And Now Our Roles, Reversed

[Valik]

Dear [member="Ashin Varanin"],

I've been hearing a lot of rumors about you lately. Adopting a child, retiring from active duty, turning to the Jedi, even letting yourself be stripped of the Force. None of which I'd particularly have recommended, but your life has always lead a different branch than mine. In any case I find myself at a conundrum. I have a contract or two in the Jedi, but none who know me for who I am. For all I've done. I can't say anyone in particular really does know the full extent of my creations, but if I were put someone at the top it'd be you. Or perhaps Anaya Fen, but I know how to watch her. She is predictable enough. You however? Far less predictable, far more dangerous.

I won't lie, I considered killing you. Unleashing a beast here, poisoning a drink there but none of these things had the particular 'oomph' I was looking for, and despite your current misgivings I've always respected you're capability. Having the power to bend the Force to one's will is a lot more common than one would assume, but the mind and will to use it properly, to accomplish one's goals? A rarity, and a quality you've always possessed. The first time I met you the Sith Empire was fleeing Dromund Kass from the Clockwork fiasco, and I asked permission to examine an infected Kaine. Though you were clear you'd kill me if I turned, you respected my potential, even when I was just a budding scientist. But now our roles have switched, but the result is the same. I won't claim to know you, as I doubt any aside from you wife know the true you, but I do know your potential, your strength. To me it means you have the potential to be a useful ally, or a dangerous foe, despite claims of your lost strength.

Obviously I'd prefer you to remain the former, not only due to your capabilities but also because you present a unique opportunity for me, the ability to study one who's been stripped of the Force. I have also learned recently that your wife harbors an unnatural midi-chlorian count, further possibilities for unique analysis. Therefore I'd like to extend an olive branch, to show my good will, and hope for a continued business relationship. I have made a pet for your little youngling, complete with many abilities that will assist in guarding the child, and perhaps even training in the Force. With your permission I'd like to come by sometime, maybe drop off the little pup and discuss our futures together. Or even apart, should that be your final decision.

Awaiting your response,

Warren Valik

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"]

I'm surprised that I'm surprised that you've planned my death; I've certainly returned the favor a time or two. But we've always done business as adults, and you've always been scrupulously fair in your dealings with me so long as your curiosity still sparks at what I have to offer. By all means, feel free to visit me at our apartment on Annaj. Examining Spencer or her genetics is something I can't authorize; that's her business, naturally. But Ibaris is very much looking forward to her...puppy, and I'm certainly willing to barter your request for one of my own. I'm including my current medical file, including some notes on my current Force connection, which is very modest. The file contains no information on the current state of my midi-chlorians, as I frankly have no idea what effects the procedure may have had in that department.

It strikes me that it's been years since our last major transaction. You might say we've accumulated a backlog. There are certainly quite a few concepts rolling around in my head, things I could never have pulled off as an alchemist. I have no idea if they'll be within your capabilities, and I say that plainly, not as some inciting prod to your ego; they're not things I've ever encountered in life or in records. We've always worked best on the foundation of quid pro quo, so I suppose I'll make two small lists. The first is what I'm willing to trade; the second is what I would want, in a perfect world. As you've always been equitable with me, I have no problem leaving it to you to determine how many items from my 'wish list' would be fair compensation for what I offer.

• The medical examination in question
• Opportunity to examine a shard of one of the Healing Crystals of Fire
• Opportunity to examine a Sigil of Hope and Murr Earrings, Force-power-enhancement alchemy analogues used primarily by the Silver Jedi Order
• Opportunity to examine the lightsaber of Zaiden, a frankly bizarre artifact capable of making shadows tangible or somehow corporeal

In return for any or all of the above, here are some possibilities that have crossed my mind:

• Would it be possible to amplify the effects of a Force disperser within a very small radius, to the point where a small item, of perhaps fifty grams in mass, could produce an equivalent to a ysalamiri effect?
• Conversely, would it be possible to create a Force beacon of sorts, within the same weight range? A false nexus or a false positive for a Sith artifact, perhaps -- something designed to draw Force-users to a certain area.
• Is it possible to alchemize a firegem to the point where it can survive the rapid acceleration and deceleration of an anti-materiel bullet, miniature sabot round, or railgun slug? Failing that, is it possible to miniaturize inertial dampeners to fit a firegem inside a fifty-gram package? Would it be possible to apply ionite within that same weight limit? I think you see where I'm going with this. Failing that, I have a Mandalorian sniper rifle capable of shooting anything up to an inch in diameter.
• All of the above are, frankly, pipe dreams and stray thoughts. My main request would be a sniper scope or omnicompatible eyepiece that allows me to see...more. To see the truth, ideally. As above, I think you take my meaning.

