These Shattered Stars -- Logs

The next day rises, and as expected shortly after dawn the Jedi in Shenlong contact the Satau household to let them know that the Sith they captured the night before is starting to come around. Considering the travel time, they'll probably have gotten him breakfast well by the time the three arrive.

Freyja wakes up slowly and very comfortably... fur feels lovely to sleep on. She sighs contentedly, eyes still closed, and stretches languidly against the warm fur, contentedly rubbing her cheek against it. A part of her mind wonders vaguely how Stein got into her room... she doesn't remember letting him in? As she opens her eyes, she blinks. Wait... this isn't her room in Balmorra. She rolls over to see who the nice furriness in her be- er, wait... this isn't her bed either!

Freyja leans her chin on her elbows and grins cheerfully at the still-snoozing Vakkal. It's probably not exactly what dread hunters and Sith warriors want to hear, but she thinks he's very comfy! She reaches out a hand to gently rub one of his ears, still smiling, then glances at the door and grins. She's going to have to thank Zero too. He was right -- trying to be who you are is really quite nice! She's not sure why she didn't try this years ago!

Vakkal *urrfs* quietly at the touch, and opens his jaws to a prodigious degree in a large yawn. He blinks as he comes fully awake. "Urrr...? Oh... good morning, Freyja."

Freyja grins happily back at the big dog Sith, "Morning! You're very comfortable; thank you!" She yawns despite herself, then sits up -- carefully, so she doesn't accidentally smoosh some part of him, "Want to go have a bath? We get to see if the apprentice can help control the worms today!" Despite the subject matter of her sentence, she sounds upbeat and cheerfully excited.

Vakkal wakes fully, fairly quickly. He stands, stretching. "No, I think I'm fine for the rest of the day. If anything, we may wish to inter- question him soon, before the Jedi at Shenlong ply him with too many questions and we get a militant company sent here."

Freyja bounces lightly off the low bed and to the door, grinning over her shoulder at Vakkal, "Something smells good out there too -- I'm guessing breakfast is almost ready." She swings the door open and nods to Vakkal's comment, "Good point."

Freyja almost dances lightly down the hallway, feeling unexpectedly lighthearted. She taps on Zero's closed door, "Wake up, sleepy head! Come have a bath, so we can get to Shenlong soon!"

The sound of someone singing something under their breath, in Aurabesh so heavily accented as to be unintelligible, comes from the other side of the door. Zero doesn't make reply at first. After a few moments he calls, "Sure, I'll be there in a minute; I'm busy with something at the moment."

Freyja calls cheerfully, "Hai, see you when you're done, then!" She'll have a nice, steamy bath -- she finds them a terrifically relaxing way to start the day fresh. Once that's done she dresses quickly, then heads in for breakfast, her hair darkly sleeked back still with dampness. She finds Jiaohua on the banister, eagerly awaiting her. She happily scoops him up into a quick hug, "Hiya, cutie!" and settles him on her shoulders if he likes, with a grin, "So, what are you going to do when you get too big for shoulder riding, hm?"

In answer to her question, Jiaohua *meefs!* completely unhelpfully, causing her to giggle. Wulong has already set breakfast on, early-riser that he is. Attending the fire is, for once, a dakang that is significantly larger than Jiaohua, who comes up to Wulong's waist and has a short-furred, russet-brown color. She sits there politely, panting a little as she seems to wait patiently, turning large dark green eyes to new arrivals.

Freyja grins, waving, "Morning, Wulong!" then blinks interestedly at the new dakang, "Who's this?"

Zero pads down the stairs after a few minutes, stretching and pulling on his jacket. "Morning, all."

Freyja grins, waiting until Zero's pulled his jacket on to throw her arms around him in an ebullient hug, "Morning! Thanks!"

Zero mmfs, "Thanks? Wh- for what?"

Freyja giggles, stepping back to settle cross-legged for breakfast, "For your advice! You were right, you know... it is more fun trying to just be!"

Zero grins and sits down lightly. "First thing my martial arts teachers always told us."

The larger dakang *moofs* in a bone-shaking timbre. Wulong looks up from the fireplace cheerfully. "Good morning, Freyja! This is Cengzumu, which means 'grandmother.' She lives a couple blocks from here, and she's here to pick up some breakfast for Mr. Zhucao; aren't you?" Cengzumu *moofs* again. "Ah, there you are, son, good morning! Come, both of you have some breakfast dumplings before you leave for Shenlong..." He grins merrily as Freyja embraces Zero, before starting to ladle out some bowls. "Careful, they're very, very hot. Cengzumu's going to have to wait a bit before I let her go home with any, in fact."

Freyja nods thoughtfully as she eagerly accepts her bowl of breakfast and digs in hungrily, "Maybe I should try more of that... straight martial arts stuff, I mean. I just... well, last night I decided to try trying to find out more who I am!" She gasps carefully, then says breathlessly, "Oooh! Hai, hot, hot!" and hastily drinks some water.

Zero blinks, "She's... here to take them home?"

Freyja will swallow carefully before she happily adds, "Hi, Cengzumu!" She looks curiously at Zero... hm. Apparently this is odd behavior for dakangs? Interesting. She remembers, and adds curiously, "What were you working on earlier, Zero?"

Zero says, "I don't remember anyone having trained a dakang so well before. That's impressive."

Cengzumu *moofs* and leans over to lightly nose Freyja's leg, sniffing. Wulong chuckles. "Neh, she's a really smart dakang. Mr. Zhucao threw out his back yesterday and his brother's in Qigong Palace for the next few days, so I thought I'd send over some breakfast. It's happened a few times. Ten Zhucao has some really bad back problems ever since the war, but usually his brother's around to take care of him."

Zero remembers himself, "Oh, uh... just working on the saber a little. I've puzzled out how to get the power cells and the emitter matrices together, but it's no good to us really without focus crystals." He adds wryly, "Or a casing. I don't recommend holding the matrix with your bare hands."

Freyja grins and will politely rub the big dakang's ears in return, if she seems to like it, and giggles at Zero, continuing to eat with the other hand, "You just like taking chances and being different, hai?"

Zero nods to his father. "Yeah... Ten took a pretty bad fall. I'm surprised he can even walk now. I guess he's lucky, as it is." He asides to Freyja, "I like having all my fingers where they are."

Freyja pauses, considering for a moment... then looks at Zero and his father thoughtfully, "Um... Zero, is this back injury anything I might be able to help with?"

Wulong finishes ladling out bowls for everyone, nodding as he sits cross-legged beside the fire. "Ai, yeah, Ten's really lucky. And I'm afraid not, Freyja. It's partly nerve damage. Usually he's okay but once in a while he'll try to show off and whoof out goes his back again."

Zero hehs. "Spirited old cuss. You just can't take the fight out of some people."

Freyja nods, understanding. "Got it. Well, thought I'd offer." She grins over her bowl at Zero's comment, and continues eating. The bowl's set down for Jiaohua to inspect for nibbles (and to have his ears rubbed by her while he does so) once she's done. "Oh!" She looks up, brightening as Vakkal enters the room, "That reminds me -- Zero, Wulong -- Vakkal and I talked with one of the natives last night! I'm hoping to try doing so again tonight!"

Zero takes a breath. "I'm going to have a devil of a time find a casing for my saber. These plans are completely nonstandard; I think my tinker friend actually spun his own on a lathe. A lathe! Can you believe they still exist?" He blinks at Freyja's news, "A native? You spoke to -- when? Are you okay?"

Cengzumu gives a quiet sound as her ears are rubbed, and Jiaohua *meefs* and looks between Freyja, the bowl, and the much larger dakang. It isn't until some shared silent language is exchanged between the two that Jiaohua finally skitters down Freyja's arm to nibble lightly at the bowl. Wulong almost, but doesn't quite, choke on one of the dumplings. "One of the nomads?" he asks, coughing a bit. "What happened? Are you all right?

Freyja looks a bit puzzled at the reactions, but nods, still smiling, at the Humans, "Of course! Um... why would I not be all right?" She grins at the dakangs, and obligingly rubs all the ears in reach.

Zero deadpans, "They aren't known to be friendly toward outsiders going onto the reservation. Sah, Freyja, I'm glad you're okay. What did they tell you?"

Wulong nods soberly. "They've taken the treaty very, very seriously."

Freyja says, "Really? Huh... the one I spoke to seemed nice." She adds happily, "I saw some of the hakaasts in a field, and thought it'd be fun to try riding one... so I did! Vakkal ran along when the natives called them all in for the evening, and there was a native woman there, and we talked a bit, and she said her name was Linijast, and I'm going to try it again tonight so we can pass the information on to them about what the worms are attracted to in case that's what their matrons do." She stops mostly because she's run out of breath -- she takes another one, then says curiously, "What's the treaty say? Aren't you allowed to leave the reservation at all?"

Zero says, "We're not on the reservation. The land acceded them by the treaty is considered their sacred property."

Freyja blinks, then grins, "Wait... you think they're on the reservation? That's funny... I think they think you guys are the ones on a reservation!" She grins again, then adds, "No matter. Anyway, so are you not allowed on their land? Is that what you're saying?"

Zero just says, "We aren't known for seeing each others' sides of a given issue." He takes a long breath. "It's not strictly forbidden. But it's not encouraged, either."

Freyja nods, "All right. Well, she did say she wasn't the sole voice for her family. But I want to at least try... it's important they know what might be calling the worms, I think, even if they tell me never to come back."

Wulong makes a quiet sound. "Let me ask around here; see if anyone knows what particular nomad clan is in the area of late."

Freyja beams at Wulong, "Thank you! I can draw the sigil for you that was on the hakaasts' foreheads, if that would help? And... hm, what did Linijast say..." She pulls out her datapad, reviewing her notes of the previous evening's excitement, murmuring under her breath to herself, then nods, looking back up at Wulong, "All right, I don't know if this means anything, but if you know anyone that speaks their tongue, it sounded like she said something like 'kilinijastilakanista,' which I think had something to do with her family or clan, considering she'd just asked me about mine?"

Wulong starts to ladle dumplings into what looks like a bucket with a long, padded, plastic handle. "If they didn't shoot you," he says cheerfully, "-and they didn't tell you never to come back, you should be all right if you try to find them again. Just take them seriously if they tell you not to return, ai?"

Freyja considers Wulong's commentary thoughtfully, then replies, "She didn't tell me not to come back. She said it wouldn't be wise... but I'm willing to just tell her the message about the worms and leave, if she wants, and I think this is important enough to them that they deserve a chance at finding it out." She smiles as Jiaohua returns to her shoulder, contentedly licking his small chops, and adds, "And she did say she'd ask her mother if I could come back. So... I'll give it a try."

