Convergence

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

It had been one standard week since Adia and Lianna had come in contact with the Rebel Alliance. Leulia, their contact, had come through after all. The trio had met up with a small contingency of Rebels on the outskirts of Ison.

That was the good news. The bad news was Adia continued to suffer from the drugs slipped into her drink back on Cato Neimoidia. Lianna had pleaded with her friend to accept the Rebellion's help, but stubborn to a fault, Adia refused aid. The Jedi realized that Adia was in no shape to make decisions for herself, but she was still as strong as ever and threatened to put the medic through the bacta tank.

Thus ended the debate.

They then learned that other Jedi had been found by the Alliance. One named Serena Laran had taken them to a planet called Vortex. They had set out immediately and were given a Y-Wing for the trip. It was all they could spare but it was enough. They emptied the bomber bays and loaded up their gear and immediately set off.

She had hoped the toxins would have passed by now, but Adia was still hallucinating. Currently she was sleeping soundly because of Lianna. She may not have been trained extensively in the healing arts of the Force. Her Master Drin had focused on teaching her the art of stealth, combat and mind in order to stay hidden and survive the times as the Jedi were still renegades. Still, she knew a few tricks. Securely strapped in the back of the Y-Wing, she hoped that the Jedi on Vortex might be able to do something for Adia. But she had to wonder why did they go there?

She reconfigured her comm to send out a narrow beam transmission to the planet that would repeat as it moved from area to area from the coordinates supplied from the Alliance. Someone was sure to receive it ...

"This is Lianna Mal Pannis, a Jedi Knight sent by the Rebellion Alliance. I'm in need of immediate assistance as my companion is seriously ill. Please respond. Over."

All she could do now was wait as they flew in on an approach vector ...

[Daria Nytherciria]

With the help of the Vors, the building of the Jedi Enclave was in full-swing. Though the planets violent weather had delayed progress somewhat, the expertise of the native Vors had ensured that the Enclave would not go uncompleted for long. The Rebel Alliance had even supplied a number of men and women to aid in fitting the compound with rudimentary electrical equipment. At present, one of the technicians was in the process of finalizing the configuration of the communications system. It was a primitive device, by modern standards, but its low-energy emissions would minimize the chances that it was picked up by the sensors of uninvited visitors.

Soldering a final wire-connection together, the technician got to his feet. “That out to do it,” he said, positioning himself on a stool in front of the newly assembled console. “Now, let's see if it's working...”

Tentatively, he reached out and turned a dial here and pushed a button there. Over his shoulder, Daria Nytherciria watched with cautious interest. She did not much understand or trust technology, but had decided to make an effort to alleviate some of her anxiety. As the machine powered up, the tail-end of a transmission crackled through the speakers.

“...immediate assistance as my companion is seriously ill. Please respond. Over.”

“What the...” The technician twisted another dial, and the sound became clearer, the full message playing this time. Daria frowned and retrieved her personal comm-unit from her robes, sending out a quick message to ask the other Jedi to join her.

[Morgan Evanar]

Hearing Daria, Morgan stopped assembling the wired central comm system that would mostly replace the need for carrying portable comms at all times. He was impressed by the swiftness that the Vors had assembled some above ground shelters. They had picked a location that would allow for a minimum of visibility, that led to a large local cave network. They had capped the mouth of a local cave with half-dome retractable doors, which the Alliance had supplied track and actuators for. The whole thing was large enough to accomodate a medium sized freighter. The smaller domes sprouted from the top of the cave, allowing for natural light to be gathered small collectors and piped into fiber optic lines and spread through the cave.

The tiny group of twenty expert Rebellion techs were among the most trusted by intel, and some of the Rebellion's longest standing members. It was clear they were used to being on the move from the attention to detail. Very little was bolted down, and all of the equipment was not placed for optimum space use, but rather to be gathered quickly.

Part of laying low was the lack of active scanning technology, but Morgan had already wired Serenity for such occasions. He patched a datapad from a cable to the ship's diagnostic umbillical and fed the data into one of the larger displays available. He stood next to Daria and the technician, who looked at him somewhat wide eyed.

"It's a Y-Wing, so it really is just her and her companion. I'll go get the doors. They've already got an approach vector." He said, and ran off.

[Serena Laran]

Serena opened her eyes in the semi-darkness of the room she had set aside for mediation. The walls were rocky, as she'd asked the Vors to leave this cave in a natural state - at least as much as was possible.

Wyl and Rhianna opened their eyes as well, one stifling a yawn. While Morgan and Daria oversaw construction in another part of the cave system, she had sat the two padawans down for some listening. Learning to listen to the whispers of the Force was very important.

"We have company," she said, words that might have struck fear into any of their hearts. But the padawans had sensed what she had, at least in part. These newcomers were not from the Empire.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia had gotten worse after arriving on the Rebellion's frigate. What had started with mild hallucinations gradually turned into full-blown delusions with brief moments of lucidity. Most of the counter-agents had been tried before with ill effects years before after Adia had been bitten by some sort of rare bug. Only Lianna's calm manner had helped her through their brief time before given a Y-Wing. Lianna had convinced her to load the "munitions" into the now-emptied Y-Wing bomb bays.

