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Thread: The Reckoning

  1. #21
    The last thing on Baska's mind was to do any sort of sight-seeing; but there wasn't any option to reach her destination besides going through Aushti. The way the city had ambitions and pockets of actual civilization surprised the Sith. Frankly, she hadn't had any particular expectations for what this place would look like. The city definitely didn't match all the poetry waxed about it by its imperial overseer; but there was potential, and a much more diverse crowd than she would have expected.

    The glimpse she got from the forested lands caught her interest for a brief moment; but she had no time to waste. Yet she felt a strange pull, which was not so out of the ordinary for her. Exploring had always been part of who she was, whether as a bounty hunter, or as a Sith historian and artifact hunter.

    When she saw habitations in the nearest part of the forested lands, she pressed on and soon found the man she was looking for. While Ternes was still alive, he did look like a vestige that life had put through a lot. It wasn't so much that it drew any sort of pity from the Sith; but rather she hoped he would be somewhat useful.

    "K. Ternes?"

    The old man looked up, stopping what he was polishing just seconds after she had come close enough.

    "Yeah, Kir Ternes. And you'd be?"

    Someone you'd better be able to help, she mused.

    "I'm Baska. I heard you were friends with Dr. Sterak."

    He scoffed and got to his feet with difficulties. To get on his good side, Baska came to offer help; and he didn't shoo her away.

    "Yeah, pay was good but he was hell to work with."

    That likely was the understatement of the year given what he had put Baska through, although it had helped mold her into the powerful Master of the Dark side she had become years ago.

    "What do you want with him?"

    He sat down inside and grabbed an half empty bottle and took a long gulp from it.

    "I was hoping he'd still be around. I want to find him."

    Spitting that ugly lie was painful but so be it.

    "I found out he's my father. Trying to learn more about him, and hopefully find him."

    The ancient shook his head.

    "I don't think he can care for anyone except himself. His only real child was his pet project."

    Now they were getting somewhere.

    "It must have meant a lot to him."

    Ternes drank a third of what was left in the bottle.

    "He was obsessed with some energy stuff, and was a pompous ass. I've never seen much of it but he spent more and more time in his old hideout in the inner ring. This place felt haunted. I hated it."

    Baska knew that her late Master wasn't a good pilot himself, so it made sense he had had to hire Ternes.

    "Could you take me there?"


    The old man shrugged.

    "I'm done flying, little girl. Ship's taking a nap."

    That was a good way to anger the blonde. He might be stubborn but his mind was easy to play with.

    "All right, I'll let you be."


    He grumbled something. By the time she was before his front door, she had already invaded his mind with tendrils of powers and built the illusion that she was leaving when instead she headed to the one other room in the small dwelling, discreetly rummaging through his belongings, until she found a non-secured datapad holding his ship docking information. She soon heard snores coming from the main room; but to be on the safe side, she kept her trick up until she had properly left the residence.

    She should be able to sneak and access his ship, which thankfully wasn't docked at the garrison. Civilians could be useful like that. And once aboard, she'd go through the logs. Hopefully she'd figure out where that old hideout was. Ternes wasn't that tidy and with how old and commonly intoxicated he appeared to be, she doubted that any deep clean of his navigation computer had occurred in the last while. And given how she had unexpectedly killed her Master several years ago, she knew that he had had no opportunity to tie loose ends.

  2. #22
    The in-system arrival and departure complex for commercial passengers was a large segment of the Aushti spaceport, but not the only one. Four smaller complexes branched out from the main hub: one each for in-system civilian craft, for commodity shipping and large cargo, for specialty shipping and VIP travelers, and a closed-off area whose labels vaguely hinted at docks for specialized testing of prototype air and space vehicles. The last area seemed still under construction - as Baska passed by on her way to the civilian docks, she could see large builder droids and scaffolding around the far end of what was most likely a military factory.

    Still, the journey back to the spaceport was just as uneventful as the journey from it. Angling away from a sign by the commodity shipping area that read "Ghemenaux Shipping and Transfers", Baska found a series of equidistant information terminals. Keying in the proper docking bay number and authentication code brought up a helpful information display describing the contents of Kir Ternes docking bay.

