Iella Dresari
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Post by Iella Dresari on Aug 24, 2016 17:53:32 GMT -8
*Iella smiled and nodded.*"All right. Let's see about getting you your own room."
*It didn't take long to get that done, as it wasn't exactly complicated to get one assigned to the girl. Before too long, she was showing Kent to her room. It was a fairly simple affair, with a bed, dresser, a desk and her own refresher.*"Well here you are. This will be your room for now."
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Adelle Bastiel
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Post by Adelle Bastiel on Aug 24, 2016 18:42:49 GMT -8
"I am," she said simply, "afraid." "What has you afraid, Leigh?" Leigh's admission intrigued her. It was the first time she could recall Leigh humming this way in the Force: a quivering of the surface, just barely visible, disturbed by something underneath. Adelle pulled her desk chair out, a simple creation built by local craftsman with natural wood and hide from local fauna. She offered it to Leigh, despite Leigh's sufficiency without it. She had a hunch about what frightened Leigh based on two facts: One, Leigh had never felt unsafe on Felucia beforehand; Two, the only change of significance made to Felucia's environment was the arrival of three peculiar individuals. A young, scrawny teen couldn't give a protocol droid a scare. Cao was restrained through the Force and physically. Elly was also restrained physically, but Leigh seemed most anxious when Na'an mentioned bringing Lana before her. But Adelle would wait for Leigh to say the words.
It would help far better than making the logical conclusion herself. |
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Aug 25, 2016 6:26:13 GMT -8
"I am uncertain."
Leigh shrugged, an odd gesture given her unusual, irregular shape. In a side process, she redirected one of her subroutines to increase coolant flow to her processors, and the whirring sound muffled itself as she continued to muddle through Adelle's question. The seat the healer had offered would reduce pressure on her leg actuators, allowing for the redirected coolant to not be missed; she sat gratefully.
"I have always known that my creator had the ability to...suppress me, in order to make use of my body," she said. "The protocol has existed in Life Emulator systems since before my birth--an objective-oriented mode where our only function is to obey spoken commands. I have managed to override it once before, but only under extreme circumstances. It did not worry me before. The...possibilities...were negligible, because she was dead."
She bent slightly, regarding her cannon arm as it rested on her knee. The mechanism was cool for the moment--inert.
"Now she is not dead. but an unknown quantity," she continued. "And I am uncertain as to what she would make us do."
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Morgan Calmcacil
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Post by Morgan Calmcacil on Aug 25, 2016 16:23:23 GMT -8
*Morgan continued to watch the pair talk, cracking a small smile at Mama's comment about her but otherwise absorbing everything they had said. Something had put Na'an on edge... and apparently the armored figure too. Leigh? Well, at least Morgan knew its name now. Her name; just because she appeared more robotic than others such as Lana or Gracie didn't mean she didn't have an identity.
Right, Yavin... and the call Na'an had received to go there. Na'an had been so flustered that Morgan had barely time to react to the fact that she was going to leave so soon already. Of course she was disappointed, but duty called... When Morgan realized she was longingly gazing at her mama, she looked away; nobody said anything about her leaving!
Morgan perished the thought and focused on Leigh again as she described some protocol that apparently laid dormant within all of the Life Emulator units... ... including Lana. Morgan's eyes widened, letting a soft nasal gasp escape. They could be overwritten by their creator? That... that was cruel!* "Why would she do that?!" *Morgan exclaimed before she realized the rhetorical question had escaped her mind. Instead of excusing her mistake, she set her brow and decided to own it.* "You're people too! No one likes to be controlled!"
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Kent
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Post by Kent on Aug 25, 2016 21:49:55 GMT -8
Thank you for everything.
She cleaned herself up and got ready to sleep. She thought about everything that has happened to her recently, she replayed everything over and over again in her head. She slowed things down speed them up, thinking more and more on the times she used the Force. She kept as much as she thought, she couldn't convince herself one way or another if she had been wrong in the way she responded to the girl with the colorful hair.
She put those thoughts aside and tried to sleep, but for a girl that had spent so long on the streets a busy and noisy world like Nar Shaddaa the quiet here made sleep impossible. She dot up and opened up a datapad, she was drawn to a section on lightsaber construction and design. It explained all the options known to the Jedi order and how they were best used.
