VE: Alive

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Surface: Emerald Splendor Estates

"If I wanted Phage back, I wouldn't have terminated him."

Good point but she is like, part machine. Karen is still struggling with the logistics. Mara was programmed by Phage himself. What's to say this isn't all a robotic reflex? She watched Valerie get murdered and if she was installed with biological responses, that could not have been easy. Marks can be left. Damage done. Karen knows the drill. Humans can replace their pain with new experiences. Mara would be doomed to relive it in graphic detail any time she recalled the fact.

Neat! But probably horrifying.

Karen is about to speak when Mara continues.

"You keep saying the old administration ... that the imperial intelligence director - your father - was doing his work as a remnant of the old administration.  But Dementat has now been in power for some time, and it seems that your father has had fairly free reign, until his supposed, and clearly temporary, demise.  Even under Dementat.  If he was doing something Emperor Dementat didn't want, the Emperor had the authority and access to stop him.  And from what I know of the Emperor, he is not easily manipulated by the behavior of his inferiors.  What makes you think that all of this plotting by your father was not with Dementat's consent, if not at his express bidding?"

It's like being slapped. Worse than that.

Karen actually flinches.

Just what the hell is she saying? Karen knows what she's doing! Mostly. She fights the urge to scream at Mara, to tell her that her father had staged his death two years before Palpatine met his end on the second Death Star. Now that she thinks about it, the photage was kind of a cool graduation present. All those sparkles in a bruise-blue sky. Stupid Death Stars. So beside the point! Dementat had been told Alexia was the one the prophecy spoke of. Alexander sent them to Korriban where their minds were clouded with the dark energy permeating from the planets core. Dementat trained Alexia until she up and stranded him there to come hunt down the capital kids. Alexander had said it was meant to be. That was the last Dementat said he ever heard from their father. He swore! They all thought he was dead. Yet Alexander Winton had remained surprisingly active in the three years' post-"death."

Had Dementat known? Could he have kept this from her as she lost so many more to Alexia's misguided jealous rage? Would he have worked with someone who had mislead him so completely? Or did he simply move forward to fulfill his own destiny?

Is Mara right?

This sobers Karen considerably, the darkness within her receding.

"I don't know..."

Mara recovers slightly as if attempting to soften the blunt force trauma she just delivered.

"My point is we cannot assume your father is dead, nor can we assume that he is without support in the current imperial administration.  All we know is that your father's fate and Phage's fate are intertwined.  We may find that the answers I seek and the answers you seek are in the same place."

There's a sentence she never thought he'd hear aloud.

Phage and her father - connected. It makes sense. The sick attachments they all seem to have to one another, extending far beyond The Four.

"And while staring at these machines can be informative, I think staying here much longer could be unwise.  Someone will know we've been here, and will start taking steps to hide their trail.  We need to figure out what our next step is. And it needs to be soon."

Karen nods deftly.

"Agreed. We need to find where that information is being transmitted."

Set aside love for truth? Trust a droid with Valerie's face? The subject of her father never fails to stir up a strange mixture of curiosity and rage. Then there's Dementat. Lover boy, lover boy. If she's going to marry someone, she might as well dig out any skeletons in his closet. Especially when he's busy reclaiming the galaxy one system at a time. She places much faith in her fiancé. Let's see how far out on a limb he would go for her.

Karen composes herself, narrowing her gaze at Mara.

"I'm in if you are."



-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Surface: Emerald Splendor Estates

"And while staring at these machines can be informative, I think staying here much longer could be unwise.  Someone will know we've been here, and will start taking steps to hide their trail.  We need to figure out what our next step is. And it needs to be soon."
Karen nods deftly.
"Agreed. We need to find where that information is being transmitted."
Karen looks to Mara, and Mara back to her
"I'm in if you are."

Mara watched Karen for a moment, a solemn silence falling between the two of them, the room suddenly resembling a tomb as the grave weight of the task before them settled around them.  Mutual distrust of each other, and yet, at the same time, mutual reliance on each other.  They needed each other, that much was clear.  The only question is, how long would that last, and what would happen when that need was no longer mutual?

"I'm in.  Let's go"

Mara had already said they needed to leave.  And the time was now.  Only one thing left that needed to be done.  Mara turned to the computers, and began typing furiously, watching the various screens scroll down information until she saw the messages she wanted.

Error - system unable to compute

And then this techie girl did something very untech like - fist clenched, she slammed a hand into the first monitor, sparks flying everywhere.  Without a moment's pause, she moved on to the next monitor, grabbing it and pulling it off the metal frame, throwing it to the ground with a thud and moving on to the next monitor, finally speaking as she dealt with that one too, without turning to face Karen.

"We need to destroy as much as we can before we go"

One by one, monitors were smashed and torn off, revealing a series of cables that connected to the main computer units.  Mara took only a moment to glance at these before at them and slicing them open, revealing the loose wiring.  Combined tugging and pulling, yanking, twisting and there was soon a mess of wires around her feet.  Keyboards were tossed away as well, and all that remained were the access holes to the computer chamber hidden in the next room.

Mara pulled from her side a small round device, glancing at it and pausing before turning to Karen, holding up the thermal detonator.

"How long do you think we'll need?"

TBC

-TBC [/center]
[/quote]

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Surface: Emerald Splendor Estates

The sheer power Mara unleashes as she destroys the monitors amuses Karen.

"We need to destroy as much as we can before we go."

Yes, that's an excellent idea.

