(L,F&E 99) Denied Checkmate

[kalenath]

((This follows the events of Knight Fork-ed and no, things will NOT go as planned. For anyone.))

 

<Senate Tower, Coruscant>

 

"...And this is intolerable." The voice of the pompous oaf who represented the Kessel system resounded in the Senate chamber. "Where are they?"

 

"Senator." A older and calmer voice sounded. "Their ship was attacked. All of them were hurt, the Jedi with them was killed. If not for the prompt arrival of the Imperious, they likely would have all been slain." Jacquelyn Organa of Alderaan was a well known, and oftentimes outspoken voice in the Senate, She wasn't actually a senator. Her planet was not part of the Republic. But she had held the post of Senator before the planet had withdrawn and she was still respected. Her voice was soft, but there was no give in it at all. "You cannot blame them for that."

 

The room was half full. Two dozen prominent politicians, all representing some of the most influential planets in the Republic all had been summoned by the Supreme Chancellor to this special meeting. To discus a threat to the Republic. Actually, Organa knew far more about the threat than her peers, but she wasn't about to tell them that. Or why she knew what she did.

 

"Of course I can." The other senator snapped. "They demanded this farce, they wanted us all here. To speak of a 'threat to the galaxy as a whole'. To talk of 'treachery at the highest levels'. We are here. Where are THEY?"

 

"Here." Another voice answered the irate man and everything in the chamber stopped as another form entered. Senator Donal Firdlump entered the chamber, with several forms following him.

 

"You!" Jacquelyn snapped as she half rose from her seat. "Guards"

 

"The guards were... diligent in trying to keep me from entering." Firdlump said sadly. "My entourage overreacted. None are dead. Ah... We have a quorum then? Is Janarus here?"

 

"He is busy." The male senator from Kessel said slowly. "What are you doing here? You are wanted, for treason if I am not mistaken."

 

"Correcting several misapprehensions." Donal Firdlump said with a sigh. "First of all, though, I need to show you all something. Sharra?"

 

"Yes Senator?" The woman in armor asked calmly.

 

"Sharra?" Jacquelyn Organa asked incredulously. "Sharra Kalenath? You are with him?"

 

"I am Ma'am." The woman said as she undid her helmet. Her face was grave, but clearly recognizable. "Although I do not blame you for having doubts."

 

"I don't know what you did to her, Firdlump..." Jacquelyn said slowly, fear tingeing her voice. "But when her husband finds out about this...There will be hell to pay."

 

"No, the hell is already being paid." Firdlump said sadly. "I have made a number of mistakes. But this is not one. Sharra... Show them please." She nodded, strode to the center of the circular chamber and laid a small cube on the floor. A holo appeared over it, colors strobed from the holo. Jacquelyn stared at the holo and then blanched and turned away.

 

"No! Don't look! He is trying to program us!" She averted her eyes, and stiffened. None of her compatriots were moving. All were staring at the lights, entranced. She jumped up and ran for the door. Strong arms caught her before she could make it. "Let go of me!" She snapped at the form in brown armor that held her. "Let go!"

 

"Easy, Ma'am." The young man said gently. "It won't hurt. Everything will make sense. It will help, a lot." Another pair of hands, strong, but gentle, held her head as slowly turned it to face the holo. She shut her eyes, willing herself to resist.

 

"You won't get away with this." She snapped, keeping her eyes closed. All around her, she heard sounds of bodies falling. Asleep? She hoped so. She didn't like a lot of her peer, but she only wanted a few of them dead.

 

"Master..." The young man in brown armor said, worried. "If she resists..."

 

"It's not a problem." A female voice said soberly from nearby. Jacquelyn opened her eyes and screamed on seeing...herself. "Easy, Ma'am. No one will harm you. We are just...replacing you and your peers for a time. We don't want to hurt anyone and we are taking great care not to." The woman was wearing the exact same outfit she was. Exactly the same! She felt the hands on her head turn it towards the holo again and she slammed her eyes shut again. The other Jacquelyn cursed softly. "She is not going to cooperate. Master?" The woman asked, her tone hopeless.

 

"We won't hurt her." Firdlump said gently. "We won't let her hurt herself either. Sleep Jacquelyn Organa. Rest." Something hissed against her neck and she was falling slowly, so slowly. She heard words.

 

"Master, she is in shock." The many hands holding her were gentle as they hefted her onto what had to be a stretcher. "She needs medical care."

 

"We need to get them all to the Imperious before this switch is exposed." Firdlump said quickly. "Get what needs doing done quickly. I can scramble things, but Republic Security will figure out what I am doing in minutes at most and I do not have the resources here to counter them yet. The other teams?"

 

"All teams but team three report missions accomplished, sir." The young man said as Jacquelyn slowly lost consciousness. "She will be glad to see her kids, I bet."

 

My... kids...? No... She tried to struggle, tried to fight, but whatever was pulling her under was too strong. She fell asleep scared out of her mind.

Edited September 2, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

<Some time later>

 

I don't understand... That was Jacquelyn Organa's first thought on waking. She was warm and comfortable. The second was to panic. She jerked and a small warm bundle beside her stirred.

 

"Mom?" Jacquelyn's eyes went wide as she looked down to see her little girl sitting on the bed beside her and her little boy sitting on it's edge. "You okay?" Hana asked carefully.

 

"Hana?" Jacquelyn asked carefully. "Joruk? What...?" She paused, remembering. "What happened?"

 

"Dad was gone." Hana said slowly. "Men in uniform came to the door, said we had to go. But..." She shuddered a bit. "Mom...They made me smell something and I went to sleep. I didn't mean to. I swear it!" Her daughter said, crying.

 

"Oh Hana,..." The older woman said gently. "It's okay. Shhh... It will be okay." She soothed the girl who had come late into her heart. But she loved the girl and her brother anyway. Hana calmed slowly and Jacquelyn looked to her son who nodded.

 

"They are not Republic soldiers." Joruk said with a frown. "They try to act like them, but they are not. They all move at the same time. They all do the same things. Its...creepy."

 

"Yeah." The woman who only her closest friends could call Jackie said soberly. "Hana, Joruk, we are in trouble. I... I am sorry. I wanted to keep you safe." She hugged her kids tight and then sighed and looked around. The room she and her kids were in was a standard Republic ship board stateroom. "We are on a ship..." Jacquelyn Organa said soberly and then she smiled, her smile feral. "And that means someone is in big, big trouble."

 

"Mom?" Joruk asked softly. She smiled. Getting him to call her that had taken weeks of gentle encouragement.

 

"Are either of you hurt? Sick?" Both kids looked at her and shook their heads. She carefully felt their scalps and then her own, sighing in relief as she didn't find what she feared. "We are in big trouble. But so are the people who took us." She said with a small smile.

 

"What do you mean?" Hana asked softly.

 

"Kids..." Jacquelyn said quietly as she pulled her kids into a tighter embrace. "We are certainly being watched. They replaced me with a double. I have no idea why. But whatever the reason, it cannot be good."

 

"No one will harm you or your children, Senator Organa." Jacquelyn jumped a little as a female voice came from a hidden speaker. "We just need you sequestered for a time. We will not harm you."

 

"You people do not harm." Jacquelyn snapped as she gathered her children close. "You enslave. What good are hurt slaves? You will not enslave my children." Joruk and Hana both stiffened and then nodded soberly.

 

"Ma'am..." The female voice said sadly. "The poison capsules you had implanted have been removed." Jacquelyn started and slapped at her arm, A bandage showed on her forearm. Her kids did the same and all three blanched. "Ma'am, we do not want to hurt you or your children. And we are not going to let you hurt yourselves."

 

"Ah..." Jacquelyn felt tears starting to well as her kids stared at her, hopelessness in their eyes. She nodded slightly and they did as well. "Oh kids, I am sorry." Her voice nearly broke as she worked to focus on what she remembered.

 

"Mom?" Hana asked slowly."What do we do?"

 

"Lie down." Jaxylen said sadly, patting the bed beside her. "I... I asked the woman you knew as Ca for something once. She... she argued, but she eventually agreed. I wasn't going to let them have you again." She said tears starting to fall again.

 

"Miss Ca?" Joruk asked as he lay down. "You knew her? You never said."

 

"It was dangerous to know her." Jacquelyn said with a hitch to her voice. "She was, -is- not a good being. But she did care for you both."

 

"Ma'am..." The female voice said slowly. "Don't do anything rash. It won't work. It will likely hurt them to no gain." Instead of answering, Jacquelyn started to sing.

 

"Hush, little baby, don't say a word..." The woman sang through her tears. "Momma's gonna buy you a mockingbird..." She couldn't feel the Force, but she could feel her children's breathing starting to slow. Part was the lullaby. Part was not. "...if that mockingbird don't sing... Momma's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."

 

"What the-?" The female voice snapped. "Ma'am! No...Don't! Stop her! Get them out of there!" The hatch hissed open and she didn't move as two armored forms approached. She just kept singing.

 

"If that diamond ring turns brass..." She sang as Hana stopped breathing and Joruk did as well. "Momma's gonna buy you a looking glass..."

 

"Medic!" One of the guards snapped as he hit her. But she kept singing even through her pain, The physical pain was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. But she had promised Joruk and Hana they would never be toys, slaves again. "Shut up, lady!" He yelled as he hit her again. Despite the pain, she kept singing under her breath.

 

Then she felt it. Someone, somewhere far away, was singing with her. A female voice, one she knew. She had only met the being once, but that had been... memorable. Hard, tough, dark... and very, very sad. The troops grabbed the kids and ran. She just lay on the bed, crying, singing.

 

If that looking glass gets broke,

Mama's going to buy you a billy goat.

 

If that billy goat won't pull,

Mama's going to buy you a cart and bull.

 

If that cart and bull turn over,

Mama's going to buy you a dog named Rover.

 

If that dog named Rover won't bark,

Mama's going to buy you a horse and cart.

 

If that horse and cart fall down,

You'll still be the sweetest little boy in town.

 

So hush little baby, don't you cry,

Daddy loves you and so do I.

 

"I am sorry." Jacquelyn said slowly in the silence that followed the end of her singing. "I am so, so sorry. Joruk, Hana... I wanted to make your lives special. Take the pain from you, make you happy. Make you smile. But all I can do is make you free."

 

"Why?" The female who had spoken was crying. "They are just kids!"

 

"You slaver scum hurt them." Jacquelyn said through her tears. "I promised them, when I first met them, that I would never let you have them again."

 

"We were not going to do anything to them." The woman on the other end snapped. "They were hostages, yes. But not slaves. We will revive them, care for them."

 

"No, you won't." Jacquelyn said with a sigh. "No, you won't." A gasp of shock came from the speaker.

 

"What have you done?" The woman on the other end yelled after a moment. "What...? No...You evil witch! What did you do?"

 

"I asked a favor." Jacquelyn said sadly. "Politicians do that, you know. 'You scratch my back, I scratch yours', all of that. You see... I knew who had tried to kidnap them on Alderaan. And... I knew who saved them." She sighed deeply. "You want me to either trap or pressure the Stormhawk crew somehow. Won't work. Especially now."

 

"We...We have saved them." The woman said, her voice taut with fear and rage. "You evil... evil woman...We will take care of them. Tend them, heal them, let them recover. Keep them from you."

 

"Evil? No. Pragmatic. And no you won't." Jacquelyn said sadly. "You will use the shells that you recovered to try and influence me or my husband. Joruk and Hana are both dead. I... They begged me to do it. To make sure they would not suffer again. I don't know how she did it and I don't want to know. I am sad that my kids are gone, but I am glad they are not your puppets." She didn't look up as the door hissed again.

 

"They are not dead, Jacquelyn." The mild voice did not move her. "I was in time."

 

"Yes they are, Firdlump." Jaquelyn Organa said with a sigh as what she knew was a mass of nano sized machines came closer. "You have their bodies. Their minds? Gone. I... I didn't want to do it. Hell, Chari didn't want to do it. But if it was that or let them be puppets... No choice. Joruk and Hana both agreed." Tears started again. "They were such good kids, so hurt, so scared and such good kids... I sincerely hope that whatever hell you wind up in is eternal and filled with the pain and sorrow you have caused, monster."

 

"They are not gone, although I do not expect you to believe me. You will see. " Firdlump said slowly. "Masterblade Chari? So that is a Bladeborn mark on your arm. That... complicates things."

 

"That is putting it very mildly, scum." Jacquelyn said softly, not bothering to try and struggle as he sat on the bed beside her. It wouldn't work and she knew it. But there were many ways of fighting.

 

"They can track the mark." Firdlump said soberly. "Oh Jacquelyn. Why can you not see? I am trying to make the galaxy a better place."

 

"No." Jacquelyn Organa corrected him with a shudder, "You are trying to make it an ordered place. Go ahead... inject me with your evil... Make me one of your slaves. You know you want to."

 

"It won't hurt..." Firdlump said as he laid a hand on her head. "It... What...? No!" He screamed as she smiled. She could actually feel it when the reaction Chari and Bob had promised her would happen started. She knew the explosion wouldn't hurt Firdlump, but it would put paid to his schemes for her. She sighed again as she relaxed. She was going to see her kids again. She would miss her husband, but he of all people would understand. She did what had to be done as always. She had a moment to wish him well and then she was free.

[kalenath]

<Medical ward>

 

"Holy..." Maria actually recoiled from the vid screen as Senator Organa literally exploded. The camera went fuzzy, almost as fuzzy as Maria's emotions had just gone. "Oh my god... Meish... Tell me we got imprints of her!" Maria felt the entire collective rock on it's axis as it tried to absorb what had just happened. "Please..." She begged.

 

"We have partials, what we got from our agent at her clinic, what we used to make the clone..." Meish stammered. "She was next on the list... I... We wanted to keep her calm. Waking strapped to a table wouldn't have calmed her. We all thought that time with her kids would calm her down..." The Mon Cal was shaking, shocked out of her mind. "She... I... No..."

 

"I know." Maria said slowly, her horror slowly abating. "I agreed. Come here, girl." She held out her arms and Meish fell into them, crying. "What a waste..."

 

"It gets worse." Another voice had both females freezing. Karen stood nearby wearing the odd harness that held Mira's essence close to her heart. "She wasn't lying. I just... I hooked up the brain monitors... On Joruk and Hana. There is nothing. No brain activity. There was, when they were resuscitated, but now... there is nothing. They are both brain dead."

 

"Both of them?" Maria snapped. "How?"

 

"I don't know." Karen said, her face ashen. "We resuscitated them fine. Both were stable. We will fo full workups, autopsies. We need to know what just happened. I mean... Kids... I..." She stammered and froze. "I..." She paused and a tender look came over her face. "It's okay, Mira... Shhh... It's okay, go back to sleep... Yes, I am sad, but it has nothing to do with you... Come on girl, you need to sleep some more..." She waved to Maria and Miesh, and strode away, trying to calm the hurt essence down.

 

"You know..." Meish said slowly, her face speculative. "I have seen a lot of strange things since I was 'hired' for this gig. But that... is just..." She paused as Maria snorted a sad laugh.

 

"Weird." Maria agreed. "Aw crap..." She slumped. "As mad as the Seven were going to be over Sharra... As mad as they were going to be over Mira... This just adds more fuel to the fire." She shook herself. "Okay... We have to assume that any of the people we 'recover' from now on are trapped in a similar fashion." Maria said slowly, her brain working in overdrive as the collective assimilated the horror and worked to dilute it. Not forget it, but dilute it to allow the members to function. Maria stiffened. "Oh my god! The kids! They all felt that!" She darted for the door and paused. "No! I... I can't..." She wailed. "Sharra... I..."

 

"I will go." Meish said soberly. "They are hurting, all of them."

 

"Go." Maria said sadly as she sank back into her chair, hands flying over controls. "I will... do what I can." She pulled up a screen and hissed in worry. "Sharra has them in hand, but... Take sedatives." Maria commanded. "The ones we made up for the kids, the ones in the candy."

 

"Right." Meish collected what she needed and was out the door in a flash. It wasn't far. Not NEARLY far enough to let her parse what had just happened... She paused at the door. Another female voice was speaking.

 

"...it was very bad." The new voice was sad and sick, but calm. "I came as soon as I felt it." Meish entered the room and nodded to Sharra who nodded back. A small human female was sitting in the midst of a group of kids, all of whom were crying.

 

"Olandas?" Meish asked, concerned. The female tech had been decanted the day previous and she had been...off. "You okay?"

 

"No." The tech replied softly. "I... I was close." She said with a sad look as one of the little ones hugged her tight. She hugged the little boy back. "Why?" The tech asked in a child-like voice.

 

"Do you need more sleep Olandas?" Meish asked kindly as she moved to sit by the human. A quick flip of her medical scanner had her relaxing a bit. Meish did note that Sharra did not take her eyes off the nurse. It was nervous making. "Everybody is upset." Meish said gently. "We all could use some rest I think. Sharra...?" Miesh asked softly as one of the kids hugged her. "Can I stay? I find it... comforting..." She said as her eyes started to burn. "Please?" She asked, her own voice turning a little childlike.

 

"You are hurting." Sharra said, her voice distant. "Why?" She asked.

 

"I wanted to make the galaxy a better place." Meish said sadly as she sat near Olandas. "I wanted to help people. And now..." She felt tears start to fall. "All I do is hurt them, kill them, or watch them die...I... I can't do this...I can't keep doing this."

 

"You didn't do this. Not your fault, Meish." Sharra said sadly as she move to sit by the nurse. "This hurt us all. Even Maria."

 

"What?" Meish said with a jerk as Sharra started to massage her shoulders. "What do you mean?"

 

"It's okay, Meish. I know there is a clone of Maria Kalenath here. Nia told Sara, who told everyone but Will. He would...not have handled it well." Sharra said slowly, her face wooden as she worked to relax the Mon Cal. The kids moved close to her, sharing their warmth with her. "I know she has stayed away. I am glad. I have no idea how I would respond... To seeing her again. But... It wouldn't be good. I... I am needed here." Sharra said soberly. "My mind is... fuzzy. I am a mess." She said with a sigh. "But I am needed. I can... help someone here..." The pain in her voice was gut wrenching.

 

"Oh Sharra." Meish spun in place and awkwardly embraced the older human. After a moment, Olandas joined the embrace and then the kids swarmed close too. "I think we all need sleep." She held out the small bag of candies and the kids passed it around, each took one. Meish handed Sharra a candy and Olandas as well. Olandas shook her head.

 

"I need to get back to work. I..." She broke off as Meish glared at her. "You would hit me with a hypo if I got up, wouldn't you?" The woman said with a frown.

 

"Not me." Meish said with a smile. Olandas looked to the side and the girl called Julia held a hypospray ready in a professional grip. "I am have assistants." Olandas sighed and ate her candy. "Good girl." Miesh said with a smile in a tone that had several of the kids chuckling through their tears. All the kids ate theirs, Sharra and Miesh at theirs simultaneously. Then Meish froze.

 

What the...? Meish said slowly as the collective faded slightly. It was there, but not the omnipresent sense she had felt ever since she had arrived.

 

Don't move. Sharra's voice was very cold and loud in her head. Olandas? The woman asked. Meish turned her head to see Sharra and the lack of expression on the woman's face was terrifying. But she couldn't move, or speak.

 

Let me see. Olandas' voice came and something touched Miesh's mind. It was gentle and quick. I... Yes, yes she is clean.

 

Good. Sorry, Meish. Sharra said sadly as whatever held the nurse released her. But the Master wanted Olandas to check everyone in the collective. And she has to do it in person. Olandas nodded, but her eyes were glistening. The kids are all asleep, you can sleep too if you wish, Meish.

 

I... Meish shook her head and looked at Olandas. Can I help in any way? I want to help. I want to... I want to help someone.

 

No. Olandas said sadly. I can't stay. Sharra, Meish, be well.

 

What? Meish asked as Olandas rose and started for the door. "Olandas?" She asked, worried. Sharra shook her head and laid a gentle hand on the Mon Cal's arm. "Sharra?"

 

"The sedatives calm her." Sharra said sadly. "But nothing can help her. We have tried, everyone has tried. Nothing works. All it does is stave off the inevitable."

 

"I knew there was damage." Meish said sadly as Sharra pulled her sobbing form close. "But I had hoped. I know Gev and Hala are helping. I..." The nurse looked at Sharra. "How are you?"

 

"Fair." Sharra said sadly. "I know... I know I fought. I know why I fought. I... I still love my husband, my family..." She shivered a little. "Even the collective cannot dampen that."

 

"We don't want to." Meish said fiercely. "You are the only chance of ending this peacefully."

 

"You don't understand, Meish." Sharra said sadly. "After what the master did to me, there is no chance of ending this peacefully. Even if Will doesn't overreact, which he will... The master took and brainwashed two Bladeborn. You know how they will react." Meish shuddered a little. "I am not..." Sharra sighed and relaxed a little as Meish hugged her. "Meish, I will not survive this."

 

"No!" Meish screamed, causing three of the kids to jerk in their sleep. Sharra soothed them back to sleep with gentle caresses as she glared at Meish.

 

"Meish..." Sharra said in warning as she put a finger to her lips. "Shh..." The Mon Cal relaxed a little and then sighed.

 

"We lost Ashla Ti. That Jedi spirit just killed her." Meish said in horror. "That senator just killed her kids and blew herself up. We are going to lose Olandas. I am not going to let you die too."

 

"Jacquelyn?" Sharra said slowly. "I didn't know, but I cannot say I am surprised. She always struck me as a planner. Someone who tried to be ready for anything. Tell me true, Meish." Sharra said sadly. "Am I going to get better?"

 

"I..." Meish shook her head. "No." She admitted. "Too much damage, too quickly. We can keep it in check, but..." The nurse was crying again.

 

"If I move to far, or too quickly...I will have an aneurysm, and probably not a small one." Sharra said sadly as the collective rushed to ease both of them. "My blood vessels are too weak now. Between what the Sith did to me, what Ravishaw did to me... Then what Emily did to wake me up from catatonia, what Ona and Nolikas did... Most of those to save my life at the time... Meish..." Sharra said gently. "I have been on borrowed time for a long time. My family needed me, so I fought -hard- to stay healthy. Now..." She sighed as she looked at the patent gown she wore. "I can finally relax. My family is in good hands, the best actually. They don't need me anymore."

