Fear's Womb: Innocent Death (completed)

[Lady DeVille]

ooc: Continued from <a href=http://pub23.ezboard.com/fthesithorderdiscussionchamber.showMessage?topicID =577.topic>With his Master.</a> Please, if you feel you have a valid reason for being in this RP, let me know, and then post away... /ic:

Color? What? De'Ville propped herself up on her elbows and grimaced as the pain came again. Blinking her eyes open, she stared at his hand on her stomach. There certainly did seem to be something wrong there...but what?!

Color... Definetely something different there. There was blood -! She was bleeding all over her pants. With a sharp gasp she lay back, sweat beading on her forehead. Closing her eyes as Turbogeek seemed to be questioning himself, she dove into herself, searching with the Force.

And there it was. De'Ville's eyes popped open in panic. Tondry... There was no time to count days. "I...its..."

The apprentice bent over her. "What is it?"

De'Ville moaned with pain, "Its my baby."

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: The apprentice suddenly gagged as he saw the blood and her words hit home. He remembered what Jeseth said about sex and babies and the full revoltion came back to him. His eyes wide, he stumbled backwards in confusion, never, never , never did he expect this. Never would he of asked to be put in this position.

But now at last he could understand the colour puzzle. She was Dark. But the baby.... it's colour was undetirmined, thence the oddness. He regined his composure, leaned over the lady and touched her brow. And something happened.

There was a presence. A powerful one. He could tell that was the lady.... Deville? There was another presence, and it was struggling. It was.... what? What was it? His mind just couldn't comprehend. This was so outside his experience.

It's dying.......

Dying?

"It's dying lady.... I cant help you...." He didnt understand, but the touch of the presence told him he just couldnt help. Didn't know.

But.......

"Lady.... just stil still. Please. Have a look at the colours inside you. Tell me what you see..."

[Lady DeVille]

Gasping, De'Ville fought against the pain, and failed. She sank back against the firm bed, and panted, reaching inside with the Force as he had instructed her. The baby was small, no more than a month or so along. De'Ville had been so busy at the Order that she hadn't even noticed being late in her cycle. Even so, it was small for its age, already forming into a recognizable shape. And it was... dying.

There was no time to think of how, or why, and she felt a strange sensation in her chest even as her uterus was betraying her. Fear. She was afraid, terrified of the life inside her, and fearful of losing it.

She opened her eyes, the image of her baby imprinted on her mind. "I -I'm losing a lot of blood, and the baby...she's dying. I don't know what to do!" Another spasm arched her back, and she grabbed his arm, digging her fingers in hard as she bit back a yelp. The beating at TSO... the shock... Something was going terribly wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this!

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: His eyes began to blur as understanding came. Dying. The end. Nothing.

Being new to the concept of life, he could not really understand the concept of a loss of life. He didnt know what the beginning even was.

But something in his mind did. The fragments. The voice in his mind. The images. It knew. It understood. As it had once before, it took over

Quickly, his hands moved. and his mind flared into overdrive. "There's still time"::

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth walked closer to his ship as he left the training grounds, the moon light still shining bright upon his face, his eyes glazed over by the shadows which hung down from his eye-length hair. A wave of panic and distress gripped him. The Dark Side was now strong, emanating from within his very own ship... it was raw, unchaneled suffering. He had known it well in his own time... and now it sent his muscles into action as he darted towards the hanger door. His eyes caught sight of the bleeding woman and his struggling, confused apprentice. Something was transpiring and now he had landed in the middle of it.

What?

His mind was one big question, his eyes darting back and forth, untangling the mesh of emotions and insights within the ship. There were four lives present here... and only three of them were familiar to him. The last was a small, faint, withering essence. He could hardly grasp it... much like the many times he had probed the thoughts and hearts of pregnant women.

The blood..

Pregnant. Lady De'Ville was pregnant - but there was nothing he could do. Everything had been set into motion, and all looking into the pale silhouette of precedence which the Force provided him, he already knew the outcome. Or perhaps it was merely a possible outcome...

Help.

