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Thread: Turnabout

  1. #1
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    Thread Semi-Open Turnabout

    Lilaena stood on the bridge of her flagship, the Haran, staring out into the Ghost Nebula. Purple and pink swirls of gas mixed with blue and green to create a truly breathtaking display, but she stared into the middle distance, the nebula a blurry image at best as she anticipated the guest who would arrive in the next few hours.

    It had been a few months since Nelaa Kyris had dropped into her life and extracted a deal that Lilaena was still not one hundred percent on board with. Still, for the good of the people she now considered her family, she had bound herself with a blood oath the Mando'ade used in only the most extreme cases. Breaking it would dishonor her forever in their eyes. If she ever were to break her oath with the Imperial agent, either the Mando'ade could never find out, or she would be immediately and violently ousted as their leader.

    Of course, if Agent Kyris broke her word first, then Lilaena would be free to do what she wanted - if any of them were still alive.

    Through the secure communications channel that they had established Nelaa had sent word she wished to meet. Lilaena had suggested the Amar system, a no-mans-land area of space that the Imperials had vacated but the Alliance had yet to bring to their side. She had sent Jeng to meet her there, to make sure the woman hadn't brought an armada with her, and then bring her here, to the Umbara system in Alliance space.

    He was already on his way to make the rendezvous.

    All Lilaena had to do now was wait.



    oh what a tangled web I weave


  2. #2
    In the month's since their last meeting Nelaa had been beyond busy. The Ord Trasi investigation was in full swing and she'd begun taking steps to distance herself from it. When the topic came up with her superiors, she made it clear that the Alliance was the clear threat, and Ord Trasi had been distraction. After the Telos IV mission they were more content to step back and let her chase her instincts. In reality, she was soaking up as much information about the investigation as she could without attracting any attention.

    At the same time, she was also going back through the records, pulling information on more or less everything. She had certain things she was looking for but knew better than to only search for those things. There were records of who accessed the records. One of the records she'd accessed had led her to the surprise that had finally made her request a meeting with De'Ville.

    The surprise was actually a man, a man with knowledge that De'Ville would be interested in learning about. Nelaa had him in stun cuffs with a mild sedative to keep him asleep, but not enough that he couldn't be woken up to move about on his own accord. He would just be a little groggy when he did it.

    She'd been waiting at the rendezvous point for a few hours, keeping herself busy with a few reports that she'd brought with her. She didn't expect De'Ville to show up at the rendezvous herself, more likely that someone would arrive to pick Nelaa up and take them to her. De'Ville wouldn't risk running into an ambush, not this early in their partnership at least. The mistrust didn't bother Nelaa at all, she just hoped they'd brought a ship big enough for her and her guest.
    Last edited by Nelaa Kyris; Jun 11th, 2019 at 11:35:20 AM.

  3. #3
    The Ne'ta Prudii exitted hyperspace outside of the Amar system, making the last leg of its journey under the power of sublight engines. In the pilot's chair, Jeng checked the rendezvous coordinates again. He’d made good time.

    When the YT-1760 drew within visual range of the meeting point, the starscape ahead of the cockpit looked… abandoned. If there had ever been any reason to come to this particular corner of the Galaxy, it seemed it had been long since forgotten. Jeng glanced down at the freighter's sensor readouts, cycling through the results of the passive scans. Only a single energy signature registered, one other ship that was idling just outside of the orbit of Amar itself. If he squinted, he could see the shape of the ship, the dark outline of the hull.

    As a matter of habit, Jeng checked the readiness of the ship’s laser turrets. It wasn’t paranoid, he reasoned. Just… practical, given the types of missions that Mandalore sent him on.

    With the flick of a switch, Jeng opened a short range communication channel. “Sucuy, tyra’de.”

    Hello, stranger.

  4. #4
    Hmm, I didn't even have to play dead this time.

    "Door's open..."

    She switched the ship to docking mode as she spoke over the short range comm. She had two bags that she intended to take with her and slid them over to the airlock. She turned aroundto see that her friend, well, prisoner was starting to wake up, probably roused by the sound of her voice. She walked over and leaned down, holding his eyelids open on his right eye. His pupils were slow to dilate, but he was good enough. She kicked his foot a little to startle him fully awake.

    "Wake up, we have company. I would recommend you be on your best behavior. I would like for you to finish this trip but it certainly isn't critical that you do."

    Outside, she saw the ship who'd hailed her easing up beside her, aligning its airlock with hers. She stood the man up and reached down into his chair, grabbing an empty bag that he had been sitting on and pulling it over his head. She grabbed a dark brown leather jacket and pulled it on before leading him to the airlock where a familiar face was waiting for them.

