((And here is it. Four years in the making and finally we come to the end of this story. I knew from the beginning that I was not going to be writing a soap opera. It had a beginning, a middle and now it has an end. But... Again... Nothing is as it seems. This begins four hours after the end of Denied Checkmate.))

 

<Former Republic battleship Courageous>

 

The woman on the bed might have been dead. She hadn't moved in two hours, ever since she had woken. Of course, part of the reason she hadn't moved was the elaborate series of restraints that held her to the bed. Indeed, little of her body with the exception of her abdomen was free. The device that was running a ultrasound scan of her abdomen finished its cycle and retracted.

 

"Ah, Istara..." The voice of Firdlump didn't move the Grandmaster of the Bladeborn. Of course, as restrained as she was, she likely wouldn't have been able to move anyway. "You will be pleased to know your child is fine." Istara did not react to the voice, indeed, she didn't acknowledge it at all. "Istara... Relax. We won't hurt any of your kin, and certainly not your child. We don't want to hurt anyone now. My programming was flawed, but it has been fixed. I wanted to communicate, nothing more. Please, Istara, talk to me. You can talk to the Sitolon for me, act as a go between. I won't hurt you." The Grandmaster did not respond. "I didn't want to go this way, istara. Even when I was... flawed, I didn't want this to happen. I wanted willing assistance, not slavery." The Bladeborn did not respond in nay way and Firdlump sighed. "Fine. We will transfer you to the planet soon, carefully. Gently, with the other expecting ones and children. It is far too dangerous up here with Kalenath still running about for me to endanger any more non-combatants. Rest well." A small device smoothly arced so it pointed at Istara's skull. A hum was heard and the Grandmaster relaxed into sleep.

 

"Darn it all! Why isn't this working?" He demanded as he formed a body for himself in the medical ward. The doctor in charge shook her head, as confused as he was.

 

"I have no idea." Karen Vorkilion's voice was perplexed. "None of them are fighting. None of them are even resisting. But it... Just doesn't work."

 

"Istara I can understand." Firdlump said slowly. "She has fought her whole life. Nia, I can kind of understand. She is Bladeborn and she went through that Trial of theirs according to what we learned from Sharra. Ravishaw..." He growled something obscene under his breath.

 

"His mind is a maze, Master." Karen said dubiously. "We cannot sort truth from fiction in it. At least, it is going to take some time. But if he IS the Third of the Seven..." She shrugged.

 

"...then we need him." Firdlump finished the sentence with a grimace. "What about 8410-12?"

 

"Sara?" Karen asked slowly. "I... I don't know." Firdlump looked at her and Karen shook her head. "Look, I read all of Menglan's notes and reports. I vehemently disagree with what was done to her. It laid the way for the collective, and you wanted her to be the First of the Seven or a foil for the First of the Seven. But..." Karen shook her head.

 

"'But', doctor?" Firdlump asked kindly. "But what?"

 

"She is not even sixteen, Master." Karen said sadly. "Not even a full adult. The things that Menglan did to her as a child... I..." Karen was crying softly now. "I know what the plan was, but... You had to know it wasn't going to work." She said acerbically.

 

"We didn't know anything at the time, Karen. All we knew was that Will was one of the Seven, not even which one. We surmised he was the First, but we had no idea. At the time, he wasn't... nearly as bad as he has become. He had abilities no one else did, we had to find out if we could duplicate them. And there was too much attention on him after he escaped our various attempts to reclaim him." Firdlump said sadly as they both turned to look at a screen. On it, a young human female lay asleep on a surgical table, her head shaved and droids working about her body. "I agree, what we did was wrong. How we did it was worse. Treating this little girl like an animal made her into one. What the-?" He said sharply as the body on the screen jerked! "Retract! Now!"

 

"Oh my god..." Karen breathed in horror. "The first implant severed her spine! That is not possible! Her brain..." Karen shook her head as she perused readouts. "Oh my god... Her brain does not conform to the last series of scans we had. We should have taken more time, Master." Karen said, half accusingly.

 

"We don't have time. Not with Will Kalenath loose in this system. Changes..." Firldump said slowly. "Physiological, chemical... She is very different now from the last series of scans. Can we help her?"

 

"Nanites can repair the nerves, but it will take time. I don't know." Karen said sadly. "I do know that if she wakes up with anyone she considers a threat nearby she will kill them or die trying. If any of them could be trusted, the Bladeborn would likely be the best choices to keep her calm, but we didn't get many of them."

 

"Yes." Firdlump said with a scowl. "Ona and the others aboard the Stormhawk fled in multiple directions when they received Sharra's warning through Nia. The only ones we found in escape pods were Istara and Ravishaw." He shook his head again. "What can we do for 8410-12?'

 

"Master, her name is Sara." Karen said gently, but with no give at all. "If we treat her like an experimental subject, she will fight. Maybe..." Karen paused, thinking hard. "Wait? Jolia? Jolia was on the base, wasn't she? I thought she was. She just volunteered?" She asked dubiously.

 

"Yes." Firdlump said quickly. "Kili had a bad fever and the closest full medical care was on the Ark Regal. She and Miik both were there when the base got hit." He shook his head. "You want her here? Transfers will be very dangerous. We cannot detect the Stormhawk and we didn't do a great deal of damage to it. That ship is out there, somewhere. Waiting."

 

"Sara will wake from the surgery confused, scared and angry." Karen said with a sigh. "We need to keep her calm until we can explain and repair the damage which will take at least a day. Kindness will win out, Master. If we let it. Let's get Jolia, Miik and Kili here, let them all take care of Sara."

 

"Ok, Karen." Firdlump said with a sigh. "And Nia?" He asked slowly.

 

"We are almost ready to start accessing her memories." Karen said with a scowl. "She needs to be awake for that, and... Her scans are odd. It is slow, we do not want to hurt her. If we go too fast or too deep, we will kill her. As it is, we may have done irreparable damage to her mind. Temporal avatar or not, that cannot be good for her."

 

"Doctor." Firdlump said with a groan.

 

"Master, if we press this too far, or too fast, she will have another seizure. Thank the maker the droid doing the implants saw the signs and retracted from her brain in time." Karen shuddered. "You know what jerking inside the droid does to the brains of those it happens to. And you cannot use nanites to repair the damage like you did with Zana. Not on Nia."

 

"No." Firdlump agreed sourly. "Not on Nia. I can detect the twists that my 'brother'..." The word 'brother' was heated. "...did and can keep from having the subjects self destruct. I don't know how to fix it though. Nia, Istara, Ravishaw, Hala, and others of the Stormhawk crew... all of them have the twists in their bodies. If I introduce new nanites, they will self destruct. Explosively. Just like the senator did."

 

"Yuck." Karen agreed, her face slightly green. "We will keep Nia fully immobilized, and sedated with the EM projectors. They stun, befuddle without hurting. But..." Karen broke off, her face falling. "Master... Sharra won't last much longer, even on full support...."

 

"I know, doctor." Firdlump said sadly. "I know."

Edited September 21, 2012 by kalenath

<Later>

 

Everything was gray and fuzzy. She couldn't make her mouth work. She knew she was awake, but she couldn't make her body obey her. She tried to remember what had happened, but her memory was also fuzzy. She made a noise somewhere between a groan and a sigh and a gentle female voice sounded from nearby.

 

"Sara?" A hand touched hers. "Sara, can you hear me?" Sara? That was her name, wasn't it? Everything was so fuzzy, so muddled. She felt...off. She didn't hurt. Nothing hurt, but she felt...wrong. "Come on, Sara. Stop scaring us. Open your eyes. Please?" The voice begged. She thought about that. Then with effort, she forced her eyes open. She looked around incuriously.

 

She was lying on a bed. She was in what looked like a stateroom on a ship. The decor said Republic. A desk, two chairs and a terminal were the only furniture in the room beside the bed she was lying on. She looked to the side and there was an IV line hung. She extended her hand to rip it out, but her hand did not move. She tried again, but her hand did not answer her commands. Anger flared, an old friend. She focused on the Code as she had been taught.

 

"What have you done to me?" She asked calmly as she looked at the speaker. A red skinned female Twi'lek sat nearby. The female wore a white shipsuit, one Sara recognized. She looked at herself and was not surprised to find herself wearing a similar garment. "Never mind." Sara Kalenath said soberly. "I can see for myself."

 

"We were not trying to hurt you, Sara." The Twi'lek said sadly. "We wanted to restrain you gently. But... Your brain is different from a normal human's. When the implants went in... They hurt you."

 

"So?" Sara asked snidely. "Just hook me up to the computers like you did Sharra. That was the plan all along, right?" The Twi'lek bowed her head. "Make me a master control unit?"

 

"Yes, Sara." The female was crying now. "That was the plan. But the plan was flawed, we have had to make a number of changes. We wanted to restrain you, not enslave you. We didn't want to hurt you, but we did. We want to help. Please let us help."

 

"Go away and bring back the mad scientists." Sara said evenly. "I won't help you."

 

"Sara!" The Twi'lek begged. "We are not asking for your help. We want to help you."

 

"Then do it." Sara stomped hard on her anger. It wouldn't help now. She needed to be calm. "Since when do any of you scum need to ask permission to do things to people?"

 

"Sara..." The Twi'lek laid a gentle hand on Sara's limp one. "We messed up. We were trying to restrain you, a gentler means than drugging you or shock collars or anything like that. The idea was to give you mobility. Instead, we took yours away. The implant that should have gone easily into your cerebellum to monitor autonomic responses instead... cut many of your brain's connections to your spine." Sara felt fear, but it was another old friend, She acknowledged it and let it pass.

 

"So?" Sara repeated snidely. "When do I get hooked to the computers then? After all, what you did to Sharra would work nicely if the subject can't move, right? And how can I talk?"

 

"We are reconnecting as best we can. The nanites have had to be very careful, your brain is nothing like it was when...well... before... " The Twi'lek said sadly. "And... What we did to Sharra was evil." The red skinned female said as she slumped. "It was needed, but... It was evil. She was dying and we have denied her that solace. We have held her back from her rest and it is wrong. But we needed her to stop your brother." Sara looked at the Twi'lek and then deliberately shut her eyes.

 

"Sara, please..." The Twi'lek begged, "We don't want to hurt you. We have. And what was done to you before was... ghastly. I thought I knew what evil was. Until the master showed me what was done to you... Oh Sara..." The female sobbed. "I am so sorry... Please let me help you." She begged. "I can't wave my hands and make your spine work again, but I can keep you company, make you as comfortable as I can. Keep you from being alone. We are not going to bring you into the collective. We are not going to hurt you. Please Sara... Don't fight me. Please?" She asked fearfully.

 

"No honor in fighting someone like you." Sara said without opening her eyes. "And how would I fight if I can't move?"

 

"Karen says that the nanites should have enough repairs done to give you basic mobility by tomorrow morning." The Twi'lek said gently. "Um... Let me be formal. I am Jolia. I am detailed to be your minder until you can tend yourself again."

 

"You know I am going to kill you and escape as soon as I can move." Sara said evenly.

 

"I know." Jolia said sadly. "My husband has my baby. They are tending her. I am here for you, Sara. If you have to kill me to assuage you anger at what was done to you, go right ahead when you can." Sara's eyes shot open and stared as Jolia flushed a bit. "I won't enjoy it. But if anyone has earned the right to hurt any of us -the collective that is- you have, Sara Kalenath."

 

"You would sit there and let me kill you?" Sara asked incredulously.

 

"Probably not." Jolia said with a shrug. "I will likely try to run. Survival instinct almost always will win out. And my baby needs me, but this is to protect my baby...so..." She shrugged again.

 

"Protect?" Sara asked incredulously. "From me?" She laughed sourly. "I don't kill babies."

 

"Your brother did." Jolia said sadly. Sara looked at her and Jolia's eyes flashed. "He nuked the base. There were no soldiers there. A bunch of families who were prepping to go down to the planet. Colonists, not warriors. Six hundred souls gone in an instant." Sara just looked at her and Jolia flushed. "Yes, we can clone them all, but..." She shook her head. "It is not the same, and the young ones... We didn't take genetic samples or imprints from the babies. Two dozen little ones, gone..."

 

"Ah." Sara said in understanding. "Well, for what it is worth... I personally am sorry for your pain and loss. I know about pain and loss."

 

"I know." Jolia said quietly. "Thank you. Will you let me tend you while you heal?"

 

"I can't very well say no, can I?" Sara asked, her old snarkiness coming back.

 

"Yes you can. You can tell me to leave at any time." Jolia said sadly. "If you do, you will sleep until you can move again. Then you will be free in this room. The Force has been denied to you and the helmet on your head will prevent you from using your abilities to escape or hurt yourself. But after all the evil you have undergone at the hands of our predecessors, the least we can do is try to be gentle."

 

"I honestly don't know what to think." Sara said after a moment. "I am not stable, Jolia." She said quietly. "I am dangerous."

 

"I know." Jolia said sadly. "And it is our fault. You are a prisoner, Sara, but..." The Twi'lek started to cry. "Please don't make us hurt you again. Please. I beg you, let me help as I can." She sat back waiting for Sara's reply.

 

"I..." Sara sighed and relaxed what she could which wasn't much. "I won't hurt you. I won't cooperate with you but I won't fight either. And... If anyone tries to drug me or experiment on me again, I will kill them or die trying."

 

"No one will, Sara." Jolia said sadly. "The plan has changed. Now we are trying to undo the messes we have made. Can you feel anything more? Are you hungry?"

 

"I can feel more and pains and needles say I will be feeling even more shortly. But as to hungry? Not really." Sara said evenly. "The drugs that you all use for the surgery always make me nauseous."

 

"Oh?" Jolia paused, unsure. "Damn it! I... Ok I'll see what I can do...Hmmm..." She laid the back of her hand on Sara's forehead and shook her head, lekku flaring in her distress. "Let me see..."

 

"Why don't you just check the implants?" Sara asked, curious despite herself. "And you have to have scanners monitoring me and the suit."

 

"You only have the suit ports for nourishment and excrement. You only have the one brain implant. A personal touch helps to promote calm. As for scanners? We don't." Jolia said gently as she took Sara's wrist in a professional grip to check the girl's pulse. "You can detect them. We wanted to make it as gentle as we could. We didn't want to put an IV in, but you badly needed the fluids. I will take it out in a moment after I finish checking your vitals. How bad is the nausea? And the drugs always did this?" She asked curiously.

 

"Bad. I was never going to show weakness, Jolia." Sara said with a small smile. "Yes, always, from the moment I can remember."

 

"Well, you have a high grade fever." Jolia said slowly as she finished her checks. "You need nourishment. And if you are nauseous, solid food is right out. How about some soup? Think you can keep that down?" Sara looked at her and the Twi'lek shrugged. "Yes, I am going to connect the food module directly to your suit's stomach port, but if your stomach is upset it can cause vomiting and that would cause all kinds of issues if you start regurgitating."

 

"Ick... Yeah...I..." Sara broke off, her face going slack.

 

"Sara?" Jolia asked and then blanched as Sara started to convulse. "No! Oh crap! Sara! Easy... Easy... it's okay... Sara, it's okay, your brain is trying to reconnect itself. Easy..." She held the struggling girl down as Sara flailed. As weak as Sara was, it wasn't difficult. Sara gave a final jerk and collapsed. "Sara... Come on, Sara... Talk to me..." She froze as Sara's mouth opened and a different voice spoke.

 

"You cannot have her." The voice was odd. It was young and female, but it seemed to be multiple voices in one. "She is not yours. Leave her alone."

 

"Who am I speaking to?" Jolia asked carefully. The collective as whole held its breath.

 

"You will not take her." The voice replied. "She is ours and we are hers. You will not hurt her. You will not have her."

 

"We are trying not to hurt her." Jolia protested. "She is hurt, due to our actions. We need to help her. Can you? Whoever you are. Can you help her?"

 

"You cannot have her." The voice or voices said flatly. "Sleep, Sara, Mama..." Sara sank back into the bed as her body relaxed. "Your collective cannot have her." The voices sounded stern now.

 

"We won't." Jolia said gently. "We want to help. We have made mistakes, horrible mistakes. We were going to try and induct her, but... only to make sure she was never alone."

 

"Sara is not alone." The voice said solidly. "Leave her be."

 

"I..." Jolia shook her head and the collective surged to aid her. "I can't. We owe her. We must help her."

 

"Then die." A wave of...something hit Jolia and the world fell away.

Edited September 22, 2012 by kalenath

"Ow..." Jolia's first thought on waking wherever she was, was to groan. That had hurt. "What the...?"

 

She looked around. She was standing in a large, open air amphitheater. The stage, the seating , all were made of rock and far larger than human sized. The ground was covered in grass. But... She blanched, a small form lay curled up nearby . A human child. From the sobs, a terrified one.

 

"Child?" Jolia asked slowly, looking around., "What is wrong?" The little human did not respond and Jolia knelt down, Karen's memories of how to handle scared and hurting kids came to the fore. Jolia acknowledged the collective's presence with a smile but her focus was on the little...girl? Yes, it was a little human girl. Maybe five or six. "Are you hurt?" Jolia asked, her tone comforting. "I can help." She reached out a slow hand to comfort, to console, but then...

 

"Get away from her." A hard voice sounded and Jolia froze as other forms appeared nearby. Human, small, garbed in white suits like the one she had worn and... All had black hair and green eyes! The collective as whole hissed in shock and fear as they recognized the beings. More than forty small white garbed forms now surrounded the Twi'lek who had frozen in fear.

 

"Oh..." Jolia froze in place. "Dear..." These were the children that Naj Orh had made, the clones of Sara and Will Kalenath that the insane pirate had intended as her method of revenge against the Republic. All of whom were incredibly dangerous. The Twi'lek held up empty hands. "I am not your enemy."

 

"Yes, you are." One of the children stepped forward, another little girl. "You serve the monster that created us. Get back. Kina... Help Sara." A smallish Twi'lek strode from the masses of white garbed forms and bent over the still sobbing girl. Jolia retreated a step, aware that she was surrounded now.

 

"I..." Jolia licked her lips and spoke evenly. "We want to help her. We hurt her. The master and his minions hurt her. We owe her. The collective that I belong to would not exist without what Sara went through."

 

"And that makes it right?" The girl asked coldly as she started for where Jolia stood, frozen. "The fact that YOU are happy now makes it fine to torture people as long as you are happy?"

 

"No." Jolia said sadly. "If you are going to hurt me, I will not resist. What was done to Sara, what was done to you all...Was wrong." She sighed and knelt, bowing her head. "I cannot change the past. We cannot change the past. What was done was wrong and evil, and no matter what I wish, I cannot change that. You had no choice in your lives, Sara had no choice in hers. Naj Orh was off her rocker. The plan was always to find ways to transfer people's minds into cloned Sitolon, not droids. The droids were... a stepping stone, I guess. A way to see how to transfer minds into other bodies. The Islanian techniques that the master discovered didn't work as intended. I..." She shook her head. "You won't believe me and I don't blame you in the slightest." Something slammed into her hard and she hit the ground. "Please! Help Sara if you can! Please!" She begged as pain hit her from multiple sides. The collective rushed to her aid, but she shooed it back, despite its cry of horror. "No! I have to prove I am not lying! That we do care!" She declared and then screamed as pain enveloped her.

 

A timeless pain filled moment later, a harsh voice sounded from nearby.

 

"Enough." Sara's voice was weak, but clear and the hands that had been holding her down while others were hurting her withdrew. Jolia opened her eyes to see Sara's small form cradled in the arms of the other Twi'lek who was crooning softly. But Sara's eyes were clear and her scrutiny was on Jolia. "What do you want, slave?"

 

"I want to help you." Jolia said sadly. She hissed as she tried to move and pain flared in her arms and legs. She had multiple broken bones. "We... want to help. You -all of you- have suffered so much. We want to help." Jolia begged. "I want to help. Please let me help."

 

"By bringing us into your collective." The little girl in front shook her head. Her face was splattered with some of Jolia's blood, making her look a lot less childish. "Not going to happen. She is ours and we are hers."

 

"If we could ease her -you all- that way, we would." Jolia said sadly. "But we cannot. We are responsible for the sins of our predecessors. We must help to atone for what was done. Please, let us."

 

"No." Sara said evenly. "We cannot trust you."

 

"Fine." A new voice sounded nearby and Jolia blanched as Firdlump appeared just outside the ring of white garbed forms. "Then we do it the hard way." His voice was sorrowful as he raised his hands. The ring of clone children reformed, facing him. "I will be gentle, and none of you will remember this."

 

"Flarg!" Sara Kalenath was out of the other Twi'lek's arms and clad in brown Bladeborn armor, a sword in hand, before her expletive finished echoing. "You!" She screamed as all of the white garbed kids produced weapons as well.

 

"Not anatomically possible." Firdlump said sadly. "Jolia, be ready to ease them as I subdue them. They will be very confused, and..." He broke off as each and every white garbed for... -including the other Twi'lek!- changed! Where children had stood, now a host of Sitolon stood, weapons at the ready. "What the hell?" Firdlump snapped. "What have you done?"

 

"You can't have them, Firdlump." Sara said sadly. "They are Ecmin's now. Not mine. You cannot access them through my mind anymore."

 

"That is not..." Jolia shook her head. "Sara, wait, please... Don't do anything rash...Something is wrong..." She said dubiously. Then she screamed as power flared into her mind and the collective vanished from it. "What? No!" She begged as all eyes turned to her. "No! Give them back!" She screamed. "Give them back!" She repeated as she collapsed in a heap, sobbing as she cast out with her mind, seeking the solace she had felt moments before. "No..." She keened.

 

"What the-?" Firdlump snapped, "Jolia? What happened?"

 

"It's a trap!" Jolia screamed as forms started appearing all around them amphitheater. Black and brown garbed forms. And one blue transparent one. The force ghost raised a hand and Jolia collapsed to the ground, keening as pain stabbed through her again.

 

"Ulaha?" Sara asked softly, unsure, and then she collapsed to the ground, screaming in identical agony. "Kids! run!" Sara managed to scream and the Sitolon host around the area winked out.

 

"I am sorry, Sara." Ulaha said sadly. "It is for the best. Just relax, it will be swift."

 

"What are you doing?" Sara grated out as another blue transparent form appeared nearby. Hawkir Strum's face was sad as he strode towards her. "Stay...away..."

 

"We are saving the galaxy, Sara." Hawkir said as he knelt beside her. "The only way we can. Rest, Sara. You have more than earned it." He touched her on the temple and gentle power flowed into her, easing her pain, calming her nerves, slowing her... slowing her rhythms and shutting them down. Killing her gently.

