The Scribe's Apprentice: Tools of the Devil

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il slumped somewhat in the chair normally occupied by Dan, going over a myriad of datapads that had somehow accumulated atop his normally clean and uncluttered desk. Authorizing and denying requests for any and all goings on, her brow knit in thought as she methodically went through each and every document.

Long gone were the simple days of the early Rebellion, when she had so willingly followed him into the thick of battle. Now, for all outward appearances she was his council, his Jedi aide. Those that had been with the Alliance since those early days had noted her return with recognition, knowing that she would be alongside their commander in a much different capacity; no longer were the two so at the forefront, but now they had become a part of the higher echelon of command.

And now, lost in the official duties of her post, the Lupine found herself missing the days when things were so much simpler; when all she had to do was point a blaster and pull the trigger. Memories of those long gone days made her all the more frustrated at the drudgery of what Dan dealt with in his post.

She blinked heavy eyelids while leaning back in the chair. Her patience at having to deal with such normalities was wearing thin. Tossing the 'pad to the desk, the Lupine gave a muttered curse under her breath.

"I miss the old days," she finally said aloud.

[General Dan]

Dan smiled at that.

"War getting too impersonal for your taste?"

He stood with his back to her, looking at a wall full of mementos collected during his decades of Rebel command. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il shifted her glare up from the datapads to him. She stared for a moment, then felt herself lean forward so that she could rest her elbows on the desk's surface. Amidst the stacks strewn about, it was careful work to navigate any spot of free space. She sighed.

"It is all so shallow. It seems meaningless compared to what we used to do. Back then it was nowhere near this convoluted with official necessities or pointless busywork."

Her gaze went back to the mess on his desk. Picking one of the 'pads up, she thumbed it on and began reading through its' contents for a few moments before slowly rising to stand.

Making her way to where he stood, she placed it into his hand along with a stylus.

"Here. You need to sign this."

[General Dan]

Dan took the pad, glanced it over, and ran his thumb along the bottom. His biometric signature appeared on the document, making it's edicts official.

"The price of success I suppose. Still, I suppose from a high enough vantage, even the daunting things seem small."

He took a seat opposite her.

"Perhaps we need perspective?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Watching him sit, s'Il made a pained face before she too chose to occupy a seat.

"I have plenty of perspective," she offered in mild resistance. She was tired; hours spent pouring over datapads was more exhausting than she would've originally thought.

"But if you're of the mind that I need more, then by all means educate me."

[General Dan]

"I've been thinking about something bold, actually."

The corner's of Dan's mouth turned upward.

"The Empire has been teetering for a while, we should really strike them when they're off balance. A brazen act of sabotage deep behind enemy lines might be just the momentum shift we could use."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

An unimpressed stare was sent his way for short amount of time before she lowered her gaze and began picking at the nonexistent grime that she imagined was beneath her fingernails. They were clean, but habits were habits.

"Then send the Kroenen Lupine."

She visibly settled herself deeper into her chair. It was evident that she didn't necessarily fathom the thought of leaving the Dauntless.

"For all of my complaining, I do have work that needs to be done here. You know that as well as I."

[General Dan]

"I'm asking you to come with me."

A twinkle gleamed in his eye.

"You think paperwork gives me thrills either?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Now that was enough to give her pause, and s'Il looked at him from over the tops of her eyes.

"Come with you?"

He had her attentions now, that much was obvious. Using that moment, the Lupine rose gracefully from her seat, moving to sit beside him. She still fussed with her nails, but her intrigue was easy to see despite her attempts to mask it.

"Tell me more."

[General Dan]

"I want to blind the eyes of the giant."

Dan paused for a moment, fiddling with a datapad until he found the subject he was looking for. He passed it off to s'Il.

It was a picture of a brunette-haired female Imperial.

"Look like someone familiar?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The woman certainly looked familiar; s'Il had read enough about her to put a name to the face.

"Esalis."

She stared a moment longer at the image, a minor sense of disbelief at what he was proposing descending over her thoughts. She shoved the datapad back into his hands.

"No. Absolutely not. I may be disgruntled about the current state of things, but I'm not stupid.

"What if you get killed? Or captured?"

[General Dan]

"Such little faith in me?"

Dan quirked an eyebrow.

"We're both hard to kill. Decades of doing what we do are evident of that. But beyond that, you and I are the most powerful people in the galaxy. Do you doubt this?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I doubt your sanity at times," she grumbled.

But, he knew that she would follow wherever he led. He knew, and he would do as he wished, with her at his side no matter what manner of protestations she may offer.

With a groan she leaned back, letting her head fall so that she stared upwards. Reaching up, the Lupine ran a slender finger along the periphery of her scar in idle thought.

"Will I at least be able to rest before you drag me away on this little crusade of yours?"

[General Dan]

"How about Schwartzweld?"

Dan smiled.

"Besides, you left our bait at home. I think the Director would be keen on finding the good Colonel once she knows where he is. No need to venture to the heart of the beast. We can have her delivered on our terms."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Fixing him with sidelong look, s'Il made a face that seemed to chastise more than anything. For all of the time that she'd spent with his true self; for all the harsh words he'd spoken to her as master and apprentice, it was a mannerism that she was unable to completely break away from. She had to wonder if raising a child had anything to do with the look she was giving him now.

"You're not making sense. 'A brazen act of sabotage deep behind enemy lines' is what I believe you said, and Schwartzweld is not in Imperial territories."

[General Dan]

"No it isn't. However, what I have in mind requires the help of somebody who can help us reach the soft underbelly we want to strike. Director Esalis will help us open many doors. Think of what we could do with that access."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was an ambitious thing that he was proposing.

Pulling her legs up, she curled them beneath her while mulling over the prospect. She stared at his hands with a neutral gaze.

"I don't want her near our home at all."

[General Dan]

Dan nodded.

"Then we'll choose our setting. All we have to do is give Karrnage enough slack in his leash, and he'll contact her."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You really think that he will?"

Shifting her gaze to the myriad of mementos along the far wall, s'Il gave a sigh as she allowed her mind to take her back to the moment when the poison-tipped barb on her tail met his flesh. It had been such an experience to watch his eyes, wide in panic and uncertainty, and she had to wonder how he'd taken to her gift. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect, and only suspected that the venom inside of her was now active. But, as she had come to realize, fate had been mocked with the birth of Teagan. Her House was not to be destined to a hollow death.

No, especially not now. With an idle thought she wondered if she'd even need Karrnage at all anymore.

House Losstarot would thrive once more. It was only a matter of time.

[General Dan]

"Don't get me wrong, he's a man of science and you're a near limitless find for him, but I don't think he's forgotten where his meal ticket is."

Dan crossed his arms as he thought about Karrnage and his situation.

