The Drapery Falls

[Kuzo]

M A E N A

If Irajah had realized that [member="Xena Amonali"] was on Maena this entire time, she would have gone to the girl sooner. But it was only when [member="Matsu Xiangu"] had given her a list of prisoners she could pick from for the next phase of her Gideon research that she discovered it. In truth, if she had realized it too much sooner, the coming events might have gone very differently.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] had transferred the girl here after she had been taken on Panatha, intent to study her at his leisure. Events had gotten messy, however, and Xena had been forgotten about in the ensuing tension.

The repulsor lift brought her down into the bowels of the facility. Dark hair curled around her face, thick bangs covering her forehead and the scar carved there by the Butcher King. On the surface, she looked little changed from the last time they had met. But the scars of carved sith runes across her torso and extensive cybernetics were only the surface of the changes that had been alchemizing within Doctor Irajah Ven since that night.

Slipping her keycard from the pocket of her crisp, white lab coat, she flashed it at the guard before walking with a quiet tak tak tak of heels down the hallway.

Her experiments on the terminal patients from the lower city had yielded little in the way of functional data. It frustrated her, that it had taken so much of herself to work up to that point, to make those sacrifices (both in morals and lives), to come up empty handed from those subjects. Indeed, if she had known that Xena was here before she had taken that step, then she would be going down into the holding cells to lead her back into the galaxy- to freedom.

But the failure there, the continued gnawing of the Gideon Virus inside of her- the continued pressure of the Dark Side that had been building first on Panatha and now here on Maena.....

No. She was here now to make Xena a deal.

 

[Xena Amonali]

Loading location and Data... Access granted

Planet... Maena
City/Town... Unknown
Facility... The Unit
Subsection of Facility... S.H.A.C. (Subterranean Hazardous Asset Containment) block Beta 2
Unit... Isolation Cell 2ß-5
Occupant... Xena Amonali
Danger Rating... Very High
Additional Information... Force sensitive; Firrerreo

Information access... Terminated...

---

---

---

A heavy sigh filled the air of the transparisteel case that held Xena, not that she would be any wiser if its make. To any who couldn't see into the ultraviolet spectrum, the inside of the containment unit was a brilliant sterile white with not a single fleck of dirt along its walls. It was the perfect place to hold an "asset" while they awaited their run with one of the many staff of the facility. Inside it just hummed with a mechanical life that was not too distant from the thrum of a starfreighter's hold; leading to many restless nights, or was it days? It was hard to tell in the underground sanctum where the only light a resident could look forward to came from simple glowlights embedded in the floors, ceilings and walls.

Xena had already given up on trying to track how long she had been here; there were no indicators she could go off of. She knew that she got two meals a day through a small slot in the large one-way transparisteel door. She knew that sometimes one of the researchers would come done and drag her off to perform some sort of grueling test to see how her regeneration handled it. Some days it had been simple, cut off a small sample and watch the progress, other days it wasn't as simple. Other days they wished to test just how deep the water truly was; thankfully, or maybe not, they hadn't found out what her limits were. Removed limbs? No problem. Being basically dissected to show off how the internal physiology of a firrerreo compared to a human? A piece of cake. It wasn't without its troubles and complications, each and every time she went through the battery of tests they left her very weak. Honestly, Xena was surprised her body hadn't just given up at this point.

The worse part about her stay though? Not being able to feel the force. Olbio trees lay in a small forest that surrounded the S.H.A.C. block's cells, and where the trees went so did their inhabitants. Ysalamiri scuttled and lazed about on the numerous trees staying unseen from all of the block's residents, the yellow furred reptiles created a large bubble around the entire block that prevented any force manipulation within its confines; this left a cold emptiness that was forever omnipresent in every single force sensitive asset. Everything furthered to deepen the sense of isolation, this lead to every single inhabitant becoming addicted to the prospect of just getting a small taste of life outside of their individual hollow world. They yearned so much for that little glimpse that many of them just agreed to go without too and perform numerous gruelling and inhumane tests with the small promise that they could see it again soon.

