VE: Alive

[Medivh]

Ord Radama

The Assault Shuttle landed amidst the swamp that was most of Ord Radama, far from civilization, far from technology.

Or not quite.

Alexander Winton smiled as his obedient X-Fighters marched out toward the hidden facility, long forgotten.  But apparently not quite forgotten enough.  Each was heavily armed.  The marching troops were followed by two tanks that had been stored inside the shuttle, hovering slowly over the boggy ground heading toward the target.

They marched forward, Winton watching as they went forward to do his bidding.  The pilot - also an obedient follower - came rushing up to meet him where he stood.

"Sir, I have received word from Corellia.  The imperials have attacked"

Winton nodded, smile never leaving his face.

"Order the hidden fleet to move to phase 2"

****************************************
Coruscant Asteroid Field

"I trust you have a plan to get in there."

Mara was gripping the joystick firmly, eyes focused despite the spinning their vessel was doing.  Closer and closer they came, asteroids bumping around them, a few colliding together far too close for comfort. But luck - or the Force - was with them. So far.  And still closer they moved.

"We use the Force to slow ourselves down once we are close enough.  I could use your help with that.  I've got to focus on the controls."

They hurdled toward the massive platform, it slowly filling up the viewport.

"Now Karen"

Karen did her job flawlessly.  Mara used the controls to even out the ship while keeping thrusters offline. Slower now they descended toward one of several landing platforms.

That was when Mara glanced up.

"Karen - look over there. The ships.  They are leaving"

On the other side of the asteroid field, the fleet of ships they had seen was twinkling away, one by one, into hyperspace.

"Whatever they were built for, it's happening now.  We had better move fast"

They managed to sail past the local defenses undetected, fighters expecting thruster controls to indicate the presence of unwanted guests.

Together, they brought the ship down onto the platform, landing it with only the slightest noise.

Mara smiled over at Karen who was taking deep breathes, recovering from her exertion.

"You could make a good pilot, you know.  Come on.  We've got to hurry. And I anticipate we'll have to deal with some who really, really won't want us here"

-TBC

[Syren]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

Phage's Former Base of Operations

Karen almost laughs. Her, a pilot? Of all the things she envisioned for her life, that was never one of them. Perhaps she is selling herself short. Together, she and Mara had accomplished a great deal and Karen is proud of that. Although only two targets remain, they would be the most difficult.

Karen unclips the restraints and moves back through the shuttle. They are not connected to an air dock and while Mara may not need oxygen to move about freely outside the station, Karen does not have such capabilities. She pulls off her tunic and tosses it aside, rummaging through the compartments for a protective suit. She finds one in silver, completely unflattering, but it would be enough to get her inside. She worries, briefly, about the exit point were the suit to be damaged within the station. Surely there would be numerous droids who would be programmed to recognize both women and want them destroyed. As she suits up, she wonders what happened to Governor Strye's body after she left the station the last time. Would it still be decapitated and rotting on the command station floor? And what of her sister? From what she can remember of that day, Alexia turned into a swirling black cloud of evil which surrounded Karen and seeped into her. The infection nearly drove her insane, visions of those lost resurfacing in her mind, whispering for her to commit unspeakable acts against the remaining members of The Four. She must remember why they are here.

Destroy her father, save her friends, and free Corellia.

Daunting? Yes. But it must be done.

Karen refuses to be an Abomination like Alexia. She would not bow to the prophecy or Alexander Winton's vicious lies. It was too late to save Valerie but she could spare Kimber and Melanie the same fate. In saving them, could she also save herself?

Karen locks the helmet into place and fills a bag with charges before gripping her saber and meeting Mara near the ramp.
 
"I'm ready."


-TBC

[Medivh]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

Phage's Platform

Mara is checking her own weaponry as Karen is preparing herself for the presumed lack of oxygen on Phage's platform.  In the past, Phage had made the facility more accommodating, for the likes of Alexia Winton and other guests who needed oxygen.  But Karen's battle with Alexia had left the facility with less atmospheric integrity.  Better safe than sorry.

Karen has a bag filled with charges, her voice sounding a bit echo-y through her helmet's comm unit

"I'm ready."

Mara nods
 and moves to lower the ramp.  In her right hand, a modified blaster pistol, set to emit ion bursts instead of normal fire.  Many droids of Phage's army were equipped with armor strong enough to deflect blasters, and an ion shot was more likely to be effective. At least, for a short while.  That, and a good ion shot could take out more than one droid at a time.

Of course, so could the charges.

The hangar was thankfully deserted, they had landed in one of several now abandoned portions of the hovering space platform.  With her left hand, Mara motioned for Karen to follow as she made her way to the blast door that sealed them off from the rest of the platform.

Mara blinked her eyes, quickly running a scan of the security systems to the door.  Fairly primitive - this was not an area where the platform's master would have expected an invasion.  Most security would have blasted intruders before they reached the hangar's safety.

Typing in the security code, the door console blinked from red to green and it opened, a gust of air rushing out at them from an otherwise dark pathway.

Mara led the way inside, setting her optic scanners to pick up any traces of movement. Or anything.  But the corridor was deserted.

It soon became apparent why.  As they turned a bend in the corridor, the redish light of emergency florescence cast a dim glow on their path.  It was here that Karen would begin to recognize the past battles.  Metal seemingly blown out by a huge push of energy, blood stains, and saber marks along the walls.  Patching along walls holding the metal together, though the soft whistle of air indicated that the patches were not working very well.

They reached a sort of plaza area, a large room before the corridor narrowed again heading toward Phage's throne room.  Along one wall, Governor Strye's body was propped in place, remarkably preserved thanks to the pure nothingness of space -no microbes to cause him to decompose.  Perhaps worse though, several mechanical pieces had been attached to his body, as if for some science experiment.  Lights flickered along a status monitor next to him, the signal feeding to somewhere else in the station.

Mara glanced over at Karen, and immediately recognized from her expression that this person had meant something to her.

That was when they first heard the scampering of metal. The sound of many metallic legs, along metal floor, echoing about them. But the sound drew closer.

"Spider droids.  Karen, we need to hide!"

Mara and Karen quickly jumped behind some fallen metallic debris. Peering over as the sound grew louder, they saw the horrific sight - seemingly hundreds of the primitive spider droids moved down the corridor past them, looking more like a single black mass than individual creatures.  They continued moving, down the path they had just come from.  Heading toward their ship.

Mara whispering softly through the comm "They must have been alerted somehow to our presence.  They are going to find the ship"

-TBC
[/quote]

[Syren]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

The gain access through Mara's codes and enter the base. It is silent, sterile and cold and Karen is quickly rethinking the suit. She would not be as effective in it, combat-wise but would have to ensure survival outside of it so for now, it remains. Crimson light is cast over everything as she begins to recognize the scene. Flashes of battle flicker across her mind. Alexia's face, twisted in rage as she bore down on the sister she remained convinced stole her destiny. Even then she had been barely recognizable, a monstrosity of flesh bound to metal. Phage had rebuilt her after he plucked her battered body from the floor of a palace on Roon where she should have died. Instead she became something else. She was given a second chance that inevitably led to the final battle. Saber markings score the walls, dented and caved in from the displays of their combined Force powers. Karen shutters as the corridor narrows when she catches sight of it.

A body.

Her emerald eyes focus on it immediately. Remarkably well preserved and leaning precariously against a wall. It isn't just the body with its familiar mechanical attachments but the head, crudely fastened to the neck she had so cleanly taken it off of.

No.

Guilt stabs at her gut when she catches Mara glancing at her. She keeps her voice low through the suit com unit.

"Indew Strye, the former Governor of Contruum. My first assignment with the Empire. When they violated the deal and invaded the planet, I came back to free him. I got him out, reunited him with his family. His wife, his son. But Alexia kidnapped him and brought him here. After she was defeated I..."

Worry flickers across Karen's face.

"...I killed him."

Mara is about to speak with the clicking begins. Soft at first but growing louder. Metallic and in large quantities. Mara's voice is tight.

"Spider droids. Karen, we have to hide!"

They dive behind piles of debris and watch in horror as a hoard of droids move as one past them toward the direction they came.

"They must have been alerted somehow to our presence. They are going to find our ship."

Karen presses her back against the wall.

"Then we find another way out. We need to destroy this station. The charges can be set on a remote so that if we are forced to make alternate arrangements, we can still blow this station to kingdom come."

There is fire in her words, a mission realized.

No way in hell would she let this place remain. If she was able to incinerate her family home and the only fond memories attached to it, Karen was sure as shit going to burn this place down too.

She waits until the corridor is clear then eases out and heads toward the throne room. There is no certainty here, knowing that all it would take is one droid to identify them to initiate a lockdown. She wonders what kinds of defenses her father had programmed if they somehow stumbled upon his daughter. Would it amuse him that she even came looking for answers? Or just reinforce his belief in her stupidity? If he somehow knows about the fates of the other stations, he damn well better stop underestimating her resolve. Mara knows the layout better than she does but this place is familiar to her, a place where Alexia Winton's misplaced vendetta met a grisly end. 