This place fills her with dread and needs to be burned to the ground. She does not want others coming to scavenge pieces of her past. Igniting her saber, Karen does a sweep of the area as Mara continues to demolish the terminal. Karen pauses at the pedestal, wondering briefly where its contents had gone. Someone had removed it after her father was captured and she has a sneaking suspicion she knows who.

She brings the saber down to cut the pedestal in half. It crumbles to the floor.

Mara turns from the terminal, holding up a detonator.

The girl has brass.

"How long do you think we'll need?"

Karen flips open her com, "Ready the limo and prepare my shuttle. We are returning to the Quandary."

Mara arches a brow.

Karen smirks, "We'll be in out of here in five."

Mara sets the device and tosses it into the mess of wires. They stride through the ante room and up the spiral stairs back through the book cases and into the foyer. Karen takes one last look before following Mara out through the courtyard garden. The hoverlimo idles nearby. Karen falls in behind Mara, slipping on massive sunglasses as she signals to the driver.

"Go. Now."

As they pull away, the bottom floor windows of the Winton estate explode outward in twisted columns of fire and smoke. The driver glances uneasily into the rearview mirror. Karen simply waves her hand across the air as if to dismiss the entire thing.

"You saw nothing."

The driver continues in silence.

Her shuttle is ready and waiting and ascends into the green and purple skies.

The ISD-II Corporeal Quandary is distinctly different that the other command ships neatly arranged in the orbital docking stations. The exterior panels, usually white or gray, have been replaced and reinforced with black and crimson giving the ship an ominously chic and vaguely feminine appeal. Lines of Stormtroopers and Imperial officers stand at attention on the docking bay for her arrival. She nods to Mara as they begin to descend the ramp. Commander Landon Price is waiting for them.

"Welcome back, your Highness. As you can see, the modifications to the Quandary are complete. Are they to your liking?"

"Spectacular so far."

His eyes graze over Mara's face with a flicker of worry but he continues speaking to Karen.

"I am pleased that you like it. Shall I prepare a course?"

"I'll let you know."

Karen turns on heels and sashays down the slick docking bay floor. Mara nods to Commander Price and follows without a word. There would no doubt be questions all around but she feels it's best to discuss their situation away from the help. They would involve only those necessary to avoid any unnecessary upstarts.

On her executive floor, the corridors are designed to match the exterior. Low red pendulum lights lead the way. Karen is if nothing else a gracious host. There are some things that cannot be unlearned.

"There are four guest staterooms on this floor and a rather posh lounge. My suite is on one end of the hall, the lounge is on the other. You can choose any room you like. I have a friend in the medical lab who can provide you with anything you need as far as testing and recharging."

Karen pauses outside the lounge, tapping the door controls.

"Care for a drink?"

Inside, the space is intimate and comfortable. Karen rounds the bar to grab two glasses.

Mara is scoping the place out.

"This is quite the setup."

Karen shrugs, liberally pouring a dark liquor from the bottle.

"Well, what good are credits if you can't spend them? Listen, in terms of a plan - let's break it down. I don't know what else you found in that terminal and I am very curious as to how my sister became allied with your creator but this is what I think. No one wants another Phage running around the galaxy. It's the big bad of bad ideas. If my father's estate on Byss only serves as a relay station then it's safe to assume it's being transmitted to another location familiar to him. We can rule out the Bolerathon Tower on Hesperidium since it's not exactly low profile. His work with RepulsorCorp was conducted in the offices on Bakura but that's a little obvious and overpopulated. It seems he kept his two work lives separate. This brings me to the last and best option. The Greyson Compound on Naboo. It's deep in the Lake Country and highly secluded. I've been many times and still never seen the entire place. It's definitely large enough to house a research and manufacturing facility."

She adds a splash of soda and slides it across the bar.

"So, what do you think?"



-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: Imperial Star Destroyer, Mark II Corporeal Quandary

It took a lot of guts to do what Karen Winton did the Corporeal Quandary.  An ISD-II, the most formidable mainstay ship of the imperial fleet, and surpassed only by the rare super star destroyer, these machines were meant for war.  Mara couldn't help wonder if the Corporeal Quandary would avoid a fight, lest it suffer chipping of its 'well manicured' external paint job.  Mara, however kept that thought to herself.

"This is quite the setup."

She also kept to herself her slight disapproval of the extravagance that Karen had placed in the ship.  A warship was designed out of necessity, function, and the ability to react quickly in sparse locations.  It was not meant to be a luxury yacht.  What was worse to Mara though, was that all those extra credits that Karen had spent on this luxurious war ship could probably have been put to greater use.

Mara had seen such inequality on Corellia.  While the planet was trying to rebuild, and barely subsist, she had seen firsthand how Saga Judec and his cronies lived in the most luxurious settings possible, spare no expense.  It was repulsive.  Mara conceded that Karen was in a slightly different position - as the future Empress, and an iconic figure, she had a presence to maintain.  It actually was part of her job.  Still, Mara would probably have preferred something a bit more ... well, restrained.  In that respect, Mara differed greatly from the woman she emulated.  Valerie could hardly be called one of restraint.

If Mara's somewhat disapproving views had been revealed in her perfectly controlled modulated voice, Karen ignored it, just shrugging as she poured a dark liquor into the glasses and revealing her idea for their next destination.

