Recovery, or insanity?

[Logan Shivers]

The Nebulon class Medical Frigate “Scorekeepers Grace” drifted calmly through the dark void of deep space. Next to it, keeping pace the looming form of the Lictor class Detention ship “Asylum”. From time to time a medical shuttle might move between the two ships but otherwise there was no apparent activity in the area.

This was very much intentional. The nearest known hyper lane was over a days travel even for the fastest ships and just outside of sensor range and most definitely out of sight, was a cordon of Faceless Hunter Alliance ships, their task to keep the area clear.

Aboard the Asylum, Tersen led a skeleton crew, all of whom were previously Bone Collectors. All of whom were fiercely loyal to Logan who himself occupied one deck of the ship all by himself. He had been there for nearly a month now and although his tenure had began strapped to a bed with specialist equipment all around him that stopped him from being able to uses the force, circumstances had somewhat improved now. He was no longer bound and although still confined within this specially designed deck of the ship, he now spent most of his time in deep meditation.
Argon and Dr Hadji Falconer had been his only previous visitors, the Doctor monitoring Logans health while Argon stood guard, ready to pounce on the patient should any sign of darkness cross his eyes.

Today, things were about to change. One of the picket ships noted the arrival of a C-3 luxury liner slid out of hyperspace. The ship was expected so raised no alarm, however the ever vigilant FHA fleet commander still requested formal identification and verification. Once complete, the ship was allowed to glide past the line of the picket ships and into the “no go” area. The C-3 was crewed by droids, with the only two sentients onboard being Baron Helvetius and Baronet Omic, two Celestial Knights of high order. The ship was the “Binary Sun”, designed with force meditation in mind and devoid of any distractions that might lure the dark side. This was for force users who wished to dedicate their lives to the light side of the force, and it was a striking ship.

Fast as it was, it still took over 30 hours to reach the floating hulks of the Asylum and the Scorekeepers Grace. The droid pilot expertly brought the liner to a halt, matching the drift of the other two ships perfectly. Moments later a shuttle emerged and made its way straight into the hangar bay of the Asylum. The hangar bay was empty so the small shuttle landed close to a lone figure who was standing right next to the lift door. The shuttle door hissed slightly as it opened and two robed figures climbed out without ceremony. Approaching the lone figure, one of the robed figures lowered its hood to reveal the sombre face of Baron Helvetius.

“Greetings Baron Helvetius, Baronet Omic, thank you for coming.”

“Greetings Hadji, and there is no need to stand on ceremony, we are amongst friends here so Max will do just fine. How is our patient fairing?”

“Much improved physically, his wounds were mostly superficial and the deeper ones… well, his own healing ability helped. Trandoshans are a hard bunch to kill.”

“Well, this one is anyway, which is just as well. I do not know if you have met Pat before? His talents surpass both mine and Logans so his assistance here will be invaluable.”

“I have not had the pleasure, but I have heard about you sir, pleased to finally put a face to a name.”

Pat Rulla removed his own hood and shook the doctors hand, the three exchanging a few more pleasantries before Hadji led them to the lift, and down to the deck Logan was inhabiting. The lift stopped its descent and the door opened, revealing a stark corridor and the immense bulk of Argon standing aside the only other door. Max smiled at the big Gamorrean,

“Ah Argon, looking after that troublesome boss of yours again? It is good to see you are still keeping well.”

Argons thick lips curled into what might have been a smile,

“Good see you too boss Max, good see Mr Rulla.”

Although the big Gamorrean was and exceptionally intelligent specimen of its race, as well as large, Argon still struggled with the galactic common tongue, mostly because his heavily tusked mouth and thick tongue and lips were not truly designed to make the required sounds, making each word a battle of coordination for all Gamorreans.

“Is he awake?”

“Not know, sit with eyes closed most time.”

“Yes, Logan sits and tends to drift between meditation and sleep these days, which I may say is a vast improvement on his initial state after that little incident on Pous.”

As he spoke, the Doctor released the lock on the door and all four entered. Argon simply stood by the door, just on the inside now, and Hadji motioned them further into the large room. The brightness of the lights inside the room took Max and Pat by shock, their eyes at a squint until they had time to adjust.

“Aaah, sorry gents, I should have warned you. Nothing but maximum illumination by Logans direct order. He believes it keeps the dark away?”

Given a few short moments for their eyes to adjust, the pair could now study the room, not that there was an awful lot to see. Logan sat cross legged on the floor in the centre of the brilliantly lit room. His eyes had a far away, glazed sort of look to them. It was just about possible to tell that he was breathing, but the motion was so subtle it could easily be missed.

Argon remained by the door whilst the Doctor followed the two Celestial Knights as they approached Logan. A shiver ran down Pats spine and he ventured a glance at Max,

“Not sure how I like the feeling of this room… unsettling.”

Before Max could reply, Logans eyes snapped into focus and a small smile showed on his closed lips.

“Ah, I have been expecting a visit, thank you both for coming to see me.”

Logan had not been looking at either of them, but now his focus shifted and he pinned his gaze onto Pat,

“Strange isn’t it? Not being able to have the force at your fingertips? But close your eyes, concentrate and FEEEL. If you get it just right, you will find the power is there, hidden, restrained, but very much still there. You just have to HUNT for it.”

The two force users exchanged a look but both found themselves taking time to do just as suggested, not being overly comfortable with the apparent “lack” of access to the force. Logan studied them both and smiled wider as Pats expression changed from one of concentration, to one that was much more at peace. It did not take Max much longer.

