MC: AOTE: Fraught With Disappointment

[starmark2k]

"Jack please!" Nic said hoping it would stop Jack's Rant. "Never look a gift Kaduu in the mouth"

 

"Your weapons and equipment are on your ship, your firstmate and Reibe will meet you there." The commander informed. "I hope we didn't inconveiniance you."

 

"Nooo. It was just like a holiday on the bespin upper levels." Nic replied as he limped his way out of the cell cloud quickly followed and grabbed Nic's arm to help him along and take his weight.

[stingerhs]

"Ah, I nearly forgot! What each room is reported to need is listed on the removable data screen over there," Jeez stated as he pointed to a terminal on the other end of the shelf. There are also several unique tags on each item that probably resembles that irritating tag on a cheap shirt. However, this tag is laced with a magnetic thread that identifies it in the computer. Make sure that you use the small scanner on the terminal to scan everything in," Jeez stated in response to Beryl's question.

 

"Oh, and before you ask, the only reason why they did that is because our lead "physician" here is more than just a bit of a perfectionist," Jeez stated with a particular disdain in his voice at the mention of the "physician".

 

So, with a brief demonstration from Jeez, Sam and Beryl were able to get started with the loading.

 

((for the sake of time, i'm going ahead and getting everybody in the elevator.))

 

As they entered the elevator, Jeez sighed to himself. Well, things are going a bit better now. I just wish these prisoners would understand that I'm not really trying to be mean about anything. Hmm, maybe if I didn't have to be so distant, Jeez thought to himself. Bah, screw Twerna. With Ryshana here, he had better let me start getting my way, or I'm done dealing with him. Better start somewhere.

 

"So, you're a Corellian, right?" Jeez asked Beryl as the elevator started to rise. "You didn't serve in the CEC, did you?"

[JasraLantill]

Beryl gave Jeez an incredulous look and arched her right eyebrow. Small talk? From a Jedi? It didn't seem likely, but... Jeez had just offered her the opportunity for discovery through conversation and observation and she wasn’t about to snub the offer to get to know him better.

 

“Is my ethnicity really that obvious?” she said light-heartedly. Then she looked down at the floor. “You know, I really need to try to keep my mouth shut.”

 

“No argument here,” Sam said wryly.

 

Beryl grinned at Sam’s comment, then raised her eyes to look at Jeez. “But, yeah, I'm Corellian,” she said in answer to Jeez’s question. “And, yeah, I did work for the CEC, well..., for a little bit anyway.” She sighed. “I worked for my father. He was one of their top engineers. Tried to get me involved in designing and stuff, but…” She grinned ruefully. “He was a tough boss, and I really didn’t have the patience for it. Then the Empire started to get into full swing, CEC started to lose contracts to KDY, there were whispers of layoffs, then rumours of a Rebellion starting, and, well….” She shrugged, then grinned. “Smuggling became a more enticing career option.”

 

She hadn’t exactly told him the complete truth, but she hadn’t lied and she was hoping that Jeez, being as he was an ex-Jedi, could sense that she was being truthful. She also wondered if he might be willing to answer a few personal questions, and so decided to take a stab at it. It couldn’t hurt, could it?

 

She cocked her head to the side, giving Jeez a quizzical look. “So, what about you, Jeez?” she ventured. She smiled at him. “How did you manage to get the ever-so-glamorous job of escorting gregarious blonde laundry collectors on their first day?”

[stingerhs]

As Beryl spoke, Jeez just listened. It had been so long since he had listened to someone talk about the real world that it was almost refreshing. He also focused in on the Force to an extent to feel for the truth. It wasn't the complete truth, but like anyone, the past is sometime a bit too volatile for a stranger's ear.

 

“So, what about you, Jeez?” she ventured. She smiled at him. “How did you manage to get the ever-so-glamorous job of escorting gregarious blonde laundry collectors on their first day?”

 

 

At the question, Jeez breathed in and out a bit deeply. It can't hurt anything if the truth comes out. Besides, I think my life has had enough lies over the past couple of years, Jeez thought to himself.

 

"Well, that bit started about 3 years ago. Or something like that, anyways. I was, erm, captured while trying to escape from an Imperial Star Destroyer. You see, me and a good friend of mine, who was also a Jedi by the way, came up with this lunatic plan to storm the bridge of said Star Destroyer. To make a long story short, we ended up getting captured by a former friend of mine that had chosen a very different path, and we later tried to escape," Jeez stated thoughtfully. Pausing for a moment as he thought, Jeez struggled for an instant to hold back his emotions of a situation that he had been thinking about for a very long time.

 

"I... well, I decided that it was more important for her to stay alive than it was for me. So, when it came time for us to escape, I locked her in that escape pod so that she couldn't get to me while I fought my way back to the bridge as a distraction," he stated almost completely detached from reality. "And... and, well, it wasn't long after that event that I found myself here in this Facility."

 

Finally, the doors opened to the first floor. "Ok, lets get started. Our first stop is on the left about 4 rooms down," Jeez stated as he snapped back to reality.

[JasraLantill]

Beryl had noticed Jeez’s hesitation and the change in his intonation as he spoke. It was the same sort of speech pattern people used when they were recalling some tragic, emotional event in their life. Of course, being captured by the Imperials would elicit strong emotions in almost everyone, but being as Jeez was a Jedi, or at least had been at the time, it sort of surprised Beryl that he would still feel as strongly about it now. Jedi had had a reputation for being pragmatic, logical, methodical—and, most of all, controlled. What was it Ryshana had said? ‘A Jedi needs to be as objective in their thinking as possible.’ Jeez certainly hadn't sounded all that objective.

