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Author Topic: Fate of the Aether  (Read 72814 times)
Lady Revan
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Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #165 on: December 13, 2018, 03:21:35 PM »

I see what you mean now about the situation in Chapter 36.... I must say, I'm excited to read to catch up and know the context (though you're right in saying it can be appreciated without). En excellent read! Please let me know if there are any more gems that can be taken out of context if you wish to share Cheesy
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #166 on: December 13, 2018, 03:23:45 PM »

Chapter 39 — Eclipse of the Sons — Conflagration

 
Part 2

Kiraea

Enough! She hurled a chunk of lighting into the machine slamming it across the hall…hopefully that would fry its circuits.  

Feeling every blow it had landed and noting the chips in her armour she pounded in the light gravity to the door and round where she had mentally floated the others…all but Mumbles and the last girl were through the airlock.

“Get a move on Mumbles!”

A boom from round the corner, it was back again.

Irritated now she fired with both hands, illuminating the hallway blue and white, panels and power stations along the wall bursting yellow as they shorted.

Still it kept coming, the aether parting around it…How could a machine be an aether warrior?

<<<<>>>>

 
Surge

He opened fire with his rifle, the cool green streaks again bouncing off her shield as her lighting did his.  

<the way she moves…>
[Increasing Rate of Fire]
Switching from highly energised shots to lower power higher frequency blasts he pounded at her shield, forcing a change in tactic to deflecting the blasts into the walls, burning them sooty black with each green shard.

He was getting close to assault range. [Analysis – ranged attack sustainment – enemy vulnerability Close Combat>>>close to pacify]

Behind the ENOC two other entities pushed into an airlock – [Secondary Objective Attempting to flee>>>disable airlock]

His second manipulator claw extracted the inbuilt launcher from his thigh and fired at the airlock while his barrage of plasma continued – the ENOC attempted to divert the explosive shells course but he kept it firm.

The hall flooded with yellow heat as they struck, the burning temperature an irrelevance for Surge as he got within range, the torrent of fire overcoming her ability to deflect, pummelling the non-classifiable armour.

[Error-Visual Scan…error]

It moved too quickly, he thought it was cowering, it gripped his legs and ignited a blue fires all over his form combined with aetheric lighting into his circuitry.

<blue fire…like at the village we would place all our vegetables, spices and meats in the pots and cook them over aetheric fire, everyone took all they could eat of the stew>
[Prefrontal Initiation Overload DANGER– Increasing suppressants >>>100%]

As systems shorted at the repression Surge flew back as the walls about him buckled inward.

<<<<>>>>

 
Kiraea

Laminar grace of movement leapt her up from its feet, twirling to land her boot into its chest hammering it backward and providing a spring board to leap through the jagged metal across into the airlock.  

She pivoted midway to check her aim, grunting with the effort of crushing the doonium corridor to seal he cybernetic monstrosity into an improvised tomb while still piloting the Karintha and laying the injured Sons in the cargo hold.

How Adaea managed to pilot three ships at once…

As the hatch sealed behind and air jetted to fill the void she wasted no time heading to the cockpit.

“There any food or medical equipment?” Mumbles called

“In the….actually not really”

“What?”

“It’s made for People…it’ll probably kill you to eat it…” she warned hopping into the pilot seat.

She hit the accelerator with her foot and blasted off, down and through the torturous ruins of the Station.  Green globes of energy began to hammer into it on the far side as she came out of the scar the Freeblade had rent.

Mumbles hoped next to her, unable to fit in the co-pilots seat
“4334.1 is the frequency we use!”
“Oh fine…” punching it in she heard a clatter of alien voices over the comm…
“Tarssis taking fire taki….”

“All units fall back to Evac Zone Aurek…”

Wait the rodent spy - their escape route was likely compromised …

But where could they go…Mumbles looked at her in what must pass for sad and pleading in his species…she had to warn them – they were Outsiders but…still…they had helped People..

Sighing she knew she would have to tell Adaea and Lyaea to expect them…She tugged the frequencies and confirmation codes from Keisons half-conscious mind and inputted them into the comms system to validate her authenticity.

“All Sons force this is…Vorynx Squad…Rendezvous is compromised redirect to Vulpter, Frequency 662.334 on arrival code word “Gobril””

“Confirm Vorynx This is NewLife we are prepping transports need as much time as you can buy Brutes are on here…”

She scanned Mumbles mind for what that meant…Brute Squad their elite ground forces who had just arrived on NewLife before the attack…they were meant to be reposted to the Freeblade

The Karintha’s tactical showed a mess, surrounded on all sides, in the aether she could feel the struggle much more accurately, dozens of small vessels were being pursued through debris clouds by vicious mercenaries and Black Sun fighters who made a sport of culling the remnants.  A few had slipped out and were trying to calculate jumps against the gravity distortions of the interdictors.

It wouldn’t’ be hard for her to get out, the ship was well cloaked, she could compute the jump easily in her head despite the interference.

….but Yorna had said help them…not the best way to make life and death decisions…but she was her sister…

“How much time do you need?”

<<<<>>>>

 
Goush

It was actually quite boring now…he idly wondered how things were back on Uba IV…he hadn’t heard anything for days – not that that was unusual, the solar converters often broke down or didn’t get enough sun to power the hyperspace communicators.

Still it was good practice for his pilots though, a better combat training ground one couldn’t ask for…plenty of wreckage to fly through, a few competent opponents but most fairly tame.  The battle was winding down, the last few Sons capital ships were huddled and under fire on the far side of the Station from Blood Remembers, about to be surrounded by various Mercenary and Pirate ships.  

It was a shame in space combat there was little opportunities to get trophies…simply wasn’t worth plying the void for frozen heads….still with the credi…

A large explosion in the distance…followed by a second…and a third…three frigates, perhaps one corvette…

“Were they Sons ships?,” he asked tactical,

“No Captain…”

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea

She’d ushered Mumbles out of the cockpit once she had dragged Jarys and half a dozen ration bars in – she did not want to feel as hungry as she had on Myrkr ever again- and yes she would help them, but that didn’t mean she had to look at Mumbles ugly leathery face.  

Taking the Karintha to the fore of the Ironsmith - the enemy too busy at the other side of the station to care - they’d locked onto a maintenance airlock and Komo and a few others were brining on more survivors…she could feel there were more on the ship deep inside…but there was no way to reach them without emergency rescue equipment.

Her time was taken up with concentrating on the eight shikkar torpedoes she had loosed.  

It was surprisingly easy, made of Blackstone and ‘enchanted’ by Adaea they were designed to be piloted with the aether.  Silent and sleek like the glass daggers they were named for she wound them through the debris to hit any ships approaching the NewLife.  

Focusing on the biggest concentrations of life she hammered two into the side of a frigate, the ultra-dense material shattering through shields set to deflect energy weapons, into durasteel without the shear strength to resist the massive force…straight on then a gentle turn into the next ship in the battle group, each hit tore more of the torpedo apart gradually rendering it unusable till the explosive core detonated a mini blue star in the core of the corvette.  

Still she couldn’t fight an armada, and though the Sons had rallied around NewLife and largely recovered from the shock of the Freeblades suicide run, the sheer weight of numbers would wear them down.

“Transport 13 away, thanks again Vorynx…,” Ten’Rir captain of NewLife called across, Kiraea’s left had was rapidly moving calculating hyperspace jumps and transmitting them across –the Karintha’s sensors were better at precisely measuring the interdictors gravity distortions and she was faster at computing jumps than their navi-computers.

Diving the Shikkar through the deck of a Rendili Cruiser she swung it round half way through to tear out of the front of the ship, a fiery hole erupting in its blocky nose, the broadsides dying and giving the Rodian Highwayman welcome relief to come about and join the Huntress in demolishing the Cruisers support frigate.

The victory was temporary, a spray of concussion missiles from three battered looking Missile corvettes hammered their shields with a hundred explosions then wore the doonium hull down like acid rain till the slagged ships rolled in a coagulated metal and flame death spiral.

NewLife I only have a few Torpedoes left after that I have to bail…maybe 3 minutes.”

“More than we could wish for Vorynx.”

<<<<>>>>

Jarys

Freedom…what freedom was this…freedom to be hunted and destroyed because they resisted slavery…

He had been awake a little while, performing aetheric micro surgery on his fractures and tears.  Kiraea’s draw on the aether was heavy and rough outside but gentle and caressing him warmly within, adding more energy to his own.

Integrating her understanding of the situation he slowly stood up, the blood pumping as his anger rose.

“See if you can get us close to the Seinar Ships at 32-67,”

“What…good you’re up…get back down you need to…”

“I need to get out there are buy them more time.”  Her head twisted faster than he thought it could

“We’ve done enough for them,”

“You’ve done enough for them…I haven’t…” rolling his shoulders and twisting his neck around he primed up.  

“Anyway I have 952 enemies to kill till my exile is over – that Seinar Cruiser has 300 alone.”

She probed him with the aether – not a gentle one this time, in-depth checking his physical condition thoroughly like his mother would after he’d fallen from a tree while playing.

“Fine…,” she licked her lips with a pheromone coating moving in for the kiss

“..but take this first,”

<<<<>>>>

Jarys


Was this what freedom looked like?

Despite or perhaps because of the pain he couldn’t remain still, had to keep moving.

Xoar, Kandas…and how many thousands of others hunted and annihilated after years of trying to free others, yet never being truly free themselves – for they were always a target, always on the run, always fighting – never living – was that freedom?

Decelerating his leap he rammed his blade into the hull, dura-steel parting like soft wax against the Blackstone sword. Around him the Sons of Kessel died – free – but dead nonetheless.

To have to fight every minute of every day, to take War into your heart without respite, a War that only ended in blood and flame never peace and security – was this the freedom they had fought for?.  

