Tanlili

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu was looking at them as they spoke and she gave a nod of her head. Checking out some parts of it but she had some ideas of how to better protect them... if this thing was trying to 'raise' Maple there could be a way to protect her... there would have to be a way to protect her. Matsu had a few things that she might be able to do. Here int he citadel though she was focusing on the structure itself and reinforcing it with the force itself. Pulsing the energy into earth shaping and force powers to put the stone into a state of repair then she was looking at Maple where she pushed the air around them with a grin on her face. "We'll be able to clear this place out."

She was looking at Maple though and with the citadel cleared they would be able to work on it and preserve it for use possibly." She had some ideas of ways to obscure and protect it. Where they would be able to conceal it. The jedi master was searching for Kanzer but they were either dead or fleeing the citadel to return to the unknown regions. "We should be safe and able to find whatever it is that will help us. THere is something dangerous that the Kanzer are looking for and we don't want to let them find it or summon it." She looked at the twi'lek and smiled offering a hand to shake. "You are welcome to join us and we could use the help."

 

[Maple Harte]

Siva took the offered hand of [member="Matsu Ike"], knowing from just the short time they had fought together that while Matsu was likely more dangerous than Ursula herself, she didn't act like Ursula, and that had won her over immediately.

"I'd love to..."

Maple, by this point having gotten a little bit of a spring back to her step limped to the hidden lab. "If we've chased off the Kanzer, then we have a bit of breathing room for the moment. What could we have that's so valueable that the Kanzer would risk coming here?

She began flipping through old book notes and Siva began helping her.

"Matsu, see if you can find anything that sticks out..." Maple trailed, flipping through dusty books that documented schematics for numerous types of stealth devices, more than she had ever seen personally, including ones for a Defel Mimicker of all things. It must have taken Ursula years to gather such sensitive materials.

"Uri..." Siva called out, holding up a small leather book. She handed it to her with her finger on the page she had been staring at.

Maple stared at the sketched image of a strange box with multiple lock images on its surface, a pentagram at the center of each box. It was labeled "Shrodinger's Box" Maple guessed it was an alchemical device, but why was it named after her own form of schizophrenia, called Shrodinger's Syndrome? Were people using mental disorders in their alchemy now? Was that how insane things had become?

"Matsu...have you...ever heard of a Shrodinger's Box?" Maple asked quietly, knowing it was unlikely she knew but asking anyway, showing her the schematic. "It looks like a person goes into it..."

"I know I've had 'that' reaction to some choice pieces of lingerie..." Siva muttered but with a little half smile and a wink to Maple.

"Oh c'mon, you looked delicious in those and you know it..." Maple remarked back sweetly, though she had also secured a nine millimeter submachine gun of a particularly simple and uncomplicated make and was multitasking, checking it for damage while waiting for Matsu to give her assessment...

"We 'both' know that, Uri..." Siva replied seductively still searching the lab, turning up a Mandalorian Assault Rifle in her activity. "What the hell was it with Ursula and heavy crap? You'd think an efficient, deadly, assassin would not need to resort to overkill...

"Trust me, when dealing with Sith, there is no kill like overkill..." Maple joked.

"I'll take pistols any day of the week..." Siva argued playfully.

"Well, of course you would, you can shoot people around freakin' corners with 'em..." Maple chuckled, repairing the gun with nearby tools.

"You are one to talk, Uri. I've seen you pull off a kilometer and a half shot..."

"That's just because I'm cool. What you do with slugthrowers is pure black magic..." Maple replied, mood clearly lightening by talking to her.

"Well...maybe a little, Siva mock-conceded...grinning at Matsu playfully.

"...may be just a little..."

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu was looking at her and she shook her head offering a small smile. "I have not, this sounds like something to look into or it might have gone by a different name. I know a few artifacts that encase a person and can do things with the force." She was thinking about the sith obulettes that encased and practically cocooned a darksider or any force user in the force preserving them. THe jedi master was looking at some fo the things here and she could see mandalorian designs, blasters, rifles and heavier weapons but she didn't disagree with having an approach that would keep you able to handle any situation just about.

