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Kairo's Profile Information
Callsign: Kairo  Send a message to Kairo
ComNet Rank: ComNet Veteran
Avatar: Kairo
Division(s): VE - Dark Jedi Order
VE - Stormtrooper Corps
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Birthday: April 11
Date Joined: June 16, 2003
Last Active: February 11, 2011 at 1:02:30 AM
Number of Posts: 1,338
ID Line: PC/SGTM Kairo/2PLT/1COMP/1BAT/1RGT/VEA/VE [CDS][BoA][CoR][BC][SC][COV][IH](LoC-DD)(CM-PL)
Biography:
Name : Kairo Vandate
Call sign : Kairo
Age : 23
Species : Human
Gender : Male
Build : Lean and wiry, but deceptively strong.
Planet of Birth : Unknown
Planet Raised On : Dathomir/Slave
Height : 6'3"
Weight : 176lbs
Hair : Pure Blond, Straight, and Messy
Eye Color : Bright Blue/Green
Family : Mother-Dead, Father-Presumed Dead, Three Brothers- Unknown, Sister-Unknown.
Scars : Many scratches and beating marks on his back, from his time in slavery.
Rank : Sergeant Major, SGTM
Reason for joining the VE : Penance for the lives he believes died by his curse.
Medal's Received : [CDS] Cross of Distinguished Service, [BoA] Banner of Alzoc, [CoR] Cross of Resolve, [BC] Bronze Cross, [SC] Silver Cross, [COV] Crescent of Valor, [IH] Iron Heart, (LoC-DD) Legion of Combat-Diamond Dagger, (CM-PL) Combat Medallion-Platinum Lightsaber



Warning: Private Records. This report contains the words of Kairo Vandate during his first psychiatric and physical medical checks. Subject seems to have memory lapses and can not determine exact amounts of time in his past. Our records seem to have no information about him until the time he was arrested. For a copy of the video from the session, please contact archives.

"Where to begin? Well, let's see. How far back can I go? All the way I suppose. You could say I've been blessed with a handy long term memory. I think it's more of a curse. I believe I was born into a wealthy family, but that can only be assumed if I can trust my dreams. I've had nightmares and pleasant dreams over the years-a lot of them portraying me as a happy child. I can remember that I had very wealthy parents, because in one of my true memories, I can see a beautiful city from a spacious room filled with expensive furniture, paintings, holo-images, decorations, and all the finest things money can buy. I believe that was the day it happened.

"I suppose that is all I can remember of my very early childhood. So, I was born into a wealthy and prominent family. I was probably happy as any child can be until the age of, let's say, five? No, make it four. I'm pretty sure that I was four and a half when it happened. You can't forget that type of thing easily, especially when it is one of your only memories when you can see your mother's face. Am I rambling too much? Probably. It was night when it happened. I had just been put in bed for, and my mother kissed me. . . .

"Good night my son." A woman said to a small boy laying on an elegant bed. "I'll see you in the morning." For a moment she felt compelled to embrace her child. Blinking back the sudden rush of emotion, she wondered why she had felt like this was the last time she would see her youngest son. Standing up, she looked down into the smooth face of the boy and glanced into his eyes. For a second she thought she saw a shadow move there. Tilting her head up, she instinctively proteceted her son with her body before the breath was drained from her lungs. The woman slumped on top of the bed as the shadowy figure dissolved back into the shadows then swept into the hall that led to the rest of the building. From underneath the covers a small voice asked, "Mom? What happened mommy? Why are you lying there? Mommy?" The boy was out of the covers and kneeling next to his mother. Confusion plagued his mind. Was she just playing a game? Movement to his right caught the boy's eye. Twisting his body, the child looked up into the eyes of a grizzled face. But in that face, the child saw the familiar look of compassion.

"You don't need to see this." Picking the boy up, the man rushed from the room. As he ran down the hall he talked in a whisper. "I should be killing you now, but I can't. A child doesn't deserve that fate. But I can't just let you go, or I would be killed. I'll have to pass you off as a slave. They might not care if I do that. Can I really do this to him?" Realizing he had been talking out loud, the man shut his mouth and glanced at the child as he exited the large building.

. . .
"And that's pretty much what happened. Now some of that I can't say if it really happened. I only know about it because I dream it. My mind could have changed all of it or none of it. I can only assume that my father was also killed that night and maybe my siblings. I didn't tell you that I have brothers and a sister. I thought I did. . . Well, now you know. Don't ask me for their names, I don't know. I just know I had them. The girl was the youngest. Two of my brothers were older, and the third. . . I would say is as close to me in age as is humanly possible. What? No, I don't mean was, I mean is. I know that one isn't dead. How do I know? I just do. What are you writing there? I'm not delusional. Hey, where are you taking me? I thought you wanted my story?!"

Subject seemed to be getting hysterical. He was removed from the room and taken back to the prison for a day. The log shall now continue.

