MC: AOTE: Fraught With Disappointment

[starmark2k]

((OCC- O.k I'll Finish off day 1 on the Dreadnaught.))

 

Nic was dragged by his arms down the corrior on the containment level of the dreadnaught as he was too weak from the torture to walk himself. As they got to the cell nic was simply thrown to the floor infront of Cloud and Oliver. The Troopers left the cell and re activated the energy field. Oliver and Cloud ran over to Nic and proped him up against the nearest wall. He was still topless and the burns from the modified stun baton could be seen all over his body.

 

"What happened to you?" Cloud asked only receiving a proped eyebrow in responce to the redicouous question.

 

"Where's Jana?" Nic asked after having a breif look artound the room.

 

"Reibe took her." Cloud replied. "I think she's going to help us get out of here."

 

"I wouldn't count on it."

[JasraLantill]

Maxx sighed and shoved Time out of the way. "Yeah, yeah," she said. "Let them go, you big lummox." She gestured to Beryl and Sam to go on ahead. "Watch yourselves," she intoned. "You think Time is mean, better not get on the boss's bad side."

 

“I’ll be sure to put on my ‘happy’ face,” Beryl replied, and then she flashed a quick, but broad smile. She gave Maxx a nod of thanks, and then she and Sam entered the lift.

 

The metal lift gates closed, and the lift began to rise. “Just remember, I’ll be keepin’ a close eye on you from now on, blondie!” Time shouted up after them.

 

“Well, enjoy the view from down there!” Beryl called down cheerily, smiling and waving at him through one of the gaps in the gate. “Mudcrutch,” she muttered through closed teeth when he was out of earshot.

 

The lift stopped on the floor just below the administration level where Beryl had come in. In fact, Beryl had assumed on that first day that this level had been part of the admin level. Now she saw that she had been mistaken.

 

Though still cavernous and with the occasional rough hewn wall of rock showing in certain sections of the corridor, the floors were covered with actual durasteel floor plates and the fabricated wall panels were of modern design. To an outside observer, it would have looked like the offices or executive dormitories of any profitable company in the Galaxy. There were no cells here, there were offices and rooms. There were no common prisoners, there were servants. And there was no ‘Time’, there was….

 

“Darryl Dolvic, Personal Assistant to the B.C.,” the slight, but dapper little man with the wire-rimmed glasses announced to Beryl and Sam as he approached them at the lift entrance. He tapped the datapad he held in his hand. “You have an appointment?”

 

“Yes,” Beryl replied quickly, before Sam could answer if they did or not. "Beryl Quita'an." She sighed. "Excuse me... I mean, 21790. We're here to see the 'Big Cheese.'"

 

Darryl huffed with disbelief as he quickly scanned the list on his datapad. “You do not have an appointment. And I know you do not have an appointment, because I make all of the B.C.’s appointments. And I don't recall making one for... you."

 

“Oh, really?” Beryl let out a haughty little snort that strongly mimicked his earlier one. After all, having been born into a wealthy Corellian family, she knew perfectly well how to act ‘snootily refined’ with the best of them. “Well, I'm not surprised. You obviously didn’t get the memo.”

 

Darryl stared at her, slightly puzzled for a moment. “Memo?”

 

“Look, I was captive on a bounty hunter’s ship for days,” Beryl lied. “Surely, my superiors let you know I would be arriving here soon. Of course….” She paused, appearing to be thinking. “I suppose it is possible that you haven’t received any word yet. This place is very out of the way, and the organisation I smuggle for is very… exclusive.”

 

“Oh? And what organisation is that?”

 

Beryl gave him a disparaging look. "Oh, please. You think I'd just blurt it out in public?" With her index finger, she tapped the right side of her nose, then smoothed her finger across her brow. She knew from her time as a blockade runner that the gesture indicated the Black Sun, one of the wealthiest and most powerful criminal organisation in the galaxy. Not that she herself had had much dealings with them, but Darryl didn't have to know that.

 

Darryl's thin eyebrows arched with awe as he recognised her gesture. "Oh," he said, nodding. "That organisation." He grinned then. "Well... why didn't you say so in the first place? Walk this way, please."

 

As Darryl sashayed down one of the corridors, Beryl gave a quick wink at Sam. "I don't think I could swing my hips in quite the same manner," she whispered to her, "but I suppose just following him would be just as good."

 

In a few moments, they came to a door. Darryl input a security code, and the door opened.

 

It was a large room, not richly decorated, but very pleasant and airy. There were sofas on either side of the room, and at the very end a desk where a person sat in a chair with their back facing the door.

 

Darryl cleared his throat. "B.C? Someone to see you."

[Grace]

Cloud, Nic, and Oliver awoke in their shared cell at around the same time.

 

"Where's Jana?" Oliver murmured sleepily. Cloud grimaced.

 

"She's still not back?" he wondered, looking around the cell that was barely large enough for the three men to lie flat in. Furrowing his eyebrows in alarm, he added, "She never came back? And where's Jack?"