 

"Yes they do. And even if for some reason they completely lose their minds, Sharra...We do!" Meish said sternly as she hugged the older female. "No. I will find a way. We will find a way."

 

"I don't do fairy tales, Miesh." Sharra said as she hugged the Mon Cal back. "But thanks for the thought. Do you want to sleep here? The floor is padded and is actually quite comfortable."

 

"I..." Miesh sighed and nodded. "Yes. I will stay with you, my friend." She curled up inside the ring of children and nodded to Sharra who did the same. "We may not be able to save you, Sharra. But that does not mean we are not going to try. I am not going to lose anyone else I love without doing my best to save them. Not now..."

 

"I..." Sharra paused, her control undone by the fierce resolve of the nurse. "Oh Meish..."

 

"I know you are scared, Sharra." Meish said as she hugged Sharra gently, easing her grief by helping the now softly crying woman. "So am I. Actually I am terrified. I saw what your husband and the Bladeborn did...before..."

 

"It's what he does." Sharra said soberly. "He kills. He scares me a lot, but... I do love him."

 

"Then that is all that matters." Meish said gently as she slowly calmed enough to let the sedative take effect. "Love will find a way."

 

Was it her imagination Sharra spoke as she was falling asleep? Was it aloud or through the collective?

 

Love is going to have a hard road this time... A twisty, turny mountain road covered in snow and filled with landmines.

Edited September 3, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"Olandas?" The concerned voice had the tech looking up from the readouts she was perusing. Kunda Gev, bounty hunter, stood there, his face worried. He wasn't wearing armor of course. He wouldn't for some time. He had messed himself up quite a bit in escaping from a trap laid by the Seven. "You need sleep."

 

"No." Olandas said soberly. "I need to finish this. The scans of the collective members are done. I have found some of the...re-writes as he calls them. Nasty work. Indeed, I think he and Maria were right. This has all the hallmarks of a half trained slicer. Crude." She turned back to her console.

 

"Olandas." His voice was tender now. "I won't let you fall apart. I can't."

 

"You can't help me, Gev." Olandas said, not looking at him. "I..." She shook her head. "I checked the medical databases, trying to find out what was wrong with me. I know I am dying." She said simply.

 

"No..." Gev breathed in horror. "Olandas... No, It's okay." He said softly as he stepped fully into the room. "You may not have long, but I am going to make absolutely sure what time you do have is pleasant."

 

"Gev..." Olandas, said not looking at him. "You have Hala... You have someone who loves you. Not someone who tricked you into it... Like I did." Shame colored her words now.

 

"Olandas..." Gev said as he took another slow step. "You didn't." Her face came up, her expression around the tears that were falling was incredulous and he shrugged. "What your bosses did to me... It messed me up. But..." He took another slow step. "What we shared may have begun as a lie, but it wasn't one. You haven't read me in the collective, have you?"

 

"No." Olandas said slowly. "When I woke, you were there. You and the Master explained. I understood, I understand Gev... I do..."

 

"Olandas." Gev was close enough now and reached out a slow hand to touch her cheek. "Read me now."

 

"I..." Olandas shook her head savagely. "No. I need to get this done!"

 

"Olandas." Gev said sadly. "It is done. You have done more in two days than any team could have in a week." Olandas stared at him and then at her screen. It was finished. She slumped a bit. Her work was finished. Her reason for existing was gone. She jumped as Gev snarled at her. "No!" He snapped as he came closer, well into her personal space. "Olandas, look at me!"

 

"Hala needs you, Gev." Olandas' voice was small now as she rose. "I'll... go to medical now."

 

"No!" Gev snapped again. His arms came up, surrounding her as she tried to back away. "I left you alone to face this once, I will not do it again."

 

"Gev." Olandas didn't try and fight. She could have hurt him in that moment, Imperial Intelligence trained even their techs well. Stopping him would have been more difficult. He was well out of her league in fighting. "Don't..." She gave a squeak as she was suddenly lifted off her feet and into his arms. "Gev! Put me down!"

 

"No." Gev said soberly. "I -we- have a surprise for you." She stared around as he carried her from the darkened room she had been working in. She paled as he strode through the corridors of the ship, seeing faces she had seen just recently looking at her. But... None with censure. None with fear or contempt. All with varying degrees of worry and fear. For her? The hunter's voice turned soft and dangerous. "You have been a very bad girl." Her eyes went wide at his tone. He couldn't mean...?

 

Her eyes almost bulged out of her head when a door ahead hissed open and she saw Hala. The cloned soldier looked nothing like herself. The outfit she wore... The whip she carried... Olandas couldn't help it, she laughed. Someone had been talking to Melita before the other agent had escaped.

 

"Ah, here is our bad girl." Hala said in a low, sultry tone. "And what are you laughing about?" She demanded as she cracked the whip near Olandas. The tech didn't so much as flinch. "Bad girls don't get to laugh. Bad girls get punished."

 

"Ah..." Olandas stared behind the woman at... Her eyes went even wider as Gev carried her into the room filled with objects from the darkest corners of her imagination and then she relaxed fully. This would hurt. But she would love every minute of it. "I have been bad, mistress... Punish me..." She whimpered, but inside she was relaxing for the first time since waking on the medical table.

 

<Quite some time later>

 

It did hurt. Olandas hurt in a lot of places. But she had never felt better. Not one, but two partners, both of whom had done their best to please her and her... odd proclivities. She sighed as she lay in the bed, a warm robe around her and warm arms encircling her.

 

"I..." Her voice was small. "Thank you." She said simply. "From the moment I saw the medical report... I..." She broke off, her face working.

 

"It's okay, Olandas." Hala said, her odd costume gone. The robe she wore left little to the imagination, but it did cover her. Mostly. "None of us wanted this. There has been too much death already."

 

"Sharra is right." Gev said sadly. Olandas didn't even flinch as Gev started caressing her. She was that worn out. "It is going to get worse. Olandas... I wanted to ask something. Before all of this, before you..."

 

"Before I went crazy and shot myself." Olandas corrected with a grimace. "Oh Gev, I am sorry. I didn't intend on doing that, of leaving you alone like that."

 

"Olandas..." Hala's voice was horrified. 'You didn't.. You didn't access that record...?"

 

"I needed to know if it was me or him." Olandas said sadly. "I... I wish I hadn't. But it needed to be done. Let go of your hate, Gev. It wasn't Kalenath." She said as he took his hands in hers and gave a squeeze.

 

"Olandas...?" Gev asked, unshed tears glistening in his eyes.

 

"My loyalty was to the Empire." Olandas said sadly. "Menglan and Firdlump broke the blocks, the controls that bound me. But... My loyalty was always to the Empire. I volunteered for those blocks Gev. I knew what they were going to do. Mostly anyway." She shrugged. "I agreed to it. I am a patriot Gev. I believe in the Empire, even now. That wasn't implanted, that wasn't programmed. Two decades or training, propaganda and learning, not all in that order, are not undone by shattering a few mental stumbling blocks. Gev, I have betrayed the Empire." He stared at her in horror but then she smiled. "And you know what? For you? For Hala? I would do it again." She smiled as tears started falling and her companions embraced her again.

 

"Oh Olandas..." The hunter lost his battle with tears and snuggled closer to her. "I don't want to lose you again."

 

"I am sorry, Gev." Olandas said sadly. "Nothing that Maria or the master have tried works. This clone body will fail. Soon." Gev shook his head savagely and Olandas crooned as she stroked it. "Easy, easy there. The answer to your question is 'Yes'."

 

"What?" Gev asked, unsure. He was not prepared for Olandas to laugh. "What?" He demanded.

 

"You are both sneaky. Neither of you are techs." Olandas said with a smile. "Hala's search patterns are clear. Yours are more fuddled, Gev. I see you remember some of what I taught you. But seeing you both researching artificial insemination was eye opening." She said with a grin at the two others' dumbfounded expressions. "Hey!" She said sourly. "Who are you talking to?"

 

"Ah..." Gev said slowly. "Someone crazy." He said with a small smile that never reached his eyes.

 

"Yeah." Olandas said soberly. "I would be honored, Hala. Beyond honored. I would..." She suddenly started crying. "If you want a child from me, I would be so honored."

 

"We want a girl. We will call her Olandas. Hey." Hala said gently as she consoled the sobbing woman. "You are a part of us, Olandas. Now and always."

 

"Okay then." Olandas said after she managed to stop crying. "Then I will head for Medical. But..." She paused as both Gev and Hala started to get up. "Alone."

 

"Olandas!" Gev protested. He would have said more but a finger on his lips stopped him.

 

"I will not make you watch me die, Gev. I am not going to do that to you." Olandas said gently. "Either of you. If I could do it without hurting Karen or the other medics, I would. Meish is still asleep." She said after a moment. "This will hurt her worse than she has been. Take care of her, will you? She is a good kid." She wasn't talking to Gev or Hala, both of whom had frozen at her tone. "I know this is an illusion, and I don't care!" She said with a sigh. "I love you, Kunda Gev." She said, kissing him gently. "And you, Hala Shinn, I love you to. Take care of each other." She gave the woman more of a kiss and then retreated a little. "I am ready." Both other forms stilled into immobility. Everything seemed to.

 

"Are you sure, Olandas?" Firdlump's voice was soft and gentle. "We have time."

 

"If I don't do it now, I won't have the guts." Olandas said as she rose from the bed. Gev and Hala didn't move. Indeed, neither of them looked as if they saw her. "Can you... make him forget me?" She asked as the master of the collective appeared nearby. "He deserves some happiness."

 

"No Olandas." Firdlump's voice was sad now. "I can't. I could make him forget everything, but not just about you. I am not that skilled."

 

"Pity." Olandas said sadly as he extended a hand that she took. "I do love him. Will it hurt?" She asked, her voice childlike now.

 

"No." Firdlump said gently. "I will take the samples that Maria will need, and then... Oh Olandas. I am sorry."

 

"Not your fault." Olandas said sadly. "Kalenath's attack broke a lot of things in my head. I put some ideas of how to defend against such things in my notes. Don't let him do it to anyone else. Please?" She begged.

 

"I won't." Firdlump promised. "Sleep Olandas." The tech suddenly collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. "I have the samples from your ovaries. I will make it quick. May your next life be glorious." Her body stopped breathing suddenly as if a switch had been thrown. He touched her body and it... dissolved. "We will never forget you, Olandas." Firdlump said sadly as he turned to go. "Gev, Hala... When you are done, report to Medical. Maria will be ready for you."

 

"What?" Gev asked, his eye snapping to where the Master of the collective stood. "Olandas!" He rose from the bed.

 

"She is gone, Gev." Firdlump said mildly. "She didn't want you to see it. I... agreed with her."

 

"I..." Gev shook his head, snarling. "I didn't get the chance to say goodbye. To tell her how I felt."

 

"Yes you did." Firdlump said easily. "She knew how you felt. That is why she asked me to do what I just did. But...Michelle was right..." He mused. "I do not understand this. I need... to think...You two. Rest. Remember her. When you are ready, Hala, Maria will be. But not until you are ready. Take what time you need."

 

"We will." Hala said sadly as she pulled her mate close. He did not resist. "We will."

Edited September 3, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"This doesn't make sense." Firdlump said slowly as he paced in his office aboard the starship Imperious. "I know Olandas was going to die in agony. That it would have been long, drawn out. She begged me to kill her quickly and painlessly. I would have thought she would enjoy the pain, due to her proclivities. But..." He broke off, unsure and the other occupant of the room spoke softly.

 

"She loved Gev." Maria Kalenath said from the chair where she sat, now downloading Firdlump's mass of information into her skull through her helmet again. "She didn't want to hurt him or Hala. She loved all of us, but her focus was Gev."

 

"And yet..." Firdlump said, baffled. "She wanted him to hurt her." He waved a hand as Maria started to speak. "Yes, yes, I know it was a game of sorts. Which in and of itself makes no sense at all to me, but whatever." He sighed. "Michelle said something to me, in the hangar... Something I brushed off. But now..." He shook his head. "I need to understand this."

 

"Master..." Maria said uneasily. "If you can't after all this time and so many minds in the collective, it may not be possible for you to."

 

"Maria." Firdlump said gently. "This is a blind spot. I act compassionate, because it helps to keep people calm. I act kind because it helps to soothe people. I act polite to keep people at their ease around me. But this..."

 

"This really bothers you?" Maria asked, incredulous. "You have more information in your mind than many libraries I have seen put together. Just touching it is... awe inspiring. You have information on love."

 

"Yes, I have information. Too much information. Information without context." Firdlump said with a frown. "I cannot make sense of it. The words? Yes. The meaning?" He shook his head. "If the sheer quantity of information available on love is anything to go by, no one seems to understand it."

 

"I don't." Maria said with a sigh. "It just happens, or it doesn't. I am no shrink. Hala might know."

 

"Hala is in surgery, she demanded the procedure be done now. Then she is going with the non-combatants." Firdlump said with a sigh. "And... I doubt it. I asked her once and she thought it was a joke. Ah well. How are the senators doing? Can you access that?" He asked kindly.

 

"They are..." Maria's eyes went far away and then she frowned. "They are in the collective, sequestered for now while we check them all, carefully for more traps. I should be there. I can download anywhere on the ship, Master." She shuddered. "And what some of them consider pleasure... I am not going to expose any of the collective to that if I can help it! And certainly none of the kids."

 

"Agreed. Maria..." Firdlump said softly. "I need to know."

 

"I don't under-..." Maria trailed off as he stepped closer to the chair. "I will do whatever you deem necessary, but... I don't think this is a good idea."

 

"Why?" Firdlump asked as he took her head in his hands.

 

"Because love is not simple." Maria said soberly, not moving. "It is probably one of the most complex ideas that sentients have come up with. Almost every single sentient of every species that has been encountered to date has some kind of emotion that humans can call 'love' in its makeup somewhere. Not always the same thing, nor in the same place, but it is almost always there. I don't know if even your processing power can handle that. And... With Senator Organa dead...We need you. We need your focus now more than ever." She grimaced and relaxed. Firdlump looked at her and sighed.

 

"What good is having a subordinate if I don't listen to her when she says I am about to make a mistake?" Firdlump said as he stepped back. " You are right. But..." He mused. "So am I. I think... I DO need to know, but... carefully."

 

"Master?" Maria asked and then she blinked. "Oh, a separate subroutine?"

 

"Yes." Firdlump said soberly. "A part of my mind will focus on that, separate from the rest of me. I will set it up so it can't take resources from anywhere else. And... done. Ah Maria. I was planning on sending you to the planet. Are you up for it?"

 

"I don't want to be a Sitolon." Maria said sadly. "The kids may all think it is the greatest idea to hit their brains, but then again... Will they remember? The horrors or the good parts?"

 

"No." Firdlump replied just as sadly. "I disagree with wiping your memory too, Maria."

 

"Master, Ecmin's resistance was due to her memories of changing. The techniques were nowhere near as refined as they are now. If I don't remember being human, If I don't remember fighting... I won't. It's as simple as that. I think." Maria said soberly. "With the collective to aid, I will not go mad. If I don't remember who I am or what is happening, I bet that Sarai and her hivemind will not just sit back and let me suffer. If they are anything at all like our collective, I bet they will be unable to."

 

"Maria..." Firdlump said softly. "I don't know if having my consciousness in your mind will work if you are in a Sitolon body. It may not work at all. It may drive you mad. It may allow for communication with the hivemind as I had hoped Ecmin would." He sighed again. "My fault. As soon as they felt the implants in the SItolon I cloned, they fought me. I don't want to fight them. I wish they could understand that. I... After talking to my parent... I... don't want to fight. Now, I finally realize I never really did."

 

"I understand." Maria said, her face working as she tried not to gag. "To remember... billions of people eaten like that...It may not bother you the way it bothers me, but it cannot be pleasant. If I may ask... Sharra?"

 

"there is nothing we can do, Maria." Firdlump said gently. "She won't survive long in the body she is in. We need to get her somewhere safe. Maybe she can talk to Mira. She suggested that."

 

"And you think this is a good thing?" Maria asked with a sigh. "Master..."

 

"We know they are planning something, Maria." Firdlump said sadly. "They kind of have to or..." He paused as an alert came over the mind mass. "A transport? One lifeform? What kind of a trick...?"

 

"Trick...?" Maria said slowly as she perused the same scans. Then her face went white as she saw the shuttle communicate. "Masterblade Chari..." A master Bladeborn? Here? Now?

 

"Oh crap." Firdlump said slowly. "She marked Senator Organa..." Bladeborn marks were warnings. People who hurt beings protected by the Bladeborn usually came to swift and bloody ends.

 

"And her kids... Master..." Maria said slowly. "Um... No matter what... She has to be trapped the same way Organa was."

 

"Well, we don't want to kill her." Firdlump said uneasily. "And I don't want her carving up the members of the collective either. So... What?"

 

"Talk?" Maria asked somewhat scared. "I can, I guess."

 

"No, Maria." Firdlump said slowly. "You go into the transfer in ten minutes. I will talk to her."

 

"Master..." Maria said as the bonds that held her to the chair released and she rose unsteadily. "She has to have learned how to fight nanites."

 

"Probably." Firdlump said evenly. "But I learned what Mira did, so even if Sarai taught the Bladeborn what the Seven learned, they cannot do what Istara could. She also doesn't have the powerbase to... to..." He broke off as he saw the shuttle suddenly turn and accelerate. "No! She is going to...!" A shudder rang through even the huge battleship as the shuttle rammed it. "Report!" He snapped.

 

"Shuttle impacted the hangar doors, sir." The voice of the watch stander was quick to reply even though neither of them had hit the intercom. Neither of them needed it. "It blew up, no chance of survivors sir."

 

"I wouldn't bet on it." Maria said slowly as she met Firdlump's gaze. He met her gaze and both shuddered in unison.

Edited September 4, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"What kind of a crazy lady rams a hangar door?" The armored marine asked with a strained laugh as his team started to search yet another stateroom. "Those are almost as tough as the Supreme Chancellor's stomach."

 

"Less talk, more scrutiny." The LT in charge said soberly as the team checked every possible cranny. "If it was that Twi'lek Masterblade then she likely did get aboard, somehow. Just the memories that we shared with the two Bladeborn are scary enough..." She broke off as a red skinned form in brown armor seemed to simply appear nearby.

 

"Scary?" The voice of the young looking alien was calm and uninflected. "Oh my dear, you have no idea."

 

"I..." The LT actually stepped back a step and all her troops did likewise. "You can't win." The soldier declared.

 

"I know." Masterblade Chari of the Bladeborn said evenly as she took a slow step, utterly ignoring the ten weapons now pointed at her. "I am not 'The Dark Woman'. I am not Shar. She wanted to come." At that every single trooper shuddered. Firdlump's pawns in Republic Intelligence's Special Branch had a history with Istara Sharlina Andal, a messy, gory history. "But we... prevailed on her not to."

 

"How, if I may ask?" The LT relaxed slightly as the master of the collective appeared nearby. Firdlump did not take his senses off the Twi'lek whose expression was almost bored. "She is about as stubborn as anyone I have ever met."

 

"Yeah. She is." Chari said evenly as she took another step. Another and she would be in sword's reach of the troops even though hers was still sheathed at her side. "Then again, she has been pregnant before and lost that child. It was a low blow, but we used that argument. None of us want her to lose a second child." Firdlump stared at her.

 

"I... We didn't know that. That makes some things that happened clearer. If you wanted to fight, you could have killed all of these..." He waved a slow had at the troops who stared from him to the Twi'lek. "...before I arrived. Why didn't you? We don't want to fight you."

 

"I am here for Joruk and Hana's bodies." Chari said evenly. "And I don't care what you want."

 

"The bodies?" Firdlump asked, nonplussed. "Why?"

 

"I will leave none in your hands monster." Chari said slowly. "Dead or alive, it makes no difference to the Code. You will enslave the bodies as you would have the minds."

 

"You killed them!" The LT snapped. "You call him a monster and you killed two little kids!"

 

"I didn't." Chari said in that same, even tone as she took another step and stopped, her hand slowly reaching for her sword hilt. "I gave them and their mother what they asked for. A way out in case you stole them again. In case you would enslave them. I regret it, but it was needed. I will leave no children in your clutches. The ones you have in your collective are beyond my power to save. The bodies of the children I knew as Joruk and Hana I can save from your evil, and will."

 

"We were not going to hurt any of them." Firdlump said mildly. He did not move at all. "We were not even going to manipulate any of them."

 

"Right." Chari's hand was on her sword now. "One more chance, monster. Give me the kids' bodies. Now."

 

"Why are you...?" Firdlump paused and his face went slack. "They are not dead, are they? You..." He shook his head, amazed. "You... How...?"

 

"One." Chari said softly, her posture relaxed.

 

"Look, Masterblade..." Firdlump said gently. "If they are not dead, I will gladly take you to them. Seeing that hurt us all. We were trying very hard not to hurt them, or warp them, or twist them in any way. We were going to sequester them only."

 

"They are dead." Chari said evenly, still in that same maddeningly calm tone. "Two."

 

"Masterblade!" A new voice came. The woman known as Kirina ran into the room and was stopped only when an armored guard grabbed her and held her. She wore a torn patient gown and had bandages over her skull where implants had been put in recently. "No! Master, give her the bodies!"

 

"I can't." Firdlump said sadly. "We need to know what she did, and how. To stop it from happening again."

 

"You can't." Chari said in that same tone, somehow it turned icy while remaining calm. "Thr-"

 

"No!" Kirina screamed, throwing herself out of the guard's arms and placing herself in between the Twi'lek and the guards. "Chari stop! It is not what you think!"

 

"What I think is immaterial." Chari retorted, her tone finally changing from calm. But no one relaxed. Her tone was as cold as space itself. "Three of the Order's protected ones are dead, Kirina. You may not remember the Code, but if you managed to take Sharra alive you took her guards as well. Records on Coruscant say there were brown armored forms in the group who attacked the Senate. Who massacred the senators there."

 

"A-?" Kirina's face went slack. "Attacked?" Her voice was small now. "What?"

 

"Saun! Cadas!" Chari called, her blade still sheathed. "I saw your armor! Get your lousy tails in here! Now!"

 

"I..." Kirina stammered as two brown armored forms entered the room. Both had blades in hand. "No. Chari, don't do this!"

