The Short Fic Weekly Challenge Thread!

[TrystanLaryssa]

@Striges- That was entertaining! I can completely feel for you on the point of railroaded companions... there have been a few I just don't think I would have brought along... even if I ended up liking them later. (Kath for example always left me with the impression he was always looking over his shoulder waiting for Khem to eat him! Kaliyo, too, is a fun companion and I love the banter as a player, but why somebody like Malova would have taken a loose cannon like her with is beyond me.) I loved the dialogue though... the repeated "get off my ship" very much had the feel of the reptitive "Where's my ship?!" from the in-game choices during the first book. Nicely characterized!

[alaurin]

Comments/Replies: (I'll update the Index in a bit)

 

@TrystanLaryssa: You did a great job capturing the essence of that which is Kaliyo and I loved Malova's reactions to the makeover station.....that would be a little alarming to see for anyone. I like how she let loose and got Kaliyo in the end. I like the idea of the agent getting herself different outfits for different covers.....I might have to finally blow some of those Cartel Coins that have stockpiled over the past few months and try that.

 

@Adwynyth: LOL, that's hilarious! No, I'm not an Imperial......teehee

 

@LaxKnight: That was a very emotional and touching story. You did a wonderful job conveying the different emotions from both father and his adopted child as he told his tragic story. I can't even imagine what his horror was like in the end. That was very well done indeed.

@alaurin We are graced with the next part after the 'spice incident'. The reactions of the inflicted were hilarious! Especially when Bella and Elara woke up in the same bed trying to figure out if anything happened. I just can't wait to see their reactions to the video!

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it and the final piece will be after the commentary.

 

 

@Bright: Yeah, Risha does get some good comments in my stories. Glad it gave you a laugh!

 

@Striges: WooHoo, another Kirya story!! I really love her reactions and commentary as she went through her ship after getting it back and I reread the head part several times, laughing every time! More commentary below separate for spoilers.

Alaurin: My son went for necklaces and earrings mostly--but both my cats like to play with my hair.

 

The shock as the trio woke up in their various awkward situations was a lot of fun. At the same time, it’s so good to see how all your characters care for each other.

Yeah, both my kids had a brief period when they went for necklaces, but the hair tugging and groping lasted a little longer. My cat is a hair kneeder.....unfortunately his favorite time for kitty lovins is around 3am. He was really upset when I got my hair cut short. I'm glad you enjoyed the awkward situations because there's more and while they both have trust issues, Bella and Mallay are caring people as are the rest of the Lauren family.

 

 

Separate spoilery comment: Smuggler Spoilers

 

@Striges: I'm not sure if it was ever said what Fabizan upgraded on the ship, but I do know that Nok is believed to be dead at that point. I really love how Kirya knew the story of Nok's fortune and her struggle with the desire for credits and treasure vs. not trusting Risha.

 

 

Now, it's time to find out what went down during the Nar Shaddaa Spice Incident......sorry, it's kinda long (~4400 words), but hopefully worth it!

 

Title: I Can’t Believe I Did That!!!

Prompt: The Morning After, Altered States of Mind

Character: Belladonya-Smuggler, Mallayse-Trooper

Setting: XS Freighter, immediately following What the Hell Did We Do Last NIght?!

Spoilers: Trooper Nar Shaddaa

 

 

“So……any ideas on what we did last night?” Aric asked Bella and Elara, wanting to mentally prepare himself for what they were about to see.

 

“No idea,” Bella replied and unable to resist taking a dig at her smug sister, she went on, an impish glint flashing in her eyes, “but whatever we’re about to see, it must be good……I haven’t seen Mallay this excited since she discovered push-up bras!”

 

“Bella!” Mallay shrieked, her face turning bright red, “I’ve never worn one of those!”

 

“Never sister dear?” Bella raised a brow, “Should I Holo your prom date?”

 

Mallay shot her sister a dirty look but refrained from commenting, choosing to start the footage instead and they immediately saw Bella petting Aric’s head while he held a handful of her hair up to his nose. They could hear Mallay in the background talking to Balkar, then Risha snickering as Bella started working at the zipper on Aric’s mesh weave.

 

 

“Uh, Mallay……you better get over here!” Risha’s voice called out as Bella was pulling the zipper down.

 

“What’s she doing?!” Mallay’s shocked voice asked.

 

“Copping a feel from the looks of it,” Risha replied, “He doesn’t seem to mind….”

 

“Oh, Elara,” Bella sighed in sheer pleasure as she ran her fingers through Aric’s chest fur, “You have to feel this……his fur is soooooo soft!”

 

The camera panned over to the kitchen where Elara had several bottles of juice on the counter. She took one last sniff of the bottle she was holding, then put it down and made her way over to the couch. She flopped down on the other side of Aric and after a moment, reached out and ran her fingers through Aric’s chest fur.

 

“Wow……that does feel nice……it’s like a warm, velvety blanket.” Elara sighed as she closed her eyes and started rubbing her cheek on him. “It reminds me of a stuffed animal I had as a child,” she murmured, a content smile on her face.

 

 

“Oh no!” Elara gasped as she saw herself rubbing her cheek on Aric’s bare chest, “I can’t believe I did that……I’m so sorry Sergeant Jorgan! If you wish to report the incident, I have form 64-SH in my datapad…..”

 

“It’s quite alright, Elara. Bella actually started it and seeing as I woke up in bed with Mallay this morning with her hair wrapped around my hands, you aren’t the only one worried about inappropriate behavior,” Aric assured the pale medic, feeling a little awkward himself as the only non-Human in the room. He always felt a little self-conscious of the fact that his fur covered body stood out amongst the vast number of smooth skinned species that he encountered in the military. He was proud to be a Cathar, but at times like this, he felt unattractive and hated having attention drawn to just how different he was from the rest of them….it made him feel like some sort of freak or novelty.

 

“Neither one of you is going to be reported for misconduct,” Mallay promised her subordinates, “You weren’t exactly in control of yourselves at the time and……”

 

“What’s that noise?” Bella interrupted, turning up the volume. Then she burst into laughter as she turned to a mortified Aric who had his face buried in his hands, “Are you……purring?!”

 

“Gods this is embarrassing,” he muttered, rapidly going from feeling little awkward to really uncomfortable.

 

“Good,” Mallay snorted, “Now you know how I feel!”

 

“See Elara, nothing to worry about,” Risha grinned, pointing at the screen now showing Aric taking Elara’s hair out of its bun and sniffing it, “While the two of you are busy petting Aric, he’s double fisting your hair.”

 

“I think the look on his face is the best!” Mallay giggled, “Almost like a kid let loose in a candy shop.”

 

“That’s how he looked when we were walking back to Balkar’s shop,” Corso grinned, “I think he wanted to take that stick out of your hair then. He kept looking over at me to see if I was watching.”

 

“Yeah, that’s hilarious,” Aric snorted, then felt a little better seeing Corso’s reaction as he was walked in. The younger man looked less than pleased at the scene unfolding on the couch, “oh, hey…..looks like you didn’t think that was funny!”

 

 

“Ummm, yeah, things have progressed since you hit the shower, Farm Boy,” Risha snickered, “They’ve moved on from bright lights and shiny objects to touch and smell.”

 

“I guess so,” Corso retorted.

 

“Hopefully it’ll wear off soon,” Mallay sighed, patting Corso on the shoulder as she walked past him towards the door, stopping when her Holo went off. She answered it, then turned around and walked back over to the Holo outlet.

 

“Lieutenant Lauren,” Garza’s voice called out as the camera zoomed out a little to get her in the picture, “Agent Balkar just………”

 

 

“Oh, kark!” Aric swore, his feelings of awkwardness and discomfort instantly replaced with dread, “Garza saw us like this?!”

 

“How much trouble are we in, sir?” Elara whispered, white as a sheet by that point and terrified she was going to be kicked out of Havoc….or worse, the military altogether. If that happened, she didn’t know what to do. She had no family in Republic space and very few friends.

 

“None, I promise,” Mallay assured them, “Garza knew the situation.”

 

 

“We’re on my sister’s ship, sir,” Mallay told the general, wincing as a peal of laughter erupted from Bella who was touching Aric’s throat.

 

“I figured,” Garza nodded easily able to see the scene behind Mallay and the stern faced general looked like she was struggling not to laugh, “Agent Balkar also informed me about what happened at that spice lab in the Red Light Sector…..ah, I see they’re still feeling the effects.”

 

“Hey, it’s Garza,” Bella called out, waving, “You should come paaaarrr-taaaayy with us!”

 

 

“Well, she might’ve had fun,” Bella shrugged, flashing them all a dazzling smile, feeling no remorse whatsoever as the general declined her invitation.

 

 

“But Aric’s fur feels sooooo awesome!” Bella insisted, “You should touch him sometime!”

 

“I think not, Captain,” Garza shook her head, “I’m fairly certain there’s regulations against that.”

 

“Bella’s right, sir,” Elara piped up, a huge grin on her face as she rubbed her cheek on Aric’s chest again, “It’s so soft and warm.”

 

 

“Oh, dear….” Elara gasped, mortified that General Garza saw that.

 

 

“I’m sure it is, Sergeant Dorne,” Garza replied, smiling as Mallay buried her face in her hands.

 

Aric, still purring, his bright green eyes beaming as he held up a handful of Elara’s blond hair, called out, “I like her hair……it smells nice.” He then went back to sniffing it.

 

“I’m sure it does, Sergeant Jorgan,” Garza chuckled, “and I see you like Captain Lauren’s hair as well.”

 

Aric proudly held up a lock of Bella’s hair in his other hand, “It’s red……I like red and it smells good too!”

 

 

“The one person I would have preferred not to see me acting like an idiot…..”

 

“Relax Aric,” Bella patted his shoulder, “See, she’s even smiling

 

 

“I suggest you start getting them some water before that rather amusing situation on the couch takes a different turn. I wish you luck…..all three of you,” Garza replied, “I have the feeling you’re going to need it. Contact me in the morning, Lieutenant…..Garza out.”

 

“I knew she had a sense of humor in there,” Bella grinned, at Mallay, Aric, and Elara, “Honestly, I think she probably hung up and laughed her a*s off!”

 

 

“Can you guys keep an eye on these two?” Mallay asked, “I want to get a shower….”

 

“Weren’t you going to check the drug levels in their blood?” Risha asked.

 

“Dammit, thanks for reminding me……might as well do Aric first since Bella already has his top undone….”

 

 

“You’re welcome, sister dearest,” Bella smirked as the footage stopped for a moment, “Is that it? I was kinda hoping for more.”

 

“No, I just paused it to help Mallay,” Risha explained, “The next bit should start up in a sec……yup, there it goes.”

 

 

“Hey Elara,” Bella giggled, “You think his fur feels the same all over?”

 

“I dunno,” Elara shrugged. In the background, Corso was putting the juice bottles back in the fridge and Mallay was nowhere in sight.

 

“Shhhhh,” Bella whispered as her hands went for the zipper of Aric’s bottoms, “Let’s find out….”

 

“Mallay! Corso! You better get in here!” Risha hollered.

 

Mallay, now minus her plating, ran past the camera just as Bella was starting to unzip Aric’s pants, “Oh, no, No, NO! Stop Bella!” Mallay pulled her sister away from Aric just as Corso came rushing in.

 

“What’s going on?!”

 

“Bella was about to head below the belt, Farm Boy,” Risha snickered, “Mallay stopped her though…..uh-oh, looks like Elara’s going for it!”

 

 

“Elara!” Bella burst into laughter as the medic’s pale face started getting some color back, “I’m so proud of you!”

 

“I am so sorry,” Elara murmured, a blush staining her cheeks as she watched Corso pulling her off the couch.

 

 

“Risha, let’s go take these two to Bella’s quarters and get them ready for bed,” Mallay suggested and the camera jostled for a moment, “Corso, can you keep an eye on....ARIC!” Her instructions ended in a shriek as Aric pulled her into his lap and buried his face in her hair.

 

 

“That’ll teach you, sis!” Bella smirked, “Taking his girls away from him like that…..

 

 

“I don’t think Aric was happy to have all that hair taken away from him,” Corso chuckled, “Looks like you’re the replacement.”

 

“I’ll take them,” Risha laughed, “Come on, ladies, you can pet Aric later.”

 

“You want me to see if I can find something to distract him?” Corso asked after Risha left with Elara and Bella.

 

“No,” Mallay sighed, “It’s probably safer for me to be here…..ouch! Cripes, Aric, do you have to pull so hard?!”

 

“Don’t take it away!” he pleaded.

 

“I won’t take it away,” Mallay assured him, “Do you want your shiny back?”

 

Aric nodded and Mallay grabbed her hair stick off the table where Bella set it down and handed it to Aric just as her Holo went off again, “Corso, can you hand that to me?”

 

 

“Great,” Aric muttered as Balkar’s image appeared on Mallay’s Holo. Not only did he doubt his chances that Mallay might find him attractive at this point, but now that smooth talking agent saw him acting like an idiot and was sure to take another shot at her.

 

 

“I’ve got some info for you,” Jonas told Mallay, “One of our searches came up with a winner. Your sister, Jorgan, and Dorne are under the influence of Pixie Dust. As I mentioned before, it’s only been out for a couple of weeks and….Jorgan’s going to love this….it’s being marketed towards high school and college girls. Apparently it lowers their inhibitions and can make them aggressive.”

 

“Well, that explains a lot,” Corso muttered.

 

“There is some good news,” Jonas went on, “It’s not addictive when used only once or twice, but it has been known to leave the user with a horrible hangover the next morning. There is a stim you can give them as long as the spice is out of their bloodstream…..which it should be out of theirs by morning, but test it first.”

 

“What’s the stim?”

 

“That’s the tricky part,” Jonas replied, “You probably don’t have them unless you keep supplies on hand to treat spice addicts. However, there’s a pharmacy down the street from my store that carries the stims you need and I sent one of the lab techs over to pick up enough doses for our three patients.”

 

“Thanks, Jonas,” Mallay grinned, “You’re a lifesaver!”

 

“No problem, I figured you guys probably had your hands full over there,” Jonas replied, “Speaking of…..how’s it going?”

 

“Fantastic,” Mallay rolled her eyes, “Aric has moved on from shiny objects to hair…..as you can plainly see.”

 

“Yeah, I noticed that,” Jonas chuckled, “Where are the other two victims?”

 

“Off getting ready for bed,” Mallay snorted, “We had to get them away from Aric.”

 

“Oh, really? Lowered inhibitions causing issues?” Jonas asked, “Or were they becoming too aggressive? Please don’t tell me they were fighting over him!”

 

 

“I really don’t like that guy,” Aric growled, crossing his arms and glaring at the screen.

 

 

“Nah, they weren’t fighting over him…..yet.”

 

“They were just treating him like a stuffed animal,” Corso told him.

 

“That’s it! Corso, you’re a genius!” Mallay cried.

 

“I am?”

 

“Yes…..stuffed animals,” she giggled, jumping up in her excitement only to let out a yelp as Aric tightened his hold on her hair and yanked her back down into his lap, “Seriously, Aric…..easy on my hair……”

 

 

“Oh, that had to hurt!” Elara gasped.

 

“It did…..a lot.”

 

“Sorry,” Aric muttered, smiling sheepishly at her.

 

 

“Stuffed animals, Corso,” Mallay repeated, “We can get them stuffed animals! Jonas, how late are the stores on the Promenade open?”

 

“Pretty late……some don’t even close. Tell you what, one of you can meet me at the Republic HQ on the lower level to get the stims…..I’ll check to see where there’s a toy shop that’s still open.”

 

“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done, Jonas,” Mallay smiled, “I really owe you big time!”

 

“Well, I’d ask you to let me take you to dinner, but I’m not sure I want to risk Jorgan tearing my head off once he’s back to his normal self.”

 

“Stars, Jonas,” Mallay rolled her eyes, “Aric’s not jealous…..he just didn’t want me falling for your ‘lines.’”

 

“Right.....you know, I think you really believe that,” Jonas shook his head, “So who’s coming to get this stuff?”

 

“I’ll go,” Corso volunteered, “Aric seems to be content with your hair and Risha has the others busy.”

 

“I’m getting ready to head out now,” Jonas told them, “I should be at HQ in about fifteen minutes.”

 

“So, what kind of stuffed animal should I get?” Corso asked after Jonas signed off, “Does Bella have any favorite ones?”

 

“I don’t think that matters really, just get something that feels good.”

 

“How am I supposed to know what feels good to them?”

 

“Well,” Mallay smirked as she reached out, grabbed Corso’s hand, and put it on Aric’s chest, “Get something that feels like that!”

 

 

“Wow, Aric,” Risha drawled, “Even Corso got a feel……I sorta feel left out. On second thought, it’s probably best I didn’t…..you seem to be a hair puller.”

 

"Hey, I just want it on the record that I was forced to touch him!" Corso insisted, "No offense, man, but rubbing your bare chest isn't exactly on my to do list....."

 

“Awww, Corso,” Bella giggled as a purring Aric reached out for one of Corso’s dreads, “You made him purr too!”

