Interior mindframes

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Continued from here. (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31344)

- enroute to Thyferra -


::neural overload - system failure::
initiate insystem neural hardware recovery
.....
irregularities found
.....
abulia
ageusia
agnosia
agraphia
akinesia
anosmia
aphasia
diffuse axonal injury
optic neuritis
temporal arteritis
.....
repairing _


Time elapsed - 2 days
Thyferra
Interrogation/Detention Center



::status_
normal
hardware and software specifications read normal
99% biomatter failures resolved
visual stimulation left unresolved
12 standard hours left for inner cornea reboot

start _


Usually, for the brain to recover from such a shock induced by an ion blast, it takes a considerable amount of time. Monoamines, an amine that is functionally important in neural transmission must regain control over its faculties and begin once more to help the brain function. If supplemented, the side effects can go either way - to help or impede recovery. Of course the form of supplement is critical.

The technology that was implanted into Fa'Rawn Lin's brain allowed her to recover relatively quickly, though at the same time it had allowed the ion blast itself to rampage through her internal systems. This created a brief but very uncomfortable shock that resounded through her entire body before knocking her into unconsciousness.

When she came to, she was blind. Albeit temporarily, but for the time being, she was blind. She was also on her back, lying on the cold metal of a cot in only god knew where. It wasn't the medical bay of the Kiavedd, she knew that, so the only other option left had to be that she was in an Imperial holding cell. Not a particularly good situation.

A finger twitched, and her eyes opened.

Darkness. Black. Her optical implants had been hit hard, and the interface that usually appeared in her field of vision sprang to life, courtesy of a direct link with her occipital lobe. It indicated the repair time and the extent of the damage she'd recieved, but the fact of the matter still remained. She was blind for the time being, and being held captive by the Imperials.

A soft curse.

A few more minutes of inaction passed before she moved. Sitting up, she swung her legs gingerly over the side of the cot, and a tentative hand reached up to wipe across her now useless eyes.

I suppose it could be worse...

[Telan Desaria]

Imperial Citadel, Thyferra


The center that was the Imperial Citadel sat atop the Minaari Mountains, opposite the Estate of Grand Admiral Telan Desaria; between them sat the wide valley in which Xucphra City was nestled. When the Imperial Supreme Commander did grace the capital world with his presence, he was either at that Citadel or in the city-proper. Rarely was he to be found in his Thyferran estate.

The Admiral found himself lamenting as he caught a glance of his residence through the translucent wall to his right. Ahead of Desaria sat the Citadel’s center tower, rising one hundred levels from its twenty-five level base. Situated on each apex of the pentagonal superstructure was a smaller tower of thirty towers, standing like Sentinels around the nerve center of the Empire’s more secretive – and sinister – organizations.

Marshal Prem, dieting but still large Chief of the General Staff, walked alongside Desaria, a shudder running down his spine. Despite the close friendship the two shared with each other and Fieri von Laang, the Grand Admiral decided not to make a comedic remark.

“ Is something troubling you?”

Prem nodded, silent. “ I never have been able to stand comfortably around these people.”

The Admiral nodded, words passed between the two regarding the mysterious death of his son firmly remembered, and released the issue.

A small cadre of junior officers wearing the grey trouser stripe of Administrative Intelligence personnel came nearby heading from the Spire as it was dubbed. They snapped salutes that were precise but did not cease their conversation. They were not out of line as Imperial Doctrine required respect and deference, not worship. The days of the First Emperor, after all, were passed.

“…she’s got a file one card long! They’ve got her sealed up like a Rebel, but I’ve never heard of her.”

“ You? With the holographic memory? No wonder she’s locked up.”

Grand Admiral Desaria glanced at his wrist chrono: there was a half an hour before he was to be briefed by the heads of Imperial Intelligence. His curiosity got the better of him and he halted the smattering of Lieutenants and two Majors in its tracks.

“ Who are you speaking of?”

The men were intimidated, however, despite policy. Some things could never be changed. They all clicked to attention almost as one, their eyes going wide concurrently.

“ A prisoner held in the Spire, Grand Admiral. I noticed while I was going to collect files from the Archives. The guards around her confinement area were above-average.”

Desaria arched an eyebrow. “ They’ve moved the Inquisitoriate Archives near the detention block?”

Before the Lieutenant replied, a chortle from Prem was barely audible. “ No, sir. They are still on Level 64. She is being held in the Fiscal Director’s officer.”

“ Why, pray tell?”

“ Well, sir, there was a warning that someone attempted to slice into the design section of the archives and it was feared she might have knowledge of our security measures. The location was random and unplanneable.”

Prem moved forward. “ How do you know so much, Lieutenant?”

The Lieutenant gulped. “ I am the Fiscal Director’s attaché, sir.”

Desaria smirked and waved off the Marshal. “ Take me there. Now.”

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

time elapsed: 3 hours
9 hours remaining for full corneal repair

computer, designate parameters for direct stimulation for simulated sight

unable to project entire visual spectrum
limited simulation is possible

list visual spectrums supported

supported spectrums:
thermal
UV

utilize UV standard, and allow the HUD to provide for toggling to thermal

initiating UV spectrum visual simulators_


There was a flash of light; or at least there seemed to be, as the neural hardware activated, sending its simulated visuals to her brain, and Rawn blinked as the world around her slowly came into focus, and looking down, she watched as her hand slowly came into view...


http://www-museum.unl.edu/research/entomology/graphics/hond12.jpg

[Telan Desaria]

Imperial Citadel

Grand Admiral Baron Desaria was both impressed and awed by the series of security measures taken as his party neared the impromptu holding area. For nearly a section around the interior – thus windowless – office, guards were posted who wielded not only standard sub-automatic blaster-pistols but thermal detonators and several ill-concealed vibroblades.

A door parted before the Admiral and he stepped through, the attachment of junior officers having disappeared into the depths of the Spire. Marshal Prem waited anxiously outside, ill-at ease to see his superior and friend going alone into a holding cell of a newly arrived prisoner.

“ What have we here?” Desaria asked, looking over the female sprawled on the floor ahead of the Fiscal Director’s wood desk. His memory was formulating response, but it did not hit him yet. He looked closer and realized she was a cyborg of some kind – his memory spiked.

“ I remember you. You started the Battle of Yag’dhul. Do awaken – we have much to discuss.”

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She'd taken up residence on the floor, sitting crosslegged, and didn't move when the door opened. Her internal hardware, integrated into her body, worked at a dizzying pace to fix the problem of her eyesight; until then, she was relegated to viewing the world around her in ultraviolet - and if she so wanted, thermoptically.

When the Grand Admiral walked further in she didn't move; instead merely canting her head in the direction of his voice.

"I'm awake," she snapped, her odd, orange-hued eyes openeing and glaring up at him. She knew who he was in name only, and a few things she'd heard from Lok herself. But that was the extent of her knowledge of the Sovereignty's leader.

A silence as she stared at him, then she leaned back against the desk.

"And I didn't start that fight."

[Telan Desaria]

“ No? If my memory is correct, a detachment of what were they – battle dogs? – attacked one of my Destroyers. The forces of Governor Hyde fired the first shots against Imperial warships, forcing us to respond in kind. I did not intend to raze that city, but in the end, its destruction and the subsequent eradication of its population was required as punishment for the defiance of the Empire. It was not an honourable act and I am not proud of it, but I suppose I need only blame your to absolve myself of guilt.”

Her eyes were breathtaking in an ominous sort of way, but the Grand Admiral could only recognize beauty, not be swayed by it.

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

"You're a butcher," was her only reply, rocking forward and using the momentum to rise to her knees. The world around her was still blue, her internal hardware simulating her vision in UV. It was odd, to say the least.

"I was only helping a friend that, if memory serves me correctly, is one of your friends as well - or does the extent of Imperial friendship only go so far... "

[Telan Desaria]

Grand Admiral Desaria was struck by the straightforwardness of her question. It had merit from a commoners view – a soldier’s view. She was, to that extent, correct. There was for her no greater goal, no large scheme to consider. The weight of the galaxy was nowhere near her shoulders, and she could operate with impunity as such.

Any man bearing the gold-braided epaulettes of an Imperial Grand Admiral was much closer to such crushing weight and could be afforded no such luxury in making such decisions. Loyalty to a cause, to a state, to an Empire, had to be put above personal loyalty. One man, regardless of rank or station, was but a spec in the grand tapestry of galactic events.

Perhaps someone with a mechanically enhanced cerebrum could understand that. The Lord Baron would give it a try.

“ The friendship of the Empire is eternally binding as is mine. There is a separation I am loathe to exist in but am forced to more oft than not. My personal feelings and fealty must be set aside for the greater good of the Empire. If I myself had once lived on a world that stood in the way of Imperial Glory, I would have no choice but to level it. I grant you the order would be given with tears, but it would be given nonetheless. Sometimes to save many, you must hurt some.”

There was a fire in the Admiral’s eyes he hoped would be perceived as rage. Beyond the emerald orbs through which he viewed the world sat its antithesis: pain. Envy also fought for a spot to shine; to live so blithely and ignorantly unaware of larger currents would be wonderfully stress-free.

“ I might remind you that the officers who brought you here installed a type of reactive restraining bolt. Its really a digital program, if I understand it properly, that will shut you down if you move three meters from that desk.”

The Admiral lowered a pad he had appropriated from one of the junior officers and threw it to the female, clothed in an ill-fitting medical robe. Its sky-blue hue was a definite contrast to the dark metallic feel of the office. Then again, so was she.

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She caught the pad easily, ignoring its contents for the time being as she got to her feet. His last words caused concern to cross her features as a small orange readout appeared in her view.


foreign program activated without express knowledge or consent
function: restraining bolt
model: 75A-999
nickname: "smart bolt"

She blinked, her fingers tightening on the datapad as she leaned her slight bulk against the desk.

"I can hack it and kill it," she mumbled, knowing it was a hollow threat. She could most certainly try, but there was really no telling what sort of countermeasures had been installed along with it.

[Telan Desaria]

" Very well. I am sure the technicians here in the Inquisitoriate center would love to test their slicing skills against yours. Intelligence I do not doubt will enjoy picking you apart, and perhaps a few Civil Defense techs can get practice as well."

The Grand Admiral did not let slip his rightfully haughty demeanor, but did glance around the room to take in its contents. A well designed chair padded with a dark azure cloth sat behind the desk: to get to it, Desaria would have to enter the sphere to which the prisoner was confined. The room was broad, but two large computer banks hummed away on either side of the central desk. The Fiscal Director obviously did not like working alone.

To the left of the entrance sat a small end table on four metal legs, a small flower-filled vase atop its glass surface. An wholly uncomfortable metal chair was next to it: Desaria chose discretion to valour.

When he sat down, the pristine uniform of an Imperial Grand Admiral crinked and stretched. He quickly crossed his legs and adjusted his tunic. The blaster he wore at his side, though ceremonial, was operational and now in view.

" Tell me, how did you come to be molded from human to cyborg?"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She followed him with her eyes, trapped within her invisible cell and relegated to the area around the desk she now leaned against. His statements that techs and scientists alike would jump at the chance to see how she functioned; though to be more appropriate, to see how the machinery and hardware was integrated into her and how it worked with her.

In some senses she was afraid; afraid of what would happen to her now that she'd been dropped off into the hands of the one who'd leveled not just one of Yag'Dhul's cities, but the city that she'd been born in - the city where her parents had still been living. Until his forces destroyed everything. But then, the other part, the part that screamed rebellion, refused to show any weak side in her demeanor. However, it was possible to see the agitation and fear if one looked deep enough into those orange irises.

Now, staring at the Grand Admiral, she waited a few moments before answering, choosing her words carefully.