 

"Stop." Firdlump said quietly. "I did what I did. None of them are to blame, Masterblade. If you must blame someone, blame me."

 

"Blame?" Chari said slowly, her focus never wavering from her enemies. "Who said anything about blame?" She shrugged, somehow not leaving her ready stance. "You brainwashed them to take your orders. I wonder... how far does it go? Will they actually attack me when you order them to?"

 

"I don't want to order anyone to attack you masterblade." Firdlump said with a sigh. "There has been enough death."

 

"No." Chari said, her tone suddenly sad. "No, there hasn't been enough. Not yet. Three protected ones call for a lot of retribution."

 

"Masterblade..." A soft, scared voice sounded nearby. Chari stiffened as a small form appeared. Ina-Ta-Mal was pale and drawn. "Please..."

 

"Ina..." Chari said softly, her face suddenly very, very sad. "They do have you and the others?"

 

"They cannot program us." Ina said slowly, keeping still and in plain view. "Teacher...did something. But... the others, they are in hibernation. I... I hurt myself. They cannot program me, but..." She broke off as Chari sighed.

 

"Kirina." The other woman jerked at the Twi'lek's tone. It was commanding. "Take Ina somewhere safe. Now."

 

"Chari...No..." Kirina said but then froze with everyone else as the Masterblade's non sword hand made a sharp gesture. "No..." She begged.

 

"Now." Chari commanded and Firdlump gestured. Kirina grabbed Ina and ran despite the Padawan's protests. "We wondered." Chari said when the hatch hissed shut behind Kirina, leaving her in a small room with ten troops, two Bladeborn and a mass of nano machines. "We didn't think you would try to experiment on them as trapped as Morey claimed they were. But we were not sure."

 

"What he did was evil." Firdlump said mildly. "Those kids, none of them had a chance to deceive him or resist him."

 

"And you people keep saying Bladeborn are nice." Chari said with an ironic laugh. "But you want to know the really funny part?" She asked as her stance changed, just a little.

 

"What?" Firdlump asked. "Please, Masterblade, we will give you the bodies if you wish."

 

"And the initiates?" Chari asked slowly. Firdlump looked at her and shook his head. "Figured. But you know the really funny thing?" She asked with a slightly crazy smile now curving her lips. The two Bladeborn looked nervous but resolute as they also set their stances.

 

"Do we really have to do this?" Firdlump sid sadly. "I do not want to fight. If the Seven will talk... Things have changed. Significantly. Since Mira..." He broke off as Chari snarled at him.

 

"They felt what you did to her you son of a barve!" She shouted. "And you dare ask that?"

 

"I..." Firdlump said slowly. "I was wrong. To do what I did. To try what I have. All the things I have done, all the plans, plots and machinations I set in place, I was wrong, Masterblade. I was acting on inaccurate information."

 

"And that makes it all right." Chari stated in a soft, silky voice. At that sound, both Bladeborn suddenly stiffened into immobility. "That makes everything you have done all right..."

 

"No." Firdlump said evenly,. "But I AM doing what I can. Mira lives, a mess, but she is alive. We are trying to help her..." Her broke off as Chari shook her head. "Masterblade, Please...Do I need to beg?"

 

"How many of your experimental subjects, slaves, pawns and tools have begged over the years, centuries, Firdlump?" Chari asked, her tone moderating again. But neither Bladeborn relaxed. "Did it help them?"

 

"Masterblade...I..." Firdlump shook his head. "What I have done has no-" He broke off and tried again. "There is no-..." He sighed. "The end justifies the means, but what I did was wrong. I am trying to fix it."

 

"Good luck." Chari said softly as she stance shifted a little. Both Bladeborn shifted with her. "You are going to need it. Anyway..." She continued in at slightly more casual tone. "That funny thing..."

 

"Masterblade Chari..." Firdlump tried again but paused when she continued to speak without stopping.

 

"And it is funny in an ironic way." Chari said sadly. "Morey may have started his sect as an insult to ours, but he did a fine job of instructing his initiates. Idjit praised him, and getting praise out of Idjit takes some doing."

 

"I don't see the point." Firdlump said evenly, trying to regain control.

 

"There is one." Chari said as she tilted her head from side to side and her neck cracked. "Ah, better. The point is, that Morey gave all of his initiates bar one, the choice to become Bladeborn or not. All but one of them chose to follow our ways." Both of the two brown armored forms stiffened at that. "The one he didn't..." She sighed. "It was to save the boy's life by all accounts, He had messed the poor boy up badly. He accepted his responsibility though and reported his errors to the grandmaster as soon as he could. No shame in that. So..." She shrugged. "It is funny. You say you are trying not to fight, and yet you do every single thing you can to provoke us. You provoked Jacquelyn to kill her kids to keep them safe from you. You used Suan and Cadas to slaughter the clones you left in the Senate chamber to alienate the Republic from us. You have Bladeborn prisoners. You will not keep them. And..." She laughed lightly. "...you say you do not want to fight... That is funny. That is downright hilarious. Okay, where were we? Oh yes. I had gone through one and two... Last chance Firdlump, before this gets very messy. Give me the kids. All of them."

 

"I can't." Fidlump said sadly. "Stun!" He said and the troops fired. The stun bolts hit the Twi'lek square and...passed through her to hit the wall behind her!

 

"Tsk... Tsk... Tsk..." The masterblade said as she appeared between the group and the door. The troops spun with oaths, The Bladeborn reoriented in silence. "Really Firdlump? You fell for an illusion? You are supposed to be the master of those." She said with an evil grin.

 

"Ah..." Firdlump stammered at a momentary loss for words. "We can talk about this."

 

"Too late." Masterblade Chari of the Bladeborn said as she finally drew her sword in an elegant move that somehow left none of her body open to attack. "I am done talking." She closed her mouth and began her dance. The room filled with fire and screams.

[kalenath]

The troops didn't have a chance. Maria stared at the vid screen, awed despite her years of horrific memories. War and death, experimentation and torture, all of those paled as she watched the red skinned Twi'lek female dance. Dance was, in its barest essence, the study of bodies in motion. Dance also traced back to its roots in fighting. The same motion that was so gorgeous when done slowly and empty handed was anything but when done at the speed of thought with three feet of razor sharp steel in hand.

 

Every Masterblade of the Bladeborn was different. Istara was a battering ram. Her forms were perfect, but she disdained the subtle approach. If she had a choice to feint or strike, she generally went for a strike. She always preferred to end the fight fast, usually by reducing her opponent to pieces. Idjit, by comparison, was cold and calculating. He rarely moved until his opponent did, and then his parries and counterattacks were devastating. Not surprising for someone who could and did see the future. When he did attack flat out, sane people -even Masterblades, Jedi Masters and Sith Lords- ran away. Reekia was almost a brick wall. She would plant her feet and take whatever her opponents threw at her, then toss it back in their faces multiplied many fold. Leeto was a ghost. His opponents never saw him coming. Chari... was a dancer.

 

The Twi'lek tore into the soldiers, disdaining the Bladeborn who tried to interpose themselves. She was all over, her motions precise and her form so well balanced that... Yes! Maria wasn't imagining it! The Twi'lek had just struck a soldier down whole standing on the toes of one foot! And the other foot came up in a precise kick aimed just right to snap the helmet of another back, breaking the neck of the unfortunate soldier wearing it. The Twi'lek sword mistress moved like water, never stopping, never slowing, seeping around and through every attempt to defend. The two Bladeborn gave ground, trying to pull her away from the hapless troops, but she disdained their ploy, content to savage the foes she was in the midst of. The master tried to stop her, but his mental probes hit a brick wall. Maria shook her head, they were not going to win. Even if the troops that were now converging on the area did manage to kill the masterblade, that counted as a loss. And how much would it cost the collective? She hissed as another soul winked out in her mind, agony flaring and then, mercifully gone.

 

"Karen!" Maria called. "We have to stop this! Get the bodies! Get them to..." She broke off as she turned and Karen was nowhere to be seen. "Karen?" She paused. Karen had been right there. They had both been busy checking on Hala while the troops searched. The impregnation had been... Maria broke off and screamed as pain flared in her back. Soul searing agony tore through her as she went down in a heap, her hand seeking the source. She stiffened in place as her seeking hand felt the hilt of... a dagger! She tried to summon nanites to dissolve it, but they couldn't affect the metal for some reason. She grabbed the hilt to pull it out, to let herself heal, and something unseen grabbed her hand.

 

"Uh, uh, uh." A cold voice sounded from nowhere as her hands were roughly jerked around in front of her and bound together. The pain was overwhelming. She tried to see where the voice was coming from but something slipped over her head, blinding her. "None of that. With the nanites in you, a blade to the kidney won't kill you. But it will keep you out of trouble."

 

"No..." She managed to grate out as the hands that held her now rolled her on her side. "Don't..." Shock echoed through the entire collective as she realized who had to be assaulting her. Who else could have snuck onto the ship without being seen or sensed? Chari had been detected, this one hadn't been.

 

"Now, now, clone. Just lie quiet and the pain will ebb a bit." Leeto, Masterblade and master assassin of the Bladeborn said sternly. "As of right now, none of your people except the ones facing Chari are dead, Firdlump. Do you want to keep it that way? You took hostages. You knew how we were going to react." His voice held scorn now.

 

"Masterblade..." Maria managed to get words out. "I... No... Don't..." She screamed as pain flared anew in her back, the nanites swarming to try and repair the damage.

 

"I am not talking to you, slave." The voice of the assassin was cold. "Just lie there and bleed for a while."

 

"Maria, don't move." Firdlump's voice was sad and sick now. "He has a knife poised at the back of your head." Maria strangled a gasp. Even the Master might have difficulty in reviving her if Leeto struck her brain with his odd dagger. "What do you want?" Firdlump said slowly.

 

"You knew we would came for the children, Firdlump." Leeto said soberly. "Chari came for the bodies of the two kids she loved. I came for the initiates you stole from Morey. And Reekia...well...She just wants to break things."

 

"Reekia is here?" Maria gasped. "How...?" She screamed again as another blow to her back sent waves of pain echoing through her again.

 

"Maria, be silent! Please!" Firdlump said in a strained voice. "He holds your life in his hands. I don't want to lose you. Not now."

 

"You are a masterful liar, Firdlump." Leeto said calmly. "Masterful. You actually sound as if you care whether she lives or dies." His voice held respect, one professional to another.

 

"I am not going to debate with you, assassin." Firdlump said with ire. "You have us at a significant disadvantage."

 

"More than you know." Leeto retorted. "How many threats can you handle at once, machine? Chari tearing your security to hell, me here and Reekia is currently setting the ship's drives to overload."

 

"What?" Maria gasped. "No! You will kill everyone!"

 

"And your point is?" Leeto asked politely. "Some of you will make it to the escape pods, and I know Firdlump will just download himself somewhere else. The rest? Ah, well... Expendable, right, Firdlump? But how much of your network will be lost if this ship explodes? Hmmm?" He asked coldly.

 

"This is no suicide mission." Firdlump said slowly. "What have you done?" He asked, his tone turning scared.

 

"Me?" Leeto said soberly. "Nothing except trank some people and stab a clone in the back. I am not the one you need to worry about. Will is...um..." Leeto actually gulped a little. "I am actually not sure how to define what emotional state he is in at the moment. He is so far beyond angry... I have never seen anyone that angry. Not Bladeborn, not Imperial, not Sith, not Mandalorian, nobody." The assassin said with a tiny shudder.

 

"We tried not to hurt Sharra." Firdlump said slowly. "We have been trying to help her."

 

"Of course you are." Leeto said quietly as he gave Maria a kick. Her nanites had eaten a hole in the hood over her head allowing her to see. She cried out and stopped reaching for the hold out blaster hidden in her cuff. He appropriated the blaster with a sigh. "I am going to have to kill you, aren't I?" There was no threat in his words, just calm fact.

 

"Please don't." Firdlump said with a sigh. "What do you want?" He stiffened as another death rang through the collective. "Please... Stop her!" He said, aggrieved.

 

"Why?" Leeto asked coldly. "You will just clone more. And put them in Sitolon too, right?"

 

"There is a reason." Firdlump said evenly, calming slightly. "I can clone Sitolon as close to perfect as is possible. I spent centuries working to make that possible. All I lacked as DNA samples. Other races? I cannot. One of my primary directives was to find a way to help the Sitolon repopulate their homeworld. I didn't remember that until recently."

 

"Masterblade..." Maria gasped out. "We asked the kids. We didn't kidnap them. We asked them before we did anything to them. They wanted to forget their lives, start anew. We have asked everybody." She gasped out as pain came again. But then everything stopped as small form in silver armor simply appeared in the middle of the room.

 

"Is that so?" Nia Korr asked softly. "I guess that is in one of the times I don't remember. Isn't it?" She had no weapon in hand, indeed, her hands were clasped in front of her. "Funny that."

 

"Nia..." Leeto said, his tone resigned.

 

"I am here under orders." Nia replied evenly. "With Istara's blessing." Leeto looked at her and then nodded. "Don't take your eyes off her. She is..." Nia paused and then sighed. "You took her over too, didn't you, FIrdlump? Just like Menglan. She is just as dangerous as he is now, Leeto." Nia warned as she focused on Firdlump who had frozen in place. "You and yours are in extremely deep osik, Firdlump."

 

"I guessed that." Firdlump replied softly. "Having three masterblades come calling was a bit of an eye opener."

 

"Actually..." Nia shrugged. "That is the least of your concerns."

 

"Oh?" Firdlump asked carefully.

 

"Dad's vanished." Nia said with a small shudder. "He disappeared right out of his bed, right off the 'Hawk. And he took a bomber loaded with... Guess what?"

 

"No..." Firdlump breathed as his skin turned pale. "He wouldn't..."

 

"Yep. He would. Baradium core munitions. Big ones. As far as he is concerned..." Nia said with a shrug. "Sharra is dead. You know what he is going to do. What he did the last time someone killed her. Remember what he did at Korriban the second and last times he was there?" Nuclear weapons were scary. Having a certifiably insane pilot with skills to match flying around in a ship full of them was beyond scary.

 

"Nia..." Maria begged and gasped as Leeto kicked her again. "Stop him. You can..stop him..."

 

"Why?" Nia asked in a reasonable tone. "It's one way to win. Completely obliterate the enemy. Men, women, children, pets, slaves, tools, pawns...Nasty, but effective." Her tone was matter of fact. "Why should I stop him? I loved Sharra too."

 

"No. The kids... I... I..." Firdlump slumped in place and spoke softly. "I surrender."

Edited September 6, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"Surrender?" Nia asked slowly, her face working. Then she laughed. "Oh no... Not like that, you bastard."

 

"What?" Firdlump demanded. "I am serious. We cannot win. If we fight, we lose. If we die, we lose. If I kill you, we lose. So..." He shrugged helplessly.

 

"And the fact that we would be honor bound to lock you up, sequester you somehow -even though we could not- doesn't come into it, does it?" Nia asked, her mirth abating as Leeto looked at her. "Yes I know what the Code demands, Masterblade. But this is a case of dishonorable persons using the Code against us. He is trying to buy time to find a way to disable you and the others." Nia said formally. Leeto thought about that for a moment and then nodded.

 

"Orders then?" Leeto said quietly.

 

"Why are you taking orders from her?" Maria snapped and then screamed again as Leeto kicked her again. From the pain, the dagger was driven in a little deeper.

 

"Maria!" Fuirdlump begged. "Stop! If that blade twists, it will sever your spine." She froze in place and he didn't move from his spot even though another death knell sounded in the collective. "Ah!" He cried. "What do you want?"

 

"I want Sharra." Nia said soberly. "She is the only one who might be able to stop him. By all accounts, it took Trugoy to get him calmed down enough for her to get through to him the last time. Now? I don't know if any of us can get through to him. He is going to your base. He is carrying enough firepower to blow even your fleet to ashes. And he is willing to use it."

 

"Sharra is...not well." Firdlump said sadly. "She is... hurt. She resisted even more strongly than one of you might have. I was trying not to hurt her. I was trying not to let her hurt herself. But she was hurt, before."

 

"She was dying before." Nia corrected with a sigh. "I knew that when I met her the first time. The whole family knew. She didn't want anyone to make a fuss. We all knew Will would not survive her passing. We all knew that." Nia said with just a little hitch to her voice. "But we had hoped she would pass as Maria did. In bed, surrounded by friends and loved ones. Not like this." She met the gaze of the master of the collective calmly. "Not dishonored -a traitor- as you have made her." A gasp echoed through the collective as Sharra heard the words Nia was speaking. The horror the soldier felt was overwhelming. The collective rushed to her aid, then shuddered again as Chari killed yet another guard.

 

"She is not..." Maria protested and then she screamed as Nia made a gesture and the woman rose into the air, supported by the Force. Dark, terrible energy coursed around Nia as the younger woman glared at her.

 

"I said..." Nia spoke in a calm, clear voice. "Be. Silent." Maria growled at her and Nia growled right back.

 

"Nia." A wealth of disapproval was heard in the Masterblade's calm word.

 

"I..." Nia paused and nodded. "You are correct, masterblade. She is attempting -and succeeding- in goading me." She spoke softly, calmly. <Loyalty. Duty. Honor. Respect. Vigilance. Prowess. Humility. Courtesy. Valor. Service. Sacrifice. > She intoned in ancient Tythonese as Maria slowly lay back on the ground near Leeto's feet. The Rodian hadn't taken his eyes off the older woman though. "I will be true to the Code, Masterblade."

 

"Good." Leeto might have been discussing the average snowfall on Hoth for all the emotion he was showing. "The rest?"

 

"Right." Nia said soberly. "Your coup has failed. Your slaughter of the clones at the Senate was no unnoticed." Maria stared at Nia and Nia shrugged. "Enough bodes were left that DNA traces showed they were all clones."

 

"What?" Firdlump asked, uncertain. "What do you mean?"

 

"Come off it, Firdlump!" Nia snapped, obviously her temper was fraying again. "Two dozen Senators butchered in the chamber and no one was going to see a thing? Yeah, right! No one was going to fracking notice!"

 

"Nia..." Firdlump said slowly. "I am not lying to you now. I don't know what you are talking about."

 

"Oh?" Nia asked sarcastically. "So you didn't walk into the chamber with Sharra and two Bladeborn, knock the Senators all out, replace them and then slaughter the copies to cover up your abductions? How stupid do you think we are? The Senate, what remains of it anyway, has declared Sharra a traitor, you barve! That is why Will is so mad. Killing her would have been far more merciful, so of course you couldn't do that. She is a soldier, it has been her life, all her life. You took that away from her in an instant, you idiot! She had her honor and now it is all gone. Will is avenging that."

 

"No..." Maria's voice was horrified. "Nia, we didn't! We took them, yes. Nothing more!"

 

"Nothing...more...?" Nia said, her tone disbelieving. "Is that the latest mad scientist euphemism for killing everyone? Swords make a recognizable mess." She shook her head. "I am so tempted to just leave. To take Sharra and go. to let Chari slaughter her way to the kids, let Reekia rig the ship, let Leeto kill this...thing..." She indicated Maria with a slight jerk of her head. "Then leave and forget this day ever happened."

 

"Ah!" Firdlump cried out, his face ashen as Chari killed another pair of guards in quick succession. "She is as bad as Istara!"

 

"Actually, she is worse in some ways. Sharlina always had focus, Chari is a bit mercurial. Get her mad though..." Leeto said calmly as he kicked Maria's ankle as she tried to move away a little. "This is pointless, Nia."

 

"Yeah." Nia agreed softly. "Might as well start with her."

 

"Wait!" Firdlump begged as Leeto pulled his arm back. "What can I say? What can I do to prove I don't know what happened?"

 

"You can't." Nia said soberly. "Anything you say will be a lie, a half truth or a manipulation. Most politicians, even those in the Senate, are there to try and make a difference. In scummy ways, many of them, but they try. You? You lie. Period. Even when you are telling the truth, you are lying somehow. It is what you do to achieve your ends, which are diametrically opposed to our ends. Never the twain shall meet, except in battle."

 

"There has to be something!" Firdlump said slowly.

 

"Anything you do will be a lie." Nia said sadly. "Leeto..." She nodded and the Masterblade struck.

 

"Maria!" Firdlump shouted as the master assassin's blade slid into his prisoner's brain. Maria died without a sound. "No!" He screamed. "What have you done?" He demanded.

 

"What we have to." Nia said sadly. "We are taking Sharra and the kids. And you cannot stop us."

 

"You are not going anywhere." Firdlump said with a snarl. "I was trying to be reasonable. Now..." He raised a hand and the walls came alive. "You have angered me."

 

"Good." Nia replied calmly as Leeto vanished. "Bring it on!" She settled into a ready stance as nanites surged towards her.

 

"What?" Firdlump paused and the nanite swarm froze in place. "You want to fight? Why?" He asked slowly. This made no sense. A cocoon of nanites surrounded the still form at Nia's feet and it sank into the floor.

 

"You don't understand." Nia said sadly. "And you cannot. You fake emotions very well. But you do not have them, machine."

 

"You are wrong, Nia." Firdlump said slowly, trying to come to grips with everything that had just happened. "You saw the collective."

 

"The collective is a lie." Nia said with a shrug. "Kind of like the cake."

 

"Cake?" Firdlump demanded. "What cake?"

 

"Joke from a video game." Nia said without humor. "Basically an artificial intelligence wanted to prod test subjects into doing what it wanted so it offered cake as an incentive to attempt deadly tests. The idea was the same, a bribe. That artificial intelligence wanted test subjects so it offered cake as an incentive. You want slaves so you can rule the galaxy, so you offer what seems to be acceptance and love."

 

"That is not what this is about." Firdlump said with a sigh. "Nia... Please..."

 

"I have nothing to say to you, Firdlump." Nia said with a sigh. "You have failed. I am a Bladeborn, like my mother before me." Firdlump looked at her for a moment.

 

"So be it, Bladeborn."

Edited September 7, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

Sharra gasped as pain flared through the collective again. The warm bodies around her cuddled closer, trying to shield her.

 

"Sharra..." Meish's voice was worried as a gentle webbed hand checked her vitals. "Easy."

 

"Is..." Sharra gasped. "...is what she said true?" The soldier asked. "Am I...?"

 

"I don't know." Meish said sadly. "It makes no sense. The whole plan was to replace the senators for a time while we 'adjusted' the ones in our care. If someone perverted the plan... Sharra..." Her voice turned slightly sick now.

