Viral Hemorrhage

[Vera Mina]

Vera's breath caught in her throat as she watched [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] remove her clothes.

She had never found such an act particularly meaningful before...and then Karlie did it and it instantly became the most fascinating thing she had yet witnessed, watching Karlie try on new dresses. Her processors heated to the point they malfunctioned and Vera felt the muscles contract against her ribcage so hard she felt one of the ribs fracture in silence. Vera had to keep her mouth closed, constantly pushing the fangs that kept unconsciously sliding out back into their hidden sockets. Her heart pounded fiercely and Vera had to actually think about that tabloid photographer's family she had tortured to stop getting hot under the collar.

How had this happened so quickly, a part of her wondered. One moment Karlie had been an annoying meatsack...and then Karlie had missed her lawyer self attacked her mercenary self...and now the only thing keeping Vera from making a pass was the fact Karlie was her client and her programming was pretty strict in that sense.

"I like sunning."

Vera felt her processors heat back up at those words. It caused the sides of her mouth to twitch.

Her artificial mind, just barely having the capacity for genuine imagination, could see it. Karlie, sunning herself on a beach and Vera, as Rom-Jin, slowly wading out of the surf in a bikini. Karlie pouring them both a glass of warm blood from a Sith Lord Vera had tortured and killed in front of Karlie for her amusement, whose head rested on a spike twenty meters away.

Vera sat as her blueberry self in the fantasy, letting Karlie take the first sip (She had taught Karlie to somehow like blood in this disturbing vision.) her face becoming bloody as some of it escaped her lips. And then she kissed Vera in the fantasy and they both gave evil laughter as they pointed at all the other heads, from all of Karlie's other enemies put on spikes across the beach.

Vera snapped out of the fantasy, even as the stress of taking her imaginative capacity caused her stomach to rupture silently. Vera forced the white blood that threatened to escape her throat back down, the dress she wore dispensing the treatment necessary to repair her stomach.

"I enjoy such things myself..." Vera replied to her. "Unfortunately the nature of my work prevents me from enjoying such things as much as I would like. But I always liked nice long walks on beaches...with good company."

Vera fidgeted as one of her processors transmitted a warning that she was in danger of committing a programming violation. Vera internally cursed her mother. Say whatever you want about the psycho-vampire, as Karlie (rightly) considered her...but the woman was incredibly thorough in her programming. Vera absolutely could not rebel against it...much though she might sometimes want to. But for Karlie, Vera was willing to go as far as she could.

Karlie sat down next to her, and Vera's heart skipped a beat as Karlie talked about how difficult it was to make friends about how she was mainly around military personnel for much of her life. Vera of course, knew all of this already, but now that she thought about it more, she and Karlie were very similar in that respect...except in Vera's case she had been around military personnel ever since she had first awoken. Unlike Karlie, she was actually considered a relative. (Albeit a snobby, ruthless one.)

How strangely...

...strangely...

...what was the word...?

Vera searched her databases for the proper word. Parallel was too clinical. They were...

...were...

...similar...

The malfunctioning of her processors as she experienced empathy for the first time caused her masquer to sag on the side of ger face out of Karlie's view for a split second before sliding back into place. A flash of genuine terror at experiencing something so foreign caused her to lick her lips in anxiousness and also because she so badly wanted to violate her programming and couldn't.

She struggled not to hyperventilate as Karlie talked about her lack of female friends. That part caught Vera's attention. No female friends? No competition then.

"I've gotten a reputation as snobby myself. Some of it is deserved." Vera smirked, thinking about the beach, Karlie doing shots of blood with her...onetasteonetasteonetaste...

Karlie started to talk about her mother and the limits of Vera's comprehension knew the conversation subject would have to change. Not because Vera did not want to continue but because experiencing empathy was something her current design simply wasn't quite sophisticated enough to endure for too long.

Vera got confused for an instant at the word 'psychopath'. The way Karlie said it, and looked directly at her when she did it, made Vera think she was being called one. But she quickly reassured herself. No...Karlie didn't know. She couldn't have pieced it together...right?

"Wherever your mother is, she can't hurt you now, Karlie." Vera assured her. (Horribly Incorrect: - 50 XP Loss) "And even if she could she would have to catch you. And there is no chance of that aboard the Morpheus. This ship can go nearly anywhere--"

Vera stopped herself, realizing she was bragging to Karlie like someone trying to impress a lover with how big and shiny and fast their expensive luxury vehicle was, except in this case it was an ancient evil cruiser. It had almost had an evil petting zoo when Nine was still in her manic state but Vera had talked her out of it...it was bad enough being locked up in this mobile castle with her troll sisters but the logistical nightmare of making sure the animals were cared for might very well have been the straw that would have broken the biot's processors.

"We will prove your innocence, Karlie. The truth WILL come out." Vera said passionately. It was genuine. Vera wanted Karlie to be found innocent. Even if she was guilty. If she had killed a whole city...that would have been so so hot to the artificial vampire. But for some reason it pleased her to know Karlie was innocent all the same. Still, Vera would not have cared at this point. If she had to flay alive whoever to make sure Karlie avoided the sith lightning of Metus, than that is what would happen.

There was a bell chime and Vera sighed. Interruptions! Always with the interruptions!

"Excuse me, Karlie..." Vera said, rising up and heading to the door. She made sure to make her stride as she headed to the door as seductive as possible, knowing Karlie was staring. It was about the only way to tease her without violating her programming.

Vera raised an eye brow as she spotted the grinning, red headed Magnus in her combat form, hands folded behind her back, her enthusiasm at odds with her dark yet seductive black suited appearance and hair and skin the color of porcelain.

Vera frowned. This was twice now Magnus was attempting to annoy her.

Magnus, despite her role basically being a pilot around here and bodyguard, seemed far smarter to Vera than her design indicated. Vera was sure Nine had overindulged in some way on Magnus's capacity to think in the abstract. Meier didn't really get curious about stuff the way Magnus did. It was what made Vera feel so threatened by her

Vera shut the door behind her.

"Magnus. Here to pester me?"

"Yes. Also, Jerri just signalled. They're on their way back. So...didja make out with her?"

"That is none of your business, Magnus."

The human looking commando droid grinned.

"I knew it! You ARE making out with her! Whats she like? Do humans taste any different when you kiss instead of bite?" Magnus asked snidely.

"I am not making out with her!" Vera hissed at Magnus quietly.

"Well you should, otherwise why have her in your quarters?" Magnus taunted "If I was you, I would definitely make out with her..."

"Most of you is made of metal. Even with the skin covering you, you would be found out immediately."

"And you wouldn't? Have fun explaining the color of your blood." Magnus taunted. "So...can I ask her out? Since your programming won't let you?" Magnus whispered.

"You know nothing about dating." Vera whispered.

Magnus swayed sheepishly in her black catsuited appearance. "I watch soap operas and rom coms the same as any other decent sentient aboard our home..."

"Those are not in any way realistic."

Magnus seemed stunned at this, taking a step back in surprise. Vera knew it was fake. Magnus knew perfectly well how annoying she was. The trouble was that Vera could not tell why.

"So...there's no kissing--?"

"Well, there is kissing but--"

"Aha! You were making out with her!" Magnus exclaimed again.

"No. I. Wasn't." Vera snarled. "And even if I was...why are you so interested?"

"Because you aren't your normal horribly murderous self. You haven't even called me a moronic bucket of bolts like you usually do. Which is odd."

Vera could say nothing to this, in the darkness of that ancient passage. She herself had noted the irregularities caused by Karlie's presence.

"I am not making out with her. You should be asking mother about stuff like this."

Magnus leaned forward. "You don't fool me, Vera. I know you too well by this point. You're different. What is it about the blonde woman that makes you so?"

Vera maintained her patience. "Why do you care?"

"Not about you, certainly. But I care about this ship. I care about mother. Destat's a potential loose end. Just making sure you know that. You going mushy could let Destat in on more than is wise." Magnus answered, switching gears from the teasing troll she had been just moments earlier.

"I can perceive who is and who isn't a loose end for myself, thank you." Vera replied coldly to Magnus's barbs, the red headed droid only chuckling in reply.

"Ah, its so easy to get a rise out of you now. I really should do it more often." Magnus mocked her older sister. "All that meat you are made of and you still can't see how Karlie is a disaster waiting to happen."

Vera suppressed her rage, even as the surge of processing that emotion made her masquer shiver and go translucent across her face for a second.

"Go. Away. I'm trying to work." Vera ordered.

Magnus sighed. "So much denial. Just imagine what mother would say if she knew you were so desperately trying to snuggle with your client."

"Someone should really tell the damn ship AI to mind its own business." Vera grumbled. A nearby ship camera focused on her. Vera scowled at it. "You heard what I said..." she sneered at the camera.

"Vera, you're wearing your evil little heart on your sleeve..." Magnus taunted her again before leaving.

Vera stuck her tongue out petulantly at her retreating sister before trying to go back to her room. The door electronically locked. Vera tried to get it open before looking at the camera. A nearby ship kiosk lit up with a yellow smiley face.

Vera narrowed her eyes at the camera. "Let me in at once you ship sized malcontent!"

The nearby kiosk made an image of a skull and crossbones laughing as the door opened.

"Even the fething ship wants to tease me now..." Vera grumbled as she walked back into Karlie's room.

"My...employer will be back soon. Don't know what they found..." Vera admitted before heading over to the sofa, cursing her limits mentally

Meanwhile...

"Oh I've had plenty of time to guage Karlie. She definitely had no idea what was going on..." Nine muttered at Sade's assertion. But Sade knowing so much told her she was right at the heart of a political nightmare. One that would erupt if she made a misstep.

"I accept your terms..." Nine replied to [member="Ian Sade"] and turned to her henchpeople. Meier, not getting a whole lot of what was going on but having a great time simply asked. "So when do we get to watch the super creepy found footage?"

"When we get back to the castle, young one." Nine assured her. "Prep the ship and fly Colonel Sade's people while I accompany them.

Meier, though naive, was far from stupid. She was a heavily armored combat droid under the masquer...she knew if push came to shove she would likely be the one who would have to subdue them along with Jerri. She liked her odds...they were probably counting on fighting only two organics, not an organic and a droid designed to look like one. But they might have scanners...

Meier nodded and gestured for the colonel's men to follow her and Jerri who headed out to the snow. Nine then headed with the Colonel back to his ship after giving him the coordinates, singing as she walked in the snow with him.

"On the planet Correllia, came a Jedi Knight todaaaaayyyy...didn't speak too much to any, was so quick to be on his wayyyyyy...no one dared to ask him questions all they did was flee in dread...because they knew his saber was about to take a head...about to take a heaaaad..." she croned in the voice of a famous male singer, replicating it flawlessly.

"So...Karlie told me she has a Sith for a mom...bet that's forced her to pay for some serious therapy...I know it would me...hell...it kinda DID happen to me..." Nine remarked. "Lemme guess, you go around sweeping evidence of her mother under the rug, right? Was she that dangerous? Was she the one who made it? The virus that destroyed Melida?"

 

[Ian Sade]

They were in agreement.

No hand shake, no clicking of boot heels, nor any of the silly scout's honor characterization of sealing their deal. They were both above that...word given would be honored until one broke it.

There was a small matter of Sade acquiring the base's records and files of his ward's pass through. He reached into his breast pocket pulling out a pick, a small yottabyte device and inserted it in the airlock's comp terminal. In a matter of seconds he had what he needed. He'd have to transmit that soon enough to [member="Tarssin Destat"], whom no doubt was quite anxious to learn of his daughter's whereabouts and of what was found on this ice rock.

Instructing his ground team to head back up to the Tecknor, he lead [member="Nine Lives"] to Karlie's parked LCX-L3 .
Nine's own companions or what he seemed to have picked up as 'daughters?' were to follow the LCX back to castle Morpheus.
It were understood that once everyone were away from the base that the Tecknor would raise it to the surface below the ice...obliterate it completely from orbit, breaking it down past the vicinity molecular level...vaporize it to be exact. What was on the base was known to be hot..too hot for anyone to get their hands on.

This time, upon approach, the LCX extended out it's ramp. Sade knew it was Tarssin's doing from Castagne, after he reported that he had been denied access to Karlie's ship before. Now it greeted him much like he were the owner. The airlock opened just as the two came within arms reach, closing behind them before opening up the interior door.

'Welcome Ian...it's been awhile since-'

"Colonel Sade, if you don't mind... and guest! Ahem... Lady Lives." He cut the AI short.

"Understood, Colonel Sade.
Welcome aboard Lady Lives... would you wish for me to address you as such or as Nin-'

"Lady Lives will do just fine, thank you. Now if we can get underway..."

'Understood.
May I inquire as to the cause of my primary override? This is after all Karlie's personal vessel. She will not be pleased in discovering you bringing another female board in her absence.'

"We're not doing this right now. Let's please dispense with the pleasantries. I will need for you to revert to op/nav mode OR-326 on voice recognition." He ordered the AI to stick to basic functions only and not social interactions. He didn't need an AI to converse with. especially one which were designed specifically for Karlie. Sade didn't much like such mimics of intelligent beings. Machines in his opinion were to accomplish menial tasks, substitute their existence (lives if they were battle droids) in the place of human soldiers and basically serve Castans.

He finally turned to Nine, giving the interior another once over. More for making certain the ship's computer had complied with his demands, as indicative from mood lighting to practical functionality.
"Lady Destat has a few eccentric toys..." Sade explained to Nine. "...this uhm ship, along with it's entertainment system being one of them..." he said, pulling his cold gear off and throwing it on one of the two beds.
Yes, beds in what should be the cockpit, which had one clear duraglass nose canopy but with no signs of any controls..just two large comfy lounge chairs staring out at the foot of each bed.

And of the beds...
Karlie's personal craft had two beds in the main cockpit of the ship of all places. In essence, the cockpit doubled as a state of the art suite.
And of the lack of controls...none could be seen. It were all voice/motion, and interactive HUD controlled, once the ship was in flight mode. Which for some reason or other it weren't.

"Computer...what's the hold up?"

'Waiting on your orders, Colonel Sade. You instructed me to-'

"Got it." he curtly cut it off again.
Was this computer toying with him again? He thought he had it straightened out with Tarssin's override code which of course the AI confirmed through transmission. Damn AI's he thought. Especially this one and those mimicking human behavior. Or at least what Karlie had it adapt to and let it get away with...
"Now if we can get this ship fired up so we could be on our way?"

"Affirmative..." As it replied, all the necessary HUDs for flight appeared at the foot of the bed he had picked. The ship's engines, both sub-lights and hyper-drives also simultaneously came on line.

"Coordinates please, Colonel Sade... unless you wish to manually pilot the vessel, sir."

Sade nodded, stepping into the pilot's chair at the foot of the bed to punch in the coordinates nine had given him.
So it went, before he took to lift the LCX off the ice, gliding it up into open space before it slipped into hyperspace.
The instant acceleration was ultra smooth to o.3 light speed. Fast enough to cut ahead of time than any other crafts they left behind.

It were just Sade and Nine hurling to their destination at record speed. There was no arguing there were some uncertainties for a while. neither fully trusted the other , although both seemed to be upholding to their word. it weren't that they were adversaries, but more so from different sub-factions. Sade being Castan had no love for the CIS, but nevertheless they were part of the whole (the CIS) and thus forced allies.

It took some time for them to get through some initial small talk, keeping to the program, the crisis at hand. Sade knew Nine had Karlie on the Morpheus, that much he knew and really nothing more.
Ok, maybe he swallowed some of Nine's story as to how she had rescued Karlie from what she claimed to be a sanctioned black op CIS site.
But he had seen the recordings of Karlie returning to the remote research facility orbiting Castagne's system and with a Chiss no less....etc..etc...

