Trouble, Destiny and Other Complications

[frauzet]

Well worth the wait Poor Thorns for what he had to endure. He's a clever one though. I'm glad he took out his mark, that Fraabaal woman was one of the more annoying ones you come across. She ranks right up there with Thana, and the daughter of that scientist that gives you the security pass to Grathan's at the DK cantina. Really enjoyed it, love Thorns! <3

On my first playthrough of Thorns I managed to get to Alderaan without one Dark Side decision. I think Frabaal's daughter only survived, because Mako was there. This time she hadn't this advantage.

And thank you for making my day! <3

 

________________________

 

Meanwhile on Coruscant

 

 

Arkeo opened his eyes to the familiar fog. “How are you?”

 

“Good. Excited,” Iolith said. Her fidgeting told him the same. He took it as a compliment she let him see it. “Do you have news for me?”

 

“I went back to the bank and checked. Someone opened an account in your mother’s name.”

 

Her hands squeezed his harder than before. “How much money was in the account?” She bit her lip as she waited for his answer.

 

Arkeo felt a line appear between his brows. “That’s the second time you asked me to nudge non-involved people’s minds to accept I have the authorization to do things which I have absolutely no business doing. You realize this is immoral?”

 

“You did do it, though, didn’t you?” She tilted her head, changing the angle from which she looked at him. “This was your business, after all. My mother’s dead, as is the rest of my family. It’s de facto my account, and I asked you to help. We could have even been able to do this the official way, if I could be sure there are no spies here in this facility. Alas, there most certainly are.”

 

They had discussed this. Arkeo faced the impossibility to tell if her paranoia was based on facts. He massaged the line from his forehead. She had no idea what she had asked of him; how much this cost him. Despite his promise to keep this all confidential he would have talked to his master. Only his master’s condition had aggravated. He was on the verge of losing Master Yuon. The situation left him with hardly any time to deal with Iolith. He wanted to help the Imperial, but he was also aware that she was a master manipulator. Had she manipulated him? He couldn’t deny the stress he was under. It might have rendered him incapable of evaluating their position. The cipher he had sent could have meant anything. With forefinger and thumb he applied some pressure to the bridge of his nose before he shook his head slightly to get rid of the unwelcome thought. No! There is no emotion, there is peace. He trusted his own feeling, he trusted the vibes in the Force, and he trusted Iolith in this.

 

Iolith misinterpreted the shake of his head. Her smile faded. Her shoulders dropped. “I am sorry. It was selfish of me to ask.” She looked down at her hands which she had folded in her lap and sighed. “Even though you didn’t say anything, I can tell you’re having a bad time. You don’t need my problems on top. The message you sent will do. I will give the SIS any additional information that might help to find the Republic soldiers. With a little bit of luck you’ll soon be rid of me.”

 

To be rid of her. For some reason the thought made his stomach clench. He liked Iolith, despite the fact that he hardly knew her. Their shared experience had left a delicate bond between them. He didn’t want her to go back to the Empire. The black wall inside her mind hid something dangerous; something that waited for her back home. He suppressed a sigh. “3200 credits,” Arkeo said, “that’s the amount in deposit.”

 

Iolith’s head jerked back up. “3200?” Her expression blanked.

 

Arkeo reclaimed her hands. “This isn’t what you had hoped for! It certainly isn’t much money.”

 

Iolith sighed. “It isn’t. And yes, it isn’t much, but I had hoped for less.” She hesitated, then shrugged. “It’s a code. Regarding my possible husband.”

 

“Will you tell me what it means? Whom you have been contacting?”

 

“The message was for an ally to contact the man who would have been the father in law of my late sister. I wanted to let him know I was still interested in consolidating the alliance of our houses by marriage. House Ignis has an impressive bloodline, wealth, and influence. With Lord Ignis’ protection my position would be conceivably safe.”

 

Arkeo nodded. He hadn’t needed a vision to know her destiny didn’t concur with his. “So you want to marry his son in your sister’s stead.”

 

Iolith rolled her eyes. “His son? You have no idea. He’d never marry his son off to a Force-blind. No, not Lord Ignis. He’s offering the second child of a minor cousin of his. A man with little to no influence of his own, and next to no chance to inherit anything significant. I’ll have his protection though. Houses Ignis and Zairos have been allies for generations. Lord Ignis will honor any contract we make. I won’t have to live in constant fear of being killed by my own husband.”

