Remnant of the Aether

[TheDutchman]

EXCELLENT character arcs here!  Not only do we see Maekal's fall from his omnipotence but--more importantly--we get a look at Valens that is both new and surprising: his self-doubts rising and triggering those memories of his own experiences between him and Yoda.  It is within these scenes that we see that the Devastation did more than destroy Aethan society as a whole, but the aftermath has only serve to further beat down individual People.  Of course, this leads to their own problems...

Even despite his own delusions and depredations, part of me feels sorry for Arr-Kesh: just as his polydactylism is an accident of his birth, so too is his stewardship of Maekal.  Of course, any sympathy that one feels for him is quickly extinguished in light of Arr-Kesh's actions facilitating his dreams of conquest (to say nothing of his misogyny and religious zealotry).  And at the end of it all, once again Valens has left destruction in the wake of his departure.

All-in-all, after what the Aethans have experienced with first Taryn and now Maekal, I can see why Valens would question his own abilities as a teacher (if somewhat unfairly). 

I do wonder if the Rakatan ship will have more to offer in the future; as a Celestial-killer, it could be a VERY bad thing in the wrong hands...

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 25 — Shattered Hearts — Part 1

Karintha

A heart, once carbonized by what she now – vaguely – understood had been a high-energy gas compressed into beam of intense energy particles and light called a blaster bolt, squeezed in her breast whole and hearty.

Twelves chambers chained in the steady flow of compression keeping her blood moving at an optimal constant pressure through all her organs and limbs, the hyper-lymph nodes against the interstitial wall of the organs main bone shielded were also compressed to squeeze the myriad vaccines the others had provided her to inoculate her against ‘Republic’, ‘Chiss’ and ‘Yuuzhan Vong’ toxins and disease.

For all the physical restoration Karintha’s heart was on the verge of shattering.

She knelt in near complete darkness in the mournful burial caverns before the thin veil that covered only the pitted armour of a man she had respected even as she awaited her time to take his role as first among equals.

Old Andis body had dissolved into the aether buying precious moments for a handful of the People to survive, nothing but the scorched remains of his hastily thrown on chest plate and broken sword remained.

She had been there, ambushed by the outsiders, and for all intents and purposes died at their hands - a last moment obedience to the Goddesses instruction that she now knew had been transmitted by the girl Milaea to Yorna, had enable her soul to ‘leap’ across the decades and into a new body grown from the genetic sample of her prior one.

Reborn into a world heavy with grief, twenty five years of loss thrust upon her in a matter of days.  Deaths, torment, tortures…horrors that had left the hearts of those who had to endure those times raw with wounds and only thinly calloused, and in their recollecting events to her had come dangerously close to breaking open again.

To kneel before Andis nominal resting place made it real, for to reach it she had to walk past hundreds of others.  Women and men she had known, elders she had learned from, children she had watched play upon the fields….hairline cracks that carved a channel.

But she could not, would not allow her heart to tear asunder and give into the grief that threatened to overwhelm her.  She was the eldest female Guardian – it was her duty and right to ascend to the matriarchal role Andis had long been preparing her for.

And that was why she was here, not just to honour him, but to fully accept the burden of leadership.

In her long absence Valens had led effectively, but he was a Warchief, a strategist and commander of warriors, he had not inherited the interpersonal nous of his grandfather necessary to guide the People at all levels. 

The younger women, Milaea, Aresaea, and Lyaea all had potential, but their youth and the immediacy of their own sufferings kept them from possessing the detached clarity a Matriarch needed.

Karintha knew she possessed all these qualities, never doubted her destiny to ascend to Matriarchy of the People, and in ensuring her resurrection the Goddesses had vindicated her belief.

Her heart was trembling at the sense of grief that pervaded, but it had been spared the savaging the others had suffered giving her emotional stability they all lacked when in a few day’s time her training, genehanced neuro-biology and sheer will saw her heart firm but not scarred ready to encompass with sympathy and guidance all the others under her care.

Gently lifting back the veil she touched the breast plate of her forebear.

There was much for her to learn, much to understand about this ‘galaxy’. 

“By the strength of my Heart and fortitude of my will I shall lead the People,” she promised.

<<<<>>>>

Then

 “That one looks similar,” he pointed into the cell on the left, like most of them the product was cowering in the corner,

“Manager if you would,” he called,

The twi’lek hit a button on his wrist, the product entered a fit flopping around the floor so they could get a good look at it.

“Too chubby,” his wife commented, “Look at all that fat around her waist…”

“Large breasts though,” he noted,

“We don’t need a wet nurse,”

“True,” they strolled along to the next one, intermittently dabbing their perfumed kerchiefs against their noses to reduce the stench of the place.

“Too thin, too young” his wife noted at the next one,

“Ah tell me about this one,”

The red-brown haired girl looked around the right age to be fertile, alert eyes, sitting on the bed eating the meagre rations they provided,

“Ah a fine example,” the Twi’lek preened,

“Young and strong, very healthy, most fertile, regular strong menstrual cycles, and a virgin I can assure you,”

His wife looked less than impressed, “Proven fertility,”

“Ah…due to the young age no…but one look and you can see she has the figure to produce a litter,”

“She does have nice features…can we see her cleaned up,”

“Certainly” Lyr’Ca’Njo replied to the couple.

<<<<>>>>

They dragged her out of the strange room through the back paths she had been brought in on…just more pushing around she didn’t understand.  The aether filled with worry as the others sensed her being taken away…so far three of them had been taken today, two the day before…no one seemed to ever come back.

Her legs were still sore from the rumbling metal box that was too small, and she couldn’t eat the things they gave her, it made her feel sick.

She honestly hoped they were taking her to be slaughtered for food.

They pushed her into a room with a four armed demon creature and pushed her into a seat. 

It poured water all over her and tore her clothing off, then scrubbed her until she thought the skin would be taken off.  She was led shivering as the water cooled against her skin in front of another window…the green skinned rope head thing was there as always with two normal looking people in strange clothes. 

Nyaea didn’t understand any of it…it was too strange…the people outside the window talked and stared at her…the four armed thing pushed her to turn around, stuck its bony fingers in her mouth to show them her teeth…what did they want with her?

As the people nodded and shook hands…smiling…she suddenly thought maybe the metal box wasn’t so bad after all.

<<<<>>>>

“300,000 is robbery, absolute robbery!” she said as they lifted off,

“You get what you pay…Myzm’s is the most reputable dealer in slaves on Nar Shadda…” he replied, the atmosphere breached he began to pour wine from the decanter into bronze cups embossed with the C’Tapahn company logo.

“And no one else offers product with Gifts

“So you say…” she mused taking a brief sniff at the wine, it had been her idea and now she was unhappy about it…it was her fault after all, he was perfectly fertile, she was the one who couldn’t have children…and more importantly could not have a force sensitive one.

It was all the rage among the upper classes of Bonadan, to have a child, or ideally several, with Force Sensitivity, to enhance the Plutocracy blood lines with new powers, an edge over their competitors in the future - Imagine what deals and discounts a negotiator with ‘mind tricks’ to gain, indeed Lady C’Tapahn believed in time it would be a necessity in the endless arms race between the wealthy Plutocractic families at the pinnacle of the Corporate Sector.

Then there was the ever-stabbing issue of her own infertility…ovaries faulty from birth produced eggs lacking mitochondria rendering them effectively dead and her eternally bitter.

And so there was every reason to seek out a Force Sensitive surrogate or donor…

Of course such were rare and very expensive, one Twi’leki woman demanded 3 million credits per egg with no guarantee of insemination or breeding to term!

Purchasing a ‘Gifted’ Slave, however ignoble and irritating it was to venture to Nar Shadda, was far cheaper and you got the mother to sell on after you were done with her, most likely for a tidy profit if she produced two or more offspring.

“Darling don’t be like that, soon you’ll have a soft new child in your arms,”

All the logic did not quell Lady C’Tapahn’s distaste for the quickest way to attain such gifted offspring – natural insemination.

“Only after you frell the little tralk…”

He had to admit the plan had that upside…

“It’s purely mechanical,” he assured her, 

“She may look a little like you but I swear…” he took he hand and lowered it to his groin,

“I’ll need your touch to be able to do it,”

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 25 — Shattered Hearts — Part 2

Karintha

“And this is the top floor, quite a nice view don’t you think….”

The queer tentacle headed creature never stopped in his shaking. 

According to her niece they were ‘micro tremors’ lesser beings – Outsiders – could not see – apparently her senses were ‘Six times faster than humanoids, four times faster movement speed and strength…it's why all the outsiders seem to talk and move so slowly…it’s annoying…’

Karintha could only agree with Kiraea’s assessment, it was as laborious waiting for the creature to finish its sentences as it was distasteful to look upon its hideous form.

This green thing was called a Lyr’Ca’Njo and was Valens servant, they were on a planet replete with water and sand called Fresia atop the Tower they were constructing according to Adaea’s designs to serve as a headquarter for what would one day be Aertemis Industries – the public face of the People to the ‘Galaxy’

All of this was new and overwhelming to Karintha, but she would not show such weakness or astonishment in the presence of the Twi’lek.

She strode toward the edge of the platform like thing that towered over the small island, the tops of the trees far below s through she was flying.

“This vast opening is a structural weakness….” Karintha noted

“ah…ahaha…my…Lady…this is to be a window for the penthouse to entertain business guests in…the lower levels are well and truly secure where your People can make their abode when on this world,” Lyr said diplomatically, always with an eye on Kiraea afraid she would immolate him at any second

“None too frequently I hope, this place is revolting,” Kiraea sniffed, the salty air absent Noble Gases and comparatively weak solar radiation made this planet unsuitable for long term habitation.

“What is a business guest?….” Karintha questioned never moving from the very edge of the floor some 60 ‘storeys’ above the ground, practising her ‘slow speak’ so outsiders could understand her.

Lyr had met many of the People over the years as their patsy/servant/dogs-body, and to a woman they were all oblivious to most of the galaxies ways of operating, or when they did understand were dismissive of them. But this new woman who looked like a sterner version of Kiraea seemed very…fresh.

“A member of another company or organisation, another People if you will, who may wish to engage in trade with us.  We provide amenities and food as a sign of hospitality and good grace,” Lyr explained under Kiraea’s constant gaze.

“This is now understood,” Karintha replied, apparently her vocabulary was ‘traditional’ still, the others with exposure to Outsiders had adopted a more ‘modern’ grammar.

“And these business guests, these are the one that use what you call ‘credits’ as a store of value and means of transacting in the absence of goods to trade?”

Lyr nodded.

The concept remained difficult for Karintha - Kiraea even.

Among the People there was not so much trade as ‘sharing’ the fishers of the Coastal village would bring to market their excess fish, and distribute to the others, in turn the other villages would offer their wares freely, each took what they needed from the other. 

Yes at times there were shortages, but all understood and appreciated the vagaries of weather and hunting.  To not be willingly to openly share, but to wish to store up items beyond what was needed for a few winters, indeed to horde wealth for its own sake was a bizarre thing.

“And these credits, they are exchanged for People also,”

Lyr quivered across all spectrums, his thermal signature lighting in Karintha’s gaze, shame and guilt radiated off him for having engaged in just such commerce against her People.

“Correct M’lady.”

Karintha thought for a moment eyes transfixed by the rolling waves below and the novelty of seeing it from an avians height.

“Among the People, we recorded lists of goods, pottery, tools, nails…and noted who took how many for what purpose that we might better know what more was required to allocate labour effectively…do these business guests do the same?”

“Yes they have order forms and receipts, all transactions are recorded,”

“Then were the sales of our People recorded?” She deduced

“Ah…well you see the Hutts sold them…and their records are…limited intentionally so…Valens early on attempted to obtain such information from the records and from my mind…”

Lyr winced at the memory of the…well memory…probing.

“He found very little of use unfortunately.”

Deflated her idea had already been attempted and failed she turned to Kiraea

“The Hutts they are the krelug like creatures?” she spoke at her normal cadence faster than Lyr could make out.

Kiraea nodded with a vicious smile

“The ones we will one day show the true meaning of suffering to,”

Karintha’s niece had grown powerful in the decades since the devastation, stronger and possessed of more abilities than Old Andis had been – indeed they all were necessitating a long program of training for Karintha and Yorna to ‘catch up’.

