Family Friends or Foes?

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

It was hot! Way too hot! Of course Lori would feel a lot better if she could see! And if she could breathe fresh air! But right now all that she had was what little air that she could get from between the threads of the smelly blanket. [member="Amadeus Ren"] kept it tightly around her and she wasn't sure if it was with his arms, the Force or both. Either way she could feel that they were moving in a transport of some kind. Just where exactly she was being taken to, she didn't know.

His words echoed in her mind however. He promised not to hurt her, but couldn't say the same about his friends. What kind of friends were they?

And then there was the voice of [member="Samka Derith"] , one that claimed to be a friend of her parents. Her words carried the tone of kindness, but there was something very odd about it. Why would friends of her parents kidnap her? Surely they weren't friends at all.

Beads of sweat dampened her hair underneath the fabric. Lori could tell that her cheeks were flushed too. How much longer? Were they waiting for her to pass out? She had stopped struggling a bit ago. There was no point for it at the moment. All that she did was close her eyes and wait. Patience would answer her questions, surely.

Patience.

 

[Samka Derith]

They'd reached the city outskirts now, drawing closer to the swamps. Even the First Order's regime had failed to tame the wilderness outside. At the time it had been an irritation. That was where dangerous wild creatures and bandit groups roamed both pests to loyal denizens of the planet. But now it would be a blessing. Perhaps everything worked out for a reason. There they could hide without fear of the local traitors catching onto them.

Samka spared a glance at their driver. Still clearly entranced with his glazed eyes and robotic movements. It made her feel rather pleased with the effectiveness of her abilities. It seemed there was nothing to fear there for the time being.

Instead the Ren looked back at the passenger seats. The girl had stopped squirming a while back but the blanket remained tightly wrapped around her. Jedi were never to be underestimated be they Master or Padawan. Even the young and untrained were capable of surprises. Still Sam hoped they could remove it soon, it can't have been comfortable for the young girl. Perhaps when they were out of the city.

She reached toward's the speeder's radio, flickering between the channels until she landed on something she liked. Something classical with a light choir in the background. Perfect! Leaning back in her seat Sam offered a quick word: "We're almost there now. Hopefully this shouldn't take too long and you'll be fine, Loreena."

[member="Amadeus Ren"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"]​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Oh great. They had a soundtrack. Was the music being used to hide something? It was hard to tell as the sound itself was a bit muffled through the blanket.

Lori still found it odd when others like [member="Samka Derith"] used her first name in full. More often than not, she was only called Loreena by her parents when she was in trouble. Everyone knew her as Lori or Captain Lori. She tried to keep her real self hidden from everyone. But these people knew her parents, so that sort of thing was next to impossible.

"What shouldn't take long?! Where are you taking me?!" her muffled voice started to give the air of desperation now. She just really wanted out of that blanket; to be able to move again and breath fresh air. It was such a silly thing to want, trivial even. But right now they were the top two things in the world for her. They both meant freedom and life. Hopefully those weren't over for her now.

But maybe whenever the music stopped playing...Weren't there horror holo-movies about such things?

[member="Amadeus Ren"]

 

[Samka Derith]

The muffled chattering from Loreena was almost comical as she glanced back now. Samka was starting to feel slightly more relaxed about this affair. Loreena's guardians had disappeared into the air while the local security forces had been deceived well enough. She hoped other agents had met with as much success but then again, none of those other agents were her.

"This whole... affair," Samka twisted her hand around as she searched for the right word. "Your mother's role in this false regime has, unfortunately, made you a notable target. You're not quite as hidden as you think. Especially not to the likes of us. So you're valuable. I do wish it hadn't been this way, Loreena, I really do but I am a slave to a system which demands things of me." The Ren sighed wistfully. Truth be told, her hardened heart didn't feel as sorrowful as she said but there was a genuine twinge of regret. She had, after all, had a good relationship with both Kay and Veiere while fostering the First Order's protective stance towards Commenor. Protective that was until she went underground and some morons had upturned her entire policy. It frustrated her even now.

"And where we're going? You'll see soon."

--------

The swamps around Zakuul were treacherous. Thick mud and foliage hampered exploration while the wild creatures served as an extra level of danger. This meant it served as a prime base of operations for criminals or other fugitives. Today they were fugitives.

A make shift camp had been established earlier by Stormtrooper infiltrators. A simple piece of shelter and heat among the trees. Bits of tech were scattered around the area but it otherwise looked barely touched. The speeder had been left a while ago, Samka releasing the confused man from the grasp on his mind. It had been quite the intensive interference, he might be permanently damaged if he was very weak minded. Instead a swamp bantha had taken them to their final destination.