Despite himself, Jeseth knew this child was important... the Force pushed him to act, and act quickly. Closing his eyes, focusing his mind, Jeseth tied together every strand of life within the room, and ever train of thought. His apprentice's hands became yet more nimble, and De'Ville's body slowed in it's bleeding and panic. The Dark Jedi's heart raced as his brain pushed to process the confusion, some of it hitting him, but most of it sorting it's self out with reason. He could only hope that his assistance would have come in time...

[Darth Turbogeek]

T-t-ime? I donnt…. Oooooo…”

He glanced up as Jeseth Cloak walked in. “Turbogeek, how…. “ he saw the blood and the woman in intense pain. His eyes met Deville’s then moved to stare at Turbogeek. He pronounced his words deliberately and slowly. “Turbogeek. What. Is. Going. On”

The voice that answered was deeper and somehow more powerful, in control. Without emotion. “She’s miscarrying. However she got hurt is causing her to lose the baby”

The Dark Jedi was simply shocked. “Baby?!? What the frell are you talking about, she’s not….” He paused, thinking. “She never said anything about being pregnant”

She was crying with the pain, but she could still hear his words and it angered her immensely. With a good deal of venom and passion, she managed to sit up on one elbow, facing Jeseth with her tear lined face, her sobbing breath adding extra emotional impact to her strained and breaking voice. “And you would have known best, wouldn’t you…. Jeseth” The last word was spat out, like she hated the word and wanted to expel it as far as possible.

“You wont speak to me like that you traitor! You…”

”SHUT UP!!”

The explosion of sound shocked both of them to immobility. Jeseth, with his eyes wide open in surprise faced his apprentice, while Deville’s elbow slipped and she hit the medical bed hard with her back, too weak to support her own weight. She was still able to raise her head to see the somehow living Darth Turbogeek simmering with anger, as he stared down his Master. Turbogeek, his eyes never leaving Jeseth’s pointed at the woman who once again was racked with pain spoke, his voice low, throbbing and deadly. “I don’t care Jeseth, I really don’t. I may not know a lot and I may not understand anything but I do know I have to help here right now. She might have done something wrong, but I don’t see how the baby did” He glanced at Deville again, then turned back to face Jeseth again. “The voice is telling me I need to save him and I will”. He paused and reran what he had just said. Him? Didn’t he mean her?.

No. Him. Have a look at her again and stop this nonsense at once. You don’t have time

Jeseth was his Master and teacher, was patient to a degree and answered his many questions, but when the voice told him to do something, he did it. The voice was never wrong, ever and he was learning to listen to it and to take him over. He felt like a passenger now as the voice controlled him, but it was something he allowed. Last time, the voice had forced the Man with No Colour to retreat by setting the ground alight, maybe now the voice could solve this situation.

No, even I cant. No one can. But it can be made a good deal better. Now listen carefully as this will not be easy. The first thing to do is stop the contractions. The correct drug is… He listened as the voice spoke to him, then nodded. Didn’t really understand, but he could follow instructions well. Reaching into the woefully inadequate medical supply, he removed a needle and syringe, then a glass phial. The needle pierced the cap, then with great care the plunger was pulled back, vacuum effect removing the liquid from the phial and to fill the plastic of the syringe. The phial was picked off and thrown aside, the glass shattering. He ignored it. The needle tip was tapped to remove any air, before he turned his attention back to the Sith. He was about to plunge the needle into her inner thigh, before a thought occurred to him.

“Could you remove your pants?”

She didn’t understand, between the waves of pain, both physical and mental She was crying great sobs and just wasn’t listening anymore. She was pleading for the pain to end, for her child to live. Whom she was pleading to, he couldn’t tell, but her cries for relief cut him. He could feel the agony somehow and knew she wasn’t in a position to help, nor he detected did she even care. She suddenly screamed and he cringed at the ugly sound, like a saw screaming through steel. It pierced his ears and drilled his brain, making him drop the needle and place his hands over his ears to try and ward off the waves of suffering. This was too much.. too much!!! The voice cried out for him to get up, to recover, but he couldn’t. He was overwhelmed. No-where to go, no-where to run, no-where to hide. Just a child in mind and it couldn’t cope, not with this.