"Hmmm we might be able to find some information and insight into it though." SHe was looking at more and came out to see it. Attention going to what the jedi who had been here got collected. One of the tomes coming to her hand as she opened it up and could see the different diagrams and notes about it. "Hmmm I might have found something." She was looking at it and her comlink beeped as one of the roids came to give her information. "Master Ike, we have a message from [member="Hanna Vondiranach"]." The jedi master felt her heart skip a little as the message played. It was a small thing but she always had it as priority for these messages to go through unless she had the chevron pad.

"Martsu the consortium has been quietly mostly now but we found something... well sort of in the records. There were pirates that tried to raid us and they were being led by Kanzer a few thousand years ago. TO try and break into one of the older temples we discovered in the jungle. I am sending the information to you. Love you." SHe looked at her and then at Maple with a nod of her head. "I had several places do a search and see if they could find any information." She said it with a grin though walking over and seeing the two of them before raising an eyebrow. "THough saucy talk about lingerie is going to jut make me more curious."

The jedi master was going over some fo the things so she could try and find it but. "We'll need to get things and there should be a place we can head. If the kanzer are looking for things then we should try and repel them or discover what they are using to search it out." The best bet would be to find a cheat sheet or something they had on them to identify what they were going after. Some clue other then guess work so the three of them as it looked like the pair had become a small group. SHe was looking at the twi'lek though and gave a grin as she set some fo the information on the chevron pad to have the ship ready for them.

 

[Maple Harte]

Skip.

The faceless, corpse-pale creature attacked her relentlessly with a red blade, not seeking to kill, merely to wound, but Uri was too quick with her cane, warding off blows even as it redoubled its speed and ferocity. It was Niman, she reminded herself. A ferocious, unfocused variant. She could feel hideous, seething evil in the creature, as well as immense pain. Whatever had gone on when she walked in on it, it hadn't been going well. It was powerful, but it was lashing out without a thought for strategy. And the pain she felt from it seemed to be growing worse. It had cut her off from retreat so she was forced back and deeper into the dueling chamber, the small shoto-like green blades on her cane clashing against the crimson of the faceless monster, now cackling wickedly in her skull.

"Giiiive yourself to The Dark Siiiiiide..." it hissed as their sabers locked again, Uri struggling to control her fear of this unstable, monstrous aberration of the Force. The air around it was practically thick with wickedness.

"What the feth ARE YOU?!" Uri shouted shouted, fending it off.

"Your benefactor. Watching...sleeping and watching...such pretty green eyes...sleeping and watching and waiting..." it answered disjointedly, almost uncertain. "It is fitting we meet in darkness..."

Uri backed off and it charged again, slashing and slashing with an uncontrolled frenzy...the pain the creature was in was starting to overwhelm it. Uri retaliated, whipping the bottom shoto towards its neck, which it parried with a still focused swipe, and Uri spun in the near pitch black chamber, going low as she did so...

...and whipping the shoto built into her Cane's handle towards the monster's stomach. It parried again, but not before the tip grazed its side, causing it to howl in her skull in agony.

Purple lightning erupted uncontrollably over its body, and the uncontrolled discharge nearly hit Uri. That flare of the Darkness had to have woken everybody...surely they were rushing towards this chamber right this instant. Surely Uri would have back up soon...

The creature screamed louder as the lightning grew more intense, flowing off her body. The Darkness in it was staggering, Uri thought as she continued to back away as it stumbled, too dangerous to approach now because of the electrical discharge.

"No...I...I am...in...control..." it hissed, convulsing. Uri backed away from it, keeping its darkness from eating away at her will, though she did so with great struggle.

"I WON'T BE SUBMERGED AGAIN!" it shouted, before she lost sight of it completely as it was totally bathed in now purple electricity, and the intense presence of the Darkness caused her to faint...

Later on...

"Uri!" came the familiar voice. The voice soft but with a formal edge to it.

Uri woke, blinking as she stared up at Ursula Sandraven, the purple skinned Twilek carrying her own sabercane with a horse-head design, shining a flashlight attached to the shoulder of her hospital white combat suit on her former padawan's face.

"Where is it, Uri?" Ursula asked urgently, blinking piercing blue eyes at the weakened assassin. "Where did it go?"