“Ah, I see that you are both comfortable again, good. Welcome to my humble retreat!”

“Logan…. You seem….. odd? How are you feeling, and more to the point, what is going on in that head of yours? We thought the balance was under control? What…..”

Logan put his hand up to interrupt Max,

“My friend, let me save you a lot of questions and a bit of trouble. I have a lot to tell you and it seems to me that you would be better seated. I can have Argon bring chairs if you do not wish to join me on the floor?”

Max and Pat both shook their heads and lowered themselves down and got comfortable. The Doctor left them to it, deciding that this was no business of his. Once his two visitors were settled, Logan took a deep breath and began.

“We know that my recent… episodes, are down to loss of control over the dark side, a battle I have been fighting, and slowly losing since the great battle at Carlac. Intensive training with a variety of Celestial Knights, attempts to block out the force for prolonged periods of time, medical intervention and even..” and Logan visibly shivered at this next one, “ enforced sobriety. Nothing much seemed to have any lasting effect and it was not for the lack of trying on everyone’s behalf. I have been thinking on all this, and I have found where we were all going wrong. The force is not something you can hide from. More importantly, it is not in my nature to hide, so it was doubly unlikely to be the right course of action. So, after my latest… episode, I found myself looking for a different solution.”

Max was beginning to look a little uncomfortable, this was not sounding much like the reptilian he knew. Cohesive, sober and clear… calm and collected… Logan could be any one of those things at times, but all at once?...

“HA! I see that furry brow of yours wrinkling up Max, but don’t worry, I have not found my peace by embracing the dark. I am HUNTING it. I am not prey, I am a hunter and so to run and try and hide from something was just against the grain. Instead, I have spent this time in meditation, hunting the dark. Whilst in this sanctuary I have managed to corner it and confine it, and finally ‘capture’ it. The dark within me is safely locked away and under my complete control, ready for me to let out on a leash if needed, but never again to take over my actions. It was somewhat easier to think clearly this time around, not having any guilt over dead friends at my hands to deal with. My self is balanced, I am confident that you can undertake any tests you wish and I will prove this to your satisfaction. But if I do not…. Then there is no alternative for me. I will not embrace the dark fully, I enjoy its tittilation, I like the spice of it, but not the entire, sour thing. So as friends and fellow knights, I ask one thing of you. Should I fail, should I lose control yet again, END ME.”

The last was said with a forceful conviction that did not led itself to arguing. Despite this, Max opened his mouth to argue but Logan got in first.

“No arguments Max, I have seen just how bad this could end, I have far, far greater strength in the dark than I care for. Despite it now being under control, the power WILL grow… after all, any pet needs feeding, looking after… otherwise they go bad. I am convinced that continuing to cultivate both sides is the only way forward for me, and engaging the light to continually stalk the dark and ensure its submission to me. A true, lifelong hunting journey for my soul.”

Logan allowed some silent time in order to let his two visitors digest this, but as soon as he felt that one was about to break the silence, he quickly interjected.

“This all brigs me to my most recent realisation and decision. I wish to step down from my position as General within the ranks of the AMC.”

He raised both hands and his voice slightly to stop the inevitable interjection.

“I do not want to leave the AMC. But I do want… no, need, to take on a different direction. A realisation has come over me, and that is that everyone, or at least, everyone of note, is searching for something in their life. What is a search if it is not a hunt? From personal beterment to searching the void for lost systems, from game hunting to bounty hunting, from freedom to peace, to war to silence, from the perfect specimen of a plant, to the rarest beast in the galaxy, the perfect high, the ideal low, the fastest engine, the most powerful weapon,”

Logan became more and more animated as his list grew and grew and Max began to calm as he saw the hints of… well, madness, that he knew so well. There was an odd comfort to seeing the return to this somewhat more normal state of being for his old friend. Logans seemingly endless list finally came to a close and he continued, a little bit more subdued, but with an intensity in his voice.

“You see Max, life is actually about the Hunt. Whatever you hunger for in life, you follow the same path, the path of the hunt. In that, we are all one, and in that simple, plain truth, salvation lies. I have seen the truth now, I have been guided, and I have ASCENDED to a different plain of existence. I am enlightened and free and know what direction I have to take for this next segment of my life.”

Well, there it was, getting stronger and stronger…. Logans battle with the force may be won, but Max was beginning to wonder if it was at the cost of his sanity… or at least, at the cost of his remaining sanity. But still, this was far closer to the Logan of old, the crazy drunk but brilliant strategist, the drug fuelled berserker and the intensely loyal and protective friend. The enigma that was Logan had perhaps just got a bit more complex… but Max could not help but feel that it was in a good way….. somehow.

“Max, I want to take the FHA and enlighten those who will join me. We will grow together and become the Faceless Hunter Ascendancy. We will honour the path of the hunt, and we will build legacies for those who follow that path, ensure that their time in this galaxy is not lost to the vastness of time once they die, but is kept forever sacred for future generations of hunters to learn from, we will be the keepers of the path, the cultivators of legacy.”

And with that, Logan suddenly seemed to run out of steam. His eyes remained blazing however, the intensity in them so vibrant it could easily be mistaken for a look of utter insanity. He remained silent, staring at his two guests who had been somewhat stunned into silence. This was all a bit much… even for Logan… but… well, Max sort of knew him well enough to recognise that this was not something that was being put forward for discussion, this was something that in Logans zany mind was already a reality.