Please…. I cant take this burden, not now… why oh why…

Yes you can.

Is mind yammered in confusion. This wasn’t the voice….. this was a Presence. Something different and new. He cringed further as the Presence stepped closer.

No… NO!!! Don’t come closer to me!!!

But it did. He could see every detail as the Presence came closer to him, then seemingly lay a hand on his shoulder. He almost screamed in horror.

GO AWAY!!!!

I can’t do that.

WHY NOT!!!!

Because I am you. The true you. One day you’ll piece together what you have to realise the truth in this. In someways, we are not the same person, but yet we are. You need to discover me and accept what you are.

WHO…. WHO AM I?!?!

That… is up to you. What do you want to be?

I… I DON’T KNOW. WHAT CAN I BE?

Yourself for starters.

WHAT’S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

You’ll understand one day. This mind you have is patchworked even more than you can fix, but the reason you learn so quick is that it finds pieces of the puzzle and puts them together, with the prompting you get when you are taught. Or you do it by conversing with yourself.

He began to calm down

IS THAT WHAT I’M DOING NOW?

Yes, you are. That’s what the voice is, it’s you reaching through the puzzle and making connections. That’s what I am, I’m a connection you need to make. What was the first thing you remember?

IT WAS…… WET. AFTER THAT, BLUR UNTIL I WAS TOUCHED BY …… SOMETHING.

The Force.

THE… WHAT?

You were touched by the Force. You contacted it for the first time.

OH… BUT, JESETH’s BEEN TELLING ME ABOUT THE FORCE AND I CANT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND IT NOR USE IT.

The Force is with you Turbogeek, whether you know how to use it or nor. Now… reach out with your feelings. Feel her position in the Force, use it to touch her. Seek out what is wrong and use the Force to put it right.

He closed his eyes and took up Deville’s hand.

That’s a start. Now, look at her colour. That’s her presence in the Force. You can read the colour she is, what else can you see? What threatens her life the most?

TWO MORE COLOUR BLOTCHES. ONE BRIGHTER THAN THE OTHER. I SEE…

Lots of ants….? Bad ants? Something crawling in her system? It was her body telling him that there was something foreign in there, but he could not read it in the Force. . Her natural defences were speaking of their knowledge of something that didn’t belong. His mind’s eye contemplated it, as time seemed to slow down for him. His eyes were closed, but they looked beneath her skin, magnifying, diverting, increasing, probing. It seemed like he was descending into a new world, one that rushed around him. He saw things he could never of imagined – division upon division, upon division. Smaller and smaller. Just like the insides of someone, hidden away, they were made up of different things, even these things were split up even further and further again. And again. Right down to bits that moved between other bits….

Her blood. That’s what transports life.

He looked at the slow crawl of…… cells? And saw nothing wrong. But still, the hint of an ant was there. Maybe… if her body was saying something was out of lace, could it tell her? Could it show him?

The body has natural defences against attack. The white blood cells identify any invasion and detect if it’s foreign and harmful, or beneficial. It detects them all, without exception. It produces markers and even attacks if need be. Look for a marker.

Like a signpost. He understood that. So the body can tell you if you read the signs right.

He saw it. Something he couldn’t see, but the body had marked. The marker was like an ant. Realisation came to him, the ants were something that were not supposed to be there, the body knew that, but there was something preventing their removal. This… Force wasn’t saying what and was blank, but the body’s natural systems knew. And the marker’s placed these ants. He could see the body didn’t think they were dangerous, but something said they were.

[i] Deal with them later. Your running out of time. </I.

His focus retreated back to a macro level, back to where he could see Deville in full view. Pain was discolouring her Darkness and he was feeling the backwash. The two other colours were dimming…

He placed her hand on her abdomen, his over hers. He breathed out, then in, then out, letting himself calm and still. He allowed… the thing that touched him to flow, felt it in his fingers, ready to be directed. Wanting to be directed.

