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Corporate Greed
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Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Vex Sienna watches in a bemused horror as the Direx Board effectively turns on each other. The screaming matches are generally tiresome posturing over alleged infringement on production copyright or the bitter accusations over market shares. This is something much different. The entire Direx Board, including Vex, had met with and answered the questions of the Espos regarding the kidnapping of the Gellar-Masterton children. The affair had been quite routine in an attempt to establish motive an opportunity. It was all very procedural and straightforward. While he certainly had opportunity, given his location during the time at which the kidnapping occurred, he also had an airtight alibi provided by Kylie Miranda's sworn statement. This absolved him of motive as well since one does not move a relationship forward by arranging the abduction of their paramour's employers children. It also did not serve Imperial interests, as Vex had so eloquently pointed out. Such a tactic would jeopardize a business relationship too lucrative to lose in these uncertain times. The Empire wished to expand and to do so they would need supplies provided by many of the Corporate Sector's finest company's. They may be ruthless at times but they are hardly stupid.
Once these inquiries were complete, those who were brought in for further questioning now lashed out at Iver Aguilar, hurling accusations that they had been set up to appear guilty before the Espos. There were several companies who stood to lose shares if the Trade Federation were granted Republic permits and these members were now the focus of the investigation. Iver Aguilar was in full compliance with the department's requests but it now put him in a perilous situation, amplified by the fact that the Direx Board Prex, D'Ken Dawning, was one of the primary suspects. One of the prevailing theories is that Dawning had first championed the idea of Gellar's negotiations with the Federation but, displeased with the progress, had staged the kidnapping in hopes blame would be cast upon the Federation and the Republic would refuse them outright. But Federation involvement was ruled out by Gellar himself. It made sense. If they were to appear reformed before the Republic Senate, abducting the Sector Ambassador's children would hardly plead that case. There were even rumors that Gellar was close to a deal that would maintain Sector interests while allowing the Federation to compete fairly within the Republic markets. The fact that the Federation was being considered at all has not gone over well with anyone. Gellar's reputation, which would normally be called into question given his failure to stop the Federation, is now overshadowed by the possibility someone on the Direx Board may have further hindered the negotiations. If it was found true, the Corporate Sector could lose considerable credibility in the eyes of the Republic.
That is why Iver Aguilar has made a call for action. Leniency would be shown if the guilty party confessed and delivered the children safety back to D'ian. There were much larger issues to consider than the loss of shares or the disagreement over the tactics within the negotiations. The Sector's reputation may be at stake.
Since no one has confessed, they rage and the board descends into chaos.
*
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Kylie Miranda tends to the house as she normally would, retaining some of the routines before the kidnapping. Others had to be amended given the absence of the children and the increased Espos presence within the Concordia Township. After giving her statement, she and Vex had agreed to remain apart out of respect for Celeste. No one thought she would trust an Imperial agent but Kylie did not expect her to make an attempt on his life. That kind of power is not something she wished to witness again and so she cares for the lady of the house the best she can.
Lady Celeste Masterton slides effortlessly between brave yet anguished mother and unhinged emotional wreckage. She spends many hours a day locked in her office, pouring over datacards filled with old documents about the prophecy and notes from Henrick's research. She had locked these things away so long ago, determined never to look upon them again. A small part of her knew that one day she would be forced to confront these awful truths about a past from which there seems to be no escape. In her heart, she knows the Direx Board is innocent yet she allows them to continue suspecting otherwise. Their bickering keeps them occupied while the Jedi assist her husband and the Federation Ambassador in finding the children. She cannot consider any other alternative at this point. They must be found and returned safely. She does, however, muse upon the motives. Celeste is no fool. She knows they were taken because of who they are. This has nothing to do with Rutherford's business or even the Federation negotiations. It has everything to do with The Four and the legacy Dahlia, Dane and Gemma represent. She knew this day would come. There is no amount of preparation she could have done, no home safe or loving enough to keep out those truths.
This is sealed by the images of the woman's face as she dragged Dahlia away.
A face Gemma had told her the enemy would have.
Valerie's face.
How this could even be possible is a concept she can barely fathom. For anyone to create something in Valerie's image is simply cruel and tasteless. The only person capable of such treachery was killed by Mara Tacofer. The last of Alexander Winton's scheming was gone...or so they believed. The Corellian reporter's story told of henchmen working within the Imperial machine to serve Winton's goals. The rogue agent, named Marius Guile, was stopped by Kimber Patten. And the brainwashed girl, the missing North Coruscant student, Tenley Price, slain by Melanie. Could there have been others? Even after all this time? Could someone truly have lay in wait for just the right moment - when everyone is comfortable and all seems right with the worlds, then they strike? It's fitting, in a sick, sad way. She considers it may even be punishment for their inaction with Melanie and Valerie. Rutherford never revealed himself. Celeste never rescued her daughter. Neither saved them from a fate so meticulously orchestrated by another. Perhaps this a final testament to their previous failures.
In the case of Alexander Winton, there was always another shoe waiting to drop.
-TBC
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Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Gellar Estate
Kylie Miranda arranges a bouquet of flowers on the island in the kitchen. She frowns, dissatisfied and rearranges them. Vex had sent them with a lovely note that said he was thinking about her. The joy this brings is tempered by the reality of the situation. The children are still missing and Lady Masterton is in a desperate situation. Earlier this morning while she was straightening up the room, Kylie found a half empty bottle of Capra wedged between the headboard and mattress. She knows Lord Gellar's company manufactures this powerful painkiller and that it can be highly addictive if not administered properly. She also knows that Celeste Masterton was not prescribed Capra as she is privy to all the prescriptions the family is taking ranging from vitamins to antibiotics.
Kylie fears that Lady Masterton may be taking the Capra in order to cope with the anxiety and loss of the children. She understands the impulse but believed someone of Celeste's stature and profession would know better. Her first instinct would be to approach Lord Gellar but seeing as he has been on Chandaar for several months, this isn't really an option. She replaces the bottle but decides to keep a closer tab on Celeste's behaviors which, up to this point, had been wildly unpredictable.
Lost in thought, she barely hears her com-link ringing on the countertop. Kylie shakes off the thoughts and reaches for the device.
"Hello?"
"Kylie, it's Garron."
"Hi! How is everything?"
"We have a lead. The Jedi probes have picked up the signal from the limo. We are preparing to leave shortly to investigate."
"That's wonderful news!" Kylie says, beaming. "Lady Masterton will be so thrilled with the news."
"Speaking of the Lady, how is she?"
"Upset."
"Has she been...acting strangely?"
"I'm not sure I understand what you mean."
Garron pauses briefly, "Has she been behaving out of character?"
Self-medicating is not uncommon from what she has read.
"Outside of what a mother whose children were kidnapped would normally be acting? I don't believe so. Why?"
"Lord Gellar is suffering greatly, his emotional state deteriorating, and the Jedi believe his emotions are being influenced by the Sith."
Kylie gasps, horrified.
"The Sith? How...is that possible?"
"We don't know but if Gellar is being targeted, there is a chance that Masterton is as well."
Kylie's eyes automatically raise up, mind spinning toward the bottle she found. What if this method of coping isn't something Celeste thought of on her own? What if something or someone is pushing her to these actions?
"What would you like me to do?"
"Keep a close watch, Kylie. We don't yet know what we're dealing with. I'll call you when we know more."
Kylie clicks off, trying to keep her breath from coming out in pants. She moves quickly up the stairs and down the long corridor toward the master bedroom. She retrieves the pills, finding that more of them had been taken. Kylie enters the bathroom and flushes the remainder, slipping the bottle into her pocket. She then starts a search for others. If there are people influencing the situation, playing upon the fragile emotional state of the parents, they could be pushing them toward a sinister resolution. As the aide to the Lady of the house, Kylie Miranda would ensure this would not happen.
-TBC
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Corporate Sector
D'ian Sytem: Valor Prep
In the dance studio, Alka Dawning draws her arm up and away from the barre as she bourrée's to the middle of the floor. This was much more exciting when Gemma was here. They had been dancing since they were children and it had always been something both looked forward to. Something only they shared. Now she needed the silence to escape the unrest rippling through the student body and to quiet her own mind from the allegations leveled against her father. For some reason, the Espos believe he had something to do with the kidnapping. Her father's distaste for Rutherford Gellar aside, he had always been fond of Gemma. She brought out the best in everyone she knew which is why her absence is so difficult for Alka. Not that she would admit it. To do so would be to show weakness and there are others who needed protection more than she does. Preston has not taken the loss of his friends very well at all and this sensitivity has left him open to scrutiny from other students. Surprisingly, Roman has been a great source of comfort. It strikes her as odd since Roman used to tease Preston when they were younger. Now he hovers near him nearly every moment they are on campus. Alka thinks it's sweet but knows that others will question it. Any behavior outside of what is expected in their world will be called out and often ridiculed. This is both ridiculous and offensive. She reaches high and performs several pirouette's before easing onto one knee and gracefully bowing forward.
After practice, Alka wanders the halls until being drawn out to the quad by the sound of many voices. A group has gathered around a makeshift stage. Students of almost every age group are present. She moves closer, spotting Kier Kincaid holding a microphone to address the crowd. Behind him, Muriel Monroe, Tobias Harkan and Trichelle Corinthos stand with stern expressions on their faces. Kier is calling for a cease and desist of student action against the school administration. As Dahlia's friends, they do not believe the school was involved nor were they negligent or culpable in the kidnapping of the Gellar-Masterton children. He calls upon the students to let the authorities do their job in finding them and they all attempt to move on in spite of their very personal feelings about the missing.
Alka is impressed. For a jock the speech is impassioned and articulate, things she was unaware Kier Kincaid was capable of. Clearly he had help in creating it, most likely from Trichelle's father's chief counsel who represents the Corinthos empire. The speech goes over fairly well, given the circumstances. The cheers are numerous but the meaning may be double-sided. With Dahlia gone, the student body is without someone to look to for guidance and direction. The social order has been overturned yet again. She doesn't remember how Dahlia managed to somehow become the coolest girl in the entire school, only that it felt obvious therefore it was never questioned. Kier doesn't seem clever or conniving enough to make an attempt to usurp Dahlia's power but Trichelle, who the power was taken from, does. No doubt she will make a play to reclaim her position that is, if Kier, Tobias and Muriel go along with it. That doesn't seem likely but the responsibility may now fall on all of them to lead the students through this crisis.
-TBC
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Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
Lady Celeste Masterton pulls back the many decorative throw pillows on the bed and reaches between the headboard and mattress. Finding nothing, she returns to the master bathroom mildly annoyed and scans the medicine cabinets. Nothing. There is an urgency that grows within her as the effects of the previous dose begin to wear off. The painful reality of her situation and failure return with so many glaring emotions she no longer wishes to feel. She moves quickly to her office and pulls open the drawers.
The news that the Jedi had found the limo's signal was merely a short-lived relief. Doubt and fear quickly closed in, driving her back to the Capra that brought such peace. This behavior is not a healthy one. Even she recognizes that. Years ago, when Monica turned to the bottle to drown out Alexander's incessant scheming, Celeste had frowned upon it. Now she understands and tells herself she has everything under control. The pills only help to dull the pain and keep together the facade she must maintain in their very public lives.
Celeste has issued no statement and given no interview, a move which she hoped would simply transition their attention elsewhere. This was not the case and the media has grown more curious as the Espos begin to eliminate suspects within the Direx Board. The lack of evidence was mounting yet the motive lies in many. They want the photage of the grieving mother next to the anguished headlines with the children's faces in little ominous boxes. She would give them no such pleasure. And on the occasion she must be out and about, the doses of Capra keep the poise required in public.
The drawers of her desk reveal no medication. Anger swells and Celeste slams them closed and storms downstairs to find Kylie Miranda finishing up in the kitchen. The wild look on Lady Masterton's face would normally have startled the young au pair had she not been expecting it.
"Is there something I can help you with, m'lady?"
"Yes," Celeste says lowly. "I need my medicine."
"Medicine? I am not aware of any medications you are currently on. Are you not feeling well, Lady Masterton? Shall I call doctor Daaé?"
"No. You know what I am talking about. My medicine. Where have you hidden it?"
Kylie keeps the island between them.
"I'm afraid I don't. Perhaps you can enlighten me."
Celeste's eyes narrow considerably, "Don't patronize me, miss Miranda. I want those pills and I want them now."
"I know you live in anguish and pain..."
"You know nothing of my pain!!" Celeste screams, lunging forward.
Kylie reels back against the counter, gasping.
"Lady Masterton, please..I am only trying to help."
Celeste snatches a glass from the island and hurls it at Kylie. It misses, barely and shatters against the far wall. Kylie cries out and runs toward the dining room. Celeste chases after her, enraged by the seeming betrayal. She runs right into the arms of Vex Sienna, who had been listening in the shadows. She shouts, struggling as doctor Daaé emerges through the foyer to witness Lady Masterton completely unhinged. The table and chairs begin to shake, pictures and ornaments flying across the room. Lights flicker and dim and there is a distinct hum of energy in the room. The doctor needs no further proof and sweeps in to produce a syringe filled with a powerful sedative and they all watch as Celeste goes limp in Vex's arms.
After she had uncovered the pills and spoken with Garron about Rutherford Gellar's compromised emotional state, Kylie had called for reinforcements. She notified Vex and asked him to come to D'ian. Then she called doctor Daaé and explained what she knew. He was skeptical of an outside influence through the Force and she begged him to see for himself. The display did not disappoint. Something was indeed wrong with Celeste Masterton. Kylie insisted that discretion is key and that until the situation was resolved, Lady Masterton was a danger to herself and to others. The doctor and his aides whisk Celeste away under the cover of darkness.
Kylie crumbles into the arms of Vex Sienna.
"You are safe now."
"Am I? Oh, Vex. I hope I've done the right thing."
"She is not herself right now. Let them help her."
She pulls back, staring up into his face.
"And if they can't? What if Lord Gellar and Lady Masterton are lost forever?"
He holds her close, unsure of how to answer. All he knows is that the dark side can be elusive and unpredictable, driving people to unspeakable acts. There was a saying that had always stuck with him through the years.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
-TBC
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Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
ExO Iver Aguilar stands before the 54 present members of the Direx Board and waits until the murmurs have quieted down. With the Espos clearing those suspected in connection with the kidnapping, the Direxs have been in far better spirits which Iver will now unfortunately have to crush. He addresses them in a low, even tone, one that commands attention and would convey the dire nature of the message.
“Members of the board, a travesty has been committed in our name. Reports from Chandaar, confirmed by our liaison Janessa Kain, cite that the Federation Ambassador has undermined the Sector and secured trading permits within Republic borders.â€
This sends a palpable ripple through the room.
“Allegations have been made that this board had staged the kidnapping of the Gellar-Masterton children as a stall tactic against Federation progress and that Rutherford Gellar had been sent to Chandaar specifically to undermine the negotiation.â€
“That’s outrageous!†D’Ken Dawning shouts, rising angrily from his chair. While their original goal may have been to circumvent the Federation obtaining permits in the first place, it became clear that would not be a possibility and they were forced to changed tactics. “We were all cleared of those charges!â€
Finnius Dyre nods, “And assured by Gellar himself that Sector interests would be maintained during these negotiations.â€
“Clearly that is not the case!†Balthazar Nash bellows. “What evidence did the Federation present that would indicate our involvement?â€
Other outbursts followed, shouting similar questions.
Unrest begins to grow.
Iver Aguilar levels his gaze.
“Obviously, the Trade Federation has fallen back into its treacherous ways. Miss Kain stated that visual evidence was presented to the Senate which showed the children were abducted in the hoverlimo provided to our executive board members.â€
“But that information was released to the press! Surely the Republic media knew this as well. Their driver was murdered and found outside the academy on D’ian. That is hardly damning evidence.â€
“True but there is also alleged photage of a larger transport carrier with Corporate Sector markings that fled the system with the Gellar’s limo.â€
“Heresy!†D’Ken Dawning shouts. “They agreed to negotiations only to set us up! Tell me the Senate did not fall for what could have very easily been doctored photage?â€
“Permits were issued by a unanimous vote following the presentation.â€
Outrage explodes across the board members.
Vex Sienna, who had only returned to Etti IV when the emergency meeting was called, signals he wished to speak. Aguilar allows it.
“Forgive my interference but how did the Federation Ambassador come upon this alleged photage?â€
“The Ambassador claimed it was taken from media outlets here in the Sector.â€
“Has this been confirmed?â€
“It has.â€
“Then I imagine that is why the Espos questioned everyone. They fell for it as well. Convincing, certainly but not conclusive. Has the carrier been identified?â€
Iver shakes his head.
“The Espos are working on it as we speak but there are far more damaging repercussions here. Not only is the Republic wishing to outfit their borders with the old Federation gravity well nets, the Ambassador is requesting the Senate limit or temporarily revoke our trading privileges while offering to supply our merchandise for slashed prices.â€
As one could expect, this last bit goes over like a million tons of durasteel.
“How dare they even suggest it!â€
“They must be stopped immediately!â€
“I have tasked Miss Kain with appealing to their sensibilities, given the Federations history of galactic deception. While their granted permits are entirely out of our hands at this point in time, I am confident we will prevail in clearing our name. We will work diligently to uncover where this mysterious carrier came from and if the Federation played a part in orchestrating the kidnapping as means to sabotage the negotiations. Meeting adjourned.â€
As the group disbands, some in shock while others are infuriated beyond belief, Vex Sienna finds his way to Iver Aguilar.
“If I may have a word, your Leadership.â€
He nods, ushering him away from the meeting chamber.
“How can I help you representative Sienna?â€
“Where is Rutherford Gellar?â€
Iver arches a brow, intrigued.
“For an Imperial liaison, you seen to have a keen interest in this.â€
Vex flashes a grin.
“The success of the Direx Board and the companies it represents as well as the products it produces is of great value to the Empire. If you are being undermined or sabotaged, we wish for it to be resolved swiftly and will provide any assistance you require.â€
“Noted,†Iver says. “I was told that Gellar received a lead regarding the children and left Chandaar to follow up with his personal valet and a Republic Counselor. The oddity of it all is that there were implications that the Federation Ambassador was willing to assist in this endeavor.â€
“Did he say where?â€
“Not to my knowledge. Why do you ask?â€
“If you believe the Federation is deliberately attempting to destroy your relationship with the Republic then it’s entirely possible they diverted Gellar in order to make this announcement.â€
“You sound fairly confident.â€
“Well,†Vex shrugs, “The Empire knows a thing or two about misdirection. Tread carefully, your Leadership or the Federation may destroy all that you have worked so hard to achieve. If you can prove they are to blame then you can bet those permits will be revoked permanently and their reputation obliterated. For now, however, it is your reputation at stake. Without evidence, the Republic will rule against you. How confident are you in your liaison?â€
Iver smiles for the first time all day.
“Janessa Kain can be quite convincing.â€
-TBC
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Corporate Sector
D’ian System: Surface
A thousand kilometer’s away from the Concordia Township lies a dense swath of forest surrounding Lake Viiperi. Expansive vacation retreats peak out from between the tree along the vast shores. Named after one of the first explorers of D’ian, it had become the premiere destination to relax or recover. In Lady Celeste Masterton’s case, it was the latter.
Doctor Dalton Daaé, the Gellar-Masterton’s concierge physician had whisked Celeste away to their lakeside manor so he could help treat her outside of the prying eyes and pressure of the media. She has been sedated for nearly twenty-four standard hours during which time he had kept her hydrated and nourished to assist with the detox. Her initial test results indicated a dangerously high level of the painkiller Capra, exactly as Miss Miranda had stated. Given her size and the dosage, Celeste was nearing overdose. Neither he nor Miss Miranda know how long she had been taking these pills or how she was able to obtain them without a prescription. He certainly did not prescribe them and, to the best of their knowledge, Lord Gellar could not provide them through ChemiX without authorization. The bottle they were found in was unlabeled making him wonder if she had obtained them from a friend or colleague. Being a psychiatrist, Celeste can write prescriptions but not for herself. The mystery deepened when Miss Miranda suggested Lady Masterton was being negatively influenced through the Force. This is not something he is particularly well-versed in aside from knowing that Celeste and her children were sensitive to it. Of the four, Dahlia was by far the most affected with a midi-chlorian level higher than he had ever seen followed by Gemma then Celeste then Dane.
This information was not publicly released. Given the family history, he is not surprised.
Dalton monitors Celeste closely, taking her vitals every hour to spot any changes or irregularities. She seems peaceful now, slumbering in the giant bedroom with the shades drawn. He hopes that once he has the drugs out of her system they can begin to address the nature of her addiction and how best to keep her healthy.
*
The following morning, Kylie Miranda comes to visit. With Vex on Etti IV for business, she felt it would be best to check in and see how Lady Masterton is doing. She feels somewhat guilty for staging the scene in such a dramatic fashion but things were getting a bit out of control. Kylie certainly does not want harm to come to Celeste, especially now that she has received word about the Federation Ambassador’s move before the Republic Senate. Vex said the Direx Board reaction to these events were less than civilized. Kylie can’t even imagine nor does she want Celeste to lose it over the fact that she was mistrustful of that Ambassador the whole time. Doctor Daaé greets her warmly and brings her upstairs where Celeste has eaten breakfast and is now reading in bed. She glances up and smiles, a reaction Kylie was not expecting.
“Please come in. Sit.â€
Kylie crosses the room and sits on the bedside, “How are you feeling?â€
“Better, thank you. I…don’t remember much unfortunately. I can’t recall how I even got here. It’s all a blur.â€
“Perhaps that is best for now.â€
Celeste frowns, “Was I horrible?â€
“You were out of sorts, m’lady. Doctor Daaé is taking great care of you now and no one is the wiser.â€
“That’s a relief,†she says, touching the side of her head. “In fact, I haven’t felt this kind of clarity in days. Everything became so clouded, oppressive. There seemed to be no escaping it.â€
Kylie nods, “We believe you and Lord Gellar are being targeted.â€
“Targeted?â€
“Through the Force. When Garron called to let us know the Jedi had found a signal and were leaving to investigate, he also asked about your behavior and emotional state. It seems Lord Gellar was also acting strangely and the Jedi were convinced it was the work of the Sith. Somehow, they were influencing your emotions.â€
Celeste’s blue eyes widen, “Do you believe it has something to do with the children?â€
“I don’t know. It may. All I know is that you were not behaving like yourself. You almost killed Vex in the sitting room and I have never seen you abuse any substance before. I was very concerned.â€
“Yes, the Imperial. I vaguely remember that. I used…my powers.â€
“Something I have not seen you do either.â€
“I didn’t think I had it in me. All I felt was hopelessness and despair, like nothing would ever be right or happy again. I felt like we had lost the children forever and that I was alone. Has there been any further word from Rutherford or Garron?â€
She shakes her head.
“Not yet, m’lady. I’m certain they will let us know the moment they can.â€
“And the Imperial? He’s still with us?â€
Kylie smiles, “Yes, he’s alive and terribly frightened of you.â€
“I may have overreacted,†Celeste says, taking her hand. “But it’s because I worry about you. No doubt he is charming and so very handsome but he is still an agent of the Empire.â€
“He has done a great deal to try and help us. He rushed after the limo without so much as a thought about his own safety. And I think it’s because he did know Melanie and their friends that he acted so quickly. He knows that most of the things that happened to them were out of their control, things he and others could not prevent. Trying to save them may have been a reacting to not being able to save the others.â€
Celeste regards her seriously, folding her hands in her lap.
“Do you know what happened to his high school sweetheart, Kylie?â€
"No."
“It was in that dreadful story the Corellian reporter wrote but I only knew what I had read in the tabloids, what we had been led to believe happened. Her name was Tenley Price, a popular cheerleader from North Coruscant High. She attended the sixteenth birthday party for Melanie and her friends where she was abducted by Alexia Winton and placed into an experimental Imperial program while her friends and family were left with no solace or hope. Tenley was not seen again for years, which is why Vex moved on briefly with Karen. Everyone assumed she was dead. It wasn’t until Melanie went to Tatooine to rescue the reporter that she turned up again. She had been brainwashed by the Empire, turned into an assassin who claimed responsibility for murdering Nikoli Venko, the girls chief of security in high school and who would have murdered the reporter had Melanie not stopped her.â€
Kylie’s mouth falls open.
Celeste continues, “This is the faction he swears allegiance to, an Empire that would turn his girlfriend into a killer.â€
“How could he have known that?â€
“It’s likely he didn’t. Not at the time. But the story, documentary and subsequent cineplex feature were released galaxy-wide. I’m certain he discovered the truth when we did and yet he continues his service to the Empire.â€
“Are you telling me to stay away from him?â€
Celeste shrugs.
“All I am saying is that the Force is not the only thing that can influence a person.â€
-TBC
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Corporate Sector
D’ian
Surface: Lake Viiperi: Gellar Manor
Once her system is flushed, Celeste confronts her worst fears in the cold glare of sobriety. She admits to Doctor Daaé what she could not admit to herself for so long and he listens as both her physician and trusted friend.
As much as it frightened her to lose her children, there is no escaping who they are and what legacy flows within their veins. What she fears most is that the children, regardless of their cherished upbringing, will inevitably suffer the same fates as those who came before them. She and Rutherford had fought hard to raise them all in an environment where they felt safe and loved. They communicated and maintained an active supportive presence in their lives.
These are luxuries not afforded to the original Four.
Celeste’s professional opinion in regards to Melanie and her doomed friends was that through Alexander Winton’s manipulations, The Four came of age in a world of dangerous lies. There was no certainty or safety. There were no finely drawn boundaries. No clear understanding of love and support. They were left to their own devices, lost in a sea of privilege and excess. It’s no wonder they became who they were and for many years she carried a great deal of guilt about her part in perpetuating it.
Dahlia, Gemma and Dane were going to be different. This time, she and Rutherford had complete control of the environment in which they would raise their children. It was the do-over neither deserved but were none the less granted. Celeste could not have been more grateful. Despite everything they had done, this scenario, the danger, had always lurked in the back of her mind. Even after all this time, after all the joy and triumphs of their offspring, she still feels like a failure, as if everything they had done was never going to be enough to protect them from who they are.
By some divine grace, Celeste, Rutherford and Dahlia had escaped Alexander’s plan. They had not befallen the fates of so many others. They were allowed to live, to start anew, and to grow outside of the roles they were cast in by a director so merciless it humbles. Gemma and Dane were the unexpected bonuses of survival. They were united as a family and she prayed every night it would remain that way. The delusion became distorted and heavy as the children grew, each one more like the one before as the days passed - Dane’s brash nature, Gemma’s compassion, Dahlia’s astounding obsession with personal appearance. It all seemed to be slipping through their fingers. They were powerless to stop it and Rutherford seemed content to allow it. Strange, considering he had been the one who remained convinced Alexander’s associates lurked throughout the galaxy ready to pounce on any opportunity. She doesn’t know what changed but as the years passed; he became less suspicious, less convinced of the ever-present threat to their safety. That is why they had been weaned off the vaccine but still, there were certain questions unanswered.
In her research, Celeste had come across stories with elements of the Persephonea Prophecy. She had studied the similarities and differences in many different cultures across the galaxy. This had been, in part, to alleviate her own fears about the children’s fates, but also to untangle and understand the lies she and Rutherford had allowed themselves to believe. Like so many prophecies, there are figures and actions central to its fulfillment. Legend, prophecy, religion; they all share certain archetypes in the hero’s and antihero’s of the lore. She believes the archetypes were known by Alexander Winton and subsequently assigned to The Four. While there are many throughout the texts and cultures, the four in question are the sinner, savior, leverage and sacrifice. The sinner is corrupt or morally compromised in some way leading to acts that live in infamy. The savior is a tragic figure who, through precognition or insight, discovers the plot and must fight against it despite the risks to their own life. The leverage archetype varies depending on the culture but generally upholds a beloved and cherish individual whose safety or lack thereof is used to further the sinner’s actions. The sacrifice is the one who places themselves in the path of destruction to save the leverage. This is done so with varying degrees of success and while the savior’s ultimate fate is optional, the sacrifice must always perish.
Celeste had relayed to Rutherford her belief that Karen was the sinner, Melanie the savior, Kimber the leverage and Valerie the sacrifice. That is how the events played out but just when these roles were assigned is anyone’s guess. There is no way Alexander or anyone could have known from the beginning that Karen would fall to the dark side, Melanie would become a Jedi, Kimber would be hunted, or that Valerie would die by the hand of Phage. For all they knew at the time, Alexia could very well have been the sinner and perhaps she was until plans changed. There was also no way to know there would be another set of four to replace the originals.
Gemma had spoken of a forth although, at the time, no one knew what that meant. No one knew until they went to Chandaar. The trip had been an unmitigated disaster. That is where it all began, a catalyst of connections. Too many lines seemed to intersect for it to be simple coincidence. Mara called out Dahlia as a Winton and knew Valerie and Karen. Gemma had been dreaming of Riley for as long as anyone could remember. Dane’s blood work showed an anomaly, possibly the same one taken from Valerie and used to create Phage. Circe released Kent’s story and had been with Melanie and Kimber during those final terrible months. Her brother, Garron, works for Rutherford and had done so long before Circe was introduced to Melanie. Their au pair, Kylie, is in a relationship with Vex, an Imperial who went to school with The Four.
Everywhere they turn, they are confronted by the past.
Would they be able to collectively thwart it from repeating itself or were they bystanders and collateral damage in a path of destined destruction?
*
Surface: Concordia Township: Gellar Estate
Kylie had returned with a sense of foreboding, one that could not be dispelled with a house to prepare for the rescue of the children. That is what she tells herself even though she has heard nothing from Garron or Lord Gellar. She needs to believe the Jedi will help them find the children safe so they can be brought home where they belong. It may be wishful thinking or even a touch of naïve idealism but she has to maintain hope.
It keeps her mind off of other things.
Vex called on the way back to Concordia. It seems the Direx Board is scrambling with top companies restructuring their pricing to remain competitive. The Trade Federation had thrown a massive wrench into operations within the Corporate Sector and outrage was spreading. People do crazy things when profit margins are threatened. There is even word that the ChemiX board of director’s is deliberating on whether or not to oust Rutherford Gellar from his position. From what she understands of the company, such an action would be both difficult and extremely expensive. He did build it from the ground up, after all, and had ensured there would be a considerable golden parachute in the event the director’s decided to rise against him. The other companies, once solidly aligned or associated with ChemiX, are working to gain some distance in light of the Federation’s allegations before the Republic Senate.
The worst part of it all is that blame has shifted in regards to the kidnapping. Once thought to be an in house scheme of the greedy Direx Board, it now appears that the one who purchased the carrier who fled with the Gellar hoverlimo is none other than Circe Prescott, decorated Republic Counselor and sister to Lord Gellar’s valet. Her face was splashed across the morning news reports and, with her ties to both the Republic and Corporate Sector, the Direx Board is claiming conspiracy. Rumors have swirled that Rutherford Gellar used Garron Prescott’s influence with Circe to frame the Federation without authorization or approval. They claim these independent actions now jeopardize the standing of the Corporate Sector.
Fingers are pointed. Blame is thrown.
Rutherford, Garron and Circe are made into scapegoats to save the reputation of both the Direx Board and Corporate Sector Authority.
Kylie orders extra security around the Gellar Estate and asks Doctor Daaé to keep Celeste at the manor house until this is sorted out. She does not believe Lord Gellar would ask Garron to do something like this. All she knows about Circe is that she barely escaped from Corellia before the Imperial assault over Centerpoint Station and since then had been a highly regarded Counselor for the Republic since its reemergence into a dominant galactic power.
She considers contacting Garron again but refrains on Vex’s suggestion that the Espos may be curious enough to trace incoming or outgoing calls from the Gellar Estate. He asked that she not contact him from that line either. She worries that her com-link is compromised and that their relationship may be used to further the allegations. Bringing the Empire into this and getting him in trouble is not something she wants. Despite his objections, she asks that they stay away from each other for a while. She does not delve into the information Celeste imparted to her. He is disappointed but understanding and offers his support if she needs it.
Kylie wipes a tear off her cheek, standing in the middle of a giant empty kitchen, frightened, uncertain, and pours a glass of wine.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian
Surface: Concordia Township
In the drawing room of the Corinthos Estate, Lady Corinthos is having one of her famous afternoon socials. An impressive spread lines the long rectangular table with many of the latest culinary creations on display. As usual, staunch cocktails are served by brilliantly polished droids. In attendance are Lady Dawning, Lady Dyre, Lady Nash and Lady Aguilar.
Trichelle loathes these functions as they tend to devolve from harmless banter into slanderous drunken gossip. The upside is that she could always use something uncovered in their conversations. This afternoon, Alka Dawning is also in attendance and sits despondently across from her at the table. They are all dressed to the nines and while Alka pulls off both the poise and the look marvelously, Trichelle is almost insulted she would have to entertain someone two years her junior. None of the other Lady’s has a daughter and men are not permitted at these luncheons.
Trichelle rolls her eyes, sipping from a flute of sparkling fruit juice.
Alka smirks and nibbles on one of the fine cheeses.
The Lady’s are on their third cocktail and have barely touched the food when the light banter turns sharply toward the glaring scandal in their own backyard. The Gellar-Masterton’s have been thrust beneath the harsh spotlight with media outlets going wild with speculation. The Corporate Sector, while trying to distance itself from Gellar, still need Republic contracts, making it all so very messy. Celeste Masterton is nowhere to be seen. Lady Dawning speculates she fled despite the fact that when she had called the Gellar Estate, their adorable au pair had stated Lady Masterton was on holiday. They laugh at that, someone taking a holiday during all this. The biggest question is whether Celeste knew about Rutherford’s plan to use his valet’s Republic contacts to influence policy or was she blindsided by the betrayal? The ladies discuss where the children really are and why a decorated Republic counselor would even go along with such a scheme. Consensus is that Celeste is hiding out in embarrassment and that Rutherford is guilty as sin, the plan backfiring in their faces.
Lady Aguilar disagrees, having known Rutherford and Celeste for many years. Despite Rutherford’s calculating exterior, he loves those children too much to use them as bargaining chips against the Federation. And, given his history with them and what happened to Valerie, it seems unlikely he would play those games. Besides, if the Direx Board was first being made to wrongly look like the culprit and conspirators, why couldn’t the same be true for Rutherford Gellar and his associates? The Lady’s are taken aback, gasping and wanting to know who would do such a thing. There is no clear answer but the Direx Board is not helping by withdrawing their support. Lady Nash believes they are doing the right thing by keeping their distance as they do not want their other contracts threatened by Gellar’s misdeeds. A petite disagreement ensues while Trichelle and Alka excuse themselves from the fray.
There is much to process and absorb.
“I don’t think Gellar did this. He’s being set up.â€
Trichelle shrugs, “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?â€
“You don’t sound very confident.â€
“Well, you’re young. In a few years you will be able to see all the angles a little more clearly.â€
Alka scoffs, “What angles?â€
“If this can be proven,†Trichelle sneers. “There will be consequences across the board that will harm some and benefit others.â€
“Such as?â€
“Company profits threatened, sector reputation on the line and of course, upheaval at Valor Prep.â€
“Which I’m betting serves your interests just fine.â€
“Don’t be so naïve, Alka. Our parents will sort out their business while we handle ours. We calmed unrest of the student body and the logical next step is a return to the natural order of things.â€
“The natural order? One where you shriek demands and terrorize the underclassmen with that meathead jock Kincaid by your side? You have got to be kidding me.â€
Trichelle is nothing short of smug.
“Such things are inevitable. Don’t fight it, sweetie.â€
Alka is not impressed.
“Whoever is doing this to the Gellar’s is going to regret it. And so will you.â€
“Cute. Is that a threat?â€
“Merely an astute observation.â€
Trichelle moves closer and leans forward.
“Allow me to make another observation, one that involves your waifish bestie Preston Dyre and his white knight Roman Nash. Rumors are a terrible side-effect of our ever-competitive social environment and I would hate for such a thing to push Preston to do something rash or ruin Roman’s athletic career. You know how the Chiss feel about deviations from the norm and I hear their punishments for doing so can be quite barbaric. These are your friends we are talking about.â€
She pulls back, staring down into Alka’s tense face.
“And if you care about them, I’d make the necessary adjustments.â€
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian System
As Celeste Masterton recuperates in the Viiperi Lake manor house, Kylie Miranda tries to keep herself busy with the Gellar Estate. There is much to do despite the emptiness and lack of family presence. An army of service droids keep the place spotless and she receives and responds to all inquiries and invitations. Her official story is that Rutherford is on assignment off world and that Celeste has taken a personal holiday. She feels it best to remain vague and noncommittal although, judging by the stories streaming out of the Republic capital; she knows her statements are a load of shit.
Things have become progressively worse as the scandal spread to encompass the Sector liaison and her lawyer. Without the primary suspects present and accounted for, the media targets Janessa Kain and Kaytt Corinthos instead. It’s amazing how fickle the public tends to be, always hungry for another victim to exploit or perpetrator to damn. The most recent reports imply Janessa Kain has been arrested in connection with the death of Republic Inspector Pike Erbon. The more brash HoloNet commentators are calling it murder but the RSB has yet to officially confirm that.
Kylie keeps on a brave face and graciously humors the Espos who regularly check in on her at the Gellar Estate. She has not had any contact with Rutherford Gellar or Garron Prescott in weeks so she has nothing to report. She avoids the locals like the plague, sending the droids into town for supplies as needed. The inhabitants of the Concordia Township can be viciously judgmental and she simply cannot handle the ‘that’s her’ looks even though she really has nothing to do with it. She is guilty by association which is why she had instructed Doctor Daaé to minimize Celeste’s exposure to the media during her recovery. No one wants a relapse and an earful of the hateful barbs traded between conservative commentators was sure to send Lady Masterton running for the pill bottle.
She wanders the house, running her fingers along the finely polished banister of the grand staircase as she heads for the door. There is little that arrived with the post today but included is a large envelope with her name on it. Kylie sets the rest of the letters on the island in the kitchen and pulls open the envelope. She is not prepared for what is inside.
There are several pictures, six in total, of her and Vex Sienna together at various locations. Their date on Etti IV, staring at each other over the table. Vex walking Kylie back to the Gellar Estate. Vex, blaster in hand, Kylie trailing behind, as they leave his hotel room after hearing the children had been abducted. A kiss they shared after dinner in Concordia. Included with the printed photage is a white sheet of paper with a single sentence typed on it.
Does the Emperor know you consort with sworn enemies of the Empire?
Kylie gasps, letting the paper fall from her hands. It’s not really a question. It’s a threat. She has never dealt with the Empire so she knows it’s not her specifically the message speaks of but she does reflect on the things Celeste told her. Vex shares a connection to the past, to Coruscant, and to The Four. With the exception of Karen Winton, the other three were, at different times, all considered enemies of the Galactic Empire.
Melanie was a Jedi. Valerie ruled Corellia. Kimber was a fugitive.
Now, Kylie works for the Gellar-Masterton’s. Vex’s position within the Direx Board and his Imperial business assignment would put him in contact with Rutherford Gellar but his relationship with her may cloud his intentions. She knows that it has. He has come to sympathize with the Gellar-Masterton’s and that, from an Imperial standpoint, would compromise things. It would make them question his abilities and usefulness. She realizes this information isn’t really intended for her, it’s intended for Vex. Its presence, she suspects, is to scare her into doing something stupid like running straight to him.
Although she is terrified, she would not give whoever sent this the satisfaction. The question looming in her mind as large as a brightly lit marquee:
Was this simply a warning flare for them or does the Empire already know?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The biochemist’s neck simply comes apart in the jagged grasp of the Voss-Ra disciple. Human flesh is so fragile. The blood filled gurgle preceding the end of life is such a satisfying sound. The disciple grins, further distorting his mutilated face. He drops the biochemist’s body and pulls the badge from his white lab coat.
The name Ni Trin is printed below the red and black ChemiX logo.
After taking in the biochemist’s image, the disciple uses his considerable dark magic’s to transform his appearance to mirror it. He clips the badge to the coat and abandons the body beneath piles of garbage behind the ChemiX corporate tower.
The disciple enters the building with confidence, breezing past security after scanning his badge. People acknowledge him as he moves through the hall. He nods politely, mocking their custom of forced civility. He enters the lab but his supposed colleagues barely look up from their experiments. Everyone is working hard. With the scandal exploding, the board of directors is putting pressure on the lab to conjure up a new product that would eclipse the indiscretions of the founder. This is the perfect opportunity to approach the director of the development program, Irulan Reeves.
She possesses desirable qualities in a human female but to him, the real creature beneath the facade, her position of authority disgusts him. Women do not hold such status with the Voss-Ra. She regards him coldly as he tells her that he needs to run additional tests on the Gellar samples. She points him in the right direction then waves him off dismissively.
He procures what he was instructed to retrieve, placing the vial labeled Dane Gellar in a cooling sleeve which he slips into the pocket of the lab coat. His exit from the building is just as smooth, having planned and researched all angles over the last few months. All he needed was an opportunity.
Outside, he strides across the corporate plaza and signals for the transport. An hour later, he walks up the ramp of the shuttle where the clone is waiting for him. Out of the public eye, the disciple allows the façade to crumble, shifting back into the monstrous creature wearing the tattered brown robes. She extends a hand in which he places the cooling sleeve containing the vial. There is no gratitude, only a simple nod, as she inspects it carefully.
The face that was once Valerie Gellar’s and repurposed to be Mara Tacofer’s seems to brighten as if confirming something. She turns on her heels, securing the vial in the shuttle’s cooler before sliding into the pilot’s chair. The shuttle rumbles as it lifts off and pulls away from the CSA capital, following the jammed lanes of traffic until they have broken into the upper atmosphere and can veer away on its own.
As the disciple meditates in the main cabin, the clone eases back on the controls and they make the jump to lightspeed.
-TBC
-
?Can I read between the lines?
Decipher all the signs.
Hieroglyphics in your eyes.
Hidden meanings deep inside.?
-Dillon Francis
Corporate Sector
D?ian System: Surface: Viiperi Lake
Celeste Masterton walks through a meadow as a cool breeze tugs at the long reeds jutting out of the green and yellow grasses. She runs a hand along the blades, smiling as the bright sun above catches her long golden curls. Just ahead, a set of giant durasteel gates are propped open and she passes through them and enters the Greyson Estate. The lights are dimmed but she knows the way, wandering through the massive residence. She does not know exactly what she is looking for but is drawn toward the study. The portrait of the Winton family hangs above the mantle of the grand fire place but instead of a glowing hearth, a woman stands before a large opening staring down at a darkened staircase. Celeste?s voice is barely a whisper of disbelief.
?Monica??
Queen Monica Greyson-Winton turns. She is the exotic beauty that drew them all too her in the first place. Her shimmering green eyes and dark hair pulled tightly into woven braids that are kept in place by an ornate crown. She wears a traditional Naboo dress, patterned and textured in bright colors with a heavily powdered face with a red dab christening her lower lip.
?Hello, old friend.?
?I thought I would never see you again.?
?Do not fear,? she says. ?You escaped with my child and were never found. That is all I could have ever hoped for.?
Celeste lowers her head.
?Forgive me if I wished everything had ended up differently.?
?Except it hasn?t ended.?
Celeste raises her eyes.
Monica nods.
?Deep in your heart you know this to be true. There was something Alexander was fond of saying ? vicious cycles ? a phrase that seems more appropriate than ever. History doesn?t evolve, it revolves. It revolves around the four names that are forever seared into the minds of all who live and hangs like an eternal shadow over the graves of everyone that has perished. Now, everything that was foreseen in the Persephonea is coming full circle.?
?The Jedi believe our children will undo what has been done. They are to unite the worlds in peace.?
?Even they cannot see that clearly. There are always variables, things we cannot prepare for. When I was alive, I ignored the warning signs until it was too late. Then I just played right into his hands. We all did. Alexander knew we would turn on him, that Henrick would be the last of us to do so. He knew it would come to this, that it would end here, in this place. My family home.?
Celeste?s lips trembles, ?What happened to you after I left with Master Corrin and Dahlia??
?He confronted us both, claiming we had betrayed him. Henrick had done a fine job of covering up my delivery and there was enough adrenaline coursing through my veins to keep me from doubling over. He admitted to everything we had feared about the prophecy and revealed that our children were merely instruments through which he would ascend to power and rule the galaxy. It was never about them. It was about him, living forever. He said he was close to having proof, that he had Rutherford Gellar?s cowardice to thank for that. Then he caressed my cheek, withdrew his blade and murdered me.?
?And Henrick??
Monica extends a hand which Celeste takes. Together, they pass through the fire place and descend the staircase into the ante chamber below. Symbols are seemingly burned into the stone walls. On the floor of the first room they enter are two circles, one within the other. She barely makes out the names as they pass. Monica leads Celeste between two pillars and into another chamber which contains nothing save for a sarcophagus propped against the far wall.
?Alexander sealed his best friend, your husband, in this tomb. The long, slow death inside was to serve as punishment for ever questioning his judgment. We were all supposed to die for his sins but there are some, like you, who survived. And as I am sure you are aware, survivors can very easily become targets.?
Celeste swallows hard, ?Our survival completes his failure.?
?There are agents of Alexander Winton still out there. His legacy survived the same way you did ? with cleverly laid plans. Everything unfolded slowly with a brightly lit stage set for the central cast while others worked diligently behind the scenes to keep everything moving right along.?
?Others??
Monica nods, her features accentuated by the torches mounted to the walls.
?They have been there all along, undiscovered allies that would like nothing more than to see the new four succeed where the original four did not. You must be mindful, Celeste and trust your instincts. The vaccine was able to shield them for a time but they are destined to be in the public spotlight. Some will see their value but others will see only threats. You need to be prepared for that.?
There is a deep rumble from within the chamber.
?Prepare.?
*
Celeste gasps, eyes fluttering open. She is clutching sheets that are tangled tightly around her body. It looks like she had been struggling. Light floods into the expansive bedroom as she throws the sheets aside and bounds into the hall.
Doctor Daa? is startled by her presence, rising from his chair.
?Lady Masterton??
?Gather your things. We?re going home.?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D?ian System: Surface: Concordia Township
As the limo races away from Viiperi Lake, piloted by a very reluctant Doctor Dalton Daae, Celeste settles into the seat and knows this is the right thing to do. She would stay in hiding no longer. As magical calm washes over her on the ride home and she can feel Gemma reaching out to her. They were safe. Rutherford and the Jedi had found them.
When the limo stops in front of the Gellar Estate, Celeste pushes open the door and steps out. There are no reporters waiting for her, only the security detail assigned to defend the property. They nod silently as she passes.
Kylie Miranda is startled to find her home so suddenly. She confers with the doctor while Celeste heads upstairs to settle in. The treatment had gone well and Lady Masterton had been clean for over a month. She appears to have stabilized, considerably more in the last week, but Dalton would continue to monitor her progress. She nods, thanking him for his help before padding upstairs carefully. She finds Celeste putting clothing away in a dresser.
?I?m very glad to see you are well.?
Celeste smiles, ?The children are safe.?
?How do you know??
?I felt Gemma through the Force reaching out to me. Then Monica visited me. In my dreams.?
?The Queen? Dahlia?s mother? What did she say??
?To prepare.?
Kylie swallows hard, feeling as though there is no coincidence in Lady Masterton returning to the Estate.
?She?s right.?
Celeste stops and turns, ?What do you mean??
?A lot has transpired while you were away.?
Kylie doesn?t know where to start but once she gets going, it all comes tumbling out. The accusations and trial of Janessa Kain and Circe Prescott are still the leading story as it continuously casts a shadow over the Corporate Sector?s reputation. Ambassador Mara Tacofer has been recalled to The Wheel after delivering a rather damning speech to the Republic Senate and securing lucrative contracts for the Trade Federation. In D?ian, Kylie has received three threatening letters sent to the Gellar Estate, implying her relationship with Vex Sienna would compromise Imperial dealings within the Direx Board. The last of these letters went further to suggest Vex may be involved in the Gellar conspiracy undermining Republic relations. After all, he is officially an agent of the Galactic Empire making the Republic a natural enemy. The latest from Etti IV is even worse. A prominent biochemist from ChemiX was found murdered behind the corporate offices and samples stolen from the labs.
Celeste?s eyes are now very wide.
?What samples??
Kylie pauses.
?Kylie? What samples??
And the beautiful au pair frowns deeply, unaware the gravity in her answer.
?Dane?s.?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D?ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
The beeping stops as it kicks over to voicemail and her husband?s voice fills her ear. Rutherford has not been answering his com-link all afternoon and Celeste was beginning to think her celebratory fervor may have been a bit premature. Kylie?s information skews things dramatically yet confirms everything Monica said.
?We?re being targeted,? Celeste explains, eerily calm. ?We are but loose ends in Alexander Winton?s plot, threads that escaped him in life that will now be tied up long after he perished. The most disturbing part is that both Rutherford and I knew it would follow us into the future. We took all the precautions with the vaccine and our insular little world that after a time the fear subsided. We convinced ourselves the threat was gone, that no one was after us or the children. We told ourselves we were free to live again. We were wrong.?
?You think this is all happening because of Dahlia?s father??
?Everything that led us here is because of him.?
?When the children are returned, we can run. We can flee this place.?
Celeste shakes her head.
?There is no escaping a bloodline, no place you can hide from destiny. When they were young, Karen and Melanie could not have cared less about the Force. The Jedi, the Sith, both were merely things they learned about in school. Facts they had to remember to pass a test at the end of a chapter. But as fate would have it, Karen became a Sith and Melanie a Jedi. Some would say it was inevitable. Their roles were cast long before they were born.?
?And what do you say??
?I say there are those who wish for history to repeat itself and it?s high time we did something about it.?
*
Etti IV: Surface: Monnder
The phrase ?civil unrest? was never one Vex Sienna found very accurate. Unrest is seldom civil, especially when profit is as stake. The Direx Board has become a free-for-all with Iver Aguilar practically reduced to a hapless figurehead. The only thing they do agree on is that they are getting royally screwed but the ?who? and ?why? are the subject of much debate. Some are absolutely convinced it?s the Trade Federation while others are swayed by the compelling evidence suggesting Rutherford Gellar has somehow damned them all. No one appreciates having the wool pulled over their eyes by someone they once respected, perhaps even trusted. Tensions are understandably high.
The scope of the scandal has gone beyond just the Sector and it?s dealings but ensnared two lovely and very public women with alleged questionable loyalties. The Sector liaison, Janessa Kain, could have gone either way. She?s quite the cunning opportunist from what he?s heard but a murderer? Now that?s cold. The Republic Counselor, Circe Prescott, is the real kicker - sister of Gellar?s confidante and a well-respected Republic figure who had ties to the Jedi Melanie Masterton and just happened to be the one who released the most detailed account of The Four. The upcoming trial on Chandaar is a hot topic, right behind crushing the Federation and restoring their contracts within Republic borders. Some are even worried they will find deeper connections to the CSA, further marring their reputation. Korb Security has come up in the headlines and is a company some have done business with in the past. Most notably, D?Ken Dawning, according to his sources. There are whispers that the Republic lawyers may try and spin allegations that the Sector had a hand in pressuring Korb Security to target the Counselor once the Republic reestablished itself a decade ago.
Unless there is proof, Vex does not see the point. He keeps a low profile in the board meetings which is aided considerably by their infighting and blame throwing. He capitalizes on this uncertainty to score fairly sizeable contracts at discounted rates. They want to keep the Empire, a profitable client, extremely happy. For the most part they leave him out of things. After all, both the board and the Espos have decided he isn?t involved. He has no reason to be, really but it does amuse him when the Republic once against becomes bloated with democracy and begins to find paranoid conspiracy everywhere they look. The delusional idealism is ridiculous. Everyone given a voice becomes just a distorted roar and soon you must choose which to listen to and which to ignore.
At least the Empire is upfront about it.
The Corporate Sector operates somewhere in the middle of these extreme?s. There are auspices of both within the raging sea of capitalism that drives the corporate machine. Mostly, they follow the rule of currency ? he who has the currency makes the rules. It?s straightforward yet surprisingly not viewed as harshly as the methods of the Galactic Empire but still too abrasive for the New Republic.
Newer anyway.
Vex maintains a fa?ade of tranquility. He is the savvy negotiator of product to his faction. Beneath the surface lingers doubt and fear. The Empire?s silence does little to expand their influence or win over supporters. Things have been a little too quiet from Byss. This fear is amplified by a message he received a few weeks ago.
You consort with traitors to the Empire.
Kylie Miranda shouldn?t even be on the Empire?s scans but her connection to the Gellar-Masterton?s makes her an accessory. It?s obvious why they hated Melanie. They hated everyone but Melanie was special. She was a Jedi and opposed all they stood for even when it put her in direct opposition to her best friend. This hate would extend to her surviving family if there was even a possibility of another rising up to become the next crusader of light. Gellar is not so obvious. At least it?s not entirely public knowledge.
Almost eleven years ago, after Karen Winton finished demanding he secure her an unmarked transport for some undisclosed conquest, they got to talking. They shared a private school past and, for a brief moment, a bed. Casual gossip was her way of disarming people and he needed the distraction. They talked about their old friends from NCH that survived the destruction of Coruscant. Some had it easier than others. He mentioned that he had heard Kimber Patten worked as a diplomat for the Empire and pulled some pretty hardcore shit with the Hapan Consortium and that Valerie Gellar perished after uniting the Corellian Sector as its Governess. Karen laughed after finishing her drink and said it was a funny story. Kimber took the job after the Empire promised to help Corellia in the Phage Crisis and thought they reneged on their end of the deal. In reality, they approached Valerie with assistance but it came with conditions of fielding talks between the factions once Phage was destroyed. Valerie told the Empire to go fuck themselves and wound up taking Phage down herself and keeping Corellia out of Imperial hands. Kimber was on the run before Karen could tell her.
Vex shutters off the memories.
He retrieves the note from the desk in his downtown apartment, glancing up through the windows to stare at the point of the Gellar Corporate Tower. As far as he knows, the Empire has been pleased by his progress. He has secured every contract he was assigned to go after and was able to build professional relationships with three of the four primary moguls. Gellar was the exception but his exploits are broadcast all over the Holo so his inability to sit down for a chat with Vex should be understood. Still, he recalls the words of his colleague Burke Pallus who warned him to stay on assignment. Do not deviate. This was after Emperor Schrag murdered the Moff Council.
Vex doesn?t believe he has done anything to warrant the Emperor's ire and he hasn?t heard from Pallus in months. His minimized contact with Kylie as of late has given him more time to focus on the Imperial network within the Sector. He was on good terms with almost everyone here. Now he knows why they used to send beautiful socialites. The better you look, the more people that pay attention. You just have to know the right things to say once you have it.
He dresses for another business dinner, this time with Balthazar Nash and his blaster-toting cronies. One can never have enough weaponry. His only wish is to be with Kylie again without making her a target. Would the Federation be exposed as the culprits in the CSA setup or will Gellar's world come crashing down around him? Time will tell.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D?ian System: Surface: Concordia Township
The speed at which things can change in the life of a teenager is astounding.
Trichelle Corinthos once again rules Valor Prep. Socially speaking, of course. Neglectful parents and an uninterested older sister have jaded her young mind. Wealth, time and boredom can drive a person to untold lengths. It was easy, really. All she had to do was use the fallout from losing Dahlia as means to gain sympathy then twist the media photage to look a lot like the tabloid fodder unloading rumors about the Gellar-Masterton?s on the daily. They say the family is cursed. A host of stunning images from the past are used as startling evidence to predict a certain future if these kids are left unchecked. In a place like Concordia, paranoia is not difficult to incite. If Dahlia, Dane and Gemma were here, Trichelle rationalizes, the student body may not be safe. After all, classmates of Melanie Masterton and Valerie Gellar met grisly ends on Coruscant.
Muriel Monroe is horrified by the seemingly unexpected character assassination. Dahlia had never done anything to Trichelle. Well, not directly anyway. She did inadvertently capture the attention of a certain Chin-Bret captain she happens to like and Muriel supposes, in their world that may cause ill will. When she attempts to speak out, she is threatened with social exile. Now that she had gained attention, Muriel did not want to lose it. She didn?t want to betray Dahlia?s friendship either. Conflicted by social unrest, isolated by a mother still on location, Muriel turns to Tobias. Together they float away in the tiny white pills he gives her, away from what terrible things that may have happened to her kidnapped best friend.
Kier Kincaid responds negatively at first but the news reports and his parents echo the sentiment that the Gellar-Masterton?s could be dangerous. This excites him as he thinks about Dahlia alone in his room, eyes closed, one hand beneath the covers. He does, however, become suspicious of Trichelle?s motives when he overhears her berate Alka Dawning, who does her bidding to spare her friends from public wrath.
Blissfully unaware of the larger danger from their peers, Preston and Roman grow closer.
-TBC
-
Hyperspace
There is a stark loneliness in the solo voyage.
Kaytt Corinthos finds herself wandering through the sleek elegance of the royal cruiser. It is far more equipped than she anticipated but it?s not like she had been on many ships belonging to princesses. Kaytt?s family may be loaded but this is ridiculous. She decides to take advantage of it all anyway. She might as well since there is no one to entertain but herself. After a long shower, she changes into a designer dress that seems to fit her well. There are closets full of Raga?Ana haute couture which sends her mind spinning back to those days. The ad campaign seeped into the Corporate Sector just like it did everywhere else. They were the gorgeous girls in gowns with serene expressions that served as a striking contrast to the horrors that faced them nightly on the HoloNet. The socialites were portrayed in a way that made them almost characters of themselves, as if they were never real, simply an allegorical tale to warn them of the very real dangers of being rich and pretty.
Kaytt was young back then, almost the same age as The Four. If they had lived they would all be nearly thirty-three. This is a fact she bets they would have hated. Growing older means sacrificing some beauty for wisdom. To look as good, one needs to work twice as hard. On the flip side, to die young allows one to remain beautiful forever.
Immortalized through their legacy.
Karen Winton, both victim and villain, as fate would have it. Melanie Masterton was bemoaned as the tortured patron saint. Kimber Patten, a beloved if not epically perplexed idealist. And Valerie Gellar was the tragic hero or the clever whore, depending on who you asked.
Kaytt wonders what kind of legacy she would leave behind. Which events and actions will the future judge her against? Would she be remembered as a brilliant legal mind or another sucker who was swept up into the explosive drama?
These musings prompt her to consider what she knows about Celeste Masterton. Although their families Estate?s neighbor one another in Concordia, Kaytt had never really interacted with the Gellar-Masterton?s. She knows that Celeste is his second wife and Rutherford her second husband. Both former spouses are deceased. Neither death is described as entirely natural, the details vague and generalized. Almost eleven years ago, Kaytt would have been just entering law school, having graduated with honors from university in Monnder. While the last three of The Four were imploding along with Centerpoint Station, Kaytt Corinthos had her sights set on the big bright future. Their lives were ending as hers was just beginning.
She shivers as she slides into one of the chairs of the minimalist cockpit, swiveling toward the box sitting near the consol. Circe told her its contents would be of emotional significance to Celeste Masterton. She wonders if it would be bring back fond memories.
*
Corporate Sector
D?ian System: Surface
When she finally arrives, Kaytt guides the cruiser down on her father?s landing pad near the Corinthos Estate. She had cleared things with the appropriate channels and by now her parents would know she was coming. The Concordia Township is where she had been born and raised. Her years at Valor Prep were marked with all the clich??s. She spent those years dreaming about getting the hell out of there. The small town life and charming suspicion that came along with it did nothing but irritate her. It was always one scandal or another. If they got bored enough, they would just stage one. Or rehash the past with renewed vigor. Kaytt found the whole thing dreadfully exhausting so she threw herself into her studies and eventual career. Unfortunately, this caused some inevitable friction and distance with her family. Corporate law was challenging enough but it was meeting Janessa that turned her on to the world of political defensives. It is why she left Etti IV and the Corporate Sector behind for the thriving Republic expansion. Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled with that decision.
The Corinthos family goes as far back as the founding of the Sector itself. They had always been one of the driving forces, a profound vision of capitalism. You cannot achieve power without first supplying it. It?s something her great, great, great, etc grandfather used to say. Seventy-six percent of all current flowing through the towns and cities is provided by Corinthos Energy. This is up from last year when they assimilated yet another company in a takeover so hostile the Espos in homicide almost had to file a report. Two other company?s stand in her family?s way of complete market domination. A part of her left the Sector because she knew she would one day have to defend CE against how they managed to get it.
The Corinthos Estate is quiet, the grounds slowly coming back to life in the early spring air. There are buds on the trees that would be brilliant blooming flowers in just a few weeks. She enters the residence from the back, hoping to mostly avoid the staff and slips upstairs unnoticed. Kaytt wanders the long corridors decorated in their family history. It was like living in a museum and they encouraged to keep just as quiet. A boy no older than ten or eleven passes her in the hall. He regards her curiously for only a moment before disappearing around a corner. It could be a servant or a younger sibling. One never knows with this family. She rounds the next corner, heading toward her old room.
It is just as she left it which she finds unnerving since it?s not likely her parents even entered this room in her absence. Kaytt sighs, setting down her garment bag and falls onto her bed. Somehow, it seems smaller now.
?What are you doing here??
Kaytt sits upright, scoffing reflexively.
?I used to live here.?
Trichelle lingers in the doorway, loosely gripping the frame. She must be about fourteen, maybe fifteen by now and looks quite a bit like she used to at that age. Dark hair, deeply exotic features, a pout that seldom became a smile.
?That?s not an answer.?
Kaytt shrugs, not in the mood for sullen teenage antics.
?That?s because it wasn?t an interesting question. Look, I?m not here to upset your delicate balance. I?m not even really here to visit.?
?Oh yeah? Then why?d you grace us with your presence??
?I just?needed to stop by. See the place. It?s been a while.?
Trichelle?s eyes narrow into slits.
?Not nearly long enough.?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D?ian System: Surface: Concordia Township
The fight with her sister unsettled her. It was not what she intended but the conversation took several sharp turns. Trichelle clearly had some issues she needed to air out. There was bitterness and aggression, things that should have been directed at their parents.
If they could find them.
Kaytt showers and changes into something more conservative, something someone like Celeste Masterton would respond to. They are both working professionals, after all. Kaytt keeps the makeup light, natural and lets her shoulder length dark and naturally wavy hair stay free. The blazer and matching pencil skirt are a basic gray woven pattern with a white button-up blouse beneath. She slips into simple black heels and fishes a string of pearls from the jewelry box on the vanity. She turns in the mirror, inspecting herself.
I?d talk to me, she thinks. But would Celeste extend her trust enough to help her and her case? She might, if she could just get in the door. She carefully places the box in her briefcase and heads downstairs. She doesn?t encounter a single person on the way. Outside, she instructs the driver to take her to the Gellar Estate. He does this without protesting of its short distance or the fact that he may not know exactly who she is.
Kaytt forgot how beautiful it is on D?ian. Everything seems painted on, as if the seasons are executed with a stunning punctuality. The deep green hues of the rolling hills are made a patchwork in the late afternoon sun. The hoverlimo stops in front of the Gellar Estate abruptly, jarring her from thought. Stepping out, she notices the architectural similarities of the era they were built. The purpose of Concordia was to appear quietly wealthy, like all the material things and grand houses that date back centuries were part of the idyllic landscape. Despite appearances here, it was fight to the death on Etti IV. D?ian softened the image that one could lose everything in a bad deal or nasty takeover.
Oh, how the rich prefer their denial.
Kaytt walks up the steps and taps the door controls that would notify others inside. She waits nearly five minutes before a woman her age opens the door. She is much more conventionally beautiful, dare she say adorable. Light hair and button nose with slight, delicate features.
?Good afternoon. May I help you??
?Yes,? Kaytt says. ?I?m looking for Lady Celeste Masterton.?
She tilts her head,
?I see. Who may I say is calling??
?Kaytt Corinthos.?
The woman blinks as if she heard her wrong.
?The Republic lawyer defending Circe Prescott??
?That?s right.?
?What are you doing all the way out here??
Kaytt smiles, motioning behind her.
?Visiting family but really, I could use Lady Masterton?s help.?
She pulls the door open wider, ?Have you come with a message about the children??
?The children? Right. Yes. I have information about the children.?
?I?m Kylie Miranda,? the woman says, moving aside. ?Please, come in. I?ll announce you.?
Kaytt stands in the foyer formulating a plan that didn?t involve shattering the hopes of a grieving mother. The children angle was on the fly but she saw her way in and she took it. Circe had, in fact, told her what happened to the Gellar-Masterton children but Kaytt has a sneaking suspicion not all of it is something Celeste Masterton is going to want to hear.
Kylie returns.
?Right this way, she will see you now.?
They walk through most of the main floor and down several corridors until they emerge in a sun room off the back of the residence. Plants bloom in colored pots of varying sizes, enjoying the temperature the design of the room brings. Lady Celeste Masterton stands when they enter; wearing the trademark white their family had become famous for. She is breathtaking and not just for her age with a radiance to match.
?Kaytt Corinthos,? Celeste says warmly, taking her hands. ?It?s been ages since we last saw you. Eleven, almost twelve years. My, you?ve turned out to be both beautiful and successful.?
?Thank you,? Kaytt says, caught off guard by the hospitality. ?I wasn?t sure you would remember me.?
?We?re neighbors. How could we forget??
Celeste motions for her to sit down, sliding a tray with an antique teapot and ornate cups forward.
?Tea??
?Yes, please.?
Kylie lingers in the background, curious. Only moments before Celeste had called her into the sun room telling her to expect company. The Corinthos lawyer is not who she was anticipating but given her role on Chandaar, it does make a strange sort of sense. She only hopes good news comes from that front. There are so many who have become twisted up in that mess.
?I hear you are representing Circe Prescott on those dreadful charges. I don?t believe for a moment she would conspire in such a way. She and my daughter had a considerable bond, one she would not betray.?
The faith in the accused is astounding. Does she know something Kaytt does not?
?There are some, like myself, who share those opinions but the Republic Security Bureau has secured fairly damning evidence. Evidence that is proving difficult to dispute. These charges are not only leveled at Counselor Prescott but Janessa Kain as well with potential to damage your husband?s reputation and your family standing within the Corporate Sector. That is why I needed to come here. I need your help.?
?I knew you?d come.?
?You?did? How??
?I felt that someone would come looking for answers. And I will be more than happy to help you but first, you must tell me about my children, about Rutherford.?
Kaytt must phrase this carefully.
?I did speak to Counselor Prescott about these matters but, as I am sure you are aware, it falls under client privilege. However, I can say that your husband and children are safe for the moment.?
It?s not a lie. It?s confirmation without breaking confidence.
Celeste beams, ?I am so very pleased to hear that. You don?t know the joy you have brought me today. Thank you.?
?It?s my pleasure.?
?What can I help you with??
?I need to know about the Force. More specifically, it?s influence over others.?
?It depends on the individual and what context.?
?Can it be used to alter emotional states??
Celeste nods, ?With the proper training, absolutely. Suggestion is a powerful force in and of itself. This could happen when an individual is compromised in some way, vulnerable.?
?What about influence over actions? Could it be used to make someone do something and then forget about it entirely??
?There are variants in the telepathic aspects of Force, on both sides. Suggestion and influence are not the same as domination or control. Only some of the most powerful have been able to alter or override an individual?s being in its entirety. It is not an easy task, one that would be extremely exhausting to maintain over any extended period of time.?
Kaytt takes a sip of tea and considers this.
?What you are saying is that it is possible if not more likely to do so quickly and for smaller periods of time? Making someone do something simple, like pick up a utensil or, say, sign a document??
?If the Force wielder in question had the training then yes.?
?Could someone be made to take the life of another??
Celeste sets her cup on the table and sits back.
?That would be dependent upon if there was a pattern of previous violent behavior. Those are fairly accurate indicators of future violent acts. Abuse victims are prone to becoming abusers themselves, generally in the area of abuse. Sexual, physical, emotional ? they tend to gravitate toward what they know.?
?And if the person did not have a history of violent behavior but was emotionally compromised ? could they be driven by the Force to commit murder??
?It depends on the level of skill the Force wielder had. To make an individual forsake their own code of ethics, go against what they know to be inherently right, would take incredible power and concentration.?
?But it is possible??
?I suppose it could be. Everyone has weak moments and, if capitalized on properly, could be made to make decisions out of their typical character.?
Kaytt gestures with her hands.
?Hypothetically speaking, if this was the case, how would one prove such a thing? It?s not as though there would be trace evidence or a witness.?
This is met with a thoughtful pause before being shot to pieces.
?I?m not certain you could.?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Concordia Township
It is just as Kaytt feared.
There would be no way to defend her clients against the allegations leveled against them. Not unless she could convince a Jedi to testify. She doubts the prosecution would go along quietly either. A Jedi in the courtroom. Maker Almighty, the press would have a collective grand mal. She sighs, finishing her cup of tea when she notices Celeste tense up.
"Is everything alright, Lady Masterton?"
Celeste places a hand over her chest, shuttering. She exhales slowly and shakes her head.
"I'm fine, thank you. I felt something...a darkness."
She is not about to call attention to the fact that darkness is not tangible.
"Is that bad?"
"I don't know," Celeste says, glancing at Kylie. "Force sensitives can often feel ripples when something is powerful enough. Even if we cannot place exactly what it is. I apologize for getting off-topic. Have I answered your questions, Counselor Corinthos?"
"Yes but it is unfortunately not what I was hoping to hear."
"You believe Counselor Prescott and Miss Kain have were manipulated into doing these things through the Force?"
Kaytt pauses.
"Your feelings are conflicted and we are in good company. You may speak freely."
"I believe it may be possible, however ridiculous that may sound."
"You are a rational and intelligent woman," Celeste says with a sincerity that almost humbles. "There must be a reason for you to consider such a non-traditional theory. I understand client privilege but something brought you to me because you believe I can help. Please let me."
She is already bending the rules in her deal with Speaker Apteen and Circe had implied permission to discuss the happenings of Rutherford Gellar and his cohorts with Lady Masterton. It was one of the only ways their status would reach her since it was almost certain her communications were being monitored by the Espos. She also does not want to derail her needs with Dahlia's probably dire situation. It would defeat the purpose. She can, however, redirect to only the most relevant aspects.
Kaytt raises her eyes to meet Celeste's.
"Something happened to Rutherford after the children were taken. His emotional state began to deteriorate. From what I gather, it is not characteristic of him to fall to pieces in a crisis. But that is exactly what I am told happened. So much so that he was virtually rendered useless and became a great concern to both Circe and Garron Prescott. The Jedi believe he was being pulled into despair and helplessness through the Force."
Celeste sets the saucer down and nods.
"It makes sense considering I believe it happened to me as well."
"What?"
"Lady Masterton-" Kylie interjects.
"It's alright," Celeste says. "Clearly there is more going on than we realize. When the children were taken, I was heartbroken, distraught but it became much worse."
Kaytt leans forward, "How much worse?"
"I began self-medicating but not because I really wanted to. There was a compulsion I could not explain, an overwhelming urge to remain numb. To do nothing. It got so bad that Kylie had to take action which I am thankful she did. I was told I was close to overdose. Our family medical practitioner treated me but could find no root cause. The trauma of losing the children was the obvious trigger but he could not explain the lack of self-control and reckless nature of my decisions. It was completely unlike me."
"You believe it was Force related?"
"Let us say it was not entirely ruled out."
"To do something like that would require considerable power and control, as you said. Who would want to do that to you?"
Celeste laughs dryly.
"The answer to that question is a story you already know."
"The one released by Counselor Prescott?"
"That is an interpretation of a sensationalist reporter who was told many things from many sources but the principle points and glaring errors are still made abundantly clear. The Jedi who diagnosed my husband, were they able to come to any conclusions?"
"One," Kaytt says, trying not to sound ominous. "Sith involvement. Admittedly, I do not know much about either side but the case was made more troubling by the loss of the Jedi Master accompanying them."
"Did Circe happened to mention who?"
"Corrin, I believe. I did not catch a first name."
Celeste's face falls, "I see."
"You knew him?"
"He saved me."
"From what?"
"The fate's of my first husband and my dearest friend."
Kaytt swallows hard, only now beginning to see the complexity of the Gellar-Masterton clan. If attempts were made through the Force to keep Rutherford and Celeste from looking for their children then there is a good possibility Circe and Janessa were influenced into conspiring to make it happen as well as protect the real culprit from being exposed. The sheer scope of such a plan was mind-blowing, especially since the accounts discovered in Prescott's name had been filtering funds for over a decade. This makes her wonder who the real enemy is here. The Direx Board, the Gellar-Masterton's, the Federation, the Corporate Sector; no one is entirely without guilt. Past or present. If she, like them, are only pieces being moved around a board, why haven't the Jedi risen up to counter this threat? Someone with that kind of power over others could cause a great deal of damage. By the looks of things, they already have. Two questions leap forward in her mind - who's the mastermind and what's the endgame?
"I am very sorry to hear that," Kaytt finally says. "And I have something for you."
Celeste perks up in surprise.
Kaytt unclasps her briefcase, withdrawing the box and setting it very gently on the table.
"The contents belonged to your daughter, Melanie. Circe said she had held onto them long enough and it was time to let them go. She asked that I bring it to you."
Celeste opens the box and stares down into it. Her face is a mixture of emotions. When she glances up at Kaytt, she is smiling.
"Thank you."
Kaytt nods as she stands, "It was my pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to share with me but I must be off to interview others who might also be able to shed some light on this case."
"Of course, I understand. Please let me know how things progress."
"I will."
Kylie motions for her to follow, and they wander in silence until she stops in the middle of the grand foyer.
"How safe are they really?"
"I'm sorry?"
"The children," Kylie says, pointedly. "Is everything as copacetic as you have suggested?"
"Have I given you reason to doubt my intentions?"
"You're a good liar, Counselor Corinthos. It's your job to convince people of things that aren't true. I respect the client privilege but I get the feeling you are using it as some kind of ploy to get what you want which, I imagine, is your clients out of prison."
"I want the truth, Miss Miranda."
"Even if it leads you to hell?"
Kaytt stiffens, "I don't believe in hell."
Kylie leans against the giant door frame as the lawyer passes by.
"If you search for something hard enough, you just might find it."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The thriving capital of the CSA has always held a special place in the heart of Kaytt Corinthos. It served as her escape from the delusional decadence of D'ian once she graduated from Valor Prep and came to study at University. She felt free here, as if she was finally allowed to absorb any knowledge outside that of feuding families and salacious gossip. She had risen quickly, graduating at the top of her class before attending law school. During her time here, she was exposed to the many dangerous angles of a corporate driven society. Profit justified all means and defending those means was of great interest to her younger self.
She and a few classmates had been invited to intern within the Direx Board, watching and learning how they operated. When a potential issue arose, and they always did, that required litigation, Kaytt and her fellow coed's were asked to present a case in a mock-trial. One of her more defining moments came when she argued an insider trading case against some hot shot in the financial sector. This brought her cred at school but also high praise from the Corinthos family friend, Iver Aguilar. It was Aguilar's personal recommendation that scored Kaytt her first clerking job in Mondder. She owed him a great deal, despite his disappointment when she decided to leave the Sector for an expanding Republic market ripe with legal woes.
Her family owns considerable real estate within Mondder, the most prominent is the Corinthos Corporate Tower. It is a sleek, onyx spike, a looming monolith in the Mondder skyline. It is referred to, in some circles, as the raven tower. The brilliant blue CE logo adorns the top like a beacon within the colorful array of corporate insignia's. They are the call signs of the most powerful and a warning to start-up's looking to usurp market shares. She smiles tightly as they pass the tower on her way to the Espos central precinct.
At Espos Headquarters, she interviews several of the agents assigned to the Gellar-Masterton case. The first responder's recount the anguish of Lady Celeste Masterton after her children were abducted. Their reports are concise and surprisingly detailed as they went through the list of suspects. The primary focus at the beginning of the investigation was on the Direx Board itself. It seems Rutherford Gellar had many enemies after he was sent to Chandaar to wipe the Trade Federation off the Republic's mind. Instead, he wound up working with them. Compromise is not something that sits well with members of the board. Some even began to suggest he was willing to sacrifice the interests of the board for the future stability of his company, ChemiX pharmaceuticals. This spoke to the Espos as a clear motive and sought to flush out any conspirators within the Board who would use the Gellar-Masterton children as means to control Rutherford's direction in the negotiations. That theory was eventually ruled out when Speaker Apteen's department contacted the Espos Director on behalf of the CSA liaison, Janessa Kain. The Republic helped rule out each suspect and stumbled upon a lead the Espos would never think to check for - a suspect within the Republic who had connections to the Corporate Sector. The suspect was Circe Prescott who's brother, Garron, is under Rutherford Gellar's employ. Once the purchase orders for the carrier matching the photage presented by the Espos, Circe was named the primary suspect in the kidnapping. However, the Espos Director does not understand how Janessa Kain plays into the plan. Their records indicate she has operated above board with the Sector and maintained both lucrative opportunities and open communication between the two factions for many years. She does not fit their profile of a murderer nor can they understand why she would have risked her career involving herself with Circe Prescott, a woman she had little to no association with in the past. The Espos records indicate Janessa's involvement with Gellar was limited to board functions prior to receiving their delegation on Chandaar. From their perspective, they do not see motive. This a perspective Kaytt shares.
If someone doesn't have motive, what would cause them to act as if they did? Janessa was trying to help the Sector by contacting Gellar after the Federation Ambassador's speech before the Senate. It's her job to protect their interests in the Republic and had every reason to believe the Federation was behind it because it happened on the heels of the abduction. Any evidence the RSB found on Circe would be inconsequential to Janessa. It would not serve her cause to rid the investigation of Inspector Erbon.
So, there are two prevailing theories in Kaytt's mind. Either Janessa did have motive because she is involved in some way or these actions were orchestrated on behalf of someone else. Her slicer has not uncovered some mysterious link between Rutherford Gellar and Janessa Kain. That leads her back to her conversation with Celeste Masterton, a psychologist and Force sensitive. Could Circe have been influenced to provide the set-up and Janessa to cover it up? The former's role played out over almost ten years and by Masterton's theory would be virtually impossible to be controlled for that length of time consistently. Perhaps infiltrating Circe's mind only occurred when there was a task to complete, something that would not seem out of the ordinary. Circe told her she struggles with guilt over the years. These lapses in confidence would make her vulnerable, like a silent trigger. Janessa had been extremely intoxicated the night of the murder. Her senses were dulled and she would have been even less likely to observe sound judgement.
Then there is Celeste Masterton and Rutherford Gellar. Although Rutherford had left Chandaar to go after his missing children, he was so distraught that it rendered him useless to the rescue efforts. Celeste, the grieving mother, fell into a despair that no one would question, especially if they publicly knew her husband was racing after their children. In actuality, they were moved to do nothing. Both were in extremely compromised emotional states which would hypothetically leave them susceptible to outside influence. Clever as it might be, whoever may have done this was careful enough to keep it from being proven. Hell, she would have a hard enough time even convincing someone to entertain the thought let alone help her gather tangible evidence she could use in the courtroom.
Lastly, the puppet master. Who is lurking in the shadows playing Maker with the lives of the Gellar-Masterton's with potential to draw the most prominent factions in the galaxy into the fray? From what she's read, Alexander Winton was the mastermind behind the horror all those years ago. He's been dead for years...and strangely, had been for several years before that. The only reason Celeste wasn't found and killed was because she was in the Corporate Sector, protected by Rutherford Gellar and his vast resources including ChemiX's Force vaccine. That's not to say there wasn't intent along the way. Republic, Imperial, Corellian, Hapan, Mandalore; the victims were non discriminant of origin or faction who all shared one common connection: proximity to the four families.
Winton. Masterton. Gellar. Patten.
Kaytt takes a steady pause, realizing someone may be carrying out the plans that had meant for these people to suffer and die and we left unfinished. The Prescott's, Kain, Apteen, Drakos, Corinthos. They all fall into proximity now. Inspector Erbon is already dead. She needs to find out who is behind this before the hoards of victims begins to pile up yet again. She needs more clarify and she will get it from Iver Aguilar.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Kaytt Corinthos steps inside the chambers of the Direx Board, making her way down an isle toward the massive circular table. The sheer size of the room has always impressed her. She suspects it was designed to intimidate which it does on many levels. The decisions made within these walls can change the course of the corporate worlds. There are not many members here today as the board is not in session. Iver Aguilar glances up and smiles when he sees her.
"Kaytt," he says warmly, standing. "It's been too long."
"That it has. How are you, Iver?"
"As well as can be expected given the circumstance. I dare ask what bring you to these parts."
"Business, I'm afraid. Is there somewhere we can speak privately?"
He nods, motioning for her to follow. They remain silent on the walk out, exiting the board chamber and heading out onto a private terrace. Vibrant green and purple plants spike and spill from an assortment of planters while a picturesque view of the Mondder skyline frames their view. She takes a moment before shifting her gaze to his face.
"The Espos seem content to pin this all on Circe Prescott and, while perplexed, they make no qualms about throwing Janessa under the proverbial speeder."
"I suppose, if it were that cut and dry, you wouldn't be here."
"True enough," Kaytt says. "And if I didn't already know better, I would ask if the board would sacrifice Rutherford Gellar for the sake of their own reputation. All the culprits lined up in a neat little row. The convenience alone is suspect as is the lack of inquiry or follow up on the part of the Republic or Corporate Sector. Something else is at play here and I think you know that too."
"I have...reservations on the matter."
"Care to share them with me?"
"Off the record?"
Kaytt smiles slyly.
"You know damn well there is no such thing. I'm not a reporter, Iver. I'm charged with clearing my clients and desperately lacking a clarity that might help me do that. The Republic has their theories as do the Espos. What does the board believe?"
Iver's weathered face tightens.
"They believe association with that family might be too great a risk. If history has taught us anything, it's that fate is a foe of the Gellar-Masterton's."
"Yet fortune is not which, I'm assuming, is why they chanced it until recently."
"Rutherford Gellar is brilliant and ruthless. The Force vaccine was something the market never expected. It took the medical field in a direction I do not think they anticipated to go. But it wasn't his victory to claim."
"What do you mean?"
"After Gellar lost his wife and daughter, he began to slip into despair. He became erratic and unpredictable and made for instability among the ranks of his company. Thankfully his second in command Irulan Reeves was able to maintain profitability, slim as it may have been, throughout Rutherford's episode. The company was losing ground in the development field. Nothing new had been produced in years that is, until the surprise introduction of the Force vaccine. The implications of the discovery overshadowed the timing but, upon closer reflection, it happened to coincide directly with the arrival of Celeste Masterton."
"Where does she factor in?"
"How familiar are you with her first husband, Doctor Henrick Masterton?"
Kaytt shrugs, "Not very. Only what I read in past bylines."
"He was one of the bright up-and-coming medical professionals out of Bakura. His research papers throughout his terms and into residency were deeply insightful and caught the attention of many. The CSA was even considering recruiting him out of university but it was his friendship with Alexander Winton that kept his life from taking a much different course. Winton was the son of RepulsorCorp's Chief Executive Officer and a Vice President himself. He offered Masterton the honor of serving as the Winton's primary care specialist with discretionary funds for private research, none of which was published. It wasn't until the families moved to the Core that Masterton's medical mind was again brought into the forefront. His work at the IMPC on Coruscant helped provide a new level of treatment and care. Once their daughter....their first daughter...entered form college at North Coruscant, Masterton and his wife left the Core and did not return."
"Where did they go?"
"Reports indicated they, along with the Winton's, seasonally shuttled back and forth between Bakura and Naboo but Henrick Masterton spent a vast majority of his time in Salis D'aar."
"Doing what?"
"I believe creating the prototype of the Force vaccine."
Kaytt stiffens, "Masterton is responsible for that? Why?"
"What do you know of Alexia and Karen Winton?"
She did fly here in the latter's cruiser which makes the conversation suddenly uncomfortable. She doesn't intend to conceal anything from him intentionally but the back story serves to fuel her theory that Circe and Janessa are pawns in someone else's game.
"The Corellian reporter's story and the blockbuster cineplex feature they made out of it."
"A story released by your client and chief suspect, Circe Prescott."
"Circumstantial," she says. "My client was present in Corellia prior to The Battle of Centerpoint. She was sent to enlist help and given the story in case the reporter didn't make it which, as it turns out, he didn't."
"Survivor's guilt can drive a person to uncharacteristic lengths."
"Unfortunately, that expert testimony cannot be used considering you are not a shrink. Nice try though and a possibility I've already considered. What do the Winton daughters have to do with Masterton's vaccine?"
Iver clears his throat, "While everyone is familiar with Karen, not as many knew the depths of Alexia's madness."
"And you somehow do?"
"I've also read a fair amount on the subject and believe Doctor Masterton was trying to help Alexia as a favor to his friend and employer, Alexander Winton. I do not believe he ever got the chance, seeing as Henrick Masterton disappeared shortly before Alexander Winton and his wife were allegedly killed in a speeder crash in Salis D'aar. There was no mention of Celeste Masterton. Hell, it was more than a year before we even knew she was with Rutherford Gellar in D'ian pregnant with a two year old redheaded daughter named Dahlia. Even then it was mostly whispers and gossip. Sightings were rare as she seldom left the Gellar Estate. There was no confirmation it was actually Celeste Masterton, not until much later, after Centerpoint. Rutherford went public with the Force vaccine and Celeste went public as the missing Masterton."
"And this unsettled the Direx Board?"
"Somewhat," Iver says. "Not enough to refrain from buying into ChemiX stock which, at that point, was on a sharp rise. Shareholders made fortunes from the trading and business with the Sector increased exponentially. The revolutionary nature of the vaccine bought us a certain clout which we then parlayed into becoming what was once the sole contractor of supplies for the fledgling New Republic. Over the years, the suspicion and fear waned in all but one."
"Who?"
"D'Ken Dawning remained convinced the curse of those families would endanger our future. Ironically enough, it was Dawning who recommended Gellar for the Chandaar delegation which set this whole thing in motion."
Perhaps he had assistance in arriving at that conclusion, placing the Gellar-Masterton's exactly where they needed to be.
"A self-fulfilling prophecy. Has he been checked out?"
"And cleared. You think he has a hand in this?"
"I think this reeks of unfinished business."
"You have a theory?"
"Don't I always? And don't worry, it's not one I can prove."
"Enlighten me."
Kaytt sighs, knowing it will probably sound ridiculous but she needs the stream of thoughts to come together out loud.
"The stories all suggest Alexander Winton was behind everything. He's the sole villain in all this. Staging his own deaths, working with the Empire, manipulating the other parents, and placing their own children in considerable danger would not have been an easy feat to accomplish. I assume his Imperial contacts provided him with some secondary assistance, some that may have survived on to carry out his last will and testament."
"Which is?"
"To punish them. My client often spoke of being a survivor. She went on to live and have a successful career, garnering fame from a story which was not her own. Gellar capitalized on the vaccine. Masterton escaped a fate that came for every other parent involved. They cheated death and somehow evaded whatever plan Winton had for them. A direct attack could be staged or covered up but it would be too obvious and lack any of the slow-building drama from the first go-around. The primaries were strung along and tormented, often using the supporting-cast as my client has referred to them. The intervening years may have been used entirely for the set-up, requiring patience and skills outside those of the general populous."
"Such as?"
"Knowledge and premeditated use of the Force."
Iver gasps, "You are going to create doubt in a jury by suggesting your clients have been manipulated through the Force? One of them is being accused of murder! Somehow, I do not see a jury of Republic peers jumping to that conclusion, despite the families in question."
"One client claims she has never even heard of the company she had been funneling resources to and making purchases in their name. The other was with me, drinking heavily, earlier on the evening the Inspector was murdered. I have someone tracing those blacked out steps. What I do not know is anything about this Korb Security."
"Some of the board members admitted to doing business with them in the past, nothing that would link the purchase of the carrier to anyone other than your client."
"What do you know about them?"
"Korb? They are an upscale, private securities firm. Not much other information is available."
"Can you find out?"
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you," Kaytt says. "Because until we know more, everyone connected to those events and anyone close to them may still be at risk."
Iver tilts his head, "Anyone?"
"Yes, why?"
"Our Imperial liaison was in the Centerpoint battle and I believe he had some association with the then-Emperor and the Winton royal. By your definition, would that also make him a survivor?"
"It would."
"He had asked around after the Federation bombshell in front of the Republic Senate, wanted to know if they could help. I thought it odd he was so curious but the Empire does have a habit of needing to know all the details."
Now she is curious too.
"What's his name?"
"Vex," Iver says. "Vex Sienna."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Kaytt is devastated over the damning evidence against Janessa Kain. She is not just a client but a good friend over the years. They had shared much together through their professional trials and successes. The situation is compounded by Estes? conclusion that the documents in Circe Prescott?s name are not forgeries. She had ordered that carrier which, in turn, was used to abduct the Gellar-Masterton children just as Janessa had murdered Inspector Erbon.
A picture was now very clear.
The lingering question remains ? who is the mysterious figure in the photage? Despite Estes? best efforts to clarify the image, no angle captures the figures face. It is merely a dark shadow in a sea of color. There is no way to tell if it is male, female or even human. One thing is certain; this figure has a noticeable and direct effect on Janessa?s behavior. Had they also visited Circe? Or D'Ken? She moves with purpose in stark contrast to her previous stumbling. This lends credence to her theory and still no way to prove any of it. If she?s right, there may be others in danger.
She redirects her focus to the task at hand and pushes the door controls of the posh residence. It takes a few minutes but a strikingly handsome man about her age answers the door.
"Vex Sienna?"
"Maybe,? he says, smirking. "Who?s asking?"
"I?m Counselor Kaytt Corinthos, an attorney-"
He cuts her off.
"Yes, I know who you are. The CSA legal star turned Republic courtroom brawler. Your reputation precedes you. However did you get in this building?"
She shrugs, "I have my ways."
?I don?t doubt it. Surely you realize I represent the Galactic Empire which makes me wonder what a Republic lawyer could possibly want with me.?
Kaytt remains firm, ?I?d rather discuss it in private. May I come in??
Vex moves aside, more curious than worried. He had seen her on the Holo and certainly heard her name thrown around by members of the Direx Board. Apparently, she is incredibly well versed in defense but rumors began to surface that this case was proving more problematic than most and the trial was fraught with delays. The good old Republic judicial system hard at work. She glances around the apartment, impressed with his tastes. It?s sparse, expensive and expertly arranged.
?I guess the monochromatic theme really is an Imperial thing.?
He laughs, ?We like to keep things simple.?
?Right.?
?I presume you have a point.?
Kaytt turns.
?It?s difficult to explain but I believe you are in danger, mister Sienna.?
Now he is very interested considering they come from two very different sides. It is not often one warns the other.
?Sounds ominous if not entirely cryptic especially for someone who?s clients are on the hook for fairly serious crimes.?
?I believe it was a set-up.?
?Most defense attorney?s do. It is your job to get them off.?
?Typically yes but I believe this has roots that go beyond my clients.?
?I don?t follow??
?Follow me into the past for a moment,? Kaytt says, drawing a hand across the air. ?According to records, you were in the battle of Centerpoint aboard the then-Emperor Dementat?s command ship. You and a scant few other ships made it out alive.?
Vex moves to the wet bar and tosses a few cubes of ice into a rocks glass.
?Someone?s been doing their homework. Drink??
?Yes, thank you.?
?What does a service record over ten years old have to do with my present safety??
He hands her a half glass of aged whiskey. She accepts, waving it under her nose before taking a careful sip. It stings but the aftertaste is sweet.
?It?s not the service itself, per se, but the proximity you had to certain individuals.?
?This is about Karen, isn?t it??
Kaytt cocks her head to the side, ?Why would you say that??
?Because it always is. Or was. She had a way of dominating the new cycle.?
?I remember,? Kaytt says. ?But this isn?t about her specifically. She is part of a larger group of people.?
?The Four.?
?Exactly and some who knew them met rather grisly ends from what I?ve read.?
Vex swallows hard, remembering the byline and photage from when they found Tenley?s body cut in half in a shady hotel room on Tatooine. The implants found in her brain, the tech graphed into her skin. It was a sickening shock to be sure.
?You could say that.?
?Others, however, managed to escape all the horror. Those who got to live and tell the tale.?
?Like your client.?
She nods.
?And me.?
?Glad to see you are keeping up.?
?You think someone is coming to finish off the job after all this time? Why??
?It followed a pattern then and I believe it is following one now. My clients are being framed and there have been attempts made against others, people who had a certain associations. You fall into the same proximity, mister Sienna which is why I am here. Has there been any indication that someone may want to hurt you??
His mind immediately flashes on Kylie?s face and to the threats she received at the Gellar Estate. The warning was not subtle. They had resisted the urge to connect on several occasions, preferring to keep a distance for the sake of appearances. Any whispers about them had been swallowed up by the rumblings from the Direx Board and scandal erupting in the Republic. The calls he made to Burke Pallus have gone unreturned. In fact, there has been little to no communication from Byss in some time. He had been allowed to conduct their business uninterrupted and that fact alone is enough to unnerve him.
The only person who may have a score to settle, Dementat, is already dead. Emperor Schrag was made a Grand Admiral after Saevia?s death. He seized the throne after Dementat was killed aboard Centerpoint. He would have no interest in the remnants of The Four. They are all dead and have been for many years. Then who sent the mysterious letter? Someone who knows about the connections the lawyer speaks of but it?s not like he?s going to just open up to her.
?Not that I can think of offhand but I am an Imperial. There are enemies everywhere.?
?Obviously,? she says. ?But I am thinking more localized. Maybe even something odd or seemingly unrelated that may have been ongoing.?
Vex shakes his head.
She sighs, swirling the last of the drink in the glass before slamming it.
?It was worth a shot.?
As he walks her to the door, he has to smile in spite of it all.
?I?m impressed ? a Republic lawyer coming all the way here to warn me in person.?
?I serve my clients interests, mister Sienna but I feel this somehow encompasses more than that.?
He pauses at the door.
?You?ve got spunk, I?ll give you that. Question though ? If The Four were the primary targets and they, along with most of their cohorts have perished and those who escaped are now the primaries with a new set of cohorts, wouldn?t that make you a target??
?Perhaps,? Kaytt says evenly. ?But if I?m right, whoever is behind this will come after you before they come after me. I appreciate your time.?
As she moves down the hall, Vex Sienna stands silently staring.
The strangeness of her visit does not dismantle the truth behind it. Even after all he had done and accomplished, he was still attached to those people and events. It had marked him deeply, despite his small role. The events of his life had brought him to the Corporate Sector where he crossed paths with the Gellar?s and the Masterton?s yet again. It seems there are many who swirl around these families as if drawn to them by an invisible force. Vex had always believed fate was something you made.
Now he?s not so sure.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Concordia Township
Kaytt returns to the Corinthos Estate and, without so much as speaking to her family, packs her things and steals away on the Winton Royal Cruiser. This had been a complete dead end. All she had was speculation and conjecture on top of the evidence provided by her slicer, Estes. She was now further away from setting her clients free than she had been when she arrived. Down but not defeated, Kaytt pulls on the controls and the cruiser flares into hyperspace for Chandaar.
Speaker Shale Apteen would be expecting a report.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
Lady Celeste Masterton has been thinking a great deal about her visit from the Republic lawyer. It is no coincidence that she came when she did. Her family had been on her mind almost constantly and the urge to self-medicate had to be resisted at all costs. She focused her attention elsewhere, to her clients, who she knew she could help. Most were concerned for her, having heard the rumors swirling around Rutherford and ChemiX. Celeste was gracious in her aversions to the topic, preferring to think more positively about the possible outcomes rather than dwelling on the uncertain.
She keeps the box Kaytt had delivered for Circe on her vanity table in her room. It is made out of simple material, a basic yet sturdy wood that was almost careful in its design to appear as nondescript as possible. There are only two items inside but both hold significant emotional and, quite possible, monetary value. The first item is the original lightsaber constructed by Melanie on Yavin IV during her training to become a Jedi. The understated elegance and careful craftsmanship were two defining traits of her firstborn daughter. She can tell much work and emotion had been poured into the weapon. Since Celeste is unskilled in its operation, she does not activate it.
The second item is a holocron, one she had seen before. It is the same holocron Queen Monica Greyson-Winton had given to Melanie during their sixteenth birthday party. It contained the Persephonea Prophecy, an unbearably daunting warning that she now sees as unfair to have handed over to Melanie alone. But they had been told there was no other way. Jedi Master Corrin had given explicit instructions. Melanie was the only one who could shoulder the responsibility of the prophecy. Karen was too vapid, Valerie too vengeful and Kimber to idealistic. It had to be Melanie. What this must have been like for her, Celeste will never know. It is a considerable part of her own self-loathing and guilt. Alexander Winton had lured and cornered them in the Outer Rim, using Henrick's work and Monica's life as the leverage through which to keep her firmly in place. Celeste is almost surprised by how much she still hates Alexander, by how many ugly emotions can be stirred with even the mention of his name. She is so very thankful she was able to escape with Dahlia and that he never knew of her existence to use her the way he did Alexia and Karen.
Still, the prophecy dredges up powerful images from the past. Images that are shattered when Kylie Miranda bursts into the room.
"Kylie?" she says, rising from the couch. "What's wrong?"
"The Empire is attacking The Wheel."
"That's...surprising, isn't it? I thought the Federation was more of a neutral faction that provided goods and services to anyone who could pay."
"It appears not."
"You look stricken, darling. What does that have to do with us?"
Kylie face tightens, "It's where they are."
"Who?"
"Rutherford, the children. It's where the Jedi took them."
Celeste's expression blanches, blinking rapidly.
"W..what? They are at The Wheel? How do you know this?"
"Garron sent an encrypted message through the house systems to let us know they are safe. He asked that I not say anything but assure you they had escaped and were laying low. You said you felt Gemma and I assumed you already knew."
"She didn't reach out with a location, only a feeling of safety and peace."
"I'm sorry," Kylie says, shaking her head. "I thought it would be fine until I turned on the Holo."
"You don't think.....?"
"I don't know. The correspondents have very little information. Apparently, the Federation was caught completely off guard."
"If the Empire has discovered who Dahlia really is, they may come for her."
"At such a high risk engagement? They are saying the full force of the Imperial fleets are present."
Celeste sighs, pacing the length of the room.
"She is a Winton, Kylie. The last of their dynasty with a Force potential that is practically limitless. Alexander wanted to control it in any way he could and if the Emperor is half the tactician the previous one was, he would know that it would be considerably more favorable if Dahlia was for him rather than against him. We need to get in contact with Rutherford or Garron now."
"I've already tried. Neither are answering their secondary com's."
Celeste pauses, inhaling sharply.
"Then we need someone with inside information on the Imperial activity."
"Who has that kind of information?"
"Your beau," she quips. "Vex Sienna."
Kylie gasps, trying to maintain composure.
"Surely you realize that contradicts nearly everything you have cautioned me against to stay away from him not to mention put his life in considerable danger?"
"An acceptable risk."
"To reveal who Dahlia is?"
"In order to clarify Imperial goals at The Wheel, we do not have to disclose anything of the sort."
"Then how would you like me to explain why we would even be interested?"
Celeste's smile is one of calculation.
"You have his heart, darling. Never underestimate that. He will tell you anything you wish to know."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
And as the coverage blares through the Direx Board chamber, Iver Aguilar folds his hands together and smiles.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Vex Sienna is waiting at his door after buzzing in a rather breezy and cryptic Kylie Miranda. The lift doors at the end of the hall hiss open and she steps forward, moving quickly toward him in measured, powerful strides. Desire overcomes him, overruling the warnings in his mind about the reason behind her breaking their com silence and showing up at his apartment tower. He has been sustained by the mere possibility of this moment, seeing her again, that the tedium of sliding into different persona's to entertain his corporate allies barely seemed to wear on him at all. Then she is in front of him, so close, their gazes connected. He kisses her first and her body instantly jerks forward into him. The charge is nearly palpable. He hefts her up and backs through the doorway, allowing it to close as her legs curve around his waist. She kisses him hungrily and he uses a free hand to unzip the back of her dress. They fall onto the middle of the bed where he makes love to her with a conviction and she succumbs to her own carnal needs completely.
In the afterglow, tangled in the sheets, Vex props himself up on an elbow.
"I think I missed you."
She touches the side of his face, "You think?"
"My body is numb so, yeah. Pretty sure I missed you."
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here?"
"I was getting to that," Vex laughs. "Got distracted."
"Wonder how that happened."
"I guess its a moot point to ask if you were followed since everyone already knows your are here."
Kylie turns over, hair slightly disheveled.
"I'm not sure anyone even cares. If whoever sent that message was going to make a move, they would have by now."
"I would agree with that statement if you were the first beautiful woman to storm into my apartment in nearly a month."
She sits upright, "I'm sorry, what?"
"It didn't end nearly as well as this so you can relax. It was purely business."
"Who was she?"
"A lawyer, strangely enough. A Republic lawyer."
"Kaytt Corinthos?"
Vex laughs. "I'm impressed. You know her?"
"Her family Estate is not far from the Gellar's and she paid us a visit as well. With Lord Gellar's recent...activities I can understand why she would seek out Lady Masterton. What I don't get it why she would come to you?"
"She has this idea that I'm somehow in danger."
"Danger?" Kylie says, reflexively taking his hand. "From what?"
Vex grows somber as he stares up into her angelic face.
"You know my past, who I was and who I am now. Corinthos believes someone from that past may want a score settled with people who made it out from under certain associations alive. This includes the Gellar-Masterton's and, by extension, you."
"Lord Gellar, Garron...."
He nods, "His sister and the sector liaison, both currently jailed on Chandaar."
Kylie's lips part in realization.
"The lawyer thinks both are being manipulated by the Force, set-up to take the fall for these crimes. She asked Lady Masterton several questions regarding the usage and control of such powers."
"To further what goal?"
"I don't know," she says. "But if you are somehow involved, I don't like it."
"Babe, that's ridiculous. I don't even see how or why anyone would care. My role in the lives of the people she was talking about was so small, so insignificant that it's absurd to think of anyone who could still be upset over it."
"Your high school girlfriend was abducted from their sixteenth birthday party."
He winces, "Right, there's that."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sound insensitive."
"It's okay, Ky. It was a long time ago then I graduated and headed to Carida for Academy."
She makes a face.
He shrugs.
"Okay, so, yes, there was some sex with Karen Winton but that was way before she was with Dementat. And she dumped me! Not the other way around. She always did have a thing for the brainy types."
"You're selling yourself short."
"I'm glad you think so. Other than that, I worked on a few different capital ships before being assigned to the Emperor's command vessel."
"To keep an eye on you."
"I think that may have been just my ego but for the sake of this particular argument, possibly. Honestly though, I was just one of the commanders on the bridge.
"There isn't anything else you can think of that would convince Corinthos you would be a target?"
Something clicks. He was on leave and a call came up out of the blue along with a large and specific favor.
"I got her a shuttle once, something unmarked and inconspicuous. Deep cover quality."
"For what?"
Unbeknowst to either of them, the shuttle secured by then-Commander Vex Sienna in 6ABY was used by Karen Winton and Mara Anna Gellar to destroy the clone facilities held by Alexander Winton throughout the galaxy.
"Beats me but it couldn't have been that bad, right?"
"I don't think anyone would be after you if it was something altruistic."
"Good point but it's not like we can track it now. The shuttle was scrubbed clean of identifying markings. Even it's serial's and list of codes were fabricated by the ISB over a decade ago."
"So everything between you and the Empire is all good? No clouds on that horizon?"
He leans over and kisses her before pulling away slowly.
"Excellent segue."
"Oh, come on. It wasn't that obvious."
"What can I say? You are far too good natured to pull off the role of the spy."
She shrugs, "I guess that's not entirely a bad thing."
"If you want to ask me something, ask me."
"I want to know why the Empire attacked the Wheel."
Vex arches both brows, "Whoa, I feel like things just got serious."
"It's important," she says. "I'm not interested in the tactical plans of the battle. It's the motive behind it."
"You think I'd just volunteer that information, even if I knew it?"
"It was worth asking."
"That depends on who wants to know. Did you develop an interest in Imperial activity all of a sudden or is the lady of the house mixing medications again?
"It involves the children."
They stare at one another for some time, the moments drawn out in the heavy silence. It's almost as if an understanding between them has been reached. Neither wished to entirely betray their superiors yet the relationship required a certain amount of disclosure to avoid inadvertent adverse side effects, ones that could potentially jeopardize their lives.
"I'll make some vague inquires, see what I can find."
She kisses him, "Thank you."
*
Later that night, long after Kylie had left the capital, Vex Sienna stands out on the terrace overlooking Mondder's pulsing cityscape. The warm summer night feels more complex than it should. In truth it had been months since he had any directives issued from Byss. He filed weekly reports based on his interactions with associates and progress of orders or shipments. These would vary depending on what the Empire desired or needed from the Corporate Sector. It had taken him a while to overcoming not having a naval rank and consistent debriefings but it was a transition he welcomed. He needed to decompress and get some distance. At the time, the Imperial fleets had done nothing worthwhile. It was endless training and military exercises with no real or immediate plans for an expansion campaign. This opportunity trumped the stagnation of the fleets. He still has his contacts who, until recently, had had plenty of time to keep him posted on the happenings on and around Byss. He had reached out to one earlier in the day and now, hours later, the console on his desk finally bleeps.
Message from Burke Pallus.
Fed selling tech to Rep. Heavy Fed losses but Wheel made jump. Tracking now. Interesting sidednote; Rutherford Gellar was rescued from Wheel. Word is you will be contacted to play point in his return to max Imperial leverage. Be ready, my friend.
Vex steps away from the desk but cannot tear his eyes from the screen. It must have been some tech the Federation was selling to invoke that kind of rage. But there is still only one part of that message that sets off a chain reaction of questions reaching into very dark places. To stumble across Rutherford Gellar while engaging in an assault against the Wheel is questionable at best but begs a much larger inquiry - What was the Federation doing with him in the first place? Publicly, accusations had been traded between Sector and Federation regarding the missing children, something Kylie believed had enough to do with the attack to justify coming to him in person to find out. With his help, the Empire will look like hero's in the eyes of the Sector's Direx Board if it turns out the Federation is the one who was behind it all along and they helped prove it in recovering on of their more lucrative assets.
His hand is on his com-link but he stops himself.
Officially, this is not information he knows. Vex may trust Kylie's intentions but he certainly doesn't trust Lady Masterton's or Kaytt Corinthos' for that matter. He was not going to risk it all just yet. As much as he felt for the grieving mother and the more than likely traumatized children, Vex has a role to play. One that could help unravel whatever it is that transpires just behind the surface of things.
Moving to the impeccably stocked wet bar, Vex Sienna makes himself another drink and walks back out onto the terrace.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Vex Sienna had indeed been contacted from imperial command, still wiping away the last vestiges of the Federation presence in the Besh Gorgon system, where the Wheel and its adjunct platforms had stood as a testament of the Federation's ability to survive for decades.
His task was a subtle one. Notify the Direx board of Rutherford's location without letting it get public - and maintaining any imperial leverage without inciting corporate disapproval for him being held.
His meeting with Iver Augilar had proven the difficult balance. Augilar, long known as an opponent if not outright enemy of Rutherford Gellar, saw this as an opportunity to destroy both the Trade Federation, and further ruin Gellar at the same time.
Sienna had to strongly reason with him that it would not be in the best interest of the Corporate Sector - and Augilar in particular. It was abundantly clear that Rutherford's release wasn't worth the loss of contracts to the Republic. Still, he was a leader of prime industrial fields, and with the Federation all but obliterated, ChemiX, still suffering from the events of the past few months, looked like it had finally reached its bottom, and was beginning to stabilize. This would help them, and the Corporate Sector in the long run. The Empire just wanted something in return.
he was spending his days negotiating with individual DireX board members, each trying to get their own best advantage out of the situation. He would come home exhausted, debating whether the news about Rutherford should be relayed to Kylie Miranda, who had not made another appearance since their heated evening.
Of course he was conflicted about it - he wanted to let her know, but knew it could cost him his job, and his life, to divulge information to those not authorized to receive it.
Heading to the bar, he made himself a stiff drink, before grabbing the comm unit, and hesitantly, calling his paramour's residence.
TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Vex Sienna carefully considers phrasing as his lovers voice fills the com channel.
"Gellar Estate."
"Kylie, it's Vex."
"And on our main line," she laughs. "Bold."
"It's secure. I checked."
"That was thoughtful. It's nice to hear from you even if I do suspect it has little to do with me personally."
He sighs, "I wish you could know how much I would like for it to be nothing but you personally but I do have directives to follow."
"We all have a boss. Some more threatening than others."
"Considering the facts, I'd say we're playing on a fairly even field."
"I doubt that," she says. "I see the trial on Chandaar is heating up. Our favorite lawyer pulled a fast one on the prosecution by reassigning separate counsel before she could be thrown off the case. Still no insight into where you fit into all this. A part of me hopes Corinthos blows this wide open, exposing everyone for who and what they are."
"And the other part?"
"Fears it will cast those we know and love in an unflattering light."
There is a drawn out pause.
"Love?"
"So like an Imperial to internalize. Lord Gellar, Lady Masterton, Garron, the children."
"Oh. Right, right."
"This is not why you called."
"Not entirely no although I did want to hear your voice. Even if it is tinged with hostility and suspicion. I rang regarding your inquiry the other day. Now there are things I can confirm and others I cannot. You understand that."
"I don't expect you to risk yourself for the Gellar-Masterton's."
"For them, no. For you? Possibly. You'll make an honest man out of me if you are not careful."
"You are deflecting," Kylie counters. "I know that while you were not what some would call close to The Four there is a sense of guilt about them. And justifiably so. Survivors often question the meaning in everything around them, a sentiment I'm sure Lord Gellar, Lady Masterton and Counselor Prescott share to varying degrees. You swore to me you were not out to deliberately hurt them, that they had suffered and lost enough. Since it has been suggested revenge is being exacted against the survivors, anything that might spare them or you further anguish would be most helpful."
"Shameless," he says. "But clever."
"Also true. You pick up a thing or two working so closely alongside a psychologist."
Vex appreciates her newly leveraged confidence which has only grown stronger as she's had to grapple with myriad of complex angles and potential pitfalls. Adapting often requires a few personal adjustments. She was such a timid flower when they first met in the Concordia township market and now look at her. She is a protector of all that is good, unafraid of the big, bag Imperial agent. Still, she remains true to herself and her moral compass is a major turn on.
"I see that and it would not betray my duty to inform you that the Imperial assault on the Wheel was not instigated by a connection to your employers or the legacy they represent. The Federation sold the Republic something that may have given them an unfair advantage and that could not stand. Hence, they were destroyed."
"A straightforward motive."
"On the plus side..."
"There's a plus side?"
"Depending on what perspective you view the situation from, yes. The Federation, if I'm not mistaken, had publicly humiliated Rutherford Gellar, painting him and, by association, the Corporate Sector, as duplicitous asshats out for nothing but the bottom line. That Federation Ambassador managed to humanize her faction as if the previous atrocities committed in their name were merely events they were also a victim of. Now that's showmanship. The Republic Senate and their filthy, bleeding hearts. They love a good story of redemption, especially since they continuously emerge from their own inevitable flawed democracy with another go at it. Once more with feelings. The New, new, new Republic."
"I never said they were without fault or blame. Everyone is capable of getting ahead of themselves from time to time. The point is being able to pull yourself back from the brink before it's too late."
"Well, it's nice that you think so."
"Try not to patronize me, even if you don't believe it. We're all entitled to our allusions."
"The lies we tell ourselves in order to go on. Looks like the Federation told one too many. The lie of safety they sold to the Republic. All those contracts they undercut are now back up for negotiation and seeing as there is a serious lack of competition and quality, the Direx Board are wasting no time getting back in the game. Irulan Reeves, Rutherford's second in command at ChemiX, is leading the charge. Rebranding has it challenges after all. Even more so with Gellar's name still firmly affixed to it. They don't have the votes to oust him, from what I hear. He is still somewhat of a villain in the eyes of the Republic and within the board but the potential for exponential market share growth will take a considerable amount of heat off him."
"I'm not sure that constitutes good news if it came at the expense of so many Federation lives."
"Chin up, baby. No one said silver linings were free."
"So I've gathered. Thank you for telling me."
"My pleasure."
"Anything else I should know?"
Without a firm timeline for Rutherford Gellar's return to the Sector, Vex cannot risk any vigilante efforts.
"Not at the moment."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Concordia Township
Trichelle stares out over the calm waters of the expansive infinity pool behind the Corinthos mansion. The summer has been unusually wet but sweltering. Social gatherings happen regularly where those who have not traveled elsewhere in D'ian for the season mingle and posture for the corporate titans on holiday. She tries to remember the last time she saw her parents. It was a few days before Kaytt showed up unannounced. Her sister had always been the cherished one of the Corinthos clan, the one with ambition and charisma. Even after Kaytt traded in her Corporate ascension for the Republic glory, a move that would have brought shame on the family name had it been anyone else, she was still the golden child. Now she had a high profile case on Chandaar that was a motion away from caving in on her.
Somehow, she managed to snap her fingers and figure a way out of the corner.
A shadow falls over her and she glances up.
Muriel waves timidly, "No one answered the door. We figured we would find you here."
"We?"
Tobias steps out from behind her.
"Hey, Trich. Dazed much? You did invite us over for a pool party. Right?"
"I did," she says, adjusting her sunglasses while leaning back into the chaise. "The others should be here soon."
In truth, they had grown closer in the months that passed. After school ended they didn't quite know what to do. The fallout over the kidnapping and ensuing revolt at Valor Prep had inexplicably bound them together across the social plane and numerical grade. Trichelle's leverage over Alka provided ample opportunity to groom her as part of the elite while her friends, Roman and Preston, enjoyed the freedom under Kier's protection. He acted as sort of an athletic mentor to Roman who was, in his own right, a burgeoning Chin-Bret captain. In a few years he would be eligible for Varsity at Valor Prep. Muriel and Tobias felt bad for Preston who, without his new found social network, would have been teased mercilessly by the upperclassmen. Speculation into his orientation and any rumors about Roman had been stamped out under Trichelle's orders. She had reclaimed her pole position at the top of Valor Prep and, despite her youth, had the clarity to use it for her own benefit as well as that of others. The student body had stabilized by the end of the previous term as the lingering affects of Dahlia's Force manipulations finally wore off. Of course, this is not something anyone had been aware of to begin with which made it all the more puzzling.
Alka sets a glass down on the table beside Trichelle who instructs her to sit and relax.
"There are rules for these kinds of parties and the point is to be highly visible while maintaining an aura of nonchalance. The boys go wild over it."
"Right."
The only boy Alka Dawning thinks about is Dane Gellar who she fears has met a terrible fate. The Holo was not exactly helpful either as the story of the kidnapping was replaced by Corporate conspiracy which had recently been usurped by the Imperial attack on The Wheel which had essentially wiped the Trade Federation off the galactic map. Her fathers words, not hers. Preston and Roman wander across the pool deck followed by Kier Kincaid. Roman pulls off his shirt and dives into waters a few shades lighter than his skin. Preston sits on the edge of Alka's chaise lounge and watches. Kier slaps hands with Tobias and kisses Muriel on the cheek. They had not spoken of the night the three of them came to their own conclusions about who Dahlia really was and how Dane and Gemma factored into that. It was mutually agreed that the less they brought it up, the less others would worry. The Winton name seemed to strike fear into their parents which made them believe it was better left unsaid.
Others begin to arrive, filling in the open spaces in and around the pool. Music begins pulsing from invisible speakers as the laughter and screams of the teenagers fill the hot afternoon air. The relaxation is suddenly interrupted by one of the protocol droids who relays some clearly unsettling news to Trichelle. She stiffens on the chair then turns to Alka and asks her to come with her into the mansion.
Inside, it is much cooler, almost sterile. The interior of the house looks more like a museum than a living space. Trichelle walks silently through the estate until she darts into a study and flips on the projector. She scans through several channels before picking up the major Holo network out of Mondder. The reporter is covering the aftermath of the Imperial battle and what this means for the Republic. Are we headed for yet another skirmish for galactic control?
"Trichelle, what are we-"
She holds up a finger and Alka's voice trails off.
The reporter shifts to another story out of Corellia.
"There are conflicting sources telling us that Dane Gellar, reported missing almost three and a half months ago, requested and was granted landing access in Coronet City. No official confirmation from CorSec or other government agencies and it is unclear whether or not his two sisters, also reported missing, were with him. Questions abound. Is it him and just where has he been?"
Alka's mouth falls open, "Could this be true?"
"I don't know," Trichelle says. "But until we find out for certain, it is probably best not to get your hopes up. The media will sensationalize anything to get a reaction out of the public, especially one as hungry for gossip as the Corporate Sector."
"You use it just as much as they do."
"Not on the same level," she counters, tapping the projector off. "It's different."
"Is it?"
"You're a quick study, Alka but don't mistake my generosity for foolishness. Being in the know helps keep the situation from falling out of your favor. If Dane has resurfaced, we have to prepare for the possibility that Gemma and Dahlia aren't far behind."
"What has Dane or Gemma ever done to you?"
Trichelle's eyes flare.
"It's not what they did or didn't do. It's who they are. Gellar's, Masterton's. Those names carry a curse with them and the reward for association is death. Do you understand that or do we need to take a look at the body count list again? And while they may not be aware of their lineage, Dahlia most certainly is. She's evil, Alka and if she returns to the Sector, she will risk all our lives."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
It had taken two solid and grueling weeks but Vex Sienna had successfully negotiated the terms of Rutherford Gellar's "release." Each member of the Direx Board wanted something. Some were more reasonable than others but through those talks everyone had come to an impasse. What Vex had really been negotiating for was the exclusive rights to certain products, extended contracts at better prices and a financial stake in Gellar's company, ChemiX. It is not a controlling interest, of course but as shareholders they do have certain...sway. His meetings with Irulan Reeves had been most pleasant and she had been amenable to their offer while maintaining the best interest of the company as a whole. She is, after all, the decision-maker in Rutherford's absence and she is self-aware enough to know that while she may be clever, she lacks Gellar's corporate cunning. His return, be it controversial or otherwise, is tantamount to ChemiX's ascension from the ashes of the Trade Federation. The company had been battered before both in reputation and in mistrust in their fearless founder. Every time they had managed to pull out of whatever dive to record shattering profits. Irulan is a businesswoman and her salvation comes with a little vested interest.