Karintha would be ‘retrained’ by Kiraea, Yorna by Valens. 

The journey to Fresia was part of that, teaching Karintha how their flying carriages – no Star-Ships – worked.
Again Karintha saw they had the form of purpose in their actions – building warships, weapons, seeking out other survivors.  But they lacked the focused drive that a leader could bring.

Her very revival was evidence of that, Milaea and Aresaea, both prodigiously powerful and ingenious women, working on their own to revive the dead where they could, a wonderful goal to be sure - but not cohesively linked to an overarching strategy.

A lack Karintha would soon correct once she truly understood and adapted to the new much larger environment in which they lived.

“But…” she slowed her speech so the Twi’lek could comprehend
“Both parties record the transaction do they not?  Could we obtain a list of all transaction within the time frame of the peoples enslavement across the galaxy and find those related to our People,”

“Ah…M’lady…you see the number of transactions that occur every second in the galaxy…is rather…enormous…hundreds of trillion a minute…even in the Shadow Banks the Hutts use, to try and find a flimsi trail among that is virtually impossible,”

“Vir-Tu-ally…” Karintha did not understand the word,

<Adverb, nearly or almost, but not completely> Kiraea explained telepathically

Karintha nodded looking more intensely at the oceans below. 

“How much water is in this ocean, how much churns each moment, yet still, I can feel the stirrings of the hunt beneath, a volurk finds it prey no matter how many scents and sounds it tries to confound it with.  Tell me does such a trove of information exist,”

“Well…I’ve heard the Intergalactic Banking Clan keeps an archive of all transactions, licit and illicit…on Muunilist for trend analysis for Relativistic Economics.”

“Explain,”

“Well…in simple terms the effects of time dilation, lightspeed transmission and space travel is non-negligible…there is interest and spread to be gained by investing during the period between a transaction is made on say Muunilist and when it is confirmed on Bonadan, even at only a few tenths of a second,”

<The outsiders stop at nothing to profit> Kiraea snidely remarked.

Until she had more lived experience with Outsiders Karintha was attempting to keep her opinion of them neutral…but the strength of Kiraea’s mental influence and enormity of sin committed against the People already made it difficult.  But the fact that Milaea and Aresaea’s opinion offered a counter point to the others made Karintha intent on avoiding judgement – for now.

“This does not interest me, the existence of this archive does, are we able to travel to the ‘Muunilist’, I wish to investigate it, and it will no doubt allow me to learn more of Outsiders commerce.”

Lyr pursed his lips as if he had swallowed something distasteful.

“Ah I don’t believe the IGBC will just hand over such data…and with all due respect…I’m not certain it is wise to use your…’persuasion’ techniques on such a world….”

“Duly noted sleezeball,” Kiraea replied dismissively, “I think it is a good idea, just send us the galactic standard dates our People were on sale at Myzm’s we’ll work it out from there,”

Kiraea made a rapid leap forward that saw the tentacle head cringe and cower before her as if expecting his imminent painful demise.

Instead all Kiraea did was pat the creature on the head like the pet gobril – no that wasn’t right for gobrils as animals of Aethas deserved respect and consideration. So far as her niece was concerned this creature was no more valued than a favoured stick to pry mud from a boot.

“Now you make sure this building is finished before I get back, or my good mood will dissolve along with your skin!”

<<<<>>>>

 

Nyaea

Everything here was cleaner…much nicer than the other place…but it was scarier too…she was alone here, there was no one else from any village nearby…she reached out but only felt ugly things reach back to her, so she quickly shut herself off from the aether.

She didn’t know where she was, shehad  been taken out of the big flying machine and seen another different sky, and terrible gigantic metal fingers that pointed up, or perhaps they were bones of some kind…they’d flown on a smaller flying machine right up to one…when she screamed they had zapped her.

And so she had woken up here in a small room that was very nice and white, as if someone had spent years cleaning it…there was a small comfy bed, a jug of water and strange square things on a plate. 

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there when the door opened and the man from the other place came in.

“You should eat up, I’ll be back later,” 

“E…Eat what…” she asked quietly,

He rolled his eyes and pointed at the square things then left as quick as he’d come in.

She didn’t trust anything here…but she was hungry…thirsty…and didn’t have any choice.

<<<<>>>>

It had been a long time…she was too scared to do very much…there was a small seat like thing with water in it she hoped was meant as a toilet...the square things were yucky like the food at what she called the window place…this would be the white place.

She still felt cold…a thin white robe was all she had on, nothing underneath at all.  She wondered if everyone who had been taken was taken to a place like this, and what it was for.  There was no window for people to look at them here, she liked that.

Finally the man came back with the woman from before.

“Let’s get this over with,” he said, “turn around”
She didn’t understa…
SLAP
Her cheek blazed red and stung as the woman struck her, she pushed her in the back and toward the bed, pushing her over

“You don’t have to be so rough with her!” the man said,

“She doesn’t need a pretty face,” the woman replied,

The woman held her down toward the bed her face pressed against it, she tried to struggle back…

TZZZT

The zap came again and she flopped down onto the bed…she could feel the ghostly touch of hands on her shock numbed skin pushing her about, pulling up her gown. 
The woman was holding her in place…

Slowly as the feeling returned to her body….she realised what was happening.

Before she could scream the woman shoved some of the robe in her mouth.

<<<<>>>>

“Did you enjoy it you little tralk!” the sharp voice woke her up with a start, she immediately cowered into a ball afraid it would happen again.

“You did didn’t you,”

TZZZT
The shock collar went off again, no longer in control of her own body she sprung out, painfully hitting her head into the wall as her limbs went rigid and twisted

“Enjoyed every second of it, trying to seduce him aren’t you”

TZZZT
She flopped on the floor, her teeth chattering in her head as she lost control of her bowels.
“Look at you, filthy little thing,” footsteps somehow went through the rustling in her hears
Whoomp!
A boot kicked her in the stomach
“Little bitch…you should be thankful…but no you’re trying to take my place,”

TZZZT
Her head banged against the floor again, her legs wet with her own refuse.

Her eyes were shut tight but she could feel the heat of another face right up against hers, the cool breath that smelt of flowers.

“You want my husband don’t you…you think because you’re young he’ll fall in love with you don’t you…you’ll see once we have what we want you’ll be thrown out like the garbage you are!”

TZZZT

<<<<>>>>

Karintha

A sudden shock ran through her body as the lines of blue turned to a swirling vortex that seemed more magic than machine driven.

“See easy,” Kiraea smiled beside Karintha after guiding her to her first hyperspace jump, their minds entwined sharing knowledge across the Aethenaea Cortex to garner Karintha all the skills her niece had developed in piloting.

There was much…much more Kiraea had learned that Karintha needed to catch up on, but physical and neurological limitations meant they had to pace her instruction.

While so connected Karintha could not help feel a strange giddiness first hinted when they were on Fresia.  OF course there was excitement that Karintha and Yorna were alive again, but there was something else….something others might miss but a Matriarch must not.

“The nature of this means of locomotion still perplexes me,” Karintha admitted even as she looked her niece over, physically, emotionally and aetherically. 

“Tell me what…”

“Oh in a minute aunty I’m famished,” spinning on her black heels Kiraea made straight for the nature deck, a large two level high open space in the belly of the ship where trees and shrubs were grown in sealed humidified planter boxes.  It was a measure of retaining a connection to their homeworld as well as providing food in the form of Kyala trees and more natural air filtration.

Everything else about the Aethenaea as they called this chariot of the stars was clean, grey and light blue in keeping with their Chiss allies aesthetic.  There was much space Karintha thought for decoration, with each alcove and wall she passed she imagined how a tapestry or statue might be placed.

Reaching the Nature deck Kiraea was already gulping down reheated stew and kyala fruits as if a famine had just ended.

Sitting next to her Karintha merely nibbled at a salted nerf jerky.

“You seem unusually excited my love,” Karintha probed

“Just happy to have you back,”

“No there is more than that…” she leaned forward slightly sniffing the air about her niece, faint traces of pheromones were there as expected, but so was a second scent, one that stimulated a protective response in men even more than usual…that combined with her appetite….

“My love, are you…”

Kiraea paused her chewing for a moment.

“I was wondering how long it would take, but then you are only just back from the dead,” Kiraea placed a hand on Karintha’s leg for support and connection

“It was three moons before you were revived, the moon was waxing, three planets were crossing Aertemisaea’s belt…and Jarys had just returned taught in muscle from training with Ari for months….”

Karintha nodded “An auspicious sign to conceive under,” she wrapped her arm about her nieces shoulders
“Your child will carry Aertemisaea’s spirit strongly,”

“Yes…I’m happy you will be here…though now I don’t know what to name the child if it’s a girl,”

“There is much time to decide,” A typical pregnancy lasted three seasons, around 180-200 days, which equated to as Karintha understood just over an Outsider standard year. She was only roughly a third of the way along and not yet showing.

“I’m surprised Sofa didn’t beat me to it, having the first child since….” again there it was the bleeding wound just beneath the surface of her heart. 

Valens covered it with strategizing, Jarys teaching and training, Maeson his gardening and farm work, Melron his historiography, Selaena rabid violence, Kiraea a fiery temper.  Karintha hoped this child would cover and bind that tear with new hope – for all of them.

“…I haven’t told anyone else yet, even Jarys, the change in pheromones are getting harder to conceal…but…I know this child will be welcomed…it’s just for now, with you and Yorna in need of training, and the efforts to recover lost People,”

“You do not wish to distract him until you are certain the child will take,” around one in six babies failed to thrive after a season, usually due to the shortages the villages experienced of food, or an outbreak of a pox, though the access to Chiss manufactured food and better medical technology should mean Kiraea was almost certainly free of such concerns – something she sensed in her aunts thoughts.

“Yes, though I know we have more than enough food, still…” For all her brashness Karintha well understood how sensitive Kiraea was in matters of family.

“You should tell him upon our return, let him share in the joyous news…hopefully by then Yorna and I will be fully recovered and can take your place in the event of another recovery quest. The goddesses will attend you all the better at home,”

Even still there was a hint of reluctance, an uncharacteristic bashfulness in her niece.

“You still worry?”

“This wasn’t planned,I hope Jarys is joyful when he hears the news,”

Now was Karintha’s role as matriarch most crucial, not only in comforting those who doubted and feared, but ensuring none of the People doubted the others to maintain supportive cohesion, especially among mating pairs.

“He will, though I have had little opportunity to spend time with Jarys since my revival…form what I have seen he has cast off the tumultuous fires of youth and grown into a just and controlled man, much like Old Andis, he will be overjoyed to hear this,”

“You’re right…he grieves for not raising Milaea…finally he’ll have the chance to be with his child from the start…thank you Aunty,” she half leapt into a hug round her neck,
“I just wished you’d come back sooner!”

The Goddesses timing Karintha understood, more than anyone, was always impeccable.

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

 

Chapter 25 — Shattered Hearts — Part 3

Nyaea

“Shhh…we don’t need to wake anyone up do we…” the man whispered in her ear as he licked along the side of her face,

“Our little secret…oh, you are so beautiful…so beautiful…”

It was better when he came alone, the woman would always hit her when both of them came in…

She’d given up trying to resist after the first time…there was just no point…she just lay back and let him go…it hurt…it always hurt…

They didn’t use the collar anymore…she didn’t know why…now when the woman came alone she would only hit her, usually with her hands, sometimes with a jug or plate…but only on her arms and legs.

She didn’t know how long she had been here…but something wasn’t working for Them, the woman was getting angrier about it and hitting her more often, the man didn’t seem to care.

She just didn’t understand what was happening…and she’d given up trying.  This was her existence…now,

The man and woman would come in, the woman held her while he used her,

Then the woman would come alone and yell at her and beat her

Then the man would come alone and use her more and say things to her, sometimes he would bring her different things to eat

Sometimes the woman would come alone twice in a row, sometimes they would both come three times in a row…there was no pattern to it even if she did care to try and work it out…

The only thing she had left to hope for, was that the man would come alone rather than the woman next time…none of it was good…but maybe that was less bad.

