The Hapes Cluster

[Mr. Lexle]

EDIT: Wrong thread.

[Bad karma]

She took her first step into the corvette class ship. The hull was decorated in a fashion that suited her morbid desires, but past that she had to make sure it was suitable for her needs. It wasn't that she didn't trust KvC, rather she was just cautious about things that she would be depending on for a long time to come. She traced her hands along the black walls as her eyes moved up from the crimson floor, taking in the sight of the various grisly wall mountings.

 

She moved from room to room, making her way from the back of the ship to the front. Along the way she took the time to inspect the specially designed hanger with the small vehicle in it. It wasn't often one bore witness to a vehicle that didn't use repulsor lift tech or legs, such as what many walkers possessed. The weaponry, while not that impressive, was more then pleasing for a person such as her. After arriving in the cockpit she summons the two soldiers that had delivered it.

 

Dominique moved into the Throne Room and took her seat upon a rather horrid looking Throne and smiled down as she saw the unblemished, white Storm Troopers step into the room of varying shades dark colors.

 

”œInform the crew of your respective ships that you'll be staying here, with me, and that they are to return to Cardia.”

[Ragnos]

Nulled.

[Andon]

The agile baudo-class star yacht emerged from hyperspace well outside the grav-well of the central planet of the Hapes consortium. Deft fingers moving across the comm console, Andon activated the false ship transponder. It was an impeccable substitute, so genuine in fact only the highest military slicer scrutiny would be able to navigate the maze of registration and verification the ID number provided when searched for. The force master suppressed his presence and that of his wife long before they had exited sub-space and to real time reversion, clamping down on their abilities to such a degree they registered blind to the force as any other non-user.

 

It also meant he had to clamp down on his flying ability, down-shifting from his natural rating of "Revolutionizing physics" to mere "exceptional" in terms of capability. He hailed the planet informing them of their situation and quite relevant need of a medical facility, half-heartedly apologizing for his lack of etiquette. Hapans were a strange bunch afterall. Granted clearance, he nimbly maneuvered the Rapture Star through orbital traffic and atmospheric obstacles at a near unbearable pace of restraint for Andon. In a broad sweep he passed within sight of the Royal Palace, engines burning to near limit as they headed for a medcenter a few hundred kilometers from the planet's capital.

 

Rising to his feet, he allowed the R7 astromech to bring the ship in for a landing as he moved back towards the master suite. Jaina lay there holding her stomach, eyes closed tight as if trying to will away the pain she carried. Without a word he placed his arms underneath of her and lifted her up to his chest, Jaina's sweat streaked forehead resting against his shoulder as he carried her to the lowering landing ramp. A doctor and team of nurses were there waiting for the two as he walked out onto the duracrete landing pad. Gently laying her down on the hover bed, he took her hand in his as he spoke to the doctor.

 

"She began labor pains about forty minutes ago, her water has already broken. Not sure about time between contractions and dilation."

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Ashley let out a heavy breath as the Blackstalker set down in the Hapes spaceport, tilting her head to one side and closing her eyes as her neck cracked several times. Shut-down procedure complete, she left refueling instructions with the spaceport maintenance crew and headed out.

 

No sooner had she stepped outside than a drop of water splashed onto her cheek, followed by another, and another. Within a few seconds, the cloudy sky opened and a thick rain began to fall. "Absolutely kriffing wonderful," she sighed, pulling the collar of her jacket up around her neck and shoving her hands into her pockets. Checking to make sure her pistols were protected from the rain, she headed down the street in search of shelter, for which a near-by cantina seemed as good as anything.

 

Stepping out of the rain and into the dimly lit cantina, Ashley squinted for a moment as her eyes adjusted to the lighting change. She shrugged out of her water-soaked jacket as she approached the bar, slinging it over the back of a chair as she sat down.