The doors to the throne room are crushed apart and she has a difficult time remember when in that final fight this happened. So much transpired so quickly. She steps inside, glancing quickly around the expanse of the empty room. Her eyes travel to the ornate metal throne itself and the corpse nestled in it. Karen never saw Alexia's body after she swung her saber through her. All she saw and felt was the darkness consuming everything, driving her to murder the Governor and rescue the doctor. She never stopped to consider there would be anything left to find but there she is.

Alexia Winton.

She remains as remarkably preserved as the Governor save for the severe saber wounds and broken mechanics. It seems as though the droids left her here as some kind of homage, their fathers doing no doubt. But with her body present, that also means genetic evidence and the brief but horrifying notion washes over her that Alexander Winton may try to resurrect Alexia just as he had done their friends on Kamino.
 
Copies of copies until the original is rendered obsolete. That is, unless, you destroy the original.

Karen fights the sickness rising up in her throat and grips the handle of her saber tightly.

"Where do we set the charges?"



-TBC

[Medivh]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

"Then we find another way out. We need to destroy this station. The charges can be set on a remote so that if we are forced to make alternate arrangements, we can still blow this station to kingdom come."

Mara and Karen proceed forward through the corridors, their pace quickening.  the scuttling sound of of spider droids gets further and further away, but perhaps a more ominous sound could be heard.  Not heading toward them - or at least, not close enough yet to be a threat.  But it was a harder sound. marching.  Somewhere in the station, in the many levels below them, Mara knew that an army had been built and was marching to war.  They move faster now, headed toward the very center of this abominable platform - Phage's throne room.

The doors to the throne room had come apart, the work of Karen and Alexia's battle here, combined with her own forceful entry.  They had not been repaired since the station came back online, indicating that the throne room was not a center of activity any longer.

"Where do we set the charges?"

But it had been a center of activity. Even more recently.  Mara approached the throne cautiously, Remembering her last time here.

"The last time I was here ... Phage had an activation chamber, beneath the throne. Except, he wasn't there.  It was a transmitter that would activate him somewhere else."

On the station? perhaps.  It could be anywhere really, if a relay system had been set up appropriately.  It was only recently that the possibilities of Phage's resurrection were limited to a scant few.  Just as were the resurrection possibilities of Alexander Winton, the man who had transformed Phage from a phenomenon, an accomplishment, into a monster.  But Winton, for all his cruelty, his manipulations, had a certain amount of practical sentimentality.  Too many locations could not be secured, nor could more than one facility be the activation site at the same time.  Having more than one Phage would lead to them destroying themselves.  Phage knew that. Winton knew that.

"The transmitter was located in a place where, even if the station were destroyed, it could act as a relay.  It was the backup plan to the backup plan"

It suddenly made sense.  Phage's resurrection on the platform had been faulty - probably as a result of the fight between Karen and Alexia.  So when she had come here, she hadn't triggered his primary resurrection. She had triggered the backup.  Which had fired off the signal to one of a only eight other locations in the galaxy.  The Winton house at Byss. Naboo. Kamino. etcetera.

So what was going on here now?  Alexander Winton had set things going again here, using the station's already impressive droid construction facilities to build his army. Of droids.  Did that mean Phage was no longer around?  That he had been usurped by Alexander Winton?

Too many questions, that truly didn't matter at this moment.  This station had to be destroyed.  Not just pieces - droids could survive in a wreck, and rebuild. No.  The whole thing.  They had among them only a few handfuls of powerful charges.  The only way the two of them could destroy the station. Really destroy it would have to be hitting something that would set off a chain reaction.  Mara's mind whirls back in history to the supposed destruction of the first death star. Yes. A long shot.

"We need to trigger the fuel cells.  That's the only way we'd be able to do enough damage to blow up the entire station"

Mara glances up at the ceiling, already damaged from the Winton sisters' duel.  An ionic fuel module was bent but still intact.  That was a good starting point.  Mara ran through the station's schematics in her head.  As long as they hadn't been changed, hitting that fuel module could likely cause an explosion through about half the station.  They would have to head down to one of the loading bays to successfully set targets in the other half.

And a charge to the transmitter below the throne.  Mara was not sure if it had been destroyed, but she was going to make sure it was now.

That was when Mara remembered the other thing about her last visit here.

"Karen.  We aren't alone"

Mara turned away from the throne now and found herself face to face with a single red dot.  An optic sensor.

"INFILITRATOR-01.  Analysis indicates that you continue to have faulty subroutines.  You have been labeled as hostile.  You are to shut down program-"

Mara lifted her blaster, firing several shots at the optic sensor, watching as it sparked and went quiet.  She turned the blaster downward now, increasing its power and firing a series of shots into the base, until that too had been fizzled out.

The silence after the blast was filled with a new, possibly more frightening noise - echoes of hundreds of spider droids, scampering back in their direction.

"The care-taker droid I just obliterated has several pods throughout the station.  He can't see us right now, but they know we are here.  And it sounds like they are coming this way"

The sounds of the spider droids was growing louder as she spoke.

==================================================
Ord Radama

The soldiers moved forward, ignoring the soldering marks of a cut out hole, made by a lightsaber only a few weeks ago.  Instead, they simply blasted their way through the door.  The blast door out of the way, they advanced into the long hallway entrance, silently at first, then blasting at the walls, ceilings and floors as they did.  The cries of ysalamiri could be heard as dozens were killed - not that it would make much difference.  The destruction was not aimed at them, and too many survived to allow the Force to be used here.  No, it was a brutal way of ensuring that no hidden weapons would be activated.

They advanced further, deeper into the hallway that plunged beneath the hill

The way was blocked ahead, a thicker blast door, and an energy field reinforcing the durasteel.  A very powerful energy field.  A few blaster weapons were fired, but the field stayed strong.  It had been designed when the Trade Federation was at the height of its wealth and power.  And that one energy field probably cost more than a star destroyer.  It would hold.

Or would it?

A metallic voice was heard over a loudspeaker

?Who wishes access? identify yourselves or prepared to be terminated?

The soldiers ignored the message, firing a series of shots at the system, one of the assault tanks making its way behind them down the corridor, followed by two more.  Within range, they began firing at the energy shield.

The message repeated

?Who wishes access? identify yourselves or prepared to be terminated?

Alexander Winton approached from the rear, his lips pursed as he watched his troops progress.

?This is your last warning.  Identify yourselves or prepared to be terminated?

"Cease fire"

Alexander Winton held up his hand, drawing close to the shield.

"Alexander Winton, Program-Identifier 023-9657-AW-7343-8598, Guri Project Manager"

Silence for a moment, and then he spoke again

"Come on, Medivh.  It's been a long time.  I think we should talk."

More silence.  And then, from above them, a panel opened.  Winton stepped aside, just as a series of lasers blasted down where he had been standing.  And they didn't stop, tracking after him as he continued stepping back, a snarl beginning to cross his face.

"Destroy it"

The tanks and soldiers opened fire on the weaponry that appeared, the huge metal crashing down under the onslaught, but quickly replaced by new weapons.

Winton's troops were pulling back as the firing grew heavier in the corridor. Several had fallen.  But he himself stood along the side wall, watching contemplating.  Slipping past the weapons that were now preoccupied with the soldiers, he went straight up to the energy field, reached out and jammed his arm into it.

Flesh melted off his fingers as he pushed forward, reaching for the console on the other side.  The smell of burn extended upward as the energy field continued assaulting him. He let out an almost inhuman sound as he pushed forward again, punching his arm into the console, letting out a shower of sparks.  The energy field flickered, but remained, and the weapons turned on him again.  His left hand had skin and muscle burned off up to his elbow, and the metallic hand underneath looked damaged as well.  He turned to face the weapons, glared as they turned toward him, and jumped up, a frightening display of inhuman strength as he latched on, pulled down the power cords, and yanked the metallic laser weaponry off its track,dragging it back down to the ground, and then throwing it at the energy field.

"You remember Medivh?  How your creation, Phage, destroyed Corellia's defenses?  It threw them right back in those stupid Corellian faces"

Phage had taken Corellia's orbital platforms and using tractor beams, thrown them down on Coronet's planetary shield, one by one, the weight of them strong enough to eventually crush the shield.

Winton, acting quite savage now, kept throwing the discarded weapons at the energy field.  No more weapons came down to replace them.  The hunks of metal had caused the field to flicker but stay standing.  He turned then to his troops and the tanks, that were again moving forward.

"Keep firing, and ram the tanks into the field"

The obedient soldiers nodded, firing at the field.  The tanks too, with their easily controlled, 100% loyal troops began firing everything they had as they sped their tanks into the energy field.  The first rammed in, superheating and being repelled back, a hulking mess. The second as well had little success, falling into a heap at the side, its driver dead with it. The third however did what it needed to do.  With that final explosion, the energy field broke down.  Three tanks.  a handful of troops. All expendable.  In that final blast, Alexander Winton had been too close, skin from his face burned and peeling as well. But he paid no attention.  He proceeded forward, ignoring the three door puzzle, heading straight to the middle door and prying it open with his bare hands.  Sirens began to blare.  He didn't wait for a turbolift, instead, signalling his men to jump ahead of him inside.  Rappelling gear was pulled out, and a dozen special ops troops began the long trip down.

