Duel of the Fates: Mustafar

[Lilaena De'Ville]

ooc:sorry about the title, I couldn't think of anything else /ic:

Mustafar glittered in space like a red jewel, its molten surface continually in motion. Lilaena De'Ville requested clearance for landing from the Mensix Mining Company that owned the mining facilty on the surface of the hot planet.

She wasn't sure why she was here. Salem Ave had sent her, and had provided a ship for her to use, but no details as to what she should expect once she arrived.

The dark Jedi was greeted by a droid as she exited her ship, drawing her dark brown cloak around her despite the instant blast of heat. "Thankee for visiting, gentles," the droid buzzed, clanking beside her as she headed towards the mining facility. "Are you here to place an order?"

"Uh, yes," Lilaena agreed. "I'd like to review the operation first, if that is an option."

"Oh course, gentles," the heavy droid followed her as she entered the heat shielded building. "The Mensix Company is glad for your interest." It clacked and its voder faded in an out. "This way please, gentles."

Lilaena looked around with interest as the droid headed toward a control panel. Apparently the current facility was almost the same as the Klegger Corp. mining operation that had been in business during the end of the Clone Wars. She frowned suddenly, feeling like she was being watched.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia had never been to Mustafar before. Certainly, she was familiar with the current intelligence reports, and knew it was the Confederacy's last hold-out. It was another thing altogether to be standing on a balcony protected only by shielding from the heat and lava below. She'd read the geological reports, too. Apparently the lava had a tidal cycle based on which side of the planet was facing the near-by gas giant. She had decided she didn't like the planet very much. Maybe if she was a geologist, or xenobiologist, it might be of some interest.

"...and, as you can see, our operation, despite the energy requirements for the shielding, is much more efficient than either asteriod or conventional planetary mining..." Adia's visual attention seemed to stay on the lava flow beneath the mining facility.

"And why is that?" She asked, interrupting. She wore a badge indicating that she was a repsentative of Cygnus Space Works. Her IDs indicated the same. With her hair dyed brunette, and a self-inflicted scar that looked aged with the help of a little makeup, she looked rather like the picture in the database. It was her picture, of course. One of the nearly hundred idenities generated by the Emperor. Adia needed to go anywhere, be almost anyone.

Now, the Alliance needed her help tracing the Imperial supply lines. Mustafar, while seemingly forgotten, still produced a large amount of metals and silicate products. Adia would get the front story, and then access the actual shipping records. It was a seemingly trival assignment, but the Republic felt she was the best person available, at the moment.

"More wine, Miss Tilgon?" The serving droid asked.

"Please." Adia's wine had dwindled over the course of the tour. The Mustafarians had been unfriendly about her blaster, and asked her to leave it in the shuttle, citing concerns about damaged equipment. They'd permitted her lightsaber masquerading as a "stun stick". It was small comfort. Most of the corridors in this place were better suited to ranged combat, but it seemed no one else was armed with anything besides a stunner.

The tour guide continued to espouse the facility's benefits. Adia, on some level, was listening.

"I read that this was built off the original blueprints from Klegger." She said.

"That's correct."

"Are there any improvements? Like... shielding?" She asked, watching the force field ripple against lava below. Adia turned away, noting another person on tour. Who else could be here? Two tours?

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The droid walked her out to a walkway that was directly above a huge lava flow. "Have no fear, gentles, the heat shielding is quite up to date."

Lilaena peered down at the lava, but her attention was mostly on the brunette several meters away, sipping on a glass of wine as a Mustafarian talked to her. She had not seen another ship, but that did not mean that there wasn't one.

The droid was talking, and she looked up. "What?"

"Please to ask me any questions you might have," the droid repeated patiently.

Questions? Lilaena was used to working under assumed identities, but usually she had time to prepare herself beforehand. Callidus sent her out here on what had appeared to be a whim, with no notice. Perhaps he wanted to see how well she improvised. "I am representing a trading alliance that deals with the Hapan Consortium. I need to know the quantities and different kinds of metals we can acquire through your operation. We are building additional ships..."

Lilaena waved a hand vaguely, but suddenly felt the other woman's eyes on her. She turned slightly to meet her eyes.

"We have large quantities of iron, copper -" the droid listed some other metals, but Lilaena was again not paying attention. A human male walked up, looking hurried.

"Apologies," he said, "You have not been properly greeted. We were not expecting another visitor today."

Lilaena smiled with her lips, and nodded. "It is quite all right, I understand. I am looking to place an order with your company."

The man eyed her robe doubtfully, but the idea of more credits coming in must have sounded good to him. "I am sure we will be able to satisfy your needs, Miss...?"

