Private Relief Efforts: The Greenhouses

[Sera Mina]

Wearing: This

Arrived with: Royal Mobile Greenhouse Of Alderaan , Breath of Lysandra , (Both Lysandra-Class Greenhouses )

Armed With: Good Looks, Charm.

Objective: Travel to Alderaan, introduce new starships to Alicio Organa .


Kytrand, four days after her first meeting with Alicio...




Sera stared at the endless Clone Army, that would not be awakened until the heart of the Trade League was invaded by the Sith.

How serene they looked in their stasis chambers.

Alicio had gone for Nathan's idea... introduced to him via Sera of course. She suspected had Nathan been the one to present the idea, he would have been far more hesitant.

"You did well on the Windu's Hand, Sera..."

Sera turned and saw Nathan Bloodscrawl , wearing his black biker gear. He leaned against a wall in the vast preservation chamber.

"Thank you, Nathan." Sera replied.

"Nate will do." Nathan said. "You have impressed me. Our success is tied to one another's actions now. You're a vital part of this ongoing operation."

Sera blinked. Nathan had never been even that informal with her before. She only nodded in acknowledgment before turning back to the tubes.

"How many Clones?" Sera asked.

"Fifteen million...at our last count. Your Mother says it could easily be twenty million by the end."

"That's... that's more than what was available to the Republic at the start of the Clone Wars..." Sera said in surprise.

"Worse. It's more specialized..." Nathan explained grimly, stone faced. "I've been digging through the records on this station's computers...lots of them say a good portion of this army was engineered for Force Sensitivity. Like...like some sort of emergency Jedi Order..."

"Why would your family have created this army?"

"I don't know..." Nathan said emphatically, tired green eyes glancing at all the Stasis tubes. "My father never said a thing, not one thing about a Clone Army. Let alone an emergency Clone Jedi Order. I'm as baffled by its existence as you and your Mother are."

"Are you going to wake them?" Sera asked.

Nathan looked at the tubes.

"Waking them could be potentially disastrous to us. But if we don't wake them, we condemn them to an eternity of Imprisonment...which may be even worse. I...I don't know what I am going to do...not right now, anyway.

"If you free the army and don't use them, they will run to the arms of those who will..." she cautioned. "To free the army will mean someone uses them. They are a threat. Perhaps... perhaps we should consider pulling the plug."

Nathan stared at his soon to be adoptive step daughter.

"Killing possibly twenty million clones? What if it was twenty million Biots, many of whom possess feats of strength and intelligence many times more dangerous than a common Clone?" He asked.

Sera folded her arms. "I'm not saying it's an ideal situation. My answer, I think, would be the same. More so, because as a Biot myself, I can appreciate how absolutely dangerous a Biot is.. We don't even know what this army is for."

"People burn in Hell for less, Sera." Nathan warned sternly. "Even your Mother, who likes killing, knows she wouldn't come back psychologically from doing something on that scale."

"Well we need to think of something. Otherwise when people start to settle Kytrand in larger numbers, when the Alliance becomes aware of Kytrand? We will not be able to hide such an army." Sera replied. "I don't hate any of the people in these tubes. But this is about our survival as an organization. Cloning is illegal, Nate."

"I'm well aware of that... That's why I am still thinking." Nathan replied. "But I am taking your concerns into consideration. You are right to fear this Army. And you are right to fear the consequences of waking it up.

"As long as you're as afraid of the consequences as I am..." Sera trailed.

"I don't experience fear the way you do, Sera..." Nathan replied calmly, walking up to stare at a sleeping Fett Clone.

"But I sometimes wish I did."

Later on.

Sera, Nathan, and Vera Mina , using her red headed espionage guise and a skin tight metallic silver gown. Vera seemed to have settled on this appearance as the one she would use when being Nathan's wife openly.

Vera sipped on a treated solution of blood from a goblet. being an Artificial Vampire (Yeah, the Background Lore was fairly wacky by this juncture). Sera did much the same, but all were eating Atrisian Fugu. As in, the meat that's so hard to prepare that cutting it improperly could risk trace amounts of Tetrodotoxin onto the meat, resulting in possible fatal lung paralysis. Vera had convinced him to try it. It was served in a chrysanthemum pattern as Sashimi by the chef droid.

"Why, Vera, this up there with pizza..." Nathan remarked quietly. "I should try this more often...thanks for suggesting it."

"You're welcome..." Vera replied, sipping her goblet of blood, before daintily placing a piece in her mouth with jeweled chopsticks.

They were within Nathan's quarters aboard the Centurion Class Battle Cruiser Atrisian Sunset, the official warship of Clan Li-Ves. One of many recent experiments Nathan and Vera were conducting at living together.

Sera for her part, passively observed Nathan and her Mother, the quiet little muscle twitches on Nathan's face, how he had to struggle to hold back faint smiles as he used chopsticks to take a portion of white meat, dip it in soy sauce, and then eat it, were more emotion than she had ever seen in him before.

Nathan was happy, for once.

"So, did you put away anyone interesting behind bars?" He asked Vera.

"A racketeer, actually! He had a brilliant little defence attorney, but unfortunately for him, someone knew were to look for where the receipts were heading. I almost didn't get him..." Vera answered as she ate a piece of Fugu.

"And I am very proud of you, Sera! Closing the deal with such a notoriously cautious politician! I doubt I myself could have done a better job! You bring great honor to Clan Li-Ves with your success." Vera added as she turned to her daughter.

"Thank you, Mother." Sera replied and then ate a piece.

"You know, Sera, if this goes as planned..." Nathan trailed, sipping his tea a bit before continuing.

"You're gonna be in the spotlight a lot more often. And when you are in that spotlight...it means those who would see you harmed can target better.

"I already have round the Chrono security..." Sera replied.

"I'm talking about the media. About rival companies...about anyone with the kind of reach similar to what we are attempting to develop." he clarified.

"Those people use hitmen too..." Sera countered.

To her and Vera's shock, this actually got Nathan to burst out in laughter for a few moments before composing himself.

"You're right!" He admitted, still chuckling a bit, and for a second he seemed like a completely normal human being. Sera watched that little glimmer shut tight beneath his psychological armor a second later.

"But seriously..." he said, suddenly all business, as if he had never lost his composure. "There's more ways than bloodshed to destroy another. Keep it in mind..."