    She sent the pretty one. I must have made a good impression...

    "Our friend will be interested to speak with this one, do we have room for him on your ship?"

    One look at his ship told her that he did, but she wouldn't be rude and assume that another person was welcome.

  5. #5
    Leaning against the airlock wall, Jeng raised an eyebrow at the sight of the redheads… companion.

    “What’s under the bag?”

    Before she could answer, Jeng lifted a hand and offered a smile.

    “Never mind. Don’t care. Just keep him with you. You’ve got the common room all to yourselves,” he added, turning to pace back into the freighter.

  6. #6
    "Fair enough. We won't cause any trouble."

    She found herself answering his smile with one of her own and mentally kicked herself after he left for the cockpit. No time for that, get your head in the game! She turned to her captive and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him with her to the common room. She was probably handling him a bit more roughly than she normally would, and recognized that her frustration with herself was being taken out on him. As they reached the common room she dropped the bag she was carrying in her free hand, then dropped the one that had be slung over her shoulder. Her other hand still held her captive firmly. She found the nearest seat and sat him down in it, then kneeled down and buckled a safety harness around him. As she did, a voice came from under the mask, weak with a heavy hint of fear to it.

    "I don't know why you are doing this, but pl...AHH!"

    She cuffed the side of his head, causing a yelp of pain from him.

    "Speak when spoken to."

    She found a seat of her own and sat down. The temptation to slump down was eating at her mind, but she needed to be sharp for her meeting with De'Ville. A short chime sounded, notifying them that they were about to jump into hyperspace. Almost immediately after, she felt the ship smoothly make the jump. She closed her eyes and worked to clear her mind. There were several scenarios running through her head, and she played a few of them out, trying to get a vague assessment of her best and worst case scenarios. She was always careful with this exercise though. Too much planning for something like this lead one to lock themselves into certain actions and dismiss fresh data. At best, she might miss a great opportunity. At worst, it could get her killed.

    The ship falling back into realspace broke her from her meditation. Her internal time sense told her that they'd been going for about an hour and she was thankful that it was a short trip. She stood up and crossed the common room and slung one of her bags over her left shoulder, then picked the other up with her left hand. She walked over and unbuckled her guest with her free hand, then snatched him to his feet, leading him back toward the airlock.

  7. #7
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    "The Ne'ta Prudii has arrived, Mand'alor."

    Lilaena didn't need the confirmation. She had felt the flicker in the Force that indicated a ship arriving from hyperspace. Eyes still unfocused on the nebula she reached out with the Force, feeling for the familiar presence of Jeng on board the YT-1760. He seemed calm, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity.

    Three people were on board, not two.

    Her eyes focused and she turned away from the viewscreen. "Give Jeng clearance to dock and send an escort for our two visitors."

    "He says the agent has brought a man with her." The Mandalorian woman at the comm looked up with surprise as they talked over each other. "Yes Mand'alor." She thumped her fist to her heart and relayed the message.

    Lilaena paced across the bridge, then turned and paced back. Something different was happening, something she hadn't anticipated.

  8. #8
    It took a few minutes for the escort to reach the Ne’ta Prudii. While he waited, Jeng stood, arms crossed over his chest, considering the hidden face of whoever had come aboard with Nelaa and wondering whether he was about to get a bollocking for not finding out before bringing the little man to the Haran.

    When the escort arrived, Jeng grinned at them in greeting, then lead the way to the conference room adjacent to the Haran’s bridge. Lilaena was waiting there for them already.

    Mand’alor. Your… guests.”

    When the agent walked ahead of him into the room, guiding her captive, Jeng’s eyes met Lilaena’s. A smile twitched at one corner of his mouth, just for a second.

    “I’ll leave you two to it.”

  9. #9
    Nelaa walked in, bringing her captive along with her. She found it interesting to watch De'Ville's eyes hang on Jeng for a bit longer than they probably should have, but she could remember making the same mistake herself the first time she saw him. I would do well to pay more mind to how she interacts with those closest to her...

    She stepped forward, now fully the center of De'Ville's attention. She thought to speak, but decided it would best to allow De'Ville to address her first as speaking out of turn could be construed as a sign of disrespect. Nelaa wouldn't show fear or subservience, but she would definitely be respectful.

  10. #10
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    Vor’e, Jeng,” said Lilaena, thanks, and then she was alone with her visitors.

