Private Heretic Station: The Prelude

[Vera Mina]

Objective: Entertain Karlie then continue doing so once Castagne has been reached.


In the aftermath of events on Azterri, Vera was beside herself with delight. Karlie was once again to board The Castle Morpheus, this time as a personal guest of Vera. She had quarters specially prepared, filled with High Quality replicas of ancient Castagne portraits and other art. She'd also made sure to keep a small supply of those disgusting hotdogs Karlie enjoyed so much in the fridge, along with conceivably anything else Karlie might desire, including foods native to Castagne.

Vera had then chosen the most revealing thing she could wear while still being tasteful. It was was a crimson, thin, chromium like material that made up a revealing gown with a wide, plunging neckline and a cut that allowed her legs to be in full view on the sides and partly from the front and back while still being the length of her ankles. She had chosen the reddest lipstick and nail polish she could find before heading to the hangar bay to receive Karlie.

Westenra was present in that highly athletic, bronze skinned guise Karlie had first encountered, as it were the one she recognized the most, but now clad in a silver, partly transparent dress. Magnus, the second of Nine's creations, and whose authority was directly below that of Vera's was also present. Magnus was in her Physician Guise, which Karlie had no doubt seen when being restored to physical health after being tortured at that CIS Blacksite. She was of extremely pale complexion and carved, muscular beauty with long, deeply shiny crimson hair, in a long, skintight black gown with crimson irises. Karlie had no doubt been told The Chief Physician of The Morpheus was also the young looking, red headed pilot that had ferried her and Rom-Jin between the Castle and Karlie's ship by tgis point...Karlie was being trusted with more and more info as Nine AND Vera sought to bring her into the fold.

Vera had spent days prepping it. Tea, Cuisine. She wanted Karlie to get a taste of being a member of an Atrisian Royal House.

Nine Lives was ahead of them on Castagne, doing investigative work with Ian on the history of Darth Rigor. Which meant Vera was essentially in charge of the whole ship. The only missive Nine had given was not to burn the ship down pleasing Karlie.

Vera had even had gifts prepared...

The Ship Meier used, a Saotome Envoy at last came out of hyperspace. The protective force fields releasing once air pressure was restored.

Vera smiled as Karlie and Meier came out of the vessel. Meier had dressed for the occasion too, donning a black cocktail dress that covered an athletic, pale skinned figure (Though not as pale as Magnus currently) with black hair and blue eyes, clearly bubbly with excitement as she led Karlie down the ramp. The whole place was gonna be for partying today! After all that nastiness on Azterri, they would have a breather. Albeit a short, short one in the scheme of things. Meier was so excited not having to hide the fact she was a deadly combat droid as opposed to a pilot HRD she had basically gushed at the chance to converse with the blond scientist about her nature and the role she fulfilled aboard The Morpheus (She was the Lead Comms Officer as well as Procurement Agent for vital ship supplies that could also serve in an espionage capacity. The differences between her and Westenra and Magnus (She had conveniently left out Vera in her animated comparisons, as Vera was still pretending to be human.) were extensive. Westenra was all "Flesh" while She and Magnus were mostly metal and wires on the inside, as they were meant to function on reliable, proven (albeit incredibly deadly) tech. She had wanted to know all about Karlie's work with droids as she had never met another scientist like her mother, and had flown the whole way buzzing (almost literally) about how The Morpheus was really amazing once you explored it.

As Karlie Lynn Destat approached, the Biot was once more feeling her synthetic heart pound. Karlie was a vision of golden locks and skin and lovely eyes. Vera's mouth fell open for a second at the sight of Karlie's beauty and composed herself, feeling her processors warm slightly as she remembered the night Karlie had fallen asleep while Vera had been wearing her catsuit.

"Karlie..." Vera breathed. "I welcome you aboard the Morpheus. Its so good you're back. You've already met Westenra."

"Hello Karlie. Its a delight to have you aboard." Westenra spoke.

Vera gestured to the abnormally pale but shockingly beautiful red head next to her.

"This is The Chief Physician of The Morpheus...Magnus. You likely know her better in her other guise."

"Most of us have multiple duties..." Magnus chuckled, bowing. "But it is nice to have you aboard."

Vera at last held out one of two presents. The other was waiting in Karlie's quarters, but that could wait.

It was in a small, transparent box, gift wrapped . It looked like a large wristwatch.

"Its a prototype my employer built after examining your chrono. Its called The Mark One Defensive Psychic Reservoir. Use it as you please. It comes with instructions." Vera explained. "So Karlie, are you hungry? Or would you prefer to explore the ship first. There are many systems that would highly interest a scientist of your caliber. We could even visit the lab the three women around me were made in, if you like." Vera finished somewhat jokingly, though a part of her was curious about Karlie's insights into Nine's methods.

"The Lab and the printers are half the reason we stay solvent. Mother's created tech there that's netted the family millions..." Westenra mentioned.

"But she keeps the best tech around her." Meier giggled a bit.

Vera rolled her eyes a little.

"As they never cease reminding me." Vera added dryly.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

When the Cat's away...



"Sigh..." She had missed her then. Bummer...
Karlie's otherwise chipper attitude dropped a bar, despite her excitement at seeing Vera, along with Westenra again.

Of course Karlie were familiar with Westenra's other biot sisters, Magnus (whom she weren't too thrilled to see) and Meir. Maybe understanding who and what they were and being creations of Nine, she could perhaps learn to tolerate Magnus' sarcasm. And she'd do that for-
....for?... uhm...for Nine's sake, yes.
Of course being that Magnus was also one of Nine's so called daughter creations. Karlie had come to understand that Magnus were like Westenra and Rom Jin. The latter two biots, the blonde considered friends. Magnus on the other hand had been such a smart mouth queen as far as she remembered. Meh, who knows, maybe she were teasing. Karlie answered Vera's invite and was set on giving this Magnus another shot... another chance.

Still, as excited as she were in seeing Vera and Westenra, Karlie nevertheless had her heart on seeing Nine Lives again. The reason was obvious, Nine had taken the initiative to help her when the CIS zealous underlings, the black-ops had targeted her on behalf of the Vicelord. Although as it later was discovered, the Vicelord had no hand in or knowledge as it pertained to what the black-ops did on their own.
But getting back as to Karlie's disappointment in missing Nine at the moment...

One must understand as to what had taken place many months ago. Karlie had not only gotten attached to Vera, but took to Nine as well. Nine had become a kind of surrogate mother figure for her. And can you blame the blonde who grew up with no mother figure...just memories of a mother she once adored that had been set on ending her existence? Mommy dearest had spawned a daughter to take over her body. This apparently had been going on for Millenniums, making them in a sense; sisters. But enough of Karlie's mother/sister's story recap.

Nine Lives. Now there was a mother figure, she could associate with. A mother who not only brought into this galaxy her version of daughters, but a mother whom supported and seemingly entrusted her creations with everything. The Castle Morpheus even.
Perhaps it were the similarities in their means of understanding elemental physics on a molecular level that drew the blonde.

Karlie of course had the same potential/intelligence as her own mother/sister Karla, as it pertained to these proprietaries. Only Karlie were still kind of wet behind the ears. If one were to compare the elder (Nine and Karla) the younger Karlie, it would be said she were a tad-pole, swimming in what could be equated to be a mud puddle.
In comparison; Nine were a full grown muskie (large predator fish) dominating a large lake. Then again, Karla had not passed all her knowledge to the then young sister/daughter Karlie before her demise. But nevertheless, the drive, the insight to understand and innovate toward the epitome of these bio-sciences were certainly within the blond's capacity. Karlie had to learn these sciences on her own. And she were like a sponge, lapping up bio-engineering at an unbelievable accelerated pace. But there were still too many gaps, too many mysteries unsolved. Mysteries that Karlie had little clue that even existed, let alone be solve them. Nine on the other hand-
Well, Karlie got a little taste as to what Nine could open up for her as far as bio-sciences went.

Oh, by the way...she decided to dress casual, foregoing official uniforms or dinner dress. The girl were kind of down to earth per say. Besides, it were an invite to come and relax in comfort at Castle Morpheus. So..
The gift were more than well received. But it were Nine's gift to her and Nine weren't here.
"Oh my...
It's...it's beautifully crafted." She said, taking it out of the box and examining it.
"She...she made this for me?...yea?" Obviously she were touched by the thought that Nine had been thinking of her.
"I'll have to thank her personally when I see her..." Karlie said, feeling the smooth leather band, the softness of the metal. It were like that element gold, only it weren't. Still, it were as soft as gold in feel. Karlie held it in her hand going over the details. It were steam-punk. Karlie loved steam-punk technology. It were so...so primal of human high technology that to this day, served as well or better than modern tech.

"...guessing Rom Jin..." Karlie had looked about for her friend. They had shared a secret. Rom had kept quiet about that little incident with her droids when Karlie had tried to ambush her way to freedom. The blonde had tricked Rom into boarding one of her battle droid transports, instead of taking the biot to the remote orbiting bio-lab. ".... went along with Nine." She assumed.

Parting with West, and her other biot sisters, she put away the new crono for now. Karlie relied on her own for life. She'd have to do just that; go over the nomenclature of the new crono, to see if she could perhaps modify it to serve as the one she relied on. She didn't assume that the new crono was capable of keeping her blood sugar levels normal. Although Nine 's primary function of her gift had been to do just that and then some.

"I won't mind sharing a bite or two with you...if you're hungry." She replied, leaving the hangar with Vera. Was Karlie hungry? Yes, she were famished. But she didn't want to go and ask if she could eat first upon arrival. That...that would be like rude, no?
Besides, hunger for food she could stave off awhile. Her present crono would compensate for that...that is, for some time.

Labs, printers? Sure she was interested. Had looked forward in seeing Nine and having her show her wares. Karlie had so many questions, so much she knew she could learn from Nine.
But Nine was on Castagne at the moment...and...and, well Vera was more a counselor than a scientist. Karlie would have loved to tour the labs, sure. But she had anticipated doing that with Nine. "Seeing the labs would be nice." Yes sure, she'd at least visit Nine's labs, but it were Nine whom she had looked forward to in conversing the sciences with. Nine was like her mother had been...so, so smart and intelligent, seemingly having the knowledge of the universe itself.
Vera...
Vera was just simply a perfect beauty... Vera was what made her heart beat... or in fact, skip a beat. Vera was her secret crush.
Like wow... that woman (Vera) could put on a grass skirt and look like the goddess she were.
"But first, I guess you can show me where I'm staying and have my bag be brought over..."