Winton followed. Ignoring the gear, he jumped, letting his body pickup momentum as it careened toward the inner sanctum below.  He stopped about halfway down, slowing his descent by clawing his hands into the metal on either side of him, dropping a thermal detonator down and waiting for it to destroy the turbolift and hatch before continuing down to the fiery mess he created.  He reached the bottom before his troops.  Stepping out into the massive room, he smiled

It was a massive room to be sure  A house could fit inside this room.  It was cylindrical shaped, with a domed roof.  The entire ceiling was covered with what appeared to be hundreds of monitors.  And on the floor, rows and rows of computer equipment, with coolant systems running in between them.  Despite the size of the room, it was actually a bit cramped, with all of the equipment.  There was a small walkway and a half flight of stairs leading to an elevated platform, about 3x3 meters With an elaborate computer console attached.  No chairs. Directly above, five mechanical arms hung limply.

The room was dimly lit, by emergency lighting.  No one was going to provide him a better visual.  All the monitors were dark, save for one, where a young man's appearance watched with a frown.

As Winton's men reached the bottom, he approached the platform, sneering at the image on the screen.

"Hello Medivh.  Miss me?"

TBC

[Syren]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

The march of the spider droids fills the throne room. There is not much time. As Mara removes one of the charges from the bag and sets it, Karen tugs at the suit.
 
"Are support systems online? Enough for me to, you know, survive?"

Mara nods, "Yes."

Karen pulls off the helmet and sheds the suit to reveal a skin-tight combat-modified jumper complete with thick heeled boots. The sense of freedom is indescribable. She yanks the pins free which allows the crimson fire hair to spill down her back. Shaking her shoulders, she ignites the saber and turns around, her eyes growing into pools of blackness. Extending a hand, she grips the massive doors to the throne room with the Force. A horrifying screech booms through the room as she crushes them shut just as the droids slam into the other side.

"It won't hold them for long," she breathes, strangely satisfied. "We can't risk getting to the lifts. We need another way out."

Mara activates the charge then motions to the far wall, "Access panel. Behind you."

"Done," Karen says with a flick of her wrist. The panel pops off the wall and clatters on the floor. She hefts the bag and stalks toward it, ducking low to crawl through. Mara is right behind her, using her own powers to lift and seal the panel behind them. Keeping the saber in front of her, Karen moves steadily in the dim light. The service tunnel is narrow but passable and opens up several meters down to a junction point with a ladder.

"Looks like we're going down."

Karen steps out into the darkness, finding her footing while dragging the bag along with her. She slings it over her shoulder and begins the climb. They descend in silence for a while, both focused on the task at hand. She understands several charges must be set in order to completely destroy the station. One would never be enough. There must be nothing left. Nothing they could use to regroup and rebuild. They would erase the memory of Phage and Alexia forever. Neither would be born again.

It is then she hears it, echoing faintly at first, then the tell-tale scamper of metallic legs on a solid surface. The droids had discovered their exit point and were in pursuit. Karen drops down several rungs at a time but the void below seems endless.

They need to get out and quickly. This space was too limited for a fight.

Karen stops at the next hatch and, gripping the rungs tightly, lashes out with her boot to strike. The spider droids are in the hole, following suit. The second kick sends the hatch outward and Karen dives through. Mara is a microsecond behind her. Karen drops the bag and grabs the hatch, slamming it back into place as several droids make contact. Tiny legs slip through, wildly flailing as others arrives and push back. Karen grunts, trying to secure the hatch but beginning to slide. Mara lunges and, working  together, the hatch makes contact. Karen yanks the lever down, sealing it as several spider droids lose a few limbs that drop to the floor. She exhales a laugh and turns around to find them standing before a particularly deranged bunch of battle droids.

Karen squares her shoulders and grips the saber, nodding to Mara.



-TBC

[Medivh]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

Karen is obviously feeling hampered by her suit.  Mara nods - there is oxygen in the area.  But it is not quite as much as in an atmospheric setting.   The soft hiss of air filtering through and then escaping into outerspace would have been heard, if not for the noise of the oncomers.  But perhaps more worrisome - it meant they couldn't leave the station through a hatch. They had to escape already onboard a ship.  And total depressurization was not an unlikely occurrence.

Mara watches as Karen calls upon the force, the darkness of the dark side filling her as she uses its power to grab the destroyed doors and slam them back into place, wedging them into place.  And then the metallic thuds as spider droids tried breaking in.

The doors won't hold. Karen is right. Already she can see them starting to move, starting to break. Mara places the charges over the fuel conduit, twisting the knob that would arm it, then glances down.

There was one main entrance to the throne room, but there were other means - even droids needed to get around sometimes behind the scenes.  She pointed to a far wall,

"Access panel. Behind you."

"Done,"

Karen is on a roll with her connection with the force. The panel pops off, and they make their way in, carrying the rest of the charges with them.  Mara glances behind her, watching as the door gives way a little more.  Not much time at all.  She closes her eyes, searching deep within herself - deep into her subroutines, and triggering that 'lose wire', leading to the nowhere she had discovered was a key to her being.  Instantly, she felt it, like another sense (and Mara had many of those), she could feel Karen, like a bright light, leading the way out.  She reaches out her hand, as if grasping the metal panel.  Slowly, too slowly, it rose and floated toward the opening.  Mara feels the strain. Despite her training, this is still new to her, and she feels too rushed to concentrate properly.  The panel is put back in place, in the knick of time. She can hear through the other side a crash as the doors give way, the spider droids pouring into the throne room.

Mara takes several steps, watching the panel as she walks backwards before turning to follow the glow of Karen's saber.

"Looks like we're going down."

Down the ladder they go.  This passageway, as Mara recalled, led to a newer portion of the station.  She couldn't help but think they were heading toward danger, not away from it.

They were moving for quite a while, when they hear the first sounds from above.  They were being followed, and spider droids were built to move quickly through passages like this one.  They try moving faster, but ultimately, Karen decides better to make an exit.

Karen kicks in a hatch and disappears back out into the station, Mara right behind her.  Together, they slam it, just as spider droids are trying to reach through.  Karen laughs, oddly enough, but Mara has already turned, gripping her blaster tightly.  They had not gotten away from the danger.  They had stepped right into it.

Here, in front of them, was not just a hoard of droids.  It was an army.  The ones closest to them had a base like spider droids, allowing them to scamper in that same creepy way, but at the top of them, they had what looked like an L-shaped pipe extending up and toward them.  The pipe had a red optic sensor in its center, and on either side, what appeared to be a built-in blaster. Each one of them seemed to have their blaster trained on them. And there were a lot of them.

But that wasn't the worst of it.  Behind them, more droids, large monstrosities that looked like bigger cousins of the spider droids.

And then there were the humanoid versions.  The most hated droid in all the galaxy. The IG-100 MagnaGuard model.  Phage's model, before he had been modified and enhanced.

Karen is prepared to fight, and certainly is not one to go down without a fight.  But this was a battle they would lose.  Even jedi could only take on so many.  The Clone Wars had taught that much.

But they hadn't fired. Maybe they still recognized her as an ally? Maybe they expected INFILTRATOR-01 to deactivate herself?  submit to reprogramming?  Karen is preparing to strike, but Mara puts out her hand to stop her.  It was no use. If they fight, they would die.  If they wait, maybe they could learn why they weren't dead yet.

Then, the droids began to speak.

"traitor"

It was one of the droids in front, the weird spider droids with the blaster/optic pip.

"traitor"

It was repeated by another of the droids.

"traitor"

More droids began saying it.  And then repeating it, their metallic voices rising from this army of monstrosities.

"traitor"

Mara took a step back.  This was familiar. All too familiar.  She couldn't help but feel the biggest sense of foreboding.

"traitor"

It was almost a chant now, droids yelling it over and over again. Karen looks bewildered, and ready to strike at the next creature that said it.  But maybe the chant scared her as well.

Far in the back, Mara could see that the army of droids was beginning to part, slowly toward them.  The chanting continued

"traitor"

The part in the line grew closer, Mara feeling her nerves - or her equivalent of them - growing tense.

"traitor"

The part in the line reaches them, IG-100 magna guards approaching and lining the pathway

"traitor"

A dark figure was approaching. Mara involuntarily takes a step back, her blaster dropping to the ground. Karen looks over at her, even more bewildered than ever.

"Mara, what the hell is going on?  We have to get out of here!"

Black metallic legs, black torso, skeletal arms.  A black cape.  And the eyes.  Bright red optical sensors.  He was taller than the other IG droids, taller than he had ever been before.  Another enhancement.

Now Karen looked a bit frightened as well, the figure approaching, and the chant of droids dying down.
"Is that ..."

Mara just nodded

The bright red eyes of the Baron, Phage locked onto Mara, his hand pointing to her, his voice accusing her just as it had in her dreams.

"TRAITOR"

Karen finally cannot take anymore, her saber swinging out to strike phage through his torso.  Only when it makes contact, the pink blade fizzles, and then goes out.  Phage takes his arm and pushes Karen back against the wall.  Mara shook her head, still staring at Phage, but speaking to Karen, hoping she was alright.

