Twin Exiles

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae pulled a bottle away from the ice with a satisfying crunch.
“Of cold drinks, we shall never be lacking when the noble Kaida is nearby,” she said, taking a swig. She rose. “To the club we go, then?”
“Yes, we follow along, and try not to do anything…flamboyant. I don’t need to tell Icicle that, but you, big girl, I do.”
“Fear not, brave Ylaea, I shall be the soul of caution,” Eyrecae promised.

Whether the Eldorai believed her or not she led them through the city to a less wealthy district, a place where labourers and crewers hung out. It was at a heavy durasteel blast door that they finally came to.

Eyrecae glanced around curiously. They weren’t really being noticed, and this door looked positively nondescript. She did notice the camera above them though, observing their every move.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Tryana looked at the security camera curiously. "What is this machine? It looks like it is watching us."
"It's a camera, lil sis. People use them to watch others. Wave." True to her word, she gave the camera a wave.
"Oh, so it is for security."
"Yeah, or just to be a perv," the joke probably went over the wood elf's head. Anyhow, the door slid open, two Eldorai guards awaited them. "Alyndra," Ylaea said cheerfully. "I see the ear is all healed up again. That's nice! I brought friends."
"I see that," one of the Eldorai eyed Kaida suspiciously. "I remember you. Lion's Gate. You gunned down those poor people who just wanted to survive. Innocent people."
Kaida just looked frosty. However, as she stepped past the bouncer, the elf grabbed her by the shoulder. Her grip was very tight. "The committee wants to see you, but you're not fooling anyone here. I'm watching you. Government stooges and traitors get a knife between the ribs here."
"Remove that, or you will not be able to move it again," Kaida spoke icily.
"Girls, chill," Ylaea interjected sharply. "Not literally," she added, just in case Kaida got the wrong idea. "No stabbing, no freezing, no acting like idiots. Move along." The guard shot Kaida another glare, then backed off. Sighing slightly, Ylaea led the group towards the room where their contacts awaited. There were three of them, waiting in a backroom. Each represented a different 'faction' inside the Shadow Knights.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae grinned broadly. “Ah, ‘tis a meeting which will be fraught, I see. Fear not, for we are of mind all rebellious rebels together.”
“You’re always bringing the jokers, aren’t you, Ylaea?” Alyndra said dourly.
“Birds of a feather, I guess! Besides, I’m bringing the ice queen too. I don’t think she’d know a joke if it bit her.”
A grunt was all she got as they were ushered into a dark backroom. The lights were angled in such a way so as those in the gloom could see the visitors, but not vice versa.

“Your recruitment efforts continue, I see, Ylaea,” the centre voice said. It was flat, cold. It was unclear if they approved.
“A royalist butcher, a little sister and…” A pause. This one on the right, filled with suspicion.
“Demi-goddess, but it is not for me to boast, so say warrior?” Eyrecae said with a smile.
“What brings you here? You especially, High Captain, come here boldly, for you must know there are many here who do not appreciate your presence?” This, the one on the left.
Eyrecae leaned down to Kaida, whispered in her ear. “Their theatrics amuse me, but they know not of my dark vision it seems. I see them as clear as day.”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


The situation was most awkward, to say the least. Needless to say Kaida was not intimidated by theatrics. Her expression remained as...icy as ever. Bit like a glacier. Still, one of the interviewers disconcerted her slightly. She believed it was the one in the centre. She knew someone was there because she'd heard a voice, but she could not sense them in the Force.

"I do," she said bluntly. Flatly. "I make no excuses for my actions." The truth was that she felt no guilt. She'd killed people. It had been her duty. Piles of dead bodies and the wails of ghosts did not haunt her sleep. What she felt bad about was tolerating indolence, incompetence, corruption and stupidity.

"Mind your tongue. You served the Crown and butchered your fellow Eldorai in the Tyrant's name," this was the voice on the right, sounding accusatory.

"The Archon wore the Crown's uniform, too," Kaida remarked. "It is my duty to serve my people and fight those who threaten them. I cannot do that in a broken regime built on ignorance, corruption, arbitrary class barriers and is slavishly dependent on foreigners."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
“Coming here was either reckless and foolishness of the highest form, or a calculated risk,” the centre figure said. “You are well known, so you did not come here to sneak in.”
“You can see our concerns, and more than that, the concerns of our people,” the left said. “Before we discuss joining, we must consider the impact on the internal coherence of the group. I do not want to be witnessing a fight every day because someone is aggrieved with you.”
“Then simply send her on her way. The fighter and the forestling might be useful,” the right said.