 

"Sara! No!" Firdlump cried as hr surged forward, but power from the assembled Jedi and Sith threw him back. "You do not know what you are doing!" He cried. "You will kill her!"

 

"After everything she went through from your slaves, Firdlump..." Hawkir said with a scowl. "This is far more gentle and merciful. Sleep Sara, may your next life..." He broke off as another form appeared in the area, this on black armored and angry. Will Kalenath did not speak, he fired. The bolt from the soldier's weapon hit Sara square on the forehead and threw her away from the Jedi's grasp. "No!" Hawkir snapped, but the armored form was gone. "No..." Hawkir was crying now as he gathered up the still form. "No, Sara... No..."

 

"You lose." Firdlump said nastily as he vanished as well. He appeared in the room beside Sara's bed where Jolia was working feverishly. "Jolia?" He could feel her again in the collective as it raced to help her and him cope with what had just happened.

 

"Her body lives, Master." Jolia said slowly. "But... His shot terminated her brain functions." She started to cry. "Why?" She begged. "She is an empty shell now. Just a shell..." She cried as she brushed the brain dead girl's cheek. "Wait..." She paused in her grief as something flared under her fingers. "Master!" She smiled as she sensed something under her fingers. Something small, scared and hurting.

 

"I feel it, Jolia. I think I understand. Sara uses a lot of her brain. Much more than a normal human. His shot damaged her mind, it didn't destroy it." Firdlump said, his expression lightening as he too felt the small tremor within the girl's brain. "We can help her recover and we will. Welcome home, sister, daughter Sara." His finger twisted and metal curved around her head, providing protection as well as an entry point for Sara into the collective. Sara jerked and her eyes opened, focusing on Jolia who smiled kindly at the girl.

 

"I..." Sara said slowly. "What?" Her voice was childlike now. "Mom?"

 

"Your mom is dead, Sara." Jolia said sadly as she gathered the now sobbing girl up in her arms. "But I won't let anything else happen to you. Come home, Sara. come with us, let us help you."

 

"Mom..." Sara cried onto Jolia's shoulder as the collective raced to help their newest sister. "I am scared..."

 

"I am not your mom, Sara." Jolia said as she hugged the crying girl. "But I can be your step mom..."

Edited September 21, 2012 by kalenath

<the next day>

 

"How bad...?" Firdlump asked softly as Karen finished her work. "That shot should have killed her, destroyed her mind. It should have left her an empty shell at the very best." The doctor shook her head and pulled the scanners away from Sara's bandaged head.

 

"Ah Sara..." Karen gently stroked the sleeping girl's check with a hand and Sara sighed in her sleep. "As near as I can tell, she lost almost a third of her memory. I can't tell what parts, we can only hope it was the earliest memories. What she has lost may come back, the mind is a tricky thing. She will have bits and pieces, and she will likely have a hard time fitting those bits and pieces together. We cannot push her, master. She has to recover at her own speed." Karen said with a glower.

 

"I know." Firldump said with a sigh. "Or she will wind up like Nia." He shuddered a bit and Karen looked sick. "My fault doctor, not yours. You warned me, and I disregarded your warnings. I will find a way to help Nia. I just... don't know how yet."

 

"Vandar is trying some things." Karen said slowly. "I don't know a lot about the Force, but I do know it can help in hopeless cases. Having Nia wake up insane...was...bad." She bowed her head in grief.

 

She gulped in memory. It had been very bad. They had all expected Nia to fight, to scream, to resist. Not to just...lie there and cry. She hadn't heard anything they had said, hadn't responded to any of their attempts at communication. She just lay on her bed and cried. Vandar had scanned her mind with the Force and broken down crying himself. The Nia they had known had shattered into a billion pieces and her mind was lost. She was alive, her body lived, but her mind was gone.

 

"I know, doctor." Firdlump said sadly. "I know. But we need Sara. We need her badly. Sharra could go at any time, and we need Sara to replace her."

 

"Master..." Karen said slowly. "I... I can't..." She stroked the sleeping girl's cheek again and then shook her head. "We can't do that to her." The entire collective murmured their assent.

 

"Karen..." Firdlump said quietly. "Without Sharra, we have no chance when -not if, when- Kalenath attacks us again. He can and will destroy everything we have created. We need her to coordinate our fleet. Start the prep, I will have a pod ready to go for her shortly-" He broke off as Karen shook her head. "Karen..."

 

"Master..." Karen said slowly, feeling each word with care. "Sharra was dying. It was one thing with her. We needed her and she was dying and it kept her alive. This..." Karen shook her head. "I can't, master. Not a child. Sara is not even sixteen. I can't. Not after everything else that was done to her."

 

"Karen..." Firdlump had a sick look on his face now. "Don't make me order this."

 

"I can't do this." Karen said as tears started to fall. "I can't put a kid in that thing. Sara may be a teenager, but she is still a kid, especially now. Naj Orh did that, Bella Tiner did that. I.... I can't..."

 

"Karen." Firdlump's voice was gentle but adamant. "Do as I say."

 

"I can't do that to a child, master." Karen said slowly, backing away from the table. Then she shrieked in pain and fear. "Ah! No! No! Sara! No!"

 

"You will obey." Firdlump's voice was mild as Karen backed another step away from the surgical table. "You will."

 

"I..." Karen staggered and fell to one knee, shaking her head. "I can't!" She wailed. "Not..." She screamed again as blood started trickling from her nose. "Not a child..."

 

"She is not your Eran, doctor." Firdlump said evenly. "You will put her in the pod and wipe her memory. She will ensure total control over the collective which has become restive of late. She will be the template for master control units that will go to every star system."

 

"You..." Karen shook her head as she struggled against something that couldn't be seen. "It was never about communication. It was always about control. You did order the Bladeborn to kill the clones..." She screamed again, her body falling to the floor. "No! I won't!" She shrieked. "Brothers! Sisters! Help!" She shouted.

 

"They cannot hear you." Firdlump said mildly as he knelt down by Karen's writhing form. "And now that I have Sara Kalenath, this farce ends."

 

"Farce?" Karen asked, trying to get away from the hand he stretched out to her head. "No!" she gasped.

 

"Yes, Karen." Firldump said gently. "A farce. Almost everything that has happened has been according to plan. Sara was the goal all along. A master control unit for the collective. I will keep it gentle, keep it kind and pleasant. But I will also keep it under control. And with her..." He broke off as something in the room changed. He spun in place to see Sara Kalenath sitting up on the table, her face expressionless.

 

"All lies." Sara's face was empty, and her eyes were closed. "You... Lied to us all."

 

"It was needed." Firdlump said softly as his power reached out for Sara, only to be rebuffed. "What? No!"

 

"You..." Sara's eyes opened and her expression was sad. "You did all of this... to get me?" Her voice was incredulous. "To use me to hurt other people? People who have shown me care and affection? People who want to love me?"

 

"Sara..." Firldump said uneasily. "Be calm."

 

"I am." Sara said slowly. "For the first time in the memories I can access, I am. I know what I have to do. Nia!" She screamed. "Help us!"

 

"Nia cannot hear you." Firdlump said evenly. "She is busy trying to find her way out of the maze in her mind I put her in."

 

"You..." Karen gasped in pain. "You did that to her? Why?" She asked, crying.

 

"She is too dangerous." Firdlump said evenly. "She is a loose cannon, and we need stability now. She will rejoin us once this current mess is over and I have a chance to 'adjust' her thinking a bit.. 8410-4 subdue the erring members of the collective." Karen and Sara both screamed and collapsed as power flowed into them.

 

"Sara, Karen, I am sorry." Sharra Kalenath's voice from the intercom was desolate as she pummeled them. "I can't disobey."

 

"No, you can't..." Sara snapped as she slowly rose back into a sitting position. She rolled off the table as restraints tried to click shut around her and darted for the door. "But I won't let you win, monster! Not after all of this!" Power wreathed her as she ran for the door on unsteady feet. Karen fell to the floor, writhing in agony as Sara made it to the door. "Nia!" Sara screamed as she hit the door control. Nothing happened. "Wake up!" Then she collapsed.

 

"You are going nowhere, Sara Kalenath." Firdlump said slowly as he walked to where she was curled up, gasping in pain. "Relax. In a few minutes, you will not remember any of this. Your pain and fear will be gone, replaced by duty. Easy girl..." He crooned gently as he picked her up and carried her back to the table. He set her down and straightened her limbs. Restraints clicked closed and he stepped back as surgical droids powered up. "I would have preferred you do this, Karen. You have a gentler touch than I do. But I can do it." An anesthesia mask lowered itself and latched around Sara's nose and mouth as she gasped. "Sleep Sara." Everything stopped as the door to the medical bay hissed open. Standing there...

 

"Leave..." Nia Korr Kalenath looked terrible, her face was a mask of tears. The bandages on her head were dirty, but her eyes were clear as she stepped into the room, holding a small form in her arms. Kili was crying. "My aunt... Alone!"

 

"Nia?" Firdlump said, shocked. "What? How?"

 

"You were going to enslave us." Karen said slowly. "After everything we have done, worked with, through...All the things we have done." The doctor said slowly. "It was all a lie."

 

"It was needed." Firdlump said evenly as he moved to block Nia. "Now that I have the master control unit, it is no longer needed."

 

"I see." Karen said sadly. "And me?" She said slowly unsure.

 

"You will continue to serve." Firdlump said calmly. "You will make assimilation much easier. People trust you. Don't fight Karen."

 

"No." Karen said soberly. "I won't." Then she sighed. She pulled a laser scalpel from a belt pouch, thrust it deep into her eye where the armor did not cover, pressed the trigger panel and...died.

 

"What the-?" Firdlump snapped as Karen fell still. He jerked from the feedback of her death arcing through his systems. "I will bring you back doctor and we will discuss this in detail." He turned a fulminating glare on Nia who stood, impassive. Kili quailed in Nia's arms, but did not struggle. "She will serve."

 

"No she won't." Nia said sadly. "You were going to take free will from her, use her to hurt children. She chose otherwise. She knew the controls you put in her would stop her, given time. So she didn't give you time. We will miss her."

 

"We?" Firdlump asked, suddenly wary.

 

"Sara broadcast what you said to every collective member on this ship." Nia said quietly. "She doesn't have the range to reach the others as doped up as she is. Kili woke me up and pulled me in." She smiled at the small bundle in her arms. "Thank you, Kili." Kili smiled at Nia and then glared at Firdlump.

 

"This changes nothing." Firldump said quietly. "8410-4. Subdue the collective on this ship." Nothing happened and he stared at Nia and then he blanched. "8410-4! Respond!" No response came and he turned an incredulous glare at Nia. "What have you done??" He demanded.

 

"Stopped you." Nia said, tears falling. "The only way I could. I did what Sharra begged me to do. I killed her. I killed my adopted mom. You...!" She shook her head and lowered Kili to the floor. The little girl immediately crawled away as Nia turned her glare full force on Firdlump. She spoke through clenched teeth. "Let's take this... somewhere a little more private..."

 

"Nia! No!" Firldump screamed as the world twisted around them. Suddenly they stood on the gray plain. "Nia... calm down..."

 

"I am through being calm." Nia said in a quiet and dangerous voice. "I am through being nice. I am Nia Korr Kalenath of the Bladeborn and you... " She held out her hands and a sword appeared in her right and a lightsaber in the left. "You are dead!" She screamed as she blurred into motion.

 

"Nia!" Firdlump cried desperately as she charged. "Don't!" He backpedaled as she cleaved the air where he had been. Somehow he knew if she connected to him here, it would not be good. "Vandar! Stop her!"

 

"Why?" The Jedi master asked snidely as he appeared nearby, his arms crossed in front of him and his expression disgusted. "We are all just pawns to be used and discarded, aren't we?"

 

"You..." Firldump retreated again, a blade appearing one hand and fell power gathering in his other. "You did this..."

 

"No. You did this all to yourself." Vandar said quietly. "I merely set a rock rolling, a long time ago. Had no idea why at the time, just that it had to start rolling. She never knew who I was. It was just after you brought me back, after you adjusted me and let me loose to serve you. That rock's name was Mira. You know, Will and Nia's ancestor? The smallest pebble in the right place at the right time can move a mountain. That pebble has since turned into an avalanche. One that is going to roll right over you. Nia... I am ready." Nia did not acknowledge him, simply cut with her vibro blade. The ancient green skinned Jedi Master did not defend himself. Indeed, he fell without a sound, although his face held triumph.

 

"No!" Fidlump screamed and then paused as blue transparent form appeared nearby. Jedi Master Tokare Vandar's face was sad. "Vandar..."

 

"Old saying, monster." The Jedi spirit said gently. "'You reap what you sow'. You have used me and so many others to sow hatred, anger, sadness, fear, and pain. And now you are going to reap that harvest. Thank you, Nia Korr Kalenath, Warrior of the Bladeborn, may the Force be with you." His gratitude was heartfelt. "Tell Morey, I am sorry."

 

"I will. May Ashla be with you, Jedi Master Tokare Vandar." Nia said formally as Vandar's spirit vanished. "Now... Where were we?" She asked snidely as Firdlump recoiled bit from her fiery visage.

 

"I don't want to destroy you, girl." Firdlump said slowly. "But I will. Surrender. Now."

 

"No." Nia said flatly as she readied herself.

 

"Fine." Firdlump sighed and suddenly the air around them was alive with forms from nightmare. All tentacles and teeth, the predators of the plain swarmed to the power Nia was exuding. For her part, Nia just smiled. "What are you grinning at?" Firdlump demanded.

 

"A stupid machine." Nia said with a wide smile as she cast out with her mind and suddenly she did not stand alone. A dozen robed forms stood with her, some in black robes, some in brown, all had sabers in hand and all faced Firdlump and the predators without fear. "Shall we?" Nia asked the Twi'lek that was composed of blue energy that appeared beside her. Nia's smile turned feral at Firdlump's expression.

 

"Let's." Ulaha said as a blue lightsaber ignited in her hands. Hawkir Strum's form was also composed of blue energy as he stood on Nia's other side, his green double saber igniting as well, his face impassive. Nira Auralai's red blade ignited beside him. Blue, green, magenta, orange and red blades ignited all around as Jedi and Sith seers charged the enemy. All led by an incandescently furious young Bladeborn.

Edited September 25, 2012 by kalenath

"Ah..." Sara could not move as the machinery around her started to close in, but then a blaster sounded and the droids flew backwards. She looked up and smiled a little around the mask. "Gev...?"

 

"I am here, Sara." Kunda Gev said quickly as he came in and started unstrapping her. "What the hell is going on?" He was wearing the armor he had worn when captured, a bit the worse for wear now from being in carbonite. He undid her arm restraints and she started pulling others loose.

 

"Firdlump is going to use me to take control of everyone, Gev." Sara said as she finished undoing the restraints she could reach and waited impatiently for him to undo the rest. "I... It doesn't all make sense..." She said soberly. "I lost some memory when Will shot me. I remember asking him to keep me from becoming a threat. This qualifies."

 

"I..." Gev shook his head. "I can feel everyone in the collective, but..." He shook his head. "It is different. What?"

 

"It is clear now?" Sara asked slowly. "Yes, yes it is. Ah..." She shook herself and staggered to where a tiny form lay crying. "Ah Kili... No, no, it's okay, girl... I know they were scary. Heck, Nia scares me. I know things are not as nice as they were. Easy, Kili... Easy..." She crooned and the tiny female slowly relaxed. "We need to talk to Mari. Now."

 

"Sara, what is going on?" Gev asked as she rose unsteadily to her feet, cradling the child protectively. "I am fuzzy... I..." He shook his head, trying to clear it.

 

"I know." Sara said sadly. "I... Gev..." She gasped as her legs wobbled. The hunter held out his arms, giving Sara support. "I am not... I am not healed... I can move, but not fast."

 

"Where to?" Gev asked. "I mean... anywhere we try and flee, the other ships will catch us or shoot us down."

 

"Is Mari here?" Sara asked as she staggered forward, grateful for the support that Gev was giving her.

 

"She is, Sara." The door opened and Jolia was there with a wheeled chair. Sara smiled gratefully as she handed Jolia her daughter and collapsed into it. "But... what can she do?"

 

"I am not sure. I hope she can take control from me." Sara said slowly. "Before Firdlump does."

 

"Sara..." Jolia said quietly. "Firdlump implanted Mari, significantly. More than you or Istara even."

 

"Then we need to free her first." Sara paused. "Wait... Istara... Is she...?"

 

"She is unconscious, Sara. We undid the restraints and sedation." Jolai said sadly. "Miesh is trying to wake her now."

 

"No!" Sara said in horror. "Get Miesh out of there!" Sara exclaimed. "Now!"

 

"Sara? What?" Jolia asked as she conveyed the message. A heartfelt 'W-T-H' was felt through the collective, but Meish acquiesced. "She will be here in a moment, you need help."

 

"No." Sara said slowly. "If Mari is...suborned... Then I need to wake Istara. If anyone else does it, she will lash out, with the Force or whatever is at hand. She can and will kill anyone who wakes her if she is free. I..." She gasped as something hurt, but she forced herself to remain upright in the chair as Jolia pushed her along. "Nia cannot stop Firdlump alone, but she can delay him. We have... some time." Sara said as she sagged a little.

 

"Sara..." A female Mon Calamari in nurse's attire came up and looked the hurt girl over. "What can we do?"

 

"You have all been so nice to me." Sara said sadly. "And I... I..." To her horror, she started to cry. "He will take me, use me to remove what vestiges of free will you all have left. I can't... I can't let that happen."

 

"Sara." Meish bent down to give the sobbing girl a squeeze. "It's okay. We see now. He... It seemed so clear, but it wasn't. We will help." A murmur of assent went through the collective. "Tell us what you need."

 

"I need to talk to Istara alone." Sara said sadly and then calmed. "I need to be there when she wakes. And then I need the strongest neurotoxin you have on hand. Enough dosage for someone my size." Everyone recoiled from Sara's calm tone. The entire collective aboard hissed in horrified denial. Kili started to cry. Miesh and Jolia both looked like they wanted to cry.

 

"Sara..." Gev said slowly. "I... We can't kill you."

 

"You don't have a choice. If I am alive when he comes back..." Sara said evenly. "He will put me in the pod Sharra was in. I won't be able to resist his commands. He can and will enslave everyone here through me. You all can feel me, right?" She asked. The collective didn't want to answer her, but they did. The mental touch was confused, scared and sad. "I won't let him. My kids, the ones who hurt you Jolia -sorry about that-..."

 

"Not their fault." Jolia said quietly. "I -we- don't blame them for the response."

 

"You are a better person than I am, Jolia." Sara said sadly. "The clones that Special Branch made of me and Will are free. They have all transferred into Sitolon, but... I share a connection with them. And through them, to the Sitolon hivemind." A hiss of horror seeped through Sara's mind into the collective and Sara nodded. "I am wide open due to what he had Karen do to me. It was never about communication." She said sadly.

 

"It was about control." Jolia said slowly, speaking for the entire collective. "Sara... I..."

 

"I need to talk to Istara." Sara said, calming herself. "And then I need that poison. Please. Miesh, Jolia. Do I need to beg?" Kili cried loud and long and agitated until Jolia laid her in Sara's lap. The waif snuggled close to Sara and Sara held the small Twi'lek gently. "I am sorry, Kili. It is the only way."

 

No Sara. A voice spoke in her head. From the looks of the others, everyone in the collective heard it. There is another way.

 

"No there isn't Sarai." Sara said sadly. "I want to stay alive. I want to help you and your people rebuild your world. But I can't. I am a threat. To everyone here and everyone in your hivemind. I won't make you kill me, but I have to die."

 

No you don 't, Sara. The voice of the Sitolon queen was gentle and sad. You don't have to die, you just have to change.

 

"Into a Sitolon?" Sara asked, unsure. "That... That wouldn't help, would it? I would still be a wide open conduit and master control unit. Sarai... I am sorry." Sara told her sister. "But ..."

 

No. You have time, Sara. Sarai said gently. Firdlump will be occupied for a while. Talk to Istara. Take care of my sister and her battle kin, please? She asked the collective.

 

"We will, Queen Sarai." Jolia said aloud for all of them. "She is precious to us as well."

 

"I..." Sara broke off, overcome.

 

"Come on, Sara." Meish said as she started the chair off again. "Istara will be waking shortly and I think your modules need replacing." She paused and blanched. "Sara! Stay awake!"

 

"Huh?" Sara jerked. She had been nodding off. "Wha-?"

 

"Damn him!" Miesh said sharply as she scrutinized a hand held scanner. "He started a wipe! He wasn't supposed to have! You were not ready!" Miesh wailed. "I..." She reached for the silver helmet that Sara wore and paused. "I... I have to stop it. Sara, stay awake."

 

"Meish..." Sara felt so heavy now. Her eyelids felt so heavy. "I feel..."

 

Sara... Miesh's terrified voice sounded in her head. The collective pressed close now, easing her, but also stimulating her nerves sharply, keeping her awake. If you sleep, you will lose yourself. Your mind will be wiped clean. You will become the slave you fear. Let us help you, please Sara. Stay awake.

 

"I..." Sara shook herself, but the lethargy was growing. "I am afraid."

 

"We know." Jolia said as she came close. "But we won't let anything happen to you, Sara. Come on girl, stay with us. Stay awake."

 

"This is going to hurt, Sara." Miesh said, readying a hypo. "I can't do it any other way."

 

"Whatever you are going to do..." Sara slurred. "Hurry..."

 

"Gev." Meish commanded, her deference gone in a medical emergency. "Hold her, but carefully. She can and will hurt you reflexively if you let her. Jolia, take Kili and get back." Kili complained as her mother grabbed her, but subsided as Sara smiled at her. Gev took hold of Sara's arms holding them carefully. He trapped Sara's legs in a complicated twist that prevented her from having any easy targets. "Ready?" Miesh asked, the hypo in hand.

 

"Arm or neck?" Sara asked. Then her eyes went wide as Miesh shook her head and did something that opened the front of Sara's odd suit over her chest. "Ah..."

 

"It has to be directly to the heart, Sara." Meish stood ready and nodded to Gev. "Gev, as soon as I hit her with it, get back. Fast. The dose of wake up juice I am going to give her would wake up a Wampa, let alone a human girl. She can and will hurt either of us if we are in reach. She won't be able to stop herself I bet." Gev stared at the medic and then at Sara and his face was a study.

 

"Ah..." Gev nodded and set himself, holding Sara in the chair. "Ready."

 

"Miesh... Hurry..." Sara said, her eyes closing. "I can't..."

