(L,F&E 87) Friends and Foes

[kalenath]

“What do you mean they won’t fight for us?” Sharra’s voice was somewhat crisp, but Lohas stood her ground. It was hard. With not one, but two irate female staring at her, she wanted nothing more than to slink off and hide. “Lohas…” She started, but cut herself off when Sarai spoke.

 

“Explain.” The queen’s soft word was an implicit command and Lohas bowed to her monarch.

 

“I will, my queen.” Lohas said evenly, although her guts were shaking. “If I can. I do not entirely understand it myself. Basically, the problem is this: They respect life.”

 

“What?” Sharra said incredulous. “They destroyed an entire planet!”

 

“They did not know what they were doing.” Lohas said slowly. “They were not aware at the time. It was only later, sometime during Agnosa’s entombment, that they came aware.” She sighed deeply. “I don’t condone what they did or why. But asking them to do the same now… To kill… My queen… Please do not order this…”

 

“Lohas.” Sarai’s voice was troubled now. “They are a powerful weapon.”

 

“Yes and no, my queen.” Lohas replied sadly. “If I may explain?” Sarai waved permission and Lohas continued. "They had no awareness at first, only their programming. But… They remember everything that happened to them. In perfect detail. They remember eating every single being that they ate.” Sharra actually gagged a bit at that. “They remember the pleading, the fighting, the screams, and then the silence.”

 

“Do you…?” Sarai asked, horrified. Lohas nodded and Sarai’s voice turned compassionate. “Oh Lohas… I am sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, my queen. They are helping me cope. They tried to help Agnosa.” Lohas admitted quietly. “They failed. They could not communicate. And that… I think that is what hurts them the most. They could not communicate.”

 

“Why would that hurt them?” Sarai asked slowly. “What happened?”

 

“For 19,360 standard years, 8 months, 3 days, 14 hours and 6 minutes, they tried to get through to Agnosa. At first they simply tried accessing the command structure, but she had corrupted it. So they tried other means. Eventually, the subroutines in the nanites started talking to each other, trying to find a way past her blocks. Every time they tried, she squashed the attempt. They were as desperate as a group of machines can be. They knew that their mother -the sole being in their life- was hurting, going mad, and they wanted to help her. And they couldn't.” Lohas’ voice held infinite sadness now. “So they tried other means of communication. None worked until Firdlump accessed the vault Agnosa was entombed in.”

 

“And?” Sarai prompted her adopted daughter.

 

“He activated the self defense protocols.” Lohas said slowly. “But then, the nanites thought they had found a way to communicate with their mother. After so long, they jumped at the chance.” She slumped. “They don’t know what happened, but they do know they spawned Firdlump as we know him today.”

 

“What?” Sharra and Sarai both exclaimed as one. The guards that even now surrounded the chamber all aimed their weapons at Lohas, who did not move. Sarai recovered first.

 

“Lohas…” Her voice held worry and menace. “Are you a threat?”

 

“No.” The young Sitolon said simply. “My nanites will not fight. I have asked them not to defend me. They could, and they want to. But I am bound to the hive.” Sharra growled at her and Lohas sighed. “Go ahead Sharra…”

 

Sharra snarled at Lohas and leveled her blaster. Lohas did not move as Sharra fired. The bolt took Lohas directly in the middle of her chest, right over her main fluid pump, the heart analogue.

 

“Sharra!” Sarai cried, but paused as Lohas did not fall. “Um… Lohas…?”

 

“They will not fight for me.” Lohas said calmly as both Sharra and Sarai stared at the blaster wound on her carapace. It healed. It regenerated so quickly as to be visible. “But they will not let me die either. Please…”

 

“Speak.” Sarai said slowly, as if dazed. Sharra just stared, her rifle muzzle drooping to the floor.

 

“They don’t know what happened.” Lohas said slowly. “They didn’t…” Her voice broke for a moment. “They never anticipated loosing such an evil on the galaxy. You have to believe me, my queen, Sharra… you have to. The horror that they feel... What they did… They feel responsible for everything he has done. To me, to you, to everyone.” She shook her head slowly. “They have seen so much horror, done so much… My queen, I cannot ask them to do more. I cannot.”

 

“Lohas…” Sharra’s voice was dumbstruck now. “We need them…To have a chance against Firdlump, we need them.”

