Page 2 of 8 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 40 of 146

Thread: The Stowaway

  1. #21
    Michael's lips tightened as she spoke, of what she said and what it implied. Huh. He hadn't considered it was something that you could change. Sure Lancer had spoke of using Jedi teachings to find a third path for himself, but she felt like something else. In a small way the idea did help him be a bit more comfortable in his surroundings, in her being here. He considered how much he could actually trust her, how much of this was Bantha piss, or just more manipulations.

    He shook his head a bit at the idea of the 'will of the Force.' What had the Force given him other than a lifetime of pain at this point - of confusion and anger. "I'm..." He wasn't sure what to say in response to a statement like that, to that idea. His own Master had only ever preached using the Force for fun, for advancement. Sudoku had not been a typical Sith, or 'Doomsider' as his former Master had preferred to call himself. Michael had figured out years later it was all the same thing, even if Ky hadn't known it himself. How little he had actually been trained before being thrown into a life and a world that he wasn't prepared for was coming into focus.

    "Not sure I believe in the Will of the Force." He finally settled on. "But... I think I get what you mean. I think."

  2. #22
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    There was a breath of a smile that pulled at the corners of her lips then, and she dipped her head.

    "The Will, it is a strong thing. Whether it is the Force's, mine, or yours."

    She pulled in a breath, and let it out again.

    "I grew up being told that Fate was an almost tangible thing, and that it controlled us all."

    There was a moment's pause, as she let her legs stretch out - not far of course, owing to her small stature, but enough to allow her to cross them at the ankles.

    "But that is a notion that I simply do not believe in. Fate and Will are two different things; one is predetermined, and the other is the ability to go against that which is thought to be. A person's Will is so strong, and cannot be denied. Passions and intent are what give us life, and for me personally, the notion that my life is controlled by Fate, and not my own Will... well, that is not something that I am able to accept."

  3. #23
    Mike listened carefully and could feel the corner of his mouth turn up as she spoke.

    "That's... nice, actually - and I mean that."

    This was... surprisingly okay. When was the last time he'd talked to another Force user that wasn't... hostile? Ezra had threatened to kill him. He'd threatened to kill Lancer. s'Ilancy was just talking and it was comfortable, normal. What she said also made a far sight more sense than what he usually heard from Force users, though that could also be due to the types he usually talked to.

    Ezra was a raving cultist worshiping at the heels of an abusive monster who had abandoned him. Lancer was nice but he came across a bit preachy for Mike's taste. Damn, when was the last time he'd just had a conversation with someone who he didn't have to bite his tongue around. Ky. It had been Ky - and Ky had been a liar and a manipulator.

    Mike's comfort closed up a bit at that thought. He had to stay guarded, even if this felt nice. He'd been burned by too many, hurt by too many. Hells, didn't he have to watch what he said anyway? It wasn't just his connection to the Darkside that could give him problems here. There was also the consideration of who his employer was and what he really did for a living.

    "Thanks... for you know... wanting to keep this away from the Knights." Didn't really matter which faction of them he was talking about at this point, neither result was good for him. He was an unregistered force user in the Empire, and a darksider. He'd be seen as an enemy to the Jedi and a recruit to the Empire. Neither things he was interested in being.

  4. #24
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    She sat for another few seconds, listening to his words and the silence that followed after he spoke. The was something pure in him that was familiar, and she cherished it. The confusion, the doubt, the need for knowing more... it was all so familiar. She let herself sink into it for a short moment before her hands moved. palms cam down to her legs, and she leaned forward then, using the motion to rock herself back up to her feet.

    "The cells here are impersonal and barbaric, I know," she started, lifting herself to her full height. She was not a tall woman, but her presence was still - she hoped - something to not argue against.

    "... if you would allow me," she reached a hand out for him to take, should he wish.

    "You're not to be a prisoner here, Michael. There are enough empty crew quarters on my ship, and you will be able to use one of them, if you wish."

  5. #25
    He looked at her hand, a literal hand out to him and considered it as his brows knit. Why was this even a question, she was offering him a way out of the cell. She was showing him all the kindness in the world, honestly. He was so... unfamiliar with it. His world didn't do kind, at least not genuinely. This wasn't his world, he reminded himself and took the offered hand, standing. "Certainly wouldn't be averse to that." He said simply.

