Grey Betrayal

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"] [member="Darth Praelior"]

Taeli sat in the makeshift office she had made on Utapau, thinking hard and fast and not looking at the other occupant of the room. She had asked Alex to meet her on the station to discuss business, when really so much more was about to happen. The time had come to put her full plan for Alex into motion, now that it was in the open she had been helping run Krayt. Taeli certainly didn't trust the head of Titan Industries to keep his mouth shut, the information was too good to pass up on giving elsewhere to try and deal with a competitor. Pity that Taeli had been planning this for a long time, eve since she first met the Echani.

"Do you think she will show, Master?" Taeli asked Balaya, going over what she needed to say and what equipment was waiting in that room to subdue the Grey Historian. It was going to be challenge if Alex sensed anything amiss, but it had to be done now.

Still, they had plenty of things that could subdue Jedi and Force users in the room and throughout the station . . . just in case. She didn't think all of that would be needed though. She been truthful with Alex for so long and made sure that the Grey Historian trusted her to a degree that it wouldn't be hard to get the drop on her with Balaya present.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

Alexandra sighed and leaned back in the seat of her ship as it came down into the hole that was utapau's cities. Why they lived in giant holes she didn't know or care, what she did care about was why Taeli wanted to meet her of all times. Sure she had been leaving Samantha in charge of things while Alex moved on with her life but really this meeting was annoying and honestly a bit trivial when she had some other things to handle. None the less though Alex messed with the phrik saber in her hands as she walked to the meeting room and keyed open the door to look in at Taeli and Balaya. "Yes?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"] [member="Darth Praelior"]

"I'm very sorry to call you all the way out here," Taeli apologized. "I just wanted to give you a rundown on a recent meeting I had with the man running Titan Industries, and I felt it was too important to relay through Samantha. Plus it helped that I was meeting with Balaya to discuss possibly opening a secret droid facility here in Sector V.""

Getting up, Taeli made tea for the two of them and offered something a little stronger to Balaya.

"All I've got is this local blend sadly," she sighed, taking a sip from her cup. "It's not the greatest, nowhere close to Bastion Black, but it will do while we're here."

She gestured at the chair across from her and sat down behind the desk herself, handing Alex her tea.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

Alexandra took the tea but didn't drink as she looked at Balaya and then at Taeli again before looking around the place. This was odd, Taeli never called her in person over business, she knew Alexandra preferred not being seen anywhere near the Sith anymore and now she brought Balaya here too. What did Balaya have to do with this whole situation. "Taeli, what is going on, you never call me into the open for something so trivial and even when you told me about the traitor fish fry it was in form of message not a meeting..." She was confused what was going on, did something happen... "Is Daella ok?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"] [member="Darth Praelior"]

"Daella is fine, as far as I know," Taeli said, taking another sip of her tea. "I'm pretty sure she has all the snacks and games she needs while Balaya here watches her for you Also, technically, we've met several time for business, and on Alderaan no less when it was a heavily fortified Sith world. I thought you would appreciate the security and secrecy here. But, this couldn't wait since I was able to negotiate us out of being a subsidiary of Titan, something that man was not all that happy about happening, let me tell you. It wasn't an easy meeting."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

"Oh... now i understand." She went to take a seat, calming down when she heard about titan, her lips coming to the rim of teh tea but speaking first as she looked out over at Taeli. "What was it the man wanted in return for letting us go, i can't assume that it was something simple as that would be too easy for a Sith Shitling... err no offense you two. Its a habit." She smiled at them before starting to tip the drink back to take a drink of it.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"] [member="Darth Praelior"]

"None taken, you know how much I . . . disagree with some of our colleagues," Taeli replied, watching Alex take a drink before continuing. "The terms were a bit steep . . . but nothing crippling to the company. He just wanted the name of my partner and a 49% stake in the company. I called Samantha, but he seemed to not believe she was the other partner for some strange reason I have yet to figure out because she is a Zambrano. That said, I got him down to just 30% stake in our company."

The next part she would say would start the chain of events, she knew that, but it was too late now. Alex had already sealed that by coming here and drinking from the tea cup.