 

[Vera Mina]

Seeing anything of her dear Karlie was always a delight. Vera studied her soft skin, the way that her blond hair glowed under the lights. She felt her heart pound and her processors warm as she processed being in love.

She was recording every angle of Karlie's soft, beautiful face, lips quivering as she remembered the kiss on Azterri Karlie had given her. It was in that instant of actually comprehending love, even without putting it to words, that made Vera actually, genuinely toy with the notion, for the first time ever, of trying to be better. Of trying to genuinely be what Karlie perceived her as.

Problem was, at the moment, she still enjoyed murder and mutilation far too much. The only difference was that Karlie was better than either of those.

Vera observed every pore on Karlie's skin, the way the veins throbbed beneath the skin, exciting the vampire. Karlie had overcome the programming her mother had given her to kiss Vera. Could Vera not eventually overcome her own programming. Vera was only barely considering the possibility. There was only her beloved, gorgeous blond with the most beautiful eyes Vera had ever seen. Vera wanted to fulfil her every whim...including eating with Vera.

No choice. She had to risk it.

"I would love to have a bite with you."

And to be bitten by you, but you already did that when you sicced those droids on me you smart, sexy, blond scientist...

Vera would never forget Karlie Lynn Destat for doing that. Or initially deceiving her. It was what had made her start pining for Karlie.

Genuinely sharing a meal with her was worth the damage to her system.

The Atrisian Gothic facades of The Morpheus, the images of Oni carved into the walls, were highly prominent the closer they got to Karlie's guest quarters, passing by the crew as well as a few Morpheus Knights in light power armor.

The room Karlie had been given was penthouse sized, done in the national colors of the Castagne people, along with furniture in styles common to her planet's artisans. Vera slinked ahead, gesturing to everything...especially her other present, this one a crimson, ceremonial but still functional version of Nine's Psychic Katana laying in a special rest inside its sheath, which bore Karlie's name on the hilt.

"We can make something quick or slow for eating. I even acquired hot dogs..." Vera added, wanting more than anything to be alone with her crush and experience what Karlie was like without danger all around them. Vera could listen to Karlie talk about biology all day. Or whatever, really. Karlie's voice was pleasing to listen to.

The Android slinked behind a changing screen. It was there she simply slipped off the gown from her body, revealing a secondary red cocktail dress that barely covered her essentials completely, exposing most of her shoulders, back, and nearly all of her legs.

Her heels clicked on the hard floor to the refrigerator as she walked casually, wanting Karlie to oggle every inch of her, wanting her face to be burned into Karlie's databanks the way Karlie's face was burned into hers.

"So, how are things with your research?" Vera asked as she looked to see what might be safest for her to eat with Karlie.

"How has your father taken you and Colonel Sade associating with my employer so far? I imagine he has many questions for Nine when they meet eventually. She'll be here in about two hours by the way. She was on your world investigating into..."

Vera stopped, realizing Karlie's mother was still a sore subject.

"...well, the important thing is, last few hours ago she told me she had hit a jackpot of sorts. Regarding...um...her..." the biot trailed, lips remembering the Blond's.

"So..." Vera trailed, changing the subject. "What would you like to eat? I took into account your dietary requirements when stocking up."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Gargoyles, demons and cherubs....oh my.

Ok, so there were no cherubs, or rather angels, inscribed in reliefs, statues, or likewise anywhere about the castle. But if one would have noticed the side glances of the passing knights, there was certainly one whom would have fitted that description among this unworldly realm; Karlie.

No, Karlie were no angel in the literal sense, no. She just looked like one.
Then of course there was her soul, her spirit, which for the most part seemed clean or unblemished, if one were not to inherit their demon mother's sins. So yes, in terms of moral comparisons among Nine's daughters and servants, there could be said that there was an angel in the midst of the demons here on Castle Morpheus.

The architecture, the decor never got old with her. Karlie had been through enough parts of the castle, it's dungeons, quarters and whatnot to not let it phase her. But were that the reason, the reliefs of what appeared to be demons, gargoyles, serpents and whatnot's didn't phase her? Her lovely Castagne had no remnants of their dark past, their dark ages of old. Her world had been transformed, gone through a Renaissance after the fall of the Emperor Palpatine. Oh, the dark history of Castagne could be whitewashed and scrubbed clean, but that would only count as the exterior, it's skin.
Deep within Castagne's heart, it were stained with the souls of innocents. Stained with their blood, which could never wash off, despite the old Gothic buildings razed and buried under rolling hills, lakes and forests.
New structures, new buildings, new doctrines had risen to erase their dark past, even history rewritten...but deep underneath all this veil and time, still lay the sins of old that stained their souls.

This may be an opportune moment to share a few details concerning the history of Castagne...
Castagne under Rigor's timeless frog-leaping reign and influence, had been Palpatine's greatest supporter, nearly 9 centuries past. And with it, the rise of the Galactic Empire.
But Rigor's reign didn't always follow complete succession. There were at times, generation gaps, transitional phases of daughter to mother after possession which left her weak... and in suffering pain for months... and at times years. It were through these difficult adjustment trials that Rigor had to vanish, make scarce in her weakened state, lest she die eternal upon being discovered.
Rigor's influence and appearances throughout the dark history of Castagne were spotty. Spotty, in the sense that she had to hide among the populous, and at times off world, for a generation or two. Oh how easily common folk forget the woes of their elder's past generation.

Of course, erasing Castagne's ties to the fallen Palpatine was for the better part the people of Castagne's desire, during one of Rigor's longest sabbaticals.
In short, any system's dark history could be rewritten after a few EMF wave swipes on a global scale. One such wipe took place during Castagne's renaissance. Of course that were a few centuries before Rigor gave birth to this sweet and naive angel of hers.
But let us move on from here, as Castagne's history will slowly unfold and before this very angel's eyes at some time later. Truth after all, is what would certainly set her free. Free of bondage, of guilt, and of original sin.

So it comes to pass as to why this seemingly sweet innocent girl could feel so at home, in a place that many outside of Nine's realm would sense it being their untimely demise. Anyone but Karlie and Ian could feel it in their very core and down to the bone that this castle had ended many souls...in unimaginable horrific ways. As such, the decor, the ambiance, of Castle Morpheus did little to trigger red flags to our girl, then and now. It was in her blood, recessed deep in her primal instincts. after all, she was the daughter/sister of Darth Rigor, an ancient cursed demon of old, or immortal goddess...... depending on one's point of view.

Of course, upon entering her said suite...
Had she just been transported somehow back to Castagne? It touched her that Nine would have gone to the troubles of bringing a bit of her home here on the Morpheus.

"Hot dogs?...haha." She couldn't help but let her amusement escape her. Yes, Karlie knew where Vera had gotten the hot-dog idea from; Azteri.
One single craving she had out of the blue and Vera remembered.
Vera had remembered!... She really remembered!

"Oh, Ok...yea...." She bit her lips in a kind of crave. But it weren't for the dogs.
"I'm sure..." Karlie had looked about her accommodation upon entering. The open kitchen was in par with what her own beach bungalow had... elegance and efficiency, but no indoor grill. "...we can grill a few dogs over the fireplace." Yes how about that, an open fire pit in the living quarters, properly vented of course. Its chimney flue were designed to match and look like part of the vaulted ceiling.
Yes, Karlie liked her suite.

And she liked the blade too which Vera had waiting for her as a gift. Yes, Karlie liked gifts. Especially meaningful gifts from people she were close too. At first she didn't know what to say upon the presentation of the sword. A katana, Vera called it. The crono Nine gifted her would have been enough. But the blade was from Vera. She LOVED it, even if it were a sword. Karlie's first thoughts were as where she would hang it up. She definitely wanted to display it close to her on Castagne. Most definitely at her beach bungalow. Wait, then she'd have to leave it there. Hmm...
Maybe in her ship?
Gah!...that would mean she'd still have to leave it there.
Hmm...
No.
No, she wanted it with her wherever she would stay.
For some reason or other as Vera stepped off a moment, Karlie slid the blade out of it's scabbard. It was like pulling a silk ribbon....smooth.
The metal... it were an alloy of kind. She were feeling the blade...silk. It felt like silk. Like soft skin. But it wasn't soft really, but of a hardness-
Her eyes caught the last few steps...or was it the last few sways of Vera's form disappearing behind a blind.

Karlie resisted following, unconsciously sheathing the blade back. It made no sound whatsoever, even as it locked into place.
She remained stationary, almost like holding her breath.
It were anticipation...
She were feeling it. The blonde remembered last time Vera slipped away on Azteri only to return in a cat suit. Oh, how her heart were beating then, as it were beating now with anticipation.

Research?....
...research, research....
Karlie took a deep breath, doing her best to recall what exactly she had been working on. It had just plainly slipped her mind. For a moment, she had no clue as to what the word 'research' even meant. Her head was being pounded to nonsense by the beating of her own heart. Karlie were at a loss as to answering Vera as she was just mesmerized by the red dress...of Vera in the red dress. So seriously, how were her research going? It took a moment for it to finally hit it's mark.
All sense and sensibilities were bouncing about in her head, but eventually they found their allotted slots.
Er...somewhat.
There was still that dam square peg not fitting in round hole!

"Ahem..." She cleared her throat as she cleared some of that fog. "It's..... it's going..." Shoot, what research had she been working on? Hell if Karlie could remember still.

Lucky for her, Vera was just trying to stem up some conversation...

"Nine...." Yes, yes, Karlie knew Nine. Good question. She could Vera went asking about what her dad and hard-head (that would be Ian) thought of Nine.
"...yea..." What did they think of Nine? Hell if she knew. Was it important? Of course it was.
"...uhm.... Ok, I guess. I mean, she' and Rom are on Castagne..." Like, she knew her father had taken to the idea of a kind of alliance Nine. Besides, Karlie liked Nine... "My father was appreciative of her, you looking after me." So yea, what was there more to say?
"Gah...." She de-scrambled her head. "I mean, of course they think highly of Nine."
Ah...first near clear thoughts...
But soon followed by a downer...mother.

Karlie hadn't come here to talk about her mother. Hadn't expected to. It immediately showed in her disposition. Clearly, Karlie wanted as much mental distance from her mother as possible. She had been blocked too many times at the most awful of times-
No, no...at the most wonderful of moments she had ever spent with Vera. Even with a kiss.
Except the last one. It had actually been the first only kiss she managed, and it were on Azteri. But it's existence weren't because of her resistance to her mother's block. And it weren't a sexually driven passionate kiss.
What it was, were a departing kiss. A tender sweet kiss from her heart. And it were heaven. She would have stayed with Vera, she should have, her thoughts now beckoned her. it were as to the reason she had accepted Vera's invite. it were as to why she were here. That moment, that kiss was real. It had not been blocked for Karlie had not been aroused.