"Yes, I'm better now. Though, I don't know what I did wrong before. Sith spit! I have siblings, and I CAN know that one is alive for sure. No, that's ok, we can continue. The next thing that I can remember is being thrown into a holding cell on a cold ship surrounded by filth and the stink of people who haven't been given the chance to bathe in days. Most of the people were aliens, but some were human, like me. I was there for a very long time. I don't remember much about that, but eventually they took me to Dathomir. Yeah, you know, Rancorville. . . It was a joke. . . I was sold to the clan Dadako, specifically to the reigning family at that time, Kairo. Yes, I took my name from them. You thought Kairo was my real name? That would be a stupid name. I can't remember my real name. In most of my early memories, any words spoken sound like gibberish. I do know that my last name is Vandate, which is a certainty. The people who killed my parents and sold me used my last name when talking to me or showing me to potential 'buyers'.

"The next ten years of my life were spent on that planet. I eventually escaped my owners and found a group of smugglers who were using Dathomir as a hide out, since not a lot of people tend to go there for fun. What? Did anything interesting or important happen while I was a slave? No. . . I don't want to talk about it. . .I said NO!"

Subject had another outburst here and physically hit the man who was asking the questions. He was detained for another day. The log shall now continue.

"No, I'm not better now. Just because I hit you, didn't mean you guys had to shove me back into that cell. Hey, I was cooperating; you were the one who was prying. I don't see the need to tell you any more about that planet. Nothing that happened there will concern you. Trust me. I guess 'trust me' coming from a guy you believe to be psychotic won't really work, will it? Funny really. . . Sorry, was thinking to myself. I'm feeling a lot better now that I've been roughly handled and thrown into a few holding cells along with being interrogated like this. I'll be a really good boy and continue my story. Now, where was I. . . Oh yes, the smugglers. What, Dathomir? Do you really want two black eyes?

"Good. So once I escaped my 'owners', I found the smugglers camp. I accidentally killed one of the smugglers, who was keeping a look out around the outskirts of the clearing where they had landed their shuttle. Another one of the lookouts shot me with his blaster. Thankfully he had set it to stun. If it hadn't been for one of them taking a liking to me, they probably would have dropped me off at some other black market slave auction and been done with me, but this one guy kept visiting me in my holding cell. That cell was a little cleaner than the ones you guys have been throwing me into recently. Anyways, it turned out that he was the captain and leader of this group of smugglers. At that time I didn't know how to read or write in any known language, the Dathomir village that raised me had its own language and dialect. It wasn't one of the main settlements people hear about in stories. The captain started to try to teach me.

"Not to brag or anything, but I was one hell of a study. In my mind I figured, 'As long as I'm off that planet, why not take advantage of my surroundings for awhile?' Even though the cell was cleaner than the ones you have, I could have broken out at anytime. Good thing I didn't though, because I didn't know how to fly anything back then. They would probably have shot me before I got very far as well. After about three months with the captain I was able to talk, read, and write in basic and three other languages. Which ones? If you're nice, I might tell you. Anyways, it was like my mind was catching up with me, like it was absorbing everything it should have been taught for the past ten years of my life. Once I was able to communicate with them well enough, I was allowed to leave the holding cell as long as I promised not to cause trouble. They even gave me a room of my own, though it was more like a closet, but it still had a bed and a computer terminal.

"Along with the room, they even started to teach me how to use modern day weapons. They laughed at my spear and other weapons I had with me when they found me. But when we got to the hand to hand combat sessions, they didn't laugh anymore. My supposed tutors left with more bruises than I did. All this time I had thought we were still on Dathomir though. It wasn't until they took me to the bridge of the ship did I truly understand where we were and what had happened to me. From that realization, I was catapulted forward even faster through my learning. I never quite understood some of the things they taught me, but I was able to learn how to fly a ship and understand everything a normal man in this galaxy would probably know, plus things that some wouldn't want to know. But I was also given another kind of education that not everyone receives. They taught me the tricks to reading people's movements and knowing what they were going to do sometimes before they did, about how to properly lie and keep control of a situation, and the techniques and code of smugglers. Yes, there's a code.

"Even though they had shown me that we were indeed flying through space from planet to planet, they never let me out of the ship or even to the bridge whenever they landed to do business. After I guess two years with them, I believe I was either fifteen or sixteen; they let me join them when they left the ship and went into the cities. I still remember the first time I saw a real city. It isn't something you're likely to forget. I think it was on Corellia, but I forget. All I cared about was seeing the tall buildings, flying vehicles, crowds, no, and throngs of people pushing and shoving like it was something they did every day. People with blasters at their hips that the smugglers seemed to avoid and called Corsec. The many different shops and eateries. Imagine a man who had been blind his entire life. Now, every once and awhile doctors gave him brief images of the world, but the procedures always failed. Finally, after many years of darkness, they had success. He could see the world as it truly was. That was me. Except the procedures that failed were pictures that the smugglers had shown me on their ship. I never understood until I saw it for myself and could touch it. Feel it. Smell it even.

"Woah, I didn't mean to get the in depth with you guys. Anyways, I was about fifteen years old and had learned everything they could teach me. Smugglers aren't the smartest men in the universe, so don't go thinking I was a genius or anything. I was accepted into their group as a man really. Since I was shorter still, I could get places and do things that grown men couldn't. They viewed me as an asset they couldn't part with, and I felt like I owed them a debt for teaching me everything I knew. Yet, like always in my life, when things start going well for me, something happens. You'll see that it happens again later in my life, but I'm not there yet. What? We have to stop? Why? Fine, but can I get something good to eat this time for being a good little boy? The stuff you've been giving me isn't fit for a Hutt."

