Aphamos stumbled out of the simulation room, quickly grabbing onto the wall in front of him.  He was breathing heavily, his entire body soaking wet with sweat from what he had just been though.  He was shaking violently, almost to the point of random jerks and muscle spasms.  He was not able to control himself, calm himself down.  He had just been in another simulation, his seventh in the past two days.  Tripped his way down the hallway and toward his room, keeping his eyes planted on his destination.  Despite this, he could feel everything in the area around him.  He was everything, cold, hot, dark, light, carrying a huge mass of weight on his shoulders that no one but him could see or feel.  He wouldn't let his body interfere with his mind, his thoughts clear and concise, knowing exactly what he was going to do and when he was going to perform.  But yet, there was an agitation inside of him, something that would randomly burst out  at any moment, taking him by surprise.

The halls were empty, and for all intensive purposes, dead.  The walls appeared to be staring at him, their eyes following him as he made his endless journey to safety.  There was not a sound, Aphamos's footsteps making no noise to disturb the  whatsoever.  The air was cold and was slowly chocking Aphamos in a way that nothing else could.  He continued to walk, his room so close he could feel it; he could feel the soft mattress on his bed, the sheets that would soon cover him.  He walked faster, having sensed that someone was following him, everywhere he went, always right behind him, getting closer and closer at each breath.  This feeling had been with him since the beginning of his rigorous course of training, the He needed rest, and hadn't gotten what he needed in a week, constantly coming in and out of simulations and training. 

He turned into the next hallway, seeing his room at the far end of the hall.  He looked forward to see Rachel coming straight in his direction, quickening her pace to get to him.  Dammit, I can't let here see me like this.  He straightened his back a bit, now out of a complete slouch, and tried to calm his shaking.  Slapping on the best smile he could, he fell into her arms, a look of concern on her face.  He inhaled, the sweet smell of her perfume filling his senses, ridding him of the pain deep inside of his body. 

"How are you?" she asked.  Her voice was like music, breaking the silence so gently and gracefully.  "You don't look okay?  Is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine." he stifled, trying to sound as upbeat as possible.  "I just need some rest, thats all."

"Okay, rest." she said, loosening her grip on him.  She finally let go and looked him in the eyes, her gaze drawing his.  "I'll see you later then." she added, moving to whisper something to him.  "Take a shower while you are at it." she finally added, kissing him on his cheek and walking away.  He smiled.  I couldn't ask for more, he thought to himself as he en
tered his room, instantly throwing himself on his bed, not bothering to take his shoes off.  He pulled his sheets over himself, his breathing finally calming itself as he slowly fell asleep, the darkness starting to seep into his mind as he lost control of the real...

-------Twenty Minutes Later-------

Aphamos's eyes shot open as he tossed the cover off or him and turned, now sitting on the edge of his bed.  his breathing was slow, his mind in shock at what he had just seen.  The visions had come back again, this time in even more horrific captions, and even worse, with people he knew.  His squad mates, his friends, and Rachel.  He shook his had from side to side, trying to get rid of the thoughts.  The aftermath of the hurt more that the initial stages, the images not leaving his mind.  He still had his uniform on, the sweat now dried up, yet his body still shaking.  He felt cold, the familiar numbness spreading its poison throughout his body.  I need to go.  He stood up, slipping his comlink into his pocket and leaving his room.  He held his head low and walked in no particular direction, wanting to leave the building and go outside.  He walked down the flight of stairs and down to the exit.  His movements were zombie-like, as if he was possessed by some sort of force that mapped out his course into the unknown.

He exited the building, constantly bumping into people to get where he wanted.  They all stared at him, pointing and muttering amongst themselves about the idiot with the corporal badge on his shirt.  He kept walking, but slowed down a bit, realizing the ruckus that he was causing.  He flashed a small smile at the man beside him who was walking into the building now behind Aphamos.  He stopped, just as a speeder whizzed past him, alarmed by the vibration he had felt in his pocket.  He reached and pulled out his comlink, a voice sounding from it.  The voice was Leon's, a member of the Nightstalkers.  Dammit.  Of all the other times...  He held the device up to his ear to hear what his friend was saying.