    It also brought up a video feed of the docking bay itself, along with a caption indicating that all docking bays were helpfully monitored "for your security".

    Below the feed was a question: file a flight-plan? Open and closed blocks of time offered themselves for Baska's selection, with the soonest being an hour away. Included next to the schedule selector was an option for expedited departure ("using previously filed information") and the cost in credits for allowing same-day spaceflight. Another helpful information block indicated that filing an expedited flight plan would remotely open the bay to allow for travel preparation.

    All-in-all, it was a system that seemed extremely efficient at allowing people to travel as they pleased - almost encouraging it - provided nothing deviated from expectations.

  3. #23
    While Baska grew up on a prosperous farm on Tanaab, with her uncle and aunt delving into antiquaries import and export; life had taken her to many different places. She was extremely adaptable, whether the place was a vicious ghost-filled abandoned fortress, an aristocratic gathering, or a hive of scum and villainy. Nothing could really take her off guard at this point, unless it had to do with her daughter.

    Returning to the spaceport was utterly uneventful; and while Baska felt a bizarre interest in exploring the city, nothing would deter her from her goal, which was to figure out what her late master might have created in this unusual system.

    Boring made it easier to think about what was ahead of her. She nevertheless took into account whatever observations she was making, for she remained on her guard. She acted very naturally but she knew better than being careless, unless it was the best option, which it wasn't for the time being.

    While the class division is not as obvious as on other worlds she had visited, the hub and other signs stood as clear indicators of the various levels of wealth and status on Sillesk. It didn't bother Baska especially as she considered that if one wanted bad enough to get higher in society, they had to create the means for themselves. Most people screaming for how unfair life was had missed great lessons. Tragedies were bound to happen, and what mattered was how once grew from them. It was why the coddling of certain societies, and the denying of the self that some preached didn't sit well with the bounty hunter turned Sith. She had been forged in fire, and knew that more fire would come her way, attempt to consume her; but she would prevail.

    As she reached the terminal that would allow her to fly Ternes's ship, she appreciated how well-oiled the imperial bureaucracy was. She chose to use previous flight plans from what the menu offered thanks to the identification codes. It took her closer to the belt, and once there, she would figure things out. She also chose to spend some of her credsticks, in order to get going four hours later. Same day was her goal, but she purposefully chose a later block in order to minimize attention, even though nobody had reason to suspect a previous employee.

    Of course, she knew that she might stir away from whatever lane the freighter was expected to stay in; but she would handle everything in due time. Whatever could go smoothly was a helpful stepping stone.

    Once everything was cleared at the terminal, she stepped onto the docking bay and easily mingled with the few other people nearby, nobody caring about her, as she made herself the most bland-looking possible. She locked the old freighter after going aboard. It wasn't as messy as she had expected, despite the bit of dust that layered the floors. It had definitely not been used in a while; but was still decently maintained and was almost with a full tank, which was a nice surprise.

    She proceeded to do a quick search of the ship, and unsurprisingly, she didn't find anything interesting. Once she made it to the cockpit, she brought the logs up and started going through them. While it might not give her much information, she hoped to find anything that could give her a better insight into what and where her late master was up to.

  4. #24
    The logs provided Baska with greater insight than she had first expected. Ternes had delivered to various places around the belt, but most of his work up to a few years ago, coinciding with the Sith's killing of her late master, had been deeper into the asteroids, and she had the exact coordinates. Pulling up the manifesto, she saw extended medical nomenclatures: both machinery and medicine.

    Baska pursed her lips, remembering some of her recent visions, of her daughter stuck in some sort of pod, the scent of sulfur and discarded tissues and equipment. Whatever the dead Sith had done was abomination. She didn't look down upon scientific research, or even necromancy; but playing gods with an infant or even a child was something she couldn't condone, regardless of how much she missed her daughter. She should have been laid to rest without any grave robber desecrating her final repose.

    Baska didn't know what she might find in this base, now likely abandoned since its owner's passing, for there was extensive clearance history for a mere transport freighter, indicating that Ternes had worked directly for Sterak on many occasions.