 

“Can we delete this part……or better yet, the whole thing?!” Aric grumbled.

 

 

“Sorry buddy,” Corso snickered as he pulled away, “I don’t think so…”

 

“Hey, Corso,” Mallay called out as Corso headed for the door, “Before you go, can you get something for Aric to sleep in? My protocol droid never answered my message……damn thing is probably busy ruining more of my delicate cycle stuff.”

 

“Sure thing, Mallay.”

 

 

“I don’t know what you’re so cranky about, Aric,” Risha commented dryly as they watched Corso leave the room, “You had two women fawning all over you last night and slept with a third. Most men would be strutting around head held high.”

 

“Yeah, I had two Human women petting my fur covered body…..that’s just karking great,” Aric shot back.

 

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Mallay narrowed her gaze at him, “That you’re different?”

 

“Well, it doesn’t exactly make me feel attractive to have females treating me like the family pet….”

 

“Aric….you’re talking to a woman whose face and back are covered with hideous scars,” Mallay told him gently, knowing what it felt like to be self-conscious, “Not to mention this metal at my temple and the fact that I’m short, skinny, and as Bella pointed out earlier, unable to fill out a prom dress without a push-up bra……I’d love it if the only difference I had to worry about was being covered in fur.” Then she smiled shyly as she continued, “You’re a very attractive man who just happens to be covered in fur that obviously feels really nice to touch.”

 

“She’s right, Aric,” Bella agreed and noticing her sister blushing a little, “and trust me, Mallay’s been looking!”

 

“Bella!” Mallay hissed, feeling her face heat up, embarrassed at just how much she’d been looking lately.

 

Aric noticed her blush and felt a little better, hoping that meant Bella was right, because despite Mallay's belief to the contrary, he thought she was beautiful and he'd only begun to realize lately that his attraction to her was developing into something more.

 

 

“I put some stuff in the refresher for Aric to wear,” Corso called out, “Heading to the Promenade now.”

 

“Thanks……come on Aric, let’s go take a walk.”

 

“Where?”

 

“We’re going to the ‘fresher so you can get ready for bed,” Mallay told him as she stood, grabbing his hand to make him follow.

 

“But I’m not tired.”

 

“I didn’t say you needed to go to sleep yet.”

 

“Okay……”

 

 

“Don’t worry, there’s more,” Mallay assured them when the screen went blank once again.

 

“Fantastic,” Aric sighed, “because I really can’t wait to see how much more of an a*s I made of myself.”

 

“Maybe you should remember this the next time you remind me about the Senate Inquiry….”

 

“There’s a difference,” Aric retorted, “You chose to eat that stuff that made you sick, despite my advice against it I might add. I didn’t choose to be drugged.”

 

“He’s got you there, sis.”

 

“Well, Aric, I think there’s only one more really good one with you,” Risha laughed, recalling the ‘fresher incident as the next clip started, “but Bella and Elara are first….”

 

 

“Looks like they’re having fun,” Mallay said as Bella’s quarters came into view and Risha turned toward her.

 

“Oh, yes…..they’ve been at this for the past five minutes.” Loud giggling could be heard as the camera panned over to the bed in which Bella and Elara were jumping on, holding hands and dressed in sleep shorts and tank tops.

 

“You’ve got to try this!” Elara called out, a huge grin on her face and sounding a little breathless, “It’s so much fun!”

 

“You and Risha need to get your jammies on and join us!” Bella giggled, “It’ll be like a sleepover……and we can have a pillow fight!”

 

 

“Please tell me you got footage if you did,” Aric shot Mallay a wicked grin that made both her and Elara blush again.

 

“If I got footage of that, I’d sell it,” Risha snorted.

 

 

“I thought I heard someone leave,” Risha said as Bella and Elara started hitting each other with pillows, “I hope it wasn’t Aric…..”

 

“It was Corso,” Mallay assured her, “Agent Balkar called with more information and had some stims we can give them to ward off the horrible hangover they’re going to have once the spice is out of their systems. Corso went to pick it up and get a couple of stuffed animals to replace Aric.”

 

 

“I’m not sure how I should take that…..”

 

"Hey," Bella shrugged, "We could've been replaced with a wig."

 

"I actually thought about that after Corso left," Mallay admitted, "but then I figured it might freak him out in his drugged state."

 

 

“That’s a good idea,” Risha replied, “Did he have any idea when these guys were going to crash?”

 

“He didn’t say, but he said it should be out of their systems by morning. I’m hoping that they’ll at least sleep before then. Originally I figured we could just put the three of them in the crew quarters and you, me, and Corso could take shifts staying in there with them.”

 

“That sounds doable.”

 

“Yeah, but I’m not sure if Bella and Elara will leave Aric alone……even with the stuffed animals.”

 

“Speaking of Aric…..how did you manage to get your hair away from him?”

 

“Corso got him something to sleep in and I made him go change in the ‘fresher…….actually, he’s been in there for a while.”

 

“As much as I’d love to see that bod naked, I think I’ll pass on checking in on him……it’d feel wrong somehow.”

 

Mallay sighed, “I guess I’d better go check and see what he’s up to…..here, you take the camera.” The picture jostled a little for a moment, then focused back on Bella and Elara who were back to jumping on the bed and singing. Then they heard Mallay burst into laughter.

 

“Oh, Risha, come quick!”

 

 

“Oh, I can’t wait to see this!” Bella grinned.

 

“I think I can,” Aric shook his head, hoping he was at least dressed.

 

 

“I’ve got the camera…..is he dressed?” Risha asked Mallay who was doubled over with laughter as she pointed into the refresher. Then the camera turned and focused in on Aric in shorts and a t-shirt. He was standing in front of the mirror, squinting at his reflection. Then he slowly poked at it with a claw, snarling as he did so, and jumping away when it touched the glass. Then he looked around before returning his attention to his reflection and once again squinted at it.

 

“Is he afraid of his reflection?” Risha whispered as they watched Aric poke the mirror again, this time letting out a louder growl and jumping back further, his fur puffed out a little.

 

 

Aric was the only one who wasn’t laughing at that point, instead he once again buried his face in his hands, hoping no one else would ever see this footage.

 

“Oh my stars,” Bella coughed, wiping tears from her eyes, “I think that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

 

 

“It’s just your reflection, Aric,” Mallay soothed, “See…..now I’m in there too. Let’s go back to the rec room.” Aric shook his head, then Mallay grabbed a handheld mirror out of the drawer and held it out to Aric, “Here’s one we can take with us…..is that okay?” Aric nodded, taking the mirror and Mallay’s hand as she led him back to the rec room.

 

 

“Is that it?” Elara asked, sounding hopeful when the screen went blank.

 

“Almost,” Risha answered as the next clip started.

 

 

“This is the best I could find,” Corso announced as he came into the rec room where Elara and Bella were once again petting a purring Aric who in turn was back to sniffing fistfuls of their hair. He was holding up two stuffed Lynx, one pink, one purple, “These uh….felt like Aric.”

 

 

“Oh, come on!” Aric snorted, glaring at Mallay and Corso as Bella and Risha both erupted in a fit of giggles.

 

 

“Oh, I like the purple one….can I have it?” Elara asked, her face lighting up when Corso handed her the purple Lynx. She immediately took her hands off Aric and hugged the purple Lynx to her, sighing in contentment.

 

“I think they’re getting sleepy,” Mallay observed as she came into view carrying a pitcher of water.

 

“That’s good….right?” Corso asked as he handed a joyful Bella the pink Lynx.

 

“I think so,” Mallay replied, setting the water next to the three glasses on the coffee table as Bella and Elara abandoned Aric to compare their stuffed animals, “I ran another blood scan a few minutes ago and the drug levels are going down quickly. Now we just have to convince them its bedtime….” The last came out in a loud yelp as Mallay, now in sleep shorts and a tank top, was once again pulled into Aric’s lap.

 

“What are the sleeping arrangements?” Corso asked.

 

“Risha and I were talking about this while you were gone,” Mallay explained, “Originally I figured we could just put them in the crew quarters and the three of us could take turns staying in there with them, but given Aric’s obsession with hair, I’m not sure that will work.”

 

“We could still put Bella and Elara in there though,” Risha suggested.

 

“What about Aric?”

 

“Well, he seems content with my hair, so I can just stay in here with him. This couch extends into a small bed,” Mallay sighed, then turned sharply as they heard crying, “Bella! Give that back to her right now!”

 

“But I want it!” Bella argued and the camera panned over to show Bella holding both Lynx. Elara was standing there, her green eyes swimming with tears as she reached for the purple Lynx only to have Bella back away.

 

“You can’t have both,” Mallay told her in a voice nearly as stern as Garza’s.

 

“But Corso bought them for me!” Bella insisted, “It’s my ship and he’s my crew!”

 

“No, Bella,” Corso countered softly, “I bought one for you and one for Elara…..you need to give the purple one back to her.”

 

“Fine,” Bella snapped, holding out the purple Lynx to Elara who snatched it and moved away from Bella, her leery eyes carefully watching the other woman as she hugged the returned Lynx tightly.

 

“I think we should try to get them settled now,” Mallay suggested and the screen went blank once again.

 

 

“Oh, don’t I feel like crap now,” Bella winced, her cheeks coloring a little.

 

“It’s alright, Bella,” Elara smiled, “I obviously got it back…..can I keep it?”

 

“Absolutely!” Bella hugged her, “and I’m really sorry for taking stuff from you.”

 

“Wait a minute,” Mallay shook her head, “You were trying to get your hand down Aric’s pants earlier and this bothers you?!”

 

“Of course this bothers me,” Bella replied, “I was acting like a spoiled brat and made Elara cry!”

 

“You used to take stuff from me all the time when we were kids!” Mallay accused, “and you never felt bad about that!”

 

“Well, yeah,” Bella shrugged, “but you’re my sister so that’s different.”

 

“So wait, the last we saw, Bella and I were going to sleep in the crew quarters,” Elara mused, “How did we end up in her quarters instead?”

 

“Because every time you fell asleep, Bella would take your Lynx,” Risha replied, stifling a yawn, “Then you’d wake up and snatch it back……after two hours of that fighting, Corso finally came up with the idea of putting you both in Bella’s bed with the animals between you. Then he brought in the recliner for the referee to sleep in.”

 

“Good thinking, Corso…..did it work?” Bella asked.

 

“For the most part,” Corso answered, “You both eventually settled down and fell asleep. There was a couple of times you argued whose Lynx was whose and you stole Elara’s blanket once.”

 

“I think Mallay had it the worst though,” Risha admitted, “Both times I peeked in on them, Aric was tugging on her hair. How’s your head feeling?”

 

“I’m really sorry about that,” Aric bowed his head, feeling guilty that he was hurting her all night.

 

“It’s not your fault,” Mallay yawned, “I took a stim before I showered and my headache is almost gone. That reminds me, how’s your back Corso?”

 

“What happened to his back?” Elara wondered.

 

“That chair happened,” Corso pointed at the recliner he’d pulled into Bella’s quarters, “It’s not the greatest thing to sleep in and I feel like I was beaten all over with a club.”

 

“Hey, speaking of clubs,” Bella recalled, “I remember seeing this really cool billboard advertising one last night…..you guys wanna check it out later?”

 

Edited October 2, 2015 by alaurin

[TrystanLaryssa]

@Alaurin- That was absolutely hysterical! I could hear Elara's reaction in that prim and proper Imperial accent of hers, and Aric too, with that tone of his when you know he's being patient but it's wearing thin... only this time it was more embarrassment. I about lost it with the mirror scene... The rivalry between the sisters was good too, you could really feel the history there. Although the bit about both Mallay and Aric having their own reasons for being a bit self-conscious was very intriguing. This whole arc was a fun read!

[frauzet]

Comments:

 

@TrystanLaryssa: Really like the description of "Aesthetech", and the banter between Kaliyo and Malova.

 

@LaxKnight: Glad you got to tell this story and I got to read it. A rainy day was just the right time to ask about this story. A lot of great details.

 

@Striges: I actually have more problems with figuring out an acceptable explanation for Risha than I have for Skadge.

But I like yours. And I liked how you had Kirya and Corso taking different routes through the ship. Kirya's tour gives a very good descritpion of the smuggler ship. And Skavak lost some more points (if that's possible) for the mess he left behind.

 

@alaurin: I laughed a lot, but Jorgan and the mirror was bestestest.

 

 

 

Prompt - Deadly Sins: wrath

Title - Hating Ord Mantell XV

Class - Trooper (Nikeo), Smuggler (Giz)

Words - About 500

Spoilers - Spoilers for Ord Mantell Trooper and Smuggler

 

 

“I’ll wait outside!”

 

Nikeo watched Corso leave. The Mantellian was white as a sheet. Giz was searching the dead separatist leader for further clues.

 

“How about you check the computer? See if you can find anything interesting?” Giz called.

 

“Do you think he will be alright?” Nikeo inquired.

 

“Who?” Giz looked up from the body.

 

“Who? Corso of course!” Nikeo distorted his mouth and shook his head disbelievingly while he walked over to the computer. “You know, you should have stopped him.”

 

“He is a grown man, it was his decision.”

 

“That’s poodoo, Giz, and you know it. He’s no killer, or at least he wasn’t a few minutes ago.” Nikeo had been watching the door, while Giz had questioned the sole survivor of the preceding fight. He had heard the man beg for his life. When he realized that Corso was going to shoot the separatist, it had been too late to interfere.

 

“Yeah? Then maybe next time you’ll try to convince him to not charge headfirst into a separatist base, Sergeant Blue,” Giz retorted angrily. “Because that would have been his plan for this operation. I promised him he’d get his revenge once we were inside. I wasn’t going to take this away from him. Yes, he is feeling lousy right now. Maybe he will have a nightmare or two in the next few nights. And maybe, just maybe, it will cure him of his wish to revenge his family by killing every last one of those separatist scum. It wasn’t me that made him do this, Nik! They murdered his family. If you want to blame someone, blame them.”

 

“Yeah,right,” Nikeo muttered while he accessed the computer. It was hard to imagine that this planet had been a peaceful place once. When the war ended it would take time for the wounds to heal, the allocation of blame to stop. Establishing peace once again would be harder than simply ending the war.

A quick search of the contents of the computer files he found didn’t yield further information. It was time to move on.

“There’s nothing here, Giz.”

 

“Yes, I think I have an appointment with Syreena.” Giz got up. “But first we’ll help you finish your search for your Squad.”

 

“I wouldn’t want you to loose your trace. Syreena is your only chance to find out where Skavak went.”

 

“No, you helped me, I’ll help you. And the way out won’t be safe anyway. Our best chance is to stick together. I followed Sidali through half of the galaxy after she stole my ship. Skavak can’t be better than an Imperial spy. You heard the sep. Skavak is long gone. But with the attack on this base, Syreena won’t be going anywhere.”

 

Nikeo nodded. “Civilian air traffic should have been stopped.”

 

“And I doubt that Skavak would try to land my ship anywhere near Fort Garnik now. I guess Syreena can wait a little longer”

 

“Ok, let’s get Corso. The hanger where Havoc is supposed to be shouldn’t be far.”

 

 

 

[SifaSeven]

Hi, I'm SifaSeven, and I've been a lurker for quite a while. I love reading the stories in this forum...you all are a bunch of very talented writers. I've been on SWTOR for nearly six months (recently took the plunge and subbed after Christmas holidays). And I've been inspired to write some fic about my own characters.

 

Some comments about recent fic:

 

@frauzet: I bet Corso's decision to shoot the Separatist will have plenty of repercussions. Interesting to see Nikeo's reaction vs. Giz's, and you can see where both of them are coming from.

 

@alaurin: I read the last installment of the Spice Incident first...and was rolling with laughter. Poor Aric...or not. His embarrassment was so hilarious and...GARZA. I didn't like Garza when I played through the Trooper storyline, but at least she had a sense of humor about this. Aric purring like a kitten and spooked by his reflection...lol. And stuffed lynxes always save the day! Corso was so adorable...a stiff back is worth being the referee for the night.

 

@striges: My smuggler had the same reaction with Risha. What the **** are you doing on MY ship?! Delanie (my smug) would have booted her out the airlock. The only thing that saved her was the conversation with Skavak over holo...finders keepers. As for other 'forced companions' (*cough*Skadge*cough*)...ugh.

 

@LaxKnight Ouch. Yeah, a Sith can get away with doing something like that, just because. The rainy setting was so appropriate, and Jo's anguish so painful. Awesome story.

 

@TrystanLarissa Great interaction between Malova and Kaliyo. And my operative has that Imperial uniform too. I thought it weird that the Balmorran Resistance couldn't see it, but...if holographic technology could turn him into a droid, well...

 

 

My first fic, introducing my IA, a Chiss named Ke'zz'aril (aka Kezz to his associates, and Ezzar to his family). This is from Kaliyo's POV.