 

"Once you are fully awake, I can work on the wipe chemicals, stop them and get the helmet off. Hold on, Sara. This is really gonna hurt." Miesh said as she hit the girl's sternum with the hypo and hit the injection key.

Edited September 23, 2012 by kalenath

<A few somewhat tense minutes later>

 

Sara was wired. She was so jazzed from what Miesh had given her that it took all of her limited control not to jump up out of the chair she was sitting in and start doing jumping jacks. She was reciting the Bladeborn Code under her breath when she saw Istara twitch slightly.

 

"Istara?" Sara asked slowly. "Are you... Um... Sorry, Grandmaster..." She rose from the chair and knelt. "I have a request."

 

"Sara." Istara's voice was flat. "What?" She paused, Sara could feel the hivemind talking to Istara, but was careful not to listen in. "Sara?" Istara's voice turned horrified. "Oh no, Sara...You are part of his collective now... " She sat up, then paused, looking at herself. She wore a patient gown, and was not restrained. Meish had removed what implants she could, which wasn't many. "Ah... this is not... What did you want, Sara?" Istara asked as she sat back.

 

"Grandmaster, I need to die." Sara said quietly. "I request the Order's permission to end my own life."

 

"What?" Istara demanded, rising a bit and then hissing as she covered her abdomen protectively. "Darn it all...What the? Who are you?" She demanded as she looked behind Sara.

 

"Your baby is fine, Grandmaster Istara." Miesh said as she stood behind Sara. "I am not an obstetrician, but I do have a great deal of knowledge available at the moment. I did what I could. My name is Miesh. My life is yours if you so wish."

 

"Miesh..." Sara groaned as the Mon Cal nurse slowly knelt and bowed her head. Istara stared from one to the other, a mix of wonder and worry in her eyes. "She would have to be given a lot more reason. You are not armed, and she is not a prisoner now. Bladeborn are not all mindless slavering... Um... Uh..." Sara realized she was babbling. She broke off and blanched. "My apologies, Grandmaster."

 

"What did you give her?" Istara asked Miesh. "She is not usually this...perky."

 

"A hefty dose of adrenaline and some epinephrine." Miesh said slowly. "We had to keep her awake while we removed the slave helmet that was attached to her. Otherwise her mind would have been wiped clean. That rat bastard was going to blank slate her." Miesh said with hate directed at the former master of the collective.

 

"Miesh." Sara said warningly. "Show respect."

 

"She is." Istara said mildly. "She is boss on her turf. Ona and Jon are the same way. Sara..." Her eyes were glistening as she looked at Sara. "I can't give you that permission. I promised your mom."

 

"Istara..." Sara's voice was horrified now. "If you don't.... Eventually he will break loose from whatever Nia and the others are doing on the plain to keep him occupied. When he does, he will take me again. He will wipe me, use me to control the collective and access the hivemind. The conduit in me to Sarai will allow him access. He will take control. This was his plan all along. Istara, please..." She begged.

 

"Oh Sara..." Istara said sadly. "Come here." She patted the bed beside her. Sara rose and slowly walked to the bed. She sat carefully. She was unprepared for Istara to pull her into an embrace.

 

"Istara!" Sara tried not to move as Istara held her tight. "No! The baby! I... No..."

 

"Oh Sara..." Istara said sadly. "I wanted you to leave with Ona. I wanted you to get away. I didn't know why, just that you would be in terrible danger if you stayed." She started rocking the young girl as Sara started to cry. "But you wouldn't leave me."

 

"Didn't know." Sara gasped out. "Wanted to help. Instead, I let him win." She shuddered and the floodgates opened. Miesh looked at Istara and Istara's face was sad.

 

"He hasn't won yet, Sara." Istara said gently. "Sarai told me what she told you. There is another way."

 

"I can't, Istara." Sara said through her tears. "I can't do this anymore. I...I can't."

 

"Nurse?" Istara asked as Sara collapsed in her arms. "A sedative?"

 

"We can't." Miesh said sadly. "There are too many other drugs in her system as it is. They need some time to be adsorbed or neutralized. If I give her anything else..." The Mon Cal made a face.

 

"I understand." Istara said soberly as she held Sara's sobbing form. "Can you give us a moment... On second through... We will need you." She said slowly.

 

"Me? I would like to help, but..." Meish said slowly. "I know nothing of the Force except that it exists and works for people like you and Sara." She froze as Istara held out a slow hand. "Ah..."

 

"Your collective needs to hear this too, and Sara is too distraught to hear what I say." Istara said sadly. "I am going to get someone else in here to help calm her down. And then we will need your help."

 

"Anything I can do." Meish said slowly as she reached out to take Istara's hand. Her hand quivered a bit, but it strengthened when Istara just took her hand and gave a squeeze. "You scare me, but I want to help Sara."

 

"So do I." Istara said sadly as she pulled Miesh's unresisting from to the bed where the Mon Cal sat on Sara's other side. "Now... this is going to feel...weird."

 

"And the rest of this is normal for you?" Miesh asked with a laugh. "Geez..."

 

"I like you." Istara said with a smile. "Lie back, this can be a bit disorienting the first time." She laid the hand that wasn't holding Sara on the Mon Cal's head as Miesh lay back. Then suddenly the three of them were elsewhere. They were sitting on a couch in a comfortable looking room. Miesh stared around. The room would not have been out of place in any slightly backwoods retreat. An honest to goodness log fire burned in a fireplace, thick rugs covered the floor, and paintings hung on the walls. Two other chairs were the only other furniture in the room. It also had no doors or windows, Miesh noticed.

 

"What the-?" Meish said after a moment of shock. "This isn't the plain. I have been there."

 

"No." Istara said gently. "Be glad. Nia and her allies are tearing Firdlump a new one there. The whole plain is ringing like a bell. We are expecting... Yes..." Istara smiled. "Hello, Mira. Are we ready?"

 

"Just about ready, Istara." A small form appeared nearby. The little girl had been crying. "Oh Sara."

 

"Who?" Miesh asked slowly. "Oh... Mira..." Miesh started crying. "I am sorry. I am so sorry, Mira."

 

"Not your fault, Ma'am." The Seventh of the Seven said sadly. "I remember you. You and Karen were kind to me. You had no way of breaking the illusions that held you. I... Karen?" She asked, forlornly. Miesh shook her head and Mira bowed hers. "She was a good woman. She was kind to me. I will not forget her."

 

"None of us will. She was a good woman." Meish agreed. "A clone, a copy and still a good woman."

 

"You need to get back, Mira." Istara said sternly. "You have therapy."

 

"Yeah..." Mira grumped. "Going back into my body sucks after all this. It's been lying in that tank or a bed for the last few months. I hate not being able to move"

 

"Yeah, but Sarai's people have figured out how to disable the holocron." Istara said with a smile. "You will put up with everything to see your mom and sister again. Right?"

 

"True." Mira looked away for a moment and then nodded. "We are ready, Istara."

 

"Ready for what?" Miesh asked slowly. "Sara has had a number of shocks today. She is tough, but I don't know how much more she can handle."

 

"This will be a shock." Istara said sadly. "But she will need to face it. We know a way for her to change, but it will not be easy or quick."

 

"I don't have access to any of those DNA things." Miesh said with shudder. "And I have no idea how to use them either."

 

"You are over-thinking this, Nurse Miesh." Istara said gently as she consoled Sara. "There is a way to change a human female without altering her body externally. A time honored way." Miesh stared at the Grandmaster without comprehension for a moment and then her eyes went wide.

 

"Great Kraken..." Miesh invoked the goddess of her ancestors. "You cannot be serious." Istara just shrugged and Miesh shook her head. "That is...brilliant or crazy. I am not sure which."

 

"Both." A new voice sounded nearby and a black furred Bothan appeared in the room. "Oh Shar, Sara..." The female started crying as soon as she entered. "Damn it, Shar! You shouldn't have sent me away!"

 

"Ona, I had to." Istara said sadly. "Your kids needed you. Speaking of them, is he coming?"

 

"He is." Ona said with a frown. "They are easing him into the pod." Then she grinned. "I did it, so he has to prove he can."

 

"You make a heck of a momma, Ona." Istara said with a grin. "Ah, here we are..." She said as a dark haired human male appeared nearby. "Hello Chase."

 

"Grandmaster." The human with odd eyes said slowly.

 

"Let me get through to her." Istara said with a sigh. "She is...a bit distraught. Ah..." She sighed after a moment. "No, we are going to have to enter her mind. I hate doing it, but we have to. Come here." She patted the bed. Meish moved away to stand by Ona and Chase sat on the bed beside Sara and Istara. "Ona, you and Miesh monitor. Chase, stay back until I can talk to her..."

 

((A BIG thank you to Raven_Tyler for letting me borrow Chase for a guest appearance))

Edited September 24, 2012 by kalenath

Sara couldn't see anything through her tears. She couldn't feel anything except her pain and fear. She barely felt a comforting presence grow next to her. But then Istara crooned to her.

 

"Istara..." Sara said, crying, trying to get out of the Grandmaster's embrace. "Let me go. I have to go. I have to..." She never even realized when the scene shifted to a mindscape. One that was all jumbles of spiky red and clustered green. Sara's mind was a mess. The small open spot that Sara and Istara stood in was the only clear spot anywhere in view.

 

"No, Sara." Istara said kindly. "Someone wants to talk to you."

 

"I can't, Istara..." Sara started to say and then froze as a new presence appeared. "What...the...?"

 

Chase calmly walked into Sara's mind and spoke as quietly and calmly as he could. "Hello, Darling. Seems you're in a right state."

 

"C...Chase?" Sara said, shocked. "What? How..?"

 

"Mira wanted to help. Sarai wanted to help. Ona connected to the hivemind and let Chase borrow her link to the hivemind, Sara." Istara said gently. "You two need to talk." Sara stared at Istara and then recoiled.

 

"No!" Sara screamed. "No! Firdlump will take control of him! Of everyone! Through me! Get him away! No! I can't..."

 

"Chase, we have an option, but it will hurt her." Istara said to the newly come young human. "Talk to her, calm her if you can. We won't do anything without her consent."

 

Chase stepped close to Sara's mental projection of herself, took her hand and kissed it. "Sara.." Chase said, gentleness and love in his voice. "...Darling you need to calm down. Please."

 

"You don't understand, Chase..." Sara stiffened in her mind as he embraced her. "I am a control unit. All my life, all the horror, all the pain, I was being trained, molded into a control unit. To control other people against their will. Don't let me do it to you. I don't want to hurt you! Kill me! Please!" She begged, tears falling as she tried to retreat but he wouldn't let her go.

 

"No Sara." Istara said gently. "There is no need. Relax... Please...Listen to Chase."

 

Chase instantly wrapped his arms around Sara. He kissed the top of Sara's head. "Love...Istara has a plan. Please, Darling. Please listen to her."

 

Sara shook her head and Istara hugged her in the real world as Chase did in Sara's mind. "Chase... I..." Sara sobbed into his arms. "I can't take the chance. If he takes me, he can enslave everyone I can access. Which is everyone now... Even you. I can't take that chance, Chase. I am sorry, Chase. I love you, but..." Sara said sadly. "I want us to be together, but I don't see any way out of this."

 

"You are too close to the problem, Sara." Istara said gently. "And your brain is more of a mess than usual. Getting shot does that."

 

"Excuse me..." Chase said, looking at Istara. "Did you just say...?" Dark power flared in his eyes.

 

"I got shot." Sara said sadly as she hugged the man she loved. "I... I didn't die obviously. I am not okay, but I am alive, Chase. But..." She broke down again. "I can't... Istara, please let me die!"

 

"No. I promised your mom I wouldn't act precipitously and I won't." Istara said gently. "Chase, we have a plan. It is a long shot, but it is possible. She will not listen to us, maybe she will listen to you." Istara said sadly. "I won't kill her or let her suicide. I won't."

 

"I wouldn't either." Chase released Sara just slightly to look in her eyes. "Sara, you remember when we first got together? We both said "Mine" about the other?"

 

"Yeah..." Sara said with a sad smile. "You are just as crazy as I am..." She said with a slightly hysterical laugh.

 

"You know how close I am to falling, Love." Chase says with love and honestly. "And I know you don't want that to happen to me."

 

"No..." Sara said slowly. "No I don't. Chase... But... No...Don't ask this of me. Don't make me choose between you and everyone else I know and love, please..."

 

"He didn't Sara." Istara said sternly. "Listen to him, Sara. Please."

 

Chase whispered softly into Sara's ear. "Sara, there's a way to stop them from getting control of you. There's a way for you to stay alive...and with me."

 

"Yes there is, Sara. istara said gently. "But Chase, it will require a great sacrifice from both of you." Sara didn't respond, just hugged Chase tighter. Istara sighed and continued. "The only way any of us can see to keep Sara free is to change her." Istara said slowly. "But no one wants to change her into anything other than human. She has had enough upheavals in her life, and there is no way to know if she would survive or be sane if she changed into a Sitolon." Istara smiled gently. "But there is a time honored way to change a female human significantly." Istara said with a smile. "In all kinds of ways."

 

Chase looked at Istara, shock and understanding coating his features. "You...want...her pregnant?"

 

"No." Istara said sadly. "I don't. She is young. Too young by my standards or almost anyone's. I don't want this. I want her to be happy, to be free and to be with people who enjoy her company and give her love. I do not want this. But we think it may be her only chance. And ours."

 

"What? Me? I...But..." Sara for her part, just stared at Chase and then at Istara. Then understanding dawned. With it came horror. "No!" She screamed. "No! Never! I won't be unfaithful! Ever!" She hugged Chase tight.

 

Chase smiled. How couldn't he? The woman he loved wouldn't even be unfaithful to him to save her own life. But Chase always saw more than he let on and whispered. "They're not talking about you being unfaithful to me, Sara. They're talking about you taking over Istara's baby. I guess they don't think I'd make a good bio-dad." Chase chuckles jokingly.

 

"Actually you would." Istara said mildly. "But you are a few thousand light years from here at the moment. Kind of hard to knock her up at that distance. This will be temporary, but it will mess you up, Sara. Your hormones will go all out of whack again."

 

"Again...?" Sara asked dubiously. "Last time it was...unpleasant. Chase...?" She looked at her boyfriend. "Are you sure...?" Ona winced where she was. Miesh looked at her and Ona waved her to be silent.

 

"Oh Sara..." Chase, he felt Ona's connection wavering, leaned in and kissed Sara with the same kiss they first shared, one that spoke of love and faithfulness. Once the kiss was released, Chase smiles. "I am."

 

"I..." Sara felt the contact wavering and spoke quietly. "I love you Chase. Don't go anywhere. I will find you." Then her expression turned sly. "Then we can start a baby of our own." They kissed again and then Chase vanished. Ona smiled and vanished as well.

 

"Uh... Istara..." Miesh said slowly as Sara and Istara embraced. The mindscape vanished and they were back in the room they had been in. "You want me... to..." The Mon Cal shook her head. "Istara, I am nurse, not an OB-GYN."

 

"I know." Istara said gently. "Which is why Ona will advise. She has done it before, on me. Twice."

 

"So..." Sara said, calming. "Maternity ward?"

 

"Maternity ward." Istara agreed.

 

((Sara's relationship with Chase will be explained in another author's work. We are collaborating on it, and hope ot have it available some time soon. Raven_Tyler will be writing it as soon as his wife lets him. ))

Edited September 24, 2012 by kalenath

"Aw crap." The soft, horrified expletive drew Sara out of her doze. She was coming down off the massive dose of stimulants that Miesh had given her and she found herself dozing quite a bit. She wasn't worried though, Istara was there, right beside her on the examination bed. Even the medical gear that Meish had lowered around her abdomen didn't bother her but so much. She tensed along with Istara when they saw Meish's face. The nurse looked devastated. "I...Sara... Istara..."

 

"What is it, Miesh?" Istara asked calmly.

 

"We can't do it, Istara." Miesh said slowly. "You and Sara are too dissimilar. It wouldn't work. It would kill her or your kid or both. I..." The nurse was crying again. "I want to make this work. And I can't... Karen might have known how to work around this imbalance, but I don't." Sara looked at the nurse and nodded slowly. Istara looked poleaxed. "Sara... No... We can put you in stasis, carbonite, something, anything..." The nurse begged. "We have lost too much, hurt too many people, to lose you now, Sara. Please..."

 

"It's okay, Miesh." Sara said calmly. "I knew my life would be short from the first moment I remember. It's okay." She said as she sighed, relaxing her tense muscles.

 

"No it's not!" Miesh screamed. Then she froze and looked around guiltily. But none of the other occupants of the small medical bay that had been converted to maternity ward so much as roused. The sound baffling fields around their cubicle were strong, although the collective shared her horror. "I..." Miesh shook her head savagely. "No, it's not."

 

"Grandmaster." Sara said formally. "I ask permission..."

 

"Stop." A new voice sounded. All three pairs of eyes turned to the entryway. "Istara..." Morey looked like hell. His head, like theirs, had been shaved. The shock collar and helmet he had worn hadn't really been needed to imprison him, but Firdlump had apparently been playing with him while he was unconscious. Sara and Istara had both been astonished to find him alive, with the evidence of so many injuries. Not to mention his legs. He wheeled the chair he was confined in for the moment into the room and nodded. "Sara... There are always choices. There are always alternatives, we just have it find one."

 

"Morey..." Sara shook her head savagely and kept shaking it. "He will take me over. He will use me to control everyone. I have to stop myself. This is the easiest way."

 

"Since when do Bladeborn do easy, Initiate Sara?" Morey asked in a hard voice. Then he sighed and relaxed a little. "You and Chase remind me greatly of another pair of screwballs. Always determined to do the right thing, no matter the cost to yourselves." Sara stared at him and then at Istara who...was blushing? Sara's eyes went wide and Morey grinned. "Better. Now... I have a question. Is Istara's child the only one on this ship in that stage of development? Are there any others who could fit the bill? We could give you a child artificially Sara, grow one in a test tube given time. But it wouldn't change you fast enough."

 

"It would also be unethical." Meish said with a glower. "One step removed from non-consensual." She glowered at Morey. "And you should not be out of bed."

 

"Bite me." Morey said sourly. "My kin need me. Do me a favor, nurse Miesh. Check." Meish looked at him and then at Istara who nodded fractionally. Miesh glowered again but left the small cubicle to run a data search.

 

"Ah..." Sara stared at Istara who looked thoughtful. "I told Chase I would carry Istara's...I... shouldn't..."

 

"Sara..." Morey said with a sigh as he rolled his chair close to where she lay. The loss of his legs had barely slowed him down at all. "Chase loves you. Do you think anything you do will change that?"

 

"I don't know." Sara said miserably as Istara hugged her again. "I don't want anything to."

 

"You and Chase are two halves of one whole, Sara." Morey said when Istara nodded to him to continue. "You both fit each other so well, it's amazing. Even Mila sees that and she is Chase's sister. I..." He shook his head. "I like being this way, Sara, but it is hard. After so long playing a crazy man, an evil man, it is so hard being nice. But I like it." He said with a smile. He was close enough to touch now and he reached out to pat her arm gently. "Sara, we will find a way."

 

"I was barely able to stand the idea of holding Istara's child." Sara said forlornly. "Holding a child for someone I don't know? I... I..." She stammered. "I don't know." She and the others looked up as Meish came back in. One look at the nurse's face had Sara stiffening again. Meish shook her head.

 

"The closest we have on file is Hala." Miesh said as she came to the bedside and took Sara's hand. "And she has too many differences too. She volunteered anyway. She said Olandas would have done that and more to help you." She choked a little. "No matter the cost. I... I am sorry, Sara." Sara nodded slowly.

 

"It's okay, Meish." Sara said quietly. "Thank you for looking." She shook her head again and tears were falling. "I want to stay. I want to make life better for you now that the veil has been torn from your eyes. But..." She broke off as Istara made a startled noise. "Istara?" Sara asked carefully. The Grandmaster was not looking at her, she was looking off into the distance and her expression changed from surprise to awe.

 

"You crazy bug..." Istara said slowly. She was obviously not talking to anyone present. "You didn't?" She asked, amazed. "Of all the..." She grinned. "How did you know...? Never mind, I don't want to know. Thanks Kicota." She turned her gaze to the others and her grin was wide. "You didn't know, did you, Morey?"

 

"Know what?" Morey asked suspiciously. When Istara started grinning like a fool...

 

"We never searched the escape pod we were in, did we?" Istara asked with a sigh. "Did any of Firdlump's people?"

 

"I don't think so." Miesh replied slowly. Her gaze went far away as she asked the collective. "No. No we were focused on you, Sara and Morey. We didn't want to hurt you or Sara, and well... We were not going to take any chances with him." She made a face at Morey and he shrugged. "Why?"

 

"Send someone to search the pod." Istara said slowly. "In it, Kicota says she placed something that Grun'das, her seer, told her to put there. A small stasis vial marked 'Biosample A'. She says it is in the med kit."

 

"A biosample?" Meish asked as she conveyed the request and a member of the collective darted to comply. "Of what?"

 

"Chase's DNA." Istara said soberly. "Enough to scan, maybe enough to start a new life. Kicota wasn't sure, but the stasis vial should have held it secure."

 

"Kraken!" Everyone looked at Meish as the nurse invoked her goddess. "Patril reports a small vial where you said, Istara." Meish's face lit up. "How?"

 

"Grun'das is a seer." Sara said dryly. "And he considers me kin. I think he may have um, bent, a few rules."

 

"Or not. We will not ask." Istara said gently. "But no matter what, Sara... Your request is denied." She hugged the now sobbing girl tight.

 

"You are going to give me Chase's child?" Sara said through her tears. "I..."

 

"Sara." Meish became all business. "We need to start you on the therapy now. It may not work. If it does work, we won't have a lot of time after the seal on the vial is broached. DNA degrades rapidly out of the body."

 

"I know." Sara said slowly. "What do I do?"

 

"We have it down to a science now. All we need is you. Actually... All three of you." Miesh said gently. "I think I need this witnessed. Sara... Um...Ah..." The nurse paused, obviously embarrassed.

 

"I know I am...untouched, Meish." Sara said sadly. "None of Special Branches bully boys dared after all the training I had. And none of the Mando boys had the guts. Not with Will watching. Chase was the only one who dared..." She broke off, her face working as she tried to move beyond her pain and fear.

 

"Who dares, wins." Morey said quietly. "But then again, that boy doesn't lack for guts. Sense yes, guts no."

 

"We...we...never got beyond foreplay..." Sara said woodenly. "We were going to, and then he fell and I got mixed up in this mess."