"Aphamos, you there?" asked Leon over the comlink.  Aphamos merely breathed into the device, not bothering to answer him.  "I'll take that as a yes.  Anyways, can you meet me at the cantina right now?  It's kind of urgent, so be quick if you can."  Aphamos put the device back into his pocket, Leon still talking due to the fact that it was still vibrating from his voice.  Aphamos turned to the StarSpeeder's spot, the vehicle just about to leave.  He quickly got on, handing the credits to the FX droid and giving his destination.  He made his way to the nearest empty seat, moving to the window and sitting.  He closed his, wanting just a minute of rest before he arrived.  He was interrupted as a man came and sat next to him, sliding over from the seat on the other side of Aphamos, obviously wanting to make conversation.  Aphamos looked over at the man, a blank look on his face, trying to get the man to go away.  The man smiled back at Aphamos, his smile slowly fading as he looked to the front of the speeder.  The vehicle came to a halt as the droid announced that they had reached the cantina.  Aphamos stood up, quickly walking to the front of the speeder and exiting.  He walked to the cantina, the building unchanged from the last time he had been inside.

He stepped in, looking around to find Leon waiting there for him, facing the droid bartender.  Aphamos walked towards him, maneuvering his way through masses of drunken men.  He finally arrived at the table.  He nodded to Leon who greeted him, and gave a signal to the waiter, as the droid neared him.

"Give me...something that will wake you up." he asked.  "I don't care what's in it, just give it to me.  Make it a double of course."  The droid made its way to the counter again, pulling out a bottle which contained what appeared to be a thick, black liquid.  Aphamos looked over to Leon, wanting to know why he had called him.  "So what do you need?" asked Aphamos.

"Well, I'm going to cut right to the chase, so here it is." he said.  "I need you to come to Tatooine with me.  It is urgent, and I need your help."  Aphamos looked over at his fellow stormtrooper, gazing deep into his eyes.

"No.  Not right now at least.  I can't right now.  There is too much to take care of." he said.  He though of his duties and the position that he now held, and most of all, thought of Rachel.

"I need you.  If you don't come...if you don't come, very important people will die.  Very important people to me.  I will die with them as well." said Leon, putting it on the table as easily as that.  Aphamos though about it as the bartender placed his drink on the table.  The drink was a greenish-purple color, and looked as if something was moving inside of it.  Aphamos looked back at Leon, and without thinking, answered.

"Okay.  Okay, I'll come."  Aphamos put the glass to his lips and lifted his head up, the liquid entering his mouth and down through his throat.  Aphamos swallowed, the goop making its way down into his stomach.  Aphamos slammed his hand down, the glass shattering on the table.  Aphamos shook his head, holding his breath so he wouldn't taste the liquid.  He opened his eyes and jumped out of his chair, a surge of energy traveling through his veins.

"Well good, cause we are leaving in twelve hours." said Leon, quickly standing up to leave before Aphamos could respond.  Aphamos stared at him, shocked by what he had heard.  Leon was already out of the cantina before he could mutter a word.  Great.  Tomorrow morning.  Better go pack.

(OOC There it is, my pre-flight.  Off to Tatooine!)
 
-----------------------
Raiders

War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over.
--William Tecumseh Sherman--

Aphamos slowly made his way to his room, taking the usual route that he had taken everyday for the past three months.  The halls were silent, as lifeless as they had always been and always will be.  He turned the corner, his room at the end of the hallway.  Dammit.  I can't believe I got myself into this.  What does he need me for anyways?  It's not like we are going to liberate the place or anything.  And what did he mean about him dying?.  He sighed to himself, recalling the fast that he always got himself into binds like this just as the work load seemed to be getting a bit lighter.  He stopped in his tracks, finally realizing what he had forgotten.  He hadn't said anything to Rachel about leaving.  In fact, he hadn't even seen Rachel in a few days.  She wasn't traveling the halls near his quarters as often as the norm.  He slowly resumed walking, trying to think up of something to tell her when he got back.  I'll tell her that it was urgent...and that I had to go or they would demote me.  Yeah, she won't buy it.  He stepped in front of the door to his room, pressing the control on the side of the entrance to open it.  He walked into the nothing unusual, his sheets lying on the floor in shambles, a bottle of alcohol on his nightstand, clothes littering the floor to the point where there was no floor viable.  I really have to clean this.  When I get back, I'll do it then for sure.  He walked to his closet, finished lying to himself.