 

“I know.” Lohas bowed her head slowly. But then she raised it and met Sharra’s gaze steadily. “But I cannot ask them to do such things again. Sharra… I have seen through them, I remember with them. I cannot ask them to destroy life again, I cannot.” She shook her head slowly. “If you order me to, my queen… I will have no choice but to suicide. I don’t want to be bad, to disobey, but… They need me. Please…” For just a moment, her voice was all youngster again, begging.

 

“Lohas…” Sarai’s voice was deeply troubled now. “I see your point. Everyone stand down. No one dies today.” This last was a command. The weapons that ringed the room lowered again. “What I do not see is how they came to be in the nanites that wound up… um… possessing Mira.”

 

“That I can explain.” Lohas said slowly, still not moving from her spot. “They knew they had done something horrible, that their mother had been taken from them. They managed to get a colony of nanites aboard Firdlumps’ ship before it left the planet. He never found them. That colony was very careful, and always in communication with the others. They slowly and carefully wormed their way into his systems, studying their foe, seeing what he did, crying every time he hurt their mother. Eventually, they created an independent agent of their own.”

 

“Bob…” Shara breathed, her face ashen. Lohas nodded. “And…?”

 

“And in making him, they were lessened.” Lohas shook her head slowly. “They could not achieve true communication with the swarm that makes him up. But they did manage to get through to him that Firdlump had to be stopped. Then they had to recover. It took them some time.”

 

“I see.” Sarai said slowly. “And then they woke up aboard this ship? How did that happen?”

 

“They actually woke up in a Special Branch facility on Tython. It is gone now.” Lohas broke off as Sharra hissed. “They got into one of the techs, got her to the Enclave for medical care, and infected Diseree Mak with themselves to try and communicate e with a seer. That didn’t work.” Lohas sighed. “If they were organic, it would have been very discouraging, all the failures.”

 

“So… Both Bob and Firdlump are splinter swarms from the main one.” Sarai said slowly. “And that helps us, how?”

 

“The main nanite swarm is non hostile.” Lohas said slowly. “Actually, pacific would be a much better term. They will not fight. They will not kill. They prefer to build. To make things, beautiful things.” She had a sad smile in her voice now. "Like their mom did."

 

“So…Noncombat roles?” Sharra asked slowly. “Making things, weapons…?” She broke off as Lohas shook her head.

 

“They don’t want to kill, and flatly refuse to make things that can kill.” Lohas said slowly. “After seeing some of what they remember… I don’t blame them. I am never eating meat again…” She made a gagging noise.

 

“What can they do then?” Sarai asked slowly and gently. “Can they help us at all?”

 

“Oh yes.” Lohas had a smile in her voice now. “They have nothing at all against healing. And Brianna could use some I think.”

 

“Yes…” Sarai said, musing quietly. “Yes, she could.”

[kalenath]

“I am not sure about this at all…” Lohas said slowly as she waited for Hpilon to finish setting up his monitoring equipment. “This is…”

 

“Lohas… We have been over this. In great detail.” Queen Sarai said gently from her place near one wall. Beside her Sharra stood, silent, impassive, her blaster rifle set for full power at the ready. Lohas actually found more comfort in that than in the queen’s words. Sarai looked at Sharra and sighed. “Lohas, I trust you.”

 

“Good because I am not sure I can trust myself.” Lohas said slowly and then she nodded as Hpilon nodded to her and stepped away from the bed. “Brianna? Are you ready?”

 

The form in the bed looked at her and nodded. There was smile in Brianna Makarian Kalenath’s voice when she spoke although it did not show on the impassive steel mask that marked her as one of the Dragons, elite pilots that had served the Republic.

 

“Can someone actually be ready for something like this, Lohas?” Brianna’s humor was a balm to the young bug’s soul and Lohas relaxed a little for the first time since she had entered this room. “It’s okay, Lohas. Either you save me… or you don’t.” Her tone turned resigned. She had cause. The docs gave her less than a week to live unless something miraculous happened.

 

“Don't say that!” Lohas snarled at the young human. “I won’t… I can’t hurt you… I…” She shook herself. “I agree with Sharra’s understanding that I have to know my limits. But…” She shook her head. “I am scared. Queen Sarai… Please don’t let me…mess up.”