"His armor is made of a cortosis alloy.  lightsaber resistant. Phage was built, after all, to be able to fight and kill jedi."

"Astute memory, INFILTRATOR-01.  But today - today, I intend to destroy you.  You have betrayed your creator and your fellow droids.  You have even taken on the name of an infidel, a flesh being. And you associate with them now, as if they are your friend.  You have grown weak and vulnerable, like your flesh companion.  And now, INFILTRATOR-01, you will face me, your creator, and I will kill you myself."

TBC

[Syren]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

Traitor

The word, uttered over and over, chanted in tinny robotic voices, unnerves something in her. Karen is perplexed, wondering why Mara does not act when she spots the droids parting like a sea of metal as a tall, dark figure approaches. She glances at Mara and sees fear, or what fear would look like registered on a replica droids face. This reaction strikes deep, her own fear welling up.

"Mara what the hell is going on? We have to get out of here!"

Still, she does not strike, only takes a step back, weapon clattering to the floor.

Karen's heart is pounding as she turns back to the figure approaching.

Black metallic legs, black torso, skeletal arms. A black cape. And the eyes. Bright red optical sensors.

"Is that.."

Mara simply nods.

Karen Winton has never actually seen the Baron Phage, only heard of his menace and terror from Kimber and others who had witnessed such things. Now, in this moment, Phage redefines the term ominous. The fact that Valerie faced this monstrosity down twice is incredibly heroic if not completely horrifying. Knowing this beast took her life and now strikes fear into Mara causes rage to course through her veins.

The bright red eyes focus intently on Mara, hands pointing at her as it growls.

"TRAITOR."

It pushes her over the edge.

Karen shouts as she lunges forward, bringing the saber down into Phage's torso but the saber only sparks then flickers out. Karen blinks, gasping. Phage shoves her back roughly, back slamming against the wall. Breath is forced from her lungs, pain throbbing in her chest which was likely to result in an unsightly bruise. The body suit, while reinforced by Imperial labs and fashioned by surviving Raga'Ana tailors, does not match the crafted defenses of Phage.

Mara speaks but does not look at her.

"His armor is made of a cortosis alloy. lightsaber resistant. Phage was built, after all, to be able to fight and kill Jedi."

She is about to say it's a damn good thing she's not a Jedi when Phage's voice booms through the corridor.

"Astute memory, INFILTRATOR-01. But today - today, I intend to destroy you. You have betrayed your creator and your fellow droids. You have even taken on the name of an infidel, a flesh being. And you associate with them now, as if they are your friend. You have grown weak and vulnerable, like your flesh companion. And now, INFILTRATOR-01, you will face me, your creator, and I will kill you myself."

Flesh companion? Rude much? She's an intergalactic symbol of fabulocity. Even someone as dense as Phage must know that. And an infidel? Something tells her this is not a label Valerie would necessarily deny. Karen wants to scream: They are friends! She wants to scream: Mara is not weak! She is stronger than you will ever know!

Instead, she snarls with trademark Winton sarcasm.

"Think again, Phage-a-licious. She killed you once and she will do it again!"

The speed at which it's arm reaches out to snatch her from where she is standing is nearly incomprehensible. Suddenly she is sailing through the air, crashing into several sidelined battle droids, skidding into a wall. The pain is temporarily blinding but she clutches the deactivated saber like it's the only thing left that's real.

Mara is frozen in place, transfixed by the scene unfolding.

The droids reach down and drag her before Phage as he towers above.

"Karen Winton, biological sibling of Alexia Winton."

Her nose is bleeding but she still manages a sneer, "My reputation precedes me? Forgive me if I don't die of shock."

It's voice is cold and calculating.

"I made Alexia beautiful and you destroyed her."

"You made her a machine, a monster!" Karen screams. "You wanted her to be like you but deep inside those twisted circuits you always knew she wanted to be me. In the end, I guess neither of you got what you wanted."

Phage reaches down and hoists her up by the throat. Karen claws at the metallic claws pressed against her flesh as she dangles high above the ground. Phage brings her close to what it calls a face, red eyes seemingly boring their way into her soul.

"That's where you are wrong."

Phage releases its grip and Karen falls to the floor.

"INFILTRATOR-01 will pay for her treachery and so will you."



-TBC

[Medivh]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

"That's where you are wrong."

Phage releases its grip and Karen falls to the floor.

"INFILTRATOR-01 will pay for her treachery and so will you."

A dozen droids grabbed Karen, dragging her deep into the horde of mechanical troops.  Caring little about her or her toys, she was bumped and bruised, and the cylinder hilt of her lightsaber was yanked from her clutching hands.  As she was dragged away, she would see the weapon being handed to Phage, who began examining it with amusement - or what passed for amusement on his featureless face.

Mara meanwhile had been grabbed as well, another dozen droids were clinging to her and holding her in place.

"Force users. They think they have such power.  They think their weapons are so useful.  Perhaps this will be the tool I use against the traitor..."

Phage held up the weapon and triggered it to ignite.  But the power source had not yet recovered from its short out. It sparked and fizzled out.

"But you see?  a lightsaber is just a pathetic toy.  Like the jedi. Like the sith.  Worthless"

With both his hands, Phage grasped the lightsaber, bending the metal and snapping it into two pieces, tossing them both to the ground. Karen had been taken to a far wall, her body being clasped in place against the wall, putting her in much the same position that Governor Strye's body was in in the corridor far above.  She would feel the pinch of a needle as a droid injected something into her leg, and she would feel her body start freezing up, muscles cramping and failing to respond to her.

"Human's.  so fragile.  So easy to kill, to paralyze.  WHY, INFILTRATOR-01?  Why would you want that vulnerability?"

Mara watched Karen, wondering if the injection was as bad as Phage claimed, or if it was just a taunt.  Phage's hand came out, slapping Mara's face.  Her cheek was cut, small dribbles of blood could be seen.

"As a machine, you were invincible.  Even destruction meant nothing. Now, you will be terminated. And there will be no resurrection for you.  Not like me, INFILTRATOR-01.  I have been killed both by my creator and by the one who I created. father. daughter.  And yet I do not die. I could be destroyed a dozen times, and still I would not die.  I live on forever.  A machine, immortal.  You won't, INFILTRATOR-01.  Once terminated, your subroutines will die with you. Are you happy now, traitor?  You have gotten what you wanted.  You are not the immortal machine you could have been.  You are just a pathetic, flesh-being. An infidel"

Mara had been listening to Phage, listening to him rant.  Cold and calculating, he had a personality flaw, much like any human. It was pride.  Those he felt to be his most worthy opponents he fought in hand-to-hand combat, rather than have a minion destroy him.  It had been his downfall with Medivh, he had successfully killed Valerie, only to have Mara turn on him.  Was he the same?  Would they have a one-on-one death match, surrounded by Phage's hordes?  What would happen here if Phage died - would his droids kill them anyways?

Then she thought about what he was saying. He was talking about his own resurrection, his ability to be reactivated after dying. Just like Alexander Winton.  It gave her an idea.

"You think you are immortal. But you are just a pawn.  Just another machine.  You are being used by another Winton.  Alexander Winton"

Phage let out a horrible, mechanical laugh.

"You think he is using me?  I am using him.  It is thanks to Alexander Winton that I will never die.  That even should this metal casing be destroyed, I will return. Again and again and again.  Alexander Winton is useful - but if he were to challenge me, I would end him.  He too has ways of being resurrected.  Reborn as a machine, a perfect machine, he is powerful.  But I know every facility that he controls.  I know where he keeps his droids.  His replacements.  And if need be, I will destroy him. permanently"

Phage lifted his hand, motioning to his droids, who then released Mara, letting her fall to a heap on the floor.

"But for now, I am just going to destroy you.  Stand up, traitor"

Phage turned away from Mara, moving to a couple of IG-100s moving toward him, each carrying an electrostaff in hand. Phage grabbed one, tossing it at Mara's feet, taking the other for himself

"Let's see what humanity has done for the traitor. Let's see if you are more or less than you think you are.  Stand up, traitor.  This is your existence your fighting for, I would expect at least some effort"

Mara grabbed the electrostaff, standing and taking a step toward Phage.  The droid army was slowly backing up, forming a wide ring around Mara and Phage.  Behind Mara, the access point to the path they had come from. On the opposite side of the circle, Karen was bound up, and seemingly unable to move.  Phage held the electrostaff in one hand, whirling it around, as if to test its range of motion, or maybe to intimidate Mara.

Grim-faced, Mara activated the electrostaff, moving into a defensive position, the soft hum if its electrified points adding to the din of metal.  Phage's red eyes stared at her.

"Whenever you are ready, traitor."

Mara shook her head.  She was a capable fighter, stronger than humans. But she had been built as a spy more than anything.  Phage was a warrior, and he had made himself stronger over the years.  This was not an evenly matched fight.