Hatred fed unthinking strategy, no need to know the layout of each of the myriad capital ships to find the bridge – the aether led him to the centre of thought, activity and dominance that sought to impose itself on others.  

Ultra-dense sword sliced holes through bulk heads, aether tore armoured plating, shatter point blows fractured transparisteel.

Some bridges were clean, white walls, disinfectant vapours thin in in recycled air, some brown, rusted with caked on blood, oil and worse, stench of rot and decomposition heavy in stagnant air.  

Within a minute of being breached all were filled with glassy jewels of floating blood - most boiled alive from the lighting, others mushed by 10,000 Newton aetheric hammers into bone and meat paste in their seats.  Every cut, every blast was precise and efficient, enough to end lives, nothing more or less.

As heads flew from necks and lungs inverted in the void he took the tendrils of the crews knowledge, consoles indifferent to the loss of atmosphere were activated, targeting solutions input, turbo lasers retrained to fire on targets too far for him to reach.

Some resisted, fired blasters, hurled explosives, one Trandoshan even slashed a divot with a hunting spear.  

It was pointless, no mortal could stand in his way.

From one ship to the next - his jump jets added to aether enhanced leaps, caught rides on the backs of fighters, enemy ones he leapt off from with a sword through the drive core, or rending the canopy off with his bare hands.

This was what freedom looked like – the merciless horror of endless war.  

To have to fight and scrape for every moment of restless sleep while the vorynx pawed at the door.  There was no respite, no hope of escape or cessation, the only consolation was this was a war they chose to fight – chose being hunted and pursued because it was empowering to even have a choice to enact when before they had none.

That was their freedom – to choose the pain of combat and death in war over the same in submission.

Spiralling around the ships pummelling the NewLife and its escorts Kiraea opened up with the magnetic accelerator cannons, energy sheathed projectiles making light work of fighters as she flung Sonic-EMP’s with aetheric precision into hangar bays of Carriers, the detonations imploding the ships - geysers of atmosphere, bodies and unlaunched fighters erupting into the increasingly cluttered void.

They had promised 3 minutes and delivered 7, bringing down three frigates, two cruisers, one destroyer and five corvettes by the time NewLife was finally pummelled into superheated chunks of doonium by Hondo’s flagship Quara-Pride and Goush’s Blood Remembers

<<<<>>>>

Keison

He woke to a cramped hold, sweat and blood moistening every torn piece of clothing.

“Boss!”  Mmbri rushed up to him, “Stay still boss, you took a big hit! Vorynx is getting us out soon!”

“Vorynx…what….” He didn’t need to finish his sentence a cold black figure pushed understanding into his mind as it lifted him up, freezing his skin against space cooled battle dented armour plates as he was dragged to the cockpit.

“We’re retreating to Vulpter, your other Rendezvous are compromised,” the female Shadow said.

“No…” Keison coughed out

“Hondo…we get Hondo…hit us hard…we hit him back fast…”

If there was one thin Keison understood it was the power of reputation – the loss here was extreme, they were thoroughly belted – but if they took Hondo’s head the stories wouldn’t be about twenty thousand merc’s in an Armada wiping out the Sons - it would be Ballad of two dozen Sons taking a Vigo.  

The Daemons glanced at each other,

“We came to find Hondo anyway…” Jarys said, the female shrugged as the ship twisted through turns that shouldn’t be possible.  

“Fine where can we find this four eyed mud slurper,” the female said, she was starting to like them – for Outsiders - “No offence Komo,”

The Aqualish grunted – none taken.

<<<<>>>>
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
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #167 on: December 13, 2018, 03:27:54 PM »

I see what you mean now about the situation in Chapter 36.... I must say, I'm excited to read to catch up and know the context (though you're right in saying it can be appreciated without). En excellent read! Please let me know if there are any more gems that can be taken out of context if you wish to share Cheesy

Glad you liked it LR! Nah I'd go for the rest in context when you have time, its a long story and I tend to build situations/characters over many chapters but hopefully worthwhile!
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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."

Lady Revan
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: -1055
Posts: 2349


I leave my alignment to Fate-whether Light or Dark


« Reply #168 on: December 13, 2018, 03:37:34 PM »

Glad you liked it LR! Nah I'd go for the rest in context when you have time, its a long story and I tend to build situations/characters over many chapters but hopefully worthwhile!

Duely noted! Guess I'll just have to try to fit in a lot of reading over the break then lol
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Author of: Only Light Can Cast Shadow A pre-KotOR Fem!Revan Fic

Twisted Morality (Part III of "Only Light Can Cast Shadow")

I leave my alignment to fate--Light or Dark

Karmack
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Master of Ceremonies
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Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #169 on: December 14, 2018, 01:51:34 PM »

Sweet!   

So, its pretty clear that Surge is Aethan.   Controlled and suppressed, but Aethan.   Interesting.

That was intense.  Wrapping your storyline into the fall of the Sons is amazing, my friend.  Well done!  I am greatly looking forward to the next chapters.
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Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #170 on: December 19, 2018, 03:53:30 AM »

Chapter 40 — Eclipse of the Sons — Retribution

**Shout out to the one the only Dutchman who made the Sons of Kessel come alive in Gray and Unchained and is a champion of collaboration - the first section is for you!**

Part 1

Bortl
The stench reached his nose quickly as he cowered beneath the desk – he had soiled his new Rancor Leather trousers – meant to be a statement of pride and strength – ferocity - now they dripped with the exhalation of his terror.

The Nic’Rhon – the daemon God had come for him.

The Underwater-Delights Pleasure house was used to police raids, but Hondo made sure he was informed of the Quantill City Police raids well in advance so he could send the product hosts and hostesses out for the day – prostitution might be legal but slavery was not. 

These were not Police.

A fist grabbed at his throat and lifted him up, he closed his eyes best he could feeling the slurry of his own excrement go down his leg.

“Talk Crolute…where is Hondo?” the voice wasn’t the daemons, it was somewhere behind him.

He couldn’t! the Nic’Roh would steal his soul through his voice to feed to the nyx’m’h within the Hellspont!!

Despite himself his mouth moved!

“Heeee….in daa palace…off Natamee Swamp…only been dar wunce…” something pushed into his head taking the images of that gathering of fellow managers to celebrate record profits…

“Got the location?”

The Daemon nodded, Bortl was dropped to the floor.

Behind the shadow monster was another man with a scarred face and a handful of his ‘indentured workers’.

“He’s all yours…”

Simbi, one of his best ‘hostesses’ he had enjoyed many times over strolled up with one of the toys clients liked to use on her…”Remember this…”

<<<<>>>>

Hondo


“A brilliant coup indeed!” Ozrym the Hutt groaned over the comm,

“On time and under budget,” he swilled a glass of Blossom Wine as his harem rubbed bubbly lotions into his bristly furs

“A Qaurter of the Mercenaries ran away or were blown apart before it was over, forfeiting their fee…

“Wonderful! Wonderful…ah…a shame about Bomma though…poor Jobla, what a terrible name day present…” the oleaginous figure sighed
“Do we know if their leaders were killed?”

“My Agent Surge did not find Keison himself…” Hondo grunted as a slave scrubbed too hard – his back was sensitive…

“But given the damage to the station he must’ve been destroyed…As it stands Boos is assembling a force to pursue the riff raff remnants.”

“Wonderful! You must join me this summer on Spira, we can celebrate you success over the Sons, and stealing a march on Xithar!”

Hondo did his best not to vomit at the thought of the Hutt getting oiled up on sunny Spira.

“Much to be done first Ozrym, the Black sun thanks you for your support,” allowing US to hire and pay your otherwise out of work mercenaries to destroy an enemy that you Hutts couldn’t get your fat rears together to wipe out!

“A pleasure a pleasure…tootle-oo!”

<<<<>>>>

Jarys
“The Karintha is designed to fly in over a thousand different atmospheres – deep ocean trenches are no trouble, we dive down, get in range, one shikkar torpedo and we head to Vulpter,” she paused not finishing her sentence out loud but hammering it in Jarys head

<and they get off MY ship>  Despite having plotted like Aethenaea, fought like Aertemisaea - the lack of privacy with 23 Sons of Kessel meant they couldn’t complete the third task and make love like Kiraea was Aephrodaea herself. 

Before they had been together it wouldn’t have bothered him, but now he was locked to her – needed her hormonal infusions or would start the irritating withdrawals like he had from Cilina so long ago.

“Too many slaves there, Hondo’s Harem is a by word for excess round Arkanis Sector…” Mumbles…Mmbri replied…for want of physical connection Kiraea was pressing close mentally mangling his ability to keep her disdainful title for Mmbri out of his head. 

The Psadan was stony about losing Xoar, his last connection back to Wayland. Still waters of grief run deep.

“We need to make a statement…show the slavers we might be down…but we’re still coming for them…tell our brothers and sister out there - when they hear about our defeat they might despair – they need to hear we’re still coming for them.” Keison burnt cold as he strategized the media around this disaster. 

“We can’t do that with a bomb…we need to get right in there and slice him up.”

<We don’t have the men…> Komo grunted behind his battered tusks <or weapons>. 

Since reaching Ando they’d acquired medical and food supplies for the Outsiders…erghh Kiraea…but only a few weapons from the death stick dens and brothels they’d raided to find the exact location of Hondo’s palace.  The Karintha had a stock of 6 rifles, 6 blasters, grenades, Bows, arrows and knives…but the ultra-dense Blackstone was simply too heavy for most Sons to lift them let alone aim.

“Hondo would have weapons…” Kiraea noted…seemingly resigned to assisting them to get to Hondo and by extentsion the kidnapped clones.

