Lucky 13 : A Break from the Norm

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Continued from Here (http://www.swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25278&highlight=Asylum) this thread somewhat takes place in the past, so if you wish to join, Please PM me and we can work out how to fit you in - and just remember that it's somewhat of a 'past revisited' thread.

ic:


Oh she was still mad at him for having her stunned, then brought into the presence of Taylor Millard, but Lok s'Ilancy was willing to let that matter slide. After all, Millard had left without her, leaving her in the company of Desaria.

That was a week ago.

And she was still on Thyferra - relatively happy in her somewhat solitude and enjoying the peace afforded to her. She spent her days lazily making plans, contacting old friends for favors in the hopes of procurring the equipment she would need for her planned endeaver in getting the Grand Admiral to loosen the neckline of his uniform. It would be a tough task to sa the least, but the Lupine was up to the challenge, and the more she spent thinking on it and mapping everything out, the more she was beginning to look forward to it. The whole thing would be not only an exercise in patience on both their parts, but it would let her stretch her muscles - let her get out and do what she loved to do, but had not had the time to pursue for many years.

Art theft. Just those two words were enough to catch her attention and cause a warm feeling to grow within her chest. The sheer anticipation of undertaking such a thing, and getting what she wanted was warming to her soul. She loved art - classical and contemporary, and had a rather large and extensive collection back on the King.

Unfortunately, The Rascal King was not in her possession any longer (a fact that broke her heart almost daily), and it was high time she started thinking about rebuilding a collection. Partially, that was what she hoped to start doing with this outing; the other goal was to give Grand Admiral Telan Desaria what seemed like a much needed break from his otherwise rigorous and unbending duties.

And that was what found her sitting quietly, still in her rooms at Desaria's manor, llegs crossed and hardcopies scattered about her atop the bed's cream white comforter. Her hair had been brushed back, and was still wet from the shower she'd recently taken, and she wore nothing more than a simple pair of drab grey trousers and a sleeveless top. Her feet were bare, as she felt no need for boots or any other footwear - she'd been spending the last few days indoors anyways, making calls. Yet even with the maps and other printouts surrounding her, the Lupine's mind had taken a brief break from her planning to focus on another task - a more personal challenge, if you will, of experimenting with her ability to morph.

Right hand held out, s'Il concentrated, focussing her thoughts on producing an isolated change - all she wanted was to see if she could reform her hand into that of a paw, and so far the going was rather slow - not to mention just a bit painful. Small beads of sweat had appeared on her brow, but she kept doggedly on, refusing to allow anything less than even a marginal success rule the day.

[Telan Desaria]

" Alexei - relax. That's an order."


The Baron of Raenoria moved about his office, suffling papers from here to there in what felt like a vain attempt at cleaning. From atop a small glowing pad stood the quarter-size image of the slowly-thinning yet still rotund Chief of the Imperial General Staff.


" Telan Desaria - - I cannt obey that order. Think about what you're doing."


Desaria placed a handful of flimsiplasts into a drawer that was sent back into the wall beneath the bookcase with a kick of his heel. He spent very little time on his estate atop the Minaari Mountains and his office reflected that plainly.


" Yes - I am taking a vacation."


The hologram could be seen growing red in spite of its azure hue.


" With that woman!!!"


The Grand Admiral removed a hand-bound copy of Polleana's Treatise On Surface Combat from its perch on an armchair and looked longingly for a home among the thousands of volumes on his wall.


" Yes, with that woman. She is a friend of mine, and what's more, a friend of the Empire's. I have never turned my back on a friend and I won't start now. Besides, I have no fear that you and the Grand Inquisitor have already made prparations to have me followed my no less than a legion of spies. So - stop worrying, I know you'll be able to check in on me whenever you need. And, as you also know - -I never travel unless I am well armed. Now - - get back to work. Unless of course you would care to come with."


With a scowl, the hologram disappeared, giving the Grand Admiral a few moment of peace.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

An hour later found s'Il ambling her way toward's Desaria's office; datapad in one hand and a few hardcopies in the other. Comparing notes from both, the Lupine idly murmured to herself in semi-silent contemplation of the trip at hand. A single spiderwire ran from the secondary neualjack at the back of her neck, running to the connection port of the datapad, and she saw streams of information that no one else could see - streams of information that detailed floor plans, security measures, and a number of other extraneous data that had been included in her request of two days previous. A request that had been sent through highest channels and with the utmost priority - sent to the Royal Cathar Museum. What was in the request only she knew, and what had been given in reply only she knew.