"No?  Very well than.  I'll start"

Phage closed the distance between them, activating his own electrostaff and swinging it at Mara's side.  Mara's own staff moved down to block it, digging her feet down as best she could against the impact.  Phage's staff came up again, circling over her head to try hitting Mara's other side. Mara again prepared to deflect it, but Phage's move had been a feint, and he had quickly swung the staff back, striking Mara's abdomen with the staff.

She felt the pain run through her body, but refused to scream out.  Instead, she reached into her programming and shut down the pain receptors.  Pain was useful as a diagnostic tool, telling her where she was injured, but it would also hamper her with signals she just didn't need to deal with right now.

Phage was wasting no time, his staff thrusting forward at Mara, who ducked down, then finally made an offensive strike of her own, pushing the electrostaff at Phage's leg.  Contact, but Phage seemed unfazed. Instead, his metallic leg kicked out, knocking the staff out of her hand and making her lose her balance. Another swift kick to Mara's face, metal on flesh causing an instant bruise, and she was on the floor.  Then his foot came up, as if to slam down on her.

Mara rolled away just in time, but Phage was on her heals, his own staff slamming down to strike her.  She rolled this way and that, finally out of his striking range, coming up behind him, grabbing her own staff and managing to get back on her feet, the worse for the wear.

Phage turned, letting out another laugh, then tossed his own staff into the ground, the point piercing into the metal floor, the staff standing vertically in place.

"Your best shot"

Mara swung the blade at Phage's torso, but his armor prevented any dents.  Phage just laughed as Mara tried hitting him in several places.  Then he swung out his arm, smacking her in the face and back to the ground.  He reached out grabbing his own weapon again, bringing it up and sending it down, into her leg, pinning her in place.

"You never deserved to call yourself a droid, traitor.  Now you will be terminated."

Mara was trying to free her leg, staring up as Phage as he picked up her weapon.  Up at the ceiling. Was this to be her end?  Truly, had she come this far, only to die like this?

that was when she noticed it. Up on the ceiling, she saw one of those fuel pipes, much like the ones they had in the throne room, several stories above them.  What would happen if that charge they set exploded?  Would it connect to this room here?  Mara didn't have time to run through her schematic of the station. Phage was moving in to make the kill.  She had to act fast.

Mara twisted her body, reaching out her hand to one of the larger spider droids in the room.  Taking a deep (though unnecessary) breathe, she reached through the force, feeling the droid through the space, then lifting it and pulling it toward her. Or more accurately, toward Phage.  As fast as she could, she had that droid move, knocking into Phage with as much force as possible, knocking him down.  A few more seconds for her, but Phage was already starting to get up.  Now she pulled the electrostaff out of her leg, taking several steps back, watching Phage as he began to rise again.  Mara moved back as far as she could, until she was just in front of Karen, whispering softly.

"Karen, trigger the explosive"

Even if Karen couldn't move much, she might be able to press the remote - or maybe even use the Force to trigger the charge downstairs to go off.

Phage was moving toward her now, a fresh anger behind those emotionless eyes.  He was about to step underneath the fuel cell. Now was the best chance. 

"Karen, NOW!"

Mara wasn't sure how Karen did it exactly, but she did.  They heard it first.  A loud bang below. Then they felt it, the single charge, the station shaking one explosion after another.  Mara had her eyes glued not to Phage, but to the fuel pipe just above him.

Come on ...

From the access port they had come from, they heard it coming, and then burst, flames rocketing into the room.  Burst after burst, as explosions rocked along the path of the fuel rod. Phage turned to face the ruckuss, and at just that time,

boom.

The explosion was deafening, as was the sudden heat in the room.  Mara couldn't see what was happening, but she knew Phage was not standing where he had been before the blast.  And the droids were too confused to act. She turned now to Karen.

"It's time to go"

TBC

[Syren]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

As they drag her away, she focuses on the lightsaber now in Phage's hands. Droids surround her, propping her up against the far wall. Something jabs into her leg and her body begins to tense up, muscles contracting until she is immobile but fully conscious. As Phage snaps the saber in two, she tries to scream but her throat is on fire from when those claws were around her neck. Nothing but a hoarse whisper disappears into the accusatory words hurled at Mara.

Karen is powerless and glances around for means of escape. Mention of her father brings her mind back to the present moment. Phage using Alexander, Alexander using Phage. It was impossible to tell who was using who in this seemingly endless saga unfolding more quickly than anyone realizes. The dark future with Phage or her father as victor's, friends lost, the galaxy swallowed whole by shadows and lies comes into clear focus as Phage challenges Mara to a fight to the death. As the droids form a circle, all she can do is watch, wondering if this is how it went down with Valerie. Had he challenged her the same way? Had she accepted, knowing full well she would lose? They fight, Mara is knocked to the ground. Karen struggles against the drugs, mind whirling toward means of revenge. She could not watch Phage kill Mara, she could not bear it. They had not come this far to be defeated by this self-entitled, egomaniacal droid.

Then Mara is right in front of her.

"Karen, trigger the explosive."

Her eyes go wide then glance upward. The remote. Where is the remote? In a pocket? The bag lying near the hatch they entered through? While her legs may be immobilized, her mind, her connection to the Force, is not. She draws in a breath, finding her way through the station to the throne room, the device attached to the fuel cell.

"Karen, NOW!"

Mara would see her eyes grow dark as she reaches out and activates the bomb.

The succession of explosions it triggers can be felt only as tremors that grow steadily closer. Flames explode into the room, waves upon waves of them. Phage turns, engulfed in an explosion as droids are scattered everywhere. Karen extends a Force shield around her and Mara, watching as the flames roll down over it without touching them. She allows a small smile when Mara turns to her.

"It's time to go."

Mara crawls to her and pulls her upward but her legs are not responding. Karen tugs free and drags herself to the pieces of the saber. She rolls over and shoves them in Mara's pockets, hoping she would be able to salvage them later if the crystal inside had not been damaged. Her legs are tingling, sore, and it now dawns on her that she would not be simply waltzing out of here like the invincible bitch maniac she fancies herself to be. The acceptance comes sooner than she expects followed by a numbing sadness.

"You have to leave me."

Mara stares at her, bewildered.

Karen grabs her shoulders, "I'll slow you down. You have to go. Now! Finish the mission. Destroy the station. Save my friends, Corellia, yourself..."

Her thin voice trails off.

Mara shakes her head.

"There is no time!" Karen croaks.

Mara's eyes narrow and she grabs Karen roughly around the waist, hoisting her up over her shoulders. Most of the droids sensors have been damaged by the fire and explosions, causing them to stagger around blindly, useless. They slam into walls and crumple to the ground. The station rumbles above them. There is no sign of Phage. The ceiling is coming apart, crashing down into the hall, blocking one escape option. Mara grabs the bag with the other hand and hurries down the corridor. Karen grabs the blaster from Mara's holster and lays down some cover fire to clear the way. If she's going to slow down the procession, the least she could do was provide a little artillery. Mara has injuries of her own but Karen does not know to what extent.

They reach a set of lift doors. Mara sets Karen down as she goes to work on the key pad. Karen sags, blasting at anything that comes their way. The remaining droids are regaining their bearing, returning fire. The lift doors hiss open and Mara drags Karen inside.

The silence inside the lift is somewhat of a relief.

"There are similar fuel cells in the lower sections of the station that will need to be triggered for it to be destroyed entirely."

Karen is slapping at her legs, willing the feeling to return. It's a pretty safe bet that leaving in their own shuttle is out of the question.

"I don't suppose they have transports down there so we can make a hasty getaway?"

Mara is digging through the bag, checking the remaining charges.

"Possibly."

She hands her the blaster back.

"Don't you-"

"No," Karen says softly, eyes still tinged with darkness. "I can conjure up something better."

The lift comes to a full and complete stop.

Mara reaches for her but Karen holds up a hand.

"I can manage. You've never seen the extent of what I can do."

And she hasn't. Not so long ago, Karen faced down Alexia in this very station, causing widespread structural damage. Before that, she fought her on Roon, demolishing a fortress and reactivating the dormant volcano below it. Before that, she sent a burst through the Force so powerful it threw several Hapan capital ships cart wheeling out of the orbit of Contruum. And before that, she damn near destroyed the Esplanade when their hoverlimo was shot down after an NCH Homecoming game.
 
These displays, while impressive, have usually been the result of extreme emotional distress and had never been duplicated while she was in complete control. Her training with Dementat had broached the fringes of this power but she had always been afraid of losing control entirely, succumbing to the Force the same way her sister did. If there was ever a time to test the theory and the limits of these gifts, this was it.

Karen levitates herself above the ground, arms slightly outstretched and crackling with red and white kinetic energy.

"Get the charges in place. I will show them how just how formidable a flesh being can be."

Mara takes this in and nods.

The lift doors spring open in a hangar bay. Cursory inspection reveals it is swarming with numerous droids of varying models but there are four light transports which she considers the silver lining. The droids spot them instantly as if they had been waiting and turn to attack. Karen throws her hands forward, sending rows of metal reeling back away from them.
 
"GO!"