    She had no idea how deep Koron Sterak had been embedded in the imperial apparatus, and she didn't even know whether she would get an answer; but she would go through this base until she uncovered all she could about what he had done to Heyrina, and whether her beloved daughter still existed in one form or the other. If any variation of Heyrina had survived, she owed it to her daughter to find her and bring her home, to let her know that she still had a mother.

    There was not much more information to gather from the logs so she killed the final hour before leaving with deep meditation, letting Darkness course through her veins. Her immersion in the power that she commanded and that guided her didn't give her any new insight; but she felt it linger at the edge of her perception: a fleeting promise of more revelations.

  5. #25
    TheHolo.Net Poster Seraphine Tankreyd's Avatar
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    Bellataine, Tainar Sector.

    Captain Seraphine Tankreyd dreaded the new duty that had befallen her: the yearly visit to the Bakelan Orphanage. Even though her mother had stepped down from planetary leadership a decade ago, Countess Avara had continued to oversee certain charitable activities, such as this one. Sadly, the Countess's health was not improving and she was currently receiving treatment, preventing her from visiting with the children under Lady Fireya Merril's patronage.

    The younger Tankreyd would have rather dealt with savage beasts than children, for her appreciation for them was still utterly limited. She guessed that the day she chose to have her own family, her opinion would change; but for now, the little beings could stay as far away from her as possible, and it would improve her quality of life.

    Yet she would do what was required, and she took a deep breath before exiting her vehicle. Lady Merril was awaiting her, along with some of the older pupils. Truth be told, she was grateful for how the King and the various nobles of the systems provided for the less fortunate.

    "Captain Tankreyd, it is an honor to welcome you," Lady Merril said with a curtsy, mirrored by the children by her side. At least the lady took into account how Seraphine refused to be called by the rank she believed still belonged to her mother.

    "Thank you, Lady Merril. I am glad I could visit on behalf of the Countess, who sends her regards, as well as some presents," she replied, gesturing to the various crates her escort was beginning to unload.

    Lady Merril soon led her through the courtyard and towards the main building of the property, which was even larger than what Seraphine had expected. She knew too well how lucky she was to have her mother, given the loss of the rest of her family. Visiting the orphanage led her to muse over the siblings and father she had never known, lost to whatever tragedy had plagued them.

  6. #26
    When Baska opened her eyes again, she didn't know what to think. The last part of her meditation had kept her in the dark, but silhouettes and fragmented moments she couldn't identify had danced before her mind's eye, too much in the distance for her to make sense of them. The uneasy feeling brought a lump to her throat. She felt grasping at elusive wind when she needed tangible responses.

    A lesser being would have wallowed in the frustration; but the blonde Sith knew better. She focused on what she could do, keeping the taunting vagueness in the back of her mind, having committed the few details she could to memory. She anchored herself in the pain that had brought her to Sillesk in the first place. Ripping the wound open was a dance of power that Baska had learned to master over the years, which had eventually made her stronger than her late mentor, when he thought he could break her.

    A stubborn dark phoenix, Baska welcomed fear, anger, even threats of madness, pain, and despair, and wasn't the kind of woman to back down. With a last shrug, she powered the ship up, and went through pre-flight in due time, clearing up all codes and procedures, until she was in the air.

    This time she was able to have a look at the impressive asteroids that gave the system a unique flair. She took her time to follow the pre-approved flight route to the closest point from which she would veer in order to get to her master's old base, concealed deeper into the belt.

    The journey to that point was uneventful, for she was keeping to her "line;" but that was only borrowed time. The blonde had checked on the proximity scanners to get an idea of potential security stops, and she sure hoped that if she got tailed for whatever reason, she could push the freighter hard enough that it made it to her destination without too much trouble.

    With one look at the navigation system, she knew it was time. She switched her previous flight plan to the new one that would guide her to the old base. It shouldn't take her more than thirty minutes to get there, hopefully buying her enough time, especially as she had no issue zigzagging through asteroids if need be. She had gone through worse during her training.

  7. #27
    "You see anything yet, Blackhawk Lead?"

    "Nuttin yet." Grimo Yevest shifted the cigarra in his mouth and eased back his throttle. "'m startin t' think whoever it was hit one of the big ones after they went off scope. One of these minin' crews might likely tumble to whatever wreckage is left in a few years."