And so now, studying the readouts of the message she'd recieved, s'Il rounded a corner that brought her in the final stretch in getting to Desaria's office. Bare feet falling softly on the floor, she remained deep within her her thoughts, and occasionally her eyes flickered to the hardcopies she held in her left hand.

The doors to the office loomed closer, and the Lupine remained oblivious to most of her surrounding, only stopping to stare blankly at the closed doors, metallic eyes blinking in mild confusion before regaining their normal intensity for a few seconds. Of course her attention was once more pulled in by the readouts which the datapad provided her neural interface, and she gently shouldering the door open, slipping into the confines of Desaria's office easily,

Without looking up to see what the Grand Admiral was doing, she simply made her way lazily towards him.

"Did you know that the Royal Cathar Museum has some of the oldest known historical paintings in the galaxy?" she asked idly, the tone in her voice indicitive of her split frame of mind as she glanced once more to the hardcopies.

[Telan Desaria]

For some odd and estranged reason, Grand Admiral Desaria, a man with the weight of a thousand worlds on his shoulders, could feel comfortable around this country-fried rube. He had not to impress anyone, he had to outhink anyone...


He quickly recanted that last statement. Many people could say many things about the woman he had made Duchess - - most of which were true - - but she was not stupid. She was in fact, brilliant.


" Actually, Madame, I did."


The Duchess was obviously not expecting that, now standing at the centre of his office on his fine Ionian rug in bare feet.


" Fifty generations ago my family was not Desaria. My ancestor of the time was Miguel Alfonz de las Saerea. He lead an army onto the world of Bollon Prime and liberated them from a rather tyrannical government that had itself tried to invade Centaur. The local populace would not let him leave and name his King - -but he refused to accept."


The Grand Admiral stood from behind his desk and removed a hard bound book from its shevled mooring. He tossed it to her.


" He instead became the Royal Vizier and took the title of First Duke of Bollom. And, as happens whenever a newcomer arrives, they could not pronounce his rather...involved name. So they shorted de la Saerea to de Serea and thereafter to Desaria. He is considered a legend on that world. A portrait of him hangs on Cathar, but I have never seen it. Page fifty of that book - there is a representation."


Desaria smiled.


" You didn't expect me to say no, did you?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

In order to catch the book he'd thrown her, s'Il snapped into reality rather abruptly. The datapad and hardcopies - previously safe in her hands - suddenly found themselves without any support, and thusly fell to the floor; the datapad bouncing to the right (the spiderwire popping out to dangle crazily from the port at the back of her neck), and the papers settling onto the rug. Her hands caught the book easily, and she held it lightly for a few moments.

Flipping open the cover, she thumbed through the pages until reaching the page he'd indicated, and looking at the picture represented, s'Il cast her gaze upwards from the tops of her eyes at Desaria.

"Well, I suppose I didn't," she answered in return to his last statement. She actually was surprised that he'd known - and as well that one of his ancestors was immortalized through paint in a museum on Cathar. A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips, and she closed the book. "But if your aristocratic lineage extends that far back; and possibly further, then that explains alot of things about you today... "

The Lupine tucked the hardbound colume beneath one arm while kneeling to pick up her dropped possessions. Straightening up, she gave him a full smirk, her eyes flashing in amusement.

"Too much nobility in the family has turned you into a raving lunatic."

One bare foot stepping before the other, s'Il made her way to stand before his desk, and she deposited the book down onto the desk's surface before setting the datapad and hardcopies down as well.

"Have you ever been able to see the painting in the flesh?"

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria smirked kindly. Few souls in the galaxy would dare to speak out of decorum to the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy, a man who could call upon the wrath of a billion soldiers and a thousand battleships. S'Ilancy, howeverm felt at ease around the Grand Admiral as did he around her.

" Hah!" he laughed, her comment on his sanity sprouting the first joviality since the Balmorran Supreme Commander had departed.

" I regreat to say I have not. This tapestry is nearly four meters tall and half that wide - - work from an era where only the best received the best. The representations on Centaur are....lacking. To be standing before my ancestor, and gaze at that image would be...stunning."

Not wanting to be seen as wastful, he added a comment. " As moving for me as finishing lessons would be for you."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Four meters? Her brows knit together in thought - the picture in the book hadn't provided any size comparison, so she hadn't expected it to be so large. Lofting a brow up at the Grand Admiral though, the Lupine waved away his last words. "Finishing lessons? Hah. I'm refined enough, believe you me. Besides - I'd more than likely end up just eating the instructors."