 

He’d always suspected that some stories about Sith were over-exaggerated. Casual remarks by Iolith such like this one made him rethink his assessment. She seemed to count herself lucky to become married to a man who wouldn’t murder her in her sleep. There never had been the prospect of a happily-ever-after in her story. “So then this isn’t bad news?”

 

“It could have been better, but I’d be more worried if he’d offered me his son. Ciner Ignis’ claim for House Zairos is considerable by itself. His mother was a Zairos. He wouldn’t face many problems with the law of inheritance would I as his wife pass away, for instance tragically while giving birth.” She sighed again. “It’s been a while since I last saw him, but he nearly killed me once, back when he was still a child. I had angered my sister. He was there to visit her. Already being strong in the Force, he made an example of me. My sister was absolutely smitten with him afterwards. No, I certainly don’t want to marry Ciner Ignis. Anyway, he would be still too young. I doubt he’ll marry before he’s completed his trials on Korriban.”

 

Ciner Ignis. Arkeo had heard the name somewhere before. He concentrated to recall the occasion. It had been in their debriefing when they reached Coruscant, after he had given his report of the events on the Esseles. He’d been told about the raid on the Brentaal Star. The Sith leading the attack had been named Ciner Ignis. “He’s Darth Baras’ apprentice.”

 

Iolith’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Wow, that’s impressive. Even for the heir of House Ignis. Are you sure?”

 

“At the same time the Esseles was attacked he led a raid on an other Republic vessel. Amongst a considerable number of soldiers and crew they killed a defecting Imperial general and captured a double of yours…” Arkeo didn’t continue.

 

A look of concern crossed Iolith face. “As I said, it’s been a while since we met. Yet she wouldn’t have been able to fool him for long, if at all. Posing as a member of an Imperial house. Death sentence. I am sorry, but if you haven’t heard from her you can assume she has been executed. On an official mission Ciner would have had few other options than to follow the law.”

 

“He sent her back. She’s alive. Or better, her body is.” Arkeo took a deep breath. “They destroyed her mind. There is nothing left of her but an empty shell. It’s…” he was at a loss for words.

 

“I am truly sorry. There is nothing I can say, that won’t sound hollow.”

 

“It is not your fault.” His grip on her hands tightened; his voice rose in volume. “It was Ciner Ignis who did this, not you!” In his mind he repeated the first line of the code. There is no emotion, there is peace. What was it about this woman, that made him lose focus this often? The thought of her being related to Darth Baras’ apprentice, and now even planning to marry into this monster’s family, gave his worries about her a face. He exhaled deeply and released her hands. “It is not your fault,” he said once more, calmer than before.

 

“None of this would have happened had I married Kilran or one of my other suitors. But I refused to be nothing more than an exhibit on the mantelpiece, even if I was to be the showpiece. I wanted to make a difference, a difference for the better. Instead I made a lot of things worse.”

 

A lot of words tumbled through his mind, all of them demanding to be said to sway her. He refused them all. “You made your decision, so I won’t try to convince you to stay. No one will ever know what would have happened had you not left Dromund Kaas. But I know, I would never have met you, and your place in my heart would still be empty. I will always remember you.”

 

Iolith’s hands slid back into his. She leaned forward, and Arkeo’s forehead met hers halfway. They sat in silence, wasting no more of their precious time together with words.

 

 

 

___________________________________

Edited January 14, 2016 by frauzet

[RikeG]

Wow, it was nice to see Iolith again. She hasn't it easy with her decision. But if I'm not mistaken she will have an alternative for an husband. But will she think better of him than Ciner? Somehow I doubt it. Edited January 15, 2016 by RikeG

[frauzet]

Wow, it was nice to see Iolith again. She hasn't it easy with her decision. But if I'm not mistaken she will have an alternative for an husband. But will she think better of him than Ciner? Somehow I doubt it.

 

Thank you for the feedback. I think a lot about Iolith, and she's already enforced some major changes to the things I had in mind for her. But scenes are taking on shape as I get closer to certain events in my story. It's hard to nail her down on something. Or is that me? Anyway, she decided to share her thoughts.

 

_____________________________

 

Corsucant, follow-up to the previous part

 

 

Iolith tried to keep her composure while she observed Arkeo’s leaving. The cameras were always watching. The door zoomed shut behind him. The soft click of the lock sounded like a hammer blow of doom to her. He hadn’t asked her to stay; not again. She had put much consideration in her decision, and Arkeo knew it. He also knew how much she wanted to abandon her destiny to do something else — anything else. Had he convinced her to defect that would have always stood between them. Although some part of her regretted it, she was thankful he hadn’t put their closeness on the line. The Jedi had a place inside her heart as securely as she had one in his. Before she met him she had not once dealt with a man who absolutely never made her doubt whether he was truly interested in her or merely in her body — or worse her bloodline. She wouldn’t have to worry about such things much longer. In a few weeks she’d be married.

