Between A Rock And A Hard Place (Cora)

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Cora Passek"]

"Of course. I would be disappointed if it meant trust. Trust is good. Control is better," Moira said dryly when Cora informed her that going with her did not mean trust. There was the ghost of a smile on Moira's lips. Small and thin, swiftly replaced by the professional mask, but a smile nonetheless.

A genuine. Yes, this one was worth preserving. She had been right to keep those Omegan fools out. They would only have messed things up, unimaginative cogs or self-righteous moralists as they were. Moira understood the distrust well. She had long stopped trusting anyone. She betrayed everyone, ergo everyone would betray her. Her superiors did not receive any affection or trust from her, but then she did not care much for them beyond the fact that they offered her useful resources.

Of course, Cora was a resource as well.

I am going to have to sedate you, yes? she thought as Cora announced her disdain of hospitals. It seemed more like with every passing moment, but first things first. I am the one that grips you tight and raises you from perdition. Getting grandiose, aren't I? Cora's zeal was both an asset and a problem. Moira doubted that the woman would actually rest as long as needed unless she took potentially drastic measures to force her - and that could backfire if not handled properly. She could not be allowed to waste hersef in some death charge style terrorist attack, when one struck it had to be by delivering such a blow that made waves. After all, the Empire was gunning for her but that just increased Cora's value.

Nerve gas...such an interesting weapon of terror...

"Yes, let's go." The woman's back was turned to her, but instead of acting against Moira strapped her knife back to her thigh, then followed out after her. Outside the city was engulfed by darkness, rain drops fell upon the ground as the clouds had broken, though fortunately it was not a downpour yet. The wind howled or perhaps it was Fenris, declaring his approval of the bargain that had been struck, anticipating the gates of Chaos being opened so that he might exact vengeance upon the cruel Gods, sate his hunger by tearing into their flesh and devouring them.

Either way, things were getting very interesting now.

 

[Cora Passek]

@Moira Skaldi

Coming out into the rain, soft for the moment, Cora shook her head. Rain always reminded her of that night, she just a teenager. It never should have been and if her father had not trained her so well, she'd be long dead. He a ghost, a memory of a memory. Such thoughts she pushed away. Glancing to Moira she realized she was heading for her own ship. Habit, pure and simple. "Should we just meet upon the planet? Take separate ships? Transports?" At this point Cora was scarcely thinking clearly. Her mind addled with drugs, stims, and a desperate need for sleep. Sleep that she never allowed for. "Or go together..." The tone in her voice, showed great displeasure at the idea of that one. Traveling together in the same ship, presented its own sets of problems, Fluffy was one big problem in that one. Then trusting enough to let another on her ship, or trust enough to go on Ruby's. Complicated... a complicated matter.

At least they were out of the temple now, her hand fiddling in her pocket as she felt over the detonator controls. Tempted to press it and let the building drown in flames. She didn't want the risks a body left her. Not now, not on a new planet. Her finger prints were everywhere inside, something that could pin her to this singular crime. And the last thing she needed was for OP to have more reasons to arrest her. For now, she would wait but still easily done. Even could be done from the upper atmosphere given the range she'd given to this device.

Still in the mean time, she kept walking, just wanting distance between her and the body. Nerves, paranoia ... Eccentricity, as she preferred. It was all eating at her; worry and concern bubbled just below the surface but hidden from view. There was one thing she was fairly certain of, Ruby had the chance to shoot her, could have and did not. That counted for something in her book. Not much mind you, but it was something.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@Cora Passek
Evidence would have to removed. Moira saw Cora fiddling something in her pocket. It did not take a genius to figure out what it was, for the temple was still rigged with explosives. The mayhem could be blamed on Bando Gora. They had gotten bold after all and the latest reports put them rather close to the core territories of the Protectorate.
It stood to reason that they would be mucking around here, perhaps in the hopes of getting their hands on the zombie research that had been salvaged.
"If I wanted to shoot you I just had my chance and before when the intruder came in. Likewise I had the chance to set you up and lure you out. Doubtless you have the temple rigged because you're good, but I had ample chance to turn on you," she spoke calmly. "Trust is a luxury item in our business, only a fool would demand it."
The balance between them was precarious, but equally Moira did not want to let Cora out of her eyes. It was evident how tired the woman was, though she might try and hide her injuries. She was no use to Moira if she was about to keel over at any moment. She needed some control over her.
"We must navigate a vast asteroid field to reach Vandelhelm. It makes the planet impossible to detect on sensors, only small ships can get through. Hunters will have a harder passing," There were also a few ODF starfighter patrols to get past, but they would undoubtedly be able to work something out, perhaps blow up an asteroid as a distraction to sneak in. Given that Vandelhelm was not a major system, the Sentinel Fleet deployed to defend it was not particularly strong.
"I should join you on your vessel. I know the area and can help you navigate the field. One vessel will have an easier chance slipping through," Unspoken was the fact that, to be blunt, Cora looked like hell. Moira was fast coming to the conclusion that she would have to sedate her.