“Logan, my friend, you have given us quite a lot to think about. I hope you don’t mind if we take some time to ourselves and consider your words? Oh, and Logan….. can I just check…. Are you sober?”

Logan smiled even more broadly,

“Yes and yes, I may no longer feel the need to remain sober in order to be in control, but I am sober none the less. And of course my friend, take all the time you need. I will await your answer.”

With that said, Logan settled back down, his eyes glazed over and he returned to his meditative trance without uttering another word to either visitor. Max and Pat exchanged looks, got up and walked out of the room still a little too stunned to talk yet.

[Logan Shivers]

Back in the comforts of the C-3, Max and Pat sat in a small meeting room, reclining on deeply padded leather armchairs. To their surprise, they had both received a large data file from Logan shortly after their return and were both in thee process of reading it. He had sent it knowing that his verbal explanation may well not have had the explanatory power he wished.

On that account at least Logan was correct, both of them had left the meeting with a fear that Logan had somewhat lost the plot. He had always followed a dangerous path, balancing on the raors edge between sanity and madness so nobody would have been surprised if he had finally fallen of onto the wrong side of that balancing act.
But as they read through his lengthy document Pat and Max slowly changed their minds. This was clearly not something that had been drawn up in minutes, not a collection of ramblings from an insane sentient, but actually quite a cohesive and detailed proposition.

It took the better part of two hours to digest Logans document and once Max saw that Pat too appeared to have finished he raised an eyebrow in question,

“Not quite as insane as we feared?”

“No…. perhaps not. Although, some would say that simply creating a religion is a bit odd… and there will definitely be those who view it as a cult, but I don’t think your reptilian friend will care about either point. I am not entirely sure that he will convince me of the validity of this, but I take it we are not here to make that judgment, but one on his state of mind and fitness to carry on as part of the AMC command? Considering this, would he still be part of that, or would you side line him, take it as an opportunity to keep him out of harms way?”

Max gave a wry smile,

“Ah, Pat, I forget that you don’t know Logan as well as I. Despite his breakdowns, his over use of stims, alcohol and so on, and his sheer lunacy at times, he has some qualities that are hard to find. His loyalty is beyond question, he has honour in abundance, he will stand by your side in any situation without question if you are his ally. His military strategies are out of the box and have proven to be game changers time and time again. I have often pondered on the fact that perhaps it is this ingenuity that makes his quite the character he is. What I want is to ensure that his state of mind is stable and that he has not succumbed to the dark side. Brilliant or not, I don’t think any of us want a Sith in our midst, even if it is one that I would still oddly trust….”

“I don’t think he is taken by the dark side, I got no inclination towards that at all, I came out of there thinking he was finally over the edge, but now…. Well, perhaps not, perhaps he has just found a way to guide his lunacy?”

“Perhaps, and to be honest, if it helps to balance him, that is fine with me. I also agree that he does not appear to be in danger of going over to that other side, so with that in mind, and the force question settled, I also want to take in some other opinions. I would appreciate it if you remained in the area, unless you have pressing matters needing your attention? Your continued councel would be welcomed.”

“I can stick around for a bit, who you thinking of bringing in?”

“I want to get Enox, Ichiru and Shri for starters, Then Gene as I want a second opinion on his medicals. I trust Hadji’s medical skills without question, but his devotion to Logan may serve to cloud judgment.”

“Be interesting to see their take on this. If that is all for now, I think the training room has a session with my name on it, I need to unwind.”

The meeting at an end, Pat went off to do some training, whilst Max busied himself making arrangements for the others to come and visit.

[Logan Shivers]

Enox LaBaca stood on the bridge of the Arquitens Cruiser “Kashyyk’s Uprising” waiting to see what greeted him as the ship exited hyperspace. He did not know this sector of the galaxy, he was surprised anyone would, considering how empty it was, so he was curious as to why he had been summoned to this location. But he and Max were more than just simple partners in a mercenary force, they were family and when family calls, you trust and answer that call, for delay may prove costly.

There had however, been no urgency to this call, no alarm, just a general sort of “when you are done with your current task, please come on over” and if anything, this made him even more curious. And so, when the glistening streaks of hyperspace subsided and the viewscreen was filled with nothing more that the blackness of deep space, speclted here and there with distant stars, he was a bit disappointed. It was not as if he was expecting to come across an undiscovered system, he knew their scouts were not active in this region, he also knew there would have been much excitement and urgency to the call, but something….. at least something….

“What are the scanners reading?”
“Sir, we have one Corona-class frigate showing up in range, waiting for confirmation of identity, also what looks like numerous fighter patrols ranging out from it.”

A moment passed and the operator reported again,

“sir identity confirmed, it is the Medusa.”

Ah, now this was a bit more interesting, the Medusa was one of the ships from the Pitch Black fleet… no, he reminded himself, not that, not anymore, from the Faceless Hunter Alliance fleet. That could only mean that whatever this was about, it would involve Logan in some way. He may be a reptilian, worse a Trandoshan, but that sentient had more than earned the respect and friendship of Enox, along with most of the senior members of the AMC. Admitedly he was a bit…. Broken, but with good reason, Logan had put himself through a hell most of them could only imagine in order to help save others in the last stages of the Carlac war. Assumed dead, this fractured the mercenary force he had built up, once so loyal, and upon his return he had to kill dozens, if not hundreds of sentients that he had once deemed allies and friends. As if that was not enough of a mental burden, he then managed to injure and kill a few actual allies and friends in an unfortunate incident on Saarn.