There was no concept of failure for yet, else he may have well baulked. His mind probed and then…. Seemingly embraced the other colours. Surrounded them. Tried to give them something to hold onto. He tried… but he couldn’t do it. Not two colours. He could hold one, or lose both, there was no choice. He paused, and without thinking chose the colour that was brightest. Held it hard. Gripped it and wouldn’t let it go, even as the other colour went out and he was hit by a disturbance that rocked his core. He fought back, keeping the colour bright. Caressing it. Giving it strength. Being a shield in the turmoil.

Finding a place to anchor it. But to anchor to him felt wrong. Instead…. He reached out and felt the colour of Deville, concentrated and helped the colour build a connection and begin to blend. Fighting the waves of pain, being a shield.

He tested the blending, releasing himself just a bit. There was a falter and he reacted, reaching out catch…. He cradled the colour, waited for some strength and tired again to withdraw… It fluttered….

And took hold by itself.

A wave of weakness hit him. He found his eyes shut, gradually struggled to open them. He was surprised to find himself on the floor, Jeseth nearby standing over him and Lady Deville still on the bed, but in less pain. His Master stared down at Turbogeek.

“What in the name of the Force did you just do?” Jeseth asked, a tone of puzzlement on his voice.

“I…. Don’t…” Turbogeek coughed “know. Stop… her bleeding. Get Arya…..”

Turbogeek passed out.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth blinked and watched as Turbogeek hit the ground... Arya was still the bacta tank, but he had no choice but to release her. This was going to set him back, and Jeseth would have to push his time table aside. He could see De'Ville bleeding profusely, his left hand reaching out for a strange looking prod. It hovered over De'Ville's wound, a green light shining over her, the bleeding slowing and then eventually stopping completely. He didn't really consider her a traitor or care what she had done or attempted... He couldn't afford to have her die on him.

A click sounded out through the ship as the bacta tank clinked to the floor, the fluid draining back into a separate container as Arya was brought back into consciousness by the computer... Jeseth moved his hand away from the switch which he had pressed.

[Lady DeVille]

Deep inside her, De'Ville felt the little girl die, like a candle of light had been snuffed out. She sobbed with pain and guilt, crying out to...to somebody, anybody. The pain lessened, and she became aware of the other, the other person touching her in the Force. Opening her eyes, she saw the one called Turbogeek with his hand palm down on her flat stomach. She hadn't even started showing yet...

I had no idea, she wanted to say, but only managed a few ragged gulps of air before her vision began to blur and then get dark. Jeseth was doing something with a tank...or..? It became very confusing.

Another woman was suddenly there, dripping wet and half naked. For that matter, De'Ville was undressed as well. It was all so very confusing. There was blood, and lots of it. Perhaps thats why I'm lightheaded... Her eyes rolled back into her head.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya opened her eyes, and blinked as she found herself floating in a bacta tank. The oxygen tubes were lodged in her mouth and nostrils, and she found herself floating to the top of the tank. There was no one there to help her out, but she managed to crawl out by herself. Where am I?

She saw the winged man on the ground, and noted that she was in a ship. The bulkheads were close, much closer than the walls in a medical facility would have been. Slipping out of the bacta, and pulling the tubes free, she coughed. "What.." Arya spat bacta on the floor. "What the frell is going on?"

The man waved her down. "You'll be fine, there is someone else who needs that more than you do." Arya complied, climbing down to the ground, and searching for a towel or a blanket or something to cover herself. The loincloth was okay for the bacta, but it was chilly here in the open air.

There was blood...everywhere. Walking closer Arya saw a pale woman lying on a bed, her thighs covered with blood, and breathing shallowly. Turbogeek was on the floor next to her, their hands barely touching. They both seemed to be unconscious. "What..?"

The other grunted. "No time to explain, help me get her in there." He jerked his head towards the tank.

Arya complied, reaching for the woman.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth had wiped the blood off De'Ville with a towel while waiting for Arya to leave the tank, but most of it was coming back now too fast to clean up, and he couldn't seem to stop it... The woman had sure taken her sweet time in getting out of the tank, but he couldn't do anything about that. He didn't even know of her condition. Only Turbogeek (the one who had treated her) did. Jeseth could only hope she wouldn't end up dying, too... then this would all be a waste.

