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Author Topic: Orphan of the Aether  (Read 8467 times)
Lord_S_Gray
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2017, 09:43:12 PM »

Exactly.  Her attitude reminds me a lot of how Native American peoples reacted to Europeans when they first started trading.  Not that they didn't understand theft, but more that they didn't really get ownership, especially of the land.  Money?  What's that?  LOL

That view of being a stranger in a strange land and trying to feel your way through truly alien concepts and customs is really neat.  I love how she decides to become a professional thief because that's what her mentor is.  Absolutely no moral inflection, no realization that its not considered 'ok'.  Just 'this is what we do to get credits?  Ok, lets do it.  We need credits to get stuff to survive."

Awesome writing!  :-)

Thanks guys, like I said I wanted to do something very different given Legacy of the Aether is going to be similar to Children,  seems like I've achieved that!  Definitely strangers, the concept I use most for the Aethans is ancient Celts (Guardians sort of equivalent to Druids) transported into modern day US/UK/Aus, they get the basics of an organised society, but the idea of so many different people living together, strict property laws and intangible assets would just make no sense.
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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #16 on: December 11, 2017, 11:09:41 PM »

Chapter 6
Her first real job…a small jewellery store, with two smelly things called Rodians in charge of it.

She had finished school for the week…she still didn’t understand the division of days into weeks…seasons she understood…but this seemed pointless…and was free for the next two days.  She didn’t mind the school now her passive learning ability had allowed her to catch up within a matter of weeks…she understood the things, trigonometry, physics, biology, literature …but it seemed inelegant to learn without the aether like they did…Maynard had warned them not to use it in public too much…the Jedi sounded horrible and she didn’t want to risk attracting one.

The Rodian things locked the doors and headed off, she waited as the street cleared before leaping across the rooves and balconies to above the shop door.  She couldn’t sense many people nearby, and so set to work. 

Gliding down she began work on the door…it was simple enough…a little different but not much.  She noted the position of the hidden cameras Maynard had pointed out…she sent thin arcs of lighting straight for them…small flashes of explosions followed as they shorted out.

She stalked in keeping herself above the floor by levitating with the aether…the display cases were empty…the jewels locked away at night.  The back room was guarded with laser trip wires…this was the difficult bit…she pushed in the aether to create a small bubble of invisible power…twisting the beams above and below it stretching a hole for herself as it spread to elongate more beams….it required a lot of power and patience…her burning heart provided the power…the patience…that was her flaw….she thought of the other girls…she had to do it for them….

It was just wide enough, she levitated through to the mess of an office, papers, half empty boxes with disgusting smelling foods…she couldn’t tell if they were rotten or meant to smell like that…she suspected the latter based on her experience of Rodian scents…The safe was a big black slab with no visible dials or buttons – remote operated by an implant key in the owners hand….

She didn’t have a severed Rodain hand…though that had been her first plan Maynard had quickly dissuaded her of it, instead she would use the aether to short it out.  She reached her mind into the mechanisms, gently getting the lay of the land…she traced the flow of current, the circuits that needed to be kept one, those she could switch off…Pressure sensor, off, heat sensor, off, internal scan, off, door nib, slide…

It opened smoothly…it worked!  She didn’t want to risk anything, she opened her satchel and used the aether to rush all the contents straight into it.  This was so easy!

The alarm blared….Kriff as Maynard would say…whatever that was.  What had she done wrong…pressure, heat, internal…timer…she’d forgotten the timer that detected when it was opened outside set hours. 

She rushed out of the room, no longer caring about the trip lasers, fortunately Commenor did not allow deadly or debilitating security devices…takes away the fun Maynard had said….but that didn’t seem to matter…from the window she could see the blue and green of a police hover car descending in front of the store.

She was trapped…she would be caught…enslaved, abused…her adoptive sisters raped and murdered….she couldn’t let this happen…

A blue glow light up around her…aetheric fire was burning from her fists unbidden…a fire…a fire would work.  She gave into her fear, her annoyance at failing and opened her palms…a sea of blue fire flooded the floor catching the display cases and walls.  The smoke instantly began to fill the room, the glass windows started to burst open…she could feel the police backing away and talking…calling in support…

She charged through the flames…they couldn’t touch her…they were born of her…and smashed through the door wreathed in her own hate.  She turned her hands to the hover car infusing the flames with a telekinetic push she blasted it apart in a ball of white blue flame. 

It felt good…really good to let it out like that.  She did it again to the store front opposite…then to another, then to a red and white lit hover craft descending near her, the blazing fires started to link up…

Yes…this was what they deserved…all of them…they had burnt her home…her people now they would pay…she fired more, and more…people ran screaming form buildings onto streets that were blanketed with even more flames…they couldn’t understand how ferrocrete could combust, didn’t understand that hate and fear could fuel a fire as much as any material substance…

Her breathing was becoming ragged…even she couldn’t pour fire forever…she had to go…she had failed…she recalled Karinthas words…if you fail and survive – learn or next time you’re already dead.  She would learn…they would burn.
***********************************************************************************************************
Maynard was waiting for her when she got home, the news holovid flickering behind him silently so as not to wake the others.

He glanced at her then the vid, it showed buildings on fire and charred corpses littering the street
“Not very…subtle…” he commented

“I forgot the time lock…”

He sighed then looked back to the vid…”If it weren’t for your…talents…”

“I know…” she flopped down on the couch…

“You have to be patient, think everything through, triple check…if not for me…and if not for your...then for the girls…they need you Kiraea…”

“I know” her muffled voice came through the cushion, her face down,

“When I screwed up, got caught pickpocketing,”  he said sitting beside her prone form, “That old Toydarain bastard would fly round and slap me stupid,” 

She raised her head with a cautionary glare,

“He was an old gas-bag and I’m glad he’s dead…but I didn’t have half the talent you did, that means you’ve got half the excuses for getting it wrong, you shouldn’t make the mistakes an alien fiend like me did,”

Clever she thought to use her hate to motivate her, she lobbed a cushion at him with the aether. 