Vex notifies the Emperor of his accomplishments in the Corporate Sector and awaits instruction on how and when Rutherford Gellar would resurface. That had to be tightly controlled as well with the media. It would also undoubtedly upset certain people, people he carded about deeply but he knows what happens to those who stray too far over the Imperial line. The ruthless decimation of the Federation's primary holdings are enough to reinforce that. He doesn't care if Lady Masterton is furious. He does care that Kylie may feel blindsided and played, like he had been after the stake in ChemiX all along which is simply not the case. It was an addendum to his assignment to renegotiate for Gellar's safe passage but he is unclear who actually added it. The Emperor would not see military advantage in such business maneuvers. He makes a mental note to dig deeper into the source once the dust has settled. The upside is that Iver Aguilar is scheduled to make a formal announcement the following morning which means the information can and will be relayed to close family and friends to prepare for any media requests that follow. Aguilar was, by now, on his way to D'ian where the news would be relayed to a bewildered Kylie and an elated yet no doubt suspicious Lady Masterton.
He knows Celeste will never trust him. After all she's been through with agents of the Empire, he doesn't entirely blame her either. He wouldn't trust him either if their roles were reversed. What he does hope is that Kylie will be able to see past the politics and professional posturing. He did promise her he wasn't in it to make the Gellar-Masterton's suffer and he honestly isn't. But he can only speak for himself and not for what the Empire may truly want. Those lines are blurred beyond his range of sight but he knows to tread carefully. He's had his own suspicions about the Empire's motives in the Sector before, especially when it came to those families. Even if the intricacies of their fates are meaningless to Schrag, they may of great importance to others.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
"You arrogant bastard."
Iver Aguilar remains steady, watching her very closely. Predictably, Celeste Masterton did not take the news well. It's not her husband's release that has ignited her flame, it's his captors. Well, posing as the hero. She is not buying any of it.
"You mean to tell me the Empire attacked the Wheel and stumbled upon Rutherford by some coincidence? That station is massive and he would not have been lurking around the common areas. Tell me you do not believe them, Iver."
"They are lucrative clients, Celeste and the secure release of our business associate was at the forefront of any negotiations."
"Lies," she hisses. "You and the board have conspired against him from the beginning. I often wonder if you sent him to Chandaar so that he would walk right into the Federation's crosshairs. Then I think you underestimated the risks. There are always unforeseen variables."
"He is being returned to you. For that alone you should be thankful."
"Returned," she says distantly. "Yes."
Returned empty handed. Garron had alerted Kylie to the fact that Rutherford and the Jedi were hiding out on the Wheel with that dreadful Administrator Mara. Where were the Jedi when the Imperial's breached the station and somehow found and supposedly rescued Rutherford? Garron has made no further contact with them. The Imperial Sienna revealed that the attack was not motivated by Rutherford's presence, that it had something to do with a dispute over goods sold to the Republic. Same old story. All that back and forth. It's meaningless when compared to the security of ones own family.
"I'm sorry about the children, truly I am. I want nothing more for their captors to be brought to justice. From the sounds of things in the Republic, it appears they have a public face to blame."
"It does not bring them back."
This is something he cannot argue. His dislike for Rutherford Gellar aside, he, like most of the Direx Board, has always been fond of Celeste Masterton. Her lightest touch usually instills calm and understanding. Now she seems bitter and driven. It's amazing she had never ventured into corporate policy. Creativity is often bred through tragedy and grief.
"No, it doesn't. But your husband is a start. I have assurances he will be back in the CSA by the weeks end."
"That's very comforting. Thank you for stopping by in person."
"It's my pleasure," he says. "The formal announcement will be made in the morning and there may be press inquiries. We wanted you to be prepared."
Celeste's eyes are filled with vibroblades.
"I suppose you would since the Federation is obliterated. You have Imperial credits burning holes in those pockets and the Republic has come crawling back. I promise to keep your fragile public image and potential profit margins in the forefront of my familial struggles."
"Celeste-"
"Get out."
Iver nods and quietly slinks out of the room, leaving her to fume on her own. There are mixed feelings about Rutherford's return. She is conflicted. They have not seen each other in months and after all that has happened, she feels very disconnected from him and their entire life. It all seems like a strange and pleasant dream. Their perfect little life in the posh if not melodramatic Concordia Township. Was their happiness real or merely an illusion she had continued to see? At the moment she can barely tell.
Would she ever cease paying for her sins or are they all destined to suffer without hope of atonement or absolution?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Concordia Township
A lone shuttle appears in darkened sky and hovers silently before landing behind the Gellar Estate. Inside, Rutherford powers down and stares at his reflection in the view screen. There are mixed feelings about his return, relief awash in shame and dread. On one hand, he has his freedom. He is back on his own turf and free to use his vast resources in order to make some headway. On the other, he has returned without the children he set out to find. He doesn't even know what happened to Garron who, he hopes, is safe on the Wheel. His own time there is a haze of blackness. He remembers returning to the shuttle with Dane and Gemma, wounded and aching from leaving Dahlia's behind. Then there was nothing. He came to aboard the Imperial vessel. Reflexively, he touches his chest, still sore from the blaster wound he suffered.
Outside in the humid summer air, Rutherford makes his way around the mansion and up the front steps. He enters the access code and waits for the door to slide open. Celeste is standing in the foyer looking more beautiful than he remembers. Her eyes are wide, blank, as if she does not know what to feel or say. Rutherford closes the distance between them. Celeste slaps him, hard then bursts into tears and crumbles into his arms. They sink to the floor together. He holds her tightly, unable to find the right words to assuage her fears.
Later, Rutherford helps her into bed and waits until the sobs taper off and she finally sleeps. He showers and changes before heading downstairs for a stiff drink. He pours it into a rocks glass in the kitchen, feeling strange about being home again. Somehow it doesn't seem the same. He knows exactly what is missing.
"You're back."
Startled, he turns to find Kylie Miranda.
"Yes."
"Without the children. Or Garron."
He is too drained to fight and although she is technically an employee, she has long since been a part of the family. He imagines she has been the one to pick up the pieces of Celeste in his absence, a task he knows could not have been easy or pretty.
"I'm afraid not. They are on the Wheel."
Kylie frowns, "The one that was attacked? By the Empire?"
"That's the one."
"Except they're not. One the Wheel, that is."
"What? How do you know that?"
"Gemma reached out to Lady Masterton through the Force. She and the Jedi are secure in another location. We don't know where. Speculation by the news outlets suggest Dane is on Corellia. We know the Imperial attack destroyed a considerable amount of Federation holdings but the Wheel made the jump into hyperspace. However, since the Empire claimed to have "rescued" you from it, we can only assume they boarded. We hope Garron is still on the station and the remaining Federation forces have dealt with the Imperial intruders."
"That's...very informative. Thank you, miss Miranda."
She levels her gaze.
"What about Dahlia?"
Rutherford's skin turns to ice, "Dahlia..."
"Yes, do you know where she is?"
He downs the rest of the glass and sets it in the sink, "I'm tired. Too tired for this conversation tonight."
"Right."
She backs out of the kitchen but pauses in the doorway.
"You don't know what it was like here. Without you. Without the children. You may not want to answer my questions but in the morning, you will have to answer hers. Goodnight, Lord Gellar. I am glad to see you are home safely."
Rutherford watches her leave, the kitchen now plunged into silence. He leans over the counter, places his head in his hands, and weeps.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The Direx Board announcement of Gellar's release by the Empire and return to the CSA had been met with surprise and suspicion. There was no mention of his missing children although some reporters had attempted to ask. Iver Aguilar did not open the forum to such questions as he, like everyone else, did not have answers to give them. With the trial set to begin on Chandaar against Republic Counselor Prescott and Sector liaison Kain, there has been no clear interpretation of exactly what happened and just who is the responsible party. Some previously felt Gellar himself played a role in the matter and left the Counselor to take the fall. Stranger still is that her brother, Garron Prescott, who was also a possible suspect, did not return with his employer. This leaves the media to speculate he might still be on the Wheel or, worse, slain in the Imperial attack.
While the negotiations with the Empire had gone smoothly, some within the Board were reluctant to believe they simply stumbled upon a wounded Gellar being held captive inside the Wheel. Despite their disdain for his tactics and past choices, the Empire was notoriously less trustworthy than Gellar. Assurances were made by the Imperial liaison, Vex Sienna, that the Empire had been just as surprised to discover Gellar there as the Direx Board was after hearing about it. This would imply the bad blood between the Federation and Sector had taken a turn for the worst. Now it seems the Board was divided in their opinions on whether Gellar himself assisted in orchestrating the kidnapping or that the Federation Ambassador had turned out to be as treacherous as he had claimed and, once discovered, meant to dispose of Gellar. This is the picture Sienna paints for them, framing the Empire as the hero's who returned a valuable member of their corporate society to them. Sienna stated that Gellar was unconcious and appeared to have been for some time. The Empire, nor Gellar, could state with any certainty that the missing Gellar-Masterton children were ever on the Wheel. They claim to have seen nothing that would indicate it, a claim Vex Sienna finds himself conflicted over.
He had not disputed this, of course. He had executed his tasks and negotiated the terms flawlessly. Everyone wins. But in his heart, he wonders if Schrag had found the children, would he have returned them or held them as future leverage given who they are? Those names mean something to a lot of people, not all of it good. They may still have enemies, as Lady Masterton believes which is why she kept them so close throughout their childhood. A lot of good that did in the end. Yet his patience and dedication had paid off, as Irulan Reeves had scheduled as meeting with Rutherford Gellar at his earliest convenience.
*
D'ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
Heeding Kylie Miranda's warning, Rutherford had gone to bed prepared for the morning onslaught from Celeste. And, given his confessions, she has every right to be upset. He had recovered two, left one but lost them all. Scattered to the winds. He had no idea where his children are and that alone is punishment enough. It serves as a chilling parallel to his past mistakes with Abra, Blair and Valerie. Abra had been such a warm, caring individual who grew more callous as the year wore on. The corporate politics, vicious gossip and incessant maintaining of appearances can make even the most hardened individual weary and weak. In Abra's case, it made her sick. The cancer had been discovered early and she was treated at the finest medical center in Mondder. Her fighting spirit and positive outlook kept the illness at bay.
Blair's untimely pregnancy and the machinations of Alexander Winton put a strain on their marriage. Rutherford had their livelihood to consider, their status and wealth. Abra didn't care. She was outraged that a respected Corellain Major, nearly nine years Blair's senior, had conducted an extramarital affair with their teenage daughter. She had accompanied Rutherford to Corellia for several business meetings with clients as she wanted to explore Coronet. It was through a tour of CorSec that she was first introduced to Kyri Patten, only in passing, but it was enough of a spark to start a wildfire of forbidden lust. Blair was always tenacious and stubborn but the affair went too far. It had potential to be messy and destroy business relationships on many fronts. Rutherford could not allow that. He put his company before his family, trading the infant Valerie to Alexander in exchange for his assistance in the cover up, continued sterling corporate reputation and the profitability that came with it. Abra gave up on fighting the disease ravaging her body and perished. Blair, furious and overwhelmed with grief, leaped off the Gellar Tower.
It was a powerful point to be made, one Rutherford did not care to repeat. So he would level with Celeste about all that has transpired and hope his continued motivation to recover them all would, in time, warrant her forgiveness.
Downstairs, Kylie Miranda is coordinating the breakfast for Lord and Lady that would begin shortly. She busies herself in the kitchen while trying not to think of the inevitable screaming match that would transpire between them. Would love prevail over anger? She hopes so. The bleeping console stirs her from the quandary. She taps the device and opens the channel.
"Gellar Residence."
"Kylie," a breathless voice says. "It's me."
"Garron! Where are you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, for now. We're on Corellia."
"We?"
He pauses.
"Me and a few others who managed to escape the Imperial attack. I don't have much time right now but I wanted to speak with Lady Masterton. Is she available?"
"She hasn't been down yet. Lord Gellar arrived home last night and I suspect there are words to be had."
"Lord Gellar? He's there?!"
"Well, yes. The Empire claims the Federation had him captive aboard the Wheel which, now that I think about it, makes no sense. You told me Lord Gellar and the children were safe there, that the Federation Ambassador and the Jedi had helped you find them."
Garron's tone shifts.
"We were not prisoners, Kylie. The Jedi led us to the children and Ambassador Tacofer was instrumental in keeping them safe until further arrangements could be made."
"What arrangements?"
"With Lord Gellar's injuries, it was decided that the children would be safer apart. One of the Jedi took Dane and Gemma while I remained behind with Lord Gellar, the Ambassador and her nephew."
Kylie frowns, "Her nephew?"
"Yes, he was kidnapped from Chandaar but that detail was not released to the press."
"But she made statements before the Senate, damaging statements that defamed Lord Gellar and the family."
"I don't have time to explain it all right now but that was not her."
"I trust you will fill me in later. The most important thing is that you and Lord Gellar are safe. Now, what about the children? There have been rumors throughout the Holo that Dane is on Corellia as well. Is this true?"
"It is," Garron says. "He left the the Jedi and Gemma and came to find himself through the Gellar's connection to Corellia. Strangely enough, the Ambassador's nephew made it off the Wheel as it was being attacked and came to Corellia as well."
Kylie smiles, "Lucky break. So, Gemma is still with the Jedi."
"That's right."
"And Dahlia?"
"She was never recovered during our mission. We were only able to extract Dane, Gemma and Riley."
"What? Garron, no..."
"Kylie, listen to me. It was not for lack of trying. We were attacked by the Sith and creatures more horrifying than I can describe to you in words. There was no way to get to her. Several Jedi were slain and Lord Gellar was shot during the escape. We barely made it out alive and had every intentions of regrouping and returning for Dahlia but, as you can see, that is not how things played out. The Imperial attack was some kind of retaliation for selling goods to the Republic. I was trying to get Lord Gellar out but we were separated, the Ambassador's nephew lost in the chaos. They must have discovered him on the way to the shuttle bay and I am relieved to know they had the good sense to keep him unharmed. I wanted Lady Masterton to know that once we have the opportunity, we will return for Dahlia with greater numbers."
"I believe you," she whispers, stunned by the tale.
Garron and Kylie have worked along side each other for over a decade. She was hired as an au pair and assistant to Lady Masterton once the twins were born but Garron had already been working with Lord Gellar on Mondder. Once he was officially hired on, he came to the Gellar Estate full time. He and Kylie grew close but had always maintained a platonic and professional relationship. Since Circe never ventured in to the Corporate Sector, he came to view her as a sibling much the way Lord Gellar and Lady Masterton had come to view them as members of the family. They are trusted confidante's and keepers of the peace. He knows how Kylie worries which is why he had made sure to keep her in the loop so that she could effectively handle the outrage and concern from Lady Masterton.
"I have to go but I'll be sure to call soon."
"Thank you for letting me know," Kylie says. "And for goodness sake be careful."
"You too."
The line fades and Kylie taps off, glancing up and staring through the vast windows out into the rolling meadows beyond. Everyone accounted for save for Dahlia. That poor girl. She can't imagine what she must be thinking or going through right now. Her mind wanders from Dahlia to Dane and Gemma then back to Garron's words. They were not prisoners. The Empire lied about that or made that assumption based on what they saw. Either way, would Vex not have known? Lady Masterton had been too upset by her conversation with Iver Aguilar that she had not disclosed the details of their exchange, only that Lord Gellar was coming home. What else did they find aboard that station?
Kylie thinks perhaps it is time to ask.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
Lord Rutherford Gellar and Lady Celeste Masterton sit across a massive table from one another over breakfast. There is relative silence in the cavernous room as droids bustle about, setting and clearing as they go. There is very little left to say. Earlier, she had confronted her husband about not returning with their children and he, riddled with guilt, confessed the details of their mission and his failures within it. It had been a straightforward conversation, lacking in any pretense or posturing. Rutherford has never seen such scorn in her vivid blue eyes before and, despite his apologies and assurances that he would right the wrongs, she is not so easily swayed. They finish breakfast and he packs a bag before heading to his personal shuttle.
It is decided that, for now, it would be best if he remained in the residence atop the Gellar Tower on Mondder.
Later, Kylie finds Celeste crying alone in her bedroom and offers comfort. She explains that she had spoken with Garron and how Lord Gellar's injuries followed by the Imperial attack thwarted their efforts to return for Dahlia. It is not that Celeste does not understand, it's that she feels it should never have happened in the first place. They had fought so hard to keep the children safe and hidden from the public eye. Rutherford had been adamant about the vaccine then larger and more heavily armed security details. They were monitored endlessly throughout their childhood, kept under lock and key, away from any traces or remnants of the prophecy and it's malicious intent. The Chandaar assignment changed everything. The children had been slowly weaned off the vaccine and security details decreased to more reasonable levels. Rutherford's request and her acceptance is what started this whole thing. Their presence in the Republic capital coupled with the Centerpoint anniversary put them directly in the media cross hairs. It drew attention far and wide. Celeste is furious with Rutherford but it as much her own fault as it is his. After all, she could do nothing as Dahlia was dragged away from the steps of their own home.
They are not alone in their responsibility. Celeste's rage is also directed at Mara Tacofer. The Ambassador has her own share of secrets, it seems, and those were enough to make her and the boy in her care targets right along with the Gellar-Masterton children. It was a recipe for disaster from the start. She does not know what made her think otherwise and by the time she had managed to make it back to the Sector with the children, it was too late. Everything was already in motion. Always in motion, always something in the darkness stirring, plotting.
Celeste had spent her entire life trying to protect herself from this exact situation but there is no relationship solid enough, no home safe enough, no planet far enough away to escape the reality of who they are and what that means.
*
Etti IV: Mondder
Rutherford arrives in the late afternoon, landing on the executive platform of the Gellar Tower. Irulan Reeves is waiting for him as he comes down the ramp. She looks relieved but saddened when she sees him holding the bag. Knowing it is not her place to discuss his personal affairs, she falls into step beside him and brings him up to speed on the happenings of ChemiX, the break in at the lab, the stolen genetic material, the Imperial shares, and an important meeting with the liaison in the morning.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The morning brings a harsh light of reality.
Rutherford wakes in the penthouse above the Gellar Tower, groaning as he drags himself out of bed and into the refresher. He had tried calling Garron late last night but his com was off. The reports on the Holo indicate there had been heavy Federation losses but the Wheel itself had made the jump into hyperspace. Location unknown. Kylie Miranda mentioned on his way out of the Gellar Estate that Garron had escaped and was on Corellia. This was a great source of relief to him considering that is where they say Dane had gone. He wanted to make sure his son was alright. Kylie also mentioned that Gemma was with one of the Jedi, safe and secluded. She explained, as she hurried with him out the door, that his injuries had forced Mara and Garron to make a command decision to split up the children. He is thankful that they were keeping their best interests in mind while he was incapacitated. Corellia is heavily defended and the Gellar name would ensure his safety. The Jedi keeping Gemma hidden away is a smart move.
His thoughts drift to Dahlia and her screams as they fled the caves on Korriban. He has replayed that scene over and over in his mind, trying to rationalize a way they could have made it to her and still escaped. There were so many creatures, so much happening at once. There was also the feeling of helplessness that had destabilized him before they even arrived. He cannot explain where it came from or why he felt such despair. He is not one to shy away from conflict, especially when it came to his kids. But those days leading up the rescue were nothing but a haze of sadness and internal conflict. When he awoke aboard the Imperial cruiser, he felt normal again if not for the cravings for the sedatives he was told he had been kept on. They also told him he was a prisoner they had rescued but give his prior situation, he was not in a position to argue. He does not remember arriving on the Wheel but he knows he got on that shuttle with two of his children voluntarily. He was not a prisoner but will allow the Empire their allusions for now.
Rutherford dresses in a tailored black suit with a crisp white shirt beneath. As he fastens cuff links, he takes in his own reflection. He appears more rested now, relaxed. The benefits of being in an induced coma he supposes. He tries to keep the conversation with Celeste in perspective. She has every right to be cross with him. No one is more furious with the situation than he is. Even now he has to fight to urge to coordinate a team of specialized Espos and storm back to Korriban and rescue Dahlia. But he knows better. Whoever they are, whoever took them, is expecting him to act rashly and impulsively. He could not afford to make another mistake. He needs to focus on what is right in front of him, what he can control.
Downstairs, he greets his assistant and heads into his office. The information relayed to him by Irulan was more than just a little disturbing. The murder of one of their lab techs, the stolen genetic material, causes a cold shiver to run up his spine. At his desk, Rutherford logs into the network, pulling up the files on his family. Of the information on file, only two tested positive for the enzyme Mara Tacofer mentioned. The names pour across his screen.
Rutherford Gellar: negative
Abra Gellar (nee Atrii): negative
Blair Gellar: negative
Valerie Gellar: positive
Celeste Gellar (nee Masterton): negative
Dahlia Greyson: negative
Gemma Masterton: negative
Dane Gellar: positive
These results do not have any common threads aside from the lineage. It does not follow a pattern they can clearly see. Biologically, Dane is Blair's half-brother, making him Valerie's half-uncle. If Rutherford does not have the enzyme and neither does the mother of any of his children, where did it come from? He would have to dig further back into the Gellar's past. He recalls the very tense conversations with the Ambassador on Chandaar. She had collected the information amassed by Alexander Winton, including the fact that Valerie's genetic material had been used to create the monstrosity that murdered her. It also served as his template to attempt eternal life. If Valerie and Dane are the only two who share the enzyme, this could be both useful and potentially fatal if agents of Winton's vision still exist throughout the galaxy as Celeste had feared. That is why Alexander wanted Valerie in the first place. He didn't care about her future role as much as he did for what flowed through her veins. He needed her in a place that would grant him unlimited access to the enzyme under the guise of routine medical testing. These agents may have known about Valerie but how did they know about Dane? He reaches for the com to try and contact Ambassador Tacofer when it bleeps at him. Startled, he opens the com.
"Yes?"
"Mister Gellar," his assistant says. "Your appointment is here."
"Send him in."
He stands as the door to his office hisses open and an impossibly handsome man steps inside, approaching the desk confidently. He is well dressed if not a bit swarthy but such things are to be expected from an Imperial. The man extends a hand which Rutherford shakes.
"Rutherford Gellar, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, sir. I am Vex Sienna."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Rutherford motions to one of two chairs in front of his desk, black, sleek and designed to be vaguely uncomfortable. Perfect for minions or clients to ensure no one stays too terribly long. The Imperial sits and Rutherford leans back into his own, plush chair.
"Vex Sienna. Interesting name given that vex, by definition, means 'to annoy.'"
"My parents had quite the sense of humor."
"So it would appear. What can I do for you today, mister Sienna?"
Vex smiles, "I just came by the meet you in person. Something I had intended to do some time ago but there were...obvious setbacks in that department. I thought your return to the Sector would be an appropriate time."
"My return."
"I trust you were treated well aboard the Emperor's ship."
"Well enough," Rutherford says. "Although there was some confusion surrounding the fact that I was not a prisoner aboard the Wheel as some have claimed."
"Not...a prisoner? I was told..."
"That they found me. Yes, that part is true but I was not held there against my will. The Federation and I were working together."
Vex arches a brow, "Not anymore. In fact, they aren't working with anyone."
"And that," he says, standing and walking to the wet bar. "Deserves a toast."
Despite his common interests with the Ambassador, the Federation as a whole posed a threat to their contracts. The Imperial assault effectively took them out of the game, rendering them harmless from a competitive viewpoint. What once seemed like a hopeless loss of market shares now shows contracts they have no ability to fulfill. The Corporate Sector is here to help the Republic. And themselves, of course. He may not trust the Empire but they released him unharmed and did the entire CSA a solid. He tosses two cubes of ice into a rocks glass and pours an aged whiskey over it before extending it to Vex. They raise glasses together.
"To the end of the Federation."
Vex nods, sipping the drink.
"Excellent vintage. I hope this means we have found our way into your favor."
"You are a valuable client," Rutherford says. "And a client always has favor."
"Spoken like a true titan."
"I've had some practice in this area. However, I am interested to know the details surrounding the Empire's interest in my company."
"Our interest displeases you?"
"I suppose that all depends on the type of interest."
Vex sets the glass down and turns around, taking in the spectacular views from atop the Gellar tower.
"ChemiX has produced some of the most visionary products of the times. The Force vaccine, of course. Avirah, the anti-dementia drug, helped a considerable portion of the aging population. Most recently, Capra, the painkiller to end all others. While I've never been prescribed it personally, I hear it is so acute that it can manage almost any type of pain, depending on the dosage. The release alone put three rival companies out of business."
"Well, in a position for us to acquire them. The penalty for lack of innovation within the Sector is death, so to speak."
"Which is why we find ChemiX so fascinating. You've had your share of up's and down's over the years but always managed to come out on top and far ahead of the rest of the pack. Even with the recent setbacks over these nonsense allegations, the company has rebounded nicely. Miss Reeves is an excellent second in command."
"Irulan is a trusted business associate and brilliant scientific mind."
"Thus our interest. Together you make a profitable team. We want to ensure your continued success as well as remain a preferred client."
"Of course you do and my safe return was the easiest way to secure it."
"The Emperor can be both savvy and shrewd when it comes to business."
"I know," Rutherford says, returning to his desk. "We had the pleasure of speaking while I was a guest aboard his command ship. That also begs the questions of your presence here, considering our ties."
Vex turns, "Ties?"
Rutherford narrows his dark gaze.
"You mean which ones? Allow me to clarify. To start, you were a class above my granddaughter at North Coruscant. You were the varsity Chin-Bret captain of the Crusaders, dated a cheerleader who was abducted and later found dead before entering the Imperial Academy on Carida where you trained alongside a sociopath before she left to murder scores of people back on Coruscant including several of your former classmates. How am I doing so far?"
Vex's jaw tightens.
"Or how about the fact that you have been romantically linked with Kylie Miranda, an associate at my estate, for at least the past ten months. Regardless of my presence here or on D'ian, I have a vast network of sources keeping tabs on my affairs. I know that you took a specific interest in three companies on the Direx Board, no doubt under orders from the Emperor himself that would secure any and all future expansion needs - weapons, droids, medicine. Not a bad plan, given the brutality of the Imperial assault on the Trade Federation. It is sure to give the Republic considerable pause and send them scrambling to reevaluate and tie up the Senate with possible courses of action for months while you test their vulnerabilities. My hope is that you are smart enough not to use your connections to my past to jeopardize or harm my family or my company. This includes miss Miranda. She is a grown woman capable of making her own decisions but if you hurt her, I will take it personally and return the favor. Is this in any way unclear, mister Sienna?"
He swallows hard but nods.
"Yes, mister Gellar. I understand completely."
"Good," Rutherford says with a tight smile. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have a considerable amount to catch up on."
Vex stands, shakes his hand again and departs the office quickly, leaving Rutherford with his research into the past. He would begin with the Gellar lineage and work backwards. The enzyme must have an origin. Was Alexander Winton the first to discover its properties or had others uncovered its secrets before him?
-TBC
-
"Come a little closer, then you'll see
Come on, come on, come on
Things aren't always what they seem to be
Come on, come on, come on
Do you understand the things that you would see here
Come on, come on, come on
Do you understand the things that you've been dreaming.
Come a little closer, then you'll see..."
-Cage the Elephant
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
The emotional turmoil has morphed into a palpable sadness. Celeste believed the return of her husband would ease the pain but instead it has only complicated things further. She knows Dane and Gemma are safe and that does bring a small comfort but it is Dahlia's situation that tortures her soul. She had failed so completely on her promise to Monica. Flashes of those last moments on Naboo come to mind. So many incredibly significant decisions were made and in some way she knew that leaving with the Jedi meant she would never see Monica or Henrick again. She had held onto Dahlia tightly and swore she would provide a life denied to Alexia, Karen and Melanie. Celeste was a fool to believe she had gotten away with it all. Karma is a cyclical force, ever chasing after you and the choices you make.
There is only so far they could run before they had to pay the price for their survival.
Kylie does her best to provide support, knowing the complex gravity of the situation is not easy for any of them. The family had been such a tight knit group up until nearly a year ago. That is when everything changed. Cracks began to show, splintering off in every direction, across the perfectly painted canvas of their lives.
Upstairs, Celeste withdraws the box Kaytt Corinthos had been asked by Circe Prescott to give to her. She had put it away after the lawyer had left and in the melancholy afternoon in the late summer she is drawn to it. She runs a finger along the saber but her eyes find themselves locked on the holocron. Monica and Celeste had been selfish to think Melanie could shoulder that burden on her own but the Jedi seemed so certain. Masterton was the one. Suddenly, the air changes, causing the back of her neck to tingle. It is a familiar sensation, one she has not felt in what seems like an eternity. Celeste closes the box and sets it aside. She rises off the bed and turns around.
Gemma stands in the doorway, looking both radiant and strong.
"Hello, mother."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Concordia Township: Gellar Estate
It's as if time is suspended with her beloved daughter back in her arms again. Celeste cannot contain the tears and they pour down over flushed cheeks as all the anguish and regret that had been held up against the pretense and professionalism now flow freely. Gemma, for her own part, is just as emotional. She is relieved and pleased to see her mother again after all this time. She had found her way upstairs to the master bedroom where her mother was quietly grieving for everything that has happened. The reunion does conjure more questions as Gemma is only one of three who were taken. She does not want these questions to be asked right now and helps her mother lie on the bed where she drifts off easily, finally allowed some peace. Gemma brushes back the golden curls tousled across Celeste's face, staring down into the genetic legacy from which she came.
Celeste, Melanie, Gemma - all are blessed with a deep and spiritual connection to the Force. Celeste has not used it in a typical fashion. Melanie had eventually begun her own training but, from what she had been told, it was far later than most. Even Gemma, as young as she is, was still considered old to begin the training. Most Jedi potentials are taken from birth and raised within the Jedi Order, giving the teachings of the Force and it's benevolent uses all their attention.
Gemma is a special case, one who has been fully trained and asked to conceal it from others. She has grown close to Nevylinn in their time together and she knows this request is not one that came from her master. It came from the Order itself. The motives behind it would be revealed in time. Patience is something Nevylinn had instilled in her. The wanton ways of the rich would not do in the quest for enlightenment. She must remember that everything has layers. Some are not so easily peeled back. There is a reason the Jedi need her to seamlessly reenter her old life and that reason would be known to her one day.
Her mother slumbers deeply and Gemma smiles, turning to find a box next to them on the bed. She carefully peeks inside and gasps. Both items are a surprise to her. The holocron is the same one she had seen in the memory Melanie sent her and contains the prophecy given to her by Queen Monica Greyson. She would research it later, hopefully bridging the gap between the memory and the present. It is the other item that fascinates her more. She grasps the saber tightly before lifting and igniting it. The deep blue blade hums as she expertly moves and spins across the vast bedroom. Smiling, she clicks off and gazes toward the doorway where Kylie Miranda stands very still. She says nothing and she doesn't have to. The look in her eyes says it all.
Gemma lowers the weapon and speaks calmly.
"I can protect us, Kylie but your discretion is not up for debate. You know as I do that there are forces out there who wish to bring harm to our family. We cannot let that happen. We cannot let those we love be lost to the wicked ways of the past. I need you to help me look out for them. Can you do that for me, Kylie? For us?"
Kylie clings to the doorway and nods weakly.
"I will but still, I worry. For all of us. These are considerable powers for children."
Gemma places the items neatly back in the box and carries it with her out of the room.
"Believe me," she says. "We are not children anymore."
-TBC
-
Hyperspace
Garron leans back into the pilot's chair after calculating and successfully making the jump to lightspeed. Dane, who had been strapped in beside him and uncharacteristically quiet, unlatches the restraints and disappears into the back of the shuttle. It is just as well. They both needed time to think. Garron hated leaving Mara. It is not what his heart wanted. His duty to Rutherford Gellar and family is why he put up less of a fight than he intended to. The moment they shared in the corridor of the Gellar Residence on Corellia was intense yet he continued to sense hesitation from Mara. She had always been guarded but their time together on the Wheel and then through a daring escape had brought them closer.
Not close enough, it seems.
He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. The past months had been long and strange, taking twist after turn into an unknown trajectory. His feeling for Mara were one thing. A big thing, to be sure. He sees potential there for something real and dynamic. There is also the issue with his sister, Circe and the accusations leveled against her. He had only managed to hear bits and pieces but a cursory search reveals she and Janessa are now standing trial in the Republic capital. It is not going well from the reports, despite Kaytt Corinthos' legal brilliance behind them. He hopes the truth comes out in the end but knows there is really nothing he can do to help either of them. He must stay focused on bringing Dane home. He got lucky with Rutherford, perhaps too lucky. The Empire is not usually so merciful unless they have something to gain and returning his boss without stipulations seems unlikely. He had heard Dane had been acting like a little shit since he arrived, all bluster and swagger and that there had been a heated exchange between him and Riley. Della did not go into specifics seeing as it was so late and he meant to bring it up to Mara but there wasn't time. It is something he is curious about and would press him on later but for now, Dane seems withdrawn and introspective. He unbuckles the restraints and heads into the back.
Dane is sitting in the bench around the small dining table with his satchel beside him. He is munching on what looks like a candy bar and glances up as Garron approaches.
"I could have scrounged up something more substantial."
"It's cool."
Garron slides in opposite Dane.
"You know, we never really got to talk about everything after...all that happened."
"The cave, the monsters, the girls who all look like the Ambassador, dad getting shot, leaving Dahlia behind. What's to talk about? I was there, remember?"
"I remember," Garron says carefully. "That's not what I mean. Why don't we start with how and why you left Gemma and the Jedi assigned to protect you both."
Dane shrugs, "The Jedi don't care about me. I don't have powers like Gemma."
"Having certain abilities doesn't make someone special. It just makes them unique. You have plenty of talents of your own that Gemma doesn't have."
"I know."
"You do?"
"Yeah, your super mean girlfriend told me. Valerie and I have the legacy gene. It makes people live forever or something and others may want to hurt me to get it. She told me to shape up or else I'll get myself killed."
Garron raises both brows, "Wow. Mara told you that?"
"Yup. I don't like her."
"I'm sure she was just trying to-"
"To what? Scare me? Well, it worked. I don't want to die. I don't want to get taken again either. I just want to go home and see my parents and my friends and have everything go back to how it was."
Valerie appears behind and to the right of Garron.
"Nothing will ever be the same. Not anymore. The ball is rolling, kiddo and picking up collateral damage as it goes. You think your friend here is safe? Not attached to you he's not. None of them are. Your little cohorts, fierce and loyal as they may be, are all walking around with targets on their backs. Don't believe me? Ask D'Arcy or Billy. Oh no wait, you can't. She blew up in a shuttle and he was forced to put a blaster to his temple. What a mess."
Dane's mouth drops open.
Garron leans forward and touches his arm, "Hey, it'll be okay. We'll be home soon enough."
"Right," Valerie laughs. "Like it will all be okay in the Corporate Sector. No danger there. The young Baron and heir to the Gellar title and corporate estate who has the genetic means to grant immortality or splice together another mechanical monstrosity. You don't get it, do you? Corellia was only the part of the story where I starred and certainly the most compelling but if you want to know the whole truth, you will have to look farther back."
Garron slides out and heads back to the control.
Dane wants to but cannot look away. He shutters then whispers.
"Where?"
Valerie's full lips are pulled into a wicked smile.
"Start with Blair."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV
The small shuttle flares out of hyperspace above the Sector capital and is almost immediately hailed. Garron identifies himself and provides the codes which grant him exclusive access to private lanes without the hassle of common traffic. Rutherford had already been notified he was en route and Garron guides the shuttle through the atmosphere and across the hazy skyline where he lands atop the Gellar Tower. Dane had kept to himself most of the journey and Garron, for his own part, tried to assess the level of trauma associated with the ordeal he had been through. The spunk was still there but that could just be a defense mechanism, a cover for the terror and pain. But he did admit to being scared and wanted to be safe. That's a good sign. It means the message sunk in, at least for now. He smiles again when he thinks of Mara leveling with Dane about who he is and why he is important. She is not one for beating around the bush. Things are how they are and Garron appreciated her candor. He pushes her out of his mind to focus on the task at hand but her face is never far from his thoughts.
The ramp touches down on the platform and Dane descends slowly at first but breaks into a run when he sees his father waiting for him. Rutherford kneels and embraces him warmly, his face a contorted mess of relief and happiness. And finally, after all that had happened, Dane breaks down in his father's arms. Garron hangs back, watching with a sense of pride and accomplishment. For all that had gone wrong, he had done at least one thing right. The family was slowly starting to come back together after it had been torn apart suddenly so many months ago. After a few moments, Rutherford stands, reaching out to shake Garron's hand but then pulls him into a manly embrace.
"It's good to see you too, sir."
Rutherford steps back and sighs, "It's been too long, old friend."
"Indeed it has."
"You managed to extricate yourself from Corellia without hassle? There have been only whispers in the media. No confirmation that Dane was ever actually there."
Garron nods as they turn and walk back toward the tower doors.
"The Senator and CorSec Director were most helpful in keeping everything tightly under wraps. They were gracious enough to offer sanctuary, given the Gellar name but allowed us to make our own decisions about returning home. Once I learned you were back, I felt it best to join you."
"I'm so thankful you did," Rutherford says, keeping Dane close.
Inside the tower, they make their way to the residence above the executive offices.
"We're going to need to discuss the details of Dane's return prior to releasing an official statement. Given the board's suspicions and the Republic trial against Circe and Janessa, people will demand answers; for both the kidnapping and the rescue."
"In good time, my friend...." Rutherford says as he punches in the code and steps inside. His voice trails off when he sees them standing in the center of the living room. Celeste turns around, a smile lighting up her face with Gemma beside her. Her hand goes to her mouth when she sees Dane. The family converges together.
Garron lingers in the doorway, heart swelling, but a stoic expression firmly fixed on his face. Kylie appears beside him, also smiling.
"Oh, come on. It wouldn't kill you to enjoy it."
"It's a joyous occasion although not entirely complete."
"One thing at a time."
Rutherford and Celeste stare at each other in a haze of mixed emotions. On one hand, her anger feels misplaced as fault seems to be a moving target these days. It never lies with just a single individual. It never has. The collective blame has been responsible for so much suffering that perhaps it is time to focus on the small victories.
"We made it inside without Gemma being seen. You have Irulan to thank for that."
"Remind me to send her flowers."
"Or promote her."
"She practically runs the company already. Keeping secrets is one of her favorite duties."
Celeste nods, leaning into him.
"I don't know how it happened but I am eternally grateful to have them back."
"As am I."
"But Dahlia..."
"I know, my love. We will find her. I promise."
"Uh, mom. Dad." Dane says from the living room. The projector is on and Gemma is standing frozen in front of the image of the reporters face.
"Hmmm?"
"Mom, listen!"
Garron and Kylie join Rutherford and Celeste in the living room. The reporter is live from Chandaar outside the courthouse where it seems to be pandemonium. Selene Silvestri is one of the prominent Republic journalists who had been following the trial exclusively and she stares into the cam with an almost cold certainty.
"...the Prescott-Kain trial defense had suffered a considerable blow after the subpoenaed Jedi failed to appear in court to corroborate Corinthos' claims. Nerves were worn thin as the jury returned with a verdict but before it was read, a young woman appeared in the packed room claiming proof of innocence for the Republic counselor and Sector liaison. We have that photage now."
A shaky, hand-held cam without sound displayed a crowd separating as the girl emerged sporting bruises and a limp. Everyone in the living room gasps as the shot is frozen on the girls determined face.
"One of the children reported missing over four months ago, the girl identified herself as Dahlia Winton."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Gellar Tower
Kylie takes Dane and Gemma into the kitchen for a snack with Garron standing at the door. Celeste sinks onto the couch with a hand over her mouth and tears burning her eyes. Rutherford paces the length of the room, flooded with a range of emotions so wide he cannot describe them.
"I thought you said she was still a prisoner…still in that cave."
"To the best of our knowledge," Garron says. "She was, m'lady. Returning Dane was only the primary objective with plans to recover Dahlia to follow."
"How did she escape?"
"The reporter said she saw an opportunity and took it."
"They said she was tortured," Celeste whispers. "Maker Almighty."
"She's a brave girl, Celeste. We are wise to not underestimate her."
"We failed her, don't you see that? We failed to keep them all safe. The vaccine, security details, seclusion in the Sector - it was all for nothing."
"She is not making things easier by revealing herself to be a Winton."
"How could she have known?"
"Look in a mirror?"
Celeste's glare is steely and cold.
"I am not in the mood for your crass jokes."
"And I tire of your spiteful accusations. You make it sound as if we never even attempted to rescue them. I told you how terrible I feel about not being able to recover Dahlia but you were not there. You have no idea what we were up against."
"More than just the adversaries in the cave," Garron says.
They both turn and look at him.
"In the days leading up to the rescue, Lord Gellar fell into a state of deep despair which no one questioned at the time given the circumstances. The Jedi, however, began to suspect he was being influenced through the Force. It was as if someone was trying to deter him from even wanting to recover them, sinking him into a hole so deep he could barely function. When I checked in with Kylie, she told me that Lady Masterton was also acting out of character – sullen, withdrawn and self-medicating. Someone didn't want either of you to look for them."
Things begin to click in Celeste's mind. The line of questioning the lawyer took during her visit, the course of the defense during the trial.
"We weren't the only ones."
"What do you mean?"
"Circe, Janessa. Their lawyer, Kaytt Corinthos, came to our residence while you were both away. She wanted to know if someone could be manipulated through the Force to do unspeakable things and later not remember. Alexia Winton was the only known case of Force possession, consuming her entirely at times where she would act on her more destructive whims or, in some cases, the instructions of her father. She is responsible for the lives of at least three through Force manipulation. She drove Billy St. James to suicide then used Reef Stratford and Lucas Maxwell as puppets who in turn murdered each other. In those instances, the Force user was within a reasonable proximity which may even have been the case with Circe and Janessa. Rutherford and I are something entirely different. We would be talking about a long-range, remote manipulation which would take an incredible amount of power."
Rutherford arches a brow, "Power whoever did this didn't have."
"I'm not following."
"We were affected, certainly but not enough to give up entirely. Neither of us stopped fighting which means this remote connection failed in its goal. This dark Jedi the reporter said Dahlia spoke of, the one who held the children captive, must have been planning this for some time."
Celeste shutters, "I'm afraid to even ask but…to what end? How long as this been materializing the in the background?"
"That is what we're going to have to find out."
"So, what do we do now? Go back to Chandaar? This is going to be a media circus with more than just a few uncomfortable questions."
"First we have to explain Dane and Gemma's return since they will most likely be the next question after Dahlia is ready."
"We cannot mention the Jedi," Gemma says meekly as she steps out from behind Garron.
"What, honey? Why not?"
"Our rescue was executed by you, Garron and agents of the Sector. No one else. The Jedi do not want attention drawn to them. We don't have to omit any other details save for their presence and assistance."
"I think your sister may have already turned the spotlight on them."
"She's not our sister!" Dane shouts, bounding into the room. "Why does everyone keep saying that? She's a Winton and not even really related to us."
"Dane," Kylie scolds, shaking her head.
Celeste raises a hand to signal she's got it.
"Biology doesn't always necessarily constitute a family, Dane. We raised her from infancy and to you and Gemma, she is your sister. It doesn't matter what her last name is."
"It does if it's Winton."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because it's true," Dane says defiantly. "We're the new Four or whatever. She's the Winton, I'm the Gellar, Gemma's the Masterton and Riley's the Patten. Not everybody is cool with that."
Celeste glances over to Garron who nods.
"The Ambassador confirmed Riley's heritage."
Then it strikes her.
"The forth."
Gemma steps forward and takes her mother's hand.
"Yes. Riley is the boy from my dreams. He is the one who was missing."
It suddenly feels as if something massive is happening, the wheels of fate grinding forward with or without their consent or approval. They were drawn together for a reason. Nothing would keep them apart, no matter how hard anyone tried.
"I'll contact the Republic," Rutherford says. "Let them know we saw the reports and wish to be reunited with our daughter."
Gemma looks at him sternly.
"And I will let them know Sector forces had been able to rescue Dane and Gemma but were not able to reach Dahlia."
"Thank you, daddy."
Celeste holds her close.
"Then what?"
He sighs but there is a twinge of sick satisfaction in sticking it to everyone who doubted him.
"Then I make the announcement before the Direx Board."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian System: Surface: Gellar Estate
Rutherford adjusts his jacket and paces in the sitting room.
After contacting the Republic, they were told Counselor Prescott would be escorting Dahlia back to the Sector. They were given an approximate time frame and it was noted Janessa Kain would be accompanying them. He had scrapped his plans with the Direx Board in favor of waiting for Janessa. The Board had essentially written both of them off as people who meant to sabotage their methods and furthermore, their market shares. Having Janessa at his side with the children returned and their reputations exonerated by the facts will drive the shame home and give them unique leverage going forward.
The only thing still nagging at him is the Imperial involvement with their industries as part of the negotiation for his release. This would mean an increased focus on the Imperial liaison, Vex Sienna. As much as he does not want to risk Kylie's heart, her proximity gives him a distinct advantage and possible insight into their ultimate plans. Irulan had already voiced her concerns regarding their true intentions being cloaked in their financial interest in ChemiX.
There would be time for those mysteries later. For now, Rutherford must prepare to have his family reunited as one, despite the potential consequences. Celeste sits rigidly in a large club chair, dressed to the nines while trying her best not to looked pained. She feels guilty. They both do. Rutherford may have distaste for her placing the sole blame on him but she does have a very clear point. They had failed Dahlia. Out of the three children, she holds the most vulnerability to the dark side. They had seen what it could do. Alexia was a galactic menace and Karen, for all her showboating and celebrity, was on her way to becoming the same. No one wants that for Dahlia. That much Rutherford and Celeste can agree upon.
Now they wait.
Rutherford, Celeste, Garron, Kylie, Gemma and Dane idly pass the time together. They had received word from Circe they were making their final approach and would be landing shortly. Twenty minutes later, the custom J-Type Naboo Royal Cruiser touches down behind the Gellar mansion.
It is a moment of truth.
The ramp is lowered and Janessa bounds down into the crisp Fall afternoon air. The rolling forests between the estates are awash in crimson and gold. Dahlia makes her way out slowly, still limping from her injuries. Circe follows, hovering protectively close. Service droids swarm into the space craft to gather luggage as the trio make their way into the mansion.
Dahlia knows exactly what role she must play and does a remarkable job of looking both traumatized by the events but relieved to be home. Inside, she steps into the room slowly as all eyes turn to her. There is the prerequisite uncomfortable silence before a tearful Celeste moves toward. Dahlia turns on the water works on cue and crumbles into her "mothers" arms. Rutherford joins them. Gemma and Dane, however, hang back with the others. It is not that Gemma is not happy to see Dahlia but Melanie's warning replays itself in her mind. Dane scowls, unmoved by the gross displays of emotion.
Kylie catches up with Janessa while Garron swallows his pride for Circe. He had been wrong about her and the volumes spoken in the glances between the siblings make it clear this is a new chapter in their relationship. He hugs her tightly; thankful they have this opportunity to begin anew. Janessa steals a glance at Garron, a flicker of their sexual encounter causing her heart to race but it is quickly stomped out. She is not here for him. She's here for herself. And, she supposes, for the Gellar-Masterton's.
Garron suggests they leave the family to heal and so he and Kylie show Janessa and Circe to guest rooms upstairs. The droids have already delivered their luggage and it is recommended that they have dinner on their own. The family needs time together. Leaving Circe and Janessa, Garron and Kylie wander the long corridors together.
It has been some time since they were both in the mansion together.
"All is as it should be," Kylie says with a soft smile.
Garron turns.
"I suppose we will see."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
The Tables Bistro is crowded and lively but there is a hush that sweeps across the patrons when Garron, Circe, Kylie and Janessa make their entrance. News had spread regarding the outcome of the trial, Dahlia's identity and there are whispers about Dane and Gemma's whereabouts. Garron leads the way, following the host to the table he had reserved earlier that afternoon.
Kylie glances around nervously as she sits.
"Everyone is staring at us."
"And they will," Garron says. "For a while."
Janessa makes eye contact with as many people as possible, making them uncomfortable until they look away. Circe tucks her hair behind an ear and sighs. They order drinks and appetizers before perusing the menu to find an entrée. It is Janessa who breaks the silence.
"So, how did everyone spend their summers?"
Garron smirks, "Not vacationing on Hesperidium."
"Well I can tell you this much; prison is no fun. Right, Circ?"
Circe rolls her eyes up, "Always with the jokes, even after all we've been through. Janessa, I don't know if it's registered to you or not but we were just cleared of very serious charges. You murdered someone."
"Brutally," she says, narrowing her dark eyes. "Don't think I haven't thought about Inspector Erbon. I play the facts, the photage, see his face over and over again in my mind. The blackness, the things I cannot remember, and the things I was made to do. It's unbearable but I wasn't responsible for his death. That dark Jedi was."
"You committed the act just as I embezzled the funds and authorized those purchases. Our minds may not have known but that doesn't absolve us. Not completely."
Kylie shakes her head, "I still can't believe it and now with the public unrest on Chandaar. It's terrible. They are blaming all Force users for something a few may have done."
"We don't know how large their numbers are," Garron says. "Light or dark, we can't say with any certainty what we're up against."
"We?"
"You think this is over? It's not."
Circe turns, "Don't tell me you are in favor of this registration act? The Republic and Jedi have always held close ties. I find it odd that one would now suddenly turn on the other."
"How can you say that?" Janessa gasps. "After what they did to us?!"
"After what one person did to us. We were violated, there is no doubt about that, but I believe it is unfair to punish the whole for something a part has done. It reeks of the segregation tactics used by the Empire."
Garron smiles, "I forgot how altruistic you can be. Lingering effects of Melanie's influence, I imagine."
"Speaking of remnants of The Four, why the fuck did no one say anything about Dahlia? She's a Winton? Can we say bombshell? Someone's been keeping secrets."
"It wasn't our secret to tell," Kylie replies softly, bringing her drink to her lips.
"Perhaps not but that's still quite the revelation given what everyone knows about her sisters. How did this even happen?"
"It's a long story, Janessa."
"I've got time. Besides, you don't think the press is going to go for the jugular once the family is done bonding and goes public with the fact that all children are present and accounted for? Think again. It's going to be a barrage of questions and, depending on the spin; it can go either way for those crazy Gellar-Masterton's."
They all stare at her.
Janessa shrugs, "Hate the game. Not the players."
"Unless the players are systematically eliminated," Kylie warns.
Circe frowns, "What do you mean?"
"Kaytt Corinthos came to visit us during the early stages of your trial. She wanted to speak with Lady Masterton regarding the use of the Force. She was attempting to build your defense as she very rightly believed you were both being manipulated by a user. She also paid the Imperial liaison as visit."
"Sienna, right?"
"That's right. Apparently, he had ties to The Four as well and Counselor Corinthos had a theory that those with such connections were being targeted. People like you, Circe."
Janessa scoffs.
"I had nothing to do with them. I was like, barely twenty-one when they were alive."
"True but you and Garron work closely with Rutherford Gellar. Circe was aligned with Melanie Masterton. Vex Sienna was romantically linked to Karen Winton. I am under Celeste Masterton's employ. She is the mother Melanie. Rutherford is the grandfather of Valerie. It expands outward from there. Connections to any of the surviving members of The Four or their allies could be seen as threats."
"By whom?"
"I don't know," Kylie says. "But Kaytt Corinthos sure seemed to believe it. Circe and Janessa were targeted and used for specific purposes. Who's to say we aren't all players in a larger game?"
Garron finishes his drink, "Which is why digging into the Force users in the Republic capital may uncover something. I'm not a fan of licensing people to live but whoever did this to you, Circe, targeted you almost a decade ago. Dahlia's testimony about the dark Jedi stated that the Inspector was getting close and used Janessa to take him out. That's a desperate move considering how long these plans seem to have been in motion. The abduction of the children worries me more than anyone coming after us. Someone wanted them out of the way. They may still want them out of the way."
"Dahlia killed their captor. They found her body in the shuttle."
"That doesn't mean the dark Jedi, whoever she is, was the one calling all the shots. We don't know how deep this goes or who is involved."
"What about Corinthos? Maybe she has another theory."
Garron gazes sternly across the table.
"I'm afraid it may be more complicated than that. Her legal representation and interactions with Lady Masterton as well as Vex Sienna put her in league with the rest of us."
Janessa sneers.
"So, what? She's a suspect?"
"No," Garron says. "She's a target."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dahlia returns to her bedroom and finds it is just as she had left it. Everything had been meticulously cleaned by the droids but nothing moved from where it was. She sighs, feeling like she had not been here for a million years. How time changes things. Celeste and Rutherford are blinded by the joy of having them all back safely that they don’t even ask her any questions. Maybe they can't bring themselves to if they don't really want the answers. Dane and Gemma were the prerequisite polite but kept their distance until they were all sent to their rooms for the night. Dane disappeared without a word but Gemma told Dahlia she was glad she was home. If only they knew how to use that misplaced rage. No doubt they are confused and terrified by what happened to them. It's no surprise they would be wary of her as well.
She changes into a nightgown and stares at herself in the mirror. There are still healing cuts and bruises which would illicit the right kind of sympathy and awe at school on Monday. She had used the Force to manipulate the Republic doctor into reporting the sustained injuries were older than they really were to solidify her story of torture and horror. She would do the same to Doctor Daae when he pays her a visit tomorrow morning. It was a nonnegotiable with Celeste and Rutherford. They want to make sure she has the best care and, if the good doctor believes she needs more specialized treatment, she would be taken to Etti IV to get it. She won't. The wounds are superficial and she could heal them herself but that would defeat the purpose. She cannot appear too normal after all she's been through.
There must be a period of adjustment.
She must also parlay the guilt felt by her adoptive parents into an updated look and several new outfits. Her hair, she notes, needs serious attention. Something must be done about this immediately. Dahlia may be traumatized and wicked powerful but she would die before she showed up at Valor Prep looking like a style train wreck.
By now the seeds of her influence would be spreading in the Republic capital, leaving them in turmoil and weakening their united front against the Empire. They think they had won but that was only a battle.
Not the war.
*
Downstairs, Celeste and Rutherford talk quietly as Garron, Kylie, Circe and Janessa return from dinner. They are called in. Celeste stands and gazes around the room.
"I want to thank you all for your help but we feel terrible about what happened in Chandaar. Circe, Janessa, you did not deserve to go through that…."
"Justice prevailed," Circe says. "Thanks in no small part to Dahlia. We owe her our freedom."
Janessa nods, "How is she doing?"
"Okay from what we can tell. She needs time."
"We also have to decide on a plan," Rutherford says. "A press conference is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Dahlia's revelation has understandably stirred up some controversy and questions. We need to explain how this came to be and confirm that our children are safe. We all have our roles to play. Janessa, I need you by my side when we appear before the Direx Board on Monday in Mondder. They will be expecting a fight but we will take the high road but make sure they understand just how wrong they were."
"I look forward to it. Goodnight all."
Janessa smiles and disappears upstairs.
Rutherford trains his gaze on the siblings.
"Garron and Circe, it will be helpful to have the both of you beside us tomorrow. Seeing as we are to omit the Jedi's presence from the rescue of Dane and Gemma, you can lend credence to our cover story."
"Omit?"
"At the Jedi's request," Kylie interjects. "They do not wish to be involved."
Circe nods, "Give the climate on Chandaar, I don't blame them. What side of the story do you want to tell?"
Rutherford clears his throat.
"One closer to the truth, actually. The children were kidnapped from the Concordia Township and I was alerted during negotiations with the Federation Ambassador. Garron, Circe and I took a handful of CSA security personnel and followed the tracking beacon from the hoverlimo which led us to Korriban. In conjunction with Dahlia's testimony, we arrived were able to recover Dane and Gemma but circumstances prevented us from getting to Dahlia."
"Through the Force, you mean?"
"Dahlia's testimony already noted it for the record and honestly I do not remember much from the cave. I was injured during the escape and we were offered protection at The Wheel where I lay in a coma."
"That will bring Mara Tacofer into the mix," Garron says. "And, if you recall, the public believes she was still on Chandaar making statements against you."
"I have a business relationship of my own with Administrator Farim. Not a close one but enough to call in a desperate favor before my collapse. I do not want to have to explain what Mara Tacofer really is or her relation to my family. On the Wheel, Circe decided to return to Chandaar to fight the allegations against her. Dane and Gemma were relocated for their safety but before we could return for Dahlia, the Wheel was attacked by the Empire. Garron barely escaped and I was discovered and brought aboard the Emperor's command ship where I recovered and was released back to the Corporate Sector. Dane and Gemma were brought home just as Dahlia appeared in the courtroom to free Circe and Janessa with her testimony. That brings us to the present and should cover all the bases the reporters would want to know about. We tell them we wish to return to our lives here in the Sector and ask for privacy as we all heal from these events."
This settles over the room.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Celeste shakes her head, "I believe they will accept that."
"I hope so," Kylie says. "For the children's sake. They've been through enough."
"Is everyone clear on the story and the roles they play in it?"
They all nod.
"Good," Rutherford continues. "Circe, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. That goes for Janessa as well."
"Thank you. I have taken a leave of duty following the trial but I believe Janessa wishes to get back to business as usual."
"I'm glad to hear it. We're going to need that kind of tenacity going up against the Board. Kylie, can you make sure Circe has everything she needs?"
"Of course, Lord Gellar."
From there, they all retire for the evening. Upstairs, Celeste sits at her vanity brushing through her long, blond curls.
"It feels different somehow…like the children have seen things they should not have."
Rutherford is pacing, trying to get his delivery down for the press conference.
"They have, my darling and I wish it were not so. There is more going on here than just what they have seen and been through."
"The dark Jedi…" Celeste whispers.
"Yes. This woman, Adubell, abducted our children and tortured Dahlia. If you do not think it too harsh, I am pleased she is dead."
Celeste turns, "As am I but we still do not know why she took them."
"Or who she is working for."
Celeste glances up with wide blue eyes.
"Oh, Rutherford. I fear they will never be safe."
He kneels in front her and holds her close. There are a million things he could say but he doesn't believe any of them. In his heart, he knows the kidnapping was only the beginning. There is always a larger plan in the works. He must be vigilant in order to stay ahead of it and protect his family.
"Rest now, my darling. We have a busy weekend ahead of us."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
The press conference is held in the town square and broadcast throughout the Sector before it is picked up by Holo-affiliates across the galaxy. Journalists pack the square and are joined by the curious and gossip-hungry residents. Rutherford Gellar presents a united front of family and friend. He stands before the podium, dressed in a tailored suit that gives him an authoritative presence. Celeste is beside him with the children staggered in front. Dahlia had declined to speak, deferring to Rutherford to make the statement. She had gone through enough during her testimony. Dane looks bored but Gemma holds her mother's hand supportively. The family is flanked by Garron and Circe on one side and Janessa on the other. They appear as a formidable and highly attractive group of allies that have been coached and are now camera-ready.
Rutherford had vetted his statement through ChemiX legal and briefed Irulan on the subject's he would be touching on in case there were follow up inquiries for the public relations department to answer. This conference would serve as a precursor to the meeting he had called with the Direx Board on Monday.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here because you understandably have questions. Our family and friends have been through much in the past few months but we have triumphed over this adversity. As you know, our children were abducted nearly five months ago from our peaceful township. With the help of our security forces, we tracked the signal from the hoverlimo to Korriban where we were able to free Gemma and Dane. However, we were unable to retrieve Dahlia. I was injured during the escape and we were forced to retreat. Uncertain where to go, we were granted temporary sanctuary on The Wheel by Administrator Farim. It is there we first learned of the accusations against Republic Counselor Circe Prescott. I am ashamed to admit that even we were fooled by the compelling evidence and Counselor Prescott departed our group and returned to Chandaar to face these allegations. I deeply regret that Counselor Prescott and Janessa Kain were made to suffer through a trial where their actions and outcome had been rigged so far out of their favor."
He pauses, gazing out over the crowd.
"Plans to rescue Dahlia were hampered by my injuries, severe enough that it led to a coma. It was decided that Gemma and Dane were to be taken elsewhere for safety and they departed shortly before the Imperial attack where I was discovered by their forces. I was then taken to the Emperor's command vessel and allowed to fully recover thanks in no small part to their facilities and treatment before returning to the Sector. Both Gemma and Dane joined their mother and I as Dahlia appeared in the courtroom on Chandaar. Her testimony cleared Counselor Prescott and Janessa Kain and they graciously returned her to us."
That is when the crowd explodes with questions. Dahlia is the name on the tip of everyone's tongue. The lost Winton royal, part of a terrifying legacy both Rutherford and Celeste had been complicit in. He is prepared for this onslaught and would remain as close to the truth as possible.
"Yes, our adopted daughter Dahlia is a Winton. Although the Winton name is associated with many things, Queen Greyson-Winton was a dear friend of my wife, Celeste. The Queen, Celeste and her late-husband Henrick discovered Alexander's secret treachery and that the Queen had kept a secret of her own; a pregnancy she hid from her husband. Fearing her child would be used the way Alexia and Karen had been, she entrusted Celeste with the infant and instructed her to flee. The Queen had previously reached out to me and apologized for the things Alexander had done to my family. She explained her situation and asked for my help. Celeste arrived with Dahlia shortly after and we later discovered that Alexander had murdered the Queen and Henrick Masterton. To keep the princess safe, we hid her on D'ian and raised and loved her as our own. We ask for the public to respect our privacy as we attempt to move past these events and on with our lives. Thank you."
Rutherford steps back, allowing the cam's to capture one last shot of the group together before they turn and leave the stage. They do not take questions as they are ushered back to their transports, leaving the reporters to their no doubt colorful commentary. He had done enough explaining for one day. The request to omit the Jedi's assistance and involvement both with Dahlia's arrival and the rescue of the children had been granted. He made no mention of the Sith captor either. He would not touch on that subject.
Not right now.
The public would form opinions and pass judgments on their own time. He had his family back together and right now, that is all that mattered.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Rutherford Gellar stands before the entire Direx Board with Janessa Kain by his side. He addresses them in a calm yet cold tone as a follow up to his press conference. They had lacked faith in his abilities but in the end; the Federation was no longer a threat. They were barely even a company at this point. No one knew where The Wheel was or had heard from Administrator Farim. Even though Rutherford knows Ambassador Tacofer lives, he does not disclose her status or location to the board. She had been through enough and he wished to preserve the joy of her reunion with Riley for as long as possible until she figures out her next move. He speaks ill of the Federation as a rival to their contracts but will not slander Mara's name before them.
His attention then turns to Janessa, blaming the board for abandoning her in her time of greatest need. She had served them well for many years and did not deserve their scorn, despite claims their association would have hindered their leverage. She had been a victim in all this and he demands they reinstate her position with full support. This is called for a vote which passes unanimously. Janessa Kain will continue to serve as the CSA liaison to the Republic. A host of apologies are offered which Janessa graciously accepts.
His last point touches upon his adoptive daughter and the secret of her true identity. He does not have to explain much, given the circumstances of the past but he does offer sympathy to anyone this secret may have hurt. He was only trying to protect his family. Now that they are together again and the secret is out, he suggests they focus on the void left by the Federation and target the Republic to expand their goods and services for the benefit of the entire Corporate Sector. Janessa would return to Chandaar to see what additional needs they might have and negotiate on their behalf.
He closes with a humble thanks to the Empire for sparing him from what could have been another casualty in their attack against the Federation. There is no way they could have known he was on board the Wheel and he praises their good sense in recognizing how important their business relationship is to one another. He holds his gaze on Vex Sienna who nods in acknowledgement.
After the meeting is adjourned, Janessa makes her rounds with many of the executives while Rutherford approaches Iver Aguilar and D'Ken Dawning.
"Two rousing speeches in as many days," D'Ken says. "Had you been as convincing before the Republic Senate from the start, you may have spared us all this scandal."
"I have no doubt you enjoyed every moment of it. Rest easy now that I have returned in good faith. You would be wise to put aside your quarrels, Dawning. We have work to do."
Aguilar nods, "So we do but there is a matter we must discuss privately."
They excuse themselves from D'Ken and wander further into the private chambers. Iver seems unusually agitated given their recent good fortunes.
"What troubles you?"
"Let me begin by saying how grateful I am that your family has been reunited. I do not know what I would have done had I been in a similar situation. You have shown remarkable bravery charging in to retrieve your children, even when one of them is not a biological relation."
"Dahlia is as much ours as Dane or Gemma. Biology does not make a family."
"Lady Masterton's words, I imagine."
"Indeed. She is as wise as she is beautiful."
"No truer words were spoken. My concern lies not with your sincerity but with the depth and execution of these plans. Despite our lapses in judgment against Miss Kain, we did keep close tabs on how the trial unfolded. It was noted that Counselor Prescott had been routinely manipulated by the Force for over a decade which implies these plans against you and your family had been ongoing. Dahlia's testimony confirmed the dark Jedi sought revenge against both you and Lady Masterton. This vengeance extended to anyone associated with you."
"So it seems, yes."
Iver's voice grows deeper.
"Then what makes you believe there are not others out there waiting to finish the job? Your daughter may have slain the dark Jedi but that does not mean the plans ended with her life."
"I never said I believed that," Rutherford replies evenly. "We will investigate every avenue to ensure the threat has passed."
"See that you do. Despite our profitable turn with the downfall of the Federation, I would hate for the Board to view you as too great a liability. As part of a whole, what affects one affects us all. Keep that in mind."
Iver leaves him and returns to the main chamber, leaving Rutherford to his thoughts. Janessa appears behind him.
"Is everything alright? I thought it went very well."
He turns, "Yes, it did."
"But Aguilar is not convinced?"
"Not entirely, no. When you return to Chandaar, I will send a personal security detail with you. It may not be a bad idea to have Counselor Corinthos request one from the Republic as well."
Janessa frowns, flashing back to the dinner conversation from a few days ago. Kylie said Kaytt suspected everyone with personal or professional attachments to The Four may be targets.
"Why? You think we are still in danger?"
"It's just a precaution. We owe you the benefits of feeling secure given all that's happened. I would appreciate it if you did not protest."
"Of course, I understand. Thank you and your wife for the hospitality. I'll be leaving soon to capitalize on our unique opportunities."
"Good girl," he says, smiling.
Janessa shakes his hand, turns and leaves the room.
Rutherford stares after her, wondering if Iver was right. There is really no way to know for certain if the threat is gone or just hiding beneath the surface as it had done for so long before.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Everything has seemingly returned to the way it was. Rutherford remained on Etti IV dealing with the company business and Celeste resumed her practice. This left Kylie and Garron in charge of the household once again. The only difference is they have Circe as a houseguest.
The Counselor remains disillusioned toward the Republic and uncertain of her future. She had spent most of her formative years building a career that helped people whether it was on Chandaar or those worlds seeking admission into the Republic who needed an empathetic ear as their society transitioned. How quickly they turned on her. Everyone had in the beginning. A part of her cannot really lay blame due mostly to the overwhelming evidence against her. What were they supposed to think? Save for Kaytt Corinthos, the public at large was ready to sacrifice her and Janessa. She shutters to imagine their fates had Dahlia Winton not entered that courtroom.
Now Circe struggles with her next step. Where does she go from here? Fences had been mended between her, Garron and the Gellar-Masterton's. No ill will exists and for that she is grateful. Still she wonders what other evils lurk within the shadows. She feels foolish for having been manipulated for so long without even the slightest inclination but she supposed that was the point. Circe had chosen a side and was being punished by someone who wanted Rutherford Gellar and Celeste Masterton to suffer. Her brother does not think this is over and she would have to agree, given what Melanie had confided in her all those years ago.
The Four had the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes for quite some time before anyone caught on. Melanie was given the prophecy at fifteen and, despite the efforts of the Jedi, had no real comprehension of the intensity or scope. The players continued to move across the board at the merciless direction of another. Even with the information she had, Melanie was still a player in that game. And that's what it was to him – to Alexander Winton – a game.
Who else carries on the torch of those lies?
Her mind is pulled back to the Republic and the current state of things on Chandaar. The Force-user Registration Act is as startling as it is reprehensible. That kind of blatant and paranoid control had not been used since the days of the Galactic Empire. To see it in play now with the Republic makes her feel as though the tide is turning. This road would lead to darkness.
In this knowledge she finds her calling.
Circe gathers her things and calls for a transport.
Garron finds her standing by the door.
"Going so soon?"
"I've got work to do."
"Circe, you've been through a trauma and its okay to take some time."
"There may not be time."
Garron crosses his arms, "What do you mean?"
"You said this wasn't over."
"Yes, I did."
"And do you believe it?"
"Yes."
"Then whoever did this to us could still be out there pulling the strings."
"What kind of strings?"
Circe hesitates, knowing she may risk sounding insane.
"It will require some investigation but the registration act may be part of it."
"It seems the public is on board and it would be nearly impossible to influence that many people."
"I'm not denying there is worry or panic. Clearly there is a danger of misuse but that danger has always existed. Any weapon in the wrong hands can be dangerous. The Force is no different. This kind of legislation could bring on the same kind of fear and discrimination that the Empire had against other species. The mob mentality can easily take this too far. The last thing we want is for suspected Force users to be dragged into the streets."
Garron nods, "Okay, I'm following you. The general public doesn't have the best track record of exercising rationale in crisis. But what does that have to do with what happened to you?"
"I've been thinking a lot about it. The Republic has been on my mind a lot these days and given all that's happened I find myself questioning my place in it all. After you mentioned the kidnapping and our manipulations may not be the end, I got to thinking about why this anti-Force sentiment took hold so strongly and in such a short amount of time. The Republic has always had a good relationship with the Jedi and for them to turn so ferociously rings false to me."
"From what I hear the Jedi has been practically useless."
"Admittedly, they had grown more secretive over the years but to suddenly assume it's because of some larger, nefarious purpose seems a bit of a stretch. What happened to Janessa and I was done by a single individual so far as we know. That threat shouldn't extend to an entire sub-population. My colleagues in Chandaar say the Speaker has grown cold and aggressive. This is not the Shale Apteen I know. He is decisive, yes but has always held a reasonable temperament."
"People change, Circe."
She takes on a more mocking tone.
"That's right; they behave strangely and do out of character things all the time. Say, like, transfer illegal funds or murder an Inspector."
"Wait, what are you suggesting? That the Speaker of the Republic Senate has been compromised by a Force user?"
"I have no proof of that," Circe says, shrugging. "But I do know this registration act violates the civil rights of many upstanding Republic citizens, citizens I was sworn to protect. That's why I'm going back. I'm going to stop this nonsense and find out what's really going on."
"I don't mean to burst your altruistic bubble, sister but it's already been passed in the Senate."
"Passed but not fully implemented. The law is structured in waves over a larger timeline. If there is enough support for an appeal, we can get it overturned."
Garron sighs, "If this is what you feel you have to do, I support you. That doesn't mean I won't worry. Just because you no longer play the role whoever did this wanted to you play doesn't mean you aren't still a target."
"I'll be careful."
He pulls her into an embrace and she holds on tight.
"You better be."
One of the droids signal that the transport has arrives. Circe picks up her suitcase and moves to the open door. Garron calls after her.
"Don't be a stranger."
Circe turns, flashing a smile.
"I won't. Goodbye, Garron."
He stands on the wide stone steps as she boards the transport. It idles momentarily on the platform before lifting off and ascending into the overcast sky. Garron knows she's fully capable of handling herself but something about their situation makes him suspicious and uneasy. Like Circe, Garron does not have any proof that this goes beyond the dead dark Jedi that Dahlia killed.
It's just a feeling.
And he doesn't need the Force for that.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Schedule and routine had once again part of the children's lives. Celeste works with Garron and Kylie to ensure the past is put behind them with a return to the stable, loving environment they were taken from. This is met with varying degrees of resistance but with two tweens and a teen, this is not exactly uncommon. While they maintain appearances for the sake of their parents, all three children are hiding something.
Dahlia continues her dark explorations with the help of her Voss-Ra minions. The last lesson from the Sith holocron had struck a chord with the mention of a name: Persephone. During her time with Adubell, she had discussed at length the prophecy sent through her biological mother as a vision that outlined the future of The Four. It was called The Prophecy Persephonea. There is a sick excitement in knowing she grows closer to the truth.
Gemma meditates and practices late at night locked in her bedroom. She feels guilty in keeping a part of herself a secret. Kylie is the only one who knows and for her part, the au pair and family friend has kept that secret. She never asked her questions even after she saw her with the lightsaber. Gemma keeps the weapon hidden carefully in her closet, surprised her mother had not discovered it was missing from the box brought to her by Kaytt Corinthos. She longs to find solace in Nevylinn but knows that is not possible right now, especially with all that is unfolding on Chandaar. The Jedi would have more than enough to worry about. Living in the Corporate Sector, Gemma would not be obligated to reveal herself and register as a Force user but now, more than ever, do Nevylinn's instructions to keep these abilities hidden mean more. Instead, Gemma turns to her singing as a creative coping mechanism, bringing her to new levels.
Dane is pleased with the heightened notoriety his kidnapping brings at school. People treat them all with a mixture of awe and fear. He can deal with that but was somewhat thrown by the close relationship his best friend Roman developed with Gemma's friend Preston in their absence. Dane always thought Preston was weird and girly. Roman explained that after they were taken, things got bad at school. There were riots and the students blamed the administration and eventually, their friends for what happened to them. Alka, Preston, Roman, and Muriel took a lot of heat and if it were not for the intervention of Kier and Trichelle, it could have been a lot worse. Their friends were now part of a larger and more popular sphere. Kier protected Roman and Roman protected Preston. Trichelle did the same for Alka and Muriel. The complicated social structure had saved them a lot of suffering. Dane sees this as an advantage and seamlessly transitions back into the mix. Gemma doesn't seem to mind having new friends but Dahlia's got some kind of problem with it all.
Girls. They are so lame sometimes.
He feels his trip to Corellia was worthwhile but perhaps cut a bit short by the arrival of Riley. That kid bugs him. Just because he's a Patten doesn't mean he's like, more special than they are. They are all special. Maybe not special like Gemma or scary like Dahlia but special enough. The Gellar name means a lot. It carries prestige. He doesn't know exactly what that means but he's sure it's pretty cool. He creeps downstairs a little after midnight and locks himself in his father's study. The large paintings look ominous and seem to watch him as he moves across the room. He stops in front of the portrait of Blair Gellar and stares up into her flawless, beautiful face. Her expression is curious and slightly angry and he wonders if this was done on purpose.
"She's quite a babe or at least she was until she was splattered all over the streets of Mondder."
Dane whirls around.
Valerie steps out of the shadows wearing a long, black gown and a smirk.
"Calm down, kiddo. It's just me."
"You scared me. Again."
"I tend to do that."
"Well, stop. It's annoying."
"Noted and ignored," Valerie says smugly, rolling her eyes. "So, I see you made it back safely and transitioned into your cushy little life. How's that going?"
"It's going. My parents are thrilled and school is much easier now that we've got serious social standing."
"Right. The popular kids co-oped your clique while you were away but I'm betting that serves their interests more than yours. They think you are a liability."
"They didn't say anything."
"They wouldn't, manners and all. Despite their youth, they were raised well and hold some semblance of social decorum. On Coruscant, the classmates at my school were spoiled and stupid. They lacked the generations of tradition and training that is pounded into children here practically from birth. D'ian is a special place with its titles and entails. You, Baron Gellar, are the heir to Lord Gellar's estate and assets. Your sister would factor in there somewhere but, even as a Baroness, doesn't hold your standing in this society. She is meant to be married to someone of a higher title, elevating her own status which is, in turn, good for the family. Despite Dahlia's title as Princess which does outrank all of you, she's a female and not a biological heir. These antiquated traditions are the cornerstone of the Corporate elite and prepares them for the societal hierarchy that awaits them on Etti IV. The have's and the have-not's. It sets the tone of how life will be and it is passed down to the next generation."
Dane makes a face.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"That is what Blair was meant for. Her mother – my grandmother – was an Atrii. You do know that name, don't you?"
"Of course. Everyone does. Demaris Atrii is a year older than me."
"Well, Abra Atrii was courted and paired with Rutherford Gellar which is how this whole dysfunctional family began. Blair was not a fan of this system and openly rejected the idea of having a partner picked out for her. She wanted more than just the limited pool of uptight would-be suitors of Valor Prep which is why she insisted on joining your father on one of his business trips to Corellia. It is there she met Major Kyri Patten and fell madly in love. Despite the considerable age difference and potential scandal, she initiated a rather torrid affair with the married Major. He was her first, her only. She did it to spite her parents and threw caution to the wind."
"Then she got pregnant, right? With you?"
Valerie nods, "That's right."
"Accidents happen."
"Except it wasn't. Blair knew exactly what she was doing and intended to get pregnant in hopes she could escape a life of tradition in the Sector. Unfortunately for her, Major Patten had also knocked up his wife, Lilandra. This put the Major in a rather unseemly situation. He loved Blair but he was obligated to his wife and the reputation both personal and professional he had built for them on Corellia."
"What did he do?"
"Kyri begged Blair to terminate the pregnancy but she was furious and determined. Us Gellar's can be rather vindictive. If he wasn't going to leave his wife for her, she would ruin his life and so she told Rutherford the Major had taken advantage of her. A child born out of wedlock with, of all people, a CorSec agent with little social value or standing was an epic scandal waiting to happen. As angry as Rutherford was, going public to destroy the Major would have put the Gellar family name at risk. You know how things work on Etti IV. Clients would flee a company whose founder and CEO was thrust into a negative public light. Reputations are everything here. That's around the time Alexander Winton appeared to offer assistance to a frantic Major Patten."
"Dahlia's real father?"
"Yes, the bastard incarnate. No one knew anything about his plans then. He simply arrived and offered a solution that would allow Kyri to keep his child with Blair and his family with Lilandra intact. It all boiled down to science."
"Science?" Dane says, confused. "I don't understand."
"We'll get to that. Alexander came to the Sector and approached Rutherford with knowledge of the affair and pregnancy. He threatened to go public and severely damage Rutherford's reputation at a critical juncture of his career. He was up for membership on the Direx Board, a position he had coveted for years. ChemiX was finally large and lucrative enough to be a real contender amongst the other corporate powerhouses. The scandal would have jeopardized that and cost them millions. Winton provided an alternative – keep the pregnancy hidden and turn the child over after it was born. Rutherford would be rid of the problem and free of potential backlash. He would be able to move forward with his family and his career. Rutherford brought this to Abra who denounced his cowardice. She suddenly fell ill and was hospitalized for some time leaving Rutherford to make the decision alone. Feeling he had no choice, Rutherford agreed. Blair was kept out of school under the auspices of caring for her sick mother and once I was born, Alexander came to collect. Rutherford secretly allocated funds for my care and Alexander provided assurances that I would be well taken care of."
"Then he took you to Corellia?"
"And placed with an Imperial agent named Evin Delongprey. Of course, that is not the alias assigned to him. He became Jerico Gellar with a full history and documents input into the Corellian database by Kyri Patten. Jerico was a "widower" left with an infant daughter who became a CorSec agent to provide for his "family.""
"What about Blair?"
"Oh, Blair. Her plan backfired so spectacularly. She was left with nothing and expected to return to her life of tradition and privilege as if nothing had happened. She was to be matched with Iver Aguilar's eldest son, Brahm after she graduated from Valor Prep. But Abra's condition worsened and she died."
Dane frowns.
"Sucks for her."
Valerie arches a brow.
"That's not even the worse part. While Rutherford was off celebrating his admission onto the Direx Board and future success of ChemiX, Blair fell into despair. She had been betrayed by her lover, her child stolen and lost her mother. She was desperate to get me back and planned on running away to find me. Alexander Winton would have none of that."
"How did he know?"
"How did he know any of the things he knew? He just did and intercepted Blair before she could leave. She was distraught, vulnerable and what he told her was the breaking point. Abra had protested the decision to give me up and knew that her family, the Atrii's, had considerable resources to help prevent it. They are the wealthiest family in all the CSA. So Alexander poisoned Abra before she could ask for their help. With her incapacitated, the deal was made through blackmailing Rutherford. Alexander told Blair he knew what she intended to do and threatened to kill me if she attempted it. Out of options and overwhelmed with grief, guilt and horror, Blair flew to Etti IV and climbed to the top of the Gellar Tower where she leapt to her death. It was a dramatic gesture that drove home the point of all that Rutherford had done and lost because of it."
Dane's mouth hangs open.
"Does my father know all this?"
"Some he knew and the rest he may have figured out later on but by then it was far too late. He had lost his wife, his daughter and knew his granddaughter was being raised by another beside her half-sister on Corellia. He feared Alexander would harm me if he attempted to retrieve me or renege on their deal which is why I never knew him while I was alive. Death brings such a sweet clarity though it lacks the simple pleasures."
"Point being?"
"There are many lessons to be learned from that. You must decide which is the most valuable to you."
"You said it had something to do with science."
"That is does. A question you may want to ask is why Alexander Winton wanted me alive."
Dane remembers the things he has read, what he saw on Corellia in the museum beneath the Gellar residence.
"Your genetic material was used to create that droid monster thing that terrorized Corellia and wound up killing you."
Valerie touches her nose.
"Bingo. The blood that flowed through my veins also runs through yours."
"What the heck does that mean?"
Valerie smiles and steps back into the shadows.
"It means you don't need the Force to be special. All you need are the right genes."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
A stark blue winter sky illuminates the Sector capital. Vex Sienna is reading over the most recent reports from Byss. Orders have been fulfilled, supplies received and business relationships mutually beneficial. He has done quite well for himself here despite a slight misstep with Rutherford Gellar. His com-link bleeps and he absently answers it, believing it to be Kylie since she is supposed to be arriving shortly for a lunch date.
"Sienna."
"It's Pallus."
"Hey, Burke. Long time. I did hear about your victory at the Besh Gorgon system. Nice work, old friend. You've made the CSA a much better working environment."
"Good to know but the Federation needed to be dealt with. We are still grappling with their insipid gravity well nets around Republic space. It's proving…challenging in attempting to make any headway with expansion."
Vex smiles, "I have no doubt you will find a way in."
"For our sake, I hope so. The Emperor is keen on results not attempts or excuses."
"Our sake? I've delivered all that has been asked including the financial stake in several key companies here."
Pallus pauses.
"True enough but rumor has it there are opportunities to be made with Rutherford Gellar."
"He's a tough one to crack. I deal mostly with his Executive Director, Irulan Reeves. She's rather amenable to our needs although not much has been asked of her just yet. Lately, I've just been fulfilling the orders placed while maintaining a presence on the Direx Board."
"Ever since Gellar was released from our custody there have been whispers."
"What kind of whispers?"
"That he plays a more critical role than originally planned."
Vex is curious, "Such as?"
"Unclear," Pallus replies. "I only hear things in passing on various assignments but I thought you should be aware in case anything comes up. Never hurts to be prepared."
"What are you not telling me?"
"It hasn't been substantiated. It's just speculation."
"Yet you felt it necessary to call."
Pallus chuffs, "Did anyone ever tell you you're an asshole?"
"Only every other day. So, what's the latest?"
"One of your reports referenced a break-in several months back at the ChemiX lab. Word is that something of extreme rarity and value was stolen."
Vex stretches out on the couch.
"Miss Reeves confirmed an unauthorized entry but there was no mention of anything being taken. Rival companies do much crazier things than that out here to gain a competitive edge."
"I'm just telling you what I heard."
"And I appreciate that."
"You should. Between Gellar's release, the kidnapping case, and the Winton revelation – people are definitely talking. You are closer to it than anyone and I wouldn't be surprised if you were asked to investigate further."
"I'm on the edge of my seat."
Pallus snickers, "The Winton thing has to be a trip. You banged her sister."
"Yeah," Vex says. "A couple of times. A hundred years ago."
"Still, you have to wonder."
"About what exactly?"
"Why you were selected for the CSA assignment."
Vex sighs, "Because I asked for something else. Patrolling the borders of Byss wasn't exactly a thrill ride."
"They could have stationed you anywhere but they sent you to the Corporate Sector where, as it turns out, your ties run deeper than just a private school past with that slutty Gellar chick and the hot blonde Jedi Masterton."
"That's reaching a bit, don't you think?"
"Now that the Gellar-Masterton's adoptive daughter turns out to be a Winton? No."
"You think the Emperor knew the whole time?"
"I'm not saying that but now that everyone does, it might make things more complicated."
"How?"
"How about a little history repeating?"
"Dahlia is fourteen. How much damage can she do?"
"Based on Alexia and Karen's collective track records? Quite a bit. And it's not just her, Sienna. Winton, Masterton, Gellar…are you following?"
"Wow," Vex says. "I never thought you were one for conspiracy theories or paranoid gossip. Besides, that's only three."
"That we know of."
"You need to get out more."
"You need to pay attention. There is interest in these kids. Not all of it is going to be good."
The door chime sounds.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"See that you do."
Vex clicks off, stands and wanders over to the door. Kylie is waiting on the other side looking radiant. She throws her arms around his shoulders and grins.
"Well, hello gorgeous."
"Shut up and kiss me."
He pulls her inside as their lips connect. It's passionate yet sweet. He breaks away slowly and stares into her face.
"I'm famished."
"I'll bet," she says coyly. "But it will have to wait until after lunch."
"So cruel."
"Oh, relax. I have a radical idea."
"I'm comfortable with radical. I like radical. Radical is good."
Kylie smiles and slides her hands down the front of his chest.
"I was thinking. Now that things have settled down here and life has returned to normal in D'ian, perhaps we can take our relationship public."
Vex blinks.
"Public like how? A formal announcement in front of the Direx Board?"
"We've been together for over a year."
"That's true."
"And most of it we've spent shrouded in secrecy to protect the people we love."
"Also true."
"So, what are we hiding from?"
"We're not hiding, per se. We're just…low-key."
"In this instance I'm not really seeing a distinction. You aren't, like, ashamed of me, are you?"
"Of course not," Vex says, holding her close. "You are insanely attractive with morals and standards that are simply adorable."
"Then what's stopping us from having a real relationship?"
"Two things I can think of."
"Name them."
"For one, your boss hates me."
"Lord Gellar is just protective," Kylie sighs. "He would be wary of any suitor I had. He's not so frightening once you get to know him."
"That's what you said about Lady Masterton but I'm pretty sure she Force-choked me unconscious in a fit of rage right before you had her committed."
"She was just upset! And I didn't have her committed. I simply requested she be removed from the estate under the care of her physician."
"Uh huh."
"Okay, so that's one thing. What's the other?"
"My boss."
Kylie groans.
"You were relocated to the Sector for business but that doesn't mean you can't have a personal life."
Vex nods, "No, it doesn't but the Empire is particular about certain things."
"Not so long ago you were rethinking being a part of those things."
"I have my doubts and after the conversation I just had with Pallus, it's becoming more apparent that things are slightly more complex."
"Off-topic but what conversation?"
"Burke called. There are rumors that something was stolen from the ChemiX lab. Care to comment on that?"
"I don't know anything about it. Maybe you should ask Garron."
"That guy needs to loosen up."
"I'll be sure to pass along the message. Back to the point, you don't want to be an official couple, do you? You'd rather us sneak around in the shadows forever."
"That's not true!"
She throws her hands up and moves toward the door. He moves with her and she stops, briefly.
"Then what is it? What's the real reason?"
"I don't think me being here is a coincidence. This assignment, I mean. True I have history with Gellar's granddaughter and Masterton's daughter but there may be more to it than that."
"How much more?"
"Winton more."
Kylie gasps, "Seriously?"
"This isn't about Karen. It's about…Dahlia. And possibly Gemma and Dane."
"What are you talking about?"
"Burke said there was interest in the kids. Their last names alone are enough to cause a stir. He doesn't know much more than that but some think Rutherford Gellar may have a more….significant…purpose…"
Kylie storms toward the door.
"I told you if you were going through me to get to them I would never stand for it! I knew the conditions of Lord Gellar's release had stipulations. The Empire attaches asterisk's to everything! There is always an ulterior motive with them."
"Kylie!"
"No," she says sharply. "Lady Masterton was right. Your loyalty lies with them. I'm not going to put the people I love at risk because the Empire wants to play games. You know what they lost, what they almost lost again."
"I don't want them to lose anything!"
"And what if the Empire doesn't give you a choice?"
Vex's face falls. There is nothing he can say.
Kylie nods, anger causing her eyes to widen.
"That's what I thought."
"Kylie…"
She pauses in the open doorway, turning.
"If you suspect something is afoul then find out for sure before you wind up losing more than you cared to wager."
And then she is gone.
Vex listens to the sound of her heels echoing down the hall and the hiss of the door as it closes. He would be furious if a part of him didn't know she was right. There is a lot about this situation he questions and Burke's call only served to further that speculation. What does the Empire really want from Gellar and what role does Vex play in helping them get it?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Rutherford Gellar goes over the latest progress from the labs with Irulan. She has some promising news with testing on a new anxiety medication that doubles as a mild anti-depressant, effectively treating both. Earlier trials had shown some minor side-effects in sluggish behaviors and confusion but the recent clinical studies show vast improvement. This medication in particular was designed specifically to coincide with grief and loss, as it plays such a significant role in the lives of everyone. Anxiety and depression often follow loss and this is meant to be a stabilizing force. Like some in this category, it can become addictive if not regulated or prescribed properly. Rutherford instructs her to proceed and she nods, leaving him at the lifts.
It has been an interesting week. The clinical trials aside, there are rumors swirling within the Direx Board that the Federation has been granted sanctuary on Corellia. Nothing has been substantiated or confirmed and the location of The Wheel itself is still somewhat of a mystery. Still, the notion of Federation survival in any form is met with hostility and outrage amongst the board members. Corellia is quite self-sufficient and some speculate that their admission into the Republic would eventually cut into their own profits as they offered more goods and services. They had petitioned for many years without acceptance which is why the Sector had never really considered them a player in market shares but acquiring any remaining Federation holdings may give them some powerful leverage. Rutherford isn't terribly worried since he supplies medicine and not ships or weapons.
He returns to his office distracted and doesn't notice the other figure in the room right away.
"Lord Gellar."
He turns sharply, reflexively reaching for his concealed blaster but softens when he sees the source.
"Jedi Nevylinn," he says, sighing. "You startled me."
"My apologies. I must say I am pleased to see you upright and functioning. How have you been?"
"All things considered, very well. My injuries healed, at least the physical ones."
She nods, "From time spent on the Emperor's command ship."
"Not by choice. The Wheel was attacked."
"We heard. I've been to the Gellar Estate on D'ian. I am also glad to see Mister Prescott is well."
"Garron is tough."
"As are you. You seem much better now. Less…conflicted."
Rutherford taps his com and asks his secretary to hold his calls before turning his gaze back to her.
"I have to be. Not that I mind but how did you get in here?"
"I have my ways. I was not seen, if that is what you mean."
"Good. I suppose you have also heard the Empire has a financial stake in ChemiX as was a condition of my release. Sly bastards. Thankfully, their liaison is easy enough to handle. I must ask, however, what brings you to our part of the galaxy?"
Nevylinn plays his game on his turf.
"Officially?"
He smiles, "I never figured the Jedi for coy."
"We generally aren't but this will require a delicate approach. The Republic wants me to maintain a presence and their interests with the Direx Board. As an important client, we did not think anyone would object."
"We have a liaison in the Republic."
"Janessa Kain represents your interests on Chandaar. I am here to see how our interests are being represented on Mondder."
Rutherford considers this.
"You are an interesting choice for the Speaker, no offense intended. The Direx Board will be amenable, of course, but the Imperial stake and general suspicion may put you in an uncomfortable situation. There could be backlash. I hope you are prepared for that."
"I am."
He rounds the desk and makes his way to the wet bar.
"I don't suppose you would care for a drink?"
"No, thank you."
"You said you were at the estate," he says, pouring a dark liquid over ice. "I trust the reception was warm."
"Lady Masterton and company were perfectly hospitable. She insisted I stay last night and venture to Mondder today which, after the long flight, was most appreciated."
"My wife is a wonderful hostess. Did you see the children?"
"Only briefly. They seem to be adapting well."
He shrugs, "Kids are resilient. They have also been seeing the school counselor who comes highly recommended. She is helping them adjust back to their routine."
"How have you been adjusting?"
He pauses with the glass half-way to his lips.
"Fairly convincingly. Why are you really here?"
"I think you know."
Rutherford finishes the drink.
"Dahlia."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder: Gellar Tower
"The lost Winton royal," Nevylinn says. "Not that anyone knew she was lost since very few knew she existed in the first place."
"We had our reasons for keeping such a secret."
"Yes, we know. The Winton name carries with it both prestige and horror. No doubt there were many questions when Dahlia revealed herself publicly. We reviewed your press conference photage and felt you handled it rather well considering."
Rutherford pours himself another.
"Considering what?"
"How this changes things. For everyone. The public now knows of the existence of three direct descendants of the original Four. That leaves one unaccounted for."
"The Ambassador has him carefully hidden."
"But for how long? The boy is tenacious, noble, much the same way his mother was. It is only a matter of time before someone starts digging too deeply or he reveals himself. Either way, the emergence of a new Four has some very unsettled."
"The Jedi always has its worries," Rutherford says. "I thought worry led to fear."
"And fear to hate. Yes, Lord Gellar. We are aware of the chain-reactions within our own but you cannot tell me these same worries have not crossed your mind. The doubt radiates off you now."
He paces the length of the room in silence before responding.
"Back then, I was a different person. I was bitter and despondent over the loss of my family, the things I had done. When the Queen contacted me, I wanted nothing more than revenge. Agreeing to help her served that purpose and I did so knowing it meant the Queen would perish for her actions. I wanted to take from Winton what was taken from me - my wife, my daughter. I never expected what came next when a terrified Celeste arrived with the infant Dahlia. It was a chance to start over."
Nevylinn watches him carefully.
"Yet you had reservations."
"About Dahlia? Yes. Not about Celeste. Harboring the child of Winton could be dangerous, knowing what became of both Alexia and Karen. There is a power and darkness in their bloodline that I was uncertain could be contained or tempered. Celeste assured me that Karen and Alexia were manipulated into their actions by Alexander. Victims of environment and circumstance. We were to give Dahlia something new; a real chance. While I remained vaguely skeptical, I began to believe her as we fell in love and had two children of our own. The vaccine kept them all hidden and as the years passed, I began to see what she saw. It was a new and beautiful life for both of us."
"Do you still feel that way?"
"I did until we came to Chandaar. Crossing paths with Mara Tacofer and her nephew was no coincidence. It was a wake-up call that the idyllic little life we had built was fabricated out of our delusions. There is something more at work here and the Jedi knows that."
"I never said we didn't."
"Master Corrin promised to return to us and I never saw him again until we went after the children almost eleven years later. I mourn his passing but forgive me if that leaves me with little faith in the Jedi's word. You don't even know who was behind the children's kidnapping, this dark Jedi Dahlia spoke of."
Nevylinn swallows.
"But we do."
Rutherford stops, turning toward her.
"You do?"
She finds the words flow more freely now, released from her tightened throat by the gravity of the moment.
A truth around the truth.
"She was not a dark Jedi. She was a Sith and she used the Gellar clones to abduct all four children but we believe her focus was Dahlia which is why Riley, Gemma and Dane were more accessible during the rescue. We are not sure of her motives or how she knew about Dahlia or Riley. All we know is there was a significant period of time between the rescue and when Dahlia appeared in that courtroom. We want to know what really happened and I think you do too."
Rutherford is too distracted by the introduction of more sinister workings that he does not follow up with a query regarding the identity of the Sith. He sets the glass down on his desk and leans against it.
"We haven’t pressed the issue with her. Celeste said we could risk traumatizing her again if we don't allow space for her to process and tell us in her own way. The school therapist agreed. We just try to be supportive, to help them adjust."
"It is what good parents do."
"Not good enough evidently," he replies distantly then meets her gaze. "You think the Sith did something to her? More than the torture she described?"
Nevylinn treads carefully.
"You said it yourself; there is power and darkness in that bloodline. We want to ensure this was not exploited."
"It goes beyond that. Beyond her. Beyond them."
"Possibly."
"Our worst fears have always been rooted in Winton's influence circling back around through his followers to harm those in the present as it did in the past. I will never let that happen."
Nevylinn touches his arm.
"Neither will we."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Nevylinn's introduction to the Direx Board was somewhat anticlimactic given the events that immediately followed. Iver Aguilar received her warmly enough, offering assurances that the Republic's interests were central to their operations. She could sense he was skeptical of her presence but masked these feelings beneath his polished corporate façade. Nevylinn took this in stride and maintained a distance from Rutherford Gellar to protect his position within the Board. The other primary shareholders in the Republic markets introduced themselves politely before she was announced to the whole of the Board. There were murmurs and whispers yet her eyes were drawn to the suspicious glare of the Imperial liaison, Vex Sienna. Clearly, he doubted her motives. Little did he know the Direx Board was the least of her worries.
That is around the time when Aguilar's aide approached the massive circular table with disturbing news which was then projected into the center of the room. The announcement that the CEC had acquired the Trade Federation holdings and namesake goes over about how one would expect from tightly wound businessmen and women. The table explodes with accusations and the rage within the room is almost too much to bear. Nevylinn has to steady herself against the barrage of fury. It is not directed at her by any means but it is palpable and disturbing. She takes her leave before it gets really ugly, knowing where they would inevitably go with the discussion. Corellia is now part of the Republic and with the Federation assets in CEC control, they would be able to offer a wider range of goods in house as opposed to paying the often times exorbitant fees associated with the CSA. This would surely cause strife for Janessa Kain, the liaison on Chandaar.
Nevylinn returns to the private apartment leased by the Republic. There are several to host their liaisons and delegates. She does not need anything flashy and chooses a more conservative unit. She is thankful she is not a part of the traditional business community. In these quiet moments, Nevylinn kneels on the floor to meditate. The rush of calm and clarity is welcome after the corporate fray she had just escaped. Her com-unit bleeps from the kitchen counter. She opens her eyes and stands, walking over to the device. The display shows the caller is her young protégé.
"Hello Gemma, is everything alright?"
"Yes," she says. "But I have something to tell you."
"Oh?"
"There is another Force sensitive here. It's one of our classmates. I felt her when we were attending a fundraiser with our parents. Her family is…very important. Maybe the most important in the Sector."
Nevylinn considers this.
"Did you reveal yourself?"
"No but I'm not the only one who noticed. I am certain Dahlia felt her to."
"Was she discovered?"
"I got to her first. We reintegrated with our friends. No one was the wiser."
"That's very good, Gemma."
"Master, she needs our help."
"Did she tell you that?"
"Not exactly," Gemma replies softly. "I could just tell. She's frightened. When I found her she was meditating, fully connected to the Force. She has some working knowledge of it but I don't know from where."
"What's her name?"
"Demaris Atrii."
Nevylinn suspected as much. Her older brother, Donovan, is the youngest member of the Jedi Council. Demaris was tested when she was young and discovered to have a significantly elevated midi-chlorian level but Donovan requested she be left alone. Demaris is a beautiful, strange and clever girl, one who held great potential but Donovan's commitment to the Jedi had left his parents confused and hostile. They felt the Jedi had stolen their son when, in actuality, they had reformed him from the spoiled and aimless trust fund kid he had become. Donovan knew the sacrifice required of a Jedi and wanted his sister to have at least had a chance to decide for her what she wanted to do, not have it decided for her. Master Corrin agreed and Demaris was not brought to Chandaar for training.
The silence draws on.
"Do you know her?"
"I know of her," Nevylinn says. "Where is she now?"
"At her house, I imagine. What should I do?"
"Be there for her, if she needs you."
"How can I do that if I can't tell her the truth?"
"Friendship doesn't require use of the Force."
"What about Dahlia?"
"You must keep her shielded from Dahlia at all costs. I will notify the council of these developments and report back with any instructions. Good work, Gemma. I'll be in touch soon."
She clicks off sets the com down, staring through the window to the cityscape beyond. This is more delicate than Gemma knows. Discovering Demaris' potential is one thing but having Dahlia's interest piqued is quite another. Without any real knowledge of what Dahlia can do, it puts Demaris Atrii in a very precarious situation. Potential rivals or perceived threats to the Sith are often eliminated. Dahlia cannot simply get rid of Gemma. It would be too suspicious. So Gemma must protect Demaris until the Jedi decide what to do. Best case scenario, Gemma runs interference and Dahlia forgets about it entirely. It's not as if the girl does not have enough distraction in her life. From what Gemma has told her about Valor Prep, there is plenty to keep Dahlia preoccupied while Nevylinn attempts to figure out what she knows.
Oh, Adubell. What have you done?"
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The sprawling Nash mansion was a gothic marvel and kept nearly freezing at all times. Secretive and armed to the teeth, the Chiss family is somewhat of a paradox to their species. Originating from House Nuruodo, they traveled from Naporar twenty-three years ago to explore and expand their business opportunities within the ruthless Corporate Sector. The Nurodo family was generally the point of contact with outsiders and Iver Aguilar seized upon a rare opportunity with an invitation a join them outside the Ascendancy. It was seen as a crucial partnership and thus Palace Arms established operations on Etti IV.
Balthazar Nash was born Balt'nashir'nuruodo but simplified this as part of his integration into the CSA society. His wife, Rinoa did the same and it was mutually agreed that their offspring would be given a contemporary name to suit their new environment. Roman was born and raised into two worlds, the world he lived in the world they left behind. Balthazar's choice to live among humanoids was not well-received at first, threatening to ruin the entire Nuruodo family name. However, since the Ruling Families had been reduced from nine to four and Palace Arms generated millions in revenue between their various clients, concessions were made that allowed for them to remain. Rinoa taught Roman in the ways of the Chiss and instilled their heritage in him. Having plutonic humanoid companions was a necessary evil and not of great concern as Roman grew from infant to child. However, adolescence brought with it the prospect of romance and notions of a humanoid partnership were quickly squashed. A female Chiss mate was chosen on their homeworld and would join with Roman when the time came.
Roman Nash had grown up knowing he was different in more ways than one. His deep blue skin and glowing red eyes immediately set him apart from his mostly humanoid classmates. He was endlessly fascinating to other children who viewed him as either a novelty or an unknown threat. Dane Gellar was the first person to approach him without a look of worry or fear. They became fast friends as children and grew to become competent athletes, the youngest on the Valor Prep Varsity Chin-Bret team. While they played little, they learned a lot from the older players who would eventually graduate and move on. Gemma Masterton had always been kind to him even at her own expense as others made fun of her for befriending the strange blue boy. Alka Dawning seemed wary of his family but got along just fine with him. And then there was Preston Dyre. They had not spoken much prior to the Gellar-Masterton kidnapping but that tragedy bonded Roman, Alka and Preston together. Alka was a capable linguist and could fend for herself where as Preston was shy and soft-spoken which is why Roman had to step in to protect him from the older students who irrationally blamed them for what happened. The student riots would have been much worse had Kier Kincaid and Trichelle Corinthos not intervened. Both had taken the younger students under their proverbial wing along with absorbing Muriel Monroe and Tobias Harkan. When Dane, Gemma and Dahlia returned, the age-disparate group became a much sought-after enigma within the student body.
Roman once had a schoolboy crush on Gemma as her voice could bring anyone into an almost trance-like state. As they grew and his relationships with the others changed there were other feelings he could not describe. He knew he would not be allowed to formally date Gemma. She was a humanoid and certainly not a Chiss. These feelings were different, dangerous for his kind. Preston represented something that was forbidden within the Chiss and Roman works hard to suppress his attraction, especially in spite of his friendship with Dane. Moreover, if these were discovered, there is no telling what his parents would do. They were progressive when they needed to be but still held firm to the traditions of the Chiss.
He often had to visit his friends at their respective estates. Not many were permitted on the Nash Estate grounds. Also, the temperatures comfortable to them were nearly hypothermic to his friends. Roman joins Alka and Preston at the Gellar Estate for a picnic Gemma decides to throw in the early thaw. Dane is surprisingly willing to go along with this, most likely to impress the ever aloof Alka. The group gathers on a large patchwork blanket in the clearing behind the mansion but not beyond the dense woods that separate the Gellar and Corinthos estates. The silver and pink Naboo royal cruiser glimmers in the sunlight on the landing platform behind them.
Gemma wears a wide pastel hat to keep the sun off her face as she sets plates from the basket prepared by Kylie Miranda. Espos guards line the property, standing like silent sentries on the periphery. No one wants a repeat performance of the kidnapping therefore a tighter watch on the children is required. The agent closest to them is the Voss-Ra disciple posing as the Espos to do Dahlia's bidding. He keeps a careful eye on the Masterton girl and Gellar boy as the Elders consider them Anointed Ones and potential threats to their exalted Abomination. The children talk and laugh amongst themselves as they sip flavored soda water and nibble on finger sandwiches. Alka ignores Dane which drives him mad and causes Preston and Roman to snicker between stolen glances.
From the kitchen window, Garron Prescott stares out in a cautious wonder as he reflects on Kylie's cryptic words. Their expressive faces and animated gestures belie the innocence of it all but a shadow of doubt has been cast upon them.
What are the children hiding?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Irulan Reeves makes her rounds in the labs as Velco, the anti-anxiety/anti-depressant goes into full production. Early reception from the pharmaceutical community had been positive since it was mild and showed little sign of habit forming in the trials. It is the contrast to Capra, the powerful painkiller that has mass potential for abuse if not prescribed properly. Capra is only supposed to be administered in cases of severe pain, usually following surgery or in patients with debilitating illness. Some physicians seem to have been too liberal in their administration of Capra and there are rumors it has become a designer drug for bored housewives and affluent teenagers. While it hasn't hurt sales, it does pose questions about the over-medication of the population.
Irulan is a woman who touts personal responsibility. They create medications to combat illness and pain but they must be administered properly with strict care. People who ignore these warning face consequences and she has little patience for those who throw caution to the wind. Her com bleeps as she signs off on the first Velco shipments. It is her assistant, letting her know the Imperial liaison is here. Irulan sighs and says she will be up momentarily. She is always wary of Imperial involvement in anything but certain conditions had to be agreed to before they would release Rutherford Gellar. She did what she thought she must to ensure his survival and that of the company.
Vex Sienna is standing in the executive lobby and smiles when she approaches.
"Mister Sienna," she says, shaking his hand. "It is a pleasure to see you again although somewhat unexpected. How may we help you today?"
"The Empire would like to place an order."
"Surely you realize you are not required to appear in person to do so."
Vex's face tightens.
"It is a special order, one that may require some…experimentation to achieve the desired results."
"Experimentation? I'm not sure I follow."
He hands her a data card, "Here is the research we have completed so far. There are notations from our medical professionals but we defer to your judgment on how best to reach the outcome."
Irulan withdraws her pad and inserts the card. She quickly scans through the data, her eyes widening.
"Please, step into my office."
"Of course."
Once inside, she turns to him.
"Am I to understand you would like us to develop a drug that suppresses pain? We already have. Take your pick. Any generic painkiller will do."
"Dulling the pain receptors in the brain is only half the challenge. We need this drug to also suppress fear and promote extreme calm while not impairing motor functions or cognition."
Irulan narrows her eyes.
"For what purpose?"
"Classified," Vex replies evenly. "Can it be done?"
"I must confer with our scientists and, of course, Rutherford Gellar before we can proceed."
"It's a lucrative contract and I suspect Gellar will see that."
Irulan squares her shoulders, defaulting to a more amenable tone.
"The Empire is a valued client and we will do all we can to ensure you remain satisfied with our work. Once we've had a chance to review the material in full, we'll be in touch."
Vex nods.
"Good day, miss Reeves."
Irulan waits until he has left the office to grab her com. Experimentation. Classified. These are not terms that sit well. She may be a business woman and prone to shrewd acts that are often perceived as ruthless but she is not unethical. She gets Gellar's assistant and leaves a message for him to contact her immediately. To satisfy her own curiosity, she calls a few scientists from the lab she knows will be discreet to ascertain the viability of the request. Deep down, she knew the Empire's involvement with ChemiX would come with a price.
Now she wonders how high it will be.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder: Surface: Gellar Tower
Irulan Reeves consults with Rutherford Gellar regarding the Imperial request. He is not surprised they would want them to develop something with potentially sinister applications. Instead, he wants to know how much they are willing to pay for it.
"Sienna made it sound worthwhile," Irulan says. "You aren't worried it could be used against us?"
He shakes his head.
"The Empire wouldn't be so stupid. With the Republic threat growing and the salvation of the Federation through the Corellian Engineering Corporation, they cannot afford to lose any ground with us. They are not a self-sustaining entity. My rescue and subsequent release came with the unspoken stipulation that should they need anything in the future, however nefarious, we would respond favorably. And so we shall."
"With Velco going into mass production, the team will be eager for a new challenge. Something so specific will take time. The requisite trials alone will not produce the desired results, especially if they require no trace of side effects."
"Begin the research now. I'll send an update to Sienna informing him of our cooperation. This should buy us time."
Irulan knows him well enough to know he is insinuating something further.
"To do what?"
"Figure out what it is they really want from us. Months ago, while I was searching for my children, a sample of my son's genetic material was stolen from our labs."
"I cannot apologize enough…"
"There is no apology necessary, Reeves. I saw the photage myself. Tran had clearance to the lab and whoever he was working for made sure he wouldn't be around long enough for us to ask him about it. I am not suggesting it was Imperial-inspired but it's a working theory. The sample is out there. Plain and simple."
Irulan swallows hard.
"You still believe the legacy gene was the target?"
He nods, "It's the only explanation as to why Gemma and Dahlia's samples were left untouched. An entire lineage is in that storage….not just ours either."
"There is no way anyone could know-"
"Of course not. Not even Celeste knows. But she does know Dane's sample was stolen. Thankfully, the return of the children has allowed that horrifying sliver of information to slip her mind. History has shown us what the gene is capable of. PHAGE was an abomination, an affront to nature, to science."
"The Viceroy seemed to think it was a prudent investment."
Gellar laughs, a cool distance creeping into his tone.
"Medivh, Winton; they were fools to tamper with things so far beyond their control. Nothing in this life turns out the way you think it should. That's the beautiful tragedy of it all. If you put something in a maze, you should be prepared in the event it finds its way out. Henrick Masterton was bent on finding a cure for Alexia Winton that instead provided a shield for others to escape Alexander's grasp. The clone of Valerie Gellar grew to love a boy, her nephew in the most basic biological sense, and protect him above all else. I continue to harbor a potentially dangerous and destructive force under my own roof, the last of the Winton legacy. And my son with his genetic code ripe to get the ball rolling all over again. The cyclical irony is killing me."
"Given the circumstances, I think you have done well."
"Have I? Some days it's difficult to tell. With our families, it feels like you are always on the verge of drowning in the dark waters of the unknown. There always seems to be someone beneath the surface waiting to reach out and pull you under. Gemma has dreamed of monsters for as long as I can remember and one day those monsters finally caught up with her."
A frown creases Irulan's delicate features. They had been more than just colleagues over the years, they were confidants. He has been her mentor, a father figure that helped shape her career. The tumultuous journey of ChemiX is something they rode out together. She is a wealthy, powerful woman due in part to his influence. It is lonely at the top. Heavy is the head, he warned her but it is a life she chose. She had watched him lose his first family and fall into a hole so deep she was unsure he would ever emerge. When he did, he gained another and she had never seen him happier. More recently, things had begun to crumble around him and she is concerned as he teeters closer to the brink.
"What are you afraid will happen?"
Rutherford stares past her, through the floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a panoramic view of Mondder. The black and gray towers angle and reach for the sky, monoliths in a sea of duracrete and transparasteel.
"That the monsters represent something larger and it is only a matter of time before they find us too."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
It has been an interesting few weeks from Garron Prescott's perspective.
Given the things he had overheard from the exchange between Kylie Miranda, the Jedi Nevylinn and Gemma Masterton, he had taken to a position of careful observation as of late. Typically, he would be accompanying Rutherford Gellar on Etti IV but a new project had come up that needed urgent attention. Lord Gellar had not been home in almost a month. Lady Masterton, on the other hand, was delightfully occupied with clients. It seems spring brings forth problems that had lay dormant throughout the winter. The children have been his focus since their parents attention is diverted by business matters.
Princess Dahlia has been spending a considerable amount of time at the Monroe Estate. She says she and Muriel have upcoming projects followed by finals in late spring but she has never been quite so attentive to school work in the past. It's not like she would tell him the truth if he asked and they do not seem to be getting into trouble so he does not protest.
Dane has been abnormally subdued. Quiet and polite are two words that are seldom used when referencing the young Baron but the past few weeks have seen a real turnaround in his behaviors. He is diligent and respectful even if his eyes say differently. The point is he is making an effort to not be such a little shit and Garron appreciates that. With the Chin-Bret season long over, he and Roman practice with their athletic mentor, Kier Kincaid. His pointers and training have helped Dane keep a real focus on the field. At least he has an outlet for all that energy.
And then there is Gemma. With a face like that, it is difficult to stay angry even if he knows she has been lying ever since the Jedi brought her back to the Sector. They all have in their own ways. Garron just happens to have been privy to Gemma's proclivities. True, he was eavesdropping but as guardian pro tem he needs to be kept in the loop. The fact that Kylie has yet to level with him drives him crazy. They had always been on the same page with the children and it helps having a united front. Now it seems she is cahoots with the Jedi who Gemma sneaks off with when she thinks no one is looking. He knows Lord Gellar has granted the Jedi access to their Viiperi Lake house but that is to be held in the strictest of confidences. Sector, Republic, Empire - no one wants to send mixed messages. Still, the blonde Baroness and her trickery is sure to blow up eventually.
That is why Garron waits until they children are safely off at school to confront Kylie. She is in the kitchen going over the dinner menu for the week with the head service droid when he asks to have a word. The droid is excused and she turns her attention to him.
"When were you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That Gemma is a Jedi."
She laughs. He does not.
Kylie clears her throat, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were serious."
"You know I am."
"Oh, don't be so melodramatic Garron. It's unbecoming. Have you heard from Lord Gellar?"
"Don't change the subject."
She raises her hands in mock-surrender.
"Yikes, hostile much?"
"Says you," he sighs. "You've been a real pill ever since you dumped that Imperial dandy when suddenly you begin acting shady. What gives?"
Kylie shrugs, "I'm processing it."
"But you haven't. You still love him. It's written all over your face."
She opens her mouth to counter but he shakes his head.
"We've known each other a long time, Kylie and I'd like to think we are completely honest with one another. Except you haven't been."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"You should," Garron says. "I heard you pleading with Gemma to choose a different path, one that isn't a long and horrifying trail of blood and tears. The Jedi did more than keep her hidden on Naboo, didn't she? As a Force sensitive, she helped Gemma realize her potential."
Kylie holds his gaze with narrowed eyes.
"If you already have all the answers, why do you feel the need to interrogate me?"
"Because I was hoping you would have volunteered the information by now."
"Garron, this is not a secret I want to keep. Believe me."
"Is that so?"
Kylie rolls her eyes up.
"You turn into such a brat when you aren't in the know."
"That’s because it's my job to protect us and I can't do that if I don't have all the information."
"Noted, sorry, but the Jedi did have a compelling point. Gemma's skills could protect us too. Not just from the garden variety Sector scumbag but from whoever is out there gunning for the children. You know as well as I do that the past rarely stays there, especially when it comes to these families. Someone is out to get them and it wouldn't hurt to have another fighter in our corner."
"I don't disagree."
"You don't?" she gasps, punching him lightly in the arm. "Preface with that."
Garron smirks, "What fun would that be?"
"Fine but I cannot tell you how relived I am that you know."
"Are Lord and Lady aware?"
"No and they should remain in the dark for now. Jedi Nevylinn said something about keeping these abilities out of the spotlight and I would have to agree. Given the climate in the Republic and any negative sentiments here in the Sector, it would probably be best to minimize her exposure. They have enough to contend with as it is."
"What about the other children?"
Kylie's face becomes more serious.
"I don't trust the other children."
"What makes you say that?"
"Dane is up to something. You can tell. And I love Dahlia but she is a Winton. As much as I like to tell myself they are not a stereotype, each of The Four definitely leans a certain way. Gellar's tend to be devious and Winton's somewhat narcissistic and destructive."
"What about the Masterton's?"
"Practical yet self-righteous."
Garron makes a face, "You sound like a tabloid."
"As salacious as they can sometimes be, there are bits of truth. Don't tell me you haven't seen it too. They are reaching an age where they are questioning their places in the worlds. I don't know about you but this is a frightening variable for me."
"We have to help them make the right choices."
"How can we do that with so many outside influences? The past, the Force, politics, celebrity, business – it's all so up in the air."
"That's why we have to be there for them like we always have been."
"You don't think that sounds the least bit naïve?"
Garron sighs.
"Not when we know what to look for."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Vex Sienna stands in the open balcony doorway and stares out over the bustling cityscape. The monochromatic palette is very Imperial and perhaps why he feels so at home here. He rotates a nearly empty glass of whiskey around in his hand, watching the dark amber liquid swirl between the chunks of ice as he waits for the call. He doesn't have to wait long. Apparently, the powers that be have Burke Pallus checking up on him now as he inquires about the progress of the project.
"ChemiX was amenable to our terms."
"No objections? Color me impressed."
"I doubt we would have asked if there had been qualms about Rutherford Gellar's moral ambiguity."
"Perhaps not," Burke says. "But he's a different man now. He has a family, round two if memory serves."
"Family changes things."
"It can but the Emperor will be pleased to hear Gellar did not protest. Was there a timeline given?"
"We are scheduled to meet at the end of the week but Irulan Reeves did stress there would need to be extensive testing to ensure the desired results could be achieved without any adverse affects."
"She's very thorough."
"Which is why she's one of the highest paid women in the Sector, I imagine."
Burke pauses then changes direction.
"How is the Direx Board?"
"Explosive as always," Vex says, finishing off the drink. "Some companies are beginning to feel the effect of the Federation-CEC merger which has led to some of the most colorful conversation I've ever witnessed. Have you seen an Executive Director give himself a stroke from screaming? It's a sight to behold."
"Business as usual then?"
"For the most part."
"And the Jedi?"
"She's around here somewhere. This kind of environment isn't exactly their speed."
"You've lost her position?"
Vex sets the glass down, "I wasn't aware we cared to keep it."
"She's a Jedi."
"There are no hang-up's here about such things. Everyone is a player if they can be profited from. She's just checking in for the Republic which happens to be a large client much like the Empire."
