leaving not a lot of room for the booze to go. She'd made some attempt to pace herself, ordering a plate of hot chubas in between drafts, but nonetheless, she was feeling mighty tipsy by the time she pocketed the card and left the bar. She didn't know where she was going and didn't really care. She had no plans. The disappearance of her monetary concerns for the evening thanks to some unknown benefactor had availed her of more time than she thought she'd have. All she'd have to worry about was eventually finding transport off the floating casino, but why bother now? It was her birthday, she reminded herself for the dozenth time that evening; it was an imaginary justification for every irresponsible act she might conceive of. The increased presence of lights and excited voices suggested she was nearing the casino. She turned a corner and was suddenly overwhelmed with colors, music, and noise. People were laughing, yelling, cursing, and praising their fortunes in a cacophony of gaudy vice. Neon lights and floating signs melded into one another as the room began to spin. She staggered to the side, only to run smack into something solid. Someone, to be more exact. She stumbled backwards and looked up at the tall, brown-haired man she'd just run into. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly, trying to focus her vision. All the rational thoughts that had implored her not to have that last ale seemed to be shouting 'I told you so' in her head.

She initially shrunk away when someone tapped her shoulder, thinking she was going to be thrown out. Her first assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Her eyes widened as the uniformed twi'lek woman explained the situation. "Free?" "Yes, ma'am, as I said, everything of yours is on the house." The twi'lek employee smiled patiently at the confused woman. She looked up at her for a few moments, then, without turning, reached abruptly across the bar to scoop up the credits she'd tossed on it earlier. Nobody stopped her. The twi'lek smiled and handed her a small card, telling her to simply put all her expenses on it and enjoy her stay at the Golden Link. Her jaw was hanging as she watched the employee depart to complete her other duties in the casino. Free? Here she was ready to empty her wallet for some cheap thrills and booze, and it turned out all she had to do was make a dent in somebody else's! Once again, her eyes drifted to the card in her palm, then to the empty glass. Should she? Experience and common sense were teaming up against the idea, but since she'd been given the opporunity, why not take advantage of it? "I'll have another!" she told the tender, sliding the card over. It was her birthday, she reminded herself, and for once, she'd indulge.

Some people were real people. The people who attracted attention and commanded people with their presence. People who did things and affected people and had achievements. Other people were shadows ”“ the forgettable, faded followers of real people. People who might have been real people but were not ”“ they were only shells. Tired, burned-out, empty shells. Within the vast reaches of the Golden Link Casino, in a small, casual eating and drinking establishment, sat a shadow of a young woman celebrating her birthday. Of course, it wasn't really her birthday. The date and even year of her birth were unknown to her, but since she hadn't celebrated in years, it seemed like a good enough excuse as any to blow all her credits somewhere where the walls weren't made of mud. Lomin Ale, please," she told the tender at the bar, voice quiet and slightly hoarse from disuse. He eyed her dubiously and she sighed, sliding a few credchips across the bar to prove she had the money. The tender inspected them to confirm the authenticity, then drew her up a stein of the frothy green liquid she'd requested. She might have felt insulted, but she didn't. She knew what a mess she looked like ”“ it had been a few days since she'd managed to make use of refresher facilities, and looking good was never the top priority on the far rim. Knowing how she looked now, having glanced at the mirror hanging over the bar, she wouldn't blame anyone for calling the authorities to have her put away; her hair was a mess, with lots of lanky bits hanging out from her braid and falling about her dirt-smudged face. Her clothes were dusty, her eyes were rimmed with dark circles, and she probably smelled like a nerf-herder. She'd bribed an official to let her sneak into the cargo compartment of a starliner headed to the Casino for a price less than that of an actual ticket, and had sat in piles of other people's luggage for the past two days. Before that.... where had she been before that? Names of places she'd been and bars where she'd gotten suspicious drinks were all smeared together in her memory. She made it a point never to trust her memory. It was faulty, and untrustworthy, full of gaps and hallucinations. She didn't even know her age. She tried to keep track of it at one time, back when she was a child prodigy. Back when she was a real person. But then she'd disappeared, and she'd become a ghost. A Ghost who'd aged quite abruptly in the past few months, and though her physique looked like it couldn't have been far past her mid-twenties, there was a kind of exhaustion about her that appeared infinite. Amnesia. Periodic bouts of insanity. Even the midichlorians in her blood, like a virus that preserved her rather than killing her. All these things distorted her past and made her a walking, breathing anachronism. And yet she was celebrating her birthday. Perhaps it was the irony of all this that prompted the slight smile that tugged on her thin and chapped lips as she raised her glass. "Cheers," she said to nobody in particular, then downed the drink, slurping on the minty-colored froth.