So she sat, staring at the same spot on the wall, to her the room was filled with colour though that barely distracted her from the loneliness of it all. Her hands hung limp before her where a set of stun cuffs hung, the same material dangling down from her ankles, clinking along the smooth flooring. An empty platter of food lay off next to the door on its dull grey tray, awaiting the cleaning droid that would whisk it away. She was not aware of the being who walked closer to her "home" or the other machinations that were starting to grind to life.

---

Outside of each cell in the "Shac" block there stood a heavily armed guard that would't look out of place on a battlefield. Each and every one of them carried a special slugthrower shotgun with menacing bayonet underneath of its barrel. They didn't even make any move to register that [member="Irajah Ven"] was in their hallway, though the doctor could probably feel their cold eyes staring and tracking her as she made her way down the lengthy hallway. The guard infront of cell 2ß-5 looking over the petite woman. Even from here Irajah could probably see Xena sitting in her cell, staring at the floor. The transparisteel walls showed off the perfect cube, the airlock/walkway and Xena herself. The guard simply looked over Irajah's credentials for a brief moment before opening the first door of the walkway/airlock, motioning for her to go inside.

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah couldn't risk staying here for long. Until recently, she'd rarely been particularly conscious of the Force and how she interacted with it beyond one singular ability. But this was entirely different. Even before she had begun to undergo training with [member="Carach"], she would have felt the oppressive numbness of the cells here keenly. She could almost sense the roiling mass of Gideon in her body- not in truth, but projected starkly on the back of her mind as she moved down the hallway.

Being condemned to a cell here would mean literal death for Irajah.

Fortunately, she would be walking out of here shortly again.

The question was simply would she be doing it alone.

"I would have come sooner, if I had known he had put you here."

It was perhaps a strange greeting.

Hazel eyes cast over [member="Xena Amonali"] as the girl looked up at her. A vantage, in truth, that Irajah was little accustomed to.

They had both changed in their time since their first meeting. Xena was paler, weaker. Haunted.

Irajah on the other hand was harder. It was not an obvious change, though there was a tension around her eyes and in the set of her jaw that was different than before. Heavy bangs obscured her forehead and the scar there. Her cybernetics were not obvious to a casual observer, though occasionally her right hand plucked absently at the hem of her lab coat without the woman seeming to be aware of it.

She crouched, getting down on eye level with Xena.

"I have the authority to release you, but only under certain conditions."

​No 'how are you holding up?' No 'what have they done to you?' Irajah had a need. And pretending otherwise was disingenuous.

 

[Xena Amonali]

Xena kept her eyes locked on [member="Irajah Ven"]. The girl, who had the smallest glimmer of hope, kept herself still; she was certainly a ghost of her former self.

"I thought no one would come..." Xena whispered to herself before addressing Irajah's last statement, "What sort of conditions?"

She was a bit uneasy though, something about the petite doctor's tone was not sitting well. It was way too professional, too stern. It didn't hold the warmth that she had experienced when they had first met, even if their first meeting ended in Xena finding out that she had crashed in the wrong neighbourhood. It didn't help too that Irajah had shown no semblance of concern for her well being. It was just too professional...

IN a decently slow movement, as to not activate her binds, she stood herself up. Standing a bit shorter then Irajah still, she was just hoping that the conditions were nothing like what she had been through before. Xena had a pale silver hue to her skin, something her species always had when they were sad, distressed or angry, her hands were just grasping at thin air, almost like her reflexes were doing the work on their own.

Somehow, she knew this was not going to be a nice set of conditions. Though, somewhere in her mind she thought to herself "But this will mean freedom from this hell... You can do this if it means you get out.. just remember that!"

