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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 5, 2007 14:49:52 GMT -5
*The Black and Silver B0 unit streamlined the data through the console of the Black Matte Cockpit of the FX-4 Fighter that belonged to Aidan Calor.*
-Flashback-
*While he was growing up he hadn't envisioned a life as a pilot. Trained by Vincent Spry as a Jensaarai Defender, he had been granted the rank at the young age of 16. His sister Alyssa had been granted her rank at 16 also, on the same day as him. Ariel his other sister had gone off to study with the Jedi Order, but like many others as you will find out about momentarily had shifted away from the "New" Jedi. Now she spent her time training a handful of canidates deep within Chiss Space, in what was now considered the "Old" Jedi ways.*
*By the time he had reached the age of 21 he had been granted the rank of Master by the Jensaarai/Jedi Council of the time and been assigned to infiltrate a Black Sun organization that was gathering power in the midst of a growing conflict. Now 20 years later the galaxy was still engaged in the conflict and Aidan found himself piloting a starfighter for the Chiss Ascendency.*
*The split between the Jedi and Jensaarai council had been coming for a long time. After Luke had disappeared to the unknown regions, the various members of the Jedi Order began squabbling to replace him. Seeing a very dangerous trend Master Spry had summoned a council to openly debate the change in the Jedi Order.*
*Oddly enough the Matukai Lord, Timothy Quixonis and Kathryn Darkflame sided with the Jensaarai, as did Kyle Katarn, but the rash headstrong Jedi Master Alec Romero had dissolved the Jedi's tie to the Jensaarai then exiled those who felt Vincent had made the right choice in calling a council. Pride had inflitrated the Jedi Ranks, and even upon the death of Gavin Spry swelled to new limits. New thresholds of stupidity. The Order was literally eating itself up from the inside out. Above Socorra, Master Romero ordered his fighters to destroy Vincent as the Jensaarai Master was leaving the conference.*
*They succeeded in crippling Master Spry's freighter but failed to take into account the Star Destroyer that had belonged to him. It rescued him moments before the fighters reached his evac' position and shot away into hyperspace. Brooding over this, Romero placed a bounty on the head of all those who were in support of the Jensaarai and ordered that any Jedi found to assist him would be exiled.*
*It was only months later he was revealed to be under the tutelage of Sith Lord named Zarok Vondick, the last remaining survivor of Gavin's entourage. Centralizing his power many Jedi came to fall under his allure of what he felt to be the true "Jedi Way" and pledged their support to the Republic who had gone to war with the Chiss Ascendency. A failed campaign against the forces of the Inquisition had cost the Republic hundreds of ships that were expecting Chiss reinforcements, The Chiss however had been blind-sided by the Imperial Remnant and forced to defend themselves. This was ultimately what led to the breaking of the treaty of Adumar, and the declaration of War by the new Chief of State Cal Omas.*
*With the Jedi declaring the Jensaarai teachings to be of darkside leadings, war had begun to brew on all fronts, and the Jensaarai were forced to the Redoubt Cluster where a very broken Vincent pledged the fledling support of the Jensaarai Order to the cause of the Ascendency.*
*Around that time, he suffered through the loss of his sister the Jedi Master Gaeriel Spry-Ordo, wife of the retired Chiss Lord Admiral, at the hands of Lord Zarok. This led to a time of painful solitude as he fought to bring his grief and anger under control, which in the end he found he was able to do. He placed himself on the Battleship "Ordo's Hammer" recommissioned to the Ascendency Navy as an advisor to Lord Admiral Ordo, now out of retirement in the wake of the growing conflict. This is where we find our hero, Jensaarai Master Aidan Calor.*
*A sabotage mission to the shipyards of Sluis Van. His B0 unit "Bob" sent a shrill warble to him indicating the end of their hyperspace journey.*
*With a flash of coranu radiation the 6 Squadron Team of FX-4's barreled their way out of hyperspace and immediately clicked into combat mode. Astro-units powered up shielding systems and weapons, and spurred the engines to life.*
*Widely heralded as the fastest fighter in the galaxy, the FX-4 was a deadly design of speed and power that had one purpose, kill as many as you can.*