 

[Cora Passek]

@[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Cora nodded slowly. "I suppose that is fair. Only thing I do know is you aren't going to kill me right now. Which works for the time being." She said with another sigh. Every breath hurt worse than the last. The sudden movements earlier had not done her any favors. The ribs shifting, making it notably harder to breathe. "But you are right, the temple is rigged. I just ... don't like the evidence that was left behind. I don't like leaving my fingerprints on everything. Too easy to trace back to me. Too easy to say the murder was my fault." She gave a tiny shrug, the best her body would manage. "Trust ... is ... good. But trust comes slow and goes so fast." A sadness tinged in her words, clearly betrayed, far more than once given the expression on her lips.

Reaching up she brushed back the hair from her eyes, scratching at her head. It made sense to go together. "One small problem with you coming with me... I've got Fluffy." She paused, "My Nexu, a big kitten really, but he hates strangers. Once he knows you, not a problem, before that, it's touch and go." She stated bluntly, "I'll have to go on first, put him in the cargo bay, seal it. Cause yeah ... he tried to eat the last person on board who wasn't me. Mind you, an ex... So, pretty sure I would have cared less had he done so."

Now on the outskirts of the city and old Nubian sat sheltered behind a hill, the gleam only slightly noticeable in the soft rain. For being as old as the ship originally was, it seemed to look like it just had come off the showroom floor. "Meet Petrah." She said as they came around the crest of the hill. "Been working on her for a while, love to take old ship, make em good as new, or in this case, Petrah is better." A loving tone in her voice, she loved her ships. That much was certain. As she came to the bottom of the ramp a roar could be hear from within. "She's much faster, smoother than most ships these days. Though with speed some sacrifices had to be made. Few armaments, weaker shields. Such sacrifices needed when you just simply have to outmaneuver and outrun."
Keying the password in, the ramp dropped and Fluffy was sitting right at the top of the ramp glaring down at the pair of them but did not move. Once more he roared loudly, echoing over the hills but did not budge as he glared down to Moira. "Ruby, Fluffy. Fluffy, Ruby." A hint of mildly amused smile on her lips. It was quite clear the Nexu was well trained. Beyond well trained. Most never got such great obedience from such a formidable beast. Somehow a fitting pet and guardian for the Angel of Chaos.
Turning to Ruby, she lifted a finger, "Wait here." Walking up inside Cora scratched the Nexu behind the ears and the large feline seemed to relax a little bit and followed quickly behind his master, though kept glancing back to the ramp and Moira. Soon enough she had the cat put away in the cargo bay. A thick durasteel door, magnetically sealed and with a few other things to make sure the Nexu never escaped. Finally she returned to the top of the ramp and beckoned to Ruby. "Come on, he won't be a bother now."
She headed up to the cockpit, knowing her partner in crime would likely be soon behind her. "I'll feel better once we get in hyperspace, just ... antsy."

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Treachery was the way of the universe. Moira had been betrayed in her heart and betrayed in turn. To her betrayal was a neutral word, as unjudged a word as water or breeze. She liked to think that she had moved past the point in her life where an act of treachery would sting and burn her.

Ergo she felt no remorse about stabbing the soldier earlier in the temple, nor about letting Cora make the evidence disappear in the fiery blossom of an explosion once they got to that. It occured to her that she might have to take permanent measures to ensure their contact on Vandelhelm did not talk. Unfortunate, to waste a resource like that, but perhaps necessary.

Nonetheless she nodded her understanding. Cora was not quite like her...not yet. She still..felt far more. It gave her the passionate zeal to do battle with the demons...but it could also be a hindrance. Being encased in a block of ice was far safer, uninhibited and unrestrained.

Equally, however, Moira might not have liked looking at a mirror image. She would have probably had to kill her.

"A Nexu, yes? Very fitting," there was an uncharacteristic lightness to her tone, she even chuckled slightly. It was, she reflected, a good familiar for an Angel of Chaos. If she managed to tame one then that spoke volumes about her.

"Fast in and out before the enemy sees us. We are a phantom menace, not a battering ram," she said approvingly, managing to get a backhanded aside against Kerrigan in. She reflected upon Cora's words. If it was truly as good as the woman said, then she definitely had talent. It made her wonder what Cora could accomplish if she gave up her crusade and focused on business. The Angel likes her wings, she thought.
"The Nubian is a clone wars era design, yes? And this got the uprades to run rings around the new designs? Impressive. Even with the massive setback ship development and tech suffered due to the Dark Age. It would be interesting to see it in action."
She looked approvingly at the ship, taking in the view. It might be an old design, but the sleek yacht looked like it had come straight off the assembly line. Though she lacked Cora's evident skill ships always held a particular fascination for Moira, back on Artam she had long been enslaved to the notion that hyperspace was the realm of daemons and mankind had been punished for succumbing to the sin of pride by trying to seize the stars for itself by the power of Pestilence. But that was long ago, it seemed like a different lifetime to her. She had not mentioned Artam since leaving the planet behind her.

If it had been taken over by the Sith then frankly its people deserved it, far as she was concerned.

