Chapter 168: Aftermath
I don't own star wars
Circe
"They're breaking through!" shouted Eren as he barricaded the door, "Did anyone else make it!?"
"Fagen, Rowly and Sable." The beautiful, white furred Cathar said, her bright red hair tied back in a ponytail as she strapped her armor tightly around her shapely body. "Bargus got bitten." She said sadly as the doors suddenly shook as something heavy slammed against it.
Eren and Circe raised up blaster rifles, aiming at the door. "Come get some…" Eren noted coolly as the door was rammed again, it creaked open as rotten limbs began to push through.
"We won't be able to hold them for long." Circe said softly as a rotten limb clawed against the barricade, she fired the blaster at the arm as bright sparks burst from where she hit it. It severed and dropped to the ground as whatever it belonged to screamed in fury.
"Nice shot!" Eren shouted, "I have an idea!" he said suddenly darting around their position and- "Shit!" Eren stumbled over some wiring and hit the ground.
"Cut!" shouted a director as I sighed, leaning against the 'officer's desk' as an intern picked up the fallen limb. "Damn it." the black-haired human director walked onto the set, sighing sadly as Eren got up.
"Damn. Sorry Spiel." He said depressingly as the director, Spiel, kicked the exposed wires.
"Somebody gets these damn things covered!... Nice try Eren. Take five!" he shouted waving a hand and approaching me. "…You sure about this guy?" he asked under his breath as I just gave him a smile.
Eren Wesley Gordon, the fighter, had asked me if he could break into the holo-film business, and since I kinda let my uncle beat the living daylights out of him for what he did to Roly I figured it was only fair I help give him a chance. He wasn't BAD… he just fumbled a bit. "He's just nervous. He's memorized his lines, and he does his own stunts. He's just a little stiff."
Spiel sighed but shrugged dismissively. "Alright… but if he keeps messing up, I'm going to recast him."
I rolled my eyes, "I'll work with him, he'll be fine. He's already drawing in interest by staring, you'll be in deep trouble with the studio if you kick him out." Spiel's face twitched in annoyance, but he nodded. "I'll be in my room, let me know when we're all set up again."
"Right, right." He sighed, "Alright get those wires covered and set everything back up! We're burning daylight people!"
I loosened the armor, so I could breathe a little better. It wasn't really uncomfortable, but it was form-fitting, probably to show off my curves. I'd be offended if I wasn't proud of myself, Mama always told me to be proud of my body… the fact that I had her fantastic genes helped.
"Yo." Mirai said as I entered my room, reading another entertainment magazine with her feet up on my table. "Done?" she asked as I rolled my eyes, sitting at my mirror.
"No. Got to shoot the scene again." I replied, touching up my make-up. "You don't have to hang around if you don't want to." I added as Mirai shrugged. I've been relatively safe for a while now. But the Ken family continued to personally protect me, I think 'Uncle' Urai feels a sort of debt of honor to my Dad. I wouldn't be surprised if Urai had his grandchildren's grandchildren follow me around at this point.
"Naw this is fun…" she said a little bored, giving me a smile. "Besides I get to see the movies before they're made… I get to rub it in Aunt Hirai's face." I chuckled, leaning on the desk as I sighed. "What? Making zombie movies not exciting enough for you?"
"Nah. Just a little disappointed that I'm making another movie my brother won't watch." I replied with a knowing grin, "He HATES horror movies."
"I am almost 50% certain he's seen worse." Mirai noted lazily, tossing the magazine on the table. "…You got this… thing about your brother. It's a little weird."
I shrugged dismissively, "…Never meet my aunt."
"You have like… six of them, which one shouldn't I meet?" Mirai replied with a laugh as I joined her.