“I knowwww…” she droned sitting up, “but your Toydarains nothing, if Karintha saw me get this wrong it would be a week sleeping with out with the Vorynx,”

Maynard was about to open his mouth to ask what that was…

She cut him off “If you ever want to sleep again…you don’t want to know,”

Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Karmack
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #17 on: December 12, 2017, 01:45:04 AM »

LSG, I really like this chapter.  There's a feel to it that reminds me of a TV show from the 80's called Remington Steele.  Sort of Steele meets Star Wars...  :-)  Not quite as comedic, obviously, but the feel of this story is so much lighter than the previous.  Its a lot more fun to read, and I really enjoyed this segment.  I know she's not doing the right thing, but I also can't help but root for her. 

Great chapter!   Thanks for offering it up!  :-)
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Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

TheDutchman
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Force Alignment: 1106
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« Reply #18 on: December 12, 2017, 12:45:09 PM »

This chapter was equal parts fun...and equal parts terrifying.  As we all have mentioned, Kiraea does not have the moral compass that most people do and while her experiences can justify some of her actions, others are done out of her fear and unfamiliarity (e.g. torching the medical craft).  This is an excellent barometer of her emotional and social awareness.

Still: who wouldn't want to be able to use the aether for the mundane (...like, say to win at gambling  Wink).  Of course, this is its own slippery slope...

Great job LSG!

Until next installment friends  Smiley
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Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Karmack
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #19 on: December 12, 2017, 06:43:04 PM »

This chapter was equal parts fun...and equal parts terrifying.  As we all have mentioned, Kiraea does not have the moral compass that most people do and while her experiences can justify some of her actions, others are done out of her fear and unfamiliarity (e.g. torching the medical craft).  This is an excellent barometer of her emotional and social awareness.

Still: who wouldn't want to be able to use the aether for the mundane (...like, say to win at gambling  Wink).  Of course, this is its own slippery slope...

Great job LSG!

Until next installment friends  Smiley

"...use the aether for the mundane..."   Hmm.  Do any of you recall a show from the 90's called "Early Edition"?   The plot centered around a guy who received the local newspaper a day early.  It was hinted that this was from a divine origin, and he would use it to stop bad things from happening, things he would read about in the paper.  But I remember one show, where he was placing bets at the local track, betting small amounts on several races - to supply himself with his monthly income. 

The irony was he was only betting a little bit, so he'd have money for food, rent, etc - not abusing it.  But I have to think the temptation would be to just go on bender and live easy...  :-)

Its a side to being strong in the force that we don't see explored much.  Which gives me some ideas...  But not until we're done with our current adventure I think.  Still...

... a Han Solo type character who is also strong in the force...  Oh yeah.  Definitely need to think about that...
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Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #20 on: December 15, 2017, 01:28:58 AM »

Chapter 7
The lock was above average in complexity, but nothing she couldn’t handle.  She performed the familiar ballet of twisting tumblers with precise movements of the aether, and shorting out failsafe circuits with short arcs of aetheric lightning.  Finally the last pieces slid out of their proper place and the door swung open. 

She created precision arc of lighting to open a gap in the protective field around the jewellery, then gently lifted the ornate box whilst pressing down with the aether to keep the weight constant on the scale.  It was very fine work…made harder still by the fact she was sitting on a ledge atop the building opposite. 

Colm Maynard had taught well, but she had surpassed her teacher, she could sit here 70 metres away, and levitate the ornate box straight over the heads of the sleeping owners and through the window to her hands.  Not a trace was left for any police to find. 

She caught the box, checked the contents then slid it into her form fitting pack.  She rose and stretched out, the cool night air doing little to quell her burning restlessness…She used the aether to glide down the face of the building, never actually touching it, another advantage she had over every other thief.  Still without Maynard she would’ve never found this line of work to support herself and her adoptive sisters.   

She came to about seven storeys from the ground and ran along the rooftops, enjoying the feel of movement, the air rushing past her form fitting black stealth suit and staring into a vast horizon after so long focused on tiny things….

She had done her job for the night, now it was time to let loose.  She stalked along the rooftops looking for some fun…people wandered about the seedier side of town into various clubs, bars and brothels…she perched atop a garish red sign and looked over Commenors night life opening herself to the aether…to the greed, the lust, the anger…

There.

She fixed her sight on two male twi’leks heading down an otherwise empty alley, hand in hand, feelings of love and expectation in them…she would enjoy this.

She flipped and twirled to a ledge above them…one was blue and one was green…funny just like the ones that had worked in the slave market she was sold at.  They hadn’t been able to find any other Aethans in the years since…Maynard had tried…but after Myzm the Hutt was happily killed by one of his own gladiators what scant records remained had vanished.

But she had another way of trying to contact other Aethans that might be out there.

She let her hate come to the surface, imagining green was the same twi’lek that had sold her to Urha, and blue was the one that had sold Adaea and Lyaea to her.  She lifted blue into the air with her anger, green tried to shout but not before she slammed his head into the wall with her annoyance and disgust for all aliens. 

Blue was outstretched, overcome with grief, confused at what was happening.  She smiled as she mentally crushed blues body and green slumped down, his skull and brains painting the wall. 

Now to her secret signal…using the precision she had developed picking locks and undermining security systems she took their blood and painted words all over the alley, on bins, walls, on their torso’s…”The Goddess Sees All,”, “Guardians Never Forget,” “By the Goddess bloody eyes you’ll all die,” to the police it was incomprehensible, appalling and baffling…much like her thefts…but to any Aethan who read the news on Commenor or the surrounding systems…it would be a beacon to find them.

“Find us,” she asked the air about her,
*******************************************************************************
“You have to be more careful!” Kiraea yelled, hands on her hips looking down…well only slightly down now, at Lyaea who was almost her height.  She had gotten into another fight at her school…she was in her final year now, nominally Maynard was her legal guardian, but he left any real issues to her, he was just the public face. 

“Why should I, I’m sick of them teasing me…just cause I have a different accent,”

“be that as it may…”  she said…she couldn’t be too angry at her for slapping the nikto given what Kiraea herself did on a weekly basis to alien creatures….

“if you kill one of them you’ll get into more trouble than I can get you out of…you have to be more restrained…and you can’t use the aether at school, how many times do I have to tell you that…”

Lyaea looked scornfully at her, her emotions bubbling with annoyance and defiance…she had been terrified of everything after Kiraea had brought her back here…but once she hit her teen years…her anger had become almost uncontrollable…Kiraea had tried…but she was barely an adult herself even now at 21…she couldn’t hope to manage a girl who had experienced such dislocation and suffering.

