Private Fruition

[Onrai]

Ord Mantell
Tag: Ran Serys

"Careful." Vanessa Vantai said, as a droid began to lower the piece of an archway into place. A tremendous amount of research and development had led to this project's development, analysis and repair of the Prime Gate having simultaneously gone hand in hand with studies of the hypergate in the Old City of Jurgoran on Tython. The acquisition of marionium from the Trade Federation's representative prior to his unfortunate capture at the hands of the Galactic Alliance was precisely what Onrai had needed - in the depths of Otherspace, she had managed to craft a device based on Gree schematics, charged with dark matter and intended for use as the indefinite power source of a hypergate.

A hypergate like the one that was being assembled in front of her.

Once the gate was finished, it would be tested and Onrai herself would walk through it. The design and understanding of the principles behind instantaneous transportation between individual gateways was still utterly baffling, but through effectual mimicry, Onrai was a firm believer the gateway would work. Designed as it was to link with the hypergate on Tython, this would allow for near-instantaneous transportation between worlds as needed - a strategic tool allowing for swift retreats or rapid transit of men and materiel.

Certainly something that the Galactic Alliance would be interested in.

 

[Ran Serys]

There was too much interest in the Hypergates, Ran thought. Between The Dark Empire, the Galactic Alliance, and the new visitors from the dwarf galaxy over. Ran herself didn't have much interest in the ancient, technologically advanced structures until recent when a small contingent of these visitors contacted her.

With an open mind and ear, Ran listened. They had an offer they believed she and the Jedi would not and could not refuse. They'd heard of the Jedi's reputation as peacekeepers, and valiant warrior-scholars that fought for what they believed to be right. These visitors believed it was better if no one used the hypergates for a multitude of reasons, and they believed the Jedi would agree. The visitors, also known as the Vir, would permanently shut down the hypergates, creating a safer and more stable galactic landscape so long as they could mine and study the structures for alternate beneficial technological advancement. They'd share all their findings with the powers to be so long as they were peaceful powers. The exchange sounded good to Ran, but Ran didn't speak for the Jedi or the Alliance. Instead she promised to share their message with those who did. She would leave for Coruscant to contact the council and those in charge of the assembly at once, but before she could do that the visitors needed her help.

The Vir were having issues with the Imperial occupation of Ord Mantell. Their long range scanners acquired a faint signal from the nearby hypergate and they knew that while the Dark Empire was around they would not get the chance to collect any data or readings from it. At least not without the exchange of information. This is where Ran came in. In the Vir's eyes and in their data the Jedi, and by extension all force users, could make the impossible and improbable materialize. Ran's job was to get the data without giving the Dark Empire one iota of technological information. A task easier accepted than accomplished.

Onrai​

 

[Onrai]

The frame of the gateway was now assembled, the upper pieces supported by gravity and some quick-drying mortar on the lower supports. Vanessa stepped over to one side of the gate, looking down at the marionium sphere within her hands. If this worked, the hypergate would be able to function - though where it led to she was unsure, even if it had been built to work with the Tython gateway. She placed the gleaming sphere into the recess on the side of the gate. Nothing happened, which was good as she had yet to perform the activation rituals.

Fingers crossed, she focused and began the ritual to activate the hypergate. From her understanding, there was little to no risk of anything happening - the hypergate would keep the gate on Tython active until the connection was closed.

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

A short time after Ran had met with the Vir, she arrived at the rendezvous and met one of their expert scouts, Ti-Rus. Ti-Rus' skin was ashen white with ceremonial scars and piercings on all visible parts of his body and then some. Ran had noticed the scars, piercings, and other severe forms of body modification were something the Vir held in high regard. She wondered if these additions held as much meaning as the tattoos of her own people.

After they exchanged a greeting, the pair dove into action. Ti-Rus was quick to bring Ran up to speed on the goings on. He had been studying the hypergate and the Dark Empire operation for a while. First, he studied from afar, then up close, and then even in the shadows of their operation. They would be as close as he had ever been as they entered the shadows once again. Every operation had an area of oversight, and Ti-Rus knew exactly how to spot it and use it to his advantage. So it was in these shadows, hiding, skulking, and sleuthing that Ran and Ti-Rus would find the Hyper Gate in the beginning phase of activation. They shared a knowing glance. The mission was no longer one of data retrieval, but a matter of intergalactic safety.

"We have to stop the Hyper Gate from being activated now." Ran whispered to Ti-Rus.

"I know. I know," Ti-Rus repeated as he tried thinking of the best way to accomplish their goal. "I haven't seen a command console yet." He gritted his teeth. "We may just have to damage the hypergate entirely." He said. Ran could sense his feelings. He didn't want to do that. While he was a scout for his people, he was also a researcher. To cripple the gate would mean to cripple what knowledge could be gleaned from it.

"The gate is massive and ancient, and it's been reinforced. If it were that easy to damage, I believe it would have been done by now." Ran replied, knowing it couldn't be that simple. They didn't need destruction, they needed the force. "I will search for the source of activation." She said dropping to her knees to meditate and commune with the force. "Cover me, Ti-Rus." He did.

Ran reached out with her feelings seeking to fill the space, to weed out the path to the gate's point of activation, the button, the switch, the dial, the console. Although what she found was neither of those things. She found a ritual. And as her mind touched it, she could feel the influence of the darkside, the corruption of the force, there was a touch of something or someone nearly divine and absolutely frightening. Ran winced as her mind met the ritual. There was Vanessa, and then there were her Masters obfuscated by the darkside of the force for a variety of reasons. This was all much more than Ran had expected.

Onrai​

 

[Onrai]

The ritual proceeded apace as buttons were pressed, switches were flipped, knobs were turned, and levers were pulled. Lastly, the gleaming sphere of marionium was placed within its socket, the soft purple gleam of the dark matter stored within energizing the portal. With a rush and a swirl, for the first time ever in its entire history of construction, the gateway roared to life.

Vanessa's eyes opened wide - she had done it! It had taken millions of credits, significant quantities of labor, and hunting down the rare assets in question to make such a device work, but she had done it. The only thing left to do was to travel through the newly formed hypergate and discover whether or not the exit point was correct. Her fingers were crossed as she began to slowly take steps towards the gateway.

Ran Serys