 

"Well..." Oliver muttered. "Jana's with Reibe, you said Cloud."

 

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "Nic, you made it sound last night as if that could be a bad thing..."

 

- - - - - - - - - - -

 

When Jana awoke, she was furious. And it didn't take her long to find someone to release her fury on... but Reibe was unimpressed.

 

"You... you made me sleep!" Jana shrieked, lunging for Reibe. The shorter woman didn't even bat an eye as Jana banged her head against an invisible wall.

 

"So I did," Reibe agreed, observing Jana in the manner of one who is bored from having nothing important or exciting to do. "How very observant of you."

 

"But I have no defense against that," Jana protested, sitting back on the bed. "How can I possibly keep myself from doing something I don't want to if I have no defense?"

 

"Weren't you tired?" Reibe asked curiously. "You felt rather tired to me... especially after all the conversating we engaged in last night. And since your adrenaline was rushing high while the majority of you wanted to sleep, I thought I'd give you a little 'helping hand', so to speak."

 

"You'd have been better staying out of it," Jana snapped.

 

"And about you having no defense," Reibe went on, "I can sense in you that you know something more than you were willing to tell me last night."

 

"What's that?" Jana shot back. "That I can feel the..."

 

"Don't say it," Reibe interrupted sharply. "But yes, that is what I mean. In the absence of my sheltering hand, you realized your power."

 

"What, were you trying to shelter me from myself?" Jana wondered bitterly. Reibe seemed to consider this.

 

"No, not at all," she finally answered. Then, she seemed to reconsider. "Well, not directly... well, I guess that was a motive... the motive."

 

"To protect me from me..." Jana murmured. "Why do I need protecting?"

 

"Jana you have at your fingertips the power to alter space as it exists," Reibe said slowly. "You have at your fingertips the power to observe and rearrange or divide every particle in the galaxy. The power is there, but the training to use it is not. Have you never noticed the number of Force sensitives you have around you? Beryl, Cloud... Ryshana... me."

 

"What's your point?" Jana wondered.

 

"Jana, you are a magnet to Force users," Reibe replied. "When they are near you, everything feels somehow... right. When you were born, the Force surrounded you, penetrated every cell, every sub-atomic particle... everything about you. As you grew, it continued to swarm to you. Now, as you age, it slowly begins to dissipate. By the time you reach ninety-four years of age, your Force-concentration should be about average."

 

"You've told me that before," Jana said slowly, thoughtfully. Reibe nodded.

 

"I also told you that you could not tap into that power," she reminded the younger woman. Jana nodded.

 

"Why do I only have a trace of the memory?" she asked. Then, her expression darkened. "You took it from me!"

 

"I did," Reibe agreed calmly. "And I did it to save your life. If the Emperor or Vader or any of their types had found you, they'd have trained you in the ways of the Sith... or they'd have killed you. With you on their side, they would be truly unstoppable. But if they were to kill you... the very galaxy in which we live could unravel. The Force-concentration about you would expand so rapidly that it would tear the galaxy apart."

 

"Why are you helping me remember now?" Jana wondered, awestruck and a little fearful of this new knowledge.

 

"Because now, I can keep myself closer to you," Reibe answered. "The Emperor knows of you. He called me earlier yesterday to ask if I knew anything about the 'disturbance' in the Force. I was very vague, but I told him of you... of a fraction of your power. He urged me to train you."

 

"I can't leave my crew just because you have a whim to take on a student," Jana scoffed.

 

"Not at all," Reibe agreed. "This very morning, I intend to speak with Captain Raikeeli. If all goes as planned, then by midday, you and your little crew shall be released from these confounded cells and placed under my watchful eye. Once we're all back aboard your ship... that's when we'll start working out details on how to elude the Dreadnaught."

 

"And if all does not go as planned?" Jana wondered.

 

"Then you'll be placed under my watchful eye tomorrow," Reibe answered. "Feel free to stay here in my room, Jana... or anywhere else on the ship. During the night, the crew were informed that you are my apprentice. They will let you pass through any door, but please don't use this privilege foolishly. I should very much like to see you again... in one piece, alive."

 

With that, she rose to her feet and left the room. Jana laid back on the bed, trying to sort through her thoughts of the last few minutes. It was a lot to take in...

 

 

((SM, soon as you have Nic answer Cloud's question about Jana's overnight with Reibe not being a good thing, I plan to have Jana come to the cell, unattended and unchallenged ))

[starmark2k]

Nic groaned in pain as he tryed to sit himself up on his bunk. "I don't trust her." Nic replied rubbing his back.

[Grace]

Jana felt very uncomfortable walking around the ship as if she owned it, but the guards paid absolutely no attention to her. Her arrival at the doors to the detention center marked the only words any of the guards said to her: "We would advise against any foolish actions."

 

Jana scowled. "What do you take me for?" she snapped. There was no response and she shook her head, moving toward the cell where Nic, Cloud, and Oliver were being kept. As soon as she came into view, Cloud was at the containment field.

