Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor 
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Feb 28, 2014 9:45:54 GMT -8
For a moment, she sat transfixed doing her best impression of a fish, her mouth hanging wide and lips trembling. There were words for this moment, but her mind couldn’t find them as she struggled with his revelation.
“Era…”
“Don’t you dare…”
“Why can’t we?”
“Oh no, don’t you start. What about Rev? We haven’t talked to him!”
“He’s been hiding right under our noses for a year! You think if he wanted us, he would have said something.”
“He could have just wanted to protect us.”
“Really. That’s the bullshit line you’re going with?”
“What? I don’t know. He’s a damn loner.”
“Yeah and we’re the only darksided game left in town. Look, I get it. We love Rev, but let’s face it, we have never accepted a traditional view of love and relationships, now’s a shitty time to start trying to be all moral. Plus, it makes you look stupid.”
“This can’t be love. Seriously. Look at him. He just figured out what sex was a couple days go. Do you remember that feeling? Like that person was your everything.”
“So? He’s still green to this whole human thing. You want to break him?”
“…”
“Of course, you want to break everything. Alright, look. We do care about him. Remember when he said he was dying? I wasn’t the only one bummed.”
“I know. But..”
“But what?”
“We can’t tell him.”
“Why the kriff not?!”
“Look, just bear with me. We need to be sure this is really what he wants. Will he still think he loves us when we do what we are planning.”
“Come on. You know what he’s done…”
“Just. Please. Give it a little time.”
“Fine, but we have to say something.”
“Be honest.”
“…”
“What, Sith can be honest. We’re frequently honest.”
“Being honest is telling him, dipshit.”
“Then…I don’t know...tell him we can’t say it yet.”
“That’s kriffing stupid, we’ve been taken with him for a year now. It’s why you insisted that we had to go to Dressel to wake him up in the first place, it was your idea to kiss him, it was you wh-“
“I get it. Fine. Do whatever.”
“Listen,” she spoke aloud, reaching over to pull his hand into her lap. She realized that her mouth had dried out, the words she wanted to speak sticking in her throat as she fumbled over them. She stopped trying to address his declaration of love, squeezing his hand as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“When you told me you were dying, I was crushed. But I saw in your face how tired and worn from your existence you have become. You truly wanted nothing more than that release to welcome oblivion. Being alive as long as you have as Shard, you became apathetic of the continued drudgery. Then you got a second chance to understand what it means to live and to die. Being human means you have to come to terms with those things. Eventually, one of us is going to be taken away. Death, politics, the shifting tide of emotions that make us crazy; someday you will either have to get over me or I will have to do the same to you. You cannot dwell on the ones you leave behind, that is the path to the Darkside and as much as I embrace that path, I know that is not who you are. If you seek the solace of the grave, lay aside your doubts and seek it. I have been through that hurt before and I know how to deal with it. Don’t lay your guilt on me.”
She looked panged as she gently shook her head. Reaching up with her left hand, she turned his cheek towards her so he could look in her eyes. There was pain in them, concern for him, a hint of fear as she tried to make him understand where she was coming from.
“I told you that I would grant you anything you wanted in this year and if your wish is to cheat death of taking you, I’ll rip this galaxy apart to find the way, and if there isn’t one, I will make one. But do it because you want to be here for longer than that. Do it because you are finally starting to understand this tiny wick humanity has been given. Do it because you cannot think of another thing you would rather do in the galaxy than wake up with endless possibilities and an appreciation that it can be taken away to make you cherish it. Do it because you want to live. Not because you don’t want to hurt me.”
She moved herself closer to him, wrapping her limbs around him. Without her robes and boots, no sabers and belts, she was tiny next to him, and it struck her how exquisitely vulnerable she was to him as she tried to teach him what it was to be one of her kind. Her head tucked into his chest, she spoke quietly to him, dropping her teacher voice for the whispers of woman who feared more for the future between them than she did of the Mandalorians.