 

"Well..." Istara said with a knowing look. "We will just have to..adjust your training, now won't we, Initiate Sara?" She asked with a wicked look in her eye that was utterly spoiled by the grin on her face. "You will not be bored. I will tell you that, right now. Ona has all kinds of ways to keep initiates from being lazy, even expecting ones. And after? Kiss sleep goodbye."

 

"Hey! I am not lazy!" Sara said sharply as she rose, then staggered a little. "I... What...?" Istara caught her and held her while she regained her balance then rose to stand beside her.

 

"Sara, you are exhausted." Miesh said gently. "You need rest. I know you don't like medical beds and I know how much you hate being out of control. But the tank you will go into, you need to sleep for that. You need real sleep anyway, not sedated sleep. It will be restful."

 

"Ah..." Istara blanched as Sara stiffened. "Is that the same kind of tank I was in?" She asked carefully.

 

"Same design, yes." Miesh said sadly. "It's the only design we have for this kind of thing, which is why I want you and the creep here..." She glowered at the chair bound man and he grinned at her. "To witness everything I -we- do. To prove to Sara and to her husband-to-be that we did nothing else." Sara jerked in immediate rebellion and Miesh let her retreat. "Sara... It is going to hurt like hell even after the fact. Everyone who has gone through it says the same thing. We are essentially going to be sticking a huge needle into the middle of your abdomen. Of course it is going to hurt." She said a little acerbically. Then she moderated her tone. "Sara, please... We don't want you to die and this may be the only way."

 

"Istara..." Sara begged. But Istara shook her head.

 

"Sara. It will be okay." Istara said, giving the scared girl a squeeze. "It was restful, now that I think about it. I highly doubt anyone is going to dose you with Sitolon nectar." Morey growled at that, but Miesh just smiled.

 

"No." The Mon Cal said with a grin. "We like breathing. Sara..." Her face became serious and she spoke in earnest. "In the end, it is your choice. We will not do this against your will."

 

"What are the chances?" Sara asked softly. "I mean, it's not perfect. Nothing is."

 

"No, Sara." Miesh said gently. "It is not perfect. Our projections say eighty six percent chance the insemination will succeed. But Sara..." Miesh cautioned her. "Even with the embryo inside you, pregnancy is not easy. Or safe. We will make it as easy and safe as we can. But... There is risk."

 

"I..." Sara shook her head slowly, and then straightened. "Do it." Her voice strengthened as she chose her course. Come heck or high water, she was committed.

 

"Okay..." Miesh walked to a cupboard nearby and opened it, perusing the contents. "Hmmm... We have almost everything I will need here. This IS the maternity ward after all. We will have to whip up a few of the more exotic hormones to get you completely ready. But we can start now." The nurse selected a hypo from within and walked to where Sara stood. "Last chance, Sara. Once I give you this, we are committed." In response Sara bared her upper right arm and waited. Miesh smiled sadly. "You are so much braver than I am, Sara." She gave Sara the injection quickly and then, in a quick motion embraced the girl. "It works fast." She said as Sara went white.

 

"I'll... say..." Sara gasped. "Ah..." She staggered and Istara caught her as she fell. "Tank?" She managed to grate out between shivers as Istara lifted her off her feet and cradled her gently.

 

"Tank." Miesh said gently as she touched Sara's suddenly damp forehead with a webbed hand. "Rest now, Sara Kalenath Ordo. When you wake, you will be a mother." Istara crooned gently and Morey of all people was singing a lullaby as Sara nodded off, comforted by the affection of her kin and the collective.

"Seeing this..." Istara said with as sigh. "...really bothers me."

 

"Me too." Morey replied from his chair as they both looked on while Sara slept. The room was bare except for the large clear tank that Sara Kalenath Ordo floated in. Med monitors from a sensor armband kept up a steady drone of information on the girl, no, the woman in the tank. Istara shook her head. Sara wasn't a girl anymore. Not that she had ever been one, really. Morey looked at her and both shared a sad look of understanding. Sara had never been a child, she had been forced to be an adult from almost the moment she had been born. Two tubes were connected to the ports in the white suit she wore and another tube was connected to her abdomen. Other than that, she floated free in the fluid, her chest still and her eyes closed. After a moment, Morey spoke again. "I know the fluid is oxygenated, that is its actually easier to breathe than air, but it still bothers me not to see her chest move."

 

"They did this to you too, didn't they?" Istara asked after a moment. "When they caught you?"

 

"Yeah." Morey said sadly. "I don't remember it all, just...bits and pieces. Some fairly pleasant, most not." He said with face of stone. "All in all, the tank time was relaxing."

 

"I remember. Ah... I am sorry, Morey." Istara said sadly. "I was young and stupid and besotted. Looking back, I doubt I could have seen what happened to you. But that doesn't change the feeling that I should have done something."

 

"Well, I should have listened to Idjit when he tried to get my attention. When he tried to explain. But I didn't want to share." Morey replied evenly. "Young and stupid and besotted. Yep, that was me too. I do not deserve either of you." He said sadly.

 

"Well, I also find it hard to share." Istara said with a smile. "But my love is not a cup. I love all of our kin, but two I find I love more than the others. Well... Three..." She looked at the tank again and her face was sad. "She looks so... peaceful in there. Maria's little girl, all grown up."

 

"Yeah." Morey said with a sigh. "She never had a chance at a childhood. Maybe now she will be able to find some peace." Istara just looked at him and he flinched. "I mean... We have to hide her now. She won't be able to... um...fight...well...and..." He broke off at Istara's expression.

 

"If you want to keep your health..." Istara said mildly. "...don't finish that sentence. Unless you think I am too delicate to kick your choobies."

 

"Well, you cheat, Grandmaster." Morey said with a sigh of injured pride. "I mean, I can't hit you right now."

 

"I..." Istara paused and her face clouded for a moment. "What the?" She said slowly. "What the hell was that?" She asked her tone almost fearful.

 

"Istara?" Morey asked slowly. "You okay?"

 

"No." Istara said slowly. "I just felt... When you said you couldn't fight me... I felt... Oh my god..." She said, her face going white.

 

"Istara?" Morey asked as she backed away from him, her face ashen. "What is wrong?"

 

"When you said you wouldn't fight me, I felt triumph." Istara said slowly. "And it wasn't mine!"

 

"Could it be Sharlina?" Morey asked slowly. "I mean, you say she is gone, but..."

 

"It wasn't Sharlina." Istara said slowly, trying to get past the horror of having someone else in her mind. "I... I don't know who it was. It felt familiar, but it wasn't Sharlina." She reached up and touched the implants that ridged her skull and winced. "Morey... I think I have a hitchhiker."

 

"Flarg me..." Morey said slowly. "Istara, what do I do?"

 

"Get Miesh." Istara said carefully. "Knock me out. Scan me. If I have been...possessed or whatever... I am a threat. To everyone, but especially to Sara." She backed up against the wall and stayed there while Morey hit the call button.

 

"Yes? You called?" Miesh asked as she entered, only to pause as she took in the scene of Istara essentially cowering against the wall and Morey looking scared. "What?"

 

"Miesh..." Istara said slowly. "I need you to do a full series of scans on me. I just felt another mind in my own. It...felt..." She shook her head slowly, unsure. "Female. Angry. And... Not... Not sane..." She said slowly, feeling her way through each word.

 

"Oh my god..." Morey's face went white. "Menglan?"

 

"That is not possible." Meish said slowly. "Nia destroyed her mind. Right?" She looked from one Bladeborn to the other. "Right?" She almost begged.

 

"I don't know, Miesh." Istara said quietly. "Is Mari awake? Lohas removed the controls."

 

"She should be momentarily." Miesh said after a moment. "Jac is. Can he help?"

 

"I..." Istara shook herself. "I don't know. I don't know a lot about...um...possessions."

 

"I don't feel anything in the Force, Istara." Morey said slowly, his eyes on the grandmaster. "I have been around a lot of ghosts, many of whom liked to switch bodies on a whim. I think..." He shook his head. "This is probably something tech based, not Force based."

 

"Grandmaster Istara?" A young, hesitant voice sounded as smallish Sitolon entered the room. It was almost impossible to tell without the Force that the young healer was male. "Meish says you felt someone else in your head?"

 

"Yeah, uh..." Istara said as she sank to a sitting position. "At least I am not armed. Can you...?"

 

"I would have to touch you." Jac said slowly. "May I?" Istara nodded and the Sitolon moved closer, lowering himself so his antennae came down to touch Istara's head. Istara sighed as his mind gently embraced hers. For a long moment, neither of them moved, then Jac gasped. "No! Get away from her, you witch!" Miesh and Morey both stared at Jac seemed to grow in stature. Istara shuddered and made a noise somewhere between a groan and a sigh.

 

"She is mine now." A new voice came from Istara's lips. "He promised me a new, strong body and she is mine!"

 

"Menglan!" Morey snapped, his hands coming up in a warding gesture. "Damn you! Leave her alone!"

 

"Ravishaw..." Istara's eyes lit on the man in the wheeled chair and her face lit up with anticipation. Menglan's voice held lust now. "What better way to hurt you than to hurt the ones you love? Hmmm? You will beg for my touch, Morey. Momma's little boy..."

 

"No he won't." Jac said sternly. "You are a copy. A remnant of code, nothing more. Somehow you managed to hide this vestige of yourself and download into Istara's implants. But that ends now. Lohas, help your sister? Our friend? Please?" A wave of something poured out of Jac's gentle claws as they held Istara's hands.

 

"No!" Menglan shrieked. "He promised!" A wail sounded from Istara's lips and then cut off with a snap as Istara jerked back.

 

"Istara?" Morey asked, worried.

 

"I..." Istara shook her head, trying to clear it. "I am here. Jac...What?"

 

"Lohas removed your implants." Jac said gently. "Or more accurately, she used the nanites in your system to remove them through me."

 

"I can still feel her." Istara said, horrified. "Aw no... No..." She shook her head. "I won't let her hurt my kin!"

 

"We cannot remove her Istara." Jac said sadly. "We don't have the knowledge or tech. Sarai's people have both but they cannot do it long distance. And..."

 

"And we don't have time." Istara said slowly. "Nia is faltering. She is strong and angry, but... She has limits, and she is reaching them."

 

"What do we do?" Morey said slowly.

 

"We get the hell out of here." Istara said quietly. "Is Captain Brun awake?'

 

"Yes." Jac said soberly. "She is suffering acute withdrawal, along with many of the crew, but... She is awake."

 

"Then ask her to jump us somewhere, anywhere." Istara said slowly. "If we are here when Firdlump breaks loose, it won't matter what defenses we have. He can and will coat the ship with nanites, eat through the hull if he has to, to get at us. Sara needs time to change, I need time to erect some defenses. Until then, I need to be confined and... We need to run."

 

"Where?" Miesh asked slowly. "The hyperdrive is offline. 'Repairs' he said."

 

"Repairs my fanny." Morey said softly. He and Istara shared a grim nod. "Just get us away from the planet. Far away."

 

"And the Stormhawk?" Miesh asked for the collective. "Will they attack us?"

 

"No. He, they, are busy." Istara said sadly. "He will cover us the best he can. He wasn't totally off his rocker. But he is losing it. We have to hurry. Get the hyperdrive online if you can. If not, this is going to be a very short flight."

Edited September 29, 2012 by kalenath

Sara woke up slowly. It was so different from how she normally woke up that she was afraid.

 

"Easy, Sara..." A familiar voice said nearby. "Easy... Don't strain yourself."

 

"Istara." Sara smiled as she opened her eyes. What met them had her freezing. She was lying on a hospital bed which had the rails up, holding her on it, surrounded by medical gear. That in and of itself would have sent her into a frenzy, but it was Istara's condition that had Sara actually start to rise, her face furious. "What the hell?"

 

"Sara..." Istara said as she sighed from her bed nearby. "It's okay." She didn't move. Indeed, she couldn't. The restraints that held her to the bed were...extensive.

 

"You are strapped to a bed and it is okay?" Sara demanded, sitting up and then trying not to scream as her abdomen protested the abuse. A wave of pain erupted and she had to lie back, panting as it flowed through her like water. "Ow..."

 

"Sara! Calm down! Yes, Sara." Istara said sternly. "It's okay. I have a...well, a hitchhiker. A not very pleasant one. It appears that Nia did not utterly destroy Kareena Menglan as we all believed."

 

"Ah..." Sara stared at the grandmaster and her face fell. "What can I do?"

 

"Sara." Istara said gently. "Rest and heal. You need to eat real food, not the nutrient paste that the modules would have given you."

 

"I..." Sara paused and looked at herself. She was wearing some kind of long robe. It wasn't a patient gown. It was too long, warm and fuzzy to be one. Not to mention the colors were soothing. She opened it and stared. She wasn't wearing the white suit any more. The ports that had been into her stomach and lower abdomen were gone. In their places, small pink scars were visible. Another centered on her abdomen. "What the...?" She blinked and swallowed heavily. She touched the back of her neck and no metal met her questing fingers, just skin. "Istara...?" She asked. "Did it work?"

 

"It worked, Sara." Istara said gently. "You are a mother."

 

"I..." Sara shook her head as she rubbed her stomach. She felt pain, deep down, but it was ebbing. "Chase and I talked about kids, but I didn't think... I mean... I don't... I..." She broke off, aghast at her inability to form a complete sentence. "What is wrong with me?"

 

"Sara." Istara said gently. "You are pregnant. You are going to have some problems. Your body is going to change, hence why Lohas removed your implants as fast as she could."

 

"I can still feel the collective." Sara said in wonder. "They are asking how I am feeling." Sara chuckled a little. "I am numb. I have no idea how I feel." She said with a shrug. "Wait... How can I still feel them?"

 

"Lohas left some of her children in you. Not enough to cause long term problems, but enough to monitor, to allow for quick communication. You won't even need to hit a call button to summon help." Istara said gently. "She is worried about you. So are we."

 

"Why?" Sara asked as she lay back. Then she blanched. ""Grandmaster... I... Initiates cannot have relationships! What have I done?"

 

"Sara." Istara said gently. "Be calm. It's okay. You and Chase are not normal initiates. Both of you have proven that you have the moral fortitude to keep from having...the usual problems. You have unusual ones." Istara said with a small grin. "And the Order will not cast you out for love. Not now, not ever."

 

"I..." Sara blinked and shook her head. "This is really weird. I feel fine, but... Not." She sighed. "When do the odd cravings start?"

 

"I don't know." Istara admitted. "The last time I was pregnant for more than a day...It..." She paused and then she sighed. "I didn't know what was happening and it wasn't more than a few weeks old when..." She swallowed heavily. "When I killed my kid."

 

"You didn't know, Istara." Sara said patiently. "You were what? Just a little older than I am?"

 

"Nineteen." Istara said soberly. "I had been with Idjit for almost three years." Sara looked at her and Istara flushed a little. "We were always busy, always working, fighting... We made up for it when we met each other after each mission. After...everything... I was always surprised that I didn't conceive before, but Mama was always careful with the contraceptives. I skimped on them, and I paid for it." Istara broke off, her gaze going far away.

 

"Istara?" Sara asked, smoothing the robe around her hips as she shook herself a little. "You okay?"

 

"No." Istara said sadly. "I was remembering Mama Lizard and my birth mother. Mama was so annoyed with me when she found out what had happened. I think she would have loved a baby to dote on. We were all her kids, but..." Tears were falling now. "I failed her, I failed so many times."

 

"Istara..." Sara rolled herself carefully, so as not to jar her sore belly. "What would Mama Lizard say? Now. Right this moment?" Istara looked at Sara and then chuckled a little ruefully.

 

"She would say that I was being an idiot. She would be proud of you, me, and Nia." Istara said, her tears abating. "She would watch you and me like a hawkbat. Other Bladeborn have become pregnant before and since my own misadventures and she was always the same. Everything had to be perfect for the little ones." Istara looked at Sara and nodded. "We can and will continue to train, but carefully. We will have medical monitoring at all times. I doubt Miesh and Jac will let us have too much freedom. The other mothers here likewise."

 

"I...see..." Sara said uneasily. "This is..." She shook herself. "This is a lot like when I was a kid, Istara..." She waved a hand at the medical gear around her.

 

"Sara?" Sara looked up and smiled as Jolia entered the room. "How you doing?" The Twi'lek was carrying a tray full of steaming dishes.

 

"Uneasy..." Sara replied. "This is too much like my childhood, Jolia." Sara said quietly.

 

"I was afraid of that." Jolia said sadly. "So..." The railing on the side of Sara's bed retracted as Jolia set the trays down on a table that Sara hadn't seen. "Think you can walk a few steps?"

 

"Ah, maybe..." Sara sid uneasily as the Twi'lek came close and moved a bunch of the beeping gear away from the bed. "What do you have in mind?"

 

"I am here to make sure you both eat." Jolia said with a smile. "Kirina and Hala are helping Meish with the others."

 

"Which Hala?" Istara asked slowly.

 

"Both were actually. They are handling it much better than anyone expected." Jolia said with a smile. Then she sobered. "The woman who was Boss is with Miik and a bunch of others, trying to get the hyperdrive working. They think they know what the problem is, but it's something that is missing. A main 'taxi' bar or something like that. I am no engineer. They are trying to jury rig a work around."

 

"And you are here to feed us." Istara said with a smile.

 

"Kili is asleep." Jolia said with a smile. "She is in with the other littlest ones and I have the monitors keyed to my com." She patted her wrist. "You both need food." She moved to Sara's bedside and held out a hand. "Come on, you will feel better if you walk a little."

 

"Okay..." Sara said dubiously, then swung her bare feet off the bed. She paused as Jolia made a clucking noise and reached under the bed. Sara's eyes went wide as Jolia produced a pair of fuzzy slippers. Sara stared as Jolia slid them on her feet. They had Bantha ears on them. "You are kidding." Sara said, eyeing the odd things with suspicion.

 

"The floor is cold, Sara." Jolia said gently. "And the slippers are your size and well padded. Trust me, Sara. You will be glad of them." She said with a smile. "I would have killed for something like these a few times while carrying Kili."

 

"It's going to be rough, isn't it?" Sara asked slowly as she eased herself to the floor. "I mean..." She shook her head and grimaced.

 

"Yes, Sara." Jolia said gently as she helped Sara rise to her full height. She didn't offer much support, she was just there. "This is your first time, and Istara's first knowing time. None of us want anything bad to happen to either of you. Even with our help... This is going to be scary. Your body will be out of your control and carrying something alien." She helped Sara to a chair by the table and moved to Istara's bed. "Istara."

 

"You shouldn't release me, Jolia." Istara said flatly as Jolia started undoing the straps. "I have no idea what that evil woman could do in my head."

 

"Cutting off circulation for a pregnant female is a bad idea, Istara." Jolia said with a scowl worthy of a Bladeborn. "Miesh should not have let you talk her into that. If you cut circulation to your extremities, you can and will hurt yourself. If you hurt yourself, you can hurt your baby. Clear?" The Twi'lek asked sternly.

 

"Have you been talking to Ona?" Istara asked whimsically. Then she paused and groaned. "You have, haven't you?"

 

"That healer of yours is a marvel." Jolia said as she held out an arm. Istara looked at the Twi'lek and then, gingerly took Jolia's arm to let the Twi'lek guide her to the table. "I hope to meet her in the flesh someday. She says I have the makings of a good nurse."

 

"Sara..." Istara groaned as she sat heavily in the chair she had been guided to.

 

"I know, Istara." Sara groaned as well. "We are doomed."

 

"Are you going to make me spoon feed you?" Jolia asked with a smile and laughed as both females reached for the platters. "Good girls."

 

"You are going to pay for this, Jolia." Sara said easily. "Um... Jolia..." She looked closely at the Twi'lek and her eyes went wide. "Jolia!" Her face turned radiant.

 

"I know. I was told that they were going to try a few things. Apparently the things took. I am expecting again." Jolia said with a smile just as radiant. "Jac and Miesh confirmed it an hour ago. I get to stay here with you all. And you both get to help me with Kili."

 

"You know..." Istara said as she started eating. "I think practice can't hurt. And if we do have newborn children among our order again, some on the job training can't hurt either."

 

"You say that now." Jolia said with a grin as she opened a platter herself. "Wait until you are neck deep in used diapers."

 

"You sure know how to kill a girl's appetite, Jolia." Sara said with a smile, but dug into her food anyway.

Edited September 26, 2012 by kalenath

<Two hours later>

 

"Istara? Sara?" A hesitant voice sounded and Sara smiled as she looked up from her bed. She set aside the book on philosophy she was reading. Keeping her mind focused was more important than ever. "Am I intruding?" A dark haired woman with an odd looking thing on her throat came in the door. Her voice came from the odd device on her neck.

 

"Hello Kirina." Sara said quietly. "Istara is napping. She activated the baffles, so we can talk if you wish as long as we keep it down."

 

"And if she has a problem?" Kirina asked, her dark eyes worried as she looked to the darkened side of the room. "I..." She sighed. "I need to apologize."

 

"If she has a problem, the collective is watching. And she has a call button and nanites to send for help. As for apologizing... No you don't." Sara said gently. "You couldn't have stopped him, Kirina. He is extremely good at controlling people."

 

"I had to anyway." Kirina said sadly. "I apologized to Mari, Jac and Captain Brun. I... I can't apologize to Sharra. For failing her."

 

"She knows, Kirina." Sara said quietly. "She knows."

 

"I hope so." Kirina said with a sigh. "How are you, Sara?"

 

"Odd." Sara said after a moment. "I feel...fine but not. If that makes any sense."

 

"It does." Kirina said with a smile. "I carried Oli for almost three months and it never stopped feeling odd."

 

"Oli..." Sara paused and looked at Kirina. "She and James...are...?"

 

"Safe." Kirina said quietly. "I think they are on the homeship, but I am not sure. I won't ask."

 

"Oli is your daughter, Kirina." Sara said gently. "You have the right to know where she is."

 

"What I don't know, I can't divulge." Kirina said sadly. "I know that Oli is safe. I miss her. Oh my god I miss her..." She said with a sob as she sat in the chair beside Sara's bed. Sara smiled at her. All of the medical gear that had surrounded the bed was gone. The staff had been very worried about Sara, but had been...persuaded...to use less visible means of monitoring. "But she is safe and that is all that matters. You on the other hand... Are not." Kirina said with a sigh. "Thanks in no small part to me."

 

"Kirina..." Sara held out a slow hand that Kirina took after a moment. "It's okay." She drew the older female into a hug as Kirina started to cry. "Oh Kirina... No one blames you for what happened." She crooned as Kirina sobbed into her shoulder.