 

"Where the hell have you been all night?" he demanded. Then, he realized she was not being escorted by anyone and a hopeful light entered his eyes. "Are you here to get us out?"

 

"Not yet," Jana answered. "Reibe is going to talk with Captain Raikeeli this morning. She may even be with him now. If all goes as she plans it, the rest of you will be released into her custody by lunchtime today."

 

"What about you?" Oliver wondered.

 

"I'll be tagging along, too," she answered carelessly.

 

--==--==--

 

"Good morning, Kriss," Reibe said pleasantly, entering his office to find him in the middle of a call to some high ranking business executive or some such nonsense. But this was Reibe Vailar; she did not care for the business of others, which was why she spoke to him before he terminated the call.

 

"What do you want?" he asked, a moment later, mildly annoyed to have been interrupted during business.

 

"We're going to talk, you and I," Reibe answered. "I want the Echo and her crew transferred into my custody at the earliest convenience... preferably today."

 

((starmark, I'll let you answer for Raikeeli... and I'd also be interested in knowing what Nic thinks of Jana's unguarded approach...))

[starmark2k]

"Really." Captain Raikellii replied in a mocking tone. "Well what you want and what happens on my ship are two differant things. Besides they will be released tomorrow, i have something special planned for my brother today. You can do what you always do and go whereever you wish."

---------------------------------------------

 

"Jana care to explain your lack of escort?" Nic asked remaining proped up against the wall.

[Grace]

"What happens on your ship does so under my very watchful eyes," Reibe said, an amused smirk on her face. "I could make you change your mind... but I have no reason to do so." She stood and turned to leave. "Oh, and as you said before, I do whatever I want... and my apprentice and I are going to be watching whatever it is you have planned for Simon."

 

With that, she left his office, before he could even comment in favor of or against her plan to watch what he had in mind for Nic.

 

--==--==--==--

 

"It's quite a long story," Jana answered. "It started last night. Reibe came and got me from the cell..." Her words continued, but also a faint whisper of her voice came into Nic's mind.

 

Remember when I told you I wasn't Force sensitive? Well, I thought that was the truth. But Reibe's been hiding my power from me, as a courtesy to the galaxy and to me. But now that the Emperor and Vader know of me, she can't keep her distance... and she can't allow them to get someone else to train me to use my power.

 

"I don't understand," Cloud interrupted her audible words. "She took you shopping? What kind of Imperial Dreadnaught has a shopping center aboard?"

 

"Did I say shopping?" Jana wondered, chuckling. "Oops... she said I might say things that didn't make sense... we really just talked a lot... and she gave me a tour and..."

 

"Excuse me, my Lady Jana," a guard interrupted. "Your master is looking for you."

 

Jana shot him an annoyed glare. "I know," she answered sharply. Turning to the captive men, she shrugged. "Well, there's that too. I'm to be trained in the ways of the Force by Reibe. Gotta go! See you boys later."

 

With that, she turned and left them alone in the cell.

 

"Did she say, 'trained in the Force'?" Oliver wondered.

 

"Sounded kinda like that," Cloud muttered.

[starmark2k]

((I apoligise for the tardyness of this post))

 

"Yeah." Nic replied simply resting his head back as two stormtroopers walked up to the cell and deactivated the energy field. They walked in and grabbed Nic by the shoulders quickly dragging him out.

 

"Hey!" What are you doing?" Cloud shouted

 

The Troops didn't respond and just continued out of the cell re-activating the field on their way out. Nic got dragged down the corridor until they reached the Room he was in the day before. As he was dragged to the shackles he noticed a table in the room that wasn't their before. It was full of various pieces of equipment of various technological advances, Everything from an old fashond whip to a neuro-stimulator. Nic was then shackled by the wrists as before, a few seconds past before an imperial officer walk in.

 

"Welcome to hell little man." The man said as he approached the table.

[steven]

Jack awoke in some form of Imperial holding cell, different from the one he had orginally fell asleep in and this time he couldn't see. He was sure this was the case because he was drugged or had been blind folded. Even though his sight was gone, he still heard scientists talking. About him. Not to sure what exactly they were talking about, just him.

[JasraLantill]

The ‘Big Cheese,’ as he was called, was actually revealed to be a rather short man as he turned his chair around to face his visitors. Beryl knew this to be true as she noticed his feet were not touching the floor, but dangling a few inches above it.

 

He was middle-aged, slightly overweight, and had a shaved head, probably to disguise a receding hairline, Beryl guessed. His facial features were average, not particularly handsome but not ugly either. Overall, his appearance was unremarkable—not at all what Beryl had expected for a ‘major’ crime boss. There were no visible scars, no gaudy jewellery, no sinister eyebrows, and no jagged-toothed smirks. Only a short, bald man wearing a prison uniform, although with very sharply pressed creases in the sleeves, sitting placidly behind a desk.

 

“Well,” he said in a calm, soft voice to Darryl while he looked the two women over. “Whom do we have here?”