    She was... interesting. Far more than his initial thoughts of her had been back then. It left him wondering about Prent and her relationship, as well. He'd only known the man as long as he'd been in his employ on Cloud City. They'd never gotten close, it was a work relationship - and Mike had kept his force talents from Prent for that reason and more. Would he have trusted him with that knowledge if he'd known he had a history with other Force users... Alliance captains, no less? Maybe, though his loyalty was still to Sasseeri more than anyone else in the organization, and that was HER information to offer when it came down to it.

    Still maybe getting to know s'Ilancy could help him understand his boss more, he rationalized - his mind still looking for angles to the entire situation. At least there seemed to be a way forward that could salvage things.

  6. #26
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    She let go of his hand once they were out of the cell, and without ceremony the Lupine led the way from the detention block. A single security officer fell into step behind them, but she paused only long enough to wave him away. There was no need for his presence, and s'Il nodded in thanks when the man returned to his post.

    As the two continued on, she allowed Michael to walk beside her.

    "As things stand right now however, returning you to anywhere near the border in the immediate future is... not doable. You've managed to get yourself deep enough into Alliance space, and aboard an Alliance ship that is currently under orders. It won't be a lengthy amount of time before we're back to our normal routes, but it won't necessarily be short, either."

    She hoped that he understood.

    As well, there was still the matter of her having to make note of his accidental presence on her ship. Her meticulous logs which were sent to High Command would most certainly include this minor hiccup, but she was not one to look for ulterior motives that she knew were not there. And with that in mind, she would certainly couch her mentions of him in that light. She'd already been working through her mind, where to take him, and the most convenient she could think of was also the most likely.

    "Once we are done here, my ship will be returning to the line, and to Jovan Station for restocks. I think that that may be the best place for you to depart."

  7. #27
    Mike side-eyed the security officer who fell into step with them a moment before raising an eyebrow in slight surprise at the Captain shoo'ing them away. That was... surprisingly trusting of her. He blinked a few times as he reasoned it out in his head. She seemed so on the level and honest about all of this. He wasn't used to dealing with someone who didn't have some kind of agenda in place.

    The Sith had blown smoke up his ass to try and manipulate him into being a servant, student and sycophant. Ms. Sasseeri, though honest about her intentions, used him like a tool to be applied to situations and then had handed him off to Prent, who was just hard to read. That man had an eternal Sabacc face.

    Lancer and Ezra both had their own plans in place, and had both tried to recruit him. s'Ilancy... s'Ilancy seemed to just be offering him a bit of genuine kindness and concern. It was simultaneously refreshing and distressing. He wasn't actually sure the appropriate response to it. His mind was working to find the angles he could exploit or manipulate, but it left him with a rock in his gut to repay her that way.

    The knowledge that he was going to be stuck on the ship for a while, and presumably - as she explained they were under orders - without a way to contact someone in the Empire meant he was going to be potentially AWOL from the Casino for longer than his vacation. Damn. After what had happened on Coruscant he'd sworn he wasn't going to just vanish again. At least he knew someone Prent trusted could back him up on why it was impossible for him to call in. Landing on her ship in particular had been a strike of good luck it seemed.

    He nodded along with her words, and let a sigh part his lips. "Jovan, huh? Never been. Guess I don't really have much of a choice in all this, but... ya'know I appreciate you not just tossing me out an airlock." He said the last bit with a lopsided grin trying to bring up his own spirits with a joke.

  8. #28
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    The two rounded a corner, and the Captain kept her gait steady.

    "The first time that I saw you, I must admit, I was not expecting to find another Force user."

    A lift waited for them in the distance, and they continued onward. Slowing to a stop in front of the closed doors, she reached out to depress the call button. Moments later the doors opened, and she gestured for him to enter first, waiting until he had gone in fully before following. Closed away in the next second, she passed her hand over a keybad, and the lift began moving upward.

    "Sanis blamed me, you know. For not telling him about you. He seemed to think that I knew about you from the moment I stepped foot on the planet."
    Last edited by Loklorien s'Ilancy; Oct 12th, 2019 at 01:34:44 PM.