"I'm not a cyborg. I just have... enhancements."

[Telan Desaria]

" Oh?" The Grand Admiral arched his eyebrows and deliberately removed the black leather gloves all Imperial officers were issued with. " Then what are you? You are obviously humanoid. These enhancements...were they forced upon you? And why Hyde?"

If nothing else, before the demons of the Inquisitoriate-controlled Intelligence, Desaria would find out why the people of Yag dhul had chosen to fight rather than accept Imperial rule.

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Her reply was almost icy.

"I only work for Mr. Hyde."

The datapad hit the desk with a somewhat muted tunk, but Rawn herself stayed motionless, continuing to stare at Desaria. The manner with which he spoke only cause her hackles to raise, and her next answer was snapped.

"Nothing was forced on me; I'm as much of a normal human being as you are - just... " a pause, as her head canted to the side, "... a better model."

[Telan Desaria]

One of the Imperial Intelligence Officer waiting anxiously to interrogate the Fa'Rawn character outside might have been taken aback by her unbroken spirit. Perhaps.

Desaria was not.

" I think you misunderstand my question. Why do you work for Gabriel Hyde and his company? He has brought isolation of Yag'dhul. He has left your world surrounded on all sides by the Empire, a massive battle platform stationed just outside your system's periphery. Why do you swear allegiance to a man who has allowed the Empire to strangle your home?

" Whether you know it or not, even though a Fleet is not bombarding your home planet, Yag'dhul is under siege. Shipments into Yag'dhul will be intercepted and confiscated as war contraband. A shortage of supplies, be it raw material or imported foodstuffs, will make your home wither on the vine. People will starve, or freeze, or those shielded cities you have will crumble for want of maintaince.

" I offered Yag'dhul a peaceful entry into the Empire, free of interference of any kind. All I asked in return was the use of a planetoid or moon for an Imperial fuel depot."

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She still stood, but her stance shifted. It was easy to see in her eyes the same light of indepndant defiance that everyone on Yag'Dhul possessed.

"But that's just the thing now, isn't it. You offered something; you didn't demand or order. But when we declined, you took what you wanted by force. You need to choose your wording a little better."

Her eyes narrowed. "And as for my 'strangled home', it was never like that until you showed up. You and you Empire ruined a perfectly good way of life that was prosperous and growing. We didn't need you at all. You killed people who lived their lives simply and without the need to worry about outside opposing forces.

You killed my family.

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria stood, grasping gloves in hand as he rose with anger. One of the flowers he had lazily taken was rocketed to the floor with the force of his assent.

" You think yourself safe? You think the situation was better before the Empire??? Just how naieve can you be? Thye Republic would have taken your home from you if I had not! You are much safer free from squabbling bureacrats and power hungry politicians. What do you think would happen if one of your people broke a law and the New Republic stepped in and said no, exerting its authority? The damned rebels would cart them off to Coruscant and treat them as they wished. The Empire lets its citizens handle their own affairs.

" I offered them safety. I had no choice but battle. Hyde insulted the Empire - the assault was not to take the planet, but to Avenge the Honor of the Empire!!!"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She stood her ground magnificiently, hands clenched and jaw set. She even took a step forward before remembering the smart bolt that'd been installed into her. She came to a sudden stop, retreating a little - not out of fear of the tone in his voice, but that she would go past that invisible perimeter.

"And what do you care about one world? Let us deal with the New Republic."

Her eyes, though the color of fire, radiated a lonely chill that had been present ever since Eih'Kahda had been razed. Ever since her parents had died.

"I'm sure those that died in the city you destroyed are thankful for the safety you have bestowed upon their homes."

[Telan Desaria]

" How naive can you be? Do you think that a hundred thousand people would not willingly sacrifice themselves for a hundred million? Have you no perception of the common good? Their deaths are regretable, but life goes on!

" If you had someone in that city you knew, then I am sorry for your loss. However, if you think me heartlss, then let me tell you this. I lost more friends than you can imagine when the Vong set on the Empire this last time. When the Rebels ambushed the Settier, my brother went down with his ship. Casualties are a neccessary part of war. If you cannot deal with it, then get out of uniform and crawl under a rock!"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

"I was never in a uniform, and I was never a soldier," she snapped back, almost literally baring her teeth at the Grand Admiral, " - and never will be. I'm a part of Terrisz'Voss because I was asked to be - I'm just an exotics* designer who happens to take part in the application of her projects.

"But you - you just couldn't stand it that a planet was doing well without your help, and so you came in and took over. There was no war until you started it. You can deny it all you want, but we all know its true. You destroyed a city for no reason except to satisfy your own twisted sense of justification in overpowering a "defiant" world - "

She clenched her fists in anger then, taking up the datapad in a swift move before flinging it at him viciously.

"My parents died in that city, you monster!"

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria recalled his days at the Centaurian Martial Academy when he earned several citations for his ability with a side arm.

There was little time for nostalgia as a datapad flew towards him. With one quick movement of his hand, the blaster pistol at his side was drawn into his right hand, a neon bolt pulsing from the barrel to the pad. It collided with its target mid air, the latter dropping to the ground with a palable thud. The pistol was reholstered and no emotion displayed.

Two guards entered the room with weapons drawn but were warded off by a gloved wave of their Grand Admiral's hand.

The Grand Admiral should have been upset or at least miffed but such a reply, perhaps even cowed before such an emotional outburst. However, it did nothing less than steel his resolve.

" Parents? Are you that selfish? May father sacrificed his life to defeat the Rebels at Ciret Prime! I am not worried about one or two people or even a thousand. Billions of people are depending on me to make decisions, and if that means people have to die, then so be it! You say you are not a soldier? You took on that title the minute you took up arms against the Empire!!!"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She only stood, rooted to the floor and seething at him, orange irises blazing fire in her glare.

"Selfish?? Yes! I'm that selfish- " the UV world around her cut to pitch blackness suddenly for a split second...


neural overload in UV stimulators
switching to thermoptical...

-initiate-

- and then everything shifted to thermoptical - giving her pause and making her take another step back, trying to regain a sense of balance with the change. Sometimes the speed with which her hardware worked knocked even her off guard, oftentimes causing her to have to stop what she was doing momentarily - and that included talking.

A blank look was sent to Desaria as she did her best to adjust to the sudden change in her vision, and Fa'Rawn had to place a hand on the desk to steady herself as a wave of vertigo overtook her.





DONT' do that again.


apologies

[Telan Desaria]

A Grand Admiral was required by tradition to adhere to a certain decorum, but even that had to be waived at a time of crisis or opportunity. His blaster away and all the severity in his eyes evaporated, Desaria moved to the edge of her restrictive circle.

" Madam? Are you all right?"

There was little response, so the Admiral turned to the door. The soldiers guarding the impromptu cell had to have a medic with them - as per his doctrine.

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

It was odd, seeing her surrounding as she now did, but still she adjusted.

"I'm fine," was her growled response, " - my optics were knocked out when I got hit by that ion blast; it fried my neural hardware almost."

She leaned against the desk, passing a hand over her eyes. "Right now everything is fixed except for my eyesight - I've been having a UV stimulation being run into my brain so I can at least see in some visual spectrum.

"But... I'm essentially blind right now."

[Telan Desaria]

As she spoke, Desaria stopped short of the door. It did not open and a team of rather well disciplined but horribly cruel squad of black uniformed Intelligence guards did not rush in. Instead, the Grand Admiral and cybernetically enhanced female prisoner remained alone. In some perverse Republic holonovel, that would have been the start of some bizarre tale of love.

" I am sorry to hear that."

Desaria righted himself, unaware that he had crouched near her previously crumpled form. He straightened his tunic and let the epaulettes of his rank fall back to their regal position on his shoulders. With all possible speed, he forced his regality to recooperate.

" Well, I simply wanted to speak to you before the Inquisitoriate's minions have their way with you. As you say, you are not a soldier, which forces this upon us. Were you and captured after the fact, you would be transfered to the Imperial Prison on Jagg Island and treated according to the Praxis Convention. As a civilian, you are entitled to no such consideration. AS far as our friends in black are concerned, you are a civilian insurgent."

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She remained silent, brooding and refusing to meet his eyes.

"Fine. I don't care... "

A thought occured to her then, and this time she did look up. Eyes still hard, she slid a little further away from the Grand Admiral. "Lok will get me out - she'll find out what happened - Moroketh and Hyde will tell her."

It had been nearly six months however, since s'Il had been heard from, and Fa'Rawn had picked up bits of conversation from Hyde that she'd gone missing after an incident on Balmorra. But still, she held the hope that Terrisz'Voss' CEO would be able to contact s'Il.

[Telan Desaria]

" I am afraid you may overestimate your friend's abilities," Desaria replied, clasping his hands behind his back as he rolled his r in a typical Centaurian drawl.

What remains of the Yag'dhul Fleet has been severely downsized, none of it in any position to strike the Empire. It is surrounded. Madame Silancy to whom you refer will well understand the needs for security. SHe holds title of Thyferra, you know?"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Now this was odd, and Fa'Rawn couldn't help the look of mild surprise as it flitted across her features. That s'Il held anything on Thyferra was not expected at all - and a title? Of all things she held a title?

"... oh... "

But Desaria had misinterpreted her - Rawn knew s'Il wouldn't come with a fleet from Yag'Dhul; the planet was still reeling in some aspects from what had happened, and it would have been stupid to send any ships to get her. No. If anything, s'Il would do it herself; and see as how she apparently had land here, it would only be a matter of time. For ignorance's sake though, she kept her thoughts to herself.

"... I didn't know that... "

[Telan Desaria]

“ I have the utmost faith in the Duchess S’Ilancy’s mental faculties, so I would not count in her crossing the Empire. She came very close during our Yag’dhul skirmish, and I doubt will do so again.”

The Grand Admiral adjusted his leather gloves.

“ I must depart now. Since you have refused to call yourself a soldier as I have tried to warn you, I cannot save you. I admire your bravery because I am sure you can imagine what you have gotten yourself into.” He bowed and departed the room. A wiry Colonel in the black Intelligence garb entered. Two guards followed. Before he could speak or she could react, the Colonel activated a remote of some sort sending the prisoner into unconsciousness…

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

reboot sequence 72946G
host status: unresponsive
initiate breakdown analysis

hardware: operational
bioware: fluctuating

- define -
irregular brain activities - static connections at best

very well. continue breakdown

network parameters: operational
optics: UV and thermoptic only temporarily
brain activity: null

breakdown terminated

new directive: reactivate biomatter and bioware

determine cause of host malfunction and initiate bio-reboot

_initializing




initialization failed


determine reason for failure. continue with attempts to reboot host

agreed

[Telan Desaria]

“ Your Excellency.”

Baron Mikell de Nostradaum moved towards a sheet of glass before him and narrowed his gaze. The lighting was low in the room adjacent to and below his perch, but drastically lower in the one he occupied. Given the job he had been tasked with as political leader of the Empire, the illumination ominously matched his personality. To the public he was firm yet fair, an approachable figure who had the Imperial Way of Life at heart. Those behind the closed doors of power were soon to see another persona entirely.

“ You bade me inform you if Intelligence acquired any interesting subject here. They have.”

Nostradaum inhaled, moving towards the window. “ Who is – she?”

His civilian aide adjusted his flowing blue robes, reminiscent of the Court of Palpatine. “ Fa’Rawn Lin I believe. An insurgent from Yag’dhul. Admiral Kracken apprehended her before his last mission; Intelligence took over. The Grand Admiral spoke with her privately then left. Colonel Rawlins brought her here for examination at Assistant Director Lerr’s orders.”

“ Explain.”

