For I didn't like the way Kani was regaining consciousness. Not one bit.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this...

I thought to what the Class 1 med-droid had said about cortical stimulation, about how her pain centers had been triggered into suddenly increased activity, and my frown deepened. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that something was rotten in Dantooine.

Laying a reassuring hand on the young gal's arm, I gave the fussing nurse even more to squawk about. I didn't acknowledge the mechanical minion in the slightest, but simply stood there quietly, looking down into Kani's now opened eyes. Which were suddenly wide and wondering and in a very uncomfortable way...

Vacant.

I squeezed her arm again, then let my hand drop. "Easy, soldier," I said, trying to make my voice as soothing as I could. I was never much of a mother nek, of course, but I tried.

"You've been though..." I paused, remembering what the droid had rattled off so blithely as if reading me the morning's newscast.

"Hell. But you're on the road to recovery now. Can you tell me what happened, Lt. Jet- that is, Kani?"

Taking a moment to shoot Shawn a shushing glance, I then fell quiet myself, giving Kani a chance to speak.

[ 02-24-2019 06:59 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

--------------------

“I was in… I mean was doing… or was it…”

The confidence she displayed earlier suddenly vanished as she struggled to answer the question. She was absolutely certain that she had the answer, that she should have known the answer. Her expression began to fill with horror as she turned to the speaker then to the mans companion. Kani couldn’t place how she knew them, the knowledge wasn’t there that should have been. However on an emotional level she had, did know these people, she trusted them. A sinking feeling began to grow in the pit of her stomach as the mental pain continued to throb.

“Who… Where…” Kani asked.

She looked between the pair back and forth scanning for a hint of a clue to what was happening. Their stoic responses betrayed little for her to go on and the growing silence was becoming more unsettling. It wasn’t the fact she didn’t know that began to frighten her. It was the fact that she knew, She Knew that she should.

I quickly called the med-droid back to check her over again, her EKG scans in particular. The mechanical fussed about, raising a portable scanning device and running it about her cranium then punching a series of buttons on it.

"All appears to be normal," it finally announced. "Is there anything else with which I may be of further assistance?"

I shook my head, my frown a veritable scowl now, and waved it away. Now I did cross my arms, resisting an urge to release them and a pair of fists to the ceiling to scream at the fates or anyone else in the general vicinity for dropping this newest little gem upon us.

That however was not befitting of a General of the Armies. The inspiration washed away the annoyance which was threatening to overwhelm me. I turned to Shawn.

"You're a Healer, aren't you?" I asked, then waved a hand in Kani's direction inviting him to ply his trade. I placed the other on on the her arm, giving her another reassuring squeeze, by that gesture letting her know she had nothing to fear from us.

"You're going to be all right, Kani," was all I said in reply to her.

--------------------

He looked down into the confused, frightened eyes of Kani, his own arrowing into hers, seeking to calm her fears. “It’s all right, Kani, you are safe here, with friends. I can help you. Trust me.”

Pausing at that statement, he let his eyes rest in hers a moment or two longer. When he was certain she at least sensed she had no need to fear, he reached out, placing a hand on her forehead, and closed his eyes. With that one simple physical touch, Shawn stretched out to Kani’s Force signature, and then into her mind. Her body, once tense with confusion and fear, relaxed. Muscles slackened and her eyes fell closed.

Shawn stretched out then to neural pathways within Kani’s mind, seeking, searching. Thank the Maker whoever or whatever had done this to her hadn’t spent any great length of time doing so; Shawn was able to find the mental block, one no machine would ever find.

As he connected with the block, Shawn was inwardly slammed with Kani’s recent memories of a figure clad in dark armor. While Shawn could only see images, that was well more than enough to clue him in to what had happened. Overlayed on top of the images he and Sorben had already seen via the pictures that had been sent the General’s way earlier, was one of Kani seemingly being forced to look into a rather hellish pair of eyes....

...resulting in the pain and utter confusion and terror which they were seeing now, no doubt. Shawn peeled away at this mental block, freeing memories that were being withheld, effectively repairing the damaged neural pathways.

Making certain then that there was no lingering mental barriers or presence—and there was not—Shawn left Kani in a light calming sleep, opening his eyes then to look across the way to Sorben. His hand remained on Kani’s forehead. Beneath that singular touch Shawn could feel Kani relax further.