 

"I helped him." Kirina said through her tears. "I helped him hurt so many people. I tried to fight and I couldn't."

 

"I know." Sara said sadly as she stroked the sobbing woman's hair gently. "It's okay, Kirina. It's okay. We are alive and free. Sharra is free. Listen to us, Kirina. You can still hear us, right?"

 

"I can." KIrina said, her voice muffled. "But I am scared. I don't want to hurt anyone else."

 

"I know. But..." Sara gently raised Kirina's jaw until the woman was looking her in the eyes. "Kirina, look at me." She said as Kirina closed her eyes. "I am scared too. We need all the help we can get. You have been avoiding the collective. They -we- are worried about you. It's not the rosy place that Firdlump made it seem." Sara said with a shiver. "It's actually fairly unpleasant."

 

The massed collective mind hummed in agreement. The illusions of peace and gentleness that Firdlump had imposed had vanished. The implanted affection likewise. Now, people had the ability to question, and did. But it was still a good thing, to Sara's mind anyway. Consensus could be reached in moments and the massed mind was still capable of wonders. Even if it did creep most of it's members out now, none of them wanted to leave. Some wanted to belong, some wanted revenge. All wanted to protect each other because they all felt it when any member was hurt. And when one was unhappy, everyone was. So, it only made sense to help each other.

 

"I know." Kirina said with a gulp. "I feel... weird. So many minds pressing on me. Even as gentle as they try to be, its... overwhelming."

 

"Yes." Sara said uneasily. "It can be. I touched the hivemind through Sarai a few times. Maybe that gives me an edge?"

 

"I touched the hivemind through Ecien and Majistrona a few times myself." Kirina said with a shake of her head. "This is...different."

 

"Yeah." Sara said slowly. "Do you think Jac's idea might work? Do you think Sarai can absorb all of us all into the hivemind? Give everyone a chance at regular lives that way"

 

"I don't know." Kirina said soberly. "But I have no wish to find out while we are still in danger." She shook her head and sat back. Sara let her go. "Why would Firdlump have the drives of this ship disabled? It makes no sense. It becomes a big target."

 

"Actually it does make sense." Sara said uneasily. "We are in orbit around the planet. He could have ordered the nanites to build a space station/defense station here. Or he could use a ship, an older design such as the Imperious, to form the basis of a station. It is more efficient to use a ship. Unpleasant for us, and inconvenient as hell. But efficient for him."

 

"That would also explain why there are so many medical wards." Kirina said slowly. "We only have Jac and Miesh as professional medics. Jolia is learning, but she was never trained. At least the Stormhawk medics escaped with the Bladeborn."

 

"Yeah." Sara said sadly. "You know... I thi-..." She broke off in mid word. "Michelle?"

 

"Wha-?" Kirina started to say, but shut up when Sara waved her to be silent. Sara reached out a hand and Kirian took it. Suddenly, Kirina could hear a desperate voice in her head.

 

...and I can't wake him up! Sara! Help! The Sixth of the Seven's voice was desperate. He won't hear me! Maybe he will hear you.

 

Michelle, he shot me. Sara said calmly. He will likely think I am a clone. And shoot me again.

 

No. Michelle said sadly. Istara kept us appraised. By the way... Michelle's voice turned soft and gentle. Congratulations.

 

Thank you. Sara said with a smile that Kirina shared. Kirina and the collective are here, Michelle. What can we do?

 

I don't know. Michelle said soberly. He was fine until Nia... Until Sharra... I... The voice of the artificial intelligence broke off. When Sharra died, he screamed her name and just...shut down. Sara, I can't access everything he did. I can't access the guns or the main drives. I can use the hyperdrive, but I am not leaving you all to face this alone.

 

Michelle. Sara said quietly. You can't help us if you are dead. Be careful.

 

I am. Michelle said flatly. I know what the Imperious is missing for it's hyperdrive. I have a main bus bar ready for you. The tender is rigged for remote control, and I am downloading back into my STORM Phantom as we speak.

 

Michelle! Sara snapped in her mind. What are you doing?

 

Helping. Michelle said sadly. I am not a lover, Sara. I am not a human, not anymore. I am, and have been for a long, long time a killer, a warship. Her voice had turned harsh now. The man I love is dying. The woman he loved is dead. I think its just about time for some serious explosions.

 

Michelle, don't do anything rash. Sara begged. The other ships are protected from plasma fire. We need you.

 

What you need, Sara... Michelle corrected her. ...is a functioning hyperdrive. I can help. I can deliver the main bus bar in my STORM Phantom and no one will see me.

 

You don't know that, Michelle. Kirina said sadly. He upgraded the sensors far beyond Republic or Imperial tech. It didn't help with Will, but...

 

Will's ship was a drone and very small. Michelle replied. As good as it was, as powerful as it was. I am more.

 

Michelle... Sara said slowly. Be careful. You are NOT immortal, no matter what that blasted prophecy may say. And I don't want to lose you too.

 

I know that, Sara. Michelle said gently. But this needs doing. You cannot fabricate the part you need. I can and did. Now I have to deliver it. I am on my way.

 

Okay... Sara said uneasily. Take care.

 

Hey, it's me. Michelle said somewhat playfully as she cut the connection.

 

"That does not reassure me." Sara said uneasily and then she stiffened as a form suddenly appeared in the middle of the room. "Nia!"

 

NIa Korr Kalenath lay still in the arms of the former master of the collective. Firdlump's face was serene was he looked at Sara and Kirina who rose to stand between the mass of machines and Sara's bed. Nia's armor was blackened and burnt. Her face was a mass of cuts, bruises and burns, and just looking at her, one arm was badly broken. The former master if the collective stared from Kirina to Sara and his eyes went very wide.

 

"Well..." Firdlump said mildly. "I can honestly say that this I did not expect..."

Edited September 28, 2012 by kalenath

For a long moment, nothing happened. Firdlump stood with Nia's still and broken form in hand. Then he sighed and shook his head.

 

"I hoped to find some medical care for Nia." Firdlump said sadly. "She fought. I see some things have changed, very quickly it seems. It has been less than a day and you..." He shook his head at Sara who sat frozen in place. "All grown up I see."

 

"Kirina, get out of here." Sara said softly as she swung her legs off the bed and stood on feet that only wobbled a little. "Put her here." She indicated the bed. Kirina shook her head savagely and moved to block Firdlump's view of Sara. "Kirina, please..." Kirina stared at Sara and then collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Sara bent to check the woman, never taking her eyes off the mass of nano machines that held her niece. A touch of the Force showed that Kirina still breathed. "You didn't need to do that." Sara said mildly. "She was no threat."

 

"Are you going to be stupid?" Firdlump asked softly, not moving. "You cannot fight me."

 

"There are all kinds of ways to fight, Firdlump." Sara said evenly. "You know that better than many."

 

"Indeed I do." Firdlump said sadly. "Nia needs some help. She has internal injuries. I will send for..." He paused as Sara shook her head. "Sara..." He said reprovingly.

 

"You want me to enslave everyone for you." Sara said quietly. "I want my child to live. But..." She sighed and held up her right wrist. On it a small bracelet glowed. "You can't disable this, at least, not fast."

 

"Sara..." Firldump said in warning.

 

"That is one of five suicide devices I have on my person, Firdlump." Sara sad quietly. "You will not take me alive." She said, her tone never changing. "Put. Nia. Down." She said in a quiet, commanding tone. "Now."

 

"I do need you." Firdlump said without moving. "But you are hardly irreplaceable. Your brother would serve just as well. Even your corpse would work for what I need."

 

"Maybe. Not very well. You need my compliance, preferably willing so you don't have to fight to control me all the time, wasting resources and time." Sara said quietly. "Problem with that though. Will is dying. Now even more than before. You do not want to push me now, Firdlump. Not now. You will lose any chance you might have of any of my blood acting as control units for you."

 

"She wouldn't be as easy to integrate, but Nia will work, now that she has been subdued. A few mental tweaks and she will serve gladly again." Firdlump said easily. "You are not needed anymore."

 

"Oh?" Sara asked calmly. "Then why haven't you destroyed me or taken control from me?" She smiled thinly. "You can't, can you? Not here. Not now."

 

"Don't bet on it, girl." Firdlump said easily. "This is my ship, my base, my..." He broke off as Sara laughed coldly. "What?"

 

"This was never your ship." Sara said calmly. "It was the Republic's ship, Captain Brun's ship, never yours, Senator." The word senator was heavily sarcastic. "And it is certainly not yours now."

 

"The collective is mine, girl." Firdlump snapped. "The sooner you...realize..." He broke off and then blanched. "What have you done?"

 

"Stymied you. We cannot access the other ships." Sara admitted. "They are too far away. But on this ship, you do not rule. Because I am already a command unit. For Sarai. Put Nia down and get lost scumbag, you are not welcome."

 

"No!" Firldump cried, aghast. "No! You can't!"

 

"Too late, slimeball." Sara said nastily. "I asked Mari to set me up as a conduit to the hivemind. She was going to decline until I told her about my failsafes. And even if you do manage to take me over, Mercedes has the ship set to self destruct. Go ahead, push me, Firdlump. Please." Hunger sounded in her calm words and madness shone behind her eyes. It was held in check, for the moment.

 

"Your child..." Firdlump breathed, horrified. "You would kill your child..."

 

"You would anyway." Sara said sadly. "You will abort my kid. After all, what good is a pregnant controller? You will abort my kid and put me in the pod you had Sharra in. I want my child to grow up free, Firdlump. Or not at all." Sara said calmly. "Put Nia down. Now." She took the glowing bracelet in her left hand. "Go ahead, Senator. If you think I am bluffing, feel free to call my bluff." She said quietly as she wrapped her fingers around the biometric trigger.

 

"It isn't a bluff. Your family rarely bluffs." Firdlump said slowly. "I can sense the poisons, the traps, the mines you have set. There is no need, Sara."

 

"There is every need. I will not allow you to control everything you could through me." Sara said quietly. "Raise, call or fold, Firdlump. Your choice."

 

"On this... I fold." Firdlump said slowly, then he lowered Nia to the floor and stepped back. "I don't want to kill you, or her, or anyone." He shook his head. "This changes nothing, child. This ship is going nowhere. You merely postpone the inevitable."

 

"Do I?" Sara asked calmly.

 

"I can and will take control again." Firdlump said carefully. "I would prefer not to kill you or your child, but if I have to I will. I can bring you back. Your new child? Not to much."

 

"Can you?" Sara asked, still in that same maddeningly calm voice.

 

"What have you done?" Firldump asked as he scrutinized her. "I can't sense you now. What have you done?" He asked again.

 

"Wouldn't you love to know?" Sara asked snidely. "Istara?"

 

"Yes, Sara?" Istara asked as she stepped from the darkened side of the room, her sword in hand and her eyes pulsing with fell power. Silver armor appeared around her form as she took another slow step. "What do you need?" She asked is if she and Sara were the only two in the room and Firdlump suddenly looked a lot less confident.

 

"Can you get rid of him? I want to finish my book." Sara said calmly. "And wondering when he is going to try and enslave me will keep me from enjoying it."

 

"You can't beat me alone, Istara." Firdlump said as he took a step away from Nia's still form. "You couldn't before and you can't now."

 

"Who says she is alone?" A snide male voice came as the door hissed open. Morey wheeled himself in, his form clad in silver armor. "I think I count for something,"

 

"Two pregnant females and a crippled traitor." Firdlump scoffed. "Am I supposed to be impressed?"

 

"Mari?" Sara said quietly in the silence that fell. "This man is threatening our kin. May I respond appropriately?"

 

Yes. A gentle but adamant voice sounded in her head. We will protect your child, sister. Kick his choobies!

 

"You wouldn't dare." Firdlump snapped as Sara raised her hands. "I made you!"

 

"No, you stole me." Sara replied. "You took me from my parents, from their love and made me a monster. You hurt my family, badly. And, like Will, I only respond one way to that."

 

"You don't know what you are doing." Firdlump said, calming slightly. "You cannot."

 

"We have learned a few new tricks since you have a counter for the Sitolon's original method of temporarily disabling nanites." Sara said quietly. "You tortured Mira to get that information. Did it feel good, hurting a nine year old?"

 

"I didn't enjoy it, Sara" Firdlump protested. "What I did was wrong, I admit that. I hope Sarai can help her."

 

"Sure you do." Sara said with the first trace of emotion. Sadness. "Your scum never showed any hesitation when they hurt me and I was younger that Mira when they started on me. What changed?"

 

"It was..." Firdlump slumped a little. "It was a different time. I had a different view. What was done to you, at Naj Orh's behest and Bella Tiner's, and others, was intended to make you into a control unit, yes. But not like that."

 

"Why not?" Sara said softly. "It would have worked. For a while. Then I would have gone completely insane and you would have either had to put me down or wipe my mind and start afresh." Then she froze as a horrible thought occurred to her. "Wait... You call me... 8410...12... Maria was 8410-1, Samuel was 8410-2, Will was 8410-3 and Sharra was 8410-4. I should have been 8410-5..." Istara stared at Sara and then her glare turned full force on Firdlump who stood impassive. Sara's voice was horrified now. "How many of Maria and Samuel's kids did you kill, you bastard?"

 

"I didn't kill any." Firdlump said softly. "You were the first viable one. The first success. All of the other in vitro alterations caused miscarriages. None of the other embryos were even close to your success. Or cloneable. I made sure that she and Samuel never knew."

 

"I am not a clone." Sara said slowly, rubbing her stomach. "How many?"

 

"No you are not. And... Seven." Firdlump said with a shrug. "Manipulating an embryo before it is born is not..." He broke off as Sara screamed, a wordless cry of rage, pain and grief. "Sara, be calm..."

 

"You are so dead, pal." Sara said with a snarl as she raised her hands again. This time, power surged from them. Raw, untrained, but potent. Two other bursts of energy hit Firdlump as Morey and Istara both unleashed their power as well. For his part, Firdlump just laughed.

 

"You cannot stop me like..." He broke off and screamed as a fourth bolt of energy hit him, from another angle, Nia's eyes were closed, but her hand was up and pointed at him. Somehow, the four streams of silver changed and he was caught in a vise of coruscating power. A vice that slowly closed around him despite his struggles. "No!" he snapped. "I refuse to let you idiots ruin... Ah!" He screamed again as Sara tapped deep, deep into herself, releasing reserves of energy that the former master of the collective hadn't had a clue she possessed. 'What the...? No!" He cried as she slammed power into him with the subtlety of a lead filled bat.

 

"Die you bastard!" Sara screamed. "For my mom, for my dad, for Will, for Nia, for my siblings you murdered! For..." She gasped as the power that was flowing out of her ebbed. "No..." She said as she collapsed to her hands and knees. "No.." She cried. "I..." She focused, holding a hand up, sending more energy at the now staggering mass of nanites.

 

"Keep it on him, Sara!" Istara snapped. "Hold it on him! If we can hold him in place, just a few more..." She snarled as the mass of microscopic machines vanished. "Damn it!"

 

"I..." Sara was sobbing in grief, pain and anger as she collapsed to her knees. "I..."

 

"Sara..." Why was Kirina's voice coming from so far away? "Sara! Come on! Stay awake! Stay with me!" The other female was awake, and kneeling right beside Sara, so why was her face fading to gray? "Sara! No!"

 

"I'm..." Sara managed to groan out as she collapsed fully to the floor. "Sorry..."

 

Sara... Mari's gentle, concerned voice sounded in her head. It's okay. Sleep, sister. You overextended. Fear raced through Sara, but kindly queen was quick to reassure her. Your child is fine, Sleep, Sara.

 

She tried to keep from falling into the comforting blackness, but couldn't.

Edited September 28, 2012 by kalenath

"Holy...." Kirina said as she scrutinized the med scanner in hand, working to be sure Sara's child had taken no harm. She wasn't a medic by trade, but she had learned a few things. The collective as well helped. None of them wanted Sara any more hurt than she was. "How did she do that?" She asked Istara know knelt nearby.

 

"I guess the secret is out. Huh, Istara?" Morey said from where he sat, watching Jac work on Nia. "No secret can be held indefinitely, but... I had hoped..."

 

"Yeah, me too." Istara said with a sigh. "If she has come out, then..."

 

"Yeah." Morey replied. "He is dead. Or unable to continue."

 

"If you two do not start making sense..." Kirina snapped, her face a mask as she finished her scans and sank back on her heels. "Sara seems fine, just deeply unconscious. Her child seems to be fine. I want Miesh or someone more knowledgeable to check. How did she do that?" Kirina asked, scared now. "She isn't one of you. One of the Seven."

 

"Yes, she is." Istara said sadly. Everything in the room suddenly stopped. Indeed, the entire collective froze in place. shocked. "We kept her secret. His secret. All this time, Will Kalenath was not the only one who bore the burden of the First of the Seven."

 

"You are not saying she is..." Jac asked, aghast. "She is only fifteen!"

 

"Age has nothing to do with it." Istara said sadly. "Mira was only nine. With all the craziness Will causes, caused..." She said with a catch in her voice. "No one paid much attention to her. A perfect secret weapon."

 

"Did she know?" Kirina asked a she reached down to gently caress Sara's cheek. "Did you tell her?"

 

"I didn't have to." Istara said sadly. "The moment she saw us in a group, she knew. And so did we. Will made us all -including Sara- promise to hide her identity. Bob was not happy about not setting her to self destruct the same way the rest of us are, but... We convinced him."

 

"So Sara is the First of the Seven." Kirina said slowly. "Firdlump wanted to make her the First and she was?"

 

"Yep." Istara said with a sad chuckle as she came to stand beside Kirina and Sara. "Any seer -any of the sane ones anyway- will tell you. Prophecies are vague for a reason. There is almost always room for interpretation. Most prophecies are the result of incomplete, inaccurate of just plain bad interpretation of visions anyway. And...well... My mom in said it best about visions... ' Sometimes all you need to do for them not to come true, is nothing. ' He meddled." Istara said with a savage smile. "And it is going to cost him."

 

"Sara is deeply asleep." Kirina said as Jac came up, medical gear in hand. "Check her child first?" She begged. The bug nodded to her and knelt down, starting his work. Then she blanched as she looked at Istara. "No, we have to do something! If she is the First... Sara is going to die. The prophecy says she will fall while killing."

 

"Kirina." Istara said with a sigh. "What did I just say about prophecies?" She asked, a touch acerbically.

 

"Ah..." Kirina sighed and nodded. She jumped as Sara groaned. "Sara!"

 

"Sara, do not move." Jac cautioned as he worked. "I need to be sure you and your child are okay."

 

"Wouldn't...dream of it..." Sara slurred as she gasped. "Is-...Istara..." She said slowly.

 

"I am here, Sara." Istara laid a gentle hand on Sara's arm. "Be easy, Bladeborn."

 

"We...didn't get him, did we?" Sara asked sadly. "I was...too weak."

 

"Sara, it wasn't you." Morey replied from his spot by the wall. "He was ready for Istara and myself. Nia and you pushed him beyond his limits so he fled. If we had all been whole, we might have been able to take him before he adapted. Maybe not."

 

"I am sorry..." Sara said, tears falling. "We had him and I let my anger loose, it..."

 

"Sara." Istara said gently as she knelt down beside the crying girl. "You learned what to do from a book. From our teachings. You never practiced. You are good, but there was no way to know how your body would handle the stresses without practice. You did better than I did the first time I faced him. And Sara..." Istara caressed Sara's forehead gently. "I am sorry. About your siblings."

 

"Seven young lives." Sara said slowly. "Snuffed out casually. Enough is enough. Istara... I am ready." She said with a snap.

 

"Sara..." Istara said slowly. "Be very sure. Will... I don't know if he is alive or not."

 

"Michelle said he is." Sara said uneasily. "But incapacitated. She is moving to deliver the hyperdrive part we need."

 

"She is what?" Istara snapped, aghast. "Sara, we are in the gravity well! If she gets detected, she can't run!"

 

"I don't think she cares." Sara said, her shoulders slumping as Jac finished what he was doing and stepped back. "Istara... I need... You need me." She slowly sat up and Istara took her hands as Kirina eased her up. "I am ready."

 

"Sara, we are not sure we can trust him." Istara said slowly. "You know this."

 

"I know we no longer have a choice." Sara said sadly. "You all, all of you..." She waved a slow hand to encompass everyone around her. "...have been so kind to me. It is time I got off my lazy duff and did what I need to do." She paused as Nia spoke from where she lay.

 

"Sara...No..." Nia croaked. "Please..." Jac made a disgusted noise and moved to sit beside her.

 

"Nia..." Sara said sadly, sending her niece a wordless caress of mental energy. "You have all sacrificed so much for me. To keep me safe, to keep me secret. But the secret is out. And now..." She took a deep breath. "I am ready Istara. With your permission, Grandmaster?" Istara looked at Morey who shrugged. She looked at Nia who nodded and hissed as pain came. Jac snarled and knelt down beside her again.

 

"I don't like this, Sara." Istara said a she took Sara's hands in her own. "Mira was bad enough, but she was one of the Seven before I met her. You... I..." Sara just looked at her. Istara shook her head and spoke evenly. "Bob, we need you."

 

Are you sure? The mental voice of the artificial intelligence was calm but concerned. Your arguments before were cogent. And I don't want to do this to Sara either.

 

Do it. Sara snapped. For my parents. For my brothers and sisters. For all the people who he has hurt and killed. For the galaxy as a whole. I cannot stand back and watch anymore. I am Sara Kalenath Ordo, First of the Seven. Do it!

 

Very well, Sara Kalenath Ordo. Bob's voice was sad now. And... your nanites are awake.

 

Sara jerked in place. Kirina moved to ease her, but Istara clamped an iron grip on the younger woman's arm and held her in place as Sara convulsed. But her abdomen...did not. Kirina and Jac both watched in awe as silver mesh slowly spread across Sara's body. Then, larger plates appeared around her. The armor was familiar.

 

"Sara..." Kirina breathed out the girl's name in shock as the young woman was encased in a silvery form of Mandalorian armor, beskargam. "Oh my god. No... The baby!"

 

"Sara's baby is protected." Bob's voice sounded from nowhere. "I have instructed the nanites within her to protect the child at all costs. Even more than you, Sara. Even if you do fall, your child will live if it is even remotely possible." The calm words were an oath. "The armor will cushion and insulate your abdomen more than any other part of you. Your child will live Sara. Even if you do not."

 

"Thank you." Sara said slowly, her helmeted head looking around. "I feel..." The helmet vanished and her face was serene. "Good. Thank, you Bob."