Zero says, "Much as I loathe the idea of going into their territory... she's right; if their matrons are in danger of being wiped out, they deserve to at least be warned."

Freyja nods with firm enthusiasm to Zero, "Hai!" She looks around, seeing Vakkal's finished breakfast, and adds happily, "So! On to Shenlong?"

Wulong finishes filling the bucket, and puts a cover on it. Cengzumu's ears perk, and she turns to look at Wulong. "All right, old girl!" he says, offering the bucket to the dakang. "You come again sometime if you want some good food, ai?"

She *moofs* again, shaking a couple of knickknacks on a nearby shelf, and... takes the bucket's handle in both her forepaws, as clumsy and thumbless as they are. After sniffing at the handle, she puts it lightly in her mouth, turns, and trots with surprising lightness to the door, which she pushes open with one of her forepaws... and closes with her tail.

Wulong stands, brushing off his hands. "Huh. Ai, that sounds like one of their full names, or at least part of one. Sounds like it'll go on for about three or four more syllables."

Freyja grins, "Hai, I thought so too!" She watches the departing dakang with fascination... then murmurs under her breath, "That's... amazing! I wonder if I could train one for that too...?"

Zero replies to Freyja's earlier question, "Yeah, let's get this over with. I suspect it's not gonna be a good day for our new Sith friend..." He rises and straightens his jacket. "If anything happens I'll give a call, Dad."

"Sith friend? Oh, this I'll have to hear! Safe trip, you three. If you get back early, I'll be making the rounds of the fields, but Akikou might be home."

Freyja blinks, looking back to Zero, then bounces lightly to her feet, "Oh! Hai, let's go." She grins and waves to Wulong, then follows Zero and Vakkal out.

Zero says, "All right, Dad. Don't work too hard."

The trip to Shenlong is uneventful; a pleasant, early-morning bus ride and little more. The three arrive at the Jedi's ersatz bivouac, and are met by Diath Halcyon. "We're glad you could make it," he says, smiling but with a faint note of urgency. "Knight-Captain Baas started talking with the Sith but he's been right hard to get anything out of."

Freyja grins amusedly, "Not surprised. Is he at least behaving himself?"

Zero says, "He may not actually know anything. We suspect he's... kind of a peon. If anyone can get anything out of him, I'm sure the Captain can."

Freyja says, "Can we talk to him?"

Diath nods. "He's not been misbehaving, but we're not really sure what to do with him. Baas is considering contacting the Watchers later today." To Freyja he replies, "Sure. Just this way, he's in a room down this corridor. We've been watching him in shifts."

The room is fairly out of the way, and has been stripped of anything except a cot and a chair. In the chair is the Sith, looking at least relatively awake and watched carefully by two members of the company. As the three enter he looks up, then looks away quickly when he sees Vakkal. Freyja nods politely to the two other company members, then looks at Diath, "May we speak to him alone, Jedi Diath?"

Diath blinks a little, then glances to the others. "If you three feel comfortable with that..."

Zero nods. "I don't think he'll be much trouble, Jedi Halcyon. We'll call if he gets out of hand." Freyja grins tightly, although it doesn't reach her eyes. Somehow she suspects Vakkal will have no trouble taking care of anything the smaller Sith apprentice may try. Might even be looking forward to it, for all we know.

The younger Sith looks uncomfortable at that, but that seems to help Diath make up his mind. He nods. "Okay. We'll be just outside." He and the two other Jedi step outside. As the door closes, the young canid Sith twitches.

Freyja waves and calls cheerfully, "Thanks!" as the Jedi leave... then turns to beam sweetly at the young Sith. "So! How nice to see you again." She seats herself comfortably, then adds, "Let's talk... about worms, hai?" Again, the almost cloying sweetness of her smile doesn't reach her eyes.

The Sith swallows and looks up slowly. "What... what about them?" he returns quietly.

Zero folds his arms and leans back against the wall, watching the Sith. Poor bastard. Neither side wants you at all, do they? I know that feeling all too well... Freyja leans back relaxedly, "Everything, of course. Start talking, please." She adds thoughtfully, "You can start with the location of your former lord's lair, how to get there safely, and everything she did with the worms that you can remember."

Zero says, "Or, you know, we could leave you here with Vakkal. 'S your choice, really." He turns his head to ask Vakkal, "What do you think?"

The Sith remains quiet for a moment -- and twitches as Vakkal growls softly in answer to Zero's question. "There isn't much to tell," he says quietly. "My Lord brought me here with her. She came here to ride herd on the beasts. A Togruta found her one night and killed her. Her lair was beneath Shenlong in the runoff system, to better be closer to the worms."

Freyja sighs quietly, then says politely, "Please don't make me have to dig this information out of you... because if I have to, I will. Now... how did she treat the worms? How did she communicate with them? What do they eat? How do you get safely into her lair? Did she keep notes?" She waves a hand in a gesture indicating he should continue.

He winces again. "She... communicated telepathically with them. They eat... well... anything. She would say that she would let them attack herds of the local beasts of burden out in the plains. I... don't know if she kept notes. The lair... the entrance is through the runoff drain under the Hulaio bridge, by the canal. The second intersection, left, then right, seventy meters down is a concealed door." He doesn't look at Freyja, Zero, or Vakkal, looking down at the floor.

Freyja studies the body language of the smaller dog Sith thoughtfully, trying to figure out if he's being truthful or not. She thinks so, actually. Zero says, "You know I'm from here, don't you?"

The Sith looks up, blinking, at Zero. "N-no... I didn't know that."

Zero clears his throat a little and lets his accent stand out more sharply. "That's right. So I'm going to know if you're lying to us." He stands up from the wall and lets his arms drop to his side, "And if you are, you know I'm going to come back here and mess you up, aiyah?"

Freyja smiles slowly, "Zero... we'll find out if he was lying when he opens the door, hai?"

Zero says, "I don't trust him to do that."

Freyja tilts her head curiously at Zero, "You don't have to. He has to trust we won't just hand him over to Vakkal."

Zero says, "I don't think we should let him. Maybe he's counting on leading us into a trap that kills us, aiyah? Something he forgot to mention? Lets him run off into the sewers? Maybe we should let Vakkal alone with him right now to be sure."

Freyja sighs, "All right... I think you should interrogate him now, Zero, because we're currently working at cross purposes."

The Sith winces and shakes his head. "No... no, don't leave me here with that one. I'm... telling you the truth." Vakkal actually looks a little surprised at hearing this. Freyja looks at the apprentice, then at Vakkal. She's a bit perplexed herself. Why is the apprentice so frightened of Vakkal? Surely the Khar Velosians don't... oh, she doesn't know... practice cannibalism or anything?

Zero puts up his hands, defensively, "All right, all right... go on, Freyja." He leans back against the wall again and folds his arms, studying the Sith. You must have gotten beaten up excessively when you were a kid. Must be an omega.

Freyja gives Zero another perplexed look, then tries to hastily pull her thoughts together, "Ah... all right, if you want." She studies the smaller Sith consideringly, then says slowly, "Why've you not tried controlling the worms yourself? How were they brought here?"

The Sith looks back down. "I don't know how to talk to them. I am not yet fully awakened to the Force. My Lord was training me." He shakes his head. "I... I just know they were dropped here, dormant, some time ago, and when we came my Lord awakened them."

Zero says, "Dropped? In what? That'd be a hell of a drop pod."

The Sith shakes his head. "I... .I don't know," he says quietly. "I am only a year off of Khar Velos in the service of the Sith Lords."

Zero says, "So where were you when they hit the planet?"

Freyja murmurs to Zero, "Wasn't there some mention of an unusual meteor strike here?" Zero nods quietly. Freyja looks at the Sith and adds, "What long-term plans did the Sith lord have? What was her name?"

The Sith seems very hesitant to answer either of those questions. Zero says, "Now is not the time to get shy on us, friend."

Freyja nods quietly, "Especially since the Oather lords will no longer trust you."

Zero says, "You're in a rather bad spot, sah. At least if you're cooperative with us, the Order won't turn you loose to the Oath. If you're cooperative. I might not even ask to do you myself for helping trash my home."

The Sith winces visibly at the mention of the Oath. "My life is already forfeit if they knew I was captured," he says morosely.

Freyja murmurs quietly, "Only if they catch up with you. Please answer."

He looks up, carefully not looking at Vakkal. "It was a test," he says urgently. "A test of the Force-hunters. That's all I know, I swear." He looks down again. "My... my master was Lord Tavra Soon of Arkania, Lord of Smiths."

Freyja nods slowly, thinking hard... then sighs thoughtfully, "Well. It would seem we must make this test a failure, then. You mentioned how to get to the lair up to a concealed door. Go on, please." Zero conceals a snort. An Arkanian! Why am I not surprised!

The Sith plunges on: "Behind the door is another door, with a lock. The... the passkey was confiscated by the Jedi." He hesitates, then looks down. "There are two orbalisks there. Lord Soon kept them as pets. They're why I haven't gone back there since he died."

Freyja says, "Which Jedi confiscated the passkey?" She reviews mentally, trying to figure out why the Sith is so carefully not looking at them. Do spooked canids avoid eye contact? She thinks so...? -then blinks, realizing they've been asking so many questions -- and yet, not the one simple one that might make the Sith feel more like aiding them -- the one that recognizes him as an individual, rather than just another statistic. She adds quietly, "And... what is your name?"

The canid blinks, then blinks again, looking up at Freyja and Zero. He glances momentarily at Vakkal, then says, "I'm... Karrac. Karrac of Khar Velos, formerly apprentice to Lord Tavra Soon, of Smiths." He adds, "The... uhm. The green one with the... tentacles... I'm sorry, I didn't get his name.

Zero says, "Ah. Okay."

Freyja nods thoughtfully, "Karrac. Very well." She glances at Zero and Vakkal to see if either of them has further questions. Vakkal shakes his head, though he looks less growl-y at the younger Sith and more, slightly perplexed. Freyja raises an inquiring eyebrow at Vakkal.

Vakkal glances to Freyja, then looks to Karrac. "Karrac. Do you know who I am?"

Zero says, "Any nasty surprises we ought to know about, Karrac? Like maybe wires behind that door? Maybe a droid hanging out?"

Freyja murmurs softly, "Hang on, Zero, please? I want to hear this..." She looks fascinated at Vakkal's question.

Karrac looks up at Vakkal, then looks away, nodding and swallowing. "I... I was always told before I left that I looked like Vakkal of the Green River Clan." Vakkal seems tense for a moment as Karrac speaks, then nods once and leaves it at that, looking to Freyja and Zero. Freyja blinks at Karrac's reply to Vakkal... then watches in continued fascination. Karrac seems to relax a little when Zero speaks. "No... nothing that I know of, I swear. If Lord Soon had something else there, I... I don't know about it. But I don't think she did. We could not bring much with us when we came here."

