A Card to Play: Eleni Benacor
General Summary
The Fleet is under attack. d'Arcy is missing. Dragomir is in charge, declaring war between his house and the Confederation. Everyone's angry. Empires are all angry. A lone smuggler's tramp freighter slips through the night heading for the Gregor's Pride. I bet that's us.
Simon's been studying the sample of the caterpillar hellwalrus thing. Other prisoners were horribly spontaneously mutated but I wasn't. Why wasn't I? I'm still not bald. ok. So why didn't I change.. cause five arms and lots of teeth and acid for blood .. that sounds like something that should have messed with me. I need to ask RM Weiscz.
Simon Illyan wants to meet with us “when we have had recovery time.” But then we found out everything was going nuts, so recovery time was postponed. No contact with some of the Roughnecks' brothers.
We do get to watch holovids while we're waiting for Illyan. The attackers are not using the normal routes. This is odd because there's so much space trash in Tapani Sector.
Flagship Gregor's Pride is burning, fleet's been attacked. Everyone knows. There's been an information leak. And EVERYONE knows. Darcy's a hero of the common people, and everyone's getting excited. I had already told Illyan everything I was shown about Darcy's capture by Matres Merglin when she was gloating. Aral Vorkosigan is now acting admiral. He has changed the access codes. Rumors of monsters and creatures. Invading troops were in armor but when blasted an ichor was oozing instead of blood. Could there have been another lab? On the gossip channel as we wait for Illyan, we see a Mord Sith chippie (Nightsister) in her lovely red armor. Silent combat because of the poor vid quality – beating the crap out of ship's security. The reporter is talking about the horrible oppressors and how our people are fighting valiantly. But obviously having the crap beaten out of them. Maybe I should get the Sororitas together with the Roughnecks and other clones.. training practice?
Simon Illyan is in a hurry and ushers us into his office. We have one chance to recover Darcy. Yes, of course we all are going to go. All three of us. :) Kenobi's missing, too. Illyan has a “cunning plan”.
Colonel Madine has alternate transport for us. We're going on the Millennium Falcon with Han and Chewie. Yay! Haven't seen them in a while. Small skirmish with Illyan about lying on my behalf, but he says he will go to confession afterwards. I will let RM Weisz sort him out.
Our “duplicates” will be leaving on a 'personal errand for the empire”. I don't like this duplicate thing. I smell Miles' flavor of plotting in this. Papers have been filed to explain shipping and such. At least the crew will not be lying about their cargo. Pie and puzzle flowers. OK this is sounding better.
Tsu Vorboccioni is working strategy with the “new” Baron Harkonnen. (blahahhh had trouble writing that for about 30 seconds!)
GM: his friends call him “Darth”.
Danar goes through what he has with him. Stimpacks specially made by Simon Tam have been provided. “Use with care”. They are based on Yeager's stimpacks. They have synthetic version of sappho juice. Military stimpack kit have stuff that put mutagens in stasis with instructions. So there is something to help halt the cellular restructuralization. So we have a possible cure. Not enough for the hundreds of people we might run up against but it would help us.
Bacta reports – the Confederation says “they” might be tainting bacta supply somehow.
Personal note from Simon -he's worried for me, and he's made sure my armor will be on board. So glad he's looking out for me.
When we get to the Falcon, we find out that Yoda's offered to help fight the bad bad evil oppressors. The Jedi are accepting posts as generals. Padawans are now officially commanders. I will let someone else be the first to call Vanya that.
The sister soriatus(sororitas?) are having a permanent armed presence on Procopia, and they are working with the Beskar Aran to secure Gregor.
How did the intruders get on board the Fleet's flagship? Suddenly large men in black armor appeared on the ship. Hm. Man-e gesserits, probably. They have no idea how a ship got that close.
I brought a case of beer for Han – the good stuff. There's a crate with the stimpaks and weapons. Yay!
We are to enter the area Darcy is. Illyan has an inside source that is extremely reliable. This particular location is a secret base inside Confederation lines. Military Weapons lab – aha! Darcy's been taken there to get at the information in his head. Odd.. why would Merglin need to go to a specific place to do that? If the “source” needs to make contact, it will, but we are to operate on our own. The base is not guarded – it's secret from their own people. Armed station. We get in, find Darcy, and free him. Something smells. Also we are to try to recover what they are making at the weapons lab. This is secondary to Darcy's recovery. I voiced my concerns, and Vanya is very sure it's a trap.
