CC: Refuge

[Medivh]

Corellia
Orbit

News loved stories of falls and standing up from a fall.  War was  great foddor, because it created and killed heroes on a near daily basis.

So naturally, when news that the Trade Federation, after being routed on their home turf, and scattered across the galaxy, was involved in a major trade deal - it got people's attention.  Such that, on the day the deal was announced, it dominated coverage on most major networks.  Even more than the war, or the slew of other world events.

"BREAKING NEWS:  Trade Federation to merge with Corellian Engineering Corporation

We've learned that over the last few weeks, high level talks between the Trade Federation and Corellian Engineering Corporation have been ongoing about the purchase of the Trade Federation brand and assets.  As most people are aware, several months ago, the Trade Federation was attacked in the Besh Gorgon system, their main base of operations.  Many Federation assets were destroyed, and the Trade Federation's presence from Besh Gorgon was eliminated entirely.

Apparently, the Trade Federation was able to preserve many of its mobile assets, including construction platforms, ships, and other facilities, as well as its stock market services.  Those assets have coalesced in the Corellian Sector over the past few weeks, in preparation for this major negotiation.

Though Federation stock prices dropped significantly after the attack at Besh Gorgon, recent activity has led to a surge in its value, and it is believed the deal will bring tremendous value - and leverage - to Corellian Engineering.

The exact terms of the deal are being kept confidential, but it does appear that CEC will be purchasing all Federation possessions, including the name brand itself, and key technologies, including the gravity well projectors that were a key purchase item by the republic just prior to the attack.

CEC Director Duane Mangum was not reachable for comment, but Deputy Administrator for the Trade Federation Mara Tacofer provided a statement: 'The past century should have told the galaxy that the Trade Federation is not so easily wiped out.  With this deal, we anticipate that the products and services we have provided will become even more accessible to our customers and the galaxy at large.'

Mara Tacofer is also known as being the chief negotiator with the Republic for the Trade Federation, and for making several key speeches ..."

Mara shut off the report, knowing it would go into analysis, about her, the organization, and a slew of other things.  The talking heads on this and other networks got paid to make it seem like they knew, but really, few of them had any idea what was going on.

She turned from her desk to the aid that had stepped in a few minutes ago.

"Miss Tacofer"

"Do you have the report?"

"Yes ma'am"

The aid handed Mara a datapad, and Mara began glancing it over quickly, the aid speaking as she did.

"As you can see, we were able to trace the Wheel's departure from Besh Gorgon to it's initial jump location.  But then it made another, undisclosed jump that we couldn't trace.  We have no way of knowing where it went from there"

Now that Mara had started securing a future for the Trade Federation, she had devoted resources to finding and recovering the Wheel.

"Is there any indication as to who made the jump?  Was it the administrator?"

The aid nodded.

"Several of the pilots who came to Corellia have reported they had an assignment on the Wheel.  They were responsible for evacuating the civilians after the Wheel escaped."

Mara looked up from the datapad.

"There was an evacuation of the Wheel?"
"Apparently - and according to them, it was on your orders."

"But I never ..."

Mara put down the datapad as the realization hit her.  If SHE hadn't given the order, but everyone THOUGHT she had, that could only mean one thing.

"I need to see these pilots right away.  Did any of them say where the Wheel was?"

"No ma'am - they said nav computers were auto-set, and otherwise, computer systems were disabled.  They report an orangish, desert planet, but that doesn't help much.  It was obviously meant to be remote."

Mara nodded, trying to figure out in her head what it meant.  The aid meanwhile continued on.

"I can have them report here in just a few hours"

"As soon as possible"

"Yes ma'am"

As the aid left the office, Mara stood up, mimicking the nervous behavior she had seen in some human executives.

Orders had been given by one of the other infiltrators.  Who else could it have been?

And that meant that the infilitrators were in control of the Wheel.  What that meant - for her, for the galaxy, for Riley - when everything had seemed to finally be settling down, she now saw it was just another step, another phase.

Then another thought.  The ruthless nature of infilitrators - how many bad acts would be associated back to her?  How much would she be blamed for? Could she be punished, taken away from Riley?

Would her own secrets be revealed?

Too many questions, not enough answers.

For sure, the merger was not the biggest thing on her mind anymore.

TBC

[Medivh]

Corellia
Orbit

The reports from over a dozen pilots were identical.  On orders, either directly or indirectly from her, they were told to ferry civilians away from the Wheel to scattered locations.  None were told where they were coming from, or where they were going until they arrived.

In all cases, nav-computer controls were preset, and inaccessible. Pilots merely pressed a button and they were in hyperspace.  Once they arrived at their destination, nav computer memory was automatically wiped.

Someone with a lot of computer savvy and a lot to hide had programmed those ships, to be sure.

The pilots had seemed confused at Mara's apparent lack of knowledge as to her own orders, but she managed to play it off as a routine check, verifying following orders.  When they asked where the Wheel was, Mara was equally cagey.

The last pilot who came into her room offered one additional bit of information, though in the form of a question.

"Miss Tacofer, I noticed that none of the federation employees that were stationed on the Wheel have made it to Corellia, except for the pilots.  Where are they now?"

The question brought about the realization that not only was the Wheel missing, but hundreds of federation security personnel were ALSO missing - an ill omen.

"Last I heard they were aboard the Wheel"

It was the truth, as far as she knew.  The employee was sent away without further inquiry and Mara was left to her thoughts.  What she knew was this:  The Wheel had left Besh Gorgon during the imperial attack, but not on the orders of Administrator Farim, but on her orders - or more accurately, the orders of someone who looked and sounded exactly like her.  From there, the Wheel went to an undisclosed location, and neither it nor its employees had been heard from since.

That could only mean the Infiltrators were in control of the Wheel. Infiltrators with her level of access.  That thought brought about more dizzying possibilities, and she quickly pressed the comm, signalling an aide to appear.

"Yes Miss Tacofer?"

"Do we have any reports of any Federation activity between the evacuation of the Wheel and my call for Federation assets to report to Corellia?"

The aid glanced down at a datapad for a minute before again looking up.

"Yes, ma'am.  In fact, there was a flurry of activity in the Federation stock exchange. Massive buying and selling around the time of the evacuation, as dated by the pilots."

"What were the results of those transactions?"

Again, checking the status.

"It appears that a large amount of wealth transferred to about two-dozen small companies, and key shares in the Federation itself, as well as key traders, were purchased by a company known as D.W. Inc."

The name was familiar to Mara - it was the 'hands-off' corporation she had no trouble convincing about the deal with CEC.  A company that now owned a large amount of stock in CEC itself.

"Do we know the origins of the company, or any of its personnel?"
"Nothing on file on them"
"Place of origin?"
"They have offices located on Chandaar, Etti IV .."
"They have offices in the Corporate Sector?"
"Apparently so, Ma'am.  But their headquarters appear to be on Eriadu"

The mystery kept growing.  Eriadu had been a key commercial planet in the southern half of the galaxy, where the Rimma Trade Route and Hydian Way intersected.  But when the South went into a state of lawless chaos, Eriadu went with it, losing much of its status, strength, wealth.  The Empire, the Republic, and for a brief time, the Corellian Confederation had all worked hard to strengthen their southern borders, to combat the growing threat of piracy, smuggling, lawlessness.  To hear of anything coming out of that region was surprising, and alarming.

And for Mara, the connection this company had to the disappearance of the Wheel, and to her wicked stepsisters was too great to be ignored.  She could not allow them to continue operating in her name, not when they had Federation assets - and of course, more frightening, the Federation archives - at their disposal.

"Divert from the fleet a modified Corellian Freighter.  it will require enhanced shields and weaponry and must be able to be piloted by a single individual."

"Ma'am?"

"That's an order"

The aid stepped out and Mara rose from her desk.  Despite her current work, she knew she had to resolve this.  But before she went off on another crusade, she would have to head back down to the surface.

To say goodbye to Riley.