“Eralam, you mean so much to me. You let me be me, the one I’m not allowed to be anymore, and you let me throw your world in chaos. You have filled a void in my life that I didn’t know I had. I can’t seem to find the words to express any of this properly but I’m scared. You are older than the civilizations on some planets but all this is so new to you. I’m scared that you think this is love but that it will turn out to be infatuation or that you are being influenced by the sex. Admitting you love someone is a huge deal to humans. I want to make sure that when you hear me say it, you know exactly how much it means. So if you want to live, truly want to live, do it because you want to hear me say it to you. Deal?”
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 11:25:17 GMT -8
In the tradition of males everywhere, it wasn't until after he said it that Eralam just realized the can of worms he had just opened. But as he listened to Sin speak, she didn't sound angry. She wasn't going to try to shove him out of an airlock, and she wasn't telling him to fuck off.
She was afraid.
(No shit, she just said that like 5 times.)
There wasn't anything any of the voices could offer to help the fallen Whill cope with the tiny woman in his arms. He thought he understood what she was saying, wanted to come up with something clever to say to alleviate her fears, but there wasn't anything. Anything he could say would likely be either inane bullshit and wouldn't accomplish anything but ruining whatever magic held this most improbable of moments. Still, he had to say something. Best to keep it simple.
It was weird the sort of abstract things that could slip into the thought pattern when you least expect it. The last thing to go through Eralam's mind before speaking was "You know where she's at right now? She fits really well. Kinda nice."
And with that pleasant little gem rolling around his skull, his arms around Sin and hers around him, Eralam said the one word he was going to be able to get out without spouting gibberish:
"Deal."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
Posts: 1,474
Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Feb 28, 2014 12:10:07 GMT -8
She smiled and he could feel the slump of relaxation in her muscles as the tension flowed out of her like a breath of foul air. She picked up her head, and looked him in the eyes, titles and pasts forgotten. Just a man and woman and the quiet hours of an early morning. She stretched up to lay a very gentle kiss on his lips before she wrinkled her nose at him, pulling away from his arms a little.
"You smell like you rolled in bantha hides. Get a shower and I'll make some caf." She unwound herself from his tall frame, and grabbed some pants to slip on with her oversized tee shirt. It was worn and faded, the logo flaking off but the text still legible: DARK TIDE YOUTH HOCKEY LEAGUE. She brewed a strong pot of the Garqi export, stirring in some cream and sugar into hers while leaving a cup on the counter for him. She curled up in the small sofa in her living area, her long locks scraggly with bed head, but the desire to look presentable was nonexistent at this moment. She was insanely tired, the few hours of sleep were not enough to recharge her for the day of meetings she would have to take before she was back on this ship back out in the blackness of space. Thoughts of Shili could wait. She called over to him as he came out from the bedchamber.
"So spill it. Everything you know about your upcoming demise."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 12:31:39 GMT -8
Eralam walked out of the bedchamber, short hair still damp, and retrieved the coffee before settling down on the couch.
"The problem as I see it is that a human body just isn't meant to cope with, well, me. It's not just the power. I've got so many memories that a human brain just couldn't cope with it all. On top of that, my consciousness, my soul if you will, just isn't equipped to deal with a human body. Nonetheless, it was all sort of crammed in there. It's holding for now, but here in about 330 days, the body just won't be able to take it anymore. It'll just burn up."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
Posts: 1,474
Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Feb 28, 2014 12:50:12 GMT -8
"So we need to put you back into a Shard, fortify your human body against the power you possess or some amalgamation of the two. Unless you have another suggestion?" The first and third weren't options she wanted to explore. As progressive as she might be in her attitudes towards nonhumans, she liked his fleshy bits. What if back in a Shard and inside an HRD, he turned cold to her? That chemistry gone, would he still care for her? Would he still love her? If it were the only way, there wouldn't be much she could do about it. And if there was a choice, would he choose to be inorganic and emotionless again? A lump caught in her throat and she tried to breath slowly and evenly as a wave of nausea swept over her. The lone idea left in her mind was that in saving him, she could still lose him. She felt utterly paralyzed for a moment before the dark one in her mind shanked the fears and left nothing but her resolve. Pain is power, embrace the loss.