“ Apparently she has some sort of biotechnology mounted inside.”

“ Very well. Open her up.”

Below, secured to a cold steel table and surrounded by Intelligence doctors in white lab coats, lay an unconscious female. There was a pair of heavily armed guards before the room’s sole entrance, directly below Nostradaum’s vantage point.

One of the doctors picked up a remote and activated her…

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Orange eyes opened in a flash, and Fa'Rawn surged forward - at least she tried. The bindings holding her down gave little to no leeway, and she let out a startled yelp.


bioware activated from outside source
scan for foreign agent within host

_scanning

It was like a nightmare almost; a sterile, impeccably clean nightmare... only it was real. Given the fact that she was still seeing the world around her in thermoptical, the illusion of a red hell was furthered. Her eyes scanned as much of the room as they could, offering a minimal assessment of her surroundings, and Fa'Rawn arched her back in sudden panic, straining against the restraints in a fruitless attempt to free herself.

Like a caged animal, her breathing quickened.


status update... please... now...


currently scanning for unkown trigger agent within your body
believed to be a catalyst device used to induce unconsciousness and/or consciousness


how long until full optical repair?


two hours

Her orange irises rolled back then, as she lay still, her breathing still fast, and inhaling deeply, she stared upwards at the spotless ceiling above her - hoping that at any moment she'd wake up from whatever nightmare this was.

[Telan Desaria]

" The dossier you requested, Your Excellency."

Baron de Nostradaum did not alter his iron gaze into the chamber below, instead dismissively waving off the Intelligence aide. The Baron's civil attache took the pad and glanced it over.

" She is definitely an insurgent, sir. She claims to have no affiliation with the Yag'dhulian militia or any organized defense force. She is a at best, a privateer."

Nostradaum brought a hand to his clean shaven jaw. Though he was over a half-century of age, he managed to remain fit and trim. His chiseled features but ominous aura gave an unsuspecting onlooker chills that reminded many of Armand Isard, once-legendary head of Intelligence during the debacle of Endor.

" A cybernetic privateer, hmm? I must say, even though Arakyd remains loyal to us, our understanding of such technology is lax. Perhaps she can help us to catch up with the Federacy."

Captain Remelli, Inquisitoriate representative to the Head of State's staff, seated himself on a couch in the darkened lounge-like setting. " She may indeed."

De Nostradaum grinned, turning back towards another chair. " Let's see how she reacts to voltage."

Captain Remelli sipped his drink and relayed the Baron's orders to the technicians below...

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

is there anything you can do to spe-

The shock that suddenly coursed through her body was completely unexpected, and Fa'Rawn arched her back once more; though this time in agony. Fingers clenched into fists, she did her best to withstand the torture of the electricity surging through her body. Her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palms, and small rivlets of blood soon trickled from where the nails had punctured.

Gritting her teeth the best she could, she remained silent through the pain, not even noticing as a trickle of blood began running from not only her nose, but her left ear as well.


attempting to reroute electricty through to internal batteries

_rerouting_



Slowly, the shock began to subside - though it was not as intense as it had been, it was still there, and she unclenched her teeth to let out a gasp of pain.


reroute partially successful


w-what do y-you mean; partially...


attempts to reroute were only able to diminish the currents being charged into your body
eventually storage will be full, and the charge will once more return to full intensity

[Telan Desaria]

Colonel Remelli furrowed his brow. None of the room's other occupants, now the Baron and his aide, the Colonel, and four other officers, could hear the words being spoken as he had traded his hand-held comlink for a head set.

" Your Excellency, it seems she has funneled the electricity to her components' battery system. Until they're full, she's painless."

Baron de Nostradaum was now seated just in front of the window so he could see the happenings below him without strain. " Hmm. An ability to decrease pain. I don't doubt Khendon would kill for such technology. Have them stop the current and see if she can drain some power. Hit her again with double strength. Let's test just what her limits are..."

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

It stopped. Completely. And in that moment Fa'Rawn let out a long breath - she knew it couldn't be over - they were just waiting for something; either that or giving her a small break before going on. And in that time, she did the only thing she could think of.


dump everything - all your emergency power storage all of it except for bare system functions. get rid of all bioware siphons too. anything and everything that's used for storage; dump it all to make room for the next session.


executing

_
_
_

mains depleted

main reserves depleted

emergency backups depleted

overall power dump complete

only bare system functions left


and find a way to divert what you cant reroute to storage


yes ma'am

And that's when the second charge hit - this time twice as strong. The initial pain subsided as her hardware began to siphon it into its batteries, but Fa'Rawn knew that there was only a matter of time before the batteries would once more be full.

The palms of her hands were red with blood, and she once more ground her teeth to keep from inadvertantly biting her tongue. Eyes clenched shut, she waded through the muted pain.


batteries almost at maximum storage capacity

And once more the charge hit her fully - sometimes it was annoying how her hardware only mentioned things a split-second before something happened.

Once more arching her back, she did her utmost best to take the charge that went through her body.


new plan
redirect electricity back through host and to the source
overload it

beginning to redirect

_
_
_

[Telan Desaria]

Hmmm...

De Nostradaum, though surrounded by people, was alone with his thoughts. He had the uncanny ability to switch off the rest of the galaxy and be solely introspective. In his thankfully brief time as an Imperial soldier, he had used such qualities to great affect when sitting through boring instruction while training.

" Sir, she's-"

De Nostradaum waved his Inquisitoriate colleague off as he thought.

" She is resisting this equally well, no doubt?"

Remelli was stunned he knew what was happening without even conferring with the doctors and technicians below, but replied affirmitave nonetheless.

" Would it be safe to assume her body is mirrored? One side the same as the other?"

" Doctor Ansby says with the exception of her heart, yes."

" Good. Close the current and tell the doctor to remove the epidermis on her right arm. After it is gone, tell him to find a way to access her systems..."

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

The charge once more gone, Fa'Rawn could only lay panting, her energy used up as beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. The blood from her hands, nose, and ears had pooled on the metal table she'd been strapped to.

Eyes closed, she did her best to relax her breathing, knowing that things were far from being over.

She could sense the doctors moving around her, but paid them no heed as she continued to calm herself. She thought of home, of her family - her mother, father, and brother - she thought of her dogs, and of spending time in the labs with Kunnon going over specifications and diagnostics; she remembered when they installed the AI into the first dog - she laughed aloud then, an odd sound coming from the semi-bloodied subject strapped to the table. She even remembered -

The knife made its first incision then, and orange eyes flying open, her neck craned to look at the doctor to her right, cutting a smooth line up the length of her arm...

"What the fu-...!!"


breach in outer layer of host
block nerve endings in right arm

neural impulse relays plugged

The pain stopped, as her right arm went numb, and Fa'Rawn continued to stare in complete shock as the doctor continued his task...

[Telan Desaria]

" Relax, Prisoner. It won't hurt much."

A laser scalple was moved forth by two Intelligence soldiers who clicked and withdrew when it was in position over the arm of its victim. It was no mere medical instrument, however. After it towered over the prisoner's limb, a doctor neared and released several clamps.

Fa'Rawn's arm was detached from the table, swinging loose on a metal plank until it was perpendicular to her body. A second doctor neared and clasped his lab coat together. He did not want any loose objects falling into the fray.

When her arm was appropriately positioned, a third object was extended below her. Then, with increasing speed, the objects began to spin around the first, small incision between the prisoner's shoulder and arm. With a terrible hum, red lasers shot out from the points of the machine that proceeded to shred skin. They had been programmed to protrude no further inward, no only the epidermis - in its entireity - would be singed off.

The spinning reached a ferocious speed, each strip of removed skin only milimeters wide. Watching from above, Baron de Nostradaum was astonished how little blood was leaking from her. What had oozed from her nostrils and other orifices was cleaned up by a droid who then disappeared among the chamber's fixtures and terminals.

" Have Doctor Larrs attach nodes to her power supply when that's done," he said, waving a finger towards the operation in progress. " Then begin gradually reducing her power supply. I have some more tests in mind. And make sure he attaches those units - I want everything she thinks or does recorded!!!"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She watched in horror as the machine went to work, unbelieving of what she was witnessing. It was unreal, to watch as her skin was burnt away bit by bit, and she couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach. Clenching her teeth, she let her head fall back once more against the cold steel of the table she lay on.

This isn't happening to me...


outer layer of host's right arm diminishing by 50%
muscle tissue, nerves, tendons, and hardware lines exposed


something was shoved into her neck, and Fa'Rawn let out a curse as she felt something attach itself to the neural connection port on the back of her neck. And in that instant, she felt something attach itself to her hardware's electrical patterns... she was being tapped...

... and there was nothing she could do about it.


new foreign program detected
identify

tracer/recorder program matched

insubstantial at the moment - redirect 80% of functions to containing and keeping locked right arm nerve endings


execute ghost infiltration program; piggyback their lines and see where it ends


already on it
initiating infiltration
_
_
_

Canting her head up once more, she watched as the skin of her arm was completely removed, leaving her muscles exposed - and in some places, the hardware that laced her body...

[Telan Desaria]

" Ah-haa!" de Nostradaum exclaimed on seeing the metal peering forth on the world from behind the confines of flesh and blood.

The prisoner strapped nude to a table was not kept unclothed for reasons of torment: rather, with clothing on, she suffered more risk of pain given the test to be run.

" Implement Programe 1."

In attachments to the prisoners neural net began to download the contents of her memory. They were incomplete due to cells destroyed or overloaded during her impant's insertion. What was extracted was typical: she loathed pain, feared death, and hated destruction. Standing out in this, evidenced by its repitition among billions of files digitzed on an Imperial mainframe, was the passing of her parents.

" Sir, at Yag'dhul, it appears that the Grand Admiral leveled a city that happedn to house this woman's parents. Some of her survival might be rooted in a quest of vengeance or pride."

" I see," the Baron replied, wondering to himself if the creation of such painful memories in soldiers would increase their endurance of pain and ability in battle. " Modify Program 2. Compile a mosaic of our propaganda holos and feed them into her neural net. Let her mind's eye see Destroyers and stormtroopers on parade: her reaction will be of critical importance."

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

outside source accessing internal memories and hardwired subplants
outside source downloading information - presumably for study

_
_
_

incoming information feed

It was strange - she felt detached in a way, as images and small clips began playing before her eyes and the sterile room around her faded away to be replaced by a starfield full of star destroyers. It was impressive to say the least, but a part of her began to feel overwhelmed at the magnitude and sheer volume of might that was represented to her.


whats going on


it appears we're being shown a sort of propaganda video
it's being fed in through your connection to their computers


get me a shadow hack - I want in there


very well - it is advised that you initiate an eidolon barrier


I will

The images played out before her were neverending - rows upon rows of stormtroopers, massive fleets blocking out the stars - it was certainly an effective way to indoctinate anyone, to say the least. To Fa'Rawn, it was an annoyance. She knew what she'd seen with her own eyes, and what was being forced-fed to her now was nothing glorious in the least.


see if you can override the feed and pause it


already working on that


and wheres my shade hack?


ready and waiting for you
recommend that you take extra precaution when you dive


i understand

The line bordering between host and implant, over time, tends to blur in some cases - and Fa'Rawn Lin was no exception. So entrenched had she become with the tech hardwired into her body that there were times when she seemed to spend more time in the world of technology and cyberspace than int he solid world. Now was such a case.


diving...

Eyes rolling back, her body relaxed as she appeared to, in all intents and purposes, fall asleep.

In all actuality though, Fa'Rawn was far from asleep. She would fight whatever it was the Imperials were doing -


you have entered imperial terminal 7394v-y...

- and she would do it within their own computers.