Zero is about to protest, when he hears Karrac speak and stops dead in his tracks. "Like... okay. Okay, I believe you. Go on... what were you going to say? About Green River?"

Freyja narrows her eyes thoughtfully at Vakkal. She sure hopes he decides to confide in her soon... she looks at Zero when he speaks, then curiously at the smaller dog Sith. Karrac glances to Vakkal, then shakes his head quickly. "Nothing, just... just that and nothing more. Just that... I was told I look much like Vakkal of the Green River Clan."

Freyja raises an eyebrow at Karrac... it was subtle, but that wasn't the entire truth! She doesn't push it, thought; instead she looks curiously at Vakkal for his response. She ponders internally... could that be a not-so-subtle hint on the part of the canid folk that anyone that looks at all like Vakkal isn't welcome, since he's so unwelcome? ...or... maybe a hint that his parentage isn't all it should be? She sighs a bit, frustratedly curious. Vakkal is remaining steadfastly silent, his jaw working a little. He glances to Freyja, and as best as he can mouths the phrase, 'I will tell you later.'

Freyja smiles and shakes her head once very slightly, reassuringly... then looks at Zero, "Well, shall we go see if we can handle some orbalisks to see if this former Sith lord was thoughtful enough to write down what the key to the tenth gate is?"

Zero says, "Far as I know, they're most dangerous if they drop on you. I don't think they can move so fast. So we'll just have to watch out."

Freyja nods, "All right. Any idea what they eat? Food's usually a good distraction."

Zero grins, "People."

Karrac says quietly, "If... if it helps any... she would often speak of 'Jedi hypocrisy.' She was the only Sith I've ever known who ever said that, and she would not explain it more."

Freyja grins ruefully at Zero, wrinkling her nose slightly, "Ew. All ri-" She pauses, looking thoughtfully back at Karrac, "Really now. Interesting. Maybe there's some record of her."

Zero snickers. "Actually, they're predatory, but they'll eat anything warm and moving. I heard some old sorts back at the Temple saying something about Sith Lords wearing them like armor. Probably a myth, but it's possible some poor unfortunate got some stuck to him."

Freyja considers, then mumbles puzzledly, "Wait... we don't have any Arkanians, do we...?"

Zero says, "No, thank the gods. Why?"

Freyja uses her comlink to ask Jedi Diath if he could check and see if there's any information the Jedi have on an Arkanian woman called Tavra Soon? Diath responds that he'll get to work right away on calling up that information. Then Freyja looks thoughtfully at Zero once she's done, "Well... if we have no Arkanians... why does she talk about Jedi hypocrisy? That'd imply she'd met some, hai? Or someone who has?"

Zero says, "I can't say I'm surprised about an Arkanian being at the root of this. There's a race of people with a well-deserved reputation, there."

Freyja looks puzzled, "What's their reputation?"

Zero says, "Sah. Smart people, but not a race with a strong grip on ethics, aiyah? Mad scientists, all."

Freyja considers that, then winces slightly. She gives Karrac a somewhat sympathetic look, "Guess you were lucky, hai, that you weren't the experiment... yet?"

Zero says, "It would explain why those Force-hunters looked like corrupted Taozin."

Karrac looks a little confused at the discussion, but only nods a little dazedly to Freyja. Freyja gives Karrac a faintly amused glance, then says to the others, "Well... it's still morning. Why don't we go check out the lair? With luck we'll be back in time to reassure the Jedi that Karrac shouldn't be toasted." Her tone is gently teasing. She grins, adding to the dazed canid, "Just teasing." She's still not sure how well he can read Human body language, and doesn't want to scare him. He's had a few too many shocks already, looks like.

Karrac doesn't seem to take it as a jest; in fact he looks mildly concerned, as if he's wondering if the Jedi, despite their reputation, would really do that or not. At Freyja's reassurance he just nods a little. Freyja grins again, rising, "Let's go! We might get lucky, and she might be a compulsive note-taking kind of mad scientist!"

Zero says, "Wouldn't get my hopes up..."

Freyja laughs quietly, "Me either... but stranger things have happened! -and it'd be quite nice to be able to convince the worms to stop eating folks long enough for the Paladin and Master Roakkana to decide what to do with them."

Back in the hallway, Zero adds, "Actually, I have another concern about this." Freyja looks inquiringly at Zero, from where she's standing next to Vakkal, quietly stroking his hackles so he's not quite so tense. Zero says, "These orbalisk things, they're supposed to come from a dark, moist environment. And they're supposed to breed like wildfire to cope with all the heavy predation. If the two orbalisks were a mated pair... in a dark, moist environment, like a sewer... with no predators to check them..."

Freyja says, "Uh-oh." She frowns, then says unhappily, "Well... maybe we can stun them with our blasters?"

Zero says, "I don't know. That's the extent of my knowledge. This could be quite a struggle just to get there, I worry."

Freyja looks at Vakkal, "Do you know anything about them?"

Vakkal shakes his head, looking significantly calmer. "Nothing, I'm afraid. Lord Ghang refused to deal with orbalisks -- said they were misbegotten beasts best left alone, and not things that a Lord of War should consider when fighting a battle."

Freyja nods thoughtfully, then smiles ruefully, straightening her shoulders. "Well... let's go tell Jedi Diath what we're contemplating, see if he has any helpful information... and get on with it, hai?"

Zero murmurs grimly, "Sounds like a wise man..."

Freyja grins at Zero amusedly, remembering her faint brush with Ghang, "And not overly fond of Jedi!"

Zero says, "Can't blame him. I doubt we'd be fond of him either."

Outside, Diath listens carefully, then nods. "Orbalisks? I know that Captain Dia- ergh. Paladin Diana had some knowledge about Darkside creatures, but she's not here... anyway, I've heard of them; much of what you've probably heard, but nothing more. Do you want any of us to come with you, or at least take an open comlink?

Zero says, "Ask him to leave the channel clear for us, just in case."

Freyja nods, pleased, "An open comlink would be very helpful, hai! Especially if we have more questions for Karrac while we're there."

Diath nods, "All right. We'll get you a comlink. And we'll be ready to go in there as if you give the word." He nods to the door. "Uh... is there anything we should know about, you know, him? Just in case?"

Freyja says, "Oh, and may we have the passkey from the Nautolan?" She considers a bit, then looks at Zero and Vakkal, "I don't know... anything you guys can think of that they should know here?"

Zero says, "I don't think anyone's bothered to get close to one. If it turns out there's a whole infestation, we'll see if we can get someone from the City Guard with a flamer down with us."

Freyja says, "His name's Karrac, and he's in deep sheisse if his people find out he was captured so he'll probably try to escape. Aside from that...?" She looks at Zero, "Oh! I'm sorry, I thought Jedi Diath was asking about Karrac."

Diath nods slowly, frowning. "Yeah, we've heard a few odd reports, about other Jedi finding Sith killing other Sith. We'll try to protect him as best as we can." He nods to Zero. "Gotcha. I understand orbalisks can get... populous. Don't let yourselves get trapped, okay? If it looks bad, shut the door and get out -- just don't let those things get out, all right? We'll have the intersections down there blocked off just in case any do slip by, but we'll let the City Guard know we've got things under control, and to just be aware."

Freyja checks her notes, mumbling to herself, "All right... the entrance is through the runoff drain under the Hulaio bridge by the canal... second intersection left then right, seventy meters down is the door, behind the door is another door with a lock; we've got the passkey, and there are at least two orbalisks there." She looks at Diath and smiles, "Now you know as much as we do too, hai?" Cheerfully she adds, "Let's go!"

The tunnels are, as predicted, somewhat dark and moist. They are at least clean, as most civilized cities' runoff channels should be, meant more for keeping the streets from flooding than to carry refuse and detritus. Nevertheless it is dark and cool and slightly, uncomfortably moist there, as the three enter -- with a couple of Jedi from the company bringing up the rear. Zero plays the circle of light from his glow rod around the dark walls. "Eugh. Canal water."

Freyja flashes her light source around, then wrinkles her nose amusedly, "Hai. Well, I was looking for an excuse to really clean my boots tonight..." She grins, heading determinedly forward. "Second intersection, left."

Zero says, "Watch the walls and ceiling. There may be orbalisks." Freyja nods, getting a slightly more business-like look on her face... at least what little of it can be seen in the dim and uncertain light. She switches her light rod to her left hand, and draws her blaster, setting it to stun.

The tunnels extend deeper into the depths of Shenlong. It's pretty clear why the Sith Lord chose this area as her lair: it's reasonably clean, but hardly anyone would come down here. Every so often a small, non-sentient, spherical sanitation droid waddles through the ankle-deep water, burbling to itself.

Freyja paces along next to her friends, systematically covering her side to make sure no orbalisks attack them. At the second intersection they turn left, then right, as instructed by Karrac. Freyja starts measuring the 70 meters once they turn, for the concealed door. Zero hms. "Wonder if they tried to mess with the sanitation droids..."

The Jedi remain at the intersection, with glow rods, lightsabers, and blasters at the ready. Down the tunnel, the three can see another team of Jedi blocking the other intersection. The 70 meters is measured out, and they stand in roughly the middle of the tunnel. Freyja looks around. "All right... concealed door. Probably not in the floor -- that'd be messy. So... up or sides. Anyone see anything?" She checks her side of the tunnel carefully. Zero holds up the passkey he got from Takk, wondering if it will react.

Freyja studies the wall... now what would a mad scientist do? Something with a sense of humor to it... probably some dreadful pun... ah, there! She murmurs to Vakkal, "See that little symbol up there, by the lip between the wall and the ceiling? Does it mean something like key in Sith? -or some pun on that?" As she speaks she gently presses above the symbol, within the lip, with her fingers... and a section of wall swings open. She steps back, a bit startled, then grins, "I'll take that as a hai!"

Zero says, "Wait a moment." He swings the light from the glow rod up to illuminate the space beyond. Freyja steps back so Zero has more room, although she can't resist craning her neck curiously to look! There is nothing beyond but a slate-gray metal door, about a meter in, with a simple, if sturdy, electronic passkey lock. With no access panel, or indeed any other feature other than the slot the passkey is inserted to.

Zero hms. "Cover me, Freyja... I'm going to open it." Freyja nods, tucking her glow rod into her belt, then bracing against one wall so she has a good field of fire. Zero slips the passkey into the lock, then steps back, drawing but not igniting his lightsaber.

