A Different Tale (Star wars)

[Number XIV]

Mira watched with a smile as Isaac tried out his new lightsaber. He was having trouble with it... it didn't take him long to figure out that the energy blade did not handle like a vibroblade. Switching it off again, he turned to Mira with a strange expression on his face. "Um... Mira? How are you gonna train me if you also have to re-train?"

"Think of it this way. I may have to learn some things anew, but I already have a head start on you, and will be able to stay far enough ahead..." she explained, using the Force to pull her lightsaber from her belt into her waiting hand, "...to teach you. The Council has helped me with my... condition. I can only do minor things at the moment, but I remember the principles behind everything." In truth, the Council had not really done a thing... but meeting with them had eased her soul, in a way. She had felt the Force around her, weakly, but there, even without searching for it. She was on the road to recovery, though she was not sure what had triggered it.

Mira and Isaac's relationship had changed again... she found herself instructing her captain. It was an odd dynamic... and she was not sure how it would play out. And then there was the personal level... she wasn't sure if he was a friend, or like a brother, or... something else. Her exile, though dull, had been blissfully slow, and suddenly she found herself thrown into a plot to kill her former commander. She closed her eyes. "Isaac... what are we going to do? How do we stop him? How does on even prepare... what can be done? Even if I make you into a full Jedi Knight, and regain my power, we don't stand a chance. At the height of my power... I was nothing compared to him, and look at what he is now!"

"This isn't a game, we can't count on level-ups and exp to bring us up to par. We have limits... and no offense, but I think neither mine nor yours even approaches his." She shook her head as memories of Revan flashed through her mind. "We need... something more. Perhaps another teacher, one more skilled than I... to help us once we have reached the limit of our knowledge. The Council will not help us with that- they have done enough, and have problems of their own. We would need to find someone else...."

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"Betrayed by a pupil once again... I turn to find a student, and one has certainly caught my eye." The hooded figure did not smile... but a grim satisfaction showed on her face all the same, as she plotted a course for her ship.

((OOC: I may be mysterious about it in character, but I will not try to keep the information from you guys- I'm trying to introduce Kreia. She won't join up for quite some time... this is just a teaser/foreshadowing. And I am working under the heavily hinted at idea that she was Arren Kae. Like all of my bold plot moves, this won't take effect for some time, and if anyone dislikes it, I will change it. It just seems to me that, even with luck and fate on our side... Revan would own us. ^_^))

[Dark Philosopher]

((OOC:I agree, Revan is just too awesomeness. :O ))

Xarckes' head shot up suddenly, waking from his brief sleep, he glanced around quickly his hand going to his side for the sword hilt that was not there.. he spotted his two vibroswords on the floor a few feet away. I let my guard down.. he thought grimly, before coming aboard the Crimson Phoenix, he would never have gone to sleep in the presence of a possible enemy.. Or if he had, he would have slept very lightly, so that any near sounds would have woken him. The fact that he was suddenly shifting out of habits he had taken a great deal of effort and time to create bothered him greatly.

I blame you. The bounty-hunter thought coldly, as his eyes shifted over to the form of the sleeping Bothan on the other side of the room. He let his alert state pass, and slouched against the wall once more, his mind now wide awake, he thought about going out to see what Mira and Isaac were up to, but they were probably off swinging their lightsabers and praying to the force...

"Damn Jedi.." he muttered under his breath, Xarckes rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, letting the darkness slip over his vision, his mind remained alert and he did not sleep, but he slowly slowed his breathing until his condition could have been mistaken for sleep. He breathed silently and relaxed more, as he faked slumber.. His skills were as ready as ever for this... quest, he had more important matters to deal with than training. Finding out who was on his side and who wasn't.

[Koinu]

For all Tereez knew, days could gave past as she slept. According to the sun, she had drifted off into slumber for a few hours. By now, surely, her wounds have healed to the point of movement. It was true. Standing up was no problem nor was walking. Although running, jumping, and other activities of the sort made her wince. Time was running out. She had to place at least one camera somewhere on the ship. The control panel was the best area.

Of course, there was the factor of Xarckes. He stood near the door, appearing to be asleep. Since she did not know if he was faking or not, she made her way out of the door quietly. He seemed less deadly asleep. If Tereez had any guts, she would stab the hunter right there. There was no time to block it, so it would definitely pierce the fool. The Bothan was not like that. There was only one thing she believed in: Honor. It was this mere belief that saved Xarckes life.