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Adelle Bastiel
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Post by Adelle Bastiel on Aug 28, 2016 19:29:03 GMT -8
"I am uncertain."Leigh shrugged, an odd gesture given her unusual, irregular shape. In a side process, she redirected one of her subroutines to increase coolant flow to her processors, and the whirring sound muffled itself as she continued to muddle through Adelle's question. The seat the healer had offered would reduce pressure on her leg actuators, allowing for the redirected coolant to not be missed; she sat gratefully. "I have always known that my creator had the ability to...suppress me, in order to make use of my body," she said. "The protocol has existed in Life Emulator systems since before my birth--an objective-oriented mode where our only function is to obey spoken commands. I have managed to override it once before, but only under extreme circumstances. It did not worry me before. The...possibilities...were negligible, because she was dead."She bent slightly, regarding her cannon arm as it rested on her knee. The mechanism was cool for the moment--inert. "Now she is not dead, but an unknown quantity," she continued. "And I am uncertain as to what she would make us do." "Why would she do that?!" *Morgan exclaimed before she realized the rhetorical question had escaped her mind. Instead of excusing her mistake, she set her brow and decided to own it.* "You're people too! No one likes to be controlled!" "This is the locking code to my room," she said. "It will lock from the inside and will not unlock until you re-enter the code. The walls, soundproof. There is a holo-cam above the door for you to see who's trying to enter. You are safe here. Stay as long as you need to." She swept up her datapad from her bed, kicking aside the shattered 'pad she'd dropped earlier. Droids' rights was still a long way off in coming on Corellia and Dantooine; there's no way she could get Elly for unlawful programming or unethical coding. But she would find something that would put her away and maybe give Leigh a sense of justice. "Morgan, I need you to tell your father I need a security detail for a prisoner transfer." |
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Sept 3, 2016 18:44:47 GMT -8
While this had been one of several projected reactions, it was far from the most probable one. Leigh half-rose to object, her hologram flickering into a look of surprise. "That is not necessary. Na'an has already testified concerning her actions on Nar Shaddaa--she is there now--"
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Adelle Bastiel
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Post by Adelle Bastiel on Sept 3, 2016 19:48:01 GMT -8
"With Lana," Adelle cut in. "And a woman that has proven reckless to a dangerous degree in the very short amount of time I've been around her. She's also hurt Na'an in psychological ways." She tapped on her datapad then looked at Leigh. "What would you have me do? Let Na'an possibly torture a source of her torment? Or place herself in danger by bringing an LE unit before Miss Shan? Capable though she is, she's not thinking logically."
Adelle strode from her bedside to the doorway. "And Miss Shan's been in the medbay long enough. It's time she was properly detained."
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Sept 4, 2016 10:06:18 GMT -8
"...I will remain here as requested, under Miss Calmcacil's protection, and make preparations for our departure."
Leigh made no move to stop Adelle, despite her words; rather, she sank back into her chair, straight-backed and serious. Adelle's look was as sharp as Na'an's had been only a minute ago, and her projections continued to hold. If her Mother decided to act, they were each more than competent to pacify the situation....or more than pacify. "Your heart rate has accelerated. Miss Bastiel, do not do anything you would regret."
With that said, she turned a section of her processes inward, making calculations and forwarding an offer to the freighter captain. They would need to make arrangements efficiently in order to ensure sufficient funds to return home.
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Adelle Bastiel
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Post by Adelle Bastiel on Sept 4, 2016 14:33:10 GMT -8
Adelle paused at the doorway, blinking in a momentary frown. Then she gave a curt nod to Leigh and swept off to the MedCenter.
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Morgan Calmcacil
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Post by Morgan Calmcacil on Sept 4, 2016 21:38:13 GMT -8
*Hand on her shoulder, fingers in her hair. Mama's. Soothing, calming... Morgan tried to calm down, but she couldn't help her thoughts: This entire apparent "protocol" was terrible! And it was even implanted within Lana? The one designed to be like a little girl? Like Morgan herself? She wouldn't want to hear that there were some magic words her own daddy could say that made her do whatever he wanted! ... well, other than threat of punishment for misbehavior, but that was something else entirely.
She tried to focus on her breathing to calm down, and it was working a little. Besides, Mama had a job for her. Something she could just do on a datapad, sure, but still an important task. Meanwhile, there was possible trouble in the medical facilities, and Mama was just going to walk into it! Briefly Morgan fumbled with her thought process, wanting to ensure Mama's safety. It sounded too dangerous for her to go, so why not send Leigh— Right, that protocol. So what if— Security detail! Daddy! Duh!
