Dreams of Fire - Chapter 2

[Darth Ren Malgus]

The nightmares had become endless Serena had started to not want to sleep for a fear of the longing, and hellish visions that haunted her each time she closed her eyes.

[member="Darth Mythos"] was far away on board the Cortana Blade ever since staying within the confines of the ship this assault on her senses started and grew in strength. Beneath all of it she could feel the pull, the urging, and the relentless craving to be on board that ship again.

It was killing her mind and body slowly from a distance, the dark side corruption that had crept inside her wanted what it wanted and would take nothing less than her living on board the ship, or driving her insane from not.

Serena had not figured that all out easily but it was the only thing that made sense, the only thing...oh her head hurt so much.

There was only one other person that she would turn to right now, only one that could possibly understand.

[member="Coren Starchaser"] I need your help. Please meet me on Felucia

Felucia an unsettled jungle but teeming with life Serena's connection to the ecosystem, that helped her force connections flourish hoped to find balance there and to have a hard conversation.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

It hadn’t been all that long since Coren had run across Wren. But the message, there was something about contacting him, it sounded more urgent than just the ‘hey neighbor, can I have some eggs?’ type of help. And for this reason he had taken his newer ship the ShortFin, the one that was stealth and modified engines and navigation, the rest of his ships, they’d remain behind and showing htat he was somewhere between the hyperspace lanes. The Tachyon Rising was clearly the better ship, maybe one of the best in the galaxy, for making it from point A to B, behind the Gypsymoth but that was because it was Jorus Merrill. But still, ShortFin would be able to take most things its size and even a few bigger in a run, weapons and speed.

He’d been spending a lot of time helping move assets to Sullust, when he wasn’t training soldiers and pilots. But he could and would drop anything for friends. Making his way out to Felucia wasn’t the hard part, it was finding Wren.

He landed the ship, and slowly fell into the Force, something he preferred to do from the comfort of space, or worlds where there weren’t such dense life-force populations. It gave him almost… a feedback reading? Objects were easy to find, people, or a specific life? Not so much.

Aside from a few. Wren, Spark, Chevu…

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

She had been sitting waiting since she called him, she had not moved from the spot in the spaceport lounge. She frightened some of the passengers as they would look over at her seeing her haggard look, haunted eyes, as she bounced about as if being bitten by mites.

When she saw him finally walking around likely wondering how to find her, she got up and went towards him.

“Coren” she said in as normal a voice as she could get, she smiled at seeing him, he had to be able to help right, he had to know what to do right?

She had to have some sickness, something that could be fixed.

She tried to smile, as she lifted her hand to wave.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He made his landing and had to get out and find where she was. He knew she’d be in the starport somewhere, and that was always an easy thing for Starchaser to look through. Places like these were easy, only a few places people wanted to be. The ones waiting for public transit were looking for power sources for datapads and other assorted electronics. On his money, it’d be a lounge. And he had a good idea as to which type he’d find someone like Wren in, they did share a lot of memory.

Powers changed, new skills arose, others atrophied.

He could still feel her and smiled softly when the blonde was noticed. But something was… off. Now Coren wasn’t the most Light Side allied Forcer out there, ends definitely justified the means for him, but he knew when something was… off.

The man hunted Sith as a hobby. As she spoke, he looked her over. “Wren? Whats wrong? Your message…”

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

She tried to smile she really did but the pain of what she was going through seemed to pour out of her no matter what she did, "I think there's something wrong with me Coren, I can't sleep, and the dreams" her voice got soft, the hint of her fear of sleep resonated through the air.

Her eyes usually so blue now red, the hint of darkness under each showing her lack of sleep. "I don't know what's wrong. Can you help me?" She walked slower towards him, she looked down and then back up her face contorted slightly as the pain of what she felt bubbled up.

"Please"

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The fact that she wasn’t her bubbly self, that was something he clued in on really fast. Coren looked at Wren and tipped his head, trying to not give the expression that he could tell anything was wrong. But this was Coren, he was failing at that. And she was talking, letting him know. The pilot nodded at his blonde friend, and took a closer look at her. “Dreams?” The man gave her a sidelong look.

“Where have you been? Did you go… anywhere wrong?” He wasn’t sure what to do, but it was clear in his tone and body language that he was going to help, he wanted to help. “I’ll fix it. We just need to know what it I’m fixing.”