Fortunately for Lianna, Adia's mind was nearly unshielded and much more vulnerable to suggestion. Managing her required figuring out the hallucination and playing to it.

The Y-Wing settled onto the unfinished cave floor. The clank of landing gear against stone woke Adia suddenly. She panicked. Frantic, she unstrapped herself and ignored Lianna's attempts to calm her, instead opting to strike the Jedi on the head. She bashed the transparisteel canopy a few times before finding the release.

Survival training. Nothing was her friend in this wasteland, and even her vibroblade was missing. She dropped to the cave floor into a crouch. "Survive for two weeks. We will pick you up in the river delta 100 kilometers from here, south." Adia was shoved off of the transport, into the grassland below...

Morgan stopped fifteen meters away. Somehow, she looked familiar.

"Hey..."

Adia's head jerked towards him like a wild animal. She sized him up quickly, noting the blaster on his hip, and that there were still metal rebar reinforcement scraps about two meters in length. Adia closed the distance in a flash, kicking the heavy metal pole into the air and taking a swipe at him with a furious growl.

Morgan barely evaded the blow, but was forced to retreat from her frantic, if expert barrage. She was corralling him into the corner where the door met the cave wall. Every time he attempted to dive outside to escape, she wailed on a limb.

Spittle dripped from the corners of her mouth as she went for the killing blow, attempting to splatter his skull.

His eyes closed and then he disappeared. The rebar hit the cave wall. Adia let it go before the vibration destroyed her arms. It sang and writhed on the floor.

She spun, only to find him behind her and wide eyed. Realization dawned too late. When he turned to run Adia had already started her sprint and picked up another rebar scrap. She hurled into Morgan, and plunged the metal through his ribcage. Adia realized that she had missed his heart, but a collapsed lung would kill him soon enough.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

She should have seen it coming, but Lianna had not expected Adia to have fallen so deep into her hallucinations that she would mistake the Jedi as the enemy.

The attack was swift and powerful, Adia's fist cracked the back of the helmet, forcing Lianna's head into the console. She blacked out instantly from the impact, the polymer visor cracked and then broke into brittle bits. Some fell harmlessly away, other pieces embedded itself into her face ...

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan found the energy to sit up. He still was not sure what happened, except a madwoman attacked him. She had backed him into a corner, and then he appeared behind her. Somehow. She had been an exceptionally strong madwoman. His face felt wet, like his nose was running. He gave it a quick rub.

Red. A quick glance around told him there was a lot of red, and it was coming from him. Strange. He couldn't feel any pain, despite the metal rod protruding from his chest. Morgan fumbled for his comm. His hands, slick with blood, made holding it tricky.

“Help.” He managed, and coughed, lightly splattering blood over the comm.

[Rhianna]

Rhianna had been working on a visual meditation, ultimately leading her to a quieted state. She had focused her thoughts on the feel of the cave around her. In the very recent past she had sheltered in caves, during the barren months of winter. She did not fear caves, but they gave her a sense of being shut in. She would much rather have open air of the forest around her. So to comfort her mind, she had envisioned herself somewhere tranquil.

She walked from the mouth of the cave, feeling the familiar breeze through her hair. The soles of her feet left gravel and into sank into soft mossy ground, making no sound at all as she moved forward. Sunlight shimmered through the thick canopy of trees.. She walked through a wayward beam and saw it's end alight on the sparkling riverbed before her. She walked forward into the river, feeling the water close over her legs. Her bare toes curled over smooth stones that made up the bottom of the riverbed. She kept moving forward still, the frigid water sloshing around her hips and navel...

""We have company," Serena said. Rhianna's eyes opened, she felt it too. She arched her neck, releasing a popping sound which seemed to startle her. Rhianna rose suddenly and began walking very quickly for the doors. She didn't say a word but she looked slightly ill.

It was a second later she heard Morgan's voice on the comm, and she broke out at a run. She could only hope that Serena was behind her because her feelings told her the Jedi healer was severely needed. Rhianna fought down the urge to panic. She didn't allow herself the luxury of being emotional, she was simply running on will and action. Her footsteps slowed as they approached the cave where the ship had recently landed.

[Daria Nytherciria]

The Force gave a mournful cry. It hummed through Daria's body and sent a cold shiver over her skin. Without explanation, she darted away from the technician, retracing Morgan's footsteps. He looked like a throbbing mass of darkness, punctuated only by something skewered through its center. To his side, there stood a woman, faint. Though her eyes could not see it, Daria was almost certain she could smell blood.

“Step away from him,” she said, lightsaber coming to hand. Daria had no healing skills of her own, but knowing that Serena would have heard the call too, decided to deal with the interloper. The thought that they had been lied to, that they had so easily allowed a hostile being into their sanctum, brought a frown to the Miraluka's features.

[Serena Laran]

Morgan's voice came over the comm system, but Serena was already picking up her skirts and running, Rhianna just ahead of her. Wyl ran after them, not wanting to be left behind, and Serena stopped short of the hangar. "Stay away, padawan," she ordered Rhianna, who had a pained look on her face. "Watch Wyl. And have a care with your emotions, child."

