Private There's No Place Like Home

[Lief]

No stars?​

​

None at all?​

​

A sense of perplexed fascination washed over him then. Was this where the Spirit was from? This strange expanse of space devoid of stars? He'd quite forgotten what the view even looked like outside of this strange vessel he'd been lured into. It was hard to imagine just the purest of black, a literal void. His mind rejected it. Added in little pinpricks of its own.​

​

"We have a planetarium, back home," he stated softly, ignoring the gut wrenching sensation which rose up with the reminder of his odyssey. "I'd spend hours there... It's how I knew I wanted to be a Navigator, in truth. All those stars, and anomalies, and worlds ripe for exploring. If there are no stars out here, does that mean there's no life sustained either?"​

​

He supposed there were plenty of lifeforms which didn't rely solely on the warmth of the sun to thrive, but it felt antithetical all the same.​

​

But of course, back to the task at hand. The ship.​

​

"I got it from a man named Ensiss Kruch. Besalisk. Smuggler by trade... I don't know where he got it, though. Sorry." Ensiss Kruch... Sold him a right lemon, didn't he? Now that he was stood here with Kal it was a little more charming. Learning more about the Galaxy than he'd ever realized he wanted to know. More about himself, surely.​

​

But none of that had been Sis' plan. No. He'd just wanted to rob the kid blind and leave him stranded. Bastard.​

​

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<Oh, I am not from this in-between. I am from the Netherworld. The realm of spirits and the dead.> A trickle of images and sensations accompanied the words. Hellscapes and wondrous paradises. <Vibrant in its own way. This place is quite barren, however.> It was exactly why Greystone operated here - a place to experiment without external stimuli.

Perhaps the nascent Force User would see the Netherworld for himself, one day - alive, that is.

<I sense some hostility towards this smuggler?> That was for the best. Kal had no quarrel with Eliphas, in fact he quite liked the man, but if this Ensiss had knowingly stolen from his associates... well, the sanctions were harsh.

Whatever the case, they had a name and a recent location. That should be more than enough to track him down. The smuggler would have to answer for himself to whoever Greystone dispatched to oversee the case.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

For a moment there he had quite forgotten that the spirit was able to glean his thoughts. His cheeks flushed red when he answered a question he'd left within his mind, though the answer was intriguing. "A realm of the dead?" Spirit... That made sense. "Wait, does that mean you're dead? Or... Were you always in this form?"​

​

Life, death, it all seemed a little confusing to him then. Spirits had always been a term used in relation to the dead, but here Kal was. A spirit... Yet thriving? Maybe because he took a body not his own. A hollowed out shell ripe for puppeteering.​

​

Not that Eliphas claimed to know anything about that, of course.​

​

"Okay, so not Realspace. Not the Nether... Just some vacuous plain?" Intriguing.​

​

He felt his gaze shift over to the weird set of control consoles as he was questioned on his hostility toward the smuggler. He almost didn't want to answer, it was unbecoming of him to hold a grudge. It wasn't even really a grudge, truth be told. Just... Frustration.​

​

"He sold me this ship knowing it wasn't going to fly" he explained. Stuffed his hands into his pockets without thinking. "Took every credit I had to my name, too."​

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Of course that was Eliphas' own folly too. He'd thought he'd seen some good in Ensiss. Thought the man really wanted to help him. He'd held all the cards, he'd been the one with all the credits in truth, since Eliphas had worked for him for a time. Just took all the pay he was owed, handed him a ship instead.​

​

A busted ship.​

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"Wish I could see the look on his face when he realizes it's gone."​

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A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. Oh what a sight that would be.​

​

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<I have never been biological, really. Nor corporeal in the conventional sense. I can interact with Realspace using the Force or by puppeteering a body - this one is entirely inorganic, despite its appearance. Made by an artificer.>

Nodding in response to the follow-up, Kal spread his arms wide. <As empty as they come. The technical details are a bit beyond me, but I believe it is somewhere that could have been Realspace, but isn't. Space without the Big Bang, if you will. As far as I know, it is an emptiness that stretches on forever. No light, no mass, barely any background radiation.>

A concerning thought for one who had ended up here with an unreliable hyperdrive, to be sure.

