A Useful Anachronism

[Milivikal k'Vik]

The Galaxy was a busier place than k'Vik remembered. There were more beings, more known systems, more ships, more trade goods. There were still political empires and clumps of people willing to subvert them for the promise of credits and goods. After her brief adventure with Korhal nearly a year prior, she had severed ties with him. She did not need him. She mused to herself on occasion: why did I not kill him? Her own answer was never very concrete. After turning over the newly created (and functional) duplicate of her previous saber to an Old Republic collector (who remarked how much of a resemblance she bore to it's original bearer), they were rewarded with a pile of credits. Why didn't she kill both of them? It would have made things... more complicated, she decided as she always did on revisits to the topic. It still felt like an opportunity lost, but that nagging grew more distant with time, yet it bothered her today.

Now she had a ship and a crew, both gained through her gift of the Force. It was easier when the owners were convinced to put them on the table. Thoughts at sabaac games were easy to glean, and greed was easier to push. In this case, a YV-330 and it's crew. Not content to leave an enemy at her back, she murdered the ship's former captain after pushing him into a rage.

Milivikal had smirked as she collected the ship's deed and title. “I think” she said, the smirk transforming into a malicious grin, “that I shall paint the ship pink.” Her words were laced with subtle cues, tones and commands. The pirate/smuggler pulled his blaster in rage, overturning the large gambling table to get at her. Mili dove to the side, the blaster bolt sailing wide. She rolled to her feet, and threw a vibrodagger through his throat.

With a little massaging, his crew turned out to be quite serviceable. Eight males of various species and three Twi-lek slaves were now at her bidding, and Milivikal devoured their collective knowledge with lust. They plied through the lanes of space, trading spice and disruptors to those of ill repute. With no Jedi to undermine, she might as well undermine the existing infrastructure. Siren's Kiss hummed through hyperspace with various illegal spices in the holds. They were somewhere near Thyferra. Risky, with great reward. Milivikal leaned on her intuition, and it had not steered her wrong. She sat crosslegged on her well appointed bed, reading one of the many great works of literature while listening to a Bith remix of the classic Verpine GrrzzKlznkink Orchestra. Her door was sealed and locked. She did not wish to be disturbed until the Siren arrived at it's destination, near Sullustan space.

The ship violently exited hyperspace and sent an engrossed k'Vik headfirst into her dresser.

[R. S. Esalis]

The Interdictor that had pulled Siren's Kiss from hyperspace hung in space like a great watchdog, but it was the Star Destroyer suspended beside it that commanded the situation around the two. It held the leash of the dog. And that dog had just plucked its' target from hyperspace as if it were nothing more than a pebble from the ground.

On the Bridge of the ISD Provost, Captain Enewikk stood with his hands clasped at the small of his back. He watched the YV-330 pop into normalspace - no doubt its' occupants more than a bit ruffled, and a very small smirk played across his craggy features. He turned to cast a glare down to one of the helmsmen in the pit.

"Take us forward to intercept, and ready the tractor beam."

"Yes sir."

Steel grey eyes that matched the uniform he wore were sent to the transparisteel windowpanes once more, and ever so slowly the smuggler's ship began to grow.

Enewikk grimaced momentarily, turning to regard the black-uniformed intelligence agent who stood behind him. Orem, was what he'd said his name was. No first name, just Orem. The Captain harrumphed. 'Orem' looked almost bored to tears; or at least it seemed that way. Who knew what Imperial spooks thought? As it was, the agent was busying himself with idly reading a datapad.

Enewikk cleared his throat, and Orem looked up over the tops of his eyes. He looked perturbed at being disturbed from his reading. "Yes Captain."

An open hand was gestured at the view before them.

"I can see that. My official duties do not start until you have the crew aboard and in detention cells. How you get them there does not involve me."

Frustrated, the Captain set his angular jaw. "You were sent to this post with information on the captain and her crew. Any insight on her known tactics would be much appreciated."

Orem dismissed him with a withering stare before returning to his datapad.

Enewikk was now thoroughly disgusted; Director Esalis' little agents were horrid, backstabbing, rude creatures, and he wished a thousand deaths upon both the agent assigned to him and the Director herself. Thankfully, one of the pit crew interrupted his thoughts.

"Sir, we're in range."

"Good. Activate the tractor beam, and bring them aboard."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Well made dressers were sturdy objects, not to be trifled with. Milivikal was wedged awkwardly between the bed and the dresser. Her legs splayed messily above her and her neck and head were painfully pressed against the dresser and floor by the rest of her mass. She groaned, and wondered why she could hear hissing and pops. Milivikal slowly righted herself, careful to not exacerbate any possible existing injuries. She rubbed her head and straightened her neck when the door fell off of it's hinges and the world turned white from the expertly deployed flashbang. Mili grabbed at her face, the sudden loss of hearing and sight overwhelming.

“My eyes!” she yelled, and soon after felt armored hands pulling hers into binders. She kicked and flailed blindly as they carried her out of her ship. Her vision began to return on the difficult journey out of her ship. She thrashed more on principal. The deck and walls of the Star Destroyer gleamed through her hazed vision. The small detachment of troops surrounded her when she screamed. It was an unnatural, piercing scream. White helmets were flailed at while armored knees hit the deck from the blinding pain of her wail.

Milivikal smirked. She had been underestimated, as usual. Everyone in the hangar now suffered from massive ear trauma. Except for Milivikal, of course. She turned over the troopers in search for the binder controls, desperate to have them off of her wrists.

The hangar blast doors hissed open, and as she turned caught a stun blast full in the chest.