<<<<>>>>

 

Karintha

There seemed no end to the variety of climates and geographical features the galaxy had to offer.

Muunilist, across which Karintha flew a smaller chariot, a Karintha Class Assault Transport - to not a little of Kiraea’s amused giggling - was a lush world of forests, plains, and tall jagged mountains, divided by shallow oceans of rich blue covering underwater volcanoes that yielded rich mineral from the planets core, providing easy access to the wealth for the native Muun’s.

They took the chance to extend Karintha’s confidence in atmosphere piloting before they came across an artificial mountain range – the city of Harnaidan.

Built above caverns containing vast, naturally heated lakes and enormous hot springs heated by magma vents, hundreds of spires surrounded the tallest four monoliths that stretched kilometres into the sky.

Though Karintha had seen buildings on Fresia, they were all largely isolated, at most three or four on the larger islands of that planet…this was something different so many buildings in one place it constituted in her eyes a scar on the land.

“Why do the gods of this world permit this…” She wondered aloud as they approached being guided by floating lumens into the city air traffic lanes.

The People made houses and halls yes, but they always built  side in connection with the natural, hollowing out large trees, working with the rock, barns always of nearby woods and never overshadowing the trees that still grew.  Even their fortresses were all within the body of the mountains, never so foolishly conspicuous or prideful as to compete with them.

“They ignore their native gods these ‘Muuns’ they worship credits now, or their upper castes who build these things…”

“We shall not follow their error…” Karintha determined

“We must find a place to make an offering to the gods of this world and seek their blessing to visit and assistance with our efforts,”

Kiraea’s face scrunched as it always did, ever since she was a babe when about to defy some instruction.

“If our quarrel is with the Muuns who ignore the gods…then that makes the divinities, however weakened, our natural allies,”

“Fine…but don’t expect much.”

They found a bay to land in a vast docking tower easily enough, Karintha savouring the novelty of arranging it via the talking device called a ‘comm’, something Kiraea found amusing given its now predictably chore-like nature to her.

A brief interrogation of a tourist booth soon found access to a reserve with Harnaidan that was kept largely natural, a wide lake with a smoker just below the surface surrounded by native albeit carefully manicured gardens.

Karintha looked in equal disgust and curiosity at the tall willowy Muuns that made her seem short and stocky by comparison.

Their gaunt features seemed so…weak…so incapable of anything amounting to strength or prowess…whatever their mathematical acumen…she was certain she could crush the life out of them by the score if she desired. 

Something Kiraea did nothing to contradict with her open disgust for the natives of this world.

Coming to the edge of the lake, where water, soil and rock met she knelt to scoop a handful of all three.

“Gods of Muunilist, I am Karintha of Aethas, daughter of the Three goddesses with my kinswoman Kiraea, we come here to seek information of our lost family and friends, in your benevolence and mercy we ask for your assistance.”

She sensed no immediate communication from the gods.  Only a strange mix of discomfort, irritation and guilt from her niece.

“You do not think this an appropriate use of our time?” Karintha asked

“I’ve been to dozens of planets and never bothered, why would foreign gods, even if they are still alive beneath these technological terrors, care to help us?”

“Perhaps they will not, but it remains our duty to show respect and as we would when visiting another Person’s house offer proper greetings.”

“Outsiders don’t deserve respect!” Kiraea hissed “Only death,”

Karintha rose and locked eyes with her niece, seeing not the face and body that was before her now, but the wounded heart of a teen girl still understandably traumatized from being ripped from her world and seeing the near complete genocide of her People.

“So your experience has taught you my love,” Karintha soothed

“But we diminish ourselves by adopting the outsiders impolite and indifferent ways, the outsiders have taken too much already, do not let them take out dignity.”

<<<<>>>>

The walk and trip on a cart that moved along magnets much like a mining cart was quiet, Karintha hoped it meant Kiraea was reflecting on her words.

Her niece was still in so many ways the same girl Karintha had been violently taken from…had lacked guidance when she needed it the most.  Karintha feared it might be too late to correct her.

Her ruminations were cut short as they approached the 4 kilometer tall spire of the Head Quarters of the Intergalactic Banking Guild.

The enormity of it shocked her, the glow of the aura of literally millions of beings working with in it incredible, the telepathic wash of concentration and focus of the bankers creating an aetheric microclimate thar re-enforced itself in what convention managerial analysts called ‘corporate culture’ but Karintha knew was far deeper.

The building itself was monolithic, controlled in adornment columns larger than mountains were carved in the image of the Muun founders of the clan, near mythic figures, and below them very real former and the current Chairman. 

The focus so so many beings on profiting the bank, and thereby themselves, generated in what Karintha’s cultural interpretation was akin to its own ‘god’, but one of artificial creation, an ephemeral one that could be measured in credits and was only tentatively held so long those credits were sufficient.

“You are right Kiraea…” She whispered

“These beings are ill…a malady of the mind, a detachment from what is real….creating and obsessing on such ephemera…”

Karintha did not begrudge the desire to trade, and by their financial machines facilitate trade…but the rapacious desire to profit in any way possible from it.

“Just makes them easier to control, wave some credits in front of their face and they’ll eat their own mother,”

The magna-rail entered into the building, a tunnel replete with lights taking them to a station in the heart of it.

The lights turned to screens the size of barns covered in writing, names and numbers Karintha could not comprehend that the other passengers in the wide sparsely populated carriage took an occasional interest in.

“Stock exchange details…I’ll explain later,”

The exited to a vast concourse of practical granites and durasteel, thousands of beings, about half Muun, the rest creatures Karintha could never have dreamed of in the most wild nightmares rushing to and fro.

“Damn droids…” Kiraea sighed, Karintha turning to the place she was focused on, a line of a dozen small gates each manned by a metal simulacrum of a Muun, looking over beings as they passed through and speaking to them

“The unliving metal things you spoke of?”

Kiraea nodded,
“A check point, follow my lead,”

They approached one of the gates, impassive dead lights staring at them, it seemed to Karintha despite the artificiality of the droid the craftsmen had been unable to keep from anthropomorphizing them to some degree, the red lights stood in lieu of eyes.

[Please State Appoint ID] the strangest voice Karintha had ever heard said, strange for there was no emotion, no ripple on the mental plane of thought that even the outsider Lyr possessed.

Kiraea gave a wicked smile and Karintha felt a small build up before the head of the droid burst into blue energy crackling like lightning.

<And that’s how you deal with droids, find where they energy is highest and send a spark of lightning at it to overload, then wait for the living outsider to come and…>

She left it hanging as two Muun in yellow technician overalls and three in red security one approached.

“What happened,” one in red asked its voice a high pitched wheezing

“It just exploded!” Kiraea replied acting exasperated
“And I’m late for an appointment can you let me through already!” Karintha sensed her press outward at all five Muun with her mind, hammer her will to overwhelm their comparatively petty minds.

“You’re late for an appointment, I’ll let you through already,” it said pressing various buttons on a blinking coloured wrist gauntlet that stretched along it long wiry arm.

The small clear gate opened and the women walked through

“Good now take me to whoever is in charge of security,”

<…go straight to the top and make them yours,> Kiraea finally finished

<next time I’ll teach you how to break into places like this…but for now understanding controlling outsiders is more essential, most are fairly simple minded, a decent press is enough, but sometimes you need to pluck out their desires and motives and twist those, make them think you’re helping them get what they want…usually credits,>
She explained as they were taken into one of the moving sealed rooms called turbo lifts that Karintha’s vestibular senses told her went up, and across.

They finally came to a place full of red coloured Muuns, lead past rooms replete with screens and weapons lockers to an elderly Muun at a desk, a strange shaggy creature with a horn speaking to it.

<a Gotal…irritating…> Kiraea named the furred creature
<Gotal?>
<Aether sensitive, some places keep them or other aether sensitive beings around to detect anyone using mental control…>

“Security Director Sol, this is….is….”

The Gotal immediately sensing the touch of mind control sprang up, eyes alert for the twisting of will,

It was not fast enough to outdo Kiraea.

Her six levels of consciousness all active, the door behind them ratched shut, junior officer flung and pinned to it. While the Director was locked to his chair.

Her senses and eyes scanning the room with a thieves experience Kiraea overloaded the hidden cameras and recording devices even as she lifted the Gotal off the ground and crushed it brain within its skull.

“Tell your subordinates everything is fine,” she told the now rheumy eyes Director.

He pressed a button on his wrist band,

“All Staff stand down, everything is fine,”

“There was a power system overload,”

“There was a power system overload,”
“Return to your stations,”

“Return to your stations,”

“Good…now you will assist us,”

<<<<<>>>>>

Rol Kin, Director of Archives and Data Consolidation stood perplexed at the Turbo lift. The Security Director had said it was urgent, critically important he be there personally.

He had never spoken to the Security Director before, could not imagine what would be so urgent in the deep archive banks far below the surface amidst the endless rows of hyper-cooled quantum processors than analyst the terabytes of data on every credit transaction across the galaxy every micro second.

The Turbo lift opened to reveal the Director, two guards and two human women.

<your Turn Aunty> Kiraea offered

Karintha stepped forward

“You are responsible for the archives?”

“Yes…Security Director what is…”

Karintha pressed lightly

“You will assist us searching the archives, I require ones of those large screens and the complete list of transactions…”

“Ma’am I am addressing the Security Director,” Kin replied

Not hard enough Karintha realised, she pressed harder

“As I said…you will assist us in searching the archives….”

The Muuns ears began to bleed

<It’s hard to get it right…> Kiraea sighed
<Each species has a different tolerance, some can be killed or brain dead with a light touch, others take even four levels of thought to suppress…Lya, Ada and I would practice on all kind of beings in shopping complexes,>

Karintha eased back
“You are able to give us full access to the archives…”

“ugh… yesss ma’am….”

<<<<>>>>

Lyr had been right.

The number of transactions ever second was vast.  There were a Decillion of transactions every second, the details stored by the IGBC included the amount, time, the two accounts and then other metadata such as location, purpose, names of accounts.

Unfortunately, the details were not always complete, not every bank recorded the same details, or was willing to share, some had accounts but no amounts, others amounts by no accounts.

Karintha feared it would be fruitless.

She stood before a vast screen scrolling through billions of transactions each barely a few pixels high per second, behind her a crowd of Muun with their heads swaying gently, Kiraea suppressed most of them, Karintha the rest.

She knew she had neither the time nor skill to find the exact transactions using analysis methods, she trusted in the aether.

She looked at the data not with her eyes but with her mind and heart, seeking in them the trace of lines of fate, the shatter lines of destiny either backwards to the devastation, or forward to her own future, trusting in the Goddesses, and the neglected gods of Muunilist to guide her.

Kiraea contented herself by speaking to the Security director, getting explicit details about the vaults security systems ‘for future reference’, and even summoned the Director of Cyber Defence to ‘speak’ with him as well and provide samples of their ‘firewalls, antivirals and counter-hacking worms’ contained on a tiny silver disc.

It astounded Karintha the volume of information on these machines, and also the ease with which People could obtain it, it made her appreciate how rare and unique the People were…a pattern that could lead to arrogance and disdain for these lesser creatures as her niece showed.

Lines in her minds eye began to form, sequences became familiar, brighter to her though their luminosity of the screen was the same.

<Show me something…> she willed, she quickly tapped commands to narrow the filters those numbers that were shining, slowly the lines of fate converged more and more until…until..

“There…this transaction…300,000, the time frame is correct, the last digits on one account indicate Nar Shadda but not exactly with whom…the other side though…Director what does this number mean,”

The Muun walked wobbly toward the screen…

“Code for Bonadan….”
“another world…”
But most important of all was the transactions brief description
‘F sensitive female X1’

Kiraea smiled widely
“You did it! A real lead…Muun give us a back up of the data extract we can analyse more later…now comes the fun part!” a vicious glee filled her voice.

“Let’s see…” she picked out one of the Muun and lifted him with the aether

“You are going to decide you desperately want to let off thermal detonators in an entertainment venue….you are going to secretly channel funds to the Indigenous Peoples Charities I have set up…and you are going to very carefully and quietly take up murdering mid ranking managers…your turn Aunty,”

Kiraea turned with a joyous sadism on her face to be met only with a confused look bordering on appalled.