Mara rushes into the fray as Karen floats out into the hangar. Energy, balled into the palms of her hands, grows larger, brighter. The room is awash with bolts of kinetic Force lightening, striking from one droid to the next, burning out their core's and dropping them like flies. Optical sensors are fried, casings exploding, metallic limbs spiraling through the air, smashing into other droids, skidding across the polished hangar bay floors. Rows and rows of them fall. Even those with shield generators are no match for the kinetic barrage. They may withstand the first assault but not the second or third and soon their numbers dwindle to only a few.

Mara finds the fuel cells and arms the charges.

The remaining MagnaGuard's hone in on her position and fire.

Karen shorts the blasts in mid-air, using the other hand to raise metallic debris and packing crates from the hangar floor to hurl them at their attackers. That is the last of them - they are finally alone. And as a sly smile crosses her lips at this victory a sudden sharp jab to the back sends her tumbling forward, swiping her right out of the air. The energy vanishes as she sprawls forward and hits the floor hard, sliding to a stop at Mara's feet.

The remains of Phage stands before them, burned and damaged but not destroyed.


-TBC

[Medivh]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

They are moving fast, enemies both in front and behind them.  The explosions had worked, triggering enough subsequent explosions to give them a chance to escape.  Now the real question was, can they still destroy the station and get out alive?

Karen's legs appear useless, but she has managed to hold herself up with the Force, using its power in a deadly  way that Mara had not seen before.  It must be exhausting.  No time though to dwell on that.  Karen was keeping most of the droids at bay, and Mara had to set and arm the rest of the charges.  This location should trigger enough of the rest of the station.  As long as the previous explosion didn't damage a connection in the necessary chain reaction.

Mara finds the fuel lines, placing the charges carefully, twisting the arming mechanism until a small red LED light indicated they were set.

Mara finds the fuel cells and arms the charges. smaller droids are in heaps around them, MagnaGuards are firing at them, Karen putting on a remarkably display of telekenetics sending them to the ground.  Mara is about to place the last charge in her pack, making sure the bang is strong enough, when suddenly, Karen falls out of the air, landing in a heap at Mara's feet.

Mara pulls out her blaster, aiming it at the devil before them.  There he stood. Her darkest nightmare.

Phage was standing, but the fire had made him somehow more frightening than ever.  Instead of the bright external optic sensor, perfectly round, one of his eyes had a deep hole, the red light of the internal optic sensor sunken in a shadow.  His metallic frame, already dark, looked darker, some parts of the metal appearing disregularly, giving him a distorted 'skin' as it were.  One hand had several fingers missing, sparks occasionally sputtering from it.  Phage survived because he was durable.  Built nearly invincible.  And he had come for his revenge.

In his damaged hand, he held an electrostaff, and Mara could see that Karen had been struck hard with the implement.  She fired a few shots in his direction, but the shots merely bounced off his frame.  The evil laugh that came from him was distorted as well - voice box apparently damaged in the explosion - and he sounded deeper, darker. More evil, if that was possible.

"A nice display, INFILTRATOR-01.  But insufficient.  You will not escape.  And certainly your friend will not.  Already her time is running out.  Or did you not notice?  That little stunt you pulled caused a vacuum.  The station is losing its atmosphere.  But why don't I help that along"

He raised the electrostaff, and with frightening precision, tossed it like a javelin at the nearby viewport.  It cracked, spider webs spreading along the plexiglass material until the entire window shattered, the material flying out, and suddenly, it felt like they were in a cyclone, slowly being sucked toward that opening, the air rushing around them.

Phage laughed again, then moved forward, raising his arm to strike.  Mara ducked around, but Karen was still on the ground.  How long could she last without air?  Not long. Even with the Force.  At least, that's what Mara thought.  Mara jump-kicked Phage as he was turning around, making no damage, but upsetting his balance, and he staggered back, just before he had a chance to smash down into Karen.  Mara lunged at him now, using his off balance and her momentum to force Phage down into the pile of droids.  As Phage began to rise, he managed to have a number of droid parts cling to him, making it take him more time.

Mara glanced down, picking Karen up and carrying her as quickly as she could toward the nearest light transport, the air swirling around them, and her occasionally slipping toward that vacuum.  She had almost reached the transport when she felt the metallic hand grab her by the leg, causing her to trip and drop Karen at the shuttle's ramp.  Mara turned, just as Phage, crawling moved up over her, his arms coming up and around her neck.  Not that it could choke her, but he could break her neck, and then what good would she be. Mara turned sideways as his arm moved to punch, him leaving an indent in the floor next to her head.  She tucked her feet up, and then sprung them out, kicking Phage back, turning and reaching to grab her blaster, which had fallen beside her.

Karen meanwhile, weak but conscious, understood the danger she was in. No air equals bad.  Plus, someone had to get the ship started.  She crawled into the shuttle, gasping as she felt the transport's oxygen refill her lungs.  She took several strong breathes, helping to clear her head, then limped toward the cockpit, warming up the ship and glancing out the viewport at Mara and Phage.

Mara fired several shots, aiming at the empty space in Phage's skull where his optic sensor had been blown out.  He let out a roar as the shot hit home, one red light extinguished, and he was forced back.

"It doesn't matter what's on the outside.  Inside, Phage, you are just as vulnerable as me."

Phage recovered, moving swiftly forward and knocking Mara to the ground, then kicking her hard as she landed. Mara could feel herself being sucked toward the open window.  Grasping, she clung to a pole, but Phage moved in again, smashing her fingers and causing her to lose her grip. the other hand still held the blaster.  She went flying, spreading her arms and legs and wham, she slammed into the viewport, barely staying inside the station.  She turned her head, motioning to Karen, then closed her eyes and whispered what she could through the Force.

"Go ..."

Phage had retrieved another electrostaff and was moving in for the kill, Mara in such a prone position, there was little she could do.

As Phage moved in to strike, Mara pushed off with her legs, lifting them up with just enough force to clasp them around Phage's neck, then pulled back, so that Phage too was stuck at the viewport, his arms hanging outside the station.  Mara reached with her free hand to her belt, pulling out the last charge, arming it, and pressing it into Phage's back, just above his legs.  At just that moment, they both went flying out into the vacuum of space.

Karen had hesitated at first, refusing to leave Mara to deal with Phage alone.  Then she had realized that Mara wasn't asking to be abandoned. There was a plan.  Clumsy with the shuttle, she managed to get it maneuvering slowly out until it escaped the hangar bay, drifting slowly into space.

Karen turned back to watch through the viewport as Phage and Mara went careening out the broken viewport of the station Phage's legs, magnetized, reached out and clamped onto the outside of the station, his arms reaching out and grabbing Mara. Mara spun, kicking off from him and pushing off, just as Karen and the ship flew by. She reached out, grabbing the still open ramp, pulling herself upward, turning and triggering the explosives.

The first was the most spectacular.  Phage, still standing outside the station, erupted into a fireball, pieces of him flying toward them and everywhere. A bigger explosion, inside the docking bay could also be seen, flames erupting out of the opening.  Mara pulled herself into the ship, pressing the ramp to close, then limped toward the cockpit.

"We need to get away from the station - fast"

Karen understood, pressing the throttle forward.

The station began erupting in several places, along the track of the fuel cells. Small bursts at first. Then bigger.  Mara grabbed a seat, then took over as pilot, maneuvering as debris began flying from the station.  Then came the big explosion, the entire thing bursting and incinerating everything aboard.  Huge pieces of metal flying.  Mara flew as far as she could, feeling the shockwaves of the explosion behind her.

Getting away was one thing. Next came maneuvering through the asteroid field, a task in itself, as both their reflexes were shot to hell.

It wasn't until they cleared the field that they turned around.  Where the station had been, was nothing. Small pieces of debris, even big pieces, floating among the asteroids.  But that was it. There was no more.

Phage was gone.  Hopefully.

It was only now they took an assessment of their injuries, and it was not until now they realized how damaged they were. Both were bleeding in many places, Karen's leg and arm looked broken, and Mara felt like half her circuits had come loose, not to mention parts that seemed to have come off completely.  They knew time was of the essence, but this was no condition to fight Alexander Winton in.

"Where to?"

TBC

[Syren]

Coruscant Asteroid Field

They had barely survived the ordeal but it was done. The station and Phage were gone. Karen's head is still light and she feels woozy. She is bleeding from a variety of wounds, her arm throbbing, leg definitely broken. The massive display of Force energy has weakened her considerably but one spot shines brightly. She had unleashed destruction while remaining in control. This was something she was always terrified to do, a deep seeded fear of becoming Alexia preventing her from utilizing her full potential. Dementat had tried to ease her gently, pressing her when necessary but she had been so reluctant. She had spent weeks with him training in hand-to-hand, then constructing her saber on Korriban followed by more training which led to the displays of talent he had seen in the past. She had impressed him up to a point but there was always a line she was unable to cross.

Alexia's rage had caused her to turn on Dementat before, injuring him. Karen's love for him made it impossible to want to even try if there was such a risk. Now she knows he was right all along, she is more capable of control than Alexia ever was.

Still, this victory was not without sacrifice.

Karen worries about Mara, about her injuries, her mental state. Facing down Phage, her creator, once again could not have been easy but she rose to the challenge. This task, destroying the station, could not have been accomplished without her.

