Private Teaching Resilience (Elpsis)

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

The Eldorai especially had many inversions of the usual tropes but gender swapped. For them the father in law, the husband, the brother were the likely nefarious ones. Always seducing and using their 'masculine skills' against women. They often needed rescuing in their holovids too by the big, strong, heroine. It had been quite a culture clash when they saw what happened elsewhere in the galaxy!

Karrigan'Karou nodded. "We stand, we fight. If you need us, Heir, we will be ready." She gave a Xio salute and turned aside.

"If the Queen will not aid us, I know a place," Lalax said with a conspiratorial nod. "It is a deep and dark place known only to those of us who worked the caverns. They would not be found there unless we willed it. For now, we will deal with these wicked ones."
Soon everything was moving swiftly. Xilae took aside the male Xio accomplice whilst presumably Lalax and Kalou handed the female thug.


Meanwhile downstairs the guards might hear some curiously muffled noises through the thick stone. When Elpsis might think to check she would find Zotik in a much more co-operative mood. There were no visible marks on her, and she was not even handcuffed anymore, but she was not looking at Nyssa. The Sith was probably grinning.
"I...have reconsidered and am prepared to fully cooperate," she said carefully. Whenever Nyssa moved, spoke or even cleared her throat, Zotik shuddered or whimpered slightly.

xxx

Paul Cedarwood was feeling considerably overworked and unappreciated. Thus seeing the forever kittens brightened his bad day. Taking a few moments out of his day he clicked the link. Now, Paul was not a high level user, but one of his many tasks had been to help setup and audit security for the new branch. Nat would therefore be able to remotely access his terminal when he left the day, slice in and change some permissions, setting up a backdoor for future use into the file systems.
It was all time consuming but unexpectedly easy...until Natalie would hit a metaphorical wall.

A certain area of the network was far more restricted, the encryption on first glance being far stronger and better maintained. Curiously it did not extend to the New Horizons files, but to a special area for an entity called 'Transform'. And something had noticed her intrusion. She would have time to take a dump of files from New Horizons before something would try to shut her access down....

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

"Oh, really? Good," Elpsis glanced in Nyssa's direction, raising a questioning eyebrow. "What did you do to her?"
Nyssa just looked smug and put her hands behind her head, which had the side-effect of showing off her biceps through her uniform while she casually stretched. "A number of things."
Elpsis' white eyes darted back to Zotik. "Start from the beginning. Where are you taking your Xio 'workers'? Who's your boss?"

xxx

Natalie had already been prepared to pull her time and tested Cor-Sec scam and fool Mr Cedarwood into thinking that someone had been misusing his ID and he really needed to get in touch. But it seemed Mr Cedarwood did not need such motivation. Thus she was able to access his terminal, creating a backdoor for herself while the virus slowly propagated.

All too easy. But as she accessed the files, she suddenly ran into a hard duracrete wall. Metaphorically at least. The system didn't just resist intrusion, it soon tried to actively push her out. "You just had to make me earn my pay check," Natalie muttered, fingers moving over the keyboard as she downloaded whatever files she could, and wiped her tracks as best as she could.

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Zotik whimpered slightly at the sight of Nyssa and looked back to Elpsis.
"Alright, alright, but I'll be a target if I tell you. You will be too, but that's not as important for me. It all started about a year ago. I had left Tygara after the war to seek out new opportunities for myself. Things had become rather hectic during that time of instability." Read, as a Mistress she had left as soon as possible to escape potential retribution.
"I've been making my way as a translator and co-ordinator on the Arx, but I was approached by New Horizons to help Tygarans expand their careers and opportunities. Now, you've raised some good points about the Arkas project but I assure you it's not nearly as bad as you think," she added pompously. "The Xio there are, yes, working in perhaps not the best climate, but we provide good amenities for them." Either she was lying or she believed the hype, likely the former. Justifications so she wouldn't be sending her fellow Xio to a tropical hellhole.

"Either way, that's only one of our locations. We have some on Arkas, some on other worlds like Loronar. We also have Vash, Qadiri and Eldorai 'graduates' in locations too."
She sketched out a list of known locations. A pattern became clear. The Xio and Eldorai would go to hot, sunny realms, the Vash would go to barren expanses, the Qadiri to cool and rainy climates. IE, the places each group would hate the absolute most. For what purpose? To break them in? To isolate them so escape was impossible?

"As for my boss, Varanta'Daaz is the leader of the Tlaxqui department, and I'm one of a few operators here, though I am the most senior," she boasted...as though this was a good thing. "As for her boss, I believe a 'Nobila Baras' is the head of Tygaran operations. I only interacted her through holocom during my interview. She's human, I believe. That's all I know, I believe."

xxx

Natalie Dorn ended up with a trove of files...a vast amount of material which would take time to go through. Much of it would be unimportant, but there certainly would be some nuggets in there.
If she would try to reconnect she would find access blocked, passwords changed and security increased.

Natalie would find a lot of interesting info if she wanted to scan through it. Everything from payroll, employee lists, memos and meeting minutes all the way to planning documents and more.

Everything would be going great until she received a knock on her door at the middle of the night....

xxx

When Paul Cedarwood came into work at the New Horizon's office on Loronar the next day he would immediately find things different. Several more guards were posted around and several men and women in suits were moving around purposefully.
As he entered and signed in one of them approached him. It was a female Eldorai he'd seen around the office, hasn't gotten her name.
"Mr Cedarwood?" she asked politely.
"Paul, please. I can't remember your name." She offered a hand to shake.
A pause, and she shook it firmly. "Elthia. There was an incident overnight...Paul...and Ms Baras wants to talk to you directly."
"Oh dear," he said with a cough. Guilty memories came back to him. "Uhh...lead the way I guess?"

He was led past the regular parts of the office her was used to and to a heavy security door. Elthia scanned her code cylinder and the door opened. This area was much more spartan. Indeed, there were rows and rows of terminals without operators, yet every one of them had screens which changed and altered as data was processed.