 

Obviously, the encounter with his former friend hadn’t gone very well. But there was something else. Jeez had said, ‘So, when it came time for us to escape, I locked her in that escape pod so that she couldn't get to me while I fought my way back to the bridge as a distraction.’ Those few words told Beryl a lot.

 

One, it told her that he and his friend had both planned to escape together. Not just escape, but escape together. Two, his use of her told Beryl his friend was female—a Jedi, yes, but female. Three, it told her that if had Jeez not locked his friend in the escape pod, then she would never have left him. That in and of itself indicated loyalty and, perhaps, even intimacy.

 

Jeez had given up his freedom to save a friend. A Jedi friend. A female Jedi friend. A very close female Jedi friend. The day was getting more and more interesting.

 

Before Beryl followed Sam out of the elevator, she stole a quick look at Jeez. He was fit, that was for sure. He could be personable, like just now, but also forceful and determined, as he had been in the main laundry. Patient, too, as he hadn’t yet throttled her despite her multiple questions. And she guessed that he could be a bit reckless seeing as he had agreed with the ‘lunatic’ suggestion of his friend to storm an Imperial SD on their own. Jedi or not, overall Jeez was quite an attractive package. It didn’t take her much to imagine what ‘his very close female Jedi friend’ had seen in him.

 

“Wow. Three years?” Beryl said to Jeez as they walked down the corridor. “I’m sorry. Must be tough to sacrifice yourself for a friend, and then never really know what happened to them 'cause you've been stuck in here.”

 

Her thoughts suddenly strayed to Conn, her very close friend that she had left behind. The thought of him reminded her that she had to keep focused in here. Her life, Ryshana’s life, and now Sam’s and Conn’s, too, depended on it. She had to keep in mind that although Jeez claimed to be a prisoner here, at the moment, he was her guard and a very formidable one at that. She would have to get past him, if she wanted to get out of here with Ryshana.

 

And of course, finding Ryshana was her first priority. As long as they were wandering about gathering laundry, they were bound to run into her sooner or later. How many violet-shaded Twi’leki Jedis were there anyway? Then again, Ryshana could be being kept in solitary confinement. Beryl hoped not. If that were the case, she would never find her in time. Suddenly, a bold idea came into her mind. She would try the direct approach. She’d ask.

 

“Especially with you being a Jedi,” Beryl continued. “Can’t imagine that there are many of you left—anywhere.” She paused. “One came in same time as me, you know." She rolled her eyes. "Kriffin' bounty hunters,” she cursed with disdain. “Last time I saw her, they were dragging her down the corridor.” Her brow wrinkled with concern. “Keep wondering what happened to her. Poor Twi'lek girl looked half dead. Or worse.”

 

She paused. “Can’t imagine there would be Jedi being turned in all that often. You haven’t seen her, have you? It's just that it would give me a certain amount of satisfaction to know that those bounty hunting scumbags didn't kill her like they had intended to. Bad enough to be turned in, but...."

 

They had reached the room that Jeez had indicated they were stopping at first. Beryl stopped, then let out an indignant sigh. "Bounty hunters have no honour."

[stingerhs]

"A twi'lek Jedi you say, hmm? Well, perhaps not a Jedi so much as a broken Jedi. That's about the only kind of Jedi that we get in here. Granted, there have been few that have arrived here, but that's no matter.

 

As for the woman you're referring to, she was in bad shape when she arrived, but since our local medical practitioners need their experiments to stay alive, she is back to full health. I wouldn't count on a meeting, however. They like to keep their experiments separate from the rest of the Facility," Jeez answered with just a hint of disdain in his voice.

 

If they do to her what they've done to me, then I doubt they'll see me coming, Jeez wanted to say. Instead, it came out as, "If they do to her what they've done to me, then she truly will be a broken Jedi when they're done."

 

As the door opened to reveal nothing more than an empty room with some wadded up sheets on a bed, Jeez motioned for them to get started.

[JasraLantill]

Well, that was easy, Beryl thought as she and Sam began to collect the dirty sheets and put them into the basket. But, did he say….

 

“Experiments?” Beryl’s brow raised, and she glanced over her shoulder at Jeez. “What, like drug trials and stuff?” She could only hope that was it, but she had seen the ‘jacks’ in the prisoners' heads. She knew there was more to it than that, but didn’t want to let on that she was deeply concerned.

 

Sam snorted cynically. “Drug trials?" she scoffed. "Yeah, right, Beryl. You just go on believing that, sweetie....”

 

Beryl looked up at Sam as she picked out a clean white sheet from the basket. Sam had told her that she’d been a participant in an ‘experiment’ before, too. Beryl was beginning to feel like the odd man out around here. “Erm…Sam, grab that end, will ‘ya?” Beryl asked as she flapped the sheet out so that it billowed over the bed. “Just pull it tight to the top while I tuck it in under the mattress.”

 

As Beryl worked, she continued her conversation with Jeez as casually as she could, even though she was beginning to doubt if she would ever be able to complete her mission. “So, how exactly does a Jedi get ‘broken,’” she asked him in a conversational tone. Maybe he would tell her a bit more about these experiments, though in a round about way. “You’re fit. You’re articulate. You’ve still got your lightsaber. Handsome, no visible scars. You don't look broken. You look fine." She smoothed out the wrinkles on the bedsheet with a swirling caress of a hand. "In fact, you look very fine to me.”

 

She cringed then, and looked up at him, grinning apologetically. “Sorry. I’m not intentionally trying to flirt with you,” she clarified. “It just came out that way." In truth, it had just come out that way. Beryl liked to flirt, as did most Corellian women. It was sort of like a genetic trait, or flaw as the case were. She grabbed a pillowcase and turned away from him while she changed it. "'Cause flirting with you would be against the rules, right?" She sighed. “Yup, really got to learn to keep my mouth shut…”

[stingerhs]

"No, its alright," Jeez stated referring to Beryl's apology. "Honestly, I'm tired of having to be at an arm's length from everyone. Its refreshing to be able to have a real conversation for once.

