((Because next level Set can get force powers! Has to make sense!))
Set closes his eyes and concentrates.
"Use the Flow and see what's around me..." Xol says.
Set relaxes once he realizes he has closed his eyes as tight as he could. Too tight. "Hmmm...I see...I see...BLACKNESS!" Set sighs and opens his eyes. "This isn't working."
"You can't give up now! Give it some more time. I know you can do it."
"Ok ok fine..." Set closes his eyes again. "I see...OH...it looks...foggy...I see...red swirly something...Is that you!?" He opens his eyes.
"Yes! Why did you stop?"
"I guess I got excited hehe," Set laughs. "Ok...let's try this again."
"Red swirly...smokey...brown...you're sitting on the floor?"
"Yes."
"YAY! Ok...hmmm...it's still so so blurry...it's bright though...green lights...like the machine I played on earlier!" Set says excitedly, still with his eyes closed, still able to hold onto the little bit he can see.
"And now...I...I...I don't feel good Xol...can...can you over do this..." Set's voice fades.
ReplyDelete"Uh oh...poor kid," Xol gets up and heads back toward the Sarlacc. He grumbles to himself about how big the Legacy is as he quickly makes his way through the ship.
Widdimur is calmly laying next to Set who seems to have passed out on the bed. Set seems to do his best with the Flow when he's sitting comfortably on the bed. "Ahh good. He's ok." Xol lays down, facing Set.
"Set...Set wake up," Xol says softly. "Don't try so hard."
"But I want an A+ dad," Set says as he starts to wake up. "Oh hello Xol," he says sleepily. "I forgot what I was do...oh I remember now...how'd I do? Was I right?" Set sighs, "And I'm sorry..."
"You did a good job. And yes you were right. I want you to be more specific next time but that was a really good first try."
"And sorry for what? You haven't done anything bad recently...have you?" Xol pokes Set in the ribs.
Set laughs a bit. "No. It's just...I know I keep calling you...I just...you just...I..."
ReplyDelete"I know," Xol pats Set's head. "It's ok...I don't mind. Actually gives me the warm fuzzies," he chuckles a bit.
"Really?"
"Really...as long as you aren't calling me a bantha butt or sleemo or hutt or....or anything else insulting haha you call me whatever you feel comfortable with."
Set laughs. "Bantha butt..."
"Hey! I said NOT that," Xol chuckles and pokes Set in the side.
Set rolls over giggling,"Haha ok ok I'm sorry I'm sorry no more."
Sera opens her eyes slowly. Pain throbs in her head, across her chin, and in her ribs. Groaning slightly as she raises up, she can see she is in some sort of medical bay. Everything spins, the lights seem bright and haloed.
ReplyDeleteA medical droid trundles over. "Miss, please lay back down. I've done only the most basic of scans on you. You have bruised ribs, a hairline fracture of the jawbone, a concussion, along with numerous cuts over your body.
"My counterparts have not yet been activated and much of my time has been spent tending to the esophageal and tracheal damage of the man brought in with you.
"I can give you a pain reliever and bacta nasal spray to alleviate the headache and the concussion. If you desire and sedative can be added. But I simply cannot do anything more at this time."
Sera gives the droid a thumbs up. She grimaces at the treatments, but she lays back on the bed and pushes herself into a healing trance.
After Xol and Set stop laughing and just relax, Xol sits up. "Sera...and Patch...I almost forgot about them."
ReplyDelete"let's go visit them," Set bounces off the bed. "I'd like visitors if I wasn't well!"
----------
"how are they?" xol asks a droid when they arrive. "the two from earlier?"
The medical droid points over at Draigo who is in a bacta tank and Sera who is lying on a bed. "The human male is recovering. He suffered damage to his esophagus and trachea, as if suffering strangulation. However, there are no ligature marks on his neck, which is most odd. His knee was also sprained.
ReplyDelete"The human female had numerous large cuts to her torso, arms, and legs. None were serious or deep, but would have posed a great risk for infection. She also had a concussion, a fractured jaw, and bruising on her ribs. I fear there must be some damage my sensors cannot detect.
