Return to Yourself [Invited; PM for Invite]

[Anija Betna]

[member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Mirshko Betna"] [member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Muad Dib"] [member="Elpsis Kallikora"]


Betna Homestead
Enciri, Mandalore

Six months after Druckenwell


Frustrated was an understatement. Anija was beside herself with worry. Mirshko had been missing for months now..... close to six if Anija was counting. But who counts? All she knew was that it felt like an eternity. Sighing in frustration, she leaned back in her chair and rubbed at her eyes for a moment before stretching to try and work the kinks out of her back.

She'd been hunched over the computer for hours now, pouring over holonet news bytes, and any information Orick had sent her way after their meeting on Ord Mantell. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen him in almost as long.. but he did tend to vanish on occasion. She frowned again and reread on of the messages he'd sent. One of his contacts had spotted someone matching Mirshko's description in what he called a shadowport. She'd never heard the term. And the message itself was over two weeks old. It took forever for messages to trickle in from the fringes of the galaxy. For all she knew, Mirshko might not even be there now. She hoped she was wrong.

But, she had to try, Maybe others had seen her. It had been a good two to three months now since Anija had been circulating a missing persons report through various Mandalorian channels. So far, nothing had come of it, but she hoped that might change. Frowning in thought, she drafted a quick message, and sent it to Sio, Maad, and Coryth explaining the situation, and what she hoped to do, Maybe... just maybe some of Firemane's people had seen or heard something. She knew they had a rather extensive intelligence network. But, she'd no way to know for sure yet. With a frustrated sigh, Anija pushed away from the desk and stood, making her way into the kitchen for a fresh cup of behot. If anything could help clear her mind and settle her thoughts, that was certainly one of them.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Anija Betna"]


Shadowport.


Here be a wretched hive of scum and villainy. The air of the shadowport was rank with corruption. One could not take a step without breathing in the stale air of decay, wretchedness and crime. For it was omnipresent, almost like a physical force. The rules of the game were very simple: If you were not a master, you were a slave, and your status was ever-fluid. The law of the blaster pistol and the sharp dagger in the night prevailed.


It should come as no surprise that Elpsis felt at home in one of the many arsepits in the Galaxy. This one was somewhat melodramatically named 'Pirate's Bay', though given the multitude of corsairs that called this place their home, she had to admit it was apt. So far she had only needed to kneecap pirates twice for getting grabby, so she counted it as a good day.


One hand was close to the bolt pistol holstered on her thigh, the other held a cigarette while she took a deep drag, sucking in nicotine. All in all, this was probably unnecessary because the air was so filled with smoke that she would be passive smoking anyway. "Thought you wouldn't show. That would've sucked since I'd have to sell these fancy weapons to the Blue Suns," she spoke with a strong sarcastic edge to her voice when her business partner stepped into the room.


"And that would've been an even bigger shame since I'd have to cut your pretty head off," the Cathar gang leader spoke, lips curved into a cruel smile, accompanied by two thugs who looked like bodybuilders. Well, very feline ones, you get the picture.


"Simply kill me, not sell me on the slave market? I'm offended. Thought I was worth a lot," Elpsis spoke sardonically, seemingly nonchalant. The bolt pistol was still in reach. She figured the cat woman was wearing armour beneath the leather, but an APEB round could take care of that. Preferrably by splattering brain matter over the stained floor. Judging by the smell, not so long ago blood had already been spilt here.


"Oh, the Nal Hutta bounty is tempting but reliable sources tell me you deliver well. The question is, do you? I'm on schedule. I do hope you have the goods." Point made, the minions looked like two dogs just waiting for their mistress to let them off the leash so that they could claim their pound of flesh.


"Hate to disappoint your kath hounds, but yeah, I do," Elpsis said with a wink, pointing towards a crate. "You got the creds?"


"Of course, let it not be said that the Red Skulls don't pay their debts." The Cathar whistled and then one minion produced a briefcase. "As agreed. Do feel free to inspect it. You'll find it's genuine."


"I hope so. Last guy who ripped me off, I set him on fire." Nonetheless she jumped down from the crate she had been sitting on when the minions inspected her delivery. "Gotta say, it wasn't easy, but I deliver quality. Enough toys for a little war."


The Cathar picked up an MK2 bolter and ran her hand over it, then smiled. The toothy grin was rather unpleasant in Elpsis' eyes. "Impressive. You know we could use someone like you. I have some very nice slaves, would you like to have a moment or two with..."


Elpsis cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Just the creds. I deliver, you pay. Beyond that I don't care."


"You mind your tongue, girl. If you don't want me to force it down your throat!" one thug growled. How cute. Elpsis looked bored.


"I'm sorry, were you saying something? I see your lips moving but I can't understand what you're saying cause I don't speak Little queen? Talking to the boss, not you," Elpsis snarled. Probably not the way to win friends, but she was not tactful anyway. She slowly exhaled the smoke she had been holding inside her lungs, then flicked the cigarette butt hard. Her hand was clenched into a fist, which meant they would not see the fireball forming inside its palm.