[Mikell de Nostradaum]

The political leader of the Empire was pleased that he had something to occupy his mind other than an endless succession of meetings with representatives of the Treasury. It was, however, perplexing that the prisoner he observed was taking the testing so well.

" Continue the feed - recommence electric shock treatment. When her memory pattern buffers have been downloaded, order our famed Intelligence slicers to access her motor-function areas. Find out if we can make her move."

De Nostradaum watched as two technicians locked into place the machine that had made such quick work of Fa'Rawn's pale covering. It was out of the way and the bleeding from her arm had been contained. What little did manage to escape from hastily-constructed micro sutures was cleaned away my an MSE-6 droid fluttering under-foot.

Though they bore the title of doctors, the men below were more like mad scientists, willing to cut open a person while alive to watch the body's reaction to some airborne parasite. They were in their element in such an environment. Grand Admiral Desaria did not know of their work, nor did he want to. He would spout on and on about honour and gallantry, but even he knew the neccessity of such actions. He remained blissfully oblivious.

There was a bright flash in the chamber as a generator pulsed forth a renewed current of power. The raw energy surged through punctuated transfer lines and into the sweating flesh of a helpless woman.

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She was seperated from her body - her mind on a completely different axis; a different plane of existence almost even. She still checked back though, to make sure her body hadn't been routed entirely.


status on my body


memory download almost complete
preparing to lock down systems and shut off all main batteries for forced hybernation

_
_
_


electric shock recommenced

Her essence merely sighed, and Fa'Rawn returned to the task she'd busied herself with. It took a few minutes, but the shade hack worked its way into the terminal she'd accessed, giving her control for the time being. And soon after, she was able to get a bearing on where she was for the most part; what room she'd been taken to - even the kind of treatment that she'd been given thus far and the relevance each held.


imperial terminal access granted
select function

-surveillance
-security
-main power
-secondary power
-independant medical systems


main power


main power terminals requested
designate area


operating room aa-582


accessed


shut off all power

And with that, every light within the room she was being held shut off - every machine powered down, and with a sense of satisfaction Fa'Rawn once more retraced her way back through electrical wires and connection ports - back into her own body.

Orange eyes refocusing, she lifted her head. Unlike the doctors surrounding her, she thankfully had the distinct advantage of the thermoptical stimulant - giving her the ability to see through the blackness.

"Alright you fuggers!" she yelled, "I'm through playing!"

[Telan Desaria]

The power faded without warning, the evaporation of light causing many an armed man to draw his weapon. Glowsticks were activated and a droid's eyes turned into radiance-mechs.

"...Main power off-line..."

" Re-route auxilliary systems!"

"...Access codes changed. Command override disabled..."

De Nostradaum watched what he could - small shapes in the occassional sliver of light - and smiled. The creature he had finally dismissed as human had done this! Oh, it would take the intrigued and enlightened scientific minds doing the investigating he demanded more time to realize, but he knew. He had no proof, of course, he merely suspected. But then again, he knew.

And he did so only by thinking like a machine. She was thus, no longer human.

" Captain Remelli, bring some generators from somewhere else. Get that machinery working once mo..." He trailed off as he had an epiphany. " Actually, see if Doctors Larrs can poke around in the dark and find her battery system. We have supplied her with power, now we shall take it back! If she resists, knock her out."

De Nostradaum did not have to use his eyes to see a large guard move from the door and unholster his blaster. One thrash with it and the human part of Fa'Rawn Lin would be unconscious for hours...

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

She could feel hands moving over her body, searching out the hardware that lined her insides. She had no idea why, but in her mind she knew the reason was not good at all, and lying perfectly still, she let her head fall back. She would rest for the time being - her internal systems had blocked off the nerve endings in her body, but there was still a ghost of pain that she could feel. Looking at herself hadn't helped the situation either, and Fa'Rawn had to clench her jaw, gritting her teeth to help from crying out in shock at what had beenn done to her body.

But now, she was peaceful, letting the doctors do their best to find whatever it was they were looking for. Whatever it was, it had something to do with her hardware, and she couldn't help but feel a small bit of anxiety grow in the pit of her stomach. Almost idly, she once more let her eyes roll back as she dove back into the Imperial computers through the connection she still had, the eidolon barrier working wonderfully.

In no time at all she had access to the surveillance systems, essentially "poking her nose" into the different goings on within the wing of the citadel that she was being held in. As an afterthough, she retraced her way back to the main terminal, accessing the audio logs of all that had been transmitted to those in the room she now occupied in the hopes of finding out what was happening.

And froze.

They were trying to find her hardware's batteries.

Fueled by this new knowledge, Fa'Rawn once more pulled herself into her body.


dump it all! dump all main power reserves and purge reserve batteries at once. leave bare minimum functionalities though - I'd rather feel as little pain as possible please.


affirmative
dumping

_
_
_


30% power dump

dumping all battery reserves and storage units

[Telan Desaria]

The technicians were still working in the dark - and working frantically at that. They toiled blindly, bumping into machines and fellow soldiers as they moved about.

Eventually, one of them fumbled onto her battery system. When power was sucked out, there was no affect on the chamber's lighting.

There could be heard loud cursing coming from the room above.

There was one positive in the time spent, though. The more the prisoner accessed her cybernetic implant, the more script of digitzed though that ws created. This excess allowed the slicers searching for her command and control functions more material to work with. Their feelers were not blind.

It was then that her the exposed metallic frame of her left index finger moved. It was almost imperceptible and would have gone unnoticed had not a tech felt it and yelped. The slicers deep within the bowels of the Citadel had made progress.

" Kepp going!!!!"

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

unauthorized access of motor functions


what??!


confirmed
minimal access from outside source

Itw as strange how you make decisions - how something that fuels your alliegences also fuels your strength and resolution. Fa'Rawn Lin's loyalty to Gabriel Hyde was unparalleled, and it was this sense of loyalty that she made a split-second decision.


shut everything down, all of it. every blocker, plug, and barrier - shut them all down now!

GO OFFLINE!


understood
shutting down all systems for complete and total cyganic hybernation

powering off_
_
_
_
.
.
.

It happened so fast, her hardware shutting itself off, that for a moment Fa'Rawn didn't feel a thing.

Then came the pain.

And she screamed.

[Telan Desaria]

There was little Baron de Nostradaum could do but grin. Slowly, with the malignant glee akin to Imperial bureaucrats of the generation long past, his grin grew from a sinister smile to one of pure sadistic pleasure. The cybernetic defenses of the female on the table below had been overwhelmed. She had let loose a horrific scream, making many of the technicians, scientists, and doctors around shudder with fear. Even the pair of Intelligence guards let a shimmer of horror circulate in their bowels. But the man above, political leader of the Empire, laughed ominously.

“ We’ve got her now!”

“ Your Excellency, we’ve lost our interface. Download has been halted at 90 percent and we have no motor control.”

De Nostradaum let loose a wild cackle. “ We don’t need it! Call in Doctor Arris. Now we study how that mergence of flesh and machine is possible!!!”

The call went through the central dispatch net of the Imperial Citadel and Doctor Arris was on his way. He was, without doubt, the leading physiologist in the galaxy…

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Pain. Utter and complete pain filled her senses as Fa'Rawn lay on the table - powerless to do anything but writhe in agony. Without the aide of her hardware, her world had become a living hell of torment and torture. Even her eyesight had gone - as her internals had been still working on fixing her optic nerves. And so, not only was she blind, but now unable to see her tormentors... unable to prepare herself for any unseen new experiment.

Arching her back in pain, she flung her head left and right in an effort to deal with the sensation of intense burning that engulfed her.

"Stop it!! Stop it!!"

Tears formed, cutting small rivlets down her cheek as she screwed her sightless eyes shut.

While the absence of her hardware's power had stopped the Imperials from gaining any more knowledge on its inner workings, it also provided them with a distinct advantage:

The ability to cause her unimaginable pain.

[Telan Desaria]

Doctor Arris arrived with gloves already on. His white lab coat matched what hair he had left, a black tie standing out against his blue collared-shirt. At his side hung a pistol supported by a web-belt.

The man took in the surroundings and then set to work. Those technicians not needed were sent away, those doctors at monitors forced to observe from other vantage points father from the scene. He ignored the screams and pleas of his subject, instead looking over the tray of surgical implements with pride. There was not flaw in their arrangement and all were well sterilized.

“ The first incision.”

Arris did not come from his office to do spontaneous work, for the dissection of the cyborg was planned since her arrival. He had been looking over related files and committing everything to memory. The last thing he wanted was sloppy memory: the entire affair was being documented holographically.

Arris picked up a laser-scalpel and made a slight cut on the forearm of the lady in question. She writhed and cried, but could do little to impede her torture. After the beam retracted into its home amid electronically-treated coils, he inserted an intra-venous unit that immediately began pumping adrenaline into her system. She would notice her pain as it was not an anesthetic, but it would allow her to endure much more than normal. The good doctor hated when an operation became an autopsy.

That done, he moved towards her sternum, wondering what technological notes would be held within…

Before he could, an Intelligence officer stepped up, without insignia or rank.

“ Fa’Rawn, you are a civilian insurgent. This entitles you to no quarter. However, we can spare you pain if you cooperate

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Through the haze of pain, she barely made out the words of the man who spoke to her, and Fa'Rawn whimpered. It hurt too much to even breath it seemed, but a part of her knew - or at least hoped, that she would be able to come out of this ordeal alive. She hoped. Desperately. And without the ability to see, she knew that whatever happened was that much more out of her control - and that was what scared her; more than anything.

She tried to speak - to answer him, but another wave of pain washed over her, and she cried out.

"I didn't do anything," she gasped as the pain lulled momentarily, "I was only defending myself - "

With another wave of pain came another cry, and fresh tears sprang to life. "I didn't do anything!

"Please! Let me go!"

[Telan Desaria]

The Intelligence Officer gave the good doctor a nod. Following orders as an officer should, the direct-commissioned Surgeon-Major produced a small syringe from the table of invasive implements. One shot into the patient’s arm, and the pain died rapidly.

“ That was an anesthetic, though I am afraid it does not last long. Now, you can tell us what we wish to know of your cybernetic implants, or you can continue to endure this biopsy.”

The Officer nodded again, Doctor Arris filling another syringe on command. He stopped the doctor from administering it with a wave of his hand as he added,” our medical technology is very advanced as we are the bacta capital of the galaxy. Our ability to effectively deal with cyborgs is however limited. Either help us willingly, or help us unwillingly. Either way, we will find out what we want to know.”

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

The full weight of the situation hit her with the officer's words, and Fa'Rawn sucked in a shaking breath, her eyes closing as her head turned to either side. She licked her lips in agitation and exhaled. The last thing she wanted was to help the Imperials gain any sort of technological advance through Terrisz'Voss technology - she would do anything to prevent it. Even though her own hardware was generic, it was still something that Hyde was fiercely proud of.


reboot sequence 8-7729 with master include tags for internal hardware meltdown


_ _ rebooting
hardware meltdown tags executed
beginning main system dump and internal hardware meltdown

Even if it meant self-initialized meltdown.

"I'm not a cyborg," she whispered faintly.

[Telan Desaria]

The came a cough from afar, and the black uniformed Intelligence officer turned to see a non-commissioned Inquisitoriate technician give a brief nod. In turn, the officer motioned to another technician who was standing at the nexus of five computer terminals. Running from it was a strand of wires leading directly into the prisoner.

With that single motion, an electronic current was sent pulsing through the prisoner’s body. But it was unlike the others that had been sent to punish and torment. This had another purpose – to immobilize. The circuitry that cris-crossed the female’s innards found itself overwhelmed with energy. Every movement of digitized information slowed to a crawl, be it from machine to machine, or from her cybernetic relays to the machinery itself.

