The Adventures of a Healer and a Viking: Pirates, Part II

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

A shrill warning iced down her veins in the force as she turned. She heard the woman's voice. She saw Val right as a sharp, jagged steel pierced through her clothing and into her skin and heart beyond. Surprise splashed across the healer's face as she came face-to-face with a Mirialan woman. Looked about her same age. Different woman from the one Val faced.

Jerk reaction or something else caused her thumb to hit the ignition switch of her lightsaber. The golden-blade errupted to life and buried itself into the woman's gut. Weary gaze looked down at the blade sticking out of her chest, the hilt buried in her back. The mirialan fell on her side.

Taheera fell to her knees. Her chest was on fire. Things were getting dark. She whispered one thing before she felt her limbs go cold all over.

"Val."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Confusion crossed his face.

He didn't really understand what had happened for a few seconds, though as he saw Taheera fall a realization crossed his features. Rage flowed across his features. He was not one for friendship, he was not one...for well anything, but Taheera and him had gotten close, closer than anyone else had gotten to him in nearly five decades. He felt his blood boil, his fingers tighten into fists, and then...then everything went black.

The next few minutes were a blotch of screams and blood.

The pirates that remained were quickly felled, those still standing either torn to shreds and broken into pieces.

Val offered no mercy, no stop. He killed them as a beast might have done, in those few moments he was less of a man and more of a monster. Tearing into his enemies with a brutal efficiency that one might have expected of a Nexu or Malraas. It was quick, bloody, and oddly efficient. At the end of it all Val stood within the center of the bridge, blood dripping from his fingers, his chest rising and falling in steady breaths, the blast doors to the bridge splattered with dark maroon.

No one else breathed, or so he thought.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She didn't see Val turn into a monster. She couldn't hear the crack of bones, tearing of flesh, or bloody screams. Death was quiet. And dark.

But she could feel.

She could feel her spirit in the force shift and leave a body that failed. There was something beyond - something that was tugging her toward...

'No.'

Any sort of peace quickly disappeared and was replaced with a sickly, dark sensation. It began at her toes and wound through her body, up her legs, lungs, fingertips. She was drowning in blackness. Waves of hatred filled her soul, like pummeling a rock on a coastline.

'You are not finished.'

Instead of floating free, her soul became anchored. Every cell in her body screamed in pain. If souls could scream, hers was right now. Two words went through her head: Je'gan. Body snatcher.

When she thought the pain wouldn't get any worse, when the darkness wouldn't get any darker - it did. And with one sudden lurch, everything stopped. Soul was anchored down and she settled. Lips of a new body parted and she breathed. It's own soul gone, or perhaps pushed out.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Val didn't hear the breathing, didn't see the body twitch and move. He was observant, or so he liked to think, but his mind was distracted. A part of him was still gone, stuck in that beastly state. He couldn't help it really. He had seen his friend die, slaughtered like a lamb. He thought that it might have been his fault, that he was the death of those around him, that it was his fault.

Some things couldn't be changed.

His eyes glassed over, and slowly he wandered towards the edge of the bridge.

None of the pirates moved anymore, those that would have come to back them up would be stopped by the blast doors. He didn't care about them, didn't even think about what they might do. He slowly wandered down the center of the bridge, footsteps clanking across metal plates until he reached the viewports. His lips thinned slightly as he stared out into the blackness of space, a heavy weight settling upon his shoulders. What was he to do?

What was he to say?

Should he go back and tell the Jedi of Taheera's fate? Should...could he face this again? He frowned for a moment, and simply watched the stars.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

The scorching wound in the mirialan's gut slowly began to heal as the force flowed through the jedi's soul now within a new body. But Taheera didn't know any of this. She felt pain. Everywhere. And the healing seemed tainted. Darker. More painful.

Eyelids fluttered open. Lithe body twitched on the floor. And suddenly, she was flooded by new and unusual senses. Sights, smells, sounds, feelings...everything was amped up by ten-fold.

What the frex?

Fingers twitched at her sides and she quarter-turned her head, seeing the soulless, blank-eyed stare of herself. Myrtle-ellipses widened further. A small gasp escaped her lips. Bewildered, wild eyes panned down to her limbs.

They were green.

She yelped.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He didn't even notice.

He was lost.

Lost in thought. In things that had happened a life-time ago. Val hadn't thought about Aerith in a long while, not really anyway. Odd bits of nostalgia, small memories, but not of her loss, of her death. He hadn't thought about those he had lost, he hadn't...he hadn't even considered it in what felt like a millenia. Yet here he was, having lost another one. His lips were thin, blue, as though he were freezing. His hands still curled at his side, blood dripping.

What was he supposed to do?

He supposed the first step was to get off the ship, to make it...back. Where was he going to go? He had no idea where Taheera had even come from. She had mentioned Jedi, and he had been aboard their ship, but...well that wasn't much to go on. His lips thinned even further, and slowly he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the cold glasteel.