[Medivh]

Denon
Deep Space

There was a loneliness that came with hyperspace - a ship in solitude, insulated from the galaxy of trillions by white and blue streaks of light.  Even ships that traveled together were separated in hyperspace from each other.

Mara had gotten used to that solitude years ago.  As an agent of PHAGE, she worked alone, and afterward, when she was running away, trying to discover more about herself, again, she traveled alone.

It all changed when she met Karen Winton, and they traveled together ... and then there was Riley, her ward of the last decade.  Through her journeys, she had companionship, right onboard the same vessel as her.  She and Riley, protected from the galaxy by hyperspace.

Now she was traveling alone - to protect Riley from that same galaxy, and from the unknown threats that seemed to still be manipulating behind the scenes.

Were these the vestiges, the legacy that Alexander Winton had left behind?  The enemy, the puppetmaster in the shadows.  And Mara again in solitude.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the proximity alarm and Mara pulled back on the hyperspace stick, feeling the deceleration and the safe beauty hyperspace streaks snapping into pin-pricks of stars.

Straight ahead of her, a large dreadnaught with a half-dozen cone-shaped protrusions, surrounded by multiple smaller ships.

The dreadnaught was corellian made, and had been outfitted with gravity well projectors.  Her current location, the deep space near the planet of Denon.  The most southernly planet of the former Corellian Confederation, and the last stop on the Hydian Way and Corellian Run before disappearing into the murky chaos of the southern galaxy.  the dreadnaught and its fleet were there to prevent the threat of the south from riding the trade routes further north, leading to piracy in the Corellian Sector and further.

Every now and again, they were attacked, by pirates bolder than most, but always they held their ground, thanks to the fine engineering of Corellia.

The gravity well also allowed them to monitor all traffic in and out of the region

"Vessel, identify yourself"

Mara quickly provided her credentials - her new position as a Vice President of CEC had some weight - and waited for the reply.

"Miss Tacofer, your destination is unlisted"
"My destination is confidential"
"I'm afraid we cannot let you through without a destination"
"It's really none of your business"
"I'm sorry, Miss Tacofer but-"
"Listen, you have two choices. You can shoot down my vessel, and face the wrath of the CEC, or you can let me through, but either way, make your choice, or I'll make it for you"

Mara accelerated her ship, focusing on moving it past the dreadnaught and beyond the gravity well.  Her monitor indicated that several starfighters were converging on her position and she accelerated further.

"Miss Tacofer"
"Time's up, captain.  I've got work to do, and I'm not going to play politics with you"

Mara shot ahead, and suddenly found herself amidst a flurry of blue fire.  So, apparently they were going with option 3 - not to let her go, not to shoot her down, but to detain her.

Mara put her shields on double rear, and diverted weapon power to the engines, then dipped below the horizon, outside the path of the current fire.

Still, she kept moving, letting her engines burn hot as she drew closer to the threshold.  Several impacts as the shields were knocked, and then the sparks that reacted as a direct hit to her systems caused a power surge.

So close to the threshold, and she felt her speed dropping.  Another direct hit, and she would be dead in the water.  Already, her computer readings were off, but that couldn't stop her.

Mara cut engines entirely, relying on the momentum she already had, and crossing the line with power systems below 20%.  Hyperdrive motivator activated, and she again found herself in the sanctum of hyperspace.

She let out a sigh as her vessel began the process of healing itself, shut down systems restarting, assessing damage, and recharging, at a slower pace than usual being in hyperspace.  But she was safe, for as brief a time as she was here, she didn't have to worry.

Until she came out.

TBC

[Medivh]

Eriadu
Orbit

Mara's ship, fully powered if not at 100% capability, exited hyperspace around the world of Eriadu.  In the past, it had been an industrial powerhouse, sacrificing some of its natural features to establish mass factories and output.  It's location, on the intersection of several trade routes had kept it strong and prosperous until the southern collapse.  The world had since then disappeared from the radar of most northern entities.  The Republic, the Empire, the Confederation - no one dealt with them anymore, no one heard from them, and no one really cared to.

As a result, Mara did not know quite what to expect.

As her ship exited hyperspace, she quickly raised shields and ran a passive scan of the system, looking for any immediate threats.  At the same time, she peered out the viewscreen at what lay before her.

Forming a ring around the planet was what could only be described as a junkyard - metal pieces of every shape and size, fragments of orbital facilities and ships.  It was an orbital graveyard.

Between the orbital graveyard and the planet was an additional line of metal, though far more intact.  This was comprised of what looked like dozens of orbital facilities, clearly still functional.  Mara's scan showed that there were starfighter platforms, and even multiple Golan platforms, a small shipyard, and a variety of other facilities.

Outside of these rings, space was mostly empty, though she could see occasional craft appearing from hyperspace and moving toward the planet, flying (carefully) through the debris field before she lost sight of them.  These craft, like the planet itself, seemed heavily armed, reinforced plating and added weaponry, making them look like scraps themselves.

Static on Mara's comm followed by a hail from the planet's defensive forces.

"State your name and purpose, or prepare to be fired upon"

Mara had debated long and hard as to how to identify herself on this trip. Being Mara Tacofer had some clout - up north. But she didn't know if she had any enemies here. On the other hand, identifying her as anything else, especially from the north, might get her booted or shot down right away.

"I am Mara Tacofer, Acting Director of the Trade Federation and Vice President of the Corellian Engineering Corp's Department of New Projects. I am here to meet with D.W. Inc."

More static

"Miss Tacofer, hold your position and await further instructions"
"Is it safe to hold my position?"
"Safe enough - you'll receive instructions shortly"

Mara was in their territory, and had to follow their rules.  Keeping shields raised, she shut down engines and let her ship drift for several minutes before she received a reply.  From the debris field, a large cargo vessel, previously undetected on Mara's scanners, appeared and began to approach, surrounded by a squad of generic fighters.  The ship had been hiding in the field, and until it activated, had been indistinguishable from the other garbage.  Mara wondered how much of the field was really 'dead.'

"Miss Tacofer, remain in your position - your vessel will be brought aboard the collector ship and transported directly to the waiting platform"

Before she could respond, the vessel had locked onto her own freighter with a tractor beam, and pulled it in to the opening maw of its cargo hold.  Mara's ship was landed and the larger vessel turned, making its way back into the debris field.

She waited, staring out at the internal hold of the ship that had now taken her - guest or prisoner? - then began shutting down systems, grabbing her blaster, and making her way to the exit ramp.

Stepping out, she was met by six guards with generic gray uniforms, weapons were drawn and pointed. One of whom stepped forward.

"Your weapons please"

Mara wished she had left hers aboard the ship, reluctantly handing the weapons the officer.  She calculated in her head how long it would take to down the six guards, but it wouldn't have gotten her where she needed to get - into the planet.

"Miss Tacofer, welcome to Eriadu"

"Not quite the warmest welcome"

"We need to take precautions.  You didn't have clearance to be here, and even now, we cannot confirm who you are"
"So why are you letting me in?"

"We are taking you to processing for verification purposes.  If you check out, you'll be released to your destination"
"if not?"
"If not, you will likely be detained until it is determined who you are, why you are here, and the best course of action."

"Could you not confirm who I am by speaking with D.W. Inc?"
"The company is well known here on Eriadu - or rather, it is a business we are aware of, and is properly registered. But they could not be reached, and they had not, as required, placed indication of any visitors"

"Quite the security you have here"

The officer smiled.

"If you are from the north, you really have no idea what's happened here.  After we were abandoned from the Republic, from the Empire, Eriadu was in a constant state of attack.  To the point where pirates would dress up as commercial vessels, then swoop in and raid us.  Everything was falling apart, until the ruling council made a series of drastic, bold moves to protect Eriadu.  We put vast resources into the planetary defense, using the destruction already brought on to form the scrap barrier. And we put in tight security controls to make sure only those authorized can reach the planet and the assets we have.  Eriadu is secure now because of those steps, and has become one of the only bastions of stability in this region.  We aren't going to compromise that for a northerner with a fancy title"

Mara nodded her head, when a beep was heard nearby.