"I will, Nate..."

Vera turned to him.

"Nate?" she asked. "You do nicknames now?"

"You want to give me a nickname?" Nathan asked.

Vera considered it.

"I dunno...what would you nickname me?" She asked.

"Uhhh...Bite Master 3000?" Nathan offered.

Vera raised her eyebrows .

Nathan shrugged. "I'm bad with nicknames."

Vera suddenly smiled.

"I love it." she said and they continued eating quietly.


Weeks later, just days before the attacks on the Trade League and Tython...


Two ships, both ten kilometers in length, came out of hyperspace near Alderaan's system.

Both were the first two ships of their line, dagger shapes reminiscent of SSD's slowly came to a halt, in communication with Alderaan's Navy. Naturally, two 10 kilometer vessels with SSD grade shielding would have been cause for concern had they not called ahead. They still approached slowly, at the lowest speed possible.

They were projects long in the works. Four currently in Existence. Alicio was being given the first two. Bacta-Works had the latter two. More were planned.

They were greenhouse, relief vessel, and hospital all rolled into one. With many other applications.

Sera had told Alicio she had something incredible planned. Something that would give His government, his wife's Enclave, and the Alliance itself massive reach on a humanitarian level.

It was intended today be a day of celebration, with The King of Alderaan to inspect these massive vessels, ones that would grow or make nearly anything a recovering populace could need.

Not just Alicio, but Amani Serys , and their children had happily been extended an invite as well...these ships were meant to be used, often and actively, abroad or at home, by the King and his subjects...

...or however many Jedi he or his wife thought they could get away with stuffing aboard it and still not calling it a temple or Enclave.

Sera waited in one of the many Hangar bays of the Ship titled Royal Mobile Greenhouse Of Alderaan, which had an eco architecture style similar to Nytesmyth Academy on the interior. It was in lead of its sister vessel, Breath of Lysandra...

Chef droids waited nearby, preparing tea...

 

[Alicio Organa]

ENROUTE TO THE ROYAL MOBILE GREENHOUSE OF ALDERAAN
ORBIT
​

Amani could not be in attendance, busy with everything happening on Coruscant, and Alicio didn't feel comfortable watching his two children by himself while also keeping up airs for a megacorporation big-wig. So he had planned to arrive alone, as before, to inspect whatever 'incredible' thing Sera was bringing.

But then, Alderaan's defense force contacted him. About massive ships in orbit above the planet. And August just so happened to be in earshot.

"Now, Auggie," Alicio said, kneeling in front of his son with a stern look. "We're meeting with someone very important."

"Like the herdship people?" The toddler was practically bouncing on his heels, inexorably excited.

"Kind of." Alicio adjusted the prince's little suit, making sure he looked presentable. "Ms. Mina and I are trying to help a lot of people. So if you're nice, maybe she'll tell us more about the big ships."

"I want to fly the big ship!"

"You can fly ships when you're older, bud."

"Awww..."

The Alderaanian shuttle finally touched down in one of the massive ship's hangers, it's exit ramp touching the ground with the same grace as before. As before, Alicio's honor guard were the first to exit, followed by the King, and the Prince, hand in hand. Alicio wore his usual black, with his flowing cape behind him, while his son wore a little white suit, which made his splotchy fair-and-green skin pop.

Alicio was far less graceful in his exit this time around, as August was yanking on his arm, immediately trying to dash away. "Woooow! Big ship!"

"Yeah. Big ship indeed." Alicio couldn't hide his raised eyebrows, either. It was impressive.

Seeing Sera nearby, Alicio waved, and started walking her direction.

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

Sera rose up from the table to greet Alicio Organa , now the King, and Alicio's son, August. Sera had chosen a long green gown and polished black heels for the occasion.

"Your Majesty..." she said, bowing to the king, and then a smaller bow to August.

"King Organa, a delight to have you all aboard today. I had some tea prepared. Welcome aboard the Royal Mobile Greenhouse Of Alderaan, a Lysandra-Class Greenhouse. It's sister ship is called Breath of Lysandra.

"These vessels you see have been in the works for a long time. Part of what we discussed in providing the kind of relief that can help many at once, efficiently. It's a ten kilometer garden, Hospital, and many other things." Sera explained. "Four are currently in Existence. Alderaan now possesses two of them..."

Sera gestured happily to the table.

"Would you all like some tea? Or would you prefer getting the inspection underway? I'm certain you must have many questions..."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio walked up to Sera, holding his son's hand tightly to keep him from darting off in an excited frenzy. Alicio returned the bow with a slow head nod of respect, while August, seeing his father's response, tried a similar motion, that ended up more like a head-bang. "Thank you for receiving us, Ms. Mina. Though I will say, your visit was... unexpected, to understate things."

"This is my son. August, introduce yourself." The splotchy half-Mirialan waggled his fingers at the Bacta Works CEO. While being positively terrified of small animals and bugs, the boy had grown absolutely fearless in meeting new people. "Hello! I'm August!"

Alicio gave his immediate surroundings a once-over, letting a frown overtake his face. "I have many questions. And I'm sure the prince does as well. So... inspection first, please."

"How big is the ship? Is it big? Big big? Big big big?" Each word the little boy said seemed to grow faster, and more frantic. "Can I turn the big wheel?"

The King of Alderaan passed along an apologetic smile. "August really loves starships."

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

"Of course, I do apologize for the surprise of the visit. I tend to play my cards close..." she admitted.

She smiled at August. "An honor, Prince."

She giggled slightly at his hyperactive questions.

"Yes, it is big. To be precise, each are exactly ten kilometers in length. That's the length of your "average" Super Star Destroyer. And while it has no weapons, it's defenses rival such ships. You'd need a whole large fleet to take it down..." she explained to them both. "But let's get the inspection underway...and maybe the Prince can turn the big wheel."


Ten minutes later...

The Greenhouse section was basically a simulated environment. It had actual grasslands in parts. As this had been built for Alderaan, banners of the Royal family were draped in important checkpoints on the internal tram they had used.

"To help keep the vessel hidden, we have added stealth systems such as a Gravitic Amplitude Modulator and Optical Camouflage Field to thwart pursuit. We also possess a full compliment of Droid Security, most controlled from a central computer..." Sera explained to both King and Prince as the tram rode past many Eco-Architecture structures.