"…My father's sister, one of them. But you know it has been a while since I've talked to Roland." I noted as Mirai rolled her eyes, "I'll give him a call." I pulled my holo-com from my drawer as Mirai notably got closer to me. I smirked at her, as she absently combed her long green hair with her fingers. "…You know I have an actual comb right?" I teased as my com rang, handing her the comb as her green cheeks tinged slightly red and she combed herself. But the com kept ringing, I frowned at it. "…That's weird." I mumbled, hanging up and dialing again. "He always picks up when I call."
"Sure he does." Mirai teased knowingly as I glared at her, "What? You got a brother crush."
"…I can hurt you." I noted as she shrugged.
"You can try." She replied confidently with a rather noticeable flexing of her muscles. To be fair, we were tied in wins. But then the com was abruptly answered.
"-I don't want to talk to her!" Nike's voice echoed over the com.
"One of us has too!" the ratataki, Seis, shouted as an argument suddenly roared out from the com.
"She likes Killa the best!" Nike replied.
"I am not suicidal." Killa noted flatly.
"Oh you could've fooled me!" Nike retorted sarcastically, "Circe hates me!"
"What the hell are you all talking about?" I shouted as the com consistently shifted viewing.
"Oh for FORCE SAKES! GIVE ME THE CURSED THING!" shouted a frustrated… Jon-Nee?
He took the com, glaring offscreen at them. "Ms. Bessana." He smiled… there was something off about it. Like he hadn't done it in a while, maybe he was just nervous. They obviously had bad news. "My apologies for that… I'm afraid your brother has been… injured."
"…Injured how?" I asked calmly as Mirai suddenly took a hesitant step away from me. Smart girl.
"Well. He ran afoul of a sith lord and was stabbed in the leg by a lightsaber. He should make a slow recovery as long as he has rest, I honestly don't see what the-"
"…And where were you while he was apparently fighting a sith lord?" I said, my… well, my inner 'Milky' RAGE slowly building as the com cracked in my firm grip.
"Well I was tending to some business-"
"I'm going to fucking kill you." I interrupted coldly, and he froze, staring… a little disturbed at me.
"…Pardon?"
"A sith lord attacks my brother and you were 'tending to some business?'" I said sternly as he seemed visibly disturbed at my tone.
"Well… I-"
"I'll be there in five hours. You better hope to the FORCE that I don't find you there." I growled pointing at the com as he seemed completely taken aback. I hung up. "Mirai. We're leaving."
"Uh-but don't you have to…?" she began as I stormed out.
"Oh Circe, we're just about to-URP!" Spiel's throat was in my hand as I glared at him.
"I need some personal days." I said as he nodded rapidly, "Be back in a week."
"Okay…" he whimpered as I released him. My Mandalorian Mirialan bodyguard hesitantly followed behind me as the path cleared before me.
Roland
"Oooookay…" Nike said nervously, wrapping my wounded, sensitive leg in multiple Kolto patches as Killa and Seis stood beside my bed on one side. Jon-Nee was also there, thoughtfully sitting in my chair. Looking like he had a lot on his mind, I think he was meditating as well. But he always seemed to look agitated when he came out of it, so it probably wasn't working.
…Rattletrap was in the basement. Once he saw X-E broken and wrecked he just… went real quiet and took her down there. I can only assume he's repairing her. But I've never seen him so… distraught. Nike was less than amused at the black hole in my leg. She had done her best, but now we were in a bit of a conundrum.
"…I don't… really know how to treat a lightsaber wound like that." she said looking, hurt and disappointed. "This is the best I can do. Quite frankly Roland, almost everyone who was wounded by one of these doesn't need medical attention, they need a coroner." She gently caressed my other leg apologetically as Jon-Nee snorted abruptly.
"…He does need a highly skilled doctor, unfortunately, I don't believe you'll find one on Luna IV." He still seemed thoughtful, maybe even distracted. He rubbed his forehead; It looked like he had a headache. I didn't blame him. "Now. May I leave? Please? I need to report to the Jedi Council."
"…I guess. Is there really nothing you can do?" Nike asked, looking at him desperately.
