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(3.2) Beliefs and Truths
Beliefs and Truths
Thor's Chariot
Orbit over Baklid 6
The blade of the lightsaber passed dangerously close to her as she spun away from the strike just in time to avoid getting hit. Her heart pounded in her chest as she heard it thudding over and over in her ears. She turned her head just in time to see the next blade coming in for a strike. She countered by driving her left hand in to the wielder's hand then she hammered her right hand on his elbow joint causing him to let out a loud grunt of pain. As he fell stumbled back she had no time to rejoice as she looked for the first attacker. She heard the next attack coming in from behind her. She tucked and rolled away from the attack. She stopped her roll on her hands and kicked her right leg back behind her driving her foot in to the groin of the first attacker she dodged just seconds before. She balanced herself on her hand with her chest low and her leg behind her high.
From the corner of her eye she saw the flash of the second lightsaber coming in fast and low. She thrust her body up by pushing up from her arms and back as the blade ripped across the deck of the training room sending sparks everywhere. She fell back to her feet then leaped up like a spring under tension. She propelled herself in to the air spinning never once taking her eyes off her target. This gave her the chance to land a kick on her attacker. He had expected the attack and was ready to block her attack as she made it. She landed between the two warriors looking between them waiting for the next attack in their training. Her breath was out of control as her heart pounded in her chest. It was the warrior behind her that swung first then the warrior in front of her. She leaped from her right foot as she spun to her left causing her body to start in a barrel roll in midair. One lightsaber passed over her while the other one passed under her. Her landing was graceful and fluid as she finished her spin still drawing on her momentum of her spin, she swept her left leg out hitting the warrior in front of her and knocking him back then she continued her spin around.
The warrior behind her leaped over her leg and brought the lightsaber from behind him and then over his head so he can bring it down at her. She rolled in close to him as she blocked his downward motion with her forearm. Then with her other hand, she slammed her fist in to his chin forcing him backwards. The other warrior leap kicked her from the side giving his partner a chance to recover from the blow she dealt him. The impact tossed her to the side and caused her to roll across the deck. She controlled her rolling and came to a stop on her back. She spun her legs in the air giving her the leverage to leap back to her feet. She back flipped away just as the next lightsaber attack passed by, missing her by inches. Another attack from her flank came just as she side stepped it and slid in close to the warrior. The blade passed outside and behind her as she drove her palm in to his sternum and another one in to his chest. He stumbled back as she spun to the side using her faster speed to its fullest advantage. With hands at the ready for the next attack she looked around and saw none coming. She noticed that they were looking at something else. She turned to see Warlord Raynar standing in the doorway.
She looked down with respect, “Warlord Raynar, Greetings” she said as she turned to face him while dropping to her knees with her head lowered and her hands placed carefully on her knees. Her body was rigid as she did everything she could to bring her breathing under control. Her long white hair in a tight braid and draped over her shoulder. “I take it you have seen my report, My Lord” she added calmly never taking her eyes off the spot on the deck just ahead of her knees.
Raynar looked at the two warriors with a grave disappointment on his face. Each of them looked down as they knew what they had done. This was a warrior's training room and she was not a warrior. “Lightsabers” he questioned walking forward as he dismissed her comment. It was one thing that she be aloud to be on a warrior's ship. But this was something totally not forgivable. He decided that he would have to deal with this in a special way. He held his hand out as one of the warriors placed a lightsaber in his hand. Raynar examined it, activating it and deactivating it while Shalla spoke.
“They are the weapons of the Jedi” she explained. “A terror weapon in both sight and sound. It is a symbol of their strength and connection to the force.” she paused as he continued to examine the weapon, she knew that he was listening to every word she was saying. “It is a symbol of their skills, dedication and authority. Through it, they are afforded a great deal of respect and honor. I want to now how it reacts in all combat situations. I want to learn to face it and know its weaknesses.”