"Well, what good are credits if you can't spend them? Listen, in terms of a plan - let's break it down. I don't know what else you found in that terminal and I am very curious as to how my sister became allied with your creator but this is what I think. No one wants another Phage running around the galaxy. It's the big bad of bad ideas. If my father's estate on Byss only serves as a relay station then it's safe to assume it's being transmitted to another location familiar to him. We can rule out the Bolerathon Tower on Hesperidium since it's not exactly low profile. His work with RepulsorCorp was conducted in the offices on Bakura but that's a little obvious and overpopulated. It seems he kept his two work lives separate. This brings me to the last and best option. The Greyson Compound on Naboo. It's deep in the Lake Country and highly secluded. I've been many times and still never seen the entire place. It's definitely large enough to house a research and manufacturing facility."

Drinks are finished and served, as Karen, hostess and co-conspirator leans in, taking a sip and asking

"So, what do you think?"

It was true - of the known places where Alexander Winton held residence, Naboo seemed the most likely next stop.  But then again, It was more likely that Winton had multiple other properties on other worlds.  Just like Karen was in the dark about the location on Byss, so too, she probably didn't know about other holdings in the Winton name.

"I don't think your father would be so predictable.  He clearly kept the house here a secret from you.  I wouldn't trust that he would put something in such an accessible place to you.  On the other hand, he made no secret of the home's ownership - that 'W' on the front door.  He lived on Byss as a Winton, or by some other name but still matching your family crest.  It seems like a strangely stupid arrogance for a man who lived in secrecy to leave that kind of trail.  Unless of course he planned on someone following that trail in the future"

Mara paused for a moment.  Had the supposedly deceased Director of Imperial Intelligence anticipated that his home on Byss would be discovered?  That would mean he anticipated that Mara would come to Karen for help.  It left her with three possibilities, none of which comforted her: either (a) Karen's father was somehow clairvoyant; (b) Karen's father was working with someone who did have the ability of foresight - the thought of the Emperor Dementat again flashed in Mara's cranial processors; or (c), the thought that most troubled Mara, that Winton knew there was something in Mara's programming that would lead her to Byss, and knew how Karen would behave when approached.  Either way, it all seemed like a set up, but to what end, even Mara could not conjecture.  She was here to find out about herself, and stop Phage along the way.  But it seemed like there was something bigger she had waded into.

Flash.  Mara firing the killing shots as Phage looked at her with his glowing red eyes.  TRAITOR.  SERVANT.

Mara glanced back up at Karen with a start.

"No, I think we need to try something different.  If we chase after your father, we'll be following a path your father has- somehow- already anticipated.  No, I think we need to take a different path.  We need to find answers from a different location.  I suggest we locate your friends.  First Kimber Patten.  She was the one who was with your father when he was imprisoned, and her father was part of Phage's creation.  I think we need to seek her out."

Mara lifted her head and glanced around before again facing Karen.

"Of course, if we do that, we'll need to travel in somewhat less conspicuous a ship"

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary
 
"I don't think your father would be so predictable.  He clearly kept the house here a secret from you.  I wouldn't trust that he would put something in such an accessible place to you.  On the other hand, he made no secret of the home's ownership - that 'W' on the front door.  He lived on Byss as a Winton, or by some other name but still matching your family crest.  It seems like a strangely stupid arrogance for a man who lived in secrecy to leave that kind of trail.  Unless of course he planned on someone following that trail in the future"

Mara pauses, caught in a process. Her head snaps upright and angles toward Karen.

Creepy.

Karen holds the drink gingerly in her hands, waiting.

"No, I think we need to try something different.  If we chase after your father, we'll be following a path your father has- somehow- already anticipated.  No, I think we need to take a different path.  We need to find answers from a different location."

She is crushed Mara disagrees.

It's so...like Valerie to challenge her in such a way. Karen wonders if that is a general reaction to her or something they put there. An auto-response nestled into Mara's biological side? Anger flares, coiling around her every fiber but it is quickly replaced with the haunting nature of her father's presence. His influence is like a phantom among them, a shadow that will be forever mended to their fates.

How could anyone predict a future not yet told?

There is no way her father could have known she would end up right here with Mara. No way he would have suspected Karen would hand him over to the Consortium, Kimber would defect, Melanie would run, or that Valerie would die. No way to see where anyone's road led.

Unless...the prophecy.

True, she has never actually seen it but she assumes there had been others who have. Dementat said he was only shown a passage that named him. It foretold of his rise to power. He had not seen the prophecy in its entirety either yet embraced this destiny. At the time, she thought it unlikely something so old would be that detailed or specific. But it did name him and that makes her wonder. Dementat said Alexia was drawn to it when she was still very young. She led an Imperial excavation team to retrieve it from the caves on Korriban. Karen remembers none of this and as much as Alexia believed she was destined for the starring role, she had been lied to as well.

They all had in some way or another.

How many pieces of the puzzle had been shown to certain people to make them believe certain things? Surely, the rest of their parents had been told something convincing enough to make them go along with it, to keep them in the dark for so long. No one knew what was happening or why and that made it all the more terrifying for everyone.

This brings her back to the Winton estate and the empty case etched with a name.

Persephonea.

Karen had to get her hands on it.

She had been operating in a darkened daze, propelled forward on hunches and feelings. The worlds began to speed up from the moment she struck down Alexia. A clarity of mind without context.
 
She has to know what it really says.

Mara's voice breaks her trance.

"I suggest we locate your friends.  First Kimber Patten.  She was the one who was with your father when he was imprisoned, and her father was part of Phage's creation.  I think we need to seek her out."