Vera must have sensed her apprehension concerning the topic of Karla and quickly tried to recover Karlie's spark.
It worked.
"Hot dogs are fine..." Anything was fine when with Vera. But no way she were just going to just stand there and be waited on. Karlie laid the sword on one of the tables.
"We can cook them over the fire...." And so she found her legs to the kitchen, helping Vera bring what they needed on over to the fireplace seating.

"Have to confess...." she said, finally taking a seat as the fire-pit roared to life. " ...I get urges for these dogs when I'm out.... you know, when I'm mostly off world for some reason or another. Don't think I ever had a craving for one at home...hahaha.." But at this moment, the hot-dogs could have been prime beast, being impaled on skews and readying for the fire that Vera had lit, to have it go down to hot charcoal. As famished as Karlie were, the wait was worth it.
Besides, they had so much to talk about. And despite Vera's revealing attire playing, tugging on Karlie's imagination, it were easy to talk into Vera's eyes.

 

[Vera Mina]

Vera smiled, opening a pack, getting condiments and plates as well as skewers to cook the food with the help of Karlie Lynn Destat and sat at the fireplace. Vera's skin glowed in the fire light. She put one dog on a skewer and began to roast it. She had never eaten real food before. She had no way of knowing how her system would react.

But she loved Karlie enough to risk it.

"I've had a string of successful prosecutions. Put a few Exchange Bosses away for life." Vera mentioned idly as she placed a hot dog on a bun for Karlie then began roasting one for herself, wondering how Karlie could stand eating these: Out of curiosity Vera had examined the ingredients. They should put health warnings on these the same way they put labels on cigarettes.

Vera used no condiments. It was enough she was risking her system on just a plain old hot dog on a bun. She took a bite, expertly hiding her reluctance.

The meat was too soft, tore too easily for her liking. It had no blood, only various oils and cooking byproducts. She had no opinion one way or another about the taste, as she didn't really have a real sense of taste due to her dependency on blood or biot nutrient. She chewed experimentally, swallowing it. Her systems registered it as UNKNOWN FOREIGN MATERIAL. Wow, what a confidence booster.

Either her body would break it down or she would have an allergic reaction. Vera was not sure which. She kept eating it.

"I used to be so focused on work before I met you..." Vera trailed.

(Various Cutaways of Vera as Rom-Jin sinking her fangs into a number of rival lawyers.)

"I never slowed down..."

(Cutaway of Vera as Rom-Jin butchering various mercenaries with a battle axe, laughing insanely and being covered in blood.)

"Never took the time to really appreciate what I had until all these brushes with death..."

(Cutaway of Vera in a bathtub filled with biot nutrient looking bored.)

"Thank you for helping me start to get away from that." Vera finished, plucking another hot dog, roasting it, keeping an eye on how her body reacted to the food.

Vera, ever since her slight cognitive upgrade on Azterri, had been studying the concept of empathy. In an attempt at this, Vera partially decided to reveal a truth about herself.

"You know..." she trailed, her database playing back a recent slaughter, which for some reason made her highly uncomfortable for a split second before cutting playback. "I've sometimes felt...well...that my occupation is all I am. Nine...Nine sponsored me when I literally came from nothing. I'd be nothing without Ni-Ne Li-Ves..." Vera admitted, using her mother's original, human name from when she had been a Jedi Consular. It had originally been a cruel taunt, but after Ni-Ne had survived eight circumstances where she should have died, with the eighth being the worst, she had adopted it as a form of irony. Vera was really trying here, practicing this empathy thing, getting as close to outright telling Karlie the truth as her programming allowed her to.

"I have a good life. But it was lonely. Just luxury, the occasional sport, and good food. But when or if the money runs out, suddenly its almost not worth it.

Vera chuckled.

"Its strange. I can make an impassioned argument that can make a Jury hate a defendant wihout breaking a sweat, but around you...I'm so nervous. I can't find my confidence sometimes. I'm terrified of screwing it up with you."

Ninety five percent the truth, the rest, omitted.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Anticipation...

The aroma of the sizzling oils extruding through the casing of the dogs tantalized her olfactories, triggering her to salivate in anticipation. Karlie rarely indulged in eating these succulent dogs, but on those occations, like as on Azteri, they were delightful.
Skrrrrpzzzzzz...(sound of a vinyl record getting scratched mid play)

WTF were these? Karlie's first bite into casing and bun were as expected...both crunchy and exploding with taste. Only these weren't the kind one would call edible. The meat or what was processed as meat weren't porcine..at least not real Gamorrean.
Skrrrrpzzzzzz..( another vintage vinyl album destroyed in the process of creating this chapter)

Ok, lets back up a few centuries... er, maybe trail it back a millennium or two.
Castagne, during or before the fall of the Old Republic ( hard to say, as most of Castagne's history had been purposely EMT flashed) and through the galactic imperial wars, a particular female at one time, a jedi of all things, developed a taste for porcine flesh, namely Gamorrean.
Now, how this came about, and as to the reason our girl still has a taste for porcine will unfold at another time. it's just too lengthy a chapter to write up in this little insert. Just keep in mind in the meantime to keep the girl a distance from Gamorreans.
Oh yes, one little note. Karlie although had enjoyed her mother's hot dogs, she never had a clue as to their actual content. The poor girl just developed a taste for a good Gamorrean....er, hot dog rather. Which...which explains as to why she seems to only acquire the dogs off world, as Castagne does have laws forbidding eating sentient beings...even being Gamorrean.

(Ok, assuming the reader got the jiff of that...our scene can now continue.... lest the narrator get side tracked again.)

Karlie chewed the concoction of processed meats or whatever was made to look like the dogs she loved, one bite..two bites....
"Oh Berkana, now what?! Shoot, come on Karlie, SWALLOW it!" She silently urged herself.
Gulp..
Atta girl!

"Yum...." Oh she hated to lie, but Vera had gone through all trouble of remembering her delight on Azteri with the dogs.
"Too sinfully good..." She said putting the half eaten dog and bun down back on the plate. Of course the after taste of the bland meat remained, playing havoc with her taste buds. Popping the cork of the wine Vera had also laid out for them, she casually poured herself a glass, up to the freakin rim. She of course did it in a manner that hid the anxiousness to wash Vera's thoughtful attempt at entertaining one of her favorite off world treats.
One sip...then down the hatch it all went flushing down, neutralizing the horrid taste of whatever that piece of meat stick had been made of. It certainly wasn't porcine nor banta (that delicious red meat), that much were certain. She hated to think it were made of some avian meat. She hated avian meat.

"Oh...here..." She then partly filled Vera's glass before pouring herself another brim full of ruby red. " Great choice by the way...Alderanii Sovereignty." Now that was no lie. She loved Alderaani wines, and this particular brand had been bottled by 'Soul Brother's and Sisters'. Odd Karlie thought as she never had heard of this brand, yet she had recognized the flavor..unique, full bodied, like the stock her father had at the estates. only his collection were from an era before the Empire made an asteroid field out of Alderaan. well, the original Alderaan.

For a moment, her curiosity of the vineyard had drawn her attention away from the slop she had tried chewing before swallowing it. "I swear this taste's like that of my father's coveted stock. He loves Alderaani wines and had managed to acquire from across the galaxy the old vintage. Only this tastes like the old vines, just that it's quite new..." She said before putting the bottle back down and taking to her glass again. This time savoring the wine.
Of course as still famished as she were, her tummy growled at her for sending down that horrid meat concoction.
Like, even though the dogs on Azteri weren't 'you know what', they still were made of good quality local livestock, as most vendors who remain in business often do. You see, although Karlie unknowingly could just die for some genuine Gamorrean stock in her palate, she never knew (had no clue that it were butchered sentient beings.
Her sister/mother had acquired the taste for them through her life cycles and inadvertently through their genetic traits had passed it along to our girl. Then of course with mommy dearest introducing young Karlie to her favorite delicacy...in hot dog form, mind you. Our girl took to it.
Who could judge our blonde really, as she unwittingly had been introduced to this horrendous form of cannibalism during picnics with mom.
Anyway, thank Berkana it were not human flesh.
But still, Gamorreans were a sentient species, and...and well they could have feelings. Sooo...

Karlie were so relieved, as she sipped her third glass now of the red that Vera had put her uneaten portion down too. It would have been awkward if her host whom had gone to all the trouble of acquiring hot dogs for her and she only had but a bite.

"Say what?..." Karlie had caught that despite the alcohol working it's way into the fissures of her brain.
"You...you nervous...of me?" No way she could have heard that right. But that's what Vera was just implying. Karlie blinked..trice.
"Haha...you're playing with me, aren't you?" Was she? Vera didn't look like she were.
In fact, Vera seemed...seemed unusually apprehensive. Yes, Karlie could see that through the tingling affects of the Sovereignty (the wine, mind you) that her Vera was a bit off...nervous.

"No no..." Karlie reached out, placing it on Vera's forearm. "I didn't mean to laugh at you. I...I just -" How were she to tell her that SHE were nervous in blowing it with her.
But really? Vera was off balanced with her? if that wasn't a turn on for Karlie, then it must have been the wine, spiked with some ecstasy then. But no, the wine wasn't spiked...it were Karlie flattered in her spiraling state of getting drunk. The poor girl was after all still on an empty stomach, say for whatever it was that was also starting to ferment in there...Oi.

"...I mean, I just, you know...- like being around you." her soft exasperated voice sounded out from within her soul.
"You've always made me feel....safe." Skrrrrpzzzzzz...
Oh crap, did she just say safe? That's not what she meant. Karlie were lost for words, as she were just driving drunk on emotions. It were unbelievable, that Vera would be nervous around her. it meant that Vera did like her too...cared for her...maybe even love-... gurgle gurGLE GURLE!

Karlie's eyes shot wide open.
OH no!
NO!
THIS WASN'T happening. Oh Berkana NO!!

Karlie quickly stood up as she buttoned closed her lips and darted to-
FRAK!!!... it was the wardrobe closet.
Where the frak was the refresher? Ah, yes, there it was next to the same closet and she rushed in.

A couple of flushes, several heaves to and fro, followed by the sound of full running sink water (as a cover up to the happenings inside the refresher).