 

“Beryl Quita’an,” Beryl introduced herself before Darryl could answer. “And this is…”

 

The B.C. raised his hand. “No names. Just your numbers, please.”

 

“Oh. Mine’s 21790,” Beryl said.

 

The B.C. looked at the computer monitor in front of him. “Ah, yes. The green.”

 

“The what?”

 

Darryl let out a quiet but haughty snort. “A term that we use for new arrivals,” he explained quietly.

 

“Ah.” Beryl mentally kicked herself for not realising that herself. “Of course.”

 

“It’s not usual for greens to make an appeal on their very first day,” the Big Cheese said. “Normally, they like to see how things are run first.”

 

“Well, technically, it’s my second day,” Beryl said. “And I’ve pretty much figured out how things work around here.”

 

“Oh, have you now?” The B.C. grinned crookedly. “And how do you think things ‘work’ around here?”

 

“I think things work around here in the way you want them to and the Imps don’t care as long as everyone stays contained.”

 

The Big Cheese smiled. “Indeed.” He eyed her over. “So… what do you want, and what are you offering in payment?”

 

“Well, let’s go over what you don’t want first,” said Beryl. “It’ll be easier that way.” She suddenly remembered something Ryshana had said about the Force—about unintentionally making things happen the way she wanted them to happen. Perhaps she should try concentrating and see if she could do it intentionally. So, she began to concentrate. “You don’t want me to work in the mines. My skills would be better served elsewhere. I’m a pilot. I’m an excellent mechanic. I’m no slouch when it comes to fighting. And, I can cook. I’m sure you could find me some useful position somewhere that doesn’t involve heavy lifting, dirt, rocks and enclosed spaces.”

 

The B.C. slowly raised an eyebrow. He seemed to be considering while Beryl continued to concentrate on him finding her and Sam a different job. “Can you operate a washing machine?”

 

This time it was Beryl that raised an eyebrow. “I can pilot a Corvette on my own. I can definitely operate a washing machine.” She nudged Sam with her elbow. “And she can, too.”

 

“Well…I suppose that I could manage to swing two positions in the laundry. Of course, there is still the question of payment. I don’t do favours for free.”

 

“Neither did my last employer,” Beryl said.

 

At this, Darryl repeated the gesture Beryl had given him in the hallway, tapping the right side of his nose, then smoothing his finger across his brow.

 

“Oh. I see now why Darryl thought you worthy to bring before me.” He grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll think of something that you can do for me.”

 

“I’m sure you will,” said Beryl, grinning in return.

 

The B.C. punched a few buttons in his computer, and then handed her a code cylinder. “Give this to the duty Trustee when you get to the tram. They’ll direct you where to go once you’re down there. Oh, but first….” He punched a few more keys on the desk computer. “You’ll need medical clearance. Imp’s won’t allow you in without it.”

 

“Medical clearance? For what, radiation?”

 

“Not… exactly, no.” The B.C. handed her another code cylinder. “Darryl will escort you and your companion to the med bay. The Doc will know what tests you need.” He snapped his fingers at Darryl who jumped to attention.

 

“Right away, B.C.,” Darryl said. He turned to Beryl and Sam. “Walk this way, please.”

 

Again, he sashayed towards the door and, grinning, Beryl and Sam followed him as he led the way to the med bay.

[stingerhs]

As Ryshana completed the sweeping attack, she quickly stood up and deflected several invisible blaster rounds. Her movements were artful, and her precision was top notch. Her form was perhaps a little rusty, but there was no denying the beauty of the routine.

 

"Excellent form on this one," a man stated from behind a monitor that showed the exercise room in which Ryshana was performing.

 

"Indeed. She's the only Jedi I've ever seen that could perform such complex but incredibly precise forms. Then again, I think she was the only Jedi in the past 1000 years that has bothered to learn such exotic things," another man commented.

 

"Well, it does seem that this experiment is a success thus far. Lets just hope that she keeps going with the routine so that she won't do whatever it is a Jedi does to feel the Force," the other man commented.

 

"For the hundredth time, its called 'reaching out', and I would be more concerned about her switching to a different style than her actually reaching out. There are several lightsaber styles that rely on a very strong connection to the Force; she even taught me several of those methods," the man replied.

 

"Well, her time is almost up. I'll inform Doctor Twerna of the results in the 'Comm Approved' room," the other man stated.

 

Chuckling to himself, the man then stated, "You'll never get over that protocol, will you?"

 

"Definitely not. Its not my fault that Twerna refuses time and again to follow my suggestions. Its not like any of them are going to affect anything. I mean for Vader's sake-" the other man shot back.

 

"Alright, alright. We've been that road before; so just go ahead and contact Twerna. I'll keep watching her and inform you if something goes wrong. Okay?"

 

Smiling, the man then said, "Fine, but don't forget that you owe me an ale at the cantina tonight this time, Jeez. I will hold you to this one."

 

Laughing, Jeez then said, "Don't worry, my old friend. I'll be there."