“ How dishonest of you, Fa’Rawn. You were about to attempt mechanical suicide. I do not know how, but the increased level of kinetic energy gave you away. Now you will find even the most simple task difficult and time consuming. Sort of an ion cannon blast. If it involves your metal half, good luck.

“ Now, I am going to pretend you did not try that. Please detail for me the workings of the relays that transform neural energy into digital patterns that can be read by machines.”

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

Her eyes closed once more, and she let out a strangled sob before straining against the bindings holding her down. An effort in futility - and the action only managed to let the pain momentarily override the anesthetic she was given, eliciting a sharp intake of breath followed by a pained cry.

She lay still, her entire body seemingly deflating as she considered her options. In her mind, she would not tell these men anything - the desire to keep Terrisz'Voss technology exclusive overriding everything. Her hardware working now at a snail's pace, it would take far too long for it to completely wipe itself out. She would hold out for as long as she could, but it was easy to see that there wasn't much more she could withstand.

Eyes screwed shut, she let her head fall back before opening her lips, a barely audible, unintelligable whisper escaping...

[Telan Desaria]

" Fa'Rawn, you are proving very difficult. I truly hate obstructions."

The Intelligence Officer nodded again to another doctor, who handed a syringe to the closest technician. Then came the application of a cold liquid against the sweated flesh of the prisoner. A small patch of skin was decontaminated, then broken by a tube of metal.

As the plunger went down and down, pushing an amber fluid into the prisoner's bloodstream, the officer moved to the table's side. From this new position he stared down into his prey's eyes.

" That is sodium amytol. It is nothing short of a truth serum. Slowly, you will find yourself unable to give me answers that are not direct neural impulses - the truth."

Another syringe found home, this one injecting a small amount of adrenaline into the prisoner's body.

" And now you have the strength to tell me..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The Rascal King dropped out of hyperspace with ease over Thyferra, and Lok s'Ilancy grimaced to herself as she stood behind the pilot's chair in which MMU now sat - directing himself through space towards the planet that housed the capitol of the Imperial Sovereignty. Hard-edged metallic eyes glared out at the world below, and the Lupine took in a breath. She come back to Yag'Dhul for a short vacation... only to recieve the news of what'd happened to Fa'Rawn Lin during an accidental skirmish with Desaria's Imperials.

Hyda had asked her to go, since she knew the Grand Admiral, and she'd agreed without a second thought. To her, what was happening now was a serious breach of Desaria's word six months ago - when she and Hyde conceded to allow the platform to rest on the edge of the Yag'Dhul system. And whether the Imperial knew it or not, she planned to put a stop to it.

The last thing she wanted was for Terrisz'Voss technology to be dropped into Imperial hands - either willingly or otherwise. At the moment, she was acting fully as Terrisz'Voss' CFO and Ops Director - her entire presence reflected as much. Gone were her normal scruffed, old clothes that she usually wore - the flight boots... instead, she wore a white business suit with an open collared buttonup, and dress shoes on her feet. Even her hair had been pulled back and braided (thanks to MMU). She looked every part the owner of a company.

As the ship angled toward the planet, s'Il let her fingers tap the top of the seat. "MMU," she started, and the avatar looked up at her. "send a comm to the Citadel. If Desaria is there, let him know that the CFO of Terrisz'Voss would like to speak with him. Now."

okee dokee...

[Telan Desaria]

Baron de Nostradaum looked from the specimen atop an operating table and then into the dark recesses of his observation chamber. One glance into the abyss before him, droids trying tirelessly to remove blood, technicians meticulously copying every bit of data, doctors comparing notes, told him he would have more fun there.

But duty called.

" Tell Ms. S'Ilancy she may land on pad 5."

De Nostradaum slumped his shoulders, then nodded to his aide who would stay behind and oversee the continued extraction of information.

The Imperial Chancellor departed for the platform where he would be when this CFO arrived...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The King set down lightly on the designated landing pad, and s'Il was already heading down the ramp as it descended to the tarmac. Shoes clicking sharply on the gangplank before coming into contact with the landing pad, she stopped to take a moment to adjust her suitjacket - it felt funny. Clothes like this always did; which was why she never wore them if she could absolutely help it. She had to admit though, the suit did seem to accentuate her body's curves much more than what she usually wore, and with a ghost of a smirk, she looked up at the figure emerging from the building which was connected to the pad.

The Lupine frowned. It wasn't Desaria.

Brows raised slightly from over the top of her orange tinted sunglasses, s'Il started forward.


set up an attack barrier and get ready to interface with Fa'Rawn's neural link once we get to her. also, be prepared to facilitate a network dive into the imperial mains just in case


of course

[Telan Desaria]

I know this one - one of Desaria's pets. He made her a noble if I remember correctly. Quite the crafty smuggler...I must take care.

Baron de Nostradaum affixed a forced smile to his face. There was a slight pull on his chin, unused to making such a gesture with a neatly trimmed goatee to adjust to. One of his sons, a student of history at the Imperial University's Eriadu Campus had likened him to an elder captain of the ISD Virulence.

As he strode from an opening to the landing pad atop the Citadel's superstrucutre, he was very glad to have a dampening field in affect for a hundred meters around the Inquisitoriate HQ. Bomb trancievers, secret communicators, and other transmittors were useless, saving many a life.

" I am Baron Mikell de Nostradaum, Chancellor of the Empire. How may I help you?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Stopping before the Chancellor, s'Il gave him a neutral stare; starting from his boots all the way up to his face. He had the look of a man used to hiding secrets, and the Lupine pulled in a long breath before reaching a hand up to remove her sunglasses. Staring at de Nostradaum with cool, metallic eyes which seemed to shift from time to time to a more tawny hue, she exhaled evenly.

"I'm here for Fa'Rawn," she started, not bothering to give her name - instead cutting to the heart of the matter, "I trust that you won't try to stall me in any way - though I'm sure you're quite good at that."

[Telan Desaria]

" You'll have to be more specific, we are standing on a building that deals with all aspects of internal security within the Empire."

de Nostradaum could not help but notice the lethality of her glare - as much s he could not help to taunt her. She looked every bit a fiesty woman, and he did enjoy a challange.

" Join me, I will show you around."

Without waiting for reply, he turned to walk back into the Citadel's central spire.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She didn't move.

"Hold up."

Arms crossed, the Lupine levelled a steely gaze at his back.

"You know damn well who and what I'm talking about. I'm here to pick up Fa'Rawn Lin. A dive into your internal networks gave me the basics of what I needed to know - and so now, through simple elimenation processes, I'm here to retrieve Ms. Lin."

The tone in her voice conveyed the fact that she could very well do as she intended to do - after all; Fa'Rawn's own internal hardware only did so much...

... as s'Il's own neural network and hardlines had been so altered and convoluted, that she had to go to the exotics division if she ever needed an upgrade or add-on. Especially after becoming a Lupine, the smuggler had had quite a time with changing - the hardware lining her body unable to fully comply with the transformation. Now though, it'd been fully integrated. When she changed, so did it. It'd been a revolutionary breakthrough for the exotics crew, but since her situation was so different from others, it had never been distributed throughout the company. After all; not many Lupines had cyganic enhancements as it was.

And as much as Fa'Rawn could accomplish with her hardware and its capabilities, s'Il could do more.

Much more.

[Telan Desaria]

The Baron gave a wicked smile from ear to ear, the thought of a hundred guards and twice as many automated defenses trained on her at that very moment. She doubtless knew of the vaunted security the Citadel boasted. That she was so brazen gave the Moff a great deal of glee.

A challange indeed.

Quickly wiping the smile from his face, he returned her steely gaze with one laced only with a politician's cold temperment.

" Any person caught within Imperial borders that refuses to identify themselves is apprehended for security reasons. I am very aware of the treay between our respective governments, but violation thereof is intollerable. We withdrew our agents from Yag'dhul when hostilities ceased. If this person entered the Empire and became belligerent, then she was either incarcerated or executed a civil insurgent.

" Either way, I would have to search the Archives to find out specifically - the Empire is a large place. Come, if you please."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A frown, but s'Il only stepped forward toward him as he waited for her. She knew what had happened after going through both Teeg's and Moroketh's reports. Fa'Rawn had done nothing to incite being brought to this place - nothing at all. That this man had lied through his teeth to her didn't escape her attention, but the Lupine said nothing.

Instead, she followed him inside, her shoes hitting the floor in a staccato beat. s'Il had no intentions of letting him do the search himself; besides - it would give her the chance to stretch the limits of the upgrades she'd been given. When she spoke, her voice was resolute.

"I'll help you look," was all she said. Then, feeding off the pride she could literally smell rolling from him in waves, she continued.

"I'm sure that it would be a daunting task for one, even such as yourself, to search through the files you keep on individuals here. One name in the middle of hundreds - possibly thousands, is undoubtedly a time consuming effort."

[Telan Desaria]

Whether she was playing a tune receptive to the Moff's ears, de Nostradaum was unaware. He did enjoy the flattery, despite the obvious malice it hid.

" You are indeed correct, Miss S'Ilancy. Few realize the task the Inquisitoriate has before it. The Empire has, at last census, over five hundred billion people within its borders. On approximately a tenth, files are kept for security concerns.

" The Electronic Affairs Division, however, employs the best slicers in the galaxy. They have meticulously ordered everything into a searchable database - even to the point where droids an be taken from the pool and fed it directly to interface."

De Nostradaum escorted her into the wide and rather lavish hallways of the central spire, all paid for with bacta-money.

" This Lin, how did she come to be captured by the Empire? Was she trying to infiltrate us on her own???"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The sunglasses had been replaced on her head, but s'Il had pushed them up to her forehead so that they rested comfortably above her eyes. Her surroundings didn't go unnoticed, and her eyes took in periphory glances at best of the opulance that the two passed by. She had to admit - this structure did have a certain grace to it - though it was a grace that she knew held dark secrets. She didn't need a shade hack to tell her that; a simple glance was all that was required.

"Ms. Lin was sent out with a small group to test a new tech addition to her... " how was the best way to describe the dogs anyway? She gave up, using their designated term - "Unmanned Combat Ready Mechs. She and the captain assigned to lead the testing party ran into a small Imperial fleet. The Imperials thought they were escaped pirates, and attacked. Fa'Rawn was only helping to defend the two ships that'd been sent out from Terrisz'Voss for the test runs, and in the skirmish she was captured."

A decidedly sour look crossed the Lupine's features then. "She is far from an infiltrator - she knows better than to do such a thing. Defending herself was what landed her here.

"Nothing but self-defense."

[Telan Desaria]

" Well, there was your problem!" de Nostradaum replied, almost dismissive. " If the Governor or Head of your Research and Development failed to lodge the mission with the commander of our battle station near Yag'dhul, then our ships considered them enemies. That they did not identify themselves or submit to boarding and search is the reason for obvious internment."

The Moff turned a corner and brought the CFO into an antehcmaber at the end of a nearby hall. Before a pair of wide glass double-doors sat exotic ferns and several hand-crafted benches. Between them and another set was a guard and desk.

" The Division of Electronic Affairs."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"There is no problem - or there shouldn't be. We were told our ships would be "under Imperial protection" - by your own Grand Admiral, no less. If those aboard that platform do not know what the flagship of Terrisz'Voss looks like, along with our carriers, then I would think the blame falls sorely on your own shoulders as an Empire."

She sent a neutral look to the guard.

"Of course, the task force that attacked the Kiavedd and the Red Tide was led by an ex-Imperial - an Admiral Kraken if I recall correctly."