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah had changed. It had been a slow alchemy, abuses heaped one at a time on her mind and body. The process of recovering, of regaining a sense of self had left certain avenues atrophied.... or walled deeply away as she'd rebuilt the supports that allowed her simply to function.

Before she had come down, she had already convinced herself that the trade she was offering was a good one. That a choice between certain death here in this cell or at the hands of one of the other researches and what she offered was a fair one. Certain death compared to maybe death.

One of the things that Irajah had sacrificed and broken down to rebuild herself meant that, at least on the surface, she could believe that.

Hazel eyes watched [member="Xena Amonali"]. It was impossible to miss the changes that had been wrought in the girl in this time either. It was enough to challenge, for a moment, her resolve.

It's you or Gideon.

Only a moment.

In the deepest shadow of her soul, Irajah had decided that her life was worth any price.

"Very simple. I have a few tests I would like to run on you involving a particular virus. Tissue samples first, and only on you directly if those fail to yield fruit. Once I am finished and we are certain that the virus has been cleared from your body, I will provide not only your freedom, but travel accommodations to the world of your choice. Unfortunately, the facility is owned by a certain woman who would not simply grant me permission to free you, once she noticed you..... particular features. But if you had already been of some assistance, that would be a different story. [member="Matsu Xiangu"] is not known for letting..... samples.... out of her hands before finding a use for them. But at least I would treat you as a sentient creature, rather than a lab rat."

 

[Xena Amonali]

A still silence filled the room, it was like every minute was an hour. Xena took her time to think over [member="Irajah Ven"]'s words. More tests and then she could go? She just had to give some tissue for this test which could give the desired results.

"One more run, and it's just a virus. It can't be that bad... this is different and you know it." she thought to herself.

With a dip of her head she agreed to the conditions, the smallest smile going across her ashen face. Hope was something she had not felt in quite some time. The prospect of freedom, at least from her containment, and being treated nicely was something that never came to the girls mind. This was a pleasant surprise.

"When are we going for these... tests?" She asked, her voice sounded a bit happier then it was before. Like hope was about to drive her forwards.

Xena got herself ready just in case, standing just before the doctor, her long black hair hanging around her shoulders. Her amber eyes held hope, staring up at the person who may end up being her saviour once again. Her hands continued to grip into fists on their own, no matter what; whether that was from the constant shocks or a calming habit is anyone's guess.

 

[Kuzo]

Relief flooded through her. She had agreed. Sure, Irajah hadn't been fully forthcoming. After all, if she *had* it was possible that [member="Xena Amonali"] would have said no. She'd told her enough though. Yes. Of course.

"Well, you can come with me immediately, but I'd like you to be stronger before we begin," she said honestly. "If you are up for it, I'd like to take a few blood samples now, just to compare them in a few days. But you need rest. Food."

It seemed, on the surface, like a kindness. But that wasn't why Irajah was concerned. As much as she wanted to begin as soon as possible, it made little sense to work with the girl in her current condition. It simply wasn't practical. She already knew that studies done on weakened subjects offered no useful information. She had no intention of wasting this opportunity by rushing it.

"Are you ready to go?"

The doctor's smile at her response was genuine.

****

Irajah was there, a shoulder to lean on, if Xena needed it. The room she'd had prepared for the girl was simple, deep in the heart of the lowest levels of the labs. All of Irajah's research into Gideon happened here. It had to. The biological security protocols were the only things that made its study possible. The separate air filtration system, the fact that this wing was kept under very slight negative pressure. Anyone coming or going had to go through decom. No risks were taken with this particular virus.

There was no hiding that the room was a hospital room. Irajah hadn't tried, and wasn't lying about that aspect anyway. But compared to the previous situation Xena had been in, this was a castle. Clean, lights that Xena could control. Soft bed with a pillow and blankets. Entertainment holos. A proper bathroom.

While Irajah had nothing to do with her original incarceration here, she was aware, from her own experiences, how little it would take to seem comfortable after what Xena had been through. She hadn't set up the emotional manipulation on purpose, but when her own life was on the line, she was not above taking advantage of it.