 

Title: Under That Ice

Prompts: Hidden Talents, Gifts, Heritages and Antiques

Characters: Ke'zz'aril (IA) and Kaliyo

Setting: Aboard the Phantom X-70

Spoilers: None, but game-wise this happens between Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa

Word Count: about 1200

 

 

He was so damn weird. Just...weird.

 

Kaliyo leaned in the doorway and gazed at him. Ke'zz'aril Dreamwalker, also known as Cipher Nine, sat at the conference table with a data pad in his right hand. His booted feet rested on the table top. Kaliyo's mouth quirked upwards; that was an improvement, at least for him. He was still an uptight son-of-a-Chiss, but at least he allowed himself that much.

 

His left hand twirled a knife up into the air. Its pale blue blade gleamed under the harsh lights. The armorer in Kaliyo approved of its efficiency. He normally used vibroblades, but this one had the well-worn signs of an antique. He caught it by the hilt, but his eyes never left the screen as he tossed it up again.

 

It's a miracle he hasn't skewered himself yet. Or sliced off a couple of fingers.

 

He shifted the pad to his left hand, and smoothly caught the knife with his right. Precise and with little fuss...it was so like him. She wasn't sure if it was a Chiss thing, or if it was just a Ke'zz'aril thing.

 

"Do you need anything, Kaliyo?" Kezz asked mildly. He tossed the knife with his right hand and caught it again.

 

"Nah, just wondering how you do that without stabbing yourself."

 

"It takes a lot of practice. I don't usually take this one out of its sheath, but it seemed appropriate today."

 

"Why today, of all days? Some holiday or something?"

 

He only shrugged in response. It was Kezz-Speak for 'Dunno, it just is.' Normally, Kaliyo would have left the subject alone, but she saw the slight crease of his forehead. For Kezz, that was a big red flag.

 

Okay, she would have to be sneaky about this.

 

She crossed her arms and focused on the knife. "It's put together really well...I don't recognize the style, though. Your own design?"

 

"I received the blade with a broken hilt, so I had to remake it. That was when I left Csilla the first time."

 

"You left home and came back?" Kaliyo pounced on this scrap of personal history. Even after months on board the Phantom, she knew little about his past.

 

He chuckled and might have rolled his eyes (with a Chiss, it was hard to tell). Kaliyo's mouth turned up in a sardonic smile as he put the pad down on the table. Well, at least he's relaxed enough to laugh.

 

"I was thirteen when I left Csilla. Training for the CEDF."

 

"CEDF?"

 

"Chiss Expansionary Defense Force. Our military."

 

"You were thirteen?"

 

"I was no longer a child, Kaliyo. Chiss mature faster than most other species."

 

"Huh." Well, that explained a lot. Of course, thirteen Chiss years weren't the same as thirteen Human years, but still... Kaliyo tried to imagine herself in the military at thirteen and couldn't do it. When she was thirteen, she wanted to get the hell off Rattatak.

 

No wonder he was so stiff. That kind of lifestyle so young made you old way beyond your years.

 

"The blade was a gift, an heirloom from the clan's early days. It was in terrible condition and it took several months to restore it to something close to its old glory."

 

"So...you fixed the knife and pull it out on special days?"

 

"I finished my restoration on this day, fifteen years ago. I thought it was appropriate."

 

Kaliyo did the math in her head. That meant Kezz was twenty-eight, almost the same age as she was.

 

He slid his right hand into his jacket and pulled out a vibroknife, and he tossed both blades into the air. Her jaw dropped in amazement as he caught the vibroknife and and snapped it on with nimble fingers. Then it was in the air again, its edges slicing deadly patterns.

 

Kezz smoothly went into an intricate routine. Part juggling, part knife throwing, part martial art. She could barely keep up with the gleam of the knives in the air, much less the blur of his hands.

 

And somehow, Kezz managed not to drop either knife, or injure himself in any way. Kaliyo stared, mesmerized. She was impressed, and she wasn't easily impressed. His reflexes were almost eerie to watch. Of course, she'd seen him fight on Hutta, on Dromund Kaas, and on Balmorra. He was good at what he did. This was another thing entirely.

 

With a flourish, he caught the vibroknife, deactivated it, and slipped it back into his vest. He glanced over his shoulder at Kaliyo as the hilt of the heirloom blade landed in his left palm with a decisive thump.

 

Kaliyo blinked, blinked again. "How the kriff do you do that?"

 

"Practice."

 

"Obviously." Despite herself, she laughed. "You know, for an uptight guy, you can be quite the showman."

 

He chuckled and said, "You were thinking I didn't know how to have fun."

 

"Throwing knives is part of your job description, but if you charged admission per show, you'd make a fortune."

 

"Now that's a retirement plan." Kezz inclined his head at her. "Would you like to examine this blade for yourself?"

 

Again, he managed to take her by complete surprise. Her mouth worked for several moments before she finally said, "Wait. You're trusting me with something from home?"

 

His lips twitched into a smirk as he offered it, hilt-first, to her. "I've watched you as you constructed other weapons. I know you'll treat this one with respect."

 

She accepted his offering with the great care. Yes, this blade showed signs of frequent use. She tested its balance and heft, and how the hilt attached to the blade. Even she admitted this was superb craftsmanship. There were etchings on the hilt that she hadn't noticed before. The markings were some sort of enamel, in a blue several shades darker than Kezz's skin, and outlined in silver.

 

"My clan name. It's impossible for non-Chiss to pronounce, but it reminds me of where I've been...and where I'm going."

 

She nodded, but thought, How does he do that? It's like he reads my mind. If I hadn't known better, I'd wonder if he was a closet Sith. Aloud, she said, "It's beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with me."

 

"You're welcome." He smiled--a genuine smile, not his usual half smirk. Kaliyo suddenly realized she'd never seen him smile, even when she'd first met him on Hutta. And he does have a nice smile.

 

The pad chimed with another update; Kaliyo took that as her cue to leave. Got some stuff to think about. "I'm gonna get something to eat from the galley. At least we got stuff that aren't Imperial rations."

 

His mouth twitched as if he was suppressing another laugh. Kaliyo remembered one of the first conversation aboard the ship. She had groused about their food stock, and he had retorted, "I grew up in the Chiss Ascendancy. We don't do Imperial rations."

 

That was a rare moment of humor between them. Maybe if he lightened up a little, he wouldn't be so...well, weird, at times

 

"See you later, then." Kezz tapped his pad with his right hand and tossed the knife upward with his left. Kaliyo shook her head and made her way to the galley. The moment was over, but she had caught a glimpse of what was under all that ice.

 

 

Notes

 

According to Wookiepedia, Chiss mature faster than Humans and are considered adults by the time they are 13-14.

 

The remark about 'not doing Imperial rations' is conversation option with Kaliyo. It's unique to a Chiss character (I think the prompt is 'I'm not Imperial".) Kaliyo complains about the food stock on the ship and he replied like this.

 

[YoshiRaphElan]

Comments:

 

So. Many. New. Posters. Great to have you all here and I love your stories!

 

@alaurin, I love it! Had me in stitches the whole time, especially Bella stealing Elara's stuffed animal and Elara crying about it, and Jorgan being spooked by his reflection!

 

Everyone else, I'm reading as time allows, but I've been sick the past few days, so rest assured I'm not intentionally leaving you out.

 

 

Prompt - Celebration

Title - After a Hot Day

Class - Trooper/Smuggler

Tatooine Trooper/Smuggler class spoilers

 

 

Prudii yanked off his helmet and hurled it across the main hold, where it slammed into the wall and clattered to the ground, sand pouring out of it. Sitting down on top of the holoprojector, he jerked off his boots and turned them upside down one at a time, dumping sand out in piles.

 

"Seetoo!" he snarled. "Clean it up!"

 

C2-N2 hurried in with a vibromop and began sweeping away the sand. Prudii finished pulling off the rest of his plates, dumping sand out of each crevice. He winced and stood, brushing his black body glove off. Luckily, the material was anti-stick and the sand fell off easily. C2-N2 quickly finished sweeping up and moved away to dispose of the sand.

 

"Don't go far," Prudii told him, "Elara and Jorgan are on their way."

 

Indeed, they appeared a few moments later, along with Forex. Jorgan began removing his armor immediately, as Prudii had, stripping the plates off and brushing the sand out with a rag. Elara went into the medbay and came back a moment later with a light kolto spray to prevent skin sickness from the suns. She sprayed Prudii's hands, feet, and head, then did the same with Jorgan–taking care to ensure he rubbed it in, so it didn't get caught in his fur–and then to herself.

 

"There," she said. "Now perhaps we can leave Tatooine with no unpleasant memories. After all, it's the first time we've captured one of the Havoc traitors alive."

 

There was a buzz as someone pressed the hatch release. Prudii walked over to the hatch and saw on the security holo that Dankin, Bowdaar, and Corso stood outside. He opened the hatch, letting the three inside. Bowdaar grumbled as he ascended the ramp. Corso was wincing and scratching at his thick hair.

 

"Blasted sand," Corso grumbled.

 

"How'd it get in your hair?" Jorgan asked.

 

"Oh, my boss had to go and get involved in Sith-Jedi business. The Sith lady pushed me with her mind. My helmet fell off and I went skidding through the sand."

 

"Could be worse," Elara replied. "You could've hit a wall."

 

Corso shrugged in agreement, moved over beside Jorgan, and began stripping off his own armor plates. Bowdaar, meanwhile, stormed off to find something to clean out his fur. Dankin scratched at his cheek.

 

"How'd your mission go, then?" he asked.

 

"Better than we could've expected without perfection," Prudii replied. "We captured Fuse alive but Colonel Gorik escaped with his bomb designs."

 

"Shame," Dankin muttered. "Still, at least you got Fuse back. The guy never seemed too bad to me."

 

Jorgan stood and walked out, doubtless to take a shower to remove any sand from his fur. Bowdaar returned at that moment, carrying a long, blunted vibroax, which he scratched vigorously at his back with. He growled in satisfaction as he cleared off the itchy sand.

 

"Okay, that's..." Prudii started.

 

"...interesting," Dankin finished.

 

Bowdaar growled at them and skulked off, still scratching his back. Elara, Jorgan, and Corso chuckled. Corso had finished stripping off his plates and Jorgan handed the rag to him, which Corso efficiently used to clean out the crevices of his armor. Seetoo came in and once again cleared out the sand, fussing about the fact that no one ever respected his job.

 

"Well," Prudii said, pulling out a bottle from under the holoterminal. "To a successful mission."

 

"To two successful missions," Dankin amended.

 

Prudii passed around the glasses, poured the drink and raised his glass.

 

"And to no more sand."

 

"I'll drink to that," Jorgan replied with a grin.

 

[bright_ephemera]

@Striges, I sympathize with Kirya. A lot. I can see her acquisitiveness weighing on the side of belief, though, especially with an offer of "cheap as free."

 

@alaurin, the stuffed animals were a stroke of genius. Speaking of strokes, it probably saved Aric a lot more manhandling.

 

@frauzet, I can really see Corso taking that action without waiting for input from the player character or anybody. He's hurting bad just then.

 

@SifaSeven, welcome to the thread! I laughed when I reached the familiar line "We don't do Imperial rations." Nice piece showing how starved for information Kaliyo is about this one person.

 

@YoshiRaphElan, Bowdaar's back scratcher is the best back scratcher. Here's to no more sand!

[alaurin]

Index is up to date! Yay, added another new author to it!!!

 

General Comment: I'm so glad you've all enjoyed the Nar Shaddaa Spice Incident! Since the mirror scene seems to be popular, I'll share the inspiration. I have a thirteen year old, long haired, very goofy black cat, Cinders. Cinders' quirks are the inspiration behind Jorgan's drugged out behavior. He loves my hair, frequently steals shiny objects, and still bats at his reflection in the mirror. Jorgan should consider himself lucky that I didn't do anything worse to him because Cinders has some other rather interesting habits!

 

Comments/Replies:

 

@TrystanLaryssa: LOL, glad you liked it! I had a blast writing it! Bella and Mallay have a special bond, being the oldest of 6 kids. Mallay's self esteem issues are deep rooted which is why she understood how Jorgan was feeling.

 

@frauzet: Glad I was able to give you some laughs! As for your story, I'll have to comment below due to spoilers.

 

@SifaSeven: Welcome!!!! I loved your story and that is a fascinating talent to have. I can just see Kaliyo waiting for him to catch himself with one of those knives and being wierded out by the quiet, serious minded agent. Nicely done! I'm glad you enjoyed 'The Spice Incident' and it gave you some laughs. I really had way too much fun writing it. I'm totally convinced that Garza has a sense of humor somewhere under that stern facade!!

 

@Yoshi: Stupid sand......I had to giggle when I got to that part with Bowdaar scratching his back with an ax! I think anyone would drink to no more desert sand! Also, glad you liked my story......poor Jorgan, being replaced by stuffed animals. I did feel bad making Elara cry by having Bella take her stuffed animal.

 

@bright: Unfortunately, I had to stop Bella from getting Jorgan's pants undone, otherwise that story would've gotten a bit too.....risque for these forums. Glad you like the stuffed animal replacements for Jorgan.

 

 

Separate Comment due to Smuggler Spoilers:

 

@frauzet:I love how you tied the two together, having them assist one another. As for Corso, I never ended up letting him kill that man and often wondered what that would do to him after the fact. Corso seems like the type that would have a hard time dealing with something like that and it will be interesting to see where you go with that.

 

 

Ok, I promise this is the last one for a few days......I really need to continue Kat, Val, and Tia's adventure on Nar Shaddaa. However, before I do that, I actually wrote something for this weeks' prompt that involves those three.

 

 

Title: Out There Somewhere

Prompt: Syncronicity

Characters: Katrynka-BH, Valaya-Smuggler, and Tiannya-Trooper

Setting: Hutta, XS Freighter, a Republic troop transport, and the Ord Mantell orbital station

Spoilers: BH Hutta, Smuggler and Trooper Ord Mantell

 

 

The cream colored Cather stepped off the shuttle, wrinkling her nose at the stench that assaulted her nasal cavity. The last place Katrynka Vleska ever expected or wanted to set foot on was the stink hole she’d just landed on. It had been five years since she and Val had delivered the cargo from Foster’s ship and both girls had hoped to never return to this place.

 

“Oh well,” Kat muttered to herself as she walked through the Jigunna spaceport, her honey colored eyes carefully assessing her surroundings, taking in the seedy spacers, weary travelers, and the burly Gamorreans that passed for ‘law’ enforcement, one of which was shoving an Evocii ahead of him with his large boot. Kat sighed, hating this place, “with any luck, this'll be a short visit.”

 

She checked her datapad when she exited the spaceport, ready to meet up with the older Human who’d approached her after she’d brought down a highly dangerous and very wanted Exchange leader. Kat was proud of that kill, having worked hard these past few years at honing her blaster skills to dual wielding deadly precision. She’d gotten used to plated armor and the weight no longer affected her for the most part and she had to admit, there was something to be said for a flamethrower……after learning how to use it without singing her fur.

 

Braden had been impressed with her raw talent and asked if she was interested in a shot at the Great Hunt. After the retired bounty hunter explained what the Great Hunt was, what it entailed, and the rewards for the winner, Kat eagerly accepted determined to come out on top……and when Kat set her mind to something, there was little that could stop her. This Great Hunt would be her way in, allowing her to finally complete her part of ‘the mission’ after all these years. Then the four of them could once again be reunited, her, Val, Zyra, and her littermate, Tia, who Val recently located.

 

Her part of the mission ran through her thoughts as she walked towards the Poison Pit, careful to stick to the main road after hearing blaster fire coming from behind more than one building. Kat mentally reviewed the list, Step one, start taking bounties…..check. Step two, get some decent weapons and gear…..check, she glanced down at what passed for her armor, well, sorta check. Step three, build a reputation as a bounty hunter…..check. Step four, start working to build ties with the Empire…..well, this Great Hunt will get me in with the Mandalorians which is just as good. Step five, use those ties to find Zyra and bring her home!

 

She glanced up at the sky, an ugly yellow-brown color reeking with the pollution belching from the factories that littered Hutta. She said a quick prayer to the Gods that Val, Zyra, and Tia were all safe out there somewhere. Then with grim resolve, she entered the dingy cantina to begin step four.

 

****

 

On the other side of the galaxy, a small Freighter was navigating the Hyper Lanes on its way to Ord Mantell. The petite Mirialan captain made the switch to the lane that would take the ship to her final destination, plotted the course, then got up and headed to the refresher for a much needed shower. Valaya Tarenz wrinkled her nose at the smell coming from her and blanched at the dirt smudged emerald green face that appeared in the mirror. The quirky little pixie was a bit obsessive about being clean, but sometimes getting dirty was unavoidable, whether that was literally or figuratively.