Opening the closet door, he quickly moved to the side, dodging the pile of clothes that fell to the ground.  He searched through the pile, trying to find the box that he kept with his weapons.  Stupid thing.  Where is it?  He finally found what he was looking for, throwing the metal crate onto his bed, then shoving the clothes back into his closet.  His mind was on the mission; where he was going, what he needed to bring, and most of all, who he was facing.  Just as he was about to open the metallic box on his bed, he turned back to his closet, staring at the door.  He looked down at his attire, his uniform free of any wrinkles, his badge gleaming in the light of the room.  Might not want to come with this on.  Opening the closet door, he searched again through the pile on the ground, picking out what he was going to wear, piece by piece.  Tatooine.  Hot.  Sun.  Desert.  He picked out a white shirt and a light jacket, as well as his light armor and a pair of pants.  Taking his uniform off and nicely hanging it in the closet, he put on his new clothes, now looking at the weapons that lay on his bed.  He decided to take his Mynock pistol, taking three more clips as well.  He placed the weapons in the pocket of his jacket, now thinking of the last thing that he was going to bring.  He picked up his handy vibroblade, placing the knife in his jacket as well.  He closed the container, slipping it into his closet before the clothes could break out again.  All set.  Off to hell.  He looked back at his room, mentally saying goodbye to the mess that laid before him.  He exited the room and walked down the quiet halls, walking a path that he would be away from for quite a while.

---------------

Aphamos entered the StarPort, not used to the feeling that he had.  He was cramped, people covering his every side, all walking in different directions, some running, others taking time to look at their blatant surroundings.  He pushed his way through the hustle and bustle, looking around for Leon.  Oh shoot, I'm late.  I hope the ship hasn't gone yet.  Aphamos stopped, sticking his head up high, trying to find Leon.  He looked back down, turning around the sound of yelling.  He saw a man of medium build, dark hair, and a dirty face running towards him, carrying a bag; people pointing in his direction and yelling at him.  Aphamos continued to stare at the man, who was quickly approaching Aphamos's position.  Trip him.  Let him go.  Trip him.  Let him go.  Bah, I'm in deep enough shit as it is.  Aphamos turned to the side as the man rushed past him, the thief turning and smiling at Aphamos, muttering something to him.

"Thanks mate." the filthy man said.  "It's greatly appreciated."  Aphamos's eyes followed the man out of the StarPort and off into the distance, the an jumping onto a swoop and racing off.  The crowd of people now switched their views to Aphamos, who resumed trying to find Leon, realizing the actions that he had just taken, or in this case, failed to take.  Dammit, where is he.  Ah, finally.  He saw Leon who was waiting there, facing the five ships that were soon to take off.  He noticed that the trooper was shaking a bit, just barely though, his hand in his jacket.  Aphamos walked to him, placing him hand on the troopers right shoulder.  Leon quickly swung around, taking his vibroblade and placing it to Aphamos's neck.  Aphamos held his normal, blank expression on his face, giving Leon a fake,mocking smile.

"Uh, why are you holding a knife?" asked Aphamos in a sarcastic tone.  "Seriously though, you can put it down now, preferable before I rip it out of your hands."  Leon shoved the knife back into his jacket, apologizing to Aphamos.  "Hey, it's no problem.  Happens all the time.  Which one is ours?"  Leon pointed to the transport nearest to the duo, walking towards it.  "We better get out of here.  I think I became a celebrity about thirty seconds ago."  They walked up the ramp into the transport, the entire ship hushed.  Aphamos walked into the main compartment, the passengers eyes following his every step.  They didn't like Aphamos for some reason, probably because of what had just happened outside.  Why did you have to be so stupid?  Why couldn't you just trip the ass?  He walked through the isle, the people on the sides purposely hitting him with their elbows, some flashing huge, fake smiles at him after.

