Nubia

[Ubiqtorate]

A Rendili StarDrive Assault Frigate MkII broadcasting Remnant idents and reading as the Eventuality of Justice reverted from hyperspace over the planet Nubia with an escort of a half squadron of TIE Defenders and eight of the Lambda variant Imperial Assault Shuttles. Captain Harolld, a Duros formerly aligned with the Galactic Alliance, stood next to the seated and armored man he knew only as Ubiqtorate. The grey skinned man wasn't quite used to wearing a Remnant uniform, but so far, he hadn't seen anything to make him regret his choice to defect. When faced with Commissioner Mazzari's arrest, he had to make a tough choice, but there weren't too many options considering how things turned out. He had been a naval lieutenant in the New Republic, but it wasn't until he retired and was commissioned in CoreSec that he was able to get his own ship. When the Galactic Alliance killed Mazzari during the failed escape attempt, his crew were livid. Most of his crew were former Imperial Navy or supporters of the Chiss' more direct and proactive way of going after Black Sun and the Sith, so he was honestly faced with either defecting or facing a mutiny. He made his choice and was hoping he never regretted it.

 

The ship opened up comms with the government below and signaled their intentions. They had been invited by the new Governor Quaylle to accept the planet's formal admission into the Imperial Remnant. Though he didn't quite know how or why, Ubiqtorate seemed to have that authority. Captain Harolld wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen the signed order from Head of State Zinthos herself directing him to turn over operational command of his ship to the armored man and head to Nubia. He was still the Justice's captain, but it appeared that Ubiqtorate was her admiral. He didn't really care that eight hundred ISB troopers and officers had been billeted onboard with eight shuttles to move them around, but he was not so sure about this Ubiqtorate guy and what his goals were. Still, he was a man who had followed orders all of his life and, until there was something that happened that went against his beliefs, he would continue to follow orders.

 

* * * * *

 

Down on the surface, Ubiqtorate stepped off of the ramp to the Assault Shuttle and onto the fancy landing pad at the top of the Governor's Residence. Flanking him were eight ISB commandos and two adjunct to handle the paperwork. Waiting on the pad was a rather anxious looking human and his own staff of bureaucrats. Interestingly, two Remnant stormtroopers were also present, as was a grizzled and scarred man in a colonel's uniform. Nodding once at Colonel Zaxer, Ubiqtorate addressed the governor. "Governor Quaylle, on behalf of Head of State Zinthos and the Imperial Remnant, I am here to welcome you into the fold."

 

"Of course," the human politician said. "I am most pleased to finally have a representative here to sign the treaties."

 

"We are glad to hear it. How has the populace taken to the chance in allegiance of its government?"

 

The man blinked several times, but didn't allow his voice to waver too much. "The large scale riots have stopped with few casualties. There are still many peaceful protests, though a few of them do sometimes become violent and arrests are made. My supporters have managed to hold onto control, but it isn't easy so far. I have managed to come into an arrangement with most of the media to bring them over to our side which is helping, but things here are not exactly stable. We need to formalize this treaty and begin showing the people that the Remnant is here to stay."

 

"We see," Ubiqtorate mused. "Have you considered showing the people the benefits of leadership that actively opposes the type of slaughter at the hands of Sith and Black Sun terrorists that the Galactic Alliance ignores? What about taking actions to improve the infrastructure, economy, and security of this planet? Or showing them the increased stability of a strong leader not corrupted and under the pay of lobbyists and corporations?" Quaylle started to open his mouth, but was cut off by a gauntlet clad hand. "Well, ignore that last one, because if you did, you would be made a hypocrite."

 

"How dare—" exclaimed Quaylle.

 

"Oh, do be silent, governor. We have looked into your past and dealings and you are left desperately wanting. Fear not, though, we are not here to replace you. For the time being, we have need of you to make sure this treaty goes through. How long we tolerate your corruption depends entirely upon how fast and thoroughly you start cleaning yourself up. The old Empire may have allowed for under the table bribes and extravagant waste of money for personal pleasure, but the new Remnant does not. We have over a terabyte of information about you and your dealings, the vast majority of which do not please me. The Ubiqtorate will be monitoring you and if that amount does not drastically decrease in a very rapid pace, we will find a new governor of this fair planet. Is that most abundantly clear?"

 

The governor began gaping as his face turned more crimson, but he didn't argue. Instead, he took a look at the armed men standing in front of him and swallowed hard. After a deep breath, he said calmly, "I shall do my best to satisfy the Head of State."

 

"Excellent, the Remnant looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between it and the planet of Nubia whom you represent. Perhaps we should head inside and start going over the details?"

[Kitaara Shiri]

The Helios touched down once more on its home soil of Nubia, the private landing pad frequented by Lemnos' public relations star Kitaara Shiri. It was not out of the ordinary for the youthful Twi'lek to travel with an entourage, though whether for personal protection or product placement, none could say with surety. So it drew no notice when a half-dozen of Lemnos' creations descended the landing ramp, a nondescript cargo crate hoisted between them. Clad in her cloak of midnight blue velvet, Kitaara led the processional herself, the droids trailing her as she led them into the depths of Lemnos' forge to an undisclosed location to deposit their treasure for safekeeping.

 

-----

 

Later that evening, she and Haphaestus retired to their shared apartment. After a quick call to her trio of friends gushing about the grand and glorious party she had just returned from--and promising to dole out all the details of the handsome Imperial Moff whose interest had been stuck on her for the entirety of the evening--Darth Angelia lounged on the sofa in their entertaining parlor, sipping a too-sweet glass of Nubian wine.

 

It had not escaped their notice that their chosen residence had changed hands into Imperial governance, nor did it affect many of their plans. In point of fact, Lemnos' sales had been assisted by the sudden upswing of chaotic incidents throughout the galaxy, and fear was the bubbling undercurrent of a wealthy populace who dared not watch all they had gained come to ruin. It was laughable, all the property masters who could not bear to have their holdings stripped out from underneath them.

 

The title that her teacher had bestowed upon her had changed nothing, and simultaneously, everything. Overthinking her interactions with Haphaestus would not come to anything, however, so she instead set her glass down and treated it as any other night.

 

"I will send an entourage of Deimos-class to Korriban tomorrow with the token of our accomplishment," she said smoothly, swirling her glass around in one hand idly.