Raynar nodded and handed the weapon back to the warrior, “spoken like a true warrior, Priestess.” He motioned towards the door while looking at the two warriors, “Get out of here” he snapped at them. Carefully he watched them as they gathered their things and started to leave. Then as the last one walked past he stopped him, “We will talk about this violation later” he said coldly then added, “Station outside the door. No one is to enter till after I leave this room.” The warrior nodded and continued to leave the room. Raynar waited for the door to close before he continued, “Correct me if I am wrong Priestess, you are not a warrior, are you” he questioned as he started to circle her slowly.
Shalla knew she had broken a law but she didn't care. She held her position without even shifting her eyes as her mind went through all the degrees of punishments he could impose on her. She could hear his steps as he moved about her. She could feel his presence as he slowly circled. She was a warrior in her heart and that was enough for her. She felt it in her soul who she was and what she was meant to be. “No, My Lord I am not” but she also knew in her heart that it was not enough for him or for her people to see her as the warrior she felt she was.
“Shalla, I read your report, and the ship that you asked for is standing by. It was captured on Fedeeraan. A corvette just as you have requested. The IFF has been cleaned and reprogrammed as a Merc ship. No one will know who your origins. So you will be free to work in and out of the Republic.” he explained as he continued to circle her.
“My Lord, I don't understand” she stated softly, “I understand that I an not a warrior. But surely there are other Long Blades that are more experienced for this mission. Others, who are more worthy of this mission. Why me” she asked as she starred at her red robes over her legs. The gold embroidery was beautiful and subtle. For those that knew what to look for, it showed her rank and placement within the Order and the Priesthood. Everything that she had reached up to this point she had to work for. And so the robes showed it within the embroidery. She always felt pride in her robes as it showed her life story right before her eyes.
Raynar started to walk away from her, “Warrior Priest Pryde asked me to look out for you when he left Azgard. He was a good man and a trusted friend. It was a blood oath that he asked of me.” he said as he stopped at a coat rack on the wall. “What if I were to tell you that there is an evil force in the galaxy” he asked as he started to remove his cloak.
Not looking up from her position, “I am aware of the Jedi Order and their threat to our people. We are taught of the coming war” she explained with sadness in her voice. There was no reason for the Jedi to hate or fear them, but it was clear that they did. More so now than ever before.
Raynar nodded to the answer, “Yes this is true, however, that is not what I am asking you now. The Jedi Civil War proves that there is something else larger at work here” he explained as he placed his cloak on the rack with care. He ran his hands down the length of it to make sure it hung just right. “Pryde was sent on a secret mission by the High Temple and only a few of us Warlords were made privy to this mission and the vital reasons for it.” he explained carefully as he lifted his mighty hammer and pulled the strap from the handle. “His last report reflected that the corruption that had spread throughout Republic had even spread to some of our own Warrior Houses and their leaders. That this evil was using us against the Jedi as weapons. He hinted that there were many links to a few Azgardian Officers within the Admiralty.” He added as he hung up his hammer and turned to face her.
On that she couldn't hold her position. The shock on her face was clear, “That's not possible. Azgards would never betray their own people. Its our highest law!” she protested. It was that moment she realized she broke position and snapped back. The question filled her mind, duty was the basis of every Azgardian Warrior. Loyalty to the people to which they serve. 'How could any Warrior betray the people of Azgard' she thought as she questioned herself.
“I know, yet the evidence was clear and something that we the ruling Warlords could not dispute. However because of the attacks on the Core Worlds, our links were gone. Those Officers suspected were killed. Pryde and his team lost, and all of their evidence destroyed” he said with great sadness. “So we are forced to begin anew in our search for this evil.” He said walking towards her. “Defend yourself!” he snapped at her.
On that order she leaped up from her knees in one fluid action and brought her hands up. She knew better from the hard way that failing to act would only mean a harder beating. “So you know that Daz and his team are innocent of the bombings. Why the hunt for them” she asked as she moved to keep him in front of her.
He brought his own hands up, “Their innocents or guilt is not assured one way or the other.” he said circling her carefully. He sized her up and watched her hands closely. “The hunt for them is important on a number of levels” he said moving in for an attack. He through his right hand at her and she blocked it easily. He knew she would as he drove his left in to the side of her face causing her head to snap back. She let out a grown as she stumbled backwards dazed from the powerful hit. “They're our only link to this evil that is behind this war and to those traitors within our own ranks.” He said as he followed her and did the same attack again.