"After regaining consciousness briefly, she signaled for treatment of the concussion and a pain reliever. She then laid down and her vitals went so low they became hard to monitor. Even her respiratory systems has slowed to extremely low levels. Yet, that is the least concerning."
The droid trundles over to a holo-projector and turns it on. "This is the most perplexing thing. He brain waves are oscillating frighteningly. Humans have a basic pattern that spikes or lowers based on certain activities. Over the period of her coma, I have witnessed two separate brain waves by themselves and together.
"You, Kel-Dor, were the one who brought them in. What were they doing to cause these perplexing injuries? I will need to fill out safety forms in order to requisition the Captain for a policy change away from such work or activity."
Xol rubs his neck when the droid informs him of Draigo's injuries. It sounds painful and Xol knows how THAT happens.
ReplyDeleteXol looks over at Sera when the droid explains her situation. He also has a pretty good idea about what's going on with her...
Set is peeking up over the edge of the bed looking sadly at Sera.
"They were 'training'," Xol answers the droid. "I don't think the Captain can stop them from doing that."
"Training?! Training in what? While the cuts would indicate the use of a bladed weapon, I have no programming on what could cause the internal injuries to the male over there.
ReplyDelete"Also have no data on any sort of combat techniques that would cause these in the female."
The droid activates a datapad and a hologram of brain waves appears. The pattern is standard, but then changes. Over the period of a few minutes, both patterns end up being displayed simultaneously.
"It's complicated droid," Xol says. "I think I would ruin your processor if I tried to explain."
ReplyDelete"And a further thing. When I returned to begin medical aid on the female, her injuries were almost non-existant. You can actually see the cuts healing themselves.
ReplyDelete"Is there a medical explanation for that?"
"It's more mystical than medical..." Xol looks at the displays for Sera.
ReplyDeleteThe medical droid makes a "hrmmph" noise. Before focusing back on Xol.
ReplyDelete"Well then, by my scans, she is perfectly fine. Please take her and the mysticism from my infirmary. And take her back to her quarters. I have non-mystical things to tend to. And I am positive the Ewok is eating some of my supplies."
The droid points to a hover stretcher being pushed over by a small droid. The droid gently lifts Sera and places her on the stretcher. It looks up at Xol as if seeking direction on where to take the girl.
Xol gets a call on his comms, "Hey, I thought you where going to get that Sera person, where the hell is she. I have Koroban waiting for her and I don't even know who she is!"
ReplyDelete"Navik, its Cyrus. Koroan was the name that excuse for a miraluka jerrec called me, back when I was...lost" Cyrus shoots over to him
ReplyDeleteXol chuckles at the droid then thinks for a moment. Where should she be put? Maybe on the Specter...his room. It's the commander's quarters and he's not there anymore. She'd like that. It's "her ship" after all?
ReplyDeleteXol is leading the droid to the Specter when he gets the call on his comm. "I'm sorry Navik. She's hmmm...unconscious right now. Her and Draigo were "training". I'll see what I can do as far as getting her to you soon."
Once Sera is comfortably situated and the droid has left, Xol sits in a chair near by to see if she comes to soon. Set climbs up onto the chair too and falls asleep quickly.
"Well, do what you can." Navik puts down his comm and turns to Cyrus. "I am sorry, but this Sera person seems to be unavailable right now, something about trading with a mandolerian. I don't know they all seem crazy to me."
ReplyDeleteAfter several hours, Sera sits bolt up right. Looking around, she notices this is not the infirmary, but Xol's cabin aboard the Specter.
ReplyDeleteSpotting Xol and a sleeping Set sitting nearby. "How long was I out? These things usually take four to six hours. Figured cuts, bruises, and a fracture would not take too terribly long to heal." she whispers.
"Also how is Draigo?"
"You were out much too long for Navik's liking I'm sure," Xol says. "He wishes to speak to you when you feel up to it. As for Draigo, he is in bacta due to his throat injuries...you two had the poor medical droid baffled."