She sent a stern gaze up to the man that towered over her, showing no signs whatsoever of being intimidated. "And from what I hear, his overzealousness was qutie the conversation starter - as well as cause for many headaches."

[Telan Desaria]

Baron de Nostradaum gave a slight twitter of his goatee. He clenched his jaw, not enough so his guest could see, but enough to relieve a bit of stress without screaming.

" Wait here, please. The Corporal here will give you a datapad where you can jot down what you know of this woman and I will submit it."

De Nostradaum left the room through the double doors and turned a corner. When he was out of sight and hearing range of the CFO, he removed the comlink from his belt.

" Captain Alss!"

The Moff's adjutant overseeing the dissection of Fa'Rawn replied. " Sir?"

" Get the woman dressed and ready to move. Now!!!"

Before a rebuttal was issued, the device was turned off and re-hooked.

He reappeared around the bend and walked back towards Miss S'Ilancy muttering all the way...

Kracken!!!

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As soon as the Chancellor had disappeared from sight, s'Il was handed a datapad which she silently accepted with a nod of thanks. Reaching up to the back of her neck then, the Lupine grasped a small line connector nestled in her main connection port, pulling a thin, spiderwire out and connecting it with the interface jack on the datapad. Ignoring th guard, she let herself reach out with digital fingers into the small confines of the pads innards.


install wireless shade hack


installing_
_
_
_
installed


good. now access the main console in the room


done

s'Il offered the guard a thin smile as she typed in Fa'Rawn's stats.


i want to know what room Rawns being kept in - and make it snappy


searching_
_
_
_

information layers too dense


run blue 6 infiltration - see if that works.


initiating blue 6_
_
_
_

found her


perfect. retract now and erase shade hack from the datapad
bring the groundplan of the floor shes on and put it on the datapad


relayering information_
done
erasing shade hack now
_
_
_

shade hack deleted
location installed on pad

The Lupine smiled then, unplugging the spiderwire from the datapad as the approaching footsteps of the Chancellor reached her ears. The wire retracted itself back into the port on the back of her neck, and s'Il brought up the map that'd been pulled from the desks memory banks. And as de Nostradaum came into view, she sent him a deceptively cool stare, tossing the datapad to him.

"Take me there."

[Telan Desaria]

The Moff looked at the datapad. A schematic of level 74, superstructure, of the Imperial Citadel was displayed in crossing lines of green and white. De Nostradaum shut his eyes and tossed the pad to the floor where its black display shattered into thousands of filaments on the floor.

" I understand you have the ear of the Grand Admiral. He is a fine man, I admit, and has the Empire's best interests at heart. He is, however, naive. He isn't willing to do what it takes to protect the Empire completely, however."

The Moff snapped his fingers in the air, then turned back towards the CFO.

" I am. In order to do my job, I have to. I must put aside all inhibition to better the Empire. And you, my dear, are now a threat."

A squad of Inquisitoriate guards came around a near corner. They were to a man (though three women were among the 8) tall and lean, replete with a well-developed muscuature and a weapon at their side. As well, they had heavy blaster rifles slung over their shoudlers and vibroblades located at well concealed positions. They were the ruthless and indisputibly elite of the Empire - though very dispised by their Regular Service comrades.

" By accessing those files, you contravened Imperial Security, a crime punishible, of this magnitude, by twenty-five years in a penal colony - if you survive. I don't doubt, that with the Grand Admiral's ear, you could get out of it.

" But not if the Grand Admiral can't hear you."

The squad of guards moved into the glass chamber, the black uniformed Intelligence guard rising to move away, though his pistol was drawn.

" I was willing to give you this Fa'Rawn, but you had to go and be impatient. Tsk tsk. Now you are both internal security risks. I don't know of her case, but yours I do.

" I am truly sorry. However, I have no choice."

The Baron-Moff's gaze took on an enraged haze, but he did not raise his voice. It remained terrifyingly calm. " I will deal with you myself as I deal with all other creatures who dare defy me - and the Empire."

" Take her away..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her brows rose as the guards approached her, and in a blur of motion the two slugthrowers that'd been nestled in the shoulder holster beneath her jacket came out - one pointed at de Nostradaum's head and the other pointed at the cadre of uniformed guards.

She gave the Chancellor a feral grin.

"I would have thought that you of all people would know I have the right and ability to roam your information networks whenever I want. Given that both you and Desaria are of roughly the same clearence levels. I stay out of the Grand Admiral's sensitive files and documents out of respect - unless he gives me express permission, I leave all that well enough alone. It's not my business what he does - just as it's not your business to find out just how our wired bodies tick- " it was a mere guess that de Nostradaum had taken the chance to see if he could see how Fa'Rawn and her hardware functioned, but she figured it wasn't too far from the truth.

"But this is different - when it involves someone from Terrisz'Voss, I tend to take matters into my own hands to get things done.

"You and I both know that you had every intention of giving me as much of a runaround as you could until I finally did what I just did. Tell me, Chancellor," she went on, her eyes melting from their normal metallic hue to a swirling tawny yellow as the skin beneath her suit seemingly rippled.

"... what do your files tell you about me... ?"

[Telan Desaria]

For a man with a pistol pointed at his cranium, he was suprisingly calm. Then again, most Imperial bureaucrats combined calm with arrogance.

" Not enough, only that you would try something like this."

The guards had heavy blaster files pointed at the woman, so he knew she would not pull the triggers. if she did, she would be cut down in a flurry of fire.

" Fa'Rawn is being held in the building, but she is under arrest. Admiral Kracken had no right to apprehend her, and for several like episdoes, he was...punished. However, that you are so adimant to have her back tells me there is something we should know and are close to discovering.

" When we have ascertained what that is, you may have her back. Not before."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She wasn't so dumb as to shoot the man, but she did, at times, walk a thin line when it came to bluffing, in a sense. And she walked that line now.

With deliberate calm, s'Il clicked the safeties of both firearms off. "I'm adamant about protecting my own - just as you would no doubt be as well. That it seems you feel the need to cut one of my people open to find out how the fusion between man and machine operates is a direct breach of the agreement reached between the Grand Admiral, Mr. Hyde, and myself.

"Now. Take me to her. And if you don't tell me everything she'd gone through before I got here, then your computers will.

"And trust me - if it comes to that, then your precious databases will be irreparable by the time I pull myself out."

[Telan Desaria]

" I doubt that," Nostradaum spat. " We have an external database that operates independently so that should one be corrupted somehow, we are with a reserve. My dear S'Ilancy, we are not as stupid as you think. And as far as your Rawn is concerned, she has been thoroughly debreifed as to the workings of her cybernetic implants.

" She is by definition, an insurgent now, however. The minute you drew your weapon and included her name, she became an accomplice. And now is arrested under Imperial Law. If you disrespect that,, then YOU destroy the agreement between us."

" You should not match wits with a Moff, young lady."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

What he said was complete outrage, and the Lupine let out a growl from her throat that was not possible as coming from a human - or at least from a woman who appeared human.

"So you did take her apart," she snarled, now pointing both slugthrowers at the Chancellor momentarily before returning it to the guards. "I'd say you broke the trust first, Sir - "

Her eyes glinted dangerously, and she seemed to tense her body as a tendon twinged in her neck, seemingly displacing itself over bone as it fell into a new form; the Lupine was holding her change at bay... for now...

" - and that negates anything I could have ever tried to do after the fact. Don't think I know nothing of how you and you ilk run things. I'm not stupid. I can do things Fa'Rawn can only dream of doing.


activate remote link connection
shut down the security cameras in this room and shut off all video feed running into the security guards desk


remote uplink successful
shutting down power to security cameras and switching off direct surveillance lines coming into the room

And in less than a second all life from the monitors resting in the guards desk blinked off.

"I will do much more than just turn off your security cameras and surveillance feeds if you don't give me who I came for and let us leave.

"You're holding the smoking gun, de Nostradaum. And you know it."

[Telan Desaria]

" ha!"

De Nostradaum let out a haughty laugh as he watched the Intelligence guard jump towards his desk.

" You should know you are standing outside of the hub of all cybertronic activity within the Empire."

There were several officers, all in Inquisitoriate red, though looking ill at ease in their gard, staring through the second set of glass. They were the elite of the slicing community within the Empire. One nod of the Moff's head sent three of them running back to their terminals.

Keys were struck with a ferocious roar, toggles were toggled, and displays flickered from one image to another. The slicers were doing what they were good at.

" You will find your link most painful to maintain."

Nostradaum smiled as the techs inside fiddled with the range of a static feedback they had created with her invisible link. It was in fact not painful, but if she continued on her frequency, would grow from a budding headache to an unbearable migrane.

" You will get Fa'Rawn. When we are done. have a seat and wait."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I will not wait," the Lupine countered, the growl growing into a vicious snarl as she swiftly cut off her remote access into the outer edges of the Imperial systems.

"You will take me to her now."

A tendon on the other side of her neck also popped out of place, and her hand holding the gun trained on de Nostradaum very visibly began to change - yet the change was subtle and localized - it was a new technique s'Il had been working on - changing only certain parts of her body. Fingers still gripped the handle, but it was easily apparent that they were morphing - the bones shifting and muscles changing to a much sturdier, much stronger form as her fingernails seemed to recess into the tips of her fingers while at the same time growing to sharp points.

"I will not stand by and let you poke your nose into internal affairs that do not concern you," she finished, the growl now apparent and gutteral - a far cry from the silky voice with which she'd spoken with earlier.

[Telan Desaria]

There was little de Nostradaum could do. In fact, to see a small portion of the person before him terrified him.

The time for action was now.

With an uncanny speed, de Nostradaum lept. He passed the row of guards and into the hallway. There he fell into a pile, hearing the painful sound as bones snapped to pieces. A rather sizeable contingent of guards had amassed outside the partion between corridor and division, to which the Moff yelled: "flood that compartment with aneurine gas!"

The command was executed, the guards still standing at their inbreakable attention, and a yellowish gas began filling the room. Their attention slipped into a rough parade rest, and then they too fell in piles to the floor.

So too did S'Ilancy.

Go and tell Desaria now!

" Get Fa'Rawn," he yelled to an aide who had arrived. " This should give us an hour. Finish what we can and get these two off my planet!!!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She felt herself fall, felt the gas as it filled her nostrils, and the Lupine flung her slugthrowers away as she fell to her knees. She coughed, then dry heaved as her body fought the effects of the drug flooding the room.

And then she changed completely, her body better able to handle the gas while in vorsnkr form. She tore her jacket off, her shoes following soon after as she struggled to pull off the button-up she wore. Her body morphed, her head narrowing and ears elongating as teeth grew to sharp fangs. Joints dislocated and bones formed into a new skeletal structure over which shifting muscles and tendons replaced themselves. A long, whiplike tail grew from the bottom of her spinal chord, and a sheen of glistening silver fur grew like wildfire over her body. Even the hardware lining her body had changed with her. The Lupine got unsteadily to her feet, wheezing before bunching newly reformed muscles and surging for the glass door that the Chancellor had gone through.

Yellow orbs radiated utter hate as her bulk tore through the haze of the room.

With a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the walls of the citadel, the vornskr threw herself at the door, her form materializing out of the gas right before de Nostradaum like a wraith in the night before slamming into the glass.

With murderous intent she glared at the Chancellor as he sat on the floor where he'd fallen.

But her body was still losing the battle against the gas, and even with her hightened metabolism and healing abilities, it was easy to see the drug was taking its toll on her.

She faltered slightly, her head dipping before her entire bulk thundered to the floor.

But still, she kept her eyes on de Nostradaum until she could no longer fight back.

And then the world went black.

