Turnabout

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena stood on the bridge of her flagship, the Haran, staring out into the Ghost Nebula. Purple and pink swirls of gas mixed with blue and green to create a truly breathtaking display, but she stared into the middle distance, the nebula a blurry image at best as she anticipated the guest who would arrive in the next few hours.

It had been a few months since Nelaa Kyris had dropped into her life and extracted a deal (https://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?57880-Runabout) that Lilaena was still not one hundred percent on board with. Still, for the good of the people she now considered her family, she had bound herself with a blood oath the Mando'ade used in only the most extreme cases. Breaking it would dishonor her forever in their eyes. If she ever were to break her oath with the Imperial agent, either the Mando'ade could never find out, or she would be immediately and violently ousted as their leader.

Of course, if Agent Kyris broke her word first, then Lilaena would be free to do what she wanted - if any of them were still alive.

Through the secure communications channel that they had established Nelaa had sent word she wished to meet. Lilaena had suggested the Amar system, a no-mans-land area of space that the Imperials had vacated but the Alliance had yet to bring to their side. She had sent Jeng to meet her there, to make sure the woman hadn't brought an armada with her, and then bring her here, to the Umbara system in Alliance space.

He was already on his way to make the rendezvous.

All Lilaena had to do now was wait.

[Nelaa Kyris]

In the month's since their last meeting Nelaa had been beyond busy. The Ord Trasi investigation was in full swing and she'd begun taking steps to distance herself from it. When the topic came up with her superiors, she made it clear that the Alliance was the clear threat, and Ord Trasi had been distraction. After the Telos IV mission they were more content to step back and let her chase her instincts. In reality, she was soaking up as much information about the investigation as she could without attracting any attention.

At the same time, she was also going back through the records, pulling information on more or less everything. She had certain things she was looking for but knew better than to only search for those things. There were records of who accessed the records. One of the records she'd accessed had led her to the surprise that had finally made her request a meeting with De'Ville.

The surprise was actually a man, a man with knowledge that De'Ville would be interested in learning about. Nelaa had him in stun cuffs with a mild sedative to keep him asleep, but not enough that he couldn't be woken up to move about on his own accord. He would just be a little groggy when he did it.

She'd been waiting at the rendezvous point for a few hours, keeping herself busy with a few reports that she'd brought with her. She didn't expect De'Ville to show up at the rendezvous herself, more likely that someone would arrive to pick Nelaa up and take them to her. De'Ville wouldn't risk running into an ambush, not this early in their partnership at least. The mistrust didn't bother Nelaa at all, she just hoped they'd brought a ship big enough for her and her guest.

[Jeng]

The Ne'ta Prudii exitted hyperspace outside of the Amar system, making the last leg of its journey under the power of sublight engines. In the pilot's chair, Jeng checked the rendezvous coordinates again. He’d made good time.

When the YT-1760 drew within visual range of the meeting point, the starscape ahead of the cockpit looked… abandoned. If there had ever been any reason to come to this particular corner of the Galaxy, it seemed it had been long since forgotten. Jeng glanced down at the freighter's sensor readouts, cycling through the results of the passive scans. Only a single energy signature registered, one other ship that was idling just outside of the orbit of Amar itself. If he squinted, he could see the shape of the ship, the dark outline of the hull.

As a matter of habit, Jeng checked the readiness of the ship’s laser turrets. It wasn’t paranoid, he reasoned. Just… practical, given the types of missions that Mandalore sent him on.

With the flick of a switch, Jeng opened a short range communication channel. “Sucuy, tyra’de.”

Hello, stranger.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Hmm, I didn't even have to play dead this time.

"Door's open..."

She switched the ship to docking mode as she spoke over the short range comm. She had two bags that she intended to take with her and slid them over to the airlock. She turned aroundto see that her friend, well, prisoner was starting to wake up, probably roused by the sound of her voice. She walked over and leaned down, holding his eyelids open on his right eye. His pupils were slow to dilate, but he was good enough. She kicked his foot a little to startle him fully awake.

"Wake up, we have company. I would recommend you be on your best behavior. I would like for you to finish this trip but it certainly isn't critical that you do."

Outside, she saw the ship who'd hailed her easing up beside her, aligning its airlock with hers. She stood the man up and reached down into his chair, grabbing an empty bag that he had been sitting on and pulling it over his head. She grabbed a dark brown leather jacket and pulled it on before leading him to the airlock where a familiar face was waiting for them.

