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Star Wars: The Crimson Covenant / Re: CC: Corporate Greed
« Last post by Syren on August 10, 2024, 11:25:27 PM »“In a state of confusion you made an illusion
State of confusion you made an illusion.”
-Elsiane
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The implications of his conversation with Irulan weigh on him but he knows what he must do.
He is many things, of course; dashing, spoiled, selfish, and wealthy. All the things a good corporate heir should be – at least the ones that make headlines on the Holo. He also isn’t entirely foolish which is why he goes to Demaris. With Alka at rehearsals with Roman (as Avenarius) and Shendo, it leaves him time that evening with Demaris and Taarek in the Gellar Tower.
He excuses Taarek, asking to speak to Demaris alone.
She nods and he takes his leave, disappearing into the expanse of the penthouse.
“I am telling you this because you need to know and because I trust you. Not that Gemma doesn’t have legitimate concerns with your Order and the way of things but the Jedi, on occasion, have saved the galaxy and stuff so here we are.”
Her expression tightens, “Damning by faint praise. How very…you. What is it? Sounds serious.”
Dane outlines everything Gemma told him about what happened on Corellia after the group dispersed – the betrayal, the appearance of the freed Infiltrator, the fight that ensued, and the injuries and death that resulted from it. All stemmed from a traitor among them, the seemingly meek Lysette, who had been manipulating them the entire time with the intention of striking Gemma down before doing the same with Riley.
“As far as agents of the prophecy go, I’d say that pretty much covers it. You want to stop what is coming, so maybe we start here. With us. How well do you know everyone you brought with you?”
It stuns her momentarily silent as she processes everything he tells her. There is a flicker of anger that she did not sense anything amiss throughout their adventures - so focused on Gemma slipping effortlessly to the dark side and Roman spiraling into revenge with murderous intentions - that she did not even realize there was an even greater threat within the group. This is followed by profound grief at losing both Oz and Lysette, two who she believed they were able to save from the Republic’s purge of the Jedi and subsequent elimination of anyone who may possess any type of connection to the Force.
They have failed them.
She pushes a strand of purple hair away from her eyes and raises them to meet his.
“I could do without the accusatory tone but it is a relevant question given those rather horrific details. The truth is, I thought I knew them better than I do. That much is clear. We came together so quickly, separated into groups of Force-sensitive refugees pouring out of the Republic capital who were then shipped off to supposedly safer places. Oz, Lysette, Sirona, and Shendo remained with us, as you know. You were there at the Viperii Lakehouse when we left. Taarek was routing people out of Chandaar any way he could and joined us I believe in some part because of the devotion his father held for Melanie Masterton.
Although the refugees regarded her with suspicion, considering her background, public profile, and connection to atrocities sensationalized throughout the galaxy, Taarek saw what I saw, glimmers in Gemma that led us to believe she held a greater chance armed with the context Melanie so clearly lacked. That does not speak to motive to me if we are reasoning it out. I suppose you realize this puts Roman under suspicion as well.”
Dane folds his arms, “He faked his death to spite his shitty parents after their hand in Preston’s death. As grateful as I am that he is alive, it was not something I expected.”
“We were led to him – by Lysette. That detail holds greater significance now.”
“Not disputing that,” Dane says evenly. “If Oz was in on anything, he got a raw deal from the visuals Gemma so vividly provided. Sirona is with your brother but Gemma told me she already sent word so he is aware. We now know Lysette orchestrated this with help from the grey-skinned woman and that Infiltrator thing. Shendo is, well, something else.”
“He has always been the most skeptical of all this. Not making the kinds of connections we did with each other. The closest he came to showing any kind of warmth was when he banded together with the others to stop Roman from using that superlaser on his family. Not a small thing. However, it is slightly atypical of the Nagai to be so withdrawn. They are traditionally more charismatic, and engaging, but we must remember they all suffered extreme trauma from being turned on so ruthlessly by the Republic. They had citizens hunting them down in the streets. Shendo is a skilled warrior, best with blades so the saber comes more naturally to him, and yet he has not taken up against us.”
“Lysette had the same access to you as he did but did not strike until the time was right. Who is to say he is not lying in wait as the backup?”
“For what?”
He cannot believe that he, for once, gets there first.
“Gemma said the Corellian doctor freed the Infiltrator and likely tipped off the Republic that Corellia hasn’t exactly been operating to the letter of their stupid laws. That set in motion the conflict brewing between them. On the capital, it sure looks like Janessa Kain took out the Republic President, one of the last opponents to the Speaker's consolidation of power and increasing instability.”
He glances down and tries to swallow, mouth having gone dry.