Arya and Jeseth picked De'Ville up carefully, the Dark Jedi's hands moving quickly and tearing off most of what was left of her clothes. He took the tubes from the bacta tank, which were still green and coated in the slick substance, and pushed them down De'Ville's nostrils, a larger one entering her mouth right up to her throat. The face masked slipped on over them easily enough, and he climbed up with her on the side of the tank. Metallic hand grips formed a small but sturdy ladder along side the shimmer glossy container.

De'Ville dropped in with a plunk, a bit of the bacta splashing off onto Jeseth hands. He licked it off hoping it would have some effect on his weakened system, but nothing came. Arya was shivering there, standing in a confused fog. She probably hadn't expected to wind up here at all.

"Grab your clothes. They're in the storage compartment by the tank."

He walked past the archway of the cargo area and looked down at his apprentice.

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: Turbogeek didnt register the movement around him, still weakened with the assault on his senses and the sheer effort in combining the colours. He moaned and flopped onto his back, eyes staring, mind not thinking. He didnt know what to process first. Something was saved, he knew. But something else was lost. ::

[Arya Ravenwing]

She tried to walk as briskly as possible to where her clothes were stored, but had to slow down. Her body felt better now than it had after the fall from the window, but she wasn't one hundred percent yet. The storage locker was unlocked, and Arya pulled out her clothes.

They looked...well, ragged wasn't the word she would have picked. More like shredded. She held up the formerly white blouse to her chest and could still see most of her skin through the holes. The pants were no better, and with a sigh of aggravation Arya stuffed everything back into the locker. Obviously they were her own clothes, only she'd been hijacked, beaten, and thrown out a window while wearing them. She folded her arms in front of herself, hoping for warmth as she ransacked another locker.

Here she had more luck, finding some men's clothes that were a little bit too big, but much better than parading about like a Twi'lek dancer minus the fishnet costume. Arya slipped on the pants, rolling the cuffs and cinching a belt tightly around her waist. The shirt was too long, so she knotted it up around her ribs, and rolled up the sleeves.

She wrapped the towel around her head, hiding her damp hair, and padded bare foot back to the med bay. The alien was bending over the man who had picked her up off the sidewalk. He looked like he was coming around, but was still flopping about on his back like a Quarren out of water. Arya stepped beside the pair, and tapped the winged one on the shoulder. As he looked up she motioned to the tank. He nodded, and moved back, walking towards the controls.

Arya knelt beside the man, if it were possible, even more disheveled than he had seemed before, and took his hand. Weak as he seemed, he grasped it tightly.

[Darth Turbogeek]

:: He looked up, eyes blurry and not quite seeing fully, but he could tell that it was the woman, Arya. His lips seemed to be made of lead as he tried to speak. Finally, he managed to croak out some words

"Saw.... one colour vanish. Other colour continued. What... does that ...mean?"::

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya looked into his glazed eyes, and frowned. Colors? She glanced back at the tank, where the other man was still fiddling with controls. No, actually, he seemed to be filling a syringe of some type. She turned back to Turbogeek. "Perhaps..." Blood...two colors...the woman and...a baby? "Perhaps it means the mother lived, while the child died?"

He seemed to lapse back into unconsciousness, and she pried her hand free from his, and walked to the other. Gain their trust. "Need a hand?"

[Darth Turbogeek]

He heard her words, before succumbing deeper into the weariness that ate into him. Terrible, terrible tiredness crept into his bones as he realised just how utterly spent he was. He let his hand drop to the floor and ignored the brief sting as it slapped the ground. But even given his body’s near coma, his mind was recovering to a degree. It was muddy, but he could process some information.

She said mother… baby? Baby? Let’s think this through then. Jeseth said ex lead to babies. Now given the …..

He processed the act of sex, his revolution overridden by the need to understand, then seemed to make a connection.

Allright, that is logical. Now Jeseth pointed out a small human and said that was a small human and would grow to be a big human. So, fluid combination leads to the formation of a small human …. Which must be kept tucked away until it’s big enough to not be stepped on! Oooh, that’s clever, who thought that up? So logically would mean that the other colours were…

In a way, he was rather pleased with himself. It sounded like a good explanation until he had a better one and in some way sex and gender even seemed to feel right now. Still revolting tho.