Ah, the silver lining.

"Yes, Kimber." Karen murmurs distantly. "I miss her so."

May as well cover as many bases as possible.

Mara is surveying the lounge in a disapproving, borderline judgmental way.

"Of course, if we do that, we'll need to travel in somewhat less conspicuous a ship."

Karen laughs, raising her glass.

"I see the bourgeois factor wasn't a key component of your programming but I suppose you are right. Rushing in there with such style might not be the best course of action. It would raise brows and attract attention but trust me, that happens where ever we go."

The curse of popularity - a self-induced cycle of wealth and destruction.

Despite whatever lies ahead, Karen would have to spill to Mara. There would have to be honesty on a level she often avoided with those she once held most dear. There can be exceptions, moments where more is better. After all, alliances aren't always about trust. She would tell Mara more of the story in order to utilize what she's hoping is some kind of mechanically precise tracking capabilities and she knows just the segue.

"My father was a lot of things but I sincerely doubt he lives in a traditional sense."

"How can you be sure?"

Karen bites her lower lips then smiles.

"Because the last time I saw him, he was bound and gagged in the back of Kimber Patten's shuttle heading for the Hapes Cluster to be tried and executed for the suicide of an Admiral and attack on their people at Contruum."

A flawless and effective delivery.

The expression that creases Mara's face is not surprise. Not exactly. More like the emulation of what she thinks surprise is suppose to look like.

"You know where they are?"

"It's considerably larger than that."

"Have you known this whole time?"

Karen finishes off the drink and slams down the glass. Her emerald eyes are shimmering with intensity.

"Yes but I will not apologize for my caution. I doubt you have told me everything there is to know about you either. Corellia, Alexia - there is much to cover. However, I am not above trading information for the sake of mutual benefit. Helping others so that it helps me is kind of like, a thing. You could say I'm built that way."

She sighs, wincing.

"It's not a short or uncomplicated tale. In fact, for most of it, we had no idea what was going on. We walked right into it, played along for the fortune and the fame. The girl from whom you were created knew there would be a price."

"What price?" Mara growls. "What are you talking about?"

Karen's reply is remarkably even.

"What do you know about prophecy's?"



-TBC

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

Mara stares at her, mouthing the word.

"Prophecy? I take it you mean to reference something in particular."

Karen nods, "As it turns out, my father wasn't operating blindly. There is a template to which he measured his actions, a script even he had to follow. To what degree is unknown. I only came to discover its existence a few months ago when he admitted all the things that had happened to me, my friends and those that surrounded us had been foretold by a prophecy known only as Persephonea."

She reaches for the bottle, pouring herself another glass.

"It was discovered by my sister when she was eleven. She claimed to have been drawn to it. My father sent her to Korriban with an excavation team where they dug until they found a set of scrolls that named Dementat as the future Emperor and outlined the destiny's of The Four."

Karen laughs hollowly, knowing full well how ridiculous it sounds out loud.

Mara tilts her head, "Have you read this prophecy?"

"No," she whispers. "And there may be several versions. Dementat was shown the passages pertaining to him specifically but with the possible exception of Melanie Masterton, I do not believe anyone has seen a complete copy."

"What makes you think Masterton has?"

"Something she said before she fled Hesperidium. She said our lives were never ours and the horrors we faced at the hands of Alexia were not accidental. At the time, we were grieving. Coruscant had just been ravaged. We were distraught and wracked with guilt. Our home was gone and our friends had been murdered during the previous year yet somehow...we survived. We evaded Alexia's rampage and skipped town after graduation. I thought we were lucky. Now I'm not so sure."

Karen wades through the darkness clinging to her soul.

"The pedestal in my father's estate in the Emerald Splendor contained an empty case with the name Persephonea etched in the stone. I think who ever had been there before we discovered it took the scrolls. Kimber Patten's perspective aside, the prophecy may contain the key. If my father somehow knew this, us, would all play out the way it has then perhaps it would be wise to apprehend the one who removed the evidence in the first place."

"Any ideas?"

"Just one suspect comes to mind, someone who I suspect was working for my father the whole time: Marius Guile."


-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

"The pedestal in my father's estate in the Emerald Splendor contained an empty case with the name Persephonea etched in the stone. I think who ever had been there before we discovered it took the scrolls. Kimber Patten's perspective aside, the prophecy may contain the key. If my father somehow knew this, us, would all play out the way it has then perhaps it would be wise to apprehend the one who removed the evidence in the first place."

"Any ideas?"

"Just one suspect comes to mind, someone who I suspect was working for my father the whole time: Marius Guile."

Mara listened to Karen's explanation of the supposed prophesy.  Of course, Mara knew what a prophesy was, or the idea behind them.  But Mara was, afterall, a machine.  And despite her clinging to the idea of being alive, the idea of foresight was something that was to her, still something that had to fall within a rubric, analysis.

"My understanding of prophecies probably differs from your own.  To me, a prophesy is a prediction of future events.  I can predict that you are likely to have another drink - but me being right doesn't mean I am suddenly a prophet"

Mara offered a smirk. "it just means I'm observant enough"

Karen responded with a grin of her own as she sipped her refill.