Before the thug could lunge at her a stern look from his boss restrained him and made him back down like a good dog. "Now, now, Galvatron, that's not the way to talk to a friend, is it? Maybe you'll change your mind, dear. Watch your mouth though, not everyone here is as nice as I am. Give her the creds."

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"] [member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Muad Dib"] [member="Anija Betna"]

PIrate's Bay Shadowport - Syvris

Mirshko really had no way to tell time. All she could do was count the number of days that had passed - mostly by how often she was waking and sleeping. And it had been a great many. Months, probably. It was so strange. She had no real sense of it. All her waking hours were occupied with training. And more training. It seemed like that's all she did now. That, and he had her work on controlling Nula. Deep down, she still hated it. But. if that was what it took to gain his trust, she would do it. And she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy the feeling of power.

So often because of her young age, many people overlooked her and what she had to contribute. The only people who didn't seemed to be her parents and their friends. Her parents... The thought made her stomach twist, and she sighed as she buried the feeling of loneliness under layers of dissembling. She'd gotten very adept at it now, for which she was glad of. It gave her some measure of sanity. But even that was fleeting. He continued to pushed her mentally and physically every day, and the amount of training increased gradually as she adjusted to it.

And it left her utterly exhausted. To the point he could barely think. All she had energy to do was eat and sleep and train. But, that seemed to be how he wanted it. Sure, there were occasional trips to the market, but they seemed fewer now. She was so deeply immersed in the training that she hardly had time to go. Though she wanted to. Weeks had passed since she'd last been to the market, and she desperately wanted to go again. It made her feel... alive. She spent far too much time coped up in the little complex Kuryr had made into her home these past few months. More like a prison. she thought to herself.

Over the last several months, he'd increased the intensity of his training. But she too had grown in her own abilities. Sure, his training had helped her greatly in the areas of physical skill and stamina. But it had also served to help her improve some skills of her own. Most notably those of dissembling and of force stealth. Dissembling wasn't a Force technique. Rather, it was a technique developed by non-force users to help combat the effects of mental influencing or attacks by way of the Force. And it was something Da had begun to teach her shortly before she disappeared. Disappeared. She sighed. She hated to think of herself as kidnapped. But in essence she had been.

Closing her eyes briefly, she calmed her thoughts and began to focus. Kuryr had let her go to the market again today.And she was glad of it. The past several days had been rather grueling. He'd tested her over and over. And then yesterday.... she swallowed. He'd announced Verd'goten. It wasn't something she'd expected, and she'd been looking forward to it for weeks. It wasn't at all what she expected. They'd gone on a raid of a nearby system, and she'd come along. Her armor was unmarked. the same set she'd been wearing when she'd vanished. The raid went well, but some parts of it still made her stomach churn. She'd done a lot during it... and she'd killed someone. The thought made her feel sick. Sure she knew Mom and Da had to kill during missions for the Mandos. But this... she felt it was different somehow. Almost if he was testing her to see if she would.

And now, she was back in Pirate's Bay. And exhausted. She wore not one of the fancy dresses, but her bodyglove. She was still too sore for much else. And, it helped her kind of disappear in the crowd. To most anyways. Her face was weary, and smudged with dirt, and she shuffled along, utterly exhausted. She'd not even bothered to change after they returned earlier that day. She'd just wanted to get away from her rooms for a while. So, she now found herself wandering through the market. She clutched a cup of Uji fruit juice in one hand as she walked, absently sipping at it every so often. As she walked, she began to focus on her dissembling, allowing only certain thoughts t o remain on the surface.

She'd been forming a plan for weeks. And she had no idea if it would actually work. But she had to try. Biting her lip, Mirshko looked around the market. She wanted to escape. The question was how. She knew her way around the complex intimately now. And she could elude her guards at need, though she didn't because it would raise suspicion. A faint frown crossed her face as she focused her dissembling more and closed her eyes. She was deep enough in the market now, that it should be safe to vanish for a few seconds. And vanish she did. When she reappeared, she was rather close to where Elpsis was meeting her contact, but she didn't know it. Here was the only place she could really test the skill.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]


Business deal concluded. The Red Skulls had their guns, she had her credits, which had been loaded onto her ship, and she had not even needed to shoot anyone. Far as Elpsis was concerned this counted as a good day. Still, she did not let down her guard as she made her way down the Pirate's Bay.


The long corridor she was passing through was populated by the usual collection of scum, thugs and general riff-raff, along with slaves. Indeed a procession of slaves was just passing by her, being 'escorted' by a mixture of human and Trandoshan thugs. Probably a new haul of slaves, recently captured, for defiance still radiated from them. Elpsis winced when one of the slaves fell to the ground, unable to continue walking, and an enraged thug began savagely beating him with a whip, whilst yelling curses.


