Star Wars KOTOR: Counterplay

[ForceFightWMe12]

His lips stiffened again - the only change in his expression as he looked into the glass - but it didn't last for long this time. It turned into an easy smile, but under the edge of his cloak, his right fist opened and closed involuntarily.

 

"You would latch onto something that no one's ever heard of." he muttered lowly, taking another drink before setting the glass down again. "So what is this - a job you're getting paid for? Or just for the hell of it?"

 

That was one suspicion he needed to put to rest. Dominic didn't want to think of his oldest friend as a threat, and if she was being paid to do this research, she could easily become just that. Then again, after the destruction that the Coruscant branch of the Found underwent, he had to wonder if there was any further damage that could even be done.

[Writer]

Arai pressed her lips together. Why did he have to be so damned curious? On second thought, why did they have to be tiptoeing so carefully around one another? They were best friends for Force sake! But as soon as the thought came to her, she dismissed it. They weren't best friends anymore... not for a long while. And there was that 'fuzzy' quality to his presence in the Force. She had a suspicion she knew why.

 

"I'm not getting paid for this," she answered slowly. "Call it a... personal curiosity."

[Tysyacha]

MIRACLE METALS, CORUSCANT

 

The janitor nearby, clad in a nondescript black suit that covered his whole body, heard Miracle Metals' newest visitor shout his REAL name: "Garren Shain"! That signaled the custodian-cum-assassin that his time was nigh. He removed a silenced blaster pistol from his belt, aimed, and shot.

 

Senator Skelch doesn't like visitors here, he thought. Especially nosy ones. He heard the Rodian squeal and dive for cover. Good. Idiot.

 

Had anybody seen him? No--the workers in the plant were too busy slaving away over their welding torches and soldering irons. They hadn't heard or sensed the shot, which was natural because his blaster had been silenced.

 

He did not see Garren Shain fall, so he walked over to investigate the spot where the body was supposed to be. He kept his blaster aimed and ready...

 

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, MESS HALL

 

Perdante suddenly doubled over in excruciating pain. Her mentor's anger was absolutely roaring through the Force, slicing like a blade through the relative tranquility on the ship. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming aloud.

 

"Excuse me," she said once the agony had subsided. "I think I need a little less alcohol and a little more inner peace in my body. Farewell!" With a wink that was halfway between sly and pained, she departed for Juhani's quarters.

[Chevron 7 locke]

The walls continued to creak and groan as they were bent beyond their limits as Juhani continued to focus on her anger and hatred. The sith may have always tried to destroy the Jedi, but at least they respected us as opponets. Fighting a jedi was considered a worthy challenge.

 

The door to her quarters began to bend as the anger she was feeling intensified as an alarm outside in the corridor began to blare.

 

The door finally bent beyond it's limits and fell off it's hinges as Juhani's thoughts turned to that of the Twi'lek. How dare that...that schutta bring such an indecent proposal to Visas! And she escaped punishment when punishment was due!

 

A massive wave of force energy finally exploded from her body as her anger reached the breaking point. Her bag of supplies was sent flying and the walls shuddered under the force of the wave.

[Tysyacha]

ABOARD THE MILLENNNIAL

 

The young Jedi rushed into Juhani's quarters, sprinting toward Juhani and gripping her in a tight hug. "Juhani, come on, stay with me. What's wrong?!?" She hadn't felt such fury since right before...well, since right before her old Master had murdered another one of his "failures" after the poor fool had failed to complete a mission. It was a Sith-type anger, not something Jedi would feel. Jedi would try to control this red-hot malice, and yet Juhani was not doing so...

[Chevron 7 locke]

"Juhani, come on, stay with me. What's wrong?!?"

 

Juhani did not hear the words of her apprentice as the anger began to build in her again. The captain...How dare she accuse us of hiding Visas! It was that shutta who was hiding her! How dare she accuse us!

 

Another, less powerful wave of force energy erupted from her body and sent her apprentice flying toward the wall only to have some sort invisible grip grab her and keep her from collding with the wall.

 

Despite being immersed in her anger and hatred there was some small part of her that couldn't harm her apprentice. A small part of her mind was screaming at her to stop, that if she continued this she would cause a hull breach. A bubble of raw force energy surrounded her.