“Garron has tried to kill me more than once and is now on the loose probably plotting to do so again. Two of those three people may be dead but actions were still carried out on who knows whose orders. The grey-skinned woman? Those Voss-Ra freaks? Other, still unknown creepers and prophecy hangers-on? What I’m trying to say is…if Lysette and her flunky-bot-thing succeeded in killing Gemma and Riley and Garron had killed me…”
Demaris’s mouth falls open, “Dahlia would be declared victor, as she would have survived the prophecy.”
“Full stop, no contingency plans. Game over.”
“And what they believe will happen with a Winton victory may come to pass.”
“Big time maybe, but yeah. They sure as hell think so and we would be unprepared to stop them. Any of them. I mean, holy shit, Dahlia as Imperial Empress? On the throne beside that nerd Barrett? Yikes.”
Demaris clasps her hands in her lap, “Right, but thankfully none of those things happened. They were stopped there and can be stopped here.”
“And what about you?"
“Me?”
“Yes, you, Demaris. You were missing for a time too. Gone after your incident on Hesperidium.”
“A few years ago, yes. The Voss-Ra tried to toss me off that bloody tower. I already explained this to everyone.”
“Janessa told me straight up she was on a fucking sabbatical with Garron so please spare me the indignation at having asked the question.”
“I was on Corellia with witnesses. You said you trusted me.”
“Trust but verify. It’s not personal.”
“I see. If we are reviewing our cohort as a whole, let’s look at the timeline. The stalker situation with Alka, and her father’s impending trial for the murder of Finnius Dyre, all happened before any of us arrived. Someone is targeting us, targeting you, but not someone in this group.”
He shudders, “Garron. It has to be Garron.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He could have left any of those things for Alka to find but Dyre was only murdered after Garron escaped our custody. You don’t think-”
“Garron didn’t do this,” Alka cuts him off, moving into the great room space with Shendo and Avenarius flanking her.
Neither Demaris nor Dane heard them enter but it could not have been long.
Dane recovers, averting his eyes from Shendo and Roman for now, and tries not to choke on his words.
“He’s done so many things that don’t make sense, Alka. Terrible things. He was sent here to kill me and he would destroy everything around me to do it. You said so yourself, they want me to suffer first. Screwing with Garron's mind, turning him against me? That has made me suffer because I can't help him, can't fix him..."
“Not untrue,” she says, still dressed in a black leotard with a thin, botanical print wrap tied around her waist.
Skin flushed, dewy from the exertion, impossibly hot.
Dane inhales sharply and concentrates on the topic, “How do you know? How do you know he didn't send you those things? Knows our secret? Attacked you?”
She contemplates, allowing the silence to become excruciating, but then she squares her shoulders and glares at him.
“Because he is why I survived."
-TBC
State of confusion you made an illusion.”
-Elsiane
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The implications of his conversation with Irulan weigh on him but he knows what he must do.
He is many things, of course; dashing, spoiled, selfish, and wealthy. All the things a good corporate heir should be – at least the ones that make headlines on the Holo. He also isn’t entirely foolish which is why he goes to Demaris. With Alka at rehearsals with Roman (as Avenarius) and Shendo, it leaves him time that evening with Demaris and Taarek in the Gellar Tower.
He excuses Taarek, asking to speak to Demaris alone.
She nods and he takes his leave, disappearing into the expanse of the penthouse.
“I am telling you this because you need to know and because I trust you. Not that Gemma doesn’t have legitimate concerns with your Order and the way of things but the Jedi, on occasion, have saved the galaxy and stuff so here we are.”
Her expression tightens, “Damning by faint praise. How very…you. What is it? Sounds serious.”
Dane outlines everything Gemma told him about what happened on Corellia after the group dispersed – the betrayal, the appearance of the freed Infiltrator, the fight that ensued, and the injuries and death that resulted from it. All stemmed from a traitor among them, the seemingly meek Lysette, who had been manipulating them the entire time with the intention of striking Gemma down before doing the same with Riley.
“As far as agents of the prophecy go, I’d say that pretty much covers it. You want to stop what is coming, so maybe we start here. With us. How well do you know everyone you brought with you?”
It stuns her momentarily silent as she processes everything he tells her. There is a flicker of anger that she did not sense anything amiss throughout their adventures - so focused on Gemma slipping effortlessly to the dark side and Roman spiraling into revenge with murderous intentions - that she did not even realize there was an even greater threat within the group. This is followed by profound grief at losing both Oz and Lysette, two who she believed they were able to save from the Republic’s purge of the Jedi and subsequent elimination of anyone who may possess any type of connection to the Force.
They have failed them.
She pushes a strand of purple hair away from her eyes and raises them to meet his.
“I could do without the accusatory tone but it is a relevant question given those rather horrific details. The truth is, I thought I knew them better than I do. That much is clear. We came together so quickly, separated into groups of Force-sensitive refugees pouring out of the Republic capital who were then shipped off to supposedly safer places. Oz, Lysette, Sirona, and Shendo remained with us, as you know. You were there at the Viperii Lakehouse when we left. Taarek was routing people out of Chandaar any way he could and joined us I believe in some part because of the devotion his father held for Melanie Masterton.