This time she was prepared for the second hit and tried to counter with a blow of her own. Sadly her counter attack was expected. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in to his waiting knee knocking the wind from her as he tossed her to the ground. “Plus we don't know if they truly had nothing to do with the bombings” he continued to explain. “There are simply too many links behind the events for us to turn a blind eye to.”
She hit the deck hard as he was speaking. Her heart was already pounding as her breath started to race out of control once more. “But this doesn't answer.......my question.........why me” she worked out as she slowly got back to her feet.
He moved in for another attack with speed and agility of someone a quarter of his age. His left hand landed deep in her gut lifting her off the ground as she bent over from the attack. His right hammered her head sending her stumbling backwards, “There are those that would rather see Daz and his team burn in the pyres for days. I wont lie, I would like this too. However the Laws of the Elders demand that their guilt be assured before the first pyre is lit.” he explained while he attacked her then watched her stumbled backwards. He waited for her to right herself before moving again. He moved up on her once more and she attempted to block as best as she could but his attacks were simply too fast and too accurate for her to block all of them.
With powerful blows to her trunk he drove hit after hit to her ribs. The blows cracked some of her ribs as both of his large hands found their intended targets around her defenses. She let out another grown in pain as he forced her back once more. “Other warriors and even long blades might let their blood lust get the better of them. I need someone I can trust to follow the trail and bring them back alive.” He said moving in again and taking a few hits from her to land a knee in to her stomach forcing her to let out a cry. “Your life paths are linked and that makes you trustworthy within this mission.” He said as he slammed his right fist in to her chest forcing it to collapse under the blow. Her eyes nearly popped right out of her head as the impact forced her chest to collapse. Her mouth made a fish face as her lungs were forced to exhale causing her to fight for breath more then normally. Her body shuddered as she lost her balance and fell backwards on to her backside.
The last blow sent her heart in to spasms as her breath ran away with her. She rolled over on to her stomach as she tried to get back up. She knew that she had to get up or he very well could kill her. She felt him land on her back pinning her legs under his weight. She tried to crawl out from under him as he pulled her arms up coiling his under and around hers. She felt a cord around her neck and her breath cut off. She thrashed about trying to get him off her. It was in that moment she realized that he was strangling her with her own hair. She scratched him with her claws and tried to twists to no avail. Her vision blurred as she was slowly being suffocated. She started to black out making some kind of panting sound when she felt him let her go.
He grabbed her under her shoulders and lifted her high in to the air and tossed her across the training room. She hit the wall and crashed down on to a bench, then rolled on to the deck with a hump sound. “NO matter how strong you build the fortress walls. When its foundation is only sand, it will never survive the battle.” he said as she fought hard to get back up while trying to catch her breath. He knew her strengths and weaknesses. “You shall never be a WARRIOR!” he spit at her.
Despite her beating and deep wounds she pulled herself up from the deck to a crawling position screaming back, “ITS MY BIRTH RIGHT! I WILL BE A WARRIOR!” she yelled back to him between her winded breaths. “By Thor's honor I swear I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!” Her vision was blurred to much to see him rushing at her.
He easily pushed passed her weakened defenses and snatched her up by her neck. She made a choking sound as he lifted her off the deck by her neck. Her feet dangled helpless as she held fast to his arm trying to relieve some strain on her neck. “And that is the reason why it MUST be you to find them and bring them back to Azgard” he said and dropped her back to the deck. He walked away from her as she laid on the deck coughing and trying to get back up once more. He looked back at her one last time as she just managed to get to all fours. “You will speak what I have told you to no one” he said as he pulled his cloak back on and took his hammer. “Next time you violate the laws of our people, I will kill you” he said with concern of her using a Warrior's Hall for training. He started to leave the room then as an after thought he paused, “Do not fail your people, Priestess” he said softly then walked out of the room.