Finally they came to a final door which opened. A sterile white room sat within. Inside was a single white desk whereat a human woman with short dark hair sat. As Paul approached she looked up.
"Mr Cedarwood, thank you for coming. I'm afraid there's been a bit of an incident. Thank you, Elthia." The Eldorai did not leave, but stood back a few paces, watching impassively.
"Uhh, gee, what sort of incident? What's going on?"
"You have made a mistake, Mr Cedarwood. This is forgivable as you are, after all, only human. Do not worry though, it will not happen again, I am sure of it...."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

"I was a slave once. To evil people who took my mind, made me a prisoner in my own body. Bet you lot would love doing that to your slaves," Elpsis stated icily. Then she bent over the table and leaned forward so that she was directly in Zotik's face. Her scars flared, glowing fiercely. Her face might as well have been made of magma.

"Know what I did when I broke my chains? I burnt them all, turned the man responsible to ash. So if hear any more lies about how enslaving your own people on a tropical hellhole isn't so bad. and what a great job you did, I'll burn you, too. Very slowly so you feel everything. I'll enjoy every moment."

"That's my girl," Nyssa said with a smug smirk.
"Only reason you're still breathing is because you're useful...for now. Your bosses can come after me. I don't care if it's all of Firemane. If I have to burn the whole lot of you, I will."

She glanced to Nyssa. "Gag and bag her."

xxx

In the middle of Natalie browsing through the stolen files, she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Quickly she checked the camera. Two big, strong female Qadiri stood outside. "Figures," she muttered. Pressing a button, she began the process of copying the files to a datapad, and grabbed a pistol. Shame, I liked this safe house, she thought grimly. She would need to sterilise it.

One of many weapons that lay scattered about the room. Some hidden behind a holoscreen on the wall, which presently showed a photogenic anchorwoman blather on about the latest galactic crisis or juice piece of celebrity drama. And there were, of course, traps. A hidden, single shot disruptor aimed right at the opening.

Should anyone open the door, a wire attached to the trigger would pull open and a single shot would go off. Beyond that lay a laser trip line, invisible to the naked eye, that would activate a booby-trap. Calmly, Natalie pulled a stack of papers out of a drawer, stuffing them into her coat. There was a bottle of flammable liquid in a sealed compartment nearby.

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan
Zotik probably realised now, too late, that she was not dealing with the usual sort of person. Elpsis was neither messing around, nor bluffing. The burning intensity of her glare was manifest of someone who could and would kill her with hardly a thought.
Still, she had little time to ponder this as she was dragged away, fate unknown.

xxx

After a moment where no answer had been given yet noise was detected inside, the first Qadiri tried the door. It was not locked. Cautiously they analysed the surrounds with meticulous efficiency, yet there was no visible trap connected to the door.
Thus, they pushed it open. Cautiously. Nothing...then there was a bright flash and the Qadiri stumbled back and fell with a crash to the ground. Their chest had been pierced by a disrupter bolt burning through to its power core. The artifice of the skin exposed the metal within.

The second Qadiri, showing no reaction, drew her blaster and smashed through the door. The concealed explosive hidden in the sideboard blasted out and threw them to the ground, the fire burning away much of the skin.
Yet, it was not defeated and slowly clawed itself back upright and began to lurch forward....

xxx

Phylis had dozed off at some point as she had scanned the reports. However, she started awake when her droid beeped loudly.
"Hmm? What? Oh...at this hour? Who?"
Six-Nine beeped pointedly.
"Yes, yes, I'm awake. Hmmph." The Jedi went to the security station of her ship. An unfamiliar Xio was standing at the foot of the landing ramp.
"Can I help you?" Phylis spoke through the intercom.
"My apologies, Master Jedi, the Queen has asked me to summon you about an urgent matter. Please come at once," they said calmly.
"Hmm, I'll be right there." Phylis cut the link. "So that's how it's going to be, hmm? Six-Nine, looks like there's a Code 43 outside, prepare the ship," she said slightly louder than necessary.
The droid acknowledged.
Phylis called her commlink to her with the Force and typed a simple message to Elpsis. "Beware Archangel infiltrators." Then she headed to meet the oh-so-concerned messenger.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

"Heir," Kalou spoke as they stepped out. "Where should we take her?" She leaned in close. "The Daughters have places to hold evildoers. Dark, secret places."
Elpsis wasn't sure whether a radical cult having its own prisons was a good thing, but nodded grimly. "She can't be let out of sight, or allowed any outside contact. Or any comfort."
"She won't," the militant Daughter swore.

It was at this moment that her commlink beeped. Luckily, it could translate simple text into braille. Elpsis read it, frowned, and looked at her companions. "Archangel has agents in Tlaxqui," she stated flatly.
The Xioquo warrior looked grim. "I know of the devil-machines. I shall warn my sisters." Zotik was dragged away, leaving Elpsis and Nyssa temporarily alone.

"Well, this has made a boring day a bit more exciting," Nyssa declared, "mind telling me what's going on?"
"The Queen asked me to look into this. Firemane's been screwing over and enslaving the Xio, and from the looks of it the elves in general. New Horizons is a Firemane front."
Someone else might have reacted with outrage, but the Pureblood just shrugged. "Took them long enough."
"Nyssa!"
"What? They're powerful, and the elves are weak, and vulnerable. It's the natural course of events."
"And it's evil."
"Good and evil are fancy words to dress things up. Tricking the gullible and desperate into servitude proves nothing except you're afraid of a challenge. I wasn't debating the morality of it, okay? It's a simple fact that the strong do as they will, and the weak suffer what they must."
"And I protect the weak," Elpsis stated icily, jaw clenched tight. "And now that means going up against Firemane. I don't know which of the bosses are involved. Maybe all of them. But I don't care. They're part of this, they die." She looked at Nyssa intently, scars glowing fiercely. "Are you with me?"

"So let's recapitulate, our enemy is the most militaristic megacorp in recent memory that somehow has the money to build miniaturised, artificial planets, battlecruisers and arkstations without bankrupting itself. At the moment our allies are...a Xio cult, a few minions, a Jedi librarian and said megacorp's puppet queen. Oh, and apparently said megacorp has its own Force order. And apparently a droid cult whose HRDs can look like anyone is involved, too. Am I missing anything?"