 

Now, as for how you break a Jedi, well, lets just say that I'd rather not discuss that and leave it there. Its not a very pleasant experience even if they would try to convince you otherwise. Hmph, if it wasn't for my grasp on humanity, its likely that I would've ended up like most of their other experiments: a twisted bunch that's either too scared to move or too dangerous to allow them any freedoms."

 

With the last bit, Jeez's voice slowly started to trail off as he remembered several of the Jedi that had passed through the Facility.

 

"Anyways, I do have to ask something about you," Jeez stated as he closed and locked the door to the room. Going up to a computer terminal, he punched in a series of codes until a message popped up stating, "Room Secured."

 

"We don't have much time to talk plainly before they override my security measures, but for now, I can assure that whatever we say won't leave this room. Lets start with what I know. You arrived here with the Jedi Ryshana, correct?"

 

Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Well, from the questions that you're asking, I'd have to assume that you're at least trying to get to her. If that's what you're after, then just say yes or no, and we can talk more about this in detail when you leave for the Main Prison Facility on the tram. If at all possible, I'd like to help a friend of a friend."

[JasraLantill]

Beryl’s brow raised with surprise, and she exchanged a quick but apprehensive look with Sam, who merely gave her an uncommitted shrug. Beryl quickly turned back to Jeez. Was Jeez telling the truth? She had to make up her mind quickly.

 

Taking the risk of having her Force Sensitivity being discovered, she tried to reach out with the Force to sense…

 

She swallowed hard. She sensed absolutely nothing. No intuitive tingle. No perception of feeling. No connection to the greater universe. No Force! Just… nothing.

 

She knew that she probably looked shocked at the moment, and she hoped that Jeez would assume it was from the abruptness of his question instead of from her discovery of no Force. “I sincerely hope you’re being serious,” she said to him. She paused for a second or two, trying to read his eyes and facial expression. He seemed to be genuine, but if he wasn’t….

 

She had to take the chance. “Yes.”

[stingerhs]

As Jeez waited for Beryl, he concentrated on her. She was confused and surprised, but then, he noticed something that she was doing. She was trying to concentrate on him. Are you trying to use the Force, little one? Jeez wondered. This day is indeed getting more and more interesting. Its no wonder she would trust someone such as this.

 

“I sincerely hope you’re being serious,” she said to him. “Yes.”

 

"Good. I apologize for the bluntness of the question, but you've just shown me a degree of trust than I won't soon forget," Jeez replied. Pressing a couple of codes back into the terminal, he continued, "For now, we'll proceed with the task of laundry that you've been given today, but I'd also suggest that we'd just get this done and not worry about probing around for what this Facility's security measures and defenses are. I can provide you with any details that you'll need, but we'll handle that when we're done."

 

After he entered the final sequence, a message popped up indicating that the room was no longer secured. "If I didn't make myself clear before, then I hope that you understand now: no more questions," Jeez told Beryl, but one had to sense that the statement was meant more for the benefit of others that might be listening in than Beryl herself.

 

Then, a voice came over the intercom, "Is everything ok in there, Jeez?"

 

Pressing a button on the terminal, Jeez then answered, "Everything is fine. Just taking care of some disciplinary actions, that's all."

 

"Very well. Just remember that Doctor Twerna doesn't appreciate that sort of thing."

 

"He'll live. Now, was there something else?"

 

"No, but don't think that we won't be keeping a closer eye on you."

 

"Understood. Jeez out," he finished as he let go the button. Rolling his eyes at Beryl, he was more or less signaling that she definitely didn't need to ask any more questions.

 

((since most of the rest of the day for Sam, Beryl, and Jeez is going to be very much uneventful, i'm going to skip us ahead to when we're leaving the Facility.))

 

As the door closed behind them, Jeez listened carefully to the whispers in the dark. The creatures were restless tonight, and that meant that walking the bridge might be a bit more hazardous than it normally is. "Lets get moving. This isn't going to be an easy crossing tonight; so be ready for anything," Jeez stated as he continued to concentrate on the area around them.

[Rogue Nine]

(( Easy there! Beryl still needs to contact Conn, since he's just kind of sitting in limbo right now. Way to just totally take that opportunity away ))

[stingerhs]

((hey, we aren't starting the rescue right now. there's other factors to prep for first. i am following the agreed storyline; i'm just taking a slightly different route first. don't worry, it'll fit in. ))

[JasraLantill]

As the door closed behind them, Jeez listened carefully to the whispers in the dark. The creatures were restless tonight, and that meant that walking the bridge might be a bit more hazardous than it normally is. "Lets get moving. This isn't going to be an easy crossing tonight; so be ready for anything," Jeez stated as he continued to concentrate on the area around them.

Beryl stared out over the bridge that crossed the dark abyss. She could hear the disconcerting whispers echoing in the cavern, but she didn’t sense anything else. Then again, there seemed to be no Force here for some reason. She hadn’t realised until now how disturbing it was not to be able to feel it. Ryshana had been right. Beryl had been unknowingly using the Force all her life—and it felt extremely uncomfortable to be cut of from it. She cast a backwards glance at the turrets behind them. “Those turrets are on-line, aren’t they?” she asked Jeez.

 

“Always,” was his reply, although Beryl could tell that his attention was seemingly being focused elsewhere. It was as if he was…

 

Beryl frowned slightly. “Jeez…?” she asked tentatively. “What are you doing?”

 

Sam giggled unexpectedly. “He’s a Jedi, sweetie,” she said matter-of-factly. “What do you think he’s doing? He’s concentrating, using his Jedi magic, using the Force.” She gave Beryl a disparaging look, then grinned. “Don’t you read?”