"For now, you have full access to the level, everything but my personal office," she said once they reached it. Yes, the level was simply a new prison for now, but the illusion of a certain freedom would matter after her time incarcerated. "You may eat what you want, when you want, but let's start slow after..... what you've been through." She didn't want her to get sick to her stomach after all.

"I'll be here often, and you can reach me from any of the wall comms at any time. If there is anything you need or want, please let me know."

She was sincere in this. She wasn't a cold, calculating woman by nature. By nature she was friendly, generous. But desperate times called for certain things to be cast aside as a price for survival. That didn't mean, however, that she didn't want to make Xena as comfortable as possible.

Especially if these were to be her last weeks among the living.

 

[Xena Amonali]

The walk down to [member="Irajah Ven"]'s lab was a first for Xena. Normally she wasn't allowed to walk in the hallway from her containment area, there was always a gurney waiting to whisk her swiftly away to whatever crude test had been scheduled for the day. Being able to walk the whole way, even if she had to consistently use Irajah's shoulder for support, was a freedom she was relishing. Top that with the prospect of rest, food and water? Xena would've pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming, though her normal aches and pains told her she wasn't. Her mind blanked for a small moment before she responded to the doctor's inquiry, "Sure. I don't mind... thank you for asking." No one ever asked for her input on any matter regarding her body, especially when it concerned tests. The kindness was such a warm welcome to nothing but cold emptiness during her incarceration.

---

Going through the decontamination process to get into the lab wasn't something Xena was unused to, in fact, though she would never dare say it, she had been through it many, many times before arriving on Maena. It was always the same, enter the room, wait for the scan then wait for whatever cleaning process they decided to use. Standing still, and straight, Xena strode her way into her new home and was nearly brought to tears. Sure it was a hospital room but it was like walking into a resort to her. She did hesitate though, she still had her bindings on, the guards had been very insistent that Xena wear them during the entire voyage, even if two of them followed Irajah and Xena during their trek into the bowels of the facility. Much to her surprise Xena was greeted with the sound of metal crashing to the floor right before her; the poor girl nearly jumping out of her skin from the start. She was even more surprised when she realised that the metal crashing had been her bindings, falling hard into the floor before her. Savouring the brief moments after the cuffs had been taken off, she couldn't help but smile. Turning to Irajah, who was just putting away the key to the bindings, Xena gave her a huge hug. If the doctor had any prior experience with kids, then it would be similar. Xena just wept tears of joy keeping Irajah in a surprisingly tight embrace, especially given her current condition. She had heard the brief on what she had access to on the floor, where she was allowed to go, where she wasn't. At this moment though? None of that mattered.

"Thank you... thank you.. thank you..." She kept repeating her thanks between happy sobs, taking the time to just let the emotions she had been bottling up out. The lights of the room seemed to dim and flicker a bit on their own and small bits of equipment and cloth seemed to move on their own as the girl began to finally manipulate the force for the first time in what seemed like ages. Given their proximity it wasn't hard to assume that Irajah had certainly felt the sudden growing presence from Xena; surging back and forth like the oceans tides, lightly pushing out those it came in contact with and subsequently pulling them back.

Xena wasn't sure how long she had been crying into Irajah's shoulder, or how she had ended up on the bed with food and water on a nice tray before herself. She didn't feel the needles taking their samples or the portable monitors hanging from her new, sterile, gown. For that matter she didn't actually remember putting on the gown, nor did she remember taking the hot shower that left her skin tingling pleasantly. She remembered a soft, kind voice guiding her around but that was it. No specific words from it, nothing. It was as if the sudden rush of emotions, feeling of the force and the outpouring of kindness had her running a bit on autopilot, with no one at the wheel.

Glancing at the doctor once last time before she left, she repeated her thanks "Thank you... for treating me like more than some.. thing."