This session was viewed as a success and would have continued, but the people at the time felt, due to Kairo's stressed psyche, that it was best to let him rest and to continue the session the next day. The log shall now continue

"Finally! I thought I was going to go stir crazy in there. You guys just had to stop me once I got going didn't you. You could have at least let me finish that chapter of my life first, instead of stopping me right when I was about to tell the good part. Yes, yes, yes. I'll continue, but can I get a glass of water? Thank you, all this talking really leaves you parched. Ok, so, where was I? Oh yeah, they had let me join them as part of the group and blah blah blah. So on, and so forth. I was fifteen or sixteen when it happened then. It had only been two or three months after I was accepted. We were all traveling from some planet to the next, transferring weapons to aid a war effort there or something. I don't recall exactly.

"On route, we all felt a sudden shudder throughout the shuttle. I was in my room when it happened. When I first felt the impact. . . . .

Thunk.A fifteen year old boy was thrown from his chair and landed on the ground in a clumsy crouch. Fool. Grabbing a blaster from underneath the pillow that lay on his bed, he held it for a second before sliding it into a holster attached to the back of his belt. It had been a gift to him on his birthday. Not his real birthday, since no one knew that, but the day he had stumbled into the smugglers' lives. As he was about to leave his room, he remembered that he had taken off his boots. Having lived in the jungle without shoes for most of his life, he still had a preference for going around bare foot, even if he was reprimanded for it. After putting on a pair of socks and sliding on the boots, he exited his small room.

As he walked down the hall toward the bridge of the ship, the ship lurched again, except this time; the boy was able to maintain his footing. Picking up his pace, he ran into the ship's lounge area which was in the center of ship. Halls connected from every direction, leading to all the parts of the ship. Looking around, the boy saw no one. Choosing a hallway to his left, the boy continued to make his way toward the bridge. Another shudder ran through the ship, followed by a wailing from the ships comsystem. We must definitely be under attack. The adolescent concluded.

Slapping the access panel next to the door which connected to the bridge, the boy ducked under the rising door and ran to the captain. "What's going on?" the boy asked.

"What's it look like? A ship was waiting for us on this side of the jump. It doesn't even have an ID. Jansun, lower our aft shields and send the energy to our weapon systems. Just make sure you keep him in front of us." The captain ordered.

"Yes, sir." Jansun responded from a control panel in front of the view port. On the other side, the boy could see an odd looking ship. It seemed to have many modifications attached to its original hull. Two of its laser cannons were firing on the ship along with two ion cannons.

"Why doesn't it have an ID code?" The boy continued to question the stressed captain.

"Because he's a bounty hunter. Can't you see this isn't the time to ask questions?" Another blast rocked the ship, adding emphasis to his question. "Go help Telpand in the engine room, or get out of my hair. Go Kairo!" The captain yelled at the boy, returning his attention to the view screen and yelling out more orders. "Tell the Bearing to keep that other ship off of us." Feeling hurt, Kairo kicked a control panel on the way out of the bridge. "Do you want to destroy us from the inside too, child?" The captain yelled at Kairo's fleeting image before he exited the bridge.

Running down the halls, Kairo kept hold of the wall to stop himself from collapsing to the floor from the laser impacts that made it through the ship's shields. A minute later, he moved through the engine room door, calling out, "Telpand, I've been sent by the captain to lend you a hand. Where are you?"

"I'm over here sonny." A large man answered from next to a power generator. "Now help me keep this thing from over loading. I've told the captain a thousand times we need to get this thing replaced. Hand me that hydrospanner."

Kairo looked around until he found the engineers toolbox, and quickly ran over to it. Pulling out a hydrospanner, he handed it to the large man. Telpand was a swarthy man. Well rounded, jolly, and personable, but Kairo believed him to be the best mechanic in the galaxy. He could fix anything from broken circuitry to hyperdrive cores. Telpand had been the second person to accept Kairo into the smugglers when they caught him on Dathomir. He was like an uncle to Kairo as the captain was like Kairo's father. "Thank you." Telpand said, and turned back to the engine. Kairo watched as the man set to work keeping the machinery from over heating or breaking down. He had to constantly adjust his work as the battle in space continued to draw on the engines power.

Telpand sent Kairo back and forth from various areas in the engine room to check on gages and power couplings, while handing him tools when Kairo was close by. They worked for what seemed like hours, but were only a few minutes. They didn't talk much, but worked like an apprentice and master, teaching and learning even in the most extreme of circumstances. After, having to run over to the second engine, a more massive shudder than any before it shook the ship. Neither Telpand nor Kairo kept their footing. Slamming down on his back, Kairo gasped for breath. Rolling over, Kairo exchanged looks with Telpand. The older man could see the look in the boy's eyes.

"He told you to stay with me. Don't. . .go." Kairo was already out of the engine room door, before Telpand finished his sentence. A shudder ran through the normally gay man. Like death had finally caught up with him and was giving him a last bid at life. "So it ends here?"