 

Apprentice! that small part of her screamed through the force. Help...me...

[Alkonium]

To the "janitor", Garren seemed dead, until he noticed the smugglers undershirt being distinctly undamaged, and Garren's fist hitting his face. "Did you really think a blaster was enough to take me down?" Garren asked. The "janitor" was still stunned from the punch, and Garren tore off his mask, grabbing him by the lapel. "I'm sure Admiral Onasi will have plenty of questions for you."

[Tysyacha]

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, JUHANI'S QUARTERS

 

Perdante heard Juhani's desperate cry through the Force. With every ounce of her iron will and power of concentration, she sent gentle waves of love and understanding toward her trainer. Your mind is full of hate. Let it go. Let utter calm encompass you...Breathe with me...There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force.

 

She felt Juhani's lethal anger begin to subside, although just the tiniest bit. She would have made a wonderful Sith, Perdy thought for a moment, and then, So would I have, but since she brought me back, it is my duty and my sacred calling to bring her back to the Light as well. If I don't at least try, then what good am I as a Jedi Knight and servant of the Force?

 

MIRACLE METALS, CORUSCANT

 

Immobilized, but not yet terrified, the assassin stared Garren Shain squarely in the eye and breathed heavily. Nerves of steel, Karu. Nerves of steel...

 

Hired killers of his caliber were almost never expected to come back from their missions alive, especially if their targets managed to gain the advantage over them. Karu knew he was supposed to be good--far, FAR better than this--and he decided he would rather die by his own hand than by Plina Skelch's. Yes, she was a staunch advocate of the right to own any sort of weapon one wished to, permit or no permit. Regulations only got in the way. Besides, if a thief or robber was out to get you, why not be armed beforehand? Thus, Karu smiled slowly and bit down on his hollowed-out back left molar, which contained a capsule of molten ostanovium-- instant death. In order to be non-lethal in seconds, the capsule had to contain powder, not liquid.

 

Karu convulsed violently, dry-heaving, and then fell lifeless to the plant floor.

[SkywalkerRules]

Melany stared at Mica suspiciously. Then she answered with a smile, "All right. I just hope he'll be okay. Never thought a cheerful person could be upset like that, ya know?" The young smuggler chuckled.

 

Deep inside, Melany sensed something that Mica or nobody was telling her. "Better keep a close eye on these two..." the young woman thought to herself. She went beside Mica and smiled. "So, uh... do you guys ever do anything fun around here? Like sports or a game room?"

[Chevron 7 locke]

There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no chaos; there is harmony. There is no death; there is the Force.

 

Juhani's rage began to subside and the bubble of force energy began to fade. There is not emotion...there is peace. She thought as she collapsed to the floor.

 

"Apprentice..." she gasped as she began to get her focus back. "What happened to me? Why are my quarters in shambles?"

 

Juhani honestly didn't remember any of what had happened. One second she had been meditating on the face of her last master and then the Twi'lek's face had appeared in her mind and then...nothing.

 

She looked around her quarters. "Did I do this?"

[Tysyacha]

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, JUHANI'S QUARTERS

 

Jedi are not to lie. Even telling someone a fib so as not to hurt their feelings is frowned upon within the Order. Thus, Perdante sadly looked her mentor straight in her cat-golden eyes. "Yes," she answered. "I felt your anger through the Force. It was at a lethal level. You could have killed me if you hadn't held back just a tiny portion of it. The reason that you don't remember is--well..." She thought a moment. "It was like your rage had utterly taken you over. You were a fountain, spewing out fury and hatred, and I could barely stop it." She sighed.

[ForceFightWMe12]

Sal had been about to comment on the Jedi's sudden flight when another woman caught his attention; and when she did, his face paled. She'd seen him, too.

 

"Salvatore!" cried the voice of Captain Fara Starr. She stepped into the mess hall to get herself a drink, and was met with this instead! First the Jedi, now Sal...what next? Was the entire engine crew going to decide to go on strike??

 

"Were you ever given leave from your post??" She demanded, her heels clicking loudly against the durasteel floor.

 

"N-No, ma'am, but you see--"

 

"There are no buts, soldier! You were given strict orders to stay right where you were - and I don't believe that there's any room for interpretation in those orders, is there?"

