Destinies: Hunting Party

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"You are cleared for docking at bay 297, Athena. Enjoy your visit to Duros." The bland voice that came over the comm ended, and De'Ville confirmed the docking bay. Switching off the comm, she sat back in the padded seat of the space yacht Athena, and flew closer to the gigantic domed space station that floated above the surface of the planet Duros.

Much like Ithor, the Duros did not live on their planet's surface, but unlike the enviromentalist's dream that existed on Ithor, the surface of the planet Duros was too polluted for living on. Or near. So the green skinned Duros had left their planet, building huge space stations that held places around the equator of the planet. There were quite a few of them - as she piloted towards one, De'Ville could see one in the distance, and knew there was one visible behind her.

She'd never been here before, but it was no vacation that brought her here. Lilaena initiated docking procedures, and as the airlock extended to kiss Athena's hull, she pushed away from the console and made her way into the living area of the yacht.

There were two cabins, and she opened the door of the nearest one, revealing blue walls and toys scattered about. On the bunk, a small boy was sleeping, a stuffed Ewok toy snugged up next to him. The Dark Jedi knelt beside the bed, lightly tousling his sandy hair. "Jax... It's time to wake up."

He was so perfect. Smart, and funny too, coming up with witticisms she hadn't thought five year olds were capable of. After she'd convinced him that she was taking him on vacation and that his Father was okay with it, he'd settled down quite a bit. It seemed every other question was one about why she didn't live with them, but she tried to keep answering... without losing her temper. "C'mon baby, let's get up, we're here."

[Jax Ivanrue Tondry]

He yawned, and turned over, his eyes opening and settling on his mother's face. "Mommy..." Jax smiled, but closed his eyes again, snuggling into the warm bunk.

Then his eyes popped open. "We're here!?"

Mommy smiled, "Yes, Jax, we are here. Come, we need to hurry to get a hotel."

"Okay!" Jax had never been to a space station before...that he could remember, and so was excited about visiting Duros with his Mommy. She said that Daddy had said it was okay, and he couldn't remember now why he'd been so upset when she'd come to get him. It was all very fuzzy until they'd been in this ship.

Jax popped out from under the covers, and ran across the room for where his clothes were at. They were all new, and most of them fit him, although there was a drawer of clothes that were all too small, and one that was full of clothes that were too big. Mommy laughed and helped him pull on a shirt. After he was all dressed, she brushed his hair (he loved it when Mommy brushed his hair), and took him by the hand.

"Okay, let's go see Duros!" Mommy laughed as he pulled her out of the room and towards the air lock. Jax was hopping up and down with excitement, and Mommy was smiling.

She didn't smile a lot, but she always smiled when she looked at him. Jax liked making Mommy smile.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The ship was secured, under the name listed on the registration, "Grenna Solo," although when asked about where she'd flown in from, she said Corellia. It was impossible to change Jax's name, he wouldn't understand, but Jax wasn't too unusual a name for it to stand out if overheard.

And he only called her Mommy, which made it easier.

He was standing quietly, face pressed against a thick, transparisteel window. Through it he could see open space, and the other freighters and ships approaching the station. De'Ville tugged him away from the viewport. "Time to get a bed or two."

She hadn't called in reservations to a hotel. She was planning on staying here a month, and then quietly returning to Onderon with Jax to live. He'd like Onderon - after the city planet of Coruscant, a whole planet with just one small city on it would be fascinating to him. At least, she hoped so. And she'd have him, and he'd have her.

He'd miss Pierce, she supposed, as they got into a taxi, heading towards some apartments the driver knew of. But eventually he'd understand.

Jax oohed and ahhed at the window, pointing at speeders and ground trains as they passed. The station was a huge, domed thing, and how it operated was beyond Lilaena's knowledge. That it did work was evident, and it would be one of the last places Pierce would suspect.

Ithor, certainly. It had been a sentimental place for them, and where Tondry had learned that he was going to be a father. But not Duros. Lilaena tugged Jax away from the window, and hugged him to her as the taxi slowed. "Look, here we are."

And... by the next day they were comfortably settled. There was a shopping mall nearby, and she'd taken Jax with her to grocery shop. He'd been very quiet that night, and was still silent this next morning. De'Ville had pressed him, and Jax had only expressed a desire for his Daddy.

Lilaena had distracted him with a toy speeder, and was now in her room contacting Silus Xilarian back on Onderon.

"Everything go okay?" He sounded fuzzy, probably due to a bad connection - or maybe he was hungover.

"Yeah, the trip was fine. Long, but what can you do?"

He chuckled, "Use the Force?"

"Ha, ha, yeah, I will turn back time with the Force. Seriously though, we are here. Duros is...strange, but it serves it's purpose."

"Well, Lilaena, take care of yourself. I'm going-" the connection was flung into static, "-the time you get back, hint hint." Silus was still chuckling.

She glared at her commlink, and ended the conversation. "This connection is bad. Try me again in a week, as planned."