She sent the pretty one. I must have made a good impression...

"Our friend will be interested to speak with this one, do we have room for him on your ship?"

One look at his ship told her that he did, but she wouldn't be rude and assume that another person was welcome.

[Jeng]

Leaning against the airlock wall, Jeng raised an eyebrow at the sight of the redheads… companion.

“What’s under the bag?”

Before she could answer, Jeng lifted a hand and offered a smile.

“Never mind. Don’t care. Just keep him with you. You’ve got the common room all to yourselves,” he added, turning to pace back into the freighter.

[Nelaa Kyris]

"Fair enough. We won't cause any trouble."

She found herself answering his smile with one of her own and mentally kicked herself after he left for the cockpit. No time for that, get your head in the game! She turned to her captive and grabbed his sleeve, pulling him with her to the common room. She was probably handling him a bit more roughly than she normally would, and recognized that her frustration with herself was being taken out on him. As they reached the common room she dropped the bag she was carrying in her free hand, then dropped the one that had be slung over her shoulder. Her other hand still held her captive firmly. She found the nearest seat and sat him down in it, then kneeled down and buckled a safety harness around him. As she did, a voice came from under the mask, weak with a heavy hint of fear to it.

"I don't know why you are doing this, but pl...AHH!"

She cuffed the side of his head, causing a yelp of pain from him.

"Speak when spoken to."

She found a seat of her own and sat down. The temptation to slump down was eating at her mind, but she needed to be sharp for her meeting with De'Ville. A short chime sounded, notifying them that they were about to jump into hyperspace. Almost immediately after, she felt the ship smoothly make the jump. She closed her eyes and worked to clear her mind. There were several scenarios running through her head, and she played a few of them out, trying to get a vague assessment of her best and worst case scenarios. She was always careful with this exercise though. Too much planning for something like this lead one to lock themselves into certain actions and dismiss fresh data. At best, she might miss a great opportunity. At worst, it could get her killed.

The ship falling back into realspace broke her from her meditation. Her internal time sense told her that they'd been going for about an hour and she was thankful that it was a short trip. She stood up and crossed the common room and slung one of her bags over her left shoulder, then picked the other up with her left hand. She walked over and unbuckled her guest with her free hand, then snatched him to his feet, leading him back toward the airlock.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"The Ne'ta Prudii has arrived, Mand'alor."

Lilaena didn't need the confirmation. She had felt the flicker in the Force that indicated a ship arriving from hyperspace. Eyes still unfocused on the nebula she reached out with the Force, feeling for the familiar presence of Jeng on board the YT-1760. He seemed calm, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity.

Three people were on board, not two.

Her eyes focused and she turned away from the viewscreen. "Give Jeng clearance to dock and send an escort for our two visitors."

"He says the agent has brought a man with her." The Mandalorian woman at the comm looked up with surprise as they talked over each other. "Yes Mand'alor." She thumped her fist to her heart and relayed the message.

Lilaena paced across the bridge, then turned and paced back. Something different was happening, something she hadn't anticipated.

[Jeng]

It took a few minutes for the escort to reach the Ne’ta Prudii. While he waited, Jeng stood, arms crossed over his chest, considering the hidden face of whoever had come aboard with Nelaa and wondering whether he was about to get a bollocking for not finding out before bringing the little man to the Haran.

When the escort arrived, Jeng grinned at them in greeting, then lead the way to the conference room adjacent to the Haran’s bridge. Lilaena was waiting there for them already.

“Mand’alor. Your… guests.”

When the agent walked ahead of him into the room, guiding her captive, Jeng’s eyes met Lilaena’s. A smile twitched at one corner of his mouth, just for a second.

“I’ll leave you two to it.”

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa walked in, bringing her captive along with her. She found it interesting to watch De'Ville's eyes hang on Jeng for a bit longer than they probably should have, but she could remember making the same mistake herself the first time she saw him. I would do well to pay more mind to how she interacts with those closest to her...

She stepped forward, now fully the center of De'Ville's attention. She thought to speak, but decided it would best to allow De'Ville to address her first as speaking out of turn could be construed as a sign of disrespect. Nelaa wouldn't show fear or subservience, but she would definitely be respectful.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

“Vor’e, Jeng,” said Lilaena, thanks, and then she was alone with her visitors.