"In his mind, he's pulling this little notion of you apart, and there's a part of him that thinks he can put it in a bottle, and make more of it. That's a scientist for you."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His explanation made enough sense for her to inwardly scoff at the notion, but it wasn't long before she pulled her legs free, rising to her feet.

"Yes well," she looked down at Dan.

"His usefulness to me is at an end I'm afraid, so do with him what you please."

If her master wished to use the Colonel as bait, then very well. It meant little to her anymore.

Turning, the Lupine started for his desk, intent on clearing away the mess of datapads., and changing the subject, she spoke once more.

"Did you know that a Lupine's gestation period is seven months?"

[General Dan]

Good. Being able to treat Karrnage as expendable was a liberating thing.

"Good, we'll make for Schwartzweld whenever you're ready."

He paused at her next bit of information. If there was no underlying intention, it was a bizarre thing to say, which of course meant that she had much more to tell him than just matters of biology."

He smiled.

"You're..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She'd suspected for the last two weeks at least, and had hidden the fact well until it was confirmed. That she was so in tune with the Force also meant she already knew it would be a boy.

Ordering the 'pads into piles according to the status of completion, s'Il let a silence hang in the air, and when she finished, she turned around to face him.

"The great Sith Lord Darth Decepis is to have a son."

[General Dan]

Dan's eyes yellowed slightly at that, before returning to their normal hue.

"A son."

At last, she would give him a son. The smile continued.

"He will be Dan's son, and Loklorien's son."

He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them.

"When he is old enough, perhaps he will be a pupil of Darth Acera and Darth Decepis. A prince of a limitless dominion."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I would expect nothing less."

For a few moments she stared up into his eyes, and she reached up to tenderly run a hand along his jawline, but it wasn't long before s'Il moved to step around him, heading for the kitchenette. In all of the years that he'd been in command of the Dauntless, his quarters had remained the same for the most part, the only things to change being his collection of keepsakes and trinkets from various commands. And though he might deny it, the Lupine liken it in a small way to her own tendencies to horde.

Pausing at the threshold, she cast her eye over to the serpent hilt that now sat in plain view on one of the shelves, carefully displayed on a stand of its' own. Where so many years before it had been a reviled and hated thing, the Lupine now found a sort of comfort at the sight of it, and she ran a finger over its' curved contours.

[General Dan]

Dan watched her with interest.

"I think it is time for you to begin work on a new lightsaber. Another turn of the page, wouldn't you say?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A new lightsabre.

It was a thought that'd she'd always pushed away out of shame and the feeling of loss. After the destruction of her old blade at the hand of the Imperial Assassin, Savoc, s'Il had felt a bit of emptiness without it. She still had her twin sabre gauntlet it was true, but in a way she'd never felt complete without a second. It had been a high point of contention, to lose such an integral and meaningful part of her. Bashed upon rocks and destroyed, never to be reconstructed.

But now... now she was being given the chance to make another.

s'Il licked her lips at the thought, and her eye tracked to Dan as she pulled her hand away from his serpent hilt.

"Only with your permission," she answered, her voice an expectant whisper.

[General Dan]

"In time, you'll know when you even have to ask, and when you don't. I think we're more aligned than you realize."

He smiled.

"Build your lightsaber. It'll put my old antique to shame, I'm sure of it."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She was overcome, her mind reeling with the possibilities offered in the construction of her new weapon. She would need to gather supplies, but they would come in time; there was no need to rush. The thought alone of building a new sabre was enough to make her almost giddy with anticipation, and she swept away from the kitchen doorway.

There was elation in her gait, and a sense of new beginning as she took Dan's hands up into her own. They were weathered and worn, capable of conveying his harsh mannerisms yet deliver gentleness in the next moment. It was a trait to the Sith Lord that she'd come to know.

"Thank you."

[General Dan]

Dan bowed deeply.

"Take your time, but not too much time. There may soon be a pressing need for your new weapon."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *


The shuttle had touched down easily, Dan's practiced hand making sure that everything went smoothly.

They had made their journey to Schwartzweld in peace. Not only was it here that they would need to collect the Colonel, but she also wished to construct her new sabre on the homeworld of her people. In hers and Dan's home. Strange to think, that an entire planet belonged to only two people.

In the open front courtyard of the Losstarot manor, it was a relatively easy thing to accomplish in making a flawless landing, but s'Il wasn't so inattentive as to notice the slightest bit of extra care he took during the landing. It made her curious, and as he began going through their craft's shut-down procedures, the Lupine leaned back in the co-pilot's chair while fixing him with a lazy stare.

"Were there others? Before me?"

[General Dan]

"Other apprentices?"

Dan thought about her question as he gathered their things in the shuttle.

"Would you think less of me if there were?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smiled to herself at that as she rose to her feet.

"Of course not."

Breathing in deeply, the Lupine could already almost smell the rich aromas of home, and for a moment she thought she could feel the small, budding life within her stir in a sense of its' own recognition.

She took her travel duffel from him and slung it over her shoulder. With that finished, the Lupine reached out to smooth out an unruly lock of his hair, ever attentive to his appearance.

Perhaps she had become possessive of him?

"Though I meant... " How to ask?

Frowning, s'Il bit her lower lip.

"... children. Do you have others?"

[General Dan]

"No, actually."

Telling her a lie was no more hardship than the truth, but this was assuredly the latter.

Dan hoisted a pack and another small bundle of items as s'Il tidied him up.

"I never found anyone that I had a mind to make a family with."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Whether it was the truth or not, the Lupine took comfort in his words. A soft smile was sent his way, and as the boarding ramp descended, she left him behind to descend to the soft earth below.

For a brief moment she wondered if they'd find Karrnage in the manor, but the thought was discarded as she sent a last look over her shoulder up at him.

He was hateful, malevolent, destructive, and ageless. All of that she had come to know intimately. And yet, he had unlocked within her the very same. She was ever so slowly becoming so much more than she was - so much more like him.

"That is good to know."

[General Dan]

"I haven't settled upon my path lightly. I intend for our family to flourish."

He reached up and caressed her face.

"It takes more than just my intentions to do this. I am enthralled at your sense of family."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She smiled at that.

"Our children may be halfbreeds, but they are still Losstarot. It is one of the things that I take joy in."

She turned to face the sprawling estate before them, starting off at a leisurely pace.

"In all of your precognition and careful planning though, I'm curious as to whether you had expected this."

[General Dan]

"The time and place of it? No."

Dan smiled as they approached their familiar home.

"But at some point, I knew that we would have another child. We are destined to raise children who will become leaders in their own right."

They threw open the mighty doors of the estate, and peered into a state of utter disarray. Books scattered the floors, and everything lay in a helter skelter fashion. Dan's smile faded somewhat.