 

His dejected affirmation was drowned out by a sudden alarm that made both start. Fara whipped out her datapad...and paled when she saw the source of the alarm. She looked up at Salvatore. "The Jedi." She breathed. And just like that, they were bolting off.

 

When both came to stop in front of Juhani's room with three other security personnel, the commotion had finished...leaving the walls of Juhani's private dorm warped, and her door thrown completely off its tracks and left three feet away in the corridor. Fara didn't pretend to know what happened, and she didn't bother to ask. Her jaw was tight with temper, her eyes narrowed at the two Jedi.

 

"This is the last time I take any of /their/ kind on my ship." She snarled, and with a final glare that seemed to hover on Perdante for a moment, she turned on her heel and left, leaving a mystified group of men behind her.

[Chevron 7 locke]

"This is the last time I take any of /their/ kind on my ship."

 

Juhani sighed heavily and began using the force to move the walls back to their original positions. It wasn't hard work but it was taking a bit of concentration to get the dents out of the wall.

 

"It looks like this time it was my fault apprentice." She said sadly as she lifted up the door with the force and began to hold it directly on it's hinges as she reached for her supply bag and pulled out a few bolts as she continued working on the door.

 

"It was like your rage had utterly taken you over. You were a fountain, spewing out fury and hatred, and I could barely stop it."

 

"It's that Twi'lek." Juhani growled as she finally managed to get the door back on it's hinges and then turned her attention to the few remaining dents on the wall. "There's something about her that unleashes my darkside. I was furious at her for making such comments to Visas. Add that to the fact that she offered to hide visas and was not punished."

 

The dents in the wall vanished, leaving the room looking like it was before the explosion of force energy. The only thing that looked out of place was the various items strewn all over the floor.

 

She looked over the room and smiled slightly. "At least the captain can't complain about the room anymore. But for a while I suggest that we lay low and simply stay out of her way. She is angry at both of us right now."

[Tysyacha]

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL

 

"I agree," replied Perdante, helping Juhani to straighten out the walls and miscellaneous strewn-about objects with the aid of the Force. "We both have a lot of catching up to do if we're ever going to get into the Captain's good graces--or, even less than that, convince her to trust us again. I don't see how we're going to do it, unless a big battle comes up suddenly and we get our chance to be heroes." She swiveled her head around in the silence. "As I thought. We're not going to get our chance now, no matter how hard we try."

 

A signal beeped on Captain Starr's comlink. "Captain Starr?" came the incoming transmission. "This is Admiral Onasi here. Some of our intelligence sources have reported sightings of a 'Prophet of Truth' preaching in the Refugee Sector of Nar Shaddaa. You might want to go check it out, because this could be Khristoff."

[Alkonium]

Miracle Metals, Coruscant

 

"Damn." Garren said as he watched the assassin die. Then, he turned to the rodian. "Now that he's sorted out, the gloves are off. I'm helping the Republic take down Senator Skelch, and I need ALL the help I can get."

 

Aboard the Millennial

 

Niera followed Perdante to Juhani's quarters, feeling that the outburst was at least partially her fault. As she entered, she immediately braced herself.

 

"Before you lash out at me, let me speak." She said to Juhani. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, but we have to work together, and that's going to be impossible if we're at eachother's throats. I was probably wrong to accuse Visas of being a stowaway and then invite her back to my quarters, and I recognise that we're both at fault here, but it would be best to put our differences behind us. Can we agree on that?"

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Roger, Admiral." Fara answered, touching the center of her earpiece to activate the mini microphone. "We've set a course for the Outer Rim, ETA fifteen minutes. I'll have Salvatore," The name was announced louder than the rest of the words so that, even over her shoulder, Sal turned away from watching the Jedi work to look at her. "Chart a course for Nar Shaddaa as soon as we drop. Do you have anything as far as a briefing goes?"

 

Salvatore turned back just in time to see the door suddenly seal itself back onto its hinges. He blinked, frowned, and then looked at the others. "You make sure that they fix things up right." he told the other three soldiers, who nodded curtly, and then he marched after his captain.