 

[Valik]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

Honestly, I was more hoping for you to put in a good word than authorize me to examine Spencer. She's always been a unique specimen, though now I have a theory as to why, and if I'm write an eval could put leaps into my research. As for you file, it's extremely helpful. As a woman not versed in the medical field it's extremely well kept and annotated, and will expedite a lot of my evaluations. As for your concepts I can't say I believe their is anything outside my grasp anymore. I won't give you details as I'm sure you won't enjoy them but suffice to say I'm at the point where alchemy is more than just a way to build things, it's also a way for me to do battle on the fly. Your requests, while enormously ambitious(and I truly am thankful for that. You know how I love a challenge) are not beyond my skill. I've actually already acquired a Ysalamiri, so the first request won't be too difficult. I'll bring it over, but leave on my ship. The Second is merely a matter of creating a faux-nexus, imbuing a large amount of the Force into something except making sure it doesn't do anything. Your third request isn't troublesome in the alchemical sense, but acquiring the necessary materials might present issues. As for your fourth, well, I have a couple of ideas on how to accomplish such a thing. We'll discuss payment as we get there, because frankly I won't be able to pull all it off on the spot(a testament to your creativity), and I trust you enough to keep your word. I'll be heading over to Annaj in three days so hopefully I'm not interrupting anything.

Cordially,

Valik





True to his word, Valik arrived on Annaj three days later, holding an excite-able black-coated puppy in one arm and a briefcase in the other. Setting the briefcase down he went over to ring the doorbell, but before he could and enthusiastic duo of barks were let out by the Barkspawn. Between that and the ring they were sure to know the scientist was there, and he was not alone.. He thought he heard the excited shriek of a young girl, but perhaps he was imagining things. Or perhaps it was the first of several he'd hear for the night. Children were such odd little creatures.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"]

Greetings at the door were a parody of hospitality; in this household, with the guests they kept, that was de rigeur, standard procedure. As [member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"] made the vigorous acquaintance of her new puppy, Ashin conducted Valik to the apartment's small but comprehensive medcentre, a testament to just how often she and Spencer went into battle. She closed the door against yelps both Sithspawn and little-girl in nature -- [member="Spencer Jacobs"] would certainly be on hand to make sure their play didn't get too rough -- and turned to Valik and his briefcase.

"Prompt." She disrobed without hesitation or embarrassment, changing into a medical gown. There had never been the slightest hint of anything sexual in their relationship; frankly, she wasn't sure Valik had ever had an impure thought, as her mother would have defined it. "The case on the counter has the items I mentioned. I do need them back, but you're known for learning an item's nature with...unusual quickness."

She sat on the examination table, bare legs hanging over the edge. "We've established what you want, and what I want. When I said I would leave exchange rate up to you, I meant it."

 

[Valik]

As [member="Ibaris Varanin-Jacobs"] came over for the puppy Valik opened the briefcase, revealing a lot of medical examination supplies, but also a small bag of treats. Handing it to the girl as she acquired the dog he gave her a strong, if uncomfortable smile, as if dealing with children amicably was difficult for him.

"These are his favorite treats. Give him a few of these and he'll love you forever." He said, handing them off as he spotted [member="Spencer Jacobs"]. Valik was not the strongest of sensory Force-Users but he had kept his sense open for her, and found she was everything he'd expected from a 20,000+ midi-chlorian count individual. Perhaps even more. He wondered if she had the same steel-trap mind that Ashin did, but he suspected Ashin didn't marry for looks. She was someone to be aware of it seemed.

Turning back to Varanin he found the woman disrobing and changing into a medical gown unabashedly. He was admittedly surprised, though it didn't show. Few had the willingness to bypass social conventions so readily. If Valik felt anything over the bare-skinned woman, it was respect for her economical view on things. She spoke of a case on the counter, holding the artifacts for his examination but not keeping as she put it. He only needed to touch them for a second, truth be told, so that wasn't an issue for him. As she sat on the examination table he held the shard of a Healing Crystal of Fire, one of the few artifacts rumored to be able to counter Sith Poison. For now. He thought to himself before returning it to the case.

