Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

2 years prior to The Force Awakens...
A persistent and interactive galaxy set shortly before the events of Episode VII

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VagueDurin
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Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

OOC:
This thread follows the adventures of the Crew of the Veiled Bedlam, as they navigate a galaxy on the verge of monumental tidal shift.

Part I can be found here.

IC:
Previously...

It was early morning when the Pursuer craft finally set down inside the hangar of COS Tailring. Vague wasted no time in gathering the others for an emergency meeting. They met inside one of the containers that had been repurposed to serve as a conference room, or a place for debriefing. The Oracle they brought back with them sat atop the table at the center of the room. Rossi and the others all stared at it with a look of disbelief.

"Are we sure it's the real one," Orev asked.

"It is," Micaiah answered. "The Orb is radiating power. I can feel it."

Orev cast a sidelong glance over to Vague who simply nodded. If Durin trusted her judgment then all he could do was accept it as truth. "So what is so special about this thing," Rossi asked suddenly, "Why are those guys looking for it?"

No one around the table had an answer for that. Orev finally reached out and picked up the Oracle, turning it over this way and that in his hands. "I don't see any buttons or switches or anything, how do you turn it on?"

"It is an artifact imbued with the Force," Micaiah explained, "Only the Force can activate it."

Rossi sighed, "And the only person who can do that is still in a coma." She glanced over at Micaiah. "I don't suppose you could activate it?"

The Sylarian shook her head. "No, I don't have the talent for it," she answered, then she turned her gaze to Tsivoin, "But he does."

Ever since he’d entered the conference room, Tsivoin felt unnerved. As was his custom, the young Zabrak kept to the outskirts of the room. He was still struggling to identify his place within the group and without Nova to follow and/or hide behind he found it best to stay out of anyone else’s focus. He leaned against a storage locker, his violet eyes unnaturally focused on the Oracle in the center of the table. The odd sensation he felt had started around the time that Vague had removed the orb from its carrying case, but Tsivwasnt entirely certain that it was the cause of his unease. He couldn’t imagine what the rest of the crew would’ve thought had he tried to explain it. They’d think you’ve gone barvy he thought to himself.

The teen tried to focus on the edge of his conciousness - there was someone, something, there... just beyond his reach or awareness. It, he, felt familiar, comforting, but... wrong. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he failed to process what Micaiah had just said, so too did he fail to recognize that all of the rooms occupants - except Rossi - had just turned their focus onto him.

The Kessurian, in contrast, struggled to keep her jaw from going slack and her eyes widened as she looked first at Tsiv, then Vague, then ultimately at Micaiah. Frak, frak, frak... oh Nova, I’m sorry. she thought to herself as she frantically tried to think of any way at all to derail what was about to come to pass. She was so keyed up and caught off guard by the Sylarians matter-of-fact outing of Tsivoins curse that she couldn’t stop a nervous giggle from escaping her lips, “Come on,” she asserted anxiously. “If that we’re true, surely Nova would have done something about it.” She tried to put an emphasis on her last words and shot a subtle look Micaiah’s way, but Rossi didn’t expect the Sylarian to understand. None of them could... thanks to the secrets you’ve been keeping. she admonished herself.

"It is true," Micaiah pressed. She caught the strange look from Rossi, but couldn't understand its meaning. Perhaps it had something to do with her previous coverup the last time Micaiah brought this issue to light. Either way they were pressed for time and whatever game they were playing would have to wait. "The Seldari--the Force," she quickly corrected herself, "flows strongly around those who can feel its influence the most. I cannot speak as to why Nova hasn't trained him yet, but he is Force-sensitive and for the moment your only shot at activating the Orb."

SlackJaw tilted his head and turned his yellow-green photoreceptors in the Sylarians direction. “You’re certain that our young Jedi-to-be would be aware of this... sensitivity?”

Rossi interrupted before Micaiah could respond. “The force is mystic, isn’t it? We can’t know that for sure. No matter how long we’ve been around the galaxy.” She spoke eyes narrowing just a smidge in Micaiahs direction. Rossi wasn’t even sure why she was still struggling to put Novas secret back in the bag. The Sylarian had dropped the truth on the proverbial table, after all. She knew intellectually there was no going back now. The Kessurian just wished that Nova was around to defend herself... and to deflect the blame.

Both Vague and Orev took a moment to regard Rossi - whose pink toned skin was going pale and who seemed to be stammering as if she were searching for some kind of a lifeline - then exchanged a knowing glance amongst themselves. Vague’s eyes narrowed and he turned his scrutiny towards Tsiv and Micaiah. By this point, Tsivoin had caught up with their conversation and was standing near the corner of the room with a completely dumbfounded expression on his face, and an unhealthy amount of fear in his eyes.

“You’ve known this whole time.” Vague spoke, his brown eyed gaze pointed towards Micaiah, though he spoke the words as both statement and question, and Rossi could tell that one of those two was aimed directly at her.

"Since the moment I met him," Micaiah answered back with a shrug. "I did ask him about it before, but he seemed to take offense at my choice of words."

Vague frowned slightly, and ultimately turned his focus to Rossi. He didn’t speak further, just sat very still and waited. Rossi couldn’t force her honey tinted gaze to meet his. She finally stood and tossed her hands up in the air. “Okay, fine! Yes. I knew,” she blurted out suddenly. “Nova confided it to me when we were preparing for the Chandrilla mission, alright. But she swore me to secrecy.” She ran a hand ough her light brown hair in exasperation. “It’s not like you think, though, ok- she couldn’t, didn’t...” Rossi stopped and spun around, turning her back to the rest of the occupants in the conference room.

“I’m sorry, Campo.” She said softly, looking over her shoulder at the disturbed looking teen as she recounted the terrible events that had unfolded back on Cantonica as Nova had described them, revealing to the whole room hat Tsivoin had done. “Nova didn’t want you to find out this way. She... she just needed more time to figure it out.”

Tsiv’s knees nearly buckled beneath him when she’d finished. “They'll fear you too after what you did on Cantonica.” it all came flooding back to him, like a succession of percussive waves one after another. She’d asked him about the events in the Tangle once or twice before... and he recalled how she’d treated him like the plague on Chandrilla... “She warned me that he’d tapped into a dark power, because of his emotions or something-“ Tsiv could hear Rossi still going on, telling the others about him. Visions of his home torn asunder, bodies wrenched and tossed aside, the cries and screams of the survivors... His hearts started to pound in his ears, and his breath shortened into hyper panting as he brought his hands up to either side of his head and squeezed against the pressure suddenly building up there.

The conversation continued oblivious to how it was affecting Tsivoin. After Rossi finished recounting her story Orev turned to look at Micaiah. "What do you know of this," he asked.

"Very little, I'm afraid," she said, "I know the Jedi had a view of the Force that included two opposing sides but my people do not share that belief. We don't see the Force as two parts of a whole but rather one supreme being, the Seldarin. Or, as it translates into your tongue, the 'Divine Authority.'"

Tsivoin slammed his violet eyes shut and clawed at his temples. It was as if a dam had suddenly given way, and strobing in and out of his minds eye were traumatic moments of his past. All the times when he’d been pushed to the brink and apparently had lashed out with the force unwittingly. In captivity, during his escape from slavery, on Cantonica... moments he couldn’t recall yet knew somehow that they’d happened.that he’d made them happen. There was a slight screech as he pushed backwards against the storage locker, causing it to shift against the duracrete.

Rossi was the first to notice, and without thinking she rushed to his side, noticing he was hyperventilating like he’d been when she and Nova had saved him from getting sucked out of the airlock. “Shhhh, Tsiv, Campo. I’m sorry. It’s going to be ok let’s just calm down and talk through this.” She whispered to him. Now would be a great time to come save the day, Nova she thought to herself sarcastically. The Kessurian then reached out and rested her palm on Tsivoins back, hoping to reassure the teen that things would be ok.

“Those people, the monsters, I.... Quiet.” Tsiv stammered. “Quiet, just be quiet.”

“Rossi, I think you should come back over here.” Orev spoke from where he, Vague, and SlackJaw had shifted to... but it was too late.

Without warning, Tsiv’s body began to warm up and vibrate beneath Rossi’s hand, and then suddenly he went very stiff and a shockwave of invisible energy struck out from him in all directions. The concussive force sending Rossi head over heels and forcing the rooms other occupants to stagger backwards. The Oracle was similarly effected, rolling swiftly off the table where oddly enough instead of following it shot up into the air about at eye level and began to glow from within. Tsiv, meanwhile, crumpled to the ground trembling and in a cold sweat. “The force shall free me.” He half whispered where he lay still virtually vibrating with agitation.

Micaiah was caught off guard by the sudden outburst of power. Other than Rossi she was the only other person standing close to Tsiv. The shockwave had affected her as much as the Kessurian. She was thrown backward into the wall, the force of the blow stunning her. By the time she had clawed her way back up to her feet the others, short of Rossi who had taken the brunt of it, were staring at the Oracle as it floated in the air before them. Little pinpoints of white light began to dot its surface with three of them lighting up gold. "It's a star map," Orev announced as he reached out to take the Orb. Before he could, however, Vague caught him by the wrist and pulled his arm back.

The aged freighter captain turned his gaze to Micaiah as she leaned against the wall trying to catch her breath. "What was that," he asked.

Micaiah stared at him helplessly. She wasn't quite sure. "I--," she started to say then another voice suddenly cut her off.

"It was the dark side," Nova announced from the doorway. She leaned heavily against the door jam, her left hand unconsciously covering the wound she had sustained from Wes Napal. "The dark side of the Force is fueled by raw emotion and Tsivoin has years of anger and grief built up inside of him. Until today he had no idea what he was doing and when I asked him about Cantonica he could not remember. I should have told him then... I should have told all of you, but I was afraid."

"Nova, I'm sorry, Micaiah knew some how." Rossi tried to explain. The Kessurian had been blasted the opposite direction from the rest of the crew and was seated with her back leaning up against the wall, one hand resting on her head as she struggled to recover from the force of the blast.

"Rossi, it's alright," the girl assured her, "They had to know." Then she paused a moment before adding, "And she knew about me also... Somehow." She grunted a little as she pushed off from the door jam and started to stagger over to where Tsivoin lay on the floor. She made it only a few steps, however, before Micaiah intercepted her first.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," the Sylarian told her, "You've only just recovered from your wounds."

"I'm fine," the Jedi answered forcing her way out of Micaiah's grasp and continuing her journey towards Tsiv. She all but fell to her knees next to the Zabrak and placed a hand on his forehead. With her eyes closed she concentrated and a moment later Tsivoin's body stopped convulsing. He turned his violet eyes to look up at her then suddenly pulled her into a hug.

"Ow, ow, ow," Nova cried involuntarily and Tsivoin quickly pulled away.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Rossi stared at them curiously. "What exactly did you do?"

"I used the Force to calm his mind," the Jedi explained. Then she stood and turned to look at Vague, supported on her feet with the help of Tsivoin. "I know I have no right to ask this of you. When I boarded this ship I had no idea that my past would come back to endanger you all. I know how you feel about your crew, Captain, and I know this isn't your fight, but I need your help. I need everyone's help. Richter and the others are trying to revive the Sith and they must be stopped, but I can't do it alone."

She half-turned to Tsivoin then gently took his hand into her own as she stared into his violet eyes. "I need you now more than ever," she told him quietly before placing into his palm the broken hilt of the lightsaber she found back on the derelict ship...

It was like a cool drink of water after baking in the hot sulfur mines of Oko E. He could almost feel Nova's touch inside his mind as she quickly but carefully sifted through the horrors that he was being suddenly forced to relive. The young Jedi had little experience dealing with this sort of thing, but she knew from terrible experience that she had to calm the Zabrak down quickly, or things would get much, much worse. She did the best she could, individually forcing each of the painful memories backwards and down into Tsivoin's subconscious where they'd previously been sequestered away. Were it not such an emergency, she might have been curious about what seemed to be some sort of advanced coping mechanism, most likely an involuntary response by Tsiv's own mind to deal with his past trauma's and the coinciding with his random outbursts of Force use.

Soon, the teen had recovered enough to look up into Nova's face and the relief in his violet eyes could have powered a sun. He immediately leapt up to his knees and threw his arms around her, only to have her cry out in pain. He quickly apologized to Nova and helped her up to her feet before listening intently to her as she spoke to the group, then to him in particular. He wasn't sure what she was doing at first, but then she placed a long, cylindrical object into his hand. He looked down at it, startled. The Zabrak recognized the cool, blackened metal. It was the lightsaber he'd wielding in those strange dreams aboard the Venator. It had belonged to that young Jedi. He blinked away the surprise and looked again into Nova's emerald eyes. His lips parted slightly and he took in a half-breath, about to speak when a voice spoke from the other end of the room.

Vague was clutching the side of his flank protectively and his face was twisted into a grimace of pain as Nova spoke out her plea. Micaiah's nano-tech had done a surprisingly thorough job patching him up after that grindhouse they'd been through back on Nar Shaddaa, but some of the body still had to heal the old fashioned way, and his had been damaged thoroughly in the fight. He straightened his shoulders and for a moment he simply stood still and silent, regarding his rag-tag collection of crewmates. A short, controlled breath in and out, then as if a switch had been flipped, he sprang into action.

"Mic, are you alright?" He asked first. He'd seen how hard the Sylarian had been tossed into the wall. She nodded her head, though her her features were quizzical. She couldn't place it but his demeanor seemed in-congruent with their current situation. "Good," He continued abruptly. "Take those three back to the med-bay and look them over."

He motioned at Tsiv, Nova, and Rossi on the far side of the conference room as he spoke. No sooner had the order escaped his lips, he'd turned his focus to the still floating Oracle. "Orev, EssJay, get some equipment brought in here. I want to these points plotted five minutes ago. We need to know every--"

"Vague..." Rossi interjected in a sympathetic and pleading tone.

"Everything that this orb is able to tell us and we need to know it now. There's no telling how long it's going to remain ac-"

"Vague?" Rossi interrupted again, slightly louder this time.

"Active." He finished the sentence, then took a quick breath to continue on.

"Vague!" Rossi finally shouted forcefully, her eyes wide both with shock at her own boldness as well as in surprise at her Captain's willful ignoring of what had just transpired. Durin finally broke his focus off of the Oracle and turned sharply to regard the Kessurian, causing her to flinch involuntarily.

"I know, Roz. I know, and I'll deal with it later. Masilda is running out of time." He reminded her grimly and a flash of understanding shone through her honey tinted eyes.

It was Nova's turn to interject. "Masilda? What about her?" She asked, a slight bit of flippancy working it's way into her fatigued tone as she recalled her last meeting with the Ryn.

Vague sighed slightly and forced his eyes to track over to the young Jedi's. "Your hooded friends kidnapped and tortured her." He replied matter-of-factly. "They're holding her ransom in exchange for that." He flung a hand back over his shoulder in the direction of the Oracle.

Tsivoin, who was still trembling lightly but doing his damnedest to help Nova stay upright pipped in, his voice was shaky and unsure. "Richter gave us a week. We have less than two days left."

Two days... Two days and then they were going to confront Richter again. It was too soon. She needed time to train Tsiv and time to figure out what Richter was planning. Currently she only knew the what but she didn't know the how. "Vague, the Richter I knew before was a kind, honest person. He took me under his wing when I first arrived at the temple and gave me encouragement whenever I felt afraid. I don't know what happened to him after the temple fell but the man we saw on the Wanderlust is not the same man I knew. He is twisted by the dark side, full of anger and rage. There's no guarantee he'll honor his bargain with you."

Vague held her gaze, his expression was passive and his eyes were hardened. “If you have an alternative, I’d be happy to hear it once Mic has finished looking you over. If you don’t have an alternative, then we’re wasting the little time that Masilda has left.” He replied. “We don’t know why he wants this... map so badly and we don’t know where he has Masilda. We’re drowning in things we don’t know. You should be able to access the recording of Richter’s message from the medbay, maybe you’ll see something there that we can’t.”

"I do have an alternative," she pressed, "Richter wants the Oracle. All you have to do is make him believe that harming either you or Masilda will cause him to lose everything he's after. Rig the Oracle with an explosive. Program it to go off the second it's tampered with and give the detonator to one of them." She gestured towards Rossi and the others. "Richter will have no choice but to let you go."

Vague’s jaw set, and Rossi’s eyes flickered with nervous energy as she saw the telltale signs of her Captain reaching his limit. She hurried to her feet and shuffled between Nova and the Captain.

“Mic. Med bay.” His tone was flat and sharply edged.

The Sylarian said nothing as she led the trio from the room. Tsivoin continued to support Nova with Micaiah's help as they made their way back towards the Bedlam. "He looked angry," Tsivoin said quietly as they walked, breaking the silence between them.

"I lied to him," Nova answered in a flat, serious tone. "Even after I promised I wouldn't. I put the crew in danger by not telling them about you and I put you in danger by not telling you the truth. If he doesn't forgive me I can live with that. It doesn't change what I have to do."

Micaiah glanced over at the Jedi, giving her a curious look. She seemed--different somehow, more determined. Not at all like the directionless, overly cocky young girl she had met aboard the Wanderlust. What exactly had changed since she woke up?

Rossi spoke up before Tsivoin could reply. The Kessurian was following sheepishly behind the slow moving trio of Micaiah, Tsivoin, and Nova. "We lied to him." she corrected, though her tone was far from accusatory. Instead it was mostly remorseful, with a hint of uncertainty.

Tsiv turned his head to the side a bit so he could look back at her. It'd all been so much, the Zabrak hadn't really had a chance to process anything. Secrets, lies, the Force. His violet eyes shifted once to glance at Nova before they returned to Rossi. He decided then, that he didn't resent the Kessurian for keeping the secret. He could see clearly that she was drastically effected by the deception and he certainly knew how persuasive Nova could be. "He'll understand, though, won't he?" He asked finally as they headed up the ramp and into the ship towards the medbay. "I mean, he lies all the time, right?"

"Maybe, we'll see," Nova said with a shrug, wincing slightly at the effort. "In the meantime you need to learn how to control that noggin," she said, turning awkwardly to tap him on the forehead while giving him a smile. Then she gestured to the lightsaber in his hand. "I don't know how comfortable I'll be about you using that thing if you can't control your emotions."

The foursome walked through the opening door to the med-bay and Tsivoin helped Micaiah lower Nova down onto the exam bed she'd been occupying since they'd escaped the Wanderlust. The Zabrak obediently sat next to Rossi on the edge of the other exam bed where Micaiah had directed him to and looked down at the damaged saber hilt in his hand. He turned it over twice, then his eyes focused on a space somewhere between the lightsaber and where Nova lay. He was recalling the nightmares he'd had aboard the Venator as they were training for the Oracle heist. "It belonged to Joc Sah." He muttered to no one in particular.

"Who is Joc Sah," Micaiah asked. The young boy had been acting so strangely she was concerned he might be delirious.

"A Jedi Padawan, from before the fall," Nova answered for him. "We found his body on the Venator we used to plan the heist on the Wanderlust. I brought his lightsaber back with me and shortly after Tsivoin started tossing and turning in his sleep. He was bonding with it."

"Bonding... With the lightsaber?" Micaiah sounded a bit skeptical. She paused in her examination of Rossi to tilt her head back towards Nova.

"A Jedi's weapon is his lifeblood," she answered simply, as if that explained everything. "While we were on the Venator the Force guided me to Joc Sah's body, I was meant to find his lightsaber just as Tsivoin is meant to have it." She shifted her gaze over toward the Zabrak. "Our encounter on Cantonica was no accident. Neither was our escape. The Force brought us all together for a purpose. I'm sure of that now."

Meanwhile, back in the conference room Orev's voice cut through the silence left behind by the rest of the crews departure. "She's not wrong, you know," the Duros spoke as he returned to the center of the room to better study the map that the Oracle was projecting. SlackJaw returned with some data-capturing equipment and the pair began to set it up on the table. "After all that collateral damage aboard the Wanderlust, we know this guy's in it to win it."

Vague sighed sharply, sending a short jolt of pain up his flank as a result. "I don't give a rot if she was right or wrong," Vague said sternly. "This deception because she feels she knows better has become a pattern, a trend. I can't have it on this crew." He crossed his arms and focused on the bright dots floating out in the air. "What I care about right now is figuring out what in the nine circles of hell this map is for, and what else this shiny sphere is hiding."

"You are debating the virtues of handing the Oracle over to the Hooded Three." SlackJaw said as he plugged in the last of the cords and fired up the device.

Orev's lipless mouth smirked slightly in response to the statement. That had not occurred to him.

Vague raised his hands out to his sides slightly. "Look I'm not saying one way or another without some data ok. I'm just saying, this is a real bad dude, who has gone to a helluva lot of trouble to track this thing down. I just want to know what the gorram thing is and what it's capable of before I just hand it over like a galactic delivery service and go about our way-- Not to mention, that we still have our client, and the Obsidian Cartel to concern ourselves with, as well."

Then, without warning, a coughing fit struck the Captain and he covered his mouth with the inside of his elbow, backing away from the table. With his other hand, he motioned for the pair to stay put. "Just- Figure out what - it is." He struggled out between coughs and exited the conference room. He needed to find his tumbler quickly.
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VagueDurin
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

Sometime later, Vague Durin was striding purposefully through the camp, heading for the lowered ramp of the Veiled Bedlam when his comm unit trilled at him from a vest pocket. The Captain fished out the unit and keyed it on. "Go ahead." he said.

"Just thought you should know boss," Orev's voice came through. "Whatever Tsivoin did to power this thing up finally wore off. We've captured as much data as we can for now. Going to get to work trying to analyze it all."

Vague nodded his head along to Orev's message, then replied. "Copy that. I'll check in in a bit." He replied, not explicitly telling the Duros to not interrupt him, but the message was conveyed all the same. He came to a stop just outside of the med bay and took a deep, centering breath before keying the door open and stepping inside.

He hadn't expected to find all four of them still inside, and paused mid-stride, taking in the scene briefly. He focused his attention on Micaiah. "Prognosis?" He asked simply.

"Banged up and a little worse for wear but otherwise they're fine," Micaiah answered back, her tone clinical and lacking emotion. She held a datapad in her hand as she examined Nova's x-rays. Fortunately, the girl hadn't managed to tear open her wound again.

Durin accepted this information with a nod. He'd hoped and expected as much. He could sense the trepidation in both Rossi and Tsivoin's posture and expressions but ignored it. Ultimately his gaze then fell upon Nova - who in contrast to the others demonstrated a calm, maybe even content, resolve - as he spoke to the rest of the occupants. "I need the room."

Tsivoin glanced over at Nova with a look of uncertainty in his eyes. Nova simply responded with a shake of her head at his unspoken question. Reluctantly the Zabrak got up and followed Rossi out of the room. Micaiah lingered for a moment, waiting for the others to clear the hallway outside before stepping past Vague. She paused momentarily just a step behind him and spoke in a low volume that only he could hear.

"I know this is your ship, Captain, and your crew. And I may just be a stranger here, but before you punish that girl for keeping such a dangerous secret try to remember that you have dangerous secrets of your own, Mr. Ward."

She didn't bother to wait for a response after that and continued walking. Nova, meanwhile, had pushed herself off the bed and tried to stand as straight as she could. She turned to look at them curiously and for a moment a dark visage passed over Vague's face just as Micaiah left the room. Nova glanced between him and the Sylarian with a puzzled expression on her face.

"What was that about," she asked. Her voice sounded a bit strained but she did her best to control it.

Vague pressed the thumb of his left hand into his forehead between his eyebrows and held it there for a long moment as he contemplated a response to Nova's question. "Uhhm, do you remember when you thought I was going to auction you and the kid off as soon as we landed on Ord Mantell?" he asked, still rubbing at his forehead.

Nova made a face at the strange segue but thought back to that day all the same. She nodded her head slightly and replied since she could see his eyes were still closed. "I do."

He finally reopened his eyes and took his hand away from his face. "Same sort of deal. I find there's something about the way I live my life that makes newcomers assume the worst about me." He explained, an eerie, bleakness to his tone that was almost uncomfortably genuine. The Captain stepped further into the room, then pulled a stool along on it's castors until it was centered between the exam beds and straddled it with the kind of slow deliberateness that Nova would expect from someone twice his age. When he instructed her to make herself comfortable as well, she couldn't help but notice the mangled edge of his right ear, a deformity that had not been present prior to her coma.

"You guys have been through a lot," she said quietly, a strange kind of sadness seeping into her tone, "How long was I out?"

Durin’s lip twitched for a moment before his expression returned to neutral. “About six days, give or take,” he glanced back at the door where the others had retreated, “The kid could prolly break it down into hours and minutes, though... he hardly left your side.”

Nova cast her eyes to the floor. I'm not sure I deserve such devotion, she thought to herself. "You wanted to ask me about Richter," she asked quietly, glancing back up at Vague. When she saw the slight hint of surprise in his expression she gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, ever since I woke up it's like I can see things more clearly now."

