AS THE CANTINA TURNS  Chapter 2

 

 Jedi Turner                    Date: 10-07-1998 12:12

                  : ... Out the view port Ro'lana could see that they

were getting closer to the planet. Using the portable Medi Scanner that she brought from the

Medical Bay,  Ro'lana did a complete examination of Jackbur. The reading of the scan indicated

that the blaster bolt had hit him in his right lung just several centimeters from his heart.

         "Ro'lana, where are we?" asked Jackbur as he regained consciousness.

          "We are in an escape pod drifting towards a distant planet-," Ro'lana began "but I am not

sure what planet it is."

         "Check the onboard flight systems monitor, it should say where we are at" said Jackbur.

         "According to the display, the planet is called Dantooine," Ro'lana said not ever hearing the

name before.

        "Dantooine, then we will make it. Because Nilks told me that is the hidden Rebel Base that

he has been suppling for the last six months," Jackbur said with hope in his voice.

        "I hope we make it in time because you are losing a lot of blood, and you might not make

it," Ro'lana said with despair in her voice.

        "Just get me to the Rebel Base and I will be fine. They should have a Bacta Tank that they

can dump me into for a few... days..." said Jackbur as he again falls into unconsciousness. ...

Flynn Taggart         Date: 10-07-1998 15:02

: .. It was dark and as the endless depths of space. Specks of light

from far away stars could be seen, many of which burnt out millions of

years ago. That did not stop the light that has once been shown from it to continue on its endless

voyage like forgotten memories. The view

suddenly erupted into a dizzying array of light across the entire

spectrum. Jackbur's whole body convulsed as he lay inside a small box

surrounded by bacta. He quickly calmed himself as things started to come back to him. He

recognized the box he was in as a portable and emergency bacta tank, though he could not

remember being but in it. The last thing he could recall was the ship being under attack. He

thought harder. The escape pod. Outside the box he could make out a small brightly lit room and

what appeared to be a woman and some kind of alien, one of them in a long white coat,

conversing with what appeared to be a medical droid standing behind them. Through the haze of

the bacta he could tell that their mouths were moving, but he was too far from them to make out

the shapes their lips were making to try to see what they were saying. He saw the alien turn and

point at him, it looked like it might be a fur-covered Bothan, but he couldn't be sure through the

haze.

        "Doctor, you are to pull him out of that tank immediately and revive him for interrogation!"

the Bothan said as the fur on his back moved with signs of irritation. The woman in the white lab

coat he was talking to turned to face him and spoke to the medical droid behind him

     "One three A, what is the current status of the patient?"

     The medical droid checked its internal monitor "sixty-three percent of  collateral damage is

repaired. Current condition is stable" it said in a metallically voice.

    The Bothan turned and pointed at the box "Then pull him out!

NOW!"

     The droid looked up to the Bothan "I am afraid sir that it would

be ill advised to remove the patient at this time. Currentcalculations

predict that a minimum of five point three more standard hours more will be required if the

patient is to make a full  recovery."

        "I don't care if he recovers or not! I want to know exactly who he is and what he is doing

here!" he turned back to the doctor "Now doctor either pull him out of the tank now or I will do

it myself!"

        She glared back at him "Now look here! This is MY ward and I won't be taking demands

from the likes of you! Either get the hell  out of here or I will call security and have them drag

you out!" The Bothan just stared back at her for a second  then mumbled something to himself

and stormed off out the door

        Jackbur watched as the Bothan stormed out the door and even through the haze of the bacta

he could make out the person in the white coat sigh and walk over to the tank he was in. The

doctor bent over to peer inside the top of the tank and he could make out that she was a human

female with light brown hair that appeared to be about shoulder length and pulled back in a pony

tail. He saw her lips move as she peered down at him, smile then walk off out of sight. He

thought he heard a slight hiss and his eyelids suddenly became heavy and he slipped back  into a

deep restless sleep...

 

Name: Jedi Turner                    Date: 10-07-1998 20:53

                   ... Slowly and cautiously Doctor Jaynoel Riswok

brought Jackbur back to consciousness. "Mr. Jackbur? Mr. Jackbur can you hear me?" asked Dr.

Riswok after Jackbur's eyes had begun to flutter.

      "Yes, I can hear you. Where am I?" asked Jackbur after he had become fully coherent.

       "You are in the medical facility for our base. You were brought in three days ago after your

escape pod crash landed here. We found you and your friend Ro'lana-" said Dr. Riswok "If it

hadn't been for your friend Ro'lana, you would have died from that blaster wound to

your right lung. When Ro'lana explained what had happened to you, we

placed you immediately into the Bacta Tank."

         "Dr. Riswok is it?  Where is Ro'lana? Is she okay?" asked Jackbur.

     "Yes she will be fine. Actually here she comes now. I will leave you two alone to talk for a

few minutes," said Dr. Riswok as Ro'lana walked up to Jackbur. ...

