Private Close Encounters of the Profitable Kind

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori stumbled back after Val Tessalisk pushed her aside, nearly losing her footing. She didn't expect the M-1000 to move so fast, but perhaps she should, given how he was in the holofilm.

Her eyes were glued to the scene in front of her, with Val fighting off the hunter or assassin or whatever he was, and doing so very well with the new slugthrower prototype that they had worked on together. It was a scene that she just couldn't take her eyes off of.

Yet Val needed her help.

His request for a weapon brought her back to reality. She clumsily moved aside her jacket and brought out her blaster. Immediately she took pot shots at it, mainly at it's arms. Holes were ripped through, lining the silver metal with yellows and reds. The M-1000 quickly tore his attention away from Val and right to Lori. "Get a fire extinguisher or something! Maybe we could try freezing it!! It'll buy us some time!"

Lori broke into a run then, trying to gain some distance between the M-1000 and Val so that he could do his search. If she kept firing her blaster too much it would overheat and then be rendered useless. So she had to give it time to cool. The testing area was designed like a warehouse, with a variety of rooms, including coridors. And it was down one of those that she ran, hearing the M-1000's footsteps right behind her.

 

[Val Tessalisk]

"A fire extinguisher or something? That's your plan??" Val cried out

Nevertheless, Val couldn't think of any other means to destroy the shapeshifting android. Before he looked around the room for something, he fired off one final shot into the M-1000's back, blowing a fist sized hole into the android's chest that staggered it momentarily. The android spun around and extended out a spear-like lance of chrome metal and threw it at Val before resuming it's chase. The Gen'Dai hunched his massive frame and narrowly avoided being skewered through the head by the lance, the projectile firmly pinning itself to the wall with a resounding high-pitched "ping!". That was too close; Val could have survived the impalement, but it definitely wouldn't have been pleasant nor pretty. His eyes darted around the room until he found a glass panel in the wall containing a red and yellow canister, a fire extinguisher! The brute jogged over to the panel and rather than using the supplied pick-like tool to break the glass, his fist did the job just as well. Val quickly holstered Undina on his back and grabbed the extinguisher, placing it under his right armpit before thudding off towards where he last saw the M-1000 chasing Loreena Arenais-Valhoun .

Using his hyper-attuned nervous system, Val could faintly feel Lori's heartbeat and used that as a reference point to tell if he was getting closer. Her heart was racing faster and faster, and Val feared that the android was catching up to her. To that end, the alien double-timed it as fast as his huge body would allow him, shaking the durasteel floor panels with each footstep.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori's heart was indeed pounding. This wasn't exactly what she was planning on happening at all. This was supposed to be fun. Of course in some small way it was fun. I mean, who wouldn't want to live out one of their all time favourite holomovies?!

But this was a little more real than that. Lori wasn't exactly someone without a price on her head. It was why Val Tessalisk had come by her in the first place. She had helped out rebellions, sabotaged a few ships and was a downright pain in the backside to a lot of people. So in a lot of respects, the bounty on her head was well earned.

Still, she wanted this little part of it to end.

Lori could hear the M-1000 chasing after her, envisioning his gaze focused on her back. And she could feel Val's footfalls as they shook the floor. She pulled out her commlink from her pocket and threw it towards a button on the wall at the end of the hallway. A lift's door opened and she skidded into it before hitting the button to close the door. Lori quickly moved to one of the corners as the door slid shut. Hopefully that'd buy her a little more time.

 

[Val Tessalisk]

Val heard the sound of a door slam shut; that meant either Loreena Arenais-Valhoun had found a temporary hiding spot....or the M-1000 had trapped her. Either way, he needed to hurry. Val unhooked the hose of the fire extinguisher and held the nozzle out infront of him. His other hand was tightly wrapped around the spray handle of the device, ready to hose down anything that moved. He carefully crept down a narrow corridor, the sounds of machinery all around him. With all this noise it would be difficult to pinpoint the M-1000's exact location, and having left his helmet back in the manufacturing area, he had to rely strictly on his hearing. As he moved, red and orange lights from various machines and devices shone through the metal grating beneath his feet, reflecting off his metallic red armor.

He felt a bit ridiculous, entering an area with plenty of places to be ambushed from with only a fire extinguisher to defend himself with. Still, at this point it was his best shot at doing anything to the liquid metal android, given that slug rounds and low-power blaster fire didn't seem to have any effects on it. The android's ability to shapeshift also popped into Val's mind, as it could mimic anyone it sampled through physical touch. It could be posing as anyone; a technician, a security guard, the possibilities were endless. Val's ability to detect living entities would ensure that he'd never fall for such a trick, he was more concerned for Lori's sake, since as far as he knew, she did not possess such an ability. Val continued to watch his surroundings when suddenly; there it was. The M-1000 stood motionlessly in front of a sealed door, save for it's head which slowly moved back and forth as if scanning the structure.