Then she hit the door controls and stepped into a madhouse.

Morgan lay on the ground, bleeding profusely from his chest where a long bar had been run through his body. His hands twitched and had no strength, but he seemed ready to try to pull it out himself. Her padawan was in shock.

Daria Nytherciria stood beside another door, lightsaber in hand. A tall red-haired woman with wild eyes stood between Daria and Morgan, but Serena was on the other side of Morgan. Daria's distraction of the woman allowed Serena the opportunity to take immediate action.

The Force whispered to her, and the Jedi thrust her hands forward, tossing the stranger to the ground and pinning her there. At the same time, just second after entering the hangar, Serena took five quick steps and knelt at Morgan's side. "Daria," she called, letting the other Jedi know who was there, even though the blind Jedi saw nearly everything others could see. "Incapacitate her."

She put her hands on Morgan and delved quickly and deeply with the Force, keeping an eye on the stranger and Daria.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia was pushed off her feet by an invisible, unexpected blow. She went wild, growling and scrambling against the stone floor.

"I won't tell you anything!" She looked at Daria and writhed, trying to find a way out of the invisible force that pinned her. She saw a Nemoidian and a pair of battle droid commanders, not a Jedi.

"I'LL KILL YOU NEMOIDIAN TRAITORS! ALL OF YOU!" Her body visibly strained, and she began to lift herself off of the cave floor as Serena's attention was diverted.

[Morgan Evanar]

“Hi Ss...” Morgan coughed, an ugly, sloshing noise that spattered blood in front of him. “...serena.” He finished with a wheeze. Blood dribbled from his nose and lips. He looked up at her and squinted.

“It's *cough* dark.”

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria swept her free hand out towards the woman in a frenzy, a wave of energy bursting out from her fingertips. The communication they had received spoke of a seriously ill individual. It was possible that the illness had caused her to become delusional. To Daria, her mind seemed clouded and dark, feverish.

“Stand down.”

The Knight was reluctant to engage the woman directly. She would allow her to make the first move, to assess her skill level. If this woman was travelling with a Jedi Knight, there was no telling what she was capable of.

[Rhianna]

Like a voice from far away, Rhianna briefly heard Serena's warning to guard her emotions. She found it curious, because what she was feeling was a dealy calm settle over her. She wasn't allowing herself to think, because thoughts birthed results and she simply would not entertain the thought that there was a chance that Morgan wouldn't be alright.

Her own scar, nothing more now that a fading pink mark across her ribs, suddenly began to burn. Rhianna felt a presence at her side, and forced herself to drag her gaze away from the scene before her. She tucked an arm around Wyl's shoulder, holding him to her side. She couldn't seem to find the words to speak, but she repeated the thought in her mind over and over..

He'll be alright.. He'll be alright..

Daria and Serena had both seen to the woman that had been responsible for the attack. The woman was still fighting against them, thrashing to get up from the Force that was holding her down. She was incredibly strong..

Rhianna couldn't just stand there not doing anything. Keeping Wyl tucked behind her she edged closer, dropping to her knees on Morgan's opposite side. Wyl seemed strangely stoic for such a young boy, but he was a brave old soul in a childs flesh. Rhianna had seen a wounds like this, twice before. One had proved fatal. Mostly because the injured man had pulled the saighead, the thick shaft of an arrow, out himself, tearing further apart tissue that had never healed. All Rhianna could do for now was remember how she had been involved in the healing of Finor Ztnnova, and help Serena now, in the same manner.

[Serena Laran]

Morgan was in bad, bad shape. The Jedi put one hand to his temple, and he passed into a dreamless sleep, eyes rolling up in his head. She couldn't have him agitating the wound, and blocking the pain for him would be impossible.

Daria confronted the stranger, who was getting back up to her feet. "Stand down," she commanded, her voice full of strength.

The Jedi Knight returned most of her attention to Morgan, concentrating on stemming the flow of blood from her padawan's chest. Then Rhianna entered the hangar just behind Serena, Wyl tucked into her side.

For the moment, the healer seemed to ignore the pair as she worked over Morgan, the scrap of steel rebar still protruding from his lower chest. Then she reached out one hand, and pulled Wyl away from Rhianna. "Stay by me, boy."

There was no time to turn the situation into a learning moment, as the Jedi liked to do, but as Rhianna was suddenly unpredictable the child was far safer at Serena's side.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Having remained silent from the get-go, mostly because it became clear very quickly how serious the arrival of said visitors was, Wyl was glad for the reassuring hold that Rhianna had on him. The grip became all the more appreciated as they entered the hanger and the grisly scene it housed.

Rhianna's fingers dug into his arm at the sight of Morgan, which was understandable because he was skewered. There was a woman, a stranger, writhing about and screaming on the ground while Daria stood firmly with lightsabre at the ready. Wyl flinched at his Master's tone--there was an authority to it the boy had never heard before.