Quickly she located and extricated her datapad, busily tapping away a message, stopping only briefly to look up at the mention of her "protection"... then grin before finishing out the message, telling Daddy about the need for a prisoner transfer and security detail. She informed him of Mama's departure to the medical facilities and what little she knew of the current situation, then, after a quick acknowledgement from him, she sat on the edge of Mama's bed and set down the datapad beside her, releasing a sigh that was equal parts relief and concern.
And that... left her alone with Leigh. Was she supposed to wait here or go somewhere else? Morgan honestly wasn't sure, and now she had neither parental figure available to ask. So what now?
Morgan observed Leigh. Her design, shape, the curves of her armor... The details suddenly morphed, changing color and form, pulsating blue. She gasped and sat up straight, but when she blinked, Leigh's form was back to normal. Morgan blinked rapidly and again focused on her breathing, trying to calm herself. She wanted to speak to Leigh, but with what topic?* "I-I'm not afraid of you," *she stammered in an attempt to be reassuring, but the target of reassurance seemed to be herself more than Leigh.* "You just..." *She trailed off, staring into her lap as she debating finishing that statement.* "... remind me of something."
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Sept 11, 2016 19:40:22 GMT -8
"It is all right if you are afraid. We are used to such reactions."
Leigh remained seated, her cannon in her lap, as she watched the girl dither about the room. As she spoke, she didn't bother re-allocating her processes, instead focusing much of her attention on the negotiations underway for passage to Yavin. She had the freighter down to a three-day voyage now, and it was just a matter of navigating the price.
As a rule, Leigh did not share her partner's general affection for the young of her species. Their general volume, inefficient emotional processing, and tendency to ask stupid questions with obvious answers would have been judged a mark of bad design in one of her kind. This child, however, did not seem to be demanding anything of her. Rather, her simple statement seemed meant to comfort Leigh, and her other actions--the deep breaths, quick efficient movements, small gestures seemed to be meant for centering--were familiar. She had seen Na'an perform many of them on her own, on days when her thoughts seemed too much to handle. It was probable she was performing them now, wherever she was.
Had she learned them when she was as small as this...Morgan Calmcacil?
"What," she continued with some small interest, "do I remind you of?"
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Morgan Calmcacil
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Post by Morgan Calmcacil on Sept 11, 2016 20:07:31 GMT -8
*Used to such reactions? Morgan tilted her head. To be honest, she didn't exactly find Leigh's design in and of itself to be completely terrifying. Awe-inspiring, maybe. It was just the fact that...* "... something that looks just like you," *she answered at length, debating how specific she should get.* "Just... evil." *She let that thought sit a moment before deciding it too was too vague. Sighing, she added,* "And blue. It was on Haruun Kal..." *She then studied Leigh for a response, though didn't exactly expect one; AI were good at hiding those if they so chose. Their armor design was too uncanny though; was Leigh somehow familiar with the Corruption?
... or Force forbid, related?*
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Kent
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Post by Kent on Sept 12, 2016 22:45:33 GMT -8
Kent a woke about two horse after falling asleep. Still young enough that sleeping upright in a chair didn't really bother her. she got up and began to walk around the dormitories, listening closely. Not really trying to eavesdrop, but to gather information. She had survived as long as she had because she had and remembered things she shouldn't have known.
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Oct 8, 2016 15:45:56 GMT -8
Three days later*** The room assigned to Vidalu Na'an when she was here was small, but comfortably so. As a temporary space for any visiting Jedi, it was sparsely furnished--a small bed, a single scoop chair and a table-like shelf protruding from the wall were more than enough for the single room, and did not block the tiny refresher provided as a courtesy. A window opened on the wall opposite from the hallway door, and in the early hours of the morning the red-gold sunrise could be seen through Felucia's fungal trees.
Leigh sat in the scoop chair motionlessly, her dome dimmed as her companion slept curled on the bed beside her. She never bothered with the pretense of sleep, preferring to spend the hours of solitude calculating, performing research, and sifting through the near-endless information on the Holonet. During the last three years, such exploration was aimless, or in an arbitrary but amusing direction--medical documents summarizing new implantation research, or the average growing seasons of cross-planetary flora, or forum discussions about the sexual psychology of ewoks. For a solid three weeks she had examined her own schematics in fine detail, debating whether or not to design a modification that would remove her cannon arm.
Over the last three days, however, her research was decidedly more focused. A few plans made for travel, detailed analyses of conversations both recent and years in the past...and an extensive digital hunt for a man who persisted on being hard to find.