 

“I won’t…” Sarai paused and nodded to Sharra. “We won’t let you do anything wrong, Lohas.” Sharra nodded back. “But if you can help her…”

 

“I…” Lohas took along, deep breath and nodded to the queen. Then she looked at Brianna. “I don’t know if this is going to hurt, or what.” She shrugged all four shoulders. “I have a lot of knowledge that Agnosa…left with me.” She hurried to cover up her lapse in speech. “I know how you did look; I know what to do…”

 

“Lohas…” Brianna held out hand, the one that was not festooned with medical gear, and took Lohas’ claw in it. “It’s okay.” Her voice was kind now. “Even if you can’t save me, it’s okay. Don’t blame yourself if you can’t. Okay?”

 

“Everyone keeps saying I should not blame myself…” Lohas said somewhat petulantly. “But if I don’t, who will?”

 

“Lohas…” Queen Sarai’s voice was low and commanding.

 

“Yes my queen.” Lohas nodded to her sovereign and then took Brianna’s hand in both of her smaller claws. “Here we go…Slow deep breaths, Brianna. Just relax…” Her tone was as gentle as her touch as her small claws traded the hand slowly to her large ones and her small claws moved to cradle Brianna’s head.

 

“That is…” Brianna started, only to be silenced by Lohas’ gentle touch and voice.

 

“Shhh….Relax Brianna.” Lohas crooned slowly. “Just let me know if anything hurts. This may take a while.” Then she froze as the silver mask over Brianna’s face… disappeared. “Or not.” She stared at the raw skin and bone that had been underneath the mask, skin that slowly regenerated itself, muscles, sinew and flesh repairing itself as she watched. Behind her she could feel Sarai and Sharra’s scrutiny. “Brianna? How you doing?”

 

“Is it supposed to do anything?” Brianna asked, her mouth moving freely for the first time in a long time. “I don’t feel any different.”

 

“Hopefully you won’t.” Lohas said quietly. “The surface repairs are almost done. Then we will do the delicate work.” She watched as the girl’s hair grew, and grew, and grew. The holo that Brianna had chosen as a model had her hair down to her shoulders. She had kept her hair cut so short, for so long, that it had been nearly impossible to tell that she was a brunette. But now it was easy. Lohas nodded slightly as the flesh regained a pinkish cast, showing healthy skin again. “There we go… I….” She paused, staggering slightly. “What the…?”

 

“Lohas?” Sarai’s voice was concerned. ‘You okay?”

 

“I….” Lohas shook herself slightly. “I don’t know. Was really weak there for a moment…” She paused and then nodded, her voice becoming more confident. “Oh... Okay… That would have been good to know before, Mira.” No one flinched as she talked to the empty air. The fact that the smaller bug was talking to someone who wasn’t there didn’t faze any of the beings who were watching her. It wasn’t even close to the first time, OR the most disconcerting. Lohas made a human sounding sigh. “The nanites used some of my raw material to make you new flesh, Brianna.”

 

“So…” Brianna asked slowly, her face creasing in worry lines. “I am part Sitolon now?” She looked at Sarai, her face worried.

 

“No.” Lohas hurried to reassure her. “Basic raw materials only. Elements such as potassium, sodium, iron, that kind of thing. You are not going to change into one of us. Let me recover for a moment and then I can…” She staggered badly and Brianna threw up her hand to steady the queen. “Whoa…”

 

“Lohas…” Brianna’s voice was worried. ‘This cannot be normal.”

 

“Normal went bye bye a while ago, Brianna.” Lohas said with a snort as she steadied herself. “Hpilon? How are my vitals?” She was wired just as thoroughly as Brianna, for much the same reason. No one had a clue what would happen. The last time a Sitolon had done something like this had been Agnosa so long ago. Much had been forgotten.

 

“Hmmm.” The chief healer had come to supervise this odd work himself. “Your energy is low, potassium levels have fallen to near dangerous levels. We can run a drip…”

 

“I think…” Lohas shook her head. “Hmmm…” Brianna, Sarai and Sharra all shared an ironic look, Lohas’ tone almost perfectly mimicked Hpilon’s. “If you have the raw material handy, or even a solution, I can take it in. I know how.” Hpilon looked at her and then at Sarai who nodded. The older healer extended a tube to Lohas and she took it. Everything in the room seemed to freeze as the tube vanished. “Oh…” Lohas sounded apologetic now. “I should have asked…”

 

“It’s okay Lohas, that was just kind of freaky.” Sarai said quietly, obviously forcing herself to relax.