Real Name: Lei Kim Ness Nickname: Lei, Lei Kim Age: Difficult to tell. Her force capabilities have slowed her aging somewhat, and her memory gaps make it hard to pinpoint her precise age. Looking at her, one might guess mid-twenties. She herself isn't sure, though she's aged quite suddenly in the last year. Species: Human Height: 5'4" Weight: 120 lbs. Hair: Long, ash-brown, in a braid that hangs to the small of her back. Curly when it's un-done, but perpetually messy, with wispy loose bits framing her gaunt face. Eyes: Indigo. Big and long-lashed with dark circles beneath them. Sex: Female Homeworld: Corellia Alignment: Good, in a rather unconventional way that borders on Neutral. Clothing: Her recent attire has been simple, dark-clothes of an inconspicous nature. Currently, baggy dark-brown trousers with Nerf-hide boots, and a black tunic belted at the waist, with a frayed blue vest and fingerless gloves. Weapon: Twin Indigo Lightsabers, though she hasn't used them in a while, opting instead for blaster pistols and a knife in her right boot. Force User (Though a lack of practice has rusted her skills) Inventory: A canteen, weapons (see above), a couple hundred credits, two bacta capsules, and a datapad. Posessions: None. Sold her X-wing, and is currently drifting. Force Side: Lightside. Trained by: Westley Trained who: Eirtae, Sly, Tares Current Affiliation: Neutral ”“ was a Jedi, but has been missing for some time without contacting the Council in any way. Current Rank: MIA Jedi Master

((Sorry it took me so long.... @!!#$#U%^*#$$@ Final Exams......)) As the doors to the Hutt Place open, DJK and a somewhat bewidered LKN step out into the desert and board the Dark One quickly.....

The ship in which sat Jedi Master Lei Kim Ness and Jedi-Knight-in-training Eirtae', was silent as it hovered a few kilometers from the planet Sullust, where the former Jedi Base of operations had been. Even here, Lei Kim could feel its emptiness. The base was deserted. Everyone in it dead or gone. She certainately hoped it wasn't the former... But someone had to be out there. Someone had to be left. They couldn't all be.... no, she wasn't going to think that word. Someone would be out there... She took a deep breath to stop herself from trembling, and sat back, letting herself loose into the Force. All of a sudden, she was nowhere and everywhere, flying through the fabric of the galaxy at unimaginable speeds.... and then.... "LightSider?" she gasped aloud. For a moment she felt that familiar prescense of an old friend, then it flickered and dissapeared. Lei Kim gasped for breath as she was slammed back into her body with a shock. LightSider was out there.... was he dead??? No, it hadn't felt like death.... but then.... Lei Kim frowned suddenly. Ysalamiri. It had to be it. Wait a minute.... I'm a Par-saa. Back when she had trained with the Bladesmasters, she had learned the neutral art of Par-saa, including the ability to use the Force on various frequencies... frequencies beyond the reach of the ysalamiri bubble phenomenon. She fixed her chin determindly. Again she reached out, and this time, she felt him. "Eirtae', bring up a star-chart quikly." her padawan did so, and Lei Kim quickly put her finger down on a star-system, without even opening her eyes. "Set a course for there. We're going to rescue a friend." A few moments later, the duo entered hyperspace....

Lei gasped heavily as Eirtae' collapsed - she too felt the disturbance in the Force... fleeting images of fear, terror and pain flashed through her mind. Disturbance my butt, this feels like a mass homocide! Only there wasn't the feeling of death and lives flickering out.... but something was wrong..... very wrong.... "The Jedi Temple..." she choked. "Eirtae'!" She bent down over her apprentice, and cursed. Her padawan was temporarily unconscious. Pursing her lips anxiously, Lei Kim grasped her under the arms and dragged her back on to the ship. Have to do something to help... have to help... Trying to focus beyond the feelings of desperation and trauma still echoing through the Force, she managed to lift the ship off the ground and up into space...

A small ship descended through space and into the atmosphere of Hoth, plunging through the icy winds and buffeting air currents to the frozen surface. The lightweight freighter ducks into a pass and slides into one of the planet's many ice caverns, where it lands gently. The ramp opens and two figures descend- a master, and an apprentice. "Well," Jedi Master Lei Kim Ness commented. "We sure have our space..." The cavern they had docked in was huge, the vaulted ceiling reaching high up into the mountain and vanishing into the still gloom. Stalactites and stalagmites made of pure ice glittered and sparkled. The young woman pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders and turned to her padawan. "You see that chunk of ice over there?" she demanded, pointing to a block of ice and snow the size of a very large boulder. Her apprentice nodded stiffly. "Lift it."

(OOC: none of my following actions have anything to do with the late-Palpatine RP.... I'm just using the planet) Outsize of Korriban's exosphere, a small Firespray Class Scouting vessel came out of hyperspace. It paused momentarily, before engaging the engines for descent into the scorched and stormy atmosphere. It plunged through like a meteor before pulling up sharply and engaging thrusters. The recklessness of the manuevers suggested that the pilor was either crazy, brilliant, or possibly both. Cutting the thrust and opening the hatch, Khaos Anarch stood up and exited the ship. The air of Korriban stank or corruption and blood, the dust of ages swirrled aorund his feet, and a fierce wind plucked at his cape. The place was desolate. The way he liked it. Khaos Anarch smiled as the amulet around his throat began to hum.... it's power sung in harmony with that of the planet which had been home to the sith lords for countless millenia. He sat down on a nearby stone outcropping. Now, I wait.

Khaos Anarch was tired. Even after recieving the antidote for the viral strain, he felt somehwat drained, although it was not so much physically as mentally. He felt like a useless, empty shell. I need something to occupy me... He sighed, then looked around him. But what? There were plenty of higher and more powerful Sith here- he wasn't needed. He sat about brooding and did nothing except for occasionally sleeping or eating. I need to get out of here... He absentmindedly fingered the sith amulet he wore about his throat, then the answer hit him. He got up and left, climbing aboard the Firespray-class Scout-ship he had stolen earlier and since then grown rather fond of. The blind Sith strapped himself in, then engaged the thrusters, then the engines. Moments later the ship went to hyperspace, leaving only a trail of ionized molecules as a sign it had ever been there.