 

"Corellian whiskey," she muttered, pulling the credits required out of her pocket and slapping them onto the bar. Almost simultaneously, the credits were removed and a glass was pushed in front of her. Offering a sharp nod of thanks to the barkeep, Ashley raised the glass to her lips and tipped her head back, feeling the burn of the whiskey travelling down her throat. The glass clinked as it returned to the counter half-empty, and Ashley sighed and rubbed the back of her neck as she pulled her datapad out of her pocket and started scrolling through the information it contained. "There's gotta be something in here," she mumbled under her breath. With her whiskey near-forgotten, her eyes darted back and forth, following the words on the screen as they scrolled past. Who am I?

[Jaina Jade Skywalker]

From her position atop the hovercraft, Jaina could hear none of Andon's words. The pains in her abdomen, at one time splitting her sides every second, had somewhat subsided and lent her a faint clarity of mind. The man he was talking to, a doctor of some sort by the looks of him, nodded quickly, apparently receiving well whatever Andon had told him, and motioned for the crowd of people surrounding her to carry her away. Ignoring the bustle of the spaceport and the people who undoubtedly stared at her, the brightly colored foliage and the obnoxiously pervasive lights and sounds, Jaina simply turned her gaze towards the overcast Hapan sky. Rain fell softly upon her, washing away the majority of the sweat that covered her face, and cooling her a great deal.

 

As the sky disappeared to give way to artificial light and the sterile smell of the Hapan medcenter, Jaina's abdomen hiccupped again, giving her a muscle spasm that threw her to an upright position, yelping loudly. She was taken to a small but comfortable room, and while the medical staff buzzed around her, she withdrew within herself, calling on the Force to calm the pain that threatened to consume her.

 

A final murmur from the doctor, ”œshe's fully dilated,”

[Andon]

He didn't remember moving his feet to walk. Autonomy was the word he thought of. Walking wasn't important enough for attention, there was only his wife and child to be. He held Jaina's hand reassuringly as he kept pace with the advancing hoversled. Raindrops turned to steam as they traced along his scalp, elevated heart rate had raised his temperature higher then he had thought. Or it was colder on the planet then he thought. That wasn't important enough to notice either.

 

Andon knew the spasm was coming before the others did as she clutched at his hand with impossible tension just before lurching forward near involuntarily. She cried in agony; he braced her with his arm and let the labored mother to be finish breathing out her scream into his chest. Her hand eased within his and the entourage continued into the prepared delivery room. The sensation of electric tingle passed across his skin as they walked through the sanitation field that sterilized them of all germs and contaminants, reality hitting him that much harder of what was about to happen.

 

A nurse tugged on his forearm with both her hands in order to pull him away to make room for attending to Jaina. For a moment that darkest side of him contemplated shrugging her aside, but he thought better when it struck he needed to step away so she would be taken care of. The former Jedi was antsy to say the least pacing around the room and weaving in between medical staff as they tended to life about to give life; his eyes never left his wife's. Hands running through his hair almost at compulsive intervals he kept his vigilant but warm hazel-gray gaze on her, catching her eyes in precious stolen moments between procedures and her temporary decimated attention.

 

At first opportunity he was at her side again, wiping her forehead with a cool rag and giving her sweat and rain matted hair little kisses in between the growing contractions. Each touch of his lips sending passive echoes of Force relief down through her as he poured as much love and mystical endorphins as he could dare while on this strange planet. They were at their most vulnerable now and he clamped down further on the stray ripples of their presences and abilities. Andon was looking down at their entwined hands when the doctor spoke the first sentences of the rest of his new life.

 

"She's fully dilated. We're ready to begin."

 

He could feel her attempt to crush his hand with each push and could hear her labored breathing, but it was if she was somewhere else; almost a trance of a kind. The necklace given to him as a wedding gift rose in temperature, if only slightly. Her breath went shallow as a monitor beeped furiously, a blonde woman injecting a clear fluid into Jaina's IV and tilting her chin upward. Her husband waited to exhale, drawing inwardly of his own reserves and hand hovering over her collar bone as the seconds ticked by. Jaina. Breathe, love, breathe... The monitor ceased and the tension faded for the moment.