______________

 

Ryshana was just finishing up with her routine, when she suddenly felt the door opening to the exercise room. Performing a couple of last second strikes, she then stopped and deactivated the lightsaber.

 

"Good work, Miss Ryshana. How do you feel?" Twerna asked.

 

Thinking for a second, Ryshana then replied, "Pretty good, actually. It feels good to have a solid workout instead of torture."

 

"Indeed. Its such a shame that the Imperials seem to think that torture is the only method of information retrieval. I've always been of the opinion that well fed and well taken care of prisoners seem to be much more open to their captors," he replied.

 

"Then you freely admit that I'm a captive here?"

 

"Well, in a manner of speaking, yes. You obviously can't come and go as you please, but I don't want you to think of this as a prison. I fully understand that it is never the location or how well treated a person is to understand that their surroundings are nothing more than a cage. However, I've always been of the opinion that sometimes a cage is rather acceptable considering the alternative of always being on the run and having to worry about the comrades that are trying so desperately to help you," Twerna replied.

 

"But in the end, a cage is still just a cage, is it not?"

 

"True, but I doubt that any animal ever really complains about their cage as long as they have enough space. The same goes with all of us; I highly doubt that you will complain about your situation given the amount of freedom you have in this place."

 

"We shall see, Doctor. We shall see," Ryshana stated. Just before she started to leave, she looked down at the lightsaber again, but this time, she recognized it. "This lightsaber, it belonged to Master Windu, didn't it?"

 

"Yes. I thought you realized that before," Twerna replied.

 

"Well, it looked familiar then, but I recognize it now. And, there's something odd about the room..."

 

"One of my assistants has likely returned the ysalimiri to its perch behind one of the walls," Twerna stated. "Now, before you go, I need that lightsaber for safe keeping."

 

Looking at Twerna, Ryshana watched him stretch out his hand to take the lightsaber. Placing it in his hand, she suddenly felt very dizzy. "Miss Ryshana?? Are you alright?? Ryshana?!" Twerna exclaimed. He sounded so far away just then, and she could scarcely notice him calling for help as she started to collapse. Caught in Twerna's arms, the light in the room began to fade....

[JasraLantill]

Beryl took more careful note of all the security measures as she and Sam followed Darryl to the medical bay. With her new 'ident implant' in her arm, it was going to be difficult to move around in the facility without notice. There seemed to be scanners everywhere--in the walls, in the floor, and in every doorway. Coupled with the security checkpoints and the cameras, it was going to be difficult to escape. Difficult, but not impossible, she thought to herself. There was bound to be another way out of this place other than the front door.

 

Darryl opened the door to the med bay. "Good Morning, Doctor," he said cheerily. "I've brought some work for you." He grinned slyly at Conn, almost flirtatiously, as he handed him a code cylinder, and Beryl had to bite back a smile. "They're applying for a laundry detail in the 'other' facility," Darryl explained. "But they need all of the Class I tests first."

[Grace]

"So where are we going?" Jana asked as she followed Reibe down one long corridor of the Imperial ship. Reibe frowned.

 

"Patience," she said. "I will only tell you that you will not like it... not in the least. You'll want to cringe. You'll want to turn away. You'll want to make it stop. But Jana, you must understand right now, that you can do none of those things. You must watch in perfect silence, never your gaze wavering from..."

 

"No!" Jana protested, suddenly understanding what they were about to do. Her eyes pleaded with Reibe. "Just... let me stay in your room. I can't see this."

 

"You must," Reibe insisted. "It is the best way to master your outward appearance of emotion. Placed in a situation that is utterly appalling to you, how will you react? It is your choice... and you must make the choice to be outwardly emotionless. We'll work on internal emotion later."

 

The door before them slid open, revealing Captain Raikeeli eagerly watching a bank of monitors, showing Nic's torture from various angles. He looked up disinterestedly as Reibe and Jana entered. Then, he took a closer look at Jana.

 

"So you did come," he observed. Jana coldly stared back.

 

"And what if I did?" she demanded, a sharp edge to her voice. Raikeeli chuckled and turned his attention to the monitors. Willing up every ounce of determination she had, Jana finally did the same... and almost winced as the whip cracked down on Nic. Now Raikeeli's attention was split as he was unsure what interested him more, his brother's torture, or the torture he wondered if Jana was going through.

 

With every crack of the whip, Jana felt like crying. But her face was as emotionless as stone.

[JasraLantill]

“Hello again, Doc,” Beryl said to Conn. “Long time no see, huh?” The tone of her voice was a bit cynical, but that was only because she didn’t want anyone to know that she really was glad to see him. And then she gave Darryl a look. She knew he was a spineless, brownnosing worm of a man, and she didn’t want him watching over her shoulder during any type of exam she might have to do. Plus, she had the distinct feeling that Conn really didn’t appreciate being told what to do by, of all people, a prisoner, which when it came down to it was exactly what Darryl was, however ‘self-important’ he thought he was.

 

“Look,” she said to Darryl, “I don’t know what ‘Class I’ tests involve exactly, but I’m pretty sure your presence isn’t required to perform them.”