“What is the meaning of this Kiraea?”

“We have to destroy these outsiders, they have served their purpose, they might as well take a few more out with them!”

“They have served their purpose but there is no reason cause to harm them, remove their memories for our safety, order them to delete all records of our interactions, but death without reason is ill reward for their assistance however compelled,”

Kiraea seemed perplexed, almost angry

“They are outsiders, make them kill other outsiders, less for us later,” she said emphatically.

“We kill our enemies and those who threaten us, I sense no threat from those we have made our thralls,”

Kiraea shook her head
“You don’t understand Aunt, they are outsiders we can’t openly bombard this planet for fear of the Jedi but we must cause some chaos and pain in revenge for their crimes against us,”

No…you must cause it to assuage your own rage Karintha realised

Not giving her a chance to intervene Kiraea hammered each of the Muuns minds with her will and sliced memories of the day away with a scalpel of metaphysical energy.

“After this day you will delete all records electronic and otherwise of what happened, then you’ll do everything you can to cause destruction on the largest scale to your filthy lanky covetous race!”

Karintha had not the will, nor strength – yet -  to stop her.

But when they returned to the ship…

They would need a long Heart to Heart.

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 25 — Shattered Hearts — Part 4

Nyaea

“Useless aren’t you….” The woman sneered.

The man hadn’t visited for a while, Nyaea hoped he never would.

For sometime now she had simply stopped having any sense of feeling, only a vague awareness of what was happening, as if she were watching a play that they used to put on at the Village square in some place another lifetime ago.

“Over a year and no offspring…” no matter where she stood and despite the fact she was somewhat shorter, the woman always seemed to be looking down her aquiline nose at Nyaea and the whole galaxy, seemingly offended it didn’t acknowledge her as its Liege and mistress.

“If you don’t produce something soon I’ll have you sold to the most ill-repute ‘pleasure’ house I can find, you hear me little bitch!”

The woman pressed close the control to shock colour in her hand, her thumb teasing the switch.

Like a play she had seen a dozen times Nyaea knew it was coming, could even tell when, first the woman taunted, then slapped her, then zapped her.

“It’ll be MINE you know that, the child’s gifts will be mine to control, you’re just the fleshy heifer to carry it, you’re keeping my child, my future from me!”

Now the slap came, red sensations flowed by like so much time, indifferent and predictable.

“And you can’t have him either, oh I know bout his secret little visits….I’ll teach him a lesson for that…but no matter, just more chances for your fat body to conceive.”

She grabbed at her sides – there was little ‘fat’ to be had, Nyaea had put on a little weight but still the food was hardly nourishing, it felt weak and floating - empty like her very sense of self.

“You’ll pay us back for all the time and credits you’ve cost us ungrateful bitch…”

Now the shocks came.

<<<<>>>

 

Karintha

“I see more clearly now why the Goddesses brought me back…”

Her voice was clear and calm on the bridge of the Aethenaea – named for the Goddess of a Wisdom her niece standing opposite lacked.

“You’ve grown much my love, but in other ways regressed…you’re vicious and vengeful without cause…I always told you and the other young ones ‘to be angry is easy, but angry at the right person, at the right time, in the right way…that is hard, that is your challenge…these random acts of sadism, however satisfying achieve nothing but a temporary thrill.”

Karintha was careful not to completely chastise her nieces actions, no doubt slaughtering outsiders was in many situations a perfectly reasonable thing, but it needed to be done with purpose and precision.

The disappointment on Kiraea’s face was nothing compared to the tide of guilt building in the aether behind her nieces emotional barriers, her heart on the verge of breaking beneath one of the sharpest of blades – the criticism of a respected parent.

Such a swell of emotion was not good for the baby.

“I don’t blame you, I can’t understand or appreciate the suffering you have personally endured, being bought and sold, lost, feeling alone abandoned…growing without proper guidance…” she placed her hands on her nieces shoulders that tended to slouch beneath the weight

“I’m here now, to teach and learn, to remind you of those things you forgot in the storm of chaos following…no not following for it had not ended yet – during this devastation of our People and remind you of who you are,”

She righted her niece to look her in the eye once more

“You are Kiraea daughter of daughter of Yilaea and Karan, whose heart blazes with power that protects her People, and who will soon be a mother to the first of a new generation of People, let that child look up and see their mother strong and protective, not sniping and impulsive.”

Karintha’s tone, matriarchal and firm had kept Kiraea silent just as she had been as a child when she was petulant, now with a shifting shamed gaze she whispered.

“I’m sorry…”

“You did what you felt was right my love…but what feels right and what is right…the Goddess of Wisdom must guide us to discern the difference…I’ll take the ship out, go and rest in the nature deck,”

<<<<<>>>>

The door closed Karintha breathed out heavily, the ship on course of Bonadan, the account code of the bank used to buy a female of the People etched into her memory even against the fatigue of the long journey.

The work of a matriarch was taxing, to support others meant taking the weight of their pains and griefs upon yourself until they could divest them or bear them better.

Sitting upon the bed she looked at the small box containing link orbs to the other Guardians – each would have their own sufferings to be dealt with, and as Matriarch it was on her to learn and then address them all directly as with Kiraea or indirectly if that was more suitable.

For now though she needed to rest and reflect, the overabundance of novelty of travelling to distant planets and visiting aliens creatures still threatening to undo her own composure

Then, when refreshed, her Goddess given duty would continue.

<<<<>>>

Kiraea

“Gods of Bonadan, I am Kiraea of Aethas, Daughter of the Three Goddesses,”

Her voice echoed from her helmet on the barren plain, bare from centuries of strip mining.  Planet spanning weather systems that create artificial ‘sweeper storms’ to clear the air of the pollutants in the residential areas and the vast space ports the planet was known for.

It was to places like this the refuse was hurled only to blow back a few months later.  For this reason they went fully armoured against the toxic legacy of centuries of exploitation.

“I know you are wounded and weak, but so are my People, we seek here one of our own, or at least some pointers to where they might be…and ask you help in this.”

Karintha’s remonstration had struck hard, not just because she respected her Aunt, but because it was right.  Kiraea was only just beginning to realise how much she, and all the others had missed the guidance of the older generation.

Especially now as a new generation that would only know life after the Devastation, grew within her womb.

The presence was still tiny, a gentle but steady pulse of life building stronger with each squeeze of nutrient rich blood. 

There were the first stirrings of a unique aetheric presence, still deeply enmeshed in her own of course, but every day it felt a little more unique. A few more months she knew and her child would begin subtly reaching out to her with the aether still in-utero, a thought that filled her with a warmth not of rage or anger as she had known for so many decades, but joyous and ferocious hope.

And that child deserved the best mother Kiraea could be.

Stinking acidic rain began to pepper their armour – if this was the Gods of Bonadan’s response it was ambiguous, rain was usually a blessing, but such polluted rain…though the planet hardly had anything else to offer.

Most likely it was simply coincidence. 

Nonetheless introductions had been made in the desolate wastes far from the 10 vast spaceports that served as the planets main economic, residential and commercial hubs, enormous metal hive like scars upon the surface built with flesh torn from the planets crust over millennia.

Now they had a Person to Find.

<<<<>>>>

One of Bonadans more annoying features – in addition to the innumerable number of levies and fees to be paid just to get a berth in the vast Spaceport City South East II – was the complete prohibition of weapons.

Like a swarm of Krebees weapon detectors patrolled the enclosed shielded walkways between buildings that kept the acidic glass shard filled winds at bay, and every other public space.

Far too numerous to hack or destroy even for Kiraea they simply had to go unarmed.

Of course for two Aethan Guardians unarmed meant wearing gormin leather beneath more conventional Republic robes, Blackstone daggers that appeared to the customs officials as ‘Other Mineral Jewellery’ not being made of any known material used for weapons, and Extolled Amphistaffs that curled around their arms, domesticated to obey any with an Aethan’s scent rather than bound to an individuals – these were detected merely as ‘symbiont – Other’.

<This creature is indeed strange…> Karintha noted as they headed into the main concourse of the Docking tower

<It’s lack of aetheric presence is…disconcerting,>

She hadn’t been introduced to the Extolled yet, regular outsiders were shock enough.

<You never quite get used to it…but the other outsiders have no knowledge of these devices, giving us an extra edge…>

<Where do we head from here?> Karintha asked staring again at the sheer diversity of alien beings coming and going amidst the overhead boards covered with details of commercial transports coming and going, dozens of small stalls selling items she could barely comprehend the purpose of.

<I think you should be able to figure it out, the only way to learn!> Kiraea smile back

She sensed only a momentary uncertainty before her aunts presence firmed with determination.

They had memorised the transaction details, of which was the BSSB Code – the Bank Sector System Branch identifier that pointed to Bonadan.

<Very well…>

Karintha needed little guidance apart from the occasional nudge and filling in some details via direct delving.

Using a public holonet terminal they found the specific bank branch, assessed the transit options to reach it, and then once they arrived Karintha quickly went to the top as they had on Muunilist, making the Manager of the oddly green tinged Branch of the First Bank of Bonadan South East II Branch 76 her thrall. 

The Sullustan manager was most helpful in providing the details of the owner of the account, and by the grace of the Goddesses and the assistance of the Gods of Bonadan the owners, a Lord and Lady C’Tapahn, lower mid-tier members of the Corporate Sector Plutocracy – that is having a net value somewhat under a billion credits.

And most fortunate of all the pair still resided here on Bonadan in an upper tier apartment, somewhat above what they could comfortably afford as they tried to work their way up in the Plutocracy where Credits or rather the illusion of having credits was everything.

“You want to do the talking?” Kiraea asked as the turbo lift ascended, the transparisteel behind them tinted a faint blue as it looked out to the Skyscrapers of high above the toxic industrial zones closer to the surface.

“I’ll play you for it,” Karintha held out her palm with a smile Kiraea matched quickly as the nostalgia of the children’s game filled her with memories of a better time and hopes of equally enjoyable times with her own baby.

Their hands mirrored each other a few inches distant Karintha’s below Kiraea’s above…from each fingertip blue lights sparked and fought against each other…pushing and pulling…Kiraea got her little finger, but Karintha got the centre and the index finger…Kiraea pushed hard on the thumb as Karintha took the ring finger.

But it was as always, a ploy, one she’d fallen for as a child and did again now, a triple spark flooded and retook the finger Kiraea thought she had, giving Karintha the majority of 3 digits wrapped in her energy.

“I can’t believe I fell for it again!”

“Some things never change my love,”

Behind the turbo lift lay the main entry, pressing the buzzer Karintha waited patiently, Kiraea doing her best to restrain herself from knocking the door down.

The comm finally buzzed,
“C’Taphan residence, may we be of assistance,”

“Arinkat here to meet Sir and Lady C’Taphan,” Karintha replied using a mix up of her name
“I see no appointment here…”
“Yes you do,” she pressed just enough for the twi’leki on the other side, likely a servant.
“Yes I do,”
“Let us in and summon the master and or mistress,”
“I’ll let you in and summon the master and or mistress”

As the door gilded open Karintha leaned back into the past with her mind, seeking any trace of something more interesting than a snooty bitch coming and going followed by a beaten down husband…further…further…

there…they were pushing in a young girl…she didn’t recognise her…her skin was too dark to be Aethan…further…further…there…

Alabaster skin, light brown hair, green eyes…

“Nyaea!” Kiraea said excitedly recognizing the features across their mental link

“Who the frell are you,” the uppity woman yelled from a balustrade that overlooked the entrance way

“Lady C’Taphan I assume,” Karintha stepped forward looking her fearlessly in the eye

“We are seeking answers to the presence of a kinswoman of ours, if you assist willing it will go…”

“Shove off before I call security,”

“Shut up,” Kiraea responded lifting the woman off her feet with the aether and silencing her unable to control her excitement and irritation any longer, Karintha demurred it was already abundantly clear from her aura this Lady would not assist them willingly, but she had to make the offer.

“Find out what you can, I’ll keep her entertained,”

Karintha followed the threads of old pain and sorrow down the halls.

Screams stifled behind sound proof walls that bled into the aether and grew stronger as she twisted and turned till she finally found the small, bare room and focused her gaze into the past…..