Now, if that means I saw a baby or small human, then that is what that colour was. Then that would mean that I see everyone like that, even one’s I cant see with my eyes. Except one… No don’t think about him. He wants me dead he said and he has No Colour….[i]

The only being he couldn’t see in the colours was that Man with No Colour. He wanted Turbogeek dead. He had seen humans with odd bits coming out of them on that planet with Jeseth where he fought the first person who was Light coloured and they had no colours. Jeseth said they were dead.

No colour.

Death. Dead.

He paused, processing, thinking. Then it hit him with the speed of an out of control speeder.

[i] I saw a baby that didn’t have the chance to live outside it mother die!!!

Turbogeek in his short existence was enjoying life immensely. There was so much to do, so much to learn that the concept of someone dying before they could have any time to do it was just… not … fair!

Blink

A bridge. Two people walking across. A explosion. Screams. Someone falling. A hard flung out in desperation. Missed. Face staring at him as they fell to their death

Blink

A starfighter ducked under his wing, firing bolts of energy at the craft off his starboard. Bang. Nothing left. Never had a chance… [/b]

Blink

Staring over a fence, gun in hand. Aimed. Fire. A beast dropped. Grin. Got it..

Blink

An old woman, bent, but not feeble. Furious. You will die Venom for for traitorous actions… a blast and a shockwave of pain

Blink

A glowing sabre as he smashed the door down. The family was there as it was said and he was there to kill them all. He moved… but something stayed his hand… he saw the eyes of the child the mother held to her, crying for mercy. Saw the child’s face… looked into her eyes and made the most monumental decision of his life. He couldn’t take the life of an innocent. Not now. Not ever. He paused and that was it. He couldn’t do it. He had to do it. He renounced his path and threw down his sabre, spared all their lives

It meant nothing, just flashes. Something he could never piece together and something that seemed to be not part of him. But he could see with them that there was pain in death. Extreme physical and mental agony. That’s what the colour fluctuations were, pain and suffering as the baby died. It made him angry. At the same made him deeply sad – this wasn’t right at all. How could something that had known nothing be dead? Where was the fairness in that? Where was it? Where was it?

IT’S JUST NOT FAIR!!!!!

A single tear rolled down his cheek for the dead baby as his anger at the Galaxy was expelled in the yell in his mind. Why did it have to be this way?

[Jeseth Cloak]

Jeseth's worn eyes just fazed at the slipping drop of green fluid rolling down the side of the tank, De'Ville's body floating without sense of time or space admist the bacta.

What's happened to her?

Empathy. Sadness... pain, sorrow. Someone on board felt that in a strong way. The Dark Jedi could sense it... a now familiar sense, too.

Turbogeek?

The feelings triggered something in Jeseth as he stared into the blue rising bubbles of the thick green fluid.

Harmony?

She was gone. A name spoken now in vain, and he could only hold back his tears, and then his anger and jealousy. He had suffered too much to ever care. His hand slid off the glass, the drop of bacta splashing to the floor.

"Is he... alright?"

Jeseth blinked and looked at Arya expectantly.

[Lady DeVille]

De’Ville floated in the bacta, her short hair fanned out in the thick green current. Eyes closed, she was there…there in the tank. And yet, she was not.

In the Force she was also floating…in a murky grey sea of filth and joy. She always had told her apprentices’ that the Force was a tool to be used, not an ally to depend on. But now she felt entirely at its mercy, as if the Force itself was propelling her along a path. …leading…where was it taking her? Her soul bristled at the notion. The Force does not control me, I control it! Anger filled her, and then dissipated, fading away into the Abyss she floated over.

There was an emptiness inside her that she had never felt before. Strange, how the death of one so small, so unknown, could hurt so much. She had barely known she was a mother before the inconceivable had occurred, and her daughter had been ripped from her womb. There was supposed to be no danger there, a mother’s uterus was a place of safety for the baby, where they could live and grow until they were capable of living outside of the mother’s body. But now…she felt violated. And the child had died.