“The damage is repaired,” Shawn said simply, choosing not to elucidate any further; at least, not yet. For while they were per the moment alone in the med center, the fact that someone had left a recording device in Sorben’s own personal ready room prompted Shawn to keep a closed mouth regarding certain things until they were behind closed doors with assurances that nobody else was “listening.”

Raising a brow and sending a meaningful look Sorben’s way, the Jedi said nothing further....at least not yet.

[ 02-24-2019 08:51 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

--------------------

Whether that "greatness" was of the good or evil variety, I didn't even want to guess. But it stood to reason that there was going to be a lot coming down the galactic pike in our general direction.

"Thank you, Shawn," I finally replied, raising my eyes to his before letting them drop to Kani's still form. Thankfully her breathing seemed slow and regular, her sleep restorative. I let a small sigh of relief escape me, then moved from her side to the four personal guards who were standing at attention outside the doorway of room 115.

I chose the gold pauldroned one, and another of the remaining three at random. "You are to remain here; no, you are to remain inside the room acting as my personal guard to Lieutenant Jetii'sad during her recovery. Call for reinforcements; I want her as protected as if she was the Queen of Naboo herself.

"Post two more at the door. The remaining two can accompany Jedi Petrolu and me back to my ready room."

I turned back into the room, where Shawn was still standing next to the quietly sleeping lieutenant, his healing hand laid softly on her forehead. He turned his face to me as I came up beside him.

"Unless you feel there is anything more you can do here, I think it is best for Kani that we leave her to the medics to rest and to heal. I am leaving personal guards to make certain she continues to receive that rest and healing with no interruptions."

I then left instructions with the 1-A to notify me if Kani so much as sneezed the wrong way, and went to the door again, where the final two guards were waiting to escort Shawn and I back to my ready room.

[ 02-24-2019 09:15 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

--------------------

Only then did he open his eyes and move his hand away from Kani’s forehead. She remained at ease, and he quietly stepped away. “She will be fine,” he stated then in Sorben’s direction, cringing inwardly at the likely inaccuracy of those words.

and in the meantime, I’ll be keeping mental tabs on the situation, came an unspoken addendum, one he suspected Sorben knew regardless of whether he spoke it or not.

But with nothing further, Shawn joined him at the door where they were then escorted back towards Sorben’s ready room.

Shawn had a sneaking suspicion they’d be discussing what had just happened, along with the corresponding implications, for quite some time.

[ 02-24-2019 09:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shawn Petrolu ]

--------------------

"Tie in a secure vid-feed for security camera MC-ICU1152B," I ordered and only had to wait moments until an image popped on my monitor. This image was of a peacefully sleeping Kani, hopefully as secure as I could make her under current circumstances. I could have a portable unit installed in my ready room, as well as in my own quarters to keep her literally at my side 24-7, but admittedly that would look to be somewhat on the funny side.

Hoping I'd implemented enough security around her as it was, I reduced the window, placed it in the upper right of my monitor so other incoming transmissions could be attended while the streaming video of her remained available to me.

This accomplished, I pulled out a scrambler, and initiated it. This little gem sent out wavelengths of sound in a particular frequency to totally squelch the bandwidths associated with the human voice. Satisfied it was working properly, I turned to give my room yet another thorough scrutiny. It irked me no end that I'd more than likely not feel secure in my own ready room anytime in the near future if ever, but would have to go through this rigamarole before allowing myself to engage in conversation with the Jedi, or with anyone for that matter.

My search was thankfully fruitless. I then moved to the sideboard, and poured myself a shot of something purple and glittery.

"Nightcap," I said simply, motioning that Shawn was welcome to so imbibe if he desired. I checked the chrono; it was getting a bit late, but was certainly not my bedtime.

Not yet.

Still, I had a guest of the Empire to consider.

"Do you wish to discuss things further, or shall I see you to your quarters?" I asked, finally settling in my seat as I took a sip of the fragrant and potent liqueur.

[ 02-25-2019 09:52 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

--------------------

“It’ll be quite some time before I’ll need sleep...

..or will even be able to.” Here he paused, taking a drink, his look darkening. “I’m keeping mental tabs on Kani,” he then stated, fairly certain that Sorben had already correctly assumed as much. “And we should very much discuss what just happened....”