"Maybe we should take another ship." said Aphamos, sitting down next to Leon.  "Specifically with less ewoks that are about to eat you alive."  Leon smiled at the though, shaking his head and looking out the window.  The entrance to the ship closed, the boarding ramp folding and fastening itself.  The transport started up, the ships engines roaring to life.  The ship started to hover, stabilizing itself, and finally leaving the docking area.  Moments later, the ship entered space, the mechanical pilot announcing that they would enter hyperspace in a few minutes.  "So where are we landing in Tatooine?" asked Aphamos.

"We aren't landing in Tatooine." said Leon.  Aphamos stared hard at Leon, his present words contradicting his past ones.  "The space over Tatooine isn't safe.  We are landing at Ryloth, a planet in the same system as Tatooine, the system of Tatoo.

"Anymore surprises you would like to tell me of?" asked Aphamos, taking in the information he had just heard.  "Who are we going to meet there anyways?  You never really told me why we are going."  Leon sighed, preparing himself for a string of answers.  The ship floated in the starry darkness, the transport soon going into hyperspace, the stars fading away as Leon described the situation to Aphamos, their destination creeping nearer and nearer; the light getting dimmer and dimmer.

-----------------------
Raiders

War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over.
--William Tecumseh Sherman--

Aphamos sat there in silence, thinking about what he had just heard from the man beside him.  He thought that he knew Leon; he thought that he had figured his friend out, and suddenly, his ally threw something else at him.  He now realized that he did not know his friend at all; Leon was hiding behind some sort of shield that was blocking his violent past from taking the best of him.  Aphamos had seen when bits of it flashed back; Leon sometimes had huge outrages where no one could knock any sense into him.  Aphamos pondered on Leon's situation at the time, about what Leon had done.  He had slaughtered people for his family, he killed to stay alive.  Now that Aphamos had examined his friend's situation, he came to the conclusion that he would have done the exact same thing.  He would have killed, maybe not the same way, but would have done the same thing.  Aphamos believed in revenge, and that's what Leon wanted when he killed.  Sweet revenge.  Aphamos closed his eyes now, clearing his thoughts, ridding himself of the emotional fire that was brewing inside of him.  He concentrated on the sound of himself breathing, the calm noise cooling him down as he reached equilibrium with himself.

He was starting to get bored, the long ride to their destination taking its tole on him.  He reached down to his pocket, sticking his hand inside and pulling out his deck of Sabbac.  He turned his head, now facing Leon.  His friend was starting out into the vacuum that was seeping into his mind, mesmerizing him.  He tapped his friend on the shoulder, Leon's head quickly snapping to the side.  His friend's hand was shaking, his senses very acute.  Aphamos gave a warm smile, Leon mirroring the smile back at him.  Aphamos held up the deck of Sabbac in his right hand, offering a game to his Leon.  Leon closed his eyes and shook his head.  Meh.  Maybe later then.  Aphamos nodded, placing the deck back into his pocket.  He continued to stare at his friend, wanting to see how he felt.  Leon slowly closed his eyes, yawning, and rested his head on the chair behind him.  Aphamos could see that his friend was tired, Leon, after a few brief moments, falling asleep.  He made no noise, his slumber a very controlled one.  Aphamos lied back, closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep.  He stayed like that for a few minutes, thinking about the treasure that he had forgotten at his home.  His thoughts were on Rachel, Aphamos thinking about her beautiful face, her radiant, stunning eyes.  He sighed, knowing that it would be a while before he saw her again.  After a few minutes, he opened his eyes, not being able to fall asleep.  He looked around, trying to find something to do.  After finding nothing, he finally came to the conclusion that while his friend was asleep, his time would be best spent exploring the ship.