 

Right now, she was literally filthy after insisting that every crate of that weapons shipment be opened and inspected before she signed the slip and left Nar Shaddaa. Val had trust issues and this was a big, very expensive load she was hauling. She wasn’t about to take any chances that anything would go wrong, especially considering this was for a big Underworld boss, one she hoped would pave her way into the Galactic Underworld. Unfortunately, the men delivering the cargo refused to help her and after a brief encounter between her knee and one of men’s privates, she ended up going through each of the crates by herself while her very irate and fiercely loyal C2 unit kept a close eye on the men who dared upset his mistress. After verifying that everything was in order, a relieved and very dirty Val signed the slip and departed.

 

As she shampooed her thick ebony hair, Val found herself thinking about ‘the mission’ and her part in it. Things had taken longer than anticipated for her and Kat to build up their perspective reputations and bank accounts, but their goals were difficult and expensive. Armor, weapons, and information cost money and reputations weren’t the easiest thing to build for freelancers and mercenaries……so many were out there. Thanks to the scumbag Foster, who’d taken Zyra away from them six years ago, they acquired the nice freighter now in Val’s name. Val smiled, shaking her head as she recalled the day they killed the Exchange smuggler five years ago, it’s pretty bad when your own protocol droid hates you! C2 actually cheered when Kat and Val ditched Foster’s body out the airlock and was devoted to them since.

 

Val finished washing and stepped out of the shower, Kat, Zyra, and Tia on her mind as she dried off. Orphaned at the age of eleven, the shy introvert eventually befriended thirteen year old Cathar littermates Kat and Tia. The three orphans survived on the streets of Nar Shaddaa as best they could for a few months before being taken in by a kindly elderly Human where they met nine year old Zyra, a tiny, pink, force sensitive Twi’lek.

 

She shivered at the thought of Zyra’s fate, all these years later, it was still a fresh wound……one that Tia never fully got past. Kat, Tia, and Zyra were her sisters……not by blood, but by circumstance, and you do anything and everything to protect family, Val thought as she brushed her hair, securing it into its usual ponytail. They would find Zyra and bring her home…..as well as Tia, who’d been forced into military service after being caught stealing medical supplies from the Republic. Val still felt responsible for that, if I hadn’t been so injured…..

 

She forced that thought aside as she went to her quarters to get dressed, knowing she would be seeing Tia soon. Thanks to her good reputation making deliveries in Republic space these past few years, she was able to finally locate Tia. One of her recent deliveries, which ironically happened to be medical supplies, was for a small Republic military base on Dantooine. One of the soldiers there started shyly flirting with her. Val decided to take a chance and asked him if he happened to know her friend, Tiannya Vleska. He didn’t know her friend, but was more than happy to check the military database. Val had tried to slice into the database before, but even with her skills, was caught and locked out. A few minutes later, the soldier had good news for her……Tia was stationed in the Outer Rim. He gave Val her location and contact information and after a chaste kiss on his cheek, a very excited Val departed Dantooine and immediately called Kat with the good news.

 

Now, if she could get in with the Underworld, she might be one step closer to finding out what happened to her parents, Kat and Tia’s family, and maybe even help locate Zyra. Val worried about Kat forging ties with the Empire, even if it was as a mercenary. It was necessary since they knew Zyra was sold into Imperial slavery, but it was dangerous. She shivered at the thought of being an alien in Imperial space as she began packing basic medical supplies, her slicing kit, and stealth generator into her backpack.

 

Always one to be prepared, Val wanted to be ready to leave the ship as soon as she landed. She’d get the refueling process started while the cargo was being unloaded, then head into the nearest town to pick up a few supplies before departing. She opened her nightstand drawer to grab a few credsticks to toss into her backpack when her hand felt the bracelet. All the sudden, she had this intense vision of Tia and looked down at the bracelet in her hand. It was Tia’s only memento of her mother and she’d left it behind that day she set out to steal the medical supplies. Val hung on to it, hoping to return it to its owner one day. Being force sensitive like most of her species, just not enough to warrant training, Val knew not to question these ‘feelings’ she had and trusting in what she considered her gut instinct, Val put the bracelet with the credsticks in the front pocket of her bag.

 

Freshly showered with her bag packed, Val headed to the cockpit for a quick check to make sure everything was as it should be before going to bed. She looked out the galaxy, the stars white beams of light streaming by, and said a quick prayer to the force to keep Kat, Tia, and Zyra safe wherever they were out there.

 

 

****

 

Approaching what would be Val’s destination, an announcement came over the intercom of a Republic troop transport. They would be docking on Ord Mantell’s orbital station in a few minutes. A young, silvery furred Cathar stood, grabbing her duffle and rifle from the overhead compartment. She secured the rifle on her back, then the duffle containing her belongings and held on to the overhead rail as the transport docked.

 

A few minutes later, newly promoted Sergeant Tiannya Vleska made her way through the airlock to the elevator that would take her to the main level of the station where the shuttles were located. She was both nervous and excited as she stepped into the elevator.

 

Initially, Tia hadn’t been happy about being forced into military service, but over time, she found she was happy with the life of a soldier and well liked despite the occasional demerit for mouthing off to a superior officer. Always the more hot tempered of her littermates, Tia was easily nettled by officers who thought their rank made them Gods. She was a good soldier, intelligent and strong in combat, despite her small size. She even earned the right to enter the Vanguard program, something usually reserved for larger men and women. She touched the scar over her right eye, a reminder of her failure to keep her adopted sister safe and a motivator to keep her body strong so no one would ever get the better of her so easily again.

 

She sat down in the waiting area while the shuttle finished fueling. Her face grew hard as she thought back to that day when Zyra was kidnapped by Exchange thugs. Only sixteen at the time, Tia fought them off with everything she had, but they beat her badly and she was blinded after one of their blades cut her across the eye, narrowly missing the eye itself. Zyra agreed to go with them and the last thing Tia saw before blackness came with the butt of a pistol to her head was her twelve year old Twi’lek friend…..more like a sister, being dragged out of their little house.

 

She awoke to Val and her littermate, Kat anxiously hovering over her. Tia told them what happened as they patched her up and showed them the wallet she managed to snag from one of the men during the fight. Armed with an ID, an Exchange smuggler by the name of Tegan Foster, the three girls began the search for Zyra, while doing whatever they could to earn and save credits. For Kat and Val, that meant hustling on the Promenade, Kat’s slender curvy body, identical to Tia’s, an excellent distraction for their male marks. Tia didn’t approve of stealing at all, but didn’t lecture them on it like she usually did knowing they would need all the credits they could get to grease the information wheels and get Zyra back. She refused to con or steal though, keeping her job at the cantina, but agreed to start dancing instead of waitressing. Naturally sensual with her movements and one to pick up physical skills quickly, Tia quickly became popular and within a couple of weeks, she brought in a lot more credits than she ever did waitressing and after a few months, they finally caught a break when they got a very promising lead.

 

Kat and Val followed up on the lead while Tia stayed behind to guard their house…….an empty house on the streets of Nar Shaddaa begged to be broken into and after Zyra was taken, Tia honed her body into a weapon, ready to stop anyone that dared take anything from them. Kat and Val were successful in slicing into the Exchange database and getting Foster’s location, but both were badly injured in the process. Val’s wounds were the worst and would be fatal without treatment. With Kat unable to help due to her own injuries, that left Tia to steal the supplies they needed to save Val’s life and the only place that had what they needed was the Republic headquarters on the Promenade. Despite having Val’s stealth generator, Tia was caught and taken into custody. After hours of interrogation, she finally relented a little, saying she was stealing for some orphan kids on the streets. She agreed to remain in their custody if they would drop off the bag of supplies at the house. The kindly soldier was fine with that and the next morning, Tia was shipped off to the military.

 

The planetside shuttle will be departing in ten minutes. All passengers should begin boarding immediately.

 

The announcement interrupted Tia’s walk down memory lane and her stomach tightened as her nervous excitement returned. She grabbed her duffle, made sure her rifle was secure, and walked towards the shuttle, eager to begin her new assignment to Spec Forces most highly decorated squad, Havoc. She paused a moment, her lavender eyes looking out at the starry sky, and sent a quick prayer to the Gods that Kat, Val, and Zyra were all safe out there somewhere.

 

 

**Edited Comments: GAH! I missed the last two people somehow!!!! Sorry about that!

Edited January 31, 2014 by alaurin

[marissalf]

Dropping off a healthy sprinkling of comments before I get hopelessly behind!

 

 

@SifaSeven, Welcome! I liked the introduction to your agent through Kaliyo’s eyes. Her being impressed says a lot about Kezz, and I can very much see her itching to know everything about him.

 

@Yoshi, Sand really is just the worst. I feel for Jorgan and Bowdaar so much there.

 

@LaxKnight,

If that was the spoiler I'm going to be pissed! (Please don't spoil it!)

Don’t worry, that story takes place a couple decades after the SW class line, so you’re still unspoiled!

As for the story: Ouch. Good stuff, and I loved the details about how Jo works on the arm. His tale about the cruelty and madness of the Sith rings all too true. You can definitely imagine that being commonplace.

 

@alaurin,

“Ummm, yeah, things have progressed since you hit the shower, Farm Boy,” Risha snickered, “They’ve moved on from bright lights and shiny objects to touch and smell.”

Your Risha is just the best. So funny. This whole thing was hilarious! I was giggling all the way through, though I did start to feel bad for Aric getting all embarrassed about being different. But then I remembered the mirror and lost it again. So good!

And in the latest Synchronicity, I liked the mirrored last lines for Val and Tia, that they're each thinking of the other.

 

@striges, Jurial and Jealosy’s stories bring up excellent points about love and purpose, respectively. It does feel unsettling that Avamarivash’s libidinous ways would seem to fit with the Jedi teachings more than having a stable, loving family would. And in the Smuggler piece, Kirya and Risha’s banter about the head is great. Very dry, very funny.

 

@TrystanLaryssa, “random bits of glittering shrapnel,” I love this phrase. Malova’s horror at the appearance booth is great, as is her taunting Kaliyo with her own “for the right price” line.

 

@frauzet, Corso’s choice will weigh on him, no doubt. I can see both Nik’s and Giz’s points, though. Talking him out of it would have been good, but there was probably no point in denying him something that might help ease his pain.

 

Edited January 31, 2014 by marissalf

[kabeone]

Hello! I feel like I haven't written in forever, but it's only been a few weeks.

So of course comments first! I hope I didn't miss anyone and my coherency might be way low based on talking about stories from weeks ago. Also, welcome all the new writers!

 

 

@Adwynyth You're Invited piece. Loved it! I would take Halidrell too. *cries*

 

@alaurin First! Thanks for keeping up with the index! Second! I loved the Skadge solution and Gault still trying to find a way to squeeze some credits out of it was perfect.

 

@bright_ephemera Wynston+Keeper You're Invited piece. I love their interaction so much and now that I've seen Pacific Rim I imagine Keeper as Wynston's Stacker Pentecost and that's no bad thing.

 

@Caernos The Easy Job: "Well this isn't where we parked our speeder." got a laugh out of me. The Empty Beginnings piece reminded me of how Sith society probably have a lot of formal or arranged marriages for the sake of continuing the line.

 

@DarthSillyMonkey Lights! Camera! Get the Hell Out of Here! was so great. I don't know how Drokk'it manages to keep his temper. There's a saint or a Jedi hidden in that man somewhere.

 

@icecreampants Welcome back! A sweet romance with Temple! A rare creature and this exchange:

“No, normally the people I’m married to have lovely names like Ivana Fawkes and Seemara Mireah. Raina Temple is such a boring name.” He said wandering around seemingly aimless for a few seconds before laying down flat on his stomach. “Then again you happen to have a quality that few others do Temple.”

 

“What’s that sir?” Raina said reaching into her pack and grabbing a set of macrobinoculars, laying down next to Delgrin, propping up on her elbows and peering through the binoculars.

 

“You exist.” He said laughing quietly as he pulled his long black rifle from its sheath on his back. Shouldering it he gazed down into the scope.

Perfectly lovely and true to a spy. Then it all went straight to hell! hah! I sense a lot of repercussions in Delgrin's future.

 

@frauzet Interesting to see how the Corso/Separatist part was a bit different with a real soldier there. Getting close to getting the hell off of Ord. Can't wait to see what happens with Nikeo and Havoc.

 

@LaxKnight Welcome! I loved this visual:

He waved his hands toward Taz who stood with his hands on his hips in confusion at what he was seeing. The Marine awkwardly tried to mimic his pose, invoking a sigh from the older man. “What’s your name? Not your whole rank and last spiel but your name?” the Scoundrel said.

It does seem difficult to get those military types to act normal doesn't it?

 

@Magdalane I love Miriah outsmarting Darmas

 

@marissalf Re:"Empty" You've done well when you end a story with that sentence and I feel sad. Poor Rissia.

 

@Mirdthestrill Welcome! (Belated sorry!) Bad Timing/Long Ago piece. I love the letter format and the dates made it easy to see that the letters were coming less and less frequently. The end part was heartbreaking. Poor kid.

 

@septembersphinx Belate welcome! and... OW wow. OW. I loved how each companion reacted differently, perfectly in character and each section tied to the code. Nicely done. but ow.

 

@SifaSeven Welcome! (I am a broken record of welcomes) Loved the Kaliyo perspective. She seems a lot sharper and more deliberate than I usually see her written. I like it! I also didn't know about that line regarding Imperial rations, lucky Chiss!

 

@Striges Jurial:"Unpleasant Realizations" That's an interesting observation (as always) it certainly does seem wrong in the context of our society. For Jealousy the Keleth Ur/Revan's mask peanut gallery is awesome. I do feel sorry for Khem, who must think his new master is madder than most.

 

For your Why are you still here? piece, I agree. I love Risha to pieces but she would not have been allowed to stay on my ship. I'd have felt better about it if I could force her off my ship then additional run ins with Skavak convince me that the only way to get him off my back is if I beat him to the prize. Or something. Argh! Anyway I sympathize with Kirya's exasperation. Good stuff.

 

@TrystanLaryssa Nicely woven together and makes perfect sense too using a Flashpoint that both sides have. (I might be wrong, I don't actually do most flash points).

 

@YoshiRaphElan I loved the 4 perspectives I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

 

 

 

Story

Prompt: Why are you still here? ~850 words

Spoilers: Vague reference to end of JK but no real spoilers. Featuring my JK Remi and Kira

Edit to add timeline: Not long after the end of Chapter 3, following the events of this piece, and before the Grey Years/Remi the Grey.

 

 

The small travel case looked odd next to Lord Scourge. Kira returned from a private meeting with the Jedi Council to find the Sith's bags packed and ready next to the door.

 

"You're leaving?" Her voice rose slightly along with the corners of her mouth. "I can't say it's been fun, or that I'll miss you, but," she paused and wrinkled her brow, "I actually don't know what to say. So good bye."

 

"Such a speech," he said drily without looking at her. He stared straight ahead ignoring her. If not for the slight rustling of his robes he could have been a statue.

 

Remi appeared a moment later carrying a datapad. She handed it to him with a mock salute. "Everything you need is in there, they shouldn't give you any trouble."

 

"No," he agreed, "They should not give me any trouble."

 

She snorted, "Get going or you'll miss your shuttle. See you in a week."

 

He nodded at Remi, gave Kira a look that might have been amusement, and exited the ship. Remi watched him disappear into the crowd at Carrick Station.

 

Kira gripped Remi's sleeve, "You let him go out on his own, unsupervised?"

 

Remi rolled her eyes. "He's not a pet, Kira, and he hasn't been a child in a long time." She turned on her heel and headed back to her office. "He completed a mission for me successfully. I see no reason not to trust him like I do the rest of you."

 

Kira followed, her mouth opened and closed soundlessly. "But he's Sith," she finally managed. Remi settled into her chair behind her desk and waved at the seat across from her. Kira shook her head and paced, gesturing at the exit where the Sith had recently stood. "All he does is hang around the ship looking dark and creepy. The only good thing about him is that Doc won't bring his one-nighters back to the ship after the dancer incident. You're the only person he even talks to and when he does it's usually an insult. His vision's done, we don't need him anymore," she trailed off in bewilderment, "Remi, I have to ask, why is he still here?"

 

"I have a better question," Remi tilted her head. "Why are you still here?"

 

Kira backed up a step and looked around, "Me?"

 

"You." Remi agreed. "Master Satele wanted me to talk to you. You've been offered your own ship, you declined. Why?" She folded her hands and stared up at Kira.

 

"I... I don't-" she lifted her chin, "You need me. "

 

"The Jedi are spread thin, can we afford to have the two of us on every problem?" Remi asked.

 

"That's just it," Kira said waving her hands expressively. "The Jedi are spread too thin, look at how many we lost on Corellia before you showed up, look at how few we had even before that. If we send out Jedi one by one, eventually the Council will throw us at something we can't beat, even you, and-" She paused, "Especially me." She sighed and collapsed into a chair.

 

Remi looked unsurprised but asked, "What do you mean?"

 

"They asked me what I want to do and I just don't know. I can't lead like you do, I don't get the same respect for one thing and I'm not much of a tactician anyway. I can do diplomacy but there again I'm too young for most of those senators to take seriously and anyway we're at war." She leaned forward, "If we're together we can take on anything. We can watch each other's backs, and that way if," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "If you-know-who is still out there, you'll still be around."