It was a wonder he was still capable of functioning at all, and yet he persisted, with unwavering, unquestioning loyalty to a family of Wookies… a race that should be a natural adversary to his own race.

The comms operator interrupted his thoughts,

“sir, the Medusa is welcoming us and has sent coordinates for us to head towards. They are more than a day away in sublight but apparently no stable hyperlanes head that way.”

“So make best speed and lets get there. Let me know if there is any further contact or otherwise, call me an hour before arrival.”

With that, Enox handed the bridge over and walked into his quarters, deciding to take the opportunity for some rest. The past few weeks had been busy and opportunities for real rest had been few and far between. He found it interesting that whatever this was about, Logan had chosen to be in a location that was essentially a dead zone, not accessible by hyperlanes and as far as he knew, nowhere near any known systems, deep space stations or even interesting space formations, asteroid fields, nothing. It was almost oppressive, having so much unbroken blackness around.

But it was also extremely easy to defend such a location, after all with such a long sublight journey to get to their location, there would be no surprise attack possible, no blockade without an enormous fleet and no way to cut off any desired retreat. This location was a typical “Logan spot”, a place his tactical mind would love.

And that was another thing about Logan… he really was a master tactician, never happy to stick to the normal, accepted tactical fleet movements, placements and battle plans, always wanting to improve, change, make better.
Enox grabbed a few hours sleep, then spent some time working out, he always liked to keep himself fit and he felt it gave a good example to others to do so, but most importantly it helped him to relax fully. A tour of his ship for no other reason than to let his crew see him and provide an opportunity for discussion. The crew knew that these walks around the ship were their opportunity to speak freely with their commander if needed, or just to exchange a few pleasantries without the difference in rank getting in the way. His walks wewre always out of uniform and informal.

Back in his quarters, a fresh, crisp uniform now on, his personal comms unit informed him that their destination would be reached within an hour. Enox smiled to himself, he had timed it just right and stepped out into the hallway and straight up to the bridge.

As soon as you step in, the comms officer heads your way.

“Sir, Proconsul Baca has sent over a large document, encrypted and currently being transferred to your personal communicator. He requested that you digest its contents and once done, he invites you over to meet him on the Asylum.”

Enox winced a bit at the mention of that ship. It was the one equipped to detain force sensitives and one that Logan had turned into a self imposed prison after the Saarn incident, locking himself away until he stabilised, to keep others safe. Logan had also decided that his actions deserved imprisonment if not worse, Enox remembered how hard it had been for them all to pursueade him to return to duty.

“What other ships are present?”

“The Scorekeepers Grace and the Binary Sunset. Very low activity levels between the ships.”

Enox winced again, that combination of ships could surely only mean one thing.. Logan must have had another incident, and that was worrying, losing control once was one thing, if this became a repeat ocurance….

“I will read the document in my ready room, take us in close and match drift, get a shuttle ready.”


It took Enox four hours before he felt ready to say with confidence that he had actualy digested the contents of the document. After the first read his initial reaction was incredulity. He was sure that somehow Logan had fully lost his mind this time, but something niggled at him so he read it again, and again. After the fourth read, his feelings had shifted to intense curiosity. Something about this struck a chord with him, on the surface it appeared a bit odd, but he somehow found himself able to identify with the ideas presented.

The shuttle had been ready for some time so he stepped in and the pilot took them out smoothly, pointed them towards the looming bulk of the Lictor and glided over. It was a quick journey, and less than ten minutes later Enox was standing on the Asylum’s hangar deck exchanging greetings with Max and Pat.

“I have to admit, I sort of expected that old lizard to be here too?”

“He is still in self imposed isolation.. does a lot of meditating it would appear. This…. Idea of his seems to have well and truly taken hold of him.”

“Yes, have to say I thought it a bit crazy on first read, but now…. Well, perhaps this is not as hairbrained as it appears. Something about it… resonates wit hme.”

Max raised an eyebrow,

“Truly? I cant say so myself, but I also don’t feel it is madness. I had settled on eccentric perhaps. Importantly, I have realised it has balanced our somewhat unstable friend and if only for that, I have to give it credence. Pat and myself are just going back to the Binary Sunrise, Argon will take you to see Logan, come on over once you are done and we can talk further.”

And so Enox followed the lumbering Argon to the self imposed cell that Logan was in.

“Careful eyes, light very strong, like small sun”

Argon is quite proud that he remembered to warn Enox about the lighting level in the room before opening the door, but even warned, it took Enox aback and made his eyes water a bit until they adjusted. The door behind him closed and Enox spotted the sitting form of Logan in the middle of the room. He was looking at Enox, a broad smile on his face. A face that looked odd…. And then Enox got his second shock, because Logans face had… regrown? The medical staff had repeatedly failed to get skin grafts to work and Logan had been wearing face masks for months, but it would appear something had finally worked? And apparently without leaving heavy scars either.

“ENOX!!! It has been a long time, too long. Come sit, join me for a while.”

The joy and strength in Logans voice was yet another surprise, last time they spoke, Logan could barely croak and his mood… well, joyful was certainly not a way to describe him. But this… well, this was a different Logan, it was almost… almost the Logan he had first met, the younger Trandoshan with a crazy, mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Greetings Logan, it has been long, but it does my soul good to see you back in such good humour and health once again.”

“Aha! Yes, yes, I was not so great last time we met, I do remember”

The two spent the best part of the afternoon talking, interupteed briefly by Argon bringing in some refreshments. Eventually their conversation dried up and Enox realised it was time to leave when Logan appeared to simply switch off, his eyes glazing over and his gaze going distant.