-Colonel Calor we're on your six, multiple contacts at 3 O-clock executing the flank twist now sir.-
-Keep it tight Major, don't let anything past you. Nearest intel points to a storehouse directly under the 33 degree grid, approximately 612KM from your fore. Once we admonish these X-Wing's then we'll swing about and execute Trench Run Alpha-
-Copy that sir, angling off of you at 45 degrees.-
*The nearest wing pair dipped into a position that brought them at a collision course with the 24 X-Wing's scrambling to intercept the sudden invasion of their privacy. Priming his own engines Aidan threw his fighter into a steep dive, leveling off once beneath the cockpit of an enemy X-Wing. The 5 Lasers punched holes through the bottom of the X-Wing sending it into oblivion.*
*Around him several FX-4's were waggling into position using their heavy speed and manueverablitly advantages picking off the X-Wing's like sitting ducks. Now well over 20 years outdated the X-Wing still made up the backbone of the Republic Fighter Corps and the staunch refusal of command to try something different played to the superior tech advantage of the Chiss Ascendency. Within minutes the X-Wing's had been dispatched, with no Chiss losses. A few lasers had found their marks but left only trace amounts of carbon scoring along the hulls of the FX-4's.*
-Major Brandenburg you may intiate Trench Run Alpha. Recoil Squadron will hot on your six. We'll be linking across your left in a line. Once down break by pairs as the training scenario's did and lay down a supressing fire. With any skill we should be able to cripple thier arms storehouses. Anti-Aircraft weaponry will be hot and in abundance, keep a level head and we will get through this.-
-Acknowledged Sir, May the force be with you.-
*The force is with me indeed, thought Aidan as he sent his fighter into a skimming motion, the rest of Crescent Squadron followed his lead. Driving the engine for all it was worth he came into the storehouse clusters hot. With a spurt of fire the 5 lasers tore through the storehouses, splintering the wood and leaving behind traces of superheated metal. Around him, fires borne of a hundred lasers burned as the storehouses were sent to the ground enmasse.*
*Coming out of the clusters, he twisted through a hail of anti-fighter weaponry avoiding the deadly spurts of green energy, giving himself completely over to the force. Priming his missiles he fired the entire rack at the military compound looming in front of him, then pulled up into a sharp climb as the ground lit up with a mushroom cloud of flame that licked at the drive engines of his fighters. Several emplacements ceased their fire as they became a raging inferno of death, and destruction.*
*As they had rehearsed in countless dozen's of scenarios the pilots of Valor Wing had already pulled back to the safest distance and waited for Aidan to signal the return trip.*
*Moments later the FX-4 shifted it's way into orbit again and the wing formed up for the hyperspace jump. With a flash the 70 remaining fighters entered hyperspace for the return voyage to the Redoubt and back to the foward Ascendency base.*
*Once they arrived, Aidan was debriefed and the mission declared a complete success. Only two fighters lost from the whole wing, both falling to the supression fire of the Anti-Fighter guns. Sighing to himself Aidan went to his own room and wrapped himself in the force to recover. It was only then he saw the visage of his long-dead father Avion Calor and realized, in a way he was paying for the Sins of his Father.*
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 5, 2007 15:23:29 GMT -5
OOC: Found a few discrepancies but work tends to do that too me, those who were reading and were thinking he contradicted himself. I did, and I corrected the error, forgive my shoddy writing lol.
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Post by erickson on Jun 6, 2007 22:42:17 GMT -5
Her scream was felt through the Force, grief driving it to levels ordinarily not available through human means.
She had cause for grief. She'd just found her brother, her twin.
The dying body was barely recognizable as something human. Its organic nature was beyond question - blood painted the wall of the chamber, other -less savory - fluids decorated the floor. His eyeballs had been popped from their sockets, guts torn from his abdomen, balls and penis hung on a cord around his neck. He hung from shattered, dislocated arms, suspended from the ceiling, his legs mere bags that bones stuck out of.