She held her ground as Fluffy stared her down though she winced just slightly when its roar resounded and echoed across the hills, there was no doubt that the nexu was a fearsome and visibly intimidating beast, ready to tear her to shreds at its mistresses' command, but compliant and relaxing when Cora petted it. Nonetheless it still kept its beady eyes upon her before it was stowed away in the cargo room.

Kerrigan was Alcori's nexu. Just with delusions of being more.

Moira found she preferred the genuine article. She chuckled just a bit at the introduction. Fluffy? Really.

She gazed briefly at the heavy durasteel door that sealed the cargo hold then turned away to follow Cora. She could well imagine the loyal familiar lying in wait right behind the door, ready to bash and claw at the door violently should it hear harm befall its mistress.

Loyalty, such a nice quality in this day and age.

She was right behind Cora as she moved towards the cockpit, her shadow in a sense. Her hands fell down to her legs, away from her weapons. "Then there's no time to waste. I figure we can set off the charges from upper atmosphere, yes? We have several hours travel in hyperspace ahead of us. When was the last time you got rest?" she asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer. "I imagine."

Equally clear to her was that Cora would not like getting rest with a stranger board.

Why? Because Moira would not either.

 

[Cora Passek]

@Moira Skaldi
Cora gave a small nod. "Yes, a Nexu. I saved his life when his mother was killed on Coruscant. She had a litter, he the only one who survived. The others wanted to kill him, but I would not allow it. He fit in my hands back then." She demonstrated his size with both hands, as she cradled them together. "He was sheer fluff back then, a runt too. Hence the name Fluffy." A warm smile crossed her lips as she thought back to the day she found him. "Nursed him back to health and trained him ever since then."

Listening intently Cora sat down in the pilot's chair, and looked back to her. "Indeed. Quick, ruthless, efficient. Just as it is meant to be. Striking like ghosts in the night."

Quickly she was already working through her preflight checklist, not paying much mind to Ruby at that point. Her mind focused solely on the task of getting them up and in the air. "Yup, clone wars, this one predates the start of the wars. Ancient by today's standards." Another nod followed as she activated the repulsors and lifted the ship with great care from the ground. The soft movement, barely noticeable on the occupants within. "Just have to know your way around ships, know what they are capable of, a bit of love here and there and they can do anything. So It truly can outrun most ships today. A few custom modifications, new hyperdrive, reenforced the hull with the best materials I could get my hands on. You'll be hard pressed to find a ship faster than Petrah."

Lifting them higher, she reached a hand into her pocket and withdrew the detonation controls. Several options live on the screen from activating just one set of bombs to all of them.
"That was the plan, the charges and detonators on a long range waveband. I wanted always to have the option of detonation from long distances, and also it ensures the signal is harder to interrupt in close proximity." She waited a little longer, focusing on the flights, until she had the ship angled just right the temple below them and in view. Reaching to the control she'd laid upon the console she reached up and tapped the detonate all feature.

A small smirk came to her lips as she watched the fireball raise higher and higher into the air. Stone, glass, and steel thrown far and wide as the flames consumed all that was left behind. With that she continued their ascent into the atmosphere, higher and higher. Finally they came into the darkness of space. Denon, left below them. Turning to Ruby, she needed one detail that she did not have. "I don't have the coordinates for Vandelhelm, I'm afraid. So if you'd be so kind." She motioned to the nav computer, which was on Ruby's side of the cockpit anyway.

Cora closed her eyes for a moment. "True rest? I don't know when the last time was. I doze off, a few minutes maybe an hour at a time. Stims, its about all that keeps me going now. Bad, I know. Stupid, I know. Don't remind me. But the hunters were everywhere. I couldn't risk sleep. At least not for long." That she hated, loathed it. She knew rest was required to heal the wounds she'd acquired in recent weeks but she could not get it. Not at all. "Seems every time I fell asleep something bad happened." Maybe even a bit fearful of sleep at this point in time.

"Have barely the energy to even make something to eat. Ready eat meals are about all I've had in months. How I've lasted this long, I truly do not know." It wasn't the best of foods, but at least it kept her sorta healthy.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Moira was by her very nature a sceptical person. So when people started lauding their achievements or the tech they had created she was naturally inclined to be sceptical. This was quite interesting when one considered what a high opinion she had of herself. However, she could hear the passion in Cora's words and the practiced, time and tested way with which she brought the ship up into the air, truly like the ghost they both had to be in the twilight world they dwelt in.

Moreover, to fly around in an ancient vessel dating back from before the clone wars you either had to be a fool stuck with retro crap or so proficient to make the vessel actually good. Moira was inclined to believe it was the latter. Yet, here you are. Fighting for 'freedom' against the 'demons'. Even now that you're cornered. Inevitably it will get you killed.

Of course, Moira's scheme revolved around sending Cora back into action again, which could get her killed. Like Daedalus she flew too close to the sun for comfort. If she got killed Moira would feel neither guilt nor remorse.

But it would be...an unfortunate loss. Cora was actually worth talking to.