ReplyDelete"I'll let you be and you can come find me on the Sarlacc so I can show you where Navik is if you need the help. He is a tough rodian to find on this hulk," Xol says as he starts to try and get Set to wake up.
< kel-dor >"Come on...get up. You are a tad heavy to carry."< /kel-dor >
Set swats at Xol sleepily, "So what...she's not heavy? She would totally be heavier than me and I think you carried her more..."
Xol starts to laugh a bit then stops, remembering something, "OH...drink Navik has...sip it...or you'll regret it."
"Sera should be with you shortly Navik. She has just come to," Xol says over comms.
"Come on you," Xol heaves Set over his shoulder with much exaggerated strain. "Let's go back to our ship."
"PFT! Stop kidding! I know I'm not that heavy!" Set slaps Xol's back softly.
When Xol turns to head out of the room, Set waves to Sera.
Over comms, "Good, good." Navik looks at Cyrus, "Looks like Sera should be joining us shortly. I apologize on behalf of her tardiness."
ReplyDeleteSera gives Xol an unpleasant expression when Navik is mentioned.
ReplyDelete"Very well. I'll see to what he wants. Hopefully, Lara's amusing little impersonation of me did not hurt his ego too much.
"Wait, Xol. Stop! Why are we on the Sepcter? Why is it back?"
Xol turns back around. "Cyrus brought it back. I figured you'd rather wake up in your room than on the dusty old Sarlacc."
ReplyDelete"You going to meet Navik now?"
"I'll get to it. Shower, change of clothes, change the access codes to the Specter. Then I'll get right on that."
ReplyDeleteSera says rising from the bed and stretching. Activating her wrist comm, she smiles to herself. "Tweaker get over to the Specter. I'm going to send R4 out to enjoy itself in the maintenance bay of The Legacy. While I'm in the shower, I'll need to you to go over the access codes for the Specter. We need to make sure our ship is safe and secure for what is to come."
Smiling she heads for her cabin. After a half hour, the work is done and she heads to Navik's quarters. Dressed in a black military style outfit, her lightsaber hangs from her belt in plain sight.
She opens the door to Navik's office. And gives a politely sarcastic smile. "I've been told you were attempting to summon me?"
"Ah finally!" Xol raises a glass with a green liquid and a straw in it.
ReplyDelete"Ah, finally. Wait, last i knew you where Lara? Hhhmmmm, humans i will never understand you all. Any way my i offer you a drink from the bar?" Navik says as he stands to greet Sera.
ReplyDelete"How quaint. A party." Sera says glancing over the people in the room and the drinks out on display.
ReplyDelete"Sera is my name. It is too complicated to explain things as they are about who Lara is and her involvment in this, but suffice to put it in your terms... 'evil whore witch magic'.
"I will have a club soda. My stomach is still sorting out things delicately after that Mandalorian ale.
"I presume you have everyone here for more than a drink and to show off an impressively stocked bar?"
"So grumpy," Xol says sadly and shakes his head.
ReplyDeleteSet looks up from the data pad and shushes Xol. "You aren't allowed to talk anymore..."
"Very well, and you are right. i have you and Cyrus here to collaborate on how to improve on the TIEs we have in the hangers." Navik walks to the bar and gets an odd clear blue liquid that has a slight glow to it. "Here drink this, it will help better then any club soda will." (It has almost no flavor to it) "Also, i would like for you to be apart of my crew. As head Engineer. You can fill free to decline the offer."
ReplyDeleteSera sniffs at the drink before taking a sip. "TIE fighters are hardly my area of expertise. You would be much better off talking to Thrawn's man on the Vengeance about that.
ReplyDelete"Which leads me to the next thing. 'Your crew'?"
"Yes, MY crew. You see after this whole thing with Jopal is over, Thrawn has promised me my ship back. Now i am trying to build a crew i can 'trust'. So what do you say? And it is perfectly safe to drink, it will help. Xol can tell you."
ReplyDelete"I can tell who what now?" Xol asks and looks over at Navik and then Sera and then the drink Sera has. "Ahh yes...that will fix everything up."
