When the Kthari first encountered a youngish middle-aged human woman, Karen Kenobi, it was nothing they thought twice about. She'd landed on their planet, after all, so she was sort of the invader. They treated her with care after she demonstrated her skills with the Force. Most Kthari were not Force-Sensitive, in fact many were downright negative in the Force.

She could hunt for herself, and bartered some interesting items, while she was on her way out to some hidden planet elsewhere on her map. The tribes rarely wrote their meetings and events down - but this time someone stuck an image of a colorfully clothed lightsaber bearing woman onto a hide parchment. Just in case. Friend, not foe, they'd recall.

Several years later, though, they met up with her again. And this time, she didn't make it to their jungle-ridden moon alone.

The creatures who flew over the forest tops landed in a clearing, and were immediately surrounded by all the local Kthari who had the guts to come. These were dragons, but they didn't look at all like the local wildlife. Some of the local lizards could grow to about half this size, but nothing so colorful and certainly not as intelligent looking as these.

Karen jumped from the shoulders of the teal-colored female dragon, holding her hands up and her head down, a show of humble peace-coming. The Kthari largely lowered their weapons, some remained trained on the dragons.

"Greetings again," Karen said, with a broad smile on her face. For someone who had been through the trials and tribulations she'd done, she had a merry face, when she chose to give a grin. "I have been to all manner of places in this galaxy and others," she announced, "and I want to extend an invitation to a place which is in some need of your help."

Mutterings spread, mostly about how strangers always want something, how could they help if they weren't local, why should they need help at all? Karen let the voices continue, until her red and white dragon, the male, bellowed for silence.

"Thank you Brychwynth," Karen said. "You know that the best way through space is to avoid it, right?"

One or two of the younger locals found that less confusing than their elders did. They were familiar with hyperspace and regular space travel after all.

"Well, dragons are ... faster than that, they avoid traveling in hyperspace. I got here from my ... my world," she was almost surprised that she had to call it that, as the planet she resided upon with her draconic friends was just 'hers' alone. "In mere moments. It would take a week to get here in hyperspace!"

"She wants to sell us something, I bet," said one surly dark-skinned man, whose wings bore long scars from hunting. "Run her out."

"I want to hear what she has to say!" Called another, a fair skinned female with feathery wings. "Let her speak!"

Eventually the dragons bellowed together, again, to silence the group. "I will only take what's given to me fairly in trade, if we trade. I will only bring anyone along who wishes to be with me, on my travels," Karen said. "I would not force any travel on anyone, and I have all that I need at home already. I'm not here to sell. Only to spread news, and ask if anyone here would like to help out creatures similar to these." She waved her hand at the pair of dragons, and the teal mottled female looked as though she would hide her face from the stern looks of the Kthari.

Eventually, as afternoon was turning to evening under the great gas giant Mahar, a few of the locals decided that she was all right, they'd listen to her tale. If it intrigued them, they might be persuaded to go along with her wherever it was she was intending to take them. She didn't have a ship, she couldn't smuggle captives out - so they trusted her with that much.

Mostly, she noticed, it was a group who seemed shunned by the rest of their people, who allowed her to speak. It was odd that this group of humanoids had such a complicated social mix. Had these just not proved themselves in their society? Or had they done something wrong that made them outcasts? They weren't beaten away, they were not driven out, but just given a cold shoulder by those who seemed more in-charge. That would do, since this task might keep them away from their home world for quite some time.

She explained there were worlds in need of pair sponsors or bonders for similar dragons. She attempted to describe the locations that she had visited with her teleporting friends, and expressed that some weren't planets but a place that existed, worlds that could be visited by what seemed to be force of will. Magic. The Force, something like it, perhaps. They understood that much.

The dragons, with powers and appearances somewhat dictated by elements they controlled, seemed to be of great interest to the group. They were huge, much bigger than the pair that Karen had brought. Perhaps two to three times their size! That excited the Kthari, for they were much bigger than most humans, and a tiny bond like Delyth (the teal female) would hardly be able to fly with them on her back.

"We will figure out who will go with you," said an elegantly tall black-skinned female. Her slender neck and beautiful face were marred only slightly by battle scars. Karen thought that the scars were from a blaster - it was probably true, they'd had run ins with the Imperials before, here.

Karen slept with her dragons carefully guarding her during the long, warm night. As she slept, some of the Kthari discussed their situation. Perhaps it would be best to go in a pair, if the dragons could even support her weight as well as a full-grown Kthari? The local elders would be relieved to find their upstarts were planning to leave, what would happen if, eventually, they came back with dragons themselves?

Would their crimes or mistakes be washed away? Or would they be made even more outcast?

Time would tell, they decided.

In the morning, there were a number of youngish Kthari who had determined themselves to be the best suited to this travel and work. Who among them could find the most appropriate dragon, or take care of one without bonding? That was something they'd like to find out.

One of the first to stand and present himself for this duty, was a pale skinned and platinum haired Seslen named Ret, with short colorful wings and a bright scrutiny on his face. "I'd like to go, I work with many races, I've got experience with dealing with offworlders."

Karen nodded, putting him down as a 'sponsor', since his ability to concentrate on more than one thing at a time might come in handy there.

Karen noticed that there was some dissent among the small group, when the tall blond-haired Aphern, Larice came to her with a smile on her small lips. The woman was apparently known for her Imperial contacts - something that not everyone trusted.

"I would like to find a bond of these dragons," she announced, but what was quite clear she wasn't saying, was that she intended to do this not just for herself, but probably for some others - the remnants of the Empire perhaps?

But Karen wrote her down as 'candidate', since she expressed a desire for her own bond.

"If she's going, then I'm going too," the burly Shara spoke up. "I don't trust her as far as I could throw her." The older woman glared at the blonde, "and I could, you know."

"You wish," Larice chuckled with a viscious grin.

"Calm down, both of you," Karen said, though truth be told, she was quite uncomfortable between the massive winged women. "Shara, you would be bonding, or sponsoring for the world?"

"Bonding," she replied, still glaring at her Imperial opposite. There was obviously some bad blood between these two, and it lingered in the air. The Apthi was older than Aphern by perhaps a score of years, and looked like she meant business.

"Bonding it is, then," Karen said, jotting that down.

"I'd be willing to sponsor one or two," Ryne said, the scarred Chiroko man apparently was known for running illegal items through starports. "Never know when something like a big strong dragon might help turn the tables, eh?"

Though his smile was honest, Karen wasn't sure what to make of him. Whether he was more tuned to the dark side, or just a free agent. She noted him as a sponsor and moved along.

** Ryne has picked up two beautiful Zalor!

When the huge Aich'i Terak cleared his throat, everyone moved aside. He and Shara were of the same age group, and had apparently grown up together. But even so, she seemed not to trust him so much. Karen wondered why.

"I'd like to go and bond, if I may. It would be an honor, and I am certain that our communities here would benefit if I could come back to help with a dragon. We'd be more independant of mercenaries," he said, looking at Shara who nodded.

"Then that's three for bonding," Karen said. "Anyone else? Before my poor dragons have coronaries imagining themselves carrying all of you?"

"I seek my own place among the stars," Pandora, a lean and long-winged Daioko, said. "With a dragon or two at my side, we'd be able to explore. I'd even be willing to take up residence on one of the worlds you've told us about, if it meant I could have my own lands."

"They might agree," Karen said. "I'll put you down as a sponsor, then. That makes six of you, I think that's enough -for the time being." She knew that there was disappointment on the faces of some of those present, but if things went well, they would be able to bond elsewhere anyway.

Pandora has bonded Izel, the antirr