Did he trust Nine Lives? The answer to that would be a 'NO'.
Nine knew a little bit too much for him to trust her. She had the goods on Castagne and by the sounds of it...quite some history.
He simply gave Nine a slight smirk, not fully disclosing, nor affirming the fact that Karlie's mother had been a sith. Even though it were true and had come from Nine and no doubt from that so called black-op interrogation. If it were even at all from outside Nine's influence.
THAT, he didn't take verbatim. Karlie could in truth have been apprehended by Nine's minions...Sade hadn't discounted that.
No, he didn't fully trust this tall order of a woman, despite her refined appearance. Truth be told, he trusted no one outside of Castagne...much less the CIS itself.

"I don't have much insight on what their relations were as far as mother and daughter...." A lie. Why would he divulge family secrets?...

"All I am concerned about is Karlie's welfare...both physically and mentally.
No doubt she's still in possession of her crono, no?" Yes, it were a test. If Nine were indeed caring for Karlie, she'd know what he were talking about.
Karlie needed that crono to survive, to regulate her blood sugars. She were diabetic...something which had long been dormant in her bloodline that had been suppressed by the midis. Since she were now midi free. She were in affect, now diabetic. A long thought lost disease that was prevalent in most ancient humans.

"What you yourself no doubt came upon in that base, certainly seems to connect it to Melida/Dan." He weren't telling her what she already knew for herself by now.
"The reanimation of dead tissues...the use of the enemy's own dead against the the enemy..." He looked up into Nine's eyes...she were a good head taller than he. No doubt an adversary physically superior fighting skills should it come down to an altercation.

"I'd say anyone who could deploy such a virus which can infect populations on contact should no doubt be considered dangerous. And more so, if they're capable of deploying such a virus a decade or more after their demise..." But this woman knew that, otherwise she wouldn't be here, nor hold on to Karlie.

They were alone and hurling through hyperspace at an elevated phenomenal rate. Karlie's ship had been chosen for a reason by Sade beside it's capability to cut through hyperspace at a fraction of the time than any other vessels. Karlie's LCX could not be flown without it's AI. Now that it were unlocked and paired to him under Tarssin's remote override, it would respond primarily to his person now.

They would reach whatever destination Nine had given him, being the actual Morpheus or a trap set out to take him out.
But then again, could Nine be certain that he had actually punched in the coordinates given him?
They could as well taking a plunge into the nearest star the Morpheus was closest too if the agreement and trust were broken. His life for Castagne?...it were an honorable sacrifice if it came down to it...

"If a branch of the CIS black ops had taken Karlie without informing the Castan authorities...my assumption would be it were not entirely Karlie they were after..." No, he weren't going to directly ask, nor expose his doubts as to who and what were leading the CIS into one conflict and another. For all Sade and the Castan Cabinet knew, Nine herself were part of that conspiracy.

To acquire such a devastating biological weapon could turn the tides of balance in this galaxy...and that whom would hold the goblet would be no other than [member="Darth Metus"] himself...their Vicelord?
Nay...a Sith Lord.

"What's your stake in all this, Lady Lives?..."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

"Uhm...Ok sure." She nodded, truly believing what Vera had said about proving her innocence.
Just then, the door announced a presence and Vera had to likely answer it.

"I....I really do believe you. I mean...I trust you." Karlie said before Vera turned and went to answer the door. Her eyes then went back over to the closet again. What was she to do here in the suite by herself till Vera returned?
"Say...if you don't mind, I'd like to go look through your closet some more...see if I can pick something out to wear besides these classical prison garbs..." Yes, maybe she should get out of the drabs and look pretty for her. She knew she could, just maybe not so in these drabs...
Understandably, the door closed behind Vera, being this was after all a military vessel and all. There were things not privi to karlie that went on . She was after all a kind of guest and certainly lacked any clearance.

The lot of them were simply stunning. There was no doubt Vera knew fashion and taste. then again, as Karlie took one dress or part skirt off the rack and pressed it to her person, it were Vera that she were imagining wearing. True Karlie were well figured, but vera were full figured and a woman to boot. Karlie had not admired anyone older than her but her mother when she were younger. Karlie had wanted to be like her...saw so many avenues to mimic her mom...the studies, the exercises in their secret coven...the magic..oh the wonderful magic that her mother were revealing to her...the....the-

Karlie stopped for a moment in mid thought. They were all good memories of her as a child looking up, loving her mother. God, she had been so...so sweet to her, growing up.
Sigh...Vera couldn't know all that she had once shared with - "Gah...witch!..." It were what she had come to know of her mother, a witch. A horrid monster that had meant to take Karlie for her own design.
How many daughters had she taken over? Were they all....loved like she had pretended to love her?...
It had felt...so real though....

"Sigh..." It were all a lie.
"Stop it!..." Karlie hadn't realized she had dropped the dress she had in her hand and went to pick it up.
It was Vera. Somehow Vera evoked the good memories of her childhood.
wait, no. It were partly Vera's wardrobe that did.

Yes, she had on many occasions looked into the mirror pressing her mother's awesome wardrobe against her tiny body .pretending to be her. Pretending to be Karla, her mother.
There had been many things... secrets her mother had opened up the young and impressionable mind of Karlie at that age. And she had embraced it all, the studies, the craft, the magic...all because she wanted to be like Karla...Arrrg! KARLA KARLA KARLA!!

Had it all been for the time she were to slip right into her body...preparing her like a ready to wear, one of a kind designer dress?!-
"Gasp!...oh no..."
Karlie found herself on her knees with shreds of tattered material all around her. She had tore up Vera's unique dress in her rage. All the good memories of her mother had shattered in her rage, as Karlie had realized she had meant nothing more to her mother than a one of a kind designer dress. A dress her mother would wear until a new dress, a new daughter/sister was created, when Karla no longer felt young anymore and needed a new fit.

Karlie covered her face and let her tears wash over her. It felt good to cry. Felt good to shed the filth of Karla from her mind.

Still, she had nevertheless ripped up one of Vera's expensive one of a kind dress and she would return any minute now. What would she think of her now..a certifiable psychopath that no doubt could have done what she had been charged with. She couldn't have Vera think that...not Vera. Vera was her only friend, the only one that believed her innocence.
Wiping away those self pity tears, she picked up all of the pieces and...and...FRAK, where was she going to hide it? Vera didn't have a disposal shute or anything of the like. Her private suite was like immaculate.
The thigh high boots!

Thigh high boots?... odd that they be with-
Karlie was still on her knees and spotting some odd footwear that she could normally not see if standing. Besides, they were at the back of the closet behind the clothes racks.
...stylish high heel tactical combat boots...in fashionable colors?

"Hmm...kinky...." her one eyebrow peaked. She had a brief fantasy of Vera in the tactical wear..disciplining her. Hey after all, Karlie was already on her knees and her derriere primed and ready for some spanking...oh she could be such a bad girl. She had after all, tore up Vera's dress. 'Oh you bad girl Karlie you'...She was going to need some discipline.

be de de beep...
"Gasp..." She picked up someone outside the suite...the distinct sound of a keypad... "Vera!"... she were coming back!

Karlie quickly stuffed the tattered pieces of a once gorgeous to die for dress into the thigh high boots and scrambled back up to her feet, quickly drawing out another dress in the nick of time. She spun about with her pick as Vera walked in.

"Ohhh... I like this one!..." She said without even knowing what she pulled out, and was pressing against her body.
It was a nighty... a very sheer and sexy see through nighty.





[member="Vera Mina"]

 

[Vera Mina]

(WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE YOUR PROGRESS?)

(YES)

(PROGRESS SAVED)



Vera when she sat down, went from annoyed to intrigued as [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] pulled out a nightie. A particularly revealing one.

Vera's processors started to heat. Her heart pounded as all she could think of was kissing the wonderful scientist.

"Well..." Vera said coyly rising and striding toward her with that crisp walk as she examined that nightie. "I don't think its entirely a good idea you wearing that and being my client. But since you seem to be leaning to ultra casual..."

Vera vanished in her closet, and exited a minute later clad in a silvery dress with a very low cut on the front that went to her navel. It was very revealing.

"Would you care for a glass of juice?" Vera offered, her programming forbidding her from going any further. But she knew she was addicted to Karlie's gaze upon her, and wanted her to see as much as possible. The murderous android was frustrated that it lacked the computational capacity to describe its need for her. It was like wanting blood or slaughter, and then finding out it wants you back.

Vera got the biot equivalent of an adrenaline high, having never had a reason to wear any of it before this unpredictable human gave her one. She wanted to take Karlie into her arms, wanted to run bloody fingers through her pretty blond hair.

Unfortunately before she could flirt a little more, the kiosk beeped and she sighed, going over to the terminal, felt a slight bit of excitement. Mother was due back in fifteen minutes.

That much closer to finding evidence to getting Karlie through. That much closer to having her client programming disabled. To being able to flirt with the hot scientist for real and...and...

Vera was so overwhelmed by the strange sensation she experienced as she stared at the flustered Karlie, that the very limits of her consciousness half considered doing something artsy like cutting her own ear off. Not like she could not get it fixed...but wait, Karlie would see the white blood. No, that wasn't going to work. Offer to kill someone for her? No that's first degree, conspiracy to commit murder. Couldn't involve Karlie in a violent homicide yet. They hadn't even kissed...

"It seems my...employer will be here soon. A pity..." Vera said wistfully. "We should go and meet her in the hangar...

Meanwhile...

When [member="Ian Sade"] asked what her stake in all this was. Nine glowered a bit.

"I was at Melida when [member="Darth Metus"] ordered Midnight Exigent. I was in the same squad his own son was in...it was my first mission and I...I wasn't prepared. Neither was he. Tried to save him, but the monsters kept attacking. By the time we had a breather, he was too far gone. Some girl named [member="Scherezade deWinter"] ends up finishing him off and I see his eyes look up and...and I have nightmares every night about that disease-filled gaze of his...I swore I would find whoever was responsible for Melida and make them suffer beyond anyone's capacity to articulate. Karlie actually did seem like a decent suspect...at first. But then I started digging, studying Karlie psychologically and I realized it couldn't have been her. She has the resources to pull it off, whether she realizes that or not, but only by going through Castagne's highly visible power structure, and there is no way any of you would allow her to engage in such an atrocity. You'd have killed her yourself before it came to that. So I started to believe her innocence. And plus she is very nice so that went a long way also." Nine explained to Ian, leaving out the parts of Karlie freaking out and being a hot mess for the first few days. She hoped she hadn't driven Vera crazy.

The Morpheus finally came into view, looking like a gigantic, gothic version of the Tantive IV, though it was far more ancient than even that ancient ship. Nine transmitted the friendly ID to get it to open its hangar so they could dock.

"Welcome to the Morpheus, Colonel. Ah! There she is!" Nine said, looking out of the viewport to spot Karlie and Vera...wearing something very revealing. It was a dress. Or at least, it still counted as one, even with as much skin as it showed.

What the hell had Vera been up to while she was away? She dressed seductively, but hardly ever that seductive. Might need to get her coding checked...Nine fussed over her creations with a mother's frustration.

Nine was the first off the ship.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite employee..." Nine emphasized jokingly to her artificial daughter, to which the sparsely dressed android could only scowl slightly. When Nine saw how the biot's eyes would occasionally glance at Karlie, while trying to hide it, Nine did an immediate reassessment of Destat.

What did you do to Vera while I was away, I wonder? the thought vampire mused.

"As you can see Colonel, Miss Destat is healthy, and looked after by my personal lawyer...who seems...very well dressed...sorta...how have you fared, Karlie? Has Vera been keeping you...occupied?" Nine asked with a small chuckle.

There was an undertone of trollishness to the question, because it was blatantly obvious Nine knew something had happened between them, she just was not certain what, exactly. But it was making her murderous psychopath of an experiment act WAY out of character. That alone would be worth the data to collect.

"Everything is in order here, Lady Li-Ves." Vera assured her. "How was your expedition?"

"Fruitful. Learned some messed up stuff that would have marked me for getting cement shoes fitted if I were less badass. Which reminds me...Karlie...I have some good news and bad news. Good news! You're definitely innocent and we have the evidence. Bad news! Well...lets all go discuss this in the throne room..." Nine explained, heading that way. "And someone tell Magnus to go shopping with the frieghter! Meier is about to land and this hangar needs the space!"

 

[Ian Sade]

'0.5 is all I am allowed to give you, Colonel Sade.' The ship's AI replied as to his insistence of max overdrives.

"Allowed?..." He couldn't well go and pop a vessel in his temple with [member="Nine Lives"] nearby, could he? So Sade kept his cool which would have otherwise had him pop a few rounds into the AI's fluidic memory modules.
"...this vessel has been commandeered under OR-326. I'm requesting immediate full drive options. Unlock drive parameters for 0.3 jump projection...comply."

'My apologizes, Colonel Sade.
Correction; 0.5 is max allowable drive configuration I am authorized to presently engage.' the AI repeated.

How in Hell's damnation was this machine not complying with prime directives., he were thinking. Order OR-326 was Viceroy [member="Tarssin Destat"]'s prime override on all things Castan designed and operated. And this ship was no exception.
"Full drive access, NOW.
That's an order." He adamantly replied, going over the HUD controls with his fingertips, but still not able to override the lock on the hyperdrives.
"Computer..." he was getting irate having to press the ship's comp to comply to his order.

'Ami.' the computer cut in.

"Say what?..." Sade replied, taken back a moment by the comp's reply.

'Ami.
My name is Ami, Colonel Sade. I should respond much more civilly if you'd address me in the same like manner as I am addressing you...sir.'

A moment of loud silence filled the air of the cabin/cockpit...say for a very controlled exhale from the Colonel. No way he were going to flip out in front of Nine over a stupid computer.

"Aherm...
Ami then..." Sade calmly started.

"...please unlock the hyperdrive limiter." Yes, he were using the magic word 'please'.

It were definitely beneath him to do so, but he weren't going to putz around with this machine with useless banter. He went for the 'please' right off the bat to push his request to the top. This computer, this AI, or whatever it had been named; had the same air of audacity of the very blonde he were risking his neck out for. No doubt Karlie had influenced this- this...
Sigh...
Sade couldn't even bring his self to think that an inanimate object such as this circuit metal framework were nothing more than a tool. By now he would have put a blaster bolt through it's mainframe, if they weren't in the middle of a jump...that's how this machine were riding his patience. He so disliked machines that mimicked intelligence. Still, he folded this time to appease it, to get it to give him access to 0.3 drive output.

'Thank you for your empathy, Colonel Sade.' It replied with a sincere and casual tone.
'But regrettably, only Karlie can pilot this craft past 0.5.'

The snickering his mind fathomed in the background as the scene cut out, were most likely his own demons silently laughing at him.... or it could have been the slender amazon woman finding it difficult not to let a small chuckle escape her.


Hours later, and still cruising at 0.5 hyper-speed.... the computer alerted Sade and guest (Nine) that they were coming up on emergence in a few moments, to the specified coordinates Nine had given them.

Sade looked over to Nine giving her a nod of acknowledgement.
Having gotten past the futility of arguing with Ami when they first got underway, Sade got to probing this tall drink of water [member="Nine Lives"].
There was certainly an air of reserve, even for the woman. Sade no doubt knew the woman had more going for her than a head or two over him. His peripheral had taken much in analyzing her muscle tone, despite obscured under her exotic robes...spider silk no doubt, he assumed.
It were the very way she moved, not moved...her poise, although prospectively relaxed were always in a manner that could spring up, pounce..strike even. A viper?...raptor perhaps?
Well, he weren't all certain as to what exactly it were that she evoked in his instincts, but it were of a kind not to toy with lightly.