Leaving the room he realised that Argon had been replaced by a less familiar figure, but one Enox knew of.

“Tersen isn’t it?”

“Yes sir”

“That thing he just did… sort of going vacant?”

“Does it a lot, but less so recently. Controlling the dark he says.”

Tersen said this with a shrug of his shoulders, indicating he did not fully understand. But carried on,

“force stuff, not like light and dark we see…”

Enox nodded his head in understanding.

“I will head back to the hangar bay, I assume my shuttle is still there?”

“Yes, fed pilot, shuttle ready for you.”

Enox thanked Tersen and assured him he was happy to make his own way back, knowing the layout of this ship pretty well. Besides, he wanted the time to sift through all the interesting and amazing things they had discussed, to take them in, grasp and understand them. He wanted to make sure he was settled in his own mind, before he got to the Binary Sunrise.

So Enox took his time, having a slow stroll through the decks of the Lictor instead of simply going up in the lift and eventually got to the hangar and boarded his shuttle. He instructed the pilot to take a slow ride over, prolonging his quiet contemplation time that bit further.

And so, by the time he was sitting in a comfortable armchair, in a beautifully designed room that oozed peace and tranquillity and sharing a drink with Max and Pat, his mind was settled.”

“So, Enox…. I would appreciate your thoughts on Logans… ideas, on his plans and most importantly on his state of mind?”

“I am not a medic, so can only speak of his state of mind as I see it myself. And what I see is a Logan that is more at peace, more in control than I think I have ever seen him. And as for the rest…. I don’t mind admitting that it really, truly resonates with me Max. It somehow fills a gap I was not aware existed. But it just does. I support him in this with enthusiasm, with passion. I am not sure that ‘belief’ is a word that suits what this is, it does not feel like a religion as such, more like an explanation for our way of life, a path to follow as I navigate the complexities of life. I will be taking more time to study this, to learn and with the permission of the Triumvirate, to help Logan and the Ascendancy. I can see only good coming out of this Max.”

Another, long conversation took place, the three talking deep into the night hours and despite not all seeing the same point of view, they all somehow left that meeting feeling better than they had before it began.

[Logan Shivers]

The secluded little corner of the Galaxy Logan had settled in was getting quite busy. Shortly after Enox had left the Asylum, the picket ships had announced the arrival of an AMC system stalker. The workhorse was mostly undistinguishable from many other such ships within the AMC inventory, the large #5 splashed across its side the only identifying mark. To those who knew, this meant that Shri Bacca had just made his entrance, this being, for no apparent reason, his favourite system stalker in the fleet.
The AMC system stalkers are ships converted solely for the purpose of searching for and potentially claiming of lost and undiscovered systems. Upgraded sensor arrays, hulls stuffed full of equipment specific to establishing a safe and habitable ‘beach head’ on any type of rock large enough to be of use to them, be it an asteroid or a planet, moon or even a gas giant. Designed for spending extremely long periods of time in deep space, they also had extended fuel cells and substantial stores of food and drink. In some ships there were largely sentient crews, but in others, such as the one in question, the crews were mostly droids.

The AMC used two ships to convert for this purpose, both proven workhoses. The GR-75 and the BFF Bulk Freighter. #5 was a BFF, an old one at that, some of its hull panels showing the scars of space debri colllisions and in places the paint had just worn away from years and years of atmospheric entry and exit.

Shri sat in the pilots chair, a well padded, comfortable looking thing even for its obvious signs of wear and tear. He had been searching deep space for the best part of three months with nothing more than droids for company and as such, was getting seriously stir crazy. This call had come just in time as far as he was concerned and although he had read the provided document that came with it, he did not bother to fully immerse himself in it. He had time for that, perhaps next time he was out in deep space for any length of time and needed entertaining, or, if it panned out that way, some extra toilet paper?!

But back to the present and Shri has managed to dock directly with the Lictor and wastes no time in making his way to the Asylum. He is greeted there by Enox, Max and Pat, all of whom have spent time with Logan and also with each other, discussing to the point of tedium knowing them. Shri is secretly glad he has arrived late to that party.

“Where is the lizard?”

Noticing the crazy eyed look in his cousing eyes, Max decided against taunting him for the lack of greeting, he reminded himself of the months Shri had just spent in deep space and gave some room.

Pointing towards Argon Max simply stated,

“Follow the mountain and mind the light”

After Shri had walked off, Enox turned to Max and raised an eyebrow,

“Erm, anyone else notice the skull and the pelt? What is all that about?”

“Logan has a thing for Katarn skulls, guess it’s a gift, as for the pelt… who knows, perhaps Shri just got sick of the stink of it?”

Two levels down, Shri walked into the glaringly bright room and commanded the lights to a lower setting. He stood himself in front of the still seated Logan and dropped the hunting trophies at his feet and then snorts

“Faceless Hunter Ascendancy huh?”

He looks Logan right in the eyes and continues,

“Not a bad name, not a bad code, too bad you had to mix the force up with it”

Logan smiles and stands, the Katarn skull in his hands, his eyes caressing its features.

“Ah, Shri, but that is just part of MY path, it does not mean it is part of everyoones, and indeed not yours. You have your own hunting path to forge.”

Still not overly in the mood for any in depth conversations of this kind, Shri turns towards the door,

“Glad to see you are doing better. I have a case of Vaschean rye in the system stalker if you care to join me."