Karintha’s heart shattered once more.

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

 

Chapter 25 — Shattered Hearts — Part 5

Nyaea

One day they took her out of the room, she was pushed along the hallways of the biggest house she had ever been in, everything was strange and white and golden…outside a window were the metal fingers and what looked like small birds in neat rows going past.  She was put in a big room and told to wait.  She just stared at an empty patch on the wall, all the other things in the room were too confusing to look at.

Eventually the man and woman came back with another thing, a pink thing with a big blobby head and a neat black and grey outfit.

“This is her,” the woman said,
He walked up to her and moved a box over her,
“I see…and how long have you been trying,”
“Nearly two years,”
“Interesting…and her cycles are regular,”
“Frequent and consistent,” she replied,
“Well let’s take a blood test to begin with,” he pressed a metal thing to her arms, it pinched at her and felt strange
“hmmm…now this…” he was staring at a square thing with blue light coming out of it
“This is interesting…where did you say she was from?”
“I didn’t” the woman said firmly
“Well based on this…it appears she’s not Standard strain human…not even close really,”
“I knew it, the tralks a mutant!” the woman yelled
“We’re all mutants of some ancestral species…” the pink thing mused
“Is she even compatible?” the man asked,
“Hmm potentially…it would need further work…the chances without intervention…are slim…perhaps 5%,”

“What a frelling waste!” the woman screamed, she strode over to her, then slapped her across the face

“Useless little tralk aren’t you,” Nyaaea crawled into a ball on the floor, the woman kicked her again and again

“Aren’t you, aren’t you”

“Madam…if I might interject…” the pink thing said,
“She may not be of use to you…but her genetic idiosyncrasies are of interest to me…I would be willing to offer you a good price for her,”

“Well I don’t think we…” the man began

“SHUT UP,” the woman screamed, Nyaea was just happy she wasn’t being kicked anymore
“How much are you offering,”
“How much would you like?”

“150 no less,”

She peeked out from between her knees to see the pink thing nod and its abnormal face smile,

“Agreed, I’ll even waive today’s call out fee,”

<<<<>>>>

It happened very quickly, she was put back in her cell for a while…the man came alone again,

“Oh I’m going to miss you…” he cooed as he licked all over her face…this was the longest time he used her, when they came for her later she realised why.

Once again she was taken in a flying machine, to another metal finger, by two large black things.

Through strange grey and metal colour paths to the pink thing that was waiting for her, the pink thing gave the black things something, and they gave him something then left.

“Let’s take this off shall we,” he stepped over and pressed a square thing in his hand, then the collar fell off, it felt strange not to have it on, her neck felt so sensitive.

They were in a room full of beds with strange things hovering over them, and big round containers with a liquid bubbling in them, but it felt cold not hot.

He pushed her toward one of the beds…

More of the same she realised and lifted up her gown, the pink thing helped pull it off, but then went away and did strange things to a piece of metal that glowed.

She didn’t understand why he wasn’t it using her?

The big machine thing over the bed began to whir and squeak as it moved,

She started to panic, was he going to use this machine on her body!

“No need to worry,” his hands suddenly one hand on her shoulder the other stabbed something sharp into her arm,

“Conscious specimens are so hard to study…so costly to keep…a peaceful forever sleep for you my dear…”

She felt woozier than normal, she flopped back, her eye lids drooping, once again hands moved her body against her will…something wet started to soak her back...

It was sloppy and slimy and smelled strange, her nose felt dry and open, the wet kept rising, over her body, across her chest, finally over her face…her eyes wouldn’t open…she was going to drown…she was going to dro….

<<<<>>>>

Karintha

“Finally,” Kiraea said, she was seated on a lounge across from lady C’Taphan whose eyes were frantic as her mouth moved soundlessly in panic

“Did you find….what did they do to her!”  There was no hiding Karintha’s fury in the aether even if her face was steel. 

Controlling herself as best she could she pointed Kiraea to the room – it would not be fitting or appropriate for her to simply tell the horrors.

“You need to see for yourself…”

Kiraea leapt up and sprinted past as Karintha took over the pinning of Lady C’Taphan,

She sat where Kiraea had been and leaned back, eyes drilling into C’Taphan’s face willing herself not to simply rip her mind to pieces.

It was not easy.

“I suggest…you tell me what you did with her…right now…” she lowered the barrier on her mouth,

“Frell you freak, you’re dead you hear me, dead, I’ll have every bounty hunter in the galaxy onto your arse!”

Karintha smiled thinly,

“They’ve tried before so I hear…tell me where she is before my niece gets back…she won’t be as...amicable….”

“Frell your niece I’ll ram a rifle up her arse myself,”

No one could say she didn’t try…

Lady C’Tapahn flew from her seat and smashed with a tremendous shatter through the Transparisteel wall that overlooked the city, whilst the fragments of the transparent building material swirled in the high atmosphere winds slowly downwards, the Lady remained pinned in place as Kiraea charged towards her.

“YOU’RE DEAD YOU CRAZY BITCH YOU ARE SO FRELLING DEAD” Kiraea screamed as Karintha pushed in front of her

“Get…out…of…my…way…” she seethed behind gritted teeth,

“Not yet…” Karintha said calmly guiding the Lady back into the building telekinetically.

“These two have offended grievously against the People, their deaths and suffering are not in question, only after we extract Nyaea’s location and ensure they die in a way that profits the People…”

“What the…” a new voice from the balcony overhead…

<<<<>>>>

At dusk Sir C’Taphan arrived to see his wife and daughter waiting for him expectantly, his wife appeared somewhat…frozen…his daughter had tear stained eyes,

“Cat…what’s wrong, what…”

Then he saw the two figures behind them that he swore hadn’t been there before.

“Sir C’Taphan so glad you could join us…” one said,

<<<<>>>>

It had been easy enough to mind wipe the security and maintenance staff who came about the broken window, a hover droid had rapidly put a replacement panel in.

Catryn C’Taphan was harder…but with a little effort Karintha showed the poor girl the truth about her parents…how due to her mother’s infertility and desire for a designer child they had bought slave girls, three in all Nyaea only the first, till they finally got a child out of the last one before selling her on to a buyer halfway across the corporate sector.

She already had no love for her brutal mother…and the truth set her anger free.

But perhaps what interested Karintha most was Kiraea’s reaction to the daughter, perhaps as much sympathy that she could have for an outsider given that in other circumstances she might’ve been some kind of half Aethan, though whether that was even biologically possible remained uncertain.

“Too many people have suffered at their hands…” Karintha soothed as the pair of them silently screamed as they ‘lay’ pinned to the ceiling,

“You as much as anyone Catryn, I won’t deny you vengeance for your mother should you wish to take it,”

Kiraea was only unhappy they weren’t being more strenuously tormented, but one of the few rules Karintha had to remind her, the Aethan People kept when facing an enemy was thy did not torture needlessly, every act inflicted on an enemy required tactical and strategic purpose – multination was useful to send a warning, mind control to create thralls, but pain for ones own gratification was not such a means.

At any rate Karintha didn’t want to traumatise Catryn any more than was needed.   

“Do what you like to the Schutta…” Catryn said

Oh we will…once we have what we need from her depraved mind

“But father…” she sighed  “He can’t just vanish due to his status…can you do something to…”
Karintha nodded,

“We can alter their minds,”

“Good…good…” the young woman sighed, her head in her hands

“This is a lot to take in,”

She gave Kiraea a prompt with the aether…drawing a connecting line between her and Nyaea…they were both victims…Catryn might not be Aethan…but she was still hurt all the same. 

Kiraea’s last intransigence melted away and she walked over to hug Catryn.

“It’s alright, we’ll help you…you can be our friend,” Kiraea soothed the younger woman with stroked along her dark hair,

“And we’ll be yours,”

<<<<>>>>

“Dr. Lyp’Ta…still practicing fortunately…” Karintha noted from the details on the ‘datapad’ a queer moving book device, as they left the hotel Catryn had checked into…she had no desire to stay in that apartment any more…not just for the memories…but also because in six days time a domestic violence incident was going to get out of control.

Lady C’Taphan would murder her husband then kill herself by blowing the place up while their daughter was on holiday.

Kiraea pouted in the back seat of the hover car, annoyed she didn’t get to kill them herself…if there was one consolation it was their new friend Catryn - who was happy to arrange a compensation package once she took over her father’s business interests. 

Credits didn’t interest them, but the gesture was a kind one and a friend in the Corporate Sector could be useful in the future.  It was such long term thinking that Kiraea lacked in her rages, and as Matriarch Karintha needed to foster.

“I’ll do the talking this time,” Kiraea stated nonetheless as they travelled in the small hover car, her tone making it clear there would be no argument about it.

The office was near the southern pole amongst a large hub of medical facilities and research institutes that took advantage of the cold temperatures for preserving various samples.

Amidst the glassy spires that reminded Karintha of pictures Lyaea had shown her of Csilla they went through the crisp traffic control procedure to dock and swiftly make their way to the reception…

“Welcome to…”

“Bring Lyp’Ta out here now,” Kiraea started as she intended to go on, efficient and direct.

The receptionist, swaying under the weight of Kiraea’s mind buzzed frantically summoning the Siniteen

“May I be of assistance,”

“Yes you may, we hear you have a very interesting collection of unique specimens Doctor…” Kiraea cooed…when she wanted to be she could be subtle, if not patient,

“Indeed I am quite proud of my collection but I’m afraid unless you have an appointment,”

Valens had noted briefly that of the many sentient species resistant to mind control, Siniteen was one, their vast protruding brain evidence of their intellect…but Kiraea was sure to give it a go,

“I’m sure you can take a small break to show some admirers a small selection over lunch,” her pressure in the aether was strong but subtle, working around the suspicion of the creature even if its mind was too complex to dominate directly.

Karintha felt great pride for Kiraea’s restraint and skill.

“I’m sorry I didn’t catch you names….”

<<<<>>>>

It was easy enough with a few prompts to get where they wanted to be, a brief meal at the medical hubs atrium, detailing some random facts about mitochondrial efficiency to show they were no fools and they were in.

The storage room was vast, dozens of cryo-tanks in a huge bank, picked out by unfriendly looking claws into an examination chamber as needed.

“Now this specimen was quite fascinating, mitochondrial energy is generated in four distinct ways, one resembling a form of fission…I must say it is the prize of my collection…I’ve never come across a meta-human lineage like it since.”

Locks popped and unsealed, gases hissed as the pod descended into the examination bay. 

There in bubbling liquid lay poor Nyaea…dead to the universe

“Is the specimen still alive…” Kiraea asked tone indifferent as she burnt in the aether

“Of course…I attempted to clone but couldn’t get a viable embryo or surrogate…I must admit thereafter I gave up for a few years, but returned on and off…the complexity is astonishing…” he brought up a projection of their DNA compared to a Coruscanti humans…

“You can see the obvious differences…it's quite amazing really…almost designed…unfortunately I can’t find a male sample,”

“How frustrating,”

“It is…it’s a trade off” he sighed, “one can’t damage the specimen if it’s the only one…yet one is limited in the analysis one can perform…”

“Still the insights into genetic enhancement have proved invaluable…the limitation I find is the steps…it’s difficult to chart just the course of how this meta-human has changed from the base species, the differences are so endemic, I have confirmed Human and Miraluka as two, but there appears to be a third base species I can’t identify…”

“Indeed,” Karintha noted,
“We will enjoy reading your analysis on this and the other subjects…”

She slid around behind the Siniteen,

“I’m afraid we’ll have to take this sample off your hands though,”

“Oh now that is out of the…out of the…what was I saying again…oh yes…I would be most pleased for you to borrow the sample.” she continued as Kiraea stroked the cold edge of the pod a sorrow coming over her, Kiraea placed her hand on her stomach.

<I don’t…I can’t let this happen…not to my…>

<I know my love> Karintha calmed <It won’t, I…we could not protect Nyaea, but we can now… >

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 25 — Shattered Hearts — Part 6

 

Karintha

They wasted no time securing Nyaea and having her transported to their vessel, Kiraea with more experience dealing with outsiders handled all the affairs, Karintha continuing to keep her calm and comforted.