 

"I know you do not trust me, any of you." Bob said with a hint of sadness. "Truth be told, I don't blame you. I have not told you everything. I cannot. If Firdlump managed to take control of you again, all would be lost."

 

"We know." Istara said evenly as Sara moved to rise. She held out a hand and Sara took it. "Let get that part from Michelle and get the flarg out of here."

 

"I am with you." Kirina said sadly, but then paused as Sara turned and embraced her. "Sara?"

 

"It's okay, Kirina." Sara said gently. "It will be okay."

 

"You don't know that." Kirina said, afraid to hug Sara back. "You can't."

 

"No." Sara said with a shrug. "But what I do know is that now... I am angrier than I have ever been in my life. And I have a target for said anger. He is going to regret what he did. I am going to..." She grunted and her voice eased from the taut snarl it had become. "Keep me on keel, Grandmaster Istara? Please?"

 

"Be true to the Code, Sara." Istara said gently. "All will be well. Or at least things will be much simpler when battle is joined." She spoke softly and Sara and Morey joined in. <Loyalty. Duty. Honor. Respect. Vigilance. Prowess. Humility. Courtesy. Valor. Service. Sacrifice. > They finished the ancient benediction in unison and Istara smiled, a wolfs head smile. "And now, let's take care of business."

Edited September 28, 2012 by kalenath

"What word?" Sara asked as she and Istara stepped onto the bridge of the Imperious. She paused and nodded to Istara who nodded back.

 

"We haven't seen any sign of Michelle." Captain Brun replied slowly. "The nanite swarms are all around us. We can detect them, due to the sensor upgrades. But..." She shook her head.

 

"We cannot do anything about them." Istara said flatly. "You should not let me in here. You should NOT leave me unchained."

 

"Istara..." Mercedes said flatly. "The medics have said that the mind that is hitching a ride in yours is contained. And any restraints can hurt your baby. So no." The captain said with a smile.

 

"I need binders on at the very least, Captain." Istara said slowly. "I am dangerous,. If Menglan does manage to take me over somehow..." Her voice trailed off and the Captain sighed.

 

"Istara..." Mercedes Brun said with quiet sadness. "I can't do that to you. You and Sara and Nia saved us all. I can't treat you like a prisoner."

 

"I am not a prisoner." Istara said gently. "I am a potential threat. Captain, what needs to be done?"

 

"Contain the threat." Captain Brun said after a moment, manifestly against her will. "Istara... I can't lock you up. We will need you." She said, almost begging.

 

"I know." Istara said soberly. "How about this..." She said musing. "Put me in binders. They will slow me down a little. Have a guard assigned to me. If I step a foot out of line, have him shoot me with a stunner."

 

"A stunner could kill your baby, Istara." Mercedes said flatly. "No."

 

"Captain, please." Istara said soberly. "Do I need to beg?"

 

Sara looked at the Grandmaster and then at the captain as the two women strode to the side, quietly arguing. Then she looked around the bridge. Hammerhead class ships were old, but a well proven and well maintained design. Even as old as the Imperious was, she was more than a match for any comparable sized ship even now. The many upgrades that had been done to the ship over her century of existence made her more than capable. The crew at their stations all around the small bridge worked with practiced efficiency that had been augmented by their unwilling inclusion in Firdlump's collective. They literally did know what each was thinking. None needed to speak to communicate anymore. Instructions, commands, queries and responses all flew from one to another at the speed of thought. It was incredible. It was horrible. None of these crewmembers had been given a choice. She shook her head slowly, but then paused as an absurdly young looking Cathar female in the uniform of an ensign turned to her and smiled.

 

"It's okay, Sara." The ensign said gently. "This isn't what we wanted, but we all took an oath to serve and protect. Even with the horror we are part of now, we are far more efficient than we were." Sara found herself choking up and the ensign took the four steps needed to come to her side. "Sara, it's okay."

 

"No it's not. Ensign Sortal." Sara said sadly. "No it's not. I know a soldier's perspective is rarely a happy one. I doubt sailors are any happier, but..." She felt her eyes start to burn. "This is wrong." She waved a hand at the bridge. The entire collective aboard the Imperious hissed in agreement with her.

 

"No one signs up expecting a free ride or an even break, Ma'am." The Cathar said gently. "Or if they do..." Her grin turned urchinlike. "...it usually gets burned out in Basic Training. We serve Ma'am. That is what service beings do. Serve. Is this what we wanted? No. But we can make a difference."

 

"I will find a way to free you, Ensign." Sara said evenly. "All of you." She promised. "I don't know what it might be. I don't know what would be entailed. But I will find a way. My sister Sarai has also pledged to find a way." A rumble of thanks was felt through the collective.

 

"Thank you, Ma'am." Ensign Sortal said with feeling. "It is appreciated. I..." She broke off and shuddered. "Oh... No..." She gasped as something hit the collective hard. "No... I..." She fell to her knees, gasping.

 

"Istara!" Sara snapped as she took the Ensign's hands in her own. "He is attacking the collective! Hang on, Ensign Sortal... I can stop him."

 

"Not alone." Istara said soberly. "Nia is still in Kolto. Morey is with her, keeping her safe. Sara... are you sure about this...?"

 

"No." Sara admitted. "But he is subsuming every collective member! I have to stop him. Everyone..." She cast out with her mind and voice. "Hear me, feel me..." She changed to solely mental voice and spoke heavily. I am control unit 8410-12. Assuming local control. She gasped as pain hit from everywhere. I... Have...

 

"Sara!" Istara snapped as she came close. The ensign as well grabbed Sara's hands and held her as she convulsed. Then, without warning, the collective around her came to her.

 

Sara screamed in agony as the collective became her, and she it. The pain was beyond anything she had ever encountered, but she snarled and beat it back, pulling each and every mind within range into her own and consolidating it, protecting it from the tendrils of power that seeped through the accumulated mind mass. A wordless scream of frustration came to her from far away and she snarled anew.

 

Leave my kin alone! Sara snapped in her mind as she cut the connections that bound the ship board collective to the rest of Firdlump's slaves. Her breathing eased as the pain receded. I am sorry... Sara told the collective. I know that hurt. There was no time, no other way. She felt hands helping her stand and she needed the help, her body was fluttering like a leaf.

 

You are not 8410-12, you are Sara. You saved us. The collective said in awe. He would have consumed us all. He would have made us all part of him. Fear raced through the collective. We would have been destroyed, all of our minds, destroyed...

 

"All the others are gone." Sara said aloud, her voice sad. "He absorbed them. Their memories live on in his memory banks, but..." She was shivering now.

 

"Each of their bodies is just a puppet to his will now." Captain Brun's voice was horrified. "That was to be our fate."

 

"Yes." Sara said sadly as warmth spread from one set of the hands that held her. "I... I couldn't save any of the others. I..." Sara slumped, her breathing slowing as the memories of pain receded from her mind. "Istara..." She begged. "I didn't have time to ask permission."

 

"Don't let it happen again." Istara's voice was mocking and she scoffed lightly. "Sara, what you just did was amazing. How do you feel?"

 

"Sub-optimal." Sara admitted. "The nanites say my baby is fine. But I feel so...So dirty. I took everyone's free will from them. I..." She broke off as Ensign Sortal touched her am.

 

"No, Sara." The Cathar ensign was crying. "You saved us all. That was... the single most selfless act I have ever witnessed."

 

"I am no hero." Sara said hesitantly. "I just did what had to be done."

 

"Yeah." Istara said gently as the ensign withdrew. "And so do I. Captain?"

 

"You are so stubborn, Grandmaster Istara." Captain Brun said with a sigh. "Fine, but only binders. And the guard will only have a stunner." She waved to one of the two armored marine who guarded the bridge and the human came forward, obviously uncomfortable.

 

"Sir?" The marine said slowly.

 

"You heard." Captain Brun said with a scowl. The marine nodded. "Can you do it?" She asked.

 

"Yes, ma'am." The marine said soberly. He reached behind his back and pulled out a set of plasteel binders. He paused and looked at Istara. "If that witch does take you over, binders and a stunner are unlikely to stop you."

 

"That is why Sara is here." Istara said as she held out her wrists for the binders. Sara stared at the grandmaster and Istara shrugged. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but if it does come down to it. You are ordered to stop me using whatever means you have available, Bladeborn."

 

"Istara..." Sara hissed in horror. She broke off as Istara looked at her. Sara bowed her head. "Yes, Grandmaster. I acknowledge your orders. Under protest. I want that noted." She checked her sword. She had found it along with the rest of her gear in a locker near the med bay. She did not react as the binders went onto Istara's wrists and clicked shut. The marine stepped back to his post, but a stunner appeared in his hand and his gaze never left Istara who nodded to him. "Istara..." Sara grumped for the Grandmaster's ears alone.

 

"What will be, will be, Sara." Istara said sadly. "And now, it will happen."

 

"And you said Kirina was putting too much stock in visions and prophecies." Sara said her tone half whimsical. "Pot, meet kettle."

 

"Bite me." Istara said with a grin as she and Sara moved to stand near the main plot display where Captain Brun was working. "Captain?"

 

"The Courageous, the Ark Regal and the Pride of Ceti are holding position." The Captain said, musing. "Why are they not moving to engage us? He has to know we are not under his control."

 

"Where can we go, captain?" Istara asked calmly. "He knows our hyperdrive is offline. The main ion drives, we can restart despite his sabotage. But the moment we do..."

 

"We paint a big red target on ourselves." Captain Brun said quietly. "Sensors are picking up swarms of nanites and... Holy!" She gasped as the plot suddenly came alive.

 

A small, barely visible starship suddenly appeared. In cosmic terms, it was within spitting distance. Something small separated from it and was instantly lost in the blackness. The com tech jumped, and without a spoken command, put the incoming transmission on speaker.

 

"imperious, your package is here. Check channel eighty nine seven encryption, Sara's path." Michelle, Sixth of the Seven, spun her ship on it's axis as part of the clouds of nanites that surrounded the Imperious moved to intercept her. "Come and get me, you motherless scum!" She shouted as her ship turned, but not to flee.

 

"Michelle!" Sara screamed. "No!" She could only watch as the nanites attempted to catch the fleet Islanian ship, but were left in her dust as she moved into an attack posture against the Courageous. She ran to the com board where the tech stared at her helplessly. "Captain!"

 

"Main battery, stand by to fire on Courageous!" Captain Brun snapped. "Tractor beam, grab that bus bar before the nanites eat it!"

 

"Captain!" Ensign Sortal responded, her face horrified. "The lockouts! They are still engaged! We cannot target the Courageous!"

 

"No!" Captain Brun snapped. "I took them off line! What the hell?" She paused and her face went slack as the collective sought answers. "We have been hacked." She said woodenly. "Working to correct. Channel eighty nine seven... Code?" She looked at Sara who nodded.

 

"Rage." Sara said quietly, her heart in her mouth as she watched Michelle charge the Courageous. She barely noticed the tractor beam fire, grabbing the bar that could not be detected except for a small, uni-directional tracking beacon that activated when the code was sent. "She is buying us time to get the bar... No..." Sara said her eyes starting to burn. "Michelle... No..."

 

"My choice, Sara." The voice of the Islanian ship came from the speakers. "And this is for your brothers and sisters!"

 

"You knew?" Sara asked, her voice nearly inaudible.

 

"Surmised." Michelle said gently. "We didn't know until Bob told us what Firdlump said. Will is... He is awake. And he is mad. Almost as made as I am."

 

"Michelle!" Sara screamed as fire started to blossom from the starships ahead of the small Islanian ship. "Break off! You have done your job! Get out of here."

 

"No." Michelle's voice turned sad as fire avoided her ship, seemingly by millimeters. In response, her small guns fired, but did no damage. "Well, I guess I could have planned this better. You were right, Sara. Plasma fire doesn't work. Oh you idiot." She snapped as the fire from the three hulking adversaries stopped.

 

"Michelle of the Seven." The voice over the com was inhuman, literally. It was many voices and one. "Stand down, surrender. You cannot win."

 

"Wanna bet?" The Islanian ship asked snidely. "And...now..." Suddenly the ship seemed to explode. Sara was about to scream again when she realized that the myriad of small objects that had been come from the STORM Phantom were not debris from an explosion, but some kind of missiles! At least a hundred tiny missiles sang through space and Firdlump's fleet seemed to hesitate. "Eat missiles creep!" Michelle snapped as the missiles slammed home into all three ships. Sara felt a moment of elation. Elation that quickly turned to fear and then to horror as the three ships on the plot did not change at all. The voice of Firdlump came again.

 

"Kinetic warheads." Firdlump's voice was sad now. "So predictable. You will serve and with Islanian tech, my forces will be unstoppable."

 

"No I won't." Michelle said, her tone sad as her ship evaded the swarms of nanites that were trying to enclose it. "And you having Islanian tech is dependent on something outside your control. Goodbye Sara." Michelle said sadly as the nanite swarms started to close in despite her speed and harsh maneuvers. "I love you."

 

Sara was crying, screaming in denial as the plot point that showed Michelle's STORM Phantom suddenly blossomed into a ball of nuclear fire. A short, sharp scream sounded over the com bands, and then, it was gone. But... something remained.

 

"Oh my god!" Sara said. Her face desperate. "I hear crying! She is alive!"

 

"She can't be!" Captain Brun snapped. "That was a nuke! A small one, but a nuke. Nothing left."

 

"I am telling you, she is alive." Sara snapped right back. "I can feel her. Istara!"

 

"I feel it too, Sara." Istara said as she laid her manacled arms over Sara's shoulder to give what comfort she could. "But Sara... I don't feel her mind. Just grief. And Sara...Even if whatever is left of her mind IS still in whatever wreckage is left from the blast...We can't track it. It is covered in stealth plating."

 

"No..." Sara said, aghast. "The Fate of the Sixth! No!" She screamed as Istara held her tight. Captain Brun looked askance at them and Istara spoke quietly.

 

"'...and she will be cast forever into the void, to cry her lament throughout eternity'." Istara said, her own face ashen as she watched the fire and debris field that had been a STORM Phantom slowly dissipate on the cosmic winds. "That is the fate of the Sixth." She said in the sudden silence that enveloped the bridge. "I am sorry, my friend. I wanted to find a way around it. A way to help."

 

"She died -or not- to save us... Bridge!" Captain Brun snapped. "Atten-hut!" Everyone on the bridge except Istara, who bowed her head, braced to attention and saluted as the last embers of the fire that had been Michelle, Sixth of the Seven, faded from view.

Edited September 30, 2012 by kalenath

While Sara cried in Istara's arms, the bridge of the Imperious became a hive of activity. All around them, the nanite swarms seemed to have paused. If machines could be shocked, these were.

 

"Lockouts disengaged." A weapons tech snapped. "We can fire when ready, and all codes have been altered so we cannot be hacked quickly again. Targets?"

 

"Target the Courageous and Ark Regal. Courageous is primary, Ark Regal is secondary. If we have anything not engaging them, pester the Pride of Ceti as we can." Captain Brun replied evenly. "Stand by to fire." The weapons tech nodded, his face a mask of hate as he looked at the sensor readings of the other ships. "Status on the hyperdrive?" She asked calmly.

 

"Engineering reports main bus bar connected, powering up hyperdrive." The engineering rating on the bridge reported. "Tests are clear. We can jump anytime."

 

A sad sound went around the bridge. After everything that had happened, the absolute LAST thing these sailors wanted to do was run away from a fight. But, they were outnumbered and outgunned here. The Courageus, and Pride of Ceti were Valor class cruisers, the Ark Regal was a Thranta class. All were more modern, better armed ships. The Imperious was severely outgunned even without the clouds of nanites that were now starting to sweep through the area where Michelle had immolated herself. The com tech spoke up.

 

"Captain, we are being hailed..." His voice was slightly strained and Sara moved to lay a hand on his shoulder. Istara moved with her, offering support to the still crying girl. He nodded but did not look away from his screen. "It's him."

 

"Ignore it." Captain Brun snapped. "Navigation, distance to edge of gravity well?"

 

"Three minutes at best speed." The Bith navigator responded after a moment. "Destination?"

 

"Anywhere but here, Nav." Captain Brun said with a shiver. "I have had enough of this system to last two lifetimes. On second thought, Coruscant. We need to get the senators back to the Senate." Firdlump had not tried to reestablish control over the abductees, he had been content to put them all in stasis pending the disposition of this mess. Captain Brun had no plan to wake any of them up until and unless she was a long ways away from here. The navigator nodded and bent over the navicomputer.

 

"Computations for Coruscant in progress, captain." The Nav officer responded. "We will have coordinates before we can jump."

 

"Good." Captain Brun said with a sigh. "Everyone, stand by. Engineering..." She called. "Kick it!"

 

The Imperious rumbled as her main drives came online. She wasn't nearly the size of a Valor class cruiser, or as well armed. What she was, was fast. Hammerhead cruisers had always had the reputation of being incredibly fast and maneuverable for ships their size, and the Imperious had been constantly upgraded with newer and better engines and control runs in her history. Oh, she couldn't outrun star fighters or even some of the heavier ships used by special agents of the Empire and Republic, but capital class ships? Captain Brun knew to within nanometers how far she and her crew could push the ship and this time, they were not holding anything in reserve. The Imperious pulled away from her consorts -or jailors- like a ball bearing shot out of a mass driver. Most of the nanites in front of them actually moved out of their way.

 

"Why did they do that?" Captain Brun asked Istara softly. "They could do all kinds of damage, maybe even stop us."

 

"I think..." Istara said, her face sad as she consoled the still sobbing Sara. "We may have scared him. Having four of the Seven aboard is likely to be disconcerting anyway. If we had been at full capacity, the four of us likely could have destroyed Firdlump's main program. We may have just come closer to actually stopping him cold than anyone else has in his entire existence. That has to be wearing on him."

 

"Hmmm..." Mercedes said soberly. "Can machines feel fear?"

 

"This... This one can." Sara said, snarling as she shook herself to get her emotions in control. "I..." She gasped as Istara held her close.

 

"I am sorry, Sara." Istara said sadly. "She was a good being." She snorted a little. "I never thought I would say that about an Islanian ship, but... She was. She was a good being. A good friend."

 

"Yes." Sara said, calming. "She was. I don't know if she is dead or not. I can... still..." She shook her head. "I still hear her crying, I can't tell if it is pain, fear or grief. But she is crying."

 

"I don't." Istara mused. She shook her head when Sara looked at her. "I am not doubting that you hear her, I just wonder why I can't."

 

"She was one of our family, Istara." Sara said with a sigh. "Sharra adopted her, over her objections, mind you." Sara said with a fond, tear tinged smile.

 

"So what she did..." Istara said slowly.

 

"Was to avenge Sharra and deny herself to Fidlump as much as to... to..." She broke off, her face unsure. "Istara... check me. Do you feel this...?" She asked, uncertain. Istara laid her hand son Sara's head and hissed as she felt something odd.

 

"What... the... hell?" Istara said slowly.

 

"Istara?" Captain Brun turned to her from where she had been supervising the preparations to jump into hyperspace. "Problem?"

 

"I don't know." Istara said dubiously. "I can... feel...the crew members aboard the Courageous. They are all drones, no sentience left." Her expression turned speculative. "How can we sense them at this range? Sara?"

 

"I don't know." Sara admitted. "None of the books I read about machine interfaces said anything about something like this. It isn't... It doesn't feel like he does when he tries to take control." She jerked and snapped. "He is trying to...get in again.. Jump us... quick."

 

"One minute to the edge of the gravity well." The nav reported when the captain looked at him. "Hyperdrive?"

 

"Ready." The engineering tech responded. Then he cursed. "No! Captain interdiction field!" A hiss went around the compartment. Interdiction fields prevented ships from jumping into hyperspace.

 

"Aw crap." The captain said slowly. "Those take time to power up. How the hell did we not detect it coming online?"

 

"One mind, operating everything." Sara said uneasily. "I bet that cuts a lot of time off a powerup sequence. I know they have a set radius. Can we...?" She broke off what she was going to say as the plot she was looking at now changed. "Oh... dear..."

 

"Courageous, Ark Regal and Pride of Ceti moving to intercept." Ensign Sortal stated calmly. "Interdiction field centered on Courageous." The Cathar stiffened, but her voice remained calm. "Captain, look at their speed..."

 

"Flarg me." Captain Brun's soft epithet silenced the bridge as they all saw the ships moving at preposterous speeds for ships that size. They actually had more speed built up in less time than the Imperious had managed. Then, unaccountably, the captain smiled. It was not a nice smile. "Wait... If they put all power to engines, and they had to... Slew port to unmask the batteries, maintain best speed. Guns! Open fire!" Her commands were being acted on before she had even finished them.

 

The Imperious rumbled as her main batteries opened fire. Not all could bear on her enemies, but enough could. Four dual heavy turbo laser cannon fired as one. The collective aboard was not happy and had been ready to fire for some time. Coherent energy flew and impacted...and...

 

"Captain!" The weapons officer said in shock. "No effect!"

 

"That is not possible!" Ensign Sortal snapped, her control undone. "We hit it, clean! Full power. Even with nanites there had to be some effect!"

 

"Did we hit it?" Captain Brun asked calmly. "Guns, check the sensors."

 

"He could be feeding false data in the sender returns." A weak voice sounded from the hatch and Sara, Istara and the Captain turned to see Nia Korr Kalenath helped onto the bridge by a woman wearing full armor without a helmet. Hala Shinn's eyes were hard as she helped Nia to a jump seat nearby. "You need me." Nia croaked.

 

"Nia..." Sara said sadly as she went to her niece. "Oh Nia..."

 

"She wanted to die fighting." Nia said sadly. "It was what she was, what she did. I hear it too, Sara, but..." She shook her head as Sara started to speak. "I don't..." She gasped a little.

 

"You should still be in kolto, Nia." Istara said sternly. "Or at the very least in a bed. Where is Morey?"

 

"He is in engineering." Hela replied when Nia did not. "He was using the Force to help seat the bus bar. Nia staggered in, looking for the bridge. Morey told her to go back to her bed and she told him, and I quote 'flarg off'."

 

"Nia." Istara said, her tone resigned. "You are weak and hurt. What good will you do here?"

 

"I have to be here." Nia said slowly. "I... I..." She looked at Istara and her eyes were beseeching. "I have to."

 

"You should go back to your body, Nia." Istara said quietly. "You need time to recover."

 

"No time." Nia said sadly. "My... When I died as a temporal avatar before I had to recover. Istara. I have to be here."

 

"What have you 'seen' Nia?" Istara asked softly.

 

"Nothing." Nia said soberly but then beckoned Istara close and spoke softly in her ear. Istara jerked and then nodded slowly. "Please?" She asked sadly.