"What are the chances of success of each?"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 13:09:37 GMT -8
"I'm stuck in this body. Souls aren't meant to drift around in hyperspace, and they had a devil of a time getting me in this one. If you tried to move me out..."
He shrugged.
"Besides, I don't want to go back to that. Eralam the Shard had his time."
The now more or less permanently ex-Shard gave Sin a reassuring smile.
"Option two seems the most likely, though I haven't the faintest idea how to go about it. Option three is out, but not for the reasons you think. It's possible to siphon off some of the extra energy into a blank Shard, but it would be just that: energy. To give you a reference point, the blast that killed me and destroyed my ship was rated at about a gigaton in strength. That was from a crystal chunk about as big as your thumb and carrying less than a tenth of my total power at the time."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
Posts: 1,474
Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Feb 28, 2014 13:19:53 GMT -8
"Ah, but if that was our only way, it could be done. Science can get you so far. You have to turn to darker things beyond that and there you have lucked out as I have studied the alchemical arts extensively. I could bind your soul to anything you chose. If you want to stay human, then I will concentrate my focus there, but I will have Verinoma begin working on a blank shard as a backup plan." She sipped her caf, her knees drrawn up to her chest on the couch, her head laying on top of them, looking at him. Her voice was soft and low, stringy clumps of hair falling in her face. "Shards are not created with the power you possessed. Where did it come from?"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 13:36:50 GMT -8
"Alchemy? Might work. At the very least, you might be able to create a crystal matrix strong enough to contain the excess juice long enough to dump it down an event horizon. It would likely drop me down to the level of a normal Force user, but you're right, I wasn't born with this power."
Eralam smiled and sidled up next to Sinistra.
"I was pretty normal for an Iron Knight until I responded to a help wanted ad by a Whill named Kulu."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
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Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Feb 28, 2014 16:45:55 GMT -8
A Whill? Bogan's beard, why didn't she see it before? It made perfect sense when she considered his power and immortality. However, the information on the fabled Order of the Whills was rumors at best, gathered from thousands of years of gossip and secrets. No one had ever seen one, met one or found physical evidence of them but if this story was going the way she thought it was, she was kinda, sorta, unofficially seeing one. She sighed, a furious fight going on inside her mind again as the more moderate sides bound and gagged the power hungry bitch in the corner. In hindsight, she shouldn't be surprised. He could pull her through time and space to his side and could not die. Of course he was a whill.
"I feel like I should have figured that out already. I suppose I was waiting to hear that your shard was also the subject of another strange alchemy ritual like the one I wear."
The devious side was calcaulating, what if the power could be captured and rechanneled? Obviously she couldn't be the vessel as he couldn't contain it but what about into a gem, something she could set into something useful. The possibilities were endless, the power she could attain, the subjugation of the Republic, nay, the galaxy would be an easy feat. She could rule it all with an iro-
No.
It was the nastiest, Sithliest thing she could do. And she couldn't bring herself to think it through.
But she would not hide her dark side from him either.
"I have been chasing rumors of the Whills for years. For their power, and knowledge. I cannot lie, I would love to possess it, to take it from you and wield it myself. The idea of it quickens my blood, tempting me with empty promises."
She violently shook her head, looking away from him very suddenly, the desires for it pulling on the bitter tendrils of the darkside. There was a harsh chuckle from her chest, half defeated as she buried her face in her lap.
"I would finally, truly be the monster I believe myself to be if I did."
She composed herself for a moment, then stood up for more caf.
"Go on then. You found the whills. Can they not take it back? Or help strengthen your body?"
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2014 19:42:22 GMT -8
"The Whills like me as much as I like them, and I hate their fucking guts."
Eralam sighed. He should have known the idea of that much power would be alluring to Sin, and while he stood by his declaration, he wasn't prepared to turn her loose on the galaxy with the power to bend reality to her will.