Yet he was alive. Someone, using perverted Healing, had stopped him from bleeding to death. Someone had sedated him - just enough that he did not die or go unconscious from the shock.
Someone.......was using him as bait. Bait for her, or for others on their team.
His lidless eyes stared at her, as she crept closer. A hand reached out, to contact him, and she reeled at the transfered pain. Yet behind the static of pain, was intelligence, and a message.
"Go, Kate! They're hunting you. I told them........nothing," he said mentally
"I've gotta....." Her mental protest was interrupted.
"Even Master Healer Atticus couldn't fix me. They've Turned Chancellor, if they catch you, they'll Turn you, too."
"But I can't leave you, Thomas! I can't .............."
His reply was coldly logical, reminiscent of their Matukai Lord father. "Finish me, and go!" As she hesitated, he added,"Better from your hand, Sis, than any more agony. "
A blink, while he gave her a mental hug. A kiss on his forehead, then the pop-snap of lightsaber's ignition. A quick stroke, and it was done, his head flying off. She clipped the lightsaber to her belt, then took his hand.
She heard a mental "Thank you" as she was easing his ring off his broken finger, and then she was running, running, sneaking and creeping out of the charnal pit that the Jedi Temple on Yavin had become. She was the last of their team left alive, and she had to get off planet.
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 7, 2007 9:19:38 GMT -5
*She watched from afar, mentally willing herself to walk foward. The force flowed around her, and she could touch it freely. However, Kathryn was very reserved in using the force, very careful to make sure she was not delving into the darkness.*
*Her father had drilled caution into her at an early age, fearing she would end up as bitter as he had become and it scared him. She had been very proficient at touching the force, at reading impressions. She had the natural gifting with nature that Diem Dhiel had possessed.*
*Under the tutelage of Master Ariel Calor she had developed at a quick rate and was studying under Diem Dhiel as his Padawan/Apprentice. She had just passed her 14th Birthday and had spent a wonderful time with her mom and adopted grandmother Kat, whom she had been named after. Now it was back to work.*
*She had been going through lessons in combat recently and it was taking a toll on her. She didn't possess her father's skill with the blade and sometimes felt ostracized by the other students. Combat was not her specialty, and she dreaded combat training. She breathed and ignited her Green Blade, preparing for her opponet of the day.*
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Post by erickson on Jun 7, 2007 9:58:47 GMT -5
Her opponent studied her as she ignited, then swept into a slow formal salute.
There was gray in the red hair now, not from age but from worry. As the closest to a precog that the Free Jedi had left, Kathryn Quixonis, nee Darkflame, had to allow her hypersensitive senses free reign more often than she or her husband would like. It was hard on her, and harder work to sort the probables from the possibles, as she had not been trained to see the future, only the past.
But it was a life and death matter, after Luke had vanished, along with his family, following Outward Bound II's tracks. Their lives, and their deaths if she 'saw' wrong.
So to her, training her namesake in Lightsaber combat was a blessing, allowing her to choke-down the senses she used, and concentrate on the present. In training, she could only be reached in a Crisis.
A crisis has no sense of timing, though, and Kathryn stopped, transfixed by her daughter's Scream. Frozen in place, she caught her son's death.
Moving like an old woman, she clicked off her lightsaber. "Thomas," she whispered, and fell over like a tree cut at its roots..
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 7, 2007 11:50:56 GMT -5
*Grandma, Grandma what is it, what;s wrong, something happen to Uncle Thomas. You said his name"
"DAAAAAAAAAAD!!!!! Grandma is hurt come here."