ReplyDelete"As for the fighters, you are now the only Engineer i know that wont just run off and join our enemy. I figure with you, knowing what parts do what in a ship, and Cyrus knowing how to fly better then the best. You two could make something worth having in my hanger."
ReplyDelete"Ah. So once we have killed Jopal, Thrawn takes its Imperial crew and gives leaves you with the ship. Not a bad payment, if he holds true to his word. Though I'd imagine that there are 'strings attached' to that deal.
ReplyDelete"In answer to your question, I decline. While your ship would make for an interesting cover and mobile operations base, my services belong to another. Based on the foreseeable future, once Jopal is dead and Thrawn confirms the hand over, I and the Specter will be returning to Imperial Center. There I will await my next mission."
"You're...you're gonna leave?" Set looks up from his data pad at Sera now.
ReplyDelete"Very well, I guess I will have to find some one else, and yes there are strings, but they can be cut. Not that I will ever need to, the terms are very agreeable. If you ever return as a guest of The Legacy, you will be treated as if you where among the richest in the galaxy. As for the Specter, you may take it, i just wish to have it examined by my Engineer team, simply for knowledge sake." Navik says turning his back to the girl.
ReplyDeleteXol puts his drink down and leans over and looks at Set's data pad. "What do you have there Set? Another drawing?"
ReplyDeleteSet hits a few buttons and makes 3 marks and holds it up to Xol.
Two dots and a curve :(
Sera gives Set a small wistful smile. "Sorry kiddo, but I have to. I work for the Galactic Empire, I'm kinda like what Xol was. I investigate certain people and bring the Emperor's Justice to them.
ReplyDelete"My mission here was to investigate two potentially rogue inquisitors and deal with them and this Jopal. My orders are clear on that. Mankrus has received his justice and Cyrus has immunity so long as he continues to work for Thrawn. Once Jopal is dealt with, I have to go to my next mission.
"I imagine it must be in the same way that Xol would return to the Sector Rangers."
Turning back to Navik, a smile forming on the corner of her mouth. "You have no idea, Navik. But I thank you for the hospitality. There is no reason that this cannot be an amicable alliance. I always have need for information and make sure that those I work with are rewarded for their aide."
"I'm doing no such thing," Xol says as he picks his drink back up and takes a sip.
ReplyDelete"Really? I must assume that Navik offered you a job as well then." the girl replies raising an eyebrow inquisitively
ReplyDelete"Yes. You are looking at the head of security here missy," Xol takes another sip. "Well...I guess not now. Seeing as how it's empty."
ReplyDelete"Retiring to a nice cushy security job then, eh?" Sera asks.
ReplyDeleteXol finishes the drink and puts the glass down. "Yes...can't go runn...flying all over the place anymore now. It isn't safe for Set."
ReplyDelete"I guess this will breed more excitement than just sitting in story circle on Dorin. You should have fun making sure that drunken socialites do not become to aggravated when the lose at sabacc."
ReplyDelete"Dorin reminds me too much of...things," Xol says. "This way I can still do something as far as work goes AND take care of Set." He rubs Set's head. "And you get to play all kinds of flashy games!"
ReplyDeleteHe picks his empty glass back up and looks into it. "Hmmm...yes...no..." He puts it back down. "No more for me."
"A Baran Do hanging out in a casino... nothing bad can surely come of that." Sera mutters underneath her breath.
ReplyDeleteTurning to Cyrus, "So you have returned. Let me guess, Navik has you dealing cards?"
"I'd never do anything like that," Set says offended, putting two and two together.
ReplyDelete"We can plan for the future all we wish. Until the deed is actually done, who knows if any of us will actually come back. Who knows Sera, you might get the stick out of your arse and see the Empire for what it truly is."
ReplyDeletemore directly addressing Sera, Cyrus says
"Hes asked me to head his fighter wing, but as I previously said, planning for the future does nothing for us when it is this clouded."
"The lure of money is powerful for some people, Set. And a casino breeds that desire. A person who can see the future, like Xol, would have an edge. One that desperate or unscrupulous people would take advantage of.