"Uhm..what?.... Yea, I...I'm alright really.... be out in a jif-
.... Uhg...uhg barrRrrFffF.... Oh Berkana....sob, sob..." She were heard saying before. FLUShhhhh.... barrfffff.... flushshhh... and so on and so on till she dry heaved a few times.
Oh, how one could get so intimate with a toilet bowl. You'd think the way she were hugging it, she were hugging Vera...

But as all good bouts must come to an end, so did karlie's. She finally let go of the bowl and slumped her derriere on to the floor sitting next to the bowl. She were catching her breath. It had been an ordeal, her adverse reaction to the foreign meat stick that had most likely come from some industrialized processing facility. Of course her crono was peeping with registries off her bio-chart. But it made some corrections and administered the right amount of hormones to balance out her system again.

"Yea...I'm Ok..." Yes, she was OK now, just needed another moment...then a few more to wash herself off...fix herself up-
Wait, wait. What had Vera said? She had been nervous in possibly screwing it up with her?
Yes. Yes, she were sure of what she heard. The alcohol, or at least the remnants of what had not passed through, had been passed up... regurgitated. What little had made it to her brain left her in the same state as when she darted for the refresher. She weren't any more worst for wear at the moment.
Still...who blew what. But she weren't going to remain lying down defeated, no.
Karlie got herself up off the floor, put the lid down on the bowl...giving it a courtesy flush and went over to the running sink to wash her face.

She finally came out of the refresher, looking somewhat freshened up and quite embarrassed to say the least. She had set her mind on not repeating the time she met Vera on Azteri...the Hutt Ball Game. Awkward, but precious memories just the same. Hmm...interesting. She then remembered this annoying blond there in the VIP bleaches, vying for Vera's attention. Weird she remembered now, as she faced Vera coming out of the refresher. Vera, whom were looking at her with concern...like it were Vera's fault.
No.
No it weren't her fault. Karlie wouldn't make it her fault.

"The wine... heh... can't drink like I think I can." Ok, true...so true that statement. She couldn't lie to Vera. And certainly not have Vera think it were her fault with the meat dogs.
"But I'm Ok now...flushed most of what I consumed down to your treatment facilities..haha...ahem." She cleared her throat.

"The wine was nevertheless PRIMO... sorry I had an adverse reaction to the volume..."Yes, she had liked the wine. Maybe there was enough left for later. Only she'd be sipping it...slowly. And hopefully with Vera, if Vera didn't ditch her for being a weak drinker.

 

[Vera Mina]

"No...I mean it...sometimes my thinking gets so scattered around you..." she confessed. "But I melt inside every time you smile at me."

When Karlie confessed she felt safe around Vera, the Biots improved capacity for understanding others made her feel a slight stab of genuine guilt that unsettled her. She had so deceived Karlie that Vera was beginning to genuinely dread telling her beloved blond scientist the truth.

"People don't generally say that about me. Price of being such a good attorney. Thank you."

Then her enhanced hearing detected the chemical reactions and muscular contractions in her stomach.

Does Karlie's stomach register it as ''Unknown Foreign Material" like mine does ? the Biot wondered.

While Karlie wretched into the toilet, Vera wondered how to salvage the debacle with the hot dogs. More wine? No, that would likely be the excuse she would use to explain the hot dogs away--her psychological profile of Karlie was on point at that--oh, hell, wing it...

Vera quickly prepped some very sweet tea from Atrisia that helped with stomach aches and illnesses, via taking shavings off an 'ingot' of pressed tea, fresh from an Atrisian grower, pure compressed and preservative and binding agent free. She set two cups on the table, the aromatic, almost peach like scent very subtly drifting through her room. Vera had prepared it to be sweet, but not too sweet, bordering on fruit-like.

Karlie came out and as Vera expected, explained it was the wine.

"No need to be embarrassed, Karlie. Everyone has their own...system stability requirements ." Vera replied soothingly, using the term as both a small play on her scientist back ground and as an in joke to the fact she was no stranger to malfunctioning.

"In fact, lets give that system of yours a chance to relax..."

Vera held out a remote, clicked in and soft, classical music from Castagne played over the speakers as she headed over to the sofa where their tea cups waited.

"Music, tea, you..." Vera trailed, slipping off her cocktail dress, revealing the crimson sling bikini underneath, tossing the dress to another sofa.

"and me..."

Vera took a seat, inviting Karlie to sit down, by patting the seat next to her.

"I don't mind being stared at with lust, Karlie...I just want you to do it openly..." Vera teased, taking a sip.

Yep, subtlety had gone out the window...

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Easy does it... slow it down...lean into the turn...

Embarrassment aside, she still felt disheveled. It what happens after a bout with arguable food. Her current crono was a bit lagging...needing to analyse her bio-metrics before initializing stabilizers among a few synthec stimuli to stabilize her system. It were a necessary life sustaining device she had made that enabled her to function in a galaxy not of her origin. Karlie had reverted back to the first humans which had come to settle upon Sky River, the current galaxy. That of course was Karlie's dissertation, however debatable it still remained. But it had nevertheless acquired her the doctorate in bio-engineering...

The fact remained, it took a few for her to start returning to her perky self. She had designed and built her current crono out of necessity and it functioned accurate enough. Although she did have plans for one day to upgrade it, get it to somehow react faster..more diligently. But with so much on her plate, the current crono did what it was supposed to do. It just took a few minutes s'all.

Karlie managed to formulate not only a smile, but a chipper appearance, despite the on goings in her plumbing.
Vera's soft tone encouraged her to relax.
"Hey... aherm, what's that?" She asked when Vera steeped what smelled like a herbal tea of sort. A good smell. Karlie's olfactories picked it up as inviting.
Yes, her primal senses had been right, it were a herbal tea...something similar to chamomile and the like. Humans were attuned to such natural products ,even Karlie, despite it were as tainted with midi as anything else she consumed. But hey, that was her norm now. It had been her choice by design.

She had to double blink..no, trice blink when before her eyes, Vera peeled herself out of her....gulp....dress.
Instinctively, her hand pressed itself on her abdomen. No, she weren't going to up-chuck again. But the new wave of stimuli coursing through her veins now as Vera's gown came off conflicted with the current dose of suppressant her crono had initiated to calm her system down...gurgle.
All good...all good...nothing to sweat over... she were trying to downplay it.

Only Karlie were starting to perspire, bad. Her forehead started to glee...it were getting a bit hot under the collar as Vera sat herself down on the couch.
OMG, yes, that was an invite. Vera was motioning for her to sit next to her. Karlie didn't know what to do, let alone know what to do with her eyes. Vera, tea...table...dress. Where did that dress go again?
Other sofa. Yes, the other sofa.
The gentle bite of her lips gave the blonde away. She were caught off guard, didn't know what to do. Her heart raced for her to tackle the woman. Just go and take her. That's what they did right? Guys rather. Was that what a man would do if in the same boat?
Oh hell she knew!

She sat down next to Vera. It were alright. Somehow Vera knew how nervous and out of the water she were with this.
Azterri.
She couldn't get her mind off at the mental block she encountered the last time she were treading these uncharted waters. Karlie was sweating it.
In fact, really sweating.
"It's not lust" Sure it was.
"It's...it's that I've come to like you...a lot." Her eyes couldn't look into Vera's orbs, lest the woman find that 'a lot' meant 'she were lusting her'. And that my friend would mean that Vera had hit it on the money.

Karlie's hair started to wick up her perspiration. Hell, she could hear her own heart.
"Nice skin..." Her voice were fading fast to an almost whisper... finger tips dared feel Vera's shoulder.

..gurgle..

"Listen..." she pulled back trembling fingers. Karlie could feel the tunnel vision narrowing. Her mother were just around the very next-

"Aherm..." She did more than just clear her throat...her mind.
And No, that were not perspiration trailing down her shiny cheeks...it had been shed by her eye.
"I should get myself into a shower. The wine thing..." She stopped right there. Their eyes were in perfect alignment. It were easy..safe to look into Vera's eyes. She didn't need any excuse or little white lies. Vera's eyes saw through her..to her soul even. It were what Karlie were feeling. She wanted to. Karlie wanted Vera so much, it were hurting her. But she knew if she would let go of her inhibitions that her mother would be there. BLOCK, like a stone wall. Yes, she knew now she loved this woman. But she couldn't block Vera when her mother would inevitably block her. It would not be fair...not for Vera...not one bit.

"I do like you a lot Vera...a real lot." Karlie had managed to find strength in her legs to get up off the couch. Oh, if she could just collapse, just fall into the woman's arms right at this moment. But she couldn't.
"I should jump into a shower..." No shit, she were almost drenched at this point...and parched too.
Damn that tea looked good right about now...
But again, what, drink Vera's tea and leave that sexy vixen in her two piece on the couch just like that?
No.
No lies...no deceptions.
Not with Vera.

"Really... " She struggled a moment to come out with it.
"I've got issues unsolved" She said, knowing quite well what she wanted was right there one fall away.
"Issues I didn't know I had before-
...before everything." Ok, well she couldn't very well tell Vera that they surfaced because of her feelings for her.

"But knowing of something existing can mean the demise of that existence. I just have to find the means to do it." Yes. Yes, she were thinking linearly now..thinking like a scientist. For every action there was a reaction and for every part, a counter part. This had been put in place by her mother, she just had to find a means of kicking it into the trash.

 

[Vera Mina]

Vera's artificial heart quickened as Karlie Lynn Destat sat next to her. She could read the intense attraction on her face as she sat next to her. She delighted watching her prespire, nose registering the chemicals and organic byproducts of the sweat itself. As the Android was madly in love with Karlie she filed it away as she did with everything Karlie-Related in a seperate memory bank.

Her lower lip quivered as Karlie's fingers touched her shoulder, smiled as the cute blond grew flustered, sweating. She wanted her. She wanted her bad. But Rigor's programming was too strong. Karlie broke off but Vera was not disappointed...just being stared at by Karlie like that drove the Android Vampire wild with glee. She thirsted to utterly submit to the scientist once the programming was broken. To let her study her, dissect her if Karlie wanted to dissect her, as long as it pleased Karlie to do so. That's about 007 levels above current galactic society's currently agreed upon safety limit for what is regarded as 'Yandere'.

Her evil little heart sang as Karlie confessed to liking her...and that she needed a shower. Vera didn't blame her. She could practically taste the chemicals drenching the blond's skin. Vera hid how it made her salivate.

"I know you still have issues with your mother's block. I'm just trying to...give you a peek..." she replied seductively. "When you get out, I'd like to show you around the Labs and the Garden. I also be wearing something hot, but that's just me."

While Karlie went off to shower Vera selected a strapless chromium-like black dress and white stilettos, doing her hair in a long, stylish braid and waited luxuriously on the sofa for when Karlie got out. This day was going great so far. Barring the disaster with the hot-dogs.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

She slowly tempered the water down, needing now time to just cool off.
Karlie never liked a cold shower and even on her hottest days running, she'd start off with a hot shower. It were no different today as a hot one relaxed her...soothed her, and of course helped her mask in shedding her frustration. Keen audio-tronis would have picked it up at her high, despite the cover of running shower sprays.

Tap.... tap.... tap... she progressively tapped, edging the temp down to where she were just cooling off now, under the pelting drops. The cold water were bringing her temperament back down to normal. She could think now.
Brrr.... even remnants of her Vera flashing away didn't require a third session. She were for the most part spent for now...and shivering.
The lastl tap on the handle finally shut off the what was now now the cold water sprays.
Shivering from the cold cycle, she reached for one of the bath towels...a pure white Felushian cotton. It were...
"Oh my God..." she said wrapping the warm soft towel around her. The bar where the towel were hung had been heated by warm air jets.
It felt goood. Too good. Karlie had to thread lightly with her thoughts lest she'd be back under the water for round three.
Mental note: install bath towel warmers at home.


40 minutes later...

One...two...three deep breaths and out she stepped out of the refresher.

The ambiance... it immediately took hold of her, drawing her back out into the greater living area. The music were tranquil, sweet, and well tempered for one to relax and be at ease, lured her back to the devil in a black dress. Vera sat there relaxed and quite inviting.
"So much for a quickie heh?...er, I mean taking a quick shower." Nope, not the second session under the hot sprays it hadn't.
"I just needed to relax... get a few things off my mind." Not the only thing she had gotten off.

"Hey...nice dress..." Wow was it a cortosis weave, she thought. It shimmered as she walked over to Vera in the light....almost like liquid metal. Well, not just liquid as the dress had a weave pattern to it that seemed to be in motion as Karlie walked toward it. It were a play of light on it and it were quite sexy as it seemed to move, almost appearing like it were slithering on Vera like it were alive.
"...heh...very nice dress." It took two blinks to break her trance over it.
If she had seen it on anyone else, Karlie would have had her interrogators wring it out of the woman as to whom the designer was, as she would have wanted one herself. But seeing it on Vera...Karlie knew that she couldn't have been able to pull it off as sexy as Vera was. No one could top it off like Vera were wearing. It were made for her. Asking as to whom the designer were would be an insult. It were perfectly designed for the woman.

Wait...how long was she in the refresher? Vera had reworked her hair, she then noticed. Shoot...an hour?...more maybe? Karlie had lost track of time itself for a while. Well, did it matter? Karlie had certainly needed to come down a few levels. Hell, she weren't going back out there into the living room without unloading a few live rounds.

Still, there it were. Not one sign of Vera minding one bit as to how long it took her to.... uhm, do what she had to do....aherm.... moving on.

"You said the castle had a garden?..." or were it gardens? Hell if she could remember, as she had been besides herself. Karlie had picked up what was a new cup of steeped tea. It were more inviting than the previous. maybe because she had most of her senses still about her and not honed in on figuring out how to mate with another woman. Sure she had desires and fantasies, but they had been just that and nothing ever applied. then again, she had never thought herself to get so immersed in another woman.

"It would be nice to see it...that is if you still want to." She slowly sipped the soothing herbal. Yes.. it almost had an instant effect, much like her own crono. No wait...the tea were enhancing it's effects. It soothed her, putting Karlie more at ease.... not to mention doing wonders with her digestive track.
"Hmm..." she unconsciously let out a murmur. Something quite reminiscent of the prelude to her ne plus ultra, just minutes before. Correction: she had hit two such high notes following.

"Aherm..." She cleared her throat, as well as her mind off the mesmerizing dress containing Vera.
"I mean, I would very much would like to see it, if you'll show me.
I'll then show you mine... er, my room... HOUSE... Castagne, rather." And with that, she pressed her lips shut, lest they reveal she were totally bedazzled by Vera.

Karlie had never been so struck by the thunderbolt as she were with Vera. She had to maintain some sort of self control and focus. A walk, an exit out of this intoxicating love nest (the suite) with it's aromatic fragrances, hypnotic music, stimuli teas and one sexy wrapped Vera, were in order. Karlie were not ready for another hot shower session. Ok, she were feeling it coming on again, but that too would be a give-a-way.
Besides, she was actually curious as to Vera's employer's castle. The last time she were here, it were not by invite, but by rescue. Karlie had been one tangled mess and Nine somehow had helped her through it. It were what had gotten Karlie curious about Nine and her world. It were so different, yet...yet so spiritually familiar to her in ways she could only feel, but not yet understand. The tour was an actual reason....or the other reason she had wanted to come back to the castle.

 

[Vera Mina]

Vera, in an attempt to respect Karlie's privacy, had lowered her sense settings down to human levels. In spite of this, when Karlie had exited the shower, Vera had still been able to put two and two together but had not commented, only smiling as Karlie drank fresh tea.

"Thank you. The dress is custom in case you were wondering...and made with you in mind..." the Biot added in a purr.

Karlie still wanted to go on the tour. Vera was happy to oblige.

"Well, its more of a large greenhouse but my Employer keeps some of the most unique specimens in the galaxy within. I'm convinced some of the materials used to create our dear Westenra came from there..."

Vera sat up after Karlie finished her tea, walked in such a liquid, slinking, yet precise way that she knew Karlie could not help but notice to the door, waiting for Karlie to join her in the walk...

Five minutes later...

"The Castle Morpheus is a very ancient ship. Nine believes it to have been built by ancient energy vampires known as The Kyushi of Atrisia." Vera explained as they walked down the passages, the gothic stonework apparent in the architecture, images of Oni overlooking some archways, statues in front of certain doors styled after Yovshin Swordsman.

"This vessel, thousands of years ago, was the source of a disease outbreak that nearly decimated Atrisia. Nine made terrible sacrifices to stop the outbreak." Vera added, stopping at the simple tram system, getting into the transport cabin with her.

"Prices she still pays to this day..." Vera said as the tram sped them through the somber interior, passing by other decks until it stopped at the Greenhouse., which was quite unlike the other sections of the ship in that it had a symbol of Atrisia's sun decorating the wide archway. Numerous plants in a vast arrangement of colors and sizes and dotted with artificial ponds and fountains--and an Oni Statue or two made it a beautiful sight. Vera walked forward. Some off duty Knights immediately left once they had spotted her.

"Pharmaceuticals, Poisons, ingredients, construction and weapon materials...much if it comes from this place. Nine focuses on high end experimental products. Your new chrono is a prototype of a product she intends for more mainstream distribution." Vera explained. "She does much of her preliminary research either here or in her suite."

Vera stopped in front of a large painting mounted on the wall depicting a Star-Destroyer-sized vessel, hovering over a city of Jade. It looked like some sort of ceremonial flagship, a hull of some sort of golden crystal encasing a cage of durasteel, a large command tower and a secondary dome structure:

Spoiler

Underneath the portrait was a stasis chamber containing a sterile white hooded kimono.

"The Sacred Ancestor was one of the very earliest 'Star Destroyer' type warships. It had technology most capital ships would not see again for centuries. Nine's mother attempted to use it to destroy the Atrisian Monarchy and plunge her world into Darkness and Chaos, forcing Nine to directly assassinate her in her first real task as a Jedi Padawan." Vera spoke of the painting. "The experience wounded her and haunted her for the rest of her life as a human. These robes are all that remains of her mother."

Vera turned to face Karlie.

"You can bet your situation resonated with her..."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

She immediately made a beeline for it. It were thought to be extinct, if not just a myth altogether... that is, until she spotted it.
It were basking under the same artificial light that the old painting was displayed under. And the damn thing wasn't even in a pot!
Yea, yea...old painting of a relic ship...yea, yea. It were only interesting to Karlie for the duration of her Vera taking the time to explain the castle's history..and that of Nine. But the moment she saw it and realized what it were...history suddenly had a reason to resurface.

Karlie recognized it, for she had tried studying all of the written journals and ancient annals describing it. It were said to have disappeared from the galaxy over 200,000 years ago. Karlie had not even been able to find a real hologram of it. Well, not a real recorded one anyway, but a CGI renditions of what it may have looked like, based on descriptions of old. And those ancient text had described it to the tee...
It were right there in front of the old starship-paint thingy-whatever... Karlie's fixation on the specimen took precedence over anything else at the moment.

Just a few minutes ago, there had been so much to take in of the lavish garden within the castle that she just let herself go, enjoying the tour... the botanical wonder of varied flora. Species she had never knew to exist, there were so rare and exotic. She could barely begin to know what exactly they were or their origins. But she knew enough. Enough to know that the majority of what were kept here within the bowels of the ancient castle were some of the rarest of the rare. And then there were the typical orchid blooms-..oh wait, no.
Karlie had known enough to back away from what looked like an ordinary orchid variety. Only it had been a venomous mantis-like insect. She had recognized it, it's ability to mimic a flower... it were nevertheless beautiful, graceful but very deadly.

"Heh..looks like I won't be picking flowers today..haha.." She chuckled keeping her eye on the beautiful insect as she backed herself away from it.
Were she afraid of it? No.
She were a scientist..and very curious. Sometimes too curious for her own good. Karlie were one to respected something, especially a plant like insect which could bring about the most painful death with one bite. Besides, she had used it's venom... or venom from a similar species in her biotech research. Hi toxins from plants, insects and animals were said to be fatal or beneficial in varying degrees. The more toxic they were, the more beneficiary they seemed to be for research. But not as new poisons, no. At least not to Karlie. She used minute traces of such toxins to stimulate cells, influence DNA structures... Things in the nature that her mother and Nine Lives used like chefs would use spices and herbs to bring out the essence of tastes in a dish...make it into more than it were possibly imagined by normal standards.

Yes, she were fascinated with the garden... more than Vera could possibly understand.
"Berkana...wish your Lady Nine were here...I'd love to ...pick .....her ..........brain." She stopped right there.
"Gasp!"
Karlie spotted the plant... or the plant/animal.
"NO WAY!
Is.... Is that-" Karlie was too flabbergasted to finish.

Her eyes widened, in disbelief.
"Yes!...Oh Berkana, YES!"
Yes, it were real and right in front of her. It were a real live mixotroph Graillis Monumentos ...or at least a close living relative of the extinct species she had dreamed of acquiring some preserved DNA samples of it. Shiet...even a broken partial strand of it. She could get something from it. It had been her one hope..a partial sample no matter how old.
Well the latter had just been blown clear out of the airlock.
The freakin frackin species were not extinct at all!

She couldn't believe it. She were so entranced by it, she momentarily forgot she were with Vera...
"Yes...yes, of course..." She muttered to self, as she took in the details. Every reference point she had studied, the texture, the sensory hairs. And it moved. Moved from her shadow to bask in the grow lights above.
Haha..." Karlie were so amazed, so thrilled.

Then she remembered West.
Karlie turned to Vera, almost bumping nose to nose, the woman was leaning over her shoulder to see what was exciting her little blonde meat puppet.
"Oops...sorry." her eyes, gleaming with delight met that of her Vera.

"You said-" er, what was it she had said? For a moment the blonde got lost in Vera's orbs... hypnotized like a morsel before an enticing bloodsucker. Vera were built as difficult for both man and woman to resist. After all, they (humans) were her choice of veal, so to speak.

"Uhm...Oh, yes. " She de-scrambled her thoughts. Science over matter...
"You had mentioned that Westenra were developed using research from this very garden. " Yes, that were the basis of which Karlie had understood that Vera had mentioned..

"I can see...kinda understand as to how Lady Nine had come to conclude in the matrix design of West's regeneration abilities...yes..." She then quickly returned to the specimen which seemed to be as curious of Karlie as she were of it. It were both plant and animal. Both carnivorous and able to photosynthesize. But that were not what made Grallis Monumentos (or the Grail for short) so unique. It had the ability to regenerate itself in varying degree of itself to match it's surroundings. It could shape shift. It could be velvety soft, like a baby's skin or rough as a bark and with bite no less.

Karlie would have have commissioned an assassin to kill for her to find such a specimen. Here she had been working on regeneration of cells herself, but only had theories and little else to guide her. here was a Grail who's interlocking matrix could open up countless possibilities.

"I can't believe it...even seeing it with my own eyes.
Oh Berkana...do I wish your employer lady Nine were here. I've so many questions..." Karlie seemed just as hypnotized with the Grail as she were a moment ago with Vera...slowly and unconsciously drawing her hand closer and closer to the deadly hybrid Grail whom seemed poised itself to make contact with the blonde....

 

[Vera Mina]

"Ah, you've found one of Nine's prized possessions." Vera mentioned, hiding how she salivated at watching Karlie study the large, crimson, Venus Fly-Trap like plant. She felt her heart pound faster watching the scientific wonder play out on the scientists face. Vera yearned to be Karlie's plaything, fantasized about having experiment after experiment conducted on her by Karlie Lynn Destat .

As long as she be stared at in the same wonder and delight, Vera didn't care of Karlie stripped her down to her very processors.

"Nine's family were among the last cultivators. Its..."

Vera's mouth fell open slightly as she stared into Karlie's eyes. They were so lovely the murderous android was given genuine pause. They made Vera feel things she did not understand and did not fully know how to process.

At the mention of not believing it with her own eyes Vera could not help but remark:

"It was my pleasure to bring surprise to such gorgeous eyes." She finally said

After staring a split second more Karlie's attention shifted back to the plant. Her hand unconsciously going towards the plant.

(Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula Theme Plays)

The crimson plant's veins pulsed red as its fanged petals opened slowly as her hand drew near.

The plant flesh rippled in anticipation, sensing the life in Karlie. Life it wanted to digest...

The Biot's hand gently took hold of Karlie's fingers, gradually moving them away.

"The Grail secretes a painless, paralytic tranquilizer toxin that is nearly as potent as that of the Atrisian Puffer Fish, albeit non-lethal. The insect feels no pain and falls into a deep slumber as it is digested. In the ancient days it was known as The Crimson Slumber. It also emits a low strength telepathic field that compels organics to it. Forgive me. I should have warned you, but I hardly ever come in here, so I don't think about it all that much."

(Narrator stops.)

(Plays back Vera's immediate last statement very slowly)

(Vera: It also emits a low strength telepathic field that compels organics to it. Forgive me, I should have warned you but I hardly ever come in here, so I don't think about it all that much.")

Vera realized her hands were still clasping Karlie's. Her mouth dropped open a little as she caught herself staring into Karlie's face before she got control, just barely preventing herself from salivating openly, for her brain had not yet figured out how to process how she felt about Karlie other than salivating at the thought of being operated on--

"We have many other plants no longer extant, though we are attempting to correct that. The Grail originates--and was hunted to extinction in--the Land of The Horse Lords on Atrisia, due to it's highly useful properties in regenerative medicine and warfare. It requires highly acidic, nutrient poor soil and lots of artificial sunlight, or ultraviolet radiation in intense doses at certain hours. That plant in particular is the only survivor of The Sacred Ancestor crashing into the surface of Atrisia besides Nine and her old flame.

Vera let her fingers slide away from Karlie's, though she took her sweet time to do so as she led Karlie around. She led her to another not quite extinct, carnivorous plant, a sterile white set of rose like plants with visible fangs and a long white barbed tongue whipping about behind transparisteel glass very slowly.

A botanist from Coruscant who looked strangely similar to actor Brad Dourif (Also known as Piter De Vries from Dune.) made kissy faces against the casing. The white flower used its barbed tongue to caress the part of the casing where his lips were pressed against gently.

You are a beautiful, beautiful Butterfly..." he said in a loving manner.

"W-Whoa." she spoke in a stunned manner, caught off guard by how crazy he sounded. The crazy glint in his eye didn't help much, but really, it was the fact he looked like Brad Dourif that did most of the work in deciding how creepy he was.

"Ahem." Vera coughed.

Dr. Gettiminn turned, prying his lips away from the casing. The plant, curiously, was still caressing the spot he had kissed the casing it was behind with its tongue. "Oh, hello, Vera! And this must be Doctor Destat! It's an honor to be in the presence of such an accomplished mind! I'm Doctor Korio Gettiminn, chief Botanist of The Morpheus after Nine herself. Nine sought out my talents after witnessing them first hand."

"Gettiminn was one of the civilians Nine saved on Coruscant after it was invaded by The Sith and First Order a long time ago. He unleashed a hoard of murderous, ambulatory flowers he normally made for fun on a bunch of Sith Special Forces. Nine hates most Sith, so she got kind of a kick out of it. And even though Gettimin, by his own admission, no less, is a few sandwiches short of a picnic for making murderous ambulatory flowers that kill people, Nine looked past the aimless, creepy grin and glint of insanity in his eyes and took his permanently revoked medical license as a sign of genius that the Universities were too ignorant to appreciate."

"Those uneducated Swine could never see the benefits of a frog that could survive being boiled." Doctor Gettiminn grumbled.

"I don't think it was the fact it would not boil, Doctor. More the fact that you made it shoot poison tipped darts out of its butt after you poured boiling water on it."

"They had the nerve to accuse me of hitting the head of the review board in the neck on purpose. How was I supposed to know where the frog was gonna leap after dousing it with water?"

"Doctor, I 'am' entertaining a guest..."

"Oooo! Right! Sorry, sorry. Again, honor to meet you, Doctor Destat. I'm off to the lab now." Dr. Gettiminn quickly left the gardens.

"He may be crazy, but damn does he know its genetics. Surprisingly competent sword fighter too...He actually defeated Westenra for the first time ever after Azterri. He has not been able to do it since, but considering The Amalgam herself couldn't kill Westenra in a sword fight the very first time they fought...it says a lot about how skilled he is." Vera explained, before waving her hand around the room.

'Take a sample..." Vera encouraged.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

"Haha..." Karlie chuckled taking a step back looking around.
" You don't know how enticing that is, Vera. But seriously, I wouldn't know where to begin."

And as much as she were fascinated and longing to dive into unlocking the secrets in many of the species she had come across on; she knew without someone like Dr Gettimmin... or better yet, Lady Nine to guide her through some of the basics behind their science, Karlie would be nothing more than a school girl picking pretty flowers. In this particular case; deadly flowers.

"Shoot. I need to go pee..." She then suddenly turned to Vera with anxious eyes.
Weren't that the truth. Karlie was indeed fascinated with the garden, but more so excited at the possibility of extracting knowledge of fusing plant and animal DNA in creating new hybrid life forms. Somehow that passion had been instilled in Karlie at a young age...re-animating the clay creatures she fashioned by the riverbank with her mother's guidance. As a child, she were coaxed by Karla into creating life from clay at a very young age.
Thinking back; had it been just a child's dream, thought real?
She often questioned her own childhood memories of the time spent with her mother. They were magical. But she never spoke out loud to anyone as to how she felt. Her mother after all, was said to have been an evil woman.

Nine...
Now there was a nurturing mother...and a brilliant geneticist-slash-
Lady Nine had to know most all of the secrets in her garden, Karlie were thinking, looking about. Had Lady Lives not created Rom and West? To Karlie, they were one of the most advanced most sophisticated creations she had even come to know. Oh if she could only glimpse into the mind of lady Nine for just a day..no no...for a month...a year even.
Karlie were more excited than her friend Vera could imagine...so yearning for such knowledge it were like her yearning for Vera. Only this could be attained. There was no block for knowledge. On the contrary, it ran like the passion she yearned for Vera. Unfortunately this yearning desire at times triggered trips to the refresher.

Short of breaking out in a small River Dance, Karlie squeezed Vera's hand ever so, she had to go so bad now. Incidentally, the moment Vera took command of her hand, breaking the hybrid's induced trance on Karlie, the Grail backed away. It recognized another bloodsucker's claim on prized prey, sensing the other Vampire's superiority. After all the Grail was reasoned to have some intelligence. And with intelligence came consciousness...and self preservation. It chose life over a meal.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire, for the blonde morsel; so to speak. She were claimed by Vera.

But here she were now, with Vera in the castle's garden...er, well she were actually sitting, taking a relaxing moment to think without distraction.
Anywho, the few species Karlie had casually come upon had been of the rarest kind. Species thought by mainstream science to be extinct. Who knew what other rare life forms were abound in the garden...on the Morpheus even...
FLUSH....

And of the weird but fascinating Dr Gettimmin, she had just met? Karlie figured he worked alongside Lady Lives. Funny she were thinking of him now, as before...Hmmm, that Grail..

Spigot on...one hand washes the other...then both wash the face...

"Damn...that little rascal had me!" Karlie then realized looking up at her reflection in the silvered mirror.
"Heh..." Vera had once again saved her ass....how about that.

Whirrrrl.... rip...
Dry, dry dry... crumble it into a ball-
Dunk it into the basket.
"Score!.." Karlie raises her hands in victory, like she just won the game at the last tick of the game clock. "Yay!.....Karlie...Karlie..." Crowd in her head chanting.
"Hehe...now that's how it should have been played on Azteri..." She said as the door swished open.

Needless to say, Karlie came out of the refresher....refreshed.
"Vera... " Yes, Vera had opted to wait for her outside.
"... I know this sounds strange and all, being that it's been mentioned by a few people including West and all, that Lady Nine wouldn't mind sharing a few scientific notes and stuff with me..." It were more than that.
More than Karlie could have figured.

Karlie were in a way, a very young Karla. A Karla before her fall. Any Jedi Master, Sith or Witch, would have given their right hand to secure such an apprentice before they were set and hardened like stone. Then a master would have to chip, tear down stone, foundations to then erect and fashion a rightful protegee.
Only Karlie had never thought herself so, despite she had as strong connection to the force as her mother. That connection had been more of a chain to Karlie, a heavy leash really, that were in the tight grasp of her mother's hand.
Karlie had broken the link, and thus the chain.

Still, her personality...her lust for knowledge and fitting complex puzzles together were all hereditary traits of her mother. She were spawned to be Karla...to be Rigor.
Pop had gone the link in the chain. Gone had the connection.
Karlie were now like a primed and white canvas for a master to paint their masterpiece.
As thus, the question now comes to be asked; why would Nine from Li-Ves not risk it all, by saving Karlie? Even if it meant going against the Vicelord of the most powerful faction in the galaxy to acquire an apprentice like Karlie?

What Nine had laid on the line in saving Karlie had been a gamble. It were a 50:50 gamble. And that had come up in her favor, for as Nine had suspected: Karlie had been innocent. Civil war with the Confederacy averted... and a trusting bond formed with Karlie.
Only thing Nine hadn't expected, had been Karla's resurrection.
But as one who lives countless lifetimes like Nine Lives; it is expected for adversaries old and new to be at every turn.

"I'm kinda thinking...maybe...you know...acquire some residency here...." Uhm, wait. That was kind of coming out a little different than she were meaning.

"I mean like residency, as in an internship. I would help, assist Lady Nine in her work and research and I would learn from that..." Karlie explained hoping for Vera's approval. Of course that was silly of the blonde for most likely it were as Nine herself had foreseen... and orchestrated.

"...like... I've never met anyone like lady Nine before. The knowledge..the experience she must have..." It were obvious Karlie were biting on more than one lure on that line.
Hell, she were hooked and she didn't even know it.

 

[Vera Mina]

Vera's mouth fell open slightly as Karlie Lynn Destat requested a more extended stay aboard the Morpheus to study under Nine Lives.

Vera reached out, taking Karlie by the hands gently.

"I would be delighted to have you here and so would Nine. I'm sure she will agree..."

Vera stopped a moment to observe Karlie's face. It felt like she were staring at her for the first time after Karlie siccing the droids on her.

The contrast...the defiant cunning scientist, and the happy scholar before her...Vera wanted to be human in that instant so that she might feel the love she felt more intensely.

"You're always welcome aboard the Morpheus...always..." Vera said quietly, unable to hide the passion in her voice as she stared into Karlie's eyes.

"I was hoping you would ask. You have become very special to me. My heart beats quicker for you, my dear Doctor Destat. I wish you could hear how fast. All I can think about..." Vera breathed, drawing closer, getting quieter, still staring directly into her blue eyes...

"...are your eyes upon me...nothing else matters. Not my cases, not my business...I won't let anything bad happen to you...even if it costs me dearly..." she said fiercely, mind straining under the weight of processing her intense love.

Vera blew Karlie a small kiss, still grasping her hand gently as she led her to a display of extremely beautiful tulips with multiple splotches of color. The fragrance was apple like.

Vera sat at the edge of the stone foundation display. Her black dress sparkled in the lights. She bit her lower lip unconsciously as she beheld Karlie's beauty. The Kiss on Azterri played out in her databanks.

"So much has changed for both of us...hasn't it?" Vera asked, mind slowly processing the love emotion more efficiently. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the corners of Karlie's mouth. She was so badly in love with Karlie it had become almost painful. But Vera wanted the pain. Needed it. Needed her.

"Tell of Castagne, your home, Karlie. I would know more of this world that produced such an intelligent woman. I want to visit your favorite places when we get there. I want to know your hobbies...so I can indulge you..." she whispered breathily, fingers locking slightly with Karlie's, though not too much.

"And I want to know what you fear most...so that I might shield you from it. Either way...I want to be there for you. Whether you are on Castagne or The Morpheus, whether you ever find a way to break the programming or not, I want to be there for you...because you are important to me. I need you..."

Vera paused before staring deep into Karlie's eyes.

"I Love You, Karlie Lynn Destat ..."

Meanwhile...

The Amalgam watched from the Balcony of her Deluxe Suite in Castagne. Watched the city below toil. None of them had any idea the horror soon to be unleashed. How their families would be butchered for her pleasure and that of The Dark Side.

Preperations were nearly complete. Fourteen more hours, and then her greatest act of devotion to the Darkness yet...and the culmination of phase one.

The near-impossibly beautiful SithSpawn was elated. It decided it was so happy, it would call one of it's daughters. As the Amalgam had been secretly subsumed long ago by Darth Phyre, the Surface Persona, which was all that was left of the true Amalgam, decided it would call Laertia.

The beast used an encrypted transmitter to send a communique to Laertia's ship The Blessing of Loste.

There was a hesitant answer as the Amalgam lay down on her bed in her flesh colored catsuit, surrounded by the skeletons of innocence she had kidnapped and drained until only their bones remained.

Her flesh shivered, the surface persona not knowing how Darth Phyre pulled its strings from within as Laertia answered.

"Whooz iz dhiz?"

"Daughter! So good of you to answer..."

"Wut do yooz wantz?" Laertia growled on the other end.

"I'm going to sacrifice a ton of people to the Bogan...and I want you to know...I'm dedicating it to you."

"Rot inn Hellz, Amy."

"Mother, Darling..." The Amalgam chided, shutting off the transmitter, relaxing as she waited for Karlie and Nine's Android to arrive. Oh, such horror she would visit upon them. How she would break the little blonde's mind in front of Rigor, how she would savor her despair as she was tortured and pulled apart in front of her beloved Robot...

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Karlie/Vera's interlude of course took place days before the attack....

Oh damn her mother... damn the retribution... the conditioning her mother imbedded in her freakin HEAD!
Karlie's lips parted as she drew closer toward Vera. Their hands were already clasped, finger entwined like that of two lovers already.
"Gasp..." Karlie felt the vibration. For a split second she had feared it were her mother's conditioning beating her to Vera's lips. But it weren't.
"Seriously?...what the frak are the odds?"
It was an incoming message from her father. Her wrist crono alerted her of it.

Crazy, but for that following second, the blonde thought 'Dad Too?! But her father wasn't in her head...was he? Karlie did a quick take between crono and the woman who just told her she loved her. The 'I love you..' was in itself something to process. But at the time, it only hit that all important cord... Karlie's own desires for Vera. There had been no time to think, only to follow through...only to kiss those lips she had so many times kissed in practice...on her arm, many nights before exhausting herself to sleep.

But the buzzz...buzzzz... was from her father.
Karlie knew her father never buzzed her unless it were important...very important.

"Oh Vera, I..." she were going to explain to Vera the importance as to why she needed to answer. And as to why she just couldn't quickly sneak in and plant one on Vera to then what- answer her father?
"I... I need to take this..." She wanted so bad to say 'sorry' but the damn crono kept buzzing despite her effort to silence it. Not being silenced indicated it were a priority message from her father or the Cabinet itself. She had to take it.

"Aherm...
Karlie here.." she replied, reluctantly.
This had better be important, she were thinking gritting her teeth.

It was indeed her father. Only this was no holo-transmission but a secured verbal one. Where was she, he asked....

"On the Morpheus..."

Yes, he knew that. Where on the Morpheus they had a white room. It was all he was asking her father pointed out.
"Uhm.... Vera's room?" she replied, momentarily glancing over to Vera.

How would he know who's room it was if she didn't know.

"Heh, what?..er...no Dad. I mean, yes, it's Vera Mina's room..."

Was she certain?

"Sigh....yes, It's Vera's room."

"Ok then, simple question, deserves a simple answer... not too difficult..." It were what her father pointed out before continuing.
"Anyway...I was waiting for the investigators and our team of scientist to go over the room-"

"What room- Vera's room?... here?" Karlie were taken back a moment, not thinking straight...thinking her father were meaning the room she were in, Vera's private chambers. "Like, why?" she absentmindedly asked.
Now Karlie were no ditz, not by far. But the poor girl had never been so amored like she were with the woman before her. And one who uttered what her own heart had been reluctant to say in words.

"No time for games right now Karlie." Tarssin replied. "The room we're talking about was discovered just recently discovered over a week ago in the estate. The subterranean levels of our home, Karlie."

"Ok......" Karlie sighed...how long was this conversation with her father going to be for Berkana's sake. She were anxious in getting back and maybe jumping on Vera.... like, the sofa was right there!

"Please pay attention. " Tarssin said, having sensed his daughter's somewhat lack of interest.
"I need you to take charge of the findings. Our top investigators and scientists have pretty much come up with little useful conclusions as to why it were constructed and for what purpose."

Karlie then rolled her eyes, as she had no clue as to why her father was adamant abut her taking her time off to rummage through their basements. So there was a room...whoopy-doo.

"Ok, yes...I get it. You want me to go over what our people found. I will, no problem...sure.
Just...could it wait-"

"NO!...
.....
No Karlie, this cannot wait." Tarssin's patience was certainly wearing thin.

Karlie didn't have to pick up on it at all, for she nearly jumped when her father shouted 'NO!'
Tarssin's demeanor returned back civilly, but Karlie had been snapped out of her daze.... out of her arousal.

"Yes dad. But, hear me out; how imperative can that bee, if it's right under our estate?"

"Berkana Karlie. Listen up!
It's connected to a passageway that leads up to your mother's private chambers." He informed her. His beloved wife Karla not only shared their master bedroom, but had her own private chambers...much like Tarssin had his. It was not uncommon at all for high level Castans to have private studies, reading rooms...etc.
But what was uncommon was a secret passageway that connected one's private room to a secret lab. secret as far as Tarssin, nor anyone for that manner having any knowledge of it.

"Mom's?" Karlie's ears and attention perked up.
"It...it wouldn't be a lab of some kind, would it?" She asked, looking over to Vera, before she took a few steps away from the sofa.

It was a lab. And Tarssin asked if she knew anything about it. Touchy question following her acquittal of Melida/Dan's responsibility including the death Of the Vicelord's son, Briggs.

"No, of course not."

Well, he had to ask. Maybe it were something she remembered when her mother was alive.

"I'll be right down.
Yes....right now dad." And with that she closed communications. Karlie stood there with her back to Vera a second, taking a deep breath before turning.

Empty couch.

Where was-
"Gasp!" Vera had come up to her left, only Karlie had turned right, startling our blonde.
"Berkana... I... hehe... I didn't notice you." the blonde said, her voice sounding somber. She didn't want to leave. She had been willing to take that chance of suffering with her block and kiss this beautiful woman.
But that block had been put in place by her wicked mother and now according to her father, they had found a secret room, a lab maybe that could shed some light for Karlie as to who her mother really was and why had she done this to her. They were not just say-so's, but real mind blowing things that her mother had done to her without her knowing otherwise. All Karlie knew was that her mother loved her.
But there were hard facts, evidence, records and things done to herself that proved her mother was wicked.
Karlie had to find all the answers she could if she were to ...if she were to love and be loved by Vera as she wanted to be.

Karlie looked away. She couldn't look into Vera's eyes and leave. She knew she wouldn't be able to leave.
"I...I have to go. It may be a few days before-" Karlie didn't know how to explain, for she didn't know how long she herself would be going over the find...days?..weeks even?
Vera, I'm-" Karlie were about to say 'sorry'.

 

[Vera Mina]

It seemed as though Destiny itself were trying to keep Vera and Karlie apart. Vera could only curse internally. Her enhanced hearing had picked up most of it.

Darth Rigor had interfered yet again.

Vera was starting to loathe this creature and she hadn't even met her.

This was terrible! Awful! These constant thwartings of Karlie's mother offended Vera's very processors. It was only out of respect for Karlie that Vera had no intention of drinking Rigor's blood.

There had to be a 'tasteful' way to kill somebody's mother, right? She would have to research it. Damn it all!

No matter...Vera could adapt.

"This ship is on a course for Castagne anyway, and we were both planning to head to your world. How about I simply join you wherever you are going?" Vera suggested. "I wouldn't be a nuisance. Wouldn't touch anything...without asking first..." she trailed smirking, her black metallic dress glittering a bit as she slinked slightly closer. She could smell the blond and had to stop her mouth from watering.

(Super Sexy Noir Saxophone Plays)

Vera noticed the OOC music, but didn't care since it made the moment better.

"Besides...I'd be wearing this the whole time..." Vera joked. "At the very least I'd be your muse..."

Vera's fingers curled with Karlie's again.

"Your stress relief..."

The Biot's eyes traced the curves of Karlie's cheekbone, her heart pounding. She bit her lower lip unconsciously, eyes glittering with primal affection, letting her wrist slide under Karlie's fingers so her pulse could be felt by the scientist.

"And best of all...it miiiight troll your father just the 'tiniest bit..." she suggested in a coy manner. She had no intention of actually offending the Viceroy of Castagne but he 'had' killed the mood. It would serve him right to see Karlie walking around with a Monica Bellucci Expy in a skimpy dress! Exploring his Castle! Subtly (and ever so carefully) wooing Karlie!

"I like watching you when you think..." Vera added softly.

Just then the P.A. sounded.

"Special transmission from Nine Lives. Vera Mina to Private Chambers.

Vera blinked. Mother liked to mercilessly tease her about her and Karlie's super dramatic scorpion dance of seduction (How the vain and calloused Android perceived it) .

"It appears Lady Li-Ves has returned from Castagne. Just when I was about to use my puppy eyes." Vera chuckled. "Let's go see what she has to say..."

Fifteen minutes later...


Nine Lives's holographic projection shimmered on in Nine's lavish personal quarters wearing a pink kimono with black rose embroidery, smiling as she spotted her daughter and Karlie Lynn Destat .

"Vera! Karlie! So good to see both of you! My investigations on Castagne have born fruit. We have much to discuss..." Nine said as Vera walked up.

"Have you been well, Lady Nine?" Vera asked.

"As well as can be. Karlie...I found something bad. Me and Ian...we found a tomb...its the others. Its where she stored the ones before...you..." Nine explained gently.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

--------

"Haha... my father?..." Vera had struck a funny bone.
"It would be amusing to see..." No, Karlie had never known her father to be swaded by anyone, especially a woman.

Her only memory of her father looking at a woman were in her youth...the magical years of innocence. Her parents were all about love. Karlie had a jaded childhood before it turned to rust. A loving family....warmth... kindness... laughter.
That had all suddenly collapsed upon her mother leaving....disappearing in the blink of an eye. What followed like overnight had been nothing short of a nightmare to Karlie...so young in age and innocence.

Tarssin, her father, had never been the same after. Even he had somehow disappeared for a time, while she were whisked away by a dark skinned man...a jedi, she learned later. She didn't know his name at first. Elohssa. His name he told her was Elohssa and he were a jedi. A jedi whom had come to take her from her father's arms. Karlie held on to her father, screaming, scrying for him and her mother. She had no understanding then. Karlie could not understand any of all that was transpiring at the time, but it were necessary for her father to have this jedi take his daughter...if for just a while...to keep her safe and away.
Castagne was in a Civil War overnight.
It were months before she could cry in her father's arms....
Master Jedi Elohssa had been her guardian for a time...a time away from Castagne.

"Don't think he has ever-
... took notice...
aherm... yea, that would be something" She were suddenly flooded with memories and a realization that her father had been denied...love....love of a woman since her mother- She had to shake that sad thought out of her head. Elohssa had shown her how a long time ago. It were what she took away from the jedi master during the short time she were away from the war, as a little girl. It helped her, aided her for years, up to this day still.
'Elohssa...Elohssa...' She now wondered a moment as to where that kind and gentle man were...

No, Karlie never saw the sparkle in her father's eyes return...ever again. Say for the one he still held for her. As she grew up, she realized that spark he had for her mother had long been extinguished...gone forevermore.
The only love he had were for Karlie. Tarssin did manage to smile for her on occasion, but not like the smile he had when they were a complete family.

"Haha... " she had to laugh it off.
It were obvious Vera was only playing, teasing her about Tarssin.
That little playfulness was what kept Karlie from regressing. Vera had captured her attention and imagination. Karlie were hooked on the woman. It were unexplored territory for sure..but that were what made her heart want to dive right in.

"Get OUT...
seriously...you like watching me...think?" Well, that was one she never would have thought about coming across on. Karlie didn't know in what content Vera were meaning...but it sure were stirring her primal instinct of arousal.
"Hehe...yea?" Oh if Berkana could know her thoughts... Karlie knew she'd have to confess her sins and ask for redemption from her deity. Then again, wouldn't Berkana (God) understand her weakness, for Berkana were woman too... no?
'Carefull here Karlie...Heresy...' The blonde's religious conscious warned. Karlie were beginning to sweat.

Then of course, the announcement came in. Most likely Berkan coming to the rescue for maybe Karlie's God didn't wish to burn her tender skin in hell's fire. Not for this infraction at least.

Be it Berkana's Will or not, it were lady Li'Ves seeking to speak with her employee, Vera.



------

"Lady LiVes...." Karlie nodded, respectfully acknowledging the proxy image projection of the lady whom had risked it all to take up a just cause in saving her hide not a few weeks ago.

For a moment, as the blonde were still mesmerized over her lady friend Vera's shape revealing attire, looked over to the hologram then Vera again, not certain if she heard right. were nine talking to her employee or to her...both maybe?
Ok, something was discussed...discovered on Castagne? Karlie's father had quite a few trinkets... or relics of her mother's belongings which he still kept from her for one reason or another. Karlie were assuming perhaps Nine had gotten to see, examine a few of her mother's former belongings. Supposedly left behind or abandoned as her father vaguely explained when he did. It weren't that her father were keeping secrets from her. Karlie knew by experience that some of her mother's former belongings had some adverse affects on her moods...made her feel...anxious...short of breath. Her father were still trying to protect her. more so now maybe, due to the fact that her mother had seemingly set up things that were now coming to light from her apparent grave.

For the most part, Karlie kept to herself as Vera and Nine exchanged what they needed to say. That is until something concerning a tomb was mentioned.
Karlie's eyes immediately narrowed on the proxy rendition of lady LiVes as the words sank in.

'Others?.... what others?' Karlie thought to herself.
It were difficult to asses as to what Nine were talking about as Karlie had been shown the botched clones in various stages of development and decomposition that Nine had brought back from that remote ice moon research facility. Same facility where the jealous black ops CIS agents had arrested her.
Horrid memories...

'Heh...interesting...' Karlie were feeling the remnants of that experience, but-
But just couldn't recall... not remember fully, the details of her ordeal. It must have been so horrid that her brain mercifully had wiped it from her mind...memory.
It weren't anything Karlie wished to relive or remember really. As thus, she didn't put too much effort on they why she had difficulties remembering.
Anywho, the blonde had no clue as to the memories, including Vera's masque being expose which were consumed by Nine.

Well, whatever Nine were meaning, Karlie knew her father would fill her in.

"Uhm..yea, I just received a recall from my father not an hour ago.
I think this ship-" She looked over to Vera for verification. A nod confirmed it.
"Will be over Castagne soon.
I'm to meet my father over at the estate." Karlie replied.

Nothing more were then said about what Nine had announced concerning some tomb before the transmission ended.
Karlie's mood then slid down a short slide. She were to leave the castle...more so Vera. This certainly was a mood killer. Just when things...
Oh hell, Karlie didn't know where things were going, but whatever was taking place between her and vera were- nice. She liked it. It were something she never felt so ..so intense about. Not with anyone. not like she were feeling with Vera.
But now as she looked over to one of the small info panels, they were entering her system.
She would soon have to leave...leave the castle and leave Vera. Even if for a short while, she were now already missing the woman...her Vera.

"Well...this was a short...sigh....visit." She did her best in maintaining her smile.
But damn it. Karlie so wished for more time.

Of course the thingy about some cemetary-..er tomb was already stricken from her mind. Castagne had buried a lot of it's past. Sure there were plenty of deep tombs that to this day were nearly forgotten. it had been Castagne's intention to bury it's dark past. I mean...for Berkana's sake, Castagne had supported Palpatine and it's evil Empire not 8 centuries ago. Sure there was a lot of tombs. Why now go and did up those old one?
Sheesh...