The tram took them to a cordoned off section where the Bio Bacta Trees, large and glowing in soft blue light, were tended to by droids in terrariums. Sera led them to one of the larger trees, to see the droids fixing special faucets to the trunk of the blue and white glowing tree in certain places, with cannisters beneath, and they could watch as Bacta was extracted from one part of the trunk, while another, thicker liquid substance, colored very dark blue, was also extracted.

"The resin of the tree..." she pointed out. "Research continues here on the substances industrial and medical applications..."

She turned to Alicio Organa

"They can dock with the Vonnuvi Herdship at any time." she added. "The Herdship itself should be getting it's own small versions of these trees in a day or so, but these ships can provide replacements should something happen to the ones we deliver. They are also more than capable of evacuating thousands, or treating them, or, um...harboring Jedi..." she added rather quickly, basically letting him know on the sly that they could serve as an emergency Enclave if need be.

"Would you both like to wander the area some more, or would you like to see the Research and Development Section?"

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Ooh!" August hung on everything Sera said, even though he likely didn't understand half the words. He knew enough to understand the ship was awesome. "Is... ten kimometers a lot?" He looked to his dad.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Alicio sent a tiny smile August's way, before to the BactaWorks CEO. It was about time they saw what this new ship had to offer.

Alicio had to keep a firm grip on August as they traveled through the Royal Greenhouse.

With the House Organa security detail close behind, the little boy kept trying to make a break for it. Not to escape his father, but just because he was dying to see everything quicker. Eventually, Alicio resorted to picking up the overactive toddler, who still tried to craned his neck around to see everything.

As Sera explained various sections of the ship, Alicio nodded along. Every once in a while, August would whisper "What does that mean?," in his ear, and Alicio would do his best to return an answer a child could understand.

It was the first time Alicio was seeing the Bio Bacta Trees being utilized and tended to. He took special note of it, watching the busy droids went from tree to tree. August, too, took special note, smiling wide at the pretty plants. "Good," the King offered, at the news that the Vonnuvi would be getting their grove soon. "Hopefully these trees... bear fruit. Metaphorically speaking."

Sera asked if they wished to continue the tour, or stay here. Alicio pondered it a moment, before responding. "Let's keep moving. I can take in the sights later, but... I would like to see what is in the works." He let the tour continue a moment, before posing a question.

"What is the primary function of these vessels?"

"What does that mean?"

"Ah... What is the ship's main job?" Would it lose any efficiency, trying to do too much? Then, he added to Sera. "What do you imagine the Royal Mobile Greenhouse of Alderaan doing, when fully realized?"

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

"The Primary function of these vessels is to--ostensibly--provide vital supplies to worlds affected by invasion or refugee influx..." Sera explained to Alicio Organa and his son as she circled the Bio Bacta Tree.

"In this case, Bacta, which is also being tested in small samples aboard this very vessel for use in other medical and industrial products. It's also designed to project the ideals of the Alliance, that it's greatest strengths are not in how many ways it can assert dominance, but the countless other ways it can leverage it's sheer economic and scientific knowledge to restore property, health, and livelihoods. That it can change far more lives with a hand of peace than a blaster..." she elaborated to them both.

"I imagine these vessels being used at critical periods just after invasions that have been fended off, or at natural disasters. You have to aggressively tackle a lot of the problems as early as you can. Most stack up in the first few hours of such aftermaths so much that they can overwhelm typical relief agencies. A Brain and a regenerative system for a damaged body, metaphorically speaking, is how these ships function, taking the pressure off local governments once they arrive, allowing the Alliance to free up resources in other vital areas." Sera added gesturing them to follow her to the tram.

"As the vessels are meant to be as self sufficient as possible, it would be desirable to send them to the edges of Alliance borders as a first response to ravaged planets that have otherwise still been successfully held by our side. It's not a perfect solution, of course..." she admitted as she got in, waiting until they were aboard before starting up. "Even as mighty as the four currently in Existence are, they can only do so much. Many more would need to be built, likely with recycled materials under a salvaging plan the eggheads are drawing up in accounting..."

Ten minutes on the tram passed before arriving at the entrance to Research and Development, the lobby of which was filled with green plants in terrariums and durasteel fountains, the floor tiles a bright enamel green. Sera went to an observation port to a nearby section, where all manner of Staff hired from Refugee populations tended to the equipment...and grew visibly unnerved at spotting Syd Celsius in a skintight green jumpsuit seemingly assisting in fixing the welding equipment.

Syd was the creepiest, most unsettling creature Sera had ever met, despite her immense beauty. There was just something off about her, and to her even greater internal disquiet, she noticed even ordinary humans without the Force instinctively sensed something was up with her, and avoided her as a result. It seemed to make for a very lonely woman, in Sera's opinion but she knew the story and refused to offer sympathy. Syd was a monster. An even bigger freak of nature than her own mother, who couldn't even hold a candle to the bodies Syd had left behind her in life, despite, at times, having acted almost as murderous as Syd's Sith Alter Ego. A light side user by circumstance more than choice described Syd best, a broken woman allied with the man whose life and family she had destroyed simply because her knowledge made her too valuable to dispatch just yet. But Nathan would not be patient forever. Just long enough to get what he wanted from her before bringing the hammer down, preferably on her skull. Despite all her terrible power, she was living on borrowed time. As soon as The Cult of The Brain Demon was destroyed, so too, would she be.

Syd headed out of the lab. "Miss Mina..." Syd greeted with the Coruscant accent of the creature she had merged with to survive a loss at Korriban, and whose hated face she now bore. "The power grid in equipment diagnostic lab 538 has been repaired. I'll be heading to the med bay now to assist there." Syd said, sparing a quick glance at Alicio Organa and his Son, her movements almost too fluid to be natural.

Sera hid her disquiet. Syd wasn't forbidden aboard the vessel, but she had no idea how she had gotten aboard at all. Syd seemed to go where she pleased these days in the organization Nathan formed.

"Of course, Surt'r..." Sera trailed, using the name Syd now used when walking amongst the NJO these days. "And thank you for coming aboard to assist..."