"I don't give a fuck about the odds. It's the right thing to do," Elpsis growled. "I don't give a fuck about how many of those arseholes I have to burn. Are you in or not?"
Nyssa rolled her eyes. "Hold your horses, sugar, I was about to come to the plot twist," she smirked. "I'm in. But you need to figure out your victory conditions, your assets, and drop this I don't want to be in charge bullcrap. Because guess what, if you want to make changes, you need power. Without it, you are fodder. I'm not backing a suicide run."

xxx

Natalie was hastily pouring flammable liquid all over the office. The loss of the safehouse was...unfortunate, but necessary. What she could not salvage, she would burn. Various papers were deliberately sprawled across the floor, covered in liquid. It was not just her own life at stake, but also of her assets. She heard the loud boom of the explosion. Hopefully the second assailant was out of commission. She knew better than to hope.

Dropping the bottle, she lit her lighter...just as the second Qadiri burst into her office. She took one look at them, saw the torn skin and the metal in her face. Fuck. She felt her heart thump inside her chest...and tossed the lighter to the floor. As flames swept across the office, she grabbed her case and leapt out of the window. No doubt bullets or blaster bolts were being fired in her direction as she took the plunge...

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

The droid was engulfed with flames. Their clothing, hair and oh so realistic looking skin soon was consumed. Such a small thing would not stop it though. As Natalie dived out the window a couple of hasty blaster bolts flew past her. The flames at least had ensured the droid's aim would be bad.
Moving to the exit it looked down, scanning. The heat as well as damage from the blast meant it could not track the human.
What it did detect though was the sound of sirens, the hubbub of voices as people came out to see what was going on.
The safehouse, located in a leafy neighbourhood of New Santaissa, was entirely unremarkable until flames started to rise from it. Other apartments around it were filled with panic as people hurried to and fro.
The droid withdrew and headed to the entrance. An Eldorai had come to see if they could help the casualty, but was now gawping at the remains. They did not see the active droid until it approached and without ceremony struck a precise blow to the back of the head. The Eldorai man fell dead, or close to.
Options were limited, so the surviving HRD, unable to walk out as a machine with its disabled compatriot so it dragged them into the burning building. It had a single thermal detonator.

Natalie would be pleased to know that all traces of her had been cleared from the building better than she could do herself when it collapsed in. Thankfully the civilians had all escaped by then....

xxx

As Phylis stepped outside she smiled. "Greetings," she said in Basic. "What's happened?"
"Queen Lia has requested your presence. There has been an incident, but I was not briefed on what had happened." She spoke in perfect Basic without even an accent.
"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."
"Tazvin'Tarak, Master Jedi. Let us proceed."
"Lead the way," Phylis said airily.
They proceeded through the nightime docks towards the elevator. Ironically, yet perhaps unsurprisingly, night was some of the busiest time for the docks as they were often in the open air. Good darkvision plus no sun beating down meant that Xio were better suited to working at this time.
As they came to the lift though they were afforded some privacy.
"So tell me, Tazvin, what role do you work in?" Phylis asked.
"I serve as a secretary for the Queen," Master Jedi.
"Curious," Phylis said, still behind them. "You're very close to being believable. Yet, I can tell you're not a Xio. It takes more than knowledge and facts, it takes lived in experience to understand an organic culture."
"I do not follow." Tarak inched her hand towards her coat pocket.
"Little things, like a Xio 'first name' is their family name. If you were a Xio you would have instinctively corrected me because it's a common misunderstanding. And of course no Xio calls me 'Master Jedi'. Old habits die hard, and only someone with a long connection with the galaxy would understand the words. They would call me 'Mistress Jedi' or similar. And of course you have no accent whatsoever. Rare, even ones with long exposure have a trace of it. And who are you; not a Daughter and not a Seeker, and not one of the Queen's assistants I know."
"Very interesting. We will be sure to keep this in mind...next time." Tarak turned, blaster pistol out, moving to fire.
The green blade of Phylis' lightsabre instantly flared into life and parried the shots aside. A quick pivot and her blade sliced through the blaster barrel, carving it in two. Before the HRD could react Phylis' blade swept up and right onto the neck. The head fell to the ground and the body stood a moment before too falling.
"Hmmph, that was the best they had. How did they...ah...Nat must have been busy."
She called up her commlink and called Elpsis directly. "They sent an HRD after me...it lost its head. Be careful. I don't suspect they'll want to endanger all their assets here, but be on the lookout."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

Natalie landed hard on the ground, feeling a stinging burn in her shoulder. It must've been a graze. She grit her teeth, wincing in pain as she rolled around, gun in hand and aimed at the window above. But no assassin droid came leaping after her. She hadn't expected those so soon.

But she had more immediate concerns now. Namely the loud roar of sirens coming closer and closer. Luckily the hubbub of people made it easy to blend in. Grabbing her case she bolted. A nearby speeder bike was too tempting to resist. It was a simple matter to hotwire it, by applying a security spike and a screwdiver.

A few moments later, she jumpstared the engines and the bike shot across the road at a speed that no doubt defied, just as the building behind her caved in from the force of the explosion. She needed to get out and fast before Firemane or Archangel got on her tail, and she knew where to go. Now she only had to get there.

xxx

"Got it," Elpsis responded simply, expression grim. "You should go to the Seekers. There's an outpost on the way into Tlaxqui, it's where I stayed. Look for Diona...and Xiarda if she's there. You warn the Seekers, and pass word along to the Queen, I'm going to chat with the Daughters' boss. We ran into a New Horizon rep. She was very talkative after some persuasion."

"By the way," Nyssa spoke, "Royal's on the way with a suitcase full of credits."
Elpsis groaned. "Really?"
The Pureblood shrugged dismissively.
"Hey, you wanted to save stret urchins and a photo-op was the only way to get her to hand over the credits. You want to control your money, you take control over the dynasty."
Elpsis jaw tightened. She was about to say something scathing, then she frowned.
"Dynasty...House Kerrigan does have a private army, doesn't it?"