“He would but how do we get to them,” Mmbri asked

“You don’t,” she leant over pointing a finger into his forehead

“I do,” in a salacious twist she stretched her arms over her head and down flexing herself in ways that made even the most distant of humanoid species in the cargo hold aroused.

Keison looked at him for answers with a slightly red tinge to his scarred cheeks.

“She’s good at infiltration, recon…can break into anything…the only problem then is us getting in there in force…”

“I have an idea for that…” Keison added “Can you get their security down?”

“Am I the sexiest being you’ve ever seen?” Kiraea smiled wickedly.

<<<<>>>>
Kiraea
It was like a womb…tight, cramped, she was balled up in the foetal position – waiting to be born.

The HUD counted down…5…4…3…2…

WVVVOOSH

The Karintha’s torpedo tube birthed her a second time.

Through the ink of the deep Ando oceans she could feel motion she couldn’t see in her vestibular systems - both her skull and pelvis – apparently humans only had the one system making their ability to balance competing movements between the head and body difficult – So imperfect!

She used the aether to form a protective shield before her pushing away any larger aquatic life forms as the water resistance began to slow her movement. 

It was quiet here…distant…as though nothing else existed but her and the blackness…

Was this where Yorna was, alone in the dark – was she frightened, sad…at rest. 

How could anyone who died fighting be at rest…

Kiraea didn’t like it here anymore…the dark, the moaning mammalian creatures, pressure building against her armour and through to her bones as the kinetic energy wore off…she didn’t want to end here away from her Home, People and Goddesses.

Slowly the lights of the mansion under the ocean began to resolve in the distance…blobby and curved suited to turning the force of underwater currents away, there were at least three main docking stations.  She slowed to a running pace, keeping her form as streamlined as possible directing herself to the base of the structure.  Hopefully they would detect little more than a mid-sized fish. 

Reaching one of the enormous duracrete foundation legs she climbed her way up, her air was at 64%...it didn’t matter much she could switch to anaerobic respiration for hours. 

Clambering over the curved surfaces following the shatter-point she found what she was looking for…a perfectly concealed – to normal scanning equipment at least – circular hatch – the Safe rooms escape pod.

She smiled as she placed the detonator beside it…No one leave this party without MY say so.

Returning to a maintenance hatch deft use of the aether pried it open from within, a small EMP charge shorting the area, a blip on security sensors she had used dozens of times stealing starship plans and industrial secrets for the People.

Disconnecting the energy field she slid in.

<<<<>>>>

If sometimes Kiraea seemed irritable, obnoxious and loud – it was because she spent so much time when she was working utterly still and silent. 

Coming in through the desalination facility and sending the two staff to go for a swim in one of the tanks, she was pressed into a thin groove in the wall as a bored patrol wandered past. 

They were all Quara Aqualish, the five fingered kind who though making up only 10% of the population, dominated the other Aqualish lineages by being better able to use off world technology.

Slinking out silent steps brought her through the crisp white corridors, decorated with Blue-silver family banners. The fabric was quite nice, she’d have to get some for Adaea to make dresses out of.

Through the cool white corridors, into and out of maintenance hatches and crawl spaces she left behind a series of micro-EMPs, timed slicers and a gaggle of dazed Aqualish, variously falling asleep, deciding now was an excellent time to lock themselves in the refresher, or stumbling around singing bawdy nautical tunes as though drunk to distract the stationed guards.

Like a shadow she moved through the facility, getting the layout, determining numbers and patrol routes, armaments and chain of command.  A dozen times she was within an arms hair of one of the tusked beasts, her stilled movements and subtle aetheric misdirection, the minimum effective amount, allowed her smooth and easy access everywhere.

There were 214 beings, about 40 maintenance and cleaning and serving staff, a handful of guests coming and going via the main dock, a harem of 25 slaves, 68 Hondo’s personal guard, the remainder various Black Sun thugs, pimps, mercenaries, assassins, accountants and information analysts.

Five were spies for other Vigo’s or the Hutt’s, a sixh was a member of the Bothan Spy Net, and a seventh especially duplicitous fellow was in fact was spying for three Hutt’s two Vigos and someone named Bobo the Bith.

It took an hour to work out where and in whom to plant the barbs. 

Tugging on an Aqualish bowel made him vacate his desk long enough to slice and send a back dated holo-mail – but not fast enough to avoid a stinking mess on the floor to the refresher. 

Formenting a tiff by convincing Kelba that Urgna was sleeping with his boyfriend got her into the loading room long enough to place a hastily but accurately forged invoice. 

Stealing a bottle of Agavinol, forcing a rapacious thirst on the Dock master soused him enough to force his jittery flustered second in command in charge.

After nearly four hours of careful placement and planning, two dozen moments she felt irritated and wanted to just kill an Outsider, three times hanging upside down pinned up by the aether on the ceiling above conversations that didn’t seem to end, and one instance coming across what was on the blue-prints a storage cupboard, but was now used by two of the cleaners as a kinky bondage dungeon that gave her way too many ideas, she was finally ready.

Gaur, the ‘quartermaster’ equivalent – who had a terrible habit of scratching himself constantly from a rash he’d picked visiting the Underwater-Delights Pleasure Palace Jarys had raided - had ordered three cases of rifles and light armour to the back-dock where shipments of equipment were brought in to the functional slightly mouldy storage areas - a few levels under the main dock – the nicer area for Hondo’s guest to arrive to fresh sushi platters and their pick of sex slaves.

Meanwhile Second Dock Officer Yarn already flustered at being responsible for anything was dealing with confusion regarding a shipment of Aurgyna fish coming in he hadn’t heard of – there were holo-mails from months ago ordering it, a piece of flimsy with the invoice…The 2IC of Security a burly Aqualish name Frum just shook his head and closed his for glassy black eyes at the dysfunction as the gaudy red submarine approached.

“Let it in…” he wasn’t go to be responsible for turning away Hondo’s favourite Aurgyna fillet.

The dock opened up, a shimmering blue energy field kept the black water at bay as the transport passed into the first lock, the water draining it moved into the second.  Satisfied all was in readiness Kiraea slipped out to begin the real work.

<<<<>>>>

Surge

[Initiating Reset……..>>>> Online]

“Finally!” – Auditory Input designation [MASTER]

“Much too expensive to waste…well done, now the Black sun is mine for the taking, no one can deny my pre-eminence…default protocols,”

Surge rose from the repair bench noting his surroundings as he disconnected from the diagnostic equipment.  There were four entities, MASTER, Authorisation Level 2 Jol Boos, Authorisation Level 3 Hun Daar designated [Technician] and Command Golmo designated [Allied Unit].

He commenced default protection protocols about MASTER as he left the workshop.

“Already paid for itself ten times over, I tried finding another template but all I could find was a few damaged females…not worth the price…we must consider how to communicate this more formally to the Black Sun at large, the others will try and take credit…” MASTER began speaking to Jol Boos

“Vigo the matter of the remnants…”

“I thought you might prefer to celebrate Boos,”

“The job is no yet finished Vigo, I came only to return Surge to you,”

“Focused on finishing the job, good, see to it, but keep it in house for now, we don’t need more mercenaries claiming they ‘saved the day’ for our fleet,”

[Establishing Security Link >>> Entering Credentials X********3 >>> authorised >>>Integrating Palace Security Control>>>>
>>> Analysing Data
Anomaly Detected 15:13
Anomaly Detected 15:25
Anomaly Detected 16:02
Anomaly Detected 16:09]

“Security Anomalies Logged” He spoke use the auditory projection system so MASTER could hear.
Boos perked up

“How many and when?”

“4 in one Hour”

“Vigo perhaps we should move out, it is possible the Sons…”

“The Sons are a spent force….Surge investigate,”

Boos nodded, “Allow me to leave a detachment here to add to your forces, and be careful around your harem, we know the Sons still have spies across the syndicates…one might try something in desperation,”
[MASTER >>> Bio status – increased levels of adrenaline]
“Very well…keep me up to date on the pursuit…but make sure to enjoy your gift, overworked staff are under forming staff Jol,”

Surge ignored the conversation satisfied, he had a new Objective

[Objective 1: Investigate Anomalies in Palace Security]

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea
Left leg over right she squeezed her thighs together as she leaned backward to grip the one behinds head and twisted the beady eyed head around too quickly for its neck to take.

The one she was strangling with her legs buckled under her weight.  With a deft twist she flipped up and around snapping its neck and rolling into an uppercut that shattered tusks and eyes of the third. 

The fourth was still aiming his blaster in the slow way all Outsiders moved…except a few annoying species…by the time he had a good line on where she had been she was behind him cracking his skull in with an elbow.

A back flip over the console she locked down the security control room. 

“Vorynx this is Minx, Cave is clean.”

Smooth and easy just like Maynard always said she added the aether to her typing as she broke the system, disabling the Deadman triggers and fail safes with the aether, hard locking some doors, opening others. 

A twitch in the back of her head, she didn’t even turn as the refresher door opened and the stunned Aqualish stepped out – she simply slammed his head into a bloody smear on the wall.

The Commander lay at her feet nursing his broken legs.

“Time to talk tusk face…No…” she almost said ‘no offence Komo’ for the Aqualish in the Sons…they were growing on her…she didn’t like it.

“unnnhhh…” it grunted

she scrawled out the orders onto a pad of flimsy.

“Read these out in you most commanding tone” her mind pressed.