Syd nodded politely with a small, knowing, pleasant smile that sent odd chills down Sera's spine. She would have been more at ease had Syd started making blatantly obvious snark and double entendre's and outright trying to embarrass her. But this...

That small smile, so lacking in malevolence, might as well have been the cocking of a shotgun to Sera. Did Syd do this sort of thing just to keep Nathan and his allies paranoid? Just to keep them on their toes? Even Nathan couldn't tell. Syd's bizarre urges these days often only made sense to her. The quirkiness that might have been endearing in another was nightmare fuel to everyone who knew Syd and despised her precisely for being Syd.

"You have a nice day, Miss Mina..." Syd addressed before floating slightly off the floor and hovering into another section, ordinary people instinctively getting out of her way before they had even seen her.

Sera turned back to Alicio. "I have a special project I wanted you to look at. Please follow me..."

 

[Alicio Organa]

August looked up at his father, the obvious question in his eyes. Alicio thought a moment. "It means... they're supposed to help people, that are hurt. And be friends with planets that they visit."

"Oh! Okay!" August smiled wide, while Alicio turned to directly address the CEO again.

"And with all the difficulty in making these vessels, the expenses and scientific achievements being accomplished here... you're just giving two to Alderaan." Alicio stared out past Sera, words writing themselves behind Alicio's impassable eyes. "I'm not complaining. Alderaan can be trusted to use them responsibly, and I will do my best to ensure they perform at peak efficiency... But what do your share-holders think of your... charitable donation?"

It was a probing question, to be sure. He felt like he had a good guess at the megacorp's game. What he didn't know was how much the company was investing in their little gamble.

After a long tram ride, they were deposited in a room of vibrant green. August immediately tried to run around the room, but a whisper from the Future caused Alicio to suddenly pick up the toddler. Aug protested for a moment, but grew still as they stopped to talk with a woman.

If she even was that. Her appearance was mostly normal, but there was a perversion in the Force, that even August could pick up on. Alicio had taught his son never to judge someone based on appearances, to give everyone a chance... but both father and son were silent. August's was more shocked, quiet and still as if he were trying to hide. Alicio's quiet was sharpened by focus, as he tried to examine his discomfort, and the woman, searching for danger, or understanding.

The interaction was short, and this Surt'r was gone without so much as a word to the monarchs.

"I have a special project I wanted you to look at. Please follow me..."

Alicio nodded. Then, after a brief pause... "Who was that?"

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

"That was Surt'r..." Sera answered.

(OOC: Pronounced "Surtur" just like in Thor: Ragnarok)

"She's a Force Healer associated at a low level with various Jedi Enclaves, including the Vonnuvi Enclave more recently. Also did work at Susevfi. She possesses unique abilities at rapidly healing large numbers of people, even from very severe wounds." Sera elaborated as she began leading them into the research sections, the terrarium like aesthetic following everywhere, blending seamlessly into lab architecture, and the various warning and safety hazard signs. "Her work as a healer carries her many other places in emergencies."

(Kreia: A mutant of tremendous strength, both physically and in the Force)

She directed them into a chamber where a decontamination laser swept over them before allowing them into what was titled "Section Lysandra"

"As your wife is noted as a skilled Healer, We chose to dedicate a small section on this ship to the research of medical technologies specifically geared to aid Force Users in healing wounds more rapidly... especially on themselves. It's caused us to turn to unconventional solutions..."

She directed them to a display on one of the experiment worktables, appearing to be a small cyber implant with built in, jagged crystal nodes, wired to severely damaged Tissue that was fixing itself.

"Our implant here is using specially cut kybers to enhance the type of healing it offers. Very early stages, but shows great promise adapting to Force Users..." she added....

Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio didn't believe Sera's answer about this Surt'r.

It was an odd thing to lie about, that was true. Why tell him she worked with Jedi, knowing he was deeply connected to the Order? But he knew it couldn't be true, not in any meaningful way. A Jedi would be able to sense what he did. A Jedi would know not to trust a healer who felt like an anathema of the Force.

Only a passing shadow betrayed any of the senator's inner feelings on the matter. He let it go for now, but he began casting a more critical eye on the space around them. "Sorry, Daddy," said August, a frown on his face. "I didn't say hi."

"That's okay, buddy. I didn't, either."

Soon, the party found itself in 'Section Lysandre', the apparent medical and R&D section of the cruiser. Again, perhaps showing a bit more caution, Alicio found a frown. "Cut kybers?"

From his understanding, many naturally-occuring kyber crystals had a pseudo-sentience. He passed a hand over the machine, reaching out with his feelings, seeking any hint of perversion, or pain from the crystals. While he searched, he asked one more question, half to keep Sera occupied, and half out of genuine curiosity.

"The other ship bears the name Breath of Lysandra. This section is called Lysandra."

"Who is Lysandra?"

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

"These Particular Kyber Crystals are Synthetic in nature, taken from a single source that is very slow to regrow." She explained. "The ones you see in that device on display grew off the main sample and were eventually removed, and we have to polish and shape them at the point they broke off from the main sample for this particular device to have the potential it shows. Here...have a look, loose sample..." Sera said going over to a nearby safe and typing in a Code, removing a vial that had a softly glowing orange shard suspended between fabric covered pins that gripped it very softly.

"Sample 77-77." Sera explained to Alicio Organa as she handed it to him. "I'm told they can even be used in lightsabers..."

Then Alicio asked the million credit question.

"Lysandra Crownwraithe..." Sera answered. "A Jedi from the Gulag Era, tragically unremembered by the modern incarnation of the Jedi Order. She was the last living member of an old warrior bloodline of Atrisia, and was tutored by the Jedi Master Moya De Lifte...."

Sera went over to an opaque transparisteel pillar in an alcove of the research room and flipped a switch on the side, displaying a rather ancient looking Lightsaber Pike.

"I'm part of the Atrisian Clan she is an ancestor to via my Mother being head of the Clan after she was adopted into it." Sera spoke. "We keep what fragments of her existence we have managed to locate over the years. The Gulag Era screwed up all kinds of records. Not much documentation from that period survived. We named this section and this vessels sister ship after her to honor her memory."

The Pike had faint echoes in the Force, faint wisps of the lives saved by it...and the Dark Side Users slain by it...old notes of forgotten adventures that could be felt by even the weakest sensitive if they focused.