[Haphaestus]

No sooner had they landed than Haphaestus set into motion a plan to vindicate Lemnos Industries should the Remnant by some means link the death of the Grand Master to the Helios. Upon the front of the queue of the endlessly-churning factory a special droid was placed, the completion of which he would see to personally. All appearances were that no man nor machine that had not returned with them had witnessed their deeds in the Imperial capital, but in all things Haphaestus took great care, lest by negligence the company suffered avoidable harm. The details of his scheme he then laid out to Kitaara so that they could provide matching accounts of the event should they be so required.

 

Though only a short time had they been away, he then reviewed all business transactions in which Lemnos had participated in his absence. Of particular note was a shipment to a customer of wealth on Nar Shaddaa, the delivery of which had been tended to by a mercenary hired from outside. The mercenary had thereafter reported the order filled, and the customer did their payment remit which had been immediately reinvested back into the great machine of Lemnos' production chain.

 

Following sundown on that part of the world, he returned to the dwelling Kitaara maintained to speak with her.

 

"The droids may remain there as a part of our gift," he said in agreement with her plan. "For now let us yet conceal even from the Dark Lord our identities and as Lemnos Industries request an audience. If indeed the Sith attacked Carida with a fleet of their own making, at least our clients might they become. But surely as we have begun to amass great wealth, and that wealth can feed into and multiply itself, I have begun to seek some other cause into which we might invest it; for wealth alone is but a pathway to reach some greater goal and not an end unto itself, for in time it fades. A Sith Order well led by a Dark Lord of ideals sympathetic to our own philosophy may be one such thing that, through what we have built and will continue to build, might be made to prosper."

[Parangor]

After settling into a nice orbit he made the call to Lemnos. "Lemnos Industries this is Captain Dedroska aboard the Crimson Star. I am transmitting to request any information on other jobs you may have available for my crew and I. Please send all pertinent intel to me for inspection and job selection." After pausing for a moment he decided to go ahead with his idea. "I would also like to discuss the creation of a custom droid drone/bike for my ship." After sending the message he called his crew together to split out the previous jobs reward.

[Kitaara Shiri]

Kitaara produced a datapad that floated through the air between herself and Haphaestus, opting not to relinquish her lounging posture just yet.

 

"On that note, I came across this on my way here. I think it may be of interest to you," she said, the twinkle in her eye like a child's on Life Day.

 

On the screen was projected a news holoreport from satellites surrounding the planet Onderon. Plain as day, an assembled fleet with starfighters buzzing like so many pesky insects hovered over the green and brown planet.

 

"Sources within Onderon's military have confirmed; the fleet belongs to our brethren. Their purpose is unknown, but you were right, there are others."

 

Tossing her lekku over her shoulder, she stared into the photoreceptors of her teacher. "The visions have not stopped. I am pleased that the NYX prototype appears to function correctly. Hopefully it can be used to assist in finding what the Force leads me towards."

 

-----

 

The clerk droid handling Lemnos' hiring returned a message to Drogan DeDroska aboard the Crimson Star.

 

 

"Captain DeDroska, we are pleased to hear you have completed your delivery without incident. Upon your return, additional assignments may be given. Please report in to the Nuba City showroom at your earliest convenience."

 

[Parangor]

Upon receiving the message from the Lemnos clerk droid, he switched on the comms. "As it stands we will be returning to Nubia to look over a few other potential jobs with Lemnos Industries. While in transit we will run a partial watch with half the crew rotating to rest every 12 hrs. I expect to arrive on Nubia without incident. That is all" Settling into his chair he punched in the route for Nubia and began his journey. While in transit he spent some time looking more into Lemnos industries and the planet itself and found nothing to out of the ordinary.

 

After a few days of uneventful travel he found himself again orbiting Nubia. Not much seemed to have changed and he was able to get permission to land and was pleased to find he was able to get the same landing pad. After setting the crew into shifts, and allowing two to travel to the bar he had visited before, in twos till all had a chance to visit, he set out for Lemnos. Fully armored and armed as always he noticed that while no one really seemed to be acting different he felt something was. He hated when he had these feelings, the normally never ended well. So it was that when he arrived at Lemnos he was more tense then he would have liked but at least nothing seemed overtly hostile.

 

Entering the show room he announced himself to the service droid available and awaited further instruction. He really couldn't shake the thought something had changed but it didn't seem like his instincts were right. Either way he did a quick armor and weapons check and waited to see what happened.

[Haphaestus]

Haphaestus took this new information in stride. "Whatever their purpose on Onderon, at least active is the new Sith Order as of late," he noted aloud. "Alone I wonder how it might stand, having made not allies of the Remnant nor of the Galactic Alliance. We may soon find out, if our delivery to Korriban finds indeed an active Temple." Though indeed the Alliance's failure to arrive at Onderon with military forces in a timely fashion begged the question of whether they might have turned a blind eye upon it, as unlikely as that outcome might be.

 

His scan of the datapad complete, he placed it upon the table and allowed Kitaara to turn his mind to the NYX series and the mission for which he had long toiled in their design. "NYX-1's curiosity and willfulness were greater than expected. Her gift of flesh, like my own, exposes in her a genuine biological emotion which may lead to behaviors not entirely predictable throughout the line. But a sole prototype she cannot remain; her successors I will begin to create at once. You may send ships to dispatch and collect them, beginning with NYX-1, at your leisure. No two of them may be entirely alike of character, but they will find your Force nexus."

 

The rate at which he could create the NYX series was greatly limited. The factory could not aid him, and as he grafted upon each a portion of his own flesh, he would thereafter need time to heal. Kitaara's visions as she had described them were vague in nature and the search would take considerable time. But such visions were not to be passed over lightly, and equipped as they were to investigate them, it would be a great disservice to Kitaara to in apathy ignore them.

 

"For now perhaps you should take what rest you can afford," he recommended. "Tonight I will finish the construction of our alibi and then as time permits create NYX-1's siblings." By his reckoning he could create perhaps three more by dawn. Modest progress if indeed multiple planets they would need to search, but in the fullness of time adequate.

[Kitaara Shiri]

"Teacher," Kitaara began quizzically, "how is it that emotion is so strongly tied to the Force? What of those species for whom emotion is of little function in their base instinct? Your flesh is of some species, is it not? How is it that NYX so quickly deviates from her construct to be commanded by her emotions?"

 

For much of the previous evening, Kitaara had been considering the weight and substance of emotions, and their usefulness in accessing the Dark Side. Truly, the enemy she had slain on Carida was strong, but still seemed so limited. From what she had studied, Jedi held themselves to a minute range of the Force in order to give a wide berth to its uses that erred on the side of darkness. As curious as she was, she had never asked too many questions about Haphaestus' nature, wishing to avoid presumption, which she now regarded as a weak excuse for a question he would have no reason to be offended by.