The desire to rain Oblivion hell upon the planet was furiously burning in her niece.  Karintha could not blame her…but this was not the time, place nor person to unleash their strength upon.

Karintha did the work of a Matriarch, overseeing the younger woman, gently guiding and supporting her to do what she already knew to be right and fitting.

And even when Nyaea was safely sealed in the back of the ship in her pod, they would not awaken her until they reached Aethas, and even then only after a substantial amount of effort to ensure she awoke to a supportive healing environment - even then they both knew a long difficult path lay ahead for the abused girl who was unlikely to ever fully recover. 

It had been arguably the easiest rescue of a lost Person thus far, certainly the least bloody - Kiraea seemed no less frustrated and impatient to get home.

“Hurry up will you…” she bit as he checked the instruments before lifting off.

The aether was palpable with her tension…her anger…

“Should’ve done something to him…”

Karintha shook her head…leaving the Siniteen to continue his research was the best course…the more insights they got into their own biology the quicker they could re-establish their own program…and in a sense by freezing her he had –unintentionally- spared Nyaea greater suffering. – Kiraea must’ve understood this…and yet.

“…at least taken his eyes…he doesn’t need those to work…”

“Perhaps you should stay in the hold with Nyaea…” the nominally older woman suggested as Kiraea boiled.

Kiraea’s mouth twisted chewing on a reply, but Karintha was ultimately the only Person whose word to Kiraea was absolute law, and she relented.

Performing the pre-flight Karintha felt a sense of control and confidence, not just in her master of the flying carriage but also the broader galactic environment and understanding of her own People and place among them.

She would return to Aethas with an aura of success, and joyful news of Kiraea’s pregnancy and at least some mollification of her more aggressive tendencies, and a new friend on Bonadan - all of which would be leveraged to firm her influence over the others and re-establish her rightful place of Matriarch. 


Sublight-engines whirred, repulsors thrummed, her heart squeezed strong.

<<<<>>>>

Children of the Shadow

They had missed her by two days on Myrkr.

They had missed her by mere hours on Vulpter.

On Ord Mirit they had to avoid the Jedi searching the Ruins of what had been Vigo Xithars palace.  So far as the Jedi knew she had died that day, the body plunging into a plasma fire never to be recovered.

For two years after they had lost any and all trace of her, completing innumerable other Acts of Closure for Sensei.

Now they had her.

The facial profile reconstructed from 1,301 amateur holo’s taken as she leapt across hover cars spewing Force Flames and Lighting at random on the Night of Madness identified her without doubt.

He lay prone silent upon a beam 233 stories above the near solid ferrocrete anchors of the skyscrapers, so still as to be mistaken for part of the structure itself.

She was likewise invisible as the target and her confederate glided the cyro tube inside the black triangular craft.

In the black spear tip shaped ship that glided coolly through the polluted skies that seemed repelled by the ultra dense hull was their Prey.

They could strike now – but planet side there were too many options, too many avenues for escape. 

Making their move whilst in the confines of a moving ship was a safer course - there was nowhere for the prey to run.

In silent agreement on the timing they began the infiltration.

<<<<>>>>

[TheDutchman]

How fortuitous that Karintha shows up during these turbulent times; her mature pragmatism just might help to mitigate the younger Aethans' more...impulsive actions, not to mention to blunt the anti-Outsider sentiment that they--VERY understandably given the events of the Devastation!--have.  Yet even she recognizes that there are sometimes utterly intractable people even under the most incredible (and dire) of circumstances.  Speaking of...

Poor Nyaea: sold off to be nothing more than a brood-mare for some wealthy, sadistic CORSEC couple.  Yet, even some good comes of these events: with Kiraea and Karintha visiting the C’Tapahn's, Catryn was also liberated, proving that Mili's and Ari's sentiments that GOOD Outsiders do exist.  Hopefully with Karintha's arrival, there will be a shift from outright xenophobia to something a little more tolerant.  Of course, the fact that--once again--the Aethans have a VERY good reason to feel that way is what makes them such compelling characters: flawed victims of circumstances in an uncaring galaxy.  But this is what makes SW so inspiring IMO: despite the adversities life throws at people, there are legitimately GOOD people with GOOD intentions.

...I just hope that it will be enough...

And just WHO are the "Children of the Shadow?!"

[Karmack]

Oh, I don't know...

Karintha comes, promises hope and mature leadership.

Karintha gets mis-identified as Kiraea and gets killed or taken...
 - or -
Kiraea gets killed or taken on Karintha's watch, "radicalizing" her in turn ... or simply undermining her influence and authority.

Yeah.   I don't think we're out of the xenophobic woods just yet...  ;-)

[TheDutchman]

Oh, I don't know...

Karintha comes, promises hope and mature leadership.

Karintha gets mis-identified as Kiraea and gets killed or taken...
 - or -
Kiraea gets killed or taken on Karintha's watch, "radicalizing" her in turn ... or simply undermining her influence and authority.

...I didn't consider that Karm; good point...

Yeah.   I don't think we're out of the xenophobic woods just yet...  ;-)

SO true 

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 26 — Rage and Shadow — The Past

The Twilight Murderer

24 Years Ago — Nar Shadda — Two Weeks after the Devastation of Aethas

The stench of the unworthy would not leave him for weeks – such was the price of following the daen nosi to the smugglers moon.

Yet follow it he must.

Through the throngs of customers into the slave markets he wound his way unseen, as befitted the Master of the Disciples of Twilight…or rather the last surviving Master…ahh the memories of that were still strong…Soup rich and aged…generous and delicately consumed one by one…

Such memories he had to hold as he wandered through crowds of beings who would overall cause him more pain cleaning his proboscis after consuming than pleasure in the act.

For although he went utterly unheeded by the crowds having long since perfected the arts taught to him by the woman only known as ‘Twilight’ – or at least only known as that till he fed on her Soul – he could not with his acute senses avoid heeding them.

Something had occurred in the last few weeks, something horrific yet small that set the daen nosi pulsing so strongly he was moved to leave Dyspeth for the first time in nearly a century.  Long ago Vzin Kree had sought a richer soup to imbue, something deeper and more refined than his usual meals as an Anzat for he was a connoisseur  – unlike the near feral Anzat that would consume any fool in a dark alley, Vzin saved his hunger for truly worthy prizes, the most delicious of which were force sensitives.

Seeking such a course he had found his way to Dyspeth where the woman Twilight, once a Jedi, had established an order on the dark moon, adapting to their shadowy home and protect the small group of colonists on the main planet – there they developed astounding force abilities to bend light and still air to hide themselves, more advanced than even the legendary Buried presence techniques, and on the other side devised enhanced sensory expansion techniques with which they dispensed what they called’ shadow justice’ protecting the weak by assassinating the corrupt as Twilight’s Jedi origins came through in their philosophy.

Vzin had not sought to learn any such arts, but as an Anazt with a hunger for soup immediately saw the benefits in learning – and could smell the richness of the Masters soup. 

For nearly 60 years he studied with them, became one of them, building their trust as the Disciples grew in number and strength, occasionally venturing to nearby systems to enact their justice.  He mastered their arts and became Twilights most trusted confidant, and so he was with her at the end – her body degraded her soup had never been richer, full of experience and knowledge – he told the other masters she passed quietly in the night…and that was true in a way – but not before he had suckled her rich taste to the full.

A gran almost stumbled over him so vivid was the memory in distracting him, but he quickly corrected and proceeded on into Myzms slave market where the lines of fate entwined so closely.  Inside was a crowd of beings jostling to get at the Premium products, a garish sign scrolled above – ‘Force Sensitive Humanoids Available 300,000 minimum – credit check BEFORE entry’

A thin smile played on Vzins face, these Hutts and their credits….they had no idea what was truly valuable…he slipped through unnoticed once more into the premium section past the line up the Gamorrean and Feeorin guards oblivious to his existence…for a moment he gazed at the Feeorin captain, old and gnarled but with a rich soup…he could consume him then and there whilst under the Cloak of Shadow – he had done so before…After consuming Twighlight he had eaten each of the other Masters one by one across the next days, one surprised while bathing, another asleep, a third he used the stealth abilities he had perfected to walk right up to them and feast…the Feeorin would be delicious but he needed to stay focused.

Passing through another scanner he came to a luxury buying room, gentle pink couches before transparisteel panels behind which were the remaining slaves.  Of the eight cells only two were occupied – he needed a better ship he reminded himself…he would have to obtain one…

A small group of Columi and Thustrans were speaking with a Green Twi’lek who wore the badge of Myzm the Hutt, a Major Domo no doubt for such high end transactions.

In one cell was a male blaster scars on his bruised face, hands and feet chained with electro-cuffs…Vzin noticed he was not breathing…no rather he did not need to breath as often…opening his senses more fully making full use of his infrared vision he realised this being was not actually human…indeed he had never seen such a species. 

As Vzin stared the man’s eyes flicked toward him – for a brief moment Vzin thought he had been spotted – he stared for a moment directly at Vzin as if trying to puzzle out if he had seen anything but soon turned back to his brooding.

In the next cell though…ah there was the prize….

Two toddlers of the same strange species, a male and female clasping each other.

“…Force sensitive twins are very rare…the last pair sold for 2.5 million twelve years ago,” the Major Domo explained to the prospective customers

“…obviously with inflation, and the young age, these have a significantly higher reserve price.”

The Force was strong between them, stronger than anything Vzin had ever felt…to taste that….his proboscis tickled erect at the thought…and yet they were only children now…how rich they could become if marinated into adulthood….

He had to have them, now, to prepare, a decade or two would be more than worth the wait…

“I offer you four million,” Vzin said aloud revealing himself startlingly the Twi’lek

“Oh my apologies I didn’t see you there…ah four million, flat or…”

“4.2,” a Columi replied swinging his hover sled around

Vzin had no interest in a bidding war and merely felt out the creature’s equivalent of a cerebral artery in the force and closed it.  Within a few moments its head drooped and the hover sled began eliciting warning lights.

As Vzin remained unmoved while staff attended to the dead thing he noticed the male slave staring at him.

“As I said, 4 million, up front,” it would be too difficult to steal two toddlers, and he cared nothing for credits compared to Soup.

“I will consult with the Most Majestic Myzm himself, but I’m sure he will be most happy, a beverage Serrah….”

Vzin ignored him as he felt a build up of the force from the male…strange and primitive in its taste…for a moment he thought he would try and breach his chains.

“You…” the male seethed “…Goddesses take note of his face through my eyes, and hear my plea - send Guardians to punish this wrongdoer!”

“…oh ignore him he says that to every buyer,” the Twi’lek replied indifferently leaning into his commlink.

“…yes 4 million is fine, let’s see to the details…”

As the transaction went ahead, Vzin thankful he had taken those 5 years to perfect his skills in credit-authentication counterfeiting - a humdrum necessity in a credit obsessed galaxy - the male primitive tried to reach out with the force to the two toddlers, attempting to console them as their cell was opened and a Yinchoori lifted them up one in each hand.

The transaction approved he was guided to a private exit, still the male stared at him…normally Vzin could ignore such…but something about the way he had spoken his curse, the way the Force had flowed….

Ah who cares for this primitives superstitious, I have a meal to plan.

<<<<>>>>

The Dutiful Wife

3 Years Ago – Coruscant, the Night of Madness

The trill of laughter and clinking glasses easily overcame the hum of distant hover cars that peppered the Coruscant night sky with a rainbow of lights.

“…oooh those look delicious,” Jyssyka crooned taking the last of the Argyuna sashimi rolls off the platter.

“You’ve really outdone yourself Yndra!” the slightly portly woman noted gesturing across the crowded balcony light by hovering glow droids, a table in the centre with a bar droid serving out drinks to all their guest, her husband at the far corner chatting with his colleagues.

She had gone to a lot of expense…but it was his 60th birthday, and he was worth it.  Somehow knowing her stare he glanced across the smart formal attired attendees to wink at her.  A coy smile back…even after all these years he could make her heart flutter. 

It was time for the cake she thought now all the nibbles had been well and truly guzzled.

Stepping back into their apartment’s main living area she twirled through the thinner indoor crowd, it was such a warm night everyone wanted to be on the balcony in the cool if artificially generated breezes about the megalithic skyscraper.