*Vincent stepped out of the dojo and made his way over to where KAthryn lay on the ground. Master Darkflame-Quixonis what's wrong, Kat..what happened. I sense great pain. Are you alright. Did you have another of your premonitions.*
*He was nearly bowled over by the wave of grief that came next and he knew it could only be one thing, someone close had died. It was the same grief he had felt after his sister had been killed by Lord Zarok.*
*His eyes searched Kathryn's*
"Who's has left us"
*There was genuine sincerety in his voice and his eyes were misted over as he thought of his own pain.*
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Post by erickson on Jun 7, 2007 12:03:50 GMT -5
"Thomas," she whispered. "Thomas, and Kate had to kill him. Oh, my babies!" she said, and began sobbing.
Timothy, silent as always, appeared. Lifting her up, he sat on the ground and held her while she cried, deep wracking sobs. He looked up at Vincent. "She advised the kids against the mission, but they went anyway," he said briefly.
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 7, 2007 12:10:21 GMT -5
MY God, Kathryn I am so sorry. You have my deepest condolonces. I can only scratch the surface of what you are feeling right now."
*The he turned to Timothy* "IF you need anything let us know, we'll provide what we can to assist you in this time of grief. I truly am sorry, he was a great man, and a great Jedi. His loss is crippling to everyone. Come with me Becc, Kathryn needs to be with Timothy now."
"Yes father, and Kat, Timothy, I am sorry. Uncle Thomas was my friend and helped me over my fear of the force, for that I will always be greatful and he will always have a special place in my heart."
*Then they turned to walk the other direction, leaving Kathryn with Timothy, Vincent wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.*
"It's sometimes too much to bear my daughter, never try to bear it all, never."
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Post by erickson on Jun 8, 2007 3:06:10 GMT -5
She was running, deeper into the jungle, searching for a teddy bear.
Kate had returned to her carefully hidden FX-4, to find that it hadn't been hidden well enough. The smoking ruined fighter would never transport anyone anywhere again. Worse, it meant that they knew she was still around, because they would have left it to salvage. They had already taken Chancellor's ship, Thomas's, Ellie's, Vinnie's, Rrorrash's.........
They had all been so young, so naive, so....stupid. They had heard rumors of a cache of Lightsaber crystals, and off they'd gone - the whole class! Facing their Knight trials, they had persuaded themselves and each other that this was a fitting Test - to sneak into an enemy stronghold.
Of the Elders, she had only talked to her mother of the Mission in a hypothetical sense. And her mother had advised against it. But she and Thomas were at the age when advice from one's parents seems like oppression. And so, telling nobody on the Council, they had gone.
Stealthing in to find her twin, she had seen Rrorrash's hide laid on a table, still raw and bloody, had seen Vinnie's body laid out like a dissection diagram. She had seen Ellie dying, raped by an endless succession of assailants, had done nothing except stop her heart through the Friendship-link they all shared.
She had been torn up already, emotionally, when she reached Thomas, following their twin-bond. And he had been another for whom she could do nothing - except kill.
Now she ran, chasing a teddy bear, chasing a family legend. Her mother had been lost on this planet once, had left her ship here, with the teddy-bear that Master Yoda gave her in the cockpit.
The ship had been left here when the Darkside had kidnapped her mother - then Jedi Investigator Kathryn Darkflame. Kat had been left on Corellia, amnesiac and Possessed, to sow discord in the Jedi Council. She had become Master Gaerial Spry's Padawan, a process that broke both of them for a while.
But they had both recovered, to become leaders of the combined Jedi / Jensaari Council. He mother still had a large price on her head, placed there by the New Jedi. The price on Master Gaeriel's head had been collected when Kate Gaerial Quixonis was eight. Kate still remembered how her mother had hidden herself from the Younglings for a month, fighting the corrupting Blackness that threatened to possess her soul.
Her father had sat, patiently, outside the only door to Kathryn's room, Matukai armor on, Matukai weapon in hand, unspeaking and unsmiling. He would only yield his post to Master Vincent for brief, infrequent naps. He would not allow his children to enter their mother's room, nor to encumber him in any way.
It was only much later that her mother had revealed, reluctantly, that her husband's job had been to kill her, if she walked out possessed by the Darkside. When Kate had exclaimed in horror. "Surely, he wouldn't have done that!", Kathryn had given her a sad smile, and remarked, "But it's been his job, Katling, ever since I met him." She had not explained further for many years, leaving Kate with a lingering fear of her father, at least when he acted as Protector of her mother.