 

"I will meditate, and try once more to find clarity in my visions," she concluded.

[Haphaestus]

"That remains a relationship of which I myself am yet a student," Haphaestus said. "I am of dual mind and dual body; my flesh and circuitry have become entwined in a way never before achieved. In his wisdom and power, my Master discovered this technique, creating my flesh from his own and with it clothing me. Since those early days I have studied my own creation, and have in time learned to replicate it so that I might rebuild myself. NYX-1 I have labored upon, as you know, for several months and iterations countless. Even now, though she has been birthed by my efforts, my work is but an imitation of Nurgle's and not something fully understood.

 

"By my observations the flesh itself creates something akin to a neural net. When first I was clad within it and for the first time perceived the Force, I considered the addition of emotions, like pain, a negative consequence. But as I studied the dark side, I came to realize that our sorcery most potent could not be summoned but by embracing them. Does not the Sith code state that it is by passion that we gain our strength?" he continued. "And so, faithfully to Nurgle's design have I created NYX-1 according to my own nature. In governing the fusion of her programming and emotion I claim no mastery, for she is yet only the second time it has been done. Perhaps through instruction she might be molded into a better image of myself or even of some character better still suited to the task we have laid before her. But if emotion she lacked, I have no doubt that her purpose would remain unfulfilled, her Force potential untapped."

 

He rose. "We will speak again ere long. Closer to Nurgle's vision and understanding will I grow with each of the line of NYX, and perhaps his secrets may yet be unlocked in full."

 

And so the Sith Master departed back for the workshop and the toil that was prepared for him.

[Kitaara Shiri]

Kitaara slept, but her mind did not rest. Even as her body convalesced after their long journey and the rigor of her battle with the Jedi Grandmaster, the drumbeat of the darkness had not ceased to call to her. It was as if her spirit traveled at the speed of light, roaming about the galaxy, looking for the call that plagued her.

 

The Force resisted her, tonight, as though a second success could not come on the heels of so great a first. In mounting frustration, she grappled against the current, as though swimming upstream to the source of her power. The exertion left her prone body glistening with sweat, but at long last, Kitaara reached her objective, and her mind's eye exploded into color.

 

Hovering before her, there lay a field of asteroids, hovering chunks of rock that insinuated some great destruction. She had the most peculiar feeling, that if she only turned around, she could find her objective, but in her vision, her body stubbornly refused to cooperate.

 

The path to power is the slow knife, hissed a snakelike whisper into her consciousness.

 

Kitaara snapped awake. Throwing her velvet cloak about her, neither bothering to change out of the satin negligee that draped her marblesque form nor glance at the time on her chrono, she snapped her fingers at her attendant droids, who ferried her shuttle to the familiar landing pad atop Lemnos' headquarters.

 

Charging into the workshop triumphantly, relishing in its native heat, she quickly located the center of her teacher's toil. "Asteroids and ruins. The dark side calls us there."

[Haphaestus]

Haphaestus labored tirelessly as he often did overnight before a great furnace, giving shape to his ideas and designs with his mind and his servant the Force. There had emerged from the doors of this sanctum of unfettered creation, where he for many long hours had toiled free of distraction, the prototype of every Lemnos design.

 

Now upon one table lay a droid seemingly dismantled as though rent asunder by lightsaber blade, though it was not otherwise dissimilar in frame from Haphaestus himself. Before the Sith Lord was the skeletal frame of NYX-3, and hovering nearby upon the threshold of the storage room was its forerunner.

 

"NYX-2, greet your master, Darth Angelia," Haphaestus commanded without looking upon Kitaara, preoccupied for the moment as upon the skeleton before him he fit a sensor cluster.

 

The droid whirled about to face the Twi'lek, rotating its light blaster cannon and fixing it upon her, its photoreceptor bank glowing with menace. "Curse and die in vain, newcomer!" it shouted in a masculine voice.

 

"Stop," Haphaestus said, his tone imperative as he turned to face it. Kitaara would see his arm was once again bare and stripped of flesh, and his pain throbbed in the Force, the necessary price of this newest act of creation. "You would do well to recognize your enemies, NYX-2, before engaging them. If you continue to fail to do so you will be disciplined severely or else scrapped entirely."

 

Silently the droid hovered for another moment before standing down. "Yes, Master. Well met, Lady Angelia."

 

Crossing over to Kitaara, Haphaestus inclined his head briefly in greeting. "Ziost, perhaps," he conjectured. "Let us dull not device by coldness and delay. I have sent for NYX-1. Let us hope that two droids will suffice when with our own efforts they are combined."

[Parangor]

After waiting for what felt like over an hour he radioed his ship and told them to prepare for departure. He wasn't sure if they were going to get a job out of this trip or not but he wanted off this planet one way or the other. Besides it seems that the Lemnos droid he spoke with either forgot him or they didn't have any jobs available. Either way he could look for work else where. He figured he could give them a little more time but he couldn't shake the feeling that it would just be better to leave.

 

After waiting another hour he decided it was time to go. Leaving the building he radioed ahead to his crew and instructed them to prepare for launch within the hour. He wasnt sure why he wanted off world so bad but something just wasn't right. Taking a somewhat roundabout route to his ship as soon as he boarded his second gave the all clear and took off. Upon reaching the bridge he took his seat and addressed his second. "Something about this planet bothers me, for the time being we will put it behind and see what we can find out. I think we will head for Scariff, the cat folk we dropped off there should have setteled by now with the other populace. Its an out of the way planet and will give us some breathing room and perhaps some leads on a new job." His second acknowledged the plan and set their course.

[Kitaara Shiri]

"If it's Ziost we're headed to, I doubt we'll need too substantial of a search party," she quipped. In truth, she was not so sure Ziost was their destination. She had covered the planet in her extensive studies, including the small matter of its destruction at the hands of Quintus Song and the Empire's Death Star. In her visions, it almost always felt like the asteroids were but a precursor to the leading of the Force. But she refrained from voicing this premonition, as Ziost was a center of dark side energy, and perhaps even should their search for the source of her visions fail, they may yet gain something of value from the trip.

 

"I will make arrangements with the foremen and meet you at the ship without delay," she announced, wrapping her cloak once more about herself, sending NYX-2 a wary glance, and moving for the door.