The redhead suddenly began clutching at her head when both the slave's pain and the thug's anger bled over into her through her empathy. It felt like a massive headache from hell. Having lost concentration, she could not block the emotions swirling across the hall out. It felt like she was drowning inside and she desperately tried to push herself up and grab at something, slowly rebuilding her mental barriers. She took a deep breath, realising that she had probably caused a scene.


Precognition did not flare to life fast enough for her to see the Devaronian thug coming who was so mean to taser her. Suddenly electrical shocks surged through her body and she tumbled over, falling down to the ground. Ouch. She really did not like that feeling. However, the searing pain also brought back her focus and so she quickly rolled when the thug's boot came for her face.


Grabbing his leg she brutally bit into it. Unfortunately for him, he was not wearing armour and, well, she was pissed and could bite pretty hard. There was an audible crack when she twisted his leg hard with strength enhanced by the Force. Precog sprang into action and abruptly an invisible force gripped him by the shoulder, in the same moment as stun bolts came her way. Using him as an improvised shield she sent him flying towards his comrade. The impromptu projectile missed and ended up making polite conversation with a wall, her subsequent fireball did not. Cries of pain ensued when the ruffian was ignited. Getting to her feet, she put the second attacker out of his misery with a bolter round.


Two more people dead, no big deal here at the Shadowport. Elpsis mostly felt annoyed about not being more attentive. Damn her empathy. Most of the time it was a queen. She further made her way down the hall, giving off serious don't mess with me vibes along the way. However, it seemed fate had different things in mind for her. As she walked through the crowd, briefly her eyes were drawn to a girl. She looked weary and her face was smudged with dirt, she was clad in a bodyglove. Nothing about her screamed 'pay attention to me', yet somehow she looked familiar...and the headache intensified.

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"]

PIrate's Bay Shadowport - Syvris

As MIrshko moved through the market, she felt someone's gaze on her. She turned slowly, and scanned the market out of pure reflex. It took a few moments for her to locate the source. A tall redhead, maybe a few years older than herself. She frowned slightly and rubbed nervously at the back of her neck. It wasn't often that people noticed her here. She was able to mostly blend in... which was a good thing in most cases. And yet, whoever this was, they'd found her. She lifted her gaze to meet the woman's for an instant before looking away. She had no idea who the woman was, though she thought perhaps she looked vaguely like Sio... maybe. It was hard to tell. And she'd only seen Sio's face once or twice. That was months ago now.

Nervously, she ground the toe of her left boot into the dirt of the market. She'd always liked the noise and the bright light and the smell.s Oh, the food. She tried not to think about it. It'd probably been a day or two since she'd eaten. More so because there'd been no time for it on the raid. And well... it had been the last thing on her mind since they'd been back. If one was adept with the Force, they would be able to pick up her nervousness, but not really get a read on her thoughts. She looked up at the woman again, and moved away nervously. As she did, Elpsis might notice that she had no slave collar. And yet, all of her body language screamed that she wanted to run away. She was able to hide it when she was with Kuryr, but here she didn't much care at the moment.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]


Well, no one else had attacked the fiery redhead and she had the annoying voices in her head under control. That was good. Her eyes were focused on the girl and it seemed the latter had noticed her. Well, this was a bit awkward. Yep, definitely looked familiar. Where had she seen that face? Oh, right, missing persons' broadcast.


And that...really weird, moderately disturbing dream featuring an evil-looking ork dude. Thinking about it already made her head hurt. Elpsis, staring ain't subtle. You're probably looking like some kind of stalker. Through her empathy Elpsis could sense the nervousness emanating from the girl, but her thoughts remained hidden. Not like she was any good at mentalism anyway. No collar. Weird, she thought. Yet her body language screamed that she was in a bad situation and wanted out. This was obviously a situation that required subtlety and a delicate hand. Alas, Elpsis had none of that. So she made her way through the crowd, following the girl. She did so moving as discreetly as she could. After all, it was a big crowd!

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"]

Pirate's Bay Shadowport - Syvris

Mirshko looked behind herself for a moment, and saw the woman standing there as she moved away. She had no idea who the woman was. But, MIrshko didn't really get any bad vibes or anything. She frowned slightly and tried to focus. She knew it would only be a matter of time before Kuryr came looking for her. It was why she always went back to him. But this time... myube this time she'd do something different. Unconsciously, she slipped her hand into her pocket and traced her thumb over the carved surface of the stone that rested within. She was still seething from what had happened with it... not to mention the events of the last few days.

She'd be lying if she said it hadn't felt good to punish Nula for taking the stone. It had.... it had felt very good. And that scared her a bit. She traced her thumb over the stone again and sighed heavily as she made her way in the general direction of the corridor back to her rooms. When she'd reached that point, she'd managed to calm down enough that she wasn't visibly skittish. And her sense in the Force had calmed a bit. There was that at least to be said for her time around Kuryr. She'd become adept at fooling him as he had of her, though he was still better at it.