Casting a metallic gaze around the office's interior, it was easy to see that Desaria had been doing a small bit of hurried tidying up, and a bit of mirth crept into her eyes. She'd actually sought him out so that the two could have a drink before setting out - a small tradition that she had indulged upon in the past whenever she was about to pull a job; a before-the-heist salute, so to speak.

s'Il sent a sidelong grin to him.

"Doing a bit of cleaning?"

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral's grin turned quickly into a scowl.

" Yes. I don't get into this office often enough and when I do it is to work. And the fewer droids mucking about the more I know where things need to be. It simply looks....lived in."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Aye, that it does," she murmered, twisting her body to get a better view than her peripherals had offered. This only lasted a few moments before she once more reverted to her previous stance of looking at Desaria.

"However, how about you take a small break from your little housecleaning endeavor and come share a drink?"

[Telan Desaria]

" I do indeed. Lead on..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine smiled openly, and deciding to leave her papers and datapad in his office for the moment, she turned half towards the door.

"I was actually hoping that you would, as this is your home and I haven't the slightest as to where you keep all your fancy Thyferran liquor.

"And trust me," there was a glint of mischief in her eyes as she finished, "I've looked."

[Telan Desaria]

" I thought as much."

The Grand Admiral moved from behind his desk and sauntered past the bare-footed female, letting her take in the viasge of his broad shoulders as he strutted by. He may have been Centaurian, but he could have his fun.

" The best place to hide something, Madame Duchess, is in plain sight. The Grand Inquisitor, Esalis, taught me that."

Desaria grabbed the spine of a hand-bound book and pulled, several other books coming with it. A moment later, she could tell they were not books at all but the facade for a hidden door. The gentleman Imperial removed a chilled bottle of brandy and two hand-blown glasses from the cubbard. Handing one to his quest, he popped the cork and poured.

" An Altairian ale - the finest in the Empire. Hidden from even the most professional....borrowers."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Lofting a brow to him, s'Il only gave his back a funny look as he strutted past. What the heck was that little fit of goose-stepping about? Imperials are so weird...

Accepting the glass he handed to her, she smiled lightly at his last words as he poured the ale.

"I prefer to to think of it not so much as 'borrowing', but more as liberating fine liquor from the clutches of Imperial tyranny," the Lupine grinned. Her grin faded though, as her thoughts went to Esalis. "That woman is a complete hack."

Her frown then turned to a downright scowl. "I hate her."

[Telan Desaria]

A movement of the Grand Admiral's hand shook the cup he gently held, his eyes drifting own to look at the now swirling mass of amber fluid. The most intrusive secrets of the galaxy were said to have the simplest answers with equally simple inspiration. Thinking back, he remembered receiving his inspiration for tactics used at the Battle of Belkadan from the memory of watching birds swoop and hunt.

His reverie aside, it likewise took him a moment to think on who the Duchess eluded. When he did, he frowned an uncharacteristic frown.

" You speak I assume of the newly installed Grand Inquisitor."

Desaria moved over to the Duchess and relaxed into a comfortable leather chair, one of two arrayed before his desk. He bade his guest join him.

" She is a ruthless if not vile woman, one who makes my stomach turn on end. Esalis is crude and terrivble and perhaps the emboidment of evil itself.

" That said, she is an excellent administrator and does her job with admirable aplomb. Her ruthlessness, while dispicable, is precisely what the Inquisitoriate is. As much as I disdain her and what she does, it is a neccessary evil. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to eradicate her and her lot - but as long as our enemies employ the dishonourable to do their subverise biddings must I tolerate the dishnourable to combat them."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Admirable aplomb my - "

The Lupine cut herself off; "It's just little things right now, but mark my words. Sooner or later she's going to find out what I am and raise the biggest ruckus you've ever seen."

Settling more comfortably in the leather chair she'd lowered her slight frame into, s'Il drew up her legs - seemingly cutting her body mass in half.

"I don't really care if she does her job well or not, but if she gets up into my face, I'm gonna beat her down - " raising the hand that held her glass, the Lupine extended her index finger out so that it was pointing at her host, "And I don't care how many bodyguards she has, or how well she is protected... I'll eventually get to her, and I can assure you it won't be pretty."

[Telan Desaria]

" Now now, Madame Duchess - everything you do is pretty." The Grand Admiral offered his friend and companion a charming smile and did his best to lighten the atmosphere he had unintentionally soured.

" So - what calls to mind your question of Cathar?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Settling back in her seat, the Lupine stared at her drink for a few moments. Shifting her thoughts from Esalis to the much more enjoyable topic of Cathar, she made herself comfortable before speaking.