 

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

 

Dominic looked at her with a wry grin, watching her eyes carefully for a moment before giving a nonchalant toss of his shoulders. He pretended not to notice her hesitation. "It must be a pretty serious personal curiosity." he said lightly, before nodding towards an open booth. He picked up his drink and headed for it, sitting down on one side and waiting for her to sit down on the other.

 

"So tell me," he said, putting his elbows on the table and leaning slightly forward. "What is it you know about this osti...whatever it was."

[Chevron 7 locke]

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, but we have to work together, and that's going to be impossible if we're at eachother's throats. I was probably wrong to accuse Visas of being a stowaway and then invite her back to my quarters, and I recognise that we're both at fault here, but it would be best to put our differences behind us. Can we agree on that?"

 

Juhani thought for a moment and then bowed. "I feel I must apologize as well. My anger was unjustified, but you must understand: There are so few of the jedi left and I am responsible for so many of them and I love each and everyone of the them like one of my own children. To see one of them approached like that...and your..."offer" set off my temper.

 

"As of now our differeces are behind us." she said.

[Writer]

Arai smiled faintly. "Very little," she said, "apart from how to say it. Ostanovium. Beyond that, it seems almost no one knows anything about it. All rumors regarding it suggest that..." She hesitated. Dare she tell him all that she knew? She was telling the truth that she knew only a little.

 

Her voice trembling, she went on, "that it's a Force inhibitor of a sort. That it can strip a Force-sensitive being of their sensitivity."

 

Arai couldn't help how she felt about that possibility. She knew fully that her ventures into the Dark Side were taking their toll on her. The thought of what she could become terrified her more than she could even say. If ostanovium was her best bet at crushing those darker tendencies, then she wanted to give it a fair shot...

 

"But it's hard to get it right," she went on. "Take it in the wrong dose or form and it's either instantly lethal or it kills you slowly." She leaned back in her chair, trying to calm her mixed emotions. She didn't know if Dom could sense anything out of the "fog" he'd put himself in, but if he could, she wanted him to sense mild curiosity instead of the turmoil she felt.

[Tysyacha]

MIRACLE METALS, CORUSCANT

 

Targhee Ghut sighed. "Look, please. Big-big politician the only reason this place is still open. She pay lots of creds so we can have jobs--even me. All of us on borrowed time. If we not do what politician say, we no have jobs anymore. Still, she NASTY and sends kill-kill guys to the plant to take out nosy visitors. That mean! She give us contracts that use big-big words that we not understand. Maybe you should take look." Targhee motioned for Garren to follow him to his office, with a door labeled WASTE DISPOSAL MANAGEMENT HQ. The Rodian removed his own contract from the middle drawer of his desk. "Looky here. Targhee make you another deal: If you can understand contract and tell me what it really says, then Targhee help you."

 

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL

 

Perdante sighed and left for the Training Room on the ship. She needed to practice her lightsaber forms, and she was just beginning to learn the basics of the Juyo, or Ferocity form. It was very difficult, and as she practiced, she felt her confidence and self-esteem slowly returning. Captain Starr may not trust me because of what I did, but I'm going to try and set things right. She's wary of the Jedi--as she should be, considering how Juhani and I acted. When we get to Nar Shaddaa, I hope to be allowed on the mission to try and find out if this Khristoff is preaching his 'Truth' planetside. If I'm barred from the mission, however, it's nothing more than I deserve.

[Alkonium]

Miracle Metals, Coruscant

 

Garren followed Targhee into his office. He understood the bind that the whole crew here was in, and that made the situation a lot more complicated. Was taking down Skelch worth all these people losing their jobs? He'd sort that out later. "Let me taking a look." Garren said, reading over the contract. Suddenly the look on his face turned sour. "This isn't good." He explained.

[Tysyacha]

MIRACLE METALS, CORUSCANT

 

"What? What, what, what? Targhee want to know what contract say." He fidgeted impatiently. Had Senator Skelch actually "put the screw over on him", as he put it?

[ForceFightWMe12]

Dominic frowned faintly, attempting to look confused as he glanced at the holonet feed that was running on a screen just over her shoulder. "Is that...possible?" he asked, the lie much easier to pull off now that he was casually not looking at her. There was a good chance she already knew he was part of the Found...but if she didn't, he wasn't going to give her any hints. "To be cut off by the Force, I mean. I know the Jedi masters can do it to those they exile, but...I always thought that that was a Force technique. How is there a natural substance that can destroy the Force?"