[R. S. Esalis]

Another frown creased Enewikk's face at the initial reports coming in from the hangar. The crew itself had been easy enough to quell, but it seemed their captain was proving a bit tougher. How fortuitous that the second stormtrooper squad arrived when it did. He would have preferred to not have had anyone stunned, but it seemed that the captain - he had to look at a datapad offered by one of his lieutenants - Milivikal k'Vik, was unwilling to cooperate so happily.

No matter, the outcome was still the same as if she'd gone willingly. Reading further, he noted that she'd been successfully placed in a cell removed from the rest on the detention deck.

He turned to Orem, giving the other a nod which sent the agent on a sickeningly casual gait off the bridge.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal's head pounded like a bass drum stuffed with feathers. Each heartbeat thudded through her skull and throbbed with no echo, but a quick, even falloff.

Her mouth had been wrapped shut. No binders had been affixed to her feet, but there was a collar on her neck and binders on her hands. Tenatively, she touched it. It did nothing. Perhaps she could destroy it. She concentrated on pulling it apart with sonic vibrations. For a moment, it hummed as she found it's natural frequency and thus, it's weak points.

A moment later a tree-cracking jolt snaked through her body, and her convulsions pulled her off of the metal bed and rudely dropped her onto the metal floor. She lay still as pain twinkled on and off while her nervous system attempted to sort itself out.

[R. S. Esalis]

Orem was not a tall man, but the way he held himself made others feel small. Perhaps it was the quiet look of control in his eyes, or his deep voice. No one knew the real reason; perhaps it was a combination of those factors? It made no difference to him. He worked tirelessly for his government, which aggravated him to no end that he'd been assigned to such a dead-end post.

Esalis had wanted certain numbers of her people scattered throughout the fleet just in case word of Layla could be gleaned from the smuggling community, or even Layla herself was captured. It was a mundane job that he took no pride in, but he did his job regardless.

Stepping from the lift, he stopped at the security desk to gather a few of the more effective methods of persuasion should k'Vik decide not to comply. The lieutenant pointed down the long hallway, and Orem began the trek down the raised illuminated walkway. Flanked by two stormtroopers, he measured his steps evenly.

Stopping at the door to her cell, he reached out to depress the button which would allow him entrance. The door whisked up, and he stepped inside.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She glared at him, enraged, but unable to do much more than that.

“That collar will activate if it vibrates too much. It will also activate if I vibrate too much. He pressed a button. Electrical agony bounced through her body like sugared children.

“It is my sincere hope that you do not cooperate.” he said, staring back into Mili's pale, crystal blue eyes. Oh how she wanted to kill him, to watch his eyeballs turn to ooze, his bones shatter and his overstated mass collapse into a shapeless heap.

He held most of the cards, though. She sat silent beyond her angry eyes. She did not yet know what he wanted, but could guess that she would not like it.

[R. S. Esalis]

Orem looked down at her, a deadpan, unimpressed stare that indicated nothing beyond the words he'd spoken. Unfortunately for her, he wanted dearly to take out his anger at his current post upon her.

He unclipped the stun baton from his belt and held it in a loose grip before gently clasping both hands behind his back.

"I'm going to ask you simple yes or no questions to begin with, and you're going to answer politely.

"Do you understand?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal nodded firmly, while visions of blood and pain rushed through her head. He did have her at a disadvantage, and he was well conditioned mentally. It would take her days to break him down, especially since she was gagged.

[R. S. Esalis]

Oh how he'd hoped she would've shaken her head! His hand tightened around the baton that was behind his back, and he briefly considered clubbing her for the sake of it. He spoke once more instead.

"The files I have on you say that your name is Milivikal k'Vik. I know you are she already, as enough holographic evidence was provided. However, what I do not know is how many others know of you.

"Tell me, are you well known within the smuggling world?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She hesitated. Mili had established a little reputation during her nine months, but wasn't Han Solo. She would not call herself "well known".

She tilted her head to the left and right, trying to give an impression of uncertainty.

[R. S. Esalis]

A malicious grin spread over the previously docile features of his face, and Orem whipped the baton out from behind his back to club her viciously on her shoulder. His thumb had pressed down on the activator midway through the swing, and the hum registered only a second before making contact with the woman.

His voice seemed like a snarl as he spoke.

"That is not an answer I like."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She glared at him from her now sideways position. Her shoulder throbbed with pain and shock. Unable to decide, she chose no as a default and shook her head.

[R. S. Esalis]

"Are you familiar with anyone with your vaunted ring of smugglers?"

A nod, and he moved his arms once more behind his back.

Orem let silence reign for a few moments as he stared down at her.

"Sanis Prent. Do you know the name."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal paused for a moment. The name sounded familiar. Yes, she had heard of him: royally pissing off the Imperials somehow.

She nodded.

[R. S. Esalis]

That malicious grin once more. With a snap of his fingers, the two stormtroopers who'd followed him in stepped forward. Their blasters holstered, they held her down, pinning her to the deck as Orem took a knee at her side. The end of his stun baton pressed into her midriff.

He stared long into her eyes, his own emotionless.

"I'm going to turn this on and leave it on until you become unconscious. After that, we will have a real conversation."

And without missing a beat he thumbed the actuator on.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She closed her eyes. Not again. Her body spasmed violently. Mili's legs flailed around, seeming to kick for a moment, jerk, kick, repeat. She tried to let herself pass out, but every time, Orem would give her enough of a breather and stun her eyes back open. It seemed to take hours, but likely took closer to twenty minutes before her well-conditioned body gave in.

[R. S. Esalis]

He'd taken great pleasure in doing what he did, and even let a sadistic smile grace his features so that, before she slipped into her subconscious, she could see he was enjoying his task. Even after her eyes had shut for the last time he kept on. Only at a hesitant turn of the helmet from one of the troopers did he stop. And when he did, he straightened up. The baton was once again clipped to his belt, and he tugged at the hem of his tunic.