  9. #29
    "Really?" He said a bit surprised, "I was... well... surprised when you showed up myself." He admitted. "Honestly..." Cline started, immediately stopping as he weighed if he should be so open with her. He didn't really know her and she still set his hair on end... but that wasn't going to get any better by bottling up. That's what a Sith would do. Hide and obfuscate. Cline had sworn he wasn't going to go down that road, even if he continued to use the Darkside.

    "Honestly." He said with a sigh, a sheepish shrug of his shoulders, "You scared the shit out of me, still do to be fair."

    He gave a small shake of his head, chewing at his lip. "My experience with Force users has always trended toward one particular direction, if you understand what I mean. When I felt you just outside the door, which - is already a big red flag for me, cause... I'm not great at all that sense stuff - you felt so alien and opposite from what I'm used to I thought you were going to be some kind of monster."

    He pursed his lips a bit, tapping the toe of his shoe against the floor for a moment, "Sorry about Mr. Prent. I'm... hesitant in who I share what I am with. For a number of reasons."

  10. #30
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    The lift began to slow its ascent.

    "Oh stars, don't apologize for Sanis," she couldn't help the light chuckle that escaped her lips, "... I've known him for a very long time, so I'm used to his ways."

    And then the doors opened, and s'Il led the way out. Another corridor, this one a bit narrower than the others, but she and Michael were still able to walk side by side, at least. Up ahead, three pilots lingered around an open door, two leaning on the bulkhead on either side of the door, and the third propped against the far bulkhead. Laughter floated through the air, along with a few garbled words from an unseen fourth, obviously standing just inside the threshold of the open door.

    One of the pilots looked up at the approaching pair, and he straightened his posture. The others were quick to follow suit, as well as the head of a Rodian that peaked out for a bare moment before vanishing, only to be replaced with another body at attention.

    "Captain," one of the pilot's offered.

    "Mr. Keffa."

    Eyes went from the Captain to the redhead, with a small bit of confusion but certainly no desire to ask.

    "I trust that all is well?"

    "Yes Ma'am. Just enjoying some downtime."

    She gave a nod as she stepped past them, with Michael following closely behind her.

    A few paces past them, the Rodian spoke up, "Kaitu, ma su chada tai ku eedawaney? (Captain, any news on why we're here?)"

    The Lupine paused at that, her pace slowing to a stop as she half-turned to regard the small group.

    "You'll know when I do, Mr. Frik."

    A partial lie, but only through omission.

    "What I do know is that it's something that our betters want to know more about," she amended. There was no real reason to be too glib with those who flew for her.

    The group looked to one another, considered her words, and eventually nodded. They trusted her. Serving under the once-Commodore had been an interesting experience, but they'd all come to know that she was honest enough, and her intentions were driven by her experience. It helped (though sometimes didn't) that she had the ability to connect to the Force.

    "You think we'll get some fly time?"

    Now that was a difficult one to answer, and s'Il pursed her lips. She gave a sideways glance to Michael before turning to her pilots once more.

    "I really don't know, Mr. Osagaira. But if we do get to that point, Halberd Wing will be out there."

    This seemed to agree with them, and the pilots nodded. A chorus of 'Yes Ma'ams' were sent her way, and with a quick smile, she dipped her head in acknowledgment before returning to the task at hand: getting Michael to his new (even if temporary) quarters.

    The two pushed on, leaving the pilots behind.

    "If I might ask," she started, "... if you had gotten on the ship you'd meant to board, where were you intending to be?"

  11. #31
    Michael had kept quiet and tried not to seem too terribly out of place during the discussion. He wasn't really familiar with military procedure, and he had never had a desire to change that, but he could tell she was respected. No more than that. She was trusted.

    A little voice tried to raise his paranoia in fear inside his mind, what are the odds she'd just happen to walk by these pilots, what were the chances this conversation would assuage so many of your concerns so neatly. Michael didn't let it show outwardly, but internally he was trying to silence the thoughts. It wasn't like that. Not everything was about manipulating him or using him.