The girl finished up most of her food and drink before the doctor had left her room, the dulled down lights of the sterile room helped her to drift off to her first restful sleep in a long time. She had to say, the bed felt much, much nicer then sleeping on the cold metal floor in her containment cell.

---

The next few days came and went swiftly, Xena was starting to regain a lot of her mass and strength under Irajah's careful watch. She gave blood and even tissue samples readily whenever the doctor requested, feeling that she owed her this much for everything she had done. Her growing strength also meant a return of her natural hue, the deep set gold hints blazing brilliantly across her previously silver skin; the whole change itself was drastic enough where many would be hard pressed to say that it had been the same girl sitting in that hospital room. Xena often walked around the floor to get some exercise, forming her own little jogging path to bring her back into shape. Nothing got dull in her new confinement, even if she watched the same holovideo 10 times it didn't lose its charm. She was just enjoying, savouring, everything she had been denied during her time, determined to never lose it all again.

Often times, when she called up Doctor Ven, it was just to have another friendly living being around. One that she could just talk to, listen to, and be with. Xena didn't realise just how much being alone, being fully ostracised from the world, hurt her. She held a longing to just be near any other living being so she wasn't alone. Many nights, or maybe it was days, she fell asleep with Irajah in the room, the comfort and security she felt with the doctor around helping her to get the much needed rest on her road to "recovery". Xena vowed to herself one thing during those days, maybe even weeks.

She would NEVER be truly alone again.

 

[Kuzo]

Irajah sat at the desk in her office, elbows proped up and head in her hands. The fingers of her left hand rubbed absently, barely realizing it, over the ridges of scar tissue on her forhead. The mark of Kaine. Slowly she sat back, eyes closing as she raked her hands through her hair. She stayed there, hands atop her head, not looking at the screen in front of her.

It wasn't as though it would miraculously change when she opened her eyes again, after all.

She had been so sure. Not that this first stage would yield results. But in her resolve to continue this work when she had started it. When she had walked down into that cell. After all, there was no one- no one- whose life was worth more than her own. Not any more. She could sacrifice any life to save her own, right? She had made her peace, as much as was possible, with the idea that her life was worth more than her morals.

And then [member="Xena Amonali"] had hugged her, and she'd been swept back. It had taken her by surprise, not only the hug, but what it flooded her with. Memories of [member="Boo Chiyo"]. The times on Dosuun, where they had been a family. Scant months, where she had been able to pretend, at least for a little while, that maybe, just maybe, her life could be normal.

That had been taken away from them both. By [member="Darth Prazutis"] and [member="Darth Carnifex"]. After that night, where her body had been utterly broken, she had sent Boo away. She had said at the time that it was for his own safety. And that had been a large part of it. She couldn't risk him being on Panatha with her, not with that particular monster stalking the hallways. But it had also been selfish- she didn't want him to see her like that. To remember her like that. The way the last memories of her mother had been. So she had sent him back to Dosuun, arranging for his care by the academy. It was temporary, she had told herself then.

Except that he had disappeared. The school had informed her, but the details were scant. Of course they had looked, they said, and would keep looking. But there had been no trace of the blue skinned boy anywhere in Avalonia. Had something happened to him? Had he simply reverted to his old life without her support? Or had he thought she was throwing him away, not understanding that she had only done it to protect him?

Irajah didn't know.

She had contacts now, and she kept an ear to the ground, hoping to find him. But nothing had come of it. It had been three months now, and while she thought about him, worried about him daily, it was something she tried to not let remain in the forefront when there was nothing more she could do.

But every minute of the time she spent with the girl was like a stabbing reminder of what she had lost when she'd sent him away. It was a bittersweet ache that made everything else more complicated than she could stand.

That hug. Every hopeful look. Every bright smile when she entered the room. Every time Xena shared something she'd read or watched with excitement and shine in her eyes. Watching her get stronger, more sure of herself. It all mirrored the experience of adopting Boo, bringing him into her life. With the exception of Irajah's intent.