 

Remi pursed her lips and sat back in her chair, "So, if I understand you correctly. You want your efforts to have greater purpose. You can achieve greater victories at my side. And you want to make sure that I'll still be around in case I'm needed again."

 

"Y-" Kira paused, "Are we still talking about me?"

 

"Aren't we?" Remi asked innocently, but her lips twitched giving her away.

 

"Ugh!" Kira yelled and jumped to her feet. "I can't believe you're comparing me to him! THIS is why you need me. You need me to make sure he doesn't corrupt your brain." She crossed her arms, "As long as Lord Scourge is staying, I'm staying."

 

A grin flashed across Remi's face but she nodded, "Very well, I will tell Master Satele that you believe it will be easier to keep an eye on Lord Scourge if there are two Jedi. I'm sure certain members of the Council will agree with you." She turned to the data-terminal on her desk and began typing out a message.

 

Kira glared at her former master, "It's true too." When Remi offered no further comment she stomped out of the office still grumbling. "How could you even think I'm anything like him."

 

"Channel your rage!" Remi called and was rewarded with an inarticulate yell.

 

 

 

Edited January 31, 2014 by kabeone

[LaxKnight]

First of all I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful comments on War Stories. Like I said, I really wanted to tell this story and I'm glad it was received so well. I would like to point out that though that story had multiple prompts 'Worst Day Ever' was not one of them (hint hint ). I'm working on another story, maybe add a second one before I might continue with O'Malley and gang. With so many Aristocats references I should have made him a Cathar. I would like to add my own comments before I get too far behind.

 

Comments (If the story has spoilers in them, so do these comments):

 

 

@ Striges For Get the Hell Off My Ship, this reminded me of when I first met Risha as my Twi'lek Scoundrel (sporting the Trenchcoat btw). I had a similar reaction. I was like 'why would I want to keep someone who sneaked onto my ship?' Now I'm kinda glad I have her (just finished Chapter 1) but still.

 

@alaurin I Can't Believe I Did That was good fun. I can just imagine the horrified expressions on Jorgan and Elara's faces as they watched. If Elara got any paler she would be a ghost! I also like how you managed incorporate real life experiences into your story. It makes it that much more believable. As for Out There Somewhere, that is a diverse set of jobs there. I feel sorry for Val, knowing what's going to happen once she lands. I can also see a conversation between Tia and Jorgan if he finds her dancing outfit from the old days. I'm a bit curious as to how they managed to be grouped up together as a family. Sounds like a good story.

 

@frauzet I'm the guy who has a hard time picking darkside options (unless I'm my Sith Jug and the other guy didn't take my warning. Then it's NO MERCY!). I try and play darkside characters and find that I can't get myself to do it. However this choice I had to think on. When I rolled my Scoundrel I was trying to be the one who was kept their promises and stuck to a contract but here I had to choose between sticking to a my promise or preventing him for making a mistake. What Giz picked was justified, no matter which option you pick, and that showed.

 

@SifaSeven Welcome! I'm new too! I got to saw I really like this story. I can just see Kaliyo entranced by the way Kezz tossed around his blades. And a mysterious past, those are always fun. It was nice seeing things from a companion's perspective. I just really enjoyed it.

 

@YoshiRalphElan This reminds me of Star Wars Episode 2 when Anakin gripes about the sand. I'm not a big fan of it either. Just hiking in the sand sucks. I would drink afterward too.

 

@kabeone I haven't beat JK yet so I was a little reluctant to read it but I did anyway. It was well written and I liked how Remi compared Kira to Lord Scourge. 'Channel your rage!' line made me laugh. Too good. And yes, after being told how to shave, stand, eat, and dress for three months, going back to normal is a little challenging.

 

 

Now back to writing. Hopefully I will have something to put up soon and can't wait for the new prompt.

Edited January 31, 2014 by LaxKnight

[TrystanLaryssa]

Hello! Bunch of comments in this one... I love reading the stories!

 

@Frauzet- Wow. Yeah I didn't let Corso do that either. It does make one wonder how he'll feel about it tomrrow... a year later... ten years later. Well worth giving consideration.

 

@SifaSeven- I loved the quiet attitude, yet the level of skill displayed, and that subtle respect. A friend of mine plays a male Chiss IA, so I know the voice, and I could hear it so clearly under your dialogue. And anybody who can make Kaliyo that curious definitely has talent!

 

@YoshiRaphElan- I have played several characters through Tatooine, and you captured the feel of the climate so well in the way the characters react... all blistering heat and sand in everything... nicely done.

 

@Alaurin- Nice work tying in not just two but three characters on this prompt. I liked not only the broader sense of connection in them all looking to reunite, but the subtle echoes too... the two Cathar Tia and Kat stepping off a shuttle... the way both Kat and Val wrinkled their noses at differing smells... their echoing thoughts of each other.

 

@Kabeone- I haven't finished JK yet, but I'm familiar to some degree with both companions... you drew some very interesting parallels there. Very clever play with background, personalities and ideas.

 

 

And yes... excited for next prompt.

[bright_ephemera]

@alaurin, nice job weaving the sisters' (adoptive if not blood) starting stories together. This piece flowed really well.

 

@kabeone Wynston+Keeper, I'll admit I directly stole the term "fixed point" rather than friend from Pacific Rim and Stacker Pentecost. They don't have to be buddies to have respect.

 

I love how Remi talks circles around people. Love love. The mischievous triumph of logic is the best thing. It's very hard to write very smart people but you do it so well.

 

I have a The Droids You're Looking For piece for Calline of the Ruth!verse, the latest in her timeline to date. 250 words, no spoilers except the identity of the Hoth companion.

 

 

When Calline received a holocall it was from T5-M7’s transponder. Worried, she answered.

 

T5 = trouble // Armored lady = help?

 

“Trouble? I left you downstairs, what’s wrong?”

 

T5 = picnic out airlock // Small toolkit = attacked T5 with hydrospanner

 

“You’re…outside the airlock?”

 

Magnetic slippers = activated // Small toolkit = cannot follow

 

“Small…” The new Jawa. Blizz. Blizz had chased her astromech droid outside the ship.

 

Calline swept into the cargo bay, where Blizz was rifling through one of her boxes of spare parts, the beginnings of what appeared to be a small spacesuit heaped next to him. She strode past Torian and Gault at their respective tasks, spun the Jawa around, seized the front of his robes, and lifted.

 

“One rule, Blizz. Don’t mess with Teefive.” (*)

 

The Jawa dangled helplessly. “Was rule? Boss has lots of rules.”

 

“One you’ve gotta worry about right now.”

 

“Boss mad? Blizz upgrade funny astromech! Blizz fix language subroutines!”

 

“You want to hear utility standard, start beeping. I like how she talks.”

 

“Blizz only trying to help boss.”

 

“Not. Teefive.” She jerked her head toward the bin that held most of the protocol droid 2V’s parts. “Try him.”

 

“No upgrades for funny astromech?” Blizz said forlornly.

 

Calline shook her head.

 

The Jawa managed to slump in Calline’s grip. “Okay.”

 

Satisfied, she carefully set Blizz back on his feet, then headed for the airlock. Time to let Teefive know it was safe to be indoors.

 

Note:

It was inevitable that these two droid tinkerers would clash. I think they really do need wholly separate droids to work on.

 

Edited January 31, 2014 by bright_ephemera

[bright_ephemera]

And now, ze prompt!

 

Week of 1/31/2014

Boring Conversation Anyway - Our characters talk to a lot of people. Sometimes these conversations end well. Sometimes they end...less well. Conversations may culminate in agreement, anger, happiness, thoughtfulness, kisses, or bloodshed…or get cut off before any satisfying conclusion is reached. Write about the way one of your characters' conversations ended.

 

And, as ever,

Night of the Living Prompt: Keep on using any prompt you like! Check out the list at http://www.swtor.com/community/showpost.php?p=5223753&postcount=1675.

This week's featured NotLP:

Good/Bad Memories - Sometimes good memories can get your characters through hard times, sometimes bad memories are the extra push they use to move forward. What memories move your characters?

[YoshiRaphElan]

Comments:

 

@alaurin, I liked seeing all three arriving at the beginning of their journeys at the same time, and how they got there. Very nice.

 

@kabeone, Remi confronting Kira about why she was still there was surprising but effective, especially the way you tied it in to Scourge. Well done.

 

@bright_ephemera, Blizz seemed so sad, but I wouldn't let him mess with my cool little astromech, either.

 

 

Prompt - Mission Accomplished

Title - Overthrowing the Tyrants

Class - Trooper

No spoilers

 

 

Jorgan pulled on a dark jacket over his blast vest as he walked to the cockpit of the cramped freighter he'd been assigned. Prudii, Elara, and Forex were currently scoping out a target, and Prudii had requested Jorgan take this mission solo. Jorgan had accepted without hesitating.

 

According to the dossier, he was to ship three crates of military-grade weapons, a gift from General Var Suthra, to rebel forces on Livien. Livien was a neutral world but its royal family was tyrannical and the people were ready to come into the Republic. But they didn't have weapons; the royal family had all the planet's armaments locked in the palace or the guardhouses.

 

Jorgan was to land in the capitol city's primary spaceport, in Docking Bay 17-D, and await contact by the rebels. Jorgan knew enough about ops like this to know that any number of things could go wrong, so he prepared for anything. He armed the ship's front-mounted anti-personnel turret, and slid a blaster pistol into the holster at his side.

 

"This is freighter captain Tarkan Hale, requesting permission to dock at Docking Back 17-D," he said.

 

"This is Livien Spaceport Control," replied a stiff voice, "please state your business."

 

"Shipment of foodstuffs and nonessentials to city suppliers."

 

There was a pause. "Transmit your authorization code."

 

Jorgan flipped the switch to transmit.

 

"Captain Hale, you have permission to land. Livien Control, out."

 

"Thanks, Control. Captain Hale, out." He shut off the comlink. "Hope you don't get shot in the rebellion."

 

He finished landing with no trouble and quickly moved back to the cargo hold. The crates of weapons sat there, big and dangerous, waiting to be unloaded. Jorgan lowered the ramp and walked down. A trio of beings approached–a human woman, a Rodian male, and a human man–and appraised Jorgan coolly.

 

"You got the shipment?" asked the woman.

 

"In the hold," Jorgan replied, jerking his thumb back. "Does the Republic have your loyalty?"

 

"Guaranteed," the man said grimly. "As soon as we get those freaks off the throne and on trial."

 

Jorgan nodded, satisfied, and was about to move aside to let them aboard when he caught sight of something across the bay. Quickly, he shoved the woman to the ground and swept his leg, catching the Rodian and the man at the knees and knocking them flat...just in time, as blaster bolts peppered the hull right where they'd been standing.

 

Scowling, Jorgan whipped up his blaster and shot the attacker in the chest. He wore the black and crimson armor of the royal house. The woman rolled to her feet, whipped out a blaster of her own, and trained it on the door. A pair of attackers stormed in, rifles raised. Jorgan and the woman fired, cutting them down. By then, the man and the Rodian were up.

 

"Get the crates!" the woman ordered. "We'll hold them off!"

 

The two males rushed up the ramp into the cargo hold. More royal soldiers rushed into the bay, and Jorgan and the woman cut them down. After a moment of silence, during which Jorgan believed maybe it was over, a full squad of five troops rushed in. Jorgan snarled and fired for effect, taking one out with a headshot and another with a bolt to the chest. The woman finished off the other three.

 

By then the Rodian and the human had the crates on a grav-sled.

 

"Ready!" the man said. "Let's go!"

 

The woman nodded to Jorgan. "Tell your general we said thanks. Goodbye."

 

"Goodbye," Jorgan replied.

 

He rushed into the ship and lifted off before Spaceport Control had time to react. By the time they'd scrambled starfighters to intercept, he was gone.

 

[TrystanLaryssa]

Still have a little catching up to do on reading, but I actually had one for this prompt too!

 

Prompt - Boring Conversation Anyway

Title - Can't Be Serious

Character - Lord Nakova (Warrior) and Captain Quinn

Spoilers - Sith Warrior Companion Conversation

 

 

 

 

It was refreshing, Nakova thought to herself as she headed to the bridge of the Fury. Since taking on subordinates of her own, nobody had truly made an effort to make, or keep, an appointment. Then again, the only person up until recently with whom she'd had much time was the little Twi'lek, Vette. It was interesting to finally get what passed for a formal request to speak, albeit in this case, she caught herself wishing perhaps it had been less formal.

 

The request had come from her newest associate, the recently promoted Captain Malavai Quinn. He seemed in most respects to be much like the other officers in the Imperial Military with whom she'd worked. She had been quite genuinely surprised, in fact, that he had requested to be reassigned to her charge. Granted, it could have been very simple... she was a strong young woman, and he was an admittedly quite dashing young Imperial. However, "the obvious" seemed not to actually be the case. Captain Quinn took his new rank, as well as his new assignment, very seriously.

 

Indeed, he seemed to be nothing but business. Even though she had arranged for him to have bunk space on her ship, and he had been working for her tirelessly for a few weeks now, she had never seen him out of uniform, or even with a remotely off-duty attitude. It seemed... unnatural. Granted, he was not Sith, so he didn't require stoking his passions to get the job done, but he had to at least have them, didn't he?

 

Nevertheless, he had requested her presence, and she saw no reason not to go immediately and find out what this was all about.

 

As Nakova turned down the hallway to the bridge, she caught sight of him through the doorway. His face was caught in a quiet, thoughtful expression of deep concentration as he ran his fingers lightly across his datapad. He nodded as if expecting whatever it was he saw there, and she noticed just the slightest hint of a smile pull at the corner of his mouth. Sadly, it vanished as her footfalls alerted him to her presence. He immediately straightened into a more proper parade rest, datapad in one hand behind his back. Turning to face her, he nodded. "My Lord."

 

Nakova found herself subconsciously matching his demeanor with her own body language, and she straightened up a little. Speaking and behaving as the military was accustomed to had proven very effective at lowering the anxiety, and thus the resolve, of most of the Imperial personnel with which she'd worked, and thus had made it very simple for her to get what she wanted out of them. She'd see how it worked with her newest charge. "You wished to speak."

 

Quinn nodded respectfully. "Yes, My Lord. I wanted to update you on the condition of your ship." He pulled out the datapad, bringing up a screen of data for her to read, but his eyes never left her face, his fingers seeming to know exactly where to press. How often did he use that thing? "It has responded extremely well to my optimizations. I am pleased to report that we are operating at peak efficiency."

 

Deliberately, Nakova allowed herself a proper smile, hoping to coax that quiet little expression she'd walked in on earlier to reclaim its place on his features. "I'm glad to hear it. Keep up the good work."

 

No luck. Those arresting blue eyes remained utterly serious. "I fully intend to, My Lord."

 

Nakova frowned ever so slightly, and was at least rewarded to see his expression do the same. The man was good. He could tell he'd somehow just let her down, but seemed completely baffled as to how. It was a rare, slight break in his usual veneer of professionalism, and it piqued her curiosity as had the last time this had happened. Back on Balmorra, she'd been feeling restless, and had decided to play a little game with the then-Lieutenant, and mention rather forwardly her opinion of his good looks.

 

For his part, he had done absolutely admirably at maintaining professionalism, but the facade had broken just a bit, and she'd seen a flicker of awkward uncertainty light in those eyes of his, and a delightful touch of red briefly steal across his cheekbones. It had been all too soon replaced by his usual stoic demeanor, but she'd seen it, and she was a creature of long memory. She considered it a personal challenge to see it again.

 

She decided to throw him a bone, not so much in the name of goodwill as in the hope that she could put him enough at ease that some flicker of emotion would make its way unbidden across that face again. "Your demeanor makes me tense, Captain." She spoke with authority, her tone saying one thing, her words saying something else entirely. "Work on loosening up."

 

After a pause, the man nodded. "I see." There were a tense few seconds of silence, and the young man's face didn't move in the slightest. Finally, the brow furrowed a bit. "Actually, My Lord, I don't see. Is that an order..." he adopted a tone of utter logic, like he was trying to solve a riddle, and doing his best not to get caught, "or are you testing my professionalism?"

 

She didn't answer right away. For a half-second, she was stunned. Seriously. He truly did not get it. But her own feelings proved to be the best weapon in her arsenal, because at the quizzical expression she made no attempt to hide, she noticed a split-second reaction. He could tell he had missed something somewhere, and that endearing little flush crossed his nose again. His shoulders straightened a fraction as he corrected some mistakenly perceived flaw in his posture.

 

Nakova smiled, and her smile lit up her eyes. "I'm going to get a kick out of you."

 

Captain Quinn permitted himself a proper frown of confusion and disdain. "I hope to be of greater service than that... My Lord..." His tone trailed off uncertainly though, and she got the impression she had left him with just enough food for thought. A perfectionist like him would be mulling that over all night.