 

Verux Gi’ar-Ignis. Sith of — at best — moderate strength in the Force. One or two years her senior, if she remembered correctly. She had met him several times. A shy, nondescript young man, especially for a Sith. More interested in his research than in their conversation. Not ugly, but not handsome either. She recalled soft brown eyes, shapely hands with long fingers. As far as looks were concerned she had shared the bed with worse. The trials on Korriban had nearly killed Verux, and he hadn’t been able to find a master for further studies of the Force afterwards. He probably was still working for his Uncle. Something about checking the quality of mined minerals. She should have payed more attention. If he kept the job he’d be traveling a lot. She wouldn’t see him very often.

 

Iolith would have preferred Verux’ cousin Hiran. Hiran’s master Lord Kilor was part of the Sphere of Expansion and Diplomacy. Hiran and his charisma would have been harder to control than Verux, but instead of visiting mining asteroids, he was visiting planets. Iolith would have been able to accompany him on diplomatic missions. Much the same as during her first marriage. Oh, how she already missed flying around the galaxy. And Giz, she admitted to herself. Maybe he hadn’t been able to elicit the same feelings as Nikeo, but Giz knew how to make her laugh; and with him the next adventure had always been waiting just around the corner. Initially she had dreaded the assignment. Then it actually proved to be fun. Iolith nearly giggled when she thought about the droid hiding in one of the cargo bays each time they had a fight. It used to return only after they were done with their make-up sex. Yes, she definitely missed the make-up sex.

 

Damned, now she had done it. That was another point to admit to herself. She doubted her soon-to-be husband had changed enough over the course of the last two years, to be even remotely sexually attractive to her. She’d need heirs, though, preferably one or two with sufficient Force sensitivity. And they needed to be her husband’s children. She’d take it from there. She lacked the ability to manipulate the Force, but in every other aspect she could be as much a Sith as she needed to be.

 

 

 

______________________________

[RikeG]

but in every other aspect she could be as much a Sith as she needed to be.

 

Yep, go for it, Iolith!

[alaurin]

Sneaky Thorns, I like it! I'm glad he got away in one piece. I have never let the daughter live......even my gentle giant Dekkyn ate those dark side points and wasted her.

 

More of Iolith and Arkeo......yay! I do like those two together, but worry for him getting attached to her. I can't imagine being in her position with regards to her future marriage either and feel for them both.

[frauzet]

More of Iolith and Arkeo......yay! I do like those two together, but worry for him getting attached to her. I can't imagine being in her position with regards to her future marriage either and feel for them both.

I certainly wouldn't want to trade with Iolith! As for Arkeo's attachment to her, it may already be to late to ask him to be cautious.

 

______________________________________________________

The next part contains minor spoilers for IA and SW Dromund Kaas.

 

Dromund Kaas, Imperial Intelligence Headquarters, meanwhile

 

 

Keeper wanted to see him. Smilo had been informed upon entering headquarters. Great. Just what he needed. Keeper’s guard dog waved him through without a word. Her uniform was impeccable, her middle name efficiency. The effort of a smile would have been wasted on her, so Smilo only nodded while walking past. Keeper acknowledged his entry with a brief glance over the rim of his monitor. Smilo closed the door behind him and took up position in front of Keeper’s desk. He hadn’t received an invitation to sit. Insignificant? Hardly! Keeper continued studying whatever document his computer presented to him. Its shimmer reflected in Keepers irises. Smilo stood still while he waited. At last Keeper pressed a key to close the document and glanced up. His gaze scrutinized Smilo more thoroughly than the scanner at the security checkpoint in the entrance hall. The man missed nothing. Smilo’s uniform grew warmer, the collar tighter, and the shirt scratchy. He swallowed and Keeper released him.

 

“I reviewed the reports on your recent mission.” Keeper bent slightly forward to place his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers.

 

Smilo went through his own report in his mind. Which details had he omitted that Watcher Two might have mentioned in hers? Which ones had he included she had deemed unnecessary? Had he made a mistake? Could he have saved the situation without killing the scientist? Would anyone have wanted the scientist to survive? Why had Darth Jadus chosen him? Had the answers to these questions changed since the last time he had pondered them? How many mistakes had he made? Keeper didn’t continue. Smilo opened his mouth just to close it again under the silent stare of his superior. The man used the same techniques all of them were taught since basic training. There was a flicker in Keeper’s eyes. Which mistake had Smilo made now?