"The ability of the Force to grant foresight, prophesy, doesn't make it right.  It grants the user a higher likelihood of being correct, because, well, because the Force - whatever the Force is - is a connection of everything, and so can anticipate how everything will affect everything else.  But it is still only a prediction.  A prophesy is no guarantee of anything.  Emperor Palpatine foresaw his rise to power, the growth of the empire, the death of Darth Vader - and Luke Skywalker becoming his new apprentice.  That didn't happen.  The prediction was ALMOST right, but not COMPLETELY right.  And because Palpatine relied too much on that prediction - or maybe because he was working too hard to make that prediction come true - he was defeated because of it.

The fact that there might be several versions of the prophesy clearly indicate that even the Force was not sure of a final outcome."

Mara paused for a moment, cocking her head slightly and giving Karen a quizzical look.

"By the way - everything you told me about the prophesy is about things that already happened, but your saying its still going, still driving everything.  How does the prophesy end? What does it predict is going to happen, and to whom?"

TBC

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

Mara makes several key points that open doors to larger questions.

"The Force is a fickle mistress indeed. True, what happened happened. My father alluded to the fact that things had played out according to what was written but I have no doubt that is only because he had significantly orchestrated events surrounding us to achieve the outcome. I also think his over-reliance on these things is what brought about his own demise. Vicious cycles, as he used to say. He couldn't see it coming or didn't want to. After all, it was me who allowed Kimber to cart him away. His seemingly endless interference into our lives had cost us dearly. It tore us apart and he had to pay."

Karen sighs, setting the glass down on the bar.

"I do believe it is ongoing but do not know how that story is poised to end. Dementat told me what he was shown foretold his rise to power with me at his side. My father had manipulated Alexia into believing this would be her role which is why, when she discovered the truth, she returned to Coruscant to terrorize and murder our friends. The betrayal pushed her over the edge and with good reason. I left her for dead once in a fortress on Roon yet somehow, miraculously, she was rescued and salvaged by your creator. If Phage has Imperial ties, I think we can assume this was on my father's directive. What I wonder is how this that ties to your creation and the outcome at Corellia....what exactly happened there?"

She shutters.

"The point is, without some version of the text, we don't know what direction this is heading or to whom. And if this prophecy seems to be terrifyingly inclusive, what's to say it doesn't include you?"


-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

"The point is, without some version of the text, we don't know what direction this is heading or to whom. And if this prophecy seems to be terrifyingly inclusive, what's to say it doesn't include you?"

Mara was surprised at the idea that this mythic prophesy could somehow include her, but then of course, why not?  She was connected to Phage, who was connected somehow to Alexia Winton, and Alexander Winton, who apparently was the key in the whole thing.  The Force, maybe, could make some type of prediction about her (or for that matter, maybe the prediction was about Valerie, and the Force got it wrong and SHOULD have included her but didn't).  Not having an end to the prediction - Mara still thought of prophesy as little more than a statistical likelihood, a prediction based on facts most players cannot see - meant that looking toward an end to the prophesy was more useful in figuring out how others would behave or had behaved, rather than figuring out their supposed destinies.

"I suppose that any prediction with the statistical reach of the Force could potentially quantify that I would more likely than not seek you out, and that you would, if I approached you, join me in my search for whatever personal purpose you have.  It equally could predict that if Phage was created and turned on his creator, than I, created by Phage, with the same inherent character trait, could eventually turn on MY creator.  Similiarly, the Force could calculate the likelihood that I would take on the appearance and demeanor, at least partially, of Valerie Gellar, based on what I know of her.  But again, it is just a calculation.  Prophecies tend to be self-fulfilling.  Once you know about them, you either take steps to avoid them, which makes them come true, or you take steps to fulfill them, in which case they MIGHT come true, but not as you expect.

For example, this prophesy, you say, had Alexia in one role and you in the other, you defeating her.  But the prophesy was probably vague.  I would bet it unlikely that the prophesy had any idea which of you would be here - you or your sister.  You both have a history of letting the Force possess you, take control of you, and cause ... well, a lot of disruption.  What if your roles were reversed?  And you were the one sent to Korriban, who was built up to believe you were the chosen whatever, and then betrayed?  You may have transformed into the very being that your sister became. And she, as the new heir to the legacy, would be the one in charge of a star destroyer, and betrothed to an emperor. 

It was a 50-50 shot.  And either way, those who are strongest in the use of the Force are not the ones who, well, blow up when that power comes to them.  It is those who are totally in control.  Darth Vader was maimed because he was TOO emotional, and lacked control.  The Emperor Palpatine was strongest when he was most in control.  So really, it doesn't matter which Winton sister was at Dementat's side - he's the one who has that controlled connection with the Force"

Mara was talking analytically of course, and her tone slipped back and forth between a rambling statistical voice and the 'matter-of-fact' way Valerie would talk when she was giving a verbal bruising.  It wasn't until she stopped that she blinked and glanced at Karen.

"Oh... I'm sorry.  I don't mean to be so blunt.  I can be coy when I need to be - when I've been on assignment, and need to be more subtle in speech.  But that doesn't mean I'm perfect at etiquette when acting on my own behalf."

She sighed, glancing away from karen before looking back to her.

"I don't mean to make light of your role as future empress. I am sure the Emperor has feelings for you.  My point was just that I wouldn't rely on a prophesy that could be wrong, or misread."

TBC

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

Karen's eyes grow dark as her anger swells. Everything not anchored to the ground begins to levitate as she rounds the bar calmly to face Mara.