 

With a smug smile of satisfaction, Nakova turned on her boot-heel and left the bridge. He may have been completely baffled, but she had quite a clear picture now. The man was utterly afraid of letting his composure slip. Why he had requested assignment to a Sith, the exact opposite of what he tried so hard to embody on a daily basis, eluded her for the moment, but her amusement was enough of a distraction. She was skilled in drawing forth the passions that others tried to hide... her own subordinates were not to be an exception.

 

Besides, fear was a very easy toy to play with...

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2014 by TrystanLaryssa

[Striges]

Comments: (spoiler tag for length)

 

 

Welcome SifaSeven! Another new face! Kaliyo sounds so very Kaliyo. I like her fascination with Kezz’s skill, as well as her fascination with the weapon. And Kezz, ever the agent, giving her just enough information to keep her interested without revealing too much.

 

I like Risha, I liked the treasure hunt, but the situation did seem contrived.

 

@Alaurin: The bit with the mirror as hilarious. I feel bad for both Jorgan and Elara. Both of them are probably the most in-control people. It must have been awful to see themselves regressing to childishness (or kittenishness). Jorgan especially seemed so self conscious about his fur and his behavior. Although, I suppose we now know how cats would react to viewing all those silly cat videos.

 

In the second piece, again, the echoes of how much all your characters care for each other and watch out for their friends.

 

I’m glad you liked Kirya’s story. That particular item was the one I personally wanted to ask about and it was nearly the last one you deal with.

 

@Frauzet:

Establishing peace once again would be harder than simply ending the war.

You make an excellent point, one that real-world leaders often forget. Handwaving it away doesn't work. Corso’s issues with the separatists are Ord Mantell’s problems in a microcosm. I like how Nikeo and Giz argue from both sides and both have valid views.

 

It’s pretty easy to dump on Skavak. I had a bit mapped out where Skavak had re-gifted Kirya’s stuff to Risha, but it’s the wrong size and she gives it back. It seemed excessive and unfunny when I got to it.

 

@YoshiRalphElan: Huzzah for no more sand. You really communicate the ubiquitousness of the sand and irritation as it gets everywhere. Havok’s squad’s later mission sounds like the kind of thing they’d do.

 

@Kabeone: Welcome back, painting with words this time. Kira read so well. Especially

"Y-" Kira paused, "Are we still talking about me?"

Her line made me giggle. Remi saw through Kira and Scourge’s differences to the important part, their similarities. Their motivations.

 

I’m embarrassed to admit it, but Jurial’s piece grew from an offhand joke that Jedi could have loveless one-night-stands, but couldn't love or marry.

 

It might have been interesting to get Risha’s pitch on Taris, having her be your main contact there...or on Coruscant, or part of Coruscant, I don’t know. I can think of a number of other ideas I’m just not convinced they’re any better.

 

@Bright: So happy to see the return of T5! Poor Blizz, shot down doing a good deed. Maybe they could both reanimate 2V?

 

Besides Kirya’s avariciousness, there’s a healthy amount of maybe proving dad wrong.

 

TristanLaryssa: Narkova’s manipulation is so very Sithy. I liked her observations, analysing Quinn’s every move. Probably like he assumes everyone does, but not nearly to the same extent. Theirs is going to be quite the cat-and-mouse game.

 

 

As an aside, it’s wonderful to see this thread so alive with new faces and stories and responses so long after its original creation. This forum in general and thread in particular has so many pleasant participants. I am the worst about keeping up with comments. I wanted to let people know how much I appreciate their feedback and the time it takes to compose it.

[SifaSeven]

Wow, thank you for all the warm welcome. I was nervous about posting for the first time, but I'm glad for all the positive responses.

 

Comments:

 

Yoshi: I can sympathize with the sand. Bowdaar found the perfect solution: a fur-scratcher! After Tattooine, my characters were ready for a drink. Or three. Or five.

 

And it's so nice when a Havoc Squad mission goes smoothly and without Murphy's intervention!

 

alaurin: Three different places, three different characters, but the same thoughts running through their heads. Their background is so heartbreaking (poor Tia! At least she found the trooper life agreeable). Well done.

 

kabeone: "Channel your rage!" ROTFL! Kudos on Remi for finding the common ground between Kira and Scourge. Kira, you two are more alike than you think.

 

bright: T5 vs. Blizz. Aww...the Jawa was only trying to help. Okay, T5, your droids are in this corner. Blizz, yours are in this one. Play nice, you two.

 

trystanLaryssa: Oooh...Nakova is so manipulative! I like that! Quinn has such a stick up his ***, he's such an easy target. Now he's not sure which way to jump.

 

In this story, Kezz finds out why Kaliyo yells a certain line before jumping into battle.

 

Title: Subtle Interference

Prompts: Canned Response

Characters: Ke'zz'aril (IA) and Kaliyo

Setting: Tatooine

Word Count: about 600

 

 

"Dibs on the head!" Kaliyo yelled and she jumped into the thick of battle.

 

Kezz immediately lost track of her as three Exchange thugs rushed him at once. He spun out of the way of one, tripped the second, and stabbed the third in the back with an electrified vibroknife. The man's mouth opened in a silent scream as the voltage slammed into him. Kezz felt, rather than saw, the punch aimed at his jaw. He rolled with it and deflected some of the impact, but it was still enough to daze him.

 

The thug didn't have time to follow up on his attack. The thunder of Kaliyo's scattergun knocked him onto the sand. Kezz staggered backwards, ears ringing with the blast at such close quarters. He shook his head and braced himself for more.

 

But there was no more. Bodies lay limp on the desert around them. More than one showed the signs of Kaliyo's handiwork. She knelt at one of Kezz's attackers, rifled through his pockets, and pulled out a handful of credits and a comlink. After a quick count, she stuffed the money into her jacket and tossed the useless item to the ground.

 

"You okay?" she asked in a clipped tone.

 

"Yeah." He touched his jaw; damn it, that was going to bruise badly. "That's an interesting battle cry."

 

"What?"

 

"'Dibs on the head'? That sounds rather morbid."

 

She grinned at the accidental compliment. Kezz noticed the flush in her pale cheeks, the sparkle of her eyes. The thrill of battle energized her, in more ways than one. It almost made her look attractive. He cut off that thought before it went too far. She had made it quite clear that she wasn't interested in him that sense.

 

"Can't claim the copyright on it, though, since I didn't say it first." She knelt at another body and made another quick inventory of its pockets.

 

"You didn't?" Kezz was surprised. It was such a Kaliyo-esque thing to say.

 

She laughed, though it held little humor. "I knew a couple of Mandalorian brothers. They were a team, inseparable. Whenever they cornered a bounty, one of them claimed the first strike by yelling something in that weird language of theirs."

 

"They yelled, 'Dibs on the head'?" He was fascinated, despite himself.

 

"That's a rough translation. It's to tell other hunters to back off, 'this is my kill' kinda thing. If you didn't listen, if you got in the way, that was your own damn fault."

 

She looked up from what she was doing and stared out into the distance. Kezz remained quiet. He sensed that these Mandalorian brothers had meant something more to her. Her expression told him the brothers were no longer among the living.

 

Abruptly, she stood up and dusted off her hands. "Anyway, that's where that comes from. I got into the habit of using it and never stopped. And don't think you're immune, Agent. If you get mixed up in my fights, it's your head."

 

Kezz only smirked. His methods of 'interference' were subtle. If he took care of one or two assailants before they got to Kaliyo, that was chance. If he gave her injections of kolto during a battle, that was the duties of a field medic. If he happened to run into one of her former associates in a dark alley on Nar Shaddaa and give him a friendly warning, that was just an agent looking out for his colleague.

 

She didn't have to know.

 

He nodded in agreement. "Consider me warned."

 

Notes

 

Yeah, "Dibs on the head!" kinda creeped me out every time Kaliyo said it. And so much like her to adapt a Mando'a battle cry to her own purposes.

 

By this point in-game, Kezz had tried to romance her , but she turned him down flat. Poor guy. He has plenty of dalliances, but when he's serious...well, he just met Temple, so...we'll see.

 

He can be quite sneaky, but that's his job.

 

Edited February 1, 2014 by SifaSeven
grammatical error

[TrystanLaryssa]

@Bright_Ephemera- That was absolutely adorable! I love droids, and I love Jawas... the blending of the two was everything I love about both "races" in one story! So typical. And yeah... if Blizz can do ANYthing about the ship droid... PLEASE...

 

@YoshiRaphElan- This was good. Short and to the point, but proves that most likely those companion missions don't always go as smoothly as planned! I like how you describe Jorgan's snarl before firing in combat... very much the soldier we know him as in game, but definitely Cathar. I enjoyed this.

 

@SifaSeven- Glad you liked the story... that last line really set the tone for Nakova and Quinn in my head! Very cat-and-mouse, initially. And yours... I love the fact that you didn't tell the whole story... Kaliyo doesn't seem the type to get into much detail about such things, but an Agent would be able to draw some conclusions. And yes... it does have a very Mandalorian feel, so that was a good choice!

[frauzet]

OK, waiting a week before commenting isn't an option anymore

 

 

@SifaSeven: Welcome to the thread!

The next interesting agent. Juggling with knifes, I can easily see why he's got Kaliyo's attention.

I like your explanation for 'dibs on the head', makes perfect sense to me.

 

@YoshiRaphElan: I like how Prudii snarls at Seetoo. Seems like the sand even managed to get under his skin. And I can imagine all the sand trickling out of fur.

Wondering if there will be a followup to your second story. I think these weapon deliveries don't always work out the way they are intended.

 

@alaurin: This 'syncronicity' story really shows how deeply they are connected. All setting out to achieve a common goal. And it's really nice how the always think of one another, hoping that the others are well.

And gz to the new thread

 

@kabeone: awesome story, very clever. I think reasoning with Kira wouldn't have worked half as well if Remi had told Kira outright and had not let her figure it out on her own.

 

@bright_ephemera: As I already stated on tumblr, I am still securely mind controlled. 'Small toolkit' made me laugh. It is a very accurate description of Blizz from T5's POV. T5 being in fear of being modified, Blizz being sad and forlorn because he isn't allowed to fix something that is obviously broken, that is very fitting and they are both so cute.

 

@TrystanLaryssa:

Nakova smiled, and her smile lit up her eyes. "I'm going to get a kick out of you."

And I really hope we will be allowed to witness.

 

Regarding dark choices...

Most of my story characters happen to be rather light sided. Not always with good intentions. Letting somebody live in a situation doesn't qualify as good, when you plan on selling him as a slave later, for instance. Not a single one of my chars got through his story line without collecting some dark points. Sometimes those make sense from a certain point of view. My dark side chars collect light side points every once in a while. One of the things that interest me most in my chars is the motivation behind those choices.

 

 

[frauzet]

Prompt - Betrayal

Title - Hating Ord Mantell XVI

Class - Trooper (Nikeo), Smuggler (Giz)

Words - About 2050

Spoilers - Spoilers for Ord Mantell Trooper

 

 

 

“You got that, Lieutenant?” Nikeo asked quietly.

 

“Think that’s all the evidence we need, Sergeant. Good job!” Jorgan answered, the signal only slightly overlaid with static.

 

Nikeo had sneaked inside the hangar where Havoc Squad had been getting ready to enter a shuttle while at the far side of the room a squad of Imperials had been readying the ZR-57 to be loaded onto the same shuttle. There had been no doubt about what was happening. Now Nikeo was back in front of the hangar. He had wanted to make sure that Jorgan had recorded the video feed from his armor cam. Now that he knew the information was secure he could…

 

“Get back to Fort Garnik, Sergeant. I’ll have a shuttle waiting for you at the landing pad,” Jorgan ordered.

 

“What?”

 

“ASAP, Sergeant!”

 

“Lieutenant, I want to go back in there.” Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now he wouldn’t have a chance to claim he hadn’t understood Jorgan’s order.

 

“We got all we need. There is nothing you can do, Sergeant. No matter how good you think you are, you are no match for the rest of Havoc Squad. You won't be able to stop them from leaving.”

 

“You really think I don’t know that, Lieutenant? Please listen to me. We know Havoc Squad is defecting, but we don’t know why. There has to be a reason. I can’t believe they just woke up one day and thought that the banthas in the Empire smell nicer than ours. Let me try to find out.” They needed to know the reason, to prevent future defections. Hell, he needed to know the reason. He needed something to help him comprehend why Tavus did this. He needed to understand.

 

“OK, Sergeant. Don’t turn this into a suicide mission!”

 

Nikeo silently thanked Jorgan. Somehow the Cathar seemed to understand that he needed to do this.“Understood, Lieutenant!”

Nikeo turned to look at Giz and Corso. “Thanks, guys! I’ll meet you back at the cantina later.”

 

Giz shared a glance with Corso, raising one eyebrow questioningly and waiting for a barely perceptible nod from the younger man. “Ok, that’s settled then. We’re going in with you,” Giz stated seriously.

 

“No, you won’t.” Getting himself killed was one thing, risking their lives as well was something completely different.

 

“Sorry, don’t think you can afford to discuss this any longer, or they’ll be gone.” Giz nodded in the direction of the shuttle. He shrugged his shoulders apologetically. “Corso and me, we’re not military. We do this more democratically. And as a matter of fact you’re outvoted two to one. Outright majority.”

 

“Damned, Giz.” Nikeo shook his head, and heaved a sigh admitting defeat. “OK, you two stay back, and block the door, so we don’t get some uninvited guests. We’re not here to keep them from leaving, I just want to talk to Tavus.”

 

Giz and Corso nodded.

 

No time to waste. Nikeo entered the hangar again and headed straight for Tavus.

 

Tavus saw him coming, so did Wraith, who started to circle behind his back immediately. Nikeo ignored her. He focused his gaze on Tavus. He realized that even in his thoughts he already omitted Tavus’ rank. He no longer deserved it. The hero was gone, replaced by a traitor and a question: Why?

 

“Sergeant,” Tavus addressed him. “I thought my orders were very clear. You aren’t supposed to be here.” Understanding dawned in Tavus eyes when Nikeo got closer to him.

 

Wraith had arrived behind Nikeo. He didn’t need to turn around to look at her. He knew she would have her weapon at the ready. He heard her flick a switch on her gun. No more stun mode.

 

“I will take him,” she said. An icicle would have been able to speak with more emotion.

 

Nikeo didn’t move. He stood there staring Tavus in the eyes. No, Tavus was a traitor, but Nikeo wouldn’t believe that he had sunken so low as to shoot his own people in the back.

“Why?” he whispered.

 

Tavus made a small gesture. “No, Wraith. The sergeant deserves to know the truth.”

 

Nikeo hoped that Giz and Corso stayed at the door and kept quiet. He really didn’t want to turn this into a bloodbath.

The rest of the Squad had taken up position to the left and to the right of Tavus. Wraith joined their line, stowing her weapon away. The former members of Havoc Squad stood there facing him. Wraith staring at him coldly, Fuse defiantly, Gearbox calmly with his arms crossed, maybe with a hint of regret in his eyes, Needles matching Wraith’ coldness. And in the middle stood Tavus, the man he had looked up to.

 

“I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. I harbor no ill will toward you. You’re everything a warrior should be. But I’m afraid the Republic no longer values her warriors—even the very best among them,” Tavus started to explain.

 

What was this about? What did Tavus mean by not being valued? Tavus wasn’t talking about credits. The payment wasn’t bad, but with a job in the security sector he’d probably earn more with less risk to his life. You didn’t join Special Forces to get rich. Special Forces was not about fame. Well, truth be told it was. But not for individuals. Most Special Forces squads operated in the dark, out of the shadows. Most people didn’t even know the names of other Special Forces squads than Havoc. Even in military circles the names of individual squad members were unknown. Havoc Squad was an exception, Tavus was an exception. But this wasn’t about Tavus. Something had happened.

 

“You’ve fought the Empire for years—do you really think things are better over there?” Nikeo asked incredulously. Whatever it was that Tavus was talking about, he couldn’t possibly expect it to be better in the Empire. Nikeo had no first-hand experience with the Empire yet. But if only half of the stories Nik had heard were true, then the Empire was the last place in the galaxy you expected to be valued as a warrior, at least when you were Force-blind.

 

“The Empire respects warriors, Sergeant,” Tavus affirmed. “The Republic’s top officials, on the other hand, have decided to cast us aside. The truth is that no matter what they might say, the Republic Senate doesn’t actually believe it can win another war against the Empire. That makes you and I a threat. Every Havoc Squad victory fires up people’s imaginations, fills them with pride—which means the bureaucrats can’t afford to let us keep succeeding.”

 

Win a war against the Empire? Hell, nobody in his right mind would want another war, no matter who would win. Wasn’t that what they had been fighting for over the last decade? To secure the instable peace the Treaty of Coruscant provided? Had Tavus seen the slums still full of refugees from the last war? Maybe some of the cloudhead politicians hadn’t forgotten about them. Nikeo had grown up down there in Coruscant, in the middle of what now was Black Sun territory. The Republic truly had enough problems without another war. And Special Forces had, too. They were there to protect a democratic system, even in times when the felled decisions of its leaders weren’t to their liking. Did Tavus honestly think the Dark Council did consult its soldiers?