Before the entire scene could sink in, they were at Morgan's side. He muttered something, bloodily, before Serena set him into slumber. Wyl gaped at the bar protruding from the man's chest, wordlessly stumbling away from Rhianna at a firm tug from Serena.

Stay by me, boy.

The child took the directive literally, shuffling closer to the elder Jedi. His wide eyes never left Morgan's prone frame; there was so much blood!

[Adia Issoris]

Daria knocked Adia back down to the floor, but with Serena's focus solely on Morgan's wound, it was short lived. The former Emperor's Hand was on her feet in a blink. She expertly brandished the two meters of rebar, and closed quickly with the Miraluka. The blind woman's lightsaber came to life, and Adia hesitated. This did not integrate with the current reality, as the only saber-wielder the Trade Union had was General Grevious.

“Who's side are you on, Jedi?”

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria felt a pang of panic, a tightening in her chest. She sensed Wyl nearby. Her eyes darted away from the madwoman for only a moment, in apprehension, but it was time enough for the woman to scramble to her feet once more, and then... Adia faltered. The sight of the crisp, red blade springing to life had stalled her momentum. Some sense seemed to have filtered through her drug-addled mind.

“I am an agent of the Force and an ally of the Republic... as are we all.”

[Adia Issoris]

Adia's head swam as she tried to come to grips with where she was and what she was doing, she blinked, and each time, Daria changed. Once, she became Vader, wielding his saber. Once, a Jedi providing support to her pair of ARC troopers, the red saber glistening in the Kamino rain in their first desperate defense of the planet.

She crouched for better cover, hefting her modified repeating blaster. It's balance was wrong.

"Master Jedi, there is something wrong with my equipment." She looked at the Miraluka, bewildered. She set the "blaster" down, and fumbled for her blaster pistol, which Lianna had the good sense to remove a week ago.

"My blaster is missing." The Alternate Prototype scrambled, looking for her backup weapon her person, which had gone missing. She always kept it on her left thigh.

"You," she turned, looking over her shoulder at the calamity around Morgan, "hand me your..." Adia trailed off, standing to look at the scene in morbid curiosity.

[Serena Laran]

Morgan breathed slowly and shallowly, air whistling strangely through his body as the rebar had punctured a lung. She needed to get him to surgery as soon as possible. But the bleeding was stopped for the most part, and she'd supressed his immune response to the foreign object protruding from his body so the young man would not suffer from fever in the meantime.

Serena looked up as the madwoman turned towards them, one hand on Wyl and the other on Morgan. She tried to think of how to neutralize the woman, but she was weary from her early exertions with telekinesis and her work with Morgan. But Daria was moving in already, while the woman was facing the little group in the corner, and Serena felt a great deal of calm coming from Rhianna, and even little Wyl.

[Daria Nytherciria]

Adia felt Daria's approach, but it was much too late. Though she had been engineered to be strong and agile, she did not have the reflexes of a Jedi Knight. With practiced aim, the Miraluka struck at her targets skull with the butt of her saber – the blade disengaging as the heavy cylinder met Adia's head with a clunk. It would leave her with a nasty bruise and a hell of a headache, but it was the most efficient method of incapacitating the delusional woman. She slumped backwards and into Daria's arms with a sigh.

[Serena Laran]

The doors behind Serena swished open, and four Alliance technicians ran into the room, blaster pistols in hand. Serena called them all technicians, but it was clear that these Rebels had been handpicked by Director Dasquian Belargic because they had multiple skills.

One got on the comm immediately. "We need medical assistance in the hangar, ASAP!"

He came over to Serena, and she said, "I need a stretcher for Morgan. He needs surgery immediately to remove the bar." The Rebel nodded, and barked into his commlink again.

Two of the techs investigated the Y-Wing, as they had been expecting two people. Only one had appeared. Serena felt apprehensive about what might have happened to the Jedi who had been accompanying the sick woman.

"There is another woman in the fighter, unconscious. Probable concussion
- her flight helmet's visor has been shattered." The voice came from the tech's commlink, and he clicked it to acknowledge.

Within the next two minutes the hangar was swarming with activity as all the Rebel personnel on site converged on the Jedi. The sick woman and Morgan were quickly transported to the module where they had set up the medbay on repulsor driven stretchers. The woman was strapped down and given a proper sedative and something to help with the fever to buy them time to wake her companion and get the whole story.

Serena sent Wyl to Daria's side, asked Rhianna to keep an eye on Morgan during his surgery, and to call her if anything unexpected happened. A Rebel medical droid (on permanent loan) was going to perform the emergency surgery.

The Jedi strode across the hangar to the Y-Wing as the pilot was being brought out on a stretcher of her own. Serena walked beside it, and put a hand on the woman's shoulder, gently waking her up with a touch of the Force.

[Rhianna]

The medbay had a sterile, cold feeling surrounding it that was unsettling. It felt so.. synthetic. There was no technology such as this among her people. Their procedures were rudimentary at best. Some things could be repaired, others were not so fortunate. The Banfáith was consulted upon for those who were slow to recover or had sustained serious injury. Many injuries left the wounded completely in the hands of the Abhairt Saoil, the Life Giver. The blessed thread that connected her people to each other, to the land, and the to Divine. The Force, as she knew it now.