The android extended out two large metal blades from it's hands and jammed them into the sides of the door. With an upwards swing, there was the sound of metal breaking, followed by the door falling to the ground.

"Clever bastard. Cut the locking bolts on both sides of the door to get in..." Val thought to himself.

Val decided that now was the time to take action. Raising the fire extinguisher, the alien shouted to get the android's attention.

"Hey chrome-dome!!"

The android spun around, both blades raised and ready to attack. However it would get no such opportunity to do so, as Val immediately opened up with a dense cloud of freezing mist that stopped the M-1000 in it's tracks.

"I think you need to chill out, my guy!"

He said as he continued to hose down the android.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori shrunk herself further down once she saw the metal blades enter the sides of the door, being careful not to be within reach. She didn't expect the M-1000 to do what it did. The door came off it's hinges and clanked to the door.

Her heart lept to her throat while she took in a startled breath. Yet she had to try to calm herself down and focus! She just had to!

Val Tessalisk to the rescue!

He distracted the M-1000, enveloping the assassin in an icy fog that seemed to slow him down. Lori took quick advantage of his distraction. She focused on the Force, manipulating the air in the same way that her late Father had taught her. Only this time it wasn't small rocks that she was hoping to raise, but the M-1000.

And lift he did. Not high, but a couple of feet from the ground. "Hit him! Hit him!!" Would he break into a million pieces? She hoped so. That'd be easier for her to lift. Lori kept back against the wall of the elevator as she kept her focus, not even wanting to shift her thoughts to anything else but her task.

 

[Val Tessalisk]

The M-1000 levitated into the air, much to the visible shock of the android. Whether or not it was out of genuine surprise or merely simulated emotion was up for debate. Either way, the android was immobilized and at the mercy of both Val and Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . Val continued to spray the android with the fire extinguisher. The crunching and crackling of ice forming on the machine's metallic surface drowned out all other noise. Icicles and frost began building up on the robot's surface. An attempt to lash out with a whip-like metallic tentacle resulted in the appendage snapping in half while the rest shattered on the ground like brittle glass in plumes of brilliant glittery particles. The android made an expression that could be approximated to open-mouthed shock as it lifted and examined the broken appendage.

Val could see the extinguisher begin to sputter, spraying out large chunks of cryogenic material as the device emptied the last of its contents. With each passing moment, the shapeshifter's movements became more and more stiff until finally, it could move no more. Val dropped the extinguisher to the ground with a metallic THUNK before reaching over his back and grabbing Undina. The Gen'Dai cocked the rifle once and aimed it forward directly at the M-1000's center of mass with only one hand.

"Hasta La Vista, baby...."

With a squeeze of the trigger, the rifle thundered, and a single projectile slammed into the frozen M-1000. The result was both immediate and utterly spectacular; the android shattered like a vase into countless thousands of pieces that fell to the ground. Each piece made a high pitched metallic ringing when it hit the ground, like some kind of instrument. Val took a moment to observe the metallic shards for any activity that would indicate that the android still functioned. Several seconds went by without activity, and Val quickly thumped over to Lori to assess her condition.

"Seems like I made it just in the nick of time! You alright?" He asked, extending her a hand.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori watched as the M-1000 began to freeze up. It was just like in the holo-film! But already she could see that Val Tessalisk was having troubles, moreso just in the fact that the extinguisher was running out of juice.

But it was working!

And once Val brought up his slugthrower, Lori clamped her hands over her ears. At this close of range and in tight quarters, the sound was going to be louder than before.

BANG!!

It was incredible to see the thousands of shattered pieces fall like rain to the floor, and almost hypnotic. With her Force concentration ended, Lori couldn't help but still stare at the M-1000's remains while she let her hands drop from her ears. Val's words seemed far away, yet his hand wasn't. She grabbed hold of it and pulled herself up to her feet before stepping into Val and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Yeah...yeah I'm okay. Thanks. You?" At least she wouldn't have to worry about losing Val to save the future.

 

[Val Tessalisk]

Val tensed up and his eyes fluttered rapidly in surprise as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun embraced him. This was the first time in centuries someone made physical contact with him in a way that wasn't shooting him, a fistfight or a business handshake. Though it felt strange at first, it quickly conjured up memories of him and his old flame, embracing after getting into shenanigans or watching twin suns set on the beach of a backwater ocean world. It was nice to experience that "warm and fuzzy" feeling again, even if it appeared to be platonic. Reluctantly, Val wrapped one of his massive arms around Lori, being careful as to not squeeze too tight. He stayed like this with her for a moment before snapping back to the present.