Eyrecae put her hands on her hips. “See now, it is for my mind that Kaida has done things in the past when under the orders of those she now rejects. Would you discount duty and loyalty?”
“She’s here now, so she can’t have been too loyal,” came the catty reply from the right.
“Were once you not all loyal to that crown which you now fight?” Eyrecae said pointedly, staring through the dark right at the Eldorai on the right. “Can each of you say you never have done anything under orders you do not regret? Is it merely elapsed time which gives you a pass and not Kaida?”

Silence until the middle figure chuckled slightly.
“Your friend is correct. But I ask you, former High Captain, what would you do to prove your loyalty? Would you fight your former comrades? Would you follow the orders of those you once cast out?”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Kaida...did not like explaining herself. She saw it as a given that she was right and expected others to follow. However...that often did not work in the real world. If she faced her former sisters in battle, would she fight them? Even those she respected like Aeda? She knew the answer.


"Yes," she said after a short pause. "And the 'forestling' has a name. Tryana. Use it," she told the Eldorai on the right harshly. Or rather ordered her to. Kaida might not like the wood elf, but she was still her minion and would thus be treated appropriately.


"I'm not one for speeches. I can't change the past. But I want to do my duty to my people. We've endured enough humiliation, not the least by our folly." There was a brief pause. "But I'm not a blind follower. If I was, I'd still be on Tygara." A warning perhaps, to show that there were limits to how far she could be pushed when it came to proving herself.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
There was a pause. The right seemed to take a deep breath to fire back, but the centre smoothly overrode them.
“If your offer is genuine I do not want to drive you away. As mentioned it would be incredibly poor judgement for you to be trying to infiltrate. That speaks well of you being here. Therefore, we will give you one chance.”
“I strongly-,” the right began.
“I agree she should be given a chance,” the left said, neatly squashing the right again.

“However, you will not be housed here, and your mission will not involve your former allies. If you prove yourself then we will look at the next step,” the centre said, completely ignoring the other two. “My Rationalist colleague will give your mission. Eyrecae, a word if we might?”

From the shadows the central and left figures emerged. They wore a long grey robe with a hood concealing their faces. The right had left in a huff.

Eyrecae stood relaxed whilst the central figure approached them.
“Of this performance, I am most impressed. It is of nature mystical and defining,” Eyrecae commented.
“I am glad you approve. I am a Harbinger, do you know what that is?”
“The suspicion I have is of some special definition. I know not what you are.”
“You do not feel the spirits then, for surely you would have sensed the truth before.”
“Of spirits, it is only those contained within glass I have,” Eyrecae replied with a grin. “Of my sisters it was only I who did not feel the Force.”
“Ah, well, we are a community which was made Force-Dead, unable to feel the Force, but also unable to be sensed by it as well. This makes us somewhat…disdained by our kin.”
Eyrecae shrugged.
“We also worship Illyria, the great Harbinger, for which we take our name.”
“Worship my sister? A thought both amusing and strange. The Knights of Shadow, you are all an amusing paradox. It is my hope that our stay will be profitable for us all.”
That Harbinger looked a little annoyed by this. “You believe you are a goddess?”
Eyrecae waved a hand broadly. “If it is not what you believe, then believe it not. But, if it is my belief, when who shall gainsay it? You will know soon if there is validity to it…sooner than you will know of Illyria’s divinity at least.”
“I suppose so. I will see you again soon then.” They seemed disappointed not to have gained a convert.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Meanwhile, Ylaea and Tryana had been in the background. "Was it...like this when you joined these Shadows?" the Vashyada asked.
"Me? Uh, no, I skipped the dark backrooms, hoods and quizzing," Ylaea responded jovially. "I got to pass go and collect two hundred dati because I knew the boss."
"They gave you two hundred? Oh, you are teasing me," Tryana looked a bit embarrassed. Her eyes turned towards the figures in robes. "One would think this charade exists to push people away. Do they not want to unite their people? And all three of them seem to be be on the search for someone who will advance their group."
"Welcome to Eldorai politics, little sister. Upside? We're just arguing instead of killing each other. This is progress for us."
"I suppose," Tryana did not sound convinced. "That woman called me forestling. She sits in judgement to make herself feel superior. I have as much right to stand here as she does."
"You do. Cleric lady is just a bitchy cow."