"Their power is nearly infinite, but they used it for nothing more than watching and making note of the course of civilization. I wanted to use it to shape and guide the galaxy towards, if not a better future, at least a longer one. For my audacity, I was stripped of all but a token remnant. What you've seen is nothing more than a shadow of what I once was."
Why was he telling her this? The former Shard knew that telling her this was about the same as telling a spice addict that there was a great big mound of the stuff in the other room, but something said this was the right thing to do. She had never tried to hide her darker side from him, and she was being honest about the temptation. Surely these were good signs. He took her hands into his as he spoke, a note of pleading in his voice.
"I know that this puts you in a tricky position. As you say, getting your hands on that much power would turn you into something monstrous. Well, I've trusted you this much, so here's a little bit more: no artificial vessel would ever be able to hold it for long. Even a natural Shard wouldn't last more than a day or so. The reason I was able to hold it in the first place was because of my time with the Whills. If, and that's a pretty big if, you were able to harness it, you'd be the shortest-lived monster in the galaxy. So please, don't get all Darksidey on me with this. I can channel a small portion into a vessel for you if you like, not enough to kill you or make you a monster, but perhaps enough to sate the darker bits."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
Posts: 1,474
Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Mar 1, 2014 9:48:22 GMT -8
His hands in hers, the power so close at her fingertips and he was offering her a sliver of it, a modicum of the things she craved most; ultimate power. He wanted to appease her, to find some way between the lions that would keep the universe in check and somehow sate her dark urges but she knew better. You cannot sate them. The lust for power and control from a Sith was at the core of their being, there was no end to the wanting within. She could not find the words, so she gripped his hands tighter, pulling on the force around them.
The room grew foggy looking, and faded from view to be replaced by the halls of the Senate. Fighting was all around them, ghosts of a future passing through them as they stormed offices, killing everyone they came across. Just behind the stormtroopers, marched Sinistra with a silver saber in her hand and a bright red gem set within a circlet on her forehead. Her eyes were sulfuric, and there was malice behind them as she forced her way onto a landing pad and threw the defense forces over the edge. With them out of the way, she brutally murdered everyone on the platform and the ship they meant to escape on. The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, all of them lifeless in pools of blood. The fog grew thick again and the scene changed to a throne room, Sinistra sat alone atop a massive dais. Her eyes were sunken and yellow, fully immersed in the darkside, she had regained the brutality of her youth. It was a nightmare that made Palpatine's reign seem moderate as she killed off species after species who would not bow to her. To the side of the throne, hung on a wall, Eralam had been encased in carbonite, forever close to her but unable to stop the monster she had become.
She tugged on his hands to bring his attention back to her, both of them wispy spectres within a future that had not yet come to be. Where there were usually dark brown eyes looking at him, he saw the determination and bloodthirst shining in those caustic, citrine orbs.
"Without your power, I am known as the Lord of Atrocity. What do you think I would become if I had your ability to heal or inability to die? I want to rule the galaxy, all of it. To break the Jedi and sweep them away permanently, to undermine the Republic until I am the only one left, unopposed as the ultimate Emperor of all creation. If this is a fate you would rather avoid, you cannot let me have it. Do not offer your power, do not trust that I will be able to resist the urge to take it. Betrayal is not a foreign concept to me. I have betrayed everyone I have loved at some point, but the risk here is far greater. Do not trust me in this matter."
She released his hands and the room rippled, shuffling off the vision to return to her quarters on the Black Caisson. She turned from him, facing the counter. A bitter aura surrounded her, shrinking little by little but the yellow eyes remained a moment longer.
"I want you to live. I wish for you to remain human but the best hope we have for any of this to work is to take your powers away and make sure no one can ever have them. Most of all, me."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2014 13:25:48 GMT -8
Eralam swallowed hard. That wasn't the most pleasant of possible futures. But then again, he had lived through worse realities. He had caused them. The fallen Whill had fallen for a reason; he had no room to judge.