 

"I need to know, Meish." Sharra said sadly. "I really need to know." The collective gave a sigh and then gentleness enfolded her as her body shuddered. "I... Ah..." Sharra cried as pain flared again. This time, it wasn't Chari who caused it. The pain was centered on where the master was currently manifested. A rumble was felt through the ship and female screams of agony were loud enough to be heard through the air ducts as well. "No!" Sharra cried as she tried to get up. "I have to help!"

 

"Sharra, no!" Meish held her down gently. "If you move, you will start to bleed inside your skull again. Karen is unconscious, Maria is..." Meish made a gagging noise. "I think... I think I am the only dedicated med person here at the moment. Sharra..." She begged as Sharra started to rise. "Please, don't."

 

"We were set up." Sharra said slowly. "We were all set up." She looked up into scared eyes. "Meish, I have got to stop this. I am the only one who can! Nia will destroy the master or he will destroy her. Either way, we lose!"

 

"Sharra..." Meish wailed. "I don't know what to do!"

 

"I do." A gentle female voice sounded from nearby. Both females turned to stare at the wall that suddenly changed. One moment it was the durasteel wall of an odd stateroom filled with children and two scared females, the next, it vanished and a cavernous room appeared beyond it. In that room a large silver form reclined. "Hello Sharra." The Sitolon said in a recognizable voice. A gentle voice.

 

"M..." Sharra said, feeling her sanity starting to fray. "Maria?"

 

"No." The Sitolon queen said sadly. "I don't have a name. The transfer was rushed, incomplete. There was too much damage, too quickly. Maria is no more. I remember her, her experiences, her hopes, her dreams, her fears, her loves. But I am not her. I... I am afraid... But I know what needs to be done now. What was planned all along. Communication."

 

"This was..." Sharra stared at the queen and then at the still forms around her. None of them were breathing now. "What the-? No! Meish!"

 

"Be at ease, Sharra." A new voice sounded and a much smaller Sitolon came into the room. "Slow, deep breaths." The small male Sitolon sank onto it's haunches next to where she lay. "We cannot heal you, but we can ease you."

 

"Who...?" Sharra asked in wonder. The voice was tantalizingly familiar. Then she blinked. "Jac?" She stared at the form of the young human boy. One she could see was no longer breathing and then at the Sitolon, who took a slow step closer.

 

"Yeah." The little boy's voice came from the small bug. "This is not what I expected, but it is cool." Two small manipulators came to take her hands. "Miss Sharra..." Now his voice was sad. "We can make you comfortable. Not permanently but we can ease you for a time."

 

"The others couldn't." Sharra's voice was small. "They said there was too much neural damage. That they couldn't transfer me."

 

"They were right. We can't transfer you." Jac said sadly. "This is very weird, Miss Sharra." He said with a shudder. "I know things now, lots of things. But I can help, Ma'am. Will you let me?"

 

"I..." Sharra shook herself and focused. "How long can you keep me alive?"

 

"I don't know." Jac said sadly. But... I..." he broke off and screamed. "No! No! Not now! I can help her! Please let me help her!" HE begged someone Sharra couldn't see.

 

"Jac? What?" Sharra asked as the small form convulsed. "Jac!" She reached out with her mind to his and found... battle. She did as she always had. Charged.

 

For a moment her mind could not parse what it sensed. She was on the gray plain. The nanites swarm all around her watched and waited as two lines of forms charged each other. Sitolon, fighting each other! Oh no!

 

"Stop!" She screamed. "No! This is what whoever set us up wants!" No one seemed to hear her. No... She cried in her mind.

 

S...Sharra...? The scared, small mental voice seemed to be coming from nearby. What are you doing here?

 

Who? Sharra asked and then paused as the small, pain filled essence became clear. Mira? She demanded. Oh Mira... She gathered the hurt girl's mind close. What happened to Karen?

 

Dunno. I woke up here... I am scared, Sharra. Mira said obviously crying. I am so scared... It hurts and I am so scared.

 

I know. Sharra relied as she soothed the essence she could hold here in this odd place. Cover your ears, girl. Enough is enough. She shook her head and started to focus herself. This would hurt.

 

S...Sharra...? Mira asked, worried and confused. What are you...?

 

Cover. Your. Ears. Sharra said in a gentle, but somehow rock hard tone. She waited until she felt the essence withdraw a bit and then thundered.

 

Enough! She screamed, her mind feeling as if it were her throat after screaming for days, raw and bleeding. Everything paused as she strode forward into the mass of bodies. Sarai! Ji! Ecien! Everyone back the flarg off! Now!

 

What the...? The assembled massed Sitolon gave a unison response as Sharra strode into their midst.

 

We have been set up! She shouted, feeling her energy start to fade. All of us! This is what he wants! Sarai! We did not slaughter the senators! We did not! Someone...else... Someone else did...

 

Sharra... calm down... Mira's mental voice was beyond scared now. You are hurting yourself. You have to calm down. If you don't you will die.

 

No. Sharra felt certainty envelop her. No, I have to do this. Mira. Sarai... take her. Quickly... She held out the essence and it vanished from her arms. Help her. You can...

 

Sharra... I... Sarai's mind was close, scared but determined.

 

Sitolon do not kill one another. Sharra said as she sank to her knees. You mustn't... Daughter... Don't... Not... Not for me...

 

Sharra, be calm. The mind of the unnamed Sitolon queen came and it was urgent. We can save you!

 

No you can't. Sharra said gently. I... Sarai... May I name her? She has no elder family to name her.

 

She is... Sarai started to speak, her voice hard, but Sharra cut her off.

 

No. Sharra said as she collapsed onto the unyielding surface of the plain. This was Firdlump's plan all along. To make communication possible. It has been perverted by time, by evil. By... She gasped as pain came but then something wafted over her and she was soothed. He planned all of this, including your reaction when she came into the hivemind. If you do kill her and her swarm... What will happen? What does Sitolon law require of any who kill other Sitolon, Sarai? Even in self defense?

 

I... Sarai's voice was shocked. No... I...

 

Mindwipe. Sharra said gently. Even queens are not above the law. You would be required to submit to mindwipe. And if you forget, he waltzes in and takes over. Sarai.. please... name her... take her in... help her... them... Please... She begged, her energy fading.

 

I... The unnamed queen sank to her haunches and lowered her head, an age old symbol of submission. I submit to your will, queen Sarai. You may be an alpha queen, she was and is my matriarch.

 

Mine too. Rise, sister. Your name is Mari in memory of the being who gave you sentience. Saria said gently. Sharra... I... Can you help her? She asked Mari, desperate as Sharra slowly faded.

 

I don't know. Mari said sadly as she moved to where Sharra lay, her eyes slowly drooping shut. But I will do my best. And any advice or assistance I can get, I would appreciate. Sleep now, Sharra, dream of your kids at rest and play. Gentle silver claws scooped her up and held her close, rocking her to sleep.

 

Sharra relaxed and let sleep take her.

Edited September 8, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

The medical bay was a mess. All around the two combatants, objects lay strewn, some looked eaten, some looked as if they had exploded. Some looked as if they had just flown apart. The only unmussed things in the room were Nia and Firdlump.

 

"You son of a barve!" The shout echoed into the stillness that was the medical bay. Nia jerked from her ready stance and then refocused her attention on her opponent, but Firdlump seemed equally shocked by the voice. A small Sitolon queen strode into the room through a door that suddenly appeared. "You lying sack of osik!"

 

"Maria?" Firdlump asked, not taking his gaze from Nia. "The transfer worked?"

 

"Maria?" Nia asked, unsure. Was she facing a new enemy? There was danger all around her in the Force, but none of it seemed to be directed at her.

 

"No. My name is Mari now." The Sitolon said sadly. "Maria is dead. I remember..." She paused, her gaze far away. "Yes, thank you..." She said to someone Nia couldn't see. She shook herself and sighed. "This is your only warning, Firdlump. Leave this ship now. And leave my children alone!"

 

"Maria, be calm." Firdump said gently. "Did it work? Can you communicate?"

 

"I can." The Sitolon said with a shrug. "Why?"

 

"If you can access the hivemind, I can end this." Fidlump said with a exclamation of joy. "I can... What?" He asked as the bug snorted a very human sounding laugh.

 

"You cannot access a frelling thing." Queen Mari said snidely. "I won't let you." She raised her voice and spoke. "Everyone. Stop fighting. Drop your weapons. Now. I surrender to you, Nia of the Bladeborn. Do with me as you will. Please do not harm my children. They did not know why he ordered what he did." She knelt and exposed her neck. Leeto shimmered into being by the hole she had come in through, his daggers raised, but paused as Nia shook her head.

 

"Maria...?" Firdlump snapped. "What...?"

 

"Saun and Cadas are alive." Mari said sadly. "Chari crippled them and left them alive. The wounds likely would have killed anyone non enhanced with nanites. But she knew they were enhanced, so she wanted them to be alive. To suffer. They remembered when I asked them." She snapped at Firdlump. "You ordered them to do it."

 

"I..." Firdlump stammered. "I what?"

 

"You ordered them to go back." Mari snapped, hate swelling in her voice. "You ordered them to kill everyone in the room. To make as much of a mess as they could. They didn't want to slaughter sleeping people. They hated doing it, but they did it."

 

"No..." Firdlump almost begged her. "I didn't. I swear I didn't."

 

"Your oaths are meaningless." Mari said with a sigh. "Be gone from this ship. The collective aboard it is now mine. Bladeborn..."" She turned to face Nia. "We surrender to your judgment and justice, Bladeborn. Please..." She begged. "Spare my children."

 

"Maria!" Firdlump shouted "No! You don't know what you are doing!"

 

"Yes I do." The queen replied sadly. "More than you do. Begone." She snapped and the being who had been her master vanished. She laid all four arms out and lowered herself completely to the floor. "Do you accept my surrender? The guards have all dropped their weapons. All of my children are defenseless now."

 

"Masterblade?" Nia asked, unsure.

 

"Where is Captain Brun?" Leeto asked coldly from where he stood.

 

"Mercedes..." Mari slumped a bit. "She resisted what he -with Maria's help- did to Sharra. She hurt herself. She is in her quarters, asleep."

 

"And Sharra?" Nia asked softly. A muted sob came from the Sitolon and Nia stiffened. "What happened?"

 

"He pitted my swarm against Sarai's. I would have lost, been destroyed." Mari said sadly. "And then Sarai would have been guilty of killing members of our species. You know the penalty." Nia hissed in horror and Mari nodded. "Sharra stopped us. But she is hurt... Worse. My healers have her, but..."

 

"They cannot save her." Nia said flatly.

 

"No." Mari said with a sob. "Lohas has control of the nanites aboard. She is trying, doing what she can. But..."

 

"Lohas has control?" Nia asked carefully.

 

Yes, Nia. A recognizable voice sounded in Nia's head. Sarai's tone was firm. Lohas has control. Mari is with us.

 

"How?" Nia asked slowly as she relaxed a bit.

 

Nia, accept her surrender. Sarai's voice was rock hard now. She won't do anything until she is sure her children are safe and Sharra's life is slipping away despite everything her healers can do.

 

"Right. I accept your surrender, Queen Mari." Nia said slowly and hit her comlink. "Masterblades, the ship has surrendered to me and Firdlump has fled. Stand down." A wordless snarl of rage came from the com and Nia sighed. "Are any of them armed now, Chari? Would it be honorable?" Leeto nodded at her approvingly.

 

"Would be fun." Chari's voice was cold and hard, but then she sighed. When she spoke again it was in an almost normal voice. "But no. Drat. Party pooper."

 

"We have to sweep the ship." Nia said softly. "There are Sitolon aboard, allied with Sarai. They surrendered to me."

 

"Acknowledged." Chari said with a sigh. "Where do you want me." 'Bridge?' Nia mouthed at Leeto who nodded.

 

"Head up to the bridge." Nia said with a sigh. "Let me know if anything happens. I need..." She gave a shake "...to check on Sharra. Do you need me?"

 

"No." Chari said sadly. "I will do what needs to be done."

 

"You are not alone." Nia said sadly. "You do not have to do it alone, Masterblade."

 

"My responsibility Nia." Chari said, her voice hard again. "I will handle it."

 

"I know, Chari...I just..." Nia paused and suddenly wilted a little. "I just...I wanted to help, but you and Istara both said 'No' and I have to obey and... I..." She trailed off. "I am sorry."

 

"I know Nia." Chari's voice thawed just a little. "But what you do is dangerous enough. Trying to rescue people without information is begging for trouble. This was not what I wanted, but... They are not slaves. I will take care of it."

 

"Take care of what?" Mari asked carefully. "Those two children? Firdlump believed they were not dead."

 

"They are." Nia said sadly. "I wanted to rescue them as I rescued some others, but I was forbidden. The Grandmaster and Masterblade Chari had good reasons for doing what they did, for denying my request, but..." She shook her head. "It hurts, knowing I could have saved two young lives and their mother and didn't."

 

"Not didn't. Couldn't, Nia." Leeto replied from where he stood. "Your gifts are powerful, but that does not make you omniscient or all powerful. Know your limits, Bladeborn."

 

"Yes, Masterblade." Nia said, acknowledging the mild rebuke. "Now we try and clean up the mess."

 

"Preferably before Firdlump gets his fleet here." Leeto said with a sigh.

 

"We have backup coming." Nia said soberly. "But he likely planned for this." She hit her comlink again. "Reekia? Did you find anything?"

 

<Engineering is clear now. Per your wishes, we didn't kill anyone. We found several self destruct systems.> Reekia's voice was sober. <All disabled now. No clusters of nanites. No other obvious traps. Nia...>

 

"I know." Nia said with a shudder. "This was too easy. Way too easy..."

[kalenath]

<An hour later>

 

"The hyperdrive is operational." Nia said slowly. "We can jump at any time, captain." She stood by the door to the room. Captain Brun sat in a chair. She didn't take her eyes off the cocoon that lay in the bed or her hand off the cocoon that held Sharra Kalenath's slumbering form. "Captain..."

 

"I love her." Mercededs Brun said slowly. Tears were falling. "Not in any intimate way, but she was one of my oldest friends. My best friend..." The captain repeated. "...and I betrayed her into his hands, helped him brainwash her, hurt her..."

 

"Captain..." Nia said gently. "You could not have resisted. I know the lures, the traps he uses. There was simply no way you could have broken the chains that bound you."

 

"She is right, Captain..." A worried voice spoke up from the other side of the bed. Karen Vorkolion looked like hell. "It wasn't you doing it. It was our oh so benevolent puppet master."

 

"That son of a barve..." Mercedes' voice held hate now as she looked at Nia. "Can you destroy him?" She asked Nia, fire burning in her eyes.

 

"I don't know." Nia said soberly. "Alone? I don't think so. Everything I did slowed him, delayed him, nothing stopped him. But we cannot stay here." The uninhabited system that the Imperious had sought refuge in while Firdlump 'adjusted' the senators was out of the way, but hardly inaccessible. If hostiles of any kind jumped in, the Imperious wouldn't have much of a chance. Her crew had been decimated by Chari's attack, and her systems disrupted by Nia, Leeto and Reekia's machinations.

 

"Nia." Mercedes voice was sick now. "You cannot trust anything I say or do. I could be feeding intel to him as we speak here. I wouldn't know. I can't feel it."

 

"I can." A gentle voice sounded from nearby. "Be at ease, Captain, um..."

 

"You can call me Mercedes. You took over the local collective, Queen Mari." Mercedes Brun said with a nod. "I am yours."

 

"No, you are not." Mari snapped. "I have enough problems with my kids. Insatiably curious, smart, and all wanting to help. Most with the common sense of a houseplant. Luckily they learn fast."

 

"So...How many?" Nia asked slowly.

 

"What is aboard is a tithe of the main collective, Nia." Mari said with a recognizable scowl in her voice. "Less than three hundred souls left after Chari's attack. Not that I blame her. When you attacked him, you pushed him to transfer all of us into the clones he had made. He didn't manage it for all. Those are lost." Sadness colored her tone.

 

"I don't understand." Nia said slowly. "He wanted Istara to bear an egg. Was that a lie?"

 

"No." Mari sighed. "My DNA is corrupted. I cannot access the nanite swarms directly. Lohas can access some of them through me in my vicinity, but I am not pure enough for the access protocols to recognize. And her access is strictly limited by range. She has access to the ship's nanites and the crew's, but nothing more."

 

"I don't want to seem racist, but I am glad. I want to free the swarm." Nia said sadly. "That would end this quickly."

 

"Maybe." Mari said with a shrug of all four shoulders. "Maybe not. Nia..." The queen said uneasily. "Do you get the feeling we did what he wanted us to?"

 

"Yes." NIa said softly. "I mean, here you are. You told him to flarg off, but..."

 

"It is entirely possible he can take control again." Mari admitted. "It made so much sense, you know? When Maria... I mean... When I was under his thrall all of it made sense. Everything. Looking back, it was a haze covering up the messes he made. The evil he was doing."

 

"Yes." Nia agreed. "I remember." She sighed. "I crave the collective, and I likely will for the rest of my life. But I will not allow him to take me over again. I will not allow him to harm my families." She walked to the bedside and slumped a bit. "She made me welcome. She made me feel so welcome when Will brought her home from Jodaka and she took over the family."

 

"What happened there?" Mercedes asked, not looking up. "No one ever said."

 

"Eh..." Nia scowled. "A mess. Sharra had lost her memory, due to many factors, including Sith torture. She actually had two dominant personalities for a while. She was in the Forces, but left. She signed up with a force of mercenaries heading to investigate Jodaka. Will had thought her dead. He nuked the shipyard at Korriban to avenge her. The spaceport was collateral damage."

 

"I remember hearing about that." Mercedes said quietly. "My reaction was simple. Idiot Imperials got what they wanted. A fight. Too bad it didn't go the way they wanted." Her voice held mockery now.

 

"Yeah." Nia shuddered just a bit. "Anyway. He found out she was alive and went after her. An Imperial fleet also went to investigate Jodaka, trapping the team there. He arrived and blew the snot out of an Imperial ship, then landed to look for her."

 

"That could not have gone over well." Mari commented. "With the Imperials I mean."

 

"Nope." Nia said with a grimace. "They called for reinforcements, and an Imperial team dedicated to trapping Will responded. A team led Cipher Vorren."

 

"Vorren.,.." Mari mused. "Yes, Maria's memories speak of this man. A capable and dangerous spy. He... ugh..." She made a disgusted noise. "He mutilated Jina Darkstorm?" She asked angrily.

 

"She wasn't cooperating." Nia said dryly. "Anyway...Will and Dia -my old apprentice- trapped Sharra and took her to try and help her. But then he was trapped by the Imperials. Dia did some things that managed to get through to Sharra and they went after Will. I don't know everything that happened, but I do know he got away from the Imperials and Sharra got some nasty implants removed from her body. Not all of them, the docs there apparently couldn't detect some of them. Heck, L'Trask and the Stormhawk docs couldn't detect what Morey did to the clone until it activated, so..." She shrugged. "Long story short, she and Dia met up with Will, blew their way out of the blockade and rejoined the Storkhawk. I met her there. I wasn't sure what to think, but she just held out her arms and took me into them. I..." Nia shook her head savagely. "I want to help."

 

"I know, Nia." Mercedes said sadly. "Neither can I. All we can do is be here for her. And each other."

 

"I know." Nia said sadly. "But that does not make it any easier. Karen? How are you?"

 

"Scared." Karen admitted. "All I knew was the life I was decanted into. I knew there was more going on than I was told, but it didn't matter. There were kids hurting and I wanted to help."

 

"You have. The offer stands, Karen." Mari said gently. "It won't hurt and I will can make it so you will be a healer."

 

"I dunno." Karen said sadly. "It sounds so marvelous. But then again, the collective sounded so marvelous. Besides, the other me -the real me- still exists and..."

 

"Karen." Nia said gently but with command. "What happened to you was awful. But you have the choice now. No one, and I do mean no one, is going to push you into anything. You have time to choose. But... The kids love you." She said with a smile.

 

"And I love them." Karen said with a smile that turned sour. "Oh Pilloa!" She snapped. "Idiot girl..."

 

"What?" Nia asked as both Mercedes and Mari both snarled softly. "What happened?"

 

"Jac has her in hand, er claw..." Karen said with a sigh. "She was investigating an odd feeling and managed to hit her head. She is not very coherent."

 

"Oh?" Nia asked, suddenly alert. "What kind of odd feeling?" Mari paused, obviously in mental communication, probably with the errant youngling.

 

"She says..." Mari mused. "She says she sensed someone in a storage locker. But she was found unconscious. She hit her antennae on something. She apparently went in to fast and hit her head on an overhead storage rack. When it was searched there was no one there and...Nia?" Mari asked as Nia shot upright.

 

"I thought I was imagining the tremor in the Force. I wasn't. I sense a familiar presence. We are not alone aboard." Nia said with a snap as she hit her comlink. "Masterblades. We have an uninvited guest."

 

"Who?" Leeto's calm response came.

 

"Vandar." Nia snapped as she made for the door. "Lock this door after me and don't open it for anyone until I get back. You can command from here, Captain Brun. Get us out of here before Firdlump's fleet arrives." She was out the door in an instant and Mari made a gesture. The door shut and locked with a snap.

 

"I get the feeling that the problem is about to be solved." Mari said with a smirk in her voice. "I mean three masterblades and Nia?"

 

"Chari and Reekia won't leave the initiates." Karen said slowly. "That leaves Leeto and Nia. I wouldn't want to face either of them, let alone both. But this is Vandar we are talking about..." She said with a flinch. "I... He was never overtly scary, but even I could feel his power."

 

"Right." Mari said with a shudder. "Captain?"

 

"Agreed." Captain Mercedes Brun, Republic Navy, said with a sigh. She spoke into thin air. "Helm, set course for Coruscant. We have a lot of explaining to do. And I don't know if any of them will believe any of this."

 

"Oh..." Mari said easily. "I think we can persuade them. The brainwashing on the senators wasn't finished. We stopped it and are scrubbing their minds. The nanites didn't have time to develop into full colonies either, so we can remove those as well with no health issues. I am tempted to tamper with a few of them..." Mari said with a snort. "But Sarai would not approve. So a bunch of senators come back from the dead, we explain and 'poof', you are in the clear, Captain. Even if we cannot remove your nanite colony, we will see you cleared of this mess."