Vague could tell that wasn't the only thing that had changed while the young woman was out. Time would tell if the growth she'd undergone during her recovery was positive or not, but for now he had more pressing concerns. "There's quite a bit I want to ask you about," he began, "But at present rescuing Masilda is all that matters."

Without preamble, he rolled the stool he was sitting upon over to the wall and keyed up the recording of Richter's transmission for Nova to review:
"I have a proposition for the man you call Vague Durin," Richter continued, "A trade."

Richter's image blinked out of existence and was replaced by the image of a female Ryn chained up and hanging from the ceiling. It looked like she had been brutally tortured. As soon as she saw her Micaiah drew in a sharp breath and covered her mouth. A second later Richter appeared again. "I will trade the life of this woman for the Oracle. You have one week to deliver. Contact me again on this frequency when you're ready to trade."

Then the call blinked out of existence...


A renewed fire burned behind his dark brown eyes as the recording finished and he turned back to Nova. "You and I have a lot to set straight," He started, "But right now, I need you to help me understand who these people are, what that thing in there is, and whether or not its safe give it to them." He couldn't be sure if she was surprised at the last bit or not, but he'd gotten used to folks assigning a lack of morality to him so it wouldn't have been a stretch for him to imagine she would be surprised to hear him considering the greater good outside of his crews orbit.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by Pryde »

A shadow was cast over Nova's eyes as she considered his words. She could tell him stories of her past life with them but none of which would help them now. "Honestly, Captain, I don't know how much help I'm going to be. Richter was kind of like my mentor in the past but he's not that person anymore. Back on the Wanderlust I could feel his anger and determination. Had those security guys not shown up he absolutely would have killed me."

Vague nodded. "Fine, what about the others?"

"Misu and Wes? Fellow students at the temple, but I didn't know them all that well," she hesitated a moment then looked away. "I don't build bonds easily, Captain. Richter was the first person I ever made a connection with. Well, until...," she left the rest hanging in the air but Vague felt confident she was referring to Tsivoin and the crew of the Bedlam.

Vague frowned for a moment, then tilted his head slightly and tried again. "How about that Skywalker of yours," He spoke, hoping to come at the problem from a different angle. "If I've gathered things correctly this Force thing is like a chance cube. There's a red and a blue side to it all. Surely you all were taught about the... Dark side?"

"Warned is probably more accurate," Nova replied, "The dark side is an easy path to power. You probably know as well as anyone that people crave instant gratification. That's what the dark side gives them. Master Luke warned us about its seductive nature but we weren't really allowed to study it."

His eyes narrowed slightly. “You said the kid used it, can he-“

Nova was afraid this question might come up. It was a concern that was also first and foremost in her mind as well. "He could," she admitted, which was tough for her to say. "Until now Tsivoin's use of the dark side has always been an instinctive reaction to something happening to him or someone he loves. Normally with anger alone one wouldn't be able to tap into that kind of power, but Tsivoin's connection to the Force is strong. With the proper training he could become a greater danger than even Richter."

"Yet you intend to train him anyway." His tone didn't sound accusatory, but she could hear the nervous caution that it held.

She nodded. "I know it's a huge risk, but I don't have much of a choice. Richter and his followers have me outnumbered three to one and no one else aboard this ship has the potential to become a Jedi. Plus," she added with a slight hesitation. She knew that Vague would never be able to understand her reasoning, but as Master Skywalker would say there is a purpose behind every meeting. "I have to believe that the Force brought him to me for a reason. I might be the only thing stopping him from falling to the dark."

The Captain appreciated her response and explanation, but the young Jedi had misjudged his intent. What Vague had really meant to find out was if the teens pre-established connection to these, dark powers, could be exploited for the good of the crew and their mission. He considered her response carefully and ultimately decided that right now likely wasn’t the right time to check underneath that blind.

Instead, he offered her a knowing smile. “You may call it the Force, whatever it is, we are strong believers in the lack of coincidence here. Micaiah called the Oracle a ‘force imbued’ object.. do you have any experience with them? It’s returned to dormancy and if what you say is true, I don’t suspect that Tsivoin will be able to reactivate it.”

"No, he couldn't," Nova agreed, "but I could."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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The last thing Tsivoin had wanted to do was leave Nova's side. Not only had she just woken back up from her week long coma, but he'd just learned a devastating truth about himself and his past and the young Zabrak was not ok with it. As he, Rossi, and Micaiah entered the commons area of the 'Bedlam he saw from the corner of his eye that the Kessurian was about to leave the ship entirely.

"Rossi-" He started, then winced at the raw unrgency he heard in his own tone. When she paused and looked back towards him he found it hard to meet her gaze. In his imagination, she looked at him fearfully, as one would look at the boogeyman from their childhood nightmares. He turned his horned head towards the ground and sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry, about earlier. I- I didn't mean to hurt you. Either of you." He added belatedly, glancing briefly over at the Sylarian.

Micaiah glanced over at Rossi before answering. "Your friend Nova mentioned some kind of past trauma," she said. "If that's true then I don't think you had much control. I should probably be the one to apologize for revealing to you a truth you weren't ready for."

Rossi watched as Tsivoin regarded the newest member of their group and the Kessurian's heart broke a bit as she took notice of his youthful features and bright eyes. Maybe Nova was right, and the Force had arranged for the two of them to meet. Maybe it even saw fit to put them on the 'Bedlam... If that's the case, then this Force can't be all that good. she thought grimly. What had they shown the kid since he'd stowed away, besides law breaking, deceit, danger, and pain?

"I'm sorry too, Campo. I knew all about your... gift, and I stayed silent." She glanced over at Micaiah. She'd tried so hard to keep the Sylarian from outing Tsiv to the rest of the crew, and that was a big step further than just staying quiet about it... She'd need to find a way to make that right with them later. "Nova wanted to be the one to tell you, she had a plan and it made sense at the time, but..."

"Now you're not sure," Micaiah finished for her, "Didn't sound like she was, either. I haven't known her for very long but even I could tell that something's changed. She seems--different somehow."

Rossi partially agreed with the Sylarian, but at the same time she found herself wondering idly, how well had any of them really known Nova before? She nodded her head all the same, then looked over at Tsiv. "Well, I'm going to go see Orev, see what kind of help I can offer, you want to come along?"

Tsiv shook his head, maybe too quickly. "No. I uh, I'm going to wait here, for Nova." He replied, then set his jaw as if either of the two women were likely to instruct him otherwise.

"Suit yourself, Campo. You know where to find us." Rossi told him and with one last glance at Micaiah, she turned and bounded down the ramp off in the direction of the main encampment.

Tsiv glanced over at Micaiah, who seemed to be impatiently watching the door to the Med Bay. When he decided it didn't seem like she'd be adding anything else to the conversation, the young Zabrak simply shuffled over to a chair near the bulkhead and slumped into it with a sigh. He, too, was watching the door... not with impatience, though... only uncertainty.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Tsivoin's patience was soon rewarded when the door to the med bay suddenly opened. Vague stepped out first followed closely behind by Nova as they headed towards the ramp. As soon as he saw her Tsivoin practically shot out of his chair. He almost ran over to her but the doc reached them first. "What are you doing," she asked.

"Activating the Orb," Vague answered simply.

"Well, can't the Orb be brought here? She needs to rest."

"It's fine," Nova assured her, "I'm fine. Besides, Vague doesn't want the Orb aboard his ship until he knows what it's capable of."

Micaiah looked like she was about to open her mouth to protest but decided against it. The girl had a point. The Captain was rather protective of his ship. With a sigh she followed behind them a few paces back. Tsivoin, meanwhile, had fallen into step beside Nova. He had a thousand questions he wanted to ask but he wasn't sure where to begin. They were down the ramp and halfway to the conference room before he finally turned to look at her and open his mouth.

"Later," Nova said quietly, interrupting him before he can speak. "First we save Masilda then we can talk."

Tsivoin looked disappointed so Nova rested a hand on his arm. "Watch me closely, okay? Try to feel what I'm doing, don't just rely on your eyes."

He looked up at her, a slight hint of confusion in his expression, then finally he nodded. Vague led them into the conference room where Orev and Slackjaw were still packing up the equipment they'd been using. As soon as they saw Vague and Nova enter they stopped. The Oracle sat on the table in the middle of the room. The Orb had gone dormant again since last Tsivoin activated it. Vague stepped to the side and allowed Nova room to get closer. The girl crossed over to the table and set her hands down gently on the Oracle's base. She closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing her power into the Orb. For a moment it seemed to do nothing then all at once the Orb separated from the base and began to float into the air. Again the surface of the Orb lit up with little pinpricks of light that got brighter and brighter until suddenly it exploded in a flash of light, projecting an image all around them of a massive star chart. The others stared in wonder as their eyes tried to take it all in.

"This is certainly a lot more information than we were able to gather before." Orev admitted as he glanced over at Nova who still had her eyes closed. 'What are these systems, though? The names I don't recognize."

"No one does," Slackjaw interjected, "It's an ancient language, one that hasn't been spoken for thousands of years. And this region of space, it's not on any star chart in my database."

"The Unknown Regions," Micaiah said quietly and all eyes turned to her.

"What do you know of it," Vague asked.

"Very little, I'm afraid," the Sylarian replied with a sigh. "Even my people have had trouble navigating the Unknown. The physics of hyperlanes just doesn't work the same somehow. We haven't ever been able to explain it."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Far across the galaxy First Order Raider Abbot stood at the position of attention, facing the long conference table that dominated the ready room. His eyes focused straight ahead, looking out the view-port into the bleak star field that surrounded the Nebulon K Frigate, 'Inexorable'. It'd been several days since the mission aboard the Wanderlust had gone so sideways, costing half of Sable Detachment their lives. His remaining functional troopers had collected their comrades, injured and fallen, and had reported back to their assigned vessel. In the days following the mission they had been left to their own devices and Abbot wondered if it was intentional, or if the Commander truly had other pressing matters to attend to.

At any rate, he had finally been summoned and now awaited the arrival of the Commander Amory Shaw, the leading officer aboard the Frigate and his most immediate supervisor. The Raiders technically fell under direct command of Kylo Ren, but when assigned to a fleet vessel they indirectly reported to it's commanding officer. Abbot had not been around Shaw long enough to formulate an opinion about her one way or another, but the trooper was no stranger to bureaucracy, having served for both the Empire and New Republic prior to his allegiance ot the First Order. He was a guest aboard her vessel and he would award her at least the courtesy that that demanded.

Finally, he heard the doors hiss open behind him and the footfalls of at least three individuals enter the ready room. Standing perfectly still, he maintained discipline and did not turn to look at the newcomers. Shaw appeared in his vision first, followed by two individuals he'd not seen before. Like him, they wore sterile black dress uniforms with no rank or affiliation insignia to show, Curious. He thought to himself.

When Shaw settled in at the head of the conference table, he snapped a quick salute. "JL-8953 reporting as instructed, Commander."

Commander Amory Shaw had raven colored hair, bright green eyes, and stood nearly three inches taller than Abbot. She laid a datapad down onto the conference table, then returned his salute smartly. "At ease, Raider. Please, have a seat." The Commander motioned towards the chair at the far end of the conference table as she took her own seat at the tables head. The other two individuals remained standing off to the side at a relaxed position of attention.

"Ma'am." Abbot replied and sat as instructed, his posture rigid, hands crossed atop each other on the tables surface.

Shaw scrolled through some information on the datapad momentarily, then looked back up at Abbot. "I want to keep this is brief as possible, I know that you and your team are still recovering from the engagement aboard the Wanderlust." She started. "Firstly, please accept my condolences for Sable Detachments losses. Each of your Raiders will be sorely missed. Secondly, High Command has reviewed your after action report and considered you recommendation, however at this time it is my duty to order you and your team to cease your pursuit of the fugitive Elena Connor and her associates."

Abbot's jaw tightened severely and his eyes widened in both surprise and anger. The trooper swallowed audibly, then took a deep breath and took a great risk by responding out of turn. "Commander, with respect, Auden Ward is a considerable threat and a defec-"

"That is quite enough, JL-8953. Your report on this individual was received and considered. At this time, the Order is not concerned with tracking down a traitor to the New Republic." Shaw rebuked. "Now, that being said, based off of your report and the data we have obtained from the Wanderlust, command has seen fit to overlook Sable Detachments recent shortcomings and has reassigned your unit with the task of locating these three individuals." The Commander tapped a button on the conference table and a holo image of Richter, Wes Tapal, and Misu Nim.

Abbot said nothing. He remained seated stiffly and regarding the image with a detached professionalism expected of someone in his position.

Shaw seemed to approve of his reaction and nodded slightly, indicating the two other beings in the room. "Raiders GN-4606, and JT-444 have been sent to bolster your Detachment. It's my understanding that your injured should be fit for service by weeks end?"

Abbot couldn't stop his eyes from narrowing in response. Raiders were drafted into a Detachment by the members of the squad, selected from the pool of new recruits as needed. It was highly irregular to have Command insert themselves into the process and circumvent procedure like this. He knew, though, that he'd already tested the Commanders patience and would need to keep his opinion to himself. "Affirmative, Commander." He replied, his tone frosty.

"Excellent. That should give you plenty of time to integrate them into your team and for you to prepare to embark on your new assignment. Dismissed."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Tsivoin stepped back beside Vague as Nova walked up to the Orb and the young Zabrak watched on as his... friend? Mentor? Closed her eyes and seemed to distance herself from the here and now somehow. At first as he watched, nothing happened, then all at once the orb rose up off the table and began to float in midair. It spun slowly clockwise as it began to light from within, and Tsivoin gasped audibly when it erupted in a flash, suddenly filling the entire conference room with what seemed to be some sort of star map. He hadn't really seen it the first time around, having been so frightened and anxious about his outburst and the sudden truths that had been forced upon him. Now he chided himself for being taken in by the bright lights, as he was supposed to be watching Nova instead. As the others began to discuss what the lights may represent, the teen began inching forward towards where Nova still stood perfectly still in concentration.

Vague had hoped that perhaps Micaiah would have been able to provide more information regarding the map given what she'd told him about her societies advanced technical prowess. He thanked her for what she'd offered, then he and Orev began to talk back and forth about the various rumors and tall tales they'd heard over the years from two-bit smugglers and con-men in cantinas all over the galaxy. Vague directed SlackJaw and Orev to get the equipment set back up so that they could record the new, more detailed readouts that Nova had just unlocked, as he slowly circled the room himself, studying both the starpoints as well as the ancient language denoting their names. He slowed to a stop on the opposite side of the table and turned his gaze to Nova.

"Is this everything?" He asked, trying to ensure that his tone implied that he knew this situation was new to all of them.

"It's not like there's an owners manual tucked away in there." Nova's reply came out a bit terse, her eyes remaining closed. It was obvious that she was focusing very hard on the orb.

Vague could appreciate the challenge and took her comment in stride. "Fair enough, but we need to know. Is this thing just an information repository? Is it a weapon? The Oracle has been around for hundreds, maybe thousands of years and it's never once been recorded or mentioned to be anything more than a pretty rock. Richter learned about it somehow, somewhere, and risked exposing himself and his followers to get it."

Vague ignored the hard stare he was getting from Micaiah and kept his focus split between the orb and Nova. He knew what the Sylarian was likely about to object to, but at the moment he didn't have an alternative. Nova had told him herself that Tsivoin was unlikely to be able to replicate his results, meaning the young woman was his only hope to identifying just how dangerous this thing was even though she was still recovering from her very serious injury.

Nova had been lying to the doctor and using the Force to help her body move more naturally. Now that she was concentrating the bulk of her power into the Orb she had stopped focusing on herself. The strain in her voice was born from the pain she felt creeping up from her gut.

"Not a weapon," she managed to say through gritted teeth. "Navigational charts hidden away by..."

Images started to appear in her mind of an alien species with a narrow, skeletal like face and a broad, flat head. She could see many of them kneeling in prayer, pouring energy into the Orb. They were preparing for a journey deep into the unknown. Then all of a sudden the door to the chamber opened and more of the alien species entered, violently slaughtering the others. As the last of them fell she felt a dark presence behind her. She turned to look, both in the dream world and physical reality. There stood one of the aliens looking directly at her. He was consumed by the dark side, his hands radiating power as he lifted his spear and plunged it into her chest. Nova cried out in alarm and fell backwards, somehow narrowly missing the table on her way down. Meanwhile, the Orb continued to float over the table displaying the map, but probably not for long now that Nova was no longer powering it.

Tsivoin had been standing directly beside Nova when she had turned in his direction, seemingly looking right through him. At the exact same moment that she cried out, the Zabrak had felt an immense power course through his body. It left him feeling cold, scared, betrayed... He recoiled in the opposite direction that Nova did, watching on but unable to brace her fail as he could only barely control his own descent to the deck.

Micaiah was the first to move, rushing over and kneeling down next to Nova. The young Jedi had difficulty pulling herself up into a sitting position and when the Sylarian saw the pained expression on the girl's face she forced her to lie down.

As Micaiah rushed to Nova's side, so Rossi did to Tsivoin's. The Kessurian knelt next to Tsivoin, the palm of her right hand resting between his shoulder blades while the palm of her left pressed flat against his sternum. She could feel the rapid beating of both his hearts reverberating up her forearms and winced as she recalled the pain from the shockwave she'd been hit with earlier that day.

"Hey... easy Campo." She whispered. She'd barely gotten the words out when she heard the demanding and authoritative tone of Micaiah's voice cutting through the silence. Rossi's head snapped around to look over at the Sylarian, her eyes wide as she processed the way the doctor was barking orders at Vague.

"That's enough, Captain. She needs to be taken back to the medbay. Help me carry her."

Vague watched out of the corner of his eye as the Orb slowly dimmed and ultimately settled itself back down onto it's base on the table. The corners of his eyes twitched for a moment as he considered the Doctor's rebuke, but he ultimately stepped forward and scooped Nova up into his arms. He could tell, now, that the young Jedi had mislead both Micaiah and himself into believing she had recovered much further than was the case.

The Captain cradled her, one arm behind her knees, the other supporting her shoulders and neck and sighed slightly. "Atta girl, hazynam" He whispered, wanting to chastise her for the deception but not finding the resolve to follow through with it. Durin walked forward to the conference rooms doorway, then turned his head just slightly and looked over at the remainder of his crew.

"I've seen enough. Once you've secured the data, Orev I want you to get to work rigging the Orb up with our little... insurance policy. Richter's going to want to confirm the Orb's authenticity so be sure we can still make that happen. EssJay, take a look at archival starcharts in the 'Bedlams mainframe. Maybe we'll get lucky and one of the previous owners found their way into the Unknown. Rossi," He paused and looked down at the Kessurian whose expression was a mix of all sorts of emotions. "Dig around on the net.. see if you can find us an accessible archive that might have some data on these unstable hyperlanes." With that, he turned and left the room, heading back towards the Med Bay with Micaiah in tow.

The trio walked in silence for a bit, but Vague could tell that Micaiah was steaming. He was considering having a chat with the doctor later about who was in charge when she suddenly stepped forward and gave Nova a stern look.

"You lied to me," she said.

Nova smirked, but it did take some effort. "Yea, I did. Sorry," she said in a strained voice. "I just--wanted to help Masilda."

Micaiah glanced up at Vague with a helpless look in her eyes. The girl's stubbornness was somewhat frustrating and routinely led to her taking unnecessary risks. But her heart was always in the right place even if it meant aggravating her injuries even further. That made it somewhat difficult to want to chastise her.

"What did you see," Vague questioned, changing the subject.

Nova frowned. "I'm not entirely sure," she said, "I saw a massacre. There was an alien species kneeling around the Orb."

"You saw them making it," Micaiah asked. For the moment she set aside her concerns in favor of her curiosity.

Nova shook her head. "I don't think they created it," she told them, "But they planned to use it to escape."

Vague narrowed his eyes. "From what?"

"Others, like themselves," the Jedi explained, "They wielded the dark side, I could feel it. Then one of them saw me and tried to kill me. That's when I... Well, you know...," she left the rest hanging in the air.

Vague's head spun for a moment. He had a hard time understanding this Force business. The things from the past, saw Nova snooping on them from the future, and then tried to kill her? His head visibly shook in response to his confusion.

They'd begun walking again and had arrived at the med-bay. The Captain very carefully laid Nova down on the gurney and for a moment he stood still, slightly bent over at the waist. He wanted to thank her for her bravery, berate her for her stubbornness, and tell her how proud he was of her selflessness all at once and for the briefest of moments the amalgamation of all those emotions swam across his face and behind his eyes. It was fleeting, and ultimately the passive mask re-solidified itself and he stood up straight and stepped away, allowing the doctor access to her patient.

"It should go without saying," He spoke once he was sure his voice would be steady. "You're confined to medbay until the Doctor has cleared you. Again."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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"Technically, I didn't clear her the first time," Micaiah said in a flat, level tone as she began her examination of the young Jedi. She had the girl hooked up to conventional medical tools that were available in the medbay rather than using her bracelet. She did a cursory scan of the girl's body then frowned. "You've opened the wound again," she told her, "You're going to need some bacta."

As the doctor stepped away to go prepare the bacta tank Nova reached out and tugged on Durin's sleeve before he could leave the room. "Vague, I'm sorry," she said quietly, "For everything. If I could go in your place...," she let her words trail off, but Vague understood her meaning. Whenever any of the crew members were in danger she was always the first to spring into action. It was in her nature to act the hero in lieu of placing anyone else at risk. Now, though, she could only rely on her friends. "Please be careful," she finished. The look in her eyes plainly told him that she had so much more to apologize for when this was over.

**********

Lyshani glanced up as Raav entered the room. She gave the Zabrak an expectant look but the man simply shook his head. She groaned loudly then threw the icepack she'd been holding to her forehead across the room. Somehow Vague had managed to trick her and she had yet to figure out how. The young Arkanian woman who was with him had something to do with it, she was sure, but she didn't know what. She'd never before seen a technology that could mimic the Clawdite's shapeshifting like that. As far as anyone was concerned there was no reason to suspect the Devaronian was anything but that.

How did he do it, she grumbled to herself, and where did he get that technology? "Were you able to find the contact," she asked and again Raav shook his head.

"Durin's contact left Nar Shaddaa just before the deal went down. Clearly, Durin didn't want us catching him and using him as leverage."

"Clearly," Lyshani muttered quietly under her breath. She wasn't aware that Vague had contacts on Nar Shaddaa. She would have vetted him more closely if she had. Either she was losing her touch, a thought she adamantly refused to entertain, or the contact wasn't Vague's. The Arkanian woman then? She was clearly more than she pretended to be. She managed to take out Raav in just a few strikes with a style of martial arts he'd never seen before so she was clearly trained. Posing as the ship's doctor on the Wanderlust is a pretty good cover for a spy or a thief. No one would think twice to question a medical professional.

"Come on, Raav, we're leaving," she told him as she stood and headed out through the door he'd just entered. Vague would be selling the Oracle soon, there was nothing she could do to stop that. Fortunately, Vague had access to something far, far more valuable and eventually he would have to head back to Ord Mantel to pick up another job. She would just use the opportunity to pick up his trail then...
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Vague flashed Nova his trademarked smirk and nodded his briefly. "Always, hazynam." he replied sincerely, then made his way out of the made bay with purpose. Nova could see his face and demeanor psychically shift as he turned into that expressionless mask he'd worn the day they'd met Lyshani back on Chandrilla. He passed by Micaiah on the way out the door and for a moment, almost paused to address her, then thought better of it and continued on his way. Once outside the med bay, he headed to the cockpit. Richter may have the frequency for the 'Bedlam, but there was no sense in letting providing him with their frequency here on Dosuun as well.

Vague settled into the pilots seat and closed his eyes gently, running through an exercise to calm and settle his nerves, to bury his emotions, and to steel himself against the call he was about to make.

After inputting the frequency Richter had used to contact him Vague waited until the holocom sprung to life. He used the moment to flip a handful of switches, and quickly shoot a message off to Orev to let the Duros know he was making the call. Richter's shimmering blue image appeared just above the console and Vague reached up above him and threw one final switch.

"Your time grows short," Richter said curtly, "I was beginning to think you did not care for the girl. I take it then, that you have it?"

Vague narrowed his eyes slightly as he lowered his arm and focused on the image of the darksider in front of him. "Not that you'd care or acknowledge, but finding one small, shiny red sphere in a galaxy the size of ours is no easy task. Especially when it's being held by a barvy Zeltron and her harem." Vague replied carefully, purposefully trivializing the Oracle as a rock in an attempt to disguise the fact that he and his crew knew more... "I have obtained the Orcale, at great cost. I am prepared to provide it to you in exchange for Masilda's safe return to us."

Richter narrowed his one good eye at him and for a moment the two sat in silence, an invisible battle of wills commencing across the vastness of space. Vague could feel tendrils of something creeping into his mind, but doubled down on his resistance to them... The Captain struggled to bury everything but his surface thoughts in an attempt to resist Richter's probe. "Your effort is noted, perhaps even admirable to the lesser-beings, but Captain, I assure you, I will reduce your mind to so much dust to achieve my goals." The Darksider threatened.