"Take her to room 5. I'll be there shortly."

The room that she would eventually wake up in was spartan, devoid of anything but a metal table and two chairs facing one another; one of which was bolted to the deck. The stormtroopers dragged her in by her arms, not particularly caring about being gentle stewards as they sat her into the chair that had so carefully been fitted with restraints. When she awoke, k'Vik would find that her wrists were bound tightly to the seat's armrests and her ankles bound to the legs. The gag had been removed, but in its' stead was a new attachment to her collar.

And in front of her sat Orem, his hands folded atop the table as he stared at her. He reintroduced her to the cognizant world with a single statement. "The moment your voice rises above a certain pitch, your collar will activate. Am I understood?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

k'Vik scowled intensely.

"Yes" she hissed. Her midsection ached terribly. Every time she inhaled or exhaled the soreness let itself be known. The Imperial was effective at his job. She would happily have traded the stunner abuse for a good, old fashioned beating. Mili let her head remain listless to conserve her energy.

[R. S. Esalis]

There was a file below his folded hands, and without ceremony he opened it. A hardcopy was pulled free, turned so that it would be facing her, and slid it toward her end of the table. The photo showed that of a man, obviously yelling at something out of the camera's field of vision. It was a crisp image though, and unmistakable.

A second photo was produced from beneath the first, but this one showed a woman. The expression on her face was much more calm that the man's, but it was easy to see that when the photo had been taken, her attentions had been far elsewhere. A scar cut through her right eye and leaving it a stark white.

"Who are these two people."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal studied both hardcopies. Such things were not cheap, but central goverments and their extravagances.

"The first is Sanis Prent." She said, certain. The bounty holos were very accurate. Someone wanted him very much to be turned over to the Imperials.

"The second is a Lupine of the Losstarot. I am uncertain beyond that."

[R. S. Esalis]

If he was surprised that she knew about the second, it did not show. Instead, his face remained like granite as his eyes bored into her. He had not expected her to know of the woman, and had to mentally pause for a moment while collecting his thoughts. Presently he spoke.

"Lupines are nothing but scary stories that mothers tell their children at night. Are you telling me that this woman is one of those tall tales."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal smirked. Tall tales? She had helped mediate between the two Lupine lines. She was, by no means, going let slip that she was a Dark Jedi of a millenia ago. Information could be a weapon, and there was no need to hand Orem another advantage.

"I am." She replied.

[R. S. Esalis]

"You must have been a gullible child then, to believe the bedtime stories your mother told you."

It was a careful sentence, spoken slowly as he pulled the photo of Prent back toward his side of the table. He left the other though. With deliberate care, Orem pulled a small handheld unit from the pocket of his trousers and set it on the table. It seemed that Esalis' tactic had worked, however coincidentally it may seem. He didn't fool himself that it'd been a rather massive stroke of luck to pull k'Vik from hyperspace. But, luck it had been and the agent would exploit it as he saw fit.

A gloved hand rested over the unit, and he toyed with the idea of pushing its' single button to send a jarring jolt of electricity into k'Vik's body. He blinked the thought away; there would be plenty opportunity for that later.

"For the sake of my own curiosity however, please do tell me why you think that this woman is a Lupine."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

A dangerous question. Milivikal quickly thought of all the reasons possible that someone who had not met one before would pick. Maybe she was an aficionado of Lupine legend, or a member of her family bored her with them during family gatherings. She responded carefully, but began to slip into the rythmic patter of a long lost Upper Coruscanti accent.

“Her features are stereotypical Losstarot. Her ear notch is identical to the illustrations I've seen.”

[R. S. Esalis]

"Stereotypical? Did you study these fictional creatures?" he noted the accent, and mentally began tracking through his memory for where it might've originated from.

"An ear notch can be nothing but a defect; many people have such things. That you are so certain of this woman being a Lupine tells me you know more than what you could've possibly gleaned from simple 'illustrations'.

He waited for a few seconds before pressing the button, sending a short burst of electricity into k'Vik.

While she recovered, he idly shuffled the contents of the file before him, then looked up to meet her blue eyes once more.

"Now. Tell me. How do you know this woman is a Lupine."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal was about to speak when he pushed the button. She bit down on her tounge, and a trickle of blood made it's way out of her mouth as she convulsed.

"Nggghrhrhhhhhh." She fought against the chair's restraints for a moment before settling back to merely having her chest heave.

"A family friend was obsessed with them." She managed, her head lolling and her eyes closed. That was close enough to the truth.

[R. S. Esalis]

"Being obsessed with a myth is one thing. Calling a person such a thing is entirely different, and especially since you were so sure of yourself."

The accent still nagged at him, and he frowned in thought before going on.

"You are not answering my question satisfactorily, woman." His voice was even, strong in the overtones of command. It was obvious he was used to getting what he wanted, and the cold calculation in her level gaze remained unwavering as he pushed the button again - this time holding it down.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"nrrrghghhhhhhhrgghhh" Formless words poured from her as the electricity took its hold.

"I.." she managed to carve a word out in the constant spasming.

"...loathe..." came ten seconds later

"...you." She finished, and let her body thrash of it's own accord.

[R. S. Esalis]

He watched in silence, taking a small bit of pleasure from seeing her body jerk uncontrollably. And in his mind, her ilk deserved such treatment. They were a parasite leeching from the grand machine of the Empire. Opportunists and fringe trash.

His finger lifted from the button, and he gave her an unimpressed stare.