"For the simple reason that quite frankly, Cathar is one of the most beautiful places to be. I don't care much for Ithor, or Zeltros, or even Chandrila and its' Crystal Seas. Cathar is much different than those planets in that it holds such raw, exotic traits both within the cultres of the Cathar and on the planet itself.

"It's a recovering wasteland, but what its' people have done to reshape and mold their world is something beyond anything comprehendible. After the Sith razed Cathar, it was left to just rot in space; to dry up and ebb away into the vaccuum. But somehow the Cathar people wouldn't let go. I guess it's like how I just don't seem to die - " She looked at Desaria over the tops of her eyes, " - I've been shot in the chest point-blank, skinned alive, and stabbed, and you still see me sitting here enjoying a drink with you, am I right?"

With a somewhat smug expression, s'Il went on. "Anyway. So the Cathar wouldn't let go, and it's a good thing they didn't. The culture that came from the ashes of their old world is something more beautiful than I've ever seen - temples to gods are all over the landscape, huge palaces, monuments, and I have to say the most breathtaking architecture I've ever seen; simplisticly intricate, if that's not too much of an oxymoron for you.

"It's primitive by much of the galaxy's standards, but the sheer power - not to mention the time and manpower it took to construct such building - is completely insane.

"The Royal Cather Museum is probably the single most beautiful structure I've ever seen.

"But...

"They have something that I want."

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria looked at his guest, a faint smile on his lips. He enjoyed seeing someone passionate about something, especially in times of war. When battles waged, happiness was a concept far too alien to soldiers.

" Well, Madame, you are a Duchess. You can afford anything in that giftshop I would wager. I wish you a pleasant journey. Would you like me to arrange for you an escort?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine looked at him oddly then, leaning forward a little to examine him more closely.

"What are you talking about? You're going with me."

Her eyes glinted briefly. "And what they have that I want, is in no giftshop."

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral had his snifter in hand and was ready in indulge in another sip of fine liquor when the words of his guest hit him like a barrage of proton warheads. There was an undertone there he did not like, an unspoken suggestion that somehow, someway, he was going to regreat continuing the conversation.

Against his better judgement, he did.

" I am, am I? Have you forgotten I have a Fleet to run? I cannot just away for weeks at a time lest I practise the very irresponsibility we have stomped out in the ranks. I am sure you can conclude your backroom negotiations with the curator without my assistance."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Telan, I've been planning this for the last week. You agreed to let me show you the things that I indulge myself in."

She tilted her glass up, finishing the rest of her drink - more than half was still left - in one swift gulp. Certainly not something becoming of a 'duchess', but s'Il didn't really care at this point.

"You can't back out now. It's already too late - not to mention you were expressing a desire to see that painting of your ancestor. You'll be able to see it, and I'll be able to get what I need."

[Telan Desaria]

" Bloody hell," Desaria murmured, hoping unrealistically that he had not uttered it out loud. He had in fact promised to join her but he did not expect for the trip to take him outside the boundaries of the Empire.

" Very well. You have four days when we arrive and not one more. I will order the Intimidator to stand ready for our trip."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She stood, a triumphant if not mischevious smile playing across her features. "No need. I've got my own ship prepping right now. It might not be The Rascal King, but it'll do just fine."

Setting the glass gently on his desk, the Lupine gathered her datapad and hardcopies, veritably skipping from the room to leave Desaria alone to prepare his own things.

Not to mention ponder his coming fate.

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria rose at the completion of her statement, a white-sleeved arm outstretched as if to stop her. She walked out, triumphant, and he remained there, standing.

" That woman...."

He knew he would have an interesting trip ahead, and made a note to ask the Corps of Engineers how to graft a docking pylon to her rust-bucket for a Lambda-class Shuttle in case they needed something that flew....

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

30 Minutes later...

If you were to ask her how she'd managed to get her hands on a Sith Inflitrator, s'Il would have just given you an indignant look before going on her way. To her, it didn't matter how she'd gotten it - though this time the channels she'd used to procure the vessel had been completely legit. A week prior the Lupine had put in a call to Hyde, asking for a fast ship - weapons not too terribly necessary. And so, he'd sent the Infiltrator her way. Refitted with Terrisz'Voss technology of course. In fact, the entire craft had been gutted from the inside, then rebuilt from the bulkheads in.

What was left standing was a sleek, rakish ship on the outside, and a rather comfortable cockpit and small living space inside. It was all very plain though, nothing extra in the way of decorations had been added. In fact, the ship itself had been painted a matte black to s'Il's request.