 

Beryl frowned at Sam. “Of course I read,” she said irritably. She quickly eyed Jeez over, her attention drawn to the small silver box he wore on his belt. If he was using the Force in a place where no Force seemed to be, then she guessed that box might have something to do with it. Still, she wasn’t going to ask him. Not here. Not now. She wanted to keep her secret as long as she could, both from him and Sam, although she guessed that he would probably find out before she was ready to tell him.

 

A funny thought suddenly came to mind, and she let out a light snort of amusement. When he did find out, he probably wouldn’t be surprised that Ryshana had taken on Beryl as a student, nor that she had recruited Beryl to help her. But how would he feel when he found out that only a little over a week ago, Beryl had been wrestling with moving a salt pot! When he had commented that she was green earlier today, he had no idea just how right he had been.

 

Jeez started forward, and she and Sam followed close behind him. “Two meters for the turret sensors, right?” Beryl asked as she made sure to stay as close to the middle of the bridge as possible this time. If the creatures did attack, worse came to worse, she could always trigger the turrets to help them out. Avoiding turret fire had to be easier than avoiding unseen and creepy creatures.

[stingerhs]

"Yes, two meters. And stay as much in the middle of the width of the bridge as you can. These creatures could easily come up from underneath since the turrets don't protect that area," Jeez stated as they moved forward.

 

Moving slowly and quietly, Jeez's hand rested on the hilt of his lightsaber. Around them, the whispers seemed to intensify and ebb in pulsating waves. One couldn't help but to notice that the feeling of dread from the Facility was now being replaced by another more primal sense of dread. As they reached the center of the bridge, Jeez suddenly jerked to a stop.

 

Something was definitely not right, and all he knew was that it wasn't the creatures. Meanwhile, he turned around and deactivated the small box on his belt as he no longer needed it. ((and hence, Beryl would be able to sense the Force now. ))

 

"You feel that, don't you, Miss Beryl? They've taken the turrets offline," Jeez commented somewhat dryly.

 

"Umm, why would they take the turrets offline? Now isn't exactly a good moment for this," Sam commented.

 

"I'm not too sure myself," Jeez stated as he felt around him. Taking his lightsaber off his belt, he knew that the creatures would figure it out very soon. Then, he realized what was happening with the turrets: they had intentionally been taken offline. "D*** it!!! Twerna, you son of a murglak!! He thinks I'm going to betray him!

 

Bah, no time for that now. Now, remember what my first rule was?? Well, just pay attention, and we'll get out of this alive."

 

Reaching into a hidden compartment of his boot, Jeez pulled out a small hold-out blaster and tossed it to Beryl. "I'll be wanting that back," he stated as he looked around a bit.

 

"Ok, on my mark, we're going to make a run for the other side of the bridge. Everyone stick close, and we'll be fine," Jeez stated as he was seemingly waiting on something. Around them, the whispers seemed to be pulsating faster as if the creatures were starting to get excited over something. Behind them, one could plainly make out the sound of padded feet and scraping claws, and in front of them, you could almost make out the sound of claws grasping and holding into rock.

 

"And mark!" Jeez yelled out as he suddenly sprung forward and activated his lightsaber. In the flash of blue light, one could see a strange reptilian-like animal being slashed open with the lightsaber. "Come on!!" Jeez yelled back to Sam and Beryl to urge them onwards.

[JasraLantill]

Beryl caught the hold out blaster that Jeez threw her without even looking at it. And then she grinned. The Force was back!

 

"I'll be wanting that back, "Jeez stated as he looked around a bit.

 

“Of course,” Beryl said quietly. Her eyes flicked back and forth, looking for movement. It was too dark to see anything, but the hair raising feeling she was getting told her that danger was near.

 

"Ok, on my mark, we're going to make a run for the other side of the bridge. Everyone stick close, and we'll be fine," said Jeez.

 

“Let’s hope so.” Beryl waited along with Sam, who didn’t seem as concerned about the creatures as Beryl and Jeez—and Sam was unarmed! She heard the scraping claws and the padded footsteps around them, and she gave Sam a guarded look.

 

“Don’t worry about me, sweetie,” Sam said in a low whisper. “I’ve dealt with worse things.”

 

Beryl eyed her friend critically. Obviously, there was more to Sam than met the eye.

 

"And mark!" Jeez yelled out as he suddenly sprung forward and activated his lightsaber. In the flash of blue light, one could see a strange reptilian-like animal being slashed open with the lightsaber. "Come on!!"

 

There was no need to tell Beryl or Sam twice. The two of them took off at breakneck speed following Jeez. While he fended off the creatures in front of them, Beryl shot over her shoulder at the ones that were coming up from behind. All her shots hit something, but a hold-out blaster was not even in the same league as a lightsaber in this situation. The creatures thick reptilian hide was tough, and they treated blasts Beryl was firing at them as mere irritants.

 

“I think I’m just making them angry with this thing!” Beryl called out to Jeez. Nevertheless, she and Sam kept running and she kept shooting. Suddenly, one of the creatures crawled up and over the side of the bridge—right in Beryl and Sam’s path. While Beryl took aim, Sam, sporting a look of sheer determination, kicked the creature hard in the head—and to Beryl’s surprise, stunned it for the few tenths of a second that they needed to skirt past it.

 

“Wow!” Beryl commented, running as she unleashed more blaster fire at the creature to halt its pursuit. “That’s some set of leg muscles you got there!”

 

“What can I say? I work out,” Sam said modestly, as she, too, kept running.