She heard the door open and then close. She placed her hand over her heart and felt it racing out of control. She tried to center her mind and bring it back under control. She cursed her heart's weakness. Her vision blurred by tears and the lack of oxygen in her blood. He is the best and most powerful warrior in all of Azgard. Still she knew she should have been able to last longer, take more damage, even deliver more damage. “I should have been better” she coughed then added, “I will be better next time.” She turned and looked at the statue of Thor in the corner of the training hall, “I promise Thor, Lord of Thunder, I will be a Warrior!” She said then tried to get up only to fall back to the deck.
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Flash Back! (Weeks after the Assassination of Queen Sinya Chalco)
Royal Palace
Baklid 6
Biggs set next to Lysire as she moved the datachip between her fingers. “I don't think that this is a good idea” he said softly to her placing his hand over hers. “Things are best left unknown, baby. Trust me.” he said trying to reassure her.
Lysire just looked at it then looked back to Biggs. Her love for him had grown so deep in the past year and a half they had been together. He had been her rock when her mother was assassinated and now there was once more a new drama in her life. Each time she looked in to his eyes, she saw a strength that was there for her to use when she needed it. If there ever had been a time to call on that strength, that time was now. It had been just over a couple of weeks since they laid her mother to rest when a strange man from some law office showed up to see her. He carried with him a case of datachips that would opened up a whole new world to her. A horrible world where she could no longer trust those she once called friends. The man said that the case was entrusted to him by her mother and had orders to give her a copy of the case should something happen to her mother. He gave her the case and then informed her that he would remain in hiding should something happen to her.
She learned horrible truths about the Heartman family and their evil quest to murder force users. How Captain, then Lieutenant David Heartman, help commit horrible crimes against innocent people. She found out that he was such a horrible man that had had an affair with the wife of one of his subordinates. Then make sure that her husband would die in combat and then married her. How he was like a spider in a web controlling the actions of so many. He had been named by her mother as some criminal master mind called The Puppet Master. He was in charge of a criminal network that stretched across the Republic. His associates would cross weapons with her mother and her allies as they protected innocent people. She learned of how David Heartman murdered and assassinated those in his way. Each file opened up new truths about him and showed horrible evidence of unspeakable crimes.
As she read she learned more horrible truths about the Shadow Stalker program and about how her mother along with her friends worked to stop their spread of evil. She read about how the Shadow Stalkers were an elite unit of cloned soldiers that answered only to David Heartman and carried out his orders of evil. She learned about how they wiped out entire communities of force users. She had known about little bit from what David Heartman Jr had told her but she never knew the full scope of how the Stalkers worked within the ranks of the Republic military to achieve the David Heartman's goals. There were base locations and movements that reflected a life time her mother spent tracking them from Baklid 6.
She was able to learn about Rose and Orchids origins and how both of them came from another universe. They were brought here and befriended by her mother. She learned how her mother and Rose were close personal friends before Rose's fall. She learned about the Sentinel program and how both Orchid and Rose were trained to be Siths by the Jedi Council to stop the Shadow Stalkers. She learned that it was the Council who had ordered their assassination at the hands of Jedi Master Chun. From her mother's own journal she learned that the temptation for the dark was simply too much for both of the young Jedi and that they fell victim to it. Lysire felt a great sense of loss and sadness over the two victims. It was the first time that Lysire had a chance to read about some of the missions her mother went on as a Weapon's Master with Master Chun and the others. She learned about all of them including A Jedi Master she never heard her mother speak about, a Master Mar Phanan. She had made a mental note to research more about this Master.
She learned about a clinic on Coruscant named Our Lords of Mercy Clinic and how it was run by a company owned by David Heartman. There were experiments that were conducted on young force users. She read how these experiments would leave the subjects deformed or insane or both. How Sinya and her friends had fought so hard close the clinic and rescue those caught up in its evil plans. The clinic operated hand and hand with an orphanage in the underworld of Coruscant and would turn over victims to scientists working for David Heartman. She learned of a young victim and how he was driven to insanity by the experiments conducted on him. His name was Treast Vel, another person she would have to look up.