Of course, no one knew that it'd been a legally aquired ship, but that didn't matter. s'Il smiled to herself.

Oh this would be so much fun!!

Over her shoulder she'd slung a small duffel, holding only a few changes of clothes and some extra items. She wore the same clothes she'd been wearing while talking to Desaria in his office, and her boots clutched in one hand - the Lupine was still very much barefoot - she very nearly danced across the tarmac and up the awaiting boarding ramp to disappear into the ship.

Oh this would be so much fun!!

[Telan Desaria]

Brigadier General Maxim accompanied his superior across the open space of the landing platform, a pair of white-armbanded medics following him. Their ministrations would doubtless be unneccessary, but had been asked to walk with the Chief of Staff by the Grand Admiral incase his cerebral veisn began hemhorraging.

For the last hundred meters, Maxim had decried in every manner possible the Duchess s'Ilancy in a futile attempt to forestall if not impede totally Desaria's sojourn. He had tried likewise when the Admiral took the female brigand to the Empire Day ball. He had met with little success.

The General had known Desaria for nearly three years, in that time standing at his side for a number of crises. In that time, Maxim had known few threats greater than that posed by the Lupine in Grishna-cat clothing.

" Relax, General or these gentleman will see to you."

" Sir, I formally protest this action. You are needed here. Especially with reports coming from Xornia."

" You've tried that before, Max, and it won't work. Marshal T'chort may be on Bestine, but he is still the next commanding officer and can handle things beautifully until I return." Desaria leaned down as the small entourage stopped. " Plus, I AM wearing that transmitter you asked me to. This bag is only half packed with clothes - the rest are from my collection. Fare well, and keep things together for five days."

Desaria left towards the odd shaped vehicle and the barefooted female dancing around iy, an add sight to behld as he, broad shouldered and tall in pristine white uniform, walked up the carefree thief and overall smuggler in casual attire.

This should be....interesting...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The internal sensors had indicated when Desaria entered the ship, and as she sat in the cockpit, s'Il reached forward to depress the button that would close the boarding ramp.

Without waiting to get any sort of confirmation that the Grand Admiral had made himself comfortable - or secured himself even, the Lupine pulled on the control throttles, bring the Infiltrator up off the landing pad to hover gracefully for a few moments. A few more switches in the overhead panel were hit, and soon enough the craft was on its' way through the Thyferran atmosphere, gliding with deceptive ease up into the cloudcover. Soon enough they broke through the atmosphere, and punching in the hyperspace coordinates into the navcom, s'Il pulled back the hyperdriver levers, sending both into the tranquil blanket of hyperspace.

[Telan Desaria]

There was little time for profanity as the Grand Admiral felt a shuddering below the rubber soles of his jackboots. Uttering a venal curse from the depths of his lungs, he dropped his attache case and began to find his way to whatever served as a bridge.

" Bloody woman."

He did his best to duck under some piping but without warning the ship jolted to one side, doubtless to avoid a patrol of TIEs over the captail city of the Empire. His head came in close contact with one of the pipes and down he went like sack of bricks. His ego the only damage item, he righted himself as best as possible and once again started for the bridge.

" That bloody woman," he murmured with a bit more volume than last.

The shaking worsened as the Infiltrator moved into the lower atmosphere. The Grand Admiral had just found what was laughingly called a seat. He then realized that his sole piece of luggage was in bound at a more than appreciable rate and he had just tied himself to a chair. Thinking this can't be good he raised his hand and screamed:

" Bloody WOMAN!!!!!!!"

before the attache case hit him on the head and he fell into unconsciousness for the trip out of Thyferran space.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"What was that?"

The Lupine turned her head partially to cast a cursory glance over her shoulder, but thought nothing more of the sounds coming from behind her. Instead, she busied herself with a few last minute tasks before undoing her crashstraps and rising to her feet.

With a clipped pace, s'Il made her way through the ship, passing by Desaria.

Aww, how adorable. He never told me he was a narcoleptic.

And thinking nothing else of the Grand Admiral, she continued on her way towards the compact galley in order to procure only the best of alcoholic beverages Hyde was always faithful to stock for her. Opening the small cooler unit, the Lupine grinned to herself while plucking two cans of Selonia's Best - or as some called it, The Beast - from the chilled interior. Without wasting any time, she popped the top from one of the cans, lifting it to her lips and drawing deep from its' cool, alcoholic goodness. The other she saved for Desaria, and as her silent footfalls sent her back the way she came, s'Il stopped in front of the man.