"At least, Mother will never be captured," she thought to herself, running. "Not like her stupid daughter."
For she could feel them on her heels, the hounds. Feel them, and feel one once dear to her, whispering her name. "Kate, where are you? Kate, stay - we can be together. They will not keep us apart, as your Father threatened to do. Wait for me, Kate. Wait for me, Kate-my-love."
Chancellor's mental voice, traveling down their Friendship-link. Chancellor's.... and not Chancellor's. This voice held an arrogance, a flavor of guaranteed victory, that automatically silenced any response from her. Her mother had taught her to listen for traces of the Dark in telepathic communications, and she detected that metallic taint in his voice now.
Following the faint trace of her mother's Force signature, the reminiscent description of the terrain, she was finally at the ancient ship. It was overgrown with vegetation, and she hacked at it with her lighsaber, praying that the ancient modified Whitecloak would run, would lift.
The cockpit opened, an excellent sign she decided. Inside, an ancient, dusty teddy-bear sat in the pilot's chair. She carefully removed him, buckled in, and powered up the craft.
She lifted just as the pursuit came howling out of the trees on swoop bikes. Slamming the old ship to it's maximum speed, she boomed out of the atmosphere, and was at jump distance before their picket ships could react. She keyed in the coordinates for the Refuge, and entered jump. After entering, she laid the chair back and entered sleep, her arms wrapped around her Mother's teddy-bear.
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 8, 2007 7:38:07 GMT -5
*The man watched the ship depart from his perch, hidden from all. With a twisted smile Sith Lord Andrew Calor could only enjoy the pain he had caused, the throes of those begging for thier lives. He knew word would get to Alyssa and she would come for him, that fateful, cataclysmic battle of good and evil. He would win, and hope would die, everyone would bow to the might of the Sith.*
*In the ever growing darkness, Andrew waited, the swirls of darkness engulfing him within it's power. He basked in it's strength, fed into it's vile touch. This child would be scarred, the memory of having to kill her own brother, and in his silent reverie he thought he heard the voice of his long dead Master echoing, Well Done my Child."
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Post by Morris Cutler on Jun 8, 2007 14:10:59 GMT -5
"STATUS!!!!!"
"We are down one sublight drive Admiral Storm, those blasted Pirahna Gunships are a pest. That damned scattergun them things pack now is so difficult to evade. We are functioning at full on every other system though."
"Damn get it repaired. We need to get back to base quickly, I sense something lurking on the horizon. An immenent danger I can't place."
"Caeden Sir"
"No, I have a nagging sense about him all the time, but this is on a larger scale. I think we lost another one."
"Dammit why didn't I feel it sir."
"You aren't as well attuned to the family as I am my young Rodian Defender friend. It was severe from what my senses tell me. Stretch out with the force, see if you can find an alternate route in."
*Liis drew the force to himself and expanded his sphere of influence. He manually controlled the hyperdrive until he was sure they were clear and pulled back. The lush world of Kakariko lay spread beneath him and then Dalton shouted.*
"Whitecloak dead, comm failure, will be dead if we don't do something. It's one of our people.*
*The large hulking Avion-Class Cruiser reached out with it's tractor beams and caught the spiralling ship dragging it into the aft hangar where med teams were on standby to retrieve the passengers. Dalton himself made his way down to the hangar and waited with baited breath as the ramp hissed open. He could feel life, but very little and very critical. His sister in-law would end up having to do her magic this time around.*
*Med teams ran up the ramp gathering the motionless figure of Kate and strapping her to a gurney wheeled her off towards medical. Timothy was notified from the ship channels that Kate was in medical and undergoing life saving surgery and that he needed to come quickly and with Master Ariel.*
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Post by erickson on Jun 8, 2007 16:43:50 GMT -5
****************** Flashback *********************** Realizing that the navigation databases in the old Aethersprite were 50 years out of date, Kate had dropped out of jump to manually calculate the coordinates.