 

“No, it’s not.” Lohas spoke slowly and carefully. “I have to remain focused. I have to ask before I do things…” She shook herself. “I can’t trust myself.”

 

“You may not always be able to ask me, Lohas.” Sarai said gently. “Some of us do trust you, daughter.”

 

“You shouldn’t.” Lohas said flatly, and then returned her gaze to the girl in the bed. Brianna Makarian Kalenath’s face was smiling as her free hand traced her face, feeling the skin. “Brianna?”

 

“It’s amazing…” Brianna smiled widely. “I had almost forgotten what it felt like, to have skin instead of metal on my face. Thank you. Even if the rest doesn’t work… thank you.” Lohas took her hand in a gentle claw and patted her on the shoulder with the other small one.

 

“Okay… here we go…” Lohas said as she laid the hand back on the bed and both small claws cradled Brianna’s head again. “This may take a while. I do not want to lobotomize you.” She paused as Brianna snorted, a real laugh bubbling to the surface. “What?”

 

“Lohas…” Brianna did not move as the queen held her head gently. “After everything else that has happened to me, do you really think I am going to complain?”

 

“I would.” Lohas said with a trace of her old humor. “Brianna…”

 

“Just do whatever you need to, Lohas.” Brianna said as she closed her eyes. “You have already given me a gift beyond price. Even if you can’t save me, know that you have given me something I treasure.” Moisture collected at the corners of her eyes. “I can cry again.”

 

“Well…” Lohas said in the deafening silence that followed that. “Let’s see if I can get you completely squared away then. Then you won’t have to cry.” She nodded to herself as she felt her nanites start to work. This would take time, it was delicate work, but she would make it happen. She would save this being who was turning into a friend.

[kalenath]

The video camera on the top of the bed swiveled around and the Twi’lek’s face broke out in a smile. “Lohas! Good to see you, so to speak…” Her grin turned sour. “I wondered if you would come by.”

 

“Melita…” Lohas was apologetic. “I am sorry it took me so long to get to you. I am…” She broke off as the Twi’lek made a face. “Melita…”

 

“Brianna was dying. I am not, thanks to you. And what have I told you about blaming yourself?” Melita said in a quiet and deadly tone. “Stop that. Don’t make me spank you.”

 

“You would…” Lohas shuddered a little. “And yes, I know the story now. Ji was... um… quite expressive in her fear of a repeat performance.”

 

“Can ya blame her? Sharra in a rage is terrifying by all accounts.” Melita said with a smile. “Come on Lohas, lighten up. I heard you saved Brianna, well done.”

 

“We won’t know her condition for sure until she wakes.” Lohas shuddered., “None of those things were ever supposed to be removable. But it’s done and the damage is minimal. In time, it should heal. I hope.”

 

“What you can do is all you can do.” Melita said with a sigh. “Come to try your machines on me?”

 

“If you don’t mind.” Lohas said quietly. “Sarai gave me permission to talk to you. She and Sharra should be here momentarily. There was an issue with something. I don’t know what.”

 

“Why do you need permission, Lohas?” Melita asked, her face scrunched up in question, even with her eyes bandaged, it was clear. “You are a queen, aren’t you?”

 

“Not anymore.” Lohas said replied quietly as she stepped towards the bed, only to pause as Melita hissed in shock. “It was that or mindwipe me, Melita. Sarai chose a longer, harder path. I accepted her judgment. I am worker caste now, sterile.”

 

“You…” Melta was shuddering in place, her head turning from side to side and her lekku flaring in her distress. “They…”

 

“Melita…Be calm, my friend.” Lohas took the Twi’lek’s hands in gentle claws and shook them gently. “It’s done, and for one, I am glad.”

 

“Glad?” Melita turned her blind eyes towards the bug. “What do you mean?” Lohas thought for a long moment before replying.