For the first time since he sat down, he looked somewhat kinder, apologetic. "Force healing isn't a cure-all. It will keep you together until someone much more talented could tend to you… I can't do any more here." He added with a rather unfortunate shrug. "Even Jedi need Bacta-tanks." He noted.
"And that's one thing dad didn't keep here. He had it on his ship The Scarlet Rebel II." I added, "…Well… maybe when Barry's better he can carry me onto the ship and we can find-"
My holo-com suddenly rang. I blinked at it, we all blinked at it. "…Circe." I said, realizing immediately how much shit I would be in if she found out I'd been stabbed by a lightsaber.
"…Answer it." Seis said suddenly, elbowing Killa.
"No." Killa said firmly, turning to Nike. "Nike?"
"Oh fuck, no." Nike said indignantly. "Nooooo fucking way! I am NOT walking into that minefield alone!"
Jon-Nee blinked confused at them before turning to me and my obviously nervous face. "What is the matter?"
"Let's just ignore it." I said, knowing that that wasn't going to work as it stop ringing. "…See? I'll just call her back late-" it started to ring again and as the girls began to argue on mass… I just bit the bullet. I answered it just as Nike shouted out.
"I don't want to talk to her!"
"One of us has too!" said Seis shouted as the argument suddenly roared around the room.
"She likes Killa the best!" Nike replied desperately. Pointing to a surprisingly reluctant Killa. She wasn't wrong, Circe did like Killa the most.
"I am not suicidal." Killa noted, but she still looked rather nervous.
"Oh you could've fooled me!" Nike retorted sarcastically to Killa's not quite true statement. "She hates me!"
"What the hell are you all talking about?" Circe shouted as she looked around the room, confusion on her face.
"Oh for FORCE SAKES GIVE ME THE CURSED THING!" Jon-Nee apparently having enough snatched the com from my hand, glaring at them accusatorily as they seemed to relax. "Ms. Bessana." He smiled nervously, although it looked like he'd never done it before. "Apologies for that… I'm afraid your brother has been… injured."
"…Injured how?" Circe asked with an odd calm about her. Oh fuck, this was going to be BAD.
"Well. He ran afoul of a sith lord and was stabbed in the leg by a lightsaber-" oh gods why would you tell her that?! "-He should make a slow recovery as long as he has rest, I honestly don't see what the-"
"…And where were you while he was apparently fighting a sith lord?" Circe asked, coolly. Ohhhhhhhh no…
"Well I was tending to some business-" Jon-Nee stop. Please stop! I kept trying to signal him to shut up but he just kept digging the hole deeper!
"I'm going to fucking kill you." Circe said coldly, and he froze, staring… a little disturbed at her as the rest of us flinched.
Yep. He's dead.
"…Pardon?" he mumbled a little flabbergasted. That's how confused he looked right now, the only description is flabbergasted.
"A sith lord attacks my brother and you were 'tending to some business?"" Circe said sternly as Jon-Nee seemed visibly disturbed. Oh good, he's figured it out. Well… better learned late than never. Shame Circe was going to kill him.
"Well… I-"
"I'll be there in five hours. You better hope to the FORCE that I don't find you there." Circe growled as he seemed completely taken aback as she hung up abruptly.
He blinked, completely and utterly baffled as he watched the holo-com in his hand. "…What just happened?"
"My sister's coming. She's pissed." I said, "You… better head to the council. Fast." I noted as he slowly put the com down and backed away from it, as if it was going to explode.
"…I think I agree. I hope you recover quickly Roland." He added, leaving with a polite bow. Soon enough I heard his ship, still, on my lawn, roar to life as he abruptly hit the atmosphere.
"…So. Anyone want to help me calm Circe down?"
"I'm going into town for more medical supplies. Maybe a better doctor." Nike noted quickly, practically dashing out of the room.
"I will help!" Seis declared, shoving Killa onto the bed. "You stay Killa, she likes you." Seis added as Killa frowned. A little adorably actually. Seis slammed the door and Killa crossed her arms, looking determined.