"She was a Jedi Guardian and Healer, operating in a lawless time full of violence and chaos even worse than what we find ourselves in. Few people beyond Historians can appreciate just how awful the effects of the Plague were on Society, how it ground everything to a halt, reduced worlds to one continuous gang ridden wasteland." Sera spoke, going over to another unlit display close by depicting a heavily tattered parchment that depicted a hieroglyph of a female figure in black, biker gear like clothing wearing a golden mask, wielding a blue lightsaber. The rest of the damaged, faded parchment showed a trail of slain Sith behind her and an archaic written version of Basic with a lot of the passages missing.

"No known photos or images of her other than this one survive. It talks of her time on Anaxes, purging the world of a Sith Order attempting to set up shop...." Sera explained.

"Tragically, she met her end on Dantooine, along with her husband, at the tail end of the Plague..." Sera finished, shutting the display down. "She was someone willing to pay the ultimate price to protect who she cared about. And in Lysandra's case, she paid a price much, much worse than Death...she exemplified the limits the Order is willing to go to protect the innocent, even if it means going unappreciated. Even if it puts one at risk of being totally forgotten for their trouble, as she almost was." she explained before turning to face them.

"On my end, it was decided that if anyone out there deserved something of a gigantic mobile memorial, so that their name, even if nothing else about them truly survived, then that 'anyone' was Lysandra...every ship like this afterward shall bear the classification of Lysandra-Class Greenhouse to make sure her name, and the name of the old and noble clan she was part of, lives on in some small way as a spark of good and honor to travel the stars to save others as she did in life."



Ten minutes later...

The Turbolift lead to the Hospital Deck which was hypermodern, enough to rival the facilities at Coruscant...and curiously silent and empty save for the staff getting everything prepared for it's grand opening.

Many of the scientists were still calibrating certain equipment, running the safety checks themselves. Everything had that strange, eco architecture feel reminiscent of Alderaan Aesthetics, blended with the pristine, almost blinding white of a Med Center. The banners of the Royal House were draped over the archways, and Bacta Tanks, Stasis Pods, and cryo tanks could be seen in rows placed strategically throughout the deck as she led them through places still quite busy.

"The Medical deck of this vessel is fully staffed, able to treat a large City's worth of people at any given point in time. It's staff are almost all Refugees trained at Nytesmyth Academy on Susevfi, with the rest partly coming from your own world as well as some of the Core. We also maintain a small medical academy here to train new Doctors." Sera spoke as she gave the tour, eyes glancing to one side while she was pointing out the ultra modern medical equipment when she spotted Surt'r in the far distance doing something strange to what looked to be a staff worker's somehow broken arm, covering it in bandages covered in glowing green runes. Most of the staff were just watching her mutter something under her breath as each rune one the bandaged arm subtly blazed into a spurt of green fire and then nothingness, straightening the limb out as each rune burnt up, until all the runes were gone and she removed the bandages. She cursed silently, having only a moment to note it. She had hoped Surt'r had moved on by this point. But the best laid plans...

Fortunately, a lot of workers had been gathered around to watch, somewhat obscuring Surt'r's bizarre method of healing from her and Alicio's angle...but not his son. His son would have been able to witness the entire bizarre process take place from his angle. And yet despite healing him, there was still visible unease around her from the others. Her expression was a mask of impassivity but one might possibly detect a hint of melancholy to her gaze as she floated about, assisting uneasy crew who nonetheless accepted her help due to her knowing how to calibrate such equipment during disaster scenarios.

She 'would' choose to pick 'today' to loiter. Sera grumbled in her head as Surt'r floated off a few inches above the ground, carrying boxes of tools as she flew to other technicians.

"Are you two hungry?" Sera asked. "Moving around such a large ship does build appetite... afterwards, we can head up to the bridge..." she suggested to Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio found Sera's answer about the kyber, and his own perceptions through the Force, to be satisfactory. He nodded once, a reserved look on his face. "It shows promise, then. I'm not as versed in Force-augmented healing as my wife, but if trials are successful... I could see this being a game-changer."

He listened in quiet intensity as the CEO explained the history of the name: a deceased Jedi hero of the Four-Hundred Year Darkness. She seemed important, even if her impact was scarcely remembered. Even Alicio's guards seemed drawn in by the tale, especially as ancient accounts and a lightsaber were produced. "In times of strife... many heroes have their deeds go unsung. In my schooling years, I had a fascination with Darkness-era literature. We have so little, from a time so expansive... Master Crownwraithe is fortunate that her legacy continues."

A few minutes passed as the tour continued, bringing them through the rest of the medical wing. The architecture was refreshingly Alderaanian, making Alicio wonder just how long the company had been planning to partner with his people. The repeat sighting of this Surt'r raised Alicio's hackles, his gaze turned to the barely-perceptible woman. In the Force, he tasted something... odd, from the area, but he couldn't quite see what had happened. His guards also had their eyes turned towards the crowd, an unspoken unease trading between them.

Suffice to say, he was as eager to continue with their day as Sera was. "Yes. I think it's about that time. What do you think, August?"

No response. Alicio looked down at his side.

The Prince was gone.

Syd Celsius would be floating away, towards a new batch of workers, when she would see an odd sight.

A little boy, hued with a splattering of human and Mirialan skin tones, stepped into her path, and waved at her. The toddler was obviously putting on a brave face, giving the woman a shaky smile.

"Hi!" August stuck out his hand, as if waiting to shake hers. "My name is August. You are scary and also nice."

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

Syd Celsius had been retrieving tools trying to keep her jumbled memories straight to and keep her innate schizophrenia as a Force Spawn under control. Why had she come here? What had been her reasoning?

Had she unconsciously taken a suggestion from one of the people living in her?

She felt useful, and being here reminded her of why Nathan hated her.

The boy in her path, smiling at her in a way that sent a sliver of pain through her in how his smile reminded her of her student Starlin Rand .

Syd set her green boots on the ground, landing in front of him some meters away.

"Hello." she said, managing a small smile for August, trying to be normal for the boy for just a few minutes. Or at least, as normal as someone like her could get. She was vaguely aware of his potential in the Force, even though she was desperately keeping her abilities locked in her skull.