The passkey goes in... the lock clicks... and the door twitches a little, then slides open silently. Beyond is a kind of glum continuation of the same decor as outside... but at least it seems a little drier. Freyja watches carefully for little green mollusk-like shapes. Zero frowns a bit, "Awfully quiet."

Freyja murmurs, "Are orbalisks noisy, or cannibalistic?"

Zero says, "I don't think they're cannibalistic. As for noisy... I have no idea."

Freyja nods, continuing to search visually. "Don't see any yet... do you?"

Zero takes one careful step through the door. "Not... yet." There's a tiny little *chitter* from within somewhere, echoing off the walls. Zero freezes. "Well, that answers that question."

Freyja nods slowly, continuing to search visually. "Let's not go in until we've located them. Take my glow rod and roll it into the middle of the room?" She doesn't move from her covering stance, so she can react quickly should she spot movement.

Zero says, "That's only going to paint one wall of the room, though."

Freyja murmurs grimly, "One wall at a time, then."

The inordinately loud sound of little feet scampering on the hard stone floor is heard, getting louder. From around one of the corners in the room beyond comes a little green beast, almost like a small, squat lizard with a carapace. It blinks small, black eyes at Zero, then scampers a few feet closer, blinking again. It opens its mouth and hisses at him. All told, this would be a much more impressive display if the little creature wasn't about the size of Freyja's thumb. Zero blinks. "Eeugh."

Freyja looks puzzled, "Um... is this an orbalisk? Vakkal?"

Vakkal peers over Freyja's shoulder. "Yes. Yes, it is. One, at any rate."

Zero says, "Shall we stun it and give it to the Order to examine?"

Freyja studies the little creature, then goes slowly to one knee. She says quietly, "Well... they're supposed to be pets. Let's see..." She pulls a piece of jerky from her pouch and lays it on the ground out in front of her. She makes sure she's ready to stun it quickly... then watches thoughtfully.

The little orbalisk hisses again, its carapace actually lifting up a little, making it look a little larger. The tiny little venomous teeth can be made out too, somewhat. Vakkal blinks. "Freyja... I don't know if that's a good idea..."

Freyja nods, "All right." She shoots at it.

Zero says, "Disagreeable little stangs."

The stun blast impacts the ground close to, but not close enough, to the little orbalisk. It hisses sharply and piercingly at Freyja, as it turns and skitters off. Freyja says, "Well, sheisse. Sorry, guys. So... why are people so scared of these things? They're so slow and small. Are they... I don't know... diseased or something?"

Zero says, "Venomous."

Freyja starts, looking up at Zero, and blinks, "They are?! Did anyone tell the other Jedi that?!"

Zero says, "And if it's venomous to the Sith... well. They're poisonous enough by themselves." He grins a little, "Yes, they know. They know as much as I do."

Freyja rises to her feet, looking worried, the blaster at ready. "All right... well, let's just stun them, then." She starts studying the walls and ceiling carefully before entering the room. Zero continues to play his lightsaber along the walls, proceeding slowly. That's when the three hear more *chitter* sounds. Something a bit greater in number than 'several' more.

Zero blinks. "That doesn't sound good." He ignites his lightsaber. "Not good at all..."

Freyja sighs, "Hela take it. All right, let's just close this door behind us while we search? -and spread out, so we can cover each other. How poisonous are these things? Fall over dead, bad swelling, an untidy rash...?"

Zero says, "For animals, slow death. For us? Delirium... hallucination... our Force ability reacts with the poison."

Vakkal says quietly, "They're discomfiting; not immediately deadly if removed quickly enough or killed. I do not know what the poison will do to us while we are suppressing our presence in the Force." Freyja nods thoughtfully, stepping back to pull the big metal door closed behind them, then to one side so she can cover her friends, and they her. She's careful to never step where she's not visually examined first.

Zero chokes up a bit on his lightsaber for a quicker swing. "Wonder if they're smart enough to come in a pack."

The room, or rather, the platform, is about ten meters square, with steps leading down ward to the basin below on the wall to the right of the doorway. In front of the doorway is railing that overlooks the basin. To the right is another stairway that leads down, but this one might not lead directly to the basin.

The young Sedraki sees them first, a small squadron of the little blighters skittering around the corner from the stairs set in the wall to the right of the door. There are six of the little things, and each makes the sound of a miniature buzzsaw as they crawl somewhat lethargically towards the trio. Zero frowns a little as his glow rod hits them. "They're... not exactly moving so quickly, are they?"

Freyja murmurs, "Good," as she steps up and braces against Zero, if he lets her. She'll try to carefully and deliberately stun the entire group, working from the furthest away to the closest, so as to not miss any of them. However, she misses yet again, and ends up looking a bit startled... then frowns, "All right, I'm doing this wrong. I'm going to cover you guys... you squish 'em."

Zero reverses his grip on his lightsaber, holding the blade defensively up and across, and reaches to pull his blaster from his belt. He clicks it over to stun. "Well, let's see if we can get a couple for the Academy to study before the... uh... phalanx gets here."

Freyja nods, stepping to where she can provide covering fire, and braces. Perhaps if she aims long enough she'll actually be able to hit one when she shoots. Zero reminds himself as he pulls the trigger that he should be taking this seriously, they're dangerous... even if they are moving at what appears to be a meter every hour or so.

The orbalisk Zero was shooting at gets struck. With an odd little *squawk!* -- or perhaps another almost- insectile squeal -- it drops from the ceiling to the ground, twitching. Zero grins ruefully. "This isn't exactly sporting. Wanna try, Vakkal?"

Vakkal says quietly, "Maybe not, but I wonder how many more there are..." He lifts up his light blaster and fires.

Zero extinguishes his lightsaber and tucks it into his belt, raising his blaster with both hands. "This is kind of sad, really."

The orbalisk that Vakkal fires at squawks, but manages to remain... conscious, insofar as it applies to the little beast. It hesitates a little, then seems to get the bright idea to trundle back where it came from. Four orbalisks are on the ceiling, now debating the relative intelligence of what they're doing.

Freyja has been aiming for a while... perhaps the retreating one won't be watching as carefully. She carefully shoots at it. Her shot misses the little thing, but does make it crawl a little faster for the stairwell. Freyja sighs frustratedly, and wonders if she should even bother... neh, someone should be watching their backs. She should stick to it.

The orbalisk Zero shoots gets hit... but just looks all the more angry for it. Nevertheless, it also turns and scrambles for the stairway. Zero says, "Wow. Resilient little blights. Tap one, Vakkal."

Freyja sidles sideways to the railing far enough to take a quick peek over it, to be sure no worms or anything are charging up at them. The wall that angles twenty meters down to the basin is clear of anything small, ornery, and venomous trying to ambush them. Freyja can see, however, that the basin beyond is filled with mildly stagnant water, judging by the musty smell rising from it. The basin is actually fairly large; twenty meters across lit dimly by a few ancient glow-pods high in the ceiling.

Vakkal's shot misses another orbalisk cleanly. "They're damnably hard to hit!" he says.

Zero sighs, "Ah well. Next!" Yet another orbalisk gets shot... and shrugs off the stun blast.

Vakkal deadpans, "Something tells me that now is when we should be worried." This is punctuated by Vakkal's blaster shot also failing to stun the orbalisk he hits.

Freyja sighs, then says, "We have the wrong tools. Shall we withdraw and get something that can sweep them? Or send some of the Jedi for something?"

Zero says, "We can kill them if we use the sabers. Short of a stun grenade we won't be able to incapacitate them from range. I don't know of anything else, Freyja... blasters are finicky enough; an automatic-firing one is supposed to be years away. If we want to kill them all at once we can either grenade them or get the Guard down here with a flamer."

Freyja mutters annoyedly, "Flamer sounds good..." She sighs again, "Well, we have one stunned one. Why not just try blasting the rest?"

Zero holsters his blaster and reverses his grip on the saber again. "Sounds good to me."

Freyja says, "Maybe they'll ignite each other or something." Her voice sounds vaguely hopeful... then she considers what she said, and murmurs, "...eww." She nods to Zero and clicks her blaster off of stun, then tries one last time at one of the fleeing creatures -- and once again misses utterly. She sighs again, "I give up. I'm calling for a flamer, guys." She clicks on the comlink, "Hello? Jedi Diath, can you send a flamer down?"

Zero says, "That's not really necessary, is it? We could finish clearing these by ourselves; they hardly present a threat."

Freyja eyes Zero dubiously, then shrugs, "Wouldn't a flamer be faster? Up to you guys. I can't seem to hit them to save my soul."

Zero says, "Oh, you're probably right. Best to be thorough anyway; who knows what sort of filth they leave behind them." He makes a face, nudging one of the fallen with his boot, "Ask them to bring a jar or something for these two as well..." Freyja passes on the request to the waiting Jedi, then suggests they all three withdraw to the door to wait.

Ten minutes later, a City Guard team is just finishing off the last few curious orbalisks from the platform walls and ceiling. Taak is, while making a face, putting the two unconscious orbalisks into a jar. Diath is talking with Freyja and Zero. "We can secure the door against any more of those things," he says. "It's pretty safe to say that if there are any more down there, they won't get out."

Freyja looks relieved, "Thank you, Jedi Diath."

Diath nods. "If you want, some of us can go with you down deeper..."

Freyja looks at Zero, curious as to whether he wants a flamer back-up. Zero says, "Well, we thought it best to be thorough with these things... it's impossible to tell what they might leave behind them or what they might be carrying. I don't want to endanger any more Guardsmen, though; if the lieutenant doesn't mind, have his crew stand by up here in the secured area while we descend."

Freyja nods thoughtfully, "Good point... after all, the worm we caught for a moment knocked out the non-Force- aware team, didn't it."

Zero says, "Yes. This leaves us with back-up close to hand, but doesn't expose any non-Force-Sensitives to potential supernatural danger. It's impossible to say what else is down there, after all..."

Diath nods. "Yeah, that blight-wave made them badly sick. In fact, it made everyone except us sick. It must be some kind of defense mechanism."

Freyja nods thoughtfully at Diath... then grins at Zero and Vakkal, "Well! Shall we? We still might get lucky!"

Zero says, "I intend to see this little hive cleared out, yes." Freyja thanks Jedi Diath again, then cheerfully falls in with Zero and Vakkal to head downwards. Zero proceeds with lit lightsaber in reversed, defensive grip, and glow rod in his free hand.

A glance at the basin from the landing shows nothing of immediate note; if anything, the basin is fairly stagnant, musty, and mildly unpleasant-smelling, but not hideously awful. It's probably by far the worst smell noted in Shenlong yet, which is saying something. Freyja wrinkles her nose a bit, backing away from her curious contemplation of the stagnant water, and flicks her blaster back to stun as she heads down the stairs after the others.