It was to the Abhairt Saoil that Rhianna now spoke privately in her mind. She stood to the side, out of the way of the medical droid working on Morgan. The surgery, because it was performed by a droid, progressed somewhat more quickly. Although she had been waiting patiently for what seemed like an eternity already. Others began to slowly filter into the medbay, seeing to the sick woman that had lost control of her faculties. She had yet to awaken. Rhianna knew that Serena was with the injured Jedi Knight and expected to see them both soon..

The droid kept her updated as it worked from one task to the next with deft, accurate movements. She had learned much of her new language, but she was coming across a great many technical terms that were foreign to her. As she understood it, Morgan's heart was being temporarily slowed while the bar was removed, to slow bleeding. A synthetic membrane would be carefully inserted into his chest, patching the rupture in his lung. It was self adhereing and would blend in with his own tissues and be absorbed over time. He would recover well, she had been assured of it.

As the surgery was progressing, nearing completion, Rhianna approached the opposite side of the stretcher. The wound through Morgan's chest had caused great trauma, not only to his lung but to the surrounding tissues, though it would heal over time. He was still very pale and had lost a great deal of blood. He was not out of the woods yet, as they said. But he would be, she knew it. Rhianna gently scooted aside some of the various tubing, linking her fingers through his while the droid continued..

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna groaned as the haze of unconsciousness was worn away gently by Serena's touch. She was awake, but not fully alert. Brown eyes grimaced when they opened up to the dim panel lights overhead, and it made her head spin.

That was when the nausea began. Lianna's skin blanched as a feverish chill shook her body.

[Daria Nytherciria]

With Wyl at her side, Daria calmed some. Her chest rose and fell with each slow, deep breath. Her eyes stared, unseeing, out across the hangar, where the traces of spilled blood were being hastily mopped up. One hand gently pulled the boy at her side in closer, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance – as much for her as for him. Then, as if becoming conscious of herself and aware of the involuntary action, she started towards the Y-wing. There was an odd aura radiating from the presence within.

She called up to the cockpit: “How is she?”

[Wyl Staedtler]

Wyl made haste to reclaim his spot at Daria's side, pressing himself into the safety against the woman's hip. Wide eyes turned to watch as a technician, adopting a janitorial role, cleaned up the mess where Morgan had lain moments ago.

Moments. How was it possible that so much had happened in such a short span of time?

The little boy warily eyed the second stranger, who looked pretty awful. She was shivering and sweaty, like she had a bad case of the Chandrilan Flu or something, and her head was bleeding to boot. No doubt the madwoman had attacked her too.

Just to be safe, Wyl swivelled to make sure the redhead was still down.

[Morgan Evanar]

The droid had finished most of it's work quickly. Sealing the wound with mechanically precise application of medical glue and patches, it scanned it's own work with programmed care.

“Subject has recovered at a rate eight times norm. Fluid consumption is in line with this figure.” The droid replaced the nearly empty saline and nutrient bags.

Ten minutes later, Morgan's eyes opened.

“Hey.” He managed before coughing for a moment.

[Rhianna]

“Hey.” He managed before coughing for a moment.

A slow, hesitant smile formed on Rhianna's face. She gave a quick exclamation of thanks to the Abhairt Saoil, in her mind. Rhianna quickly grabbed a small square pillow from the neatly stacked pile in a cabinet. She held light pressure to Morgan's chest as he coughed, cushioning his healing wound. When the spasm passed and he lay back quieted, Rhianna smiled again.

" Hey... Tá eagla orm.. You scared me again. Don't make this a habbit."

She pulled up a stool, perching beside the stretcher. "How are you feeling?"

[Serena Laran]

Serena took her hand from the Jedi's shoulder and placed it on her forehead, alleviating some of the concussion symptoms with the Force as she did so. Nothing permanent, as she'd used up a great deal of her strength with Morgan and was fatigued. With her free hand she took the other woman's hand, walking beside her as the techs pushed the repulsor lifted stretched down and out of the Y-Wing.

"You are... Lianna?" Serena asked, using the name Rebel Intel had passed on to Vortex. "Your companion - what is wrong with her? We need to stabilize her immediately, and so we must know what you know about her affliction."

As she spoke they passed Daria and Wyl, and Serena gave the Jedi Knight a nod. The woman who had attacked Morgan was being taken out of the hangar and to the medical ward just a few meters in front of the wounded Jedi they'd taken from the Y-Wing.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

The effects of her ailment eased away to a manageable dull throbbing of the head and one last chill. The Jedi could feel her awareness returning and focused on the woman shaking her hand. It took a moment to register what she had said, but Lianna closed her eyes briefly and relied on the Force for strength.

"Yes, I'm Lianna." One of the Technicians told her not to move, but the Jedi turned over on her side anyway. She wanted to see Adia for herself and frowned. This was not at all how she wanted this to turn out. "She was drugged on Cato Neimoidia. By what, I don't know. It just made her hallucinate. I was able to keep her in check because she trusts me, and I was able to keep her calm. That was a week ago. Her body should have purged the toxins by now."