Flynn Taggart                    Date: 10-07-1998 22:38

                   ...Jackbur watched the doctor walk over to a small

cubical located on the other side of the ward. For the first time in

quite a long period he thought back to someone he once knew a long time ago. Something about

the doctor reminded him of someone he knew, oh so long ago. Lost in his own thoughts he did

not notice Ro'lana walk up to stand next to him. "It is good to see you back among 'those that

walk the world'" He sat up and turned to have his legs dangling over the edge of the bed pulling

the sheet as he went to maintain his modesty. He looked at her and gave her a small smile

      "Just about, I did not have a chance to thank you" she returned his smile

     "Consider it a debt paid.Soon as they release you from here, one of the base officers would

like to have a meeting with you"

      "I look forward to it" he said.

         Pushing a small elevated tray, the doctor started to walk towards the two of them "I am

sorry but you should please try to wrap things up and leave so the patient can get his rest. He

should be ready to leave tomorrow around mid morning."

       Ro'lana smiled down at Jackbur "I'll catch up with you tomorrow then"

       "Later" he returned. She turned and walked out of the ward and down the hall.

         The doctor picked up a spray hypo "Ttime for your medication" she said smiling at him. He

turned slightly so that his left shoulder was facing her and she stuck the hypo up against and with

a quick hiss it injected the medication and she withdrew it and dropped it into one of the pockets

of her coat. "See now that didn't hurt a bit did it" she said giving him another smile.

       "No, not in the slightest" he said returning her smile. She turned back to the tray and brought

it around in front of him. On the tray was what appeared to be a bowl of some kind of vegetables

or fruits, another bowl that seemed to have some kind of broth or soup in it, and a glass of

water."Time to eat a bite" she said as he reached down and picked up the glass of water and took

a sip.

       "I don't suppose you have something that can get this 'lovely' taste out of my mouth by

chance?"

      "Sorry nothing that you should be taking right now,maybe tomorrow" she said flashing him a

grin. She left him to eat and

returned to some of her other duties.

        She returned back to him just as he was finishing "I don't suppose by chance I could get my

clothes back by chance?"

       "I am sorry they were pretty well tattered and blood soaked when we got a hold of you,

matter of fact your boots were about the only thing we didn't have to cut off"

        "Well I don't suppose you have  anything I can put on for the time being?"

      She gave him a quick once over and a big smile "Well there

is a small room  over there you can put a gown on in, you will have to

wait till morning and after we finish our tests till we get you  some

real clothes."

         He slid off the bed with the sheet still wrapped around

him and walked across the cold floor to the small door she had pointed

to. Inside he found a small rack with various sizes of gowns. It did not take him long to fine one

the right size and put it on. As he left the small room and shut the door behind him the doctor

looked back up at him.

        "You wear it well" she said with a big grin

        "The clothes make the man" he said smiling back at her.

        "Well off to bed with you now, you must really get some  rest." He returned to the bed and

laid the sheet back on it as he laid back down. She walked over to a small cabinet mounted on

the wall and pulled out a blanket and brought it over to him.

      "Here you go now, pleasant dreams."

       "Thanks, same to you"

      She went over to the wall and hit a small switch that turned off

all the main lights. All that was left was the lamp on her desk and the illumination from various

devices and instruments. At one point in the night he woke up and saw the doctor hunched over

her desk sound asleep, he smiled to himself then rolled over and returned to sleep...             Jedi

Turner                    Date: 10-08-1998 00:38

                   ... Awakening suddenly to the change in the amount of light Jackbur fell out of the

bed while attempting to stand and orient himself.

       "Mr. Jackbur are you alright?" asked a tired voice coming from

across the Med Ward.

       "Yes, Dr. Riswok I am fine. I just stumbled from the sudden change in the amount of light in

here, "said Jackbur as he picked himself up off the floor.

           "Guards get this man some clothes and then escort him to

Interrogation Room 2," said a gruff voice from the doorway.

         "What is the meaning of this Lt. Goreran?" asked Dr. Riswok as she approached the voice

from the  doorway.

         "He is to be interrogated because this man is an Imperial Officer," said Lt. Goreran with a

smile on his face. "I talked to General Ma'cambo Doctor,  about how you refused to release the

man into my custody yesterday and he wasn't completely happy or upset

about it-" said Lt. Goreran with a vicious smile on his face as he

continued "but now he is mine to do with as I please.  Guards take him

away.  We will learn his real reason for being here."...

MIP                          Date: 10-08-1998 01:36

        ..."Ro'lana ground her teeth and twisted her golden ring around her finger. She was too

wound up to sit still. It seemed that she had been waiting forever. She was worried...about many

things. First of all, she feared for Jackbur's health. Second, she was upset that Lt. Goreran did not

seem to take her seriously, and she wondered how he would treat Jackbur. Third, she felt trapped

in a strange limbo of waiting to find out if she could play a role in this rebellion against the

Empire, and if so, what that role could be. Fourth, and finally, something was nagging at the

back of her mind, something she tried vehemently to suppress: a twinge of jealousy. She had

seen the way Jackbur had looked at the lady doctor...