"Ta-da!" Samka finally removed the blanket from the young girl, confident that she'd be unable to escape two Masters of Ren and a cluster of armed guards into an inhospitable, putrid swamp. If she could, Sam would be more impressed than anything else. "This is your home for a hopefully short stay. Would you care for some water?"

[member="Loreena Arenais"]​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

A target. A notable, valuable target. That's why they were doing this. [member="Samka Derith"] , [member="Amadeus Ren"] and the First Order were just taking her hostage to be used against her Mom. That wasn't good. Her efforts to hide herself clearly weren't enough. Maybe she'd have to cut and dye her hair? Or wear a mask? Or....something. But maybe, even if she had managed to escape or was released, the First Order would find a way to keep tabs on her anyways. Like some insurance policy.

Lori just remained quiet. There was nothing that she could do at the moment.

Some time later they had reached their destination. Mere moments after stopping, the putrid blanket was removed with a comedic flair. Of course it would have been comedic any other day, but this wasn't a normal, regular day.

Lori shut her eyes to the sudden change in light, but the breath of fresh, albeit cool, swampy air was welcomed. Once she felt that her eyes were adjusted enough, she opened them and looked around at her surroundings while she rubbed her arms. Samka was wise to keep her covered. There was less of a chance of her seeing which way to go should she manage to escape. Already she could see that she was outnumbered. So anything that she could attempt couldn't be obvious.

"Yes, I'd like some water please. And maybe a bit of something to eat?" It couldn't hurt to ask.

 

[Samka Derith]

"Certainly," Sam nodded at the question and turned to look at the camp supplies. There was a trunk of consumables in one of the camp tents. Sam buried her way through it, looking for anything the girl may like. Water and only basic sustenance. The only food were bars of energy designed for easy transport for the military. They didn't taste bad, at least not anymore since bad tasting food was bad for morale but they weren't particularly exciting either.

She trotted back to her hostage with a bottle of water and an energy bar. "Here we are," she announced triumphantly, "I'm afraid the food isn't amazing but it serves its purpose as sustenance." Sam dropped the bar at Loreena's feet and held the bottle out for the girl to take before taking a seat next to her.

"You get to see how a soldier eats," a small smirk crept onto the Ren's face. "It's not too bad for a few days but a few weeks on this stuff and you start to crave hot food. Or something sweet, in my case."

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori watched [member="Samka Derith"] as she disappeared to get her some food and drink. Her eyes scanned the area, counting the guards, counting the tents, and trying to work out the possible distance that they had traveled. It wasn't going to be easy to work out.

She picked up the energy bar after taking the water. "Thanks." First she opened the water bottle and took a long sip. Then it was time for the energy bar. Putting the bottle between her knees, she unwrapped the bar, sniffed it and then took a bite. It was chewy, had some flavour to it at least. But it was certainly better than nothing.

"I'm not some pampered princess, you know. I lived and trained with the Mandalorians for a while. And I escaped the occupation of Commenor." Barely, but she did. Still, Lori felt the need to defend her character.

"So what's the plan? You take my picture and send it to my Mom with your demands?"

 

[Samka Derith]

"Truly?" A ghost of a smile crept onto the corner of Sam's mouth as the girl protested. "If it's Mandalorians who have taught you to survive, it's no wonder you fell into my arms so easily." There was no venom in her words, it was more light teasing. The kind she couldn't resist when Mandalorians were brought up. Beastly people with a primitive mindset.

"And the plan..." Sam tapped her chin with her pointer finger, apparently deep in thought, "is to avert further bloodshed. I trust we can both agree on that much. So yes, I think you're the best tool to achieve that with, Loreena."

With a wistful sigh, the Ren settled into her spot. "I haven't been lying to you, you know. Your parents and I had a good relationship once and I'd truly regret repaying their kindness with cruelty. I'd like us to come to an arrangement but we need to understand each other." Sam cast a quick glance around. The other Imperials seemed to be out of earshot so she turned back to Loreena with an almost pleading expression on her young face. "Help me understand what your mother is doing here and I'll help you. That's a promise."

[member="Loreena Arenais"]​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori grumbled to herself as [member="Samka Derith"] made fun of how easily she was caught. Well...they tricked her! That wasn't exactly something that had happened before. Usually people were more upfront about it. And then they usually got a punch in the kisser. POW!! Well, a couple of people had that happen...