"What you think of me means nothing, nor do I particularly care. It's what seems to be hidden away in that head of yours that interests me, and I intend to find out what you are hiding from me."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She began to laugh. It hurt terribly, but that only made her laugh harder. He failed to realize what he was dealing with, and it was comical.

Behind the stone stare, she knew she had caught him off-guard. She stopped laughing, and the shock control was ripped from his hands by an invisible force. It skippped across the table, into her lap.

"I no longer wish to particpate in your games." Her tone was glacial. He could feel her voice reveberate in his bones.

[R. S. Esalis]

Orem's reaction was swift and terrible. The chair he was sitting in clattered back, its' legs scraping along the deck as he shot to his feet. The stun baton was in his hand in the blink of an eye, and he swung it at her head from across the table. The emitter he left off though; choosing to merely club her along the side of her face on one side, and then the other in a return swing.

And through the blows, his mouth remained turned down at the corners while a controlled fury raged in his eyes.

With a grip of steel, Orem jammed the tip of the baton between the top of her collar and the underside of the jaw.

"Neither do I." He growled, and thumbed the actuator on.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

The psuedo-random nature of the stun baton was the biggest problem. She couldn't find a rythm to it, to integrate into her own pattern and counter-attack. As with the last time the baton came into play, she gave up. Her head bounced like a child in a tornado. Her eyes rolled back into her head as conciousness fled again.

[R. S. Esalis]

He struck her twice more for good measure before pulling away to replace the baton at his belt. This woman was trying his patience.

As if on cue, the two stormtroopers who'd carried her in once more entered the room. Orem skirted the table to stand over the unconscious k'Vik, and with a look of disgust on his face he plucked the collar remote from her lap.

"Universal energy cages," he addressed one of the troopers, "are there any aboard."

*click*"Yes sir. The Provost was retrofitted with a block of holding cells (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Imperial_Dungeon_Ship) taken from an old Lictor dungeonship."*click*

"Good. Take her to one of them; I don't care which." An unimpressed stare was sent to k'Vik as he watched her being unbound from her chair and hefted up between the two soldiers.

"Contact me when she has regained consciousness."

Both stormtroopers nodded as they pulled their charge out into the corridor and deeper into the belly of the Provost. The wing that held the cells used for keeping Force users in check was a desolate place, more often than not unused. After all, it wasn't a normal occurrence these days to stumble upon an adept; but still, for the few times that such a thing did happen, the holding cells had proven most beneficial.

The stormtroopers worked swiftly, fitting k'Vik into the binders that would hold her immobile and ultimately helpless. They worked in silence, and once completed activated the cell's energy field. Should she use the Force, she'd be in for a rather nasty backlash.

Their duty done, the stormtroopers left, shutting the door and plunging the room and its' lone occupant into inky darkness.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

The cages were not designed to cope with a sonic attack. k'Vik had been one of the few Force users gifted with the ability to manipulate sound as keenly as she did. They did, however, retaliate from vibration by jolting the entire cage. She was never very gifted with redirection, and it was nearly impossible to concentrate with the jolt.

Time fled while she was shocked, and she collapsed against the firm binders when it finally stopped.

She frowned after she finished panting to regain her breath.

Milivikal decided her policy of deception was a failure. For once, the truth might accomplish something.

[R. S. Esalis]

White light bathed a portion of the holding cell as the door opened.

With a slow gait, Orem entered into the cell. The door closed behind him to once more shut out any illumination. A few seconds later the glowpanels along the ceiling flared to life.

With his hands behind his back and the stun baton still clipped to his belt, he allowed silence to reign as his eyes locked with hers.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Her eyes winced shut when the glowpanels came on. But she could hear him. Each step he took, she saw through it's impact and echo. She knew exactly where he was, and even though her eyes were held shut, and her head followed eerily. He stopped in front of her cage.

Milivikal stared. The light hurt, but she did it anyway while tears welled up and blurred her vision.

[R. S. Esalis]

They stared at one another, neither relenting. Orem stood stock still, his body moving not a muscle.

Presently, he spoke.

"Well?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"I have met her kind before." She said, blinking the tears away.

[R. S. Esalis]

"Oh?"

If k'Vik was telling the truth, and had met other Lupines, than Esalis would very much be inclined to meet her. And while a majority of him had resented being placed on guard duty out away from Coruscant, his stroke of luck was beginning to intrigue him. He was careful to not let it show however.

"Where could you have met such a creature in your travels."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"Schwartzweld, the original homeworld." She stated with absolute certainty.

[R. S. Esalis]

Now they were getting places, and he smiled a patronizing smile.

"There, you see? This isn't so hard, now is it.

"Of course, you do realize that everything you say to me will need to be verified. If this 'Schwartzweld' doesn't exist," the smile drained from his face as if it were a liquid, "you won't see the light of day for the rest of your life."

Orem paused for a moment, thinking on his next words. "When did you come across them."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

No more secrets left but this one. k'Vik held onto it. She was a smuggler and a pirate now, but would be a Dark Jedi to the Imperials again. Terror rose. What if he killed her on the spot? True death, final death. The irrevocable final flight into oblivion.

Or he could slowly kill her for continued deception. Her recognition of the Lupine as more than a tall tale had been her blunder. Perhaps she could have been turned over to some lightly secured facility and bent it to her will. She cursed herself for speaking too quickly.

“Twas a millennium ago, when the Lupine Houses were leaving Schwartzweld. I was the Padwawan of the Jedi Knight who oversaw the negotiation between the Houses.”

[R. S. Esalis]

And just like that her accent became recognizable. It was an old accent, but at her utterance of the word 'millennium', Orem was able to place it. Of course, that birthed a whole new series of questions.

