Private The King is Dead

[Meira Amavia]

The starport was a place that Meira had rarely been. She'd come to greet visitors to their world, on the rare occasion it was called for, but the princess had always been firmly planted here. Never a reason to leave, until now. At the mention of documentation, her mind traveled back to her private vault in the palace.

She shook her head; his assumption was correct.

Meira pulled the cloak around her and gripped it in place with a pale hand. Was there time to acquire forged documents? She didn't think so. And she hadn't the faintest idea where to pursue that idea. “I feel the latter may the best option,” she found herself saying. Though she did not wish to turn to deceit, she realized now that a certain amount might be called for if she was to escape.

Her heart began to pound as the dark silhouettes at the entrance to the spaceport became visible. “However, I do not wish to burden you,” she added. A last chance for the professor to abandon the quest.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"It's hardly a burden," Nimdok replied. "Less of a detour, in fact. Unless we run into a particularly strong-willed customs officer."

Dark silhouettes at the entrance to the spaceport were accompanied by a warning knell from the Force. Nimdok thought of how Princess Meira had been instantly recognized by the apothecary. A disguise for her would no doubt improve their chances of getting through.

Puzzling for a moment, he laid a hand on Miri's head, signaling an opening of telepathic communication. <There is an energy which surrounds me, like a cloak or a mask. Can you sense it?> He was referring to his natural Shi'ido affinity for glamoring. It was a peculiar and subtle form of telepathy that improved his ability to disguise himself. If he had been a more powerful Force User, perhaps he could project it onto others, but he had never tried and now was not the time for experimentation. At least, not without help.

She looked up at him, squinting against the sunlight. <Yup.>

<I need you to grasp the edges of that cloak and spread it over the princess. Can you do that?>

She closed her eyes and wrinkled her nose as she concentrated. "Don't be alarmed," Nimdok said to the princess, who might be able to feel the shroud of energy passing over her. "We're doing this to help you."

Meira would likely notice that Nimdok's appearance had changed. It was nothing major, but something about him seemed slightly... off. Sharing his glamor had weakened the more subtle elements of his subterfuge, though not to the point where he no longer matched the photo on his ID. Meira also seemed different, enough that a passing glance would not result in instant recognition.

Meira Amavia​

 

[Meira Amavia]

Meira was unaware of the telepathic conversation happening next to her. Instead, her eyes were focused ahead – towards the spaceport and perhaps even beyond. But it wasn't long before there was a tingling at her fingertips. It was something like static, but warm somehow. She blinked as the energy seemed to wrap her, holding her in a strange embrace.

Her eyes shifted to Nimdok, and she squinted against the light that lined the edges of his face. He was different. Meira's head canted to the side slightly, wondering. However, as she felt the haze settle about her own facial features, she understood.

How very clever.

Though, she did not quite understand how it worked, she knew this 'mask' was her only hope. As they approached the check point, she attempted to stand straighter, hiding the tired, sickly hunch of her shoulders. Standing to face the guards, she must have looked quite unassuming – for they hardly spared her a glance.

Instead, they turned their attention to Nimdok. Their hard gazes did not hold any sorrow, and Meira scrutinized them silently. There was just something off. New guards for a new regime.

“Your names and your heading, sir?” One of them asked.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Errik Nimdok, headed for Commenor," he replied. "My daughters May and Miri." He gestured, then reached into his pocket, producing his ID. "They're too young to have their own identification."

The guard looked at his card. "What are their ages?"

"Fifteen and eight." Old as she might be, Meira's features were youthful enough that she could pass as a rather mature teenager.

"Big age difference."

Nimdok smirked to hide his nervousness. "Yes, well, one of them was a happy accident."

"How long do I have to hold it?" Miri asked impatiently, clearly referring to the glamor.

"You can go to the 'fresher as soon as we reach the ship," Nimdok replied smoothly, clearing his throat and sending her a mental nudge. <Be quiet.> He knew she was most likely either getting tired of concentrating or bored, but they couldn't afford to drop the veil yet.

"Oh, there's a restroom just down there." One of the guards pointed.

Nimdok pretended to check his watch, frowned, then reluctantly decided it was best to let the charade carry on to completion. There were presumably no guards in the restrooms, and in the meantime he could get them through security. "All right. May, would you go with her? And please, don't waste time in front of the mirror checking your makeup again." His tone was light, but the joke was a front for a real warning. The glamor didn't apply to reflections. Hopefully she understood.