Warrant officer Yeager left a box for us – 3 cigars with 3 round spheres decorated with yellow smiley faces – thermal detonators. On the back of each is written (by Yeager) “Mr. Smiley”. Vanya doesn't take either of hers. Danar does. I refrain. I'll smoke it when I'm back on board, and Mr. Smiley is a bit too crude for my taste.
My care package from Simon has a blood analysis kit, extra stimpacks, and armor.
Vanya has an emergency beacon, three blasters and some other stuff. Davish and Simon are looking out for us in their own ways. :) What would I pack for him if he went on a mission without me? Something to think about.
We're to be going into the smuggler's compartments on approach for the scans. Han seems a bit too cocky about “stuffing” us in there.
The base is a converted mining colony. Platforms and open areas. Quaint looking. I memorize the schematics and passcodes/words. Vanya's meditating. The trip itself takes several days. We make a few stops and drop out of hyperspace. We see where the fleet engagement took place. We're gonna be garbage. Vanya's checking things out in the Force.
We see the remains everywhere. 100's of ships. Vanya says The Dark Side surrounds everything. It's really thick. Lots of people are dead. There are active troops(clones) checking for survivors. Vanya wanders away to throw up.
I asked Danar to get on his encrypted crazy Vor network and get the word out about possible Reavers in the area, since Han and I both agree that the Reavers are sure to be here within the next 24 hours. They seem drawn to chaos, death, and evil. Warning is given, which makes me feel a bit better.
Danar is looking at all the wreckage. I looked too, appraising so maybe Han and I could come back and get some of this stuff. Very expensive salvage. Probably 120 Alliance ships floating out there. Not a full fleet. I am positive 5x that number arrived to attack them. That would be more than a fleet. Over 500 ships arrived to attack the Alliance. For the Galactic Empire to have done this, wrong end of the sector. So where are these ships coming from? No one saw the Galactic Empire come through. Is there another run somewhere? Clan Venn may have info on this secret route, since they seem to be traveling in secret as well. Actually, I have seen this route. Tracing it out for Han, every mission we've been on has been dealing with trouble on that route. Sneaky.. tactical advantage. Danar had to be told. I have done a service to the Tapani Imperium. Why do I feel dirty about that?
Vanya talks to Anakin and she doesn't have to be a commander. She's happy.
Ok, onward we go. After a day of meditating, Vanya and I, anyway, we drop out of hyperspace. Danar's backup identity is Vance Kerplocken, a smuggler. He is rumored to have a weapons smuggling ring and a fleet. Ara Tereck, am I. I am Vance Kerplocken's right hand woman and rumored legbreaker. I suffered a podracing accident and am mute. Hahaha.. Illyan, you are smart, but also a smart ass. I am reknowned to be deadly and am wanted in 15 systems for assault and battery. Illyan, you are also a fan of overkill.
Vanya is Mirax Velar. Formally from the Galactic Empire – a top assassin for Palpatine. Now a renegade working for Vance Kerplocken. She wears Jedi robes in mockery of the order. Because most targets are dull and interesting for Mirax, she likes to stun them and hunt them down later. The two of us have a bounty of 800,000 credits on us. Vance Kerplocken's is a million. Cause he's the man. Of course, I can't say that.
Coming out of hyperspace at the Shindra System – Melantha Province gateway.
As we're approaching the Shindra System, the name rings a bell. Danar and I both know that this system is in a nebula called Shindra's Veil. Ionized cloud in space. Failed star. It plays hell with shielding and sensors. Long range sensors will not work. Danar knows that it's the location of the Battle of Shindra's Veil – 10k years ago. Oooh. Shey Tapani united the entire sector at this point. The Bene Gesserits came with a warning about the living machines, and grew to power. Then the war with the machines began.
We see the Veil as we leave hyperspace. Danar is interested in getting salvage from 10,000 years ago. He's already getting into his part. He IS related to Miles, isn't he.
Next coordinates – we're going into the nebula. So we go in the smuggler compartments. I have meditated 2 hours. I am putting my armor on. I get one of Yeager's cigars and set up my pack with the medkits and stuff from Simon. <3
Bluish purple stuff in Simon's medkits. He means well. It will probably work, but it's gonna hurt.
The ship landed. People were walking around, but Han hadn't come for us yet. Other people besides Han and Chewie were up there. Military people. Another stroll following with a click-tap to the walk. Chill up and down the spine (my spine) and a sense of foreboding. Someone is curiously looking. She (yes, it's got to be a night sister. She's freaking all of us out) is reaching out with her feelings. I hear haunting voice memories in my mind as someone is trying to softly reach out through the memories.