As Kairo ran through the engine room door, a new siren sounded through the halls. Kairo had never heard this one before. Feeling his ears suddenly pop, he felt gush of air whipped past him, moving in the direction he was running. What could that mean? That could only happen if. . .We've been breached. Feelings bubbled up inside of him. Fear. Duty. Anger. Love. Love for the family he had come to know, come to trust. Pulling the blaster from its holster, Kairo turned a corner and found a man in foreign armor entering the ship through a hole cut into the hull.

Seeing movement in his peripheral vision, the man turned his head to get a better look, raising a blaster at the same time. Kairo had already ducked behind the corner though. Not daring to breath, Kairo held the blaster ready in case the man decided to investigate the movement. Before he had a chance to find out, blaster fire erupted in the hall containing the intruder. Peering around the corner, Kairo saw another man stepping through the hole to join the first, firing down the hall where the captain and two other crewmen were. Realizing they were outnumbered, the two men kept the captain and his crew in place with their return fire, but made a retreat down the hall, directly toward Kairo.

As they were about to turn the corner, Kairo extended his right leg into the hall low to the floor, tripping the man in the lead. As the first man stumbled forward, Kairo transferred his weight to the outstretched foot, spun around, and shot his left leg into the second ones neck. A gurgle escaped his throat, but before he fell to the ground, Kairo finished his spin by bringing his feat together, balancing himself upright. The first man was just turning around when a laser bolt shot through his armor's helmet. Looking back, Kairo saw the captain lowering his blaster and nod.

As the teenager started to move down the hall to meet the captain three blaster bolts shot from the dark hole. Two hit the crewman in the heads, while the third hit the captain's knee, causing the man to crumple to the floor. What?! Kairo couldn't move. Even though he was telling his legs to run down the hall and help the captain, fear held him in place. Another man in armor stepped from the hole. This one seemed to have an aura around him of death. The other two were just lackeys. Ignoring Kairo, the new party walked over to the captain and said, "Ilkark Farbeth, head smuggler of the Fated Holders, your bounty is mine. Any last words?"

The captain tilted his head up to look in the black visor of the bounty hunter's helmet. "Just don't kill the boy," was all he said.

"Touching." Pointing his blaster down, the bounty hunter pulled the trigger. A flash was all Kairo saw before the man he called a father died. Pulling out his own blaster, Kairo took aim at the bounty hunter. "You really going to kill me?" he said, his arrogance clouding his judgment.

"Go to hell." Kairo stated and blew a hole through the man's armor. Dropping the blaster to the floor, Kairo ran over to the captain and dropped to floor. The smell of burnt flesh and ozone wafted into his nose, causing him to gag. He didn't know how long he stayed there.

"Kairo?" Telpand's voice said from behind him. "Come with me." Kairo didn't move. He just wanted to stay with the captain. "The ship is going to blow son. The rest of the crew has already evacuated." Kairo was clumsily dragged to his feet by the larger man. Telpand started to lead Kairo down the hall when Kairo lurched from his grasp.

"Not that way." Kairo said in a dark voice. "I'm done with this life. It's time I stopped killing people I care about."

"Who did you kill Kairo?" Telpand asked worriedly.

"The captain." Kairo stated.

"You didn't kill the captain. That bounty hunter did." Telpand tried to talk sense in to Kairo.

"It's always my fault. People I love always die. Now go to the last ship Telpand. I wish you luck. Hopefully my curse hasn't reached you yet." Without looking back at the man, Kairo stepped through the carved hole and into the bounty hunter's ship.

. . .
And that's about what happened, as far as memory serves. It's pretty clear to me. Memories after I was fifteen years old are much clearer and easier to remember, especially when I'm reminded of them in my nightmares. What? Ah, you're wondering what I happened after I boarded the bounty hunter ship and what happened to Telpand. Well, for Telpand, I can only hope he made it to a ship in the hanger bay before the whole thing blew up. I didn't give him a chance to follow me. I truly did believe that if I let him come with me, he would die, sooner or later. Once I had stepped through the carved hole, I found myself in an air lock. It was an easy matter of pressing a few buttons to close the airlocks door behind me and open one that led to the rest of the ship. That gadget was one of the very neat features of the ship. On the outside of the airlock, a revolving blade circled the door. The blade was also super heated when it made contact with another surface. They could then drill a hole in the side of a ship. As soon as the hull was breached, a small tunnel formed a seal between the ships and locked them together. Then the airlock just pressurizes with the breached ship, and you can go between. Clever, huh?

"Anyways, once on the inside of the ship, I was on my guard. I didn't know how many more people would be inside the ship. I also didn't know where to go to find the cockpit. Fear gripped me again. If I didn't get to the controls quickly, this ship would blow up with the one I had just come from. Luckily, a man appeared at the end of a short hall asking if the mission was successful. Anger clouded my vision again, and once the wrath in my blood had cleared and I came to my senses, the man lay dead at my feat. The only thing I remember was making him tell me where the cockpit was. Everything else that happened between him and me I can't remember. So, using my newfound information, I made it to the cockpit and dislodged the ship from the smuggler's. Looking out the view port I found all the other ships that had been in the space battle either destroyed or being evacuated, even the other bounty hunter ships. I was able to make the jump to light speed in all of the confusion.