She turned to fully face Agent Kyris, who had positioned herself directly between her and the conference table. “Greetings. We can stand if you wish, or...?” She gestured behind the woman to the table and the small sitting area nestled against the bulkhead. “I trust there is a good reason you got in contact with me.”

Lilaena looked at the hooded figure with open curiousity before turning a more measured look on Nelaa.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa smiled.

"There are issues that I wish to discuss with you. And I have a gift..." She glanced over at the hooded man. "...of sorts."

Normally she'd save the presents for last, but she had the feeling that the things she needed to discuss with De'Ville didn't need to be said in the man's presence. As for him, she wasn't sure if De'Ville would be familiar with him or not, but there was only one way to find out.

"I went back and pulled some records on the incident on Sestooine. Most of the information I could find was either heavily redacted or missing obvious chunks of data. One thing I did learn is that almost all of the scientists involved in that project are dead or missing." She glanced over at the man. "Almost all."

As she spoke, she heard what sounded like a whimper come out from under the hood as the man now realized what had brought him into his current situation. Nelaa reached over and snatched the hood off the man's head. He was short and scrawny, with dark blue skin and pupil-less red eyes. His jet black hair was mussed and ruffled from being under the hood. Nelaa pushed him forward a step toward De'Ville and he fell forward, landing on one knee.

"Mand'alor, meet Naj Arilov."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She drew back as though Nelaa had dumped a basket of venomous snakes onto the deck, cold rage rising quickly. Not at the agent, but at the man.

"He was not on Sestooine at the end," Lilaena said, eyeing the pathetic creature on his knees before her. After a moment she grabbed his throat with the Force and dragged him to his feet, stepping close so their faces were inches apart.

"In what capacity did you work with the Morbus Virus?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa watched as Arilov struggled in De'Ville's force grip. She spoke flatly - almost as if she were bored - without ever looking in De'Ville's direction.

"I gave him a sedative earlier to keep him from making trouble and it's going to be making him a little hazy. He'll need oxygen or he'll pass out before he can even remember what his name is."

[Naj Arilov]

"It's...okay"

Naj found that one the woman they called Mand'alor had pulled him to his feet (with her mind, to his horror) but she refrained from actually choking him. It did take some effort to remember the Morbus Virus. It wasn't that it was a memory he held lightly, his mind was just in a fog. After a few moments he was able to answer.

"I was brought in toward the end of the project. They wanted to the virus to spread through airborne contact but couldn't make it work."

His legs started to feel a little rubbery again, and as his body slumped he felt himself being held by his neck. He wasn't being choked, but it wasn't comfortable either. He grit his teeth and got his legs back under him, standing back up straight again.

"After I figured it out I saw what the virus could do."

He shook his head as much as the grip on his neck would allow.

"That's when I found an excuse to leave the project."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena narrowed her eyes, releasing her hold on the scientist and pushing him slightly so he staggered backward.

She turned toward Nelaa. "Why have you brought him here? To face judgement?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa turned her attention back to De'Ville.

"Something to that effect. At first I thought to just kill him. You were right before, Sestooine was an abomination and this man helped cause it."

She sensed the fire starting to build inside her and cooled it. This wasn't the time to let emotions run wild.

"But killing him ultimately does very little. He could be useful, and I think he'd prefer being useful to being dead."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Useful?" Lilaena couldn't stop the sneer. "He would be best served as fertilizer for our fields. What use do you see for such scum?"

She didn't even look at Arilov, focusing her attention on the Imperial agent. "Where did you find him?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

"He's been bouncing around from project to project, some that I have clearance to see, others that I don't." One could almost see the hunger in her expression. "I'm rather curious about those."

She looked back over at Arilov, slightly amused at how he was just realizing how screwed he really was.

"As far as where I found him. He was on leave, decided to do a little hiking on Chandrila." She smirked. "He wandered a little too far off the beaten path."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"I can make him talk," said Lilaena, her gaze a little too focused. "Open him like a book for you to read at your leisure."

She walked closer to the Chiss, or half-Chiss. "Or I could just kill him now. Your virus caused children to claw their own eyes out before tearing the throats of their parents. Children. You left the project? You did not raise an alarm or shut down the project!"

Lilaena spat on him.

[Naj Arilov]

Naj was barely able to keep himself upright under the sudden weight of the Mand'alor's anger. He recoiled as she spat on him, fearing that she would strike him next.