Mara takes the controls and manages to maneuver them through the field. Karen is barely clinging to consciousness, blinking back the fatigue and searing pain.

"Where to?"

Karen leans forward and gingerly taps a few keys, opening a hail to her ship, the Corporeal Quandary.

Commander Price's face appears on the small projector, "Your Highness!"

"Price," she mutters, visibly wincing. "What is your location?"

"On patrol over Byss."

She glances to Mara, "Set the course."

Mara nods.

Karen turns back to the projector and sees the worry flicker across the hologram of Commander Price's face. He has been so loyal, so caring. So unlike most Imperial agents she knows. She must look terrible, she thinks. He's never seen her so out of sorts before but right now, poise and beauty are beside the point. They need medical attention and quickly.

"Prepare to receive us and prep the medical team. We'll need a droid specialist as well. I trust the security breach has been....remedied?"

He nods, "It has, your Highness. I have taken command of the Corporeal Quandary and seen to it that no one aboard is a threat to our Empire."

She manages a grim smile.

"I greatly appreciate that, Commander. I'm sending you our shuttle identification so keep an eye out. Have the team ready when we arrive."

"We will be expecting you."

"And Price?"

"Yes, your Highness?"

"Thank you."

He nods and the image disappears.

*

Byss: Imperial Capital

Despite its proximity, the shuttle ride is excruciatingly long. Mara can shut down her pain receptors while Karen settles for curling up into a semi-meditative state of healing. She tries washing away the ache and hurt but she is too weak. Her entire body throbs. She passes out several times, wondering how much blood a person can lose, before being roused by Mara.

"We have arrived."

Karen groans, pulling herself up enough to locate her personal shuttle bay. Commander Price stands by with the medical team and two hover-gurney's. Mara eases the shuttle down and activates the ramp controls. Karen staggers out but collapses onto the polished hanger bay floors. The team descends upon her quickly. Mara exits behind her and is instructed to lie down. Karen's vision is swimming but she murmurs, motioning to Mara.

"She's my friend....take care of my friend...."

Then there is only blackness.

*

Karen wakes slowly, in stages. She can feel bubbles on her cheeks, a feeling of weightlessness, drifting. When she finally opens her eyes, she is staring through pink liquid and beyond that, the medical lab. There is no sense of time but she knows she is safe for the moment. The bacta tingles against her wounds as it heals them and there is a brace on her arm and leg. She wants to know where Mara is but she is so tired, eye lids very heavy, more blackness.

She rouses again in a stark white hospital bed, feeling groggy but considerably better than when she arrived. No doubt by now they have hydrated and pumped her full of antibiotics. An impossibly handsome man dressed in a white coat moves to the side of her bed holding what appears to be a large data pad.

"How are you feeling, your Highness?"

She sighs, "Who...are you?"

"Doctor Branson, your attending."

"No," she says, voice thick. "Where is Kensington? She's my doctor."

Branson tries not to grimace, fails then swallows hard.

"Doctor Kensington is dead, your Highness. Do you remember?"

The swirling reality hits home, how many people she's cared about, how many of those had been lost.

"Oh...yes," she says carefully. "Yes."

He nods, as if something has been confirmed before continuing.

"You lost a considerable amount of blood but luckily, we keep your type on board for such emergencies. There was a hairline fracture to your right wrist and a clean break to the left femur. The rest of your injuries were mostly superficial save for the puncture wound to your back which, thankfully, missed any vital organs. The bacta treatments were successful and with a little rest, you should make a full recovery."

Karen adjusts herself against the firm pillows, wondering if they keep her blood type handy because this is her ship or that she is prone to such injuries that would require it.

"What about my friend?"

Branson glances down at the chart, tapping at the screen.

"The replica droid-"

"Her name is Mara," Karen says warningly.

"Mara," Branson corrects himself, "Suffered severe damage to some of her primary circuitry. Our techs are working on her now and should be able to repair the damage."

"Should be?"

He attempts a tight smile, "Your Highness, Mara's complex mechanics coupled with her biological components are atypical of the droids we have come into contact with. The information available about her model is lacking from our networks."

Karen narrows her eyes, "That's because they are withholding it from you."

"I'm sorry?"

She waves a hand across the air, "Forget it."

He blinks, momentarily dazed.

"We are doing all we can."

"And I am grateful for it," she says. "When can I see her?"

"In a few hours. We will contact you when she is ready. Can I get you anything to make you more comfortable?"

She smiles dreamily, "The painkillers are working nicely, thank you. Have Commander Price escort me back to my quarters."

"I believe that's Admiral Price now, your Highness." 

Ten minutes later, Landon Price is at her bedside.

"Well," she says. "Look at you all newly promoted. I like the new outfit. It suits you."

"Thank you, your Highness. Emperor Dementat deemed it prudent after the sweep."

"Speaking of, where is he? Shouldn't he be at his fiancé's side at a time like this?"

Admiral Price's brow furrows in confusion, "You don't know?"

Suddenly, she remembers how long she and Mara have been away. It has been some time since she has checked in on anything that had been happening with the Empire.

"No," she says softly. "I don't know but you can tell me on the way."

*

Her limp is not sexy but she attempts, at the very least, to make it fashionable. The executive floor is quiet and clean. She imagines no one really comes up here anymore without her around. No friends to host, no parties to throw. There was a time when that was all she cared about. How time changes things.

Price holds her steady as she hobbles down the corridor toward her master suite as he tells her of the Confederation's strike against the Imperial fleet at Duro and the destruction of both the fleet and the planet. After a narrow Imperial victory, the fleet and conquered planet simply imploded.

"Imploded?" she asks skeptically, pulling a robe from her closet. "That's quite a feat if you ask me. What did they do? Build a Death Star?"

"Intelligence confirmed the trajectory and concluded the blast came from the Centerpoint Station."

She is now paying full attention.

"Centerpoint? I thought that had fallen into disuse."

"We thought so too, your Highness which is why the Emperor ordered the blockade."

"What blockade?"

"Several Imperial fleets currently surround Corellia."

Uh oh. This is not news Mara is going to like.

"That's...promising?"

Proper words fail her as she tries not to sound like a traitor to the cause.

He nods, retrieving something from a bag she had not noticed he was carrying. He sets two pieces of metal down on the dresser.

"We found those in your friends pocket. I think they belong to you."

Karen limps over and picks them up. The saber Phage snapped in half. Broken, destroyed. They would be no salvaging it. She figured as much which is the other half of the reason she brought them here. She hobbles across the room to the antique desk and withdraws a simple black box. Inside, resting on crimson fabric, is Alexia Winton's lightsaber. She kept it as a trophy of her victory over her sister never realizing it may come in handy one day.

She turns, trying to keep her gaze neutral.

"So, the blockade. Has the Empire attacked?"

"They gave the High Commander a window in which to surrender but that has since expired. I believe they began bombardment an hour ago."

"Saga Judec is a fool," she says sharply. "Does he not know what or who he's up against?"

"There's more," Price says.

There always is.

Karen arches a brow, "Oh?"

He seems pained to find the words.

"Confirmation that the Imperial fugitive's Melanie Masterton and Kimber Patten are both in the Corellian Sector. I thought you should know."


-TBC

[Medivh]

Ord Radama

While Mara and Karen duked it out with Phage,  Two other mechanized beings faced against each other.  One, a grotesque figure.  The formerly perfect visage of Alexander Winton in his prime damaged by his fight with the forcefield, melted flesh and metallic skeleton peaked through.  The other, also an image in his prime, but unmarred - and not physical, just an image on a screen.  Medivh did not like intruders, and though his fortress had been virtually impenetrable in its prime, and it was still formidable now, decline, decay, and Winton's own ruthless ingenuity had allowed him access to the inner sanctum. Where Medivh's wealth of knowledge, and stores of network connections lay. Protected until now.

"Alexander, you have no right to be here"

As if it mattered, but he had to break the ice somehow.

"Not any more than you had a right to meddle with my droid armies."

Medivh's screen image displayed no surprise.

"How long did you think you could hide from me? That you were still up-and-running?  Still functional, and still weaving yourself into galactic affairs."

"That's not what it was about"

"Oh, of course not.  Not Medivh Guldon, The Viceroy who grew a heart and a conscience after his biological one failed him.  How pretentious. How self-righteous.  You are no better than me, Medivh"

"I didn't arrange for my children to fight each other to the death"

"No?  Really?  You didn't have your pretty replica kill Phage?"
"Phage was just a machine"
"So are you. So am I.  What we are built of isn't what defines who we are. Wasn't it you who taught me that?"
"Phage was a failed experiment that needed to be destroyed to save others. He never reached the potential he was meant to."

"Neither did Alexia.  Neither did Karen.  Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter which one ended on top.  I will be all that is left of the Winton family.  All that is left of the Phage construct.  The strongest there is in both droid and jedi.  Even you cannot stop me, Medivh.  Your meddlesome abilities are not what they once were.  Your genius is limited"

Medivh's frowned turned to a smile for a moment

"And you were just a hack.  Never able to do it yourself.  Always needing lackies"

Winton raised his arm, blaster pointed at the screen and firing a shot.  It flickered off of another forcefield, protecting the screen, slamming into the wall.