 

He lifted his glass to his lips and took another drink before looking back down at her. After a moment of silence, he said, "...where did you get this information from?"

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

As the lightsaber whipped around, cutting a humming arc through the air, the smooth movement came to an abrupt halt with a hiss. When Perdante turned, it was Salvatore standing there with a vibroblade in hand, its mesh groaning against the beam of the lightsaber. He disengaged with a sharp twist of his wrist and stepped back, squaring off against her from across the sparring mat.

 

"Jedi Apprentice Perdante." he said, falling into a fighting stance. "I hope you don't mind me joining in."

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

"Visas Marr."

 

At first, it might have seemed as though Captain Starr was merely addressing the woman who was still sitting in the cell, but as she drew closer, it became apparent that she was reading from the datapad in front of her nose. The thumb of her free hand was hooked into her belt, her palm resting lightly over the top of her blaster.

 

"Known companion of the Jedi Exile, former apprentice to the renegade Jedi known as Nihilus, and subsequent agent of defeat thereof. Received several Jedi and Republic commendations for her participation in his defeat; disappeared from record shortly thereafter."

 

She looked up then, dropping her hand back to her side as her eyes fell on the woman sitting on the room's cot. "Just for future reference, Miss Marr," she said as she signed to the attending guard. The force field caging her in hummed, flickered, and then powered out. "It would be nice if you asked permission before coming aboard my ship." The words sounded serious, but there was a small smile on Captain Farr's lips. She was...joking?

[Tysyacha]

ABOARD THE MILLENNIAL, TRAINING ROOM

 

"Of course." Perdante bowed to Salvatore with a smile. "It's always more effective to practice the lightsaber forms with an actual opponent, even if said opponent is not wielding a saber himself. In fact, with your using a vibroblade, it's actually better. If I'm going to fight against Khristoff and defeat him, and Khristoff doesn't use the Force, then I'd better know how to best him in melee combat. I'm trying to learn Form VII, or Juyo. Otherwise known as Ferocity, this one is the hardest form to learn. The object is to overwhelm your opponent quickly, and it's used best in duels."

 

As she ignited her twin silver sabers, the Jedi continued, "Maybe this way I'll actually earn Captain Starr's trust again. Right now, she hates me, as well she might. I drew my weapons on her, and I won't be surprised if she drops me off on Nar Shaddaa and leaves me there once we find the target of our inquiry. If we do, it's going to take a lot to hold me back from fighting him right there."

[ForceFightWMe12]

"Yeah, I'll just pretend that I understood what all of that meant." he said with a little smirk, and then stepped forward. He was the first to strike, throwing a swipe at her head that was quickly deflected. The only formal melee training Salvatore had received was at the hands of his boot camp sergeant, and so he didn't expect to win against a Jedi - but he could, perhaps, hold his own.

 

Her saber emitted another hiss as his sword caught it again. "She's really not all that bad. She's just pissed cause...well. You hurt her." It wasn't like he'd only just met the captain; they'd been working together for long enough now that both he and his brother could figure out what was going on in dear old Fara's head. "She really liked you, and you went and pulled your blades on her. But you don't have to worry; she's dealt with worse before.

 

"Although...if you really wanted her to shove you off on Nar Shaddaa..." Their weapons locked so abruptly that the only explanation was that he had done it on purpose. His vibroblade had caught the center of both of her blades in a cross, locking them in close proximity to each other. He was smirking at her through the web of sword, his eyes flashing devilishly. "All you'd have to do is sleep with me."

[Writer]

GUYO'S CANTINA, MANAAN

 

Arai almost hated how often she was hesitating during this conversation. But with her old friend somewhat harder to find in the Force, there was a slight delay in pinpointing exactly what he hoped would come of this discussion, of his questions. There! In a subtle way, he had given her a lead-in.

 

"Mostly rumors," she said. A short pause. "But many of them center around a group known as the Found."

 

Boom! she thought. Yeah, I went there. And she waited to see how Dom would try to maneuver himself around that.