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Phylis listened to Elpsis and replied quickly. "I'll head there now. Six-Nine has my ship on strict lockdown. See you soon."
By now her little fight had attracted attention and some security forces appeared. Initially it didn't look great! Phylis sheathed her lightsabre as they approached.
"Yedai, what is this?" one asked.
"It is a machine. Look, you will see the wires in its neck and head. It tried to murder me - and I fear there are more of them. I must go to the Seekers and warn the Queen."
It was easy to show she was telling the truth and she was given a junior officer to accompany her whilst the crime scene was locked down. Phylis headed off back down into the city. She expected further attacks, and even possibly for her escort to be in on the plot. Yet that clearly was not the case, and she reached the Seeker's Outpost.
As she approached it the first she encountered was actually Vara'Ximal, the Xio who was really familiar with galactic practices...but in a more organic way than the replica had been.
She looked like she'd just woken up and was heading out when she saw Phylis and approached.
"Welcome, Mistress Jedi!" she said happily. "How goes your tasks?"
Phylis smiled slightly. "Ximal, there is danger afoot. There are replica machines - I had to destroy one which tried to assassinate me. There may be more. We must warn the Queen and Xiarda. Is Diona within?"
To her credit the Xio did not doubt her. She received a nod from the officer who then departed. She nodded seriously.
"Very well. Come inside, I will put this outpost on alert. I believe the Captain is within, I will wake her. Diona also."

Phylis was shown in, and soon there was a bustle of activity as a mixture of active and sleepy looking Xio spilled out from the barracks. Naxi'Xiarda and Diona - if they were indeed asleep - would find Ximal politely knocking on their doors to inform them of Phylis' presence and the news she carried.

xxx

As Natalie headed along the streets of New Santaissa it was not far to the spaceport. She would receive a message though to her commlink from an unknown sender.
"Got some Angelic problems? Need to leave in a hurry? I've got a ship in hanger 43. A friend."
Provided was a key combination to enter. It was perhaps a bit suspicious that someone was offering this considering the latest ambush. However, it might just be legit too....

As she might be mulling that over she would receive a message from Phylis.
"Got some Archangel problems in Tlaxqui. Your doing? Need help?"
Phylis probably knew that Natalie was probably better at looking after herself than the Jedi even was! However, she likely felt a bit guilty if she'd caused trouble, and it was in her nature to try and help.

xxx

Meanwhile, unrelated to all of this a shuttle had just left the Arx heading for Tlaxqui. Royal and her entourage on board...though they'd take time to arrive.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

"Got it," Elpsis responded simply and shut off her comm. She glanced towards Nyssa. "Let's get everyone together. See if Xilae and Kalou and see if they out anything. We'll pick up Lalax and go to the Daughters' temple. Zhaleh stays here and keeps an eye on the place."
"Ready to be worshipped?" Nyssa asked teasingly, whereupon Elpsis gave them a grumpy look. The Pureblood just shrugged. "They're a useful resource. Doesn't hurt to have a legion of fanatics in your corner."
"They're people. Misguided people...but they deserve better than this."

xxx

Xiarda had already gone to bed, but was quick to rise when Ximal knocked on her door. She looked her fellow Xio up and down. A barb of some sort seemed to be on her lips before she heard the Seeker was here on an important matter. Thus she was all business when she was led to Phylis. "You are uninjured?" she asked, clearly concerned. "Ximal tells me of mechanical terrors who take the faces of my sisters. Why are they here? We must find and smite them."

When Ximal knocked on her door, Diona was not asleep. She had sensed...turbulences in the Force. Then the Sith had been called away. Naturally she hadn't been given an explanation. It had left her restless. So she did what she always did when she was troubled or annoyed.

Thus the Seeker would find her sitting on the floor in a meditative position, head bowed, fully dressed and an enchanted sword at her side. True to form, Diona had donned a suit of armour rather than her uniform. She listened to what the Xio had to say, nodded, and picked up her sword. "Take me to Master Alince," she said curtly. Her mind was open if Javana had anything to say on these developments.

Among the tired looking Seekers filing in was the sole Qadiri who dwelt in the outpost. Hazani stood tall and suspicion was written across her features. She moved with purpose, and didn't look like she'd take excuses. "What is going on here?"

xxx

Natalie was driving at high speed when her commlink beeped and a message flashed across the display screen. She frowned. The message was...suspicious, to say the least. I need to change this number, she thought to herself. The police sirens were too close for comfort. Then she took a sharp turn with her speeder bike, accelerating as she steered it into the direction of the hangar. Just in this moment her comm played another message, making her groan. "Yes. I can handle it. Maintain radio silence," she shot off a terse message.

The path to the spaceport in question led her far away to the outskirts of the city. She brought her bike to a halt, and climbed off. She retrieved a pair of macrobinoculars and crouched. A few security guards, some customers late at night. She blended in easily among the shadows. Once she was close enough, she took out a tiny, metal bot that resembled a wasp. "Hangar 43, go," she ordered simply.

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Phylis nodded to her. "I am uninjured. I suspected its false intent and was, hmm, able to strike quickly. I am concerned there may be more though. I do not think they are here directly to cause trouble...yet. Because they look and act almost exactly like people they, hmm, are good spies. Hmmph, sometimes they are almost too good because they try to be too 'clever' like this one was."

"Still, I believe I was a target of opportunity. Regardless, we must ensure the Queen is protected. They cannot emulate the Force," Phylis pondered her own statement. "Hmmph, except in special cases. So surround the Queen with Force users...that way you can tell who is likely real."

Javana meanwhile brooded somewhat. "These machines are wicked devices. They are like ghosts who take the shape of real people but are controlled with gears and wires. We must purge their heresy...."

Phylis was about to continue with Xiarda when both Diona and Hazani entered. "Ah, hmm, good, both here. HRD tried to assassinate me. Likely Archangel." She perhaps wrongly assumed that all of Elpsis' minions knew about the strangely twisted relationship between the two companies.
"Elpsis is on her way to the Daughters...and I'll join her there. The Seekers will protect the Queen in case there is any more incitement or danger. Watch yourselves. You may, hmm, be noted targets."