He didn't know what to do next.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Heart hammered in her chest. Wild eyes finally looked up. Then squinted. Things were so bright. Vibrant. So many details. She wasn't used to....

Gaze snapped to Val's hunched form. She propped herself up on her elbows slowly. The blood dripping from his curled palms couldn't be missed but she could see details she'd never have been able to see before. She could smell that metallic-bitter smell from the crimson liquid. Nose crinkled. Panic clawed it's way into her chest. She opened her mouth to call out his name but the words died in her throat.

Whatwashappening?

She couldn't explain it to herself. There was no way she could explain this to Val. She only had one option.

Run.

Eyes drifted to her dead body's bag.

Blow the reactors and run.

With a grunt, she launched to her feet, grabbing the bag from her clone's dead body and went to bolt for the blast doors.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

His eyes were still closed, his head still leaning against the cold glass. A chill fell across his spine as the adrenaline quickly began to drain from his body. His usual calm was returning to him, the tides of battle slowly disappearing as he took in deep breaths of air. A sort of sadness fell over him, not a depression, but a familiar enough feeling that he knew things would not be well for a while. His body shook, and slowly his head began to twist slightly.

He rolled his forehead over the glasteel, as if trying to cool himself.

Then he heard a noise. It was the subtle scraping of soft boots following by the pressing of keys. His lips turned thin, a frown pulling across his lips as she heard the sound of someone trying to open the blast-doors. Had he left one alive? Had he allowed one of the pirates to live? Perhaps in his rage he had missed one, perhaps...he sighed slightly, and then slowly stood up to his full height. She would not have wanted him to kill them...but it was too late for that.

He turned on his heel.

He saw a small form at the door controls, fumbling and attempting to open the door.

Val didn't recognize the woman, having lost his senses when he saw Taheera fall. He knew she was a pirate thought, and that was enough. Slowly he began to wander back down the length of the bridge, feet falling heavily onto the metal floor.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

A fear and panic she never knew before gripped her like cold, hard chains. What happened? Who was that voice? Would one of the masters be able to help her back at the Academy?

What was the dark thing inside of her?

Hands shook as she swiped the keypad one more time. Heavy footfalls thudded from just behind. She was too scared, too confused, too panicked to look back. When the blast doors hissed open, she didn't hesitate to run forward.

One green palm splattered with her own blood - her old blood, gripped the detonator switch to the core but she didn't press it yet.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Val stepped forward, and then he broke out into a sprint.

He moved as fast as he could, he didn’t know who the Pirate was, didn’t know what they were planning, but it didn’t matter. At this point Val knew that he had to get off this ship, and he knew that the more pirates were in his way, the worse off he would be. Letting this one escape would mean the others would soon come crawling towards him.

He couldn’t allow that.

The Warrior moved as fast as he could, breaking out into a hard sprint to chase after the girl. His boots rumbled loudly on the metal deck, his eyes locking on the Miralan. A glimmer of recognition faded onto his face, and then it was quickly replaced by a snarl.

She had killed Taheera.

A memory flashed across his mind, and his fingers sprawled as he tried to snatch her up and off of the ground.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

She could feel Val's tempo pick up as his heavy feet thudded on the decking. Her already panicked self was spinning further out of control. The force whispered a warning.

Weight shifted on soft booted feet and she lunged right. She felt his hand clamp down on her grey scarf with enough force that when she jerked and spun away, she stumbled and fell against the corridor wall. Scarf was ripped and in his hand.

Back pressed against the wall and she slid down, her bottom hitting the flooring. Head spun a bit. These new, amplified senses were something to get used to.

Head shook and she scrambled to get up and away. She knew the look on Val's face all too well. She just wasn't used to being the recipient.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"You killed my friend." Val said simply.

The electro-staff popped into his hand, buzzing loudly as the pink shock sticks at the end jumped into life. There wasn't much for him to think about, really he should have just stepped forward and punctured the woman's lungs, but for some odd reason he couldn't. There was no real explanation for it, maybe it was the effect Taheera had had on him, or maybe it was just the reality of the situation.

This woman was afraid.

He had killed before of course, dozens, but there had always been a reason. Either they had tried to kill him, were going to try to kill him, or something of the sort. This woman though...it would be pure vengeance. Could he do that?

Could he fall to that level?

A part of him wanted to, a very large part. Revenge felt good. It was an odd sort of bliss that no one could really explain, the act of taking something back, something that you had thought was lost. It wouldn't bring Taheera to life again but...maybe it would make him feel better? Perhaps vengeance was something of worth. He frowned for a second and took another step forward, eyes setting on the woman as he slowly scowled.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Purple-like lips parted on her green face. She wanted to yell and scream at Val. She wanted to say that it was her. She wanted to yell to stop. But she was scared. Not of Val, well, not entirely.

She was terrified of what she'd become. The unexplained. What had happened.