 

Physically, Kitaara should have been exhausted; but with the possibility of finally finding answers before her, Darth Angelia was thrilled. In short order, she had made the necessary arrangements and proceeded to the Helios with their standard droid entourage plus the two additional NYX droids, and once joined by Haphaestus, they departed for the ruins of the planet Ziost.

[Ubiqtorate]

There was a lot of work to do here, and Ubiqtorate was more than eager to get to it. The violent elements of the population were being brought to heel with a minimal of injuries outside of a lot of headaches from stun blasts. The Remnant didn't tolerate rioting, period. There were still some protests, but they were losing a lot of steam when the prophesied Imperial style crackdowns and brutality never manifested. There were a few minor issues between the contingent of Stormtroopers and other Imperials mixing up with the locals over how to handle things, but after Ubiqtorate publicly demoted or court-martialed several Remnant personnel for overreaching, things rapidly calmed down.

 

The authority that the Head of State had given to the ISB was expansive, and while he, as the senior representative of that institution on planet, tried to tread lightly, he wasn't going to tolerate any abuses from either the anarchists or the staunch old line Imperialists. A few of the pro-Remnant Nubian politicians attempted to get away with some rather drastic overreaches with their newfound political power, but he put a quick stop to it. No, the parliament couldn't just institute a rule confiscating their political rival's property. No, they couldn't exempt themselves or their assets from taxes. No, they couldn't receive major kickbacks on the Remnant's or Nubian people's decicred. Law and order had come to Nubia, and while it might bear the Remnant seal instead of the Galactic Alliance's, it was still law and order.

 

While the Remnant sources controlled most of the major media outlets through massive government incentives and other perks, nobody was forced to report pro-Remnant news at blaster point. Further, there was no closing out of opposition media. There were those who would never follow the Remnant, but that didn't mean they would be destroyed like in the old days of the Empire. The government might not favor them, but as long as they funded themselves and followed anti-slander laws, they could say and report on whatever they wanted.

 

The population, while not all in favor of the new change, was beginning to see that the Remnant wasn't the brutal Empire of old. With a good deal of his own work and that of the ISB, a lot of the bureaucratic mess that personified the Galactic Alliance and the Republic before it was shaved and replaced with more efficient systems. Business and industry were exemplified and regulations hampering them and catering to every small special interest group that didn't want a factory or business in their special interest were eliminated. The Remnant valued a large and efficient economy and anyone who wanted to contribute was welcome to. There were a lot of planets in the Galaxy, if a few were despoiled in some places by industry, so be it. The Nubians were excellent at keeping their own planet as pristine as possible, so he wasn't worried about strip mining and laws put in place by both Head of State Zinthos and the Ubiqtorate itself kept corruption in check with harsh punishments for violating.

 

Nubians naturally had a deep respect for their environment and for the visual beauty of things, it was something that Ubiqtorate wanted to spread throughout old Imperial planets that were not exactly known for their style and elegance. In truth, he briefly toyed with the idea of nationalizing the Nubia Star Drives, but that would definitely set a very bad precedent and would likely undo all of the positive design features he wanted to use. The Empire and the Remnant that came after it were big on mass scale and utilitarian design. He wanted to mix in some of the elegance and fresh thought of the Nubia Star Drives with the combat and battle experience of the Remnant and see what could come of it. Instead of nationalizing it, he looked into the ISB's budget, found a good deal of waste and money freed up from anti-corruption efforts, and budgeted a portion of that to making an offer to the CEO. There was an extreme amount of resistance to the idea of designing and building ships for the Remnant, but money was money. Perhaps the fear of what would happen if she said "no" helped sway her to agree, but Ubiqtorate preferred to think that it was her desire to make a large profit and use rational business sense that won the day. Either way, he hoped to see Nubian built ships serving in the Remnant navies soon.

 

He was, however, surprised and slightly perplexed at receiving a report that Head of State Zinthos offered to hold neutral elections on this planet over its fate. He understood the optics, but democracy was inefficient and often corruption in democracies was worse than more authoritarian systems. He immediately put the pro-Remnant Nubian PR teams to work convincing the population to vote to remain within the Remnant. The new anti-slaver initiative was a major coup for PR, as was the tragic murder of the Jedi Grandmaster Kirlocca which was immediately blamed on Sith fanatics. People on Nubia respected the Jedi and the fact that the Remnant was proactive against the Sith while the fumbling Galactic Alliance allowed Onderon to be overwhelmed by a Sith fleet helped boost pro-Remnant numbers in polls.

[HannibalWasBetrayed]

“Kriffing Pirates,” Tallin Abraxas grumbled. “Near shot off my crate of Alderaanian ale.”

 

Another voice interjected, “and my head.”

 

“Huh.” Tallin leaned back to look at his gunner, former Hutt pleasure slave Celora Karth, or Slave HF7389NS. “Small loss there, if I didn’t need a gunner.”

 

“Very funny Tallin.” The small human female retorted, before returning to the displays before her.

 

Tallin looked back at the blur of hyperspace before him. Two interdictions and five total attacks since the pair had fled Nar Shaddaa in the stolen SoroSuub Prey-Bird. One interdiction had involved bigger prey than the assault fighter, and during the other a republic senator’s ship had been pulled out. Before the pirates could grab the senator, their ship had been rammed head on by a refitted Lictor-class ship. Tallin chuckled at the memory.

 

“We should be clear from here to Nubia, too close to the system for most pirates.” Celora turned to look at her captain. “You still think it’s a good idea to try and join the Imperial Remnant?”

 

“You got somewhere better to be? Like back on that ship, waiting for the rest of those sleemo pirates to find you surrounded by the dead bodies of their shipmates?”

 

Celora smiled bitterly. “No, I suppose not.”

 

“Well, that Selkath on Manaan mentioned that the Imperial Remnant were having issues with the Hutts. I’m for anything who's against those sithspit slavers. Besides, ‘escaped slave’ isn’t exactly a profitable occupation.”

 

Further conversation ended as the fighter decelerated out of hyperspace above Nubia, the beauty of its lush landscape detracted from by the Imperial Cruiser floating above. Tallin reached for the ship comm, and said, “Imperial Cruiser, this is the MercyInBlood. We escaped slavery on Nar Shaddaa, and we’d like to join you.”

[Raven Nasra]

The Remnant cruiser brought its shields to full power and began to ping the preybird with heavy sensors, before the commander, one Captain Feiglin, told the ship's crew to stand down from red alert. He walked over to the comm panel and keying in his command codes responded to the erstwhile pirate prebird.