He let go of Lori and leaned to the right to look at the shattered remains of the M-1000. Thousands of shards twinkled brilliantly in the red-orange industrial lighting of the warehouse. It would have been a beautiful sight if it wasn't for the fact that these were all individual fragments of an advanced killing machine. As well, if it played by the same rules as the holo-film, this thing was far from "dead". Val slung Undina onto his back and pointed at the metallic shards.

"We need to gather this stuff up and contain it somehow. Put it in a box or something, or maybe a cryo-tube if those still exist. Then maybe one of your eggheads can take a look at it and figure out just what the hell this thing is and who made it. Maybe we can even figure out who sent it in the first place, feel me?" Val said with a tone of utmost urgency.

Val wasn't exactly sure if the M-1000 would actually thaw itself out, reboot and reform itself. However, he'd seen the holo-film enough times to where he was not taking any chances.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori always loved hugs. And she had gotten some of the best from her mentors and family. But they were all gone now and it wasn't as though her bodyguard Arla was a hugger at all. So she was overjoyed that Val Tessalisk didn't push her away. And this experience of theirs only proved that he cared for her well being. They were bonded in friendship now and for that she was eternally greatful.

She looked down to the shards once the hug had ended and nodded in agreement with Val's suggestion. "I think that multiple containers are in order. We don't need it to become full size again. I'll try to lift them all and carry them down to the door and then we c--"

Lori's words were cut off as a loud bang coming in the direction of where they came from, followed by lots of panicked shouts and the sounds of people running towards them. A few seconds later staff and security were headed right towards them.

"Loreena! Are you alright? Are you both alright?!"

"Yes we're fine, Nico. Just a bit...shaken up. What was that all about?!"

"We don't know yet. But we'll find out."

"Well it's shattered into pieces. Gather them in containers and keep them frozen. At least until we can sort this out."

"Yes ma-am. But I implore you both to go to the medbay for examination."

Lori glanced over at Val and then nodded. "Alright...we'll get checked out. C'mon." She gestured for him to follow as she bypassed the frozen shards and men that were taking care of the scattered pieces. But all the while her mind was drifting to what that thing could have been. She did encounter a shapeshifter before, and one that mimicked her late husband before his death. Could it be toying with her again? She hoped not...

 

[Val Tessalisk]

"Hang on a second, there's another piece I forgot" Val protested to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

He had just remembered the spear the M-1000 threw at him back at the firing range. He had no idea if the thrown weapon was still "active" in the sense that it could reform itself, but he wasn't going to wait around and find out. Val jogged back to the firing range, pushing past security and science personnel until he arrived back at the firing range. There it was: still lodged in the wall was a long, chrome lance that was once part of the killer android. Val approached it cautiously; for all he knew the thing could spring back to life and become another M-1000. After a brief moment of hesitation, Val grabbed the lance and yanked it out of the wall.

"Yikes this thing is sharp..." Val muttered as he examined the discarded weapon.

Being thrown into the wall hadn't dulled its sharpness in the slightest, nor even scratched the chrome luster of the weapon. It would have been a cool souvenir if it wasn't for the fact that this thing could still be "alive". Val also took the time to scoop up his helmet and put it on his head. Wouldn't want this thing to try and stab him through the head. Again. Val cleared his throat and tried to hail Lori on his helmet's comms.

"Hey partner, our "friend" left us a parting gift back at the firing range. Come take a look!"

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori wondered what piece that Val Tessalisk was referring to as he told her to wait. What were they forgetting? But then it hit her as he bounded down back the way that they came. There was a piece thrown at them! Of course during all of the scrambling and shooting, she wasn't thinking about every piece of the M-1000 that was thrown at them, and whether or not they all slid back into his form.

It was a good thing that Val did.

She didn't wait so much as she continued down the way that they came, nodding to some of the guards that now began to escort her through like some kind of a....well, she was a Princess. And after what they had just been through, Lori didn't blame them for wanting to keep close. There was no doubt in her mind that Arla would want to do so too. At least until some research was done on that thing.

Val's voice came through the comm in her pocket. Lori fished it out before too much of the message was lost. "Got it! We'll be right there!" She had one of the guards alert one of the scientists to meet them at the firing range with a large container, while her and the guards made their way down to them.

"I hope we find out who made this thing. And I hope that there isn't any more of them..."

 

[Val Tessalisk]

Val stood with the lance in hand as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun and her escort arrived carrying the large storage case with them. He wasn't sure if the weapon would fit inside the case, but he supposed he could try and bend or break it to make it fit. Either way, he was happy to get rid of the thing before it sprang back to life or who-knows-what else it could do. For the time however, it appeared inert and for all intents and proposes, "dead". Val strode over to the guards who popped the case open after entering a passcode on a small terminal located on the side of the box. Upon making a brief examination, Val determined that the lance should fit snugly inside the crate and placed it inside without hesitation. He was glad he didn't have to toy with it, as he feared tampering with it may trigger some kind of a reaction.