Lysire learned the most horrifying truth as she continued to read. Her mother was at one time married to another man and she was pregnant with his child. She learned how David Heartman had her mother's first husband murdered in cold blood. There had been a accident a board their ship and he had been trapped in a malfunctioning air lock. Before anyone could get to him, the outer lock had already opened vent the man to open space. She read the long pages of pain her mother went through over the loss. But the worse was to come in what she read. David Heartman forced her mother in to a miscarriage and cost her the baby. During a celebration over a completed mission, he had given her a glass of wine. She had refused but he said one would not hurt the baby. It was later learned by her that it was poisoned. She also read how he under the guise of medical treatment had her mother sterilized. Unable to touch the untouchable Puppet Master, her mother left the Order once and for all to pursue a career as a holo-Star. At the end of five days in reading, Lysire couldn't stand to read any more. She simply could not force herself to see any more truths of what had happened to her mother or what she had gone through.
It was something that got Lysire thinking which placed her in the situation she was in at the moment. She couldn't help but do a bit of researching on her own. She too had been on board Heartman's ship and served along side his family and close friends. She had a full medical exam conducted on her self and pulled some files from Defiance Medical logs. Now that all the results were back, and it only needed to be opened. She looked at Biggs with tears in her eyes, “I want to know” she said softly but her hands shacked as she tried to open the files.
“Honey, please you don't need to do this” he said softly looking in to her eyes. He knew that no good could come from these files and now her own research. He had to admit that there were even things within those secret files that he didn't know. He knew that Mother and Orchid would love to have copies and he would make sure that they did, when the time was right. But the affect on her was getting to a point to where he even questioned letting her continue. Still though, he knew she had to go just a bit further.
She looked at him, “I have to know” she said softly then looked down at the pad, “I have to know if they did the same thing to me as my mother.” On that she slowly reached down and activated the datapad. All her life she had dreams of children and a family. She had dreams of having a daughter so that she could have the same mother daughter relationship she enjoyed with her mother. She had to know if what was done to her mother at the hands of David Heartman and his goons had happened to her. She slowly read the medical report from the Jedi examiner. Everything seemed in order and she seemed almost relieved when she was nearing the end of the report. Her eyes grew in horror as she read final parts of the report.
Her mouth dropped open as tears filled her eyes. Her hands lost feeling as she watched helpless as the datapad slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. Her face turned from shock and horror to disgust and anguish as she turned to her Fianc'e. She was unable to speak other then to make this sad sound that might be considered a word. “wh.......why......” was all she was able to get out as the tears flowed from her eyes. She drove her head in to Biggs' shoulder and waiting arms as she finally managed to wail loudly. For all that he has known her, he never seen her so broken and so hurt. He couldn't think of anything to do other than just holding her while she cried. Her body shook heavily as his body did little to muffle the sounds of her cries. He glanced down at the report.
“Reproductive Organs: Absent”
He held her tightly as she cried. It was not that he really cared about her. He really didn't allow himself any feelings for her at all. She was nothing more then a tool. Sure she was attractive for Rim Trash and taking her virginity was pretty fun at the moment. But she was nothing more then just a tool to him. He would never let anyone know these true feelings in his heart about her. So he had to put up the fake face of what he wanted her to do. The prefect lies came from deep down. And so would this lie. He let his anger flow out so she could see it about his face and know that his feelings over her suffering was real. Even had he wanted to, which he didn't, he knew he couldn't take her pains away right now. He couldn't undo what had been done to her. Not that he really cared one way or the other. He looked anger and just held her. He wanted her to sense that he connected with her pains. Which he didn't really care about. But the more she believed him, the better he could use her. Calling on the force he reached out and picked up the datapad without breaking his hold on her. He wanted to know who did this and why. Even though he really already knew all that he needed to know. He look up the file and read the records that she had hacked from the Defiance that had mentioned her.
