Open Space and Hyperspace

This was like a new season of life for Seros. He hadn't meditated this frequently in years since his days at the Enclaves, and even then, he didn't know of a time where he spent a good portion of his time delving the deep waves of the Force on a daily basis for almost a week straight. Perhaps that wherein lied the problem of his erratic emotions. Looking back on it, he was a bit emberassed at himself, and the depths of patheticness he'd reached. But since Kaali disappeared into the great unknown yet again, it was all he could do to keep his head straight.

....and it's been paying off, quite frankly.

In short, having dealt with the blockades, and not sensing Kaali's presence anywhere near his present location during the altercation, Seros reached a serious point of desperation....only to realize that what he was then feeling were the things that instigated destructive results on a person. Fear, doubt, and shame on himself. Did he really falter so easily? Through reaching that vibrant, unique place in his subconscious, he was eventually reminded that the universe was so much bigger than his problems. The Force 'girl' wasn't there as before, but he knew why. His care and devotion Kaali was a gift, given to him by the Force. But if it wasn't kept in check, then his life would in turn be unbalanced. If the Force had a will, which he most certainly perceived it did by this point, perhaps that's why they got seperated twice. To learn about what 'control' really is, in its entirety, but more importantly, what is 'wasn't'. Considering what he knew about this Syndicate and Black Sun already, and what was currently at stake, he felt, far outweighed his compulsive need to be near to her at the moment. He still spent a good portion of his time in that ethereal place. It was worlds better to him than the Indy (no offense to Oz). Despite being apart from the Order, he still felt he was..no. He 'knew' he was still a Jedi. He didn't wear the robes because he was simply accustomed to them. These weren't his robes to begin with, either. They were Sam's. He was that bent on representing justice. It was time to step into the path of his destiny once again.

The meditations started up on the second day after Kaali disappeared, which was one day after the altercation with the blockade. The first two days he devoted to clearing his head, aligning his thoughts and emotions back to operable efficiency. He recollected when all things lined up previously, when he had his head on straight during key moments of his life. Before Nephus, anyway. He used those memories like a template, as it were. The last day before the hyperspace jump, he devoted his focuses back to being his productive self, and also his maturing journey in the ways of the Force in his spare time. His countenance had even changed. Head held a bit higher, and his cheeks weren't nearly as dark and drawn as they had been in the past week. Nourished and full-hardy, he kept his routine workouts in the mornings, taking full advantage of the nutrtious pallete available to him through the Indy's food vendors.

During the last day and a half aboard the Indy, Seros kept it a habit to keep in touch with Liya in concerns to what was happening with that list of martial artists she held, as well as keeping informed on the status of their good captain, wherever he might have gone to. He felt he couldn't, nor shouldn't do much in terms of trying to help locate him by going over to the Skip from the Indy. There would have been a chance of him being spotted by a bounty hunter or more Syndicate lackeys still looming about. It was smarter for him to stay put and help with provisions for their next jump. He also took the liberty to stock up on foods that would benefit his own personal diet along the way. Proteins, minerals, veggies, the like, into the Loronar's sufficient fridge space.

---

Well on their way to Bespin by now, Seros had composed more in his journal about things past, more theories on the use of deathsticks, and had meditated all the more. He wanted to take this new season seriously. Exercising Force powers was one thing. But you had to smooth out the rough edges attained from all the use. He hadn't done that nearly enough in the past few years. Losing track of Kaali helped him realize that again. No more impulsivity. It was the middle of the 'day', as it were. At least the day that the crew seemed to be operating on at any rate. Time for some physical nourishment after the spiritual. Opening his door to the main corridor, he proceeded about that deck of the ship, only to find that no one was there. Only one other place they could be...

Approaching the bridge, he saw Dante leaning up against the door leading into it. Surmising it was probably crowded in there to begin with, Seros quietly took his place against the opposite wall just a foot or two down from Dante's back, and listened intently to what was going on inside.



Seros soaked it up like a sponge. These were things he didn't get from Dante before, when he was given 'one chance' for a fully honest question. Whatever. The grudge was shoved aside for the sake of the sensitivity of the situation.

"..and I'm a lot weaker than I used to be. You need me, and I need you...but for how much longer?"
Was that his age talking, or were the deathsticks still having that heavily affect on him? Must be the different bloodtype, or the manner in which it was 'administered.' An average dose in liquid form put Seros under from anywhere between five to seven hours. He'd keep a close eye on Dante to see when his powers would manifest again. No way in hell would it silence them permanently.