    Blackhawk squadron had been canvassing the relevant asteroid belt sector for about twenty minutes trying to find the missing ship. It wasn't the easiest job to pull off in a flight of overshielded tugcrafts, but it wasn't high risk either even for a system as inhospitable to fighter-sized craft as Sillesk was. The Admiral had spent a small fleet's worth of resources over the years to develop techs, specs, and spacers that could roll with the solar flares.

    Or at least, those made things safe for the Empire. Visitors were up Findley's ionwash without a thruster unless they paid for Imperial insurance.

    "Blackhawk six to Lead, we have an inbound comm. Admiral Bismarck has taken an interest in our search-and-rescue. Says he's in a Shielded Personnel Carrier and is on his way out."

    Grimo laughed. "What's ol' Arby want with a Nobody at the end of Nowhere Road?"

    "He didn't say. He's recalling most of us to the Scythe, but he wants you and Three to meet him at these coordinates pretty quick-like."

    Huh. "So he thinks he's figured where our missing ship wound up?"

    "More than likely," Three chimed in. "Don't know how, but I'm not betting against him. Adjusting my course and speed - vector says we'll be there in four. I wonder what's there that's enough to get his attention?"

    "Even if there is something out there, it's probably not the What that's got him interested," Grimo mused as he adjusted his own course and speed. "Long as I've known him, ol' Arby has always gotten more wound up over Whos than Whats."

    "You'd have to be several wrinkles shy of a Cerean's forehead to want to leave range of the navi-system buoys," Six responded. "Speaking of, I'm heading back. See you Wing Waldos back at hangar."

    "While yer sitting around gabbin, maybe y' could knit us some socks," Grimo smirked at his own joke. "See you boys whenever Arby gets what he wants out here."

  8. #28
    Rigel Bismarck, Admiral of the Empire, sat in the chair closest to the cockpit door at the head of twenty-two Imperial troopers of various types. The compliment was composed in part by two actual squads from the Scythe. One squad consisted of eight light spacetroopers while the other was a specialty unit which included a mix of eight total engineers, technicians, and specialists.

    The remaining six were Deathtroopers.

    The Deathtrooper compliment was deliberately three fewer than it should have been. The Deathtroopers not present remained aboard the Scythe. In the event something happened to the entire cadre, the remaining Deathtroopers would receive audio and video logs through the in-system communication relays. For similar reasons, the sergeants who would have commanded the regular line squads were absent as well.

    All the troopers present wore suits of medium space-faring armor that had been proofed against the system's radiation. Bismarck himself wore a light exo-suit designed for spacewalk that allowed clear vision of his face. It, too, had ion radiation protections, though its design was considerably less shielded than the suits around him. They were there for his protection, after all.

    "ETA in two minutes, Admiral."

    "Excellent," Bismarck responded over the shuttle's still-open broadcast channel through his suit's commlink system. "Do we have a visual on any kind of landing site?"

    "Yes, sir," the pilot responded. "It's as you expected. There's a natural opening in the rock that's been set up into a landing bay. Looks large enough to fit a Carrack in."

    "Then a total of four small craft should pose no issue. I assume the Blackhawk tugs are already landed?"

    "We sure are, Admiral Arby sir," the voice of Grimo Yevest replied. "Landing zone secured and we didn't even booby-trap this other freighter we found on account a how generous I'm feelin today."

    "Good to know you remembered my civilian-engagement protocols," Bismarck replied, the dryness of his response speaking for itself. "Have you found anything of note, Squadron Leader Yevest?"

    The comm crackled slightly, with Grimo's volume gaining strength as the ship neared the location Bismarck had triangulated. "Aside from our missing ship? Naw. This place ain't been used in years, but all the lights are on like someone was figurin they'd be back pretty soon. No computer terminals in here either. There's a coupla sets of doors but they all look to lead into an airlock with some kinda decontamination system. 'course, the airlock seems kinda redundant since there's atmo shielding on the hangar."

    "In this system, redundancy is life," Bismarck noted. "Should the shielding fail due to an intense burst of ion radiation, we may wind up glad for that airlock."