“How is the outright tyranny of the Empire any better?” Nikeo wanted to know.

 

“If only you’d been with us longer, Sergeant, you would understand.” Tavus told him regretfully. “You might even have come with us. The Republic abandoned us. During a mission on Ando Prime, they simply left us to die. But I won’t try to persuade you.”

 

Nikeo wondered why not. Was Tavus aware that his arguments were bullsh*t? Didn’t he want the others to realize that, too?

 

“Honestly,” Tavus continued, “I hope you die with your ideals intact. The rest of us will never have that luxury.”

 

Tavus wanted Nik’s ideals to stay intact? He had to be kidding—the man who had been an embodiment of these ideals? Tavus seemed to have no idea what he was doing to him and countless other young soldiers. Or maybe he did, and just didn’t care, or it was part of the plan. Nikeo was glad he came here prepared, he wasn’t sure what his reaction would have been if he hadn’t already known.

Nikeo saw the others nod slightly to Tavus’ words. Ando Prime—he had never heard about Ando Prime. What had happened there? Had Havoc truly been abandoned? Even if that was true, there had to be some kind of explanation. And no matter what, nothing, absolutely nothing justified a defection to the Empire. There had to be a way to work this out.

“It’s not too late, Tavus. You can still turn back.” Nikeo had to try, even though he knew this was a futile attempt.

 

“Turn back to what? The Republic that wants me dead and gone? No, Sergeant, I think not.” Tavus’ answer didn’t come as a surprise. His mind was set. He had planned this long beforehand.

 

There was a noise on the other side of the shuttle. Nikeo looked up to see the bomb being loaded into the shuttle. Fuse thanked him smirking for his efforts in recovering it. Nikeo only shook his head slightly, not bothering to answer to Fuse. The look Nikeo gave him said all there was to say. If that was the way Fuse treated his friends he didn’t deserve an answer. He was surprised that Fuse was still able to look him straight in the eyes.

Of course Needles tried to rub it in and thanked him for the opportunity to present the Empire with a magnificent tool of destruction.

They didn’t believe Nikeo, when he told them that he had neutralized the bomb. They’d realize the truth soon enough. It wouldn’t change anything between them.

When Gearbox pointed out, that they had to leave, Tavus gave the signal to board the shuttle. He then called for the leader of the Imperial Squad. “Colonel Vorr? Please give the sergeant the warrior’s death he deserves.”

With a few long strides he had boarded the shuttle, watching as Nikeo dove behind a crate to escape the cover fire that the imps were providing for Tavus and his men.

 

“You’ll regret this, Tavus,” Nikeo cat-called at him. “I won’t rest until I’ve taken you down.” That was a promise.

 

“It’s been an honor serving with you, Sergeant. Goodbye.” Tavus yelled to be heard over the noise of the shuttle taking off and the imps’ shots.

 

Nikeo started to shoot back and the Imperial soldiers soon discovered that they were located in a cross fire, as Giz and Corso joined the fight.

 

“Lieutenant Jorgan? They are taking off. Do we have anything out there to intercept them?” Nikeo asked between shots, hoping that Jorgan would be able to understand his voice amid all the turmoil.

 

“Negative, Sergeant. Nothing with enough fire power. Sending in a shuttle. Get back as soon as you’ve taken care of the imps!”

 

Taking care of the imps didn’t take long. Nikeo was watching Giz rummaging through the pockets of the dead for anything useful, when the shuttle arrived. It would be a short ride back to Fort Garnik.

 

“Thanks for your help back there.”

 

Giz grinned. “You’re welcome. Couldn’t let those imps kill you. You still owe me a bottle of whiskey.”

 

“Yeah. Guess we earned that anyway, although I can’t say that I‘m in the mood for a party.”

 

Nikeo had no idea what awaited him back at the fort, no idea what awaited him tomorrow or next week now that Havoc Squad was gone. It seemed wise to be prepared for a lot of questions. He tried to recall everything he had possibly done wrong in the last few days on Ord. What would they use against him? Would they believe that he had nothing to do with the defection? Kark, he had been involved with an Imperial spy. A demotion seemed suddenly very likely. It seemed he’d be lucky if he’d even be allowed back on duty. It seemed like his career in Special Forces was over before it had begun.

 

 

Notes

 

I decided to keep most of the original conversation as a background for Nikeo's thoughts. There will be a very similar conversation later in Nikeo's story line.

 

[icecreampants]

I've been really busy this week with all this winter weather bussiness, so i've not been able to really read anyones stories or comments, but don't worry I'll do some reading of them tonight and let you all know what I think!

 

At any rate if you guys liked my first little story featuring Delgrin and Temple here is part two of it. Enjoy everyone!

 

Prompt - Backfired Plans

Title - The Unexpected Guest

Characters- Delgrin Vaunt (IA), Raina Temple, Lutra Sief (BH), Gault Rennow, and HK-51

Words - roughly 2250

Spoilers - small spoiler for some of Raina's back story.

 

Warning: This story does contain some scenes of violence that may make some uncomfortable. Should be no big deal however

 

 

 

 

Delgrin sat quietly, the dim light of the campfire danced across his face. His thoughts were filled with the events of the day. Failure still weighed down on his mind, the very thought of it causing him great duress.

 

“Well at the very least you are still here my dear ensign.” He said glancing across the campfire only to see that Temple had dozed off. She was still sitting straight up against the tree she had laid claim to earlier, Still clenching a datapad firmly in one hand.

 

Delgrin stood up cringing in pain as his body expressed its displeasure at his fear filled sprint through the forest earlier in the day. After a few moments the pain subsided and Delgrin quietly made his way over to Temple, sitting down next to her.

 

“For the last time Kaliyo I will not go dress shopping with you.” Temple murmured in her sleep as Delgrin draped an arm across her shoulders. As long as she was okay he could live with anything the galaxy threw at him. Soon his eyelids too grew heavy and began to fall, only to open quickly when he heard the sound of a branch cracking underfoot.

 

“Who is it?!” He yelled in a half conscious daze, as he grasped for the pistol on his waist.

 

“I am just a tired traveler, looking for a warm fire to sleep by. I mean you no harm.” A voice responded from the darkness.

 

“This fire is not welcome to travelers, go away from here stranger! I desire no trouble!” The young chiss warned drawing his pistol aiming it blindly into the dark.

 

“Please just allow me some rest, find the kindness in your heart, stranger.” The voice brimmed with exhaustion, as if its owner was about to collapse. Despite his instincts flaring up telling him it was a terrible idea; he simply couldn’t allow himself to turn this person away.

 

“Come into the light, both hands above your head. Make any wrong move and I won’t hesitate to shoot!” He warned, his finger preemptively on the trigger.

 

Several seconds of silence followed. Delgrin begun to wonder if he had been experiencing some form of stress induced hallucinations. Soon however his sanity was confirmed,as he saw a woman slowly making her way towards the dim flicker of the campfire.

 

“I said hands above your head!” Delgrin shouted this time causing Temple to awaken.

 

“Sir, what in the world is going on?” Temple asked, rubbing her eyes as she stood up. Upon seeing the woman approaching she too drew her weapon.

 

“Easy there killer, I’m as threatening to you as a kath pup is to a krayt dragon.” The woman said lifting her arms above her head, still walking towards the fire, stopping once she was fully in view.

 

Delgrin stared blankly, stunned by the beauty that stood before him. She was in her mid to late twenties, and was wearing rather form fitting clothes, with a large dark grey coat hung over her shoulders. Her golden hair shined bright in the firelight. But what caught Delgrin’s attention the most were her silver eyes, which gleamed brighter than any star in the heavens.

 

“Keep staring at me like that and you’ll start boring holes stranger.” The woman joked

 

“Dear, you may be better of not gawking at the beautiful stranger and more concerned about keeping us safe.” Raina said as she quickly elbowed Delgrin in the rib cage, causing him to wince in pain.

 

“Raina, frisk our guest please, ensure she truly means us no harm.” Delgrin said coughing, the pain in his ribs slowly subsiding. He kept his weapon aimed at the stranger, while Temple walked towards her.

 

Quickly the ensign patted the woman down for weapons, finding none she turned and walked back to Delgrin shaking her head. “She’s unarmed dear. Let us just hope your kindness isn’t returned with a lovely stab in the back.”

 

Delgrin cast a glare at Temple before turning his attention to the woman. “Sorry for all the precautions. It’s just hard to trust a stranger. Though you seem like you should be alright. Feel free to have seat by the fire friend.”

 

“Thank you for your kindness stranger. Many would have simply turned me away. Though I suspect you have nothing to fear from me, as well armed as you are. If it is no trouble may I ask your names?” The woman asked innocently as she sat down by the fire.

 

“I am Delgrin, this is my wife Raina. We were on a hunting expedition but, are unfamiliar with this area and got lost. So we decided to make camp until daybreak.Hopefully we’ll be able to find our way back to the city.” Delgrin said, putting on a large smile, trying his best to ensure his lies were well hidden.

 

“Nice to meet you both, I’m Lutra, I’m originally from Alderaan. I came back to do a bit of sightseeing but daylight left sooner than I had anticipated. I must have wandered for hours before I saw your fire. Once daylight comes I should be able to guide you out of here, if you would want me to that is.” Her soft voice seemed to harbor neither ill will nor lies. However, somewhere deep in his gut, Delgrin felt that there was more than what there seemed to Lutra.

 

“That’s very kind of you.” Temple said as she turned to Delgrin, hoping he would come up with a plan to ditch their unexpected companion.

 

“We will most definitely take you up on your offer though I think a good night’s rest would do all of us some good.” The chiss said letting out a rather long yawn.

 

Lutra stood up to remove her coat and took care laying it out next to the fire. She cast a brief friendly smile at Delgrin and Temple and then laid down. “That sounds like a damn good idea friends. I shall see you in the morning."

 

Delgrin sat down cautiously, his beloved Temple joined him, resting her head on his shoulder; she soon resumed her slumber. Delgrin smiled briefly, running his hands through her hair. “Don’t you worry love, I’ll think of an easy way out of this.”

 

Delgrin sat still for hours, as a clever plot formed in his head. He had to get away from this unexpected guest and now was as good of a chance as ever. With a quick glance across the fire, he ensured that Lutra was asleep. Quietly he reached down and nudged the sleeping ensign, waking her up. “Get up quietly and follow me. We’re leaving.”

 

Temple did as she was told and stealthily grabbed any gear she had left laying out, before joining her husband just beyond the tree they had been resting against. With a quiet nod Delgrin led her away from the camp.The two quietly moved away between the trees as they went, taking great care to avoid anything that might awake Lutra. After walking for several hundred meters, the pair entered a large clearing.

 

“We should be far enough away from there to talk now Temple.” Delgrin said as he made his way to the center of the clearing, trying his best to get a sense of direction. Though it seemed the elements were doing their best to make it difficult for him, as clouds begun to roll in, blocking out the moonlight.

 

“Awfully rude to leave a friend alone in the wilderness like this, isn’t it? ” Delgrin heard a voice say from behind him.

 

Turning towards the direction he thought the voice originated from, the chiss quickly reached for his blaster pistol and took aim at a shadowy figure. “Sorry but I didn’t want to disturb you, Lutra.”

 

Delgrin aimed with the intent to kill yet, as a small break in the clouds came allowing moonlight to flood the clearing, he froze in horror. Lutra was holding Temple hostage, the ensign’s blaster held firmly against her head.

 

“I’m sorry sir… She caught me off guard…” Raina said, her voice trembling with fear.

 

Delgrin’s fear quickly turned to anger. “Let her go Lutra! I swear if you hurt her I’ll kill you slowly!”

 

A smile came across Lutra’s face as she saw two bright red lasers shine on either side of Delgrin’s head. ‘You really should learn when you are in no position to threaten people! Look to your left and right. Those bright red lights you see are my men taking aim at your head. Make one wrong move and you’ll be slaughtered like an animal.”

 

Delgrin looked to both his sides,each time the red lasers shined bright in his eyes. Knowing he had been had he dropped his weapon to the ground. “What do you want from me Lutra?!”

 

“We’ll get to that later. First take any other weapons you may have and throw them on the ground. Then I want you to lay on your stomach with your hands behind your head. You do anything other than what I tell you and you can kiss Raina goodbye.”

 

Delgrin did as he was told, throwing his backup pistol and his rifle on the ground a few feet from him, then laying exactly as ordered.

 

“Good boy. You follow directions quite well.” Lutra said smirking as she moved the blaster from Raina’s head and aimed it into the sky firing several shots off.

 

Soon Delgrin heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head to one side to see a devaronian approaching. Turning the other way he saw the same HK droid from the camp.

 

“I see what this is about… I finally know who you are… Mandalorian.” Delgrin muttered as he realized exactly who Lutra was.

 

“So it finally clicked in that brain of yours huh?” He heard the devaronian say smugly from above him.

 

“Gault I know it’s fun taunting him, really I do, though you should do it after he’s been fully restrained.” Lutra said sounding frustrated at her comrades actions. Gently she placed the gun into her prisoners back and forced her to kneel.

 

Gault sighed as he pulled a set of restraining cuffs from his pack and secured them tightly around Delgrin’s wrists. “There ya go kiddo! Fancy new jewelry just for you! Just think all you had to do was miss your target!”

 

“Keep talking, and when I get out of these I’ll be coming for your tongue, devaronian.” Delgrin growled.

 

“Listen Gault, I’ll let you gloat as much as you want as soon as we return to camp. Right now I’ll need the other set of cuffs for this one so we can take them back to camp.” Lutra spoke pointing the blaster at Raina.

 

“Okay, I get it, not a fan of my excellent situational comedy. See if I invite you to see me perform when I make it big." Gault retorted in his usual snide manner as he threw the restraints to Lutra.

 

Lutra caught the cuffs quite easily in one hand, sliding Raina’s blaster into her hip pocket. “Now hold still missy and we’ll be on our way.”

 

Raina saw a chance as Lutra moved to put the cuffs on her, swiftly she turned to Lutra , grabbing her by her arm and pulling her down to the ground. Mustering up her limited control of the force she managed pull her blaster to her waiting hand and took aim at Lutra.

 

Lutra almost broke out into a fit of laughter as she laid on the ground. “You’ve got spunk kid. I like that. Wanna know what trumps spunk though?”

 

Raina glared down the sights of the blaster pistol her finger beginning to squeeze on the trigger “What’s that?”

 

“Experience!” Lutra shouted as she nimbly grabbed the blaster in Raina’s hands and turned it away from her.

 

Shots rang out as the two fought it out over the weapon until finally Lutra managed to get the ensign in an arm bar.

 

“Give up now or I snap your arm like a twig!” Lutra screamed, as Raina tried desperately to move out from under her.

 

A loud stomach churning snap was heard just a few seconds later followed by the Ensign screaming in pain.

 

“Temple just stop it! We’re at too much of a disadvantage! Keeping this up will only get you hurt even more! Stand down!” Delgrin yelled as he stared helplessly at the brawl.

 

Temple submitted, whimpering in pain as Lutra picked the restraints off the ground and put them on snugly around her wrists. Lutra stood up, slowly brushing the dirt and grass off of herself, before lifting the the Ensign to her feet.

 

“Now that we have that settled, we’ll be making our way back to my camp where you two are going to answer some very simple questions. If for a second you consider escaping I’ll turn your brains into a lovely mist. Do I make myself clear?”

 

“Perfectly.” Delgrin answered as he was pulled to his feet by HK and Gault.

 

“Statement: Master it pleases me greatly to see you break another meat bags will. Brings a warm tingly feeling to my inner circuitry!” the droid said as it forced Delgrin to move forward.

 

“Good to know HK. Let us get moving, I’m curious as to how Mako is holding up.” Lutra said as turned towards her camp, pushing Raina along in front of her.

 

Delgrin walked close behind his head hung low. Failure seemed like something he was going to have to get used to.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by icecreampants

[marissalf]

Comments first — look at me keeping up with everything

 

@frauzet, I love the way Nik’s upbringing and firsthand knowledge of Coruscant’s underbelly color his view of the bigger picture. Of course the Republic can ill afford another war when its people are suffering, but that doesn’t mean it won’t enter into it anyway. And the line about Nik having already discarded Tavus’ rank was great as well.

 

@kabeone, Remi cuts right to the heart of things, and I love it. Kira’s overzealous joy at Scourge’s departure made me laugh.

 

@Bright, Disappointed Blizz makes me sad, but the thought of him “fixing” T5’s quirks trumps the feeling. Now if Blizz tinkers with Twovee and makes it less annoying, that would be something I could get behind.

 

@icecreampants,

“Okay, I get it, not a fan of my excellent situational comedy. See if I invite you to see me perform when I make it big."

Your Gault had me grinning. Very good. And it looks like Delgrin’s mistake caught up to him quick. That’s going to be an intense meeting back at Lutra’s camp.