About halfway there, she suddenly turned and took a left down the pathways through the market. She wasn't going back. She wanted to go home. Her face set in a determined expression, she made her way towards one of the vendors. She spoke to him for a few moments and handed him a few cred coins. When she left, she was gripping a small dagger which she hid quickly. If her attempt was to succeed she would need a weapon. She didn't notice Elpsis following her. And maybe that was bad. But she was paying attention to her surroundings otherwise.

She continued walking for a few more minutes, stopping here and there at vendors to pick up various things. Some of what she was getting was a small stock of supplies. Things she could carry in her pockets. She didn't want to arouse suspicions. She made her way again towards the back of the market, not far from where Elpsis had had her meeting. Once there, she took a moment to crouch and pull something from a crate. It was a long cloak. She'd bought it a couple months ago and hidden it here. And she was glad it was still there. At least this would hide her face some. She ducked into one of the nearby doorways and pulled the cloak about herself before she ducked around the corner and out of an exit. This door led to a part of the shadowport that was less used. And if she remembered right, she should be able to find a ship here. Maybe not steal one... but stow away.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]


I'm way too nice sometimes. I blame mum, Elpsis thought to herself, grumbling internally while she did her best to follow Mirshko. Well...there had been a reward offered to help find her, but hopefully she did not piss off any business partners by helping the girl! Still, poor girl. Yeah, she felt a stab of sympathy for her, though she did her best not to show it. The girl certainly did not belong in a scum pit like this.


While trying to remain on her guard and pay attention to her surroundings, she followed Mirshko through the crowds. It was difficult to get a good read on the girl, for her thoughts seemed to be as fluid as a river, but everything about her stance seemed to scream 'I want out'. Here and there Elpsis stopped at vendors in order not to appear too suspicious. One thug made grabby hands at her arse and so she smashed a beer bottle over his head and punched him in the face.


With all the large crowds around it was difficult to keep focus. She could already feel herself being swept up by the whirlwind of emotions as they threatened to bleed over into her mind, but she took a deep breath and managed to shore up her walls. Just enough to make sure she did not have to keel over. Feth, she hated crowds. By now Mirshko was at the edge of the market, close to where Elpsis had had her meeting earlier. One moment Elpsis had her in her sights...then she was gone. Damn her empathy for messing things up right at this moment!


Elpsis grit her teeth as she tried to shake off the headache and focus. She looked across the corridor, taking in the various doorways, then it clicked to her when she focused upon one particular door. It led to a section of the shadowport that was less used, except for meetings of a more clandestine nature. Conveniently it was the place where Elpsis had parked her tramp freighter...ships, of course that was where Mirshko would head to. So the redhead quickly bolted after her, ignoring anyone else.

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"]

Mirshko kept her thoughts fluid and continued down the new corridor. She'd only been here once or twice before, and as recently as yesterday. The path was fresh in her mind still. For that she was grateful at least. Clutching the cloak around her small frame, she closed her eyes and focused on trying to blend intro the force. That was still something she found difficult. Though her presence did diminish slightly.

She stood in the corridor for a few moments to get her bearings before she moved again. She was cautious, but tried to move with purpose. She knew if she acted too skittish, it would draw attention she didn't want. She stood still for several seconds before moving forward again. The docking area of the shadow port was just as run down and dingy as the rest of it. But she hadn't paid that much mind until now. She paused for a few seconds and then began to move through the large reception area. It was deserted for the most part. Squaring her shoulders, she headed towards the first docking bay on her left - which just happened to be Elpsis'.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]


It was a happy coincidence! Well, maybe it was. Mirshko had a good headstart, but Elpsis was closing in on her. The large reception area was deserted for the most part, so this time she was not held up by thugs or empathic backlash. This was good as well because she was so not in the mood for another headache.


Elpsis tried to be quiet when she made her way across the hall, but one would probably still hear the thump of her boots on the ground as she closed in. The girl had been difficult to track because something was interfering with Elpsis' senses. She suspected that she was using the Force to diminish her presence slightly. It probably would not have fooled the master, but then Elpsis was not one.


Finally she had her in her sights.

 

[Muad Dib]

He had risen early while the moon hung high in the night sky. Dreams of late had plagued the man, dreams that echoed in his mind during the waking moments of his days. Blood stained blades, flashing lightsabers, the ionized smell of blaster discharge, and the screams of loss. Once these would have been an aphrodisiac for the Sith, but as time passed by the man had evolved. Yes he still loved a good fight and even gluttonous chaos, but this was different. Emotions tainted the dreams ... his.