    "Sure, sure. Listen, sir, me and Three got this area secured 'till y'all land, but if you could hurry up an' get here that'd be great. I'm gettin' hungry and could use one of them mighty fine burgers they sell planetside."

    "We'll be along shortly, Blackhawk One," Rigel said as he keyed in preparations to temporarily cut the communications link. "Don't let your stomach get you in trouble."

  9. #29
    Baska had no doubt that she would eventually get company; but she would make the best of the time she had gleaned to investigate her late master's lair. As she landed the freighter on the landing pad, she felt lingering energy, withering remains of a man who no longer was part of the living. While they had always kept each other at arms' length, the blonde knew that her master and her had done their best to drill into each other's heads, even though the bastard had done a more brilliant job at that with her, for she had once been the beginner he tried to break, only to forge her anew; and she had been blindsided by his nefarious plans regarding her beloved daughter. This had been a powerful lesson to realize, not for the first but in the most poignant way, that others had no morals left. While she was a survivor who relished in mind games and would push herself to the brink of destruction to become stronger, she would bring no harm to children. Obscurity and light's dance had always been a visceral one, and true power lied in knowing where to redraw lines, bend them to one's bidding.

    Her soul was at its direst unrest now that she had no idea what had happened to her daughter, whether she had been resurrected, and in what form. She felt a sickness to her stomach as if Heyrina was ripped from her womb anew; but no matter what the asshole had done, she would find her. Nobody would stand in her way.

    Her thoughts coalesced into a sense of emergency that had her waste no more precious time. She had seen the scanners and read some logs, and she was glad to find some exosuit, albeit not best quality, in one of the storate rooms. Actually she found three of them, which surprised her, but she managed to put one on. Surviving through dangerous environments had been something her late master had thrown her through from the very beginning, and she was starting to get a better understanding of what had inspired him for such resistance training.

    She soon disembarked and had already assessed that other ships could land in the makeshift bay. For what she had witnessed in her short time in the system, and what she knew about the Empire, she knew that her wandering would attract attention; and she now knew that her late master had actually worked for the Empire. To what extent, she might find out. Some might say she was cornering her own damn self in the middle of an asteroid field, with or without a ship left to leave, as she wouldn't put it past the imperials to destroy or immobilize it.

    There was a lot of pain in this place, that had no specific source but a general location. It was nauseating; but nothing would deter Baska from unearthing whatever monstrosity had occurred in these walls. Reaching the decontamination airlock, she decided against removing the exosuit; especially as there was not one soul breathing there. She had no idea what it meant for Heyrina; but she would find out soon enough.

    What came next was a long corridor with glass walls on each side, showing a set of four large medicalized rooms. While she was no doctor herself, she recognized a bunch of tanks in one of them, and she felt another wave of sickness crashing against her; and she continued to inspect what the others were. One of them was visibly the main office. She walked up there and thanks to what she had stolen from her mentor after ending his life, she was able to get into the system, at least the completely personal one. If one of the other was under imperial encryption was irrelevant for now. She pulled up some of the information on the holo screen, which was a blend of Sith glyphs and scientific jargon, along with a million calculation that was beyond Baska's comprehension on the go.

    She proceeded to copy all the information on a couple of data chips. It was during that process that she felt presences coming to the asteroid she was currently on. She pursed her lips, casting her senses as a devious net to get a grasp of what was going on. Soon, only two lingered behind.

    When they stayed put, by the landing pad, she knew that it likely meant the cavalry was coming, whatever it might entail.

    The moment the download was finished the local scanner chimed in loudly, indicating that reinforcements had arrived. Baska had just put one of the data chips in an interior pocket in her jacket under the exosuit; but she swallowed the other. Better safe than sorry, should she be made prisoner. She hadn't come this way for nothing.

    Knowing the clock was ticking, she made her way towards the tank repository room. As she stepped inside, she wished that dust had effectively gathered instead of presenting abominations, for there was no other word to describe the distorted fetuses, body parts, and even a couple of infants there. She thought she had already witnessed absolute horror in her life, sometimes even provoked it; but that was little in comparison.