Power and control were the ways of the universe. The Sith were continuously reborn again and again, often out of the ranks of the Jedi Order. It apparently only took one Jedi to get sulky, don a black robe and acquire a red lightsabre after reading the wrong holocron to bring the Sith back like a phoenix out of ashes. Alas, we cannot dump all force-users on one planet and then glass it, she thought.

She watched in silence as the fiery conflagration engulfed the temple, the fireball rising high into the sky as the building shattered in the blossom of an explosion. Ash to ashes, she thought. No doubt Kerrigan would wax about how beautiful explosions were and how much she got a kick out of them and how it aroused her libido.

Moira was just considering that the evidence was gone, but the dogs would not be off their back. It could come back to bite them in the arse, but then such was life. She was not a wet hen after all.

With a nod she punched in the coordinates for Vandelhelm into the nav computer, having clearly memorised them. Before them the blue shimmering tunnel of hyperspace opened and the ship swept through as it left the twilight world of the ever hungry ones behind them.

Moira frowned when Cora described her sleep patterns or rather her lack of them. It might be noted that, to put it bluntly, Moira was a bad role model to follow when it came to taking care of herself, giving that she seemed to live off stimcaf.

However, she needed Cora at something close to greater strength.

As usual Moira did not think twice about making decisions for other people.

"Well, as a matter of fact I'm hungry and if you cannot rest, at least you can eat something. You're served well by an empty stomach, even if it just a ready meal. I shall get something ready," she offered graciously. Well, more like decided!

Giving Cora a look in case the woman suddenly decided she meant her ill, Moira then got up, heading towards whatever the ship's equivalent of a storage for ready made meals and a microwave was. Since Cora's ship was advanced presumably she would have the shiny tech that enabled one to heat and enjoy ready made meals in all their tasty glory.

What passed for a ready meal was meatballs, some potatoes and some sauce. Hopefully it had not passed its sell by date yet! After preparing the meal, Moira surreptitiously removed a vial from her pocket and opened it, taking care to make sure that she was not being watched, pouring a few drops onto the food on Cora's plate.

The sedative should knock Cora out for a good deal of the trip. Assuredly Cora would not take kindly to that. Moira would not care much.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora managed a smile as the woman offered food. At least she wasn't going to have to get it this time. "Thanks." She said softly as the woman left. Her mind did wonder about letting another prepare her food, but she knew she was in little state to help or even to move. Reaching down she carefully slipped her boots off, unstrapped a vibroblade from each leg beneath the long black well worn boots and was setting them aside when Moira returned to her.

Taking the plate in hand, she had a relieved and thankful look. Clearly worn, tired and letting her guard down for just a fraction of a minute and that was all it took really. At least this mistake would be for her own good... Maybe. Time would only tell on that.


"Appreciate it, truly." She said softly, without thinking on the matter any more she started to happily munch what passed for meatballs. It was warm, and it was indeed food and that was what counted. Cora ate quickly, almost through the entire meal, showing her hunger and how long it had been since she last ate something of substance. It was only then that she stopped and set the plate aside as dizziness grew.

Curiously she cocked her head to the side and looked between her plate and Moira for a minute. Blinked, a couple more times as her head bobbed forward. "Oh, hell no!" She spoke quickly a bit panicked, eyes wide as she realized what it meant. The simple matter was it was too late. Far too late.


Cora reached for her blaster at her hip, hands fumbling as strength was quickly leaving her. "You B-!" She growled. The blonde had managed to get her blaster from its holster but didn't have much left in her at that point, even trying to aim it didn't work. It slipped from her hands clattering to the floor.
Her whole body trembling as she came to realize it was over. Not bothering to try and stand, she just gave in knowing the drug was going to take her one way or another. In her state, fighting it was useless and would only end with her likely even more injured than she already was. "I hate you." Her voice low, raspy, weak, and highly angry. She was slipping away and knew it. Darkness was creeping into her vision now, it would only be a second or two longer before it came to a close. Finally her body succumbed to the drug. Her hands fell limp against the side of the seat, her head hung low almost resting on her shoulder. Certainly not a comfortable position to be in.
Thankfully, Cora had been quiet in the brief struggle to stay away, Fluffy resting comfortably in his domain in the cargo bay, hardly aware that anything was amiss.
Everything now rested in Ruby's hands, not hers. Whatever the woman wished to do with her, well there was little the Angel of Chaos could do about it now. No, for now she got to have peaceful dreams of better times. No pain could reach her where she was.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

"I would apologise but you wouldn't accept and in any case I never apologise," Moira muttered as Cora succumbed to the effect of the sedative and went on a trip in the realm of Hypnos right before her eyes. On the plus side the woman had gotten to eat her meal first, so she could not complain about that.

With Cora knocked out, though she would be asleep for several hours, there was no time to waste and so Moira went about the important task of removing her countless guns and knives, including what the nonperceptive might consider a hair pin, though that was the last to catch her eye. It would be unfortunate if Cora woke up and the first thing she did was shoot Moira because she conveniently still had a concealed hold-out blaster lying around.