Val took one last look at the lance inside it's secure casket; his reflection visible on it's chrome surface as clear as a mirror. The guards finally shut the casket, which closed with a distinct hiss and jolted slightly as the magnetic locks slid into place. He presumed that these would be enough to keep it shut just in case it reanimated. Speaking of which, Val remembered that the bulk of the shapeshifting android was still in pieces on the ground further in the facility. Val assumed the eggheads had already collected all the fragments and put them in some sort of mega-unbreachable container, but he wanted to be sure.

"Did your people get the shards back in the warehouse? Otherwise, I hope you have plenty more fire extinguishers for me to use" Val said jokingly to Lori.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori watched as the lance was taken care of. Val Tessalisk was good to remember it was there, for who knew what would have happened otherwise. It could have formed into a smaller version of itself and gone after her again, fully capable of causing deadly results.

She nodded to Val's question with an amused grin, ever so glad that he liked to keep things light like she did, even after a life threatening situation. "Yeah, they're on it. But I think that I'll ensure that my ships have extra fire extinguishers...just in case." Lori watched as the scientists took readings and scans of the room with their various instruments. There was going to be a lot of data collected today. "I'd say that your slugthrower tested well. Don't you?"

"Ma'am, Sir, you need to go to the medbay to get checked out. Both of you are expected."

Lori nodded a little with a sigh. She was sure that she was fine. But in some cases it was best not to argue. So she followed the guards as they led the way out of the testing range. "What's next for you after this little adventure, Val?"

 

[Val Tessalisk]

Val chuckled at Loreena Arenais-Valhoun 's question.

"If I recall, we have our old pal Red to track down. Well, I do anyway. That's why we're here in the first place. The not-M-1000 was a nice warm up, though. I didn't even need to sacrifice myself at the end!" Val exclaimed. Now that he thought about it, he could probably survive a brief dip in molten metal. Granted, it wouldn't be pleasant and he wouldn't go out of his way to do it, but it's possible.

"By the way, how soon can we find out what that thing was and who made it? Your brain-boys aught be some of the best in the galaxy, right?" he asked. After having basically lived out a holo-film, he was pretty damn curious as to how they made the "special effects" this time around.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori almost completely forgot about Red. The latest adventure in the testing area made her forget a lot of things. It was completely unbelievable, exciting, and yet also terrifying in it's own way. And she was really glad that Val Tessalisk didn't have to sacrifice himself. That would be devistating, especially as the two of them had become quick friends due to their kindred spirits.

"If you were to die because of me. I don't know what I'd do. I mean, it's an honourable way to go and something that a lot of us would aspire to, but still....I'd be really, really sad. Now as for my brain-boys testing that....thing, I'm not sure how long it'll take. If that thing is a shape-shifter, it'll be easy to determine. But if it's something else entirely....it'll take a lot more tests. I'll keep you fully updated on their progress though. Once I find out, you'll find out." Lori gave him a reassuring smile as they walked down the corridors to get to the medbay for a once over. She hated it, but it needed to be done.

 

[Val Tessalisk]

"Awwwww shucks, Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . You're making me blush" Val said teasingly while making an effeminate hand wave.

Val was glad to have someone who'd warmed up to him so quickly. It was still kind of a strange feeling, as the only other person who he'd shared this bond with was Undina, his old flame. Granted, that was a relationship whereas this wasn't. Despite this, Val welcomed it as it helped fill in the void Undia left when she passed on. At the same time, a worry scratched at the back of his mind, a worry that he'd outlive Lori like he did Undina, and the cycle would start all over again. Depression, Drinking. Regrets. "What if", etc. Maybe it was time he learned to be in the present and enjoy these connections while he had them. Maybe Lori could be the key in helping change his mindset and outlook on the matter. Compared to a Gen'Dai, a human's life was incredibly short. She and other humans would know what it meant to "make the most" of your time in this universe.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Does the great and fearless Val Tessalisk blush? We must not let his enemies know!" Lori snickered, ever so grateful that he wasn't stern and emotionless. He reminded her of her Mandalorian vod that she lived and trained with. Funny, brave, and he didn't treat her like a child as so many have.

She hoped to have him in her life for more than just this moment. No doubt after they were given the clear by the medics, Val would be on his way to hunt down Subject 73 Red . And then after that? Who knows? She almost didn't want to think about it.

But she still did think about it while the medics ran their tests on them. It kept her a bit quiet, which was not very normal for her. "We'll keep in touch, right? I mean, moreso than just for this job. Someone's gotta make sure I stay outta trouble, right?"