Rising from his seated position upon the sands of the coliseum he brushed the caked on dust from his sweat coated form and looked into the burning orb of the sun as it crested the walls of his home. Slipping from the arena of death he made his way to a series of rock formations and slipped into a cleft hidden from view. Down the stone passage he walked until the narrow path opened into a cavern with a pool fed from an underground spring. Discarding his clothing he slipped into the waters and submerged.

Sinking beneath the waters he closed his eyes and saw a small fragment of his dreams, a young woman wearing the face of a youth he had met .... Mirshko Betna. But she was changed. Her eyes dark, a cruel set of the mouth, and blood stained clothes. Gone was the innocent and curious girl he had met. In her place stood a woman who wore the darkside and was consumed with hate. Flashes of events and possible events came and went as he remembered a portion of his dreams.

Kicking free from the water he climbed out and stood dripping on the stone as he looked at his body, the scars hidden and visible, markers of his own path through chaos and darkness. It's mark on his soul was total and final. But for the kid, the one who he had felt a bond to, almost as a protector, go through him. Oh he was a monster and would not lie to himself or others, but he had grown to the point of being capable of having bonds of friendship with others. And he considered the Betnas part of that small umbrella that he considered friend.

Head bowed he considered possible futures and divergent paths. Then he acted. Grabbing his clothing he quickly made his way out of the recesses of the alcove and trotted to his quarters as the early morning sun dried the remnants of water from his battle scarred body. Entering he dressed quickly in his brown trousers and tunic, pulling on his knee high boots, and slid his armor and weapons into a satchel he tossed over his shoulder.

Outside he stowed his gear on a swoop bike and climbed on before checking his communicator where a message beeped. Reading it he chuckled mirthlessly to himself. Anija was reaching out about her daughter. The force was funny sometimes as he had prepared to head to their home and offer aid anyway. Tossing his leg on he glanced at his own home as turrets were being finalized by his Marauders as well as other defensive capabilities. He wry grin crossed his face as he slid on his dark glasses that hid his glowing blue eyes and took off, accelerating out of his compound and on course to the Betna's homestead.

Hours passed as he whipped through the landscape until evening had begun to come on. Rare clouds for the locale of his compound but more common in the grass lands and forest littered the sky as he slowed the bike as he neared the home. Parking the bike he climbed from it and shook his clothing lightly, dusting off the ride's accumulation, and striding to the front of the house. He sent a message on his comm telling his hosts he had arrived.

But his eye caught sight of a half buried handle in the dirt. Squatting he pried it from the soil and held it cupped in his hands. It was a carved, wooden gun and Muad closed his eyes touching the force and letting it wash over him as he lightly handled the toy. Images flashed into his mind. Arrbi sitting in a chair at night carving a chunk of wood that would become the toy. Mirshko running through the yard as a child twirling the gun and firing it. Anija pulling the toy from her daughter's hand as she slept then straightening the blanket and brushing the hair from her daughter's face before setting it on a dresser.

The images faded as Muad straightened and released his hold on the force. He still felt an echo of emotions from the toy. Again he headed toward the front of the house, toy still dangling from his fingers.

[member="Anija Betna"]

 

[Anija Betna]

[member="Arrbi Betna"] [member="Mirshko Betna"] [member="Coryth Elaris"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Muad Dib"] [member="Elpsis Kallikora"]

Betna Homestead
Enceri, Mandalore


She hadn't slept. Light still shown in pools upon the ground outside as Muad approached the homestead. Betna Clan had carved for themselves a firm foothold in the mountains around Enceri. For Anija and Arrbi, the past few months had been exhausting, both mentally and emotionally. She'd used up just about every avenue she could think of... and called in more favors than she could count. And still, she had almost no leads. There had been a message from Orick a couple months ago, but t after that, the smuggler had gone silent.

That concerned her greatly. Without a reliable way to reach him, she had had to turn to other means of searching. It was then that she had contacted Sio. Perhaps Firemane's network of contacts had something. She hoped they did. She knew Mirshko wasn't dead. That she would have felt, but she was finding it next to impossible to pinpoint her daughter's location with the Force. Which meant that she was being blocked somehow. That worried her immensely. Arrbi's visit with the Seers of Dathomir had only been partly helpful. All they'd been able to tell the two Mandalorians was that "Your daughter is unharmed, and with a being of legend."

That wasn't especially comforting, given the situation. And so, she'd reached out to everyone she could think of that she owed favors to. Which.... wasn't too many people. But, hopefully something would come of it. It was as she was starring at the screen that she felt a familiar presence approaching. And from little she could sense.... it was determined. She come to kknow that particular presence well, and she looked up from the computer, her gaze on the window which looked out over the porch.

Muad. She'd been training with him for months now. And while his initial prediction of her reaction to him had proved partly correct, she was also determined, and she was working hard to remain focused. It was not easy, and his method of training was easily the hardest she had ever endured. But she was enjoying it and the constant challenge it presented. A faint smile touched her lips in spite of the worry and exhaustion which lurked in her gaze. After a moment's thought, she rose and made her way to the door.