"Where did I go? I chose the Corellia system. I'd been there before and decided it was the best place to start my new mission in life. You really have stop interrupting me. I was just about to tell you what my mission was. Anyways, Anger and hate had born a new purpose in my heart. I decided to track down and kill every bounty hunter I could find. They were lower than scum in my opinion. At least smugglers could sometimes do something profitable to others, like giving food to the hungry and such, but bounty hunters, their purpose was to just kill. They didn't even care if the person had done something wrong. And yes, I realized that in following this path I was also becoming what I hated, but revenge for the ones I'd lost in my life over powered that. It wasn't just the smugglers who were killed by bounty hunters. From that dream I told you about in one of our first sessions, you can figure out that my family had been killed by contract killers, which are in essence the same thing as bounty hunters. So, really, it wasn't just bounty hunters I was tracking, it was anyone that made a living out of ruining other people's lives. You also have to remember that I was sixteen. Men have a lot of emotions running through them at that time in their life and their judgment isn't always right.

"You know what. I've talking for a very long time, and I'm feeling kind of hungry. Mind if we take a few hours break? Really? Great. Can I get something better to eat this time? No? Damn..."

Subject was given something to eat and two hours rest. He was allowed to go outside during that time under the supervision of two guards. The log shall now continue.

"Well that was nice. The sky is lovely on this planet, bright and clear. A bit too crystal though. Did it rain while I was in here? Yes, I thought as much. What planet am I on by the way? Still Lotaith. Interesting how this area is nicer than others, but that's how it always is. Anyways, where did I leave off again? Right, I'd taken over the bounty hunters' ship and had a new goal in life sometime between the ages of sixteen and seventeen. Let's say I was closer to seventeen. On the way to the Corellian sector, I studied the ship's controls and what had for weapons and the like. After entering the Corellian sector, I, of course, headed for Corellia. Once I had gotten clearance to land the stolen ship and finally landed, it was then that I realized just how large a job I was going to try to undertake. Doubt washed through me. As you can probably expect, I stayed in the ship the rest of that day. Finding what credits there were on the ship, following old transmissions, finding their armory, raiding their clothing to see if there was anyone my size, and just basically studying everything I could find. I slept that night in new surroundings. Believe it or not, I hadn't slept since the time the smuggler ship was attacked. My body eventually caught up with me, and I basically just passed out at some computer terminal.

"The next day I decided I would set out for the city. I had landed at the largest city on Corellia, and I was going to look in the more sordid areas.. So, with about a hundred credits on hand, two blasters attached to my hips, and a newly acquired jacket, which I had stolen from the clothes, I exited the ship and started looking for business.

"The next two weeks or so were uneventful; nothing really interesting to talk about. Sure I laid down the basis of my net, adding local contacts and such, plus spreading the word that there was someone willing to protect people with a bounty on their head. Finally, I got a message from one of my informers that someone actually wanted to meet me. It was to be at some cantina, so I met my first client. It was some person who had offended a local crime boss apparently if memory serves. He said the boss had laid a bounty of a thousand credits on his head, and that someone had told him a bounty hunter had taken the offer a few days ago. My client had been in hiding since then. Unfortunately, he didn't know the name or identity of the hunter.

"This is where I get my first real break. Some guy appears next to our booth and asks the man to follow him and bring his kid with him. My client looked at me for the first time and realized my age. I could see from his eyes that he believed himself dead now. He'd placed his fate in the hands of a child in his opinion. My client wasn't even putting up a fight, as we were led to a back entrance. I realized if I made a move in the public view that it would look like bad for me, so I let him take me out back as well. Once we were through the door, the hunter pulled out a blaster and aimed it at my client's head, asking something about last words. A second later, the bounty hunter was dead on the ground, a blaster bolt hole in the middle of his head. He didn't even consider me a threat the whole time.

"My client didn't even believe what had happened, and he had seen it with his own eyes. I told him to send the body of the hunter back to the crime boss and tell him that if he sent anymore, the next body would be his. The thankful man gave me five hundred credits in payment for my services and told me that he would spread the word about my practice. From then on I didn't have to wait a day for someone to ask for my help. The range of money people were willing to offer was amazing. I soon came to realize which bounty hunters were the best at what they did. I also came to realize that if they knew who I was, they would kill me. No one likes being hunted, hunters least of all, so I told everyone I met to make anyone they told about me believe I was older. People tend to over look the young.

"After about four months of constant missions, I felt like I wasn't making any real headway. Being young, I wanted to make a real difference, or what a real difference was in my youthful opinion. I wanted to go after the real targets now; the ones that I had considered suicide to try to take out. Now, after killing about thirty people, I felt invincible. Stupid mistake. So, I waited until someone came to me with the name of one of the higher listed bounty hunters: Sta'dro. I decided to do it the way I regularly handled it. . . . .

Midnight, shadows splayed across the many bodies still traversing the town's sidewalks. To most, the darkness was forbearing and made them stay in the streetlights, but to others it was the perfect cover, as bright as day. Though the streets were crowded, the alleys and connecting archways of the city were also crowded, but with a different sort of people. Only two types walked freely here, the lost or the hunters. The lost were the group who had lost their way. Most had no homes; others just didn't have the will to return to them. Some had lost everything while others were emotionally bankrupt. Random cries or moans could be heard emanating from the darker shadows. Best to let them be.