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Where had she been.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"I." She frowned then the longing began pulling at the very fabric of her soul, coupled with the dark bindings she felt and that [member="Darth Mythos"] had placed in her mind the craving began.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"Was on a dig on Korriban" She looked up biting her lip as her breath grew more ragged. "So pretty" she whispered, then her eyes dilated, she blinked again. "Went wrong, oh no well..." then she smiled.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"I met the most wonderful person, another archaeologist we had so much in common, he has beautiful yellow eyes, and long flowing hair" she looked down, "we found the tomb of a long dead Sith named Adas...and Animus has the most beautiful ship Coren, you'd love it" then her eyes showed a familiar spark but the mere thoughts of the ship caused her pain she began to weaken.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"oh no" she whispered, "it hurts" Blue eyes once so confident now looked lost.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]"Coren, what's wrong with me?"[/SIZE]


[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The spacer looked to his friend, something was definitely amiss here. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Wasn’t sure he wanted the answer. Especially not when she was talking about where she’d been. Korriban? Of all places? Coren shook his head, well, would have, but he was trying to clue into Wren and figure out what was going on with the blonde. She seemed… disjointed. Normally she was more well spoken.

But then she started being the Wren he knew. The one who had gotten excited about things, the one who didn’t seem to shy away from a situation. And a dig? That was definitely the blonde he knew. “Oh? Met him at Korriban?” Yellow eyes, well, the galaxy was a big place. That was something Coren honestly wouldn’t be linking to another being as a clue for the Sith. “What kind of ship was it?” That was the easiest way to find someone. And really, small talk, ships were one of Coren’s favorite things.

He reached into the Force when her pattern changed, even before she asked what was wrong. Looking up, he kept a placid look, a deep breath in and another out. Some powers were not in his realm, but the power of Sense? He could work that realm a little bit better than the others. He was trying to touch the blonde’s mind, her aura, her being, looking for answers.

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

What kind of ship she had to think, "Um special design, it had unique rooms in it, and it" she paused as she remembered her eyes locked onto Coren's, "It talks to me I hear it." She began to shake her head, "It says things that make it seem like it's reading my mind"

Serena doubled over hugging herself to keep from falling apart, "Owwww" she whined.

Then she felt him she looked up, she let down the barriers to let him in. She trusted Coren with her life, he would know what to do. She had not been in his since their adventure under water what would he find in there.

She could not read herself to know that her aura had changed, or to know the conflict raging within her was more than an infection. It was the darkness having found a way to crawl back inside her.

The Dark Nexus that was part of the Cortana Blade had left the feeling of longing within her, it would drive her to do anything to get back to it. How long could she last away from it, was she days away from losing her mind?

She watched his eyes as he searched, all while she stood her eyes pleading for his help.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Special design. Huh. He could probably put some word out, a few feelers to the ground and see exactly what ships were being laid by private investors. Sure, the galaxy was a big place and all the ships would take a gorram year to filter through to find the ship, and then there’d be a feth done of guess work. Now if it was playing a song, or something… well, living?

That was something else.

“It… talks? Like an AI?” That would be dangerous. But it was much worse than Coren would suspect. He’d heard of living ships, the Aing-Tii, the Sekot craft… but this was something different, wasn’t it?

“Is it in the Force?”

Ships and nexi were strange.

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

What was it she had to ask herself. Serena had to think but her mind felt covered in a haze and the loss of time that she couldn't account for.

She thought about her time on the Blade had she heard the whispers around her, or in her head it seemed hard to tell the difference. Biting her lip she became more anxious about what it was.

She looked at [member="Coren Starchaser"] finally , "I think it was through the force in .................my..head." She looked down feeling suddenly center stage and naked with everyone looking at her.

She looked up, "I've lost my marbles haven't I?"

 

[Coren Starchaser]

There was the feeling that Wren was back to square one here. When Coren first met the blonde, she had no memories, or at least, very little. Like him, she had gone through something that wiped her memories away. And he was wondering how close this feeling was to that one. Even if this one was a bit more focused from the Force. The pilot looked at her and nodded.

The Force in her head? “Like… the ship was alive?” He’d heard talk of living ships. The Aing-Tii had them, the Vong had them, there were others, but… was that what this was? Some sort of living hybrid vessel? He would be interested in getting his hands on it.

Reaching out, he touched her shoulder. “No, I don’t think you are.”

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

"Yes like it had a mind of its own, which is nuts" She just knew that she sounded like a mad woman as wonderfully gentle as Coren was trying to be, as helpful she couldn't help but hear it for herself in her own voice.

She tried not to laugh, "I"m always in trouble of some kind, one day I'm hoping that I can just study rocks, and history." Her blue eyes not as bright as they once were, the darkness of lack of sleep showed.

She felt his touch on her shoulder, she turned looked up and in desperate need she buried her face in his chest. The comfort of a friend of an understanding non judgemental friend was so deeply appreciated there was no way Coren could know how he made her feel at that very moment.