Only then did Moira take ahold of her, gripping the woman tight as she dragged her to the med bay and with some effort, for Moira was by no means the strongest or most muscular person, gently deposit her on the bed, laying her out over it, and then removing her shirt. Cora could rest safe in the knowledge that for all her bitchiness Moira was not using the chance to cop a feel but at least got her into a comfortable position. She took a short moment to look upon her quarry and study her features. She seemed so peaceful now, unhaunted by the daemons that assailed her.

Moira did not follow through on that and instead scrutinised her injuries. Too many gashes spread across her, not to mention the shoulder wound, evidently the result of a blaster shot and not easily treatable if you only had one hand. A bit of gauze and tape sticking out between near her neck could hardly replace actual medical care. Ribs felt broken and weak when she applied pressure. It was a surprise that she was still moving, but then will could accomplish amazing feats when the body should have long given way.

Well, apparently Moira would have to take care of her.

The total absurdity of the situation did not escape the Butcher of Contruum.

Grace gone. Wings battered and broken. The nexu's teeth the only protection.

Without finishing the thought Moira gathered what medical utentiles she could find, removing a bacta capsule from a small bag and started to work on her injuries, starting with the shoulder wound, spreading a thin layer over it before disinfecting it. Other wounds had to be sown and in one case needles dug out with a scalpel. Moira had some skill as a medic, but she was not a doctor. This was pretty much a patch-up job; what Cora would need was a longer period of rest.

She doubted that Cora would agree to that voluntarily. But then Cora was hers now. She just did not know it yet.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora groaned softly as she started to awaken some hours later. The healing done to her frail body had stirred up old pains, making things ache far more than the half healed injuries had been before Moira got her paws on her.

With a harsh whimper Cora sat up in bed inspecting the wounds, or more of bandages that now covered so much of her body. Her arms, her chest, her shoulder, legs , feet ... Just about every part of her had some dressing on it in some form or another.

"You fething witch!" She growled. Angry Cora was angry. Hands were moving, searching for any weapon but nothing, Ruby had taken them ALL from her! Grabbing her clothes, she slipped them back on with great care, a hiss of pain here and there as the cloth caught along a wound putting just a hair too much pressure on it.

Sliding from the bed, she winced heavily still hurting a great deal. She moved with at a glacial pace through her ship, her hands on the walls to support her as she moved working to the cockpit where she knew Ruby was. Her eyes filled with a bitter icy rage. No one sedated her. Ever. Never.


"You don't drug people for no damned reason, woman!" There was no reason for Moira's behavior in her eyes. Cora was fine as far as she was concerned and even the pain now wasn't even a little clue as to the reasoning behind her sedation. Upon spotting the blonde in her seat in the cockpit, she snarled as she spoke. "The frell did you think you were doing?! You DON'T SEDATE ME! COULD HAVE ASKED!" She snapped as she drew her fist back and swung with all her might and energy squarely for Moira's jaw. The reward for her actions, Cora doubled over, clutching at her freshly set ribs. Tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Hurting was a mild understatement.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Moira's behaviour had undoubtedly been wrong from an ethical perspective, given that she had taken Cora's agency away and sedated her without permission. A more moral person might have acknowledged this, but claimed that their actions had been motivated by ethics of care, since Cora really needed to sleep and would not have done so voluntarily.

However, Moira was not a pleasant person. Frankly she was convinced that she knew best and others would have to adjust. She saw a problem, she chose the course of action she deemed most efficient and that was that. The feelings of other people did not enter into her equation. One could easily see where the roots of her downfall might lie.

Besides, it was important to preserve Cora. For some inexplicable reason.

"If I had asked, you would've said 'no'. You needed the sleep and you don't take care of yourself," Moira said calmly, as if the white hot anger Cora was feeling did not affect her at all. Then the punch came, fuelled by all the rage the cuddly terrorist was feeling, a powerful strike against the woman who had cruelly played her like that. Moira made no move to dodge the strike, nor did she attempt to intercept as the fist smashed into her jaw. The blonde seemed to be pushed back by the hard punch...but it seemed almost like she was acting, like it did not affect her at all. No hand came to rub at her jaw where the punch had connected, but then Cora had already doubled over, clearly in significant pain, a pitiful sight.

Zealous...emotional...but to be preserved.

"You should not strain yourself. It was just a patch-up and you require more care than I can provide at the moment. We'll enter the Vandelhelm system soon," Moira spoke, as if Cora had not just attacked her. Her knife was strapped to her thigh and her blaster pistol was holstered, but she made no move to grab either. Someone else would have said 'sorry' or some variation of it, but Moira seemed utterly incapable of apologising for anything.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora was so furious with the woman but pain was rapidly taking over. It didn't help that the remaining traces of the sedative still in her blood kept her weaker than she should have been. It stole away some of her power, and might, and greatly frustrated the blonde.


Her knees had buckled beneath her unable to hold her weight any longer and the blonde was forced to collapse into the co-pilot's seat. The punch that had connected, glancing down to her fingers, the fact that a couple she couldn't even move now, Cora knew had been broken in her rage. Her shoulders slumped, defeated completely.