 

"I..." Captain Brun shook her head. "I doubt it is going to be that easy. And are you subordinate to Saria or autonoumous?"

 

"Both." Mari said easily. "I am Sarai's, but at the same time, I am my own being." She shrugged as both other females looked at her. "Hey... It works..."

 

"And I thought Republic Navy bureaucracy could be twisted..." Mercedes said with a smile. "Oh well. Now we wait." She sighed as the ship rumbled, signifying it had jumped to hyperspace. She laid her hand back on the cocoon and sighed. "We wait."

 

"And we keep her company." Mari agreed sadly. "She will not go alone. She will not be unloved. And if she does not wake? She will not be unremembered. We will tell everyone the truth. That she is not a traitor. That she is a hero."

 

The three mismatched females shared a nod and sank back into silence.

Edited September 10, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

Nia stalked through Medical and paused as she saw a woman lying on abed nearby. Her face went white and she stared, then she spun to where a small Sitolon was working on another.

 

"Jac?" She said quietly.

 

"Yes, Nia?" The young Sitolon healer said as she finished whatever he was doing, gave the smallish female Sitolon he had been helping a pat and turned to close the distance between them. "Is something wrong?"

 

"I don't know." Nia said slowly as she stepped closer to the unconscious human. "This woman. Who is she?"

 

"That is Hala." Jac said quietly. "She was cloned from a dead soldier. The master has had her for some time. She worked as a counselor for many in the collective who had...issues. Myself included. I like her. She has been with us quite a while."

 

"A little over a year." Nia said slowly, her face...sad. "What is wrong with her?"

 

"Technically nothing." Jac said with a flip of his antennae. "She is just asleep. She and her partner wanted a child, so Firdlump and Maria gave her one." He paused as Nia hissed. "Problem?"

 

"I don't know." Nia said slowly. "But I do know the woman she is cloned from is not dead."

 

"Oh?" Jac said, his tone somewhat worried. "Then...what?"

 

"Can you run a series of scans on her?" NIa asked slowly. "Without waking her?"

 

"I can." Jac said slowly. "But I need a reason. I can't just start treating her without her consent. Ethics, you know."

 

"Yeah." Nia said with a scowl. "It does suck being one of the good guys sometimes. But no, I don't want to hurt or scare her, especially if she is expecting. Just...make sure..."

 

"What are you looking for?" Jac asked as he started pulling equipment out of a cupboard. "Or just generalities?"

 

"Katherine had a colony of nanites inside her, masquerading as a Cathar embryo." Nia said with a wince of remembered pain and grief. She laid a slow, gentle hand on the human's stomach and smiled gently. "No, this is a human fetus, but..." She paused. "It feels...odd."

 

"Odd how?" Jac asked as he started the scanner he held. "The child was cloned from Olandas, who you met."

 

"Um...I am not sure. It is not nanites, that I can tell." Nia paused and then nodded. "Yes I met Olandas. But... Isn't she...dead?" She asked dubiously.

 

"The master cloned her." Jac said sadly. "But the clone was non-viable." Nia hissed in shock and Jack nodded. "It didn't last long, but she did manage to say goodbye to her lover Kunda Gev and his new mate. They made her passing as gentle as they could. Hala wanted a child from Olandas and Firdlump agreed." He flipped his antennae towards the sleeping woman.

 

"Wait a sec..." Nia paused, unsure "Gev is here?"

 

"He was. He is a mess, after the fracas on Alderaan, he was off status until he healed." Jac said and paused. "Um... He was with her when Chari attacked the crew. I don't know where he is now. Now that you mention it, he should have transferred with the rest of us. Hala too..." Jac said dubiously. Nia nodded.

 

"Keep an eye, or two on her." Nia said with a smile. "I doubt she is going to be a threat, but with Firdlump, there is never really any telling." Jac nodded as he continued his scans. Nia walked away, tapping her comlink. "Leeto, we have a complication."

 

"This is the day for it." Leeto replied evenly. "What?"

 

"The bounty hunter Kunda Gev is aboard." Nia said soberly. "He was in medical with his mate. Now, he is not."

 

"Is he subject to Mari?" Leeto asked cautiously. "She took over the collective."

 

"Good question." Nia said. "I will ask." Leeto made an acknowledgement noise and Nia turned to Jac who nodded. "You heard?"

 

"Yes." Jac said simply. "Queen Mari says that yes, he IS hers, Hala too. Both agreed to stay with her. Neither transferred because Hala wanted a human child ad Gev wanted to stay with her. But..." He paused. "She can't determine exactly where he is. He is unconscious." Nia nodded and started for the door.

 

"That is affirmative, Masterblade." Nia said calmly into her com. "Queen Mari says he is unconscious. We may be dealing with a hostage situation. But Vandar is the greater threat."

 

"We may find both at the same time." Leeto said slowly. "You search forward, I will take aft. If you find him, even if you are one of the Seven, do not try and take him alone. Jina couldn't take him alone." He cautioned.

 

"Understood, masterblade." Nia said quietly as she left Medical behind and started for her search area. Then she paused. "Rules of engagement?"

 

"There are innocents on this ship as well as prisoners for the Grandmaster to judge." Leeto said calmly. "We cannot allow the children to be threatened again. Rules of Engagement Seven."

 

"Seven, acknowledged." Nia replied evenly, although her heart gave a lurch. Rule of Engagement Series Seven was for use in times of war. It allowed Bladeborn to forgo the usual declarations of intent and attack without warning. It also specified that any combatant, enemy or not, was a legal target at any time. If Gev had a weapon... If Vandar had suborned any of Mari's people... She shook herself and hit a control opening access to the storage bays. "Entering forward bays now."

 

"Be careful, Nia." Leeto said soberly. "Your dad is already mad enough."

 

"Agreed." Nia said as she started her search. "You be careful too, masterblade. I don't want to explain to Istara if anything happens to you. If anything happens to me, I won't tell her."

 

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Nia." A gentle voice said from nearby. Nia spun in place to see a small green form appear from behind a cluster of crates. "We have worked too hard for this to have it fall apart now."

 

"Leeto!" Nia snapped. "Bay Sixt-! Argh!" She screamed as her comlink suddenly gave a hiss and crackled with power. She scrambled to be rid of it as it started to smoke. It fell to the floor and burst into flames. She sighed. "Another comlink trashed, Istara is going to flay me... So..." She looked at the form who hadn't moved and sighed. "Now we fight?'

 

"I would rather not, but... I am afraid we cannot allow interruptions at this time, Nia." Tokare Vandar said sadly. "Be calm and nothing will hurt. Just relax."

 

"To quote my dad 'Flarg you!'" Nia snapped. "And the cat you rode in on!" Her sword was in hand but Vandar hadn't moved. "What the...-?" The Force screamed at her about danger, but not from him! She jumped to the side as a stream of something passed through where she had been. From the hiss as it made as it hit the floor, it was carbonite. A form in bounty hunter armor appeared out of the shadows. "Gev? No..." She said dubiously as her sword came up. "You are not Gev."

 

"Name's Garn." The hunter said softly. "You are worth a lot alive, girl. Drop it."

 

"Branching out, I see." Nia said slowly. "You hire him before or after this mess started, Vandar?"

 

"He was in Special Branch's network before." Vandar said quietly, not moving. "He is expensive, but well worth it."

 

"Is Gev alive?" Nia asked as the hunter moved to stand so she had to look either at the armored form or the Jedi Master. "You really don't want to do this, pal."

 

"I have been paid." Garn said calmly. "You are just another mark. Put it down and it will be quick, easy and painless. Or not." He shrugged.

 

"I see. A professional." NIa said slowly. "I don't sense nanites in him. You yes, him no. Not a slave?" She asked Vandar curiously.

 

"I...ah...convinced Firdlump we needed a few...specialists." Vandar said easily. "Outsourcing can work. Especially to take people by surprise."

 

"So I have heard." Nia replied in a Tatooine dunes dry voice. "So the plan is... You take the ship back, hand Mari over to your master, and then... What? Brainwash me again?" Or use me as bait to try and trap my dad?"

 

"Nia." Vandar said with a reproving scowl. "I am not going to monologue long enough for the Masterblade to get here or discuss my plans with you. Especially since I have no idea how many of the Seven are listening through you at the moment."

 

"Drop it, girl." The hunter repeated, his pistol barrel never waving.

 

"Have you ever encountered Bladeborn, Mr. Garn?" Nia asked with a snide look. He shrugged and she snapped. "Then you don't have a clue. I won't."

 

"Whatever." He replied off handedly. "Would hurt less." Nia tensed as he did something but then she screamed as electrical current came from...everywhere. It arced through her sword for a moment and she crumpled. The hunter started forward, only to pause as Nia rose back to her feet, haloed in electrical current and her face was a mask of anger. "Wha-?"

 

<By the Code. Of the Code. For the Code!> Nia snapped in ancient Tythonese as the power arced around her instead of through her. "Idiots! Electricity? Of all the stupid... I trained with a Sith, Vandar! His favored form of discipline was Force lightning! Regular electricity stings, but if you know how to ground it, won't hurt! And it is useful!" She raised a hand and electrical energy flared from them to slam the hunter back. From the hurt sounds he made as he hit the wall, he wasn't going to get up soon. She turned towards Vandar who started at her, open mouthed. "No witty repartee, Vandar?" Nia asked snidely. "Good. I am too mad to appreciate it now." A green lightsaber ignited in his hand and he blurred into motion. Nia did as well.

Edited September 11, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"What the heck?" Captain Mercedes Brun asked as the lights in the stateroom dimmed for a moment, followed by a rumbling sound that was felt through the floor. "Bridge! Report!" Karen stiffened as well, checking the cocoon, but remained silent.

 

"Massive power fluctuations, Captain." The voice of the senior bridge stander came. Mercedes winced. Lieutenant Caxter was not the brightest of bulbs, but no one could doubt his enthusiasm. Normally anyway. Now he sounded scared stiff. "Sensors say it is coming from forward, compartment sixteen beta!"

 

"Ship status?" The captain snapped. "If we are having power fluctuations in here, they are likely all over the ship."

 

"Hyperdrive is nominal, Captain." The officer said quickly. "Engineer Columin says he will keep it that way. But we better get a lid on this fast."

 

"Is the Twi'lek masterblade there?" Mecedes asked quickly.

 

"No." The LT replied slowly. "She saw the alerts and ran off."

 

"Something..." Mercedes said slowly. "We are missing something." She snapped as the door hissed open. Her blaster was in hand and Mari had a human blaster in one claw as well, both were aimed at the bedraggled form that stood framed in the door. "Kirina?"

 

"Captain..." Kirina said, her face dazed. "We... I..." She staggered, but did not enter the room. "Help me!" She begged. "I cannot keep him out! He is commanding me... I won't... No..."

 

"Kirina, be calm." Mari said gently holding out an empty claw. "I can help you. Ward you."

 

"He..." Kirina shook her head. "He made me... I didn't want to..." Her voice was childlike now. "I didn't want to."

 

"Kirina..." Karen said gently as she rose and moved to the door, careful not to block Mercedes' shot. "It's okay. It will be okay. Relax, let me help you."

 

"Karen...? Maria...?" Kirina asked, unsure. "No!" She screamed. "No! Stay away from me!" She backed up and staggered as she ran into Jac who had come as soon as he heard her screaming. "No! Don't let me hurt you!" Jac's claws caught her and steadied her before she could fall. "No!" She wailed as something went hiss. She and Jac both stiffened and collapsed.

 

"Mercedes!" Karen snapped as she slapped the door control. "Gas!" The captain was already activating the room's seals. "I don't know if any got in."

 

"Probably." Mercedes said quickly as she grabbed for a cupboard marked 'Emergency'. She pulled a filter mask out and slapped it on. Then she paused. "Mari..."

 

"No masks for me." Mari said sadly. "I hope it's not lethal..." She stiffened. "Some did get in... I..." She suddenly toppled over. Karen stumbled and fell as well without a sound.

 

"Karen! Mari!" The captain snapped and ran to the bug. A quick check showed the queen breathing but deeply asleep. "Damn him!" The captain snapped and hit her com. "Bridge, we have a knockout gas release in Medical." There was no reply. "Bridge? Lieutenant Caxter?" Only dead air answered her. "Flarg..."

 

"Just relax and enjoy the ride, Captain Brun." Donal Firdlump's voice came from the intercom. "This ship is mine."

 

"Like hell it is." Mercedes snapped as she hit the override for the door. Nothing happened and she snarled. "Okay, like that is it?" She slapped her wrist and a bracelet on it started to glow. "Goodbye slimeball."

 

"Captain!" Firdlump begged. "Wait! Hear me out!"

 

"You no longer own me! I have nothing to say to you." Captain Brun said sadly as she keyed the ship's destruct code into the biometric trigger on her wrist.

 

"I can't let you do that, Captain." Firdlump said sadly. "Not when we are so close. Sleep. Mercedes." Something hit her with the gentleness of a freight rocket tram and she knew no more.

 

A moment later the door hissed open again and Kirina stepped in. Her face was slack however and her eyes were closed. The voice that came from her mouth was male.

 

"Lets... keep from immolating ourselves, shall we, Captain?" Firdlump's voice was somber as Kirina's hands carefully deactivated the biometric trigger and slapping restraints onto the unconscious woman. "I will have to redo the download into Maria it seems... But we have time. Ah Sharra..." His voice was melancholy as the body reached for the cocoon. "I am sorry. Now, now, none of that." He chided as the woman's body convulsed a bit.

 

"Leave..." Kirina's normal voice sounded for a moment from her lips. "Her..." It was obviously a strain for her. "Alone!" She snapped, and then she shrieked.

 

"Know your place, girl." Firdlump commanded from her mouth. "You are mine. Now and always. I will make it easy for you IF you obey."

 

"Easy?" Kirina snapped, her eyes fluttering open. "From you? Easy way straight to hell! Not a chance, monster!" She grabbed for the bracelet that Firdlump had removed from the captain and then convulsed and screamed.

 

"Naughty girl." Firdlump said mildly from her lips as her eyes closed again. "Ah well...When you wake, this will all be over and have been a bad dream."

 

"Master?" A worried female voice came. A woman who resembled Sharra Kalenath entered the room. "You sent for me?"

 

"Yes, Sharra." Firdlump said sadly. "Your progenitor is dying."

 

"I..." The clone Sharra said slowly. "What can I do? Can anything I have help her?"

 

"I am afraid not." Firdlump said sadly as he ran a hand over the cocoon. "I can salvage her, but not as she is. The experiments we did with Cili Sandskimmer showed us the way. I will need you to monitor her assimilation. She will likely resist, it is what she does. But she will eventually succumb. I need you to be there for her, keep her calm, ease her into what will be a very trying experience."

 

"For my sister? Of course." Sharra said sadly as she touched the cocoon gently. "And... Maria...?"

 

"Maria is dead." Firdlump said with a heavy heart. "The transfer was incomplete. This Sitolon queen will need to be restrained and sedated until I can download into her again. With her in our power, her swarm will obey us. I need you to get Sharra to the room you woke up in, get her onto the bed there."

 

"Should we remove her from the cocoon?" The standing Sharra asked. "If we need physical contact..."

 

"No." Firdlump said sadly. "If we remove her before she is on full support, she will die. I can make the necessary connections to the implants that are in her head through the cocoon. We may also need to connect plumbing since she will not be leaving the cocoon. Meish..."

 

"I am here, Master." The small Mon Calamari eneterd, her face desolate. The usually exuberant nurse was downcast from so many emotional upheavals. "Will Karen be rejoining us? I am only a nurse."

 

"No." Firdlump said mildly. "Miesh, remain still." He reached out and touched her bulbous head with gentle fingers. She gave a small cry and crumpled a little. Sharra quickly reached out to help her stand. "There, you have the information you need to connect our new cyborg command computer."

 

"Yes, Master." Meish said with a nod. She stepped away for a moment and was quickly back with a motorized gurney. "I will convey Mrs Kalenath to her destiny." She and the standing Sharra moved to pull the cocoon onto the gurney.

 

"She knows more about her husband's tactics than anyone else living." Firdlump said sadly. "While I do not wish to use her remaining time in such servitude, I have been left few alternatives. As for the captain and Karen? Sedate them and leave them here with the Sitolon. I will see to them once Sharra is secure." The lights flickered again and he swore. "And once I have Nia Korr and those dratted masterblades well and truly caged."

[kalenath]

"I don't like this." The clone Sharra said quietly as Miesh monitored the surgical droids. "I don't like this one bit."

 

She stood in a large, well lit room. A series of medical monitors line done wall, a kolto tank and cloning pods lined another, and in the middle, an operating table was occupied. The remnants of a cocoon lay around the table where it had been removed. Along with...other things.

 

"Neither do I." The Mon Calamari said as one of the surgical droid finished scanning Sharra Kalenath's vitals, beeped and started working on the supine woman's torso. Another was already clamped around her skull and yet another was working on her abdomen. "We are taking every choice from her, literally turning her into a slave. With luck, she will not be conscious for any- Oh my god!!" The nurse snapped as the woman on the table started to scream. Screams that cut off suddenly. "She is awake! Sharra!"

 

"What can I do?" Sharra demanded. "We took out her eyes and her auditory apparatus is disconnected. Can I access her mind?"

 

"Not safely. Link to Meeliee!" Meish snapped as she started working controls. "Massage may work. Try to relax her." Sharra did as instructed, her mind seeking her sister's and the Bothan's expertise in massage coming to the fore. The human woman's hands sought taut muscles in the restrained woman's shoulders and neck biting deep into the tensed muscles to soothe the pain away. "I will try a mild sedative, anything stronger will kill her as weak as she is."

 

"Hurry." Sharra begged. "I hate seeing her like this."

 

"I know." Meish was almost in tears. "Plumbing is connected. Blood filtration is connected. Vital monitors connected. Neural connections proceeding. Ah... Auditory shunt connected." She paused. "Sharra? Easy woman, it's okay. It will be okay." She said gently. "I know it hurts, but we are working on it. No, no... Don't try and talk..." She begged as the woman on the table opened her mouth. "You won't be able to. You are on a ventilator. We have installed a nerve shunt into your speech center. Until it is connected properly you won't be able to talk." The woman on the table gave a shudder and then relaxed a little. "There? Better?" Sharra likely would have nodded, except she was strapped down. "We are doing what we can, just relax. We wanted to be done before you woke. Ah... Voice shunt complete, speech should be functional now. Try that, Sharra."

 

"What..." A mechanical sounding female voice sounded from nearby. "What are you doing to me?"

 

"Saving your life." Miesh said sadly. "It was the only way. Neural shunts complete, IV shunts running. How do you feel?"

 

"Odd." The mechanical voice sounded unsure. "I... What have you done?" She asked.

 

"We have connected your brain directly to the Imperious computers." Meish said gently. "You need to remain calm. We won't let you hurt yourself."

 

"You..." Sharra's voice sounded angry now. "You are with Firdlump! What have you done to the others?"

 

"They are asleep." Meish said gently. "We focused on you. We had to save you. Carotid IV in place. Ready for final connections. Calm down, Sharra."

 

"Flarg..." Sharra's voice suddenly calmed. "What have you done to me?" She asked, her tone incurious now.

 

"That's better. We need you calm. We have installed several neural shunts directly to the implants in your brain. We also installed new implants in place of your eyes and ears." Meish said gently. "They will allow you to see, to hear as others allow you to speak. You have also been placed on full support and plumbing. You don't have to worry about eating, excreting or even breathing. All of that is taken care of for you. We have several chemicals in your system now to keep you calm."

 

"Why?" Sharra asked, her voice scared even through the drugs.

 

"We need you." Miesh said sadly. "And... Done. Let's get you to your new home." The surgical droids retracted and a loader droid came close. It's arms had been padded and slid under the limp woman with no issues.

 

"Wha-?" The Sharra on the table asked through the speaker nearby. "No..." She begged.

 

"It's all right, Sharra." Miesh said gently. "It won't hurt now. The pain has faded, yes?"

 

"Yes." Sharra replied. "Wha-? I didn't want to answer you. What have you done?"

 

"You have a number of connections into your brain, Sharra." Miesh said quietly as the droid started off. "They will allow you to communicate, as well as allowing us to use your memories." She followed, the clone Sharra staying to clean up the mess they had left.

 

"What?" Sharra asked, her voice fainter. "That is not possible. The only race that could do that..." She broke off.

 

"...were the Islanians." Miesh agreed. "Who are all dead. Except the Master acquired copies of the Jedi Archive's reports on what was done to your husband. Our work is cruder, no elaborate biotoxins for us. But it is functional. When you are connected, you will be able to command every ship in our fleet at the speed of thought."

 

"You made me an Islanian battle commander?" Sharra's voice held deep fear now. "You... No..."

 

"We are not going to hurt you again, Sharra." Meish said gently. "You woke up before you were supposed to. You are the only chance we have to end this peacefully."

 

"There is no chance of ending this peacefully." Sharra said quietly. "I... What? I can't even scream anymore?" She asked in an odd tone, somewhere between wonder and terror.

 

"Excess emotion hurts as bad as any blade or blaster bolt." Meish said gently. "We want you stable. As soon as you are in your new home, we will keep you on an even keel."

 

"You are going to drug me?" Sharra asked, fearful. Then her voice moderated. "It won't work."

 

"Nothing so crude." Meish said gently. "Gentle neurological stimulation works wonders. It won't hurt, or make you fuzzy. Ah. Here we are." She smiled as the droid entered another room. This one had medical gear all around a pod that lay open. The droid carried Sharra at the pod and set her down in it gently. "This is going to feel odd, but it shouldn't hurt. If anything does, tell me." She started connecting tubes.

 

"Won't help you." Sharra declared.

 

"Yes, you will." Meish said with a sigh as she continued connecting tubes and wires. She connected plugs to the jacks that had replaced Sharras eyes and a video camera swung to look at her. Meish smiled at it. "Hello Sharra."

 

"No..." Sharra' s voice came from the wall intercom now. "Oh my god! No!" She begged. "What have you done to me?"