Memories of Richter's complete command of the Casino floor during the botched heist were still clear in the Captain's mind, and so too was the cyberneticly enhanced man's response to Vague calling his bluff. The Captain was gripping the armrests of the pilots chair so tightly his knuckles had gone pale and his vision was darkening around the edges. Ultimately, he relented. "So you have seen it then," he said finally, "The map?"

He didn't bother giving Vague a chance to answer. "It matters not," he said, keying something into a console Vague couldn't see. "Bring the Oracle to these coordinates. And, Captain, don't be late."

Then the image flickered out of existence before Vague could respond. The Captain was merely glad that Richter had been concerned only with what he expected the Oracle to display, and had not probed further to learn of Nova's vision.

"I don't sound like that when I do it, right?" Vague asked into the empty cockpit without turning around, he was rewarded with a hearty, if a bit forced, chuckle from Orev who had arrived mid-call. "Is the Oracle ready?" Vague began the pre-flight sequences as spoke. "It's going to take us a while to get to the meet."

Orev grunted and set the steel case down on the console next to Vague. "Not my most attractive work, but I showed it to the hotshot. She seems confident that it'll do the trick." He replied.

Vague nodded as he keyed the reactors to start warming up, then turned to look at Orev. "I want the kids to stay here." He spoke plainly.

"Doubt they'll be happy to hear it."

"No, and I'm sure that the good Doctor will insist on remaining behind as well." The Captain leaned against the bulkhead for a few moments. Before he continued. "The four of us can handle this." It was as much a statement to convince himself as it was a question for his second-in-command.

"What makes you sure she won't rabbit?" Orev finally asked.

Vague's eyes narrowed a bit and it took him a moment to understand the question. "As long as Nova needs patching, she'll stick around. After that..." The pair left the rest unspoken. Vague sighed heavily. "Get Three and Four geared up and ready to fly. I'll go break the news to the rest."

While the rest of his crew underwent what had now become mundane and routine preparations for a high risk mission into unknown territory, Vague donned an altogether different sort of armor and strode into the Med-Bay once more. A cursory scan showed that Micaiah, Nova, Tsivoin, and Rossi were all present. He and the Kessurian exchanged a non-verbal signal and the left without making a sound. Then Vague steeled his nerves and turned to address the group, though his focus was on Nova.

"I've received coordinates from Richter for the meet, the Bedlam is being prepped for the trip and we'll be departing as soon as you two have disembarked."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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"You want to leave her here without proper medical facilities," Micaiah asked, she sounded incredulous.

"We have facilities here," Vague pointed out and Micaiah crossed her arms disapprovingly.

"I've seen your facilities," she said, "They're hardly adequate."

She kept her tone neutral, but it was clear she was against leaving Nova here to recover. Vague looked like he was about to say something else before Nova suddenly spoke up. "It's fine, Doc," she told her, "I prefer to stay here."

Micaiah looked at the girl helplessly then shook her head. "Fine," she said, turning back to look at Vague, "Then if you don't need me, Captain, I would like to stay here as well and tend to my patient."

Both Tsivoin and Vague looked over at Nova with surprised expressions, though to his credit the Captain's was contained only to his eyes. It was safe to say that both of them had expected the resistance to this particular mandate to have come from the firey and independent Nova, rather than the Sylarian Doctor.

The Zabrak had been prepared to protest alongside is friend but now he wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to go help Masilda... He hadn't known the Ryn for long, but she was nice to him and treated him like an equal. Being the youngest and least experienced member of the crew, he'd appreciated that greatly. He'd also secretly enjoyed how she got on Nova's nerves. All that being said, however, if Nova planned to stay here on Dosuun, then Tsiv felt he should too. They had a lot to talk about, and something was bothering her... he could feel it.

Vague tried to meet Nova's gaze but she'd averted her eyes. He bowed his head slightly in her direction and instead turned back to Micaiah. The Captain would have preferred the Sylarian come along with he and his crew, there was no telling how this was going to play out and having a surgeon with a stash of life-saving nano-bots on stand-by was a major advantage. But Durin understood. He recalled the fierceness that Micaiah had shown back on the Wanderlust when she'd demanded to come along with them in order to care for Nova and he knew this wasn't a battle he was prepared to fight. "We'll make do without you, Mic. Do you need anything from here removed? The rendezvous is a good distance away and we need to depart as soon as possible."

Micaiah pointed at the flexpoly bacta suit she had been preparing for Nova. "Nova needs bacta for her treatment," she said, "More than a patch. I'll need help carrying this equipment off of the ship."

Meanwhile, Tsivoin had sidled up next to Nova. He still felt uncomfortable about not protesting staying behind but that had to be nothing compared to what Nova was feeling right now. "Are you sure about this," he whispered quietly.

Somehow Nova was able to manage a shrug. "It's simple math, kid," she told him, "I'm in no condition to face Richter again and he's in no position to leave me alive. He knows how dangerous I can be and if he can't turn me then he'll try for the next best thing. Hate to say it, Tsiv, but Vague's right. Leaving me behind is the best option."

"And me," he asked, that uncertain look returning to his eyes.

Nova had a feeling this question might come up. "You're not ready," she told him simply, "Your mind has only just been opened up to the Force but you haven't learned to control it yet. What do you think is going to happen if you see Wes Napal there?"

It was a pointed question and one she didn't feel right about asking, but he needed to ponder it. Wes Napal was the one who put her in the med bay. He was the one that nearly killed her. He was also the one that nearly killed Tsivoin. As much rage as he may have for Richter harming Nova that must pale in comparison to the anger he's built up for Wes. Tsivoin fell silent with a perturbed look on his face so Nova continued. "I know how you feel about Masilda," she assured him, "I feel it too, but right now isn't the time for you to try and save her. You're at a tipping point, Tsiv. You can go either way with just a push. Question is, do you want the one pushing to be Richter? Or me?"
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Tsivoin's fist balled up, tightening around the thin blanket that covered the gurney in the med-bay, as memories of the Lasat carelessly throwing him into the bulkhead came flooding back to the teen. His eyes danced with fear, uncertainty, but mostly anger as he considered seeing Napal again. The teen took a deep, shuddering breath and turned his young eyes back towards Nova. His grey and black marked face twisted with a frustration he wasn't sure she could relate to. He wanted to protest but deep inside he knew she was right and images of the Ryn's damaged body warned him of what fate he would likely meet if Richter decided to keep him. "Ok," he eventually relented. "Let's get you ready to move, then." The teen took a half step back and reached out to help her off the gurney.

Nova allowed him to help her down from the gurney then leaned against him for support. Despite his frail body the Zabrak was surprisingly strong. "I'm sorry, Tsiv, that was a low blow," she said, "Wes was never a friend but he intimidated me... He still does. What you did on the Wanderlust was incredibly foolish, but it was also incredibly brave. You acted without hesitation and nearly paid the price for it, all to save a friend. You have the heart of a true Jedi, Tsiv. I'm sorry I couldn't see it sooner."

The pair followed Vague and Micaiah out of the med-bay and down the ramp of the freighter. Tsiv wasn't sure quite how to respond to Nova's commendation and apology. This new world had only very recently opened up to him and he didn't understand much about it. One thing he did understand, however, was what he'd overheard Rossi explaining to the others in the conference room... about the dark side and about the destruction he'd caused back on Cantonica. He shuddered violently beneath the support he was providing to Nova and replied under his breath. "You saw something else first."

"That's not your fault," she told him firmly, "You had no control. Sometimes the Force can just manifest itself unexpectedly. You're not the first."

She didn't elaborate what she meant, of course, but Tsiv suspected that she may have been hinting at having a similar experience.

They walked the rest of the way to the medical container in silence, though unbeknownst to the teen Zabrak, he continued to give off cool, dark tendrils of pain into the Force as he was unable to shake off the memories of that night. When they were able to get Nova settled down, Tsivoin pulled over a nearby crate to sit on and rested his forearms against the edge of the gurney. “I... hurt a lot of people, didn’t I?” He finally asked in a shaky voice.

Meanwhile, Vague watched on from the entrance to the container as he conversed with Micaiah. “You’ll keep an eye on them?” He asked her.
Nova sighed. "Yes, you did," she said quietly, "And nothing I can say will ever take that pain away from you. But you can continue to dwell on it and let that pain control you or learn to accept the pain and strive to do better. So yeah, you screwed up, kid, no two ways about it," she added with a shrug. Then she gave him a sympathetic look. "Question is, what do you plan on doing now?"

Meanwhile, Micaiah cast a weary glance over her shoulder at Tsivoin. The memory of his power picking her up and throwing her still fresh in her mind. "Well, of course," she told Vague, "But I'm not a Jedi. I mean, I don't know if the kid is dangerous or not but if he..." She left the rest hanging in the air, a slight shudder running down her spine.

Tsiv turned around just in time to catch the fleeting edge of Micaiah's weary expression as she regarded him and his chin set a bit in response. It was the same sort of look that Rossi had given him earlier, too. "I.. I want to stop scaring people." he said finally, when she started to respond immediately, he reached outward and rested a palm on her forearm to stall her. "Nova, we've seen what you can do and we all look to you with hope, astonishment, pride... They've seen what I've done... They look at me with fear, nervousness, uncertainty. Help me change that?"

Vague nodded his head towards Micaiah. He understood what she was saying, and in her place he'd be feeling the same way. If Nova couldn't keep the kid from hurting others, it'd be a job left for the rest of them to finish. He'd been pretty out of it on Nar Shaddaa but the efficiency with which the Sylarian had disabled Raav told Vague that if push came to shove she'd be able to protect herself. Still - He wished he had someone else he could leave behind.

"I'm sorry I can't offer more support." He spoke in a lower tone, suddenly aware of Tsivoin and Nova's attention in their direction. "But we'll hurry back." he added.

Nova was a bit taken by surprise. When Tsiv drew his arm back she unconsciously rested her own hand on her forehead. Is that true? Is that how they really feel about me?

"Um, y--yes. Of course, Tsiv," she stammered, trying to regain her composure. "When the Doc's ready to let me walk out of here we'll see what we can do about making that work again," she added, pointing to the broken lightsaber he still held in his hand.

Micaiah finally tore her eyes off Tsivoin and looked back at Vague. "Be careful out there," she told him and at the slight hint of surprise in his eyes she shrugged. "I'm not saying I'm ready to pick out curtains, or anything, but you're growing on me."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Across the galaxy on the industrial planet of Bonadan in an abandoned warehouse near the edge of Spaceport Southeast II Misu Nim was pleading her case to Richter. “But I quite like this little starfly,” she told him. “She makes the dreamiest noises. Let me keep ‘er?”

Masilda was a few meters away, chained to a durasteel plated wall. The Ryn has bruised and battered, she whimpered against the rag in her mouth and wondered when this would all end.

Richter growled, he hated having to repeat himself. "That's enough," he hissed, "I need the girl cogent for the trade. You know as well as I do that Vague Durin is a cautious man. He won't hand over the Oracle if it appears we won't honor our end of the bargain. Once the trade is done and we have the Oracle you may do as you will."

The Cathar backpedaled a bit at the roughness of his response. She wondered just what this Durin guy had said or done that had Richter in such a mood though she dared not ask. She bowed her head slightly and turned back towards her captor, rechecking the restraints on her arms and legs. “Between you ‘n’me starfly, I dunno what is so special about this Oracle. But once we’ve got it,” she paused and made a slicing motion across her furred neck. “It’s back to the force for your friends.”

Meanwhile about a klick away the Veiled Bedlam was cooling down from its reentry sequence. Vague and his crew gathered in the commons, each moderately armed and armored. Though the Captain wondered what good it would do for them if Richter snapped.

“We’re sure about this?” Rossi asked.

Orev shrugged his shoulders. “Near as I can tell, the force can’t effect a droids actions, so SJ’s our best bet for the trigger.”

“We’re not sure about any of it.” Vague finally spoke up. “But we owe it to Masilda to try. Come on. We don’t wanna be late.” The Captain carefully picked up the Oracle in its carrying case and the four of them filed down the ramp and out of the ship with a grim resolve etched into their features.

It took about fifteen minutes for them to traverse the distance between where they’d landed and the location that Richter had specified for the handoff. Vague could hear Rossi gasp slightly as they entered and she saw the state Masilda was in. Vague and Orev’s expressions merely hardened. With an unspoken signal Vague instructed his crew to stop where they were and he continued forward, eyes fixed on Richter.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Wes grumbled softly as Vague approached. "Left his little pet Jedi behind," he muttered quietly to himself. "Maybe she didn't make it."

"Elena's alive," Richter said simply, then he turned a sharp gaze back over his shoulder towards Wes. "You should have been more thorough."

The Lasat simply grunted. "Whatever, I'll get another chance."

Richter narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate our little starchild," he snapped at him, "She's more skilled than either of you."

Wes and Misu shared a dubious look with each other before Misu turned back to Richter. "You serious? No joke," she asked.

Richter said nothing, he didn't need to. Most of the other students at Skywalker's temple were familiar with one lightsaber style, maybe two. Elena had somehow managed to learn three, Shi-Cho, the beginner form every young student learns. The fifth form of Djem-so and Shien and lastly form three, Soresu, the most effective defensive form there is. Either Master Skywalker had lied about not showing favoritism or Elena had been getting extra training from elsewhere. Either way it didn't matter. Her power still paled in comparison to his own and once they had the Oracle...

"Is that it," Richter asked, nodding to the case Vague was carrying with him. Vague said nothing, but took a few more steps forward before setting the case on the floor and opening it. Richter had a somewhat puzzled look in his eye. The good captain was up to something but he couldn't quite see what it was until Vague had finally moved out of the way.

"The frell is that," the Lasat cried out, stepping up beside Richter to get a better look at the bomb.

Richter stared daggers at Vague. "A double cross," he asked in an icy tone.

"Insurance," Vague answered simply.

Richter's anger flared for a moment. "You don't think I can disarm that bomb," he asked hotly, one hand half raised ready to do just that.

As Vague took another step backward, a low whine emerged from the case. The bomb activating. He raised his hands just slightly to either side and shrugged. “I can’t. And I’m particularly good at that sort of thing. Here’s the deal: bombs tied to my crews vitals. Kill any one of us, boom. It’s also on a remote trigger, any further harm to Masilda, boom. Now, I’ve delivered the Oracle of Vidunatru, as requested. Hand over Masilda like we bargained for, and the five of us will leave this place. The bomb is also proximity linked to my ship. Once we’ve traveled far enough away from here, it will disarm and dismantle.”

Wes chuckled lightly in spite of himself. "He got you, Rick," he said and the other man scowled.

Richter was not happy. He had hoped to be rid of Vague and his crew. They were so close to accomplishing their goal, they couldn't afford any hindrances. It was bad enough they had a First Order strike team dogging their steps, the last thing they needed were some plucky heroes thrown into the mix.

"Let her go," he growled.

"But you said--," Misu started before Richter interrupted her.

"I said let her go," he roared, the look on his face sending a clear message that he wasn't going to ask a second time.

Misu Nim was beside herself. The Cathar Dark Jedi stared menacingly at Vague Durin and his crew with brilliantly green eyes, as if a pair of laser blasts were about to erupt from their irises. Richter had promised, and she'd put so much work into this particular Starfly. When Richter shouted, she flinched and hurried back to the bulkhead where Masilda was chained.

Once she was there, however... the temptation to simply reunite this one with the Force before she could be stolen away became unbearable. The Cathar spared a glance back towards the others as she considered the ideation. She could sense the fear and trepidation from the Kessurian. That would be her second target. Oddly, she only sensed a deep seated resolve in the human and Duros, though. These were not the usual lowly beings that she and her fellow darksiders encounterd out here in the Rim.

Finally the temptation simply grew to be too great and the Cathar swiftly drew Masilda's own techblade form it's sheath. The blade had nearly reached the Ryn's exposed throat when her green eyes enlarged with a fear she'd rarely known.

In the instant between Misu Nim making her decision and the blade stopping mere millimetres from Masilda's throat, several things happened. Vague and Orev were the first to draw their weapons. A Relby V-10 Blaster Rifle and a EE-4 Carbine respectively. SlackJaw wasn't too far behind and as Vague and Orev trained their rifles on Misu Nim, the 79-series droid aimed pair of TL-50 Heavy repeating blaster rifles one at Richter, the other at Wes Napal.

Concurrently, Richter had reached behind him with the force and tightened an invisible grip around both Misu Nim's weapon arm and her throat and was squeezing with deadly force. The Cyborg ignored the response from the Bedlam's crew, turning completely away from them and trusting that his Lasat companion would keep him from harm. He heard Wes' lightsaber activate in response to the weapons being drawn as Richter yanked Misu Nim violently towards him with the Force.

Misu hit the ground hard right at Richter's feet. The cyborg ignited his red lightsaber and stabbed down towards the Cathar's head. Misu closed her eyes just before the inevitable end but when nothing happened she opened them again. Richter was leaning over her, his blade stabbed into the ground mere inches from her face.

"You are alive only at my mercy," he told her, his voice taking on an icy tone. "Do not forget your place."

Then he straightened and threw his lightsaber in Masilda's direction. The Ryn cried out through her gag though the sound was muffled and she closed her eyes. A second later the crimson blade of Richter's lightsaber sliced through her bonds, freeing her.

"Go," Richter told her firmly, before tossing the Ryn's techblades at her feet. It took a moment for Masilda to realize he was talking to her.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

Vague was sorely tempted to make a comment about Richter and his house being in disorder, but the veteran spacer knew better than to push a bad hand. Instead he flashed a pair of signals which instructed SlackJaw to keep his weapons trained on the two standing darksiders, while Orev shadowed Vague from a distance. The Captain then walked a slow, deliberately cautious path around Richter and the fallen Cathar, he slung his rifle as he neared the far bulkhead where Masilda had crumpled down to her knees in tears. Up close he could more clearly see the damage that she'd endured and Vague's jaw clenched in barely bridled rage. He reached out and quickly freed her of her shackling, looped her weapons belt around his neck, then helped her steady her feet. With one of her arms draped over his shoulders Vague took on most of the Ryn's weight and the pair started a slow shuffle back towards the others. His eyes narrowed as he crossed by Misu Nim and Richter once more. Had they not been powerful darksiders... Well- He still vowed to avenge Masilda. Somehow, someway.

Once he and Masilda were back with the rest of his crew, he spun around to face Richter. "Today may not have gone how you'd preferred, but we upheld our end of the bargain, a fair deal, just business." He offered, then glanced towards the door. "We'll be leaving now, don't follow. Once we've traveled far enough away, the Oracle will be yours."

"Enjoy your victory for the moment, Captain," Richter told him in a chillingly calm voice, "Do yourself and your crew a favor and stay away."

Vague merely bowed his head slightly in response, then as one, his crew collapsed their positions and moved out of the warehouse, SlackJaw not lowering his weapons until they were completely out of sight from the darksiders. "EssJay, take Rossi on ahead get the ship and the med bay prepped. I want off this rock and out of this system as soon as possible." Vague spoke in a low tone. The pair did as instructed, hurrying on ahead to prep the ship while Orev fell back to keep an eye on their surroundings. Masilda tried to say something, but Vague stopped her short. "Save your strength, ezizim. We'll talk about it later."

At her injured pace, it took them nearly twenty minutes to make it back to the freighter, all the while Vague and Orev expected to turn a corner and find the darksiders there ready to slaughter the lot of them wholesale. Once they'd boarded and gotten Masilda safely onto the gurney in the med-bay, Vague allowed himself a smug half smile at the thought that the trio had to sit around that long and wait for the bomb to disarm. "EssJay, get us airborne." Vague called out over the comm link then settled down near the side of the gurney as Rossi started to tend to Masilda's wounds.

Back at the warehouse, almost thirty minutes to the second after Vague and his crew left with Masilda, a whirring noise started to come from the apparatus surrounding the Oracle. It lasted for several seconds, then a pair of micro-bursts went off in the collar surrounding the gem. Nothing so powerful to hurt anyone or cause damage to the jewel, but enough to let loose the hinges and the remainder of the device fell free to either side, revealing the Oracle of Vidunatru in all of it's glory....
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

The 'Bedlams return trip from Bonadan seemed to take forever. Rossi and Vague did what they could for Masilda but the damage that she'd sustained at the hands of the darkside trio had been severe and comprehensive. In the end, they'd opted to give the Ryn something for the pain and something to sedate her slightly and prayed that SlackJaw could coax just a bit more output from the drives.

As soon as the struts touched down in the hangar, Rossi's boots were clanging down the deck as the Kessurian sprinted off into the bases main section, heading towards the medical container but also calling out for the Sylarian doctor as she went...

As it turns out Micaiah wasn't in the medical area. She'd been keeping a close eye on Nova after she had finished her treatment. Forty-eight hours in a bacta suit and she was feeling much better. The wound in her gut was still a bit tender but she could move around more.

After getting out she wasted no time in advancing Tsiv's training. Over the last couple of days the best she could do was to give him some basic advice on meditation so he could focus on opening his mind to the Force. Now, though, she had him working on some more advance techniques. With the help of Micaiah she was able to cobble together a makeshift training drone from various spare parts that had been lying around. Tsivoin was now facing off against the drone wielding Nova's lightsaber.

"Don't just follow the drone with your eyes," she was telling him, "Try to feel it's movements. Let the Force guide your hand."

Tsiv was doing his best trying to follow her instructions. None of the three were ready when Rossi burst into the area practically screaming Micaiah's name.

The Sylarian was quick to get on her feet and didn't waste any time. "Where is she," she asked as she ran past Rossi in the direction of the Bedlam.

Rossi had skidded to a halt as she entered the room where she'd heard noises and now she stared blankly at the scene before her. It took a moment or two for her to process it all and she felt some heat rising to her pink toned cheeks as she realized she probably had a fairly fearful expression on her face at the sight of Tsivoin handling the lightsaber. With concerted effort, she closer her mouth and tore her eyes away from the Zabrak to look over at Nova who was leaning against a container wall nearby. Her eyes narrowed a bit with an unspoken question, then widened as she recalled what had brought her here in the first place. She distantly heard both Tsivoin and Nova ask her how Masilda was but she didn't have the time to respond. Instead, she spun on her heels and chased after Micaiah. "Med bay, gurney two!" She hollered as she ran. "Micaiah it's bad."

Tsiv's expression darkened as Rossi left and as he dropped his guard the training remote took the opportunity to sting him with a couple of well placed blasts. This only managed to rip the lid off of Tsivoin's temper and he found himself snarling at the remote in response. The teen took a couple of wildly, poorly aimed slashes at the remote, nearly losing his balance in the process, before he heard Nova's voice ring out through the room.

"Tsivoin stop!" Her tone was still strained, but she must have used the force to amplify it as he felt like it was deafening at the same time.

He froze instantly, panting heavily and hunched at the shoulders as his violet eyes glared first at the droid, but then at the point where Rossi had been standing a few moments prior.

"I know," Nova told him in a calmer, more empathetic tone, "But you can't lash out in anger everytime something bothers you. You'll only end up confirming their worst fears. You said yourself you want to change how people perceive you. If that's true then you need to focus, calm your inner mind. Use the breathing techniques I taught you."

She spared a glance back over her shoulder to where Rossi had just left the room. "Maybe we should take a break," she said turning back to look at Tsivoin.

Meanwhile, Micaiah practically skidded to a halt as she entered the Bedlam's med bay. Rossi was not selling it short when she said Masilda was in pretty bad shape. "I need everyone out," she said, speaking to everyone in the room.

Rossi, Orev and Slackjaw were the first to file out. As Vague passed her Micaiah gently reached out and grabbed him by the arm, just above the elbow. "I'll need you," she said quietly. There was an odd tone to her voice. She was absolutely horrified that another being could do this to someone.

Vague nodded quietly then Micaiah let go of his arm and slipped the bracelet off her wrist, ready to get to work.

The door sealed shut behind Vague and he sighed softly as he looked over at Masilda. He walked around to the opposite side of the gurney from where Micaiah stood and his brow furrowed. "Should have gotten there sooner," He muttered, "Shouldn't have let her be taken in the first place." there was a lethal edge to his tone that caused Micaiah to pause momentarily as she placed the bracelet over Micaiah's left wrist. Vague noticed and vigorously shook his head. Now wasn't the time for that.

He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Severe soft tissue damage up and down her back, multiple lacerations from... claws, I suspect... fractured fingers and tail... maybe skull too?" his voice had lost it's edge, had lost any sort of tone whatsoever, in fact. "She had trouble communicating with us could be brain trauma, could just be... well, trauma." He finished and looked up as the readout glowed its way into existence above the Ryn's still body.

He heard Micaiah draw in a sharp breath and looked up from Masilda to see the Sylarian covering her mouth with a shaky hand as she took a quick step backward away from the gurney. Vague was no surgeon, but the usually neon green image was showing a staggering amount of orange and red. Vague crossed over and placed a strong hand down on Micaiah's shoulder. "Mic. Hey. What can I do? Doctor!" he raised the volume of his voice but kept the tone neutral. "Masilda needs us."