    Her words caught him off guard as he worked to contain the fear and doubts that had been an ever present ally to him for as long as he cared to remember. "What?" He startled before stumbling a bit on his own response, "Right, sorry. I, uh." He blanked for a moment before the memory sparked, "Ryloth. Well, Tatooine then Ryloth - it was... it was supposed to be a cruise. I just... needed to get away from Cloud City for a while."

    Yeah, like the Empress' entire visit. Increased Imperial activity and the frelling knights hanging around? No thank you. There was a touch of bitter irony in trying to avoid the Empire's military only to end up among the Alliance's instead.

  12. #32
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    Ryloth," she repeated quietly.

    "I can certainly think of worse places to be," she finally admitted, and allowing her pace to stop, the Lupine turned to a closed door. Reaching out, she placed her palm on the scanner, and the door whisked open to reveal an empty room.

    Two beds, two dressers, a small desk, and a door to a small fresher were all that could be seen, and the Captain inclined her head, intending for Michael to enter first.

  13. #33
    He stepped in glancing about the room. He'd stayed in worse, Hell it actually wasn't that much smaller than his own apartment other than missing a kitchen. He gave a short nod and turned back to her.

    "Thanks again for... this. I know dealing with me isn't exactly something either of us expected or planned on, so... thanks for being cool."

    He meant that too, for maybe one of the first times in a long while there wasn't some measure of dubious innuendo, angle or expectation attached to the statement. s'Ilancy had been cool about all of this, and she hadn't had to. Especially not with how their first interaction had gone or what she likely suspected about his nature or his employment. She was a decent person, far more so than himself at any rate.

  14. #34
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    'Being cool' was still a phrase that gave her pause. Teagan had said something similar to her once, the last time that she'd visited Ossus, and it was just as strange to hear now as it was then. But, she was still determined to remain as gracious of a host as she could, and so the Captain merely offered a nod in thanks.

    "We all need understanding in our lives, as well as a helping hand at times."

    She gave him a light smile.

    "There is a basic map of the ship on the commstation on the desk," she went on, "... if you get hungry, the galley is stocked well enough, and our chef is usually willing to put something on your plate."

  15. #35
    He glanced at the desk with a nod of appraisal. "That's good to know, actually. I think I'll take that offer up sooner rather than later."

    He hadn't eaten anything on Molavar before getting on the shuttle since he'd expected to fill up on the buffet aboard Padme's Tears. The anxiety up until now had set a knot in his gut thick enough he couldn't have even entertained the idea of eating something. Now that things were starting to look a bit less nightmarish the realization he hadn't eaten in at least a half day was setting in and his stomach seemed to have just as violent a temper as he did.

    He looked over the map to get his bearings of the ship. It didn't seem like it would be especially hard to navigate, at least. He looked back at Captain s'Ilancy and thought for a moment before asking, "I don't want to step on anyone's toes while I'm here, so what kind of rules do I need to be aware of?"

    The last thing he needed to do was frell up the kindness she'd shown him and get thrown right back into a cell.

  16. #36
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    It was a question that she could understand the reasoning of, and for a moment she stood in silent thought.

    "Well, there's not an awful lot you can do that will disrupt anything," shes tarted.

    "The ship tends to take care of itself and right most wrongs, so I wouldn't be too worried over accidentally doing something untoward."

    Her hands clasped before her, and she swept her gaze from him to the bulkhead ceiling.

    "If you wish to settle yourself, and wait a small bit before eating, I will be available in 45 minutes to share a meal with you."

    Her eye returned to him.

    "If that agrees with you, that is. I understand that a meal taken alone can sometimes be necessary, so I'll not force you to do something you would rather not do."

  17. #37
    He scratched his chin and considered it before slowly nodding. He didn't know anyone on this ship outside of s'Ilancy, and simply walking into the dining area expectantly like he should have a 'Hi, I'm _____' tag affixed to his shirt could be at least awkward if not uncomfortable. He'd waited most of the day to eat, he could wait just a little longer.

    "Frankly I wouldn't mind the company, and it'll probably take me a bit to get settled in anyway." He finally said out loud, "Plus you can tell me all the juicy details on my boss, so he won't be able to fire me for being gone so long." Cline said with a small chuckle, trying to cut through the tension he felt being so near to her. He wasn't sure that feeling of unease would ever fully go away, but he could at least do his part to chip away at it.