 

She continued this trend of consciousness, worrying him with each time her eyes shifted. The necklace was starting to ache against his heart. He leaned close to her, lips just centimeters away from her ear.

 

"Jaina. Jaina wake up. Jaina you need to wake up."

 

Never was there such a beautiful sight as the chestnut emerald gaze she gave the world as eyes opened once again. They were close now, the baby was beginning to crown and her pain increased as such; Andon winced. "I'm right here, Jaina."

 

The doctor announced the head was nearly through.

 

"Stay with me."

 

There was crying.

 

"Jaina."

 

Shoulders were out now, 'on the home stretch' as one of the nurses announced it with a smile.

 

"It's almost over, darling."

 

With one last push, the doctor held in his arms a little miracle. A child. Jaina and Andon's child. Their little miracle.

 

"Jaina..."

 

Her hand went relaxed in his, he tore his eyes away from their newborn to see the now serene expression Jaina wore. The delicate resting face of his child's mother. And it was beautiful.

 

Gently he sat down on the bed next to her, their entwined hands resting on his lap as he exchanged focus between mother and daughter. The two most important people in his life, the only important ones. Cheeks ached from smiling by the time Jaina awoke and sat up, his hand moving instinctively to brace her as he repositioned himself so she could lean back into him to sit upright when ready. As Jaina held their little girl for the first time, he could barely keep his hand from shaking. He was someone's whole world now. And it was wonderful.

 

Resting his chin on Jaina's shoulder, he reached out hesitantly to gently graze the curve of Tirzah's little jawline with his forefinger. His daughter yawned, the first yawn of her little life and tears could not be held back. Andon wrapped his arm Jaina and snuggled as close as he could to her, resting his temple against his wife's as he just watched in amazement at the tiny fidgets of their waking daughter. Her eyes took in their first sight and his fatherly smile widened. She would always have that to carry with her even though she'd never remember it, her first image being the two people that would give their whole lives just so she'd have the chance to be happy and well, if only for a moment. A moment that would mean everything to them.

 

**

 

There was only the joy of the daughter they had been waiting so long for. His little girl. Andon's little miracle. How great was the love he had for her the moment he looked upon Tirzah. He fell in love with her instantly and it would only grow from now until the day he died.

 

The only affliction of their stay on the planet was the Hapans themselves. Beauty was their idol and he bore an unforgivable disfigurement. A scar running from eyebrow to chin, no matter how faint and clean, marred his looks forever. No healing could make it leave. They starred at him sometimes, the women trying to hide their pity and near revulsion at this imperfection on a perfectly suitable male. A wounded dog was how they treated him, always with sad eyes and contempt. Andon had nearly forgotten that scar was there, because Jaina never flinched when she looked at him or averted her gaze from his.

 

She was there to witness it when it happened. She knew it was a mark he bore because he lost a portion of his soul in order to redeem an enemy turned brother and spare him from the darkness that had consumed all he ever knew. His disfigurement was John Skywalker's renewed life.

 

Something was amiss, the nurses and doctor whispering of things and sharing datapads with results. He didn't know if Jaina had heard them or if she was choosing not worry and just enjoy the preciousness of her child above all problems of the world. But he couldn't, he had to know. When the latest nurse came in with new results, his eyes never left her and when she left he followed her. The redhead didn't get very far down the hall before a warm hand found her shoulder and gently spun the woman around. Her nose crinkled slightly at the surprise of looking up at his face, but he ignored it.

 

"I need to know why you keep re-running so many tests."

 

She looked at him like he spoke another language. The renegade had momentarily forgotten men were third class citizens in the Consortium. He bowed his head and closed his eyes to give the look of meekness. "If you would ma'am, please." The pretty face starred at him blankly for a moment before turning to leave, responding was merely a whim of charity to men he assumed. "My wife is worried but too scared to ask. It would break her heart to know if something was wrong. I must know to brace her."

 

He must have sounded pitiful enough, for he heard the click of her heels cease and felt the air shift as she turned to face him. A few button presses on the datapad and she turned the screen towards him. What he saw was a very big word that he didn't quite know how to pronounce, but it was the word that he would never be able pour out from his mind. It was used to describe a genetic condition that had begun while just a fetus.