That seemed to do the trick. In a handful of seconds, the Sylarian seemed to compose herself and as she stepped forward to the edge of the gurney, her hand shot up into the projected readout and orders started flowing from her lips and at least in this instance, Vague was only happy to follow them.

Back in the base proper, Tsivoin shut down the lighstaber and slumped to the floor, crossing his legs he sat, defeated and held the hilt out for Nova to take back. "I just-" he started, then looked down and away from her. "I thought she was my friend." He realized, deep down, how foolish that sounded. Besides Senna, he'd never had another friend in his life. The Zabrak liked to think that he and Nova were, but in the end, what did he even know about friendship? Obviously not enough.

"You scared her is all," Nova said, sitting down next to him. That was unusual, normally during meditation she would sit across from him so they could see each other. "That incident earlier in the conference room probably didn't help matters much, but that wasn't in your control. Rossi just needs time. The others too. You just focus on you right now, okay? The others will all come around eventually. You're still a valuable member of this team," she added, punching him gently on the shoulder before flashing him a genuine smile.

Tsivoin followed along with what Nova had to say and deep down he understood it. A huge part of him, though, just wanted to go back to the way things were before he knew anything about this force stuff. But, he reminded himself, Rossi had known about what he'd done since all the way back on Chandrilla. He'd been so distracted by the way Nova had been treating him then, he'd not even noticed the change in the Kessurian's behavior. He was about to respond to her when she cuffed him over the shoulder and hit him broadside with a kind of smile he wasn't sure he'd ever seen her share before. The teen felt his breath hitch as he looked over at her and to cover that up he playfully covered his shoulder with one hand and feigned some pain from the blow.

Then, something struck him. The way she'd worded her sentence just then... He tilted his head to the side in contemplation, his violet eyes locked onto her emerald ones. No, he hadn't imagined it. That was the first time he'd really heard her refer to the team as if she belonged to it. In light of the most recent events, Tsiv hadn't been very sure that the pair of teens still did. "What uh, do you figure happens now?" He asked suddenly, reluctantly looking away from her radiant expression. "You really think we'll be able to stay?"

Nova shrugged. "Of course he'll let us stay, because if he tries to kick us out he knows I can kick his ass."

She meant it as a joke, but she could sense that Tsivoin wasn't looking for levity right now. Her expression softened and she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Look, kid, I don't know what the future holds. I don't know if anyone does. We take the hits we're given and if life gives us a few more we take them together, okay?"

The grey and black markings on Tsivoin's face somehow managed to twist into an even more serious and somber expression for a moment, then he reached up across his body and placed a hand overtop of Nova's on his shoulder. "Nova, there's something you should know- about Cantonica." he started, a sour pitch of fear and uncertainty tainting his voice.

Nova was confused what else was there? "What is it," she asked.

A shudder worked it's way through Tsivoin's frail body as he recalled the nightmare. There seemed to be a spark behind his eyes just before he closed them tightly. "I should have told you right away. I'm sorry, everything happened so fast and then we were breaking into prisons and-"

"Tsiv, just tell me."

He paused a moment, then tried to explain. "That, guy... the one with the axe that you fought. When we saw him in the casino something happened to me," He took another shuddering breath, then continued. "It was like I got transported back in time, I was home in my village, he was there, they were all there."

"Kid, you're not making much sense here."

"I'd seen him before, Nova!" he told her, eyes snapping back open with a wounded look deep within them. "When my village was attacked, when they rounded up the survivors and sold us off world. He was there, and there were more like him. They were searching for someone, or something."

Nova paused to consider that. Could the Knights of Ren have been looking for him? It wouldn't have surprised her, they'd spent the last four years trying to chase her down and wipe out the last of Luke's Jedi. Then again if they were there for him then why didn't they kill him or recruit him when they rounded up the survivors? Why sell him off into slavery? It just didn't add up, but then again if not him what else could it be?

"The Knights of Ren sometimes recruit young Force sensitives into their ranks," she said, her voice taking on a clinical tone. "Or they kill them. I would say you were lucky but considering what happened next...," she left the rest hanging in the air. She wouldn't exactly qualify being sold into slavery as lucky. The scars all over his body were a constant reminder of the pain he'd endured.

Tsiv's hand withdrew from overtop Nova's and instead his fingertips traced the particularly brutal scar that crossed his chest and often peaked out the top of his collar. "Yeah..." he uttered distractedly. He was, like so many other times before, trying so hard to remember what that village on Feldrona had been like before the attack. He was sure he had had a family there. People who cared about him. Why couldn't he remember any of it? "Do you ever wonder about them?" He asked, a cautious tremor in his voice. "Your family?" He knew it was a sore subject. She'd told him the night they met about how she'd never known her father, and that her mother had abandoned her...

Nova froze in place when Tsivoin asked about her parents. It was a subject she didn't spend much time thinking about. Her father walked out before she was born and her mother left her alone in a bus station at the age of seven and never came back. After that she ended up in a foster home with an abusive drunk for a father and a mother who cared more about herself than her kids. Benefits from the state is what they got out of Nova. That was all they cared about.

"We should--probably go see what the others are doing," she said finally, her voice catching in her throat.

Tsiv knew immediately that he'd crossed a line. He saw how Nova's body tensed and all expression voided from her face in response to his question. Idiot He thought brusquely to himself. What were you thinking? The silence drug on for a painful string of moments, and he'd finally opened his mouth to apologize when she abruptly responded with a suggestion that clearly shut-down any further chat. Tsivoin closed his mouth, his lips forming a slight frown as he nodded and rose to his feet. "Yeah. Sure." he offered lamely, and the pair headed off towards the ship in a tense and awkward silence.

The emergency treatment going on in the med-bay had been intense, to say the least. Once Vague had managed to steady Micaiah's nerves the Sylarian doctor got to work analyzing the readouts her advanced nano-bots provided to her and with that information she was able to accurately diagnose Masilda's injuries and prioritize them by severity and duration of treatment required. They'd been at it for almost an hour when Vague looked over at the Sylarian as he changed an IV fluid bag hanging from the ceiling of the bay and asked, "What do you think, Mic?" The doctor had been unusually quiet thus-far, and while Vague was a solitary man of few words himself it was less than comforting to him coming from Micaiah.

"Fractures are easily set, soft tissue will repair itself, a process accelerated by the nano-bots," She started, voice still that tinny, clinical tone. "I'll need to review Ryn physiology to determine what long-standing effects the severing of her tail may hold - You can imagine that there is not a lot of recorded data on a nomadic species such as hers. But-" She stopped and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes before looking up at Vague with a carefully composed expression on her face. "Captain, I'm seeing a pattern of damage at the nervous system level that simply isn't consistent with any type of injury or ailment that I'm familiar with. Without an MOI, I'm just not sure how to proceed with further treatment."

Vague let that sink in for a moment. If Micaiah's advanced Sylarian technology couldn't make heads or tails of it, then he doubted any conventional sort of cause would be to blame. In all likelihood, what the doc was describing must have had something to do with that damnable Force. He sighed forcefully, but offered Micaiah a joyless smile so that she understood his frustration was not directed at her. "Maybe we ought to have our resident practitioner of the mystic arts give it a look?" He offered, raising his comlink to call for Nova to join them in the med-bay.

Micaiah glanced between him and the green glow of the holographic image floating above Masilda. Removing the bracelet now would disrupt her treatment, but she couldn't allow Nova to come in here while she was running Sylarian technology.

"Captain, I don't think...," she started before Vague interrupted her.

"Is keeping your secret more important than Masilda's life?"

"What about Nova's," she asked. "You care for her, right? Anyone who learns the secret of Sylarian technology is in grave danger. That includes you, but I have a feeling you live with grave danger. Are you comfortable sharing that burden with Nova? Or your crew?"

At least she's found her voice again He thought sardonically. Vague ran a hand roughly back through his short cropped hair and looked down at Masilda. He had to assume that there wasn't a way to pause or hide the the work the bracelet was doing, because if that was the case then Micaiah wouldn't be protesting as she was, but if there was damage all the way to her nervous system then what good would it do for them to heal everything else around it? The Sylarian was right, though, Vague certainly had no intention of putting Nova or any one else aboard his ship into the cross hairs of what seemed to be a lethally isolationist society with tech light-years beyond the known galaxies. "No. Of course not." He answered, hoping he kept most of the frustration he felt from his voice. "But I cannot allow Masilda to suffer any further than she already has. Surely there's another way."

Micaiah shook her head sadly. "No, you're right, there isn't. Whatever happened to Masilda is beyond me. We need Nova to examine her. Call her in, but no one else."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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When Nova entered the medbay she had no idea what to expect. Given the urgency Rossi had shown earlier she suspected it had to be pretty bad. She wasn't ready for how much of an understatement that was. As soon as she entered and saw the condition Masilda was in she let out an audible gasp, covering her mouth with both her hands. It was then she noticed the green glowing readout above Masilda's body, hologram technology the likes of which she'd never seen before. She glanced at both Vague and Micaiah with a puzzled expression.

"We'll talk about it later," Micaiah told her. "Masilda's nervous system is damaged in a way I cannot understand, we need you to take a look at her."

Nova quietly nodded then took a moment to steel herself before stepping forward and placing a hand on Masilda's forehead. With silent trepidation she closed her eyes and opened herself to the Force.

What met Nova on the other side of the bridge between her energy and Masilda's was a raging inferno. The initial shock of the blast and the searing pain it carried with it buffeted the young Jedi and caused her knees to buckle as she quickly withdrew her hand from the Ryn's forehead. Vague had been quick to steady her and helped her regain her footing. "I'm fine." She answered the question before either of them could ask, then closed her eyes once more and reached out, this time with both hands. She placed one over Masilda's forehead, the other rested against her breastbone. Nova took a deep, calming breath and once again connected her essence to the Ryn's, this time better prepared for the onslaught to come.

It struck once more with the same devastating strength, but Nova focused on allowing the fiery hot waves to draft over and around her, rather than attempting to bat them away. In time, she was able to see past the shimmering distortion caused by the heat and what she saw chilled her to her core. It was as if a terrifying firestorm was trapped within Masilda's nervous system, constantly scorching nerve clusters as it coursed through her body on an invisible wind. She'd heard rumors about ancient darkside practices, whose only purpose was to inflict the most pain possible on another, but she'd never imagined that the force could have been capable of producing something this awful.

Her body trembling, Nova slowly withdrew her hand. The others in the room both looked at her expectantly. She shook her head, a single tear trickling down her cheek.

"I can't help her," she muttered quietly, both Vague and Micaiah had to strain to hear.

Micaiah looked crestfallen, never before in her medical career had a patient been beyond her help. "Is there nothing we can do," she asked.

Nova wiped a tear from her eye and turned away. "We have to go back," she told them.

Micaiah and Vague exchanged puzzled glances. "Back where," Vague asked.

"The Jedi temple," she answered and there was a slight tremble to her voice. She hadn't been back in four years. "I'll give you the coordinates but we need to go now."

Vague exchanged a quick look with Micaiah as Nova struggled to compose herself, his expression was meant to convey an apology for what he was about to do: namely, drag the Sylarian half-way around the galaxy, again. The pair seemed to communicate what needed to be expressed without words, and then Vague keyed his comm open to the team frequency. “Pack it up, we’re breaking atmo in twenty.” He ordered. “EssJay re-fire the drives. Orev, make sure the auxiliary tank is full. Tsivoin, Rossi you’re on provisions. Move out!” He was halfway through the medbay door when Nova asked him what she should do. Vague paused and turned towards the young Jedi.

“Rest, hazynam. You can get us the coordinates once we’re clear of the planet.”

Nova silently nodded as Vague left the room. She felt like she should be doing more, but he was the captain. A moment later Micaiah stepped up beside her.

"Nova, about what you saw in here. We'll talk later when we have more time but for now, for everyone's safety, don't mention it to the crew."

"Alright," she answered quietly, her voice sounded dry.

Micaiah gave her an empathetic look. She didn't know much about the Jedi, but she could guess from her body language that wherever Nova was taking them was a source of great trauma for her. "Do you need anything," she asked her gently.

Nova shook her head. "I'm fine," she said, "I just--need to be alone right now."

She left the medbay heading in the direction of her bunk. She had a lot on her mind right now, memories of the destruction of the temple rising back up from where she had buried them. She never once suspected that some day she would be going back there.

Perhaps some other crew might have balked at the sudden and unexplained instructions, but not the crew of the Veiled Bedlam. In half the time that the freighters Captain had demanded, the ship was refueled, the reactor and main drives were primed, and a trio of provisions pallets had been loaded into the secondary hold. Vague's crew trusted that if their Captain needed the ship prepped for launch, then he had good reason. Now he walked to the cockpit, and sat down in the pilots seat. A nod in SlackJaw's direction and the tan and olive colored droid kicked the repulsorlifts on and guided the ship towards the mouth of the hangar.

A deck below, Tsivoin was just approaching the quarters he shared with Nova. The young Zabrak had endured the awkward task of loading the pallets with Rossi who was still visibly uncomfortable around him and while he'd managed to not to lash out at the frustration and embarrassment, he was hoping to talk with Nova about it some more. Somewhere deep down, he knew it wasn't fair - That he shouldn't be so reliant on Nova for all the answers... But interacting with others and being part of a family was foreign to him. As foreign as space travel, he thought, as he felt the ship rise off the cavern floor. No sooner had the teen recovered from the surprise takeoff than the door he'd been about to knock on opened and Nova nearly ran over him on her way out of it.

"Oof, Hey-" Tsiv said as he cleared himself from her path. He watched her blink somewhat surprised to see him, no doubt... There was something - haunted, in her expression that struck a sour taste in his stomach. "Nova whats wrong?"

"Not now, ok?" She replied, brushing by him and heading for the ladder.

"Is it Masilda?" He asked, concerned. "Did everything go ok in the med-bay? Do you know why we're taking off so fast?" She'd climbed a few rungs up the ladder and stopped just short of losing sight of him at the edge of the next deck.

"Tsiv, I...," she started then she stopped and breathed a heavy sigh. "We're going back to the Jedi temple," she explained at last, a haunted look in her eyes.

Tsivoin was confused. "I thought it was destroyed."

"Yes--it was," she said simply, then she disappeared up onto the upper deck.

In the cockpit both Vague and Slackjaw turned around the second Nova entered the room. "So where are we going," Vague asked.

Nova shook her head then stepped between them to access the navigation console. "Master Skywalker kept the location of the temple a secret from everyone but members of the Order. After we do this I need you to purge these coordinates from your nav com," she told them as she typed in the coordinates for the for the remains of Luke's Jedi temple.

Vague held eye contact with Nova for a few breaths, then simply nodded to indicate that he would comply with her demand. For starters, he couldn’t imagine what he’d gain from retaining the location, and more importantly he could sense the immense gravity that had befallen his young crew member regarding her return to the Temple. The Captain looked over at his droid copilot and SlackJaw’s photoreceptors blinked an affirmative in response.

“Alright,” he spoke, tapping a couple buttons on the console in order to study the optional jump solutions. “Let’s head for Koda Station. We can jump the ‘Spur, button-hook into the Nothoiin Corridor and ride it up to Darkknell... take the Triellus route the rest of the way in.” Vague sighed just slightly. The downfall to an out-of-the-way hideout like Tailring was a lack of an established hyper lane nearby. They’d lose hours on the way to Koda Station as a result of that, but once they were able to tuck into charted lanes he was confident SlackJaw and Orev could make up the time.

Before he could follow up, a fit of coughing struck and he turned away from the console to cover his mouth with his forearm. When he was able to finally take a drink from his tumbler, the Captain jerked a thumb at the view port. “Get us gone, EssJay.” He spoke, ignoring the look Micaiah gave him as he slipped by the Sylarian. He nearly bowled over Tsivoin as the Zabrak was heading for the cockpit, pausing to cough again, then sliding down the ladder to the crew deck below.

“Probably looking like at least twenty, maybe thirty hours passengers.” The middle aged Duros said as he slid into the seat Vague had left empty. “Best make yourselves comfortable.”
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Micaiah arrived in the cockpit just in time to catch another of Vague's coughing fits just before he made a very hasty retreat. She gave him a look that spoke volumes, but he completely ignored it. Of course, she wasn't going to let that go so she followed him down the ladder to the lower deck. "It might be easy for you to ignore the results of that scan," she said after she hurried to catch up with him, "but it's a lot harder for me. I can't imagine it's easy for your crew, either. They're not blind, you know? They can see something's wrong with you. How long do you plan on hiding the truth?"

Vague stopped still in the corridor and spun to face the Sylarian with an agitated look on his face. His lips parted to respond but he then heard the heavy bootfalls of a teenage Zabrak hitting the ladder. Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed Micaiah by the shoulder and effortlessly relocated the slender Sylarian through the still open door to his quarters. The Captain followed, and once the door was shut behind him, he let go his grip.

"Help me out here, Mic," Vague spoke, his tone low. "Because I was under the impression that we'd put this issue to bed back on the Pursuer?"

When Vague grabbed her Micaiah had to suppress her instinct to fight back. Instead he guided her into his room and closed the door behind them. "You put it to rest, Captain," she told him, "I'm a doctor. I'm concerned about your health. I'm also concerned about the safety of your crew. When I first met you, you and your crew were stealing a precious gem. What happens if your condition worsens during one of these 'jobs' of yours?"

The outlaw sighed heavily and turned away from the Sylarian for a moment. She wasn't wrong about the risks, but that wasn't the point! The serum that Orev had synthesized for him helped - So long as he retained access to it. It was only when he was unexpectedly separated from access to the serum for extended periods of time that he had these flareups. He turned back to face the doctor and shrugged, tossing his hands up at his sides a bit. "That's all my condition can do, Mic, is worsen. Ok? Certainly wasn't part of my plan but I have to live with it now and I'm doing the best I can. You, or any of the others find out what did this - who did this - and you'll be signing you're own death warrants!"

Micaiah averted her gaze from him. She hadn't the faintest idea of the danger he was so afraid of, but she couldn't imagine it was much worse than the fate that awaited her. With a sigh she turned back to look at him. "I can't just sit back and watch you kill yourself, Captain, and I don't particularly care about how dangerous it is, either. It's not the threat of death that scares me," she told him and Vague could see that haunted look deep in the depths of her eyes again. "Whatever the risks, I want to help you."

Meanwhile, back in the cockpit, Nova half-turned to look at Tsiv. "Do me a favor, kid," she told him, "Go grab the training drone from our room and meet me below. I'll be there in a minute."

Tsiv looked at her curiously, there was still a strange tinge to her tone. The horrors of her past were obviously still weighing down on her, but he could sense that now wasn't the time or place to talk about it so he simply nodded and headed back down to the deck below. Nova followed him for a bit then split off as he headed towards their shared room together. While Tsiv went off in search of the drone Nova found Rossi in the common area and sat down across from her.

"Rossi, we need to talk," she said softly.

The Kessurian had been lost in thought, her honey colored eyes focused on the med-bay doors but her gaze distant. She hadn't even heard Nova approach until the young woman spoke. Blinking rapidly, she looked over at the auburn haired Jedi, then subconsciously glanced around to see if she'd been accompanied. Once she saw that the two of them were alone, she nodded her head slowly. "Okay." she managed. So much had happened so suddenly, Rossi wasn't sure what Nova was looking to address. Rossi had told everyone the secret about Tsiv, afterall - Nova had seemed to take it well at first but...

"See that? That right there, that's what we need to talk about," Nova said and Rossi gave her a confused look. "You were just looking for Tsivoin," she explained. "You have to stop looking at him like he's a thermal detonator about to go off, because he's walking around here thinking everyone hates him and it's getting loud."

"Loud," Rossi repeated and there was maybe a slight hint of fear in her voice, "Is he...," she left the rest hanging in the air.

Nova shook her head. "No, not like that," she answered, "I've just been like, really in tune with people's thoughts since waking up and I kind of haven't been able to turn it off. It's almost like Wes knocked something loose, or whatever, I don't know. Anyway, point is you gotta stop, okay? It's distracting him from his training and I can't keep him anchored to the light side if he's constantly fuming about how everyone is treating him. So please, just...,"

As she spoke she slowly began to realize that her words were coming out a bit sharper than she had intended, to the point that Rossi had started to shrink away from her like a frightened animal. Nova stopped mid sentence and gave the Kessurian an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Rossi, I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just a little on edge right now."

She breathed a sigh and tried to regain her composure. "Look, I know what happened in the conference room was probably scary as hell. Tsivoin's unstable, his power out of control and he's got a lot of pent up rage and anger inside of him. If you had lived his life you would feel the same," she added with a shrug. Then her expression grew serious again. "But his power is no different from mine. Whatever he can do I can do better and much worse, but you're not scared of me? Are you?"

Rossi inhaled deeply as she tried to once again relax in her seat across the table from Nova. Logically, the girl had a point. Rossi had seen the incredible feats that Nova was capable of first hand, and had never felt towards her the way she now felt about the Zabrak. She didn't knock you across a conference room with her brain, though, either. The slicer sighed and pressed a palm to her forehead. "I, Well no, Nova. You've never given me a reason to be." She said finally. "Well, except for when you exposed me to that thing you call a fashion sense back on Chandrilla. That was truly frightening."

"Hey, I...," she stammered, stopping and starting again and again. "You don't... You don't really mean that, do you?" She paused a moment and her face blanched. "Oh my god, you really did mean that. My fashion sense does suck."

"Nova, I," Rossi tried to say but Nova held up a hand and interrupted her.

"Shshsh, I need to process this," she answered back with her head in her hands. After a moment she squared her shoulders and looked back at Rossi with a different sort of look in her eye. A softer look, one that seemed to come so easily to her. "Okay look, I told you before that fear, anger and hate are all emotions that fuel the dark side, right?"

Rossi nodded so Nova continued. "Well, do you know what the Jedi use to counter them," she asked, pausing for effect. "Love, Rossi. Love and compassion. That's what Tsivoin needs right now. He needs the love and support of his friends. He needs your forgiveness. I mean, put yourself in his shoes for a moment. Tsivoin has only ever had one friend before joining this crew and she died. Now he has a family, one he's afraid of losing. I'm trying my best here to help him through it, but he cares about you Rossi. Of everyone on this boat you're the one that has the greatest impact on him. So please, for me. Go talk to him."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

It hadn't taken Tsivoin very long to retrieve the training drone and he was headed through the galley at a quick clip to go find Nova when he heard her and Rossi's voices carrying through from the commons area. The Zabrak slowed to a stop just before the bulkhead that lead from the galley into the commons and listened as Nova declared to Rossi that he was unstable, out of control. The teen felt his stomach tighten and all of a sudden the starship felt like it was closing in around him. Yeah, I'm full of rage alright. He thought to himself, but even as he slunk further away from the commons he heard the rest of what Nova had to say.

He found his head tilting to the side slightly as he listened to Nova describe the turmoil inside of him in such a way that for once, didn't make him feel like a monster. It was true! He had finally been shown what it was like to be a part of something, to belong... and the teen was absolutely terrified that all of a sudden, some invisible power he never even asked for was going to land him right back in a puddle of starship fuel on some forgotten tarmac, scared and alone. Tsivoin shivered and instinctively wrapped his arms around his midsection as the memory of his first few weeks on Cantonica threatened to devour him.

Tsiv was too busy fighting his inner demons to hear the end of the conversation, but Nova must have sensed the disturbance because the next thing he knew was the sound of her voice drifting through the darkened galley and meshing with the memories.

Vague wiped at his stubble wearily, his narrowed eyes locked with Micaiah's. It was becoming obvious that the Sylarian wasn't going to drop the subject. Short of kicking her off the boat, Vague imagined that she would continue to pursue this course indefinitely. As the leader of his merry band of outlaws, he had a responsibility to keep them safe, from their work, from the outside world, occasionally from themselves... but especially from his demons. The longer he drew out the battle of wills with the doctor, the more likely one of the crew members who wasn't privy to his secret would catch wind of it... He shook his head almost imperceptibly then sighed. "Mic, I appreciate it - truly, I do. Frankly, I don't think there is any helping it... but, I won't entertain the option until Masilda has recovered and the crew is back on even footing. Okay?" He declared, hoping she would appreciate the sizable concession he was making.

Micaiah leveled him with a stare and for a moment Vague thought she might continue the argument. Finally she nodded. "Alright," she said, "but promise me you'll actually consider it and that this isn't just a brush off."

"Rogue's honor." Vague replied, touching his palm over his heart briefly. "Will Masilda be ok under until we can find whatever it is that Nova's looking for?" He asked, gently shifting the subject.

"As for as I can tell Masilda's body is in stable condition," Micaiah replied, her tone sounded clinical but Vague could sense the worry that was hidden beneath it. "I don't know what they did to her mind. I ran the examination again but I just can't explain it medically."

Meanwhile, back in the commons room Nova could sense the turmoil from Tsivoin. Not from her words but from his memories of being alone. The images appeared unfiltered in her mind and she had to concentrate to retain her composure. She had no idea the Zabrak's past had been that bad. Well, that's not entirely accurate. She knew it was bad she just couldn't visualize it until now.