The stairs down to the lower parts of this area seem to hold no immediate surprises; Freyja doesn't notice anything too worrisome. She keeps an eye out for more orbalisks regardless. Vermin tend to survive.

The stairs go down for about five flights, and end in a large area which seems to have once been a pump substation, but has since been abandoned, forgotten, or simply repeatedly ignored. The ceiling is about five meters, or fifteen or so feet high, and the room is about twenty meters, or approximately seventy feet long, with the pump units lining the walls with space enough to walk around them. From the far end there can be seen a door labeled "NO ADMITTANCE -- DANGER" and a string of numbers from what is presumably the city ordnances saying who can and can't go in.

Zero mutters dryly, "I believe Jedi count as authorized personnel." Freyja paces slowly along past the pump units, studying them carefully for tucked-away orbalisks... after cautiously scanning the ceiling as well. She grins quietly at Zero's comment.

There is a faint, familiar *chitter* from down at the far end of the room, and a curiously loud scratching of tiny orbalisk feet on ferrocrete. Zero sighs exasperatedly. Freyja murmurs with quiet amusement to Zero, "Well, here's your chance to take out a few more, hey?"

Zero says, "Good thing we left the flamers on standby."

Freyja continues to search for them, so she can point them out precisely to Zero and Vakkal, and so there are no unpleasant surprises. She notices movement in both far corners of the room. She frowns a bit puzzledly, her blaster coming up to ready. Her voice is a low murmur, "Far corners of the room, guys. Um... orbalisks shouldn't look quite that large, should they?"

Zero reverses his grip on the lightsaber, bringing it up, "That is not what I wanted to hear." A second or two later he adds, "I don't see it yet." Freyja nods silently, also worried, as she paces carefully forward along one wall.

The *chitter* comes again, a sort of insectile or reptilian chirp. This time the scratching on the 'crete can be more clearly heard, scraping against the wall opposite the one Freyja is walking along. Zero turns his glow rod in that direction. Freyja pauses, nodding towards the wall so Zero and Vakkal can see... then braces against the wall and waits for that corner to light up.

The glow rods fall on what seems to be an orbalisk... that's about as long as Freyja's arm. It freezes, and whips its head around to look at the three, letting out a tinny, oddly high-pitched squeal before launching itself towards Zero. It's larger than the other orbalisks. And it moves faster, to boot.

Zero doesn't waste time or motion; he puts his glow rod in his teeth and steps in and to one side as the orbalisk charges, swinging his lightsaber up and out in a low, wide arc. The lightsaber blade startles the creature; with a squawk its charge fouls and it scrambles to get out of the way of the blade, barely missing getting cleft in twain by Zero's blade. It falls back into a tangled mop before righting itself, hissing at the Sedraki.

Zero makes a vaguely disgusted face, letting his momentum carry him through turning and bringing the blade back to the ready. "I have this one; watch for the other." Freyja nods, "Hai," her eyes flicking back and forth as she searches for it, still braced.

It comes at Freyja from her side of the room, from the corner, squealing in an odd staccato cadence and crawling along the ceiling. Vakkal sees it first and shouts a warning to Freyja, his lightsaber igniting. Freyja continues to brace. Slow breath in, center... aim, wait... fire on the breath out.

The orbalisk is hit neatly by Freyja's shot. It gives a shriek and falls to the ground, but after a moment shakes itself and seems to glare at Freyja with small, black eyes. Freyja sighs softly as she actually manages to target the large orbalisk... but it shrugs off the stun blast. She flicks the blaster off of stun with her thumb, then continues aiming.

Zero takes another low, sweeping strike at the other orbalisk, making the most of the oversized saber's increased reach. The lightsaber again foils the orbalisk's stance, and it scrambles back from the swipe, looking greatly weakened by the exertion. It lets out an almost accusatory, tired chitter at Zero. Zero glares. "Hey, you started this."

In answer, the creature gives a gurgling spit. To be more precise, it actually spits at him. The globule of yellowish spittle misses Zero, impacting wetly with the ceiling above and behind him. There's no indication that the spot the spittle landed on is smoking, hissing, melting, disappearing, breaking down, or otherwise being eaten away. It still stinks though, giving a faintly sharp, sickly feel in the back of the throat and sinuses.

Zero says, "Eeugh -- watch it, these ones spit!"

Freyja frowns and nods, murmuring, "Got it, thanks, Zero."

The other orbalisk, however, lunges at Freyja, leading with its small, tooth-filled mouth. The creature somehow manages to land its mouth on Freyja's off-hand arm, clamping its teeth upon her. There's surprisingly no pain other than an initial pinprick -- granted, a thirtyfold pinprick. Vakkal gives a strangled howl and drops the lightsaber, the weapon shutting itself off as he lets go, and siezes hold of the creature. "It's on fast," he gasps, then glances at Freyja's blaster.

Freyja grits her teeth when bitten, and puts the blaster against the nasty thing. Seeing Vakkal's got a grip on it, she fires and tries to yank her bitten arm away in the same motion. The proto-orbalisk has enough time to *uuurk?* -its beady eyes flicking to the barrel of the blaster, before the blast divests it of its body. Vakkal immediately struggles to pull the head from Freyja's skin before it does anything more.

Vakkal's clawed grip on the deceased creature's head, combined with Freyja's automatically yanking her arm away in disgust, is enough to pull the tiny fangs free. She steps back, still reflexively shaking her hand, a repulsed look on her face, "That was a pet?!" then takes a breath, calming herself and looking around again to cover her friends.

Zero mutters, "No accounting for taste..." Tired of the creature's ability to change direction seemingly at random, he opts for a different tactic; swinging his leg back, then up, turning the saber in his hand as he swings his foot back down in an axe-kick, the saber tracing a long overhead arc as he comes all the way down to the floor in a split with the blade parallel to his leg, which places the lightsaber coincidentally right on top of the creature.

The creature puffs itself up for another spit, but is neatly bisected by Zero's blade a moment later, the lightsaber cutting a shallow, fuming gouge the floor. The room is silent then, filled only with the breathing of the three.

Freyja sighs softly, finally letting the blaster muzzle lower and taking her finger off the trigger. She murmurs quietly, "Thank you, Vakkal," then belatedly checks her bitten hand.

Zero stands up quickly, turning the blade once over again in his hand -- a reflex from bygone days, even though this blade can't collect blood or debris. "Are you all right?"

Freyja studies the small bite wound thoughtfully as she puts the medkit on herself. A moment later it beeps, and she looks up and nods to the other Human, "I think so, Zero. There doesn't appear to be any damage aside from some relatively clean-looking punctures... and it doesn't hurt. Maybe the poison's two-stage or something -- first a mild anesthetic, then the real poison? It doesn't appear to have gotten to the second stage if so, at least according to the medkit."

Zero says, "I think the venom's that horrible yellow stang it was trying to spit on me."

Vakkal looks immensely pleased. "I'm sorry, Freyja," he says quietly. "It moved too fast for me." He shakes his head. "'Pets'?"

Freyja smiles quietly at Vakkal, "I wouldn't worry too much -- it moved too fast for me too." Ruefully she adds, "I should have started out with the blaster set on fry. Well... live and learn." She nods to Zero's comment about the poison -- then gets a thoughtful look. "Hm... I'm going to take a sample of that, for the scientists to analyze." She does so carefully, with her medkit, adding happily, "Maybe this will help them figure out a counter to it!"

Zero mms, moving to press his ear to the marked door. "Well, hope so."

Freyja adds, once she's put the medkit back on her belt and has the blaster in hand again, "Shall we go on?"

Zero says, "I don't hear anything. Let's go... but carefully. We might not get another one off so quickly."

Freyja smiles in rueful agreement to Zero as she moves up next to him. "Sounds like just machinery in the next room. Want me to cover while you open the door, Zero?"

Zero nods. "Yeah. Watch the ceiling for me."

Freyja nods, stepping back to set and brace... and cover. Zero pushes the door open with one hand, standing alongside the doorframe so as not to fill it completely while it opens. Freyja studies the room carefully over the barrel of her blaster.

The door opens. There is little to see beyond; it is reasonably well-lit. From the doorway can be seen tables made from containers and crates, and various apparatus -- including, perched atop one table, two clear-walled canisters with a mute and still example of those proto-orbalisks in each. Zero says, "Well. Looks like this is it."

Freyja murmurs, "Looks clear from here, Zero." She slides in smoothly past Zero holding the door for her, whirling neatly to cover the door area of the new room. Vakkal shadows her fractions of a second later, keeping his back to hers so they cover each other.

Inside the doorway there seems to be more of the same. There is another set of doors leading out. A small space heater keeps the air dry and prevents a mildew-y scent. What looks like a full selection of some kind of portable scientific apparatus is also present, though none of it is really comprehensible beyond the most basic items. In all, it looks much like what an on-the-run or renegade scientist might call a 'home laboratory.'

Freyja nods, stepping to a more relaxed pose. "All right, still looks clear." She grins ruefully at the two more combat experienced men, adding, "So... am I doing this right?"

Zero says, "You're doing fine. Let's clear the other rooms first -- then we can give it a full search. We'll let the Company decide what to do with all this lot." Vakkal hasn't moved more than a meter from Freyja throughout all this, and grins slightly to Freyja.

Freyja nods again, looking pleased. "Sounds good to me."

The other rooms are searched. One is a very comfortable (if snug) room that is not unlike that used by Lord Methel- ssa on Marnaas, albeit somewhat more utilitarian. It's also a little more, and somehow charmingly, cluttered with books and datapads, mostly of local make and print but with a few that are printed in Sith hieroglyphics. The other room appears to have been given over to Karrac, and is simple and spartan but equally comfortable.

In contrast to Methel-ssa's lair, though, there is no major, wall-occupying shrine. Instead there is what is perhaps a small shrine in a cabinet in the Lord's room, with about a dozen of what appear to be small, stylized figurines, each about two inches high. A closer glance shows that they're of a dull but strong quartz-like crystal, and some show what might be decades if not centuries of handling. All appear to be Human or near-Human -- or, probably more to the point, Arkanian.

Zero busies himself looking through datapads and books, looking for anything that may be encrypted or otherwise secured. Freyja looks puzzled, searching the Sith lord's room, "Vakkal... do you know what these are?"

Vakkal blinks at the little shrine. "I'm not sure, Freyja. I'm not familiar with Arkanian beliefs. I think some practice a kind of... ancestor worship, or at least ancestor reverence."

Freyja nods thoughtfully, "Well... I'm sure folks that are more expert than us will collect this up and examine it." She takes several moments in Karrac's room too... because as she's searching it suddenly hits her -- Karrac might like his stuff back. She packs the clothing, as well as any small knickknacks that are set out, neatly into a backpack which she slings over a shoulder. Then she goes to help Zero search the paperwork. "Vakkal, can you read any of this?"