Tereez continued to quietly make her way to the front of the ship. The Exile and the captain were not in sight. As swift as her semi-healed legs could carry her, she started a search on where tom place her camera, transmitter, and recorder. Tereez carefully placed the camera at a corner of the room, concealing the small device in darkness. The recorder was placed in another corner, but this one was covered with another devide that made it appear invisible. Finally, the transmitter was placed in plain sight. Now, you may think this was stupid of Tereez to put the most important part where everyone could see it. But it was actually ingenious. She had placed the transmitter onto the control panel, yet it appeared to be apart of it. The transmitter looked like any old outward panel. The Bothan was pleased with her work. And yet...

There was the problem of the last camera. This one needed a proper place. It could only take images since the recorder was set with the other camera. She needed another recorder or another way to make this camera yseful. The idea popped up so suddenly that she thought someone else suggested it. There was a small latch on her belt that could hid various objects. Placing the camera in the small chamber, Tereeez was once again pleased with her planning. Now, the final act must finish.

If Xarckes was faking slumber, he knew that Tereez is able to leave the ship. For now, she was forced to do so. As she walked out of the ship, she spied the two companions of the bounty hunter.

"Well, I guess I am off. It was a pleasure meeting the two of you. Alas, Xarckes thinks otherwise about my company. I hope I was not too much of a burden to you. You must have your own agenda to get to."

[Number XIV]

Mira was in the middle of instructing Isaac in saber technique when the Bothan approached. She switched off her saber, and turned calmly to face the woman. "Well, I guess I am off. It was a pleasure meeting the two of you. Alas, Xarckes thinks otherwise about my company. I hope I was not too much of a burden to you. You must have your own agenda to get to."

A matter of mere hours... and she is healed enough to leave? The injury was a very clean one indeed... the Bothan must have held still and given the raiders instructions, thought Mira sarcastically. Hmm... smells like banthashit. As if I wasn't suspicious enough already... the spy has seen what she wanted to see, and is ready to leave. She had no proof, no justification, and probably only a single-digit percentage probability of being right, but she didn't care. Probability was a science. It dealt with facts, and only facts. And sometimes judgement makes better decisions based simply on how something "feels". And this "felt" like b.s.

Then again, with no evidence, what could she do? Even if she was right, attacking the woman would accomplish nothing. Accusations would be denied, and she would have gained naught. While the woman was still on the ship, unaware of her suspicions, it was productive to play dumb, but with the suspect slipping out of her hands... dammit.

Inspiration. Focusing her power on the palm of her hand, Mira drew a simple, invisible mark with the Force. It was a very basic technique, used to mark one's posessions. More or less useless in the grand scheme of things... but no one, to her knowledge, had tried to use it on a human. If it worked, any time the Bothan wandered into her sphere of influence with the Force, she would sense her. No hiding in plain sight... if that's indeed what she was planning. Mira held out her hand, ready to shake the other woman's. "Good luck," she said warmly. You're gonna need it.

[Number XIV]

((OOC: Paddles! Okay... charging... 40 volts. Clear! *Bzzzzt!* ...Still flatlining?! Charging... 50 volts. Clear! *Bzzzt!* ...We've got a pulse! All we can do now is pray... that this topic has the will to live.))

[darkisaac]

((OOC: I'm gonna post a bit later))

[Dark Philosopher]

Xarckes finished the scan of the room in a few minutes, he held what looked to be a small camera device in his hand, he was sure that it wouldn't be the only one, but he didn't really feel like taking the time to comb the entire ship, he just wanted his own privacy... Whoever watched Mira and Isaac was none of his concern, nor care. He peered searchingly into the lens of the small device for a few seconds, before he dropped it into the bag resting at the foot of the small bed. He grabbed an untouched piece of fruit from the platter on the table, and took a bite, sitting lazily on the bed.

"I wonder what she's so interested in...?" He said to himself, Perhaps there are those who don't think I'm capable of this goal? he thought, frowning softly, there was also the possibility that she was involved with the Sith.. though that was more unlikely... He placed the piece of fruit down, and laid on his back, staring up at the blank metal celling. A spy wasn't a direct threat, she wouldn't attack the ship.. and she probably didn't know anything too valuable if she had attacked herself to get on the ship.

What are you after Ms. Tereez? Money perhaps?