ReplyDelete"There is a reason that most casinos forbid Force users from playing in their establishments."
"Eloquent as ever, Cyrus. And just what is the Empire, pray tell?"
ReplyDelete"And I'd never do that," Set crosses his arms and scoots closer to Xol. "I'm a good person. And you can't cheat on the 3 in a row machines anyway."
ReplyDelete"Why dont you ask Lara. Im sure she can tell you exactly what it is" Cyrus says with a smile
ReplyDelete"You'd be surprised, Set." she replies with a wink. "Remember, there is no such thing as luck."
ReplyDeleteSera narrows her eyes at the Miraluka. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you shouldnt take everything at face value. It means your should consider the opposite side of the coin. Consider Lara to yourself." cyrus says, pausing to take a drink
ReplyDelete~Hrumph
ReplyDeleteSet flops against Xol, arms still crossed.
"You sound like Widdimur," Xol chuckles. "Yeah...3 drinks is a good stopping point..."
"( insert some kel-dor word )" Set whines.
Xol laughs and gives Set a short tight squeeze. "You're too cute...and you two...no fighting..." Xol points to Sera and Cyrus.
Ignoring Xol, Sera presses. "And I do not, and that is a lesson I taught you if I do recall. What is there to consider about my cousin? What are you drunkenly getting at?"
ReplyDelete"Ugh kids just don't listen," Xol says. "OH except you..." he points to Set.
ReplyDeleteSet looks up at Xol happily.
"Oh wait...you don't always listen either...hmmm"
Set bursts out laughing.
Navik moves behind the bar and fills Xol's glass. "I think we should just sit back and watch, this could get good."
ReplyDeleteXol happily picks up the refilled glass. "Oh well...if you are going to pour me another...don't want to waste it."
ReplyDelete"But you said..."
"But...it's so good! You wa...wait no...you can't have any." Xol takes a sip and sinks into the chair.
Set shakes his head and goes back to the data pad.
"I believe Ive given you all the information you need on the matter, Sera. If Lara wishes to provide further incite onto whats clearly staring you in the face, that will be her doing" Cyrus says, setting his drink down
ReplyDeleteSera smirks. "Oh really? Lara, do you know what he is talking about?" her clipped Imperial accent intones.
ReplyDeleteBefore the group, Sera's dark green eyes swirl slightly darkening and becoming a deep blue. Tears well slightly and the girl blinks rapidly.
"No, I don't believe I do, cousin. What great insight can I give her, Cyrus? Cause I'm obviously missing the holo here too. Or are your taunts the only thing you can find at the bottom of that glass?" Lara replies in her mid-rim accent.
Xol slowly puts his practically full glass down. "I...I think that's enough for me..."
ReplyDelete"Well, I think I am going to have to dink till this all makes sense, I don't know if i have enough." Navik says staring at the scene unfolding before him.
ReplyDeleteSet waves at Lara. "Hello...at first it was confusing but it makes sense now." He goes back to his data pad.
ReplyDeleteA smile crosses Lara's face. "I don't think the GALAXY has enough to help my situation make sense, Navik. And I would be in line ahead of you on that one. Though by the looks of things, Xol might have drank it all already."
ReplyDeleteLeaning back against the wall, she stretches a little. "Trust me, Set. It's still confusing and still makes little sense."
"By the way, I'll say what Sera wouldn't, Navik. Both of us appreciate your recognition of our skill and that we have gained a measure of trust. Thank you.
"If it were not for her prior Imperial commitments, she would take you up on the deal. I would have. But Sera is an Imperial girl at heart and believes firmly in it."
"Well what was confusing was for a second I might have thought there were two of you...but its just one...so yeah...two in one..." Set says not looking up from the data pad.
ReplyDeleteXol looks over at Set and picks his drink back up and takes a slow sip.
Lara turns her attention back to Cyrus. "So, nothing to say when the party involved is in the room?
ReplyDelete"Good to see you really ARE that same arrogant child I knew all those years ago."