"Just think about it, okay," she said, turning back to Rossi and ending their conversation. Then she stood and called out to Tsivoin. "Hey, kid, go ahead and come in here."

The teen reluctantly did as she asked and she tossed him her lightsaber. He fumbled with it for a moment before catching it and she directed him over to an open area in the common room. "Try not to cut anything," she told him, "Vague might take it personally."

It took Tsiv a moment to process that she was cracking a joke, and despite the turmoil underneath the surface the teen couldn't help but crack a wide grin. He hefted the hilt in front of him as he shifted over to the area that was least likely to be damaged by his novice from. He spent a few moments studying the lightsaber, trying to shake the memories away, then looked up at Nova with eyes that reflected just a portion of the terror he'd experienced while on the run. He couldn't quite articulate it into words, but his facial expression showed that he was grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, I'll do my best." he replied, thumb hovering over the activation switch on the saber.

Nova quickly held up a hand before he thumbed her lightsaber on. "Just one more thing, kid," she said, slipping her scarf from her neck and stepping behind Tsivoin. "We're going to add something new," she told him as she tied the scarf around his eyes. When she was sure he couldn't see she took a few steps back.

"I don't understand, how can I fight if I can't see," Tsivoin asked.

"Your eyes can deceive you," Nova answered, "Don't trust them. Trust in the Force. Now concentrate and stretch out with your feelings."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

Tsivoin felt his twin pulses quicken a bit as Nova slipped behind him and affixed her scarf snugly around his eyes and forehead. He trusted her, he trusted all of them really, but the feeling of vulnerability at being blindfolded and denied his sense of sight was overwhelming to the teen. Instinctively he shifted his stance in order to point his back towards what he thought was the corner bulkhead. Alot of fat good it'll do you to face outward if you can't see anyway he chided himself.

He listened carefully to Nova as she told him not to trust his eyes, but to instead trust in the Force. Trust in this invisible magic that he'd only found out he possessed a week or so ago. Were it so easy. Yet, he took a deep breath anyway and began to search for quiet. Nova seemed to believe that he would be able to do this and the last thing he wanted to do was let her down, especially in front of Rossi.

"You've got too much going on up in that horned head of yours. Really it's a mess up there. If you're going to be able to hear the Forces call, you'll first need to learn to flush out the distractions." He recalled her words the first time she'd asked him to seek out the Force. It had been a frustrating exercise and Tsivoin, who wasn't all that sure he wanted to commune with the mystical energy field in the first place, was getting fed up. She'd explained to him that the force didn't have a switch that you could flip on and off. It wasn't a component or a tool, but more so a living entity in it's own way, by it's own definition.

Tsivoin returned to the present. The abrupt recollection of the terror and strife he'd endured upon arriving at Cantonica hadn't done much to bolster the teen's chances of finding his calm. He took a very deep breath and closed his already obscured eyes out of habit.

Calm. He wasn't going to find that in that puddle of fuel. After another breath, there was a shift to the landscape around him. The starships and the clang of heavy equipment blurred and faded into the background, yielding to a bright and serene presence before him. It was Senna, of course. She'd found Tsivoin there shivering in a pair of ridiculously oversize and threadbare coveralls. He'd been hiding out in the spaceport for a few weeks at that point, surviving off of scraps of trash and small varmint that he'd been able to corner and kill. Tsiv winced a bit at the memory, he'd lashed out at her in fear and desperation. She'd had every right to put him down or turn away and never come back.

He couldn't remember her saying the words, but he would never forget feeling them in his head. "Easy, Breathe, Friend". He wasn't sure what language she'd used, but deep below his feral exterior he'd understood the meaning. It'd been like a cool rain shower on a blisteringly hot day, his rage, hatred, and frenetic manner melted away, leaving behind the frightened and vulnerable ten year-old survivor.


Tsivoin's breathing slowed as he focused on the feelings that those words had stirred within his younger self. First he focused on setting aside his concern for Masilda, his apprehension about how the rest of the crew felt about him, and his fear of failing Nova. Then, he slowly began to become hyper-aware of his surroundings. The bulkheads around them, Nova a few paces away to his right, Rossi a handful more to his left, the deck underneath his feet. Another breath. He could now sense the vibrations from the ships strained engines as they hurtled through Hyperspace towards the next relay on their journey. He took one last breath in and out, then let go off all of that, dumping his awareness into the vast ocean that was the Force and then wading into the water himself.

In an instant, the drone seemed to come alive, raising off the nearby table and spinning a rapid circle around Tsivoin. The teens eyes snapped open - the scarf still obscured his vision, but he wasn't seeing through them anymore, he saw an orb of light, bright pink in the darkness of the still water around him, gentle ripples radiating out from it as it hovered. Tsiv ignited Nova's lightsaber and raised it into one of the defensive positions of Form I, and waited for the drone's next move.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

Rossi initially felt the urge to leave the commons when she saw Tsivoin sulk his way in and over to Nova, but the Kessurian heard the young woman's words over again in her mind and eventually convinced herself to stay. Now she sat at the table and watched on as the Zabrak stood with lit lightsaber in hand, blindfolded and facing off against a training remote that looked oddly like some cobbled together parts from COS Tailring.

The bright gold blade put off a harsh glow in the commons area and as Tsivoin shifted it about, sharp shadows were made on the floor and bulkheads. Rossi gasped audibly as the first shot from the drone rang out and her honey colored eyes widened a bit as it struck the teen in the side of the neck. She could hear him growl low in his throat as he took a second to rub at the now slightly discolored spot on his neck, before getting reset at Nova's instruction.

The Kessurian watched on as the next three blasts found their way through his defenses. From her angle, it seemed like the task Nova had set out for him was impossible. Rossi watched Nova step forward and stand close behind Tsivoin. She couldn't hear what the girl said quietly into his ear, but when Nova backpedaled away, she watched Tsivoin reset his stance and raise the saber up in what seemed to be a more confident motion.

To her amazement, the Zabrak sidestepped out of the way of the next blast, the lightly powered laser striking harmlessly into the deck. He caught the next two blasts, one high, one low, on the blade, then sidestepped a fourth one.

Nova spoke again, but Rossi was no longer paying attention to the Jedi, her focus was fully on Tsivoin and the drone, the latter of which seemed to start bobbing up and down more quickly. In the next moment, while Tsivoin was still replying to Nova, it fired off a rapid succession of blasts. Tsivoin blocked or dodged them all, and Rossi couldn't help but shout out in congratulatory glee. Then the next three blasts broke through, stippling their way over his flank and as his still blindfolded face turned back in her direction she shrank back into the chair in silence.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Nova felt elated when Tsivoin succeeded in his trial, but that elation soon faded as the boy grew overconfident. His taste of success went straight to his head and he immediately lost his focus. With a sigh, the girl glanced over at Rossi who a moment ago congratulated Tsivoin, but now the Kessurian was trying her best to hide her face. Nova was beginning to think her little speech didn't help at all. She half expected Rossi to leave, but she didn't. For a moment she thought she might have gotten through to her. Now, though, it felt as though the other woman was too scared to leave even though she really wanted to.

Nova breathed in momentarily then stepped forward and placed a hand on Tsivoin's wrist, gently nudging him to lower his guard. "Let's try something else," she said, taking the lightsaber from his hand before reaching up behind him and removing the blindfold.

Then she half turned and stretched out a hand. Much to the wonderment of both Rossi and Tsivoin a pair of sparring sabers floated up from a nearby chair and gently soared across the room to her waiting hand. She handed one to Tsivoin and kept the other for herself. Tsivoin looked at the wooden saber with a puzzled expression on his face. "Where did you find these," he asked.

Nova shrugged. "In a box shoved away into a storage container back at the Tailring," she explained, "Micaiah and I found them while we were scavenging for parts. They're a bit shorter than a lightsaber, but they'll do."

She clipped the hilt of her lightsaber to her belt, tucked her practice sword under her arm and then reached up and blindfolded herself. After tightening the knot around her eyes she grabbed hold of the practice sword and stood calmly, facing half towards Tsivoin and half away. The tip of her sword pointed at the ground beneath her feet. "Attack me," she told him.

Tsivoin gave her an uncertain look. Fighting the drone blindfold was one thing, but this... Nova had only just recovered. What if she missed a parry and he struck her? "Nova, I--," he tried to say but the girl shook her head.

"It's fine, Tsiv. Trust me," she assured him.

The Zabrak glanced over at Rossi who was still averting her gaze from him. She had a worried expression on her face, as though she knew Tsivoin was going to harm Nova. With a low growl he turned back to look at Nova and raised his weapon. He appraised the woman for a moment before reaching his arms up to strike. Nova stood completely still until the very last second when she moved faster than any of them could see, swatting aside Tsivoin's blade and causing him to stagger forward off balance before gracefully slipping behind him. The Zabrak quickly recovered then half turned to strike again. Again Nova parried the blow, knocking him off balance while at the same time dancing around him with such grace and precision.

"The lightsaber is a precision weapon, Tsivoin, you don't have to swing it like a club," she told him.

Tsivoin's face flushed slightly and he spared an embarrassed glance back over his shoulder at Rossi. The Kessurian still refused to meet his gaze but she stared at Nova wide-eyed in wonder. "Ignore Rossi," Nova said sternly, as if she could see him looking at her. "In this space there is only you and me."

She lunged forward, striking at him quickly and testing his defenses. Tsivoin was hard pressed to block each of her moves and on the last strike she battered his weapon aside before stepping behind him and lightly striking him on the back with the flat of her blade. The blow didn't cause him any pain, but it did throw him off balance. He stumbled forward and fell to his knees, his weapon clattering on the floor beside him. Nova deftly removed the blindfold from her eyes then knelt down to rest a hand on his back.

"Nobody becomes a Jedi Master in a day," she said to him with a gentle tone, "but you've made some incredible progress. You just--need to focus more."

As she said that she reached her other hand over and tapped him on the forehead with the tip of her finger. "You let Rossi distract you from the drone. That's not her fault, but yours. When you hold a lightsaber in your hand the last thing you should be thinking about are what-ifs and maybes. Focus on the moment, act. Trust in the Force and it will guide you."

She reached out her hand to him, offering to help him to his feet. Tsivoin accepted and with a heave she hoisted him off the floor. She gently brushed off his clothes then reached down and picked up his discarded sword before handing it back to him. When Tsivoin reached out and wrapped his fingers around the handle she stopped him by placing her other hand over the back of his. "Tsiv, it doesn't matter what other people think of you, it's how you view yourself that's important. Try not to forget that, okay," she asked, tilting her head slightly to look him in the eye.

The boy nodded silently and Nova straightened up. "Is it time for that chat, Captain," she inquired without turning around. Behind her Vague Durin stood in the open hallway with Micaiah by his side. She felt them enter awhile ago while she had been sparring with Tsivoin.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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"Tsiv, it doesn't matter what other people think of you, it's how you view yourself that's important. Try not to forget that, okay,"

The Zabrak frowned mentally at the thought. She didn't understand - he thought nothing of himself. All his live the teen had been treated as less than a being, at least as long as he could remember... until Senna, anyway. Maybe Nova couldn't understand, maybe as bad as she'd had it she'd still never seen the worst of what the galaxy could conjure up for it's inhabitants? His violet eyes glanced down to where her hand lay overtop his own and he tried momentarily to imagine himself as the brave friend she'd described him as, the one with the heart of a Jedi... He was lost in that thought when she turned away form him to address the newcomers.

Vague shot a glance around the room, taking the scene in post-sparring match and almost added in a quip about the amount of luck Nova would need to get a fourteen year old boy to 'focus more' but ultimately decided against it. Instead, he took a half step forward and turned to look over at Micaiah. There was a not-so-insignificant amount of tension between the pair but both parties were doing an admirable job of not letting it show. "Are you up first, or am I?" He asked her politely, knowing that the Sylarian had mentioned that she needed to debrief Nova regarding what she'd witnessed in the med-bay.

"By all means, Captain." Micaiah replied. "This is your ship, and your crew."

The Captain could tell that she'd chosen the words deliberately but after their confrontation in his quarters he wasn't fancying a second round. He merely nodded an acknowledgment and turned to face Nova. "Step into my office, then?" He requested, then headed aft to the maintenance room where he favored having these sorts of discussions.

Tsivoin moved to follow Nova but she steadied his advance with a palm to his chest. "Nuh-uh. This one's on me, kid. Besides," She smiled slyly as she glanced sideways at him. "You've got homework." She studied his face as the slightly confused expression crumpled up his markings. "Find someplace quiet on board where you can meditate and continue working on your communion with the Force. A Jedi's connection to the Force needn't be ever-present but it must be instinctual."

Before he could reply, she'd followed off in the direction Vague had gone. Leaving Micaiah, Rossi, and Tsiv in the commons. The Zabrak subconsciously raised a hand up to touch his chest briefly as he considered what she'd told him. Then, without preamble, he simply walked off in the opposite direction determinedly.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Nova glanced back over her shoulder at the retreating form of Tsivoin as she followed Vague back to the maintenance room. The warm, gentle smile that had become a near-constant since she woke up had faded completely.

I'm sorry, Tsivoin, she thought to herself. All this time she'd been building him up but the truth of it was she was using him. She was no match for Richter and the others alone and only Tsiv had the capacity to face them with her. If there was any other way...

Her thoughts trailed off as she entered the maintenance area with Vague. The older man turned around and saw the dour look on her face.

"Everything alright," he asked.

Nova nodded, "Yea, everything's fine."

He gave her a look and she quickly held up her hands. "I'm not keeping anymore secrets, I promise."

Vague leaned backwards against the maintenance bench, favoring his midsection a bit as it was still tender from his battle with Lyshani's minions. He regarded Nova for a few moments in silence as he thought about his response. His left hand reached up to rub at the overgrown stubble on his jaw, then he spoke. "Nova, hazynam, it's not the keeping of secrets," He made a sweeping gesture towards the rest of the craft with his other hand as he continued. "We all have secrets. I don't expect you, or Tsivoin, or any of the others to tell me everything there is to know about you - and I can promise you that I'm not willing to tell you all about me either. The exception, of course, is when said secrets put the crew or the ship in harms way. Does that track?"

Nova averted her eyes. Ever since she felt Tsivoin's outburst in the conference room she had been trying to mentally prepare herself for this conversation, but now that it was actually happening she found she had nothing to say. "Of course it does," she said finally, "I never thought that...," She stopped suddenly and shook her head. "No, I don't have an excuse. I was scared. Tsivoin blew a hole right through the middle of the Tangle and it frightened me. I know he didn't do it on purpose, but...," she left the rest hanging in the air.

It was then that Vague realized something and though he may never admit it to anyone else, he was a bit ashamed. The Captain narrowed his eyes pensively as he regarded Nova. The intel he'd gathered about the young Jedi from his sources indicated that she'd been born on Vorzyd V just about eighteen years ago... one year after he'd been recruited into ATOG.

He sighed softly. Whether it was because of something innate with her connection to the Force, her demeanor and the way she'd conducted herself since he and his crew had found her, or simply the contrast between her and the relatively immature Zabrak - it didn't matter. Somewhere along the way Vague had subconsciously bestowed upon her a mantle of adulthood, maturity, and the responsibilities that went with it. That was unfair and it disregarded her young age. What's worse, he'd similarly assigned wardship of the Zabrak onto her shoulders.

"You know what, forget it." His words causing some surprise and maybe a bit of suspicion to tease at the edges of her expression. "It's behind us, and we have so much more to be concerned with now. Nova it may not be fair to ask this of you, but I can't pretend to understand what it's like to live in that world. The Force is foreign to me, so unfortunately I'm going to have to ask that you handle matters pertaining to it and the boy." his choice of words was odd, but honest - something she could appreciate. "Can you tell me why we're headed out to what seems like the middle of nowhere now? What did that Cathar do to Masilda?"

A shiver ran down Nova's spine as she thought about it. Whatever the Cathar had done to her she'd never seen anything like it before. "I don't fully understand it," she admitted, "It's like she used the Force to scorch Masilda's mind. I don't know how she did it, but I know the doctor can't help her."

"And something at this temple can," he asked.

Nova nodded. "There is a holocron at the temple. It's like a reliquary of ancient Jedi knowledge. The gatekeeper of the holocron can teach me a technique to heal Masilda using the Force, but it might take me some time to learn it."

Durin nodded his head a bit in response. Some of the words were foreign, but he felt like he got the gist of what she was saying. "You'll have all the time you need, I can't let Masilda down again," he stated grimly, "EssJay and Rev are a bit nervous that we're catapulting off to some unknown place that's not on their maps. Is there anything we should be preparing for once we get there? What can I or the crew do to help you?"

"Give me space," she said with a shrug and Vague could hear her voice breaking somewhat. "The last time I was at the temple I was trapped under a rock, listening to the sound of people screaming as they burned alive. It's--not a fond memory and I wouldn't be coming back here if it wasn't necessary."

He didn't flinch, but his heart ached to hear the tremor in her voice. He was no stranger to carnage, or the living nightmares it left one with. "I understand." he replied simply, but his tone was warmer than usual, more empathetic. "In that case, is there anything else I should know before I get out of your hair?"

Nova hesitated a moment before answering. "Richter's trying to revive the Sith," she told him, "That's why they needed the Oracle. I don't know how he's going to do it, but just one of them single-handedly brought the entire galaxy to heel. If Richter succeeds then there'll be three."

Vague frowned a bit. He knew, ofcourse, that she was referring to the late Emperor, but so much of what the outlaw had heard about that man was shrouded in fable, myth, or outright conjecture. He marked it down as something to ask Micaiah about - assuming that they were still on speaking terms. "And you feel like it's up to you to stop them?" He asked carefully.

"Who else can," she asked, a pained expression on her face. "I mean, do I even have a choice?! They're former Jedi students! They'll kill anyone else who tries!"

Her usually calm demeanor had broken down completely and she blurted out her words with a frustrated desperation. "Master Luke told me the Jedi were the guardians of peace in the galaxy but this isn't what I signed up for! He promised me a home and a family! Now they're dead and I'm the only one left! The entire legacy of the Jedi thrust on my shoulders! What am I supposed to do now? Fight the whole First Order by myself?!"

Her words echoed off the walls in the chamber and at the sound of her own voice her face blanched. She looked surprised by her outburst and quickly averted her eyes. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Instincts long thought dead kicked in beneath the detached surface of the freighter captain and without thinking he closed the distance between them and pulled Nova into a surprising embrace. As he held the young Jedi close with his arms wrapped around her, one bent so his right hand rested atop her head and held it to his chest, he could feel she was practically shaking. "No. You're mistaken, hazynam. You may very well be the last of your kind - but you are not alone. Not anymore." He spoke, ignoring the tinge of pain in his side. Vague's eyes grew distant as the focused on somewhere beyond the bulkhead, beyond the present time.

The freighter captain caught Nova completely by surprise. Her eyes widened when he pulled her in for an embrace. She simply stood there for a few moments before she gradually pulled her arms around him. She couldn't remember the last time someone hugged her like this. When was it? Eleven years ago? Her mother in the terminal before leaving her behind and abandoning her forever? If only her mother could see her now.

"Thanks," she said quietly. There was still a slight tremble to her voice, but for the first time in her life she felt safe. She only wished this feeling could last forever.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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The remainder of their journey across the galaxy, and it was across the galaxy; the coordinates that Nova had provided took them from the south eastern corner of Wild Space all the way west into a region known as the Slice, was relatively uneventful. Orev, Rossi, and Slackjaw took turns working on the data that they'd managed to record from the Oracle, Tsivoin continued to practice communing with the Force, and Micaiah kept a careful watch on Masilda in the med-bay. True to her word, almost immediately after her discussion with Vague had ended, Nova had become scarce. So much so that now that they were on the final legs of their journey at sub-light speeds, Tsivoin had begun searching for his friend.

Up in the cockpit, Vague and SlackJaw were busy carefully navigating through the uncharted region of space just west of the Trielus Trade Route. The area was sparse in terms of planets and stars, but seemed unusually populated by singularities and other spatial anomalies. Most likely one of the reasons that it had been chosen as a location for such a temple.

"Shouldn't we call her up here?" the droid asked Vague impatiently, he and the Duros were still quite uncomfortable with taking the 'Bedlam out into the middle of nowhere without any intel.

Vague spared a quick glance away from the controls - all he was willing to do given the dangerous nature of their location - and smirked calmly at the droid. "Trust me, I'm sure that she's well aware that we're arriving." he replied.

The search for Nova had taken Tsivoin all over the ship. He finally found her in the engineering bay, sitting in a small alcove above the ship's hyperdrive. "Nova, we're...," he started to say as soon as he saw her.

"I know," she said, interrupting him mid sentence. She could feel the scar left behind by the dark side after the destruction of the temple, even from this distance. Her whole body shivered in response to it and she closed her eyes. What I wouldn't give to be anywhere else right now...

With a sigh she dropped down from the alcove and brushed herself off before straightening up and turning to Tsivoin. "I guess I better get to the bridge before Slackjaw bursts a gasket," she told him with a half smile. She did her best to sound cool and confident, but the apprehensive look in her eyes betrayed the horror within. The tension in the room was palpable, so much so that even Tsivoin could feel it.

Tsivoin was initially overwhelmed by the weight of the atmosphere within the engineering bay. He recalled that she'd been in a fractured state prior to their jump to hyperspace but he hadn't sensed anything untoward during his training session. What was she keeping from him? A tiny portion of the teen thought of blocking the bay door and asking her about it, but he'd been disheartened by how she'd shut down their conversation back at Tailring and wasn't likely to try and pry past her shell again anytime soon.

Instead, the Zabrak sidestepped and turned to follow her. "I overheard Orev say this part of space was like a maze shoved inside a deathtrap." He commented nervously.

"Master Luke kept the location of this planet a closely guarded secret," she said with a shrug, "I guess that meant picking someplace that was really hard to get to."

Tsivoin considered that for a moment, but in truth he was too distracted by his anxiety and the turmoil radiating outward from Nova to pay it much attention. The pair started to make their way through the craft towards the cockpit in a slightly awkward silence. Eventually he felt compelled to speak once more. "I uh, didn't hear you come to bed last night- To our quarters, I mean... you know." he crimsoned, heat prickling underneath the skin of his cheeks and neck.

Nova hesitated a moment before replying. "Yeah, I um... I just wasn't feeling very tired." It was a stupid lie, but she didn't really have a better response.

She’d moved ahead of him and so she couldn’t see the face he made at her response. She’d been different ever since she’d woken up from her coma, but whatever it was, it’d escalated drastically the last day or so. He wanted to ask her what had happened here? Why they were going back? And what was she afraid to find?

He didn’t ask any of those questions, though. Instead he simply offered a lame acknowledgement and continued on.

“I’m telling you it’s there.” The sound of SlackJaw’s voice carried its way to the pair of teens as they entered the main corridor.

“And I’m telling you the scopes are empty.” Orev replied. “Your circuits must be crossed.”

“With all this spatial interference it could be anything,” Vague piped in, his voice slightly strained as he split his attention away from navigating. “Set a marker EssJay, if it pops up again elsewhere then we’ll need to check it out.”

"Something wrong," Nova asked as she entered the cockpit with Tsivoin following close behind.

"Naw, it's nothin'. EssJay's seeing ghosts," Orev told her.

Nova stepped up behind Vague and gazed out the view port. She took a moment to try and sense anything out of the ordinary, but all she could feel was the scar. "We should be fine," she said finally. "No one knows about this place other than me... And well, Richter, Misu and Wes," she added sheepishly.

Tsivoin tensed as she mentioned the fallen Jedi, while Orev took the time to re-scan the area one more time in response - just to be sure. With the marker set in the offending region of space, Vague pushed the freighter on towards their destination... a nameless planet out in the void. His initial scans showed that it was a terrestrial world with a breathable atmosphere but next to no development.

"Alright, where to?" Vague asked over his shoulder. Now that they had made orbit over the world, his voice returned to normal and he could relax his shoulders and neck.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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"Set the ship down over here," she said, typing the coordinates into the nav computer.

Vague briefly glanced at them then set his ship on a course straight towards the planet. It didn't take them long to find the ruins of the temple, Vague did a single pass over the charred structure before setting the ship down a safe distance away. As they flew over what was left of the building Nova heard a sharp intake of breath from Tsivoin as he set his eyes on the charred remains of the temple. Nova simply turned away from it and headed back down towards the main deck of the ship. Once the Bedlam was on the ground Vague and the others joined her by the boarding ramp. Micaiah stayed behind along with Slackjaw to keep an eye on Masilda and to monitor for any more suspicious phenomena. Meanwhile, Nova led the others into the main structure of the Jedi temple.

"What happened here," Rossi asked as the group stepped through the main doorway into a large, ruined hall. The charred remains of the other Jedi students still lay on the ground where they were burned.

"The dark side," Nova said simply. "One of Master Luke's students turned away from the light and set the temple ablaze with a lightning storm."

Orev looked stunned. "One person did all this?"