 

“Escaped slaves are always granted sanctuary within Remnant space, as commanded by our head of state. We are activating a tractor beam on your shuttle to bring it into a safe landing. Please have any ID documents available, and your ship unlocked and powered down for scans. Thank you.”

 

He pointed to the TAC officer who tapped away at his console and belowdecks a powerful Kyrgs Tractor Beam locked onto the Mercy In Blood and pulled her into the landing bay of the assault cruiser. Where stormtrooper lieutenant Qaselman, in her grey marine armour was waiting with a dozen men. As the preybird touched down, she removed her helmet, letting long locks of red hair drop over her shoulders and gestured for the escaped slaves to emerge from the preybird.

[HannibalWasBetrayed]

Tallin powered down the engines of his ship as he was pulled into the landing bay of the much larger Imperial Cruiser. As he touched down, Tallin stood up from the pilot’s seat, lowering the exit ramp in preparation for leaving the ship. He walked down the ramp, worn armor on and blaster carbine holstered on his back, followed by his gunner, her only armement being a slim blaster pistol by her side.

 

Sensing the tension, Tallin stopped a respectful distance from the Imperials, and with a nod spoke, “We have no weapons other than what you see, Officer, and the fighters traps have been disabled. Name’s Tallin Abraxas, and this is my gunner, Celora Karth. We stole this ship off some pirates back on Nar Shaddaa. I’m afraid there isn’t much in the way of ship identification, cept for a stamp from the SoroSuub Corp. Don’t think it will help you much, it’s been... defaced by its many owners. As for us, the slave markings are still on my neck, and I’m sure the girl remembers her number. Other than that, the pirates didn't exactly keep meticulous records."

[Raven Nasra]

Qaselman looked over the old model preybird with a mix of emotions, between anger and amazement. "You were very brave to attempt an escape from such a fate, there are quarters here for you if you need them and refreshers to get sanisteams. I will be your contact if you wish to join the imperial service, if not we can give you prefab housing on the Nubian surface and employment at one of the manufacturers there." She extended her black gloved hand to him in the universal greeting gesture, "A pleasure to meet you Tallin Abraxas, I am Katerina Qaselman, Lieutenant with the Imperial Space Marine company thirty four. At your service."

 

She walked the two of them to clean quarters, where soft green utility jumpsuits and towels were laid out in front of the sanisteams. Once they were washed up and fed they could discuss their future. But for now, they had just escaped death and slavery.

[Ubiqtorate]

There was a plethora of things and tasks to continue to take care of, but the bureaucracy and mixed with Imperial efficiency kept it going smoothly. As more time went by, more and more of the Nubian population calmed down and either accepted Remnant control or even began to like it. With new contracts for manufacturing coming in, more jobs were needed. More jobs meant less unemployment and thus, less idle mischief and criminal elements. That and the newly equipped "ImpSec" police of the old CoreSec augmented by the occasional stormtrooper patrol with a very low tolerance for disorder and a high punishment for criminality kept things going smoothly in the cities. There were some who decried the slow loss of idle freedoms, but there was a price to pay for safety, efficiency, and security.

 

Ubiqtorate noticed an odd report. The Eventuality of Justice had picked up a Preybird with some interesting bodies and two survivors purporting to be escaped slaves. This was enough to get his attention, especially with the Head of State's new anti-slavery campaign starting up. It was interesting enough to warrant a return trip to the assault frigate.

 

When he arrived, he met with and was debriefed by Lieutenant Qaselman and the ship's technical crew who were still in the midst of going over the ship and the bodies of the pirates within. So far, it seemed their story was panning out. It was intriguing enough, to be sure, so he decided to wait for them to be ready and interview them personally with the lieutenant. He directed Qaselman to escort the two to the stateroom that he had acquired while the Eventuality of Justice served as his flagship when they were ready.

[HannibalWasBetrayed]

“So,” Celora began, her black hair glistening and a towel wrapped around her slim body as she emerged from the showers, truly clean for the first time in many months. “This is it. We are really here, aboard an Imperial Cruiser, outside slave space. And we’re really gonna do it. Actually going to join the Imperials.”

 

Tallin raised an eyebrow. “You protest?”

 

“Yes! I mean, we don’t know anything about them. We don’t know what they want from us, or what they think of us, what they want us to do! Didn’t they used to be the bad guys? Do they expect us to repay them, and how long might this ‘hospitality’ last. You know what will happen if we get recaptured by slavers. How can you trust these Imperials?”

 

Celora paused, panting as her emotional explosion ended. Tallin suddenly stood from the bed upon which he had been sitting, and the former slave girl visibly flinched, cowering as she expected a severe beating, the treatment which such an outburst would have warranted from her pirate masters.

 

Tallin only sighed, a wave of exhaustion and grief breaking through the outward prickly wall of his emotion. “I won’t force you to join them. I’m not making you a slave. We don’t have much, but I’ll give you what funds I can get, the best chance of making a way in this universe that I can offer you. A trip to a planet of your choice, and some credits to get started.”

 

Celora looked at him in shock, surprised anyone would do something kind, before Tallin continued. “You mention some valid points. We don’t know much about them, or what our duties would be with them. And for the record, I don’t trust them. But I do know they aren’t slavers, and they are our best chance right now. You’re thinking like a slave. We aren’t slaves anymore, and these,” Tallin gestured around him, encompassing the Cruiser and almost the whole Remnant in a single sweep, “are not Hutts, or pirates. We make our own future now.”

 

A moment of silence occurred, until Celora softly replied, “I will think on it. Let’s get some food.”

 

 

As the escaped slaves entered the mess hall, clad in the outfits provided for them, Tallin spotted the Imperial Marine Officer that had met them on the landing bay. After getting their food, a long stare the only sign of surprise from the disciplined server, Tallin led the way to the table where the Imperial Officer sat alone.

 

With a respectful nod, Tallin began, “Lieutenant Qaselman, I would appreciate if one of the crews could take a look at the Preybird, as we suffered some damage on the trip. The hyperspace drive almost threw us back into realspace a couple of times, along with at least one of the turbo lasers malfunctioning. We don’t have much in the way of credits, but we can pay you, or… whoever gets paid in this place in Alderaanian Ale.”

[Ubiqtorate]

Lieutenant Qaselman nodded at their guests' request. "Crews are currently occupied gaining whatever intelligence can be gathered from your fighter. Whether there are repairs made to it is not up to me, but rather my superior. Eat now, when you are ready, I am to take you to interview with him."