 

“Darth Jadus knows more than he deigns to share with me.”

 

“Sir?”

 

Keepers brows rose, shoving his forehead into creases. “Once more you performed beyond expectation, agent.”

 

“One grows with the challenge, sir.”

 

“You will not find many people who consider the Intelligence training boring.”

 

Smilo kept his features calm. Keeper was aware of Smilo’s sham. Whether he had found out by himself or Watcher Two had told him; he knew. Neither of them knew why. He was working among the best now. How was he supposed to keep cover? There was another possibility. Smilo had confirmed Keeper had been assigned by the minister himself. Was Keeper privy to Operation Parasite? No. By now enough time had passed for them to let him know if that were the case. Keeper didn’t know, and Smilo’s conditioning made sure he couldn’t tell him. The thought alone made his stomach cramp. Saving face was the only option. “It never was. Yet my life was never in danger during training. I found my recent adversaries a sufficient motivator to go beyond what I thought I was capable of before.”

 

“I am certain you did.” Keeper’s gaze grew colder. “Darth Jadus is the head of the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence, we follow his orders. Our ultimate goal, however, lies beyond the schemes of our superiors. It is the wellbeing of the Empire we have to consider with every action we take. I request you to verify your priorities, agent.”

 

Smilo nearly sighed with relief. Keeper thought he had been planted by Jadus. They would monitor him more closely now, but he could deal with that. Getting rid of him would displease Jadus. Keeper would make sure Smilo had Watcher Two’s full support. Jadus was their boss after all. “With all due respect sir, I was groomed to serve the Empire, and that is what I am doing.”

 

“Very well. Then it will please you to hear that the negotiations about the exchange of Iolith Zairos are making progress. Apparently her father took a number of POWs from the Republic’s 208th. It is unclear how Lord Zairos managed to keep them secret, but his daughter has provided information leading to their discovery. Right now they are being held on the Zairos estate in the jungle near Kaas City. The custodians and lawyers are squabbling over responsibilities and precedences. The 208th killed the youngest of Lord Zairos’ brothers during the last war. Lord Zairos had strict regulations in place to keep the prisoners alive and miserable. Since Iolith is now head of house and the exchange lies in her immediate interest, we expect the issues to be solved shortly. Be prepared to participate in the operation of her exchange during the next days. Darth Baras’ apprentice will join the team to verify Lady Zairos’ identity. You already worked with the young man, which will make your job easier. Houses Zairos and Ignis have been close for generations. We don’t expect any trouble from him. You, agent, will be responsible for Lady Zairos’ security and will make sure she is not whisked away by any third party.”

 

“Understood, sir!”

 

“Dismissed!”

 

Responsible for Iolith Zairos — trust the cat to keep the cream. He still concurred with Keeper. A Force-blind head of house Zairos dependent on Imperial Intelligence’s support would have been a great asset. Alas she had associated herself with the wrong people. Smilo had direct orders — more or less. To claim he had missed the product recall might work. It had been published after he had met Darth Jadus. Not even Darth Baras himself would blame him for being shaken afterwards. Maybe that was the reason why the Sith lord had made sure his apprentice would accompany them. Smilo’s failure to execute his orders would not change Iolith’s fate. His own mission was at risk. The odds of his success had been plummeting since his assignment to Hutta. He couldn’t risk it further on behalf of Iolith Zairos, no matter how great of an asset for Imperial Intelligence she would have been. The trolley in his path did not belong there. Cursing under his breath he sidestepped the obstacle at the last moment. Shaking his head at his own foolishness he sat down at the workstation he had been allocated for the day. This wasn’t a place to lose attentiveness.

 

The system prompted Smilo for his login, and he performed the required steps. He fought the urge to close his eyes when his iris was scanned. The system granted him access. He had several new messages and notifications. He skimmed the subjects. With an effort he continued scrolling after the fifth. There was no reason why a notification with ‘Corellian whiskey’ in the subject would interest him more than the recent updates on the slave revolt. Damned. There wasn’t any reason why he would be interested in the notification at all. Smilo opened the first of his high priority messages, read it, pondered the significance of the information for his own tasks. Business as usual, just as if the Corellia note hadn’t been there. Several messages might be of interest to other agents not on the list of recipients. He forwarded those to the respective colleagues. The responsible Watchers probably had already done the same; the system would filter identical copies.