"Have you had much contact with her?"
"No," Vex says. "There was just the initial surprise at seeing a Jedi here to begin with. They are not ones to drop by for a visit."
Burke grumbles.
"That doesn't strike you as the least bit suspicious?"
"Not really, given their reputation downturn in recent months. Is there a reason we should be concerned?"
"It's not just that the Jedi has chosen to be more publicly proactive, it's that particular Jedi showing up in the Corporate Sector."
"What does that mean?"
"That is not for us to know."
"Right," he sighs. "You just enjoy being cryptic. Is there anything else?"
"The girl."
"What girl?"
"Miss Miranda, is it?"
Vex's skin turns to stone but he maintains an even tone.
"Yes."
"How…is she?"
"I wouldn't know. That's long over."
"Good," Burke says. "The Emperor does not want you getting distracted."
"I agree completely and will let you know as soon as I hear about the project."
Once the line goes dead, Vex exhales loudly and pours himself another glass. His motives here have only grown more mysterious with the passing months. All of the objectives he was assigned have been completed and he has done nothing to warrant their suspicions but he knows better than to assume with the Empire. Their reactions when he reported the Jedi's arrival were tell-tale enough but even now there is no clear explanation. Obviously, she means something to them.
But what?
He walks through the living room and picks up a picture on one of the black shelves. He had shot the picture down, standing over Kylie draped across a blanket in a park. She is so beautiful and radiant that he cannot help but smile. Still, he knows better. She wanted a commitment, one he was more than ready to give her but the Empire is always watching. They would use any leverage as means of control and he is not about to lose a second girlfriend to their machinations.
Almost twelve years ago, as he was getting ready for his first real assignment aboard the Saavia's Revenge, Vex received a message. It was sent to the com-link he used in high school but he kept around because that particular model had been so unique and popular at the time. He doesn't know why he turned it on but when he did, there it was.
Vex,
I know we have never been close but we both suffered great losses of the people we love. They say we are all searching for something and two days ago I found Tenley Price. She was abducted by Alexia Winton under the orders of the Imperial Director and turned into an assassin who I unfortunately had to end. Closure is an important part of the grieving process and I know we had always wondered. I thought it was important you know the truth, regardless of what path you have chosen. Consider carefully the master you serve.
Love,
Melanie
He had been so blindly angry that he almost failed to report in. How much did Dementat know? What about Karen? There were so many questions back then that fell to the wayside in the wake of the Centerpoint Battle. After that those things became trivial. Dementat and Kyja were dead. He had grieved and let go of Tenley years before that but Melanie was right about one thing: he had always wondered. Not just about her.
About everything.
Schrag became Emperor and Vex went through the motions, hoping that with a new regime the lies of the past could be reconstructed into something worth a damn. His career stalled until he was assigned to the Corporate Sector. He has had his own doubts and suspicions, ones he shared with Kylie but a scheme with that kind of scope leaves little room for escape. He does not want what happened to Tenley to happen to Kylie and so he pushed her away. He made her hate him so she could be safe.
Even in his head it sounds foolish.
They are both tied to the four families and if history has taught them anything it's that the collateral damage is always higher with proximity.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dahlia faces an intense internal struggle. She is not even sure how the holocron knew about the incident with Muriel, especially since she has not breathed a word of it to anyone. Without compromising the delicate situation, Dahlia brought in Trichelle and Demaris, two girls who are also in the latch-key category of adolescence. Parental oversight in either girl's upbringing has been minimal at best and they are the best resource to coping with that. Dahlia mentioned that Muriel was having a difficult time with her mother always on location while subtly Force prodding their empathy responses which in turn caused both to act quickly, swooping in like supportive friends should. It's not that they wouldn't have done the same without the mental interference but Dahlia doesn't have time for that. She needs to scale it back and reconsider her focus.
As much as she hated to admit it, Alexia was right about one thing. Karen's attachment to her friends got her in a lot of trouble. They may have started off on the same page, parties and boys, but as they grew those loyalties and perspectives changed. Often times those came into conflict with one another. Karen was clearly far more powerful than Melanie but she believed in the core foundation of their friendship which allowed the latter to get the jump on the former. She likes to think she isn't that stupid but the holocron believes she is. Still, the façade of a typical teenage girl requires some of these typically trite rites of passage.
In the midst of her pondering the fortuitous turn she knew would arrive comes knocking. Security had cleared the woman's credentials and Kylie grants her access to the estate while Dahlia is called down from her room.
"Good afternoon, Miss Winton. My name is Escara Wu, one of the marketing director's from the Vectra Management Group out of a Chandaar."
Dahlia's face brightens, "VMG? You guys represent some of the premiere talent in the fashion world."
Escara smiles.
"I'm glad you are familiar with our clients since we hope to make you our newest addition."
"I'm sorry, what's happening?"
"Allow me to explain. We would have been in contact sooner but we wanted to be sensitive to your recent ordeal, give you time to heal before you considered your next move. Several of our top clients and models plan to retire once they turn twenty-eight and go on to other philanthropic ventures. While many of our up-and-coming clients will secure those spots, it does leave a very exclusive window of opportunity to find the next generation of fresh faces."
"Anyone I would know?"
"Are you familiar with Kinsa Cavanaugh?"
"The Republic socialite?" Dahlia says. "Who isn't?"
"We represent her younger sister, Quinn. She was recently signed with us – a beautiful girl with a hospitality fortune at her disposal. You, however, represent a legacy. The Winton legacy. Karen's features, namely the crimson hair and green eyes became synonymous with the industry throughout the galaxy. She was signed to a specific fashion house out of the former Coruscant."
"Raga'Ana."
"Exactly," Escara says. "I understand you have an eye for Nalaa Grey couture. Classy, very chic but why limit yourself? With VMG, you could be the face of any brand you want."
"I wouldn't have to, like, drop out of school or anything…"
"No, no," Escara laughs. "We firmly believe in securing a fine education. You can do both, especially since you are still a minor. This would mean mostly photage and appearances, nothing that would infringe too heavily on your curriculum. After you graduate, you would be free to choose a more aggressive path in runway which would take you all over the galaxy."
"How exciting! But for now I would be back and forth between here and Chandaar, right?"
"Primarily, yes. We are headquartered out of the Republic capital."
Dahlia hopes her smile isn't too devious.
"Excellent."
"I'll leave you some things to look over and of course, we will need parental consent to the terms of the contract. When you turn eighteen you will be presented with a contract of your own, the terms of which can be heavily negotiated depending on how well you are received between now and then."
"I'm a Winton," Dahlia says. "The public doesn't stand a chance."
Escara is overjoyed, "I am thrilled you see it that way too. We'll be in touch."
After she is gone, Kylie takes the datacards for Celeste to review later. She gives Dahlia a questioning look.
"I know what my mother is going to say but what about you?"
"I only want the best for you but that is a lucrative yet very competitive road. It would mean sacrificing parts of your personal life."
"What personal life? I'm just a student."
Kylie's eyes narrow slightly, "I don't think you are just anything."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
She recovers, shifting into a more neutral tone.
"I simply couldn't describe you in a singular way and I wouldn't limit yourself in terms of your potential."
"I want to do this."
"Want to do what?" Garron says, striding into the room.
"Model for VMG."
"The Vectra group?" He whistles. "That's the big time."
"Oh, don't tell me you are actually advocating for this."
Garron shrugs, "There are worse things she could do."
"Thank you."
"Don't get all smug just yet. Your parents still need to approve."
"I can handle them," Dahlia mumbles.
"What?"
"Nothing," she says. "We'll just let them decide for themselves."
Dahlia excuses herself from the room to consider things further. Kylie turns to Garron.
"Seriously?"
"Karen did it."
"Karen's dead."
Garron makes a face, "Modeling didn't kill her."
"How do you know?"
"I'm guessing the force of the implosion aboard the Centerpoint had very little to do with her outfit. No designer is that good."
Kylie sighs, checking the evening schedule.
"Semantics. I'm glad you think this is a joke, one Lord and Lady will not find the least bit humorous."
"It's only been a few months since her Winton identify was confirmed. Typically, any property, assets or accounts would thereby transfer into Dahlia's name. Karen Winton had a substantial amount of wealth she amassed outside her parent's fortune."
"There are still assets and cash floating out there in the Winton name after all this time?"
"Some, yes. I am still investigating. The title alone yields some assets from Naboo and a few holdings on Salis D'aar. Anything from Coruscant was wiped away after the explosion. The Bolerathon Tower on Hesperidium is solely owned by Lady Masterton but within it lays the Winton penthouse which, I assume, would become Dahlia's as well. The trickier aspects that remain concern any assets out of Byss."
Kylie gasps, "Byss? That is not a place we want her going."
"That's not a place any of us want to go. I'm still in the discovery process since she is an heir previously unnamed in any documentation. As far as the governments were concerned, the Winton's were no more. I have a call out to Kaytt Corinthos to help me sort this out."
"She's a defense lawyer."
Garron smirks, "She handled herself pretty well in trusts and estates when she still practiced in the Sector right out of law school."
"Lucky for you then."
"You don't like her? I'm shocked. You are usually so keen on people outside your sphere."
Kylie groans.
"I'm not fond of the Corinthos family in general. The Sector elite always have an agenda."
"As opposed to us who have been helping raise three of The Four."
"They aren't The Four."
Garron stares at her incredulously.
"They are now."
-TBC
-
"Thinking what you're gonna say
Cause everything's a game
Always trying to calculate
Trying to look smart but not too smart
To threaten anything they say"
-Banks "Brain"
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
It was easier than she thought it would be.
Celeste returns home after a particularly draining day to find Dahlia waiting in the sitting room. She explains what Miss Wu proposed but before Celeste could even begin to object or speculate, Dahlia had pushed her own will upon her. The push was seamless and light, taking away the protests and questions. Celeste visibly relaxes and smiles, telling Dahlia she would support her so long as she kept her grades up and promised to pursue a degree at a university in the Sector or otherwise. Dahlia contacts Escara Wu and asks to send over the paperwork for Celeste to review. The agency is most thrilled to have a Winton on their roster and Dahlia is keen on garnering the kind of attention that would grant privilege and access.
As the school year at Valor Prep draws to a close, Gemma is featured in the show choir spring sing which highlights the year's best performances. She takes center stage throughout most and audiences pack the seats to listen in amazement. She is approached by a junior marketing agent from Galaxiss Records because one of their recording artists is interested in Gemma laying down the chorus to an upcoming single. They had been searching for someone with a powerful voice that still held an emotional frailty and several people had heard Gemma sing as the Valor Prep show choir had come through Etti IV. It is an opportunity she is excited about pursuing but would consult with Master Nevylinn first.
With Rutherford still in the capital working on the Imperial project, Dane almost forgets he is slated to do an internship at ChemiX over the summer. Most of the boys do so in preparation for their rightful places as the heads of industry. Roman's parents are giving him the rundown of Palace Arms before taking him back to Naporar to ensure he is versed in the Chiss ways. This saddens Preston who will be joining his father at Cybot Galactica for the summer internship program. The same goes for Ples Aguilar on the Direx Board and Kier Kincaid with an intensive Chin-Bret program to make him the top choice of one of the key athletics universities. Tobias Harkan could care less and gears up for a busy summer of slanging the finest product in the Sector.
Alka Dawning has been asked to attend a very exclusive invitational at the Olivette Dance Company where a lasting impression may lead to acceptance. She is the exception to the general female rule. Most girls in the Sector spend their summers shopping and lunching and preparing themselves to be debuted to Sector society when they turn seventeen. Alka has her sights set a little higher than that and wishes to make a name for herself outside of what her father does on the Direx Board.
Trichelle Corinthos, on the other hand, is looking forward to the long and lazy summer days. Demaris should feel excited about it but she worries more about Muriel who has suffered greatly from the absence of her mother. She decides to be pillar of support, seeing that Dahlia will be increasingly busy with her modeling and Trichelle is too self-absorbed to have a lasting interest in anything. Ples had wondered aloud if this group is good for them and maybe he's right but there is a part of her that cares too deeply to simply walk away. They had forged their own path at Valor Prep and for the most part the student body stays out of their way. She can never tell if they stare at them in envy or fear but the autonomy from the typical social norms is kind of nice.
What she doesn't know is that fifteen years ago, the students of North Coruscant High looked at The Four and their friends the exact same way.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The Galaxiss Records studio is as posh as they come. Gemma Masterton is escorted by two Gellar security agents after having lunch with her father. She is nervous but very excited. The production assistants are very accommodating given Gemma's age and provided assurances that she would be well looked after throughout the recording process. The artist, an incredibly successful R&B superstar named Sur-Maaj, rises from an oversized club chair when Gemma enters. He is a large, hulking figure spectacularly dressed in black with shiny silver sunglasses.
"Miss Masterton," he says with a huge smile. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
She grins, star struck.
"You too. I love your music."
"Thank you. I must say I'm a fan as well. My niece attended one of your show choir concerts here in the capital last year. She enjoyed it so much they traveled to D'ian to see the showcase at your school and sent me a copy of the performance. I was very impressed with your range and the power of your vocals. I told my producer we must have you on this next track."
"I'm so flattered," Gemma says.
"I'm not the only one who thinks so. My producers would like a word with you once we've wrapped. But we can worry about that later. How about we head into the studio for some warm up's?"
She nods and follows him in with the agents posted by the door.
The producers are no fool's. They know exactly who she is and what the Masterton name means. To have someone so talented from such a high profile family in their midst is what the industry insiders call pure currency.
Gemma sings harmony to Sur-Maaj through the intro then the entire chorus. It is repeated between each of the four verses and twice consecutively at the end. Sur-Maaj is known for writing all his own material that is both clever yet socially conscious which is why Gemma had been so thrilled to be asked to participate in the process. The kids at Valor Prep all listen to his music and he is one of the biggest stars throughout the Sector and beyond. This means her voice will have a wide audience. After they have what they need, Sur-Maaj and Gemma do some free styling just for fun. They laugh and joke until the producers enter the studio to let Sur-Maaj know he is needed elsewhere for a promotional event. He thanks her again and wishes her the best. As Gemma is gathering her things, the producer stops her.
"That was wonderful, Gemma. Really great. Now, let's talk about your future."
*
Across the city in the Gellar Corporate Tower, Dane drops off a set of files to the marketing department before heading back down to the records room. The internships are an integral part of a Sector boys life as they get to know the in's and out's of the coroporate process. Even though he is the son of Rutherford Gellar, Dane is treated the same as any intern. They are given mostly grunt work the first summer or so and then work their way up to more exclusive tasks as they near the end of high school so that when they head off the university they have a working knowledge of the world they will eventually dive into. Internships during summer breaks at university involve working closely with the executives, directors and CEO's. It's kind of a breeding ground to find the best talent and can often escalate into vicious competitions. It is where dreams are crushed as they step over one another in a race to the top.
Dane is looking forward to it and knows he could outshine most of his classmates who are mostly dull copies of their parents. He has the kind of charm that bends the wills of lesser mortals. The ladies in the office love when he comes around and he makes sure to play it up. He has taken the cues from Dahlia to heart and embraced his role.
With another set of files to deliver, Dane heads up to the executive floor where his father's office is. He exits the lifts, winks at the secretary behind the curved desk and drops off the files at the end of the hall. Back in the lift, he is joined by another gentleman wearing a suit. The man glances down at him once then again.
"Say, you're Dane Gellar, aren’t you?"
"Last time I checked."
"Nice," he man says. "A hardass, definitely a Gellar. I just came from a meeting with your father. Great guy."
"I know."
"Are you interning here this summer?"
"Most guys my age do the intern thing around Mondder. Something about a rite of passage."
"Having fun so far?"
"Fun might be pushing it but the experience is great."
The man smirks as the lift hits the lobby level and the doors hiss open.
"Well, good luck. You have a bright future. Maybe I'll see you around."
"I don't even know your name."
He turns.
"I'm Vex Sienna."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Hats off to the ChemiX team.
The control experiment is a success which Irulan Reeves notes in the confidential files. Labeled as ICS (Imperial Control Serum), codenamed Ibellum, the compound utilizes ChemiX's patented nanotechnology to neutralize fear and exercise control over the subject. Traditional medication only dulls certain senses and lowers inhibitions but they are a far cry from eliminating the natural responses to peril or threats of harm or death.
Rumors of Imperial experimentation with implants had widely uncertain results.
Rutherford Gellar had read the stories of Kent Carlson detailing his experience where the Jedi Melanie Masterton saved his life on Tatooine from a vibro-blade wielding psychopath who had been sent to assassinate him. This would-be assassin turned out to a student who was kidnapped and presumed dead on Coruscant years prior. The exchange between the Jedi and the student, Tenley Price, revealed that Alexia Winton had abducted her and turned her over to the Empire where she was brainwashed and used as a weapon. Price admitted to murdering The Four's first Chief of Secutiry, Nikoli Venko and her involvement in several attempts made on their lives. Whatever they did to her, it was not fool-proof as she acted outside the protocols when faced with Melanie, a girl attached to a past the Empire tried to erase. Implants and behavior modification programs only go so far but the mind is a powerful thing.
Only nanotechnology is able to essentially override those natural responses to keep the subject calm and in control while conducting their assignment. Free of the constraints which make them human, they are able to carrying out tasks in highly dangerous situations even at great risk to their personal safety. This is what Vex Sienna ordered for the Empire and they are willing to pay a phenomenal sum in order to acquire it. The ironic twist is that Tenley Price was romantically involved with Vex Sienna in high school and he wonders if his orders conflict with his personal feelings on her ultimate fate.
Vex Sienna may be smooth but Rutherford has always questioned his motives when it comes to his family. Despite Kylie's claims that Vex had not really be a part of the lives of Valerie and her friends, his proximity in the past and present assignment in the Sector raise many red flags in his mind. Did the Empire choose him because of these associations or are they testing his limits to see how deep his loyalty goes? From what he has read, The Four had a knack for causing seemingly loyal members of certain factions to lose focus and sympathize with their circumstances, often at the expense of their own lives. Vex had survived the Centerpoint Battle and the regime change under Emperor Schrag's leadership. Schrag had been a Grand Admiral under the former Emperor Dementat and saw little value in the sentimentality of The Four and their dazzling array of melodrama. When Rutherford had been a guest aboard Schrag's command ship, he felt the Emperor was feeling him out, testing his mettle against the fact that he was essentially a prisoner. He had to choose his words carefully in order to be returned to his family and in doing so; he owed the Emperor a debt for saving him after the attack on The Wheel. He could have just as easily let him die, claiming he was unaware Gellar was even on the station. Schrag is smarter than that. Why let him perish if he could profit in some way?
Ibellum is not just ethically questionable, it's beyond the realm of medical science and its true purpose to protect and heal. But Rutherford knows better than to cross a lucrative client, especially one who has reason to suspect his children may one day pose a threat. Delivering a valuable product will even the score and gives him space to protect his family from it ever being used against them. Every good serum has an anti-serum, one that will neutralize its effects and render the nanotech harmless while flushing it out of the subject's system. The anti-serum, codenamed Corvais, was developed along-side Ibellum and left out of the official production progress reports submitted to Vex Sienna. Irulan Reeves is the only other person aside from Rutherford Gellar that knows it even exists. Irulan developed it herself outside the knowledge of the laboratory staff which created Ibellum as a contingency against any potential Imperial leverage. The subject was injected with Corvais after completing the Ibellum testing with optimal results. It is stored with its counterpart in a secure and undisclosed lab within the Gellar Corporate Tower.
When the day is finally done, Rutherford meets his son in the lobby and takes him to dinner. He had secured reservations at one the newest and most buzzed about restaurants in the capital, Work & Class. They are seated immediately and Rutherford orders a cocktail. Dane stares around the dining room at the other executives chattering about the next hostile takeover.
"Are you enjoying yourself so far? I hear you have made quite the impression."
"I guess," he says evenly. "I wish there were more interesting things to do than run errands for middle-management."
The hints of teenage edge and angst creep into his expression.
"In due time, son. You have to put in the work to be rewarded."
"I plan on it."
"Good to know. I want you to be well versed in all aspects of what we do if you are to take over for me one day."
He nods, "Play the game."
"It's not a game. Not in a traditional sense anyway."
"Isn't it though? You move the pieces around to make certain things happen which brings in cash to invest back into other pieces to move. Its mostly strategy with good public relations to spin what you don't want people to really know."
Rutherford finishes his drink and smiles, signaling for another.
"Something like that. How are you getting on with the associates? Met anyone interesting?"
Dane shrugs, spinning ice around in his glass with the straw.
"I met the Imperial the other day."
Rutherford tenses.
"What Imperial?"
"Sienna or whatever. He said you guys had a meeting."
"We did. What else did he say?"
"That you are a good guy and he would see me around."
"I don't want you talking to him."
"Why? He's a client and clients must be kept happy."
"That's…exactly what I say most of the time but this is different."
"How?"
"Because the Empire is dangerous."
Dane stares at him quizzically.
"The Empire doesn't have beef with the Gellar's."
"That's not the point."
"They have beef with the Winton's, Masterton's and Patten's."
Rutherford inhales, trying to gauge his direction but this is thwarted by the waiter. They order and sit in silence for a few moments before he decides to pursue the topic.
"What makes you say that?"
"It's true," Dane says a little too casually. "Karen Winton was nearly Empress of the Empire. Melanie Masterton was a Jedi protecting Kimber Patten who was hunted across most of the galaxy as a fugitive who betrayed them. That's some legit beef. People get crazy, hold grudges."
"How do you know all this?"
"You send me to the most expensive school in the Sector, dad. I can read."
"I wasn't aware you had looked into it."
"Yeah, right before we were taken."
It's the first time he's mentioned it since he returned. Celeste had warned him that each would process the trauma in their own way, some more open about it than others. Gemma had been the most informative, telling them that Riley had kept them company while they waited for Rutherford and the Jedi to find them. Dahlia had been tortured so that was clearly off-limits for discussion unless it was on her terms and she was secretive enough as it is. Dane became harder, prone to outbursts and talking back until a conversation with Dahlia set him straight. He hopes his son would feel comfortable enough to open up to him.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"I dunno, not really. We just sat in a cell. Well, I sat while Gemma and that Riley kid went on and on about stuff. Like, we get it, your mom was hot. He's super annoying but Gemma likes him."
"She does?"
"Oh yeah. Big time."
"Well, she's allowed to have a crush. Kind of like the one you have on Alka Dawning."
"Do not!"
His cheeks are flushed and he looks away.
Rutherford grins.
"Fair enough. Even if the Empire doesn't take issue with us, there are the others to consider. That's the bigger picture here. Sienna is a client and a valuable one at that but he's loyal to people who act on threats against them, real or imagined."
Dane grows more serious.
"You think…they would try to hurt them?"
"I would hope not," Rutherford says, keeping his voice more hushed. "But like you said, they took issue with their families and that kind of anger dies slowly. Your mother and I have spent our lives trying to protect you and your sisters."
"Sister."
"Cruelty has its place but not here. She may not be your blood but she is family. You have always known her as such."
"True," Dane says, leveling his gaze. "But anyone who knew her sister is dead so what does that tell you?"
Rutherford raises a glass.
"Tread lightly."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Viiperi Lake
Nevylinn's time in the Corporate Sector had been mostly uneventful. Her best days were in training Gemma, but Gemma had her other obligations - familial and social - and had not been around for some time. Even Nevylinn's work representing the REpublic and the jedi had been fairly minimal, and her tasks had been mostly keeping an eye on the young Gellar-Mastertons.
She was meditating when she felt the ripple through the force, channeled by the republic defeat in Bastion Deep Space.
Though it worried her then, it was the after effects that really concerned her. News of protests and rumors of legislative sanctions coming out of Chandaar. Nevylinn was watching the news coverage of a particularly heated protest outside the senate building when her comm link chimed.
"Gemma?"
"Nevylinn - I was wondering if I could spend the weekend with you. To practice, hone my skills"
Nevylinn smiled at the child's words, feeling the young jedi's concern for her well being.
"I'm fine, Gemma. the jedi have suffered worse public relations disasters than this one. Besides, I cannot have you coming over here with Dahlia around the house. It would arouse too much suspicion"
"you have nothing to worry about - Dahlia's gone to Chandaar on some sort of modeling gig"
Nevylinn's smile disappeared and she sat upright.
"What did you say?"
"I said Dahlia went to Chandaar"
"When, Gemma - when did she go?"
"Yesterday morning."
"Gemma, why didn't you contact me sooner?"
"I don't ... I don't understand. What's wrong"
"The timing, Gemma. It's the timing. Do you remember what happened the last time your sister was on Chadaar"
The trial. the testimony. the acquittal. And the Force User Registration Act.
"Do you think she's going to try and do something ... you think Dahlia is going to push for anti-jedi laws?"
"I don't know. But I know her going to Chandaar now is bad. I have to contact the rest of the jedi"
"Wait! will I be able to see you soon?"
"I hope so, Gemma. I'll contact you soon."
The comm went dead.
TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Lady Celeste Masterton sifts through files in her office, preparing for client sessions later in the day. Her mind drifts back to Dahlia and a series of events that seem to be repeating. There are variations from the past to the present but a pattern has been established. Dahlia's words had stung. Celeste has not been there for Melanie all those years ago. She had left her on Coruscant because she believed they were destined for greatness. And greatness comes at a price. That is what Alexander Winton had maintained. That is what she and the other parents chose to believe until it was much too late.
In this time of reflection, Celeste realizes they should not have been so quick to dismiss Lilandra Patten's claims as the ravings of a madwoman. She was, after all, the first to see the writing on the wall. All those things she, Henrick, Monica, and Kyri had been blind to see. Lilandra had tried to warn them, tried to tell them that Winton was evil and the things their children were really meant for were going to be paid with the blood of millions. She knew the truth and they locked her away for it. They kept her medicated so she could barely function let alone focus her accusations. Lilandra became trapped in her own mind as events moved ever closer to the dreadful truth. Celeste saw it with just enough time to escape but, like Rutherford, lost everything that mattered to her.
Things are much different now. Dahlia may know who she really is but that doesn't take away the years of nurturing and care she and Rutherford had given to all three of their children. She allows herself certain allusions because she knows she cannot control everything. There is no place safe enough to protect them all from who they are. And a part of her is okay with that. The other part, the part of her that is a mother, cannot help but cling to a hope they have armed them with the skills so that they can protect themselves. It is a luxury denied Melanie and her friends.
The com on her desk bleeps loudly, jarring her out of her thoughts. She shutters, collects herself and opens the line.
"Masterton."
"Cel, good, you're home."
"Rutherford, darling. Is everything okay?"
"Have you seen the news reports this morning?"
She takes a sip of coffee.
"Not yet. I've been buried in client files. Why?"
"Turn it on. Channel 7 out of Etti IV."
Celeste's fingers dance across the desk console which powers up the screen in the corner of the room. As the picture comes into focus, her blue eyes widen. Pictures of Dahlia, Dane and Gemma are featured in boxes with their last names beneath in bold lettering. There is a forth box of the Ambassador's nephew with the name Patten below it. The headline reads:
The New Four - Patten child discovered alive.
*
Gemma quite likes having the house to herself. She had breakfast on the terrace with Kylie Miranda before taking a long bath. Even though Nevylinn said she was okay, Gemma is still concerned. The Jedi are being set-up. She just knows they are but cannot say how or why. It's something she feels. The wrongness, the injustice of it all affects her very deeply. Her heart breaks for them, for Nevylinn her Master, and for the people who are being unfairly targeted on Chandaar. People don't deserve to be treated that way.
There is also the question of Dahlia's motives.
Gemma is sickened by waves of dread if her sister really is conspiring against them all. She doesn't want to believe it but there it is.
"Not every path is clear."
Gemma turns to find Melanie standing in the open balcony doorway. She wanders toward her.
"Is Dahlia evil?"
"Difficult to say," Melanie says. "Everyone has the potential for both inside them. Even those with the best intentions often achieve their goals through questionable means."
"She's a Winton."
"A Winton with Masterton values and the Gellar attitude. You forget she was not manipulated the way her sisters were."
"No," Gemma says. "But she was tortured by that Sith woman who held us captive. No one knows what she did to her or what was said. She could have manipulated her worse than her real parents may have."
Melanie shrugs, glancing out into the sunlight.
"That is true. The Queen was compassionate but jaded and weak. And we all know Alexander was a twisted and malevolent sadist who exploited a prophecy for her own personal gain. Not exactly the best role models but neither were really around during our formative years. You, Dane and Dahlia have loving and supportive parents. Even when Rutherford was away for business, Celeste was always by your sides. It is the starkest of contrasts yet the unknown variable here is the Sith woman. We don't know what was said; only that Dahlia was tortured and was forced to murder her captor to escape. She has taken a life. That does something to a person."
"Nevylinn thinks she's going to Chandaar to cause more trouble for the Jedi."
Melanie turns.
"She may but it is the larger picture you must focus on. The implications down the line. For her. For you. For anyone who would be protected by the Jedi. Dahlia now has a legitimate way in and out of the Republic, a cover for her presence."
"She's following Karen's path."
"With the career, perhaps but Karen wasn't evil. Not really. Not in the ways we think of in terms of life or death. Karen was spoiled and selfish and she wanted fame and fortune but not at the expense of others. She was actually nobler than she let on when it came to us. It became more complex as we got older and circumstances changed. The lines blurred into so many shades of gray. It didn't matter how much white we tried to add back in, it was always gray. It had been tainted with darkness much more powerful than we ever thought…."
Melanie trails off, sighing.
"The danger lies in similarities to Alexia. It was she who was possessed by the dark side of the Force, a concept Karen constantly lived in fear of repeating and with good reason. Alexia wanted everything that Karen had and was willing to risk anything and everyone in order to get it. That kind of malicious drive knows no bounds. There are no limits to the treachery, deceit and chaos of someone consumed by the dark side. That is the risk Dahlia now faces, a duality within her much deeper than simply right or wrong, black and white, good and evil. That is the threat you have to monitor. I believed Karen was too far gone to save. I was wrong. She had been saved."
Gemma frowns, "By whom?"
"The woman known to you as Mara Tacofer, Riley's protector."
"Her?"
She nods.
"But she's so…mean."
Melanie smiles.
"Her journey has been long as she, like the others, is part of the prophecy. We all fill different roles, my dear sister. It is a game that moves as you play. Someone told me that once and it is something that should always be kept in mind."
The door of her room hisses open and Celeste rushes in. Gemma whirls around.
"Mother?"
"Gem, darling. I didn't know if you heard."
"Heard what?"
"It's about that boy, Riley. They know he's a Patten. They know he's Kimber's son."
"Who knows?"
Celeste kneels in front of her, touching the side of her face.
"Everyone."
"Oh no…" Gemma whispers as Celeste pulls her into an embrace. They hold each other tightly as Gemma looks over her shoulder. Melanie is gone but her words echo clearly in her mind.
A game that moves as you play.
-TBC
-
"My words can come out as a pistol
I'm no good at aiming
But I can aim it at you."
-Banks
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Trichelle Corinthos and Demaris Atrii arrive at the Monroe Estate to find heavily armed guards posted at the door. They are allowed access to the mansion only after their names are verified off a list. Muriel is in her room, sitting on her bed staring through the windows out over the pool. Trichelle moves down the hall into the kitchen to get them something to drink and taps on the house sound system along the way. 102.7 The End, a local hits station out of Etti IV, cuts through the silence.
Demaris slides on the bed, "Those guards are pretty serious."
"Yeah," Muriel says softly. "Mom came home. Then she left again. I told her what happened and instead of staying to deal with it, she hired a private security firm because she doesn't want me to be alone."
"Muriel…that's terrible. I'm so sorry."
"She doesn't care. I'm just an inconvenience."
"You are not. Not to us. Is there anything we can do?"
Trichelle appears in the doorway with bottles of artisan water.
"You are looking at this entirely the wrong way. With her gone you can do whatever you want."
Demaris gasps, "What if what she wants is her mother around?"
"Get real," Trichelle says flippantly. "Are any of our parents around? I mean, really? We're just means to carry on their legacy."
"You say that like you don't live for that stuff."
"I may take a sick pleasure in the performance."
Muriel turns, "Doesn't that get exhausting?"
"Only if you let it. Look, I'm not saying our parents aren't flawed. In fact, they are totally fucked up. Do you really want to spend your days dwelling on something that is never going to change? I sure as hell don't. Why feel bad about it when we can use it to our advantage? It's just a different perspective, Mur."
A song ends and the DJ introduces the next.
"The brand new single off his upcoming album, Sur Maaj featuring Gem with Castle Walls."
The girls squeal and Trichelle lunges at the controls to turn it up. They knew it would be good but it is something else entirely. The song is amazing. Fluid, well-crafted and very catchy. Gemma's vocals compliment Sur Maaj's style nicely and she lets loose with a verse of her own near the end. As soon as it finishes, Trichelle retrieves the Com-Pad from her purse. It is a new and expensive hybrid of the comlink and datapad popular among the business elite and tech savvy teenagers. She launches the social media app Interface and posts about the song to her considerable followers. She also texts Dahlia to let her know the song has dropped.
"With a little help from our friends, the song will be anthem of the summer."
Demaris smiles, "That's awfully generous of you."
"Well, she's going to need an entourage when she's a famous singer. Might as well help with the ascension to reap the rewards later."
"Right."
The door chimes sound, temporarily muting the music.
"That must be Alka and Gemma."
They walk back through the house and into the foyer. Alka, Gemma and Tobias are on the doorstep. One of the guards addresses Muriel.
"Miss Dawning and Miss Masterton are welcome but Mister Harkan is not permitted on the premises."
Muriel and Tobias exchange a longing glance.
Demaris takes Muriel, Alka and Gemma back into the house but Trichelle steps outside, yanking Tobias down the steps by the arm.
"You have a lot of nerve coming here."
"She's my girlfriend, Trich. I'm allowed to see her."
"There's been a revision in the script," Trichelle says icily. "You aren't in it."
"Why's that?"
She keeps her voice low as they move further from the house.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because she almost died from all those pills you gave her."
Tobias sneers, "I didn't make her take the whole bottle."
"No, but she wouldn't have had the bottle to take if you didn't give it to her. Her life is mess right now, Tobi. She doesn't need you making it worse."
"I'm making it worse? Yeah right. You are practically a harbinger of the apocalypse."
"Says the junkie low-life who gets his kicks by hooking his so-called girlfriend on painkillers."
"Better than a social vampire whore who feels powerful by manipulating the underclassmen. You think Gemma or Alka are going to put up with your shit forever?"
"I'll have graduated by then and they will have their own underclassmen minions to do their bidding."
"The cycle of violence continues."
"I do what I can."
"Ever the public servant. Since when do you care so much about Muriel?"
"Since her best friend was kidnapped and she was left at your mercy. You are the last person who should be seeing someone through a crisis."
Tobias laughs.
"Dahlia has been back for months and from what I hear, she's off in the Republic selling out."
"It's called making a name for yourself, something you should really look into since peddling crack to kids isn't exactly a viable career option."
"That's what you think."
Trichelle scoffs and turns on her heels.
"Grow up, Tobias. And stay away from Muriel."
He watches her storm past the guards and back into the house. She's such a fake bitch and he can't understand why Muriel or the others would even buy into her act. Trichelle has only ever cared when it benefits her in some way. She was intent on ousting Dahlia until the prospect of her fame made the Winton royal seem that much more attractive. Trichelle is really no different than Tobias. Popularity is her drug of choice and where the pills he sells may corrupt the mind, her insatiable lust for recognition will swallow her soul. She may think she's got it all figured out but that kind of obsession leaves a lot of loopholes. In the land of the blind, Corinthos is queen. Let her continue the delusion. Trichelle has her weapons, Tobias has his.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
The fall brings everyone back together again.
The young men's summer internships ended last week and they venture back from Etti IV armed with a new perspective that should help shape their lives. Expectations have been set and, going forward, these will be increased with each summer that passes until they reach university. The object is to refine their social skills and forge powerful alliances while in prep school that will benefit them later on down the line. The young ladies have spent the summer honing their powers of persuasion and social graces. This will make them more attractive partners to be paired with a suitor that will benefit their respective families.
The Gellar Estate is prepared to be a full house again with Kylie Miranda organizing a small army of droids to meticulously arrange and decorate the sprawling mansion for the new season. She had spent the summer shuffling young ladies to and from certain events and assisting Lady Masterton with support in the home office. There have been two calls from Vex Sienna which she has left unreturned despite the pangs in her heart for his company. She resists the urge to reach out to him and often daydreams of what their life could be together were his loyalties not tied so directly to the Empire.
Dane Gellar is happy to return home, having found the stuffy banter between associates at ChemiX almost too much to bear. He knew he had to start at the bottom and work his way up through the internship program. He just figured he would meet at least a few interesting people. Instead, he found himself charming the pants off administrative assistants and keeping quiet while entry level geeks discussed scientific breakthroughs that went way beyond his scope of knowledge. Dane may not be well versed in science but he does have a natural inclination toward business. He would study up throughout the year so he could understand a bit more of what happens next summer.
Gemma has had a whirlwind of a summer. The release of the single has generated a considerable amount of buzz around her future plans. The song itself is at the top of the charts and played several times a day on the Sector music channels. She even surprised an audience in Etti IV with an appearance with Sur-Maaj two weeks ago which captured many a headline. On the weekends, she would head out to Viiperi Lake and train with Nevylinn, careful to avoid the families who summer in the surrounding villa's. She would commune with Melanie who brings her clarity and peace as Gemma is on the precipice of fame. Melanie warns this will be attractive and aims to seduce, to blind people to the realities that surround them and to be mindful. She is to use this cover to maneuver in places she would otherwise be forbidden. Given the climate in the Republic against the Jedi, they would shun her if they knew of her gifts but they would embrace her as a celebrity. There will come a time, Melanie had told her and Nevylinn, that the Republic will need them. Nevylinn is a known Jedi and would be targeted. Gemma swears to keep her Master safe, offering sanctuary here in the Sector until the dispute could be resolved. Nevylinn may be wary of Gemma's burgeoning career as a singer but realizes this is a necessary evil and aims to keep her path clear and skill sharp. They practice and meditate and the Jedi Master is impressed with how far Gemma has come.
Lady Masterton is anxious to have all her children under one roof again. She has missed them terribly this summer. Rutherford may be on Etti IV but his business has always been part of the deal. She could handle him being away for periods of time working on a project. She is not used to the children being separated and away. They are her foundation and she longs for the days when they would never want to leave her side. Such is the yearning of a mother but eventually the mother must let go. She knows they will grow and make their own choices but Celeste will always worry. She loves them very deeply and smothers them with affection when Dane and Gemma come home. She has received word that Dahlia is on her way back which is wonderful considering they start school the following Monday. What she did not expect is a call from Lady Corinthos who found out from Trichelle that Dahlia told her Garron had been apprehended by the Republic authorities and would not be returning with them.
Alarmed, Celeste calls Rutherford.
*
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Rutherford Gellar meets with Vex Sienna in his executive office atop the Gellar Corporate Tower. The anticipation of a large sale to the Empire had sent ChemiX stocks soaring to new levels and left the Direx Board whispering and wondering. Rutherford offers the Imperial a drink on the rocks which they cheers to this new business venture. The shipment of nano-agent Ibellum is loaded onto a secure and heavily armed Imperial shuttle for transport back to Byss. An incredibly large wire transfer of credits has been deposited in the ChemiX corporate account.
Vex sets the glass down on the wet bar and extends a hand.
"Great work, Gellar. The Emperor is very pleased. It was a pleasure doing business with you."
Rutherford nods, shaking his hand.
"The pleasure was mine. My best regards to the Emperor."
Vex Sienna departs the office briskly, leaving Rutherford to contemplate the weight of his actions. He had essentially just created a mind-controlling substance and sold it to the Empire for obvious nefarious purposes. Such is the push and pull of business. Ethics, much like morals within the Corporate Sector, are merely recommended guidelines. His company was doing better than ever and his family was safe and happy. This is all he could ever want. He brings his own glass to his lips to finish off the last of the drink, knowing that deep within the executive labs lays Corvais, the only known antivirus for Ibellum.
With the Empire, it is best to always have a contingency plan.
His com bleeps and derails his thoughts.
Celeste excitedly relays the information of Garron's detainment on Chandaar but is at a loss for details or follow up. He tells her not to worry, that he would take care of it. He makes sure Dahlia is safe and she tells him that their adoptive daughter is en route back to the Sector now which calms him considerably. Garron is a trusted friend and associate who could handle himself but with the news pouring out of the Republic as of late, Rutherford is not about to take any chances. He wants his friend home with them.
He clicks off with Celeste and places a call to the offices of Kaytt Corinthos.
-TBC
-
"And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive."
-Duran Duran
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
Dahlia returns safely with Georgie by her side, somewhat shaken and disturbed by her latest dream. She performs appropriately for her audience. Lady Masterton is thrilled to have all three of her children home and ushers them inside for a family dinner. Lord Gellar surprises them and Kylie sets another place at the table. The only one missing is Garron and the lack of his presence is like a ghost that hangs over the table as they attempt to enjoy the moment.
The leaves in the sparse, rolling forests between the estates are beginning to turn gold and orange and they slide into a new season. Appointments are made for hair, nails and facials. No one wants to start a new semester looking tired. On Saturday, Dane partakes in a mud wrap as Gemma's nails are painted white and Dahlia's hair is tinted a dark crimson and trimmed into shimmering layers that cascade off her shoulders. Sunday, there is a picnic and subsequent water fight before Kylie rounds them up to check items off a list and arranges their uniforms for the morning. She bids them goodnight and retires to her own quarters, ready for the new year to begin and all the excitement it may bring.
Rutherford and Celeste are waiting downstairs as the kids file in and eat breakfast. Kylie speeds things up and wrangles book bags to the hoverlimo idling in the drive. Celeste kisses each child goodbye and makes a big show of sending them off. She hasn't done so in years but something feels different now as if nothing should be taken for granted. A full time security detail has been issued for the children at all times. Heavily armed speeders accompany the sleek hoverlimo as it heads to the east side of Concordia and rides through the large gates of Valor Prep.
They step out into a whole new world.
Rumors of their exploits throughout the summer have the entire student body staring and whispering. Dane feels the knot of jealousy toward his sisters but surpresses it as he slaps hands with Roman. Gemma hugs Alka and Preston intensely. Dahlia keeps her sunglasses on and smiles as Trichelle, Muriel, Kier, Ples, and Demaris welcome her back.
Tobias watches from within the shadows of the trees as the group turns and slowly walks across a deep green field toward the main hall. A dark smile spreads across his lips as he knows they could never get rid of him that easily.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The group of girls whisper and giggle as she passes. Two other boys point and stare, nodding and laughing. Demaris Atrii grips the strap of her messenger bag and presses onward. The seemingly continuous breaking news out of the Republic now focuses on a disgruntled Counselor and her older brother. The phrase "crazed Jedi" has been thrown around more than once. Everything is speculation since the RSB has been unwilling to release photage involved in the investigation. The rumor mill is busy, running on the fumes of an alleged altercation between Donovan Atrii and the armed agents escorting Counselor Circe Prescott. Demaris knows her brother isn't a violent individual. He had been a pacifist even when he was one of the Sector's most eligible bachelors. The Jedi had given him a focus he lacked here and she is very proud of him. Their parents are another story entirely as they attempted to conceal his admittance into the Jedi Order as some kind of existential sojourn and tell inquiring friends that he is currently traveling the galaxy exploring his options.
The news coverage shatters those lies and she would certainly hear about how this is besmirching the family name.
Donovan's face is shown side-by-side with that of Circe Prescott as the Holo commentators drone on about the dangers of Force ability and how some believe the Counselor is some kind of mind-controlled mouthpiece.
The students at Valor Prep are some of the cruelest and use any shred of information to tear down others. This gives them ample ammunition. She is called names and insulted throughout the day and she has reached a breaking point. Tears well up in her eyes and she runs from the hall, past the Chin-Bret field, and breaks down.
Ples Aguilar waves his teammates off and runs after her. He finds her leaning against a row of trees behind the main student hall.
"Demaris?"
She wipes her eyes and turns.
"Hey, Ples."
"You okay?"
She shakes her head and sighs, "Not at all."
"Anything I can do?"
"Change my identity?"
"Why would you want to do that?"
"It would be easier if I was just…nobody. The guilt by association around here is killing me. I feel like everyone sits around waiting for something to gossip about and right now it's my brother."
Ples scratches his head, "I thought they didn't know what happened."
"They don't. At least, they aren't saying. That doesn't stop everyone from running away with rumors about how scandalous and crazy the Jedi are. If something happens to him…I don't know what I would do."
"Hey, hey," he says, moving closer to her. "Don't talk that way. He's going to be okay."
"You don't know that. No one does. They are saying there was a blaster-fight in the streets. The RSB is looking for him. It's a total mess."
She leans forward and he wraps his arms around her. She cries into his chest and it feels good to let it out. Ples holds her tightly until Trichelle appears with Kier and Dahlia.
"What the hell happened?"
Demaris pulls back, "Nothing…just, you know, people."
"Did they say something to you?"
"Yeah…"
"About what?" Kier says, confused.
"Don't you watch the Holo? Duh, the Republic is, like, super cray right now. Her brother is wanted for questioning."
"Right," Dahlia says, hiding a smile. "The whole Counselor Prescott thing."
"Yeah, she's in major trouble too."
Dahlia's little black heart is filled with glee. The pesky Counselor is treading into some dangerous water. That's where being self-righteous gets you: nowhere.
Trichelle turns back to Demaris.
"Who? Who said these things to you?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does," Trichelle says. "The only ones allowed to socially terrorize people are us."
Demaris mumbles off several names.
Trichella looks to Dahlia.
"We'll take care of it."
"They won't bother you again."
"See?" Ples says, touching her arm. "Everything is going to be fine."
Demaris nods, a smile creeping onto her lips.
"Thanks guys."
*
Later, Dahlia drops by the Monroe Estate. The place is locked down pretty tight with security. Thankfully, she is on the approved visitor list and is allowed inside. She finds Muriel doing homework in her room.
"Hey girl," she says. "Thought you could use a study break."
"Always."
She falls onto her bed and leans on her hands.
"The agents outside are pretty hot. New unit?"
"New company," Muriel says, swiveling the chair around. "My mother doesn't want me being alone. Some might think that would mean spending more time at home but no, in her world that means hiring more bodies to fill the space. After my accident, she is very concerned."
Dahlia doesn't have the heart to correct her. An accident is something that wasn't supposed to happen almost did. In Muriel's case, she knew exactly what she was doing and that scares the shit out of her.
"Right, well, you know how parents are."
"Parents pay attention. My mother just throws money at the problem."
"How are you doing? I mean, really."
Muriel shrugs.
"I'm okay, I guess. I have to see a therapist but everyone is hesitant to prescribe me anything. They say I'm depressed."
"Are you?"
"No more than anyone in my situation."
"What about Tobias?"
"He's not allowed here. Not that I had much say in the matter. Everyone blames him for what happened but it wasn't his fault."
"He did give you the pills," Dahlia says.
"But he didn't make me take them."
"No, I suppose not yet he isn't what we would call a good influence."
"I thought you liked him."
"He's not a bad guy, per se but is he right for you? I'm not sure. His motives are questionable at best and he's acting like a real creeper at school."
"That's because Trichelle has made it her mission to ostracize him from the group."
"She's just worried about you, Mur. We all are."
"I'm fine, Dahlia. Or at least I will be."
Dahlia slides off the bed and kneels beside her, holding her hand.
"That's all we want. If you get those feelings again I want you to tell me. I'm here for you."
"You have your own life," Muriel says. "The modeling, all the new friends in the Republic. I get it."
"No, you don't. New friends and new circumstances can't replace what we have. You are my best friend. Always have been, always will be. I don't want you thinking you are alone in this. You aren't alone."
Muriel's blue eyes shimmer.
"I know. Do you want something to drink? We need a beverage before diving into some celebrity gossip."
Dahlia laughs, "Deal."
Muriel disappears into the hall and Dahlia stands. She wanders by the patio doors and gazes out over the pool. Flashes of the evening she found Muriel floating in it give her major pause. She shutters, trying to shake it off. All the morbid dreams she's been having seem to amplify the feelings surrounding Muriel's well-being. She knows from her lessons with Adubell that these attachments are liabilities but there is something about Muriel she simply cannot give up. There is caring and worry. Muriel represents all that is innocent and good in these worlds and although Dahlia's darker motives aim to dismantle them, she does not want her friend to suffer for it.
The dreams she has are of Karen's friends dying horrible deaths. She knows she will be forever connected to her sister's legacy but struggles to decipher why she sees the things she sees. What does it mean? Are the dreams strictly for posterity or is there a deeper significance?
They say people who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. Dahlia has gleaned more insight than both her sister's combined. Does that means she's free to create a new future or is there horrific elements from the past that those who share a connection to them can never escape?
She runs a finger along the glass door in the shape of a circle.
"Vicious cycles."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Bombshell on the Holo. Like, literally.
The explosion on Chandaar dominates the news cycles. They are still trying to make sense of things but some estimate the death toll is well over a hundred. Scores more are wounded and may die from their injuries. Two of those who perished in the blast are the focal point of the story: Circe Prescott and Donovan Atrii. The phoage is played over and over and over again. Most of it is pulled from hand-held devices of the attendees, none of which were close enough to really capture anything of major detail. Anyone too close was incinerated. Multiple angles are shown from various submissions, all ending the same tragic way.
Boom.
Naturally, the group swarms to the Atrii Estate and past the hoard of media camped at the gates hoping for a comment.
Trichelle slips out of Demaris' bedroom to find Ples pacing in the corridor.
"How is she?"
"The entire galaxy watched her brother explode on live Holo. How do you think she's doing?"
He shakes his head, not sure what to say.
She sighs.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. Demaris is emotionally destroyed and what's worse, her parents fled to their vacation house to escape the media frenzy. Who leaves their daughter after losing a son?"
"The Atrii's," Ples says. "That's who."
Dahlia and Muriel appear at the top of the stairs with a tray of food.
"Will she eat?"
"I asked but she said she wasn't hungry."
"She needs to eat something," Muriel says.
Dahlia nods.
"We'll just leave it for her so she has something when she feels up to it."
Kier is leaning against the far wall, "It's not like we can force her."
"Of course not but we don't want her to waste away."
"I'll bring it," Ples says, taking the tray from Dahlia. "I want to see her."
Trichelle opens the door for him then closes it behind him.
"Demaris?"
She is curled up on her bed, knees up against her chin.
"He's gone."
"I know," he says softly, placing the tray on the nightstand. "I'm so sorry, Dem. The whole crew is here for you. We brought food. You have to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Just a few bites."
She sniffles, pulling herself upright with what seems like all her strength. Her eyes are bloodshot with makeup smeared down her cheeks in the rivers of tears. Ples offers her a plate with a lightly grilled sandwich on it. She takes a tentative bite, glancing up at him. He smiles.
"You know I'm here if you want to talk about it."
"What's to say? My worst fears have been realized and my parents are cowards."
The defining statement hangs in the air sharply, laced with anger.
"They are grieving too. Some people don't know how to deal."
"We aren't just some people, Ples. Aguilar, Atrii, Gellar, Corinthos…we're, like, some kind of illusion. A mirage. Everything we do is scrutinized and studied. The media was perfectly happy to write my brother off so long as he stayed silent beneath that Senate chamber. Once the Jedi were forced out, it became a huge deal all over again. Reporters calling all the time, wanting to know what we thought of "the situation." Like we could somehow weigh in and have it matter."
"It does matter."
Demaris pushes back her disheveled hair.
"My parents hoped…no prayed…Donovan was just off on some party binge. They couldn't deal with what they viewed as an existential sojourn. Their words, not mine. They never understood the peace the Jedi Order brought him or how he could trade his life of privilege for one of solitude and reflection. But I supported him. Being a Jedi made him happy. He had finally found something to put things in perspective for him. And now he's gone…"
Tears spill down again.
Ples moves forward, "its okay, you can let it out."
He is suddenly frozen in place as her sobs grow louder. His body tightens, pressure forcing him back.
"Wha…what's happening?"
Ples is thrown back to crash against the doors and crumple to the floor as she screams. The furniture shutters and rattles, lifting off the floor. On the other side of the door, Trichelle turns around.
"What was that?"
Dahlia raps lightly, "Demaris? Ples? Is everything alright?"
The rumbling grows deeper.
"Try the door," Kier says.
Trichelle taps the controls but nothing happens.
"It's not working."
Muriel backs away, hands clasped together.
"Something is wrong."
Kier bangs on the door, "Demaris! Ples! This isn't funny. Open the door."
There is a drop in pressure followed by a pulse that sends everyone to the floor where they lay unconscious. Outside, the media lined up by the gates feel their ears pop then gasp as their cam equipment shatters and sparks.
*
At the Gellar Estate, Celeste Masterton pauses from her patient notes and places a hand against her chest. Gemma drops to her knees in her bedroom, overcome with the agony of grief.
*
Out at the Viperii Lake House where Nevylinn is in a deep meditation, she opens her eyes.
-TBC
-
Hyperspace
Janessa Kain watches the blue-white swirl through the viewport as she transmits a message to Rutherford Gellar updating him on the situation and their anticipated arrival. She does not go into too much detail since she is at a loss for them herself. Nothing makes much sense right now anyway. Janessa pulls the med-kit from a wall compartment and heads into the back. Garron is slumped against the wall, bruised and bleeding. She lays the kit on the floor and rummages through to find gauze, cleaning pads and bandages. She fetches some warm water and begins to wipe the blood from his face. He groans and hisses as she cleans and disinfects his wounds.
"I guess the RSB won't be inviting you to their annual holiday party."
He groans again.
"It was a joke, Gar. You're a mess."
"Mara is gone," he murmurs. "Circe is gone. They are all…gone."
Janessa sighs, "I heard. I'm sorry."
"This was my fault…"
"The ass beating? Sure. Attacking the authorities almost guarantees it. But the CEC Vice President and your sister? No, that's not on you. Try as you might, you cannot protect everyone."
"I should have."
"How? They were grown women, Garron. They made choices, choices that had nothing to do with you. You may be pretty hot but you aren't the center of every woman's world."
He grabs her wrist, staring intensely into her face.
"Pretty hot?"
"Get over yourself," she says, yanking free to dab antiseptic over a particularly nasty cut on his head. "You need time to rest and heal."
"Did you see Kaytt?"
"No, why? Drakos' men dragged you onto my shuttle and left."
"We were in her office…talking…I was going to go on record…go to the press."
"With what?"
"The RSB accused me of conspiracy in an anti-Republic movement. They claimed Circe was a Separatist who was being used by the Jedi to undermine the Republic when in reality; Speaker Apteen wanted them all out of the way. His actions and laws have set the stage for a complete collapse. Civil wars have begun for less."
"Apteen has grown callous but why would he tank his own government? That seems somewhat counterproductive for someone in a position of power."
"Not if you were promised even more power once the dust settles."
Janessa frowns, "A takeover?"
"More like an implosion. You told me the Jedi may not have really led those offensives against the Empire."
"People talk, Garron. You know how it goes; the Republic Senate, Direx Board, it's all the same. Gossip is rampant. Some speculated the information they received before heading into battle may have been compromised. There were whispers they had been purposefully sent in to fail, a public display of their negligence that would further prove them a danger to the public."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Janessa laughs.
"These are rumors with no conclusive proof. Plus, I'm a murderer. No one would believe me anyway."
"I believe you."
"That's touching, really. But now you are just as much a pariah as I am. No doubt the RSB will use this incident to obliterate your credibility too."
Garron winces.
"Corinthos has her people on it. The truth will come out."
"Apteen is no fool and his reach is wider than it probably should be. If she's digging around, she's in danger too."
"He cannot get away with this."
His face crumbles and falls into his hands. His life has become fragments that are falling apart. The jaunt into the Republic with Dahlia had spiraled into a bloody disaster that left him exiled and his sister dead. Rage and revenge flare within him without a way to avenge what has been done. Things had accelerated over the last two years. Whatever plan had been put into motion is now in full swing. He grinds his teeth, on the verge of screaming but he instead focuses on Janessa's face. The downward spiral does something to a person, makes them claw and cling to those they probably should not. Garron grabs her roughly, pressing his lips against hers. She resists. At first. But she struggles with her own wavering self-control and a vulnerable man is that much more irresistible.
He stands, hoisting her up as they stagger across the galley. He rips her shirt open and she gasps, pulling off his belt. His mouth is on her breasts as he undoes the clasp of her skirt and slides it slowly down her smooth legs. He steps out of his pants and tosses his shirt aside. The dark desire is so palpable they can almost hear the hum. Her legs are curled around his waist as he slams against the far wall, thrusting and grunting as she moans and arches her back.
The wrong always feels so right.
Later, she watches him sleep in the pale light of the stateroom. His bare chest rises and falls, marked by the baton's the RSB used to beat him. She has broken her rule of sleeping with the same man twice but in this moment they needed one another. At least that is what she tells herself. His grief has clouded his judgment and all those convictions come crumbling down. These are the kinds of experiences she lives for as men more powerful than Garron forsake their wives, children and career in order to indulge in her carnal pleasures. This encounter doesn't hold the same charge. This was fueled by rage and desperation, something she can relate to.
Since her acquittal she has been regarded as the murderess liaison, someone with who most exercise extreme caution. Her frustration at the public for not being able to separate what she did from what was done to her mirrors his inability to exact justice on his sister's killer. Intercourse, in its own right, has therapeutic qualities. Janessa slips from beneath the covers and pads naked out of the room. He needs to rest and she needs to think.
She falls into the command chair and crosses her legs, running a hand over her chest and neck.
Soon they would be in the Sector where there would be more questions than answers.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Glittering lights come into focus along the tops of towers beyond what appears to be a rooftop. Service equipment for the building is housed in various enclosures, giving the multi-level area a maze-like feel. A teenage boy bursts through the stairwell door in panic.
"Karen? Karen!"
He runs along a narrow path then ascends a small set of stairs to the next level which opens up into a larger area. A girl stands across the roof near the edge, back turned with a coat that covers most of her neck but the crimson hair is unmistakable. He seems relieved and approaches.
"Karen, thank the Maker. I was so worried. I got your message-"
She turns around but the girl is not who he seeks. He halts, eyes widening with the realization that he has walked into a trap.
"You."
"That's right, Skyler. It's me. I don't think we've had a chance to be formally introduced, what with the cruel politics of high school and all. I'm Alexia Winton. The other sister."
"What are you doing here? Where's Karen?"
"I must commend your bravery," Alexia says, stepping closer to him. "Coming all the way to the top of 500 Republica to save your beloved."
"It was you…you sent the message."
"Right again. Karen received a similar missive from a cloned version of your com-channel. No doubt she's on her way right now to try and save you. Too bad it she won't get the chance."
Skyler balls his hands into fists. He is tall but slender, not really what one would call a formidable opponent. Especially for her. She begins to circle him with a devious smile on her face.
"You know, I never really could understand what Karen saw in you. You are very pretty for a boy but not exactly the physical specimen I expected her to be drawn to. I always thought she would fall for the moron hunk but no, her heart belongs to a scrawny geek. People are surprising that way, I guess. Not everything turns out the way you think it should."
"You murdered our friends," he says with a spiteful glare. "Didn't you?"
"Melanie seems to think so. All those crazy thoughts in that pretty blonde head. Visions of monsters coming for you all in the night. Too bad the ISB can't prove it, not that they would move to stop it consider I'm among their ranks. I imagine that comes as little consolation. Try not to dwell. D'Arcy and Billy died instantly. Reef and Lucas, not so much. Which way do you think I’ll go with you?"
He blinks and she extends a hand, gripping his throat through the Force. She lifts him up and brings him closer so that he is hovering right in front of her. He claws at the air as it would make a difference, managing to gasp out.
"I was on your side…I told Karen it couldn't be you doing these terrible things because…because you are family. That…means something."
"Not in this family."
As if on cue, Karen bursts through the same door seconds later, climbing to find them.
"Alexia, no!"
"Well, if it isn't the toast of the town. You mounted your rescue mission in a plaid mini-skirt and wedge heels? Always style over substance. So like you."
Karen glances down, scoffs then shakes her head.
"You're insane! I didn't want to believe it but I knew it was true."
"Believe it, bitch. You had it coming."
"What are you talking about? I haven't seen you in almost two years! The last time you were here, you told me you were going to work for the Empire so I didn't have to. You said we could be who we are. I thought that was so noble of you even though I wished you didn't have to."
"Things change."
"How?"
Alexia loosens her grip on Skyler but keeps him suspended in the air.
"How about the fact that all the things I was promised always belonged to you? All the work I put in, the training I completed, was for nothing. I was never meant to rule the Empire. You are."
"Rule the Empire?" Karen says, disgusted. "Gag me with a shovel!"
"Oh, you may look the part but you aren't that stupid."
"And you aren’t that delusional! Come on, Alex. No one is trying to take anything from you. We don't even want the same things! We never have."
"That's where you're wrong, Kar. You think I wanted to be like this? To suffer the way I have? I wanted to be pretty and popular and adored the way you are. But I could never have that because they said I was different, that I was special. I was supposed to go on and do great things and be rewarded for my sacrifice with an Empire to end all others before it. I was going to be a legend but I'm just a pawn in your twisted little game."
"What game?"
"The one you started when I was shipped off to Carida while your face was plastered across the galaxy. It's you they all want. Your name they shout in the streets. I was just being mollified in the background while you rose to fame. But you know what? I got the message our mother sent. I know it was you who were destined for those great things. Not me. So I came back here to take it all away from you, piece by piece, starting with those you hold most dear."
Karen and Skyler's eyes meet, a knowing glance between lovers.
Alexia flicks her wrist and Skyler's body jerks like a ragdoll, disappearing up and over the edge. He vanishes in an instant, his scream fading as Karen's intensifies. She falls to her knees sobbing. Alexia walks casually over to her, staring down with pure hatred.
"Now you suffer too."
*
Dahlia hears her name faintly as she comes to. She opens her eyes, finding herself on the floor with Trichelle and Kier standing over her. Muriel is holding her head behind them looking dazed.
"What happened?"
"We don't know," Trichelle says. "We woke up on the floor too."
Kier helps Dahlia up, steadying her.
"You okay?"
"I feel woozy."
"Yeah, me too."
Her head is fuzzy as she tries to remember what led to their current situation. They are at the Atrii mansion to support Demaris. They brought her food. Then everything is dark, uncertain. She shutters, moving to the door. Inside, Ples is pulling himself up on the side of the bed.
"Are you alright?"
"I must have tripped…or something."
Demaris is curled up on her bed sleeping soundly. The tray of food they brought is sitting on the nightstand. A few bites have been eaten from the sandwich. Something seems off but Dahlia cannot place it. She scans the room. Nothing appears different on first glance so she shakes it off, still reeling from the vision she had seen. It was so real she could almost feel the breeze atop that tower on her skin.
"You tripped?" Kier jokes, play punching him in the arm. "Way to go."
"It was an accident, dude. What's your story?"
"I dunno. We passed out."
"At the same time?"
Trichelle shrugs.
"Seems like it. Maybe we're all collectively experiencing the grief of our friend."
They all stare at her.
"What? We're close. Things happen. Science. Or whatever."
Dahlia helps Muriel up.
"Okay, sure, Trich. The point is, Demaris is resting which is good. Let's leave her be for now and check on her in a bit."
She nods, "Right. We should probably study."
"For what?"
"History test tomorrow."
"Yeah," Muriel says. "It's a big one. The formation of the Corporate Sector Authority."
"Oh man," Kier says. "I totally forgot."
"Then it's a good thing I'm here to remind you."
They laugh and head down the spiral stairs to the living room. Dahlia brings up the rear, watching them descend in a playful state. She has a strange feeling about what had happened but has little to go on. Her visions leave her with a sense of dread as she has essentially just witnessed the murder of her elder sister's elite social circle. Was it a warning? There are similarities in her own clique with one major difference.
There is no Alexia.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian
The shuttle touches down on the landing pad beside the royal cruiser. Lady Celeste Masterton and Doctor Dalton Daaé stand waiting as the ramp descends. Janessa Kain appears with Garron Prescott's arm slung over her shoulder as she helps him down. He is hunched over in pain and staggers. Doctor Daaé rushes to them with the hover-gurney and manages to get Garron flat on his back. Celeste takes Janessa's hands as they follow them into the Gellar Estate.
"I appreciate you bringing him here," Lady Masterton says. "We have been so worried."
"It's my pleasure but the RSB did not give me much of a choice. They demanded I return him to the Sector."
"Things sound so dreadful on Chandaar."
"You have no idea."
Inside, the doctor pushes the gurney into the dining room where Celeste follows. Janessa stands in the foyer while Kylie glares.
"What did you do to him?"
"Dial it down, Miss Miranda. As always your aim is at the wrong person."
"Is it?" Kylie quips. "Forgive me if I don’t consider you the most reliable source."
"Not like I care but you are free to believe what you wish. For what it's worth, I'm on your side."
"There are sides now?"
"Lines have most certainly been drawn or don't you watch the Holo?"
Kylie's lips are pulled into a tight smile.
"Looks like you've done a bang up job in the Republic. Heavy on the "bang.""
Janessa rolls her eyes deeply, groaning.
"I get it, you don't like me. But know this; the tide is shifting in the Republic quicker than I've ever seen it. Fear and outrage trump reason and sensibility. It is not me you should worry about, it's Shale Apteen."
"The Speaker?" Celeste says, joining them. "I thought he was a sympathetic man."
"He used to be. More recently, he's become someone of a fanatic. He sees danger everywhere. More specifically, in the Jedi and their allies. I have never seen the RSB move so swiftly against them. They were blamed for losses against the Empire then evicted from their sanctuary. Anyone with even the slightest inkling of Force sensitivity is shunned or worse. The public has turned on those that once served to protect them. After what happened to Circe and I, they believe anyone who defends them is under their control."
"Maker rest Circe's soul," Celeste says, holding her hands together. "I cannot even imagine what Garron is going through."
"He's destroyed. Emotionally and physically."
"How did this even happen?" Kylie asks with arms crossed.
"From what I understand, he went to Kaytt Corinthos for help. They were working on a defense since the Speaker considered Circe an anti-Republic threat. Rumors of her working under the Jedi's mind control went viral through the Holo without as much as a shred of proof. Given her previous actions, the public believed it at face value. Garron's arrival signified a greater threat to the Speaker since he has ties to the Sector. They labeled him a co-conspirator as soon as he visited her then revoked his travel privileges. Kaytt dispatched her associates to try and get the ridiculous order thrown out but not before the RSB Director came to her office gloating about Circe's demise. Naturally, Garron lost it and he was beaten by the agents. They came to my door and demanded I leave for the Sector immediately and take a passenger with me. That passenger turned out to be Garron. I called as soon as we were in the air…"
"I know," Celeste says. "Rutherford let us know right away. He should be here shortly. We are so grateful for your assistance, Janessa."
She smirks at Kylie.
Kylie frowns.
Doctor Daaé appears around the corner.
"How is he?"
"He has severe bruising, several deep lacerations and three broken ribs. Thankfully, none of these wounds are critical. He'll need care and rest."
"We'll see that he has everything he needs. Kylie, please help the good doctor get Garron settled into his room."
She levels a menacing glance at Janessa then nods and follows doctor Daaé. Celeste ushers Janessa through the living room and into the kitchen. She puts on a kettle and prepares some calming tea.
"You've been through quite an ordeal yourself."
"People tend to remember that you murdered an agent of law enforcement, even if it was under atypical circumstances."
"I imagine that has taken a great toll."
She shrugs, trying to keep it together. Janessa has been fighting for so long to save face in spite of emotional tide. As fierce as she is, trying to reconcile her own actions and the blood on her hands is an immense task. She could say nothing of this to Kaytt or Kinsa as her closest friends had their own agenda's and appearances to keep. She could not be seen as weak. Weakness leads to failure and that is something she could not tolerate. But something here, in the presence of Celeste Masterton, she feels the walls beginning to crumble.
"The Republic is falling apart…." Janessa gasps, tearing up. "As much as I viewed Circe's beliefs as blind idealism…she's right. They have turned down a dangerous path and if she couldn't stop them….what chance do we have?"
"So long as we fight for what is right, good will always prevail in the end. It always does."
"I'm not the most virtuous woman. There is much more than the murder that vilifies me in the eyes of the public."
Celeste smiles.
"I hid the child of Winton and raised her as my own because I was part of a plan that brought about the death of thousands. No one is blameless and all are worthy of redemption."
Janessa laughs through the tears.
"Sometimes I feel I may be the exception."
"You do not have to suffer in silence, Janessa. I can feel the pain radiating off of you. Don't hold it in."
She caves into the emotional gravity and Celeste pulls her into her arms. She holds her as she cries for the past mistakes and the present misfortune. The weight is lifted from her body, one that she had kept hidden as she pressed on. It does not excuse her actions despite the circumstances but it does add a much needed perspective.
There is noise from the foyer, the kids arriving home from school. Janessa steps back, wiping her face. Celeste squeezes her arm as they round the corner.
Gemma is immediately empathetic, "Is everything alright, Miss Kain?"
Janessa nods.
"Yeah, it's just been a long week. I brought Garron back."
"He's okay?" Dane says, suddenly very alert and protective.
"He's hurt but he'll be fine."
"Can we see him?"
"He's up in his room with doctor Daaé and Kylie. I'm sure he'd been happy to see you."
They leave their book bags on the counter and head upstairs, leaving Dahlia staring at Janessa.
"They didn’t hurt you, did they?"
"No, why?"
Dahlia arches a brow, "Just checking."
"I'm home," Rutherford's booming voice echoes from the foyer.
"Darling," Celeste says. "We're in here."
Rutherford kisses Celeste and nods to Janessa.
"We owe you a great deal for bringing Garron home to us. To say the news streaming out of the Republic is alarming is a considerable understatement. We should talk."
"And you will but first, let Janessa get settled. We have a room ready for you upstairs. We'll have dinner then you two can discuss business. Dahlia, will you make sure your brother and sister are ready in an hour? No doubt Kylie will be tending to Garron."
"Of course," Dahlia says, turning to leave the room. She heads upstairs, running her fingers along the smooth banister. At least she knows her orders were heeded. Circe is gone, Garron's inquisitive momentum blunted and Janessa unharmed.
Things are moving along nicely.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Kylie attempts to get Garron to drink some water but he is being stubborn. Their sibling bond and all the many facets of it are brought back into the forefront. They do not have to tell each other they were missed. They just know. Family always does. She knows she will never be able to replace Circe but someone has to look out for him not that he sees it that way.
"I'm fine, Kylie. Really."
"Three broken ribs say differently. I know you hate being taken care of but you're going to have to lower the walls for a while."
"Are you going to be nice to Janessa?"
Kylie laughs, faux offended. "I'm always nice."
"I could hear you in the other room."
"Okay, fine. She's not my favorite person. I don't know what you see in her-"
"I fucked her on the ride over."
Kylie shakes her head.
"Wow. You really have hit bottom."
"She helped me, Kylie. I needed to feel something other than pain."
"And, so, what? You found it in her vagina? Garron, you are better than that. Rise above. Also, you managed to get down with the broken ribs? Brute."
"Just try to be civil, okay? For me?"
"Fine," she says, angling the straw toward his mouth. "Now drink."
He takes a few sips and she sets the glass back on the nightstand.
There is a knock on the door and Rutherford Gellar enters dressed in his dinner jacket and slacks.
"May I come in?"
"Of course, Lord Gellar."
Kylie stands and excuses herself to gather the children for dinner. Rutherford taps the door closed and moves to the side of the bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'll heal."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know," Garron says, glancing away.
"I'm so sorry about Circe. When we heard, you were always in our thoughts. Celeste anguished over what to do. Dahlia told us you had been detained. I called Counselor Corinthos hoping she could get you out."
"She did but it was too late. Too late for Mara Tacofer as well."
"We saw the reports, terrible tragedy. At least Riley is safe."
"A silver lining she would have been proud of."
Rutherford eases down onto the bed.
"Listen, I'm not one to give rousing, emotional speeches. Such things are better left for professionals like Lady Masterton. I do, however, know what you are feeling right now. The pain is so deep that you feel as if it has punctured your soul. You drift and feel lost but that urge for vengeance cannot be ignored. You want to make those responsible pay."
"Wouldn’t you?"
"I did. After I handed Valerie over to Alexander Winton and lost Abra and Blair, I saw a revenge that painted the galaxy red with blood. I wanted nothing more than to make Winton suffer."
"What stopped you?"
Rutherford sighs.
"Truth be told, it was not an easy task but I had trusted people around me like you and Irulan who kept me from going over the edge. Then Celeste came into my life and for the first time I saw light at the end of that very dark tunnel. Karma got Winton and I was able to start over with Celeste, Dahlia and the twins. Let me be that person for you."
Garron's expression hardens, "The Republic must pay."
"And they will but not at the expense of your life. You mean too much to us – to me – to be lost to revenge. I can help you if you will allow it. So will Kaytt. If the Speaker or the RSB had a hand in Circe's death, we will expose them for the murderers they are."
*
Downstairs at dinner, the family and friends gather around the table. Celeste is happy to have everyone home safe and sound. She knows there will be emotional and physical wounds to tend to but she is up for the task. Rutherford nods to her as he takes his place at the head of the table. She places her hand over his.
Dahlia sits next to Janessa and compliments her outfit. She is pleased the liaison was not harmed but knows there is much more horror to come. Dane is surprisingly talkative and tells the table about his day at school. Kier is his athletic mentor and told him he sees great promise in his ability on the field. Gemma is somewhat distant and quiet, tempering her worry about Garron with what to do about Demaris. She had contacted Nevylinn out at the Lake House regarding the tremor in the Force caused by the girl's grief. Although she is forbidden from revealing her own ability to Demaris, she feels something must be done. Nevylinn agrees that an emotionally unstable Demaris places her in danger if others felt what they did.
*
After dinner, Janessa retires with Rutherford to his study where he pours a glass of amber liquor over ice for them both.
"Tell me how bad it is."
"The business side remains lucrative, at least for ChemiX. There is no shortage of demand for your merchandise. Some of the others aren't fairing quite as well which will make my report to the Direx Board more difficult. Not everyone adapts as well to the changing corporate climate but the Sector's reputation remains solid throughout."
"You sound surprised by that."
"I am given the past uncertainty in relationship between Sector and Republic. However, most have made reasonable accommodations to their needs. It is the shifting public climate that concerns me most."
Rutherford leans back in his chair, sipping from the glass.
"Do you honestly believe Speaker Apteen and the RSB were involved in Circe Prescott's death?"
"Yes," she says. "But not in an obvious way. They are too smart to have any direct link to the explosion and have taken to blaming other groups who opposed her ideals. Her reputation was called into question after she returned to Chandaar and sided with the Jedi. Some found it odd given her previous ordeal and assumed she was still under the influence of the Force."
"Could anyone prove she wasn't?"
She crosses her legs and shrugs.
"Proving such a thing is difficult. Even in my own defense, Corinthos was losing the jury on the intangible aspects of the Force. If Dahlia had not intervened to confirm it, Circe and I would have surely been convicted. Personally, I do not believe she was. I don't know much about the Jedi but I do know they are not prone to manipulations in order to prove a point. Their lack of public defense is what got them in this situation in the first place. No one understood what they do and the Speaker capitalized on that uncertainty which turned curiosity into suspicion. It was well played and widely covered in the media. Circe was making a significant dent in Apteen's arguments, especially in light of the Registration Act. People love rallying behind the oppressed. He wanted her silenced but I did not think he would actually kill her."
"Nor did I," Rutherford says grimly. "The current state of the Republic is troublesome and I wonder where this course of action will lead them."
Janessa polishes off her drink.
"Into hell."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
As soon as there is an opportunity, Gemma visits the manor house at Viiperi Lake. Nevylinn meets her in the clearing beyond the woods surrounding the Gellar Estate and guides the skiff back to her sanctuary. These were long and lonely months that Nevylinn kept her distance but watched as the Jedi lost much to the Speaker and his laws. She has her orders and she is not to return to the Republic. If she did, she would only be swept up into the same spectacle and drama. At least in the Corporate Sector, they care more for profit than they do about her presence. She is deeply troubled by the loss of her fellow Jedi and their champion Counselor and grieves for both in private. She focuses on the things in which she can make a positive influence.
Gemma has come such a long way in her training and she is impressed someone so young can harness the Force with that degree of control. The rising songstress and celebrity situation notwithstanding, Nevylinn is very proud. However, this visit is not about training nor is it a time for reflection. Gemma has come for a purpose.
Once inside the manor house, Nevylinn tends to the fire while Gemma stares out over the frozen lake. She knows what troubles the young girl but waits for her to broach the subject first. She does not have to wait long.
"We must do something about Demaris."
Nevylinn glances up from the fire.
"To reveal yourself would put everyone you care for at risk."
"More of a risk than sending an unrestrained shockwave through the Force? Master, she is a danger to herself. She anguishes over the loss of her brother and if we felt that same pain here, there is no telling who else did too."
"You speak of the past."
Gemma crosses her arms.
"I have a good memory. Melanie explained how the Masterton's and Winton's wound up on Coruscant in the first place."
"They were brought to the former capital because Alexander Winton made a deal with the Empire."
"He made the deal after they arrived in order to buy time. The Queen and my mother sent out a pulse during childbirth that was felt by the Emperor. They were summoned because they posed a threat. I do not want that for Demaris."
Nevylinn motions for her to sit. Gemma joins her in front of the fire.
"Your compassion is part of what makes you so special. The Jedi Council has known about Demaris Atrii since she was born just as they knew about you. We intervene when it is prudent to do so but we do not make a practice of running people's lives. When Donovan came to us, he was a broken and lost boy. He chose the path but made us vow never to come for Demaris."
"Donovan is dead," Gemma says. "And Demaris is drowning."
"You are missing the point."
"No, you are not seeing the signs. I do not wish to be rude or defiant, Master but the Jedi is losing considerable ground as you sit silently by while they take it from you. You lost your own Master rescuing me. Circe Prescott died standing up for you. Donovan Atrii perished trying to keep her safe. If you do not move on Demaris' behalf then it is only a matter of time before Dahlia does. Or someone worse."
Nevylinn is stunned by her blunt honesty.
"Clearly you feel strongly about this."
"It's the right thing to do."
"Perhaps but Dahlia may already know."
"She doesn't."
"How can you be sure?"
"I overheard her talking to Muriel. The shockwave knocked them out. They were grasping for an explanation but coming up short. Apparently, Trichelle said that meant they were all connected in some way. From the tone of her voice, I don’t think Dahlia believes that."
Nevylinn considers this.
"Miss Corinthos may have a point."
"I don't understand…"
"I'm not saying what happened was a direct result of their connection but it does mirror the connection shared by Karen Winton and her circle of friends."
"I thought they were brought together because one of them was a spy."
"The younger Stratford boy was corrupted."
"You don't think…"
"No," Nevylinn says. "This group formed on its own."
"They all came together while Dahlia, Dane and I were being held captive. There was a cause to rally around. Our friends needed the protection of Dahlia's friends."
"Be that as it may, we do not believe you were taken as a way to forge a bond between them. They took the four of you but only needed one. There was purpose in that although the bond shared by these individuals may have unintended consequences. The resulting friendships have segregated you all in a way, inspiring a mixture of fear and envy in your peers."
"Divided we fall?"
"Not necessarily but it is something to keep in mind. There are patterns between the four families, symbols and warnings that should not be ignored. You have experienced Melanie's memories. These would not be shared with you unless they served a purpose."
Gemma swallows hard.
"The only purpose should involve not repeating the mistakes of the past. Sacrificing innocents to the greater good did not save The Four in the end. We start with Demaris. I do not have to reveal myself in order to help her. She knows her brother was a Jedi and it would not be out of the question for one of his friends to reach out to her in this time of need. She may reject it but it's your way in."
Nevylinn nods, conceding the point.
Gemma does not stop there.
"Then you have to get off the fence. What good is saving me, Dane or Riley if the Jedi are once again wiped out of the galaxy? You are the protectors of all that is right in the worlds. The Jedi's mission and purpose needs to be front and center not cloaked in shadow. People fear what they do not understand and the Republic has used your intense secrecy against you. I may not be able to go public with who I truly am but that does not mean the others cannot make what they stand for known."
Nevylinn rises, offering Gemma a hand.
"I admire your ardor, young Masterton but idealism must be tempered with the realities we face. Not every plan forward is so clear, especially with enemies on many different fronts. Rushing headlong toward such a singular goal would spell disaster for us all. Remember, Melanie's focus was narrow and her facts distorted. We must consider all angles before we proceed."
"Yes, Master."
"We must get you back before they begin to wonder. Given the condition Mister Prescott returned in, I have no doubt Lady Masterton will want to keep you close."
After Gemma is back safely within the Gellar Estate, Nevylinn flies through the winter foliage with a heavy heart. She knows Gemma is wise beyond her years but she is still young and has much to learn outside her life of privilege. The point remains; the Jedi have made many missteps over the years and lead to their current predicament. It does not lessen the sting to have someone so young correctly identify these flaws so easily. She had made many points, only one of which can be addressed now. Nevylinn changes course and heads toward the Atrii Estate.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Rutherford Gellar returns to the capital with Janessa Kain where the Direx Board convenes for their quarterly review. Vex Sienna takes his seat as ExO Iver Aguilar calls order to the meeting. The murmuring dies down and Janessa stands to address the board members for the Republic. She relays in detail the progress or shortfalls of each of their interests but issues a grave warning that the climate has taken a dark and dramatic turn. This could mean a great many things, most of which are speculative at this point, but preparations for backlash must be made. She advises that each member with financial stake in the Republic lean toward a conservative estimate when forecasting profits over the following quarter.
The Republic unrest has been closely monitored in the Corporate Sector so the tone of this meeting is not entirely unexpected. Some prominent CEO's are displeased with their performance and lash out with questions Janessa is unable to answer. She does not control the markets but does her best to mitigate the changes within them. Failure to adapt to these changes resulted in losses as she had accurately predicted in her last address to the board. Some goods and services found more favorable terms with the CEC and contracts with CSA companies were not renewed. ChemiX and Cybot Galactica have made out the best in the closing quarter as the need for cutting edge pharmaceuticals and service droids has steadily increased. However, Palace Arms and Sector Engineering Corp have lost considerable shares to the CEC where ships and weapons are concerned. The outrage is palpable yet adjusting price to gain an upper hand means decreasing the percentage of profits. That never sits well with members of this board.
Vex Sienna is up next as the Imperial Advisor where the news is much better. He announces the extension and increase of contracts with Palace Arms and ChemiX. While most of the inner workings of the Empire are kept under wraps, he does acknowledge that the climate is stable and growing which draws cheers from the corporate titans.
Prex D'Ken Dawning takes the conversation in the different direction. The Jedi has become a hotly contested subject in the Republic and he seeks the opinion of the board on the matter. Opinions vary but because of where the Sector is in comparison to the rest of the known galaxy, they do not feel the same threat to their way of life as those in the Republic. Dawning does point out that there is a Jedi in the Sector and directly links her with Rutherford Gellar. Given that their children were abducted by a dark Jedi and he had been falsely accused of the crime, Dawning is curious as to the nature of her presence. This forces a response from Gellar.
Rutherford dismisses rumors that the Jedi had been dispatched to spy on their activities. She was sent to oversee Republic affairs but given the recent shift in their relationship it is unclear to them why she remains. Rutherford knows Nevylinn is here as a secondary line of defense for his children but that part of her assignment had not been made public. He sternly reminds the board that since the Jedi has been in the Sector that she has not interfered with their business in any way nor does she intend to.
Dawning ponders if the same mind tricks used on Janessa Kain and the recently-slain Counselor Prescott were not being slowly implemented here. This notion causes a panic and soon the meeting devolves into chaos.
Vex returns to his apartment after Aguilar had finally quelled the outrage and adjourned the meeting. He had to hand it to Dawning for using such a divisive tactic to undermine the order of the meeting and level suspicion at Rutherford Gellar. It is a dangerous time to be a Jedi, Vex thinks. Typically, the Sector cares little for their activities in favor of brutal policies meant to slaughter competition and boost profits. People that rich are already paranoid but this adds another layer of intrigue entirely. No doubt this subject would linger in their minds.
He pours himself a drink and runs a finger over the picture of Kylie Miranda. She had not returned any of his calls. Why should she? He pushed her away. It doesn't matter that it was for her protection. Still, the feelings for her burn more deeply than he thought possible. Kylie represents a life outside of all this, one he wishes he could live freely. But he knows the Empire would not let him go so easily which is why he had stopped entertaining the idea. Even in discussing his wavering loyalties with Kylie, she pointed out one very core truth – a part of him didn't want to leave. Where would he go? What would he do? The other part of him believes it doesn't matter so long as it is with her.
The com beside him bleeps.
"Sienna."
"It's Pallus."
"It's been a while, my scandalous friend. Where's the love?"
"I've been busy. Things are coming together."
"Cryptic as always, I see. What can I do for you?"
There is an uncomfortable pause.
"The Sith advisers felt a disturbance in the Force."
Vex shakes the ice around in his glass.
"Don't they feel things like that all the time?"
"Yes but this was emanating out of the Corporate Sector."
"Oh. Well, there is that Jedi..."
Pallus makes a clicking noise, "The Jedi would not be so careless. They are trained to control their output. This is something…else."
"Like, what?"
"Unclear but something they had not felt before. Very powerful, raw and unrestrained. A new player perhaps."
"A person?"
"They believe so."
Vex stands and walks back to the wet bar, pouring another.
"I fail to see how this is relevant to our business here. The Direx Board was thrilled with our continued support and they are more than ready to accommodate our needs. I trust the Emperor is pleased with serum Gellar whipped up for him."
"Yes, very pleased. Begin trials soon. This is another matter entirely, one that requires discretion and, if necessary, force."
"Sounds ominous. Why are you telling me?"
"Because we need you to follow any leads they might have. If they are able to locate the source, you will bring this individual to Byss."
"What if they decline our invitation?"
"That's where the force part comes in."
Vex nearly chokes on the drink.
"You want me to kidnap a citizen of the Corporate Sector? Surely you realize that may endanger our negotiating position here."
"Not if you don't get caught. We'll be in touch."
The line goes dead and Vex sets the device on the bar. Never a dull moment in the Imperial agenda. First they want an impressive cache of weapons then controlling interest in certain key companies followed by a serum that renders a subject amenable to all sorts of unspeakable horror. Now they want to snatch an unsuspecting citizen who has the misfortune of setting off the alarms with Sith remnants who lurk about with nothing to do. Emperor Schrag has never been fond of their superstitious nonsense but keeps them around for some sinister purpose. Maybe they won't find anything at all. Maybe they are grasping at straws. Vex knocks back the remainder of the drink.
Maybe this is about to get very real.
-TBC
-
"Places, places, get in your places.
Throw on your dress
And put on your doll faces.
Everyone thinks that we're perfect.
Please don't let them look through the curtains."
-Melanie Martinez
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Demaris Atrii stares at herself in the mirror as she tries to figure out what to do with her hair. It is jet black with purple streaks, an expression of her individuality and resistance to the conformity that endures at Valor Prep. She has always been quirky, maybe a even weird but she embraced it. Call it alternative or whatever, Demaris is unique. The daughter of the wealthiest family in the Corporate Sector is no small task. The pressure is immense and she had always floated through unphased by the hype. Now she feels the stares and hears all the whispers. Her parents have abandoned her in the wake of her brother's death and as the media sensationalizes every last aspect of his life, Demaris is left to brave the storm. She thanks the Maker for her friends. They have been her rock but they cannot be there all the time. In these moments of silence and reflection, the shadows creep in.
The Holo feeds are jammed with madness. Protests erupting out of Chandaar have sections of the public storming the courthouses and Senate hall demanding justice. Circe and Donovan's faces have become symbols backlit against torches the outraged citizens grip tightly as they march on the castles. Whoever thought wiping out the Counselor and her Jedi companion would break the movement was dead wrong. The escalating violence is met with RSB forces. Cries of their brutality join the accusations leveled by prominent Holo fixtures like Selene Silvestri. She airs audio recordings of the RSB Director Laird Drakos assaulting Garron Prescott and threatening high-powered attorney, Kaytt Corinthos. This spurred more outrage and draws other into the galactic conversation.
A part of Demaris is glad this has forced the issue to a head. Perhaps change is on the horizon. The other part didn't want her brother to perish for it. She shutters and continues getting ready. There is a party tonight and she is willing to brave the 'that's her' looks in order to spend some time with her friends. She needs to get back out there, to hold her head high and face the world.
She admires the dark and embellished dress she chose and steps out of the bathroom. There is movement on the far side of the room. Demaris gasps.
"Do not be afraid."
The woman is dressed in traditional Jedi robes, young with a soft expression. It is a face she recognizes.
"I know you…"
"Yes, I am Nevylinn, a friend of your brother's."
She nods, feeling more relaxed. She doesn't even ask how she was able to evade the security detail and enter the mansion. Those kinds of things have always fascinated her about them.
"I heard there was a Jedi in the Sector. Why have you come?"
"I came to offer our sympathies on your loss. Donovan was a dear friend. We trained under the same Master and spent many years together working in the Republic."
"Not anymore, it seems. Your reputation has taken a hit."
"Policies have changed recently and we are not looked upon with the respect we once were. That does not mean our mission has also changed. We still maintain to keep the peace and protect the people."
"Even those that mean to harm you?"
"Yes."
"That's big of you," Demaris says, sliding on her bed. "You didn't come here just for condolences, did you?"
"Not entirely. You are an intelligent girl, Miss Atrii so I will not attempt to insult you by concealing my motives. When Donovan first came to us, it was because he needed guidance and direction. We provided a focused outlet for his power and a calming influence for his anxious soul. He was running from who he truly was. The one promise he held us to was that we could not come for you."
"Come for me how?"
Nevylinn folds her hands together.
"The same power that lay in him also lies in you."
She wants to deny it but knows better than that. Somehow, she had always known.
"You…felt me?"
"That's right. You cried out through the Force in anguish and sorrow. That is what brought me to you. I do not wish to dishonor the promise to your brother but such a display may have placed you in danger."
"Danger?"
"Disturbances in the Force can be felt over great distances. Others may have also felt your cry, others who do not have the most honorable intentions. As a Jedi, we have learned to control our feelings where as not to draw unwanted attention. As you have seen from the events on Chandaar, this attention is not always positive. Out of respect for Donovan, I felt it was wisest to warn you and offer assistance if you desire it."
She slips off the bed, suddenly very confused.
"You want me to be a Jedi?"
"Formal training would only be provided at your request. Not all have the same call in life. However, being able to exert some measure of control over your abilities could go a long way in ensuring your protection. Not everyone with Force ability uses it for good."
"You mean, like the people who took Dahlia and her siblings?"
"Yes."
"I thought Dahlia killed that woman, the dark Jedi…"
"The woman was a Sith," Nevylinn says, carefully keeping her emotions in check. Revealing Adubell's connection to her at this point would risk alarming Demaris more than necessary. "And we do not know if there are others like her still out there."
"You think they would come for me too?"
"If they felt they could use you to their advantage. The Sith live to turn others who once believed in the good of the Force. They will deceive and manipulate anyone they can in order to further their own selfish goals. Where the Jedi serves the people, the Sith only serve themselves. I would be betraying your brother's honor if I let that happen."
Demaris places a hand on her chest and tries to keep the tears back.
"I'm so angry…so sad…I don't know what to do. I supported Donovan all the way even if our parents pretended it wasn't happening. I loved him so much and now he's gone. What do I do with that?"
"You are strong. I have felt it. You can use those feelings to help others but you must be careful of who you reveal them to."
Demaris' eyes meet Nevylinn's.
"I don't want to die."
"Then let me help you."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Alka Dawning furiously finishes a digital poster for the holiday formal. It is the third of seven she must complete before the week begins. Beyond the window, snow falls steadily and silently. The warmth of seasons past seems so far away. Her internship at the Olivette Dance Company the previous summer had secured her place as one of the elite. The instructors marveled at the raw talent in someone so young and sought to hone her skills. Since returning to Valor Prep, the semester slipped by between studies, rehearsals and a seemingly endless list of duties assigned by her social master. The silver lining is that her status within the exclusive academy is positively stratospheric in comparison with her peers. She had also won protection for her friends. The kids that matriculate at Valor Prep are some of the most ruthless. They are bred that way. Thankfully, not all of them are so jaded.
Preston rounds the corner and enters her room.
"Gem is on her way up. She's getting snacks."
"We have droids for that," Alka says, arranging letters on the screen. The posters must maintain the theme but appeal to the crowd in the area in which they were to be displayed. The whole thing is maddening.
"Are you almost finished?"
"Never."
"I don't get it," Preston says. "Why do you do everything Trichelle asks of you? You aren't her slave."
She pauses and turns to face him. He is so innocent, absently browsing through her music collection. He doesn't know how dangerous it is for him to be who he is. Boys are supposed to be molded into callous venture capitalists by the time they leave VP. They don't spend their afternoons gossiping with girls and swooning over a particularly blue-hued member of their class. Sure, he has ambition but it's more artistic than aristocratic. He's never really been concerned with the high society even though he doesn't have a choice. Alka knows he is special and she would do anything to preserve it from being spoiled by the unforgiving masses.
Last year, Trichelle Corinthos threatened to out him unless Alka did her bidding. The tasks were menial at first but became more involved and time consuming. They also came with a degree of proximity denied most outside their circle. She had unfettered access to the inner workings of Valor Prep's reigning Queen. Alka knows Trichelle has major parental issues, hates her older sister Kaytt, never picked up a skirt she didn't look good in, keeps boyfriend Kier on a tight leash, distrusts Tobias to the point of shunning him, worries about Muriel and Demaris, and is more than just a little concerned with Dahlia's meteoric rise.
Two years ago, Dahlia Gellar could not care less about this stuff. She was just another pretty girl who happened to possess the kind of nonchalant magnetism most teens would kill for. After a kidnapping, torture and one hell of a plot reveal, she's suddenly the most buzzed about thing in the Sector. What a difference a name change makes. Sub Winton for Gellar and the Holo works itself into a tizzy. Not like Gellar wasn't enough on its own. Their legacy is also sordid and riveting but not like that of the Winton's. The VMG contact takes things to another level as the first of Dahlia's couture campaign drops. There is a billboard two kilometers high in the center of Mondder with her flawless face, crimson hair, and glimmering emerald eyes gazing out over the city. Trichelle may be hot stuff around Valor Prep but she's not a galactic obsession. That's gotta be a tough pill to swallow which is why she clings so tightly to things she can control all while shining Dahlia on. The support is somewhat genuine albeit laced with insecurity and fear.
Alka keeps these juicy tidbits for herself, waiting patiently until Trichelle crosses a line. She would find the great equalizer, one that would neutralize Preston's orientation and allow them the freedom to step out of their shadows.
It's only a matter of time.
"Necessary evil," Alka replies. "We need her. For now."
Gemma appears holding a tray of meticulously arranged snacks which she sets down on the desk.
"Who do we need?"
Preston glances over the offerings.
"Trichelle, apparently."
"What does she have you doing now?"
"Posters for the holiday formal."
"Alka…"
"Don't judge. It's for a good cause."
"No judgment," Gemma says, sitting next to Preston. "Can we please talk about something else?"
Preston shrugs.
"The holiday formal is all anyone can talk about."
"Surely there must be something else."
Alka turns.
"What's the deal with your dad and Jedi?"
Gemma has been trained well and barely registers the question.
"What do you mean?"
Alka swivels in the chair, "I overhead my dad talking about it. He sounded convinced Rutherford was in cahoots with some Jedi lady."
"That Jedi lady helped rescue us and brought us back to the Sector. He's grateful. There isn't anything sinister about that. Besides, she knew Melanie."
Preston picks off the tray.
"That's kind of creepy. Have you, like, hung out with her?"
"She checks in now and again."
"What's she like?"
"She's nice," Gemma says. "Why?"
"I dunno. My dad is all up in arms over it, calling other Direx Board members trying to convince them of this threat in their midst. His words, not mine. He thinks they are bad news."
"Bad news how?"
"Like, they are going to wipe our minds and make us do crazy things."
"Do you know how insane that sounds? The Jedi are peaceful. Only the Sith do stuff like that."
"How do you know?"
"We learned about it. Your father should read up. Being uninformed is how that whole mess in the Republic got started."
Gemma hates lying to her friends but she would rather lie and keep them safe. Not even her mother knows the full extent of her powers. Only Kylie does. That mistake could cost her, entrusting the help with such a secret. While Nevylinn watches over them and the ever present threat against their families, Gemma must keep watch over those she cares for while treading lightly around Dahlia. She must also balance school and a burgeoning music career. That's a full plate for a thirteen year old. Perhaps there would come a day where she could be honest about who she is, a time when no one wears a mask. For now she would continue to hide in plain sight - the girl with the stellar grades, blonde curls and a golden voice.
Alka frowns, "Aw, I thought you knew something scandalous."
"Sorry to disappoint."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Gellar Estate
As Garron lies in bed, he replays the last conversation he had with Circe before she left the Sector.
"If this is what you feel you have to do, I support you. That doesn't mean I won't worry. Just because you no longer play the role whoever did this wanted you to play doesn't mean you aren't still a target."
Circe turned to him, "I'll be careful."
He shutters. It seems like so long ago and the promise feels so empty, hollow. True, he had worried about her but not enough to follow her into the fray. They both had jobs to do and his was here. The children were safe, for the most part, and the idyllic bubble they exist in has been restored. But secrets abound. Lord Gellar makes deals with the Empire as part of his release. Lady Masterton believes certain things about her children that make it easier to accept everything that has happened. Gemma is a fully trained Jedi and Kylie is covering for her. Dane is just as surly as ever and Dahlia is an abyss of teenage angst and drama.
It is all so trite and typical.
Meanwhile, he is no closer to uncovering his sister's murderer. He had been in contact with Kaytt Corinthos who, in turn, conspired with Holo personality Selene Silvestri to shed light on the shady practices of the RSB leadership. Unfortunately, this revelation was lost among a sea of other complaints and cries of foul play. RSB brutality is a hot topic on the Holo with protests involving citizens marching with hands together as a symbol of being detained for little or no cause. This has led some sections of the public to question the motives behind the Force User Registration Act. Circe and Donovan's death had turned a quest into a crusade with the public now speculating the laws were designed as a precursor to oppressing the people's rights.
In some aspects, Circe's vision had been realized. The people woke up from their fears and have given Speaker Apteen cause for alarm. Yet this has put the Republic in far greater danger. The crumbling stability and infighting leaves ample opportunity to strike and with the government so consumed with keeping its head above water, they would be less likely to coordinate an organized defense.
The Jedi have not reappeared to calm the unrest either. In fact, with the exception of Nevylinn, no one knows where they went. He is wary of her ideals but understands and appreciates her presence for the sake of the children. He also knows she would not go out on a limb to investigate Circe's death further and he is forbidden from charging back into the Republic to get answers for himself. Circe told him she believed Speaker Apteen was under the influence of a Force User although she had no proof. If it wasn't for Dahlia's testimony, Kaytt would not have had proof to free Circe and Janessa. Perhaps he would ask Dahlia if she overheard anything about this but wonders if it drudging up her capture would do more harm than good. They aren't on the best terms these days. Mental coercion is difficult to prove as the intangible elements of the Force tend to clash with the rules of discovery and admissibility. Given the darker turn the Speaker had taken and the events that have followed, Garron is inclined to believe her. If Apteen has been corrupted through no fault of his own, it was done with a purpose. The Republic has grown so large; it's become convoluted and ineffective. It has a certain familiar signature to it. He taps the intercom and moments later Kylie appears.
"You rang?"
"I need a favor."
She crosses the room, "Of course."
"I need you to pay Vex Sienna a visit to find out if the Empire is purposefully destabilizing the Republic in order to make a move."
Kylie's mouth drops open.
"I can't do that…."
"You will if you don't want me to tell Lord Gellar and Lady Masterton that you hid from them Gemma's status as a Jedi."
"You wouldn't dare."
Garron's eyes narrow.
"Try me. Circe is already dead and the Republic grows ever closer to a Civil War. You would risk innocent lives to avoid having a conversation with a man you still love?"
"You son of a bitch," Kylie mutters. "Just what do you expect him to tell me? All the Empire's secret plans? Don't be ridiculous! He's an Imperial agent, Garron and despite his feelings for me he is loyal to them first and foremost. That's the problem."
"So you are still in love with him?"
"Irrelevant."
"I beg to differ. Love is a powerful emotion, one you can use to your advantage. Do you want Kaytt or Janessa to get caught in the crossfire?"
"Well, not Kaytt…"
"Kylie!"
"What? I'm no good at this spy stuff!"
"You are a beautiful woman who has the heart of a powerful man. That will get you further than you might think. I need to know, Kylie. I need to know if Circe was murdered as part of an Imperial plot to overthrow the Republic. Circe believed the Speaker was compromised the same way she and Janessa were. If that is true then this can be undone before more people die. The spell can be broken."
"This isn't a fairy tale, Garron."
"Yet you believe in happy endings."
Kylie sighs. He knows her too well.
Garron smiles.
"Sienna has connections. All you need to do is convince him to use them."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
The Gellar mansion has been transformed into a winter wonderland. As the snow continues to fall outside, the interior is decorated and set to accommodate the guests arriving for the New Year celebration. Lord Gellar and Lady Masterton are dressed to the nine's and greet them as they enter the grand foyer. Garron is more mobile despite his injuries and takes to overseeing the serving droids as cocktails are served.
Upstairs, Kylie helps Gemma slip into white, elbow length gloves. She wears a pale blue dress with her blond curls piled high. Kylie fastens a thin, glittering necklace and smiles at her in the mirror.
"You look marvelous, Lady Gemma. The guests will fawn over you all evening."
"Forgive me if that doesn't sound appealing."
"You will have to get used to this kind of attention if you pursue the contract with Galaxiss Records. You saw how the public responded when you appeared with Sur Maaj at his concert. They love you."
"They love my voice," Gemma says. "There is a difference."
"And how does Nevylinn feel about your inevitable rise to stardom? Surely this clashes with the humble Jedi lifestyle."
Even though Gemma is wary that Kylie knows her secret, it is a relief to have someone to discuss it with. Once an au pair to the children when they were young, she has become more of a lady's maid and administrator of the estate. She ensures its smooth operation with Garron conferring on security.
"Honestly, she's not thrilled. It does have a certain appeal even if it is in the public eye. The most important thing is the access it grants. The recording contract will allow me to travel where assistance is needed."
"How can you fight for justice if you are performing on stage?"
"The stage is merely the cover for my presence."
"I still believe you should include your mother. She deserves to know."
Gemma stands as Kylie ensures she is perfectly presentable.
"There may come a day when that's possible but for now, this is the way Nevylinn thinks it should be."
"What do you think?"
"I think we should not keep our guests waiting."
*
Dahlia dabs on lipstick as Dane hammers away at a controller to a racing game on the projector. He had allowed Kylie to get him into his dinner jacket then escaped to Dahlia's room. Dahlia had sent Kylie to help Gemma after she zipped up the back of her beaded Viu Viu gown, one of the several outfits she got to keep after Republic Fashion Week. She opts for a simple elegance at the request of Lady Masterton. After her appearance was deemed "severe" at the last event, Celeste kindly reminded Dahlia that one must dress according to the company present. She hates these rituals and rules but knows she must abide to maintain the appearance of the typical teenage daughter. She turns away from the vanity.
"We've have to go."
"One more race."
"Dane, this is serious. You know how important these things are to our mother."
He makes a face, "It's stupid."
"And mandatory."
"You like doing this stuff," Dane protests. "Getting all dressed up and showing off is so pointless."
"It's not. We're all being groomed as potential mates. Good for the family, good for the company; you know how it goes."
"You don't think that's kind of…sick?"
Dahlia smirks.
"Oh, it's totally sick but its tradition so suck it up. If you want to inherit ChemiX and the board's approval, you need to perform accordingly. Besides, Alka is here."
"So?" he says a little too defensively.
"So, you like her and despite my personal feelings on your taste in girls she comes from a respectable and wealthy family."
"Please, like the Dawning's would ever let her go out with a Gellar. Her dad hates our dad."
Dahlia sighs like he should know better.
"Then your courtship would stick it to him while following all the rules. This is just a game, Dane and you have to play in order to win. You like playing games."
"I'm not good at those kinds of games."
"I am," Dahlia says. "Let me help you navigate through this superficial and tawdry world we live in."
Dane rolls his eyes up, "Whatever."
She straightens out his jacket and adjusts the black bow tie he swears is strangling him. They meet Kylie and Gemma out in the corridor near the top of the stairs. They head down collectively.
Kylie descends the stairs behind the children, catching Garron's eye as he stands near the dining room door. She is debating how she would go about granting his request. It's more like blackmail, really. To hold Gemma's secret over her head is unspeakably cruel of him. Still, she is unsure if she could pull off such a deception against Vex. He always told her the most admirable thing about her was her inability to lie. Her efforts to obtain information out of him in the past had been disastrous. He saw right through her as he would if she suddenly appeared on his doorstop after months of ignoring him.
She pauses outside the door as Garron announces the children.
They enter a room full of power players from throughout the Sector. Everyone turns to greet the Gellar-Masterton-Winton brood. Three of The New Four in their very midst causes quite the stir. There are murmurs as dinner is announced and they head into the dining room.
Placement at the massive table is crucial. Since Lady Masterton is the hostess, all take their cues from her. They sit after she sits and the direction of the conversation is as she sees fit. She raises a small toast before the meal begins and each speaks to the person on their left first.
Dane leans toward Dahlia.
"I'm going to stab out my eyes with the salad fork."
She smiles and whispers.
"I think the melon scoop in the kitchen would be more effective."
"Too obvious. The fork would be a showstopper."
"Think of the mess," Dahlia says. "You would ruin the tablecloth and quite possibly my outfit. I'm not dressed to handle blood splatter."
"But it would go so well with your hair."
"I know."
The table now turns to the person on the right.
Dahlia tilts her head but maintains a smile.
"I love that dress, Gem."
"Thank you. Yours is gorgeous."
"Of course it is," Dahlia says. "How goes the music business?"
"I've been writing a lot, trying out some new songs with the help of the band at school. I think some could be promising."
"You should put out an LP. Something to whet their appetites between the Sur Maaj single and your album. The honchos at the studio will back you completely if it means building early publicity."
"You think so?"
"Absolutely."
"I wish I was better at some of the instrumentals so I could practice alone."
Dahlia takes a sip of water.
"Oh, I'm sure you have many hidden talents."
Gemma frowns, "What does that mean?"
Her emerald eyes catch the glint of the candles.
"Exactly what you think it does, darling."
Lady Masterton turns to face the table as the first course of served followed by the second and main. As everyone enjoys the culinary masterpiece created by the Executive Chef at Tables Bistro, conversation turns to the Republic and its implications in the Sector. D'Ken Dawning and Finnius Dyre have conflicting opinions while Iver Aguilar expresses hope that Speaker Shale Apteen will resolve the conflict in short order. Janessa Kain isn't so certain. Rutherford finds Aguilar's optimism amusing but Lady Masterton reins the conversation into lighter, more pleasant topics. She does not want such a polarizing subject debated in front of the children. LeVanya Monroe is among the guests after completing principle photage of her latest Holeplex feature. The men are captivated by her as she attempts to evade gossip about other celebrities. Muriel looks pained but Dahlia gives her a supportive nod. Irulan Reeves and her husband inquire about real estate on D'ian as the market has become far more competitive than it once was. Exclusivity has its price but the available estate are almost always in short supply. Some the wealthiest on Monnder have summer homes on Viiperi Lake but few also have estates in Concordia or elsewhere on Di'an. Zoning and permits for new estates are seldom granted as everything is historically preserved or protected by some ancient law. The CSA is just as protective of its land as it is of its currency. Land on D'ian is about as powerful as the profits of a company on Monnder. It's a sign of status and grants certain bragging rights to flaunt at parties such of this.
After dinner, the adults retire to the parlor for cordials and cigars while they wait for the countdown. The children slink off to entertain themselves. Dane and Preston queue up the racing game in the living room while Gemma and Alka play cards at a table. Muriel and Dahlia gossip about boys and send messages to Trichelle, Kier and Demaris who are all trapped at other similar parties. As the year winds down, they reflect on all that has happened and speculate on what is to come.
The clock strikes midnight and the adults cheer from the other room.
Preston kisses Gemma and Dahlia kisses Muriel leaving an awkward Dane to kiss an aloof Alka. The whole thing is so silly that they all laugh it off. As the evening wears on and guests begin to leave, Dahlia wanders back upstairs to consider her options. She had risen from spoiled schoolgirl to secretive Sith all while luring in the largest management group in the Republic. And they say teenagers have no direction or motivation.
This princess has plans.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Kylie Miranda accompanies Lady Celeste Masterton to the CSA Capital for a psychologist conference in Mondder. Celeste welcomes the chance to compare notes on the latest treatment methods coming out of the community. Others are anxious to hear her thoughts on how she dealt with the trauma her children experienced and it's affect on their family. While code forbids Celeste from treating her own children or anyone with whom she has a deep personal connection, she did have to mitigate the changes within her household. Love, support and a return to a more safe and familiar routine had helped the children recover. She has doubts that they would escape the experience completely emotionally unscathed but she believes their efforts did help.
After they are settled in at the historic Criterion Hotel, Kylie weighs her options. The hotel is not that far from Vex Sienna's apartment. She could not risk a public entanglement so inviting him to lunch is out of the question. Showing up at his office would be even worse since she would have to sign in and clear security. Too many bells and whistles. His apartment seems like the most appropriate venue to reappear and chooses her wardrobe carefully.
Emboldened by Garron's faith in her wiles, she dons a simple, fitted black dress, heels and a charcoal gray overcoat. She applies light makeup, nothing garish or obscene, just enough to accentuate her natural beauty. Her dark blonde hair is curled at the ends and she steps back to review herself in the mirror. It does the trick while not attempting something so obvious. Vex knows her well enough that a full scale makeover would sound the alarms before the conversation even began. She squares her shoulders, grabs her purse and heads out the door.
Lady Masterton would be occupied for most of the day, leaving her plenty of time to pop by for a visit. The weather is brisk, normal for that time of year, with an overcast sky that threatens rain. Kylie glances up at the Vex's apartment tower, feeling somewhat dreadful about the whole thing. It's a long shot and she knows it. Garron is grieving and grasping for answers is his way of coping. As Lord Gellar's confidante, he is not accustomed to being left out of the loop. There isn't much he isn't privy to and this mystery is driving him mad. Kylie wants to help but the plan is risky at best.
She nods to the doorman and uses the pin to access the building and lifts. Act like you belong, she tells herself. You've been here before. She taps the button for his floor and gathers her wits. Soon she is standing in front of his door. Her heart is heavy, pulled in many directions. Garron was right. This is a man she loved, one she still loves. To use those emotions against him seems counterproductive. She had practiced all the things she would say to him if she saw him again but now her mind is blank. She has rung the door chime twice and no answer. He doesn't appear to be home. It's just as well. As she turns to leave, she hears her name.
"Kylie?"
Spotted; conflicted girl with an ulterior motive.
Vex Sienna is clad in an impeccably tailored suit, closing the distance between them slowly. He cannot believe she is here.
"Hello, Vex."
"Dare I ask the obvious?"
She shakes her head, moving away from him.
"This was a terrible idea. I should go…"
Garron's scheming echoes in her head: "Coy is key. Make him come to you. And don't worry, he will."
"No, wait!"
She pauses by the stairwell door, back turned.
"Please don't go."
When she finally makes eye contact, she ensures it counts. She turns and faces him, arms folded, trying her best to look both demure and desirable. He walks toward her with both arms out as if in surrender.
"It's not that I'm not thrilled to see you. I am. I'm just surprised…but pleasantly."
"I debated coming here," she says softly.
"I'm glad you did. We don't have to talk in the hall like strangers. Would you like to come in?"
She looks down, allowing the silence to fill the space then nods.
"For a moment."
Vex unlocks the door and steps aside as she brushes past. He takes her coat and hangs it in the foyer. She moves toward the wall of windows overlooking downtown. Everything is varying shades of gray. She knows the feeling well.
"You don't get back to Mondder often," Vex says, breaking the ice. "Special occasion?"
"There is a conference Lady Masterton is attending."
"I thought Prescott usually accompanied her to the capital."
"I'm much better company."
He smiles, "No argument there. Drink?"
"I'd love one."
She lets him play the suave host but she can tell he is nervous. This boosts her confidence and she positions herself close but just out of reach. He hands her a glass and raises his.
"Would a toast seem trite?"
"They usually are."
He swallows hard, the liquor burning his throat so he shifts into something more neutral.
"How have you been?"
"Well, thank you. The holidays were eventful as always but I am glad they are behind us. And you?"
"The usual, busy, but you didn't come here to discuss my business life."
Except she did.
Kylie is trying very hard to keep the glass in her hand from shaking.
"I missed you."
"As did I but you returned none of my messages. It broke my heart."
"I'm not entirely convinced you have one."
The comment finds its mark and he cringes visibly.
"Admittedly, I deserved that. I cannot apologize enough for my behavior, my hesitation, but I assure it was never because…"
"Because what?"
Vex raises his eyes to meet her moderately convincing steely gaze.
"It wasn't because I didn't love you."
"Yet you couldn't be with me; a situation convenient for only one of us. Why even attempt to court me if there was never an intention to follow through? To me, that's just spending wasted time."
"That hurts. I don't consider our time together wasted."
"Then tell me why."
Vex sets the glass down on the bar.
"I will if you tell me why you are really here."
She blinks, caught in the crossfire of implications. This was not a good plan at all. He is much too clever, has much more experience in this sort of thing.
"I told you."
"I don't believe you," he says, moving closer. "You stayed away from me this long. Surely your trip to the capital would not have been enough to undo your resolve – unless you want something."
"I'm fairly certain I asked for answers."
"The truth will hurt you."
"It already has."
"You aren't usually this bold."
Her heart is racing.
"Sorry to say the same cannot be said for you being withholding."
Vex takes the glass from her hand and sets it next to his. He stays unnervingly close to her. She is staring up into his face. There are no words for the tension, the desire that passes between them. His lips touch hers but before she gives into the temptation, she pulls back and pushes him away.
"This was a mistake. I should never have come here."
He grabs her hand and spins her around.
"I disagree."
She pulls away, grabs her coat and heads for the door. He calls after her.
"They threatened you."
Kylie stops, "Who?"
"The Empire. They knew we were together and implied you could be collateral damage should I somehow fail to achieve their goals. They want me focused, free of attachment. So to convince them of this, I made you hate me and let you go. And as difficult as that was, it was easier than risking you."
She turns around, near tears.
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
"You would have tried to be noble, to convince me that I should leave such a heinous organization who would manipulate those in its employ to do its bidding."
"Then why don't you?"
"Because every organization has an agenda. You just trade one for another. You tell yourself the next will be better, won't cost as much of your soul but it does. Empire, Republic, Consortium, Sector; they are all the same. They can and do risk everything to get what they want even if they frame it differently in the press. They call it survival but the methods get murky the deeper you go. The line constantly moves and ethics are altered to suit the endgame."
She frowns, looking away. Even though she likes to fancy the moral high ground, D'ian just blurs the indiscretions of Etti IV. It makes them tolerable because they aren't always on display. The price everyone pays for wealth and power can be drown in tradition and ceremony. The elite love to dress it all up, pretend it's not happening by throwing a party. It does not change the fact that millions of lives hang in the balance of a CEO's vision or erase the statistics that the income gap has steadily widened. The have-not's significantly outweigh the have's in numbers only but lack the organization or cunning in order to overthrow them.
"I may not agree with everything they do but to escape would be worse for both of us. Questions would be raised, agents dispatched to investigate and that is not the kind of attention anyone wants around here."
"So you resign yourself to being alone in order to serve them best? You may think me naïve but that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
"They have done much worse."
Kylie seizes the opportunity.
"Like go so far as to unravel the Republic from within itself?"
"They battle for territory as any ruling power does…wait, what are you asking me?"
She does not waver.
"The Sith who took the children and used the Force to manipulate Circe and Janessa had to have direction from somewhere. Once the ruse was discovered, the Republic sent its fleets to engage the Empire at Bastion where they took considerable losses. Some suggest they had inside information. The Jedi is then blamed for the casualties and ousted from their sanctuary, out into a world where the Force User Registration Act hinders their every move. The protests were lively but needed a push to send the public over the edge into full blown revolt-"
Vex's mouth falls open.
"You think I had something to do with the explosion that killed the Jedi and Counselor?"
"Not you. Them. With the Republic fighting itself, the Empire has both motive and opportunity to expand."
"That's pretty astute…for a nanny."
She glares at him, "That isn't an answer."
"The question was insulting. Even if the Empire somehow conspired through all of this, what makes you think they would clue me in? I'm the liaison to the Corporate Sector. I liaise."
"You were an agent."
"Past tense," Vex says, waving an arm across the air. "My days of rabble rousing on a command ship are long over. I'm a suit now; an expertly styled, handsomely paid flunky. Let me guess, Prescott has his panties in a bunch?"
"He's devastated."
"And he sent you in? Not a great ploy."
"He's grasping," Kylie sighs. "You can't tell me you didn't want answers when Tenley disappeared."
His face tightens.
"That's low."
"But true. Something terrible happened and all you had were unanswered questions. Garron is in the same awful place. I wanted to help."
"What do you want me to say, Kylie? That they did it? The Empire blew up his sister in order to gain a political advantage? Hell, it may even be true. I don't know."
"You don't know or you don't care?"
"Pick one."
She inhales sharply.
"You aren't as cruel as you like to think you are. I didn't come here to hurt you."
"No, you came here to get answers I don't have. I am impressed you had to gall to bait me into the conversation in the first place. The emotional manipulation tact is a new twist, not quite sure it fits though. Guess I didn't expect you to stoop to my level in order to get what you want but I suppose if the great Garron Prescott asks then all your sensibilities go right out the window."
Kylie's lip curls in disgust.
"Your jealousy is unwarranted and unbecoming."
"Perhaps but it works for me. Now get your shit and get out."
Her eyes widen and even though she tries to steady it, her lip still trembles. Kylie storms down the corridor, waiting until she is safely in the lift before the tears fall.