"Certainly!" There was a bit more of nonsense between them before the conversation really ended, but as it did, Lilaena tucked the commlink into hre suitcase, and went to check on her son.

[Darth Vader]

The probe droid near LD's hotel piggybacked into the transmission easily, magnifying the signal and beaming into the blackness of space...


...meanwhile, aboard the Star Destroyer Maleficant...

"You have a signal?"

Vader paced across the command deck of the bridge like a living Sword of Damocles. The Corellian Lieutenant below him redoubled his nerve, and nodded.

"Yes m'lord. Its a weak signal at this range, however. Our codemaster is repairing the broadcast integrity right now."

"Has anything been recovered currently?" The Dark Lord pushed with his impatience.

"I can play what we have now." the Lieutenant offered, and quickly coordinated with the communications codemaster under his watch.

"It's coming through now..."


"Well, Lilaena, take care of yourself. I'm going-" the connection was flung into static, "-the ti"

Vader didn't wait a moment further.

"Contact Corellia immediately, and dispatch it to my meditation chamber. Prepare to alter course for Duros."

The Dark Lord whirled on a boot heel, striding off deck with dark intent.

[Lady Vader]

The sun had already dipped beyond the horizon on Coronet, splashing the city and it's surrounding land in washes of oranges and pinks. As the stars began to be visible in the darkening sky, LV was coming back into the TSo Palace after her walk in the garden. She'd had a long talk with Shenraun about many a thing... but mostly about her husband and his condition.

She moved slowly through the darkened marble coridors, the fire from the torches making the shadows dance and twist. Iesis followed LV silently at an even slower pace, lazily placing one paw in front of the other. It was the end of the day, and like most creatures on this part of the planet, it meant the sleeping cycle for the night would start.

She just stepped out of the turbolift and was heading for her room, when her comm beeped. She picked it up and opened the freakency. There was a momentary shattering before a non-descript computerized female voice spoke over the comm.

ACCESSING ENCRIPTION CODES, LEVEL ALPHA

LV stopped in the hallway, letting the small comm unit encript the message. Level Alpha was usually reserved for very high security transmissions. It made her wonder what the message could possibly be.

Finally having aquired the correct encription, LV spoke into the small comm device.

"Lady Vader here."

[Darth Vader]

"I have tracked down the renegade De'Ville to the planet Duros."

Vader was short and to the point.

[Lady Vader]

LV was all ears.

"De'Ville?"

LV had to contain her sudden burst of rage at the woman while at the same time snearing like a predator after it's prey.

"And right under our very noses, no less."

LV let the emotions calm and became all business again.

"We need to be cautious. De'Ville is no fool. She will no doubt know we are aware of her presence. It is after all somewhat difficult to hide your capitol ship." She tapped a claw against her chin for a moment before speaking again.

"I will go to Duros with some of the Elder members. What course of action do you plan to take?"

[Darth Vader]

"Lead the traitor away from the enclave of Duros. In her haste to evade the Order, she will fall into my hands."

The Dark Lord crossed his black-armored arms.

"Away from prying eyes, I will be less than subtle with her."

[Lady Vader]

LV nodded her head slowly as Vader explained what he'd planned.

"Then it is settled. I shall bring her to you."

She stood, hovering a finger over the comm button.

"Stand by for my next communique. I will inform you when we are in position."

With that she shut the comm off and went off in search of the Elders. There were some in mind she wished to take with her.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

The first to meet with Lady Vader in her search was Vega, who rounded a corner, almost walking right into her. There was a buzz of energy all through the Palace, the kind that was often felt before a battle. For the Sith Mistress to become so tightly wound, this particular opponent would have to be someone quite important, a thorn in her side perhaps. Names flashed into Van-Dervelds mind, as he asked: “Who is it?”

[Lady Vader]

LV halted mere inches as she turned the corner, avoiding smacking into Vega; one of the Sith she was hoping to take with her on her mission.

And now for Vega to be asking who it was confirmed even more to her that he was ready to move up in the ranks of Sith.

"You're perseption is admirable, Vega." A slight frown came over her features as she thought of the woman they were going to lure into Darth Vader's grasp. "No doubt you have heard of Lady De'Ville?"

She didn't wait for Vega to answer. "Darth Vader has located her on Duros. After several months of tracking her, we now know where she is." A look came over LV's features. A look that would send any warm blooded beings blood to freeze like the planet Hoth. "We are going to find her and lure her into Vader's clutches. And then we will have our fun."

[Vega Van-Derveld]

"No doubt you have heard of Lady De'Ville?"

Oh, Vega had heard of her alright. Lady Vader might not have remembered, or perhaps known, that he had once been brother-in-arms to the woman they were hunting. The two of them, along with Silus Xilarian, had worked together numerous occasions, and until the cataclysmic division of the Black Hand had actually been what Vega would have considered friends. He had heard very little of her exploits since the schism had occurred, and had to then wonder what she had heard of his. Whatever the reality was, their reunion would no doubt prove interesting. An impish smile played on his lips.

“I would like to bring my apprentice Je’gan with us… with your permission, of course.”