There are a number of datapads, one on the table out here, a couple in the room, that look like they're encrypted; only one of them is of Sith design, the rest are local-bought. Zero finds a small holoprojector in the Lord's room, which has encryption on some, but not all, of the files within. There appear to be few weapons; a couple of concussion pistols and a Sith sword about the size of a kindjal.

Vakkal looks over one of the books, then shakes his head, grimacing. "I... can read a little of it. But they're very, very technical. Or I should say scientific. They're mostly biogenics texts. A few are... alchemical. Those are written in metaphoric codes as it is."

Karrac's room has a few magazines for the c-gun he was already carrying, and also a vibroknife of very odd manufacture -- neither Sith nor Republic. Vakkal confirms, with an odd tone to his voice, that it is a vibro from Khar Velos, noting that Karrac would have indeed been a young hunter just prior to leaving that world. The canid Sith's clothing is simple, loose and light, a few vests and breeches in autumnal colors. He didn't appear to have many other possessions, outside of a scroll written in Sith which Vakkal identifies as one of the first tracts an apprentice is required to study, sometimes even before awakening to the Force.

Freyja looks thoughtfully at Vakkal when she hears the odd tone in his voice, then asks quietly, "Would he want it and the scroll back, do you think? Or would it just be painful?"

Vakkal is looking at the blade carefully, and almost has to shake himself when Freyja asks him her question. "Oh! He... well. He brought it with him from Khar Velos; he may wish to continue keeping it. Though I'm sure the Jedi will not let him have it for as long as he is a prisoner. And I cannot imagine Republic Intelligence or the Watchers not wanting to study the scroll."

Zero reenters from the Lord's room. "We'll have the Company pick up most of this stuff... I can have a go at decrypting the datapads. We should check the basin out before we call them in, though."

Freyja tilts her head to regard Vakkal thoughtfully, and murmurs, "You all right, my friend?" Zero pauses, waiting.

Vakkal nods quietly. "I'm all right, thank you. Just... a little surprised that Karrac brought his knife with him when he left. His... departure must have been somewhat different than mine."

Freyja watches Vakkal for a moment longer... then just nods. She looks at Zero, tucking the knife neatly into the backpack and slipping it on, "Sounds good to me, Zero. We're ready when you are."

Zero says, "Let's get this over with, then. I'm happy to leave this place to the Water Authority."

The three leave the underground lair, and head back up the stairs to the platform. Freyja says curiously to Vakkal as they leave, "So, Vakkal... can you tell us what the keys to the first and second gates are? Maybe those'll help us figure out the tenth one?"

Vakkal frowns slightly. "Well. The first was 'The Way of the Sith has a deeper origin.' At that point we were told that the Sith tradition was more than just a tradition developed by the Sith people alone. The second was, 'By luminous beings was the shadow cast.' I imagine it represented that the Sith tradition, the 'shadow,' was somehow related to a group of 'luminous beings,' which is 'Jedi' in an old trading tongue that predates the Republic. I think you were the one who told me that, actually."

Freyja nods thoughtfully as she paces quietly after Zero. "Interesting. So... seventeen steps, and increasing knowledge inspires each step's key, would be my guess." She sighs softly, then smiles slightly, "I wonder if we can fool a worm into telling us the answer...?"

"I don't know, Freyja. The Lord had to have been at least of the Tenth Gate to use that as the password for the worms." Vakkal thinks for a moment. "And that leads me to believe she was not above using the keys as passwords or in her writings, if she left any."

Freyja nods, falling silent again as she thinks. Zero adjusts his belt a bit, the extra pouches filled with the datapads and holoprojector. He balances the desire not to leave anything significant behind with the desire not to jingle when he walks. Freyja finally asks curiously, "So at what point does the Oather become a Lord? Which gate; do you know?"

Vakkal replies, "The Oath and the Hierarchy are separate. One can be Lord, apprentice, or journeyman, and be of any Gate in the Oath. Though in practice I can't imagine anyone other than a Lord being of the higher Gates."

The basin stretches out before the three on the platform, a not-entire-pleasant smell emanating from it. Zero mms. "Well. I don't particularly feel like a swim..." He plays his glow rod light across the surface.

Freyja nods to Vakkal, then goes silent again until they return to the entrance room. There, she leans on the railing, studying the stagnant pool. "Me either. All right... how do we examine it more closely?" The murky water makes no reaction to the light, though every so often now one can hear a little plop of water as one might hear in a fish-filled pond. Freyja says curiously, "You know what we didn't find? Any way for the lord to comfortably talk to the worms. What would you like to bet this is an entrance hole for them? It's large enough, isn't it?"

Zero says, "Eurgh. It sounds inhabited. Could be that, or a breeding pool of some kind."

Vakkal frowns slightly. "Possibly both, actually. Neither would surprise me."

Freyja sighs quietly, muttering under her breath, "Wolf-feathers... I sure hope the key's in that information we got..." She looks over to Zero, "Well... any suggestions on what to try? I don't have a radar set-up on my datapad, unfortunately."

Zero says, "Well, we could ask the Water Authority to come drain it."

Freyja brightens, "Hey, that's right -- the Water Authority must have maps of the area -- let's ask them if there's a drain or anything here!" She'll call Diath on the comlink and ask if he could check with the Water Authority for the information.

Vakkal considers, then shakes his head. "We don't have the equipment. May I suggest we review what we have, while the Jedi or the City Guard send a droid down there?" He blinks to Zero, then nods.

Zero says, "I don't think I'd wish wading in that on even a droid."

Diath does as Freyja requests, then comes back a few minutes later, noting that the Water Authority abandoned this portion of the runoff system in favor of a newer, simpler, and more centralized system. They're a little surprised to hear the basin is filled with water; it's an overfill drain and normally should be empty. The only time it should be at all filled is if there's one of the infrequent tsunamis.

Freyja asks if there's any way for them to check, with radar or scanners or something, to see if there's a tunnel out now under the water? Zero does add to Diath the possibility of sending some unfortunate droid in there as well. The Water Authority replies that they'll be coming down there with a maintenance droid. A clogged drain is a possibility but, as the grizzled Authority manager notes, "That's some clog."

Freyja grins, "Maybe it's not a clog... but rather an old, partially collapsed tunnel dug by the worms?"

"Just hope it's not a living clog," murmurs Zero.

Freyja blinks... then nods, grimacing slightly. "They did say one of the worms died here."

Vakkal deadpans, "Or a formerly living clog."

Zero says, "Eugh." He also requests the Guard unit to remain on standby just in case something makes an appearance out of this pool.

Freyja quietly helps Zero and Vakkal examine data while they wait. Most of the datapads Zero looks through are pretty straightforward -- well, as straightforward as biogenic alchemy research can be. It's all very dry, and goes into great -- sometimes overwhelming -- detail about what Tavra Soon was doing.

It threatens to make Zero's head spin right off, or at least make him nod off with its dryness, when the last line of one of the articles catches his eye: "With this adjustment to the typical Dxunian orbalisk alchemo-genetic structure, it is possible to make them much more useful to our plans, and perhaps to change the reactivity of their poison to greater damage those who are of the Light side. By luminous beings was the shadow cast... and with this perhaps shall the shadow be cast upon the Jedi themselves. Time and experimentation will have to tell, however."

Zero says, "Stang. Read this, Freyja."

Freyja blinks, peering over Zero's shoulder and reading, "Do you suppose... 'the shadow shall be cast on the Jedi themselves' is the key? It seems... so simple... still, they do have a rather, um... simple outlook on life...?"

Zero says, "I'm more worried about the breeding plan, myself."

Freyja says, "Wait... those are the larger sized orbalisks, right? Interesting. How could a poisonous reaction be affected by how the Force is used?"

Vakkal shakes his head, "It wouldn't be that simple, I don't think. This does show, though, that Soon was not adverse to reciting the Keys in her everyday life -- moreso than was probably wise. That is our boon, however."

Freyja nods slowly to Zero's comment, "What's the date on that entry? Is it relatively recent -- as in she was already on-planet?" She nods to Vakkal also, interest beginning to light in her eyes.

Zero says, "Well, if the rumors of Darksiders wearing the things like armor is true, maybe that's how they sustain themselves. Maybe she hit on a way to make the reaction to Force power harmful instead of useful."

Freyja nods slowly again, murmuring, "Fascinating. Well... let's keep reading, then! The scientists can play with the larger orbalisks we killed, and the two experimental ones -- and more excitingly, we've got a chance on getting lucky!"

Zero says, "They go back about seven months."

Freyja grins, "Sounds about right then!" She continues determinedly reading the datapads she's helping with, looking for slightly florid-sounding phrases that might be the keys.

The other entries are, again, mostly dry. They would be virtually useless to anyone other than a biogeneticist who had a Darkside alchemical bent, and are about as memorable as the genetic code of a nerf. Every so often, though, one phrase or another leaps out at the readers: 'The light must retreat from shadow; remove the light and only darkness remains.' 'The blood-cloaked one hunted and hounded us.' 'We are dark anathema to them; to them we are a cancer amongst the heavens.' 'The lies of the luminous ones shall be revealed.' But no phrase that ends in '...fires of darkness shall cleanse the stars.'

Freyja just keeps copying them down in her datapad. Worst comes to worst, she'll recite them all! She giggles softly to herself at the mental image... poetry night out on the plains, with an appreciative audience of... worms! Zero puts down the last datapad, shaking his head. "Nothing. All that's left is the one that's written in Sith."

Freyja looks hopefully at Vakkal, "Can you read any of this?"

Vakkal shakes his head sadly. "I can't. I only read the most basic of Sith hieroglyphics. This... is some dialect or style of writing used by the Smiths for scientific study. A symbol can have up to thirty meanings in this style of writing, depending on context and surrounding symbols."

Zero says, "We'll just save it for an expert, then... what's taking the Authority so long?"

Freyja sighs softly and disappointedly... then says slowly, "Well... do you know the Sith hieroglyph for fire, Vakkal?"

Vakkal nods, "I do, but it would do no good in this case. If it was written in this style, 'fire' could be almost any symbol. It's partly phonetic, partly symbolic."

Freyja murmurs under her breath, "Wolf-feathers!" then sighs again, "Ah well." She looks around, "Good question, Zero... they are taking a while." She checks in on the comlink with Jedi Diath, "Hello? Is it just us, or has it been a while for the Water Authority?" She adds a bit apologetically, "We were worrying a little...?