"It.... it's nice to meet you, your...young highness. I'm Surt'r..." Syd said, walking up and shaking his hand hesitantly, just in order to be polite, keeping her power locked within her flesh. It was the truth. In the sense that the name had belonged to one of her prior incarnations. Now it was her name again. A different name for a different face, and in a sense, a different person.

"And...thanks...I think..." she replied to his second comment, hiding her unease. The Voices whispered about his strength and memories and words and voices mashed together as a white noise in her head that she fought to ignore, desperately trying not to frighten him.

"I am...a Force Healer. I volunteer around the Alliance. This project in particular has...caught my attention as of recently. Other times I help out Jedi I run into from the various enclaves." she stammered to him, forgetting where she was for a moment. Forgot who even he was for a split second, eyes going from confusion to sudden recognition again just as quickly.

Could he hear the white noise?

Syd was never more than a silent presence at the most general of these enclave meetings, on volunteer status. She kept to herself. Spoke little. Never looked other Jedi in the eye, just often dropped off donated supplies and left. Occasionally she gave hints to Jedi trying to lift curses if she happened to be nearby.

"You...seem to have separated from your father and Miss Mina..." Syd trailed, silently fighting the anxiety from the mismatched, disjointed personas within. All she had now were the voices and the nightmares and Nathan's desire to strangle her constantly swimming around in her head.

Broken, sharp fragments of a Broken Mind. Power, but no past, no future, just a present where the moments bled into each other. A pile of burning wreckage with thoughts that barely fit together most times behind an extremely pretty facade, complimented by a child who knew not what he was speaking to. Who probably would have ran in the other direction if he had.

A bead of sweat formed on a temple as she struggled to figure out what to say over the clattering of voices.

"We should go see...about reuniting you, your Majesty--" she stammered nervously, forgetting where she was a few seconds more before refocusing.

"Prince August?" Called out Sera softly, but there was no hiding the distress in her eyes that the crown prince was momentarily unaccounted for. The Guards hid their own distress at how easily the boy slipped by under their watch as they searched with her.

"Over here." Syd called out, waving at them, his innocent smile reminding her of happier times. She tried not to think of it.

Sera quickly came over with his father and body guards.

"I'm relieved to see you, Prince August." Sera said to him. Childlike curiosity had drawn him to Syd, the strangest thing in the whole place. She glanced at Syd, who didn't smile, feeling the eyes on her. The Voices cringed within her at the spotlight.

Why had she gone here?

Syd managed to meet the King of Alderaan's gaze with a hesitant, uncertain one that held two seconds before they fluttered away.

"Your Majesty..." Syd said to Alicio Organa , fighting to act normal, seeing the subtle change in body language from the guards. Her heart pounded. The Voices prompted her to try and explain herself.

"He wandered off in my direction and introduced himself. I..."

Everyone seemed larger than her. Her left hand trembled slightly as she struggled to keep her thoughts together and not become unglued in front of everyone.

"I...I was just about to go look for Miss Mina and yourself to deliver him back to you..." she said, knowing her strange, unnatural aura in the Force was not helping.

Her hand trembled slightly some more. Her posture shifted uncomfortably in their presence, refusing to look anyone in the eye for more than a second. Her effort to keep her breathing at a steady pace, from going to hyperventilating was an enormous strain. She just didn't talk to people anymore if it wasn't in a crisis situation.

She had no idea how to talk to a small child any longer, never mind the King of Alderaan...

Sera hid how much she was on pins and needles. They had never been meant to even see her, let alone speak to her.

Because even if Syd was legitimately unstable, it didn't make her any less of a dangerous abomination just barely capable of basic morality.

Still, she had no choice but to let it play out. Insisting they leave would only make the king suspicious.

Up close, all the power Syd was keeping locked up to avoid scaring August couldn't quite be fully hidden at close range from someone like Alicio Organa , mainly because she no longer knew how to. Wisps of the terrible displays of power she was capable of weaved silently and invisibly around her, mixed with anxiety and innate confusion...

and...deeper still past that...a terrifying level of intelligence.

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I'm August!" The little boy shook Surt'r's hand, growing braver by the second, his fear replaced by curiosity.

If she'd wanted the prince not to immediately imprint on her, she shouldn't have revealed herself as a healer like his mother, or be so fascinating. Her apparent unease only drew the boy in closer, as he swayed back and forth on his feet. "Don't be scared. I'm not scary. I'm August!"

"You okay. You okay." He smiled up at her, warm and innocent.

It was about then Alicio and Sera arrived on the scene. Losing his son on such a large ship had immediately made the former Count's anxiety spike, which heightened as he saw who his son was with. Jogging over, eyes suspiciously boring into Syd, the King finally spoke. "August. Come over here, please."

"Okay. Bye, Sata!" The prince walked over to his father, who kneeled to get on his level.

"Buddy, you have to stay with me. You can't wander off by yourself."

"Sorry. I was saying hi!" August frowned, just now realizing Alicio's heightened emotions.

"You scared me, Aug. If you want to talk to somebody, talk to me first." The prince only nodded, his head down. Alicio held onto his hand, perhaps a little firmer than before. He could sense the terrible power coming from Surt'r. Barely-contained. With her uncomfortable expression, it was clear to him she was just barely keeping it together. Alicio stood, his mouth a firm line.

"Thank you for... entertaining him. And making sure he didn't wander further." Despite his suspicion, he could say that much honestly. "August enjoys making friends... a bit too much."

"Sera tells me you assist the Jedi." He prompted her to elaborate.

"She nice!" Aug insisted.

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

"Yes, your highness. I deliver medical supplies to Enclaves. Sometimes I assist Jedi in the field if I happen to run into one..." Surt'r said, trying to keep her thoughts orderly. Some days she did better than others. This was not one of them.

"My specialty is the healing of others en masse through old light side rituals," she added, trying not to come apart. Sera maintained a professional, stoic expression, but she pretty much was, on the inside, that meme of Jordan Peele sweating uncontrollably.

"Your...son...is very...polite, your highness. " Syd stammered, heart pounding. "He was nothing but good natured towards me. He...he didn't mean any harm..."

Syd paused a second, trying to cover for the fact her anxiety had caused her to forget who the guy standing in front of her was before catching back on.

While the sound of Jordan Peele sweating intensified within Sera, Syd continued trying to behave normally.