 

She waited for the two to eat their food. It might not be the best fare in the Galaxy, but it wasn't field rations at least, and it would provide sustenance. When they were finished, she escorted them to the Officers Deck and the stateroom where the armored and helmeted man was waiting. "Sir, the two escaped slaves, as requested," she said with a salute.

 

The man looked up from his desk and gave a nod of acknowledgement. In his right hand, he had one of the Sidget Finners™ that he so often carried and that were quickly becoming strangely popular among various ISB officers. At least this one had no lights, but seemed a simple red spinning disc. There was a large stack of datacards on the desk, but that was common for one who had so many reports. "Thank you, Lieutenant, you are dismissed. Good luck at sabacc tonight, though watch out for Ensign Hasters, he tends to rarely bluff even when it seems like he is overextending."

 

After the lieutenant saluted and left, the man spent a few seconds considering the two before him. Then, he deliberately placed the Sidget Finner™ down on his desk and folded his hands in front of him. "I am Ubiqtorate of the Imperial Security Bureau," he said neutrally. "I have no official rank, but am in command here on Nubia. I have processed your requests and decided that, unless otherwise convinced, to grant your request for asylum within the Remnant. That does not mean a free ride: we expect all able bodied adults to work and contribute to society if they are on government assistance. However, considering your past, I may have some unique opportunities for you.

 

"It is no secret that Head of State Zinthos has declared her intent to destroy the slave trade on Nal Hutta, and we know you were from that system. That is why you managed to garner the attention of someone such as myself instead of being handled by simple lieutenants. Pending further tests, I would like you to consider assisting the Remnant in their upcoming operations against slavery in whatever capacity you are deemed best qualified for."

[HannibalWasBetrayed]

Tallin entered the large stateroom, his attention drawn first by the armor-encased man sitting before him, then to the strange utilitarian opulence of the room, before returning to the Imperial officer and the strange contraption he held in his hand. Tallin focused on the officer as he dismissed their guide and spoke to the duo, offering them a chance to fight the Hutts.

 

Tallin rubbed a scarred hand along his chin, before replying, “Well, I came here for an opportunity to fight the slavers. If I had wanted to be protected or given free handouts, I would have gone to the Galactic Alliance. What type of work might you have for us? While I know more about infantry combat then many slaves, having been with pirates, it’s not what I’m best at, and definitely not what she,” Tallin gestured with his thumb over his shoulder toward the human girl, who had been cowering behind the Zabrak’s much larger frame, peeking out at the Imperial officer like a child from behind their father, “has been trained for. But I do have some knowledge of how those pirates run their planets….. and we have a ship that looks far more at home in a pirate port then the bay of an Imperial Cruiser.”

 

Before further conversation could continue, Celora burst out from behind Tallin, powered by emotion, and stopped closer to the desk. “IF we join you, what about after the Hutts are dealt with, after our obvious usefulness is outlived? How do we know you won’t sell us like……..” she trailed off.

[Ubiqtorate]

Ubiqtorate sat motionless for several long moments after the girl's outburst. After a time, when he was sure she wouldn't continue, he responded calmly. "The Remnant does not truck in slavery, nor do we use child soldiers." Ironic, in a way, considering the current Head of State was fighting for the Empire when she was but 16 standard years old, but still. "On a personal level, I do not put children unnecessarily at risk in any situation, so you will not be fighting. If you," he said turning his gaze to the Zabrak, "choose to enlist in the ISB, you do so knowing she will be left somewhere safe and not put in harm's way. When you are finished with the Hutts, if you proved useful, you would be offered a permanent position within the ISB. Simply eradicating the Hutt threat doesn't mean it ends, there will be plenty of work to do after and in the rest of the Galaxy.

 

"As for what you would be doing, it won't be the infantry. I have plenty of soldiers who are quite proficient at killing and doing their job and the Remnant has spent a long time training them to do that. You don't have that time, so I will use you at what you may be uniquely suited to do: infiltration and espionage. I need someone who knows the area to help guide our advance strike teams to positions that will both help cripple the Hutt's infrastructure and ensure a maximum of slaves are left still alive after the invasion. We have some former slaves who are already recruited, but we always need more. If you feel capable, you can lead a strike team down on Nal Hutta or Nar Shaddaa to spot vulnerable targets, possibly make contact with slaves who can either assist us or assist other slaves getting to safety. More direct information will come as plans for the operation solidify and your own skills can be verified."

 

He gestured out the holoviewport (the stateroom was in the center of the ship, not on the vulnerable outer hull) showing Nubia and added, "When you are finished, you can move on to something else or continue to serve the Remnant. Regardless, you will be paid for your work for as long as you work just as any other enlisted man in the Remnant. Young Celora can live in temporary housing while you are gone and even use your pay to buy extra things if you wish it. Even if you don't stay with the Remnant, having assisted us in this matter will look very good on your resume for a large number of potential employers within the Remnant."

[HannibalWasBetrayed]

Tallin nodded, “I came for a chance to destroy the Hutts, to pay back what they did to me. This seems to be the best opportunity. I will join the ISB. Direct me as you wish, and I will be your weapon. I thank you for your offer concerning the girl.”

 

Celora looked crushed, “You’re leaving me? You’re going to make me stay here while you go off and fight?”

 

Tallin looked away, “It is what is safest for you.”

 

“I don’t want to be safe!” she responded angrily. “I don’t want to be left behind, protected in some nice place. I want vengeance too! I may look young, but I’m almost 16, and I’ve seen and done a lot more than most my age. I killed Vraxic, the cook, remember? I-I can be useful as well. I know how to be a gunner, and I know Nar Shaddaa pretty well. And as a girl, I can get places men can’t. And it’s not like they can do anything worse to me then what they’ve already done….. I won’t be suspected. I can put my own life on the line. I don’t need to be specially protected, if I die,” here she paused, the words coming thickly, “I die. I want to fight! ………… please don’t leave me here.”

 

After a moment, Tallin sighed, and turned his attention back to Ubiqtorate. “She did show herself cool under fire, and indeed had a strange accuracy with predicting fighter attack vectors. Celora has also spent more time on the planet, since they took her places when they would leave the ship. She would be risking her life just like everyone else. Perhaps it might be best if she came, she might be useful.”