“I didn’t…I just slapped her…I haven’t used the aether at school forever,” 

Kiraea wasn’t sure she believed that, but Lyaea was good at concealing her thoughts, a good student…she could learn quickly with passive aetheric abilities, Kiraea had no issue with that…but when she was 14 Lyaea had taken to directly, if subtlety, controlling some of her teachers…only that Maynard knew the signs during a parent teacher interview…Kiraea might never have found out…

“Well make sure you don’t…we can’t have people investigating us…” she sighed and stretched out her arms, Lyaea looked away and lowered her head…but after a moment she came into her embrace…

“Try and save it for the Bunker Lya…I know it’s hard…”  The bunker had been built under Urha’s mansion, funded from some of her first steals, it was a large, thick walled structure that housed a getaway ship, training facilities, an armoury and most importantly a large open area with various objects for them to practice their aetheric skills on…. 

“But hey, why don’t I take you out tomorrow night and we can play with some alien brains,” Lyaea looked up from her shoulder,

“Okay…” she loved going to one of the shopping centres, sitting down on a bench then toying with people’s minds…it was such fun making a Twi’lek suddenly dance for no reason, or a Rodian shove his head into a bin singing a bawdy song. Most importantly it helped all of them get better at manipulating various aliens.

“Now go do your homework,” Lyaea gently left her arms and headed to her room…she was a good child…but Lyaea needed a Guardian…or any adult Aethan to be honest…badly…and to be honest so did she.
*******************************************************************************

Adaea came home late, busy studying…she was four years into her combined degree on advanced biology and combined engineering at Commenor Public University.  Adaea had always been a quieter girl, and being older than Lyaea…only a year younger than Kiraea…had adapted better. 

“My exams are in three weeks,” she said as they ate dinner, nerf meat and root vegetable stew…they prepared them like they did on Aethas, using their own aetheric fire to cook them in heavy pots…Maynard thought it inedible…but then that’s what they thought of most food he was used to.

“That’s good, nearly at the finish Ada,” Maynard said sipping on his blue milk.  She wondered sometimes how much of Maynard’s care for the three of them was genuine and how much purely from mental manipulation…she suspected the line between the two was gone, her programming all those years ago was just an essential part of him now.

“I just hope I do well….” Adaea said uncertainly

“You’ll do fine,” Kiraea encouraged

She and Adaea had been working on writing all they knew about their home into a single consolidated text…trying to save what they could of their people for the future.

“Hmm…I guess…”

Adaea had seem distracted lately…Kiraea knew the reason, she had befriended a human girl at her university, but it seemed to her more likely a physical attraction.

On Aethas they would be getting married off by now…it was highly symbolic, the point at which they became adults in their own right…and there was the biological side of things…the hormonal and pheromone activation that occurred at their age…Guardians were taught to be able to handle such things, but not regular girls like Adaea or Lyaea, there was simply no need back home

Adaea gave her a sheepish look, she could tell what she was thinking…she didn’t get why Adaea would feel embarrassed about it…such things were dealt with openly back home…after all they had both learned the Arts of Aephrodaea. 

“You’re thinking about your friend Siri?” Kiraea announced in a far more accusing tone than she had wanted to,

Adaea looked away, Lyaea giggled,

She didn’t want this to become a distraction…but the idea of forming a relationship with a non-Aethan didn’t sit well with her…she could order Adaea to kill Siri to show her dedication to her people….

“I like her is all….we’re just friends…” she replied after a while.

“For now…you can’t hide so don’t bother trying….” She snapped back…Maynard started to look very uncomfortable,

“I’ll just clean up the plates…” he said slowly moving to collect the cutlery,

“You just want to snookle her!” Lyaea blurted out…that girl watched far too many late night holomovies….still she was to the point,

Kiraea mulled it over…they weren’t at home … and Adaea and Lyaea were far more enmeshed with the culture on Commenor than she was…her frustration at the loss of their identity flickered her anger alight….

She sighed…she had to make concessions to the situation she supposed…hmm perhaps it was not so different to using them in other ways like she did Maynard…so long as it was the Aethan using the human it was ok…

“Fine…new rule…you’re allowed to use female humans to satisfy yourself…but only humans and only females!” She would not allow any chance of an abominable half Aethan being created…and it was consistent with their traditions for women to partner up for a while if there were no males old enough to marry…often necessary given women had outnumbered men two to one.  She thought for a moment…

”And only ones that I approve and mind control first – for our own protection”

Adaea nodded, Lyaea beamed excitedly in the aether at the thought of new toys to play with…she was picking up too many of Kiraea’s and this alien cultures bad habits…She'd hoped teaching her the first Arts of Aephrodaea would settle her down...but on a strange world, and taught by someone other than her mother, aunt or sister it just wasn't the same...

Kiraea turned on the younger girl

“Not you, you’re still too young!”
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Karmack
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #21 on: December 15, 2017, 04:09:26 AM »

LSG, these girls are getting down-right terrifying...    We're shifting from foreign/alien culture to out-and-out 'Lord of the Flies" stuff.  Your writing is amazing, I am fascinated but at the same time...  Well, lets just say I totally agree: They need an adult in their lives.... 

But the horror I'm feeling is another mark of the excellent writing!  Well done.  I am fascinated by this story and I am very much looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
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Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #22 on: December 15, 2017, 01:41:36 PM »

LSG, these girls are getting down-right terrifying...    We're shifting from foreign/alien culture to out-and-out 'Lord of the Flies" stuff.  Your writing is amazing, I am fascinated but at the same time...  Well, lets just say I totally agree: They need an adult in their lives.... 

But the horror I'm feeling is another mark of the excellent writing!  Well done.  I am fascinated by this story and I am very much looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
OMG Karm you read my mind!  I was literally thinking of that literary reference!  And it's made all the more terrifying as they are Aethan children... And they are getting stronger AND more curious.  And even without their cultural moral barometer, they are going to rely on themselves...

Karm said it best: "mark of excellent writing" indeed!  I love this darker aspect of the SW universe, not just for pathos.  This is truly unique within the larger SW universe BUT still feels that it "belongs."  That was a big problem that I had with the whole Yuuzhan Gong: they just didn't "fit" within the SW mythos IMO. 