 

Darryl exhaled a scoffing snort. “’In the absence of assigned guards, supervisory duties fall to the Trustee in charge of the detail,’” he quoted from some sort of ‘Trustee manual’ that he had most likely committed to memory in his quest to be the B.C.s right hand man.

 

Beryl began to reach out with the Force, concentrating as she had before when she had been in front of the Big Cheese. “Yes, but you have other, more important things to do. You don’t need to babysit us.”

 

Darryl took pause for a moment, then said, “Of course, I do have more important things to do. I don’t need to babysit you.” Beryl’s eyebrow raised, surprised at how easily, and how very quickly, Darryl had taken her suggestion onboard. Ryshana had mentioned to her that the Force could be used to influence people, especially the weak-minded, but Beryl never thought that she would actually be able to do something like that herself without years of training. But perhaps what Ryshana had said about Beryl having been unconsciously using the Force all her life was true after all. Perhaps she already knew how to do ‘Force tricks’ and, now that she was able to concentrate and connect with the Force with some control, she was able to do them on purpose and on cue. She grinned at this thought, imagining how very useful Force persuasion could be in certain situations.

 

Darryl looked over his shoulder at Conn. “Just contact me when they’re ready to go back down,” he told him, and then he left the room.

 

Beryl gave Conn a curious sort of look. “Okay, so what type of ‘tests’ do you have to do to us for this ‘Class I’ clearance?”

[Rogue Nine]

Conn felt a bit of surprise at having Beryl and Sam in his medbay. He wasn't expecting to see Beryl so soon and Sam rarely paid personal visits, preferring to have Maxx smuggle her the drugs she needed. From Darryl's appearance and Beryl's attitude, he could only surmise that she'd managed to make good contacts within the prison underworld.

 

"I've never seen Darryl acquiesce so fast," Conn remarked idly. "Usually he stays a while and makes a nuisance of himself." He shrugged and motioned the two women over to his desk. "Oh well, thank goodness for small blessings. Anyway, you two need Class I tests for laundry detail at the other facility, yes?"

 

They both nodded.

 

"You move quick, B," Conn said as he inserted the code cylinder into his computer. "Class I tests are real simple," he continued, reading the data from the cylinder as it splashed across his screen. "Basic blood work, radiation scan, midi-chlorian tests, boring stuff like that." He ran a hand through his wavy hair. "Such a random set of tests, though... figures. Doc Twerna came up with it." He rolled his eyes and moved to the operating table, beckoning for Sam and Beryl to follow him. "Okay, so who wants to be first?" he asked, pulling on a pair of surgical gloves and brandishing a large needle.

[starmark2k]

Nic's screams echoed through every room and corridor of the Reaper with each strike of the chip agaist his bare chest. It had been going on for what seemed like an eternity to him. The officer stopped and looked at two other imperial officers of lesser rank. "un-chain him and hold him down."

 

The two imperials did what they were told and pulled Nic down to his knees just infront of where he had just been hanging. The lead officer pulled the chair from the corner infront of Nic and sat on it. "Now to the questions." The commander Began. "What do you know about the prisoners you were transporting."

 

"Nothing." Nic replied. The commanderlooked at the officer to his right and simply nodded giving him the order. The officer on the right grabbed nics head and slammed it into his knee.

 

"Again, What do you know about the prisoners you were transporting." The officer reapeted.

 

"One was hutt in disguise." Nic said defiantly. "and I beleive the other wookie warrior."

 

The commander looked up at the officer on the right and nodded just like before. This time the officer on the right pulled nic up riht and held both of the arms behind his back. The officer on the left then began to punch Nic in the stomach several times before one final uppercut under the chin. The commander looked up at the left officer. "Bring it in."

 

The officer left while the right officer brought nic back dolwn to his knees. The officer then returned carrying a large bucket of water filled with ice and placed it infront of Nic.

 

"What do you know about the prisoners you were transporting." The commander asked once again.

 

"O.K, I'll talk." Nic responded. "They both wear skimpy outfits."

 

The Commander just nodded again and both officer dunked his head into the freezing water. Nic remained still for a few seconds but then he began to struggle as his air began to deminish, only when Nic felt like he was about to drown the officer pulled his head out.

 

"I can play this game all day Mr White."

[steven]

"I'll go first," Sam offered as she sat on a nearby table, she knew if she could play nice, she can convince Conn into giving her some drugs. "Don't surpose... Nevermind." Sam replied "Where's the needle? Arm or arse?"

[JasraLantill]

"I'd guess arm if he taking blood," Beryl said. She sat down on a nearby chair, probably meant for a guard, and carefully watched Conn prepare to take Sam's blood.

 

"So, Conn, I'm not much up on medical terms, but what's this 'mid chlorine' test you need to do? Does that have something to do with radiation absorbtion or something?" Beryl smiled innocently. She knew damn well what midichlorians were, and she was also going to do her best not to have hers discovered, or at the very least, not have her results be accurate. The more she knew about how the test was performed, the better she could sabotage the results. She knew that things would be bad for her if the Imps discovered she was a Force Sensitive, but they would be even worse for Ryshana if Beryl couldn't get her out of this place.