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member='Elpsis Kallikora']

Mirshko felt the back of her neck prickle slightly. Chewing nervously on her lower lip, she turned slightly as if checking the reception area. She'd heard the sound of footsteps briefly, but it hadn't sounded like Kuryr. She knew his footfalls a little too well. A deep breath to steady her nerves, and she quickly ducked inside the hangar access itself.As she did so, she felt a chill of fear run down her spine and settle like a cold lump in her stomach. It can't be this easy... she thought to herself. She was beginning to doubt.

But she was so close.... Again, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She was already inside the hangar proper now. A moment to look around and get her bearings, and she began making her way towards the ship. It looked to be a rather run down, but well cared for freighter. A tramp freighter, she'd heard them called a few times. Though she wasn't sure what the term meant. Shrugging mentally, she took a deep breath and sprinted across the permacrete floor, ducking under the overhanging forward hull. It took her a few moments to locate the hatch control in the dim light, and she kept glancing around as she tried to keep aware of her surroundings.

Come on.... she thought to herself. And then she spotted it. A recessed control panel a meter or two from where she was crouched. taking a deep breath, she moved towards it, careful to stay in the shadow of the hull for as long as she could. Sure, she could probably fly it.... but that might draw too much attention. Fear and apprehension gnawed at her stomach again, and she fumbled slightly as she tried to work the hatch controls. Locked. Feth... She frowned and felt sweat begin to trickle down the back of her neck as she tried to focus in on the lock with the Force. Sure, using the Force in such a manner probably let everyone within a kilometer who was sensitive enough to know where she was, but she didn't fething care.

She focused tighter, letting her eyes drift closed as she reached a hand out towards the panel. By now, she could feel sweat dripping down her face from the concentration. She'd not had to concentrate this hard on something for a while. Her hands shook slightly as she held her hand over the panel. It took a few moments, but finally, she felt a series of numbers surface in her mind. A deep breath and she punched them in with shaking fingers. The seconds it took for the code to process felt like a small eternity. When the hatch finally slid open, Mirshko felt like crying. She didn't much care who's ship it was - just that it would get her way from Kuryr.

As she ducked inside the hatch, it took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dimness in the main hold. She closed her eyes briefly for second before scampering across the deck towards a wall of what looked to be cabinets. Quickly, she yanked one open and peeked inside. It was partially filled with what looked to be mechanics tools and supplies... and there was just enough space for her to fit inside. She crouched and crawled into the storage space. sitting down before she pulled to door closed again. It took her a few moments to settle, and then she tried to slow her racing pulse.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Mirshko Betna"]


Elpsis finally reached her tramp freighter just after Mirshko had snuck in. The wave of fear and apprehension emanating from the girl had guided her here. For a change her empathy had actually been useful instead of weighing her down and causing her a bad headache. Likewise she felt the ripples in the Force when the little girl forced open the hatch through her power.


Such a coincidence that it happened to be her ship the girl decided to stow away on. It better just be stowing away! Elpsis thought to herself. The freighter might be old and rather battered, but that did not change the fact that it was her ship and thus she was rather attached to it. Accessing the control panel, she quickly lowered the landing ramp and headed up. As it closed behind her she looked around. The redhead was quite certain no one had followed her, but she could not be sure. Everything she had seen screamed that the girl was running away from a rather bad situation and she doubted that whoever had kidnapped her would be happy about her vanishing.


What was it Auntie Sio had told her? Oh, right, that Mirshko was with a 'being of legend'. Whatever the feth that was supposed to mean. Bloody Forcers were always so fething cryptic. The fact that this statement was quite hypocritical since she was a Force-user as well escaped Elpsis. As she made her way across the ship, passing the cargo hold that until recently was filled with cheap guns, her senses were drawn towards one of the cabinets near the deck. Cabinets normally filled with mechanical tools and supplies...but she felt a living presence inside them.


"I know you're inside, kid. I ain't gonna rat you out. You're the Betna kid, right? Your mum's been looking for you. I can take you to her," she said, in an as reassuring tone as she could. Which was not much, but, hey points for effort. In the same moment she heard noise coming from outside her ship, further away in the hangar. Boots on the ground, loud shouts...aww, crap!

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

[member="Anija Betna"]


To lose your own child...it was an awful thing. How would Siobhan react if Galina suddenly disappeared, kidnapped by thugs? The answer was quite simple: She would leave behind destruction and piles of corpses in her wake during her quest to get her daughter back.


As a matter of fact, that was what she had done on that awful day when her daughter and Tegaea had been sucked into the netherworld along with trillions of others. She had slaughtered her way through an ungodly amount of Vong monsters, almost getting herself killed in the process, and taken the plunge into the underworld.