"And . . . I'm sorry Alex, but I had to name you as my partner or he would have gutted us and there would be no deal," Taeli said, letting Alex feel how much she regretted her next actions. "I have to protect myself and our company . . . apologies, but you won't be harmed at all. You'll just be a prisoner of Balaya's."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

She didn't realize what was going on until she got to the part about the man not accepting Sam's name as the legitimate secondary owner. Then the next bit of information and the feelings didn't register until she looked down at the tea and stared for a few seconds before trying to pull in the force around her. While difficult she had been hit with force breakers enough to know what the feelings of Ixetal Cilona was like and prioritized every ounce of the weak connection she was able to summon into slowing down the drugs in her system as she tried to stand and almost dropped to the floor then in there. She stood there in horror though, not at the fact that Taeli had done this, but rather that Balaya was here to oversee it, she had to run now." So with a, pitiful, attempt her sabers came into her right hand, the left holding onto the wall as she fumbled with it before activating it. "Get back.." She tried to make for the door now, barely standing.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"] [member="Darth Praelior"]

"I'm sorry Alex," Taeli sighed, pressing a button on her desk and activating the secondary defenses that covered the door. A ray shield erupted across the entryway, activated from projectors she had installed into the door frame. The drugs would work quickly, they were fairly concentrated and no matter how strong Alex fought, she couldn't fight their effects. Taeli had done some research on the subject after all.

"This is the only way, understand that," she sighed, letting her sadness seep out again, and with it, the ever so slight brush of reassurance. "You'll be with your daughter soon though, that should be a bright spot."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

Alexandra looked at the ray shield then at Taeli and tried to reach out with the force, a light almost like a child was trying to do it, feeling would appear around Taeli's throat. Alex's pitiful attempt at trying to choke the girl into unconsciousness before Alex herself fell to the floor. None the less though her body swayed as she leaned against the wall, he saber falling down to the ground as the world spun. She had to escape, she had to, her son, her order. She needed... Daeda, she remembered about him and tried to talk to him through the connection they had. She started to slid down the wall as the words left her. "Tell... vulps... help." The Ashlan wolf would hide out on the planet while Alex's private ship would likely be taken with her as well, both to keep it secure from thieves and probably for use by her daughter if need be.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"] [member="Darth Praelior"]

As Alex started to fall to the ground, Taeli felt the slight pressure against her neck and knew she deserved it. She didn't like doing this, but it was necessary. Still, she needed to make sure there were no bad feelings, so reached out with her mind, she sent a telepathic message to Alex as consciousness failed her.

'I'm sorry, I have to protect us and this is the only way. You'll be in Balaya's custody, and I'll deal with Titan. I can't be branded a traitor for this, and this makes it look like it was just a long game to betray you. You'll be safe and sound, I promise.'

As the vestiges of consciousness left the Echani, Taeli sighed and deactivated the ray shield.

"I guess now we move to phase two, she's your prisoner and we inform Reverance she is and will remain in your custody," Taeli said, activating her holo-projector and comming the Sith Lord in question.

"Lord [member="Reverance"], I think I need to show you something," Taeli said as an opening message, making sure the projector would capture the image of an unconscious Alex on the ground and Balaya standing there with Taeli.

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

Alex heard the unspoken words and let her mind hang on long enough to stare at Balaya before going completely limp as her mind fell. She wasn't sure if daeda heard her, but if the creature did it would take measures that she had told him to take if ever there was a time when someone had captured her during a mission. Though she was not able to fix the message she had sent to the Ashlan, thus leaving [member="Vulpesen"] with false information for now as the Ashlan hid itself in the starport while her personal ship remained on the landing pad for Taeli to take command of for now.

 

[Reverance]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

The image of the man projected in a veil of darkened hue, the reflection of dust scattering across his blue and blurry image. Smoke lifted from his fingers, a cinder and charred cigarra remained fixed, as he bore down upon Darth Arcanix and her captured partner. It was for times like these that he resented his station, so removed from the field as to be incapable of drawing blood from veins in person. Nevertheless, he remained resolute in the power and responsibility bestowed upon him.