Even though these types were normally feared by the regular folks, shunned for their misfortunate and depravity, the hunters are the real ones to fear. These people only had two objectives: find and do. Some hunted for hidden treasure that others had lost, but most hunted another person, whether to protect or destroy is only known to them. When these hunters passed by those dark holes, the moans stopped. Shadows seemed to merge with them, aiding them in their hunt while they made ready their attack. These people were clever, always having traps laid. To just kill someone was foolish, always have a back up plan and an escape route. Hunters could be found on any planet or habitable place, but they thrived in cities. Tall intermingled buildings are their playground. Rushing hovertraffic and the mass of humanity is their obstacle. How to find their prey in the tangled mess?

Crouching in an architectural alcove, Kairo scanned the surroundings, always keeping an eye on his client walking twenty stories beneath him. This will be the night. I can feel it. Sharp eyes peered into every other recess, searching for his target. He had told his client to stay in this part of the city on purpose; there were only so many hiding places, and escape routes. A flurry above him caught his attention, but it was only the passing of a bird. It's odd. This is almost like the jungle back on Dathomir, in a way. Stay on task, you're playing with a man's life down there. A scream from down below alerted him to danger. Pulling out his macrobinoculars, Kairo searched for the disturbance. No, his man was still fine. It was someone else lying dead on the ground. Someone had gotten their prey. Letting his muscles return to their semi-tense state, Kairo readjusted his sniper rifle, holding it for an hour had cramped his muscles without him realizing it.

Minutes passed by, but still no sign of his target. Funny how he didn't know what his target looked like, yet he was certain he could find and kill him. Who said it was a him? An unheard voice whispered in his head. Clink. Kairo instinctively jerked backwards, farther into his hole. The sound had come from right above him. Could that be him? Straining his ears, Kairo could hear something moving above him. Was that a click, or is all this just his imagination? Could he gamble the life of the man below on an assumption? Human error was large. Do it. Follow your gut. Another heart beat passed. Fine!

Moving in a blur, Kairo dropped his rifle and pulled out a vibroknife almost in the same instant that he grabbed onto the area above him and pushed out into nothing. Holding on for his life, Kairo arched and spun his body to flip his legs over and onto the ledge that had been above him a moment before. Feeling his leg brush something, Kairo squeezed them together around the object and contracted his abs to bring him into proper orientation with the world. With out waiting for the sudden rush of blood to drain from his head, Kairo pressed his blade against whatever it was he had caught between his legs. "Don't move." It only took a moment for his vision to clear. When it did, he was staring into the eyes of a woman, a woman holding a highly modified sniper rifle. "Who are you?"

For an answer, she spun her rifle like a staff and slammed into the side of Kairo's helmet. During his moment of shocked paralysis, she managed to change positions with him, with her on top and the vibroblade hovering between them. Kairo did manage to keep the blade from stabbing him in the heart. Two hunters were now locked together in a fight for life, but both were evenly matched. Still struggling to keep his own blade from stabbing him, Kairo asked again, "Who are you?"

"Can't you just shut up and die." She responded. Kicking his leg up, Kairo wrapped it around her shoulder and pulled her backwards, flipping their positions again.

"No, and I don't want to kill you. I'm only here to kill someone called Sta'dro."

"Well you found her." She said, bringing her free arm around to try to wrench his hands from the blade. Releasing one hand, Kairo grabbed her hand that held the blade and twisted. They dropped the blade in the same instant. Without hesitation, they attacked each other with just their fists. Finally, they were locked together again in mutual position, but Kairo had the slight upper hand. By twisting his body, he could send her over the ledge that they had been fighting precariously along, but something stayed his hand. "What's the matter? Aren't I your bounty?"

"I. . . I . . can't kill a woman." Kairo said, realizing it himself as he spoke.

Surprise spread over her face. "Well then, it seems we're in a stale mate, but I can't just let my target go with out a price."

"How much are you getting paid?" Kairo asked.

"Five thousand credits," She whispered back.

"I'll pay you six, but you have to come with me to get it. And if you try something, base instinct will overcome my sense of honor." Kairo slowly let go of her and started to stand up. "Follow me."

. . . .

"And that, is how I met Kitari Sta'dro. Now, this story probably seems illogical, but while we fought, something changed between us. Even though it seemed we had to kill each other, we couldn't do it. Every time when one of us gained the upper hand, they couldn't go through with it. Some where during our fight, on a plain above understanding, we came to understand each other.

"What's that? Did she really just follow me blindly and leave her target behind? Well, yes, more or less. Well. . . she did pick up her sniper rifle and shoot my clients cup of cafe out of his hand, but that was just so she could say she just missed to her client. It's been known to happen. I led her back to my ship that night, and once we arrived, I checked to make sure if she had any more hidden weapons on her. Oh don't lean forward in your seat, it isn't like I'm going to detail how I frisked her. You really need to get out more. Once I'd removed a few knives, I led her inside.

"After interrogating her, I found out her life wasn't at all like I expected. She had been born into bounty hunting. Nothing else she was allowed to do really. Her father had been one, and his father had been one. Unfortunately, she had no brothers, and thus she was given the family heritage. After talking with her, I locked her in the ship's holding cell for the night. I couldn't very well let her go, but I also didn't' know what to do with her. After that, I sent my client a message saying he was safe and now owed me my payment. I believe I checked some messages after that, looked to see if any new targets had come into the area, and passed out some time later.