The Serpent Frigate was almost invisible against the stars, so she didn't notice it. Her danger sense spoke, but it had been shrilling ever since she had started this adventure, so she paid it no mind. Besides, the old ship was peril enough for anyone.
Crassius' people were careful. The Serpent fleet had grown, slowly and with caution. And a lone ship like this, they had learned the hard way, generally meant a Fleet nearby. So it wasn't until she engaged her engines to run for jump that they fired.
The first shot missed, due to miscalculation of the Aethersprite's speed. The second one didn't, toasting sublight drive and comms just as she engaged hyper drive. She was not prepared, not braced, and the old straps gave on the hit, slamming her against the control panel.
Concussion and internal injuries soon put her into unconsciousness for the short hop home. It would be a merciful death, since the ship could go nowhere once it jumped out of hyper, nor could it communicate.
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Post by erickson on Jun 8, 2007 18:06:26 GMT -5
Timothy came off looking grimmer than usual. His wife walked behind him, next to Ariel, who supported her. Kathryn looked like a sleepwalker caught in a nightmare. Her eyes were reddened and she shook continuosly. she followed Ariel in, and did not leave.
Long moments passed.
"She wouldn't stay groundside," he said to Dalton. "How's Kate?"
"She will make it. There will be some scarring around the chest area the medics inform me and her fluid levels will have to be watched around the heart. There was a great deal of swelling, they had to drain the fluid around the heart. She will also likely have a scar underneath her right eye from a piece of shredded metal. Master Ariel was able to fix the traumatic injuries and stabilize her. If not for a sense in the force my apprentice would've been too late to save her. As it stands though Defender Liis was able to put us out to where we could grapple her pretty easily."
The big man relaxed. "Thank the Gods," he said quietly. "If we lost Kate, too, I think we'd lose Kathryn. She's gone in to see her, and I stayed out. " Timothy's eyes held an old hurt, deeply hidden. "Where did you find her, Dalton?"
"She was drifting in orbit getting ready to be sucked into the gravity well of Kakariko. This confirms something I have long suspected though. I didn't get Lord Crassius. The carbon scoring along the hull are the blasted plasma lasers that make up the weapons armament of Crassius' Serpent Frigates. In a way this is my fault. We had him cornered at Vjun and somehow he managed to get away. I really thought we had him. I guess we'll get the search started again."
Kathryn's hand moved to brush back the hair from her sleeping daughter's face. A small tube dangled from the girl's nose, the only sign of the shunt that was diverting fluid from her concussed brain. The heart one was hidden underneath her medical gown. Monitors queeped softly, and a medical droid was cleaning up the room after Ariel's emergency intervention.
The Jedi Master's hand touched her forehead, and she froze like a person stuck to an electrical outlet. Long moments passed and she stood unseeing, reaching in,trying to blur her daughter's memory, as Gari had done for her. Finally she sighed, and walked back out to the corridor where the two men were talking. She did not notice the teddy bear someone had tucked in by her daughter.
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Post by erickson on Jun 8, 2007 22:56:32 GMT -5
There was a faint mental whisper, "Daddy?"
"Mommy?
The door opened quietly, and then shut again just as quietly. "I'm here." came Timothy's voice.
Kate's eyes were barely opened, and she squinted as if seeing hurt. "Daddy?" she said, then flinched from the sound of her own voice.She hadn't called him that, since Gaeri died.
A hand closed around Kate's. "Yeah peanut, I'm here."
"Daddy, I ... failed. I.... I...", and then she started crying.
"Don't talk now, you'll have time later." she felt a weight on the side of her bed, a slight touch across her hair.
"Tom....Thomas....wont, be back, Daddy. I hadda....hadda...", and more tears.
"You helped him Kate..." his voice cracked. "He doesn't blame you, and neither do I..."