Lilaena curled up inside herself, mentally hugging the tiny body of the baby even as her body was still trying to expel it. And then she became aware of something else…another presence that in her grief and pain she had neglected to sense. With wonder she reached out with the Force, touching the tiny form that pulsated and moved within her. This one was small, but alive, and strong. But in the aftermath of the one dying, this second one could still be swept away as well. She caressed the little one, and let the first one go with a pang of guilt. This one, he needed her help. The first one, she was hours beyond help, and Lilaena gave her to the Force, concentrating on his needs.

She internalized every detail, noting the nubs where arms and hands would continue to form, and delighting in the quick little beat of his heart. Suddenly she remembered, and felt a stab of renewed fear. The nanites...they’re in my blood stream! Lilaena traced the umbilical cord to its source in the placenta, and felt a rush of relief.

Her blood did not mix with the baby’s, but nutrients and oxygen were carried through from her and given to the infant through the mysteries of her own body. He was safe from the microscopic mechanics in her blood, which was comforting. But if the person who had hired Prent to lace her with poison was still out for her blood, there would only be a small chance for the baby.

Dead mothers had given birth to live children before; it was not unheard of. This early on, however…it was hard to imagine her body being kept artificially alive for eight more months until the gestation period was over. And no one knew of the second baby…except maybe Turbogeek.

She relaxed, slowly, feeling the Force flow through her and in her and around the child. He would be strong in the Force, as she herself was. De’Ville smiled to herself, in this state of unconscious consciousness. When trained this one would rival the strongest Jedi. She had wasted much time in her life, coming to the Force much later than most. But this one…a chance to raise a Force user from birth was not to be taken lightly. Much care would have to be taken, to ensure he did not stray from the correct path.

Two years old…if he reaches two, he will be safe from being perverted to the Light. But for now, there was no thought of perversion as he was nestled inside of her. No one would dare harm him, not as long as De’Ville drew breath. And Tondry…Pierce!

How was she going to tell him he was a father?

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya looked back at the man. "I think he just needs rest." The bacta on the floor was puddling up, and she inched her toes away. "Is there someplace I can move him to...thats more comfortable than the floor?"

He seemed distracted. Its the loss, he's feeling it. Arya knew her mind's ear was hearing the truth from this winged man. Harmony. She didn't understand the word, unless he was sad about losing a song. He looked at her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, "I feel fine now. But what about him?"

[Jeseth Cloak]

"My apprentice is strong with the Force. I beleive in time he will recover... Help me get him to the bed for now."

Together they brought Turbogeek's body to the bed which was a dark ashen gray. Jeseth spent his time there on long voyages, reading through the small collection of holocrons and replicated scriptures which nesteled themselves in the bookshelf above. Turbogeek could lay there for the moment...

"We're going to depart soon."

He looked at Arya and understood the confusion in her eyes. She obviously had no clue where they were, how they had gotten here... or anything, for that matter. There was aw certain level of acknowledgement in her eyes, but too little to cinfirm that Jeseth could yet consider her capable of handling a crisis of any kind.

"You can thank my apprentice for saving your life later. Right now, stay out of the way. I don't know much about you, but keep in mind that if you have any thoughts as to making off with this ship, or harming anyone on board, you'll answer to me. I will not be as forgiving at Turbogeek."

The Dark Jedi's eyes burned with itensity, but it was misplaced in her. His emotions were no longer his own, and to control them, and redirect them, was something he had grown skillful at.

"Go into the back and keep on eye on the woman in the tank. I'm starting up the ship."

[Arya Ravenwing]

This Dark Jedi (that was what he was..Hunter had told her that much) was not in good shape. Arya didn't know what was wrong with him, but she did as she was told and found a place to strap in by the bacta tank. In truth, she would have felt more comfortable in the pilot chair, but she wasn't calling the shots. And...she could use the rest.

The woman in the tank floated freely, and Arya noted that her life signs were all stabilizing. Good sign. Now if she could just survive this little job...she'd be on her way with the credits. Ooh, my ship! She wondered where it was, but the jerk of the ship taking off sent her mind in another direction.

I hope we make it to wherever it is we're going!

[Darth Turbogeek]

He barely noted being moved. He barely noticed being on the bed. His limbs were filled with heavy stuff and he couldnt summon the energy to move.