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

All the while that, unknown to Fa'Rawn, s'Il had been in de Nostradaum's company, Rawn had fought doggedly against the truth serum she'd been given. At the initial slowdown of her hardware, she executed a command to have her speech functions muted - or at least to have the part of her frontal lobe that controlled speach numbed for the time being. hopefully that by the time the serum to kick in to full strength, she wouldn't be able to talk. As slow as the Empires machines were making her relays, the one bright spot to the whole thing was that the internal hardware was based off of nerve impulses - and therefore functioned almost solely as such. True, the progress was slow, but she knew it hadn't become as slow as the Imperial standing over her had said.

And with the shot of adreneline, it only helped her situation.

She felt it run through her body, bring her into a more conscious and aware state of mind. Unfortunately, it also heightened the pain she felt, and Rawn sucked in a breath.

She heard the officer's first questions, and at first clamped her mouth shut, unwilling to say anything. But as the drug wound its way through her body, it became increasingly harder to resist. Each time a new question came, she found herself beginning to tell more and more. At first the questions were simple - where was she born, what was her name, what was her favorite color - but soon the queries delved deeper; what do you do for Terrisz'Voss, what is a "dog", and even a question about Hyde had been thrown in.

And then came the first question about her neural hardware, and involuntarily, Fa'Rawn stiffened her body as it lay strapped to the table.

"It... it's a - "

And then she felt it - the relay had finally made it to her frontal lobe, and her voice immediately gave out; as if she'd never been born with the ability to speak in the first place.

Through the haze of drugs and pain, Fa'Rawn glared up at the officer, a new sense of defiance glinting in her eyes.

[Telan Desaria]

The Officer gave F'Rawn a feral stare, rage bubbling to the surface. Her will would snap, he knew, if he could only be given more time. However, he had just dismissed a yeoman bearing orders from the Grand Moff himself ordering his prisoner's release and repair - in the opposite order.

Spotless teeth flashing, the Intelligence Officer lowered his head to the naked female's ear.

" It appears you've been reprieved. But not to worry, we shall meet again."

With a snap of his fingers, the doctors moved closer to begin repairing his prey...

[Fa'Rawn Lin]

A small sense of elation filled her then, and Fa'Rawn let out a long-held-in breath. She was still blind, but the feeling that she would soon be free welled up within her. Hyde had sent someone, and whoever it was, they'd been able to get her out - out of hell.

She looked away from the voice as he spoke, lips curling over her teeth in a smile of elation. The smile died though, as his last words reached her ears, and she shook her head in defiance, screwing her eyes closed. The anesthetic was wearing off however, and she couldn't help the sudden intake of air that followed as the doctors began putting her back together.

[Telan Desaria]

Moff de Nostradaum looked down at the wounded form of Silancy, de facto attache of Teris'Voss. She lay there, reverted to her human form, every bit a beautiful woman whose outward facade belied a very violent temperment and ignorant sense of galactic priority.

There came a flinch of pain to the Moff's face, one nerve ending obviously unaffected by the copious amounts of anethestic he received. Two FX droids worked feverishly as they healed his wounds. On a chair he sat, adamant in his refusal to be moved. An entire level of the Citadel had been cleared as the droids applied Bacta-salve patches to protect not only the Citadel, but the Moff's pride as sosme suspected.

Advisors warned the gas would be useless in an hour, so he had more pumped in. The haze refused to dissipate, so Electronic Affairs and its immediately dark recesses were hidden.

That this S'Ilancy had arrived to rescue someone as low on the command hierarchy as Fa'Rawn Lin gave the Imperials hint of her hidden secrets. Information taken thus far would prove invaluable to producing cybernetic or fully mechanical soldiers. One thing was certain - the Empire relied on tactical skill and martial proficiency where Balmorra had replacable legions of droids, the Federacy undaunted and unheardof technology. Without some balance, the Empire's war machine would be killed not by an enemy, but by space and time.

S'Ilancy could not see that, she could that see that sacrifices had to be made, that extreme needed to be reached. She was an individual with little sense of the bigger picture. Fa'Rawn was like-minded, refusing staunchly to reveal her workings. Little did they know that the inconveniences the Empire imposed were a thousand-fold less than those the Republic would demand.

De Nostradaum sighed as the wall-chrono struck fifteen. Fa'Rawn was almost completed with her repairs and given the oxygen being administered to the sealed chamber, now reinforced, Silancy would soon regain consciousness. De Nostradaum wanted them gone before then - he would have his way another day...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Sometimes it was a good thing being a Lupine. Injuries were healed in the span of minutes depending on their severity, and many substances, such as drugs and gas, while having an effect, often didn't last as long as they did on normal human bodies. As well, immunities were built up much quicker.

She opened a single eye just a slit, looking up to the form of de Nostradaum as he stared down at her. Her chest heaved then, and her hand came up, palm to the glass door that seperated the two. It slid down a little, fingers curling inward just a bit, and with painfully slow movements - even with a heightened metabolism, recovering was still a bothersome thing and just a little draining at times - the Lupine rose to her knees.

Lifting her head, she locked eyes with the Chancellor as he sat... and in the depths of her irises could be seen a sense of determination coupled with exhaustion.

[Telan Desaria]

Time passed far too quickly as the female representative of Tersiss Voss grew more and more conscious. Copious amounts of gas were being pumped into the room, its temperature, freuquency, and other variables randomized to slow what appeared to be adaptation.

Moff de Nostradaum sighed with relief as four Inquisitoriate guardsmen arrived and flanked him, assault weapons at the ready. A phalanx of six more strode behind him followed by a quartet of Intelligence officers in lab coats hauling a gurney. Eight more guards brought up the rear.

Repair and successfully anesthetized was Fa'Rawn who lay naked under a thin blanket. An arm that only hours before had its contents bare for all to see was covered by a thick bacta patch. A droid followed close behind the gurney looking quite out of place among the dour-faced soldiers as it broadcast a very intense scrambling field.

De Nostradaum clasped his hands behind his back, twinging in pain as repairing bone struck together.

" One down....Sergeant! Ready your stunners!"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her body seemed to assimilate all that was surrounding it, and the Lupine breathed deep, looking over the tops of her eyes at de Nostradaum and the activities that were going on in the room before her. s'Il palm left the glass seperating her and those in front of her, and she seemed to sag, her head dipping and metallic eyes closing in fatigue.

It took alot out of her whenever her metabolism was kicked into overdrive, repairing her body. Shoulders slumped, the Lupine let out a long breath, remaining for the most part unmoving.

At the moment, she had no energy to fight anything - that would me for the future.

She only hoped she'd not be taken in Fa'Rawn's place, substituted as a much more exotic "specimen".

[Telan Desaria]

The command 'fire' was heard echoing through the corridor as de Nostradaum drew his pistol. Six Inquisitoriate troopers wielding Sten guns held firm as a pair of double doors separated with a whoosh. Before the energy-drained Lupine could react a sustained volley of blue light penetrated the smokey haze bound the humanoid-animal.

The stun energy hammered itself home, shot after shot draining consciousness from S'Ilancy. The Moff was believed to be laughing with glee as his foe was reduced to a hulk of flesh.

For all of a minute the cannonade lasted, more than enough to down the transformed female. The Guards moved in and dragged her behind the advance party carting Fa'Rawn.

Beyond the walls the procession marched - though it appeared to the eyes watching the view of a force in route.


Marshal Prem, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, sat with hands folded in his lap on his private shuttle. He enjoyed the perks of office and so ordered his pilot to go towards Command and Control low over the Citadel. From the viewport he watched various Intelligence officers runing towards a shuttle in no manner of discipline or order.

Prem gave a vindictive laugh.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The only thought running through her mind before being fired upon were that of a raging anger to unleash up Desaria - that he would even dare let this happen after he gave his word! But, such thoughts were soon drowned out in a volley of stunfire, and s'Il jerked back a little, the look in her eyes one of surprise - she'd not made a move to attack at all, but the fact that her body was being pummeled with stun blasts apparently showed that these men were not going to take any chances.

As she slumped forward, unconscious, her last lingering thoughts were on the nagging voice in her mind that questioned whether or not she'd been able to succeed at all - or simply set herself down in a hive of Imperial butchers who called themselves scientists.

[Telan Desaria]

Marshal Prem sat before his desk. More specifically, the desk in his Xucphra City office. Most of the time the slowly-thinning Marshal spent days on end at High Command on the tropical Isle of Orrl, picturesque and calm.

The Marshal shuffled through some flimsiplasts sprawled across his work space. One was a released memo from the Prefect of Yag'dhul noting a complaint on the disappearence of a person from Governor Hyde. Giving the memo a quick glance he saw the coporate seal at the bottom.

An angle with downswept-wings sat stern-faced upon a red glowing sun. The image was not uncommon but singular in its complexity. Rumor among analysts went that it was composed by monocular droids. Prem was about to place it aside when he remembered seeing the image somewhere else.

The Imperial Citadel and a shuttle landed thereon.

How sloppy Prem grumbled as he keyed his commlink.

The seal of the Empire flashed before the bridge of the SSD Intimidator was visible. " I'm sorry to bother you Telan, but..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It was strange, how when your body is unresponsive your mind seems to be at its strongest, twisting mental images and sometimes bringing the past to life. It was at these times that s'Il couldn't help but sit back and watch the show her subconscious decided to play for her.At times it was boring, but at others, it was utterly terrifying.

Thankfully her mental demons had chosen to not harass her at this point, and the Lupine was relegated to watching the events of the previous hours from the third person - at least what she remembered - sometimes it was amazing what the mind could record.

She watched herself, de Nostradaum, everything from her mind's eye's perspective - disembodied as it were, standing off to the side. Her features remained calm, but her blood was not, as she watched the events that had transpired being played through once more.

[Telan Desaria]

" No bother at all, Marshal. The Fleet will not depart for another six hours. I am looking forward to breaking in these new Guilds during maneuvers."

Marshal Prem wore a sour expression to unaccostumed to his face. For an aged officer almost always seen wearing a smile or grin, the quintessential uncle, the view to Grand Admiral Desaria set off many a warning flare.

" I am afraid I call on business. I overflew the Citadel on my way to CentCom. A shuttle was landed on their pad with a TV emblem."

" We don't have any envoys here - we'd know about it," the Grand Admiral replied.

Prem pursed his lips. " There was a disappearence of a TV company officer - "

" Fa'Rawn Lin," Desaria finished. " She was caught and intercepted by an Imperial detachment and brough to Thyferra for debriefing."

" Apparently not so painless. Admiral Kracken had a go with some TV ships near Yag Dhul and dumped her here before disappearing."

" Damn it! If I would have known her capture was not legitimate..."

Prem silenced his friend before he considered his honour besmirched. " I know. Intelligence does not play by the rules, however."

" Get over there, Felix. Get them back before they do anything rash..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Lights. Passing by from outside of her closed eyelids.

She'd been out for god knew how long, and s'Il didn't like it. At all. She fought at the mental dredges that held her down, kept her powerless as she was being dragged through hallways and corridors behind the gurney that was transporting Fa'Rawn.

Nothing did any good however, and the Lupine quieted her iner turmoils, settling herself within the confines of her subconcious as best as she could. Her eyes however, did open, though only slitted, to watch the passing lightpanels that ran across the ceiling. Their illumination burned at her barely exposed retinas though, and she once more closed her eyes, falling back into the comfort of her mind and her head drooped lower as she was pulled down the corridor to who knew where.

[Telan Desaria]

Throught Xucphra City moved a very angry and very hostile Marshal Felix Prem. Behind his personal shuttle were two Sentinel-class craft carrying eighty Army soldiers as something of a bargaining chip. He did not think a confrontation beyond words could occur between Imperials, and while he acknowledged the need for Intelligence's dirty deeds, he could not abide by their use. If there was no knowledge to be obtained, then there could be no complaints.