She sighed and relaxed back onto the stretcher, "Adia took me by surprise when we landed. Was anyone hurt?"

[Morgan Evanar]

Morgan started to laugh, but it quickly dissolved into coughing.

"Terrible." he managed and smiled while wincing.

"The fact that I hurt like hell is good. Means I'm healing. If I didn't hurt I'd worry." He said, and fumbled for Rhianna's hand.

"What happened to that woman?"

[Rhianna]

Rhianna absently ran her thumb back and forth over Morgan's knuckles as she spoke. It wasn't even something she was thinking about, just an automatic response born of concern and affection.

"Daria took control of the situation. The woman was very sick. She is sedated right now and being detoxed."

That was really all Rhianna knew. She had not left Morgan since he had been rushed to surgery and she hadn't inquired further as to the condition of the newly arrived Jedi and her sick companion.

She could tell that it was an effort on his lungs for Morgan to continue talking. A frown creased her brow. "You shouldn't be awake. You need to rest. I'll be here.."

[Serena Laran]

She nodded, "Yes, one of my padawans, a young man, was severely hurt. He is being treated in the medical ward as we speak."

And, they were not headed there. Serena directed the stretcher bearers to one of the rooms set aside for living quarters. Lianna would live here, and the medical ward was full for the time being with Adia and Morgan. The Jedi helped the younger woman to sit, and then transfer over to the bunk. "The furniture is all collapsable, I'm afraid, but we haven't had a bed fold up on us yet."

[Daria Nytherciria]

With Wyl now safe, Daria parted from the boy. She held him by the shoulders and said that he was free to do as he pleased for now, but thought he ought not to bother Morgan for a while, as he would need some rest. This said, she turned to follow after Serena. As the men on hand bore the stretcher into one of the living quarters, Daria stood in the open doorway, stepping aside for a moment as the men left. She eyed the injured woman with open suspicion.

“Serena... may I speak to you in private for a moment.”

[Serena Laran]

She smiled calmly, and excused herself from Lianna's room as another technician entered with some meds for the woman's concussion.

"What is it, Daria?" Serena followed the other Knight to a quiet corner, even as the tech left Lianna's room with a scowl on his face and a hurry in his step. "I am missing something, aren't I."

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria did not wear the band of cloth that usually covered her eyes. As a consequence, her frown could be seen clearly. “You do not recognize her?”

[Serena Laran]

Serena paused, thinking. "Not really, no."

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria hushed her voice, making certain that no one besides Serena would hear her. Her tone was sharp and strained, almost a hiss.

“She is the face of the Empire.. the grand-daughter of Wilhuff Tarkin.”

[Serena Laran]

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Our new Jedi Knight is... Miranda Tarkin?" She hadn't been out of exile long, but once Daria put most of the pieces in place the rest filled in. "This is not good."

She turned on one foot, looking back towards the door to Lianna's room, where two heavily armed men were now standing. The Alliance members had drawn the same conclusions that Daria had, and weren't about to allow a Tarkin free access to the place. "We will have to evacuate."

[Daria Nytherciria]

“Somethings wrong with her... her aura, something about it isn't right. I don't think she realizes who she truly is, but it can only be a matter of time before the Empire come looking for her.”

Daria's mind ran rampant with possibilities. Her voice grew more tense. “She may have been the one responsible for the other womans poisoning. Force, we may have a Moff and a fugitive of the Imperial in our midst. We need to speak to Adia.”

[Adia Issoris]

At Lianna's suggestion, they had bound Adia's limbs with sturdy binders. Adia's head ached a little, but she knew it would pass quickly. She had been placed in a store room, but the sliver of light under the door was more than enough for her to see. Unfortunately, all that was in the room were sacks of grain.

Her head hurt again. She could not find a way to integrate the experience. She'd seen a grain storehouse before, but never while bound.

Bound. Adia rolled onto her stomach and tried to slip her feet through, but gave up quickly. Her wrists were bound directly together, with two cuffs connected by a thick pin a centimeter long. She growled, trying to force her wrists apart. Her arms trembled with the struggle, but the metal would not yield. After five minutes, she gave up and closed her eyes.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna thanked the Technician for the medication. Her head was becoming quite alert and clearer now that she was able to focus on her surroundings. The room was quite spartan as the Jedi had explained. But it was more then enough to accommodate her. She was used to the ground as her bed - a simple fold out was practically a luxury.

She gingerly stood up, taking a second to make sure a dizzy spell did not win over. Upon sure feet, Lianna stretched and smiled in thanks again towards the Rebel leaving.

He glowered at her and she frowned. Why would he do that? Adia had hurt one of their people. That could have been the cause of such a stare, but the Jedi did not think so. No. His feelings towards her were one of disgust.

"I'm such a fool ..." She berated herself for being so naive. They thought her Miranda. Why else such hostilities. Strange that Serena did not think twice about her appearance.

She needed to mend the confusion and made her way towards the doorway, and heard the tail end of the conversation from another red headed woman, who's back was towards her.