The smile on Logans face broadens. Yes, it is perhaps time to leave the meditation cell, for a while anyway. Letting Shri head out, Logan carefully places the skull on the wampa pelt and follows.

On his way to the docking bay Shri comes across Enox, Max and Pat, still deep in discussion.

“Cousins, Pat, care to join me for a drink?”

He does not wait for a reply, just heads on down the corridor and back onto his ship, Logan not far behind who smiles at the three and winks.

“He brought me a skull and then offers me a drink, how could I refuse.”

Max rolls his eyes. This, more than anything else tells him that Logan has returned to some sort of normality. It just remained to find out just what shape that normality might take.

[Shri Bacca]

Love it.

[Logan Shivers]

Deciding that a drink with good friends was overdue, Max and Pat joined them in the System Stalker. After all, too much seriousness could get a bit tedious and everyone needed to relax, and what better time to do so when in a secure location, in the middle of nowhere – quite literally!

Pat did pause before entering, grabbed hold of a passing crewman and requested that somebody was sent over to the C-3 to retrieve a crate of special reserve that he had there. He always liked to bring a drink to a party, sharing was just his style.

Enox smiled, scratched his head in apparent thought and walked over to his shuttle, he came back out holding two bottles of rather strong Sarlacc Liquor, knowing it would be appreciated.

Meanwhile, unknown to the five companions, another ship was making its approach. The Arquittens class cruiser “Kashyyk’s Defiance” slowly drifted to a halt in loose formation with the slowly growing cluster of ships. Oquan jumped into the pilots seat of a delta shuttle and headed over to the Asylum, looking forward to seeing his old friend. He had not seen Logan since the mission on Polus and he hoped the cranky old lizard was ok.

Aboard the bridge of the Asylum, Argon put his head in his hands in a show of resignation. One of the crew noticed and enquired if all was ok.

“All go crazy now, Logan drinking and Oquan here….”

“What is so bad about that?”

“You see, not take long.”


And of course, once Oquan discovered the merry group of friends enjoying a drink, he was quick to join in.

“Heeeey…. I didn’t know it was THIs sort of get together!!! I would have arrived earlier had I known, surely means you are back in fighting form my old friend, so get your lizard lips off that bottle and find me something to drink!”

So five became six and the hours went past, the drink flowing freely and all happily recalling good times, hard times and, of course, with Oquan and Logan present… some crazy times.

As the group quietened down a little, Logan leant over to Oquan and whispered in a slight slurr

“Hey furball, fancy a race?”

“YEAH!!, oh erm, well what sort of race?”

“The best type, give me five minutes and meet me in hangar.”

With that Logan made his excuses, claiming he was heading to find some food for them all. What seemed like an age later, Oquan played his part…

“My stomach feels like a vacuum and that drunk reptile is probably going to come back with leaves or something to eat… that is IF he finds his way back… I’m going to make sure he brings back something decent.”

And off he stumbled, leaving Max, Pat, Shri and Enox engrossed in a game of cards.

In the hangar bay, Oquan found Logan leaning on a shiny red ship. He concentrated, forcing his vision to focus and identified the nimble looking ship as an Einstar Apostro-9. No, correction, it was TWO Einstars! A huge grin split his face, those things were damned fast!!

“You may have a lizard brain, but even I will admit.. you come up with some GREAT ideas!!”

Logan chucked him a flight helmet and somewhat clumsily climbed into one of the Einstars.

“First one to loop all the ships and reach the Medusa chooses the next drink!”

The two of them scrambled into the cockpits and started up the engines. With his slight head start, Logans Apostro was first off its skids. It wobbled, turned, had another wobble and started to move towards the hangar exit. The ships shields flared a couple of times as Logan skimmed first across the hangar ceiling, then too low across its deck, but then finally the ship was out and into the wide expance of space.

Oquan was not far behind, Managing to drag the apostro along the hangar deck, skids still down with throttles high, his Apostro shot out into space like a frag shotgun blast, the ship itself curling upwards in a trajectory that would loop him around the Lictor, but the skids got torn off by the lip at the hangar bay door and spun out into space.

“oops, Logan, think I lost the skids”

“AHAHAHA!!... no matter, these here be training ships, they have had worse!!”

Both ships had now gained speed and having looped the Lictor, headed out to the Arquittens to play, engines burning at full throttle.

Enox, Shri, Pat and Max went looking for the two missing companions. Having failed to find them they met up on the Bridge where they found Argon staring out into space with a look of resignation on his face. Max approached the big Gamorrean.

“Argon, we appear to have lost Logan and Oquan… any ideas?”

“Very careless to lose. Yes, two are in Apostros, out there racing.”

It was then that Max noted the feed coming in from two ships, screaming through the void of deep space, heading towards a Corona and what appeared to be a Med-Neb.

“Oh, I see. Well, at least they haven’t stolen the ships this time… those two are a right pair of clowns when they get drinking together. Is that Genes ship out there?”

“Yes, He said he come over in Sprint, faster, he not got lots time.”

“in that case, think it is time for some sobering up…. And we could do with dragging those two back?”

“Hadji have stuff get rid intoxicants. Try to call them back now.”

The two elated drinking companions raced through space, not really caring who was in the lead, their two ships dancing around each other and the true thrill being the tremendous speed of these little ships. They were eating up the distance between the Asylum and the Corona on outer perimeter picket, a journey that would take several hours in other ships, but had taken them just over one so far.
As they drew closer, and began to pay a bit more attention, Logan noticed a flight of N-1’s come out of the Corona and head towards them.