Vex leans over the bar; gripping the edges so tight his knuckles go white. He shouts and hurls the two glasses against the far wall. They shatter loudly. He taps open the patio doors to let in a blast of cold air. The roar of the cityscape drowns out the screams in his head. That isn't how he saw their reunion ending but he couldn't let her stay. His head was telling him to just let her go, that she would be safer that way, but his heart – his heart.
It is something he seldom listened to but somehow, in the frigid wind, his love for her dismantles all of his better judgment. He doesn't want to be alone. Not when she holds the promise of a better life, one that is filled with her secret smiles and bookish charm. He walks out onto the patio and stares out at the turbulent gray sky.
Could the judgmental au pair really be with the ethically questionable Imperial?
There is a fine line between fated and fatal.
-TBC
-
"Traveling down this road.
Watching the signs as I go.
Think I'll follow my heart
It's a very good place to start."
-Madonna
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The Gellar Estate is full of activity.
With midterms rapidly approaching, the children are in a studying frenzy. Gemma prefers quiet while Dane learns best with music on in the background. Dahlia is more socially studious and invites Trichelle, Muriel and Demaris over to compare notes so no one misses anything. Lady Masterton is simply thrilled with their academic focus and dotes with appropriate praise and fancy snack breaks. Lord Gellar is still on Mondder hashing out a new business deal while Janessa Kain interfaces with the Republic remotely from the ChemiX Tower. Things have not improved on Chandaar which is beginning to affect trade. There have been several small attacks, blamed mostly on The Concealed, at the spaceports around the capital. Millions of credits have been lost from various corporations including some in the Sector. Janessa has to mitigate these incidents with the Direx Board. It is no small task but she relishes the challenge so long as she does not have to return to the Republic too soon.
Garron Prescott has almost fully recovered from his injuries and returns to typical security duties around the Estate. Lord Gellar does not require his presence during these intense meetings. He is instead instructed to preside over the house and family since he refused to take personal time to grieve. Being around them helps as he feels he serves a purpose. Only at night, in the dark, do the shadows of emotion threaten to consume him. He replays the last conversation he had with Circe over and over again in his head. There are flashes of her face as she told him not to worry. His failure to save her slowly eats away at his soul. Janessa is a welcome distraction. She demands passionate sex without strings. Relationships, she says, are both annoying and useless. Garron doesn't need strings. He needs her legs wrapped around his waist in order to keep him out of the void.
He fucks her to forget. She preys on his anguish.
Kylie Miranda frets over the recent encounter with the Imperial. She had returned to Garron and explained what had happened. Her transparent super sleuth routine had devolved into another spat about their status. She had left his apartment in tears, more upset at herself than at the situation. She does not believe he is involved with Circe's death and Garron doesn't really believe that either. He was lashing out but it forced Kylie to face something she had been suppressing for months.
After finalizing the dinner menu and setting the droids to work, she fiddles with her com. She inhales and dials his channel. Love means so many dangerous things. Keeping an open heart risks it getting broken. Pursuing him could complicate the lives of those around them. The Empire's threat hangs like a sword above their potential happiness. But to deny what she feels is excruciating. His name pumps through her veins. Seeing him again only clarified a position she had the moment she laid eyes on him in the store in Concordia.
There is a click, the channel open.
"Kylie…?"
"Vex," she says, voice trembling. "I need to see you."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Atrii Estate
Demaris Atrii kneels on the floor of her bedroom with eyes closed. She is deep in meditation as she listens to the words of the Jedi Master standing on the other side of the room. Nevylinn brings her down into a quiet, reflective state. She had been in and out of the Atrii Estate for weeks completely unseen. Alarmingly enough, no one had been to check on the girl in the wake of her brother's death. The elder Atrii's, anguished over the loss of their only son, have vanished into that grief.
This leaves Nevylinn ample opportunity to assist in minimizing Demaris' growing Force signature. While the training is not entirely formal, the Jedi Master has shown her how to acknowledge and confront her own powers. Demaris had been initially frightened that her emotions could have such a negative outward effect but slowly Nevylinn taught her how to use these as a source of strength in such a trying time.
Gemma is wrapped up in her own life and checks in periodically for lessons at the Viiperi Lake Manor House. Nevylinn wishes she would not be so superficial but concedes it is a necessary evil to build the cover Gemma would need in order to infiltrate area's Dahlia now has access to. Things have gone gravely wrong in the Republic with the latest tragedy manifesting in the assassination of Speaker Apteen. Everything turned south quickly after Dahlia's visit, a fact that has not escaped an increasingly wary Nevylinn. Gemma has been unable to discover any part her adoptive sister may have played in these events as the Winton royal conceals her every intention beneath a veneer of glamour. For all intents and purposes, Dahlia Winton is a glittering beacon of teenage virtue despite all suggestions to the contrary. This leads Nevylinn to believe she was taught more than just how to harness her powers during her capture. She deeply fears that Adubell had appealed to Dahlia's considerable familial vanity in order for her to operate in the open.
Play to your audience, as a young Melanie Masterton once told her at the Jedi Academy. It is a skill Nevylinn has never been able to master. Melanie's point was simple, especially as circumstances change. It is a lesson in adaptability she had found less useful than others they were taught. Melanie grew up in Galactic City and was made to pretend to be an Imperial teen with a perfect life. She was also burdened with the weight of the prophecy and what that meant for her and her friends. It is not unlike the situation Gemma, Dane and Dahlia find themselves in. Only this time, several previously hidden cards are on the table. No one quite knows what hand to play, not yet, but the events over the last few years tell her the game has begun.
With Demaris, she must take great care. The Jedi promised Donovan they would not recruit his sister, that she would have a chance at a normal life. His death and the scattering of the Jedi Order place her in great danger. Her instability, if left unchecked, would attract unwanted attention – the most dire of which from Dahlia Winton. So long as Dahlia only believe Demaris a harmless schoolmate and ally, she would remain safe. There would be no advantage to gain. Nevylinn knows, as does Gemma, that Dahlia would capitalize on another Force Sensitive in such close proximity. They cannot allow that to happen which is why Nevylinn has successfully taught Demaris how to hide her power from the outside world.
Through her devastation, Demaris has learned to quiet her mind. The roar of her brother's death and parent's abandonment hurts less with the strength from within. She practices deep breathing and releases herself from negative feelings. Nevylinn takes pride in guiding her even though the process will be slow. She was not trained as a child and these techniques take a great deal of skill. For now, they work on the basics while Nevylinn keeps a watchful eye over the children and an ear out for the Republic.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Gemma Masterton is woken from sleep by the sound of her com. She rubs her eyes, slides out of bed and pads over to the desk It an incoming transmission on the secure channel she shares with only one person. She taps the consol and Riley's face appears.
"Riley," she says, still groggy. "Are you alright?"
"I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
She glances at the white chronometer on her nightstand.
"It's three in the morning..."
"It couldn't wait."
"What couldn't?"
"I think the Jedi might be in trouble."
She is suddenly more alert, "What do you mean?"
"Like, I think something happened to some of them. Something bad."
"Bad like how?"
"Bad like dead. Did you feel anything?"
In truth, she had felt a tremor in the Force earlier that day, something she couldn't place but knew was somehow wrong. She had said nothing about it but now that Riley attaches a theory to the feeling, she grows concerned.
"I felt…something. Riley, how do you know this?"
His truth was something more curious. Riley often spied on the group when they sent him to bed. Overhearing their grown up conversations made him feel like part of the team. They trusted him with information but not to use it. Without betraying the fact that the Jedi and Counselor were still alive, he felt he had to warn Gemma seeing as there was also a Jedi who protected her. From the way the adults were speaking, he thought that someone may be coming after the Jedi.
"I just do. Please, Gemma, can you just check with Nevylinn?"
"Of course," she says, still confused by his certainty. "I will let her know in the morning."
"Thanks. I just want to make sure you are safe."
She smiles, "You are very sweet. Goodnight, Riley."
"Goodnight, Gemma."
She clicks off and leans back in the desk chair. As peculiar as the conversation was, it did make a strange sort of sense. The Jedi were thrust out of their sanctuary and essentially went their separate ways. She recalls enough history to know it would not be the first time wariness of their presence had escalated into bloodshed.
*
The following morning Gemma requests a meeting with Nevylinn. Once school is over, they meet beyond the woods near the Gellar Estate. She appears from behind a tree and continues walking. Gemma falls into step beside her.
"How is Demaris doing?"
"She is remarkably strong," Nevylinn says. "Although her grief is heavy, I have taught her skills that will shield her from immediate harm."
"Will you train her as you have trained me?"
"Unclear. I am not certain that is what she wants. She is still fragile and I find the lack of parental oversight appalling."
"Unfortunately, it's par for the course around here. Most parents treat their children like bargaining chips in order to advance their legacy or gain financial leverage."
"Your parents do not."
Gemma giggles.
"We are extremely fortunate. Our parents just want us to be happy."
"I am pleased to hear it. No child should be used for their parents gain."
"Agreed."
"You asked to see me to check in on Demaris?"
"You know better than that."
"I do," Nevylinn says. "Tell me what troubles you."
"Master, have you had contact with your Jedi colleagues?"
"Some."
"And they are okay?"
"They are adapting to the challenges. Unlike others, I had a clear directive in coming to the Corporate Sector. Some are struggling to find their way."
"Are there any you have not been able to reach?"
"Actually there is," she says, slowing her pace. "Master Yin-Go. Why do you ask, Gemma?"
"I felt something yesterday…a tremor."
"As did I."
Gemma stops, "I think something terrible has happened."
Nevylinn turns to face her.
"I know something has."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I have no reason to alarm you when nothing has been confirmed. Losing contact with an associate is not uncommon in the current worlds we live in. There are many things, good and bad, that we feel through the Force. You must be mindful to sort through them, knowing which to reflect upon and which to act."
"Will you look into it?"
"Absolutely, I have placed an inquiry with another associate. Do not worry, young Masterton."
"But I do worry…about you. You are my teacher and my friend. I do not want anything to happen to you."
"What do you think will happen?"
Gemma confesses a dread that has lingered her entire life.
"That something, someone will come for us; the clones, the monsters or worse."
Nevylinn places a hand on her shoulder and another under her chin.
"That is why I have trained you. So that you will be ready if that day ever comes. You are powerful, intuitive and compassionate. These skills will serve you well. Now, let us enjoy this afternoon."
"Yes, Master."
Gemma follows her deeper into the woods as the sky burns a brilliant orange above them.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
Vex rolls to the side of the bed with a grunt, leaving Kylie panting on her back. Their reunion was nothing short of spectacular. Admittedly, he was surprised she had contacted him after their last exchange but was certainly pleased. Even with the Imperial threat looming like a shadow, he could not stop thinking about her.
He had checked into a small bed and breakfast near the edge of town, careful to keep a low profile. The thought of being with her again nearly drove him mad. Kylie curls up in the sheets, pushing back the dark blonde hair away from her face.
"You don't disappoint."
"That's a guarantee," he says with a sly smile.
"I wish we could stay like this forever."
"Who says we can't?"
"We have responsibilities and loyalties. Unfortunately, they lie on opposite sides."
He props himself up on an arm.
"The Corporate Sector is on whatever side is most profitable. You know what they say; the devil pays."
She laughs, "So, by your logic we play for the same team?"
"No, there are many sides. I just happen to be on one of them. While I sometimes envy your view from the high ground, it's not so cut and dry. The Empire wants what any powerful faction wants – more power. I said it before and I'll say it again, it's all the same. You despise the Empire for the same ruthlessness and tyranny that exists on your own doorstep. The Gellar's didn't get where they are by playing nicely."
"I never said they did."
"You pretend they are above it all because you care for them. That is not a judgment. No one wants to believe the truth about those they pledge loyalty to."
Kylie frowns, "Where does that leave us?"
He runs a finger across her lips and up over her cheek.
"In love."
*
Later that afternoon, Kylie returns to the Gellar Estate. Lady Masterton is helping Dane with a soliloquy he has to memorize for class. She smiles as she heads up the stairs just as Garron is coming down. He stops her with a disapproving look.
"I hope you know what you are doing."
"If I must tolerate your exploits with Janessa, you can at least extend me the same courtesy with Vex."
"Janessa doesn't have a history with this family. Vex does."
"That was a lifetime ago and he took great care to avoid them."
"Not all of them."
"Meaning what exactly?"
"He may or may not have been in love with Karen and Melanie killed his high school girlfriend. You don't think that has any effect on his motives?"
She sighs.
"Perhaps but you do not have to relish it quite so much. The Empire wanted a partnership with Lord Gellar, a partnership they forged without any influence from Vex."
"Still, it is a dangerous game to be playing."
Kylie moves past him up the stairs.
"We all play dangerous games."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dane Gellar runs through the equation again, growing frustrated with his inability to solve it. Mathematics was never his strong suit and he usually looked to Gemma for help. Lately, his sister has been more unavailable, lost in her own world of song writing and socializing. He groans, sinking his head into his hands.
"Tough day?"
He jerks up and swivels around in the desk chair, finding Valerie standing in the middle of his bedroom. She is wearing a short, deep purple dress and heels. Her dark hair is slicked back and tucked behind her ears. He sighs and moves to the door to tap it closed, not wanting anyone to hear him essentially talking to himself.
"You really do have a way of scaring people."
"So I've been told," Valerie says, shrugging. "That's the breaks."
"So, what? In the afterlife you get to pick your outfits?"
She glances down.
"I appear to you in a variety of styles I had when I was alive. Compliments of the Maker, I guess. He works in mysterious ways."
"Does he? And here I thought you were just bored."
"I'm not around merely to yank your chain."
"Gross, dude."
She rolls her eyes up and crosses her arms.
"Don't pretend like my council hasn't helped you. You would never have made it around Corellia if I wasn't pointing you in the right direction."
"That didn't get me in any less trouble with my parents. They were pissed I took off and left Gemma. All I got was a tour through your escapades and a few nights living in that ridiculously large apartment above a museum. They cared more about Riley anyway so it's not like it matters."
"It does matter," she says. "And don't feel bad. Everyone cared more about Kimber too. She was worth fighting for."
Dane smirks, "Was she worth dying for?"
"Yes. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have changed nothing. I united Corellia as a Sector to defeat Phage and spared Kimber the horror of his rage and conquest. Riley is not the enemy, Dane. Neither is Gemma."
"What about Dahlia?"
A faint smile pulls at Valerie's lips.
"We'll see. The fact remains that you will all need each other in order to survive what is coming."
"We aren't like you and your friends were. The Four. People say that we are but it's not true. We don’t run around shopping and partying. Our lives have gone in different directions."
"For now, perhaps. The density of teenage angst isn't going to do you any favors. You can push them away, even believe they mean nothing to you, but in the end it will always be about you four."
Dane moves closer to her, narrowing his gaze.
"I know why you cared for Kimber, she was your sister. Half-sister, at least. But Karen and Melanie? I have a hard time believing you cared much for them."
"Karen? Well, we had our differences. The fact that everything seemed to work out for her was annoying but she was loyal. To the end. Melanie was a touch too self-righteous for my tastes but there came a time where the playing field was level. I helped her through something and it bonded us."
"Something I'll bet served your interest more than hers."
Valerie laughs.
"True enough but I saw beneath that soft veneer to the fear beyond. And it scared me too. She knew things we did not, took that burden on herself so that we would not have to. Whether that was the right thing to do at the time is anyone's guess. I'm not sure what would have happened if she confided in us that our lives were being manipulated by so many variables just outside our periphery. Would it have all spiraled toward the same conclusion? Speculation isn't as satisfying as it should be."
"So…Gemma knows things we don't?"
"Of course she does. So does Dahlia. Same goes for Riley. You need to get in the game because it's about the get interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"Pay attention. The worlds are changing and not necessarily for the better. Small shifts lead to larger slides and it's a long way down to the bottom. They all know how to defend themselves. Do you?"
"What, like, fight?"
"Fight, defend, repel, protect – your athletic abilities aren't enough."
"I don't have the Force or whatever."
"Neither does Riley but that didn't stop him from manning up to train. He's an excellent marksman and Gemma and Dahlia have full control over abilities they both pretend not to have. What do you have, Dane? A whole lot of nothing. Charm and swagger only take you so far. When the shit hits the fan and someone inevitably comes for you, and they will come, what will you do?"
Dane backs away from her.
"I don't know."
"Wrong answer."
"What do you want me to say? We have a Jedi around here somewhere."
Valerie's brow arches up sharply.
"You really think she can protect you?"
He swallows hard.
"Something tells me…no?"
"The Jedi are in short supply, growing shorter by the day actually, but that's not entirely the point. Either you let someone else nudge you all in the directions they want you to go, as they did with us, or you take control of your own fates. I'm not saying you shouldn't take your place in the Sector as is your birthright. By all means, rise to power but might I suggest having a few tricks up your sleeve for the journey. There will be obstacles and enemies and those closest to you are always the ones who pay the price. Your little friends, Roman, Preston…Alka."
Her name, spoken aloud, sounds sinister on Valerie's lips. His jaw tightens.
"Would you risk them by sitting idly by?"
"No. I won't let anything happen to them."
"That's funny," Valerie says, turning toward the light streaming through the window. "Karen said the same thing."
Her visage begins to fade.
"And look what happened to us."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Pitch blackness. A dark so pure, it was serene. Nevylinn could see herself walking, calmly, slowly. She saw herself stop walking, and the view changed, that she could see what the Nevylinn in the dream saw.
And what she saw was another version of herself, this time, running. Not away from anything, but toward it, toward others dressed like her, other jedi. She followed herself, drawing closer, watching as her other-self drew a lightsaber from her side and ignited it. Only it wasn't her blade - Nevylinn carried a lightsaber with a blue blade. The blade the other self held was blood-red, the mark of a sith.
Nevylinn watched in horror as the other her began to slash her weapon through the crowd of jedi. Some of them responded, igniting their own sabers and attempting defense, but none of their weapons harmed the attacker. Nevylinn now not only saw - she could feel, feel the heat as the jedi swung their blades. So close. She felt burns as they contacted, but then the jedi weapons fell, useless to the ground, and she watched herself slaughter the jedi. She saw their faces, recognized her comrades, and watched as she murdered her closest friends, one by one.
She was shaking, watching herself commit murder. No. This can't be real. This is a nightmare. Only it didn't feel like a nightmare. It felt real, if not immediately happening. She looked down at the bloodied faces of those killed. These were the missing jedi, the ones who had not been seen or heard from.
She saw members of the jedi council, and last of all, she saw the face of Ven Agnant.
Then she looked up at herself, a smug, too-confident version of herself, now drenched in blood.
"How could you?"
"They were weak"
It was the voice that gave way the truth - it was not herself she was looking at. Not really. But it was one who looked just like her.
Adubell.
"You're dead."
"Didn't you see? I can't be killed, little sister" Little, meaning born five minutes afterward.
"I saw you dead"
"All a lie meant to fool the weak. Like you."
"So Dahlia didn't kill you?"
"Dahlia murdered me, just like she told everyone. And now, I'm destroying the jedi. Your friends, your colleagues. And soon - soon I will come for you."
Adubell's face began to change - no longer identical to Nevylinn, it grew pale, then ashen-gray in color.
"I will destroy you and everything you stand for, little sister. And there is nothing you can do to stop me. Only one like me can destroy me. I am immortal, and you are weak. And when it is done, the galaxy will belong to the sith"
Adubell's image disappeared and Nevylinn could see far off in the distance a glow - or to be precise, not one glow but three - it appeared to be a lightsaber, but had three blades - one, the largest, a deep crimson. The second, slim but long, was pink. Finally a shorter, third blade was black.
Behind the blades, a sphere, massive but too far off to see the details, though it looked a mix of earth and metal. Adubell's heinous, odious voice echoing in the darkness.
(http://swsfonline.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=790.0;attach=203;image)
"Soon will come the Daughter of Darkness"
Nevylinn woke with a start, her body covered in sweat.
TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Below the main floor of the Gellar estate lays a library, a vault and a gym. Garron Prescott stretches out and begins his routine. He had had to start slow given his injuries. The RSB had done a hell of a job knocking him around. The bruising from where he was beaten with their nightsticks has still not completely vanished. Easing back into his daily workouts was excruciating in the beginning. Dr. Daaé had warned against doing too much too soon. Broken ribs heal slowly.
Garron tapes up his hands, slides on the gloves and takes a few punches at the bag. It had been therapeutic yet painful. He needed an outward way to express his rage without compromising his work. His focus had to be clear. The house must continue to run smoothly and while Kylie handles every minutiae of the operation, he oversees the security. The security detail had been thoroughly vetted post-abduction and only the most highly trained and trustworthy were stationed around the Gellar Estate. He doesn't like Georgie. The guy gives him the creeps. But he'd checked out with a solid yet stoic background in security. Lady Masterton clearly trusted him enough to allow him to accompany Dahlia back to Chandaar. Not like he had much choice in the matter. With his travel privileges revoked, he was grounded from keeping the Winton royal out of trouble off world.
He jabs at the bag, two quick and controlled blows. The contact releases a charge and the anger seeps out of him. Janessa had gone, both having mutually used one another for their own selfish needs. She doesn't mind. Neither does he; not really. She's an absolutely insane fuck but she's not the one he wants.
She isn't Mara.
That's a road he'll never get to explore, never a chance to see what could have been. She had always been shrouded in mystery, so guarded when it came to personal details of her life. But the time they spent together on The Wheel was meaningful. There was something there and he knows Mara felt it too.
He gut-punches the bag then comes up quick for a right hook.
The pain has dulled to discomfort as the vibrations from the hit ripples down his chest. He goes in for a quick volley, short but perfectly positioned punches that would taken any man to the ground. He catches movement from the corner of his eyes and spins to find Dane standing by the free weights.
"Dane," he says. "What's going on?"
"I thought you might be down here."
He seems awkward, strangely timid for him. Dane runs his hands along the levels of weights, tapping them with his palm.
"Well, you were right."
He sighs like it's paining him just to have this conversation.
"I need your help with something."
"With what exactly?"
He motions to the bag then around the room.
Garron isn't following.
"You can work out any time you want but I thought your coach regulated that sort of stuff between practices."
"He does," Dane says. "It's not that. I need to know how to fight."
"Fight?"
"Yeah, like, training. To fight."
Garron leans against the bag.
"Is something going on I should know about? Something at school or…?"
"No, nothing like that. I mean, I'm not getting picked on or anything."
"Clearly not."
Dane is tall, almost one point eight meters with broad shoulders and the square Gellar jaw line. He's not exactly burly but naturally toned and athletic. Certainly not what you would call a slouch and with an impressive lineup of supporters including all-star Kier Kincaid, Dane isn't one to be intimidated easily.
"So, why the sudden urge to train?"
He isn't about to tell him the real reason. What's he going to say? The long-dead Valerie Gellar appears now and again to sass and warn him about impending danger? That would sound a whole other series of alarms and Dane would find himself on a couch in one of his mother's colleague's offices quicker than you could snap your fingers. He aims for the more obvious.
"Who we are, you know, means something. To other people. Not all of it good. They came for us before and we could do nothing. I don't want to be that helpless again."
"You shouldn't blame yourself for not being able to free yourself from your captors. Those were extremely dangerous people with powers beyond what we have seen before. Even the Jedi had difficulty engaging them."
"I don't…I mean, not anymore. I know it wasn't our fault. But that doesn't mean we can't be ready in case something like that ever happens again. I need to be able to defend myself or my family. I'm not asking for straight up combat training but I do need to know how to handle myself."
Garron nods.
"That's fair. Have you run this by either of your parents?"
Oh, like Gemma and Dahlia asked permission to study up on the ways of the Force.
"Not exactly. I was thinking this could be something between us."
"Secrets risk harming those we keep them from."
Tell that to his sisters, his parents, anyone with a few choice surnames.
"Every family has secrets," Dane says. "Especially mine. This is more like an agreement between gentlemen. And I'm actually asking for your help so that should count for something."
It did.
Garron is proud of Dane for coming to him with this. He knows the feeling well, personally, and it cuts deep. He could not protect his sister but at least he had the skill set to do so if he knew the former Speaker's thugs would come to that. He understands the place where he is coming from and is not surprised. The Gellar's history was divided between corporate clashes and brutal physical melees.
Dane has come to realize his importance to a scheme he doesn't fully understand. There is a reason Valerie warns him, the same reason Melanie warned Gemma.
In the end, it will always be about you four.
That resonated with him, hitting at something beneath the surface. He does not want to be the only one unprepared for things to come.
"Alright," Garron says. "Hit me."
Dane blinks, "What?"
"Hit me."
"I'm not…like, how…what?"
Garron darts forward, grabbing one of his arms that rise up in defense then turns, spinning Dane up and over his back. He lands with a thud on the mat. Garron sweeps down, a knee against his throat. Not too hard but enough to make the point.
"Never hesitate. If it goes down, those microseconds can be the difference between life and death."
"What the hell, man? What are you like some kind of ninja lawyer?"
"I have become many things over the years. Everyone should have a range of skills, even some that may surprise a few, maybe even an enemy. You wanted to learn. Are you going to whine about it or are you going to let me teach you?"
There is fire in his dark eyes, pushing Garron's knee aside and rolling away and into a crouch. Dane slowly rises to his feet, both hands out with balled fists.
"Good. Now hit me."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Late one evening, after dinner, Garron Prescott appears in the kitchen as Kylie Miranda oversees the cleanup droids. She turns and spots him, frowning.
"Must you always lurk in the shadows?"
"I need you to come with me. Now."
Her features crease with concern.
"Is something wrong?"
"Kylie, please. The children are upstairs and Lady Masterton is settled in. We won't be gone long."
She nods, moving out of the kitchen and through the hall into the foyer. She pulls on a shawl and follows him through the door. He revs the speeder and sets off away from the Gellar Estate. They ride in silence as the headlights slice through the complete darkness of the surrounding forests. The Concordia Township is left in the distance and clouds that gather above them threaten rain. When he stops in front of the Viiperi Lake House, she glances over at him.
"What are we doing here?"
"The right thing," he says, making his way toward the steps. He taps in his security code and enters the cavernous residence. The motion lights are activated by their presence and Garron weaves through the multi-level villa until he finds the patio doors open and a figure kneeling in meditation.
"I know why you have come."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
Kylie joins him and steps out onto the patio.
"What's going on?"
"Someone is murdering the Jedi and covering their tracks by staging the crime scenes to look like accidents."
Kylie's eyes widen then flicker to Nevylinn.
"Jedi Nevylinn, is this true?"
She nods.
"It is true. I have seen it."
A current of confirmation courses through Garron, his jaw set.
"You know what this means."
"You're concerns for the children are not misplaced. Their very existence places them in danger and I swore to protect them as you both have. They are not as helpless as those that came before them."
"I know Gemma is a Jedi."
"All the more reason to trust her judgment as well as her abilities."
"She's still a child."
"Young, yes, but also wise."
"If they come for you, and they are coming, they will come for her as well."
Kylie holds up a hand to interject.
"Come for her? How do you even know this?"
"A source in the Republic capital."
"A source?" Kylie retorts skeptically. "You mean Janessa? Tell me you aren't taking her word at face value."
"She told me to warn her."
"She's an opportunist."
Garron takes a smug satisfaction in his delivery.
"So is the Imperial."
She inhales sharply but redirects to Nevylinn.
"You believe this information is viable?"
"My dreams confirm it. How she knew to warn me is irrelevant for the moment. The point is that Miss Kain was once a conduit just as Counselor Prescott was."
"Conduit for what?"
"Not for what, for whom."
"A person?"
"Who?"
Nevylinn rises and turns to face them.
"The woman who orchestrated the children's kidnapping."
"The Sith? I thought Dahlia killed her and escaped."
"She did," Nevylinn says. "I saw the body myself. Still, she lives. Reborn. And she has slaughtered my kind with a contemptuous ease. She wants to destroy everything we stand for, for the galaxy to belong to the Sith."
"Can we stop her?"
Nevylinn shakes her head.
"We are not like her."
"How do you know what she's like?"
"Because she is my sister."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Viiperi Lake
Nevylinn shares her history with Garron and Kylie on the patio of the Gellar Villa as a steady rain patters against the roof. Twins, orphans; one taking a dark turn while the other found light in the Jedi Order under Master Adin Corrin. The darker twin disappeared, returned a Sith with intentions to undermine the peace her sibling had found. Adubell worked with the clones of Mara Tacofer, formerly Mara Anna Gellar, to infiltrate the Republic and then abduct Gemma, Dane and Dahlia from D'ian. The rescue mission, as Garron knows, saw the loss of Corrin and sent them all careening into a new version of the future.
While Adubell was murdered, as Dahlia claims, in her escape attempt, she has found a way to be reborn. Nevylinn describes that it is nowhere near what she resembled before. She conveys the ashen skin and monstrous appearance, someone completely consumed by the dark side of the Force.
There is only one other that shared a similar fate.
Then there is the glaring fact that someone who was once dead, whose body was in Republic custody and observed by the Jedi, is now alive. Garron vividly recalls Mara's admission of what she was and how she came to be. The clone of Valerie Gellar. In some ways, Valerie lives on in Mara and the others. Perhaps not in actuality, created without memories or attachments that the original possessed. They were more like Valerie-shell's yet he never thought of her as such. Mara also implied that Alexander Winton lived on after his death and now, apparently so does Adubell. Revisions to the process? A way to transfer complete consciousness into a new body? A frightening method through which to gain immortality?
Some of this is new for Kylie, life suddenly skewed by the new layer of perspective. The people, the framework, the accelerating plot points marked by horror after horror is enough to make Garron's head spin.
Nevylinn shifts her gaze, addressing both.
"Does the phrase 'Daughter of Darkness' mean anything to either of you?"
Kylie flinches, having only heard the abridged version. She knows enough that these titles meant nothing good.
Garron nods gravely.
"The prophecy."
"Yes," Nevylinn says. "Persephonea. It foretells the role of The Four in galactic events. In it, a daughter of light and daughter of darkness are mentioned."
"Melanie was the light. Karen the dark."
"That is correct. What I saw – my sister – she told me the daughter of darkness is coming."
"That's impossible," Kylie says. "Karen has been dead for well over a decade."
"I know."
"Then who, Dahlia? How is that even possible?"
"I trained Gemma on Naboo. It is reasonable to imagine Adubell trained Dahlia on Korriban."
"True," Garron says. "However, if Adubell was once dead and now lives would it be reasonable to also imagine others might be as well? Or do you really think Dahlia is the one coming for you?"
Nevylinn's face is neutral.
"We do not know what role Dahlia plays. There has always been concern, as I'm sure you understand given her family history."
"She is on the Republic capital," Kylie muses aloud.
"But she wasn't on any of the other worlds when the Jedi were murdered. She was here, in the Sector. What if Adubell has taken up the mantle as daughter of darkness?"
"I'm interested to hear your theory."
"Surely you see the similarities. You, the Jedi, daughter of light. Adubell, the Sith, daughter of darkness. She could just as easily be referencing herself."
"It is a possibility."
Kylie sighs, "Well, you can't stay here. Not if she's coming for you."
"If I go, Gemma would be left unprotected."
"Only if Adubell knows she is a Jedi. Those she has killed are on record, part of the Order. Gemma is not."
"Only Master Agnant knew."
"If what Janessa says is true then Agnant is dead."
"It is. I felt it, deeply."
"Then Gemma won't be the target. Preservation is not cowardice."
Nevylinn's mind flickers first to Gemma then to Demaris. She would be leaving both but Garron does make a point. She would be little good to anyone if she was dead. She nods, accepting she would have to flee in order to regroup.
Garron excuses himself and returns a few minutes later with a black bag he had stashed in the speeder.
"It's an emergency kit, complete with a secure com. The rest you can figure out. If you need us, we'll be here."
Nevylinn holds his stare.
"You do not have to do this."
"Like you said, we all swore to protect them. We need to figure out what the play is and stop it."
The Jedi takes the bag, collects her things and departs in her shuttle. A flash of lightning briefly illuminates the craft as it rises above the lake. Garron watches her go with mixed emotions. He isn't keen on the withholding Gemma's status from Lord Gellar and Lady Masterton but in this case it extended the scope of deniability. With Agnant dead, only Nevylinn, Kylie and Garron know about Gemma. That secret will at least keep her out of immediate harm and buy them time.
Garron locks up the villa and takes a somewhat shell-shocked Kylie back to the Gellar Estate in Concordia where they agree that with this much at stake, keeping secrets between them would not serve the ultimate goal. They reenter the house and assume their traditional duties as if everything was normal. Separately, their minds are wandering. Kylie wants nothing more than for this family to be left alone.
Garron knows they never will be.
-TBC
-
"Hide what you have to hide
And tell what you have to tell
You'll see your problems multiplied
If you continually decide
To faithfully pursue
The policy of truth."
-Depeche Mode
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Open on the Gellar Estate framed by a deep blue sky tinged with uneven gray clouds.
The end of the school year is signified with a round of grueling finals which sends the children into different states of panic. There are cram sessions and meltdowns which Lady Masterton expertly guides them through. She helps with flash cards and mini-quizzes to ensure each of her children are prepared. In the end, everyone gets through it and the summer holiday officially begins.
Dane continues to train with Garron, learning how to hold his own. They practice every evening and with each lesson, Dane grows stronger and more confident in his abilities. Garron cautions him against using force as a first line of defense. There are so many other ways to diffuse a situation. Garron is a scholar and a lawyer who just happens to have tactical combat training. As Rutherford Gellar's right hand, one can never be too careful. He stresses the importance of being well-rounded, a fact that resonates with Dane as he prepares for the second year of interning at ChemiX.
Gemma has written a collection of songs over the course of the year which was recorded at Galaxiss Records for production and release this summer. They promise big things for her with buzz beginning to build. The song, Lights, was selected as the first single. Despite the coming wave of stardom, Gemma is unsettled by Nevylinn's abrupt departure. Kylie broke the news gently and explained why the Jedi had to leave. There is more alarm than relief in learning many of the other Jedi have been killed. Kylie assures her that her status as a Jedi is secured but that provides little comfort. She also wonders about Demaris. How much had Nevylinn taught her? Would it be enough to keep her hidden from those who wish to bring them harm? These are not questions Kylie has answers to but she insists they move forward as if nothing has changed.
Dahlia is all about summer vacation. While there are many social events scheduled out of societal obligation, she is most excited about her trip. As a present for pulling the grades while balancing a burgeoning career, Lady Masterton had surprised Dahlia with the key to the Winton Penthouse in the Bolerathon Tower on Hesperidium. It is part of her birthright, Celeste told her, and a place to feel connected to her family. Despite her feelings toward Celeste and Rutherford, Dahlia is genuinely touched and hates herself for it. This is one of those rare, mother-daughter bonding moments except she's not her mother. She's Melanie's mother and a villain who played a willing role in the events that led to her family's demise. But the gushing and gratitude are played up marvelously and Celeste believes it. Dahlia invites Muriel, Trichelle, Demaris, Kier and Ples to join her. Karen and her friends summered on the Hessy and Dahlia thinks certain traditions should be kept alive. Granted, they are much further away from the resort world and a security detail contingency was worked into the deal. Lady Masterton would not hear another word about it. Dahlia could deal with them in her own way. The primary focus was the location and venue. Many things had happened in the Bolerathon Tower and she is certain there would be many more to come.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The Cybot Arena is packed to the rafters.
Sur Maaj is closing out his tour with this final show. The crowd loves it and as the set draws to a close, the roar grows louder. The stage goes dark then a series of twinkling lights shimmer across the canvas behind the band. Her voice is distinct in the opening chords to his most popular song to date. A beam of white light hits the curtains as Gemma Masterton, now marketed in the industry as Gem, joins Sur Maaj on stage for Castle Walls.
The applause of a half million people is awe-inspiring.
Sur Maaj addresses the crowd to give it up for Gem's debut single, Lights. Gemma sings her heart out and although it is stylistically much different than Sur Maaj, the audience eats it up. Garron Prescott watches from the side of the stage, feeling a sense of pride as she comes into her own. He bears witness to the public falling for another Masterton.
He knows she is every bit the Jedi her sister was. Gemma has taken a considerable risk in this celebrity venture. The life of a pop star is by no means private. He knows Nevylinn objected. Gemma had told him as much when they broke the news to her that her Master had fled the Sector. Kylie had done most of the talking but he did chime in with the knowledge that he knew her secret. And that he would keep it for now. Gemma told them she needed access, a public maneuverability in places the Jedi were unwelcome. Nevylinn had agreed but still cautioned against the methods through which she achieved this. Melanie was a model and while people wanted to be her, most of the time she was inaccessible, out of reach. Gemma's fans would not only want to be her but they would want to be with her as well. Melanie's face was contained to a digital billboard but Gemma would be live in concert and at appearances. The security aspect of her ascension is not something Garron believes she thought through.
The song ends and the cheers become intolerably loud. Gemma beams a smile and curtsies with Sur Maaj rejoining her for a final encore. Garron marvels at the reaction. Between Dahlia on Chandaar and Gemma in the Sector, the legacy continues.
A new era.
*
Across the city in Prospect Park, Vex Sienna is on a walk with Kylie Miranda. They had had lunch downtown, a continuing trend of going public with the relationship. No one even so much as blinked. Kylie suspected and much as even Vex is beginning to question why he had been so uptight about it. Since the negotiation with ChemiX for Ibellum, the Empire had largely left Vex alone. He worked the politics in the Direx Board, always keeping their business agenda on track, and schmoozed the big wigs to maintain an easy partnership. Their supplies continue to flow even as word of an engagement at Garqi made its way into conversations over cocktails.
Kylie holds his arm as they wander along a crowded path. The summer had finally turned up the heat and suddenly everyone was outdoors again. Activities of all kinds take place on the stretches of grass while small boats float around one of the lakes. He takes it all in, thinking about how lucky he is, how fortunate he had come off the bridge of a Star Destroyer so he could pal around with captains of industry. Kylie spots an ice cream stand and saunters away to get them a treat. He watches her walk away with a smile.
Vex feels a presence behind him and a voice he recognizes.
"Enjoying the beautiful day?"
"Pallus."
"She's quite lovely…for a civilian. What is it she does again? Nanny for teenage children?"
He sighs.
"She's the administrator of the Gellar Estate. Something you already know so why don't you just get to the point and tell me why you are here."
Burke Pallus groans, "So rigid. I'm surprised she hasn't loosened you up more. Tight little ass like that and I wouldn't have a care in the world."
"What do you want?"
"You haven't really been focused on the big picture."
"I've done all that has been asked of me."
"Not all. You let that Jedi on D'ian just slip away. Where did she go? Nobody knows. We don't even know why she was here or what her business with Rutherford Gellar was. Rumor has it that Jedi are disappearing. The Sith Advisors can feel these lives being extinguished but they don't know why. We thought maybe the Jedi on D'ian knew."
"Maybe she does. Guess that means you'll have to find her."
"Now if you had been paying attention, I wouldn't have had to make this trip for nothing. I would have known the Jedi had gone. Instead, I had to come here. At least lecturing you in person makes it all worthwhile."
Kylie is almost to the stand, the line taking a mercifully long time with indecisive children in front of her.
"I'm glad I could serve as your entertainment."
"There is one more thing," Burke says. "We know Dane Gellar is interning at ChemiX. They like to groom their heir apparent early here. The boy is bright and is poised to take the company when his father…retires. Given our business relationship with the company, we want to ensure Imperial interests will be maintained in any future transitions in leadership. You understand."
"You want to use Dane as you use his father. How completely predictable."
"We need the company and its research in our pockets and at our disposal. Your proximity gives you a unique advantage in ensuring this outcome. So, I need you to focus less on your romantic future and more on gaining Dane Gellar's trust."
Vex laughs, shaking his head.
"You don't control me."
Burke sneers, jamming something into his thigh. The pain is sharp, intense. He glances down to see him remove a small syringe and replace it in his jacket.
"Yes we do."
He pats him on the chest and disappears back into the crowd. Vex is woozy, fighting to keep his balance. The world tilts into oblong shapes and his hearing is distorted. He staggers left and collapses on a bench. He is breathing heavily and near losing consciousness. After a minute, everything clears. His breath and heart rate return to normal. Vex scans the crowd but doesn't see Pallus anywhere.
And then Kylie is standing over him holding two cones heaping with ice cream. Her face is backlit by the sun as she smiles and hands him one before joining him on the bench. Vex returns to the smile and brings the ice cream to his lips but a low panic begins to rise from the pit of his stomach.
What did they do to me?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
When Alka Dawning takes the stage, the audience is captivated by her spell. Her movements are fluid, flawless as the ingénue blossoms before their eyes. The production of Vession opened in a limited run for the summer. Alka had been hand selected from the Olivette Company for the lead which has garnered much attention far and wide.
Dane Gellar had left the ChemiX office with his father to attend. Rutherford was called away by Irulan Reeves, something about a situation in the lab, and sent him on his way. Dane adjusts the fitted suit stretched perfectly over his broad shoulders and took his seat. Watching Alka dance stirs something in him, something the men of the Corporate Sector seldom acknowledge. He grips the arm rests until the very end and only then is he propelled down the stairs to the staging area. Word is sent to Alka that she has a visitor and he is granted access. She exits her dressing room in a simple black dress with her dark hair pulled back. He approaches her steadily, trying to play it cool.
"That was…you were…wonderful."
Alka smiles slyly.
"I was surprised to hear you were attending."
"Trying new things is…good. Besides, I wanted to see you."
"Did you?"
The question is a dare, a game they had been playing since they were children. Now, as adolescents in the throes of the teenage wasteland, the stakes are higher than ever.
"Yeah. I mean, yes. Yes I did. We don't get much of a social life as interns so this was a welcome change. Did I mention how great you were?"
"You did," she says. "Thank you."
Her eyes graze past him.
"What's he doing here?"
"Who?"
"The Imperial liaison."
Dane turns to follow her gaze, spotting Vex Sienna talking to the production manager.
"Mister Sienna?"
"You know him?"
"Yeah, we met."
Vex shakes the production manager hand and walks over. He is impeccably dressed in a tuxedo that looks like it was made specifically for him.
"Dane Gellar, nice to see you again."
"You too."
"And Miss Dawning," he says, taking and kissing her hand. "A sublime performance."
"You are too kind," she replies.
"You two know each other?"
"We go to school together. We're, uh, friends."
"You know, kind of like you went to school with Valerie Gellar," Alka says evenly.
Vex nods, "That’s right. Except we weren't friends. We just traveled in the same circles."
"Lucky you made it out then. From what I read, most of the others did not."
"Alka," Dane says.
"No, she's right. If I hadn't enlisted in the Imperial Navy, I'm not quite sure where I'd be. Or even if I would be. You have a sharp memory, Miss Dawning."
She shrugs, "An appreciation for sordid history."
Kylie Miranda emerges from the crowd backstage, startled to see Dane and Alka staring at her.
"Oh, hello Dane. Alka. Lady Masterton said you may be here tonight. Is Lord Gellar with you?"
"Something came up."
"Right, business."
Dane glances between Kylie and Vex, at his hand in hers.
"Are you two, like, together?"
Alka smirks, "Busted."
"It's not a secret," Kylie says. "I just don't gossip about my personal life with my charges."
"So, my mom and dad know? And they are okay with it?"
Kylie bites her lower lip. There are certain levels of awareness. While she had made it previously clear she had stopped seeing Vex Sienna months ago, Lady Masterton knows they have been in contact. The extent of that contact she left intentionally vague. Celeste is a smart woman. Rutherford must deal with Vex in a professional capacity and although she appreciates his parental-like concern, her personal life is just that.
Vex laughs, "Why wouldn't they be?"
"They are a little sensitive about the Empire. Nothing personal."
"I'm not offended. Everyone is a little sensitive about the Empire. Comes with the territory. Thankfully, my job isn't to crack skulls and enforce policy. I get dressed up, take clients out to lunch and buy things. It's all quite harmless."
"Sounds swanky."
"It can be. The expense account is nice. Speaking of, who's hungry?"
Dane smiles, "Always."
"Actually," Alka says. "Performing does work up an appetite. I'm in."
"Great. My transport is just outside the theater."
Kylie takes his arm and they walk back down the hall. Dane extends his arm in a wildly optimistic gesture. She accepts and they follow. The evening air is still warm but it is always warmer in Mondder. The city traps the heat, driving some people on the brink completely mad. There is so much pressure to succeed in The Sector. Rutherford calls it "corporate crazy" and has seen his fair share of meltdowns. The hoverlimo is idling at the bottom of the steps. People call out to Alka, singing her praises. Vex helps Kylie and Alka in then nods to Dane. The ride is smooth, mostly silent. Everyone is enjoying the afterglow of the performance.
They arrive at Lure, one of the more recent landmark and themed restaurants that have opened around Mondder. Dubbed a gastro-brothel, it has a throwback vibe that celebrates what the building used to be. Vex is instantly shown to a table. One of the many luxuries of knowing everyone around the city. They are seated by the window which overlooks a small promenade scattered with people milling around, in groups or pairs, on this mid-summer's night.
Flutes of champagne are set in front of Vex and Kylie, glasses of sparkling cider in front of Dane and Alka. The host turns to face Alka.
"Compliments of the director on a stunning performance, Miss Dawning."
They each hold up a glass to toast.
"How did they…"
Vex leans back into the booth.
"I knew the theater crowd would be here tonight. This place is exactly their speed. Might as well revel in the celebration. It's your night. Enjoy."
Before they order, Alka and Kylie excuse themselves. Alka draws bouts of applause as she passes tables. Kylie cheer her on. Dane turns back to Vex.
"So, you knew my…." Dane trails off, floundering on how she was actually related to him. It's so complicated. Half-uncle? Who knows? "You knew Valerie Gellar."
"I did."
"What was she like?"
"We didn't spend that much time together. I knew Karen Winton better."
"Wasn't she, like, crazy?"
"That was the other one."
"Oh, right. But you, like, got with her. Karen, I mean."
"Affirmative."
"Cool."
Vex can sense he is fishing for a story, something to connect him to his family through something other than business. His relationship with the group was peripheral at best since he made all attempts to avoid them, especially Valerie Gellar.
"Honestly, I didn't see much of Valerie in high school. There were mostly glances, places we both happened to be. I only ever really interacted with her the summer I spent on Hesperidium with Karen."
"And?"
"And she was pretty brutal. Girl knew how to party though."
Dane snickers, "Brutal, huh?"
"Completely cold but I guess that's understandable given…"
"Given what?"
Vex swallows, the memories flooding back. He had not really thought about it in a very long time. All the bloodshed on Coruscant. The string of murders surrounding The Four. Alexia did a number on them. That summer was beyond anything he had ever experienced, fresh off his first year at the Imperial Naval Academy. All their friends had been killed right before graduation then Coruscant was destroyed shortly before Melanie got arrested and the epic parties thrown by people who had lost everyone they had ever known raged for days. It was sheer madness. Valerie spiraled out of control. Kimber barely left the Bolerathon Tower. And a maniacally frisky Karen plotted to break Melanie out of jail. His involvement could have affected his Academy enrollment and he protested. She thought that was a "bitch move" and sent him packing. He had passed Valerie on the way out and she said, without even glancing up, "Thanks for playing and have a nice day."
This is not the story he wants to tell.
"Nothing. Brutal."
Dane looks disappointed.
Vex's body stiffens, eyes dilating briefly.
"How's the internship?"
"It's going well. They want us to experience all aspects of the business so they started us in the mailroom last year, running errands and stuff. Now we do a lot of admin work and shadow some of the executives. Next summer we'll be in the labs."
"Smart. They want to make sure you are prepared."
"I need to be prepared," Dane says. "If I want the company one day."
"Is that what you want for your future?"
"More than anything."
"The Gellar's have done great things and have many allies as well as enemies. The real trick is to know the difference."
Dane cocks his head to the side, narrowing his gaze across the table.
"And what are you?"
Clever.
"To put it simply, I am a revenue stream. A profit margin. Client relations are an important part of any business. Without clients you have no business. The reputation you have with existing clients gets you new clients. You have to play the game if you want to win."
"You sound like Dahlia."
"Do I?"
"She loves playing games. All the pretense on D'ian, the social order of things. She loves it."
Kylie and Alka appear at the edge of the dining room, making their way back toward the table.
Vex wraps it up with something to chew on.
"That makes sense. She is a Winton. That name carries weight behind it, good and bad. Its legacy can carry her far but, much like the Gellar's and Masterton's, new ground must be broken. You have to reinvent yourself. Keep the legacy going. I can help with that."
Dane considers this.
"Good to know."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
The summer had been a whirlwind of activity for the Gellar-Masterton family. Rutherford was suddenly consumed with Direx Board affairs once the Empire had called for peace. The board is trying to stay ahead of the curve, deliberating on how the potential outcomes would affect their bottom lines. Vex Sienna had been tasked with mitigating wild speculation from the various members but kept it vague. He isn't certain how the talks would resolve but he had a pretty good idea. The Republic would accuse the Empire of baiting them with the prospect of peace and the Empire would cite the Republic's inability to evolve. The war of words would be heated and full of intrigue.
Oh, to be a fly on that wall.
The seemingly continuous meetings and functions gave Dane a chance to see how the board worked. Since he is named as his father's successor, knowing how the Direx Board operated would give him insight if he served on it in the future. Rutherford included him on such outings and it gave Vex more opportunity to spend with the Gellar heir while his father was distracted or pulled away in meetings. Dane may have been skeptical about the Empire's motives but he thought Vex was pretty cool. Every meeting brought him more favor and in exchange he would share a story from his past. They bond over a shared love of athletics and Vex's glory days playing Chin-Bret in the arena. Dane marvels at the tales of someone who experienced The Four from the sidelines. Vex was rarely directly involved in anything they did but watched it unfold around him. All the things other kids said about them, the mystery, allure and fear that sprinkled the stories they told. Some thought they were inspiring, others believed them cursed. Dane's favorite story is of the time a select few students of North Coruscant High were invited to attend a Grand Moff gala in which Valerie got drunk and performed a highly provocative dance up on one of the Emperor's advisors while an amused Vex and a horrified Melanie watched on. Needless to say, Valerie was escorted out in a spectacle that involved screaming obscene expletives as Kimber adorably apologized to dignitaries.
All Dane can think is: what a badass.
True to the Gellar name, Valerie did want she wanted, the worlds be damned! It's a wonder she pulled her shit together enough to save the Corellian Sector.
A zillion lightyears away, the Imperial agents Max and Xam pull his strings, tapping into memories and experiences that would endear the boy to Vex. The Empire must have advantage with Dane where they did not with Rutherford.
Gemma, on the other hand, is all the rage.
Over the course of the summer she has gone from upcoming musical darling to a fully fledged pop star. Her EP sold millions of copies with a rising profile that now hinders her ability to casually appear in public. Garron assembled a specialized team to form her security detail. There was talk of pulling her out of Valor Prep to accommodate a tour schedule but Celeste put her foot down. The contract with Galaxiss Records had built in stipulations; something that Celeste ensured was both regulated and enforced. There is no way her daughter was going to skip out on obtaining a first-rate education for the sake of celebrity. In some ways, she feels like her children are growing up too fast. One minute they are normal teenagers going on about their days and the next there are modeling contracts and internships and tour dates. Celeste has always known her children were never ordinary but felt as though the transition crept up more quickly than she would have liked. Alas, they cannot be her babies forever. It was time to trust them and hope that all that she and Rutherford had instilled in them would lead to good choices.
As a mother she would always worry.
Dahlia's exploits on Hesperidium drew attention in the Sector but the fare was far less salacious than the Holo expected. There were no drunken antics or misbehaving teens which Celeste took great pride in. It seems all they did was go to the beach, talk on their com-links, get dressed up, eat at fancy restaurants and dance. It could be worse, a lot worse and so she counted her blessings. Soon Dahlia and her friends would return home for the start of fall semester. Truth be told, Celeste will feel much better having everyone back under one roof.
Celeste loves this time of year.
It is a time of reflection and change.
Change being the operative word.
-TBC
-
"Got a taste for the cherry
I just need to take a bite.
Don't tell your mother.
Kiss one another.
Die for each other.
We're cool for the summer."
-Demi Lovato
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Dressed in their freshly pressed school uniforms, Dahlia Winton, Gemma Masterton and Dane Gellar ride in silence toward the high gates of Valor Preparatory Academy.
Their return to the Gellar Estate had caused some fanfare from both their parents and the surrounding community. Side effects to living a public summer vacation. With Kylie Miranda's assistance, Lady Masterton had decorated the mansion for fall. The colors and scents of the season gave the residence an inviting and magical ambience. The organization and shuffle toward a new term has always been something Lady Masterton loved. She enjoyed the mixture of emotions and the anticipation of new beginnings. She missed this part with Melanie and so she savors it now.
Falling back into a routine was met with a surprising lack of protest as they dress for school and eat breakfast. Lady Masterton watches them through the kitchen holding a cup of coffee. It seems like only yesterday they were just entering high school and all the awkwardness that went with it. They were finding their way. Now they are like old-pro's, meticulous in their own ways, as they banter with each other about classmates and upcoming activities. Lady Masterton kisses each one of them as they head out of the door, knowing that the days of seeing her children off were drawing to a close. These are the moments that make being a parent worth it.
The shiny black hoverlimo comes to a stop behind a line of similar luxury vehicles.
Dahlia slips on sunglasses and smiles.
"Showtime."
The walk from the administration building to the quad is met with the prerequisite stare as we cue the cliché slow motion intro montage set to the chorus of a trendy, sultry summer pop hit.
Muriel falls into step with Dahlia and Gemma and are soon joined by Trichelle, Alka and Preston. Behind them, Kier and Ples strut down the center of the hall with Dane and Roman between them. They move in unison, past the parting students staring and thus the social hierarchy is firmly established.
Tobias watches them as they pass, eyes fixed on Muriel.
The group approaches the open doors at the end of the hall when Demaris rounds the corner.
The soundtrack scratches off into silence.
"Hey guys. Miss me?"
Trichelle and Muriel rush in for a hug while Dahlia is staring with her head tilted slightly to the left.
What the f-
The recovery is swift but Gemma catches something in Dahlia's expression as does Demaris. There is no time to catch up as the calming alert chime echoes through the hall. They head to class where the tedium of a new curriculum begins. Shortly before lunch, behind the layers of curtains in the performing arts studio, Roman grips the base of Preston's waist, pulling him against him as their lips meet. The distant longing over the course of their childhood reached an adolescent crescendo at the end of last year. Although nothing more than a forbidden crush everyone but Alka was unaware of, Preston found that his feelings for the wayward Chiss are reciprocal.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you all summer."
"Even with your intended on Csilla?"
"She a pawn in the games my parents play. You know that."
"That isn't very fair to her," Preston says, frowning.
Roman touches the side of his face.
"None of this is fair. There would be so much trouble if they knew."
"Risk," Preston whispers. "Is sometimes its own reward."
Unfortunately, Trichelle knows this secret and has leveraged it to keep Alka at her side. And for her part, Alka has played the part magnificently if only for the social benefit and security of her friends. After she returned from Hesperidium, Trichelle named Alka her heir apparent at Valor Prep. This alliance serves to cement their group status. While kept in the dark on the reason, Preston is wary but Gemma sees advantage in using Trichelle's reputation for malevolence as a shield between them and the student body. The less people involved would minimize exposure and the dangers associated with it. It is the thing she agrees with Nevylinn the most. Her celebrity profile did raise her image but those that surround her are tightly controlled by Garron Prescott. Through Trichelle, she has the same contingency in her social life.
Dane and Roman are welcomed into the athletic elite by Kier and Ples. The boys club of billionaire parents with all the perks. With the first Chin-Bret game steadily approaching, the expectations are as high as the stakes.
Demaris' strike had been tactically brief and she is welcomed back by her friends who would gloss over the details with their superficial agendas. She worries about her brother and the Jedi on Corellia but knows she has to focus. To be mindful is to catch every detail and Demaris absorbs each movement her friends make. She walks across the quad toward the large circular gray table everyone sits around. Muriel smiles and slides over. Ples seems strangely ambivalent to her presence. Demaris takes her place and stares at the animated faces that become the grinning masks of pretense and posturing. She has secrets of her own and she wonders what the others are hiding.
-TBC
-
"In a broken mirror
There are many things reflected.
Its one mistake
That cannot be corrected.
So now you feel
There are many things connected.
The moves you make
Will somehow be detected.
In future time
Where we will be projected
The words they fake
Will never be suspected."
-Random Factor
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
How is she alive?
Dahlia ponders the question alone in her room. She had grilled a stoic and unhelpful Georgie hours before but the issue remains steeped in mystery. Demaris' return had shaken things up. She claims to have needed time to grieve, a plausible blanket explanation the rest of the crew bought into almost immediately. Dahlia would shrug it off as well if she hadn't watched her shape-shifting Voss-Ra disciple hurl Demaris over a balcony atop the Bolerathon Tower.
That's, like, a million stories high.
There is no way Demaris could have brushed herself off and carried on. And where the hell did she go? She was gone for almost two months only to magically reappear on the first day of school.
The second thought that crossed her mind after the Valor Prep resurrection – does Adubell know? Dahlia had been ordered to kill the Atrii heiress after her also resurrected Master provided proof she was consorting with the Jedi Nevylinn. There is no telling in what capacity but no doubt Demaris would have been coached to say it was a form of grief counseling, something offered out of kindness and respect for the reeling family of her slain colleague. Or some equally smarmy and hopelessly optimistic reason the Jedi give when terrible shit happens.
The thing is, Dahlia felt bad about it. She didn't really want to off Demaris. She liked her, more than Trichelle but less than Muriel. The whole angsty rebel thing Demaris has going would be totally cute if she wasn't an emotional wreck. Adubell is alive, Demaris is alive; does anyone stay dead anymore? It's like a fucking soap opera with all the near misses and tales of disaster. With her father's quest for immortality horrifically realized, Dahlia is actually surprised Alexia or Karen hasn't materialized outside the confines of her warped little mind.
That's all she needs – someone else to rain on her parade.
Although she hates to admit it, the path to her ascension lies in patience. All that has happened has done so with a great deal of planning. She wonders if it has dawned on Rutherford and Celeste that their escape from one plot led them directly into another. That would be a tough pill to swallow if the power of their denial didn't always see them through each crisis. They want to believe the best in their children but it was never like they were dealing with the status quo. The Four had sway but the sheer gravitational force of their legacy is mind-blowing. There are so many that swirl around them, blind to the dangers and the sirens warning to stay away by the stage lights always shining. Her word may spark trends but there is a long way to go before it becomes law.
Dahlia draws strength from the abundance of anxiety and fear that runs rampant among their peers. There is so much pressure to succeed, to be the best at everything, command the greatest audience, and capture all the profits. The prep school is a breeding ground for unrealistic expectations. Not everyone gets to be at the top. Some of them know it, others delude themselves with fabricated futures of a corporate world that will do nothing but devour them whole.
She channels this fear through her dark connection to the Force. It gives her nourishment outside the physical to keep her balanced. Her focus involves tactful maneuvering and careful consideration. She encouraged Dane's fascination with Vex Sienna after he confided the Imperial liaison sought him out. Having Sienna in the back pocket couldn't hurt and she could use Dane to use him for information. She would bide time spinning that web while the Empire wormed their way into the Republic. Then there is Gemma. The blonde baroness had actually taken her advice and now she dominates the charts and channels. She's sweet, pretty and writes her own songs so naturally she's an inspiration to billions. Granted, she's got the pipes and not even Dahlia is immune to that spell. How she's managed to keep a lid on her light side inclinations while launching a music career is astonishing. Does she have help from Garron Prescott and Kylie Miranda? Those two meddle in everything. She imagines the Jedi can't be thrilled with the potential risk. A pop star outed as a Jedi would make for sensational headlines but it's not exactly the low-key role model the brown-robed brown-noser's probably had in mind for taking their religion mainstream.
Could Gemma share the same motive to influence and infiltrate from the opposite side of the Force?
That would be intriguing. It would also end badly.
For her anyway.
Now, back to the girl in question.
Demaris.
She saw the Voss-Ra in its true form and survived. Where did she run off to and who did she tell? Sharing this information could instigate a trail Dahlia does not want followed. Demaris' miracle makes her a liability and liabilities, much like plaids and stripes, are something Dahlia simply cannot abide.
-TBC
-
"When you seal it away and you're on your own
And you brush away the old war zones."
-Silversun Pickups
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Irulan Reeves emerges from the Gellar lab holding a datapad full of notes. Her heels echo as she walks down the polished corridor and into the lifts. She adjusts the white lab coat and steps out onto the executive floor. The receptionist smiles as she passes. Irulan pauses outside the door, exhaling slowly before entering.
Rutherford Gellar sits behind his massive desk, glancing up as she approaches.
"You've come to share your results?"
"It appears promising. Using the nano-technology developed for Ibellum, we successfully spliced in the legacy gene extracted from Dane's samples. Given its unique ability to interface with complex technology, the results indicate a potent regenerative property."
"Could it replace traditional methods with bacta?"
"Potentially, yes. The healing would be exclusively internal and circumvent the need for tanks depending on the severity of the injury. Thus far it has been successful in healing cuts and burns while also fighting the infections so often accompanying them."
Rutherford muses, placing a hand beneath his chin.
"Have there been any adverse effects?"
"None of the subjects displayed negative reactions. They were, of course, extensively tested for allergies prior to beginning the trial. Anyone with allergies to the components may experience adverse effects but we do not know to what degree. The team is working on that now."
"Imagine if we were no longer reliant on bacta."
"We could save so many lives with just an injection."
"And break Thyferra's monopoly on that market."
"Also a win."
"Let me know what you discover."
Irulan nods and leaves the office. Rutherford swivels around in the chair and stares out over the vast expanse of Mondder. Irulan is a trusted confidante but he had not shared with her the extent of the legacy gene's power. Alexander Winton had discovered its potential and leveraged it so that the former Federation Viceroy Medivh could create PHAGE who, in turn, created Mara. And so on. Winton also saw it as a key to immortality but was mercifully stopped. The similarities in their ambition are not lost on him but where Alexander used Valerie to save himself, Rutherford uses Dane to save others. Ominous or not, the legacy gene is too profitable to sit on especially when a sample had already been stolen.
Alexander Winton wanted eternal life.
Rutherford Gellar wants everything else.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Dahlia is the queen bee, no question about it. As if being a celebrity wasn't enough, she was also a senior, which held considerable clout over underclassmen. She was also the daughter of one the most powerful families in the Corporate Sector, and adopted sister to another celebrity.
It was no surprise therefore, that Ms. prom queen was the target of adoration and infatuation by many. Students, male and female, offered to carry her books, run to get her drinks or snacks, bought her coffee, or sent her love notes.
So it was no surprise when a young freshman boy, face red with embarassment, approached Dahlia as she sat the the lunch table, surrounded by those privileged enough to be part of her posse. Trichelle rolled her eyes, but Dahlia, ever the diplomat, smiled as the boy handed her a heart-shaped card.
"That's very sweet of you"
The boy stammered a thank you, then ran away as Dahlia opened the card, expecting to read the boy's affections.
To Her Royal Weakness,
Meet me tonight at the tree.
~Adubell
A million thoughts passed through Dahlia's head. Adubell was here? on Di'an? Did she know about Demaris? Why else could the be meeting?
Her thoughts were broken by Trichelle
"What's the little tike say? he wants to marry you? They all seem to want to marry you. It's disgusting"
Dahlia's face hid her reaction, as she smiled up at Trichelle.
"It's sweet. I'm sorry you don't have the same kind of adoration. Maybe I'll send the next one your way"
Without waiting for a reply, Dahlia rose and hurried away from the table to the girls restroom.
There, she stared at the mirror, then back down at the card.
Before leaving the room, the card had been flushed down the toilet
*****************
It was well past midnight when Dahlia slipped out of her home and made her way to that dark tree far off on the Gellar estate. The place where she had studied the sith holocron, learning the secrets they carried, the prophesy...
She was equipped - her tri-saber in her hand, ready to be ignited at a moment's notice as she made her way into the shadow of the hollowed out tree.
"Ah, her Royal Weakness"
Adubell, cloaked and cowled emerged from the gloom, gray skin of her face glinting slightly off of the strands of light that penetrated the tree.
"What do you want?"
"So demanding, Weak one. What are you going to do, kill me? Even if it could be done, it wouldn't be done by you"
"I've done it before"
"Because I let you. And you've grown soft since I returned you to your parents. Too soft"
"Your talking about Atrii"
"The little padawan is alive, Dahlia. You were supposed to kill her"
"I had arranged for her to die"
"I didn't tell you to order her execution. I didn't tell you she merely needed to die. I told you that YOU had to be the one to kill her. You passed it off to a servant. You couldn't do it yourself, and your servant failed to do it for you."
"I don't know how she lived"
"No - because it wasn't you. You wanted her dead? You look her in the face and thrust your weapon through her heart, watching the life go out of her eyes. That is how you make certain someone is dead You need to be hardened, like durasteel. Killing is how that is done. Atrii is your ENEMY, Dahlia. And your weakness will get you killed"
"I'm tired of listening to your lectur-"
Dahlia's voice was cut off as Adubell backhanded her, the feel of metal jamming into her cheek gave her pause even as she ignited her weapon, the crimson beam of Alexia shining bright, Adubell's gray face now glowing in it's light.
"Your reflexes are slow as well. The jedi - the surviving jedi could kill you. I bet even Demaris Atrii could kill you if she wanted you dead."
Adubell's hand lifted, and suddenly, Dahlia was lifted in the air, an invisible hand closing around her throat.
"It would be easier for me to kill you. To kill Demaris Atrii myself."
Dahlia's empty hand grasped her throat, closing her eyes and pushing out with the force, giving herself needed air to breath, but still hovering in the air.
"then do it - stop all this talk. Thats all you do"
Adubell flung her hand outward, and Dahlia felt her body crash against the inside of the trunk, before she slid down, using the Force to cushion her landing onto her feet.
"I would, but you have a destiny"
"I'm not going to be a pawn in your game."
Dahlia had regained her footing and was now advancing on Adubell, her weapon protectively held in front of her body.
"pawns are dispensible, weakling. Though I think you are unworthy, the sith lords still see potential in you. They still see you as the daughter of darkness. They believe you can take over the galaxy. And whether you believe it or not, I am their servant. It is my job to make sure you succeed. To make sure your weakness is eliminated, and you are the daughter of darkness."
Adubell withdrew from her cloak and mini holo projector, activating it to reveal a spherical image, tinted slightly blue, but otherwise, an orange shade.
"What is that"
"That, young apprentice, is the world that you will take credit for rebuilding. the very heart of the galaxy. When the time is ripe, you will be hailed as the woman who rebuilt Coruscant. A world that will see the end of galactic war, and end of strife, a rebuilding of hopes and dreams of many, and a world so steeped in the Dark side that it will blanket the entire galaxy. If you listen to the weak voices in your head, this will never be yours. But if, like the forge, you can eliminate those impurities, you might be able to grasp it."
Adubell deactivated the projector, returning it to her cloak, and drawing out a saber, activating it.
"In the meantime, I think you need some practice"
An instant later, Adubell's face and body disappeared, replaced by the face of Demaris Atrii. It was Demaris' voice that called out to her as their blades came together.
"Try to kill me, Weakling"
-
"You gave me a taste of a life I could lead.
You gave me a face for the fools to believe.
Now I’m changing,
Becoming one of you."
-Big Data
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The hiss and squeal of the sabers connecting produces an intoxicating melody. Dahlia may be out of practice but her instincts serve her well. She puts "Demaris" on the defensive and advances steadily. The sting of Adubell once again appearing in her fantastical little world brings anger to the surface. She uses it well, channeling the rage toward her opponent. Only she isn't angry at Demaris. She rages at Adubell, a Master who should have stayed dead.
Dahlia bears down with her saber, parries and leaps backwards to land on the other side of the clearing.
"Enough."
"Demaris'" image vanishes and in its place the hideous monster that is Adubell.
"So weak," she cackles. "You will never rule with such restraint."
"You know nothing of the intricacies of this world or what it takes to sway the hearts and minds of the masses. You operate in shadow, free of the watchful public eye. I'm not surprised given the company you kept. Sneaking around pulling strings. It strangled Alexia. He had Karen so tangled up in them that she never knew which way was up. They never really had a chance if the game was rigged for them to fail."
Adubell begins to circle her.
Dahlia moves to counter, saber up and ready.
"Your sisters were distracted by attachments. That is why they failed. They cared for things that cost them victory. Attachment is weakness and will lead to your downfall."
"Is your brain as dense as that hide?" Dahlia sneers. "Those I surround myself will get me where I need to go. It's not all murder and mayhem, you know. There are connections and diplomacies through which to gain advantage. If my friends begin dying, much the same way Karen's did, there will be mass suspicion when it needs to remain elsewhere."
"Manipulations are for children."
"No, they are for the clever leader who understand it takes more than might to gain a following."
"Those who oppose you must be eliminated."
"Only when it serves me. In this case, it doesn't. I can use what I know to control the story."
Adubell twirls her blade, "Fool."
"Give me some credit. We don't know if Demaris has contact with the Jedi but if she does, nothing will confirm their fears quicker than her ending up dead. If she believes I am just some banal social climber-"
"Aren't you?"
"To the untrained eye."
"Stupid girl. You seek a balance that does not exist. You cannot be both ruthless and merciful. Mercy is weakness."
"Ambition can be weakness too. Look where it got my father."
"Your father-"
"Was a great man? Yeah, heard it. Don't buy it. He used you. He would have used me too."
Adubell smiles wickedly, pointing the saber at her.
"Is that what you think? So naive. So pitiful. There is not enough hate in you."
"Oh, I hate plenty. I hate you."
"Good. Show me."
Dahlia advances across the clearing, their sabers clashing together once more. She slashes and parries; spinning and dodging Adubell's precise attacks. She draws power from all around her. The megalomania and paranoia permeates Concordia as the wealthiest are never in short supply. Adubell spins away, bringing her saber down and across quickly. It slashes Dahlia's left shoulder and the top of her right leg. Grunting, she pushes away and brings the blade through two of the surrounding trees before darting past a third. She jumps and ramps up the trunk of another, Force leaping away as the two trees crash down into the clearing.
Dahlia lands atop one of the fallen trunks with her saber firmly out in front of her.
A hush follows the roar.
She reaches out with all her senses then turns sharply as Adubell steps up onto the trunk with her, blade still activated.
"I am almost impressed."
"You may be all resistant or whatever but I don't need a saber to kill you."
"You can't kill me."
"Yet."
"You can't even take the life of poor, sweet Demaris. You let Gemma roam free, the replica of the one who slew your sister. Every moment the Masterton's live is a slight against your family. It makes mockery of their sacrifice while you play little games with your friends and build your brand. You don't have what it takes."
Dahlia's body tenses, eyes pooling into sheer blackness. She clenches her fist, pulsing with dark energy, as the bases of the tree trunks surrounding the clearing splinter and explodes. A ring of foliage falls around them, neither one moving or blinking as they crash down around them.
"You don't know what I have."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The most important of all fall events approaches: Homecoming.
Predictably, Dahlia and Trichelle are nominated for Queen and Kier and Ples for King. The campaigns for such titles are as fierce as one would expect in the Corporate Sector. Money is no object and is generally used to purchase loyalty from the posers and hangers-on. Trichelle and Dahlia are suddenly at each other's throats with the rest of the crew caught in the middle. Kier and Ples are more focused on the big game against Valor Prep's greatest rival, the Mondder Academy.
As much as Dahlia wants to win, she wants Adubell dead more. She's deliciously dreamed of the many ways to end her from sucking her out of an airlock to smashing her hideous face to bits with a hammer. Adubell is so keen on her committing murder that Dahlia may as well start with her. Her Sith-shaming former Master needs to be put down immediately.
It's not that she doesn't see the point.
Allowing Demaris and Gemma to run around conspiring with the Jedi does not bode well for her. Everything she does will be monitored and scrutinized. However, offing both would bring the Espos and the Jedi right to her doorstep. They all know about The Event at 500 Republica which Dahlia thinks is stupid since only one of the murders even happened at 500 Republica. The boyfriend. This is why she doesn't date. Whatever. The point is the Winton offspring have quite the blood soaked legacy and Dahlia is bent on breaking new ground. The slew of dead friend's thing is tired. Now, uniting the galaxy around a newly rebuilt and ultra dark Coruscant is where the new legacy begins.
Does she really have to kill to make it all happen?
She imagined there would be a body count once it was all said and done. Unavoidable collateral. She just hoped it would be low-impact with little risk of breaking a nail or ruining an outfit. That doesn't make her weak; it makes her spoiled and spoiled is a label she can live with.
*
Gemma watches Dahlia cross the main quad to schmooze a group of underclassmen no doubt in an effort to charm them into voting for her. She has mixed feelings about the whole tradition of Homecoming but enjoys the energy. The campus is buzzing about the ceremony and pageantry of it all. The Bon-Fire generally precedes Homecoming week which involves silly skits by the seniors followed by the formal announcements for the court. The fire itself is constructed in a giant pyre behind the school and set ablaze as some kind of ritual leading up to the game. It is a sort of cleansing that is supposed to bring luck to the team.
The larger her celebrity grows, the smaller her world becomes. It is the one thing they don't advertise: becoming a star means forfeiting pieces of your personal life and privacy. School is really the only place she is left alone. The campus is closed so no press and all her classmates have some claim to fame be it familial money or a corporate legacy. She is free to learn and enjoy the company of friends. Outside these walls, Garron Prescott ensures her safety with a band of special ops Espos employed by Rutherford Gellar. As far as security details, they aren't so bad. She knows every one of them by name and is hardly the brat they expected her to be.
Gemma is a low-maintenance singer-songwriter, if there even is such a thing. She loves what she does and finds happiness others enjoy it too. That doesn't deter her from her duties and the sacrifice of her cover grants her invitations all over the galaxy. She is still mindful of her surroundings and draws strength and peace through her connection with the Force. Her nightmares had tapered off in recent months but she continues documenting her dreams and revisits them to glean knowledge. Mostly they had been about boys, well, one boy in particular. Strange to feel so strongly about someone she spent limited time with. They talk all the time yet he has remained cagey about her visiting him. There are cute boys at school but they are all the same. Riley is whimsical with an adventurous heart and Gemma Masterton has it bad.
As unsettled as he is, Garron takes her out to the lake house to practice with the saber in secret. He rationalizes that her skill is valuable against the greater threat. He has seen what she is capable of and knows damn well the security detail is a form of posturing. She has spent so much time with Alka in the studio over the years that her reflexes are sharp and attacks fluid. Gemma can handle herself but he prays, watching her deflect blasts from a training droid, that she will not meet her sister's fate.
That night, the nightmares return.
Riley aiming a blaster, faceless agents storming a house, Nevylinn with her saber ignited, a lab with a glass wall reflecting Mara's face, a giant, gaseous sphere glowing orange, Demaris thrown back against a wall, liquid in a syringe plunging into skin, hands around Kylie's throat, Dane kneeling between two gravestones all while a cloaked figure stalks silently through shadows.
She wakes gasping for air, clawing the sheets back. The memories can fade quickly and so she taps on the datapad on her nightstand and furiously inputs what she had seen. There is no context, no way to make sense of the experience but she must remember what she saw.
Gemma falls back onto the bed, images still searing, radiating with intense emotional range. She curls into a ball and sobs into the sheets.
-TBC
-
"Let your tears fall off tonight
Joy rides on the sun."
-Mutemath
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
On a blustery afternoon, Tobias Harkan sneaks past the security milling around the Monroe Estate and raps on the patio door of Muriel's room. Her face appears a moment later full of surprise but it is that amused half-smile that propelled him over here in the first place. She pulls him inside quickly.
"Are you nuts? My mother is serious about security these days."
"Not serious enough," Tobias says. "They look bored."
"Everyone is bored here. It's, like, an affliction or something."
"We've been sneaking around for months."
"That doesn't make it any less….dangerous."
"For who? You are afraid of what people might think. Your friends. Your mother. Your mom only showed up at the Bonfire to appear involved but where is she now?"
"Press junket off world? Actually, I'm not sure."
"Exactly and your friends only care about their reputations. You were robbed of the Homecoming nomination, by the way."
"Those kinds of things don't really mean much to me."
"That's why I like you."
"Because I'm indifferent?"
He touches the side of her face. She stares into his dark eyes.
"Because you are just as damaged as I am. Everything Concordia stands for is bullshit. They hide us away on D'ian so we don't see just how ruthless they are willing to be, all the terrible things they do to keep themselves in power. But I see it and so do you. This giant façade will end one day and we will be expected to be just as ruthless and terrible to maintain that power."
Tobias lights a joint and hands it to her. Muriel pushes back her blonde hair and tokes it twice before handing it back. He enjoys watching the smoke dance between her lips before curling out into the center of the room.
"You make it sound so sinister."
"It is," he replies, stifling a cough. "Here we are in our senior year with all the showy ceremony and forced camaraderie when we know damn well in a few years we will be tearing each other's throats out for the financial upper hand."
Muriel sprawls out on her bed, "Not everyone is ready to face those facts. Some of us prefer to stay cloudy."
"Cloudy doesn't have to mean uninformed. The people you hang with, all those stories. Tell me you haven't thought about what could go wrong there."
She takes another hit and giggles.
"Soooo many times."
"How are you and I more dangerous than they are?"
Muriel sits up then leans over to kiss him.
"You are so beautifully misunderstood but sometimes I think you don't want people to understand you. I don't really want to be understood either. I just want to…be."
"How can you be if you and everyone you know are keeping secrets?"
"I keep a low profile so no one bothers me."
"Of course no one bothers you. There isn't a shield generator stronger than Dahlia Winton and her faux-siblings. With those last names, you think anyone is going to ruffle your feathers?"
"Not bloody likely."
"It's not a bad plan, per se, keeping them between you and the cruel politics of high school. But their protection means you have to behavior a certain way. The illusion must be maintained."
"In public anyway."
"You think I jeopardize that?"
"You know you do and that's the thrill. I didn't know they were going to ice you from the group. They all know you didn't try to kill me. I tried to kill myself but having someone to blame is easier for them than dealing with the depression that caused it. We are all sad, disaffected clichés but some of us are much better at hiding it than others. I do it too but it's exhausting."
"Then why do it?"
Muriel falls back against two giant pillows and pulls her knees up.
"Making everyone believe it turns me on."
Tobias flashes a wide smile.
"Good to know but I don’t care what they think."
"If you didn't, we wouldn't be talking about it. Just because your father isn't a Lord of D'ian like Gellar or Atrii doesn't mean you can shrug off all those expectations without consequence. We make believe for a lot of reasons but at least we can be honest with each other about it."
"Each other but no one else?"
"They don’t understand," Muriel says. "Different priorities, I guess. I don't want to grow up just to be married off to someone I can't stand so that the Monroe's future is secure."
"So, you'd rather spend your time being in photage with Dahlia as part of her entourage?"
"You say that like I don't approve. She isn't the first girl to capitalize on her looks. I don't begrudge her that but if I wanted fame, I would just use my mother's connections in the industry. I'd be a starlet overnight. I like being left alone…with you. Don't you enjoy staying out of the fray?"
"For the most part but their behavior borders on the unbearable. They hide who they are in order to appease a system they don't even like. At least you can be real with me, more so than anyone else I know on this rock."
"You may be a little paranoid."
"We should run away."
"Where would we go?"
"Somewhere where we won't be victims of their circumstances."
Muriel frowns, "The royal "them" or the populous?"
"You know what I mean."
"Maybe…but probably not. My friends aren't out to hurt us, Tobi. We are just gossip and drama to them. We can enjoy the adventure and do our own thing."
"Easier said than done. I don't mind being your secret but I bet they would."
She tokes on the roach before stamping it out in a dish on her nightstand.
"Trichelle might but the others would get over it."
"I thought that too but they have their own interests to protect."
Muriel turns and stares dreamily at him.
"Don't we all?"
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Valor Prep
Colored lights swirl over the mass of dancing teenagers as the Homecoming Dance kicks into high gear. Lady Celeste Masterton beams from the punch table as she chats with others parent chaperons. She loves volunteering for these events as she is an active member of the Parent-Teacher Council. Celeste serves as chaperon along with Minda Aguilar, Dirk Kincaid, Grigoria Stanton, and the evenings sponsor, Alaan Aftar, founder and CEO of Aftar Pharmaceuticals. It is ChemiX's greatest corporate rival, sole viable competitor and resident poacher of the science department. Many of the rising stars are selected for the Aftar Collegiate Program with a guaranteed entry into the company upon graduation from University. It is also the main reason Rutherford sited in getting out of this event to a disappointed Celeste.
Lady Masterton thought it important to cheer Dahlia on. These are milestones they missed out on with Melanie and Valerie. It is very important that she participate and show support, stemming from the deep well of guilt she must continually work through. Her therapist calls this over-compensation. With Melanie, she was there for nothing and so with Dahlia, Dane and Gemma, she is there for everything. She looks forward to doing this for Dane and Gemma next year and pours punch for the excitable teens.
Across the room, Alaan takes a call and ducks out of the room. Celeste catches Minda's eye and shakes her head as the Dean steps onto the stage to crown the Homecoming court. Everyone gathers around, the court takes the stage. Dahlia is perfection in a simple black and gold embellished Nalaa Gray gown with Ples Aguilar escorting her. Celeste clasps her hands together in anticipation.
"Our Homecoming King," the Dean says. "Kier Kincaid!"
He steps forward, flexes, laughs and accepts the scepter and crown.
"And now, the moment we've all been waiting for – Our Homecoming Queen."
The auditorium goes silent.
"Dahlia Winton!"
Screams and cheers erupt from the crowd.
Celeste is teaming with pride, clapping enthusiastically. Demaris leans against the wall nodding slowly because it's just so typical while Ples grins vacantly. Trichelle storms off the stage in tears as the crown is placed upon Dahlia's head. She waves to her classmates and takes Kier's arm. Knowing that Aftar's speech is up next, Celeste glances around for him. The son-of-a-bitch couldn't even be bothered to at least feign interest in the defining moment of an event he bankrolled. Sighing, she crosses the room and pushes through the doors into the corridor.
"Alaan?"
The silence is more than a little unnerving.
There is something black in the center of the hall, obvious against the polished white tile. She notices a red streak beside it as she nears. Great, kids are wandering around spilling punch everywhere. Celeste kneels down to pick it up but the streak is much darker than the punch. The object is a com-link and now the streak looks like blood. Her back straightens and she stands quickly, reaching out through the Force. Sensing no immediate danger, she turns.
"Alaan, this isn't….."
Alaan Aftar's body is crumpled into a corner, neck twisted at an unnatural angle. She doesn't need her doctorate to know he's dead but the horror swells intensely as she reels away. His wide eyes stare off into space.
Celeste screams.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Espos Elias Muir waits until Celeste Masterton places the saucer of tea back on the ornate dish with shaking hands before he continues.
"Lady Masterton, you saw no one else with you in the corridor?"
She shakes her head, eyes bleary and red from crying.
"No, he was in the auditorium with us the whole evening but he took a call."
"Do you know from whom?"
"He was on the other side of the room; it was loud with the music…"
"And then he left?"
"Yes, and never returned. He was supposed to speak...I went looking for him..."
Muir was on the first on scene once they received the call from Valor Prep security. Celeste was in shock and could barely speak so at the request of Lord Gellar, he brought her home. Her adoptive daughter, Dahlia, held her hand on the silent ride back. She seemed annoyed as this had no doubt ruined her evening as the Homecoming Queen. She mentioned something about a party but reluctantly parted ways with her friends. The Winton name gives him pause but Dahlia was on stage in front of nearly a hundred people so this faded as quickly as it arose. Once inside the Gellar Estate, Dahlia disappeared upstairs and they were joined by Rutherford Gellar and his associate Garron Prescott.
Lord Gellar is no fool and knows how this looks. Alaan Aftar was his greatest professional adversary and their exploits, including several heated verbal exchanges, were well documented on Mondder. However, Lord Gellar does have an airtight alibi as he was home all afternoon and evening with his son, Dane, daughter Gemma and their associate Garron Prescott.
This turns things to Lady Masterton and Lord Gellar is having none of it.
"She's already told you what she knows. The security cam's will confirm it."
"That's the problem," Espos Muir says. "All photage of that corridor is unavailable."
"Unavailable how?" Garron asks from the sidelines. "Surely Valor Prep is in full cooperation with your investigation."
"They are and surrendered the photage as soon as we asked but it appears that the two cam's that would corroborate Lady Masterton's statement are both dark. Some kind of malfunction, we're told. A glitch."
"A glitch?"
"Oh, it sounds suspicious to you as well. I'm glad you caught that."
"Now, listen here…"
"Lord Gellar, Lady Masterton, I mean no disrespect but you must imagine how this appears to someone trying to piece together a chain of events. The wife of Alaan Aftar's enemy discovers his body and the photage that would prove her innocence is conveniently destroyed."
"That's ridiculous," Rutherford snaps. "You said his neck was severely broken and I'm certain your forensics will find it highly improbable that someone of Celeste's stature could even accomplish such a feat."
Espos Muir nods.
"Perhaps but brute strength isn't the only means of dispatching a rival."
"What are you implying?" Garron asks icily.
He levels his gaze at Celeste.
"Connections to the Force run in your family, do they not?"
"I hardly see how that's relevant."
"I disagree."
"This isn't the bloody Republic," Rutherford bellows. "The Corporate Sector is above such pedestrian witch hunts."
"I must explore every possible avenue, Lord Gellar. Surely you realize what this could mean for you on Mondder? The loss of so formidable a competitor would present…an opportunity."
Rutherford already thought of that which is why he placed a secure call to Irulan Reeves immediately after speaking with the Espos. The ChemiX board would convene in the morning to discuss how this would work in their favor. The Aftar Pharmaceutical board would be distressed and potentially vulnerable without their genius leader at the helm.
He will not give the Espos the satisfaction.
"You will not insult me or harass my wife in our own home. You have your statement so, if you please, it is very late. Prescott will show you out."
Espos Muir rises from the table and follows Garron Prescott back through the foyer toward the door.
"Notify us if the Lady of the house decides to leave the Sector."
"You make her sound like a suspect."
"Right now," Muir says. "She's the only suspect."
*
He is sitting in his idling speeder in the middle of a dark road. He doesn't have the faintest idea of how he got here or where he is. The last thing he does recall is getting ready in his hotel room, a dinner reservation booked for seven-thirty. Now he sits in the middle of this road. He shutters and glances down, noticing he is wearing the suit he had brought with him from Mondder. His white shirt is creased and there is a dark stain near the forth button with crimson flecks surrounding it.
He inhales sharply, rubbing at it with his thumb.
It is still wet.
His arms are sore and his heart races. He pulls at the mirror, inspecting his face. He looks wired with hair that is surprisingly stunning. Outside the speeder, he pulls off the jacket and strips out of the shirt. The night air is frigid with the first signs of winter frost causing the blades of grass to shimmer beneath the moons pale light. He turns off the speeder and rummages around inside. It is a short walk through the field to the thick forest beyond and he walks through the darkness instinctively. He kicks together some fallen leaves and tosses the shirt on top of them. They catch fire quickly and he slips the lighter back into his pocket while he watches the shirt burn. He doesn't know why he does this but he does.
Once the shirt has burned down to virtually nothing, he stomps it out and scatters the remnants in the field on the walk back to the speeder. He straightens his under shirt and pulls on the jacket, taking a moment to appraise the look in the side mirror. Not as formal as he would like but it will do.
Back inside the speeder, he races down the unknown road until his computer recalculates the route. He follows it back into town where he arrives at the restaurant at seven-twenty-eight. The host greets him, glancing with concern at his lack of dress shirt while showing him to the table.
Kylie Miranda turns and flashes a smile, a vision in an amber dress.
"I thought you'd be late."
Vex Sienna kisses her and takes his seat.
"For dinner with you? Never."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
The murder of Alaan Aftar sends shockwaves through the corporate community. It dominates the Holo cycle in the days that follow with Celeste Masterton's name attached to the story. She was one of the last to see him alive and discovered the body. There are hints of suspicion in the commentators rhetoric as to the nature of her involvement but thus far, the Espos have released nothing of their investigation other than that Lady Masterton is a person of interest. Espos Muir believes it may be more than that but with so many others to interview; he has yet to present anything conclusive to the District Attorney.
Rutherford Gellar does not take this lightly and goes on record that his wife is innocent while mobilizing his board to strike at the heart of Aftar Pharmaceuticals.
His statement is firm but simple:
"This is a tragedy and the scientific community has lost a great mind but pointing fingers at pillars of our community will not bring the murderer to justice."
He knows this doesn't necessarily help Celeste's cause yet as a titan of Mondder; it is much too lucrative an opportunity to ignore. He would have done the same in any instance where a rival became vulnerable. Such is the way of things here. Fortunes are made on the missteps of other companies. ChemiX is thriving but assimilating Aftar Pharmaceuticals would bring them to another level entirely and give them a monopoly on the industry in the Sector.
This is best for all parties involved.
However, Celeste was an unexpected yet marvelous variable.
Reporters flock to D'ian but are hindered considerably by the restrictive privacy laws. So they go after the next best thing: Rutherford Gellar. On Mondder, he is fair game but he dispatches his most cunning public relations specialists and legal team to run interference while he meets with the Aftar Pharmaceuticals board. The proposition is simple, merge with ChemiX or be trampled in the take-down. Alaan Aftar was the genius behind it all and although his board is savvy, they are notoriously self-serving and lack his creative vision. Alaan did not have a right-hand to lead them in his absence the way Rutherford does with Irulan Reeves. He had made considerable contingency plans long ago when the threat of Alexander Winton's revenge was all too real. It is both comforting and profitable to see that Alaan had not done the same for his hypothetical doomsday scenario.
Of course, the media isn't all sensationalist hearsay and jump on the fact that Gellar is conveniently circling Aftar Pharmaceuticals. His PR team works their magic in reframing any moves made as Rutherford's way of honoring Aftar by preserving his legacy. They paint him as a savior in AP's dark times.
Vex Sienna tries to remember what happened that night but all he ends up with is blackness. The loss of time, burning the blood stained shirt, a corporate executive found murdered the same night. It doesn't take much for him to put the chilling pieces together with the haunting dread of not knowing what Burke Pallus injected him with. He has had lapses in time before but only briefly. He prayed it was not related but deep down, Vex knows the lengths to which the Empire will go to get what they want. And a ChemiX monopoly in the Corporate Sector was chief among them. Their investment in Rutherford Gellar's company, in exchange for his release from the Empire, had proved very valuable indeed. The Ibellum serum, purchased for experimentation, had tested well or so he had heard. Now he wonders if he may be the test. Seeking traditional medical treatment may garner suspicion but he if reaches out to Kylie for help, Pallus had threatened to kill her.
Vex is trapped without knowing what is happening to him.
On D'ian, a traumatized Celeste remains within the Gellar Estate. The community of Concordia is predictably skeptical. Although she is well liked and respected among them, they are always wary and quick to judgment. Her co-chaperons of the Homecoming dance have rushed to her defense, citing that Aftar had been gone far longer than the time Celeste left the auditorium and found his body. Others whisper rumors that she had used her Force abilities to eliminate her husband's rival. The subject was seldom discussed on D'ian.
Despite her powerful connection, Celeste only ever used the Force for meditation. She was not a practiced Force user nor had she received any training outside of what she had learned with Monica Greyson and what was shared by the Jedi Master Corrin. Still, the stigma persisted through The Four's legacy with Celeste tied directly to it. She taught her children about it and to always remain mindful. She had to take great care in any exposure both for herself and for her children. Over time, they had been weaned off the Force vaccine and Celeste kept her usage to a minimum.
To keep herself busy, she helps Kylie ready the house for the holidays. It is one of her favorite times on D'ian when the snow begins to fall. Dane is riding high after winning the Homecoming game against Mondder while Gemma wrestles with untangling her visions. Riley has been dodgy in her last several transmissions to him, avoiding any references to her coming to Corellia. Her management company thinks it’s a great move as her album is selling well there. She warned Riley about what she saw but he nervously laughed it off. Between keeping an eye on an ever-more-curious Demaris, deciphering Riley's oddly aloof behavior, and plotting out a tour schedule it is a welcome release to get back into the swing of things at school. Dahlia's popularity is soaring thanks to the newly minted title, dethroning Trichelle as the end-all, be-all of Valor Prep. This causes a compelling tension in the group and commands attention from all the student body. Trichelle plans to usurp this power back by Prom but Dahlia's eighteenth birthday party blowout that included almost their entire senior class puts that goal in serious doubt. Despite the spectacular veneer, she struggles with her role in things to come. She must continue to put one heel in front of the other and move forward.
Dahlia focuses on the trip to Chandaar, now just weeks away. So many questions swirl in her pretty little head. If this is so important then she needs to be smart about but there isn't a law that says you can't be both smart and stylish.
And if there is anything Princess Dahlia Winton knows how to do, it's make a scene.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township: Gellar Estate
Lady Celeste Masterton wanders through the sprawling residence, admiring the festive decoration. They had done a fantastic job on the house this year. Everything is almost as it should be. She has been careful to avoid the Holo and the only time she leaves the Estate is to meet clients at her office in town. She evades the less-than-subtle suspicious glances while maintaining a flawless exterior of dignity and strength. Celeste preaches living an authentic life, true to ones feelings, but she also acknowledges the reality in which they find themselves. The truth is, the Corporate Sector is not the place for the sensitive or weak and while not everyone can be strong all the time, they must then learn to perfect the art of pretending otherwise.
The entire performance runs counter to her philosophy yet there is comfort in knowing others turn to her as a sounding board for their very real emotions. She may not be able to lessen the pressure mounted against them but she can assist in mitigating the damage by listening and offering sincere council. Her work has always brought her peace even when her personal life was spiraling out of control.
She runs her finger along the freshly polished banister as she ascends the stairs to check on the children. The semester is drawing to a close with holiday break only a few days away. Celeste first stops by Dane's room and finds the door locked. Mildly annoyed, she knocks until Dane opens it looking startled and guilty. She breezes past him with a curious look.
"What do we say about locked doors in this house?"
"It's, like, not good or something?"
Rounding the corner, she spots Alka perched on the side of his bed reapplying the lipstick smudged on Dane's mouth. Well, she can't say she didn't see this one coming.
"Miss Dawning."
She smiles widely.
"Lady Masterton. I was just leaving. I have…rehearsal."
"Have a good afternoon."
"Likewise. Bye, Dane."
Once she has gone, Dane makes the predictably faux-outraged sigh teenagers learn to perfect throughout adolescence.
"Thanks, mom! We weren't doing anything."
"That's a lovely shade of lipstick," Celeste quips coolly. "What color is it again?"
He whirls around to the mirror, wiping at it with the back of his sleeve.
"Aside from kissing."
"The start of so many adventures. You know…."
"Ohhhh nooo, we're not having that conversation."
"What conversation?"
"You know which one! The one we, like, cannot have right now. It's too embarrassing. Can't we just forget about the whole thing?"
"Was there going to be a 'whole thing?'"
"Mom!"
Celeste waves a hand through the air as if to halt the oncoming freak-out.
"If you can't even talk about it, you aren't ready for it. Just my opinion anyway. I am not saying it's bad or wrong, just that is requires a bit more consideration than that look you had on your face when you answered the door."
"I didn't have a look."
"There was definitely a look. I've seen a similar look before…on your father's face."
"Gross, mom. Can you just leave now so I can die of mortification?"
"Don't be so dramatic," she laughs. "Alka is wonderful. She's clever, creative, she keeps you honest. And she is a woman, Dane, a lady of D'ian, and deserves respect. All I ask is that you use sound judgment and stay true to how you feel. Okay?"
He crosses his arms and nods, "Okay."
She kisses him on the forehead and messes up his hair before heading down the hall to see Gemma. She is lying on her bed, tapping away at a datapad.
"Business or pleasure?"
"Business," Gemma says. "A report. The last of the semester, thankfully. Then I can worry about the tour schedule."
"I thought you had it all worked out?"
"With the exception of one thing: Corellia. The production company really wants me to go but I get the feeling Riley doesn't really want me there."
"Why wouldn't he?"
"I don't know. He's a boy and he's weird but in an infuriatingly adorable way, you know?"
"I know. So, go for your fans and perhaps he will come around. Garron will be with you and I'm sure you will love Corellia. When were you thinking of going?"
"Maybe over break."
Celeste frowns.
"Break starts in a few days. Is there some kind of urgency?"
Honestly, Gemma isn't sure. There may be given what she saw in her dreams but there isn't enough to produce a credible threat. Still, she must at least see for herself.
"You have to have a presence in the hot markets to grow your brand or so they say. I won't be long."
"Be back with enough time to prepare," she says, pushing the long, golden curls off Gemma's shoulder. "I don't want you falling behind next semester."
"I won't, promise."
At the end of the hall, Dahlia paces in front of three carefully designed outfits. She throws her hands up and sighs. Hers is better than Dane's, filled with a mixture of angst and a finely drawn concept of exasperation.
"I just don't know."
"Know what, darling?"
"Which one to wear when I arrive on Chandaar."
Celeste glances to the bed; an embellished romper, strapless dress with mini-sweater, and a vintage gown with cape.
"I suppose that depends on the statement you want to make."
"Somewhere between 'who me?' and 'I'm back, bitches!'"
"Dahlia."
"What? Sorry! This is important."
"There are a lot of important decisions to be made now that you are eighteen. You get to choose what you want to do, where to go from here, who you want to be – exciting times. Enjoy them."
Dahlia turns to look over her shoulder, "Oh, I am."
"I want you to be extra careful. I hear the Empire will be making a visit."
"I thought you weren't watching the Holo."
"Your father told me."
"Of course he did. The last thing I want is for you to get all worked up so can we just skip the tears and get to part where I tell you I'm going to be fine? Serinus is, like, way far from the government sector of the city. They can't even get there without going through Five Points and politicians hate that. Too many vices on display."
"That is hardly comforting."
"But it was amusing," Dahlia says, holding up the strapless dress. "I think this with the sweater is the most appropriate, don't you?"
"It's lovely. Have fun and make sure Georgie stays close. I am so proud of you, Dahlia. You've accomplished so much. I simply cannot wait to see all the great things you will do."
They embrace and Celeste takes her leave.
Dahlia watches her go with a conflicted heart but she turns back with the determination to explore a destiny that awaits her on Chandaar.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Rutherford Gellar sits behind his massive desk scrolling through financial news.
The markets can be volatile but those are the risks. After some debate, the Aftar Pharmaceutical board voted in favor of the ChemiX merger and Rutherford approved the acquisition. This caused some backlash given the nature in which the opportunity presented itself but the Espos could provide the District Attorney with no evidence linking Celeste or anyone else to Alaan Aftar's murder. Therefore, she was dismissed as a person of interest and the case turned cold.
Granted, there is still public opinion with some of the more outrageous commentators speculating that Celeste committed the murder to give Rutherford a professional advantage and the means through which to acquire Aftar Pharmaceuticals. It is a lurid theory but one Rutherford finds ludicrous. Celeste has always been gracious in avoiding his business life and he, in turn, did not interfere with hers. He is grateful no charges would be brought and Celeste spared a messy trial. The divisiveness of the situation has no doubt put a dent in her social calendar but she's strong and would rise above it.
His admin puts a call through from Chandaar.
"Miss Kain," he says, swiveling around in his chair. "This is a surprise. How are the Republic markets today?"
"Strong in your sector. The Republic has taken the news of the acquisition well and it seems they favor Lady Masterton as investors would not lend credence to the recently dismissed allegations against her."
"She does have that effect on people."
"She's intrinsically good," Janessa says. "A rarity these days so they are wise to acknowledge it. Business aside, my call is more…personal."
"Oh?"
"I trust you've seen the Imperial delegation on the Holo."
"Who hasn't? Something so historic is bound to dominate. Or is it idiotic?"
"A little of both, I'm sure. Time will tell."
"Someone is always playing someone else."
"That's how the game works," Janessa says sly. "Speaking of peculiar appearances, I did attend Escara Wu's fashion show and Emperor Schrag himself was there. Surreal does not begin to describe it. Your daughter was marvelous, by the way. She stole the show."
"I am pleased to hear it. Were you able to see her?"
"Briefly and it is the reason for my intrusion into your afternoon. Dahlia attended the after-party on the arm of the Imperial liaison. It caused quite the stir."
"I saw," Rutherford says, having caught photage of them leaving a restaurant. "A striking boy who, if I'm not mistaken, got the Republic to agree to terms."
"His name is Barrett Trevaithan and yes, apparently, he's some sort of wunderkind and one of the Emperor's closest advisors."
"That does seem odd for someone so young. How did Dahlia even meet him?"
"He attended with the Emperor. They met at the party from what I can tell but, given the Winton history with the Empire, I thought it prudent to share it with you personally instead of having you speculate with what they run on the Holo."
"That is very thoughtful, thank you. Do you see a problem?"
"On the contrary," Janessa says. "Her profile and ties to the Sector could be good for Imperial-Sector relations. Everything appeared above board."
"That's your professional opinion but it isn't why you decided to make the call."
She had debated it but something about the ease with which Dahlia seemed to sweep him up bothered her. She paraded him around so boldly that it made her wonder what they were up to.
"No, it's not. Personally, it worries me. Emperor Schrag is a notoriously shrewd and secretive tactician. There is very little done without careful consideration. The Republic truce is huge and with all eyes focused on that, there may be other variables at play."
"I do not think he would be foolish enough to try something so soon out of the gates but I agree that there are layers to his motives."
There certainly were when it came to exchanging his freedom for a piece of his company.
"Exactly which is why I am leery of any untoward Imperial interest in Dahlia."
"As am I. She will be home soon with the semester starting but I appreciate your concern and your discretion. Please let me know if there are any other developments."
"Of course."
He taps off and scans across the pictures on his desk. Celeste and his children smile happily in a group shot, his second chance at a complete life. He unlocks and pulls open the third drawer in his desk and lifts out of a picture of Blair. She looks so much like her mother and Valerie like her that it is lesson in how strong genetics can be. His first daughter, the one he has never been able to forgive himself for losing as his eyes travel up to the roof above where she had leapt to her death. Her body had passed this very window. He replaces the picture with trembling hands.
As objective as he must remain, his family history with the Empire is sordid at best through the machinations of Alexander Winton. Winton played into his greed and cowardice at losing power that it drove Rutherford to forfeit Valerie and drove Blair to suicide. His revenge came in the form of betrayal by Winton's own wife. By helping the Queen and rescuing Celeste and Dahlia, he had taken back some of what had been lost. With the Empire entering Dahlia's orbit it presents an unsavory opportunity. He is unsure the Emperor would take it so brazenly by beguiling Dahlia with the charms of some boy but it is not entirely out of the question either. Rutherford is calculating enough to see the potential and with the truce such an ally could be profitable all around.
Dangerous but profitable.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Surface: D'ian
Demaris Atrii has kept an extensive field journal on her observations of Dahlia Winton. Most of her findings were inconclusive as the princess kept her cards pretty close to the chest. Although Dahlia did hold considerable sway with their classmates, she had never exposed herself in a way that could be construed as sinister. Demaris begins to wonder if the Jedi were wrong about her or if Dahlia was more cunning than anyone ever imagined.
For her own development, Demaris hones her skills daily and meditates every evening. She has plenty of time and space given her parents seldom makes an appearance at the Atrii mansion. She has grown rather acrobatic in her movements and challenges herself to push beyond her physical limitations. A surprising facet of her abilities came in the form of healing. She had taken a bad landing after several flips and sprained her ankle but with careful concentration and a command over her burgeoning skills in the Force she had repaired the damage entirely.
Curious to her response in a more serious crisis, Demaris went to the kitchen and sliced open the palm of her hand. As she watched the blood stream into the sink, she closed her eyes and directed her energy toward the wound. It healed without as much as a scar.
Was this her calling?
The most significant finding was in the weeks after Dahlia left for Chandaar. Since her return to the Sector, Ples Aguilar had been distracted and distant. He followed Dahlia around like a pet, igniting rumors they were an item which left Demaris heartbroken. She couldn't blame him, not really, given she had disappeared for months after they shared one kiss. It's just that Dahlia could have anyone and never so much as looked at Ples that way before.
In the days after she departed, he became more animated and engaged with the rest of the group. Even Kier mentioned it and he can be pretty dense most of the time. Ples began to spend more time with Demaris and although she was at first leery of his motives, she grew to see this return to normalcy only occurred when Dahlia was no longer around.
Acting on a hunch, she broached the subject over winter break. Ples seemed confused; unaware he had become distant toward Demaris. He remembers their kiss and her disappearance but then he described everything that followed as 'foggy.' This daze implied he was not in control which begged the question – who was?
There is no indication that Dahlia knew what had really happen to Demaris on Hesperidium or if she has any connection to those creatures. It just seems rather suspicious that Ples had been the last person to see Demaris before her disappearance then grew so close to Dahlia in the ensuing months. The thing she liked most about Ples is that he shared her distain for the casual cruelty of their way of life. Despite his title and considerable wealth, he never bought into the whole Corporate Sector mentality – the kill-or-be-killed way of things. Dahlia embodies the shallow charm of the idle rich and that was never something Ples found attractive.
Demaris pour back through her notes on Dahlia, scanning for any clues that might suggest she did something to him. What if he discovered what really happened in the Bolerathon Tower and she made him forget? Would Dahlia keep him in a haze to prevent him from digging into it further? This is all speculation but it's the best lead she's had.
She decides to alert the Jedi to the possibility.
Demaris uses the com-channels supplied by Director Elon Veritaas to try and reach her brother first then Master Nevylinn.
Neither answer.
Next, she calls the Patten Ranch.
After several attempts, there is finally an answer. The static clears to reveal a striking woman with light hair and an expressionless face. There are sounds in the background, low and unclear.
"Hello."
"Hello," the woman says.
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Demaris."
She pauses, as if recalling something.
"Demaris Atrii of the Corporate Sector."
"Yes, is Riley there?"
"Riley…" the woman trails off before flashing a hint of a smile. "He is unavailable at the moment. May I help you with something?"
There are more sounds, something eerily close to blaster fire.
Demaris suddenly has a terrible feeling.
"No, that's okay. I'll catch him later."
The woman's steely gaze sends shivers down her spine and she quickly cuts the connection. Who was this woman and why was she answering Riley's consol? The feeling of dread begins to spread and she backs away from the desk feeling very exposed. She tries Director Veritaas but the channel is busy. This does not ease her alarm but she has no one to turn to for answers.
What is happening on Corellia?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The school semester begins without much fanfare and the students dive right back into the challenging curriculum. Gemma utilizes meditation to try and free her mind of the horrors she witnessed while trying to downplay her concern for Riley. It's not like she can tell anyone other than Garron without fear of upsetting them. Everything was so horrible she can barely process it. Lady Masterton wants to know all about the trip and the concert which they assure her was a great success.
Garron is more troubled by the revelation that the Jedi hunter is none other than Nevylinn's wayward sister. How long had Nevylinn known? Even after all this time and the lives lost, she had said nothing. And something nags at him in Mara's words – the hunter could be reborn to continue the fight. How was this continued resurrection even possible? Did this have something to do with the clone technology used to manufacture the Mara's out of Valerie Gellar's genetic material? He feels a large part of the picture is purposefully darkened which brings him back to the conversation he had with Gemma about the Jedi's motives. Are the Jedi just extremists with their own goals under the pretense of altruism and peace?
His mind wanders into an even darker place.
Could the Sith who abducted the children and Nevylinn's sister be one in the same?
Garron wonders how far down this hole goes.
At Valor Prep, Dahlia resumes her place as the end-all, be-all of popularity. Her foray into the world of politics, on the arm of the Imperial Ambassador no less, has caused considerable buzz. She decides to let Ples go in favor of the potential that Barrett represents. She is soaring high when word is sent through Georgie that Demaris attempted to contact Riley Patten on Corellia. Dahlia wasn't aware they had made each other's acquaintance but it does give a glimmer into how she had spent her days during her disappearance last summer. She considers if Gemma knows Demaris is gabbing away with Riley behind her back. There isn't much information on what was said but it appears brief. Georgie isn't exactly one for gossip, something about oaths and Voss-Ra ritual she doesn't understand and hardly cares about. The point is that Demaris is more complicated than she appears. Is she merely a fragile and emotionally damaged heiress or a spy consulting with the Jedi?
Given the ending Reef Stratford met in her elder sisters group, Dahlia knows what happens to spies.
This is why she accepts the invitation to a party at the Atrii mansion the following Saturday evening. It's not like she needs a reason to attend but a social event is just the thing to blow off some steam after the rigorous educational process. The party is an exclusive event but not restricted to just their immediate crew. All the most popular and attractive people are obviously invited as well as a few others crucial to a parties success.
One of these is Tobias Harkan, the chief supplier of all things illicit. Trichelle is furious but easily calmed with a few glasses of champagne provided by Kier. Alka and Dane brood and make out against the far wall of the drawing room. Although they haven't officially addressed their relationship status, something Alka finds tawdy and mainstream, they are most definitely a serious item. The lack of title bothers Dane more than he'd like but her father is already uneasy with their social proximity and an official announcement might push him over the edge.
Downtempo beats set a mellow tone as some dance in the living room while others find their way to the incredibly stocked bar. Gemma bumps into Demaris coming down the stairs.
"Have you seen Preston?"
"I saw him and Roman head upstairs."
"Of course."
"Of course what?"
"Nothing, thank you for hosting. It's a lovely party."
"My pleasure," she says. "Might as well make good use of all this space. How was your trip?"
"My trip?"
"To Corelia."
"It was…fine. Good. Everything went well."
"You sure? You seem kind of tense."
Gemma laughs, "It's been a long week. Back to the old grind."
"Right, the grind. You know you can talk to me, right?"
"I can't…I mean, I know. Where's the restroom?"
She points and Gemma scurries off.
Upstairs in Demaris' bedroom, Trichelle is pacing in front of the bed where Muriel and Dahlia are draped across.
"So, spill. What's the deal with the Imperial?"
Dahlia rolls her eyes, "You make sound so lurid. I was just showing him around, making things less awkward. You know, giving back."
"To what?" Muriel says skeptically. "The community?"
Trichelle giggles, taking a sip from her flute.
"Kind of, yeah! Barrett is a total project, completely incapable of sustaining a meaningful conversation outside negotiating terms. It's kind of sad actually."
"Well, not everyone can be as linguistically gifted as we are."
"Which is strange considering he went to the Tarkin Academy on Byss. That place is, like, the Valor Prep of the Empire. That is, until they yanked him out as a transfer to Carida."
"Why?"
"I guess he wasn't fitting in, no surprises there. It's like he's intentionally bent on not having friends."
"Clearly he's disturbed."
"He spends most of his time with Emperor Schrag and that guy is a serious downer. People were so freaked out at the show that they wouldn't even sit next to him. One of the models even passed out from nerves. Crazy."
"I'm surprised the Emperor even came."
"I don't think it was a willing choice. They both looked so bored."
"Then you met Barrett at the after-party?"
"Yes, also looking bored and out of place. I thought I could help."
Muriel lights joint, "Such a humanitarian."
"I do my part," Dahlia says faux-coyly, taking a hit.
Trichelle frowns, "Since when do you partake?"
"It's a party, Trich. I'm indulging."
"Whatever, tell me you didn't get that from Tobias."
"You are so judgmental."
"Excuse me for caring about the fact that he almost killed our friend!"
"Hello," Muriel says. "I'm right here and I think you need to find another cause because I am fine. Tobias is not the enemy."
"He's a drug-dealer."
"That is such a D'ian thing to say. How many pills did you take today?"
"So not the point."
Dahlia sits up.
"Pills? Now I'm curious."
Trichelle sighs, "It's for stress."
"Capra is a painkiller," Muriel says. "So let's not point fingers, shall we? Just because you stole it from your mother who was prescribed it by a doctor doesn't make it more socially acceptable."
"I'm pretty sure it does but fine, we'll drop it. What happened with Barrett?
"Nothing happened with Barrett. It was nothing."
"What was?"
"He kissed me. At the museum."
"And?
"How was it?"
"Really hot," Dahlia says, putting a pillow over her face and falling back onto the bed. Trichelle and Muriel scream and squeal while Dane and Alka walk down the hall hanging off each other. Further down, Preston steps out of a room.
"Hey, Preston!"
He jumps, startled and turns around to wave.
Roman comes out a moment later.
Alka smiles but Dane is confused.
"Roman, hey. What are you guys up to?"
"Just, you know, exploring…"
"…exploring, yes. This house is massive."
"Is your shirt on inside out?"
Roman glances down.
Alka mercifully interjects.
"Gemma is looking for you downstairs, Preston."
"Cool, thanks," he says, moving past them.
Roman nods, "That reminds me, seen Ples and Kier around?"
"By the bar."
"Naturally, later guys."
Dane turns to face Alka.
"That was weird."
"You are weird," she says seductively. "Now are you going to dwell on them or ravish me?"
He smirks, lifting her up and staggering back into a bedroom.
The bar is loud with Kier taking shots and shouting while Ples shakes his head and nurses a bottle of ale. Preston wanders in looking for Gemma when Demaris realizes she hasn't seen her in a while and heads back into the foyer and toward the guest bathroom. She raps on the door.
"Gemma?"
"Yeah."
Demaris comes in to find Gemma lying in the large empty tub. She sets a glass of water on the tiled edge.
"Thought you might be thirsty."
"Thanks."
Demaris sits, staring down at Gemma twisting a blonde curl around her finger.
"Look, something is very clearly wrong and even though you feel you can't talk to me about it…I just wanted to let you know that I am here. In case you do."
Gemma glances up, struggling to get the images of the Sith woman bearing down on her with the saber out of her head, and places a hand on Demaris' hand. They sit there, together, in the silent bathroom as the party rages on outside the door, pulsing with the intensifying music as the shot slowly pulls away.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Gemma maintains a good front but beneath the surface she is still grappling with the realities of the dangers they face. She continues to put in the work to train and meditate but her skills were no match for the Sith woman. She was easily bested and it had almost cost her life.
The fact that Riley is so entangled in this dilemma only furthers her worry. The Jedi are on the run again in a galaxy whose tolerance grows ever-smaller. It's not right to be shunned, feared and hated for who they are, especially within an institution as progressive as the Republic. Even after Apteen, the slide toward more conservative agenda's has nearly transformed the government into something antiseptic and sterile. She had watched it happen on the Holo, played out over the course of the past year.
The truce with the Empire falls in line with the new Speaker's pragmatic yet mysterious leadership. Leeds appears to be a solid, no-nonsense kind of man but there is an underlying rigidness to his addresses to the Senate. If this truce holds, she wonders how much the current landscape would change. The Empire has no love for the Jedi either and their paranoia about otherworldly aspects could leak into the ongoing discussion about the F.U.R.A.
She considers her own feelings for the Jedi, troubled.
The origin of her speculation is much closer to home.
Dahlia had filled Dane's head with all sorts of stories about the Jedi and the Sith. Since Dane and Gemma share a religion and mythology class, it gave him a platform to rattle her beliefs. He did so vocally in class, challenging her and others that these opposing forces do little more than manipulate their pupils in their own favor.
They are all pawns to be used.
Dahlia knew Gemma would over-analyze everything he said and it would throw her into a state of introspection and doubt. If she is going to dabble, she thinks it best if Gemma confronts some hard truths before she follows Melanie down the self-righteous skyway. A bit of doubt can cause any Force Sensitive to sway.
Gemma leans against the wall in the junior-senior corridor and sighs.
"Credit for your thoughts?"
Tobias Harkan slinks out from around the corner.
"Hi Tobi, long day."
"I'll say, what with the double-life and all."
She frowns, "What?"
"A scholar and a singing superstar," he laughs. "That's a lot of pressure."
"Tell me about it."
"Everyone needs to slow down once in a while."
"I would but there's, like, this trajectory…always moving forward into the unknown without a real unobstructed purpose. You know?"
Tobias arches both brows.
"That's dark, G. You got darkness."
"I'm postulating," she says. "Can't a girl postulate? I thought people said you were deep."
"They say that?"
Gemma makes a face, "Among other things."
"It sounds like you need to mellow, take a break from all those thoughts."
"Really?"
"Yes, and I've got just the thing."
He pats his backpack and smiles a little too deviously.
"Thanks but I prefer to use my own resources to figure things out."
"I respect that," he says, moving away. "But if you change your mind…"
She waves him off as Demaris stops beside her.
"Was he bothering you?"
"No but I'm pretty sure he just offered me drugs."
"He's such a menace."
"How does he manage it?" Gemma says, pulling away from the wall to fall into step with Demaris. "I mean, they've got to know he's holding. They could bust him at any time."
"They could but then how would most of the administration staff maintain such a calm demeanor?"
"Get out."
"That's what I hear. The admin and quite a few parents too."
"What a scandal."
"More like a scandalabra. One scandal attached to many others. Anyway, let them have their chemical cloud. It gives us more time and less oversight to do what we wish."
Demaris has actually been a great source of strength since the night of the party. Her presence eased something in her which is nice, especially since Alka is deep in the sex haze with Dane and Preston is sneaking around with Roman. They are at that age when boys and girls fall victim to their hormones and she isn't immune. Gemma wants to be closer to Riley and loves the feeling her heart gets when his hand is in hers.
"Hello?! Still with me?"
Gemma giggles, "Yeah, just thinking about something."
"Or someone."
They laugh, veering across campus.
"Where are we going?"
"The quad," Demaris sighs dramatically. "Apparently, we're supposed to meet this new guy that Trichelle got her social claws in almost immediately after he stepped foot on school grounds."
"Why?"
"He's sort of big deal, I guess, another adorable and worldly heir to whatever. His uncle is in textiles or something in the Sector who insisted he matriculate with the spoiled morons of Valor Prep."
Gemma grins, "Lucky him."
Trichelle and Kier are sitting on the duracrete risers in front of the performance art building as they approach. Ples, Roman and Alka arrive a moment before Demaris and Gemma. Dahlia and Muriel swing by just as Ples, Dane and Preston walk up. There is a lot of chatter but soon introductions are going around before circling back to the tall, dark and handsome.
"Nice to meet you guys," he says with a sly smile. "I'm Quentin Swire."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
The entire school is buzzing about the arrival of the mysterious transfer, Quentin Swire which is why Trichelle got her social hooks in him before anyone else had a chance. There is not a lot of information about him and the timing seems off as there is only a semester left before graduation.