"Don't...know..." Uri got out, laying on the ground of the chamber, its interior structures now haunting and forbidden to Uri. She'd never come back down here if she could help it.

Ursula sighed. "What was it?"

"No clue...it...claimed it knew me...said it was my...mother..."

Ursula's elegant face grew more serious. Almost a glare. "It was trying to mislead you no doubt. You didn't take it seriously, did you?"

Uri snorted. "Not a chance, Master Sandraven."

Uri pulled herself up, exhausted and disturbed.

"Everyone! I found her!" Ursula shouted, only looking slightly relieved. No more than she had to look...Uri was a long term investment in time and patience from Ursula. She was making sure her investment was still functional.

Uri saw the lights of her fellow Marksmen running up in the distance...

Skip.



Maple snapped out of it as [member="Matsu Ike"] began suggesting they search for intel about the Kanzer's whereabout. Maple frankly agreed...it was time to take the fight to them. They should have known to feth off the first time she and Matsu had gotten past them. But trying to blow up her home? That deserved an equal response...

Maple then remembered that the Kanzer Assassins were still alive, and still knocked out.

Maple knealt down to examine them, gesturing for Siva to follow. The curvy Twi'lek did so, and Maple said, "Wake 'em up..."

Siva got out an injector and pressed it to the muscular blonde woman's neck. The one she had nicknamed The Hammer awoke immediately.

"What do you want?" The Hammer asked, nose still bloody.

"Where are your bosses hiding? What where they after here?"

"Schematics...for something called a Shrodinger Box."

"What's it do?"

"No clue..."

Maple punched The Hammer in the stomach.

"Don't bullchit me. Don't you dare. I could have dropped both of you." Maple asserted. Skip. The Mind-Binder chased her through the fieldsof corn in the dead of night. Skip. The universe was blinking out due to the unexpected early death of all stars and Maple was slowly freezing to death, huddled next to Siva on a lonely mountain as the stars went out. Skip. Back to the citadel.

"What are you going to do if I talk? Stick me in some prison on some second rate rim world?" The Hammer sneered.

"Pfff. Like any prison holds our type for long. I suppose I could just pop you after I get the info, but that wouldn't be economic..."

The Hammer glowered. "What, then?"

"Easy. You work for me. Its the only way I let you out of here alive with Betty Broken-Nose here next to you. But you give up what you got on the Kanzer. You're embarassing yourselves, working for them anyway."

The Hammer laughed cruelly at this. "And what makes you think you can keep me loyal? Or my friend? How do you know I wouldn't stab you in the back?"

"Because I have defeated you before. At my weakest, I might add. I need not fear the result of a thousand of our battles. In any scenario, I have you dead to rights. And besides...you really want the gaze of The Golden Eye to focus on you...from a kilometer and a half out?"

The Hammer got the point. She gulped. Maple didn't need to ask if the nervousness she displayed was genuine.

"Okay..." The Hammer said slowly..."We work for you."

"Their location. Now."

"Haruun Kal." The Hammer answered.

Siva sighed. "Ugh...I hate that planet. Hate it."

"Their scheme with the box?" Maple asked, tone terse.

"I genuinely do not know." The Hammer answered honestly.

"Contact info?"

"My belt pouch has a holodisc with the information. It'll tell you everything."

Maple plucked it from the pocket.

"Wake your friend up and feth off for now. I'll contact you when I want to."

"How will you know--"

Maple rolled her eyes as she interrupted her. "I'll know where you both are, yadda yadda. You can't escape, yadda yadda. The usual promises of death, yadda yadda..." Maple asserted, ending her words with a cold stare.

She turned to Matsu. "We need to plan for an op on Haruun Kal."

"Hey, ain't you gonna cut me loose?" The Hammer snapped.

Maple eyed her. "You're a smart girl...I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"Oooo, snap..." Siva joked, high-fiving Maple.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu was listening and while she wanted to cut in about the whole thing there was a point when you did have to acknowledge that these things happened and sometimes just look the other way. THe jedi master found herself occupied with something else for a moment when the information came to them and the world was something. She knew the planet vaguely compared to some of the others granted but she would be able to to better utalize it if they went a long way. Where the small twma they had would be able to go. It gave her a couple of ideas though before she was checking on it and came back. "Well with that information we should be able to make some headway. I don't know what we will find though."