She tensed when she recalled the memory of that horrid day. Not that she regretted going after them...but the one she had killed as her 'sacrifice' after leaping through the portal had been an innocent. A friend of hers, someone who trusted her. Shari's face flashed through her mind but she did not avert her eyes. A dark deed that pained her, but in her heart of hearts she knew she would do it again. Tap, tap, tap, one could hear the sound of her cane on the ground as she made her way to the Betna homestead.


Siobhan had made enquiries and set Firemane intel on the task, finally giving Elpsis a call and asking her to keep her eyes open. Last she had heard the redhead was supposed to be heading towards a known 'shadowport'. After all, Coryth's daughter was right at home in shady circles! Hopefully something would come up soon, for right now she had little concrete to offer, except her support for Anija. And her bolter if they were gonna take down thug who had abducted Mirshko. There would be hell to pay. With a heavy sigh and a prounounced limp she approached the homestead.

 

[Muad Dib]

Slowly the Mad Knight climbed the steps to the porch. How to comfort parents in their kids was not something he had ever done. It was not in his repertoire. Murder, mayhem, destruction ... Those were in his repertoire as well as a large but of experience and training. But still he was here to aid any way he could.

Looking at the railing he copied the toy and set it gently on it remembering the visions he had just experienced. A time of innocence that Muad sensed was lost now. The visions of many things had been coming quicker, many of them ending with his death. But the future was fluid and any change could affect it in momentous ways.

A quiver in his senses and he turned, hand dropping to his belt where the calcified mythosaur bone that was his curved knife rested in it's sheath. A dark presence approached. But even as he tensed he felt a familiarity to the aura and the tension eased from his body. Sio, a woman he had met while accompanying Mirshko and Arrbi, approached.

A chuckle rumbled in his chest add he leaned against the railing. With friends like that which the Betnas had Muad was confident that Mirshko would be found. He felt it in his bones. A reckoning was coming and he wasn't sure if it was what Arrbi and Anija would do, or is it was of a different sort all together. He pulled another long drag from the deathstick.

[member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Anija Betna"]

 

[Mirshko Betna]

[member="Elpsis Kallikora"]

Pirate's Bay Shadowport - Aboard Elpsis' Ship

As Mirshko huddled in the supply cabinet, she worked on breathing...and trying to calm herself. It only sort of worked. Biting her lip hard enough to bleed, she froze as she heard footsteps. Well, guess the calming techniques don't work for osik right now... she thought, irritated. Her hands were still shaking slightly as she held them up in front of her face in the dim light. The footsteps stopped... right outside her hiding place, and Mirshko stopped breathing. She didn't dare reach into the Force... instead she tried to dosguise her presence again. It only seemed to work well enough when she was calm. Because right now it didn't seem to be working much at all.

Slowly, she lowered her hands, and gripped them about her drawn up knees, as if she was trying to make herself as small as possible physically and in the Force. A few moments later, the woman spoke - and Mirshko stopped breathing all over again. She'd been found! And yet, the woman's words surprised her. They weren't at all what she'd expected given the past few months. She couldn't hear much beyond her hiding place, but she did hear muffled shouting from outside the ship, even from here... which meant it had to be pretty fething loud!

She hesitated for a few seconds longer, trying to decide if the woman was for real or not. And understandably so, given the last few months! Finally, there was a faint shuffling from within the cabinet, and Mirshko cautiously ventured out, clutching the cloak about herself with one hand, and keeping hold of the dagger with the other. Her eyes were wide, but she had calmed - if only slightly. "I hope you're for real, lady.." she whispered. "I don't want to go back there. Ori'vod would... hurt me..." she flinched and looked away. As far as she could remember, he'd never laid a hand on her. But then she'd never given him reason to... until now.

In her left hand, she clutched her dagger in a reverse grip. More out of a sense of security than any real intent to use it. Her gaze tracked towards the hatch as she heard the yelling outside again. "I... just want to go home..." she whispered, and squeezed her eyes shut. As she did, her sense in the Force diminished more than it had before... and she visually vanished. Though, those more adept than she was would still be able to sense her in the Force. Outside, the shouting intensified, and Mirshko started slightly as someone pounded on the hatch.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Pirate's Bay Shadowport. Aboard Elpsis' ship


Feth it! Someone had dared to attack her ship! They would pay for this. Ideally she would like to set them all on fire and roast them. At least Mirshko had finally left the cabinet. The girl looked very skittish, which honestly was to be expected, and was clutcing a dagger. Her fear of 'Ori'vod' was something Elpsis could empathise with. It brought back bad memories of her own that she would rather forget.


Oh, and then the girl suddenly vanished from sight. Bang, bang, bang, there was incessant pounding on the hatch. It would not hold forever. "Girl, if you know how to shoot, get your arse behind a turret and shoot these arseholes," she ordered, using her best sergeant voice. Well, more like her best 'I am pissed off and want to blow stuff up' voice, but, hey, not like there was much of a difference. Suddenly the ship shook and rocked violently, Elpsis bolted towards the cockpit.