Nova simply nodded and continued onward. She led them deeper into the hall and came to a stop near a large pile of debris. Part of the wall and ceiling had collapsed, but a large hole had been blasted out of the pile. As the others looked around they found large slabs of stone, wood, and metal embedded in the surrounding pillars and the far wall. They had been flung with so much force that very nearly cut all the way through the wall of the temple.

"When the first lightning bolt struck this part of the wall fell on top of me," Nova explained. In her mind's eye she could see herself trapped under the debris again. Crying for help as she listened to the screams of her fellow students burning alive. "It was only dumb luck that I survived," she continued, her voice sounded dull, almost distant. From the look in her eye, it was as if she was somewhere else entirely. "Part of a support pillar held the pile up and prevented the debris from crushing me. At first, all I could do was cry for help, then I felt the stone sear my leg."

Vague and Orev were inspecting a chunk of debris that had pierced all the way through a nearby pillar. "You mean this was you," Orev asked as he reached a hand out to touch it.

The girl nodded her head. "Panic and fear helped me find the strength to blast my way out. I nearly choked from all the smoke around me, but somehow I made it out of the temple before burning alive with all the rest. I don't remember much of what happened after that, but the screams of my fellow students are seared into my brain. I'll never forget them..."

Her words trailed off as she turned her back on the pile and headed deeper into the temple. The others looked at each other then followed close behind. They traveled down one blasted corridor after another until they finally arrived at Luke's vault. A large chunk of debris had fallen across the door so Nova and the others had to squeeze underneath it. Once they were inside Nova froze. She looked around at all the empty shelves and ruined display cases, finding none of the artifacts that Luke had collected from his journey.

"No," she said softly, "No, nonono, no, no. It's supposed to be here! No one knows about this place but me!"

"What's wrong," Vague inquired from his position by the door.

The girl turned to look at him with an apologetic look. "The holocron, it's gone," she told him. "I can't help Masilda without it. I'm so sorry, I thought it would be here."

Vague had a grim look on his face. After the promise he made that he would never let Masilda down again it appeared as though he wasn't going to be able to keep it. "Is there no other way" he asked and from the tone of his voice it was easy to tell he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Nova shook her head. "No, I don't know where else I can learn the technique. This was the only--," she stopped suddenly when she noticed movement out in the hallway behind Vague. Without another word she ran past him and scrambled under the debris just in time to see a blue shimmering figure turn the corner further down the corridor.

"Ben?" She muttered quietly to herself. "Ben!" She shouted as she ran after him. The others tried their best to follow, but the girl knew her way around the temple and moved with such speed that they easily lost her in the twisting corridors. After turning another corner and not seeing any sign of the young Jedi the others finally stopped.

"Now what," Orev asked, turning back to look at Vague.

Almost as if on cue Vague's comlink chimed in suddenly and SlackJaw's voice interrupted them. "Captain, It’s the damndest thing. I was checking on the inverter matrix down in the hold and out of nowhere I saw a Feral Orray skitter across the viewport, and sir – it definitely knew I was in here.”
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Durin and Orev cursed in separate languages, but in unison all the same. Rossi simply pressed her palms to her montrals in exasperation. “Ofcourse.” She uttered aloud.

Tsivoin was off in the distance, within earshot but keeping busy trying to find where Nova had ended up. Ever since they’d set foot on the planet the Zabrak had felt like his body was buzzing. It was worse here in the temple. He was positively overwhelmed with the energy radiating outward from this place. Frantically searching wasn’t doing the teen any good, however and he took a deep breath upon that realization. Tsiv closed his violet eyes and placed a palm flat against the stone wall of the temple receding inward towards himself as Nova had instructed… seeking commune with The Force.

His practice aboard the ‘Bedlam had not been in vain, and the teen was able to secure a tentative grip on the flowing energy field fairly quickly. He still wasn’t very sure about this next part, but his trust in Nova over-came his apprehension and Tsivoin gave himself over to the Force. In an instant, the temple, his crewmates, even the planet they stood on faded away and Tsiv found himself once again standing hip deep in a darkened lake. The water was cool, but heavy. Moving in it took considerable effort. He spun in a slow circle, searching for anything that distinguished itself from the darkness of the water and horizon. There! A pulsing violet light, dim but constant in the distance. Wordlessly, he set off in its direction.

Nova's journey took her deep into the heart of the temple to a meditation chamber that had been frequently used by Luke Skywalker. As she entered the room she saw Ben Kenobi standing above the stool Luke used while he was meditating. She was confused. Ben Kenobi was the gatekeeper of the holocron from which she learned Soresu as well as a number of other Jedi techniques, but the vault was empty so how can he be here? "I don't understand," she said as she walked up behind him. "How are you even here? The holocron is gone."

"I was never part of the holocron," Ben said with a shrug as he turned to look at her, "It was just easier for you to think so."

"Then you're...," her words trailed off into nothing. She had no idea what he was. An AI? A ghost? "What are you?"

"I learned many years ago from my old master that it is possible to retain one's identity after death, but teaching that to you is not why I'm here," he explained, "You must travel to Kamparas, to an old Jedi training facility. There you'll find the information you're after."

Nova was confused. "Can't you just teach it to me here?"

Ben shook his head. "There is no time. Skywalker's old student, the one they call Kylo Ren, set up a listening post in this system in case any Jedi survived and someday returned. The First Order already knows you're here. They'll be coming for you."

Nova's entire body went cold at the mention of the First Order. She hadn't imagined that by taking her friends here she'd be leading them into a trap. "Will you help us," she asked, a hopeful expression on her face.

Ben took a step forward and rested a ghostly hand on her shoulder. "As your master told you many years ago, this is your fight."

Nova's eyes widened in response and she instinctively backed away from him. "That was real?! I didn't imagine that?"

He nodded. "The Veil of the Force is a world between time and space. You touched it, if only briefly, during your trance."

"That's not the only time," she said, remembering the time she activated the Oracle back on Durin's ship, "I felt it again later, but it took me back even further."

Ben looked surprised. It was rare for a Jedi to possess such a strong connection to the Veil. The last time he recalled something like this happening was many years ago when he met a young man by the name of Ezra Bridger. "You need to go now before the First Order is finished tightening their net," he told her.

"Wait," she said, "I have to know. Why me?"

He shrugged. "Luke was surprised too when I chose you out of all of his Jedi. I guess it was because you reminded me of someone."

"Who," she asked, her mind still racing to process all the information she'd been given.

"Me," he said simply, and then his image faded into nothing and he was gone.

Shortly after he disappeared she heard and felt an explosion from somewhere nearby. She turned around and headed back the way she had come, reaching up to her ear and reactivating her comlink in the process. "Vague, I know where we need to go, but we have to hurry! The First Order is...,"

"We know," he said, interrupting her mid-sentence, "Slackjaw called it in. Hurry up and get back here."

Rossi approached Orev and Vague who were deep in conversation regarding a) why the First Order was here, b) how they had managed to find the ‘Bedlam, and c) what in the stars were they going to do about it? “We have another problem,” Rossi interrupted them, “Where’s Tsiv?”
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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As Tsivoin traveled through the destroyed temple, the young Zabrak followed the beacon in his minds eyes. The closer he came to the light, the more sure that it represented Nova he became. However, just before he could reach it a sturdy stone wall seemed to coalesce out of nowhere, blocking his progress. That was when he noticed the much brighter, larger orange light off to his left.

That wasn't there before he thought to himself. He forced himself to set aside his anxious feelings regarding the blockage to his original path and instead focused his energy toward this new beacon. With his mind quieted, he felt a strange and intense familiarity with the orange orb. With little alternative, and a powerful sense of curiosity, he set off in that direction instead, all but forgetting about the wall that had appeared out of nowhere.

The teen was so distracted by the brightness of the light that he hadn't noticed that the water was beginning to grow more dense. All of a sudden, something obscured below the dark waters surface grabbed hold of his legs and stopped his progress completely. He gasped and immediately began to struggle against the unseen force. The lake around him began to dissolve, replaced with the ruined and ransacked huts and tents of The Tangle and a powerful shiver ran up and down Tsivoin's spine.

Meanwhile, Vague and Orev paused to look in the direction that they'd both last seen Tsivoin in. They then turned back to look at each other, finally settling their gazes on Rossi. "Tsiv wouldn't happen to be with you... would he?" Vague asked over the comm, his voice holding a concerned edge to it. They didn't have time for this if they were going to flee before the First Order surrounded them.

At first Tsiv simply stood there, looking left to right and taking in the destruction that he now knew he was the cause of - then, his heartbeats quickened rapidly as he felt the force around his legs shift and move. Terrified, the teen looked down only to find himself looking into a pair of all too familiar yellow eyes. "S-Senna?" He stammered, staggering backward only to trip over a piece of debris and fall to his back.

The being rose to it's feet in an erratic series of movements and lurched forward, leaning over Tsivoin's fallen form. The teen was horrified. Now looking closely, he could see it was indeed Senna standing above him, but only parts of her. It was as if she were a jig-saw puzzle, and large sections of the pieces had gone missing... instead of her body in those places there was a dark purple mist or smoke. Most of the left half of her face was gone, large sections of her trunk, her entire right arm... all just eerie purple-black apparitions.

"Well," she hissed at him, "Behold. Are you proud of your work?"

He felt terrified, guilty, and sick all at the same time. His violet eyes filled to the brim with tears as he struggled to sit up, one arm reaching out instinctively towards the being. "Senna- How- I- Thought you were gone."

"I am gone. We all are." She hissed in reply, and as if on cue, scores of similarly jig-sawed beings emerged from the debris all around him, some limping, some crawling, others stalking slowly- all converging on his location. There were women, children, First Order Troopers, Red-Key Thugs... "Or, are we?" She finished, her tone eerily sing-song.

Tsivoin struggled to tear his gaze away from the converging beings to look back up at Senna. Now he could see the glow of Richter and his cybernetic enhancements standing a few feet behind her. With Misu Nim and Wes Tarpal next to him. Even as he processed their sudden appearance, he watched as the dark purple mist on Senna and all the others was slowly replaced by identical cybernetics.

He could see over her shoulder, Richter spoke to her and then smiled coldly, staring right at Tsivoin. The teenager felt his body go frigid and he looked back up at Senna one last time. "I'm so sorry." he told her before finally scrambling up to his feet and running in the other direction.

"You can't run from your past, Tsivoin. You'll never be able to hide from what you truly are." the voices of Richter, his cronies, Senna, and all the other beings shouted after him in unison.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Nova froze in place the moment Vague mentioned Tsivoin. "No, I thought he was with you," she said, "Where did he go?"

“I don’t know,” Rossi replied as Orev and Vague looked her way. “We’d all stopped in this atrium with the fountain and next thing I knew he wasn’t here anymore.”

“We're pretty well exposed here,” Orev added though none of the crew needed a reminder of their time constraints.

Nova turned this way and that hoping Tsivoin had somehow managed to follow her. When she couldn't see him she stopped and tried to calm her nerves. With her eyes closed she tried to reach out to him and feel his presence in the Force. However, an image flashed through her mind that she wasn't expecting. She could see herself back under the debris again, the screams of her fellow students ringing in her ears. Her eyes snapped open again and she fell to her knees.

"I can't sense him," she said over the com. "Vague, I can't sense him, what do I do?"

Vague and Orev exchanged a knowing glance before the Captain responded to her panicked call. "Breathe, Hazynam. We regroup. Get back here to the atrium with the fountain." He filled his voice with confidence, though kept his tone neutral, then he contacted SlackJaw. "EssJay, can you scan our location from there? Maybe we can pick up a direction at least?"

Meanwhile, back aboard the Bedlam, Micaiah stood at the foot of the boarding ramp. From her vantage point she could see the entirety of the ruined structure below along a few huts, some of which were still standing. As she gazed at the Jedi temple she felt a shiver run down her spine. There was a dark spot on the Seldarin here, a scar left behind by something evil. A Jedi might refer to it as a disturbance in the Force, she mused to herself. She was in the cockpit when Slackjaw called out the sudden appearance of the First Order. Now she was left wondering what exactly was taking the others so long to come back. She half turned to head back up into the ship and that's when she heard it. A click, followed by the whine of a carbine powering up.

"Freeze," someone said from behind her.

Micaiah instinctively held up her hands. A squad of six stormtroopers appeared, blaster carbines leveled at her. One of them stepped forward with a pair of binders and slapped them on her wrists. Then he turned to the others. "Search the rest of the ship," he told them.

"Captain," Slackjaw began, speaking over the com, "I am trying to run the scan but there is some sort of interference with the..."

"Don't move," the filtered voice of a stormtrooper shouted over the comline. The transmission cut shortly after that leaving everyone in the temple standing in a circle with a deep look of concern on each of their faces.

Back aboard the Bedlam a man smartly dressed in an officer's uniform boarded the ship and stood in front of Micaiah and Slackjaw, both of whom were cuffed and flanked on either side by stormtroopers. "Is this all," he asked, leaning in closer to get a better look at Micaiah.

"There's one more in the medbay, but she appears to be in a coma. We've cuffed her to the bed just in case and one of my men is watching her."

The officer stroked his chin in idle thought. His nose was now inches away from Micaiah's face and the girl was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "I've not seen your kind before," he muttered mostly to himself. "Fascinating."

Then he straightened up and turned to the trooper who had addressed him. "The others are probably still inside the temple," he said, "Have the rest of your men surround it and wait for my order. Command wants the Jedi taken alive. She may be able to lead us to Skywalker."

At the mention of the name Skywalker Micaiah shared a glance with Slackjaw. She knew the name from an old legend about a rebel hero who had slain the Emperor, but she didn't think he was real. Neither of them said anything, however, and Micaiah made sure to keep quiet. Unbeknownst to the First Order officer she had an earbud still in her ear canal and it was transmitting to the rest of the team. By the time Nova had arrived to meet Vague and the others back at the Atrium they had all heard the Officer's demands.

"What do we do," Rossi piped up, "They have the ship and we still don't know where Tsivoin is."

"I have an idea," Nova said quietly after a moment of hesitation. Then she glanced up at Vague and added, "but you're not gonna like it."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Vague and Orev were already checking the charges on their energy weapons and mentally scanning the atrium and all the other parts of the temple that they had passed through, searching for tactical weak points or defensible positions when Nova spoke up.

“Odd, that.” They replied in unison at the notion that they’d maybe not like the sound of her plan.

"Once we find Tsivoin I can try to make an opening for you guys to reach the ship," Nova explained.

"Nova, no," Vague told her.

She looked at him with those sad eyes and an apologetic look on her face. "He'll target me with everything he has. You know he will. If I can lead them away from the temple...," she said but her next words caught in her throat. She turned her gaze away from him to hide her face. There was no way out for her. She knew that, but she could still save the crew.

"Once you're clear fly to Kamparas," she continued, trying her best to sound brave, "Look for an old Jedi training facility there. Tsivoin can still save Masilda."

The charge of his Relby-made blaster carbine preceded Vague’s refusal of the notion that they would be sacrificing her to save their skin.

“Kid, I dig the initiative, but I told you on the ‘Bedlam weeks ago, no First Order is going to decide the fate of me or mine.” He paused for a moment, looked between the other three, then sighed softly. “Look, it’s never as good as it seems - it's never as bad as it seems - but keep your head and there's always a way out. Nova, you know this place better than the rest of us. We need to set up a defensive position between us and the ship that can cover us while we search for Tsiv.”

Nova looked back at him but she wasn't entirely convinced. What could the five of them do against an entire army? "The hallway between the atrium and the grand hall," she said finally, "A single point of entry but there's no cover."

To punctuate her words the four of them heard the whine of TIE-fighters flying overhead.

Vague’s eyes shifted upwards as the nimble star fighters buzzed the top of the complex. inconvenient he thought to himself briefly. “Ok, good. You take Orev and Rossi there. They want you alive, we can still use that to our advantage. With you on site they won’t risk any aerial strafing or heavy artillery. Defend that choke point while I track down the kid.” He stopped and looked to the others for confirmation.

Nova looked at the other two then finally back at Vague and silently nodded. "This way," she said, heading towards the entrance to the grand hall.

Vague watched them go with a stoic, yet encouraging expression on his face. Once they were out of site, however, that melted away into an impassive mask... the humanity drained from his eyes as he morphed into a predator, the likes of which these First Order Troopers has never known.

Meanwhile, in the corridor just prior to the Grand Hall, Orev stopped and looked for some makeshift cover to set up behind. Rossi began to do the same and the Duros looked up at Nova.

“Now, I know saving the day is kinda this thing you like to do,” he started, “Rossi told me about the shuttle back on Chandrilla. Right now, though, we need to work this problem as a team, yeah?”

Nova sighed and turned away. "I get it, 'Rev, I just... I don't see how. If they brought a destroyer that means there are scores of stormtroopers out there, walkers and TIE-Fighters. You and Vague both know that if I go out there I can make them look the other way. I mean what else can we do? They're between us and the ship. They have the rest of the crew. If we try to rescue them...," her words trailed off.

"A sacrifice play is the best option we have and you know it," she finished.

The middle aged Duros’ lipless mouth curled into a frown in response. “You may very well be right, m’dear. It may be the best option - it’s just not our style. Don’t give up hope, it’s the one thing we have and they,” he nodded upwards towards the space above them, “Can’t buy or produce it. We’re not out of tricks yet, and we’re never out of the fight.”
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Nova looked helplessly at Rossi. "Help me out here," she said, 'Do the math! The five of us against all of them! You know we can't beat them, but I can save everybody right now. It's what I'm supposed to do!"

Rossi looked up from her cover and glanced over at Orev. “I’ve seen what she can do, Rev. Maybe she has a point. We-“

“No, Rossi. She’s family. If they... When they," he corrected himself, "get ahold of her, what then? You know none of us can live with that.”

Nova opened her mouth to say something, but before she could the massive doors to the temple were blasted off their hinges. Shortly after several squads of stormtroopers entered the structure and Orev and Rossi let them have it with everything they had. Blaster bolts danced back and forth across the intervening space. Some burning harmlessly into the walls and fallen debris that Rossi and 'Rev were using as cover. Others found their marks, taking down several stormtroopers all at once.

Through the opening in the door the companions could see scores of stormtroopers lined up just outside the entrance, flanked on either side by a pair of massive walkers. In front of them all they could see a First Order Admiral standing next to two bound prisoners, Micaiah and Slackjaw. Orev held up a hand towards Rossi, signaling her to hold her fire. As the last blaster bolt burned its way into the stone walls of the temple both Orev and Rossi stood.

"Good, that's better," the admiral announced. He had a device with him that amplified his voice so they could all hear. "Now my demands are simple. The Jedi for your friends. I'll give you ten minutes to think it over."

Both Rossi and Orev ducked behind a wall and shared a glance. "Great, what do we do now," the Kessurian asked, she glanced over at Nova only then realizing at that moment the young Jedi was nowhere to be seen.

"Fething hell," Orev cursed as he lifted his fingertips to his ear. "Captain, we have a problem..."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Elsewhere, Durin was cutting a swathe of destruction through the rear guard of the First Order forces. The captain had done the math and he’d never had any intention of looking for Tsivoin in the Temple. The young Zabrak was just as safe on his own at the moment as he’d be with any of the rest of them, and for now at least Vague’s only hope was to break through the enemies lines and rescue his crew or gain some counter-leverage.

He traveled swiftly through the ruins and scorched foliage, keeping as silent as possible. The outlaw did most of his work with a blade, only firing when it was absolutely necessary to avoid having his location triangulated. If he could just retake the Bedlam, then maybe he’d have enough firepower to drive the ground forces back. Maybe...

“Captain, we have a problem.” He heard Orev’s voice on the comm.

Vague ducked down behind a crumbled hut and responded, “Let me guess, Five has gone rogue?”

“Got it in one, boss. There’s an officer out here, he’s got Three and the Doc. Wants to trade them for the Jedi.” The Duro’s explained. “He says we’ve got ten minutes to comply.”

Vague cursed under his breath. It was a smart move. The leader of the First Order forces must have left troops guarding Masilda and the freighter, then took Micaiah and SlackJaw with him to the temple. That created too many fronts for Vague to successfully mount a counter-offensive. “Understood, stand by for now.” He ordered, then gathered his legs underneath him and headed off towards his ship.

Tsivoin wasn’t sure how long he’d been running, time seemed to be working differently in this nightmare realm he’d entered. What he did know, was that each time he turned to look behind him he could see the cybernetically repaired Devoronian Senna chasing after him, horde in tow. He was panicked, now... the once cool and calm connection he’d made with the Force was tainted by it, acrid and staticky. Just then he thought he’d caught a glimpse of a strange yet familiar face, but when he turned to look again the Zabrak tumbled, horned head over booted heel into a cool and damp cavern beneath the temple.

He yelped in shock and surprise, the wasteland illusion of the Tangle giving way to the jagged rocks of reality. For a moment, the teen simply lay there, gasping for breath... his twin hearts racing, their beats deafening in his ears. Finally he shifted into a crouching position and looked around, taking in his surroundings. He made several failed attempts to climb back up into the temple proper, and was about to give up hope when the image returned. There was no mistaking it this time, the image, the person standing in front of him was the long dead Jedi Padawan Joc Sah.

“What- How are you here?!” Tsivoin stammered in response, his violet eyes scanning the image then darting upward in the direction he’d fallen from.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Outside the temple Admiral Julian Vale waited patiently for a response. He periodically checked his chrono with an impassive look on his face. After about three minutes he turned to the officer standing next to him. "When the Jedi shows herself see to it that these two are brought to my ship immediately."

"And the others, Sir," the officer asked.

Julian simply shrugged. "Alive, preferably," he said, "Dead captives rarely have anything interesting to say, but if necessary you may kill them."

"Sir," the man replied with an affirmative.

Meanwhile, in another part of the temple Nova looked down at the army of stormtroopers outside. There were just so many of them. More than she nor the others could ever hope to take on. Over the coms she heard Orev and Vague speaking to each other. Vague had ordered 'Rev and Rossi to standby, but he was racing for an idea. Any idea. She felt it before when they were standing together in the Atrium. Vague had no idea what to do and neither did 'Rev. She tried one more time to close her eyes and reach out with the Force to sense Tsivoin, but again her thoughts were clouded by memories of the past.

Reluctantly she opened her eyes again and keyed her coms. "I'm sorry, Vague," she said quietly in a soft but determined tone, "I know you're trying your best but it's okay to admit when you're lost. My plan may not be the best option, but it's the only one we have. You and 'Rev both know it, I'm just the only one who isn't refusing to accept it. I led you into this trap and I'll get you out of it, just--take care of Tsivoin for me and save the others. Goodbye, everyone, I love you all..."

"Nova, wait...," Vague tried to say just before Nova pulled her comlink from her ear and smashed it.

Moments later something fell on top of the stormtroopers outside from somewhere in the upper levels of the temple. As the young Jedi landed she unleashed a telekinetic shockwave into the ground from her hand that picked up an entire squad of stormtroopers and sent them flying. As she stood she ignited her lightsaber and charged at the next rank of troopers, cutting through three of them in the blink of an eye and sending another six flying backwards with a telekinetic blast. One of the walkers high above her lowered its head in her direction and fired twice, cratering the ground around her and instantly vaporizing a number of stormtroopers.

"Alive, you idiots," the admiral shouted, "I want her taken alive!"

He turned to the armored officer standing behind him. "Get these two aboard a transport now," he ordered him. The officer waved over a couple of troopers who then grabbed both Micaiah and Slackjaw and began nudging them back towards a nearby transport. Then the admiral picked up his comlink and called his men standing by at the Outlaw's ship. "Get ready, sergeant, the Jedi is making her move. The others will be heading in your direction soon."

Meanwhile, Nova was still cutting a swath of destruction through the rank and file of the First Order's best. A flick of her wrist sent her saber flying through the air, cutting down a number of troopers before returning to her hand. As she caught it she ran between the front legs of one of the giant walkers before leaping high into the air. A single swipe of her lightsaber cut straight through the knee joint of the walker's hind leg, shifting its center of gravity ever so slightly and causing it to tumble backward and to the right. As the monstrous beast crashed to the ground with a massive shockwave she continued running down the hill towards the abandoned huts, away from the temple and Vague's ship.

"After her, you morons! Don't let her escape," the admiral continued shouting from far behind her.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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When he heard the static back-feed through the comm Vague cursed. He wasn't lost, he just needed time... and for the crew to play their parts. The aging outlaw sighed heavily. Maybe being a Jedi was as much a disadvantage as it was the opposite. Nova just didn't seem as if she were able to let go - to put her faith in the group, rather than in herself.

He glanced around for a moment, gathering his bearings... "Two, talk to me." he ordered, and waited.

The response came back quickly. In the background of Orev's shouting, Vague could hear the sounds of a fierce battle going on. "Still no sign of Six, Five engaged the horde, she appears to be leading the main force due east. Three and I are pinned down. Looks like this guy isn't satisfied with the prisoners he already has."

Durin frowned and looked West. The Bedlam was there... Maybe he got there in one piece. Maybe he could take out the forces guarding it. Maybe he could even lift off... But with Nova, the only true objective of this First Order force, separated from them and gaining distance... there was nothing to stop the TIE Fighters or even the Star Destroyer in orbit from opening up on them.