<<<<>>>>

Surge

[Audio Input – General Channel – vocal Analysis >>> Golmo >>> Commander >>> Authorisation Level 2]

“All general patrols report to South East Hall for celebration of our glorious Vigo’s success against the nefarious Sons of Kessel – all staff also invited,”

Something about that seemed…anomalous

[Scanning room bookings…>>> SE Hall Booked 16:30-17:30 {Party Time}>>>

>>> Accessing Mess provisions>>> no Special Kitchen orders>>Anomaly]

Surge activated his internal Comm
“Commander Golmo – request confirmation of Prior Order”

>>> no input

“Repeat Commander Golmo – request confirmation of Prior Order”

[Audio Input – Command Channel – vocal Analysis >>> Golmo >>> Commander >>> Authorisation Level 2]

“Confirmed party is just starting come on down for a drink comrade!”

>>>analysis>>>Responses indicates lack of familiarity with SURGE system>>>syntax choice ‘comrade’ inconsistent with [Commander] Vocabulary patterns>>>anomaly 

[Objective 1 Updated] Reach Command Centre and Investigate Anomalies. >>>Proceeding.

<<<<>>>>

Keison

He stank of Aurgyna fish…they all did…only Komo didn’t seem to mind…the fish being an Aqualish delicacy and all.

“Are you eating it!” Trill called out

<issh good> the Aqualish mumbled out

Keison would’ve shaken his head had it not been stuffed between oily scales.

“We set to get out!” Keison whispered

Jarys sent meaning directly to his mind…it was a weird feeling like a pillow pushed onto your face…only marginally less disgusting that the fish in his nose.

The hold rattled as a ramp or docking clamp was put in place…

<NOW> the meaning hit all their minds at once.  Light flooded in as the fish flopped out onto the ferrocrete.  They all pulled their blasters, Komo fumbled a little, Trill barely avoided tripping over.  Jarys landed gracefully no doubt using his sorcery.

Keison looked around…but there was no one…the only Aqualish was Komo…a few crates of weapons and armour open waiting for them.

“Where are the guards…” Trill inquired moving to check the contents

“Up there,” Keison followed Jarys finger – above them tied with a chain along the ceiling cargo rails were six unconscious or dead Aqualish hanging upside down.

“Which of the six Hells did that Minx come from,” he slapped Jarys shoulder as Mmbri opened up the other four cargo pods to release the rest of the team,

“And are there any more?”

<<<<>>>>

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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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #171 on: December 19, 2018, 03:56:45 AM »

Chapter 40 — Eclipse of the Sons — Retribution

Part 2

Kiraea

Come on come on…

Eyes flicking across the screens as she kept track with the aether, she noted a fair number of the staff were gathering in the South East Hall as the Sons equipped in the dock.  Deft fingers moved to lock blast doors behind the guards as the Sons moved up – she couldn’t trap them all in the South East, but she should be able to trap a good third of …

She ducked beneath the desk just before the locked down door burst apart against.  Heavy boots crushed the fragmented durasteel.

Crawling beneath the desk she tried to grasp at the creature with the aether but was rebuffed…it felt familiar…it couldn’t be…

She barely avoided the blast rolling out and up as a mini rocket blasted the console apart…that damn cybernetic guy again! 

Unwilling to get into another protected battle with the thing, and noting its explosive entrance had just ended her stealth approach as the alarms blared, she turned out from over blaster in one hand lighting from the other.

With casual indifference it flung her aetheric energy aside and dodged her shots as quickly as she could make them.  A hammer blow telekinetic shot to the chest was similarly bounced back…

This thing was a pain she wasn’t especially intent on dealing with having other issues now that the guards were on alert…so far its aetheric abilities had been purely defensive about its body…so if it worked on Hondo Station.

A mental grip tugged the ceiling fixtures down on the machine man as it opened fire, consoles and table ripped from the floor and piled onto it faster than it could deflect…still not really slowing she took the floor above and pulled straight down.

<<<<>>>>

Hondo

“What was that!” He hammered the comm pushing off the unenthusiastic Bothan slave boy.

“Golmo Report…Frum Where are you!”

“MASTER enact evacuation protocol Threat Level Significant - Entity No Otherwise Classified 0001 is in proximity.” Surge reported through the emergency Comm

Suddenly thankful for Boos extra squad he leapt from the pool and waddled toward the evacuation hatch in the Safe Room. 

“Lock down the facility call in the Gangers if you have to!”

Through his blue and silver decorated rooms he palmed the button, as soon as the hatch flipped up a precisely spliced in circuit connected and Kiraea’s bomb detonated blasting the pod out of existence and rushing water in before the breach door slammed down.

No one left his part without her say so.

“Lock the blast doors – Surge eliminate all hostiles! Maximum Prejudice”

<<<<>>>>

 
Surge

[Maximum Prejudice Enacted  - Administering Stimulants – Adrenosterone Levels 140%]

He burst from the rubble of the office and computer equipment muscle pulsing beneath their armoured synth skin, intent on destroying the Guardian bitch.

<Guardian…she’s a Guardian…People don’t fight Guardians we help them, they protect us…>

[Prefrontal Activation administering suppressants >>>64%]

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea


Skidding out of the hall she pressed between the light columns as twelve Aqualish pounded past the T junction…pivoting out she let loose.

The air trembled and waved like a desert mirage as her aetheric blast slammed them six left and six right into the walls, cracking armour, shattering blasters and pulping flesh.

Racing down the corridor she unleash gratuitous fists and kicks to finish off the groaning remnants before strafing into the main hall right into an oncoming squad of eight. 

Kiraea smiled beneath her helmet as the HUD lit up with their likely firing trajectories- useful information that confirmed her aetheric senses as she danced between the green blasts closing half the distance before the first round had slammed into the far door ways. 

It was just like an obstacle course in the forest – instead of rocks hurled by Yorna it was blaster bolts, grenades took the form of Karintha’s Gobee hives, and instead of running into Taran, Melron, Maloran or whichever other Guardian was visiting she engaged in less close combat more punching bag with the heavy tusked creatures. 

These were not aether warriors who could deal with her speed or strength…it was almost funny how they….

Finishing up her palm to the left eyes, a greasy pop staining her gloves she dove out again to avoid the bulk of the machine man through the wall.  She came up but not fast enough – its mechanically enhanced arms ware on her, pulling at her pauldrons and trying to headbutt…no ram some kind of whirling laser lance from its artificial eye into her helmet. 

Twisting and turning with every hold break she could it remained resolute and impossibly strong…she stomped, lit herself with lighting, hammered in elbows denying it a clean strike but not getting anywhere herself. 

Kiraea pushed into its mind but found only a confused soapy mess mingled with sharp spikes of direct data input she couldn’t effect.  To add insult to injury another group of stinking Aqualish ran past jeering for Surge to ‘break the tralk’.

Insulted she gave an aether filled head-butt that smashed straight into the short range laser, burning into the blackstone but not quite penetrating through.  It reeled for long enough for her to hammer out of its lock and ram her fists into the duracrete wall of a chest, twisting her pistol still in holster with the aether to fire into the energy absorbent synth-skin. 

It didn’t stay down for long, its bladed hands slicing at her upper arm plating as she went for the knees, using her short sword like a parang she chased the mechanical ball joint as she kept its mind occupied by dancing around it and jabbing in where she could.

A few Aqualish turned and noted the change, opening fire- but the machine was a bigger slower target and took one hit as she flicked off lighting blasts to their chests starting internal burns in their major organs, their fire continuing till they finally gave out.

She finally bit in the things partially flesh calf, blood much too red oozed out as she pivoted the sword back up into the knee joint and rolled left – it entered just as she forced it to turn cracking into the blackstone blade but not popping out as she’d hoped.

<<<<>>>>

Surge

<No we don’t Fight Guardians! They protect us! We need to help her!>

[Prefrontal Activation administering suppressants >>>100%]

<No I won’t be quiet anymore…I don’t want to hurt People!>

[Prefrontal Initiation Overload DANGER– Increasing suppressants >>>120%]

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea

Trying a new strategy she sent the sword into its left gauntlet and concentrated her blaster fire on it, as it pulled that arm back it focused on the right as she took another hit to the chest plate. 

Summoning up the fallen rifles of the Aqualish she poured fire on the left hand, it was tough metal, likely beskar but after 6 shots it began to turn yellow with heat. 

Now was her chance.

Leaping up she feigned a knee to the head diving over its shoulder and grabbing the left arm, with all her strength pulling it down with her descent and pushing its heated claw into the machines back. 

Delving deep she treated the machines now exposed wiring like any other lock she would pick, tracing the threads of energy to systematically break the flows and twist the voltage till it collapsed into a heap of limbs and deactivated components.

Irritating thing! She thought raising her boot to crush its head in.


“Guaa…eeannn…Protec…” the still human mouth wheezed as it reached out to her in the aether…

<Guardian…Protect me…>

<<<<>>>>

Jarys

Ducking round her fired off another shot rending an arm with his blaster, yanking eight legs over with the aether while under Jarys telepathic prompting three Aqualish Marines at the far end of the hall became convinced of the Righteousness of the Sons Cause and started bashing their less enlightened fellows.

Was this their freedom now – to pursue their oppressor to its lair, to get them before they can get you, freedom to exact bloody vengeance.  More and more he saw in everything War as the sole driving force - Conflict endemic in all life…an essence there was no freedom from.

A brown blur rushed past at waist level, slamming round the corner, heavy meaty smacks were followed by a body getting flung into the hall as Mmbri made light work of whoever was in that room.

The lasts few blasts died as the out gunned office type surrendered, pleading ignorance about what was happening and denying they were involved in any kind of criminal syndicate.

“Let’s get Hondo,” Keison clapped him on the back as he sensed a rage building in Kiraea.

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea

Tears stung her eyes.  Blue flames licked across her body as she pushed apart blast doors like they were rotten paper. 

The few remaining guards were in full flight, she didn’t bother chasing them, simply set them alight from within leaving withered ash inside creaking armour.

Hondo had hurt People…badly…so badly Kiraea didn’t even recognise who it was beneath all that cybernetic mutilation. 