 

Eighteen minutes after login Smilo opened the ‘Corellian whiskey’ notification. Nexus Room, previous evening. A drunk patron ranted about various brands of Corellian whiskey available at the establishment while his favorite malt brew from Ziost wasn’t. The man saw it as indication of the degeneration of morals. According to him the rise of Republic products had to be stopped, and the consumption of Imperial beverages fostered. And anyway, Corellian whiskey should be banned by the authorities.

 

Who had placed him on the list of recipients for the message? Why take the risk when Ciner Ignis would be there to handle Iolith? To make sure Smilo would not interfere! But no matter how careful the messenger had been, someone might notice. Watcher Two probably already had. The skin at the nape of his neck tingled, his hair stood on end. What did Watcher Two make of the message? She wouldn’t have missed it. There was only one way to find out. Smilo waited until it was time for a break. On his way to the break room he walked by Watcher Two’s workstation.

 

“Hi!”

 

“Hi!” She looked up only briefly.

 

“Join me for a caf?”

 

She smiled with a slight shake of her head. “Sorry, I am busy.”

 

“Any progress on the decryption?”

 

Watcher Two only raised an eyebrow.

 

“Sorry. I know you’ll let me know as soon as you find something.” Smilo noted her brow hadn’t lowered. He coughed. “It’s probably… — um, well, I’ll let you get back to work then.” He took several steps away from her, stopped, and returned. “Sorry, but since I already interrupted you, may I ask a question about work practices here?”

 

Her sigh was nearly inaudible. “Go ahead.”

 

“Who’s responsible for the message allocation?”

 

“The system does most of it on its own. The heuristics used by the AI are complicated. Adjustments can be made, of course. Why do you ask?”

 

“Oh, I was just wondering about one of the notifications I received today. It was about an incident in the Nexus Room yesterday. I doesn’t seem to be even remotely related to my current tasks. But maybe I am just missing something.”

 

“I remember the message. The drunkard who wasn’t able to get his favorite beverage.”

 

Smilo had been right, she hadn’t missed it. “Yes, that’s the one.”

 

Watcher Two’s fingers danced over her keyboard. “Yes, there it is; just as I thought. The message is tagged with ‘Corellia’. Due to your recent assignment there it is still amongst the keywords associated with you.” She hesitated only a moment. “I think it’s advisable to remove it. Darth Jadus will prefer if you are not distracted. I’ll see to it immediately.”

 

“Thank you.” He turned to leave, but again stopped. “On the other hand, could you alter it to keep just the Corellian whiskey in?”

 

She tilted her head in question. “Why Corellian whiskey?”

 

“Have you ever tried some?”

 

She shook her head. “I don’t drink alcohol often.”

 

“I admit I grew quite fond of it during my stay on Corellia. No other drink quite matches the way it tingles down your throat and leaves a spreading warmth in your belly. Maybe I’ll find out if there’s a decent brand available here in Kaas City. I’ll invite you once I found one!”

 

A forbidding frown appeared on her face. “I am not this easily talked into a date, agent.”

 

“Who said something about a date? We’ll have a glass of whiskey and talk. Since we are working together wouldn’t it be nice to get to know each other better?”

 

“I read your record; I monitored your operations. I know all I need to know about you. You’d be the only one gaining something, and that wouldn’t be fair, now would it?”

 

“I can see, why you’d want to keep your distance. Especially since catching Darth Jadus’ attention is unlikely to prolong my lifespan. You’ll do your best to keep me alive anyway as far as the mission allows for it. That’s all I really need to know about you. For both of us the mission — the Empire comes first.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Leave the keyword in. If I survive Darth Jadus and his mission, you’ll join me for a drink, and I’ll tell you something that’s not in my record.”

 

“I doubt you would tell me something of interest.”

 

“Well, at least it would be impossible to disappoint you!” He raised his hand to stop her reply. “Please wait till my actual invitation. I’ll accept your rebuff then if you don’t change your mind.” He needed time to ascertain her loyalties. If they stood on the same side, he’d tell her something of interest. He just needed to find a way to circumvent the safeguards. Once he gave her a few hints she’d find out the rest on her own. She possessed the skills to do so. Watcher Two represented his only hope to get a message to Keeper.

 

Her gaze was far from warm. “I’ll rely on your word. If you’ll excuse me, I need to concentrate on my work.”