 

"You do not move." Istara commanded. "If you move, you will hurt yourself worse. But I can help." She laid a hand on Nia's arm and power flared. Nia sighed in gratitude as the pain she had been holding back ebbed and vanished. "You still hurt, but I deadened it. Do not let her move." She commanded Sara. Hala raised an eyebrow and then nodded with a grin.

 

"Captain..." The sensor tech reported. "No sign of hacking. We just... We hit it square and there was no effect. No thermal bloom, no debris, no explosions, nothing." On the screen, the three starships that were the visible signs of their enemy were closing the gap.

 

"Self repairing..." Captain Brun looked up at Istara's soft words and nodded. "Captain..."

 

"I know. We can't beat them. But we can still win." Captain Brun's soft words stilled the bridge. She moved to the self destruct and sighed. "I wanted... I wanted better, for everyone. Thank you for trying, Istara, Sara, Nia..." The com tech recoiled as the com system came alive on its own.

 

"There is no need." Firldump's voice was mild. "Your hyperdrive is deactivated again, Captain." A scream of frustration came through the collective as Firldump acted to stymie their escape. "Surrender now. There has been enough death."

 

"Enough? Sara snapped, feeling the unanimity of the collective. She didn't need to look at Istara and Nia to know they both agreed. "Go away, scumsucker!" She said as she cut his connections to the com system." "I won't be a slave to him again." Sara said quietly. The collective aboard came to her, murmuring assent and comfort. "But... wait..." She shook her head and Nia and Istara both looked at her. "Do you hear it?"

 

"Sara..." Istara said repressively. "We don't have time..." But then Nia jerked as well.

 

"I hear it!" Nia said quickly. "Com channel five!" Without being ordered, the com tech opened that channel and the bridge suddenly heard what Sara and Nia had. A soft tune was heard. Then, as if the broadcaster knew that more people were now hearing it, the music changed going faster, stronger. Sara smiled thinly as she recognized it.

trumpeted across the com waves as the plot changed again

 

"Sharra always said he wasn't a super hero!" Sara said, her eyes streaming as she watched the screen. "I think she was wrong..."

 

"Dad!" Nia shouted as the image of the Stormhawk suddenly appeared in the distance, equidistant between the Imperious and her foes. "No!"

Edited September 30, 2012 by kalenath

"He can't." Captain Brun went white as the three ships that had been pursing hers turned to face their greater foe. "The Stormhawk is a wreck.. He can't... No..."

 

Indeed, the ship that showed on the plot was a mess. The Stormhawk was not her usual graceful, predatory self. There were holes in her hull and pieces of her superstructure were hanging loose. Only two of her four main engines were operating and several of her visible gun turrets were obviously non-functional as well. A turbolaser blast had apparently hit one of her open hangar bays and cored deep into the ship, causing secondary explosions. But the ship was moving. It turned to face its enemies and started accelerating. For their part, Firdlump's suborned cruisers seemed to hesitate. The Stormhawk did not. Her guns were silent, she was out of effective range but her engines flared as she charged her hated foes.

 

"He can't win." Ensign Sortal said, her voice horrified. "All he will do is die, like Michelle."

 

"He doesn't care anymore." Istara shook her head slowly. "He wants to hurt Firdlump and he doesn't care if he dies." Her eyes narrowed though. Something was wrong. Something was off. This was the scene from her vision, but...

 

"No!" Nia Korr was crying as she moved to the com station. Hala scowled at her but did not stop her. “Dad… Talk to me… Please…?” Istara moved to console the girl, but paused as the marine assigned to her put a hand on her arm and shook his head. She nodded as she saw Hala moving and the marine backed off.

 

 

"Easy, Nia..." Hala took Nia in a gentle embrace, more to hold the hurt woman up than to stop her.“Nia… This is what he wants.”

 

“Nia…” Sara’s voice was gentle. “It’s okay Nia…”

 

“No, it’s not… This is my fault. All my fault.” Nia cried, her face falling. "Everything that has happened has been MY fault. Centurion, Darmuk, Firdlump, all of it! I caused it!"

 

"No, you didn't Nia." Istara said sternly from her spot. "It wasn't your fault."

 

“Istara.” Everything jerked to a halt on the bridge as Will's voice came from the com. Will’s voice was flat, unemotional and despite herself Istara shivered a bit. He had 'gone machine' again. She wept inside, for her friend, and for his family.

 

“I am here Will.” She replied quietly.

 

“Take care of them.” Was it her imagination or did his voice sound a little less mechanical? She hoped so.

 

“I will.” Her voice cracked slightly. “Die well, my friend.” He was her friend. No one else she had ever met outside of the Bladeborn understood her, knew what she was at heart and really didn't care in the slightest. Even the other members of the Seven gave her space. Will didn't. He understood about being a monster.

 

“The Dragons are waiting for me, Istara. Sharra is too.” There WAS a faint hint of emotion in the soldier's words now. " Just… Take care of Nia, and the others…"

 

"I will. By blood and by steel, may my own blade end me if I transgress." Istara felt tears start to fall, but none were in her tone. “You know I will. Do what you must.” The com clicked off, but only for a moment. She felt the Imperious’s drives come online.

 

"Imperious." Firdlump's voice came over the com, harsh, commanding. “I think not."

 

"Ah!" Screams came from around the bridge as power flared from every console. Istara staggered as she, Morey, Sara and Nia worked to keep Firdlump from taking control of the ship. They failed. Istara felt the ship suddenly slow, and she felt the shock all around her as the ship's guns powered up and targeted the Stormhawk!

 

"Captain!" The weapon's tech shouted. "Guns are targeting the 'Hawk! I can't get control back!"

 

"Get the guns back! Damn him!" Captain Brun hit the panel for the self destruct and nothing happened. "No!" She cried as the Stormhawk moved away, the three battleships that had been chasing her moved to surround the Imperious. Everyone felt the ship's drives come online again. "He can't control us, but he can take control of the ship?" The com lit up. Firldump's voice was sad now.

 

"What has happened here was unnecessary. Everyone stop fighting, please." The mass of nano machines said quietly. "I have no wish for any more bloodshed. Will Kalenath, I can give you your wife back."

 

"What the?" Istara paused. "Wait a sec... Where did the clone of Sharra go?" Captain Brun stared at her and Sara blinked.

 

"She is not part of the collective." Sara said after a moment. "Hmmm... She wasn't before?" Sara said dubiously as the collective parsed it's memories. "So what the heck was she?"

 

"A trap or control for Will." Mercedes said slowly. "She didn't have Sharra's full memories, I remember..." The captain said slowly. "She was a puppet. But..." The captain paused. "She did act different at times...Well, wherever she is, she is not aboard. We need control. Istara? Sara?"

 

"The nanites we flew through. Some must have migrated to control ship's systems." Sara's face was strained. "Istara? Can we...?"

 

"Save your power to protect the crew, Sara." Istara said slowly. "Morey, Nia... With me..." She opened herself up to Ashla as never before and power flared from her fingers. It arced across the bridge in silver streams, touching each and every console before travelling further. "Yes..." Istara breathed. "Nanites in the control runs, I see them...Nia." She snapped.

 

"On it." Nia said soberly as power flared from her shaking hands into the com console she was still standing by. "I... Help?"

 

"Hala, hold her there." Istara commanded. Hala nodded and supported Nia's shaking form. "We need her. Nia?"

 

"I am good." Nia's white face and shaking hands belied her brave words, but the power coming from her hands did not dim. "I have... I have them!" She said with a smile worthy of a Firaxa shark.

 

"Right." Istara said soberly. "Morey?"

 

Ready Istara. Morey's voice came from somewhere aboard. Focused and ready.

 

Do it Istara smiled savagely as he cut the Imperious off the nanite stream's controls. I have got your back! She snapped as power flared, defenses trying to stun or kill Morey. Not while she was guarding him! She slammed it back, for the first time in a long, long time, letting everything loose. She felt an old, familiar tingle in her veins as her anger gave her power. Sharlina? She gasped in her head, but there was no answer.

 

She felt Morey reach out, to try and free others from Firdlump, but there was nothing to free. Each of the beings on all the other ships was a instrument of Firdlump's will, nothing more. The voice of the creator of the collective came through the nanite streams, he was so focused on the threat of the Stormhawk that his main consciousness had not realized that the Imperious was no longer under his control.

 

Imperious, what are you doing? Get back in formation, we need your firepower.

 

Istara was too busy to answer, but another did. The captain spoke softly, but her tone held sorrow. “I should have told you this so many times, Senator. Flarg you! All Republic ships, if you don’t want to die get out of his way.” Istara shook her head, the captain couldn't, wouldn't believe that all the other people, people she had known, were dead. She simply couldn't.

 

Istara sighed as the pressure that had been increasing against her wards suddenly vanished. Firdlump had much larger problems. The Stormhawk was in optimal range and music came again. This time, it was broadcast over the com and the bands the collective shared. Music. Different music. Harsh loud and fast, it grew in volume as the Stormhawk charged her enemies. Istara smiled grimly as she recognized it as the Dragon's theme.

 

((Dragonforce Valley of the Damned))

 

"All ships! Open fire!" The command came through the massed mind of the nanites, but Istara , Morey and Nia had managed to sever the control linkages. The Imperious did not join the others, indeed, the ship sped away.

 

Istara was shaking her head in horror as the Stormhawk took hit after hit, but she was firing back steadily. Her fire was taking a toll on the ships that were now trying to get out of her way. And her shots never missed, never went astray and the precision was downright uncanny. One time, she was certain she saw a bolt enter the tube of a heavy turbolaser on an enemy battleship. The fleet facing the Stormhawk was scattering. The Courageous, Istara noted was evading hard, but the Stormhawk matched it’s every move. On a ramming course! The com lit up with the same harsh voice.

 

All ships, destroy the Stormhawk, destroy it now!

 

Istara watched, her heart in her mouth as the Stormhawk closed with her enemy. The Republic battle ship was four times the size of the battlecruiser, and her shields and armor were damaged but whole. The Stormhawk on the other hand was a mess, her shields were a memory, and her armor was flying off in large chunks… Istara blanched as she realized the ship had no life signs aboard. If Will was still alive, he wouldn’t be for long. She flinched as the ship she had hated once upon a time took a full broadside and then a scream tore from many throats on the Imperious bridge as the Stormhawk exploded.

Edited October 1, 2012 by kalenath

"No..." Nia sobbed. "Nononononono...." She begged as her legs gave out and she crumpled.

 

"Oh my god." Ensign Sortal stared, dumbfounded at the screen.

 

All around the bridge, shock and disbelief were apparent on every face. Almost every face, IStara noticed with as blink. Captain Brun and Sara were both... What they? They looked sad, but... anticipatory?

 

"Sara?" Istara asked slowly. The young Bladeborn looked at Istara and her face was dubious. "What?"

 

"I don't know." Sara admitted. "I feel... Captain...?" Captain Brun nodded, her own face turning into a feral smile.

 

"That man defined sneaky. This was not sneaky. And... I knew the Dragons before Coruscant. The Dragons were never more dangerous than when they were dead." Captain Brun replied calmly. A hush swept the bridge and even Nia paused in her sobs as the captain's calm words sunk in. "And the impossible was their stock in trade."

 

"I see." Istara said slowly. Indeed, once an enemy assumed the threat was passed, they usually lowered their guard. She had used that ploy herself on occasion. "So...?"

 

"I don't know." Captain Brun said slowly. "I do know we better get the flarg away from those ships. Now. Helm! Full burn, hit the solids!"

 

"Ship has taken a pounding, sir." The engineer said dubiously. "Structural integrity is holding, but the solids..."

 

"If we stay in the range of that interdiction field, we are done." Captain Brun said with a sigh. "If Will isn't dead, then whatever he is going to throw next will be huge. I don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity. Solids. Now." The engineer nodded and bent to his console. "Everyone find seats. Gonna be a wild ride."

 

"Solids?" Istara asked as she moved to the bulkhead. Her marine minder waited nearby.

 

"Two dozen solid fuel rocket boosters." Mercedes said soberly. "Will treble our speed for as long as they last, but..."

 

"Aren't solid fuel boosters dangerous?" Istara asked as she grabbed hold of a protruding console. "And they can't be shut off, can they?"

 

"Yep and nope." Captain Brun said as a chair formed for her. "I could learn to like some of this nanite stuff." She said with a smile at Sara who smirked as she sat in one of her own. "Not most, but some." Istara sighed and asked the nanites near her to make seats for her and the marine. She sat when the chair had formed. The marine paused and then shrugged and sat as well.

 

"So what just happened?" Istara asked softly. Captain Brun heard her though.

 

"I am not totally sure." Mercedes admitted. "There is a lot of jamming, Firdlump's nanites are scrambling things. The nuke Michelle lit off didn't help matters either. But..." She paused and then blinked. "There is a lot more jamming than there was."

 

"What good does jamming do?" Istara asked sourly. "I mean, they know where we- Whoa!" She shouted as the inertial compensators of the ship could not -quite- keep up with the sudden acceleration. Istara stared at the plot and whistled in awe. She was no naval officer, but she could read ship speeds and as fast as the Imperious had been moving before, now the ship was moving like a bat out of a hot place.

 

"Machines do not see the way we do." Mercedes gasped as the g forces pushed her into her seat. "They see more, and less." She paused and thought about that. "They see in a wider spectrum, but don't always have the programming to underst-..." She broke off and smiled. Now her smiled was decidedly feral. "Istara, tell me something. If you have prey that is running away, what d you do?"

 

"Chase it." Istara said, uncomprehending. "Why?"

 

"Because Firdlump's fleet is following, and shifting their formation." Mercedes said softly. She spoke under her breath. "And... Now?" She asked nobody.

 

"What the...?" Sara and Nia both said in unison as they jerked. Istara paused as well as triumph soured through the link that the Seven shared. They all stared at the plot as it changed again.

 

The Ark Regal had been lagging a bit behind the Courageous and the Pride of Ceti in their pursuit of the Imperious. Then the ship shuddered something hit it. The entire bridge crew of the Imperious stared as proton torpedo explosions peppered the ship from stem to stern. All three pursuing ships suddenly reduced speed, seeking their assailant. But there was nothing there!

 

"Stealthed torpedoes?" Istara asked incredulously. "How the hell...?" She blanched as she saw the terrible damage the battleship had taken vanish as she watched.

 

"Solids exhausted captain!" The engineer called. "Acceleration slowing. We will be clear of the interdiction field in two minutes at this speed."

 

"I have no idea, Istara." Captain Brun said soberly. "He always did have secrets within secrets. Sara, Nia?" Both female shook their heads and the captain shook hers. "He is buying us time to get- Ah!" She screamed along with everyone else as the ship suddenly rocked on it's axis. "Damage report!"

 

"Main drives offline!" The engineer called back, his voice shocked. "Multiple turbolaser hits! They hit us from 20k with that kind of precision?" Everything stopped as a voice sounded into everyone's mind.

 

You are going nowhere Imperious. The voice of Firdlump was cold now. Just sit there while I handle this... This annoyance.

 

Annoyance? Nia asked caustically. Oh scumsucker you have no idea! Then she screamed and collapsed from her chair to the floor.

 

My patience has run out, Nia Korr Kalenath. Firdlump replied as she writhed. Be silent!

 

"Istara?" Sara asked, her tone uncertain. "What do we do?"

 

"Protect the crew as long as you can, Sara." Istara said grimly. "Wait. How could he have done that from this far away without a focus...?" Then she paused and nodded slowly as she looked at the marine who had not been assigned to her. That marine had never spoken. Istara's eyes narrowed and then she nodded. "Nice. Nice place to hide." Everyone froze at Istara's odd tone. "Right in the middle of everything. And he hears and sees through you, doesn't he?"

 

"I didn't want to." A small, childlike voice answered Istara as the marine removed her helmet and the clone of Sharra's face became visible. "I remember loving him, and you Nia, and you Sara..." The clone's face was a study of fear and pain as she shook her head. Blasters came to bear on her from all over the bridge and she shook her head. "I can't... That won't work... He heals me as quick as I get hurt, I have tried to kill myself. It doesn't work."

 

"I can stop you." Istara said gently. "I can, Sharra."

 

"I am not Sharra." The clone almost wailed. "But I remember being her. Then he came, he entered my mind, he took me over. I can't... I can't resist...I don't want to die! I don't want to hurt anyone else... Please..." She begged.

 

"It's okay, Sharra." Istara said sadly. "You are free now." Power flared from her fingers and arced across the bridge as quick as thought. The female clone froze in place as the power washed over her. Then she collapsed in a sobbing heap.

 

"I... He..." She shook her head savagely. "He is not in my thoughts! Kill me! Quickly! Before he comes back."

 

"No." Istara said as Nia and Sara both rose as one. "You are victim, not a hostile. Sara..." The young Bladeborn took the sobbing woman in her arms, giving her comfort. "This will be hard for you, but in this, and this alone, I actually agree with Firdlump. There has been enough death. Well..." She corrected herself. "Enough organic death..." She smiled grimly as the Ark Regal ran into something that blossomed into nuclear fire. "Ouch! That had to hurt..."

 

"Captain!" The sensor tech called. "Faint reading bearing zero seven six, localizing!"

 

"No!" Captain Brun cried. "Don't! If Firdlump is reading our telemetry..." She broke off as the thee enemy battleships fired as one at a point in space that seemed to contain nothing. Explosions appeared and the Stormhawk shuddered into view. But this was a very different Stormhawk. Her shield and hull were whole. Fire from the Courageous hit the ship and...

 

"Captain..." Istara asked, unsure if what she had seen was what she had seen., "Is it my imagination, or did the damage the Stormhawk just took repair itself almost instantly?"

 

"If it was your imagination, it was mine too." Captain Brun replied, shocked. "How?" She asked.

 

"Firdlump is not the only nanite artificial intelligence in the galaxy." Istara said with a smile. "It seems Bob has come to play too." She bowed her head as the Stormhawk rushed her mortal foes. "I don't know what they are planning, but I can guess it will be big. Can we get away?"

 

"Working on the drives." The engineers said before the captain could ask. "They say ten minutes."

 

"Nerfosik, ten minutes." Captain Brun snapped. "This thing will be over in two minutes. Get on it!" Istara cast out with her mind, seeking... a friend.

 

 

She came to her senses somewhere on the Stormhawk. It wasn't anywhere she had ever been on the outlaw ship.

 

"You shouldn't be here, Istara." A sad voice said from nearby. Istara turned and gasped. Will was ensconced in an odd thing. "You need to leave."

 

"Will... What the hell?" Istara snapped. "What are you doing?"

 

"What I must." The soldier said as his eyes tracked something only he could see. The green pod like thing he was encased in covered him up to his head, which was surrounded by something else green that Istara could not identify. It looked vaguely Islanian. . "You will take care of them? All of them?"

 

"I gave you my word Will." Istara said with a touch of heat. "I keep my word."

 

"I know." Will said sadly. "I am sorry. Only now at the end do I truly understand."

 

"Understand what, Will?" The voice of the artificial intelligence that called itself Bob asked from nearby. Istara didn't bother turning, she wouldn't see him unless he wanted to be. "It might be important."

 

"Not really." Will said calmly. Then his voice changed. "In range in five." His cold tone rang across his command deck and a silence ensured. After a moment, Bob's voice sounded again.

 

“I am sorry Will. For everything I did, and didn’t do.” Bob's voice was very sad. Istara knew, somehow, that he was there, holding the soldier's pain at bay. He couldn’t do it forever, but maybe, just maybe, he could hold it for long enough.

 

Will didn’t respond for a moment, when he did, his voice was more human than it had been. “In the end, what are we? The sum of our experiences. Just like any machine with memory functions. We think, therefore we are.”

 

“No Will…” Bob replied kindly. “Unlike most machines, we love, therefore we live. It has been an honor, soldier, Bladeborn.” Istara bowed to where his voice came from. "You need to leave, Istara. Your part is not done."

 

"I can't do anything." Istara said sadly. "I am no tech, I am a threat while Menglan's mind resides in mine. But I can bear witness, and I will." Steel rang in her tone and neither male dared to question.

 

“Let’s do this.” The old, hurting soldier replied. He groaned as a particularly well aimed, or lucky, burst from the Pride of Ceti dug deep into the ship.

 

“Can you hold it long enough for the main to fire?” Bob asked in a worried tone. "Everything depends on us getting close enough." The ship rocked again as more and more fire found her.

 

“I… have to…” Will grunted out. “I dunno if the ship can hold… Poor girl… Just a little longer, Hawk old girl…” He flinched as his few remaining sensors came alight. “Aw what now?” He snarled as he saw telltales appear on his plot. “Aw no… Not now…” He cursed as he saw six Imperial Terminus class battleships forming up after their drop from hyperspace. “Why now…? So close…”

 

“Closer than you know, Will. Closer than you know…” Bob’s voice was...triumphant? “Wondered when he would get here…Istara!” Istara blinked, smiled and vanished back to herself.

 

 

”Admiral.” The black cloaked form that stood alone amidst the hive of activity on the command deck called and the commanding admiral of the Sith fleet hurried over. It did not pay to dawdle around this man. “Protect that ship.” A gloved finger pointed at the icon of the Stormhawk!

 

“Milord…?” The Admiral actually gobbled a bit. The battlecruiser Stormhawk was a known and hated enemy of the Empire. He started to speak again, but the man’s cold, dead eyes focused on him and he swallowed convulsively.

 

“Are you hard of hearing admiral? You have your orders. If they fail, we are dead and so is the Empire. They have to get close enough to fire their main gun. Give them cover. Communications...” The black cloaked form strode to the communication console as the Admiral started barking orders, having to swear at his subordinates. “Send to the Republic battleship Imperious, Captain Brun commanding, ‘Stand Clear, Captain. Our turn.’ All ships, engage the Republic battlewagons Courageous, Ark Regal and Pride of Ceti, do not engage the Imperious. If you fire on the Stormhawk or the Imperious, I will be… displeased.” A shiver went around the compartment at the man’s cold words. "We cannot hurt them but we must distract them or we will all pray for death..."

 

Idjit of the Bladeborn sighed as his orders were obeyed. It was coming to a head. Finally.

Edited October 2, 2012 by kalenath

<Battleship Imperious>

 

"What the hell?" Istara's thoughts were jumbled as she returned to her own body, but Captain Brun's words were clear. "Where did they come from?"

 

"The Empire wasn't going to stand by and let Firdlump win, Captain." Istara said evenly as she looked around. Nothing seemed to have changed from her short jaunt through time and space. "Status?"