 

Blindness.

 

It felt as if everything had been emptied out of his heart and he was just waiting for the husk to collapse. But he willed it together, he had to, Jaina still had to be told. Colos didn't bother looking at the nurse as he left, or even bother to fully lift his feet up as he shuffled with each step. He stood in the doorway for the longest time just looking at his wife holding Tirzah in her arms. He sat down on the bed beside her and met her gaze; his face would not be able to hide it, so he told her.

 

Or he would have, had their doctor not arrived in that moment with the red-haired nurse in tow. He was talking, but Andon wasn't listening. He already heard all he needed to. He just looked at his child, with eyes so big and bright, moving his finger back and forth in front of her face, heart breaking with each pass that never caused her to follow it. He finally let the tears flow out as he put his arm around Jaina, seeking her comfort more then he sought to comfort her.

 

The newborn smiled at him or it would have been directed at him if she could actually see. It was in his direction, but he didn't know at all what she smiled at. He might never. So he shed the tears for what she would never perceive. The brightness of colors, the beauty of a sunset, the invisible wave of a breeze moving through a field of flowers. He cried for her. That his little girl would never know what her daddy looked like.

[Guest]

Jareth followed the coordinates he recieved from a back woods trader toward the Darkwatch facilities. As he made final approach, he activated his ship's communications panel and hailed the structure now situated far beneath him on the surface.

 

"Jareth Vermillios, requesting landing clearance and a liason with whoever is in charge here."

 

His knuckles tightened and his senses attuned to his surroundings waiting to either take evasive action or begin his decent.

 

Surely they wouldn't be that stupid. he thought to himself as he pictured what would happen if they refused his clearance request.

[Dagon]

"Clearance granted, Mr Vermillios. Please follow Beacon 562 Zeta to your landing pad. A representative will be with you shortly."

 

Hapes, ever since the ousting of the Empire, had long been the public face of Darkwatch and its connection to the non military factions. It was not uncommon for bounty hunters and mercenaries to contact Darkwatch for personal equipment upgrades and other financial exchanges.

[Guest]

"Very well, thank you," was Jareth's reply as he eased back into his seat and tilted the nose of The Tigershark toward the planet's surface. The craft made a speedy descent to the given beacon.

 

Once safely on the ground, the sith master exited the ship and waited for a representative to greet him.

 

Jareth had long since made the decision to do what he was about to finally go through with, and was resolved to see it through to the end.

[Dagon]

A well dressed man escorted by a Darkwatch soldier and a pretty personal assistant meets Jareth at the docking pad.

 

"Welcome to our public offices, Mr. Vermillios. We at Darkwatch Securities are proud to supply not only the major military organizations but also smaller operations and individuals. What can we do for you today?"

[Guest]

Jareth reached into a side pocket and pulled out a holopad. After pressing a few buttons, a readout displayed his order and the amount he was willing to pay.

 

"I have the specifications I require here," he spoke as he handed the holopad to the Darkwatch associate.

 

"Do we have an accord?"

[Dagon]

"We do, Mr. Vermillios. If you'll follow my assistant she'll take you to medlab for the procedure. There will be the actual surgery, a calibration session, and a brief holding period to ensure no complications come up. We guarantee that all of our enhancements perform as they're supposed to without any negative effects, and we won't send you out the door if something isn't working."

[Guest]

"If something isn't working, you won't have a door to send me through sir." Jareth muttered in a low but audible tone.

 

He followed the assistant through a short maze of corridors before arriving at what was identified as the medical lab. The door whirred open and Jareth moved his way through it to a surgical prep area. Following the assistant's instructions, he undressed and waited for her to return.

[Dagon]

Darkwatch medical clones enter the operating room, prepared to begin the operation. The head surgeon speaks to Jareth.

 

"We're going to need to shave your head to access the operation sites, but don't worry, we can regrow it after the surgery with protein stimulators. Afterwords we'll put you out to conduct the surgery and bring you back to calibrate the enhancements."