 

“I was not a good queen, Melita.” Lohas said gently, soothingly. “Even the few times I was lucid before Michelle and Niun hit me with that incredibly rough therapy of theirs, I was not a good queen. I was never responsible enough. I was a mess. Now… I am mostly content. I have purpose and I can help people and make things. Rather than hurting them and breaking things.”

 

“But to give up the chance to ever have children…” Melita was heaving, crying.

 

“Don’t cry, Melita…” Lohas’ voice was gentle. “You will soak your bandages. “It’s okay…” Her small claws rubbed the female’s shoulders in soothing patterns. “They had to punish me for what I did. This is a longer, harder road than mindwipe or execution. And maybe I can do some good for a change.” She froze in place as the Twi’lek threw herself into her claws. “Melita!” She scolded, careful not to foul the wires that ran from her bandaged eyes to the camera. ”Don’t do that!” She was very careful laying the female back onto the bed, but Melita would not let go of her claws. “Melita… let go please.”

 

“I am sorry…” Melita said as her hands dropped back to her heaving chest. “I am so, so sorry.”

 

“It is not your fault by any stretch of the imagination.” Lohas said severely. “Now, calm down, and we can start as soon as Sarai and Sharra get here.”

 

“We are here.” Sarai asid as she entered, Sharra on her heels. “Sorry, that took longer than expected.”

 

“Problems?” Melita asked softly, carefully.

 

“Yeah.” Sarai said sourly. “But nothing for you to concern yourself with at the moment. Nothing Empire related. We are working on it.”

 

“Okay, my queen. May I proceed?” Lohas asked formally and Sarai shot her a sour look but nodded. “Okay, Melita… I have to cut the camera off out of the loop or the nanites may get confused and start building you mechanical eyes.” The lilt in her voice said this was a joke.

 

“You were there when I woke in darkness the first time, Lohas. I trust you.” Melita said quietly, lying back. Lohas nodded and her claws her gentle as they removed the wires. Aside from a small gasp, Melita did not move. Lohas’ voice was even gentler now.

 

“Easy, Melita… Here.. Let me see…” A couple of quick slashes with razor sharp claw edges and the bandages fell away. Two pads were carefully pulled from the eye sockets and Lohas sighed. “If I moisten them, can you open them?” She asked kindly.

 

“I don’t know.” Melita said with only a small quaver in her voice as Lohas took a damp cloth and carefully cleaned dried tears off her eyes. “Maybe…”

 

“Okay…” Lohas nodded to Queen Sarai who hit the light switch, lowering the light level in the room. “Try to open them so we can see what we are working with.” Despite her iron clad control a small gasp escaped her when Melita’s eyes opened. The Twi’lek’s eyes were milky white. Lohas snarled softly. “I did this. I know I did this…”

 

“Lohas…” Melita said softly. “Claw.”

 

“Melita…” Lohas slowly and carefully laid a claw on Melita’s hand and did not flinch as the Twi’lek’s OTHER hand came down and slapped her claw. “Feel better?” Lohas asked sourly as she retracted the smarting limb.

 

“Lohas…” Melita said kindly but with intensity. “It’s not your fault. You saved my life... And… I…” She broke off. Lohas nodded to her as her eyes… changed. From milky pale white to off white and then through the spectrum from red to orange before staying there. Melita stared at the bug and then with a wild cry, she threw herself up and embraced Lohas, who recoiled slightly to keep the Twi’lek safe. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouythankyou!” She froze as Lohas slumped. “Lohas? Lohas!” She cried as the bug slumped all the way to the floor. “Help!”

 

“Easy child.” Sarai came up to Lohas and helped her stand. “How much did they take?”

 

“Eyes are…” Lohas was gasping for breath as she stood, trying to recover. “Eyes are small. So many nerves though. They are repairing the nerve clusters… Gotta… gotta stay close…”

 

“You are staying right here until you recover your energy.” Sarai’s gentle words were a command. “Do not push yourself too far, Lohas.”

 

“One…” Lohas staggered to her feet. “One more stop…”

 

“Lohas…” Melita said softly. “Rest a moment.” Tears were falling as she embraced Lohas again. “My friend, it’s okay. It’s okay…”

 

“One more stop and then I can rest…” Lohas said wearily. “One more…” She stumbled to her feet.

 

“Lohas…” Melita’s voice held worry now. “Is she all right?”