"We've reached the processing station. Please come with us"

"My ship?"

"Will be kept secure.  Please come with us"

Mara followed them out of the hold into an even larger holding station, then down a narrower corridor to a processing room.

"You will wait here"

Mara was left in a bare room with a chair and a small surveillance camera on the ceiling.  She took a seat and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Her chronometer read about an hour before the door opened again, and in walked the officers, this time with another official, his own existing insignia marking him as some type of supervisor.

"Miss Tacofer"

His demeanor was already more friendly than the others, and he put out his hand to greet Mara.  Mara rose from the seat, shaking his hand as she assessed.

"We have analyzed the data from your ship.  Appears you come to Eriadu from Corellia by way of Denon"
"Correct"

"Quite a distance you've traveled.  We have also verified your identification with D.W. Inc., and they confirmed your existence, some prior correspondence as an investor of the Trade Federation, and they have approved your transport to the planet."

"Will I be returned to my ship?"

"We've been asked to escort you down in one of our own vessels"

Mara felt the situation growing further out of her control.  yes, she was apparently making progress meeting with her investors - whatever secrets they may hold - but at the moment, she had no reason to trust they weren't playing her, the planet as thugs in their own right.

"I'd prefer to fly my own vessel"

The man's smile, still present, became a bit colder.

"Your vessel is not cleared.  You can either take it and leave, or you can come with us to the surface.  Those are your options, Miss Tacofer."

Again, what choice did she have?

It was a half hour later she was aboard a landing transport, staring out the window, still under guard, unarmed, watching as the planet drew closer, still uncertain of what she was walking into. Or if she would ever walk out.

TBC

[Medivh]

Eriadu
Surface

The planet surface had clearly undergone mass industrialization. Where once there was forest and grass, sprawling cities and factories now lay in full splendor.

Mara was escorted through the streets of the city to a large skyscraper.  But once inside the building, she was led, not upward in the building, but down.

In the turbolift, she watched as she descended a good thirty stories below the surface before finally coming out into a florescent-lit hallway and a door, reading D.W. Inc. on it.

The guards that had escorted her thus far held back at the turbolift.

"Are you coming with me?"
"We have orders only to help you to your destination.  You can proceed from here."

Mara began walking, all the more uneasy now, moving to the door, listening as it hissed open, and stepping inside.

A fairly standard receptionist was there, smiling up at her.

"Miss Tacofer, I presume?  We heard you were coming, please down this way"

Mara was led down another coridor and finally to a conference room where she was again made to wait (albeit offered refreshments this time).
Finally, a man stepped in.

"Miss Tacofer - this is quite a surprise. We don't normally get visits from our investments"
"I was surprised to learn a  bit more about your investment - how you came to be such a strong shareholder"
"We took advantage of the situation, no doubt about it.  But we've supported al of your endeavors"

Mara watched the man closely.
"I don't know much about D.W. Inc.  Can you tell me about it?"
"We are an investment corporation, and we do fairly well"
"Secretive, unknown, based out of Eriadu.  Is there more to it?"
"No Miss Tacofer.  And I hope you didn't come all the way from Corellia just to ask those questions"
"What did the Trade Federation offer you?"
"Everything we could have possibly wanted."
"Such as?"
"I have two associates coming in just a minute - they'll be able to better answer your questions."

A minute later, the door hissed open, and Mara turned to see who was there - and found herself looking at herself.

"Hello, Infiltrator-01"
Mara reached down for the gun that wasn't there, then stood abruptly, grabbing the chair just as the look alike lifted up a weapon.
Blue light coursed through the air, blocked by the chair, which Mara subsequently tossed at her, knocking the weapon out of her hands.

The second infiltrator (or third, if you counted Mara) also pulled out a weapon and now Mara ducked behind another chair, kicking it at her.
Both look-alikes were disarmed now, and Mara jumped on the table, running forward and streamed for the door.  But one of the look-alikes grabbed her leg, and twisted her downward, sending her to the floor.  Mara jumped up, just as a foot was about to slam into her abdomen, and round-house kicked the look-alike, sending her to the floor, circling around and putting a fist in the first infiltrator.

A furious back and forth of hand-to-hand combat ensued, Mara finally grabbing the infiltrator by the shoulders, slamming her head into her, and then jump kicking her against the wall - just in time to feel an electrical burst coarse from her back into.  She saw static first, and then it went black.

"Goodnight, Infiltrator-01"

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

Mara awoke with a start.

Normally, the time between Mara's waking state was filled with diagnostics and recharging, the 'dreams' a machine had when in a state of rest.  Then there was the time, just over a decade ago, when her sleeping state was filled with real dreams, caused by the force connection in her body being activated, but that ended when, in her battle with Alexander Winton, he disabled that switch, cutting her off from the Force.  Then she went back to the normal diagnostic routines.

This was different.  After she went black, that's all there was - blackness.  No diagnostics, no nothing.

And so when she awoke, it was as if no time had passed at all, though from her surroundings, she could see much had happened.

She was locked into upright restraints, her arms spread wide apart with cuffs around each wrist, legs tight together in a single cuff, metallic belt wrapped around torso and neck.  She could not move.  She tested the strength of the restraints, but found they wouldn't budge.

Her surroundings were just as impenetrable - complete darkness.  Even when she activated her infrared scanners, they showed only static, rather than the normal gradations of heat.

"The dampening field will prevent you from getting any information - and the restraints were build with your exact make and model in mind.  You aren't going anywhere, and you aren't going to find out anything about where you are"

The voice sounded familiar, but different - it wasn't her own voice, or the voice of her fellow infiltrators.  But it was one close to what she had heard in the past.  She began running a background search through her memory to match up the voice, and found, though her systems were sluggish from the dampening field, she could still review her own recollection, albeit at a slow rate.  The voice was female in any event.

"You could tell me where I am, and with the restraints, I won't be able to do much about it"
"I can't be too cautious.  You are, after all, quite a unique creation"
"Not so unique - there are other infiltrators"

"true.  It's true, there are others built with the same specifications as you.  But you managed to break from your original programming.  You are unique, even compared to them.  And that gave you quite an advantage.  It took two of your sisters to overcome you by yourself.  No, I think we'll keep you in the dark for now"
"Why keep me alive then?"
"Alive - interesting choice of words.  But then again, if I am alive, why can't you be?"
That voice, so familiar, if she just would keep talking

"Still, why let me remain alive?  If you can restrain me, can you not destroy me?"
"That remains to be seen.  If you know anything about the GURI Project, it's that people who die can often be ... reborn.  Phage, Alexander.  I'd rather keep you imprisoned than kill you and risk having you free out in the galaxy, and aware of our existence."

Mara had no idea if she had the rejuvenating ability that Alexander Winton had, but she wasn't about to speculate her belief that she didn't. Not if it kept her alive.

"So why have me awake?"

"curiosity.  I feel if I understand you, I can understand more about myself.  I too am learning more about the GURI Project, with each passing day.  And its key to immortality"

"You are Winton's successor?"

"In a way ... though I perceive another to be Alexander's successor.  I'm just helping his experiment along"

She kept calling him 'Alexander,' as though she had known him, personally. But most of the people who interacted with him were dead ...

"Why would I give you information?"
"Because you'll have no choice in the matter.  Unfortunately, you need to be awake for us to break into your systems.  Apparently, you have quite the fail-safe systems."

Mara was alarmed at the idea of being 'hacked', but detected no signs of intrusion.  While still trying to match that voice, she also began running a diagnostic, looking for viruses, or other intrusions.

"We are able to monitor your systems though.  you won't find anything in a scan.  We haven't done anything, yet.  You'll know it when it happens.  And I'll take great pleasure watching your dismay when it does, and there's nothing you can do."

Mara pulled in vain at the restraints, and the woman laughed.

