Dead Ice

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu gave her a nod of her head, allowing the force itself to relax her body. She was older then some she knew and there was a risk of over doing it for herself but... oh she laid there in the bed and she could feel the galaxy again. Allowing herself to lay there though while she went to sleep and was drifting off. TO the realm beyond shadows and here it was much different.... where most would go to the world here in the gap they went to worlds of darkness. The dark world itself was used once upon a time by an ancient pirate she knew it had he symbol. A massive throne with jewels and aurodium from every world he raided.

She could feel and see Maple was on the ship, she could feel the spirits that were here in the regions where they were going. Deeper and deeper within the force and they had taught her many things. Ways to protect herself and shown her ways to really use and understand the force that no one else could. The jedi master herself was drifting off though before she stretched out with her senses to push harder and harder into chiss space and make sure where they were going wasn't at risk or a threat to them. She didn't want them to fly into it but she couldn't feel it when she woke up rolling in the bed and out of it. Standing up as she stretched.

She looked at the tattoo's in the mirror before she was changing back into her jedi robes but left the cloak off. Stepping out fo the room and bringing out as many of her rations as she could with the water for the others. She was getting them it before heading back into the cockpit of the ship to see Maple sitting down. "THank you for that... these ships aren't made for comfort... mostly but the beds were always a welcomed thing. The Kanzer and their different cults could prove a dangerous problem to the galaxy if they ever got more ambition." She was worried about it and looking at her while she sat there. "Still you do look good in those straps."

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple, still working the controls, having secured blankets for the rescued slaves while Matsu had slept, was relieved when Matsu woke up a little while later, she was silently cursing her luck when she realized Matsu was no longer in the priestess outfit. Oh well. It couldn't last forever, but still.

"Oh, I know what you mean, Matsu. When I was like, oh, I dunno, like...twenty three, was it? Yeah, it was twenty three, I got captured by those creeps. The Kanzer always were a nasty bunch, even among cults, and believe me I have killed some doozies among 'em." Maple said, though she was careful to leave it at that, not sure if she got to talking too deep whether she'd be telling Matsu the actual truth, or what one of her delusions believed the truth was.

The Kanzer memories felt real...enough...

Maple was relieved when Matsu flirted with her again, and she did have to admit, she WAS owning this priestess outfit.

Maple spun in the cockpit chair to face Matsu. Maple's smirk became a lot more suggestive.

"Do I, now...You wore 'em pretty good yourself Ike.

She decided to stretch a bit, let Matsu take in the athletic figure...

...and then spun right back to face the control. The teasing had begun, and it was a game Maple had honed to an art form.

"Okay, whats the next stop?" Maple asked playfully, not making any more moves for the moment. "How you think, before we run into the Chiss?"

She had not been in this area of space in years. It had clearly changed a lot. That experience with that void...skip. She was a lawyer, trying to defend a framed Matsu Ike from murder charges. Skip.

She was back in the cockpit, six months planning Matsu's legal defense rendered pointless by being pulled back into reality, where only one or two seconds had passed.

This was, ironically, why she was far more talkative and contradictory amongst her enemies, and not just because it frightened them potentially, when they realized just how crazy she was, and how far she was willing to go to bury them...in essence, she didn't care if her enemies knew she was crazy.

But she did care if her friends knew it.

[member="Matsu Ike"].

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Hmmm looking at Maple she waited for a moment. THe bounty hunter... former jedi, force warrior was presenting with that stretch. it would be rude of her not to give notice. A small smile on her face though when she sat down next to her in the seat and feeling the familiar recesses of chiss space was a powerful thing. She turned and had two of the cups from her thigh pack and some of the tea while offering it and taking a sip of her own. "Well chiss space will be dangerous in this ship so one of the outlying planets is going to be the goal. A place they expect outsiders to come to for chances of trade."

The jedi master knew just the place and instead of rushing to the capital world of Csilla stay far out on the edge. They didn't want to anger the chiss and the kanzer after all so she was prepared for anything that can happen. "If you wish, you coudl go and get some sleep for yourself." She was up for piloting the ship and reaching out with the force she could feel where they were headed. The trade world this far out would at least give them some cover being around with a chance to ditch the ship or.... give it to the slaves if they knew how to pilot it and could get somewhere safe. "Or we can just stay up here in the private cockpit."

Matsu was looking at Maple though before she set the auto pilot and their destination. The time on the chrono for a few more hours of hyperspace travel was displayed. "Come on, lets get something into your belly. You haven't eaten and you are still hurt." She looked at her shoulder where she had been hurt in the facility and they had healed it up with patches and the force b ut that wasn't the greatest. Once they could she would have to give her proper medical attention. "Don't want you to get an infection or something worse." She didn't need to stand up but she offered a hand looking at her in the strapped outfit.