It made it hard to breath.

She opened her eyes, face pinched and drawn. She had been up all night. Leaving Xena after she had fallen asleep, because her presence offered the girl some measure of comfort. But not before she had watched her sleep for awhile. Dark circles were more like bruises beneath her eyes, and she stared at the data one more time, not really seeing it.

She didn't have to.

The first two rounds of tests, blood and then tissue samples, had borne little fruit. Nothing like what she needed to potentially find a cure for her own affliction. The next step was to infect Xena herself with Gideon. The girl's healing abilities had been the entire point of choosing her. If anyone could fight off the viral contagion, it was this.... this....

Child.

Would she sacrifice Boo to save her own life?

And if the answer was no, then what right did she have to make that sacrifice here with Xena?

To: [member="Carach"]
From: The Office of Dr. Ven

I could use your advice on a matter. Attaching pertinent data files. You know my..... feelings..... on the matter at hand. In regards to my research. I have no doubts that you will understand my current challenge once you see the age of the individual in question. There are certain similarities between her and a boy I adopted. I spoke briefly of my son to you, when I received the news of his disappearance. I find myself wavering in resolve and I am unsure of the sacrifices. If they are truly worth it. I do not yet know how I will move forward, but your thoughts would be welcome. I value your opinion. Once again, as always, my thanks. -Raj

She hesitated only a moment before hitting send.

*****

Irajah poked her head through the door of Xena's room. The smartest thing to do, she knew, would be to put distance here. No matter what she decided, there was no relationship to build here. There couldn't be. If she decided to move forward with her original plans, the girl was a tool. A means to an end.

If she decided not to?

Then it wasn't fair to Xena. Because Irajah didn't know how much time, in truth, she had left. And she couldn't do that to a child either.

Despite that, she smiled (perhaps a little less brightly than usual), and called out.

"Hey. I've got those holos you asked me to bring."

 

[Xena Amonali]

Bright golden amber eyes darted to the door as [member="Irajah Ven"] came in, the owner of those eyes held a bright smile on her face; charcoal hued hair held in a nice braid along her back. Before her floated a small ball that she had been playing with, it subsequently fell down onto the bedside table. Xena stood in the centre of the room, she had been practising a bit with the force as part of her daily exercises. All of that was pushed to the wayside though whenever the doctor came in.

She walked over to the nearby bed, gingerly sitting down on its soft sheets. "Come on! Let's watch them." Her voice was so alive, so clear. She didn't falter on her words as she had been during their previous encounters. The warm fiery golden tinge to her skin made her almost glow in the sleek sterile room. Her crisp gown, a nice muted white, swayed a bit with each step she took and provided a lovely contrast to her skin. Xena looked extremely healthy, the change from ashen faced prisoner to what she was now being drastic enough that it would be hard to say that the two had been the same person.

With Irajah sitting down next to her, Xena popped in the holo. She remembered this one fondly; always watching it with her "older sister" and Jedi master, [member="Kheera Reach"]. The plot for it was so simply yet it flooded back calming memories of relaxing in the lounge of their ship. Closing her eyes slightly, Xena leaned a bit against Irajah, she had some questions to ask, even if those questions brought back pain. Shaking her head slightly from side to side, she decided to just focus in on the moment.

"How have the tests been?" Her question may have been a bit surprising to Dr. Ven. Normally someone in her position wouldn't dare ask questions, preferring to float around in a blissful state of unknowing. The fear of knowing was a very powerful deterrent when you were the one who could be going under the scalpel.

Without really waiting for the doctor to respond, Xena spoke up once again "I am ready to go further if we need to... you said it yourself. To get my freedom you would have to inject me with it.. potentially..." A small shake of her head followed that, why was she dwelling on this. "I just want to be kept in the loop... I.. I hate being in the dark," the slight falter in her voice returned for just a moment. It gave off her small bit of fear, she still held hope in Dr. Ven, after all how could she not? She owed the Doctor a life debt now after having her life saved not once, but twice by her caring hands.