<Would seeing his face when fine lads such as these...> A gesture towards the inhuman constructs that had accompanied him and a soft smile made his intentions clear. <... come knocking on his door be an acceptable replacement?>

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Okay, so he belonged to an entirely different classification of being than Eliphas was used to. Something strange and new and fascinating all the same. He'd be lying if he tried to claim it didn't unnerve him, at least a little bit, but the interactions they'd had thus far boded well. Had he learned all of this up front he might have made a break for it. As it was, the Spirit named Kal had been more than helpful. More than friendly. He got the feeling he was being studied by him in some regard, that the curiosity went both ways, but given the circumstances that made sense.​

​

Eliphas was trespassing upon this strange void after all. In a stolen ship, no less.​

​

The colour in his cheeks deepened when he remembered all of this introspection could be readily gleaned. He wondered if there was even any need for him to voice any of it in truth, though then what sort of conversation would this be. One sided? That would be awfully rude of him to lean into.​

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"Fascinating. It's all so... Fascinating. You and here respectively. I wasn't aware that other planes of existence, well, existed."​

​

It took a moment for the sinking dread to sink in. The realization that if the ship decided it didn't want to fire back up he'd be stuck out here. How long would his supplies last? Had Ensiss even refilled the rations? How long before the power went out, and the chill set in, and the life support ran out?​

​

Eliphas quickly found himself a seat in the Captain's chair. Dizzied. His head swam, and for a moment it felt as though the cabin depressurized. Like his head was going to pop at a moments notice.​

​

Kal's words pulled him back from the edge of pure panic. Reminded him that he was not the only being presently in this void. That hopefully they'd have a way out of here even if he didn't. He breathed a slow breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and then swallowed.​

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Nodded.​

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"Actually, yeah," he retorted, not quite wicking away the stress of those horrifying thoughts but managing a slight smile all the same, "I reckon it would..."​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<Far more exists than you - or even I - can perceive. Unseen intangibles and layered realities.> Of those Kal was aware of, the Dreaming Dark and Otherspace were his least favourite. Awful, awful places the both of them, and not just because the laws that governed those planes were at least partially anathema to his own existence.

That was the main reason, but they were objectively terrible from his perspective.

Noting the existential dread his words had induced, Kal was pleased that the smuggler's imminent misfortune brought some relief to the stressed navigator. Perhaps best to address his fears head-on before proceeding, however.

<We do have reliable ways of leaving this place, just so we are clear. Even this ship might have managed on its own.> Kal did seem at least somewhat dubious of that, however. Once upon a time this vessel had been fairly elegant - one of the first designed and fielded by Greystone, but capable nonetheless. Its current state was... less than ideal.

He might as well let the man keep it, once any confidential parts had been replaced.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Having seen this place with his own two eyes, traversed it with his entire body, what Kal said seemed to make logistical sense. He had known there were more Galaxies out there in the Universe, of course, as one who delved into the stars their existence was far from shrouded and unknown, but realities and realms were something all together different. It had opened up a whole realm of possibilities in truth, and that was both exciting and unnerving all at once.​

​

"And here I thought the Galaxy itself was vast..." He smiled. Most of that dread had begun to wane now, though his heart still beat something fierce. Kal's next statement wicked away at the rest of it. Left him feeling only relief. A rollercoaster of emotions, and at the end of it he'd been left feeling rather exhilarated in truth.​

​

"It seems sturdier than it looks," he confessed with a nod, "I didn't notice too much going awry with it on the way here. Though, frankly, I think the fact it was moving of its own volition had taken most of my attention." As would no doubt have been expected. Some flickering lights here and there, but he'd known about those when he'd first boarded it with Ensiss. He'd fix that eventually.​

​

He paused. Would he? The ship was stolen. That meant it wasn't even really Eliphas' to begin with. His stomach sank again; great, he'd be starting from square one once they reached Realspace once more. No money, no transport, Empress Teta had never felt so far from reach.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

Fear largely replaced by wonder, Eliphas finally seemed able to appreciate the broadening of his horizons.