"I couldn't... They would've..."

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa was unfazed by De'Ville's sudden intensity. Arilov, on the other hand, was on the verge of buckling.

"What he's done is done. There's a chance if left alive, with the proper motivation, he could bring a little bit of good back to the galaxy. It won't pay for what he's done, but it would more than just simply killing him."

She turned her gaze on him, causing him to shrink away just a little bit more.

"And it's not like we can't just kill him later, if we find he's not worth keeping alive."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You're implying we should make him work for us."

She eyeballed the scientist. "I am not sure what good he could do."

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa saw Arilov as an investment. While there was no immediate need for his talents, in exchange for a low risk now he could offer great value at a later date. A thought struck her, and she glanced over toward him.

"Naj, if the Morbus virus were to ever resurface, could you develop a cure for it?"

She shot a glance over toward De'Ville.

"A lot was invested into that project. I highly doubt the virus was completely wiped out on Sestooine..."

[Naj Arilov]

Naj's eyes widened a bit as he heard a lifeline being thrown his way.

"A cure? I'm sure I could, although the virus does do immediate internal harm, and there are the actions of the individual once infected to consider..."

He trailed off, realizing that he'd just argued against his own usefulness. While a cure was certainly possible, only in very specific (rare) circumstances could it do any good. He started going into panic mode a bit, his mind spinning as fast as it could but not gaining any traction. He felt himself about to break down when a single thought managed to break through the chaos.

"A vaccine! If the virus ever materializes again, I could study it and develop a vaccine for it."

His voice had a hint of questioning to it, not so much in regards to his abilities, but rather if he'd offered something valuable enough to save his own skin.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She raised an eyebrow, turning toward the scientist. “That would be very useful indeed.”

Neither of them could possibly know that she had copied the Morbus Virus data before she and Kazaar had destroyed the lab. How she had delivered it straight into the hands of Darth Callidus, her master.

Her master, at the time.

Sometimes she wondered what she would do if she ever found out he had deployed it against a population. Perhaps Naj Arilov’s salvation could be her own, as well.

”Fine. You will live with us. We have no scientists of our own, so you will work with my people and teach them what you know.”

Lilaena opened the door to the conference room, revealing Jeng still just outside. “Take this man to a secure room. Make sure there is no possible access to any of the ship’s systems.”

Jeng nodded, escorting Naj Arilov out and leaving the two women alone.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Once the room was clear, Nelaa gestured over toward the sitting area, and received an approving nod from De'Ville. As they took their seats, Nelaa reached into one of her bags and fished out a datapad.

"I've been monitoring the Ord Trasi investigation as closely as I can without leaving any of my fingerprints on it. From every indication I have, they're going to dig until they find something."

She laid out a datapad for De'Ville with a dossiers on what appeared to be multiple Mandalorian men.

"The Choruk Vod, a mercenary company that operates out of the fringes of the Mandalorian borders. The intelligence I was able to pull on them suggests that they'll take almost any job, and they're not well liked among their brethren."

She looked up from the datapad, making eye contact with De'Ville.

"They seem like the kind of company that would hit a target like Ord Trasi and I don't think anyone would miss them..."

She paused only for the slightest moment. This would be the first test of many to see exactly which direction De'Ville's moral compass would point.

"...so the plan is to cross them out. Will that cause any issues with you and your people?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She narrowed her eyes as she looked over the datapad, flicking through the various pictures as Kyris talked.

"Cross them out." Lilaena looked up. "Are you requesting that we do it?"

She tossed the datapad to the short table in front of the seats. "Indulge me, Agent, and speak plainly. You plan on pinning Ord Trasi on these mercs and then setting the Empire on them, correct?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

"Close... I plan on pinning Ord Trasi on these mercs, then killing every single one of them myself. If even one of them were to be captured this ruse will unravel very quickly."

She sat up a little straighter. The look on her face conveyed a bit of apprehension.

"There's one nagging issue though that is going to be tough to deal with. You or one of your people used a lightsaber. That's going to raise a few eyebrows. I have an idea to cover it, but it's going to take some work to sell it."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The corner of Lilaena's mouth curved up a little. "Planting a lightsaber with the mercenaries seems to tie everything into a bow, but real life is rarely that neat. What is your idea?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa matched De'Ville's grin with a slight narrowing of her eyebrows.