Until next installment friends  Smiley
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Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #23 on: December 18, 2017, 03:28:09 AM »

Given you enjoy it I might extend this series a little, have some more fun with Kiraea and co.

Chapter 8
“That one is pretty,” Lyaea opined staring at the golden tiara in the display case, like many of the items in the Treasures of Thustra Exhibition at the Commenor Galactic Arts Gallery the gold had a purple tinge to it, much like the skin of the Sephi who created it.

The exhibition was extremely popular, they only just managed to get tickets for the last few days, and the crowds were huge…of course not around the four of them.  Lyaea was absently projecting a Naus-Field around them while keeping a small bubble within it to avoid Maynard being effected.  The crowds orbited them like a distant ring, dotted in the gaps were gallery attendants mopping up the vomit of the less well constituted species and those who got too close. 

The Naus-Field created a strong nausea sensation in most every bipedal aliens, on feeling it most simply backed away…children and species with less ability to supress retching reflexes….

“Would I look good in that one?” Kiraea asked,

“Not bad,” Maynard replied continuing their code for scoping out which ones to prioritise, “But I think you’d look nicer with the ceremonial gauntlets,” 

Whilst the security in the Gallery itself was not overly difficult to overcome, why take the risk when the items were far more vulnerable during transit in three days time. 

“I still like the robes more,”  Adaea added, gesturing toward the Sephi Kings traditional coronation garb, intricately detailed deep purple with gold thread and bound in gems, above it the ceremonial headdress a pale, and again purple tinged silver with deep blue sapphires.

“I could sew a nice dress out of them,”

That would probably be highly offensive to the Sephi Kiraea mused, their traditional artefact cut into pieces for a dress…but if they were stupid enough to put these precious cultural relics in harm’s way…Her People would never do such a thing, their relics were in the land and their stories, and most of all in their shared blood and ongoing family, not petty trinkets.

Still as she looked across the holograph displays beside each object with the Sephi virtual assistant that explained the items and answered basic questions she did find herself feeling almost…respect for their having traditions at all…so much of the galaxy she had seen was just a commerce machine…these objects showed at least some genuine life behind it all…

The next display shattered any sympathy she might have had, a vibrant marble frieze commemorating their first travels to the stars…If they wanted to have their culture fine, but don’t go to other planets interrupting other people who just wanted to be left alone…A rage filled tear slowly trailed along her cheek, as her anger blazed…it was quickly caught up in in Adaea’s arms as she embraced her from behind,

“It’s OK Kiri…” she said softly,

“No…no its not…they should’ve left us alone…”  She replied.
*****************************************************************************************

She grimaced as she used the aether to pull the damn fabric out again…it just kept riding up in uncomfortable ways…she really didn’t know why they even bothered with it.

Kiraea was many things, but a good waitress was not one of them, she stalked along with barely concealed disgust as the patrons of Koshan’s Komfort Lounge and Bar leered at her in the too tight two piece outfit.  It was made of a special optical distortion cloth that remained opaque most of the time, but became transparent around the ‘Reveal Points’ on the middle of the tables where customer had to pay 20 credits for ten minutes to get a look.  Naturally such customers wanted to look a lot so would constantly need to call a waitress over, and needing an excuse to do so bought lots of drinks and tentacle food.

The Lounge was dark and red lit, the round tables widely spaced so Reveal Points didn’t overlap and customers could remain anonymous while watching the mainly Twi’Lek dancers in the middle.  She supposed she understood the economics of it…but she would have preferred just to go naked.

“No no no, mines the Liminous Lasat, his is the Yellow Yarat silly girl!”  the old codger squealed with a raspy voice,

She rolled her eyes and swapped the drinks around then went on to deliver the next lot.  Halfway between the tables she felt it coming…but let it happen…another one pinched her butt, she turned around with startling speed shocking the diminutive Blarina.  Her greatest advantage as a waitress was that with the aether she never spilled a drink no matter how fast she went. 

She couldn’t tell from its weird face but sensed its lecherous intent in the aether, she smiled and bent down toward it,

“Aren’t you handsome,” she cooed emphasising her words with the aether,

“You like my curves,”
The little creature nodded frantically, typically talkative this one seemed oddly quiet…perhaps from shame…perhaps from over stimulation…

“Well you know what’s even better,” she strengthened her mental push,

“See that Wookie over there, see how smooth his skin is, how supple his rear is, isn’t it nice…why don’t you go and give it a lick and nibble!”

The Blarina looked at her, then at the Wookie standing at the bar, a huge black and grey furred thing with more than a few old gnarled scars, rapidly nodded then hurried off.

She spun quickly back to her next table, her true target, the group of three young and one older Sephi, Maynard had pointed them out…no matter how civilized he said “everyone wants to see some hot young vugu while on holiday,” she wasn’t sure what vugu meant until Lyaea thought to be helpful by looking it up on the holonet, it was a catch all term yielding more pictures of different alien reproductive organs than Kiraea imagined could possibly exist in one universe.

This set of orders she remembered and she began to set them down with slow deliberate movements pushing out her chest…she didn’t have much of a bust but her toned legs and enthusiasm had, according to Koshan during the brief interview that involved a lot of holo pictures being taken, made up for it.

She felt through the emotions of the party, they were all young university students on hand to deliver talks about the artefacts as part of the tour, as well as help set them up, for many this was their first time off world…the old man was too hard a sell, the female too picky…the one on the left too dull…but the one on the right, he had shy look about him.

She gave him a slow wink and dipped a little lower as she put his orange and yellow Tatooine Twin-Sunset in front of hima roar came from behind as the Blarian flew high over the table into the wall.

****************************************************************************************
Her breath was misty in the cool night air as she waited for her prey, finally the lavender skinned Sephi waved off his companions and strolled over to her as she suffused a welcoming feeling in the aether, she had made sure to keep her flirting up for the last two hours as they bantered amongst themselves.

“Uh…hi,” he said

“Hi sweetie,”

He shuffled nervously, “Ummm so you work here,”

No I just like strutting around in front of perverts….what a brainless gobril,

“Yeah, but just till I finish my studies,” 

“Really what are you studying?”