Whimpering softly, she tried to control herself and get her breathing back under control for it hurt her so damn much. "It wasn't your right ...." She paused trying to catch her breath. "To decide that for me." She growled, though notably weaker, still clearly far too beaten, too wounded to be of much use to anyone. "It's my body and I have a say in it's care. Even if that means NOT taking care of it! That is MY choice!" Her voice raised again but she soon regretted it as the deep breaths forced her to double over again. The ribs horribly painful against her lung, no doubt shifting each time she grew angry or took a deep breath.

Her eyes were still on her hand, the fingers bruising rapidly. The woman hadn't even seemed to notice Moira's reactions to the hit, how she behaved, how it barely seemed to bother her. None of that crossed her mind, she just wasn't paying attention to it.


"And what are you going to do? Force me into a hospital? Kidnap a doctor to fix me?" She snapped as she reached up with her somewhat good hand and pushed away the traces of tears as she struggled to find a way to sit that wasn't so horribly painful on her frail body.


Cora nodded slowly, at least Ruby had stuck to the plan and was taking to Vandelhelm as promised. Which gave her a little reason to have some faith in Moira, but no trust. Not after being drugged like that, she just simply could not, would not trust Ruby for a while after that incident.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Moira stood there and watched, saw her deep in the throes of pain as her ribs protested. She heard the angry words, rage seemed to coming off from the woman in waves, but it did not affect her. There is no right but what I take, she thought. She had decided that Cora would get fixed up and what Moira wanted, she got.

Cora belonged to her. Anyone would inevitably screw up. Only she was capable enough. The Angel of Chaos would come to understand that. Otherwise Moira's calculations would have been incorrect and that was unthinkable.

"It is not your choice to destroy yourself. You are important. You are required to keep Chaos alive. Anything else is irresponsible. You want to get your revenge...then you will not do the Sith's work for them. I did not grip you out of your hole so that you could wreck yourself before striking even a single blow against them. You want to hit them so hard that anyone will remember, then you will take of yourself better," she said coldly. Or rather colder than cold, her voice seemed have turned to ice. It was frosty, there was no mercy, no remorse in those dead blue eyes that gazed down on Cora. If anything then Moira had a conviction that she was right that could not be shaken, fuelled by cold logic. Cora would have to accept, or so her train of thought went, in due time.

Trust...trust...was something else, but she could deal with that later. Right now she needed her functional above all else.

 

[Cora Passek]

It was the tone in the woman's voice that got to Cora. Something that sank deep into her flesh and hinted at the teeth that were hidden away, this was not someone she wanted to anger. And in response, Cora shrank down in her seat. A soft sigh came as she drew her knees up into the chair with her and laid her head upon them facing away from Moira. "You did not have to drug me." She whispered. She had her reasons to be afraid.


"The last time someone drugged me ...." Closing her eyes tightly she shuddered at the thoughts of the events that had unfolded after she had awoke from the sleeping drug then... "I .. woke to my partner before me, with a hole through his skull, dead. The monster who held me," Her voice was trembling, terrified of the memories. "He tortured me, beat me, used an armor piercing slugthrower, shot me five times, both feet, both shoulders, my knee ..." Her voice had grown ever so soft, barely above a whisper now. "I nearly died. And I was told they'd save my leg, promised." Cora let the words hang in the air for a minute.


"I woke without it." Slowly she drew in a breath, held it before slowly releasing it. "All because that monster wanted my best friend. Wanted the one person I could not, would not give him and it nearly cost me my life. So forgive me if I'm not overjoyed by being drugged. Forgive me if I don't want a thing to do with medical care! But damn it, I have my reasons Ruby. You just can't decide for me. Can't do it without permission. Please .. just don't."

Cora didn't move from her position, keeping her face out of sight. "Can you grab me some pain meds? There are syringes of it back there. And just bring it to me and it had damn well better be unopened." Right now tired, weak, she just wanted the pain to relax off so she could calm down. "Tearing all my wounds open again has made them particularly sore." She knew the old saying, sometimes you have to hurt before you can heal. She knew that and this certainly was one of those cases. The blonde had been foolish enough to let her wounds partly heal when she should have sought medical attention in the first place for a fair majority of her wounds.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Moira was unapologetic. She felt no remorse, no guilt at all for her actions. But she understood there was a certain logic to Cora's otherwise irrational behaviour. Fear...she would have to overcome that if she wanted to regain her wings and become the Angel of Chaos she was already in spirit. Moira would have to help her along the way. That might mean assuming direct control over her life when the situation called for it.

Such bravery...strength...but she would have to be made functional. "If I came across him, I would break him for you," she said at last, her voice having gone utterly cold, chilling to the bone even. There was a purely murderous look in her eyes, which seemed so lifeless at the moment.

Still no apology. Moira would decide for Cora if she thought it necessary, she would lie to and deceive her. For the purpose of making her whole again so that she could be functional again and get her wings back. Because Moira knew what was best. But perhaps she would have to moderate her approach a bit. The fragile balance between them had already been struck significantly. Without a further word she turned and headed to the medical cabinet, opening it and removing the pain meds and then turning to approach Cora, walking with a purposeful stride. Like she had no care in the world and Cora had not just hit her. But then somehow it seemed to have barely affected Moira, if at all.