"I think the good Colonel has had a time of his experiences, it seems."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"My home... "

She stared with a sense of dismay at the strewn about mess all around. What had Karrnage done?

She groaned then, letting her duffel to the ground as she knelt to begin gathering the scattering of books all around them in the hopes of once more instilling a sense of order to the place.

[General Dan]

"You see, this is why we can't have any untrained dogs in the house, sweetheart."

Dan smirked at the bedlam the Imperial scientist had no doubt caused. He wondered whether this was the result of a bestial romp on all fours, or a scientific binge on two legs.

"Should I get a rolled up paper?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A look upwards was sent his way, but s'Il was quick to return to her task of pulling the nearest books around her into her arms. What had the Colonel been doing? She should've called on him sooner to make sure that he'd not done anything like... this. It was close to inexcusable; these books belonged in the Grand Library, not all about the manor like discarded trash.

A hrmph, and the Lupine rose to her feet, arms full of leatherbound tomes.

"I would've hoped that he'd have a bit more decorum than this."

[General Dan]

"Do you often let nearly complete strangers in your house for extended periods of time? This is like every teen holovid ever made, except there are less empty beer cans and no thongs tossed about."

Dan picked up a particularly massive book off the ground and inspected it.

"In fact, I wonder sometimes what the good professor would do if a bikini-clad Twi'Lek came in and brought a twelve pack? I think he'd ask her to turn the pages for him."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

That stopped her, and she gave him an odd look. It was not exactly what she'd expected someone such as himself to say, and the look on her face said as much.

"A'rakh eh'ssa'na di'khada," she mumbled in consternation.

It was a phrase spoken more in exasperation than anything else, and heading deeper into the manor, she continued on in Basic.

"Am I to understand then, that Sith Lords spend their time watching cheap trash on the holo?"

[General Dan]

He gave a deadpan look to her.

"You think I'd let something like a Sith tome get in my way if you came in with the same offer?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Stop being lecherous and help me."

Struck by a memory from years past, she pulled an odd expression that he couldn't see.

"If I recall, we've been in that situation already. You allowed yourself to be nearly eaten by a Hutt, however."

[General Dan]

Dan frowned.

"You know, I've taken great pains to make sure that doesn't come up, and here we are again."

He stooped down and helped with the literary disaster area.

"Have you thought about going to digital? All the books, none of the back-breaking pounds? How bout that?"

He winced.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"It wouldn't be proper. Besides; for your age, I would've expected you to appreciate such an adherence to traditions."

Her voice diminished the further inwards she went.

[General Dan]

"I appreciate a healthy back."

He smirked. What was he doing? This sort of thing was for suckers. Standing up fully, he gestured slightly, and a half dozen books rose in the air through the force, propelled by an invisible hand to their resting places on the shelf.

"Ah, that's better."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The farther inside she went, it seemed that the mess they'd been met with in the front rooms had only been a precursor. Her and Dan's home was in a state of complete disarray, more books strewn about, and even a few trinket and statuettes toppled from their normal resting places.

In one of the many sitting rooms, a bust of Rasuhga Losstarot - an ancestor from the twilight years of the Lupine civilization - lay on its' side, knocked from its' pedestal. With a grumble she set the books she was carrying on a low sidetable so that she could replace the stone carving.

Thank the Bloodline it was still in one piece.

[General Dan]

Dan was in his element, rapidly moving objects to and fro with the force.

"Wonder where our party crasher's at?"

Books continued flying through the air, each landing softly on a shelf in their intended place.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Wherever he is," she growled, "he'd better have an explanation for this mess."

And as an afterthought, the Lupine called out to Karrnage, hoping that he'd hear her.

"Isu'ss'ek! Show yourself!"

Her use of the common name given to those who'd been Changed was an instinctual thing, and something she'd never thought she would have the privilege to utter.

[Colonel Karrnage]

He knew that sound. It was the sound of one of those things...that come from the sky! He felt he should know more, but the thought seemed far and away from his grasp.

Paws hurried beneath him as he broke into a full run, following the ship across the horizon. He knew that it was important that he find it. There was much to discover, so very much!

Panting, he arrived at a place familiar to his nose. It was the old estate. There was the thing from the sky, at peace and resting on the ground. Nose to the air, he approached it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Another few minutes of grumbled tidying up, and s'Il finally admitted defeat for the time being. Karrnage had still not shown his face about, and she was hard-pressed at this point in time to actively seek him out. She had found her energy reserves to be lacking as of late, and while her more unsavory food cravings had yet to manifest themselves, the thought of them made her inwardly cringe for the future of her master's sanity.

Throwing one of the age-old books on a nearby chair, she scowled.

"Enough of this for now. I'm tired."

[General Dan]

"I'll finish up, you rest."

Dan continued moving books and other objects with the force, and the room was full of randomly flying objects as the Sith himself took a leisurely sit-down while on the job. He laughed at the notion of s'Il's exertions, when there was obviously a more easy way to it.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Down what seemed like an endless maze of corridors and hallways led to the large bedroom normally occupied by the masters of the manor. It had been taken over by s'Il and Dan, and over time was refurbished to provide comfort and the amenities of modern lifestyles. It still retained a timeless quality of the long lost, but parsed throughout were more modern trappings as well.

Sadly, even here had been desecrated by the Colonel, and in a fit of frustration, the Lupine lashed out with the Force.

Books, scattered bedsheets, and every other displaced piece of... of whatever... were thrown to either side.

A snarl, and she gave a near-furious yell.

"DAN!!"

[General Dan]

He paused, and gently let down everything he was sorting. With a grunt, he was up on his feet again, heading toward the sound of shrill angry voice. It was like a perverse sense of echolocation.

"Coming!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Standing rigid after her initial tirade, the Lupine crossed her arms as she waited. She'd lashed out in anger at such blatant disregard given to their possessions at the hand of the Colonel. And where was the Imperial at any rate?

She'd turned to open a nearby closet, tugging at the doors as Dan strode in. Pulling a set of fresh linens out, s'Il gave him a thin lipped grimace.

"This is unacceptable."

[General Dan]

"What is?"

He looked at the bedroom and saw the same level of disarray as the rest of the house.

"Looks like the good Colonel had a sleep in our bed then."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I should've never left him here," she grumbled further.

"I should've brought him with us when the Dauntless came back."

Another string of gibberish curses as she proceeded to make the bed.

"Or perhaps I should've let you kill him.

"Teagan was never this unruly."

[General Dan]

Dan made a motion as if to wash his hands.

"Don't look at me. He's your puppy. That's all you."

He didn't hesitate to use an I told you so expression at that point.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She wasn't finished, and gave him a look as she spread out the bedsheets.

"You know what your daughter did do however?"

There was no waiting for a reply.