Phylis observed the reply from Nat. She was not surprised. Indeed she'd probably done the wrong thing messaging her, but the Jedi was no spy! She left that sort of thing to the experts...like Natalie Dorn.

xxx

Meanwhile Nat's droid quietly and quickly made its way to Hanger 43. Sitting there was a small light corvette ship, once a pretty grand looking space yacht. Time and a clear lack of funds had led to it looking a bit more haggard than might be expected. However, it was clearly still a functioning ship and the tiny wasp-droid might pick out a concealed pod of heavier than usual weapons on the ostensibly civilian ship.

Standing in front of the ship's open gangplank was a young looking blonde human. Alongside her was a redheaded human and what seemed like an Eldorai and a Cathar. Whilst the aliens were chatting the blonde woman seemed to be consulting a device in her hand. She then looked right at the wasp droid's location and waved.

"No need to be shy, friend, come join us."

If Natalie knew of 'ancient' history of Elpsis' adoptive family or had a database of long dead Sith to call on she might recognise the face of that of Darth Keraunos, Kaelin Isandros. Though this clearly wasn't her. Depending on what she knew of Archangel she might know of a member of that posse....

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

Elpsis' face might as well have been carved out of stone when she entered Lalax' office, which would serve as an improvised meeting room. It was probably rather cramped. Her dead white eyes darted across the group. "Xilae, Kalou, what did you find out?"

xxx

"I shall inform Commander Naul'Zixasa," Xiarda said immediately. "She will protect Her Majesty. We have few Banishers, but many Seekers have some level of connection to the spirits. If we assign one to every patrol in a major district, we can cover a lot of ground without spreading our knights too thin."

Diona gave Javana the mental equivalent of a nod. They are abominations in the eyes of Ashla. I have heard tales of the devastation they have wreaked over the ages. For all the evil it did, the Jedi Council was right to ban them. It was no doubt curious how they could reach the same conclusion and even, to an extent, apply the same reasoning despite divides of species, homeworld and culture. "My sword is at your disposal. But how can we identify them? What does this Archangel want? Why would they attack you?" she spoke out aloud.

Hazani arched a brow. "I've slain the metal abominations created by the Xioquo, and I shall fight those of the outsiders," she declared. Is the Underealm the only place these creatures have infiltrated?" she asked. Of course, her mind gravitated towards her people. "Are they the reason Lieutenant Vykaris suddenly took off?" Phylis might detect the Qadiri warrior was more than a bit vexed.

xxx

Slowly, cautiously, Natalie stepped out. She had a disruptor in hand. Her blue eyes darted across the unorthodox crew, gaze flickering from Amara to what, on first sight, looked like a remarkably photogenic redheaded human female. "I sure hope she's been reprogrammed," she said curtly.

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

There were indeed more people than this room would otherwise normally carry. The cramped little office in the poorhouse had only one table and chair and a couple of crumbling bookshelves. Now though it was positively full of people.

Xilae stepped forward, cleared his throat. He knew that his boss was in the mood for efficiency and straight answers, so he offered no preamble.
"Ma'am, with Karou's help I have canvassed this district. Numbers are inexact, but from just this area of the city there have been 37 'recruits' for New Horizons. I am awaiting word from neighbouring districts, but I think it will be strongly based on the wealth of each district. Poorer areas like this will have more people willing to accept the stories."

He continued. "I questioned the male suspect, ma'am. He was at first stubborn but I convinced him to give up what he knew. He's been working with New Horizons for half a year now. He genuinely did join them as a poor labourer, but he caught the eye of his boss and he was photogenic so he was pulled into the promotional side. There was always the unspoken threat that he'd be sent back to the mines if he didn't do as he was told...and he's concerned about his family too. I told him I could discuss with you and see."

Karou added. "The people here told me it was usually the 3 vagabonds we met. I've seen them lying to people, but when I tried before to say something they shouted me down. That won't happen again." She smirked.

xxx

Phylis raised a hand to still their protests. "My apologies. I, hmm, suspected you might have been briefed on this. Hmmph, I forgot that not everyone is wrapped up in the adventures of the Kerrigan family as much as I seemingly are. Let's walk and talk."
They headed out of the Seekers' base and made their way towards the poorhouse again. They noted the light-grey armour of the Seekers occasionally evident amongst the regular patrols.
"Archangel is a corporation, a rival and mirror of Firemane in many ways. It's run by a mechanical clone of Siobhan Kerrigan for reasons too complex to get into. They use droids and robots of various forms, but their key hallmark is Human Replica Droids - HRDs. They look, act and sound like ordinary organics. However, once you get to know them you can sense the difference in them from an ordinary organic in how they sense in the Force. They feel...wrong...absent of a spirit. Not quite like a Force Dead, but more like a normal droid does. What do they want? Hmm, that is nebulous to me, but power, control and strength are standard bywords. They do not want to conquer the galaxy, nor exterminate all organics...not yet anyway. One day, perhaps. Why attack me? I've been...hmm...problematic to them before, and we now suspect they are behind New Horizons in some way. My feeling is that they are taking Xio and others and 'processing' them into droids to continue their spy-web. I am a threat to that, as is Elpsis, the Queen...all of you. You must be prepared! Sadly, Sergeant they have wormed their way in many locations across the galaxy. The Qadiri likely have their own share of them, the Vash too. I know...hmmph...or suspect several Eldorai are in fact HRDs."

They would be nearing the poorhouse but Diona and Hazani would have time to ask another round of questions before they arrived.

xxx

At first the redhead shifted her hand to her blaster until the blonde shook her head.
"Well spotted, Ms D. Yes, thoroughly. You can put that away, I'm not a droid, and whilst you have good reason to be suspicious of me I'm offering you a lift out of here. You don't want that, no harm, no foul, walk back out. I hear that Dock 64 has a scrap trawler leaving later today with room in the cargo bay."