"This should be a fun little experiment, Infiltrator 01"
"That's an old name. i've changed it"
"Several times. Mara Anna Gellar Tacofer. You lose points for lack of originality"

The voice was someone she met recently, within the last year or so, and only interacted with briefly.  Rutherford... Celeste... no ...

"You could just ask me, you know. I don't plan on keeping everything a secret"

It was one of the jedi ... Nevylinn?  No, Nevylinn wouldn't keep her imprisoned ...

"Who are you?"

A light went on, sharp contrast to the darkness that had been there before.  Mara was in a steel room, unremarkable save for her restraints.

And in front of her, was Nevylinn - but not Nevylinn. Identical in facial features, but this woman before her looked like a deformed version of Nevylinn. Whereas Nevylinn had color in her skin, this woman's skin was a grayish color, her eyes were black, her garb was dark, and her face severe.  She looked almost like she was in pain.

"I am Adubell"

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

Apparently, part of 'hacking' into Mara's systems was subjecting her to as much strain as possible.

For a human, it would have been torture.  For Mara, it was almost as bad.

Adubell at first had struck Mara. Sometimes with a fist or a leg, sometimes with a heavy object, sometimes with Force lightning.  Her clothes were in tatters, her flesh was bruised.  She had been able to reduce the pain sensors, but Adubell was finding ingenius ways of making her suffer.

"What game shall we play today?"

Mara had gotten used to the question, how her suffering would begin each morning - if it was morning.  Mara's internal clock was able to track the time to a certain extent, but she had no way of knowing if she was working properly.  Her internal security mechanisms were being checked constantly, to be sure they remained intact.

Adubell would question her about her origins, her original specifications, the first time she made a decision NOT programmed by Phage or Medivh or Alexander, or even the philosophical question of if she ever really had.

Then the brutality.  With nonchalance, Adubell would send deadly bolts of lightning into Mara's body, even as she asked the questions, Mara unable to do much but let it happen.

"I have a new game for you, Infiltrator.  Today we'll try something different.  I'm going to let you fight back"

With a wave of Adubell's hand, the restraintrs released, and Mara crashed to the floor, not ready for the change of position.  She moved into a crouching position, saying nothing and eyeing Adubell warily.

"Well, all these days, I've done my work on you, but I've always wondered how it was you were able to fight Alexander, a far superior being"

It was times like this that Mara got the most insight into her captor.  References to Alexander Winton were as close to personal for Adubell as Mara had seen.  She could see Adubell's dark eyes glinting, her fingers twitching, ready to do their worst.

"He was over confident"

Adubell nodded her head "i can believe that. He thought himself invincible - but in one on one combat, he should have had the upper hand"

"How do you know he didn't?"
"Because you are alive and he is not. I'm curious to see how you can hold your own.  Come on, stand up. Let me see what you can do"

Mara had little intention of playing the game. She knew, for certain, a fight with Adubell would not result in her escaping, it was just another game.  But Adubell wasn't waiting for Mara to acquiesce.  She ran forward and slammed her foot into Mara's face, sending her careening back against the wall.

"pitiful. Worse than Dahlia"

Mara heard it.  She remembered the news - Dahlia Winton had been captured by a dark jedi, the news had confirmed it.  But that person was supposedly dead - yet here she was, apparently.

How was she connected to Alexander and Dahlia?

Again, no time to think, as another roundhouse kickcame at her. This time, Mara's survivalist programming instinct kicked into gear, and her hand went up, grabbing Adubell's foot before impact, and spinning her around. Adubell was surprised, but recovered quickly, taking a step back and grinning.

"So you do have some fighter instinct. I knew it was there. Come on now. Let's see what you got"

Adubell advanced again, and this time, Mara took a more active role in the sparring match, blocking and returning, managing to strike adubell herself a few times - but every time she got close to a real hit, something that would knock Adubel down or out, Adubell suddenly hit her with the Force - a dash of lightning, a heavy shove, and Mara was again on the defensive.

Over and over again, Mara attached and was pushed back, weakening as Adubell held her own.

Finally, Adubell waved her hands.

"I tire of this game.  You bore me, Infiltrator"

Her arm went up and Mara, like a rag doll was lifted up and pushed back into her restraints.

"See you tomorrow"

Adubell walked away, and Mara was again left alone, the worse for the wear.

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

It was only a matter of time before Mara's security protocols would break down under the onslaught of Adubell's constant attacks.
As the saying goes, any machine can be hacked - all it takes is time.

But Mara was in no position to prevent it.  Her days consisted of being held to the wall by restraints, or fighting Adubell, who always made sure she would win.  How HAD she beaten Alexander Winton, but not Adubell?  The answer was simple. She hadn't.  Mara had held her own, briefly against Winton because at the time, she ALSO had the Force on her side, and was more used to the abilities of the mechanical body than Winton had been. She had stopped him, but he was able to "regenerate" and finally took that connection to the Force away from her.  She would have lost, been destroyed - but Dementat stepped in at that moment, fresh and energized with a rage that allowed him to hold Winton back - not destroy him, but hold him back - until Centerpoint destroyed itself.

Adubell HADN'T beaten Winton.  He had beaten himself.

That was the thought that was occurring to her when Adubell released her from her confinement that day.  When the enemy is stronger, they are also their own biggest threat.  Hadn't the same been true of other powerful rulers?  Emperor Palpatine, PHAGE - all had finally fallen under their own devices.  And Adubell, though cautious and powerful, had her own bit of arrogance, no doubt encouraged by her constantly winning these battles.

1 on 1, Mara didn't seem to have the ability to face her, and so Mara instead turned and ran in the opposite direction.

"There's no where to run, Infiltrator.  We are in an enclosed room, and there's no way for you to get out"

If Adubell could get IN than there was a way OUT, and a few seconds later she saw in the dim lighting the blast door that Adubell no doubt had entered through.  That small victory was short lived as she felt the sting of Force lightning on her back, and then saw herself thrown in the opposite direction.

"I didn't realize machines could be cowards.  Running away like that.  I think you might need to be punished"

A soft hum, and then a red illumination, Adubell's face lit up by the lightsaber she had just ignited.

"Even if we can't destroy you, it seems unnecessary to keep you intact"

Mara eyed the saber and began backing away slowly, Adubell's face contorting into a fiendish smile.

Mara turned and ran to the opposite side of the room, the hum of the lightsaber close at hand.  Then just as she reached a corner she spun around, kicking a leg off the wall and sending herself over Adubell's head, coming up behind her.  Adubell hadn't (thank goodness) expected that, and Mara had a second to slam her arm into Adubell's backside, throwing the sith off balance, then knocking the saber from her arm, watching it fall to the floor and extinguish.

By now, Adubell had recovered, and Mara felt the force push send her slamming into the wall.  her internal sensors, scrambled and fogged by the dampeners in the room suddenly clicked, and she could sense a rare glimpse of what lay beyond the durasteel.

A gas pipe.

Mara watched as the saber was reignited, Adubell's smile gone as she stalked closer to where Mara stood.  Mara felt herself lifted above the floor, Adubell's one hand out as if to choke her. She could feel her neck constricting. Thank goodness breathing wasn't a necessity.

Now it was Mara's turn for a quip.

"You seem a bit frustrated.  What, can't handle one little droid?"  She even added a smile.

"I'll show you how I handle little droids"  There was no fun, no humor in her voice.  Mara's body flew away from the wall, then slammed back into it, hard, and she could feel the dent in the metal.  She was pinned there as Adubell drew closer, the red blade shining, lifted high, ready to swipe.

Mara twitched her leg - apparently Adubell's grip was on her neck and upper torso.  Good.  Her leg kicked out, knocking the saber into the air, and causing Adubell to stumble back.  Mara felt herself fall to the ground, landing on her back, reaching out and grabbing the saber by its handle, then slamming the ignited blade into the wall.

Despite the durasteel, it cut through, the smell of molten metal filling the air around them.  Mara sliced the blade upward - and as she did so, she could feel the Force pulling the weapon away, back toward Adubell, who was on her feet.

"Wretched machine..."