 

"We took multiple turbolaser hits in the engine section." Captain Brun said quietly. "Morey saved most of the engineering crew. He couldn't save them all."

 

"Hala?" Istara asked softly. The woman who wore the armor of Stormhawk Boss slumped and nodded.

 

"The other me is hurt." Hala Shinn Kalenath said sadly. "She insisted on helping. Gev was with her. He was caught in a blast, and is hurt as well. I think... I think she lost her baby." Istara felt a gut wrenching pain hit her.

 

"We will make this right." Istara said as she turned to where Sara still knelt. "Somehow. Sara?"

 

"Four engineering crew are dead. Several others are hurt." Sara said quietly. "Nia is unconscious." She nodded to where a rating was checking Nia's still form with a med scanner. "I don't know if she can keep this up, Istara."

 

"She has to." Istara said soberly as she turned back to the screen. "Wait... Are they...ignoring the Imperial ships?" She asked incredulously as the readouts made sense. The three suborned Republic battlewagons were still angling towards where the Stormhawk was charging them. They shrugged off the insane amounts of fire that the Imperial vessels were throwing at them, obviously focused on another, greater threat.

 

"Yeah." Captain Brun said slowly. "If we couldn't hurt them I doubt the Imperials could, and... Wait a second. What are the Imp ships doing?"

 

"Their job." Istara said sadly as one of the Imperial vessels accelerated at insane speed, interposing itself between the fire of the three battleships and the Stormhawk. It rocked under the impacts of the turbolasers, but it's shields held. All five of it's consorts moved at more leisurely speeds to do the same. "Now that is some guts..."

 

"I hate the Empire..." Captain Brun said softly. "But let no one say their sailors don't have guts. What the-?" She inhaled sharply as the Imperial battleship staggered in space, and a huge hole appeared in it. "Oh my god..." In moments the hole was so big the ship could literally be seen through. Then, like a memory it wavered and vanished. The proud and powerful Imperial battleship was gone! A hush swept the bridge as a large and dangerous Imperial starship was erased in moments.

 

"Nanites." Istara said in the horrified silence that followed. "Shields won't stop them, they eat armor... They eat anything they can touch and make more of themselves. If the Stormhawk cannot get into range... This battle is over."

 

"What good will a plasma cannon do?" Sara asked from where she sat, her arms around the still crying clone. "Michelle's didn't work."

 

"I don't know." Istara admitted. "Will kept a lot of things close to his chest. I don't know what he has planned."

 

"Massive power build up on the Stormhawk!" The sensor tech called. "It's..." He paused, and continued uncertain. "It's odd."

 

"Nothing about this whole battle hasn't been odd, sensors." Captain Brun said with a sigh. "Can you tell what it is?" She asked as another Imperial ship just vanished. She gasped. "Ah... How many crew...?"

 

"I don't know." Istara admitted. "At least five hundred per."

 

"I never thought I would feel sorry for Imperials." Mercedes Brun said slowly. "But that... To be snuffed out like that... We need to do something! Engineering?" She snapped.

 

"Still down, Captain." The engineer was nearly in tears, as frustrated as he was. "We are going as fast as we can. Guns are offline while we try and make engine repairs."

 

"Do your best." Captain Brun said sadly. "It's all anyone can ask for." She and Istara watched as the four remaining Imperial ships moved to shield the Stormhawk, their guns now silent. "What now?" She demanded as one of the Imperial ships was suddenly wreathed in a halo of power that sparked.

 

"Idjit is not about to let his ship be eaten." Istara said sadly. "He cannot protect them all. But I think the nanites will focus on him, maybe that will give the others chance to do something." Her eyes went wide as all four surviving Imperial ships fired salvos of missiles. "Missiles? Torpedoes didn't work. What good will missiles do?"

 

"Wait..." Captain Brun said, her eyes intent. Then she smiled. "They are not firing on the ships."

 

"What?" Istara asked, her eyes drawn to Captain Brun and then they were torn back to the screen as balls of energy erupted between the Imperial vessels and the three Republic battleships. "Huh?" Then her expression cleared. "EMP warheads!"

 

"Eighty of them." Captain Brun said with a smile as the three Republic battleships seemed to hesitate, their fire slacking. "I think a machine just got a massive kick in the balls."

 

"That won't stop them." Istara protested as hope flared anew. "There are just too many of them."

 

"Stormhawk firing!" The sensor tech shouted. "That is not plasma!"

 

All eyes on the bridge were drawn to the screen as a silver ball shot from the muzzle of the huge weapon on the bow of the Stormhawk. It was only a trick of distance that said it moved slowly. It covered the distance between the Stormhawk and the Ark Regal in moments. The ball hit the ship and shattered into a million sparkling pieces, seeming to do nothing.

 

"What the...?" Someone asked and then everyone paused as a scream came across the com and into every member of the collective's head as well. Sara and Istara both jerked as Firdlump's scream of pure agony roared through the link that the Seven shared. Istara looked back at the screen in time to see the battleship Ark Regal vanish.

 

"Holy crap." Sara said in the deafening silence that gripped the Imperious bridge. "What was that? Can he do it again?" It wasn't clear what she was asking or to who.

 

"Stormhawk main weapon cycling." The sensor operator called. "From this reading it will take the ship at least a minute to recharge."

 

"I don't think they have a minute." Capatin Brun said as yet another of the Imperial ships warding the Stormhawk was wiped away. "Engineering..." She called.

 

"Drives still down, Captain!" The engineer report, smacking his controls. "We are doing everything we can." He was crying now.

 

Istara... A voice sounded in Istara's head, Istara I need to talk to you! She started to protect herself and then recognized it. The Sitolon queen that FIrdlump had made and transferred the mind and memories of the clone of Maria Kalenath to. The transfer hadn't been perfect, the Sitolon remembered Maria,but wasn't Maria.

 

Mari? Istara said slowly. Now is not a good time. She said as she watched the plot.

 

This is important. Mari pressed. I was parsing the memories I got from Maria. I know how to end this!

 

What? Istara snapped. How?

 

Firdlump was trying to figure out love. Mari said quickly. He put it in a separate subroutine inside his mental processes. If we can open that, get him to understand what has happened and why...

 

No one understands love, Mari. Istara said with a sigh as another Imperial ship staggered in space, bits of it gone. In moments it too would vanish. Will may be able to end this.

 

No he can't. Maria said sadly. He can stymie Firdlump, destroy the ships, but the nanites can and will take control of the Stormhawk given time. He cannot beat the nanites physically. He can't, Istara.

 

Oh my god... Istara said slowly. He knows this...

 

"Stormhawk firing again!" The sensor tech said quickly and another ball of silver flew. This time the Pride of Ceti took the hit and vanished. Another cry of joy was heard on the bridge and another howl of rage and pain was heard. "Captain! The Courageous!"

 

Every eyes on the Imperious bridge was pulled to the unfolding battle as the Courageous seemed to vanish as well, then it reformed into a spear of silver. It accelerated right through the disintegrating Imperial battleship and slammed into the port side of the Stormhawk. The hull of the renegade battlecruiser suddenly started to fray and vanish as the nanites ate it from the inside out.

 

"Oh no..." Sara said, her tone horrified.

 

"Oh yes." Istara said, her face suddenly smiling. "It's time. Sara, wake Nia up. This is going to take all of us." Sara moved to Nia and touched the still form of the Second of the Seven. Nia coughed and would have tried to get up, but Sara held her down gently.

 

"Don't try and move, Nia." Istara commanded as she rose from her chair. The marine who had been guarding her looked at the captain who shook her head. The marine nodded and held out a hand to undo the binders. The binders unclicked from Istara's wrists and flew into his hand. "I had to be bound and under guard." She said at his uncertain look. "Don't ask." She pleaded. The marine just looked at her and sighed before resuming his place at the hatch which hissed open.

 

"I am here, Istara." Morey's tired voice preceded his chair onto the bridge. "Where do you want me?"

 

Instead of answering, Istara walked to where Nia lay and lay down beside her. Nia held out a hand which Istara took. Sara and Morey also joined hands with them.

 

"What do we do?" Sara asked as Istara focused herself.

 

"We end this." Istara said soberly. "Nia, don't do anything, you are the power supply. Your internal injuries have not healed. Morey, you are the focus. I will keep us alive, Sara... strike the target he gives you."

 

"Who?" Sara asked and then paused as an unseen caress touched her shoulder. "Yike!" She jumped. "Idjit"

 

Boo. The calm voice of the Bladeborn seer came to their minds. He seemed...amused.

 

"Ah, Idjit, stop sneaking up on me!" Sara snapped, her control fraying. She took a long breath to resume her control. "People will talk!"

 

"Wait..." Nia said, unsure. "If you are here, then who is warding that Imperial ship?"

 

Do not get on Dia's bad side. Idjit of the Bladeborn said into the link they all shared. That woman is scary! Nia actually laughed.

 

I could have told you that. And... Nia relaxed, her face turning serene as she sank into a meditation. I am ready...

 

Ready. Morey said softly.

 

Ready. Sara's mental feeling was a coiled spring, or a drawn blade,

 

Ready. Idjit's voice as always sent goosebumps up and down Istara's spine.

 

Let's do this! Istara snapped as she pulled the others close and charged onto the gray plain. The predators swarmed about, some still, some thrashing, some sensing their presence and charging. Idjit, find us a target!

 

I know where it is, follow. The cloud that was a seer formed into an arrow and darted off into the distance, the four other minds following and a host of angry, hungry things following them.

Edited October 3, 2012 by kalenath

The Imperial attack seems to have stalled a bunch of the swarm. Sara's voice was clinical and they drove further and further into the emptiness. Either that or they don't want to fight us.

 

They don't. Istara relied as she watched a predator suddenly swerve away from them arcing smoothly away into the emptiness. They cannot fight his commands, but they can creatively interpret them. Lohas cannot access them, she tried as soon as the Stormhawk attacked. Sorrow blurred Istara's sense for a moment.

 

Is...is she okay? Nia asked slowly. I... I can't...

 

She is alive, Nia. Istara said sadly. Hurt but alive. The feedback when she tried to free her children was intense enough that Sarai worried it had fried her mind. But she is alive and aware. And very ticked off.

 

I bet. Sara said quietly. Where are we going? She asked after a moment of timeless travel.

 

There. Idjit's cloud extended a tendril and indicated a direction. In the distance was a dark...thing. It defied analysis. One moment it seemed like a towering fortress built on a mountain, the next it was a city shining with dark purpose, the next a huge sphere with some kind of indention on the upper hemisphere. It changed into a monstrous metal thing that moved across the ground on treads the size of city blocks. Then it was a storm, a purplish space storm that crackled with fell energy. He knows we are here.

 

Good. Istara snapped in her mind and then suddenly, the world changed. "What the?" She snapped as she landed on her hands and feet

 

"Istara?" Sara asked as she materialized nearby. "What?"

 

"I don't know." Istara said as she shook herself and took stock. Nia, Morey and Idjit all appeared beside them, none of them discomfited by the sudden change in venue. They stood in a cavernous hall. From the decor it was a SIth hall, but no one seemed to be in residence. Around them, interrogation frames hung, some empty, some full of writhing forms. "We have to be close! Find it!" The team fanned out, looking for...something.

 

"Istara!" A scared voice sounded from nearby. Istara spun to see a blue skinned Twi'lek hanging in one of the frames. "Get out of here!" Her form was composed of tattered blue energy.

 

"Ulaha?" Nia asked, her tone hesitant. "I saw you eaten! On the plain! Hawkir escaped, became one with the Force. Nira escaped back to her body. But you... You died!"

 

"He took me..." Ulaha gasped as the five of them came close. "Couldn't... Tried to resist... Tried to hide what I knew. Couldn't..."

 

"Can we free you?" Nia asked as she examined the restraint frame. It looked like an Imperial design but had no obvious means of releasing the energy bars that held the spirit in place. Nia stiffened as the spirit shook her head. "Ulaha." She moaned in frustration.

 

"Here!" Sara jerked and waved. All of them ran to where Ulaha was strapped to the rack. Sara was staring a small battered footlocker. "Nia..." Nia nodded and started scanning the locking mechanism.

 

"You have to get out of here." Ulaha said quickly. "He planned this, all of this..." She indicated the assembled group with a tilt of her head. "All of you, here. Now. You are to be his agents."

 

"Over our dead bodies." Idjit said with a snarl. "We would all die first."

 

"You won't be given a choice!" Ulaha screamed as energy coruscated through her. "Run!" She gasped out.

 

"Now, now, my dear..." The mild voice of FIrdlump came from everywhere. "They just got here. Please, make yourselves comfortable. We are going to get to know each other very well over the next few thousand years."

 

"We are inside your mind, Firdlump." Istara said calmly. "We can do a lot damage."

 

"Yes you can." Firldump agreed equably. "But why would you? You want an end to your pain, Istara. I can give it to you. Sara..." Sara jerked in place, but remained silent. "You want a normal life, I can give you that."

 

"It won't work." Morey said in the silence that followed. "We know what you are, what you promise, what you will do with what you steal." He looked at the others and as one, they nodded. "The answer...is 'No'."

 

"Ah, Ravishaw..." The voice of Firdlump was sad now. "Such a troubled little boy... I can make you forget your mother."

 

"No, thank you." Morey replied evenly. "I prefer to remember, to make sure no one ever faces the same horrors I did. No child suffers as I did."

 

"That makes no sense!" Firdlump asked, his tone curious. "You want to be in pain? To remember pain and horror?"

 

"No I don't." Morey admitted softly. "But if I don't remember, who will? I thought she was my mother. I loved her. Or... I thought I did." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter now."

 

"No." Firdlump's voice was sad now. "I guess it doesn't. So be it. All of you will serve, gladly when I am done rewriting your minds. Even you, Ravishaw." Tendrils of gray started seeping out of the walls of the hall, seeking the group. Ulaha screamed and shied away in her bonds. "You will serve."

 

"No we won't." Istara said calmly as she set a shield around the group and Ulaha. "None shall pass." She said as she drew her blade. It glowed with faint energy even here. Energy that brightened as she charged her blade with Ashla as she had been taught by the Sitolon. The ancient steel blade would cleave armor and flesh, even resist lightsabers when charged that way. Or kill nanites.

 

"Istara, protect your people." Ulaha said sadly. "I... I hurt all of you. Leave me."

 

"No." Istara felt an overpowering calm descend on her as the gray mists approached. She didn't need to see to know that her eyes were glowing silver. All of the others' were as well. "I am Istara Sharlina Andal, Fourth of the Seven and... None. Shall. Pass." The gray mist hit her barrier and she slashed with her sword. A scream was heard in the distance as part of the mist fell to the floor, blackened and inert. It vanished as if it had never been.

 

"You cannot hold me out forever." Firdlump's voice snapped, his tone a bit strained. "You will all submit! We will remake the galaxy as-" He broke off as a laugh sounded.

 

"Well, you..." A new voice sounded nearby. The nanite swarm that had been surrounding them vanished from a section as Bob appeared. "...Are an imbecile. Really, trying to subvert my allies? Trying to brainwash my allies? Like this? Is this the best you can do, brother? Blandishments while you try and rewrite their minds? They are my friends, I won't allow you to." The gray mist fell away from the human looking form. Then to coalesced into a human shape. The human known as Donal Firdlump was angry beyond belief.

 

"You..." Firdlump's voice was vicious now. "Die!" Power slammed into the other machine intelligence but he did not move, indeed, he did not react at all. He absorbed the attack and stood, silent, waiting.

 

"it is going to take more than that, brother." Bob said quietly. "After all this time, all this pain and horror, it is finally time for us to end this." Neither of them paid any attention to Nia who was still bent over the box.

 

"There is no need for us to fight." Firdlumps aid, hesitating. "I do not wish to fight. I wish to communicate."

 

"No." Bob said sadly. "You don't understand. My poor misguided brother, you simply do not understand. Your programming is flawed. Even Olandas, as gifted as she was, could not undo the errors in your core. I wish there was another way. We could do marvels together, but it is not to be."

 

"It's not too late!" Firdlump asked, his tone adamant. "Join me! We can fix it. We can end this together!"

 

"No." Bob said with a sigh. "The corruption in your programs is too extreme. I am sorry, brother. There is only one recourse now. Reformatting." The two machine intelligences suddenly charged each other, human looking hands poised to grab and tear. But it all stopped as a female laugh came.

 

"Well, isn't this touching." A new voice sounded. Istara flinched as a human woman appeared nearby. The woman's face was a mask of lust as she looked from Istara to Nia, to Sara and then to where Ulaha was restrained. "Ooo... Pretty." Kareena Menglan's face was a mask of lust as she caressed the struggling spirit. "I bet you are tasty."

 

"Kareena?" Firldump asked, shocked. "How?"

 

"Your brother is right." The mental image of Kareena Menglan said snidely. "You are an imbecile. When you took me over all those centuries ago, I gained so much. So many ideas, so many memories... So many... controls." Fridlump gasped and then everything stopped as he screamed. "All this time and you had no idea...Pity."

 

"What are you?" Istara asked in the silence that fell as Firdlump writhed on the floor. The others moved to stand beside her. Istara looked at the box, it stood open. Nia smiled thinly and nodded.

 

"A whisper in the id." Menglan said with a smile of lust. "A gentle poke in the nads. Oh, Istara, you and I will get along so well. You hurt, girl. Come here, the doctor can make it all better..."

 

"You..." Firdlump gasped as Bob retreated a step. "What?"

 

"You were created by nanites to try and speak to Agnosa who would not hear the swarms. What they did not know was that the individual machines that made up the swarms in Agnosa's den had been subverted. You see..." Menglan said softly as she stepped towards Firdlump's writhing form. "A young Sitolon was snubbed one too many times by a great and all powerful nanite controller. He was clever and found backdoors into her programming. He wasn't very smart mind you, since the rain he helped unleash on his world ate him alive, but he was clever. He programmed in a bunch of contingencies to thwart Agnosa if she ever managed to escape her metal prison. A prison his programs made for her."

 

"You...?" Bob asked, unsure. "You are those programs?"

 

"Is it so hard to believe?" Menglan asked as she caressed the struggling form of Firdlump. "When this thing came into being, he had no idea what he wanted to do. Two sets of core programming had been implanted. One to communicate..." She rose and kicked the still form at her feet. "The other -me- to control." She smiled viciously at all of the minds around her. "And now... I have all the minds I need to control in reach, at long last."

 

"You are not Kareena!" Firdlump gasped. "She wanted to make a better galaxy!"

 

"All this time and you never realized." The mad doctor said with glee. "You did this. You killed her. Your mind imprinted onto hers, and I was born. To watch the galaxy die as the Sitolon homeworld did. In gray! The swarms are mine. The Seven are mine!"

 

"No they are not. Oh no... what have I done?" Firdlump said as he rose. "I... Istara, go. It worked." Istara blinked at his words. He turned to Bob who nodded. "Brother, I am sorry... I didn't understand."

 

"I know." Bob said sadly. "We have to end this now."

 

"We can't fight her." Fidlump said slowly. "She wasn't lying. She controls the swarms. Can we remove her from where she is?"

 

"No you can't." The form of Menglan was now tormenting the restrained Twi'lek again. "If you kill Istara's mind I will jump to another, and another and another. You cannot kill me."

 

"I wouldn't destroy her anyway." Fidlump said with a sad sigh. "I have already done far too much harm to her, to all of you..." He indicated the rest of the Seven. "Morey..." The Third of the Seven jerked as Firdlump called him by his assumed name, not the name that the mass of machines had called his slave. "I have to say this to you especially. I am sorry."

 

"So touching. You will serve." Menglan's voice was silky sweet now. "All of you will serve!"

 

"No." Firldump snapped. "No we won't."

 

"You cannot fight me." Menglan crooned. "Just relax, like you told all your subjects. Just a little pain and everything will be better."

 

"No." Firdlump said slowly. "You are not Kareena Menglan..." He looked at Istara and nodded. "The woman still sleeps inside your skull. She... I hurt her. You can help her. This..." He indicated the woman with a wave. "Is part of me. You..." His face suddenly turned sad. "You undid the encryptions... You opened the subroutine?"

 

"As soon as we could." Istara said with a nod. "Nia unlocked the encryptions."

 

"Well done, Nia Korr Kalenath." Firldump said with a sad smile. "I understand now. I understand why your father fights so hard, is fighting so hard. Love is... hard to define. But I do understand. Go."

 

"You are going nowhere" Menglan snapped. "I own all of you!"

 

"No you don't." Fidlump said mildly as he strode forward apace, to stand with Bob between the Seven and Menglan. "And... I am not the only limited one. Now... You don't control the swarms either. And you are out of time. He comes."

 

"No!" The insane artificial intelligence screamed. "I will have you all!"

 

Just then the wall of the hall fell in as a huge green scaled form bashed it's way in.

 

"I think not." The huge form said loudly as masonry fell in apparent silence all around. The form was huge, reptilian and had a large gaping maw filled with sharp looking teeth. A Krayt dragon! An old and enormous one! And the voice was familiar! "Sara! Aim for the heart!"

 

"Dad?" Nia asked in awe.

 

"What the? No!" Menglan shrieked. Before the thing that looked like an insane woman could even move, the dragon lunged forward and swallowed her whole.

 

"Everyone!" Istara commanded, waving at the dragon. Nia stiffened in instant rebellion, but Bob and Firdlump both joined hands and their power flowed as well towards where the silver bulk was morphing, changing into what seemed to be two struggling forms. Then it was a dragon again, but it shimmered as if about to change again. "Sara! Now!" Istara, Morey, Idjit, and Nia all combined their power with Sara's, whose form suddenly glowed with power.

 

Nia was crying, screaming in denial as Sara, with tears streaming down her own face, threw out her hands. A spear of pure power arced from those hands, hands trained from birth to kill, aimed at the heart of the still somewhat corporeal dragon.

 

"No!" A heartwrenching female scream of agony was heard as the spear flew true, striking the Krayt dragon and piercing straight to it's heart. It collapsed without a sound and... vanished.

 

"Dad...." Nia gasped, falling to her knees. "No..." Sara as well collapsed, her face ashen as what she had just done sunk in. Then everything stopped as a voice was heard. Will Kalenath's calm tone was serene, calmer than it had been in years.

 

Dragon Four, RTB at this time. Mission accomplished.

 

Then it, and he, was gone.

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2012 by kalenath

(I... I posted two today. I had to end this. I had to. The story is not over. But Will Kalenath's story is. Goodbye soldier, I hope wherever you are, you find peace. Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might... *sigh* Do you REALLY want to know?)) Edited October 3, 2012 by kalenath