Not even bothering with unnecessary luxuries such as fastening her seatbelt because that's unimportant anyway, she quickly sat down in the pilot's seat and her fingers ran over the computerised interface. Thugs were outside, trying to break into the ship and they would soon be inside. From a hidden section inside the vessel, an anti-personnel blaster cannon similar to that of the Millennium Falcon, was suddenly revealed. The redhead pressed a button and crimson bolts of death spewed out. Thugs moved to seek cover as their comrades were blasted by the salvoe, but then they began lobbing in grenades. Spewing out foul curses in Huttesse, Elpsis took the controls and then the ship began to move...backwards.


A few thugs were unlucky and suddenly got smashed, their blood splattered upon the ship's hull. Their screams were very pleasing to her, but there were was lots of scum out there. Sensors showed that fighters were launching to intercept them, but that was not the immediate problem. "Hangar doors are locked down. Hang in tight, I'm gonna blow them open!" Elpsis declared, prepping a proton torpedo. It was time for explosions.


[member="Mirshko Betna"]

 

[Arrbi Betna]

Mirshko was missing and it was under his watch. Most of him spent time berating himself and beating himself senseless on the inside over it, but a rational part of his mind told him quietly throughout it all that it was unavoidable. Even if he'd been there, not even a few feet away, it would still have happened and he would still be as powerless as he was now over the event. Still, though, he couldn't help but feel that way. If there was any silver lining to draw from the current situation, though, it was that at least he knew how his own parents felt back when he was younger and taking on jobs by himself. It was funny, he felt, how the universe did things that way.

"Those will kill you, you know," came Betna's voice from a darkened corner of the porch. As he moved, the active camouflage in his armor shimmered and faded, his matte black armor dully catching what little light there was. The Taozin amulet he wore beneath the armor masked his presence in the Force to an extent.

Anija knew he was outside, but sometimes he preferred to keep his emotions to himself. He knew his wife often wanted to read him and understand his emotions, which was fine most of the time by him, but sometimes, like now, he just wanted his own world for a short time. A world confined by the armor he wore where he could think in silence or let his emotions play themselves out as they will.

"I remember carving that," he said quietly, gesturing at the toy Muad had set down. He still wore his helmet and the external comms rendered his voice oddly mechanical, but subdued. He looked at his gloved hands, somehow seeing past the material and down to the flesh beneath. "Took me most of the day to get it just right and even then it was pretty crude. Sliced my thumb real good, too. Still have the scar. Mirshko even brought me the bandages for it. She didn't care how it looked. To her, it was a treasure that her buir had made She loved it and cherished it for a long time."

"She lost it a little while back. She was outside playing, as kids do. I was working - digging a small trench for a water pipe, you see - and Anija was in the house. Dinner came by and we cleaned up my tools and her toys. I guess it got caught up in the dirt and buried. She was upset that she'd lost it, but she was a tough little one and kept it well hidden. I offered to carve her a new one, but she politely refused. She wanted the original one, because it was special. It was a memory she held dear."

Betna sighed quietly, his eyes closed beneath the helmet he wore. His eyes burned with fatigue, the sensation making them water slightly. He slept little these days, often in fits and spurts. Anija worried about him, but he knew her sleep was far from restful, too.

"What brings you all the way out here, Muad?" he asked after a moment before a tapping noise could clearly be heard. He knew without looking or opening his eyes who approached as well. "And Sio? I know you two aren't here for a secret date or something. Sio's married and, let's be honest, a bit too much for Muad to handle, I think. I'm guessing Anija messaged everyone?"

[member="Muad Dib"] [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"] [member="Anija Betna"]

 

[Muad Dib]

Muad grinned, teeth gleaming in the shadows of the porch. A last glance at the toy Arrbi spoke of clarified more of his dreams, his visions, as a precious link to the past ... a possible link to the future. Taking in the form of his weary vod the Mad Knight didn't have to reach out and sense how Betna was doing. It was etched on the way he was sitting, the way his armor laid upon the man, the slight tone inflection in his voice.

"I don't know mate, I'm always up for a challenge ... But as far as why I'm here, Anija sent out a message. Course that coincides with the ripples I've felt in the force. An urgency has been coming more and more ... What it means? I don't know. I'm not a seer or one of those witch elders. I just go where I'm called, when it's friends ... calling. I'll do whatever needs be done to help. Anything at all. "

The glowing blue gaze focused on Arrbi for a moment more before looking away. Their people seemed to be splintering ans easing away, infighting between the clans as well as the constant threat of the Sith and Primeval were wearing many down. But the mandalorians were like diamonds, formed through great pressure and stress. But some of their vode were cracking and breaking.

[member="Arrbi Betna"]