The jedi master finally rose up though as she walked around in the cockpit holding out a hand. 'Come on and we can maybe get you out of that outfit. stop scaring the people we just rescued that you are going to do things to them." She offered a small smile, tossing her hair to the side. She turned around and was exiting to go and set up a small area and her medical kit from the thigh pack. Some patches and some cleaning gel. "Lets go now." She said it in her best motherly voice with warmth and comfort but there was also the tone that brooked no argument and that you were going to be doing this.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple didn't want sleep. She had too much, far too much keeping her up. That encounter with the void had changed her somehow in a way she could not quite discern yet. She didn't think her injuries were so bad they required more treatment, but she wasn't about to argue the chance to have Matsu's hands all over her again. Slowly rising, she took Matsu's hand with a smile and allowed herself to be led to a small, empty section of the ship that looked connected to the mess area. Maple had stashed her gear here during her escape from the Kanzer, and sat down calmly so Matsu could take a look.

This was more crazy than Maple had been exposed to in a long time. And Maple was constantly exposed to crazy. But it seemed for once that was a good thing.

The more Maple stared at Matsu, a part of her began to silently-uncomfortably-acknowledge just why that was the case. Matsu was a dangerous woman, which revved her gears up bad, but it was not an overt thing, like it was with many dangerous women Maple had let herself be seduced by. Matsu was not what Maple would consider a femme fatale. Matsu was not dangerous, and more importantly did not act or look as such, until it was required.

Matsu, in that regard, particularly the way she could just get you to follow without question, was very similar to the way Ursula could get her to do things. But Ursula had eventually lost that trust, that respect...breaking her faith in their cause in the process.

And now he she was, with a woman who was so like what she thought Ursula was...no, what Ursula should have been.

The hunger on Maple's face was clear as she stared at Matsu. If she had been still fresh from her days of being a shadow, she might have been embarrassed about it. But she had seduced, and been seduced, enough times that she had no trouble letting her desire for Matsu be read on her face, even as she waited for Matsu to begin treating her.

But she owed her a little more truth.

"I was a member of Jedi Shadows. We specialized in long range attacks. I...I left after I was betrayed by my mentor. Her name was Ursula. And I am on the hunt for an enemy I am not even certain exists."

[member="Matsu Ike"]

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu led her into the small area and sat down with a look on her face. She was allowing the force to guide her hands when she got comfortable and laid out some of the medical supplies. Looking at Maple when the woman sat down and bringing the seat closer to her. The jedi master was checking her wounds to make sure she wouldn't get that rare infection and she would harm herself... losing an arm or some parts of the muslce could be dangerous where she had gotten shot with the blaster. The jedi master looking up while she offered a warm smile to Maple and could read her face, her intentions and internally was nodding.

"It is quite dangerous being a shadow, a lot can happen... a lot can go wrong and when we betray our friends, our mentors it can be far far worse." She said it while looking at Maple and she finished up, working on the patch to ensure it was sealed and proper on her arm while bringing out a hand to lift her up and looking up as she stood in front of her. "It doesn't get any easier I can promise you that Maple, the work of a shadow is one where you see the darkness and it can always stick with you. The life of a jedi, even if you have been it for a year or fifty changes you. As much good and as much evil can be seen."

The jedi master though did offer her a warm smile. "THough I will say this, there are many former jedi I have met but you certainly are one of the more cute. Even with the bounty hunter attitude and swagger." She backed up a little flicking her hair back before her shoulders while holding out her hands. "You might not be tired but you are going to need to get cleaned up. We've been laying on the floor of an old facility, an old temple... this ship, walking through dungeons of a cult that values pain and suffering of the others in the galaxy." Matsu was looking at her and walking backwards. "I can't offer much but well hard to reach places."

She said it with a wink and wide mouthed grin before going into the shower. SPending however long in there and getting out while she listened to the computer displaying how much more travel time they had. She stood there for a moment longer wringing out her hair to make sure it was dry. The beads in her hair jingling before she checked out a few pieces of clothing. SHe looked over towards the seat and sat down getting her boots back on as she spoke. "We should be arriving soon." The small trip towards the cockpit gave her a little time to compose herself and the slaves who had been in here were eating.

Matsu sat down in the seat and stretched out as the ship came out of hyperspace over the world. A beautiful blue jewel as she was heading down. Getting the clearance as she spoke the trade language and offered what she could. A busy port that had chiss but also some of the stranger aliens. "Alright we are here." SHe was looking at it until they all got to the ramp with her equipment, the slaves were being helped and taken away to a small center to try and get them home if they could be taken. Matsu was talking with the chiss and offered them some credits and crystals to get rid of the ship while she could find a new one with Maple.

"As far as they are concerned we are just a pair of dogooders so we can work with that and find ourselves a ship." Or anything they wanted really, she knew there was something out here, the force was many things but it was always in motion like the future so they had been brought out here for a reason and she would just have to try and figure out what that reason was. Finding what few information they could get form it here, Matsu was mostly hearing about raids on planets that had been recovered and fortified by the Lords of the Fringe.. specifically Rave herself. Matsu knew Rave not by sight but reputation and she had seen the danger before.