[stingerhs]

The reptilian creatures were almost no match for Jeez. In an almost artistic flurry, Jeez was simply cutting his way through. The creatures were by no means numerous, but they could take a good deal of damage before they were finished off. As Jeez finished off each creature, he also took care to shove the heavily wounded creatures off the bridge with the Force so they weren't in Beryl and Sam's way.

 

Finally, up ahead, the door leading out to the tramway was visible. However, there were several creatures blocking the path. Stopping in his tracks, Jeez took a second to study them. Unlike most of the creatures that had been attacking them, these creatures were a good deal larger. Figures, the young ones just outright attack while the older ones lay in wait, Jeez thought to himself. Well, there's always the old fashioned method of handling this problem.

 

Jeez then moved forward somewhat slowly. Suddenly, two smaller creatures quickly climbed up the sides of the bridge to attack the group. Ready for the trap, Jeez pushed both of his hands outwards as he created a massive wave in the Force that sprung out from both directions. The two creatures were completely caught off guard and were flung into the darkness.

 

Seeing that the ambush had failed, the larger ones very quickly moved in to attack Jeez, Sam, and Beryl. Jeez just waited for the first one to reach him, and he then dodged quickly as the first one tried to catch him in its jaws. In one quick flourishing move, Jeez then slashed the creature on its neck, and the head quickly bounced separately from the rest of the body. Then, Jeez swung his lightsaber around, and curiously, the creatures backed away from the blade.

 

Now, instead of attacking, they cowered away from Jeez ever so slightly. Prey such as this wasn't worth the effort, and they hissed loudly at the group. "Well, they're smart enough to understand that we probably don't taste good enough to warrant a serious injury," Jeez commented.

[Rogue Nine]

Conn zipped the black bag shut, then shoved it away into the locker under his desk, next to a full medical kit. He shut the locker, then sat back up in his chair and put his legs on top of his desk. Putting his hands behind his head, he mulled over his thoughts. It had only been a few days since Beryl Quitaan had come crashing back into his life and he'd already broken more rules in that short span than he had during his entire stay at the Imperial facility, all for her. He smirked at himself, then blew a lock of light brown hair out of his eyes.

 

She'd always been the fiery, no-nonsense type of person when it came to survival and getting out of sticky situations, which was probably why Conn found it so easy to place his trust and hopes in her, to the point where he'd taken all his important personal belongings and stored them in a bag for easy access when the time came to make their escape. Escape, he thought, mulling over the word in his mind. It had been quite a while since he'd entertained any thought of escaping this wretched facility. It wasn't out of any lack of desire to leave; he certainly did want to get out. He'd not thought about it because he didn't have any definite way of leaving that didn't end in him dying. For as lax as the Imperials were about their prisoners in the facility, they really didn't allow anyone out. Conn had never known any attempt at escape to be successful.

 

Beryl's appearance had rekindled his hopes. He knew her, she was a survivor and a Force-sensitive one at that. She'd find some way out. And she would take him with her. Conn allowed himself a slight smile as he glanced over at the innocuous deck of sabacc cards on his desk.

[JasraLantill]

Now, instead of attacking, they cowered away from Jeez ever so slightly. Prey such as this wasn't worth the effort, and they hissed loudly at the group. "Well, they're smart enough to understand that we probably don't taste good enough to warrant a serious injury," Jeez commented.

Beryl panned her eyes over the retreating creatures and the severed reptilian head on the ground, then glanced down at her hold-out blaster, still drawn and ready to fire but pathetic protection compared to Jeez’s lightsaber. “Whatever they are,” she said, her eyes never leaving the creatures, “I don’t think they have to worry about serious injury from this blaster. I’d be better off kicking them in the head like Sam did.”

 

“Don’t try it, sweetie,” Sam said, protectively sidling up next to Beryl. She placed her hand between Beryl’s shoulders and lightly rubbed her back. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

 

Beryl stiffened slightly, then looked at Sam askance. “Erm…yeah.” She cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Shouldn’t we be heading for that door now?” Beryl quickly changed the subject. “Before they change their mind and decide that they really are that hungry?”

 

All day long, room after room, bedsheet after bedsheet, Beryl had been wanting to ask Jeez about his plan to free Ryshana, but Jeez had made it clear that they were being watched. Now, with Jeez’s presumption that the turrets had been shut off on purpose, it was very likely that they were still being watched.

 

“Or before that Twerna guy you cursed at earlier decides to switch the turrets back on and decide to target us?” Beryl added, looking at Jeez.

[stingerhs]

"He wouldn't do that; I'm sure of that much. But these creatures are a more immediate threat," Jeez stated as he stepped forward. Almost instantly, the creatures backed away. "The catch is to make them back away without letting them feel like their cornered. Otherwise, they'll likely turn very aggressive and fight to the death. So, that's when you resort to other methods of persuasion."

 

Before Sam or Beryl could ask, Jeez suddenly threw the lightsaber in a twirling attack between the two creatures. Recoiling almost instantly to the sides of the bridge, they clawed for a footing and recovered fairly quickly. As Jeez pulled the lightsaber back, the creatures hissed at Jeez before they disappeared into the darkness.

 

"There, problem solved," Jeez stated as he deactivated his lightsaber and walked up to the door. Pressing a code into the keypad, the door slid open. Ahead, one could see the tracks for the tram, but it was missing the tram itself.

 

"Hmm, looks like we'll have to call the tram. Well, lets move on, shall we?" Jeez stated as he motioned for Sam and Beryl to go through. As they headed through, Jeez studied the bridge for a moment and felt something. Then, the turrets came to life and started firing. The blasts then impacted a nearby creature that was waiting for Jeez to turn his back. Smiling at the irony, Jeez then headed through the door.

 

Punching in another code on the other side, the door slid closed and locked up. Heading over to the tram line, he reached down and punched in a code to call the tram. With a confirmation beep, Jeez felt the tracks for movement, and sure enough, the tram was on its way.