Kier manages to glean some insight that Quentin frequently moved around but his uncle practically demanded he finish off his education in the Sector. His hope is that he would make some meaningful connections to get him into a respectable university. All his credits transferred and Valor Prep was more than happy to accept with a generous endowment from Swire Textiles.
Trichelle charges Kier and Ples with assimilating him into their crew and throws a party at the Corinthos mansion to celebrate. Her parents are off in their winter residence although the early spring has been unseasonably mild. She sets the servant droids on a frenzy to ready the house for the arrival of the guests. Dahlia, Gemma and Dane decide to ride over together.
"We could have walked."
"In heels? Sure, Dane."
"You didn't have to get all gussied up. It's just a house party."
Dahlia rolls her eyes up.
"Haven't I taught you anything? Every event is an opportunity to make an impression even if it is for some rando we're supposed to adopt."
Gemma frowns, "He's not a pet, Dahlia. He's a person."
"We don't know anything about him."
"That doesn't make him any less deserving of our hospitality. He's in a new place, surrounded by new people. At least give him a chance."
"That nobility is highly annoying."
"So is your snobbery."
Dane smirks, "Whatever, Roman said he was pretty cool."
"Yeah, I'll bet he did."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Dahlia scoffs, "Boy, you really are clueless."
"Dahlia!"
"What? Someone has to be honest with him."
"Forgive me if I don't exactly find your intentions honorable."
"What the hell? Stop sniping at each other and tell me what's up."
"Forget it, Dane. It's nothing."
"It doesn't sound like nothing."
"Then maybe you should pay closer attention to the things happening right under your nose."
The transport stops in front of the Corinthos mansion.
"Why do you have to be such a bitch?"
Dahlia shrugs, flipping crimson hair off her shoulder as she prepares to exit.
"Because I can."
Gemma groans and follows Dane out and up the steps. A butler droid answers the door and the trio brushes past and through the foyer. Trichelle, Kier and Quentin are in the parlor holding drinks. They are soon joined by Demaris and Ples. Alka, Preston and Roman arrive with Muriel and Tobias. Kier has to hold Trichelle in place so she doesn't lunge across the room. Soon enough, other select classmates arrive and the party grows to a reasonably social level. Introductions are arranged with all the power players to ensure Quentin's status. People then disperse to different areas of the house as music blares through the surround speakers.
Dahlia pulls a shawl around her, grabs a glass of champagne and heads out to one of the patios. A fire pit roars as the afternoon cools into evening. She watches the flames, thinking about Barrett, the kiss and the things she saw. She wonders if he saw the same things and if he's trying to make sense of them too. Perhaps she should ask…
"Hey."
She turns, spotting Quentin standing on the other side of the fire.
"Hi."
"You're Dahlia, right?"
"Good call."
"Fiery hair, fiery personality to match."
"I see you got the press release. Those details are crucial to your survival at Valor Prep."
"So I'm told. It's a ruthless place."
"Hope you can hang."
"I've seen more ruthless so I'm sure I'll manage."
"And how are you taking your integration? Trichelle can be kind of forceful."
"Understatement but it's nice to have people go out of their way for you even if it may benefit her more than me."
She raises a glass.
"That's the Corporate Sector for you, always an angle."
"So what's yours?"
"A lady never tells."
"How mysterious."
"Guess we have that in common considering we know virtually nothing about you other than the hollow story you laid on Kier."
Quentin's smile borders on sinister, backlit by the flames.
"Don't buy it, huh?"
"I haven't decided yet."
"Maybe I could help sway you…back at my place."
Dahlia takes a sip from the flute.
"Smooth but that's a hard pass."
"You got a boyfriend?"
"I have an interested party more charming than you."
"That's not a yes."
"Then let me be more clear," Dahlia says icily, motioning between them. "This isn't happening so perish the thought. There are plenty of other spoiled and easy debutantes around here you can have a go at so knock yourself out."
"What if I said I was only interested in having a go at you?"
"What if I told you any attempt will end in tragedy? Since you've only been around for, like, two microseconds no one will miss you. So do yourself a favor and drop dead."
Quentin nods, circling the fire to pass her.
"Your loss."
"I'll live."
Dahlia waits until he is inside before exhaling loudly. She watches the bubbles in the flute rise to the top and considers her feelings for Barrett. True, they aren't technically together but she does find herself strangely drawn to him. She actually hasn't been able to stop thinking about him. They had talked a few times since she returned to the Sector, mostly to advise him on the many challenges of navigating the Republic. They play these games but beneath it all there is the beginning of something she finds herself wanting to explore.
Inside, everyone is drinking and gossiping and Quentin on the couch next to a giggling Gemma. Her eyes widen and she crosses the room swiftly.
"Gemma, I need you."
She glances up then politely excuses herself. In the hall, Gemma spins around.
"What is so important? I was getting to know the new guy."
"Yeah, well, the new guy is a creep."
"You aren't even going to give him a chance before you judge him to death?"
"No chances needed with this one, trust me."
"Dahlia, you need to learn to see the good in people."
She holds her tongue and refrains from telling her that do-right light-side attitude is complete bullshit.
"You need to learn to be a bit more skeptical. Not everyone shows you their true face right out of the gate."
Gemma tilts her head to the left, "You say that like an authority on deception."
"This isn't about me; it's about you staying away from the predator."
"How do you know he's a predator?"
"He made a pass at me."
"What? Where?"
"Outside," Dahlia says, angling her further down the hall. "He invited me back to his place to get to know him better."
Gemma begins to protest but she shuts her down.
"And don't give me that puritanical idealism even though I know you can't help yourself. He's a player and I don't want you to get played."
"Wait, are you actually concerned for me?"
"We're sisters, sort of, so of course I'm concerned. That Patten boy may be super upstanding but at least he's well intentioned which is more than I can say for Quentin Swire."
"What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"A sweet one, one that wants to believe the best about people, and that can be dangerous."
"Alright, I get it. You don't have to get all hostile and preachy."
"I'm not preachy," Dahlia says, walking back out into the living room.
Quentin is leaning against the bar, flirting shamelessly with a popular junior. Gemma and Dahlia exchange glances before wandering off in separate directions. Gemma is a lot of things; naïve, caring, a Jedi conspirator, but she'll be damned if she'll let her get sweet talked by someone like that.
The crew may be tantalized by his devil-may-care attitude but Dahlia makes a command decision to punch holes in his charismatic façade.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Vex Sienna returns to his apartment tower after a grueling day with the Direx Board. There is always a catastrophe waiting in the wings as companies clash and clamor to swallow each other whole. He rubs the back of his sore neck as he taps in the entry code and strides into the small foyer. He tosses his com and some credits onto the hutch and moves through the hall into the living room where he finds a teenage boy settled into an expensive club chair holding a glass of what he hopes isn't his finest whiskey.
"The fuck…?"
"Good afternoon, Ambassador Sienna."
Vex tenses, hands automatically balling into fists.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Consider me your oversight throughout the next several months."
"An advisor to the advisor? How poetic and unnecessary."
"On the contrary. It's absolutely necessary to facilitate the next phase in our plan."
"Our plan? I don't generally conspire with children."
"We would have sent Burke Pallus but, given your colorful history, it was deemed unwise and they sent me instead."
"So you work for the Empire, glad we cleared that up. And for the record, if I see Pallus again I'm going to kill him for what he did to me."
"We figured as much," the boy says. "Hence my presence here. Drink?"
Vex hisses a sigh and pours himself a glass.
"I see you already helped yourself."
"Good stuff but I guess that can be said for so much of the things you have. You didn't honestly think you would be given such a posh and lucrative position without paying a price?"
"There's always a price with the Empire."
"Business is business."
"How would you know?"
"I was trained by the best."
"Yeah, I got that Carida Academy chip on your shoulder vibe from you. Although I'm surprised they would send a newbie grunt to enforce their will."
He rises from the chair and finishes the glass.
"The same could be said for a former naval captain assigned to be the Imperial liaison to the Corporate Sector. I'm not infantry, Sienna. They send grunts to the front lines of battle not into covert ops that require a set of skills I possess."
"Imperial Intelligence."
"With a bit of Security for good measure. Things could get messy."
"They cross-train these days? How progressive."
"We like to think so. It's a new world what with the Republic truce and all."
Vex pours himself another.
"We'll see how that holds up. If they have kids like you sneaking around I'm sure the truce is not long for this world."
"All that happens does so at the will of our Emperor. Our interests extend far beyond the Republic and will shape the course of galactic events. But I digress. For now, I wanted to introduce myself and make you aware that I'll be around."
"You didn't introduce yourself."
"My apologies," he says, extending a hand. "I'm Agent Swire."
Vex grips his hand tightly.
"I'd say it's a pleasure but it's really not."
"You can dispense with the pleasantries, especially since I'm not going to sugarcoat anything for you. The next few months are crucial. While they hammer out details in the Republic, we will gear up to set things in motion here."
"What kinds of things?"
He sets his glass on bar and pauses uncomfortably close to Vex
"You are going to kill Rutherford Gellar."
Swire walks past him and out of the apartment, leaving the stunned liaison staring into the center of the room.
*
Outside, Quentin descends the steps to his waiting transport and rides away. Dahlia lowers her sunglasses from the idling hoverlimo across the street as Muriel climbs back in with an arm full of shopping bags.
"Wow, that place was crazy. You were not kidding about those dresses. This designer event was definitely the way to go."
"Only the best for us."
Muriel falls back against the plush seat, "Should we go anywhere else?"
"No," Dahlia says, pushing the sunglasses back up. "I think we got everything we need."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
Dahlia sits at the desk in her room alternating between finishing a paper and putting pieces together on the real Quentin Swire. Angst-ridden pop flows from the speakers mounted in each corner, complimenting her mood perfectly. She had one of the tech geeks at Valor Prep pull a tenant list from the apartment tower on Mondder only to find that Quentin's uncle was not among them. The Swire estate is in Concordia like most of the other powerful names in The Sector but it is not uncommon for a family to have multiple properties both here and on Etti IV.
The more interesting fact than Quentin's presence at the tower was that Vex Sienna arrived ten minutes later. Twenty-minutes passed before Quentin's exit. Coincidence? Perhaps. He could have been visiting any of the thousands of people in that building but the timing indicated otherwise.
What would a wayward high school senior be doing visiting the Imperial liaison to the Corporate Sector?
Dahlia is more curious than ever but her thoughts are derailed by the com bleeping on the desk. She clicks on as she revises a sentence in her paper.
"Hey, it's me."
"Oh, hi Barrett."
"You sound surprised. Bad time?"
"Not really," she says, smiling.
"Is this channel secure?"
"You think Rutherford Gellar would let us use an unsecured anything?"
"Good. How are you?"
"Frustrated but working on it."
"Anything I can help with?"
"That depends."
"On what?"
"On how much you know about Corporate Trade policy."
"Are you doing homework?"
"Now you sound surprised. School is, like, important."
"It's just a bunch of events and dates."
"True but understanding the concepts behind them help us learn from the past. Not unlike tactics of war, I imagine. Those battle plans you spend your nights analyzing come from somewhere."
"Fair point," Barrett says. "It's just that the thought of you studying is pretty hot."
"Well, there is no law that says you can't be smart and popular."
"Getting hotter."
"Take a cold shower, B. I'm not going to stoke your fire."
"Stoke," he laughs.
"I've already been solicited this week so forgive me if I'm less than receptive."
There is a sudden shift to defensiveness.
"By who?"
"Some new guy. Relax, I told him…"
She trails off, unsure of how to walk back what was just about to roll off her tongue. The truth may be too much, too soon.
"Told him what?"
She wisely downplays with a redirect.
"Nothing, wait, why did you call me?"
"Uh…I don't know. I was thinking about you."
"Were you?"
"Actually I have been thinking about you a lot. Ever since, you know, that thing."
"You kissed me."
"Yeah and I…saw something."
Dahlia tenses in the chair, "What did you see?"
"Weird shit. Smoke, an orange ball, chairs."
"And three sabers."
"You saw it too?"
"I did."
"Why the hell didn't you say anything?"
"I was getting to it. I'm a busy girl."
"Don't you think that's strange? We make out and see stuff."
"First of all, we didn't make out. You ambushed me with your mouth. Second, a lot of people experience flashes when they kiss."
"Those people see stars or lights or whatever. We saw very specific things and I don't know what they mean."
"I don't know what they mean either."
Not entirely anyway.
"I think it's worth investigating."
"Agreed, but you have more important tasks at hand. How is the Republic high-life?"
"It is not without its challenges but those are manageable thanks to your teachings."
"I'm a helper."
"You are something alright. I don't know how you do it, keeping up all those appearances. Managing Senator's and delegates and a polarized public is exhausting. Everyone wants something."
"Has the sentiment shifted?"
"It depends on the day, really. They are just as suspicious as you said they would be."
"I told you the Empire has quite the hurdle to overcome in terms of reputation but if the Republic is known for anything it's their sentimentality. They want to believe something better is possible which is why they continue their shit show of a democratic process. The Republic needs a sincere and compelling figure to rally behind because they have hope for a lasting, galactic peace."
"It's bullshit."
"Yes it is but idealists don't care about the practicalities. Has the Emperor named you the liaison?"
"Not officially but soon. There are so many processes."
"Their processes give you valuable time. Stick to the script and be the face of change they want to see."
"You sound like my campaign manager."
"Essentially, I am. Unfiltered, you'd torch that place to the ground."
"Probably but I have you to guide me."
"You sound like you miss me."
"What if I said I did? Your company isn't entirely unpleasant."
"Goodbye, Barrett."
"Dahlia, wait-"
"Yes?"
"I have this feeling…about the things we saw."
"What kind of feeling?"
"I can't describe it but I can't shake it either."
"Sounds serious."
"There is something between us."
"I never said there wasn't but you will just have to wait to see how deep I go."
She clicks off and sets the com down.
Dahlia cannot deny their connection or her feelings for him but there isn't much she can do about it from The Sector. At least now she knows Barrett saw the same things she did but what she doesn't understand is what that means. The destiny Adubell spoke of, the glowing sphere at the heart of the galaxy fills her with uncertainty. But she has a feeling too, buried deep within her as if there is a great power waiting to rise up. It grows stronger each day but she feels like the true purpose has yet to be revealed to them.
-TBC
-
"Maybe I am
Hiding in my own confusion.
Maybe we're just
A picture in my head.
Maybe what if it could be
They way I wish it really was.
Maybe I don't wanna see it
The way it really is."
-Lisa Loeb
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Gemma struggles with flashes of the attack on Corellia.
Her dreams are filled with the clashing of sabers and the look of sheer hatred as the Sith bore down. The static hiss and squeal wake her with a start. She tries to keep a lid on the seemingly insurmountable terror but the façade is slipping. She feels as though her failure to protect herself and those she loves signifies something deeper. Demaris grasps that something is very wrong but Gemma maintains the defenses and in doing so feels disconnected, emotionally unstable.
Garron is always wise to her plight, having survived it himself and offers her a way combat the rising doubt. He takes her beyond the fringe of the woods with two bow staffs and tosses one at her feet. She picks it up as he assumes a defensive stance.
"You need an outlet. Despite what you are feeling, you are not weak."
"The Sith was stronger."
"Only because you let yourself believe that. You doubt yourself and the Jedi's motives and I am not questioning that but the doubt will get you killed. You have to be secure in who you are, even if that requires duplicity."
"What are you, some kind of secret assassin?"
"I am many things because your father requires versatility. Now, stop my attack."
He moves more quickly than she thought he could for his size, twisting the bow around to strike. Her reflexes are honed and she expertly evades, snapping his bow away with her own. He does not let up and continues the assault. Gemma draws from the Force, anticipating his movements to counter.
"You are holding back."
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You think the Sith will care about your compassionate nature? This isn't a game, Gemma. She would have killed you and Riley too. She would have killed us all if given the opportunity."
"But she didn't," Gemma says. "Mara stopped her."
"Only that version of her."
"What are you talking about?"
He slams the staff down hard against hers and she pushes back.
"Something Mara said in the shuttle. The Sith found a way to regenerate, to live again."
"How is that even possible?"
"How are there multiple Mara's?"
"Cloning technology is not new. It's like, the original Stormtroopers if they were modeled after a terrifyingly attractive opportunist."
"This extends beyond cloning," Garron says. "This is resurrection."
The prospect startles her and he knocks her off balance. She stumbles to the left but recovers, swiping right in front of his face. He grins and circles her.
"You already faced the monsters, Gemma. No matter how many of them there are or how many times they come for you – you are more powerful than you realize. Yet you fear it."
"You know why."
"You can't have light without darkness."
"A dangerous balance, one I'm not sure Nevylinn believes truly exists."
"We're all capable of both."
"Some more than others."
He charges and they spar, her movements countering perfectly. There is no denying her technique but the Sith was ruthless, unrelenting, something he wonders if Gemma is capable of. He swipes at her legs and she leaps up and flips back as he lunges. She lands and spins, striking his bow hard left and thrusting out with her free hand to Force push him back. Garron tumbles across the mossy forest floor and skids to a stop. He rights himself and feels Gemma swing behind him, pulling her staff up against his throat with a knee in his back. He is forced to the ground again.
"Tell me you are just as fearful of the uncertainty, that it was more than shocking to see Circe again, to discover Mara survived, to know we are part of something larger and more terrifying…."
He gasps, "Gem…"
"I can't be the only one who is frightened!"
Garron bucks and flips her over but she is ready for it, spinning to strike him down hard with the bow. He drops to the ground then looks up with a smile.
"There. That is what you will need to win."
"I can't be the only one…" she whispers.
"No, you are not the only one. I can't tell you what it felt like to know my sister and Donovan were alive, the anguish and hope in seeing Mara standing in that doorway. You don't know my pain or the things I have done to get through it. There is a larger force at work here and it scares the hell out of me. But we have a choice. Either we use that fear as a crutch or as a weapon. I've made my choice. It is up to you to decide."
Gemma drops to her knees, a breeze blowing her blonde curls across her face. The tears fall fast and heavy. He stays close as she lets it all out then escorts her back to the Gellar mansion. Garron retires to the kitchen. She heads upstairs as Dahlia is coming down with her personal protection, Georgie, on her way out to yet another social gathering. At first she thinks nothing of it as she has been around the mute muscle countless times but then the same prickly sensation she felt on Corellia right before the attack roils through her. She stiffens visibly but Dahlia is oblivious, glancing at herself in a mirror at the bottom of the stairs. Gemma turns as Georgie pauses near the main foyer to stare up at her.
Then they are gone.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian
Dane grips her lower back and cries out as she rhythmically writhes on top of him. Her mouth finds his, silencing his moans, with their bodies pressed tightly together. In this position, she has all the control and climaxes first with a shutter. He follows shortly thereafter, driving himself up into her until he buckles and falls back against the pillows. Alka Dawning smiles down at him, flexing her thighs, intentionally causes him to squirm. Her long, dark hair spills across half her face as she leans forward. He holds the back of her head as they kiss but then she shoves him flat against the bed and draws her tongue across his neck.
"Maker Almighty, where did you learn that?"
She shrugs.
"Porn."
"Really? You watch porn?"
"Sex may be a universal language," Alka says. "But the techniques require practice. It never hurts to see a few examples before attempting it."
"You are the coolest."
"True…but you are no slouch, Dane Gellar."
"Obviously."
She climbs off him and curls up against his shoulder, knowing her father would kill her for even being here. It's not that D'Ken Dawning outright forbid Alka from seeing Dane but there was a sternly phrased warning that involvement with the Gellar's only leads to one thing: tragedy. Alka has heard all the rumors and the stories but what she likes most about Dane is that he is adorably dense yet somehow surprisingly earnest for someone with such a dark streak. He broods unlike anyone she has ever seen and trying to figure out what's in that gorgeous head of his is more addictive than any pill his father pushes.
"Well, you are the only one around here getting any that's for sure."
"You think?"
"Your father is like, a hundred years old, Dahlia is an ice queen while Gemma - love her to death - is pining after some boy worlds away. Not exactly what I'd call a present pleasure experience."
Dane smirks, "I'll say. Also, gross. Can we not talk about my family?"
"We've known each other forever. That mysterious bullshit doesn't work on me."
"That's a shame; it keeps everyone else off my back."
"No, the only reason people don't bug you if because you play a varsity sport and embody some kind of macho ideal. You can open up to me, you know. I'm not one of your brain dead teammates, I'm your girlfriend."
He laughs, "Says who?"
Alka rolls away and almost makes if off the bed before he grabs her waist and slides her back toward him. She faux-struggles and they collapse back onto the bed laughing.
"You know you're my girl."
"I better be."
He has come a long way from being the moody kid who says awkward things around her. She used to make him so nervous. Still, there is a part of him withheld from everyone else and with good reason.
Dane constantly considers where he belongs. His sisters seem to have things figured out with their status and careers. He remains unsure of his place and maintains a bit of paranoia about who he is. He sees visions of a long-dead relative who told him that what runs through his veins is special but doesn't tell him how. He's heard stories, whispers about how the Gellar genes play in role in past events yet the details are hazy and everything hearsay. His parents do not like to talk about what came before but have never lied to him when he's asked. They both did terrible things that led them to the happiness they found with each other.
At school, the classes are tough but there are practices and parties to lessen the suffering. He doesn't feel as lost when he's with Alka but way down, he knows she is far too good for him. She has direction and skill as a dancer and the whole world that opens up with it. He is merely a baron, an heir, a man in a line of great men and women with the title of Gellar.
He secretly fears he will never live up to it yet carries the intensity to destroy it.
Dane stops by his locker before lunch and when he pulls it open, something flips out and clatters on the floor. He grabs what appears to be a datacard and turn it over. Written in bold black letters are the words:
Watch Me
He smiles, slipping it into his pocket. Could it be Alka has given him sexual homework? He is excited by the possibilities and steels away into his room soon after returning home. He slides the disk into his personal consol and keys it up. It is a large vid file that he clicks open.
There is photage, crudely spliced together, of many scenes. They are not what he expected but once he realizes the significance of the content, he cannot look away.
Static fades to a man in a CorSec uniform, highly ranked and extremely polished. Someone off screen speaks.
"Come now, Patten. If anyone can see the upside to this arrangement it's you since you do have quite the upper hand."
"At what cost?"
"Questions you should have asked yourself before bedding the underage heiress."
Patten turns around, face contorted.
"Doing this will destroy Blair."
"Not doing it will destroy your wife and daughter. This way you can have them all. Well, almost."
"Almost is not good enough."
"She was never a concession and something Gellar will never give up. The infant, on the other hand, could prove a liability for him which is why he will acquiesce."
"It's not right."
"What do you care of Gellar? Keep your life, your rank, your reputation. Would you really give this all up…for Blair Gellar?"
Patten lowers his shaking head before the photage cuts to static then back to a different scene. This one is moving through a large party scene, an apartment, turning to see a sun setting behind a glittering sea. The cam moves passed people dancing and waving until it enters a lavish bathroom with white and gray tiles against which the sound of heels can be heard. The mirror reveals a girl in a pink party dress which, angled up, shows the face of Kimber Patten. She squints and smiles, the button nose crinkling adorably. The door opens behind her and a very-much-alive Valerie Gellar oozes in wearing a tight black gown.
"Don't tell me," Valerie says. "You're recording this for posterity."
"Documenting a moment. Venko is brutally hot and I just don't know what to do about it."
"He's our chief security officer."
"Says the girl who had a threesome with Reef and Lucas."
Valerie leans into the mirror and dabs on lipstick.
"Details, details. That's not your jam, Kimmy. Leave the scandal to the professionals."
She pouts.
"Why can't I have any fun?"
Valerie turns to face the camera, dark eyes narrowing into slits.
"Because your crushes will get us all killed."
It cuts to static then a darkened lab, two men standing across from each other.
One is in a dark tunic with crimson hair and the other, older with short brown hair and the unmistakable insignia of the Trade Federation emblazed on his jacket. The crimson haired man extends a hand containing a vial.
"Your sample, Viceroy."
"Patten gave consent?"
"Part of the arrangement. Gellar holds the key…to create life out of nothing-
Dane slaps the controls and cuts the vid. His heart is pounding but he doesn't know exactly why. He feels like he has invaded part of the past, spied into moments that he should not be privy to. He stands quickly, knocking the chair aside, pulling the desk from the consol to inspect it. There are no other markings or writing, no clue to tell him where it came from.
Who sent this?
He is simultaneously curious and angered by the things he saw.
Who sent this, and why would they want him to see it?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface
On a particularly wet spring afternoon, Dahlia returns to the Gellar Estate after a long day at school.
She had also received a mysterious datacard in her locker although she is much less anxious to see it. Dahlia is not fond of surprises and the little lessons Adubell likes to spring on her are never much fun at all. She steels away upstairs, easy to avoid parents who are still at work, and locks herself in her room.The datacard contains a vid file, large and from multiple angles of a security system. The location is undisclosed but it does not take her long to decipher. Gemma exits the side of a house with Riley Patten followed by several children and teenagers. Security approaches but Gemma raises a hand to stop the others from proceeding. It is then the agents change and the Voss-Ra are revealed.
Dahlia does not expect what happens next.
She anticipates Riley to be the hero, blasting away to save Gemma and the others. But it is Gemma who takes the lead, igniting a light blue saber and attacking with a precise, graceful and coordinated style. One that comes from extensive training and practice. Even her outfit, a tailored jumpsuit, is on point. Dahlia is straddling the line between fury and awe as Gemma slashes her way through what grows into a heated battle.
Then she spots her – Adubell
The Sith Master who just won’t stay dead.
Adubell dispatches Riley and advances on Gemma like a true predator. They spar but Adubell is much stronger and more vicious than Gemma and right as she is about to finish her off, another steps in – the Jedi Nevylinn. Gemma is spared and helps to evacuate Riley and some of the others away from what looks like an explosion. The house is beginning to burn and through the fray; another player emerges touting a blaster looking chiseled and more rugged than she thought possible – Garron Prescott.
The gang's all there, fighting that good fight.
Well, it looks like Gemma did more than just perform on Corellia. It is one thing to suspect her of light side influences and Jedi companionship but is quite another to see her in action. And with a saber, no less. She wonders how she acquired such a deadly accessory and when she had time to train between making an LP and maintaining status on the honor roll. She would be impressed if she wasn't so pissed.
Adubell was right.
Gemma is a liar and a Jedi.
So much for the straight and narrow.
Dahlia slaps off the consol and seethes with dark energy when her room com bleeps. She taps on the com and sighs.
"Yes?"
"I need to talk to you."
"We're talking now. Besides, I'm busy Dane."
"Yes, I'm sure being giant bitch is time consuming but this is important. Dahlia, please."
She considers his tone, aggressive and bordering on shrill.
"Fine, be right there."
Dahlia pulls the datacard from the consol and stashes it in her nightstand before heading down the hall to Dane's room. He is sitting on the edge of his bed looking freaked the hell out.
"Close the door."
She touches the controls and moves deeper into the room.
"Okay, what's up? You look, um, concerned."
He bites on his thumbnail for a moment before abruptly rising and keying up a vid on his consol. Voices fill the room, adult males conversing, the name Patten used then Gellar and finally, Winton.
Dahlia walks to the desk and stares down at the screen.
"What is this?"
"Oh, you know, a bunch of photage from secret dealings and parties that all pretty much say everything terrible that happened to my family is a result of the Patten's."
"Where did you get it?"
"I found it in my locker."
She swallows hard but keeps her own gift to herself.
"Why are you showing me?"
"Keep watching."
A man enters the screen with hair the same color as her own and a sinister tone as he discusses something about genetics while another man goes on and on about machines. Her mouth falls open and she turns to meet his glare.
"Do you know who that is?"
"Yeah," Dane says. "It's your father."
-TBC
-
"Every snake knows to bite."
-Darkstar & Empress Of
Corporate Sector
D'ian
"Tell no one of this."
Dane's stare is cold, accusatory.
"Why not?"
"It won't benefit you to lash out so directly. Sure, the Patten's are terrible. Cute, but terrible-"
"They did this to us. All the things they never want to talk about. Valerie was taken, Abra died and Blair killed herself as a result of that action. Patten let it happen so he could cover up what he did and it destroyed my father."
Dahlia considers his words carefully, taking in his tightly drawn features and rage in his dark eyes. He is angry, confused and that can be dangerous. The Gellar's aren't exactly known for their impulse control and Dane's position within the family and larger infrastructure of the Corporate Sector must remain intact. He's got a lot of power coming to him and she's not about to let him burn it to the ground.
"It was awful, for everyone. Blackmail and deceit don't always produce favorable outcomes but in the end, Rutherford healed, found strength in his rage and expanded his influence and power that has now grown into a monopoly in the pharmaceutical industry. He started a new life that included you and Gemma and you have made him proud."
"And what about your father? He's all up in the mix, wheeling and dealing. He's a bad as the rest of them but I guess I already knew that."
Dahlia shrugs.
"I didn't know him but from what I understand, he had his own motives. All our parents conspired so no one is blameless. It is what we do now that will make the most difference."
"What do you mean?"
"You can seek revenge against the Patten's in a more tactful way. Going after Riley, who I know you can't stand, is too obvious. He's protected on Corellia and any move you make against him will upset Gemma."
"Since when do you care about upsetting Gemma?"
Oh, there will be upset alright but like most things there is a time and place. Her guidance to Dane is more of a reaffirmation for her. Although Adubell's hope with the photage was to no doubt send her on a murderous rampage to eliminate an enemy, its more complicated than that. Murdering one of the biggest new pop stars would bring too much heat, especially one with the last name Masterton. It would solve an immediate problem by creating several others and turn the public against her. She can't have that but she can funnel the outrage into other projects to further her agenda.
"Your beef isn't with the Masterton's."
"Right," Dane says. "So how do I stick it to the Patten's?"
Dahlia smiles, thinking back on the things she saw in her own photage.
"What if I told you the Jedi were hiding out on Corellia?"
"Corellia is part of the Republic and they have that, like, no Force user thing."
"Right on both counts."
"So…wouldn't that violate something?"
"Totally but the more interesting caveat is who they have hiding them."
"Who?"
"Riley Patten, boy billionaire."
Dane's face clouds over and she relishes feeding off the stormy energy pouring off him. The hatred is almost palpable in the room. It lulls her into a happy place but she remains focused.
"He's a traitor just like his mother."
Dahlia flips her hair and shrugs.
"Right? Someone should really warn them but be smart Dane. This isn't a game you play lightly. If you want to hurt Patten, it can't look like retaliation from a Gellar."
*
Downstairs, Kylie Miranda returns from the market which she hands over to the droids. She sets the dining room and preps dinner when Garron happens by. She ignores him at first but he lingers because he knows it's annoying.
"What?"
"I didn't say anything."
"You were going to so just say it."
He laughs, "You just seem tense."
"I'm not talking about this with you."
"So it does involve the Imperial."
Kylie shoots him a look.
He puts his hands up.
"I'm asking as a friend. We rarely talk anymore, I seldom see you. I thought things were going well."
"On paper, sure. Vex is a perfect gentleman, attentive and caring…"
"But…?"
"But there is something beneath the surface. I can feel it. There are a lot of things he won't talk about."
"He's the Imperial liaison to the Corporate Sector, Kylie. I'm sure there are many things he can't tell you. Conflict of interest. You work for a member of the Direx Board."
"It's not work," Kylie says. "At least not work in the Sector."
"You think it's coming from the Imperial side?"
"Well, they are finalizing the truce on Chandaar and that changes things. Maybe if they start working together more closely, the Sector won't be as high a priority. Maybe he won't be needed here."
"Come on, the Empire always has an angle and they aren't going to let something like the CSA slip out of their pocket simply to get in bed with the Republic. Has Vex said anything about his duties changing?"
"No, but when we're together, I feel like he wants to tell me something but stops himself."
"He's a strange character with unclear motives."
"From you."
"Hey! I'm not with Janessa the way you are with Vex but point taken. We are both drawn to complicated people. Perhaps if we were more direct with them, we wouldn't be in the situations we find ourselves in."
Kylie smiles, wiping off her hands.
"Thank you. I needed to hear that. I'll talk to him this weekend."
"Just do one thing for me, okay? Be careful."
*
In the living room, Gemma is curled on the couch with school work while Celeste reads quietly in the next chair. Security agents change shifts and as Georgie walks by, glancing quickly into the room as he passes, Gemma feels a coldness inside. Her wide blue eyes slowly follow him as she grows more convinced things are not as they appear.
-TBC
-
"Round and around
Round and around we go.
I can't tell right
I can't tell wrong from right
I can't wait till you lie."
-Darkstar & Empress Of
"Reformer"
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Vex Sienna waits at the table; glancing toward the door, checking his expensive chronometer several times before calling Kylie's com. It goes straight to message. Frowning, he reluctantly tries the Gellar Estate. Unfortunately, it is Garron Prescott who answers so he motions to the server for a drink.
"Prescott, its Sienna."
"Sienna, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
"I'm looking for Kylie. Is she available?"
"She has a personal com which you might want to try."
"I've done that but it's off. She was supposed to meet me for dinner."
"She left for Mondder this morning," Garron says. "She hasn't arrived?"
"I haven't seen her."
"She should have been there hours ago."
"I know," he says. "She called me before she left D'ian so I've been expecting her for quite some time."
"Kylie is never late."
"Thus the reason for the intrusion," Vex sighs.
"Perhaps she made other plans."
"She would have the decency to call."
"She would, wouldn't she?"
"Will you tell her I asked for her when you see her?"
"Absolutely."
"I appreciate it."
"I'm sure you do," Garron says and terminates the line.
Vex slides the device back into his pocket and groans. He would decry Garron's manners if he wasn't so preoccupied with what was keeping his girlfriend. The restaurant is getting crowded and he doesn't want to hold up the table so he pays for his drink and heads home.
*
Two hours earlier…
Kylie Miranda rides the lift up to his apartment and walks toward the door with confidence. Love is about trust and whatever it is, whatever holds him back, she hopes the love they share will be enough to let her all the way in.
She wears a simple black dress, a woven purple shawl and black heels. She's always preferred the understated to the flashy and its part of why she thinks he fell for her in the first place. Kylie doesn't try so hard. She is content with who she is and what she stands for, even if it is earnest, dutiful and somewhat naïve.
Vex answers the door half dressed; pressed slacks, barefoot, without a shirt. He grins as she passes.
"I'm almost ready."
"I thought that was my line."
"It usually is," he says, following her into the living room. He kisses her and she returns it with slightly greater intensity. "You look amazing."
"Thank you."
Her face falters, if only for an instant.
"You've got that look, like I'm in for it or something."
"Do I?"
"I've known you a few years now. I can tell."
"You're a wonderful man-"
"Oh boy, this never ends well."
"No, listen…you are and I am grateful but there is a part of you I feel I can't reach. I've long since come to terms with your work because I know what is in your heart. I don't believe you are out to hurt me yet this distance, the strained way we communicate about anything more than the superficial, makes me feel like you are keeping something significant from me."
"Kylie, please."
"You can tell me."
His chest is aching and his eyes sting. He has wanted to tell her every day since it happened but the threats made against her kept him quiet.
Until today.
"No, I can't. I can't tell anyone…what they did to me…things I may have done…"
Vex is crumbling under the weight of this secret and he stumbles forward, kneeling in front of her. He doesn't see a way out and the helpless desperation, amplified by the arrival of the young Agent Swire, has been slowly swallowing him whole.
"What is it? Vex, you are scaring me."
"They infected me, I don't know what it is, but I can't remember. There is time missing, coming to in strange places without any idea how I got there or what I did. It's like I don't have control of myself…."
She holds the side of his face.
"Control? I don't understand. Who did this to you?"
"The Empire," he whispers, jaw clenching and unclenching. "The Empire sent Agent Pallus…to inject me….put something in me…something they had engineered by ChemiX…"
There is fear pulsing through her now, an uncurling of suspicion and doubt rushing toward a dreadful confirmation.
"Why would they do that?"
Vex inhales sharply before staring up at her.
"They want me to kill Rutherford Gellar."
The questions pile up in her mind and she cannot get any one of them out. She just shakes her head and backs away from him.
"I knew it…from the beginning…I knew it but I let you convince me otherwise. I believed you when you told me the Empire had no interest in us but it was a lie! They were all lies!"
He feels it then, the cold, creeping up through his body slowly as if being switched on from within. His eyes glaze over so that he is not really looking at her but through her as he rises from the floor. Kylie senses this change and glances past him to the foyer but she hesitates out of love for him.
It is this mistake that will cost her everything.
Vex lunges forward, knocking her back against the far wall. He is on her within microseconds with hands closing around her throat. She gasps, clawing wildly, managing to sputter his name.
"Vex…!"
Although he is straining, his face is eerily calm as he says the one thing she had secretly feared their entire relationship.
"The Gellar's and Masterton's took from the Empire and although they truly believed they had escaped, there was always a price to be paid."
Her eyes are wide and full of terror until finally she stops struggling and her arms drop away. He releases her and steps back. Kylie slumps forward, caught in her shawl, limp with her head hanging as he grips the fabric and stares into the center of the silent room.
Beautiful and lifeless, Vex gently lowers her to the floor then reaches into her purse to turn off her com-link. He finishes getting ready before heading to the restaurant to make the reservation time.
He walks into the restaurant and looks around, mildly confused. He doesn't remember getting here only that he arrived. The host is giving him a quizzical look so he makes his way over and asks if Miss Miranda has arrived. The host says that she has not.
Vex Sienna waits at the table, glancing toward the door, checking his expensive chronometer several times before calling Kylie's com. It goes straight to message. Frowning, he reluctantly tries the Gellar Estate. Unfortunately, it is Garron Prescott who answers so he motions to the server for a drink.
The conversation goes about as well as expected without a resolution.
He would decry Garron's manners if he wasn't so preoccupied with what was keeping his girlfriend. The restaurant is getting crowded and he doesn't want to hold up the table so he pays for his drink and heads home.
Vex taps in the door code and steps inside.
The first thing he smells is her perfume, light and vaguely fruity, like someone had captured late summer in a bottle. He smiles and moves through the foyer.
"Kylie?"
Her name hangs in the air, expanding in a cartoon bubble above her body. She is lying in the center of the living room, draped in a purple shawl with her head turned toward him, motionless with her eyes open. The shock, nausea and sadness come in waves that bring him to the floor. He crawls to her, touching the side of her face, wracked with sobs because he knows he did this. He has done it before.
And he will do it again.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
As spring swirls ever closer to summer, there is a palpable excitement in the air. There is a month left until Prom and two months to graduation so Muriel and Tobias plan a party titled the Screw-This-Soiree. It is a big middle finger to the establishment affairs they have been made to attend over the years. They build some serious buzz throughout Valor Prep and with the exception of Trichelle, the crew is thrilled by the idea. Muriel was going to run this by her mother but she's off on some spiritual retreat to become one with herself.
All the more reason.
At the Gellar Estate, Lady Celeste Masterton fastens an earring in the large vanity mirror as she readies for a dinner party at the Dyre's. She glances at the service droid behind her.
"Has there been any word from Kylie?"
"I'm afraid not, Lady Masterton. Miss Miranda has not returned to the Gellar Estate."
She frowns, a glimmer of concern creasing her features. It is unlike Kylie to be away so long without calling. She knows she had plans over the weekend but when she did not return Monday, she assumed she was held up on Mondder. Calls to her personal com switched straight to message. It is now Tuesday evening and Celeste is more than just a little worried.
Gemma appears in the room as the droid exits.
"Hello, darling."
"Do you have a minute?"
Celeste turns, "For you, of course."
Gemma crosses the master suite and sits beside her on the vanity stool. The resemblance between them is so striking that Celeste smiles as she brushes a strand of blonde curls back over Gemma's ear.
"You seem melancholy," she says. "What troubles you?"
There is so much to tell that she doesn't know where to begin. She knows she cannot confess without bringing her mother into danger so she opts for something broader, something she has wondered for a long time.
"Do you ever wish…Melanie would have chosen a different path?"
It is not asked with malice but there is a sting to the query. Pain aside, Celeste had often wondered a great many things about the choices of her first child and her hand in shaping those choices. With Gemma, it was different. She was allowed a freedom Melanie was not.
"You mean, as a Jedi?"
She nods.
"This was a calling she could not ignore and I believe it gave her a sense of purpose and strength despite the ominous circumstances surrounding her. My only wish is that I could have been there for her the way I have been for you. I made so many mistakes, believed in ideals that turned out to be false, and it cost me everything with her."
"You believe the ways of the Jedi helped her?"
"Their teachings no doubt provided a clarity she lacked."
She lacked this clarity as a result of their withholding of the prophecy that, in the end, claimed all their lives.
"Did you ever consider becoming one?"
"A Jedi? Oh, I'm not sure I would be cut out for it. When Master Corrin brought me here, he taught me many things which I then shared with you, Dane and Dahlia. It kept us grounded and secure but for me, my relationship with the Force has always been more empathic which I have used to help others. My calling as a therapist and counselor helped me find peace by helping them find that same peace. I suppose, in some ways, I do owe that to the teachings of the Jedi."
Gemma smiles and leans on her shoulder.
"Why the sudden curiosity?"
"I hope to be as strong as Melanie and as compassionate as you."
Celeste touches the side of her face.
"You are the best of all of us; courageous and kind. I am so proud of all you have accomplished and look forward to seeing the wonderful things you will do."
"You are?"
"Absolutely, my darling. Your voice is a gift that brings everyone joy and no matter how you choose to utilize your deep connection to the Force, I will always support you."
"Thank you."
She kisses her forehead, "I love you, Gemma."
"I love you too."
Rutherford and Garron enter the room but hang back, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"I'm sorry, sweetie but we really must speak with your mother."
Gemma nods and leaves them.
Celeste stands and turns around, "Is everything alright?"
"We don't know," Rutherford says. "Kylie has not checked in and I am growing concerned."
"I was just thinking the same thing."
"You haven't heard from her?"
"No," Celeste says. "I tried her com…"
"It's been off for days."
"That's…alarming. Do you know where she is?"
Garron crosses his arms, "We know she went to visit Vex Sienna this weekend on Mondder."
"Surely he must know something."
"He called on Saturday evening saying that she was supposed to meet him for dinner and never showed. I reached out to him again this morning and he told me her shuttle is registered at the spaceport but she's nowhere to be found. He's been looking for her all weekend."
"Do you believe him?"
Garron remains as even as possible.
"My dislike for the man aside, I know he cares for her. However, Kylie did share with me some concerns that he may have been hiding something from her."
"Hiding something?"
"She believed it revolved around his work with the Empire."
"That may be true," Rutherford says. "But non-disclosure clauses in his contract may prevent him from telling her anything about the business aspects in the Sector."
"I told her as much and advised she confront him but, according to Sienna, that never happened."
Celeste places a hand on her chest with a sinking feeling.
"I don't like this. Something is wrong."
Rutherford nods.
"Agreed. I have the Espos looking into it now but until we hear anything, I believe we should minimize our fears in front of the children. The last thing we want is to worry them."
Celeste finds her way into her husband's arms, "I do hope she is alright."
Garron excuses himself and wanders through the house to contemplate. It is completely out of character for Kylie to not at the very least check in with the family she has served faithfully most of her life. They worry for her like she is their own. Garron cannot shake a lingering doubt about Vex despite the Imperial liaison's obvious concern. If he didn't harm her then perhaps something she discovered about him and his work led to her disappearance.
He decided to investigate this possibility when Gemma grabs his arm and drags him into her room.
"Maker Almighty, Gemma what is it?"
"I think Georgie is one of them."
"One of who?"
"Them. The monsters."
Garron's eyes widen, "Like those on Corellia, the ones from your dreams?"
She nods.
He knows now to trust her instincts but the recent trauma she endured in the attack on the Patten Ranch has left her fragile, emotional shaken. That is to be expected but this accusation seems like a wild leap, especially if one of their own security agents has been an enemy right under their noses.
"What makes you believe this?"
"I felt it," she says in a hushed whisper. "The same feeling I had right before the attack. They can pose as other people. I don't know how but it must be some sort of glamour."
"A glamour? How is that possible? Are they Force sensitive creatures?"
"I'm not sure this has anything to do with the Force. Maybe their species can shape-shift."
"A Changling?"
"No, something else. I've seen pictures of what Changlings look like in their true form."
"Gemma," Garron says carefully. "Are you sure you are not looking for enemies where they don't exist?"
"You doubt me?"
"Not at all but given what you've been through…"
"This isn't post-traumatic stress."
"How can you be sure?"
She shakes her head, at a loss for words. It may very well be true but it doesn't feel that way. It feels like there is a monster in their midst and either it angling to harm Dahlia or her adoptive sister is as close to this as the Jedi believes she is.
"I can't. Not yet anyway."
"We can follow up with this later. Right now, I have to attend to an urgent matter."
"It's Kylie, isn't it?"
He swallows hard but knows there is no lying to her.
"Yes."
"Is she okay?"
"That's what I need to determine."
He turns to leave but she grabs his arm.
"There is something else….something I saw months ago that made no sense then…but it may mean something now."
"What?"
"I saw Kylie with hands around her throat."
Garron's horror is evident followed by anger.
"Why did you wait to tell me this now?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what it meant or if meant anything at all. But now…"
"Did you see who it was?"
"It wasn't that clear, only her face as she was being choked, just for an instant. That was all."
"Gemma, I have to go. If something happened to Kylie then we must figure out what and who is responsible."
"Okay."
"Promise me you'll sit on this theory about the creature until we resolve this situation."
"Sure."
"Gemma."
She sighs, "Fine, I promise."
Garron leaves the room but she cannot wait to follow this lead. She knows Georgie will at least accompany Dahlia to the Screw-This-Soiree this weekend.
That will be her chance to find out for herself.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Everything about Vex Sienna checks out.
His alibi and multiple witnesses confirm he came to the restaurant to meet Kylie Miranda, used his com, ordered a drink and left all within the span of an hour. This coincides with the timeline in which he called the Gellar Estate.
Photage from the spaceport show her shuttle docking on Saturday afternoon then departing the port via public transport. There is no record of who picked her up or which skiff was used – a troubling answer from the taxi companies obtained by the Espos. With all the traffic and cam angles throughout Mondder, they are unable to follow conclusively although she does appear to be heading in Sienna's direction. Unfortunately, there is no photage of her arriving at Sienna's apartment tower or anywhere else in the city for the remainder of the weekend. Vex can be seen both leaving and returning without her.
Kylie Miranda simply vanished.
Garron is not convinced but must defer to the Espos' investigation. He is certain she was abducted but there has been no ransom demand, no trace of a motive. The photage is clean but perhaps a little too clean. Stop. Now he was thinking like Gemma, finding monsters without the burden of proof. He'd been raised a man of law and reason, tempered with a variety of other skills and training that came in handy. As of late, that reason has been shaken by the things he has seen and experienced. The sphere they travel within is more complex with many layers. They may have had differences of opinions but Kylie is his friend. He'd known and worked with her for over a decade and this lack of leads is agonizing.
Dahlia, however, is growing more convinced of something by the moment. Late Saturday night, they were all at the Corinthos Estate when Quentin received a call and abruptly departed. Dahlia was curious, Trichelle was insulted but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The previous week when Quentin was showing off the shiny new cruiser he claimed his uncle bought for him, impressing Kier and Ples, Dahlia casually slipped on a tracker. The boy was always on the move. She checked on it when she came home that night and noted it was on Etti IV, in Mondder. When Kylie never returned and her parents dispatched the Espos early that week, Dahlia became immediately suspicious.
Coincidence? Maybe.
That is where Fediir Swire, Quentin's uncle, primarily lived and worked. It would make sense he would be shuttling back and forth, given how much concern Fediir had apparently shown for Quentin's future. Still, she believed Quentin had visited Sienna at least once before and the timing of Kylie's disappearance while flying to meet Sienna was just a little too fluid.
Could Quentin have orchestrated something like that?
But why?
Unless, Dahlia's mind is whirling darkly, Quentin has Imperial ties and their nosy au pair was getting a little too close to Sienna. Speculation, of course, but she has some conversational leverage to rattle out Quentin's true intentions.
Dahlia glances down at the black and red streaked invitation to the Screw-This-Soiree and smiles.
A party is such a lovely venue for a confrontation.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Monroe Estate
As the party rages on, Gemma excuses herself from the dancing crowd and enters the mansion. People are everywhere, scantily clad and hedging dangerously close to bad decisions. She scans the area for Dahlia but doesn't see her. Her hope is that she can confront and confirm her suspicions yet there is a small part of her that hopes Dahlia is not in on the game.
Changing course, she heads to one of the downstairs guest bathrooms for some peace. The music is so loud that it makes thinking difficult. She stares at herself in the mirror and giggles, knowing she looks ridiculous. At least it was fun getting into the spirit of the party. They do place far too much emphasis on pomp and circumstance and this was a harmless way to express their displeasure with it.
As she moves to leave, the door hisses open to reveal Georgie's hulking form.
Gasping, she steps back and he advances inside. The door hisses closed behind him.
"What are you doing here?"
The words do not come out of his mouth but she can hear them very clearly in her mind.
You know.
Her heart is racing.
"I think you should leave."
I'm not going anywhere.
"Fine, then I'll go."
She tries to move past him but he blocks her path. There is a very real terror that threatens to rise up and consume her but she keeps it in check.
You wanted to find me here tonight. Now you have me.
"You aren't who you claim to be."
Neither are you.
"But only one of us means well. I can see right through your little façade."
The same way you did on Corellia.
"How do you know that?"
I know much more than you think I do. About all of you. It was you who saw us long before we came. We called out to you in your dreams and you led us right to you – The New Four. Our elders foretold of your arrival and the influence you would have on the galaxy. Whereas your predecessors brought chaos and destruction, the four of you hold the potential for peace.
"What's wrong with peace?"
It is an illusion, much like I appear to you now but beneath the surface there is always a thread that can unravel it all.
Gemma's face darkens, "You…want chaos?"
We want the worlds as you know it brought to its knees and cleansed by fire so that from the ashes will raise our Abomination.
It is a word she has read before, in reference to the prophecy.
"The Abomination is a Winton. You wish for Dahlia to take her sisters place?"
Yes.
"And she knows about this?"
The thing laughs, deep and guttural.
Sweet child, Dahlia knows very little more than her own reflection. These things take time and if there is anything the Voss-Ra have, it is an abundance of patience.
Gemma swallows hard, fingering the clasp on her purse within which her saber is kept.
"Why are you telling me this?"
You are never leaving this room alive.
There is a pounding on the door, distracting both.
"Gemma?"
It's Demaris, her party protector. They had made a pact to keep each other company during these obligatory functions. Now it seems this will draw her into danger.
"Are you in there? The door is locked."
Gemma glances back at Georgie who looks ready to strike. She inhales, drawing on the Force and releases a pulse which knocks him back out of the way. His glamour collapses and she watches in horror as the exterior visage curls away to reveal the monster that has haunted her since she was a child.
She lunges for the door but its long arm snares her belt. Her fingers barely graze the control as she is hurled back through the glass shower door.
On the other side, Demaris uses her powers to disable the lock and rushes inside to find the creature standing over Gemma and a millions tiny shards of glass.
"No!"
Demaris levitates the creature much to Gemma's surprise and brings him crashing down against the side of the sunken tub. Gemma grips her saber as Demaris steps over to grab her hand and pull her back toward the door. The creature engages the controls and the door hisses closed once more. It climbs up out of the tub, snarling through a set of jagged teeth.
Demaris strikes the side of its head, snapping its leg at the knee then landing a solid kick to the chest. It staggers but slashes out, catching Demaris by the throat. She gags as she is raised into the air.
Gemma ignites the saber, a blue glow illuminating the bathroom. She twirls it behind her before bringing it through the arm holding her friend. Demaris falls into the tub and the appendage dissipates into black smoke. It attacks her again but Gemma slashes through its mid-section, spins, then arches up to take its head clean off at the neck. The creatures form becomes smoke which settles into the air.
There is no trace it was ever here.
Gemma clicks off the saber and helps to pull Demaris to her feet. Emotions exchange between them like waves crashing against the sand.
"You…
"…you."
"I wanted to tell you but I couldn't. Master Nevylinn thought it would endanger you."
"I think we're beyond the endanger part."
"How did you know?"
"I didn't know it was here…I just felt you…in trouble. So I came."
Gemma throws her arms around her. They stand there in silence for a while, each thankful for the other. The secrecy of their powers gave way to isolation and loneliness. Now they have each other. It is the reason for their strong connection. It was leading them toward each other, a burden to share.
She glances down at herself, a multitude of small cuts and the beginnings of a larger bruise.
"Oh my…this is going to raise questions."
Demaris eases her down on the ledge of the tub.
"Let's see if there isn't something I can do to help."
She kneels and closes her eyes, drawing on the Force to guide her hands as they move over Gemma's legs and arms. Slowly, the cuts close and disappear until there is nothing left but the blood. Demaris grabs a hand towel and wipes it off her skin and smiles.
"See, good as new."
"You are powerful, Demaris. Thank you."
"Nah, I'm just scrappy but I did have a knack for the healing."
"When did you learn this?"
Demaris' expression becomes more serious.
"I didn't spend last summer finding myself."
"Then what…?"
"One of the creatures attacked me on Hesperidium. It would have killed me too if I didn't think quickly. I reached out to Master Nevylinn and got myself to Corellia where I spent that time coming to terms with what happened to me and growing stronger in my abilities."
She grins.
"I got to meet Riley. He speaks of you fondly."
Gemma blushes, "Well, I am fond of him too."
"I was lost and completely messed up about the creature and my brush with death. Thankfully, everything was put into perspective and I finally felt whole again."
"You saw him?"
She nods.
"My brother and the Counselor's miraculous survival healed something in me. It was exactly what I needed to go on. And I had a mission – to discover if Dahlia was involved with the creatures. This was the first encounter I had since then. I guess it won't be available for interrogation."
"Luckily, it gave me something."
"Do tell."
"They call themselves the Voss-Ra and, previously, had exalted the Winton daughters as their Abominations to bring forth chaos. This part I knew, well, not about them but about what the Abomination represents. Long story, deals with a prophecy but with Alexia and Karen gone, it sounds like they had their sights set on Dahlia. I was convinced she was involved but it doesn't sound that way. They wanted us gone first."
Demaris stands and crosses the room to adjust her own ensemble in the mirror.
"How do you know it wasn't lying?"
"I don't," Gemma says. "But I also don't have any proof she is complicit. When I was on Corellia, I was able to see through their visage. I felt the same thing with Dahlia's security agent which was confirmed tonight. Somehow, they can transform but it wasn't until recently I was able to feel it, the disturbance their glamour causes. It's like a ripple where a person is supposed to be."
"The one on Hesperidium looked like Nevylinn."
"They could be anyone so we must keep our guard up."
"We could stop them."
"Work together?"
Demaris nods.
Gemma smiles, smoothing out her jumpsuit.
"I like the sound of that."
-TBC
-
"See you go, give me reason to hope
Should you know that I make easy prey
But you would throw it away
Just fools and their gold."
-PLGRMS
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Beyond a glittering sea, so far below, the sun slips beneath the horizon. He walks out onto a balcony that wraps around the side of a tower. The salty air hits the bare skin of his chest and he sees her standing there. There was a party, one of so many he'd lost count. No one really cared. Not anymore. There was only numbness and confusion. The second Death Star, Coruscant; both gone.
She was the distraction he needed.
He was a hollow solace to everything she had lost.
"You didn't kill them."
Karen doesn't even look at him, wearing a short green nightgown while fingering the etched stem of a champagne flute.
"I may as well have."
"I lost people too," Vex says. "Family. Friends. Colleagues."
"That is the saddest thing I have ever heard."
"You're mocking me?"
"It's not a competition. There is nothing to win."
He is young and drunk and her contempt is intoxicating.
"You think your pain is so much greater? That you've lost so much more than everyone else? I get it, your friends got butchered. You couldn't save them but you are not the end all, be all of sorrow just because you make it look good."
"I do, don't I?"
"If you can't stand me, why are we doing this?"
Her emerald eyes finally shift from the darkening ocean.
"The convenience of you pleases me."
"That's all? You feel nothing for me?"
"I feel nothing!" she screams, hurling her glass against the wall. "Nothing. There is nothing. The world has literally burned and we are left to cope and contemplate what comes next. Am I still the adored model if my fans are nothing but ash? Are you still the earnest Carida cadet if the technological equivalent of your balls got taken from you? Do the strides we make erase those trampled in our wakes?"
"How deep."
"I'm hurt," she says. "And I know you are too."
"Why won't you let me help you?"
"There isn't anything you can do! If you weren't at the Academy and I wasn't here we'd be dead too. We both fled to escape everything that happened to us. Drowning our sorrows in sex and champagne seemed like the best course of action but it doesn't change anything."
Vex moves closer to her.
"We can start over. Together."
"That's not where this story takes us."
"How do you know?"
Karen sighs, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"It's more like a feeling. Something is coming. Something worse."
"How is that possible?"
She pulls back and looks up into his face.
"I don't know but you need to get as far away from us as you can."
"You can't push people away because you are afraid of losing them."
She turns, crimson hair caught in the breeze.
"It doesn't matter anyway…"
"Why?"
Karen's face is gravely serious and she runs a finger along the side of his perfectly square jaw.
"You're involved now."
"I was involved then too, back at North Coruscant."
"Then you left and you should have stayed gone. Forget about us, forget anything of this."
"I came back here for you."
"It will cost you," she says with a wry smile. "Maybe not today or tomorrow but in the end whatever darkness surrounds us will come for you too."
*
Vex wakes with a start, struggling to catch his breath.
There is a shift in the bed beside him and another form rises into his line of vision. Kylie Miranda smiles seductively, dark blonde hair spilling over her shoulders.
"You were dreaming."
"It wasn't a dream."
"Nightmares are dreams. This is just the first of many."
He grips her face in his hands.
"How…are you here?"
"I'll always be with you now," Kylie says. "You know that."
"I'm so sorry."
"Are you really? You knew the Empire sent you here for a reason and while you tried to convince yourself it wasn't for the intent you feared, deep down you knew it was true."
"I wasn't sure…."
"Your doubts were never as great as mine. I hoped you would rise above it, see that we, that I, was worth fighting for."
"You are."
She laughs, a deeper and more menacing laugh than she ever had in life.
"It's much too late for that. Once you saw a way out, they only see liabilities and loose ends. You will move to harm them as I knew you would. The Empire never forgets and the sins of the past seldom remain there. They want The Four contained and controlled, to use them for their own clandestine purposes. And they will use you to do it."
"I didn’t want this."
"This is a darkness you can never escape."
Red marks appear across her neck, deepening into purple bruises as her eyes glaze over. He reaches for her as her body goes limp, screaming her name over and over again.
*
Vex gasps and jerks awake, alone in his dark room.
The swirl of emotions forces his head into his hands. He had murdered the woman he loves and had to call on Agent Swire for help.
The young agent mobilized his team to dispose of Kylie's body and sanitize the apartment. Quentin scolded him for breaking the rules. Her death was punishment for confiding in her and in this statement laid bare the sobering realization that the Empire means to use him as a sleeper as they choose.
Swire's team of slicers expertly handled the photage to essentially erase Kylie's presence from the building, from anywhere in Mondder save for the spaceport.
It was as if she had never even been there.
Vex hates himself for what he has done, for what he is now being forced to do but there is little sympathy from his employers. Karen was right, so long ago. After what happened on Coruscant, with Tenley, he should had gone. He should have stayed away except there are holes in that logic; a sickening quandary about the cyclical nature of fate. If he had never returned from the Academy and went right into the Imperial Navy, he may have still wound up on Emperor Dementat's ship in the Battle of Centerpoint. He would have still watched the Princess rush off to save her friends the Emperor follow to save her. He still would have witnessed the stations destruction and all the lives it took.
Was it all inevitable?
Vex narrowly escaped that battle and had the chance to walk away. He could have gone anywhere, started a new life and never looked back. Even though his faith was shaken, he still believed in what the Empire stood for. His reassignment to the Sector after Schrag took over was a welcome change but the instant he was introduced to Rutherford Gellar at a Direx Board session, the knot of dread began turning in his stomach.
The darkness followed him here.
It had always been there, lapping at his heels despite the things he told himself.
Kylie's love eased his pain but could not prevent the past from crashing into the present. The Espos may have stalled in their investigation into her murder but the Gellar-Masterton's would not drop the issue so easily. They would pursue this and he will be forced to act.
Agent Swire assured him this would change nothing in the plan.
Rutherford Gellar must fall and with him the lives of Dahlia, Dane and Gemma would be drawn directly into their sights.
-TBC
-
"We just got to hold on
And on, and on, and on
Cause we're gonna be legends
Gonna get their attention
What we're doing here aint just scary
It's about to be legendary."
-Welshly Arms
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Monroe Estate
Quentin briskly exits the room followed by Dahlia.
Down the hall, Roman and Preston stop in surprise, waiting until they are out of view.
"Did you see that?"
"It can't be," Preston says, adjusting his wings. "Dahlia hates him."
"I dunno, some of the best sex can be hate sex."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"No, it's not like that with you."
"Then what's it like? We're doomed to just hook up at parties? So romantic."
Roman frowns.
"You know why. I wish it were different. My parents are not as liberal as yours. It's tradition or nothing."
"You can make them see."
"Chiss are not like that. They think I'm too humanoid as it is but my father believes my integration will buy him inroads with the company in the future. He doesn't do anything unless he feels it pays dividends."
Preston tugs at his coveralls, touching the blue skin beneath.
"We only have a year left."
"That's what we tell ourselves."
"Ro, I want to be with you. Truly be with you."
"As do I."
"Then don't crush my hope."
"I love you Pres," Roman says, holding the side of his face. "But I will never be free."
*
As Quentin disappears back into the crowds, Dahlia spots Muriel sauntering toward her room. She follows and drapes herself in the doorway.
"I never got to thank the hostess."
Muriel turns, a wry smirk tugging on her lips.
"Well, we have to do something to pass the time until we can blow this joint."
"It's pretty extreme," Dahlia says, tapping the door closed behind her. "I must admit I was a little stunned."
"Maybe that's because you are too attached to the way things are."
The statement is laced with an aggression not usually found in her words. Dahlia moves closer, crossing her arms.
"Hostile much? Muriel, what's going on?"
Muriel turns around, gesturing with a mostly empty rocks glass.
"You know I'm happy for you but come on, a few years ago when it was just you and me – before you found out you were a Winton royal – you didn't care about any of this. We used to give everyone shit for taking it all so seriously. All the stupid parties and dances and ceremony we had to endure were a huge joke. Until it wasn't. Not to you. You bought into the hype and now you plot every social move as if your life depended on it."
"Is this you talking or the party favors?"
"That's not a denial."
"There's nothing to deny! So, I indulge to keep up appearances but it's still me underneath."
"It doesn't really seem like it."
Dahlia sighs.
"Listen, I applaud your anti-establishment protest. You have always called this out as a bunch of shit. I still know that but I have to use that shit to my advantage. I have enough of a hole to dig myself out of being a Winton. The trust is thin when your predecessors cavorted around leaving a wake of deception and destruction in their paths. I don't have the luxury of blowing it off. I need to play the game in order to win."
"Win what?"
"Respect, authority, control over my own life."
"Why, so you can be the daughter of darkness?"
It is as if all the air in the room goes still.
"What?" Dahlia says.
"I heard you talking to yourself last summer on Hesperidium."
Except she wasn't talking to herself. She was talking to Karen's highly annoying yet tragically stylish Force ghost. Muriel could only hear one side of the conversation which, she now realizes, makes her seem insane.
"I thought it was nothing but then I remembered I had heard that phrase before…in reference to your sisters. They were supposed to be these symbols of, like, pure evil. Is that what this is? You are angling to follow in their footsteps? Dahlia, they and all their friends ended up dead."
Dahlia grabs her arms, "Muriel, you're spiraling."
"I'm worried about you. You are my best friend and I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Nothing is going to happen to me."
"Really? I see you changing and I'm not sure if it's for the better."
"Having different interests doesn't mean we aren't still friends."
"Do those interests involve the Force?"
"The Force is strong with my family. You know that."
"Do you have powers like them?"
She doesn't answer, glancing down.
Muriel's face is pulled tight with tension, eyes wide as she shakes her head.
"Dahlia, do you remember watching the Holo reports when we were kids? When my mother got a role in Vogue Empire and all script revisions due to the brutality? We were sad that all their pretty friends got killed. We talked about how dangerous the Force was if used that way. Before we knew they were your family, we thought Alexia Winton was terrifying. They said she was consumed by the dark side. It drove her completely mad. I don't want that for you."
"I know you don't," Dahlia says. "That's not going to happen to me. I'm fine."
"At one point in time I'm sure they told themselves that too. I don't know the context for what I heard but I do know that this doesn't end well. For anyone. Would you risk all of us, would you risk me, just so you can reclaim the power your family once had?"
"Muriel…"
"No, I'm serious, Dahlia. This is dangerous."
"Not as dangerous as it's going to be."
Muriel blinks, "What?"
"You know; reign of terror, balls of fire, a populous crying out for mercy."
Dahlia bursts out laughing.
Muriel pushes her onto the bed.
"Not funny!"
She groans and moves toward the door.
"Muriel, wait."
She turns as Dahlia pushes into her clouded mind. It is easy considering the chemical assistance. Muriel stands still, expression going blank.
Dahlia slips off and bed and struts slowly toward her.
"You won't remember this; what you heard or what we talked about. You are going to walk out there and enjoy your fabulous party."
Muriel nods then leaves the room.
Close call, Dahlia thinks.
The last thing she needs is anyone casually throwing around that title. She's made an ally through Quentin and she's not about to compromise what she has built even if Muriel's concern is sweet. Just a few more months and they would all go their separate ways. She's managed to skate around sacrificing friends to the cause despite Adubell's scorn. Muriel's worry comes from a place of love but she needs to be thrown off that trail.
Dahlia has big plans for the future. She just has to get through the rest of high school first.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Rutherford Gellar busies himself in the office, pouring through the documents Irulan sent him about trials on a new treatment for cognitive degeneration. Still, his mind drifts toward the mystery of Kylie Miranda's disappearance. There have been no leads and no demands which does not bode well for their beloved au pair and administrator. Celeste is beside herself with worry and he does his best to support her through it.
Garron has his own theories, fueled by a mistrust of Vex Sienna. Rutherford is inclined to agree but to get the answers; he must go to the source. He keys up the consol on his desk and scrolls through until he finds Sienna's contact.
*
A com begins to bleep in the darkened apartment.
Vex Sienna stares past the device to the blaster on table beside it. He reaches out and grips the weapon, raising it to his temple. He could end it now and be free but it would not change what he has done. Kylie haunts him, both in dreams and awake. He sees her everywhere as a reminder of his broken promises. He never wanted to believe the Empire really had an interest in the The New Four; that their priorities had shifted to their business with the Republic. But deep down he always knew their combined powers were too tempting to resist.
The com continues to bleep.
He sighs, lowering the weapon and answering the device.
"Sienna."
"It's Gellar."
"Lord Gellar, how may I help you today?"
"We need to meet. Tonight."
"Let me check…"
"It's important, Sienna. I really must insist. My office, after hours?"
"Of course. Tonight."
The line cuts out and Vex drops the com back on the table. He sets the blaster beside it, weighing his options. He could confess everything and plead with Gellar for help. Rutherford has a long history of contention with the Empire and, despite their stake in his company, could provide enough bargaining leverage to free Vex from their clutches and spare his children. He may also be so angry that he lets Vex suffer or kills him for his treachery. Either way, he must know the danger he faces.
That is when he feels it.
The creeping cold within him, coursing through his veins.
"No…" he whispers.
How did they know?
Then he is gone.
*
It is after eight and Rutherford has grown tired of waiting.
The tower is empty and quiet, his polished shoes making the only sound as he walks across the tiled floor to his office. It is the lights that he notices first. They were on when he left and now, only the desk lamp is illuminated. Frowning, he turns to the controls on the wall when movement across the room catches his eye.
"You wanted to see me?"
Vex Sienna stops in the center of the office.
"Sienna," Rutherford says. "How did you get in here?"
"I have my ways."
"Forgive me if I am not amused. I do not enjoy games and you have kept me waiting."
"I needed to be sure."
"Sure of what?"
"We we would be alone."
Rutherford's eyes dart to his desk. His blaster is in the top right hand drawer. As imposing as Gellar is, Sienna is nearly forty years his junior and a capable fighter from what he knows. He hopes it has not come to that but must be ready for anything.
"We've worked well together and I have been more than accommodating to your superiors. I need you to be honest with me as I have been with you."
He nods.
"Where is Kylie Miranda?"
The expression on Vex's face is too calm. He never takes his eyes off of Rutherford as he says the one thing he prayed he wouldn't.
"She's dead."
"How?"
"I killed her and now, I am going to kill you."
"What is this? We made a deal."
"The deal was for the ICS project and shares in ChemiX but there was never a stipulation that you had to be running it."
"You son of a bitch," Rutherford snarls. "I knew Schrag played dirty but I never expected him to undermine terms which so greatly benefit the Empire. Don't be a fool, Sienna. They will betray you too."
Vex advances toward him slowly.
"You are a coward, Gellar. You always have been. The Emperor spared your life on The Wheel because he needed access to your company's research. He released you because he knew you would reevaluate your situation with your legacy in mind. That legacy will ensure our survival."
Rutherford backs away, rounding his desk, so close to the drawer.
"What are you talking about?"
"Your son."
"You leave Dane out of this."
"It was you who made him part of the equation. For years we searched for the source of a power only exchanged in rumors. The same power that gave life to a machine and granted immortality to your sworn enemy. All roads led back to you, to Dane, and the component you took from him to create the serum you gave to us."
Rutherford gasps.
"They injected you with Ibellum."
"With all the financial resources thrown around to acquire it, we needed to make sure it worked. The test run secured your monopoly."
"It was you. You murdered Alaan Aftar."
"And now you see," Vex says evenly. "The fruits of your labor. Congrats, you've outdone yourself."
He shakes his head.
"This isn't you. I can help you."
"You already have."
"There's a cure!"
This halts his advance just enough for Rutherford's hand to reach the desk drawer, yanking it open to grab the blaster. He raises the weapon to fire but Vex is already on him, slamming his wrist down on the edge of the desk. The blaster spirals away. They struggle but Vex is eerily serene and incredibly strong. He shoves him roughly back against the durasteel sill of the wrap around windows, landing a punch to the face and stomach. Rutherford doubles over, struggling to breathe.
"It's over, old man."
Vex grips him by the throat and drags him out onto the balcony. The summer wind howls around them.
Rutherford struggles, thrashing out.
"It's fitting, really. To meet your end the same way your daughter did."
His vision blurs, tapered with images of Blair's body drifting by these very same windows as she fell.
"Full circle."
"Don't do this...!" he sputters.
Vex hauls him up and over the railing, bringing his face very close.
"Worry not, Lord Gellar; we'll take good care of Dane for you."
His eyes widen in terror as Vex releases him and Rutherford topples over and plummets downward into the infinite space below.
-TBC
-
She says, "The satellite is coming.
It's come to take us home."
-BT
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dahlia admires herself in the mirror while getting ready for school.
Georgie did not return from the party and Dahlia suspects the worst. She wonders what really went down but Gemma, emboldened by her new confidante, Demaris, plays oblivious perfectly. Her packed social calendar prevents any immediate investigation since tomorrow is Prom night.
How the time does fly.
While all the other girls scrambled around for the past few months looking for the perfect dress, Dahlia already has hers in the bag - the vintage green party dress Karen made famous in the original Raga'Ana campaign. It's simple, elegant and contains a throwback style that is all the rage again. She's got the look, now all she needs are the votes. Dahlia's spent the entire spring semester staying relatively low maintenance but still highly visible. Trichelle's tirades never cease to amaze but sends the wrong message about who the student body wants representing them. They need someone with popularity and poise, someone who is worldly and respectably. Her foray into the Republic garnered more positive attention and significantly raised her credibility.
However, the date situation is looking dire. As much as she wants to, she knows Barrett would be foolish to leave his duties to attend. So she reluctantly agrees to accompany Quentin. The event is junior-senior so the crew couples in a united front. Gemma is attending with Preston, Alka with Dane, Trichelle with Kier, Demaris with Ples, Muriel with Tobias, and Roman with some Chiss girl his parents flew in from Csilla.
Rando Chiss girl aside, they were going to rule this Prom.
Downstairs, Gemma and Dane are finishing breakfast.
Celeste is clearing the table when she is overcome with a wave of intense emotion. There are bright flashes, swirling lights and then blackness. She cries out and collapses to the floor.
Gemma rushes to her side.
"Mom?! Dane, do something!"
Dane slaps the intercom, "Garron!!"
Garron Prescott appears moments later and swoops in beside Celeste.
"What happened?"
"I don't know," Gemma says worriedly. "She just fell."
Garron cradles Celeste's head as she comes to.
"Lady Masterston, are you alright?"
"I felt something…"
"I will call doctor Daaé."
"No, it's fine. I'm fine. I just need to lie down."
Garron helps her upstairs as Dahlia rounds the corner into the kitchen. She surveys the scene and frowns.
"What did I miss?"
"Mom collapsed."
"Is she okay?"
"Garron is with her now."
"We should call dad."
Gemma nods and fishes the com from her purse. It goes straight to voicemail but she waits until the prompt.
"Dad, its Gem. Call me when you get this, okay? It's important."
She clicks off and sighs.
Garron returns to the kitchen, dispatching the droids to clean up the mess.
"How's mom?"
"She's resting. I'm going to call the doctor anyway just to be sure."
"My dad isn't answering his phone. I think he should know."
"And he will," Garron says. "I'm heading to Mondder later today but right now, I've got to get you three to school."
Dahlia groans as he ushers them toward the door. Once they are safely in the hoverlimo, he leans on the door. Dane sticks his head out.
"Do we have to go?"
"There's only a few weeks left," he laughs. "You can make it."
*
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Irulan arrives early as she always does, checking the labs before heading to Rutherford's office. She knocks but he doesn't answer.
Strange, he is always in before her. Irulan uses her code to enter and finds everything a mess.
The office is empty with the lights off but the balcony door is open and papers are strewn everywhere. His desk chair is pulled back and facing the opposite direction. A drawer is open and pulled halfway off its small track.
"Rutherford?"
Nothing.
She swallows hard and pushes out onto the balcony.
The morning air cools her skin as she scans the area. There is no trace of him. Irulan sighs and steps back inside, pulling the door closed behind her. The state of the office concerns her so she gathers the papers to put on his desk while contemplating the next move. He is generally impeccably organized but perhaps he left in a rush. They have an executive staff meeting at eight so she makes a mental note to ask.
With a full to-do list, Irulan checks her data pad and goes on about her day, passing a screen overhead that reads:
Remnants of body found in downtown Mondder
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Garron Prescott enters the lobby of the Gellar Tower in the late afternoon.
After sending the kids off to school, he consulted with Doctor Daaé and scheduled a visit to ensure nothing more serious was behind her fall. Celeste swore she was fine but felt weak and he could not get her words out of his head.
"I felt something…"
While she may not be a practicing Force user outside of meditation, he knew she was deeply connected to it. She felt a great many things which made her an excellent psychologist and counselor to those in need. Many years ago, when the children were still very young, Celeste shared some of her history that led to her presence in the Corporate Sector. Rutherford had briefed him but her story layered in the emotional terror inflicted by Alexander Winton and his obsession with the Persephonea Prophecy. Usually very composed, Celeste broke down over her guilt about failing Melanie and fleeing Naboo with Dahlia; a decision that left both her dearest friend and husband at the mercy of Winton.
It was the Queen that arranged for their escape with the Jedi and a complicit Rutherford Gellar. Henrick Masterton's vaccine kept them all hidden until the destruction of the Centerpoint Station where the Emperor and the remainder of The Four perished.
Although she healed, Garron knew she could never forgive herself for abandoning Melanie. Rutherford's love and the children they raised gave her new purpose and perspective. Circe provided an absolution in sharing that Melanie never blamed her parents for their predicament, that it all unfolded as it had to in order for good to prevail.
Yet as the years passed, the uneasy and ominous feeling returned.
The things he has seen and done solidify a theory that the remnants of the past still linger and now threaten to close in all around them.
Irulan Reeves meets him by the lifts, polished and polite.
"Good afternoon, Irulan. Always a pleasure."
"The pleasure is mine," she says. "Have you heard from Rutherford?"
"No, I was here to see him. Is he in?"
She angles him down the empty corridor toward Gellar's office.
"He was absent from our meeting this morning and his com is off."
"That's unusual, isn't it?"
"Stranger still, his office was a disaster this morning. It's as if he tore through it and left in a hurry."
"No one has seen him?"
She shakes her head.
"And the cams?"
"I've conferred with the security team and the last sighting of him is heading back to his office yesterday evening around eight. He never left."
Garron taps in his code and they enter the office together.
"How did you find the office?"
As she describes the scene, a sense of dread washes over him with a singular detail hanging in the forefront of his mind.
The balcony door was left open.
"Was anyone seen approaching?"
"I'm afraid not," Irulan says. "The floor was completely empty by then."
They exchange an extended, worried glance. Kylie's disappearance and Celeste's condition only lend credence to Garron's alarm. Something is definitely not right.
"You don't think…"
"We need context, not speculation. Did he have any appointments on his schedule?"
She glances down at her datapad, tapping the screen with a frown.
"No, he had nothing after five and that was with me."
"What did you discuss?"
"Scheduling trials of a cognitive degeneration treatment after consistent testing and conclusive results over the past six years. If trials proved successful, it could change the way we treat early-onset dementia. He was very excited about it. We both were."
His mind is spinning. It's not like Rutherford doesn't have a plethora of corporate enemies jealous of his companies position. Others have gone to great and terrible lengths to take back market shares.
"Do you know where he went after your meeting?"
"He didn't say. I left his office, checked the labs then went home for the day."
"But he did leave his office afterwards?"
"Yes," she says. "The cams show him down in the labs alone for a little over an hour then returning to his office. The cams are activated by motion and recorded nothing in that corridor until I arrived this morning."
"That seems highly suspicious."
"Extremely, but I had only just returned from security when they notified me you were here so I hadn't really had time to consider the broader implications."
Garron rounds the desk and keys up the consol. He has the codes to enter, a fail-safe access both he and Irulan were given. The home screen is blank and no programs or messages are open. He enters the com function and checks the incoming calls. The log is empty. He then checks the outgoing calls. It is also empty. There is no way a founder, CEO and Direx Board member like Rutherford Gellar has a clear call history. Unless, of course, it was cleared intentionally.
Was he also taken from this office intentionally?
"You said a drawer was open. Which one?"
She motions to it.
Garron pulls it open to find nothing.
There is only one item stored in this drawer.
"Do you know what he keeps in here?"
Her eyes widen, voice barely a whisper.
"His blaster."
The state she found the office in could indicate a struggle but there are no scorch marks to suggest it had escalated into a blaster fight. Unless...those blasts found their target and only their target.
"I need you to think carefully, Irulan. Did he say anything to you that sounded out of place, even something you dismissed as banal or meaningless at the time?"
"Our conversation solely revolved around the trials."
"None of this makes sense."
"Should we notify the Espos?"
"We have nothing conclusive to report and it's been less than the standard time frame for a missing person. Can you send me his schedule? I will retrace his steps tonight and regroup with you in the morning."
She nods, tapping away at the datapad before meeting his gaze once again.
"I'm worried, Garron. This isn't like him."
"I know."
*
D'ian: Suface: Gellar Estate
The following morning the children wake with a sense of excitement. Prom is finally upon them. With Lady Masterton resting in her bedroom, they rely on the droids for breakfast. The Holo plays from the kitchen projector in the island, the events of the week preempted by breaking news out of the Republic.
Selene Silvestri's face appears.
"Live out of the Republic capital of Chandaar; over a dozen civilians and security forces have been killed in an attack in downtown Ambaril. The perpetrator appears to be one of the Jedi, scarcely seen around the Republic after the passage of the Force User Registration Act. We now go to photage from the scene but discretion is advised as the images are disturbing."
It cuts to a figure in robes, bodies strewn around her as she twirls a blue saber. The cam is shaky at first but steadies as it narrows on the attacker. It is a woman with blue eyes and a face they have all seen standing in their living room last year.
Dane tilts his head, "Hey, isn't that your, like, mentor?"
With teary eyes, Gemma has a hand clamped over her mouth to suppress the stunned and horrified sobs. She backs away from the table, shaking her head.
Behind them, Dahlia smiles slyly.
"Tough breaks, darling. Guess you'll have to find a new hero."
Gemma whirls around.
"Shut up, Dahlia!"
"Hey, don't get pissy with me because your role model lost her shit."
"That can't be true."
"Denial does not look good on you. We're watching her butcher a bunch of people on live Holo. It doesn't get truer than that."
"I can't believe this…I just can't…"
Gemma flees the room in tears.
Dahlia glances at Dane.
"Too soon?"
He smirks, "You really are bucking for bitch of the year, aren't you?"
"Oh come on," Dahlia says. "You were totally thinking it too."
"Yeah but I'm not going to throw it in her face."
"She can stand to be brought down a notch or two. Besides, idealizing anyone can be dangerous. No one is ever going to live up to her altruistic expectations."
Dane nods, eyes wandering back to the photage.
"That's pretty messed up. She did rescue us though."
Dahlia glares, flashing back to the torture she endured after her siblings were freed.
"How nice for you and Gemma."
"Bitter much?"
"Bitterness makes you ugly. I'm just pointing out the flaws in believing anyone is infallible. Everyone has a breaking point, even someone like Nevylinn."
"I thought the Jedi were calm and boring. This is kind of badass."
"Don't be a such a boy. Massacring a grip of people is totes not cool. The Jedi are not perfect and with all the pressure and scrutiny after being ousted, there are clearly some who harbor ill will."
"Aren't they supposed to be, you know, above that?"
"Even the most grounded individuals have a line."
"You sound like you are enjoying this."
Dahlia shrugs, placing a glass in the sink and heading toward the foyer.
"No time to care, hair appointment."
Dane turns back to the photage, another wave of security personnel sent tumbling away. One of the agents is flung at the reporter, knocking them down but the cam, still shooting, is zoomed in on Nevylinn's face which is tightened in an expression of pure rage. She shifts her blue eyes toward the cam before bringing the saber down.
It cuts to static.
-TBC
-
"I've got the strangest feeling
This isn't our first time around"
-Borns
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Gellar Estate
Gemma paces in her bedroom, conflicted and confused.
She doesn't understand how this could happen or why. She thought she and Nevylinn were connected, that she would feel something through the Force, but she feels nothing. None of her calls are answered on Corellia, not even Riley. She is angry at Dahlia for being so flippant but it shouldn't surprise her by now. She reaches out to the only person who she knows will understand.
"I know. I saw. Are you okay?"
"No," Gemma croaks. "This can't be happening."
"It must be a setup."
"But how? We all saw her face on the Holo. They already distrust the Jedi as it is and this will only make it worse. How could she do something like that?"
Demaris is calmer than expected.
"Who says she did?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I was on Corellia last summer, Riley told me there were clones of his aunt Mara. He said they were used to abduct him, you and Dahlia."
"What does Mara have to do with any of this?"
"What if there are clones of Nevylinn too?"
Something uncurls within Gemma, triggering a memory of the battle at the Patten Ranch. What was it that the Sith woman said when Nevylinn saved her? Gemma gasps.
"It's not her clone. It's her sister."
"Her sister?"
"Yes, when we were attacked a Sith woman almost killed me. Nevylinn stopped her and she called her sister."
"I thought you said she was blasted into a million pieces."
"She was…but she was also working with the Mara clones. One was captured but there were others."
"If they are working together then it's possible they found a way to replicate her too."
"It is a setup," Gemma breathes, relieved but still horrified. "That registration act only goes so far. This would ensure the Jedi are vilified as means to eliminate them entirely. We can't let them get away with this."
"We won't but right now, we have to perform."
"Prom? You can't be serious-"
"Pull it together, Gemma. The reason we are able to maintain our cover is through a public façade, remember? It gives us access and we are going to need it in order to help them."
"When did you become such a strategist?"
"I picked up a thing or two from the CorSec Director. If we start losing it now, it will all be over."
Gemma wipes the tears from her cheeks and centers herself.
"You are right. We can't fall apart and risk doing something stupid."
"Exactly," Demaris says. "I'll see you tonight."
*
Valor Prep
The auditorium has been transformed for the event.
The committee went with the theme of "Greed Is In" so there are varying shades of green, gray and black. Outside, storm clouds gather as green spotlights sway in front of the entrance as the hoverlimo's begin to arrive. The affluence of their existence has never been on finer display as the couples enter and head onto the dance floor. One of the hottest DJ's out of Mondder has been hired to score the event.
Gemma remains silent on the ride over, willing herself not to look over at Dahlia. Preston is silently seething beside her as Roman's date, a gorgeous Chiss named Alia, fondles his arm. Quentin is amused by all the tension and makes small talk with Dane and Alka, the only two seemingly in good spirits.
Their arrival is met with much fanfare as the local fashion Holo bloggers and entertainment reporters came out to catch a glimpse of Princess Dahlia.
Quentin is impressed, "This is all for you?"
"Popularity does have its perks."
"Not all," Gemma says evenly, catching fans holding signs with her name on them behind the security line.
Dahlia's eyes narrow into slits.
Dane smirks, "Now who's down a few pegs?"
The transport slows to a stop.
Quentin exits the limo first and extends a hand, allowing Dahlia's graceful appearance to be captured beautifully. People shout her name and she smiles flawlessly, giving them exactly what they want.
Gemma rolls her eyes as the others pile out into the sea of flashes. However, taking Demaris' advice, she turns up the charm when the shouts turn from Dahlia to Gemma. One may be a model but the other is a pop star with a considerable following. She smiles and waves, pausing just enough for everyone to soak it up before striding inside with her friends.
*
Gellar Estate
As the rain begins to fall, Lady Celeste Masterton brings a cup of tea to her lips. It does little to soothe her anxiety. After she took photage of the children before they left for the Prom, she made her way back upstairs. She feels weak, drained somehow and although the doctor found nothing physically wrong with her she has been unable to shake the feeling.
In the flashes before she fainted, she saw Rutherford's face.
His eyes were wide and he was screaming but the image swirled into blackness. Attempts to call him have gone unanswered but she knows Garron left for Mondder earlier this morning.
Hopefully, she will hear something soon.
She keys up and scrolls through the pictures she took. Her children look so lovely, so grown up. At times she cannot believe they are nearly adults with their own hopes and dreams. It warms her heart knowing that they are cared for and have the support to be anything they want to be.
The datapad on the bedside table vibrates.
Lady Masterton taps off the consol and reaches for it. There is a message from Rutherford.
I'm here.
Frowning, she hits reply.
Where?
A few seconds later.
The woods.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV
Garron follows Rutherford's trail throughout Mondder which leads him back to the Gellar Tower. Every appointment and location check out, adding to the mystery of his employer's disappearance. He is about to head up when Irulan calls with disturbing news.
The Espos have identified pieces of a body found.
It is Rutherford Gellar.
*
D'ian
At Valor Prep, Prom is in full swing. Bodies writhe to the music beneath the swirling lights. Everyone enjoys the thrill of the moment, being together on one of the most significant nights of their lives. Gemma appears onstage in a surprise performance for the enthralled crowd. She brings down the house, bows then returns to her friends. After the applause dies down, the royal court is announced.
*
Lady Celeste Masterton pulls on a hooded cloak and steps out into the pouring rain, moving toward the dark woods. Two floating white orbs glow around her, lighting the way. She was confused by Rutherford's message but is drawn by the lingering feeling that something is wrong. He told her to meet him and so she does. She traverses the large trees and wet brush before breaking into a small clearing. A figure emerges from the other side, obstructed by the deluge and darkness.
"Rutherford?"
The figure draws closer.
Celeste narrows her eyes, the feeling intensifying, but it is not her husband's presence she feels. It is something, someone, else – muddled and full of a dense rage. She stops. The figure does not, closing the distance between them until the light from the orbs washes over his face.
She breathes in, "Ambassador Sienna?"
He smiles but the expression is devoid of all warmth.
"You called me here? But I received a message from…"
Her voice trails off as he holds up her husband's personal datapad.
Something clicks and she pulls the cloak tighter around her suddenly feeling very exposed.
"Where is Rutherford?"
"He's gone, Lady Masterton. Much like Kylie Miranda."
"Gone?"
"They were liabilities; you can understand that given your past. You understand what it means to sacrifice for the greater good. After all, you were one of the moral obstacles removed from The Four in order for plans to proceed."
"You know nothing of what I've suffered and lost or at what cost."
"I know more than you think."
"I was right about you," Celeste says with a voice laced in venom. "I knew you would become a danger to my family. It was only a matter of time."
"Kylie said the same thing…too late, of course. So did your husband. It's astounding the kind of clarity that comes in those final moments."
The reality of their deaths is muted by her anger.
"What do you want?"
"The New Four have great potential, a way to bring about the chilling conclusion to a story started long before the Queen became a conduit."
"The prophecy? When will the Empire ever learn that this only leads to destruction and death? It shattered my family and ended the lives of thousands. And for what? The ramblings of a delusional megalomaniac? Alexander Winton is dead!"
"Be that as it may," Vex says. "His work lives on…in them."
"Stay away from them."
"You are not in a position to make demands."
"I beseech you!" Celeste screams. "Do not destroy their lives for your personal gain! This isn't a game, Ambassador Sienna. We are talking about four innocents who have a real chance to break free of shadows their family cast over them."
"You only have yourself to blame for that."
"I've come to terms with my guilt; I've made peace with it. I vowed to keep them safe from exactly this kind of insipid manipulation."
He advances, snatching her by the throat to bring her slowly closer to his face.
"And once again, Lady Masterton, you have failed."
She gasps, reaching out through the Force to bring both orbs down at his feet. They explode and he releases her enough for Celeste to shove him backwards before turning to flee. She runs blindly through the rain, reentering the woods back toward the Gellar Estate. Fighting through the brush, all she can think of is her children. Their faces push her forward but she stumbles in a winding stream now overflowing with water. Celeste begins to drift but she grabs onto a rock for support and claws her way up onto the bank. The house is just beyond the ridge and she throws herself forward, willing her aching legs to get her to safety.
As she nears the top of the hill, Vex grabs the end of her cloak and pulls her forcefully back. She tumbles through the mud and branches to land at the edge of the water. Sputtering for breath, Celeste tires to push herself up but Vex steps on her back, sinking her deeper into the soft earth.
"I am afraid you are the last of the loose ends."
"Please," Celeste pants. "Please don't take my children."
He kneels down close enough for her to hear him.
"We already have them."
With a handful of her blonde curls, he forces her head into the water.
*
"Our Prom Queen, Dahlia Winton!"
A crown is placed upon her head and flowers in her arms. Dahlia beams, waving and smiling as she moves to the front of the stage. The King, Kier Kincaid nods to her while trying to avoid Trichelle's furious glare behind them. Gemma and Demaris share a knowing glance while unenthusiastically clapping their hands together.
Dahlia revels in the attention and thinks to herself – this is only the beginning.
*
A muddied, tattered white cloak lies beside a raging creek as a body floats downstream.
There is a crack of thunder then blackness.
-TBC
-
"Lord, here comes the flood
We will say goodbye to flesh and blood
If again the seas are silent
in any still alive
It'll be those who gave their island to survive
Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry."
-Peter Gabriel
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
In the early morning hours, sun barely up and casting an orange glow after the storm, a hoverlimo slips down the drive toward the Gellar Estate.
They sit in the back, spread out and smiling. Dane is more than just a little drunk, Dahlia's crown is off-center and Gemma is wrapped in a shawl. It had been a magical night and despite their differences, they glance around at one another in an amused union. They stumble inside the foyer, giggling and trying to stay composed. They half expect their parents to be in the kitchen making breakfast as they do nearly every Sunday morning but the kitchen is empty. The massive house is eerily silent.
Dane leans over the sink pounding a glass of water.
Dahlia is still a bit stoned and nibbles on a few things in the pantry.
Gemma stares through the window and sees lights through the trees as two figures climb up the ridge into the grasses at the edge of their property. As they near, she notices they are in uniform.
"Espos."
"Oh, fuck," Dane says as he turns around. "Seriously?"
"Relax," Dahlia says, moving beside her. "I'll handle it."
The men are moving steadily and round the mansion out of sight. A few moments later the chimes sound at the door. Dahlia adjusts her crown, giving herself a cursory inspection in the hall mirror and opens the door. Gemma comes up behind her followed by a reluctant Dane.
"Good morning," she says. "How can we help you?"
The men exchange glances but it doesn't alter their grim expressions.
"We are looking for Garron Prescott."
"I'm afraid he's out at the moment."
"We thought he would be back by now."
"So, you've spoken with him?"
"Yes," the first says. "He said he would be here to…assist."
"Assist in what?"
The second agents face grows grimmer still.
"We have some terrible news."
Gemma cries out behind them, backing up against the wall. Their thoughts were easy to lift, a grievous presumption on her part. That is when a speeder stops on the drive and Garron runs toward the house. Dahlia's eyes travel from him back to the agents.
"What the hell is going on?"
"There is no easy way to say this," the first says. "Your parents have passed. Confirmation came in from the central precinct last night on Mondder that positively identified Rutherford Gellar and this morning, a call was received in Concordia of a body found downstream that we believe is Celeste Masterton. I am very sorry for your losses."
Garron reaches the house and bounds up the steps to find them staring in disbelief.
"Is this…true?"
His throat is raw but he manages to speak.
"Yes."
Gemma screams and drops to her knees in tears. Garron moves past a stunned Dahlia to comfort her.
She meets their gazes.
"Thank you, agents. We're going to need some time."
"Of course, but we will need to ask a few-"
She slams the door in their faces.
Dane is trembling with rage. He shouts obscenities and punches a hole through the wall before withdrawing his bloody hand and storming upstairs. Dahlia staggers toward the banister, gripping it for support as she eases herself down onto a step. Gemma is sobbing uncontrollably as Garron cradles her with a shaking head.
Dahlia watches this and finds herself conflicted, torn between devastation and release – she lost the only parents she ever knew but is granted the freedom from their judgment and expectations. As much as Adubell taught her to hate them for all of their lies, the emotional gravity is unbearable. She pulls her knees against her chin, lowers her head and cries.
*
In the days that follow, Garron Prescott oversees the operations of the Gellar Estate as best he can.
Dahlia has already completed her senior coursework and is granted leave until graduation. Dane and Gemma were given extensions into the summer for completion of their junior year.
The Corporate Sector is up in arms about the deaths of Gellar and Masterton and the Holo has a field day with the implications as the Espos investigate possible causes. Irulan Reeves is named interim CEO of ChemiX by the board and Dane inherits the company as a whole. Despondent and angry, he signs off on Reeves' oversight and allows her and the board to continue moving the company forward. One thing is certain; ChemiX must remain in the Gellar name and he tasks a bereft Irulan to keep innovating. He has enough sense of know he is no shape to run a company but his internship and experience with ChemiX will prepare him when the time is right.
The funeral is massive and well-attended but they stray from the three grief-stricken teenagers dressed in black standing off to the side as Garron reads a eulogy on their behalf. As the mourners leave the cemetery, Gemma watches in horror as Dane kneels between the two elaborate headstones just as she had seen it so many months before. She didn't know it would be them.
The calls and messages from Riley go unreturned.
A grand bouquet is waiting for Dahlia back at the estate with a heartfelt condolence from Barrett.
In the end, Kylie's disappearance has turned into a cold case but Garron knows deep down she is as dead as Rutherford and Celeste. Their deaths are ruled accidental although he feels otherwise. He is certain Vex Sienna is involved but cannot prove a thing. The Espos have no evidence and no leads.
There wasn't a note to indicate suicide in Rutherford's case and a thorough search of the office turned up a spilled bottle of liquor near a lowered section of the railing. The prevailing theory is that he was working late, as he often did, became impaired and fell over.
Celeste's case is similarly strange and the reason she was out in the storm in the first place is beyond reason to those who knew her. There were no signs of trauma to the body aside from what was done in the stream and the ultimate cause of death was drowning.
Along with the emotional fallout of loss comes the process and paperwork.
As Irulan is the second in command of Rutherford's business affairs, Garron is the second in command of the personal and financial. In conjunction with their corporate legal team, Garron oversees the execution of the wills of both Rutherford and Celeste. There is a vast fortune amassed between them ranging from personal assets, property, investments, and the company. Trusts and titles are significantly important in the elitist world.
Dane officially becomes Lord Gellar, Baron of the Gellar Estate with a third of the financial assets along with various investments and controlling shares in ChemiX.
Gemma becomes Lady Masterton, a Baroness with a third of the financial assets along with various investments, priceless artwork and a sizable jewelry collection.
Dahlia, while not a biological heir, retains the title of Princess from her birth mother with a third of the financial assets and full ownership of the Bolerathon Tower on Hesperidium.
Garron takes no pleasure in this and watches with a heavy heart across the finely polished board room table as they sit stoically listening to the lawyers drone on. He wants the best for them but knows it will take time to regroup after suffering such a devastating loss. All he can do is be there for them. With Kylie gone, he is out of his emotional depth as she was always better at knowing exactly what to say and do to ease their worries.
His relationship with Rutherford spirals back to him; from colleague, confidante and advisor to the guardian and protector of his children. How time changes things in the most unexpected ways. Although he cares for each of them, their faces so broken and innocent, the sinister feeling beneath the surface never leaves him.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
A hoverlimo pulls up in front of the Gellar Estate.
One does not need the Force to feel the somber tone that has settled over everything. She stares up at the mansion before taking a breath and stepping out onto the stone drive, ascending the steps to the front door. Per the instructions, she enters the residence. The silence is almost oppressive and the only sound is her heels as she walks through the foyer and down the corridor to the office.
Garron is standing by the window, a glass of whiskey in his left hand. He turns when she enters and his face softens but it doesn't hide the pain in his eyes.
"Janessa."
She crosses the room and embraces him tightly.
"I came as soon as I heard," she says, stepping back to look up at him. "I am so sorry, Garron. The Republic sends their deepest condolences through this dark time. How are the children holding up?"
"They are tough, tougher than I expected but considering all they have been through I am not surprised."
"Of course. How are you doing?"
"Terrible," he says, attempting a smile. "I knew there would come a day when we would lose them but I never thought it would be so soon and so close together. Dahlia is eighteen so she's technically an adult but I have been granted legal guardianship of Gemma and Dane until they come of age."
"I think you make an excellent parental figure."
"You have more confidence in me than I do. I always chose business first and never really thought about a family of my own."
"We have that in common."
"Then the unexpected happens and changes things for everyone, shaping my role in their lives in a way I never fathomed."
Her hand slides down his arm and into his hand.
"Our adaptability is a source of considerable strength and I have no doubt you will grow into this role as you have with the others throughout your relationship to their family."
He turns to her, face falling.
"How am I supposed to be a pillar of stability if I am just as broken? I was closer to Rutherford and Celeste than I was to my own family. They meant everything to me, made me who I am today, and now that they are gone I feel…empty. Alone."
"You are not alone," Janessa says sternly.
"If Kylie were here I might feel differently but I am truly am. They look to me for guidance but I am filled with suspicion and rage."
"The Espos still have nothing?"
"You know as well as I do that she's dead. If she wasn't, we would have heard something by now but there has been no ransom, no threats. And for them to follow so closely behind makes me more certain that something else is at play here. It's as if they were being eliminated to create a void of confusion and it is that void I fear will be used to prey upon the children in their grief."
"Eliminated by whom?"
"This is going to sound crazy."
She smirks, "We're past that. Lay it on me."
"I think Vex Sienna is involved."
"The Imperial liaison?"
He nods.
"Kylie told me she believed he was withholding something important from her, something potentially involving his superiors. She went to Mondder to confront him about it then disappeared. Sienna claims he never saw her but I think she may have either stumbled into information she wasn't supposed to know or became a liability because of his relationship with her."
"What makes you think that?"
"I don't believe it was a coincidence that he was sent to the Corporate Sector where he would have direct access to Rutherford through the Direx Board. Sienna was a captain in the Imperial Navy under Emperor Dementat prior to his promotion and transfer. While respectable, it didn't necessarily qualify him as an Ambassador in such a high level position in a completely different field. The liaison, as you know firsthand, is more of a diplomatic role. It requires more tact and finesse than is typically seen in a naval officer."
"So, why do you think he was chosen?"
"He has history with these families which gave him unique leverage. I did my research. Sienna grew up on Coruscant and went to school with The Four. He was a class above them and his girlfriend went missing his junior year. As she ran in the same circles, there were apparently rumors her proximity made her a target. This was neither the first nor the last instance of collateral damage."
"What happened to her?"
"She was found murdered in a seedy motel on Tatooine years later. No one knows where she was in the interim. Although he graduated and attended university on Carida, Sienna returned to the Core after the destruction of Coruscant and allegedly began a relationship with Karen Winton. Clearly, this did not last as she was later linked with the Emperor but his ties to them would make him a potentially valuable asset if strategically placed."
"Like in direct association with Rutherford Gellar who happened to be raising a Gellar, Masterton and Winton here in the Corporate Sector."
"Exactly."
"How do you know the Empire would even be interested in them given that, historically, the then-Emperor's relationship with a Winton brought them to the brink of extinction? I don't know much about Emperor Schrag but I do know he has spent years bringing them back into the game. With the most recent treaty with the Republic, I am not certain he would risk the uncertainty they represent. Meddling with The Four did not exactly work out for them in the past from the things I've read."
"Unless he felt they could be manipulated in their favor."
Janessa pours herself a glass.
"That's a stretch."
"Is it? These families may be divisive to some but there is no discounting their popularity and appeal. A well-crafted image is important to achieving certain goals. Even someone as shrewd as Emperor Schrag knows that. The inroads he's made within the Republic are not a result of strategy alone."
She recalls the gala at the museum, so many months ago, and the young Imperial protégé accompanied by the gorgeous model.
"Dahlia."
"She's part of it," Garron says. "But they also secured themselves stake in ChemiX as terms of Rutherford's release after the attack on The Wheel. Sienna has been in close proximity to Dane on several occasions, including a celebratory dinner he threw for his girlfriend after a performance. Combine that with his relationship with Kylie and some might say he is trying to ingratiate himself into our lives."
"To what end?"
"I don't know but I'm betting it's not out of genuine admiration. He was sent here with a purpose and I need to know what that is."
"I'm dying to hear how you plan on discovering this without getting yourself killed."
"That's where you come in."
Janessa arches a brow, "Really?"
Garron's expression is one of sheer sinister determination which turns her on more than she cares to admit.
"I need you to get close to Sienna through the Direx Board. He'll be feeling lonely and perhaps vulnerable. As you have to report to them on behalf of the Republic, there will be amble opportunity to cross his path."
"Hold up," Janessa says with a hand raised in front of him. "You believe Sienna had something to do with Kylie's disappearance and the deaths of the Gellar-Masterton's but you want me to traipse around in front of him like bait?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Surely you realize I could be seriously injured."
"Is this morally ambiguous task too much for you?"
"Of course not but I do want you to grasp the scope of what you are asking me to do."
"I need to know, Janessa."
She glances away, mind spinning into dark places. This is her forte as she has seduced and enticed sensitive information out of many powerful men, using it to her advantage within both the Republic and the Corporate Sector. Still, if this goes as deep as he believes it does, there is a very real danger.
"I know you do which if why I'll do it."
"Excellent. A toast?"
She raises her glass.
"To the truth."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Gemma stands by the stream winding its way across the Gellar property. She is emotionally destroyed but turns those feelings inward for reflection just as Nevylinn had taught her. Despite what the Holo says about the Jedi on Chandaar, she knows it isn't true. Riley confirmed it when she finally gathered the stability to return his call. He was incredibly empathetic and supportive. His words mean more to her than he will ever know.
Riley told her Nevylinn was not on Chandaar and she shared her thoughts about what may really be going on. They agreed to stay in close contact. He is worried and she is touched.
The stream seems so peaceful now but she cannot shake the images of her mother drowning in it. Everyone reacts to grief differently and even though Dane presents a tough exterior, she knows he is just as devastated. His new duties as Baron and heir to ChemiX require a level head and he has traveled to Etti IV to move the company forward. Surprisingly, Dahlia has been sullen and withdrawn, shying away from social activity in favor of solitude in her room. The only person she let near the house is Muriel who has been a welcome relief from the misery.
Security around the estate is tightened. Thankfully, the no-press policy on D'ian allows them space to grieve in peace.
"Why do this to yourself?"
She doesn't turn, "I need to understand."
"I'm working on getting you all answers," Garron says. "I know how important that is for closure."
"You say that like the answers will erase the pain when you know it will only lead to further questions. This wasn't an accident, no matter what the Espos says."
"I agree which is why I want to find out what really happened."
"Why didn't you go with Dane?"
"He wanted me to stay with you."
"I'm not made of glass, Garron."
"Perhaps not," he says. "But it is okay to break. You don't have to carry this alone. We are all suffering and I think we can help each other through it."
"I have a confession to make."
"Oh?"
She turns around.
"I saw this too. Not the specifics, just the funeral – Dane kneeling between the gravestones. When I saw it happen in reality it all came flooding back."
His face remains neutral.
"This was the same vision that led you to believe Georgie was one of the creatures and he hasn't been seen since. Was that also true?"
"Yes."
"You confronted him, didn't you?"
"He was revealed for what he was and defeated."
Garron tries not to be angry even though he had asked her not to risk it. There are other factors he must consider given his conversation with Janessa and their plan.
"Was Dahlia aware?"
"He claimed she was too self-involved to be suspicious."
"Do you believe that?"
"What are you asking me?"
"Do you think Georgie and, by extension Dahlia, was involved in something that led to Kylie's disappearance and your parents' death?"
It is blunt but he owes her that.
She takes it in stride.
"Would I put it past her? No but you were there when we found out. She was blindsided too. Dahlia's proclivities are speculative at best but the timeline is a little too suspicious. Georgie's cover is blown then Kylie goes missing and my parents suddenly meet unfortunate ends within a day of each other. That is not a coincidence."
"No, it isn't."
"You have a theory?"
"I'm working on something," he says, treading carefully. She may be bright and capable but she is still fragile and reeling. He is not about to fill her head with doubt when he doesn't have anything conclusive. "I will let you know how it pans out."
She nods, turning back to the stream.
*
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Dane stands before the ChemiX executive board of directors. He wears an expensively tailored suit and a hardened expression he cribbed from his father. It takes everything he has to keep it together. He had prepared notes which Dahlia helped with. She stressed the importance of a strong and assertive position.
"Thank you for meeting with me today. Although uncertainty is at the forefront of our minds, the vultures will not be circling. We must move forward stronger and more determined than ever to keep my father's vision alive. While my plans involve completing my education, I fully intend to work closely with you to ensure my internship grows into a successful and mutually beneficial business partnership so that I may be ready to take on the challenges when the time comes. Until then, there is no one more qualified and dedicated to the cause than Irulan Reeves. She was my father's most trusted advisor and I am asking that the board place their trust in her as well to lead us through this tragedy and into the future."
The applause is unexpected but encouraging as Irulan stands and shakes Dane's hand. He knows they were worried about the company's future given the ruthless nature of the Corporate Sector. The loss of such a powerful figure in Rutherford Gellar sent shockwaves through the corporate world. Rumors swirled about the potential for a buyout which were quickly extinguished by the ChemiX legal and public relations teams. Dane made it clear to the board that he had no intentions to sell and that their hard work would not go unrewarded.
Deferring leadership to Irulan Reeves proved to be a wise and extremely mature decision that showed ChemiX was serious about forging ahead. With everything Irulan assured him was in the pipeline, the company was in no shortage of innovation which would keep them at the head of the markets. This calmed anxious investors and swayed the board in his favor. They praised his fortitude amidst such a tragedy and gave their approval to name Irulan the CEO of ChemiX. Dane would be granted a provisionary title of executive advisor upon completion of his internship at the end of the summer. He would stay on in that capacity until he graduated from Valor Prep the following year with plans to attend university on Mondder. His work with the company in tandem to his education would set him with the experience to take the reins if and when he decided to do so.
Dane hasn't really decided on anything past getting through the meeting with the board. He is dying inside and cannot yet bring himself to enter his father's office. Everything about the official report sounds ridiculous and implausible yet there is no other obvious explanation.
Downstairs, he poses for photage with Irulan but allows her and the publicists to handle the onslaught of questions hurled at them. He slips away and glances up at the towering monolith that is the Gellar Tower. Everything seems surreal and he barely notices the presence beside him.
"Hello, Dane."
He shields the sunlight from his eyes with one hand.
"Oh, hey Ambassador Sienna."
"You know, this isn't a formal meeting. You can call me Vex. Tough morning?"
"Sorry, right. You don't know the half of it. I'm honestly surprised I wasn't torn to shreds or laughed out of the room by the board."
"They respect you," Vex says. "You've handled yourself well given the circumstances. I wanted to offer my condolences both personally and on behalf of the Empire. Your father was a great man."
"Thank you. I really appreciate that. You've been a great friend to us both."
Vex smiles.
"I'm here if you need to talk or escape the circus for a while."
"What I need is a decent breakfast. I'm starving!"
"I know just the place."
-TBC
-
"Where are you now?
Another dream
The monster's running wild inside of me
I'm faded
I'm faded
So lost, I'm faded."
-Alan Walker
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Graduation comes and goes with all the standard fanfare.
While she puts on a good show, Dahlia is just not feeling it. She goes through the motions and smiles on cue surrounded by her closest friends. Most of their parents even show up for support and with all the photage and begrudging congratulations, she is reminded of what she lost. Dahlia never expected to take it this hard.
They were liars and conspirators. Their lies led to the deaths of her real parents. Now they are all dead. In some ways, it seems like a long-overdue karmic swing but in others she lost the only parents she's ever known. Why did they have to be so damn caring and supportive? It would have been easier to hate them and even easier to lose them if they had been monsters. But they weren't. At least, not monsters to her. It must have been easier for Karen and her friends since their parents were never around. Dahlia had Rutherford and Celeste around for every moment, every milestone in her life. She is almost embarrassed by how much it stings. She is tougher than this and her teaching tells her to cut herself off from feeling anything so that you have nothing to lose, nothing anyone can hold over you as leverage. It sounds so much better as a principle but in practice it's excruciating.
Dane left for his internship on Mondder and Garron is busy hovering over Gemma and her album release and summer tour schedule which leaves Dahlia to her own devices. It's just as well. She's not really in the mood for their awkward interactions anyway so she agrees to the graduation after-party at the Corinthos Estate. From the patio she can see the Gellar mansion framed in the distance as the sun burns the sky a brilliant orange.
It is in this daze she knows their lives will never be the same.
She wears a short, light-gray dress and heels. It's simple for the smoldering weather but she exudes a frosty vibe that repels. No one really talks to her because they don't know what to say – another tragedy for the redhead. Escara Wu already reached out to gush about how this adversity can work for her brand. Some may call it insensitive but girlfriend is always thinking ahead.
Muriel emerges from the house with heart-shaped sunglasses and a lit joint.
"Someone said there was a party-pooper up here."
Dahlia turns, plucking the joint from between Muriel'a fingers and taking a long, slow hit. She watches the thick cloud of smoke curl out of her mouth.
"That should cheer me right up."
"I know there isn't anything I can say or do but they would have been proud today. We graduated! That's a big deal. You pulled off the perfect senior year with the grades, the titles, the social life and the fame. I don't want anything to take away from everything you've accomplished. Take the time to grieve but at the very least give yourself space to feel good about this. You deserve that."
Dahlia reaches out to touch the side of her face.
"Thank you, darling. I'll be okay, promise. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't you and I take a little holiday on Hesperidium? You've got some time before you run off with Tobias."
Muriel twirls across the patio.
"Now that sounds like a plan but first…a dance."
Hand-in-hand, they descend to the living room where their friends are moving along to the music. Trichelle raises a champagne flute, hanging off of Kier. Quentin and Ples wave them over. The music builds and Tobias grooves in as Muriel wraps her arms around his neck. Dahlia grins and swivels her hips as the beat drops and everyone moves in union. The culmination of their friendships crystallizes in this moment and they sing loudly, together.
"So lost, I'm faded!"
*
Etti IV: Mondder: Motuyassa
Janessa Kain follows the host through the crowded dining room. All eyes are on her. How could they not be? She is stunning in a floor-length purple gown with her jet black hair worn over one shoulder. There was a moment of hesitation at Garron's request but deception comes easily to her. Her beguiling demeanor has won over many, lulling them into false senses of security. She aims for a similar approach now although the outcome is still questionable at best. She wonders if Garron can handle the truth and just what he will do.
Vex Sienna stands when she approaches.
"Good evening, Miss Kain. You look incredible."
"I appreciate the compliment, Mister Sienna," she says, taking a seat. "Thank you for meeting me."
He returns to his and signals to the server.
Vex knows of her by proximity but mostly reputation both here and in the Republic. Her powers of persuasion are almost as famous as her murder trial. The acquittal may have exonerated her but left a lingering legacy of being a femme fatale. She seems to have handled it well.
Conversely, his life is in emotional shambles. The blackouts, the murders, and every time he comes to in his apartment he knows he has done something unspeakable. Drinking helps dull the roar of his conscience as it screams for him to end it. But he can't. In his most private moments, the depression over being used as a pawn by the very institution he pledged his life to is nearly overwhelming. The contact and invitation is a welcome distraction from his internal anguish but still a mystery.
"Honestly, I was a bit surprised you asked although I took the liberty of getting us one of their finest."
"I like a man with initiative. Why the surprise?"
"We've been in the same circles for years. You seemed like you made every effort to avoid me."
"We had different interests then."
"What changed?"
"I thought it was time to we got to know one another now that we share a common interest in the Republic. The truce would dictate an introduction as liaisons but I decided to bypass the formality with something a bit more appropriate."
"The hottest new restaurant in Mondder?"
"We need to keep apprised of such things for our clients and casual conversation. They rely on us to show them a good time while we secure our standing and address concerns. It might as well be in the best environments."
"So true," Vex says, narrowing his gaze. "But why now? The truce has been in place for months."
His tone and body language indicate he is skeptical of her motives as he should be. She had been purposefully aloof with him in the past, more so to keep any accusations from Kylie being hurled her way. Everyone knows you can't play a player but Janessa is working another angle entirely. She does not want to get the upper hand but neutralize him under the pretense that they are equals fielding the same pressures from their respective factions. Camaraderie could go a long way in establishing trust and it is that trust which she means to exploit for answers.
"It was the earliest I could get away from Chandaar. Surely you realize what kind of qualms and questions were raised by the change in Imperial relations. The CSA is suspicious as you well know and certain egos needed to be soothed. Don't tell me you weren’t bombarded with questions after the announcement was made."
"More than I care to remember unfortunately. Let me guess, they wanted to know how their market shares would be affected by the influx of our supply?"
"Among other things," she replies coyly. "Nothing that can't be resolved with some tactful negotiation."
"Something I hear you are quite skilled at."
"I hear it is a reputation we share."
He laughs for what seems like the first time in ages.
"You'd be surprised by how far a good whiskey will take you."
She smiles as the sommelier arrives with the wine.
"Or a good vintage."
-TBC
-
"We are the left behinds."
-Paris Blohm & Taylr Renee
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface
Demaris Atrii arrives at the Gellar Estate midday.
School is out and everyone is gearing up for some kind of festivity or trip. Demaris wants to enjoy it but knows there is work to be done. The news out of Chandaar regarding the Registration Act is troubling but it is minimized on the larger networks with reports of Imperial assistance in shoring up the Republic borders. Everything about their alliance is perplexing but Dahlia's beau, Barrett Trevaithan is making headlines with his prowess and eagerness to show value in their partnership. These reports only serve to cover up the more nefarious actions taken beneath the veneer of the Republic's might.
Garron Prescott answers the door.
"Play-date with Gemma?"
"We're on break," she laughs. "And it's always good to have a strong support network in times of crisis. I read that somewhere."
He closes the door as she moves through the foyer.
"Sage advice."
"How are you doing?"
"Coping," he says, com bleeping from his belt. "I've got to take this, excuse me. Gem's up in her room."
Demaris runs a finger along the banister as she ascends to the second floor. Gemma's door is open and she is scanning through images on a datapad, glancing up when she enters.
"This place is pretty quiet."
"It's a blessing and a curse – lots of space and lots of space to think."
"Where is everyone?"
"Dahlia scampered off to Hesperidium with Muriel and Dane is in serious denial mode on Mondder working with ChemiX."
"Denial? That doesn't sound good."
"He was destroyed at the funeral but has been stoic since. I don’t know if it's the sense of duty or he's just in shock. Alka said he's been pretty distant which I suppose is understandable. He's thrown himself into learning about the company like it's his mission."
She nods, "What do the corporate masters say?"
"The new CEO is all about showing him the ropes and, from what I read, the board is keen on developing him early. Regardless, I don't think he's processing what happened and it worries me."
"And Dahlia?"
Gemma sighs.
"That's the thing about people. They always surprise you. I thought Dahlia would write everything off as a minor annoyance but it hit her just as hard. I could feel it. Those emotions were real."
"So she's capable of feeling, that doesn't mean she's not an evil mastermind."
"Being a vapid model doesn't a mastermind make."
Demaris scoffs, "You do realize that is almost exactly what they said about her sister?"
Gemma knows it's true. She never truly believed Georgie when he told them Dahlia was oblivious. How could she be? Her concern grows from just worrying about Dane coming off the rails to include Dahlia spiraling into darkness.
"Point taken but more important right now is the Jedi. Something that looks like Master Nevylinn is slashing their way through the capital and they can't even come out of hiding to defend themselves."
"They have painted any Force Sensitive into an unpredictable menace," Demaris says. "I want to help them but everything is such a mess."
"My tour will take me through Chandaar later this summer so I will find out what I can."
"You don't think they will make you register the moment you show up?"
"Why would they?"
"You're a Masterton and Melanie was a Jedi hero. They must assume you share sensitivity. I'm surprised no one has contacted Galaxiss Records about it now that they have confirmed your appearance."
"I'm only on-world for a show."
Demaris slides up onto the bed.
"Still, you should be prepared if and when it comes up. You need to have a position."