"Okay, as far as show and tell goes, that was pretty scary. Not gonna lie. But now it's my turn."
It had been a while since Eralam had deliberately tried to seek out the future. Whills saw time as a suggestion. Looking forward was as easy as looking back. But these days, it usually took a good bonk on the head to trigger visions. Doing it on purpose took a lot of effort.
He took Sinistra's hands again, and focused hard. The room changed. They were sitting on a grassy hilltop under the shade of an old oak tree. Both were visibly older, though how much so was hard to tell. Despite that, they were smiling and laughing, holding hands like a pair of love-struck teenagers. Both were etched with scars new and old; it hadn't been am easy life that led them to this point, but they were happy.
"That's the future I choose to believe in. If you truly believe you have to run my ass over in the pursuit of power, then we never had a hope to begin with. But even if there's a fraction of a chance of us making it to that hilltop, it's worth the risk."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
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Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Mar 1, 2014 16:47:37 GMT -8
"Our visions looked way cooler. There was blood and explosions. His vision looked wicked boring."
"I thought it looked sweet."
"You would. Ugh, I think I'm gonna barf."
"Oh shut up."
"Isn't there like a happy medium where we can be smiley and old and on the throne together?"
"Not if you insist on being around."
"Listen, sister, if this keeps up, we won't have to worry about him leaving, because the rest of the darksiders are gonna cut our throat. Love breeds weakness. They are gonna come gunning for us. You had better keep me strong."
"We don't have a choice. We have to share this life now. I'll let you be dark, but you can't pull that insane power struggle shit. You'll get us killed."
"I could say the same to you."
"And if it comes as something in between?" The mahogany irises were back when she looked away from the hilltop, the kitchen fading back into sight. "I don't believe I have to run you over for power. I'm saying, you never know what could sound like a good idea to me when I have had a liter of whiskey and no sleep. I'm not kidding about the trust thing. You should accept that at all times, half of me is plotting to cement the power I have attained and grow it. Just don't say I didn't warn you."
She let go of his hands, defeat in her heart as she had a sinking feeling that somehow in this mess of a coming year, she was going to do something to jeopardize that hilltop. She didn't know what yet, but the iron lump in her chest felt like it could crush stone from the weight of hurting something emotionally pure. It was Anya all over again. She shook the thoughts from her mind and tried to lighten the mood with a joke.
"Plus, that vision of yours is a little off. I'm in my 50's and you have the body of a 20-something. You and I both know that in a few years, you'll trade me up for a younger model unless I find a way to turn back the ravages of time."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2014 17:01:46 GMT -8
"Ha! You may get all the power in the world, but if you knife me in the back, no more pancakes for you."
Eralam said it with a smile, and poked Sin playfully on the forehead while speaking, but there was just a hint of worry in his heart. Maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew. But, well, that hilltop looked pretty nice. If there was a chance...
"And anyway, why the hell would I want a younger model? You may have your scars, but I don't want some porcelain princess. You're way more fun."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
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Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Mar 1, 2014 17:35:28 GMT -8
"That future never showed you knifed in the back. You were encased in carbonite, there's a huge difference. Also, if you're gonna be with a Sith Lord, you really need to spice up your visions of the future. You can have the hilltop, but can it be above a city I've just leveled or something? Or the tree is on fire?"
Secretly, she wondered when he would start trying to change her, when he would influence the more moderate half of her personality to come forward. It soured her mouth, puckering her lips as she wondered if he could truly accept that she was Sith at heart. Although, the way she used political intrigue and guile, she wondered it sometimes herself. Half of her heart was sure that everything would turn out fine, the other half wasn't sure she wanted it to. Lock it down, Gaysa. Unless they found an answer to prolonging his life, both visions were a moot point.
"Speaking of pancakes..." She segued to the sound of a grumbling stomach.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2014 18:24:56 GMT -8
"There's no reason there can't be a smoking ruin of a city at the bottom of the hill."