::Dark Arcanix...we live in unfortunate and cruel times, do we not?:: The image of his specter, veiled in a cloak of tan armorweave, lifted the cigarra to hidden lips. Lips caressed against the soft cylinder, pulling air through to form smoke that blew out from the corner of his mouth. His crimson view shifted unnoticeable, to the Voice and the traitor. ::Tell me then, what more news could you have for me? To change the Dark Lords will...:: Coins offered in hand to reverse the withdraw of blood, to save ones skin. He relished in the turmoil currently unfolding before him, as he elicited the intent of the Emperor, placed in elevated position. While some didn't understand his true connection to the Dark Lord, they would know one thing for sure: His word carried the weight of the Voss himself. And in this instance, scant offering of traitor would not suffice to repay deficit.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Reverance"]

"A balancing of the scales, my Lord," she replied. "I regret to say I had not informed anyone of my plan to bring down Alexandra here. This has always been the goal of bringing her into Krayt Industries, to gain her trust. When my master mentioned how Alex had left the Sith, I took it upon myself to form a plan, a very long plan, to bring her to justice. My humblest apologies that there was a . . . misunderstanding of my role in events."

Looking down at the unconscious Echani, a look of disdain on her face, she continued.

"Today was the culmination of a large amount of planning and cunning, but I must say, the plan was a success. Alexandra is now a prisoner of the Sith, and she will be held securely in a facility under Darth Praelior's jurisdiction, as she has suffered the greatest hurt from her betrayal."

 

[Reverance]

::Darth Arcanix, I appreciate the strategy of your plan...:: He wasn't sure he believed it, but it wasn't his place to believe or mistrust. Facts were facts and that was his realm. ::However...I don't see balanced scales.::

Once upon a time, Gabriel had entered Panatha and longed to look upon a particular prisoner of war, [member="Kiskla Grayson"]. A tickle at the back of his throat, a sort of scratch he couldn't seem to get at, and despite his constant pursuit of the woman through offerings to [member="Darth Vornskr"], he couldn't seem to pry her presence from gripping Epicanthix claws. However, back then, he was merely the Hand who was interested in a woman for what she was capable. Now, he rested upon the mantle of purpose, embossed fine print upon contract, that blood was required for blood. The Jedi Master was a sworn enemy of the One Sith, but she wasn't a traitor. She had never garnered the trust of the One Sith, only to rip it away. The Wrath could appreciate the Kiffar, having divulged her lineage from words spoken upon Panatha, but this Alexandra was a different matter. As they say, the last circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers. And in truth, the only betrayal that mattered was the one against the One Sith. After a long pause, he dropped the cigarra to rest upon the illusion of a throne.

::I see convenience...I see trust given and not returned.:: He eyed the giant Zelosian, knowing that there once had been a connection there between her and Alexandra. He recalled seeing her upon the proving grounds of the Nightmare Child, her working in tandem with the One Sith to develop the Exogorth. She was privy to a great bit of knowledge, something that couldn't be allowed to persist. ::I require a face to face. Bring her to Coruscant, bring her to the Temple of the Vahl in the Manarai Mountains...and we will see scales balanced and trust restored:: This was a command from on high, an order directly from the Dark Lord. To refuse, well the consequences would be dire.

[member="Darth Arcanix"] | [member="Darth Praelior"] | [member="Alexandra Lianne Feanor"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Reverance"]

"I . . . yes, Lord Reverance, I'll bring Alexandra to Coruscant immediately," Taeli replied, bowing her head to the Wrath. "I shall leave Utapau immediately for the Core Worlds."

Turning the comm off with one more respectful bow, Taeli let out a breath and scowled a little. This whole situation stunk of someone trying to position themselves within the upper echelons of the Sith, someone she had already grown to dislike because of his smugness. This incident just increased Taeli's dislike for the businessman.

"I'll stop at Widek first so Alex can see her daughter before I take her to Coruscant," Taeli said to [member="Darth Praelior"]. "I'll make sure her ship is taken care of, and someone needs to find that ashlan fox, Ace, I think his name is and make sure he doesn't die or disappear. My apologies for having to drag you into this plot, Master."