“Hey, looks like Medusa is sending out some ships for us to play with!, see if we can scatter them/”

“YEAH!!”

So the two changed course and headed straight at the 6 incoming fighters in a lunatic game of chicken. The closing speed was stupendous and before long, the terrified pilots of the N-1’s had scattered, making room for the unyielding lunatics in the Apostros. Radio calls from the Medusa, the Asylum and the fighters were being ignored by both Logan and Oquan, both more intent on the fun they were having.

“Hey Logan!, look! That is Genes ship, and I just seen a Sprint leave it and head back towards our ships… those are pretty fast, shall we race it?”

“YESSSSS!!! And lets say hello too!”

A quarter of the way back, the two fighters caught up with the Sprint and Logan inverted his ship in relation to the sprint and moved in closer, closer, closer… until the bubble of his canopy was almost touching the sprint, just above its own cockpit. The pilot inside looked terrified, but was unable to move because right under his ship, the shields flashing with intermittent contact, Oquan’s ship held position. Both Oquan and Logan were grinning like idiots and waving into the sprints cockpit.

Back on the Asylum, a comms officer went pale faced to Argon.

“Sir, they are scaring the pilot… and sir, they are drunk… this could be dangerous.”

“Yes. Enough. Get pilots in training seats, bring home.”

Being training ships, the Apostros had an override cockpit located in the Asylum. From there instructors could take over if trainee pilots were about to crash and burn and now, two such pilots logged in and took over the controls remotely.

Out in deep space, the two rerd streaks pulled away from the Sprint, then tucked in next to it at a respectful distance, holding formation. Logan, knowing what had been done was taking advantage and put his legs up, tucked his chin down and let himself drift off to sleep, a satisfied smile on his face. Oquan battled his controls for a while, cursing and banging at things, but eventually his drink addled brain caught up and he too realised what must be happening. With nothing else to do, and at this, slower speed, with another hour or so to kill before they reached the Asylum, he too relaxed and tried to snooze.

[Logan Shivers]

Hours later, whilst Logan and Oquan were sleeping off their intoxication, Max met with Gene in the stark, but still somehow comfortable confines of the Sprint. Their meeting had been sedate, as these things always were with the Apothecary, his clinical mind not rushing to swings in attitude, temper or feeling. But it was now drawing to a close.

“Proconsul, this is the root of it. Physically I agree wholeheartedly with Dr Hadji, General Shivers is back to excellent health, more than I ever thought possible. His natural healing abilities are clearly still functioning despite his age and for that I am sure he is grateful. His mental state is another matter. Although he clearly still holds his high intellect and whilst sober he is as sharp as anyone I have ever met, his emotions are not, which leads to incidents pretty much like this where the emotions over rule the mind and lead him to actions that would be perhaps expected of a much younger sentient. His mental state is therefore unstable as a result.”

“So you are stating he is not fit for duty?”

The Apothecary sat in silence for a while, then shook his head.

“No, I am not saying that at all. We both know he has always had the two sides to him, be it internalised in his battle with the force, or externalised in his behaviour or both. He has been steadily unwinding ever since Carlac…. But… well, he somehow seems to have stopped that unravelling. He has solidified control and stabilised, he is perhaps now even more stable than he was before Carlac, although I don’t hold hopes of him ever completely relinquishing his “other” side, he is on the whole as mentally stable as he has ever been. You have trusted him before so I see no reason at all to steer you away now. In fact…. This current fascination of his with the Hunt, with a path to follow, the whole Legacy thing…. It will give him, and others a focal point that can only prove beneficial to the AMC as a whole. I have to admit that it is even giving me cause for thought.”

Max sat in somewhat stunned silence for a while. Of all the High Command, he had not expected that Gene would take even a cursory interest in this. He had called upon his most educated and renouned medical expert to gauge opinion on Logans well being, but to get an endorsement for the relisious path he also wanted to create was an unexpected surprise.

“Thanks you Gene for your cander, I must admit to surprise at your interest in the Path?”

“I admit it has taken me somewhat by surprise too. If you had mentioned it to me at any other time, in any other setting I would most likely have brushed it off as the ravings of a madman… and perhaps I still should, butt, well, there Is something to it. After all, as a medical practitioner a belief in any higher power such as gods is simply incompatible, but a belief based around the fact that life must have a purpose, that it is not simply a journey to nowhere?... That holds more than enough food for thought.”

They exchanged some further pleasantries for a while and then Gene excused himself, his schedule was tight and he had to get back to it. Max knew the pressures Gene was under so did not mind being more or less pushed off the Sprint, verbally of course as Gene would not succumb to physical coercion. Max stood and watched the Sprint carefully exit the Asylums bay and grow smaller and smaller in size until a bright streak signalled the pilot pushing the sublight engines to full power and the diminishing ship vanished from plain sight.

As he turned to head back to his own shuttle, thinking it was about time he too got some rest, he got his second surprise of the past hour. Oquan stood in the entryway to his shuttle, leaning up against the bulkhead with a grin on his face.

“Hey Max, you look tired.”

“It has been a long day… and I have to say that after your antics, I am surprised that you are not still asleep yourself.”

“Ah, yes, well, Gene is not the only one in a hurry, remember you handed me a contract just last week? Well, cant hang around here, got to get to it. But before I go…. My opinion? Trust him. Like you used to. He is still Logan, he is if anything MORE Logan… don’t know how else to explain it, but the insanity, the foolish antics? Very much controlled… he is not a loose cannon. I don’t know how, perhaps it is this new found faith of his, but he has a firmer grip on himself that he has had in years.”