"..last few surviving Firrerreo." Even though Seros surmised this already, it helped explain Dante's overall manner once he finally got to explaining himself. It just clicked right then. This was an extremely broken man for understandable reasons; nonetheless, broken men still need to be regarded sensitively, and watched.

"I am a professional soldier, duelist, spy, and investigator - I have been specifically trained in espionage and counter intelligence, and share many of the same...skill sets...as Jace here." Seros' interest was both peeked, and satiated all at once. Seros now knew all the more he had to respect this man's presence, and now...Jace's as well. Those two knew each other before this excursion started. Interesting. He'd surveyed Jace's posture and stride and assumed the good possibility he had the prior training of a combatant. He then remembered Jace in their run in with the jekk. The way he brandished and wielded his firearm.

"For the past four years, I have been keeping tabs on the Syndicate." This, despite his distrust of Dante, actually appealed to Seros, knowing that someone as resourceful as Dante had means and knowledge of potential loopholes in the Syndicate's operations. While he was a loose cannon, as rogue as they come, Seros still felt the Syndicate, and even Black Sun, disliked Dante's position more than this crew ever would.

"It is called FCV stroke 454. I will not divulge the nature of this item...stolen from me. Gideon Warr." "Gideon Warr. A Moff. ...Was that...?" Seros shook it off. "No. It's nothing.."

"and his grunt force sensitive lacky, Strahl the Thisspissian..." "....Great." Seros' jaw tightened a bit as he looked to the floor. "A Force-wielding Thisspissian." By the Force, he prayed he wouldn't have a run in with this Strahl. That right there tipped the weight balance of engagement quite a bit, both literally and figuratively. Fully grown Thisspissians are not to be taken 'lightly.' But now, Seros' presence seemed a bit more necessary. If there were to be any engagement with this 'grunt,' Seros had the highest probability of coming out of that engagement on top than any of the others.

"...exotic technologies and theoretical applications of alien and force sensitive tech into applicable military hardware...one piece that he has adapted for war, is using the artifact - The Eye - as a focusing device in a micro superlaser assembly. A super turbolaser." And suddenly, awe and clarity made the most peculiar mixture in his head. He let out a noticeable breath, letting his head softly hit the wall behind him as he looked past the ceiling. "...Damn. All makes sense now, ol' boy. Another superweapon that rivals that of the Death Stars and Star Forges, amplified by the Force itself." Such a thing would be abominable. The thought hybriding channeled Force energy with man-made machines designed for destruction...it made Seros' spirit churn. But that wasn't anything compared to what came next...

The artifact. "This is why Daniel is here, and was hired to begin with...we must find the last piece, so that I can use it as a bargaining chip for FCV/454. Help me do this...and I will back you with whatever supplies, weapons, or resources you need to find your captain."


Wait wait wait.. Did Dante just admit to giving the Syndicate a chance to complete this superweapon on the condition of retrieving his rather ambiguously 'valuable' FCV item? What in the Force's name could be MORE important than trying to prevent such a machine from being completed?


Well, whatever Liya planned to do at this point in concerns to the lists she found on the datacards seemed rather secondary. Did they even HEAR what Dante just said? Moreover, did they understand what he 'didn't' say? No mention of trying to trick the Syndicate into a bum-deal, or trying to stop them altogether. Could he assume it was implied, at least? Dante was as egnimatic, mysterious, and deliberately devious a person Seros had ever met. He found it absurd that both Liya and Jace both seemed to shrug this off; but then again...he knew he didn't have the whole picture. None of them did. Regardless, something needed to be said.

After Liya addressed Logan's request, Seros took a bold step into the bridge door, lightly scraping by Dante, and looked to her sitting leisurely in her seat.
"Pardon me, ma'am..." the 'ma'am' only came out as an instinctive sense of decorum, as Seros had recognized Liya as the unofficially appointed leader in Fel's stead. After Liya raised a brow in amusement, Seros chocked a slight smirk and continued. "..Liya." he turned his body towards the center of the cabin, as to open his querry to all inhabitants. "...How do you fig'r, that whatever FCV item.." he looked about the room to each person's face as he continued, except Dante's. "..is more important, than preventing a capable, power-hungry remnant to complete a superweapon. Much less one that could be amplified by the fabric o'the Force itself?"

"We look for a piece o'the Eye, find it, give it to him.." Now he looked to Dante, arm outstretched to him, then glanced back to Liya. "..so he can trade galactic integri'y for Force knows what? I mean, I know you're contract workers, and details are best left a bit fuzzy at times..." he solemned his volume, and even then he wasn't that loud to begin with. "..but you go'a question. What on earth could possibly be more important than preventing mass genocide?"