"Hey."

No answer.

"HEY."

Still nothing. Stumped, the Lupine stood for a few minutes before leaning foward to place the iced can on his temple.

"Wake up!!"

[Telan Desaria]

".w...a...k...e....u...p."

The Grand Admiral heard the slow, distorted sounds of a voice and as his awareness increased he felt the distinct coolness of metal on his temple. Using the strength he had honed as one of Centaur's shokball champions, he swatted the metallic object from his head and leapt up as quickly as his legs would allow. With a spare hand he removed his blaster pistol from his holster and pointed it in the general direction of the ship's aft quarter. His vision was still blurry but a flurry of shots would hit anything standing.

" Who are you - what happened - what have you done with the Duchess?"

A form was slowly making itself out to be of medum height, lithe, and distinctly female, but he could tell no more aside from the black and grey blur that made a rough picture of the corridor's walls.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

When he'd shot to his feet, Desaria had inadvertantly knocked s'Il back and to the deck, as she'd been rather up close to him in order to hopefully make herself known to the slumbering Imperial. As it was, she was sent to the deck, her beer spilling copious amount of drunken goodness all over her, and the other which she'd been holding to his temple went flying. It hit the deck not far off, and upon impact exploded rather spectacularly.

Beer was everywhere.

And the Lupine, drenched in alcohol while levering herself up on her elbows, looked angrily at Desaria.

"I am the Duchess, you dipstick!"

Scrambling to her feet, she stood fuming, then reached out quicker than lightning to snatch away his blaster.

[Telan Desaria]

" Oh."

The reply was rather undignified as the Grand Admiral lowered the leveled blaster pistol, his vision slowly but surely returning to normal. As much as he wanted to apologize, he could not. e had, after all, acted in defense of her. She would doubtless have done the same were te roles reversed.

Or at least he so comforted his bruised ego.

Shaking off what he hoped was not a concussion, Desaria raised his hand to his forehead. Removing it, he noticed is pale skin was coated with a dark crimson liquid. He felt pain from a gash in his head.

" Your piloting, Madam, needs work."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"It's not my piloting that needs work - you need to learn how to tie down your luggage. Everyone knows that it shifts during take-off."

Holding up her now empty can, the Lupine let out a sigh before turning her head to look at the now wet deck and bulkheads. "You know, this ship was so nice and clean before you decided to be all 'knight-in-shining armor'-like. I have half a mind to make you clean the mess up yourself."

Of course she wouldn't do that, but s'Il so loved to threaten the most motherly of punishments. It was a habit developed from too many years in the company of MMU, and now with Desaria, the old habits were returning. The Grand Admiral might not have been quite as manic or psychotic as the little droi, but he certainly had his own air of... well... something.

"Come on," she said finally, "Let's get you cleaned up."

Leading the way aft, s'Il canted her head to the side. This time, the tone in her voice was subtly playful. "You know, I can make it so that you'd never have to worry about little bumps, bruises, or scrapes ever again."

[Telan Desaria]

" Firstly, Madam, I am not a Knight. I am a Baron."

The Admiral moved the follow the female through the tight corridors of her ship - though in calling it that, he felt the eyes of every Star Destroyer in the Fleet cast daggers at him for insulting their creed and class by admitting this thing into their ranks.

" That depends. Can you do the same thing for all of my men?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Not unless you want every one of your men to be able to turn into vornskrs."

With a cheshire cat's grin, s'Il cast a look over her shoulder at Desaria as they stepped into the small living quarters aboard the Infiltrator. While it was a sleek ship, built for speed and evasion, it had made certain sacrifices in terms of living space. However small though, it was still comfortable while retaining its' rakish nature.

The Lupine stepped over to the trunk that rested at the foot of the bed. "Sit there," she said sternly, pointing to the bed while kneeling before the trunk. The lid was thrown open, and s'Il dug through its' contents for a few moments.

"Here, catch," she said, still buried within its' depths, her hand flicking out to toss a small ppouch of bacta patches at the Grand Admiral.

[Telan Desaria]

The Baron of Raenoria caught the package in mid air, bringing to his face to he could examine the markings thereon.

" Ah, Zaltin. Good to see you use only the best. But then again, I am partial." He as not lying after all - the bacta cartels funded the Imperial war machine. By and large, though taxation was filling an ever increasing portion, bacta funded the Empire.

He removed the protective covering and applied the bacta patch to his leaking wound, having wiped the excess blood off with a rag. He felt the coold blue liquid work its magic, he felt his skin revitalize and grow to cover the incisicion in his forehead.