"You're exactly correct. That would be much too neat. However, if some of the agencies investigating this believe they're going after one of their own, they may be inclined to wrap up their investigation with a shipful of dead Mandalorians."

She appeared almost deep in thought as she spoke, as if she were just coming up with the idea off the top of her head.

"It would have to be someone with a high enough status that going after them would be a huge risk, and someone who is a force adept, or would employ a force adept." She paused for a moment. "Rossos Atrapes comes to mind, but there is enough mistrust of the Imperial Knights that someone would latch on and pursue it. That just leaves one other candidate."

She saw De'Ville perk up a little bit, and guessed that the woman had an idea of where her train of thought was heading.

"I can think of one person who is far enough above the bureaucracy that it would be legitimately dangerous for anyone short of the Empress to mess with his plans, and who also is almost certainly a force adept."

De'Ville looked as if she were already a step ahead, but Nelaa finished regardless.

"Executor Tear."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

“He is. An adept, and highly trained, that is,” said Lilaena. “I have that on the authority of the previous Executor.” She paused, considering. “In fact, it may be more difficult to find a high ranking Imperial who isn’t, now that I think about it. Still.”

She leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “We somehow link him to the mercs and then the Empire is willing to let the trail end there?” Her fingers twitched a little. “Something more than a rumor. We make it look like he took them out himself.”

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa cocked her head to the side with curiosity. So she knew Sevon, that's very interesting... She put the thought aside for the time being.

"The trail will be broken with the dead mercs. I just want anyone trying to pick it up again to believe they'll have to cross the Executor to do it."

She leaned back, satisfied that her and De'Ville seemed to be on the same page.

"That leaves us with two objectives. One, we'll need to get the rumor mill going. I was thinking some of your people could visit the Mandalore system and spread the word that Choruk Vod was working for a man they called Genet Sur'haai. Maybe even mention that they believed he was Imperial. The second objective, I'll need to take out the Choruk Vod and make it look like a force user was responsible. It'll be tricky and I'll have to get some specialty tools, but it's doable."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena nodded as Nelaa spoke, and then waved her hand dismissively. "I will go with you. You will need no specialty tools, and therefore no trail will exist to link you to anything."

She paused, and raised an eyebrow. "Unless that makes you uncomfortable?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

The absolute truth of the matter was, it did make Nelaa uncomfortable, and she very nearly rejected De'Ville out of hand. The thought occurred to her that De'Ville might have had a case of buyer's remorse after sealing their agreement in blood in front of her own people. It would be a very simple thing for the two women to step onto the Choruk Vod's ship together and have De'Ville be the only one that returns. With being said, she was exactly correct. Her presence would eliminate a possible loose end. It would also give her a chance to observe De'Ville in action, which could pay off later.

"I didn't anticipate your assistance on this, but you're precisely correct. I think having you there would give us the greatest chance of success."

The thought occurred to Nelaa that she had little to no training on how to handle a force adept. She'd studied on her own of course, but if De'Ville decided to turn on her then it would the greatest threat she'd ever faced in her life.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She could sense Nelaa's hesitation, a waver in the Force like a plucked violin string, but the agent was very good at keeping it off her face. Lilaena sat back in her chair, crossing her legs.

"A small group could infiltrate Mandalore, but they would need modern equipment. My people have a unique style, due to their origins. Can you supply armor?"

Genet Sur'haai meant 'grey eyes.' It didn't mean anything to Lilaena regarding Executor Tear, but she assumed it would be enough to raise suspicions, should the Empire look into it.

[Nelaa Kyris]

"I could, but there would be some risk of raising suspicions."

Nelaa shrugged.

"There is a Mandalorian mercenary company who probably has a few sets of armor they won't be needing."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Perhaps. Their armor going missing at the same they all die won't be problematic?"

Lilaena shrugged. "I am a little out of practice when it comes to subtle movements. If you think it will work, it is fine with me. I have a few people in mind who can go to the planet and spread your rumor, it will not be a problem."

[Nelaa Kyris]

"It shouldn't be a big issue. The Empire doesn't have an exact count of how big the company is, just the key players. If we take a few sets of armor they won't notice."

A nod from De'Ville was enough for her to continue on.

"If we're both going in, then it's probably best I stay out of your way. Once on board I'll fight my way to the security room."

She slid a datapad to De'Ville that included the specifications of the ship they would be raiding. It was very similar to the one they were on.