"It was ill-advised," she said softly. "There," she handed the pain meds to Cora before moving back, nonetheless still keeping a watchful eye on the blonde, with that same intense, almost inhumanely eerie expression on her face.

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora sighed, a small sniffle all that was heard from her for a while. Even thinking back to that night, however briefly had hurt her deeply. She was trembling in her seat. That night was just something she didn't talk of. Didn't tell anyone save Kass about. She just never wanted people to know the pain she'd suffered through. It was all best put in her past and buried there out of sight, out of mind.

"Thank you ... for that." She finally spoke softly. "Don't even know what the guy looks like, his real name ... nothing. I literally know nothing of him. So, the chances to find a ghost like him ... So slim. There's just nothing to go on." She tried to shrug, only to wince for her efforts. Her head still turned away from Moira.


When Ruby left to gave the medicine, Cora still didn't move. Only remained seated, and didn't bother to lift her head. Not until the other blonde returned to her side and then and only then did she lift her head. "Thanks," She muttered.


Reaching out with her good hand she took the medicine in hand, and inspected the packaging to make sure it had not been altered or changed in any way. Finally she opened the pre-filled syringe and with a movement that showed much practice, she stuck it into a vein in her opposite wrist and slowly injected the medication. After a moment the pain started to ease off, relaxing her into a much better state.


Finally, with the medication covering the pain, she uncurled from her position and looked out the viewport. "Think you can fly us the rest of the way there with the asteroid belt and all that we have to go through? Cause I don't think I'm up to the task." Feeling as drowsy and dizzy as she did, Cora just knew she wasn't fit to fly at all, and it was best left in someone else's hands.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Cora Passek"]

Moira watched Cora as she administered herself the medications, showing the practiced skill of someone who had done this many times over in the past - and likely would do so again. People were so fragile...most of them were worthless cogs. They lived mundane, forgettable lives, disappearing into the nothingness at the end of it, never to be heard of again. A selected few were actually worthy of notice, but they burnt out too easily. It seemed that nature abhorred actual talent and sought to return life to its irrelevant, mundane state, so it cut them down.

Just as Icarus had been burnt out by flying too close to the sun. "Yes," Moira said simply in response to Cora's question. Nothing beyond that, no assurances of her skill or anything. Moira could do it and nothing more need to be said. One wondered whether Moira had slept at any point while Cora spent her enforced slumber. But she simply turned and walked away, her movements controlled and precise, perhaps a degree too precise, and placed herself in the pilot seat. She did not look over her shoulder once, apparently showing no concern for the fact that Cora might still try to turn on her despite her weakened state.

Soon the ship, until now running on autopilot, burst out of hyperspace, leaving the blue shimmering tunnel and Moira was strapped into the pilot seat, directing the controls. Before them lay the vast asteroid field, the Vandelhelm Cloud, and space was littered with wreckage, the detritus of an long past space battle between pirates and the naval forces of the fledgling Omega Pyre organisation, and countless asteroids of varying sizes.

Sitting at the controls Moira began to steer the vessel through the vast field, avoiding near collusions with small asteroids, dodging or evading the detritus of space that was thrown their way, navigating it with an eerie accuracy. She seemed completely absorbed in it, apparently blotting everyone else out.

Of course, things could never go completely smoothly...

 

[Cora Passek]

@[member="Moira Skaldi"]

Cora leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes. That particular set of drugs made her so damn tired, and she was simply too weak to fight it. There would be no staying awake. Slowly Cora drifted off to another time, another place.

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The dream, she fell so natural into. The one day she questioned everything. And yet, she still did not know the answers. This, the week after Coruscant. The first time she attacked the planet so many years ago. It was forgotten now. No one would remember, but Cora did and it so very much haunted her dreams.

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She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she thought about it. Is this who you want to be? This is the life you chose. Are you up for this though? You knew it would come to this someday and now that you are here, are you really ready? Innocent people died. A lot of them. She was still wanted for that. That was something that wasn't going to go away. You murdered a Sith Imperial sympathizer. He was making back deals with them. Putting bills on the floor that allowed them more free reign than they had any right to have. That much had to be done. You know it. ​

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"It's the rest of it I can't live with. I chose this. I tried to keep damage to a minimal. It was the price that had to be paid." She finally whispered aloud as she took a seat on a street corner leaning up against a nearby building. Closing her eyes she sighed heavily.​

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"Was it worth it? Is this all worth who you are becoming?" She shrugged her shoulders and let the tears slowly roll down her cheeks. It had been years since she last cried. In fact she could hardly remember what it felt like. It had been ten years since the butchering of her parents and little sister. And not a single tear had been shed after that. Cora had done everything she could to be stronger. But she had been strong for just one day too long.​

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"I'm not so sure that it is." She sighed again reaching up to brush some of the tears away. Maybe if you let yourself grieve for the losses that shouldn't have happened. If you just let go. Everything can go back to normal. You can return to your crusade, and fight the Empire to the very last. This is part of it. Sometimes innocents die. You have to accept that. ​

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No, for Cora .... Things never went smoothly. It was when they seemed to be doing so well that the girl instantly knew something was off. Things should never be easy. Never be simple, for when they were.... Trouble was soon to follow.