“Xeno Archaeology and anthropology,” she said sweetly twirling a lock of her hair

“Really, that’s what I’m doing my doctorate in,”

“Wow really, do you study at Commenor Public,

“No on Thustra, just here with the Exhibition,”

“Wow really, I didn’t get to see it…couldn’t afford the ticket, doesn’t pay much…” she hitched her thumb toward the Lounge then dipped her head,

“I would’ve loved to see just one thing in real life…just one…” she didn’t even need the aether to manipulate this tool.

“Well you know…it’s all packed up now…but…” he paused she could feel the conflict in him…normally he wouldn’t do this but the alcohol tipped him over the edge,

“I could show you some if you like?”

She beamed and grabbed his hand,

“Really!” she let a tear of disgust at touching the alien glisten her eyes and reflect he street lights.
****************************************************************************************
By the time they reached the space port he was starting to come off his previous high, but the adrenaline, or whatever hormone his species had, combined with her aetheric prompts kept him determined.

The bay was guarded by four stern looking security droids,

“Ident confirm,” one rasped as they approached,

“Jamaya Strolthis – Besh-5442,”

“Strolthis – Besh 5442, roger, confirm Indent,” it turned to Kiraea,

“ah…Dr. Seela Dotric University of Commenor, purpose…ah…radio-imprint analysis?” he went on starting to sweat, she placed a reassuring hand on his back,

The droid looked her over…droids she hated droids…dead empty things,

“Roger roger, proceed,” The smaller door hissed open.

Inside the elegant looking Sephi ships were quiet and dark, prepped to depart tomorrow, he led her into the larger ships cargo hold where the boxes were neatly stacked, all locked down with biometric scanners, more droids in alert mode beside them. 

“I can’t open them all”, he whispered for no apparent reason other than his own unconscious sense that this was wrong,

“But I can show you this…”  he input some numbers, a scan passed over his eyes and the top crate popped open…inside amongst deep purple synth-velvet was a collection of ancient gem encrusted ceremonial gauntlets and chest pieces of their ancient Monarchs.

“Wow, so beautiful…” she said actually meaning it,

“Yeah, yeah you are,” he put his hands around her waist as she leaned over the box…as supressed the instinct to snap his neck, she turned and placed her arms around his neck and led him away from the box…

“So are you handsome,” she backed up to one of the droids and formed an image of herself in her mind…she wasn’t brilliant at this like Valens was…as he leaned into kiss her she slid out and met “her” cold steel lips. 

She stood just behind him levitating the objects out of the box and up into the hangars maintenance ducts to collect later while Jamaya lavished his affections on the illusion skinned security droid…wasn’t enough…she sighed and turned him round, he seemed suddenly confused,

“Why don’t you open another…” she tempted him,

“You can dress up like a King and I can be you Queen….then I can undress my King and you can undress your queen?”  His confused eyes smiled and he dutifully complied, looking like a drunk Kowakian monkey trying to put on the old robes that Adaea wanted as the droids scanners absently passed him, picked up his biometric signature, then concluded he had permission to be there and ignored him. 

She slid her hands down the coronation robe…it would make a nice dress…“Lets get those clothes off shall we,”
****************************************************************************************
She hopped into the hover car, Lyaea was learning to drive, Maynard sat in the back pale as snow,

“What’s wrong with you?” she asked,

He looked at her, then to Lyaea,

“What they were going too slow!” the younger woman said defensively,

Kiraea gave them a puzzled look

“She flung three speeders in front of us out of their flight lanes….”
 
Kiraea shrugged, impressed more than anything else she could catch and toss hover cars moving 300 kliks per hour...at least she wasn't lightning shorting traffic signs anymore.

“We need to rent a hangar in two days time…and someone needs to seriously scrub a security droid…”
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

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« Reply #24 on: December 18, 2017, 02:15:13 PM »

This was a fantastic read.  Seeing the universe through Kiraea's perspective is more than just fun (if disturbing), it reminds me of some of the best comedy: it puts many of our social norms under a microscope. 

And tangential to that: Kiraea's disgust at the Komfort bar: not for the nudity (that she doesn't mind  Wink) but the weaknesses of the patrons. Excellent characterization!  By the way, you should patent the idea for the "optical distortion" clothes  Wink

I remember having a discussion in the car with my wife years ago, about why it was a good thing I didn't have telekinesis (given my temper at the time).  Well, the Aethan children are prime examples of that anecdote  Cheesy

Great chapter LSG!

Until next installment friends  Smiley
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« Reply #25 on: December 18, 2017, 03:45:38 PM »

LSG, let me echo Dutchman.  I really liked this installment, but its almost the fascination of watching an on-going car  wreck in the snow or something.  These are powerful people, with a strength that is very corrupting.  This cannot last.  There will be a reckoning of some kind.  And as it goes on, that expectation of Justice finally showing up in some form and balancing the scale, as it were, is almost worse than the dread of seeing what kind of mischief they're going to get into next.

And still we keep watching, fascinated, as yet another car skids into the wreck, followed by another and another... 

Amazing writing.  They really are fascinating characters!  :-)
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« Reply #26 on: December 18, 2017, 09:41:27 PM »

Chapter 9
He walked firmly and quickly keeping his eyes forward and head high…a confident gait kept the pickpockets and gangers away…he should know he used to be one. 

His fingers twitched around the package…Myzm’s legacy…the slime ball…at least he got what he deserved…Maynard was only sad he didn’t get to see it himself.

His mouth twitched in pain…it was becoming more frequent now as he got older…the nerves were damaged beyond what the doctors could really fix at his age, even full cybernetics would be unlikely to graft properly…anyway he didn’t want that…every day he could still use his own hands was he figured a slap in the face to Myzm’s torturers.

He kept heading straight, the weight of the package seemed to grow with each step, it was a new set of thermo-cloak body suits for Kiraea, she’d need them to keep moving up in the world…he was glad she was getting more high end jobs…bigger rewards and less seedy fences to deal with. Two seedy looking characters skulked by the various pawn and barely concealed weapons shops watching him, he stepped up his pace.