She took another bite of the energy bar and washed it down with the water. Already plans were forming in her mind of where to go, how to get out and the best ways to hide. But there were still many unknowns in the current situation. Patience would once again need to be used.

Samka then began acting a little peculiar, almost as though she was being sneaky when the Imperials weren't looking. Was it just another trick? However what she was asking wasn't anything unknown to most. Or so Lori thought...

"She was just...I don't know...brought here to do for Zakuul what she did for Commenor. Just build it up, you know? Stabilize the region, that sort of thing. I don't think that she had anything against you guys, until we were attacked."

 

[Samka Derith]

"It was already built up. Unlike Commenor, Zakkul had legitimate rulers. Now the First Order is relatively stable once more, she should abdicate control to them. Otherwise things are only going to get less and less stable," Samka sighed. "Though I don't think it's you I need to convince of anything." She almost felt bad for the girl. It looked like she was caught in events far beyond her knowledge. But perhaps she still had a part to play.

"Loreena," Sam suddenly turned to face the younger girl with a bright expression on her face as though struck with an epiphany. "Perhaps we could work together?" She wouldn't expect anything from the teenager at this point, all she knew was of Sam was that she was a First Order agent who abducted her but if she could plant a seed for the time being... "I don't work strictly under these people, I'm free to approach this as I wish, regardless of how the Grand Admiral wants things and what I want is something bloodless. If we work together, there's a better chance of that."

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori furrowed her brows as [member="Samka Derith"] spoke of Zakuul having legitimate rulers beforehand. If that was true, then why did the Scions help get her Mom out of jail and put her in power? Of course they had help from Baron Morcus and some Mandos, but it just didn't quite make sense. Unless Samka meant that the legitimate rulers WERE the First Order. Hmmm....

Maybe the stability to the region is broyght on by her Mom ruling for a short while? Her parents used to speak highly of the First Order, that is until they were attacked. Now it seemed as though they were enemies. Which was why Lori was in this position now...

But then Samka seemed to have some bright idea. And that bright idea was them working together. Lori couldn't exactly tell if she was being taken by a scam or not. The man that had grabbed her earlier told her that she'd be hurt by the others if she wasn't careful. Would Samka hurt her? Right now she wasn't too keen on finding out.

"How do you propose that we do that? I'm not exactly in a place where I can do anything. You guys all have me isolated..." More than likely it was so that people couldn't hear her scream or shout for help. But perhaps too, it was to make her feel more vulnerable. Lori kept her breathing at a normal pace as she tried to not let the current situation get to her. She needed to stay on top of it.

 

[Samka Derith]

"You can't do anything right now because as far as I can tell, we're enemies," Samka tutted and gave the girl a condescending look. "I can't let you run loose now, can I? It would be rather foolish although as I've said, it's really nothing personal."

Samka leaned in, a hopeful, happy smile setting back in on her pleasant features. "You can help me through your family, you must have your mother's ear. I know your mother, I believe she has the best of intentions but has Zakuul at all seemed stable to you recently? It's not just the First Order, other powerful groups seek control of this ancient world." Sam's smile faded, glancing briefly at the swamp floor before continuing in a much heavier tone. "There will be more and more blood so long as so many claim Zakuul. Kay's claim doesn't bring stability, it's another competitor. I can tell you her enemies, of which there are many, will not rest until her and her supporters are dead. All of them. Is your mother prepared to do the same? Does she have the resources let alone the stomach?"

Sam paused to let the weight of what she was saying settle and analyse Loreena's response. "Sometimes we have to make hard choices to protect people. Sometimes the way to protect people best is simply to leave them be."

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori just smirked as [member="Samka Derith"] tutted her. She shook her head a little, as if she was disagreeing with her, right before she took another bite of the energy bar. If she was the enemy, then at least they were treating her well. It was far different than she could have imagined would happen. Not after the attacks that she had been witnessed to.

She chewed her mouthful of food and swallowed it as Samka relayed more information. Yes, she had her mother's ear and yes Zakuul seemed unstable. But didn't it have to get worse before it got better? Isn't that how the saying went?

The talk of more bloodshed and of people wanting her Mom and others dead didn't sit well with her. Lori shifted uncomfortably in her seat, as if that would help to make her feel better. "I don't think that she has the resources yet. It's too soon..." She let out a sigh before looking over to Samka. "So you want me to try to convince my Mom to give back her crown and leave Zakuul? What would happen to the place if she does? If you know her well like you say, then you'll know that she'll worry...." And if her Mom didn't give up her claim on Zakuul, then what? Would there be more catastrophic events like what happened to Munto City? Lori certainly hoped not.