".....Daddy..... I'm sorry, Daddy. All those years I blamed you, I understand now. I'm sorry now, Daddy. Just wanted you to know....I....I don't blame you......now" Her voice was a hoarse whisper swelling, then fading. "When I go.... help Mom....plese...."
Timothy could feel that she felt she was dying
"Don't worry baby, I know of a good healer. He's coming here."
There was no answer, she had slid from consciousness again.
Outside, an old ship came from hyperspace, instead of bursting through, it seemed to slip out, as though it were an ancient ship, and it used hyperspace as wind for it's sails. It was a black disk with a cockpit on the right-hand side. Two missile boxes sat in the dorsal and ventral turrets.
Dalton kept his eyes open, then narrowed slightly at the mention of another healer* "I didn't even know there were enough healers left in the galaxy honestly. You got my attention now especially with such a rare profession"
"Umm..Master Storm, we have an odd contraption on approach, looks like an old YT-2400. No sense of hostility" "Very well Commander Liis let em pass."
The craft came closer toward the cruiser, and the ship became more clear in the visual range. A sigil was clearly visible on the hull. A pair of gray wings with a sword thrust up between them, the paint was flaking a little around them.
FX fighters buzzed around it, escorting it into the hanger bay
"Master Qixonis, I am feeding you a visual on that Sigil, I swear I've seen it before but I may be imagining things." *he handed him the monitor with the visual.* "Never mind Defender, it's being brought into the hangar, go with Master Qixonis and see what we have." "Master Storm..Admiral..Sir"
Master Kathryn, sitting in a view lounge, unable to face her husband, looked up as the ship drifted in. She sprang to her feet, a look of hope and disbelief on her face, and hurried down to the hanger.
As soon as it landed, the landing struts creaked as it settled on the hangar, taking up most of the space. The landing ramp settled down, and a young man with bright red hair walked down the ramp, couldn't be any more than fifteen. His green eyes were wide and curious as he looked around, seeing Timothy walking down, somber. "Uncle Timothy, it has been awhile."
Master Kathryn stopped at the door of the hanger, not seeing who she had expected. She was unsure who the young man was.
She heard the young man call her husband, "Uncle Timothy." That made him.........
*Liis was right behind him and nodded to the younger fellow. Welcome to the "Gaeriel Elizabeth"* <It's a young fellow Master, called Timothy uncle.> <Very well no need to keep me posted I trust them> *he stood upright, and smiled, well at least as how a Rodian could smile* *then his communications console lit up* <Defender Liis here go ahead, copy that Master> "Master Quixonis, Master Spry is en route here, do you want me to hold him or bring him on in?"
"Master Spry will do what Master Spry wants to do, so take some advice. Don't try to hold him back when it isn't necessary." Timothy said, walking forward, and grasping the young man in a hug. "Tomas, it HAS been awhile."
Timothy turned to Kathryn. "Dear, this is Tomas, a very talented healer."
Tomas turned to Kathryn. "Ah, Aunt Kathryn. Mother speaks well of you."
"My apologies Master Qixonis, We Rodian's aren't very eloquent, just didn't want to upset you" *he bowed slightly embarrassed.* "I am going to keep pushing for transfer of the Valor's to the ship, cheers" and he left quickly
Master Kathryn caught her breath, then looked at the ship. "Horus, scoot over - need to make room for Master Spry to land." Turning to the young man, she said,"We need your help, NOW. Our daughter is dying, Healer."
<Thank you, Liias> she said mentally to the Rodian, as he left.
The ship obediently floated a few feet off the deck, and moved as far to the side as possible to allow another ship to land.
"I will heal Kate to the best of my ability Aunt Kat." Tomas inclined his head.
The Starviper that belonged to Ragen, slid into the hangar and Vincent brought it down successfully next to Horus. The ramp hissed down and he stepped off the shuttle. His face now carried a hardship worn into his features by age, and from 3 decades of training and trying to teach Jensaarai. He walked with a rigid step, and nodded to Timothy and to Tomas* "How is she doing Master Qixonis, was Ari able to provide any assistance."