From above the steps comes a wry, "Keep yer robes on, we're comin'..." Two WA workers are wrestling with a hovering droid that blerts irritably at them. "Sorry, old Threedee-Six here didn't want to come along." It braaaaaaaaps at the middle-aged woman. "Oh, calm down, it's not that bad! The flood last month was worse and you didn't complain! Much."

Freyja grins, half in relief, looking up at the approaching group. Zero says, "Ah. Glad you're here; we were worried you'd run into something we'd missed."

Freyja adds cheerfully, "Thanks for coming!"

The other member of the team, a younger man, starts programming the droid while one of the spherical Balmorran droid's eyes swivel over to watch him dubiously. The woman blinks at Zero. "Something we missed? Should I be worried?" she asks, chuckling. "What, a couple of eyuu crawled into the water system or something?"

Freyja says curiously, "What's an eyuu?"

Zero says, "Heh. That's just an urban legend. Lizards, Freyja. Big predatory reptiles."

Freyja says, "Oh." She studies the water curiously for a moment, then grins ruefully, "Rather have those, actually, than the orbalisks or the worms."

Zero says, "Nothing you guys should worry about. We think we've got them all, but they breed like they're on fire, so when you didn't arrive right away we were a little worried." Freyja studies the droid curiously as well, wondering if it's one of her family's make. She grins -- it's certainly got enough personality for that!

The woman chuckles. "I know, ten years in the Water Authority and I've not seen one yet. Hey, Kai. Have you finished telling Threedee-Six what we want?" She looks a little worriedly at Zero and Freyja. "You... think. Soooo... I should be packing a flamer or wave gun the next time we come down here?"

The droid seems to give a long-suffering electronic sigh as Kai closes the panel. "Good to go." He pats the side of the droid, and it gives another rude sound before it drifts over the edge, glow rods poking out of its hull before it lowers itself down. It barely touches the water before it buzzes indignantly. The woman sighs. "Come on already! I promise we'll give you a nice oil bath when we get back to the shop."

That seems to comfort the droid, since it then sinks down into the water. Kai opens up a portable terminal. "Well, let's see what that cantankerous old guy can show us..." On the screen is a droid's eye view of the water. It's murky, lit with beams of light from the droid's glow rods as it goes down... and down... and down... Kai frowns. "Twenty meters down. The basin isn't supposed to be this deep, is it?"

His companion shakes her head. "No... eight at most, at the deepest point..."

Zero hms. "No, I don't think a flamer's necessary, I'm pretty certain we killed the infestation before it could escape into the system at large. I'm more worried about this basin right now..."

On the screen the edges of the basin can now be seen, narrowing into a vertical tunnel -- except the edges aren't smooth -- they're very much rocky, through clay and sandstone. "We're well below the water table," Kai notes. "That must be how it filled up. But how-"

On the screen the tunnel abruptly ends as the droid kicks up a cloud of soil and gravel that blocks all sight; the droid switches to some kind of sensor locator. The bottom of the basin is thirty-five meters below the surface in a tunnel about five meters in diameter, with the bottom being a mass of loose gravel and mud... as if it collapsed in on itself relatively recently. Or... multiple times. Freyja nods thoughtfully, "So... it is the worms' entrance-way..."

Zero says, "Must be."

The woman glances to the two. "Uh... what is this 'worms' you're talking about?"

Zero says, "The things that have been assaulting the local power plants."

Freyja says, "The ones that were eating power stations. They won't be coming here right now, though, since no one's using excessive amounts of power. Right, what Zero said."

The woman blinks, then 'ohs!' "Those beasts. Ergh... I hope they don't! Well. It looks like the basin's drain is clogged because it's had a new drain drilled... straight through for about thirty more meters. And that drain is clogged. Uh... it'll take some serious pumping to clear that out, and since it's below the water table, it'll just fill right up again."

Freyja nods cheerfully, "Well, that explains that! So... I guess that wraps it up here."

Zero says, "Fortunately the person responsible for all this has been silenced already. We hope to have the problem solved in a few days' time. You can bring your partner back up now... thanks for going to the trouble for us."

Kai nods, "Right, let me get Threedee-Six back up. He's gonna be wondering what the heck is going on..."

The woman nods. "No problem. Glad we could help. The WA's gonna want to close up this basin somehow, but we can't do that if those damn worms are involved."

Zero nods, "Well, with luck we'll have this dealt with soon. You've been a great help to us."

Freyja grins in some sympathy at the dripping, slimy droid as it resurfaces. It's not a Cyteller, she knows -- they'd be more likely to have a police droid here. There are a few Balmorran companies that make city maintenance droids, though. She looks at Zero, "So, head in and report?"

The WA workers gather up their irritated droid and dry it off (which assuages it a little bit) before heading back up the runoff tunnels. Zero says, "Yeah. We'll let the Company have the books and alchemical apparatus, and we'll have to comm up to Ark Nova and see if the Master knows who might be able to translate this thing for us."

Freyja waves a cheerful goodbye and thanks to the WA workers, then heads out with her friends. "Maybe Paladin Dakkan knows some Sith? He knew Khar Velos, and that can't exactly be common knowledge either, after all?"

Zero thanks the City Guard unit as well. "Appreciate your sticking around for us. If there's anything we can do for you guys later, please let us know."

Freyja grins and adds, "Thanks for the flame-job too!"

Once the all-clear is given, the Company comes down and clears out the pump station, carting most of the material to their building, noting that Freyja and Zero are welcome to come and look it over when they want. Some of the stuff, though, they call in a hazmat team for, particularly the cylinders that hold the proto-orbalisks.

Once back above ground, the two Padawans call the Ark Nova station, and are shortly put in touch with Roakkana. "It's good to hear from you!" the Wookie says. "When I felt your beacon in the Force suddenly awaken I was mortified; I'm glad you're all right."

Freyja sounds puzzled, "Mortified? I... don't understand, Master Roakkana?"

"Well, more horrified, I think. I was worried the worms would home in on you, child. Being digested by one of those creatures is certainly not what I hope to have happen to you!"

Freyja laughs! "Oh, I understand... and hai, they did! But it worked out well -- and I think I've discovered a new thing I can do in the Force!" She happily describes what happened, with Zero interjecting as necessary.

Zero adds, "Well, we've got other good news too, Master. We cleaned out Tavra Soon's lair. Looks like someone got to her before we did. We also found something; think you can answer a little trivia for us?"

Roakkana responds positively to Freyja's news. "You're learning much, child, and the Force is teaching you much. This is certainly a good sign, I think. How do you mean, Zero, that someone got to the lair first? And I'll certainly try to answer..."

Zero says, "Tavra Soon's dead, master. All we found were some 'pets' she left behind that had run amok, and some alchemical equipment. More to the point, we came across her notes... one set of which is written is Sith, apparently. Think you know someone trustworthy that could translate?"

The Wookie replies, "Written in Sith? Not even Republic Intel has very many people who can read Sith, I'm afraid. Paladin...? Eeth Dakkan can read very basic Sith, but not fluently, he says."

Freyja asks curiously, "Is Paladin Dakkan there, Master Roakkana?"

"Yes, he is, child. Do you wish to speak with him?"

Freyja nods, saying cheerfully, "Neh, just tell him hello then, and we found her apprentice!" She doesn't mention who they think the Sith lord's slayer is.

Zero hrms. "If we transmitted a section up to you, do you think Paladin Dakkan could take a pass at it and see if he recognizes anything? We think this last datapad might be a lead on finally putting the worm situation to rest."

"I will tell him, certainly, child. And that is an interesting development. Has he caused problems for you?" To Zero, Master Roakkana replies, "I will show it to him, Zero, certainly. What is it that you hope to find?

Freyja nods, adding a bit excitedly, "She mentions some of the keys to the various Oather gates, Master Roakkana. We need the key to the tenth gate to control the worms!" She adds, "Neh, the apprentice was no problem, Master. Vakkal caught him, in fact."

Roakkana is quiet for a moment. "Hmm. I think I see. That is certainly a problem. I will show him what you send, of course."

Zero adds more calmly, "The worms' biology has been... altered, Master. They seem to 'think' almost like droids, in terms of loops and conditions. Apparently Tavra Soon coded the worms with some kind of password; a phrase of some significance to an advanced Oath cultist."

Freyja says, "They know they don't have a master currently... they kept asking me if I was the new master, and that's the test they posit to prove mastery over them."

The Wookie says, "And until you prove that you are their new master, they'll continue their actions, I take it?"

Zero says, "The right phrase may allow us to assert control over them and break their programming. I can't say I like the idea of their being on Sedrak at all, given that I don't know what their normal eating habits are, but anything's got to be better than random power station attacks and having to suppress our Force talents."

Freyja says, "Hai, I'm afraid so, Master Roakkana, although I may have bluffed two of them into stopping eating Force stuff." She adds happily, "If we can find it, I can tell them to stop eating energy sources long enough for you and Paladin Dakkan to decide what should be done with them." She adds to Zero, "Oh, they eat herd animals out on the plains, remember? We need to stop that too, so the natives aren't harmed."

Master Roakkana says thoughtfully, "We'll certainly do what we can with the translation."

Freyja says, "Thanks, Master Roakkana! Tell Paladin Dakkan thank you also, please? And maybe we'll have more news for you later tonight. We're going to try talking to a native again then."

Zero says, "They don't belong on this world. Something's got to be done about it... at any rate, this is the first step, I hope. I'm switching to a secure channel, Master. I'll forward you the contents of the datapad."

"I will tell him, child, thank you. And good luck tonight. Ah, the data is received, Zero, thank you. We'll have a look at it immediately."

Freyja whispers quietly, just to Zero, "Let him know who we think killed the Sith lord too, securely, hai?" Zero adds, as a text-only rider on the datapad transmission, that it seems the Silver Path are the ones who got to Tavra Soon before they did. What that may mean, he adds, isn't exactly clear, but it's heartening news to them.

Freyja grins happily, watching until Zero's done, then hugs him cheerfully, "I think we're doing well! Master Roakkana seems intrigued, at least!"

Zero loops an arm around Freyja's waist. "I figured he would be. Besides, it'll be something for him and Dakkan to work on together. I'm sure he'll be happy about that. Anyway, c'mon, let's go clean ourselves up. It's gonna take hours to get the reek out of my boots."

Freyja laughs, "Sounds good to me! Let me drop off the stuff for Karrac first, and we'll be right there." She tilts her head inquiringly at Vakkal, still smiling, "Want to come along to see Karrac with me, or head right for the baths?"

Vakkal considers for a moment. "Both, sounds fine, actually. I'll go with you to Karrac."

Zero says, "We'll go home and clean up, and we can fill my parents in on what's happening over dinner. Maybe they'll have some insight on how to handle the nomads properly... they've had more experience than I have."