Silence between them held the air for a bit, the only sounds that washed across the room were echoing from the Holovideo and the ventilation ducts. Xena was wondering if she should go further, she started to speak quickly "Thank you for not being cruel... for not treating me like I was.. less than alive. Thank you for not using me like he.... he... h-" her voice began to get quieter as she finished and a flash of hurt flew across her face. Xena tightly closed her eyes before blinking them back open, why was she thinking of that hell again?

Why was she remembered of her childhood... maybe because of how similar this place was to it. Maybe. But she wasn't being treated in a cruel and unusual way, she was being cared for. Damn it this was different and she knew it, but her mind had begun to creep back on those thoughts. Maybe it was the unknown that led her to them, reawakening a dragon she thought she slayed.

Xena just kept her head on Irajah's shoulder, she just hoped the doctor would be open with her. It was all she could hope for, and maybe she could be free. Though she had thought of this many times already, where would she go? She had no where to go, no one to contact anymore. She was lost in limbo with no guide to lead her towards her true path. Oh how she hoped that would change. For now she would sit, she would wait, she would grow and she would help. When the time came to claim her freedom, well she decided that she would think of her options again whenever that stage presented itself.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

To: [member="Irajah Ven"]​

From: Carach​

I hope this missive finds you relatively well considering the situation.

Sadly I do not have the answers you wish for and if you consider it carefully you will realize that you did not come for me for them. You already know what you want to hear from me: a passionate plea with substantial clinical arguments to convince you of the merits of going forward with the experiments. After all, you wish to live and your current subject is your best chance to achieve this goal, but you do not wish to become a monster in the pursuit of this goal. As I already mentioned, I cannot provide you with the answers you want, but I can mention this.

On the path going forward there will be many like this [member="Xena Amonali"] trying to hold you back. You will look at them, you will find yourself wavering, you will weaken yourself while trying to maintain some semblance of morality. Xena is not Boo and never will be. As I write this I find myself eager to give you advice either way - take it with a grain of salt, because I am Sith.

If there is one philosophy I follow it is the setting of a goal and doing anything to achieve it. The goal matters not, if it is to become the greatest baker in your city or the mightiest warrior of your empire. Similarly the means to achieve these ends matter little, if it is necessary to kill every single baker in your city or to train yourself in the arts of combat for decades, until you are without peer.

Your goal is to survive.

The moment you value someone else's life over yours you already lost and let them win. After all, they might try to convince you this is a path they set you on, but only fools would wish for their enemies to grow strong. No, the only way they win is if you give up, roll over and let your old sense of morality kill you.

You know what you have to do.

The only question is if you are strong enough to go forward with it. If you are not, I will not judge you for it and my other offer will always remain open to you.

 

[Kuzo]

Two hours previous....

​Query: [member="Xena Amonali"]
Records Found: Retrieve Y/N
Y
Compiling.....

Hazel eyes flickered back and forth across the screen as line after line illuminated green. She read them in the dark, not turning on the lights in her office, the glow of the console the only thing reflecting in her eyes.

A quiet blip indicated an incoming message. She hadn't yet finished going through all of the files yet, all of the logs. She didn't need to. Pulling up the reply, she read it in silence. Slowly, her fingers moved to the keys.

From: The Office of Doctor Ven
To: [member="Carach"]

I have no illusions here. I know she is not Boo. I know that no matter how much I hope to find him, that someone else could never possibly be him. There is not a child shaped hole in my life, Carach, that can simply be filled by the addition of some small, helpless creature. I suspect that if that were the case, this isn't even a conversation we would be having.

Or I'd get a pet.