Although the refugees regarded her with suspicion, considering her background, public profile, and connection to atrocities sensationalized throughout the galaxy, Taarek saw what I saw, glimmers in Gemma that led us to believe she held a greater chance armed with the context Melanie so clearly lacked. That does not speak to motive to me if we are reasoning it out. I suppose you realize this puts Roman under suspicion as well.”
Dane folds his arms, “He faked his death to spite his shitty parents after their hand in Preston’s death. As grateful as I am that he is alive, it was not something I expected.”
“We were led to him – by Lysette. That detail holds greater significance now.”
“Not disputing that,” Dane says evenly. “If Oz was in on anything, he got a raw deal from the visuals Gemma so vividly provided. Sirona is with your brother but Gemma told me she already sent word so he is aware. We now know Lysette orchestrated this with help from the grey-skinned woman and that Infiltrator thing. Shendo is, well, something else.”
“He has always been the most skeptical of all this. Not making the kinds of connections we did with each other. The closest he came to showing any kind of warmth was when he banded together with the others to stop Roman from using that superlaser on his family. Not a small thing. However, it is slightly atypical of the Nagai to be so withdrawn. They are traditionally more charismatic, and engaging, but we must remember they all suffered extreme trauma from being turned on so ruthlessly by the Republic. They had citizens hunting them down in the streets. Shendo is a skilled warrior, best with blades so the saber comes more naturally to him, and yet he has not taken up against us.”
“Lysette had the same access to you as he did but did not strike until the time was right. Who is to say he is not lying in wait as the backup?”
“For what?”
He cannot believe that he, for once, gets there first.
“Gemma said the Corellian doctor freed the Infiltrator and likely tipped off the Republic that Corellia hasn’t exactly been operating to the letter of their stupid laws. That set in motion the conflict brewing between them. On the capital, it sure looks like Janessa Kain took out the Republic President, one of the last opponents to the Speaker's consolidation of power and increasing instability.”
He glances down and tries to swallow, mouth having gone dry.
“Garron has tried to kill me more than once and is now on the loose probably plotting to do so again. Two of those three people may be dead but actions were still carried out on who knows whose orders. The grey-skinned woman? Those Voss-Ra freaks? Other, still unknown creepers and prophecy hangers-on? What I’m trying to say is…if Lysette and her flunky-bot-thing succeeded in killing Gemma and Riley and Garron had killed me…”
Demaris’s mouth falls open, “Dahlia would be declared victor, as she would have survived the prophecy.”
“Full stop, no contingency plans. Game over.”
“And what they believe will happen with a Winton victory may come to pass.”
“Big time maybe, but yeah. They sure as hell think so and we would be unprepared to stop them. Any of them. I mean, holy shit, Dahlia as Imperial Empress? On the throne beside that nerd Barrett? Yikes.”
Demaris clasps her hands in her lap, “Right, but thankfully none of those things happened. They were stopped there and can be stopped here.”
“And what about you?"
“Me?”
“Yes, you, Demaris. You were missing for a time too. Gone after your incident on Hesperidium.”
“A few years ago, yes. The Voss-Ra tried to toss me off that bloody tower. I already explained this to everyone.”
“Janessa told me straight up she was on a fucking sabbatical with Garron so please spare me the indignation at having asked the question.”
“I was on Corellia with witnesses. You said you trusted me.”
“Trust but verify. It’s not personal.”
“I see. If we are reviewing our cohort as a whole, let’s look at the timeline. The stalker situation with Alka, and her father’s impending trial for the murder of Finnius Dyre, all happened before any of us arrived. Someone is targeting us, targeting you, but not someone in this group.”
He shudders, “Garron. It has to be Garron.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He could have left any of those things for Alka to find but Dyre was only murdered after Garron escaped our custody. You don’t think-”
“Garron didn’t do this,” Alka cuts him off, moving into the great room space with Shendo and Avenarius flanking her.
Neither Demaris nor Dane heard them enter but it could not have been long.
Dane recovers, averting his eyes from Shendo and Roman for now, and tries not to choke on his words.
“He’s done so many things that don’t make sense, Alka. Terrible things. He was sent here to kill me and he would destroy everything around me to do it. You said so yourself, they want me to suffer first. Screwing with Garron's mind, turning him against me? That has made me suffer because I can't help him, can't fix him..."
“Not untrue,” she says, still dressed in a black leotard with a thin, botanical print wrap tied around her waist.
Skin flushed, dewy from the exertion, impossibly hot.
Dane inhales sharply and concentrates on the topic, “How do you know? How do you know he didn't send you those things? Knows our secret? Attacked you?”
She contemplates, allowing the silence to become excruciating, but then she squares her shoulders and glares at him.
“Because he is why I survived."
-TBC