Meira Amavia​

 

[Meira Amavia]

Meira tried not to let the tension get to her. Though, she had to concentrate in order to keep from flinching each time the guard spoke to Nimdok. However, the Professor seemed to handle the situation quite well. As Miri spoke up, she glanced towards the girl and then offered a hurried nod as Nimdok asked her to accompany her to the restroom.

“Y-yes,” she stammered. “Yes, father.”

She blinked, taking in the remark about checking her makeup in the mirror. Her hand rose to touch her cheek, but she nodded to signal that she understood. Then, together with Miri, she walked to the restroom that the guard had designated and cast a small glance over her shoulder at Nimdok before stepping inside.

“You should go in,” Meira nodded to the nearest stall. “I'll be... here.”

There was a flush in one of the stalls down the line. Meira kept to the corner, turning her back to the reflection in the mirrors. An elderly woman exited the stall, washed, and then filed past Meira without much of a glance. She released the breath she'd been holding tight within. Her silk slipper edged forward, her toes came to a stop just at the door frame. From here, she could see out towards the booth, where Nimdok and the guards were hopefully settling everything without fuss.

Meira clutched the front of her cloak again as she heard Miri exhale from within the stall. She probably wanted to get on with it and get out of here. But, she wanted to be safe... and she waited for a sign or signal that they were in the clear.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Miri was not naturally a rambunctious or troublesome child, but she did have a slightly bratty streak. She had liked pretending Princess Meira was her big sister at first, but having to work to maintain the illusion had put a serious dent in her enjoyment. Now she had to pretend that she was going to the bathroom. She heaved a tremendous sigh, resting her cheeks on her fists. How long was she supposed to stay in here? Maybe she should try to go to the bathroom anyway, just in case. But no, she didn’t really have to go.

What if the princess really was her big sister? Miri supposed she’d live in a castle and wear a lot of fancy dresses. And she’d have to go to boring dinners and talk about politics. But it would also mean that it was her family that would’ve gotten killed, too. Although now that she thought about it, she couldn’t really imagine her father as a king. He was more like a school principal, or maybe a librarian.

As her thoughts wandered, her grasp over the glamor began to slip. She caught it like a wayward kite in the nick of time, then opened the stall door, peeking out cautiously. The princess was standing in a corner, looking very tragic and waifish. Miri started to walk towards her, only to be stopped by a woman’s voice asking, “Aren’t you going to wash your hands?”

Miri stopped dead in her tracks. Turning, she came face to face with a blonde woman, who gazed down at her reproachfully. Miri didn’t say anything as she went to the child-sized sink to wash her hands, but her face was beet red with embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Nimdok had gotten through security in one piece. Putting away the documents he had been asked to show, the professor signaled Miri with a telepathic nudge.

Miri immediately turned away from the sink and scurried over to the door, flicking water droplets from her still-wet hands every which way as she went. “Time to go!” she blurted at the princess as she passed, wiping her palms on her skirt. She wormed her way through the crowd, much of which gave the lone little girl a wide berth, before she finally reached her father. “We can go now?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered. “We’re nearly there. We just have to walk to the ship.”

She bounced up and down excitedly, only to abruptly stop. “My feet hurt. Can you carry me?”

Nimdok gave his daughter a bemused look. “You were jumping up and down only a second ago, and now you want me to carry you?”

“Please?”

“You’re too big for me to carry.” But as she began to whine and plead, he relented, stooping to lift her up. “You know, I’m a little perturbed with you. You could’ve gotten us into a lot of trouble back there.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, wrapping her small arms around his neck and resting her head against his shoulder. “I’ll be quiet next time.”

“Hopefully there won’t be a next time,” he muttered, scanning the crowds for Princess Meira. Where was she?

Meira Amavia​

 

[Meira Amavia]

Meira blinked, feeling the veil of glamour begin to shift. However, it was back in place before she could even turn her head towards the bathroom stall, where Miri had just peeked out. Her lips parted slightly as if to speak, but the sound of a voice made her jump. Her attention had been so focused on the girl that she hadn't noticed the woman push past into the restroom. She froze, much like Miri had. But unlike the girl, she hadn't been so quick to move.

Time to go!

Meira doubted very much that Miri had been fueled by embarrassment, it must have been a signal. But as she lifted her foot to exit, a couple of women bustled in, forcing her to turn her back to them and step back inside. With Miri out of sight now, she wasn't sure if the glamour would hold or not.

“Can you believe it?”

“No, it's such a tragedy – returning home to this awful news.”

“If they do find the princess, she ought to be beheaded, don't you agree?”

“Of course, of course!”