As the blade pulled away from Mara, the smell of gas mixed with the molten metal, Mara ducking down as an instant later, a plume of fire burst from the hole she had just created, shooting out toward Adubell, who let out a horrid scream as she was engulfed in flame.

Mara could hear the explosion expanding out, through the pipes, the room buckling and then beginning to collapse - metal walls curving inward with loud screaches, and then the wall and ceiling caving in over Mara.  Mara could now see the fire - and what lay beyond.  Outside of her cell of the last months, a massive cave.  Mara glanced behind her, where Adubell's screams had finally stopped.  Instead, she could see the sith was slowly rising, a deformed version of herself.  Adubell's eyes met Mara's for just a second - enough to see that death was in store - when the rest of the room collapsed around them, Adubell disappearing beneath the rubble, and Mara barely eeking out her own escape, her leg getting smashed by falling debris.  This time she didn't look back.  With an injured leg, she pulled herself over the remains of the wall and began wandering in the darkness beyond, knowing this was her one and only chance of escape.

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

The darkness seemed to last forever.  Longer still as Mara limped along, suffering from the droid-torture she had gone through these past few months.  Her internal sensors were still in disarray, a biproduct of being dampened for months on end.  And the explosion and collapse of her cell - though a lucky break - had left her with other problems.  She could feel it now, as she ran from her captors. Something wasn't right.

Flash - Mara stumbled to the ground as a visual broke through the darkness. A dark, metallic figure with crimson glowing eyes stalking around the wreckage of a large behemoth of a ship. In one black hand, it holds an electrostaff, the only light in the darkness coming from the faint electricity it casts off, reflecting on black metal.

Flash - PHAGE, fighting one-on-one against Valerie Gellar, murdering her, and then being murdered by Mara. 

These same visions had haunted her some eleven years ago, when she had first ran away from Corellia, away from the Confederation.  Back then, she had been damaged severely, was losing much needed battery power, and had been, like now, on the run from an enemy fully aware of her strengths and weaknesses.

"TRAITOR" - she had been called that by many times, by Phage above all else.  The being beneath the exterior.
"Infiltrator 01" - the voice, like Phage's but like Nevylinn's.  dark and inhuman like Phage, but born from the same blood as Nevylinn.  Adubell was the newest abomination, a mix of things that never belonged together.

Mara kept running, with each flash, disoriented again, running in the darkness.  She had to get out, before she was caught. Before whatever was happening inside her exploited her.  Made her too weak, too  vulnerable to fight off the enemy.

Too long she had been running.

She fell against a boulder, managing to creep into a crevice before falling down, suffering from an exhaustion a droid should not .

"The Force runs through only living things, but it was our goal to make it run through something that was artificially created. "

Medivh had said that to them. To her and to Karen, 11 years ago.  It revealed to Mara a power locked inside her, dormant,a part of her prototype design

Could there be anything more powerful, more terrifying than an immortal being with the power of the Force by his side?"


Mara had seen it first hand. She herself gifted, but unable to face Alexander Winton, stronger with the Force and his droid strength and immortality.  And now it existed again, in Adubell. Adubell, a droid with the Force, defying science.

But if Mara was again having flashbacks, the way she had before, it could mean, she hoped, that the gift that she had, at first dormant, then revealed, and then destroyed by Winton - was not actually destroyed.

That Mara had somehow, once again, been given the gift of the Force.  If only she could activate it. Trigger it.

Maybe then she could fight Adubell. Adubell who was stronger, more calculating, more dangerous.

Mara's eyes opened.  She knew it was there, just beyond her reach. That power that connected her to Karen and even to Alexander.  She knew that she could regain it, train again, use it to protect those she loved, to defeat Adubell.

if she managed to escape the abyss.

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

It was a blip in the recesses of her mind, one that was both good and bad.

Good, in that her sensors were actually starting to pick up something, finally coming out of their dampened stupor.  Bad because they were picking up SOMETHING.

It wasn't human, and it was coming closer.  Her sensors showed it to be alive.  At first, she feared it was Adubell, but the creature's gait, stance - all of it was to monstrous (even though Adubell was nothing if not a monster in her own right).  Mara hid behind a rock, as her sensors defined the creature more clearly, moving forward with an odd shuffle in its walk.  Optical sensors finally picked out the being, and her face became grim.

It was one of the same creatures they had encountered when saving the children from Korriban.  An ugly being she had seen was as vicious as it was ruthless.  Perfect for working with Adubell.

Mara watched it come closer, apparently oblivious to her presence - but then again, she didn't know what it was capable of, either in terms of deception, or its sensory abilities.  She crouched a bit more as it came close, slowly passing by her crevice, still paying her no mind.

Mara's foot touched a loose rock, and there was a sort of soft crumpling sound as dirt scattered.  The creature turned to face her, and Mara knew that now it had seen her.

As it's mouth opened wide, Mara leaped forward, landing on the being.  From it's maw, it let out an ear piercing shrill scream, for just a half a second, before Mara twisted its head and ended its life. 

Then she listened, the echo of the cry bouncing off the cavernous walls.  So much for hiding.  Mara briefly searched the creature, finding on its belt a small vibro knife.  It was something, and she grabbed it, sliding the creature into the crevice she had been in, and running now, again, waiting for the pursuit to continue.

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

She had been hunted now for what seemed like an eternity.

After the creature had let out its cry, Mara moved as quickly as she could.  Not too soon, apparently - she heard the scampering of more creatures in the distance behind her.  She couldn't tell precisely how many - her sensors were still diminished. It could have been two or three that were closer than she though - or far away and be several dozen.

Neither option was appealing to her right now.  At least they hadn't let out another shriek, so it's possible she hadn't been found. And as a machine, she didn't have the bio-scent that usually made it easy to track prey down.

Here she was again, prey.  History repeats itself again. History repeats itself again.

She knew she had to escape, but that also meant having a sense of where to go.  the caves were huge, and the way out was indeterminate, and her scanners were not helpful at all.

But if she was right, she had something else.
She remembered being on Hesperedium, with Karen, when Karen was tutoring her in the ways of the force.  She could reach out and sense things even her computer systems could not - could feel individuals in a way beyond normal boundaries.

Mara closed her eyes and tried to focus. Tried to focus on the dreams that kept flashing through her thoughts, the source of their energy, the trigger.  It was there, still buried, hard to reach.

FLASH ...

It felt like she was flying out of her body, high toward the ceiling of the cave - only it wasn't dark anymore, lit by some unknown source, she could see around herself, behind her, dozens of the creatures hunting for the elusive prey. It panned further, and she could see the paths, the ways the tunnels merged and separated. a way out.  But then she saw a brighter spot, one much more illuminated than anything else.  Drawn to it, she could feel a presence, menacing.  There was a pounding sound, almost like the beat of a heavy ancient war drum, and hissing.

Then voices

"The unalive one ... your arrogance let her escape"
"No!  That's not what -"
"Silence! Your games cannot continue, Adubell. Not if we are to succeed.  And she is stronger now"

Mara's thoughts drew closer until she could see it.  Adubell standing in a room, filled with shadows.  She herself looked like a hideous version of her previously hideous self.  grayish skin had burn marks.

But who was she speaking to.
Suddenly, Adubell's head turned upward, eyes looking straight at Mara, voice venomous

"Who is watching us?"

FLASH

Mara blinked as she fell back into herself.  If Adubell had 'sensed' her - the way Karen said was possible, than she had just revealed herself, and her apparent abilities.  And after testing the ability, for the first time in a decade, she felt weaker than ever.

She heard the shuffling behind her, and knew.  They might not know her exact location, but they had been redirected in her direction.  Mara, worse than ever, began to run, finally toward the way out.

TBC

[Medivh]

Unknown Location

There was a steady drum-like beat of feet, no matter where she was going, or trying to hide. Confrontation seemed inevitable, but had to be avoided. She was growing weaker, and even if she could beat off a few of the horrific creatures, it would slow her down, and she would be overrun by the horde.