"Let me tell you something about control. When my father told Alexia of her alleged significance, she was first sent to the Carida Academy where she graduated in a little over a year and a half. Dementat then took her to Korriban to teach her the ways of the Sith. There she spent nearly a year learning to control the power within her. He tried to tame the rage that had always been there. And then one day, she flipped out and stranded him before returning to Coruscant to hunt down and kill our friends along with those who protected us. Dementat failed because there would be no controlling her or her power. She knew, deep down, that she was not the one our father spoke of and sought to eliminate any others who stood in her way."

The air around them crackles with energy, a light smile playing across her full lips.

"So we are not as interchangeable as you think. I am the one he came for, I am the one who learned control. My triumph over her only sealed this fate. Alexia had little interest in anything other than making me suffer for something she believed I took from her, something that was never hers to begin with."

Karen eases everything back to its place, eyes returning to their emerald shimmer.

"While the prophecy may not call me by name, I know where I belong."

The doors hiss open and Felicia enters the lounge.

"Karen? I heard you were back and..."

Her words trail off when she spots the girl in question. There had been whispers throughout the crew that Darth Kyja had returned to the Quandary with a familiar presence.

Some said it was a ghost.

"Gellar."

"True but not the one you think."

"How...?"

"Relax, doctor. This is Mara Gellar. Mara, this is doctor Felicia Kensington. It's a long story."

Felicia is frozen in place, eyeing the strange woman carefully. She looks so much like Valerie but that couldn't be - Valerie Gellar is dead. And Mara Gellar? She does not remember this name ever coming up when she and the Abyss crew stayed behind on Corellia to help rebuild. Felicia had treated Valerie's wounds after facing Phage the first time. The only family connection uncovered at that time was through Kimber Patten, a half-sister from a past parental scandal. Corellian records had not indicated another Gellar.

Who the hell is this woman?

Mara would take in Felicia's face, scanning it against her memory banks. It would register the same as a participant of the auction of Federation holdings on Duros. A woman who had been tailing her for an unknown purpose.

"It's...nice to meet you, Mara. Karen, Commander Price thought I should check in on you, see if there was anything you needed. Actually, I think he is anxious to know where you plan on sending us."

"We're fine, Felicia. For now, anyway. Mara and I will be leaving shortly but not with the Quandary."

Mara glances at Karen.

Karen smiles, "It's alright, I trust her."

Relief washes over the doctor in knowing she is still in the Sith's good graces. Perhaps her fears were overstated.

"There is something you can do for me while we are gone."

"Name it."

"Marius Guile is still out there."

Felicia shutters, "Yes, I imagine he is."

"He needs to be found. Discreetly, of course. He has something of mine that I want back. Can you hit the network and see if anything turns up?"

"I'll do what I can."

"Thank you. We will be in touch."

She nods, glancing uneasily at Mara once more.

"I'll leave you to it then."

When she is gone, Karen refocuses on Mara.

"If we are to discover the whole truth, we need as many sources as possible. Agent Guile is one, Kimber Patten is another. There is also your Corellian connection which could shed light on how and why you came to be but if that bridge is burned then we must approach it from another angle. Let's start with any associations Phage may have had outside of Corellia. Anything come to mind?"


-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

Mara watches as Karen displays anger in a very powerful way.  It didn't frighten her, but she decided it wasn't worth commenting to Karen what Mara was thinking - that having a tantrum, with the power of the Force crackling around them, didn't really help Karen's case of proving control ...

"While the prophecy may not call me by name, I know where I belong."

Karen calms down, and things that had been floating land with a light thud around them, followed by the soft hiss of door opening.

"Karen? I heard you were back and... Gellar."
"True but not the one you think."
"How...?"
"Relax, doctor. This is Mara Gellar. Mara, this is doctor Felicia Kensington. It's a long story."

Mara turned to look at Felicia.  Immediately, her cerebral processors began attaching a stream of data.  They had met before - sort of.  But Mara would remember Felicia more than she would remember Mara.  Such was the effect of a change in appearance.  That auction, Mara's first assignment, had been a success that helped set the stage for Phage's second assault on Corellia.  Mara had been very good at her job but had, thanks to Felicia and her cohorts, almost gotten caught in the process of taking the winnings - both hers and others.

Now though, Mara was not fighting for Phage. She was fighting for .. well, for herself.  And Felicia Kensington was an unknown, as far as she was concerned.  So many connections that existed before, reshaping into new alliances and enemies of former allies.

"It's...nice to meet you, Mara. Karen, Commander Price thought I should check in on you, see if there was anything you needed. Actually, I think he is anxious to know where you plan on sending us."

"We're fine, Felicia. For now, anyway. Mara and I will be leaving shortly but not with the Quandary."

Mara turns to face Karen.  Was she revealing too much to a stranger?

"It's alright, I trust her."

Mara notices that Kensington seems glad to hear it.  Whatever their relationship was, Mara was fairly certain it was not a standard friendship.  Plus, Kensington had not been on the list of individuals that Karen had named before - the group of four students.

Mara listens patiently as Karen and Kensington speak, nodding back as the doctor disappeared before turning back to Karen

"If we are to discover the whole truth, we need as many sources as possible. Agent Guile is one, Kimber Patten is another. There is also your Corellian connection which could shed light on how and why you came to be but if that bridge is burned then we must approach it from another angle. Let's start with any associations Phage may have had outside of Corellia. Anything come to mind?"

Mara gives Karen an almost incredulous look.