"You have a mission."
It was obviously hard to tell whether the Rationalist representative was taken aback by Kaida's brusque tone. "A gang of slavers seized one of our scout ships and abducted the crew. We've tracked them towards an asteroid base in deep space. It's fortified and heavily guarded. These are the coordinates and all the intel we have on the place," she handed Kaida a datapad.
Kaida gave it a glance then pocketed it. "I'll do it," she said laconically and turned away.
"Don't let my...disagreeable colleague's words colour your perception of all of us," the woman suddenly spoke. "This isn't the first time you walked away from the ancien régime, isn't it?"
"No, but the final one."
"I bear you no ill will. Soldiers, more than anyone, experience the pull between obedience and what they know is right. Why did you leave the Angelii the first time?"
"I found out Ashira was a lie."
"As have all of us Rationalists. We don't replace one fake goddess with one another. Nor do we build statues and altars for mortals. We want our people to free themselves from their shackles and build their own future by their own hands, rather than wait for a saviour who'll never come."
Kaida looked stoic. "I'm not interested in joining a party. And I will not buy my way into the Shadows by swearing allegiance to one."
"No, I am not asking that of you. I just want you to know that there are people who think the same as you do. Think on it, High Captain."
Without bothering to respond, Kaida turned and walked away.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Reuniting slightly afterwards, Eyrecae looked thoughtful as they were led away by Ylaea.
“’Tis strange that they claim they are so different, yet in turn they do much which their former queen did apply. Though perhaps it is not so odd.”
“You can take the Eldorai out of the Matriarchy, but you can’t take the Matriarchy out of the Eldorai,” Ylaea opined sagely. “We’ve been doing our thing for a long time, and it’ll take more than the near extinction of the species and the turning upside down of every belief to change it.” Her cynicism shone through at moments like this.
“Truth, though it is of course a small progress, there is some. They share power and rule these Shadows as one.”
“For now,” Ylaea said softly.

They were led back out into the gleaming metal halls of the city. “There is a transport waiting for you at Docking Bay Sixty-Nine. The navi-computer is programmed with the target coordinates and here for when you return. Don’t let me down…or they’ll probably be pretty mad at me too.”
Eyrecae grinned and slapped Ylaea on the back, almost pitching her over. “My thanks, Ylaea, you have been very helpful. Of time, we shall return soon.”

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


"Yes, you were helpful," Kaida conceded reluctantly.

Alas, Ylaea was not done with her. "So finally found yourself a couple girlfriends to get over that little human, hey, icicle? The butch and the femme, do you have them together or separately?"

"Ylaea, shut up and don't waste my time," Kaida growled.

"Icicle, dear, there are better ways to use that pretty, icy mouth. Remember all the fun we had?" she got a glare and had to keep herself from bursting into laughter. Tryana looked a little mortified. "See you later. May the Goddess...or I suppose the the spirit of cold rationality be with you." she gave the trior a cheery wave.

Kaida headed out. "You need some decent armour," she informed the wood elf.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae laughed. “Of such confidence do you possess that she could handle both me and friend Tryana? Alas, she has not offered me such a chance. For sooth, I trust it shall be soon!”
Trolling Kaida was clearly the new in sport as Eyrecae did not seem at all embarrassed.

She glanced at Tryana. “Of armour, something light and concealed I do suggest. For Tryana’s strength is in her agility and her speed, not the strength of arm.”

They had a few credits, so were able to outfit the Vashyada with a light combat suit with plastoid plates under a camouflaged exterior. They also gave her a long blaster rifle and heavy pistol. At first the Vashyada looked a little unhappy with them, but then took it up and sighted along the scope.

“Where do I load the projectile? What does it fire?” She was clearly understanding the basics, but not the specifics.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


It was a common joke among the Angelii of the Valora's Chosen Great Company that Kaida had icy lips and that any lover who did not satisfy her spent the rest of her days as an ice statue. Regardless, Kaida made no comment. She was not the type for witty retorts. Or flirting, for that matter. She considered both tiresome.

Anyhow, the trio bought Tryana some gear and boarded the freighter. "You do not load individual projectiles. This here is a powerpack. You insert it into the gun," Kaida demonstrated once they had entered. "It fires...," she paused, fumbling for words while looking for a suitable room.

They were interrupted by a humanoid-looking droid. "Welcome, Mistresses. Mistress Althena has informed me of your purpose. I am..."

"The metal demon talks!" Tryana exclaimed.

"Yes, whatever," Kaida growled irritably. "Droid, start the ship. These are the coordinates."

"As you wish, Mistress," the droid...huffed. Maybe it was annoyed about not being allowed to brag about all the languages it knew.

"Where was I...right. It fires...balls of energy. They are extremely hot and burn living tissue." It was all wrong, but then she didn't know how to explain this to a primitive. The freighter had a room with some training dummies.

"I understand...I suppose. The raiders used such weapons. They were very loud and looked clumsy, but the injuries my kin suffered were horrifying. So I must change this...power pack once the last glowing ball has been fired. And I see through this here," Tylania indicated the scope and examined the weapon, looking equal parts curious and uncertain.

"Yes. Make sure the gun is clean." Kaida demonstrated loading the gun, then made Tryana do it. Once, twice, thrice. She also made her strip and reassemble the rifle until she was satisfied.

"This is how you flip off the safety. Now take aim. Control your breathing. Balance the rifle on your shoulder, look through the scope. The rifle has varying firing modes, but keep it lethal, single shot for now. Fire when ready. Aim for centre of mass."

The blaster whined when Tryana depressed the trigger. She looked a little spooked when a red bolt shot out from the barrel of the rifle and impacted upon the target. When she looked up, she found that the bolt had pierced the dummy's chest, putting a hole inside it. Smoke coiled from it. She looked a little shocked. "Like this?"

"Yes."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
Eyrecae nodded, satisfied. “Like a musket, though of a lethality far exceeding any lead ball.”
“What is it firing?”
Eyrecae paused a moment, then grinned. “Magic.” Tryana clearly realised there was more, but nodded. She also realised that she wouldn’t understand the real answer.

On board the ship the droid was setting to work efficiently. Tryana eyed it in suspicious awe.
“The metal demon walks around and talks like a person, but it is just a machine.”
“Are not all of us just machines of flesh and blood than metal and wire?” Eyrecae asked rhetorically.
“I don’t know…are we? How does it work?”
“Magic,” they both said at the same time. Eyrecae smirked.

And so they were on their way, and would be soon coming into orbit of the facility.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


They gathered in what passed for the freighter's briefing room. "This is the plan," Kaida said without prompting or bothering with courtesies. "This gang employs Eldorai and we've been given a code to identify ourselves with. We shall pose as a trade ship. I will infiltrate the facility via a crate to cause trouble. You two will get to work on freeing the captives. And kill anyone who gets in the way." Her eyes fell upon Tryana. "This is your trial by fire. Strap an air tank to your suit. Eyrecae, you will handle heavy hitters."

"If I may be so bold, Mistresses," the droid suddenly interjected as he marched into the room, gears and servos whirring, "I could be of use in this venture."

"I don't need a protocol droid to blather about how many languages it speaks."

"You should not judge a book by its cover. I m trained in the arts of terminating hostilities by disposing of organic beings," the droid declared. "I was about to say this when you boarded the vessel...but I was, rudely, cut off. Or I suppose I could just stay here and watch."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
“A machine of war has uses,” Eyrecae agreed. “Of what capabilities do you possess?”
“I am skilled in 84 methods of unarmed combat and 38 ranged weapon types,” it stated proudly.
“Eighty-four? ‘Tis indeed a skilled engine of death, or so it claims. Let us put it to work!”
Tryana was looking at the droid a bit nervously, but was trying to conceal it. Walking, talking machines were not something she was used to at all.

As they came in towards the base in their unobtrusive freighter they were soon being hailed by the controllers.
“Unidentified ship, transmit clearance code immediately or you will be terminated.” A pair of fighters had emerged to ‘escort’ them in, or destroy them if they were undesirables.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


"Strap an air tank to her armour, make sure it's sealed and she has a rebreather," Kaida told Eyrecae, referring to Tryana. Right now the wood elf did not need to understand, she just needed to obey and not screw up. The Ice Lady intended to vent pirates and cut off their oxygen supply.


It did not take long for the freighter to be hailed. Quickly, Kaida slipped into the pilot seat and transmitted the code. As if on cue, a pair of starfighters had emerged on either side of the transport ship. A tense moment later, they got a response. "Black Star you are cleared to land. Proceed to docking bay 03. Do not diverge from the flight path. Your ship will be boarded upon landing." The or else did not need to be spelled out.


Regardless, Kaida steered the ship towards their destination. She was not a great pilot, but a passable one, and in any case it was just moving from point A to point B. "Landing, get a move on," she growled to Eyrecae and Tryana. At least the machine ought to be reliable. "Droid, do the talking."

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
It was simple enough to secure Kaida. A large metal crate containing ore with repulsor engines on the bottom contained a concealed ‘nest’ where the Eldorai could say in wait. Provided the concealed space didn’t freak her out she had air for several hours. Some ballast strategically added would mean that the crate would appear normal on any sensor, and being ore it wouldn’t be needed at first.

When the ship landed a trio of well-armed criminals boarded and examined everything themselves.
“Right, this the shipment?”
“That’s correct, sir, half a ton of duranium ore,” the droid said, handing over a manifest.
The criminal eyed the other two. “What about you two? You let the droid talk for you?”
Eyrecae shrugged. “The machine’s job is to talk. Mine is not.” She was making an effort to speak ‘normally’.
“Whatever. We’ll take it to the cargo bay, stick around and we’ll bring your payment. No funny business.”