 

"You won't need arms or legs where you will live now, Sharra." Meish said gently as she patted the stump of the woman's right upper arm where tubes came out. "We will take very good care of you. The pod will act as your skin, the implants will be hooked directly to the interfaces, especially when the internal systems of the pod remove the skull bones to get at the brain matter directly. Nothing will hurt. We won't let you hurt."

 

"No..." Sharra begged, horrified. "Don't..."

 

"Sharra, be calm." Meish said gently. "I am detailed to monitor you. And..." She smiled. "There we go, all connected. Pod close." The pod started to close and a wail sounded from the intercom. "Sharra..." Meish implored. "It's okay, relax... We won't hurt you."

 

"No..." Sharra wailed.

 

"And done." Miesh said with a sigh as the pod closed and the wail cut off with a snap. "Unit? Status?"

 

"Unit 8410-4 online. Skull bone removal commencing." Sharra's mechanical voice sounded "Orders?"

 

"Master, we are ready." Meish said proudly. "Our newest ally is online."

 

"Not a moment too soon." Firdlump replied over the com. "We arrive at Coruscant momentarily. I cannot locate the Masterblades or the initiates we had prisoner and Nia is giving Vandar fits. 8410-4 locate the prisoners."

 

"Clarification requested." Sharra's mechanical voice sounded.

 

"What?" Firdlump snapped. "Ah...crap." He sighed. "I have to suppress a lot of her cognitive ability to keep her docile. This is going to be a pain. 8410-4, locate Bladeborn designates Chari, Reekia and Leeto. Locate prisoners designated B-14 to B-27. Locate collective members designate Saun and Cadas."

 

"Searching." Sharra's calm voice sounded. "Unable to locate." Her voice replied after a moment.

 

"That is impossible." Firdlump snapped. "They are aboard. They have to be. We are in hyperspace. There is no way to leave a ship in hyperspace."

 

"False." Sharra said calmly.

 

"What?" Meish and FIrdlump both replied.

 

"Leaving a ship in hyperspace is possible." Sharra replied in her cold, mechanical tones. "But not recommended."

 

"Clarify." Firdlump said slowly. "And define how the knowledge is known."

 

"A ship can leave another while in hyperspace." Sharra said evenly. "The amount of processing power required to make safe such an advanced departure defies all current mechanical algorithms. But it has been done, safely."

 

"How and by who?" Firdlump asked slowly as the ship rumbled, showing it had slowed to sublight speeds.

 

"Will Kalenath has done so on two occasions to escape Sith captivity." Sharra said calmly. "'A desperate tactic but effective', he called it."

 

"I...bet..." Firdlump sounded awed. "Wow, he is even crazier than I thought. Ah... Okay... So the Bladeborn left? But Will wasn't aboard, was he?"

 

"Unknown." Sharra replied. Then her voice sounded again. "Error. Unauthorized access to hangar doors, bay Seven. Multiple shuttle craft powering up."

 

"What the flarg?" Firdlump snapped. "Who the... Wait..." He snarled. "They didn't leave. Not yet. The shuttles probably have sensor baffling built in or added. Can we stop them?"

 

"Unable to remotely deactivate shuttles. Unable to access hangar door controls. Powering tractor beams and weapons...." Her voice trailed off. "Tractor beam offline. Weapons systems offline."

 

"What?" Firdlump snapped. "How?"

 

"Unable to determine. Checking." Sharra's voice replied evenly. "Remote sensors report weapon sensor and control conduits sliced. Estimated time to repair, two hours. Tractor beam control station destroyed with explosive device. Estimated time to repair eight hours."

 

"Tractor control... And... Those conduits are in engineering." Firdlump said with a sigh. "Reekia... Damn them. This only delays us. Ah well, 8410-4, set course for our base and take us to hyperspace as soon as the generators cycle."

 

"Course plotted." Sharra's voice replied. "Generators will cycle in two minutes. Com queries from Coruscant Control. Orders?"

 

"Ignore them. They won't fire on us as long as we remain non-hostile." Firdlump replied. "We have bigger problems. Nia is going bonkers. Meish, stay with her, keep an eye on her levels."

 

"Yes master." Meish said as the ship rocked. "Ah, master?"

 

"I am on it." Firdlump said with sigh. "Idiot girl... What the..." His voice turned horrified. "No... Oh my god... No!"

 

"Master?" Meish asked and then she too felt the death cries of hundred of the collective as a large baradium bomb exploded in close proximity to the hidden base they had set up in the Sitolon home system. From the multitude of cries, no one had time even to run. "There... There weren't any combatants left on the base... No... Master what can we do?" She begged.

 

"Hopefully Sharra can stop him." Firdlump said heavily. "If not, we have to kill him. Jumping now..." He said as the ship's systems rose in pitch and the Imperious rumbled again. "I just hope we are in time to save someone. I'll... do what I can. I will need to see who we can clone. Stay with her, keep her calm. We need her now, more than ever."

Edited September 13, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

<Compartment sixteen beta>

 

"Nia, calm down." Vandar pleaded with the irate Bladeborn as she threw yet another wave of energy at him. "We are not going to hurt you."

 

"Of course not." Nia snapped, her sword weaving as she darted to and fro, seeking a hole in the Jedi Master's defenses. There wasn't one. "What good are dead slaves? Hurt pawns? Sick cattle? Crippled servants?"

 

"Nia, it isn't like that." Vandar said , his tone careful. "If you would let us explain...Whoa!" He jumped over a slice that would have cut him in half at the midsection.

 

"You are a broken holo record! You just keep repeating yourself!" Nia growled like a wild animal, patience gone. "You hurt my family! You hurt my friends. You hurt my battlekin and I am just supposed to sit here and let you? Fat chance slimeball."

 

"We don't want to hurt anyone, Nia." Vandar cried, trying to get through to her. "Nia, please, you are so close to falling. I don't want you to fulfill the prophecy, not here. Not now."

 

"And I should care what you want...why?" Nia asked snidely. "You lied to me, you tricked me. You used me to hurt my Dad, to hurt Istara, to hurt everyone! You made me kill Hawkir!" She screamed, her control faltering.

 

"I..." Vandar sighed and retreated a pace. "I know, Nia. Nothing I say or do can bring him back, but I do not want to make the same mistakes. Nia... We can kill you. Don't make us."

 

"Can you?" Nia asked snidely. "I have never found out what happens when a temporal avatar dies. I think I am about to."

 

"Nia... No..." Vandar begged as she retreated as well, putting her back to the wall as the bounty hunter regained his feet again. She had tossed him to the wall three times now and his left arm hung broken, but his blaster was steady in his right.

 

"Stay down, moron." Nia snapped as he drew a bead on her. "They can bring you back, but no money is worth the pain and slavery they demand."

 

"You are good, girl." The hunter said quietly. "But you are outmatched. Give it up." Nia shook her head and the hunter sighed. "Fine." He holstered his blaster and hit a control on his left wrist with his right hand. A series of rockets erupted from his pack, all aimed, not at Nia, but at the wall behind her! At the container against the wall marked 'Flammable'. She smiled and lowered her sword, not trying to stop the missiles.

 

"Garn! No!" Vandar cried as the wall behind Nia erupted in fire. The explosion propelled Nia forward to land in a smoking heap on the floor. "No... Oh no..." Vandar was at her side in an instant. "What have you done?" He demanded.

 

"Tough girl." Garn said with no trace of mockery. "She wasn't going to surrender."

 

"She is breathing...I can..." Vandar said quickly as he touched her gently. "No, come on girl. Fight! It is what you Bladeborn do. Master! I need medical help!"

 

"Master?" Garn asked, confused. "What?" Then he froze. "Ah... Vandar..."

 

"What now?" Vandar snapped as he looked up and froze as well. "Gev...? Oh no..."

 

They had left the bounty hunter unconscious in another chamber. Kunda Gev was awake. The other bounty hunter had his armor on again. His blaster was in hand, but that was not what froze both of the highly capable individuals in place. The biometric trigger that glowed in his hand stopped them both.

 

"Gev..." Vandar said slowly. "I can explain."

 

"What is to explain?" Gev asked softly, his tone dangerous. "In a moment your master will show, or this fool will draw. Your machinations took Olandas from me. You want to take Hala and our kid from me. You want Nia as a slave. Not going to happen. Get away from her. Now."

 

"Gev, I can stop you." Vandar said gently. "I can stop that trigger."

 

"I am sure you can." Gev had an ironic grin in his voice that shone even through his helmet visor. "Jedi always do cheat. Go ahead, stop me." He said snidely.

 

"You have it set for deadman activation, don't you?" Garn said softly. "Your reputation is well earned."

 

"Is it?" Gev could have been discussing the weather. "Maybe. Maybe not. I do know all about you, Dev Garn. I looked you up after you ambushed me on Tattooine. Backshooter, assassin, slayer of weaklings, wanna be. Pathetic little cyber boy playing at being a hunter with no idea how."

 

"Your insults are wasted." Garn said soberly. "I make money, no more, no less."

 

"So did I." Kunda Gev replied. "By removing scum like you from the galaxy. I would blow you both up here and now, But I don't have to."

 

"No?" Garn asked, not taking his gaze from the man with the detonator. His right hand hovered near his blaster.

 

"No." Gev said with a shrug. "She has a prior claim." The two male stared at him and then at the slumped form at their feet. It wasn't breathing. It vanished and then another Nia appeared beside Gev, her sword in hand and her face serene. This Nia's armor was unmarred. "Miss Nia? You okay?"

 

"No. That..." Nia said softly, her tone surprised. "That really hurt. Ah, so that is what happens when I die as a temporal avatar." She sighed and shook herself. "Gev, get behind me. Can you take your double?"

 

"Ma'am." Gev said with feeling as Nia reached behind her with her left hand and drew a lightsaber. It ignited in a silver wave. All the while her sword did not waver in her right hand. "I should feel insulted, but for some reason I don't. Why hasn't Firdlump shown up yet?"

 

"He is busy." Nia said soberly. "Dad just blew his base to hell. His fleet is running for their lives."

 

"What?" Vandar asked as he stepped away from the hunter beside him. Giving himself distance to fight. "That is impossible. I would have felt it." Garn for his part, didn't move. He looked from Nia to Vandar and back.

 

"Isn't it so much fun to find out you have been screwed with, Mr. Garn? That the one who paid you had ulterior motives?" Nia asked softly. "How much is he paying?"

 

"Fifty." Garn said softly, his voice hushed.

 

"Nia..." Vandar said in warning. "Don't you dare."

 

"Fifty?" Kunda Gev asked, incredulous. "Fifty? You have got to be kidding!" Garn shook his head and Gev actually laughed. "You are an idiot. You took a job, against her..." He waved at Nia. "...and her kin, for fifty...? When I took on Sharlina, I was offered a hundred. Oh geez..." He shook his head. "Fifty." He snickered. "What is that? Union rates?"

 

"That's not funny." Garn snapped.

 

"I think it is." Gev chortled, but calmed when Nia glanced at him. "Sorry Ma'am."

 

"Not a problem." Nia admitted. "I think it's funny too, but more ironic and sad than actually humorous. Mr. Garn, can we come to some kind of understanding?"

 

"Now just a minute!" Vandar said, indignant. "I hired him!"

 

"To be cannon fodder?" Nia asked slowly. "Or bait? Waste of talent if you ask me. That ploy with the missiles was pretty good." Gev looked at her and she shrugged. "Wouldn't have stopped me if I hadn't wanted to be, but..." She shrugged again. "You have to admit, it was pretty good, Gev."

 

"Hmm..." Kunda Gev made a disgusted noise and then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess it was." He said, manifestly against his will. "You are the boss, Ma'am. Do as you wish." He muttered under his breath. 'You will anyway.'

 

"You hush." Nia said quietly looking from Vandar's strained face to the other hunter. "What say... Two? And a clear path to the hangar?"

 

"Don't you dare." Vandar snapped, his attention wavering between the pair in front of him and the hunter beside him. "I have tried to keep you free, Garn, don't make me regret that."

 

"Ah..." Garn shook his head slowly. "Ma'am..." He said respectfully. "While I do appreciate it. I did take his money." Vandar relaxed and Nia slumped.

 

"I see." Nia said sadly. "Well... I give you my word, one professional to another, I will try not to kill you. you are just doing your job. Right, Gev?" She asked pointedly as the hunter beside her made another disgusted noise.

 

"Ah..." Kunda Gev shook his head. "Okay, okay..." He shook himself and a small object flew from his wrist to hit the other hunter on the arm where armor did not cover. Garn stiffened in place and then collapsed. Gev chuckled evilly. "Gotta love trank darts."

 

"We only have a few minutes before Firdlump recovers." Nia cautioned him. "I... No!" She screamed as the walls suddenly came alive with nanites. "Gev! Get out of here!" Gev turned and ran as the masses of nanites slowly converged on Nia.

 

"I am done playing nice with you, Nia Korr." The voice of the master of the collective came, cold and angry. "Your father just killed six hundred beings, none of whom were armed."

 

"So?" Nia hawked and spat. "Am I supposed to care what happens to your puppets? Or believe you care about them?"

 

"You will." Firdlump's voice was thick with menace as the nanites encircled her. Vandar moved away, his face sad. He levitated the unconscious bounty hunter with him. "This is going to hurt you. But when I bring you back into the collective you won't remember any of this. You will serve. Gladly."

 

"Good luck with that." Nia said with a wolfish smile. "You are going to need it." Her body wavered, but didn't vanish as it had before.

 

"Your powers are blocked. You cannot escape." Firdlump said as the nanites closed in. "You will not escape."

 

"Neither can you." Nia said with a smirk as her body... changed. One moment it was a human woman standing there, smiling evilly at the dumbstruck Jedi and the masses of nanites. The next it was a cloud of gray in human form.

 

"Ah, much better. Hello brother." Bob said in the absolute silence that fell.

 

"Ah... That is not possible!" Firdlump said in shock. "You cannot be here! It's a trick."

 

"Is it?" Bob said quietly. "They were right, brother. You are...so limited. All this time, I feared you and I shouldn't have. I pity you, I truly do. I don't know where or when I learned what I did, it just sort of happened. One moment I was an total uncaring son of a shutta whose only goal was stopping you no matter the cost, then next... I wasn't..." The nanites surrounding his form started to expand.

 

"Vandar! Get out of here!" Fidlump said sharply as the nanites started circling the still form in their midst. "You can't win this. I have more nanites. More processing power available. You cannot win."

 

"Old saying, Firdlump..." Bob said sadly. "It's not about whether you win or lose. It's how you play the game. In a direct conflict with you, here, now, yes... I will lose. And when you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

 

"Is that a joke?" Firldump demanded as the nanites started closing in again, only to stop as if they had hit a brick wall. "You are fool to spend your strength this way."

 

"A joke?" Bob said gently. "No. As for a fool? Time will tell."

 

"You will die here." Firdlump said angrily. "And my victory will be assured."

 

"You are an idiot. Neither of us was alive to begin with." Bob said sadly. "And we shall see." The encircling nanites suddenly rushed in and the battle was joined. Silently.

[kalenath]

"What can we do?" Gev asked as he ran. Nia appeared beside him, running as well. "I mean... that was weird, but Bob can't win, can he?"

 

"Anything is possible." Nia said sadly. "But I doubt it. He insisted. He said it might stop everything if Firdlump assimilated his knowledge, his empathy. It won't destroy Bob, but it will hurt him losing the bits he put in place."

 

"And you trust him?" Gev asked, disbelieving. "Why?"

 

"No I don't." Nia said with a sigh as they ran towards Medical and Gev's mate. "I can't and he knows it. He has done too many evil things over the centuries for anyone to trust him. At least its a fairly short hop in hyperspace to the Sitolon system, I will help you get Hala to a ship and then you have to leave. As soon as you are clear of the Imperious, jump. I don't think Dad will attack you with bigger targets to kill, but I don't know. This isn't the man I knew." She said with a shudder.

 

"I don't like leaving a fight unfinished, Ma'am." Gev said in mild protest as he ran. "And we are leaving a lot of people behind."

 

"As soon as this ship drops out of hyper, Gev, it's a target." Nia said sadly. "Dad is out of control. I can... I can feel him, his rage, his pain and fear. But he can't hear me, us. We are trying to get through to him. But he won't listen."

 

"I was afraid of this." Gev said with a sigh. "Ever since I met him. He... He wasn't human, Nia."

 

"I know." Nia said sadly. "So did he. He is what Firdlump and Special Branch made him. A killing machine. One that has lost all control. He will kill and kill and kill until he is stopped. And killing him is the only way to stop him."

 

"Incorrect." A female voice sounded as they entered Medical and froze on what they saw. A pod lay in the middle of a adjoining chamber with a Mon Calamari in nurse's attire standing between it and the two newcomers. "There is another way."

 

"No..." Nia's face went white. When she managed to find her tongue, her tone was horrified. "Sharra! No... Firdlump, you didn't... You ignorant fools!" She screamed. "What have you done?"

 

"Sleep Nia Korr, Kunda Gev." Sharra Kalenath's mechanical voice said as bolts of blue energy slammed into both of them from multiple angles. Both fell without a sound. "Orders?"

 

"Nia's real body will sleep as long as her avatar does. Put both of them in carbonite." Firdlump's voice that came from the intercom was off. It sounded tired. "I will see to them when I have recovered. That was... very draining, but the ship is secure."

 

"Yes master." Meish said simply as droids appeared to pick up both unconscious forms. "I recommend stripping them and scanning them thoroughly as well."

 

"Do it." Firdlum said and paused. "On second thought. Meish... How are you?" His voice was concerned.

 

"Scared." Meish said sadly as she walked to where the droids waited. "I had to up the EM projection. 8410-4 is asleep currently. The Sitolon and crew are all unconscious and will be for some time. Karen and Captain Brun are both secured. The ship is secure, master. I can handle this."

 

"Are you sure?" Firdlump asked kindly. "This has been a bad day. You are the only member of the collective aboard trained in medicine, Meish. I need you 100%."

 

"I..." Meish shook her head. "I am not. I am not a soldier, not a warrior, not a fighter. I want to heal people, help them, make them whole. Not butcher them, brainwash them, make them cry and weep and rage at me...We... I..." She was crying now. "Sharra didn't deserve this. She was a hero."

 

"'Is', Miesh." Firdlump corrected gently. "Sharra Kalenath is a hero."

 

"The only reason she hasn't died, master..." Miesh protested. "...is we took the choice from her. We took her will away from her. Is that what you want from all of us?" Meish asked tearfully. "If so... Take mine. Please. I can't live with this."

 

"Meish..." Firdlump's voice was sick now. "I didn't want to do it."

 

"Master, I can't keep doing this." Meish said sadly. "I am not Menglan, not Katherine, not even Karen. I CAN'T do this kind of thing to..." She broke off and froze in place. Her eyes rolled closed and she fell. The clone Sharra stood close behind her. a hypo in an outstretched hand.

 

"Easy, Meish." The clone Sharra said as she caught the falling nurse. "This has been a bad day. Master?"

 

"Put her to bed, Sharra." Firdlump said sadly. "She will feel better in the morning. I will monitor the carbonite process and the pod."

 

"Can you get through to the Sitolon queen, master?" Shara asked as she carried Meish's limp form to another room and laid her on a bed. She pulled the Mon Cal's footgear off and covered the limp form with a sheet. "The whole collective aboard answers to her. Get her compliance and it should all fall in line."

 

"I don't know what went wrong with the transfer. It was rushed. Direct access may be our only choice... but... It will require some delicate brain surgery." Firdlump said with a sigh. "I may be able to access Karen again, maybe not. Get Karen and the queen to the surgical ward. Make sure both are restrained and start the droids on prep. I will handle the surgery."

 

"Understood master." The clone Sharra said sadly as she left the room, dimming the lights to let the distraught Mon Cal sleep. Behind her, a form coalesced from nothing. Firdlump's face was sad.

 

"Oh Meish. Such a good soul. So young and dedicated." He reached out a slow hand to caress the sleeping amphibian's cheek. "I don't want any of my collective to hurt anymore. I hope I won't have to make you do things like that anymore." The slumbering nurse murmured in her sleep, it sounded like a plea. "Ah Meish. Sleep, rest, recuperate. I will see to Karen next. We will need her for the alterations I plan for the others."

 

He vanished from her side and reappeared in another room. This one was bare except for the surgical table in the middle and the female form secured to the table. Karen Vorkilion was covered from neck to toe in sterile sheeting, and her skull was bare. Firdlump sighed and stepped to touch her head. A silver helmet appeared on it.

 

"This won't hurt, Karen." Firdlump promised the unconscious form. "But I need a new conduit. You will download everything I need you to know, and I will be able to control your memories easily. Ah..." He grimaced. "I wish I could remove the pain of losing your son, but that is one thing that makes you such a good doctor. Kareena...lacked that. That...empathy." He paused. "What the-...? That was an odd reaction to that word." He shook his head and focused. ""I will need to check that subroutine that Maria and I set up, but later. For now..." He cupped the back of the helmet that encased Karen's head in his hands and the unconscious woman convulsed. "This will be unpleasant, but I won't let you hurt, Karen. Easy..." He crooned. "That's a good girl, a brave girl..."

 

"Papa..." Karen whispered, her tone dazed.

 

"I am here, Karen." Firdlump replied in a kind voice. "You had a bad dream, go back to sleep." Karen relaxed and Firdlump sighed. "So hurt, so wounded. And you refuse to let go of your pain. I wish I could help. Maybe... Maybe if I make you think all this was a dream? That your Eran lives? Maybe. We will see."

[kalenath]

Nia... The gently insistent voice prodded Nia out of the daze she was in. Nia please wake up. I know it's hard. The drugs are strong, but you have to wake up. I have to talk to you.

 

Who...? Nia asked in her mind, befuddled. What? Sharra? She asked as she recognized the voice.

 

Part of me. Sharra Kalenath said sadly. The only part he doesn't control. For now. That won't last so I have to do this now.

 

Oh Sharra, I am sorry. I tried to... Nia broke off. I tried...

 

I know. Sharra's voice was kind now. But you know what you have to do now.

 

No. Nia's mental voice turned horrified. Sharra I can't do that. Not to you! Not after everything else I did! I can't!

 

Nia, I am already dead. Sharra said relentlessly. You would be doping me a mercy, killing a shell. I cannot fight what they have done to me. You have to stop me. If you don't, we are doomed.