“So your drunked antics with him today….?”

“You lot are all looking at the sober, sensible Logan and trying to make up your minds…. And guessing at the other Logan… Well, I looked at that other Logan, the only way I knew how, I made sure he got as drunk as possible, gave him opportunity to crack…. But he did not, not even slightly. Had I done that with him last time we met, just after Polus… I think he would have gone on a rampage that none of us would have liked to see. He is ok Max… and the Path? Hells, it gives him something to focus on… and perhaps even something for me to think about next time you have me searching the Galaxy for lost systems!”

Max smiled. Trust Oquan to look at things from a different tangent….

“Thank you Oquan, as always your way of thinking has its own way of doing things… but inevitably brings with it clarity. Safe travels, meet me in Ebra once you are done, we have work to do there.”

[Logan Shivers]

The pocket of deep, dark space around the Lictor “Asylum” darkened that bit more as the ships that had been gathering around it left one by one, each beginning its long journey to the nearest hyperlane entry point. Logan stood right at the lip of the huge bay doors, a tiny figure in that vastness, watching them go. Finally, only one other ship remained with them and it brought a smile to his face. It had been really good to see so many of his friends, not all of them by any stretch, but he had been pleasantly surprised at how many had come, even if it was at the behest of Max.

Logan knew he had given them more than enough reason to doubt him, and he did not fault their need to test him, to check him out fully and assess him. But there was one, final, all important test and that is why the sleep looking C-3 was still there. With a smile still on his face, he boarded the DX-9 that was waiting for him ramp down, engines powered up and pilot sitting at the ready and climbed aboard. He was ready.

The DX-9 smoothly lifted off, its ramp still sliding shut as it made its way to the bay doors and then it was out, into the void and on its way to the C-3. A quick journey and one that was met at the other end with just two figures. Max and Pat were formally in their order cloaks and looked both serene and official at the same time.

Logan stepped off his shuttle, standing proud and walked over to them. He was simply dressed, his customary black calf length boots, black trousers tucked into them, white top and a dark brown floor length leather cloak. No armour, no weaponry, well, apart from his claws but hey, he was not getting amputated for this!

The three proceeded towards the higher decks of the ship and entered a room Logan had fond memories of. He had, in fact, taken ideas from this very room when building his own meditation suite on the Asylum. It was pretty much srark white throughout, with the addition of some green plants Logan could not name and a grey disc right in the middle of the room.

The three placed themselves around the disk, the tips of their booted feet not quite touching its circumference and equidistant from each other. Knowing what was expected Logan let himself relax, let his guard down completely, released his somewhat automated grip on his force shield and entered into a meditative, calming trance.

Within minutes he was ready and the two Knights of the Order did their own preparations. To the casual observer, nothing much happened over the next few minutes, the three just appeared to stand there, their gazes locked in some distant place, their bodies barely taking breath.

But to any force user this would be an intense experience. The force energy being manipulated during this time was impressive and very directed. It was all directed at Logan, but not in a hostile manner, but in an exploratory manner. The two knights were delving deep into his psyche, testing, prodding, pushing, searching.

Max was the first to take in a deep breath, almost a gasp, his eyes blinking and his gaze returning to the present place. Pat did similar not long after, followed by Logan who almost fell to his knees, having to place a hand down on the floor to steady himself. He managed to stand himself back up and steady himself on somewhat shaky legs.

The ordeal may not have been an attack, but it was certainly demanding and it had clearly taken its toll. Happy that Logan was not about to keel over, Paat took the lead, as the most senior amongst their Order.

“As a Knight of the Celestial Kingdom I am satisfied that Baron Typhon is safe to continue his duties amongst our Order. He has been tested and found strong.”

Max took his turn,

“As a Knight of the Celestial Kingdom I am satisfied that Baron Typhon is safe to continue his duties amongst our Order. He has been tested and found strong.”

Pat smiled, relaxed and carried on more informally.

“Logan…. You have clearly been using your time well. I sense that not only have you reached a stable condition within yourself, but in doing so you have increased your force capability quite substantially since we last met. I sense that you are now at a point where you can be considered a Master force user, a position not many in this galaxy manage to attain. Let me be the first to congratulate you. I had wondered if you would end up too far gone to the dark side, but although you still hold to elements of its taint, you are in no danger of becoming beholden to its vile grasp.”

Max nodded his agreement,

“Yes, in fact had you not let your guard down for this session, I have my doubts as to how effective my delving would have been. The force is indeed very strong with you my friend, and am I glad to see that you have control of it. Welcome back into the fold, truly and fully. I will also take this opportunity to confirm not only your re-instatement to the rank of General within the AMC, but to officially offer you our full support and backing for your new…. Hmm… path in life I guess is the most fitting term.”

The sigh of relief that came from Logan was thunderous, the smile on his thin lips large and toothy.

“Baronet Omic, Baron Helvetius… Pat, Max, Thank you. Your support, your understanding, it is very welcomed.”

The three retired to a more comfortable room within the ship and spent the next several hours in comfortable reflection and discussion, whilst enjoying hearty food supplied by the ships galley.

Two days later, the Asylum floated on its own, all other ships in the region having moved on to other tasks. Logan stood at the windows of the bridge, staring out into the darkness.

“Argon, it is time, lets go home. We have work to do.”