[Guest]

"Very well, do what you must." Jareth spoke as he began to relax his mind.

 

Using the force to calm himself would be one thing that he missed after this procedure, but he knew it was for the best. His quick temper would have to be reeled in w/out the aid of the darkside from now on.

 

His new life was about to start, and he faced it with optimism. It would feel good to break some skulls the old fashioned way once again.

[Dagon]

The procedure commences and Jareth is temporarily knocked out while the doctors and med droids operate. After the op site is closed, protein stimulators are applied to repair the scalp.

 

"Welcome back, Mr Vermillios. The operation is complete, along with calibration. After a short holding period to make sure nothing is wrong, you will be on your way."

[Guest]

Jareth's eyes opened and his head swam with grogginess. Heaviness set in almost immediately. The force had aided his movement so much over the years that having to do things completely unaided seemed somewhat ackward.

 

He swung a leg over the side of his bed and as his foot touched the cold tile floor he couldn't help but notice that everything was different. His skin could differentiate between every single particle around him. His sense of smell was heightened beyond even his own belief, and his eyesight improved exponentially.

 

Before, through the force, he could of course sense all of the things around him, but never with this great of detail. The force was like a sixth sense, hampering all of his other senses. What he felt through the force, he simply felt through the force, but now he was experiencing with all 5 senses at great detail simultaneously.

 

Any heaviness he felt at first waking up in a forceless body was quickly overcome by a wash of relief and wonderment at his new abilities. The colors seemed more vivid, the sounds around him were crisp and clear, and he could focus in or out of whatever noises he chose.

 

The former sith made his way to the observation room guided by medical personnel who stayed by him and waited for him to grow accustom to his new body. "New body" was some what of a misnomer as this was the body he had always had, but it had now been unlocked to it's full potential.

 

In the observation room he spent the better part of an hour just staring at one piece of steel on the wall to try and absorb all of the many intricate striations and markings on it that he would have never been able to see before. It wasn't until a nurse asked if he was ok that he snapped out of his stupor and realized how far adrift his mind had gone.

 

At her request, he ran, moved, bent, jumped, and preformed various other physical and mental tasks aimed at testing his fitness to leave the facility. Once the staff were convinced that the procedure was a success, they recommended he get some non-drug induced rest.

 

Jareth spent the night in a room at the Darkwatch facility. When he woke in the morning it was the same as when he woke from the procedure. He felt heavy again for a moment and then straightened up and felt fine almost immediately afterward. He dressed, wrapped a cloak around his shoulders, and made his way out of the facility, stopping to engage a credit transfer to pay for the procedure on his way.

 

He boarded his ship and made his way back to his quarters aboard it, and from a footlocker pulled his red and black fiber armor and gun belt. From a side compartment within the chest, he pulled two gold plated westar 34 blasters and clipped them into passive restraint holsters situated in the middle-back of the belt. Lastly he pulled out his old mask, the one he'd worn while working for the hutts, and placed it over his head and face.

 

Before closing the locker, he removed his lightsaber from his belt and slid it into the side compartment where he had kept his blasters.

 

Jareth then made his way to the cockpit and blasted into orbit without so much as a hitch.

 

"A new day has dawned...it feels good to be back," he muttered aloud as he set off to parts unknown.

[James Krote]

The Thing busted through space and came out of hyperspace. It was closing in on the Darkwatch facilities but was still quite a distance away. Jimmy opened up communications with them.

 

"Hello, this is James Krote. I am requesting entrance, I need information and I can offer my services if necessary."Jimmy knew how to play ball and he would do what he had to to find Doran.

[Celteo]

A peaceful night, it was when the dreadful darkness overcame my life, that fateful night within my private estate on Hapes. Or should i say, my wife, Mira's, estate. It was a beautiful estate, the duracrete floors and walls lined with green marble and trimmed with ivory, emerald curtains lining the view ports. It once belong to Mira's parents, though that had long moved on closer to Ta'a Chume'Dan. They had left it to Mira shortly after our marriage, a private retreat from our hectic life in galactic politics.