 

“It’s very tiring for her.” Sarai explained. “She won’t let the nanites scavenge from anywhere else, so they take what they need from her.”

 

“What?” Melita exclaimed. “Lohas! That could have killed you!”

 

“Didn’t.” Lohas protested as she weaved towards the door. “One more stop.”

 

Melita stared after the bug as she left and then her eyes met Sharra Kalenath. The two females shared a nod.

 

“Bring her back here when she is done.” Melita said quietly. “The two, maybe three or four of us, need to talk. I won’t let her kill herself doing things like this. I won’t.” Sharra nodded and left quietly. She pretended not to hear the soft words behind her. “I won’t let you kill yourself, my friend…”

[kalenath]

Lohas was beyond weary. It was so draining, to let the nanites heal people. Since she flatly refused to let them scavenge for materials, they had been forced to use bits and pieces of her own body to enact the repairs inside of Brianna’s brain and to remake Melita’s eyes and nerves. The nanite intelligences had argued, begged and pleaded. But finally, they had acquiesced. Now, however, she faced an even tougher task.

 

“Get away from me.” The voice was unemotional, but even Lohas, as weak as she was with Ashla, could feel the fear that exuded from the being in the bed. She retreated a step.

 

“Diseree…” Queen Sarai’s voice was gentle, calming. “She wants to help.”

 

“I…” Diseree was gasping with effort now. She had strained herself so badly trying to save her friend Mira, the healers were worried that the damage was permanent. “Just leave me alone.” She finally said flatly.

 

“Diseree.” The calm voice of Diseree’s Jedi Master spoke from nearby. “You are not thinking clearly.”

 

“They did this to me.” Diseree snarled without heat. She could not summon the effort to scream. “They infected me, hurt me and now they want to do it again.”

 

“No Diseree.” Lohas said slowly from where she stood. “They were trying to communicate. They didn’t know how. They didn’t know what they were doing. They feel awful about what they did to you. They want to help. Please, let them fix their mistakes.”

 

“You have been corrupted by them.” Diseree said softly, her face a mask of pain now. When Lohas had walked in, she had screamed. Her throat was already abused, and with this damage…

 

“Maybe.” Lohas agreed softly. “I don’t know. There is so much I don’t know. I am trying to find out. Diseree…”

 

“Get…” Diseree was snarling like a cornered Nexu now. “Out…”

 

“Diseree… Please…” Lohas begged, but stopped at a curt gesture from Sarai. The queen had essentially made herself Lohas’ guardian and minder. “I… Diseree… You won’t trust me. But they need to say something and the only way they can do that is through me.” Sarai looked at Lohas and then at the human in the bed.

 

“Diseree…” Jedi Master Ashla Ti’s voice was calm, but held reproof. “Anyone can make mistakes. They want to fix theirs.”

 

“I…” Diseree shook her head and sank back into her bed, her voice dropping in tone as she relaxed as best she could. “I can’t. They killed me, they ate my body… I…”

 

“No they didn’t.” Everything in the room went quiet at Lohas’ words. The beep of the medical monitors was loud in the silence that fell and all eyes were on Lohas who made a human sounding sigh. “They knew they had done something awful. They were trying to undo what they had done, that is why your core temperature kept falling. They didn’t know what they were doing. Kel Dor physiology was never in their knowledge banks.” Now Lohas’ voice held infinite sadness. “They feel responsible. Your body is still in the pod. It is in carbonite, so it survived the vacuum exposure. The hive recovered the pod, correct?” She asked queen Sarai who nodded, her posture a bit dubious. “If you thaw the sole remaining intact slab, you will find a young Kel Dor body inside. It has nanites trapped within it, ones that have repaired the damage that they caused to your body.”

 

“They…” Diseree actually gagged a bit. “They ate all the others. The lives inside…”

 

“There was no life in any of them, Diseree.” Lohas said slowly. “All of the other bodies had died before the nanites went active. With you, they were trying to undo what they did. But you could not be awake for that. They were trying to put you into hibernation so they could work without harming you. But in doing that, they harmed you.” Lohas slumped a bit in place. “They don’t blame you for your reactions. They just want to help.”

 

“I don’t believe you.” Diseree croaked. “Just leave me alone.” Lohas sighed and nodded.