Meira felt ill. Her head began to swim with images, and the dizzy thoughts conjured a wave of nausea. The women carried on chatting right into their side-by-side stalls, but their voices were faint and faraway now. It felt like she was back in the woods, that frantic feeling found wound tightly around her chest. Though, she could easily have ducked into a stall herself to be sick, the sound of the pair of women exiting to the sinks shook her back to reality.

She emerged in a rush, almost bumping into several people.

But it was with a great measure of relief that she spotted Miri and Nimdok waiting; things at the security booth must have been settled. “S-sorry to keep you,” she stammered quickly.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

The princess appeared quite suddenly, stammering something Nimdok almost didn't hear over all the background noise. She seemed agitated, though this was easily dismissed as nothing pressing, knowing her situation. "I should be the one apologizing for keeping you waiting," he replied. "But at least everything is taken care of now. We can be on our way."

He adjusted his hold on Miri to better balance the child's weight in his arms, then began walking, following overhead signs leading to the hangar bays.

Nimdok's ship, the Conestoga, was an eight centuries old escort freighter that had been extensively refurbished. It had a brand new, ridiculously fast hyperdrive that could get them to Commenor in a matter of hours, as well as a fully automated medbay. Nimdok didn't think Princess Meira could be cured aboard his ship, but if her condition did worsen, it would certainly keep her alive until they could reach the Jedi healers.

Swiping his keycard to open the bay door, Nimdok frowned, then swiped it again. Second time's the charm. The door rattled open, unveiling the parked ship. "I should warn you, there are others aboard," he said. "My... assistant, Ms. Lydia Mina, and an HRD named Ayreon who serves as our pilot."

He started to lower Miri to the ground, but she clung to him more tightly, groaning with her eyes closed. Sighing, he hauled the sleepy girl toward the loading ramp. "We'll leave at once, if you wish."

Meira Amavia​

 

[Meira Amavia]

Meira fell in next to Nimdok as he started towards the hangar, her feet stepping quietly upon the ground. And when they reached the ship, she looked up in awe at the freighter before them. No doubt, she'd seen ships before, but never did she think she'd be setting foot in one – let alone under the present circumstances.

Her brows arched slightly upon learning that there were others aboard the ship, but she gave Nimdok a nod. “That won't be a problem,” she said, adding a faint smile to show appreciation. In fact, she had a feeling that it might even help to be around others. After all, the thought of being alone--truly alone-- was quite crushing. Meira turned a long glance over her shoulder, taking in the view of her world from here.

It looked very different now that she was about to leave. Her heart ached with the knowledge that she would not be back for a long time – if ever. This world had been home; her family would be laid to rest without her, but she would take her memories of them with her where ever she went. Always.

Blinking back the tears, she focused on Miri's tired expression instead and gave a nod. “Yes,” she said, her voice a whisper. “Let us go.”

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

The princess was in mourning. It had been quite obvious for some time, but now her emotions were boiling over. Nimdok, not normally the most perceptive when it came to the Force, was able to sense it as though it were a gray storm cloud that had descended over the group. The poison was likely amplifying all her negative emotions.

"All right," he said, and headed up the loading ramp. At the top, he was greeted by Lydia. While in appearance she resembled an ordinary human woman, she would no doubt be a strange creature to Meira, as she possessed no discernible Force signature.

"You were gone longer than expected. Is something... ?" she trailed off, catching sight of the princess behind Nimdok. "Hello. Who might you be?"

"Lydia, this is Princess Meira Amavia. She recently escaped an assassination attempt which wiped out her entire family," Nimdok answered frankly. "She appears to be suffering from Sith poison. I am taking her to Commenor in hopes that the Jedi there will be able to help her."

"Oh boy." Through her association with Nimdok, Lydia too was familiar with the effects of Sith poison. "Does she need medical aid now? Would that even work?"

"Not to cure her, but until we reach Commenor, it might be best to monitor her." He turned to the princess. "Would you be willing to spend this trip in our ship's medbay? It should only take a few hours to get there, provided we don't run into problems along the way."

Meira Amavia​

 

[Meira Amavia]

Meira canted her head to the woman introduced as Lydia. For a moment, her lilac gaze took stock of the other woman – she was quite stunning. But there was also something very strange about her, something which she could not put her finger on at the moment. She politely averted her gaze, she didn't wish to make anyone feel uncomfortable – or any more uncomfortable than they had to be.

Commenor. So, that was their destination, where they would hopefully find the Jedi. She gave Nimdok a calm nod. “Yes, that will be fine.” Confinement to the medical bay was probably smart. “I would like to rest,” Meira confessed, allowing the fatigue to creep into her tone. And once the ramp was safely closed behind them, she dropped the hood. If Nimdok hadn't a good look at her back at the apothecary, he would now.