Gemma taps the datapad full of stills from the Chandaar attacks off. She is disturbed and angry but channels it into her singing. It is her therapy and it has helped considerably in conjunction with meditation and practice. She has so many questions but knows she must carry on. Her parents would want her to.
"Biology shouldn't matter when it comes to artistic expression. The actions of a few cannot ever speak for the whole. Prejudice has no place in our worlds."
*
Garron steps into the kitchen.
"I'm here. Are you using the secure com?"
"No," Janessa says dryly. "I'm using a public com-station. You act like I've never done this before."
"This is different than seducing a politician for secrets to use as leverage in a deal."
"Is it? I find the methods work in so many scenarios."
"I'm serious, Janessa. We have to be careful. If the Empire knows we are sniffing around it could pose a real danger. I don't trust them."
"They have their uses, I suppose but in this instance I believe you are right."
"You have something?"
"Perhaps…Vex Sienna is known for his cool charisma, notoriously unflappable but over dinner he seemed to be uneasy, distracted. There were definitely ripples beneath the surface. I carefully prodded as we ordered a second then a third bottle of wine, shifting into more personal topics. He spoke fondly but distantly of Rutherford Gellar almost as though he was speaking of someone who knew him and not himself."
"What do you mean?""
"He sounded removed from Rutherford when I know for a fact they met many times. The Empire's stake in ChemiX required oversight although I do not know to what extent. We veered onto the subject of romance and how people in our positions seldom stay still long enough to settle down. He mentioned a girl but skirted the details save for one."
"Which was?"
"He said "I should have said goodbye." Who knows, it could have been the wine but the phrasing implies he knew she would leave him. It stuck out as odd."
"Do you think he had something to do with Kylie's disappearance?"
"If he didn't, he knew about it and feels guilty. That's the impression I got with the context I have. However, it's not an admission of anything. He could have just been drunk and lonely."
"It's a good start. You got home safely?"
"I ditched my boring flat when the lease was up as I find a suite at the Admiral much more appropriate for my visits. I'll let you know when I have more but I want you to understand this may involve crossing certain lines to get what we want."
"I do."
"What if I find out he's not involved?"
"He could still have valuable information."
"And if he is?"
Garron glances up at his reflection in the kitchen window.
"Then I'll fucking kill him."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Gemma considers what Demaris said about the Republic.
Would they really force the test on her once she arrived? She doesn't want to believe their paranoia had reached such levels but the progression and enforcement of the Registration Act indicate otherwise. They are scared and she understands that. People will always fear what they do not understand.
Her tour will take her to Corellia before Chandaar and there is only one way she can think of to help her friends. With her trunks packed, Gemma and Garron head to Etti IV in the Masterton shuttle. Garron is skeptical of her plan despite its practicality and worries about leaving Janessa when he accompanies Gemma on tour. He fortifies himself with the knowledge that she is a capable woman who has never been the damsel in distress. This situation may change that but he must allow her time to work her magic over Vex Sienna if they ever hope to uncover his connection.
As soon as she steps out of the hoverlimo on Mondder, Gemma's name is called out in surprise and adoration. Grown adults on lunch from their corporate jobs are reduced to fanboys and fangirls. She wears a simple white dress with a baby blue sash and heels to match. Her golden curls bounce effortlessly as she ascends the stairs to the Gellar Tower lobby. Gemma smiles and waves to those who have stopped to stare and take photage. Soon the press would be closing in so Garron orders the security detail to take point and be ready.
Irulan Reeves waits for them outside the lift, touching Garron's arm as both a greeting and a sign of camaraderie. They are both grieving, hurt by the loss of their mentors and friends but know they must keep it together. However, the smile tugging on the corner of Irulan's lips signals that she too is affected by Gemma's presence.
"It's an honor to have you visit us," Irulan says.
"The pleasure is mine. It's been far too long since I've been here. Is Dane available? I hope he isn't working too hard."
"Of course, this way. He's been such an asset this summer, jumping right in. He has a very deep understanding of what we do. Everyone is very pleased."
"No doubt," Gemma says. "I just wanted to see him before I left on my tour."
"I heard. That's so wonderful. The new album is getting fantastic early reviews. We are all very excited to hear it when it debuts at the end of the week."
She withdraws a small datacard from her purse and extends it to Irulan.
"Why wait?"
Irulan tries and fails to contain the excitement spreading across her face.
"That's…my goodness…thank you."
They stop outside of what appears to be Dane official office.
"I'll just be a few minutes."
Clutching the datacard, Irulan continues on down the corridor with Garron. Gemma touches the door controls. It opens in front of her and she steps inside. The first thing she notices is how large it is. All this for an intern? Well, when that intern is Rutherford Gellar's son. The other thing is how remarkably stark and organized it is, so unlike his room at home.
Dane is standing over his desk in an impeccably tailored charcoal grey suit, glancing up with that devious Gellar smile.
"I wasn't sure you'd ever come back here."
"Hi, Dane. How are you?"
"I'm fine," he says, tapping the desk consol off. "You don't have to worry."
"But I do worry, Dane. You're my brother and what happened was…awful and sudden…"
Even fraternal twins are bound by one of the strongest bonds yet Dane and Gemma could not be more different. Although they had always been protective of one another, their bond has dwindled in the past couple of years. They had grown apart but Gemma wants him to know she is here for him.
"Being here helps. It makes me feel close to him."
She moves toward the desk. It is a surprisingly concise synopsis of his feelings that hedges dangerously close to a line both the Gellar's and Masterton's have crossed before.
"I'm glad to hear that. Even so, I don't want you to replace feeling with ambition."
"That sounds like something mom would say."
"It is something she said; to herself, to our father. They both allowed other things to cloud their feelings before and they regretted it. That's why we had the childhood we did. They finally realized that it's those in your life that make it worth living."
"Let me guess, you talked to Alka?"
"Don't shut her out," Gemma says. "Don't shut me out either."
"I'm not, I'm just…busy right now. I would have been anyway even if…even if…you know…"
"You can say it. You have to say it."
He stares at her intensely, jaw tightened.
"Our parents are gone. They died and no one can diminish that. They saved us and we couldn't save them so I understand what you are feeling. If I could have somehow known or had a dream or a vision, maybe we could have done something."
"Why didn't you?" he says finally.
"Why didn't I what?"
"Have a dream or a vision. How could you not have known?"
Gemma swallows, "It doesn't work like that."
"Then what is the point if you can't even use this magical gift to protect the ones you love?"
The outburst is followed by a very long silence. Gemma wipes a tear from her cheek and looks away, through the windows to the hazy towers beyond. Blame is a part of grief but it doesn't sting any less. She centers herself with the knowledge that he does not really believe she could have prevented their parent's deaths. He's projecting, lashing out and he comes to the same realization.
"Gem, I'm sorry, I don't want to talk about it."
She nods, "Then will you at least do me a favor?"
"Sure."
"I need the Force vaccine."
He rounds the desk to face her.
"Why?"
"There are people who need it."
"Your Jedi friends?"
"Yes."
"If the Holo reports are true then they have a lot more to worry about."
"People are dying, Dane. They are being setup and the vaccine will give them the freedom to clear their name."
"Don't be so naïve. It is possible for a Jedi to turn. What makes you think they aren't just as dangerous?"
"I'm not saying there aren't exceptions but this isn't just about the Jedi. Anyone with Force sensitivity will be labeled a killer, me included, if we don't find out who is behind this. Is that what you want?"
"No."
"So, you will help me?"
Dane sits on the corner of his desk, reaching for the path of least resistance.
"Well, it's not like Irulan doesn't know our medical history. She's privy to your situation so if I were to, say, request a contingent of the vaccine for your protection on tour I don't think she would object."
She kisses him on the cheek, "Thank you."
When she turns, he grabs her wrist to stop her.
"I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing this for you."
"I know but why not trust them? They have risked much for the both of us."
Dane's face is suddenly very serious.
"That doesn't buy them immunity from suspicion. I think they want to use you for their own purposes and that you can be so blinded by Melanie's shining example that you don't even see it as a method of control."
"I didn't know you had thought much about it."
"I question their motives."
"This isn't about their motives."
"Greater good, right?"
"It's not that simple."
"Apparently, nothing ever is. I'll have the vaccine discreetly delivered to your shuttle. I just want you to really ask yourself if the things they do are in your best interest or in theirs."
*
In the shuttle, veering up and away from Mondder, Gemma leans back in her seat and sighs. Dane's contribution along with the considerable cache from the Gellar Estate should provide enough protection for the Jedi to investigate undetected. She couldn't tell her brother they are also being hunted, that many had already been killed. His heart has hardened toward them but he isn't entirely wrong. She has also considered their motives – what they want, what she wants for herself – but right now, that want is replaced by a need to do what she feels is right.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The com bleeps loudly in the darkness.
She reaches out and pulls it from the nightstand.
"Yes?"
"An emergency meeting of the Direx Board is scheduled in an hour," the aide says.
"Is something wrong?"
"Surely you've seen the Holo reports. They want to speak with you about Republic relations."
"Right. I'll be there."
The aide clicks off and she replaces the com. She turns over to find him staring at her with a drowsy smile.
"Problem?"
"No rest for the wicked," Janessa says slyly. "That means both of us."
Vex Sienna sits upright, sheet sliding off his bare chest when his com begins to bleep. He laughs and answers it, receiving the same message. As liaison to both Republic and Empire, their presences would be crucial in any discussions. No doubt they are concerned with how the recent revelations would impact their dealings. He sighs, tossing the com aside.
"That girl is a problem."
"Only if you view it that way. There are always opportunities to turn scandal into success if played the right way."
"You would know."
If she were anyone else, Janessa might be offended. Her tryst with Vex Sienna, thrilling as it may be, is not as productive as she would like. Garron had tasked her with uncovering his role in Kylie Miranda's disappearance but the Imperial has remained surprisingly tight-lipped about this particular segment of his past. It is almost as if he is afraid to confide pieces of himself in her. For the most part she understands as his duty and loyalty lies with the Empire. Their once-opposing positions now collide with the truce as they seek mutually beneficial arrangements which also work in favor of the Corporate Sector. This requires a careful balance but she knows he is hiding things from her, things she is cautious to approach.
They dress in relative silence.
Once the news broke, Janessa had tried to reach Garron multiple times. Now his com is off and she begins to worry. That man does not have a great history with leaving the Republic unscathed. The manhunt and reward aside, no reports of either he or Gemma have surfaced. She wonders where they are and if they are safe.
An hour later, they arrive separately. The board room is filled with nervous murmurs from all corners. Iver Aguilar stands before the members and calls on Janessa.
"Ambassador Kain, in light of recent events, what news from the Republic do you have to share with us?"
Janessa rises to address them.
"At this time, there has been no indication that the allegations brought against Gemma Masterton and Garron Prescott would adversely impact our business relationship. It is my understanding that evidence of Force ability isn't an issue here."
"So long as it doesn't interfere," D'Ken Dawning says.
"You feel this incident somehow affects your operations?"
"If she is as dangerous as they claim, harboring her could bring sanctions against us."
"I would argue against those measures. It does not serve any long-term objectives for either party."
"Be that as it may," Dawning continues. "Our complacency in this matter could imply a sympathy which in turn may lead to less favorable future negotiations."
Irulan Reeves, having replaced Rutherford Gellar as a member, objects.
"Our function is not law enforcement and they have no jurisdiction here."
"No offense, Miss Reeves but you are hardly what I would call impartial on this matter."
"I do take offense," Irulan fires back. "We are not here to decide the fates of others based on another faction's civil unrest. The Masterton family connection to the Force is well-documented and they have lived amongst us for years without issue. We cannot simply turn on a respectable and extremely profitable member of our society because the Republic takes a moral issue."
Finnius Dyre nods, "It's true, outside security their priorities as of late have bordered on the ridiculous and petty."
"Agreed," Balthazar Nash says gruffly. "Anyone with this power could be useful."
D'Ken groans, "I don't think you are grasping the full picture. Powerful, yes, but the Jedi are notorious for their piousness. Do you really think our goals align with their teachings?"
"Why it would matter?"
"It matters if we are penalized by a passive association."
"I am confident the Republic will be able to differentiate."
"And if they are not?" Aguilar inquires. "That would be a legitimate concern. Perhaps we should ask the party most recently and closely associated with them. Ambassador Sienna?"
Vex has his orders.
Masterton has been labeled a potential asset and while the Empire may publicly decry any actions taken against the Republic, it is in their best interest to allow that relationship to sour.
"We would also argue against any reactions made in haste. Our accord has been mutually rewarding and we fully intend to stay that course."
Aguilar and Dawning seem satisfied with allies in both factions and moves on to other topics but Janessa appraises him skeptically. She doesn't believe that the Empire would not profit from scaling back contracts from the Sector and supply them internally as part of their expanding partnership. She also knows Sienna isn't stupid enough to try it, at least openly. Nash's comment about power isn't surprising given his industry and she hopes he does not pitch that to his contacts within Espos leadership.
Irulan approaches her after the meeting.
"You made quite the point in there."
"What can I say? Dawning pisses me off."
"I think that's his primary purpose."
She nods, lowering her voice.
"Have you heard from Garron Prescott? I know you've worked together in the past."
"No, we haven't spoken since he departed at the start of the summer."
"I thought he may have made contact given the delicate political aspects of the situation. Also, Dane wanted to know. He is concerned."
"Rightfully so it would appear."
"I pray they are alright," Irulan says, waving at another member. "Please let me know if you hear anything."
"I will."
Alone with her thoughts, Janessa wanders the corridors. She would need to make contact with her sources in order to understand the true scope. The response from Drakos' department would be obvious but it must be tempered with sentiments from the political sphere. If Garron and Gemma were caught, they would have little bargaining power from this end. They would be held accountable to Republic law unless Counselor Corinthos proved otherwise. She withdraws the com from her purse and aims to find out.
Down the hall, Vex watches her move away.
He had waited for her, intentionally delaying himself in conversation with other members. When she emerged, she didn't see him and headed in the opposite direction. He moseyed after her, curious at first wondering what was racing through that beautiful mind of hers. After she connected the com and referenced the name Kaytt; his interest piques. Sure, she had to check sources, get a pulse on the sentiment but her movements become quickened and sharp. More so than in usual chats with old friends. She had previously worked with Gellar and his passing seemed to affect her more than she would readily admit. He didn't think they were that close nor did she relay any personal history with the family yet he is left to ponder if her concern veers outside the professional.
Like him, her interests are usually self-serving. Now he's not so sure.
-TBC
-
Didn't even really wanna go
But if you get me out, you get a show
There's so many bodies on the floor
So baby we should go and add some more
Are you down, d-d-down, d-d-down, d-d-down, down, down?
-Marian Hill
Corporate Sector
D'ian
Gemma uses her family codes to gain access to the exclusive planet.
There isn't a conversation or questions. No riot act being read. No scolding for being a bad, bad girl. Money will buy you that much here. Gemma guides the shuttle down through the atmosphere and down across the gorgeous landscapes outside Concordia. The late summer foliage is stunning, colors on the verge of changing within weeks. She feels changed as well. It takes everything she has to keep it together as the shuttle touches down on the landing pad beside the Gellar Estate. She stares at it through the viewport with a deep sadness but wills herself upright and back through the cabin. Her lip trembles as she touches the ramp controls, dark dried streaks of Garron's blood brightening as the light floods in.
Even though she knows no one is watching, Gemma keeps her head held high and strides across the path to the front doors. She punches in her code and pushes her way inside, falling back against the door to close it. She grips the handle tightly behind her, filled with a frightening emptiness. Look at your life. Look at your choices. Parents dead. Siblings scattered. Reputation ruined. Skills bested. Saber destroyed. Protector missing.
What a mess you've made, darling.
All around her, questions without answers swirl into an emotional vortex of crushing pain and doubt. Perhaps she had gone about everything the wrong way-
There is movement, a familiar presence.
"Gemma?"
Dane is standing at the top of the stairs, looking somewhat malevolent in a deep navy suit and polished loafers. His expression is a tenuous mixture of bewilderment and relief.
"You're…here."
"Barely."
He descends the stairs slowly.
"You really stepped in it, didn't you? How I spent my summer vacation, by Gemma Masterton, terrorist and Jedi mastermind."
"Stop," she says, looking away. "Please."
"Come on, after all the shit you give me I deserve one good one. Wait, are you okay? What happened to your face?"
"It's just a scratch."
Dane stops when he reaches the foyer.
"Where's Garron?"
Gemma forces herself to look at him but she cannot control the tears.
"I…don't know."
"How can you not know? Gem, what the hell happened to you?"
She collapses to the floor, sobbing loudly.
"Dane, I messed up. I'm in so much trouble."
He goes to her, kneeling and holding her close. Dane lets her get it all out. He had seen the reports, watched the crazy ass photage, been briefed on the Direx Board meeting and wild concern over her actions in the Republic. It's bad. There is no other way to really look at it. For all his exposure to the ChemiX brand, he has been taught and shown how easily ground can be lost. She's been compromised in the worst way and he knows the consequences of this were far from over.
"Tell me what happened."
She suddenly recalls the last thing he said he her before leaving for the summer tour. It was a sweet concern but now his words resonate. Collecting herself, she skims the surface while keeping all the incriminating details carefully concealed. She needn’t compromise him as well and shifts the central focus to the Inquisitor as it relates to Garron's whereabouts.
"So, you think this guy has him?"
"He must," Gemma says, wiping tears from her cheeks. "The only possibility is that he pulled Garron off the shuttle before I closed the ramp and took off. Oh, Dane what if something awful happened to him?"
"He's tough, he can hold on until we find him."
"And how are we supposed to do that? The microsecond I show up in the Republic they will arrest me. Did you hear what they called me? A terrorist!"
Dane makes a face, "Well, you did hitch a ride with that creepy Concealed."
"They aren't terrorists, Dane. They are activists fighting against the injustice of the Republic system. Anyone with Force sensitivity is put on a list and monitored by the RSB. Those that resist are imprisoned or worse. It's wrong."
"I don’t disagree but where were the Jedi during all of this? They just let it all blow up in your face?"
"It's not that simple."
"So you've said. Repeatedly. It just seems like they are letting you take all the risk so they don't have to get their hands dirty."
Gemma is about to protest, even if he's got a point, when the chimes disrupt them. Dane stands and helps her up before pulling the door open.
Alka Dawning leans seductively against the frame in a stunning red dress.
"Hey, stud…."
Her voice trails off when she spots Gemma, eyes widening.
"Oh my Maker, you're home safe!"
She pushes past Dane and throws her arms around Gemma.
"We were so worried!"
She embraces her tightly, "It's so good to see you."
"I thought we were going to dinner," Dane says.
"Your sister manages to escape the Republic machine and all you can think about right now is food?"
"Uh, yeah!"
Alka pulls her com from the expensive clutch, "We need reinforcements."
Within the hour Demaris, Preston and Roman arrive at the Gellar Estate. Everyone is thrilled and relieved to see her after hearing everything on the Holo. People were definitely talking but her friends defended her honor which touches Gemma deeply. Dane has the service droids whip them up some dinner and they gather around one side of the massive table to catch up on the summer's gossip.
"Dane and I hung around Mondder," Preston says. "You know, brushing up on company politics."
Dane nods, "It was cool. Made the days go by faster."
Preston and Dane had never really been close, despite Roman's strange fondness for him. However, the summer changed things when Dane came to appreciate Preston's cheeky banter and confidence with the ladies. He is one of the most loyal people Dane knows and he is glad his sister and girlfriend have someone like him around. He went to bat for Gemma the second the news broke, even at the risk of his own reputation. Dane was more cautious and avoided comment as the interests of the business took precedence.
"Alka blew everyone's mind at the dance company per usual and gave the prima ballerinas night terrors as they will soon be eclipsed by her magnificence."
"So not true."
"You are much too modest, dear."
"Alright," Alka sighs. "They were impressed. They say I have a real shot at a lead after graduation. For someone so young, it's unheard of."
"That's my girl," Dane says with a smile.
"Demaris spent most of the summer making out with Ples until she broke up with him three days ago."
"You did? What happened?"
Demaris rolls her eyes up, "He's starting university and I wanted him to have the full experience without all the high school girlfriend baggage."
"D'ian isn't that far from Etti IV," Alka says. "It's not like you couldn't have made it work."
"I've got to focus on my own stuff," she says, glancing at Gemma.
"Aaaaand Roman spent the summer on Csilla with Alia."
The Chiss smirks, "It's customary. She is my intended."
"She's super mean," Alka says.
"She is not."
"Dude," Dane says. "Kinda mean."
"Alia didn't grow up around other humans. She was raised not to trust anyone. My life isn't exactly typical, you know. I got a lot of shit because of it too."
"Poor you," Preston says.
Roman glares at him across the table.
Alka turns to Gemma, "So, you…are a Jedi?"
It's not like her friends didn't know she was different. They grew up hearing all about her heroic sister and her scandalous friends. However, they weren't aware Gemma was formally trained or in the habit of kicking serious ass. Alka was hurt at first by the fact that she hadn't opened up to them but Preston pointed out that some things are more difficult to talk about. He would know. Roman secretly wonders what kinds of powers she has while Demaris watches her response closely.
"Yes, I am. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It's something I had to keep to myself so that I could try and figure out what was happening in the Republic. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. I understand if you are upset."
"We were," Alka says.
Preston laughs, "But we got over it."
"Your speech was inspiring, to say to the least. I hope that made them think."
"They hurt you?" Roman says, frowning sharply.
She touches her cheek, the not-so-subtle bacta strip there and along her shoulder had been the bantha in the room all evening.
"Someone did. My cover is blown, Garron is missing and I don't know what's going to happen when we start school next week."
Dane leans back in the chair.
"Personally, I think this makes you cooler. You were a little too perfect."
Gemma laughs for the first time since she was with Riley. It feels good but different, somehow hollow. This helps, having them here. Alka leans forward and places a hand over Gemma's.
"We won't let anything happen to you here."
"That's right."
"Your bravery commands respect."
"Yeah," Preston says, doing the same. "We got your back."
Roman places his hand over Preston's, Demaris' over his and finally, begrudgingly, Dane completes their gesture. For all his posturing and teasing, Gemma is suffering. He knows enough to know she hasn't told him everything but it's enough for his brotherly instincts to kick in.
"Don't worry, Gem. We'll work this out."
-TBC
-
"You know we could put them all to shame
Now isn't the time to play it safe
Isn't this the reason why you came?
So, baby, don't you let it go to waste
Are you down, d-d-down, d-d-down, d-d-down, down, down?"
-Marian Hill
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dr. Dalton Daaé is summoned to treat Gemma's wounds.
He regards them thoughtfully, a fatherly concern blossoming at the sadness in her eyes. The doctor has known them since they were children and the loss of Rutherford and Celeste had been difficult for him. Not as difficult as he imagines it has been for them. His obligation now is their health and so he remains focused on that.
"Dare I ask?"
"It was a saber," she says softly. "I was lucky."
"Extremely. Thankfully, these are superficial and will heal without scarring if you continue the bacta treatments. However, I do not wish further harm to come to you."
She touches his hand.
"I appreciate that but it's not exactly realistic."
"You sound resigned to it."
"Hardly, I just know it is an inevitability. Such is the way of things for my family."
"It doesn't have to be," the doctor says.
"Tell that to my parents."
The biting comment borders on bitter but he knows she is hurting. As the responding physician after they found Celeste's body, he had his own theories. She had significant bruising which was determined by the medical examiner from Mondder to be a result of her fall and damage sustained in the turbulent stream. The mark on the back of her neck seemed too conveniently placed. It was overruled by the M.E. and dismissed by the Espos but he continues to wonder. He could never tell Gemma or Dane that but she does make a fine point. Danger surrounds their family. He may not be able to protect them from it but he will be there when they call.
"Please let me know if you need anything."
After she sees him out, Gemma wanders slowly back upstairs. Dane left to see what he could find out about Garron but withheld any specifics. She doesn't blame him for that. They play a careful game of plausible deniability, for better or worse.
It wouldn't always but it works for now.
Demaris is waiting for her in the room, knelt down in meditation. They had spoken briefly about her invitation for the Force sensitive's to rendezvous at Viiperi Lake, one she still hasn't had any confirmation on. She hopes Taarek and the others made it out.
She opens her eyes and smiles.
"I have news."
"What happened?"
"I know you were reluctant to reach out to anyone and I think that's smart. Best to keep a low profile until we can sort this out. We don't want the Espos overreacting. So, I sent a message to Riley for you."
"He's knows I'm safe?"
"Yes and, if he's as clever as I think he is, he knows Garron is not. Perhaps Della or the Director can reach out to Senator Soldys for some guidance. We shouldn't give up hope."
"Based on how things are going, that's tough."
"I know it seems that way now," Demaris says. "But I'm here to help you through it."
"Are you wondering why I didn't out you as a Jedi too?"
She shrugs, "Not really, I know you."
"Good. It's something everyone must do on their own terms. I was forced out which, as you know, is an extremely dangerous act in today's climate. This was done intentionally to discredit me. Now no one will believe anything I say."
"That's not true. Your message is being rebroadcast everywhere."
"They think I'm a liar."
"Hey, I'm supposed to be the broody one. They know why you had to lie and this is the call to action. You can't know how many lives you may have changed because you owned it. You could have just as easily denied everything, blamed it on photage slicing and sabotage. You didn't. That says a lot."
Gemma stares past her through the windows out into the forest.
"What is says is that I'm weak. I was outed then beaten by another Sith, one the Empire has dispatched to enforce the Registration Act. He destroyed my saber and now I'm defenseless."
"Also not true," Demaris counters. "You don't need weapons to be strong."
Gemma turns and kneels beside her, eyes wide and serious.
"You don't understand. This isn't like the monsters; this was true, unadulterated darkness. I would have died if I hadn't reacted so severely which makes me question why the Jedi are seemingly always bested by the Sith. We are so constrained with our powers, always defending without gaining any ground. I mean, look at us Demaris. We're two of very small ranks. The Jedi is being slaughtered at a frequency exceeded only by Order 66. We're fighting a losing battle."
Demaris does not like where this is going.
"Is it worth winning if you forfeit your soul?"
"We can keep each other from falling."
"What are you even saying right now?"
"We need a different tact."
"Is that what you are going to tell the recruits that arrive here seeking safety and guidance? Maybe you will be able to stop yourself from crossing a line but the others may not have that kind of control. I get it, you're pissed. The Inquisitor could have killed you just as the Sith woman on Corellia nearly killed you. That anger is real. I'm not saying you should suppress it, that's not good. But you can't let that drive you solely. You want to be a better fighter? Be one. You can do this without exploring such ambivalence within the Force."
"Something has to change."
"Things have changed."
"With them," Gemma says. "The Jedi. We're floundering."
"For the moment but we'll adjust. Come on, sit with me."
Demaris takes her hands and together they kneel.
"Now, take a breath and close your eyes."
Gemma does so but struggles to gather inner strength. Her mind roams; recalling her own concerns, discussions she had with Garron, and the things Dane said before. There has to be something more than just fighting to stay alive.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Dane Gellar waits in a café near the Republic Embassy. The conversation with Gemma had bothered him greatly and he felt the need to take action. Even though his work with ChemiX has ended for the summer and he will begin his senior year at Valor Prep on D'ian, the impromptu trip served an important purpose.
Janessa Kain emerges and he intercepts her before she reaches her transport.
"Ambassador Kain."
She pauses and allows a small smile to creep across her lips.
"Well this is a surprise. What can I do for you, Lord Gellar?"
"A private audience to discuss business matters relevant to our relationship with the Republic."
"Of course," she says, motioning to the skiff.
He nods and enters, waiting as she joins him. Nearly eighteen, Dane is the spitting image of his father – brooding and incredibly handsome. His dark features lend to an aura of mystery, as if he is always conspiring. This expression mirrors one his father held but was most closely associated with the publicity stills for then-Corellian Governess Valerie Gellar. It is a powerful and commanding look that has inspired many over generations.
"Can we speak freely?"
She taps the controls which seals the partition then turns to him.
"By all means."
"Garron trusts you so I will as well. Gemma is back in the Sector."
Janessa is floored, tensing up.
"Is she alright? What about Garron?"
Dane recounts what he was told about Gemma's injuries and Garron's supposed abduction by what appeared to be an Inquisitor. Her face is impossible to read but there is a quiet horror in her tone.
"The Empire sanctioned an Inquisitor to hunt down Force Sensitive's on Chandaar?"
"Not officially, obviously. I guess that would really fuck up their rebranding with the truce. The point is; this guy has Garron. We don't know where or why he was taken. Gemma only escaped because she fought him off. Clearly, none of this was covered on the Holo."
"All reports state neither has been found."
"That's the problem," Dane says. "When we start school next week, everyone will know Gemma is here. Word will reach Mondder and people probably freak out. I heard your Direx meeting raised concerns and the Espos will most likely have questions. Regardless of what anyone says, Garron's absence won't go unnoticed. They will want to know why he didn't return when she did."
Janessa leans back, musing on this.
"If she goes public with the Inquisitor story, it could significantly damage Republic affairs. They could retaliate with sanctions as Direx Dawning feared."
"I don't think you need to worry about that."
"You don't think anyone will believe her?"
"It wouldn't have the same impact as it would if the public didn't know she was secretly a Jedi the whole time. Her reputation is trashed so anything she says right now may look like deflection and spite. Gemma knows that. The press can't come running to D'ian so that buys us some space and time. Without any meat to their story, everything will spin out into speculation which I'm guessing won't be good. I need your help."
"What makes you think I owe you a favor?"
"If shit hits the thrusters your job is going to get a hell of a lot harder. ChemiX has played a large part in your success with the Republic. I wouldn't want that to change."
Her smile widens, "You learn quickly."
"I need you to shield Gemma while working to find out what happened to Garron."
"And you think I can just ask around the Republic Senate?"
"We both know you have the means and the contacts to root out a lead. Garron could be in real trouble, Janessa not to mention the Empire's pulling a fast one on the Republic."
"You say that like the Republic isn't complicit."
"Are they?"
She shrugs, "That I don't know."
"Maybe Ambassador Sienna would know."
Her reply is sharp.
"I do not think that is an avenue you should pursue. Leave the careful conniving to me."
"So you'll help?"
Janessa considers her loyalties, personally and professionally. If the Republic has knowledge of this it would mean Speaker Leeds is more compromised than the fringe group's claim. Evidence of a conspiracy would validate The Concealed, turning them from a suspected terrorist organization into a legitimate Separatist faction. It could splinter the Republic and give way to further Imperial influence in policy. So far they have done a bang-up job justifying their actions in the name of public safety. Their borders were almost entirely secured with assistance from Imperial fleets. She doubts Sienna would have any knowledge of this as it isn't in his purview and even if he did, he wouldn't be stupid enough to disclose it to her. She hopes the Republic wouldn't have the brass to request an extradition for Gemma Masterton but it is something she would put on Counselor Corinthos' scope. She fears what will happen if Garron is in Imperial custody, far from the oversight looming across the truce. For all they know he could be dead and both Dane and Gemma would be left without an authority figure to manage their exposure, something she bets the Empire already knows.
"You've made some interesting points I wish to explore further. I cannot promise anything but I will lend my assistance in this request."
"I appreciate that."
"Where can I drop you?"
"The spaceport," Dane says. "I've got to get back."
After directing the driver and flying in relative silence, they finally arrive of their destination.
"Thank you."
"Dane, wait."
He turns as he steps out onto the platform.
"Yeah?"
"Be careful who you trust," Janessa says. "You and your sisters represent opportunity and not everyone has the kind of respect I do for your family."
Dane smirks, "Warning received."
"My advice is to use the opportunity in your favor before others use it against you."
The door hisses closed in front of him and the skiff pulls away from the platform. There is one lead she needs to root out before she leaves The Sector. Dane stares up as it merges into a central lane of traffic. Trust is a funny thing. He doesn't really trust anyone, especially not his sisters but he's found the well-placed lie motivates others to rally around the cause.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Before she departs for Chandaar, Janessa Kain swings by Vex's residence. He'd been distant and moody since the Direx Board meeting but her schedule kept her too busy to give it much thought. She did need to clarify things with him and the pending trip gives her an easy out.
Vex buzzes her up and waits in the living room holding a rocks glass. Her motives have been suspect and he wonders what side she is really on. Janessa enters and moves through the foyer, looking spectacular in a black pantsuit and heels.
"I just came to say goodbye. I don't know how long I'll be in the Republic."
He takes a swig and smiles.
"Going to rescue your boyfriend?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Garron Prescott," Vex says. "You two are close, right?"
"That may be a stretch but he was Rutherford Gellar's closest advisor and council. We interacted on many occasions."
"You have the gift of spin."
"As do you. It's a primary part of our positions. Are you going to tell me what this is all about or should we keep posturing? I could go for hours."
"Don't I know it."
Janessa rolls her eyes up and sighs.
"What's the problem, Sienna?"
"It's just funny how Prescott is reported missing and you go running."
"Let me be clear with you. The Direx Board requested a follow up with the Republic given the nature of the incident involving Gemma Masterton and Garron Prescott. This has serious implications as I'm sure you well know. The Republic is chomping at the bit for anyone involved with the Force and a prominent figure from the Corporate Sector wanted for questioning in conjuncture with alleged terrorist activities requires a bit of finesse, don't you think?"
"I don't think that's the whole reason. I think you want to go there to find them."
"Finding them isn't my job. Protecting our interests is."
"And what about your interests? I dug around a little, asked some contacts on Chandaar and it turns out that you were the one who brought Prescott back to The Sector the last time he was in trouble with the Republic."
"So?"
"So you may have ulterior motives that run deeper than Republic relations and I think your connection to the Gellar family makes you less than an impartial participant in the proceedings. I think you have a deeper and more personal relationship with Garron Prescott so excuse me if your little trip makes me question your intentions."
She laughs, closing the space between then.
"You think I can find Prescott even though the RSB can't?"
"I think your lover is missing and you need make sure that angle stays covered."
She slaps him.
"You jealous fuck. I don't know what you think is going on here between us but it doesn't entitle you to dictate my actions or motives. Speaking of disappearing lovers, there's a fascinating tale out there about your high school flame, Tenley Price. That's right, I read up on you too. Interesting stuff; considering your connections to the families in question. You accuse me when you went to school with The Four and slept with Karen Winton. Some may wonder what you are even doing here. I mean, why you? An Imperial Naval Captain hand-selected to become Ambassador to the Corporate Sector where the Gellar-Masterton's happen to reside? That doesn't sound any alarms. With all the mystery and speculation, a part of me is waiting for a ninja Kylie Miranda to appear out of nowhere ready to take me down."
"Don't count on it."
"How can you be sure?"
"She's never coming back," he bites out sharply. Vex inhales and turns away, appearing to struggle and shiver. The definitive statement is all she needs, confirming their suspicions that he at least knows of Kylie's fate.
"I think you should leave."
"Fine, but think carefully about your own motives before you start questioning mine."
Shaking, he drops to his knees, "Go…now!"
Janessa backs away.
"Vex?"
"Go!!!" he screams, grabbing the sides of his head. He thrashes for a moment then goes eerily still, turning toward her with a look in his eyes colder and more vacant than she's ever seen. Janessa runs. She is through the foyer when he grabs her, throwing her against the door. His voice is completely different and lacks any emotion as he slides up against her with lips close to her ear.
"Too late."
"I know you killed her, you son of bitch."
"Just one more in the collateral damage pile. Ready to join them?"
"Them?"
He smiles.
She slams her head against his nose, taking advantage of the momentary surprise to spin and kick his left knee with her heel then catch him with a right hook. Vex staggers into the wall, allowing just enough time to get the door open and slip out into the hall. Janessa has never run as fast in her life, throwing herself against the stairwell door and descending to the lobby level. She doesn't stop until she's inside her shuttle, hunched over the controls while trying to keep it together.
As the shuttle ascends into the darkened sky, a trembling Janessa glances up at her reflection in one of the panels. He attacked her. She pushed too far and he attacked her. But there was something about the moments before that terrified her more. He changed, became something else….someone else. As relieved as she is that she escaped, she knows she is headed to Chandaar where his allies await.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian
The central hall doors of Valor Prep hiss open.
Gemma and Dane stride onto the scene flanked by Alka, Preston, Roman, and Demaris. Cue the heavy beats and slow motion slide as they saunter past their peers. Everyone stops or turns to stare. The whispers become rumors become the new legends.
Senior Year, baby.
Gemma was extremely apprehensive about returning to school after what happened on Chandaar. She knew they would all talk. People would have opinions; make judgments, like they always did. D'ian sustained itself on gossip and they hated that Celeste Masterton thought herself above it. Now her exploits would be high society fodder. Dane convinced her to forgo the faux-soul-searching and own it. They would use this to rule. He'd be damned if he let anyone use these things against them. Emboldened, Dane goes on the offensive but it is only a matter of time before the consequences inevitably arrive.
The Valor Prep Administration has concerns. Student safety is a priority. The new dean is skeptical Gemma's abilities would contribute positively to the exclusive academy. She is labeled a potential liability and put on notice. Her attendance, behaviors, and performance would be evaluated more closely. As a result, the student body is sharply divided by her presence. They shun, harass, fear, praise, and support her – depending on who you ask. Thankfully the crew rallies around her, led by a dominant Dane and acid-tongued Alka. This move makes all six of them both extremely popular and incredibly dangerous; just as he planned.
Unfortunately, it doesn't prevent Galaxiss Records from suspending her contract. They claim a violation and site the image clause. They wanted a sweet pop star not a killer Jedi. Rebranding is discussed in the future should she wish to pursue it. They propose she take some time to let the dust settle before emerging darker and edgier. After all, they tell her, everyone loves a bad girl.
The Espos do come to the Gellar Estate the following day. They don't seem to care as much about her connection to the Force as they do about damage to the corporations. They want to know everything. Garron usually handles all legal matters but without him, Gemma declines to elaborate without official inquiry. Her statement, brilliantly crafted by Preston, reads:
The Republic's views on certain matters do not reflect my own and this disagreement led to an incident after which I departed.
It's just vague enough and purposefully doesn't reference her broadcast message they are fully aware of. She shuts down further lines of questioning, including those about Garron Prescott. Dane assured her he was having it looked into. The Espos are not entirely satisfied but complete their due diligence on the matter for now. This would not hold them off forever, especially if unrest grows within the Republic and they choose to use Gemma and Garron as catalysts. Dane has faith that Janessa will find something that will shift blame and bring Garron home.
*
A lone shuttle touches down on the landing pad beside the Gellar-Masterton's Viperii Lake House. Taarek Cirque powers down and glances back at the Force Sensitive's that made it off Chandaar with him – all twelve of them.
He hopes Gemma Masterton has a plan.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian
Gemma and Demaris fly out to meet Taarek at Viperii Lake on the weekend, bringing along supplies.
"Does Dane know about this?"
"Not exactly."
"He's going to find out," she says. "We should tell him."
"We will, soon."
"He's been a real trooper, Gem. I honestly didn't expect him to roll with all this. He's always so moody."
Gemma laughs, "That's because he doesn't know the whole story. He wasn't exactly keen on me bringing the vaccine to the Jedi. He thinks they are using me."
"And what do you think?"
"I don't know what to believe, Dem. I feel so empty, helpless, and the Jedi haven't exactly been reassuring. I haven't even spoken to Master Nevylinn in months. I think she's still pissed I went on tour. Bet she's laughing now."
Demaris sighs, "I don't think she or the Jedi would gloat about your misfortune. Last I heard, Nevylinn and Mara were exploring a lead."
"What kind of lead?"
"Veritass didn't specify."
"He never does. We aren't kids anymore. It wouldn't kill them to share some information since we are practically operating on our own."
"Riley seems to trust him."
"Riley," Gemma says dreamily. "I love that boy."
"You know, I caught that scoop about him leaving your hotel in Coronet. There was definite buzz. What's the story?"
Gemma blushes.
"What? It's just us girls."
"We spent the night together."
"I knew it!" Demaris gushes. "Wow, how was it?"
"Magnificent!"
"You know what the Jedi say about love."
"It's not love they are against. It's the attachment. Attachments can be used against you and opens the doorway to the dark side of the Force."
"You disagree?"
"Attachments are what keep us grounded. You can't go through life not caring about others. I'm not ashamed of it and you shouldn't be either."
"I'm not," Demaris says. "However, I do see their point. He's a great guy and nuts about you. I'm glad you have each other."
"Me too. Unfortunately, Garron isn't stupid and tried to have "the talk." It was really awkward but now I kind of miss it. He was always there for us."
Demaris touches her arm, "Hey, we'll get him back. Right now, we have to make sure we keep any potential's safe."
Gemma nods.
"I know."
Finally, they reach their destination. The Lake House is surrounded by dense forest and vibrant vegetation now turning brilliant shades of yellow and orange. She sets the shuttle down next to the other that has clearly seen better days. They descend the ramp to the platform below where Taarek is waiting for them. He smiles at Gemma but his face falls when his eyes glance over Demaris. The recovery is swift and he clears his throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Taarek, this is Demaris Atrii. Demaris, this is Taarek Cirque."
"A pleasure."
"All mine," he says. "Are you an associate?"
"And friend. I'm a Jedi as well."
It feels good saying it out loud. Gemma and Demaris exchange a knowing look, a smile of solidarity. He nods and turns to Gemma.
"Thanks for coming. It's good to see you."
"Of course," she says. "We brought supplies. I wasn't sure how many-"
"Twelve. Only twelve."
She gasps, "But there was…"
"So many more? I know."
"What happened?"
"After you left, we mobilized to depart but they came. He came. We fought but there was chaos. Many were killed, others taken. I got out as many as I could. The RSB is closing in on several pockets of The Concealed throughout Ambaril. Antaro escaped with another handful of Force Sensitive's but he's gone dark. I don't know where they are."
"I'm sorry," Gemma says.
"So am I. Is your protector with you?"
"The Inquisitor was waiting for us in my shuttle. Garron never made it off Chandaar. I think they have him."
"You fought the Inquisitor?"
Flashes of his mask and the hum of the green blade haunt her. She swallows.
"Yes."
"You are brave and fortunate, Lady Masterton but if he has your protector the Empire may already know we are here."
"Garron would never give us up."
"The rumors of their methods of interrogation are not for the faint of heart. I don't want to place them or you in any more danger. We should go."
"At least stay another night. My family has properties throughout the galaxy. I'm sure we can find somewhere safe."
"Your kindness is much appreciated. They are scared and need reassurance, more so than I can provide I'm afraid. Some of them lost everything. They were separated from family and friends, all because of their connection to the Force. What's happening in the Republic is a travesty beyond words."
"We agree." Demaris says. "Let us help you. We can show them how to find strength."
Gemma retrieves a bottle from her purse, "This vaccine will dampen their Force signatures until they learn to do it on their own. They would become untraceable."
He grins, "That's a good start."
Together, they enter the massive residence where the others are milling about. Everyone stops and turns when they appear but the look of terror on some of the faces is difficult to ignore. There are four human males, three human females, a female Twi'lek, a male Aragazdan, a male Iridonian, a female Miraluka, and a male Nagai. They seem relieved when Taarek introduces Gemma. She can feel their eyes looking to her for wisdom and guidance, even though doubt surrounding her purpose lingers. She must push this aside. Surveying the room, Gemma knows what she has to do. She feels it deep within her soul. She would fight for them and for everyone who is punished simply for being who they are.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Viperii Lake
Over the course of a few weeks, things begin to shift. Taarek finally makes contact with Antaro and escorts the humans to a safe house in the Outer Rim and the Aragazdan to another in the territories. The Twi'lek, Iridonian, Miraluka and Nagai remain at the lake house. Taarek felt it best to split everyone up, keeping their numbers scattered. Gemma and Demaris visit when they can but remain over break until Taarek returns. The remaining four visitors are curious but cagey. It is understandable given the separation and trauma they faced to get here. They each have a fascinating tale about how they came to end up on the Republic capital.
Sirona, the Twi'lek helps Gemma in the kitchen while Demaris leads Ozendus the Iridonian and Lysette the Miraluka in a meditation exercise. Shendo, the Nagai, stays on the fringe and watches. He has been relatively hostile since he arrived, speaking little to anyone. He paces and wanders the grounds with a hand always close to his Tehk'la blade. Gemma knows enough of their culture to know that he, like the Iridonian, don't often play well with others. Nagai seldom do anything unless there is personal gain. Taarek saved him and there is honor in that which is why, she suspects, he remains on D'ian. Sirona joins the others in meditation while Gemma approaches Shendo.
"You don't like it here?"
He doesn't turn, "It doesn't matter."
"It does to me."
"And who are you, Gemma Masterton? A baroness and part of the CSA elite? You know nothing of our struggle."
"Freedom is important to you," she says. "Right now, you don't feel free. You had a life on Chandaar and that was taken from you for reasons beyond your control. I understand how frustrating that must be."
"I don't think you do."
"I understand because much of my life has been influenced by things out of my control. It sucks. I'm angry about it just as I'm sure you are."
He finally looks at her and laughs, a dark piece of hair falling across his right eye.
"I thought anger wasn't a Jedi thing."
"We don't deny it exists or that everyone feels it. It's how we use it that matters most. Use this opportunity."
"How deep," he snorts, withdrawing his blade and coming at her in one fluid movement. She is pinned to the wall with the blade at her throat. Flashes from her fight with the Inquisitor bombard her senses but she keeps them at bay. "I'm all about opportunities. Bringing you to the RSB would buy me that freedom back, no?"
"Perhaps," she says as evenly as she can manage. "But you know it wouldn't end there. You're still on their list. They would throw you into a box so fast your head would spin. No escape. No freedom."
"Maybe that’s a chance I can take."
Demaris, feeling the spike in Gemma's Force signature, breaks from the meditation and rushes in. The others follow with Lysette keeping close.
Sirona cries out, "Shen, what are you doing?"
"Stop this," Ozendus says with a slight glint in his eye.
Shendo glares.
"Like you trust them either, Iridonian. I'm surprised you haven't ripped their throats out for sport."
"Some of us aren't built that way. Some of us want to be better."
"We can help you," Demaris says. "If you let us."
"We don't need your help!"
Sirona shakes her head, "The Inquisitor would have killed us if we stayed on Chandaar. You saw what happened to the others."
"We could have fought him, defeated him."
"Not without training. The reason you were targeted is because of the power you possess – your connection to The Force. Don't you think you owe it to yourself to at least explore that?"
"Not everyone is on a spiritual quest of self-discovery. You are just as bad as Masterton; a privileged humanoid with privileged problems. Do you really expect anyone to take you seriously? To learn from you?"
"Enough."
Gemma sweeps his hands away from her throat then pushes out into the center of his chest with the Force. It sends him skidding back against the far wall with enough concussion to knock the wind out of him. His knees buckle and he sinks toward the floor. She crosses the room slowly. Shendo attempts to raise the blade again but Gemma Force-holds his arm to the tiled floor. He struggles futilely then relents to look up at her.
"No one is keeping you here, Shendo. You aren't a hostage. You are our guest. Taarek helped you escape and now we are trying to help you realize what you can become. We may not know much about the Inquisitor but we do know that the Jedi were being hunted down and killed long before they came for you on Chandaar. That means even potential Jedi are a threat to whatever is out there. You want to fight this? Then help us fight this. I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers. All we can do is share our knowledge and training but what you do with that is up to you. You can take your chances looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life or work with us to keep yourself and the others safe. You decide which will garner more freedom."
She releases his arm. He pulls it back, sliding the blade back in its sheath before standing and storming from the room.
Demaris smiles and turns to the others.
"Class dismissed."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Concordia Township
Dane Gellar relishes his life.
He has wealth, power, titles, and a gorgeous girlfriend. Things with the company could not be going better and school doesn't suck. Still, he's surrounded by suspicion and maneuvers appropriately. Irulan warned him this would be the case in his position. He ignores Dahlia and keeps Gemma at a careful distance. They both have their own motives and he's fine with that so long as it doesn't compromise what he has. Dane sees them as opposing sides to a spectrum – obvious and typical for their namesakes. He figures they are both up to something but he's got more important things to do.
He nuzzles Alka's neck and she giggles, tangled together in the sheets, when the blue light on his desk consol begins to blink. Dane kisses her and slides out from under the covers. Nude, he pads over to the desk and keys up the message. A small, blue-tinted image of Janessa Kain appears above the projector.
"Greetings, Lord Gellar. The forecast projections seem out of reach but with a new set of eyes all has become clear. Give me a bit of time to work through the details and we'll be in touch. To ensure your interests, I need your full support. Remember what I said."
End of message.
Alka crawls to the edge of the bed, head tilted to the left.
"What does that mean?"
He doesn't turn.
"That everything is more complicated than we thought."
*
Surface: Viperii Lake
Gemma isn't all that welcome on campus after school so she utilizes the time to spend at the lake house. She trains them as Nevylinn trained her. Still, she wonders what the rigorous practice and constant meditation got them in the end other than near-extinction. When she begins to relax the verbiage, Demaris takes note. She pushes back a bit about veering from some of the rudimentary traits. Demaris thinks it's dangerous. They must teach the refugees the tenants exactly as they had been taught before. Gemma doesn't believe the line in the sand drawn by the Jedi is where it should be. Demaris cautions that the refugees won't know the difference – she's not even sure they do.
Taarek returns – the training is reciprocal. The ways of the Force are returned with combat and weapons skills from a variety of sources. The Nagai actually shows them a technique when Taarek requests it. It serves as a powerful, close-combat lesson. He still won't look at Gemma and regards Demaris wearily. The only person he seems to respond favorably to is Taarek. Ozendus struggles to overcome his blood lust. When he fights, he teeters on a careful ledge. His challenge is using the Force to subdue his rage. Sirona is a weapons expert having been owned by an arms dealer at a point in time. Lysette is quiet but potentially powerful in her telepathy which she uses to diffuse potentially contentious misunderstandings between them.
One thing is certain; they need lightsabers. It is a crucial step in their journey. Without the master's around, Gemma and the others would have to forge their own. Parts are not the problem. It's the key piece they are missing. There are few places the kyber crystals can be found. They would need to travel in order to acquire them. It would be difficult to explain such a potentially drawn out absence so they plan an excursion on break at the end of term. Taarek plots out the most conspicuous routes of the two known locations – Ilum and Jedha.
There are reasons to avoid both.
Ilum had been corrupted by the Empire, destroying parts of the planet. There isn't a guarantee they would even find any crystals there as it was rumored they drained it all dry. The moon of Jedha is a dangerous place and the Holy City decimated. The mines had long since been abandoned so their contents remained uncertain.
Taarek stands over a star map with the two locations blinking.
"Ladies choice."
Gemma and Demaris exchange glances.
"Ilum could be highly unstable."
"Agreed," Gemma says. "We start with Jedha."
-TBC
-
Csilla
Six Months Ago
Roman Nash stands in the living room of his parent's palatial estate in Csaplar that overlooks the dark towers covered in frost. He shivers. Even dressed in his families finest, he is still freezing. He has acclimated to temperate climate of the Corporate Sector, a fact that has drawn ridicule and scorn from the other families. But this was not a social call. He had been called back by his mother to further ties between the families, ensuring their legacy forever. Roman is promised to another; someone of great importance to the Chiss and to Csilla itself.
Alia Elise Csapla enters behind him, her heels echoing on the cold tile floors as she crosses them. The dress is stunning, crimson against her deep blue skin. Her hair, shades lighter than the dress, is slicked back.
"You're trembling."
"Is it that obvious?"
She shrugs, stopping beside him.
"It is expected," she says. "After all that time on D'ian with so many seasons. Which one is your favorite?"
"Spring. I had never seen flowers bloom before. Now I look forward to it every year."
"You like it there?"
"It's more home than here," he says evenly. "Not that I mind returning, of course."
She smiles, "You don't have to pretend with me."
"My father's business requires my presence."
"Perhaps but you could always stay behind and finish school here. You could reconnect with the Chiss, brush up on our ways and prove you are still one of them despite what others say."
He turns, appalled.
"Do you believe them? Do you think I am not a Chiss?"
"I think you hide behind your father's duties. It's easier than having to choose a position, isn't it?"
"There isn't a position to choose. Our livelihood depends on their markets and we've done well in expanding our client scope. Others have stagnated with their antiquated, xenophobic ways."
"If you say so."
She steps in front of him, pressing her lips against his. He responds, at first, but then backs away. She is curious but not offended and a strange look of certainly settles over her face.
"You love him don't you? The boy."
Preston; his forbidden heartthrob, condemned within their culture in so many ways. His face, his touch, haunts him. If he never saw him again he would be devastated. She had met Preston, along with the rest of the crew, when she visited last year as his prom date. Roman had been careful to keep a comfortable distance but clearly it wasn't enough. And in that moment he chooses honesty over everything else.
"Yes."
She nods then takes his arm and they walk back through the house to the foyer. There is a transport waiting for them outside to take them into the center of Csaplar for dinner and a performance. He is silent on the ride over, knowing that he had revealed a part of himself that could be used to exploit weakness. While the Nurodo (his given name) and Csaplar families were not openly warring, they were rivals in some respects. Thus why his mother, Rinoa, took the care to cultivate an arrangement with a Csapla daughter – to join their families and unite them.
Alia is his age; beautiful and clever. She is all of the things one wants in a mate. Her surname, like his, means something. There is value, currency, in them. He knows his expected role but hoped being raised away from it all would change things. His father was more concerned with his business, Palace Arms, but his mother never stopped guiding his future along from the home front. He accepted it until his feelings for Preston became very real and he was confronted with who he really is. Being a Chiss outside of Csilla is one thing, jarring and inhospitable yet somehow strangely exotic to others. Being a gay Chiss outside of Csilla would serve as double the insult to all the families. House Nurodo could lose everything and be exiled. Still, he felt comfortable telling Alia. It felt natural and she appeared not to be surprised or even care.
The meal is delightful and they engage in some casual conversation in their native tongue. Others watch from around the room and he is suddenly very aware how on display they both are. This is for show, to prove something. Roman does not want her to suffer and so he plays the part, towering and confident. If anything, the Csapla family would not be marred by his proclivities.
The performance turns out to be the gallery showing of a local artist. The Chiss could be creative but the pieces in this exhibit lean toward the technical design with sculpture. Roman and Alia wander from piece to piece, tilting their heads and nodding reflectively.
"Bored yet?" she murmurs.
"Mmmhmm."
"Let's ditch this place, do something more fun."
"What did you have in mind?"
"How do you cut loose in the Corporate Sector?"
"Parties, friends, booze, music."
"So humanoid," she teases, glancing around for an exit route. Spotting one, she eases him toward the next piece that is closer to a side door. Everyone else is engrossed in the sculpture, conversing in whispers about its meaning and impact. They back away slowly and slip through the door. There is nothing but an empty corridor behind it but Alia bursts into laughter. It is uncommon behavior for a Chiss but he's used to it, having been raised around the widely unstable emotions of his human peers.
"Let's go grab a drink then."
"Where?"
"Anywhere," she says, narrowing her yellow eyes seductively.
He grins and takes her hand again as they begin to walk down the hall. A figure appears at the opposite end, moving toward them at a brisk pace. Alia stops first and tenses. Roman looks to her, confused until he sees a dagger clutched firmly in the strangers hand. They turns and move in the other direction when another figure appears out of door neither of them saw, also holding a weapon. The one on front of them speaks first, his Cheunh crisp and biting.
[You are a traitor, Roman Nurodo. A traitor to your family and all of Csilla.]
Roman moves Alia behind him protectively, trying to shield her in both directions.
"Who are you? Who sent you?"
The one behind them answers.
[The legacy of the Nurodo ends with Balt'nashir'.]
His father – "Balthazar" to the uninitiated speaker. So they want the Nurodo heir gone. Roman is prepared to fight, balling his fists as both assailants come within striking distance. But he doesn't have to. Alia takes one of them down while his head is turned. She slams him back against the wall without using her hands to reach the other, dodging his attacks and countering with the efficiency of a skilled assassin. She ends him quickly, using his own dagger. The corridor is silent once more. He recoils across the wall, released by an invisible force, stunned.
"What the…."
"Relax, you're safe."
"Not the point," he says. "Guess I'm not the only one keeping secrets."
She kisses his cheek as she passes.
"You have no idea."
"No, clearly I don't. Where did you learn to fight like that? The military?"
She rolls her eyes up, "Nothing that predictable."
"Then how?"
"I have many skills frowned upon by the Chiss, they think I could be dangerous and you know what? They're right."
She continues back toward the door and he follows, reluctantly, yet full of curiosity and wonder.
Alia grips his hand as they burst through to a room full of startled sophisticates.
"We were attacked!" she says loudly, pointing back into the corridor where the bodies lay. "Thankfully, Roman saved us."
A crowd begins to gather as she leans into him and by the following morning, Roman Nash is a hero.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian
Present
Weekend party at the Gellar Estate.
No parents, no Garron, no Kylie, no problem. Three of the four of them are dead, and the other remains a mystery. As one of the most popular seniors, Dane Gellar invites his crew and other classmates to attend. He holds a bottle of ale with Alka on his arm. This is the perfect life…on the surface. Beneath that cool exterior, Dane suffers, but the hereditary Gellar cool-factor takes the public face of his pain. He keeps himself occupied and distracted from the questions surrounding the death of his parents. The outcry was still present on Etti IV but it had died down on D'ian. The populous of the Concordia Township give him space all while gossiping about his family amongst themselves. It is their way. He knows it because he lives it and brushes off their judgments with a cursory wave of his long and well-muscled arm.
The party is in full tilt when Roman arrives with someone they do not expect. His intended is in toe this evening, a long ways from the Chiss Ascendency. Alka springs into action to cover for Dane's inherent shock.
"Hi, Alia!"
Alia takes a cue from Roman's panicked expression and smiles tightly.
"Hello, Alka. It's so nice to see you again."
"Is it? I was afraid you didn't like us."
Dane edges closer to her, sharing a rather confusing stare with Roman.
"I don't really know you," Alia says evenly. "Not in the way Roman does."
"True enough," Alka replies, still being charming if not moderately condescending. "This is a bit unexpected, isn't it? They don't usually let you stray from Csilla often."
"On occasion."
"Anything we should be aware of? The two of you aren't eloping, I hope."
Alka glances between Dane and Alka and Roman.
"They don't know? I thought humanoids shared trivial information freely?"
"What?" Dane says.
Alka keeps her eyes from bulging out and motions toward the hall.
"Who needs a drink?"
"Yes, now," Roman says.
They wander to the parlor where other seniors are playing some kind of game involving a tower on a table. Dane moves behind the bar, sensing they might need something stronger than an ale. He pours whiskey, up, the way his father liked it. Cool on the tongue but burns all the way down.
"Gemma around?"
Dane shrugs, "She and Demaris are off in their own world these days. They barely even come to parties anymore. It's our senior year! We should be enjoying it."
"Maybe she is," Alka chides him.
"Well, now that her singing career tanked I suppose hiding out is the smart move. People always forget with enough time."
"Sometimes that's the problem," Alia says lowly.
"Do you know where she might be? It's important."
Alka draws him to the side as Dane waves to new arrivals.
"Try the Viiperi Lake House."
"Thank you."
"Look, I'm not going to pry because I know you hate that but you need to get Alia out of here before-"
"What's she doing here?"
Preston stands with his arms crossed, glaring at Alia.
"Hello, Preston. It's nice to see you again."
"Al, you can drop it. They know you're not serious."
She shrugs, expression returning to its stoic mask.
"My apologies, I thought pretense was important here."
"I think you are mistaking pretense with manners."
"They are interchangeable within human culture. Besides, I'm not here to rain on your parade, such as it is."
"Just stopped by for a visit?"
"Not exactly."
"Preston, I can explain. Later."
"Yeah, Pres. Why do you even care?"
Everyone is awash in uncomfortable gazes. Dane looks to each of them; Alka nervously biting her lip, Alia rolling her eyes up, Roman's sigh, Preston's eyes burning with something…familiar. He'd seen the look in his father's eyes when he looked at his mother. It was love. Dane's mouth falls open.
"Wait, you two…like, what? Is this what you've all been whispering about? All the sneaking around and alone time which, now that I think about it, was odd but whatever and I cannot believe you guys would keep this from me! What kind of friend do you think I am?"
"Dane, I meant to tell you."
"Oh shit, so it is true? You and Pres? With Alia here and she knows?"
Preston smirks; relieved it is finally out in the open. Dane falls dramatically back against the bar, hand to his forehead.
"Whoa. This is, like, Dahlia-level drama."
Everyone except Alia laughs.
"Are you pissed?"
"Dude, no…well, maybe, for not telling me sooner. You are my best friend, Ro. That's a hell of a thing to keep from me but, I get it. We'll keep it on the low. P, you sly dog you."
They hug it out.
Alka tears up as Preston clings to her.
They are having a moment.
Alia is entirely perplexed by how fluid the emotions spill from their mouths. They are petty, angry, but somehow still forgiving and compassionate? The complexities of human behavior escape her.
"Are we done?" she asks, waving her hand in their general direction. "With this?"
Preston turns, "You really do know how to kill a mood, don't you?"
"We don't really have a lot of time."
"For what?" Alka says.
"We need to find someone named Gemma."
"Okay, why?"
"What's the rush?"
Roman steps back from Dane and addresses the group.
"The Chiss don't exactly know Alia is here."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Viperii Lake
Roman and Alia arrive as the group is loading the last of the gear into Taarek's shuttle.
Gemma spots them sweeps down the ramp.
"Roman? What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Gem," he says uneasily, glancing at the others. He knows Demaris but the rest are unfamiliar. "Alka told me I could find you here."
"Is everything alright?"
"Not exactly…it's Alia."
Alia shrugs, rolls her eyes.
Roman quickly summarizes their encounter on Csilla and the assassination attempt before launching into some of her back story.
"She's like you," he says. "Force sensitive but highly capable from what I've seen."
Gemma's eyes flicker to Alia, "You've had training?"
"Not in the ways you think," Alia says coolly. "But, yes. I can hold my own."
"The thing is, the Chiss don't quite know what to make of it. Sensitivity to the Force is uncommon in our species although not unheard of. If she wasn't an heiress in one of the most powerful families, I don't know what they would have done. But she came to me, asking for help. Our society doesn't understand and believes her a danger. They don't know she's here."
"Oh my," Gemma says. "That's…rough. I'm sorry to hear that, Alia."
"Please, Gem. I know you can help her."
"How?"
"Show her your ways. Teach her how to control it so that she doesn't pose a risk in their eyes."
She hesitates, glancing back at the others. Gemma likes Roman. He's a sweet guy and not at all like his parents. The Nash family is so standoffish and she knows its part of their customs, to reject outsiders and their ways. Being in The Sector is a necessarily evil for them to expand their markets and explore these very lucrative options. Alia hasn't exactly made any friends around here. She's only been around a few times and treated them all like they are beneath her. Now Roman is asking them to help her, a thought that makes her queasy. But with their numbers dwindling, and no word from Master Nevylinn, she knows what she has to do.
"Alright," Gemma says. "Is that what you want, Alia?"
It appears to take great effort to acknowledge this through clenched teeth.
"Yes."
"Then put your bags in the shuttle, we're heading out."
"Where?" Roman asks.
Gemma touches his arm, "It is best if you do not know, for now."
He nods, waving at Demaris.
She smiles back but makes a face once Alia passes up the ramp.
"How's Dane?"
"He's good. You know Dane."
"I worry about him."
"We'll watch over him, I promise."
"You are a good friend, Roman. You always have been."
They had grown up together. There was even a time she had a crush on him, BR, Before Riley. His romance with Preston touched something in her, it humanized him in a way she never thought possible. She knows it is forbidden in their culture but to risk it for love endeared him to her.
"What can I say? You all taught me the importance of caring about people for reasons other than influence and power."
"We're so grateful you do. Take care of the others. We'll be back before the spring term starts."
She kisses him on the cheek and turns back to the others.
It was time to go.
Roman watches them disappear into the shuttle and the ramp ascend. The shuttle hovers high above the lake house and veers up over the frosted tree line into the muddled gray sky.
He shoves his hands in his pockets and returns to his speeder. It is freezing but he always feels more comfortable in winter. As he races back through the forests toward the plains, he hopes he did the right thing. Alia did him a solid on Csilla, crafting a narrative around his "heroics" after the attempt on their lives. The public ate it up and restored honor to his name. Now he is returning the favor in getting Alia the help she needs.
He wonders how much Dane really knows about all of this and who the strangers were accompanying Gemma and Demaris. Alka seemed more informed than the others but the secrecy in which she relayed the information tells him this is probably more important and dangerous than any of them realize.
He prays they know what they are doing.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface
Dane returns to the Gellar Estate. He wasn’t at work, he had been at Alka’s. Everyone’s parents have taken a holiday, most without their children. It left them all to their own devices and the epic party Alka threw required significant recovery time. He enters wearily, moving around the main floor. The quiet in the cavernous mansion is deafening. Something feels…different. He checks the upstairs bedrooms but there is no sign of Gemma. He wonders where she is.
Chugging a glass of water, he keys up and replays the last transmission from Janessa Kain. She’s a bit of tramp but seems genuine enough. She had warned him not to trust anyone and he extended that warning to include her. Her motives have always been unclear. She works for the Republic but has strong ties to The Sector. Those lines seem to have blurred. The Republic is a bloated mess from what he can tell but the transcripts of her hearing before the Senate seemed to have put to rest any notion of Force involvement from The Corporate Sector. He isn’t sure that’s enough to clear Gemma and, as far as he knows, the travel ban against her still holds. They are frightened of her or, at the very least, of what she represents. Their obsession with Force Sensitive’s borders on a vendetta which makes them look petty in his eyes.
He’s long since gotten over the fact that he’s doesn’t have the powers of his sisters. What he does have - his name, titles, and holdings - satiate that jealously. His dubious conversations with Valerie’s ghost led him to believe his blood is important. It has the ability to create…and to destroy. Still, he muses on what his sisters would go on to do with these powers. He's see what Gemma can do but Dahlia...?
The kitchen console bleeps loudly, jarring him from these thoughts.
Speak of the devil.
“Hi, Dane.”
Her face and shoulders appears in a hologram floating above the device.
“Dahlia,” he says, setting the glass down. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Oh, don’t get all elitist just because you are Lord of the estate now. Can’t a sister just call to say hello?”
“You could…except you aren’t my sister. And you always have a fucking angle.”
“Way harsh, Dane.”
“But none the less true. How’s university?”
“Productive,” she says, her face a serene mask in the hologram. “I’m acing all my classes. What about you? Things going well at the old Alma matter?”
“I’m doing alright, so far. Senior year isn’t exactly difficult so it’s more about the social aspects.”
“I could not be prouder.”
“Don’t get excited, I’ve usurped all that legacy you left behind.”
“Well, I know that’s not true. How's the crew?”
"Good, same. Roman's gay."
"Duh."
"Am I the only one who didn't know this?"
"Clearly," she says, rolling her eyes up. "You can be so clueless, Dane. Where's Gemma?"
He shrugs, “Who knows? She’s not exactly miss popular around here after what happened on Chandaar.”
“I saw,” Dahlia says. “How awful.”
“It’s not like you stepped in to help the situation.”
“And what exactly could I have done?”
“Stopped staring at yourself in the mirror long enough to make a statement. Tell them she isn’t some kind of monster capable of mass destruction.”
“Isn’t she though? You saw that photage. I didn’t know she had it in her.”
“I guess I was just as shocked. It kind of makes her a badass.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.”
“Dahlia, what do you want? Really?”
She sighs, “It’s Garron.”
Dane tenses, “What about him?”
“You haven’t seen him?”
“No, why?”
“I thought he carted Gemma back to The Sector after the scandal but apparently no one knows where he is.”
“Bummer.”
“Well, what did Gemma say?”
“She didn’t say anything,” he says flatly.
“Liar. That had to be your first question after she showed up there without him.”
“She doesn’t know, they got separated.”
“That’s nice and vague. Surely she knows more than that.”
“Why don’t you just ask one of your many minions on Chandaar? Or better yet, call Gemma. I’m surprised Garron hasn’t turned up to judge your life decisions by now. You know how he likes to condescend.”
“I’m a pinnacle of virtue!”
“In print, I’m sure. I swear, Dahlia. I don’t know where he is.”
“Aren’t you, like, the least bit concerned?”
“Of course, but I’m not his keeper. We’re good here. D’ian is one of the safest places in The Sector.”
“That’s what you think. It’s not like him, Dane. I’m…concerned.”
Dane leans against the counter, “So do something about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have connections,” he says, raising a hand. “Use them.”
He cuts the com, plunging the kitchen back into silence. He was actually hoping she knew where he was. It’s true, he lied. Gemma told him about the Inquisitor attack but he’s definitely not going to discuss that with Dahlia. If the Empire is running game on Chandaar, it’s best she finds out about it on her own. She wouldn’t believe him anyway – unless she already knows. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities given her romance with the Imperial liaison in the Republic. She could just be feeling things out, seeing what he knows. He would never give her the satisfaction.
Dane would like to dig further into Garron's disappearance but was advised against it. He needs to allow Janessa time to maneuver through the convoluted thickness of the Republic in order to suss out Imperial motive. If the Inquisitor has him then they must want to know something. They wouldn't be so brazen just to kill him outright - it would raise so many questions. They could cover for him on D'ian with the gag order on the press but people will begin talking in Mondder if he isn't seen with either him or Gemma. Having Dahlia look into it wouldn't hurt. Her bitch ass could be motivated in the right circumstances. He hopes this is one of them.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV
Surface: Concordia Township: Valor Prep
Dane Gellar shifts uncomfortably in his seat and sighs. Winter break concluded without much fanfare. There were some epic holiday parties and even more epic banging with Alka but all the excitement did little to erase the fact that his family had been obliterated. It was the first holiday without his parents and although his friends were extremely sensitive to that, the pressing sting is difficult to shake. To make matters worse, he had not heard from Dahlia or Gemma. Their absence somehow makes the pain worse despite his brave front.
His eyes move across the classroom to the empty seat beside him – the one Gemma is supposed to occupy. The only other empty seat is a row over in the front where Demaris once sat. Their professor marked them absent and moved on but Dane has a bad feeling about it. Roman told him they left with Alia and some others he didn’t recognize to whereabouts unknown. Gemma had been typically secretive, as if she still believes they aren't both in this together. What impacts one impacts the other. They are all they have left and Dane is miffed he wasn't looped in on the plan. If they are in trouble, he wishes Gemma would reach out. Dane has the vast resources of ChemiX at his disposal but aside from the Force vaccine, Gemma had asked for nothing. Perhaps he should not have been so judgmental when giving it to her. He can't help it. Dane doesn't trust the Jedi and he sure as hell doesn't believe they have Gemma or Demaris' best interests in mind. He'd read the stories, all the legends of the Jedi Knights and their crusade for galactic peace. Now look at them: pushed to the brink of extinction and for what?
They not only allowed themselves to be expelled from Chandaar but the Imperial truce had to be the nail in their self-righteous coffin. There is no way they would find themselves back in Republic good graces with Emperor Schrag's influence looming over everything. The ideals begin to merge in ways many systems find appalling if not completely horrific. There is a bright spot, one that seems to humanize the whole thing. The high profile relationship Dahlia is in with Barrett Trevaithan dominates the entertainment portion of the Holo-cycle. Her face is splashed everywhere and the comparisons between Dahlia and her slain sister are not lost on anyone. The only difference is – Dahlia appears downright normal. Sure, she is vain but also studious and surprisingly smart.
Dane only knows what he read and watched about Karen Winton but she presented shallower and overtly dangerous. The Holo is filled with her exploits and how she turned from vapid model into a powerful Sith at the side of the young Emperor Dementat. They were as feared as they were beloved but neither got to build the future they promised the galaxy. Conversely, Dahlia doesn't have that air of terror which followed the original Four and makes her an extremely likeable and sympathetic character in the eyes of the public. And Barrett is keenly aware and apparently a brilliant strategist. He seems almost boring. Their cavorting borders on the banal with philanthropic events and other seemingly virtuous activities.
Dane knows better than that. He knows Dahlia better than that. She's got an ace tucked neatly away in a designer gown ready to play when the time is just right. She may be many things but above all else, Dahlia is a schemer. This is just public relations and everyone is eating it up. He wonders how much she had to do with the death of Gemma's social status. Even though she denies it, he can't help but think she had some hand in it. Worse still, Garron hasn't reappeared. Given what he knows of his relationship with the RSB, Dane isn't confident their old friend and protector made it out of the Chandaar alive. No word from Janessa and no reports from Dahlia. Where are you, G? Best case scenario is that he is in hiding and Dane can only hope he finds his way back home.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian
Surface: Concordia Township
A frantic call from Roman disrupts what was supposed to be a romantic afternoon with Alka. Dane has never heard Roman so distraught so he feels he must be there for him. Alka is alarmed but supportive and they wait in an anxious silence until he arrives. The Chiss are notoriously stoic in their emotions but Roman, having been raised in the Corporate Sector surrounded by affluent and irrational humans, has less of a boundary. Whatever defenses keep his emotions in check have crumbled and Roman is near tears.
Alka rushes to his side, “Ro, what’s wrong?”
“It’s my parents,” he says, trembling. “They confronted me about Alia. Apparently, there is pressure from Csilla and the families are concerned. That’s understandable but given her ties to me and our last appearance there together, everyone thinks I had something to do with her disappearance.”
“But,” Dane says, “You kind of did.”
Alka shoots him a look that is easily translated as not being helpful.
“They don’t know that and we thought it would be viewed as one of her whims, an act of rebellion for their reaction to her illicit behavior with the Phalanx agent. But she’s the sole Csapla heiress and their discovery of her powers makes her a danger in their eyes. I’d hoped that through training with Gemma she could control it and make them see it as an asset in their arsenal for the upper hand. I thought they’d be back by now…”
“We haven’t heard from Gemma or Demaris,” Alka says solemnly. “Do you think something happened to them?”
Dane sighs, “If so, it wasn’t made public. I have a pulse on the Holo looking for anything related to them or Garron. Nothing has turned up.”
“There’s more,” Roman says, swallowing hard. “They threatened Preston.”
Alka gasps, “What? How would they even know?”
“A rumor from one of the other families here on D’ian. You know how it is but it doesn’t matter. They know he’s important to me, more so than he should be in their eyes.”
Dane is suddenly very serious, “What did they say?”
“Either I produce Alia or Preston might become collateral damage.”
“They wouldn’t,” Alka bites. “He’s a Dyre and there is no way they would move to strike against another Direx Board members son. Not without risking swift retaliation not to mention the potential loss of market share and profits in the fallout.”
Roman shakes his head, “I wouldn’t underestimate them. The retribution on Csilla would far outweigh anything that happens here. They cannot afford to lose ground with the Chiss ruling families, not after everything they sacrificed by coming here.”
“There has to be something we can do,” Alka says.
Dane paces in front of them.
“If Gemma brings Alia back then maybe we can spare everyone this mess.”
“They never told me where they were going,” Roman says. “They just flew off from your lake house.”
Alka stands and grabs her purse, “If they left behind anything that might tell us where they went, that’s where we’ll start.”
*
Viperii Lake
They arrive to find nothing but rubble and ash. The entire Gellar lake house is destroyed. Dane steps out of the speeder, completely aghast. His heart pounds in his chest. The fact that Gemma and Demaris had not returned before the end of the break as promised now takes an entirely more sinister turn.
“I was here only weeks ago,” Roman says. “It…it wasn’t like this…”
Dane has no words, he simply walks through the scorched debris in a daze.
“We have to look for them,” Alka whispers.
“I saw them leave.”
“But you don’t know if they returned before or after this happened.”
As morbid as it is, the trio scours the rubble for any signs someone was inside when the lake house was destroyed. Dane cannot believe he is searching for the possible corpses of his sister and her fugitive band of Jedi. He had lost enough. First his parents, now his sister? It is too much. He cannot be left alone in these worlds with only Dahlia as familial consolation. The thought is too grim. They would have to call it into the Espos. With vacation season approaching, the wealthy would travel from all over The Sector to spend the summer here. Someone would come across the ruins and it would be too suspicious if the owner had not reported it. Dane wonders what kind of spin he could put on it to keep them off Gemma’s scent. That is if she’s not buried beneath it.
Thankfully, they find no traces of remains throughout.
Roman leans against a slab of supporting wall, “Maybe they don’t know about this, where ever they are.”
“That doesn’t mean they aren’t in danger,” Dane says. “Someone is hunting them. The Jedi.”
Alka turns, “Hunting them? Why?”
“You know galactic opinion has shifted on their motives and usefulness. They were expelled from the Republic. Even now, some lunatic Jedi is supposedly cutting down the RSB all over Chandaar. It isn’t helping their cause, that’s for sure. Gemma needed the Force vaccine and I gave it to her. There is only one reason to need that…to disappear.”
“And if whatever is hunting them found out there were here?”
“Boom,” Dane says.
Alka scoffs, “Not funny, babe. We still don’t know where they are and it doesn’t help us get Alia back either. Have you tried her com?”
“Of course,” he says. “It’s been off for a while now. So is Demaris’. Look, we’ll find Alia but I need to loop in Janessa on this development.”
“Janessa Kain? The Republic liaison?” Roman says. “What does she have to do with any of this?”
“She’s an ally trying to find Garron but there is something else. My parents, Garron, Gemma; with them out of the way I’m exposed.”
“To what exactly?”
“Not to what, to whom.”
Alka and Roman stare at him blankly.
Dane frowns, “The Empire.”
-TBC
-
"All I needed was to hear the truth
I'm lying naked and my brain has lost its screws
I hid away inside a lonely room
Never as lonely as when I'm alone with you.”
-DREAMERS
Corporate Sector
D'ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
The downside.
He didn’t see it coming because he’s having such a good time. Now he knows the kind of charge Dahlia and Gemma got from all the attention. With one safely out of the way and the other maker knows where, it’s his turn. Finally. Everyone loves Dane Gellar. He’s the man, the superstar of Valor Prep, and no one is going to stop him. Except…maybe they are.
The administration is up his ass wanting to know where his sister is. And he tells them, honestly, that he has no idea where Gemma is. Therein lies the problem. The part he never considered is that with his parent’s dead, Garron became their legal guardian. It was part of Rutherford and Celeste’s last will and testament. Now, with Garron gone and a few months until they both turn eighteen, the issue of guardianship has now become a thing. Legally, Gemma has to go to school. Demaris is already of age so while her parents may be having a fit (doubtful), there is nothing the government can do about it. Dane and Gemma are a different story.
As it turns out, the emancipation angle only works if you have parents to emancipate from.
Dane needs guardianship and quickly. Luckily, someone already applied for the role but unfortunately for him that someone is the Imperial liaison to the CSA, Ambassador Vex Sienna.
Irulan Reeves had called him from the ChemiX headquarters concerned, saying that Sienna had broached the subject of he and Gemma’s temporary custodial guardianship. She felt that in Garron’s absence, they should be able to choose someone they trusted, not allow it to become an open forum for control of Rutherford Gellar’s prized progeny. In a normal court system, it’s unlikely Sienna’s request would be taken seriously. In the Corporate Sector motions, laws, and plans are executed with far fewer grounds.
“Fuck,” Dane says, exhaling a giant stream of smoke.
Perched around his bedroom are his inner circle: Alka, Roman, and Preston.
Preston speaks first.
“It’s a problem, for sure but they’re not going to kill you unlike some people I know.”
“Don’t do that,” Roman says, gripping his hand. “Don’t say that like I don’t care. You know I do. If something were to happen to you….”
“Then find your wayward intended and drag her blue bitch ass back here before I’m toast!”
Alka touches Dane’s shoulder, passing the joint to Roman.
“What are you going to do?”
“I can contest it, I guess. But I told you. Didn’t I tell you guys?”
They all nod. Alka rolls her eyes up.
“Yeah, yeah, the big bad Empire’s out to get you. We know. What about Dahlia? She’s, like, twenty now, right? Why can’t she do it?”
Dane chokes on his ale, “I’m going to pretend you aren’t suggesting I hand power over a Gellar to a Winton.”
“Oh, come on. That’s nonsense of the past.”
Roman shrugs, “Isn’t Dahlia better than Vex Sienna?”
“Eh,” Dane says, making a face while balancing his hands. “On a scale of what-to-what?”
Preston smiles, “Which do you think has a more favorable ulterior motive?”
“Ooo, good point.”
The estate com ring slices through their banter. Dane absently reaches out and taps the console, allowing a beautiful face and torso to materialize in the center of the room. There are catches of static, as if she is in motion.
“Janessa?”
“Dane, I’m sorry it took so long to return your call. Things have been…interesting in the Republic capital.”
Her eyes drop and refocus, moving to each within the holographic field of vision.
“Who are they?”
“My tribe,” he says. “Have you found Garron?”
“I’m afraid not. There are simply no leads. Even some of the underground sources haven’t seen him so I don’t believe he’s been smuggled out. I don’t suppose you’ve had any luck?”
He shakes his head, “No dice but there has been a development.”
“Oh?”
Dane tells her about the destruction of the lake house where Gemma and company had been hiding out. He leaves out the finer, Jedi details for now. Best they focus on the here and now. They didn’t find anything in the rubble, mercifully, but Gemma's been out of pocket too. No communication which leads him to his larger point.
“Guess who applied to be our legal guardian?”
“Who?”
“Vex Sienna.”
Janessa stops moving. Her face reveals a subtle fear, something that permeates the room quickly. Everyone is suddenly on edge. Her voice is crisp and certain.
“You cannot let that happen, Dane.”
“Obviously! I’m working on it…”
“I’m serious. Sienna cannot be granted those powers, even conditionally.”
Dane stubs out the joint and gets up off his desk.
“You’ve warned me about him before and I get it. The Empire is after ChemiX or, at least, the research and potential behind it. But Sienna is just a flunky, right? He’s questionable, sure, but what’s his deal?”
Janessa hesitates, swallowing visibly hard.
“I deserve to know what I’m up against.”
She decides, one she hopes will fortify him for what may come.
“Before Garron took Gemma to Chandaar, he asked that I…ingratiate myself with Vex Sienna. There were suspicions, of course, stemming from his past and connections to the original Four. I didn’t think anything of it at first but the more I started to dig, the greater the suspicion grew. I got my answer before I left. He almost killed me and all but admitted to killing your au pair, Kylie Miranda. He tried again in Ambaril, detonating my shuttle but clearly, he was not successful."
Dane is rigid, staring at the hologram intensely.
“There’s more.”
She’s breathing heavier, glancing to the right before blowing out a stream of air through her darkly stained lips.
“He also insinuated he had a role in your parents’ demise, if not outright but then in orchestration. Dane, you are in greater danger than you realize. You cannot trust him. If he is granted guardianship of you and Gemma, I don’t know what he’ll do. There are two sides to him- “
She stops, the image jerking suddenly as her eyes flash upward as she gasps.
The hologram disappears.
Alka moves to the controls, “Ambassador Kain? Ambassador, are you there?”
Dane is flattened by the admission, stunned by the information and furious that both she and Garron kept these suspicions from them. If what she’s saying is true, Sienna was brought here for more than just maintaining lucrative business relations with the CSA. Could he have been a plant this whole time – edging closer and closer to his family, first through his romantic relationship with Kylie than his business relationship with his father? His mind is spiraling and he reaches out for something to steady him.
Alka is there, easing him to his knees.
Roman and Preston move from the bed and join them, at a loss for words as the layers of the situation fold back to reveal a greater truth. Roman and Alka make eye contact then glance over at the console. Neither wants to admit right now but it hangs there, unspoken, between them.
Before Janessa’s audio cut out, there were the faintest beginnings of a scream.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Nash Estate
The door chimes sound, echoing loudly across the polished stone interior.
It goes unanswered for several minutes until Roman finally opens it to reveal Alia. She sighs as he pulls her into an embrace, anxiety finally melting away. For once she has done as he asked and this small mercy may have been enough to spare Preston from the Nash’s wrath.
Once inside the threshold, his parents, Balthazar and Rinoa, appear beyond the wide, circular foyer.
“Look who it is!” Roman exclaims.
The expression his parents wear is undetectable if even a bit annoyed. They were the ones who demanded her safe return and now that she is here, they barely seem interested. His father, predictably, speaks first.
“Yes, hello Alia. Where have you been hiding?”
Alia stiffens, avoiding the question altogether.
“I didn’t mean to worry you.”
“Didn’t you though? I hear you have done many things to warrant cause for alarm.”
“Balthazar,” Rinoa says. “Leave her be. All that matters now is that she is safe. We will send word to Csilla at once.”
“They will be thrilled, no doubt.”
Alia, knowing when to play the part, finds Roman’s hand. He squeezes it tightly. Their shared look says volumes but Balthazar’s red eyes narrow into slits.
“School is nearly finished. Alia will remain here as our guest until graduation and then we shall all return to Csilla. Together.”
Roman swallows hard but nods, “Of course, father.”
*
Surface: Gellar Estate
Gemma enters her door code and steps inside. The mansion is eerily quiet when she realizes Dane must not be home from school yet. It always felt large, growing up in such affluence, but it has taken on a more sinister quality with the death of their parents and Garron’s disappearance.
After a shower and a change of clothes, she runs a hand along the railing while descending the stairs. She must have done this a million times but something is different. She is different. Gemma is not the same girl who left this place. Her newly constructed saber rests at her hip, clipped to a belt over which hangs the simple, white tunic. It was her mother’s, one she loved to wear around the house, humming to herself while deep in thought. Her blonde curls spill over her shoulders and down her back and she catches a glimpse of herself in a piece of reflective art near the bottom of the stairs. The bruises from the fight have healed, thankfully, so there will be less questions to answer.
The way Dane made it sound, her absence had caused quite a stir. Their guardianship is something she never even considered but makes sense, given the tragic circumstances. Garron had always been their rock and these duties were entrusted to him by their parents. The hole he leaves is nearly as jarring as theirs.
Across the foyer, the door flies open and Dane struts inside. He catches her movement on the stairs, pauses and turns, slowly lowering his sunglasses with one finger.
“What. In. The. Actual. Fuck.”
She smiles, “Hi, Dane.”
“Tell me you brought that blue bitch back with you?”
“I did. Alia's actually not so bad if you can manage not to strangle her."
“Praise the Maker. I thought I’d never hear the end of it. And you; leaving me here to deal with all of this shit.”
Gemma joins him on the ground floor, “You look like you’ve managed.”
He hugs her tightly, “Barely.”
She closes her eyes, holding him for a moment. When the moment passes he steps back. He looks different, even though it hasn’t been that long. His features are more defined and the perpetual smirk inherited from their father rests on his lips. He slips the sunglasses up on his head and walks toward the kitchen.
“This calls for a drink.”
“Dane, we have to talk.”
“And talk we will. First, drinky.”
“So,” she says, reluctantly following him. “This is what you’ve been doing? Slowly descending into alcoholism?”
“Maybe.”
“How very D’ian of you.”
He hands her a glass of brown liquid two fingers deep. She glances down at it hesitantly but then the smell hits her, igniting a firestorm of fond memories.
“Dad’s stash?”
“From his study,” Dane says, holding up the glass. “Figure he won’t be needing it.”
She laughs in spite of everything, tapping her glass against his. It burns at first but then finishes with a smoky sweetness.
They move further into the kitchen. She posts up on her favorite stool while he rummages through the fridge.
“Where were you anyway?”
“It’s probably best if we don’t.”
He pokes his head back, “Secret Jedi shit? Whatever, Gem.”
“Don’t be like that. It’s just not safe.”
He’s never been keen on the Jedi but at least she returned intact, from what he can see. There was a time where he legitimately worried she’d be killed by whatever is hunting them and he’d really be alone. Not that he’s going to admit it.
“You’re telling me. I had to search the rubble of our lake house hoping I wouldn’t find your body.”
“I’m sorry, that must have been awful.”
“Whoever you pissed off means business, Gemma. They wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble if they didn’t.”
“I know,” she says distantly, sipping from the glass. “We’ve got more pressing matters.”
“Right, the guardianship. Can you believe Sienna? What an asshole.”
“I’m surprised they even considered his request.”
“Enough for me to worry but don't fear, he can’t have it. Not anymore.”
“Is this where your little plan comes in?”
Dane closes the fridge and turns around, “The lesser of two evils.”
“Which is?”
“Dahlia.”
Gemma nearly chokes, “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Before you get all huffy, hear me out. It’s only for a couple of months and Dahlia would follow in logical order from Garron. She’s the next oldest and perfectly capable of showing up just to stick it to the Empire.”
“Not if she’s working for the Empire.”
“Just cuz she’s dating that meathead? I don’t think so. They’d crimp her style for sure.”
Gemma shakes her head, “You can’t possibly think this is our best option?”
“It’s our only option, Gemma. We need her and you need to get working on your public relations angle for the headmaster who, by the way, is extremely pissed.”
“Relax,” she says. “I pulled the assignments and projects from the Valor Prep database and worked it out on the way back here. I just need to finish off a few things but I’ll deliver it all just in time to satisfy the requirements.”
“Why didn’t you just test out like Demaris?”
She shrugs, “I’m an overachiever.”
“So, you’ll stay for graduation?”
“And all the festivities in between.”
“Good,” Dane says. “We’ve got a lot to do.”
*
Surface: Dawning Estate
Alka stretches in the studio, bowing over her left leg perched up on the barre. Ever since the conversation in Dane’s room, she’s felt a lingering sense of dread. No one mentioned it afterward but she can’t be the only one. Janessa’s warning was clear enough but the abrupt end of the hologram has been plaguing her.
She pulls off her ballet shoes and heads upstairs to her room, opening a com channel. She reaches out to the Republic government offices on Chandaar, wading through prompts until she is finally connected.
“You’ve reached the office of Janessa Kain, Republic liaison to the Corporate Sector Authority-“
Alka cuts the com.
Why is this bugging her so much?
She moves to her personal console, keying up the Holo and punching in her name. It does not take long to retrieve a story from a day ago. A reporter named Selene Silvestri broadcast a piece that asks one very pointed question:
Where is Janessa Kain?
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Concordia Township: Gellar Estate
The crew gathers to celebrate Gemma’s safe return.
Alka arrives first and she and Gemma are quickly locked in a gush-fest. Dane groans, pouring himself another drink, praying for Roman and Preston to arrive. He gets that she is being coy about all the Jedi shit. It’s not like he’s given her much reason to be forthcoming about it. She has this whole other life, one that was buried in the life of the pop star, now fallen. For someone so virtuous, Gemma sure does lean toward duplicity.
Mercifully, Preston steps out onto the patio.
“Dude.”
He hugs Gemma and Alka on the way by and takes a glass from Dane.
“Roman here yet?”
“No, but I suspect he’ll be here soon. Let me guess, you two in a tiff?”
“He hasn’t called me since she showed back up.”
“Dick.”
“Right? I mean, I know his parents are hardcore but come on. I thought they’d be ecstatic but instead, they have them locked up in their frigid castle.”
Alia appears to slide out from behind him, startling them both.
“Better than this sweltering cesspit.”
“We’re outside.”
“It’s almost your summer. I don’t like that. And if you knew his parents like I know his parents, you'd be singing a different tune."
Gemma, Alka, and Roman join them.
“Let’s try to reflect on what we talked about.”
Alia inhales but stands down, “Fine. I guess I’ll have a drink then.”
Everyone stares at Dane.
“Oh, so what? I’m the fucking bartender now?”
He shakes his head but pours her a glass.
“Listen,” Alka says, “I’m glad you’re all here. Gem, we’re so happy you’re back but there’s something you all should know.”
Preston waves an arm around the room, “Um, is this something we can speak about in mixed company?”
Gemma lightly touches Alia’s arm, hoping it will keep her from lunging across the room at him.
“Go ahead, Alka.”
Preston mumbles, “Why does she get to be part of the group?”
“Babe,” Dane says, looking worried. “What is it?”
She nods back toward the house and they follow her inside. Alka taps on the living room console and keys up the report before turning back toward the group.
“Janessa Kain is missing.”
Selene Silvestri’s face fills the room, her intense dark eyes almost glaring out from behind the angular glasses.
“…failed to meet Republic counselor, Kaytt Corinthos for dinner. Two days later, she had not been heard from nor had she reported in to her office in central Ambaril and was officially reported missing. The RSB have issued an APB and information is to be directed to…”
“Well shit,” Dane says, sliding down onto the arm of the couch. First Garron and now Janessa? People are dropping off the scopes with a quickness and that’s not cool at all. “You think it has something to do with me?”
“Janessa is reported missing two days after warning you? That’s not a coincidence, Dane. It can’t be, not with everything going on. So, yes, I think it has something to do with you.”
Gemma glances between them, “What’s going on? And what does the Imperial liaison have to do with anything?”
“She was kind of, you know, trying to find out what happened to Garron.”
“You sent her digging into that? Dane, that could get her killed.”
“I didn’t send her anywhere, she was already curious. Besides, she’s a professional. I’m sure she can handle herself.”
“Not from something like…that.”
“Like what?”
Now everyone is confused.
Of the bunch, only Dane and Alia know anything about an Inquisitor. This is not the time or place. It’s only going to terrify them. She’s already gone too far out on the verbal ledge, piquing their interest. She should have kept it to herself but the reaction is absolutely valid. If they found out Janessa was sniffing around even so much as a hint of the Inquisitor, she’d be an even larger target than she already is.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“A little late for that, Gem.”
Roman reflexively moves closer to Preston, “Is this the same something that blew up your lake house?”
Alia and Gemma exchange an uneasy glance.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Preston says. “Wait, are we, like, in danger?”
“Probably,” Alia murmurs with a slight smile.
“Not helping. Seriously though…are we?"
“Worrying about hypothetical's isn’t productive. Let’s tackle one challenge at a time, okay?”
Dane says something obscene about tackling someone and the tense spell is broken. They begin to file back out onto the patio, into the warm night breeze. Graduation is coming and summer with it. They have their whole lives ahead of them. Worlds upon worlds of possibilities. Everyone can feel it but not everyone chooses to lean into the impending curve. Alka and Gemma remain behind with a silent gaze that can only be shared between two friends who have known each other forever. There is something to this. Nothing is a coincidence lately. They both know it. Something sinister is seeping deeper into their lives, and neither is sure anyone is going to be able to stop it.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Concordia Township
The meeting with the headmaster goes about as well as can be expected. Gemma is chastised for departing so suddenly, especially after such a promising academic career throughout. Her grades had suffered as a result, a poor reflection on her and the institution of Valor Prep. There is a disappointment in his voice, stemming more from a selfish protection of the school’s reputation than Gemma’s personal situation. Image is everything here. Such things are to be expected on D’ian and she had fortified herself against it in the days leading up to the meeting. The laws are explained about requiring minors in education and the repercussions of failing that requirement.
Gemma apologizes without giving context, citing the extreme personal difficulties attributed to her parents’ deaths and public shaming in the Republic that had lasting impacts here in the Corporate Sector. Although she knows they know about the Jedi rumors, having seen the same photage that was splashed all over the Holo during her concert, she gives them very little detail in that regard. Frankly, it is none of their business, and she keeps the conversation focused on her education followed by a proactive plan to counter. They are not entirely unsympathetic and, given the circumstances, allow her the opportunity to proceed – a win for everyone.
She turns in all missing assignments and begins finals with Dane and the rest of her class over the course of the next week. Although it is intense, Gemma manages to pull it out, passing all classes. It isn’t the stellar victory she’d hoped for in terms of a grade point average but it is enough to complete the requirements for graduation. Even though she’d missed a significant portion of the semester, she still placed higher than Dane, who has spent more time partying than studying.
Everyone is relieved when it is all over, turning now to the events beyond their studies. Prom and graduation consume all topics of conversation from outfits, dates, and parties to plans for the future. While she is happy for everyone, Gemma remains uncertain because her future is uncertain. She has obligations outside their traditional scope of expectations. With the Inquisitor on the loose, no doubt having escaped the cave on Jedha, she’s not even sure she has a future. She certainly does not want to place her brother or friends in danger. Garron has been missing for a long time and now Janessa has disappeared. She feels the walls closing in but it does not deter her from the tasks at hand, caught between duty and wanting the life of a typical teenager. It is a familiar struggle for her, one she is glad to be facing right now on her homeworld.
Gemma meets Dane in the front of the school next to the idling hoverlimo. He moves aside to let her in first then joins her inside.
“I can’t believe you did better than me.”
“Is that you or the whiskey talking?”
“Very funny, Gem. I’m smart too, you know.”
She folds her hands in her lap and aims for just short of patronizing.
“No one said you weren’t but if you applied that intellect to something productive you could really change things here. Being Lord of the Gellar name is more than just owning the party scene. Our parents knew that. They balanced their social obligations with professional ambition and both were highly successful in their respective fields. I want the same thing for you.”
He makes a face, “And what about you? Jedi isn’t exactly a promising career path.”
“We’re not talking about me.”
“We never do! I hate that you shut me out. I feel like I don’t even know you sometimes.”
Gemma slides over next to him, looping her arm through his.
“I’m not trying to be distant, I’m trying to keep you safe. The less you know about what goes on with the Jedi the more protected you’ll be. You know how dangerous it is for us right now. I don’t want you drawn into that, especially because I know you don’t agree.”
“It’s just,” Dane says, voice wavering. “You’re all I fucking have, okay? It’s just us.”
She leans her head on his shoulder.
Dane slips on sunglasses and stares through the deeply tinted window at the passing landscape as they move into the estates. Emotional outbursts are not his thing but she understands completely. Funny how he always teased and seem to pity her when they were younger. Now he feels closer to her than anyone. It is nice to know he feels just as deeply despite concealing it behind that brisk persona. He's not wrong. The same thoughts have crossed her mind and it has taken great effort to stave off the fact that they are essentially alone. That part has been the hardest and it is the support of others that have kept her from careening off the ledge. She hopes Alka and the others have done the same for him, even when she can't be here to steady him.
He clears his throat and shifts into a more neutral tone.
“Kylie is gone. Mom and dad are gone. Garron is gone. All the people we knew as a family has been taken from us. If something happened to you I don’t….”
“I know,” she says softly. “The fact that you care means the world to me. I know our paths may seem divided by choices and motives but we each have to do what we feel is right. Even if my path takes me elsewhere, I’m not abandoning you. I just want you to ask yourself what you really want and then go for it. Don’t compare it to where I’m at or what Dahlia may be doing. You have so much to give, Dane and I don’t want you to give up on that because terrible things happened.”
“We’re not victims. I’ll never play that card.”
“No, we’re not. We’re fighters. We’re Gellar’s and Masterton’s. That’s what we do.”
“Yeah, well, our familial track record isn’t the greatest in terms of endgames.”
She tilts his head to face her.
“We’re not them, you hear me? No matter what comparisons the media or others draw, we make our own destiny.”
Dane nods, “Damn straight.”
The hoverlimo stops in front of the Gellar Estate. He exits first then extends a hand.
“Lady Masterton.”
She laughs, taking it.
“Lord Gellar.”
They swing their joined hands together as they walk up the steps to the door, entering the estate giggling and joking with each other. It all comes to a screeching halt, however, when they are met with the third member of their dysfunctional little family.
She poses, formidable, at the other end of the foyer, giant round sunglasses on even though she’s inside, a demon in heels holding the remnants of a martini.
“Hello, bitches. Miss me?”
Gemma and Dane exchange glances and sigh. They knew it was coming, she was coming, but the reality of them all being in the same place at the same time again simply cannot be understated.
“Dahlia.” "Dahlia."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder: Surface
It’s always hot in Mondder but, this close to summer, it is nearly unbearable. D’ian is more temperate and seasonal with the transitions lengthy and appealing. Dane is here more often than any of them, attending meetings or conferring with Irulan Reeves on ChemiX matters. Gemma usually avoids it when she can but there is no escaping it this time. She and Dane must appear, along with Dahlia, before the Direx Board.
There are throngs of press waiting for them outside the spaceport, each one angling for a comment from the famous trio. Everyone wants to know what the guardianship ruling would mean for Dane and the company; a good question but not one he’ll be addressing here. Dane keeps them away from Gemma as questions hurled in their direction range from her decimated singing career to the photage displaying her Jedi powers. Dahlia, on the other hand, basks in the glow. She poses readily, lips pursed below a pair of gigantic, black designer sunglasses.
Espos agents materialize as an armed escort and whisk them away. The company hoverlimo is flanked by their transports. Gemma eyes the heavy artillery mounted to them, unsettled.
“I didn’t realize this would be such a big deal.”
Dahlia’s head snaps in her direction, “Don’t be naïve. Two of the most valuable assets in the CSA up for grabs? It’s absolutely sensational.”
Dane scoffs, “Well, you don’t have to act like you’re enjoying it so much.”
“Can you just, for once, roll with it? I’m doing you a solid here.”
Gemma nods, “Which we greatly appreciate. Right, Dane?”
“Right.”
“See? A little gratitude goes a long way.”
They pass the ChemiX corporate tower and Dahlia’s eyes rise slowly up the black, reflective surface. There is no way she’s going to be able to bust her way into the secured labs, even if she pulls out all the Sith stops. She had considered asking they visit so she can pay respects to Rutherford Gellar then infiltrating the mind of Irulan Reeves so that she would procure and bring her the sample but it would seem too sentimental. Gemma may think it was sweet but Dane would be super paranoid. She’s not going to risk it. Besides, she has other plans. Who needs a lab when a live sample sleeps down the hall in the Gellar Estate?
“Dahlia?”
She shakes herself out of it, “Hmm?”
“You okay? You kind of zoned out there.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. It’s just the first time I’ve been back since…you know.”
“Hey, it’s okay. This is hard for all of us.”
Dane wears an expression of steely suspicion. Why does Gemma have to be so forgiving? That trusting nature doesn’t do her any favors. It already ruined her rep and he’s not about to let her get sucked into Dahlia’s shit. Even though he asked, Dahlia agreed way too easily. Normally she would have gone a few verbal rounds with him before acquiescing but not so this time. But, better her than Sienna.
They arrive to yet more hoards of people; reporters, fans, spectators, and protesters. All kept at bay by the security force allowing an unobstructed path into the Direx Board building. Dane wears a crisp black suit with the ChemiX insignia emblazed on his arm, something he found appropriate for the event. Gemma, in contrast, is clad in gauzy, white robes cinched at the waist by a pale blue bow at the small of her back. Of course, Dahlia went all in; a textured, deep green top with a plunging neckline and accented shoulders paired with a studded tight black skirt and towering black heels. They agree to give Dahlia the satisfaction, at least this once.
Dahlia poses tall with Dane on the left and Gemma on the right, framed perfectly by the Mondder skyline. They hold for just the right amount of time before ascending the steps to disappear inside. The Espos fan out in every direction, ensuring both space and security. Across the bridge, just outside the chamber doors, they spot Ambassador Vex Sienna.
Gemma breathes in.
“Don’t worry,” Dane says. “He doesn’t have a prayer.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“We’ll bury him.”
“We want to show his claim is unfounded not ruin his life, Dane.”
“Look, before you get all preachy, just know that he’s responsible for the death of our parents.”
This stuns Gemma and brings Dahlia’s attention right back into the mix.
“What?”
“How could you know that?”
Dane sighs, keeping his voice low.
“Janessa told me, right before she went missing. Garron put her on it. He killed Kylie and nearly killed Janessa too which is bad enough but he also had a hand in our parents’ deaths. I don’t know to what extent but he’s involved. He’s always been involved.”
“That’s an insane accusation, especially for someone who used to think of him so fondly.”
“He was nice to me when we were younger. I didn’t know he was running game the whole time. It makes sense though, that bastard. He’s been playing us from day one.”
“Are you going to bring this up in the hearing?”
“We don’t have any proof,” Dane says. “And with Janessa missing so goes our corroborating story. I just don’t want you two to get all weepy if we have to get down and dirty in there. Whatever it takes to wrestle any control away from him, we have to take it. The Empire is clearly out to get us.”
“The Empire’s been after us as soon as they knew we existed.”
Gemma turns to Dahlia, “And you aren’t working for them?”
“Why would I work for the Empire? My contract is with the Vectra Management Group.”
“You can do both,” Gemma retorts. “Karen did.”
“So did Melanie, inadvertently or not. You know what they say about people in glass houses.”
“Yeah,” Dane says. “Make sure that stone is big enough to take the whole place down. All that matters is that we present a united front and, despite her adoptive status, Dahlia’s claim supersedes Sienna’s. The board may be ruthless but they are not unreasonable. Aguilar was fond of our parents. I doubt he’d throw us to the rancor’s if there is a more practical option right in front of him. Now pull it together and let’s go.”
Gemma is floored by the revelations but somehow not as surprised as she thought she’d be. There was suspicion surrounding Sienna even before Kylie disappeared. Dahlia already knows this but keeps it close to the chest, her expression revealing nothing. She’s gotta hand it to Janessa Kain. The bitch would do anything to serve her interests, even if it meant risking her life on Garron’s very founded mistrust. She recalls the news story on the Holo. No trace, they said. Guess ‘ol Janessa found what she was looking for.
Dahlia squares her shoulders and follows Gemma and Dane toward the Direx Board chambers.
-TBC
-
You’re sayin’ those words like you hate me now (wo-oah)
Our house is burning when you’re raisin’ Hell (wo-oah)
Here in the ashes, your soul cries out (a-a-ah)
But don’t be afraid of these thunderclouds
-Labrinth & Sia
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
To say the Direx Board is intimidating scarcely does them justice.
The trio rises into the center of their corporate power play circle-jerk. A host of muted faces with intensely distrustful expressions gaze down on them like insects to be crushed. On a separate podium, Vex rises as well. He turns and nods before lifting his eyes to the board. Dane’s fists clench tightly, the lights glinting off Gemma’s wide blue eyes, as Dahlia grips the side of the podium and raises her head to acknowledge them.
Iver Aguilar stands and addresses the board.
“We are here today to resolve the matter of the Gellar-Masterton guardianship. Ambassador Vex Sienna has petitioned to be granted legal custodian on the merits of his personal and professional relationship with the late Rutherford Gellar.”
Dane’s features harden. Personal relationship? What a crock of shit. He didn’t know their father at all, only that his family and friends were fair game in a play for a stake in his company. Gemma touches his arm in a show of support and to keep him from yelling in outrage.
“However, a challenge has been made by Princess Dahlia Winton who asserts her claim is higher. Our intention is to determine what is in the best interest of the Dane Gellar and Gemma Masterton so we will hear from both parties. Ambassador Sienna, you have the floor.”
Vex smiles tightly, “Thank you, ExO Aguilar. My request is simple, but my respect for the Gellar-Masterton family is deep. Rutherford Gellar trusted me and I have maintained that trust after his passing. All I wish is to be considered for the honor of guiding Dane and Gemma through this very difficult time.”
Aguilar’s eyes flicker to Dahlia.
“Your Highness?”
“My father’s trust was sacred and not easy to gain yet Ambassador Sienna flouts this accomplishment like a casual whim. He is neither qualified nor deserving of this duty.”
“I object to that statement.”
“So noted,” Dahlia quips icily. “And promptly disregarded. Adoptive or not, this is my family. Not yours. If anyone is going to care for them in any legal capacity, it’s going to be me. Moreover, it is the wishes of those involved and I firmly believe, after everything we have endured, that their voices should be given equal weight in this matter.”
“Is this true?” Aguilar asks. “Is this what you both want?”
Gemma steps forward, “I do.”
Now Dane, “I do.”
Her ruthlessness appeals to them. She knew that it would. There are murmurs throughout the board, no doubt some who do not wish to anger the Empire and just as many who resent them for the Republic truce. In all honesty, it could go either way. No one here has particularly fond memories of the kind of damage those with the names Winton, Masterton, and Gellar could do in the galaxy at large. The guardianship is only for a few months but despite how politicized this has become, it requires little deliberation.
Aguilar leans forward, “Then it is deemed in the best interest of the Gellar-Masterton’s for guardianship align with those wishes. We grant Princess Dahlia Winton full legal guardianship over Dane Gellar and Gemma Masterton.”
Vex turns and catches her eye, nodding once more, before his podium descends into the darkness below. He bows out gracefully because he understands the nature of the plan. The Empire has them either way although, given her exchange with Emperor Schrag, Barrett’s covert awareness, and Sienna’s complicity in the death of their parents, Dahlia isn’t feeling especially Imperial at the moment.
She glances back at Dane and Gemma and smiles.
They both seem pleased.
Why shouldn’t they be? She spared them from whatever trickery Sienna had up his sleeve. Too bad, big boy. You’ve got a price to pay, Dahlia muses to herself darkly, and that due date is just about here. She slips back on her sunglasses as they descend to their reception area, stepping off the podium after Dane and Gemma. They emerge victorious before the screaming crowds, everyone with their own judgment or opinion. Let them have it. The optics of this gesture are not lost on her and continues to build her credibility as a whole and rounded person.
Keep that head held high. One heel in front of the other. Everything all in good time.
The Emperor may think he knows her but he has no idea.
But he will.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The trio diverts to the ChemiX tower after all, at the request of Irulan Reeves.
It is strange being back here again. Dahlia steps off the lifts, following Dane through the restricted access points and into the main corporate offices. Irulan greets them warmly, thankful the verdict turned out in their favor. She had been skeptical of Sienna’s claim but knew they would prevail in the end. Dahlia eyes the badge clipped to her belt that would no doubt grant access to anywhere in the building, including the most secure labs. There would be countermeasures like fingerprint or retinal scanning. Rutherford Gellar was not one to take chances, on anything apparently. He may not have stood up to Alexander Winton but he certainly wasn’t going to risk any of his product. There is too much money to be made in pharmaceuticals and with their research and development budget combined with their considerable arsenal, he made sure it all stayed in the right hands. She can’t fault him for that but wonders what would have happened if Rutherford had shrugged off Alexander’s threats and pulled Valerie from the fray. Would any of them even exist? Tough to say but it makes for amusing speculation.
Surprisingly, being at ChemiX fills her with sadness, an emotion that Adubell tried very hard to rid her of. She almost succeeded if it wasn’t for her filthy, conniving ways. She knows a con job when she sees it and Adubell wanted her to play right into her hands. Sorry, bitch. This girl has her own plans.
Irulan walks them to their father’s old office, telling Dane they are anxious to begin working with him more closely after graduation. They would give him the summer, of course, to relax after everything he’s been through but afterwards there was university and accelerated business opportunities to explore. Gemma remains remarkably quiet, staying close to Dane but hanging on Irulan’s every word. She’s always been fond of her and Irulan, mentored under Rutherford, is a strong and capable leader. She’s kept the company thriving through the transition but understands that grooming Dane is part of what her previous superior wanted. Most would have just taken it all and run with it but Irulan has an integrity the CSA sorely lacks.
As Dane and Irulan chat, Dahlia runs a hand along her father’s old desk then steps out onto the balcony. The humid breeze is much cooler up here, almost as if it is different air entirely. She tries to imagine what the end for Rutherford Gellar looked like. She would make Vex tell her. Every excruciating detail; was he surprised? Did he struggle? How did it feel gaining someone’s trust only to betray them so spectacularly? It’s not like she’s not capable of the same evil. Hell, it courses through her veins. She’s a bloody Winton, for Maker’s sake. Winton's love a good drama.
After they bid Irulan farewell, Dane and Gemma return to D’ian to prepare for Prom and all the madness that accompanies it. Dahlia, on the other hand, remains behind to do some shopping and catch up with old friends. So typical, they say, and it’s true. At least it has to look that way.
She’s got a much darker agenda but every agenda needs a fabulous cover story.
And Dahlia is never one to disappoint.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder: Surface
Dahlia makes ample use of free time.
She has lunch with Trichelle Corinthos who, not surprisingly, dumped Kier Kincaid mid-way through the semester. They have managed to put all that Valor Prep bad blood behind them somehow. High school drama has no place now that they rule separate university campus'.
She sighs dramatically across the café table.
“It’s just, he’s kind of a dick.”
“So true,” Dahlia says. “I mean, he’s cute and all but not exactly suitor material.”
“That’s what I said. Kier was pissed I could be so shallow.”
“It’s not shallow to consider your future.”
Trichelle nods, “My thoughts exactly. Screw him. Besides, there are a few finance majors who come from CSA legacy families that would be so much better. What about you? How’s Barrett?”
“He’s great. You know, hashing out those kinks in strategy is no small feat but the Republic is safer for his guidance. It took them a while to come around, considering he’s so young, but his skill is unrivaled.”
“And he’s gorgeous! Well done, Dahlia.”
“Thanks,” she beams, although the trip to Byss had thrown a wrench in their gears in regards to trust.
She supposes he’s right though. They aren’t going to tell her everything. The least she can do is petition for more information than she’s previously been given. Procuring the Gellar sample would go a long way in establishing value but Dahlia isn’t exactly keen on helping bring the Emperor’s plans of everlasting life to fruition. She always thought Schrag was above all that shit but powerful men always want more power.
“Have you heard from Muriel?”
This question draws her back into reality, “Hmmm, what?”
“Muriel. It’s been forever. I mean I see Alka when I’m back on D’ian, have a few classes with Ples, and Maker only knows what Demaris’ crazy ass is up to but Muriel has, like, vanished. I’m sure it’s all the doing of that dreadful Tobias. He’s the worst influence.”
Actually, he's a dead influence. Just like Muriel.
“No, I haven’t heard from her but she did make it clear she’d be off the grid when she left Hesperidium.”
“I know,” Trichelle says. “But I miss her. She was always so much fun! I heard from her last summer when she was with you but after that, nothing. I guess you are right. She was determined to leave this all behind her.”
“You know Muriel, always a free spirit.”
“What about Quentin?”
“What about him?”
She was aiming for noncommittal but worries she just came off as shrill.
Trichelle makes a face, “Well, you two seem to be out and about together quite a bit along with that model, Quinn. How’s he doing?”
“He’s kind of a pill but reasonably amusing. Quinn is lovely although I don’t know what she sees in him. Whatever, I just do my thing.”
“So, you’re happy then?”
Dahlia leans back to consider this, “Actually, yes. You?”
“Very. I’ve managed to parlay my status into something marketable here as I’m sure you have on Chandaar. Speaking of, have you seen my sister?”
“Kaytt? No way. I’m trying to stay out of trouble these days. It's a shame about Janessa though. I know they were friends."
“Terrible, right? She asks about you sometimes.”
“Does she?"
That meddling lawyer better keep those inquiries to herself if she knows what's good for her.
“Yes,” Trichelle says, tilting her head. “It’s like, she still believes all those things people said about you and your family. Like you’re dangerous or something.”
“Do you think I’m dangerous?”
She shrugs, “Aren’t we all, in our own ways?”
For someone as dense as she once was, Trichelle actually has a solid point. They finished lunch and hit up the finest stores in The Sector. The press tails them loosely, snapping candid shots of the seeming excess of their lives. It would make for good fluff between stories of hostile takeovers and corporate mergers. Someone’s gotta do it so it may as well be them.
Dahlia returns to The Viranus, a boutique hotel in the center of Mondder. She couldn’t really bring herself to stay at the Gellar residence in the ChemiX tower although Irulan had suggested it. She smiles at the reception staff on her way in, promising to meet Trichelle later for a party at her sorority. Many people and the security cams see her return but they do not see her leave.
*
Vex Sienna strolls back into his building with a sense of inward defeat. It’s not like he expected to win the petition for guardianship but to be dismissed so openly by the board when they sided with the princess stung more than he’d like to admit. He doesn’t know if she’s just playing a part or really feels that strongly toward him. They are on the same side, from what he gathers. His orders were to await her return and proceed as planned, ensuring the Gellar-Masterton children would end up in Imperial control. There is a lot of money to be made in ChemiX, not to mention the practical and lethal applications of their medical arsenal. Vex only wants the cure.
His life has not been his own since Burke Pallus injected him with the ICS he negotiated with ChemiX to create on behalf of the Empire. Ibellum is the serum, but Pallus teased a cure called Corvais. It would counteract the effects of the serum, freeing him from their control. If Agent Pallus wasn’t going to give it to him, he would find a way to get it from Irulan.
The Holo reports on Janessa Kain’s disappearance trouble him. He knows he had made an attempt on her life and that the Empire wants her out of the picture. She knows too much. His attempt and that of the bomb on her shuttle both failed. Now, it seems, someone has succeeded. He darkly wonders if it was him; if he had been controlled to return to Chandaar and finish the job himself. After checking his shuttle logs, he knows that is not true. It’s a damn shame too. Janessa was a great lay although only a hollow replacement for his guilt over murdering the woman he loved: Kylie Miranda. The Empire has him on so many things that he knows, deep down, there is no escape.
His mind flickers to the message he received from Melanie Masterton.
Carefully consider the master you serve.
Too late, it seems.
Vex unlocks the door to his apartment and steps inside, instantly hit with a warm breeze. He doesn’t remember leaving a window open. Tensing, he eases through the foyer and out into the living room. The patio door is open with someone standing with their back facing him. It is a woman; crimson hair that spills down over a glittering green dress. It is a dress he knows well but hasn’t seen in over a decade. The memories of all those years ago flood back to him and, for a moment, he loses himself in it.
“Karen…”
The woman straightens, turning to touch her chin to an exposed shoulder.
“Hi, Vex. Miss me?”
His face falls then hardens.
Karen is long dead and in her place an abomination stands before him, one with the face of an angel.
“Dahlia.”
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
“What are you doing here? How did you even get in here?”
Dahlia giggles with a casual shrug.
“I have my ways. Beautiful evening, isn’t it?”
He makes himself a drink, pouring the dark liquor over two cubes of ice he managed to toss into the glass with trembling hands.
“You got what you wanted as I was told you would. We cannot be seen together.”
Dahlia moves slowly but with intent, stepping back inside.
“Oh, we won’t. Don’t you worry about that, Ambassador. In fact, you won’t ever be seen again.”
Somehow, he always knew it would come to this. Everything he had ever been told about The Four suddenly flashes before him, momentarily blurring the room into a colorful haze. There was something she said to him once, out on a patio much larger and grander than this one with a glittering ocean in shades of brilliant blue so far below them. He wanted to be closer to them, to her, and she was more candid than that particular Winton ever was. It laid bare the consequences of his suggested proximity to her. To them.
“It will cost you,” Karen said with a wry smile. “Maybe not today or tomorrow but, in the end, whatever darkness surrounds us will come for you too.”
That darkness takes shape in the pools of blackness unspooling within Dahlia’s eyes.
Vex slugs the contents of the glass.