She found her feet. She looked wildly around like a trapped-nexu. Fingers gripped the detonator switch. Panic and fear still pounded in her veins, bombarding her senses. The pain of coming back to life was still very much there. Too close. Too real. She had to get away and she had to leave. He would never understand. How could he? When she didn't herself.

"Val," voice sounded different. Deeper. Tattooed-face scrunched up in anguish.

Actions spoke louder than words.

Thumb punched down on the detonator switch and the ship's core a floor below them began to explode.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

He stopped.

Confusion pulled across his face.

Val had no idea what was going on. The Pirate that had killed Taheera somehow knew his name, whats more than that she had just blown up her own ship. His fingers latched around the Electro-staff, but unconsciously he took a step back. What was happening? He...was this the force? Had Taheera somehow turned herself into this thing? Had she been a changeling all along?

It was possible.

Val had met Clawdites and even a Shi'ido before, but...why? What was the point of changing her skin now, especially when...no she wasn't a changeling, he had seen her corpse. His head began to hurt, his hand falling onto his face as he tried to make sense of what the feth was going on. A deep rumble tore through the ship, the Star Destroyer shaking once more as he tried to reason out what the hell was happening. Deem within the Destroyer the core was now overloading, starting a slow, but ultimate destruction of the massive capital ship.

They needed to get out...but...he was confused.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

When he hesitated - when he took a step back. That's all she needed. She bolted.

She didn't know if he would follow. She wasn't thinking straight anyway. She just had to leave - had to get out. Had to find answers. Green arms and legs pumped. Adrenaline flowed through her new body. Shorter, chestnut hair flew behind her. Pack thudded against the small of her back.

The escape pods were on this level. She remembered from the map. The port side. A little ways away through a zig-zagging of corridors. The floors buckled beneath her boots and the walls to the right suddenly burst into flames. She stumbled and staggered to the ground. And for a very real moment, she wondered if she should even bother getting up. Maybe it was better to let the flames take her. Maybe she wouldn't be robbed of the end a second time.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"What." He said as he started after her. "The feth."

Val didn't know what was happening, but he chased her. "IS GOING ON?"

He had no idea anymore, but he knew that this Miralan likely had the answers he was looking for, or at the very least was as confused as he was. At this point he just needed something, something a little bit more stable than nothing, something that he could hang on to, if only for just a few seconds.

"STOP!" His voice boomed.

It resonated and bounced within the hall of the Destroyer, accented by the buzzing of his electro-staff.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Smoke began to billow in the halls. Head lifted from her tangle of limbs position on the floor at the heaping form of the viking and that crackling electrostaff. The pain. Her own death. That voice. The fear. Losing herself. Dying.

"Idon'tknowIdon'tknowIdon'know. I....".

It was all too much.

Tears began carving down her skin, cutting paths through her ash-strewn cheeks.

"Just....go," she managed to choke out as fits of coughing took over her form. Palms dug into the deck plating as if trying to ground herself. Only, it was getting warmer and was starting to burn.

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The ship shook once more. There was still a few minutes left, probably longer than either would have guessed. A Star Destroyer was massive, and the power core erupting, well it was enough to take out the ship but certainly not enough to cause a catastrophic melt down. He frowned slightly as he looked up, the light flickering on and off as the ships energy began to wildly fluctuate. His lips turned down into a scowl and he looked down at the woman.

"Stop!" He told her.

He had no idea what was happening, no idea what this woman was blubbering on about. As far as he was concerned she had killed Taheera, murdered her right in front of him. What else was he supposed to believe? What else was he supposed to say or do? Something was wrong, but he didn't know what, he didn't know what to do.
"Tell me who you are!" His voice still boomed. "Now."

There was an icy edge to his tone.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Valkyrien Aurelios"]

Why was he still there? Hovering over her? the corridor was beginning to catch fire. The smoke was getting thicker and thicker. And did he just tell her to 'stop' crying? A man just commanded a woman to stop crying?!

The ludicrous demand made her laugh-cry. Shoulders trembled. Definitely ugly crying.

Somehow words blubbered from her mouth. Salty-tears continued to drip on the deck-plating. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you...because...because I don't believe it. Because....you....already know me.........because.........




I'm Taheera."

 

[Valkyrien Aurelios]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Well.

That wasn't what he had expected.

Val wasn't exactly sure what the force was capable of. He'd heard legends, read stories, seen all sorts of things that most people would call impossible. This? This was something else entirely. Doubt filled his mind, his fingers flexed, but the elctro-staff suddenly ceased its buzzing. Flames surrounded them, and for a moment Val simply decided to try and make sense of all of this, tried to figure out what in the hell was happening, what had happened.

He frowned, then spoke. "Come on."

What else was he going to do? He felt empty, like a shell, but he knew that there was no way she could know. There was no way she could have been lying. The Pirate hadn't heard Taheeras name, he'd never said it and...well what else was he supposed to believe?

"We need to go." His tone didn't soften. "There's escape pods around the corner."

What else?