"Is there some kind of registry we can look at to see what kind of ship it is? Maybe that would help?" She hoped, or did she.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

That was different. Ships didn’t have a mind that could attack people in the Force. Vong were all Force-dead… weren’t they? Were there any that made it to Force-aware? Oh feth, he hoped not. Especially if they were working with the Sith, that just wouldn’t end well. “Its not too crazy.” Just terrifying. A ship that could fly itself, that was living? He’d heard rumors.

But didn’t want to encounter it.

“Maybe some day. Once the galaxy is brought back to peace.” And then he could retire from military service, join the ExplorCorps full time and go from there. Simple, right? The worst was that he didn’t know what [member="Serena Bouie"] was going through. How bad was it? There was a time where the pair could easily connect, and now? It was hard, rough.

There was a wall that needed to come down.

“I mean, there is a registry of ships and shipping lanes. Where were you? When?” He would need access to the HoloNet.

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

"Korriban, about" how long was it she thought carefully, "just a few months" had she lost more time or was it just that her memory was playing tricks on her. She felt, as if she had just woke up from the Nether world, and Akala.

Was this going to be a thing from now on? It couldn't be.

She smiled as best she could, "We were going to take some of the treasure to my mother but I called away." She shook her head, "maybe I need more sleep, or something hot to drink. I don't have a picnic basket this time but could we get something?"

 

[Coren Starchaser]

A few months was a big stretch of time to work with, still, Coren could probably manage it. He might have to call in a favor, or three, but he wasn’t even sure if he could reach Jorus at this point anymore, the Pilot Extraordinaire seemed to fall off the radar and Coren might be the one to take up that mantle. Now if only the other man had left a holocron. “Korriban, shouldn’t be running around there, Wren.” He tried to smile, his town clearly looking to make her smile. But seriously. No one should be there.

Nodding at the blonde, he smiled. Keeping her talking for one would be good. He could figure the rest out as they went along. “Drink, I can do that for you.” He looked to the bartender and mouthed the word ‘tea’ and turned his attention back to his friend. “Korriban is off in the Primeval space, a long way from home.”

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

"I've been foolish in my quest, and acceptance of requests. I shouldn't have gone, it's not a place for Jedi and I thought I could hide my presence among them but" She smiled as the tea arrived, she liked tea it was fine.

Thin fingers reached for the cup the edges of her knuckles more visible than usual, she had lost weight.

"But now, the voice and the crawling feeling...and the thoughts..." She brought the cup up, the tea had that earthy smell, that taste of home, she sipped it. "mmmm" yes that felt good.

"I may have...picked up some corruption...I don't want to accept that..but...it was Korriban" Now she was concerned, but if she had it would it...well...change her?

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Foolish might be the word, but it wasn’t the one Coren would use. He was the man who jumped headlong into battle without a second thought, or even forethought. He was the type to fight for what he thought was right and that was something he respected in all people. Wren was no stranger to following her heart, and perhaps was a reason she and Coren got on so well.

When Coren wasn’t being soldier boy.

“Its hard to stay hidden for too long, Wren.” He nodded, knowing too well how that worked out for him. The Dark Side had a way of sneaking up on a person.


“Corruption? You?” He could tell her aura was a bit… less clean, but it wasn’t that he could tell that she had been the instigating in anything bad. Coren had commited more atrocities than Wren ever could. “Not that I see in you. But we can find this ship, and do what we can to free you…” From its influence, which was clear on her.

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

Serena nodded then gave Coren a weak smile, "I knew I could count on you" She knew she could, "What if" she sighed slightly, "What if I"m becoming...dark? I mean" What was going to say to Coren the truth of course.

"Animus, the other researcher he has this way of..." Sure Serena tell him what happens, how do you explain that the ship whispers promises of artifacts across the galaxy and to end her loneliness. While she and Coren had never been intimate they were close.

What if she was slowly becoming a Sith? Would Coren hunt her? Was she a Sith already and did not know it, had the Blade infected her that much that...she wasn't a Jedi?

What if the Blade had infected her, "I think all I have to do is ask him to come and he would" They could discuss the ship, maybe?

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The galaxy as a changing place, and by the time this had rolled around, Coren still hadn’t found himself in the mindset of the soldier, in the mindset of chasing and wiping out the dark side. The Sith, sure, they needed to go, but there were Dark Siders who were useful to the continued fight. He looked the blonde over with an open expression, nothing to make her nervous.

“Animus…” He let the word rumble around in his mouth and ears for a moment.

“What is he doing? No one can make you do anything. The toughest mental attacks can’t force you to harm others if it is against what you want. You’re going to be fine.”

But they needed to find this man and eliminate him. And the ship.

[member="Serena Bouie"]