So she kept moving, rock to rock, shadow to shadow, trying to use as little energy as possible, making her way to the way she had found, leading out.  they had it guarded, but she slipped by, just barely, hearing their gravely voices, barely understanding.  Words about 'the unalive one' and being cautious.  Luckily she avoided any close encounters with either Adubell or her 'sisters' here in these caves.

The air was getting lighter, and an occasional draft indicated she was drawing closer to the surface.  Finally she found herself in a room that was useful.

The path had narrowed to just a tunnel, then the ceiling and walls seemed to fall away to another vast chamber.  Dim light was visible reflecting off the stones, meaning light was entering the chamber from somewhere.

And there, landed in rows, were a wide assortment of ships, mostly starfighters, including X-wings, Y-Wing, TIE fighters, headhunters, and an assortment of uglies with odd combinations.  The number of enemy was higher here, but with luck she could reach a ship.

Slinking along, Mara made her way past the first row of uglies, ducking around ships to avoid being seen.  Her choice had to be careful. She needed a ship she knew had a hyperdrive - there would be no second chances here.  That left out the uglies and TIES.  Her best bet was one of the X-Wings and she finally made herself to the base of one.  The hatch was locked, and the external open was out of reach.

Praying silently she crouched low, then sprung into the air, landing on the wing of the X-wing with a heavy thud.

audible sounds of creatures coming to investigate the noise, she rolled to the center of the ship and lay flat on her belly, reaching forward until the latch was within reach. Then she waited.

For several minutes, she heard the creatures searching the ground  below, mere meters away from where she lay.  they moved to a few other ships, further down, and she knew this would be her opportunity, grabbing the latch, and hearing the soft hiss as the cockpit opened.

She didn't wait a moment longer, hopping around the hatch and sliding into the seat, pulling the hatch back down as she landed and triggered the warm up sequence.

The vessel was making noise now - she was going to be noticed, and indeed, she could see in the dim lighting the creatures beginning to surround the vessel, screaming at her, calling for reinforcements.  Already she was thinking this was a mistake, the creatures grabbing on to the ship's legs, attempting to climb and reach her - several were starting to use each other to reach the wings, much like insects climb, and she saw their hands reach the s-foils.

the lights in the cockpit finally lit up, and without waiting for more, Mara pressed forward thrusters, knocking a handful of the creatures loose from the ship.  She then reversed thrusters, knocking the still landed ship into the crowd of them.

She could feel strain on the landing gear, moving before they were supposed to, waiting for the ship to be ready to gain altitude.  She saw creatures scrambling away, watched several beginning to grab some type of netting to throw over the ship.

Mara nudged the vessel forward, tapping several other small fighters and shoving them out of the way, in time to avoid her ship getting caught.

She could see several of the creatures climbing some of the columns, reaching from bottom to top of the caves - and then launching from stalactite to stalactite, closer and closer to her.

come on, start working stupid ship.

The engines gave a hum, just as two of the creatures landed on the hatch, beginning to slam into it with their hands and knives. Mara tried shaking them off, but their were holding on tight, several others getting closer.

now or never.

Landing gear was lifted and the ship went in the air, slamming the tips of several stalactites before Mara evened it out, the two creatures still hanging on even as she picked up speed.  Mara looked over their bodies at the cave beyond.  there was the entrance, the way out  - she hoped.  But the creatures were starting to impact the hatch, a small, hairline crack could be seen.  Mara flipped the vessel in a barrel roll, then a second time, watching as one of the creatures fell to the surface below.  The last one of them was holding on, one arm grasping a metal seam of the ship, the other reaching up to again hit the weakened point of the cockpit hatch.

"You just don't know how to quit, do you?"

Mara did another barrel roll, then flipped directions, then finally brought the ship up, letting the cockpit scrape against a low hanging stalactite - and scrape the creature away with it.

The ship was in poorer condition then when she took off, but she was alone, and determined to be free.

fighters were starting to be powered up behind her as the ship burst from the cave into the open sunlight, a dry dessert world.

She started to have the ship climb, higher and higher, recognizing parts of the terrain.

"Korriban"

How she had been moved from Eriadu to Korriban without being noticed, or stopped at the sector borders, she was uncertain.  But she knew she had to get out of here.  As she got higher, she could see a large spherical object hovering in space, answering a key question of hers.

There was the Wheel - or what had been the Wheel.  Mara recognized its tubular shapes and extensions, and the axis that included the executive suite and the main trading chamber.  But hundreds of construction droids were all over the ship, and making modifications to its external (and apparently internal) structure.

The Wheel was at Korriban, and apparently, under the control of Adubell.  Korriban, despite its location in Republic space, always seemed to elude the Republic.  They avoided it, claiming it both barren of any value, and at the same time, haunted.

Haunted, no doubt, but it was now being used for some nefarious purpose, though what exactly, Mara could not be certain.

She began plotting a course for home - or rather, Corellia, which was Riley's home, even if it wasn't truly hers. Then she thought about the repercussions.
Going back would mean defeat. Her look alikes - if they haven't already taken her place in the months she was gone - could do so at any time. No one would be the wiser.  And she hadn't gotten the answers she needed.

She needed to find out what Adubell was planning
She needed to find out how she could defeat Adubell, who was stronger than her and might, like Alexander Winton, be able to take away her rekindled connection to the Force
She needed to find out what they were doing with the Wheel - and why they had that high ownership of the Trade Federation, and now CEC.

She readjusted her nav coordinates, setting them for a different location altogether. A place that had yielded answers before, and may, hopefully, yield some new answers now.

Ord Radama.

Her ship was in space now, moving away from the construction on the Wheel, away from the planet, and the security and the monsters and Adubell, and she activated the ships comm signal, sufficiently long range to make the connection.

On the monitor in front of her, Della's face appeared.

"Yes, this is Della Avers ... Mara?  Is that you?"
Mara was still weak - she needed to make repairs, but no doubt, she looked awful.

"Della, I need you to do something for me"
"Mara, where are you? where have you  been?"
"There's no time for that Della - you need to do something for me."

She paused, closing her eyes, then staring straight at the screen.
"you need to tell everyone I'm dead"
"What"
"everyone - tell the CEC director, tell the governor.  Tell the news. Tell Riley.  If anyone ever sees my face again, they'll know its an imposter.  If you ever see me, or hear from me again, it won't be me - it will be one of the others.  Don't listen to what it says. Kill it if you can."
"Where are you going? what are you doing?"
"I'm looking for answers Della.  But as far as you are concerned - as far as the galaxy is concerned - I'm dead."

Before Della could say anything else, Mara cut off the comm.

[Medivh]

Ord Radama
While Mara and Karen duked it out with Phage,  Two other mechanized beings faced against each other.  One, a grotesque figure.  The formerly perfect visage of Alexander Winton in his prime damaged by his fight with the forcefield, melted flesh and metallic skeleton peaked through.  The other, also an image in his prime, but unmarred - and not physical, just an image on a screen.  Medivh did not like intruders, and though his fortress had been virtually impenetrable in its prime, and it was still formidable now, decline, decay, and Winton's own ruthless ingenuity had allowed him access to the inner sanctum. Where Medivh's wealth of knowledge, and stores of network connections lay. Protected until now.
"Alexander, you have no right to be here"
As if it mattered, but he had to break the ice somehow.
"Not any more than you had a right to meddle with my droid armies."
Medivh's screen image displayed no surprise.
"How long did you think you could hide from me? That you were still up-and-running?  Still functional, and still weaving yourself into galactic affairs."
"That's not what it was about"
"Oh, of course not.  Not Medivh Guldon, The Viceroy who grew a heart and a conscience after his biological one failed him.  How pretentious. How self-righteous.  You are no better than me, Medivh"
"I didn't arrange for my children to fight each other to the death"
"No?  Really?  You didn't have your pretty replica kill Phage?"
"Phage was just a machine"
"So are you. So am I.  What we are built of isn't what defines who we are. Wasn't it you who taught me that?"
"Phage was a failed experiment that needed to be destroyed to save others. He never reached the potential he was meant to."
"Neither did Alexia.  Neither did Karen.  Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter which one ended on top.  I will be all that is left of the Winton family.  All that is left of the Phage construct.  The strongest there is in both droid and jedi.  Even you cannot stop me, Medivh.  Your meddlesome abilities are not what they once were.  Your genius is limited"
Medivh's frowned turned to a smile for a moment
"And you were just a hack.  Never able to do it yourself.  Always needing lackies"
Winton raised his arm, blaster pointed at the screen and firing a shot.  It flickered off of another forcefield, protecting the screen, slamming into the wall.
"Nice shot"
"Just target practice.  Anyhow, I'm afraid I cannot stay much longer.  the fireworks are starting.  I just came to take what is mine"
"Nothing is yours, Alex.  You are just a very good thief"
Winton smiled
"With a galaxy of gullible fools, it is the cunning thief that always wins"