Freyja grins at Vakkal, "All right!" then squeezes gently before stepping away from Zero, "Be there in a bit then, Zero. Don't use up all the hot water!" She laughs, trotting quickly and smoothly off to take care of this errand. Zero can hear her saying to Vakkal, as they round the corner, "Let me check with Jedi Diath, since you're probably right and they don't want the dagger going to him..."

Freyja will explain to Jedi Diath (so it's coming from her and not Vakkal) that if she understands correctly, the dagger is from Karrac's homeworld, and the scroll is a beginner's teaching study for the Oa- uh, for the Sith sub-group he was a part of. May she return the scroll to the canid, at least, along with his clothing? Freyja will turn the vibroblade dagger carefully over in her hands, examining it curiously for any markings or distinctiveness, as she talks to the Jedi.

Karrac is more or less right where they left him, and Vakkal is right -- Diath and Baas are very much wary of the idea of letting Karrac have the vibroknife back any time soon. Knight-Captain Baas is also not keen on the idea of letting Karrac have the Sith training material -- at the very least before it can be examined.

Freyja nods and doesn't argue, simply handing over the blade and scroll. Now that they're not in possibly dangerous underground tunnels, she also takes a moment to examine the clothing closely. She wants to be sure she's returning only clothing... not any secretive weaponry or tools that might be sewn into it.

The scroll is in simple Sith hieroglyphs, if such a thing could be said for the jumble of simplified picture-characters. The vibroknife is fairly simple as well, though it has some markings on it which Vakkal identifies as the relatively primitive writing style his people use. It's actually a fairly recent development for his people. As for the clothing, there doesn't appear to be anything that is concealing any sort of weapon or tool, except for one vest which has a set of mechanical and electric lockpicks sewn into the seams.

Freyja grins and carefully removes those, saving them for Zero later. Then she neatly repacks the clothing and asks permission for her and Vakkal to go visit the prisoner again.

Karrac looks up as the two enter, fidgeting a little. "You... found it all right? And the orbalisks didn't give you any trouble?" he asks worriedly. He glances at the doorway, wondering if the third person is going to come in or if that one was harmed, which would lead to him being harmed...

Freyja smiles, "Hai, we found it. You told the truth... so I wanted to say thank you." She paces over slowly, not wanting to alarm the already twitchy Sith canid, and shrugs out of the backpack, handing it to him.

He lets out a breath and blinks as Freyja hands him the backpack. "Ahh... you're welcome... and thank you..."

Freyja adds politely, "I'm sorry we couldn't return the vibroblade and the scroll to you, although perhaps you understand why?" She adds curiously, "Did you know about the larger orbalisks?"

He blinks again. "Ah... oh, those... yes... yes, I understand." He blinks and frowns. "Larger? You mean there were larger than the two Lord Soon kept as pets?"

Freyja considers a moment, then holds her hands out, "About this big?"

He nods quickly, "Yes, those were the ones she was keeping as pets."

Freyja nods, "Apparently they had a lot of little offspring then." She shudders slightly, adding, "Disgusting little things..." She tilts her head, studying the dog Sith thoughtfully, then pulls up a chair to sit in front of him, "So... you seem puzzled. What about?"

"I'm just surprised. I didn't know that they would mate and create more, that's all."

Freyja is, although she doesn't realize it consciously, starting to react to the twitchy prisoner like she would to a spooky animal she was training -- her voice is slow, calm, and low; she doesn't move too fast; she keeps strong eye contact even if he keeps looking away; and she practically exudes confidence and calm reassurance. "I see." She studies Karrac thoughtfully, then adds gently, "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me, Karrac, while it's just me and Vakkal here?"

Karrac shakes his head quickly. "Nono... no, I'm fine, th-thank you. I'm... glad that nothing happened to you, down in the tunnels."

Freyja raises a politely disbelieving eyebrow, and gives him a second chance to reply. "You're sure?"

Karrac seems to take a moment to calm himself down, then nods quietly. "I'm... sure, yes. Thank you."

Freyja sighs quietly to herself, then just nods, "All right. In that case, let me give you one more thing... some information." She gives the poor dog Sith a somewhat sympathetic look, then says gently, "I don't know if you've had any contact with the Oathers since your lord died... but since that time the Sith have discovered their existence, and are hard at work stamping them violently out. The Dark Lord is not amused by their presumption." She pauses a moment for him to digest that information, then continues quietly.

Freyja says, "This means... you are in a very bad position. The Oathers like killing captured former Oathers, which you are, to them... and the other Sith like killing Oathers... which you are, to them." Gently she says, "You can't go back. You've only got forward as an option. May I suggest you think very hard about who you align yourself with next? -because you're going to need someone strong enough to keep you alive while you learn how to keep yourself alive on your own." She adds quietly, "Someone... you can trust."

Karrac blinks again, then sighs, looking deflated. "We'd heard that something had happened," he says quietly, his eyes closed. "Lord Soon wasn't sure if it would make the Moot and the Dark Lord aware of the Oath. I guess it did, after all." He opens his eyes, looking up at Freyja. "You... you don't know if Lord Ghang is of the Oath, do y-"

Before Freyja can answer, Vakkal growls out loudly, "No. He is not. He was my lord once and I tell you that now for truth."

Karrac winces a little, then nods quietly. "I... I understand, Jedi. Thank you for warning me."

Freyja shakes her head slowly, "Vakkal is correct. Lord Ghang is not an Oather; he's a Lord of War. He's also very upset with the Oathers currently." She watches Karrac in quiet pity for a moment, wondering if he can see what she's so broadly hinting at -- regrettably, probably not -- then sighs, "Well. It may sound odd, but I'd think someone like yourself might perhaps understand... may the Force be with you, Karrac. You're going to need it."

Freyja rises and turns to go. Poor kid. Tossed off his homeworld for how he looked before he could even hunt properly... 'orphaned' before even a year of training... I wish I could just tell him what I think he should do -- but it has to be his decision. She sighs quietly, and heads for the door with Vakkal -- then pauses at the door and turns to say curiously, "I do have one question, actually... for both of you. Why is Karrac terrified of you, Vakkal?"

Vakkal blinks a bit, then looks back at the other canid. His jaw works a little; then he takes a quiet breath. "When I was a hunter on Khar Velos," he says, "I expressed an interest in leaving, of seeing the world beyond ours. Of following Lord Ghang's call to arms. My father was the leader of our family, our extended family -- the 'Green River clan,' as Karrac put it. He and I argued about it to no end. He did not want me to go; nobody in my family did."

"It went on like that for a year, each day the tension rising. My father threatened to bar me from the Great Hunt, but would not actually do so. By tradition he could not; I had not left the family yet. But my elder brother, who saw in himself the role of clan leader someday, decided to prevent me himself, seeing it as wrong that I, who was considering leaving, should hunt with the family. We argued, even before the hunt had spread out into the forest-hills. We argued, we came to blows, we fought for an hour. At the end he drew his knife and cut me. And in anger -- I killed him."

Vakkal pauses momentarily, gathering his thoughts. "That hour I began the trek through the forest to Lord Ghang's city, from which he ruled over us. Do you remember when I said that a leader had to undertake the punishment of their people themselves, and not delegate it? That is a tradition of my people. There are harsh punishments for murder amongst my people, and the leader of the family must carry out those punishments. My father came after me."

Freyja draws her breath in slowly, her eyes widening. She'd not wanted to force Vakkal to tell her like this... she starts to reach a hand out to stop him, then realizes that would be even worse -- so she just rests her hand quietly on him, and listens.

Vakkal doesn't quite deflate when Freyja touches him. But he does seem to loose some of the frustration within, which showed when Karrac would even just open his mouth. "But I did not want to go back to a punishment I did not feel I deserved. I had killed my brother, yes, to keep myself from being in turn killed -- a knife is not drawn unless one intends to cut and kill. But that would matter little. Even as my father told me: he knew I was at fault, and that the laws of our people called for a fang for a fang, a blade for a blade... and a life for a life."

Freyja continues listening, wondering with quiet sadness if poor Vakkal had to slay his father as well, or managed to escape in time. She doesn't remove her hand, instead stroking gently along his back like he seems to enjoy sometimes, as he speaks. She can understand why he was so reluctant to speak of it. She doesn't find this revolting or terrifying, though -- she finds it deeply tragic.

Vakkal can't look at Freyja at this point. "There were two bodies in my wake when I left Khar Velos aboard the Malice. Lord Ghang swore to the assembled family leaders that he would take responsibility for me, and ensure that I would serve the Sith Empire as punishment. It was enough, but not enough for my infamy to be held silent. This is why I cannot return to Khar Velos, this is why my name is reviled there, why even my visage is considered that of a criminal, why this one," he gestures to Karrac, "-is so scared that I will likewise kill him."

Freyja carefully doesn't ask who the second body was, or stop her slow, gentle stroking, but she does turn her head to look curiously at Karrac. "Does he really look that much like you, though, Vakkal? I mean... well, to me he looks much more slightly built... and there's more of a yellowish tinge to his fur." She tilts her head to regard Vakkal thoughtfully, her hand gently brushing the fur around his face back. "Are you distinctively marked for your people?"

Vakkal nods quietly, sighing softly as Freyja's touches seem to calm him down. "I... am, somewhat. Karrac is as lightly built as I was when I left Khar Velos. I... put on a little weight, a little muscle, when I trained under Lord Ghang. And my face, the shape of my ears and muzzle. And the movements, the way one of my people walks or stalks through the forest, they are also telling."

Freyja looks at Karrac again, then back at Vakkal, and smiles slowly, "How... strange. The story you tell is so unlike the Vakkal I know." She adds quietly to Karrac, "He's not going to harm you, truly. He's got no reason to."

Vakkal smiles quietly and says softly, "The Vakkal you know is a Sith and your sworn Soulguard."

Karrac is quiet, and finally looks up to Freyja, managing to nod a little. "I... I will try to remember that. I'm... sorry I reacted the way I did."

Freyja smiles warmly, her eyes lighting up, and hugs Vakkal quietly at his comment. She's very happy about that -- it makes her feel somehow... more worthwhile that someone like Vakkal has such faith in her. Still leaning slightly against Vakkal she smiles at Karrac too, "It's all right... I guess you didn't know -- you'd only heard the stories. But that's what I meant when I said you should think very hard about where you're going next, Karrac. You're not rushed, right now. You actually have some time to think, and make the best decision... for you."

Freyja tilts her head, realizing Karrac still looks rather dazed. She grins -- poor guy, he's been hit with a lot by her just now. She smiles at Vakkal, "Come on... let's go get a bath and get cleaned up... and Karrac can have some peace and quiet to think in."

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Last modified: 2002-Jul-16 16:14:54

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