Straight to business she went, an attitude appreciated by the scientist. She also put an extremely high value on her sniper rounds it seemed, letting Valik choose his own terms. "I'm highly appreciative of your generosity, but there is another item I find myself in need of." He said as he rummaged through carefully organized medical supplies, pulling out a scanner and beginning the eval. "I'm not certain you have it, but I figured I'd ask while I'm here. You see, I'd like to get a little more reign in my inventions. I know Rave Merrill has the ability to track things marked with her blood, and was wondering if you might know such a thing could be achieved." He asked as he put away his scanner. Perfectly healthy, unless he was missing something. Putting it back in the briefcase he unveiled a small microchip, and held it so the former Empress could see it.

"This is a microchip that, when implanted allows me to monitor the midi-chlorians of an individual. A simple blood test can give me a count, but what I aim to study is how they react, what they do when someone channels the Force. Easily installed, easily removed, and I know a trick or two that can stop scarring. Amicable? Preferences on location?" He asked. Normally he'd go through a spiel of 'this does not poison you, allow me to read your thoughts, control your thoughts' etc, but he figured Ashin would take him at his word. Or if not she could always ask. Unlike most his test subjects this was willing and open. He didn't need to worry about escape attempts or would-be heroes popping in at inopportune moments.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"]
"Blood trail has been useful to me in the past. I use it to keep track of a handful of things, special things -- the Chimaera, the Shev'la Kal, the Peregrine, my lightsabre, a few other odds and ends." Including the Kaiburr Crystal, but she and Spencer had, so far as she could recall, never told a soul they owned it. She presented her forearm for the microchip without comment. "I'll barter the blood trail ritual for your psychometric technique. Not that I'll ever have your facility with it, but I've always been fond of what you might call utility abilities -- my offensive skillset has always been fairly straightforward by comparison. I like to have options, minor techniques that only apply if I'm clever -- but techniques that can change everything if I use them properly."

 

[Valik]

Valik pulled out a scalpel, notably Sith Alchemized for sharpness, and put a precision cut on the woman's forearm, before attaching the microchip. He didn't bother with anathesia, this woman didn't need it, and it wasn't a particularly gruesome wound in anycase. A light touch on the wound would find it being slowly restitched at a microscopic level, a lesson he'd learned from the Jedi Grandmaster. And now he presumed to learn a lesson from a Jedi Padawan. Funny, as those were perhaps the two only lessons he's learned from others rather than self-determination.

"A fair trade. Utility for Utility." He said as the wound was finally stitched together. "Now that's installed we're done with the 'traditional' eval. Now what I need you to do is use the Force, in as many ways as you know how, and from there I'll just remove it and we'll be done. We can even start the psychometry lesson if you wish."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"]

"Oh, I still know it all. They didn't touch my memory, though they probably should have. As for what I can still do, that's something else."

She ran through the gamut of the abilities she'd redeveloped, commentating on them to name them if they weren't as obvious as, say, a Force shield. Vision enhancement, short-term memory enhancement, breath control, adiabatic shielding - at the end, she practiced Force-enhanced aim by flicking a small coin at various impromptu targets. She also continued as she'd done from the beginning, as she did any time she was around Valik or any other Dark Lord: she was, all things considered, pretty decent at reading people's temperaments and intentions, a mix of mild precognition and mild empathy, and she exercised that throughout. The whole gamut took perhaps fifteen minutes, at which point she shifted to an in-depth description of the blood trail ritual which would make his blood capable of marking items or people, permanently. She discussed how to tell different blood trails apart, prioritize some and push others to the background. She mentioned how contact with the blood burned gently, and left a reddish-brown stain like a birthmark. She discussed how a blood trail could only give a general idea of distance, and that long-distance tracking normally required a series of jumps to narrow down a location, sometimes a very long series. She demonstrated that one could not sense another's blood trail.