Discovery was such a wonderful sensation. Usually, anyway. Discovering the numerous shortcuts that had been taken in the dubious refurbishing of the vessel they were on was more concerning than anything else. <Trust me, it's a wonder it flew. The Navbrain isn't even alive!> Whatever a Navbrain was, it seemed quite essential to the Shadow.

<No need to be concerned, Eliphas, you are not a prisoner. I have every intention of depositing you back in Realspace.> A final disdainful look directed towards the console, he shook his head in exasperation. So much was missing.

<With this piece of junk, if you want. Once scrubbed it would just be scuttled anyway.>

Worse yet, they had replaced the hull alloys used by the vessel, in recent years, and so its recyclability was minimal. At best it could be used to assemble some miscellaneous equipment, but it barely seemed worth the effort.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Nav... Brain..? The ship had a brain? Did he mean some sort of computer? He blinked, then glanced over those consoles again. Noted the weird panels which lay there, and more notably the ones which weren't. A strange ship indeed. He felt like it might take him a hundred thousand years to properly learn how to fly it. With any luck thinking about home wouldn't launch it back into this void.​

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Even with all that in mind, the offer for him to leave here with it made his sunken heart soar. A way back to Empress Teta? Wouldn't that be perfect. Though if what Kal said were true, he would no doubt need to find someone to compile repairs before making such a journey. Maybe the Shadow could deposit him at an orbital shipyard of some sort, or a station. Make the journey easier.​

​

There was still the matter of Ensiss, of course. Now that he had calmed, did he really want to be present for such? Was it wrong of him to want to see justice served first hand?​

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"I appreciate that," he said of the fact that he would be returned to Realspace, and he supposed that the ship would be his should he wish it. "If things are missing, does that mean they're out there in the Galaxy somewhere?" He frowned a little, and turned back to face the Shadow. Hoping to catch something of a reaction in his expression if such were possible. To try and comprehend how bad that might be. "Hopefully nothing too important..." Or dangerous.​

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Either way it didn't much seem like Kal or the others were hoping to let that remain a fact for very long. Not if they could help it.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

It would be difficult to get a read on the Shadow from body language alone, given the degree of separation between it and his mind, but he was not feeling particularly secretive - as such, he let a look of mild irritation cross his features.

<Indeed, but not necessarily in a usable state. Only one way to know for sure, however.>

The vessels had not held anything truly critical, but its files and equipment, while encrypted and somewhat dated, was not the sort of thing he would let fall into the hands of outsiders if he could prevent it. Secrecy was Greystone's business, it would not do to get sloppy - any kink in the metaphorical armour could theoretically be exploited.

As if on cue, feet marching in lockstep could be heard, a quartet of unremarkable humanoids in typical spacer clothing entered the room, coming to rest at attention in front of them. Kal made no move to return the gesture or even respond.

<Speak of the devil. Eliphas Dune, meet my Skinwalkers. They are more believable when operating covertly, I assure you.> Currently, the flesh-clad-golems stared unblinkingly ahead of them, as if awaiting further instructions.

<Do you happen to have any further information about the ship's origins or Ensiss' doings?>

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Irritation. That was what he found there, in the Spirit's expression, and quite frankly the boy could not blame him for it. Had somebody taken something of Eliphas', and then picked at and altered it on a whim, squirreling away all the best bits and leaving just a hollow remnant of what it had once been in its wake, he'd have been pretty peeved himself.​

​

He pondered on the next words of Kal's to flit through his mind, as the sound of pounding feet on durasteel echoed throughout the vessel. It took him a moment to turn and glance at them, longer still to properly take note of their lifeless stoicism. Unnerving, in truth. His skin crawled just to look at them.​

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Their name didn't very much help matters either. Skinwalkers... Yeah, that seemed fitting.​

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He found necessary distraction in the question posed his way, and turned back to Kal. Tried to forget that the others were there at all. "He tends to frequent Centares," he stated, plainly, "It's where I met him. Old Town, mostly." Would the Smuggler return there, though, knowing that Eliphas knew that? Would he hide out in other sty's until the heat wore off?​

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Then again, why would someone like Ensiss concern themselves with a mewling welp like Eliphas. It wasn't as though he could do very much against the besalisk, now could he? "As for the ship itself, I've no clue. He kept it in a storage hangar on Lianna." A slight pause as he mentally charted that region. The Perlemian route, that seemed his frequent hauntings...​

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Whether any of this would prove helpful or fruitful he didn't know, but frankly it was all he had.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

They would have to cast a wide net indeed to catch the man, or so it seemed. That was to be expected.