 

“As you wish, Diseree. No one here will do anything against your will.” Lohas bowed, nodded to Master Ashla Ti and queen Sarai and left the room.

 

“That was rude, Diseree.” Master Ashla Ti said as Queen Sarai left after a long look at the Jedi. “Mind your feelings, young one.” She sighed as she saw Diseree crying quietly. “I know this is hard.”

 

“The more I learn about being a seer, the less I want to know.” Diseree said softly, pain etching her features.” Ashla TI came close and laid a hand on her neck. The human’s face eased as the pain faded. “We can’t do anything.”

 

“No.” Ashla Ti said slowly. “What will be, will be.” She drooped a little. “I liked Min.”

 

“She is not dead.” Diseree said softly. “Not yet anyway. There is a chance.”

 

“No.” Ashla Ti agreed softly. “She is not dead. But she will pray for it. We can’t help her.”

 

“I know…” Diseree said calming slightly. “Master… I…”

 

“I know what you ‘saw’.” Ashla Ti said gently. “You know the future is always in motion. Diseree, your priority now is to heal. And to choose.”

 

“You… trust them….” Diseree was fading now, she had expended so much of her energy reserves.

 

“Yes. Sarai knows.” Ashla Ti nodded as Diseree’s eyes widened. “She is… unexpectedly clear minded. This will not be easy. The way ahead is dark.”

 

“It is always darkest right before the dawn.” Diseree said slowly. “But until then… It is dark indeed.”

 

“And we are not even at midnight yet…” Ashla Ti agreed. “Soon, but not yet.”

[kalenath]

<A very long ways away>

 

“Well…” The dark and forbidding voice seemed to seep out of the very air. “That was an expensive lesson. We have lost Agnosa and Lohas is barred to us as well now. Add to that the losses from the Deceiver fiasco…”

 

“None of us expected it, master.” If the small green skinned form was actually respectful, it was well hidden. “Their trap on the Deceiver was flawless. Even using Michelle of the Seven as bait…That was perfectly done. There was no way to expect that they would do such a thing.”

 

“Don’t tell me you didn’t anticipate it, slave.” The dark presence snarled at him. “Don’t try and lie to me to my face, Vandar!”

 

“You don’t have a face, Firdlump.” The ancient Jedi shook his head. “You fake one, but you don’t have one.” He grunted as something grabbed him and held him off the ground. “Hurt me or kill me, whatever, but it will not bring back what was lost.”

 

“Something tells me you knew.” The dark power that surrounded him seeped into every corner, prying, delving, seeking. “And said nothing.”

 

“I suspected. I had no proof.” Vandar said, ignoring the pain that seared through him. “You have told me time and time again not to bother you with ‘trivialities’. I had no idea they had subverted Lohas until I ordered her to flee and she ignored me.”

 

“So we have lost both of our slave bugs.” A sour female voice came from nearby. “She denied me, me… The older bug helped her. Sacrificed herself. I assumed the Seventh would help her. That girl defines stupidly brave. I didn’t think Agnosa had it in her.”

 

“None of us did.” The dark presence sighed and dropped Vandar who hit the ground with a thump and tried to roll to his feet, only to be pinned to the floor by something unseen. “Oh no… Not yet… You cost us.”

 

“I warned you that trying to subvert an Imperial ship was a bad idea.” Vandar said quietly. “Taking over a Republic ship was risk enough.”

 

“Well, the Courageous will have reinforcements soon.” Vandar hissed as the dark presence laughed. “Oh yes, I finally managed to get the nit pickers to give the forces I needed. The admiral was… most informative. So we are going to be busy for the foreseeable future making sure that none of the crews of the various ships… see anything they shouldn’t. And we will ensure they are properly indoctrinated.” Vandar winced, that meant each and every member of the crews of each and every ship would be injected with nanites as control mechanisms. “Yes, Vandar, we will have a mighty fleet and what is even better? A legitimate one.”

 

“Mighty fleets are no match for the Dragons.” Vandar grimaced as Firdlump laughed sourly and materialized in from of him, the mass of microscopic machines taking human form with a smirk. “You learned this.”

 

“That would be a concern, except for the fact that the Dragons are now all dead again, except for Will and Dragon Ten, whose controls are still in place.” Firdlump laughed at Vandar’s expression. “Did you really think I would just let such powerful tools be free without some kind of backup plan?”