THe jedi master was prepared for just about anything that they would face though while she was using her chevron pad to set it up witht he AI and the ship. She'd have all of the supplies that would be required for them as well as the means for them to move around with some of the bigger things.. like weapons. She was more then certain they would and should be able to find one or two things to use in the jungle possibly. "We'll go after them and try to stop this, there could be any number of dangerous though and the kanzer are a number of different groups that come together under the service of the strongest."

 

[Maple Harte]

"I don't think we have too much to be worried about, honestly." Siva stated confidantly, folding her arms. "If just two of us turned the bottom of this place into a kill box for them, I think we can handle whatever they use if all three of us decide to get in on the action."

"Lets head for our ships. Siva did you get here on that old defender-class?" Maple inquired. Skip. Dantooine was actually sentient and about to mind control everything in the universe. Skip. Her spine had become sentient and was planning to mind control Tattooine, a scheme decades in the making. Skip. Back to reality. Back to Dantooine.

"Yep. Works like a charm too. But you would know that..." Siva replied coyly, slinking up to Maple, and running her finger under Maple's chin, making the ex-shadow blush.

"...wouldn't you?" Siva finished, leaving Ursula's room to head to her craft.

Maple scratched the back of her head sheepishly in front of [member="Matsu Ike"].

"She always knows just what to say to get my face red..." Maple joked. "She's a sweetheart. It was her that made me want to stop being a shadow..."

Siva would always hold a place in her heart for that, and for introducing her to the joys of life. Without Siva, there would have been no Maple, just Uri, and Uri would not have been very fun to be around. It would have just been one long, continuous string of death, probably until someone dropped Uri herself.

The first time she had ever been kissed was by Siva. It was that kiss that had shaken her loyalty to her cause. Her loyalty to Ursula.

And now...she was back...and not a moment too soon either. It might have been a very different story if Matsu had gone in there alone.

"C'mon Matsu. We need to get going." Maple grabbed the most important stuff from Ursula's lab and started to head out of the bedchambers, pausing at the framed photo of her and Ursula.

She stared at it a moment, and then daintily picked it up and took it with her. She wasn't sure why. She only disliked Ursula slightly less than Siva did. Siva had always mentioned there was something off about her, for a Twi'lek. Said her lekku didn't "twitch right", whatever that meant. Said her body language was wrong at times. But Maple had always figured it to be just that Ursula was so icy it just made Siva not like her.

Regardless, this one little fragment of a time when they had been friends was not staying in this dusty tomb...

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Looking at the two fo them there was a small grin on Matsu's face at this and hearing what she could. While she moved and with the three of them they could likely move through an area quickly or handle the Kanzer even more effectively. THough the ship situation might be a little something as she spoke. "Well if we are going to be traveling, having several ships might become an issue. THe more we have the more likely we are to be seen and without a full crew the ships could be vulnerable." Matsu was working on calculations in her mind whens the citadel itself was presenting them with places to go. She got the way out and information to her chevron pad with her ship coming around. Shimes from it as a hologram of a female came up and she could feel the brushing against the inside of her mind.

"Master Ike." Magda spoke loudly but the image was there with some things. Out of place lines and it was more like a hologram of a hologram appearing for the jedi master as the golden and silver ship came down. It was different, more vertical in its size and the weapons were mostly forward facing but the real feeling was the lightside of the force itself. The ship practically radiated it as the baptiste metal exterior shifted and made landing struts to touch down. The jedi master was looking at it and the ship she was sending back with a recovery beacon. It could autopilot itself home for her while Magda was here to fly her or them around. The ramp came down and droids were there in the ship as the hologram appeared with a look at her and the others.

"Ahhh Master Ike, who are you friends?" The ship was speaking from the hologram as it looked like a normal padawan in robes but there was no real person while Matsu was walking and trying to get it set up for them while she crouched and looked on. "Magda these are a few people that I have met. Maple and Siva." THe hologram gave a nod of her head and Matsu spoke. "THis is Magda she is.... special. The ship houses her soul."