"…Well… want to watch something on the holo-net?" I asked, reaching for my remote as she sat still.
"…I'm sorry." She said suddenly as I blinked at her.
"For… what?" I replied confused.
"…I should've been there. To help. Three of our crew are now injured. X-E severely so. If I had been here, I could have helped." She said sounded depressed and disappointed.
"I guess it doesn't help that our three powerhouses are down…" I mumbled thoughtfully.
"Ffft!" Killa suddenly coughed, and I stared at her concerned, but then her shoulders shook slightly, she quickly regained composure and I seized the moment to help her out.
"…You don't think I'm a powerhouse?" I asked toeing her slightly with my good foot.
"…I choose not to answer that." she said, giving me a rather beautiful smile. Lying down beside me and taking my remote. "…But you do not exactly have the temperament of a great warrior. You have the drive to be one, and the force seems to line you up into these situations. But powerhouse may be a stretch."
I elbowed her lightly in the side, "BUT I did get the holocron. Now all we got to do is trade it for the formula poisoning my dad and- what's that look?"
Killa had this look on her face that just screamed bad news. She sat up, frowning slightly and cleared her throat. "…I have been thinking about that." she said factually as she held my attention. "How exactly are we going to do that?" I opened my mouth and froze in horror.
…Oh Force. How are we going to do that?
"Assuming we can contact your mother's mother. How can we be sure we get the correct formula? How will we know she wouldn't trick us? Attack us? She won't have any incentive to let us just walk away with the holocron and the formula to treat your father's condition in good faith." She looked serious now, pure bounty hunter mode. "There is a complete and total possibility that she would give us a false formula out of spite, lie to us. Or as said before just attack us out of hand once we approach her for a trade."
…My heart sunk into my stomach as I realized how completely useless our bargaining chip was becoming. We can't trust Malisis to give us the right formula for an antidote, she could probably take the holocron anytime she wanted. Assaulting us with half a dozen sith warriors before we even knew what hit us. How were we going to have a proper trade? Or a neutral ground?! Xalbaia was smart but even she needed the original formula-
Suddenly the thought of my leg came charging back to the forefront of my mind and seemed to connect a dozen lose wires in there. Xalbaia was a doctor, an amazing doctor. She was treating dad under Newt's orders. And I realized that the best person to help me right now was my 'stepmother'. If anyone can arrange and assist in a clandestine trade it's the recent official addition to our family.
"I need to make a call." I said suddenly inspired, pointing to my bag. "My communicator, the one with the text screen, get it for me please." I noted as Killa shifted quickly off the bed to search for the old device that Newt had given me so long ago. And, handing it to me I began to text her, another benefit is that Xalbaia would probably help my leg heal faster.
'Can save dad, need help, contact me. Come soon.' I said, sending her the message and resting it on my bedside table. It was barely a minute, but the reply was abrupt.
'Can't talk now, saving brother. Be right with you sweetie.' I sighed, relaxing a little as Killa lay back down next to me.
"Well… I wonder what's that about? But I guess all we can really do now is wait…"
"…Or… we can do something fun until Circe arrives?" Killa noted, giving me a rather playful smile that made me blush.
Newt.
"Why didn't he listen to the damn sith lord!" I growled to myself, landing my stealth craft in the middle of the korriban wastes as I checked the tracking device Kaath-Tyi had uncomfortably planted on my brother before 'abandoning' him in the red sand canyon. My brother was supposed to stick to the Northern waste plateaus, but NO can't listen to his fucking big sister. EVER! Stupid annoying little brat! Had to go off wandering in the fucking desert sands!
Wearing my environmental suit as I checked the signal I stepped off my ship into a sandstorm, glaring out from behind thick goggles as the dusty red gristle whipped across my masked face. Kaath-Tyi was supposed to dispose of Orrin, and she did by releasing him into one of the more dangerous but less guarded sections of Korriban. The Sith prefer their ancient fortresses, temples and tombs to the vast empty deserts that littered Korriban… problem was that he was going to be dehydrated, in danger, and probably half mad.