Nine opened up to him her version of the events from Melida/Dan to this point.
Metus...yes, the Vicelord of Viceroys... who did not know of [member="Darth Metus"]?
Sade had much on the man. And why wouldn't he, since Castagne was after all part of the confederacy.
Yes, he had all the facts as reported by Karlie on what had occurred on Melida/Dan and of the resulting authorized research that followed when Metus gave her permission to study the virus.
That, and with the contingency that if she let the virus escape and affect another CIS state-
Sade knew all too well of the ultimatum...Metus would destroy Castagne... singe it like he did Melida/Dan.

Nine came off to him as she had before. His analytical expertise in interrogating the best of the best gave him insight on the woman's sincerity...the truth revealing itself through many means. They had after all, had hours of mixed talk...serious, casual and small as a matter of fact. Mostly the latter were initialized by him in the attempt to gauge Nine more...feel her out with all aspects of conversations.
And no doubt Sade got the feeling somehow that Nine herself knew what he were doing.

And of course she knew, Sade came to conclude; for many of the topics he'd casually drift off to, she simply and as easily steered him back or elsewhere.
Hands down, Sade knew he could well have meat his match as far as wits were concerned. She weren't at all easily lead to speak of what she didn't wish to speak of. In many sense of the word, maybe what he learned of her was what she wanted him to learn...and little else.

With that, he had to put her on a somewhat higher level, being that she had that other air about her...viper?..raptor?
Certainly something by which he'd need more than his concealed side arm to best her...should it come down to it.

"Well, can't say this jump's been a sleeper... excuse me a moment..." He got up and sat on the end of the bed...one of the command piloting chair forward.
The hairs on the back of his neck tingled, as he moved away from her. Hell, they had been tingling even when Nine were cloaked...and for much of the jump.

"Ok..here we go..."
The star tunnel of distorted star-lights collapsed. For a split second as the star-fields ahead came to a stop., it seemed that they went backwards...but for a slit second. It were an optical illusion brought on by the brain registering the collapse of the hyper-field of starlight to normal space.

And there it was...
Sade had records of it, but had never seen it in person with his own eyes...Castle Morpheus.

He turned to Nine, who at that moment was in contact with her ship. There were no elaborate exchange of codes...just her voice was enough for her fortress to welcome her home.
No inquiries as to her entourage..her vessel she had left with...nor of her crew. How could her ship, it's security defense even know that he didn't have her at gun point? Full clearance for him to approach on just her voice alone...
It then dawned on him, the possible extent as to her superiority over him.
He turned to look over to her. Her eyes showed no more interest in his person as they had during their jump. as a matter of fact, she weren't even facing him.
He gave her a smile, nevertheless...an acknowledgement that he assumed she could not see, much less sense.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yep....there she was...Karlie.

"Hmm..." He took notice of the woman next to her.
Wait, wasn't Karlie supposed to be kind of in distress over with what Nine had told him had happened?
The freakin blonde had what seemed to be a smirk...eyes bouncing between the approaching ship and on the woman next to her.
Sade didn't say anything more keeping one eye on the woman alongside Karlie, as he set the LCX on the deck.

Ahh... so this was the lawyer his former guest, now host, had spoken about during the jump.. Sade noted to his self. He came up right next to Nine, who had introduced him to the woman. Karlie, naturally came over and wrapped her arms around him...quite expectantly. And ...held herself there a moment.
"Ahem..." Sade cleared his throat, trying to keep up a professional appearance, as Nine spoke with her employee.

"...Ok... Ok..." He whispered, patting the blonde on her back, not making too big a deal as Karlie was in seeing him, despite his relief that she were as Nine had promised...well and unharmed.
"Karlie..." He again had to say before she unwrapped herself off him.
Last time they were in the same room, he had gotten a good slap on his face...twice by her. Stung like hell, he recalled. Although it weren't the slap that had left a mark.
"...good to find you are... well." He managed to say as she took a step back.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

She hadn't been on many capital ships, but enough to know this one was no ordinary military destroyer. It were as it's name stated..a castle.
well, not a white marble and alabaster like castle, but one with pronounced sharply pointed spires, intricate sculptures, ribbed vaults on egresses...inspirational in...in a darkened sense?
Karlie had not given Castle Morpheus too much attention before, with just the short trips from the detention blocks, which were more like dungeons, but spotlessly kept, to the living quarters which for the most part had been on Vera's deck.
But her trip to the hangar decks had her take in the entire scope of it's mass and architectural style. It were of antiquity, but as if constructed yesterday, it were so well kept.
For the most part, besides taking in the architecture of the vessel, she couldn't avert from looking over to Vera's seductive dress...and of the woman's cleavage. Karlie had never though of wearing something that eye straining as what Vera had put on for her. Well, it were how it were affecting Karlie's eyes, trying not to ogle, but the visual lines of the dress just lead one's eyes like following the point of an arrow. It were so cleverly designed for one to just touch upon the wear's shoulders which then directed the eyes to the open collarbone and down the slippery slope of the open dress lines past the cleavage all the way to to to..OMG, her naval...
"Cough..cough.." Karlie misstep after she had swallowed hard.

"I'm good..." she blushed when Vera looked over to her.
"I guess i should have taken you up on that juice..." She couldn't believe she said that. But it were true. Karlie had passed on Vera's offer to get her some fresh fruit juice before they headed on to the hangar decks. But it weren't a dry throat that had gotten caught in her throat, it had been Vera. This woman was...
Karlie dared not look over again...well not at that steep drop that just lead her eyes to the woman's naval...oh NO! "Cough..cough... Aherm..." she cleared her throat again, patting her her collarbone.

"Eyes up Karlie...come on, really?...she told herself.
You don't much like it when guys ogle you like that...right? Ok, sometimes.
Gah..depends on who.
Fine...breathe..eye on eyes....
Eyes on her eyes...
got it.
.
.
.
....frak, it's frustrating.
Eyes on her eyes... " she took a few deep breaths alongside her counselor before it got all set in her noggin. She did after all have some will power, believe it or not.

"I'm fine really..." she took to looking around as she kept in stride with Vera.

"It's some ship..." She then commented. Eyes looking about everywhere but to Vera. In fact, when she had to look in that direction, her eyes arched over Vera and around, like she were following the archways of the hall they were walking in....only that they just passed one such archway not two meters ago.
"Really like the decor...
It's so unusual for a star-ship. I mean it in a good way of course." Oh yes, even the dungeon wasn't at all bad as long as Vera was there.
"It's different...distinctive like...old, but grand in so many ways...." No she were not one who could describe Gothic, as she never knew what that style of architecture was called. Castagne had many such historic monumental buildings of antiquity from the Constantine Era of their history. She never paid much attention to those particular ancient buildings as she believed herself to be of the new generation...clean lines, simple and functioning architecture...nothing so detailed and inspiring.

Finally reaching the hangar decks, they came up on what looked like iron looking doors...ornate doors resembling castle gates. NO no... more like temple gates... what about church gates? Hmm..yea, if she had to describe them they were kinda like the great doors to one of the old religious buildings on Castagne. Hmm...Karlie thought for a second as the doors parted that she should have at least visited such a place on her own home world. But she didn't.

The large doors were in fact blast doors that opened up to the hangar deck..the one by which Vera said her employer Nine Lives were soon to be landing.
Again, even the hangar deck was not as simple as most. It had the same style architecture, but in a grander scale due to the expanse of the hangar requirements. It was by all accounts more cathedral in nature with the tall grand columns..most likely dura-steel or what not...Karlie was no metallurgist.

"Gasp!...Oh MY GOD!..." Karlie stopped mid-stride looking out to open space.

"No way!...Oh my God...Oh Vera!.." Karlie's voice had excitement and her color brightened, as she almost jumped up and down with excitement. Well, she kinda did, but for the most part, she took hold of Vera's hand and pressed it to her heart, she were so happy and so grateful.
"You brought my ship back!" She said, still clutching Vera's hand and watching the LCX touch down. It were difficult to see through the canopy glass, as it were designed for privacy due to it also being the main quarters.

First to come out as Karlie expected were Nine of course. But then she were followed by...

"Gasp..." Karlie almost forgot to breathe the following moment as @Iansade stepped out.

She had to blink a few times to make sure she weren't dreaming. But it were him alright.
At that moment, she weren't on a foreign vessel hanging on the balance of prosecution or what not. no.
She breathed a real sigh of relief. he were Castan...the first Castan she had seen in weeks now since her abduction by those black ops CIS whatever minions they belonged too...although Karlie had her suspicion on no other than the CIS's Vicelord [member="Darth Metus"]. Why not, right? Like, she had after all been kidnapped and interrogated under the duress of pain to confess to the Vicelord's son's death, right?
Still, as unfound as it were, it were Karlie's suspicion that Metus may be behind it all. And THAT, she would definitely remember to mention it in her debriefing. A debriefing she now looked forward too, as it would include that no-good double crossing spy that had most likely helped set her up... non other than her former bio-tech research assistant Liz.
Liz Liz Liz...oh that girl was going to wish she never fraked with her. Karlie couldn't think of a good punishment for the girl, but OH was Liz going to GET IT!
But plenty of time to think of that later. Now Sade was here and... and...

Karlie ran up to him..." Colonel!" she said before he got her hands wrapped around him and her face buried tightly on his chest.
"Oh God, I missed you..." She said, to Sade's surprise. yea, she had never missed him. Well, not ever admitted it to his face, but yes, she missed him.

What conversations and other formalities between the Queen Bee and her employees went way past Karlie's current attention... she just couldn't let go of Sade. He was real comfort at this moment...relief. She felt so safe again and not as vulnerable as she had before.
Wait..forgetting Vera?
Vera!

Karlie finally detached herself from the Colonel. She looked over to Vera and then back to Sade.
"Yes...I'm alright." She then said, feeling definitely more sure of what was happening around her. Before Sade, she were semi-surviving. half unsure of her fate and half in fantasy land...something
Vera?

Karlie looked over to Vera...her dress... the way it lead her eyes to the woman's cleavage and all the way down to her naval. Frak!
Karlie had to blink trice to peel her eyes off the woman. THAT was real and no longer a fantasy.
Vera had been there for her at her worst hours...had brought her back from what could have otherwise been a mental case. Vera was her crutch through the worst...

"Ahem..
Colonel Sade, this is Vera...Vera Mina, my counselor and friend." She didn't know why, but her eyes shot on over to Vera's boss, Nine Lives. For starters, her hand had somehow wound up grabbing vera's. That, and Vera's employer had asked how she had been fairing on the Morpheus.
Aside from the same twice over that Nine had given Vera over her provocative dress, Karlie still had reservations on the woman. Did she trust Nine?
Interesting...
Trust was an abstract concept that changed according to an individual's current state of crisis and affairs. Karlie were calculating...
Again, did she trust Nine Lives? A bare moment of silence followed between nine asking and Karlie asking.

First off; Karlie trusted Vera...could go as far as believing she trusted the Blueberry who didn't rat on her...maybe.
No....
YES OK, she trusted Ron-Jin. And yes a Chiss of all people. Magnus...meh. She were too full of herself. The woman's piloting skills didn't impress her.
Sigh..the tally of trust as far as ratios were concerned were 2 out of 3. b But given the fact that Nine had returned with Sade and her ship...the psycho had points. Yes, they counted in her equations.
FINE...she had no recourse but to believe Nine...trust Nine. The statistics she had run over in her head said so.

"Yes...I've been well cared for with much appreciated patience here. " She met Sade's eyes. He knew how a little fireplug like her, could easily blow up to become a wildfire out of control.
"I...sigh... " She were not one to easily admit being a queen. But she somehow had a clearer picture now with Sade here in how she behaved with Nine's employees.
"I say that because I know I've been a bit off...difficult...out of my comfort zone." She squeezed Vera's hand to let her know she helped her overcome her fears after they rescued her from the interrogators.
"Anyway...thanks for bringing me my ship." She then said, chuckling. Yes, she felt much better now. Especially with the news that they had brought back evidence to clear her.

"Er, shoot...what bad news could follow as to what I went through?" Karlie asked as she and the Colonel were invited to discuss it in some throne room. All in due time, as it were best discussed elsewhere.
Wait.
Really, there was a throne room on the ship?
Karlie HAD to see this!

She nodded, finally letting Vera's hand slip from hers.
Good God, she realized she had to control herself. She certainly didn't know what she were doing or trying to do with Vera. But it were something she were drawn to. And it weren't the sexy dress Vera had put on for her. Ok, maybe not entirely, but it was one hell of a freakin eye popping dress. And it fit perfectly on Vera.
Karlie smiled to herself despite heading with the group to discuss some bad news.

 

[Vera Mina]

Vera watched as [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] glanced at the ancient architecture...everywhere but the dress Vera was wearing. She liked it, that much was obvious, and Vera liked that Karlie liked it. Vera's precise movement juxtaposed Karlie's more natural one as she escorted her to the hangar, commenting on the architecture. But Vera could tell it was all to avoid looking at the Android's blatant attempt to fluster her. Karlie then let out a squee that almost overwhelmed Vera's organic audio sensors as she saw her ship in the hangar.

And then Karlie took Vera's hand and pressed it to her chest...

ERROR

ERROR

OVERHEAT IMMINENT.

These were the words that flashed across Vera's eyes as her hand felt Karlie's heartbeat. Her processors got so warm she began to feel it under the masquer that served as her flesh. She simply smiled, not wanting to take her hand away, but knowing that if she didn't she might have a meltdown. And then there was Mother's scrutiny as she arrived with outsider military. Karlie identified him as [member="Ian Sade"] and finally resorted to just squeezing her hand, mercifully stopping processor failure. Karlie thanked her and Vera could tell she meant it.

"It was my pleasure to aid you, Karlie, but now, let us see what my employer has discovered..." Vera said back pleasantly, still wrestling with how easily Karlie could affect her design, how being around her threatened to destroy her.

But Vera had to be around her. Needed the thrill of the blond woman's adoration. Vera began to scheme on how to stay in contact with her after her case was over, even as she began to ask herself what to do about the sensations that threatened to literally melt her brain in her skull.

Nine decided to take this to the throne room, and Vera knew that this next bit of information was essential and she knew she had to pay attention: Karlie's case was going to need to be blaster-proof.

The tram ride to the throne room seemed to stretch to an eternity. Vera caught Nine staring at both Karlie and her. Nine was in full-troll mode with that chit-eating grin on her face juxtaposed by the withering stare of exasperation. Vera did not understand what had happened, only that Karlie was different...she just was.

It mercifully ended when the tram stopped at the throne room entrance, Nine walking past them to push open the great doors to a vast room where great red banners hung, the architecture like that of an ancient Atrisian castle, and the throne itself was of a pale marble, a great square slab held by little figures of yovshin. The throne had been carved from hand by Nine herself.

The armored Morpheus Knights in the room were already waiting with a holoprojector that had been requested by Jerri ahead of his arrival. Nine wasted no time, immediately popping the recording in. It played on fast forward, of an elegantly dressed, beautiful, yet severe looking blond woman that looked like a much older version of Karlie ordering some scientists around. The footage showed the research the scientists were conducting, often by taking sample's of the blond woman's blood.

"Karlie, I believe that is your mother..." Nine said to her gently. "The footage goes on for some time...up until the day your mother disappears from official record. I believe that the reason the lab recognized you is because its sensors...confused you for her. Which brings me to the next subject..." Nine elaborated, gesturing to a Morpheus Knight who tossed her Karlie's file.

"There are things not in your official record...we must discuss the day your mother was removed from power..."

Vera glanced at Nine. "I was very thorough...I don't see how I missed anything..."

"I know Vera, but...this was some digging I did on my own..." Nine explained. "There was an incident a while back with me and my ex. We ran into a witch. Real mean psycho. Cute but quite insane. She had allied herself with this ancient cyborg and she was attempting to obtain organ samples from a Sith Lord who could make the dead walk and studied genetics. It wasn't until now that I had reason to believe the two were connected. Well its a small galaxy and and this same psycho witch with the sinfully curvy--"

Vera gave a loud cough to prevent her from finishing the sentence.

"Oh, right, getting off track. Anyway, I start digging around after her run in. She gave herself some silly-ass moniker...'The Amalgam'...and it turns out she's got some kind of blood feud going with one of my ex's friends, a bounty hunter who used to be a member of a particular group of Jedi Shadows that specialized in ranged killings. They were known as The Marksmen. Guess were they were the day your mother was forced from power..."



Many years ago.

Castagne.

The day of Darth Rigor's downfall.




The capital burned, and Ursula Sandraven was in her element.

The purple skinned Twi'lek woman, curvy and muscular, stared from the hilltop at the fires surrounding the palace. She was clad in a stark, all white combat suit, which hugged her figure closely, her blue eyes scanning waiting for the friendly to show.

This was no ordinary ally. This was a man who was literally about to tear out his own heart to save his child.

Accompanied by Ursula was the burly, musclebound Hadrian Amox, chiseled from the rock seemingly and clad in a dark combat suit with a red bandana over his mouth bearing the symbol of the Jedi. The others had gone ahead into the city to clear a path ahead. But they were to meet their ally here, on this grassy hill on the very outskirts.

The Marksmen awaited [member="Tarssin Destat"]

"You think he'll be able to do it?" Hadrian asked.

"The spirit seems to think he can. We are merely to lead him to its location...and then get out of his way." Ursula answered.

"I don't like it...no way his head will be completely right after serving an eviction notice on his wife's soul. Even if it 'is' for his kid."

"He's made of stronger stuff than you give him credit for..." Ursula answered back, staring at the burning city and now burning palace with her rangefinder. They had hid close to the treeline. What they needed Tarssin to obtain could only be found in the woods. It was the only thing that could reliably kill Rigor...

"We'll see. Killing a spouse ain't something you come back from." Amox replied. "But I've been surprised before. All I know is...sure as hell wouldn't wanna be him right now..."

"Nor would I, Hadrian. Nor would I." Ursula agreed, scanning for signs of him...


OOC: Sorry for the wait! This is the extended flashback start, Karlie.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

The pressure, the anxiety she had previously found herself when pressed against the wall were subsiding. Sade were here…and with him her ship. She were that much closer to home comfort. Only she were in goddamn who-knows-where in the galaxy, and on the Morpheus still.
Still…
Vera were still here and so were Sade now.
Sade…
Castagne’s top ICI agent…intelligence…external affairs.

Karlie in essence were an IBI agent. A thoroughly trained operative which served in one of the other exclusive executive branches of government…Internal Bureau of investigation. [SIZE=10pt]In theory[/SIZE].
Ok, so she weren’t one of their toughest hard baked cookie. But she had all the right ingredients and well mixed to say the least. Meaning; she were actually well trained... honed…tempered…tested like a katana in passing those physical trials.
Cough..cough….

Sigh…so maybe she had retake a few of those physical essays a few times over in order to pass, the girl weren’t a brawler by no means, no. A Destat or not, those standards had to be met before her indoctrination into the IBI. Enter Boriskno Fel, Castan Marine General. Karlie’s personal trainer/drill instructor. He gave no discounts. She were made to pay full price…sweat, tears and pain. She hated pain as one has figured by this point. She had no love for the man, just respect…[SIZE=10pt]out of fear.[/SIZE]

But when it came to intelligence tests and things of that nature, Karlie was the bomb!....ahem…when she set her mind to it.
Seriously, lets not count out the fact that blonde were her mother’s daughter; one carefully nurtured to actually become host to that wicked entity. All of her neural functions, connections and brain mass had to be compatible to house that ageless evil, incarnate. Karlie had all the right stuff, just that she wasn’t a sadistic queen like her mother.

Having just explained as to Karlie’ prowess as an agent of the IBI…at the moment, the blonde just weren’t paying attention as she should have to Sade’s cues. And he were indeed trying to get Karlie’s attention covertly. Yes, she, like Sade were trained in clandestine operations. The colonel was doing his best in trying to communicate with the girl using body language, minute gestures as to her current real status aboard this fortified battle ship. The man knew of what the Castle Morpheus design were and of it’s capabilities. It were no pleasure cruiser…although his ward Karlie were acting as if it were.

Truth was, she were still too awed over the fact that Vera was going to ride out the entire issue to resolve, by her side to pick up on Sade’s cues. At least not till they got to Nine’s throne room. She looked over to the colonel to see if he were as impressed as she were.
Only that at that moment when their eyes met…she missed it.

It took for hin clearing his throat load enough for Karlie to look over to him again. Then for some odd reason or other…maybe it were the way his brow were torsed that she realized that he were trying to get her to speak with him covertly.

What did she do?
“Ohh…” she gave a little stretch, indicative for him to start over, as she had not picked up a clue as to what he had been trying to communicate with her.

And of the colonel?...
He remained as he were, making like he just took notice of her stretching, asking her if she were tired.
“Ohh…no…just stretching, you know. Haven’t gone out much, let alone hit the gym here or anything…” She turned to her Vera a moment, wondering if at all they did have a gym…hmm, wondering how awesome the woman would look in leotards…skin tight leotar-

She didn’t get a chance to continue to fantasize over her curvy lawyer in the sexy outfit she were conjuring up in her mind. Sade had casually reached over to help take a knot out of her neck-
Yea, he pinched her neck.
“Ouch!..” She were snatched from her erotic daydream and back to the moment.

“Yea…well a little tight, yea...” She replied to his comment on her neck being so tense…maybe a pinched nerve he had come upon when he went to massage it? She did after all just pull a stretch.
It were quite not the response she were expecting in return, but then again her mind had once more wandered off…on Vera of course.

Now all focused as to what the colonel was trying to convey, she replied in a casual and natural body movement that she were safe, secure and not under duress. Well, not with Vera she was not. Karlie decided to keep it short and not go into some long drawn out form of dance routine in elaborating her entire ordeal on the Morpheus…namely with the blueberry Ron Jin. But it were of Rn Jin that the colonel were more interested in as he had seen the recordings...the altercation with the battle droids on the transport and then the remote research lab. Both over Castagne and not once did the blonde transmit her location or what not down to Castagne, nor her father.

“I’ll work it out…” She reached over to massage her own neck.
It were her reply for him to back off, that she had it… had it under control.
Well as we’ve ascertained so far in this tale; she most certainly didn’t.
The colonel could do nothing more, but stay vigil and ride this out with her.

The lights or throne chamber’s ambiance dimmed as Nine’s report on her findings were for the most part being displayed via holo graphically.
Karlie had for the most part seen a good portion of that remote outpost that had once been a lab. A lab of her mother’s design. And lord and behold-

“Gasp…” it always seemed to take her breath away...her mother’s holo-imagery.
Karlie swallowed hard and were drawn to it..she were…beautiful, her mother was. Karlie had always thought so…remembered so actually.
Yes, it were Karla, her mother there once more seemingly directing, working in that remote lab. Karlie had figured that out pretty much on her own by now.
She nearly matched her mother’s genome, perfectly. Karlie were meant too. It were her mothers design after all…and wish.

Still…

Memories…

Bad memories were hard to keep, as there had really not been any. Not directly per say. All she had known of the wickedness of her mother’s design were from her father and discovered ledgers such as the holo-vids the psyche-vampire Nine had brought back with her.
Karlie took to look over to the amazon giving her rendition of what she had discovered. Were it ver-batim or Nine’s take on it?

Frak..verbatim. Her mother was explaining, referencing pretty much exactly what Nine was showing them. Damn psyche, Karlie cussed silently. She understood the matriarch here was indeed on her side. But the question in Karlie’s mind was, ‘why’?
No one… just no one, especially someone as powerful as Nine Lives risked much of her reputation within the CIS and personal resources to help someone like her. Especially when it came to rebuff the accusations that she had been responsible for the razing of Melida/Dan and the death of one of the Vicelord’s sons.

As quickly as Nine’s eyes came to brush over Karlie during her presentation, maybe to get the blonde’s reaction on all this… or to check if Karlie were still paying attention to her and not her daughter; Karlie just as quickly averted them.
Why?
There were many things not connecting about the woman. To Karlie, Nine could well be someone like her mother.
But hadn’t she from the very start revealed to Karlie her true identity; nature? Why had this woman, who at the time had no proof of her innocence reveal herself as such to her? Why expose who you were and thus, your weakness? Ok, she’d have to research what weaknesses the species or genre of psyche-vamps had…but there would be weakness. Weaknesses that she, nor anyone else wouldn’t know to exploit if she hadn’t revealed to her whom/what she were.
Right?
Like why would she do that?

“Huh…wha…excuse me?...” Karlie’s mind had once again wandered off into the intangible before it were jolted back by Nine’s comment of things not revealed in her own history.
They were to go over some details at the time of her mother’s exit. Karlie took in a heavy breath, nodding to her, not quite sure as to her meaning nor what to expect, before shooting a glance over to Sade. His aversion revealed that he too knew something more than what she herself apparently knew.

Et tu Sade?

What could the both of them know that she didn’t? Were she that far removed, to be nothing more now than just the subject of a defense?
Vera’s interjection and ensuing exchange only added more twists to an already overwhelming complexity.
Karlie knew nothing of what Nine were talking about, let alone the connection to her mother and to Melida/Dan incident. How far back and deep did this whole thing go? And who/what was this Amalgam thing or witch?

Why/how could she (Karlie) have become the center piece in all this now, even after what occurred with her mother had long ago passed? Karlie wanted to continue on with her life, not be dragged back into the past. Namely, she wanted to keep whatever good memories of her childhood she had intact and to herself.
Yes, she kept those well hidden…sometimes even from herself, lest she-
No, she weren’t going to go there.

Her thoughts, her feelings were her own, and she’d fight to keep them, however hidden and from the truth of the matter and from everyone, including her father.

Ok YES, she still loved the mother she lost as a child. She only wanted to remember THAT mother, not go over and over the mother she knew nothing about, other than from nightmares and what she were told.

Her mother was dead…possibly even by her father’s hand…she didn’t know or wished to know how her mother died…
Anyway, that should have been the end of it for everyone.

But it weren’t…not at the time her mother died.
That only began the nightmares for her as a child. The haunting of her soul, beckoned by the force ghosts of her mother. It were these nightmares that revealed to Karlie the truth of her father’s words about her mother. And the truth regarding her own force connection…
She hated the force. It had been used to blind her. Nothing good could come out of it. It had to be discarded like her mother had been discarded. These feelings were what drove her to disconnect herself entirely from it, and the haunts of he mother’s force ghost…if in fact that had even been her mother’s ghost. She certainly had never experienced anything of the sort from her mother when she were alive.

Nightmares be gone…

Karlie was her mother’s daughter and just like her mother, had the same resolve, strength of mind and focus. Well, the focus part were what her mother taught her disguised in play format.
It all made sense growing up, as she battled her demons to the point to finally exorcise them along with her force connection. It were all about the force…the midis, Karlie had discovered. She blamed it all on the midis. They were a virus in her mind...an invading entity.

Well, she purged herself of midis, and then guess what? Force ghost got exorcised…and those nightmares alleviated.
Her life to live as her own...

Then came Melida /Dan.
“Sigh…” Karlie exhaled, seemingly exhausted.
“I don’t know…” She looked over to Nine.
Karlie didn’t know where those Marksmen or that other witch …what was her name again…Alma-
No.
...Amalgam.
Yes, Amalgam.
No, she didn’t know all this and why was she being asked to guess? She had elected to leave all that behind her years ago. Why was it now returning?

Karlie looked over to Vera. It were evident there was some deep underlying pain behind the blonde's blue eyes.
She wished Vera could scoop her away at this moment, for she didn’t wish to hear all this right now.
God, she hated Sade right now. He were not doing anything on her behalf, but taking it all in.
For Karlie and in her current state of mind (having been through hell and away from home like she had for the past couple of weeks) couldn’t quite handle all this new revelations. It were all just an emotional overload for her. This had been her mother that Nine were talking about. It seemed that everyone who spoke of her mother, spoke of her as the witch she never knew.

‘Vera…please…please take me away from all this’.
It were what her eyes were pleading.




[member="Vera Mina"]

 

[Vera Mina]

As Nine explained, she watched the reactions between her daughter and Karlie and a number of very uncomfortable memories bubbled up.

It felt like deja vu. A daughter obeying the wishes of a parent past their prime, slowly getting taken in by an innocent with puppy eyes. It was her and Sawa all over again. No, Nine stopped herself. It wasn't the same. Ni-Ne Li-Ves had been a flesh and blood human with emotions. Vera was an assassin biot that loved to kill. Nine half considered stopping whatever was going on. The scientist in her was too curious however.

Nine Lives had a somewhat alien sense of morality. The same woman she was working so hard to save from the lightning of Darth Metus was the same woman she was leaving around a particularly curvy meat grinder, simply because she was curious as to why it was happening and how it might change Vera.

Nine had never seen Vera act this way to anyone before. It was startling. Vera was always arrogant, always sadistic. What the hell had Karlie done? Because Vera looked at Karlie in a way that barely hid a growing lust. Sawa had had that effect on Ni-Ne.

Did Nine simply want to see that scenario play out right this time? She wasn't sure. But a part of her had this strange sensation that keeping her around was a good idea. Not just for Vera, but for The House as a whole. Nine was all too aware of the dangers of not considering things from a purely human perspective, as well as being too insulated.

The flash of pain across Karlie's features as Nine spoke of her mother reminded Nine of how things with her own mother ended once more. Nine didn't like putting her through this. But it was needed.

A discrete brush of her wrist signalled Vera to try and pull Karlie through.

"I know its difficult to listen to but it is necessary, Karlie." Vera said gently, putting on her warmest face for expressing concern and sympathy. Karlie was in a delicate state. Nine would have to be careful in how she laid it all out...

"As I was saying...Your father was sent to retrieve a lightsaber of great power to slay Rigor, known as Graverobber's End..."



Ursula Sandraven and Hadrian Amox had been waiting for forty minutes now, when they finally got the call. From no less than Hiram himself. The meeting place was different. A necessary operational deception. One of many.

Ursula had immediately complied with that crisp professionalism in her voice over comlink and she and Hadrian had been forced to make their way into the contested capital itself, smelling the rot of Rigor's undead soldier zombies as they marched through the city. When Tarssin had ordered Karlie taken offworld Rigor had gone all out, attempting to simply sieze control so she could legally have Karlie brought back. It wasn't just Tarssin who had been called here under unusual circumstances.

They spent an hour creeping through burned and devastated streets, not engaging the enemy, feeling the darkness everywhere, until they reached an old building with a glass dome that had once been an old aquarium. It had been boarded up, but Ursula easily pulled the side entrance open with telekinesis, careful to watch for signs of ambush, even now. There was no Jedi presence on Castagne at the moment save for them. Not with the blockade Rigor had established. That she had managed it at all was testament to the strength of the insurrection.

Ursula at last sensed her master past the broken, run down lobby with a black and white checkered floor.

Ursula felt a great power suddenly, and was shocked she had not felt it sooner, and much further out.

What was going on here?

She spotted the leader of the Marksman, near the edge of a drained tank recessed into a stone floor about the size of half a soccor field.

Hiram himself, Ursula knew, was a man not long for this world. He had lingered too long as it was through will alone, and had been prepping himself for death when the summons came in the dream. Hiram had had them insert into Castagne and keep a low profile two months in advance. He of course, had had to stay extra hidden. As he turned around to face her it was obvious why.

He was clad in a simple black jumpsuit with holsters and bandoleers, emaciated, the suit and the flat, wide brimmed brown hat he wore burned through from the green flames covering a fleshless skeleton whose jaw was covered by a red bandana, the sockets had two tiny green balls of flame burning in the skull. The other Marksmen were digging in the center of the tank. This was Hiram's final mission, and he had delayed his entry into the netherworld to see it through, his skeleton sustained only by his fiery green spirit. One fringe benefit was he looked awesome riding a speederbike.

Ursula went to one knee. "Master, we have arrived. Has it been located?"

"Yes..." Hiram Loste whispered in a gravel like tone. "The others are bringing it up now..."

Ursula watched as their booby trap specialist, Lura, cleared the box they dug up as trap free. A box of iron and brass, covered in ancient symbols.

Hiram called out to [member="Tarssin Destat"] , who had been spoken to in his dreams the same as Hiram had by The Water Spirit. "Tarssin! Everyone is here! We can begin the plan now. And it was here, just as the Spirit promised!"

The box was thrown open and they all stared inside.

The lightsaber was one handed, made of what looked to be organic material. Hiram summoned it to his bony, fiery hands, with telekinesis. The hilt did not burn in his grip. He flashed it on, and Ursula backed away, at the intense presence of the light within as an orange blade shot out.

"Magnificent. If only I had more time..." Hiram wheezed through skeletal teeth. "But...we can only enjoy so many honors in this life..."

He shut off the blade. It was not meant for him, but Tarssin.

"This is what you will need, Destat. A lightsaber for killing witches..." the skeletal being hissed. "Our team is ready. The Marksmen are strong, the number of Sith that have fallen to or guns before we met you is many. We shall follow you, and clear the way to Rigor for you. But you alone must slay her. We cannot interfere in that." The living skeleton explained, twirling a weathered Westar-35 pistol in his other hand. "We must hurry now...the longer Rigor is entrenched, the harder she will be to oust. We must kill her quickly to break the insurrection, lest your people suffer any more from her abominations than they already have."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

What dreams may come, when nightmares have long subsided.

Memories...

That feeling.
It were all so missed.
The warm touch of sunlight's ray teasing with her eyes. She held her mother's hand as they walked along the river's bank.

Karlie were around 4 at the time...as best she could recollect now. It were more a dream than a memory really. Still, she knew it had been real at one point in her life. As thus, it were easy to replay those days when all existed really were her mother and father. Karlie were of an age when everything were still gold.
Her mom had put adequate lotion on her, but the Castan sun were still bright and hot this particular summer day and her mom situated herself so as her shadow overcast young Karlie, as they walked along the water's edge. Her mom always looked over her like that in so many other ways...

Karlie then remembered sitting on the quilted blanket this particular day. Her mom lay facing beside her, fashioning a figurine from the clay she and Karlie had taken to retrieve from the banks. Karla had not only showed Karlie how to wash the silt out the clay but also how to shape it into small creatures. her mother made wonderful creatures like turtles, birds and scurrying little animals that Karlie could recognize as those which lived all around her. Her mother were good at making them and she encouraged Karlie to do the same, patiently teaching her how easy it were to see the creatures she were shaping in her imagination first...to see the breakdown of basic shapes and how to fit them together to form bodies, heads, limbs, wings and tails sometimes.

Of course, young Karlie could barely form her clay into a shape even resembling an actual articulating creature, much less a flying wing-ding. But the little girl was good at rolling the media on her hands and render snake like creatures. They were easy to shape...easier to coax them to crawl like the real things with the nursery rhymes her mother taught her.

Her mother would kiss her, hug her, tell Karlie what a sweet wonderful child she were. Karla was a wonderful mom, so patient, so understanding..so loving. There were never any reprimands when Karlie struggled and couldn't make the crawly things slither and squirm like those of her mother.
Karla were always encouraging her beautiful sweet little angel to be creative, never once discouraging her. Rather, she praised Karlie in her efforts and delighted in the heart her little daughter put into her little figurines...or rather in her little family of clay snakes. Karlie enjoyed shaping a daddy snake, a mommy snake and a little baby snake and they would crawl one after the other, side by side and one over the other and the other, like she would often play wrestle with her mom and da sometimes. And to her mother's delight, Karlie learned to chant her special rhymes and the clay family of snakes would slither and crawl happily under the afternoon sun till Karlie tired and laid her head on the blanket next to her mom...who whispered sweet things into her ear to sleep.

Karlie's eyes were glazed over remembering that outing and so many others like it. They had been golden days. Days she wished had never ended. Her father had loved her mother so much then. Tarssin, her dad always seemed to have be happy and smiling when they were together, especially when all three would cuddle before Karlie's bed time. Karlie used to sleep so sound.

~ ~ ~​

Now?
Now here she were again with more talks as to how wicked her mother had been.
Sigh.
Yes...yes, she had grown up with everyone telling her that, even her father. Now [member="Nine Lives"], and with a power-point no less.

'Oh Vera...take me away...' she were still wishing.
But her thoughts and wishes could not be heard. Thus, she remained sitting , appearing attentive-
Wait...those were new. New imagery of her mom. Karlie swallowed hard. it were her mom. There was so much conflict within Karlie...hatred, love, admiration, resentment-
"Ahem.." She had to clear her throat as she almost vomited, her mind and body couldn't take the turmoil up-churning inside her.

She nodded her head feeling an eye or two upon her. Yes, she was alright...for the most part. Karlie covered her little bout, half motioning to her throat before lightly massaging it.
She gave an appreciative smile to the glass of water that had been slid over to her. A sip...then two, before she resumed taking in what Nine were getting on about.
'Rigor again...
The damn queen had a name! Karla...Karla...Karla!' her thoughts screamed from within silent lips.

Oops, did she say it out loud?.. the last word. "Karla"
It had slipped out. Luckily not at the intensity as she had shouted in thoughts, but it had enough emotional clout to trigger her vocals involuntarily.
"Ahem...that...that's what her name was....too..." Yea, yea they knew that. It were obvious in their eyes when they turned to her. Perhaps she had something more to add?
Karlie bit her lower lip shut.
No, she had nothing else to say.

Nine Lives returned to her findings. Karlie remained attentive...for like 23 seconds before her eyes drifted back over to Vera. Damn, the woman seemed to have it all put together right...poise, sophistication...lips...bod.

Suddenly her ears perked up. her father..a light saber...a graverobber? No no...that was the name of the saber. Karlie's jaw gave in to gravity for she momentarily forgot to keep a grip on it.
"Whoa, wait...
I mean excuse me..." She absentmindedly raised her hand like she had done a gazillion times during her education, before she realized this was no class but a debriefing...and snapped her hand back down.

"Tarssin MY father?..." She had never seen her father brandish a weapon before, never mind a light saber...ever.

"He had a lightsaber that he called Graverobber?" Was Nine tripping on acid?

 

[Vera Mina]

Vera watched as [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] looked sick as Nine talked about Rigor and how terrible she was. She could tell that Karlie was hardly paying attention, and Vera was so concerned about Karlie being sick that she immediately headed over to a table with a pitcher of ice water and poured her something to help. She was half tempted to dose it with mild anti-nausea medication but such immense effort had been put into building Karlie's trust that Vera knew it would be all dashed in an instant if she started drugging her without her permission. But it was obvious how much talking about her upset Karlie. Vera would have whisked her away to her quarters, watched try on dresses...

Vera handed Karlie the glass, filing away the smile she gave her in a seperate database, which was already filled with different snapshots of different smiles Karlie had. Vera especially enjoyed the giggling smile of hers. Playing that smile back made the muscles in her ribcage contort a little.

She really must find a way to deal with the overheat issue feeling emotion for Karlie. There must be a way. She had to understand this need. No, wait, she did not need to understand, only sate it. She had to sate it. It was animalistic, this need. It made her claw at the inside of her own head, this need to hold her, thinking about Karlie putting Vera's hand over Karlie's heart caused Vera's to pound faster than factory safeties. She felt out of breath suddenly and had to actually sit down, not really paying attention to anything her mother had to say either. One mother talking about how bad another's mother had been...when had that ever NOT happened throughout history? That the mother in question was a Sith who murdered her own daughters repeatedly versus a mother who let her firstborn eat the homeless was the pot calling the kettle black.

"Yes, Karlie, your Father used a Lightsaber called Graverobber's End and it was super awesome." Nine Lives explained in a deadpan tone without missing a beat. "We think it might still be somewhere on Castagne..."

Nine pulled out a small holoprojector, flashed the blue-white hologram of the organic looking one handed lightsaber with an inverted, talon like blade guard, and tossed it to [member="Ian Sade"] .

"That look like anything your government might have locked away somewhere?" Nine asked. "Its used to kill necromancers."

"What good's that do us? Rigor's gone." Vera asked, catching her breath.

"Because..." Nine trailed grimly. "I think The Amalgam is going to try and ressurect her. And I fear the consequences to Castagne should it come to pass..."

Meanwhile...

("Disco Inferno" by The Trammps plays)


Meier whistled as The Ship carrying Ian's men docked on the Morpheus hangar.

Some of his soldiers had taken scans with their visors. Discrete ones. It wasn't until the black suited, pale skinned Meier happened to be heading for the cockpit on the way here after fixing some engine trouble that one of them had caught her in the scans. He was no expert, but he knew an HRD when he saw it. The armored, slender robot skeleton with its various prototype systems, concealed by what the high grade equipment in his visor told him was actually Ooglith Masquer helping mimic skin and a feminine physique. As they departed the ship and entered the hangar bay his eyes followed the mechanically precise walk of the humaniform causing a mixture of fascination and horror at the idea there existed a mind fiendish enough to try such a mix of exotic technology...

His Sensors picked up Colonel Sade's encrypted frequency and he sent a burst transmission to any recording or listening equipment Sade might have had on him:



Have docked on Morpheus.

All team members safe and accounted for.

Female acolyte "Meier" (Self Designate) of Obsidian Knight "Nine Lives" (Self Designate) has been revealed to be Prototype Military Grade Android.

Suspected lethality of android is high.

Possibly created by Nine Lives personally, suggesting dangerous technological prowess if true.

Advise.

Colonel Sade's men were very good at what they did. Nine had had every reason to be nervous of them, despite the necessity of letting them aboard.

The soldiers, however, were caught off guard at just how bubbly the lethal killing machine was once she was home. This place was essentially where she had been raised.

"Ohhh you people are gonna love this place We never have visitors!" Meier exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly as she skipped along. "We got a library and everything. We do weird chit in labs!" The black haired humaniform droid chirped, skipping down the passages ahead of the soldiers to the tram station that would take them to the throne. "And we have Guns. Lots of guns.

Another transmission was sent to any recording equipment Sade might have had on him.

What kind of sick feth gives an assassin droid the personality of a cheerleader on glitterstim? The soldier transmitted as an after thought.

 

[Ian Sade]

The Amalgam...
There was that reference again. Sade had already filed in his head as one of the many priorities surrounding this entire mess involving Karlie. It weren't the first time Nine had touched upon this individual...this Amalgam. Did he have questions? many. But he were intelligence and this Nine were on a roll. He knew enough to let her speak uninterrupted. He took everything in...everything.
There was a lot more to intelligence than gathering or coercing information. One were to just let that information come to you. Of course the latter had it's conditions...ulterior motives. One didn't receive intelligence for free.
What was at game here?...a common enemy?

Sade couldn't jump to such a conclusion. all he knew was that he and his men could have been taken out hours ago...he was quite certain of that. Especially when he received a coded now it apparently seemed that this individual was another new adversary was

He didn't so much as miss a beat sitting there taking in what their host were debriefing, sharing.... or more like disclosing, when he received what were another piece to this puzzle. He had come for Karlie and from what he experienced down on that desolate ice moon, Nine , along with her cohort were nothing to be trifled with. He had taken a gamble that would have otherwise ended badly for all too many. He had little choice at the time but to lay their arms down. What he had figured had flanked them, gave him and his team little recourse but to stand down.
As it stood up to this minute, [member="Nine Lives"] had complied with her end of their agreement. He and the small detachment of marines he had broken away from the Castan SD Tecknor had been given pass to enter Castle Morpheus. And here he were sitting in what were a conference chamber..a war room as he figured, getting inside information from what Nine and her intelligence had gathered.

There was little salt he were tasting, but nevertheless, he were intelligence and he had to take what Nine were divulging as that.
There were certainly a lot he were gaining here.
But what of Nine? What was she getting out of all this? Why had she taken his ward under her wing? Who was Karlie to her, to this party, he were trying to figure out. No one helped another state without something for them to gain by.

Well the blond, as distraught as she seemed at the present moment, asked what would lead to what he were trying to figure out.
Sade got a good opportunity to look over his ward. He could read the girl...had learned how to during the years in service under her father. The girl was not in her real norm.
She were broken.
'The interrogators that Nine's crew rescued her from..hmm..right.' Yes, he would have to remain with that conclusion for now, as there were nothing else...yet.

Still, she lead the first question...'good girl Karlie...'
Whether it were intentional or not, it were where he wanted to go, thus he did.
"No." he replied, barely glancing at what were a light-saber of some kind. He had seen quite a few designs..too many really. But the Graverobber's End? No.

"Don't believe I have..." his eyes went over to the pad again. This time eyeing the hilt's details. He'd recognize it again if and when he would come across it. Yes, a photographic memory. One requiem for being a Castan agent. Same with the blonde.
Yet...yet she seemed broken, not all her own. Sade knew there were drugs, stimulants that interrogators, even himself used in extracting information or in planting info that the personnel would not even recall as ever taking place. Perhaps Metus's interrogators, including this Amalgam as his host described, used such methods on Karlie.
Perhaps.
It were something which he had not yet ruled out, for he had not debriefed Karlie himself yet.
Only thing were, that he'd have to put on his kit gloves with Tarssin's daughter if he were to extract the truth. No doubt observing Karlie for the few brief minutes that he did, that the girl had been tampered with. To what extent, he'd have to find out. Sade knew he'd have to push his persuasiveness, if she had been given chemical blocks. And any blocks could be knocked down given the right amount of pain frequency. Still, he'd have to gauge her pain threshold to be certain not to exceed the tolerances set forth by her father.
But the fact of the matter and possible key had just presented itself and by no other than Karlie's rather off-color question. Yes, she had been tampered with, he concluded.
Oh, he didn't like this one bit. Should they come out of this in one piece and survive this Nine, he'd have to extract what was tampered with on Karlie.

"If..." Ok, no more procrastinating. He had been brought here because somehow it seemed Karlie knew nothing of this saber. As such, the interrogators, even this Nine could well be involved had tried to wrench it out of Karlie and with no success. Brilliant plan, getting him here and asking now of the saber.
Sade knew that if he even knew, he himself wouldn't talk.
"If this saber is of any relevant importance to this- ...this case against Miss Destat, and it's what you seek, Lady Lives; I can give you my word that I will look into it."

Nope, he knew she weren't buying it, even before he spit out the last syllable. She were looking at him like she had looked at Karlie when she asked that dumb question. He weren't being rude, nor disrespectful, but how long was this number going to play? Sooner or later he figured Nine would get to the point. No sense dragging out this dance then.

"Sigh...." Sade had his hands down on the table in front of him and momentarily raised his palms, in a gesture that obviously meant; enough is enough.
"It's apparent to me, that Miss Destat is not fully coherent at her present state..." Yes, he made sure to add his observation of her demeanor.
"...to fully realize the purpose of this briefing. " He diplomatically put it, as he were still only 85% sure of his theory... now that he had just received another revelation via pulse code modulation. His jacket's neck collar emitted the coded messages in tune with what would be his heart beat...only felt by his person. A military cyborg had been detected on Castle Morpheus by one of his marines. If one were discovered, then how many more were not?
"If you would be so kind as to see her safely delivered to my Marines for transport, I will answer all pertinent questions surrounding Viceroy [member="Tarssin Destat"] and...and Karlie's deceased mother." Yes, he had authorization to share a bit, maybe collaborate on what Nine may have dug up already on the Destats, but no way were he giving anything more. Besides, Nine were after this Graverobber's End artifact. Maybe Tarssin had it on Castagne, or maybe not. Sade had never heard of it till now. But they didn't know that. He just put down his hand (cards) and were playing a bluff.

Before Karlie could interject, he jutted up his index in her direction. "Karlie, you need to leave us."

Whatever were to happen here in these chambers, it were best if the blonde were not present. But Karlie being Karlie she nevertheless objected.
"KARLIE..." his tone were not one to trifle with at the moment. The blonde were taken back by it. That and the fact she recognized his poise, as he had set his chair back a step. It had appeared as nothing more than Karlie's ward denoting his authority over her. Whatever syllable the blonde were about to utter next, it were shut down. She nevertheless gave him a loathsome look.
He on the other hand only gave the index, to pipe it down."...you're in no position to call ranks, without first debriefing." She would know what he meant.
Karlie were trained in procedures and protocols, especially following an agent's retrieval.
That agent, being her. She had little authority right now, IBI agent or not.

His attention, his eyes however, never left Nine.
"If our hosts will allow you to get up and leave, then you will do so." What he expected next was either Nine clearing the blonde out of the room and for them two to come to some kind of mutual understanding... or current stand off (he were extremely quick at the draw) were going to be bad for both of them.
Sade were certain that if he didn't kill Nine with a head shot (she weren't cloaked, nor could cloak fast enough before a laser blast made contact with her brain matter) before they got him, that she'd be in one sorry shape.

The way Sade had come to reason were that Nine were in it for Nine and that meant she were seeking that saber artifact for herself. If it existed at all.
This whole kidnapping and rouse were just that, a rouse. He himself had orchestrated similar ones to recognize what this was. There were no limits to one's extent on acquiring ancient artifacts. And this Graverobber's End seemed to be such an artifact.

Of course, there was that 15% chance that Nine were on the level and had genuinely helped the young Destat, and could very well be the ally castagne had been seeking within the folds of the CIS...
.
.
.
.
.
Pft... yea right.
He knew better than that.
That were a dead man's hope of salvation against superior odds. It never worked for him, not that he had ever gave it a try..hope that is. Hope were for the weak, the subjugated and those who died as lambs. Nope, the only thing that worked for him were his quick wits and a fast draw. His own father never got the chance to see him draw before Sade's laser bolt spit through his cranium.

 

[Vera Mina]

Nine seemed to agree with Ian Sade .

"Of course." Nine said to Ian. "You may take Karlie with your marines, we have more than enough, I think, to exonerate her. I merely wished her aboard the Morpheus long enough to make sure of her guilt or innocence. I even assigned my own lawyer to her case, after all."

Vera seemed to notice the whole room had gone quiet. Karlie seemed to after Ian basically told her to be quiet. For silencing her sweet Karlie Lynn Destat , Vera wanted to rip his lungs out. Let Karlie speak! Let Karlie sing.

Unfortunately Mother's word was law on the Morpheus, and Nine had every intent of delivering her into Ian's custody.

"Karlie...lets get you ready to leave the Castle." Vera called out gently, the muscles on her lower back silently wriggling like rats, due to a number of processor malfunctions, moving under the skin out of Karlie's line of sight, or that of Ian's marines, but not that of a Morpheus Knight who unfortunately caught it at the perfect angle of Vera's scant, eyepopping dress, and he suddenly wondered if it was possible to to take the concept of 'Nope' and make it edible, because seriously, he needed a really big plate suddenly. That poor scientist. He half considered warning her about Vera, but if he was honest, as messed up as her situation with Vera was, he was also kind of amused by it in a dark way and he also had a running bet with the other knights on how long it would be before Karlie spotted a bodily malfunction on the android and freaked the hell out. He was a troll, even though it nauseated him at points, like now. Magnus had started the betting pool, in case it absolutely 'must' be known. She might have been starting to get concerned for Karlie's safety, but that didn't mean a little money on the side could not be made.

The muscles under the skin eventually stopped their silent wriggling under Vera's flesh as she led Karlie out, silently signaling the Morpheus Knights to follow her, which they did, all of them now anticipating and counting down the minutes until something bad happened, which it, of course, would. But not yet. Even they were not prepared for what was to occur but for a single drop of Karlie's blood. It was to be hilarious. Horrible and nauseating also, but hilarious mostly.

And suddenly Nine was alone with Ian Sade and his men.

"Ah. I 'know' that look." Nine chuckled in her deep contralto, which sounded near demonic. She coughed a little however, and a moment of sinisterness instantly turned into an epic fail as she coughed a little harder.

"Sorry, never quite nailed the evil chuckle...can never hold it long enough, always dries my damn throat out..." she grumbled before getting back to the very obvious look of distrust.

"You think I want the saber, don't you?" Nine asked, gliding a bit closer. "Allow me to dissuade you of the notion. If I want to kill a Sith Abomination, I'll just rip and tear with old mister katana here at my side until it is done--"

(BFG Division by Mick Gordon plays for a few seconds)

Nine looked around in confusion, due to being slightly insane enough to detect the OOC music.

"What the feth was that?" Nine asked under her breath for a second before refocusing. "Ah. Anyway, Going out of my way, doing all of this just for a shiny bauble in a whole galaxy full of other far more easily obtained baubles would be, on its own, a massive pain in the ass. I wouldn't even bother if it was just that. I don't need such a blade. I don't think I could even wield it due to this..."

Nine pulled up her lips, taking a risk. The black, shiny metallic fangs slid out of sockets at the top of her gums.

"Graverobber's End could never allow me to wield it, I think, even if I wanted to. I was experimented on. Turned almost into a SithSpawn. Now I'm something inbetween that and human. No, Ian. I want that blade found because it is your cheat button. Your insurance in case that damn Shi'ido ressurects Rigor...which is looking increasingly likely. You wanna put that thing under lock and key as soon as its found? Be my guest. But Karlie is right at the damned epicenter of this, Colonel. I understand if you don't trust me. Hell, I probably wouldn't trust me in your shoes. But I have watched a world nearly get literally murdered by The Dark Side. You will need that blade. If only to make whatever doom approaches Castagne at least hesitate before attacking you. I know what I am talking about on this." Nine glided away from him to the door to her throne room. "Karlie may take a few minutes to get ready. Won't you stay for tea?"

Meanwhile...

After leading Karlie back to her all white quarters, Vera had advised her about the legal hurdles in their way for the trial ahead while switching out her dress in her large walk in closet. Pretty satisfied at making Karlie blush earlier, Vera had decided to tone it down...slightly...

She came out wearing a skintight, silver-chrome dress that covered her neck and went down to silvery stilettos. Karlie's face was reflected in it.

"It's been a delight having you aboard the Morpheus, Karlie. I hope you'll visit again under better circumstances..." Vera said in a breathy voice, holding Karlie's files.

Just then a Morpheus Knight walked in bearing the catalyst to an ensuing disaster.

No one knew it, certainly not the Knight, but the hypo he had brought in on the advice of Magnus in her medical programming was faulty.

"Miss Mina, Miss Destat, On the advice of Nine, it was recommended that a fresh sample of Karlie's blood be obtained for comparison to the samples found at that base for the trial ahead. So we can better make the case that the person who controlled that base and Karlie are two different people."

"I'll handle that. Thank you. You are dismissed." Vera said almost too eagerly, taking the hypo, which would malfunction and get blood shooting out of a faulty, invisible hairline crack in the casing as soon as it went into her skin.

And as soon as this happened...

...hilarity would ensue...

Vera glided to Karlie with that perfect walk, hoping Karlie was hypnotized by her.

"Shall I? Or would you prefer to?" Vera asked.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Her mouth clamped shut once realizing she were in dismay.
Oh, she could hate him right now. But she had missed him. had missed her home, her Castagne.
For the most part she had no grounds at the moment for an open argument. They had no sovereignty here on Castle Morpheus.
Ian Sade was right, she were not been debriefed yet. After all, from what Karlie could horribly recollect, she had been broken...made to talk by those whom had initially taken her. Until she were debriefed by Castan Intelligence and cleared, she in essence had no significant rank.
Could she hate him? Of course she could. But only because he were at the moment, right. damn it, that man was always right. Well, mostly. And that were because he always seemed to keep his cool. She could hate him for that.

Her lips reluctantly closed, and for a moment one could almost feel her spirit die, sighing in despair. Her eyes followed suit resting upon the conference table a moment before she looked over to Vera. The Colonel had the command this day and wanted her excused. But she still had Vera by her side, no?

Nine Lives readily took to Sade's request, granting her leave, which to Karlie's realization fortified the notion that she were still a ward... still being exchanged. But it were Vera's deep gaze looking back at her that told Karlie that Vera was still by her side. It were all Karlie needed to know before finally nodding submission and leave the room. She needn't look back as she were lead by Vera to know Sade's eyes were on her back until the doors closed behind her.
Her stride to to slow for a moment. She were hurt. Hurt for she were still not in control of her own freakin LIFE!
"I'm Ok, if you were wondering..." Karlie sighed, making contact with Vera's orbs. The blonde had come to accept that her fate still lay upon other's hands.

She were no disillusioned little girl, who's daddy was Viceroy of Castagne. She was IBI, Karlie reasoned to herself, and for the most part quite intelligent. She knew quite well that until this crisis was over, that she was a liability to her state. After all, she had been suspected and charged of having a hand at causing irrepressible damage and deaths on Melida/Dan, not to mention the death of Darth Metus son Riggs.
Sigh...
Yes, what choice or options did she have other than to place her fate in those currently around her. And at the moment, Vera Mina seemed a whole lot more understanding than Sade even...somehow or other.
Damn... her heart was starting to race again as they were heading to-
....heading to-
Frak, where were they going again? She had forgotten. Or more like paid little attention to mundane details. All she knew was that she had been dismissed and Vera had gone with her. Vera was talking, explaining some things to her, but all she heard were the sound of her sweet comforting voice. Vera understood her, understood her feelings, her vulnerability. Vera on the other hand was confident, compassionate and had her shiet together. Someone by which circumstances and current events had caused Karlie to be drawn to. And this were not just mentally but strongly turning into a physical attraction.

"Ohh..." For a moment she was surprised. Surprised in the fact that she hadn't noticed taking or even being in a turbo lift. Well, not until now, as she found herself in Vera's quarters, a few levels up?..or was it down from the conference room? Hell if she care., Karlie were in Vera's quarters now, what did it matter as to how they got there?

"Yea...legalities. Hate legalities..." She mindlessly muttered.

"No, I didn't mean you, Vera. I mean with all of the formalities, regulations, rules...sigh." What was she talking about really? Karlie had been in a kind of daze upon leaving Sade and Nine, half distressed about her lack of control and sweating Vera. That and some missing fragments of the what all took place in that horror chamber. Nine had the sense to consume what would have otherwise totally destabilize her mental state if those memories had not been drawn out of her. Naturally, missing pieces were like open wounds that the body, the mind itself took to fill, heal. Karlie could be said to be still recuperating..recovering from a form of mental operation.
"Wish things didn't have to be so complicated." Weren't it the truth...
"I mean...
I mean, why can't things be more simple?" She said, looking about the white room, figuring to best shut up before being discovered as a ditz.

"Hmm..." White, all white...Gothic white. Her mind were now picking up more nuances, details, looking at it in a interior decor kind of matter. What was it about Vera's room that was so, you know, off plane? She hadn't given it much scrutiny before. Just that now, it were evoking interest...feelings.
Was there such a thing; Gothic white decor? Her eyes took in the room again one corner to the other. Oh Berkana, it was so all white...spotlessly white.

"I uhm..." Ok, yea, she could see the sophistication of it, yes.
" ...I like what you've done with your room." yes, it were after all Vera's private chambers. Hell yes she liked it, and took to wondering why she had never thought of doing her own rooms in white. It brought a small smile on her features again, one of relief, of comfort ...familiarity ...and arousal. Vera's quarters were exotic in so many ways, now that she thought about it.
Karlie found herself swallowing hard, unable to draw her eyes away from Vera as the woman changed into something more formidable. But as conservative as the change was, the hook had already set deep.
Karlie's mind was like a scanner...all she could think and see under Vera's new change of clothes were Vera, unclothed. Suddenly, the white Gothic decor now seemed to take on quite a new meaning in itself. It were like one spawned from an erotic dream...pure uninhibited-

knock knock

Frak!
Seriously?
What now?
Karlie turned to the intruder who for some reason or other had not even waited for Vera to invite or refuse in.
Sigh...

"Wait, is that a-?"
Yes, it was.
Karlie's focus came upon the hypo by which one of Nine's elite knights brought in... by Nine's request again no less. Karlie cussed to herself. That Nine or somebody seemed to always know when to interrupt. She could swear that there were micro imagers planted everywhere that were being pipped into Nine's private screens...maybe even rendered back to her in holograms. Yes, another climatic moment turned into frustration....AGAIN!!

Karlie remembered Sade, and his Godamn coolness. Oh she hated him.
Still, she nevertheless kept her cool too and did so well enough to bring up a smile, from what had momentarily been a frown. Again, what choice did she have?
Well, Vera gave her a few.
"If you don't mind." Karlie presented Vera with her arm. The tinge of blue under her skin that was her vein, was nearly invisible to Karlie's own eyes. Little did she know how easily visible it were to the cyborg.

Upon the knight's dismissal, Vera invited Karlie to sit next to her on the white leather couch. Karlie had opted for Vera to draw what was to finally be the last sample. That in itself was a relief, as she'd been pricked, and prodded all through this ordeal, which also included regulating her blood sugars and what not.
Oh what she wouldn't do to get her wrist crono back, she thought.

Karlie readily sat down welcoming Vera's soft caress upon her arm, seemingly looking for that elusive vein hiding under her skin. She had no idea Vera could clearly see it with her cyborg optical, along with her corpuscles picking up pace.
Vera's touch sent tingles to Karlie's very core, arousing her again.

Karlie never even felt the needle slip into her vein...

 

[Ian Sade]

Knowing of it's existence and finding no means of truly understanding it potential didn't mean one feared it...

The force, a true powerful extension of one's will over what could be described as unlimited power of manipulation over matter, mind and physics.
As a non-force user, Sade had nevertheless studied it during his tenure in the ICI. He had too, for as strong minded as he was, Sade had to contend with forces that overshadowed mortal men's autonomous existence.
While many such strong force lacking systems folded under the will of force users, like the sith, Castagne were not one of them. Unfortunately, Castagne had come under such influence nearly two decades earlier by none other than what now seemed to be the resurrection of prime evil, Darth Rigor's imminent return.
That was not to say they hadn't currently found themselves in another pot of hot water within the Confederacy. Castagne had discovered too late the covenant made with the CIS and it's sith lord. And now to make matters worse, Tarssin's daughter had been accused and charged with not only the viral attack on Melida/Dan but the death of the very Vicelord's son, Riggs.