"When I woke up, I took a shower, changed into something fresh, grabbed a blaster, and went to the holding cell. She was already awake and waiting. After another few hours of discussing, I got her something eat, and then we continued to try to figure out a solution to our problem. Finally, we came to a conclusion. We work together. We'd split the profits we made. She wouldn't bounty hunt anymore, but remain in the market to see what other hunters came to the planet. She would then give me the knowledge, and we'd then take them out together. It was a lot easier this way. She also wanted to join me on my ship. Apparently it was top of the line. I didn't tell her how I got it. Then came the time where I had to let her out of the cell. I had to trust her. It was almost like a relationship. We could turn on each other at any time. But like I said before, that first night we met, we bonded.

"So, over the next six years, things progress amazingly. I'm now about, 22, right? Well if I didn't do the math right so far, that's what I was. Everything else before it is just off slightly. Believe it or not, Kitari and I left Corellia and started to hunt the big bounty hunter names in the galaxy. A lot of them had very high price tags attached to their names, so spending three months on one target was worth it. We also grew to, well, love each other. What was that? K and K. Oh, haha, funny. Actually, that did become our code name: KKH. What does that stand for? I'm not going to tell you.

"It actually became almost a game for us, a paying vacation with action on the side. We got to spend hours of time together in space, talking about our pasts and interests, training together, searching through files for our target, and then once we found them, we got to take them out. We had so many different ways of doing it. Unfortunately, we got over confident. Why did we never think we would become targets ourselves? WHY?!"

Subject has another outburst here. This was viewed as odd by the analyzer. It had seemed that the subject had begun to calm down, but then he reverts to his condition at the very beginning of the interviews. The next session has been totally deleted. Subject was unable to add more to his history between tears and yells. Finally, he had subdued after a day, and was able to continue. The log shall now continue.

"Do I look alright? No, I don't need anything. Just let me get this next part out. Maybe if I tell someone I can leave myself alone. Maybe my thoughts will shut up. So, we became almost famous to people. Anyone who wanted a bounty hunter dead or just taken care of for their crimes tried to contact us. Finally, it happened. The bounty hunters decided to put their differences aside and come at us together. Six of them, six of them attacked us. Oh, it was an elaborate set up. They must have spent weeks planning it, leading us into the trap. We should have seen it, but no, we were too young and blind. Fools! It happened on the planet you caught me on, Lotaith. It was in the planet's capitol, whatever that is, but we were hunting someone called . . . .

Barely a sound could be heard, which was the scariest part. Cities were loud places. When things got quiet, something was wrong, and this quiet was eerie. Checking his equipment, Kairo glanced at Kitari as well. She's even pretty under a layer of armor. She turned her head to look at him, which made him quickly bring his head in the direction he was traveling, while he continued to check his weapons. After hunting bounty hunters for a number of years, you knew you could never be too prepared, especially when the target was in the top ranks of profiles. Kylon-3, check, throwing knifes, check, spare blaster, check As he continued to check his list off, Kairo rounded a corner and made his way across the roof top.

Standing six stories above ground seemed scary to most people, but to Kairo and Kitari, it was considered thrilling. Nothing could harm them together. As they arrived at their chosen look out position, Kairo nodded to Kitari as she began to set up her rifle and launched himself off the side of the building. Grabbing onto the drain pipe, he slid down and jumped to the ground once it was safe. Sinking into the landing, Kairo slowly stood up then walked into the crowded street. Whispering into a concealed comlink, Kairo asked, "Tell me again why I had to be the target this time?"

"Because darling, he doesn't attack women. You know that." Kitari's voice spoke into his ear.

Right. I still don't like it. I wish we could have just attacked him when he was hunting someone else. We just had to do it where we make one of us the target. More thrilling she says. Makes it interesting she says. Wouldn't be saying that if she was down here wondering if her head was going to have a bullet hole in it any second. Minutes passed as Kairo aimlessly wandered the street, making sure that Kitari could keep an eye on any positions from which he could be attacked. Finally, a sound came through his comlink. "Kitari? Kitari?" Nothing. Storming away from a side shop so quickly that people stared after him, Kairo ran down the street, only to be stopped by an explosion three feet in front of him.

Flying backwards from the force of the explosion, Kairo was lucky enough to collide with a fruit cart, buffering his landing slightly if also staining his clothes. Shaking his head, Kairo tried to ignore the ringing in his ears as he stood up and scanned the area for what attacked him. "Run!" Someone next to him yelled, but only sounded dimly in Kairo's ears. Looking up, Kairo leaped to the side as a missile came careening toward him. Running full tilt, he was able to stay on his feet as the explosion's shockwave hit him. Stumbling forward, he scanned the roofs for where the missile originated. Before he could get a clear look, a laser shot hit the cart next to him. Jerking away, Kairo ran forward, trying to dodge incoming sniper shots. Who the hell are they? Heading in Kitari's direction, Kairo hoped that she was still alive and able to take out one of his attackers.

"Kitari!" Kairo yelled into his comlink as another missile impacted behind him.