He turned back to Dante, taking two small shuffling steps in his general direction, not really moving much from where he was in between him and Liya. "I heard no mention of you trying to stop the Syndicate. Is that somehow 'implied,' I hope..?" his brow narrowed, voice quiet. "..or are they only in this for your precious goods?"

With Liya's dismissal of his request Daniel didn't quite know if he was more relieved or frustrated, in either case he simply nodded, accepting the answer he received without argument. Things would move more slowly but Zooey would be safe from all of this. Turning back to the monitors he opened his journal and continued his work, taking himself out of the conversation as he had nothing further to add at this time, but he kept his ears open to listen. Dante's honesty was taken with a grain of salt given the revelation of his true name, Dante the Deceiver, but the others accepted it for what it was, and asked few questions. All but one, this new person he had yet to meet (Seros), whether that was a reflection of the people he had fallen in with remained to be seen, and Daniel would not jump to conclusions so quickly as this man seemed to have already done. Observation was part of a his job, and he had yet to deduce the character these people. He simply needed more information.

It may have appeared odd to those in the room, even cold and uncaring perhaps, but Daniel's attention did not waver from his work as Dante answered the man's questions and in great detail. But he was not unfamiliar with the plight of the people of Firrerre. What happened to them was monstrous, unquestionably evil, but such was the way of the Empire of old. Countless fell victim to their wrath. This was however the first time that he had heard a first hand account of the atrocities committed, the anger, the pain, the hate, all so evident in the retelling. How could he be blamed for such a skewed outlook on the human race? The traits that Dante used to describe humanity were not exclusive to any one species in the galaxy. In fact it was a Firrerreon's plan who endangered his species, not a human, the same Firrerreo who also pulled the trigger, a detail he either didn't know or neglected to mention. Humanity has its wicked souls, as do many races in the galaxy. Yet he so callously condemns humans, not taking into account that the acts of a few do not define an entire race.

Daniel believed in the good of others, that people are inherently good, that evil preys on those who have lost themselves somewhere along their path. It is a belief that he was sure he did not share with probably everyone on this ship, but it was how he chose to see the galaxy. No one was beyond redemption. And though he did not trust Dante, in the briefest of moments he saw the good in him, a glimmer of the man that Daniel suspected his employer once was.

And after Dante exited the cockpit he could feel the looming tension and awkwardness in the room, it was thick, heavy, unsettling and made him anxious to get to Bespin and get off this ship. He needed not only to purchase some much needed supplies but he needed some space from these people. And for the first time since Liya had spoken to him he turned in his chair to see everyone in the room. Just at first glance he could tell that they were all looking to Liya for leadership, it made him wonder if that was the chain of command or the situation. But judging from her body language it was clear that the situation called for a leader, and the flock had selected one. Her tone, her eyes, her expression, the subtleties in all of them hinted at a familiar place in his past, when leadership was thrust upon him.

He was a teachers aide in his senior year at the University, he mostly graded papers, did what he was told, and got very little time to actually interact with the students. It wasn't until he was put on the spot when the professor was unexpectedly absent and Daniel had to lead the class. He didn't want it, though he was capable to do it. Whether it was fear, or self doubt, or lack of preparation, or even a combination of all three. But he weathered the storm and was better for it. This situation was different yes, but the circumstances were very similar, perhaps he could help her through if she started to falter.

He turned to look at Liya, a brief, sympathetic glace, it wasn't his turn to talk, not yet anyway, so he remained silent and seemingly unnoticed.

It certainly wasn't his turn to talk, but it was apparently Dante's, who had just returned clad in black and ready for battle, drawing Daniel's attention to him. That was quick. He thought to himself before looking Dante over, what could he possibly need all of those weapons for? Daniel knew that they may be headed into trouble, but Dante had enough weapons strapped on to take on a small army. And as he stood there staring at everyone Daniel only had one thought on his mind, he's really creeping my out. And then he spoke.

Killing people is going to help his mood? That makes me feel much better. He thought sarcastically. Thank the core they were almost there. It wasn't exactly difficult to tell that Dante made Daniel uneasy, his cavalier attitude toward death and apparently murder would have made almost anyone Daniel knew want to report him to the authorities and then run for the hills, or the other way around depending on the person in question. It wasn't until Dante pulled a pistol out that Daniel got really nervous, but learning that the madman would have one less weapon on his person set Daniel's mind slightly at ease.

