At the spot where the officers had appeared were a set of stairs leading down to a smaller platform. Hovering there was a police cruiser. Jumping in, Kirk tried to make sense of the controls. But everything was in an unknown alphabet. He was getting ready to jump back out when he realized there was a prisoner in the back. "What's wrong, Bud?" A dark skinned, grey haired Human asked with a smile. "Can't you read?" "I am fluent in twelve languages," Kirk said over his shoulder. "But I've never seen this alphabet." "Well let me up front, and I can get us both out of here!" The man said excitedly. Kirk activated a switch the man pointed at. The barrier separating the two then lowered. With a grin, he squeezed through and jumped into the other seat. Opening a panel, he removed an oblong object and touched it to his binders. The restraints opened, falling in his lap. Activating the controls, the two were soon flying into traffic. "Name's Hex Olon," The former prisoner said as he reached under the control console. He then started tugging on something. Kirk realized what it might be and grabbed a box and ripped it from it's mountings. "Transponder?" Joshua asked as he held it up. Hex nodded, surprised at the ease with which the boy had removed it. Kirk leaned out the window. After several seconds he dropped the transponder. "Right into a vehicle hauling garbage." "Good, let them chase that for a while," Hex said as he sent the vehicle lower. "What's your name kid?" "Joshua Kirk!" He shot back with an irritated tone. "And don't call me kid, I'm twenty-nine!" "Sorry," Hex said as he smiled back at Kirk. "But you look to be younger than my son. He's eighteen." "Yeah," Joshua muttered. "Sorry about that, but I've just spent four months locked up in a small cell, and then just had two weapons pointed at me. So I'm not in a good mood." "You just got out of jail?" "No," Kirk said as he shook his head. "I was held on a Federation starship, U.S.S. Excalibur." "Why would the Trade Federation be holding you?" Hex asked curiously. "Trade Federation?" Kirk glanced at the man as he flew through traffic like he'd flown the cruiser all his life. "I have no idea what that is. I'm talking about the United Federation Of Planets." "Never heard of it," Olon replied. He then turned to Kirk quickly. "Wait! You're off that ship in orbit. The one guarded by those four Republic Stardestroyers." "What is the Republic?" Kirk asked, puzzled. "You from some newly discovered world?" Hex blurted out as he brought the police flyer to a landing on a platform between two shabby buildings. "The Republic is, well, the Republic. It was formed about twenty-five thousand years ago. At it's height, it was comprised of several million inhabited worlds." "Several million worlds?" Kirk asked, shocked at the immense size of this Republic. "Yes," Hex said. Kirk twisted about as a large door opened in the wall of one of the buildings and the platform they'd landed on retracted into it. "Where are we going?" He asked, suspiciously. "Resha Torvul's place!" Hex told him quickly. "She's a smuggler boss, and is in the market for one of these new Saera Corporation cruisers. Word is, she'll pay ten thousand creds for one. And I need money to get off world. And five thousand is a great help with that." "Why do you need to get off world?" Kirk asked as the platform stopped. "How about the fact that I just stole a police cruiser!" Hex said with a laugh. "And one of the two officers flying it is married to my sister! So let's just say that my life would be very complicated if I stay here." "Hey, Hex!" A voice shouted out. Joshua turned to see a rather ugly humanoid with two prominent horns pointing at his companion. "Why am I not surprized that you are the first to steal one of these babies!" "That's because I am skilled, my friend!" Olon replied as he jumped out. "That and the fact that my young friend here," He then jerked a thumb in Kirk's direction as he climbed out of the cruiser. "Released me from the back where I was sitting after getting busted for selling property that might not have been mine." "Well, well," A woman's voice purred from behind Kirk. Turning about, he found himself facing the most beautiful Andorian he'd ever met. "I thought you didn't work with kids, Hex?" "He's not a kid, Resha," Hex said quickly. "This is Joshua, and he's twenty-nine." "Looks like you're not the only one who ages well, Mother," A man's voice spoke behind Joshua. Glancing back, he saw an elderly Andorian now leaning against the cruiser. "That's enough, Alado," Resha said to her son. "Well," Joshua said as he turned from one to the other. "It seems that there is some contact between your Republic and my Federation, Hex. These two are Andorians." "Wait!" The woman said as she took a step in Kirk's direction. "You know what I am?" "Yes, you don't?" Kirk asked. "No!" Resha said as she grinned. "My earliest memories are waking up in a transparasteel tube as a dozen Jedi were killing the scientists working in the lab we were held in." "We?" Kirk asked. "The only other living subject was my