 

[Valik]

A light chickle emerged as she described her predicament, something he should have accounted for. Adequate knowledge with inadequate ability. "Fair enough." He said before the woman wrnt through a slew of different abilities, the large majority of which Valik didn't have aptitude or desire to learn. Unlike most Sith Valik's first love was not combat, but rather ingenuity. Valik dutifully observed however, making notes as to what power was used when, and what effect it had on his readings. From there the Fringe reservist detailed how the ritual was conducted, how to deal with the effect afterwards, prioritizing one trail or another. Again vigorous notes were kept on the subject, albeit in a separate file on the man's datapad.

Once that was done Valik returned the lesson in kind, showing Ashin how to read the curves and contours of an item, discover it's past. How power and time weren't the only factors in how far you could go back, but how connected you were with the object aided as well. The shirt of a loved one, or a reviled enemy, would provide far more information than that of a generic bounty hunter. Exact ranges were hard to identify, but a specific objective always helped narrow things down. Once he was done explaining the procedure he let Ashin attempt it, as he got a gallon of water, pricked his finger, and swirled it around the glass.

"I feel I should tell you that psychometry doesn't always work." He said as the solution turned clear, rather than a blood red. "Admittedly my fault, but something useful." He said as he poured a bit of the water onto a fork, then handed it to Ashin. If she tried to view it's past she'd find the last 24 hours gone. "You can keep the rest. I'm sure you'll find it useful." Valik said before he looked at his datapad once more, attempting to go through all of the data.

"Now, I can't promise success or a permanent change, but I believe I could try to 'jumpstart' your connection to the Force through your midi-chlorians. It is your decision of course, though I will mention the chances of any negative effects are extremely minimal."

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"]

One could only pick up so much of psychometry in a single session. She presumed that his brief contact with the crystals had given him the information he valued, but this was what Valik did, as integral to him as defensive techniques had been to her. When she gave psychometry a try -- half a dozen tries really, maximizing her practice time in his presence -- she got glimpses, no more. Snatches of faces, motions, feelings. She was, after all, weak in the Force now, and besides that she'd never been very good at the sensory aspects of that discipline. Since her stilling, though, her restart, she'd paid more attention to that weakness, capable of hearing a whisper when she was no longer shouting all the time, as Skywalker had put it. Glimpses were appropriate to a Padawan, and glimpses would have to do.

"I'm told that what they did to me may have damaged my midi-chlorians, and that's something I'd just as soon see reversed. If you're interested in trying it, feel free."

 

[Valik]

Valik grinned at the woman's response. Though Valik admitted he'd never tried something like this before she leapt in unafraid, just eager for a solution to a problem. He wondered if that was a lesson taught to her by the multitudes of Sith Poisons she had encountered in her day, or perhaps the cancer she bared after Roche. Or perhaps the woman simply had the daring necessary to jump in. Wherever her fearlessness came from it would serve Valik well. He hoped it'd do the same for her.

Putting his hands together and cracking his knuckles Valik headed closer to the former Empress before taking her hand, sitting down, and closing his eyes. He began to concentrate, to meditate as the Jedi might call it, and feel the Force around him. Blocking out all stimulus by the Force he was connected to he focused on finding the Force from but one source, the woman with which he was connected by a simple holding of hands. Deeper and deeper he went into her connection into to the Force, excluding himself from all other stimuli. At the point the only thing Ashin could do that would garner Valik's attention would be to break contact, making his work just a little harder.

Between the Force and her biology his mind traveled, going from organ system to organ, organ to tissue, tissue to cell as he simultaneously he reached out feeling her first in her strength and presence in the Force, an admittedly weaker feel than most nowadays, and then moved on not to what she was, but what she could be. A high Midi-chlorian count did not guarantee power, just like genetics did guarantee physical strength. It merely provided a basis, something to be worked upon, something to stretch a bit and enhance. Like an athlete after a bad collision Ashin Varanin had pulled her 'muscles', preventing her from accessing her full strength. But perhaps with a little prodding, making a couple connections, shaking up possibilities he could return to her her strength, even if only partially, if only for a moment.

Though Valik did not perceive, his mind lost to hsi task, the process of getting from the cellular level to the organelle level down to midi-chlorians was a lengthy one. His experience with Art of the Small and researching midi-chlorians under different environments provided a great deal of help, but at this point Valik was still a trailblazer, entering a field that had only been truly traversed once before, nearly a millennium ago. In this regard it was perhaps his weakest showing of Alchemy in years, yet at the same time the pinnacle of his accomplishments. After much concentration he found them, the white-blue mitochondria like organelles, hidden in plain sight by virtue of their attoscopic scale.