But then the weapon was tossed to him and Daniel's heart almost stopped. He fumbled the weapon around in the air before finally catching it in one hand with his journal securely grasped in the other, as he thought to himself who throws a blaster!? Then he realized that he actually had a blaster in his hand and he looked quickly up at Dante, only seeing his back as he walked away, he then looked to Jace and then to Liya with an Oh-My-God-What-Do-I-Do? expression painted on it. Clearly he was still uncomfortable around blasters of any sort, and this one was pretty big.

He looked back down at the blaster, then to Jace, then to Liya, then back to the blaster staring silently before he started to walk, not sure where he was headed. He preferred to use his brain for defense, not some killing device.

As he exited the cockpit he looked back over his shoulder once more, not really sure where he was headed or even why. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped alone with Dante...out of screaming distance. But surely enough he followed the THUMP, THUMP of Dante's steps as he lead the way to the cargo hold.

Daniel cautiously stepped into the cargo hold, looking around at the makeshift shooting range that Dante had put together and something told him that this wasn't the first time Dante had made something like this, nor would it be the last. He listened to the breakdown of what the weapon can do, nodding every now and then to convey that he understood what he was being told. He held the weapon by the grip lazily in front of him making sure that his finger was nowhere near the trigger, glancing down at it from time to time. Listening to what Dante was saying about what makes a weapon deadly, and he agreed mostly, however in his mind it could be argued that while people make weapons deadly that weapons in turn make people deadly though he would not bring up the point.

"My dad used to have a pistol, he taught me how to shoot it once, but it was much different that this one. Smaller, lighter, he used to use it to shoot small rodents and reptiles on digs. He let me stand guard once. It was--" he stopped and looked down, with a quick shake of his head, "nevermind."

It was the last time he had seen his parents alive, but that was personal, no one needed to know about that. He sighed and looked at Dante, "Honestly, I'm lost." He certainly was, he didn't know how to use a weapon, and sure didn't know how to take someones life, nor was he willing to.

Jace couldn't help but be mildly surprised by the amount of information Dante was revealing to them. He didn't know if this was out of necessity or if this was the new-and-improved Dante, or possibly a combination of both. Either way, he welcomed this amount of honesty from his illusive friend and hoped that it would make it easier for Liya, Daniel, and Seros to work with him. When he brought up the fact that they both had familiar skill sets and various contacts, Jace normally would have shot Dante a glare that signified he had revealed to much. But he did not, as he had already told himself prior to this meeting that he was going to be more open with those he worked with, especially his fellow crew members. He didn't see any harm in letting them have a small clue once in awhile to stir their curiosity, as long as it was limited to that.

The rest of what Dante said to the assembled team he already knew from the interrogation session with the agent as well from his eavesdropping on Dante's and Seros' conversation back on the Run, which gave him a moment to ponder the item FCV/454 with clues from what Dante said. It was extremely valuable to Dante and had been taken from him by Gideon, so it had to be something a bit more personal than a normal ship or some useless memorabilia. There was only one of it in the galaxy present that he knew of, or possibly only one left. As for it's value, that could just be his opinion of it, seeing how he is willing to trade it for this 'Eye' artifact. To himself or anybody else in this Universe it could be as worthless as a broken speeder. But there was only one that they knew of, so it was probably worth more than that. Regardless, that narrowed the list down by a lot. But there was still far too many things that it could be to be guessing at what it could be. Hopefully they would get a little more information as to it's nature at their next stop.

Jace took note of Daniel's short answer and wondered if he had been telling the truth or not. From what he's seen of him around the ship (which isn't much, he had to admit the doctor found pretty good places to hide and indulge himself in his work) Jace had to believe that the scholar was onto something. He had been too involved in his work not to be. And from his earlier conversation about transporting his supplies while on the Run he had reason to believe Daniel had his own take on this artifact. As to what that might detail, he had no idea currently. But he did know that this artifact being used as a bargaining chip probably didn't suit his fancy.


Jace meet her glance, nodding in confirmation. "Indeed, I don't think he would be pleased if he turned up and we were creditless and jobless." Jace then remained quiet as Liya unveiled her findings and the details behind them. Originally he had only known that Liya's reasoning behind heading to Bespin (other than the obvious that Dante, their employer, needed to go there) was to spring a Kim Zawadi, and that was the only details he had pushed for while they waited to arrive at Bespin. But now that he had the story behind it all he found it to be far more interesting and connected to the grand scheme. At the mention of a possible connection between martial arts experts and the Jekk, Jace frowned slightly while he unconsciously gripped his left thigh where the glass had embedded itself while he was running back to the Red Cred. Those demons were dangerous enough as they were, and he couldn't imagine what they'd be like with proper training.