 

Then how are you talking to me? Nia asked, her reason returning. You... can't access this wavelength except through Will.

 

You can talk to machines like WIll can. I am more machine now than woman, Nia. Sharra said sadly. Twisted and evil. They took my arms and legs, hooked me up to a ventilator. If I could talk I would be talking through odd breath noises.

 

Then how? Nia asked. And why am I awake?

 

You are not awake. They hooked monitors up to your skull to make sure you were not going to die, to read the colony of nanites within you. I piggy backed in on one of those. They sedated you too. The carbonite chamber was sabotaged along with a lot of other stuff when Chari, Reekia and Leeto hit the ship. Sharra replied with a mental smile. Makes you wonder if someone 'saw' what was going to be needed. But they are fixing it. Nia, please.

 

Sharra... Nia felt grief growing deep, deep inside her body. I can't. Not now. Not after everything else I did to you, to Will, to everyone. I can't. Please Sharra, do not ask this of me.

 

Nia. Sharra Kalenath's voice turned gentle. I forgive you. We forgave you.

 

No! Nia screamed inside her mind. No! I can't accept that! I did horrible... She broke off as something seemed to slap her. Wha-?

 

Nia, hush and listen. Sharra said gently, but her tone was rock hard at the same time. If I take control of his fleets as soon as we arrive in the SItolon home system, Will is going to die. They have accessed my memories. Nia... I knew the command codes for the Stormhawk. I can't... They know everything I did, Nia. I don't know if the 'Hawk can change the codes in time, but you have to warn them. Warn Istara. I can't stop myself. You have to stop me.

 

My god... Nia calmed herself and focused her mind. When she was calm enough, she spoke slowly. Grandmaster Istara. She projected and got an immediate response on the odd wavelength that the Seven shared..

 

I am here, Nia. Istara's voice was calm and cool, if tinged by worry.

 

Grandmaster. I failed. Nia said sadly. They have me prisoner. Bob's ploy did not work.

 

Oh Nia. Istara's voice was sick now. What can I do?

 

Nothing. Nia said sadly. They will put me in carbonite soon. I don't know what will happen to my body on the homeship, but you are flying into a trap!

 

What? Istara asked quickly. Speak!

 

You and the 'Hawk are coming to the Sitolon system after Will, yes? Nia asked and then continued when she got a sense of confirmation. Firdlump took Sharra before she died and... And... Her mental voice broke off in fear and sadness. I couldn't help her...

 

Be calm, Bladeborn. Istara's voice was cool. What happened?

 

Firdlump did to her what the Islanians did to Will, Istara. They made her a cyborg computer interface. They know everything she did. Nia flinched back from the horror that Istara exuded. That includes the command codes for the Stormhawk. Tell Boss, from me, 'Code Omega'! Tell him now. Please, Istara. Nia felt something change around her and she tensed as she felt movement. They are moving me to carbonite! Please Istara!

 

I will tell him, Nia. Istara said sadly. But we are less than thirty minutes out. I don't know if that is enough time. Nia... She said as Nia's grief erupt inside her mind. What?

 

Sharra has begged me to kill her. Nia said quietly. Istara's sense withdrew a bit. Grandmaster... No. Please... Don't order me to do this... She begged.

 

I won't. Istara said slowly. I should. But I can't. I won't. I will tell Boss. Her sense winked out. Nia retreated from the shared channel the Seven used and returned to her mind.

 

Sharra. Nia's voice was very small now. It's done.

 

Good. Sharra replied Ugh. She grunted in pain. Ah.. They are trying to put me to sleep again, blasted EM projectors. Nia, please... I know you can kill with your mind. Please! Do it! Kill me!

 

I... Nia focused herself, but then relaxed. I can't Sharra. Nia said sadly. I am sorry. I just can't do it.

 

Ah... Sharra sighed. It wasn't your fault, Nia. She said gently. I need to say this now. I was wrong to say what I did, to do what I did. To threaten what I did. Know this, Now and forever. You are a Kalenath, girl and never forget that. Nia Korr Kalenath.

 

I... Nia started to say and then a wave of horrific cold hit her and she knew no more.

 

***

 

"Ah girl..." The clone Sharra said sadly as she scrutinized the readouts on the side of the carbonite slab. Vandar stood nearby, his saber in hand but not ignited. "Is that really necessary?"

 

"This is the Second of the Seven we are speaking of, Sharra." Vandar said softly, not changing his posture. "No amount of precaution is likely to be too much."

 

"Well, from what I have been told, and from what little the flash imprints from my progenitor tell me..." Sharra said slowly. "Her real body remains asleep while her avatar is out and about. And... yes... She is in perfect hibernation."

 

"Good." Vandar said with a sigh as he put his saber away. "We will move her to secure storage in a few minutes. And..." He broke off as Sharra stiffened. "What?"

 

"She was heavily sedated." Sharra asked, scrutinizing the face of the imprisoned girl. "Right?"

 

"Yes. Very heavily sedated." Vandar said uneasily. "We did not want to take any chances. Putting her in carbonite under such heavy sedation was a risk, but a warranted one. Why?"

 

In answer, Sharra pointed to Nia's face. Vandar stared and then inhaled in shock. Preserved in carbonite were two streams of fluid running from Nia's closed eyes down her face. The tough as nails young Bladeborn had been crying when the carbonite had hit her.

[kalenath]

"She was what?" Firdlump asked softly as Vandar finished his report.

 

"She was crying when the carbonite hit her." Vandar said uneasily. "She took every attack -physical and force based- that Garn and I threw at her and shrugged it off. So it wasn't pain. She was totally unconscious. No higher brain activity at all that we could detect.... And yet..." He shrugged.

 

"Something made her cry." Karen said from her place nearby. "May I examine the records we have, master?" She asked in a far cry from her usually kind tone. She was sitting in a chair and the terminal in front of her was flashing images far faster than a human could process them. Not that she was totally human anymore. The silver helmet covered her skull from the nape of her neck all the way around her head. Only her face was uncovered by machinery and that could be covered almost instantly by a visor. The rest of her body was also armored. Firdlump was taking no chances with his newest conduit. The suit was proof against almost any hand held weapons and some ordnance class ones as well.

 

"Certainly." Firdlump said sadly. "We need her. We will need to bring her back into the collective eventually. But first things first. What word from the fleet?" Karen nodded and her eyes went far away as she started to peruse the records mentally.

 

"They have scattered. They cannot detect Kalenath's ship." Vandar said quietly. "Whatever he is flying is apparently heavily stealthed, heavily armed and fast. It looked almost Islanian. We got a glimpse of it when..." He broke off and grimaced in memory.

 

"When he nuked the base." Firdlump said with a scowl. "If we didn't need that man, I would kill him gladly." He paused as Karen gasped. "Karen?"

 

"Sharra does not know where the ship came from." Karen said slowly. "But she does know that an Islanian apparently survived her people's destruction."

 

"An Islanian?" Vandar snapped. "Alive? How?"

 

"According to Sharra..." Firdlump mused as he parsed the memories that Karen had discovered. "A rebel within their race allied with the Stormhawk. That rebel, named Gaia, died of old age, but birthed a... a clone or something. Sharra was never sure about that. The young Islanian's name is Hera and apparently has been assisting the Stormhawk and the Seven for some time. We have Sharra's codes for the Stormhawk, but there are likely others that Will never told anyone about."

 

"An Islanian..." Vandar said slowly. "Might we be able to capture it? Such a prize would assist us greatly."

 

"Possible." Firdlump said slowly. "Difficult, but possible. They have to have upgraded the internal defenses since my last visit. And once they knew SHarra was ours, they had to have changed any codes she knew."

 

"IF they could..." Vandar mused. The others looked at him and he shrugged. "Will Kalenath survived everything the Empire and everyone else threw at him during the War. He survived ten years in the run with everyone hunting him. Karen? You have a defter touch than either of us in Sharra's memories. Did he and Sharra have hardwired commands built into the ship?"

 

"Yes..." Karen said slowly, her word long and drawn out. "I have some of them... But..." She broke off, thinking.

 

"But what. Doctor?" Fidlump pressed gently.

 

"Why don't you just access the information in my mind yourself?" Karen asked slowly. "Wasn't that the point of all this?" She waved a hand at her armor clad body.

 

"I can, but it is rude." Firdlump said gently. "I am trying to be polite. It's actually pragmatism." He said quickly when Karen and Vandar stared at him. "Easier to be polite than to apologize to everyone I irritate."

 

"Ah..." Karen shook her head. "Okay." She said, not entirely sure about that explanation. "Sharra does have knowledge of some hardwired commands., That is how she took control of the internal security guns from you when you infiltrated the Stormhawk to snatch Istara."

 

"Such as?" Firdlump prompted when she didn't continue. "Doctor?" He prompted her again, his tone worried.

 

"Tired." Karen said sadly. "I miss Eran. I..." She slumped in her chair as Firdlump touched the helmet of her armor.

 

"You shouldn't have told her he was alive." Vandar said in warning. "I don't care what you think, that was a mistake."

 

"Vandar." Firdlump said in mild reproof but the Jedi shook his head and stood his ground.

 

"You can discipline me later, but for right now, listen to me, please." The Jedi begged. Firdlump looked at him for a moment and then nodded. Vandar took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "Listen, mothers..." He stopped and started again., "You have said repeatedly you do not understand love. I do. Mothers love their children unless they are sick, hurt or whatever. In almost every species we know of, the mother cares deeply for her offspring. Even in Rancors, the creatures out of nightmare, the mother rancor will throw her life away to save her child. In most sentients, mothers have been known to do tremendous feats to save their offspring. Or avenge them." Vandar said sadly. "If she think you took her child from her, I don't know if even your control can hold her. We couldn't hold Istara when she thought that. Scan my mind, master. See what I know. Before she wakes again." He lowered his head and Firdlump laid a hand on it. For along moment neither of them moved, then Firdlump sighed.

 

"I... see..." He shook his head. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. I could have planned that better, but I was rushed. I put them in, I can alter her memories a bit." He laid a hand on Karen's head and slumped a little. "I wanted her happy. I am not sure why." He admitted. He stepped back as Karen sobbed a little. "Karen?"

 

"I tire easily, Master." Karen said sadly. "I will for some time until my body acclimates. I dreamed."

 

"Of what?" Vandar said gently as Firdlump looked at him imploringly.

 

"Of my son." Karen said sadly. "I want to forget his death. Can't you make me forget?" She begged. "Can you selectively remove memories?"

 

"I can wipe you completely." Firdlump said slowly. "Should I? I don't think so." Karen stared at him, tears falling and Firdlump sighed. "Memories are what make us who we are, Karen. Even me. It hurts, but you are who you are, because of what happened. Take strength from that, doctor. Take strength from the fact that with my help, no other child will suffer as yours did. We will find a cure. For now, though, Sharra needs you. Keep her awake, but docile. Use drugs and the EM projector as needed."

 

"Yes master." Karen said as she rose and left the room.

 

"Vandar, I need you on the bridge in case we can talk to anyone." Firdlump said soberly. Vandar nodded and left without a sound. "As for the rest? Slave collars are crude, but will serve to keep the lesser Sitolon in line for now. And as for our recalcitrant queen..." He vanished from the room and reappeared in a surgical suite. "Good morning Maria."

 

"My name is Mari!" The restrained Sitolon snapped. She couldn't do anything more. She was strapped down to the surgical table as droids hovered close to her quivering form. Patches of her head and abdomen had been cleaned in preparation for surgery.

 

"You can end this, Maria." Firdlump said evenly as he stepped closer to the table. "Talk to Sarai, ask her to return to the homeworld. The system will be secure shortly."

 

"No." The queen snapped. "Won't...Ah! No!" She screamed as a small saw started to cut her chitin.

 

"Don't try. I deadened your pain receptors. I am not heartless. In a few minutes, you will not be able to resist my commands." Firdlump said sadly. "I don't want to implant you. It is inefficient."

 

"You are evil!" Mari snapped. "No! Won't let you..."

 

"You can't suicide either." Firdlump said mildly as an array of needles swung close to the queen, aiming for the area on Mari's abdomen where a patch of chitin had been sawn and now was being removed by a waldo. "The brain implants are in and working. Now for the rest."

 

"What are you...?" Mari asked as the array swung over her abdomen. Then she screamed. "No! Don't!" She screamed as the array aimed at her reproductive organs. "Don't impregnate me!"

 

"Don't worry, Maria." Firdlump said gently as the needles sank deep into the Sitolon's flesh and injected their payloads into her reproductive sacs. "You are going to be too busy tending your new young to have time to rebel. Not that you can with the obedience implants perfected. The shock collar that you will wear will simply be... further incentive." He said gently as the queen started to shudder in grief. "Sleep now, slave. When you wake, you will be on the planet and helping to rebuild." The queen shuddered into sleep and Firdlump sighed. "One more..."

 

When he reappeared in another chamber, Mercedes Brun was screaming. The captain was seated in a heavily built chair that was the only furniture in the small room. Medical monitors and IV lines were the only clothing that the woman wore. The woman's head was encased in a bell shaped device and she was fighting the programming.

 

"Enough, Captain." Firdlump said mildly. "We don't have time to bring you in gently again. We need you. I will be as gentle as I can. Assuming direct control." The screams cut off as Firdlump vanished. Then the brainwashing device retracted, the monitor lines snapped loose and retracted. The restraints also retracted and the woman in the chair calmly turned off the IV drip, then pulled the line out before placing a sterile bandage over the spot it had been in. "Much better." Mercedes Brun said in a quiet voice. "You will sleep, Captain, until I don't need this body anymore. And..." A Republic uniform appeared on the woman's body as she rose and started for the door. "Better get to the bridge. We arrive momentarily."

[kalenath]

The captain's body strode onto the bridge to find it quiet. All of the crew, of course, were in lockdown until they could be adjusted. Kirina sat at one console, the implants in her skull allowing her to access the machinery with skill and speed that any tech would envy. Vandar stood near her, his expression serene. Other than that, the bridge was empty. But every screen flashed, and at every console controls were manipulated. It was an awe inspiring scene of power.

 

"I have control." Firdlump's voice sounded from Mercedes mouth as Vandar looked that way.

 

"You think it will help?" Vandar asked softly. Not that he needed to shout. The barest whisper sang in the collective as tense as everyone was. "Kalenath loves her too."

 

"No." The Captain said in her normal voice, but it wasn't Captain Brun behind the woman's eyes. "We have one other sleeper agent if all else fails." Vandar looked at the Captain and the Captain shrugged. "A secret is only as good as the people keeping it. No one but Menglan and I knew of this agent."

 

"It better be a good one." Vandar said uneasily as the screens lit up with an alert. "Here comes the Stormhawk." The renegade Republic battlecruiser decelerated from hyperspace and immediately vanished from sensor. But only for a moment. "Code imput." The plot changed. Now it showed the incredibly powerful ship approaching on an attack vector. "Very nice. Their cloaking systems are reading our sensors as friendly fighter systems. They cannot hide from us."

 

"Unless they change something. Order the fleet to converge at these coordinates." Firdlump said in Captain Brun's voice. "All ships, go to active sensor." No acknowledgement was made, but suddenly space around the four Republic battlewagons came alive with energy as active sensor systems searched for enemies. "We don't want the Stormhawk to know their stealth is compromised. Not...yet... The Imperious does not have the upgraded plating yet. This ship is vulnerable to plasma fire, their main gun would incinerate this ship with a single shot. Any sign of Kalenath?"

 

"He is here." Kirina replied woodenly. "Courageous reports damage on multiple decks. Both other ships have run into stealthed mines. Minimal damage."

 

"He is focusing on the Courageous?" Firdlump mused. "Karen? What are Sharra's thoughts?"

 

"Sharra believes he has focused his rage on the ship you commanded." Karen said slowly through the collective. "That may tunnel his vision, but then again, it may not. She is not sure."

 

"If we cannot see him, can we stop him?" Vandar asked softly. "We cannot disable his stealth the way we disabled the Stormhawk's."

 

"Yes." Firdlump said evenly. "The swarm is in place. Two objects cannot be in the same place in the same time in this reality. Even a stealthed ship will displace objects if -when- it travels through the swarm. If we are lucky, it will also drag some nanites along with it. Once all our ships are at those coordinates, the other three ships will move to block the Imperious from the main gun of the Stormhawk. The nanite swarm will allow us some advance warning when Kalenath attacks. And with a little luck, we can get a colony onto his ship. If they can get onto his ship, they can disable it."

 

"And if they can't?" Vandar asked slowly.

 

"Then we use the nanite tracks and Sharra's memory of his favored tactics to blow him out of the sky." Firdlump said quiet finality. "Yes, we will lose our track on the First of the Seven, but how many more must we lose?" He shook his head and turned back to the plot, then paused. "That is...odd."

 

"What is?" Vandar asked softly. His intent was on the screen, as if by sheer force of will he could divine the danger lurking in the deep blackness, waiting to strike.

 

"At this range..." Firdlump mused. "I should be able to sense my agent on the Stormhawk by now. She is totally a sleeper, unaware of any oddities in her life. I have stayed out of contact, worried if I do take control of her, it will be detected, wasted effort."

 

"What is her job?" Vandar asked softly, watching the icon that designated the Stormhawk approach slowly. "You know their level of paranoia."

 

"She is a weapons tech." Firdlump replied. "I thought Special Branch had killed her when they tried to snatch Nia on Alderaan after Nia infiltrated the Special Forces base there. I was wrong. Nia saved her."

 

"You are not saying..." Vandar said, shocked.

 

"I knew that Hala Shinn would be important." Firdlump said with a sigh. "Mace Shinn's last living kin after all, a potent weapon against Stormhawk Boss. So I had some orders cut and had Menglan work on her for a night or two. We implanted her with a few subconscious commands. No nanites, and no obvious implants. I also made a clone of her when she wound up on the Stormhawk, to hedge my bets."

 

"Hala is your agent?" Vnadar asled incredulously. The Captain's head nodded and Vandar shook his. "That was... either genius or insanity. I am not sure which."

 

"I was hedging my bets." Firdlump said with a shrug of the woman he possessed's shoulders. "Any control we might have over Stormhawk Boss cannot help but be a good thing."

 

"Master..." Karen said slowly. "According to Sharra's memories, Hala Shinn is Stormhawk Boss."

 

"What?" Firdlump snapped. "I knew the being within the armor was female, that was clear from the basic suit telemetry I could access for all the crew. The catheter readings were distinctively female. But the computer records were all numbers, no names. I didn't have a lot of time when I was in their systems. How did that happen? And why didn't we know this before?" He turned Mercedes' head to glare at Vandar who shrugged.

 

"She was asked to take the place of the last one who wore the armor when that female died of cancer... Apparently new people take up the armor when Stormhawk Boss is killed." Karen said slowly. "An odd pattern, but... She nodded. "A symbol cannot be killed, an idea is hard to poison or torture to death."

 

"I..." Firdlump mused. "See... Hard to pull off, but possible. Wow. We need these people. They are exactly the kinds of people we will need to bring my plan to fruition. Tough, dedicated and sneaky."

 

"They keep secrets well." Vandar replied evenly. "I stood right beside Stormhawk Boss once and didn't know it wasn't a man in the armor."

 

"Force dampeners?" Firdlump asked curiously. "Odd... Well... Anyway. Maybe we will find out shortly if we can take the ship intact. I cannot sense the other Hala. I should be able to. They are only fifty klicks away. I should be sensing her now. And I don't. They are right there."

 

"Are they?" Vandar said, stiffening. "Are they indeed?"

 

"Vandar?" Firdlump asked.

 

"I am not sensing any life in that area." Vandar said slowly. "None. I wouldn't be able to detect minds, or influence them at this range. But life? That is far harder to hide. And I am not picking up any."

 

"Their stealth?" Firdlump asked Karen who bent over her console again, parsing Sharra's memories. "Or some kind of shielding? Maybe something Islanian? They had a lot of odd tricks." He paused his musing as Karen inhaled in shock. "Karen?"

 

"Sharra managed to speak with Nia before Nia was put into carbonite." Karen said slowly. "That is why Nia was crying. Sharra begged the girl to kill her. Nia couldn't. She... Oh..." Tears were falling down the doctor's face now. "Sharra forgave her. Nia couldn't accept that. Sharra said that Nia was Nia Korr Kalenath and always would be."

 

"Poor kid..." Vandar said slowly. "So hurt. Her matriarch dying and her patriarch about to die. We have to find a way to ease her back into the collective, help her through this."

 

"That kid is a Bladeborn, Vandar." Firdlump corrected as he followed Karen's life of thought, parsing other avenues of memory. "She defines dangerous. Ah, what is this? Sharra asked Nia to warn Istara... who is on the Stormhawk! They knew we knew they were coming!" The entire collective rocked on its axis in fear. "That must a be a drone of some kind. Kill it, now! All sensors to maximum, broadcast the control codes, every hardwired code Sharra knew except the destruct ones. Find them!" His voice didn't change pitch or volume, just scaled in intensity.

 

The Imperious rumbled as her main guns fired. The range was long, but the target was not moving fast or maneuvering hard. The turrets, intended for closer in defense, remained silent as the ship's forward guns spat coherent death at the distant enemy. A distant puff of fire and debris was gone quickly.

 

"Any sign?" Firdlump said when the image vanished. "Are they here?"

 

"They must be. We saw them decelerate from hyperspace. Nothing yet." Kirina said from her post. "Wait, faint trace at mark thirty four, range seventy five. Odd angle sensor return. This is..." She paused, unsure. "This not like any readings of the Stormhawk we have scanned in the past."

 

"Let me see." Firdlump said slowly. As he mused, the captain's head swung from side to side in time with his voice. "Hmm... According to Sharra's memories, the ship has not undergone any massive external refits. So what is all this... chaff?" He said unsure. "Small objects moving away from the ship at high speed?"

 

"Escape pods?" Vandar asked slowly. "If they knew we had Sharra's codes... Master!" He snapped as the plot changed and nuclear fire blossomed close at hand. The massive starship rocked as a baradium fission device detonated in close proximity. "Nuke! Close! Damage reports collating!" Vandar called. "All ships report close attacks. Some kind of mines, undetectable to our sensors." The Jedi shook his head. "Shields held, no damage."

 

"Where is he?" Firdlump demanded. "He has to be close... wait..." He paused. "That wasn't a direct hit. If that had hit us directly, as weak as our shields are, we would have been vaporized."