"Eldhil," Lilaena supplied, feeling strange that her former master's name had sprung to her lips so readily.

"Miss Eldhil," he repeated, smiling. "There is just one more small matter, we require blasters and other weapons to be left behind before the tour." He continued to smile, though something in her face made his expression tense up a little. "You understand... the shields and our technical operations are secure, but we try not to take unnecessary risks, such as stray energy bolts, et cetera."

"Yes, I understand," Lilaena said. "However, I do not have a blaster on me." She pulled open her robe, revealing a cream colored jumpsuit, and, as she'd said, no blaster. Her lightsaber was dangling from her hip by its D-ring, however.

The man cleared his throat, and the other tour must have come to an end because the guide and the dark haired woman he was leading had come up to where Lilaena was standing. The other woman's eyes went straight to her lightsaber, but did not linger. Lilaena narrowed her eyes.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia saw the lightsaber. Her stun-stick/saber was hidden against the small of her back, under her dress jacket. It was not easily spotted. What was doubly troubling was the woman's presence. She was poor news, and she wore the saber so brazenly.

"Could I see some detailed figures?" Adia asked. She'd need more system access than a read-only data pad could provide. Adia wasn't much of a slicer, but she knew how to follow instructions.

"Oh. Well, of course. This way please." Mensix was not used to having it's facilities inspected. Like most mining facilities, they did little more than provide general tours. Adia followed the guide to an open air lift. The offices were located toward the top of the structure, away from the heat.

From above, Adia stared down at De'Ville, certain that she was trouble.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The man cleared his throat, "Ahem, yes, very good. And your... ah... that is a stun stick?"

Lilaena looked down. "Oh. Yeah. Actually its a Stokhli spray stick." She smiled. "Completely non-lethal, and no energy emitters of any kind." The lies came easily - she'd hidden her saber in plain sight a few times before just the same way. The plain metal tubing that enclosed her lightsaber crystal, power supply and emitter was non-descript enough that no one had questioned her.

"Oh yes," he said, "We will permit that. Now, please, follow me?" He led the way down the balcony, away from the main building. "Ahead you'll see the large shield array that protects the structure from the intense heat of the lava flows..."

Lilaena followed, but looked up and over her shoulder as she walked. The red haired woman who had passed her moments before was still staring down at her as the lift carried her high up on the building. The Dark Jedi smiled, and broke eye contact first. She still did not know why Callidus had sent her here. She had assumed that her purpose would have become apparent once she'd arrived, but unless he wanted her to buy a ton of metals...

Unless... She stopped thinking like a mindless apprentice, and focused. Metals. The Mandalorians could refine and actentuate iron and create mandalorian iron. She had access to a credit account of a low level Imperial Moff that she'd hacked into over a year previously for use in emergencies. Since she'd never touched the money, it was still there and available.

Lilaena raised her eyebrows and smiled as the man reached a pause in his explainations. "I am interested in a quantity of iron. Is it possible to see the refineries up close?"

"Well, not really," the Mustafarian human said. "We use specially constructed droids that can withstand the intense heat of the collecting process. The whole planet is a refinery, in one sense." He smiled. "What our operation does is collect the molten metal and then separate the ores before beginning a complicated cooling process that makes them ready for transport."

"Oh, I understand." She brushed her short hair out of her eyes, tucking the ends behind her ears. Who was that other woman?

[Adia Issoris]

A spray stick? It might have fooled the natives, but Adia knew exactly what a spray stick was. What the dark haired woman had was lightsaber. If you were old enough and involved enough with the Jedi, you could tell at glance. But there were not many beings left who knew what a lightsaber was with formal inspection. It was another thing of increasing myth and legend.

Adia was escorted to a data terminal.

"Does this have outside access?" She asked.

"Um, no. We have a very strict data policy." Her escort explained.

"Good." Adia lied. She'd have to find a different terminal and find out what that woman's flight plans were. The fact that she was parading around a lightsaber as a stun stick meant she was dangerous.

She pursed her lips together and brought up the less-public figure regarding the facility, specifically materials grade percentages. They were too good to be true, but, some of the efficiency numbers she could buy into with the recapture tubes that had been added to the structure. Most of the energy came from the planet's thermal output. It was very nearly self-sustaining. The main reactor was there to smooth things out in case something went wrong.

Adia's fast fingers slipped the bug into the data port and did it's work while she manually glanced over the facts and figures. It discretely buzzed quietly when it finished. The strict data policy wasn't that strict. Most of the equipment in use was older, and it's vulnerability to bugs like the one Adia had were not that surprising.