 

"Well, since I know that we're no longer being watch, we can continue where we left off in the Facility. First off, I hope that you have access to a datapad of some kind because all I could get for you was this," Jeez stated as he gave Beryl a very small memory module. "That module contains a Level 4 layout of the Facility including a Level 4 security layout. The only problem, however, is that Ryshana is being held in the only Level 5 section of the Facility, and I don't have the security clearance for that.

 

Second, I need to know this much at least, and I want you to be perfectly honest with me: what level of trust has Ryshana put on you? And like I said, be very honest with me; I've been very, very close to Ryshana in the past to know how she handles trust to anyone, much less someone that has a limited ability to use the Force."

[JasraLantill]

At Jeez’s words, Sam eyed Beryl over. “A limited ability to use the Force, huh?” She grinned slyly. “I knew there was something special about you, sweetie.”

 

“There’s nothing special about me, Sam,” Beryl said quietly, as she stared at the module in her hand. She silently cursed herself for trying to use the Force covertly in Jeez's presence. How could she have thought that she could hide her Force Sensitivity from him? No wonder he asked her if she could 'feel' the turrets going off-line.

 

“Yeah, right,” Sam said cynically. “And normal people can shoot blasters when they are running and actually hit their targets in the dark.”

 

Beryl ignored Sam’s quip. “I can get a datapad,” she said to Jeez, as she put the module in her pocket. “That’s not a problem.”

 

She met Jeez’s eyes. There was still something behind them that she found slightly disconcerting—though maybe it was just sadness and regret she was sensing. He hadn’t exposed her to the higher-ups as a friend of Ryshana’s, even though he could have. He had offered his help and had given her a layout of the facility, even though he didn’t have to. He had saved her and Sam from the beasts in the cavern, although he could have left them fend for themselves. And, he hadn’t even asked for the blaster back yet. He had done more than what she would have ever expected from someone she had just met.

 

And yet, she still felt somewhat reluctant to answer his question and divulge her relationship with Ryshana. After all, she had seen that he had one of those ‘spring jacks’ implanted in the back his head. What was it for? What if it was used to control him as he apparently controlled those other prisoners? Beryl was wary, but still, for all he had done, she felt Jeez deserved an answer.

 

She gave Sam a guarded look, then returned her gaze to Jeez. “I’m Ryshana's….” She paused, looked up to the ceiling, and then sighed. She was remembering something Ryshana had said. “But if we come across any remaining Jedi, I'm going to refer to you as my Padawan Learner whether you like it or not. At the time, Beryl thought it was highly unlikely that they would ever meet another Jedi. Yet, here was Jeez, standing right in front of her.

 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this….” She took a deep breath, and looked Jeez squarely in the eyes. “I’m her… trainee,” she said quietly. She bit her lip. “Her 'Padawan Learner.'”

[stingerhs]

"Ahh, and now everything falls into place. I was rather curious as to how Ryshana would've been captured in the first place. She used to be quite the alarmist, and she's always been one to "safely" test the limits of anything. Well, it makes sense to me now, at least: she wanted to get into the Facility to either see what was going on or to try to rescue someone.

 

Either way, she left herself a way out: you. She was always one for backups, and quite frankly, its a good thing that she did this time. I doubt she was expecting everything that has happened to her, and I also doubt that you were (and are) fully prepared for everything that has happened to her. The key, however, is that you're free from Twerna's clutches.

 

Even I ultimately answer to Twerna. He has something dangerous planned, and I want to stop him. The problem is that I can't stop him because he wired too many safety nets into me. As for you, on the other hand..." Jeez said as he started to trail off at the end.

 

"I know just the thing, and it should be the key to everything. Tomorrow, instead of finding Ryshana, I need you to do something else for me instead. You see, the key to this whole facility is a bunch of creatures called the "ysalimiri". These little guys have the ability to block the Force, and that would normally prevent anyone from using the Force withing a certain radius of these things.

 

However, Twerna has developed a device that can allow a certain individual use the Force in the midst of these ysalimiri. I'm sure you noticed the little box that I wear on my belt. The key is that this little box also contains a signal so that whomever is using it also has to respond to certain commands. That means that if I chose to attack Twerna or one of his men, all he would have to do is to speak a key phrase, and I would stop in my tracks. In order for that not to happen, I need to be able to use the Force without using this device.

 

Thats where you come in. When you get access to the terminal, I need you to study that data to figure out the nourishment system that's setup in order to keep these things alive. Your best bet would be to poison that nourishment system to kill all of those things. If you can't manage that, then you'll have to find a way to kill them individually. When that happens, I'll have free reign to take care of the Security System and help you get to Ryshana.

 

With that said, I can understand if you don't trust me too well, but I know full and well that you've placed a lot of trust in me already. That shows quite a bit of character on your part, but perhaps a bit of recklessness as well. The key, however, is that you have your heart set on a goal, and you're pursuing it the best you can. If you learn anything in your life, make sure that you learn that principle. Without it, you'll be going nowhere in a hurry," Jeez said. In the background, one could hear and feel the rumblings of the tram approaching the station.

 

"Now, do we have a deal or not?"

[JasraLantill]

Beryl nodded. She switched the hold-out blaster to her left hand, then stuck out her right hand to Jeez. "Deal," she said, shaking his hand.

 

She looked at Sam then, with a very serious type of look on her face. "And don't you breathe a word, even a hint, to anyone about me being a Force Sensitive."

 

Sam raised her brow. "Me? Betray you, sweetie? Never." She winked at Beryl. "I know how to keep a secret."

 

"Let's hope so," Beryl warned. "Or both of our lives are going to be relatively short."