Her eyes were red, tired. And her fragile form seemed to droop, lacking the grace and posture of royalty. If he or Lydia looked close enough, they'd surely see the outline of veins where the skin was thinner – black beginning to snake its way beneath her skin. Meira could feel it with every beat of her heart, pulsing within, dark and deadly.

Once inside the medical bay, Meira took her place of honor – the exam table – and curled up on her side. Though it was far from the lap of luxury that she was used to, her eyes closed almost immediately.

Jacen Nimdok

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

While Lydia led the sleepwalking princess to the medbay, Nimdok took Miri to her room. He deposited the child on the bed, bothering only to remove her shoes before he left in a hurry, heading for the cockpit.

Ayreon spun the pilot's chair around to face Nimdok as he arrived. "Are we fueled up and ready to leave?" Nimdok asked, his tone urgent.

"Yes. We only need clearance for takeoff," the HRD replied. Turning back to the ship's controls, he turned on the comm and spoke to air traffic control. Nimdok turned to the navicomputer, plotting a course.

Ayreon glanced at the display. "Commenor, sir?"

"I'm still taking advantage of Subject 73 Red 's protection in SJ space," Nimdok said. "We have a sick patient on board who needs the help of Jedi healers, so make it fast."

"Conestoga, you are not cleared for takeoff," air traffic control replied. "Turn off your engines. All crew and passengers are being detained."

Ayreon jerked his head toward Nimdok, awaiting orders. Nimdok glared at the speakers. "We are not staying here," he said in a low voice, even though he knew the mic wasn't turned on. "Punch it, Ayreon."

The engines roared to life. "Conestoga, you are not cleared for takeoff!" the speakers blared. "We haven't cleared a route for you! Are you insane?!"

"Shields up," Ayreon announced. The ship started to rise.

Nimdok stared out the viewports, his heart hammering in his chest. How did they know the princess was here? Had someone recognized her? But then, the glamor had only lasted for so long...

He heard the dull, distant sound of turrets firing, though the shields prevented it from reaching the ship itself. Ayreon was having a much harder time maneuvering through the atmosphere without assistance from air traffic control. The HRD was glued to the ship's sensors, his hands gripping the controls as he manually piloted the vessel up towards space.

In the medbay, Lydia watched the fully automated medical systems scan and tend to the princess. An unknown toxin was detected in her body. Lydia watched the whirring machinery produce clear plastic bags of plasma, intending to replacing the girl's blood in an effort to fight the poison, when the ship suddenly shook. She braced herself against the wall, grimacing.

Her comlink suddenly chirped. "I hate to ask this of you," Nimdok said. "But would you mind manning the turret?"

"You mean the ancient armaments that aren't meant to be used?" she snapped. "Do you think the princess would want you to fire upon her people?"

"These are droid fighters, darling. No people inside to fire upon."

Sighing, Lydia left Meira to the medbay's droids and headed for the nearest turret. In the hallway she passed Nimdok, himself on his way to another turret at the other end of the ship. She blinked at him in surprise, but didn't slow down. No sooner was she seated in the pod, she heard Nimdok speak to her again.

"Just enough so that Ayreon can get us to hyperspace..."

She blasted a fighter. Watching it explode, she heard no sound in space. Another fighter escaped her, flying out past her line of sight, never to return. "Got that one?" she asked.

"Yeah," Nimdok replied, sounding distracted. "Keep firing. We're not out of this yet."

"I noticed." She blasted another fighter. "The princess—do you think she'll live? She looked pretty bad off."

"Sith poison is not a common ailment, despite our experiences with it making it seem more prevalent." He paused, probably to aim and fire. "As a result, little is known about it. The most famous cases happened to Jedi known for their strength and power. The princess, on the other hand..."

"Is not a great and powerful Jedi," Lydia finished. "So you're taking her to see the great and powerful Jedi, hoping they can help her."

"The Jedi of this era are neither as great nor as powerful as those of previous ages. If they were, they wouldn't be squabbling with the Sith and amongst themselves." Nimdok sounded fatigued. "If they can't help her, I suppose I could take her to Dathomir and let the witches do their magic, for all the good it will do. Damn the Sith. I can hear the hyperdrive—we're headed to hyperspace."

The ship suddenly accelerated as they were launched into hyperspace with teeth-rattling speed. That Jumpmaster sure was something. "To Commenor we go," Lydia muttered, running a hand through her hair.

Meira Amavia​