Unseen by her, his hands rested over the lightsabre that'd been clipped to the back of his belt. It'd been taken from her quarters aboard the Siren's Kiss. With deliberate motions he removed it, bringing it into her field of vision.

"A Padawan; then I suppose this is yours?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

k'Vik's face was a mix of horror and rage.

"MINE!" She yelled, and shook the room. Her cage crackled to life. She screamed as the pain enveloped her. The shocks subsided, leaving her in a violent coughing fit.

"Mine." she murmured softly.

[R. S. Esalis]

In some ways the woman's reaction was malevolently beautiful, and Orem appreciated that fact. She was an angry being, he could see it in her eyes and her actions, and a small bit of admiration began to grow within him because of it.

He smirked, watching energy bolts lace across her body. At her last mumbled word, the smirk widened.

"I'm afraid that for now it is mine.

"If you behave, I might consider returning it."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

HIS?! HIS?!?

She bared her teeth and hissed, her entire body filled with malevolence.

Orem wanted her to behave? No, no, no. But he had her saber, and he was outside this dreadful cage. She wanted him inside the cage, so she could shake the life from his short husk and paint the bars with his blood.

"Behave? What must I do?" Her voice trembled. She was begining to give out from the day of pain. The tiredness and thirst had gripped her. Mili rubbed her parched lips together. She had never been the most patient person.

[R. S. Esalis]

"For now, nothing."

The sabre was turned over in his palm as he lazily inspected it, testing its' weight in his grip. The craftsmanship was elegant, and again reminded him of what she'd said.

A millennium...

The design of her weapon would certainly seem to corroborate her claim, but that would have to wait.

"We are on our way to Coruscant. What happens to you there though, I do not fully know yet. Until then you will stay here."

That smirk again, as he deftly twirled the sabre in hand before turning on his heel and heading out.

"Enjoy your stay for now; after all, it's all you really can do."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She sunk against her restraints, her head drooped like a beaten animal as the glow panels flickered out. It was two days to get to Coruscant from Thyferra.

Two days. Milivikal would bide her time and save her strength. She hadn't much of a choice to do otherwise.

[R. S. Esalis]

The two days it'd taken to reach Coruscant were spent, for Orem, in his own quarters. He poured over datapads, looking through whatever minimal archives the Provost's had concerning the Old Republic. There wasn't too awful much. He'd searched her name and found nothing, of course with access to the larger archives back on Coruscant, he might be able to find something.

And also, there was the question of - if she was from such a period of time - how she had survived for so long.

For two days Orem had gathered all of the information he could; the reports of the capture, the interrogations, the notes on her exhibited Force abilities, everything he could think of.

<center>***</center>

Three hours before they were to drop from hyperspace over Coruscant, he once more found himself stepping into the holding cell. Unlike the last time he'd entered, he had the glow panels set to slowly rise in illumination until a surreal ambiance filled the room.

He said nothing, only staring at the suspended woman.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Her eyes opened slowly. Her lips had dried and cracked. Her saliva was thick, foul and sticky. It clunk to the inside of her mouth for desperate protection. Two days of no food and water had taken their toll. Her face, already exotically pale, was ashen and more fitting for a corpse.

She opened her mouth to speak. Her lips broke and bled, dark red oozing down toward her chin.

"Water." She murmured.

[R. S. Esalis]

He seemed to consider her request, canting his head to the side while watching her. The blood that seeped from her lips. The sharp features covered in deathly pale skin.

A nod was given to no one in particular, and Orem stepped forward to a raised control panel. A gloved hand reached out to press one of the many buttons dotting the console, and an arm lowered down within the cage. A nozzle was attached to the end of it, and with a mechanical hiss it came to rest in front of her bleeding lips, awaiting use.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She wrapped her lips around the tube and sucked. Water flowed into her mouth. It was sweet and cold. It stung her teeth, but she sucked, even as the cold gave her a headache.

She panted, after having consumed a liter. It was all she could hold before she began to gag. One last suck, and she spat it on the floor, cleansing her palette.

"Such sweetness." Milivikal said reverently. Already some color had returned to her skin.

[R. S. Esalis]

Another press of a button, and the arm retracted back up into its' housing. Still standing at the console, Orem studied her.

"You will receive something to eat after you've been transferred down to the planet." He thought for a few more moments, then in an odd display of courteousness, he continued.

"Do you have any prefferred food."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Preferred food? Normally? This was not normal, and she would not do well to eat a standard meal. Best to start light and not wretch everything up. Survival classes had taught that. Not everything the Jedi doled out had been useless.

"Greens? Tomatoes?"

[R. S. Esalis]

He nodded.

"I will make sure that they are provided for you."

His eyes stayed on her, watching her tired breathing. "Once we are on the planet, you will be in the care of the Director of Intelligence. I trust you will show her more cooperation than you did me.

"It is she who will decide your fate, which is a good thing, as I would have had you spaced by now."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

He released the cage's binders. The incessant humming stopped, and Milivikal sighed in relief as she sagged to her knees. The collar on her neck was still present, and Orem had secured the controls to his belt.

"That, however, is still very much active." He stated coldly. He motioned and two troopers picked her up by the shoulders, far more gently than previous times. They were unarmed, but very large.

"Put her in the sonic shower."

Once inside, she scrambled out of her clothes, plying them off like they were deadly insects. The shower blasted off the dried blood, dead skin and two days of pore waste. Mili clawed through her hair, and shoved the top of her head near the emitter. She shook her head vigriously, and felt the dirt vibrate away. As quickly as it started, it stopped. The troopers grabbed her again, and took her outside to the junction that seperated the ship from the dungeon. A metal table had an unmarked grey Imperial uniform and the most boring of her undergarments from the Siren.