[Ubiqtorate]

Ubiqtorate shook his head slowly. "While I approve of the fighting spirit, I cannot allow someone that young to join in or work with the ISB in combat like that. If we were to start employing children—no matter how willing—to fight out battles, we would start down a road that would inevitably lead to child soldiers and children being forced to fight. Then, we would be no better than the slavers other criminal monsters out there. That doesn't mean she cannot be of assistance, though. If she knows things and intel, she can teach our operatives at our staging ground. I won't turn her into a soldier, but I can treat her as a valued expert witness and let her impart what she knows to many officers and soldiers. In that way, she can serve her part in bringing down the slavers and it will not be the Remnant putting a child into combat."

 

He reached into one of the lower left drawers of his desk and pulled out a dark blue Sidget Finner™ with three equal lobes, each with a hole in the middle of the lobe. After placing it between his gloved thumb and index finger and giving it a good spin, he stopped it and placed it on his desk. "Here, take this as a small gift. You may find it extremely relaxing over the next few days. Almost all the other officers have at least a few. It may be helpful if you keep it with you."

 

He pressed a few buttons on his main computer terminal and nodded quickly to himself. "Ensign Capolla will be here momentarily to escort you back to your quarters. He will be your liaison until you are properly assigned into a squad. As for young Celora, if she desires to be of assistance, we can arrange for briefings where she can talk about the procedures of the slavers and pirates and impart whatever sorts of knowledge she can to squad leaders."

 

((Just in case it wasn't clear, a Sidget Finner™ is a fidget spinner. ))

[Kitaara Shiri]

“No word from Korriban,” she announced disappointedly as the Helios’ ramp descended onto the landing platform high atop Lemnos’ factory tower. The honor guard of droids, bearing their unorthodox gift, had arrived safely on Korriban, and had promptly gone comm-dark. This was unsurprising, as the Deimos-class droids had been instructed to give themselves into the service of the Dark Lord, but to have received no reply whatsoever was irksome. However, since their journey to Carida, she had neglected to bring up one thing with her former teacher that had firmly cemented itself in her mind, and since there was no immediate lead to follow concerning the possibility of a larger brotherhood of Sith, perhaps now was as good a time as ever.

 

To overcome the Wookiee Jedi they had slain, Haphaestus had employed tactics she had never before seen used, explosions of power she had not yet attained. There was much she had yet to learn. An avaricious twinkle glimmered in her eye as she walked briskly alongside the enigmatic Sith Master.

 

“Perhaps, since we may yet have some time before the NYX droids report back, there are some things you could teach me,” she said by way of suggestion. “There is much I wish to learn.”

[Haphaestus]

"Our envoy to Korriban must have been received," Haphaestus stated, "or it would surely have returned with the ship that bore it. If the Sith Order fails to seize the opportunity we have placed before them, they are unworthy of it." The Sith Master did indeed desire to find an Order unified in purpose and cultivating any advantage it might find in the chaotic days that now did approach. But he did not require it. His foremost concern was not a coalition of worlds or warlords that he might join to carve out some of their power for himself whether by merit or guile; the works of his own hands as he formed from the dust his own creations that better reflected his will were of far greater import.

 

"Yes," he told Angelia when she revealed her continued thirst for tools and powers greater than she had before attained. "You are ready. Some techniques are yet reserved for Lords of the Sith; from you they shall no longer be withheld."

 

The Lemnos Industries complex had sprawled out from a single building in the months past, and there existed now many chambers set apart far from any public access and restricted even to Lemnos employees. In the first days of Kitaara's training no private space had been yet available to them and they had sought out places abandoned in which to conduct her Force practice; a problem that their wealth had in this way corrected. Together they proceeded now to one such training room. Darkened walls lined with weapons and other implements of her instruction partitioned padded flooring. The dark side ever lingered here, its residue like static electricity clung to the foundations and charged the air. At times it gathered and dispersed as though governed by some mystic current, but most often it came to rest upon one of the few artifacts Haphaestus had some time ago brought over from Almas.

 

The Sith bade not the darkness vanish, but welcomed it. It was Haphaestus' sole sustenance; he required neither food nor electrical power in its presence.

 

"No doubt you wish to learn Sith lightning," he said. "It is a power harnessed through hate, and you will find that your lightning will be ever more fearsome as your hate you learn to focus."

 

Kitaara could feel him gather the dark side about him as though he'd donned a cloak threaded with it. The Force poured through him until his flesh nettled. In a moment a blast of electricity cut the room in twain, sparking outward as it crackled forth to strike the fortified far wall.

 

He produced his lightsaber, a weapon seldom seen in his hands, and offered it to her. "This will help you learn," he said. "With Sith lightning the crystal is charged. Draw first your power through it until you know its taste and need it no longer."

[HannibalWasBetrayed]

“Celora,” Tallin said as they stood in their assigned room again, his face in a set scowl as he faced the girl, her body stiffened in anger and her face contorted by her rage, the gifted Sidget Finner™ in mortal danger as she clasped in it a tensed hand. “I think you should reconsider.”

 

“Reconsider??? Karking druk. I’m done. He thinks I’m a child, some kind of baby? I’ll show him. I don’t need them, or anyone. I won’t be their glorified pen-pusher. I’m leaving, one way or the other. I was scared, but I want to fight slavers, one way or the other. If they won’t let me, I’ll go somewhere else.”

 

“Just like that? You are going to leave with nothing but the clothes on your back?”

 

“If I have to, yes.”

 

Tallin looked her over, the younger girl firmly meeting his eyes, a new resolve strengthening her. “You will not have to. You can take the Preybird. It looks like I’ll be part of a squad, so I will not need it. You can also take all but three of the bottles of Alderaanian ale. I would suggest selling them to a dealer or collector. You could use the credits more. You may also wish to hire someone to train you in the use of weapons, and how to fly…”

 

Celora interrupted with a murmur, “I know how to fly.”

 

“You do? Why did you not tell me?”

 

“I was afraid you might think I would have taken the fighter, that you might hurt…” Celora trailed off.

 

Tallin only looked at her for moment, a serious expression forcing her to turn away.

 

“Be careful, many will try to take that ship from you. You have many enemies, and few friends. Watch yourself.”

 

She nodded, still looking at the ground. “I will. Before I go I will… tell these Imperials what I know about the pirates. But I’m not staying. Maybe one day, I’ll be back, show them what I’m capable of, when He might finally respect me, and He’ll know he made a mistake. But until then..”

 

“Good luck, Celora Karth.”

 

Her expressions softened for a moment, “I… thank you, Tallin.”