"Once inside i'll can be your eyes and ears to let you know what's around the next corner."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena held her hand out for the datapad. It was a large ship, which if it was manned by even the minimum amount of crew it was going to be a long assault. Not quite as big as the Haran, but still plenty big for one person to take on by themselves.

I do love a challenge.

“I may need one other to assist us. And I’d like to see your capabilities in a fight before we commit to this. Aang’s quick overpowering nonewithstanding.”

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa's face betrayed the slightest bit of amusement.

"Whatever you require, Mand'alor."

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew the importance of displaying her abilities for De'Ville and the Mandalorians. If at any point she showed them a moment of weakness then her downfall would begin. In that moment she gained a certain sympathy for De'Ville, as she most likely would find herself in a similar mindset. She wondered if De'Ville had someone she could confide in, to be weak around. She recognized that knowing who that person was, if they even exist, could prove to be a useful detail at some point.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

****

After allowing the agent some time to get settled in her temporary quarters (still guarded and without access to ship's systems or holonet), Tiktik knocked on the door. A moment later she found the doorchime and pressed it, just as Nelaa Kyris opened the door.

"Ah!" Tiktik grinned. She was short and dark, with striking brown eyes that seemed nearly liquid gold when the light caught them just right. She wore the armor with the scratches on it that the agent would recognize from before, but her helmet was off. "Come. You are to be tested in Battle Circle."

She flashed a smile again, her teeth crooked enough to be noticeable as some overlapped each other in the front. "Don't worry, we will not take it easy on you, but your life is safe."

[Nelaa Kyris]

Tiktik's enthusiasm was almost overpowering as she beckoned Nelaa to follow her to the Battle Circle.

"Okay. Just give me a few minutes to change clothes."

Nelaa left the door open, figuring Tiktik would want to either come in or at least keep an eye on her. She was surprised when she heard the door shut behind her and found herself alone. She started to pull her combat suit out of her bags, but she wasn't sure what the rules would be regarding armor. After a moment's consideration she opted to just wear her exercise clothing instead: black leggings with a black tank top. She quickly pulled her hair up into a ponytail then bounced around on the balls of her feet a bit, getting her blood moving. After throwing a few punches and kicks into thin air, she composed herself and opened the door again, finding Tiktik waiting for her.

"I'm ready, lead the way."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Ori'jate," Tiktik said. "Very good. Follow, please."

She led the way through the passage to a bank of turbolifts that ran through the center of the ship, and the two women traveled down to the training room. It was an extensively repurposed cargo area, with a large circle outlined in bright red in the middle of it. There were training mats and racks of melee weapons to the right, as well as a weight training area to the left, but for all the people who were gathered in the space, none of them were utilizing it.

Tiktik pressed through her vod, shoving men and women out of the way. Not many were armored but some were, the rest in whatever constituted casualwear on board the ship - sleeveless tunics and pants, the occasional jumpsuit or bodyglove. Once the gathered Mando'ade realized who was coming through, they parted, allowing Tiktik and Nelaa an easy path to the circle.

Lilaena stood there in the belted shirt and leggings she'd been wearing earlier, and beside her was Hel, clad in a grey bodyglove. Neither one smiled.

"Do not let the crowd intimidate you," Lilaena said. "They are curious, and enjoy a good fight."

"And betting on a good fight," added Tiktik.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa felt a thrill of fear run down her spine. She took control of the sensation, marshaling the emotion to a part of her mind where she could recognize it for what it was and control it. If kept in check, fear was a useful ally. She smiled and dipped her head in a short nod as she stopped in front of De'Ville.


"Mand'alor."


She looked around, taking in the scene around her.


"Given the nature of my work, I don't normally get to fight in front of an audience." She brought her gaze back around to De'Ville. "It will be a welcome change of pace."


In the back of her mind, she immediately recognized her advantages and disadvantages. The people gathered around knew she was coming. Her opponent may not have known they would be testing themselves against her, but she could imagine everyone in the room was already sizing her up. Her advantage, she realized, is that only one person among them had seen her in action, and he'd only had a small sampling.


They know I'm fast, and they know I have training. Aside from that, I'm a wild card."