He trailed, quirking a brow in the other man’s direction, “And what I was able to learn while I was in Kani’s head.”

Quieting for another moment then, Shawn leaned forward slightly in his chair, now holding the glass with both hands, the look in his eye growing a bit vague. “I can for the most part only get images and feelings, but that alone might light our way in this. While I was removing the block placed in her mind, I saw the eyes of whomever did this to her. Those were the most demonic, hellish looking set of eyes I think I’ve ever seen...”

Again Shawn trailed, shuddering a little bit despite himself. “For anyone to do what was done to her in the limited amount of time he had to do it—and despite the fact I was able to easily remedy it—that person has to be fairly powerful. If he’d had more time, or has had time to plant and change memories of hers in the past...”

Shawn didn’t finish the thought, knowing that Sorben would get the message. He simply cocked his head slightly. “And there’s one other thing.”

Here he did pause, taking another sip of his beverage. “I did hear a single word from Kani, via the Force, when all Hell broke lose just a few minutes ago and the klaxons started blaring. I don’t have any context for it, but perhaps you might; I’m hoping that perhaps she might have been trying to tip me off to what was going on somehow. I clearly heard the word Harbringer from her.”

--------------------

She stood in a vast expanse, void of anything to see. Save for herself, clad in traditional Beskar armor with helmet tucked under one arm, and a rather large floating geode. The geode was mostly transparent with a slight aqua hue reminiscent of Kani’s own skin, and when she looked at each facet it reflected her own image back at her. Kani knew it was her reflection but it was also an unfamiliar face, as she stared at the oddity before her it shifted gaining another facet.

The devil is going on…

Kani moved to peer into this new facet, it was a reflection like the others but this one appeared to be of a twi’lek no older than three. In that facet a scene played out, the girls mother presented the younger twi’lek with a small set of beskar armor. Watching closely Kani saw the look of joy at the twi’leks’s face, and her own face at the gift.

These are my memories, that really happened. That’s my mother, no Buir.

Again another facet formed and Kani watched another event, this kept on continuing. Many times these memories brought her joy, other times regret, and occasionally sorrow. One facet, one that showed Kani eagerly waiting her mothers return from a mission then crumpling to the ground gasping for breath. Kani fell to what ground there was as well in a similar manner.

Buir… died?

Her connection to her mother was so violently and suddenly severed, Kani couldn’t think of what else could it have been. She returned her attention to the geode, all the new facets now filled her with pain. Those memories obsessed with revenge and hatred. As they went on Kani saw herself doing terrible things, Jedi she once knew as friends mercilessly hunted down, slayed at her own hand. On occasion multiple facets grew at once all depicting the same event but with different outcomes. Kani knew that all of them couldn’t be true but she couldn’t identify the false faces. On and on it went, with each passing moment Kani grew to hate those memories.

What they forced me to do. No, that is a lie. I willingly did those things, all of them.

The facets kept revealing more until it caught up present events, then the geode cracked and shattered. Each facet broke off into a mirror like surface, each taking up position around Kani. The twi’lek girl in each memory staring back at Kani as she stared at them. Some, mostly her younger self, looked at the original with fear. Others, the more vengeance seekers, with joyful glee. Still were those of the murderous variety that looked at the original with disgust, and as she watched seeing those past selves and she found herself agreeing with them. She sank to her knees burying her face in her hands, not able to face her own judgment nor being able to deny it.

They are right, they are completely right.

"General Tarnus, this is Captain Barroz Elim, aboard ISD Satyr, in investigatory fleet assigned under Captain Landarian on Relentless to find the missing Mandalorian ship in which Admiral Actar was reported to have last been seen, this sector.

"Sir. Regret to inform you that Relentless has gone incommunicado, and has been so for approximately the last--" He shot a look to his Communications Officer, who mouthed something at him. "--eleven standard hours. Regret as well to inform you that while the missing ship has indeed been found, and indeed apparently seems to be of Mandalorian origin, she was absolutely devoid of any life. All that was found was the remains of a lightsaber which was found dismantled, laying on the decking of the bridge near her communications station.

"Am by-passing standard protocols due to lack of communication from Fleet Commander.

"Orders, Sir?"

