Private A Final Wish

[Darth Morrow]

In the midst of a quiet evening, a lone sparking and skittering mouse droid made its ways through the hall, carrying an urgent message.

The wheels squeeled with every rotation as it came to a screeching halt before the feet of Kaalia; here, a projection would play with a set of coordinates would display, though oddly they were located in deep space, no nearby planets or astral objects.

The moment the message was seen and registered properly, the droid would collapse, bolts that barely held the poor contraption together giving way to now nothing but a pile of scrap and electrical sparks.

---

Approaching the coordinates, the empty vastness of space was looming with a modified transport vessel drifting through the void. Its engines long since halted, the insides clearly slowly overcome with the various plants that had been grown by its former owner.

Upon closer inspection, it was one of the former Darth Morrow's transport ships, now decrepid, left to rot and wither in the surrounding darkness. When the air locks gave way to the entrance, it was suprising, but the vessel was still powered, oxygen still being cycled.

The inside was clearly unkept for an unpredictable amount of time, possibly months or years as the vegetation crept from the captains quarters located to the left of the inside of the airlock past the docking ring. Pothos vines and ivy began overtaking the cracks and crevices as they sought any form of nutrition or hydration, slowly braking down the remnants of any organic matter or decorations that had once been.

Traveling further it seemed parts of the ship had long since entered lockdown, blocking off the amount of power needed to maintain the central section of the ship. The stores, engineering and galley sealed tight as the path lead only further to a pale glow near the cockpit.

Continuing on, the central area where courses were plotted would be replaced by a strange containment vessel, inside a black mist swirled and fought, hitting the sides of the reinforced glass and recptiors on the side flaring to life, seeming to be absorbing power from its every action. Its actions and motions seemes to be pointing in a specific direction, fervent determination to show the approaching woman to a stasis chamber beside the cockpit.

Upon approaching the chamber, the sound of the ship powering down would begin. Light turned off in the path that was behind her, and the air cycling would begin to struggle. Inside through the small window of the chamber a young redheaded woman would be present, held here until this very moment.

Kaalia Pavanos

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

A past ever-haunting
Darth Morrow

The prospect of a trap had been the first thing to cross Kaalia's mind when the droid, truly on its last legs, collapsed right in front of her. The past would always find a way to collect its due, a lesson she had learned several times over by now. No amount of physical and ideological distance from the Sith would ever truly separate her from Darth Avacyn. Even if that name was long cast down. Even if she was not that same woman anymore.

And yet, as a trick of any kind, it was far too flawed. There were too many reasons to ignore the message. Those who once sought to punish the deserters of that then-crumbling and now-fallen Sith Empire were long gone. The appearance of the droid simply made no sense.


Perhaps that was the reason why Kaalia now took her first step past the airlock of the derelict vessel the coordinates guided her towards. The woman did not come unarmed, however- a lightsaber hilt hung from each hip and those who could feel the Force as she did could sense that her connection to it had not waned over the years. On the contrary, her senses were just that bit sharper than before, as if recent dealings had interrupted the peaceful life she now sought to live. A cursory glance was more than enough to conclude the ship had been left abandoned for a long time, a concerning sight. If anyone had been alive to send out that droid carrying the coordinates, chances were likely slim they were still alive.

Careful, measured steps led the woman through the vessel, though only one path was open to her. She continued into the ship's central area, where the sight before her caused her to come to a halt.

"What are you..."

Kaalia whispered tone did not travel very far as she stood before the containment vessel, carefully watching how the mist moved. It was beyond her understanding, but it was clear to her that its movements were not random. As though it were sentient. After observing it for a little longer and concluding it was likely either wasn't hostile or incapable of posing a threat in its current state, she stepped forward to observe it more closely.

Is it... directing my attention?

Kaalia glanced past the vessel and towards the cockpit when her eyes fell on a stasis chamber right beside it. Then came the realization that it was active. Right as the final puzzle piece clicked into place, the ship's systems started stuttering. "Oh, feth," she said a little more loudly now as she quickly started moving towards the chamber, nearly forgetting about the black mist entirely.

The view through the small window confirmed Kaalia's suspicions. A young woman was inside. Without hesitation, she powered down the chamber in order to free her. All she could hope for as the door opened was for the woman to still be alive.