Lets see once he was finished with this he had to head to the Mid-city stores to pick up some more bantha steaks…those girls could eat a whole one each a day he mused….he should probably also get some more fabrics for Adaea too, she was almost finished her latest dress…that would be something for two of them…Lyaea would pout if he didn’t bring something back for her too perhaps a…

The package flopped to the ground, his fingers opening involuntarily…he really didn’t need this to happen now…he bent down and reached…but his fingers…they just wouldn’t close…the nerves just wouldn’t fire…he started to sweat as his useless flat hand pawed at the black plastic of the package…

He didn’t have the ‘aether’ like the girls…but he could tell when someone was sneaking up behind him…he glanced to where he had seen the two characters before…they were gone…

“Frell,”
***********************************************************************************************
“50,000” the droid replied…

She really Hated droids…the Aqualish fence had finally gotten smart and now used a droid for all the negotiations on selling her inventory, she couldn’t mind control droids into giving her insanely high prices,

“60,000 at least!” she said exasperated,

She could almost hear the 1 and 0’s flicker as it computed it’s next response,

“57,000” it offered,

“Done” she slid the data drive across the shield that separated them, she was getting into higher end jobs now, the data drive listed details of some 50 million customers across ten systems for Nooma Aged Assistance Droids, to be on sold she had no doubt to Bonadan Independent Living Companion Droids that wanted to break into the market…idiots she mused, these people fought amongst themselves to offer the same thing….back home everyone helped each other develop new tools and techniques…if the Aethans had the technology and a thousandth of the the numbers this Republic did….but it was a vain dream…

The droid clicked away and made the transfers, her comm-linked beeped with a confirmation message from one of the Banks Maynard had them with.

“Thank you for Your Custom FoxyFlameFemme Eighty Seven” it finished using the handle she used on the Dark-Holonet. 

As she turned out of the chair she felt something was wrong…she opened herself to the Aether…Lyaea was alert and active, probably exercising in the bunker… Adaea slowly reacting coming off of some kind of exciting high…doubtless using her girl-toy Siri…If they were both fine then…Maynard…
***********************************************************************************************
She stood over his bed, his face purple and bruised, clear tubes pumping fluids into him as the various sensors showed an ever declining heart rate.  He had been found crawling up the steps of a pawn shop, beaten and bloody, robbed and wrecked.

It was a bad part of town and the emergency speeder hadn’t exactly come as fast as it ought to have…that, his age, and the internal injuries made his survival unlikely…or at the very best of poor quality…perhaps she might have to choose between a Nooma and a Bonadan droid soon…

“It’s alright Kiri…” he said weakly as she held his hand, Lyaea holding his other, Adaea’s hand on his shoulder, it was an odd scene that all three of them cared about an outsider so much.

 “No…No I won’t let you die!”

“It’s alright…you, Ada, Lya…you gave me…gave me a chance to do something good with my life…help someone rather than just…aghh…it’s the way it has to be sweetie,”

“No it doesn’t” she said firmly, she straightened above him, “You don’t get to die till I let you,” She reached out her hand, red sparks flickered off it…she wasn’t an expert at this…but she could do enough…

“Kiri…I’m not sure…” Adaea cautioned

“Why not, we need him…he’s our friend, we don’t let our friends die,” 

Adaea looked worried but took her left hand, Lyaea took her right forming a rough circle of arms over him.

She let all her hatred, her rage at everyone she had lost, her sister, her aunt, her father…her mother…burn freely…she felt it joined by Lyaea’s grief and annoyance, Adaea’s sorrow and quiet bitterness…

She used all the precision Maynard had drilled into her cracking locks and trip wires to see every thin broken and distorted line in his body…

She let the fire course over his body…it came as thin precise red sparks…reconnecting, straightening, and renewing his withered form.

He thrashed upwards, foaming at the mouth, the machines went haywire, she felt the nurses and medical droids coming toward her but froze them in place with a thought.

It took less than a minute…the sparks across the three of them died down, she felt a little tired and very hungry…but it was done…

Smoke rose from Maynard, his bedding was scorched to pieces…his body at least twenty years younger.  Adaea picked up a blanket and put it over him, Lyaea focused her eyes to understand better what they had done. 

Kiraea stood over him.

“We don’t let our friends die until we want them too,” she said calmly…that didn’t actually make much sense on second thought…she wasn’t one for speeches.  She stroked his forehead as he slipped into a deep sleep.

“Now let’s see who did this to you,”

***********************************************************************************************
She walked along the cracked ferrocrete street like something out of a movie, her dress a purple and gold, fluttering in the gusts from gas grates in the street.  Her Honey brown hair loose in the wind, cool grey eyes common to the people from double stone hill, she walked without any fear or trepidation on hover heels as the scum and villainy peered out from alleys and run down stores. 

Kiraea sat on the rooftop watching Lyaea stride down the street, Adaea sat next to her concentrating on the details of the dress to maintain the illusion.  She could already see her main targets…but this…this was about making a point…she couldn’t hope to find every creature that had attacked the village…but she could find the ones who attacked Maynard.  They would pay for everything the girls had suffered.

Lyaea kept the aether around her strong and welcoming, drawing in attention from the back streets…they began to form a loose ring along the sidewalks…There was usually only one reason a woman dressed like that would be in a place like this, and egged on by his friends a Carosite came out of a dingy chop-shop that catered for injuries people would rather not risk being seen by the police in a normal hospital and walked up to her.

“How much,” he asked his long fingers rubbing a credit chit in front of her.

“50 for a snock, 100 for vope, 200 for a deeb,” she replied coolly but loudly, she held up a datapad,  “anyone want to make a booking,”

The Carosite looked utterly shocked at the very low prices, the others crowded closer, nothing like cheap flesh to draw a crowd, he stretched out his hand and took the datapad.  Nodded approvingly at the prices and went to sign his name…as soon as his finger tip hit the touch pad it began.

Whilst large scale explosives were hard to come by on Commenor, flares and firework were not.  All looking at Lyaea, Kiraea had levitated them amongst the crowd, with the touch on the datapad they detonated.

Aliens screamed in a hundred different tones as bright red, blues and greens shot off amongst them, flares banged and blinded dozens who could see those spectrums instantly.  Kiraea reached forward and added her own flames to conflagration as Lyaea leapt up and out of the crowd, her aetheric illusion vanishing to reveal her matte black outfit as she poured her own lighting on the crowd before landing on a billboard.  Free from the need to keep the illusion up Adaea joined in the destruction. 

The explosions and fire formed an ever decreasing ring around the scum, hemming them in, caged and scared they turned on each other, drawing for hidden vibro-knives and hold out blasters.  Adaea and Lyaea pushed the flames in tighter and tighter as Kiraea kept the two main targets alive guding their movements with the aether.