"... Moff and a fugitive of the Imperial in our midst. We need to speak to Adia."

Immediately, the two Rebel guards turned to face her before she could take one more step past the threshold. Weapons were present, but not aimed at her ... yet.

"I believe that there's some confusion as to who I am," she began calmly. "In my hurry to save Adia, I forgot that my appearance would be ... shocking to the Rebellion. I'm still not used to it ..."

Her eyes averted away from the Jedi and the two Rebel officers in shame. Being part of the Tarkin family carried a heavy burden, one in which the Jedi was still not accustomed to.

[Serena Laran]

"Not used to your own appearance?" Serena raised one eyebrow as the so-called Jedi stood in the doorway. "I am afraid that we will need more explaination than that."

She turned to Daria, "I was planning on heading to the medical ward as soon as possible anyway. We should keep her here while we talk to the sick woman. And make sure she doesn't have any transmitting devices."

[Daria Nytherciria]

“I will watch her,” Daria said. With a nod, Serena took her leave, to question Adia on the validity of her traveling companions claims. The guards resumed their post outside the door and Daria, crossing her arms over her chest, turned to regard Lianna.

No deception radiated from the woman and yet there was no denying that she carried an aura almost identical to the Tarkin woman that the Jedi Knight had seen on so many broadcasts. She had even glimpsed Miranda once in the flesh, at an outdoor rally where Daria had hidden herself within the vast masses of people assembled to see the heir to the Tarkin legacy. Though the woman known to many as the Face of the Empire had a sense of... command about her, a definite air of supremacy and certainty in herself, the woman stood before Daria seemed unsure and at ill-ease.

“Who are you?”

[Serena Laran]

It took Serena only a few minutes to traverse the distance between the LQ and the medical ward. She poked her head into the recovery room to check on her padawans, to find that Morgan was out of surgery and doing as well as could be expected.

Now, standing over and looking down on the woman who had put him into surgery, the Jedi considered what... Lianna... had told her about the woman's condition. Adia had been drugged by some kind of hallucinogen on Cato Nemoidia. The Nemoidian's were smart and resourceful, but largely unimaginative. If this was a designer drug, then it probably hadn't come from a native.

Designer drugs were hard to combat, since largely there either wasn't a cure, or it would take weeks to concoct one from scratch. The woman on the medical bed, strapped securely down, looked up at her with wild eyes.

"What is your name?" Serena asked, gently.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia's body jerked against the sturdy frame that held her down. It creaked against the strain. With her arms bound behind her and legs bound together, it was hard to get any sort of leverage, and the frame that the mattress had been draped over wasn't designed for people. It was actually the base of a storage shelf designed to accommodate tons of goods. Wisely, Adia's feet hung off a little so she could not generate the same amount of leverage, since she had easily destroyed the original cot, the remains of which were nearby as a troubling reminder to how much of a handful the redhead was.

She looked at Serena with wild green eyes and blinked. There were no memories of this one.

"Adia." She said, somewhat stupidly.

[Serena Laran]

"Adia, you have been drugged. I am going to help you, but I need you to relax. Can you do that for me?"

The woman responded by tightening her muscles and jerking about a bit, so Serena took that as a no. The Jedi put one hand on Adia's forehead and the other on her belly, and took a deep breath. Keeping Morgan alive long enough to get him into surgery had drained her, but this woman was too delusional to be of any help.

Closing her eyes Serena sought a healing trance and searched in Adia's body for the hallucinogen that was affecting her.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

These people needed to trust her, but she was now guilty until proven innocent. The Jedi had hoped the Alliance would have contacted them earlier to announce her arrival. It seemed that had not occurred, unless their communication system had only been set up for the local system and weren't able to reach the Jedi yet.

She eyed the woman curiously. Her eyes were completely devoid of any pupils or iris'. Although blind, it was obvious the woman could still see her through extraordinary senses given to her by the Force. The woman radiated with power and suspicion.

"What I said earlier is true. My name is Lianna. It was the name given to me by the Jedi that raised and trained me in the ways of the Force," she said earnestly. "I took the surname Mal Pannis from the family that looked after me when Darth Vader came for my Master."

Her voice lowered in remembered sadness of loosing Drin. "But, as you know, things are far more complicated then that ..."

[Daria Nytherciria]

For a moment, Daria stood in contemplation. She tilted her said ever so slightly to one side, her eyes narrowing in faint suspicion. Either this Lianna was an exceptionally convincing liar, or she was telling the truth. That Miranda Tarkin should have a still-living twin sister, allied to the Jedi and now the Rebellion, was astonishing. First and foremost in Daria's mind was the concern that where Lianna was, soon the Empire would follow.

“Your sister... does she know of you, of what you are?”

[Adia Issoris]

Factually, Adia was not on a common hallucinogen. It was a dangerous toxin and prevented central nervous system control of most of the body, but Adia had reacted differently. Her body vigorously defended her core, life maintaining parts while the higher functions were affected. Adia's attempts at pattern recognition, were scrambled at best, discarded at worst. Some moments, parts of her brain were shut off almost completely while they were being cleaned, giving her terribly disjointed recall as experiences were related to secondary or more distant things.

She thrashed for a moment, but settled. She had been touched like that before, and was heavily drugged at the time.

“My son... don't take my son...” Adia's eyes were wide and frightened.

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

"No," she said with uncertainty. "I ... think. My mother is the only other person that knows I exist. I left the decision to tell Miranda with her, but that was before my sister was promoted to Moff."

Lianna could tell that the Jedi before he did not like hearing that news. "But I feel that she hasn't. I implored her that her safety would be put at risk if word leaked out that a Tarkin was a Jedi Knight."

[Serena Laran]

"No one is taking your son," Serena soothed, murmuring softly as she smoothed the other woman's hair out of her eyes. Her injuries were severe and the Jedi sagged with exhaustion. Adia had been poisoned, she discovered, by a sophisticated neural agent.

She'd managed to stop the progress of the toxin, what slow progress it had been making against the woman's remarkable immune system, but was too weak to heal much more than a few connections in the woman's brain. "Can you tell me about Lianna Mal Pannis?"

[Adia Issoris]

"She's..." Adia winced her eyes shut. It shouldn't be this hard to think, but it was easier without seeing.

"...Miranda's twin. No one knows but Lise, Lise Lise Tarkin. Lianna's helped. I helped her. I have..." she tried to remember the word, but it did not come easily. "access, to Imperial things. Lianna was a a ah decoy." Adia looked up at Serena, her face full of panic. Her memory was clearing some, but it was slow. Blood was everywhere.

"Oh gods. Oh gods! What did I do? I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Her eyes welled up. "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

[Daria Nytherciria]

The silence was tense. Daria felt her body reacting of its own accord, outside of her usual control. Her jaw became tightly set, her brow furrowed a little, her hands fidgeted at her sides. Endeavoring to calm herself, she folded her arms over her chest. Her feet wanted to pace, to carry her back and forth like a prowling feline, but she stood her ground.

“You may be safe then,” Daria said, at last. The future was impossible to predict with concrete accuracy, yet Daria could not help but feel that the need to survive would have kept Lise Tarkin from divulging her daughters secrets.

“For now, at least.”

Sudden confusion struck her and she whirled to face Lianna.

“How... I don't understand how you've managed to go unnoticed for so long?”</pre>

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna stood patiently at the door, remaining silent as the Jedi worked out what was said. The other woman was nervous since Lianna could not produce any assurances that Lise would keep her daughter's existence a secret. She felt bad that a concrete answer could be given.

But the Jedi's next question she could easily remark about. "Master Drin kept me safe by moving us from system to system, living amongst supporters for the Rebellion, at times, to keep a low profile. Mainly in the Outer Rim. When he left, the Mal Pannis' took me in. I didn't stay with them long. Three years later, I ran away for their protection and had been living the life I had led with my Master. Moving among the systems like a shadow. People barely knew I existed ..."

[Daria Nytherciria]

Daria nodded slowly. She knew all too well the life of a runaway. Since the massacre of the Telos Academy by Darth Stratus, she had scarcely remained in the same place for more than a week at a time. Already it was beginning to feel like she had been on Vortex for too long. She passed one hand back through her newly-cropped hair, breathing another sigh.

“I apologize if I have been brusque with you, Lianna.”

Daria had been outside of society for such a long time, dipping into civilization only when essential, that she had lost many of her social graces.

“We are... grateful to have another Jedi Knight here with us. Your arrival just... startled us all, a little. We're all a little highly strung right now.
</pre>

[Lianna Mal Pannis]

Lianna sighed and looked down at the floor like a child that had been scolded, "I am truly sorry about this. I honestly thought the Rebellion would have informed you of my arrival. I was wrong to assume that and regret causing you all panic on top of what happened with Adia."

[Daria Nytherciria]

“The communications array has been proving... difficult recently. Since the Alliance technicians arrived, we haven't had much in the way of contact with the Rebellion,” Daria said, frowning slightly. She wondered if technology was entirely to blame.

“But all of this happened for a reason,” she continued, firmly. She believed strongly in the will of the Force and that all events were orchestrated for some greater purpose.

“Morgan's wounds will heal, Adia's sanity will be restored. I have faith that the Force will guide us.”

[Serena Laran]

A twin sister? It seemed too convienent to be true, but Adia's words rang free of any falsehoods. As she sobbed about not wanting to hurt anyone, Serena tried to soothe her with words. "You were not yourself, and the young man you injured will make a full recovery."

She touched the woman's shoulder, imparting the small gift of sleep with a brush of the Force. The med droid would see to her soon, once it was satisfied it had done all it could for Morgan. Weary, Serena made her way from the medical center back to the LQ, thankful they were both on the same level.

"Jedi Daria, Lianna," she nodded to the women, who were much as she had left them, though the tension had notably eased around both of them. "Adia is sleeping, and she says that you," to Lianna, "are the twin of Miranda Tarkin."

A glance at Daria's face confirmed that this was the story she had gotten from the doppelganger. "All in all, a very confusing day." The Jedi leaned against the cream panelled hallway with a sigh.