" So tell me," the Admiral said as he turned on the safety to his blaster pistol and secured it at his side," what gave you the idea to use a Sith ship??? I mean after all, you had the charming Rascal-thing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine snorted, looking up briefly over the top of the trunk lid. "Sith ship? This isn't a Sith ship. It's a Seinar Design Systems courier." She'd ducked back in by that time to continue diving through the chest. "Just because the Sith used it doesn't mean I can't. The Sith might have been known best to use this thing but, well, let's face it. I can't help but capitalise on its' slick-puppy goodness."

Her head peeked around the side then, and she winked at the Grand Admiral. "And that's not Zaltin. It may be packaged as such, but that's good ol' miracle juice straight from Terrisz'Voss."

s'Il rocked back on her heels then with a quick, "Incoming," mere miliseconds before another small package - this time bandages - came sailing through the air to Desaria.

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral began swatting as best he could while one hand remained on the bacta patch. He made a mental note to bombard Yag'dhul for using counterfeit Zaltin patches and using its corporate logo. He knew the Ministry of Commerce would not be happy and would doubtless look the other way while the Imperial Depart of Customs laid waste to a few TerrsizVoss Production centres. Desaria would almost smell the cinders...

" We will have to pay Hyde a visit if he is trying to interfere with the bacta monopoly. He may find his office shelled soon."

The Admiral looked around. " And trust me -Sienar Fleet Systems produces a great deal for the Imperial Military; I know this ship. But it has....Sith connotations. Not something I would have thought you in."

The subject changed. " So when do you plan to return to Grand Admiral Millard?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You go after Hyde, and I'll turn you xeno faster than you can say 'lickety-split'," she grumbled, closing the trunk. "We only make the bacta for ourselves, not public distribution. It was packadged as Zaltin because the ship was being delivered to Thyferra."

At his last question though, the Lupine gave him an odd look. Now why would he ask something like that? "Well to be truthfully honest, I don't plan on returning to him at all."

[Telan Desaria]

He could see on her face a look of bemusement. He moved from the trunk to a lengthy bench and laid down, jackboots clicking as his legs adjusted.

" Taylor Millard is a Grand Admiral, as am I. He is my comrade, my peer. He and I have never been the best of friends simply because our assignments never allowed much time for socializing. To command is a lonely profession - I know loneliness more intimately than I care to. Millard was able to command with someone at his side and I am envious. I know feel I owe it to him to find out why he now shares in my state of events.

" Being an Imperial is more than just parades and TIE fighters, you know."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il stared down at Desaria, screwing her face into a sour look.

"He uses the Force," her voice was incredibly passive, even if her features remained in an unhappy visage. "And seeing that I tend to have a rather nasty reaction to the force, I can't exactly find it to be anyone's advantage if I were to stay.

"Or has it been so long since I changed for you that you've forgotten just how much of an animal I can be?"

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral remembered distinctly the fiasco in the Crown Imperial Hotel. He remembered leading the search for a wild beast and doing his best to shoot it before realizing it was his friend. What a wrotten turn of events that chaos had warped into.

" I remember," he echoed.

" Well - how long to Cathar in your new toy?" Desaria patted the hull.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Not too terribly long. Even if it's rather isolated, this thing makes good time. I'd say about a day. Though I'm sure with your narcolepsy, it will seem shorter.

"Though before you instantaneously nod off again," she went on, pulling another trunk from the beneath the bed, "I think we need to find you some new clothes."

This second chest was much more weathered than the first, and as she undid the metal clasps holding the lid shut, s'Il slowly, and with much more care, she lifted it up. Inside were several long, slender wrapped parcels. These she pulled out to lay gently on the deck. Beneath them were articles of clothing, folded neatly and arranged to save as much space as possible. They wreaked of the desert, but it wasn't an unpleasent odor. In fact, it seemed to reach into the pits of the soul and conjure up grand images of wild lands, massive battles, and endless journeys. The Lupine pulled them out, laying them next to the wrapped items. Reaching deeper inside the chest, she produced leather belts, harnesses, and other seemingly useless straps - all weathered and tempered by what could only have been a harsh sun and even harsher weather.

s'Il gave Desaria a sidelong look then. "We want to be as inconspicuous as possible, and something tells me that your current snappy threads won't exactly be the best means of accomplishing that."

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral playfully sneered, but held up a hand to forestall any offering of outmoded and dare he say peasant-style clothing.