"She would throw temper tantrums that even you'd be proud of. She went through an 'everything is mine' phase, and I always attributed it to childhood behavior."

s'Il stood up straighter then, fixing him with a solid stare.

"Of course, now I know better."

[General Dan]

Dan smiled at that.

"What can I say, we know what we want, and we don't get told no."

He continued to watch her tidy up.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His casual demeanor only served to rankle her more, and without finishing her task, the Lupine cast the rest of the sheets to the bed. She felt a tugging at her senses, and the more he looked at her with his amused expression, the more she inwardly drew in the darker desires that came with the Dark Side. She felt feral almost, and catching the collar of his shirt, s'Il hauled him down so that the two were eye to eye.

"Your son will be no better."

Her voice had dropped to a husky gravel, yet her words were not meant to threaten; rather they were a warning that she gave after her experiences in rearing Teagan.

"Are you ready for him?"

[General Dan]

"Probably not."

He conceded, and then smiled.

"But were you with Teagan? Does it matter if you are or aren't?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il gave him no answer, instead only drawing out their shared look, inches from his face. She could feel the darkness beginning to stir around her, to whip through the ethereal space that surrounded both her and Dan, and she brought it into her being while at the same time letting it out. Letting it grow and feed upon her thoughts.

Alone with her master, she pushed away any concerns she might've had for finding the Colonel. He would no doubt show up in his own time.

With the sun steadily sinking towards the horizon, it cast warm yellows and deep reds through the high windows along the far wall, blanketing both Sith as if they were awash in bloodfire glow. Night would come soon enough, and after that a new day. A day that would find her beginning the first stages of constructing a new sabre.

Just the thought of it.

Her own eye yellowed then, minute tawny tendrils snaking inward from the outer edges of her iris to meet the pupil. The normal soft blue was soon gone; replaced by a much wilder, much more raw yellow hue that was given a deeper brilliance by the light of the setting sun reflected in them.

Her lips curled back then, and the Lupine met his lips with hers in a harsh kiss. Passions born of the Dark Side grew into a storm that moved in and around them, and s'Il lifed her hands from the neckline of his shirt to grasp both sides of his face.

Her needs now were of a far more primal sort as she used her hold to draw him with her to their bed.

[General Dan]

Dan returned her passion with his own, letting fall any cares for anything other than the moment. They both fell onto the bed, sharing in their most intimate desires.

"Say that you will remain mine, now and forever."

His hands ran through her hair as he kissed at her neck.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was no need to answer; he already knew what she would say if she did, and the Lupine let her body speak for her.



* * *

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, shrouding the manor and all around in the dark of night. Midnight came and went.

The chrono on the bedside table read 3:42 AM when s'Il stirred in her sleep. She lay curled on her side, having tucked herself close to Dan as they lay slumbering. Another few minutes passed, and the Lupine bolted upward, the comforter falling away from her upper body. A presence had invaded her senses, and she found herself instantly alert. There was no doubt about who it could be, but they had to be cautious still.

A hand went to rouse her partner, grasping at his shoulder in a firm grip meant to pull him awake.

What she'd felt was here, in the sprawling home of House Losstarot, and it was coming closer.

"Wake up."

[General Dan]

"nngh..."

Dan slept a bit heavier than she did, and was slow to rise. He looked through partially-opened eyes at her.

"What?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Fluidly she slipped from beneath the covers, away from the warmth he offered. Her naked body crouched low on their bed and s'Il scented at the air. What she smelled was unmistakable.

It was Karrnage. But now there was a familiar lilt to what had been his normal scent - an all-encompassing thread of familiarity. It was Losstarot. Her.

"The Colonel is here," she finally whispered.

[General Dan]

Dan was finally awake, and he slipped out of the bed, padding along the wooden floors with bare feet. His eyes didn't adjust to the dark as well as Lok's, but he had the force.

"Ah, so he is."

He deferred to her for a course of action.

"How do you suppose we do this?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sudden sense of exuberance flooded into her, yet at the same time she wasn't entirely sure how to go about their next course of action. Instinct told her that beast was to meet beast, that those who were Changed by the hands of the full-bloods needed to be coached back into the reversion, lest they stay in their quadrupedal state forever.

It was that knowledge that fueled her next move.

Her own Change was a smooth one, nearly painless from so many years of becoming used to it. It lasted little more than half a minute, and once complete, the white vornskr carefully moved from the bed to the floor.

She stood tall, her tail flowing behind her gently as she approached the door. Licking her lips, the Lupine readied herself for what might come next as she started down the dimly lit corridor leading away from the bedroom.

[Colonel Karrnage]

He'd pushed his way in through a side door, and sniffed about. There was a smell of new creatures inside! Or at least, fresh smells of things he had smelled that were less fresh before. The smell of one seemed very familiar to him.

He shuffled around on his paws to face the hallway leading to the bedroom. Nose to the air, he rested on his haunches with a curious expression.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Padding down the long hall, s'Il kept her senses alert. Past more busts, past a door that led into a sideroom, past everything that would lead her away from the Colonel.

She was nearing the end of the corridor when she caught sight of him. Her pace slowed, but the vornskr continued on regardless. He was sitting; almost waiting for her, and she kept on. Her head angled to one side as she studied him.

He'd been changed for a decent enough amount of time, it was easy to tell.

[Colonel Karrnage]

Somebody new!

He rose to his feet with a whurfle and padded over to the white-haired vornskr, tentatively sniffing at her, then licked at her snout.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Such a thing! She could feel his excitement at the sight of her, and that in turn fed her own.

Resting back, s'Il allowed him to inspect her head, behind her ears, down her neck...

His nose strayed farther down, and her neck twisted so that she could nip playfully at the soft underside of his jaws, bringing his attentions once more upward.

And then she moved, strong muscles tensing as she lowered into a playful crouch and letting a throaty whorffle escape her lips.

[Colonel Karrnage]

They frolicked about, and it was really fun! Who was this stranger? They bounded over furniture and onto rugs, and generally had a good go of it.

Somehow she seemed familiar to him, like he was supposed to know.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As if he'd been tired out, Karrnage flopped down in the main living area, his long tongue lolling out. s'Il sat over him, once more inspecting him. His mottled grey and black fur was thick and full, and he had a look of healthy eating about him. No doubt the wilderness had agreed with him this state.

He started to rise, but the Elder Lupine placed a paw over him and keeping him down until she could finish.

As she continued, s'Il slowly began to reach out with her mind, tracing along the outer shell with ethereal fingertips before pushing farther inward.

She was looking for him now. For his cognitive self.

[Colonel Karrnage]

Something was wrong. He whined, and wriggled about. It was like a part of him was being pushed into the light, and...

"Aaaagh!"