His eyes closed and he fell, thankfully into a dreamless sleep.

[Lady DeVille]

Light. Hazel eyes opened, and peered into a thick, greenish light. Arms...flailed. Floating...up and head breaking the surface. Hands reaching, grabbing...

De'Ville gasped as the tubes were removed from her nose and mouth, coughing and hacking, green bacta oozing everywhere. She struggled with her helper to heave her body out of the tank, sprawling on the grate as the bacta was removed from her body. "Wha- where-?" Her teeth chattered from a sudden chill, and she took the thermal blanket that was offered.

After she was down to the floor, De'Ville got a look at the person who had taken her out of the bacta. The human was female, a bit shorter than De'Ville herself, and of a similar build. Her body suggested a lazy strength that was well hidden in the baggy mens' clothes she was wearing. Her chin length hair was cut raggedly, as if she didn't have enough spare time to devote to her appearence. And she was older, too, close to thirty. "Relax, and catch your breath."

De'Ville pulled the blanket tightly about her naked body. "Where am I?"

The woman shrugged, "Vjun, I guess. That's where we were headed when we took off, and now we're stopped." She handed De'Ville a brown robe of some sort. "Its all I could find... Your others were, well, ruined. I had to burn them."

Light dawned. "Blood, I remember... So much blood."

"All of it yours, sister. You've had a tough time, but the worst is behind you." The woman didn't turn away as De'Ville shrugged into the robe, but took the blanket back. The Sith nodded as her memories came back with a rush.

The baby...both of them...dead? No, one lived. She tied the robe around her waist, but loosely, instead on cinching it tight as she usually would have. "I'm De'Ville."

"Arya." The older woman helped her sit down in a chair. "You were ready to come out, so I got you out of the tank. No one has come back here for us...I don't really know what is going on."

Jeseth...what was it he wanted with her? And what was on Vjun? De'Ville pushed her damp hair behind her ears, noticing it was getting longer. Time for a trim. Strange what the mind thought about. She folded her arms across her belly, and waited with Arya.

[Jeseth Cloak]

The winged Dark Jedi came out slowly from within the cockpit, looking about and noticing his apprentice stirring in his place.

He must be coming around.

De'Ville was out of the tank, somewhat dry and wrapped in a brown robe he had kept around his ship for impersonating a Jedi. This would be De'Ville's first visit to Bast... interesting indeed.

"Gather your things... We leave the ship here."

He reached up above Turbogeek and gathered together all of his books and a few other items, placing them in a black bag and tossing it over his shoulder. The strap held tight around him, and then he picked up his apprentice and took one last glance to assure nothing had been left behind.

"Follow me closely... This isn't a place where you'd want to wander off."

[Lady DeVille]

De'Ville nodded, and rose to her feet. She felt strengthened after her ordeal, although a weakness still remained in her legs and arms. Yet... it was hard to explain. There was sadness, perhaps there always would be. The daughter she would never hold. Miasa...after my mother. Miasa Tondry. De'Ville walked after Cloak, holding the robe around her.

The other woman trailed behind, seemingly a little lost and very out of place. Who she was, and why Cloak had her in his ship... There was time for questions later. Right now De'Ville was certain she would be facing another trial of some kind. She tried to stay focused, but she kept thinking about Tondry...and lillies. Stargazer lillies, to be precise, the strain that only grew on the herdships of Ithor.

As she followed the TSO council member down the ramp of his ship, De'Ville pushed the thought out of her head. Concentrate! Focused, she lifted her head to gaze at her surroundings.

[Jeseth Cloak]

<font size=1>(ooc) Will be continue here: <a href=http://pub47.ezboard.com/ftheblackhand23755frm4.showMessage?topicID=75.topi c>http://pub47.ezboard.com/ftheblackhand23755frm4.showMessage?topicID=75.topi c</a></font>


The air had settled into a stale hot vapor, and Jeseth could see a lava gyser errupt in the distance. Most people could hardly survive breathing in the atmoshpere without a rebreather, but he didn't care. Bast wasn't such a far distance form the ship, and it had yet to rain today... They'd all make it just fine.