" Madame Duchess, I believe you have one thing to learn from Inquisitori Esalis -- her words are often sage. She once told me that the best place to hide something is in plain sight. As such, I thought we should go with what we know. We shall arrive at Cathar as husband and wife. Myself as Count Mitchel Aldemarr and you as my wife, the Countess Aldemarr, nee Lokiss."

He watched the female's face twitch and tinge as he outlined his story, positively beaming with the knowledge he had rifled her feathers. Like it or not, however, he knew what he was doing. Besides, Desaria knew Desaria best and he could not act like a peasant by any stretch of the imagination.

Pulling his attache next to him, he opened it up and removed his own clothes to be laid out for their arrival. An ivory white suit with glossy pinstriipes, the tunic double breasted, was removed first. A red silk tie with an orange design followed, next by a tailored shirt with wing-tipped collar.

He then removed a stunning red dress sparling ith inlaid gems and offered it to his friend. " This, Si'Ilancy, is for you."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine blinked, staring at the dress he held out to her. She moved not a muscle, not even an inch.

"That's it - I'm killing you now."

And then, quicker than anything she lunged forward, fingers hooked like talons as they went around his throat.

[Telan Desaria]

Oh no.

Desaria did not move, though avoiding the Lupine female would not have been too much of a test. Instead, he let her attack, waiting as he stood tall. When he fingers locked on his, he used a jackbooted foot to hook hers, bringing her down to the decking. Her hands were still around his throat as they went down, but he went down and straddled her chest. There was not much she could do - - he simply was more powerful. She continued to squeeze and he continued to hold her abdomen down.

" Whats...wrong...don't...like...the...dress???"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She offered no reply, instead flexing the muscles of her midsection. Years of intense physical exertion had left her a hardened individual - lean, lanky, flexible, and most definately stronger than she looked. Legs coming up then, they wrapped around Desaria's neck from behind to propel him back. He hit the deck on his back, and she surged forward with the momentum created, now straddling him. All the while her hands stayed around his throat, and leaning in close till they were nose to nose, she gave him possibly the grumpiest, most disgruntled look ever to grace her features.

"No."

[Telan Desaria]

Despite his awkward position, Desaria managed a smile.

" You will look stunning. Your measurements are on file with Intelligence and the dress was tailored to your specifications. Unless of course, you've grown..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her fingers tightened around his throat minutely; barely imperceptable. She said nothing however, before letting go and rising to her feet. She stood over him while crossing her arms over her chest.

"We'll stick out like a sore thumb if we wear the clothes you want us to wear. And that's the last thing I want to do. The Cathar don't trust outsiders as it is, and if we even set foot on the planet all gussied up in those rucksacks of yours, we'd be prime targets. I don't care what Esalis says, she doesn't know a thing about Cathar. I do. And if we show up in Khai'Arbydos wearing those... " she gestured to the clothes he'd pulled from his case, "things, we'll be avoided like the plague and ignored like a single grain of sand. And the people who I need to see and talk with, won't think twice about looking my way.

"As it is, we're landing at the very southern tip of the Enrekhai Valley, and trekking down through the Kurai Pass on Pakka-back."

She raised a brow then.

"I'm hoping with all your time aboard starships and in offices hasn't made you soft in the area of riding animals."

[Telan Desaria]

" Madam, I am a champion equestrian. But why are we landing so far outside the city if we are here to visit a museum>???? I am sure they can lodge this thing while we browse."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Because we want to keep a low profile, is why.

"Traveling on Pakkas is the best way to do that."

Kneeling once more, the Lupine pulled the last item from the chest - a book. However, this book was unlike any other bound volume many had seen. The cover still had bits of sand in it's weathered and worn cracks, and it looked to be as old as time itself. A gold clasp locked the tome against the elements and the eyes of unwanted readers.

Along with the book, she gathered some of the clothes she'd already laid on the floor and plucked a well-worn belt from the mound of leather she'd pulled from the chest. Two of the wrapped parcels were grabbed as well, and she turned to head for the door.

"I'm going to go change. You may do so at your liesure, just as long as you are ready when we land.

"And get some rest.

"You're going to need it."

[Telan Desaria]

" Madam I am confused. Why do we want a low profile? It is not as if we are trying to break the law."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"No, we're not going to break the law. Not as far as I know, at least."

s'Il turned to look at him, a strange look coming to her face as she continued, "We're here for somewhat of a personal venture, if you will. For something much more valuable than all the worlds in this galaxy.

"We're here to find my ancestors."



Continued here. (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37709)