brother, Mateesa," She explained. "And no, he's from a different race." "Maybe I can Identify his race," Joshua said. "Do you have an image of him?" "Unfortunately, no," She said sadly. "It's been several hundred years since we've seen each other." "How old are you?" Kirk asked her. "Because Andorians only live about one hundred twenty five years." "We woke up four thousand three hundred sixty three years ago, and I have not aged a day since." "So you're saying you are a genetically engineered lifeform?" Kird asked, now very curious "Please don't say that," Resha said in exasperation. "Most people get upset about it." "Hey," Kirk said quietly as he pointed to himself. "Same here." "That's how you were able to tear out that transponder so easily," Hex said before turning to Resha. "He ripped that thing out like it was mounted to paper." "That is interesting," The woman replied with a grin as she turned to Kirk. "But I want to know why you are wearing nothing but your underwear." "It's not underwear, it's a protective suit." "What does it protect you from?" Reasha asked. "Not me, you," Kirk said. "My body produces powerful pheromones. They cause sexual arrousal in a large number of humanoid races. Especially Andorian women." "Does it affect men as well?" Hex asked as he stepped away from Kirk. "Yes," He said. "But not in that way. It makes you want to be my friend. But that's it." Kirk froze for a second as he stared at a table across the room. Without saying a word, he quickly crossed the room. On the tabe sat a device that was projecting the image of a galaxy. "What is this?" He asked. There was a hint of panic in his voice. But the others now felt panic setting into their own hearts. "What is this?" "It's the latest trade route map of the galaxy," Alado said as he turned to his mother who was approaching Joshua carefully. "No!" He said firmly. "That can't be. Because this is not our galaxy!" "I can assure you," Hex said as stepped beside Kirk. "This is the galaxy." "No!" He was now shouting. An expression of shock then formed on his youthful face. "A wormhole. We must have enterded a wormhole." "Damn it!" Resha said as she rushed to Joshua, the panic now turned to horror. A horror that threatened to overwhelm everyone. Placing her hand to his face she whispered. "Sleep!" Joshua immediately collapsed into Resha's arms. But to her shock, she found herself being dragged down by his weight. "Guys!" She said as she turned to the three men. "Help me get him up to the bed in my room. He is much heavier than someone his size should be." With a heave, the four lifted Joshua from the floor and took him up some stairs to a small office. As they entered, Resha waved her hand and a compartment opened, revealing a bed. Soon they placed the unconscious Kirk on it. She then waved a hand at Hex. "You saw nothing, Hex." She whispered. "What happened to the kid?" Olon asked as he glanced around, confused as to how he ended up in Resha's office. "Joshua passed out," Alado said as he took some money from a safe. "Here's the ten thousand for the cruiser." "Thanks," Hex said. "But half of it is Joshua's. I'd be sitting in jail right now if he hadn't shown up." "Go ahead and take it," Resha said. "I'll give the boy his pay. And go see Zak Cronda at the Sleeping Wampah. He's heading for Coruscant, and is short a crewman. Tell him I said you're good to go." "Sure thing," Hex said as he pocketed the money. "Thank you again, Resha." "Kathin," She said to the short Devaronian. "Have the droids start painting the cruiser, then start moving all the cargo in the warehouse to the ships. Tell everyone we're moving our base of operations to Helvish Prime. But first, we're all going to meet up at Smuggler's Haven." "You got is boss." "Why did you use Force Persuasion on Hex?" Alado asked his mother. "He's a good guy." "There's something about Hex you don't know," She said as she watched Olon leave. Closing the blinds she continued. "When he was twenty three, he saw Darth Vader kill a Cerinian. Hacked her apart. Then eight years later, he had another run in with Vader. He refuses to talk about it. But it must have been bad. So he's developed a strong fear of the Force." "And seeing the two of you using it scared him?" "Yes, now go help him Alado," She said to her son. With a nod, he was gone. Resha shook her head sadly, knowing her son didn't have much time left. It was at times like this she felt her brother Mateesa was right to stop having children long ago. It was so painful, outliving your own children. She then turned to Joshua and stared in wonder. She'd met few force users as powerful as this boy. With a start, he awoke. "Be at peace," She said as she placed her hand to his face once more. "Let the calm wash over you." "Calm," He said quietly. He then jerked away from her touch. "Don't touch me!" "Oh, young one, it is too late for that!" She then leaned forward and kissed Kirk. She then peered into his brown eyes. "Now what are you going to about what you've done to me?" Kirk stared at the Andorian woman briefly before his left eyebrow slowly rose.