[Rogue Nine]

Conn chuckled at Sam. "I'm drawing blood, not giving you a shot." He winked at Sam as he dabbed at the inside of her elbow with a sterile swab. "Your arse isn't conducive to blood flow. The veins in your arm, however..." He punctuated his point by sliding the needle into her arm. He gave her a roll of gauze to hold in her hand. "Squeeze that every few seconds," he told her. "I'll need about a pint for my tests."

 

Turning to Beryl, he addressed her question by pulling a small silver cylinder from his pocket. Dragging another chair over, he sat next to Beryl and held the cylinder out. "Slip your index finger in here, please."

 

Beryl eyed him suspiciously. "Is this that 'mid chlorine' test?"

 

"Part of it, yes," Conn replied. "Only takes a second."

 

Beryl was still wary, but there was no malice or deception in Conn's tone. Cautiously, she inserted her finger into the metal cylinder. Conn pressed a button on the top and Beryl felt a sharp, stinging pain in the tip of her finger. "Ow!" she exclaimed, withdrawing it quickly. There was a red puncture mark at her fingertip. "That hurt!" she said, looking at Conn darkly.

 

The doctor grinned crookedly. "Never said it wouldn't," he replied as he stood and moved over to his instruments. He placed the cylinder into a machine, hit a few keys, then turned back to Beryl. "As for your question, the midi chlorian test I just performed on you is to test for Force Sensitivity."

[JasraLantill]

“Force Sensitivity? That’s a laugh,” Beryl scoffed. She sucked the tip of her bleeding finger, then frowned a bit more at Conn. “The Imps should already know that for like… everyone. Well, everyone except for maybe someone from one of those really backwater planets in the Rim territories,” she added as she nonchalantly tried to peer over his shoulder to see what the machine in which he had put the cylinder was doing. “You know as well as I do that The Republic used to test everyone for that at birth. It’s how the Jedi got their recruits, remember? That information should already be in my general medical records.”

 

Beryl knew for a fact that it was. Her father, with the help of a family friend that had just happened to be a Senator, had of course altered the results in her general medical records many years ago, but that was besides the point. The point was that Beryl's medical records were as ‘official’ as the Emperor’s own, and she didn’t want any ‘fresh’ tests being done to prove otherwise. She hadn’t given the Imps a false name to get in here. Her records would be easy to access, especially for an Imperial doctor.

 

“In fact, I bet you’re in their database right along there with me,” Beryl continued, as she started to concentrate on Conn the way she had with the Big Cheese and Darryl, hoping that she could persuade him into sympathising with her point of view. “You don’t need to run a test on me to find out the result. Just look it up. Why do more work than you have to? It’s not like the Imps are paying you any extra for doing it.”

[Grace]

In the observation room, Jana was becoming almost visibly tense. Reibe shook her head ever so slightly and turned to Captain Raikeeli, whose full attention was on the bank of monitors showing Nic's torture.

 

"We both know very well you don't care what sort of information the man has in his head," she said. "Why bother with the questions?"

 

"Let him bother with the questions," Jana said. "The answers may not be accurate, but they certainly show the man's creative side, don't they?"

 

Inwardly, Reibe applauded Jana's outward control. Outwardly, she smirked. "Fair enough."

 

"You were the man's first officer, were you not?" Raikeeli asked suddenly, turning to face Jana. Arching a single eyebrow, she nodded.

 

"Yes, I was," she agreed. "What of it?"

 

"If I recall reading the records accurately, you served under him for several years," he went on. "And yet, you now watch his torture so emotionless... almost approvingly." An eager glint of expectation lit up his eyes. "Was he... cruel to you?"

 

"Hardly," Jana answered, her eyes finally leaving the monitors as she observed the captain. "Truth be told, he's the best man I ever served under." Disappointment showed on Raikeeli's face until Jana went on, "However, that's beside the point now. What I am curious to know is what your interest in the man happens to be."

 

"Simon's my brother," Raikeeli answered. To her credit, Jana barely looked surprised, let alone how shocked and startled she was inside.

 

"Is he now?" she murmured, returning her attention to the screens. In her mind, Reibe heard Jana's highly angry voice say, We'll be having a little chat later...

[Rogue Nine]

Conn felt a curious tingling feeling in the back of his mind as Beryl spoke to him. Her voice was agreeable, soothing... He didn't really need to do another midi-chlorian test, her records were already on file...

 

He shook his head as he realized what has happening. She was trying to trick him into not doing the test by the very thing he was testing for. He frowned, slightly disappointed that she would try such a thing when he had made it clear earlier that he wasn't out to cause her trouble. He met her focused gaze head on. Well Beryl, you're not the first Jedi to try and swindle me, he thought smugly, wondering idly if she could hear his thoughts.