    Forcing herself to come closer, Baska eventually stopped before one of them that held what was left of the baby she had held once many years ago.

  10. #30
    The boarding ramp to the SPC Quench clanged as it hit the deck of the bay. Sensors read that the bay atmosphere was strong, so Rigel had ordered the pilot to go ahead and vent the used gas supply from the thrusters and the air recycler. As a consequence, hissing clouds of gas blew down and away from the carrier's wings and belly, framing the troops as they disembarked.

    The cargo bay was long and the two-plus squads Rigel brought with him barely occupied the portion they were in. As long as the bay was, though, it was also somewhat deep. The design clearly allowed for loading and unloading large quantities of manpower or materiel, the latter probably being the more likely use of the space. The side walls, ceiling, and floor of the bay were all an unassuming tan color with no design. The inner wall reflected a bit more thought in its design; the lower half of the wall clearly opened into some sort of facility while the upper half incorporated various shapes whose position roughly matched doors, machinery, or other features on the lower half.

    'Someone had just a bit of artistic soul,' thought Rigel, even as the thought made him frown.

    Setting aside his internal deliberations, he looked towards the airlock door set in the middle of the wall. By the door stood two figures, one of which wore a heavy suit of exo-armor. The figure waved at Rigel and spat something from its open helmet. "Hey Admiral Arby," he shouted. "Three figures he can work the door control whenever you want us to try and enter."

    "Very good," Rigel called back. "Have you discovered any defenses or other items of note?"

    "Nuttin 'cept these footprints in the dust. If there's anything interesting here, it's on the other side of the door."

    The statement made Rigel pause. Footprints in the dust...

    "Very well," Rigel responded. He turned to the Deathtroopers. "Your primary mission is to protect my person. Any threat here is most likely to come from outside in the form of stray asteroids that breach the bay shields and damage our ships. Take up positions and ensure that does not happen."

    As the Deathtroopers acknowledge and fanned away from the group, Rigel continued towards the airlock while addressing the the rest of his men. "What we have here is a very interesting find. Until we know more about the structure, operate on passive detection only. Don't worry about videocapture or preserving a precise record of the interior yet, but do map general object placement and power lines. A light echogram will probably work best."

    The Blackhawk squadron Leads nodded as the group joined them at the airlock door. "Squadron Officers Yevest and Braddock, you command the infantry and the specialist squads respectively. Pair your squads off. Should this prove to be a large and complex structure, I want a troop pairing to investigate the area, determine its purpose, and secure it against intrusion until further notice. The main group will proceed towards whatever central office or command center exists. Understood?"

    "Aye, Admiral, we get it," Yevest said. He gestured at Blackhawk Three. "Go ahead, Braddy-boy: crack 'er open!"

    The airlock rolled smoothly open, allowing the Imperials inside. A display inside the airlock signified their progress through a decontamination spray and scan. Once that completed, the airlock door sealed and pressurized behind them. Rigel lead his men in stepping out into a long transparisteel-walled corridor.

    "Yo Arby," Yevest said, one heavy exoarmored hand pointing into a room filled with tanks. "Whaddya make of that?"

    "A fine question," Rigel said. "I think I'd like to check that out personally before we proceed. Send units to secure the other rooms. Leads Yevest and Braddock, you're with me."

    Rigel strode calmly into the room, his gaze flowing from capsule to capsule and observing the contents. Most medical experiment protocols dictated that remains or other biological detritus should be disposed of after it stopped functioning. That these had not, suggested they held some unique value in their dead state.

    Or, alternatively, that the persons who would have disposed of them never made it back to do so.

    Rigel glanced to the Leads on either side of him. Braddock had his hand resting lightly over his holstered service weapon; Yevest already had his own blaster rifle up and in firing position. "Come now gentlemen," he said. "There's no need for that when we're the only ones here."

    Yevest and Braddock eyed each other, then warily relaxed their defensive stances. Rigel nodded, then stepped up to look at the tank he'd been focusing on since he entered the room. "Something cruel happened here," he said, gazing over the remains of a small infant. "If we restrain ourselves, we may learn more about why that was."

  11. #31
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    Heyrina Tankreyd's Avatar
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    Bellataine, Tainar Sector.