 

After his break Smilo returned to his workstation. He glanced over the rim of his monitor. All of his colleagues were busy, no one looked in his direction. The door to Keeper’s office was closed. If he wanted to save Iolith Zairos, he would have to do it on his own. He could think of only one way to stop Ciner from killing her. It was time to call in a favor from a certain bounty hunter.

 

 

Note:

Watcher Two's rebuff is similar to the one ingame.

 

[Lunafox]

Brrr, that Watcher 2 she's a cold one isn't she. Tough nut to crack lol. I love the building intrigue and Smilo as always delights me. I'd join him for a drink in heartbeat ;D Looking forward to the next part!

[frauzet]

Sorry, it's been a while. For various reasons I still have some troubles with writing. But I have not given up yet. Seeing the thread got views even after falling off the first page gave me some of my motivation back. Thank you, dear readers!

 

As updates go, this isn't a big one. Only a short meeting with Thorns, who just killed Vereta Fraabaal. I hope I will soon be back with more, no promises, though.

 

Dromund Kaas, Lord Grathan's estate

 

Two shots in quick succession, both of them found their mark. The two Sith fell to the floor to the left and right of the door they had been guarding. With the hubbub in the courtyard they had been expecting trouble from outside and had neglected their rear. Thorns had taken them by surprise. They’d have the mother of a headache when they woke up, yet Thorns hoped they’d be grateful enough he hadn’t vaporized their brains to not pursue him. Without Mako handling Grathan’s surveillance system, Thorns’ identity wouldn’t stay a secret for long. So Thorns had set his weapons back to stun mode after killing the Frabaal woman. The less people he killed on his way out of the compound the better. He didn’t need one or two blood feuds with some minor Sith houses before the Great Hunt had even started.

 

The two unconscious Sith had been the only people he had met on his way back so far. The door between them held the false promise of safety. Dim light from the exterior beckoned. Along the wall Thorns sneaked closer, blasters in hand. He had made it this far and had no intention to get shot the moment he exited the building. The blaring alarm subsided, no longer covering the dim noise of fighting drifting in. Blaster fire, shouting, shrieks of metal being torn apart, as well as the cries of the wounded. Who or whatever had set off the alarm still kept Grathan’s men busy in the courtyard. Thorns dismissed the possibility of returning defenders. A wide step over the first Sith carried him in front of the exit. The door was open and a careful glance outside revealed a red blur of whirling lightsabers at the center of attention. Guards and droids all over the place were firing in the direction of the blade-wielder. The bodies and droid parts littering the area suggested most of the bolts were deflected, not a few to find a new target. As Thorns watched, two more Sith approached the fighter. For a moment the blaster fire lessened. Either to not endanger the newcomers, or to wait for a chance when the first Sith would be distracted by them.

 

According to the general path of destruction the intruder planned to leave through the compound’s main entrance. Good luck with that! But Thorns couldn’t have planned a better distraction to cover his retreat. If anybody even noticed him they ignored him in favor of the obvious threat. None of the guards closest to him as much as glanced in his direction. The way he had come lay more empty than upon his intrusion. After another careful glance to the left and right Thorns slipped through the door and headed for the gap between the buildings. It gave access to the narrow path leading to the cliff he had climbed to get here. Behind the buildings was a small shed where he had stored most of his armor. Only his jetpack and the datapad were hidden at the top of the cliff. He’d grab his stuff and be gone before anyone was the wiser.

 

Thorns had nearly reached the shed, when a woman screamed. “Vette!” a man roared. Thorns hadn’t seen the Twi’lek, but now he knew who the intruder was. Damned. Nobody would know he’d heard Vette’s scream. Nobody but himself. Would Ciner leave her behind? What would happen to Mako if Ciner didn’t return. With an angry snort Thorns shook his head. He couldn’t let the Twi’lek die, and the Sith neither. There was no time to don his armor. He turned and ran back towards the yard.

 

 

[Lunafox]

I'm always happy to see your posts Frauzet It means more Thorns! I really do enjoy him, and Ciner as well. I'm glad you've found inspiration again, and look forward to more soon!

[frauzet]

I'm always happy to see your posts Frauzet It means more Thorns! I really do enjoy him, and Ciner as well. I'm glad you've found inspiration again, and look forward to more soon!

 

Thank you very much for your kind words. You always encourage me to not give up.