A distant siren sounded, she would have to move fast.  She leapt down with the weight of the aether crunching a whale like creature into the blackened street, twisting to land a skull shattering kick into another of the survivors…around her rose the smoke from the fireworks and the smell of charred flesh and cheap plas-cloth and synth-leather. 

Finally only the two she had come for were left.  Terrified, astounded, furious.  They didn’t know whether to attack or try and flee into the blue flames the licked at their backs…

Two males human and H’nemthe in tattered clothes, the looks of murderous thieves, they weighed up their options, she flickered blue flames from her hand to make the choice obvious…

Kill me…she communicated in the aether…and the fire dies…

They leapt forward only to hang in the air,

“You hurt our friend…” she said simply as she used the precision Maynard had taught her to pull tendons, muscle, small bones through their skin, retching ghastly holes in the flesh as they screeched.  She made sure not to pull too much, satisfied she leapt up and felt the other girls grasp her and surge her up fifteen stories as the flames died, leaving two utterly wrecked creatures flopping in agony in the midst of dozens of half burnt low lives.
***********************************************************************************************
“Not sure you should’ve done that….” Maynard said still absently flexing his now repaired hands…she felt bad she hadn’t healed him earlier…she hadn’t realised how much she needed him till he was almost gone.

“I’m flattered and everything thing but…Kiraea…you can’t solve every problem with your aether…honestly you’re lucky it’s gotten you this far…”

“What else am I meant to do?” she asked caustically…she knew he wasn’t trying to be offensive…but it still annoyed her,

“Try…try accepting there are some things you can’t fix with a fire…you can’t get your own way all the time…”

“My own way…” she sneered, “My own way!  If I got my own way we wouldn’t be on this hideous planet with these disgusting aliens!” she yelled

“Yeah you’ve had it tough, I know that, so have millions of others, and there are some things you just can’t bludgeon you’re way out of you need to learn that Kiraea and learn it soon or...one day you’re going to finally come across someone who’s even more deadly than you are…”

He shook his head, “You’re just a child still…until you can learn to accept things…not just bash things till they work for you…you always will be…”

Her eyes blazed at him…there was truth to his words that struck her hard…No…why should she have to change…she wasn’t the one who was wrong it was the rest of the bloody galaxy,

“Fine, I’d rather be a child of the aether than an adult of the Republic,” she crossed her arms indignantly,

“I won’t let us lose any more of ourselves to this disease you call civilization…we’ve ‘accepted’ too much already…The galaxy will work the way I want it to or we’ll all die trying!” She could see him leaning away from her as the room lit with blue light from the flames in her hands…

That was the very thing he was counselling her to avoid…not fighting against the Republics insidious influence…but against her own overreactions…to be angry is easy she recalled Karintha saying…this was the wrong time, wrong place and wrong person to be angry with…

He stood up and held out his arms as she put away her anger for now…she sighed, he was learning some of their ways…no matter how much two Aethans fought they would not allow it to linger to change their affection for each other, she supposed it went for friends as well …she gave him a quick hug…the first time in the five years since they had met.
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Karmack
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« Reply #27 on: December 18, 2017, 10:21:55 PM »

Nice chapter.  Kiraea finally accepted him as a friend.   And so it begins... 

The key to civilization is accepting that people are people ... however they look.  It will be interesting if Kiraea manages to let go of her hatred and bitterness and anger long enough to realize that she's just among other people, for the most part.

I continue to be fascinated by these characters and I am curious where this goes ultimately.  :-)  As always, your writing is darker than the rest of us but it is compelling and very very good.  Thank you for the offering.
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« Reply #28 on: December 20, 2017, 09:20:08 PM »

Chapter 10
“It’s a tough job…” Maynard said looking over the disposable datapad they had picked up from the dead drop

“Pays well though…”she replied concentrating on the thin arcs of lighting, forming little pictures of gormins, gobrils, vorynx and other animals with them

“You’re sure your up for it…doesn’t play to your strengths,” she could sense Maynards genuine concern in the aether.

“Still I can manage it,” she replied her head was starting to get woozy, she was levitating upside down while practicing her precision lightning. “You can take care of things here,”

“Do I have a choice Kiri?” he joked, she actually enjoyed his company…sometimes she forgot he wasn’t an Aethan

“Ha ha no…”  she righted herself and set down, at the other end of the bunker Adaea and Lyaea were playing Shock-o-war…Their hands clasped they tried to push their own lighting up the others arms, so far Adaea was winning, her arcs just past Lyaea’s wrist…but Lyaea often waited till last minute for a surge.

“How much would that give us?” She plonked down next to Maynard as he flicked between screens. 

“Just over 2 million,” big jobs paid about 100,000, but expenses were high for her equipment…she had to save for the future though…yet still she wasn’t sure what future they really had…

Adaea was preparing to start a new degree following her graduation., she had the patience and ability to learn the technical things Kiraea could not, while she mentored Lyaea in preparation for her studies now she had graduated her upper schooling.

Whatever the cost, acquire knowledge and understanding…her aunt had taught her…but to want end now…what would it achieve…everything just seemed to threaten diluting their culture…yet how could it stay the same…

The room suddenly lit up white with a surge of lightning,

“Got you” Lyaea squealed delight filling the aether as she won against Adaea

Maynard seemed to know what she was thinking, he had a practical wisdom she resected, born of living through many tight scrapes. 

“one million more and you’ll all be set for life, can stop working and start living…however you want to.” He said

“I know…we have to keep surviving…but is that on its own enough,” she asked

“Sometimes it’s all you’ve got Kiri, survive today…thrive tomorrow…we’ve both been there…it works out sometimes…you girls found me after all…got me out of a real bad place…twice” he smiled warmly,

She thought about that as she watched the other girls…the difference was he was already old…they were still young…his future was short and fixed…theirs…

**************************************************************************************************
She hated waiting…she hated being off world too, but sometimes she had to go where the work was…she checked her datapad…just a message from Adaea, everything was fine back…she almost called it home…

Obviously her target was going to stay for the full length of the performance...that meant she had another two hours to fill…she flipped off her perch on a roof opposite the Opera house and looked for something to do. 

The problem with upper class districts like this was the security, she hoped on one of Coronet cities many mag lev trains to ride to Blue Sector, a seedier part of town where she could amuse herself more freely.