“You’ve been a bad, bad boy and it’s time for punishment.”
He laughs in spite of what is clearly becoming a dire situation.
“You can’t threaten me. They forced my hand and now I’m part of this sick plan.”
‘Well, you were. Past tense, darling. You’ve outlived your usefulness.”
“Figures it would be you coming here to make a mockery of what they’ve done.”
“They’ve done? Oh, I think we’re a little past the point of throwing blame. I know it was you.”
“You don’t know anything, Dahlia! They are using you just like they are using me. Just like they used Karen and Alexia for their own means.”
She does not seem moved by the outburst.
“So, you don’t deny it then? You’re part in their deaths.”
“I’m afraid,” he says, pouring himself another drink; three fingers worth. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”
Dahlia purses her lips, as it if is almost too difficult to name them.
“Our parents. Kylie.”
“Yes.”
“Janessa too?”
“I don’t know what happened to Janessa.”
“You said you didn’t know what happened to Kylie either. You even played the victim well, if I recall. So devastated. Claiming to love her. And our parents? Well, you were right there too, a steady rock in our time of grief. I’m angry, sure, but I’d be hurt if I wasn’t so impressed. That’s some cold shit.”
He stares her down, swallowing the second glass. It goes down easier than the first.
“You want the truth?”
“I already know how,” she says evenly. “I just need to know why.”
“They made me. It made me…kill them all.”
“It?”
“Ibellum.”
The name registers but only vaguely and he seizes on the pause to drive home the point.
“The same serum that courses through Quinn Cavanaugh’s veins. The serum you put there."
Her expression falters.
“Looks like I’m not the only bad one around here.”
“Yeah, well, clearly I’m better at it.”
“Sure, you are, the Sarlacc in designer clothes. That never-ending lust for fame and attention. You are just as if not more duplicitous than I am only you have a choice. The Cavanaugh girl and I did not. I didn’t want this. Don’t forget I knew your families. I cared about Karen and she pushed me away, saved my life actually. You think I would dishonor their memory by taking from you what was taken from them?”
Dahlia stalks forward, waving a hand through the air. Vex is thrown back against the wall. His drink slips from his hand on impact, shattering on the floor. She steps through it in dangerously high heels. Her smile widens with the crunch beneath.
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care,” he sputters, feeling the constriction in his chest.
“I think you do. I also think you came to the Sector with a purpose. They leveraged all that emotional baggage and then set you up. You were just a flunky, Vex.”
“Perhaps but the Empire we both serve wanted them dead. That should anger you.”
“The anger is there, darling. Can’t you feel it?”
Pressure against his chest intensifies, cracking three ribs. He cries out but finds his voice lost in a faint gurgle. She waves a finger on one hand then uses the other to call her sequined clutch purse to it. Dahlia unfastens the clasp and withdraws her saber.
Vex gasps.
He wonders why the serum doesn’t kick in, why it’s not activated from afar. It would give him a least some chance against her. Not much but it would be something. It dawns over him slowly; they knew she was coming for him and there isn’t a damn thing they are going to do about it. The panic is now very real.
“Dahlia, please.”
“Begging doesn’t look good on you, Ambassador. They were loose ends but so are you.”
"There's a cure."
"For what?"
"Ibellum. I..I don't think the Empire really has it...but Irulan Reeves does. It won't save me but you can save Quinn."
"Touching," she says. "Did you find yourself this sentimental when you were murdering my Au pair and adoptive parents?"
"Dahlia, wait - listen to me!"
She moves more quickly than he can track, a crimson and emerald blur and she’s suddenly beside him – that terrible and beautiful face staring into his. In the seemingly singular movement, the small pink blade of the saber ignites as it is slammed into the side of his neck. Vex’s eyes bulge with the heat and pain and she leans close to his ear.
“They may be burning in hell for their own sins,” she seethes. “But I’m sure Rutherford and Celeste saved you a fucking seat.”
She pushes deeper, into the wall behind him, then drags the saber all the way across his throat. His head slides clean off as the steam from the cauterized wound curls past her dark eyes. She releases his body and it slumps forward onto the floor. His bewildered eyes stare vacantly at the rest of him. Dahlia heaves against the wall, choking up. She slides to her knees and unburdens herself of all the emotions surrounding the loss and vindication this action serves.
Pull yourself together, bitch.
She inhales, standing to deactivate the saber and exchange it in the purse for a secured Imperial com-link.
“It’s done.”
Dahlia steps over Vex’s body, heading for the door. Soon the cleanup team would arrive and scrub the scene. Everything about his murder and the cover story surrounding his resignation and return to Byss had been planned before she even stepped foot in this apartment. She’d been briefed as soon as she hit the ground. Emperor Schrag had allowed this cathartic exercise in exchange for the Gellar legacy gene. She needed closure not only for herself but for Dane and Gemma. They deserve that much.
Schrag held up his end of the bargain. Now it was time to uphold hers.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Party at the Delta’s.
Dahlia and Trichelle arrive arm-in-arm, much to the surprise and awe of her sisters. What was once a rivalry becomes something of a weapon. No doubt the Delta’s had heard that Trichelle went to school with the infamous princess Winton. There is a difference between hearing the tales and boosting the appeal of a party in the flesh. Suddenly, the house becomes the only place to be.
“This is wild, right?”
It's a party, not a political rally, but whatev.
“So wild.”
Kier is there but steers clear of them. He knows better. Ples arrives and the three of them catch up over cocktails. It’s like old times again and for a moment, Dahlia misses it, but only for a moment. It wasn’t necessarily a simpler time but certainly a less complicated one by comparison. Trichelle breaks away to scold one of her sisters and Ples smiles.
“I hear my father did you a solid with the guardianship.”
“It’s the best thing for everyone.”
He leans those broad shoulders against the door frame.
“We’ll see. What did you get up to today?”
Flash of Vex Sienna’s expression, frozen, as his head slid off his neck.
“Nothing much.”
“Heard from Demaris? I thought she was gallivanting around with your sister.”
Dahlia shrugs, “Gemma’s back on D’ian and pretty tight-lipped these days. Who knows what trouble those two are getting into.”
“The things they said about her, all that Force stuff. I’m worried about her.”
“She’s a big girl, Ples.”
“I know but still.”
She turns to face him, “Everyone has to choose a side eventually.”
“Have you chosen yours?”
Dahlia plays coy, echoing his words.
“We’ll see.”
Trichelle returns, there is sorority drama, and Dahlia is reminded why she doesn’t do shit like this. It’s not that she doesn’t love good drama but the stakes are so inconsequential it astounds. She catches Kier ducking out and takes the cue. She’s got to be on her way back to D’ian anyway under the guise of guardianship duties. This lets her off easy with her friends. She hugs Ples, air kisses Trichelle and vanishes back into the night. Crossing the grassy commons, heading toward the landing pad bridge, she finds Kier loitering near a cluster of trees. She sighs, slowing her pace.
“You know, lurking isn’t really an enviable quality.”
He chortles, joining her on the path.
“And you live for that, right? Inspiring envy in others?”
“What good is life if someone else doesn’t want the one you have?”
“I see university has made you wise.”
“I see it’s made you creepy. What’s the deal?”
Kier stares into the distant skyline, “She dumped me.”
“So I heard. Bummer but I’m sure you’ll survive. You didn’t want to make a night of it with one of the Delta’s? I’m sure there are a few who wouldn’t mind lowering their standards.”
“Hilarious,” he says. “Congrats on the guardianship thing. You guys have been all over the Holo.”
“How did I look?”
“Calculating.”
“But, like, in a cute way.”
“If you say so. What’s the word on Muriel and Tobias? Bro hasn’t reached out in months.”
She sighs dramatically, “What am I, the central communications hub? Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief, it’s not my duty to maintain your friendships with each other.”
“It was just a question, Dahlia.”
“Look, sometimes people just evolve beyond their pasts. Not everyone stays friends forever or whatever the similar sentiment was in our holo-annual. You’re in university now, expand those horizons a bit. Let go of that jock persona and be something...more.”
He frowns, “What if we’re not all meant for something more?”
“Psych101 rears its ugly head,” she mutters. “Kier, listen to me. The whole pouty existential thing isn’t working for you. You can’t let your life be defined by a breakup with Trichelle.”
“Trichelle wasn’t the one I really wanted.”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” she says, holding up a hand. “Being crowned the king and queen of our Valor Prep senior prom does not a match make.”
“Come on, you never wondered?”
“Nope.”
“Liar.”
“Okay, maybe. A little. And only out of spite for Trichelle. It’s different now.”
“I’m not so different.”
“Well, I am.”
The statement hangs there in front of her like a cold truth. She is not the same person she was when she traded D’ian for Chandaar. For starters, she’s murdered two people. She is a model and student who secretly works for the Empire and has romantic yet questionable feelings for the Imperial boy-wonder while harboring a powerful Sith darkness beyond that of either of her sisters. She is also part of a plan that could bring about the same endless turn of events their prior generation suffered. That is if she delivers the legacy gene as promised. Conniving or not, Emperor Schrag did make certain allowances. She must do her part in order to further her own murky goals – made murkier by a triangulation of feelings tied to both Barrett and Quentin.
He nods, taking the hint, and trying not to be hurt by it.
Male egos are so fragile.
“Good for you then, I guess. You sound like you have a plan.”
“Don’t I always?”
Dahlia leaves him by the bridge, and in a way, she is leaving behind everything about her old life. The infatuations, the drama. There are bigger bantha’s to fry. In the royal cruiser, she fires up the engines and takes a last look back at the sorority house lit with so many colors and shadows. Kier is nowhere in sight. She shakes her head and grips the controls, easing the silvery ship upward and across the sky. So long, bitches.
This girl has got a mission.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Concordia Township: Gellar Estate
When she returns, they are sitting in the kitchen talking. It is the conspiring whispers of siblings. There is talk of summer and university and all those plans one makes as graduation looms. Even they know it won’t be that easy. There is so much at stake for both of them – for all three them of really. It is a turning point, for sure.
They glance up as she strides in and the excitement dies down. Dane fingers a bottle of ale and makes a face.
“Find everything you were looking for?”
Dahlia smirks, “I’ve satiated that lust – for now.”
“Well,” Gemma says. “From the clip on the Holo it looks like you went all out. I’m sure those stores never knew what hit them. How’s Trichelle?”
“Oh, you know Trich. Still spoiled and shallow.”
Dane knocks back the rest of the ale, “Glad you both still have so much in common.”
She rolls her eyes up and makes herself a drink. It’s warm and a floral breeze swirls softly through the house, bringing in all the fragrant blooms of the rolling hills. Concordia Township is awash in colorful growth as summer draws near. Dahlia smiles to herself, caught in a memory.
“You know, we should totally head out to our Viperii Lake house. It’s gorgeous this time of year.”
Dane and Gemma exchange a quick and panicked glance.
“What?”
“We, uh, can’t do that.”
“Why the hell not?”
“It…well, kind of…exploded.”
Dahlia’s eyes wander to Gemma who looks both pained and guilty. Dane’s attempt to downplay such an alarming statement is admirable but a complete failure.
“Kind of exploded?”
“No, it exploded. For reals. The point is that it’s gone and not on the summer agenda. Can I get you another drink?”
“Things don't just fucking explode, Dane. What happened?”
Gemma pipes up, “There was a….”
“…leak. A thermo-something leak and then boom! Can you believe it?”
Dahlia gestures wildly in the air, “Not really! Are you seriously telling me our childhood summer house was blown to bits?”
“By a leak!” Gemma says.
“How did you even know about this?”
“Dane told me when I got back. We thought you’d be upset, knowing how much you loved the lake house. I’m so sorry, Dahlia.”
Dahlia is thrown by the sincerity in the comment, “Surely the Espos investigated.”
“Yes,” Dane says with more confidence. “That’s what happened. Don’t worry, it was insured so we can just build a new one. Can we not make, like, a huge deal about it?”
She sighs, wishing to pursue it further but knowing she may not have another opportunity to speak to them before the prom and graduation fun begins this weekend.
“Fine but I have to tell you something as well.”
They both fall silent, expecting the worst. Instead, she gives them closure.
“You were right, Dane. Vex Sienna was responsible for the death of our parents and Kylie Miranda. I spoke to Barrett about it and he had his people investigate. It turns out Sienna was obsessed with The Four and needed Kylie, Rutherford, and Celeste out of the way in order to have unobstructed access to us. I’m sorry, I didn’t know, but it was him. Sienna was responsible for everything.”
Gemma swallows hard, “What will happen to him?”
“The Empire relieved him of his duties and took him back to Byss where I assume, he’ll be dealt with. A new Imperial liaison will be assigned.”
Dane slides off the stool, his eyes suddenly very bleary. He stops beside her, placing a hand on her arm.
“Thank you.”
She covers his hand with her own and nods. Dane disappears upstairs, leaving Gemma to gaze at her uneasily across the island.
“Do they know anything about Garron or Janessa?”
Dahlia shakes her head, “I’m afraid not but they are looking.”
“Why would Barrett Trevaithan do that?”
“Because I asked him to.”
“And why would you?”
“Like it or not, we’re the only family we have. I guess I didn’t want you both graduating and still believing there was something you could have done.”
Gemma slips off the stool and begins to round the island, sliding her fingers along the polished surface.
“Then why all the theatrics? You avoid us for months only to what? Swoop in and rescue us from Sienna’s evil clutches? You always have an agenda, Dahlia.”
The smirk returns, “From you. Saw the highlight reel from your last show. Compelling stuff…for a Jedi.”
Gemma’s eyes widen but she manages to maintain an even tone.
“Photage is so easily edited.”
“Except it wasn’t, was it Gemma? You always make it seem like you’re the one doing the right thing, the noble thing when in reality you are just as conniving as the rest of us. You can’t possibly be suspicious of my motives when yours have never been clear.”
“What is your problem?”
“You. You are my problem and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some residual resentment against your family and their uptight self-righteous ways.”
Gemma groans, “And why is that?”
“You really want to know?”
“Yes, I really want to know.”
Dahlia finishes her drink and slides it aside, moving toward Gemma to speak very slowly and with an annunciation bordering on menacing.
“Because your sister murdered my sister in cold blood.”
Gemma’s face goes slack, lips parting just enough for the disbelief to escape through a sigh.
Dahlia’s expression remains rigid and serious, enough for Gemma to know that at the very least she believes it.
“How…how could you possibly know something like that? They died on Centerpoint and the only person who escaped that was just a baby.”
Dahlia levels with her, “When I was kidnapped, my captor showed me the vid. I don’t know how it was recovered or recorded but Karen stood down and Melanie killed her anyway.”
“She wouldn’t.”
“She did.”
“Like I said,” Gemma says with a trembling voice. “Photage can be edited.”
Dahlia nods, patting her lightly as she passes, moving out into the foyer.
“That’s right. You keep telling yourself that.”
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface
While Gemma and Dane ready themselves for graduation, Dahlia makes a trip out to Viperii Lake. She doesn’t believe for a microsecond that a leak caused the explosion. The twins were much to cagey for it to be as simple as that. When she arrives at where their summer house once stood, all she finds is a cleared slab. The rubble and ash had all been taken away.
The view looks different now, free of any obstruction. Dahlia wanders through the trees to the edge of lake. It is serene and beautiful as it always has been. She has fond memories from her childhood here which clash dangerously with the rage Adubell instilled in her as a captive. Perhaps it was a bit much, delivering such a blow to Gemma. However, she did also just murder Vex Sienna to vindicate both she and Dane so, in the grand scheme of things, Gemma got off easy. She needed to know, the sneaky little bitch, that her holier-than-thou antics isn’t fooling everyone. Melanie, from what she can tell, was probably more sanctimonious than Gemma but that righteousness streak must be genetic. Something about all that earnestness really bugs her.
Dahlia exhales, long and slow, and gathers her thoughts. There is a lot to sort through. Feelings for Barrett, feeling for Quentin. The aggravation and mistrust she feels for Emperor Schrag. A friendship with Quinn that, put into context by Sienna, is really twisted. All those Sith skills concealed beneath a studious persona. So, she’s got secrets too. Does that make her a hypocrite? Probably…but a much cuter one.
She wanders back, stepping up onto the slab. What the hell happened here? She supposed she could request the Espos’ report but what would that even prove? Nothing, especially if Dane and Gemma are keeping that information locked down. She kneels, pressing two fingers against the cool duracrete.
There is a flash, day turning to night and the forest surrounding her burns brightly. She raises her head as embers and ash drift past her. There is a figure standing over her, tall and clad in a burnt orange and black armor. A wide hood covers a distorted, metal mask beneath which the eyes glow an electric green. From the right arm, a saber extends to illuminate her face in its emerald glow.
She gasps, pulling her fingers away quickly.
The sky is once again blue and there is a sweet song from the bird in the trees above. Dahlia stands but has to steady herself, glancing down at the Carteris chromometer on her wrist. Several minutes had passed but she is not sure where she went or what she saw. She recalls the figure with the glowing eyes – but why did she see it? And who was that?
Dahlia shutters and returns to her speeder.
No time to unpack that now, she has a ceremony to attend.
*
Valor Prep
The pavilion is crowded considering how small the graduating class is but Dahlia manages to score a seat near the front. She would be unmistakable anywhere – the crimson hair, towering heels, and giant oval sunglasses. There are the requisite speeches, even a song which, surprisingly, Gemma does not sing, and then the tedious alphabetical nightmare that is walking the stage. Alka seems to float, Preston smirks and rolls his eyes, Dane struts his stuff to much applause and hollering, and Roman seems annoyed. It is Gemma that receives the most tepid response, barely a whisper from the crowd as her name is called. Dahlia cheers for her, a compulsory action that shocks even her. She may have just dropped the hammer of truth on her but she’ll be damned if sis is going to go out without some applause.
It is then she realizes their entire community must be afraid of Gemma after what they saw on the Holo. The sweet Masterton girl wielding a lightsaber in a full-scale melee. That must have offended Concordia Township’s delicate sensibilities. Even time doesn’t heal things here. The idle rich never forget. Well, fuck ‘em. They think Dahlia is the AntiMaker anyway simply because she was born a Winton. Now they are just as suspicious of the Masterton’s. People don’t like it when others have power they do not, especially the inhabitants of D’ian. No amount of currency will buy you that kind of leverage – and they know it.
She flees the scene before the rest of the parents descend on their children for photage. Back at the Gellar Estate, she preps for the inevitable onslaught of partying. There is only a day between graduation and prom so she had cautioned a slower roll tonight, not that any of them are going to listen to her. For her part, Dahlia has finished all her assignments remotely to conclude her term at university. So, now that her friends are returning to D’ian from near and afar for summer break she can schedule in some relaxation before heading to her Hesperidium hideaway.
In her room, she scrawls out images of the mask from the lake house. None of them look quite right but Gemma bursts in before she can figure out why.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
She spins around, crossing one leg dramatically over the other.
“Do what?”
“Cheer like that. I’m perfectly fine accepting my diploma without anyone else’s validation.”
Dahlia scoffs, “So, you're mad you got attention? Wow, you really are a trip.”
“Are you off the rails? You can’t simultaneously hate and support me.”
“Um, I believe my exact word was resent, not hate, and I can do anything I damn well please, Gemma so do yourself a favor and get out of my face.”
“I’m not in your face I’m…”
Her voice dies off as her eyes land on the sketch of the mask still displayed on the screen of her console. Dahlia’s eyes follow then she cocks her head.
“What?”
“What is that?”
“The mask? Why? You’ve seen it before?”
Gemma says nothing.
Dahlia rises out of the chair, shifting to a warning tone.
“Gemma. You have, haven’t you? Where?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit,” she says, placing a hand on her hip.
Gemma sighs, “You think you know everything, Dahlia. You don’t, regardless of what you captor said.”
“How dare you minimize what I went through. I was tortured!”
“All I’m saying is that they could have lied – about a lot of things. People have been playing on the Masterton-Winton thing for years. You wanted a reason to turn on me and they gave you one. What did they tell you about Dane? I’m sure it was just as horrible.”
For starters, he possesses the legacy gene.
However, she knows this tidbit of news won’t get the information she wants to know and she is losing patience.
“Tell me where you saw the mask.”
“What mask?” she says, all innocent-like.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you’re too good at it.”
Gemma storms out of the room, leaving Dahlia fuming. Fine, play your games, Gemma. The reaction said more than enough but she needs specifics, like how it is connected to her. If Gemma knows who or what this is, she knows she’s on the right track. There was almost a sheer terror that flickered across her face at the sight of it. She must know something. Dane will be drinking heavily this weekend so, if she’s not going to be any help, maybe her loose-lipped brother might.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dahlia returns from a late brunch with Trichelle at the Corinthos Estate to find Dane and Gemma in the throes of pre-prom anxiety. Dane pads around barefoot in only a pair of starched, black dress pants holding what she hopes is his first glass of whiskey. He is on the com with Preston who is having a fit over the fact that Roman’s parents are forcing him to bring Alia. The pitch in his voice rises to an intolerable level as he explains the Nash’s plan to drag Roman back to Csilla to make good on that arranged marriage to Alia while sealing their alliance with the Csapla family. Seriously, gay space drama is so heavy.
Gemma, on the other hand, sulks about in an annoyed funk.
“What’s up your ass?”
She sighs as if it is extremely difficult to admit it, “I don’t know what to wear.”
“Come on,” she says, pulling her outside and across the estate to the landing pad where Dahlia’s royal cruiser is docked. Inside, they enter the dressing chamber where she taps open a series of doors to reveal an impressive array of clothing – fit for a princess. “I’m sure we can find you something.”
Dahlia pulls several contenders, deciding to prod a bit.
“So, where have you been hiding?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh please,” she groans. “You disappear from Chandaar for months then show up here as if everything is just fine.”
“You summoned us, remember? About the whole guardianship thing.”
“True, but from where?”
“None of your business,” Gemma says, crossing her arms. “You’re just full of contradictions, Dahlia. You resent me but cheer me on. You grill me about details then want to help. You can’t have it both ways.”
Dahlia takes the two dresses she likes best and hangs each on separate valet rod.
“Says who? You? I don’t think so. Look, we clearly have different priorities but it wouldn’t kill you to loosen up a bit.”
Gemma glares, “Maybe I could if I didn’t fully believe that you have your own agenda here. Don’t think I forgot about that whole mess with your bodyguard Georgie. He was a monster and you knew it the whole time.”
“Aw, it’s sweet that you think so. Can you prove it?”
“I know what I saw.”
“You know what you think you saw.”
“Don’t try and gaslight me,” she bites out. “You aren’t that good.”
“You have no idea.”
“Your arrogance is unfathomable but it will cost you in the end."
“More than your ignorance? I doubt it.”
“I’m not ignorant. I know what you are!”
They are in the midst of a full-blown confrontation, one that has been a long time coming. Dahlia stops fidgeting with the dresses and turns toward her, emerald eyes flaring wide.
“And what am I, Gemma?”
She delivers the line flawlessly, almost with relief.
“You’re a Sith. I think you have the same abilities as your sisters that your captor exploited and they turned you because the easy way has always been your way. You’d never be able to resist all that power because, for a Winton, showmanship trumps substance.”
The flicker of rage beneath Gemma’s pristine surface gives Dahlia and electrifying charge.
“What are you going to do about it?”
Gemma pauses and she seizes the opening,
“That’s right, nothing. You know why? Because that’s the thing about the Jedi – always with the lagging. You may think you’ve chosen the side of the righteous, the one that fights for all that is good in these worlds but, in reality, it’s the side of the naïve and the weak as history has shown time and time again. You’re a smart girl and deep down I think you know it. So, if you are finished grandstanding, we can get back to business.”
“Fine but I don’t trust you, Dahlia.”
She steps back and smiles, motioning behind her.
“I don’t trust you either, Gemma but fashion transcends such things. Now, what do you think?”
Gemma’s eyes wander to the options; the first is a short, sequined dress in a muted cream color and the second, a white, textured wrap gown with a sheer shimmering shawl. She sighs as the weight of their exchange temporarily melts away.
“Option number two. It’s just…beautiful. Thank you."
“My pleas,” she says, handing over the gown. “Now scoot, you’ve got precious time before your friends arrive.”
She watches her go, somehow satisfied with herself in this new role. For a brief moment, they were honest with one another – their true feelings out in the open, exposed. Both accused and neither denied. It is cathartic and dangerous, a release that had been building for years. She knows that they are on opposing sides. If she’d listen to Adubell, Gemma would be dead already, but something prevented her taking that step with her. Dahlia has killed but could she bring herself to kill Gemma? Or Dane for that matter? Even after everything she knows - Rutherford’s lies, Celeste’s complicity, and Melanie’s ruthlessness – she harbors sentiment toward them. Adubell railed into her about the dangers of Sith having attachments. There are only allies and enemies, nothing in between. Dahlia doesn’t think in such limited terms. The Winton’s were never ones to conform and Dahlia is not going to start now.
*
Later that afternoon, Dane, Alka, Gemma, Preston, Roman, and Alia gather along the stairs for the obligatory photage Dahlia has been harassed into taking. They are reveling at the moment when the door chime slices through the chatter. Since no one seems to move, Dahlia reluctantly answers it only to reveal an expertly coifed Riley Patten standing on the other side.
“Well,” she says. “Aren’t you full of surprises?”
“Am I too late?”
“Actually, you’re just in time.”
He steps inside, shocking everyone including a squealing Gemma who rushes into his arms.
“How are you here?”
“Ask me again sometime.”
She beams, “But…how did you even know?”
Riley nods over to Dane who fires back with finger blasters, “Got your message but I had some help.”
Dahlia waves her hands around, “Alright, alright, now that everyone is happy, with the exception of Preston of course, can we please get back to the task at hand?”
Preston and Alia exchange a glacial stare.
Finally, she corals them into a line to get the necessary photage. She captures each of the couples separately for good measure, doing one with Roman and Alia for his parents and one with Roman and Preston for them. Sometimes, she cannot even believe herself. Gemma and Riley gaze at each other longingly which gives Dahlia a pang – but for whom?
As they file out and into the hover limo, Dane, Gemma, and Riley linger behind on the circular stoop with Dahlia.
There is something here, a powerful significance that cannot truly be explained.
Call it a fate or legacy, they all feel it, and that is why they remain.
Dahlia glances between them, “So, here we are. The Four.”
Almost instinctively, they join hands. The connection is like a pulsing current.
Alia’s bitching breaks the spell and they descend the stairs to join their friends. Dahlia watches as the hoverlimo slides away and out of sight, unsure of what just happened or why. The legacy gene, the vision with the masked figure, all four of them together – it presents as a marker for something greater, something beyond anything any of them can even imagine.
-TBC
-
“Blinded by faith and devotion
Shade the fire inside our hearts
Ties that we've made have been broken by the
Lies that pull us apart
Time that we take will be stolen from a
Dream that was almost ours.”
-Bob Moses
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Concordia Township
Prom night.
Beneath the swirling colorful lights of the Concordia Clubhouse, the teens dance and sway to the music. There is magic in this moment. They are on the precipice of an uncertain future but feeling invincible. Youth is permitted these delusions. Riley holds Gemma close against him, moving together slowly. How he’d missed this. Just being near her is intoxicating, enough to dull the inevitable roar that his abrupt departure from Corellia will cause. It's not like he asked for permission, figuring it better to beg forgiveness instead. He’d been cooped up on that ship for what feels like forever with no word from aunt Mara or Master Nevylinn. What could possibly be keeping them? Riley’s restlessness cannot be contained and when he received the message from Gemma with a question, he could not refuse her. It was time and together they are happy.
So, here we are. The Four.
Those words haunt them, something uttered like a casual omen. The strange encounter with Dahlia back at the estate lingers at the periphery of Gemma’s thoughts. A sobering realization chills her; now they know who the other really is. It’s not like they hadn’t suspected for years, dancing around the subject as only two people with those names in denial could. What can she really do about it? Dahlia isn’t entirely wrong, as much as it pains her to acknowledge it. The Jedi are floundering and for what? The ancient religion, once held in such high esteem, is practically in a death rattle. Scores of Jedi have been killed and the rest are exiled, on the run, or hiding in plain sight. There is a stab of guilt at feeling so wonderful when so many others are suffering. Her thoughts flicker back to Taarek, Demaris, and their team, praying they are okay. There are many forces conspiring against them and so she holds Riley tighter, never wanting to let go.
Dane is drunk but somehow Alka manages to keep him grounded. This is not an easy feat but she always did have a neutralizing effect on him, much to everyone’s surprise and delight. Lit, he pulls the others into the middle of the floor. Light glances off Alia and Roman’s glowing red eyes as Preston dances between them. Laughing, Gemma drags Riley into the mix where they all throw up their hands and surrender to the music. This is what they’ve been building toward and the sweet release dispels, even if only for the briefest of moments, any animosity or suspicion between them. Alia spins Gemma around as Dane throws an arm around Riley’s shoulder with the other around Alka’s waist, and Roman pulls Preston into a tender kiss. They have not a care in the worlds.
To tonight, and the rest of their lives.
They return to the Gellar Estate with Dahlia nowhere in sight. She knows better than to crash their party. Dane and Riley grab the drinks while Alka, Gemma, and Alia dance in a circular pattern around the foyer. Their movements are mirrored, almost like a ritual. Roman absconds with Preston upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms, his desire stronger than any threat his parents could level.
It had been a tense afternoon at the Nash Estate after Balthazar outlined his plans for Roman after prom. He was to return to Csilla with Alia where they will marry and not another word. Alia aimed for a tactful levity but Roman outright refused. He would not marry Alia, he told his father, because he was in love with Preston Dyre. The reaction was met with a barely subdued rage, or as much as a true Chiss can emote such a thing. The disgust between both parties was palpable. Balthazar left them quietly alone and, on the way over to meet his friends, Alia questioned if he knew what he had done. The admission was more dangerous than he realized, one that could carry consequences beyond just the two of them. They had already made threats. Call it Gemma’s influence but she didn’t want anything to happen to him. He didn’t care. For once in his life, Roman was sure of something. He wasn’t going to let his father take that away from him.
Not ever again.
Roman pulls off Preston’s jacket and unbuttons his shirt. Preston runs his hands down across Roman’s deep blue chest as they fall back onto the bed. Roman needs him close, “Run away with me.”
He laughs, “Yeah, sure. We’ll leave in the morning.”
“I’m serious,” Roman says. “Run away and marry me.”
“Like elope? Impulsive…but romantic. You know I don’t care about Alia but won’t your parents be, like, super pissed?”
“You love me, don’t you?”
Preston touches his jaw, “More than anything.”
“I’d give up everything to be with you. I’m sorry it took me this long to get here but I’m here and I’m in love with you. Run away with me.”
Preston kisses him again, “I’d run anywhere with you.”
Downstairs, things are getting turned up. Gemma is grinding up on Riley as Dane and Alka sloppily make out against the wall leaving Alia to dance seductively alone in the center of the room. She can feel something coming but she keeps moving, keeps drinking, in hopes that the feeling will pass. The rest of the evening kind of spirals with everyone finding their way to bedrooms upstairs. The estate is dark and still for hours until a shadow falls across a beam of moonlight in the hall.
Dahlia slips into Dane’s room, finding he and Alka tangled in sheets but unconscious. All those cocktails allow them to sleep soundly, dead to the worlds, and it is just as well. The Winton royal has a price to pay. She withdraws a hydrosyringe and, using the Force to guide her, slides it into the crook of Dane’s exposed left arm. Blood, a deep crimson, begins to swirl within the vial. Once full, she pulls it free and disappears as quickly as she came. Dahlia descends the stairs silently, using her power to float up over the floor and out into the warm night air. She crosses the patio and gardens before easing into the tall grass. Dahlia hovers toward a figure emerging from the woods, holding a small, black container. The case is opened, tendrils of frozen gas spinning into the air around it. She stops before him and places the vial inside. It snaps closed with a hiss.
“Our sincerest gratitude, Princess Dahlia.”
“Congrats on the promo, Ambassador. Enjoy your night.”
Burke Pallus turns sharply and vanishes back into the woods.
Above, returning from the bathroom, a sleepy Riley catches sight of Dahlia floating back across the patio and into the house. Or at least it looks like she’s floating. He’s still tipsy and extremely tired, rejoining Gemma in bed. He thinks of waking her but she looks so beautiful, so peaceful. Riley does not want to disturb that and curls up against her to fall asleep.
Morning comes much too quickly.
Members of the crew begin to appear slowly and with great effort. No one escaped last night unscathed but there aren’t any complaints. Dane retrieves a glass of water for a rather ill-feeling Alka, passing Roman and Preston coming down the stairs.
“Good morning lovers.”
Preston hits him lightly in the arm, “I was supposed to be home hours ago.”
“Worth it?” Dane asks, rubbing the surprising soreness.
He squeezes Roman’s hand, “Definitely.”
At the door, he kisses him goodbye.
“See you soon.”
“Count on it,” he says.
Preston, with his head in the clouds, trots down the stairs and across the drive to his speeder. He throws a glance back at a shirtless Roman, leaning against the impossibly high door with a smile that lets him know this is real. He breathes in with a heavy heart and a singular thought: that boy is going to marry me. He starts the speeder but there is a strange clinking sound, a spark beneath him. There is no time to think, to wonder, to do anything.
The speeder explodes.
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
It is the screaming that rouses Gemma and Riley out of their blissful slumber.
Everyone converges in the foyer where Alka is losing her shit by the door while Dane and Alia stand outside in front of the flaming wreckage that was Preston’s speeder. There are parts strewn about, mechanical and biological, across the expansive drive. Gemma passes a stunned Alia to pull at Dane’s arm.
“Dane? Dane! What happened?!”
Dane just keeps shaking his head, “I dunno, I dunno, I dunno….”
She turns to Alia, “Where’s Roman?”
Alia’s usually serene features are tight and angry, “He left…to confront his parents on Mondder.”
“His parents?”
“They did this.”
“How do you know?”
She had felt it all night but Roman seemed unconvinced, assured of his decision, and she did nothing. Alia felt the tremors through the Force, warning her, and she drank them away. The reflection of the flames vanishes into her bright scarlet eyes.
“He told them he was in love with Preston, that he wouldn’t marry me, and they retaliated."
“They already threatened to kill him,” Dane mutters through the waves of Alka’s screaming. "If he didn't bring Alia back."
Gemma and Riley exchanges worried glances.
Dahlia is trying to deal with Alka when the lights of the Espos speeders appear over the hill as they race toward them. Someone must have called. The emergency crews descend on the estate, extinguishing the fire and rounding up the teens back inside. The Gellar Estate is officially a crime scene.
The Espos take statements, seemingly wary of another incident involving the Gellar-Masterton’s. Even as traumatized as some of them are, they are smart enough to keep the fact that Roman was present and left out of their stories. It would look bad and they know he didn’t do it. He couldn’t do it. They were in love. It would be pointless for the Espos to waste their time investigating that avenue when they all know what happened.
Balthazar Nash exacted his revenge. Even though Roman brought Alia back to The Sector as promised, it was not enough to make up for what they saw as Roman’s abomination. Roman’s confession cost Preston his life and now his friends are both bereft over the loss and anxious about what his heartbroken lover would do.
The speeder and what’s left of Preston is cleared but, given the initial evidence, none are individuals of interest at this time. It presents as a speeder malfunction with tragic consequences but the Espos won’t rule anything out, not when it comes to them. They notify Preston’s parents and depart from the Estate. Everyone’s nerves are shot with Dane hitting the bottle pretty hard. Gemma tries to comfort him but he’s hurt and despondent. Dahlia suggests they go after Roman to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid but that idea is shot down with a barrage of nasty glares. No one is in any shape to go anywhere. They know they can't stop him from whatever comes next.
Later, with Alka finally resting and Alia withdrawn, a Holo report out of the Core draws them out of their grief.
It is breaking story…about Coruscant.
It has reformed, the storms and particles fusing together into a solid mass once again. Smaller than its predecessor with gravity restored, atmosphere stable, and, unbeknownst to them, a perfectly placed Sith artifact at its center, drawing energy and growing stronger.
But how? They had only heard stories of the city-planet that was, destroyed by the Dark Queen of Hapes. The legends had grown over the years into frightening tales whispered at sleepovers or in the context of punishment – be good or the Dark Queen will emerge from The Cluster and destroy you too. They had all shared this tale as children only for the waste of her vengeance to mysteriously return.
As the Holo commentators speculate they glance at each other suspiciously, wondering if what they felt when they all connected in some way signified something greater and more powerful than any of them could understand. Dahlia recalls Quentin’s words to her last year, how he claimed to have found her staring up into the sky, beneath where Coruscant once was, pulsing with a dark energy unlike that he had ever seen.
Had she set this in motion?
Did their connection, one that through their predecessors left countless lives in their wake, complete Coruscant’s rebirth?
*
Etti IV: Mondder
He arrives in the dead of night, hellbent on confrontation.
Atop the Palace Arms corporate tower, Roman Nash burst into the family suite and shouts his father’s name. Balthazar appears, meeting his son in the living room.
“You did this.”
He does not deny it, “Gather your things, we return to Csilla in the morning.”
His mother, Rinoa, emerges from the bedroom, “Roman? What is going on?”
“Did you tell her, father? Or were you complicit in this as well, mother?”
“Complicit in what?”
“Tell her. Tell her! Tell her how you killed Preston by rigging his speeder to explode to punish me for loving him!”
“Your union to Alia will secure our family’s legacy, Roman. Surely you can look past this human grief and see the importance of this action. The Dyre boy was not your destiny.”
“Balthazar, you didn’t?” Rinoa says.
“Silence! What’s done is done. Roman and Alia will return with us to Csilla where they will wed and house Nurodo will rightfully be part of the ruling class of the Chiss.”
Unfamiliar with this much emotion, intense and unyielding, Roman comes to one, final conclusion.
“I imagine it will be difficult to have a wedding…without a groom.”
Balthazar stares at him intensely, almost daring him to defy him again.
“Or a legacy without a son.”
Roman walks calmly through the open patio doors, climbs up onto the railing, and jumps.
-TBC
-
"This world can hurt you
It cuts you deep and leaves a scar
Things fall apart
But nothing breaks like a heart."
-Mark Ronson
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface
Word from Mondder.
A distraught Finnius Dyre goes before the Direx Board with his accusations alleging conspiracy, murder, and treason against Balthazar Nash to benefit the Chiss Ascendancy. Statements made by Dane Gellar and Alka Dawning further damn him, claiming Nash had made threats against the son of Dyre previously, a claim said to have come from Roman Nash himself. Reports from the Espos investigation are inconclusive, leaving reasonable suspicion that Preston’s speeder could have been tampered with. The final nail inadvertently comes from Roman’s intended, Alia Elise Csapla. Although she kept relatively tight-lipped during questioning, Gellar and Dawning confirmed that the only reason for her presence in the Sector was an arranged marriage, one that would significantly benefit the Nurodo family and be thoroughly jeopardized by an off-script romance with Dyre.
Iver Aguilar gives the order and the Espos storm Nash Estate on D’ian to find that Balthazar and Rinoa have gone. Flight records from the spaceport confirm their departure mere hours before. Back at the Palace Arms tower in Mondder they find a bloody handprint on the patio railing belonging to Roman Nash. They don't know, as Dane and Alka pulled him back, that he cut his hands trying to get to Preston. At least two witnesses have come forward to say that they saw something or someone go over on the night in question. It presents like Balthazar had both motive and opportunity to kill Preston Dyre and may have even killed his own son over his refusal to conform to their societal norms.
The Holo explodes with the news, casting shadows across several other companies closely tied to Palace Arms, and throwing the Direx Board into complete turmoil. Irulan Reeves is not worried, at least for ChemiX. However, she knows how difficult this must be for Dane and calls to send her condolences. She advises he take some time away before diving back in in the Fall.
Everything hits them hard on D’ian.
On hearing about Roman, Alka falls to pieces again. Dane just sits on the patio, staring out into the gardens. He graduated, attended prom, lost two of his best friends, and now watches as the Direx Board implodes over suspicions of treason – all within 72 hours. Gemma’s heart breaks for those lost, for those left behind, and the senselessness of it all. This didn’t have to happen but a part of her wonders how much the terror and mayhem tie back to the four of them. The Four. This is the first time they’d all been in the same place since they were children. She felt it just like the others did when their hands came together. The charge of something deeper. She could see it on their faces, even if they said nothing. Riley does his best to tend to everyone’s needs, comforting Gemma, but feeling somewhat lost in the personal tragedy of the others.
Alia cannot stand to be around them a moment longer and walks out of the Gellar Estate.
Dahlia watches her go then turns to them, “Hopefully that’s the last we’ll see of her.”
“That’s not exactly productive,” Riley says.
“Tough crowd. Listen, I’m leaving for Hesperidium in a few days. Everyone is welcome to join, of course. In fact, you probably should. The situation with the Direx Board is going to be brutal so I say let them hash it out. Your respective interests are represented and the tropical climate would do you all some good.”
Gemma breaks from Riley’s arms and storms by her, “Our friends just died and all you can think of is the beach?”
“It’s only a suggestion, Gemma. Calm down.”
“Ill-timed and inappropriate as always.”
Dahlia calls after her, “Is there any other kind?”
Up in her room, Gemma breaks down momentarily but pulls it together long enough to fumble open a secure com-channel to Demaris Atrii.
“Gemma, I’m so happy you called. The news about Coruscant…it’s just…isn't it remarkable?”
“There’s more.”
She tells her about Preston, Roman, Dahlia, their connection, the Inquisitor’s mask. It is a lot to process and she is understandably upset. They were her friends too. Demaris is far more worried about Gemma. Her exchange with Dahlia was risky, borderline irresponsible. If Winton really is a true Sith, they could all be targets. She tactfully but wisely reminds Gemma about what happened after Melanie’s prom and graduation – The Event at 500 Republica. Most of her friends were killed and, with The Four now together, the others could stand in Dahlia’s way of ultimate power.
“No one wants a repeat of the catalyst body count.”
“Understood but she’s connected somehow – to the Inquisitor and possibly Coruscant too. I have to follow up on it.”
“How?”
“Dahlia invited us to Hesperidium. Maybe later I can convince Riley to join me there. Besides, the whole timing of the Coruscant thing cannot be a coincidence.”
Demaris perks up, a definite smile in her voice, “Riley’s there?”
“Yeah, he surprised me for prom.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Unfortunately, the gesture has been superseded by tragedy. Oh Demaris, it’s such a mess.”
“I’m so sorry, Gemma. How is Alia taking it?”
“She hasn’t said much. In fact, I think she left.”
“Left? Where did she go?"
“Maybe she needed some air. You know how she feels about displays of human emotion and right now everyone is kind of a wreck.”
“Alia is unstable, Gemma.”
“She’s just upset but can’t show it. There is something to be said for giving people space.”
Demaris’ voice becomes grave, “Alia is impulsive and has both the power of the Force and a weapon. Someone should find her before she makes a bad situation worse.”
“You think she would really do something rash? Right, right, I heard it as soon as I said it. I’ll go after her. Hang tight and send my love to the team.”
“Will do. The Lurian’s have taken great care of us.”
“Good, so long as you are safe. Talk soon.”
“Be careful, Gemma. Dahlia may be family but the Sith are dangerous."
“I will.”
She clicks off, slips the com into her purse, and heads back downstairs where the situation hasn’t changed.
Riley is waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.
“Everything okay?”
“Maybe not,” she says. “We should probably go look for Alia and make sure she’s okay.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Her hand becomes intertwined with his, “I was hoping you’d say that.”
*
Alia walks through the woods, blindly following a feeling, a tug that has been calling out to her. She tried. She actually tried to care about someone and he wound up throwing himself off a tower. Typical. Everything the Chiss do is always laced with a familial drama that is almost always sinister.
Every action made in haste has a consequence and she’s just glad Balthazar got his in the end. Her family is going to bury his. She supposes she could return to Gemma and work through it all in their exceedingly humanoid way but that is the furthest thing from her mind. She wants to destroy, to make others hurt the way these unfamiliar emotions make her feel. She wants to burn it all down the same way the Nash's did when they lit up Preston with the flames of their revenge.
Alia finds herself on the brink as she steps into a clearing to discover that she is not alone.
The hooded figure does not move as she approaches.
“Hello, Alia. I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Like I care."
“Your suspicion is to be expected, of course, given the circumstances. I am not one for attachments, to anyone really, but there is so much hatred radiating off you that I could have found you anywhere in the galaxy. So yes, I have been waiting for you and now it is time you explored your true power.”
Alia squares her shoulders, reaching for the saber clipped to her belt.
“Who the hell are you?”
The figure removes the hood, revealing the scarred face of a grey-skinned woman.
“My name is Adubell but you may call me...Master."
-TBC
-
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Gemma takes the lead as she and Riley wander through the woods, following Alia’s Force signature like a beacon through the darkness. They catch up on events since they last saw each other. Between the two of them, Gemma’s harrowing experiences fighting off the Inquisitor while trying to find safety for the Jedi significantly eclipses Riley’s relatively mundane existence on Corellia.
He finished his senior year beneath the safe watch of Director Veritaas and would begin an accelerated course at the CorSec Academy proper come Fall. Weekends and holidays were spent on the ship with Master Atrii, moving casually through the fringe of the system, as Riley assisted in providing the Younglings and other fugitive Jedi real-world training experience. Even without any Force abilities, he felt useful and the mindfulness exercises they taught him came in real handy when he thought he’d go out of his mind with boredom.
It’s not like it’s all bad. There was fun to be had with his only pal, Cassidy, but the other cadets all treated him like a liability, someone with whom should be approached with extreme caution. It doesn’t help with the rumors even after all these years: his famous mother exploded along with the rest of Centerpoint Station and his once-Governess half-aunt was strangled by a psychotic, sentient droid not far from where they all train. Now he’s been linked with Jedi sympathizers in a Republic that hates and fears them, made more complicated by the fact that he’s both aiding and abetting many within the system on the direction and knowledge of Director Elon Veritaas, Senator Artemis Soldys, and Ambassador Della Avers. It’s not like he can claim his life is uncomplicated but everything about it, from the Patten name to all the secrecy, renders him isolated and feeling restless.
Hence, the detour. He left Donovan a message, one he hopefully understood. Riley is a nearly eighteen-year-old boy. He needed to shake things up, live a little. He’s not saying goodbye to his obligations or abandoning his friends. Riley just wanted a bit of distance from them…and an opportunity to be closer to Gemma.
“Do you hear that?”
It is a soft whirring, almost like something mechanical starting up.
“Yeah.”
He pulls his blaster as they are both bathed in the pale blue glow of Gemma’s saber. They break through into a clearing across which they watch Alia disappear into a shuttle. There is another figure who pauses at the bottom of the ramp, turning slowly as if sensing them. Even from that distance, there is no mistaking the sinister glint of a smile on the grey-skinned woman before she quickly ascends into the shuttle as well. Moments later, it begins to rise but instead of heading up across the darkened silhouettes of the tree line it swivels around and fires on them.
Everything slows down.
Riley dives for cover through the thick, orange beams of the turbolasers as they blast and splinter the foliage around them. Gemma deflects two blasts with her saber and sends the third back toward the shuttle which dissipates in the shields. Another round from the laser cannon streaks between them to destroy the trunks of a pair of trees. Gemma is thrown by the concussive blast as the shuttle roars over them and then up across the midnight sky.
The trees give out and fall forward. Riley is already moving, scooping Gemma up around the waist and pulling them both into a roll as the trees smash down violently behind them. Breathless, Riley laughs in spite of the situation.
“Who the heck was that?”
“I don’t know,” Gemma says, deactivating the saber and brushing off the crushed foliage. “But I’ll bet no one good. Thanks for the save, by the way.”
“Anytime. Should we tell the others?”
“Interesting question – that depends.”
“On what?”
“If you’re up for some adventure.”
He smiles, helping her to her feet.
“With you? Always.”
Gemma confesses to Riley that Dahlia all but admitted she was a Sith who may know more than she lets on about a great many things. The rub is that she confirmed her own identity as a Jedi so the exposed nature of their relationship puts a riskier spin on their predicament. Still, the hallmarks are all there as they begin the walk back.
“Two of our friends die on the same night Coruscant reforms and a mysterious figure appears to abscond with a compromised Alia? That has Winton written all over it.”
“That’s a little judgy, no?”
“I would normally agree if Dahlia had not just told me that my sister killed hers.”
Riley slows, skepticism creeping into his features.
“How could she even know something like that? I mean, I was there and I don’t remember shit.”
“Well, in all fairness, you were an infant. A newborn actually, so you get a pass.”
“True but it makes me kind of uncomfortable knowing that she’s got the scoop on what is essentially my origin story. Do you believe her?”
Gemma sighs, “She claims to have seen photage.”
“That’s not a no.”
“She believes it. That makes the information dangerous enough.”
Riley squeezes her hand, “So how does that lead to adventure for us?”
“We accept Dahlia’s invite to Hesperidium.”
“Even with the conspicuous timing of your bad blood? You’re a brave girl, Gemma Masterton.”
She grins as they return to the mansion, stashing the weapons before rejoining the others. The blaring Holo reports coupled with the drumming of Dane’s leg against the ottoman is like a maddening chorus. Trichelle Corinthos has been brought in to tend to Alka so Dahlia leaves them out on the patio and sashays inside the house.
“Soooo, how did the search go?”
Riley shrugs, “Well, we were shot at and failed to retrieved Alia so offhand, I’d say not so great.”
This rouses Dane out of his stupor, “Shot at? Seriously?”
“Yeah, man. Laser cannons and everything.”
“Holy shit, you guys were shot at? By whom?” Ples Aguilar says, coming in from the kitchen.
Everyone stares at Dahlia who gestures wildly, “What? I’m upset too. I needed friends.”
“I see,” Gemma says. “We can discuss it later.”
Ples frowns, “Now my interest is piqued.”
“It was nothing, just Alia leaving with some grey-skinned woman in a shuttle and thought they’d use us as target practice.”
Dahlia goes completely still and as Gemma watches her closely, there is the faintest glimmer of fear in her emerald eyes. Suspicion confirmed, princess. Thank you for that.
“And we thought we’d take you up on the invitation to join you on Hesperidium.”
“That’s…wonderful.”
“Isn’t it though?”
“I’m going too,” Dane says, clicking the projector off and plunging the room into silence. “I need to get the hell out of here for a while.”
Alka, accompanied by Trichelle, moves unsteadily into the room, “Agreed. Count me in as well.”
“I think a little space would do us all some good,” Ples says. “The Espos were furious when they found out you lied to them about Roman. Thankfully, my father put an end to that. He figures everyone has suffered enough and we know who the real villain is here.”
Gemma and Dahlia’s gaze connect briefly.
“Balthazar Nash won’t get away with this.”
They contemplate the statement for several moments before Trichelle announces that she and Ples would meet them there. Rounding out the group would be Barrett, Quentin, and Quinn. Mixed company doesn't even begin to cover it. Thankfully, they don’t all have to bunk together. Gemma was left codes to the Masterton Penthouse along with the deed to the Bolerathon Tower. She wonders if Dahlia knows she owns her little seaside safe haven. If she did, she would know that Gemma doesn’t have to be invited.
With everyone eager to leave, they pack up and depart for the Core in separate ships.
Gemma slides into a seat next to Riley in his shuttle. He smiles at her, running through the checks and plotting the best course for their journey. She knows Alia is lost to them now. Demaris was right. Whoever the grey-skinned woman is, she is not on their side and capitalized on Alia’s pain at just the right time. Only the Sith do such things for their own advantage and, judging by Dahlia’s reaction, this would not lead to a good place.
As the sky becomes littered with billions of stars and D’ian grows smaller behind them, Gemma can’t help but wonder if they’ve just witnessed the creation of a villain all their own.
-TBC
-
“Alleviate the prisms of mine
Appreciate the wisdom we find
Everyone believes we're behind
We're deviatin', it's deviating.”
-Tora
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dane lowers the weapon and crosses the foyer. There is so much he wants to say but so many emotions course through him that all he can do is crack a smile. His legs feel weak and everything they have experienced is suddenly given a silver lining. He thought he’d lost nearly everything. Now, finally, something is returned. He stumbles forward, holstering the blaster, before throwing his arms around his confidante and protector.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Garron Prescott tenses, confusion spreading across his face as a black cloak is thrown over his memories. They are blotted out, concealed from view and he can only mutter.
“I…don’t know.”
Dane pulls back, nearly as tall as Garron with shoulders just as broad, and frowns, “You don’t know? Gemma said you were taken by the Inquisitor. We thought you were dead, man.”
“Gemma…the Jedi.”
“Well, yeah. Things got crazy on Hesperidium but don’t worry, Gemma and Riley got out. Dahlia is another story but we can talk about that later. Are you okay? You look kind of stunned. Don’t you remember this place? Your home?”
“Yes, my home….”
Dane unclips the commlink from his belt, “I’m calling Doctor Daaé just to be sure.”
“No, I’m fine…just confused. I’m not quite sure how I got here.”
“That's what I'm afraid of. She said you were attacked and taken. They must have done something to you. The doctor will know what to do.”
Across the room, paused in the archway to the foyer, Alka’s eyes narrow tightly. She’d been around Rutherford Gellar’s valet long enough to know something is very wrong. He had always been so casual and confident, a striking contrast to the uptight Kylie Miranda. Together they formed a perfect balance around the children that shattered as they slowly began to understand what being who they are truly meant.
While Dane helps Garron get settled in his room, Alka moves through the kitchen to the console. She keys up flight records coming into D’ian. The exclusive nature of their world meant a restrictive grip on travel. No one in Concordia Township was keen on interlopers. She scans for records within the last few days and sees few but recognizable entries – powerful families returning from their summer holidays, board members escaping the insanity of Etti IV, but nothing that would indicate how Garron Prescott got back here. This furthers her suspicion but those thoughts are derailed by the door chime. She crosses the foyer to find Doctor Dalton Daaé holding his black bag. She steps aside as he enters.
“I’m so glad to know you are both safe. The incident on Hesperidium was…tragic. No word on Princess Dahlia?”
“She was in the tower when it exploded,” Alka says with a distant finality.
He nods as Dane flags him over to examine Garron in the privacy of his room. Alka has mixed feelings about Dahlia’s demise. She knows the Winton was dangerous as evidenced by the outcome but she knows Dane is torn up. They always had a contentious relationship that alternated between snide amusement and utter annoyance but there was love there. They were a family. One more piece is taken from him. Dane grabs an ale from the fridge and hops up onto the counter.
“You looked freaked,” he says. “What’s up?”
“I hate to ruin the mood but there aren’t any records of Garron’s return, at least from what I can see at the spaceport. Something tells me it wasn’t accidental you returned to find him.”
“What are you saying? Someone dumped him here intentionally?”
“Maybe.”
“Like who?”
“The same someone who blew up your families house on Viperii Lake. The same someone who capitalized on Alia’s pain and left D’ian with her. I don’t know, Dane, but I don’t like it.”
“What’s not to like? Garron’s back! This is good news, babe, and we could use a win.”
She frowns, “You don’t think that’s strange? Why now? The media knew they released you on Hesperidium. Everyone knew you were on the way back to D’ian. After what we saw on the resort moon, I’m less inclined to believe in coincidences.”
He hops off the counter and pulls her into his arms, “I don’t disagree. That was some fucked up shit. You were right but I need this right now.”
“I know you do,” she says, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Doctor Daaé emerges to join them for a quick report on Garron. There are no physical injuries that can be observed but the memory loss and defensive response to stimuli indicate post-traumatic stress. Daaé concludes he had been through an ordeal and explains that the mind can repress these events to keep itself safe.
“The best thing you can do is give him time. Give yourselves time as well. I’ll be in touch.”
The doctor departs the Gellar Estate and Alka pulls away, “I should be going too. I still have to face my father, remember? And you need to bolster your courage for the inevitable inquest by the Direx Board. They are going to want to know what happened.”
“Until the Imperial's sort out their story we don't know which version of the lie to tell but I hear you. I’ll be ready.”
She kisses him deeply then steps back, lingering at the door.
“If he was held captive, maybe he knows what happened to Janessa. Or did you forget she risked her life and reputation for you to find Garron?”
He swallows, “I didn’t forget.”
“Good,” she whispers and slips through the door.
Dane falls back against the wall, the weight of everything draining him of energy. He is suddenly exhausted but cannot discount Alka’s warning. She was right about Dahlia but if they’d left sooner, he’s not certain Gemma and Riley would have escaped the fate of the others at the hands of the Inquisitor. The same terrifying figure who took his lifelong protector. His eyes wander toward the door of Garron’s bedroom with a now-familiar sense of dread pulling at the corners of his relief and happiness.
Where had he been and, more importantly, what does he know?”
-TBC
-
“Every time I put the past behind
Somebody comes to press rewind.”
-Manila Killa
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
It’s the worst day ever.
She wants to celebrate but there’s really no point. Not with everything going on right now. There is an inquiry and they are stuck without answers. No script from which to draw a compelling narrative that doesn’t inadvertently cast blame on anyone it shouldn’t. What’s a spoiled orphaned baron to do? For starters, Dane curses the Empire. They had royally screwed them. Barrett gave his word that he would provide direction once he had spoken to the Emperor but, of course, they had instead been left to twist in the wind. Thankfully, he has Alka by his side. She was still reeling from the confrontation with her father who was simultaneously outraged and grateful for her return.
Their eyes meet. They have to sell this.
The Direxs were already riled up by the allegations against Balthazar Nash. It was something the Espos investigated over the summer, concluding there was enough evidence to charge Nash for the murder of Preston Dyre. Not that it mattered. Nash was already gone. The damage to his reputation was done and Finnius Dyre rallied other Direxs to call a vote of no confidence in his position as Viceprex and sanction Palace Arms. It did not make up for Preston’s senseless death but, to the Corporate Sector, reputation was invaluable capital. Balthazar Nash's reputation had been compromised and, as a result, Palace Arms was left flailing.
It also wasn’t enough to stop death from coming for their children yet again.
This time for the only son of the ExO Iver Aguilar and youngest daughter of Auditor-General Vreeken Corinthos. As Prex of the Direx Board, D’Ken Dawning was none too pleased that his daughter was wrapped up in all of this but thankful she was not among the victims. Of course, the Gellar-Masterton’s were all over this latest mess. He had always felt that Rutherford’s long shadow of scandal would grow to darken Dane and Gemma as well. It begs the question of when exactly someone becomes their truest self. Is it the cruel hand of fate, a series of choices that inexorably lead to finality, or do those around them shape them in such a way that they become carefully curated monsters?
Dane collects his fragmented thoughts as best he can. He should have had his trusty muscle and legal mind beside them but that was much too risky. He left Garron back on D’ian with good reason. Alka’s speculation had gotten under his skin but the threat of their impending statement kept him from spiraling on that just yet. She slides her hand into his as they enter the complex, catching the new Imperial advisor, Ambassador Burke Pallus, disappear into the chamber.
No doubt he would be monitoring their performance from the front row to see if they would sell out the Empire at the first opportunity. However, Dane had, for all intents and purposes, lost loved ones as well. Dahlia may be gone but Gemma is safe and sound. The former’s Force meltdown and the latter’s survival cannot be part of the story. That much they know. He could use his own sorrow to mitigate some of the emotional impacts but the Direx Board is more about respect and capital than empathy. Dane knows that even off the cuff, any story will sound hollow if it lacks gravitas. People love a flair of drama, especially when it contains all the trappings of confirmation bias.
They enter the inner chamber and join the other Direxs around the vast circular board table. Irulan Reeves is already waiting for them as a show of support. She smiles as they take their seats. He’d mulled over a reasonable explanation for their activities on Hesperidium but it’s kind of bullshit. Nothing that happened in the confines of the Bolerathon Tower would assuage their fears. If anything, it would only serve to deepen their cynicism. Alka argued that without context they were left to cover details that had not yet been vetted by those with leverage. The power-cell failure is too easy to disprove given the available building data. If they go on record and the Empire files a report counter to their statement it would be bad – for them and for business. As furious as he is, Dane agrees. He needs something that will resonate. The ExO takes his position presiding over the congregating members and calls the meeting to order. A hush falls over the chamber with Aguilar’s face both ashen and stern beneath the lights as he speaks.
“The first order of business involves our Republic liaison, Janessa Kain, who has returned from sabbatical and will resume her duties immediately.”
Murmurs ripple through the chamber. His tone implies this absence was somehow prearranged but Alka distinctly remembers the beginnings of her scream as the transmission cut out. Dane is stunned and when his eyes drift to Burke Pallus he notices the Ambassador seems to be as well. It gives him an idea to explain Garron’s prolonged absence.
“Next, and most critically, we turn our attention to the tragedy on Hesperidium and the impacts on Republic business relations with the Corporate Sector. Months ago, this board found itself demanding answers from one of its own. With four more CSA lives lost and countless credits at stake, it now demands answers from another.”
Maligned reputations and guilt by association are reviled among them. Profits must never suffer, even at the expense of one of their own. Or several, in this case. Their pockets were lined with the blood of their children. The cost of power. Aguilar knows confidence in his leadership rests on the ability to see past his personal grief and make decisions that are best for the voting organizations. Stocks had begun to waver and confidence must be restored.
“Dane Gellar of ChemiX, we are anxious to hear your thoughts on these matters.”
Alka grips his leg beneath the table before he rises but now Dane knows exactly where he is going to take this. Empire be damned. They either get behind it or go to hell.
“I will do my best to recount the events so that it may restore faith and bring a measure of peace. As you are aware, Ples Aguilar, Trichelle Corinthos, Alka Dawning, and Riley Patten were invited to join my sisters and me on the Imperial resort moon of Hesperidium. What you saw on the Holo is how we spent our holiday but as the summer drew to a close, we prepared to go our separate ways.”
He pauses, glancing around the room at the faces glaring shrewdly back at him with rapt attention tinged with suspicion. The Holo portrayed them as young people in a beautiful place and it is the innocuousness of it all that he is driving at. It is not something they did but something that happened to them. Alka is impressed so far, legs crossed and hands folded demurely across her lap. She looks the part she was bred for; beautiful but stoic despite the circumstances. Dane comes across positively commanding but she wonders where he is heading.
“On the morning of the incident, Riley Patten departed for Corellia and the guests of Princess Dahlia, Quentin Swire and Quinn Cavanaugh, for Chandaar. As Ples, Gemma and Princess Dahlia slept, I prepared to take Alka and Trichelle to shop on Iobatese Island when the tower was attacked.”
There is almost an electric snap in the room as the information pulses around the circle. Alka’s ears are flushed and ringing while a faint grimace spreads across Ambassador Pallus’ steely features. Aguilar squares his shoulders and demands answers.
“Attacked? By whom?”
Dane leans forward to place both hands on the table in front of him.
“It was the Chiss.”
The reaction is strong and immediate. Finnius Dyre is practically foaming at the mouth but D’Ken Dawning appears ambivalent. Corinthos closes his eyes and rubs the bridge of his nose as if this was to be expected. Murmurs throughout the chamber grow louder, prompting Iver Aguilar to silence them.
“Please continue.”
He describes an unmarked shuttle, a blue figure with an explosive device, and a glimpse of a Chiss Ascendency sigil emblazoned on the uniform before the tower’s destruction. The resulting explosion caused his shuttle to crash. They barely made it out of the ocean. Lowering his eyes, Dane tells them that his sisters and Ples Aguilar were still in the tower and that they did all they could to save Trichelle.
Aguilar is cold yet inquisitive, “Why would Nash go after you?”
“It wasn’t just me he was after. It was all of us. Everyone who he felt wronged him. This is revenge, pure and simple. Retaliation for our statements against him in the investigation into the murder of Preston Dyre. As he is responsible for Dyre's death, so too is Balthazar Nash responsible for the deaths of Ples Aguilar, Trichelle Corinthos, Gemma Masterton, and Dahlia Winton.”
There are shouts from several Direxs, some in agreement while others cry out in protest. Either way, the statement is damning but Dawning is still skeptical. Amused but skeptical. This is an interesting turn as it is both curious and convenient that Balthazar Nash is not in a position to dispute these allegations. He wonders if the Empire will produce evidence to support it. Aguilar reclaims order over the meeting and directs his attention back to the matter at hand.
“Miss Dawning, do you corroborate this account of events?”
Alka rises slowly beside him, knowing they are too far into this lie now to falter, “I do.”
“Then why not bring this to us the moment you arrived?”
“We were in shock over the loss,” Alka says, voice faltering for a calculated beat. “The ISB cleared us to return but, from what we understand, the investigation is ongoing. We would not be privy to such information as it officially falls under Imperial jurisdiction.”
Dane refrains from smirking at her sly move to back the Empire into a corner. They left them with no choice and now the Empire must back the play. Aguilar turns toward the Imperial liaison.
“Ambassador Pallus, would you care to clarify?"
Poised and prepared for the worst, he stands to address the room.
“The investigation is ongoing but I can confirm an unregistered shuttle did appear in Hesperidium orbit shortly before the incident. Given the context provided by all parties as well as the shuttle’s hypothesized trajectory afterward into the Deep Core and presumably the Unknown Regions, we believe that to be a reasonable conclusion.”
Iver Aguilar draws a sharp and decisive breath, “I see. Thank you, Ambassador Pallus. Does the board have a response to these statements?
“Motion to strip Palace Arms of all voting rights,” Finnius Dyre spits out, practically seething with rage.
“Seconded,” Corinthos echoes darkly.
“Then we vote,” Aguilar says. “May the Direxs let their will be known.”
The motion passes on a voting member majority of 26 to 11.
Aguilar thanks the group for their time and attention before adjourning the meeting and disappearing into the shadows of the chamber. No celebration would ease his grief. Decisive action to preserve their profitability protects a legacy Ples will no longer inherit. Alka takes Dane’s arm as they watch the Direxs disband. D’Ken Dawning is not entirely sold and appears beside his daughter.
“Come, Alka. We have much to discuss.”
Ambassador Burke Pallus apprises them favorably. Perhaps Gellar is more capable than they realized but, by the looks of things, Dawning has some work to do. He knows the Emperor will be pleased. Irulan stands once she and Dane are alone.
“That was very brave,” she says. “You spoke your truth for those who no longer have a voice. I am so sorry about Gemma and Dahlia but I do hope the outcome brings you some small comfort.”
He sighs and begins to walk away, “Me too.”
Irulan calls after him.
“Oh, and Dane? Happy birthday.”
-TBC
-
“It’s right in front of me
No longer a mystery.
I see now.
Feelings surrounding me
And I’ve been slowly finding out.”
-Win & Woo & Kaleena Zanders
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Gellar Estate
Dane has more than enough time and space to think. About everything. The silence and emptiness of the massive estate allow him to process things in ways he had not been previously afforded. The deaths, one literal and the other fabricated, of Dahlia and Gemma weigh heavily on Dane. He drinks and he rages but it does little to stem the helplessness he feels while a suspiciously traumatized Garron lurks about in an unsettling daze.
Alka joined the freshman class at the Oviette Academy in Mondder where she is able to dance out the internal turmoil. She says the creative outlet is therapeutic and helps put things in order. He only wishes he had something like that, a healthy and productive hobby, but instead finds himself pouring over the development proposals Irulan sent over from ChemiX in Rutherford’s study. His study now, he supposes. The projects seem promising but trials are often lengthy and uncertain with a high rate of failure. ChemiX needs something more. Sure, their profits from existing pharmaceutical sales continue to consistently impress but diversification is something he knows his father wanted to explore. Rutherford confided in him on occasion and had spoken about finding the right opportunity. However, those strategic maneuvers were often muddled by that pesky D’Ken Dawning.
Mercifully, Alka had managed to thwart her father’s attempts to dig further into their story despite the fact that it was widely accepted by the Direx Board. Nash’s reputation within the CSA had been effectively destroyed by their lies, not that the bastard didn’t deserve it for what he did to Preston. Roman’s collateral sacrifice and the anguish his son’s death brought him doesn’t seem quite enough for how he had made those that cared about both of them to suffer. D’Ken pried but Alka remained steely and vague yet ever-so-close to the truth. They had little time to escape, everything was a blur and she was dealing with a very unstable Trichelle Corinthos when Dane’s shuttle went down. He seemed to accept that but Dane doesn’t buy it. D’Ken would never trust a Gellar but had nearly lost his daughter. Things might have taken on a different perspective after their statement before the Direx Board sank in. Whatever the case, it only buys them time. It doesn’t solve the problem.
Strangely enough, an invitation arrived for a gala at the Imperial Embassy on Etti IV addressed to both Dane Gellar and Alka Dawning. Either it was a reward for not narc-ing on them or an elaborate trap. Either way, he is curious. From a business strategy perspective, it would be a networking coup. So many of the most powerful and wealthy in one place yet he can’t help but feel like they are keeping their enemies closer. The Empire always has an angle.
Garron is another story entirely. He gives him space as well, trying not to crowd him with questions or force him to remember things he is not ready to. The doctor was pretty insistent on that. Their reunion is tenuous at first as Garron remained uneasy and distant. Dane is just glad to have his friend and protector back. They engage in small routines – breakfast, an ale over a Holo-vised Chin-Bret match, a walk around the grounds – that begin to make things feel a little more normal. As normal as either can feel given the circumstances. The gravity of those missing is almost oppressive, remembering back to a time when the Gellar Estate was alive with rambunctious children and the bustle of daily activity. It all seems like such a very long time ago.
One night in the kitchen, several weeks after the Direx Board meeting, he tells Garron about their encounter with the supernatural on Hesperidium. He tries to replicate Gemma’s intensity as she recited those crazy-ass words but he is sure he is mispronouncing them. They laugh about it when another voice, disembodied and monotone, utters a single word. It is brief but prominent, a word in an unfamiliar language. Dane is not sure where it came from or if he even heard it so he continues on but Garron's demeanor changes so suddenly that he trails off mid-sentence.
“…hey, you okay?”
Garron sets his ale down gently on the island then calmly walks back toward his room, disappearing briefly before returning with a blaster. Dane stiffens, pulling the bottle away from his mouth.
“Dude, what the hell?”
He trains it at Dane with an expression as empty as it was when he found him standing in the living room when they returned.
“Garron? Garron!!”
The first blast takes the top off the bottle which Dane releases as he throws himself backward. The lower half shatters with a spray of glass and foam. He dives for the floor as another few rounds whiz by, hitting the tiles hard. Garron stalks silently around the island undeterred and Dane lunges for one of the sleek stools. He comes into a crouch, pulling the stool toward him, before turning to hurl it at Garron. It lands squarely, causing him to stumble back enough for Dane to tackle him. The blaster spirals across the kitchen floor away from them. He flips Dane over with strength and ease that surprises him, sliding his hands around the boy’s neck. They are fairly evenly matched in size but Garron is operating with more tactical training than the spoiled baron. Dane gasps, clawing at his friend as he attempts to choke the life out of him. The expression of sheer stoic determination is both horrifying and puzzling.
There is no time for theory, only survival. Colorful spots explode across his vision but he manages to angle his leg up enough to create space between them. When he has the leverage, Dane kicks out with everything he has, wrenching Garron backward. His hands slip from Dane's neck long enough for him to breathe and land another kick to the center of his chest, sending him crashing into the other stools. Garron crawls back against the base of the island, surveying the scene in confusion.
"What...did I do?"
Coughing, Dane rolls over and slides up onto his knees, “You attacked me.”
His eyes travel from Dane to the overturned stool to the blaster lying across the kitchen then simply breaks down.
“I…don’t know what happened…to me…”
He crawls to him. It is heartbreaking to see the person who had grounded him his entire life spiral out of control. Dane replays the entire event and comes back to the other voice. The one he wasn’t sure he heard. Nothing else was on at the time; no open com or Holo playing in the background. Garron’s behavior only changed after the word was spoken, marking it as some kind of trigger. The potential development leads him to consider the source – and meaning. He must find out where that voice came from.
“I will help you remember but your absence still must be explained. There will be questions. We could tell them you were on a personal leave but others were already asking questions.”
“What others?”
He rubs his throat, feeling the hot sting of where Garron's hands had been only moments before.
“Janessa, for one. She, uh, wasn’t where you were, was she?”
Garron looks helpless and confused, shaking his head slowly.
“I don’t know.”
“It’s okay,” Dane says, placing a hand carefully on his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay.”
Even he doesn’t believe that and hasn’t for a long time. Nothing has been simple or lacking elements of increasing disturbing danger for some time. The one thing he does know is that Janessa Kain did not go on a “sabbatical," regardless of what ExO Aguilar says. It was more than that even if he didn’t want to admit it then. Dane heard the panic in her voice in that last conversation, the sudden rise in tone that was cut off so abruptly. Something happened to her as well. To both of them. And something tells him it is likely not a coincidence. He is clever enough to know that but frustration at the lack of clarity and ability to act only adds fuel to his directionless rage. Now Garron and Janessa are back and he wants to believe, more than anything, that this is a good thing.
Now he is not so sure.
-TBC
-
“Oh, deeper, oh, deeper than all that you can find there.”
-Biicla
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Imperial Embassy
As anticipated, the party is posh and light on non-humanoids. Their ethnocentricity lingers despite no such exclusion within the CSA. They are open to all, so long as they can generate revenue streams. The scene is a smattering of power players. Some with more than unsavory reputations. All speculation, of course. Alka radiates beside him although she did not want to attend this torturous exercise. It is not like he does but both of their names were on the invitation. Something told him it was more like a command. Across the room, Burke Pallus serves as their begrudging host.
They must play their roles to sell the lie.
Things had gotten very interesting back at the Gellar Estate. Haunted by the incident with Garron, Dane scoured the kitchen looking for the source of the voice that triggered him. Up high, down low. His eyes were either too bleary to spot anything or the device was well hidden. The latter implies intention which creates an internal checklist of everything they had talked about. If it can emit sound, it has likely been receiving it as well. His suspicions turned out to be well placed because when he nicked a handheld digital sweeper from ChemiX he discovered multiple devices throughout the house – tactfully placed. He destroyed every single one, incinerating them in the outdoor fire pit. There are questions he can barely bring himself to ask – how long had they been there and, more importantly, who would put them there in the first place? There are more than enough variables to motivate him into action.
He wonders if Garron had been brainwashed. There was mention of Imperial experimentation in the chronicles of their predecessors. The target may have been Gemma but there would be considerable value in turning someone with access and trust. Even the thought of it fills him with fury. Everything feels like it is spiraling out of control and so he does what he always does – attends a party.
It is the Gellar way.
Dane sways slowly with Alka in his arms. The thought of him on his own with a broken Garron back on D’ian terrifies her. More than a little. Between Alka, Gemma, and their friends – they could usually temper Dane’s worse impulses. Now he is alone, drifting and drinking himself into Maker only knows what. Her father would say she is much safer in Mondder, ensconced in the Oviette Academy to spin endlessly across a brilliantly lit stage. Alka does not necessarily disagree, given all she has worked for and everything they just went through, but Dane is never far from her thoughts. She holds him close and finally, for a moment, relaxes. That is until she catches sight of Janessa Kain – dark hair pulled back, eyes a frightfully deep hue and lips stained purple to compliment the subtle tones of her gown. Alka’s arm tightens around Dane’s neck.
“Choking, babe, and not in the, like, fun way.”
“Janessa is here.”
“Really,” he nuzzles her ear. “We should go over and say hello.”
“Are you serious right now?”
“Do you think she was on some kind of planned excursion?”
“Of course not but I am not sure what scares me more – where she wasn’t or where she really was.”
“That’s what we are going to find out.”
“Oh, you are just going to ask her?”
“Yeah but like, all smooth and stuff.”
They glide across the floor, Alka’s arm outstretched as she twirls into his arms with perfect form right in Janessa’s path. Dane smiles. She seems fine, maybe calmer than usual but the last few times they interacted she was distracted by Garron’s disappearance.
“Good evening, miss Kain. I heard you were back.”
“Lord Gellar, Lady Dawning. Forgive my surprise but I did not think you would have accepted an invitation to such an event. Your social tolerance for the Empire is notoriously low.”
“We are remarkably adaptable,” Alka quips coolly.
Dane shrugs, “Socially, perhaps but this is business.”
“It always is.”
“So it seems. How was the sabbatical?”
She considers this thoughtfully, “Refreshing, as they are designed to be.”
He takes a calculated risk, “That’s what Garron said.”
“Well, he would know. There is something to be said for good company. Shame he isn’t here tonight.”
“I was hoping you would have reached out considering, you know, I sent you to find him.”
The expression on her face does not change but remains an exquisitely painted mask of neutrality. Whatever tell he was hoping for does not materialize in her features.
“I am sure I do not know what you are talking about.”
Ambassador Pallus appears beside them, trying valiantly to adjust his sneer into a passable smile. Warmth seems like an unattainable feat even for such a handsome fellow. Thankfully, no one here minds formality and the Empire is known to be direct, despite efforts to soften their image as of late.
“You three look deep in thought.”
“Do not be so conspiratorial, Ambassador,” Janessa says, taking his arm. “We are merely catching up.”
Dane and Alka stand there with tight smiles that conceal the fact that both of them are internally screaming. Her behavior does not make sense. She was desperate to find Garron, convinced harm had befallen him. She warned him about Vex Sienna but now, here she is, reappearing mysteriously on the arm of the new Imperial liaison. Sienna has never been heard from again. Normally, he would chalk it up to her ever-present angle but the timing and inconsistencies tell him this is something else.
“It has been some time now. Thank you for inviting us, Ambassador.”
“We are honored to have you both. Your performance before the Direx board was impressive.”
“Performance?” Alka bites out. “We nearly died on Hesperidium.”
“Quite right, Lady Dawning. What I meant was that you both handled them expertly and nearly brought this nonsense with Nash to a close.”
Dane arches a brow, “Nearly? I distinctly remember the vote settling the matter.”
“With the board, yes. Not with the company. Palace Arms is floundering.”
“Are you insinuating I make a bid for it?"
“In the spirit of diversification while driving the nail in Balthazar Nash’s proverbial coffin.”
Janessa’s eyes narrow on his face, “Honestly, Ambassador. They murdered several thousand people in their vendetta, including their friends and Dane’s sisters.”
“All the more incentive,” Burke says without so much as a pause. “They are scrambling. Even with interim leadership, there is considerable exposure. ChemiX’s resources and patents could fortify them.”
“A hostile takeover? That would require convincing Irulan and the board.”
“With a price on Nash’s head, I have no doubt the shareholders from both organizations will recognize a better offer when they see one.”
“You seem awfully invested,” Janessa says.
Alka joins in, “Yes, what’s in it for you?”
“The satisfaction of seeing justice served. Think about it.”
“Shall we engage your other guests?”
“If we must,” he says, nodding to Dane as he slips back in with the revelers around him. Alka grips the lapel of his jacket as his mind spins. She frowns.
“You are not actually considering it, are you?”
Dane knows his father wanted to diversify and despite any moral aspects he could justify away, positioning themselves across multiple profitable industries could provide the means to expand further. Fuck Nash. For that matter, fuck Pallus too. He can play his games but Palace Arms would give him control of both Imperial and Republic armaments. At the very least, he must consider it. He pulls the com-link from his jacket pocket, keying up Irulan’s channel.
“Yes, I am.”
-TBC
-
“Rage is a quiet thing
You think that you've tamed it
But it's just lying in wait.”
-Hayley Williams
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Concordia Township: Gellar Estate
Dane is the king of his castle.
Turning eighteen was a bit of an anticlimax but he made it work. Now he spends his days alternating between business and conspiracy. The latest swerve came in the form of Dahlia’s belongings from Chandaar. They had been packed and sent by that smug bastard Quentin Swire. He stares at the boxes for some time, unsure about what to do with them. There are still mixed emotions on her demise and a part of him thinks everything that happened was her fault. She allowed the Empire to court her but he knows it began further back than that. His father made a deal and now he has to navigate those terms in his own way. Dahlia was just a convenient scapegoat.
He settles on chucking the boxes in her room which had been left untouched. Gemma’s too. Dane, on the other hand, moved into the master suite. It was something he had been wanting to do but there was a reluctance that bordered on guilt like he was somehow betraying their memory by assuming his rightful place as Lord of the Gellar Estate. He did not feel the same way about his father’s study which he has occupied since shortly after their deaths. Now, he spends hours there, beneath the steely stares of Gellar’s past, envisioning a plan for his company that will fulfill Rutherford’s vision and innovate their way into a sustainable future. That is the business part.
Conspiracy consumes everything else.
After finding the bugging devices, Dane sweeps the house regularly but has found nothing more. How many juicy bits of gossip had been overheard? His hazy memory knows there have been more than a few choice moments. The explanation requiring the least assumption is usually correct. Therefore, he figures, it must be the Empire keeping tabs on their investment in the most Imperial ways possible. Kind of like the strangeness of Janessa Kain turning up on the arm of Imperial Ambassador Burke Pallus. There is something up with her, likely the same something that is up with Garron. However, it seems to be impacting them in different ways. Janessa appears highly functional with a more threatening presence. Then there is Garron who continues to be an anxious wreck, unpredictably moving between emotional states seemingly at random. It would be annoying if it was not so tragic. Dane has kept his distance while trying to figure out what to do with him. There are no easy answers here.
Doc Daaé says there is nothing wrong with him physically so the damage must be strictly psychological and emotional which, in his mind, is way worse. With an injury, you would know the extent of the damage and odds of recovery. There is no such test for his trauma. To his credit, Garron is trying his best to muddle through it. Admittedly, not even all that well. Dane has a meeting with Irulan to discuss his proposal but he is unsure about what to do with Garron. Lately, he has been leaving him behind but he is not so sure how good that is for his crumbling stability. Perhaps he would ask Garron to join him for the trip to Etti IV. He finds him at the bottom of the grand staircase in quite the state. Garron holds his shaking head in trembling hands. Dane quickens his step and reaches the foyer to kneel down in front of him. It had become something of a ritual, an unnatural role for him to play, but one he feels compelled to continue playing.
“Garron,” he says, perfecting a soothing tone that usually stirs him out of this kind of episode. “Garron, it’s okay. You are at home. You are safe.”
“But I am not,” he murmurs. “We are not.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is nothing there, Dane. Nothing. All I feel is pain when I try to dig into those blank spots in my memory. I do not know where I was or who I was with. Janessa says I was with her but all I can see is grey…
Through clenched teeth and what looks like considerable anguish, Garron continues.
…grey skin.”
This triggers something for Dane, something Gemma said before they all left for that fateful trip to Hesperidium. Gemma and Riley had gone to look for Alia and returned saying they were fired on and that the cantankerous heiress fled in a shuttle with...a grey-skinned woman.
“Holy fucking shit."
His first urge is to reach out to Gemma but that may compromise her cover. She is supposed to be dead, after all, but surely this means something. Could the same person who absconded with Alia have taken Garron and Janessa? He quickly assesses the similarities and differences between them and concludes that after what happened to Roman, Alia would be more likely to go with this person willingly. She was devastated. Well, as devastated as the Chiss get. Who was this woman anyway? What did she want? Was she the one who bugged the estate? He should inform Kaytt as it was a detail he had concealed until now out of fear it would further compromise Gemma. Garron grabs Dane’s arm forcefully, startling him from the thought spiral.
His eyes are wide and a thin streak of blood drips from his nose.
“I think,” he sputters. “I think I was sent here to kill you.”
“I think you might be right.”
“You have to stop me.”
He struggles in his grasp, “What?”
“Dane, please. I beg you. Kill me before I kill you.”
-TBC
-
“We’ve been here before
Like a book I read.
In the hall that leads to the door
My words hang in the air.”
-Bent
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
It had been an uncomfortable trip.
Dane piloted the shuttle in silence while a sullen Garron stared dejectedly through the viewport. He revealed something Dane began to suspect was true, that his most trusted protector had been returned with a far darker purpose. A purpose meant to do him harm. In a way, it was the ultimate fuck-you. They took someone he cared about, turned them against him, and carefully placed him back to watch it all burn. Dane would be more furious if he was not so damn sad. And horny. There is nothing he wants more than to drop a visionary business plan on Irulan’s desk, get Garron some help, and then bang Alka, his classically trained dancer girlfriend, six ways from Sunday.
Preferably in that order.
Dane would punish the Empire and that grey-skinned woman who hurt Garron. He just does not know how yet. Their stake in ChemiX complicates matters which is central to his plan. Janessa is also problematic on many levels. She continues ingratiating herself further into their circles, as is the nature of her role, but the endgame is unclear. If they were indeed taken by the same person and reprogrammed somehow, it is unlikely they would both have the same directive - unless, Dane thinks ominously, one is a failsafe for the other. Maybe they did not trust Garron’s ability to go through with it, even with the push from whatever psychological torture he endured. Perhaps those recording devices were meant to be discovered and Garron sent in only when they learned what they needed to know.
He guides the shuttle down onto the landing pad atop the Gellar Tower and descends the ramp with a listless Garron trailing behind. This meeting is important so Dane stashes Garron in the Gellar Penthouse where he will be safe and heads downstairs. There is a buzz in the air, anticipation around the prospect of change that he finds exciting. He nods to several colleagues on his way to the executive offices, winking at Irulan’s admin, Ximena, as she waves him in.
Irulan Reeves rises from behind her massive obsidian desk wearing a belted V-neck dress in a shade of yellow that would look garish on anyone but her. Her dark hair is pulled back into a series of intertwining twists held together with tactfully placed, embellished clips. Coordinating nicely, Dane approaches in a perfectly tailored black suit with a viridian green shirt and no tie. Classic but not too formal is what Alka had advised, giving off a confident yet creative vibe.
“Good afternoon, Dane. Before we get started, I have some news.”
“Good news, I hope.”
“Extremely,” she says. “Your unexpected gambit has the full attention of Palace Arms. No one has enough shares to force a takeover so that gives them options. From what I understand, their board has heard many pitches but seriously entertained only ours. With investors jumping ship and sales tanking due to a now-toxic association with a disgraced Balthazar Nash, the sustained success of ChemiX and your positive ethos apparently make us a more viable option for them. I have drawn up all the paperwork. It just needs your signature.”
“Fantastic but I hope we did not overpay. Their market value has plummeted.”
“We intend to acquire for a fair price, one that is sure to make it worth their while. As well as ours, of course."
“That brings me to my proposal,” he says, sliding his datapad out and casting to the projector on her desk. “Presently, our eggs are all in one proverbial basket and that poses a problem considering the Empire’s equity in the company. It will also be difficult to acquire Palace Arms without a proper place to put them. My father wanted to diversify and this acquisition provides a unique opportunity to do so.”
She eases down into the chair with a smile, “I am all ears.”
“We rebrand with Gellar Industries becoming the primary holding company. ChemiX and Palace Arms would become pharmaceutical and weapons subsidiaries respectively. It diversifies our holdings, minimizes the risk if one were to go south, and gives us more leverage and control from shareholders with less than honorable intentions. Also, the liquidity of both allows us to pursue additional profitable ventures while maintaining a careful distance as the holding company.”
“I am impressed,” Irulan says, leaning back to scan his figures. “Your father had wanted this, diversifying beneath a central holding company, but I was reluctant to pursue it without your involvement. ChemiX is doing well and, as the entrusted steward of this company, I would prefer you had a hand in shaping your legacy not have it shaped for you. You just needed time.”
“So, you agree?”
“Yes, and I see how this could separate us from certain unscrupulous characters. There is an area of concern that I feel must be addressed.”
“Of course.”
She sighs, rising from the chair and walking around the desk.
“On one hand you have science and on the other technology. Both of those things would now be under a single, corporate umbrella. Do you see where I am going with this?”
Dane nods, “The danger in combining the two.”
"Biological weapons are not something to casually dabble in. There are implications far larger than profits, responsibilities I do not believe you want to shoulder. I can understand the appeal, having both at our disposal, but I would advise against any unethical inklings that may lead us and the galaxy at large into peril.”
“What makes you think I would want even want to explore that option?”
Irulan holds his gaze, “Because I know you know about the legacy gene.”
“I know of it but no one has bothered to fill me in on the details of what is essentially a weaponized version of my biology.”
“And you have every right to be angry about that. Rutherford kept this from you to protect you and Gemma. It’s application, in the wrong hands, has the potential for destruction.”
“More than potential, from what I hear.”
She does not miss a beat, having anticipated this conversation for years.
“The way it works with technology is unique and it was used to create several techno-organic beings, the most lethal of which murdered Valerie Gellar on Corellia. Your father took great care to ensure it would never again be used for such evil. These were lessons he learned the hard way, ways he regretted forever. I do not want that for you. I know he would not want that either.”
“I imagine not but what about Gemma? Does she have it as well?”
“No,” Irulan says. “Only you and, we assume, Riley Patten possess this gene.”
Ugh, Riley. Of course they share something like this.
“You assume? Based on what?”
“Traces found in his mother’s biological sample. It was never enough to do what was done with Valerie's. It is difficult to explain and there are many details I was never privy to but what we know is that, of the original Four, two had elevated midi-chlorian levels and two the legacy gene. It appears that pattern held true with you, Riley, Gemma, and Dahlia. While Gemma and Dahlia are sadly no longer with us, I know Director Veritaas has been diligent about protecting Riley on Corellia and your father implemented security measures here to prevent your biological material from being exploited.”
“You make it sound as if someone tried to.”
“That is because someone did. When you were younger, the lab was breached and your sample was stolen but the countermeasures rendered it useless. There has not been another attempt.”
Dane smirks, “I suppose it is not surprising that a sample of mine resides here.”
“Necessary in the event of illness or injury.”
“I get that. So, the legacy gene interfaces with technology in ways that can create life from nothing. Would that be considered a form of nanotech?”
“Not exactly,” she says. “Nanotech deals in the supramolecular and can be operated externally whereas the legacy gene is hereditary and its interactions with technology are distinctive.”
“Externally. It can be used to control others?”
“Particles introduced into a biological host could bind to areas that would make control possible. Why do you ask?”
“Hear me out, okay?” Dane takes a breath. “I am pretty sure Garron Prescott and Janessa Kain are being controlled.”
Irulan takes this in stride, “What would lead to believe that?”
“Both were missing for some time and now they are behaving...strangely.”
“I thought Garron joined the Republic liaison on sabbatical.”
“That is the story anyway.”
“You do not believe that?”
“No.”
“May I ask why?”
“If I disclose this theory, you will no longer have plausible deniability. Are you sure that is what you want?”
“Dane, you are scaring me. If I can help you, let me.”
He tells her that Garron went missing first, having never made it back to D’ian with Gemma. He sent Janessa to look for him on Chandaar but she vanished as well. When he returned from Hesperidium, Garron was waiting at the Gellar Estate with no memory of where he had been. His personality was different, timid, and cagier, which their physician believed to be an impact of post-traumatic stress. He divulges he has a source in the Republic who told him Janessa also magically reappeared and seemed devoid of empathy. He witnessed this himself interacting with her at the Imperial gala where she appeared cozy with Burke Pallus.
Irulan takes a moment to assess this information before responding.
“I suppose I do not have to tell you how concerning that is. Anything else?”
“Garron attacked me, having been activated by a phrase I did not recognize that originated from two-way listening devices I discovered hidden throughout my residence. I destroyed them and tried to keep him contained but I fear they were both sent back with a purpose.”
Worry begins to crease her delicate features, “What purpose?”
He is not sure she is ready for the grey-skinned, possibly Sith angle just yet. He would wait to see what Kaytt turned up on Chandaar before layering that into the mix.
“Garron thinks he was sent here to kill me. I cannot speculate on Janessa but I do not trust her motives, especially if there is someone else pulling the strings.”
“Rightfully so given her history. I am sorry about Garron as I know how much of a beloved member of your family he has been. Do you have an idea who may be behind this?”
“It has Empire written all over it. They leveraged my father’s freedom for a stake in this company and have been eager to exploit it further. That is why we must acquire Palace Arms and spin-off ChemiX. It gives us power over their supply."
“Understood but why the inquiry about nanotech?” she asks carefully.
“I know the Empire was interested when they acquired equity. I overheard my father say as much which is why I am going to ask you now; did they pursue it?”
Irulan leans on her desk, “The Empire commissioned a nanotech product called Ibellum which was classified as ICS or the Imperial Control Serum. Our understanding of its purpose included eliminating fear responses from soldiers yet it clearly has other applications, including degrees of control over others injected with it. Your father had reservations, as did I, but the situation with his freedom and your safety did not allow for dissent or refusal. What you must understand is that this project came with a high degree of confidentiality but your role now makes all our dealings fully available to you."
Now things make a strange sort of sense. If the Empire could not bend or extort someone to their will then they had a method to ensure compliance. He also remembers something else. Back on Hesperidium, Quinn Kavanaugh displayed feats of strength and strategy that someone of her capacity and status could never possess. Hell, she took on their attacker and single-handedly dragged Quentin from the ocean after their shuttle crashed. Then she remembered none of it. Not the fight or the explosion. Nothing. Just as Garron remembered nothing after he attacked Dane. Was the Empire strategically embedding assets among them? He locks eyes with Irulan's.
“Can we test for it?”
“Of course.”
“Then I say we test Garron, if for no other reason than to rule it out. I do not know what we can do if we find it."
“I do.”
Dane’s mouth falls open, “You do?”
“Full disclosure, in developing Ibellum, Rutherford created a foil to their duplicity, an antidote called Corvais that renders the serum inert and flushes it from the host's system."
Irulan offers a hopeful smile.
“If they are being controlled by Ibellum, we have a cure."
-TBC
-
“You’re swept off of your feet
By superstitious signs
You’re blowing in the wind
Like you don’t trust your own mind.”
-Cold War Kids
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
With a satisfied sigh, Dane holds a trembling Alka against him.
She smiles, curling into the nook of his shoulder. The Gellar Penthouse is quiet once again and he hopes their bedroom antics did not further disturb Garron in one of the guest rooms down the hall. The past few days had been a whirlwind but he had checked nearly everything off his mental list. The exception was getting Garron some serious help but first things first. Irulan presented to the board and they approved his proposal before making an official offer for Palace Arms. They would now become the weapons subsidiary under Gellar Industries.
He feels both proud and vindicated. This is what his father always wanted for the business and it was an extreme pleasure to stick it to Baltazar Nash by stealing his company out from under him. If he dares return to the Sector, he will be apprehended or worse. There are a lot of members of the Direx Board out for his blood. He lost several friends in this ordeal and while the acquisition satiates some of his rage, it will never bring Preston, Roman, Ples, or Trichelle back. Their deaths would weigh on him forever. All he can do now is move forward – grow the business, cherish his relationship with Alka, help Garron, and thwart the Empire’s attempt at gaining leverage over him.
Stepping out of the shower, Alka is beaming as she retrieves her outfit and dresses.
“Someone is in a good mood. Guess I hit the spot.”
“Do not be so smug,” she says. “You are not the only one with good news.”
“Do tell.”
“I was promoted to principal at the company.”
Dane’s face lights up, “Really? That is amazing! I get to tell everyone I am with the prima ballerina.”
“Primas are the female leads,” she quips coolly. “I am the sole principal dancer. There are not any male equivalents at the moment. Or ever, if we are being honest.”
“An even higher honor. I hope there was not too much drama.”
“It is a theater company, Dane. There is always drama. The former principal retired and they had to promote another but I did beat out one with significant tenure and two others with considerable talent making me the youngest in their history.”
He wraps his arms around her, “I am so proud of you. This is what you always wanted.”
“Look at us, becoming who we were meant to be.”
“You had doubts?”
“From a historical perspective of The Four, surviving high school was an anomaly and we barely made if off Hesperidium. Even though we are beating the odds now but, as heirs, you and I will always be targeted.”
“Perhaps but can you, like, deal with that?”
“Only if we play the smart long-game. The Imperial Ambassador pushed you into this deal and I have not once heard you ask why.”
“I know why,” he says. “The Empire is looking to get its hooks into the weapons supply chain. This acquisition allows me to set the terms. While they may have a stake in ChemiX, they have no such claim on Palace Arms or the larger Gellar Industries. If I control the supply of one, I can gain concessions on the other.”
“Are you not worried they will just contract with another dealer?”
“The truce may be hedging their bets but those aligned with the Republic may be less inclined to arm what was an enemy faction only a short time ago. They will deal because they have a vested interest in the outcome, including trying to control me.”
“You and Irulan are already ready for that.”
“Exactly.”
She kisses him deeply before heading for the door.
“Just remember to stay one step ahead. The last thing I want is to wind up another tragic statistic in this sordid tale.”
Dane dresses quickly. She is not wrong. She was not wrong on Hesperidium either but he managed to get them out of that but it came at a price. It always does. He retrieves Garron and heads down to the labs where Irulan is waiting. She secured one for them to conduct testing in private. Dane is determined to get to the bottom of this and figure out what happened to Garron and Janessa and what exactly they are planning. If either was being controlled by Ibellum against their will, they would free them with his father’s anti-serum.
“Are you ready?”
Garron nods, “I just want to be myself again.”
“That is the goal,” Irulan says. “Let us begin.”
She draws a few vials of blood and gets to work running the tests. While they wait for results, Irulan suggests a full body scan to look for any implants. Dane remembers reading about theorized Imperial experimentation. There were references to it in the holo-doc about their predecessors, once in relation to a missing student at North Coruscant High and another about a Hapan Admiral. Neither ended well from what he recalls. He hopes to spare Garron the same fate.
The scan comes back clean. There are no implants but that only rules out one of three theories. Irulan pours over the data but sees nothing in his vitals or scans that would indicate any physical alterations were made. Once the test concludes, she pulls the results. Negative for Ibellum. Garron is not being controlled with the serum. It is possible that the same is true for Janessa.
She asks for a sidebar, “If it is not Ibellum or an implant, what do you think has caused this change in behavior?”
“If this is the work of the Empire, they must have known that anything they devised could potentially be undone by its maker so they may have gone another route.”
“Meaning what?”
“Meaning this may be a form of torture and conditioning…using the Force.”
“I do not suppose you have evidence of such an assertion.”
He smirks, “Call it a hunch now that we ruled the others out. This would be untraceable therefore absolving them of any liability. There are potential Sith in the mix so it tracks for me.”
“Sith? That is quite a speculation but for the sake of argument, to what end?”
“When Garron was trying to remember, he said that he believed he was sent here to kill me. The phrase that triggered him led him to attack me so I have no reason to doubt that. The question is what they would have to gain by eliminating me and what directive Janessa was given if she in fact was subject to the same process?"
Irulan glances quickly at Garron then back at Dane.
“With you gone, the company would be vulnerable.”
“My father’s written directives have it following a chain-of-succession beginning with me then Gemma then Dahlia. The company would still have familial representation and the controlling ownership stake.”
“Not to sound insensitive but what good is a succession plan if the two following you in that chain are dead?”
“Well, one of them is.”
Irulan stiffens, “You mean…”
“Yes. Gemma is alive but must remain hidden. She is our insurance policy in all this. I need you to know that so in the event Garron or others are successful in taking me out, you have recourse against a takeover.”
“Clever,” she whispers. “I do not have to tell you how relieved I am to hear that.”
“I know and I apologize for keeping you in the dark for this long. It had to be done.”
“Understandable. What about Garron?”
Dane considers this, “Could the Force vaccine work? It is well-studied and readily available. Could it be used to disrupt any connection to the host?”
“As you know, the Force vaccine dampens one’s midi-chlorian count to undetectable levels that can prevent someone from finding them through their Force signature. It would not undo any psychological damage he has already endured. If he was tortured, he will need extensive therapy to heal. We have the resources for that. For now, we may be able to sever the location ties with the vaccine and keep Garron secure until we can engineer a workaround.”
He turns to take in the look of defeat on Garron’s face. His closest ally is slipping into insanity, unable to control his actions as he lingers in the uncertainty over what horror he may commit next. That is no way to live. If there was something they could do about it, even if it was a long-shot, they must save him from this hell.
“Do it.”
-TBC
-
“Déjà vu
It’s holding me down
But I’ll come around.”
-Lastlings
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The weeks are filled with business affairs.
Finalizing the acquisition and restructuring the companies beneath the Gellar Industries umbrella means Dane is front-and-center in it all. He and Irulan make the rounds on the CSA circuit. Meetings and interviews quickly consume his calendar with the hot story on the Holo focusing on the rise of the Gellar heir. Through all the tragedy and trauma, he finally takes his place in the world. With the exception of D’Ken Dawning and a few others with proverbial axes to grind with his father, the Direx Board largely welcomes him. The blame for the loss of the Aguilar and Corinthos heirs has landed squarely with Balthazar Nash, thanks to their carefully crafted lies. It leaves Dane and Alka the rising stars of the CSA, the former for his contribution to business and the latter for her contribution to the arts. They are focused on and fawned over, a position he feels more comfortable with over time. Although he puts on a good front publicly, he secretly frets over other matters.
They started Garron on the first round of Force vaccine and got him straight into therapy. It would not be easy or without pain but Dane is willing to try anything that will give Garron back some semblance of normalcy. His concern is coupled with dread over the news of the attack on Kaytt’s firm in the Republic capital. He is grateful that he has Alka’s upcoming performance to distract him, her first as principal. She had been on a grueling rehearsal schedule but he let her do her thing while he tended to business. Although he would not admit it when he was younger, Dane had a deep appreciation for dance. He was not graceful by any means but there was a profound respect for those that are. Something about the movements mesmerized him. Dane could watch Alka dance all night and so he gladly throws on a black Nurha’chi tux and heads out.
The Dream Emporium in the Mondder Spaceport is in full spectacle mode. The debut of the ballet The Shaded Solstice has apparently garnered quite a bit of attention. Anyone who is anyone in the Sector is here, mugging for the cams and mingling with other power players of industry. By now, Dane is used to the attention as he slips out of the hoverlimo and onto the crimson carpet leading up the steps to the performance hall. He nails all the poses Dahlia drilled into him over years then enters to find his seat. He spots Ambassador Burke Pallus across the grand foyer who makes eye contact and nods. He is not in the mood for all that tonight so he angles up the stairs. As an exclusive guest of the principal dancer, he settles into a cozy private balcony with a perfect view of the stage.
As the lights dim, he finds himself holding his breath. Alka is amazing from the moment she appears but it is her solo near the end of the third act that leaves the audience flattened with awe. She begins the dance in a white bodice with a small fringe skirt but, as she brings herself up into a relever and glissers across the stage, she begins a dizzying series of tourners that somehow turns the white outfit an ash grey that becomes black by the time she is just beneath him. She dips forward into a deep plier followed by a held étendre that sets in motion a series of masterful sauters that leave him stunned. When the curtain falls, the theater erupts in applause and he leaps to his feet, enthralled by it all. She has wanted this since they were kids and he has never been prouder or more in love with her than he is now.
Any erotic celebrations, however, would have to wait as Alka would be basking in the glow of her victory and rightful place in the dance world. He has arranged for a bouquet of rare flowers and a congratulatory note for her to find in her dressing room. This was her night and he was not going to spoil it with his urges or drama. Dane descends the steps of the performance hall and falls in with those exiting the Dream Emporium. As he approaches the hoverlimo, he finds someone leaning against it looking about as angry as he expected.
Kier Kincaid inhales sharply when he sees him, crossing sculpted arms across a broad chest.
“We need to talk.”
“I figured we might. Get in.”
Once inside and well on the way back to the Gellar Penthouse, Dane turns to him.
“What took you so long? I anticipated this confrontation months ago.”
“I did not want to do anything I would regret.”
“Smart,” he says, sighing. “This conversation may be better had over a few ales. What do you say?”
“I say that sounds like a plan.”
The Gellar Penthouse is quiet when they enter. Dane directs Kier to the kitchen while he checks on Garron who is asleep in his room. He hopes the treatments have brought him the beginnings of some peace. Back in the kitchen, he withdraws two ales and hands one to Kier.
“I suppose a toast would be inappropriate.”
“You could say that.”
“I get it,” he says. “You hold a grudge about Trichelle so you can say what you have to say.”
Kier grips the bottle tightly, “I have a lot of feelings about it. Even though we were not together anymore, I still cared about her. I told her not to go but she would not hear it. That place is wild. Bad shit happens in the Bolerathon Tower and I had this crazy feeling like I would never see her again. I did not expect to be right."
“You are not alone in your anger. Her sister will never forgive me, not that I can fault her for that. Or you, for that matter. There are many people who blame me for her death but you must know we did everything we could, man. I tried to get her out but it all happened so fast. The crash was…brutal. We almost drown in that shuttle. I do not know what else to say other than I am sorry.”
“I know,” Kier says after a long swig. “It was not you that I was really worried about. Dahlia and I spoke when she visited campus which led me to believe she may try to hurt Trichelle out of spite.”
“They seemed fine to me. This was not Dahlia's fault.
Actually, Trichelle was cozying up to Ples but that is not a detail that will benefit Kier at this point. He hears himself tell the lie and it lands like gospel truth. It was Dahlia, typically, of course, but few people know that. The lie is predicated on blaming a sole and familiar villain. For his part, Kier knows he may not have survived either if he had joined them. He seems lost since his glory days at Valor Prep, the shine of the being the golden boy tarnished by the reality of the Corporate Sector’s ruthless expectations. His face softens as he realizes why.
“I guess I am struggling to move on, find my place after the people I grew up with are now just…gone. Dahlia, Ples, and Trichelle are dead. No one has seen or heard from Tobias or Muriel since graduation. Then there is me. I survived but, like, so what? You know?”
“I know.”
“Right, sorry. You have lost more than most.”
“Actually, it is remarkable I function at all,” Dane says wryly.
“How do you do it?”
He pulls from the bottle, reflecting on Alka, Garron, and the business. It gives him an idea that could benefit both of them. Kaytt Corinthos may have survived the attack, just barely if the Holo is any indication, but there is no way she can stay in the game. She has been stirring up trouble long before Dane offered to help stick it to two galactic powers. There are more ways to Janessa than through Kaytt.
“A purpose helps. You just need to find yours.”
“Oh yeah, where?”
“In an organization that values your talents as well as your history in the Sector. You are in marketing at university, something your family is known and respected for. What if you could gain experience alongside your education and position yourself to take this place by the balls when you graduate?”
“How? Working for you?”
Sales and marketing are the family business for the Kincaid’s, not all of it on the up-and-up according to some of the whispers. Kier is dense, yes, but hard-working and amenable to a shifting moral ground that operates on a level he does not comprehend enough to capitalize on. Most of the staff at Palace Arms had been expunged or self-ejected out of deluded solidarity with Nash. It is just as well since Dane could not trust them anyway. He needs a square jaw and wandering eye to sell it, someone even an allegedly programed Imperial plant could not resist.
“Think of it as a new purpose with potentially significant returns for you.”
“What would you want me to market and sell?”
Dane leans back on the counter, “Weapons.”
“Playing on base fears and tribe mentality is easier than you think.”
“Which is why I think you would be great at it. Palace Arms could use your expertise with a particularly tricky account. Those overseeing it are some of the best and there is a lot of experience to be gained.”
“Sounds interesting. What account?”
“The Republic account.”
-TBC
-
“Light lit, no cap, heart spilled all over the floor mat
Tongue out, I don’t know how to hold that
Nowadays I don’t really want to hold back.”
-PawPaw Rod
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Terror comes when he is in the throes of a fitful slumber.
Garron is bound in a dark room, strung up against a stone wall. He does not remember how he got there or how long it has been. The grey woman claims she wants to be his friend and urges him to trust her. To confide, confess. He resists which only causes more pain and he can only steel himself against it for so long. He is not a Jedi or an HRD. He hopes his body gives out before his mind. That is when she appears, coming in the night after the torturous searing heat of the lightning subsides. He knows it cannot be real but a part of him wants to believe it. Kylie Miranda kneels beside him, stroking the side of his dirty face and telling him everything will be okay. She talks of Celeste and Rutherford, conjuring pleasant memories that turn to ash in the stark reality of it all.
“You let us die,” she says as the edges of her mouth come apart to reveal a horrifying row of jagged teeth. “And in order for the galaxy to truly be safe, Dane Gellar must die as well.”
*
Dane readies himself for the relaunch party for Gellar Industries. He has grown quite adept at styling himself these days, pairing monochromatic suits with striking shirts in a complementary palette. Muted blues and greens seem to work best. He pads around the living room of the Gellar Penthouse barefoot, enjoying a pre-game ale, when an incoming transmission disrupts the quiet. He moves to the console and taps on the display which causes a ghostly blue hologram of Gemma to materialize in front of him.
“Not exactly covert, Gem. You are supposed to be dead.”
“This is one of the most secure channels we have and it is important. Hey, you look nice.”
“Thank you,” he says, tugging on the lapel of his jacket. “Party tonight for our rebrand.”
“I saw. Congratulations, dad would be so proud. How is Garron?”
“Not great, unfortunately. He tried to off me and continues a downward depressive spiral from the trauma he suffered. Testing revealed he is not being controlled through the nano-serum but it does not rule out psychological torture through the Force so we started him on a round of Force vaccine to sever the ties and keep him hidden. He sleeps a lot and I am worried but not much we can do until we figure out why he was sent here. Something tells me it was not just to kill me.”
Gemma frowns deeply, “I am so sorry to hear that but I am grateful you are unharmed. If he tried to kill you, he may be operating on a directive that would further the prophecy.”
“As much as I do not want to believe that, you may be right. What little Garron can remember is telling as he spoke of a grey-skinned woman. Ring any bells?”
“No…”
“I know, right? Sinister to the max. We also have another problem in the form of Janessa Kain. Shit has gone south in the Republic in more ways than one and my contact is no longer viable to continue pursuing the case. Currently working another angle but hoping for no other surprises so I can get to the truth of where they were and what they actually want.”
She makes a face, “Well…”
“Oh boy. What is it?”
“For starters, Dahlia is alive.”
He does not even blink and instead moves a finger around his head, “See this face? This is my not surprised face. But if she survived, can the same be said about our attacker?”
“Probably.”
“Wonderful. You need to watch yourself, Gemma. If that thing was sent to kill us then it is unlikely to stop until it succeeds.”
“Us being the operative word. What about you?”
“I have tons of protection here. Less so back on D’ian but success waits for no one.”
“You are taking this better than I did. I believe the Sith are behind this and they must have something to gain from the prophecy being fulfilled which brings me to my next point.”
He takes a swig from the bottle, “Why do I get the feeling it is a doozy?”
Gemma outlines her theory, complete with the loop, ties to the Voss-Ra, and outlandish plan to thwart the prophecy through their own orchestrated demise. To his credit, Dane takes it in stride, considering the implications and possibilities of these actions. He does not even call her out on getting information from the Force ghost of her sister considering phantom-Valerie led him on his own adventure to self-discovery years ago. An adventure that brought him full circle as the head of the newly minted Gellar Industries and keeper of the legacy gene. Instead, he settles on practicality and compartmentalization, a trait inherent to the Gellar’s.
“Holy shit, Gemma. Okay. Although I can certainly explore that option with Irulan, I would prefer to focus on taking out the Voss-Ra and, like, not dying. I have things to do, you know. However, there are certain variables that may jeopardize your contingency. Cloning in and of itself is not new. The data on my genetics and its applications are a different story unless they are buried somewhere in these labs. Knowing our father, that is entirely possible. Irulan seemed hesitant to discuss it and got cagey when I pressed for acceptable uses. Clearly, she knows something. There is also the question of our memories. Even if we mapped them, there may be a significant gap between that point and the possible activation of our hypothetical second-selves. Those blanks could be difficult to reconcile if this all falls apart.”
“Understood. Is there a way to map our memories remotely?”
“Ill-advised,” he says, falling into a chair to pull on a pair of black socks. “From what I understand, it is better to have them on secure hardware. That is if you even have the right equipment to perform that kind of procedure. Where are you anyway?”
“Best not to say.”
“Let me rephrase. Will you be in a location that has advanced tech?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Check out your options and let me know. If you did manage to pull this off, how would I get them?”
She smiles, “I will send someone. With Garron compromised, you may have protection but I would feel a hell of a lot better with a dedicated and trusted protector watching over you.”
“A protector with a deadly light sword and self-righteous inclinations?”
“Bingo, brother. Last thing…”
“There is more? Glad you are staying busy in purgatory.”
“Plotting to stop a galactic threat does help pass the time. Given your recent acquisition, we have come into possession of something that could help us. If I gave you the specs of a weapon, how long would it take to reproduce and manufacture it on a larger scale?”
“It would depend on what it is.”
“Say, a superlaser.”
“Wow, you are dabbling in mass destruction now? Does that not violate some bullshit Jedi code or something?”
“We no longer share the same vision of justice and self-preservation.”
“That is new. Look at you going rogue.”
“Much to their chagrin. They are not fond of independent thinking. Besides, they abandoned us, Dane. We have been on our own for a long time. Too long. The Republic is crumbling and the Empire is waiting in the wings to seize on this opportunity. The fate of The Four depends on us. Dahlia is a Sith and as they are behind this plot to see us perish and put her on the throne I will do everything in my power to stop it. The prophecy must end.”
“I hear you. I do not want to be trapped in this cycle any more than you do but it sounds like there are forces far greater than we realize at work here. Who is to say they have not already thought of these counter moves? What if we are just spinning our wheels and everything that happens is meant to happen?”
“That is deeply disturbing but I have hope. Our predecessors did not realize their situation until it was too late. Those that came before them probably never knew anything at all. It is up to us. I pray that we have enough information and foresight to prevent the cycle from starting again. I love you, Dane.”
“I know,” he says, standing and stepping into polished loafers. “I love you too. Be fucking careful, okay?”
“I will. You too."
The hologram fades and Dane sighs, finishing the bottle of ale. It is a lot to digest and quite the divergence from the sister he once knew. The Four survived. Again. Gemma was right about the loop and they are once again playing a game their parents tried desperately to keep them away from. Her plan may be bold and more than a little insane but not more insane than their actual lives. He applauds her newfound willingness to break the rules when others have refused to play by them all along. If this was all rigged in Winton's favor then they are going to have to resort to drastic moves. Dane is more concerned about broaching the subject with Irulan and glances at himself in the mirror. At least he looks damn good.
Alka would be arriving momentarily so he cracks open another bottle and waits.
*
The party itself is fairly typical; a slate of questionable allies intermingling before the announcement followed by a champagne toast. Irulan is cordial and a consummate professional, keeping others at a careful distance. Alka radiates and commands attention wherever she goes, mercifully redirecting conversations she knows they just as soon avoid. Ambassador Pallus makes an appearance but wisely avoids engaging him. The venture that kicked off the corporate restructuring may have been his suggestion but he also thinks he has Dane under his thumb. The stupid rich Baron with a company to throw around. The Empire may have shares in the ChemiX but he will not let them get their hands on Gellar Industries. They are just as implicated in the lie as he is and this whole thing unravels with the mere suggestion that there was Imperial involvement in the deaths of two of the most prominent Corporate Sector heirs.
Kier leaves for the Republic in the morning and he would feel bad for sending him into an extremely volatile and potentially dangerous situation but the guy needs a purpose. There is only a little guilt over the fact that all Kier’s friends are dead or missing and he is in the midst of an existential crisis. Better to channel that energy into a project that can help them. In Dane’s devious little mind, the ends almost always justify the means.
As the evening winds down, Alka dances with him to the music of a classic four-piece band. It was Irulan's idea to class up the event and a good one at that. For a moment, everything is just as it should be. They have each other and endless possibilities in their respective careers. He is riding high but has enough sense to remember that, in the previous loop, Gellar was the first to die. Gruesomely and publicly. Perhaps Gemma’s offer of protection is not such a bad idea after all although the thought of a Jedi hovering around judging his every move is super cringe. Alka’s lips brush his ear.
“Take me upstairs.”
He smiles and guides her back toward the lift, waving at Irulan as they pass. They make out fiercely on the way up, his hand sliding into the slit of her dress. She playfully squeezes the bulge in his pants as she steps out and heads toward the penthouse door. Dane is rearing to go but follows slowly, admiring the way she leans seductively against the frame. Anticipation is everything. Inside, he takes her hand and leads her toward the bedroom but the pale beams through the skylights reveal droplets of dark liquid in an uneven pattern leading toward the kitchen. He hits the lights and sees that is a trail of blood, some of it larger and deeper than it probably should be. Alka stays behind him as he creeps forward, rounding the island to find Garron on his knees staring at the floor.
There is a large blade beside him, stained crimson, and both wrists are slashed open vertically. The pool of blood around him is unnervingly dark and growing as he raises his head slowly until their eyes meet. The look of desperation is crushing.
“I am sorry but I…I do not think that I can do it…”
He slumps forward, hitting the tile with a wet slap. Dane is frozen in place, staring at Garron bleeding out in front of him as Alka claws his sleeve to shreds and screams.
-TBC
-
Let's go paint the town
On our way home
The blinking lights
Are breaking bones
Cast all your spells
And then you have
That good old fashion razzmatazz."
-I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Given the nature and severity of the situation, Dane has Garron committed to the private ChemiX medical wing under close psychological observation. The reality is heavy. He almost lost him. If he and Alka had arrived minutes later, they may be mourning him now instead of watching his vitals. He may look peaceful now but Dane knows that is not true. Whatever Garron is fighting against mentally, it drove him to attempt suicide. Drastic measures. Still, Dane cannot get those words out of his head. Not sure he could do what? Kill him? Garron already attacked him once but it has become frighteningly clear a traditional path will not solve the problem. The hold on him is too strong. If this is not medical, it could be mystical. There may be something to Gemma’s offer as sending a Jedi his way could help to unravel this mystery and free Garron from the anguish and suffering.
Gemma’s overarching agenda and ask, however, could pose a problem as he would first have to get past Irulan.
There are far too many nuances and variables to circumvent her entirely. Despite what he told Gemma, Dane is unable to execute something this technologically insane on his own. They would need Irulan’s access and authorization. Dane calls a meeting and engages her in Gemma’s plight as well as the planned solution. Initially, she rejects it outright, predictably claiming the whole thing unethical and grotesque but he urges her to keep an open mind. After he explains what is at stake here – a powerful, dark force determined to end them either way – she softens.
But only slightly.
“A loop theory, Force ghosts, the Sith? Surely you must realize how this sounds.”
He shrugs, “I am sure my father thought the same when he was first presented with the prophecy. Look how that turned out.”
“Mistakes were made.”