"There is something Rave wanted to protect, if the Kanzer are going after it that can't be good." She also knew that if Rave was securing something out here then it couldn't be good. "I know I paid you to help with the facility and you did but this is something big Maple. Rave Merrill was no joke when it came to her creations or artifacts." She knew the alchemist had experimented with summoning and opening portals to other places.... where force gods and demons were located. Matsu had seen it... or part of it. The beast was not one to even get through so easily and needed time. She had gotten to it with a large team of jedi master, sith lords and others before it had time.

 

[Maple Harte]

Maple took the hint, taking in her words. About how messed up it was. She understood. There was no lecture. Ursula would have expressed disappointment. Chastised her. It had turned that soft spot for Sandraven to stone in the end. Maple had needed no prompting to follow Ike. But once Maple was out and had dressed, that name Matsu mentioned. Rave Merril. That name had come up a couple of times waaaaay in the past. One of the really dangerous Artifact makers. Among the elites. As real as the deal got.

Dressed in her black armor once more, her cane clutched in her hand, Maples green eyes glittered in amazement at the blue little world came into view.

Shetouchedyou.Forthatshediesslowlymysweetmaple.

Maple stiffened a bit in horror as the raw terror for a split second showed itself in her brain, felt the mental tongue of her foe travel up her back. She clamped down on it quickly, not wanting to give Matsu any cause for concern.

Shesadeadwomanwalking she felt it say very quietly in her brain, though she felt the ultra quiet little voice depart...somewhere else.

After they landed, Maple had watched as Matsu had given the Chiss officials some compensation to take the vessel so they could acquire a new one. Maple knew ports like these, bustling little mini cities built around space ports like this. They were bound to be vessels they could acquire surreptitiously. Ones that could get them back to Ando Prime, fast, before her poor Silent Erika was left buried in snow. In the meantime, her old shadow habits kicked in.

"There's a place we could go. A place thats got data on the Kanzer. Quiet place, hidden in the mountains of Dantooine. Loste Citadel. Its where I was trained. Did a fly by a few days before ando. Its abandoned. But the computers are still intact. They might even have something on Rave Merril that might help us track these nerfherders. They have to be going after 'something' out there. Something very specific they think they actually have a shot at seizing control of. This is what happens what you let some degenerate little cut throat like Tavion Axmis get within a hairs breadth of bringing a Sith Lord back from the grave...every karkin' cult of freaks from Coruscant to Korriban think they can pull off something just as admittedly epic..." Maple joked, her gallows humor poking through a bit. Skip. Matsu was held hostage by the Mind-Binder. Skip. SCORPIONS! HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF SCORPIONS EVERYWHERE AGGGGGGHHHH AGGGGHHHHHHH KARK KARK KARK GET EM OFF ME! Skip. Coffee! Skip. Back with Matsu.

"Still...experiencing taught me lightning can strike twice...actually, from scientific standpoint lightning actually strikes many times in what looks only like a single bolt...but you know what I mean. These cults are like weeds..."

Maple took the lead. She knew what deals to look for.

She also worried about how to protect Matsu from that...that....

Wretch...that naked, emaciated, sadistic wretch.

But for now...they were at least momentarily out of danger....


OOC: End post.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu gave a nod to that, while it seemed a little strange to leave all fo their stuff was well it was on Ando Prime... across the galaxy and she walked. Meeting with some fo the chiss who offered a rarity, something left over from the fringe and atrisian empire when it had come out here to chiss space. A rassilon was here, left over and she had a grin on her face.. mostly because that was a beast of a faster ship. "We can take this." She offered a small nova crystal to them and some aurodium wiring. The credits value would be enough and for trade it was rare enough out here. The rassilon could seat both fo them and their equipment.

"We'll get back to Ando Prime and get our ships and then head back to Dantooine." Which was interesting that was where they had first met and now though... now she had a few ideas of things she could work on. The ship, her work station once they got back to Ando Prime would be something to work on. "I have a few ideas of what can be improved when we get back to Ando Prime." She was climbing itno the ship and spoke. "It won't be an easy fit but we will be able to hold our equipment and get back to our ships." There was a smile on her face though while she was leaving it for Maple to climb in when she secured it.

"Alright setting course." THe unknown regions were going to be a place to come back to, fighting the kanzer who were looking for something was important and she might have to work on it... she might have to get more help.. maybe.... she would see when she got to Dantooine with what information they had. She could also check out the great library. Not on Coruscant or Ossus but the great library that she had been kept at by Wutzek. The beast of a creature more what she had encountered long ago in the Unknown regions. THe ship took off and jumped to hyperspace using its faster speeds and obscenely fast silk hyperdrive to get there.