The change was not as quick or effortless as s'Il's was, but when it was done, he was lying on the floor, blinking upwards with unfocused eyes.

"I...you...I know you..."

He reached up and put a hand over his head.

"Things to think, they're slow in coming."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She knelt low, eye watching his face. There was disorientation, confusion, the feeble effort to grasp once more at commonly known truths.

Rising to her feet, s'Il reached over to a nearby sofa, pulling two folded throw blankets toward her. One she wrapped around herself, and the other she eased over his own body.

That done, she crouched beside his head, feeling at his brow before slowly letting her palm move down the side of his face, turning it so that they were staring at each other.

s'Il gave him a kind smile as she whispered soothing, motherly words.

"It is good to see you again."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"What happened?"

He was still only in control of a vestigial conciousness, as the rest was slow in returning after so long being removed from his bipedal state.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A cryptic smile, and the Lupine eased herself away so that she could sit more comfortably in one of the many chairs that littered the room.

"Many things happened," she started, "... but for now I don't expect you to recall much. In time you will."

She pulled the blanket around her shoulders a little more. This sluggish return to his right mind only showed that he'd been unable to revert until now.

"Do you remember who I am?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

He looked at the ground, searching every corner of his mind for an answer.

"You are, someone familiar. Your name is Loklorien s'Ilancy?"

He looked up to her.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A smile at the look on his face; he was so unsure of all around him, as if seeing with new eyes things that had once been so familiar.

She nodded.

"I am."

There was a silence between the two, and she used the moment to study him, search his face and watch as normalcy began to lightly touch once more at the edges of his consciousness.

What would he do when he remembered it all?

"And your name... ?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

His lips contorted as if he wanted to make a guttural sound, but he righted himself, finding the words in a proper language.

"Erasmus Karrnage."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her smile widened.

"Very good."

Now came the interesting part.

"Do you know what you are?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

He struggled to find a word for what seemed like forever, but it eluded him. He looked up to her with concern on his face, and shook his head.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Or perhaps it was too soon to expect him to remember that much. She thought on his silence, deciding it would be best for him to rediscover that aspect on his own. As such, she waved a dismissive hand.

"No matter. You'll remember soon enough."

She was slow to her feet, beckoning him to rise as well.

"For now however, you must rest. More will return in the coming days, I can assure you."

[Colonel Karrnage]

He rose, his mind racing with half garbage, and half tangible thoughts.

"So strange, to see what is real and what isn't, and to know what you know and yet to not."

A hand rested on his head, feeling for spectacles.

"I have difficulty seeing."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With care and concern she reached out, taking his hand in hers while still maintaining a hold on her own covering. Wherever his glasses had fallen was anybody's guess, but she was sure that it wouldn't be too much of a hardship to relocate them. As it was, the man needed to calm his shaken nerves; take stock of who he had once been, and discover that which he was now.

Looking up, she spotted Dan standing in the doorway... how long had he been there? Had he seen everything?

She turned back to Karrnage, helping him take his first step forward.

"Come with me."

[Colonel Karrnage]

He did so, obeying her words without reason to even question them. He blinked at the grey-haired man who stood by as they walked, but otherwise continued with s'Ilancy to wherever she led.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Helping him along, the Lupine led him to what had once been his room - before the Change.

It was a mess; books scattered about in piles, clothes tossed about with little regard, even the chair that had once belonged to a desk along the side wall was overturned. It was truly a disaster. But, for now she would overlook the state of things.

Her eye caught sight of a small pair of round spectacles, and she let him sit on the bed while kneeling down to retrieve the discarded glasses. The Ravenwing medallion was beside them, and she gingerly took it up as well. They were folded up and set on the nightstand.

As he sat, so lost and confused, s'Il crouched before him so that she looked up at him, one hand resting on his leg.

"Take comfort, Erasmus Karrnage. You are home."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Home?"

He gingerly took the glasses from her, and eased them on his head. His world returned to a crisp clarity of vision, and he smiled.

"Home. Thank you, Loklorien."

He looked around his surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Once more she rose to her feet, offering a nod in farewell.

"You're welcome."

The scent that rolled off of him now was a pleasing thing. A familiar thing. It made her content to know that he'd survived his time alone, despite whatever fate her master may choose for him in the future.

Standing in the doorway for only a short while longer, s'Il turned to retrace her steps and return to Dan.

[General Dan]

He was waiting for her with a quizzical expression.

"Did you use the rolled up paper, or the treat?"

He smiled, allowing her the eccentricity of reconciling the Colonel in her own peculiar way.

"I take it all is well?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She brushed away his first comment with a light pat to his chest as she passed him by, intent on once more nestling herself beneath the covers with him to keep her company.

"It went... as I expected it to I suppose. He's been in the second state for a long time; his memory is slow to return. But, it will in time."

She let the blanket she'd been covering herself with fall to the floor, and turning to face him, the Lupine wordlessly called for him to return to bed with her.

[General Dan]

Dan returned as she bade, and they both tucked in for the evening. He had a feeling that tomorrow would prove to be a rather interesting day to say the least.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *

She woke invigorated, breathing in deeply from the soothing scents of home. Dan's too was a pleasing smell, and she moved to rest on her side. He was still asleep, and much like Teagan had done before, s'Il reached out to idly wrap a wisp of his grey hair around her finger. By her calculations, she was a month into her pregnancy, and would soon begin to show the outward signs of such.

Rolling onto her back, she let a hand fall to her belly as if she could already feel it swelling.

The sun had mostly risen, light filtering in to bathe their room in the brightness of a new day.

She felt rested, the events of Karrnage's return giving her an excitement to what would happen.

[Colonel Karrnage]

Karrnage was up early, and was browsing through an extensive book of notes that he had kept.

"Why won't this all come back."

He winced and massaged his temples.

"It's as if I've come back to my own mind and it's covered in plastic sheeting."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Is that so?"

She stood in his doorway, clothed in a simple ensemble of soft earth tones. Her hair she'd left down.

That he was already awake and trying to connect the pieces of what'd happened to him was a good thing. And so was the fact that he'd dressed himself.

"I see you remember how to put clothes on," she grinned while meandering inside.

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Yes, I think matters of muscle memory are the easiest to return to."

He thumbed at the fabric of his shirt absently.

"Abstract concepts and higher thought are difficult in recovering. It all seems to be different from what I am used to."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She looked down to the notes that he'd been previously reading, but they meant nothing to her.

There were other far more stimulating activities to partake of this day, and she planned to indulge herself.

Holding out her hand for him to take, the Lupine smiled warmly. It was the smile of an Apex - an alpha female looking tenderly upon her handiwork. He would need to be branded at some point.

"Come, let's walk."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Alright."

He reluctantly put his notes aside and stood, walking alongside the Lupine that had changed him.