Intelligence had made a mistake, and the regulars were coming to correct it.

Before the convoy reached the gates of the Citadel's drive winding up the Minaari Mountains, a grey hulled vessel wtih an angel-emblem disappeared into the atmosphere.

S'Ilancy and Fa'Rawn, unconscious and dazed, we bound for Yag'dhul on a droid-piloted shuttle...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She came to on the cold steel of a shuttle deck. In less than three seconds she knew it wasn't her own ship - the King was still on Thyferra...

The Lupine rolled to her side and retched then, feeling the effects of the multiple stun blasts wash over her body. She hated being shot. Always made her sick to her stomach. Always. On hands and knees, s'Il dry heaved, her exposed back spasming with her exertions before her entire body became still. With a deep breath, she leaned up, looking to the roof of the craft with still-milky eyes, glassed over somewhat with trying to overcome the effects of being stunned so repeatedly.

With a groan, she lifted herself up, a blind hand reaching out to catch the bulkhead and pull herself upwards. A look to her left showed that Fa'Rawn was still with her, though the girl was very much sedated - it was easy to tell. It seemed the Imperials had been a little kinder to her in that they'd nestled her thin frame in the bunk towards the back. s'Il let out a reassured breath that only lasted a moment before stumbling forward.

Heading for the cockpit, she spotted the droid who'd been designated to take them anywhere other than Thyferra. Footfalls as quiet as she could manage, the Lupine stepped forward, her hands reaching out to grasp the automaton by its head, and with a sickening wrench, she used almost the last of her still recovering strength to twist it completely around. The droid slumped across the console then, and with a gaze out the viewport, her eyes took in the blackness of space and the Star Destroyer off to the right. s'Il steadied herself with both hands to the dashboard, but her legs were still untrustworthy, and she fell to her knees as a hand reached out, fingers smashing the commbutton.

Resting her cheek on the console, she ran her fingers over the keys, opening a transmission specifically to the Imperial ship, and with a tired voice, she spoke.

"Telan, you better gawd-damn have a good reason for this crap... "

[Telan Desaria]

Grand Admiral Desaria heard the audio-only transmission over the Imperial HoloNet and sighed; in his chest beat a heavy heart. To answer her he had to admit promoting a rogue officer - and be default, betraying his word.

" Duchess. I assume full and complete responsbility for what has occurred. Your ship, the Rascal King, is en route behind you. It is being towed, as I knew you did not want your avatar fighting with Imperial flight-drones.

" I am the Imperial Suprme Commander, and I hope your friend. We had words over Yag'dhul but that was business for us both. I ask you to accept my apology for whatever has happened."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Fine," came the grumbled answer - she figured Desaria didn't know what'd really happened. Of course neither did she, but Fa'Rawn dd. And that was all that mattered, "I forgive you.

"But... "

It seemed that as fast as her body was healing itself, the effects were still draining.

"... a little help, if you don't mind," was all that she could finish with before falling back to lay dazed on the deck of the shuttle, blinking up at the ceiling as a heavy breath overtook her.

And blissful darkness.

[Telan Desaria]

" Frell - "

The Grand Admiral stormed from his office and onto the bridge, a stunned Captain Voltaire falling in behind him.

" Colonel Varr" Desaria yelled to the flight commander aboard the flagship " Deploy a shuttle with some medics. Bring that ship into the launch bay. Captain, change course. We will depart for Yag'dhul as soon as she is aboard."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Gawd I wish I was drunk right now.

The thought had entered her mind completely unbidden, and at first she shook her head to herself - then she thought more about it.

The idea wasn't really a bad one, and the Lupine found herself agreeing more with that little voice in the back of her head. Her neural hardware was in overdrive, doing its best to help her metabolism combat the effects that were plaguing her body, but the damage wouldn't be fixed for a while.

De Nostradaum had made sure of that when ordering countless officers to open fire on her. Repeatedly.

[Telan Desaria]

The lupine Loklorien S'Ilancy was quickly ushered to the main medical lounge where some of the best doctors in the Empire were stationed. Around her they buzzed, running tests and recording green numbers as they scrolled across LED displays.

Just across the room was another female, little known companion of the Thyferran Duchess. Doctors and technicians swarmed around her as well, wearing white labcoats but polished jackboots. All were officers, and all were members of the Armed Services. The health of their patient came first to these men.

Watching all was Grand Admiral Desaria, seated above the chamber in a reviewing booth used to teahc during experimental sugeries. The room was white as were most hospitals, but various colours made their presence known in either instruments, displays, or clothes.

Voltaire had joined him as had two yeoman who forwarded all news from the bridge as the SSD hurdled through space.

I wonder what happened...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She came awake in a blur of movement, thinking that her nightmares of once more being sent to an experimentation chamber had come true. And it was because of this that she lashed out, one hand closing around the throat of the technician standing over her while another jabbed out to her right, catching another man in his sternum and sending him reeling back with suddenly new breathing problems.

The realization of where she was however set in soon after, and she instantly calmed her frayed nerves. She'd recognized a few of these men from passing them while visiting the Grand Admiral on business, and she pulled her hand from the doctor's neck The Lupine remembered sharing a drink with him back when she'd first requested asylum from Desaria. "Sorry Rainer... " she offered tiredly, giving him an exhausted yet sheepish look.

[Telan Desaria]

" She has awoken, your Excellency."

The Grand Admiral nodded and stood, motioning his flag captain to remain behind. The number of doctors below had lessened, but he did not want th duchess to undergo too much more stress.

When the Grand Admiral arrived in the room, his descent down a flight of strais brisk, his uniform blended in with the surroundings.

After moving over to her bed, the Baron leaned in over the comforter-covered Duchess, attached to a dozen different monitors. " What happened?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She looked up at him through metallic eyes that were slowly starting to regain their edge. She did her best to sit up, grumbling the entire time. "Your monkeyboy de Nostradaum is what happened," she started, "He gave me the runaraund before having me locked in a room full of knockout gas and shot to all seven hells eight times over."

Still struggling to remain upright on her elbows, she nodded to the still unconscious Fa'Rawn. "She's the one you're going to want to apologize to the most though.

"Now. Get me a datapad. I downloaded a few things you'll want to see."

[Telan Desaria]

" De Nostradaum? He's the Imperial Chancellor! He will have been at the Civil Administration Building all day!!!"

Desaria shook his head, but took a blank datapad from under her bed anyway.

" You must be mistake. And what did Intelligence do???"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Reaching a hand back, she pulled the length of spiderwire from the main port at the back of her neck, and situating herself more comfortably, plugged the line into the datapad. As her feed was processed and transferred to the pad, the information began to scrawl across the screen in crisp illuminated green letters and numbers.

With a quick movement, the Lupine reached out, grasping Desaria by the neckline of his uniform and pulling him down to her level so he could read what was scrolling across the screen. reports detailing the dissection of Fa'Rawn Lin - without anesthetic.

"This, is what your vaunted Intelligence did, Grand Admiral Desaria," she hissed, her fingers like a vice as she held him still.

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral let his eyes wander, each orb taking in terrabytes of data as he read in wretched detail the memoirs of a tortured soul. Officers - OFFICERS - in the uniform of the Imperial Intelligence Service had put a civilian through the most horrid display of inhumanity Desaria had ever witnessed.

Pulling back, the Admiral forced S'Ilancy to released his collar by the force of his shock. He stood there, in full disbelief, as his face changed hue to match his tunic...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Just a little startled, s'Il looked up to the Grand Admiral as more information continued to scroll across the pad's screen. While her gaze was still hard, it was easy to see that Desaria hadn't expected to see what was being displayed before him, and s'Il allowed a small amount of understanding to the man.

She inhaled slowly, cutting the feed and thumbing the datapad off, still looking up at him.

"Your people were trying to steal Terrisz'Voss technology, Telan," she started with a level voice, "and as far as I can remember, this goes against the word you gave me.

"If I had a day in the mainframe there, I'd be able to find out just how much they stole."

She tossed the pad to the foot of the bed. "Let me dive in there and get rid of it. Please."

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria quickly regained his composure. Eerily, as he thought a moment, every time he had come from behind a mask of strength and fortitude, S'Ilancy was involved. She had the most remarkable ability to cow him, something emperors and admirals had never been able to. He filed the thought for later use - or retrospection.

" You know that the Imperial Military has no control over the Inquisitoriate. They are directly controlled by the Grand Inquisitor who answers to the regent - or Chancellor in lieu thereof. I am the Supreme Commander of the military. I delegated responsbility for overall leadership a long time ago because I am not a politician.

" However, I would not be opposed to you being given access to one of our terminals. As a matter of honour, I demand it. This is a ship of war, and under jurisdiction."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A sigh. In the back of her mind she wasn't so sure he'd allow her to even touch his computers, but with this aquiesence, s'Il leaned back once more, closing her eyes. It would only take her a day at the most, but the Lupine had a feeling the de Nostradaum had made copies - hiding them in backdoors and subprograms like a schoolkid hiding porn on his parents computer.

But still, the Grand Admiral had granted her access, and s'Il was eternally grateful. Terrisz'Voss desired to remain private in all of its functions and capabilities, and in order to ensure that, she would have to very literally mindrape the mainframe.

Metallic eyes opened, and she reached out, giving his arm a slight pat. Her voice was gentle when she spoke, much different than the harsh and accusatory tones of before.

"Thank you."

[Telan Desaria]

" I consider you a friend, Madame, but I must caution you. The Inquisitoriate has at its terminals the best slicers in the galaxy. And I know of a back up system located somewhere completely isolated from the primary network - there is no way of erasing it without being next to it. As well, they have in place countermeasures that can kill you - instantly.

"Lupine or not..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

His warning was expected, and s'Il only nodded. She figured that those in this 'Inquisitoriate', as Desaria had called it, would be as such.

"I'm not going to purge all of its files - only the ones that have to do with what was taken from Fa'Rawn," she nodded at the unconscious woman across the room. "You know I would never maliciously attack your systems at any point in time - despite what you think I do respect you.

"And besides. As far as countermeasures go, I have no intentions of being anywhere near that place.

"Not without you."

Eyes closing once more, the Lupine expelled a long breath before beginning to rise.

[Telan Desaria]

" You tread a thin line, Madame Duchess. I think you have me confused. You can delete every file they stole or made on the issue - and there would remain duplicates of everyone in a contained building without electornic access from any other point. Data is downloaded from the Imperial mainframe every hour and moved physically in a droid's memory seventy kilometers.

" On top of that, I only know it is in the Corridor Sector. It is considered an Inquisitoriate facility. I do not doubt that if you crossed them, I would never even learn of an abduction before you were disembowled and served for supper."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

An idea was creeping into the back of her mind - and s'Il reached for her right arm, beginning to pull the monitoring plugs that littered its length, connecting her to a machine that watched over herinternal workings.

"I've got an idea.

"Trust me."

[Telan Desaria]

" You will be out of access withour system until we reach our destination. From there, I do not doubt you will - - handle - - the indiscretion of our Intelligence services."

" We are en route for Yag'dhul, by the way."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"No no, take us back. We need to go back to Thyferra."

Wrapping the comforter around her slight frame, the Lupine slid from the bad, her mind lightyears away.

"And I need your help.

"We're going shopping."

[Telan Desaria]

Desaria pursed his lips and smiled.

" Fa'Rawn was, despite the officer's incompetence, intercepted inside Imperial territory. I intend to redeem our honour by delivering her to safety outside of it. And you will get some rest, Duchess. I will be back when you have."

With that, the Grand Admiral departed, a stricken but still wounded female looked bemushed behind him.