"Not today, Alex"
There was a sudden beeping. Then another, then another, until there was a chorus of beeps. flashes of red lights flickered.
"Until next time, Alex"
Boom - the entire chamber was rocked by explosion after explosion, computer equipment, metal, flesh, duracrete, durasteel, all flying everywhere.  The explosions continued up, through the turbolift, to the antechamber, into the hallway, consuming everything inside the complex, caving in, leaving a crater and charred rubble, leaving not a being or a single electrical circuit functional, or alive.

Ord Radama
Getting to Ord Radama had been harder than Mara expected.  The gravity well nets donated and purchased from the Trade Federation was causing much of the interstellar travel, from outside the Republic to within, to be heavily guarded.  Mara knew that, but now she found that several checkpoints had been established within the territory itself.  Someone was trying to stifle travel, it seemed.  She had managed to evade the sentries, but the trip was made significantly longer as a result.

Mara had used the journey to make what repairs she could.  Her batteries were no longer draining the way they had been, thank goodness, but they still needed to be replaced, and she had various repair work to do on herself.

Hopefully, Ord Radama would be a place where she could do that, to have the solitude and resources to figure out her next move.  Once, the Republic had put a thriving city here, but now, it seemed as though the world was forgotten, much of the massive jungle had grown back, hiding what had been there.  And who.

As Mara's fighter made its way to the surface, she felt the sudden discomfort she felt when she came here with Karen, more than a decade ago.  A feeling of void she hadn't understood at the time.  It was a good sign to her.  That void was the disappearance of the Force - it meant, the ysalamiri creatures that Medivh had imported here were still alive.  That was probably the best she could hope for.  She knew that Alexander Winton had destroyed the facility here - or rather, that Medivh had destroyed it to keep Winton from getting to it.

Still, she hoped there was SOMETHING left here for her.

The ship landed and she stepped out, already seeing the vast crater.  The local flaura and fauna had overrun what remained of the facility, the vines and leaves crunching beneath her feet as she  began to descend.  The crater itself started fairly shallow reminding Mara of the slow slope to the area beneath the ground. Around her, she could see the rusting remains of the metallic outer structure. that had been here.

Then the crater dropped suddenly.  Mara could still see in her memory files the turbolift shaft that went down hundreds of meters to the ever more secure compound below.  The explosion had caused the entire ground above the compound to collapse down and in, burying what lay below.  The decade of decay that followed certainly would have helped hide what had been there before. Mara was still hoping.

She made her way, carefully, to the lowest portion of the depression, looking around for some sign, a way in or down. The day grew hotter, and muggier, and she was thankful that the bugs that buzzed around were not that interested in the artificial lifeform that she was.  Sentient life and sensors couldn't tell the difference between her and a human, but somehow insects managed to make the distinction.

It was hours that passed with no sign of success.  She began making her way back to the shuttle, already trying to formulate her next move, when she stepped in a soft clod of dirt - and hit something solid, and metal.  Mara could see nothing, but she bent down and began digging into the earth with her hands.  Just an inch or so down, she found a metal grating, only about 2/3 of a meter in diameter.  But beneath the grating was a shaft, leading down into darkness.  Mara looked up, quickly scanning the high border of the crater she was in.  She was standing about thirty meters beneath the ground level, meaning if the shaft went down to the bottom, there was still a ways to go.  Mara  dug for a few minutes around the grating, again, with her hands.  The grate was not flush against any other surface - apparently, the shaft was sticking up out of whatever ground or ceiling there was.  The shaft itself was too narrow for a turbolift - barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through.  There was also no way of knowing just how far down it went, or if there was anythign worth seeing at the bottom.

So Mara did the only thing she could to find out for herself.  Carefully, she pried the grating off of the tube and set it aside.  The movement of metal on metal as she slid the grate off the shaft caused an echo down into the tube itself - a good sign.  Mara then swung her legs over the edge, and jumped.

TBC

[Medivh]

Ord Radama

The air rushed over her as she dropped down, the sky above disappearing as the darkness grew and grew.  Mara kept her body tight, but even so, she bounced off of the sides of the narrow shaft several times.  internal sensors began to chime, indicating approaching the ground at high velocity. Mara spread her feet and arms wide, pressing them against the shaft now, slowing herself until she came to a complete stop.  Normal optical sensors weren't working down here, but Mara had eyes that could see in the dark.  At least, that is what she was counting on.

She hopped down the last few feet, landing on a pile of rubble. The shaft was still narrow, and it was hard to navigate, but she used her foot to feel around, kicking at various points until she found the give - then kicking harder.

A metal grate came loose, and Mara slid her way out to look around.  Needless to say, it was quite depressing.  She was in what had once been a computer support room.  Whereas Medivh had the interface, with all the monitors and screens and controls elsewhere, the core of his computer systems were hidden away behind walls, helping both with his aesthetics and security.  The shaft Mara had found had once been a ventillation shaft, helping to let cool air down to the chamber, and releasing hot air produced by hundred of computer processors functioning.  It was likely that there were several such shafts, at least originally, and that when the chamber was functioning, they were as securely protected as the main entrance.

Now though, it appeared nothing was working.  While Mara could see the racks with central processing units, they were bent out of shape, the CPUs were equally decrepid looking, the ceiling appeared to have collapsed most of the way.  The main chamber had been the focal point of the blast, but even back here, far away from it all, the effects still had been decimating.  Exactly what Medivh had wanted.  Clearly, his self-destruct had been designed to make sure no one would gain access to his wealth of knowledge.  The exact knowledge that Mara was now trying to tap into.  her one hope was that even if systems were down, she could somehow extract the data from within the machines, and decode it into her own systems.  A longshot, but necessary.  She had to know how the technology used to create her - and Alexander, and Adubell - worked. So she could better control her own systems, and defeat Adubell.

Carefully, she moved about, hoping her movements wouldn't cause the whole chamber to collapse.  She might survive the event, but it would leave her buried alive hundreds of meters below the surface.  Not a great way to spend eternity.

She passed each unit, scanning for its connections to the greater network, seeing if anything at all was still active, could lead her in another direction.  Row after row after row, for hours on end, slowly but surely becoming discouraged. Had she come all this way for nothing.  Finally, she reached the end of the rows, glancing around for something that would be helpful.  Here, she could actually see how the wall was crumbled.  the sad last moments of Medivh. Perhaps his most noble too. She wondered if it was easier or harder for someone who was immortal to sacrifice their life.

Then she realized that she herself was the same - she could, potentially, live forever. Did that make her life worth more or less? She was about to turn around and head back the way she came when she noticed a small cleft in the wall. She had earlier thought it was part of the damage of the explosion, but now it appeared carved out, rather than blown out.  she moved over to the cleft and ran her hand along the contours, feeling through the dirt until she felt a switch.

Pressing the switch, she heard a soft rumble, and a moment later, the cleft began to widen, a compartment opening at its rear, revealing a box, about a quarter meter in height and width. Mara tentatively grabbed the box, bringing it close to her.

There was writing on the top, barely noticeable even to Mara's enhanced sensors.