    Heyrina had been at the orphanage for several years already. It was a good life despite all the nightmares and terrors she had, that often had her disturb other kids at nights. Thankfully the workers at the orphanage were willing to help all children, including difficult ones. The little girl was never as happy as when tinkering with some machines. She was maybe more at peace with nonliving objects. She didn't know and acted intuitively.

    She was tinkering with an old datapad when she saw her again, her mother. She knew it was her even though she was wearing a weird suit. And she wasn't alone. The man she had seen before was there too, and they were in the bad place.

    She felt fear and above all else hope, and even resolve. The vision had been brief but the moment she looked up she saw Lady Merril with someone else. The other lady reminded her of her mother. Tucking the datapad under her arm, the six year old scampered off towards them, curious, an invisible pull tugging her towards the blue-eyed tall woman.

    When she heard Lady Merril address her as a "Tankreyd," Heyrina couldn't breath; then she did what she rarely did as a shy child: she walked up to the lady.

    The two adults stopped at her and the visitor gave her a puzzled look. There were similarities in look, the same brilliant blue eyes and delicate but well-defined features about them.

    "Can you take me home so mamma can find me?"

  12. #32
    TheHolo.Net Poster Seraphine Tankreyd's Avatar
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    Bellataine, Tainar Sector.

    Seraphine felt something weird, one of these bizarre intuitive moments that had punctuated her life.

    On cue, a young girl, reminding her so much of her mother that it was unsettling, came to her. She didn't even look at Lady Merril; but felt ripples of shock coming from the orphanage owner.

    When the little girl spoke, Seraphine could do nothing except staring.

    "Who is your mamma?"

    Lady Merril moved at her side and seemed about to say something when the child spoke.

    "My mamma is Baska. You remind me of her."

    Lady Merril crouched by the child.

    "Heyrina, you never mentioned that before. Are you alright?"

    Heyrina kept her attention on Seraphine.

    "She knows mamma. Her mamma does too but she's too sad."

    Seraphine couldn't believe the child's name. Heyrina was the name of her maternal grandmother. The Captain caught Lady Merril's confused and apologetic look. Her mother had been at the orphanage several times but for whatever reason, the child had never made herself known.

    "Did you ever talk to my mother, Lady Tankreyd?"

    The child shook her head, looking serious.

    "I saw her. That's all. She always looks sad."

    Lady Merril offered an apologetic look to Seraphine; but didn't interrupt the conversation.

    The possibilty that her niece had been placed in this orphanage was the weirdest event that had ever happened to her; but she knew better than dismiss all of this as some trickery. Her intuition told her this was what the child claimed. Seraphine recalled the Tankreyd matriarch's relentless faith that Baska was still somewhere. The Captain even thought that it was why her mother was still alive despite declining health and severe losses. Seraphine knew that a Tankreyd always honored fate's call.

    "Yes, I will take you home with me, Heyrina."
    Last edited by Seraphine Tankreyd; Jun 14th, 2020 at 06:02:06 PM.

  13. #33
    Even lost in her distraught contemplation, Baska had sensed the arrival of more ships and various lifeforms, imperial squads without a doubt. For what she had witnessed of the imperial system over the years and of Silleks in particular in her short time in the system, she knew that she would have company sooner than later.

    Yet she had no intention to simply run away. She didn't move even as she knew that the imperials were about to corner her, or so they would believe. Her stance remained unchanged, the predator in her always ready to lash out or pivot into newfound shadows that she bet this place possessed. Her later master wasn't one to lack resourcefulness or secrecy.

    While finding her daughter's remains should have brought closure, there was an unnerving certainty in the Sith's soul that this was but a step on her path to her daughter. It was disturbing but if there was one thing she knew about life it was that it unraveled mysteries for those bold enough to chase them.

    While she didn't look behind her, her piercing blue eyes still upon her beloved daughter's remains, she recognized the voice that spoke. It was the same one that she had heard on the transport. While she had expected the cavalry, Admiral Bismarck himself was a surprise; and she didn't know what to make of it.