I am still struggling. I know where I want to go from where I am, but the terrain proves to be rugged. Small steps are better than none, though. And today I made another small one. It's only part of the scene, but there will come a change of POV next. With the help of some of my tumblr followers *waves* I decided to post it, to help me concentrate on the next paragraph.

 

___________________________________________

 

Dromund Kaas, Lord Grathan's estate, immediately afterwards

 

 

Basic contained no words to describe Force-sense. There was no better reminder most of the galaxy’s population was Force-blind. Many aspects of perceiving the Force were close enough to the sense of sight, though, to warrant the use of the same phrases. They sufficed to relate impressions to those born without access to the Force — barely. As his brain processed the last input from his optical implants, Ciner wondered how Miraluka would express their perception. Would he be able to articulate himself in their language, and instead lack the words for visual observations? Were there words for colors in Miralukese? Certain Force-related effects stimulated the same areas of the brain as visual stimuli. He payed attention when Marun explained these things to him. Information provided by the Force flashed through his brain, no longer distracted now his vision had turned black. The trajectories of the bolts fired around him became clear, vivid paths the moment someone pulled the trigger. Not that his implants would have had trouble to keep up with the vast amount of visual input. Parallel processes computed movement, while others sorted and prioritized data based on heuristics initialized and refined through countless hours of training. No, not the implants, the interface to his brain proved to be the bottleneck in situations like these. Ciner had to close his eyes to avoid vertigo. Born human with ordinary eyesight he had learned to cope. Still he planned to capture a Miraluka alive for questioning if he ever got the chance. First, however, he’d have to escape Grathan’s estate.

 

A tree, the rain gutter, banner mountings – there were at least three ways to get to the snipers on the roof behind him in less than five seconds. All of them would leave Vette unprotected. With a twist of his wrist Ciner blocked another projectile. Vette – wounded and in pain but still alive. It had been unwise to bring her along. Something hit his boot. Most of the impact was absorbed by the various layers of protective materials. Ciner yearned to leap into the offensive. Instead, he kept up the twirl of his lightsabers to deflect the incoming blasterbolts. The armor weave on his hip sparked in protest as he got winged. By now the top layer of his clothing had holes in several places. Designed for flexibility and speed his suit lacked major shielding capabilities. To stand in one spot waiting to get shot at usually wasn’t part of his tactics. He drew on his frustration, feeding it to the Force. The auras of the two circling Sith dimmed in the glow of his own. Pimples to his left, Limp to his right. They had split up upon approaching him. Thanks to the Force he was able to keep both of them in focus while dealing with the shots fired from around the courtyard. Pimples dashed in whereas his fellow waited for his chance to strike at Ciner from behind. The slashes of their sabers painted a pattern almost as easy to interrupt as the blasterfire. Nonetheless their confidence shone through every feint and attack. They tried to keep him pinned down. More reinforcements were probably on their way. Ciner had long surpassed his instructors on Korriban, but superior numbers would be his downfall in the end. The seconds dragged on while he deflected bolts and parried strikes.

 

The shot was meant for Vette, and when Ciner turned to intercept it Pimples darted three steps forward, stabbing at Ciner’s lower back. Altering his spin as best he could — the Force didn’t make him a bird able to change course mid-flight — he made the blunder his opponents had been waiting for. Instinct led him to deflect the blow at his back, and the motion left him defenseless for Limp’s attack. The second Sith jumped at him with an overhead strike intended to split him in half. Jerking his head out of the way, Ciner waited for the impact, wondering how much of the power his already mauled armor would take in. He opened his eyes to acknowledge the man who would kill him.

 

 

[Lunafox]

Oh you devil! What a place to leave it! Nice cliffhanger! I really liked the action and how you described the abuse Ciner's armor had taken, and what was happening to Vette too. I am very much looking forward to the next part.

 

As you said, small steps are better than no steps, so keep at it. Not sure how you work, but if you know where you want to go from here to get to the end, that's the big part of the battle...knowing what you want to do, helps. What helps even more, is if you make bullet points about each thing you want to do before the end, and then you have it in front of you, an order of steps/scenes that will carry you to the ending. That usually helps me, you may already do this, but just in case you don't, give it a shot.

[frauzet]

*blows the dust off the thread*

*coughs*

It has been a while, during which I wrote the first part of an AU to this story ("Caught"). I am making slow progress and will not have enough time to follow both storylines. Not least because of the feedback I received, I decided to concentrate on the AU.