 

A time longer they stood, the tall Zabrak and the little human. Then the moment passed, her anger returned, and she stormed to the door, angrily jamming the button and yelling out as she entered the hall, “Ensign Capolla! Take me to someplace I can pass on the information on the slavers. I’m not staying for the briefings to krong knows who. I’m getting out of here.” An audible crack was heard, the Sidget Finner™ snapping in her grip as she propelled herself into the hall.

 

Tallin walked to the door and called after the retreating pair, “Ensign Capolla. Please inform Ubiqtorate that I await further orders here.”

 

As he watched the two, perhaps the last time he would ever see his former companion in slavery, he whispered to no one, “I too think you may have made a mistake, Ubiqtorate.”

[Ubiqtorate]

Ensign Capolla made sure that a shipman escorted Celora to the hangar bay and the Preybird that brought her there. The mechanic in charge of the repairs came out of the ship and gave her a quick report on what all was going on. The hyperdrive had been patched and should be reliable...for a time. To be fully fixed, it would need replacement parts simply not found within Remnant inventories, but might be located down on Nubia and the shipyards there. The laser cannons had been realigned and had their Tibanna gas replaced, so they should work fairly well. There were a lot of minor things that could definitely do with a tune up. The mechanic's crew of three had worked on cleaning and fixing the most obvious issues, but it would take days to fully overhaul the ship. Alas, since the ship wasn't a part of the Remnant Navy, so there was only so much time and effort that could be allotted to repair. What had been done was charity and a sign of goodwill toward the escaped slaves. The mechanic said he would finish cleaning out some minor corrosion in the life support air ducts, but that he would have to turn his attention back to his normal duties. He suggested heading down to the planet to see about any further repairs.

 

Capolla personally escorted Tallin down to the crew decks. There was a long line of quarters divided every so often by a small common area. At the third, he stopped and motioned for the Zabrak to enter. "Inside is the team you are assigned to. Get to know them: they will protect and die for you just as you must protect and die for them." With a quick salute, he opened the door and left.

 

Inside were three men and a woman, all human, though very different. There was none of the proper military bearing that normally accompanied anyone of Imperial breed. Instead, they were mixture of different personality types and appearances. With fair ease, they introduced themselves to Tallin.

 

The largest was Reasve, a burly black skinned man who stood slightly over two meters tall. He was muscular, had a close cropped unnaturally red beard that contrasted with the blue hair on his head of similar length. One of his eyes was silvered in, probably from a massive scar that cut through the left side of his face. He was covered in tattoos, some that seemed to glow slightly, and had a large burn mark on his bare left shoulder.

 

The next was a fairly thin man who was covered in various oil stains as though they were simply part of him. Gortash was quiet during the introductions, but he did smile on occasion as he tinkered with small gadgets and random devices. He had no real tattoos, but there was a small piece of metal in his right temple that hinted possible cybernetic enhancements. Despite his thin frame, the manner in which he snapped open various pieces of machinery hinted that he was stronger than initial perceptions let on.

 

The sole woman in the group called herself Yyesh. She was the most rigid and aloof of the four. Most of the time, she ignored the newcomer, but focused on various datacards. When Tallin entered, her light blue eyes studied him for a full minute and didn't return to him except for a few small glances now and then. She had her black hair tied up in a tight bun, but it was clearly fairly long from the look of it.

 

As if to counter Yyesh's icy silence, the team leader, Sergent Blugraz, was constantly chattering in a pleasant, almost cheerful tone. He was almost completely nondescript in nearly every way from his bland short, wavy blond hair to his average height and build. Though, that nearly was a very important part. The man, though looking to be human, had six fingers on each hand and, as he proudly proclaimed only one and a half minutes into being introduced to his new squadmate, six toes on both of his feet. His sixth finger looked completely functional as though humans were supposed to have that many digits. He even was able to flip a stylus around all six of them with impressive dexterity that drew eye rolls from the rest of his team.

 

"Now that you have been introduced," Blugraz said cheerfully, "I am glad to inform you that you have been accepted into the Imperial Security Bureau's Bureau of Operations as a corporal. We are a part of the first wave of infiltration squads that are tasked with landing on Nar Shaddaa and using our knowledge of the underworld to make contact with some of the smugglers. We are going to offer them a chance to join with our cause and help overthrow the Hutt slavers. If all goes well, some will accept our offer and help get us introductions among the slaver lords on Nal Hutta. Once we are invited to the swamp itself, you will help us locate various slaver vulnerabilities and report them to the rest of the task force. If possible, we will also make contact with some of the slaves and see if we can't get some to help us behind the scenes. Even if they can't, our goal is to make sure they are able to get to safety prior to the invasion. Lastly," he said with a smile, "once the invasion force arrives, we are going to do as much damage to the slavers from within as possible to give them more to think about than our friends bearing down on them. That is where the fun part of this mission takes place."

[Kitaara Shiri]

The cold hilt of the saber rocketed across the open arena before it buried itself in her unyielding grip, called by a metaphysical hand that dripped with liquid thirst to attain the vitriol it possessed. Like some broken conduit, the crystal within hummed and crackled with electric energy, but yet it was not unpredictable like such a circuit might have been. The darkness within Haphaestus' lightsaber was ironically charged with light, but it was a light borne upon rays of rage, unending screams of vengeance, wanton suffering unleashed through electric retribution.

 

In kind, her dark eyes electrified, seeming to take on the incendiary glow of molten obsidian.

 

The familiar fire sprang up within her, and she pulled on the echoes from the crystal, weaving it expertly together with the flame of her own rage. Gritting her teeth, she let the residual energy of the room fill her, and emulated the sensation of the saber's crystal in her soul, pouring it out in the direction of the opposite wall.

 

As though she were calling down the wrath of the heavens, as in ancient myth and legend, Angelia wrought in the air before her a mighty bolt of ancient flame, forked tongues of deceptive lightning that curled and snaked their way to the far wall. The momentary image of the Tionese god who threw thunderbolts of his own, she resisted the sudden pain that spiked through her arm, willing herself not to cry out at the agony it wrought. Directed by a single digit, webs of electricity splayed across the padding opposite her, leaving scorch and scald marks that shook her arm until she could no longer control it, and the stream of energy ceased, flying upward to overload and pulverize a strip of fluorescent lighting.

 

All along her bare arm, pink spidery lines ran as though she herself had been struck by the bolts she had procured, fingerling burns that smarted and brought water to drench her eyes. Produced it she had, but to ineffective end, and lacking the display of control with which her teacher had wielded it on Carida. She had long since learned that her teacher would offer praise or correction where it was needed, and simply turned her face to him expectantly, blinking the reflexive saline from her eyes.