She smiled. "But...if you want a ride out of here I'll do that much. For what? Just for some details on what happened with you. Why are the Angels after you...you've got them well riled up and I want to know why. It's your choice."
She looked to the Eldorai. "Faelar, go get us fired up. We're raising ship soon one way or another. Go with her Shosh."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

Elpsis' jaw was set while she listened. "A good deed doesn't wash out the bad, nor a bad deed the good. Each should have its own reward. Being in a bad spot is no excuse. It does make what he did understandable. He must make amends, but if he cooperates, we'll arrange protection for his family," she glanced at Lalax. "Can you organise something through the Daughters?"

Her dead eyes darted across the group. "I just had a little chat with Zotik. She was very cooperative," she said darkly. "New Horizons hasn't just been tricking Xio into servitude, they've been doing this to folks across the planet. Xio, Qadiri, Vash, Eldorai. I don't know yet who's behind them, but I know they're offworlders, very powerful, have access to droids that can look like us," she paused.

"And I'm gonna find them and kill them. But for that I need your help. Xilae, Kalou, Zhaleh, you keep an eye on this place and neighbouring districts. Liase with Daughters and Seekers as needed. And work on our 'guests'. A Jedi working with us was attacked by droids that can take the shape of people. They're very dangerous, so be on your guard. They're soulless machines, so best way to identity them is through the spirits' power."

"Um," Zhaleh cleared her throat.
"Yes, Private?"
"May I call my mother, ma'am? The Northlands get few visitors, but sometimes sky people come. Some to sell wares or take our fish, others to offer...work. I have kin in Skrael Floe. It wouldn't take long. She has one of those talking machines."
Elpsis considered this, nodded. "Call her. Emphasise that she has to be discreet...but warn the other clan leaders."

xxx

Diona looked pensive, as she absorbeed Phylis' words. "The vilest evil is often cloaked by the appearance of righteousness and kindness," she commented thoughtfully when the Jedi had finished. "The machine has no faith. If it can think, it will always seek to destroy us."

Hazani, meanwhile, looked troubled. "I must send a message to my kin. They must know that these metal demons walk the earth, and arm themselves to protect their homes. I cannot, and will not rely on the vigilance of the sky people," she said firmly.

xxx


Outwardly Natalie's expression did not waver. "I embarrassed their IT. You know how tetchy droids get," she responded deadpan. "What I wonder is how you got my number. It's no use to me if everyone can send me message me on it, Amara Zarides. Yes, I know all about you. Makes for interesting bedtime reading. What I wonder is where you into fit into the puzzle that's Archangel now. Clone harmony not working out?" It was phrased more as a statement than a question. She didn't put her gun away, but lowered it.

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Lalax nodded, first approvingly at Elpsis' words and then at her question.
"I can do this!" she said enthusiastically. "If this male be true we will ensure no harm comes to him."
There was a murmur from the others at the revelations.
Karou spoke up. "Then it is well you were here, Heir. If these demon machines are in league with these new slavers I know you will smite them as they deserve. If I can aid you in any way, I shall."
There was general agreement there.

Xilae nodded. "Of course, ma'am. I'll talk to some of the families of those taken and see if they know anything more. I'll also make sure my kin are safe."

Kalou, the Daughter, bowed slightly. "As you command, Offspring, so shall it be. Atzi is on guard, but I will ensure all our Sisters are prepared for battle with the metal demons."

xxx

"Hmm, well, not all droids are evil. However, those who view life as an error to be corrected will always turn to destructive ways. However, I agree with you. Evil can often come in the form of good...as you know well. But remember that, hmm, the reverse can be true too."

"A wise policy, Sergeant. If you need, you can borrow my comm and ship booster, but you should be able to get a message there. Hmmph, do not be too alarmed though. Archangel will not have many of the replicas around, especially in remote places, but it pays to be cautious."

xxx

At last they arrived again at the poorhouse. Phylis nodded to the Daughters. Their overall more aggressive Force use was a mild concern, but she was not hugely troubled. They were a cult, but a controlled one.
Knocking on the door, Phylis entered the room where Elpsis had been finishing her comments.
"Ah, Lieutenant, good. How goes things here?"

xxx

The blonde smiled slightly. "Oh I do, Natalie Dorn. But when you live with them for your whole - admittedly short - life, you get some ideas about how to work with them. As for your comm, I apologise. I don't like to do stuff like that, but you seemed in a bit of a bother and a bit of a hurry. I'm not a droid but I have developed skills and powers in the Force which assist with these things."

"Let's just say that I'm having a sabbatical from angels. I will never do anything to hurt my siblings...but I very much disagree with their methods. And if I understand correctly you just stumbled on something very unfortunate and very disturbing."

"So here's my deal. I take you off world to a planet near here, and in return you show me how to do that gun trick with the spinning pistol. Oh, and say hello to Ms Kerrigan for me. Oh, and tell me really what happened in the Denon heist. Well, as much as you can, I'm a big fan. Nothing else, no other conditions. Deal?"
She seemed excitable by nature and very eager, open and confident with a broad smile.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

"It is not only the demon machines I am worried about," Hazani said simply. No doubt the sky people will exploit this. It would be a simple matter for them to rob us of more of our freedom by swooping in proclaiming they have come to protect us from this menace, she thought cynically. They may have let it happen.

xxx

Elpsis tensed slightly when she was once more called the Heir. She was tempted to pull her two...spirit siblings aside, but then resolved to table that when she sensed Phylis' approach. "Our prisoner was very...giving once Nyssa had a word with her," she responded, causing the Pureblood to smirk smugly.

"We have a couple leads to investigate."
"For the demon machines?" Hazani asked, arms folded.
"Maybe. A company called New Horizons is tricking natives into slavery. As of now we don't know whether the psycho droids are behind them or just taking advantage. But we do know they've got foreign backers who are very wealthy and powerful," she glanced at Phylis. "Will the Seekers alert the Queen? I'm gonna go off and chat with the High Priestess. You still want to honour your...appointment with New Horizons tomorrow? There's a risk, but you may be able to get some intel on them. You shouldn't go alone though. I can spare one of my people."

xxx

For her part, Natalie wondered whether the clone was really this quirky, for she came across as a bit scatter-brained. It could be a well-rehearsed act, genuine or both. She imagined it was a bit of both.