"I'm impressed." Adia said. She was. This facility was inexpensive to operate and produced good ore. Rebel Intel would be impressed, too.

The lift had been called, so Adia and her escort waited. There was not a broad range of possibilities for occupants. Adia always kept an ISB badge with her that matched her ID. The Emperor was always thorough. She removed her badge and her saber.

"Imperial Security Bureau." Adia flashed the badge. The emitter guards crackled with electricity.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The 'lift ride was short, and abrupt. Lilaena could feel that something wasn't quite right, and her feelings were justified when an Imperial badge was flashed in her face.

Frell. She'd been made. Imperials! They were like Tatooine sand roaches. Once you stepped on one, ten more took its place.

Her face carefully blank, she said, "Is there a problem?" while her mind went over the exits. Turbolift was out of the question. Breaking a window and making a run for it would be difficult, with shields and thick transparisteel. There were a few doorways behind the woman, but they were behind the woman.

And she had a lightsaber in her hand, Lilaena realized belatedly. Not ignited, but still. What sort of Imperial was this? She had a bright, red hot flash of fear, remembering Y'roth Helgast and the Inquisistion.

[Adia Issoris]

"A stun stick. Clever." Adia said. She kept her distance in case the woman activated the saber. She was either stupid, or exceedingly dangerous.

"Put it on the ground and kick it over." Adia commanded.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"No."

Lilaena shifted her feet slightly, steadying herself and readying for either fight or flight. Had Callidus forseen this? Damn him!

Her hand twitched, and her lightsaber flew from her belt into the palm of her hand. It smacked solidly, and suddenly it was ignited, the purple blade adding to the reddish light in the room. "I will not."

[Adia Issoris]

Dangerous.

Adia threw her badge at the woman, who moved her saber to block it. The badge singed and was deflected into the flooring. She powered her own lightsaber on.

"You can still give up." Adia offered, although her gaze said otherwise. Her eyes had battle lust, her pupils had already started dilating from the adrenaline. She closed the distance with measured, easy steps, with her saber in a neutral position good for defense or offense. She lanced out with a quick strike that would have removed De'Ville's wrists if she had not deflected it.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Never again. "I don't think so," she muttered, setting her stance firmly as the Imperial closed, and deflecting the first, quick strike that the woman attacked with. She would die before she allowed the Empire to take her.

Her fear and anger funneled power into her movements, and she lunged sideways, slamming her saber into the other's hard enough to force the woman off balance. The beginning of a duel was usually a little loose, while the opponents tested their abilities. Once you knew what to expect, you could streamline your attack, and your defense.

The redhead got rebalanced quickly, snaking in a series of quick attacks that Lilaena swept aside with fury and strength. A droid bumbled too close to her, and she shoved a free hand towards it, sending it sailing into a bank of control panels with the Force.

[Adia Issoris]

The mining facility lurched for a moment before backup control systems righted the massive structure. Both Adia and Lilaena were too busy staying on their feet to mount an attack.

"Brilliant!" Adia exclaimed. She brought the blade down against the Dark sider's. It was not as easily blocked this time. De'Ville's body recoiled from the violence of the impact.

"You have a rather weak sense of self preservation." She snarled in a Coruscanti accent while De'Ville counter-attacked. Like every good Kaminoan science project, Adia carried the "standard" accent.

The violent exchange continued. If she had been a normal person, Adia would have bested her much more quickly. But, Adia could feel the dim pull of the Force near her, which meant De'Ville was powerful. Adia paid attention closely for those quiet feelings and gentle hints that had saved her life so many times. She ducked, and Lilaena's saber hissed overhead. Adia planted a boot into Lilaena's stomach that lifted her a meter into the air and three back.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena flew backwards, but steadied herself with the Force and landed heavily on an electronic holotable. Holograms materialized around her as she slid backwards on one knee, lightsaber held out to one side for balance.

The Imperial was strong - much stronger than her small frame implied. Lilaena was taller and had reach on the woman, but it was a close match. The Dark Jedi flung herself to the side as the redhead's blade slammed into the spot where she'd been, the holograms scattering in a spray of light. Lilaena parried another slash, and threw a chair with the Force from behind the Imperial into the back of her legs, following it up with a quick swipe of her lightsaber meant to disembowel the woman.