"Dress." Orem said. Milivikal obeyed, but her body did not move with its normal lithe grace. It was done quickly enough, though. There was no further retaliation from the Agent.

Although these were two of the best troopers on the Provost, and she was obviously not at full strength, k'Vik was still incredibly dangerous. Orem followed four paces behind. He would not dissapoint the Director.

[R. S. Esalis]

As they crossed the cavernous hangar bay, he saw her head turn to look at her ship that now rested towards the far end.

"It will be impounded and stripped to the keel," he said with calculated finality.

Allowing the troopers to guide her up the ramp of the waiting lambda shuttle, Orem followed. He kept a respectful distance however; no need to take any more risks than necessary.

The shuttle lifted easily from the hangar deck and dropped from the belly of the Provost, down into the space above Coruscant. It would not be long now, until Orem was rid of this woman. As far as he was concerned, Esalis couldn't take k'Vik off his hands fast enough.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

She felt a sad longing for the ship that had been her home for the past nine months. Milivikal wrote off all of her credits, weapons and clothes, but most painfully, the histories and, even worse, the library of music.

The journey to Coruscant was conducted in silence. She resisted humming as she normally did to pass the time. While Orem wanted her presentable, the director would understand if she needed to be punished. Instead, she stared at the floor until she heard the landing gear extract itself from the Lamba shuttle's hull. The troopers waited until the solid thunk of a certain landing and put Milivikal on her feet.

"It smells the same." Even after a thousand years, Coruscant had the same smell. It was overwhelming, and she started to laugh. A glance from Orem and she choked it back as best she could.

[R. S. Esalis]

Her laugh caused him enough amusement that he stayed his hand; he could refrain from punishing her just this once.

As they walked across the tarmac and into one of the many entrance alcoves that would lead further inward, he spoke.

"Whether the smell is the same or not, you will conduct yourself properly." He spoke to her as if she was a child being sent off to school, and they stepped into a lift that would take them down into the underlevels of the building.. "The Director has far more resources than I had."

He thought of Karrnage then; Esalis had been working with him very closely as of late, and Orem frowned in thought at the little Colonel. He was an odd one, and was known to take particular interest in things that appeared strange enough. Orem wagered that k'Vik very well could be receiving a visit or two from the Colonel.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal nodded. Killing Jedi seemed easy enough, but apparently the non-Jedi had taken great pains to figure out how to efficiently dispose of those gifted with the Force. Orem's cage had been drastic enough.

[R. S. Esalis]

The lift slowed to a stop, and its' doors opened to a world of conformity; grey, monotone conformity. Officers could be seen walking the halls and corridors, some followed by astromechs, some by protocol droids, and some even by mousedroids. Stormtroopers could also be seen, though their numbers were much fewer than the intelligence agents in this secretive hive of Imperial activity.

Without a word the troopers pulled k'Vik from the lift, starting down a hallway that looked identical to every other. Orem followed, uninterested in the goings-on around him as the small group made their way deeper into the building.

From one hallway to another, a left, a right, another lift-ride, and more hallways. After what seemed an eternity they finally stopped at the end of a corridor, facing a pair of double wooden doors. They contrasted sharply with the rest of the grey interior of the building.

For the first time during their trek, Orem stepped forward, one hand going to an antiquatd doorknob. He turned it and pushed open the door.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal's eyes went wide. The inside was the exact oposite of the desolate corridors she had been traveling through. Inside, a large, highly polished wooden table was the centerpiece. Paintings and sculptures adorned the walls, and a tasteful chandolier provided most of the illumination, except for the wall lamps. An ornately woven rug sat beneath the table. Imperial banners lined the walls between the paintings.

The door shut behind her, and Mili glanced over her shoulder for a moment.

[R. S. Esalis]

The troopers had stayed outside; only Orem remained with her.

Another pair of double doors on the opposite end of the room opened, and in walked the director of Imperial Intelligence; R. S. Esalis. Her gait was not as strong as it normally was, and the cane she used made almost no sound on the thinly carpeted flooring.

Her jet black uniform contrasted with the rather opulent surroundings around her, and fit her body well. A file was tucked in the crook of her arm, but was casually dropped to the conference table as she made her way around its' side to approach both Orem and k'Vik.

Orem stood at attention, his eyes straight ahead and fixed upon the far wall as the Director closed the distance between them.

"Director," He addressed her.

She only gave him a cursory nod, her attention fixed on the woman at his side. Stopping a few paces in front of Mili, she studied the woman. It wasn't a harsh gaze, but more a curious one that showed much interest.

Finally, she turned to Orem. "Leave us."

"Madame... ?"

Esalis turned her back to him and began the semi-hobbling trek back to where she dropped her file. "You heard me. And take that collar with you. I'll not have my charges bullied with your toys."

It was easy to see that Orem had not expected such a greeting, or order for that matter. Jaw clenched, he removed the collar from k'Vik's neck. He kept his features stoic, even though beneath he raged at being so demeaned in front of the very person he'd treated in much the same way. Refusing to look k'Vik in the face, the agent left the way they'd come in, closing the door behind him and leaving the two women alone.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Mili blinked. This was hardly the reception she was expecting. Absentmindedly, she rubbed at her neck. In the midst of her confusion, her stomach reasserted itself.

Yes. Food.

Silence persisted. Mili's brow scrunched.

"Why am I here?" she asked, confused. Where is the food? was left unspoken, although that was what she wanted to know more than anything else.

[R. S. Esalis]

"Well," Esalis spoke easily, though from the look on her face as she took a seat in one of the side chairs, 'easy' wasn't exactly the case, "you're here because you have a bit of helpful information that I would love to know."