Before her dream went much further, Cora was awoken by alarm klaxons. Something was up, and even groggy as she was, she snapped up, scanning the screens. "We've a ship inbound. Reads Protectorate." Worry in her voice, last thing she wanted was to be arrested by them. Granted it would be safer than the Sith, but it was still prison. Maybe someday she'd allow herself to be caught, to stop the running to end it all. Serve her time, let the Sith forget her. Because as with everything else, it does eventually get forgotten.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

@[member="Cora Passek"]

Moira looked calm, no worry upon her face, indeed it seemed impassive and void of emotion as she stared at the screens, gripping the controls tight and accelerating the speed of the craft, pushing the engines of the Nubian for all it was worth. "Guardian-class starfighter, probably more than one," she said impassively, but then her voice softened just a bit. Barely noticeable for anyone who did not know her, but soften it did and for just a moment she turned cold blue eyes from the screen to look at Cora. "They will not get you," then she was focused on the stars once more. "Hold on...tight."


Moira would not know of the dream and she frankly had no conception or understanding of the scruples Cora might be feeling. Killing was normal for her, frankly the lives of innocents did not matter to her, for she regarded the difference as frankly academic. There were limits to her ability to comprehend...but she knew that Cora was wanted in Protectorate space for the purchase of nerve gas. Indeed she had read the file about the entire affair. Stored in the Anti-Terrorism Database of the Omega Protectorate. So easy to erase for her. Because she had dictacted that Cora would not be caged...unless she willed it.


So as the fighter came closer and hailed them, no doubt another one was screening them, Moira did not respond but accelerated at a rapid speed, diving in deep through the asteroid field. They were hailed once more and then the hail of laser fire was shot their way, lightning up space. The fighters dared not use missiles due to the density of asteroids. The slightest miscalculation could hit one, possibly leading to a chain reaction. Only someone terribly crazy would attempt such a thing in the Vandelhelm Cloud. The vessel swerved and dodged seemingly wildly as Moira evaded the hailstorm of red laser fire that lit up space, seemingly pushing the ship so closely to an asteroid that it appeared like she wanted to ram it ere she rotated the vessel and dove past. The fighters pursued, being led ever deeper into the field, coming closer as they sought to corner them, but again and again she evaded.


Her fingers swept over the controls as she steered the vessel, then her hand moved towards the firing mechanism. The weapons systems of this particular Nubian were extremely basic, Cora had clearly sacrificed this in return for agility, the very speed that enabled them to run rings around the fighters, but it had enough for Moira's purposes. As she slowed down the Nubian, seemingly halting, she squeezed the trigger and a missile shot out, straight for the asteroid before them, just when the fighters were closing in and were taking aim.


In the split-second before detonation she pushed the engines anf the Nubian moved with blinding speed, accelerating fast as the asteroid blew up, sending out a powerful shockwave in which the two fighters were caught, but the wave spread smaller asteroids were caught in it and exploded, the Nubian racing as behind it mayhem reigned.

 

[Cora Passek]

@[member="Moira Skaldi"]

As tired and sore as Cora was she couldn't do anything but watch as Ruby took the controls, watched as she gave chase to the fighter. Her life now sat in someone else's hands and truly it was not a comfortable feeling. The dream had already disturbed her, the look in her eyes, one of concern, worry and fear. Her eyes locked with Moira's for a moment. "Prison just isn't my thing." She said, trying to lighten the situation, the mood anything to keep her mind off the possibilities of what could happen to her, to them. Her hands were already moving, before Ruby could speak the words, strapping in, for she knew the injuries she had could not take a fall of any type. She'd likely end up with a punctured lung and that from experience, watching someone die that way, she knew, that was not the way she wished to die.


"There are places to hide, on this ship, lest they catch us. In the floor, the walls. Places senors won't find." She said softly, trying not to distract. Redesigning the ship, inside out, left her room to make secret compartments, places to smuggle goods, to hide people, people like herself. Those that needed safe passage. Cora had been on the run far too long, and thus, she did help who she could, giving them the safe passage to wherever they wanted in exchange for small things but rarely ever was it credits that she accepted. No, with the custom designs she already had on the market, royalties, was more than enough for the young woman.

At least, at the very least, Cora was well prepared for just about everything. Just about everything. Though if she was smart, she'd buy a med droid, or a surgical droid, or both as much as she got hurt. Her eyes widened as she saw what Ruby was doing, it was beyond dangerous, it would cause chaos in the asteroid belt they were navigating but with luck, they'd break through and the fighters quashed and the worry, the danger for them would be behind them. That was the plan. But right now, all of it. Every last drop of it rested on Ruby's skills, and watching was something Cora loathed to do. She didn't like being out of control of it all. Here, at this moment in time there was nothing that was in her control. No, unfortunately Cora was just going to have to sit back and watch.