Project Boussh: Killed Chances
by Alison Sky

        Wes walked out of Wedge's office, his hands playing along the 
handle of Alison's sword.  He had stuck the metal into a belt loop, 
similar to how he had carried his blastsword on Adumar.
      Go get a stiff drink, Wes thought to himself as he walked 
down the hallway.  Not so simple, Wedge.  Maybe if it was someone I 
really knew, I could... but drinking to forget a stranger is harder.
      "Hey Wes?"
      Wes turned and saw Hobbie running to catch up with him in the 
hallway.  The taller pilot spied the sword and lowered his 
head.  "You just told Wedge, I'm assuming."
      "Yeah," Wes said, resting his hand on the hilt.  "I don't 
know what else to do... Wedge will probably tell the others and the 
Terran Leader..."
      "Have you told Face?"
      Wes tiled his head.  "Why should I tell Face?  Wedge can 
handle them."
      Hobbie shook his head.  "I forgot, you weren't here for that 
whole situation."  Wes' look became more and more confused.  Hobbie 
just threw his arm over the Taanabian's shoulder and walked with him 
down the hall.  "Remember how we always joked that we had to stun you 
before you would go into the bacta tank for your first time back on 
Yavin?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Face and Dia sat quietly on the edge of the north wall of the 
castle, watching the sunset, Face leaning into Dia's arms.  She 
reached up and ran a hand through the short locks of hair that 
sprouted from Face's head, growing back after having it shaved from 
removing the chip that had controlled his actions for a short period 
of time.
      "It's over," Dia whispered, holding Face closer.  
      "Thank the Force," Face replied, closing his eyes and 
enjoying Dia's touch.  "I don't think I could take much more of this 
battle."
      "Have you heard anything about Alison?" Dia asked, and she 
felt Face sigh.  "No, but there are still some pods left to recover."
      Footsteps on the walkway beside them brought Face to sit up 
quickly.  He turned and saw Wes approaching.  The actor smiled at his 
friend then noticed what was on his hip.
      A sword... a green jeweled sword... Alison's sword.
      Dia saw Face's expression falter and turned to see who was 
coming.  Wes propped one foot up onto the wall in front of them, the 
sword hanging straight down his leg.  "Hobbie said I should come and 
talk with you two," Wes stated.
      Face's eyes were locked on the sword, but he managed to break 
the lock and look at Wes.  He licked his lips, not wanting to hear 
the news he knew his friend carried.  "What happened?" Face asked 
quietly.
      "I don't know," Wes answered, shaking his head.  "All I can 
tell you is that when I found this, it was with a group of 
stormtroopers bragging about their latest victim, and how she had 
tried to hold them off with the sword."
      Face leaned back against Dia, and she wrapped her arms around 
his chest.  "Do the others know?" she asked, knowing Face needed time 
to absorb the information.
      "I told Wedge, and Hobbie was with me when we found the 
sword..." Wes leaned harder on his leg, staring out over the 
ocean.  "Hobbie told me about her... I wish I had gotten to know her."
      Face sighed.  "You would have loved her, Wes.  She was 
jealous of Emily that you were assigned to her.  You were her 
favorite pilot."
      "Me?" Wes asked, whipping his head around.  "But, Hobbie 
said... you and her..."
      "Alison was my friend, Wes," Face stated.  "I knew her for a 
long time.  But she always thought highly of you... and if it wasn't 
for security concerns, I would have brought you to visit her before 
this happened."
      Wes pulled the sword from his belt loop and examined it 
closer.  He could see his reflection in the shiny metal.  In his mind 
eye, he tried to image what Alison had looked like.  He knew from his 
datapad files, and from seeing her in the crowd at Thayer's castle...
      He turned quickly and handed the sword to Face.  "I think you 
should keep this," Wes said.  "Sci would probably build it as a 
memorial, but you were her friend.  It's only right for you to have 
it."
      Face looked up at Dia, who nodded.  Sadly, Face stood and 
took the sword from Wes.  He examined the length of the blade, at how 
light the balance was and the comfortable feel of the hilt.  He found 
a belt loop and slid the blade down into place on his right 
hip.  "Thanks Wes."  He pulled the Rogue into a tight hug.
      Wes hugged Face back, trying to keep a few tears that had 
formed in his eyes from coming out.  Once he and Face separated, he 
wiped his sleeve over his eyes.  "They're planning something 
downstairs soon, so I will see you there?"
      Face nodded.  "Of course."
      The Wraiths watched as Wes departed, then Dia stood and 
slipped her arms over Face's shoulders.  "You should tell Myn and 
Kirney first, before they hear from the group."
      "Kirney won't care," Face muttered to himself.
      "That's not true and you know it," Dia said.  "She's been 
kicking herself since they got back.  It's only right you tell her 
first."
      Face lowered his head, then twisted around to look into Dia's 
eyes.  "You're right, of course."
      "I'm always right," she replied, and kissed Face's forehead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      "She didn't make it?"  Face shook his head.  Kirney turned to 
look at Myn, who leaned against the wall.  "It's my fault," Kirney 
whispered, slouching down in her chair.
      Myn walked over and knelt beside her.  "It's not your fault, 
Kir."
      "Yes it is!" Kirney stated.  "I jumped to conclusions, I was 
mad at her!  If we hadn't been fighting in that hallway..."
      Face stood before Kirney, forcing her to look up at 
him.  "Kirney, what you did, you did what your head told you.  We all 
make mistakes, when we choose our head over our gut."
      "You should know that one," Myn muttered, and turned away as 
Face spitted him with a glare.
      Face got down on one knee and stared Kirney in the 
eyes.  "When Alison sent you with Morwen, did she do it in anger?"
      Kirney thought back.  "...No.  She wanted me to protect Morwen."
      "I don't think she was ever mad at you, Kirney... and I don't 
think you really were mad at her.  You and Alison... you both were at 
each other since we stepped into the bago back on the spaceport.  I 
should have stopped that competition before it blew out of 
proportion."  Face lowered his eyes.  "It was my fault as the leader."
      Kirney sighed.  "There's really no one to blame," Kirney 
said.  "We all had a part in it."
      "Not me," Myn stated, and Dia slapped him upside the head.  
Face and Kirney laughed a bit, and Face helped her stand.  "Alison 
wouldn't want us all upset over her," Face said.  "In fact, she would 
be happy that even though it's a time of sadness, we're able to 
celebrate our friendship, and our victory."
      At that moment, the door to the room they had borrowed 
opened, and Kolot stuck his head in.  "General Antilles wants us in 
big room.  Says party about to start."
      "Thanks Kolot," Face said.  He held his arm out to Dia, and 
she took it.  He then held his other arm out to Kirney.  "They're 
waiting."
      Kirney smiled and took Face's other arm, and they walked 
out.  Myn trailed behind, kicking the stone floor.  "Just cause he's 
an actor, doesn't mean he needs to have women on both arms..."