 

[Maple Harte]

Siva's mouth dropped open at the ship of [member="Matsu Ike"] as it landed in the Hangar. Siva's own defender-class was parked here.

"Master Ike has a boss ship..." the Twi'lek remarked as Maple followed behind them, staring at the photo of her and Ursula and feeling regret. Siva frowned. Uri was in one of her moods.

The hologram appeared and Maple took her eyes off the photo and smiled. "Hello Magda."

"So how does a ship house a soul?" Siva asked, hands on her hips.

"Ships always house souls, Siva. Always. We just aren't used to them literally talking to us..." Maple quipped. Skip. She had been reborn as a kowakian monkey-lizard. Skip. The purple eyed woman in the off white suit smiled maliciously at her in a universe ending darkness. Skip. Back to reality.

Maple got close to Matsu. "We'll have to get there as quickly as possible. I need to analyze the disc I took from that assassin. Can Magda help?"

"Uri, when you have a moment..." Siva said quietly, heading up the golden ship.

Maple knew that tone. Siva was worried. And Maple knew she had a right to be. Itd been a long time since the old her had really come out to play...

One problem at a time, the ex shadow thought. First the disc for the Kanzer's base, then try and address Siva's worries...which would hopefully end in dinner and a movie if the Kanzer didn't end up brutally murdering them...

OOC: Bring us aboard the ship and in transit if you want, Matsu.

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu looked at her and hgave a nod of her head while she was moving. "Yes she can and to answer your question it happens when someone is not ready to pass on." She said it while ascending and being in the ship is wasn't as massive but Magda was able to move and move quickly. ONce they were in she was heading towards the bridge and meditation chambers giving a tour. Parts of it laid out with lifts and ladders to move around. The lab itself was set up with equipment and everything needed for scanning and searching it out. She started to input the information as she turned to look at the two of them. "There is some space but this is for a small crew." SHe moved and the ship was starting to depart is Magda stood there following around but had everything shifting and going. "We'll be able to get around past the kanzers. I am equipped with a dream shifter drive. FOr crossing dimensional membrances to move faster."

 

[Maple Harte]

The Silent Erika was beautiful. This ship...it was magnificent. Siva gawked at how advanced everything was, while Maple's head spun at the disturbing revelations received. (Or rather, remembered.) Also, Siva was curvy as always, and Maple was struggling not to steal a glance at them.

What was that creature? Why did it think of itself as her 'Mother' ? Maple was fairly confident that if she were the spawn of freaky faceless people she would remember that.

There was something about its voice, its tone that was...strangely familiar...

At the mention of this Dream-Shifter Drive, Maple's expression became one of curiosity. It sounded like Fallanassi Tech. But Maple's mind was too consumed by thoughts of that monster to really press it, and for a ship enthusiast like Maple, this was rather irregular. But the computer would be useful for decryption. Skip. She suffered a bit in this next delusion, spending the rest of her life in prison and dying for a crime she did not commit. Skip. Back to Matsu's vessel. There was no prison. There never had been. At least for the last five seconds.

"I gotta get to work decrypting this thing, Matsu..." she said wearily, trying to force the recent false memories out. What scared her the most about them was she secretly feared that one day she would get stuck in one...and stay stuck.

She excused herself and headed to the lab, and Siva followed. Maple closed the doors so she could work in peace. As Maple began quietly decrypting the information on the disk, Siva drew close.

"I'm worried about you." The Twi'llek confessed.

"Didn't intend for that..." Maple replied.

"Don't start dodging me now, Uri. I was a field doctor. I know when someone's mind isn't right. I know you, more importantly. You've been off-key ever since you came out of retirement."

"I wasn't gonna get all the wheels turning all at once, Siva." Maple answered, cracking the coding on the disk as she typed in commands on the lab computers, her wet green eyes focused on the screen and not on Siva.

"Its not your skills I'm worried about. Those aren't in doubt. But your judgement and morale is, and this is coming from a...former...medical professional."

Maple stopped as she felt Siva's hands on her shoulders.

"Uri..." she trailed. "You aren't well. I...I should never have given you that lead...I'm worried all I did was send you into a situation you were not ready to face yet."