“Mistakes? He sacrificed Valerie to stay in power, Irulan. That is more than a minor character flaw. I am not blaming him for a terrible choice made under what I am sure was considerable duress but you cannot tell me that choice did not ultimately lead to the final outcome. The Four were killed along with almost everyone else who helped them. Gemma believes this ancient sect, the Voss-Ra, has been influencing these cycles for ages in order to secure a Winton victory – a victory that can only be ensured with the deaths of Masterton, Patten, and Gellar. Given all that has happened to us, I am inclined to agree. We cannot let that happen. I will not let that happen.”
Irulan stiffens, eyes drifting through the window to Garron lying unconscious in the hospital bed.
“You said the Jedi were going after the Voss-Ra to stop them.”
He recalls something Valerie’s snarky ghost once told him shortly after dropping the bomb about his father’s numerous misdeeds.
The blood that flowed through my veins also runs through yours
He did not need the Force when he had genetics.
“As much as I trust my wily sister and her annoyingly earnest boyfriend, there is no guarantee they will succeed. She is right that there has to be a contingency and we actually have the resources to make it happen.”
The ChemiX labs have all the tech they would need and the legacy gene gives them the ability to create life from nothing. It is an ability the others lack, have always lacked. Perhaps this is what Valerie was trying to tell him all along. Was his purpose to save them all from the prophecy through his genetic loophole? He could be the hero of this cycle, rising from the proverbial ashes with Gemma and Riley to destroy the Voss-Ra’s plan. Dane quite likes that idea, especially if it breaks Dahlia’s entitled stride. She is not as clever as she fancies herself to be.
Irulan, on the other hand, is on a more linear thought process, “What about Garron?”
“I think he is a tool in the conspiracy to fulfill the prophecy just like Janessa. They seem to have been reprogrammed with specific objectives. Garron’s is pretty clear but I am working on uncovering Janessa’s.”
“Tell me you did not send that poor boy into the Republic to find out.”
“Kier can handle himself and it is worth the risk. Over four thousand people died in the Bolerathon Tower. The Voss-Ra is clearly not fucking around, Irulan.”
“Why? Why them and why now?”
“To force the desired outcome? They are playing the long game. It is the same as any hostile takeover – go to the source and convince them to replace one master with another. It seems like a choice when the alternative is to chip away until it becomes the only option. According to Gemma, they have been chipping away for generations but there are variables that may also influence the outcome. Others that can shift the balance out of their favor.”
“If Dahlia really is alive then…”
“Why not just kill her instead of going to these lengths?”
“I am ashamed to even think it but yes. Taking her out of the equation would be a much more direct path to your goal.”
“True but Gemma believes that eliminating Dahlia would only restart the cycle and any offspring we have would face the same shit. So, we attack the problem from two different angles; stopping the Voss-Ra or circumventing the prophecy by making them believe they won. Personally, I prefer the former but better to plan for anything.”
Irulan holds his gaze, “And what do you believe, Dane? You are taking an awful lot on faith here and asking me to do the same.”
It is a fair question; one he spent a lot of time avoiding. He did not understand his place in all this and thought their predecessor’s fates played out as a direct result of a zealous man. Turns out, that was only partially true. The Voss-Ra used Winton to try and fulfill the prophecy and they very nearly succeeded. They had used all of their parents in some way and he does not want to wind up perpetuating these events for another go-round. Gemma may be going to extreme’s but they either give it all they have or doom themselves and others to repeat it. On that, they are entirely aligned.
Fuck that noise.
“My father believed it enough to lose his wife and daughter thinking it would elevate Valerie to greatness. Instead, she was intentionally put in harm's way for something that was never really true to begin with. The real kicker in all this. The prophecy was never a Gellar’s to win.
Sucks for us? I do not think so. I may be a lot of things but I am no dupe. If we want our freedom from this, we are going to have to take it and I need your help.”
It is as certain of something as he has ever felt. She lets several moments pass before speaking again.
“You feel this is the only way to avail yourself of the prophecy and save your family?”
“I do.”
She nods, “Then there is something you must see.”
Irulan leads him back to her office, the one that once belonged to Rutherford Gellar, and then closes and locks the door behind them. He is intrigued but also terrified. Irulan Reeves has never been what most would call forthcoming and kept her cards close to the chest. This endeared her to Rutherford and made her someone both feared and respected within the Corporate Sector. She rounds her massive desk and touches the center of the milky stone slab accent. Dull red lights fade from the contact points of her fingertips. He is only mildly surprised to see a rectangular section in the center of the slab cave inward and slide open to reveal a small lift. She opens it using a biometric pad and steps inside, waiting as he reluctantly follows.
“Where does this lead?”
“Your father had many secrets, Dane. A must in his line of work. In the Corporate Sector. To win you must cover every angle, however grim or unlikely. Aside from myself, and now you, there is only one other person who knows about this.”
“About what?”
The lift descends all the way down the Gellar Tower and below the surface, opening into a wide access tunnel which she begins to move through slowly. At the end of the corridor, she opens two sets of doors that reveal a sterile lab. As the lights flicker on across the room in sections, something curious catches his attention – four cylindrical tanks illuminated by a ring of blue light around the top. They are empty, thankfully, but no less sinister.
“This.”
“Are those…?”
“Cloning tanks? Yes.”
Dane’s jaw tightens, “You said my father was against these things given what happened on Corellia. You called it grotesque, unethical, and dangerous. Now you are telling me those were lies as well?"
“No,” she says, unphased by his outburst. “He believed the same until…”
“Until what?”
“Until you were all kidnapped. Rutherford was beside himself with worry and had these chambers constructed out of desperation that he may lose you. He confided in me because he knew Celeste would never agree or understand, not after what happened to Valerie. To all of them. The legacy gene held the power of immortality and that kind of power corrupts, as the galaxy both witnessed and endured. He stored your genetic material for many reasons but there was always the possibility lurking in his mind that you would be taken from him. This was his way of ensuring he could bring you back. Mercifully, he never had to use them. You were returned safely shortly after their completion and they have lain dormant ever since.”
“Why not destroy them?”
Irulan turns to him, “For exactly the same reason you are asking this of me now. Somehow, he knew this was not over. Would never be over. I had hoped he was wrong, that everything he felt and did around the legacy gene was out of a guilt he could never let go of. Based on what you have told me, what I have seen throughout the galaxy, it is I who was wrong. So, I will help you.”
He steps forward to place a hand on one of the tanks.
“This…can recreate us?”
“Traditional cloning would produce a duplicate that lacked any of your personality or memories. Looking the same is not being the same. Even with the most advanced imprinting, the results are unstable and often lead to insanity. A technorganic clone, using the legacy gene, would be capable of handling and processing the memory flash although you would essentially be only part human. To the best of my knowledge, this process has never been attempted or tested and there is no telling what the end result would be.”
“But it is possible?”
“Yes,” she says, quietly horrified. “It is possible.”
“Can you do it?”
“I am afraid I have neither the experience nor skills for such an undertaking but I do know someone who does, someone your father trusted implicitly. Someone who helped create Corvais, the antidote to the Imperial-ordered nano-serum, Ibellum. Doctor Maumbile is a master geneticist who studied with the Lurian’s and assisted your father in this secret endeavor.”
“Perfect.”
“Not so fast. Doctor Maumbile must agree and you will need Gemma and Riley’s flash memory.”
"And I will soon have them,” he says, staring at the eerie blue glow of the tank. “We begin with me.”
-TBC
-
“In a way, it's all a matter of time
I will not worry for you, you’ll be just fine
Take my thoughts with you and when you look behind
You will surely see a face that you recognize.”
-Olive
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Dane goes about business as usual - at least on the surface. His mind turns over the many angles of the path forward. There are no easy choices with risks piling up all over the place. Calculated risks, his father used to say. The pain would be worth it for the right results and freeing themselves from the shackles of this dreaded prophecy business seems well worth any suffering. Hell, they have suffered quite a bit already and they may actually have to die for this shit. Even that will be worth it to beat Dahlia at her own game and stick it to those damned Imperial bastards. He is driven by a smug sense of spite that would not only avenge them but Rutherford, Valerie, Blair, and any other Gellar caught in a game rigged by zealots that cost their family dearly. He hopes Gemma and Riley are able to destroy the Voss-Ra and burn every damn thing they believe to the ground. However, the thought serves as cold comfort to the other pressing matters at hand.
With Garron committed, he finds solace in the fact that he cannot harm himself or others. Unless the Jedi can conjure up a cure then he fears his lifelong protector would be doomed to this agony and torment. When he visits, Garron is withdrawn and riddled with guilt. He admits to a deep compulsion he cannot explain, one that is triggered by Dane’s presence. There is a need to end him and fighting it brings about waves of depression and hopelessness. The doctors are working with him on memory recovery but whoever did this inflicted immeasurable and lasting cognitive damage. He only remembers snippets through the pain, the gray-skinned woman an enigmatic but dominant presence but that recall lacks any context or motive. He does not know who she is or what she wants, aside from Dane Gellar dead. Given what Gemma has shared about the loop and his knowledge of their familial history (courtesy of Valerie’s snarky spirit), he deduces this has the prophecy written all over it. Garron must have been sent to finish off the second act by taking out the Gellar and put the remaining members of The Four on high alert.
The bloodshed that followed in the last cycle was nothing short of profound.
The contingency, fueled by Irulan’s revelations, still has a way to go. She reached out to Doctor Maumbile on his behalf who agreed to return to the CSA and meet with Dane. In the interim, there is another issue he must address. Something he has been dreading but knows he has to confront. He sets the stage, looking dapper in a fitted blazer and slacks, for Alka's arrival at his residence atop the Gellar Tower. She slips out of her coat to reveal a short, gauzy wrap dress in muted mauve that accentuates the nuances of her bronzed skin tone. He kisses her but her eyes drift uneasily toward the kitchen.
“This is the first time I have been back here since…you know.”
“Weird, right?”
“Knowing that Garron’s blood still stains your floor? Yes. Of course, it is. I am glad you are getting him the help he needs but it is still something I will not be able to get out of my mind for a long time.”
“Guess you’re not hungry then.”
“Are you kidding?” she says with an exasperated laugh, breezing past him. “I danced my ass off today. I’m starving.”
Dane catered in, something decadent and befitting the heaviness of what he must disclose. He stares at her across the table. She is so beautiful and he wonders if he has always been in love with her. They clashed as children but there was something there. He cannot imagine life without her after everything that has happened but it is a selfish desire. He realized that after facing the full gravity of what he felt he had been called to do. Staring at those tanks really crystalized it for him. His part in all of this. Despite the Gellar’s ruthless and tarty reputation, Dane actually wants to settle down. He wants to have a life, career, and family that is raised on D’ian the same way he was. A new generation full of possibilities. He spent much of his life up to this point bitter about Dahlia’s and Gemma’s connection to the Force and the incredible power that came with it. Now he knows the legacy gene is his power. The power to circumvent the prophecy through the failsafe built into his genes.
It is a choice he can make for himself but he cannot make it for her.
“I have to tell you something.”
"In an ominous tone, no less. This better not break my heart.”
“It might.”
And he tells her. Everything. Gemma’s theory, Dahlia’s survival, confirmation of the loop, the link between the prophecy and the Voss-Ra, and the insane plan to stop it all through their deaths and resurrections using a similar material and process that created a genocidal, sentient monster. The look of horror that causes her features to crease is deeply troubling enough but they merge seamlessly into fury. She wants to know how he can even think this plan could work, rising from the chair with the same intensity as her voice. She raises valid points but he must be prepared to do what is necessary. If they are unable to stop the Voss-Ra and he must die for the prophecy, it would destroy any chance they have with one another.
“If we want the same things then why are you doing this?"
He stares up at her, “Because I will not damn you and our future to be prey for the prophecy.”
“Gemma and Riley can stop this and when they do, we can be free. Free to do whatever, be whoever we want to be. Here. Together.”
It sounds lovely. Perfect, even. But he knows it is part of the lie they have been telling themselves since they returned to the Corporate Sector from Hesperidium. His father knew it when he refused to destroy the tanks and kept their genetic samples on hand. They knew it after Preston exploded, Roman committed suicide, Ples was cut in half, and Trichelle coded in a hospital. This is not over. Dane is a player in this game which makes Alka a target just like everyone else that was sacrificed for the ones who came before.
“There are no guarantees, Alka. We both know that. I did not want to believe it either but the prophecy looms over everything we do. Gemma is right, it will never end unless we end it. One way or the other.”
“And you would risk losing me to do it?”
The question hangs in the air like a bladed threat, full of both hope and dread.
“Yes.”
She shudders visibly, bringing a hand to her lips. He cannot tell if she is going to cry or scream. Instead, she glares at him as a tear slides slowly down a flushed cheek. Swallowing what feels like a myriad of mounting obscenities, Alka leans down to kiss him. It is deep with lips that tremble beneath the weight of what they feel. When she breaks she lingers.
“Fuck you, Gellar.”
Then she is gone.
-TBC
-
“A stone in the sea
Is swallowing me
Drifting into the ground
An incoming tide
So fierce you can’t hide
Takes you until you drown.”
-Wavves
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Dane Gellar is still grouchy over his breakup with Alka.
Yeah, yeah, he pulled the trigger for what feels like all the right reasons but it still hurts. They had been through a lot together, more so than most couples with a lifetime of adventures. That is unfortunately not necessarily a good thing. Perks of prophecy popularity, he muses bitterly. In typical fashion, the press was quick to notice their presence in high profile places without the other but, before speculation could run rampant, their respective publicists released a brief statement. It confirmed their separation but continued mutual love and respect which is true, at least on his part. Alka, on the other hand, hates his guts right now and that's fair.
He’s the asshole and it is a part he is willing to play. It sucks and he misses her but he would miss her more if she was dead. As selfish and self-destructive as he can be, he loves her too much for that. Dane needs to steer the narrative back to his day-to-day business dealings while plotting for their contingency behind the scenes. Not hard when Irulan has laid the groundwork for an impressive rise to prominence in his father’s long and dubious shadow. She kept Rutherford’s secrets and the organization moving forward while Dane dicked around in denial and grief. He owes Irulan everything for that so, while his name may be on the building and digital letterhead, it is her company.
Dane just works here.
After breaking from a series of surprising focused and productive operations meetings, he retreats to his office for a moment of peace. It is short-lived. A comm from Chandaar comes through. Finally, he hopes, an update from his amateur operative. Kier Kincaid’s form materializes in front of his desk, tinged a ghostly purple that cannot hide the sly simper. Feels promising already.
“How goes it?”
“Productive. I am learning a lot.”
“I'm sure. Well, let’s hear it then, and don’t skimp on the details. I am hard-up for salacious gossip that does not involve my personal life.”
“I heard. The Holo tabs is all over it. Sorry about Alka. I thought you two were endgame.”
“You and me both, man. So, what tales do you have to tell?”
Kier stiffens, conjuring up an appropriate summary of his exploits in the Republic capital. He had been spending quite a bit of time with Janessa Kain. Dane was correct in theorizing that she would be drawn to him. He was not counting on being drawn to her as well. She is striking, incredible, insatiable, but he kept the directives top of mind. He first engaged her professionally, subtly expressing Palace Arms’ reluctance to further provide weaponry with the rising levels of violence against Republic citizens. It struck a combative chord. She found it odd they would suddenly take such a morally superior stance given their previous nonchalance at internal Republic affairs. These matters had been brewing for years without so much as an objection from them. It was a valid point. New leadership, new focus, Kier explained but she remained unamused and called their bluff. She speculated that perhaps Republic credits may be better spent elsewhere. Thankfully, they armed Kier with more than just the echoes of Gellar’s meddling. He told her that the escalating clashes with protesters, outfitted with their products, have caused others to reconsider doing business with them and the sum of that whole far exceeded that of the Republic contract. Their corporate delegation came to see what could be done about it.
“Nice,” Dane interrupts with dark glee. “I bet that broke her smug stride.”
“Yeah, but only because it is true."
“Right. Consumers are increasingly aware of causes they personally support and are more than willing to spend or withhold credits accordingly. However, she also knows that they may have a difficult time obtaining another supplier that does not also oppose their tactics. Not like it is not going to stop her from insinuating action on their part. It’s the usual corporate two-step. We threaten them, they threaten us and we find a mutually profitable compromise. But we are better positioned here and I hope you were too. Their viable alternative is BlasTech Industries and they only still exist in two places. Druckenwell may side with Corellia in all this and Byblos has a history of suppression so they are unlikely to take kindly to the subjugation and violence that abounds. Palace Arms was their moral loophole in business and one that we can easily close if necessary.”
“Smooth. Janessa did strike a more conciliatory tone after that but remained, uh, skeptical of our misgivings.”
“Marvelous, we just need her to know we are not fucking around."
Dane smirks, settling back into the chair, hoping Kier’s reputation as somewhat of a player would find purchase in the nuanced trappings of Republic business affairs.
“And on a personal note? Tell me it got weird.”
“It got weird, man.”
“Kinky, I like it. How so?”
“I tried to casually engage her about Garron Prescott as you instructed but it was kind of difficult weaving the topic of a past lover into what quickly became a…heated situation. And it was hot. Mind-blowing, actually but she seemed to glaze over when I asked about their time on the sabbatical. Even then, the details were superficial at best.”
“Like she doesn’t remember?”
“Like she legitimately doesn’t know. The look on her face was…blank. There was nothing there. Her demeanor completely changed, almost as if she was trying to place it but never could. Then she snapped right out of it and back onto me. Mentally unstable women may be the best lovers but damn. What happened to her?”
“Nothing good. Nice work, Kincaid. Keep me updated.”
The hologram fades and his eyes drift to the spectacular views of Mondder beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. For a lost and traumatized former jock looking to prove himself, Kier has done well. Even with Janessa stunned by the prospect of losing a valuable supplier, he still needs something more conclusive than a blank expression. He did not really expect that she would be able to recall the details of her “sabbatical” with Garron because it probably never happened. She was taken, just as Garron was, likely by the same thing. The Inquisitor. Janessa may have been brainwashed and fed that story to cover their absences but he suspects it serves as a cover for something far more sinister. Something Garron was willing to try and kill himself over. Kier would not be able to crack her surface much further but they do have a committed Garron downstairs. Could their psychologists peel back those layers to reveal the whole truth or would it harm him further? Dane tried pressing before with disastrous results. Would hurting him be worth it if they knew what they were sent back to do?
Dane is starting to think it might be but the desk console flashes, drawing his attention away.
“Gellar here”
“It’s Irulan. Our guest has arrived.”
“On my way,” he says, tapping off and heading for the door. His heart picks up speed as he breezes down the corridor toward the corner suite. Would he be receptive to their plan or reject them outright? The possibility that their contingency could all end here does not escape him. Everything hinging on Gemma's magic powers and Riley's quirkiness does not sit well with him so he needs to make this happen. He pauses at the door and takes a breath.
Here we go.
Inside, Irulan rises behind her massive desk, glancing toward an older gentleman slowly climbing out of a chair. He is human; short with worn dark skin, mid-to-late sixties if Dane had to guess, and what he thinks might be curiosity creasing his eyes behind a pair of thinly framed glasses.
“Well, hello."
Irulan smiles tightly, “Dane Gellar, I would like you to meet doctor Ulu Maumbile.”
-TBC
-
“The clouds are coming in and as she cries into her river
Stars are shining bright, only way you couldn’t see her
Oh, she’s hiding
Inside, you see she’s trying.”
-ZHU & Yuna
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder: Gellar Tower
Maumbile appears genial, almost entirely unimposing, but if he is here then that is clearly not the case. In that mind lies an ability to bridge life and technology, a rare skill he hopes will buy them insurance against an increasingly growing threat. Here is to hoping he is up to blurring the same ethical lines he very nearly almost did with his father. Dane flashes a winning smile and clasps his hands over the doctors.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you so much for coming.”
“To be honest, I was not sure I would.”
“Curious as to which part of our situation changed your mind.”
“Miss Reeves kept the details sparse but relevant. Given how much trust Rutherford placed in her, that you no doubt place in her as well, I knew I could not refuse a meeting if the situation was indeed as dire as indicated.”
Dane’s face grows harder, “It is and exactly why we need your help.”
“You must have a million questions.”
“One or two,” he admits. “But I would love it if we could start with the equipment you built for my father.”
Maumbile glances at Irulan who calls the secret lift that would take them down to the lab. The cursory context conversation on the ride gives his already complex father yet another intriguing layer. The doctor was a prominent geneticist involved with something called the GURI project but balked at the implications and shift in a more nefarious direction. So, he left the project only for Rutherford Gellar, bitter at Alexander Winton for everything that happened with Abra and Blair, to leverage his vast network of contacts to discover the origin of the monster that murdered Valerie. He worked his way back to the GURI project and, eventually, tracked down doctor Maumbile. He carried an immense sense of guilt, knowing that handing Valerie over to Winton is what led him to pay the ultimate price in the form of his family. That choice nearly consumed Corellia and could have threatened larger galactic security had it not been stopped. The doctor rebuffed him at first, PHAGE was gone and the threat had passed, but Rutherford made an appeal that swayed him. It was a chance to use the process for more altruistic purposes.
They step out of the lift and move toward the cloning tanks that blink into view as the room lights come up.
“Did he tell you about the prophecy?”
Maumbile’s sigh implies this has weighed heavily on him, “He did which only proves there are some outcomes one can never plan for.”
“Think of this as us hedging our bets.”
“You have not convinced me yet, young Gellar. I know what your fathers’ motivations were both initially and when it came to his children. I cannot yet say the same for yours.”
Dane had prepared the pitch, anxiously reworking it over in his mind while they waited for the doctor to arrive. It had to hit the right notes. Pull just the right strings. Leaning on Gemma’s intel, he connects the previous Four to those currently in play and, most importantly, what is at stake if they lose - the Republic and galactic security. Rutherford believed it enough to risk almost everything in the off chance, however misguided, that the Gellar would come out victorious. He was not the only one to lose everything in that gamble. So, Dane makes one thing very clear. If they are killed, allowing Winton to claim the Imperial throne, that would be it. Game over. There would be no one left to stop them and the prophecy will have been fulfilled.
Maumbile considers this before responding but does not mince words.
“Winton’s treachery - the machinations and meddling of others - these cannot be your sole purpose.”
“He is right,” Irulan says evenly. “That vendetta almost ended your father. But he got a second chance with Celeste. With you, Gemma, and even Dahlia. I do not want to see you destroy yourself for the same thing.”
Dane, backlit by the glow of the tanks, squares his shoulders.
“I am not doing this to take up my father’s fight and avenge him by taking down Winton the same way they took down our family. It is tempting, don’t get me wrong but that is not what convinced me. It also does not serve anyone other than myself. I have been skeptical of Gemma and wary of Dahlia for a long time, unsure of my place among their powers and sway. Now I know the key lies within my own genes. The prophecy is something our parents kept from us, praying it died with the others but deep down I think they both knew. It would never be over until we took back control of our lives and stopped it ourselves. If this has been repeating these cycles with our descendants think of how many people died in service to something they willingly had no part in. They were sacrificed for the prophecy. I am doing this so we do not doom another generation to this bullshit. Even if I have to die to make that happen.”
“An impassioned plea but your logic is not entirely clear to me. How would this stop what you have said is already in motion?”
As Irulan looks on in quiet horror, Dane outlines the plan and contingency. Gemma and Riley, with the help of the Jedi, would seek to discover and destroy the Voss-Ra and their influence over the prophecy outcome. With Maumbile’s help, Dane would provide access to the legacy gene in him to create replicas of the three of them in the event they failed.
“Please. You know what we all stand to lose. We cannot do this without you.”
“There are so many things to consider and much you still do not know. During my work with the GURI project, what became known to the worlds as PHAGE was not the only success with the legacy gene.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Federation had become something else entirely and talk turned to their own contingency. If they were unable to control Valerie Gellar, they would replace her, and Corellia would be controlled by an HRD that would lead the way for the Federation’s rise and continued conquest. The idea was abandoned, of course, after she was murdered so publicly but the replica was already created, something they called…an Infiltrator.”
Dane’s eyes widen with realization. That is a term he has heard before, many years ago, when they were taken by an enemy with the face of a friend. In their case, family. Riley’s family which is technically his family so…holy shit. He swallows, trying to suppress the wave of panic that rises against his resolve.
“Do you know what happened to the Infiltrator?"
“I do not. But she, like the replicas you are asking me to create would only be a shell. Any HRD, imbued with the legacy gene, would be a being capable of sentience yet devoid of anything that makes you, Gemma, or Riley who you are now. They would live but remember nothing.”
“For that, you would need the flash memory.”
He nods, “Correct. It is the last step. Without it, they would be blank slates capable of being programmed or corrupted the same way the Federation intended to use the Infiltrator.”
It appears that they did more with their intentions than the doctor realizes but what good does it do to dwell? They have a problem to solve and this is the path forward.
“Understood.”
“Dane,” Maumbile says lowly. “You do realize what you are asking? What you may or may not set in motion regardless of desire or intention?”
“I am. This has implications larger than all of us and so it is a risk we must take.”
There is a twinge of a smile at the edge of his cracked lips, “Your father would be proud of your innovative approach despite the danger. He saw the big picture at a great personal sacrifice. I will need the biological samples to get started and the imprints to finish.”
“The samples we have,” Dane says. “The imprints for Gemma and Riley will be sent soon along with protection for our clandestine project. You can build mine here.”
Irulan excuses herself, “I will retrieve the samples as they require my access alone.”
She disappears back into the lift and Dane takes a breath, thinking back over the past few years and the events that led them here. Maumbile is right. His father would be proud. He is less certain about what his mother would think but if there is any hope for them escaping the clutches of the prophecy then this is what they must do. He was not lying when he said he was ready to die for it. It is not the most desirable option, obviously, but he will be damned if they sit around and do nothing. His faith in the Jedi may be minimal but he knows Gemma and Riley will do all they can. It is up to him to prepare for the worst, whatever that may be.
“Her support for you is unwavering.”
“Irulan? Yeah, she truly has been our champion throughout everything that has happened.”
“Yes,” Doctor Maumbile says with an almost wistful tone. “I helped your father build her that way.”
-TBC
-
“Tell me how
It’s better if I make no sound
I will never escape these doubts
I wasn’t dead when they found me
Watch as they pull me down.”
-CHVCHES & Robert Smith
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder: Gellar Tower
The room blurs and tilts as he struggles to make sense of what the doctor just said.
“Whaaaat….the fuck? What do you mean built?”
There is no surprise or humor on his face, only the knowing look of someone with many secrets and talents that makes him as dangerous as he is useful.
“Is it not apparent now? The woman you know as Irulan Reeves is a replica, the first built in these tanks to prep for the possibility of having to do so in the event you and Gemma were lost.”
Dane moves slowly toward one of the tanks, running a hand along the chilled surface.
“I do not understand. How?”
“You know how. The genes that run through your veins grant life to things that were never meant to think or feel the way we do. Objects and artifacts alike become sentient and the Trade Federation was going to leverage that to grow their power and influence. Surely you can imagine what would happen if this got out into the open market – players clamoring to replace and control prominent figures across the galaxy or grant themselves immortality to continue their rule through science. Mercifully, there are limitations that would blunt such unethical aspirations.”
“Such as?”
“For one, the legacy gene cannot be synthesized. It must be taken and applied directly from a source. A blessing in disguise. Secondly, there are not many with the skills to manipulate these materials in practice. Even someone with raw genetic material would fail without the right hands guiding the process.”
Dane grimaces at the thought, envisioning the sheer chaos of it all. The power lies within him but he does not know how to use it. Only a select few, Maumbile among them, knows how to unlock these terrifying wonders.
“What happened to Irulan? The real Irulan.”
The doctor’s face falls and he shakes his head slowly.
“A tragedy, for sure. Irulan Reeves carried a very rare blood disorder. One that could not be cured by any known medicine. She was dying and your father did not want to lose her. Arrangements were made but it is important to note that she consented to this. She wished for her husband to be cared for and your father needed proof as well as insurance. Irulan was the key to both.”
“Ruthless to the last. So slick.”
The doctor continues without acknowledging the quip.
“His request was not purely selfish. Rutherford wished vengeance on Alexander Winton, yes, but his devotion to Irulan ran deep. Not romantic, if that is what you are thinking. He told me he would never blindly risk the second chance he had been given in your family.”
“Not blindly,” Dane says pointedly. “But perhaps out of necessity.”
“You said it yourself. He knew that one day the things that were written would come back for you again. He could grant her dying wish while gaining a means to keep watch over everything.”
He has to hand it to his father; Rutherford turned his dying protégé into the ultimate fail-safe, a way to ensure the survival of his empire even if he or one of his heirs did not. He told the doctor he confessed it all to the real Irulan before she died and this directive is part of what made her as effective as she has been. Rutherford became the mentor he always wanted to be but it was the cunning business acumen of her flash-memory combined with the singular drive to thrive and grow that kept them relevant and well-positioned throughout all of the personal turmoil. To keep the family legacy fortified and provide exactly the resources they would need if it ever came to it.
And it has come to it.
Irulan was also the test to see if the legacy gene really did what Winton boasted it could. He had sold his soul for it, after all. PHAGE was merely remote yet dangerous abstract to Rutherford and, for all he knew, was just another of Winton’s elaborate lies.
The doctor meets his gaze.
“Irulan was the template of what he was prepared to do for his children.”
Dane’s expression hardens, “Do what? Rebuild us and send us after them again and again until we had extracted our pound of flesh? I thought you said his motives were more altruistic than that.”
“He wanted to save you. All of you. Like he could not save the others. Prophecies are, by design, opaque and I am a man of science not one of faith. I deal in the here and now. If what he feared, what I saw nearly destroy the galaxy, has returned then we do what we must. You must feel the same if you are willing to die for it.”
Across the lab, the lift doors hiss open and Irulan steps out carrying a small temperature-controlled case.
Of course. It had to be her.
The CSA is a vicious corporatocracy and anyone else in Irulan’s position would have seized control of this company the moment they had the opportunity. That’s how they roll here. Every blind spot becomes a liability and a wrong step could land you on the receiving end of the Direx Board’s wrath. In exchange for ensuring the man she loved did not suffer without her, she secured the means to protect them. The programmed primary directives and her flash-memory aligned and executed on their agreement flawlessly.
She catches his expression while he works this out in his head.
“I see you told him.”
Doctor Maumbile nods, “It was time.”
“I am sorry.”
“Do not be. I chose this.”
“No, not that you did it. I am grateful for that. I am sorry that you had to.”
“Some things cannot be helped,” Irulan says. “Life is funny that way. Garron was tasked with protecting you physically while I oversaw other areas of security. I cannot be broken the way he is now but I am not invulnerable. We must be careful while constructing the contingency. If these Voss-Ra creatures have their claws in the direction of the narrative then you are not out of the woods yet."
While he struggles to process everything, he wonders when the last time he saw the real Irulan was. Did he act like a spoiled jerk, not knowing the sacrifice she was about to make for them? Probably. His sister's words, heavy with the burden of wishing she didn’t know what she does, return to him. Everyone has an approximate counterpart in each cycle, at least that is a central tenant of Gemma’s insane yet unmistakably evident loop theory. The one who lives but does not have life. If the Infiltrator served that role in the last, does Irulan represent this attribute now? Are her directives as clear as they seem? Knowing his father, not bloody likely.
“Guess that means we’re kind of related.”
His attempt at some levity is appreciated.
“Only in the most basic biological sense,” she says, handing the case to Maumbile. “We will need to map your memories.”
“With, like, what?”
She glances toward the far side of the lab where a simple yet ominous-looking contraption awaits. It is a black and grey chair attached to a circular cone with various electrodes nestled within. He does not slow his approach and hops on without hesitation. Fuck it. It is time to get this freak show on the road. Dane eases into the chair, stiff from so long without any pressure on it, and sighs.
“Will it hurt?”
She taps at a flat control panel and the machine snaps to life with a thick hum.
“Yes.”
-TBC
-
“You know, you know what I mean
So let it be, let me see what’s in between
You can breathe, break the silence of the scene
Wake up from sleep, let me taste what’s in between.”
-Maxim Lany
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
High atop the Gellar Tower, shades drawn, Dane groans and drapes a cold compress over his eyes.
Well, Irulan was not wrong. The memory mapping procedure hurt like a bitch but it was done. Dr. Maumbile now has Dane’s flash memory to upload into his new body whenever it is ready, should Gemma and Riley fail in this mission to stop the Voss-Ra. He is not unaware of the cutoff point, a lapse in those memories between when it was mapped and if/when the contingency is triggered. Dane would keep a log of events for reference so that the new version of him could get up to speed quickly. The whole thing is so unsettling that it makes him queasy even considering going through with it all. He settles into the couch, the powerful painkillers Irulan gave him only just beginning to wear the edges off the splitting headache.
For the greater good or whatever.
The revelation of Irulan’s sacrifice lingers with him. That was a doozy. Rutherford and his acolytes never cease to amaze and horrify, adding further nuance to an already complex man. It was probably the most selfless selfish thing he could imagine – using the Gellar legacy gene to grant her immortality in exchange for ensuring that legacy continues. He wants to tell Gemma but realizes that reaching out may prove problematic for their security. His list of confidantes has been slowly dwindling and now, after pushing Alka away, Dane realizes he is more alone than ever.
It is that loneliness, fueled by the pleasant haze of the painkillers, that drives him back downstairs. He pauses outside the door of the private medical suite where Garron Prescott has been committed for observation and testing. From what their carefully selected doctors have told him, Garron’s therapy has hit roadblock after roadblock. They are not making any headway into his distress and the deeper they probe, the more pain they seem to inflict. When the attending exits the room, he fills him on the latest – which is not good news. Whoever did this to Garron intentionally placed these mental blocks so that they could not be undone without first killing the subject. Only someone extremely skilled in brainwashing and torture could have pulled something like this off and there are few with the true means and talent to do so. This screams Imperial to him but they are dealing with these insane Voss-Ra cultists and possibility the Sith, as Gemma delightfully pointed out. There is nothing to say these groups are working together toward exactly the same things.
The overlap between ally and enemy can be a rather nebulous and minuscule area.
Dane bids the doctor a good day and leans against the door. He would not go in. The last time he tried to visit, Garron snapped and tried to escape his restraints, popping several of the massive stitches along his wrists. He cannot help himself. He is only following the directives of the ones who infiltrated his mind, destroying the man he called friend and protector. If Garron’s objective is to kill Dane, effectively taking him off the board of the prophecy game, he wonders what would happen if he allowed him to believe he succeeded?
A dark theory, perhaps, but one possibly worth exploring if it meant getting Garron back since he is one of the few people Dane has left.
*
Mondder: Dream Emporium
Closing night of The Shaded Solstice.
It had been a magnificent run, both professionally and critically, sealing Alka Dawning as the Corporate Sector’s premier dancer. A principal in all senses of the word. She is a vision to behold and she gives it everything she has to make this last performance truly memorable. Alka is working through quite a bit of rage which she expertly channels into her craft. She knows Dane would not dare show up here, not after what he pulled, and she does not want him to. She did this entirely on her own. The sense of accomplishment hits home as the curtain falls, bringing down the house with a roar of applause and cheers.
Weaving through the wings, her fellow dancers shower her with praise and the director moved to tears with the outcome. They all have reasons to celebrate. Bringing this level of entertainment to performance art is something that the Corporate Sector has been sorely lacking. Everyone wants an opportunity to escape, and in this high-pressure, high-risk world they live in, Alka is grateful she is part of making that happen. Dancing is a form of escape for her as well, a way to detach herself from the shackles of everyday life and transcend to her most authentic self. The feeling is not something she can describe to anyone who has not experienced it themselves and she allows that mysterious glow to follow her back to her dressing room. It is empty, exactly as she had left it, except for one detail.
A single rose, dyed black, set carefully in the center of her vanity.
She approaches it cautiously, pinching the delicate stem to lift it up in front of her. Glancing past the rose, she can see her reflection beneath the brilliance of the vanity lighting, stage makeup giving her a much more dramatic look. In the world of entertainment, this means only one thing.
A warning.
-TBC
-
“I wanna stay, wanna say, I’m so sorry for everything
For my head’s up in the clouds, and not coming down
I hear you say: I’m not happy but it’s okay
It’s out of my reach now, it’s just too far away.”
-Shout Out Louds
Corporate Sector
Etti IV
Surface: Mondder: Gellar Tower
Dane furiously fiddles with a com-link while shaking his head at the latest Holo feeds out of the Republic. Uh oh. Did he just prove Gemma right in sending an unwitting peripheral player into the rancor’s den?
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” he mutters.
Ever since the RSB released the list of individuals in the President’s office at the time of the explosion, he has not been able to reach Kier Kincaid. They were scheduled to return soon so he figured he would debrief on any relevant details when they got back. Now, ka-boom! Every call goes unanswered yet he continues trying. Dane is still unpacking the contingency and reality of their completely bonkers situation. Were things always destined to be so dire? Did Valerie and co spend their days in a heightened state of existential dread? If so, they did make it work for them…until it, like, didn’t. He likes to think they have a leg up on things this time around, not that it provides much solace at the moment. Kier, uh, wasn’t great, to be honest, but he probably should not have gone out like that. Well, on the heels of what was also very likely the best sex of his life. So, yeah, silver linings? He struggles to see upsides outside his bottom line which is exactly how Rutherford intended it.
Conscience check in real-time.
Then there is another alert, security summoning him downstairs. All the way down. Into the labs. He moves with purpose but flashes that grin in passing to keep it all in perspective. Unfortunately, that all turns to shit the moment he winds up back in front of the medical suite that used to contain one incredibly unstable Garron Prescott. One guard dead, a medical droid dismantled, and a phrase that causes considerably more panic than it should.
“I’m sorry, he what?”
“Escaped.”
“From a secure room, in a secure building? Not computing, man.”
“He learned the routines, found the perfect opportunity. Poor son of a bitch never saw it coming. We tried to track him but he knew exactly where we would be looking. Garron Presscott is…gone.”
Wonderful. Psycho ex-whatever on the loose. He knows this building outside and in. Of course, he got away. He probably knows by now there is nothing they could do for him. Dane could not put him out of his misery and the medical staff dared not even insinuate it.
“If he can get out, he can get back in. I am going to need you to do something about that.”
The security lead nods as an aide joins them.
“Urgent call from the Kincaid’s rep. Kier’s family wants to know where he is.”
Without a word, Dane nods stiffly and follows her back toward the lifts.
*
D’ian
Surface: Dawning Estate
Alka enjoys being home.
Sometimes.
Even stymied at his attempt to uncover their lies, her father is more tolerable when she is around. D’Ken never quite bought into their little misadventures, even though it cost the children's lives of those closest to him on the Direx Board. One of those could have easily been her. Hell, maybe it should have been. She will never be able to unsee Ples getting eviscerated by that saber or unhear Trichelle’s terrified screams as their shuttle went down into the ocean. The production helped distract her from that but now that she is home, alone with her thoughts, the details of their near-death experience find their way back to center stage.
A place that is difficult to ignore.
She muddles through and finds some peace in the safety of this space. A childhood fortress, something comforting in its intentional excess. Alka wanders the corridors aimlessly but comes across a finely polished red and black GG-service droid her father dubbed Gyger holding a package.
“Mistress Alka, so glad I found you!” it chirps. “This arrived for your father.”
She smiles and retrieves it, “I’ll take it to him.”
“Thank you – so much to do!”
It is not terribly large but whatever is in it is an awkward shape and unwrapped from the sounds of it. Sighing, Alka heads toward her father’s study. A place he spends the majority of his time scheming up strategies that will keep those funds-a-flowing. She is grateful he enjoys it so much but wishes he would carve out a bit more time for himself. Growing heavier, she raps on the door as she rounds the corner.
"Delivery for you."
D’Ken is sorting through files on his desk and waves her over, “Open it, please. I am expecting a few pieces for the suite in Mondder. We need to liven that place up.”
She slides it on the desk, noting the subtle dampness on her palm, and pulls it open. The smell hits first before her eyes can adjust and then it registers. Gagging, she reels backward before screaming bloody murder. Like, literally. D’Ken rounds his desk in an instant, peering down into the cause of the commotion. The reaction, he decides, is not unwarranted.
On his desk in a box, staring back up at him, is the severed head of Cybot Galactica's CFO, Finnius Dyre.
-TBC
-
“For curious dreams that
Are haunted, disquieting, kind, or uneasy
I’ll wait till you break
And I got patience for years
Cos when your head is undone
I’ll get you right where you walk.”
-Kiltro
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Watching things unravel in real-time is really something.
Nothing business-related, thankfully, as that is the one area where things are solid. His personal life, on the other hand, not so much. Dane Gellar blows out a long, slow stream of air while staring over the multidimensional cityscape beyond the office windows. The Kincaid’s are pissed, obviously but neither of Kier’s parents is on the Direx Board. Not as much a legacy house as Aguilar, Corinthos, or Gellar. A small but significant mercy. They could be satiated through compensation without the capital or clout to retaliate against Gellar Industries. Irulan shielded them admirably, positioning them in ways that any harm could mean harm to others. Not that it would stop anyone from trying if given even a sliver of a chance. That is how things work here.
Always have. Always will.
The top story of the moment is the totally severed head that arrived at the Dawning’s.
Finnius Dyre was on the Direx Board so people are inevitably freaking out. He misses Preston and Roman in these moments. Finnius, unlike Balthazar Nash, was rather supportive of his son’s romantic pursuit of his highly respectable yet still highly suspicious Chiss classmate. How badly it all ended. Now the elder Dyre is dead too. The brutality and suspicion give this a seedier edge without the undertones of star-crossed lovers that made Preston and Roman’s story so compelling on the Holo. Finnius Dyre’s murder points to something more straightforward; a grudge, bad blood, or an off-the-books deal gone wrong. There is not a shortage of theories which is why Dane winds up down at the Espos HQ at the center of the city.
Shock quickly gave way to suspicion and D’Ken Dawning was whisked away by the boys-in-brown, threatened with being sent to Stars’ End if they found out he had anything to do with it. Alka leans precariously against the wall, biting a thumbnail and looking exceptionally hot. He makes his approach slowly and when she sees him, she stiffens.
“What are you doing here?”
“Offering support?”
“Is that so? How…kind of you. But you do not have to worry about me anymore, remember?”
“Hey, come on. That’s not fair. I was worried.”
“Oh, fuck you! And fuck fair! You do not get to jerk me around like that, Dane. Push me away one minute then show up here to be my shoulder to cry on the next. No. You do not get to have it both ways. They think my father did this!”
Dane leans on the wall beside her, undeterred.
“It hasn’t at least crossed your mind?”
While she does not move away, she keeps a careful distance and lowers her voice into an almost menacing whisper.
“What do you think he did, Dane? Kill Dyre, hack off his head, and then send it to…himself? Only to report it immediately afterward? That is ridiculous, even for the damn Espos and their insatiable itch to stick it to everyone. My father pisses me off sometimes but this is not his style. We both know that.”
She does have a very good point. D’Ken Dawning is one of the most uptight people he has ever known. His father could not stand the guy and he has not exactly made their lives easy either with all of his meddlings and snooping. He is much too controlling to throw in wild variables like shipping hassles or the possibility of traumatizing his own family without something to gain from it.
“Not the point,” Dane quips evenly. “He had both motive and opportunity.”
“Everyone has motive and opportunity here, dummy. That is kind of the point. They are going to have to conjure up something better than a business rivalry if they hope to pin this on him.”
“And if they do?”
Alka glowers out into the bustling station, “Then I burn this whole place down to cinders and dust.”
He has never been more turned on than he is at this very moment but he lets it lie, momentarily, before dropping his own bit of news.
“Garron escaped.”
She doesn’t even blink, “Neat. Guess you better watch your back then.”
“Oof. Not even a shred of concern?”
“Why? I am not his primary target. And if he doesn’t get you, maybe I’ll ask whoever carved up Dyre to put your head in a box too. Then you might finally shut the hell up.”
It stings more than he wants it to. Somewhere she has to know that separating meant protecting her from their destiny of blood splatter and bullshit. It appears a bit of time has not changed her perspective and he is a fool for thinking it would. With Garron on the loose and a maniac cutting off the heads of elite society folk triggers something in him.
“Alka, listen. I know what I said. Before. It’s just-”
“If you are looking for someone to absolve you of guilt about marching a clueless Kier straight to his gruesome death, as predicted, you came to the wrong gal. I am fresh out of fucks right now, Dane. You are going to have to deal with your shit on your own this time.”
Dane winces but leans in closer, “I never said I stopped caring about you.”
“Yeah?” she chuffs, pushing off the wall and weaving between the frenetic movement of umber uniforms. “Could have fooled me.”
-TBC
-
“When the storm decays and the sky, it rains
Let it flood, let it flood, let it wash away
And as we stumble through your last crusade
Will you welcome your extinction in the morning rays?"
-My Chemical Romance
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The days are long and confusing, mundane meetings and power lunches smeared across the amalgamated persona he has created for the sake of appearances. Dane Gellar knows he must keep up the brave face even with Garron’s unknown whereabouts looming over everything like a specter. The prophecy and its trappings are not the only forces conspiring against him. The corporations are restless given the recent turmoil and they can smell even trace amounts of blood in the water. Altercation and acquisition reign supreme so he and Irulan form a united front to solidify their position.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for D’Ken Dawning. There are rumors of a confrontation between him and Dyre with the Espos hinting at digital traces in their possession that leave just enough doubt to question whether or not their professional relationship was as solid as everyone once believed. Everyone here has a motive but Dawning also had an opportunity just like he told Alka. It is not looking good and everyone knows what that means.
Irulan approaches him almost immediately, calculating as always.
“Dawning is vulnerable. We have to move on it.”
Dane leans back in his chair, “That is not going to endear him to me.”
“He already hates you,” Irulan says dryly. “Also, you are no longer dating his daughter. This is not personal.”
“Not to you but I get it. Go for it then. Rattle some corporate cages, snap up some shares, vie for controlling interest, whatever. Do your thing.”
Her smile is less than comforting.
“Excellent. With weapons and pharmaceuticals covered, we are still missing out on a considerable market with consumer goods. Dawning has an in there that we can leverage. Open up new revenue streams for us.”
“Those are my favorite kinds of streams. Not that it will buy me what I want.”
She approaches his desk slowly, “You cannot purchase your way out of who you are. Too easy.”
“One to talk. You have been upgraded. I still have to die to make this work.”
“I know.”
“Oh, right.”
“Death is merely one state becoming another. A rather transformative experience and freeing in a way. For you, like me, it will only be temporary.”
“I will be sure to let you know how it goes.”
So, she does her thing with his backing which the media gleefully articulates. The shakeup is good and bad for business with people placing their bets and taking sides, but she wastes no time investing in what could be a nice addition to the Gellar portfolio. Diversification is the spice of life. Not as good as actual spice but close. It does not take long for that news to hit the proverbial fan. More woes for a quickly drowning Dawning. That shithead deserves to squirm a little after all the grief he gives them. They have only been blatantly deceiving him and everyone else since they returned to the sector. The reality is that it could have been much worse but it did not come to that, thankfully.
Speaking of…Alka turns up to the Gellar penthouse livid.
Did he sort of authorize the whole thing on the off chance she would show up on his doorstep in a questionable mental state? Yeah, kinda. Worth it. He pushed her away to keep her safe but she is difficult to resist and his self-control wavers at best these days. It is just nice to talk to someone who is not a replica or trying to create more replicas even if that is part of the grand contingency Gemma cooked up. His loneliness may literally be driving him mad and her presence is a desperately needed antidote.
She is not – per usual lately – in a forgiving mood.
“You just had to be the first one to kick him while he is down. So typical.”
“Hey! A little perspective, maybe? I can shield your father’s interests from far more unscrupulous characters coming for him. We both know no one is going to let this slide, not when market share is at stake.”
She pushes right on past him with a huff, “I do not believe that for a second but I suppose I can acknowledge the gesture, hollow as it may be.”
He touches her arm, turning her slowly around to face him.
“There is something else. You were right. I should not have sent Kier to Chandaar.”
The tight pull of her full lips, although menacing, is unbelievably sexy.
“A little late for regret, no? Kier is dead. Blown to bits by that allegedly mind-controlled vixen, if you believe the press coming out of the Republic. You really can be so lousy sometimes, Dane. I hope it was worth it.”
“I can still feel bad about it!”
She pulls away, “And you thought I would, what, comfort you?”
“I would not object. To, you know, some comfort.”
“Un-fucking-believable!” she screams, storming back toward the door. “I do not know what I even came here hoping for. Dyre is dead, my father is in real trouble, I am pretty sure I have a stalker, and all you can do is swoop shares out from under him and try to seduce me?”
Dane crosses his arms, “I hate how you say that like it is a bad plan. I am trying here, Alka!”
“Trying my nerves. Tell me the truth, why are you being like this? What is really going on with you? The rich reclusive playboy act is tired and you wear it with such disgust that I know you cannot possibly enjoy it. We were a team! We lied to the faces of every Direx board member together after we watched two of their kids, our friends, die in real-time. That is some straight-up treasonous shit. So, tell me what your problem is and why you are shutting me out.”
He almost does but an alert momentarily shatters their tense showdown, an incoming request for permission to land in the adjacent Gellar pad. Alka miraculously does not leave and instead leans defiantly against the front doorframe as he taps the nearest wall comm.
“Who dare disturbs my incessant brooding?”
“Reinforcements,” Demaris laughs softly. “I hope we are not intruding.”
“On the contrary, you are just in time.”
He clears them to land and sighs deeply with relief.
Alka deadpans, “The calvary?”
“Gemma thought it best to send a little assistance our way. It is going to get bumpy in the home stretch.”
“Of what?”
“What else?” he shouts, waving his arms around. “The prophecy! I am fated in this but you do not have to be. That is why…that is why…”
Alka pushes a strand of dark hair behind her ear, “Uh huh, sure. I have heard this sob story before.”
“But were you listening? Anyone anywhere near this winds up dead. It cuts through emotional attachment like a blade to skin and the first of the last Four to go was Valerie. Time is a factor here. Forgive me for trying to spare at least one person a tragic end even if my own is inevitable.”
She does not say anything for a long time. From anyone else, that line would sound like a bunch of megalomaniacal bullshit. As much as she wanted both of them out of it, Alka has seen too much to delude herself into such a fantasy. She could leave now and never see him again but he is just as much a pull to her as she is to him. He is infuriating but complex and she did not think it possible to both love and hate someone so much. Or so intensely. She draws out the pause long enough to choose her words tactfully.
“Like most things with you, it is not the strategy but the execution. As noble as you can sometimes be, you do not have to be such a dick about it.”
“Yeah, well. Here we are,” he mutters.
She is still angry but the admission, forced and overdue, softens something. The weight of the worlds he carries is reflected in those dark, soulful eyes and so she drifts toward him while maintaining a careful distance.
“I can handle my own and if I have to go this alone so be it. I am not sure you can. Or should, for that matter. I am grateful Gemma sent help but do not make me an enemy just so you can feel better about the insane measures you think you have to go to. You may still have options if you surround yourself with the right people.”
“What are you saying?”
A shadow falls across the room as a small shuttle curves down onto the landing pad.
Her pinched smirk almost becomes a smile, “That we should go greet our protectors since they have come all this way.”
Outside, the evening breeze and waning light are the perfect compliments to a joining of forces. Demaris Atrii strides down the ramp, purple hair and Jedi robes flowing behind her. She introduces Taarek Cirque and Shendo then, almost reluctantly, Avinarius the Manadalorian hangs back from the group.
“Quite the motley crew you have.”
Demaris pulls Dane into an embrace, “All have sworn to protect you, whatever may come.”
It calms him to hear that even if he is not entirely certain they can. Not from this. But they have brought more than their skills and oaths. They brought hope, as he feared it grew too dim to light the way. He introduces Alka to those who do not know her and ushers everyone inside. It had been a long journey and now it is time to rest – and celebrate.
After everyone settles into the various guest rooms, something the penthouse is not short on, Dane pops an ale and joins them in the sprawling, oblong living room.
“The last time we saw you, you were making off with Gemma and Riley. I was meaning to ask how you pulled that off anyway, infiltrating Imperial space for an extraction. Pretty slick.”
“Yes,” Demaris says softly. “It was. I am so sorry about Ples and Trichelle. They were good friends and it is shame they were lost in such a way.”
“You were not around for the aftermath,” Alka snaps icily, taking the bottle from Dane. “The Empire could have crucified us but instead sent us packing. Lucky break.”
Taarek knows better than to defend her, and Shendo watches the challenge with a detached curiosity. Demaris trains her gaze on Alka.
“You are entitled to feel that way. We did not have much of a window and they are clients of Gellar Industries and Dawning Enterprises. There is a vested interest in your safety given the precarious situation Ples and Trichelle’s deaths put them in. The chances of you escaping Imperial space were a lot greater than Gemma’s so that is the call we made.”
“You can take the girl out of the Corporate Sector,” Dane laughs, popping open another bottle and handing it to Taarek. “You better have a hell of a story.”
“We do, actually, but first, there is something you should know.”
Finally, the Mandalorian steps forward, slowly pulling off his helmet to reveal their very own ghost. Neither is prepared for what lies beneath.
“Hello, friends.”
The shock and surprise are palpable, creating simultaneous gasps as they whisper his name in disbelief.
“Roman.” “Roman.”
-TBC
-
“You know I’ve been fucked up, crazy
It’s been a little heavy lately
But you’re the only one who could save me
I know that isn’t fair, I know that isn’t fair.”
-Joesef
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
It defies belief.
Dane touches the side of his face to feel if he is real. Blue, tangible, familiar. A piece of his past he never thought he would see again. Roman stares at his friends - people he had come to love, people he had left behind – now standing before him stunned into silence and tears. Alka desperately clutches at his arm to steady herself as Dane’s eyes glaze over. Eventually, they merge into a messy embrace. This is not normally acceptable behavior among the Chiss but he knows they need it. A part of him does at well. Something to anchor him to this plane of existence.
Demaris excuses herself and the others as they retire to their rooms and allow them the space to get reacquainted. It had been a long journey and best to make the most of this happy moment. Besides, she had time to process Roman’s resurrection and was not nearly as close as they all were. She bids them good night and disappears down the corridor.
The trio retreat to Dane’s room with fresh drinks and some spliff. Like old times, piled into the center of his massive bed, getting high and talking shit. Old times, good times, and everything that came after. The marvelous blur of each plot twist sending them deeper into a fantastical, fabricated void. At least no one can ever say things were boring. They could use a bit of boring these days. It is a total mindfuck from here on out. Real pretty people in very real danger. Alka to his left, Roman to his right, and his dark little heart, for the first time in a long time, feels whole.
Tipsy, joint hanging from his lips, he leans toward Roman and says, “Literally what the fuck happened?”
The last time they saw each other was right before Preston exploded in his driveway on D’ian and he went storming off to confront his parents in a justifiable murderous rage. Predictably, Roman takes the blunt approach to bridge the gap: the initial confrontation and subsequent suicide attempt, the fall and awakening several stories below, stealing the armor, inventing the Avinarius persona, falling in with the spice runners to get out of the Sector, winding up on Kijimi gearing up to steal from the smugglers, the young Force-sensitive, Lysette, finding him in the tavern and leading him back to Gemma and Riley, their jaunt into the Unknown Regions, his quest for revenge, the Jedi stopping him, and their secretive reemergence into the galactic fray on Corellia.
“Destruction and drama pretty much sum it up. You?”
“Same,” Dane sighs wearily. “Only our adventure involved Imperial blackmail and lying to everyone to evade accountability for them and ourselves. Oh, and my protector pal Garron has been brainwashed into trying to murder me but somehow escaped and is now probably running loose around the Sector waiting to jump out and slit my throat. Also, business has never been better but Alka may or may not have a stalker and her father may or may not be responsible for the death of Preston’s dad. Not sure if you heard that but it is so fucked. Dyre deserved better. Speaking of fathers, I kind of had to besmirch your father’s name and steal his company. Collateral damage of all the lying.”
“He deserves that and worse. I intended to kill him and my mother for what they did to Preston.”
“I am glad it did not come to that,” Alka says, plucking the joint from Dane’s fingers to take a hit. “There are less violent ways to solve problems.”
“Perhaps but this will at least ensure his exile is permanent. Even though Gemma told me it was the Inquisitor that attacked you, the whole of the CSA believing him guilty removes any hope he may have to regain what he lost. I may have let go of the need to be the one to punish him but I still believe that vengeance will be exacted through other means.”
“Cheers to that.”
The boys touch the necks of their bottles together while Alka rolls her eyes up.
Roman slides off the bed, “Well, I will leave you both to it. We can continue this conversation in the morning. There are still a few details to cover but best left to when we have clearer heads.”
“Hold up. I am not staying here!”
“I thought-”
Alka hops off and grabs her purse, “So did I but Dane here has grander plans of pushing everyone away so he can live out the dark future of the prophecy or whatever.”
“You say that without any context!” he protests. “Ro, surely Gemma gave you the rundown.”
“Of how you all must die for this to finally end? Yes, she did make that quite clear.”
Alka scoffs, handing the joint to Roman, “And you agree with her?!”
“I cannot say for certain nor can I truly attribute my survival to fate or fable but it proved the point she was trying to make. This is not the first time these things have happened. Not exactly the same but circumstantially similar enough to draw parallels to our current situation. Gemma knows there is outside influence using individuals with access to push things forward. I am sorry to hear Garron is unfortunately one of them.”
“Janessa too.”
“It only cost Kier to prove it,” Alka counters.
“Harsh,” he mutters, taking the joint from Roman. “But fair. I did not think it would go that far.”
“Really? After everything that has happened? This ancient sect you and Gemma go on about will clearly stop at nothing to get what they want. Over four thousand people died in the Bolerathon Tower! Blowing up a small CSA delegation does not seem like too much of a deterrent. You can try to push us away but we are already marked. We are a part of this whether you want us to be or not so let us help you.”
Roman leans against the doorframe, “She is not wrong, D. We all came here to protect you while Gemma, Riley, and the Jedi figure out how to stop them.”
Dane pulls on the joint and then stubs it out into a circular dish on the nightstand.
“As grateful as I am, these are powerful forces so we must plan accordingly. The Voss-Ra, the Sith, or even the Inquisitor are not our only problems. We have Dahlia to deal with too.”
“How the hell did she even survive? You saw it, Bolerathon was nothing but ash and rubble.”
He shrugs, “Wish I knew but it is hardly the point. She told Gemma and me that Melanie killed Karen so there is plenty of motive. Add on the prophecy and its winner-takes-all framework that may somehow bring about the return of the Sith and we have a fairly compelling reason why we need to be removed from the equation. It is kill or be killed and so long as Dahlia believes that none of us are safe.”
“Then it is fortunate we are here,” Roman says, tapping the door open. “It really is so good to see you both. I apologize if my presumed death brought you pain. All I can say is that I lost myself over losing Preston. It is not an excuse, I know, but it is the truth. The Jedi may have their faults but they pulled me back from the brink. Despite Gemma’s very legitimate qualms with them, I do not think we should be so quick to dismiss their guidance and protection. I will see you in the morning.”
He wanders down the hall and the door hisses closed.
“Well, that was not how I expected this day to end.”
Smirking, Dane pats the other side of the bed, “Who says it's over?”
“You really can be such a scoundrel. Think about what I said. What Roman said. There are other ways out of this even though it may not look that way right now.”
“Don’t go, it’s not safe.”
“For people like us, is it ever? We have been living under the threat of our parent’s corporate enemies our whole lives. We have been trophies and tokens leveraged according to what they needed to accomplish. This is not new.”
“It is not the same thing and you know it.”
“Never said it was.”
He frowns, “What about your stalker?”
“I have my own security, thank you very much.”
“Where were they when Dyre’s head was delivered to your doorstep?”
“Not funny. I will see you later.”
“So, this is goodbye and not go to hell?”
“This is…me being the ally you need right now. Things with my father aside, you need people around who can help you in this fight. Totally up to you to accept that or not but it is better than trying to go this alone.”
She heads for the door and he rises up onto his knees.
“More people will die before this is over. You know that, right? I do not want it to be you.”
Alka throws one last glance over her shoulder.
“Never was there a tale of more woe than the prophecy and you damned Four.”
*
In the morning, Dane nurses a mild hangover with a glass of water until the powerful ChemiX painkillers begin to dissolve in his system. Perks of owning and operating in pharmaceuticals. Roman joins him in the kitchen while the others conduct a mindfulness practice or some shit. He sets a small, temperature-controlled case on the smooth, marbled island beside a datacard.
“What do we have here?”
“Tools,” Roman says evenly. “You will need them in your quest as will others to defend themselves against those powerful forces.”
The case contains fresh biological samples of Gemma and Riley, housed within neatly packed vials. A good start to their contingency plans.
“They were unfortunately unable to procure their flash memories. We encountered resistance from the Corellian Senator with considerable sway at CorSec.”
“The fugitive one?”
“Soldys, yes. The Jedi are not the only thing they are currently harboring. His history with HRD’s is rooted in their sector’s saga so he was understandably reluctant to allow Gemma to unleash that kind of variable back into the galaxy.”
Dane laughs. If only the Senator really knew. They already walk among us and he would heed Valerie’s warning that what runs through their veins is the key to finding their way through this. She knew it all along, not that she would just come out and say it. Cryptic bitch. The flash memory will be a problem to solve but unnecessary at this juncture to begin the work. His eyes wander to the data card.
“If that is not their memories, what is it?”
“Specs. For a superlaser.”
“Ah, right. The heavy hitter Gemma mentioned. Cool.”
“Stolen right from under my father’s nose. It was never put into production at Palace Arms due to its official classification as a planet-killing level weapon. Corellia has the prototype we also stole so they have at least some means of defense when the Republic inevitably turns on them. We want you to use this to build more now that you have the means and facilities to do so.”
Dane leans across the island, “You know that will be tricky to keep under wraps. Allocating resources for production will raise all sorts of questions.”
“Keep it under R&D and a small team with phrik-clad NDA’s. They will only need a few strategically placed within their fleets to repel the Republic.”
“Clever. I suppose you also realize that once this is out, we will not be able to un-ring that bell. If the Republic realizes where it came from, it could harm Sector relations. Like, irreparably. Our entire economy could collapse.”
Roman nods, “Very true but is the threat of a potentially rising Sith and-or the tyrannical Republic worth that risk?”
A very good question. They could always destroy the specs and decommission the weapons once they accomplish their goal but the theoretical profits are incalculable. So many credits to be made. Amass a fortune while the rest of the Corporate Sector burns down around him? System-wide reputational damage would make rivals more attractive for acquisition – a Gellar monopoly. It does not sound completely unpleasant in his mind. Blast their adversaries into oblivion only to bite it and have their replicas rise to combat whatever comes once the prophecy is truly fulfilled. Stop the cycles, end it all, and give everyone that old razzle-dazzle.
What a mess.
“Damn, you know I am happy to see you but did you have to come laying down the moral quandary?”
Roman is unphased by his attempt at levity, “Kill or be killed, Dane. This provides a recourse so best to build up those defenses and never need them rather than be caught without them.”
“Always the starkest of choices with you.”
“Always.”
*
Later, downstairs, in full corporate mode, Dane brings the case to Irulan’s office. She appears contemplative and he wonders how much of that nuance was programmed as opposed to residuals of her flash memory. The Irulan that was. She turns, glancing down at the case on her desk only to slowly raise her eyes to meet Dane’s.
“Present for doctor Maumbile, courtesy of our Gemma-sent calvary.”
“Sounds promising,” she says, pointing to one of two highbacked scalloped chairs. “Have a seat.”
He does as instructed, “You seem tense. What happened? Did you completely annihilate Dawning because there may be hope for me and Alka yet.”
“Not exactly but he does provide a through line to the topic at hand. The Direx Board is down two, possibly three voting members. Recent events have shaken up the balance of power, as you are well aware. Delicate alliances and coalitions now face…an uncertain future. A future we may able to reshape in our favor.”
“Fun,” Dane proclaims with only a trace of sarcasm. “But, like, how?”
“You and Alka Dawning were rather impressive handling the board during your testimony. It did not go unnoticed, nor have your considerable accomplishments and public profiles. You both have strong ties to the community and belong to prominent sponsor corporations which is why you were nominated. Even the Imperial advisor, Pallus, spoke in your favor.”
“I'll bet but Alka isn’t-”
“She may not be involved with Dawning Enterprises but she is the principal of a company owned by Harkan Entertainment. You know that name because their second son went missing with Muriel Monroe years ago.”
A chill coils its way down his spine, “Oh.”
“Yes, oh, indeed. The principal is an executive-level position as is yours at Gellar Industries and, despite the circumstances surrounding what happened on Hesperidum, ExO Aguilar was swayed. It went up for a vote.”
“Wait, what does that even mean?”
The delivery is deadpan but direct, “Congratulations, Dane Gellar. You and miss Dawning are the new Direx’s.”
-TBC
-
“Lovely sewer, tragedy free
You cannot start a war
Just for the feeling.”
-Yves Tumor
Corporate Sector
D’ian
Surface: Dawning Estate
A light rain falls across the rolling moors of Concordia Township. It becomes steadier as the afternoon progresses and lends to the drama, something Alka Dawning was hoping to escape if only for a few hours. D’Ken is being formally indicted in the murder of Finnius Dyre thanks to communications the Espos magically obtained indicating threats leveled by the former. She does not believe that and has their lawyers all over it yet it feels like her life is being pulled apart anyway. Definitely not what she dreamed of as a little girl as she pirouetted effortlessly across her bedroom. A nice session in the studio would calm her nerves but she is instead derailed by an incoming call from Dane on Etti IV. Curious, she takes it but is not prepared for the leading story.
“Me? A Direx? You have got to be kidding.”
Dane’s ghostly image hovers above the holo pad, “Is this my kidding face?"
“No,” she admits with a sigh. “How is this a good thing? We were nominated and voted in because of a lie.”
“A brilliant lie, if I do say so myself.”
“Still a lie. I am surprised they entertained the idea at all given what happened to Ples and Trichelle. Our presence would only remind them of what they lost and can never regain. That stupid Imperial simp Barrett coerced us under the absolute worst circumstances. Neither of us wanted Gemma to be captured despite what that little bitch Demaris thinks. I am not second-guessing our decision but this…is a bit much. We are going to have voting power in a governing body we manipulated.”
Dane smirks, “Which gives us more power than we had before and power equals leverage. Besides, how do you think most of those people, our fathers included, got that gig? Their altruistic ways and positive attitudes? Come on! Even you know there are always trade-offs with these things.”
“Ethics and morals be damned, right?”
“Those only complicate everything when it really comes down to it. We have one of our best friends back and the protection of the Jedi. The Direx board membership gives us the opportunity to fight back against the tyranny of the Republic and the machinations of the Empire. Will you, at least, consider it?”
Alka leans against the exquisitely polished countertop, “What would I even do?”
“I believe Irulan said something about arts and culture. Could be fun.”
“Could being the operative word.”
“You wanted me to lean on others, let people in. This is me trying to accept that help. Hard.”
“Dane.”
“Real hard.”
“Dane! You are impossible.”
“To resist, maybe. If you do not want me to get all self-destructive then this is your way to keep an eye on me too.”
She cocks her head and crosses her arms, “Does this mean you have rethought your death wish?”
“Stop pretending me trying to spare you a tragic end is not wildly romantic.”
“Stop pretending that losing you to this insane bullshit wouldn’t kill me too!”
“Well…there it is.”
“I hate this and I hate you.”
He laughs, “You do not. Say you’ll consider it, the Direx thing? We are good partners. Let’s fuck some shit up while we can, really make our parents proud.”
“Fine,” she says with a wistful smile. “Consider it considered.”
“Good, I was hopin-”
Dane vanishes and the lights cut out.
Thunder rumbles in the distance.
Somewhere in the mansion, glass breaks.
Alka turns around slowly and mutters, “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
She tries not to panic but fails spectacularly, frozen in place in the center of the kitchen. Relax, she thinks, it is probably your stalker. Most stalkers just want to be near their obsession. It will be like a really creepy meet-and-greet then everyone can move on with their lives.
Several of the kitchen drawers burst open on their own.
Or not.
“Gyger?” she calls, hoping the service droid had not developed a dark sense of humor. Her blaster is on the vanity in her room not doing a whole hell of a lot of good. Perhaps she should not have made such a hasty exit from the Jedi Gemma literally just sent to watch over them. No, she had to cause a scene. Make a point. Stick it to Dane and his ill-conceived antics. Despite her feeling like they totally fucked with her best friend, their spooky moves would come in real handy right about now.
There is a hum to the silence that follows then a tremendous clatter as the cutlery spills out of the drawers into the air to spiral in her direction. She gasps, moving quickly – a dancer's reflexes – evading each knife except for one. It cuts across the top of her right arm. She stumbles, briefly, as the top half of Gyger skids, sparking and smoking, across the great room floor.
Alka screams, bolting in the other direction further into the house.
As she takes a sharp corner, she slams into someone who clamps a hand over her mouth and forces her back against the wall.
“Quiet,” Garron Prescott hisses sternly, hefting a weapon in the other hand. “There is someone here.”
Fighting the urge to bite the shit out of him, Alka nods. Something else breaks, this time closer. Whoever this is is not exactly being subtle. It feels like she is being hunted which is far more terrifying when she acknowledges it. He leans close to her ear.
“Exit?”
“Study.”
She leads the way and together they traverse through the darkened house. The storm outside allows them some cover but not enough. Someone is closing the distance between them. As they near the study, there is movement from across the corridor. Garron kneels and turns to lay down cover fire as Alka unlatches the bookcase and enters the code for the blast door. He follows but waits for the door to lock behind them along with the click of the bookcase falling back into place. She tends to her wound and winces.
“What the hell are you doing here, Prescott?”
He heads down the passage, “Long story and we have to go.”
“Have you been stalking me?”
“Yes,” he says, shaking his head. “I mean, no. Not like that. You left. I thought someone might come after you.”
“Security would have taken care of it.”
“Your security is dead.”
She stops suddenly, “How do I know you didn’t kill them?”
“You and your friends are in real danger.”
“As opposed to the very fake danger we have always been in? You are not selling me on this, especially after…after…”
The image of him with his wrists slashed open on the floor of the Gellar Penthouse lingered longer than she would have liked. He tried to kill himself once, Dane twice, and now here he is a savior in this crisis – as he had been before. The protector and confidante she had known him to be her whole life. Whatever this is, she does not want to hang around and find out the alternative.
They escape through the tunnel, passing a slain private security agent near her mother's garden, to a speeder Garron stashed beyond the tall grasses at the fringes of the property. Soaked and out of options, Alka throws a look back at her home before sliding onto the seat behind him and speeding off into the woods.
Inside the Dawning estate, crushing needlessly expensive décor beneath her boots, Alia emerges by the window just in time to catch a glimpse of their daring escape.
“Pity but there is always next time.”
-TBC
-
“You think I’m living it, living it, living it up
In the spotlight
You think I’m living it, living it, living it up
It’s a lie, lie.”
-Class Actress
Corporate Sector
D’ian: Surface: Concordia Township
Demaris Atrii places a hand on the cool, stone floor and closes her eyes.
The Dawning estate is in quite a state of disarray. Signs of an attack. Cutlery lodged in the walls and floors. Décor crushed and scattered. A small splash of blood now dried a deep crimson against the light stone. Dane was right to worry. After his call with Alka ended so abruptly, he wisely went to the Jedi. He said something felt off but could not place it. Given everything going on with her father and the rather precarious situation they find themselves in, Demaris agreed and they hopped in the Gellar shuttle and arrived on D’ian to find their fears confirmed. The Dawning security team is dead and the place is trashed. The group fans out in an armed search of the grounds.
Alka is nowhere to be found.
Near the garden wrapped around the north side of the mansion, Taarek pulls on his gloves and inspects one of the bodies.
“No visible blast marks or signs of abrasions. Judging by their position, they were taken down at close range. Not an amateur job. Someone with skills, training.”
“Charming,” Dane mutters, sighing despite the rising dread within him. “But where is Alka?”
“She is not among them. Possibly a good sign.”
“Not dead but captured? I warned her not to go back alone.”
Roman, concealed in full armor, places a hand on his shoulder, “Your actions did not remove her from danger and only damaged the trust she once had in your word.”
“Cold, dude. But fair.”
The sting of it is very real. He should have known that trying to put distance between them would not make her any less of a target. Worth a shot though, if it could save her. She is a public figure, adored throughout the Sector and beyond for her magnificent grace upon the stage. A loyal friend to Gemma and so much more to him. Dane knows she thinks him and this plan insane – again, fair – yet the alternative, even the notion of perpetuating the ongoing nightmare from which they cannot escape, is so much worse. He ruminates on their last exchanges, heavy with fire and hurt, trying to recall anything that may shed light on how and why this happened.
“She mentioned something about a stalker, someone leaving her things.”
Taarek shakes his head, dousing his theory into smoldering ash, “This looks too elaborate for a crazed fan. The service droid was torn in half. All that destruction feels intentional, almost personal.”
There are several people within the Sector upset with Dawning over Dyre’s murder. He’s been indicted and awaits trial but that may not have stopped one of Dyre’s allies from going after Dawning’s family. People who would make others pay in both credits and blood.
“That is hardly comforting. Let’s check with the others.”
Inside, Shendo is waiting with Demaris as she kneels in silent meditation. He studies her closely. She is one of the only people he can stand in this group. Even though she is from this world, a child of excess, she does not exude the arrogance and privilege of the others. It feels frivolous and unproductive given the threats they face and it is, for all his mistrust and suspicion, something Shendo can appreciate. Demaris draws from the Force, reaching out for the emotional imprints of the shattered scene. The air around them hums with a palpable edge. A blade, striking skin. There is a scream, a blur of motion. Something else. Someone else. Demaris opens her eyes.
“She was not alone. An ally and an enemy.”
“Who?”
“I do not know.”
“Well, a lot of good those Force powers are-”
“Have you seen this?”
Shendo, with his deep voice like heavy wheels over gravel. They move through the archway between rooms, around the corner to find a message carved into the massive blank wall where a piece of now-smashed sculpture was previously mounted.
Liars
Plural, Dane notes darkly. Not a good sign but there it is. The why. Things snapping into place. It does not mollify him. Someone knows about what really went down in the Bolerathon Tower. Knows that Dane and Alka lied to the Direx Board when two of their own were grieving their children. A few more sacrifices heaped on the altar of the prophecy. To protect their companies, to shield Gemma from blame and litigation. Selfish motives, if there ever were any other kind here, not that the Empire made it any easier.
It was his choice to pin it on the Chiss, dragging Alka deeper into the lie with him.
Could it be the Empire fucking with him? They could be seen as a liable party had their deceptions about allowing Gemma to escape be revealed. At the very least the Republic would have wanted her to stand trial, to use her part in those lives lost as a symbol to further illustrate the need for their legislative terror. Look at the Force user. So dangerous! A menace! He may have no love for Barrett Trevaithan but he did keep his smart fucking mouth of his shut. They even held off giving a statement until Pallus went on record and chose to corroborate their story – a careful gamble or savvy business move? Their stake in ChemiX elicits skepticism as they look to climb further into bed with the Gellar brand. Why not if there is currency to be made? It is in their interest for Gellar Industries to do well. So, no, probably not.
Who else would even know?
“What the hell does that mean?” Taarek cuts in, addressing the group.
Dane shakes his head, “Nothin good.”
*
D’ian: Undisclosed
Garron leads Alka into a bunker deep in the Tyndarian Woods.
This is it, she thinks. This is where she dies. This is what she gets for following the severely unstable former right hand of Rutherford Gellar after escaping yet another near-death experience at the hands of an unseen assailant. Everyone’s luck runs out eventually.
He leads her inside, the situation looking incredibly dire. He’s been squatting and the place is a mess. If she had to guess, this was one of several safe houses the Gellar’s have in and around the Sector. Alka only knows because her father has taken the same precautions. For people in positions like D’Ken and Rutherford, they could never be too careful. It makes sense he would come here, somewhere familiar yet untraceable to anyone other than the Gellar inner circle.
She almost lets herself relax when she spots the various datacards spread out across a basic black table in a way that suggests mania she is not in the mood to deal with.
“I know why I was returned,” he mutters lowly. “Why they brought me back.”
Oh, boy. “Do you?”
“She wants me to kill Dane.”
Alka does not react, instead deadpanning. “Looks like you and Dane have that in common then.”
He does not ask and she does not elaborate. Alka is not entirely sure she can trust him in this condition. This woman sent him to kill Dane and Dane knows he must die – connected? Possibly. Garron escaped the Gellar Tower while in custody which is impressive in and of itself. He might be the only one that could with his knowledge of every corner and conference room. She is not sure if that makes him more or less dangerous so she treads carefully.
“You didn’t.”
“No,” he whispers. “No, but she will make me.”
“How…will she make you?”
Garron’s brow furrows deeply as he looks up at her, a stream of blood slowly appearing under his nose.
“I have tried over and over to replay what happened to me. Where I was. What I was doing. The blackness, the pain, is so profound. I have spent weeks forcing myself to push through it, to reach into the depths of my memory. No matter what I do I can only bring back bits and pieces. The gray-skinned woman came to me as people I knew, loved, lost – Kylie, Celeste, Rutherford. She wanted to torment me into submission and I fought to resist her. I heard screams and thought it was Janessa. I’m worried about her. It took time but then she was in my mind. Everything inside me drowned until there was nothing left."
Alka crosses her arms tightly, fingers grazing the shoulder wound, “If you are worried about Janessa Kain, I have some bad news for you.”
“Is she…okay?”
“No,” she says evenly. “She is not. She was killed in the explosion that took out the Republic President and a CSA delegation…”
I know why I was returned.
A chill slips along her arms and she feels vaguely faint. If Garron returned to kill Dane, did Janessa return to kill Inganarre? They were both missing, one shortly after the other. A convenient cover story neither she nor Dane really bought but everyone else seemed to accept as if people went missing without any notice all the time. She supposes in some circles, on some worlds, they do. The Corporate Sector is no different. People go missing or wind up dead in ways that render the Espos more ineffectual than usual. Both taken, she muses. Taken and returned by the same person? This gray-skinned woman. A common thread for general badness if it is the same one who came to collect Alia here, on D’ian, in what feels like a lifetime ago.
All he says is, “Yes.”
“What is the last thing you remember? Before you were in the Gellar’s living room?”
“Orange. The glint of light off orange armor.”
His description of the towering terror brings back a flash of the blade cutting through Ples and the monstrosity standing behind him.
“Sometimes, I am not even sure if that was real.”
“It was,” she murmurs distantly. “I assure you.”
Was this so-called Inquisitor working with the gray-skinned woman? Collecting key people to do her dastardly bidding by reprogramming their minds through magic? It seems impossible, almost silly. But she has seen enough to know that it is most certainly not – impossible or silly. The prospects only grow more ominous and she has to pull back to keep from spiraling.
“Why are you here? If you will try to kill him if you are near him, why not leave this place?”
Honestly, she is surprised he has not tried to off himself again. He clearly has the time and means. Perhaps a change of heart in the darkest of hours? Garron Prescott stares at her with bleary, bloodshot eyes, rimmed with shadows.
“I have to help him however I can.”
“Noble, but hard to trust given what you have done. He does not want our help anyway.”
“I could not save their parents, their friends, but I can save them. Dane and Gemma are all I have left.”
“I am not sure they can be saved,” she sighs, admitting to herself what had been there all along.
Garron sits at the table in front of the scattered datacards.
“Will you help me try?”
-TBC
-
"You can ask yourself
Are we having fun?
You can ask yourself
If I am the one
But all that I know
Is money and love
Love and money
Money and love.
Love and money."
[email protected]
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Garron Prescott idles by the landing platforms across from Gellar Tower.
His jaw is set tight beneath a pair of dark sunglasses and a cap that makes him look like an anxious tourist which is not entirely unexpected given his daring escape from this very building not all that long ago. Alka Dawning sighs, something she has become quite good at, eyes rising slowly up the impossibly textured exteriors of the skyline.
“This will never work. Coaching me from the sidelines is only going to piss everyone off, especially with Jedi in the mix.”
“Perhaps,” he says, trying to keep his tone south of shrill. “But what alternative do you see? I am compromised so I cannot do it myself. If everything you told me is true then it has already begun. Closing in on those The Four hold dear is the precursor to a final confrontation, one which will determine an outcome that seems to have been in play for longer than anyone realized. I often wonder how much Rutherford knew, if he was not stuck in a different loop, one strengthened by ambition and grief. He had his motives. I suppose we all do.”
“How comforting,” Alka groans, rolling her eyes. “Wait, if I am telling the truth? Wow, you really are something lately. We are not imagining these things, Garron, despite what they may have done to your head.”
“I do not think you are lying but allowing for the possibility it could be misinterpreted. It would not be the first time. You need to be careful.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
Garron manages a weak smile, “I need you to be a source of reason for Dane while infiltrating the Direx board for their connections and security. There is greater visibility and insight with that access. You already have an in, you just need to capitalize on the opportunity. Can you do that?”
“Yes, but not sure it will be enough if he is intent on nose-diving into Gemma’s fatalistic assessment of the situation. Also, we lied to their faces. The Direx board would willingly sacrifice us if we were exposed. Blood for blood.”
His voice is trembling, “I will try to help with that. Hopefully, it will buy you time. Dane has considerable resources which is why I do not believe he will be directly targeted first. It would be easier to eliminate Masterton and Patten…”
“But?”
“But that is not to say they will not make him suffer along the way to bend him to their will. He is not short on enemies. None of you are.”
Alka throws a glance behind her as she steps out onto the platform, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The lift ride is spent in quiet reflection. Everything seems to be closing in but she pushes through with the same determination that makes her such a sensation on stage. She approaches Ximena’s desk slowly and watches the admin’s eyes widen at the sight of her. Alka only made a half-hearted attempt at pulling herself together after the attack and rescue.
“Uh, hey. Irunlan in?”
Ximena glances down at her screen, “She’s wrapping up a call but…”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
She nods, tapping away at her keypad. Ximena has a list of priority individuals Irulan can be interrupted for, something her boss was rather vague but stern about. She did not question the directive and looks to the shaken prima ballerina.
“You can go on in.”
Inside the cavernous office, light piercing the room in sharp angles, Irulan rises behind her desk.
“I must say this is a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. Dane and his companions think you have been abducted or worse. They are on D’ian freaking out as we speak but I will send for them. I am pleased to see you have not fallen victim to their worst fears.”
Alka approaches and falls gracefully into one of the plush chairs, “For the moment, at least.”
“Our people discreetly took care of your slain security so no worries there. Best not to involve the Espos if we do not have to. May I ask what happened?”
“I was attacked.”
“Anyone we know?”
“Unclear,” she says, sweater sliding down her shoulder to reveal the cut on her shoulder. “I escaped before I got a look at them.”
“Well done but it clearly warrants further investigation.”
Irulan rounds the desk, removing the bandage Garron placed there to take a look at the wound.
“This needs treatment.”
“So, you are a medic as well?”
“I can do many things. Help build then grow this company with Rutherford; teach Dane in these ways, and try to keep him safe so that he may run it if he so chooses. However, the success of any of our business ventures is not dependent on his survival – although it is preferable.”
Irulan retrieves a small medkit and meticulously sets the contents on the desk behind her. Alka allows her to work, wincing slightly at the antiseptic sting, “That is more consideration than we would likely get otherwise.”
“You are speaking of the troubles with your father and those scrambling at Dawning Enterprises in his absence.”
“I should not be talking to you about this.”
“We are not competitors, Alka.”
“More so investment opportunity or acquisition target. I know how this works.”
“Good, then you also know it is not personal. Would you rather D’Ken’s company be torn to pieces internally or continue to flourish with Gellar Enterprise capital?”
Alka watches her suture the wound carefully but quickly then apply a fresh bandage. She has endured worse through grueling practice sessions, pushing her body to the limits for a jump or turn that appears effortless to the audience. Dane had said as much about their position, as obvious and trite as it may be. Such is the way of things here and while she may be more jaded than she wishes to be having grown up in this world, it does not dampen the fight in her.
“You make it sound so harmless. Like it would not destroy his legacy in the process.”
“Is this a legacy you wish to inherit and continue?”
“I make my own way,” she says defiantly, a mixture of rage and sorrow glowing behind her dark eyes.
“Yes, you do. And you are lucky not to be tied to your father’s business materially. It gives you far more flexibility with your future outside the twisted webs the corporations weave. You are the principal dancer in the most prestigious company in or out of the Sector with more influence than you may realize. Considering I am a fan myself, I would not be betraying my duties by telling you that there is a silver lining here.”
“I know which is why we will accept the roles of Direx.”
Irulan steps back, “Interesting. I expected that of Dane but was not entirely sure you would.”
“We have an opportunity to do some good.”
“Is that all?”
“No,” she says, recalling Dane’s words.“These positions bring us power and power equals leverage. Also, I can keep an eye on him considering his more…troubling thoughts these days.”
Irulan replaces the kit in her desk drawer and then draws a finger across the back of her chair.
“You love him. That is a statement of fact, not a judgment. I loved once and was loved in return. What I would not give to feel that again but that is no longer my purpose. As I said, although preferred, his survival is not tied to a successful business outcome.”
“Ruthless.”
“Necessary, so consider this carefully: if he chooses this path and you follow him down it, will you die with him or for him?”
*
Beneath the tower, Dr. Maumbile has procured everything he needs. Cloning tanks, hibernation chambers, and an impressive array of tools to assist with any genetic tinkering. He has begun his work, the work that Rutherford Gellar first procured his services to assist with. Now, he would honor his benefactor and friend by ensuring that while the prophecy must be fulfilled, there would be a dormant contingency ready to counter whatever darkness may follow.
Maumbile holds up a vial, extracted from the blood of Dane’s last diagnostic sample, and smiles.
Rutherford would have his revenge.
-TBC
-
“Under the sun
It’s not what they can see
Until it’s done
Your secrets safe with me.”
-Mr. Little Jeans
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
The group is reunited with Alka atop the Gellar Tower.
They find her in an elongated stretch, using the small sill as a makeshift barre. She brings her arm across the air in a graceful arch and smiles. While relief is the shared emotion, Dane realizes how close he came to actually losing her and chides himself for foolishly thinking that pushing her away would save her. She is and always will be a target. He was foolish to think otherwise.
After the requisite embraces, something Shendo shies away from, the group retires to the casual comfort of the conversation circle in the living room to debrief about the attack. Alka walks them through it, careful to avoid her rescuer in outlining the escape but reinforces that she never actually saw her attacker.
“You mentioned you have a…admirer,” Taarek says. “Someone leaving you notes and flowers and gifts. Could this have escalated beyond admiration?”
“This seems too brutal but there is a lot going on. Maybe I missed it. Still, cutting the power, the flying knife fiasco, bisecting my service droid – it all feels so, you know, intentional. Personal.”
Demaris is quick to home in on the more esoteric aspect of the story, “Flying? As in, operating independently?”
“Yes.”
“That seems more like a telekinetic attack…”
“Or the Force,” Shendo chimes in darkly.
Roman folds his arms, “Perhaps this is not a stalker or a corporate rival.”
It resonates and settles over them in a moment of silence with implications their foe is working with more power than the average executive in these parts. Something more to consider. The conversation then shifts to the aftermath; the slain security team, the spectacular mess, and the literal writing on the wall. Dane groans.
“We had to obscure the message. It would raise too many questions if left undisturbed and someone found it.”
Alka levels her gaze, “We wouldn’t want that now would we? Considering we have our first board meeting in a few days, I don’t think I have to tell you how completely fucked we are going to be if this is made public. Someone could be setting us up to fail.”
They saw how quickly the board took action against Balthazar Nash once his part in the demise of their legacies was revealed – i.e. fabricated. While Dyre may be dead, Aguilar would gladly sacrifice them both if it brought him even a whisper of closure with Ples. Retribution in the form of making their respective holdings vulnerable. Gellar capitalized on that with Nash and now Dawning.
What is it they say? Turnabout…and all that.
Taarek breaks through their mental spiral, “If you believe this was intended as a direct threat, it is something they could leverage. I mean, extortion isn’t out of the question, right?”
“Right. This is a classic move. Hold it over our heads while we try to draw them out and negotiate terms. Only one problem with that. If all they wanted was currency they would have demanded it by now.”
“I do not like this,” Demaris says solemnly.
“What’s to like?” Alka hisses. “We are well aware of how things went down last time. The goal of elimination was preceded by shockingly violent actions against those closest to The Four. They want you dead, Dane, but they want you to suffer first.”
The iciness of her words catches his breath yet they all know she is not wrong.
The things they had seen and read painted a haunting picture of Karen, Melanie, Kimber, and Valerie being stripped of those they loved before ultimately falling victim to it all themselves. Made for good Holo. However, the pressure of a potential sequel in what is now known to be a series of horrific cycles seems quite a bit less glamorous as part of a lived experience.
Roman surveys the group, “Then we protect both. We split up the detail to cover Dane and Alka, each with a Jedi to accompany them. It gives them the greatest chance.”
“At the very least it would give Gemma and Riley some runway to figure out a better way.”
“Not that you have much faith in that,” Alka mutters.
He holds her stare, “We don’t deal in faith, babe.”
Demaris muses, “I would give anything to forfeit such an outcome so I think you are right about more focused coverage. But I do not wish to speak for others.”
“We will do what we must to protect them. We swore it.”
Roman runs a gloved hand over his helmet, “That we did.”
Shendo nods. These people are insane. He has come to care for some through their fight for survival in a galaxy that now fears and hunts them. Although he has learned much about himself and his gifts, there is a madness in their methods. The lies the Republic told to put them in danger are just as dangerous as the ones Gellar and Dawning told this Direx Board. He can see the distinction in judgment but begins to wonder if one set of lies predicated all the others. Yet here he is, still alive and kicking. He figures he should stay the course.
Once settled, the groups are formed: Demaris and Taarek will stay with Dane while Shendo and Roman watch over Alka.
“Between the board meeting and rehearsals, you shouldn’t have too much trouble I hope.”
“If you don’t wander off again in a huff.”
“Justifiable huff! My father is set to stand trial for a murder he didn’t commit and you were hardly what I would call comforting.”
Demaris slowly paces the length of the room, “Have we considered Dawning’s predicament may be part of this as well? After all, hurting Alka would hurt Dane.”
“It does destabilize her support network. Keeps her close.”
“How very reassuring.”
Roman stands by her side, “It is not a judgment, Alka. Whoever is doing this knows you are Dane’s weakness. They may be counting on it making him reckless, pushing him to further compromise himself to protect you.”
“Strategy wise,” Taarek cuts in. “It makes sense.”
“I will not be a pawn in a game I didn’t even want to play!”
Dane cringes, “Maybe a bit late for that. Do you think anyone unwittingly involved in the prophecy wanted this? Gemma called it. They cast these roles long ago and everyone around them is fair game.”
“Always so helpful.”
“You think I like this? Here I am still butt crazy in love with you and these assholes want to use you to get at me? It’s insane!”
“I’m sorry, what now?”
Taarek shakes his head, Roman and Shendo look away awkwardly, and Demaris bites her lower lip.
Dane throws his arms up, “Oh, don’t stand there and pretend like I’m doing all this for selfless reasons. I’m Dane Gellar for fucks sake! I love you – I am in love with you – and I don’t want you to suffer because my fate is foretold or whatever.”
Alka has never wanted this boy more than she does right now but stares daggers at him anyway.
“Alright,” Roman says lowly. “We know what we must do. We need to keep you both safe and we will.”
Demaris sighs, amused by the declaration, but weary, “Speaking of, we’re going to need more of the Force vaccine if Shendo and I are to provide such protection without being tracked through our Force signatures.”
“I got you. I’ll have Irulan send some over.”
“Much appreciated. You know, this would have mitigated a lot of damage had it been more accessible during the Republic purge of the Jedi.”
“I…didn’t think of it that way.”
“Big picture, Dane,” Demaris says, voice free of any scorn. “You may be central to the plot but it is not only you who risks harm.”
“That’s not what I…”
“I know. I am only reinforcing what you already feel. A call to action to stop what is coming. I believe Gemma and Riley will find a way but until then those we know and love will continue to be targets for agents of the prophecy. We must do what we can to protect them all. You are not naïve, Dane. Neither am I. Lives will be lost but we must minimize the damage the prophecy has the potential to cause however we can.”
He nods, despite not quite believing it himself.
Dane excuses himself to hit up Irulan for the meds, finding a quiet moment in his office. Formerly his father’s. It is not nearly as stately or impressive as the one at the Gellar Estate. He would generally head downstairs to his actual office for official matters of business. This served as more of a safe space, something away from the corporate chaos below. Dane had more recently used it to play virtual multiplayer games but often found himself in his father’s old chair, staring out into the bustling cityscape beyond the massive windows.
He taps on the console and sees a message alert…from Gemma. As usual these days, she leads with an ominous tone.
Dane – something happened on Corellia. You need to be careful.
-TBC
-
“Yeah, she’s a death wish
I don’t think we’re ever gonna fix this
Backtrack ‘til we’re dancing on the kill switch
What’s the point of praying for the wicked?
Don’t think that I wanna know.”
-Vampire Disco
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Surface: Mondder
Gemma fades from view.
So. A spy in the mix, and a dead one at that.
He replays the message several times in his father’s office. She looks harder now, even as an ethereal hologram. Her words are sharper and in a tone he did not hear very often growing up – the crispness of Gemma at the end of her rope. She must really have seen some shit, Dane thinks as he absently grips the chair. She tells him to be careful, and to trust sparingly, but the subtext is there.
Watch your back.
Shendo and Taarek are the ones he knows littlest about with Demaris closer in social proximity and Roman a true bro. It was the quiet one that got them, Gemma said. Off to the side but always with a front-row seat. They aren’t an overly talkative bunch, but he hasn’t seen or heard anything that would rouse suspicion yet. Dane knows Gemma has legit problems with the Jedi that cut deeper than bone and cross into an existential whatever so he contemplates options. Could one of those assigned to protect them be a plant and killer? An agent of the prophecy, a term they had so ominously spoken aloud earlier? He shudders to think.
The simple chirp of his com jolts him back into reality. The meds are ready. Irulan says she will have them sent up but Dane declines.
He would pick them up himself.
In the lift, he chews the tip of his thumb. Something Demaris said stuck with him. The Force vaccine could have saved a lot of lives. If they had flooded the markets, perhaps the Jedi would not be down to such a small number. Hunted, slain, and scattered. Those that remain…if they remain. Normally this passing comment would not have cut as deep yet the sentiment lingers for an uncomfortably long time. Despite her inclinations now, Demaris is one of them. She came from this sociopathic corporate scene so she would know that if they did not flood the market there was generally a self-serving reason why.
This was merely a polite way of making him aware of it - and he does not appreciate it.
Xemena has gone home for the day but Irulan still toils away in her office. As always, she looks impossibly poised with features that signal concern as part of her primary programming. Impressive elements of the person she once was. She tosses him the bag of pills that he snatches from the air on the way to one of the statement chairs positioned as an audience in front of her massive desk. Being an executive was definitely her thing.
“Thanks for the meds.”
“You came down here to tell me that?”
“I needed a little walk. Also, Gemma was attacked. One of the Force-sensitive refugees turned out to be evil. She was injured but thankfully saved by Riley’s…aunt. Apparently, our family tree is pretty wild. It was, from what I gather, a whole thing. Given she sent a security contingent our way, she wanted us to be aware. Consider this something of a debrief.”
Irulan folds her hands in front of her, “I am pleased to hear she is okay although the circumstances are certainly troubling. Considering Alka’s recent brush with death, I’d say that puts the threat level higher than it has been.”
“It does feel like an escalation.”
“What do you plan to do about it?”
“Still deciding. I may be skeptical of the Jedi ways but I do not feel Demaris would intentionally put us in danger.”
“Unless she is unaware of the danger amongst you. The Jedi seem to have a habit of being blind to the things that are right in front of them. You may want to broach that with her to be sure.”
“Good call,” Dane muses with a shrug. “She’s fairly reasonable…for an Atrii.”
“The Atrii’s are flakes. Powerful flakes and some of the oldest money here but flakes none the less. Even I see the irony in Demaris shrugging off their family privilege to serve the Jedi but I do not need a mystical energy force to know that is not why you really came here.”
“No, it’s not.”
He holds up the pills, shaking them lightly for effect.
“The reason so many Force-sensitives were identified when it all went down in the Republic was due to a lack of options. Our vaccine, a potentially life-saving drug that would have allowed them to avoid detection and escape, was nowhere to be found. I dunno, I just feel like…we could have done more.”
“We could have,” Irulan replies coldly after a significant pause. “But we didn’t.”
Dane goes there, “Intentionally.”
“When you came to me with the diversification pitch, surely you realized that would require investment. By restricting certain supplies, the prices fetched for such a drug netted a substantial sum and drove up our value across the most strategic markets. It also created the liquid capital used to acquire Palace Arms outright and further diversify our holdings in companies like Dawning Enterprises among others. This is not a new practice and restrictions around the Force vaccine supply were authorized by me after the Jedi were expelled from Chandaar in anticipation of future diversification efforts to ensure we had ample capital to do so when the time came."
She rises and rounds the desk with menacing precision.
“Where do you think all those credits came from, Dane? I certainly did not conjure them out of thin air.”
“I get it but did we, uh, happen to enable genocide in the process?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! The Republic Speaker did that. We merely profited from it. Significantly, if I may say so. Someone would. They always do. Do you now have a problem with that, given all you have and stand to gain?”
“No. Well, not…entirely but-”
“But nothing. You may have known it before – peripherally, perhaps - but now I see that you understand. It is something you and Alka will need to get over. Everything has a price. On that point, Rutherford Gellar was perfectly clear. He may have lost Abra, Blair, and Valerie, but he had Celeste, Gemma, and you.”
“The great karmic wash.”
Irulan sighs, easing down into the chair beside him.
“You know that is not what it was. Rutherford and Celeste made terrible choices based on a promise manipulated by a duplicitous, megalomaniacal brute and they both suffered dearly for it. Your father may have known he would not be able to protect you from it entirely but he did set you up to be a true contender.
You swore you were proceeding with this contingency to avoid any further generations suffering the fates of The Four. It did not please me but I agreed and summoned Doctor Maumbile who is, at this very moment, cloning three of you far below the monolith we are sitting on top of having this conversation. We must do our part. Do not tell me you are having reservations now.”
“A bit late for that,” he mutters.
“Exactly. Do not get yourself lost in the details. Your father tasked me with that. The focus must remain on your appearance for the Direx Board and the public. Ethos goes a long way and your name carries a certain cache. You may have been nominated to serve on that board but that does not mean there are not enemies in every other chair around that table. This may also be an elaborate trap, one that the likes of the Imperial liaison and others will look to capitalize on. You and Alka must stay alert.”
“Someone knows. About the lie.”
Irulan waves away the notion, “Knowing about the lie does not necessarily mean they know the truth. Without corroboration, everything is hearsay. Pure speculation. These are things that can be spun to our advantage.”
“It could be enough for them to reconsider, make us both targets. I can’t do that to Alka.”
She grows quiet for a moment, eyes drifting to the windows as nightfall deepens over the city.
“Not an option. That is an inevitable burden for any heirs born into this world. An heir is the promise of a future, a continuation, and an extension of power and wealth unto the generations unfolding before it. It is its own form of capital, untoward as that may sound, which is why the loss of one – Aguilar, Corinthos, Kincaid – inflicts a different kind of damage. Not just the loss of a child but the loss of that promise and the future it holds.”
She smiles, something almost wistful, but there is something more sinister beneath it. The reason she was Rutherford Gellar’s right hand.
“The fundamental truth here is that their losses are our gain. The fewer the heirs, the less likely they will be able to maintain their grip on power over time. Not all can stomach these brutal realities but we must. This is the price for profit, and our endeavor needs multiple revenue streams to function both publicly and privately while protecting us from the raiders always waiting just outside the corporate compound gates. I need to know you can do this, Dane.”
A bit harsh, if he is being honest but he gets the point.
The deal with the Empire, involving Kaytt after everything, virtually sacrificing Janessa and Kier, handing the Direx Board a familiar villain to exact retribution upon, "handling" their would-be blackmailer; everything in the name of the almighty bottom line. Shareholder value, etc. The thing is…he is not sure he is quite that far gone. But what does feeling bad about it get him? It doesn’t change anything and there is value in scarcity.
The Jedi are a rare commodity now. They have something many do not and can use that to topple the Voss-Ra or leverage their expertise to dispatch the person who knows about the lie and buy them enough time to pull off the contingency. Demaris may be right about needing to mitigate the damage from the prophecy any way they could which means there would be difficult choices. Ones they would have to make based on what best served the outcome they favor. Dying is still not his preferred option but there would be a smug satisfaction popping up after the fact and sticking it to Dahlia like, surprise, bitch! Gellar in the house! Spite alone may make it worth it even with the added Sith element attached to a Winton victory.
Not their problem. At least not yet.
Irulan does not relent, “Can you do this?”
Dane’s dark eyes go blank as he leans back and flashes an easy smile.
“Yes, I can.”
-TBC
-
“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
-
“I’ve got a problem
Was it supposed to be?
Is it bad karma
That is affecting me?
Is it all related
Or did I make it all up?”
-B.Visible
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder: Gellar Tower
“What did you say?”
“You heard me,” Alka replies curtly, holding her ground. “Garron isn’t my stalker.”
Avenarius slips off his helmet, dark hair matted down, “But how did he help you survive?”
“He was there. We escaped the attacker together, okay?”
“Alka,” Demaris breathes, rising from her seat. “That is critical information you failed to share with us. We cannot protect you if we do not have all the details.”
“And exactly how much information did the Jedi share with you and Gemma when they wandered off for, I dunno, years and let you wade deeper into this mess? Get real.”
“Lashing out for Gemma by proxy is only going to get us all killed. She asked us to come here, to protect you.”
“To protect him. I am just a plot device, remember?”
“Not true,” Dane says, wounded by what he thinks may be an implication. “You matter to me.”
“That’s the problem, isn’t it? We suffer to make you suffer. Why couldn’t you be part of a more fanciful and fun magical prophecy? This is so depressing!”
Taarek rejoins them, “You are avoiding the question, miss Dawning. We need to know how Garron interceded during your attack.”
“What is this, an Espos inquiry? The power cut out, the knives thing happened, our droid was sliced up, and so I ran,” she sighs. “Garron found me in the hall, and we escaped through my father’s study. He said someone might try something when I returned to the estate alone. Turns out he was right.”
“So, he’s been watching us.”
“Not surprising, given his apparent intention. We should sweep the penthouse. We need to be sure since he has intimate knowledge of the properties and security. As for Garron, he follows you back to D’ian and miraculously appears during your attack, infiltrating your supposedly secure estate?”
“Pretty much.”
“Did you actually see anyone else?”
“No, but we heard them. There was definitely someone else there. Wait, what are you saying? He staged the attack to rescue me himself?”
Demaris folds her arms in front of her.
“You thought there was evidence of a telekinetic attack! How could he have pulled that off? That’s insane!”
“As opposed to every other completely sane thing that’s happened to us. He may not be working alone.”
“Right,” Taarek says. “Staging that kind of a scene may serve to soften Dane’s resolve.”
“What about the stalker stuff?”
“He could have left you those things, staged your attack, and come to your rescue. He is the common factor here. He wants Dane scared enough to force a confrontation. What does he have to lose?”
Dane frowns, “He’s not in control. Garron would not be doing this otherwise.”
“We’ve established that,” Demaris says softly but the threads of exasperation thicken her words. “Where did he take you afterward, Alka? After you escaped the Dawning estate?”
“To some sort of safe house in the Tyndarian Woods then I came back here.”
“That’s something to go off of although he will unlikely stay there if she knows where it is.”
“How did he seem? Emotionally, physically?”
“A wreck, obviously, but that’s where your theory falls apart for me. If he was sent here to make Dane suffer then he would have killed me when he had the chance. I don’t think he’s programmed to hurt me or anyone close to Dane. He had plenty of opportunities before his escape. I think Dane is his primary objective.”
“Not necessarily,” Roman muses. “Killing you would take you off the board. You could no longer be used as an influence over him. They are not going to do that. Not yet. Not until we know what he and whoever is behind his abduction really wants.”
“Roman, what the fuck?”
“Dude, dark!”
“We do not have time for denial. You both know it’s true.”
“You think they are trying to get him to negotiate through Garron?” Taarek asks.
“There is a wealth of assets under the Gellar name, access to boards of companies and holdings that could reshape entire regimes. I know you've taken measures so I don't expect him to try to seize anything outright. Irulan may lead the charge, but everyone knows this all belongs to you. So, yes, he may be the primary but everyone else is fair game.”
Dane fumes, “Then why hasn’t someone made the ask yet?”
“Maybe someone doesn’t believe you are desperate enough yet to deal with the terms.”
“Or other pieces have yet to fall into place.”
“Your sister and Riley Patten are running around flouting Republic laws, and they will respond. A conflict of that magnitude would draw a lot of attention and put the Empire in a tricky situation if they took it too far. There would be destabilizing ripples throughout the galaxy. We’d be on our own.”
“We’re on our own already,” Dane snaps. “You think anyone outside the Sector is watching over us aside from the people in this room? No way. We have to handle our own shit.”
“Exactly. Garron is a threat to us all, even if he isn’t responsible for every incident here.”
“You,” Demaris says, pointing sharply at Alka. “No more lies, even those by omission.”
Alka rolls her eyes up.
“Are you saying we proactively take him out? Garron Prescott has been loyal to our house since I can remember. He’s family!”
“He may have been…once. But not anymore.”
“Seriously? That’s how we repay his service to us? His friendship and trust?”
“You see another option? A better option?”
Shendo clears his throat and steps forward, “You must put an enemy down before they put you down. Hesitating will only give them more time to find an opportunity to strike.”
He stares at the Nagai. It was the most he had spoken to him since he arrived. The shitty part is that he is not wrong. They would slip up eventually. Someone would leave an opening or charge recklessly ahead in the name of honor or love. Boldness may be favored but being eliminated too soon may hinder their advantage in countering the evil that a Winton’s victory would bring to the galaxy.
“Dane,” Demaris says pointedly. “If he was sent here to take you down in service of the prophecy then he is not going to stop until he either succeeds or is stopped.”
“I need to sleep on it.”
*
Later, his door chime rouses him from a fitful slumber. It turns out that mulling over whether to murder a friend is not the sedative one might expect. He groans, “Yeah?”
Alka appears through the doorway, allowing it to slip close behind her.
He is suddenly more awake now, rising in bed, “Hey…”
“Dial it down, Gellar. I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to be alone.”
“There’s plenty of room in here.”
“I know,” she says, rounding the bed before crawling onto the opposite side. “I remember. It’s bigger than the one in my guest room. Nothing but the best for the heir of Gellar Enterprises.”
“Yours is just as big back home.”
“You mean the home where I was attacked and all our security killed? Sounds comfy.”
“I didn’t mean…”
She curls herself under the covers, pulling dark hair over her shoulder.
“I know what you meant. I just needed…I don’t know, something. Not you as a lover, Dane. I need you as the friend I have always had right now.”
“And you shall have it. You always have that.”
“Good.”
“You still should have told us about Garron.”
“You want to compare what we should have done about Garron Prescott?”
He falls silent, taking a long, slow breath. Garron asked her to be a source of reason for him and she would do that. He may have claimed to want to help him but leveraging their new access to the Direx Board in favor of whatever his dark motives may be is not something that should be so easily dismissed. Solving problems with problems.
“They are right, you know. I don’t think he stalked me or staged the attack but whoever did that to him did it well. He’s not going to stop until you are dead. He told me that is why he was sent here. He knows it and now you need to as well. I’m a target no matter what but I take some comfort knowing you are fighting beside me.”
He rests his chin on her shoulder, sliding an arm around her. She allows it.
“I am pleased to hear you say that.”
“If you feel you must die to end this, where does that leave the rest of us? Where does that leave me?”
“To live out your life to the fullest. Free of this shadow.”
Alka touches the side of his face, “It is too late, you gorgeous dolt. My father will be tried for Dyre’s murder, our friends dead or scattered to the winds, and we are now members of a board who see treachery and opportunity in everything we do. If Dahlia prevails, she will not leave us lurking about as loose ends. Your death will not free me from anything.”
“Would if I could but this is the only way unless Gemma and Riley manage to destroy the Voss-Ra. Free us all from this.”
“I believe you believe that,” she whispers. “I may not trust Demaris or the Jedi but know that if Gemma sent them to us there must be some reason. They need more time to unravel what is happening here. Garron stands in our way.”
“You can’t seriously be advocating for-”
“I have known him for a long time too. It is not the same, I know. You love him like family, but he is not who you remember him to be. That person has been tortured out of him and the ones who did this to him are counting on that past connection to blind you to the danger he really is. As much as I hate to admit it, they have a point. Rescuing me only furthers your doubt. I do not want to be the reason for your death, confident as you may be that it must happen.”
“I’m sorry…for all of this. I never wanted to put any of you in any danger.”
She laughs, pulling his arm tighter around her, “As if that were ever an option. This prophecy has likely left a trail of bodies wider and farther than we know. I’ve been trying to think of a way out of this but always come back to the fact that The Four and their friends are, well, kinda doomed.”
Dane sighs, “Your altruism is inspiring.”
“Says the one rushing to his death. Your clones or whatever will be blank slates, incapable of stopping anyone let alone remembering why without any of your memories.”
“I have mine backed up regularly. I can fill the others in.”
“What a lovely story. We need you to stay alive long enough to stop those monsters or pull off your contingency. If the Jedi believe these people were sent back to skew things in their favor then Garron is a real threat. That doctor led the Republic right to Corellia’s front door then Janessa Kain blew up the Republic President and took Kier with her. Or did you forget about him?”
“I didn’t forget.”
“Acceptable risk, blah, blah, blaaaaah."
“You know that is our world, our way, but I hear you. Garron is a problem. I’m just not sure I can do it.”
She settles against him, “You must.”
“How am I supposed to kill him? After everything he has done for me?”
“You won’t have to. All you need to do is draw him out.”
“He’s too smart for that.”
“Not if he’s being driven by something deeper than his feelings for you. Draw him out and let the others do the rest.”
“You have it all figured out, do you?”
“Something like that,” Alka murmurs, starting to drift off. He lays his head on the pillow beside hers, feeling the warmth and connection between them. There is a lot to lose for those caught up in the prophecy. So much they must give. Blood spilled in their names. All part of the cycle.
Dane Gellar will have to sacrifice too.
-TBC
-
“There’s a whole lotta grudges
That I can’t even keep up
I wish that I understood
But I cannot get my head around it.”
-Faye Meana
Corporate Sector
Etti IV: Mondder
Dane Gellar rubs his hands together in the brisk air as he waits outside the administration building.
The mottled, overcast sky gives off a foreboding vibe he tries not to let unnerve him. It is not long before Alka’s shuttle touches down. She exits flanked by Avinarius and Shendo to join him as he turns and walks toward the entrance, Demaris and Taarek stand near as sentries. Her delicate features are tight so he keeps his voice low.
“That bad, huh?”
Apparently, the Legal Division is not playing around. A charge of one Direx killing another, especially when the slain was the highest-ranking financial officer in Cybot Galactic, has drawn significant attention and scrutiny. The company is one of the most vital to the Sector with heavy investment from many prominent factions. Controversy surrounding Dyre’s death destabilized momentum and compromised their reputation. Shareholders are obviously furious.
The days of capitulating for fickle Imperial Moffs and self-righteous Republic ambassadors may be long over, but they know who lines their pockets. Opposing counsel had punctuated their opening with what Alka describes as malicious slander that painted D’Ken Dawning as angry and unstable. Dane suppresses a smile – Dawning was certainly angry, but he was far from unstable. They allege Finnius Dyre only wanted justice for his son, but Dawning wanted him to drop it. When he wouldn’t, dragging his name into the shadow of suspicion, they allege Dawning ordered him to be silenced and staged the grisly scene to make himself out to be a victim and potential target.
Her father’s counsel tried to sow doubt early by reminding everyone that the Chiss were implicated in the murder of Preston Dyre, which was corroborated by his daughter, Dane Gellar, and the Empire. Dyre was making enemies everywhere in his accusations that there were deeper threads to Preston’s murder and eventually accused the wrong person who murdered him – but that person wasn’t D’Ken Dawning. Dawning, they claim, was only looking out for him, and more broadly the company, in urging him to make peace with banishment and exile of the Chiss who took his son from him.
“It was excruciating. This is only the beginning. It’s going to get ugly.”
He sighs, “Probably. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, yeah. Everyone’s sorry. We’re in this mess now.”
They enter the building and make their way through the tunnels to the base of the grand conference hall. It is a joyless, functional place. One that Dane never liked when his father brought him on occasion. Their security would have to wait here as only Direx’s are allowed up in the inner sanctum. The trial may be weighing on everyone, but it is only amplified by someone out there knowing they lied. If it were another Direx, this could be a relatively truncated tenure on the board.
The most logical assumptions are Dyre, Corinthos, and Aguilar. With Dyre dead, Aguilar doesn’t seem like the type to sit on this. He would want justice dealt swiftly, knowing it wouldn’t bring back his son, but may afford him a measure of closure. Corinthos has lost not one but two daughters. Kaytt made a lot of enemies in the Republic, not that it excuses or justifies her untimely fate, but Trichelle was clearly caught in the crossfire. Collateral damage in someone else’s fight. Promising lives cut short, etc., etc. Both had a connection to The Four, which Corinthos is not likely to let go of. Would he go to such lengths to toy with them? Corinthos stands to gain from their destruction, as does Aguilar, but the methods are far less direct than they are used to. Direx’s historically do not favor psychological warfare - not when there are more satisfying and enriching ways to exact retribution. It adds a layer of tension to their membership, but they would have to play the game.
Dane gives Alka a small smile as they ascend, appearing behind the vast table, and moving to take their seats. There are murmurs and stares on their arrival. New blood with tainted legacies, as if anyone here is better. He does his best to keep his face neutral. Burke Pallus, the Imperial liaison, nods to them a few seats away. The Empire had covered for them, legitimized their story. It was a gesture of faith but one that no doubt would come with strings. It is only a matter of time.
For the most part, the meeting mercifully proceeds as expected. It opens with action item follow-ups from their previous session, something they both needed to catch up on quickly, before moving on to quarterly budget discussions. There are windfalls here, a slip in sales there. Shifting galactic politics that require adjustments and consideration. All rather mundane. Dane reports on profitability and strategy in his various sectors, supplied in succinct detail by Irulan. Alka comes out the gates swinging and proposes the reallocation of funding to strengthen arts and culture opportunities, suggesting a path through adversity in engaging with their communities.
D’Ken’s trial, Dyre’s absence, and the loss of several Sector heirs are not far from anyone’s minds nor are some of the more aggressive Direx’s keen on allowing the daughter of a potential murderer to tell them they need to relax. There is grumbling that such an investment may be a waste. She provides figures and margins from productions and events over the past twelve months, a clear indication there is strong interest and potential for diversification and worthwhile returns should they be open to it.
It quiets some of the louder detractors, but others remain resistant. Corinthos seems to simmer in unnerving silence while Pallus apprises the potential scope of her newfound influence. Aguilar appears more receptive to the idea as his family has been patrons of the dance company and other artistic ventures over the years. He urges others to find balance in their lives, personally as well as professionally. Speaking as someone who suffered a significant loss in Ples, his words do not fall on deaf ears. Dane is impressed and the board earmarks it for further discussion before moving on.
Below, Demaris Atrii steps away and finally takes the call from Riley Patten.
He has made several attempts over the past hour and only now is she able to address it. He briefly recaps what happened in the Corellian Sector and asks if everything is okay. She assures him that it is, for now, not skirting over the issues at hand. It is as under control as it can be. She is pleased to know her brother survived, even with the extent of his injuries not fully known, but her heart breaks for the loss of Sirona. It hits her almost as hard as the news about Oz and Lysette, but she has fortified herself somewhat at the possibility of greater loss after Alka’s grim outburst. Riley asks what she knew would come next.
“What about Shendo?”
The last of their Force-sensitive refugees with his saber clipped to his belt and Tehk’la blade tucked behind him. Skeptical, but willing. Capable. They may not know him well, but she is not fooling herself when she considers the trust they forged in their time together.
“He has not shown any overt signs of being psychically assaulted or controlled.”
“Neither did Lysette.”
The comment stings but she maintains an even tone, “I imagine the same can be said about Sirona until she was in the right place to strike. This is tactical, Riley, but we should not be quick to turn on one another. They are counting on division as a distraction.”
“That doesn’t mean Shendo didn’t end up with all of you for a reason too.”
Dane made a similar reference, something she has been replaying in her mind ever since their conversation. Many refugees were fleeing the capital when they all came together. It was chaos. Taarek was able to escape with twelve and bring them to the house on Viperii Lake where they waited and comforted one another through training and meditation until they could figure out what came next. His contact, Antaro, escorted the others to a safe house in the Outer Rim, which left Lysette, Oz, Shendo, and Sirona in their care. They were angry, frightened, and forced to run again when their posh hideout was discovered. The details of that split remain hazy in her mind. Had Taarek and Antaro made that decision? Or had Lysette intervened there as well? So much was happening then and so much had happened since that she is not sure she trusts her ability to recall with absolute certainty.
The insinuation remains: is someone waiting for Shendo to move into position? Each of the refugees ended up in a different group when they separated. Was this their own choice, as it appeared at the time, or something more? They may have all been positioned in some way, agents of the prophecy, unwitting or not. The prospect makes her stomach sink, but Demaris does not allow herself to spiral. She believes giving in to conspiracy and paranoia would do more harm than good but admits to herself that Sirona’s message to her brother, through the mysterious woman who destroyed Centerpoint, was likely a warning.
“No,” she says softly, eyes shifting to the Nagai standing alert near the lift. “I suppose it doesn't. We will remain vigilant.”
“Be careful, Demaris. It is growing more difficult to tell who is influencing what, but feel like we are playing right into everyone’s hands.”
With the prophecy revealed to have been active for far longer than anyone realized, the Voss-Ra and their assorted acolytes exerting influence and inflicting terror, the assessment does not ring false. Their advantage in discovering the loop is minimal at best with the depth of planning and possible infiltration still largely out of their grasp. Uncontained. It is a dangerous place to be. Gemma’s fatalist plan, one that Dane and Riley have wildly agreed to, feels more defeatist than she is willing to accept at the moment. She believes there is more than one way to win.
“Keep faith and have hope, my friend. The game may be rigged but it is not over.”
-TBC