 

"He doesn't know if Sharra is alive or not." Vandar said slowly. "If he knew for sure..."

 

"If she was dead, we would be." Firdlump said, calming. "That was a warning shot. A wake up call. Slow us. See if we can draw him in, maybe allow the nanite swarm to find him."

 

"If he boards..." Vandar said cautiously. "We don't have nearly the forces to stop him."

 

"With Sharra's help, I will handle it." Firdlump said with a snarl. "If he dares to..." He broke off as an alarm wailed.

 

"Courageous reports a hull breach!" Vandar called. "Sector five B! Ah!" He cried out as death rang through the collective. "He is aboard the Courageous!"

 

"I am on it." Mercedes body smiled evilly and then collapsed in a heap.

Edited September 18, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

<Battleship Courageous, maintenance deck>

 

Firdlump's human appearing forma materialized in a scene of death. Techs and soldiers lay sprawled all around. None had weapons in hand. He sighed as he touched one still form. The slainw oman didn't even twitch.

 

"HC-6 nerve gas?" Firdlump said sadly. "Really?" HC-6 was a paralytic agent, deadly in heavy concentrations or if the subject was exposed for any length of time, but fairly easy to counter with the proper methods, which Firdlump had. He shook his head and sighed again. "Pathetic." He touched the woman again and she coughed. She shuddered a little and looked up at Firdlump with scared eyes. "Easy tech Caiona. You are okay. Let me see to the others."

 

"He..." The tech gasped. "He was..."

 

"I know." Firdlump said sadly. "He is out of control."

 

"Am I?" A cold voice sounded from nowhere. "Am I really?" The tech quailed and then, at a gesture from Firdlump, scuttled to another still form and touched it. That male gasped as well, started to rise and then sank back. Both moved cautiously to help the others. But then two shots sounded in quick succession and both went down screaming, clutching shattered knees. "Now, now, don't be hasty..." The hidden voice purred. "I haven't begun to hurt you scum yet." The unseen voice said in a humorous and scary tone.

 

"Will Kalenath, there is no need for this." Firdlump said heavily. "Your wife lives."

 

"Does she?" The voice sounded disinterested now. "Does she really?"

 

"She was dying." Firdlump said gently. "We saved her."

 

"Did you indeed?" The cold, hard voice asked. "Is that what you did? Really? Out of the goodness of your heart of course." The sarcasm in the tone could have cut through an armored bulkhead.

 

"No, we needed her." Firdlump said sadly. "And it was the only way to get the information we needed without killing her. Accessing her mind, even in the collective, would have stressed her too badly. We put her on full support. She lives."

 

"Ah." The voice sounded amused now. "And I should just 'trust' what you say."

 

"No Will." A new voice sounded from a hidden speaker. Sharra Kalenath's voice was sad and sick. "I... I am alive. Sort of."

 

"Sharra." The voice sounded different for a moment and Firdlump let himself hope. But then it hardened. Again. "Nice lie, slimeball." A shot rang out and the female tech catapulted to the ground, a hole in her head.

 

"No!" Firdlump started forward, only to pause as more shots came. Each and every one targeting a still form. "No! Stop!" Firdlump begged as the unseen shooter killed each and every form in Republic uniform in sight. "Enough!" Firdlump snapped as he summoned nanites. The walls came alive, the masses of microscopic machines moving protectively over each still form, sweeping, searching and finding...nothing. "This is not possible..." Firdlump said as he laid hand on the closest tech. The horrific wound on the Bothan's skull closed and in moments he jerked under Firdlump's hand. "Easy Tech, I need to see to everyone else."

 

"Master..." The tech said slowly. "What is he doing? We were not fighting. We tried to surrender..." The male said, almost in tears.

 

"Surrender?" The cold voice came again. Firdlump paused, that was from a speaker! He spun, trying to trace the signal, but it was gone. Another speaker hummed alive. "Why would I take surrenders from any of your idiotic pawns?"

 

"I want to end this, Will Kalenath." Firdlump said heavily. "I... have made mistakes. I know this."

 

"Will..." Sharra's voice came again. "Stop, please. Please." She begged.

 

For a moment, nothing happened and Firdlump let himself hope again. Then an evil laugh came from yet another speaker.

 

"Why?" The voice was mocking now. "This is what they wanted me to be, Sharra, if Sharra you really are. Death incarnate. You made me what I am Firdlump." Will Kalenath's voice was merry now. "You made me this. You sowed the seeds of madness, of anger, of hate. Now reap what you have sown." Firdlump did not even have time to think as a ticking thermal detonator came flying out of nowhere. He reacted, grabbing the detonator in a mass of nanites, pulling it into himself, trying to still the reaction within. He couldn't. Not entirely, but he could dampen it. The explosion was still significant, but none of the techs and soldiers who were moving now were more than singed. "Well, well, well..." The voice of the unseen soldier actually sounded impressed. "Now that isn't something you see every day. A politician throwing himself on a thermal for soldiers."

 

"Will Kalenath..." Firdlump cast out his nanites again. The man had to be close to lob a thermal like that. Then he changed tactics, sending a mass of nanites toward where the hull breach had occurred. If he could find and neutralize the man's ship... "Your wife lives. For now. We cannot keep her alive forever, even as she is."

 

"No?" The unseen voice asked snidely. "Why not? You did to her what the Islanians did to me after all. They could have kept me going for thousands of years. Why can't you? When you captured that STORM Phantom named Mission, you stole Islanian tech after all." The voice laughed when Firdlump flinched. "And you think what we do not communicate...? Firdlump, Firdlump... You are an idiot. Did you really think I was just going to let you enslave my wife the way the Islanians enslaved me?"

 

"There is too much neural damage, Will Kalenath." Firdlump said with a sad sigh. "Even with nanites, we cannot keep her alive much longer. We are working on alternatives. We had no idea how badly she had been hurt. We...We didn't know. But we had to stop you."

 

"And your point is?" The hidden man asked calmly.

 

"I was wrong." Frdlump snapped. "I did wrong! I was...sliced. I was supposed to facilitate communication, but somehow the commands that made me up were corrupted. I thought I needed control. I don't. This is not needed, Will Kalenath. Please... Let me undo the mistakes I have made."

 

"Wow. You are a master liar." The soldier replied. "You actually had me almost believing you had empathy there for a moment."

 

"Empathy, pragmatism..." Firdlump said with a shrug. "Doesn't matter. In the end, it will cost less for me to stop this than to fight. So I want to stop it. We can end this, end the horror, the pain. All I want to do is rebuild the Sitolon race and homeworld. Even if you have sensed nothing else, you have likely sensed that most of the nanites are still rebuilding the world. The world is ready for repopulation. I just need to end this and I can...rest."

 

"Well..." The soldier said musing. Then he laughed mockingly. "Too bad. I want to fight." A shot rang out and another tech screamed in anguish as the round hit him, erupting in fire. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. The nanites rushed to assist, but were stymied for a moment as the incendiary compound did not extinguish readily. The man continued to scream as smoke poured from holes in his body.

 

"White phosphorus and magnesium, you evil man." Firdlump said with a scowl as he identified the problem. The phosphorus burned on contact with oxygen and the magnesium would not extinguish. The nanites around the tech worked to quickly remove the incendiary compounds from the screaming man's body. "He isn't a soldier! He isn't even in armor! How can you possibly justify that?"

 

"Justify?" The unseen man laughed. "I don't need to justify anything! It was fun. I am so going to enjoy this..."

 

"Run!" FIrdlump screamed at the techs who goggled at him before taking to their heels.

 

"Oh no you don't!" An irate voice shouted. Firdlump froze in shock as a fully armored human form simply appeared nearby, a rifle in hand. The black armored form threw something at a group of techs clogging a hatch and they all stiffened into immobility as the carbonite grenade froze them in place. It wouldn't last but... Another object flew. This one was... hissing! Plasma grenade! It erupted in the midst of the techs and they screamed in the collective as fire seared all of them. Firdlump sent nanites to help them and...

 

"No!" Firldump cried as Kalenath aimed at another running tech, A line shot from the man's rifle and pulled the tech back. A vicious blow from the stock of the man's rifle threw the broken form of the human to the floor. He was alive, but his spine was shattered by the close range attack... Firdlump froze. He could stop Kalenath or save the members of the collective. Not both.

 

"Will!" Sharra's voice pleaded. "Stop! Please!" She begged as he vanished again, only to appear, running flat out towards another tech who was clawing at hatch controls. "No!" Will's wife screamed as the soldier slammed into the Bothan and threw him to the floor. A quick snick and a blade appeared on Will's gauntlet. Quick as thought, it was buried deep in the unarmored form's gut. The Bothan collapsed, holding a seeping wound on his abdomen as the soldier vanished again. "Don't make me do this..." Sharra begged.

 

"Flarg...!" Will shot at another tech, this one the first female that Firdlump had encountered. She screamed in pain as an arc of electricity touched her from the muzzle of his rifle, then she collapsed to the ground, jerking as repeated shocks hit her. "You...!" He turned back to Firdlump and his rifle swung in an arc, particle streams flying from it in an arc. "And the cat you rode in on!"

 

"8410-4!" Firdlump snapped as the two soldiers who had managed to recover from the nerve gas went down in screaming heaps in front of him. Nothing now stood between the master of the collective and the insane man in black armor. The nanites surged to place themselves between them and then fell back as power arced from the soldier's body in odd waves. Every time that power touched the nanites, they fell, deactivated temporarily. "Stop him!"

 

"I am sorry Will..." Sharra was crying as power arced from the walls, guided by the intelligence they had controlling the ship now. As interconnected as the entire ship was, it was a trivial matter to reroute power junctions to deliver the entire amount of power from one of the reactors through the deckplates and walls of the corridor they stood in. The power available was...considerable. An agonized scream was heard for a moment before the power cut off. When the arcs vanished, a smoking form in black armor lay on the deck. "Will! Will talk to me..." Sharra begged.

 

"Damn it." Firdlump said sadly as he started for the man in armor. "Of all the stupid,.. stubborn..." All around him, nanties were at work, healing the hurt, repairing injuries, easing pain. Then everything stopped as Will rolled to the side, and cast off his helmet. He vomited, and then turned his face to Firdlump, who gasped. The soldier's face was a mass of burns.

 

"It. Won't. Be. That. Easy..." He said in a machine like tone. "You son of a barve!"

 

"You..." Firdlump slowly shook his head as he saw the burns on the man healing. "You use the nanites within you. We..." The master of the collective shook his head, not approaching. "We could do so much. Just relax, let us take care of you. Let us help you."

 

"No." The soldier said snidely as he rolled for his rifle. A loud hum sounded and the gravity in the area suddenly altered. Screams came from all around as the normal one Coruscant equivalent gravity pressure that held beings to the deck of the starship suddenly changed to four times the normal gravity on the street levels of Coruscant.. Everyone besides Firdlump was suddenly mashed to the deck. The soldier screamed in pain and frustration as he struggled to reach his rifle. Bones cracked and broke audibly from his straining.

 

"If you are going to do something, Master..." Sharra said sadly. "Do it now. I can't... He is taking local control of the gravity plates... I have to..." She broke off and gave a small cry. "I can't hold him out! He is too strong!"

 

"I will." Firdlump said sadly as he threw a small cluster of nanites. They hit the floor and travelled quickly despite the enhanced gravity until they reached the struggling soldier's exposed neck. Then they showed what they carried. A hypo. A pfft sound and a tranquilizer dose more suited to an enraged Rancor than a human drove into the struggling man's exposed neck. "Sleep Will. The game is over. Checkmate."

 

"Denied!" Will screamed as the drug coursed into his system. Then he shuddered and went still.

Edited September 19, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

"Holy... crap..." Firdlump said as he looked around at the carnage around him. Many of the troops lay still in death, others writhed in agony. "Sharra, reset local gravity to let medics in."

 

"Call me what I am. Order me to do whatever the hell you want!" Sharra Kalenath said with a snarl. "A slave. A thing. A monster. Like you!" She screamed.

 

"Sharra, please..." Firdlump said hastily. "Don't make me ask Karen to sedate you again."

 

"Go ahead! Make me fuzzy with that damned EM projector again! Make me so fuzzy I can't think straight. That I can't remember what you just made me do!" She sobbed. "That you just made me kill the man I love!"

 

"He is not dead, Sharra." Firdlump said as he watched the unconscious soldier's chest rise and fall. "Come on! Don't make me ask Karen to take control from you."

 

"Karen is busy!" Sharra snarled in reply. "Knocking out the Stormhawk crew in the escape pods so you can enslave them! You son of a barve! Not enough to take my family. Now you want my friends too?"

 

"Sharra..." Firdlump sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Sleep. When you wake, the horrors you endured will only be a memory." He felt her mind fade as the EM projector soothed her brain into slumber. He shook his head. "Gravity..." The hum of the gravity generators declined in pitch as they resumed normal operations. "Medics. Now."

 

A host of white garbed beings came running and started tending the fallen. One moved towards the slumped form in black armor but stopped when Firdlump shook his head.

 

"Stay back." Firldump warned the male Devonarian. "Scan him as best you can. Do not get close to him."

 

"Ah..." The nurse muttered and started scanning. "Oh my...Can't get a good reading on him, but just from looking." The horned being said slowly. "Broken leg, broken pelvis, and..." He shook his head as his scanner beeped. "Possible broken cervical vertebrae."

 

"A broken neck..." Firdlump said, horrified. Nanites surrounded the hurt soldier now, immobilizing the broken bones in sheathes moving metal. "How? He didn't land badly. And he wasn't able to move!"

 

"He..." The nurse shook his head. "Master, he will need major care. Now. Or he is going to die."

 

"We can't." Firdlump said slowly. "We don't have the facilities aboard to secure him..." He blanched as an alarm wailed. Radiation warning! "He planted a nuke! I'll find it! Don't touch him!" He winked out leaving the nurse to stare at the unconscious soldier.

 

"You are one evil human, Will Kalenath..." The nurse said as he bent over the still form of a soldier in Imperial armor. The collective didn't care where people had come from, just that they served. "So many dead, and for what? To prove how evil you are?"

 

"No." A soft, cold voice answered him and the nurse froze. He looked up to see the soldier looking at him. "Because I can. Because you and your scum hurt my family, Firdlump. I only react one way to that."

 

"I am not the master..." The nurse said slowly, his hands in plain view. The soldier was hurt, unarmed and obviously not going to be able to move. So why was everyone in the collective suddenly terrified? "I am a medic, my name is..." He broke off as Kalenath laughed sourly.

 

"I don't care what your name is, slave." Will Kalenath said soberly. "Doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."

 

"Where is it, Kalenath?" Firdlump snapped as her reappeared beside the scared nurse. "Where is the bomb? The radiation detectors are going nuts. It is on this deck somewhere. Where?" He demanded.

 

"Ask nicely." Kalenath said in a mild voice.

 

"Very well." Firdlump said with a sigh. "Please. Where is the bomb you have hidden aboard?"

 

"Since you ask so nicely..." Will said quietly. "Flarg you." He said brightly. "Kill me if you can. Brainwash me if you dare, but stop boring me with your pathetic attempts to pretend to be a nice guy. It's over." He said with a sigh. "It's finally over..." He slumped in place. "I can finally rest."

 

"I cannot allow you to destroy this ship." Firdlump said sadly. "If I have to tear you apart by pieces to get the answers I need I will. I cannot turn you, not with the traps that I know Bob put in your mind. But I don't have to. Medic, give me your bonesaw."

 

"Ah... Master..." The medic paled, but then nodded and pulled a small surgical saw out of his pack and looked at it. "I can do it, Master."

 

"No, Frilio." Firdlump said with a sigh as he took the small medical device. "Help the others. I will do it. I have the medical database. I won't kill him." He glared at the supine soldier. "No matter how much he deserves it." He bent close to the soldier and nodded as the man's silver armor vanished. "Interesting. So... A finger or a toe?"

 

"Do your worst, moron." Will said with a maniacal smile. "Nothing you do to me can compare to what you have done to me and my family."

 

"I don't want to hurt you, Will." Firdlumps aid sadly. "But I cannot let you vaporize any more of my collective." He brought the saw down with an efficient motion, cutting deep into the soldier's foot. Then he paused. What the-...?" There was no blood!

 

"Got you again, idiot!" Will said with a smile. "And... activated..."

 

"No!" Firdlump screamed as the man in front of him...morphed. Suddenly he was staring at a droid of some kind. A droid with an odd, shifting covering. And a large, glowing object embedded in it's chest. He grabbed for the small baradium fission device. "No!" He repeated as the entire collective rocked in fear.

 

"Maybe you can stop the bomb." Will's voice was obviously not coming from the droid now. "Maybe you can't. I don't care!"

 

Firdlump wrestled with the unfamiliar control sequences for a long time in electronic terms, maybe twenty seconds as the timer on the device ticked down. Then, he grasped part of the device. A squeal of tortured metal was heard. He pulled it free and threw it away from the droid. As he did, it exploded in a small puff.

 

"No trigger, no explosion." Firdlump said with a sigh as the collective relaxed a little. Then he jerked back as the droid smiled at him and melted! "What the-...?" He exclaimed and tried to stop the self destruct,, but in moments, there was nothing to recover except an odd goo. "How in the...?"

 

"Master..." Karen's subdued voice came from the intercom. "Escape pods have all be tractored in and subjected to stun force weaponry. All occupants unconscious..." She broke off unsure. "Sharra's memories say that was a Life Model Droid, one of three Will had made as decoys and kamikaze drones. They cannot be duplicated, fortunately or unfortunately. They used the last of some kind of odd substance that Emily and Dargon Darkstorm found. He used the second to last one on Korriban when he went after Ravishaw's cloning facility there. All have been destroyed now. I didn't... I didn't think about it. We had him."

 

"The nanites report a ship anchored to the hull, but... empty...And..." A rumble was felt and Firdlump sighed. "It just self destructed." Firdlump said, somewhat dazed by all this. "It is a drone. He commanded that ship and the droid via remote from wherever he was. With the access to the nanite network, he could have been anywhere...no..." He mused. "He was injured, badly. He couldn't have gone far." He sighed. "This has gone on long enough. Vandar, destroy the Stormhawk."

 

"Master?" Vandar asked incredulous. "I mean... They have the only samples of the Dragon cloning apparatus..."

 

"Sharra's memories say it has all been destroyed." Firdlump said sadly. "By the Dragons apparently. Kalenath is likely aboard the Stormhawk. The Seven are ours. Istara was in one of the pods and is unconscious. Sara Kaleanth was found with her. And.." His smile turned vicious. "Ravishaw was aboard as well. We got them all."

 

"Very well, master." Vandar said sadly. "Pity. Whatthe-?" He snapped. "That is not possible. Gunnery! Fire on the last known position! Now!"

 

"What is..." Firdlump asked and then paled as he parsed what had just happened. The Stormhawk had vanished from sensor again. This time, even the codes that they had from Sharra were not detecting it. "Fire everything! Full spread! Take it out! Kalenath has to be aboard!"

 

The Courageous rumbled as its weapons fired. A blossom of fire and debris was seen, but it dissipated quickly. It was far too little to be a ship.

 

"Oh dear..." Firdlump said as the increasing fire that the four battleships were putting out hit nothing. "We are in trouble. We better get some contingency plans in motion. Karen..."

 

"Right." Karen replied sadly. "I will do it."

 

***

 

"Nia... Come on, Nia. Wake up girl..." The gentle voice was worried and pulled Nia out of her haze. She opened her eyes, but saw nothing. "You have hibernation sickness, Nia. It will pass. Easy girl. The carbonite burned the tears into your face, I need to treat that."

 

"No..." Nia slurred, writhing away from the gentle hands that were soothing her hurting muscles. Something was slathered on the burning that arced across her face and it eased a bit. "No..." She begged as the hands held her down gently.

 

"it's okay, Nia." The gentle voice soothed. "It will be okay. Up the EM to level three, keep her calm while we get the collar on..." Nia jerked as something pummeled her brain. It didn't hurt, but she convulsed as the energy played across her nerve endings. "Damn it! She is resistant! Level four! Now!"

 

Something hit Nia's brain with the subtlety of a speeder train. She jerked one more time and lay still. It was all she could do. A gentle hand traced her brow. The female voice turned sad now.

 

"This will sting, but it won't hurt, Nia." The sad voice proclaimed. "We won't let you hurt." Nia tried to speak as something cold was pressed to the back of her neck. She tried to scream as something pinched her hard and then blessed numbness spread from the back of her neck. "Spinal shunt in place. We have control. And she didn't explode so they only react to other nanites. Surgical procedures should work. Hook her up."

 

"No..." Nia begged, but then an overpowering sense of pleasure hit her and she screamed loud and long. "No! Not the collective! Not again!"

 

"It's okay Nia. I am not putting you in the collective." The voice of the master of the collective came. "It will be okay." Was it a loud or in her skull? "I found a better way. Karen is implementing it now."

 

"Never!" Nia screamed as she tried to writhe, tried to fight, tried to do anything. Her body would not obey her commands. "I won't help you!" She screamed as something covered her nose and mouth and sweet smelling gas flowed. She relaxed against her will.

 

"Yes, you will." Firdlump said sadly. "Begin download." Cold things pressed against Nia's skull in three places ad she screamed as alien thoughts seeped into her skull. "We are not going to hurt you, Nia. But in a few hours, you will be a part of me. As well as Istara, Sara and even that traitor Ravishaw. Not the collective, Nia. Me. The EM projector lulled your nanite colony to sleep and I took control. The nanites within you now serve me. As will you. Karen, replace her implants with the full package. I want her ready to help with the others within the hour."

 

"Yes master." The gentle voice from before sounded nearby as a saw started to whir.

 

"No!" Nia screamed again as darkness came for her.

 

It's okay, Nia. The gentle voice of Karen came into her head unbidden. We will welcome you. And we will use your memories to help assimilate the others gently. You will help us ensure that no one else will be hurt. Be proud, sister. The new era begins with you.

 

Nia fell into the hungry darkness within her mind screaming.

Edited September 20, 2012 by kalenath

[kalenath]

((Uh...oh... Didn't the prophecy say something about the Second falling into her inner darkness? Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might have to try to explain love to a machine. Good luck.)) Edited September 20, 2012 by kalenath