 

I had gone out that night early, a private meeting with another Senator about certain policies being discussed, and of the recent peace treaty signing. It did not sit well amongst the Senate, and even though i admired the logic and the potential offerings of such a peace, it sat wrong with even myself. Arriving at a local Cantina, i entered, delved in common cloths and keeping my face well hidden amongst the Hapian people. Ordering a single shot of Correllian Whiskey and a pint of Coruscanti Ale, i awaited my companion's arrival.

 

Senator Kai'El arrived not long after i, a grave look upon his face and near tremble in his voice as he encountered me. A nervous old coot, he was, but a reliable source for hidden gossip around the Empire. Sitting down, he nearly drowned as he gulped down the first glass of the Ale i offered him. Coughing and gasping for air, he turned to me, and spoke of a rumor rising through-out the ranks of the Empire. I knew how hear say was within the Senate, especially concerning Imperial personnel. But his eyes seemed to show sincerity, his actions speaking of fear and panic.

 

"So the Empire are rebuilding their forces?" I questioned, my mind drinking in the information like a rancor lapping at water. "Sounds as if they have something up their sleeves, almost as if they are waiting for something. Do you think the treaty was false, a rouse to gain the Galaxy's trust?"

 

He simply nodded his head, quickly glancing around.

 

"Are you certain that your sources are correct?" I questioned, my biggest fear realised and hopes of a true peace encircling the drainage of despair. "This didn't come from some spice head you met during your stay at the Imperial Spire?"

 

This time he shook his head, revealing his contact's name and rank, and that this contact had a cousin who worked in the Imperial Shipyards. And worse yet, they were even more organized than we thought. It did not sound good at all for the New Republic.

 

"This is dire news indeed, old friend. The Senate needs to convene at once and discuss this matter at once. We cannot afford to be caught with our pants down at a time like this." I spoke, drinking down the last of the Ale and standing to rise. "Issue an Emergency meeting of the Senate bright and early tomorrow afternoon. I will head to Coruscant in the morning. Take care old friend, and be careful. Tell no one of this information until the Senate convenes tomorrow."

 

And with that, i left, my friend leaving shortly after i, as we attempted to leave without arousing suspicion or curiosity . Little did i know of the Imperial Spies that had overhead our conversation and later assassinated Kai'El as he left the Cantina. Nor did the governing body that later found a dead Senator laying upon it's streets the next morning. But my night was far from over, a horrifying outcome of the most devilish deed awaiting me as i arrived home. This was a night that i would remember forever. This night would change me into something else. This night we would truly see a dangerous being born from bloodlust. I would never be the same.

[serbatoio]

-Hello, this is James Krote. I am requesting entrance, I need information and I can offer my services if necessary.-

 

The officer on duty simply stared at the screen. He had known to be expecting a possible influx of personnel but, that wasn't what he had in mind.

 

free lancers hiring free lance?

 

The facilities communications were activated upon the Young man's call and the communications officer quickly responded.

----comm---

 

”œMr Krote, we have prepared our lower docking bay for your arrival, please make sure your ship finds it's way there in one peace. A representative will be there to meet you shortly after wards.”

[James Krote]

James piloted the ship carefully to the docking bay, he opened the cockpit and jumped out. He looked around for anyone to speak to but since he didn't spot anyone he guessed that the representative hadn't arrive yet. He leaned against his ship and waited.

 

I'm going to find you Doran

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian's ship pulled out in a high approach to the planet where Darkwatch had established its public headquarters.

 

He sent comm to the receiving officer below, transmitting several packets of data.

 

"I am Jedi Master and Champion of the Order, Aryian Darkfire. The information you need to confirm who I am, what I want, and what I'm prepared to give are all encoded in the information I've just sent. I request landing coordinates and instructions, acceptance of my deal will be considered immediate, and I desire all changes to be made as quick as possible."