 

@TrystanLaryssa, Oh, I already like Nakova’s interaction with Quinn. So fitting that he would get flustered at her disappointed facial expressions and wonder what he’d done to displease his superior.

 

@SifaSeven, Great story behind Kaliyo’s creepy battle cry.

"'Dibs on the head'? That sounds rather morbid."

Only Kaliyo would take that as a compliment!

 

@Yoshi, A tense delivery that (mostly) goes off without a hitch. That’s definitely a mission accomplished in my book.

 

 

Now for the story. For indexing purposes, I'd file this one just before Irresistible Urges.

Prompt: My First

With Melodai, Kinka and most of the BH crew, about 900 words

Spoilers: None

 

“She was a gorgeous woman. Curves like a luxury speeder, eviscerating wit — swore like a pirate, too. She went down easy, though.” Gault’s satisfied grin teetered between wistful and smug. He hoisted his glass for a brief second in mock tribute before downing the rest of the Rodian ale. “The first of many.”

 

“That’s disgusting!” Mako was shocked that Mel and Kinka were listening to the boys tell those kinds of stories. The young slicer had caught only part of the conversation, and she’d missed one very important detail.

 

Gault craned his neck to look at her. “What? She was my first kill. And the boss here was just about to regale us with the details about hers.”

 

“I didn’t say this was my first kill, Gault. That story’s not interesting. My first bounty, though. That one I’m pretty damn proud of.”

 

***

7 Years Earlier

 

Mel and Kaliyo moved quietly through the shadows outside the abandoned Red Light District warehouse that fronted the Howling Moon’s base of operations. The older woman hung back, letting the girl take point as they made their way inside. Mel didn’t make a sound as she darted across the alley and pressed her back against the wall — just like her mother, the Rattataki noted. It was almost a shame to lose her. But credits were credits.

 

Inside, the building was choked with an uneasy quiet. For a place that was supposed to be the hub of Nar Shaddaa’s spice trade, she expected a lot more noise and grit. The place looked like it’d been scrubbed from floor to ceiling, almost as though the gang knew someone was coming and tried to make everything look as nondescript as possible.

 

“You got a bad feeling about this?”

 

Kaliyo put a thin pale finger to her lips. “Not now,” she mouthed. She turned her back to the girl just as a toothy grin spread across her face. Too easy. She went through the motions of checking the warehouse for enemies, really playing it up, before finally signaling that it was all clear.

 

“They’re either out, or somebody’s tipped ‘em off. Wait here while I see if the safe’s still upstairs. Anybody comes, drop a flash grenade and shoot the air ducts.”

 

Kaliyo had barely made it into the office when Mel heard them coming behind her. By the sound of the footsteps, it had to be half a dozen well-armored men.

 

The blaster bolt ricocheted off the ductwork with a ping that could have woken a Hutt from spice-addled slumber, and moments later, Kaliyo came bounding down the stairs, weapon drawn. The last thing the Rattataki saw was the blinding white light of a flash grenade that had detonated underfoot. When her vision returned, Mel was standing among the Howling Moon guns, still armed and looking all too smug.

 

The largest of the men had Kaliyo pinned to the floor, arms twisted behind her back, quickly stripping her of her knives and blasters. Where Kaliyo was concerned, there was no such thing as too careful.

 

“What the f*ck, Drex? We had a deal!”

 

The Houk shrugged and slapped on a pair of stun cuffs. “She had a better one.”

 

Kaliyo turned her feral glare on Mel, her face all sharp eyes and barred teeth. “You brat! I’ll kill you! I should’ve sold you in Hutta when I had the chance!”

 

She cursed and spat and writhed against the restraints. Screamed — probably more from anger than pain — when the stun cuffs did exactly as the named implied. Despite the struggling, the Houk’s weight kept her mostly immobile.

 

Mel tried to suppress a smirk. Failed miserably. She’d earned a little gloating. Few people had been able to pull one over on the infamous Kaliyo Djannis. And in the end, the woman had been bested by a 15-year-old girl.

 

“Sorry, Aunt K. Nothing personal.”

 

Mel walked away with a sack full of credits as Kaliyo’s profanity-laden tirade grew fainter and fainter with each step.

 

***

 

“She never saw it coming,” Mel concluded. “I think that’s my favorite part.”

 

“What happened to her after that?” Mako asked.

 

Mel shrugged. “Never heard. Didn’t really care, either. All I know is that bounty set me up for quite a while.”

 

Kinka was quiet, but Mel thought she detected a faint smile of satisfaction on her face.

 

“You almost look relieved.”

 

Kinka nodded. “Kaliyo Djannis haunted my existence from the very first mission I had with Imperial Intelligence. If I’d gotten my way, she’d have long ago been left to rot in a shallow grave on Hutta, but my handler wouldn’t allow it. Instead decided we’d make a great team. We really did get along well for a short time, but I outgrew the chaos fetish. She never did. While she was with me, I could never completely let my guard down. But it was more dangerous to cut her loose, especially with all she knew. My black cloud, always hanging overhead. Yes, I’d have to admit that I am happy with her fate. Maker knows she deserved it.”

 

Gault cleared his throat and topped off the older woman’s glass of Corellian Red. “So, Mom, you want to regale us with your first time? That is, if Mako’s sensitive ears can handle it.”

 

The Devaronian yelped as Mako’s punch hit him square in the ribs.

 

“Perhaps another time, Gault. I think I’ll save unearthing old ghosts for another day.”

 

 

Note:

 

All of Mel’s crew members call Kinka “Mom” as a term of endearment. They don’t know her real name, only that she was Cipher Nine decades ago. And since Mel always calls her “mom,” the rest of them started doing it too.

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by marissalf

[DarthSillyMonkey]

Holy freakin' influx of new blood, Batman!

OK, waiting a week before commenting isn't an option anymore

I absolutely concur with my esteemed colleague's assessment of the situation. Gonna have to makes sure I pop in for comments at least two times a week to keep up with the influx of stories! I'm going to take a pass at comments on this round due to being 6 pgs behind, however...

 

WELCOME TO THE THREAD Mirdthestrill, Septembershpinx, LaxKnight, TrystanLaryssa, SifaSeven, and Welcome Back IceCreamPants! Love what I'm reading so far (still working my way through 6pgs), and can't wait to get caught up, and get more of your guys' stuff! Keep up the great job!

 

Ok, short chapter this week (busy, busy, busy in RL).

 

Prompt: Behind the Scenes

Class: IA (Fenn'rys)

Title: What Lies Beneath, Pt.3

Words: A scant 700'ish

Timeframe: After this, and this, and this

Spoilers: A vague mention of an IA Chap.1 and 2 plot items (NPC's), an event that occurs during SCORPIO's convo line

 

Mando Translations - (Vod'ika - Little brother)

 

 

Fenn’rys studied her new toy in the engine room of the Phantom, with SCORPIO in her holo-image form, and Dr. Lokin examining the artifact and taking notes.

 

“Agent, I’ve blocked all attempts by the entity known as ‘Holiday’ to access this ship’s systems. As you surmised, there was an attempt to subvert our take-off remotely. Are there plans to face the Jedi’s crew again? I desire to study that program more… in depth.”

 

“SCORPIO, the way you say that is very disconcerting... I almost feel sorry for this 'Holiday'.” She turned to the balding scientist feverishly studying the obelisk, “Well, Doctor? Thoughts?”

 

“This is absolutely fascinating, Agent. Did you know that these symbols here represent—well, I’m sure you care little about such things. I suggest we get in touch with a Lt. Talos Drellik. With his help, I could have a new apparatus built in about a mo—“

 

“No, Doctor. No one is waking this sleeping giant, regardless of the wonders it could show us. It’s far too dangerous.”

 

The Doctor stood and sighed, “So, it’s off to Korriban with it then? Seems the Sith get to play with all the quality items. Ah, well.”

 

“I’m sorry, Doctor, it seems I didn’t quite make myself clear. This artifact is far too dangerous for anyone to awaken. Sith have a bad tendency to believe they can force their control on all they touch, just as the Jedi would believe they could study it without consequence. Between them, they would doom us all, each believing they could be its master. It would, in fact, be quite the opposite.”

 

The grey-bearded former agent looked at her, puzzled. “Then what exactly is my purpose here, if not to study how to use it?”

 

“You’re here to learn how to render it useless, my good Doctor. I want it to be inoperable. Let the mind inside rot, as it considers the Imperial lives it took at the Reclamation Service's base of operations."

 

"Remorse for the dead? Who are you, and what have you done with Cipher Nine?" Lokin asked, in a dryly sarcastic tone.

 

"Hardly, Doctor. Those fools reaped what they had sown. However, it's as good an excuse as any to explain to Temple why we're not handing this object over to the Sith. Her utter devotion to the system blinds her to how things really work. A lesson the Darth Jadus affair taught me well, much to his daughter's chagrin."

 

"Oh? So you don't trust Temple to support you then?"

 

"I trust Temple implicitly, Doctor... as long as she thinks what we're doing is not contradictory to the law of the Empire, or the will of the Sith. Regardless of what's in the Empire's best interests, if she believes we are going against our superior's wishes, she would turn on us faster than Kaliyo would push a shiny red button marked 'Danger'. Blind devotion tends to be a double edged sword that way."

 

"I see. Speaking of Kaliyo, if you want this thing rendered inoperable, Agent, wouldn't she make a better choice than myself?"

 

"No, I need the artifact intact, not spread out on the floor in rock size chunks. Also, I need a scientific write up on this 'device'. Theories on how it works, and details on how to shut it off permanently. The Rakata inside indicated it was a prisoner, and since the dawn of civilization, no society has ever had only one prisoner. If there are more out there like this one, then they're too dangerous to exist."

 

"Very well. I'll get to work on that immediately. We are keeping it on the ship afterwards, I assume?"

 

"For now. Once the obelisk is no longer a threat, SCORPIO is going to duplicate the radiation signature the device gives off. Then she will increase that signal, so it can be found by those who can identify it. Right now, there should only be two or three people in the galaxy, at most, who would recognize its specific signature.”

 

"And Czerka? It's unlikely they'd allow a prize of this nature to slip through their grasp."

 

"Temple is already working on cracking their security and destroying those records. However, that will take some time. After all, the Czerka Corporation network isn't just some standard SIS system."

 

“Agent," Lokin started stroking his beard, "if you don’t want this to fall into anyone’s hands, why would you go to the trouble to increase someone’s ability to find it?”

 

Fenn'rys looked at the obelisk, “A long time ago, a little boy lost his sister. He’s been desperately searching for her for many years, unsuccessfully.”

 

Her lips pulled back into a sinister grin, as she met Lokin's gaze.

 

"The time has come, my good doctor, for him to find her.”

 

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by DarthSillyMonkey

[frauzet]

Comments:

 

@icecreampants: Don't mess with the bounty hunter. That lesson was nicely done. (I am still working on my version of it.) Can't wait to see what happens next, and what's behind the attack on the BH.

 

@marissalf: The use of 'Mom' is really great, I like.

“What the f*ck, Drex? We had a deal!”

 

The Houk shrugged and slapped on a pair of stun cuffs. “She had a better one.”

Very fitting for Kaliyo to betrayed that way. But I have this vague feeling that we will maybe see her again...

 

@DarthSillyMonkey: I love villains that are not dumb. And I have not the slightest clue what her plan might be. Why does your RL have to be busy NOW? (RL always comes first!)

Did you know that these symbols here represent—well, I’m sure you care little about such things.

Lokin is great, can hear him say this line, and I like the connection to Talos.

 

 

 

Title - Hating Ord Mantell XVII

Class - Trooper (Nikeo), featuring Zal/Io

Words - About 1150

Spoilers - Spoilers for Ord Mantell Trooper and Smuggler

Takes place immediately after the previous part, the conversation mentioned at the end can be found here

 

 

He had been involved with an Imperial spy. Somehow the thought kept nagging at Nikeo’s mind.

He had been involved with an Imperial spy. Damn, why had he been involved with an Imperial spy?

 

They had assumed that Zal—Io, her name is Io—that Io had been somehow connected to the theft of the ZR-57. That she had been there to spy on their progress in finding the bomb. That had been before they had known about Havoc’s defection. The Empire didn’t need her to spy on their progress in finding the bomb because they had the defectors already doing that.

Except if the imps had not been sure about them really wanting to defect. But Io had approached him, not some other member of the squad. He had been the one they couldn’t be sure about.

What if she had been there to keep an eye on him, to sound him out? Her ship had really been stolen, how did that fit in? Well, who said that spies didn’t meet with some unexpected complications in their life?

 

What was it that Tavus had said? "If only you’d been with us longer, Sergeant, you would understand. You might even have come with us. But I won’t try to persuade you." Nikeo had wondered why Tavus hadn’t tried to persuade him. Tavus had talked about Nikeo’s intact ideals. There probably was enough about his ideals in his file, and Tavus would have had access to it. But Io was the one with first-hand experience. They didn’t know each other well—kark, he obviously hadn’t known her at all—but she knew him well enough to know that he’d never even consider defection.

 

Io had also been the one asking to see him after she had been caught. She had kept him occupied. She was the reason he hadn’t been there when the rest of the squad left.

 

Kark! He had been her target after all.

 

“Lieutenant Jorgan? I need to speak to Iolith Zairos again. She might have been involved to a greater extent than we had assumed.” Nikeo was careful not to mention the word ‘defection’. The shuttle crew knew nothing about any defection. It seemed best to keep this knowledge restrained to as small a group of people as possible for now.

 

“Go ahead, Sergeant. You got one hour till our debriefing with General Vander.”

 

Nikeo jumped out of the shuttle. He barely took the time to give Giz and Corso a nod of goodbye before he headed towards the building with the detention cells where Io was still in custody. General Vander was going to debrief them in person. That didn’t come as a big surprise. But it left him with pretty little time for an interrogation. To keep the general waiting was not an option.

 

Options. Barely an hour. Involving the guys from SIS would be a bad idea at the moment. Brass would have his head if he let anything slip, that much he knew about politics between SpecForce Division and SIS. He had to do this on his own. Would he be able to hurt her if he had to? He took a deep breath. He feared that he would find out soon.

 

“I’ll have to talk to Iolith Zairos!” he declared when he entered the guard room that was occupied by two agents from SIS.

 

They looked at him, speculating. The one in charge, Kerin, nodded. “We’ll prep the interrogation room for you.”

 

“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll talk to her immediately. You will turn off any listening devices and gadgets you got in there. I’ll take a recording with my equipment.”

 

The other agent, Miko’dres, jumped up. “Who do you think you…” he started before he was cut off by Kerin. “On whose orders, Sergeant?”

 

“You know who my CO is, Agent Kerin. You want to check with him? Go ahead. But tell him that I told you that this was urgent.” Bluffs like this one seemed to work for Giz, but he hadn’t been handling SIS agents back in the seps’ base. At least Nikeo was in no need to feign impatience, so his act should have been somewhat believable.

 

Kerin was still considering his answer when they heard a scream from the cell block.

 

Nikeo drew his blaster and sprinted to the door to the cells. “Who’s in there?”

 

“Only her,” Kerin stated. He pressed a button to unlock the door.

 

Nikeo opened the door, ducked, and entered the cell block. The aisle was empty, as was the first cell. The holding cells consisted of solid walls separated from the aisle by force fields. Only one of the six force fields was active, the one of the fourth cell. Nikeo checked the cells one after the other. In passing the force field he saw Io lying face-down on the floor in front of the bunk, her cell was empty otherwise. As were the remaining two cells.

 

“Deactivate the force field!” he yelled. Miko’dres, who had still been standing in the doorway, returned to the guard room to do that.

 

Kerin approached Nikeo in front of the still active force field.

 

“Who was in here today?” Nikeo inquired.

 

“Nobody except me. I brought in her dinner a few minutes before you arrived.”

 

Nikeo saw the tray with food sitting on the small tray table. The force field collapsed. He hurried to Io’s side and turned her onto her back. She was unconscious. He checked her carotid. Her pulse was weak. He felt her body convulsing with waves of pain. Poison. He looked up at Kerin.

 

“Her food and water have been scanned. Did it myself. That rules out most of the common toxins. Get her to vomit. I’ll see what anti-tox-stims I can find.”

 

By the time the agent returned Nikeo was fairly sure that Io’s stomach was empty. He described the symptoms he had been able to observe, and they administered a mix of anti-tox-stims that was most likely to cover the toxin she had been poisoned with without causing any more damage due to the combination of the stims themselves.

Kerin left with the tray to inspect the leftovers more thoroughly. Miko’dres was already on his way to the kitchen to launch an inquiry.

 

Nikeo took a corner of the sheet to wipe her face clean before he picked Io carefully up and placed her on the bunk. He gently stroked her hair from her face. She was deathly pale, but the convulsions had subsided. He hoped that was a good sign. Her breathing seemed to be more regular, but her pulse was still fluttering.

 

He recalled their last conversation. “There is very little left for me to expect apart from a sudden death,” she had said. She had told him, and he had dismissed it.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2014 by frauzet