He looked over at Daniel as Liya denied his request, knowing that it was the right thing to do. Luckily for Daniel his equipment was already in the possession of Jace's soldiers, who were waiting for his word on a location for the shipment. He raised his eyebrow and eyed the doctor knowingly, hoping that he remembered that his gear was inbound. He'd have to talk to him later about when and where he wanted it shipped, with Bespin a possibility if they were there long enough. It'd have to do for now, as heading back to Coruscant would attract far too much attention now.

He glanced back to Dante to see a blank expression on his face that he hadn't seen in a long, long time. A telltale sign that he had been significantly caught off guard, which honestly never happened. Jace looked slightly amused as he waited for Dante to come back to reality, wondering what exactly he was thinking to sort the information through his head and get himself back on track. His expression melded back into the calm look he had before while Dante spoke of the Altisian Jedi. Jace thought back to when Dante had gone to Bespin for some time, and it clicked in his head that these Jedi must have been who he stayed with. He wondered how they would greet this band of peculiar people, considering the company. Dante, now that he didn't have the Force. Seros, having been with the Order. And himself, never having been officially part of the Order but trained by his mother's friends to the level of a skilled Knight before breaking off to pursue his own unique path, both in lifestyle and the Force.

And that's when Seros entered. He hadn't picked up on his signature because he was too busy hiding his own. Jace felt it necessary to stay on the down-low long enough to learn more about Seros and what his part in all of this 'Syndicate business' was. As he started talking it was apparent that he had been listening by the door the entire time, and was now pushing the holes in Dante's plan upon him. Which was good because it was going to happen sooner or later. If Jace had been able to pick up on him earlier, he would have hinted to Dante so that he could act accordingly. But now... now Dante was turning silver. Fan-fracking-tastic.

Jace's head tilted downwards so that his chin was touching his chest, and his right hand came up to cover his face. With Dante being without the Force and able to function without his medication, he had no idea what his reaction was going to be at this stage. Scrappy might have to make another cleaning run in the cockpit...

But to Jace's relief Dante resorted to containing himself to that eerie, primal roar that only came out when he was killing with hatred. At the chair's expense that is. His reaction was milder than he had expected, considering the topic. He was amazed that he restrained himself to a sitting position and unleashing his rage via a howl and a story. Maybe this lack of medications wasn't a terrible thing after all. But then again, the pain had resurfaced. Jace had heard versions of this story before, but each time he had heard it from Dante (which was very few) different details had emerged. It struck his heart every time the account was retold, as he couldn't grasp the sheer amount of pain that would come from it. The three closest things that he had endured that popped into his mind when he heard Dante speaking of his home was Linn's death at the hands of his friend, the day he realized he'd never see his parents again, and all those souls that had perished under his command over the years.

Jace looked up as Dante stormed out, letting a long breath out between his pursed lips. With his head out of his hand, he spotted Liya out of the corner of his eye and turned enough to see her face. It looked like she was caught mid-sentence, pleading for a chance to offer condolences or something to smooth the blow. He simply shook his head, knowing that silence was the best option at the moment. There was no use going after him when he was this worked up. Jace looked around the cockpit for a moment, dwelling in the awkward tension that had built up.

But as soon as Seros sighed, Liya called him out. While it was his fault for asking the question, it wasn't entirely his fault for Dante's mistrust and hatred towards him. He was a Jedi, and once you have been recognized as having a talent with the Force you had to answer the call. He himself had answered that call, but thankfully fate had put him on Dante's side rather than against or somewhere in the middle. Hence is why Dante despised him, because Seros fell in the middle and it was part of Dante's job description.


Jace straightened up from his leaning spot on the console, stretching one arm at a time by extending it across his chest and using his other arm to push it closer to his body. "That wouldn't be any fun, now would it?" Just then, Dante strolled back in wearing an impressive assembly of equipment and armaments. Jace stopped mid-stretch when Dante made a remark about those who got in his way when they landed. But he smirked at the second remark, knowing that it would make himself feel better as well once they were in the city and being productive. As for Daniel, it was for the best that he got some training hours in. There was no telling how many soldiers they were going to encounter, seeing how the Syndicate had both a 'recruitment' program in the works as well as a bogus facility on the planet. When Daniel glanced to him and Liya, he nodded his head towards the door in encouragement. And as he looked back once more, Jace mouthed out the words 'Good Luck' before the good doctor disappeared.