The Sith Mistress nodded a brusque affirmative, and the Lupine’s smile widened. Palming a communication device to hand, he sent a brief message to Olra'en, asking that he rendezvous with them as soon as possible.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

As it happened, Je’gan was only a few corridors away, arms loaded down with books on – what else? – mentalics. He’d been forced to put the books down to answer the comm, and had left them on the table for the maintenance staff. Other things had gotten onto his mind. Other things, he was learning, were more important.

He cleared the last corner at a brisk walk, face-to-face with both Lady Vader and his new Master. A gathering, in his experience, meant a threat. Or an opportunity.

“Have Magus and Jinn come back for more, or what?”

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

A light freighter exited hyperspace with perfect calculated precision so that the ship would be picked up on the sensors immediately. Considering who's homeworld this was, security was tight and a transmission was sent to the Koriolos seconds after it was detected.

The voice coming from the comm was not pleased by the pilot's antics, but the pilot herself had little time to prepare for her journey from Ch'hodos. Lady Vader barely gave her enough warning to get to Corellia. Knowing a few shortcuts got Dalethria here on time with only minutes to spare.

The Mistress kicked off her resting leather boots off of the console and flipped on a switch to answer the hail, "Just inform Lady Vader that Dale managed to get here under the wire. And before you bother asking for more information. Don't. Just tell her what I said word for word. Trust me," she flashed a grin and leaned back in the pilot's seat, "She's expecting me."

More then likely the idiot she was talking to would not do that and talk to a superior who had a clue, then Lady Vader would be informed.

[Lady Vader]

LV was watching the exchange between Vega and his apprentice when her comm beeped. She turned away from the pair taking a few steps to have a little privacy.

"Lady Vader here."

A voice on the other end, a young male by the sounds of it, relayed a message to her. Though the young man on the other end sounded confused and annoyed all at once, LV merely smiled at the message. It made perfect sense to her.

"Let the ship land within the private landing bay of the Palace. Slot 2B. I shall go down and greet our guest."

She switched the comm off and turned to the other two Sith near her, now looking at her.

"We have a newly arrived guest that will be joining our escapade. Let us go greet her."

With that, she turned and began her walk to the turbolift that would ascend them to the hangar bay level of the Palace.

[Vega Van-Derveld]

“Have Magus and Jinn come back for more, or what?” The thought of the attempted ‘liberation’ planned by the hopeless Jedi pair caused Vega to laugh. “No, I’m afraid we have a far more capable opponent on our hands this time.” At that moment, Lady Vader interjected. Both the Lupine and his apprentice fell in pace behind the Sith Mistress as she lead the way. A very familiar presence was approaching them, one that Vega had not expected but was all the same pleasantly surprised to sense.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"We've got a new presence," he noted belatedly. "Is this opponent so capable that we need an extra Master - er - Mistress?" The sense he was getting wasn't terribly distinct, but it was certainly powerful. His 'gaze' shifted to Vega inadvertently. A few things were bleeding out of the Lupine's mind as they did most minds, however well-shielded. Among them...

"A friend of yours?"

[Lady Vader]

LV answered, not so much for Vega, but just because she felt like speaking.

"You could say that, Je'gan."

They exited the lift and made their way to the docking bay, stepping through the wide door. They saw the newly arrived ship, it's cooling systems throwing hot exhaust from it's ventilation. At the foot of the lowered ramp stood a lone figure.

LV smiled and continued towards the figure, stopping a few feet from her.

"Lady Dalethria. I'm glad you could join us for our little escapade."

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

"What can I say," she threw Lady Vader a grin, "Wouldn't want to miss this." She then frowned, feigning anger. "But would you give me some advanced warning next time. I barely made it...."

Dalethria's gaze then shifted over to her Apprentice, the grin returning. Things would be very interesting soon enough for Vega. "Fancy meeting you here." It was obvious within her voice, that she was kidding. Dalethria had known about Vega being part of the Sith Order for a long time.

[Lady Vader]

LV's smile grew wider as she turned to the others.

"I think it's time we made our trip to Duros. We have a mission to accomplish."

She began to lead the way to a sleek yatch. For all intents and purposes, it didn't look like much more than a pleasure craft. But hidden within it's hull and engines were speed and weaponry.

She stepped onto the lowered ramp and headed for the cockpit, starting up the ship's pre-flight sequence. It would give the other Sith some time to chat a bit before they took off.

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Dalethria plopped down into one of the passenger chairs and strapped herself in. This was the Order's little mission, she was merely a spectator; A spectator with ulterior motives. There was no reason to assert her authority. Her presence was felt.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Dalethria Mal Pannis...

All he knew about her was the basics: who her husband was, and who two of her Apprentices were. In point of fact, he'd fought Yurza Magus just recently, and had been - on the whole - impressed with Dalethria's work.

He could have commented on this, and maybe earned some brownie points. For the moment, though, he was content to sit in a corner of the yacht, playing with some tendrils of infinite-black stuff that gave off distinct senses of negative emotion and of a certain danger.