--------------------

"Wha-?!" I couldn't help but burst out with as with a slop of my nightcap I slammed my glass upon the desk.

On the other side of said desk Shawn shot me an immediate look of worry, if I was reading correctly the manner in which his brows shot to the top of his forehead and stayed there.

"They found the ship," I said tersely, my voice low despite knowing the room was as safe from any Big Ears as it could be.

"And she's not aboard. Dammit Galen, what in Hell's Seven Circles have you done now?"

I retrieved my glass, shot the remainder of my drink down my throat and went for another. Never in my life was I both as admiring of and angry with my ex-wife's ability to shimmy her way into this predicament or that, to then wiggle out of it with nothing more than a smile planted on her face.

Whatever happened to those times when I was able to come to your rescue? The irrelevant thought only bunched my brows together into a tighter knot of annoyance laced with more than a modicum of anger.

Dammit, but how am I ever going to get you to realize that you can trust me?!

I let out a huge sigh, one which immediately set away from my immediate attention all that potentially mind-fogging anger. Focusing now one what easily could be turned against me, I considered my next words most carefully.

"Satyr, General Tarnus. Congratulations on a job well done; suggest you return directly to Coruscant with the ship you found. Nothing is to be removed or altered inside unless you find something to be of danger to your ship or your men.

"Consider this as a--" I paused the barest fraction of a second. "crime scene. I will have Intel go over it in the detail only they can; in the meantime, I will be ordering--"

Le's see now, who's available for immediate deployment? Ahh.

"ISSD Dianoga to assist Landarian, and to provide a possible tow for Relentless. You are relieved of any responsibility other than getting that Mandalorian ship to HQ main docking bay.

"Tarnus, out."

I sent the directive winging back, following this with an additional one to Dianoga, currently in orbit around Coruscant, directing her to divert from current mission and approach Relentless with all due speed but likewise extreme care. If the situation resolved as all green to then lay to and proceed to tractor her home should that SSD be unable to get away under her own power.

Said orders being sent, I fell back into my chair again, drink in hand.

"Galen, Galen, Galen," I muttered with something of a sigh.

"Whatever in Hell's Seven Circles am I going to do with you?"

OOC: Message returns to Captain Barroz Elim on ISD Satyr in Tales of Strength, Life of Honor in the CSWU forums, thank you.))

[ 03-11-2019 01:45 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

--------------------

Far overhead, in the outermost protective shell of the double-blockade which surrounded the Imperial planet, the captain of the ISSD Dianoga received and immediately responded to her new orders.

The great ship ignited starboard thrusters, turned ponderously until her flank was presented at a 45-degree angle to the direction of her former momentum. Now all aft thrusters came into play, blasting their brilliant fires enough to overcome the centripetal force which had kept the great ship in orbital equilibrium, now moving her higher and higher, farther and farther away until her captain deemed a safe departure altitude had been attained.

Spacetime merely blinked in amazement then, as she pulled herself entirely from its embrace of normality, and shot off beneath it's very nose in obedience to the command of General Tarnus.

((OOC: ISSD Dianoga departs here for Tales of Strength, Life of Honor in the CSWU forums, thank you.))

[ 03-11-2019 02:14 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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...something that he didn’t particularly like. He sat forward, drink glass cupped between to hands, his eyes darkening somewhat. “Not to add more flames to the fire, but Galen not being on that ship could be a really good thing for her....

....or a really bad thing for her, and potentially more than that. You and I both know how something like that could probably happen, and I say that knowing that Terrin has lots of resources, and woudn’t have willingly put himself at the mercy of the Empire without exhausting all other options. And what’s this about the Rentless needing a possible tow? Isn’t that the same ship that tractored in Captain Danner and his crew?”

Shawn paused, frowning. “It’s too damn coincidental...”

He quieted for a moment then, finishing off the drink in his hand. “....although I’’ve admittedly seen a lot of stuff that would make a traditional Jedi run away screaming in the past few years, coinicidence or no.”