[Adia Issoris]

*Adia is 5' 9" this go-round, and doesn't have a small frame, just a narrow waist.
The quick swipe was met with a quick twist of Adia's yellow blade, the angle awkward for the former Imperial. She was at a tremendous disadvantage for leverage. De'Ville was pressing for the kill, but simply couldn't push hard enough, even with the Force. Adia growled low, and pushed De'Ville off. It gave her enough time to find her feet again. She stood her ground near the chair. De'Ville pressed her attack, but it was beaten aside each time. One handed, Adia beat aside De'Ville's lightsaber. With her free hand she grabbed and bashed Lilaena's exposed ribs with the chair.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

ooc: oops! /ic:

Lilaena grunted with the force of the impact of the chair to her side, faltering in her position on the holotable. She sidestepped for balance and fell to the ground, quickly regaining her feet and prowling around the table, keeping it and her lightsaber between her and the fiery redhead.

The table sparked, a bright shower of light, and Lilaena growled, "Your precious Empire won't take me again. You should stop trying."

[Adia Issoris]

"I have no intention of taking you to the Empire." Adia said.

She half-wished that it was pure hand to hand combat so she could simply beat this woman into the deck. Adia faked intention to move right and then swung herself onto the table. The slight hesitation gave her enough time to properly set her feet and defense. She engaged De'Ville and dropped down next to her. With their weapons locked high, Adia could feel De'Ville tap into the Dark Side to keep Adia's unnatural strength from overwhelming her. But a feint, and a flick of Lilaena's wrist meant Adia's blade missed it's mark by milimeters. With her back exposed, De'Ville landed a roundhouse on Adia's back. Adia grunted, but barely felt it through the adrenaline.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The other woman took a blow to the back and acted like she'd hardly felt it, which did not give Lilaena a lot of confidence. She batted away another lightsaber attack with her purple blade, then blasted the Imperial with the Force, sending her backwards several meters.

No intention of taking her in. The woman thought she could kill her, then. "You will not find me easy to put down, Inquisitor." There wasn't anything else she could be. A Force using Imperial? Lilaena darted back towards the redhead as she was still finding her balance, twirling and slashing as she used the staccato swings and unpredictable style of the Vapaad form she had been trained in.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia hated fighting Vapaad practitioners. She'd only fought one, and it was enough to sour the experience for the rest of them. It usually took the better part of an hour, because if any exposure was seen, they'd do their damndest to take advantage of it. However, this head game she was engaged in was fascinating. It would hopefully divert some of this woman's focus.

She hit the ground, bottom first, and slid back another meter. The smallest of grunts acknowledged some of the air had been forced from her lungs. She was on her feet in a flash, and met De'Ville's blade with iron force.

"No. Guess again, girl." she prodded at the Dark Sider's sense of rebellion while she blocked another strike. Adia could fight for hours. This woman wasn't a Jedi, because they would talk more. Usually. But where was she from? What was she doing here? Adia would find out after she kicked the fiesty from her.

She switched her saber to her left hand and blocked another strike. Adia punched the woman in the gut and darted away.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Her abdominal muscles were contracted, but the gut punch hurt. Lilaena stumbled backwards as the redhead quickly moved out of range. She didn't allow the woman time to mount another attack, stagger-stepping forward like a fencer, using a bit of Makashi style as she held her lightsaber over her head before reverting to a more powerful attack, smashing her saber with pure brute strength at the woman.

She blocked, amazingly, Lilaena's arms feeling the jolt as her attack was suddenly stopped. When the woman countered, she found herself giving up ground, stepping backwards as she blocked. The Imperial was well trained. Very well trained. What Inquisitor would have this level of training in the Jedi's combat arts?

None.

"Who are you?" she growled, managing to stop her backwards motion by digging in her heels and mounting her own attack. The Imperial ducked a blow that would have separated her head from her shoulders, and Lilaena followed through with a vicious back slash aimed at her arm.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia deflected the blow, but it sliced through her shirt sleeve and through her skin. The saber cauterized the wound, which left an angry but superficial black mark. Adia would dig it out with a blade and add a bandage later. She hissed at the brief flash of pain. Lilaena learned that Adia's slow recover had been a ruse. Adia deflected the follow-up thrust with ferocity. She transfered the forward momentum into a side kick, and planted her foot just below De'Ville's neck. Adia's tremendous strength made her an excellent user of Djem So, but her agility and reflexes suited her twoards Ataru as well. The Emperor had rudimenterially trained her in all the forms, except Vaapad. Adia's aptitude remained with Forms IV and V and her ability to switch between and combine them seamlessly.

De'Ville flipped, her hands hit the ground before her head, and the saber hissed against the wall as she transitioned on her feet. She coughed. Adia snarled. The blow should have shattered Lilaena's collar bone, but Adia knew from the set of Lilaena's arms that it had not.

"I don't work for the Empire anymore, if that's what you're asking." Adia grinned fiercely.