Four ran toward the harem which acted as a safe room, hammering on the silver door.  Seeing her reflection in the rich metal – blazing blue surrounding a black form she felt a sick satisfaction at their fear before igniting them.

That man…boy…had needed a Guardian to protect him…and she wasn’t there – worse she had nearly killed him. Yorna wouldn’t have made that mistake, she would’ve recognised him.

The double blast doors were not barrier to her, a mental fist slammed them inward, a torrent of flame melted the jagged edges to offer a smooth pathway for her rage.

Inside Hondo and his last guards opened fire – the energy was sucked up and turned back on the two Aqualish flash-searing their faces off.  She had no intention of dealing with Hondo so quickly.

The Aqualish grabbed something behind a lounge, holding a slave girl in front of him, gun to her head.

“Don’t come any closer or I kill the product!”

Cute he thought she cared about some Outsider.

But did she…was her anger not just for the People, but also the Sons who had helped Jarys…

She looked not at Hondo but the girl…how many People…girls and boys she had played with at the village gatherings been taken and abused in places like this.  The Sons might be outsiders…but at least tried to stop this no matter if the victim was an Outsider or People. 

Kiraea could feel the girls fear at seeing the blue flaming form, yet there was a hope…the girl wanted Kiraea to kill her so she wouldn’t have to return to her daily sexual torture. 

That girl could’ve been Adaea…Lyaea…Yorna…it probably had been Anaea, Lysaea, Ilaea and a dozen others.

As hot tears welled at the thought, the only thing hotter was Hondo’s hand as it burnt from within.  The girl flew across the room under Kiraea’s guidance as his blaster dropped.

Kiraea paused with her boot over his chest…

It was not her place to destroy this scum. 

She would leave him to his victims.

<<<<>>>>

Keison

Jarys held Hondo up as the Sons looted the place and freed the harem.  With Kiraea’s help they managed to lift nearly 200 million credits before the shadow banks noticed the unusual transactions and shut Hondo’s accounts down. 

After a brief interrogation that left the Aqualish soiling himself Hondo had revealed the Vigo most likely to frame him for a kidnapping to be Vigo Xithar from the Core – still unfinished they grabbed further access codes and details of his operations, 42 sites for the Sons to hit in the future and more importantly corroborating information from Hondo’s spies that Xithar had been investing heavily in bio-tech for reasons unknown – in particular pouring money into a ship called the Demagol.

The wicked smile Jarys woman had shown when she found schematics for Xithars base on Ord Mirit…was something Keison would never forget, as if a rancor had come across a broken legged bantha in a dead end valley.

Now she handed out all the cutlery and knives she could find to the former slaves.

He could only stare in wonder at this pair, imagining if he had…not even a thousand – a dozen like Jarys and Kiraea could free more slaves in a week than he had in nearly 25 years – with their advanced ships a hundred could tear the Hutts entire economy to pieces in a month.  Keison glanced to the medically stabilised form of the creature known as Surge…

Hondo had the same thought…that was the burden of Jarys people, their power was so great it was difficult not to covet and wish to wield it…but that was the kind of thinking that lead to slavery – to see a person as just a tool.

“Trill set up the holo-vid…we need to record this,” he ordered stepping up to the whimpering form of the once mighty Aur Hondo.

“A thousand Sons…” Keison sneered

“That’s all you left me with…You think you broke us…You’ll see what a thousand can do.”

<<<<>>>>
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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Light side points please.


« Reply #172 on: December 19, 2018, 07:43:40 PM »

Woot!   The Sons fight on!   Kiraea rescues Surge!  Good guys rolling!

But I think my favorite part was Keison's internal dialog - realizing how their very power led others to covet controlling them. Whether cybernetics, drugs, chains, whatever - slavery was something they had to fear and face down.  And the Sons earned the respect of even Kiraea because they freed slaves, whether People or Outsiders. 

And, as a bonus...  The plans to Xithar's lair....
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Take every chance, drop every fear


« Reply #173 on: January 06, 2019, 03:05:51 AM »

Greetings. I don’t comment much but I have been reading this and it’s good. Thank you, I’m still here and I’m in Chapter 3
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Lord_S_Gray
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #174 on: January 06, 2019, 08:22:41 AM »

Greetings. I don’t comment much but I have been reading this and it’s good. Thank you, I’m still here and I’m in Chapter 3

Thanks Phobia013, appreciate it, always great to hear I have another reader!
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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
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #175 on: January 08, 2019, 12:07:56 AM »

Chapter 41 — Fallen Order — Rogue Jedi
Part 1
Yoda

His situation was dire – believed to be Valens pawns he would likely undergo extremities of Telepathic analysis by the Temple Guards who harboured a fanatical hatred for Valens and his Aetharian allies for having so thoroughly embarrassed them during the Night of Madness.

Though sworn to be completely emotionally detached there was a bitter anger there, not only had the Temple been attacked but the Grand Master himself was slain in the Council Chamber.

The only way Oma could’ve convinced the Temple Guards to go off world was if she had appealed to that shame and hatred.  A hatred that would now be visited upon Yoda and Soryu.

After being detained on Uba IV Oma had wisely separated them, Yoda was dispatched first, his sense of his friend was fogged by the distance and Force suppressive measures….still Soryu seemed perfectly content, as if by acting on his beliefs of what it meant to be a Jedi his task was fulfilled regardless of the consequences to his person.

It was an appealing ideal, to stand your ground on your beliefs in the face of popular calls to relent or acquiesce to the pressures of the moment. 

Yet this was an idealism Yoda could not follow completely. 

In the cold store room converted to a cell and with the force deadened by the suppressive fields Yoda could finally think clearly, detach from the emotion and confusion that had surrounded him since returning to Coruscant.

No…even before then…since running off on a five year expedition to escape the frustrations of Kimars rule.

He had to smile at the foolishness – he had run away from Kimar whom he should have confronted and confronted Valens whom he should have run from…300 years old and still making silly mistakes.

By leaving, Kimar’s power had grown unchecked, Soryu incapable of opposing him alone, to the point Kimar was able to have dissenters and ‘heretics’ like the Mak’tor executed by Valens…and when Kimar turned on his assassin it only made sense Valens - knowing Kimars willingness to kill off his opponents - would launch a pre-emptive strike to destroy Kimar and disable the whole Order.

It was strategically sound…destroy Kimar, Yoren…leave Soryu who would guide the Order on a forgiving and self-reflective path…and Yoda had ruined it all for Valens by acting rashly.  Valens words on Myrkr now deepened their bite in Yoda’s heart.

It might not justify Valens action, yet at least now Yoda could comprehend the logic behind them away from the emotion of the fallout…even felt a little pride at his former apprentices strategic insight.

And yet…It was a deeply painful irony that Valens had believed Yoda to be a better Jedi than he was causing it to fail.

But only by acknowledging his failures could he correct them.

Yoda felt a slight shudder as the ship exited hyperspace for the second time.  The Prism, or Ghost Prison in the Diab System to which they would be taken was a four day trip in a fast ship from Coruscant, from Uba IV even assuming no stops it would take the Shield of Justice - a solid but not cutting edge ship - over a week to get there. 

A week to reflect on his failings before his mind was pulled apart looking for traces of mental control that Yoda knew – or hoped – were not there.

At the very least he could face his end as a Jedi - if not redeemed then at least trying

No…never trying…

Finding or not finding the clarity that had so long eluded him.

<<<<>>>>

Meeda

“I don’t know….” The wretched gaunt old man breathed rather than spoke

At first he had resisted speaking at all to the Anathema, but as the interrogation progressed and the villagers were rounded up he soon relented.

So far this had been the easiest money she had ever made, the Jedi hardly needed an escort, her troops were there to intimidate more than anything else, and provide transport in the form of the solid Meteor class Q carriers that dotted around the village.

The only losses so far was the paint on their armour as the viciously acidic winds of Uba IV stripped off recently painted layers from the beskar.

“You don’t know or don’t want to tell me?” Sentinel Oma leaned over him, she was a good half as tall as the undernourished man to begin with, in full armour it was like a wookie warrior leering over an ewok.

“I don’t know…the warriors come and go when they can – we don’t have any way to talk to them…” his eyes were wide and moist with tears born of fear

“Please we have nothing…”

“Oh but you do,” gripping the man’s throat she effortlessly lifted him up, the Commandos holding him down releasing their grips as uncertain as Meeda was about what would happen next. 

She already knew this was not a typical Jedi witch, but with every village of the Toush Uba they had ransacked Meeda wondered if she wasn’t actually a Sith who had usurped the Order.

So far they had found nothing to trace the target Ubese, the only tech Meeda had seen were decades old frequently repaired radiation filters and water purifiers…not so different to how things were on Ordo when she was growing up…

Out of the small shelter Oma tossed him onto the hard dirt that passed for a road through the middle of the shanty town situated beside a mountain with irrigation terraces carved along its height.

The old man rolled painfully as the rounded up villagers looked on terrified.

Oma pulled blaster from a Commando’s holster and put it to his head.

“One of your elders dies every three hours until you inform me where Goush and Valens are, starting with him.”

The Ubese had no reason to doubt her, they saw Jedi as worse than sith, and Oma was doing nothing to dissuade them of that opinion – it was in one sense a brilliant piece of theatrical realpolitik, yet it unsettled even Meeda to see the ‘guardians of peace and justice’ using death threats.

Oma pulled the groggy man up and rammed the barrel of the disruptor into his mouth

“PA!” the voice of opposition was silenced by Yon rifle butting the woman – it was as if the Jedi’s aggression was contagious. Meed crossed herself with the Eye of aversion to wade off their sinister wyrd.

The Old man was shivering in panic, fight or flight response trembling him against her durasteel grip.

“STOP…I have the…”
Before he could even finish the sentence two Sentinels pushed through the crowd to drag out the young man who had spoken out and tossed him to the ground.

“Speak.” Oma ordered blaster still in the old mans mouth

“I have the comm…it don’t work all the time or if they’ze too far away…”

As he moved to get something from his dingy coat the Sentinels gripped his arms and pulled it out for him.

It was a fairly basic Hyper-Comm, a 5000 credit low end piece at best.

Oma nodded and he was released, she pushed the old man to the ground who hurriedly embraced the younger.

It was a sight that brought a sinking feeling to Meeda as she thought once more of how similar the Mandalorians were to the Ubese, both had their worlds turned to all but dust by the Republic, both were forced to make what living they could with the only skills they had to sell – their muscles and lives.  The difference was for the Ubese this had been going on for centuries, the Dral’han- the annihilation that had wrecked Ordo, Mandalore and Concord Dawn was still within living memory of some of her elders.

The fact that the Ubese had never fully recovered after all this time gave Meeda little hope for her own Clan and cultures future prospects.

Turning it over in her hands Oma nodded once more then turned to Meeda flicking on a secure private comm channel,

“Hold them here for two more days, make sure none of them moves a muscle and keep patrols around the village – Goush doesn’t learn we’re onto him until we slag his ship from under his arse,”

Meeda nodded in return “As ordered Sentinel,”

“You feel sympathy toward them…” it was not a question but a statement delivered as caustically as the water here smelled

“Sympathy is a dangerous trait in your line of work Mandalorian, I suggest you purge yourself of it,” Oma finished already halfway to her ship.

“Yes ma’am…”

<<<<>>>>

Soryu


“In here…” The Temple guard’s cool voice bellied the churning rage just beneath the surface – they felt shamed, defeated by Valens and Jarys so easily and now intent on proving their strength, a microcosm of what Oma intended for the whole Order.

Soryu did not resist he stepped into the small room, stripped of everything but a blanket and small pan – his room for the next few days as he was taken to the Prism. 

Yoda had been sent the day before, now it was his turn, no doubt they would take different routes to the Jedi’s secret prison to ensure they could not both link up with the ‘Aetharian allies’ Oma was arguing they were in league with.

Oma did not believe that, she knew better, but promoting that fiction served her purposes just as well as supressing the Truth about who instigated this conflict.

He gently settled onto the floor legs crossed and closed his eyes.  The Temple Guard paused briefly then with a dismissive grunt sealed the door.

There would be neither Truth nor Justice in the interrogation he would receive at the Prism – as a Jedi Soryu was more than happy to accept the consequences of his failings, but as it stood they sought to punish him for crimes he had never committed.

As he felt the first rumbles of the transports engines powering up Soryu kept his presence in the force strong and centered in the room, knowing his escort would be monitoring closely.

Beneath the rushes of energy all around he deftly worked the screws and rivets in the plating on the deck beneath him. 

He used what Valens had termed the ‘Dark current’ a play on the Fallanassi White Current he had shown him – the Force might be one but within that one were an infinity of different streams and flows for those that knew how to look – the Dark Current was one particular low level of energy that ran a fine line between completely closing off in force immersion and still active use - almost imperceptible and difficult to work with - for Soryu at least – still it was the only option. 

Fortunately the screws and bolts were few and small – but even as he undid the last ones he was already sweating and feeling the early stages of Force exhaustion. 

Breathing out he felt the minds about him steel – they were about to take off he needed to move fast. 

His Force presence was split in three – the central heart kept in the room, his ‘hands’ working the dark current to lift away the now freed plating, the upper mind immersing into the White Current to dissolve away any detection as he slowly moved into the gap beneath the floor.

His escape - he noted as he shuffled through the maintenance crawl space toward the landing struts – could only be interpreted as a sign of guilt when they finally realized it. 

Hopefully that would take some time, his presence firmly embedded in the cell it would be hours before they checked on him by which time…

By which time - he felt as he gently slid down the rising pistons of the legs of the ship, moving fully into the white current to dissolve into the force and gain a measure of invisibility – Oma would have far larger problems to concern herself with if his meditations were at all accurate.

Slipping quickly along the Mythosaurs near empty bay – the troops largely on the surface of Uba IV – he felt the dark twisting undercurrents in the force drawing everything in - and letting nothing out. 

For now it remained behind the veil of shadow, but when it revealed itself…

A True Jedi needed to be there to face it.

<<<<>>>>
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
Knight Commander
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #176 on: January 08, 2019, 12:10:16 AM »

Chapter 41 — Fallen Order — Rogue Jedi
Part 2
Tnbu

“What progress…” the demand signalled Oma’s entry into the communications room on Ordo Endures the second of the Mandalorians Destroyer class vessels, over which Tnbu had been placed in command following his efforts of Myrkr.  Yet it was not his captaincy that the Acting Grand Master inquired about, but his intelligence efforts.

“The tracer the Ubese…supplied…is – rudimentary and in so far as it is old technology throws up its own challenges for our analysts…we have had to consult decades old technical procedures and re-install older operation systems to…” Oma did not look amused at his Sullustan peculiarity of expanding on details

“We will have something within two hours,”
She was barely in the room when she turned back around, “Inform when there is progress…”

It was now or never

“Sentinel an additional matter…”

She paused mid stride her front foot still partially off the ground

“Yes Master Tnbu…”

“The arrest of Yoda and Soryu…whilst undoubtedly necessary considering their egregious disobedience…when combined with the more – forceful –approach  taken against the Ubese, some are beginning to question the direction you and Yoda before are taking the Order.”

“Who is questioning,” she asked quickly.

“I have prepared a list for you perusal Acting grand Master.” He held out a datapad with a self-deleting macro, the details were for her eyes only.

“We spy on our own… “

It was not a question Oma murmured but a statement of fact as she scrolled down a list detailing the snippets of recorded conversations.

“Grand Master Kimar,” Tnbu explained “Saw fit to institute greater oversight of all Jedi and non-Jedi volunteers and employees, he tasked me with implementing the new system Acting grand Master Yoda went to Myrkr before I could give him a full briefing so as per transitional policy I continued with business as usual.”

“Indeed…” Oma noted disturbed at just how thorough the internal policing was.

Tnbu prided himself on having improved and expanded the Jedi intelligence service – he had brought his experience as a naval captain and pilot to the disordered ad-hoc system in place before him and refined with clear chains of command – and more importantly confidence. Effective and accurate Intelligence he believed was the bedrock of successful action and diverting threats before they got out of control.

Of course some things could not be predicted no matter how good his networks were.  He had not the foggiest hint of Valens betrayal and attack on Coruscant, there were no rumours, no mentions of dissent, indeed Valens had been Kimar’s best operative – somehow he had managed to dupe the Grand Master and entire order for years – the failure an itch in the back of Tnbu’s mind he could never scratch.

“…And what did Kimar do when you presented him with such list Master Tnbu…” Oma inquired.

“There was Acting Grand Master…,” Tnbu was careful to address the Title not the person – for that was whom he served, the Order, the Grand Masters Office, it just happened that at this moment Oma occupied that position – technically Yshrrk was acting Grand Master in his Role as High Sentinel, however as he remained bedridden Second Sentinel Oma took the role – just like on a Cruiser – the Captains chair was vacant the First officer injured, so Head of Security took charge.

“…a statistically significant correlation between my reports to Kimar on various individuals and their retirement or death in the field as well as the recalling of former Knight Valens from other assignments…”

Tnbu was well aware of the most probable on the ground reality, but even he had no direct proof of what occurred to those Jedi and occasionally Temple Volunteers…he had accepted even the Grand Master needed to keep secrets for the sake of the Order as a whole, but Valens defection cast a dire light on what that could result in.

“How many of these…statistically significant instances were there?”

“43 over a period of twelve years,”

No wonder he ruined us… Oma brooded Valens had been knocking off Jedi for a decade with the damn Grand Masters blessing

“And you never brought this…arithmetical anomaly to the attention of the Council as a whole?” 

Tnbu straightened up, his glassy black eyes blinking in a defensive gesture

“It was not my role to do so, the Grand Master was acting well within his rights and privileges,”

Oma sized the much smaller being up again…while Tnbu’s intelligence briefings were heard, the Sullustan himself, with his curious penchant for naval metaphors and having a crisp clean robe was not truly seen - a mistake Oma would not make any longer – he was efficient, obedient and utterly dedicated to the Order.

“I will take note of this list Master Tnbu...continue reporting to me any….observations….”

The Sullustan nodded as she left.

<<<<>>>>

Oma

It was an ordered, efficient operation.  Everything the Jedi had been lacking.

Oma stood at the end of the Mythosaurs bridge nominally looking out of the transparisteel onto the slowly turning orange orb of Uba and looking intimidating to keep the Mando’s in awe of the Jedi – though having seen two of their greatest Masters fight then submit to arrest that ship had likely sailed.

Instead she was watching the reflection of Meeda Ordo showing real strength and command keeping two dozen Mandalorian bridge crew under her thumb so effortlessly she merely had to look in a general direction to have a grizzled veteran jump up and hand her a datapad.

There was a palpable sense of order amongst the seemingly ragtag Mando’a that the Jedi lacked and Oma envied. Yoda and Soryu’s ‘incident’ had once more raised the identity crisis that had plagued the Jedi order since…probably its inception

This is not who we are…invading a system, hiring mercenaries…attacking Myrkr without thought or discrimination…the Jedi are not an army

The conversation snippet Tnbu had provided was attributed to Hzzan Shi a Togruta Knight conversing with her former Master.