"I'm here. Damn bastard attacked me from behind." Glancing up, Kairo saw her stand on top of her building and take aim down the street. A blaster shot flashed from her position at an unknown target behind him. If only I had longer range weapons. Having these just incase he attacked close isn't doing us any good now. Suddenly, an alien in armor leapt over a cart in front of him and held up a blaster. With a slight twitch of Kairo's hand, a knife seemed to bloom in the alien's chest, but that only seemed to surprise. Dropping forward, Kairo dodged a blaster shot and rolled forward. Coming out of it, he threw another knife into the alien's head. Realizing he had stayed in the same place too long, Kairo got up and dodged around another cart. As another plume of fire erupted behind him, Kairo was thrown into another cart. Collapsing to the ground, Kairo felt something crack.

As he started to try to stand up, another alien in armor appeared above him and pulled back for a punch. Rolling to the side, Kairo narrowly dodged the crushing blow and whipped his right leg out to kick the alien in the shin. As the alien collapsed slightly, Kitari's voice said, "Watch out!" Picking the alien up, Kairo turned and used him as a human shield as yet another missile hit the earth in front of him. Slamming backwards into something, Kairo felt pain in his side and hands and had his vision blur. Focusing, Kairo saw the human shield he had used was on fire. Pushing it off of him, Kairo limped toward Kitari's roof.

"You ok?" Her voice said in his ear. "I got the damn person with the missile launcher."

"I'm fine, you?" Kairo asked, looking up at her roof. As she came into a focus, he saw her wave down at him. As he raised his hand to wave back, a flash of metal caught his vision behind her. "NOOO!" he screamed as her limp body fell forward off the roof. Where she had stood was another man in armor. Pulling out his last knife, Kairo ignored the pain everywhere in his body and let go with all his force. A glimmer in the sun was the only thing the bounty hunter saw, before his life was taken from him as well. Coping with the pain in his chest, Kairo ran to where Kitari had fallen. Dropping to the ground next to her, he scooped her into his arms and yelled at her to wake up, to let him know she was fine. "Did I do this again?" he asked and pulled her helmet off to look into her face again. Rocking back and forth, he quietly whispered, "Not again. Not her. Not again. . . . ."

Subject collapses on the table. It took three men to lift him up and take him away. The whole time he was screaming for Kitari. He told anyone who came to his cell to leave him alone, that now that someone knew his story and the truth of what had happened he could finally die in peace. Subject calmed down after three days, and was brought to the room for one final session. The log shall now continue.

"Can't you just leave me alone? I don't belong anywhere. Society doesn't deserve me. I'm like a plague. Oh, you don't believe that. Fine. You know what, I'll prove it to you. What do you want me to do? Go try to love someone else again and watch them die. Who says they even have to be loved? It might affect people who are friends. I've never had any of those, so I can't tell you. Ok, sure, we can talk about what to do now a little later. But now you know it wasn't me who killed all those people. I'm not guilty of anything but self defense.

"Really, the charges have been lifted. I actually did a service by killing those bounty hunters. Imagine that. . . what, you want me to recap my life for you once again. Sure, but this is the condensed version. I was born on some planet to some political family with some wealth. They were killed, and I was sold into slavery. I was sold to a clan on Dathomir. I managed to escape by stowing away on a smuggling ship at about ten years old. Then, after flying with them for six or so years, we were attacked by bounty hunters, and the entire crew was killed except for me. I was able to kill the bounty hunters how boarded our ship and get onto their ship before ours exploded. I was then sixteen years old. I then decided to hunt bounty hunters. I flew to Corellia and began my business. After about a year, I met Kitari and fell in love. We then joined forces and spent the next six years together. Then, we were attacked on Lotaith, and she was killed. I was charged with the murder of everyone in the attack and brought here. Now I'm twenty two years old and being interrogated by some prick who thinks I'm insane. Oh wait, I think I turned twenty since I've been in here. Huh? Twenty and already had three families killed in my life. So, what was this offer you were going to make me earlier?

"You've got to be kidding me. The army. . . You're serious, aren't you? Well, I have nothing better to do. My choices are either stay here and hope my curse doesn't kill anyone else I know and bring me more pain, or join the army and hope my curse doesn't kill anyone else I know and bring me more pain. Great choices. Well, for me, I guess the real question is, are you sure you really want to take me? I mean, I don't even know when I'm going to break. Right now, I seem to have a handle on my emotions, but that's just by not thinking about it. I guess for me, as long as you guys keep giving me something to do, I can keep living. But can you really risk having the people I come in contact with die? Trust me, my curse is real. Oh, you believe me? Hmm, I guess that is true. People in the army, are probably already going to die. . ."

Subject seems to have reached some state of control at the end of this session. He was monitored and sent to a top psychiatrist who helped him get past his emotional distress. After a month, the subject was deemed sane and sent to the army academy. Ironically, in one of his more recent sessions, the subject says he still believes he is cursed, but that now, he is making penance for the lives he took in his past by serving the Vast Empire. This log is now complete. Operation: Terminating.

Signature:
Sergeant Major Kairo

TRN/AC Kairo/Training 1-3/Lotaith/VEDJ/VE
TRP/SGTM Kairo/2SQD/2PLT/1CMP/1REG/1BAT/Tadath/VEA/VE [CDS][BoA][CoR][BC][SC][CoV][IH](LoC-DD)(CM-PL)
Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will be victorious in one hundred battles.
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