With which he turned back to Liya to answer her question. Could they trust the the Altisian Jedi? With how Dante reacted to their possible involvement, and his history after he had visited them, it was a good bet that these Jedi would help them. He took the few steps over towards Liya until he was standing beside her, looking down at the chrono to see how much time they had left until they were at Bespin. "While I don't know this dozen personally, I'd say that they are a good bet if we're looking for a friend in that gaseous planet of Bespin. Luckily, as you said, we have a few days to get everything ready once we are there."

It was evident that Liya was struggling with this operation. She had personal friends involved who had their life on the line, a missing captain who normally called the shots, an ex-jedi, an unstable and devious Firrerreon, and a combat deficient scholar (no offense to the good doctor) on board, with the rest of the crew besides himself out on another mission. To make matters worse for her, she had the intel and the interest in this excursion, and her professional as well as determined attitude towards getting this done made her a prime target for passing the leadership to in Fel's absence. Jace would have gladly taken the mantle and lead the charge if it helped Liya, as he had several years of experience with leading his platoon and larger groups of forces into battle. He didn't mind, even though he had tagged along knowing that he wasn't going to be in charge, and embraced the change of pace. But even he had to admit that his interests, secrets, and of course their employer made him an unlikely leader. Too many variables for the makeshift crew to be comfortable with.

Jace placed his hand on her shoulder, diverting his gaze from the chrono to her face. He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze to let her know that the only member of the original crew had her back. And always would.

As Dante pointed out the various parts and functions of the weapon Daniel followed along listening intently, taking particular note in the stun setting as he would be making use of it if there was a need for him to take part in a fight. To the rest he merely nodded to confirm that he understood. It was clear that the time for conversation was over and it was time for him to begin his training, but Daniel knew that no amount of training he would receive would prepare him for what may come once they set foot on Bespin, and he was certain that Dante and the rest of the crew felt the same, so it begged the question, is this for their benefit, to set their minds at ease?...or for mine? And it was a question that he would have to ponder whilst attempting to learn the basics of taking a life. The thought made him cringe as he looked at the blaster, this wasn't who he was, it wasn't who he wanted to be...


In his final days on Dantooine Daniel was introduced to a side of his father he had never seen before when their team unwittingly opened a Laigrek hive. Luckily for Daniel he did not witness the carnage that unfolded nor did he lose his father. But it was something that stuck with him, seeing the survivors being rushed away as his father scooped him up in his arms and instructing a young Daniel to hide his eyes as they ran, his father firing his blaster behind him. The noises however did not escape him, the sounds and screams that he heard he did not understand for many years. And it wasn't until he discovered what had happened that day that he truly understood his father's lesson, that fear would only serve to hold him back, to make him useless. It was a lesson that he had forgotten on this trip, and he had almost been killed as a result. Another lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

His gaze down at the weapon turned to the silhouette on the cargo container and he raised the blaster, leveling it with is eyes and took aim at the center of the target and with a deep breath he squeezed the trigger, too high- he thought as he adjusted a few degrees and fired again, too far right- he adjusted once more and fired, too far left- his adjustments and firing continued for several more shots before his arm began to get tired. He brought his hand down and shook out his arm before continuing.

With a nod at Dante's advice Daniel changed his grip to the recommended 'tea cup' grip as he watched Dante walk away and into the storage container. He thought it was a bit odd to hang around inside a cargo container but then again was it any more odd than locking yourself in a broom closet like Daniel had? Probably not. Though Daniel did so for his research, something that wanted to be left alone to do because that is what made him feel at home and something he was passionate about. So why the cargo container? Daniel curiously thought to himself, Maybe it's something important to him. Little did Daniel know just how important that something was.

He shook off the thoughts and started to practice his shooting once more, short bursts as Dante instructed. His aim however was much worse with the quick fire, even with the teacup grip that he had adopted. Luckily Daniel was a quick study, but he knew that shooting at actual people would be much different than shooting at some target, it was certainly something he wasn't looking forward to and would avoid until there were no other options.

That was the thought that made him most nervous about Bespin, harming someone simply wasn't something he was prepared nor wanted to do. This is just for protection. I'm not going to hurt anyone. He kept thinking to himself over and over again to justify all of this, not that it was working, he knew that he would be the only one not shooting to kill. Perhaps if he were a better shot he could save some lives by stunning their adversaries before the others had the opportunity to gun them down. He needed to keep practicing and that's exactly what he did.