"Thanks, Horus." Kathryn said, having long ago learned the value of politeness to AIs. She stayed out of the conversation, feeling like she wanted to scream, Hurry, Hurry
Her fidget in place was sign enough of her stress
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Post by erickson on Jun 8, 2007 23:35:48 GMT -5
"No, Ari wasn't, but Tomas will be able to." Timothy pointed at the red-haired young man walking down the corridor.
"Timothy, she exhausted herself. She's the only reason Kate is still alive, dear," said Kathryn.
"Good, I am glad we have options. Are you doing alright Kat, anything I can get for you?"
She kept moving in Tomas' wake. "Walk with us, Master Spry. Tomas must get there....SOON." Her hands were clenched in fists and her voice trembled. They could hear the sound of alarm monitors as they neared the room.
She looked as near to breaking as Master spry had ever seen her, though Timothy had seen her worse.
Vincent walked with them and kept a tight reign on his own emotions. He had been a part of their life in and out for several years, and he could feel the pull of his own grief, both at his sister's death, and for all of those whom they had lost along the way. He wondered just when he had become such a heavy-hearted old man.* "She'll pull through, I've always put a strong emphasis in faith. If she can feel your own faith that she will recover, I believe it will speed the healing process."
Tomas walked to the door, then turned around. "I will exit once I'm finished, and no visitors."
Timothy nodded at this.
Kathryn looked at the two, then nodded, a defeated look on her face. "Do you two wish to know details of their mission? "she asked tightly.
"I read Kate's mind," she said, as if it wasn't a violation of common ethics for her to do so.
"Not necessary." said Tomas, and bowed to Kathryn. "Sorry Aunt Kathryn, but dad said it was best to be honest to the point of brutality with you."
"I wasn't going to brief you, Tomas," she said back to him. "I was just asking the Matkai GrandMaster and the Jensaari GrandMaster if they needed information," she said in cold tones.
"Why do I get the feeling that Andrew is somehow involved in all of this. Something dark is out there, something I currently cannot finger. One would think after 30 years we could somewhat have normal lives, but the Force seems to have that grim sense to it lately. Dalton informed me of his suspicion that Crassius was still alive also, but I digress. I will hear of the mission, if you feel up to relaying the details to me."
Tomas didn't even flinch. "I apologize, I thought you were addressing me." he said in a light-hearted tone, but an under-current told her that it wasn't nice to antagonize the person saving her daughter's life.
She sighed. "Tomas, I'm a rude, blunt Investigator - surely your mother told you that. I apologise for snapping, child, now GO! Please!" She was visibly shaking, a state only Timothy had ever seen her in before. She had explained it off as an effect of the Force on her, lightly, but she looked as if something was trying to tear her apart.
"I don't sicken Healers with things they should never know," she added in an apologetic tone.
Agitation rolled off of Kathryn like a tidal wave, and Vincent grimaced, there was a lot of pain, a pain he knew he couldn't fix. He could only offer support, support in the same way he had offered it to Alyssa when she miscarried. His features were etched with concern and sharp pangs of grief continued to gnaw at the back of his mind, pangs he replaced with memories of a better time and place, the only thing one could do in the wake of such overpowering feelings.
Tomas nodded. "Then I guess mother was incorrect about your manners." he said, turning toward the door, and closing it with a soft click.
She looked away, at the two men. "Lets....get as far away from here.....as possible. What I have to tell you isn't pretty, and I know from Vincent's expression that I'm oozing pain like a tree oozes sap." It was said in a flat, reporting voice. "And Master Spry, Investigators don't generally go Dark. We go mad. That's what Timothy's for. He's my Protection."
"How important is the information?" Timothy asked, conversationally.
Her eyes were flat and glittering when she looked at him. "Very, Master Qixonis. It needs to be passed to both of you for analysis. Those children died getting us this information." She had gone to controlled Ice, a process Master Spry had only seen her do once before. She no longer radiated the tremors of the Force, she was the Force - a vessel of the Truth, set to speak it for the balance.
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