Reaching out to a singular midi-chlorian he grasped it like a gammorean would a peanut, awkward and clumsily, but as he got a firm hold on it he found he could guide it, it's direction, it's intent. Though considerable time had passed Ashin still likely felt nothing, as bending one midi-chlorian out of thousands would be akin to extracting a single drop of water from a bucket. Undaunted however Valik continued, grasping another midi-chlorian, then another, and another, and more after that. It took more time still but Valik finally had a grasp on a sizeable portion of Varanin's midi-chlorians, the large portion of which were inactive, as if a command ship were operating with the majority of it's guns offline.

What Valik did next was subtle, giving just a little nudge, as if using a spark of electricity to get a muscle moving, but it's effects would be felt immediately by the Former Empress. With Valik's view headed into the narrowest of tunnels he had lost his ability to see the bigger picture, at least for now. As he attempted to 'jumpstart' the rest of her system however he found his view clouded, as if a shadowy fog were slowly eclipsing his vision. Out and out his mind traveled, no longer able to focus with such mechanical precision. When he came to he found himself nearly unable to move, exhausted in a way that he'd never felt before, never comprehended he could be. Barely able to keep himself from falling over, let alone using the Force his senses were dulled considerably, and Valik wasn't the most precise of scanners of the first place. Trusting nothing he slowly opened his mouth to speak.

"Well?" He asked, with the rarest of emotions just barely touching into his voice. Valik wouldn't be able to identify it for quite some time, but to a more experienced man or woman? They might've sworn that it hope.

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"] [member="Spencer Jacobs"]

Ashin slipped off the examination table, still clad only in a medical gown, and closed her eyes. Patterns of Force conformed to recent memory in ways that they hadn't since the Convocation. She'd done her best, in the ensuing time, to focus on basic Force shields, starting all over again. But this time -- this was nothing basic. A faint nimbus of light snapped into being around her, limning her body. She closed her hands and remembered punching durasteel, and reality groaned with her gesture.

The full-body Force Weapon protection vanished as she conceded to the coming return of her weakness. With her remaining minutes, she focused on an ability that had once been utterly natural to her -- the ability known as grounding. Centering oneself on the heart of a world so that even a black hole's pull could not dislodge you. An old utility art passed down from Skywalker, like most of her skillset. Eyes still shut, she found Annaj's heart as she'd done so many times before, and drew herself down, connected herself to it. Her feet gripped the deck, knees bent slightly. As her weakness returned, the technique retreated. It was, like Force Weapon, far beyond the grasp of an apprentice, at least as she'd used it. She could and would continue training in this ability in the avenues of balance, coordination, learning to stand all over again -- stand against gale-force winds if necessary.

"Oh, I'd say it definitely works," she said at last, once her Force abilities were firmly back in the realm of a Padawan. "Well handled, Valik. I don't know if there'll be any permanent effects, but judging from an accident I once had, my guess is that you've permanently increased my Force potential to some limited degree."

 

[Valik]

A smile of all things formed on Valik's lips as the conqueror of a thousand worlds finally answered him. It wasn't what he was hoping to achieve, but it was a step. Something he could build off of. And something he could analyze later, view the effects of due to the IME still implanted within her.

"Limited degree? Well, it's not perfect, but it is something. Thank you for allowing me to try that." He said, as he stretched his legs and realized he still didn't have a strong connection to the Force, still exhausted. "I don't really have the strength to mend the scars afterwards, but I can remove your implant now if you wish. As for your requests I'll have the scope done within a week or two. What magnifications would you want? And would you prefer I mail it here, drop it off at a less secure location, or deliver it personally?"

[member="Ashin Varanin"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valik"]

"I'm fine with scars; go ahead and remove it. As for the scope, frankly, don't take my word for it. I'm a middling sniper at best. My longest-range rifle can shoot about twenty-three-hundred metres accurately; most of them are around sixteen hundred. Get industry experts' opinions on what's most appropriate and effective, whether that's an adjustable eyepiece or a scope that's compatible with multiple rifles, and I'll adjust to fit." She lay down again on the examination table for purposes of implant removal. "Feel free to mail it to Korriban. I've been spending a lot of time there, keeping amateurs out of the tombs."