Was he disturbed? Doubtful? Fearful? All of the above and maybe just a little aroused? Perhaps, but who cares? Dude's making pancakes. If he kept thinking of all the myriad ways he and Sin could be doomed for a bloody end, he'd go nuts.
By carefully judging Sin's body mass (he had taken embarrassingly precise note the first time he picked her up) against her metabolism, time of day, approximate amount of calories necessary to make it til the next meal, Eralam decided that the best thing to do was just make a fuck ton of pancakes. This is somewhat more than a buttload, but somewhat less than a metric fuck tonne. Conversions could really be a pain in the ass sometimes.
And since anything worth doing is worth overdoing, the flapjacks on the griddle were quickly joined by peppered bacon and scrambled eggs with cheese, because fuck cholesterol. The former Shard was impressed by the state room's cook top. It was an induction model, which was handy as hell. His small apartment on Onderon had relied on standard burners. This meal would have taken the better part of a morning to prepare there. Here, it took barely ten minutes, and that was mostly because there was an awful lot of pancake batter to use up.
Once it was all said and done, he heaped a plate high with steaming breakfast goodness and carried it over to the rather amused looking woman on the couch.
"Seriously, tell me I can't make some pancakes, I dare you. I double dare you. I am not afraid to haul the Emperor to the bedroom and give her a spanking."
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Lord Sinistra
Retired High Councilor
VE Human Capital Management & Talent Acquisition
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Affiliation: The Vegemite Enclave
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Post by Lord Sinistra on Mar 1, 2014 19:17:10 GMT -8
"Oh, you'll get no complaints from me, I promise." She started in on the ridiculously full flat of food he handed her, somehow wondering how much he thought she needed to eat. She curled into his side as he joined her on the couch, forgetting as best she could of the worries and doubts that both of them had stumbled over since his return from another trip to the cargo bay. She was thoroughly enjoying not thinking about what comes next when the Black Caisson dropped from hyperspace. With a glance towards the windows, she sighed with a half chuckle and groan rolled into one as she laid a kiss on his cheek. "Welcome home."
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Bloodrage Pirates
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Post by Bloodrage Pirates on Mar 14, 2014 18:00:25 GMT -8
The Cutlass exits hyperspace not an awfully long way from the Kuat system. Arkan, having retired to his quarters during the journey, now walks onto the bridge. He surveyed the scene outside the view ports, pleased that even the Kuat system was not visible as a recognisable object. This was good, he needed the element of surprise in the pirates next endeavour.
The armoured Captain activated the holo-table and reviewed the data he had on the situation. The battle on Kuat had been a couple of weeks earlier and most of the clear up near the planet had been completed. However there had been numerous, large explosions in orbit that had sent large fields of debris floating far from the planet. Unfortunately these debris fields were probably still within range of the planetary and defence force's sensors and Arkan hoped they contained Mandalorian and Imperial munitions along with some illusive beskar. For these reasons the Imperials on the planet would not take kindly to pirates stealing their property, especially not property they had spilt so much blood for.
Standing casually behind the table, the Echani waited for the reports of the rest of the bridge officers.
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Nathan Caldwell [Retired]
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Post by Nathan Caldwell [Retired] on Apr 14, 2014 19:17:26 GMT -8
The Wayfarer-Class Medium Transport, Serenity streaked through hyperspace with one destination in mind: Corellia. It had been nearly a year since Nathan had been to his homeworld. No, homeworld wasn't the right term. Birthworld perhaps, but not home. He didn't have a home anywhere, except for exactly where he was at any given time. So long as he was on Serenity and still flying through the big open skies, he was as close to home as he could get.
Nathan sat in the Serenity's kitchen/common room at the main table. A cup of warm tea sat in front of him, as did his vast collection of firearms. He was cleaning them up. It was proper upkeep and a little extra care that kept him and his crew in the game.