No. The board had shifted, and so too would his tactics. "Two, Three, fall back. There's another way out of that place - find it." He ordered, then shouldered the carbine and picked out a point North East of his current position and set off at a combat jog. He could only hope there was still time.

Meanwhile, SlackJaw turned his multi-colored head to look over at the Sylarian he was shackled next to. "You know, I told that lipless geriatric that there was something out there. But no, 'Your circuits must be crossed' - he said. Well, who's crossed now?"

The muzzle of a blaster rifle made a faint metallic sound as it clinked off the back of SlackJaws head. "You droid - That's about enough. Unless you want us to shut you down and dismantle you for parts." one of the stormtroopers guarding them threatened. Just then, SlackJaw and Micaiah watched as a small squad of troopers disappeared further into the temple, likely in pursuit of Orev and Rossi.

"Were it so easy." SlackJaw countered the trooper.

Down in the rocky cavern below the temple, Tsivoin stood with one arm wrapped loosely around his middle... he must've bruised it slightly in the fall. The young Zarbak's eyes danced with uncertainty as he regarded the image of Joc Sah before him.

The young, long dead, padawan shrugged narrow shoulders and looked over at Tsiv in turn. "I dunno. Mysterious, are the ways of the Force... My master Sev always said. I'm-"

"Joc Sah, I know." Tsiv cut him off in reply. "I'm Tsivoin. Ulderis.. We uh, found you- on the Venator not far from Ragmar V."

Joc nodded solemly. "My first mission... My last mission. We were betrayed by our own forces. There was a great darkness closing in upon the galaxy."

Tsiv tilted his head in acknowledgment. "The Empire. I don't know much, but it took over, violently and oppressed countless worlds."

"So the Jedi?"

"Gone. At least they were. Nova said someone - Skywalker was bringing them back. She was a student of his, until this place," he paused and motioned towards the ruins around him. "Was destroyed."

Joc Sah frowned. "Anakin Skywalker?" He asked briefly, to which Tsiv shook his head no.

"Luke, she called him, I think. Look I don't know, I only just found out a few days ago about the Force and how I had it." The teen reached into his cargo pocket and pulled out part of the husk that had once been Joc Sah's lightsaber hilt. "My... Nova, she took this from the ship, and she gave it to me. I know it was yours... I saw what happened to you in my dreams."

Joc looked to the ground for a moment, then back up at the ruined hilt. "Then, Tsivoin Ulderis, perhaps you and I share some sort of connection, it's not unhear-"

Before he could finish, several small rocks fell down the slope from behind Tsivoin and the young Zabrak rapidly turned in that direction. He'd been expecting to see the dark and twisted vision of Senna and her horde descending upon him, but instead it was the familiar forms of Rossi and Orev.

"What the frell, Campo." Rossi asked as she approached. "We've been calling for you, if it wasn't for the voices down here we'd probably never have found you... Who were you talking to anyway? Wait, nevermind that, the First Order is right behind us. We need an exit, pronto."

Tsiv looked between the two of them, then glanced back over his shoulder, but Joc Sah was gone. He frowned momentarily, then turned back. "First order, where are the others?" He asked quickly.

It hadn't taken Vague long to cut off the assault force. They were hyperfocused on chasing Nova and it made them sloppy. Poor training. He thought to himself as he cut down a quartet of troopers in rapid succession with his carbine, then looped around a set of exotic trees and took cover. The sound of a closing walker and many more dozens of booted feet spurned the middle-aged man on, despite his exhaustion. He pressed further east, towards the distinctive thrum of the a lightsaber and the clamor of battle.

He could see the expression of resolve she wore shift into one of surprise and frustration as he appeared, though there was something else in it buried behind her eyes. Durin burst forth into the clearing she'd paused in and took a look around. This must have been her choice for a final stand against the First Order. From what he could put together in the briefest of glances, it must have been some sort of garden, or maybe even an aviary, nestled behind the temple and in between some adjacent buildings. He popped off a flurry of shots, driving back a pressing force of troopers and ultimately stopped a meter or so from Nova, his back to hers as he surveyed the forces opposing them.

His sudden appearance seemed to give the First Order pause, and he took that moment to collect himself and catch his breath. "You know, you move pretty quick for being winged." he told her referring to her recent injury.

"And you appear to be going deaf in your advanced age," She replied, resetting her defensive stance... saber held high. "I told you to save the others. To go to-"

"Kamparas, yes we all heard you. Now-" He didn't have time to finish the sentence. Whoever the troopers had radioed to to get further orders hadn't taken long to relay them and he and Nova were once again under siege. The carbine held out for a few more minutes as they shifted in near unison, Nova deflecting the incoming fire while Durin countered. Once he felt it deplete, he spun around and deftly drew the Westar pistol that Nova always had holstered at her side with his left hand while drawing his own KDC pistol with his right.

For a few moments, it seemed as if they were holding their own. Until the walker finally lumbered into range. As if in response to the reinforcement there was a brief pause in the barrage coming their way. Vague couldn't hold it back anymore and finally succumbed to the coughing fit that had been nagging at him since he started running through the forest. In the midst of the coughing, he caught out of the corner of his eye as a trio of First Order ships tugged the 'Bedlam between them and skyward towards the orbiting Destroyer. A hefty portion of bloody spittle splattered the ground between his booted feet as he heaved to catch his breath.

The captain didn't see or hear the blast coming, all he knew was a sudden and invisible concussive blast struck him at the same time as an intense wave of heat did. He was thrown one direction and as he turned to look he saw Nova propelled in the opposite. Between them a two meter blackend scorch mark from the walkers heavy laser cannons. Mere moments before the walker opened fire, a rocky portion of the temples foundation suddenly exploded outward, Tsiv followed Orev and Rossi through the hole and the trio stood with jaws agape at the site twenty or so meters in front of them.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Shortly after the battle the crew were bound, relieved of their weapons and taken into custody. Nova was immediately separated from the group under heavy guard as she was escorted to a separate transport. Meanwhile, Vague and the others rode the same transport up to the star destroyer and upon arriving they were escorted to the cell block and separated into individual cells. At least, at first. After an hour of waiting the door to Vague's cell opened up revealing Micaiah and a stormtrooper standing behind her. With a shove he pushed her into the cell and then closed the door. Micaiah stumbled forward and fell to her knees.

Vague was quick to react and knelt down beside her. He didn't speak the question, because truth be told he wasn't sure he could keep the panic inside of him from his voice... but his expression and the look in his eyes still managed to convey the concern he had for her and the rest of his crew as well as his wondering of how she'd been brought here.
Micaiah smiled and nodded. "I managed to convince them that I needed to monitor you because of your medical condition," she told him. "Of course, the blood on your shirt helped quite a bit."

Vague gave her a wry, half-smile. It was a good call and a smart play. Maybe they'd make an outlaw of her yet. He took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves and hoped his voice came out steady. "And the others?"

"Locked up in individual cells," she answered, "but as far as I can tell everyone is here in the same cell block except for Nova."

She stood and dusted herself off. "They took our coms," she continued. "And more," she added as she held up her bare wrist, revealing that she no longer wore the bracelet. "It won't take them long to figure out what it is. After that, well...," she had no idea what would come to pass after that. Sylaria was now part of the Republic and so far the First Order had refrained from attacking them directly. Their war was with the Resistance which the Republic dare not support. Any act of aggression towards a member of the New Republic could lead to open warfare, which the First Order may not be ready for. Of course, there were other, subtler methods for waging war.

"Anyway, how are you," she asked him. Gently taking hold of his chin and nudging is gaze up towards the light so she could see the dilation of his pupils.

His left hand shot up and gripped the underside of her bicep, just behind the elbow, on its own accord. An involuntary reflex and result of the mis-balance within him. The captain took a half-step backwards but the doctor followed, keeping a steady but soft grip on his chin all the same. As she looked into his eyes, she didn't see the haze or constriction one expected to see as a result of recovering from a stun blast... Instead she found the frightened, frenzied eyes of a caged animal that knew the bars all too well and needed out.

The Captain had put up a ferocious fight when he'd ultimately been cornered by the First Order and they'd been forced to stun him repeatedly in order to subdue and cuff him. Micaiah hadn't been around to see that, she and SlackJaw were already being transported up to the Destroyer. What few outside of the 'Bedlams original crew knew, was that Vague and Orev had spent a hellish four years in the custody of the First Order together and they'd taken a serious tole on both of their psyches.

Durin's face twitched slightly in response to Micaiah's questioning glance. He wanted to tell her about it... but couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he tried to force his eyes to harden once more. "I'll manage." he replied. "The stun blast effects are wearing off."

Micaiah stared at him a moment. Clearly, being in this situation was traumatic for him. A bad memory from his past life, perhaps? It was fairly obvious he didn't want to talk about it, though, so she decided she wasn't going to push the issue. Questioning him about his past wasn't going to help them out of their current predicament.

"I don't suppose you have any ideas for getting out of here," she asked instead, changing the subject and giving him something else to focus on.

It took Vague a few moments to realize that the Sylarian had let go of his chin and a couple more to realize that he still had a hold on her upper arm. He delicately let go and exhaled, suddenly very thankful to have someone to interact with within the cell, and more so for a task to focus on. "A few," he offered finally, his voice normalizing somewhat. "But they all require more data. Have they identified themselves in any way, said anything about what they're doing here? Well, besides hunting down Nova."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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"Ol' Doc doesn't hide, he hibernates." -- Doc, Star Wars: The Old Republic

"What do you call it when you kill someone and take all their stuff?"
"Adventuring!" -- Tallis and Hawke, Dragon Age 2.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Micaiah shrugged. "Some kind of rapid response team," she answered. "I overheard some of the troopers say we tripped a listening post on our way in."

Vague nodded. "Probably the ghost signal EssJay picked up."

"Anyway, I don't think it's Nova they want," she continued, "The Admiral seems far more interested in catching 'Skywalker' and they seem to think that Nova can lead them to him. They're going to bring in a special interrogator to find out. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to hear anymore, but whoever they're bringing in it sounds bad. The entire room was dead quiet, everyone was nervous. I think they fear their own leaders as much as they fear the Jedi."

“New name, new uniforms, same old regime.” He spoke, half under his breath. Vague’s eyes narrowed at the corners as he considered this new information. “I can’t be sure, but the way Nova spoke of him Skywalker wasn’t of this world anymore.”

He took a step back and closed his stance off from hers subconsciously. He could tell she’d noticed his condition earlier and now he needed to find a way to project the one control’ Captain she knew.

“Doubt that’ll be what they want to hear, though.”

Micaiah thought about that and shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that," she said, 'They seemed pretty confident he was alive. Did Nova mention seeing his body?"

Vague shook his head.

"Then maybe--," she started to say then the door to their cell opened up and interrupted her.

Outside the Admiral stood with two storm troopers flanking him on either side. One of them held a pair of binders while the other openly cradled his carbine in both hands. The Admiral stepped inside the cell then glanced first at Micaiah before shifting his gaze over to Vague. "Captain, if you would please," he said, directing Vague towards the door with one hand. With the other he drew a pistol and aimed it at Micaiah. "Quietly," he added," or I shoot the girl."
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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Vague’s eyes darted between the Admiral, the binders in the troopers hands, and Micaiah. His panic told him to attack, to lash out and cause as much mayhem as possible on his way to the nearest escape craft. But that wasn’t an option today, not this time. He wasn’t the only one stuck in this brig and he owed it to the others to make sure they all walked out.

Resignation draped across his expression and without a word, he stepped forward and placed his arms out toward the trooper with the binders. His shoulders and back tended as the restraints clicked into place, but the sound of the Admiral re-holstering his blaster allowed Durin to relax slightly.

“Wonderful,” Julian stated, then spun on his heel smartly and walked passed Vague and the troopers. “You will follow.”

The outlaw was lead through the remainder of the brig, down a narrow corridor, and into an interrogation room. It was a short trip, maybe eighty meters or so, maximum but Vague made the most of it. Even battling past memories he was able to memorize the layout of the brig, and come to the conclusion that they were indeed not aboard a destroyer-class vessel.

With such a small sample size it was hard to be certain, but the Captain ventured a guess that they were on one of the new Nebulon-K class frigates... based solely off the shape and style of the bulkhead connectors and control pad configurations. That would stand to reason with what Micaiah had said regarding this being a Rapid-Response team. A smaller ship would play into their favor: less crew and less ground for them to cover in the escape.

Vague sat at at the table in the interrogation room as instructed the Admiral took the only other seat in the room opposite Him. One trooper stood behind Durin while the other remained at the door. The room fell into silence for a few breaths, until the Admiral activated a holoprojector in the center of the table and several images of Vague displayed in the air between them.

“You’ll forgive me, Captain, but I’m not sure how to address you. Is it Quentin King? Arslan Venkman? Vague Durin? Jimmy Glynn?” At the mention of the last name the Admiral noticed Vague tense up considerably and a cool grin slid across his lips. What the Admiral didn’t know, was that Vague had been concerned that the Order may have identified his true identity. Thankfully, it seemed, that wasn’t the case. Vague had sworn an oath to the secretive and powerful Socorran organization known as the Black Baihlar and in return they had used their considerable resources to wipe his slate clean, to erase all record of Auden Wards existence from the galaxy. That was when he’d become Vague Durin... that was when he’d left his entire life behind, for good. “Of course. Arms trafficker Jimmy Glynn. He was an honored guest of the First Order for several years, if I’m not mistaken.”

Vague merely sat still and struggled to relax the tension mounting in his body in response as he fought back the memory of those horrible years in prison with Orev.

“No matter. I’m not here to track down wayward prisoners. The peculiar female back in your cell called you Quentin, so we’ll stick with that for now. Tell me, Captain King, do you know why we’re here?”

Vague leaned forward just slightly in his chair, resting his tattooed forearms a giant the surface of the table. The Captain had been subjected to extensive counter interrogation training while in the services of ATOG, and now that he was confident that his true identity was still safely hidden he was prepared to engage in the age old dance with this Admiral. “I’m afraid not, Admiral....” when it became clear that he was not going to offer his name, Vague continued. “Near as I can tell, your First Order has made an unprovoked incursion onto a non-aligned world in the depths of The Slice, and launched an unprovoked assault on a private merchant freight or and its crew. If I’m mistaken, please do enlighten me.” He replied.

Julian studied him for several moments before responding. “Tell me, Mr. King, what exactly is your relationship to the fugitive force user Elena Conor?”

Vague made a face in response and then looked at the Admiral with a semi-vacant expression, leaving just a hint of smug obstinance left in its wake. “Force.. user? You mean Nova,” he paused to hold his cuffed hands outward to indicate the shortness of a young long. “The grifter? We picked her and her horn-headed servant up off Cantonica after their scheme went south at the casino. Is that what this is about, a few lousy creds off a game of dice?”

“Mr. King, please I had hoped we could conduct this interview in a civilized manner, Captain to Captain, as it were?” The Admiral rapped a handful of keys and a new set of images floated into existence... likely helmet cams or security footage from the Wanderlust raid.

Vague merely shrugged. “I dunno what you want me to say, I thought all that Force Magic stuff was a pile of shavvit. The kid starts waving around a glow rod and tossing slot machines... who knew huh?”

The Admiral sighed slightly and the next image was of Orev, Rossi, and a woman Vague had not seen before. “We know her only as the Cypher. Tell me, what do you know of this woman?”

Again, Vague shrugged, though in this instance his ignorance was genuine. This must’ve been the ‘Mean lady’ that Slackjaw has mentioned after the Wanderlust heist went south. “You’ll forgive me, Admiral but I’ve never seen or met this woman in my life.”

Another series of shots were displayed, showing a much much younger Cypher with Orev on multiple occasions. “It would seem, that your Duros mechanic can’t say the same. Orev Masuda, is it? Known to have served in the Rebellion, no?”

Vague tipped his head slightly. “Long time ago.” He offered. “What he did with them hasn’t ever been any of my business. Wasn’t my fight, you see?”

“Captain, are your ship and crew operating in service to the Resistance or are you not?” The Admiral asked directly. “Cypher is suspected to be one of the preeminent Resistance Intelligence officers and we have established she and your Duros have considerable history together.”

This time Vague laughed. “The Resistance?! Who do you take me for, that Princess chasing brigand Han Solo? Admiral, I assure you that we are simply an freighter crew trying to make our way in the galaxy. Nothing more.”

“Even if I were inclined to believe that, Captain, how do you explain your arrival here, to the ruins of Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple? What is it you came here to do? Where is Master Skywalker hiding and what is your mission?”

The Admiral hadn’t quite raised his voice to a shout... Vague figured he wasn’t the type... but the intensity behind his tone had certainly peaked.

“Look I’m not sure what you’re after, Admiral but I’ll tell it to you straight. I may not believe in all this hocus pocus, but there are saps all over the galaxy who do and they pay big money for Forcey stuff. Imagine, you’re a freighter Captain and you’re newest crew member tells you over dinner that she knows where the vaunted Jedi Temple was. What would you have done? Of course we came here to find something worth auctioning off to the masses.”

Julian leaned back in his chair and considered that a moment. Quentin was surprisingly skilled at resisting interrogation, either that or he truly believed in what he was saying. "Tell me about the young Zabrak," he said, shifting gears slightly, "My men found him with a broken lightsaber, a contraband weapon. What are his capabilities? Is the rogue Jedi training him? Or are you going to pretend that you weren't aware the fugitive was rebirthing a terrorist organization under your nose?"

Vague felt himself begin to bristle a bit at the mention of Tsivoin and with practiced ease he steadied his nerves. “Just a victim of circumstance.” Vague replied coolly. “It’s my understanding he got caught up in some unpleasantness between your goons and our dear Nova. He’s no one of consequence. As to the supposed contraband, well I did just tell you we came here seeking relics.” Vague sighed internally. He didn’t have a clever leg to stand on with this one andHe knew it. He’d hoped that the kid would have gone under the radar... but if the First Order suspected that Tsiv was force sensitive...

Julian watched him for a moment. He thought for sure he saw the Captain react to his mention of the young Zabrak. Quentin, however, was really good at hiding his emotional response. Julian was sure of it now, the man had training, but with whom? He decided to try a different tactic to see if he could provoke another response.

"And the woman who shares your cell," he asked, keeping a close eye on Vague's expression and body language. "She seemed rather adamant about keeping tabs on you. Some kind of medical condition? Tell me about that."

Durin paused at the shift in subject. Just what was this Admiral after? The Captain now began to ponder a way to counter-steer this interview... or end it altogether.

He took a breath and then tilted his chin just a bit up and away. “Fueling accident at a Spaceport, some time ago.” He lied. “I suffered significant irreparable damage to my respiratory tract. Doc keeps an eye on it for me. Not that I see the relevance.”

"And your relationship to the doctor is strictly professional," the admiral asked and Vague nodded. Finally, he shifted in his seat while reaching into his pocket to pull something out. Vague couldn't see what it was until he set it down on the table and pulled his hand away. It was Micaiah's bracelet. "Tell me, do you know the particular function of this device?"

Vague glanced at the bracelet and thought about it for a moment. He wasn’t sure about this officer... the man was difficult to read. Vague couldn’t tell if the First Order had managed to access the device or not, but the Captain knew he wouldn’t be divulging any of Micaiah’s secrets to this man.

“I’m sorry, device?” He asked, leaning in to take a closer look at it. “I’m afraid you’ve got me at a loss here, Admiral. Far as I know that’s just a gaudy trinket the doc picked up from an Umbaran on our last trip to Nar Shadaa.”

"Truly," Julian asked as he reached forward and pressed his thumb against the display. A holographic image came to life above the table displaying various bits of information that was impossible for either man to decipher. Julian stood and came around the table to stand next to Vague. "A magnificent piece of technology, wouldn't you say," he asked. "Unfortunately, my men have been unable to decipher the language that is being used. We have no record of it on file. Quite extraordinary, isn't it? Faster than light travel has made it possible to travel across the entire galaxy in an instant. Yet, no matter how small the galaxy may feel at times there are still things we've yet to discover. For instance, are you aware of a planet called Sylaria which recently joined the Republic as a member state? There is a Sylarian ambassador currently serving as a member of the Senate on Hosnian Prime, yet very little is actually known about her or the planet she's from."

He glanced down at Vague out of the corner of his eye waiting for a response. When none came he shrugged and moved to the side of the table. "No?" He continued as he reached out a hand and began toying with the holographic display. He swiped the image from left to right, switching displays and opening various files. From Vague's point of view his actions seemed aimless. He had no idea what he was looking at or even what he was fishing for. Finally, the admiral stopped on a particular folder and tapped it with his finger to open it. Inside was a file neither of them could read since it was written in Sylarian. Nevertheless, Julian reached out with both hands and made a gesture with his arms moving slowly apart to expand the image.

"A rather intuitive interface," he said, talking mostly to himself. When he continued speaking again his tone had a hint of wonder to it. "Interactive holograms, quite extraordinary. Unfortunately, most of these files are encrypted but this--I found this to be rather interesting."

He tapped on a small, humanoid figure displayed in the upper left corner of the file he expanded and the image shifted to a three-dimensional projection of a man's body. His entire nervous system and vital organs displayed in various colors. Julian pointed to the damaged lungs then looked directly at Vague. "That's you, isn't it? The doctor's used this device on you before. I assume all this information here is a report on the state of your well-being," he said, moving his hand to point down towards the file in the bottom right corner of the projection. "Doctors do have a habit of taking meticulous notes, after all. Now, Captain, I would think long and hard before lying to me again. What is the functionality of this device? What's its purpose? Is it a weapon? What is the Republic planning?"

"I told you, I'm just a freighter--," Vague started to say, but the admiral interrupted him.

"We both know that's a farce, Captain," Julian told him, his tone firm, "The efficiency with which you eliminated Sable team aboard the Wanderlust suggests military training. You traveled here with a Sylarian doctor in the presence of a rogue Jedi. Ordinary people rarely find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Now tell me again, what is the purpose of your mission? Is the Republic planning to ally themselves with the terrorist organization known as the Jedi? Is this a precursor to an attack on the First Order?"

Vague gave him a hard stare but said nothing. The admiral simply sighed then picked up the bracelet and turned off the display by pressing his thumb against it. The holographic projection faded from view and Julian stuffed the device back into his pocket. "Captain, if you do not tell me what this device is or what your ultimate goals are then I will have to ask the girl directly, and I will not be as pleasant with her as I am with you."

Vague’s heart fell as the Admiral was able to activate the bracelet and a prickly feeling began to grow at the small of his back as the man continued to flip through the menus and files. He felt his spine shiver as he looked upon his own damaged body and ultimately the Captains blood went cold as the Admiral threatened Micaiah.

Vague could see there would be no talking his way around this, and the outlaw began to evaluate his options. He kept a keen eye directed at the Admiral as he very quickly and deliberately shifted the chair he sat in. Durin could hear the boots and armor of the trooper behind him reacting even as he watched the Admiral himself level out his weight and prepare for hostilities to begin. In an instant, Vague made several assessments and came to the conclusion that nothing would be gained by violent action at this time.

Instead, he feigned surprise and raised his cuffed hands in a non threatening manner. “Woah. Easy now.” He spoke, then made a show of readjusting his position and posture. “Just some aching in my old age. Look, Admiral, I wish I could help you out here but you’re looking for something that just isn’t here, mate. Ok, so I lied about the bracelet. That’s just cause I’m hoping one day to liberate it from the broad myself for a fine stack of credits. Didn’t want to tip you off that it may be worth a few. Far as I can tell it’s purely medicinal in purpose. But I’m being completely honest with you, sir, we were only at the temple in hopes of finding a windfall.” He wasn’t lying, only pretending that the windfall was a financial one, rather than a mystery cure for their injured friend.

Julian gave him a long, hard stare. For the first time since the interrogation began he looked annoyed. "I was hoping to avoid this, Captain, but you've forced my hand."

He reached down to the table between them and pressed a switch. "Bring it in," he said. A moment later the door to the room opened up and a slender man with a hooked nose and a scrawny face dressed in a hooded robe entered the room leading an interrogation bot. "Don't worry, Captain, we'll get to the truth of this," the admiral continued as he stepped past Vague heading for the door.

Julian paused only for a moment as he walked past the hook-nosed man. "You have one hour,' he told him, then he left the room and the door slid shut behind him.

Vague's nonplussed expression eroded away as soon as the door closed behind the retreating Admiral. The freighter captain had no intention of willingly allowing this new figure and his pet-droid poke around inside his mind. In an instant he shoved violently away from the table, the chair he was seated in raising a few inches from the ground in response to the sudden movement. Durin wasted no time, kicking backwards viciously, he sent the sturdy chair careening straight into the trooper behind him. He didn't slow down there, next he vaulted over the table and crashed into the other trooper in the room, his forearm smashing into the troopers windpipe.