<A good starting point. Would you mind visualising him for me?> He should be able to scrape a fairly good rendition from Eliphas' surface thoughts if he complied, even if the details seemed fuzzy to him; not as good as a photo or better yet a Force signature, but it was better than nothing. The Skinwalkers were well-versed in the art of motivation.

They could produce significant results from minimal information if needed.

He was hardly inclined to give them free reign, but the extraordinary rendition of a few criminals was business as usual, as far as he was concerned. It was not as if they would remember anything if push came to shove.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Good. Not great, but it would suffice.​

​

As quickly as the request came, Eliphas found himself more than happy to comply. He nodded rather eagerly, and then closed his eyes to try and draw up an impression of the besalisk. His bordering on grey-brown skin, unsightly stomach, the standard four arms - though one of them had been replaced with a mechanized variant - and an ugly scar across his face. Just the thought of him made that rage bubble back up within the normally very placid boy, and further impressions tumbled free of the last time he'd seen him.​

​

Not that long ago now, of course, nary a day had passed since he'd been abandoned in the hangar bay. Be back soon, he'd promised, like some absentee parent. The only consolation Eliphas had was a true Father of his own waiting for him back home on Teta.​

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If he ever fethin' got back there of course.​

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Realizing that he was getting off subject, the boy peeked open one eye to look at Kal.​

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"How's that?" he inquired. Hopefully good enough, he wasn't sure he could stand to think on the man a moment longer.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

The smuggler was distinctive, more distinctive than he could have possibly hoped. How many besalisks with a noticeable scar and cybernetic arm could there be out there? Alongside the name and locations, it should be plenty.

<Excellent, that will do plenty.> Peering over at the young aristocrat, Kal seemed to scrutinise him without judgement. <You loathe him, do you not? For tricking you at your lowest and leaving you to your fate?> He was starting to think the navigator would like nothing more than to be present as Ensiss came face to face with Kal's constructs.

That said, people like him didn't fly ships like this unless they were desperate to travel.

What he had seen and experienced strongly indicated that Eliphas had been hurrying towards something rather than fleeing a threat. What he was hurrying towards might well be nothing but comfort and safety, of course.

He had a suspicion it was more personal than that, however.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Excellent now, was it? That was quite the step up. Something akin to pride bristled up within him though in truth he had done little more than recall a memory to his mind. He hadn't even been the one to push it over to Kal, nope he'd just let it sit there in his consciousness so that the other could glean from it. It didn't matter, pride did as pride wanted. He had no control over that.​

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What the Shadow said next though had the boys hands fumbling for the pockets of his jacket, as though trying to ground himself and keep from boiling over. Tried to play it off as cool. Wanted everything to be cool, in fact.​

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Pointless though, wasn't it, when a being already had access to his thoughts? With something of a huff, he nodded his head. "Aye," he admitted, voice just a pitch above a too-silent whisper, "I'm not proud of it, but you have the right of it..."​

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Nope, any of that earlier pride which had lingered was now swiftly fleeing the boy, making like rats from a sinking ship.​

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"I thought... I don't know, I guess I thought, over the times we'd shared, I'd become a little more to him than just another long con, you know?" Honour among thieves, wasn't that the phrase? Yeah... Not for Ensiss and his crew, apparently. Oh well, lesson learned for next time.​

​

Not that he ever planned on being so low in life that he'd be forced to join a smuggling crew again.​

​

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

Kal made no attempt to hide his disgust, letting it flow through their link - this Ensiss seemed worse by the minute.