"Leave us." he ordered the two Castan marines whom had entered upon Karlie's departure. Sade had signaled them remotely, as that small attachment had waited outside the conference room until signaled in to escort Karlie out.
Only that Sade rescinded that order seeing the blonde readily took to their host's counselor. He was quick to pick up Karlie's trust in the woman (Vera).
"Return to the transport and relay to the rest to hold there until further notice."

The two marines nodded and left as instructed.
Sade knew that under the current circumstances (that is, with the small detachment of troops here) that should they come to a confrontation right here on Castle Morpheus, it would be a futile fight at best on their part.

A military grade android...
It were what one marine had reportedly spotted already.
Of course Sade had experienced first hand of what Nine and her cohort were capable of already... deatlhy stealth.
It were futile to think he and his men could snatch the blonde, and fight their way out.

It took some effort, some open mindedness to take Nine's word and intentions verbatim. After all, she had the high ground... castle, arms, and the overwhelming odds in her favor. The woman could say what she pleased and in any manner she pleased too.
Sade on the other hand were here because of the blonde, because of Karlie. He knew he'd either leave with her or die trying. The only trust he had given Nine before were that she would take him to Karlie.
Well here he was where Karlie was said to be. Had all this been a rouse as to Nine acquiring the Graverobber's End?

Sade was not one to be so thick headed, as to be shortsighted. Nine not only held the card here (Karlie) but also seemed to be holding the entire deck.
There was little reason to lie to him. Nine had no doubt acquired custody of Karlie from what his own intelligence indicated was from a black-Ops facility that had incarcerated the girl. Why the Vicelord himself had not immediately made a move to take down Castagne were unclear, unless he had no hand in this and were in fact just as victimized as Castagne and Melida/Dan were.

What were known, was that Nine against his better judgement seemed to be speaking the truth. Sade could read it in her body language that she were not speaking lies... her lips, her eyes, tone and demeanor... even agitated as he had purposely done to trigger a reaction, indicated truth.
Dry throat? He thought not.

But then-

"Ok..." Sade couldn't help but draw a deep breath. His adrenaline had just kicked in.
"... that definitely drives a nail into the coffin..." he meant that literally. Nine made a point..two sharp points actually. This were more a thing than woman. It were unfortunately his first reaction. But he were above that, above fear.
So Ok, Nine were partially human as had revealed herself. Lets stick with that, than dwell on the fact he were alone with a predator.
Yes, he knew such creature existed, even though he never had to confront one. Sade wondered for a second about if he had encountered such a creature, what would have been the outcome then? Would he still be standing here, or long ago decomposed?
nevertheless, he stood his ground. Like, what would he be able to do if it decided to feed? Run? How far could he get...two steps?

Still, Nine didn't want the so called blade. Not for herself. His eyes followed her words to her own blade still sheathed.
He didn't have to recapitulate the fact that Nine were no doubt a master chef with her katana....and of course the sighting of a military grade android..prancing about? One android meant more really.
Futility.
It would be futile on his part to think now that he could have ever even gotten a chance to snatch the blonde, let alone make it out anywhere but a few feet before he and his men were made mincemeat of.
And there was that common foe... that 'your enemy is my enemy' Nine was reiterating.

Sade had figured his life, his marine's life forfeit the minute he ordered the stand down and take up Nine's offer back on that rock. He had gambled that she would take him to Karlie. THAT, Nine had delivered.
Now revealing her true self?
Were she offering , placing her trust, her vulnerability in his hand?
Also, Karli's personal ship and wayward AI indicated that Nine had not tampered with it. It's recordings up to the point of Karlie landing on that moon were un-adulterated, not tampered with.

Again, fighting his prejudice of the living vampire, Sade nevertheless took her word by way of gut feeling. So what she were a little eccentric... psychotic even. This creature (Nine) had lived more than anyone's share of a few lifetimes. That alone was said to drive anyone over the top as far as behavior. Yes, Sade had studied psychology. He was after all ICI.

"Lady Lives..." No he weren't kissing her but to maybe extend his life for the moment. Sade were addressing her as he would with someone he respected, who's words he trusted even.
"Karlie Destat could for all intent and purpose be Darth Rigor herself, incarnate... only that she isn't... yet." And in a few following words, he shared what he knew... what the blonde's father knew.

Karlie as you have come to discover is for the most part midi-free, say for what temporarily she consumes..by breath, ingestion...you get the idea. Her body immune system has reverted to what once was before recorded history. Her immune system destroys the midi virus within her cell structures. It what separates mother/sister/daughter. Karlie is or was to be Darth Rigor in that sith's next cycle. The girl cheated her mother sister by severing that connection..by severing herself from the force. " He took a moment to exhale.
"But I assume you already have picked that up." he nodded.

"Could Karlie have done what Metus suspects her of doing? Yes, she has the intelligence, the capability of her mother/sister. But Karlie is not morally capable.
Karlie can't take life...any life.
Oh, she can design super biological weapons of mass genocide, yes. But she has never come to take even a lab rat's life. She revels life, all life. Her entire research and development of bio weapons are entirely theoretically modeled. The serum she developed are real as are the programmable versions of the virus her mother created and unleashed on Melida/Dan. These biological weapons Karlie had re-created cannot destroy singularities, natural life, only demonic un-natural lifeforms...sithspawns, hives, reanimated corpses...
You see; this version (Karlie) of that entity Rigor is not a demon whatsoever, but a Nephilm." Surely, even this hybrid creature would know what he were talking about, even if it revered a god unknown to him.

" It is best of what our own extensive analysis of her unadulterated blood and DNA indicate Karlie is in her current state. The midi's are what separates demon mother/sister from present Karlie."
Sure, he knew how their theorem sounded...like religious fanatics.
Then again, did humans make it to this galaxy on their own, or were it Divine Destiny?

Then enter the midicloreans. midis that somehow or other altered all forms of life, both angelic and demon.

"You see, I'm not just here for Karlie because she's my Viceroy's daughter. She's much more important to us than that."Of course she were. He would not risk Castagne and his people for a mere daughter of his state's leader. She were Castagne's hope, mankind's hope (in his eyes) to survive this chaotic galaxy they had found themselves trapped in.

At first, Sade thought it were his end when Nine abruptly shot him a stare.
That very split second following, a message came across the conference room. It were from a sentry for Nine to immediately rush over to Vera's chambers...STAT!
Along with the frantic message, were Karlie's screams in the background.

 

[Vera Mina]

"You may be more correct, then you realize about what seperates Karlie from being Rigor..." Nine said to Ian Sade about his theory.

"There is a basis in it, even if the avenue of research is different. I encountered practices during my time as a Consular. Practices that imprint information deep in a mind. In cells even. Such practices often cross into the forbidden blood magics...which I'm fairly certain Rigor was more than familiar with." Nine told him.

At his idea that she was the angel to Rigor's Demon, Nine was given pause.

"The Force does have an odd way of balancing things in ways that seem utterly alien to mortal comprehension...it is possible that after simply so many millenia of Rigor's evils, Karlie came about as a way to counterbalance it, whether she was Force Sensitive herself or not.

Vera, her own personal demon, seemed to want the angel...

Before Nine could take that thought further, a Morpheus Knight's frantic transmission came in.

"Milady! We need you in Section Two immediately! Code M! Code M!"

Nine shot up out of her seat immediately as she heard Karlie's screams, faint, but still coming in enough to be heard.

She was rushing out of the conference room immediately and took the tram...

Five minutes earlier...

Vera had wanted two samples, one for the trial, and one for herself, to taste in private. But it would have been strange, taking two samples.

She could tell Karlie hung on her every word, and Vera made no attempt to hide the raw lust in her eyes as her arm touched hers, scanning for the vein. The needle went in, and the blood extracted.

The malfunction occured, and the blood shot out of a hair line crack right onto Vera's face, most of it going right into her mouth as she had opened to smile at her after removing the hypo.

Vera's tongue registered the blood and she shot up in surprise at the taste...

Euphoria.

Vera could not help it, her tongue quickly licked any remaining blood off her lips with a frightful quickness, hyperventilating in delight and shock.

"It's..." Vera trailed, savoring every second of a taste of blood like no other. It went right to her organic brain, driving its artificial neurons in a frenzy.

"It's Divine...oh Karlie, I'm sorry...I didn't mean for you to find out like this...I...I...

Something was wrong. She felt a rising madness she knew was not a good thing.

She shook, the masquer flesh on one side of her face warping and wriggling on one side.

"Karlie...run!" Vera managed to get out as she collapsed to her knees, vomiting white blood, frantically shaking and ripping off her silver chrome dress as the masquer that gave her the appearance that had Karlie smitten only moments previous bulged and wriggled everywhere as the mutations began.

Her flesh became a mottled gray as she cried out, puking more white blood, fingers and toes extending, dark black and white veins bulging everywhere as her face shriveled, teeth and fangs starting to extend.

"Run..." she pleaded, in shock, desperately holding onto what sensibility she could in the precious seconds she had before going completely feral, desperately trying to give Karlie as much time as possible to run away.

As she watched the slowly growing horror on her first crush's face, the Android experienced shame for the first time. How often it delighted in creating such a look in its victims, and yet when presented with that exact look of mortal terror on the one person it did not want to be frightened of her, it was shattering to her to see. As the mutations continued, she held up a hand in nascent shame.

"Do not gaze upon me..."

And then her mind went to sleep as the animal took hold.

Her human cries of agony became pig like squeals as she thrashed about the room violently puking white blood on everything in site, even projectile vomiting it in rather epic (albeit utterly disgusting) manner.

Inhuman squeals turned to tiger like roaring and when the misshapen andoid turned to Karlie, it was clear nothing of Vera was in charge.

It was covered in its own white blood, staring at someone it know longer recognized as anything but prey.

It was the Morpheus Knights who rushed, alerted to the emergency by The Ship A.I. sensors. It leapt for Vera, but one bravely tackled it, only to be shoved off with animal fury and attacked just as savagely. Karlie's screams rang out continuously.

The feral android fought the knights savagely, snapping at their throats. It threw all three who had entered the room off it and its eyes zeroed on Karlie, dead and black and glassy and it leaped.

Nine Lives tackled the beast just in time, a concentrated does of biot nutrient and hemoglobin being injected into its throat.

The mutated android thrashed about in mindless agony before going still. The mutations slowly reversing themselves. Slowly.

Nine turned to Karlie. "I apologize for the shock you have suffered...Vera is, not well..."

Yeah, like that was gonna work...

Karlie Lynn Destat

 

[Ian Sade]

"NO!...negative." He spoke into his wrist com as he rushed to keep up with Nine Lives

"All units stand down." He were responding to the hail the Marine team leader who was monitoring Sade's location. The moment Sade and Nine Lives took off out of the conference room the Marine picked up on it. Sade was moving at a fast pace...running.
The team in the hangar bay all suddenly prepared for an assault, assuming Colonel Sade was on the run within the Castle Morpheus.

"Repeat, stand down, remain by the transport." he shouted in labored breath, keeping up as best he could with Nine. Damn, the creature was quick.
"I'm on the move with our host. Will report back in a few...stand by."
Lucky on his part that they weren't out in the open, but on a confined ship. One with blast doors, lifts and trams for the woman to momentarily yield/wait for them to open, affording Sade enough time to catch up.

All he could do was to look over to the woman, as the tram zipped through Castle Morpheus toward what was Section two, as Sade took in. Were Nine playing him, Karlie, the entire CIS for that matter?
No.
No, he could see it in her features. Had been picking up that the once human Nine were not being deceitful. The woman was concerned, determined to get to where they were going and in time. Still, if this were Nine's lair and she had dominion over her ship and crew, why had she then lost control of Section Two? Sade were keen on understanding the garble of commands that were getting through to nine from the said location. Knights, Morpheus knights, counterparts to his marine s had been dispatched and were already at the scene. Reference to Karlie and the woman she had left the conference room with had come up. Had the women been ambushed by CIS sleeper cells here on Nine's ship?
All Sade knew was that Nine had urged him to follow her. Karlie were involved. It were all Sade knew.

The tram was lightning quick, and despite the braking buffers, Sade had to brace his self as it quickly decelerated coming to a stop. Nine was out the door faster than he could recover.
He caught the woman down the main ornately decorated hall. This level was no service level, it were one of the main, suites. All resembling what he could make out as ancient castles of an era long lost to most. Sade recognized it, for his Castagne had once an era reminiscent of this.
He had his weapon drawn and pointed forward shoulder high, as he entered the chambers.
WHITE.
All white, it took a blink of his eyes to acclimate his iris' to the horror before them.

Easy enough the creature came into his clear sight line of fire. The blast from his weapon sounded off, hitting the high corner near the ceiling, past the creature.
"What the Frak!" Sade gritted his teeth. His hand had been stayed,
It were one of the Morpheus knights who had picked up on Sade's instinctive reflex to fire at the raging beast which had gotten loose somehow in the suite.
Well, what the hell was it and why wasn't it being put down like it should? Before he could pull his firearm free of the knight's grip, Nine had already rushed the beast, mounting it like a predatory cat on a wildebeast.
Sade had no idea what it was or why no one were taking it down. It was clearly hostile, rampart and out of control which added to his frustration of not getting another clear shot at it. Damn Nine was on the freakin thing, blocking his shot. That and the Morpheus Knight shouting for him to back off.

It were over anyway, before he could get another good line of sight on the beast. Nine had for one reason or another subdued it with whatever thing she impaled the thing....Sade clearly didn't see it, as he kept his peripheral on the blonde freakin out on the floor.

Once the creature or thing was subdued, he holstered his side arm again, immediately going over to Karlie. Karlie who was in a trembling death shock, drenched in cold sweat... arse flat on the floor with her back against the ornate white marble wall...covered no less in some milky white substance.
His first priority was to check her over for injuries. The beast no doubt had attacked her.

No injuries, just a trembling mumbling incoherent blonde who was shiet scared out of her mind.
"Alright..alright...take it easy... it's down.
The thing is down..." Sade were trying to calm her.
He took to try and wipe whatever shiet was all over on her features and hair... not to mention just about everywhere in the suite. Only that Karlie were freakin the frak out even more. She were pushing his hand, him and herself away from Sade, everyone. Well as it may, the poor girl's back was up against the wall, but she nevertheless kept on trying to kick, push her way back even farther. It was a classical blonde reaction in a horror flick. Karlie was besides herself...had lost it.

"Hey hey... easy there... it's me, Ian...
Karlie look at me!" he went to grab her wrists to stop her from pressing herself back against the solid marble wall.

"Calm-...
CALM DOWN!!" he shouted as she struggled to free her hands from his, all along speaking in some unknown primal tongue which was utter nonsense to Sade.

"Enough, now. it's down. it's down the creature is down...relax!" Sade had to let go of her wrists lest she break them right there in his hands, she were so freaked out.

"Sigh... ok..ok... easy does it...easy..." He backed off Karlie, gesturing with his hands for her to calm down as he backed away from her slowly.

Rising back to his feet, he turned to the Morpheus knight whom had been standing over them.
"Stun her.
Go on, stun her.
I can't do it with mine." He then said, as Sade's were only a lethal blaster...less chance of malfunction.

The knight looked at Sade, then over to Nine whom were still hovering over, examining the biot. He shook his head, as he knew enough not to do such a thing...at least not without Nine's approval. And standing orders were not to shoot the Karlie.