So, I send a memory back, blocking her little expedition, and pointing her towards a completely different place – outer hull plating between the ceiling and the hold. Vanya makes sure no one knows she's there. Vance Kerplocken is scheming and wanting profit.
15 minutes later, a knock comes above us. Han says they are busy scanning a squid that he fed hot peppers to. Down the ramp and off to the right are the bad guys. If we're careful, we can make it by skirting along the left. I give Han a “help meee” look as we're following our “boss”.
Now we're going to the board. We hop down to the catwalk and head over the lava towards the turbo lift but at least for now, out of the sight and notice of a night sister who is guarding the way.
Ok, I found data pads in the med lab. Matres Preena is working for Matres Merglin. Preena calls Merglin “mistress” in her communications. They have a theory – the man-e gesserit formula – it's unstable. They are using the men as experiments. Those that don't die go on to be trained. Some of it involves using the blood of a force sensitive person. Requires drinking a mixture involving the blood and something else. A list of the force sensitives is on the datapad, some are not here. One that is here must be kept fully sedated – former sith apprentice. NO name. Rank and serial number. A sergeant and a former stormtrooper. Trying to clone him for more resources – physical cloning and transfer of personality – using bene gesserit techniques. Transfer of personality – that's what was going on at that lab in New Shella, when Vanya shot Anakin's son!
All of this is happening in different places. Here, they are doing artificial memory duplication. Forcibly extracting memories from a victim and implant them in a host. Plus a bioweapons project – how to make a biogenetic bug that can live inside a host and relay messages to others. A parasite. Note about a jedi master – he's on “the world” somewhere, but no one knows where. So he's not been captured. Preena is disturbed. Merglin is confident that he won't be found. Her overconfidence has been fun to mess with before.
Vanya locked the door. Danar is keeping lookout.
Vanya told Danar to head towards the central area, and I followed. We slipped into the room, and well, there are a LOT Of bad guys in here with us.
One mandalorian has a device clamped onto his head, a reddish language carved into crystals around his head. They are DOING something with his mind. Two droids were hooked up to him through the helmet. Oh.. oh no they are not doing that.
Three nightsisters, one is a padawan- warped acolyte type. Jenna Vormecetti. She's with us. She's a fan of Danar's.
Vance Kerplocken says “you take this one, I'll handle the rest” and steps out, firing at a night sister “This operation's been privatized, bitches!” So.. I'm this Ara person still? Or am I myself again? Very confusing. Danar does not seem to be himself. I will play along.
I went to Jenna, got her to relatively safety under a desk, and said emphatically “He's Vance Kerplocken!” she caught on rather easily and yelled out “ohh! It's Vance Kerplocken, Mistress! We need more backup.”
Then, Vance shot the night sister and I tried to shoot a droid, but my blaster messed up.
Vanya tried witty banter with a destroyer droid in the hallway after freeing some prisoners.
Jenna tugged at my leg. We need to put on earplugs.. something. I passed it on to Vance.. totally not a mute, I guess. I fail to see the need to keep this identity when we're already in the base. They will know I am not a mute as soon as I use my Voice, anyway... so questioning afterwards doesn't .. I think I agree with Vanya that Illyan deserves some payback. Legbreaker and Hand, indeed.
Vanya is now up against a destroyer droid that has lightsabers and knows jedi katas.. in the hallway. I only heard the lightsabers and assumed Vanya had found a friend.
Vance was fired upon, but dodged.
Something tried to attack me, jumping over the desk (and Jenna), but I blocked, giving it an uppercut. It unfortunately is not completely a droid, as it yelled in pain.
And then I also did a nerve punch, and yanked out a bunch of wires, which made it try to get away. It's not a droid, but also it's not human. So I can deal with it. Vance Kerplocken went after his guy.
Danar was in full Vance Mode, and was wildly shooting at everything he could see, including the thing I was fighting, so I pulled Jenna out from under the desk, heading for the hallway.
Admiral Darcy and some guards were coming into the hallway, and a night sister was attacked by a very evil woman using the Voice as I came out into the hallway. The one being attacked was quickly in a coma, and lying prone on the floor. This new threat - She's more than a normal nightsister – probably Preena. She's siphoning something off of the prone nightsister, like.. life.. memories.. something.. it's all very, very wrong here.
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