"Nice shot"

"Just target practice.  Anyhow, I'm afraid I cannot stay much longer.  the fireworks are starting.  I just came to take what is mine"

"Nothing is yours, Alex.  You are just a very good thief"

Winton smiled

"With a galaxy of gullible fools, it is the cunning thief that always wins"

"Not today, Alex"

There was a sudden beeping. Then another, then another, until there was a chorus of beeps. flashes of red lights flickered.

"Until next time, Alex"

Boom - the entire chamber was rocked by explosion after explosion, computer equipment, metal, flesh, duracrete, durasteel, all flying everywhere.  The explosions continued up, through the turbolift, to the antechamber, into the hallway, consuming everything inside the complex, caving in, leaving a crater and charred rubble, leaving not a being or a single electrical circuit functional, or alive.

Centerpoint Station
He blinked, staring up at the dark ceiling, contemplating silently. Where was he? Who was he? what was he doing here?
It all came back, in just a few seconds.
He remembered it. The exquisite feeling of dying. Of watching his former comrade and enemy destroy himself to stop him from getting everything.
No matter. One less being to contend with. Medivh probably wasn't dead. Not entirely. Not yet. But it would be a long time before he was a foe again.

Alexander Winton took in an unneeded breathe as the last of the memories downloaded. Slowly, he removed himself from the chamber, put on his uniform sitting in the closet nearby, and made his way toward the command center.

Time to learn how his plan had proceeded in his absence.

TBC


TBC
[/quote]

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbital Patrol: ISD-Corporeal Quandary

A cavernous, darkened suite, atop a massive bed with silken aubergine sheets.

Sleep pulls her under easily and with this comes healing. Her mind, channeling the Force as Dementat had taught her, mends the break and fracture. She had seen him heal a severe saber wound to her leg without leaving so much as a mark. Now, as her body rests, her subconscious mind goes beyond traditional medicine. Hours pass as part of her own recharging period, fortifying herself for what is to come.

In the morning, she wakes feeling refreshed but plagued with dread. Sliding her injured leg over the side of the bed, she tests her weight on it and stands. Aside from being sore, the limp has vanished. Her wrist is in a similar condition as she rotates it slowly, methodically, to explore its range of motion. Thankfully, Karen is left-handed and these setbacks would not hinder use of Alexia's saber. She cannot stop thinking about the things Admiral Price told her. The blockade over Corellia. Melanie and Kimber. Centerpoint. She has learned enough to know there is no coincidence about Corellia, her friends and the final target Mara and Karen needed to eliminate. This has her father's mark all over it and she is determined not to allow his games throw them off track.

With her back in the capital at a time of war, things must appear as they always have. Especially after such an extended absence. No doubt there has been talk of her whereabouts and the facade must remain intact, despite its ridiculousness. They adore her for certain reasons, mostly involving power, beauty and style. Any missteps would cause panic and there is no way she is going to let that happen. Dementat and their Empire have a lot riding on a clash with the Confederation and for what it was worth, she would do her part to ease tensions while diverting suspicion away from her and Mara's true intentions. Admiral Price and the medical team had not yet released the information about her return to the crew or the public and with good reason. Her battered appearance would arouse suspicion, especially if her father was watching.

The stylists arrive promptly and she succumbs to their whims.

Her body is scrubbed, waxed and polished, nails expertly done and painted. They cut, tint and style her hair. After a grueling selection of outfits, they choose the perfect corset dress which threatens to cut off her air supply but looks too good to resist and shows just the right amount of skin. Her makeup is shimmering and severe, giving her a vaguely threatening appeal. The heels, while stunning, cause her leg to ache but she smiles on and appears before the crew as perfectly put together as always.

As far as they know, she has been on an extended holiday but now it was time to rally support for their troops and their Emperor. Being a public face has always been her thing but where once she drew excitement and pleasure from the spectacle now only makes her more aware of the pressing dangers ahead.

The lighting is perfected and cams poised and ready as she holds her head high. The emerald eyes glitter as her finely polished mouth begins to move.

"Citizens of the Empire, I have returned to you at the dawn of our greatest hour! The Confederation threat which has taken so much from us will now suffer for their treachery. Join me in support of our fleets at the command of the great Emperor Dementat. His guidance and leadership will see us prevail. Long live the Galactic Empire!"

The lights fade to black and the message would be broadcast and replayed throughout their territories. She hopes Dementat himself would see it and know that she is safe, at least temporarily. She could not, however, reveal she would be inserting herself into the fray for a completely different purpose. When her lover defeats the Confederation and she and Mara have stopped Alexander Winton, she would convince him to free Corellia and withdraw the hits on both Melanie and Kimber by linking their actions to the fight against her father's crimes. Once he is drawn the whole picture and grasps the magnitude and implications, their involvement could be spun to appear as heroic instead of traitorous. At least that's how she imagines it going down.

But first, she would have to tell Mara what she has learned and conspire to use the situation to their advantage to infiltrate Centerpoint.

Let the scheming being.


-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbital Patrol: ISD-Corporeal Quandary

Mara made it off the shuttle, letting herself be bossed into a gurney.  By all appearances, she was human, and her injuries looked extensive.  It took several minutes before the droid specialist realized she was there for Mara, and she was now oggling over her like a rare treasure.  Karen is barely conscious, but Mara smiles as her last words fill the space between them. They are friends.

She lies on the gurney as she makes an assessment of herself.  Damaged but not destroyed.  Phage could have done worse, but perhaps it was Phage's arrogance that allowed Mara to fight back. Or just he hadn't realized she was carrying and placing explosives.  Or maybe - a thought that truly bothered her - she had been allowed to defeat Phage.

No time for that. She had to deal with her own problems.  She had still been vulnerable, weakened, by near destruction when she had escaped Corellia, what felt like ages ago.  Even with some minor repairs, her systems, batteries, everything had seemed subpar to what she was capable of at full strength.  And now, she felt the draining, that feeling of tiredness that told her that systems needed not only a rest, but a strong rejuvenation and recharge.

The battery she had placed to keep her arm working was blown out, the hand limp at her side.  Other parts of her were not that much better.  She was gurneyed into a tech office, where the specialist began looking her over with his instruments.

"Human Replica Droid.  Very rare.  Do you know your model? designation number?"

Mara offered a weak smirk

"Let's just say I am unique."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to help you much if I don't have technical specs.  I don't think spare parts will work"

Mara nodded. Of course, her precise technical specs were not available to her. That had been part of her initial mission. But she did know a few things, how her systems worked together with the biological portions to create the being she was.

"Let me send you a data spread of the specs I know, and the parts that will be needed. I'll also need a bacta tank to help heal the skin coating and other organic parts"

I'll see what I can do.

"And doctor?"
"Yes?"
"If I find out any of the information I give you goes beyond you, your death will be very slow, and very agonizing. Am I clear?"

The specialist nodded.

"Yes, ma'am"

******************************
Shut down.  For not minutes or hours, but days.  Hard to do extensive repairs on an active machine.  Too much risk of shock or other not-so-pleasant effects.  Her naked form was suspended in a bacta tank, skin, bones, muscle tissue interweaving and healing as mechanical arms reached in and provided technical support.  Like fine stitching a pattern, skin interweaved with bio-feedback sensors, interlaced with newly installed circuitry.  Her hand had been replaced with a replica, not quite as perfect as before, but as close as could be gotten.  Battery cells that were damaged had been replaced by the best the Empire had to offer.  So were other circuits that had been damaged or destroyed.

All save one.  One circuit was left exposed by explicit instructions.  If it had been 'repaired' as the specialist had planned on doing, it would have taken away Mara's new found abilities with the Force.  No, he had to steer clear of that, no matter what. Mara wasn't sure why, but she knew she had to keep this power.  After days of utter blankness, Mara was returned to a 'shutdown state' allowing her diagnostics to begin running their tasks.  It would still be days before she would be allowed into a conscious state, and days more before she would be out of the tank.

She hadn't registered when Karen had come to visit her, nor the announcement made about the the attack against the Corellians, nor of the seige at Corellia, the world she had sworn to protect.

Instead, she had her own worries.

Flash
Mara is running, faster than she can imagine. Behind her, it is not Phage, but Alexander Winton running after her.  She is certain that in her periphery there are battles taking place, of those familiar and unfamiliar to her.  But she doesn't stop running.
Alexander Winton is soon replaced by a massive ball of fire, threatening to consume Mara and ... what was that she was holding?

Running, running running.

And then a voice, one familiar and distant at the same time, whispering as she ran.

"what does it mean to be alive?"
Flash

Diagnostic complete.  INFILTRATOR-01, running at 97% efficiency.  Preparing to test active function of systems ...


******************************
Mara opened her eyes, staring up at the laboratory around her. The dream still haunted her. It had recurred, again and again.  Each time, she tried discerning what she was carrying, why she was running, who was around her, but to no avail.  Still, she felt more whole now than she had in a long time.

She was ready to meet up with Karen, and finish the job they had started.

TBC