"So...your...h-highness..." Syd continued to stammer, left hand trembling uncontrollably now in very small, subtle movements, that Peele meme going even harder in her subconscious than it did in Sera's. Where was she? Oh right...

"Is...is the...the...the..."

Syd cupped a hand over her mouth, slowly drew it away, her lips drawn tightly together out of embarrassment at how bad her stammering had gotten.

After she took a few seconds to collect herself, she started over.

"Is...the...greenhouse...to your liking your ma-jes-ty...?" Syd barely got out in a quiet voice, trying to hold his gaze and failing miserably in how her eyes fluttered and darted around once every few seconds, struggling to remember what it was like to talk to people who weren't deadly bio androids, engineered soldiers, a pissed off murdered Jedi back from the dead, and her own inner personas...


Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I know he is." Alicio managed a thin-lipped smile down towards August, who was beaming with pride at the compliment. Auggie being kind was never something Alicio was worried about. The only person August could be rude to, in Alicio's experience, was his sister Liana. "But he still shouldn't wander off on his own."

Surt'r's eclectic mind seemed to grow even more scattered, the more she talked. It was obvious she was intensely uncomfortable, but he sensed no deception from her, either.

"So...your...h-highness...Is...is the...the...the...Is...the...greenhouse...to your liking your ma-jes-ty...?"

A new softness found the king's face. Despite his reservations, he didn't like pressing somebody who was only trying to help. He decided to show a little less intensity, swooping Aug up into his arms. "It is. I think even just this one ship could do a hell of a lot of good for the galaxy. With a fleet of them... It's almost too much to imagine."

Just then, Alicio decided to do something very stupid. He connected with the force-wielder's mind, speaking to her with telepathy. <Are you alright, Surt'r? Are you safe?>

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

Syd, caught unprepared for an attempt at telepathy due to trying to keep her power bottled up, was a cacophony of whispers that responded in sheer panic to the telepathic prod.

YOuShoULDn'TbEehErEtOomUcHNOisESiLENCesIlenCePAINSHEWASLedAsTRayANDITISMYfAuLTMaKEITsToPSILENCESILenCENOIsesEVEryWHERE--

Through this cacophony of whispers, his mind might have glimpsed her patchwork soul in the ethereal distance, represented as a golden mirror with broken shards held in place by sheer will, and on each shard a distinctly different face, some old, some young (See bio for details), but each adding to the power of the whole, and at the center was two broken shards, each making up a whole visage, but each side of the face formed was distinctly different. One side was the face Syd currently had, the other a distinctly different face, but melting together at the seams.

Discipline fought through her own schizophrenia for a moment, and she prevented his telepathic prod from going any further, before he could get a glimpse of truly sensitive information (Like her real name) but there was no hiding the fact that she was an incredibly ancient Force User of immense experience and strength, but broken by some sort of relatively recent trauma. It showed in how messed up the mirror itself looked--each face was in pain, not really real, separate beings themselves, but expressions of the creature at the center, desperately trying to hold together a fragmented mind that had been horribly violated by a deadly enemy.

Some things did escape her however, without her realizing it...


(Bioshock Plasmid Acquisition Theme Plays)

(Telepathic contact with a Force Spawn, an inherently schizophrenic creature, has allowed Alicio-and, by complete accident through his connection to his son, August- the chance to accidentally absorb knowledge of certain abilities that will manifest at Padawan level in both Alicio and August when selected, and permanently increases their connection to the Force by a noticeable amount, En Sabah Nur style. Only one power can be selected by either character
You can have Alicio and August receive completely different abilities each from the list below or the same abilities.

NOTE: This is entirely optional. You do not have to do so if you don't want to)

(Please make your selection--or not)

(FORCE POWERS)

PYROKINESIS

Spoiler

One of the most ancient and terrible powers in the Alter category, and Syd's go-to method of dispatching foes to this day. It takes years of discipline to truly learn, but once you have, you'll be a walking Arson claim. As skill grows, base abilities grow stronger and new tricks can be learned

If selected, grants:

Pyro Resistance: Due to being accidentally absorbed knowledge from Syd, then even at Padawan levels, Alicio and August will have extreme resistance to flames, and will be able to breathe superheated air without discomfort or death

Convection: Heat air in a short radius around you to uncomfortable degrees

Redirect: Redirect low strength fires

ELECTRIC JUDGEMENT

Spoiler

Light Side Force Lightning. Controversial Force Power that conjures light side energy in a directed attack that manifests in a manner resembling electricity. Normally painless and non lethal, only knocking out normal light side or non force user targets at lower levels. This power, however can significantly harm and even possibly kill strong Dark Side Users even at lower levels due to the sheer concentration of Light Side energy reacting with the pollution in the body of a Dark Side User. It actually takes skill to avoid killing a Dark Side User with it. A skill that comes only with mastery. For everyone else? You may fire at will.

If selected, this grants:

Electro-recovery: Due to being accidentally absorbed knowledge from Syd, even at Padawan levels, August and Alicio will recover and heal unusually quickly from electrical damage

Radius Charge: release multiple, weak short range bolts arcing from the center of the body to the ground in a short radius around the user

Chain Bolt +1: fire weak green bolt that can chain up to two people

MAGIC ABSORPTION

Spoiler

Force Power geared to specifically absorbing attacks from ritual and spell practiced by self described Witches and Sorcerers.

If selected, this grants:

Ritual Resistance: Due to being accidentally absorbed from Syd, this grants Alicio and August permanently increased resistance to the effects of prepared ritual magic, especially when they are the subject of said ritual, and their body slowly purges the effects of magic over time after exposure, and becomes extremely resistant to the effects of Sith Poison

Spell Absorb +1: Absorb up to forty percent of a spell's effects

Spell Reflect: Reflect powerful spell back on attacker with great concentration

FORCE REGENERATION

Spoiler

"You took all the medicine, didn't you?"

---Laura/X-23

Extreme version of Force Healing, that focuses on rapidly healing a specific area of the body at Padawan levels, to the exclusion of potentially other major wounds. At master levels you'll be able to heal most stuff on your body rapidly, even brain tissue...at the exclusion of being unable to use other Force Powers for potentially days after and having heavily weakened speed and strength while in use and fighting.