Then there was the question of her ties to the 'angels'. You mean you're 'moral' enough to give some pinpricks, but not brave enough to actually make a stand, she thought. I've worked with worse. She didn't judge. People liked to divide the galaxy into black and white. But the truth was, it was black and very dark shades of grey. But whatever allowed people to sleep soundly at night.

"You got a deal, blondie. If I were you, I'd hold off on wanting tea and crumpets with Ms Kerrigan just yet. Take me off-world to coordinates I'll specify, and you can have all the stories and parlour tricks you want."

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Phylis momentarily cast a glance at Hazani but made no comment. She knew enough about the Sistren to know that they had no great love of Firemane, and this certainly wouldn't help assuage that!

"Yes, the Seekers will protect the Queen directly. I've instructed them basically on how to tell if someone is a droid. It's not perfect but if she keeps only those they know well near her she will be fine. Hmmph, I don't feel this will be Archangel's play though. They likely wanted to deal with me on a convenience...but we shall see."

"I will keep my appointment, but I will go in with both eyes open. Hmm, I think Diona would be a good person to take," she said, looking at the former Jedi. "I would take Xiarda, but I feel she will be occupied here. Diona though I feel has the strength of mind and wisdom to provide me with alternatives. And, hmm, she has Javana as well who may provide some aid against any mentalist tricks they may have."
Diona was also human, which was helpful in this case; Phylis would not need an interpreter if she had a Xio with her, after all!

"The risk, I feel, is worth it. They would be unwise to attempt to attack me in public, but I cannot rule it out. Hmmph, greed and fear makes people do foolish things."

She looked back to Diona. "If you are willing, of course."

xxx

Amara beamed. "Excellent, excellent! Well, come aboard. I can drop you at Dac, that's not too out of the way. Alternatively Bonadan is close, it's in Ashlan space if that's a problem. Not sure how active they are...or care."

Natalie, if she came aboard, would find that the once shiny and glossy interior also looked significantly used. There was a sense of ordered chaos though, and the medical bay was scrupulously clean. One room had been cleaned out almost entirely except for some blocks of stone piled in one corner. Another room had a pair of bunks and a final one had a single, messy bed. Finally there was a small inset area where someone could sit, perhaps a droid which needed time to process....

There was all the usual paraphernalia too of a wanderer.

"Make yourself at home, though please don't touch anything delicate. It's hard enough to keep this thing flying without twiddling."

There was the sound of heavy footfalls approaching and a giant Kar'zun, so tall they had to basically bow their head in the corridors or risk smacking it, approached.
"We are cleared to depart, Captain." Their eyes settled on Natalie. "New passenger?"
"Just temporarily. Quid pro quo sort of thing."

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

"I am," Diona said firmly. "If the Lieutenant agrees," she added after a moment, doubtless seeing Elpsis' set jaw.
"Granted. Be careful," the soldier said laconically.
"Yes, ma'am." The former Jedi inquisitor nodded, and glanced at Phylis. "By Ashla, I swear I shall guard and counsel you faithfully. What's our destination?"

"You house a spirit of the lost kin, Diona," Hazani unexpectedly spoke up. There was something indecipherable about her expression. "Take care of...her."
"My oath is true for her as well," the Jedi spoke. She tensed slightly when she felt a foreign presence touch her mind. Feeling it was Elpsis, she lowered her barriers. Firemane may be compromised. As soon as she heard the words, Elpsis' presence had already receded from her mind.

"Master Jedi, before you leave you should go to the Firemane embassy. Give them a report about the attack, and a description of the kill-bot," Elpsis said to Phylis as if nothing had happened. "They'll want to know if Archangel is up to something."
"They're going to want to hear from us too, ma'am," Xilae spoke up softly. "Begging your pardon, ma'am, but protocol's clear on this."
"As the Colonel is very keen to remind us," Elpsis remarked dryly. Zhaleh brought a hand to her mouth to suppress a laugh. "You're right though. But right now we don't have much else to say. We'll follow up our lead, and deliver a second hand report afterwards."

"The nature of our mission has changed very radically since our arrival, ma'am. I was absent from...events here," Hazani's green eyes darted across the room. "But our unit faces threats we couldn't prepare for. This menace imperils Qadiri as well. I'd like to discuss matters."
Elpsis' jaw was set. She felt like refusing, then pushed that aside and nodded. "Granted. We'll talk on the way."

xxx

Natalie arched a brow as she took in the scenery. "Dac. If I have to put up with Jedi zealots, I prefer the real deal, not the amateurish, trash bin version, than you very much," she said a bit tartly.

Suddenly there was the sound of heavy footfalls, almost like a thunder. There were undoubtedly many ways to react when a massive man who looked like he was made of rock suddenly loomed above you. "Zar'kahn, is it?" It was obviously more a statement than a question. "Arl'Varz says hi."

 

[Phylis Alince]

Elpsis Kerrigan

Phylis smiled at the former Jedi. She did not mock her earnest questions. Honestly, it was nice to find someone who treated serious matters seriously.
"That is all I ask, Diona. Our destination is into danger, but not rashly. We go to New Horizons to learn what we can from them, but they must not know our true intent. Perhaps they might guess it or have information on our work already...hmm...in which case we'll have to deal with the situation as it comes. I know you are more than able to hide your purpose and words, and we need to do this."

From within the recesses of Diona's mind, Javana peered out at Hazani.
"She is one of the Sistren, is she not? I did not like them in life. In death...many petty quarrels fade to insignificance."

"I'll pass the message on, Elpsis. Hmmph, I can at least give them information on the one that attacked me. We'll head there directly. I'll tell them that Diona is loaned to me for the purpose of providing corroboration of my story and any future events."
She had been tempted to say that Diona was her bodyguard...but a Jedi Master didn't really need one. Or at least that is what most would think.

xxx

"Well look, trash bin variety's pretty much all there is, right? We've got pacifist Jedi, insane Jedi, purifier Jedi, incompetent Jedi and nerd Jedi. None of them are more help than a wooden lightsabre."
Amara had a poor view of Jedi. She'd rarely met one who was actually useful...perhaps Phylis Alince. Other than that she'd encountered them as targets or obstacles.