Most of the things that happened here, especially the background stories, remain relevant in Caught!verse. There are no changes for my Republic characters and Iolith. Thorns' story takes a different path from the one in the original Thorns!verse after his defection from the Republic and he never was contacted by Braden. So he didn't travel to Hutta and didn't meet Mako there. Ciner's story is impacted when Thorns replaces Vette on Korriban. From there, things will take on a slightly different turn.

Much of the future content I had planned for Thorns!verse will hopefully find its place in Caught!verse instead.

 

Still, I want to release Ciner from his impending doom with a short piece that has been waiting for way too long to be posted.

 

___________________________________________

 

Dromund Kaas, Lord Grathan's estate, immediately afterward

 

 

A hand appeared out of thin air. Tendrils of Force surrounded it, visible only to those who were attuned to the Force. Outstretched fingers intertwined them with intricate movements into strings growing thicker and thicker. A slight twist of the wrist and the rope lashed out to wrap around its target. A second hand appeared to take hold of the cord with a firm grip. The air wavered and the rest of the body dropped into visibility. A grin bared Rufuro’s teeth as he brought up the hilt of his double-bladed lightsaber with his right hand while he yanked at the leash with his left. His victim landed in front of his activating weapon. Grathan’s apprentice fell lifeless to the ground when Rufuro deactivated his blade. A wave of his left, and he vanished again. A number of quick yet purposeful steps to the side and forward brought him away from the spot he had been standing in. Helping his friend was one thing, getting shot himself another matter.

 

The precaution proved unnecessary. The Force-blind guards were still trying to puzzle out what had happened, shouts of surprise echoing through the courtyard. The second of Grathan’s apprentices was busy dealing with Ciner. It took Ru a moment to realize what had happened to the snipers on the roof. One lay sprawled on the duracrete below his former position. The other one hung limply over the roof’s fringe. A hole gaped in his forehead. From the opposite side of the yard, a slave came running towards Ciner. The man carried a rifle. The butts of two blasters stuck out of his belt. His face was hidden by a guard’s helmet, but Ru recognized him anyway. What was the hunter doing here?

 

While Ru approached, he watched Thorns fire some more shots at the guards. He felt Ciner’s relief through their bond. His friend had recognized both of them. Now Ciner was able to concentrate most of his attention on the remaining Sith opponent. Grathan’s second apprentice fell to Ciner’s blades only seconds later. Meanwhile, Thorns zigzagged across the yard in a half-crouch. When he reached Ciner, he threw the rifle away and dropped to one knee. Despite wearing no armor apart from the pilfered helmet the hunter tried to shield Vette’s body from further shots. The Twi’lek was still alive. Ru felt her pain through the Force.

 

Ciner’s lips moved. He nodded in Ru’s direction. Whether to inform the hunter of Ru’s approach or to instruct him which direction to take, Ru couldn’t tell. Probably both. Thorns looked up and shook his head. Ciner’s brows drew together. All life in the galaxy would end before those two stopped arguing. A few Force-powered steps brought Ru to their side.

 

“Pick her up, I got your back!” A bolt glanced off Ru’s blade.

 

Both of the Sith deflected bolt after bolt while Thorns shouldered Vette. “Follow me!” The hunter grunted under the weight he carried. Before anyone of them was able to stop Thorns, he had already started towards a path between two buildings opposite from the entrance to the yard.

 

“That’s not the way out!” Ciner called.

 

“That’s what Grathan’s people will think, too.” Thorns didn’t stop. “The path is only wide enough for one person at a time, easy to defend. I’m heading that way. Carrying Vette we’ll never make it to the front gate.”

 

“He is right,” Rufuro conceded. Holding up a Force shield he retreated backward after the hunter. Ciner followed grudgingly.

 

Thorns’ path proved to be a good choice. They followed it to a waterfall after the hunter had retrieved his hidden equipment. Ru defended the entrance to the small clearing while Thorns and Ciner descended to the valley below. The first using his jetpack and carrying Vette in his arms, the second stabilizing them with the Force and jumping down after them once they had landed safely. Ru felt the force of the impact ripple through the cliff. Ciner was growing stronger. Ru himself would have shattered his legs in a stunt like that. But his aptitude for the Force lay in different areas. He let loose a volley of lightning bolts that crippled the first pursuer who staggered back into the following one. Ru didn’t wait for them to recover but retreated back into the clearing and vanished into the air whence he came from. The guards were still searching for him when he returned to Khem, the items he retrieved for Zash safe in his backpack.

 

 

[Lunafox]

I'm glad you dusted this thread off. Whatever you feel like posting, I'll be there to read. Nice job.