The cane was rested atop the glossy surface of the table. She could see that k'Vik had been thrown; understandable. Truth be told, Esalis didn't have the energy to play any sort of games. Her recovery was coming along slowly. The bacta treatments helped, but it was still something to recover from, being shot point blank.

She gestured to the chairs that sat around the table. "Sit; Wherever, does not matter to me."

She remembered the communique from Orem about the other woman's choice in food, and added, "Your food will be here shortly."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal sat across from the Director. True to her word, the food showed up moments later. Greens had been a little vauge, so there was a goodly sized salad, various cooked vegetables and tomatoes in various presentations. She took a bite of the salad and closed her eyes. She chewed carefully and thoroughly. Tenatively, she swallowed, and waited for it to come back up. Her stomach squirmed a little, but it stayed down.

She sighed, relieved.

"I am uncertain that I know what you wish to know." Mili stated, and slipped small slice of a cooked green vegetable in her mouth. It was mild and pleasant.

[R. S. Esalis]

The file was opened up, hardcopies of Orem's reports shuffled to the side in favor of the much more interesting contents. Before she pulled them free however, Esalis looked across the table to Mili.

"I think you do, but just as interesting as what you know, is the reasoning behind how you know such things."

She paused, letting the pale woman take a few more slow bites. Int hat time, she plucked a single leaf of paper up, scanning down its' length before resting upon one word - millennium.

Esalis looked up over the tops of her eyes. "I suppose you could start with when you were born."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"Based on your date system, one thousand and fourty six years ago." She answered, knowing that it was not entirely certain. Hopefully the calendars had not drifted so much.

[R. S. Esalis]

She'd expected a number like the one that was given, and furrowed her brow.

"That's an awful long time ago. Even for a Force User."

From the middle of the file, she pulled out another few pages; for these she'd accessed the much more vast archives that ImpIntel possessed. A short block of text on one page, and an assortment of picture on the other. They were pictures of Mili herself, though a few were grainy, hastily shot photos. The third page held one single picture, surprisingly crisp for its' age, of Mili and a male Gran standing beside her. Flipping the page, Esalis slid it across the table.

"Your master?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"Was." k'Vik said, coldly. She pushed the picture back to Esalis quickly.

[R. S. Esalis]

An eyebrow ticked upwards, and she regarded k'Vik with a careful eye.

"That's an odd tone to take.

"Care to enlighten me?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"We had a difference of opinion and I removed his wrists for it." It was clear that k'Vik did not care very much to discuss it.

[R. S. Esalis]

Well now.

"How Machiavellian of you."

It seemed that, on top of being over one thousand years old, this former Jedi had rebelled against her own master. Milivikal k'Vik was enticing, to say the least. Esalis did not show her growing curiosity, however. She pressed on.

"Now, I must beg the question - because it seems to be a bit of a crucial thing due to your still being alive - of your continued existence.

"Where have you been for the last one thousand years?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"The Jedi thought me dead, and put me in a coffin on Taris. As a reminder. My slumber was only to last twenty years. The Sith Majicks..." She trailed off, wondering where the tome ended up.

[R. S. Esalis]

Taris... she made a mental note to have her aides find whatever information they could on it.

"Seems to be a bit of an un-Jedi-like response. Of course, I'm sure their ways have changed over such a long period of time." She pursed her lips, then continued.

"But your grievances with the Jedi aren't my concern. I'm more taken with the fact that you know of the Lupines. Mediated for them, no less - " she had to correct herself, "Or at least, you were present for the event.

"And on their homeworld, no less."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"To help them peacefully settle other worlds, yes. I acted as an aide at the time. Aside from being long lived and physically resilent, they were rather petty. I was amazed we came to any sort of settlement at all."

[R. S. Esalis]

"Oh?"

Esalis leaned back in her seat, pulling in a slow breath and letting it out just as carefully. She looked up to the vaulted ceiling, almost lost in thought for a few moments before her eyes went back down to Mili.

"There are only two left, you know."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"I am hardly surprised. Fertility had been a problem across the species for many years. A common result of open hostilities to outsiders. Coupled with a culture of murder..." k'Vik shrugged. They seemed to be so hidebound by ritual that they were unable to even survive. Rather pathetic.

[R. S. Esalis]

"How interesting."

Fertility a problem? Such information was useful, and concerning at the same time. Karrnage would no doubt enjoy the challenge though.

Esalis spoke once more.

"You say they left their homeworld to colonize other planets. Why?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"I do not know. But they wanted very badly to leave Schwartzweld. I think they felt the place cursed, in a manner." No one really knew why the Lupines wanted to flee the homeworld, but they were so desperate they enlisted the aide of the Jedi to have it done quickly.

[R. S. Esalis]

"And the mystery deepens," Esalis muttered to herself, thumbing through the file. She said nothing for a small amount of time, allowing Mili to eat some more of the vegetables. Presently, the Director looked up.

"What would you say if I was to extend to you an offer."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal stopped chewing for a moment, resumed, and swallowed what was in her mouth. She tilted her head at the Director, and looked at her as if she were some sort of dangerous exotic curiousity that should be studied from at least the 4 feet between them.

"Perhaps I will entertain an offer." Mili suddenly felt as if she were juggling live thermal detonators.

[R. S. Esalis]

"I would hope that you do."

One hand was rested on the table, and in thought, Esalis ticked her fingers on its' surface as she stared at Mili.

"I have a small side project that would greatly benefit from your involvement, and what you know. I can provide you with whatever you need; a new ship, a place to live, clothes, and any useful information you may need to perform the duties I ask of you."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

The gears ground in k'Viks brain. She wrote off the crew of the ship, since they were uninteresting smugglers in possession of illegal goods. She wrote the ship off as well. It was a functional vessel, but not in perfect repair.