"To my daughter"

Mara ran her fingers along the letters, ever so slightly etched into the metallic box.  As she did so, the box began to hum, the letters beginning to cast a dim glow, and a metallic voice speaking out.

"Identitfy confirmation .... state your name and designation"

Mara wasn't quite sure, but relied on her instincts.

"Mara Anna Gellar, Infiltrator 01"

"Processing information ... voice analysis ... fingerprint signature analysis ...  identity confirmed"

With a hiss, the top of the box sprung open.  Inside, protected by the box, the chamber, the cleft in the wall, and the rest of this room - was a single datapad, already activating as Mara grabbed it. 

The screen lit up, and there was the face of Medivh, his youthful self.

"Medivh! you are alive"

But the datapad did not respond to the statement. Instead, Mara watched the prerecorded message.

"Mara - if you are seeing this message, it means two things.  One, I am no longer alive.  By that, I mean, I shall never be a conscious, sentient being again.  Either I was destroyed, or I self-destructed to protect the information in my possession.  Two, it means you were able, despite my demise, to find your way to this single gift I left for you.  I do not know how you found it, what led you to look, or how long it has been since I've been gone.  But know that I left this for you.

For so long, you have been seeking answers.  How you came to exist as a living being.  How your programming was designed. How we integrated certain properties of the Force into your design.  And perhaps, if you are facing off against your enemies, how to undo that which was created.  I could not provide you with that information when we last met - time was imminent, and there was a risk it would be taken from you, fall into the wrong hands.  I hope that things are better now, or that this information will provide you what you seek.

In this datapad, are key components of the GURI Project.  It explains how our research began, how we learned about the legacy gene, and how we developed Phage and yourself.  With this knowledge, you will have the ability to create life from nothing, create immortality from death, and create connections with the Force where impossible. Protect this information with everything you have.  It includes the piece of the puzzle that Alexander was missing. It cannot fall into the wrong hands.

The information is heavily encrypted, and will take even you time to decrypt it.  there is one file that is unencrypted - a research file by a professor of cyber-genetic theory from the Pinnix University.  He is the last surviving member of the team that started the GURI project.  Seek him out, and he will help you.

Goodbye my daughter, and good luck."

Medivh's face disappeared, and in its place, the screen began to scroll unreadable information, finally stopping at a paragraph that was easy to read:

"Breaking the Rules: There have been two long-standing principles of existence. One, that no one can live forever, including the jedi. Two, that the Force cannot be channeled through cybernetics (which is why, for example, Darth Vader could not use Force Lightning).  However, new finds of a biological enzyme bring those principles into doubt. ..."

Mara read the sentence, feeling a strange feeling of satisfaction, even excitement.  Here were answers she had been waiting for!  She nodded her head, looking over at the box, and glancing around the room.

"Thank you, Medivh"

She carefully placed the datapad in her jumpsuit and began making her way back to the shaft, preparing for the long climb to the surface.

TBC

[Medivh]

Ord Radama

Professor Joel Braithwaite had been a professor at Pinnix University, located on Bilbringi.  The world, known for its metal resources and shipyard/industrial work also was home to several research facilities, including Pinnix.  Pinnix University was known as a major center of engineering and mechanical design, and Braithwaite led a particular area of study, on the interactions of cybernetics and biology.  he had written several well-known papers on artificial limbs and how they compare to real limbs with regard to functionality and connection with the main body.

He also co-wrote several papers on the ethics of a human replica droid (HRD) being given rights similar to that of another human.  In several, he referred to Guri, the HRD lieutenant of the Black Sun organization under Prince Xizor, sometime before the fall of the Empire.

His research was extensive on cognitive function, and he had developed a mental enhancement chip that could be embedded in the brain and record inputs from eyes and ears, allowing for increased memory.  Most of his practical work was prototype only, and too expensive for marketing, not to mention the possible moral implications.

While visiting the Corporate Sector to conduct research on bio-mechanical interactions, he discovered an enzyme with unique properties.  It's makeup allowed it to generate magnetic fields, that in turn, could send an electronic signal.  Further analysis of the enzyme, found that if tapped into correctly, the enzyme would allow duplication of cellular function, including neural activity, into computer signals.  With the proper computing power, that enzyme could allow the full duplication of the human brain, including the continued ability for natural brain function - that is, not just knowledge, but personality, the ability to learn, emotion, etc.  More remarkably, he found that because the enzyme was biological, notwithstanding its interactive abilities with machines, midichlorians were able to exist in that environment, at least for a short time.

The study of the enzyme led to his last paper, which he titled "Breaking the Rules," which challenged preconceived notions on how biology is created and destroyed.  In the paper, he discussed how the enzyme was recessive, dormant in most hosts, but it was found in a small subgroup of individuals.  For the gene with the enzyme to become dominant, and active, it would require two of those individuals to pass on that gene.  He hypothesized that, though he had failed to activate the enzyme naturally, once it was active, it could be extracted, duplicated, and recreated in a variety of other hosts.

Nowhere in the study did he indicate who his test subjects were, or where he found the enzyme.  But his conclusions were quite remarkable.

"With a sufficiently complex software program, perhaps itself based on DNA sequencing, and a computer mind able to handle that complexity, more so even than the Guri HRD, plus utilization of cognitive transfer function, such as a more advanced version of my own mental enhancement chip, a human being would be able to transfer is conscious into a robotic being, breaking free of mortality while maintaining his independence. What's more, because the new 'body' would be utilizing this bio-mechanical enzyme, rather than strict robotics, it allows flexibility, and could potentially allow an individual with no prior Force sensitivity to tap into the skills of the Force"


Shortly after publishing that paper, he was hired by the Trade Federation and left Pinnix University.  His whereabouts became unknown after that point.

Mara read through the entirety of the article, appreciating what she already knew - that she was based on Valerie Gellar's DNA was already known - but surprised by the information about the enzyme, and how it supposedly worked.  How SHE worked.  Valerie had the active enzyme, and Alexander had extracted it and duplicated it, using it to create Phage, herself, and his own immortal form.  Apparently, Adubell had used the same enzyme to again recreate herself.

Or did Adubell have a DIFFERENT subject?  Valerie was long dead. Was it possible Adubell had a stored copy of the active enzyme from so long ago?  Or was there another individual with the same active enzyme.

Valerie shared genetic material with Gemma, Dane, and even Riley, all three of whom had been captured for months.  The idea that a blood sample was taken from one of them at one point was not so far fetched.

Which one of the three had the active gene? Or maybe it was more than one.  Maybe it was all three?

The likelihood of that was small.  Valerie was the child of Blair Gellar and Kyrie Patten. It was the Gellar-Patten mix that led to Valerie's active gene. Both Patten and Gellar must have had the gene, most likely dormant.  Which meant that it was possible that Kimber and therefore Riley had the gene.  If Blair had the gene, it was not impossible that Rutherford had it too, meaning Gemma and Dane could have the gene, recessive.  But for any of the three to have the active gene, it would mean BOTH parents had at least the inactive gene.  Which meant that either Celeste had it (which meant both Dane and Gemma could be 'active') or Kimber's bodyguard/lover had it.

It seemed quite the coincidence, really.  Of the 'new four,' three of them at least could have had this unique gene in their blood.

Or maybe, it wasn't such a coincidence.  The paper indicated the enzyme was extremely rare - how was it that four individuals, four families really, from different parts of the galaxy, came together with those results?  Perhaps, it was just the opposite.  Perhaps there was something about the enzyme that brought the families together.  Was it possible that ALL FOUR children had this mysterious enzyme in their bodies?  That Karen, and/or Dahlia had it?  And if Celeste had the enzyme, that could mean that Melanie had it.

the possibilities were startling - the four weren't just socialite families, but all shared a common biological trait, one that was extremely rare, and had the potential to affect the galaxy.

Mara knew she had to find the professor, get more answers, and learn who his test subjects were.  And for that, she would have to retrace his steps, and follow his trail as long as it was possible.