She smiled inwardly. There was a very real possibility that she could be well beyond her depth here, and she accepted that. On the other hand, a good performance would make serious inroads with these people. There was also one simple fact that she didn't want to dwell on in her own mind, but certainly could not deny. This would be fun.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena nodded, more interested in the outcome of the sparring match than she showed on her face. "The rules of Battle Circle are fairly simple. For an exhibition like this, a fight to first blood seems appropriate, but any Mando'ade can call out another to a fight to the death in the Circle if their honor demands it. Once you enter the Circle w ith Hel you cannot leave until the fight is over."

She paused, and added, "If you are thrown out, you must get back in, though sometimes we fight to first pushed out of the Circle." A half smile ghosted across her face. "You may choose weapons," Lilaena indicated the melee weapons racked against the bulkhead, "Or hand to hand. As the challenged it is your right."

[Nelaa Kyris]

Nelaa almost immediately chose blades, but stopped short. She was good at killing with a blade, but anything short of that would just be a liability for her.

"Hand to hand is fine with me."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Hel nodded in reply, and stepped purposefully into the center of the circle. A murmur of anticipation ran through the assembled, and Lilaena watched impassively.

Tiktik gave Nelaa a grin and two thumbs up.

[Nelaa Kyris]

As Nelaa stepped into the ring, she shot a glance over toward De'Ville, who was watching her with a look devoid of any emotions. She wondered how De'Ville had felt in this position. She too had once been an outsider stepping into ritual combat, only with stakes much higher than those at present. For a moment, through the impassive mask that De'Ville wore, Nelaa could almost detect a look of amusement spreading across the woman's face. It only took a fraction of a moment for her to find out why.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nelaa saw a just a glimpse of movement. Without even trying to gauge the attack, she dropped to the ground, guessing correctly that the attack would go high. She landed on her back and let the momentum carry her over into a backward roll that brought her back to her feet just in time to duck the next punch that Hel threw her way. This time Nelaa was a bit more ready and was able to duck forward and roll to the other side of the circle, putting a bit of distance between the two women.

She got to her feet quickly and dropped into a ready stance, with Hel now taking a moment to measure her up instead of swarming her. Nelaa grinned.

"Okay, I'm ready."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Hel grinned, her eyes not leaving Kyris as she raised an arm, urging the onlookers to cheer (which they did). The smaller woman was slippery, but it would only take a few landed blows in order to split her skin, or break her nose.

The two females circled each other, and then Hel darted forward again, surprisingly fast, but in exactly the same way she had before. Kyris moved to evade easily, but Hel pulled out of the feint and swept the agent's legs, sending her to the ground. Hel guessed that on the floor she could turn the other woman into ground meat, and threw herself on top of Kyris.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Before she realized what had actually happened, Kyris found herself on her back with Hel on top of her which was about as close to a nightmare scenario as she could find herself in. She brought her arms up to guard her face and twisted her upper body to the left then right, avoiding the blows that Hel was raining down on her. As soon as Hel missed with her second right hand, Kyris broke her guard and leaned up, wrapping her arms around the larger woman and pulled her down with here. Kyris locked her hands behind Hel's back and held on for dear life, using the temporary stalemate to give herself a moment to think.

She's faster than she looks and better trained than I gave her credit for. It was sobering to realize some of her advantages weren't as sharp as she'd initially thought, but she kept herself from despair. As they struggled around, Kyris picked up her right foot and hooked it over the back of Hel's left leg then broke her grip behind Hel's back. As Hel pushed up to get back into position to hit her, Kyris hooked her right arm over Hel's left shoulder then threw her hips forward and brought her left arm up. Having Hel's arm and leg hooked allowed Kyris to use them momentum to roll both of them over.

Kyris found herself on her knees between Hel's legs and for a split second saw an opportunity to hit the larger woman in the nose. Instead of taking it she pushed Hel's knee to the right and rolled in the opposite direction trying to get enough distance to get back on her feet and reset the fight.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Hel kicked out toward the agent as Kyris rolled away, but it was a glancing blow that didn’t make much of an impact. The Mandalorian rolled the opposite direction onto her knees, and stood at about the same time as Kyris.

She held her fists out in front of her in a loose guard position, and then beckoned the agent toward her with a smirk.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Kyris moved in with her hands up in a tighter guard, very aware of her opponent's longer reach. As she moved in she kept her head moving and jabbed at Hel's lead hand as she dipped in and out of Hel's striking range. This would serve to keep the larger woman from using a jab to keep Kyris at distance and only leaving the agent open to strikes off of Hel's back foot. As this dance went on, Kyris was able to slip a few punches and land one or two solid body blows and leg kicks that Hel was easily able to shake off. In a longer fight these would add up and give Kyris an advantage but in this case she only used them to keep Hel somewhat on the defensive. She knew one of them would be bleeding before any of those strikes really mattered.