Into the kitchen she paid no heed to the New’s holo left on in the corner warning of an outbreak of what could only be described as ‘Madness’ across Coruscants lower levels that was now spreading. 

As she opened the refrigerator the anchor’s mouth moved in silent tones that the Galaxies Opera had been somehow set alight from within by blue flames that did not react to any standard retardants – as if they were…magic.

The hubbub of the party turned to brief gasps as she paused on the edge of the balcony the cake in her hands.  Three tiered white with delicate but still somehow masculine filigrees in as full of decadent Koya Nut fudge- her Husband’s favourite.

As he stood on the balcony and smiled across at her.

A blue torrent of flame slammed into him from behind as two speeders carrying two Goddesses locked in combat, one utterly indifferent to the collateral damage she caused with her blazing temper when it missed her ‘confused little sister’, sped past.

In a moment that lasted an aching year she saw her husband’s flesh vanish in the conflagration, a black skeletons crumpling into ash beside those of his friends as the cake dropped from her hands – icing flash boiling as the heat slammed her into the inner wall far behind her.

<<<<>>>

The Night of Madness they called it – beings of all types, known pacifists, Monks, rich and poor alike sent into mad frenzies as the under levels erupted in riot, then the crowning achievement of the very tip of the Jedi Temple, the Council Chambers itself, being blasted apart by lighting as if from two furious Gods embroiled in a war so fierce they had accidently slammed each other into the Middle Realm.

Yndra didn’t pay much heed to any of it.  She was numb, her body going through motions of reporting what little she had seen to the CSF.  Like so many others her husband’s cause of death was simply allocated to ‘Terrorist Activity’. 

Her sister came from Lexrul to comfort her, help arrange things after…

But for Yndra there was no after.  With her Husband gone, she was gone.  Without him…they had planned to – they had planned…so much that no longer mattered.

She helped settle his business affairs.  He was a relatively wealthy man, in the end the Estate was worth nearly 2 billion credits.  Yndra watched as the stock and bonds, shares and credit slips were turned to numbers in a single account, pixels on a datapad that could never be arranged in a way that mattered.

She watched the holonews reports from that night she had ignored in the kitchen over and over as she sat sleepless in the bed they once shared, the balcony locked off by construction fencing as it was repaired.

Exactly when she didn’t know, it didn’t especially matter, but at some point shortly after she knew what she had to do.

Yndra was not a fighter, not a soldier or Jedi, she was 59 and whilst she had a Pilates toned figure she could never hope to do what needed to be done.

What she did have was credits. 

2 billion of them.

It took nearly 40 million, dealing with beings who she thought only existed in holo films, going to places she never imagined existed on Coruscant to find them and verify it was them.  Others might’ve seen the poverty and decided to turn all that money her husband had left into a bequest, establish a school or scholarship program. 

Not Yndra, once her mind was made up it was made up.

That 40 eventually led her to the…shadow…she needed – to them she gave the rest of the 2 billion, payment for a very simple task – to find the being who had incinerated her husband and kill them.

That was what a dutiful wife would do, that was what Yndra did.

With a silent nod the Shadow had slipped back away…the reputation of the Twilight Assassins was without equal - they never left a job unfinished – in her search she’d heard they had once taken 10 years to fulfil a contract – other bounty hunters would give up after a few months, but not the Twilight Assassin’s, they were patient and true to their word.

With her last few credits she took an air-taxi to her apartment…but it was not hers anymore, the sale would go through any day now. 

Hacking through the construction barrier she stepped gracefully across the threshold that had once led to a balcony and stepping off the edge joined her husband.

<<<<>>>>

Children of the Shadow

3 Years Ago – Coruscant — 6 Months After The Night of Madness

<Unusual….> He noted arms folded after rechecking the transaction had gone through.

There in Sensei’s account was just under 2 billion credits – the difference being the banks transaction fee for such a large amount.

His sister crouched on the balcony wall on a rooftop opposite, Chamelo-synth-skin making her blend seamlessly into the building by projecting the electromagnetic radiation across all spectrum – not just Sentient Standard visual – of what she would otherwise displace.

<A waste…> she replied across their twin bond telepathy, as Sensei taught it was deeper and more surveillance

<Such despair and grief mingled with determination and longing…she would’ve been delicious for Sensei>

He nodded in agreement, it was a shame only now did he sense that depth of Soup fully, his senses were good but not quite as refined as his sisters when it came to seeking out good meals for Sensei. 

Sensei was not like them, he was what was called by the galaxy, derisively, an Anzat, and he needed to feed on beings with rich soup of many flavours to survive. Sensei had saved he and his sister from the horrible beasts after they were taken from the village, fed them, clothed them, taught them all he had learned over his his eight centuries of life.

It was right and fitting that now as adults they should provide for Sensei’s needs, through finding beings with rich soup, and obtaining credits by following the Twilight Path Sensei had taught them since they were toddlers. 

Typically they achieved both at once – a being would request another’s death – they would find the target, bring them to Sensei to feed on if adequate – oft times the best Soup came from the bodyguards, partners or loved ones of the target or client.

Evyn recalled one senator they were tasked with killing, specifically by choking him on his decorative headpiece, he did so easily, ramming the jewel encrusted thing down the Senators three throats as its harem of aquatic creatures screamed, one among them though stood still as the statues in the halls of Dsypeth, having been used by so many beings over the decades it felt great pleasure at seeing the Senator die – this one they grabbed and took to Sensei. 

It was he said a delectable combination of fortitude and stoicism with a rich base of childhood trauma.

<This one that caused this so called Night of Madness…> his sister cut in as the woman’s body bounced off the side of the skyscraper with bone mulching terminal velocity.

<…must wield the Force with great strength, clarity and rage…> she stood invisibly and leapt across the 500 metre gap beside him.

<She will be delicious for Sensei>

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 26 — Rage and Shadow — The Present

Surprise and Shattering

Amidst the clean blues and greys of the central maintenance corridor of the Aethenaea Karintha sat quietly checking the plasma flow rates and vacuum seals on the high end Chiss Crystalline circuitry, typical maintenance work to pass the time before they brought Nyaea home, but still somewhat of a novelty to her as she learnt more about the galaxies technology.

It was only an instant before it struck she sensed it.

Swinging upward she knocked the thrusting limb down across her keeping herself closed, quickly knocking back the expected second blow trying to open her opponent up for a counter attack.

The third strike flowed effortlessly, precisely catching Karintha slightly off guard, a blade of some kind slicing through her light black outfit – fortunately for her ‘casual’ was treated Gormin hide tougher than many metals and far more flexible.

She was still yet to see the attacker in any sense – neither sound, nor mass in her vestibular senses, heat in her thermal senses beneath her eyebrows, nor electromagnetic radiation across broad light spectrum eyes, not even the aether offered a hint at their presence – it was deep seated instinct that managed to sense a threat was there at all.

To be taken by surprise was shameful - in the centre of one of their own ship - unforgivable.

Whatever ability this assailant possessed to remain so hidden – she had to learn, undermine, perfect then improve.

First she had to survive.

<<<<>>>>

She was uncertain where to put Nyaea. 

The cargo hold seemed ill fitting for a Person, but the power connections were closer. 

The Nature Deck was her final choice – an entire level of the Destroyer filled with boxed plants and small animals and insects to create a micro environment replicating their home world – it provided not only food with berry and fruit trees but also an important source of psychological calm.

The pod was propped against the central Kyala Tree, Kiraea sat mostly undressed beside watching over the poor sleeping girl.

Idly Kiraea's hand wandered to her own stomach, a jolt of fear that what had happened to Nyaea could one day happen to her child if…

Not if…NOW

In slow motion she spun to the side as a crimson bolt slammed into the trunk of the tree through where her head had just been, her neck suffering whiplash form speed of her subconscious dodge.

<<<<>>>>

More blows followed with a grace that was as irritating as it was elegant, her arms moved in a finessed motion to counter each, diverting the blows that were wielding some kind of sharpened object no doubt, but never allowing her to fully gain an advantage.

Dodging another sharp object which struck the wall, Karithna’s genetically superior eyes noted the pin prick indentation and miniscule drop of fluid- some kind of poison…Aethan biology was more than capable of ignoring the majority of poisons designed for humanoids, and inoculation to Yuuzhan Vong diseases had enhanced their immune system even further, but the risk was still too high.

Swinging round out of another blow she leapt onto the wall, superior balance effortlessly allowing her to stay parallel to the floor.

The attack did not let up, nor did her analysis upward motion in the air confirmed her enemy was humanoid, there was a slight uptick in temperature not from the attacker but the air it was exerting more effort as the battle progressed.

Surprise and Shock were now Karintha’s as she pulled deeply on the aether then pushed it out into a Null field.

<<<<>>>>

Evaea did not let the sudden loss of the Force stint her attack, but it meant the hair thin poison needles she was telekinetically directing to her preys exposed skin now sailed on their current vectors unadjusted, the micro-glass filled weapons with a cocktail of anaesthetizing proteins and viruses she cultivated herself soon slowed and dropped the still air too dense for the nanite thin weapons to plough through without the Force.

A fury and aggression she had rarely seen now assailed her.

Without the Force her Cloak of Shadow was broken, but even so all her prey would ‘see’ were absences as her Chamelo-synth-skin remained active, suppressing all light, sounds and thermal energy from escaping.

Unfortunately her opponent seemed to have senses as acute as her own and her brothers and was able to target her.

Evaea spun lithely through the barrage of fists, elbows and shins still managing to draw her Phase-Dagger and Needle Pistol. 

It had been nearly six years since she had last needed to resort to such ‘crude’ means by failing in her first strike.  It had taken much effort to prove herself to Sensei after that failure.

Lithe as the wind she slashed at the unarmed prey with the blade and fired carefully time shots with the needle pistol, one energised syringe like barbs breaking through through the tough leather the prey wore.

They had so little time to observe these two targets – the vids from the Night of Madness were of little use, usually she would spend a month or more, but they had to take the chance on this rare target when they could.

Sensei honoured his obligation to the client who had paid billions for the woman’s death, it was not a matter of needing funds but maintaining a reputation.

The poison in the needle dart seemed to have no immediate effect, and Evaea was well aware open combat was not her strong suit, Sensei had spent year teaching them to avoid the necessity of it.

The longer this battle went the greater her disadvantages would be.  She hoped her brother was faring better against the true target.

<<<<>>>>

The world turned white and loud as sensory overload grenades ripped through the nature deck. 

Kiraea swam in a sea of blinding sensation to avoid the blizzard of weapons she knew were being sent in her direction. 

The scent of burning wood signalled the end of the initial flares of overload weapons as her feet found purchase on the moist potted soils guided only by the aether to her attacker as all other senses registered nought.

Images began to resolve, visual and thermal in her mind just before she felt the breeze of displaced air against her neck slicing the thin hairs whose severance sent tingle of distress through her body.

Without thought or pause she shunted herself to the side, the drain on her aetheric reserve was intense, teleportation not her forte but gave her the space to assess the situation.

Somehow – SOMEHOW! Some Thing had out stealthed her! Her! How it was possible she would wrench very violently from her enemy.

Drawing back some energy from the plants and animals around her she tensed her body and covered her barely clothed form in kinetic and strengthening enchantments for protection before lighting herself fully in blazing blue aetheric flame.

<<<<>>>>

As his sister had just realised these prey were incredibly alert and possessed a far greater range of Force abilities than they had anticipated.

Evyn's Micro Glass needles flying from his synth suit melted ineffectually against her incredible shield of living Force fire.  Sensei had taught them Force lighting, primarily on how to avoid it being used to expose a stealthy approach by flooding an area - but he had never witnessed such as this.

Adapting to the prey as the predator Sensei had trained him to be he probed the flame shield with rocks and fallen trees in the atrium where a cryo pod of some kind sat out of place.

She was beginning to get a fix on his position, how he could not imagine, even as she dodged his repeated shots from the Terminus Rifle, the compressed microwave spikes doing extraordinary damage to everything except the target herself.

He kept moving avoiding the solar flare like waves that cascaded with unconcealed aggression from her hands, the pattern of her face in those instants unmistakably that of the target in the grainy holovids of the Night of Madness.

A running battle across the atrium exploded as she tried to ‘burn’ him out into visibility as he kept his distance until her flame shield wore out – it had to be draining her Force energy at a rapid pace

<<<<>>>>

Karintha's skin stretched taught as white blood cells filled where the needle pistol had struck on her ribs through her clothing, the bulbous sensation irritating as she struck hard and fast trying to land a blow against the wind while she had the advantage.

Maintaining the null field was beginning to drain her, her opponent was astoundingly as fast as she was without the aether – limiting the range of possible species of her attacker based on what Kiraea had told her to four.

Her arms now bore a half dozen thin cuts from a blade sharp as Bloodstone, Karintha’s lack of armour and weaponry would begin to tell soon, she only hoped her enemy had expended all their poison weapons in the first assaults.

Down the long corridor they engaged in a ballet of fencing, feints and force – missed strikes dented the walls, those that connected were only glancing at best.

The attacker’s advantage in stealth was lost without the aether, but Karintha could not keep that suppression up, she was puffing and burning as it was, if she was to win it had to be now.

Relying on raw strength and speed Karintha took her chance.

<<<<>>>>

She was on the edge – of speed, strength and skill when suddenly her prey…or rather now her predator…doubled her ferocity.

The intensity was beyond anything Evaea had faced, even sparring with Sensei, his words ‘ Failure is Fatal’ never seemed real till now.

She tried to keep low, but ended up scurrying backward as the blows began to strike true, weightier than Evyn’s and considering her synth suits disruption of visual and thermal positioning very accurately targeted to her joints.

Without the Force to enable the Cloak of Shadow she would be beaten…she suspected the null zone was limited but every attempt to break away was stymied – on the walls and ceilings she tried to break out but her predator would not allow her to escape, Evaea’s acrobatic avoidance finally meeting its match.

Keeping her distance as best she could she waited desperately for either the null field to end or her brother to re-join her.

<<<<>>>>

Kiraea was narrowing on the annoying intruder. 

Their ability to cloak themselves was impressive…too impressive…but she had form against unique methods of concealment with the Extolled’s Cloaks of Nuun – the best way to force them out was to corner them then overload with aetheric energy to pick out their absence.

As she hurled torrent of energy in every smaller arcs the shots from some kind of advances rifle came from an ever narrower range of possible locations.

The nature deck would be a wreck, trees had been sheared in half, others burnt with aetheric fire, but they would recover quickly as mosses and fungi ate up just as much of her excess energy.

Even so it was rapidly draining her to both trap the attacker and avoid attacks while keeping her flame shield active.  Peripheral senses she detected a moving null sphere below her, Karintha no doubt facing her own attacker.  They really needed to take them two onto one it seemed, Kiraea regretted for an instant not taking any Extolled with her on this trip, they would’ve made useful distractions.

She advanced toward the ever smaller gap behind the main garden beds and the now blackened wall where the doonium bubbled on either side of a body shaped gap she hurled up blockades of kinetic energy to prevent escape.

Her crushing and burning vice was closing.

<<<<>>>>

Being cornered himself was an insignificant worry compared to the sudden complete loss of any sense of his sister in the Force.

Her death or injury he would’ve felt…but this emptiness…it moved in shuddering advances beneath him, and she was in it…

No he could not be distracted, the Prey came first Sensei taught, even above each other.

The net of fire and kinetite was closing as fast as his options were dwindling, even the Cloak of Shadow could not keep you from being boxed in by walls.

He had to gamble it all on the unexpected.

Casting off the Cloak of Shadow like a second skin he hurled all this Force energy into a frontal shield and charged into the inferno with a leap, Needle pistol firing at the prey’s head.

Her redirection of the Force attacks was instantaneous, flames and telekinetic grips tore his pistol from his hand, others slashed at his now uncloaked form as he landed an arms length from her.

A kick charged by the Force to be hard as durasteel near knocked him off his feet – at least as strong as Sensei and followed by a combination of knee and elbow strikes timed perfectly between beats of Force fire and hammering mental strikes he could barely avoid.

She had the edge over him in an open fight and was about to win, his synth skin tore, his arms bruised, his strikes with his Phase dagger always wide…until the instant as he ducked beneath another vicious kick he pulled the Cloak of Shadow around him once more.

The speed with which he and his sister could enter and exit the Cloak was astounding even to Sensei who required nearly a minute to Cloak himself ‘Perfectly’.

Disorientation triggered in the Prey momentarily…
It was all he needed. 

He rose from his crouch both hands driving his Phase dagger at her – the weapon that tripped between Baryonic and Dark Matter just sneaking under her arms rapidly moving to block.

The blade slipped through her wafer thin clothing - pierced the hyperkeratin skin, meeting resistance only with the bone plating over her abdomen…that she had bone there at all was something Evyn knew only of in one species of humanoid…

His own.

The thought was wasted as he pushed the blade in further, dark black blood congealing quickly around the wound.

<<<<>>>>

People could not feel pain in the sense of other beings…but the shock…

Kiraea stood motionless as the blade pulled out and her attacker rose through with a graceful twirl to strike at her sternum.

It was not that she had been hurt that was so shocking it was where…it was the Who Else…

A life barely begun, a tiny flicker of nascent energy that she had cradled in her own aetheric presence these last few months vanished in less than a second.

She could not consciously react as the reality of the loss struck her harder than any blow the assassin could deliver.

She avoided the second stab only by crumpled to her knees, the mistimed thrust cutting a shallow groove up her right breast and across her face.

<<<<>>>>

She could hold it no longer – pressing from all side she had to let the aether flow back in.

Almost immediately Karintha wished she hadn’t…yet would’ve given her all to have done so earlier.

The aether exploded into her heart with grief and shock.

Her Niece, the little girl who always lost her shoes, who pestered her incessantly for more Kremin honey bled out the life that had been growing with her and was stone still before another assassin that sought to do worse than kill her.

The cold fury of Aehprodaea’s Grace overcame Karintha in that very instant.  If Her own attacker had thought the Null field would drain her…the hormonal and aetheric overdrive her body now easily compensated.

<<<<>>>>

Evaea was backed to the end of the hall as something horrific possessed what was now without doubt her predator.

It reminded her all too much of Sensei just before he fed…a cold empty Need that held no reason or purpose beyond its own fulfilment…such a state was now directed at destroying Evaea herself.

The blows came faster and harder than ever, her blocks ineffectual, usually her bones were strong enough to resist any damage…but these attacks were from arms with muscle density as great as her own.

<EVYN>

<<<<>>>>

Evyn stopped still as the prey as the injector on his gauntlet dripping with the anaesthetic cocktail to allow him to deliver her to Sensei alive for feeding.

The Prey before him they had struggled more than any other to locate, that would deliver a meal Sensei would wax lyrical for years about, as well as fulfilling a long standing billion credit contract…

He abandoned to help his sister.

<<<<>>>>

Like Aertemisaea herself she intended to tear the assassins apart.  Her nails dug into the synth skin ripping it loose.

The creature beneath her struggled and slashed with the weapons on her gauntlets – some hit but Karintha could feel none of it beyond registering the inconvenience of a more limited range of moment and loss of a few millilitres of blood that could otherwise fuel her annihilation.

Even so the resistance was effective enough to last half a minute, Karintha gnashed biting at the slick synth skin over the face tearing a chunk with her teeth.

Sweat of her distressed enemy filled her nose…

But it offered no consolation as it should.

This was a scent familiar…known…

Her cold calculating mind pieced together an accumulation of battle evidence…the speed and strength without the aether, they way it was drawn on when they did have it…the range of acrobatic motion and joint flexibility…now these trace of hormones gushing from beneath what had been a sealed suit…

Perhaps the only means of stopping her savage assault was stumbled upon in time to save Evaea’s life.

“Aethan…” Karintha whispered barely and instant before she was rammed to the ground by Evyn’s charge.

<<<<>>>>

Her brother pounded four shots into the woman’s back, both knowing they would be ineffectual as he reached to take Evaea’s hand.

Almost as soon as she was on her feet so too was the Predator.

There was something in her eyes, recognition, disbelief, Joy mingled with the hatred.

They had no time to investigate it further as they implemented their emergency retreat, on the near shattered HUD she activated the magma-mine-drones that followed their position on the ship to breach the hull behind them.

<<<<>>>>

[Lord_S_Gray]

Chapter 26 — Rage and Shadow — The Present

Crystal as her mind in this state was, it struggled between competing priorities of helping her niece, destroying her attackers and…reuniting with these lost People…

Quickest resolution was to knock these two unconscious then help her niece, who though injured was at least stable.

It was an open question of if she could.

Bubbling orange seared through the hull behind the two young Aethan’s as she rushed at them.

Together they were far better able to resist her – blocking Karintha’s blows for each other as their exit was opened up in the hull behind them.

They shouldn’t be able to match her - individually or together - she could tell from the trace scents they were only young adults….Karintha was reminded all too keenly that she was still not fully recovered from her resurrection.

The aether was rent back and forth as she sought to suppress their will, but her own fatigue was showing as the air began to hiss out of the growing breach.

Sudden and explosive decompression sent the two flying out and Karintha stumbling in an unpredictable instant as a section of the hull gave way.

The pair flung back out of reach fully, a curse on her lips Karintha swung her arm wildly, previous cuts spraying blood into fast droplets that covered them as they escaped into the hyperspace blue lit void and beyond her grasp.

All her other goals were now superseded by the need to survive herself.- she hurled herself back toward the turbo lift in the middle of the access corridor with the aether as she saw heated gap cool in the void and emergency airlocks seal behind her.

<<<<>>>>

 

The Twins

Mag locks failed against the ultradense material of the hull, grav-grapples kept them moving along the sleek underside, the turrets glowing but fortunately powered down as the ship danced through the swirling blue of hyperspace.

Their ship Midnight Sun was just ahead GraveTide locked to the hull. A modified Star Courier equipped with a micro solar ionization reactor to power the stygium crystal based cloaking devices in the long front of the ship it was a vessel designed to complement their Stealth training in every respect, sleek, minimalist and utterly silent.

They paused briefly even as their limbs whined in pain with each forceful step forward.

As always the Twins minds one assessing their options – yet finding no choice palatable.  To attack again in their fatigued state was as unthinkable as returning to Sensei empty handed, they may never have another chance.

Evyn briefly turned to his sister taking her arm, he had already thrown away a chance to fulfil the contract to save her once today, a second time was no greater sin.

Battered and bloodied they hauled themselves into their ships tiny compartment- tracers were already in place during their infiltration – and fled back home.

<<<<>>>>

[TheDutchman]

Wow when you answer a question, LSG...

LOVE the details, especially with Vzin's Anzati heritage and how he trained/indoctrinated the Twins to do his bidding while getting rich and (more importantly) fed with prime Soup!  I always equated Anzati culture to Feudal Japan's and his role as Sensei dovetails appropriately with that parallel.  In the Twins, he has the perfect assassins, strong, skilled, and (worst of all) patient.  I hope that we get to see more of Vzin (too interesting character to waste IMO   ).

And here is a PRIME example of just HOW events WILL have at least one ramification that one does not account for: poor Yndra, being in the wrong place at the wrong time during the Night of Madness (of course it could be argued that being anywhere on Coruscant during Kimar's reign as Grand Master would qualify).  Even her revenge/justice brings her no catharsis; as she quickly joins her husband, she becomes yet another statistical casualty as a result of said Madness.  Which is precisely why this narrative is so powerful: as with Real Life, there is MUCH more to the Galaxy than just Forceusers, soldiers, and politicians.

I wonder how Karithna will reconcile her emotions concerning the Twins: does she celebrate finding and (hopefully for her) bringing two more Aethans back into the fold OR does she eliminate a threat that has already caused horrible damage to her People?

Last thought: great job with Kiraea's character development here; the loss of her's and Jarys' child is an unspeakable tragedy, one in which she becomes VERY relatable, sympathetic even.  And she still has to tell Jarys about what has occurred...

[Karmack]

LSG, that was powerful.  I can only echo Dutchman's point.   Nicely done and great storytelling.  My heart cries for Kiraea and Jarys.  I feel the pain and indecision of Karithna as she is faced with a nearly irreconcilable decision. 

Just ... wow.