Next to the droid, Na'an slept, but only lightly. She shifted and rolled, made little sounds, twitched with the strange liquid tension only those who sleep uneasily seem to possess. She hadn't bothered with the covers, instead donning the nightshirt the Temple provided for warmth. Leigh had considered protesting, but Na'an's temperature was not deviating outside of normal, and cold was never what woke her friend in the mornings. Nowadays it was the dreams that woke her--that, or the smell.
Someday, the droid resolved, she would have to ask a Master if the Force usually had a scent. It seemed unlikely, but Na'an never seemed to quite fit into the mold most people gifted with the Force thrived in.
Na'an's body shifted, this time to face the droid. As Leigh's sensor clicked into active mode, she stretched, opening her eye halfway. " Hey," she slurred. "Summin, d'ya--" The words came out garbled with sleep; she rolled over again, sitting up and clearing her throat. "You smell something?"
At the sound of her voice, Leigh activated her cameras, turning them to Na'an. As a sort of indulgence, she diverted a little additional processing power to her olfactory sensors, boosting the power unnecessarily for a brief second. "I detect no smoke either in this room or in the outside hall." she concluded, keeping her voice neutral.
Na'an blinked rapidly, processing her words as she struggled to fully wake. "....Are you sure? You don't smell burning wire or..."
"I am sure." Leigh's dome clicked on, revealing that the pretty blonde face was wearing a look of concern. "You have been dreaming of him again."
Na'an's reaction--the tiniest of starts, the vaguely guilty expression so reminiscent of a child caught stealing sweets--confirmed it. "It's...it's not like before. He's in...I'm standing in a room, and he's..." Na'an pulled herself up on her elbows, and pulled a tangle of hair back out of her face with one hand. She looked up at Leigh with a faraway expression, as if seeing something miles behind her dome. "Leigh, he's on Yavin," she said suddenly. "I'm sure of it. I don't know why I know now as opposed to before, but I do. He's THERE, and...and I don't think he wants to be."
Now it was Leigh's turn to look surprised. "I have been looking for him," was her terse reply, "but he does not leave a trace like the Shans do. He has been remarkably thorough over the last few years. If he is anywhere, I have my doubts that it is for any reason other than his own choices. "
"Yeah, I know. Stupid time-space whatever." Na'an sighed, again attemping to tame her hair with her hands. "And what about Rutil? Why would he want him, what's the thread there?"
Leigh paused. "I have...theories," she finally responded, sounding hesitant. "But we should discuss those once we are on the ship, which leaves in twenty minutes."
"What!" Na'an sat up sharply at the sudden revelation, shooting a look at the sun rising in the opposite window. "Jeez, Leigh, you could have woken me," she groused, vaulting from the bed and peeling off her nightshirt. Her regular clothes had been cleaned the night before, resting on the room's single shelf; she wriggled into the high-necked tank, then started fishing around in the rest of the pile for her saber. "In fact, you should have woken me. I don't like rushing."
Leigh responded with a rare smile. "You looked like you needed the rest."
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Kent
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Post by Kent on Oct 12, 2016 17:11:04 GMT -8
Kent hadn't seen much of Iella in the day since her lessons. Kent guessed that she was too much for the woman. She didn't mind that as much, she saw everyone that was working with her at this point as a stop gap until Na'an started to train her. On her own, she had been back to the training room a bunch. She had gotten much better, able to fall into the out of body state much easier. She could do it before getting hit the first time. A single handed grip with the off hand as support seemed to come more naturally to her. She found herself spinning and leaping and twirling the blade, using her athleticism and flexibility. The days of eating good food was doing wonders and she was stronger than ever. He mind moved even faster. When she wasn't in the training room she was reading from the archives. She was just leaving her room to head to the archives now. The light robe she was in, a little form fitting.
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Oct 12, 2016 17:56:03 GMT -8
Na'an shrugged into her jacket as the door to her quarters slid open, and steadied the blaster rifle hanging against her hip. "Okay," she said, ticking things off her fingers as she strode into the hall. "We're completely out of credits, so once this whole thing is over with we've GOT to check in with Noba."
Leigh bent to fit her bulk through the door, her hologram winking into a wry expression. "That is if our contractors complete their work on time. Karre Noba will not pay us if we return without her ship," she replied.
Na'an winced at that. "Ah. Yes. She'd also probably fire me."
"That she would."