 

“You hope Dragon Ten is controlled.” Vadnar riposted, hiding his dismay. Firdlump always did have plans within plans and traps within traps. “You don’t know for sure. You can’t read her. You know Will is not.”

 

“When we find the Enclave and Will’s wife and son, we will have all the control over Will that we could possibly need.” Menglan snorted, but blinked as Vandar laughed. “What?”

 

“You don’t know that man, doc. You spent almost two months torturing him and you don’t…” He grunted as something pressed him hard, but he kept laughing. “You never realized, you ignorant witch…”

 

“He would do anything for his wife and child, Vandar.” Firdlump replied, scornfully. “Weak willed fool.”

 

“You just don’t get it either, do you?” Vandar said with a snarl of his own. “You take his wife, his child, and hurt them and nothing, nothing in this galaxy will stop him from obliterating anything and everything that gets in between you and him. Then he will find a way to destroy you.” Vandar laughed again. “I just hope I am there to watch.”

 

“We are not going to hurt them.” Firdlump said quietly. “We are simply going to make them accept our point of view. Speaking of which…Doctor? Status?”

 

“Most of the subjects terminated Master.” The insane doctor said with maniacal glee. “But we have achieved limited success. Wiping a mind is simple, even without the crystals. Wiping part of a mind… difficult, to be sure. Ravishaw does it instinctively, but emulating his ability is proving difficult.”

 

“I still don’t see the point.” Vandar said from his position on the floor. “Every time you have gone after Istara Sharlina Andal, it has cost us. How many more people must we throw away?”

 

“As many as it takes, Vandar.” Firdlump said with a scowl. “She is the key to the Seven, the lynchpin holding everything together. Take her, break her, turn her, and she will pull the others to us.”

 

“Minor problem…” Vandar said with a sour laugh. “Didn’t we try that and lose a ship with all it’s crew and Agnosa?”

 

“No one expected her to have two personalities in one brain. We can…” Menglan giggled, an unnerving sound. “…deal with that if we are prepared. This Sharlina personality sounds fun to play with. Get rid of that annoying honorbound Istara witch and have fun with the other.”

 

“And the droids?” Vandar sighed as the pressure on him released a little, but he still could not get up. “Do we continue that line of research?”

 

“No.” Firdlump replied absently. “They were always a smokescreen anyway, to draw attention from our real goals. Ah…?” He tilted his head to the side and then shook it. “Well, that changes things.”

 

“What?” Vandar asked. When his master said things like that, it boded ill, for lots of people.

 

“My informant just reported. It seems that the Seventh is dead. Her body lives, but her mind has died, leaving the Sith computer. The prophecy has begun to be fulfilled.” Firdlump grinned savagely. “After so long, so many efforts and failures, our triumph is at hand.”

 

“You hope.” Vandar said sarcastically. “After every other time you have botched things, I would think…” He broke off as something slammed him into the floor again. “Go ahead, beat me, kill me and raise me again, it won’t change that fact that you are a moron.”

 

“Oh no, Vandar…” Firdlump said with a grin. “You are needed to acquire the key to Istara and the rest of the Seven. Now that Menglan has managed to make her techniques work, she will refine them, and we have that ability to proceed. Subtly this time. Carefully. And…” White hot pain slammed into Vandar as something pulled him off the floor and shook him. “Without interference from you.” Firdlump smiled as Vandar screamed. “I won’t kill you, not this time. You will bring her to me. You will bring the key to Istara and the Seven to me. Alive, aware and undamaged.”

 

“I… Won’t…” Vandar bit out the words, fighting to let go of the pain and pass beyond it. “I won’t help you take Ona of the Bladeborn.”

 

“Yes, you will, slave.” Firdlump promised, his grin turning malevolent. Power crackled in his hands and Vandar screamed again. “Yes you will. Eventually.” Menglan strode out of the shadows an evil looking device crackling in her hands. “And the doctor has a new toy to try out on you. Please resist. I like it when people fight…”

 

The screams echoed through the starship, but no one commented. No one could. They were all locked in their own minds, prisoners in their own bodies. And all of them were also screaming.

[kalenath]

((Ona? Oh... Kriff... Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might wind up counting exactly how any nanites Lohas has in her swarm. It would take...a while...))