"Phage was a lot more than Corellian born and bred.  He was the project of a vast network of creators, most of whom remain classified from my knowledge.  The three major powers involved were a host of corellian scientists, the Empire, and the Trade Federation.  Corellia, I believe, is a dead end. I have already searched their science facilities to the best of my abilities, and I am convinced that even if there is additional information on Corellia, it is beyond my access.  Regarding the Empire - I came to Byss hoping to get some more of the answers, and instead, I have discovered more questions.  You apparently do not feel seeking out your friends, both current and former, would be a worthy pursuit.  That seems to leave us with going to the Trade Federation and learning what we can from them.  That will be problematic though. After Phage's second assault, the Trade Federation was essentially disbanded.  Their holdings have been redistributed among many smaller companies, and they have all agreed to reduce their use of droids and other artificial intellgience. MagnaGuard has not only been disbanded but after the last ... problem with them" Mara paused. She of course was the problem, having been responsible for taking most of MagnaGuard's designs and facilities "most magnaguard facilities have actually been dismantled and the computers erased."

She paused for a moment before continuing on

"My understanding is that the only functional droids now are the standard B1 battle droids - those with a limited intelligence that cannot be run independently of a droid control transmitter.  There is one running at the Wheel, or what's left of it.  Maybe one or two others on key Federation worlds, like Neimodia.  But it would be unlikely that we'll find what we are looking for on a Neimodian world.  the Trade Federation under Medivh became much more diverse in its leadership.  Medivh was a human, at least originally.  I think this project was mostly his.  And the only way we'll find anything through the Trade Federation is to find where Medivh stored his personal information, his own backup files.  But I do not know enough about the former viceroy.  I don't know where he was born or how he came to power. I would have no idea where to look for Medivh's archives.  Thus, I am at a loss"

Mara sighed.  she wondered if she would be on a wild chase around the galaxy forever, or if there was any way to find answers.  Finally, she turned her attention back to Karen.

"I don't know how much it would help, but I think the best place for us to start would be the Wheel. That is where I found Medivh the first time"

TBC

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

Karen takes this in quietly for a moment as she considers phrasing.

"I do not mean to minimize the need for the perspective of my friends but from a technical aspect, I do not believe they would know much. By that I mean in terms of finding the most pressing answers to our questions."

She shifts her weight and relaxes against a bar stool.

"There are components of the Phage project, yes. If Corellia is out then we are left with two other avenues to explore. The Imperial angle somehow ties to my father but we've reached a dead end. For now. The Federation, what's left of it anyway, may shed light on how to get at the information my father has from another way. The Wheel seems like a good place to start. Valerie had only abstractly mentioned this Medivh but there was someone else. Another Viceroy. Gannon? Galant? Gesser? I can't remember exactly."

Karen glances away.

"She would call me sometimes, you know, late at night. Valerie's layers went beyond the brash. When she rose to power on Corellia, there were moments of worry but never doubt. She knew she could lead them. She just had to figure out the best way how."

She shutters, shaking off the lingering memory of Valerie's voice over the com.

It seems like a lifetime ago.

Karen slowly raises her eyes to Mara.

"She said it was this other Viceroy who warned her Phage would return. If he succeeded Medivh he might know something."



-TBC

[Medivh]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

"She said it was this other Viceroy who warned her Phage would return. If he succeeded Medivh he might know something."

"The Viceroy who succeeded Medivh was named Len Gesser"

Mara knew him all too well. He was, afterall, one of her primary targets, one of the people she was meant to kill.

"But he would not know much, in terms of details.  Certainly Medivh never revealed that information to him.  You see, Gesser at one point, tried to kill Medivh. Quite literally had him thrown out a window.  The Trade Federation was strong and influential, and Gesser had wanted the power.  When Medivh returned - when Medivh took back the Trade Federation, he already had Phage with him. At that point, Phage was a loyal servant.  And Phage's very first task was to capture Len Gesser"

Mara closed her eyes.  She did not know the details of Gesser's captivity, but she knew what Phage was capable of, what he had been built for.  Gesser's capture was no doubt one of the darker parts of Medivh's history.

"It was not until later - much later - that Medivh let Gesser free.  Len Gesser was older, and Medivh knew that he could be trusted to run the Trade Federation when he was no longer able to.  But he would never give Gesser information about the very being that had once taken him captive"

She opened her eyes, blinking for a moment and staring at Karen.

"Besides, he is dead.  I killed him.  The same way I made sure every other primary target was dead.  That was how I was able to kill Phage - because my programmed assignment had been completed."

-TBC

[Syren]

Byss: Imperial Capital

Orbit: ISD-II Corporeal Quandary

"Oh," Karen says, clearing her throat. "That's informative. Ruthless but informative. The Wheel it is."

She turns from Mara, unclipping the com unit from her belt. She seems to forget this woman is a machine, allowing the fact that Mara looks so much like Valerie lull her into a false sense of security. The HRD would dispatch her quickly if given half a chance. Karen must remain aware of who she is dealing with. She speaks lowly into the com.

"Prepare a shuttle, something discreet. My companion doesn't dig the flash."

Karen smiles slyly at Mara.

Mara almost returns the expression.

"Come now, our adventure awaits."

They leaves the lounge and head down many levels from the executive floor. The lift doors open in a polished but mostly empty private hangar bay. A lone Sentinal shuttle, modified for covert operations, sits idling. Karen and Mara would board and make their way to the cockpit. She nods to Mara who guides them out of the bay. They roar away from the massive cruisers as their instruments calculate. Within moment, Mara pulls back on the controls and the shuttle flares into hyperspace.