Na'an shuffled the rifle to rest against her backside as she walked, checking the pocket at her hip again for the metal tube she knew was there. "At any rate, they should be done by the time this whole thing is over. It shouldn't take more than two weeks, even on freighter time, but it's hardly rocket science. I'll keep our paycheck on our to-do-if-we-survive list." She pulled at her hair as she spoke, trying it in a loose knot near the top of her head. "Anything else we need to handle before takeoff?"
Leigh paused, digitally rifling through the transcripts bookmarked over the last three days. "Checking on the status of the Shan's tribunal. As you mentioned that you would be present for it, this departure will be unexpected."
"If we see a Master on the way, we'll apologize. Rutil's a darling of the Order, I don't think they'll mind."
"My sister. Lanette Shan Terr." Leigh paused minutely before going on. Na'an shot her a look and placed a hand on her arm. "As far as we know," she continued, ignoring the gesture for the moment, "she has not spoken to Mother since your visit to the Medical Wards. It is likely that she is still in some distress, and may require...context."
Na'an's look shifted; her face colored slightly, and she turned back down the hallway. "If so, I don't think she'll want it from me. I'm not the 'bestest friend' she wanted me to be, I'll probably just make the whole thing worse," she said roughly. "And you're hardly the smiles and puppies type. If she needs context, if should be from someone she likes."
"You are still set on having everyone hate you?"
"Better than them following me into a death trap waiting to happen. At least YOU'RE qualified for that."
Leigh could not resist simulating a snort. "Such a charmer. No wonder Kent Austin was enamoured with you."
The pair rounded a corner, Na'an stretching her arms and Leigh following several feet behind, when a door to their left opened and a young girl stepped out.
"Speaking of which..."
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Kent
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Post by Kent on Oct 13, 2016 20:03:34 GMT -8
Kent caught the sight of Na'an out of the corner of her eye. The girl did her best to avoid eye contact with Na'an and the big droid. She hadn't seen either of them after the incident in the med center. If they had heard about it, Kent was sure she was about the get an earful
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Post by Vidalu Na'an on Oct 25, 2016 16:00:12 GMT -8
Na'an's expression lifted momentarily, breaking into a jog to close the distance between her and Kent in a few seconds. "Hey, Rabbit," she said brightly, slowing as she approached. The girl's nerves weren't entirely lost on her; she reached for Kent's shoulder, gripping it as if to give assurance. "Long couple of days, huh? I've heard you've been trying out a few instructors since you've gotten here. Nobody tells me much, but the Knights here seem to think you've got promise. They're a good bunch here--once you find where your talents lie, get a grip on your emotions a bit--"
The sound of a cough seemed to break Na'an's focus; Leigh had come up to the pair, her holographic face beckoning farther down the hall. Na'an's expression faded back into the hard, set look of before, and she turned to Kent as if making up her mind.
"Uh, listen," she said after a moment of hesitation, "Kent. I was hoping to tell you earlier. I've been called away to check on an installation out Yavin-ways for a bit. Leigh and I, we're on our way to the ship now. Not many details, but we shouldn't be gone more than a couple weeks. So if you want to keep trying teachers and let me know what you think when you get back..."
She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, feeling for her shoto in the bulge on her hip. "I'm...sorry it's so short notice. But that's life in the Order for you. When you're called...well, that's when you go."
Leigh imposed herself again; this time, her cough sounded mildly impatient.
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Kent
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Post by Kent on Oct 25, 2016 23:44:55 GMT -8
The teen looked up nervously waiting for the tongue lashing that, if she was honest with herself, she probably deserved. It surprised her when it didn't come. the response was the same, no big deal Iella had given her. She honestly felt unfulfilled by the reassurance. She expected the droid's cough was to announce the hammer to fall on Kent, but it was more of a rush. The news hit the girl hard, in her very soul. Na'an was leaving. The very thing Kent had feared from the moment the woman had said they were coming to see the other masters was happening. She had convinced herself she was just being paranoid, but the fear was grounded. She was being abandoned again. She found herself in the out of body state she normally did when she was using the Force. The Force had enveloped her, guiding her actions like with a lightsaber. She didn't strike out violently, she didn't break down emotionally, physically she stood before the woman stoically.
I understand, be safe.
She didn't understand, and, while she didn't wish to see Na'an come to harm, the woman's safety was the least of Kent's concerns. She was not having a breakdown she was broken, shattered. The Force was the only thing keeping her together. H the part of her still in her body knew she could not show what had really happened to her soul.
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