    What was most puzzling was how he appeared to ignore her presence when his men hadn't, one of them having already pointed a weapon at her, the change in his presence and the subtle sound of a rifle readied. He appeared even more oblivious to her presence than some of her many mind tricked targets in the past; and she hadn't even done anything to him. Truth be told, she was planning to refrain from any blatant use of the Force for she knew that the Empire had very little appreciation for people of her kind. She knew the men lowered and let go of their weapon upon the Admiral's command, even though she could feel their confusion and uneasiness.

    Yet he carried on, stating that they were alone, that she wasn't present. Rare were those that defied her expectations, but this imperial appeared to accomplish such a feat, and in the most uncanny circumstances.

    As he stood by her side, she felt anger at his presence before her daughter's remains, for the moment was to be private regardless of it being in imperial territory. She was nevertheless acutely intrigued by his decision to come here himself, and this curiosity was a weird experience.

    What exactly had been the rapport between her late mentor and the imperials, with the admiral? It appeared the place was an enigma to the man besides her for what she could tell and sense.

    Since she could still move freely, she decided to make the best of it, though she knew better than to make brisk movements. She knew how trigger happy some military could be, especially if a higher up was around. While it appeared that the Admiral commanded respect of his men, she knew better than to let her guard down.

    The moment she was to step back, she felt compelled to reach out to the tank and the moment her gloved hand touched the glass, the briefest vision passed before her mind's eye. Her daughter talked to a woman who bore striking Tankreyd looks, asking her to take her home so "her mama" could find her.

    She caught her breath and stepped back, more abruptly than she wanted. She regrouped and willed herself in a control forged in depth of despair and anger. She would retrieve her daughter's remains; but not yet.

    Without a single look at the Admiral, she moved across the room, looking for medical records; but couldn't find any terminal like the one she had found in the office. And she knew that there was more. Her late master had always been an accomplished puppeteer, even though she had eventually outsmarted him. She might not have thought more about it based on what she had already discovered and the information she had retrieved; but based on her quick scan, and the vision, she could feel it in her bones that there were more secrets lurking on this asteroid.

    If the Darkness had truthfully showed her a living Heyrina, she held for certainty that she would unveil where she was by investigating this place. She had no desire to do it with a bunch of imperials in tow; but one didn't always get to be choosy. And as a Sith Master she had many aces up her sleeve.

    She eventually passed between the two armed troopers, briefly staring at them with silent confidence. While her brash side found it tempting to aggravate them, it was a petty and immature side that would only be a disservice to her goal, which was to uncover what atrocity the bastard had committed, and what he had done with Heyrina. Even though she knew for sure that her stillborn baby remained as such, the horrors she had witnessed and the vision indicated that he had brought a version of her from the dead, and whatever this little one was, she was her daughter.

    She left the room, knowing the Admiral would follow, unless he wished to continue staring at the remnants of various bodies. She had gone through two of the four rooms. One of the two remaining was a surgery one, but held only various equipment, and the terminals were only for surveillance and machinery operating.

    The final one remaining was a laboratory, and she began to go through the inventory of equipment and substance. While several were living tissue, with indication of a common DNA, her daughter's she assumed, others were various chemicals that meant little to her. She was no scientist, and she knew that bringing Heyrina back to life must have involved both science and Sith necromancy.

    Baska felt slight frustration; but it took way more than such things for her to lose focus. While chaos was attached to Sith by many whether they simply hated them or more likely feared them. She knew how to be the eye of the storm, sharpening focus and insight from white hot anger and soul-wrenching pain.

    Mulling over her options, she briefly closed her eyes, standing still as if no other being was present. Then she felt the murmurs in the Force, the tremors conjuring memories of her training, of the monster she had slain and whose secrets she would unveil one by one, until they were all hers.

    Without a word, the tall blonde moved to the back of the hallway facing the entrance. There was nothing visible but she knew better. The opening mechanism was on the other side and nobody who wasn't Force-wielding could open it from this side.

    So be it.

    Without touching the wall, she fiddled with the mechanism on the other side, surprised to find no Sith trickery; at least until the door opened, revealing a large storage room with containers of various sizes and more tanks filled with more monstrosities.

    Without hesitation, Baska stepped forward.

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