She had a lot of pent up energy tonight…and been thinking a lot about the future since talking with Maynard …

She tried not to think about it as she leapt off the train and began stalking along the rooftops looking for something to unleash on...
 
She finally came across a large building with people crowding to get in…a holo-theatre for the latest Star Rogue production…There had to be at least four hundred people lined up down there…

She closed her eyes and stretched out her hands, letting all her hatred for all that had happened to her, her sisters…her people…flow freely…the fire…the fire of her burning village that had seeped into her…she let it flow out…a torrent of blue aetheric fire flowed rapidly from each hand, with just a small gesture she directed it downwards. 

She opened her eyes just in time to see the terrified faces looking up, all they could see was blue fire bearing down on them, her own figure was lost against the black night.  They tried to flee, but others who couldn’t see what was coming kept them pressed in.

The flames hit.

The first people it touched turned to ash, the ones nearby became frantic burning envoys of her hate spreading through the crowd catching more alight.  The fire coursed across the ground lighting up every scrap of fabric and flesh it touches in two wired circles. 

The screams rose with the smoke, they struggled in vain to bat out a fire that needed no oxygen to stay alight…

She breathed deeply, it felt so cathartic to just let go….yet afterwards…

What had she really achieved?  She was starting to wonder whether she was controlling her emotions or they were controlling her…did all this wanton slaughter really help her people survive…or did it just get them that much closer to being caught and chopped up for study…no they would die first…

She sighed…it just wasn’t as much fun as she thought it should be…maybe she was getting to mature for it…maybe they just had no future…
**************************************************************************************************
Somewhat jaded she crawled up onto the 77th floor balcony.  She didn’t like having to get so close…but the job was for genetic markers- eye scan, fingerprints, blood sample…that couldn’t be obtained any other way.  This was the third such request she had had…someone was collecting…

The security on the hotel balcony door was rudimentary at best, little more than 10 seconds to unlock it with the aether.

Her stealth suit blended seamlessly to the rooms blackness…she could sense the sleeping Senator in the next room.  The door wasn’t even locked, she slid in and touched his mind, putting him into a deeper slumber so she could work.

She sat as far away as she could, using the aether to move the instruments to collect what she needed. 

She had just finished when she sensed the presence behind her…she was caught…she would not go down without a fight, she brought her rage to the fore, outstretched her hands to unleash it in torrents of aetheric fire…she turned.

She fell to her knees.

“Guardian…” she whispered

He strode forward as she lowered her hands and bowed her head,

“Rise” he said calmly, she stood before him, he looked over her shoulder to her handiwork,

“Well done...I enjoyed your show earlier as well,” he turned to look at her face, “It’s been too long Kiraea”

Something struck her, “Wait you saw what I did before?”

“The Goddess sees all,” he replied  “The Jedi were keen to find out who was stealing Senators biometrics these past few days…I happened to be in the system at the same time these thefts started…,”

She joined the dots, it was he who had hired her to steal the details…he had seen the secret messages she’d left and used it to lure her out.

“You’ve infiltrated them?” she asked regarding the Jedi

“Yes,” he read her questioning aura, “…I will clean up this mess and cover your tracks, the biometric data will prove very helpful” 

He looked her over, up and down, probing her with the aether, assessing every inch of her…even if she wanted to she couldn’t hide anything from a Guardian…even standing near him…his power was overwhelming.

“You’ve grown strong…many useful talents…you’ll have to teach me”

“Thank you Guardian…” she bowed her head, “What are my instructions,”

“I’ll give you the co-ordinates of our home world and procure a ship,”

“I have one,”

“Not likely one that can traverse the hazards in the deep core I’m afraid….”

She nodded

“You will return with the other girls, Melron will be waiting for you…he will explain everything,” his piecing gaze in the aether swept her again,

“You’ve kept yourself, and the girls safe...slain hundreds of the filth about us…”  He stepped forward and embraced her, she was shocked still,

“You are a true Guardian Kiraea”

As she realized what this meant she returned his embrace…She, and the others were no longer alone…no longer Orphans lost in the galaxy…she felt the fires deep in her heart cool for the first time since…she couldn’t remember…a weight she didn’t realise she was carrying till now it was lifted from her…

Yet she still had her anger

She still had her fire

She still had the aether

Now she had a future.

Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
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Posts: 1903



« Reply #29 on: December 20, 2017, 09:21:44 PM »

Epilogue

Aephordaea’s tears washed her, a blinding white waterfall at the end of the valley that poured from the snow-capped peaks into the river all year round, it was freezing but bracing.  As she washed out her hair Adaea and Lyaea swam in the smaller pools, the dark grey rocks worn away to reveal the ultra-dense blood stone beneath. 

The dark red of the revealed stone here was what had led to it becoming a special place for women, it was thought if you bathed amongst the red lit waters you’d be blessed with fertility…in turn it was associated with girls reaching maturity, they would all come here after their first period…something Lyaea had been denied until now.

She was so happy to be back, her world had such rich history and meaning in every part of it…only back home could she be truly herself….

They had come here straight after landing, Maynard was still on the ship, more than a little terrified to come out for the tales of Vorynx that Lyaea had told him.

As she splashed and played in the pools a rock suddenly sped towards her, she bounced it back only to be slapped in the back of the head with something.  She turned quickly to see the old Guardian Melron behind her, she hadn’t sensed him at all. 

“Well, let’s get going,” he said bluntly,

The other girls looked startled, not least given they were all still naked…but then it didn’t really matter, there was no one safer to be with than a Guardian.

“Go where?” 

He slapped her on the head with his cane again

“What was that for!”

He did it a third time,

“Ouch!”  she tried, but failed to catch the fourth,

“Go to teach you how not to get your head bashed in by an old man that’s where,” He straightened up and looked her over in the aether,

“Hmm…you’ve picked up some nasty habits too…Valens may have accepted you as a Guardian, but till I say so it’s not official…he knew that…he’s always been the clever one…still have some things you need to learn…” he sighed,

“Ah it’s not your fault you weren’t here to learn them…” a tear fell from his eye as they all hung their heads in memory of those that were dead or still lost,

“Now let’s go” he looked back up and started heading off,

She jumped out of the pool, still completely undressed and followed after him.
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Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

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