    She turned to fully face Agent Kyris, who had positioned herself directly between her and the conference table. “Greetings. We can stand if you wish, or...?” She gestured behind the woman to the table and the small sitting area nestled against the bulkhead. “I trust there is a good reason you got in contact with me.”

    Lilaena looked at the hooded figure with open curiousity before turning a more measured look on Nelaa.

  11. #11
    Nelaa smiled.

    "There are issues that I wish to discuss with you. And I have a gift..." She glanced over at the hooded man. "...of sorts."

    Normally she'd save the presents for last, but she had the feeling that the things she needed to discuss with De'Ville didn't need to be said in the man's presence. As for him, she wasn't sure if De'Ville would be familiar with him or not, but there was only one way to find out.

    "I went back and pulled some records on the incident on Sestooine. Most of the information I could find was either heavily redacted or missing obvious chunks of data. One thing I did learn is that almost all of the scientists involved in that project are dead or missing." She glanced over at the man. "Almost all."

    As she spoke, she heard what sounded like a whimper come out from under the hood as the man now realized what had brought him into his current situation. Nelaa reached over and snatched the hood off the man's head. He was short and scrawny, with dark blue skin and pupil-less red eyes. His jet black hair was mussed and ruffled from being under the hood. Nelaa pushed him forward a step toward De'Ville and he fell forward, landing on one knee.

    "Mand'alor, meet Naj Arilov."

  12. #12
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    She drew back as though Nelaa had dumped a basket of venomous snakes onto the deck, cold rage rising quickly. Not at the agent, but at the man.

    "He was not on Sestooine at the end," Lilaena said, eyeing the pathetic creature on his knees before her. After a moment she grabbed his throat with the Force and dragged him to his feet, stepping close so their faces were inches apart.

    "In what capacity did you work with the Morbus Virus?"

  13. #13
    Nelaa watched as Arilov struggled in De'Ville's force grip. She spoke flatly - almost as if she were bored - without ever looking in De'Ville's direction.

    "I gave him a sedative earlier to keep him from making trouble and it's going to be making him a little hazy. He'll need oxygen or he'll pass out before he can even remember what his name is."

  14. #14
    "It's...okay"

    Naj found that one the woman they called Mand'alor had pulled him to his feet (with her mind, to his horror) but she refrained from actually choking him. It did take some effort to remember the Morbus Virus. It wasn't that it was a memory he held lightly, his mind was just in a fog. After a few moments he was able to answer.

    "I was brought in toward the end of the project. They wanted to the virus to spread through airborne contact but couldn't make it work."

    His legs started to feel a little rubbery again, and as his body slumped he felt himself being held by his neck. He wasn't being choked, but it wasn't comfortable either. He grit his teeth and got his legs back under him, standing back up straight again.

    "After I figured it out I saw what the virus could do."

    He shook his head as much as the grip on his neck would allow.

    "That's when I found an excuse to leave the project."

  15. #15
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    Lilaena narrowed her eyes, releasing her hold on the scientist and pushing him slightly so he staggered backward.

    She turned toward Nelaa. "Why have you brought him here? To face judgement?"

  16. #16
    Nelaa turned her attention back to De'Ville.

    "Something to that effect. At first I thought to just kill him. You were right before, Sestooine was an abomination and this man helped cause it."

    She sensed the fire starting to build inside her and cooled it. This wasn't the time to let emotions run wild.

    "But killing him ultimately does very little. He could be useful, and I think he'd prefer being useful to being dead."

  17. #17
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    "Useful?" Lilaena couldn't stop the sneer. "He would be best served as fertilizer for our fields. What use do you see for such scum?"

    She didn't even look at Arilov, focusing her attention on the Imperial agent. "Where did you find him?"

  18. #18
    "He's been bouncing around from project to project, some that I have clearance to see, others that I don't." One could almost see the hunger in her expression. "I'm rather curious about those."

    She looked back over at Arilov, slightly amused at how he was just realizing how screwed he really was.

    "As far as where I found him. He was on leave, decided to do a little hiking on Chandrila." She smirked. "He wandered a little too far off the beaten path."

  19. #19
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    "I can make him talk," said Lilaena, her gaze a little too focused. "Open him like a book for you to read at your leisure."

    She walked closer to the Chiss, or half-Chiss. "Or I could just kill him now. Your virus caused children to claw their own eyes out before tearing the throats of their parents. Children. You left the project? You did not raise an alarm or shut down the project!"

    Lilaena spat on him.

  20. #20
    Naj was barely able to keep himself upright under the sudden weight of the Mand'alor's anger. He recoiled as she spat on him, fearing that she would strike him next.

    "I couldn't... They would've..."

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