[ 05-12-2019 07:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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They emerged amid empty space, Coruscant was a distant point of light approximately a light year distance. Within a minute another ship joined them the Vhett, she was a scuttled Viscount-Class Star Defender left over from the first vong war. Disabled and abandoned during the conflict and written off as not worth the cost to tow her back to a proper shipyard to even part out the Paladins purchased the salvage rights and managed to bring the superstructure back for repairs. Practically rebuilt from the ground up she bore little resemblance to her Mon Calamari origins. Most of the Paladin’s capital ships came in this manner, building them from the ground up was cost prohibitive and Mandalorian Iron proved to be difficult even for master smiths to turn out in the quantities needed. That was why only five or so capital ships of the Palidin’s fleet used the miraculous metal. Bes’in opened a channel to the newly arrived vessel.

“Vhett this is Kal Skirata Actual. We are to maintain this position during the operation. From here a single Tor fighter will micro jump in system to make contact with the Empire, crew complements are myself via hypercomm droid double and four others as Honor Guard. While I am on planet my main body will remain here tied into the ships sensors. If any ship jumps in both vessels are to immediately jump to secondary positions. You have command of the task force here while I am away Kal Skirata Actual out.”

One of the unique advantages of being a droid was the ability to not only change bodies, but also control multiple at the same time. They had chose this position for it being distant enough to not arouse suspicion but also close enough that a miniature holonet relay could reduce the time lag for Bes’in to control a remote body on the surface of Coruscant while still on board his vessel. So while he tied his systems into the vessel itself a second body, one of cheaper durasteel construction, and a team of four Paladins exited the main hanger and engaged a micro jump into the Coruscant system proper. A faction of a second later their ship emerged approximately seventy five kilometers outside the Imperial Coruscant Blockade.

Well here goes nothing

Bes’in onboard the Tor class vessel readied an open channel broadcasting in the clear.

“Attention Imperial Forces, This is Bes’in Skirata Supreme Commander of the Independent Military Force of the Mandalorian Paladins. We come bearing vital intelligence and frankly the Empire is the only other power with the resources to handle it.”

That much is true, while we have superior training and more advanced technology in some areas the Empire has the raw muscle and resources that are unmatched by any other Galactic Power.

“I am requesting permission for one vessel, which includes myself and four in my honor guard to land on Coruscant to present our finding. We do this in the spirit of future cooperation and the fate of our shared Galaxy.”

It did grate on Bes’in to ask the Empire for help, but the Mandalorian Culture did not survive longer than any other because of pride getting in the way.

--------------------

Some of the other memories were especially painful to her because she knew they were her own from before her time with the Empire. She could now remember those last moments she shared with her mother, yes the Empire was the ones who took her away, but it was a few Jedi that let it happen. It wasn’t a secret that Kani and her mother’s unique abilities scared some of the Jedi counsel. That it would be better for them to never fall into the hands of the Empire, it was bad enough to have to be manifested in Mandalorians made those fears worse. So she remembered the betrayal how on that mission to the Jedi Temple to rescue who they could and to destroy the records that allowed the others to hide away that she was betrayed, stabbed in the back and left to die. The shock, that feeling, was what hurt Kani. To complete her mental break it was the their follow up actions that really did a number on her. Those same Jedi escaped and came to Mandalore demanding Bes’in hand over Kani to them to prevent her abilities from falling into the Empire’s hands. What ensued was a short battle where Bes’in and Kani fought back, where Kani was forced to fight for her life against those masters… and their misguided apprentices. It was the first time she had to kill those who she considered friends and mentors. In the aftermath Kani was left catatonic at what she had to do to survive. Her fellow Mandalorians now feared this girl who took on such powerful masters and won. Some began to wonder if those Jedi were right.

Bes’in did not share those thoughts, he stepped in and took charge of her as best he could. Kani however cut herself off from the Force, blamed the Empire, blamed the Jedi, and blamed Mandalore, and yes herself for her present circumstances. She let that hate fester in her soul so when the Empire captured her it did not need to lie too much for her to buy in. And buy in she did, she gave in let them use her and her abilities to hunt down all the Jedi it could point her at. It was these horrors that Kani was now reliving as she came back to herself, still reeling at the events playing themselves out over and over again in her mind threatening her sanity.

“Trooper,” The hovering A-1 Med-bot addressed to the waking Kani. “I need you to answer some questions.”

So began the quizzing, where the A-1 Med-bot asked her about her present condition and Kani obediently answered, devoid of care or interest in anything going on around her. At the edge of her vision in her good eye she saw the lead trooper taking notes and informing someone over the comms of what was transpiring.