It would be wrong to say that Kal was honourbound, but he did value his own word and the concept of hospitality, both of which this smuggler seemed eager to leave at the wayside for even a hint of profit. Repugnable, really.

<Worry not, his days of freedom are numbered.> Struck by sudden inspiration, the Shadow smiled wickedly. <You know, there is a good chance he will be released once interrogated and processed...> The feelings that accompanied the words were not exactly sadistic. More schadenfreude. <... but where and how is easy enough to influence.>

A murky potential future flowed from Kal's mind to Eliphas', the image of a confused individual matching his description of Ensiss left at the law enforcement's doorstep with compromising evidence aplenty - and a signed confession.

There was no doubt in Kal's mind that the smuggler had plenty of skeletons in the closet.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

Something of a chord had seemingly been struck within the Shadow during Eliphas' response, and the boy found it all too validating to know that he wasn't alone in his viewing of the Besalisk. ​

​

The promise of days ahead where Ensiss was not free likewise was a comfort, and he found some of his frustration melting away to a smile. Justice... The notion of it sang within the very core of the boy, perhaps that was the Tetan in him, the Duke's son. Sure he'd joined with the man and his crew for a time, but conditions had been dire. This was a man who made a living out of other people's misery.​

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Bringing him to task seemed suitably perfect.​

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To see it wrought so beautifully within his minds eye solidified it for him.​

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<I think I'd like that> the boy stated into the mind of the other, as though somehow afraid to utter such words aloud. A quiet series of words, but stronger than they had been when last he'd bridged that gap. The question was, when would Ensiss' series of unfortunate events take hold?​

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Part of Eliphas wanted to be long gone by then... Long, long gone.​

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Kal ​

 

[Kal]

It was clear some part of Eliphas wanted to be there to see Ensiss brought to justice, but it was just as clear he felt the need to be elsewhere too. Perhaps something or someone was waiting for him. <You know, there is bound to be some paperwork. I could always arrange for you to receive a copy. Court documents, holorecordings...>

It was unclear whether the information in question was publically available, but the answer was likely at least partially a vehement no. Still, the Shadow did not seem terribly concerned. Casual data theft was practically a hobby.

It was perhaps for the best that Eliphas would likely leave sooner rather than later - the methods Greystone used on any criminals bold or ignorant enough to wrong them were unpleasant and probably illegal in most jurisdictions.

To an organic, in-depth mind reading was uncomfortable on the best of days.

Lief​

 

[Lief]

In the Shadow's next breath he offered up a most agreeable solution to the issue at hand, that being how Eliphas could in fact have his cake and eat it too. By now all of the boy's previously exhibited anxieties had well and truly been dispensed with, and all that remained in its wake was a growing restlessness. The need to move on, and see his Odyssey through to its end. Wherever that end may lie.​

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He gave little thought to the legality of what Kal was offering, and instead could only smile.​

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<That would do quite nicely, I reckon,> the boy stated, with an accompanying nod of his head. Then he glanced around the cockpit, and took a step back from the consoles. <Should I vacate, so that they can do what's necessary to the ship?> If it was of such importance that it had to be removed before its return to the Galaxy at large, he thought it only made sense that he give them the space to extract it.​

​

Whatever it was, exactly.​

​

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

Eliphas was getting more used to telepathy. Good. Practice made perfect and the Force was no exception.

In response to the contents of the communication, Kal's head tilted gently to the side, the Shadow making a show out of his consideration. He too had skills that needed practice, posing as a normal organic among them. <Might as well. Nothing here is so secret you couldn't even see it, but the Grey Ones will work faster without outsiders present.>

The ones on the station were not all that comfortable with entirely external minds.

Gesturing towards the exit, he led the way. Outside they would find an oddly ordinary table with a collection of snacks and other light foods and a pair of chairs beside it. The whole scene was illuminated by a pillar of soft light from above.

<I hope you'll forgive the impromptu nature, we don't receive many guests.>

Already swarms of workers were descending on the ships, a group of them carrying what looked like an entirely new Hyperdrive using some manner of gravity-suspending technology. By the looks of it, it would not take long.

Lief​