"Dac it is though. Sounds good. I have some loans to call in there."

Zar'kahn loomed over Natalie. "Good. She is a better representative of our people than I could be. In time she was make the Eldorai understand that only together will we prosper."

Amara oddly seemed enthused. "Yes, she's doing a great job! Do you know the SK's well, Nat? They're a curious sort. They were very cautious about letting me land - it was only because Faelar and Zar'kahn were with me that they would. And the looks some gave Shosh...but I understand it. Anyway, let's get going. I'll come back and you can show me tricks once we're underway."

Amara headed off to the cockpit and soon they were ascending. Zar'kahn paused, either watching Natalie or waiting to see if she had more to say about his compatriot.

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

Phylis Alince

Diona inclined her head slightly to Phylis to signal affirmation. She felt Javana stir in her mind. She is. They remind me of the Windian Jedi...if they lived up to their code more, Diona confirmed in her thoughts. It was before my time in the stars, but they have quarrel with Firemane. The details escape me, but Hazani's mother battled Kerrigan, but was betrayed. Kerrigan had her murderers executed...but made Hazani her hostage. Now the daughter is her commander. Hazani is strong and brave, but prideful and resentful. Her eyes darted across the group.

"Well, what about me?" Nyssa exclaimed, muscular arms folded and with an expression of boredom on her face. "Surely there's a mission for me?"
"Make sure Zotik is detained somewhere secure. Karou knows a place," Elpsis said tersely, giving the militant Daughter a nod. "Then...go back to the ship and distribute some guns. You've got the access codes. Work with our people here."
"Yes, ma'am," Nyssa gave her an irreverent salute. "I shall find the strongest, comeliest maidens and turn them into a mighty army."

"We must make sure weapons end up in reliable hands," Hazani remarked. "Since...infiltrators are at large."
"Between our people, Lalax, Karou and Kalou here, vetting should be thorough. You have your tasks. Dismissed. Sergeant, you stay. Lalax, we'll got to the temple when I'm done here." The group filed out. Elpsis said nothing until the office was deserted save for the two of them. Wordlessly, Hazani shut the door.

"I think we need to clear the air between us," Elpsis said flatly.
Hazani met her icy gaze without wavering. "I've done my duty, ma'am."
"Which is why you sprang the artefact thing on me. Don't bother with excuses, you knew exactly what you were doing."
A lesser person might have flinched. "Correct, and I'm useless to Firemane if my people just see me as a puppet who can do nothing to help them reclaim what's theirs." Hazani leaned forward. "We've both known where my devotion lies...and what you're expected to do if my people break the accords. But this isn't about that. We're facing a foreign threat and I need to know what we're up against - for the good of not just my people...but our unit."
"Your squad has a Xio, Sergeant," Elpsis pointed out tersely.
"He's a good soldier. But as to the matter at hand, you're not someone who cares much for protocol, ma'am. But you're actively avoiding contact with Firemane. There's a reason for that."
Elpsis was silent for a long, drawn-out moment. Her features might as well have been carved out of granite. "You fought Firemane once, you'd do so again, wouldn't you?"
"Yes." Hazani said after a short moment. "And you'd do your duty. In the past I thought it would be straightforward. You'd administer Firemane's justice. But now I'm not so sure."
"Things aren't straightforward." Elpsis looked at the wall, as if 'scanning' for eavesdroppers. Then she turned her attention back to Hazani. "If you mention this to anyone without my permission, the consequences will be terminal, got it? What you heard from Alince is true. Archangel is sending in agents, and New Horizons is luring folks into slavery. Not just Xio - all elves. What she didn't mention is that Firemane may have been compromised. New Horizons is one of their subsidiaries. I don't know how many people on top are in on it, or if it's just a 'rogue cell'. But we can't trust them. That's what Lia asked me to look into."

A thousand thoughts raced through Hazani's mind, as she absorbed the revelation. "I...understand. That is...I would be lying if I said was shocked."
"I figure you can race to the comm now and fill your people in on everything."
Hazani's features hardened. "All Qadiri are in peril - especially my kin. We're already being strangled by your mistresses' dictates. If they're not warned, they'll be prey."
"Realistically, I can't stop you. I've got a job to do, I can't waste time spying on my own people," Elpsis shrugged. "If your people rise up now, Firemane will have an excuse to bring down the hammer. Even people who aren't involved will go along with it."
Hazani's jaw was set. Beneath the table, she closed her right hand into a fist to quench the flame she felt was already rising. "I know the way this game is played, ma'am. I know your mistresses and their backers would wipe us off the map...for now. I will warn them to be vigilant against the devil-machines and false prophets, but what you told me will remain confidential. But what will you do if it transpires that it's more than just a 'rogue cell', as you say?"
Elpsis' mind flashed back to a conversation with Xalda many months ago, standing above a comatose Siobhan in her hospital room. "Then I burn them all."
Hazani straightened, her expression solemn and grave. But Elpsis was certain she perceived something more calculating in her aura. "By Azali, may She be glorified and exalted, and Her covenant, I swear I shall be at your side as long as you abide by this pact."
"And I swear by the Lifeweb," Elpsis responded. She frowned, then laughed without mirth.
"I don't see the humour in our situation," the Qadiri reproached her.
"Me neither. But now I've got an excuse to ditch this stupid dress uniform."
Hazani's lips curled into a thin smile. "Yes, I can see the appeal of that. You humans need to clothe your officers better."

xxx

"Did some jobs with them," Natalie responded simply, keeping her eyes on the giant Kar'zun. "They've got a Star Destroyer-sized chip on their shoulder, but they're good backup on an op."

She gave Shoshary an understanding nod. "They're building a patchwork civilisation from scratch with people who killed each other until recently. The way they've chosen is to broaden their definition of 'us' to include all elves and some Kar'zun and otherise almost everyone else. Good for unity. Doesn't win outside friends. The Archon's sensible enough." And just Elpsis' type, she thought.