Kyris moved in once more and was able to bait Hel into throw a right cross. Instead of slipping the punch and hitting the larger woman in the midsection Kyris went low, driving her shoulder into Hel's midsection while grabbing her lead leg, causing Hel to fall awkwardly backward. As she fell, Kyris held her leg and wrenched it to the side, forcing the larger woman to decide between rolling over or having her ankle broken. Hel opted for the latter. As Kyris wrenched the ankle to the side, she was shocked to hear the larger woman roar in pain as the bones in the ankle joint popped out of place. Before Kyris realized what happened, Hel brought her free leg up and drove her foot hard into Kyris' mouth. The agents grip came loose as she fell to the floor, temporarily dazed. As she rolled over she tasted blood in her mouth and clenched her jaw shut, swallowing the blood in her mouth.

The taste of her own blood set something off inside her and she turned back toward Hel with murder in her eyes. She kept her lower lip tucked in and was using her tongue and teeth to apply pressure to control the bleeding. The Mandalorian was awkwardly trying to stand without being able to put any weight on her left leg which allowed Kyris to easily close the distance and tackle her. As they landed, Kyris was able to pin one of Hel's arms under her knee, but Hel was able to land a hit to the side of her head with her free hand. The punch, though quite solid, barely seemed to phase Kyris and it allowed her grab and pin Hel's free arm, leaving the woman completely exposed.

As Kyris reared back for the coup de grâce, the two women made eye contact. There wasn't a hint of submission in Hel's eyes. Kyris twitched once but the right hand never fell. Instead she pushed herself off of Hel and backed away, spitting out a mouthful of blood as she left the fighting circle.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Shouts accompanied Agent Kyris' exit from the battle circle as barter changed hands: rations, power cells, and other items that had been bet on the combatants. The vod exchanged good-natured insults in mando'a, making way for Nelaa and Hel, who was being supported out of the Circle by Tiktik. Hel grinned and yelled back at some of the choicer comments thrown her way, punctuating her words with a gesture that suggested the others should shit in their own helmets.

Lilaena nodded to Nelaa as the other woman wiped blood from her mouth. "How soon do you want us to leave?"

[Nelaa Kyris]

"Your call, I'm ready whenever."

Kyris spoke without looking at De'Ville. She was beyond frustrated and only gave a token effort to hide it. I've been out of the field too long. Let myself go soft. She was aware of the fact that her attitude was only going to further hurt her standing with these people, but all she was really worried with in the moment was getting away from the crowd and licking her wounds in isolation. Once she was out of sight, she unceremoniously reached into her mouth and pressed against one of her back teeth and felt it move under the pressure. When she withdrew her finger she found it covered with fresh blood.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"You fought with honor," Lilaena said quietly. "You could have hidden the blood, but you chose honesty even though it meant you lost. They respect that." She nodded toward the rest of the Mando'ade who were still in the chamber with them, paying no attention other a few curious eyes.

[Nelaa Kyris]

Kyris wiped her mouth with her top.

"Losing is losing. It didn't even occur to me that she would take such an extreme measure to best me. That kind of miscalculation could get me killed."

She chuckled quietly to herself and shot an amused glance in De'Ville's direction.

"I guess I needed the lesson."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Lilaena regarded the agent with cool eyes, neither agreeing or disagreeing with her assessment. "Get some rest. We will leave in the morning."

She snapped her fingers and Tiktik was suddenly there, cheerily at Nelaa's side to escort her to her room, or the mess hall. Lilaena nodded to them both, turned, and walked out of the room.

---

Jeng was in the cockpit of the Ne'ta Prudii, running preflight checks, when Lilaena walked through the airlock into the YT-1760. She was dressed lightly, the armor forgone in exchange for a wrap tunic and comfortable pants, a half-face respirator mask dangling from her hand. Her hair hung loose about her face, curling slightly over her shoulders, and she walked through the ship to Jeng, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything set for the trip?" she asked.

He nodded, attention captured by the console.

"Good. I will be in the back compartments with our guest." Lilaena made her way back to the passenger areas of the ship to await the agent.