 

Looking at Jeez again, she said, "One question...." And then she grinned bemusedly. Jeez had to have expected at least one question from her after all the ones she'd asked him earlier. "Okay...two. One, what about the other Jedi? You mentioned there were others. I didn't see any of them, but I can't imagine Ryshana would leave without them, and you, if at all possible." She paused for a moment. "And two...."

 

She held out the blaster to him, barrel first. "Can you get me a blaster when we get inside tomorrow? I can't take this back with me, obviously, because one, I wouldn't get past the security scanners on the other end, and two, you need it back because I'm sure someone on your side saw you give it to me." She looked at Jeez's lightsaber. "And I haven't quite mastered the 'art' of sabers." She grinned cheesily. "Yet."

[stingerhs]

Jeez smiled at the last comment as he took the blaster from Beryl. "Just remember that a weapon does not define a person. Rather, it is the weapon that is defined by the one the wields its," Jeez stated. Behind him, the rumbling slowly started to ease up, and up ahead in the tunnel, one could make out an approaching set of lights.

 

"Now, as for the other Jedi that are there?? Hmm, well, I don't have much hope for them. They didn't quite take to certain process the way I did. As such, they act much more like remote control droids than actual people. Unlike you and I, all of their actions are dictated by Twerna. Granted, they only have to be given general commands such as "Kill him" or "Hold them off", but the concept remains the same.

 

Why I'm different from the others, well, I'm not quite sure. I do know, however, that Ryshana has already received that procedure. Whether or not she is capable of acting like I am or more like the others, I don't know. They restricted my access to her since they performed that procedure.

 

As for a blaster, I'll be leaving some supplies out here in a hidden location since I won't be meeting you out here. You should be able to find if you use the proper Force technique, though. Just remember to concentrate on a nearby datapad, and you should lead yourself right to it."

 

As the tram pulled up and stopped, Jeez headed for the door leading back to the Facility. "Oh, and since I won't be meeting you out here, the code for this door is "5878423". Don't forget it! And may the Force be with you," Jeez yelled back at them. With a smile and a brief wave, Jeez opened the door and headed through. With a swish, the door closed, and Jeez was on his way back to the Facility.

 

Finally some good news. I just hope this all turns out alright, Jeez thought to himself. Maybe now, I finally be able to put an end to Twerna, and of course, I be able to make an unexpected reunion with my wife.

 

At the thought of "wife", Jeez smiled to himself yet again. He knew that she didn't like him calling her that, but then again, it was just too fitting of a description.

[JasraLantill]

((OOC: Sort of a joint post between me and Steven here. It’s long, but… *shrugs*))

 

Beryl and Sam boarded the windowless automated tram. They took their seats, and in a few seconds, the tram doors shut and it started to move.

 

Sam laced her hands together behind her neck and sat back in the seat and relaxed. “I love these trams,” she said. “Clean, quiet, comfortable seats….” She grinned slyly. “No listening devices. No cameras.”

 

Beryl looked around. True enough, she didn’t see any security cameras. “You sure?”

 

“Sure I’m sure,” Sam said confidently. “Imps don’t spend credits where they don’t have to. Why would they need to listen or watch us in here? We’re perfectly secure--locked up tight with no windows.”

 

Beryl nodded. “Good point.” She sat down next to Sam. “So… what do you think? Think we can get rid of those Ysalamiri creatures, find my friend, and get out of here alive?”

 

“I think we can kill the creatures, sure. And probably have a good shot of getting out. Don’t know about your friend though. Too many unknowns.” Sam yawned, then said. “But, I don’t trust him—Jeez, I mean.”

 

“What?” Beryl looked confused. “Even after all he did for us?”

 

“Nope.”

 

Beryl frowned at Sam. “Well, I trust him. He’s given us building plans, and he said he’s going to leave us a blaster, and he ….”

 

“And he’s got a spring jack in his head.” Sam raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice how all those laundry workers suddenly became an army with just a few simple words from him?” She shook her head, then leaned back and closed her eyes. “I’ve seen stuff like that before. Not with Jedis, of course, but….” She paused. “Wow. Can you imagine how quickly the Separatists would have fallen if, instead of clones, the Republic had had control of an army like that made up of Jedi?”

 

Beryl swallowed. “Or… just Force Sensitives.” Her brow now wrinkled with worry. “This is just the first step of a bigger plan, isn’t it?”

 

“This is probably the forth or fifth or sixth step,” Sam said. “First step was probably the Clones. Second step was with us. Third step was probably alien prisoners, and then with regular prisoners, and then with….”

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Beryl frowned. “Go back to the second step! What do you mean it was ‘with us.’ Us who?”

 

“Me and my team,” Sam replied matter-of-factly. “Long, long time ago.” She cracked an eye open. “They were trying to make large scale ‘alterations’ on us. You know, make us ‘super soldiers.’” She grinned. “Only they forgot one tiny little thing.”

 

“What?”

 

Sam opened her eyes fully. “Free will, of course. A person can only take so many stupid, meaningless orders before they just… well, ‘crack’ is a good enough word as any. Some of us escaped, some ended up being terminated, others were put into storage--cryo-storage, bio-storage, hiber-storage… I forget what the exact term was they used. And some of us, like me, were caught and secured in facilities like this, and then… well, forgotten. Speaking of which, don’t you say anything, not even a hint, to anyone.” She winked then, letting Beryl know that her threat was empty.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I know how to keep a secret, too.” Beryl thought a moment. Genetically-engineered super-soldiers? Sam certainly didn’t look like a super-soldier, but then again she had kicked that creature in the head harder than what Beryl would have thought possible. “…others were put into storage--cryo-storage, bio-storage, hiber-storage…” Beryl had heard that before, and not too long ago either--on that derelict ghost ship the Rhea.