-TBC

[Medivh]

Hyperspace

The hyperspace ride is uneventful.  Karen looks like she is constantly looking for conversation, but Mara was staring out the viewport at the bright blue streaks of hyperspace, deep in thought, and apparently, Karen got the vibe, making her way to the back of the shuttle and leaving Mara to her thoughts.

Her world felt like a tumble, one place after another.  She was seeking answers, but she wasn't even sure if she knew all of the questions yet. What would a discovery actually do for her?
And she was feeling weary.  Despite her makeshift repairs in the frigid parts of Corellia's north, she was not totally healed.  And since that repair, she had endured a far too quick pace, to Coruscant and Phage's platform, to Byss.  She needed to recharge - physically, and mentally, a concept that was still so new to Mara, that she hadn't recognized it until now, when simply sitting there, she felt that strange tiredness.  So, with Karen in the back and the hyperdrive and nav systems on autopilot, Mara put herself into a sleep mode, eyes closing as her systems shut down to a minimal power setting, letting her power supply recharge from the shuttle itself. Off to the sweet oblivion of darkness.

FLASH
There was that image again, Valerie in a mortal struggle and losing against Phage, his red eyes burning brightly

FLASH
Mara with her repeater blaster rifle mowing down Phage, free from the constraints of his programming. Him turning to her, facing her even as he fell

"TRAITOR"

it was almost familiar now, this dream. He hadn't said the word 'traitor' in real life, but processors that were damaged could probably find the word and fit it in.  Mara had a logical explanation for how these flashbacks transformed into dreams.  But it changed now.

Phage was standing over her, electro staff ready to strike not Valerie, but Mara herself

"TRAITOR - I CANNOT BE DESTROYED.  BUT YOU CAN"

electrostaff lifted high, Mara feeling fear coursing through her as the staff was sent plunging down to crush her head

FLASH

Mara's eyes open.  She could feel her heart beating hard and fast.  That may have been more disturbing than the dream itself.  She had a heart, an artificial creation, a combination of machinery and biotechnology, along with the rest of her body, it was designed so she would be able to pass through scanners undetected.  But it was regulated, controlled.  She should not feel out of breath.

Nor had the rest actually seemed to refresh her.  Her face wouldn't show it, but that image of Phage coming to kill her made her feel weaker than ever.  and scared.

Finally her heart regulated, the way it was supposed to, and a soft beep indicated they were about to exit hyperspace.  Another deep breathe, trying to put the dream behind her before she called behind her.

"Karen - we're here"
=================================================
The Wheel

Pulling the lever forward, the blue streaks of light disappeared into small specks in the distance. They had reentered real space.  And ahead of them lay their destination.

A massive wheel, tubular in shape, with several spoke connecting it to a central axis running perpendicular to the wheel itself.  Hundreds of levels within the wheel and the axis portion housed thousands of individuals, storage, and every product that could be attained in the galaxy.  In the space around the Wheel, thousands of ships of various shapes and sizes could be seen.  Many were smaller freighters, though there were also luxury yachts, shuttles, and even some war vessels.  The most common, a Federation style Revenge Class Corvette.  These appeared to be patrolling the traffic lanes, marked by floating buoys.  Off in the distance, far outside the traffic going to and from the Wheel, a relic of the past - a massive Droid Control Ship.  Noticeably among the federation ships was a sign of aging.  Battle scars on ships had not been cleaned up.  They were not being properly upkept, and there were even small patches of rust that could be seen visible on some of the ships, moving or not.  Also noticeable was a change in the use of starfighters.  In the past, droid fighters of various shapes and sizes would make up the majority of patrols, amounting to several dozen squadrons.  Now, not a single droid fighter could be seen floating about, and only about three or four squadrons of man-driven fighters were on patrol. ANd their ships, like the larger capital vessels, showed signs of the Trade Federation's decline.

The traffic to and from the Wheel also reflected that - despite the large numbers present, it was only a percentage of the kind of traffic that would have been seen at the Wheel even a few years earlier.

The comm crackled as a space traffic controller noticed them, and directed them to follow a particular lane, leading to one of the larger docking bays that could hold many craft.

Mara let out a breathe as she directed the shuttle inside.   The last time she was here, she had been an unfriendly visitor, here to kill many inside.  And it was here she decided to betray Phage and take on a life of her own.  She could see the image in her head of that dream she just had.  In a way, she really was a traitor.

Leading the ship inside, there were more signs of changes.  In huge racks overhead, droid fighters lay dormant and inactive, the power grids to recharge them had been disconnected.  Now, they were just spare parts.

But droids had not gone completely out of use here on the Wheel.  As they made their exit onto the docking bay floor, they could see a group of six B-1 Battle Droids marching along a cooridor.  B-1 battle droids were the most dependent, requiring a strong droid control signal to remain functional (and their dependence is how the famed Battle of Naboo was lost to the Trade Federation). Apparently, the Wheel's staff had needed them to maintain a security force onboard.

No escort came to greet them, or any of the other landing vessels.  Instead, a sign ahead of them directed them to an information console, unmanned as well.  The console listed many of the features available at the Wheel - hotel accomodations, a series of casinos, the galactic stock exchange, conference rooms and places for business opportunities.

Mara turned to Karen Winton, who as yet, had either not been noticed or not been recognized.

"alright. we're here.  So now what do we do?"

TBC