 

[Samka Derith]

Loreena seemed more relaxed at least. Was that a smile she saw? Sam could actually be making progress here!

"I can't say for sure what will happen. But one less faction vying for supremacy simplifies things. Perhaps the First Order will reclaim full control. Perhaps someone else will. But it will happen quicker than with Kay's group in the mix as well. She'll worry but... it really is the best solution for everyone. She means well but she's not helping here." Sam threw a sympathetic smile at the younger girl. "Zakuul was perfectly safe and stable until the First Order withdrew to defend its homeworlds. It's the number of people claiming the throne since that withdrawal where the chaos lies. Unfortunately your mother is one of those claimants."

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

Spoiler

Short post, sorry! But I'm super busy and short post is better than no post, right?

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Spoiler

Length doesn't matter. Sometimes short posts are all that's needed.

Lori nodded. What [member="Samka Derith"] was saying made sense. But she knew that her mother was only trying to help where she was needed. It wasn't her mother that decided on ruling over Zakuul on some whim. It was given to her by people...people that Lori thought knew better. In her mind it was no different than gaining one group of crew members for her ship after another.

"There are some on Zakuul that want the First Order to return. I know because I've heard them and seen them. Yet some like my Mom. Do you think that there'd be a civil war? Or would the First Order promise to protect them from any threats if my Mom chooses to walk away?" Lori wanted to say 'surrender', but she didn't feel that it was exactly the right kind of word. More than likely her mother wouldn't be treated kindly by the Imperial government.

 

[Samka Derith]

"Without someone else to rally behind, there'd be no civil war. Simply put, your mother's supporters would not act without your mother. The fighting would end and life returns to normal around here. I'm afraid that I can offer no absolute guarantees," she gave a sprinkle of total honesty to build inter-personal trust. "I don't control the First Order and with new leadership comes unpredictability however the reality is that there'd be no war without an opposing figure to rally around."

Samka sighed and got to her feet. "We don't have much time, Loreena. Can you help me save Zakuul?" The Ren looked down at the teenager with large pleading eyes.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori's brows furrowed as she listened to [member="Samka Derith"] explain a possible future. But it wasn't so much about the fate of Zakuul that she was concerned about. It was more so about her Mom. And in Sam's small way that she seemed to be able to reveal without giving away her friendship to her Mom, it seemed as though she was concerned for it too.

A moment of hesitation was given after Sam posed her question. Lori was still in deep thought as she tried to figure out how to go about explaining this to her Mom. Would she be escorted there? Or just released? Surely the First Order would need some kind of guarantee of her, especially after going to all of this trouble of kidnapping her in such a way and bringing her here.

Lori looked up to Sam finally, and got to her feet slowly, so as not to give any of the troopers cause to raise their blasters towards her. "I will help to save my Mom. And if that means convincing her to step down and leave Zakuul, then I'll certainly try."

 

[Samka Derith]

Samka cocked her head and watched the younger girl rise steadily to her feet. It had... worked? Loreena was offering her aid. The truth be told, she'd expected to sow doubt in the young Jedi's mind but did not expect to fully sway her just yet. But that is what had happened. Sometimes her persuasive skills surprised even herself!

"Oh. How wonderful," Samka beamed bright enough to light up the dreary Zakuul swamp around them. "I know it's a big risk to take a chance on me but I promise this is the best solution for everyone and I'll keep you safe."

Samka held out a petite hand for the Padawan to shake. The Ren's gentle expression and soothing aura designed to put minds at ease. She actually had a little hope now. Hope that they really could find a less bloody resolution to this mess and remove Kay from the equation without removing her head from her body.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Everything was about her Mom. It always was. More often than not, her Mom was in some sort of trouble with someone. Even without meaning to be. It was like she was cursed or something. So if there was an avenue to take that would give her the least grief and heartache, well of course Lori was going to take it. [member="Samka Derith"] was offering her that. And there was something about her that made Lori believe her. She didn't seem evil or unkind. And she was a friend of her parent's right? A friend that was just serving on the other side. Maybe they were secret friends? Who knows? But it wasn't going to be something that Lori was going to snub. No. If she could somehow make friends with Samke too, then that'd be great too, right?

Lori reached over and took hold of her hand, giving it a firm shake. She wasn't used to having to be diplomatic. In fact she didn't pay attention to politics much at all. She hated it for tearing her family apart and at times making things miserable for them. Why couldn't they just be normal people with a normal life? Whatever normal was....

"I hope so. You aren't going to bundle me up in a stinky blanket again, now are you?"