 

"Oh, those database records are outdated," he said, watching her face carefully for her reaction. "Besides, the most up-to-date information is needed in order to issue access to the secure facility."

[JasraLantill]

Conn briefly shook his head then met Beryl's focused gaze head on. "Oh, those database records are outdated," he said, watching her face carefully for her reaction. "Besides, the most up-to-date information is needed in order to issue access to the secure facility."

 

Beryl felt a sort of smug triumph raditating off Conn. Her 'trick' hadn't worked on him, rather it seemed to have backfired. Slightly taken aback, Beryl felt a pang of fear rise up in her throat and she quickly swallowed it back. "Oh," she said rather meekly. "Of course."

 

She nervously bit the inside of her lip as she looked over at Sam, still laying on the exam table giving her pint of blood. Sam's presence made things difficult; Beryl didn't yet trust her enough to be candid with Conn in front of her. Nor did she fully trust Conn. He was, after all, working for the Imperials in an Imperial facility. Her eyes flicked around the room, looking for possible cameras that she might have missed the first time she was here, then focused back on the machine near Conn.

 

Could she find out how it works so she could sabotage it or cast doubts on the results? If she couldn't, what would Conn do if he found out that her midi-chlorian count was not only high, but higher than Ryshana's? Would he be obligated to report it? And if he didn't report it, was the machine he was using connected to some sort of permanent database so that he wouldn't have to? She shifted in her chair uncomfortably.

 

"So, how does that machine work, exactly?" she asked, meeting Conn's gaze. "I mean, is it like a fuel-quality monitor? 'Cause sometimes FQMs can be wrong is they're not calibrated correctly. And I didn't see you calibrate it before you used it."

[Rogue Nine]

"Oh, I'd run a midi-chlorian test recently," Conn replied. "Didn't need to recalibrate it. Doesn't work quite like an FQM either as it's a bit more advanced." He moved back to the table to where Sam lay. "Okay Sam, I think that's quite enough blood you've donated," he said, removing the needle from her arm. Hefting the pack of blood she'd just given, he laid it carefully on the table, then moved over to a console on the far wall, beckoning for Sam to follow him.

 

Pointing to a faded yellow circle on the floor, he motioned for Sam to stand the middle of it. "This is the radiation scanner," he told her, pulling down a robotic arm suspended from the ceiling. He pressed a few buttons on it, then set it level with Sam's head. "Darn thing is the oldest piece of equipment I have here; consequently, it's also the loudest." He gave her an apologetic look. "Try not to go deaf," he joked as he hit the console, starting up the scanner. It rumbled to life, giving off a steady humming sound that pervaded the whole medbay as the robotic arm circled Sam's head slowly. "You okay?!" Conn shouted at Sam. The female prisoner gave him a thumbs up. "Good! It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to finish, so bear with it!"

 

Conn shuffled back over to where Beryl was still sitting, her strange, thoughtful expression on her face. He pulled a chair up in front of her and sat in it, leaning in close. "Damn thing really is very loud," he said, speaking as quietly as he could, but still audible even over the cacaphonous humming of the radiation scanner. "Now, Beryl," he continued, looking into her eyes. "Care to tell me why you have a midi-chlorian count that's higher than any I've ever seen before?"

[JasraLantill]

Beryl shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "What do you mean?" she asked Conn. She looked at the machine. It had taken Oliver quite a number of hours on the Echo to do a midi-chlorian test on request for Ryshana. Then again, Oliver hadn't had one of these same machines in the med bay. She nervously bit her lower lip. "Is my test finished already?"

 

Conn chuckled. "Your test was finished a while ago," he told her. "Yesterday, in fact."

 

"Yesterday?" Beryl could feel the colour draining from her face. "So... what did you do with the results?" She swallowed hard.

 

He pulled a datachip from his pocket and held it in front of her. "Everything from that test is on this datachip." He studied her face carefully. "What do you want me to do with it?"

 

Beryl stared at the chip for a moment, fighting back the panicked impulse to reach out and snatch it from his hand. "What do I want you to do with it?" she repeated his question. The corner of her mouth twitched. "Destroy it?"

 

Conn gave her a smirk. "Gee, I wonder why." He withdrew his hand, and pocketed the chip again. "That's not quite according to Imperial protocol, though."

 

Beryl looked down at the floor. "Suppose not," she said, barely audible over the droning sound of the radiation scanner. She looked up at Conn. "Please, Conn," she pleaded, "don't let them know, for old times sake? You know what they do to Force Senstives. I didn't choose to be one. It's not my fault."

 

"I know it isn't. But the Imps don't care about that." He crossed his arms, then cocked his head over towards Sam and the machine. "That test is going to end in another minute or two, so you'd better convince me quickly as to why I shouldn't go to my superiors about this." His words were commanding, but his tone seemed to belie something else.

 

Beryl had to act fast. She didn't feel that Conn was being malicious, but she did feel that he was wanting something from her. Then, whether it was throught the Force or just her own intuition, she suddenly knew.

 

"You can come with us when we leave," she blurted.