 

In the cockpit, Aryian scratched at the tubes extending from his arm slowly. It was constant reminder of who he was...what he was doing.

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian lands his ship, entering the main business building of the Darkwatch Corporation without permission. If he didn't get a response from someone in the lobby, he was going to simply start taking things, and leave behind a credit voucher and information to a couple bank accounts.

[Dagon]

A receptionist meets Aryian in the lobby, ready to discuss his order.

[Ary the Grey]

And discuss it they do.

 

 

It was a very simple, yet very complex offer.

 

((I have it OOC somewhere for reference...))

[James Krote]

((OOC:It's been awhile since serbatoio posted so I'm just going to take off.))

 

James got bored after waiting for someone to greet him, he assumed that they were busy so he got in the Thing and left. He flew off into space.

[Ary the Grey]

Aryian farts. Rather loudly.

 

 

((It's been a while...I'll give this a week more before I look elsewhere. If something happened in RL, I understand, but I still need to move forward IC.))

[Ary the Grey]

((And nearly a month later...))

 

Aryian literally dropped a turd on the floor of the Darkwatch building, snickering because he knew nobody would pick it up anytime soon.

 

 

He left post-haste.

[Ashley Jade Skywalker]

Another morning.

 

With a groan, Ash sat up, slapping her hand over the chrono to silence its incessantly annoying chime, considering, as she did every morning, throwing the thing out the window and buying a new one. She ignored the urge, rubbing her hand across her eyes as she stood up and crossed her sparsely furnished bedroom to the refresher. Unconsciously, from habit borne of daily ritual, she trailed her other hand across the series of plates sitting on the dresser, activating the holos they held.

 

Ignoring them for the moment, she stopped in front of the 'fresher mirror, combing her fingers through her jet-black hair to check for the auburn roots that she redyed several times a month. Satisfied of her hair's uniform color, at least for the day, Ash quickly showered and dressed, pulling her hair back into a quick braid as she headed back into her bedroom.

 

With a deep sigh she finally let her gaze rest on the holos, wishing, as she did every morning, that she could remember something, anything about the people in them.

 

The first held a much-younger Ash and a younger girl, their arms around each other, both smiling brightly. Seeing the bright red hair of her younger self, Ash's lips quirked as she unconsciously brushed back the loose wisps of now-black hair hanging in front of her eyes. Her gaze moved to the next holo- the younger girl from the first holo, though slightly older, and a male with shoulder length hair, both of them only with eyes for the other, oblivious to the camera. The third and final was almost a slightly aged version of the second, with one exception- the girl held an infant in her arms, and the couples' gazes were both on the child.

 

Ash's eyebrows furrowed as if she could make herself understand the significance of the keepsakes by sheer willpower alone, but as it went every morning, she was left only with an empty feeling in the back of her mind where she knew there should be knowledge of a connection. Sighing softly, she left the bedroom for the living room of the small apartment, sitting down at the desk the housed her holonet terminal. Her fingers froze just over the keyboard for a moment, and she frowned before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. As if by their own accord her fingers danced over the keyboard, punching in the logins to her accounts. She wondered, not for the first time, why she kept the usually-dismal job she held at one of the local orphanages as she stared at the numbers on the screen- the numbers the represented the sum of money that belonged to her.

 

Belonged, at least, to the person whose account information her fingers remembered. The person who Ash had childhood holos and diaries of. The person who had family, or at the very least, friends.

 

The person who, a year after waking up on Hapes with no recollection of her past, Ash was no closer to knowing than she had been then.

 

Absently, her fingers brushed over the hollow metal cylinder that sat on her desk. Though she had no idea what it was or what it was for, she was reluctant to simply get rid of it, if only because it had been in the same box as the holos that she kept in her bedroom, and if it could possibly hold some clue to her past she wouldn't risk throwing it away simply because she didn't know what it was.

 

Ash flicked the terminal off and stood, grabbing the backpack on the floor next to it and swiping a piece of fruit from the basket on the short wall next to the door as she left the apartment. She palmed the security pad as the door slid shut behind her. Time to get to work.