…I love my brother very much, but ever since dad and his mother died, he became a bit of a prick. Somehow trying to be like dad and not like dad at the same time. Orrin is smart but he's not DAD level smart, he screws up, he overthinks, he gets caught, he jumps the gun… he's going to get himself killed and right now he's very close to it.
I saw something shift in the sand, Orrin's signal is close. But its not going anywhere, he's staying still in the storm. My rifle in one hand and my tracker in the other I matched through the whipping winds. Scraping against my tempered goggles as I approached.
In torn threadbare rags he lied down in the sand clawing weakly as it slid through his fingers trying to keep going but not realizing that his legs weren't working. "Leave me alone…" he moaned, "Leave me alone dad!" his lips were cracked with heat and caked with sand, he was dehydrated. "Leave me alone!"
"Orrin. Orrin!" I shouldered my rifle and knelt beside him. "Orrin! Its me Newt. Orrin!" I shook him lightly, but his arms weakly slapped me, trying to fight me off.
My Roland communicator suddenly buzzed and reflexively I answered… Roland. It felt just a little awkward to be more attentive to my 'stepson' than my own brother, but… Aiden was important, in general and to me. Watching out for Roland and Circe was the only thing he asked me to do when I brought him to Xalbaia. So he's my boy too.
'Can save dad, need help, contact me. Come soon.'
…He can save Aiden? Frowning in disbelief, but curious I had to put it aside for now and I replied quickly, ''Can't talk now, saving brother. Be right with you sweetie.' I pocketed the com and hefted Orrin from the sand.
"She says nothing, but speaks volumes…" he groaned, "Keeps the secrets, tells no lies… A killer smile. LEAVE ME ALONE DAD!!" he shrieked at the air, swinging slightly as if fighting off some unseen demon.
"Orrin stop!" I stumbled slightly up my ramp as he struggled on my shoulder. "Orrin!" I dropped him into my containment cell, taking a canteen of water and putting it to his lips as he feebly slapped at my arms. "Slow. Orrin slow…" I pleaded as he suckled the opening like a babe. "Orrin. You're going to be alright."
"Leave me alone Dad…" he begged, exhaustively as water spilled down his body. "Shut up. Please shut up…" he whimpered covering his ears as I sighed, wrapping my arms around him as he cried. They did something to him… I don't know what but they did…
"It's going to be okay." I said softly, reaching into my medkit and prepping a tranquilizer. "I'm going to take good care of you." I stuck it in his neck as he blinked over my shoulder, a look of peace on his face.
"She loves me more than you…" he hissed to some… phantom behind me. "She loves me…" he breathed, eyes closing as the drug overtook him. I stroked his hair fondly, sighing softly.
"…I'm sure she does." I said softly, not knowing exactly who he was talking about, "I know I do." I added, getting up and locking him in the cell before heading to my controls.
"Mad Malisis born from too many dicks…" Orrin mumbled dozily as I froze, blinking at him as his eyes flicked beneath his eyelids. Off to dreamland. I rubbed my eyes again with my fingers in exhaustion… a quick stop at Dormund Kaas and straight to Roland.
…Maybe I'll drop by and see Aiden first.
Roland.
"…This is not what I expected…" I said as Killa threw down a winning Pazaak hand.
She grinned cheerily at me as she scraped up the candy, "I need to practice and Seis cheats." She said, already dealing another round, "Besides…" she suddenly gave me a sultry look with her emerald green eyes, "I didn't think straining you was a good idea…"
I sighed, "…How about winner picks what we do?" I asked as she chuckled, already arranging her cards in her hand.
"…Very well. If you win Roland you may decide what we do." She said, suggestively, but then promptly added. "Assuming you win before Circe arrives."
I sighed sadly, knowing my luck that would be EXACTLY when I win.
End of Chapter.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone