Shattered Past, Shattered Worlds (Open)

[Kieran Devaneaux]

The Devaneaux's Fury
Modified CEC YT-2400 Light Freighter
En route to Deralia, in the Outer Rim

The modified YT-2400 screamed through hyperspace from Coruscant to the Outer Rim world of Deralia to rediscover the shattered past of her captain, and also the missing homeworld he came from.

Alone in his quarters, letting the ship's automatic pilot guide it to Deralia, Kieran Devaneaux sat quietly on the floor, legs crossed and eyes closed in meditation. Ever since he was revealed the name of his homeworld, Kieran had determined that he would find his answers at last - and he would start on his adopted homeworld in the Outer Rim. Supposedly, the Reydovan system was not far from Deralia, but for some reason it did not show up on his star charts, and he wondered why. He also wondered why his father had emerged now, and what the demented lunatic had in mind for him, and for the galaxy in general. Suddenly, he awoke - the ship was coming out of hyperspace. Too early, he sensed. Frowning, he stood and headed to the cockpit. The navicomputer not only showed that the Devaneaux's Fury was not at Deralia - it was at least six lightyears off course.

What the hell happened? he wondered. Stepping out the cockpit and running back to the engine room, Kieran investigated what could have caused the early drop from hyperspace - and why he was off course. The engines hadn't been tampered with. He checked all his security systems and ran thorough checks. They came up clean - perhaps too clean. Maybe it was just technical error. But what if it wasn't - what if it was deliberate sabotage of his navigation system? He rubbed his chin in thought as he returned to the cockpit and seated himself in the pilot's chair, recomputing the course and sending the ship back into hyperspace...but he did not realize he was being followed.

[Demon-Kieran]

The Demon's Will
Modified YV-666 Light Freighter
Following the Devaneaux's Fury

The somewhat smaller freighter followed the modified Corellian vessel on its route into the Outer Rim. Demon-Kieran could not guess for the very life of him what his "brother" had in mind going out this far. Whatever it was, it was obviously important enough for him to do alone. But he would not reach his destination. That, Demon-Kieran promised himself. Can't have the Jedi meddling around with everything, he thought. And if Kieran is on the move instead of on Coruscant, that means something big must be up. No matter.

Arming his weapons, Demon-Kieran stealthily piloted his ship towards the slowing Devaneaux's Fury, ready to pounce...

[Kieran Devaneaux]

Nonetheless, the sensors on the Devaneaux's Fury picked up the oncoming vessel. The ship's computer said thus: "YV-666 light freighter. Heavily modified. Identification: Demon's Will. Planet of register: Thyferra."

Thyferra was in the Imperial Sovereignty. Kieran cursed under his breath...now in addition to his father, the Imperials were after him. But it was a light freighter, so it wasn't bound to be anyone important. Was it? But that name, the Demon's Will, sounded strangely familiar.... "Owner of Demon's Will?"

"Registered to an A. Devaneaux, hailing from Coruscant."

So his father had registered the ship, but his father was not in it, he sensed. "Current captain?" he inquired next.

"Unknown."

Kieran thought for a moment. "Lifesigns?"

"One human."

"Open comm channel." A pause, then a beep confirming the channel was open. "Commander, Demon's Will, this is Captain Kieran Devaneaux of the New Republic Starfleet, from the New Republic Transport Devaneaux's Fury. Identify yourself and explain your presence in Republic space."

[Demon-Kieran]

"Captain Devaneaux, a pleasure to meet you, or should I say, meet me at last." The tone was rich and cultured. "I think you know who I am, 'brother'. But if it will help any, I am Major Demon-Kieran Devaneaux, Army of the Imperial Sovereignty. And you, I must say, are an extremely elusive target. Whatever it is you're planning, it's against my - our - best interests. And I must prevent you from reaching whatever goal you have set."

[Kieran Devaneaux]

"Oh really? And just how, might I ask, do you plan on doing that?" Arming his concussion missile launchers, Kieran waited for his "brother's" response...

[Demon-Kieran]

"Like this," the deranged clone replied, as he launched two proton torpedoes at the Devaneaux's Fury. One missed; the other smashed into the dorsal laser turret, ripping it clean off. An emergency force field came up to cover the hull breach created by the impact...

[Artimus Devaneaux]

"Stop, Demon-Kieran," a voice over the comm commanded. The voice belonged to someone familiar, coming from an old cargo freighter. "We do not wish to destroy him, nor impede his progress. Let him find his past." The voice of Artimus Devaneaux still exhuded the pure evil it had possessed twenty years earlier. "Greetings, my son. I trust you are enjoying your journey?"

[Kieran Devaneaux]

"I'd be enjoying it better if I didn't have to replace my damn laser turrets!" Kieran snapped irritably. "What do you want, Father? Another chance to insult me? Or perhaps you really do want me dead. I do not come defenseless. You may have blinded me, but remember - I blinded you first."

[Artimus Devaneaux]

That last comment got Artimus' attention. He snarled curses in his native dialect. "I ought to kill you, you ungrateful little puddle of pond scum! Should have blinded BOTH your eyes! That way you'd be no better than a drooling mental case with no control of his faculties whatsoever, you Jedi slime!"

[Kieran Devaneaux]

"Like you? You're probably no better than an invalid yourself. Remember who the martial genius is in the family, Father." Kieran smiled bitterly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I have to get going." With that, Kieran activated and fired a volley of concussion missiles. Half hit the Demon's Will, the other Artimus' freighter. In both cases, the missiles were targeted at the engines. The freighter's were reinforced; the Demon's Will's engines were not so fortunate. Melting the YV-666's engines to molten slag, it allowed the Devaneaux's Fury to come about, away from the two opposing craft. "Hyperspace status?" Kieran inquired of the ship's computer.

"Hyperspace is online and ready to activate on your command."

"Return to hyperspace route to Deralia and make the jump to lightspeed."

The YT-2400 sped away from the ships, the freighter following at half-speed due to the damage. It was not quick enough - the Devaneaux's Fury screamed into hyperspace...

[Artimus Devaneaux]

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?! Demon-Kieran, you moron, you let him escape! Ah, the hell with it....FOLLOW HIM! I'll deal with him later. I know I can't deal with him - and you're the damn military officer. YOU GET HIM! And I want him alive!" Snarling curses under his breath, Artimus set a course for Corellia - and made the final decision on his course in the future.

[Demon-Kieran]

"I didn't lose them, you scheming idiot," Demon-Kieran snarled under his breath after Artimus had left. "You did...." Leaving the bridge and inspecting the damage to the engines, Demon-Kieran swore loudly. He would never even get one hundred meters in the condition of the engines. Continuing his cursing, he called for an Imperial transport and a tug from the Sovereignty to take him and the Demon's Will back to Imperial space.

Kieran would wait...for now.