No this is not who we are…we are far worse than that for we hide our militarism behind a noble guise…is it any wonder when the veil is lifted our fury is so much more gruesome given release

Without the threat of a lightsabre, mind trick or telekinetic crush who would take a Jedi negotiator seriously after all – they were the final coercive power of the state...and like the Mando’s needed to be seen as powerful and united from without and within.

Beating up on Uba IV would do little to restore their reputation externally, indeed the Yoda/Soryu incident had likely damaged it further, and the reports Tnbu had provided indicated the split within the Order was growing between Soryu’s bleeding heart sympathisers and those that supported her pragmatism.

Glancing into the shimmering cut of Uba IV’s terminator she considered Kimar’s response to a similar issue.  Employing Tnbu to find the unorthodox and Valens to silence them had backfired, and ultimately only kicked the power cell down the hyperlane – the tensions he had been trying to suppress with dogmatism were now widening fractures that she was left to deal with.   

A dour…almost repellent presence entered behind her, she did not turn but knew it was the Mando’a Laan – a disrespectful fool with more ambition than talent who approached Meeda with a swagger that seemed comical to Oma considering how easily he could be broken by both women.

Oma did not bother eavesdropping on the conversation, just noted the nature of their auras…Meeda well knew he was trying to undermine her, yet kept him in positions of relative importance, he had lead one of the landing parties….

Why…why keep him on the front lines where the rank and file see him in control…

Delving deeper she felt the tinge of sadistic anticipation in the Mandalorian woman…and a solution to her own difficulties.

Kimar had thought too small scale, tried to hide his purge – that lead to questions, innuendo, more division.  Meeda put Laan on the front lines, trusted him with core tasks, the appearance of unity was stronger for it, but also put him right in the line of fire at the same time – when he got killed on some wet work job gone wrong no one would bat an eye or ask questions – that was the job.

Oma rarely smiled but she allowed a small lift at the edge of her lips – that was how to breach the gap in the Order and remove the recalcitrant - hurl them into Ubese blasters or better still Valens blade.

<<<<>>>>
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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Light side points please.


« Reply #177 on: January 08, 2019, 04:03:09 PM »

First...    I loved the Fallanassi references!  I long thought that Luke's mother would end up being one of their followers.   That was before they tossed the entire EU out and made the prequal movies.  Just one of the many changes that greatly annoyed so many of us.   

And Oma...   She needs to read the account of David and Bathsheeba.  David had the same idea, send Urriah into the thick of the fight so he would be killed, thus covering up his own adultery with Urriah's wife and the resulting pregnancy...    Didn't work out so well for any of them....

And Soryu...   GO SORYU!  And just WHAT is coming?HuhHuh??


Nicely done my friend.  Loving it!
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« Reply #178 on: January 08, 2019, 02:48:47 PM »

First...    I loved the Fallanassi references!  I long thought that Luke's mother would end up being one of their followers.   That was before they tossed the entire EU out and made the prequal movies.  Just one of the many changes that greatly annoyed so many of us.   

You know plus totally ignoring Leia's statement in RotJ about her mother "died when i was very young...kind beautiful but sad"

I always imagined her being a Royal of Alderaan that Vader abused for his own enjoyment and then the Emperor is like 'hang on this could be useful lets get those kids', Obi-Wan steps in bashes Vader into the suit and hides Luke on Tatooine and Leia stays with her mother who dies after a few years while Vader is recovering....

Man we should re-write the whole thing for them one day...

Anyways catch up on Sicara and the Demagol (end of Chapter 34 with Sofa and chapter 35 with Xithar) Next chapters coming soon...
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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
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Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #179 on: January 09, 2019, 09:29:08 PM »

Chapter 42 — Unfit Offerings — Sacrifice
Part 1
Kuun Carr
Sacrifice.  Sacrifice was the essence of life – Yun Yuuzhan had sacrificed his body that the Universe, the Yun’o and the Yuuzhan Vong might be created , this was the True Way. 

Through Sacrifice great things were accomplished.  The greater the sacrifice, the more exalted the creation. 

By this truth Kuun Carr knew their mission would bring great glories to the Praetorite Vong, and in turn the Empire.

It had taken years, thousands of shamed ones to sort through the dovin basals to find those few with the mutation that allowed ultra-dark space travel to reach the galaxy centuries in advance of the main fleet.  It was Kuuns pride to give himself to the mission, the honour of 400 Yuuzhan Vong to join him, all knew they would not live to see the fleet’s arrival, they were living sacrifices to the Glory of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Walking over the tread worn surface of the Yorik coral he observed the preparation of Tsavo Cree, he was to be the next sacrifice to the experimentation of the Heathens.  Carr was dedicated to the cause, but realistic they needed the expertise of the indigenous species to survive, that was the purpose of this mission. 

They were sent on a Ro'ik chuun m'arh named “Eversight”, a long range reconnaissance vessel nearly 300 metres in length, with 400 warriors, and 100 shapers to link up with a number of lost Yorik-stronha spy ships and establish a villip choir relay to transmit their findings. 

They had found only wreckage of all but one of the Yorik-Stronha – lost to collisions and conflicts centuries past.  Proceeding on their secondary objective they attacked a small habitable moon on the edge of the galactic void, the Praetorite Vong were glorious in battle, the shapers swift to begin minor terraforming to grow the villips…but then…

Tsavo Cree bellowed his dedication to follow the path of Yun-Yuzzhan and sacrifice his body to give life.  Now he had to enter the heretical metal ship - the Demagol, where the slave of the Falleen Lucovis, a Siniteen named Sicara would perform his tests.

Soon after taking the moon they had fallen ill…sicknesses they had not anticipated assailed them….  The data from previous reconnaissance was outdated in regard to indigenous viral and bacterial diseases, the villips flowered blackened and vile, yorik coral grew brittle. – two thirds of their shapers, half their warriors dead in a week. With little choice they sought a way to catalogue the advances in pathology and transmit that back to the shapers of the fleet.  It was no disgrace to die of disease – but for half the Glorious Army to fall to bacteria before the first amphistaff struck flesh would undermine the invasions success.

So now Tsavo Cree sacrificed himself to Sicara’s experimentations along with a dozen shamed ones, testing the reaction of their immune system to his ‘Collection’ of common diseases and vaccinations.  Their spies in ooglith masquers had heard tell of the Sicara, the poisoner, master of biological warfare on the metal world that offended the skies with its ungodliness Nar Shadda – seeking him out they found he was a slave of a greater Master who courted their ‘friendship’. 

Kuun in command – the original Perfect dead from a viral infection - acted pragmatically with his few resources, making a deal with Lucovis.  The Heathen did not comprehend the truth of their mission nor willingness to sacrifice themselves, this served Kuun well – Lucovis did not realise every last detail, every scrap of information on the Black Sun, Republic and Jeedai was invaluable. 

Now Cree stepped forward ready to undergo the vaccination then exposure to the pathogens.  Kuun gripped his arms, allowing Cree’s implanted shoulder horns to slice into his hands.
< You bring pride and glory to your Domain and the Preatorite Vong by imitating the sacrifice of Yun Yuzzhan even in the hands of heathens> He turned to the others,

< Rrush'hok ichnar vinim'hok!>

< Rrush'hok ichnar vinim'hok!> came the reply twice as loud

Die well, brave warrior.
<<<<>>>>

Lyaea
Is this the Real Life?
Sliding down she kept her toes firmly in place as her hips swayed with the thump of the music against the pulsating red and pink lights of the club. 

Is this just fanatasy

She had always been the youngest…the naughtiest.  This wasn’t a means of denigration, rather just a fact in the aether about her, so she played on that now.

Gazes following the flick of her hair as she made sure to keep herself far enough from the pole to keep from hitting it – it wouldn’t do for the illusion to break with the stage.

Caught in a landslide,

Her two targets were finally getting interested, a few tugs on the aether drew their eyes a few squeezes of her breasts amidst the dance drew their tongues out. 

No escape from reality

Use every part of your body as a weapon Kiraea had said, and Karintha before her.  She felt proud to be part of that line of women teaching each other…but sometimes…she still felt like she needed to prove herself worthy of it…as she gave a provocative wink and licked her lips all round.

She was only eight at the Devastation…and then rescued by Kiraea who acted as her Sister/Mother/friend…but Kiraea was only sixteen then too – they were lost and confused in a very strange land…and she had picked up some bad habits in the mess of growing up between two wildly different cultures with no adult guidance.

Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,


Sometimes she felt like…she had fallen through the gap between the two cultures and kept falling, stranger to both sides…flitting in between them belonging to neither enough to…well…belong

I'm just a poor girl, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,


For now one of the things she had learnt – Extreme Sensua-Eros Dancing was proving useful in attracting the Nova Corps who were on shore leave from the Demagol – the ship they hoped to find more of the clones on or at least hit back at this Xithar by taking or destroying.

Adaea across the room wasn’t quite as sensuous as she was, didn’t have the exhibitionist streak or lack of concern for Outsides gawking at her – it made Adaea’s dancing mechanical and precise rather than alluring- fortunately the patrons were already so drunk they didn’t really care. 

Finally garnering enough of a reaction she slid off and strode over using her greater than human articulation to sway her breasts in the opposite direction of her hips.

“Hey boys looking for a good time?” 
Little high, little low,
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.

<<<<>>>>
Kuun Carr
“It is confirmed Prefect…Yor’s force and the last functional Yorik-Stronha have been destroyed by the Jeedai Valens.” Laan reported genuflecting.

He leaned back in his command cradle, the neural links twitching in his spine feeding information about the Ro'ik chuun m'arh.   This was a loss they did not need…fifteen warriors and dozens of Chazrach slaves…even the loss of Shamed Ones was beginning to factor into his decision making.  There could be no re-enforcement, only sacrifice…Kuun knew this coming here…yet his sacrifices had to be valuable. 