And so off the crate with Kaida in it went. They would wait her signal and then take advantage of her chaos to ‘assist’ the crew, but in reality cause their own chaos.

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Thus the Trokan crate entered the facility. Kaida made no move while it was being brought to the cargo bay. However, she remained alert. Concealed space did not freak her out. She found wide, open spaces more disconcerting, truth be told. Besides, she had a rebreather. So she waited patiently. Finally she risked a peek outside, after she was certain that the crate had reached its destination.


It appeared that she had some company. "Man, those elves are hot."

"Dude, one of 'em has claws. That queen bit Bran and gourged his eye out. Frakking animal."

"He was careless. 'sides, she's far more docile now. It's always the same with the knife-ears. They act all high and mighty, but starve 'em for a couple days, give 'em a good beating and they'll spread their legs like a whore on Nar Shaddaa. It's all because they've never had a real man."

"Don't let the boss hear you say that."

"Oh, c'mon, boss is different. Better let us have some fun with the knife-ears before they get sold off."

Before either of the two pirates could continue their conversation, Kaida decided she'd had enough. "Did you hear that?" one of the pirates wondered aloud. A moment later, a silenced, high-velocity pellet pierced the jugular vein. He drownd in his blood. His comrade raised his blaster rifle and wanted to alert his fellows, but an unnatural pressure clamped down on his airways. Kaida put a pellet between his eyes, crawled out of the crate. Both pirates were heavy, so it took her a bit to hide the bodies. But once that was done, she vanished from sight.

 

[Eyrecae Alzari]

[member="Kaida Taldir"]
The pair headed down to the cramped and dirty docking bay. The walls of the station were corroded metal, the rock of the asteroid showing through in places. Everything except the seals keeping the interface field secure looked old and crumbling.

Eyrecae leaned against the ship, waiting. A bored looking guard eyed them whilst some other crewers unloaded or refuelled ships.

After a few minutes of whistling tunelessly, Eyrecae went back into the ship and emerged with a large metal crate. She brought it over to the guard.
She made an effort again. “You. Need water.” She opened the crate to reveal empty plastic bottles.
“Fine, go see the mess.” They eyed Eyrecae who didn’t appear armed, then watched them go.
“Good.” Eyrecae’s efforts at being more ‘contemporary’ were making her even more terse than Kaida! She was clearly longing for the chance to return to florid purple prose.

As Eyrecae ambled into the mess area and filled up water, she casually glanced around, waiting for trouble to start. Little did anyone know the crate held more than met the eye….

 

[Kaida Taldir]

[member="Eyrecae Alzari"]


Photokinetic cloaking kept her out of sight. Combined with art of the small, she did not have to be concerned about infrared detection. Kaida was by no means a master of the technique. Soldiers were not infiltrators or assassins, after all. But it sufficed for getting past a bunch of pirates. It helped that her armour was fairly lightweight. The same applied to the use of a ventilation shaft.


Soon she'd closed in on her destination. Here the walls were in a better state and less corroded. Security was tight at the control room. Some guards were slacking on the job, exchanging stories or holopics that were almost certainly of an erotic nature, but there were too many for her to fight through on her lonesome. She was quite certain that those sockets on the ceiling concealed turrets. Peeking out of her hiding place, she sent Eyrecae a silent ping. A signal for her to strike.


xxx


Meanwhile, the droid and Tryana were waiting at the ship. A few well-armed criminals had remained in the hangar, eyeing them suspiciously. In some cases, they shot Tryana covetuous glances. "I see Eldorai among them," she remarked quietly, disgust evident. "Why do they help those who prey on their kin?"

"As I'm sure Mistress Ylaea and her pugnacious, icy friend have informed you, the Eldorai have a history of killing each other. Often for the pettiest, most inexplicable reasons," the droid responded. It had probably been a rhetorical question, but whatever.

"Yes. But these are slavers. They only hurt their kind."

"For many organics, greed trumps everything. And do the Vashyada not fight amongst themselves?"

"We do," Tryana admitted. "But not this way. It is the last resort. Where there is strife between tribes, it is to right a wrong. It does not go beyond small raids. Most battles are resolved by honour duels. A warrior protects her skin with valour. But I see matters are different in the stars."

"It is paradoxical. Your people are the least advanced of your species, but you may be the most civilised." For a war droid the bot was unusually insightful. "And I calculate that you will be able to put your axe to good use soon," it added when a few pirates approached them.