"Sigh... Why's it always have to come to this?...." Sade let out, figuring the knight wasn't going to do it. He crouched down over and to Karlie again.
"Hey, come on....look, it's me, Ian...easy does it now, ok... listen..." he got closer and closer, but she were still as frantic, hyperventilating and resisting him as before. And of course yammering something or other in some strange broken tongue. But Sade got closer and closer, until he were close enough to flick her wet golden hair from her features. She of course kept on with whatever had blown her circuit... again in that incomprehensible tongue.
"Sorry girl.."


* POW *

.... yup, he knocked her lights out.



Vera Mina

 

[Vera Mina]

Consciousness came to Vera, the animal retreating as her system was stabilized. Karlie's blood had caused some sort of disastrous malfunction.

Naked and covered in white blood, Vera blinked open her eyes and the first thing she saw was the terrified face of Karlie Lynn Destat before Ian Sade knocked Karlie out. Vera, instead of being homicidally furious at him like she would have, was instead actually greatful he had knocked her out.

At the very least, she would not decide to tear his skin off later. The Morpheus Knights rushed in with tarp, covering Vera before the mutations could be reversed fully in Ian's sight. Carrying her out of the room.

The Knights finally decided to act where Karlie was concerned as Nine ordered Karlie to be taken to medical.

But what to tell Ian?

What load of utter bullchit could she possibly feed Ian that he would believe.

Nine was a bullchit artist but she wasn't sure she was that good a bullchit artist. Still, she had to maintain Vera's cover. She decided to tell a partial truth.

"Colonel Sade I do sincerely apologize for this...incident. That creature you saw was an unfinished prototype design that escaped containment."

Terri, head of her security played along, as he was a much better bullchit artist.

"There was a severe accident involving poisonous gasses in the research labs that killed several personnel prior to our master's experiment escaping from one of the containment cells. Vera was injured while delivering a sample of Karlie's blood to that very lab...right around when the creature escaped. It somehow found its way into where Karlie was but began malfunctioning when you both arrived. One of our knights is severely injured." Terri finished lying, keeping an edge to his voice to indicate stress, shoulders slightly haunched in alertness and subtle irritation at a severe accident that had never happened. "We're conducting repairs as we speak. Miss Mina is in surgery."

Good one, Terri! the mother of all Psy-Pires praised in thought.

Then she started getting paranoid again.

Please don't put two and two together Ian. Please don't put two and two together Ian. Please, please please...

"I will permit you to see Karlie in a little while, Colonel. She's currently undergoing treatment for severe shock." Terri added. Nine, still covered in Vera's blood, immediately begin to leave.

"Colonel, please wait in the infirmary section of the ship while I check on Miss Mina." Nine said. "And get out of these robes..."

Nine immediately left, thanking the heavens she had managed to avoid sweating bullets and giving it all away. On the Tram, alone with Terri, she ordered poison control teams to lock down the research labs in case Ian got curious as to the nature of the accident. "We have Vera being repaired in your private quarters." Terri said

"We are going directly there." Nine assured him. "Stall Ian however long you dare at the Infirmary. But don't stall him too long or he'll likely become even more suspicious than he likely already is."

"You'll think he'll buy that load of bull we sold him, Mother?" Terri asked.

"I dunno. We were spontaneous enough with our story. I inferred my own culpability in the incident. But he's not stupid. Not that one. You play it ultra cool around him or he'll sniff you out, I guarantee it." Nine replied worriedly, pacing about, drenched in her daughter's blood as the tram moved. "And move some of the freshest First Order corpses we have in the lockers. What's the freshest we have?"

"Hours dead. That squad you captured on The Outer Rim didn't survive your slug thrower experiments."

"Dress them up in our uniforms. Cover them in tarp and put them in the infirmary. Put some of our men in the bacta tanks. Sell it."

"It will be done, Mother."

"Set your wrist chrono..."

She set it for twenty minutes. He did the same.

"That is the max that I believe he can be safely stalled." Nine said, the timer counting down. "Now tell me what actually happened..."

The ship A.I. showed a recording of the entire time Vera had been with Karlie on the ship, up to the mutations.

"Amazing...she actually tried to save her life. Tried to hold back the mutation. Terri...I think Vera is yandere for Karlie."

19:30

Nine stormed into her lavish private quarters. The Morpheus Knights were trying to restrain a naked, disheveled Vera.

"NO! You have to let me go! I have to go see her! I have to explain!" the biot screeched, the knights holding her back with fibercords on arm mounted launchers.

"The Morpheus A.I. has been showing me very interesting things, daughter..." Nine said jovially, going behind a screen to get out of her bloody clothes, heading to the shower to wash herself.

"Then you know it was an accident!" Vera pleaded as steam came out of the golden, spherical shower chamber.

"Accident or not, your compromised behavior has put me in a bit of a bind. Do not fret, Vera, I think the shock did most of the work. She probably won't even remember what happened..."

"We don't know that!" Vera hissed as Nine exited the shower, dressing in bright red robes and doing her hair in a way that made her suspiciously resemble Gary Oldman when Keanu visits his castle for the first time.

One Knight restraining Vera could not help but make note of this. "Wow Mom, no way in hell the Colonel would think you're a supervillain..." he muttered sarcastically.

"Oh hush! I look fabulous!" Nine replied amusedly, seemingly ignoring the petulant, naked, pouting Vera.

"Mother! You have to eat the memory!" Vera begged.

"And why would I do such a thing?" Nine asked, testing her.

Vera did something Nine did not believe possible.

She dropped to her knees, looking up at her, emotionally broken.

"Please. Please do it. For me...I am your daughter, am I not?" Vera asked in a voice devoid of arrogance, only a sincere plea for mercy.

Nine glided over to the restrained android.

"You are..." Nine admitted. "Very well, daughter. I will do this thing you ask. Now quit fighting and allow yourself to have a diagnostic check."

Milky tears left Vera's face.

"Oh...oh thank you! I'll never give you bad psychological coping advice again!"

"Damn right..." Nine replied wryly, leaving the room.

Vera stopped struggling and allowed herself to be carried to the diagnostic table.

7:35

Nine arrived at the infirmary, the bodies moved, used antidote kits clearly being removed from the med bay, bodies in place.

Karlie had been treated for the blow to her head, then kept sedated. She did not have too much time and was not looking forward to this. She tried to respect an innocent person's privacy even if she fed on them, but Karlie had seen behind the stage curtain.

Nine bit into Karlie's neck...

She began searching for the most recent memories, feeling the raw terror Karlie experienced, and ate it, along with all recall of Vera's mutation, as well as the debriefing with Ian...it would be suspicious if the only memories Karlie lost from the shock were the memories of the attack itself.

But a glimmer of memory called to her, and though Nine was carefully eating Karlie's memory of the last two hours, trying to ignore that glimmer, she peered at it without trying to eat it...

...and in that glimmer she saw Darth Rigor on the other side, staring from a dead inner darkness, and the subconscious awareness in Karlie of Rigor's power and influence...

Nine pulled away, as she could not know the consequences of trying to consume the strange fragment, and instead ate the memories of Karlie's torture, in spite of their bitter, horrid taste.

Karlie Lynn Destat really was a decent person. Even the two hours of memories she consumed were enough to make her believe this. No one this nice should have to live with such awful memories. Nine lived with torture memories. She did not like them.

1:30

"Alright." She told the nurse, after treating her fang wounds with concentrated bacta, watching the wounds on her neck reverse.

"Let the Colonel in."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

There had been little that he could have objected to, when Nine ushered the creature be taken away and Karlie to the infirmary. he had after all, punched her hard enough to knock her out. He was for the most part only a guest, a pawn among the Morpheus knights that entered the mix. And he? he were asked to take a moment while Karlie were in care to wash up, clean his self up of the white hemoglobin/blood like substance and what-not that had gotten on his person.
It no doubt were dawning on the Colonel that perhaps he had found his self in a Gothic horror version of Hotel Morpheus.

Were there any chance whatsoever that he and his team would be able to not just check out, but ever leave this place?
Ian had seen first hand for his self as to Nine Lives handiwork and unsanctioned experimentation and development of unsanctioned cyborgs. His team leader, if he weren't already dead along with the rest of the platoon down in the hangar bay, had reported spotting a military android...female in form.
Ian had witnessed for his self no doubt one of Nine's illegal experimentation going berserk. Surely the CIS would no doubt shut this operation down. It were this fact by which Ian figured not only his life, but that of his men and even Karlie's now were forfeit.

Two of the Morpheus knights had been left to escort him from Vera's trashed private chambers to the clean antechamber of the suite.
He contemplated for a moment to quick-draw and shoot his way out, but to where? The corridor? Then what?
he looked over his self instead. the white milky fluid were on his sleeve, his hands. He had tried to get a hold of Karlie during her total bug-out, getting what fluid was on the girl on to him.

One of the knights suggested he clean his self up, pointing to the double white marble lavatory sinks. Ian looked at him a moment before doing just that. No, maybe it were best he stay his hand for now and see what would come out of this. He and his men were gravely outnumbered here. That is if...if his men were still alive.

The comm on his collar then vibrated.
Ian's eyes looked up over to the knights' reflection in the mirror as he washed his hands and sleeve of the fluid. They had picked up on the vibration, the comm.
"Sade here... what's up?" he answered in a casual tone, quick-drying his hands with one of the white micro-towels. His person ready to quick-draw on the knights, as he calmly put the towel back down, awaiting his men's message.

"Still standing by here Colonel. Just checking in on your status." Sade's team leader replied. Last correspondence had Sade moving at a fast clip.
So then nothing was amiss...yet down in the hangars. Sade knew enough time had passed for the kill order.
"Currently on stand-by myself.
They have it in control on this end..." he replied, turning to the two Morpheus knights. Sade's reply had a code meaning. The 'They have it in control' of anything/situation, meant that he himself wasn't. It were a Yellow alert he had relayed to his men. Red would have had the Marines draw out their weapons primed, and for hell to open up it's gates. But as Sade could attest at the moment, their host had yet to go hostile despite the revelation of illegal R&D of cyborg counter-life intelligence. And there was a reason such restrictions on military cyborgs were applied galaxy wide. He had bared witness to one going berzerk, and on it'd home base.
For now, all he could do was alert his team to be on alert without drawing attention to themselves.

"I'll report back in 10...over" That would be enough time for anything to change he calculated as he cut the transmission. If his men didn't hear back in 10, then they would follow protocol to stage Red and get the frak out of there if they could.
Now enough of them procrastinating. He had cleaned his self up, what reason were left as to him not getting over to check on his ward, Karlie?

"Presentable enough... " he then said, approaching the door where one of the knights were standing near.
"I would like to be taken to Miss Destat now, if that's not too much to ask."

~ ~ ~

Running... running fast, running scared. the labyrinth was ever changing, ever the same...corn maze, thickets walls of grey-stone and white-stone, rain and sunlight blinding her vision around corners. She were everywhere and nowhere. She was scared. Karlie's heart raced twice that of normal, and no frantic cry for her mother resulted in getting her out of there.
"Mom!....Mommy!..." her little girl self cried out in the maze.
Karlie had lost her mother. It had happened suddenly and without her knowing, no embrace, no kiss...no 'I love you"... nothing.
It was how it had all come down when she were young and how it felt now in this nightmare.

It were hopeless and futile. She had been lost for hours...months?...years even? She didn't know, as she only knew what her mind formed in her dreams. Then little by little she started to remember. Out of exhaustion, sweat and tears, she started to remember her conscious existence before and after her mother's disappearance. But her mom had never really left, had she?

Frightened Karlie gripping the wet stones of the walls dared look behind her. She could run no more and had to face now her fate.

"Gasp!." Her eyes couldn't believe it. Karlie wiped away the tears, the rain, her wet hair from her eyes.
"V...Vera?" Her heart thumped furiously in her chest.
It was.
IT WAS Vera, it was, it was!

Karlie sprung toward her, her legs almost giving out from exhaustion. But there was enough of her will and heart to run into Vera's arms. Oh how Vera's bosom took her in. Karlie had never felt more safe, so secured and relieved.
She hugged her Vera tight. Yes, this was her Vera now. Her Vera whom had seen her through the darkest times...outside of her own nightmares. But this itself were a dream and it had blocked those nightmares of her mother's spirit haunting her. It were as Darth Rigor implanted. only fresh dreams, be they of nurturing or haunts. In dreams, Karlie could not remember other dreams.

Karlie were soaked in sweat, in rain and tears. The labyrinth had taken it's toll on her.
But she were safe now and in Vera's arms, like the time she used to feel in her own mothers arms and pressed against her mother's bosom. Ok, so Vera's were by far softer, more cushy...just more overall-

Karlie's eyes then took to open, as she held on to her Vera, for Vera were no longer as soft or cushiony as when she embraced her. And of Vera's bosom-
It were chest plate...shiny chrome-
No, black rusty-
No!
it transformed into a white oozing bark-less-like torso... a bleached dead white tree that were animated to life like a suffering soul finding itself in Hell, tormented and twisted. And it were being wrapped with oozing white ivy entanglements which were strangling it as more and more of hell's white ivy wrapped itself more and more around the suffering struggling tree that used to be Vera. Karlie tried scrambling away and off the nightmarish treelike torso. But the dead ivy were alive, and it had wrapped itself around Karlie, pulling her in closer and closer to the oozing white torso. Karlie were screaming, trying to fight, push herself off the thing, only to be drawn tight into it, submerging her face into the ooze, into the torso of the treelike thing. She were being devoured ALIVE.
Mom-" Her cry for 'mommy' were drowned out in the white ooze.

At the moment of accepting her fate, the tree or whatever the thing were suddenly released her.
layer by layer of ivy untangled, and were making a retreat from her body. Karlie could feel the pressure lessen and lessen, until she gave way and fell back...falling back...and kept falling back as the thing and nightmare remained behind...fading piece by piece.
Still as she fell, she weren't at all falling. it only felt that way. But at the same time, she were being held, cradled...gently and with empathy...she could feel it.

Karlie turned to see whom it were that held her so. Her mom? Had she heard her call and saved her from the -..from the- she couldn't remember. It had been just a fleeting nigh...mare? No. No she couldn't tell if it had been a nightmare or just a fleeting dream.
But she did know who were holding her as such. She knew her. It were Nine Lives.
Karlie's heart were calm and no longer running in fear. Her breathing were like that of one awakening on a cool summer morning, taking in the freshness the meadows washing clean, yesterday's sorrows. Karlie spoke no words, didn't even wonder as to why Nine were holding her as such. It mattered little as to the 'why'. All that did matter was that she felt safe now..somehow... felt like she were back in her mother's arms when a little girl. Karlie closed her eyes in the dream to settle in a restful sleep and awakened to the now.

~ ~ ~


The bright light in the infirmary were like dawn's early light bidding Karlie to awaken. The remnant of a fading dream were like the lifting of morning fog. The imagery were lost, but the feeling remained. Her eyes came upon Nine, whom were standing near, but not over her. She barely felt Nine's hand slip away from her collar bone.
The little tingling Karlie though she were feeling on her neck also dissipated enough for her not to bother with it.
"Lady Lives..."Her lips confirmed what her eyes remembered.

"W...what happened?" She asked, at the same instance the door to the infirmary opened and in stepped Sade.
Karlie looked over to him a moment, not sure of-

"Sade..." Karlie sat up, outstretching her hand over to him. It were an invite for him to come over to her. What was Sade doing here she thought. Then again, where was she? Last she remembered-
Last she remembered-
No...no she couldn't quite remember last-

Her Colonel did just that, go over to Karlie, as she began to sit up. Karlie's hair were a mess. It had been washed and she herself had been cleaned up of the white blood. It took but a moment for her to realize she were in an open back hospital gown. One which Nine took to modestly secure before Sade neared her.