Though, crew may not have been the best term to use at this point in time. Only Alan, Zoe and the pointy-headed Zabrak remained. It wasn't much of a crew. Alan and Zoe were loyal enough. They were with him til the end. The Zabrak, well he was different. And not necessarily in a good way. He was a big, burly brute of a character though, and the intimidation factor was also nice. While he had served a few different crews in his time, the Zabrak seemed to hold honor and respect above all else. Which spoke to Nathan in volumes. Honor and respect was an important code to follow in this line of work. Loyalties could be tested and broke for the right price. Honor and respect were much tougher to win over. But, on the bright side, he had a few prospects on the horizon. Potential crew members. Two were on Corellia right now, seeking passage off world. If their records checked out and their reputations were to be believed, then he was going to be damn lucky to have them on board. Provided no one else bribed them away first. He was hoping they would wait until he got there, but expecting them to jump ship on a faster offer. Good help was hard to find these days. His contact in the Blue Sector on Corellia had been in Coronet's spaceport and took notice of the two. The first was a human female, a doctor. That would certainly be welcome, since the last one had gotten on his last charitable nerve. Nathan didn't want to push them until they left, but the doctor kept pushing. Him and his moon-brained sister. He had been generous enough taking them in for as long as he had. But it was time for them to leave. And so they left, leaving the ship without a proper medic. It made clandestine dealing a lot trickier. The second was a human male, a mechanic. This man's reputation spoke volumes, but Nathan knew better than to stake everything on reputation alone. But a mechanic would be extremely beneficial right now. Possibly more so than the doctor. With the death of his last mechanic at the hands of some CorSec mole....well....Nathan had cared deeply for her, in an older brother sort of fashion. She had been extremely dear to everyone on the ship. Her death had nearly broken him for good. Then the love of his life had left after he kicked the former doctor and his crazy sister off. It was probably for the best, as she was a respectable woman and didn't need to be caught up with this line of work. Everything seemed to have fallen apart for him. Nearly as bad as being on the drift with no coin and no prospects. But he was still flying, and that was not nothing.
Nathan finished putting his T-6 'Thunderer' back together and ensured the power pack was full. He stood up and slid it into the holster on his right hip. He downed his tea and left the table. They would be on Corellia in less than three hours. He needed an hour or two of sleep, if he was going to be replacing crew members soon. No need to be making bad first impressions, after all.
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Darth Wraak
Blackguard Imperium
Posts: 197
Affiliation: Blackguard Imperium/Clan Starkiller
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Post by Darth Wraak on Apr 15, 2014 18:23:34 GMT -8
Venom sat in his bunk on the floor, cross legged. Serenity hummed gently beneath him as it made its way through hyperspace. Venom was meditating. Clearing his mind and finding peace. It was difficult. His dark past still left its stains on his present. He was a changed man from who he was then to the being he was now. No doubt about it.
Thoughts and emotions swirled throughout his mind. At times he missed who he was. Missed the power he had wielded. Having the ability to squeeze the life out of some pathetic sentient was amazing, and secretly satisfying to him. And then there were times he was grateful to have had the chance to become who he was. He was a better person now because of the trials he had gone through to get there. It hadn't been easy, but it certainly had been worth it.
He began to actively calm his mind and delve into the ebb and flow of the living Force around him.
No dark clouds or thick fog veiled his vision. That was a good sign. It meant that there was nothing dark and sinister about their immediate future. Though there was something at the edge of his perceptions...something oddly familiar. It was going to drive him nuts.
He frowned and tried to focus on the familiarity, hoping to draw it out of the shadows and into the light. But to no avail. He was stuck with whatever it was being out of sight for now. He continued to sit on the floor, meditating.
Being a Force-sensitive smuggler gave him an edge over his opponents. Not being a practiced Sith at delving into the Force and examining the foreseeable future with a fine-tooth comb limited him to what he could and could not accomplish. Soon they would be on Corellia, though. Which would give him some actual interaction with others. That was what he needed. He had been out of touch with social interaction, seeing as how Alan and Zoe were busy with their own lives and their most recent hardships. And the Captain, well the Captain didn't seem keen on mixing with anyone. Which suited Venom just fine, though it made it a lot harder to take his mind off of his own personal issues.
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