  18. #38
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    45 MINUTES LATER...



    Leaving the bridge in Samus' hands, s'Il had returned to her own quarters for a short time, spending only enough time to send a small, succinct message to Sanis, and to shed her normal uniform for something much more comfortable and less... official. There was no need to don her uniform this evening, and so she chose a modest outfit; a pair of older trousers, a loose-fitting shirt, and accents of jewelry that she'd found in the old Losstarot manor and had repaired. Her hair she left in her normal tightly-woven half-bun, and satisfied, the Lupine left her quarters and started the short trek to where Michael had been allowed to stay.

    She reached the closed door of his own temporary cabin in little time, and reaching out, she depressed the chime button.

  19. #39
    After s'Ilancy had left him to fend for himself Mike had wondered what it would take to get his bags brought to the room. It had been at this point that the realization had sunk in that just because he'd gotten on the wrong transport, didn't mean his luggage had, which meant his clothes were likely on their way to Tatooine right now.

    He'd spent the next several minutes after that realization finding creative uses of his favorite curses. He'd have to find out how to report it lost when he got back to Bespin. Even if it wasn't feasible due to wanting to keep under the Empire's radar there was nothing he couldn't replace after he got home. He had spent most of the remaining time going over what he did have present between what was on his person and his single travel bag he'd held on to.

    He had his pad, the clothes he'd been wearing, credit chits, a single change of clothes that he'd packed away in the travel bag just in case of an emergency, and a few toiletries and other incidentals such as his shades and audio blockers. He'd have to mention the situation to the captain and see if he could get some basics. He at least hoped they had a laundry service on the ship, or this could become complicated quickly.

    Putting the problems aside for the moment he'd changed into his other outfit, A pair of worn-in jeans and a loose-fitting t-shit. He was looking in the refresher mirror and trying to decide if he was underdressed to have a meal with a ship's captain when the chime rang. Looks like he was out of time for that line of thought. He walked to the door and pushed the button to open the door, feeling an immediate sense of relief when she was in casual attire herself.

    Mike had gotten "Hey" out before he'd managed to realize how awkward he felt in the greeting. He was in a situation he had difficulty finding his footing in. In the syndicate everyone was either someone under him who he'd simply call by their first names, or someone like Mr. Prent or Ms. Sasseeri, who he showed proper deference to. In the Empire, if he had to deal with anyone - which he preferred to avoid whenever possible, it was the most compliant 'Yes, sir.' or 'Sorry, ma'am.' he could manage. No reason to ever make himself a target by even the smallest indication he wasn't a loyal citizen of the Empire.

    But here he was on an Alliance ship. With someone who knew he was an adept and had authority here, but seemed to treat him as... a friend? Were they friends? Could they even be friends? He wasn't sure he'd ever been in a situation like this one before, or what the proper way to talk to s'Ilancy was. "So, lunch then?" He finally said with a cough, realizing how uncomfortable the silence he'd let grow between them was making him.

  20. #40
    TheHolo.Net Admin

    DragonCon 09
    Loklorien s'Ilancy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    AKA
    Christin
    Location
    Oh, about.
    Posts
    17,609
    Gamer IDs

    Gamertag: W4BSY Steam ID: ApexLupine
    He looked somewhat more relaxed than when she'd first laid eyes on him in the brig, but to be quite honest, that was not saying too awful much. There was still tension in his posture, but that was to be expected. And the both of them knew why. Offering an easy smile in the hopes of soothing his nerves, s'Il half-stepped back as she offered him room to step out into the corridor with her.

    "I am told that our chef has prepared some of the dewback flanks and Rodian gejji noodles that she procured during our last resupply."

    Hopefully the Kaleesh chef was in a personable mood, today.

    "My pilots have assured me that everything is quite... tasty."

    Yesterday they'd had some form of curry, with roasted nuna, boranut milk, and parrapeas over rice, which had been good, but the texture was a new one for her. She'd still eaten it, but there had been a large amount of trepidation before her fork had brought that first bite to her mouth.

    "I hope that they're right," she further reassured.

Page 2 of 8 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •