Private Magical Things

[Madalena Antares]

Katrine Van-Derveld

Madalena sat in the center of her gigantic living room, legs crossed, eyes closed, and tried to focus. The invisible tendrils that only she could see danced upon her skin as he tried to force her attention on them, make them move by her own will and not by yet another freak accident. Only last night, she had somehow managed to open a rift large enough to pull her piano through, and she couldn't even snatch it back. The rift had long since closed, but she didn't even know where she had sent it to, so there was no hope to get it back. She was going to have to buy a new one.

It had been hours now, and nothing happened. No turning it on, no turning it completely off. It was maddening. Madalena was not accustomed to not picking up something fast enough. Her mind was usually sharp, the pain of her face was gone for the time being, and this was just another thing with the Force. It shouldn't have posed so much challenge to her, and she most definitely should have been learning how to control it, at least partially, before now.

Glowing green eyes opened, the anger shining through them.

This would not do.

Rising from the floor, Madalena hit her commlink. "Felgarr," her voice came through, contacting her secretary in the tower, "Is the Nocte Aranea docking at Eve right now?" He didn't answer her, but that was all right. She knew he was there, and that he was checking. A moment later, he said "Yes," and Madalena hung up.

Normally, she would have preferred to talk to the woman who owned the ship beforehand, but she knew this wasn't something you could cover in a holocall. For a moment she considered at least calling ahead to see if she was free, but she shook her head to that. If she wasn't, Madalena would figure something else out.

Less than an hour later, she was already at the dockyard, finding the ship she had traveled on to and back from Ryloth with ease. Her body was clad in her armor - something Madalena usually wore when it wasn't a social event or she wasn't just leisuring around her penthouse.

Walking up the ramp, she rang the bell. It was a large ship, and she knew the odds of Katrine Van-Derveld herself answering the door was slim to none. That was all right though. All she had to do was to talk to the woman who was partially the reason Madalena even existed in this dimension. While she hadn't yet picked up the full story from Scherezade, Madalena knew the two had started to find better common grounds and healing after that whole clusterkrak, and she herself held no personal ill will against the girl. Who knew. Maybe they'd even end up liking each other and not just as battlemates.

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Wearing this | Madalena Antares

There were several reasons why Katrine traveled back and forth between Eve and Figaro Favoura VII. Two of the reasons that stood were Larentia and her presence on the planet. After the disappearance of Lupines from their homeworld for so long, the humans needed to remain aware of the fact that the wolves had indeed returned, and had no intention of leaving anymore - they had come home.

Home was a great many things though, not just a place Katrine lay her head but where loved ones were at the same time. Pebble was her family, her little sister. Scherezade. It was a hard name to get used to after everything had fallen into place in her heart, she had once identified the little as Pebble only, no matter her name. She had been the little one who had exited the pebble of her existence, emerging in the galaxy free from a beautiful little rock. Still, she was all grown up, the blonde realized. In the time they had lost, Scherezade had grown up so much from the curious little blood-thirsty girl who had so much to learn. Katrine was most certainly proud of what the deWinter girl had achieved, she only regretted she hadn't been around to see it happen; regretted how things had gone between them.

Her body was elevated in mid-air, her eyes closed as she was locked in meditation in communion with the three spirits. Normally, they hadn't permitted her to dwell on her own personal demons but as Katrine had learned, in the midst of her journey to Eve, the spirits had come to discover a simple truth - the spell, though useful originally had become a burden for their Nightmother and they would not have it so; it had to be broken. I do not appreciate the conspiracy, the Lupine spoke to them within her mind.

Doashim would chuckle at that, Lylek would remain silent. We had no choice, child, Jart offered tenderly.

As the Witch communed with the spirits, the Nocte Aranea was set in a mode of special security. Her crew was aware of her status even before she had entered it, due to which the entrance alarming a presence had been startling it. A small scanner activated, identifying Madalena Antares on the outside. Her identification had previously been scanned, a patient in the medical area during their trip from Ryloth. As such, the gates opened, two of the crew members positioned left and right from the hanger-bay as A.K.R.I. stood in the center, projections set throughout the ship giving her visibility as the A.I. observed the still scarred face of the woman. "Madalena Antares, you're looking better, the A.I. spoke up, gesturing her to enter. A special protocol indeed, normally little to no one was permitted on the ship without specific authorization previously given by Katrine but A.K.R.I. was a very independent A.I., quick to learn and adapt. Madalena was identified previously as the sister of Scherezade deWinter who had, in fact, never been restricted from any of Katrine's vessels. Even when Katrine had forced herself to remember their connection, A.K.R.I. had vast storage of the two being close. She had been shown as no threat to her owner and she had been personally brought onto this ship previously for healing.

Based on all these criteria, A.K.R.I. had decided that Madalena could be considered an exception to the protocols set in place. "Welcome, the A.I. projection continued, "You probably don't remember me, I am A.K.R.I." Bacta tank and such a display of facial damage, the A.I. suspected Madalena'd memory of this place wouldn't be at all well.

Either way... "What can I do for you?" Obviously, she was not here to see her, the A.I. was fully aware but in this instance, she was hostess for sure.

 

[Madalena Antares]

Katrine Van-Derveld

Doors opened, Madalena waved at the two guards before taking another step, and halting completely, the image of A.K.R.I before her, telling her she looked better. She knew it wasn't a person - not in the traditional sense of the word, since she had no presence in the Force, and she could sort of see a bit through her. But then who was she? Had she been part of the medical team that had helped glue her face back on such a short time ago? Just a hologram? An AI? Something else?

The woman spoke though, and introduced herself. Still didn't ring a bell, but there was no reason for Madalena to not be polite. She gave the woman a friendly smile.

"I'm here for Katrine," she answered, "I don't know if she's around or if she even has the time, but it's not about something I can do over a call."

Looking at A.K.R.I again, Madalena wondered if that was enough. Or if even it would be possible. And still… "I'm sorry, I know you introduced your name, but you hold yourself like someone who's more than just a guard on the ship. Can I ask who you are?"

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Wearing this | Madalena Antares

Organics and their smile, A.K.R.I. thought and offered one in return. She was no stranger to such things, Katrine was known for her laughter and giggle, even more so with the arrival of a mini-Kat. It was a human thing, A.K.R.I. learned plenty of time ago.​

Madalena said she was here for Katrine. "Well, I know you're not here to see me," the A.I. chipped in, completely straight-faced before Madalena continued about her purpose of being here was not something that could be discussed over the phone. "Hmm." A quiet little response was given to the choice of words as her mind started calculating the reasons why something would be more personal. After a second, she'd calculated at least fifty possibilities, half of which were in the same family of possibilities. Far too many variables, she decided. "There's a vast number of reasons why something would be so sensitive. Is it life and death?" She was, for lack of a better word, curious as to what it could be; nothing more.​

Again, the woman had spoken, apologizing first. This should be good, A.K.R.I. considered. When humans apologized first, it came out as an insult later. Katrine normally didn't do that, she didn't always see that words could hurt in the traditional sense but Curupira seemed to use it form time to time, but it was a definite insult when she said it like: Don't take this the wrong way but do you mind? or Sorry but could you butt out? Honestly, A.K.R.I. didn't know why Katrine was suddenly mingling with the fake-blonde one at all. She was hardly her Mother and sometimes, she seemed to act like it lately. She was, in all honesty, getting on A.K.R.I.'s nerve (if she had any nerves to get on, that was).​

The insult had gone a very different away and A.K.R.I's first response her eyelids rapidly blinking a few times. She held herself as someone who was more than just a guard? Rude. A.K.R.I. decided. "I am A.K.R.I., I am Katrine's companion. One of my primary functions is commanding Nocte Aranea, but generally, my purpose is that of a companion. I even hold the form of her Mother because frankly, when she made me, she was lonely and missed her Mother." Katrine hated when she said that out loud but it was the truth, and she'd said it plenty of times in front of her. She particularly enjoyed using it with Curupira when she asked why they looked alike, followed by, and don't take this the wrong way, but you're not really her. Served her right as far as A.K.R.I. was concerned. You could swear A.K.R.I. was very protective when it came to Katrine, even though she would never admit to this.​