        'Rou-layna?' a voice awkwardly pronounced. Ro'lana

quickly snapped out of her thoughts and sprung to her feet.

       'That's me.'

        'General Ma'cambo will see you now.'..."

 

Flynn Taggart                      Date: 10-08-1998 02:13

                  : ..."I shall ask you again Lt. Jackbur, what are your intentions, orders, and current

assignment." The Bothan Goreran said leaning across the table and glaring down at Jackbur who

was sitting on the other side of the table in the room's only chair with his hands bound in front

of him. Jackbur glared up at him and thought to himself,  'amateur, if you knew half as much as

you think you do you would know twice as much as you do.'

       "And as I keep telling you I am a private citizen and unless you let me talk to a RANKING

officer that is all I will tell the likes of you" he said calmly. The hair on Goreran rippled with

frustration and irritation. Goreran closed his hands into fists and banged them on the table, the

reaching across the table and grabbed the simple tunic they had given Jackbar and lifted him part

way out of his chair.

      "I could beat you till you begged for mercy and told me everything I wanted to know!"

      Jackbar stared at the Bothan in the eyes and whispered in his ear cooly "Take these restraints

off and lets see how far you can get." Goreran dropped him back into the chair and stomped over

the room's only door and knocked on it, the guard on the other side of it peered through the tiny

window and then opened the door

to allow Goreran though and then abruptly closed it behind the Bothan.

                   Ro'lana walked through the door into the General's

moderately decorated office...

 Jedi Turner                    Date: 10-08-1998 02:46

... "Ms. Ro'lana, please come in. I am General Ma'cambo, how may I help you?" asked the tall

Ca'tharian as he rounded his desk and offered her his hand.

      "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice General," said Ro'lana as she shook hands

with  Ma'cambo.

      "No thanks needed. What can I do for you?"  asked  General Ma'cambo as he resumed his

seat after offering one to Ro'lana.

       "I was just wondering why you chose to interrogate a man who

resigned from Imperial  Service and is looking to defect to the

Rebellion. We were going to come in on the Freighter 'Corellian Star',

but unfortunately we were attacked by pirates and Captain Nilks, I can't remember his last name,

was killed," said Ro'lana as she recalled the events from the ship.

       "If that is true then let us go and talk to your friend Nelson Jackbur-" said General

Ma'cambo as he stood up "Please walk with me to the interrogation room."

       "Very well General. Also General, I was wondering if there is something I can do in the

fight against the Empire?" said Ro'lana as she stepped into line with Gen. Ma'cambo.

        ... Just as Lt. Goreran exited the interrogation room he snapped to attention and saluting

when he saw Gen. Ma'cambo approach with Ro'lana next to him.

      "Sir!  What are you doing here?" said Goreran after returning his hand to his side.

       "I have come to talk to the so-called prisoner myself, Lt. I understand from this young lady

that our friend might have something different in mind. Now you are dismissed Lt. Goreran-"

said the General as he snapped the Lt. a salute "After you young lady." And Ro'lana entered the

interrogation room ahead of the General.

      "Ro'lana what are you doing here?" asked Jackbur after she entered the room.

       "Just bringing in anew friend to talk to you," said Ro'lana indicating the General as he

entered the room.

         "Sir! I would stand and salute if I wasn't bound and cuffed to this chair," said Jackbur to

General Ma'cambo.

       "That is alright son. From what your friend here tells me, you are looking to join the

Rebellion. Is that true?" said General Ma'cambo.

       "Yes Sir, it is," said Jackbur full of enthusiasm.

       "Good then.  Welcome to the Rebellion against the Empire, Lt.  Commander Nelson

Jackbur," said the General as he returned to the door and had the guard enter and release Jackbur

from his chair.

        "General, thank you sir. I wasn't expecting the promotion

though," said Jackbur with excitement showing on his face.

       "No need to thank me Commander, we always need good men. Now get some rest we'll talk

more later," with that General Ma'cambo left, leaving Jackbur and Ro'lana alone together. ...

Jedi Turner                    Date: 10-08-1998 22:43

                  ... "Well congratulations Lt. Commander Nelson

Jackbur," said Ro'lana after General Ma'cambo had left.

     "I can't believe I was promoted. I figured that I would have to start at the bottom," said

Jackbur.

       "Lets get out of here. This room gives me the creeps," said Ro'lana as she took Jackbur's arm

and escorted him out of the

interrogation room. "Nelson, can I ask you something?" asked Ro'lana

with reluctance.

         "Sure go ahead," said Jackbur as he stopped to look at her.        "Do you like Dr. Riswok? I

mean..." said Ro'lana before she stopped speaking from embarrassment at prying into his

personal life.       "Ro'lana, she is a nice person, but if I like anyone I would say that person is

you," said Jackbur and took Ro'lana in his arms and kissed her softly and passionately. ...