Selecting this grants:

Bio-Recovery: Rapid healing of all minor wounds on both Alicio and August. In proximity to close loved ones/relatives such as Amani Serys, their own natural healing rate is passively increased at a slight amount as long as they remain in close proximity. Grants extreme Radiation Resistance, able to survive extreme hotzones for extended periods of up to a month what would rapidly kill others in hours or minutes, due to body permanently becoming more efficient at purging harmful radiation from it's cells almost as fast as it can accumulate. Any clothes being worn are also eventually radiation free. If Amani Serys is in proximity, she too will passively gain the Radiation Resistance...but only as long as she is in proximity of 7 to 10 meters at all times.


Mass Heal: Slowly heal incredibly large numbers of people from even serious wounds over the course of several days, at the cost of being unable to use other Force Powers other than healing for potentially months afterwards

Sacrifice: Give up a year's worth of life energy to heal an otherwise fatal wound on another.

(CHOOSE WISELY)


...in truth the mental contact happened in under two seconds, but it was enough to make Syd's head snap back and stumble back as she suffered a minor seizure, and every single light in the immediate deck shorted out, startling everyone.

Glowing green blood dripped out of Surt'r's nose as she clutched her head in pain, rolling on the ground, eyes rolled into her head as she fought to lock everything back down, flesh rippling like disturbed water everywhere on her body...

Sera backed off a step, face palming at the absolute disaster...

"Medic!" She called out "King Organa? Prince Organa? Are you alright?" she asked sincerely, particularly worried about August...he was the first small child she had ever interacted with and she would be crushed if he had come to harm because of being in proximity to Syd...

Alicio Organa

 

[Alicio Organa]

Many, stitched into one.

Alicio was immediately fascinated with what he sensed. Voices, crowded into one mind, that mind an amalgamation of different minds, pushing and pulling against each other. But then, something bled through to him. The former Count had impressive mental defenses, but he'd opened himself up. And he received backlash, immediately.

In a moment, Alicio was seized, memories and experiences flash-burnt into his mind, like a bolt of electricity. For a moment, he couldn't move, completely at Surt'r's mercy. Then, the lights turned off, and Alicio hissed in pain, a hand clawing up to his face.

Then, August started crying.

Alicio's guards immediately surrounded the royal family, cautiously pointing blasters at Syd, but Alicio wasn't paying attention. His son was bawling, his hands cradling his own tiny head.

"Auggie! You're safe, you're okay, buddy!" Alicio held August tight against him. The boy wasn't hurt physically, but Alicio could sense the pain, after the boy's own headache.

"Ow," the boy replied, through a fit of sobs.

The nobleman's eyes suddenly grew severe, hard like iron. He turned to Sera, imperious.

"It's time for us to go."

- Sera Mina -

 

[Sera Mina]

"I...I'm so sorry..." Syd called out weakly, still clutching her head an in severe pain, guilt ridden as she heard August's sobs of pain.

"I'm so sorry..." she called out, even as the blasters were pointed at her. The Medics arrived and soon began scanning Alicio Organa and his son for injuries.

Sera, pinching the bridge of her nose at the disaster, went up to the King as he expressed his desire to leave.

"Of course, your Majesty. I offer my sincerest apologies for this incident." Sera said, snapping her fingers to nearby personnel as a signal to get the tram ready to go back to his ship.

"Surt'r has never been anything but helpful aboard this vessel. But then again...I've never seen her do anything like this before. H..how was Prince August injured?" she asked, dread on her face for the boy as he cried, as guilt ridden as Syd was, who was refusing medical attention, curled into a fetal position and crying her eyes out over hurting August by accident.

"Surt'r...she... she's schizophrenic. " Sera said in quiet realization and terror for both him and August. "I should have warned you, and for that I apologize...but I thought you were only going to speak to her for thirty seconds, a minute tops. I never dreamed you would attempt telepathy."

And indeed, that was exactly how long he had spoken to Surt'r. A minute. A minute to turn all of this into a chitshow.

Either way, they couldn't stay here. Surt'r finally consented to being put on a repulsor gurney and carted off.

Sera was silent with the king for most of the tram ride back to the hangar, utterly mortified and embarrassed at what happened.

"Your Majesty..." she said finally as she reached the hangar. "I offer again my sincerest apologies for what happened. But...I'm fairly certain Surt'r didn't mean to hurt either of you, especially Prince August. She would never hurt a child of her own free will. Ever. She was as horrified as I was that the Prince got hurt. Normally, she's one of our best healers..." she said as she followed the King and his bodyguards back to the vessel.

"I...I can only hope your outlook on the vessels themselves hasn't soured as a result of this unfortunate experience. If there is anyway I can further reduce the traumatic impact to you and your child over today's events, I am prepared to do so..." Sera offered. It had been going so well.

"How badly was the Prince hurt?" she asked in a quieter voice, crestfallen that a child had been injured due to her own simple miscalculation of waiting too long to separate them. But how could she have predicted Alicio would use Telepathy?

This was the first serious mistake in a high up social circle Sera had ever made on this scale, and her organic databases were all kinda shrugging in exasperation at how to proceed forward...

 

[Alicio Organa]

August was still crying as him and his father were walked away. But by the end of the tram ride, the headaches were completely gone for both Organas, with only a few sniffles from the young boy. With time also came... perspective. Alicio's stone-like face had grown softer and softer with time and distance.

Alicio finally spoke, even as he wasn't entirely sure himself. "I think he was more... scared, than anything. Are you okay, buddy?"

"Mmm... hic... mmm-hmm," the prince finally said, between hiccupping sniffles.

Sera was rightfully worried the experience would hurt diplomatic relations. He would be, too. "I don't... blame you, certainly, nor do I blame this ship. I don't view this project any less, because of this." Still, it seemed something was on his mind, robbing him of putting his whole chest behind the sentiment. They got within sight of the vessels. It was nearly time for them to leave.

"...Daddy?" Auggie's voice was small against his chest. Alicio looked down, saw the expression in his son's eyes, saw in the Future what he was about to say... and sighed.

"Yeah. You're right." He turned to one of his guards, and pass off the toddler to him. "Get the prince to the Estate. Make sure he sees a healer."

"Uh... Your Majesty?"

He turned to Sera, his eyes hawk-like. "I can't leave until I've had the chance to speak with Surt'r again."

- Sera Mina -