“Due to the nature of the wounds suffered on Yavin IV, it was decided by the patient's Jedi Leader, Daz Murl, that her reproductive organs shall be removed to ensure a more speedy recovery. It was against this Doctor's opinion that this was the best course of action. However the procedure was insisted upon by the Jedi Leader of the group. So in protest the procedure was carried out. Signed: Doctor Trailue Bruit”
Across Biggs' face his anger for Daz grew to deeper level, “I can't believe that Daz is working for Heartman. Though it makes prefect sense. He helped free Rigs, the assassin who murdered your mother” he said holding her. He thought long about all the things that he knew behind the scenes. He knew that Daz and Heartman were close. He also knew that Daz had talked to the Doctor in length regarding Lysire's recovery. Everything was falling in to place perfectly and she didn't have a clue.
She just cried, “Why....why me.....what did I ever do to him.....Them” she sobbed. She trusted Daz and Admiral Heartman. Was what her mother wrote true about them. Was this horrible person her mother believed to be this Puppet Master really David Heartman. Was he and his followers like Daz bent on destroying all force users. She simply could not grip her mind as to why they did this horrible thing to her. Her dreams of a daughter of her own were gone. Her dreams of a family now lost.
Biggs dropped the datapad, he didn't need to read further. He knew what had to be done. He just was not sure how to go about it just yet. Daz would make a good escape goat for him to finally crush any loyalty she held for Daz or the Order. He knew months ago she was sterile. It was important to him to know, he didn't want to get her knocked up and bread with the little Rim Trash. Fucking her was one thing. Mixing his Core World Gens with hers was something else. However, for this to work he had to believe this lie. He had to make her believe it was a the truth of his heart. held her tightly, “I promise you love, we will get him for this. We will get all of them for this” he promised kissing her lightly on the head trying to comfort her the best he could. Getting the file planted just days before was a masterful art. He made sure that when she hacked it, he was there to distract her. This way she would not be able to tell if anything was wrong with the file before she copied it off the mainframe.
She looked up with tears in her eyes, “I don't just want to get them. I want them to suffer. I want HIM to suffer just like me” she said choking on tears as she spoke. She looked down in shame but then looked back in to his eyes and added, “Is this wrong” she asked.
Biggs kissed her on the forehead then said, “No, your anger is well placed on David Heartman and Daz Murl.” He looked at her softly adding, “But you can't show it. Just like your mother, you have to hide this anger. Bury it deep down inside your heart. When the time is right we will get Admiral Heartman and Daz for what they did to you.” he placed a finger on her lips continuing, “For now though, it is not that time. Daz is in favor at the Temple and untouchable just like Admiral Heartman.”
She nodded, “Quaad does favor him heavily. So what do you do?” She knew that Quaad liked Daz allot and trusted him much more then other Hunter leaders. Getting Daz back would be very hard while he was protected by the Temple.
“If your mother is right, than Heartman has many other files. Lets see how many other skeletons he is hiding.” he said softly adding, “I know we talked about this before. About hacking databases that belonged to others.” he paused to let her understand where this is going, “I know you think its wrong. And you are right. But think of it this way. Think of how many others like you we can save. Will you help me save others?” He said softly with his hand on her shoulder for support and he looked her right in to her eyes.
She looked down in sadness. Her eyes still tearing from the heart breaking news she just read. A part of her was screaming NO. She knew it was wrong to hack computers and take information that didn't belong to her. But on the other hand, she could find other victims of Heartman and his evil. She could learn of who else is working with him and what they are working on. She could save so many others like her. She turned her up and looked in to his eyes and saw that man that she trusted and loved. “I'll do it” she said unsure if her heart would allow her to follow through. But she knew she had to try for the safety of others.
Biggs smiled softly at the little Rim Trash and nodded, “I promise you, we will take down Heartman and then we will go after Daz.” Finally he had her completely. She would trust him and he could use her for what Mother and Orchid needed. They had asked him to gather information about some Omega Project, Project Sphinx and some Aura Base. He was not sure what these things were but they were of some importance to Mother and Orchid so he would find out. 'well, Lysire will find out' he thought with a pleasant ring in his mind. He looked down at her and through her tears he saw a smile on her face. He knew that she finally trusted him completely.
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