"I must ask, how do you deal with such bipolar divergences in your conciousness?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was a curious question, but not one that weighed too heavily on her mind.

"It is who we are."

A simple answer for a not-so-simple query. It seemed that his bookish mannerisms were on par with his primary physical functions, and had returned rather quickly. He was as inquisitive as ever.

She took them down untold passageways and corridors, down flights of stairs that would lead deep into the ancient underbelly of the Losstarot mansion. As eager as she was to talk with Karrnage, she was equally intent on beginning work on her lightsabre.

To that end, she planned on visiting the crypt. More than just a burial ground for the long-dead, it was a collection of artifacts that spanned generations upon generations. It was amid such a place that she would search out the components she'd need.

As they continued deeper downward, s'Il looped her arm with his. An instinctive move on her part. It was the proper thing to do. She'd read of such things many times, and had a strong grasp on the finer points of her people's etiquette. Whether the Colonel understood this or not was immaterial - he would after a time.

"You seem to be closer to yourself. Do you remember anything more than you did earlier this morning?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

For a moment, Karrnage said nothing, taking in the sights that accompanied their descent into the lower levels of the estate.

"I find certain things returning, but I am naturally biased against determining whether everything has or has not returned."

He smiled politely at her embrace.

"It is an entirely strange experience."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It made sense that he was unsure if all had been returned to him. Indeed, there was no real way of knowing.

"You spent far too long in the second state, so it would not surprise me if what you knew before came back in bits and pieces; some like a raging waterfall and others like a slow-dripping leak."

She swept an arm out to their surroundings.

"Before all of this, do you remember anything of your previous life?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Yes, I do."

Karrnage moved about, glancing at various antiquities as he spoke.

"I remember being here, and studying the Lupine race, lineage, and mythology. It was something of a speciality I engaged in."

He blew dust off of a fresco, looked it over, and continued.

"That isn't all, I was apparently involved in studies of other arcane species and cultures."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

They had arrived in the crypt.

It was a cavernous expanse, though where once it had been illuminated by torches and old, outdated lighting, s'Il and Dan had refit the entire area with motion-activated glowrods. Which of course flickered to life at the arrival of the two Lupines.

What she sought was farther within however, in the ancient burial museums that contained the weapons of her ancestors.

"You studied Lupines yes, though it had only been in addition to whatever other ancient races you spent your time researching. I was the one that set you on this singular path. I brought you here to focus your attentions solely on our dilemma."

Her hold on him remained, keeping him from straying too far.

"You remember Teagan, yes?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I seem to remember something of the studies, but it seems that this was some time ago. It is vague."

Then discussion took a different turn.

He shook his head.

"Teagan?"

Then a look of recollection.

"Someone young, wait, your daughter? Yes? Is that it? Yes, a daughter. How lovely."

He looked around the crypts they were entering.

"I should want at some point to see more of this, I am sure."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"No doubt.

"But yes, Teagan is my daughter."

From a pocket, s'Il pulled a small gold pendant, tied with a thin leather thong.

"She grew fond of you... "

She'd not forgotten the strange request her daughter had made of her, choosing to think little of it until after she'd left Schwartzweld with Dan. Knowing that she would inevitable return, the Lupine had spent diligent time etching and crafting the jewelry. It was a beautiful thing, small intricate patterns carved into the metal in the vague shape of a vornskr's head. On the back were markings in Bast'yr, spelling out the name 'Losstarot'.

This she held out to Karrnage.

"... and asked me to make you a necklace like hers."

[Colonel Karrnage]

Karrnage gingerly took the well-designed jewelry, looking it over as if it meant the world to him.

"This is...I am beyond words at this kindness."

He smiled, turning the medallion over in his hand, and then carefully fastening the chain around his neck.

"I am truly touched by her kindness. Will you tell her for me?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il dipped her head in acknowledgment.

"I'm sure that you'll have a chance to do so yourself. She isn't here right now, but if you'd like you may write her a letter and I'll make sure that it's sent to her."

They approached a large wooden door at the back of the extensive crypt, and s'Il released the Colonel so that she could run a hand over the pattern burned into the wood. It was the crest of her House. Inside was an untold wealth of armament; a vault for the weapons of those who came and went so many eons ago. It was where she wished to find the pieces to use for her sabre.

The Lupine half-turned to Karrnage.

"Do you know who's House this belongs to?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

He felt the wood carvings, and was discouraged.

"I think my grasp of the Lupine scripts is still beyond my reach, Loklorien."

He chided himself, and tried again.

"The characters are familiar, but I have difficulty with the context. It is one of the major houses, surely."

Frustrated at himself, he backed away from the door.

"If I change again, will my hardships such as these continue? It's infuriating."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She felt a small bit of sorrow for his state, and reached out to run a hand along his arm.

"No of course not. You are having these difficulties because your first Change lasted far too long. You'll learn to master this the more time passes. Not even our greatest ancestors could stay Changed for more than three months without losing their higher functions."

Moving so that she stood beside him then, s'Il looked back to the door.

"This is the crest of my House. Your House. The Losstarot. The first and oldest of our Bloodline."

Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, the Lupine twisted her torso. The shirt that she wore was one of normal Lupine custom, and therefor rather open-backed. The very same symbol that was burned into the door was branded upon her skin, between her shoulder blades.

"It is our identity, and is all around us if you know to look hard enough."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I see."

He looked well at the crest and committed it to memory.

"I will make sure to keep it close to my heart."

The thought occurred to him.

"Why, of so many people, did you choose to make me into a Lupine? I am honored, do not mistake my question, but it is a curiosity."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Letting her hair fall once more, s'Il moved to unlatch the door, swinging it open. It creaked ponderously on its' hinges, and the glowrods within flickered to life.

She left him behind then, knowing he'd follow.

"You are the only one who could truly appreciate my gift," she answered airily.

Sweeping into the armory, the Lupine breathed in the scents of steel, stone, and wood.

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Even your gentleman caller, Dan?"

Karrnage followed wordlessly, taking in the sights.

"As a man of science, I would be obligated to open such a place to intellectual study."

He looked at her.

"Would this prospect dissuade you?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His memory was coming back in stages, to remember Dan's name.

"My husband and I have not discussed the matter. He has adapted well enough to the customs and peculiarities of Lupine culture that I would never do such a thing without his consent."

She moved to a rack along the side wall that housed a row of pikes. Each of their blades were inspected for a short amount of time before she moved on. While it might seem archaic, the Lupine was inclined to seek out the swords she knew rested in various parts of the armory.

It was his mention of bringing others to Schwartzweld that caused her to hesitate, and she turned on her heel to to cast an icy stare his way.

"No one is to know of this planet. It is our home and I'll not have it desecrated. Let the bones of those who lived and died here rest in peace."

[Colonel Karrnage]

He averted his eyes.

"I see."

Something intrigued him still.

"What was it that compelled you to change me, as it was, I assume, an act against my will?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Lupine turned away from him at that, intent on inspecting swords that sat on display.

"As much as I knew you would appreciate what I did, it was also a curiosity of my own."

Grasping the handle of a sword, she hefted it, testing its' weight.

"We are, by all accounts, a dead people. With the exception of ourselves, there are only five others that I know of - one of which is a Loveloxx. Another is of House Van-Derveld, and one of House Kroenen, and the fourth is Teagan.

"And the fifth... "

At that she paused, looking to him after replacing the blade.

"The fifth has yet to come into this galaxy."

s'Il moved on to another sword and ran her fingers over the hilt. It was curved in an angular fashion, bending at a center joint between two leather-wrapped segments.

"I am expecting a son."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"So it was an act of procreation to save your dying race?"

Karrnage thought it over.

"Very curious. I wonder if you had considered an option where in that with my help we could begin the bloodline anew. It would seem a prudent choice, as I am a man of science, and this is a fitting endeavor."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She wrapped her hand around the segmented hilt, lifting the sword up. It felt good in her grip, and had a healthy weight distribution to it. But, it wasn't the weight of the blade that she was concerned with - the handle fit her hand perfectly.

"I was not supposed to have children. None of us are. Sterility became an epidemic that swept through every House like some angry demon."

She admired the hilt's craftsmanship.

"I came to you because you had the best chance of discovering what happened to me."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"And have I been successful?"

It was still a part of his mental faculty that eluded him.

He was inwardly eager to find the knowledge he had temporarily misplaced and to put it to use.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You were never given enough time."

Yes, this one would do. Satisfied with her find, s'Il reached past the empty stand and picked up a leather scabbard, sliding the age-old blade into its' resting place.

"Events transpired which took me away."

She turned a smile to him.

"But, those same events gave me the chance to make you what you are now, so it is not a loss. Whatever anomaly that allows me to reproduce is no longer an issue. It is a fact, and that is all that matters."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"But if this affects the other lupines, would it not still remain in your interest to solve the mystery?"

His inquisitiveness was taking over.

"Perhaps when I am more adjusted, if I would be able to take tissue samples from you for further analysis?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Having found what she was looking for, the Lupine retraced her steps. She used the scabbard's leather strap to drap the weapon over her shoulder, and once more laced her arm in with the Colonel's.

They left the armory without incident, and began the trek back upwards to the main level of the manor.

His question was answered with one of her own.

"What do you remember of your allegiances prior to coming here."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I was working at the Imperial Academy of Sciences and did research work for Imperial Intelligence."

He didn't recall specifics, but that much he was certain of.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The ascended a flight of stairs.

"The Director of Imperial Intelligence; you remember her?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Yes, a woman named Esalis. What of her?"

He ascended the stair with her, not sure what she was getting at.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Would you return to her if given the chance?"

Of course, due to the results of her own actions, the Lupine knew that Karrnage would never be allowed to return to the Empire. But, it intrigued her to know his own course of action if he thought he had the choice.

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I would like to continue my studies in this regard, so I imagine at some point it would make sense to return to the Academy. After all, not all work can be completed in the field, so to say."

He wasn't sure why she was asking this.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

So. He would return if allowed. It was not a comforting thought, but such knowledge now would give her the time to settle upon a path in the future.

They passed through archways and halls lined with pillars. Faded and withered tapestries hung from the walls around them, and s'Il stopped to admire one; it showed an admirably woven rendition of Tath Losstarot, the second wife of Melkhiah Losstarot. From what had survived over the course of untold years, it was easy to see the level of artistry and craftsmanship that had been used to create it.

"And if I offered the laboratories of Melkhiah Losstarot to you... ?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"The laboratories are one aspect to it, but having access to Imperial scientific databases, as well as ample credits for research funding is another. All of those factors improve my odds of successful research."

He adjusted his spectacles.

"I have no real ideological interest in the Empire, but they are certainly the most interested actor in the line of research I am involved in."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Is that so," she mumbled.

It was unfortunate, that the Empire had such a hold upon him still.

"Does my gift mean so little to you that you would rather return to the Empire over, say, the Alliance?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Loklorien, if I had access to similar material with the alliance, I would be inclined to work with them. My passion is science, not politics."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She hitched the sword further up on her shoulder, partially turning to face the figure at the far end of the corridor. Once again like in the earlier hours of the morning, she wondered how long Dan had been present.

"Can you offer that?" she asked, putting the question to Dan.

[General Dan]

Dan shrugged.

"I know there are universities on Mon Calamari and a few other places. It depends on if they are sufficient for the professor's needs."

He gave s'Il a curious expression, wondering what she was up to now.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

For a moment she held his gaze, then turned away to head further down the hallway that would take her toward the sections of the manor that sat farther back.

"Interesting."

Melkhiah Losstarot's laboratory was her next destination as it was, and she knew that it also had been the depository of many of Schartzweld's precious gems that had been found over time. From them, she would choose her focusing crystal.

Whether either or both accompanied her was little concern, though the Lupine suspected that Karrnage would rather not be allowed alone in Dan's company at this point in time, so she suspected that she would only have one to keep her company.

[Colonel Karrnage]

Karrnage accompanied her to the laboratory for lack of anything more engaging.

"I take it that genetic matters of interest are not at the forefront of your mind at the moment?"

What was she doing?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Not completely, no."

She gave a nod at his observation while pulling open a rather unassuming door that too, had the Losstarot crest emblazoned upon it's surface. Beyond it was a flight of more stairs that led a winding, circular path upwards. The laboratory had been housed on the uppermost level of the mansion which had long ago been converted to house Melkhiah Losstarot's equipment and tools.

"I am constructing a new lightsabre, as my old one was destroyed on Dantooine."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I see."

He wasn't entirely familiar with the Jedi weapons.

"A directed and focused plasma contained in a magnetic bottle. I don't suppose you'll be needing my help in this task?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She gave a soft laugh at that.

"I've no objections if you watch, but this is something I must do myself."

s'Il gave his arm a light squeeze.

"My thanks for your offer however."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I see."

The Colonel abstained from participation in her ritual.

"If you need any technical assistance, I will be happy to assist you."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

They stepped onto the top landing, and she reached out to push open the door to the laboratory.

"Do you have any questions for me?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Nothing that crosses my mind at this point. I suppose all there is left to me for now is to be patient and expect my full faculties to return to me."

He interlaced his fingers in front of him.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She gave a nod at that, and the two stepped the rest of the way into the entryway of what was a sprawling workshop. Tools and equipment that to her had no meaning, though she had a notion that Karrnage might take to their surroundings famously. The layout was one of aesthetic comfort while still being utilitarian and easily accessed.

The gems she sought however were in a sideroom, tucked away into a chest that would no doubt be coated in a centuries-worth covering of dust.

She gave a light sneeze.

"It's been a long time since I've been up here. It is not as dust-free as when I left it."

[Colonel Karrnage]

Karrnage's eyes lit up at the laboratory. It was slighty anachronistic by cutting edge standards, but there was no lack of information at his disposal.

"Am I correct in assuming that this professor kept detailed records of Lupine physiology among other items of note?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She knew he would find this place desirable.

Sliding the scabbard from her shoulder, s'Il set the weapon on a nearby table.

"Yes, over here."

She motioned towards a massive bookshelf that extended from the floor to the ceiling, and occupied nearly an entire wall on one side. Written by the hands of those who'd come before, there were volumes upon volumes, journals, slim leather binders that held small smatterings of notes, everything that the Colonel could possibly desire was here.

But the jewel of it all, the treasure, was tucked away in a small, unassuming leatherbound book.

It had been expertly preserved, and the paper had survived through the utmost care. This she took down from its' seemingly random place amidst the other tomes.

"The journal of our creator," she spoke quietly; reverently.

Facing Karrnage, she held the small book to her chest. It was the most sacred of all their possessions, yet had been left behind during the Great Migration. Left to keep the spirits of those who had passed beneath the great archway of the Gate of Souls company.

[Colonel Karrnage]

"The original geneticist who constructed the changeling genome?"

Karrnage very gingerly took the book in his hands with great reverence.

"This, with this do you know what can be done? In addition to solving your reproductive quandry, we can perhaps do so much more. Genetic manipulation on this level is a lost art. Even the Kaminoans don't have this sort of control."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Another book came down, and she held it just as carefully as she had the one Karrnage took. It too had been preserved with care.

"Melkhiah Losstarot purged the uncontrollable beast from our minds. He gave us order and stability. The chance to live like civilized beings while at the same time partaking in the glorious wilds of our own passions.

"At the heart of it all was Townsend Loveloxx. He was the father of those who could not keep themselves civil. He made the Lupine as a failsafe against those who might use the Force. His fear gave rise to the imperfections of our first people. Melkhiah was one of those, until he found a way to do away with that flaw."

She held the second journal to him. Despite it's preservation. the leather edges of the cover were burnt, evidence that it had been forcibly taken from House Loveloxx during the waning years that had led to the Great Migration.

"The journal of Townsend Loveloxx."

[Colonel Karrnage]

Karrnage blushed visibly.

"This is a kindness beyond all of my expectation. I cannot express to you how beneficial the original case studies will be to my work."

The Colonel sat down, if anything from the enormity of what had been revealed to him.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Offering him a motherly smile, s'Il leaned down to deliver a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"You are one of my own now, and are entitled to the knowledge of where your new blood came from."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Thank you."

He eagerly thumbed through the tomes he had been given.

"If you would speak to Dan, I would very much be interested in petitioning the Alliance to retain my services. I think that the opportunities best suit me here."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

At that, the Lupine gave him a strange look.

"If that is what you truly wish, then I'll speak to him about the matter."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I don't think that I would be allowed to return to the Empire even if I wanted to do so."

He smiled sheepishly.

"I may not understand politics and military matters, but I can understand that such a thing would cause difficulties."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She'd already started for the sideroom that held the chest she was searching out. She paused in the doorway at Karrnage's words, looking back to him from over her shoulder while delivering a crafty smile.

"The man has unexpected depths."

It would be interesting to see what her master would say to this turn of events.

[Colonel Karrnage]

"One can't remain in the laboratory forever."

He laughed nervously.

"Learning how to survive as an Imperial academic requires extracurricular dedication."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She closed the distance between herself and the chest - it had a healthy amount of dust collected atop it, but that she swiped away with a gentle palm. Slowly she undid the clasp, lifting the lid. Inside sat a myriad of small boxes and cloth-wrapped items - all gems collected from every corner of Schwartzweld.

Settling herself more comfortably, the Lupine began to pull each one out one at a time.

She gave a call to Karrnage.

"We'll need to take a run about this evening, you and I."

[Colonel Karrnage]

He thought back of his recent experiences on all fours, and smiled. The memories were fresh and pungent this close to the change.

"I think that would be a wonderful diversion from my studies."

A glint caught his eye and he looked at one of the gems.

"A focusing gem?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Correct."

She'd gone through at least half of the chest, and had narrowed down her choices to four. Taken with each one, the Lupine fingered through them with a somewhat distant look in her eye.

Pursing her lips, she looked to Karrnage.

"Which one do you think?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Quantum sciences are unfortunately not a specialty of mine. I'm not sure how much use I could be apart from a poor aesthetic guide."

A thought wrinkled his brow.

"This is a quandry. I do know that the focus crystals suitable for lightsabers are suitably rare. How is it that they would be retained in a Lupine laboratory when ostensibly the race had no use for such things?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She gave him a smirk while staring at him from over the top of her eye.

"Losstarot Lupines were aware of the Jedi even before the Great Migration - it was why we called them to help arbitrate our councils in preparation for the exodus."

She picked up a red gem, holding it up to the light.

"Matters of science aside, which one do you feel drawn to?"

[Colonel Karrnage]

"Yes, I recall the histories. It still seems a curious collection."

He looked at the gems arrayed before him.

"The one on the left seems to be the most symmetrical. To be as far from empirical as possible in my evaluation, it looks prettier than the others."

He almost cringed at the words.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A rueful smile was sent his way as she reached to pick up the gem he'd indicated. It did seem to have an extra quality about, though whether it was due to symmetry was of little concern to her.

"It is rather nice," she agreed with a hum in her voice.

Her decision was made in little time at all, and bundling up the rest of the gems, she replaced them back into the trunk. Her new crystal was mostly clear, holding a tinge of yellow within, and she placed it carefully into a small pouch.

"I must return downstairs, but you may stay here if you'd like."

[Colonel Karrnage]

"I think I will remain and continue my studies."

He smiled.

"Perhaps everything will soon return to me, and I'll be none the worse for wear."

He rose, and removed his hat as she left.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Leaving behind in the laboratory, s'Il once more descended the winding staircase that would return her to the main floor. She had what would be the hilt of her new sabre, and the focusing crystal. The day had been a productive one, and the sun had only just reached its' zenith.

Later in the evening she would take Karrnage through the rear courtyard and a short distance beyond into the surrounding forest, but until then she planned to spend her time preparing the sword she'd decided upon. The blade would need to be removed, and the handle refashioned.

Stepping through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs and into the manor proper, she carefully shut the door behind her.