He had assisted with information collection on these beings for continued research of Sicara…and Kuun himself was interested to learn more of these Traitorous Jeedai and their powers – Lucovis might not admit it but Kuun saw fear in his features as he spoke of them.

Battle Master Svark assured him Jeedai Valens was severely fatigued…and their weapons, grown especially for this mission should have overwhelmed the unprepared heathen’s mechanical monstrosities. 

“Belek tiu” Command me Laan prostrated, fists on opposite shoulders as he awaited instruction.

Kuun respected strength and ability…increasingly it seemed Lucovis was lacking in both…

Jeedai Milaea had obliterated his thralls on the asteroid Bimmiel and the Palace on Nar Shadda, now Valens had destroyed Lucovis elite ‘Sith’ warriors on Nimban and fifteen Yuuzhan Vong.

Perhaps these two would be better allies of convenience, and objects of study…there is little more for Kuun to learn from these ‘Black Suns’.

“Inform Yhum to be extra vigilant before assaulting the Jeedai Milaea…sacrifice no more than is absolutely required…for now we hold our word to Lucovis, heathen though he is…the Hrosha-Gul is growing…”  he paused in reflection the ships mind told him their stores were running increasingly low …

The price of pain, the Hrosha-Gul, was growing beyond bearing…to feel pain was to know life…Kuun knew this but did not worship it as domain Shai.

At some point it became too great to function.
<<<<>>>>

Lyaea
The four Nova Corps were having a very good time – if a slightly confusing one.  She had to layer a thin reassurance on their minds every few minutes to avoid the dissonance of touching anatomical features inconsistent with their belief they were frolicking naked with three beautiful women – given in reality it was their fellow guardsmen.

She supressed a naughty smile as she filmed it, this would get billions of hits on her Holo-tube channel, and millions of credits from advertising in turn. It had started as a hobby while still at the university on Commenor before Kiraea found Valens, a way to be like the other kids her age…and earn her own credits to buy things, now it was a business.

Lyaea kept a steady course from the Orbital Spaceport around the Gas Giant to the edge of the Vexar system. 

Located in the Corporate sector the Demagol, a vast Dreadnought sized research vessel was simply one of the crowd of such ships that plied these systems performing research and experimentation illegal within the Republic.  Vexar with just one gas giant and a few dwarf planets was mainly used as an easy source of ammonia and sulphuric acids, huge bloated ships sucking the gas giant slowly into oblivion.  The perfect place for the Black Sun to place their Bio Weapons research vessel.

She felt the rub of the link orb against the small of her back, a place to keep it by her skin but not interfere with her hands.

<On course?> she thought across to the Yorna, or Lucky Gondur

<On course…nothing unusual on scopes, maintenance craft, a few fighter patrols, still undetected> her mother thought back a slight pang of disgust evident in the undercurrents of the aether at how they had obtained the Black Sun ship by faux seduction..

Lyaea held no qualms about exploiting Outsiders or showcasing her own looks to manipulate them, either in person or on her holotube channel…of course when her mother found out…

Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.


It was as if she had killed another Person…after what her mother had suffered from the slavers seeing her daughter openly flaunt herself on social media for billions of Outsiders to leer at was a grave disappointment to her…

As much as Lyaea was happy her mother was with her…it was hard to be judged by her especially after she hadn’t been there for so much…

Mama, life had just begun,
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.


It was just another gap between her and her people… and it reminded Lyaea of what she had lost growing up off world…

A lake on Commenor was no substitute for the Tears of Aephrodaea…limestone caves a poor imitation of the Bloodstone ones…and even Kiri and Ada – she loved them – but they were not her mother or Aunt who should’ve taught her the sacred Rites, a Nexu was not a Vorynx to hunt and tame, Givin advanced calcualus not he Runes of Aethenaea to test her wisdom…

And then Lyaea’s sense of disconnection continued even after returning home...she had missed so much that connected the others to home…and brought so many habits and ideas that drew her still further away…

Mama, ooh,
Didn't mean to make you cry,


It seemed unfair Lyaea should get her mother back when she was so…distant…while Adaea sitting across had no idea where her immediate family was and in truth was scarred to know.  Dead may well be better than how Selaena had been treated. 


“Unnnh YES YES!!! Oh so HARD wait what…” the dissonance of her captives returning she pushed them back into a stupor of blind passion siphoning off their ident-codes to transmit for landing. 

Adaea glanced across an put an armoured hand on her shoulder as a gesture of support sensing he disquiet…no matter how often they told her she was no less for having to grow up of world for so long…she still felt it.

<Keep steady a steady course, if we don’t contact you in 10 minutes Leaping Gobril is go>   she really needed to stop letting Adaea name things….

<Stay safe baby>

Am I still her baby…her child even…anyone’s child…does anyone want a confused naughty girl like me anyway…

Lyaea flicked on her HUD vocal pattern simulator.

Demagol this is Corsair VII returning from shore leave…request docking Hangar Six, near the turbolift picked up some extra Power converters,” she flicked across the confirmation codes.

“Confirm Corsair, Hangar Six Bay Eight,”

Her grip was tight as her sense of purpose was lax as she entered the blackened Maw of the Demagol

If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.

<<<<>>>>

Sicara
The Praetorite Vong made excellent patients – never screamed or complained.  He pulled out the needle and observed the creatures yellow pupils above scarified star like tattoos.

Sicara checked off his various instruments as the experiment on the silent warrior progressed.

“Ah pupil dilation…temperature increase…increase in T cell levels…yes good…good…”

The vaccination was working, the Corellian Flu was being fought off by the primed immune system rapidly. 

Sicara was not appraised of these creatures origins, he suspected somewhere in the Unknown Regions, he simply served faithfully – developing vaccines in exchange for samples of their unique bio-technology had already paid vast dividends.

Without their ‘villip’ devices the Masters copulation with his new form would not have been possible.  Truly this was a golden age for Sicara – with the Red Masters connections he now had not one but two utterly unique species to learn from.

EEEP

“Ah excellent…inflammation is already dying down…another few hours and the virus will be gone from your system…return to your cell,” the warrior complied wordlessly.

Even mute in the force Sicara could feel the utter contempt these warriors felt for him.  The so called ‘Shamed ones’ held in a pen together not so much – they were beaten down slaves he was free to be more…creative…with.

And how his creativity had been stimulated…the data from the Metahumans had revealed so many ideas…and the Vong… it was only in comparison to those beings that the Vong were less impressive and exciting…but what they lacked in complexity and advancement they made up for in variety.

He could only hope Lucovis acquired more Metahuman samples…he wondered how they would fare against Vong subjects…nonetheless to the task at hand.

“Note Subject Cree – T cell increase looks to result in typical fever responses, compare percentage internal temperature increase to human standard”

His assistant droid- the object of many of the Vong – even the shamed ones – ire replied swiftly

“Subject Cree 5% increase in 4.3 second , standard 7% increase in 10.2 seconds”

Fascinating…so many years spent working on poisons, gases, the same old variants of diseases for bio-warheads…now a torrent of novelty in these two races… He stretched out even his advanced mind straining at the vaccine analysis…time for a break until he plunged once more into the myriad twist of chromosomes and bacterial surface proteins.

<<<<>>>>

Lyaea
The one on the left nearly vomited, the one on the right was sickeningly aroused. 

Didn’t matter an instant later both were unconscious along with the four naked men writhing in sticky puddles on the floor.

So far they didn’t sense any significant aetheric presences…but that probably just meant they were good at hiding.  Killing these fools might get attention as the life sparked out in the aether – don’t kill them till you want them to know you’re there Kiraea would say.

Setting the contingencies they slid out into the largely empty docking bay – for such a large ship it seemed pretty understaffed, the dock officers looked largely bored and were easily distracted, the one patrol before they reached a control hub avoided to easily.

Adaea linked up her datapad to begin the slice texting across her findings on the HUD.

<You’re right…low numbers…skeleton crew, 68 guards, 34 scientists mostly assistants for the head scientists Sicara…limited weapons and living quarters…space has been given over to servers, cryo-storage and chemical synthesizers…they weren’t expecting anyone to get this far in…or they have something nasty hidden in one of the Cages…>

<Probably the latter…> Lyaea texted back

<Steal or smash?> Lyaea inquired further

<Not sure…need to get to one of the lab terminals to see if there is anything worthwhile.>

They stalked through the tight corridors, the ship showed not so much signs of disrepair as neglect, a typical mad scientists laboratory barge, splotches of long since dried fluids on the walls and floors.  The few guards encountered were easily knocked unconscious or diverted as they reached the more frequently used labs.

<Is this seeming too easy…>
<We haven’t tried to steal the ship yet…> Adaea cautioned
<Still…> Lyaea noted as she peered round a corner into what looked like penitentiary.

Stretching seemingly endlessly were three levels of yellow lit transparisteel fronted cells, broken up by catwalks, in the open area between were make ship surgical theatres, medi-analysers and carts full of vials and needles. 

But there were no guards…the inmates were weird humanoids the likes of which Lyaea had never seen – gaunt and skeletal with deep eye sockets and mutilations…a few bulky muscular ones were kept in neater cells. All bore the marks of frequent injections on their arms…and none apart from the half dozen orderlies trotting about were visible in the aether at all.

<Are they prisoners…> Lyaea 

Adaea gave a ‘shurg’ in the aether. <Maybe…if we find a console we could break them out…stage a riot…>

“hmmm…” Lyaea considered that as she peeked at them “Maybe…but who knows they could be more dangerous than the guards…Let’s keep going…”

Cloaked in their armour and the aether they were undetectable to the military grade internal sensors of the Black Sun.  But it was not the Black Suns devices that were watching.

<<<<>>>>
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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