"It would have happened with or without you Siva. I was always going to have to begin this hunt for the Mind-Binder again. And I need to know what happened to Ursula.

"You don't even like her."

"Even if thats true...I wouldn't be who I am without her..."

Maple turned to face Siva. "Monster's gotta find its creator. Just the way it is."

"You're not a monster. You're not. Don't say that." Siva said firmly.

"Yes I am, Siva. Lets not lie to ourselves. My hands are covered in so much blood I just know I'm overdue for suffering."

"You paid your dues at Mimban, Uri."

"One really bad, traumatizing mission doesn't wash the blood off one's hands. Mimban was the preview, Siva..."

Maple turned back to the computer.

"Mimban was only the preview..."

"And what happens at the end?" Siva asked, concern on her face growing.

Maple began working on the code, shrugging.

"With the crap I've pulled? Nothing good..."

Siva sighed. "Don't be a fatalist, Maple. You'll become your own worst enemy..."

Siva walked out, leaving Maple to work...

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu listened to the two of them heading off and the ship was going out. TO search and see what it could do as Magda went into hyperspace. THeir destination to search and the information would go a long time for them... well not for her. THe drive let them go faster then most understood while still maintaining itself. The jedi master went into one of the meditation chambers and areas of the ship. THe shifting organic within making a bed where she could sleep should it be needed. Maple was working on it and the ship but there was a whole lot going on as information was being provided across the screen itself. She coudl review the information and where they could search pulling what little bits of information from historical records are across the galaxy itself.

 

[Maple Harte]

"Most of the facility is underground. Guards at major chokepoints, equipped with slugthrower submachine guns and shotguns. Kanzer assassins guard important chambers, Kanzer priestesses assist them. From what I've been able to gather from the disk, its an ancient fortress of a long dead Sith Lord. Some Queen or whatever. No name except 'Keeper of The Six Blasphemies.' Bet you a cool million whoever that was put that on a business card at some point." Maple explained in the central section of Matsu's ship using a holo-projector to display the layout of the underground facility. It had an inverted step-pyramid layout, the most important and final chamber at the bottom. Branches of tunnels led to many other chambers from the main base.

"I'm surprised a Sith stopped at only six." Siva joked as she stared at the projection.

"Its another basement clearing. You remember that crimelord's underground casino on Atrisia?"

"You mean the one with the crazy gun martial artist that it took the both of us to put down because he was so damn crazy?"

"No that was the underground casino on Coruscant. The one on Atrisia had those scantily clad women using katanas."

Siva thought about it, smiled.

"Very scantily clad..." she said coyly...

"Yeah. Pity we had to burn the place down." Maple remarked, her manner dry. "There is no easy way in except here..." she noted on the projection which pointed to a long tunnel leading to large caverns of rock.

"The Kanzer fund their operation on Haruun Kal with an illegal mine. Conflict diamonds. Reports of force crystals have been reported deeper. Its tightly patrolled but there are enough gaps and blindspots in the cavernss that we could presumably sneak in thee, bring as many weapons and ammo as we can carry, and then we level any Kanzer dumb enough to try and stop us. Taking out power will be paramount.

"Well as long as we aren't sneaking. I can't sneak worth a damn." Siva muttered.

"Your notoriously poor stealth is not something I forgot. We're going to keep it simple...very simple. Slugthrowers, grenades, melee when necessary. And we'll need thermal detonators. Lots of them. I'm going to teach these Kanzer a lesson." Maple said before turning to [member="Matsu Ike"].

"Ideas? Figure a vet shadow could show me a thing or two on sneaking."

(Feel free to bring us to the planet in our next post. I transitioned the scene to avoid tedium.)

 

[Matsu Ike]

[member="Maple Harte"]

Matsu stretched and could listen as they were going now, the ship heading off and she looked at Maple and the twi'lek as they were discussing things. "THe best way in when the kanzer are involved is to sneak and play it by the moment. Plans with them can be dangerous as they do know precognitive skills." Where she was looking at it though she crossed her arms to check a chevron pad though while she was going around to see it. "I can sneak in with the white current and conceal us. there is a lot there and mines are dark." She had a grin on her face though where she could check if there was any files laid out with images of the mines or probe droid who would be able to get some information from a console.