 

What was really giving Beryl pause was that Ryshana has said something about there being no coincidences, only the Force. Reibe, too, had said the same in those holovids Beryl had watched. Could the Force have had something to do with guiding the Echo to the Rhea? Could the experiments on the Rhea be connected somehow to the experiments here? Had the Force brought Ryshana and Beryl here to the prison? And how did Sam fit into the picture? Beryl wondered. “Sam…how long have you been here?”

 

“Dunno. Long time. I sort of lost count of the years.”

 

“Years?” She gave Sam an incredulous look. “You claim to be some kind of ‘super-soldier’ and yet you’ve been here for years? Haven’t you ever thought about escaping?”

 

“Sure I have, sweetie,” said Sam, still completely relaxed in her seat. “But what’s the point? Here, I get roof over my head, well, Max’s bunk to be precise, but you know what I mean; I get meals, not gourmet ones granted, but its food I don’t have to scrounge up myself; clothing, well, a uniform, but I can’t remember ever wearing anything else anyway; a social life, again, not exactly the cream of the crop for intelligent conversations, but my standards aren’t that high, plus there’s gaming and the gym; I get all the stims and meds I need for next to nothing, thanks to Doc Conn; I get employment, and let’s face it, the mines aren’t that bad once you know the good jobs to get; and, most importantly, I don’t have to be looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone is wanting to kill me, or experiment on me, or dissect me.” She opened her eyes, and grinned at Beryl. “And I get to meet lovely, pretty ladies such as yourself. Why would I want to escape?”

 

Beryl shrugged. “I can see your point, I guess. But… why make the choice to escape now, with me?”

 

Sam sat up. “Because,” she said in all seriousness. “I could tell that you were special the moment I saw you.” She eyed Beryl over. “You’ve got a… sort of aura that surrounds you.” She smiled, then ran a light hand down Beryl’s cheek. “And you’re very pretty….”

 

“Ok!” Beryl suddenly stood up. “Well, we should be nearing the mining station soon.”

 

Sam laughed out loud. “Don’t be so jumpy, sweetie,” she soothed.

 

The tram was slowing down. “Look, Sam,” Beryl said empathetically. “I know you’ve got some sort of… crush on me, but…I prefer the company of men in intimate situations, okay? Not that I don’t like you, I do. I just don’t like you in the same way you seem to like me.”

 

As Beryl shifted uncomfortably, Sam grinned broadly at her. “That’s what they all say. At first.”

 

Before Beryl could close her mouth and retort, the tram stopped and the door opened. The guards motioned them into the scanners, and then released them into the mine assembly area. The mining operation was still going strong as the prisoners shift didn’t finish for another hour.

 

“At least we can just go home now,” Sam said as she and Beryl got into the elevator. “A few minutes of peace and quiet before turning in. Nice.”

 

Home. This place might have been Sam’s home, but it certainly wasn’t Beryl’s. As the elevator rose, she began to think of her friends on the Echo, and how nice it would be to come ‘home’ to them. She’d been here almost three days, and she wondered how they were doing. Cloud hadn’t tried to contact her through the Force, but then again, like her, he was only a Force Adept, not a Jedi. Perhaps the distance was too much for him. Still, she bet he was having a better time than she and Ryshana were.

 

Finally reaching their cell, Beryl and Sam found themselves alone. Max, the Trustee, was still down in the mines supervising. So,while Sam napped in her bunk, Beryl sat on the corner of hers, reached into her pocket and pulled out the Sabacc deck with the hidden recorder. She pressed the tiny hidden button and began to speak.

 

“Got to hand it to you for clever devices, Conn…,” she said into the deck. “Sam and I are back from the other facility now. Scary place, but I’ll tell you about it later. Anyway, I think I’ve got a plan, but I need you to get me some kind of really strong poison.” She wrinkled her nose. “Erm… not for me,” she added. “Things aren’t that bad yet. But something known to kill an organic creature. And as much of it as you can smuggle.”

 

“Tell him to bring me some more stims,” Sam said drowsily.

 

“Hey! I thought you were sleeping,” Beryl said irritably.

 

Sam cracked a smile. “Just tell him to pay me a visit. I feel like I need a house call.”

 

Beryl rolled her eyes. “Sam’s tired and needs a housecall,” she said into the deck. “So, just bring what you can, when you can, and we’ll see you in our cell. Soon,” she added. She paused. “I miss you,” she whispered so that Sam hopefully wouldn’t hear.

[stingerhs]

"Jeez, its good to see you. Please, have a seat," Twerna stated from behind his desk. Jeez felt the now familiar sensation of wanting to do exactly as Twerna stated while still wanting to do it a certain way. It was a struggle at first, but Jeez was too used to it for it to make a difference any more. Behind him stood one of the former Jedi that Twerna had "transformed".

 

Using the Force, thanks to the small device on his belt, Jeez pulled the chair out from under the desk and sat down in it. "So, what is this time, 'Doctor'?" Jeez asked somewhat spitefully.

 

"Are you feeling alright? You don't have any headaches, shaky hands, mood swings, or some other strange sensations?" Twerna asked like any doctor would ask a patient.

 

"No, sir," Jeez stated, again with a hint of spite. Then, Jeez felt a sharp pain racking throughout his head as a long, metal shaft was inserted into the port on the back of his head. Losing most of the voluntary control of his body, Jeez fell limp except for the expression of pain locked onto his face.

 

"Then what the h*** do you think you're doing?!?" Twerna yelled out at Jeez as he stood up from behind his desk. Behind Jeez, the Jedi slowly twisted the connector around a bit until it clicked ever so slightly. At the click, Jeez's face relaxed as the pain slowly drifted away.

 

"Process him for reprogramming. I think its high time that we dealt with his individuality once and for all," Twerna stated somewhat harshly.