The hooded figure and his interrogation droid merely faded into the background as the door to the cell opened up and a wave of troopers armed with stun batons came crashing into the room. Obviously after what had happened planet side, they weren't taking many chances with him. Vague put up a valiant fight, injuring and/or incapacitating several of the new troopers but ultimately, the numbers just weren't in his favor and soon blow after blow from the stun-batons rendered him incapable of any further defense. He was only marginally aware of the restraints being placed around his ankles and neck before the droid slowly hovered over-top of him and he realized he was not bound to the table in the center of the cell.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by Pryde »

It was quite some time later when Vague was dragged back to his cell. Micaiah sat in the corner, her knees pulled up to her chest as she waited for him. When the door to the cell finally opened she practically jumped to her feet. Two stormtroopers brought Vague back into the cell, his feet dragging on the floor behind them. They unceremoniously dropped him onto the center of the floor then left the cell, even as Micaiah rushed to check up on him. A moment later Julian stood in the open doorway and looked down at his two prisoners.

"He's alive," he said simply, "and surprisingly stubborn. See to it he recovers for his next session."

"Why are you doing this," Micaiah asked, her tone practically begging him, "He's just an independent trader."

Julian's face hardened. "I'll be the judge of that. Now tend to him."

Micaiah looked perplexed. "I can't do that without medical supplies," she told him.

"You have what you need," he answered, then he pressed a switch on the wall and closed the door between them. Once the door had shut he turned to the officer standing behind him. "Bring me the Duros next..."

Meanwhile, in another part of the ship a young Jedi was just now beginning to wake. She moaned softly as her eyes gradually fluttered open and began adjusting to the light. When she remembered what had happened she tried to immediately bolt up right only to be stopped by her restraints. As her vision became accustomed to her surroundings she became vaguely aware that there was another figure in the room. The shadowy form of a man wearing a black and steel mask.

"Elena," the man said, "It's been awhile."

Nova gasped. She recognized that voice, even through the distortion caused by his mask, and his presence despite being marred by the dark side felt quite familiar to her. "Ben," she whispered softly to herself in disbelief. "It was you... You killed them all."

Kylo Ren stood from where he sat and disengaged his mask, hooking it under his arm as he looked at his prisoner. "I didn't mean to," he told her, "I was angry and betrayed."

"Betrayed by who," Nova asked skeptically.

"By Skywalker," he answered as he crossed the room and put his helmet down somewhere she couldn't see. "He is not the man you think he is," Ben continued from somewhere behind her. "He used you... Used us. Help me find him."

"Don't be ridiculous, Master Luke is dead. You killed him, remember?"

Kylo shook his head, though he knew Elena couldn't see it. "No," he said, "I failed. Skywalker is alive."

"Alive," Nova repeated in a low whisper. She found that a bit hard to believe, but through the Force she could tell that Ben was telling the truth. "If he's alive then why didn't he come back for us?"

"Why do you think," he asked. He was standing beside her now, his face mere inches away from hers. "Skywalker used you then disposed of you like he did to me."

"That's not true," the young Jedi shot back, "Master Skywalker gave me a home then you took it away!"

Kylo Ren leaned back and stared down at her. "You look up to him like a father," he said quietly. "So did I, once. Then Skywalker came into my hut in the dead of night and tried to murder me, so I fought back. I did what I had to do to survive." His face hardened and his tone became so intense that Nova instinctively shrank away from him.

"I don't believe you," she whispered softly, unable to meet his gaze, "It's a lie... It has to be!"

"Is it," Kylo asked, "What reason do I have to lie to you? You're my prisoner."

"No," Nova insisted, "Master Luke would never do that!"

"Open your eyes to the truth, Elena," he shouted as he leaned in closer to her face. "Skywalker survived his encounter with me and the attack on the Jedi temple yet he still left you alone to fend for yourself for these last four years. Is that the kind of man you want to owe your allegiance too? Tell me where he's hiding, and then we can both get what we want."

Nova's mind was reeling. She didn't want to believe any of what he was saying was true, but the conviction in his voice told her otherwise. Luke really did attack him at the Jedi temple, but that didn't make any sense. There had to be more. She wanted there to be more. "I--I don't know where he is."

"You're still protecting him? After everything I've told you," Kylo asked, he sounded incredulous.

"I'm not," Nova assured him. "I don't know where he went! I haven't seen him for four years!"

Kylo Ren pulled back from her then stepped in front of her chair. "Then we'll just have to make sure," he said, reaching his hand out to her.

"What are you doing," she asked.

"Shh, don't be afraid," he told her in a surprisingly gentle voice, "There may be some discomfort."

Nova stared at him, unsure of what he meant. Then she began to feel him reaching into her mind. Little tendrils at first but after awhile it almost felt like he was clawing at her memories. Her face contorted, the pain was almost unbearable. She tried her hardest to keep him out, pushing back against his will with her own but he was so much more powerful than her. In a matter of moments he completely overwhelmed her defenses and left her nearly breathless. With one last push he had everything he needed leaving Nova screaming in pain, her cries echoing off the chamber walls. When it was over he got up and left without a word, leaving the young Jedi exhausted and restrained. Nova's head groggily fell onto its side as she watched his receding form leave the room. After awhile her eyes closed and she drifted off into a deep slumber.

Outside the room Admiral Julian Vale met with Kylo Ren. "Did she say anything," he asked.

Kylo turned to him and said, "I want the girl kept alive at all costs."

Julian seemed pleased. "She showed you where Skywalker was hiding?"

"No," Kylo answered simply, "She showed me something more. She's touched the Veil. Bring her to me on Starkiller Base immediately."

Then his image faded from view, replaced by the droid underneath who had been projecting him as a hologram. As the droid regained control of itself it straightened up. "Sir," it said, "is there anything more you require of me?"

"No, you may go," Julian answered, then he turned and activated the comlink on his wrist. "Set a course for Starkiller Base."

The man on the other side of the call responded in acknowledgement. Then Julian spun on his heel and headed back towards the brig. His men should have prepared the Duros for interrogation by now and he had a few choice questions for him regarding the Resistance...

Back in Vague's cell Micaiah was busy dabbing the Outlaw's forehead with a ripped cloth she had torn from her sleeve. She had tried her best to make him comfortable, and to treat the burns all over his body but without a proper medkit or supplies there was only so much she could do. As she was dabbing his forehead she noticed his eyes begin to slowly flutter open. What happened next happened so fast that she barely had time to react. Vague suddenly snapped awake then reached out and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing hard. His other hand restrained her wrist, forcing her to drop the makeshift towel she'd been using.

"Vay... Vag," Micaiah tried to say, but it was impossible with the larger man cutting off her respiration. She could begin to feel herself starting black out, little tendrils of darkness creeping forward at the edge of her vision. In an act of desperation she used her free hand to search his bicep, reaching around to run her fingers along the inside of his arm. When she found the spot she was looking for she pressed down on it with her thumb as hard as she could. Vague's grip loosened around her neck as the muscles in his arm suddenly went numb, giving her time to pull away from him and gasp for air.

Vague's eyes widened when he recognized her and he sheepishly let go of her wrist. "Micaiah, I'm sorry," he whispered in a raspy voice.

"It's fine," she said between coughs. "I'm just glad you're awake."

He tried to reach out to her, but she pulled even further away from him out of reach. "How are you feeling," she asked, completely shutting down any further discussion of what just happened.
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

Post by VagueDurin »

It wasn't fine, and Vague desperately wanted to make sure she understood that - understood that he hadn't meant to... He slowly closed his eyes as he took in a deep, shaky breath. That hardly mattered right now. When he again opened his eyes, they looked over Micaiah rapidly. He searched her form in the dim light of the cell to determine if she had also been taken. Besides the rip on her sleeve, she appeared unmolested.

Vague struggled into a seated position, his back against the cell wall furthest from where Micaiah had retreated to. He couldn't make putting his hands on her right, he knew that... but- "Mic... He knows things." He stopped, the words hurting his throat as he spoke them. "Your bracelet. He asked me about Sylaria."

He watched the alarm and -betrayal maybe- flash across her expression and raised his left hand upward, the right still effectively numb and immobilized at his side. "I didn't tell him anything, I swear it. He already knew. He mentioned a senator on Hosnian Prime. I- He wanted me to tell him about your technology... I wouldn't. He's going to come for you soon."

Micaiah smirked and laughed lightly to herself. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised," she answered softly, "I disabled most of the lethal qualities of the bracelet and compromised its security. That was foolish of me, it made me fail in my mission."

She looked up at Vague again this time with a hardness to her gaze. "As long as the Admiral is alive Sylaria's in danger. You know what that means, right?"
Vague was momentarily taken aback by the sharpness of her eyes. He’d never seen such a quality about her before. The Captain wondered briefly if the foolish mistake she mentioned had been when she’d set the device to work as his disguise... were that the case, then her failure was the fault of he and his crew.

He met her gaze and nodded slowly, his own eyes unflinching. “You know that I do.”

"Good," she answered, her expression softening somewhat. "Now what did you see? Where did they take you?"

Vague took a moment to steady himself, still reeling from the after affects of the interrogation droid, then rested his head back against the bulkhead.

“I don’t think we’re on a destroyer, scale wasn’t right. Frigate is more likely. Nebulous I think, F or K class by the hatchways. Brig has 12 cells, six on either side. There’s only one egress and it leads to a security station. Four troopers and an officer there. The interrogation room was in a side corridor off that station. Looked like there were four of them.” He related the information effortlessly... as if it were a grocery list, or some other every day triviality.

Micaiah was kind of impressed by how succinct his report was. Even in his current mental state he was still able to offer a proper assessment of their situation. The benefits of military training, I suppose. "What about Nova? Did you see her at all?"

After seeing the way Nova tore through the Admiral's forces down on the surface of the planet she was confident their best chance of escape lay in freeing her from her restraints. Hopefully, she was in much better shape than Vague.

Vague sighed and shook his head slightly. “No. He asked about her, though. Her and the kid.” He replied.

Micaiah froze for a moment after Vague mentioned Tsivoin. He was just a child and she meant him no ill will, but if the First Order knew what he was capable of... "If they question him, would he...," she left the rest hanging in the air, but Vague was well aware of what she meant. Tsivoin's explosion at the Tailring was still fresh in both of their minds.

Vague shrugged awkwardly, his right arm still limp at his side. “Hope not?” He offered without much conviction. “They found him with lightsaber parts, so they already suspect he may be a Jedi. Nova’s been working with him, well just have to hope she’s managed to teach him some control.”

He didn’t have much faith in that, though. Tsiv was barely a teenager, and he’d lived a dreadfully traumatic life up until recently. To be honest Durin wasn’t sure he’d ever be capable of controlling his emotions to an effective level.
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Pryde
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Re: Star Wars: Remember Tomorrow

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The outlaw glanced over at his shoulder for a moment, their current path of conversation bringing the need to act soon to the forefront of his thoughts. “Neat trick,” he started, motioning at his disabled arm with the good one. “How long does this last?”

"Not very long," she told him with a shrug. "All I did was pinch a nerve."

"Good," he said, "We need to start thinking about--," he stopped when the door to their cell suddenly opened and the admiral stepped inside.

"Doctor, if you please," he said with a slight gesture of his hands.

Micaiah gave Vague an uncertain look before she stood and followed the admiral outside. She paused in the doorway to give Vague one last glance and before either of them could say anything one of the stormtroopers suddenly shocked her with a stun baton and knocked her out. "You son of," Vague roared, jumping to his feet instantly and charging towards the door. Before he could get there, however, the admiral pressed the door release and closed the door right in front of him. Vague barely had time to stop before his momentum carried him straight into the door.

Julien heard a thud on the inside of the cell before he turned to the two stormtroopers. One of them had Micaiah thrown over his shoulder. "Prep the girl for interrogation," he told them, "I will be watching from the observation room."

The troopers both saluted and marched out of the cell block carrying Micaiah along with them. It was quite some time later when the Sylarian woke again. She found herself in a non descript room strapped to a chair, an odd looking man sitting beside her with an array of sharp instruments before him. "Well, now," the man said, "Shall we begin?"

Micaiah turned from him and glanced towards the door. There were two stormtroopers there, both carrying stun batons. It was pretty clear that the admiral was taking great pains to keep them alive. "What do you want," Micaiah asked as she turned back to the interrogator.

"This," he said, holding up her bracelet and placing it on the table between them. "Quite a remarkable piece of technology. I want you to tell me about it."

Micaiah tried to manage a shrug despite the fact that her arms were restrained. "Don't know. I stole it."

"Right," the older man replied. "Somehow I figured you wouldn't be very cooperative."

He tapped the screen on the watch to bring up the holographic display. "We've had people looking into it trying to decipher its capabilities," he continued. "The language is unknown to us, but I'm sure you can read it. Near as we can tell it has certain medicinal properties utilizing nano-technology on a scale that is beyond anything neither the Republic nor the FIrst Order can match. Where did it come from? What else can it do?"

Micaiah deliberately turned her gaze away from him. "If you're looking for an owner's manual try the holonet," she told him.

The man frowned at her then sighed. With a sudden quickness that seemingly came out of nowhere he reached for a small laser scalpel and cut her arm. "Ow," Micaiah cried, turning back to look at him. He cut a small gash into her arm that was already beginning to heal.

"Remarkable," he said, "but that's not nanotechnology, is it? That's your own physiology. This device was meant to work in tandem with the biology of your species, enhancing your natural healing abilities."

He put the scalpel down and turned to the holographic display being projected from the watch. He did a quick scan through the files following a pattern he clearly memorized and opened up a doctor's analysis of one of her patients. "I believe this was the captain," he said, then he flicked the image aside to display another. "The young Zabrak," he continued, flicking again, "A human girl, possibly the Jedi and oh...," he paused after flicking to another one. "This one's you, isn't it?"

Of course she had used the device on herself and of course she kept records. Her old handler would have scolded her for forgetting her tradecraft, but Micaiah had long since moved past that life. She had dedicated herself to medicine now. "Your physiology is very similar to humans with a few exceptions," he continued. "It appears in addition to natural food consumption your species draws in extra nutrients from natural sunlight through photosynthesis. Perhaps greatly lengthening the amount of time one could survive without food, but unfortunately that was all we were able to decipher from the image alone. It appears you prefer to take notes in your own language--aside from these notations here, of course."

"What's the point of all this," Micaiah demanded.

The man shrugged, closing the file then flicking through the menu to open another. Again following a pattern he had memorized. "We're just establishing that we know the bracelet is your own personal device so there's no need to play coy. Now," he said, gesturing to the new image, "Underneath the bracelet's operating system we found a layer of security that our best codebreakers can't crack. There are terabytes of information there that the admiral is very interested in. You're going to give us the passcode."

Micaiah stared at him a moment then started laughing. The interrogator looked at her with confusion in his eyes. "What is so funny," he asked.

"I tried to break that code and failed and now you want me to try and help you open that file," she told him. "Even if I could I would never open it for you."

"Pity," the man said before he stood up and walked to the other side of the room. He stopped next to the wall, staring at it as though he were trying to see through it. After a moment he held a hand up to his ear as though her were listening to something. Finally he turned back to look at her. "Tell me something, Doctor," he continued, "You've tried to break this code before so you at least understand it. Obviously, the language used doesn't exist in any database known to the First Order, however, the encryption itself is highly irregular."

He stopped in front of the table and flipped through different menus on the holographic projection to bring up the coded file. Numbers, letters and various symbols written in the Sylarian language appeared between them as he flicked up with his index finger to scroll down through the code. Micaiah tried her best to pretend not to look but she was very interested in it herself. She had tried to crack it before in a vain attempt to wipe any data files of her past life from the bracelet's internal database. With the help of a second pair of eyes she might actually be able to crack through it. She just wished that second set hadn't turned out to be a First Order interrogator.

"My men noticed a repeating pattern in the code but the pattern seemed to have nothing to do with the encryption itself. I would like to know what your opinion on the matter is." He glanced over at the Sylarian but the girl refused to look n his direction. "This will go easier for you if you cooperate, Doctor," he told her. "I am well versed in the use of these instruments and with your physiology I can do far worse to you than I could with your friends."

Micaiah sighed then finally turned to look at him. "The pattern is--," she started then her words trailed of suddenly when her eyes fell upon the code. There was a long pause then, the girl had just completely froze in place.

"Doctor," the interrogator asked as he leaned in closer. Then he heard a sudden snap and before he knew it her hand was free of its binding. The girl had purposefully dislocated her thumb and with incredible speed she slipped her hand free of the clasp and picked up the laser scalpel on the table between them before stabbing him in the eye. He cried out in pain, stumbling backwards and falling over himself just after she pulled the scalpel out and reversed her grip on it. With a couple of stabs into the locking mechanism on her chair she freed herself from the rest of her restraints and pounced on the two stormtroopers coming to the aid of their superior. Several bloody moments later the two stormtroopers were dead on the floor. With a mechanical precision the Sylarian dispatched her attackers and the interrogator before picking up the bracelet and slapping it onto her wrist. Then she stalked towards the door just as an alarm began to blare throughout the ship...

Julien had been watching the interrogation from the other side of a one way transparisteel mirror. He watched the doctor intently, noting with some surprise that the young doctor did not seem afraid at all by her predicament. Despite the fact that the interrogator had a shocking array of knives spread out before him. The way she avoided answering any of the interrogator's questions was also very reminiscent of his conversation with Quentin King, implying that she was more than just a mere doctor. She had training to resist interrogation. What happened after that, however, was unlike anything he had ever seen. After finally turning to look at the encrypted file her expression completely blanked. Then before he knew what was happening she had broken free of her restraints and quickly dispatched his men. It was almost as though she had become an entirely different person.

"Fascinating," he muttered to himself. He could hear screams from his men in the hallway outside followed by blasterfire and then silence. He tapped a few keys on the console in front of him to bring up the camera feed from outside. The men he had posted in the hallway lay dead on the floor, a literal bloody mess painting the walls around them. A short moment later there was an explosion that shook the entire ship, threatening to knock him off his feet. His com chimed in after that and he answered it. One of his officers appeared as a shimmering blue image in front of him.

"Sir, one of the prisoners has escaped and she's tearing through our men," he said, "That last blast knocked out one of the ship's stabilizers and we're currently listing to port. Making the jump to hyperspace now would be exceedingly dangerous."

Julien was only half listening to what he said. After seeing the way the doctor had quickly dispatched his men he knew that trying to get control of the situation was pointless. "Lieutenant, patch all of the security feeds directly into my datapad and then prep my shuttle," he told him.

"Sir, what about...," the man tried to say but Julien cut him off.

"Just do it, Lieutenant, or I'll find someone more fitting to take your place."

"Yes, Sir," the man replied and then the image flicked out of existence.

Julien glanced down at the camera feed displaying the bloody mess in the hallway outside. Very interesting indeed, he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the ship Nova was still struggling with her restraints. She grunted softly as she tried her best to worm her way free when a sudden voice from behind drew her attention. "Knock it off," the stormtrooper posted at her door told her.

Nova paused for a moment as an idea suddenly came to mind. "Hey, you. Open up these restraints and let me out of here," she told him, trying her best to fool him into doing it with a Jedi Mind Trick.

"Ha, as if," the man replied, "Just shut up and stop squirming, alright?"

Nova made a face. That usually worked for her, she was surprised that it didn't. Suddenly the entire ship rocked under the force of an explosion from somewhere outside her cell. The storm trooper behind her lost his footing and stumbled backwards onto his rump. "The hell," he said as he clambered back to his feet.

Shortly after that they could hear screams from the hallway outside. "What the hell's going on," the trooper asked as he opened the door to the cell. "Stay here," he told her and Nova rolled her eyes in response.

Like I have a choice, she thought.

The trooper stepped out into the hallway looking this way and that. At first he didn't see any signs of trouble until another stormtrooper stumbled around the corner clutching at his neck. "Hey," the man cried, rushing to his friend's aid. He barely made it before he was cut down too by some kind of enemy Nova could not see.

She craned her neck both this way and that to try and get a view of the door with little luck. "Hey," she cried out, "Hey, are you alright?"

Nothing but silence answered her so she immediately went back to struggling with her restraints. After a moment she gave up and decided to try something else. A technique that Master Luke had tried to teach her, though she hadn't quite learned to master it yet. She stared intently at her manacles and concentrated. A bead of sweat trickling down her forehead. At first nothing happened, but when she was just about to give up the manacle binding her right hand suddenly shattered.

"Yes," she cried, though in truth she was a little bit disappointed. She had tried to focus on the shatterpoint of the chair but had only gotten the manacle instead. With her hand free, though, she was able to release the rest of her restraints and she quickly hurried out the cell door into the hallway. There were two stormtroopers there, both of whom lying in pools of their own blood. When she rounded the corner she found even more dead stormtroopers, blood painting the hallway like some kind of mural.

"Who could have done this," she quietly asked herself, backing up around the corner out of fear.

When she was out of sight of the bodies she stopped and closed her eyes. She could feel the kyber crystal inside her lightsaber calling to her and she followed it down one hallway after another to a small arms cabinet. Inside she found her weapons along with those of the others. She grabbed a duffle from the shelf and quickly loaded everyone's weapons into it before slinging it over her shoulder. Now all she had to do was feel for Tsivoin and follow his presence all the way back to the cell block. It wasn't hard since she could feel the Zabrak's turmoil emanating off of him. She had made it about halfway there when she felt a sudden movement behind her.

With a quick flick of her wrist she tossed the dufflebag from her shoulder and ignited her lightsaber. Then she spun around to defend herself from her attacker. To her surprise it was Micaiah. The doctor had a blank expression on her face and a pair of knives in her hands. "Micaiah," Nova said, a note of relief in her voice, "What are you--," she stopped suddenly when the doctor lunged at her, stabbing with her knives.

Nova barely had time to dodge out of the way, parrying each attack with her lightsaber and cutting clean through both blades of Micaiah's knives. That didn't stop her, however. The doctor merely snapped her fingers and more knives suddenly appeared in the palm of her hand. Materializing out of thin air. She lunged at Nova again but this time the Jedi was prepared for it. "Micaiah, stop it," Nova cried as she cut this way and that, slicing off each blade as Micaiah stabbed them at her. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Micaiah didn't seem to listen and instead charged at her barehanded. Nova swiped at her with her lightsaber, trying to ward her off but the doctor simply danced around her attack and easily got inside her reach. A strike to her shoulder disabled the Jedi's arm, then Micaiah twisted around and elbowed her in the throat, causing her to gasp for air. Nova had long since dropped her lightsaber and the weapon clattered to the floor after turning off. Micaiah followed up her assault with a kick that knocked the girl down onto her back. Then she snapped her fingers again as another blade appeared in her palm. She stood above Nova, the tip of her blade pointed down ready to plunge into Nova's heart.

The girl reached up a hand to try and stop her, but the words refused to form in her throat as she desperately tried to breath. Micaiah wasn't going to stop and as she brought the knife down a blaster bolt suddenly struck out of nowhere, hitting her in the shoulder. The force of the blow knocked her away from Nova, giving the girl enough time to catch her breath. As the Jedi twisted around to look at Micaiah her eyes widened in surprise. The Sylarian was already back on her feet, the burned scarring from the blaster bolt that had struck her already rapidly healing right before her eyes. With surprising speed the young doctor charged at the stormtrooper who had shot her, quickly closing the distance between them before pouncing on him and dragging him to the ground. A single swipe from her dagger silenced him forever and when she turned her focus back toward the Jedi she found that the girl was gone.

Giving up on trying to find her for now Micaiah simply stood, grabbing a satchel of thermal detonators she had taken from the arms cabinet. Then she turned and headed aft towards the ship's reactor room...

Vague and the others could hear a commotion from outside. Several explosions had rocked the ship by now, one of them disrupting the ship's power causing the lights to flicker on and off. In the cell block outside there were cries of alarm followed the sounds of blasterfire. Vague immediately began looking for a way out before the door to his cell suddenly opened. Outside Nova stood carrying a dufflebag that had the barrel of his carbine sticking out of it.

"Miss me," she asked as she tossed him the dufflebag.

Vague caught it easily enough and pulled his weapons out of it. "Where are the others," he asked.

"Here," Nova said, gesturing with a hand. The rest of the crew were in the hallway arming themselves. As Vague stepped out of his cell his eyes fell upon the bodies of several stormtroopers, all of whom had clearly been cut down by a lightsaber.

"Micaiah?" He said, turning back to look at Nova after noticing one of his crew members was still missing.

A shadow passed over the girl's face. "I'm not sure you want to know," she said, "The doctor attacked me in the hallway outside and nearly killed me."

"Nearly killed you," Rossi repeated in disbelief.

"We're still talking about the same doctor, right," Orev asked. He clearly didn't believe it either. No normal person could stand a chance against a Jedi, could they? After seeing the way Nova had torn through an entire company of stormtroopers the others found that a little hard to believe.

"It's true," Nova assured them, "It was like she was a different person. I don't think she even recognized me and, Vague, it gets worse. She had a satchel of explosives with her and she was heading towards the back of the ship, to engineering. She's going to blow the reactor!"
Last edited by Pryde on Tue Sep 15, 2020 4:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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