"I want my music and art back." Mili stated. "But especially, I want my lightsaber." There was a sense of possession in her voice that was unmistakeable and final. It had been very difficult to gather the materials for two.

"I do not yet know if I want anything further until I know what you would have me do."

[R. S. Esalis]

A ghost of a smile. That the first thing k'Vik demanded was the return of music and art was a small surprise; she was a cultured one, it seemed. Esalis could appreciate that, and she nodded.

"Your music and art I can certainly have returned."

Her brow furrowed. "But your lightsabre, I am not certain. I would have to know that I have your loyalty before I give back something such as that.

"And that is earned through action, not words."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

It would take months to build another weapon remotely near the one she built for herself. It was an exquisite weapon, built with the knowledge of a Jedi at their apex, and modern refinements in emitter fields. The assembly alone had taken six hours a day for three months. The crystal she found on dantooine had been of exceptional quality. Finding another like it might take decades.

Mili gritted her teeth.

"I accept. What is your task?"

[R. S. Esalis]

That ghost of a smile broadened, and Esalis very nearly beamed. It was an uncommon thing to see the Director smile in such a way; especially since her return from Dantooine.

"Wonderful."

Her file was reorganized, and she pulled a photo from its' contents. It was the same one that Orem had shown Mili earlier, of the female Losstarot. Another soon followed suit, only the woman in this picture was vastly different. Her hair was short, black, and the expression on her face was one of anger.

"Here are the two last Lupines. I believe you already identified the blonde as a Losstarot. The other is a Loveloxx," Esalis paused then, her eyes watching the other woman for any reaction as she went on, "... from House Ravenwing."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"Loststarot to Myrkr and Ravenwing to Ryloth." Milivikal responded quickly. For her, the migration had not been so long ago. She had memorized the worlds because, for three months, the study and negotiation consumed her life.

"Back to the Vonskyrs and to twilight." She said, and continued to study the two women. She picked up each photo in turn, and put it back down after a minute of intense study.

"What about them interests you so?"

[R. S. Esalis]

A single eyebrow ticked upwards, and Esalis gave Mili a new, appraising look. It seemed that the other woman knew quite a bit about Lupines.

"What I want from them can wait. Think of it - for now - as a desire to prove the myth true."

The Director pursed her lips, thinking on the worlds that Mili had named. "Myrkr and Ryloth - the worlds that those two Houses chose?"

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal knew what the director said was nonsense and wanted the Lupines for something far more sinister. Milivikal did not care if she wanted them as treacherous house decor.

"That is so. But I will not venture to Myrkr." Milivikal said firmly.

[R. S. Esalis]

"I would never dream of sending you to such a place," Esalis' voice was sickly sweet.

"I think that at this time all I want from you is information; anything about their behavior that you can remember, where they went, anything that you think would be useful.

"I currently have the Ravenwing woman out searching for the other. She has not reported back yet however, and neither has the one sent to accompany her."

The Director pulled a frustrated face. "I may decide to send you after them both, if Ms. Ravenwing has decided to abandon her task."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

Milivikal laughed--a musical sound that had an inhuman quality.

"A pair of Loveloxx and Lostarot? With one of a minor house? I would be surprised if they had not rended each other's stomachs out and were dying in a mutual pool of blood."

[R. S. Esalis]

"I should hope not," she hrmphed.

"The Losstarot is a prideful creature, arrogant and conceited. But I do not think she is stupid. We have an old journal of hers, recovered from the Jedi Temple. In it she extolled the apparent 'virtues' of her species.

"And Ravenwing - she didn't even know what she was until she was brought here. Having any knowledge of some ancient bloodfeud she would not."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"Perhaps the odds are in yorour favor." She said, the word your morphed into our, a process that was unnatural and yet seamless. k'Vik paused then. Something the director said did not sound correct. Jedi and Lupine? Jedi Lupine?

"A Jedi Lupine?" Milivikal was shocked. Was such a thing even possible?

"Are you certain?"

[R. S. Esalis]

A datapad was pulled from the very back of the file; on it was the recording of s'Ilancy's battle with Executor Sevon. As well, surveillance videos of the fight between s'Ilancy and Savoc on Dantooine.

With deliberate slowness, Esalis slid it across the table to k'Vik.

[Milivikal k'Vik]

k'Vik studied the videos intently, speeding up some parts and slowing others. She had all the trademarks of several different Jedi Combat Forms, and some forms she was not familiar with.

She shook her head in disbelief, yet the Director was correct.

[R. S. Esalis]

"I have been told," Esalis said, hoping to get more than a shaking head from k'Vik, "... that she is proficient in Vaapad."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

"Vaapad?" k'Vik looked very confused for a moment. "Juyo. Vaapad. I see." There were very few Jedi who were so much in control that their number could be counted on her digits. There were no real counters for it besides trickery.

"She is a very skilled Jedi. What more would you have me tell you?"

[R. S. Esalis]

There was a gleam in her eye.

"That you can best her."

[Milivikal k'Vik]

k'Vik thought about how to best the Lupine Jedi. There were no easy solutions for one so skilled, so controlled. But she had taken down a gifted Jedi Master and a Knight in combat.

Milivikal grinned wickedly as a thought crossed her mind.

"I can."

[R. S. Esalis]

Esalis returned the smile.

"Good."

Closing the file, the Director left it on the table as she reached for her cane. It was a slow thing, rising to her feet, but leaning some of her weight upon the cane Esalis stood as straight as was allowed.

She gave k'Vik a nod. "I must go. Keep the file for your own and study it. Finish your meal, and Orem will take you to your new quarters."