-------Ten Minutes Later-------

Aphamos finally came to a halt after a rather long walk inside the enormous transport.  He had passed various shops and a cantina on the way, and was now looking for somewhere to sit.  He turned to his left, his vision meeting a bar-like area filled with round tables.  The tables were surrounded by people, with an average of four to five at one table.  Aphamos walked over the the table nearest him, as the players started setting wagers.  Ah, finally.  Sabbac.  Aphamos smiled as he quickly stole a seat on the table.  He looked over at the other members of the game, each with an unusual feature about them.  The man nearest to Aphamos had a very glum expression on his face, as if all the joy in him had been sucked out.  He was a very small man, a sense of fear resonating from his person.  Aphamos looked at the next man, who was almost the exact opposite of the man sitting next to Aphamos.  The man was very large, a drunken smile on his face; he looked as if he would fall over at any moment.

Aphamos looked over to the next member of the party, who looked as if he was the normal one of the bunch.  The man didn't look to be too tall, and wasn't too large either.  He had a huge scar running down the right side of his face; Aphamos could tell that the scar was the reason for the man's shyness, for the figure in front of Aphamos seemed to be always staring down.  Aphamos now looked over at the last member of the game, and by far the most unusual one.  This man had a scar as well, running down the left side of his face though.  He was of medium build, appeared to be a little shorter than Aphamos, with the same black eyes that pierced through other people.  He was wearing a very large, while fur coat, this being the one thing that separated him from the others on the table.  He appeared to be very rich, his clothing giving him a certain swagger as well, something that the others didn't have either.  He stared coolly at Aphamos, almost as if he was searching him for something.  Aphamos faked a smile, the man finally realizing that Aphamos had been staring at him as well, the man pulling out some credits.

"Place your bets." the fat man spat out.  It seemed as if his words were slurred together, Aphamos not being able to understand the man at all.  Nevertheless, he followed suit  as the other members of the game pulled out their respective credits.  Each member put in ten-thousand credits, the man in the coat putting in even more, topping the entire pot by more then five thousand credits.  Aphamos chucked to himself, the other players instantly starting at him.  Aphamos looked from side to side at them, quickly looking down now as the shy man passed around the Sabbac cards.  Aphamos looked at his hand and smiled.  Ah, yes.  This is going to be rather...interesting.  Aphamos looked up again, this time seeing more people around the table while others were moving towards it.  Must have been attracted by the gorgeous pot we have here.

The hand was over very shortly, Aphamos winning in quick, easy steps.  His hand was far more superior to his opponent's hands.  He smiled, taking the credits off of the table and placing them in his pockets, the money filling all pockets that he had.  Aphamos looked over to the rich man who was fuming, his face scarlet due to the recent events.  The man slowly raised his fist and quickly shot it down, his hand striking the table hard.  The table shook, the sound resonating throughout the area around them.  Aphamos continued to stare at the man, trying to comprehend what was going on in his little head.  Oh geez.  This could get ugly.  "GOD DAMMIT!" the man yelled.  He continued breathing in and out heavily, trying to calm himself down.  This may take a while.  The man smiled a huge smile, bracing himself to the table by his hands.  "Another hand, shall we." he muttered.  Aphamos stood up from his chair, stretching his arms and preparing himself for his leave.  Aphamos turned, walking off into the other direction.  "WAIT!" the man bellowed.  Aphamos turned around and resumed staring at the man.  "ONE MORE GAME!"

Aphamos shook his head.  "Hey, it's only a game."  Aphamos pulled out one-hundred credits and threw them at the man, who's face turned red again.  Aphamos turned around again and headed towards the cantina, his thirst taking the best of him.  A few moments later, he arrived, finding his companion, Leon, there as well.

-------Twenty Minutes Later-------

They had been sitting there silently for twenty minutes now, Aphamos looking at the ale in front of him, then the wall, then back to his cup, over and over again.  He looked over at Leon, who was staring at the wall in front of him.  They were both waiting for the moment that the transport would land, both of them having the urge to act.  Aphamos now started to miss his training, not fancying long trips at all.  Aphamos looked to the side as the door of the cantina jutted open, hitting the wall and creating a loud noise.  In came the rich man that Aphamos had played against, with a large, tall man following him.  Looks like he made some friends on the way.  Aphamos turned, staring at Leon now.  They both looked at the man again, then back at each other, knowing that their long trip was about to get interesting.
 
-----------------------
Raiders

War is cruelty. There's no use trying to reform it, the crueler it is the sooner it will be over.
--William Tecumseh Sherman--