Your response did remind me of one very important thing. You *are* a Sith. Which is a point of surety to you, a method and a path forward. I understand it is a set of ideas, of views, on how the galaxy works and how you must fit into it in order to triumph. And I cannot understate the level of appreciation I have for what you do, because without it, I would still be.... something else. You are a Sith, yes.

But I am not.

Not yet.

It's not about strength to do what must be done, in this moment. But about which path costs me the least. And one option is more expensive than I care to pay for I realize. I cannot pay with coin that is not mine.

Your response clarified, even if it did not give me an answer. Thank you, for your advice and for knowing you will accept without judgement. I may need to take you up on your offer. But not yet. -Raj

****

Present

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipi0NOyXl34[/media]

Irajah hadn't replied. Not at first. But now, slowly, she looked down at the top of the girl's head where it leaned against her shoulder.

"Don't thank me just yet," she said quietly. "I haven't earned that."

Slowly she extracted her arm from around Xena's shoulder and stood up.

"Come on. I have something I'd like to show you. I've kept you in the dark and I think it's time to change that."

The walk to her office wasn't long. But it was the one place the girl had been barred from on this level. Irajah opened the door, ushering her inside.

A holographic image hung over the desk. Glowing green in the dark, the bloated viral body of Gideon almost pulsed with malevolence- or perhaps that was merely a projection on Irajah's part.

"The initial tests did not yield what I hoped they would," Irajah finally said, her chest tight. "But I will not be infecting you directly with the virus." She needed to make certain the girl knew that before she continued. Showing her the details of the virus, what it did to a body, before telling her that she would not be subjected to it was a cruelty that was not in Raj's core.

"This," she said quietly, stepping back and letting Xena move forward up to the projection, "Is Gideon. An engineered virus with a 99.9% fatality rate."

Her voice was clinical, detached. This was Doctor Ven speaking, not Irajah. It was the only way she could do this at all.

"The virus works in a very specific fashion. It is a compound virus, amazingly large and complicated. It starts as an infection in the blood, where it hijacks red blood cells. It breaks down the cell membranes, and the virus binds with the iron. The flood of cytoplasm from the destroyed cells pushes the even larger viral bodies into the internal organs. Which is about as unpleasant as it sounds. Once there, the virus is not content to cleave just to red blood cells, and begins to break down the cell walls of the internal organs. Death is usually caused by massive internal bleeding in healthy subjects, though high fevers tend take out those with already weakened systems first."

She paused there. It was a very specific explanation. She did not in that moment include the actual physical symptoms. After all, she was not here in that moment to manipulate this child further. She did not need to know. Not yet. Not unless.....

"I consider your end of our bargain paid in full," she said after a moment, her voice tight. "You are free to go, if that's what you want. But I will not infect you with Gideon, Xena. I will not murder you to find a cure."

 

[Xena Amonali]

Silence filled the air as Xena took in and digested what she just heard. So that is why she was being cared for, to be used as a guinea pig in another test. Xena couldn't help but tense up and she thought over everything. The girl pursed her lips, [member="Irajah Ven"] had said that she was free to leave, that her end of the bargain was paid in full. But she knew that it wasn't, Irajah had said that she would inject Xena if she was unable to find results, and the doctor said it herself, she hadn't found her results.

We are free. Take it, leave!

Her inner voice spoke in its ever convincing tone, willing her to leave this place and go and explore. Her response though wasn't what her inner voice had wanted.

"I have to decline your offer." Xena's whole tone, whole demeanour, had become serious. "You were looking to use me to find a cure for that," her hand motioned out to the hologram before herself. "A cure that could save people... right?" The firrerreo pursed her lips again thinking it all over; her inner compass was fighting hard, telling her to just leave and look out for herself.

But is our life, and our freedom worth it?

She had made her decision without waiting on a response from Irajah, "You saved me.. not once, but twice. Because of this, I owe you my life. If injecting me with this virus will help you find a cure... help you to save lives... well then I am all for it." A soft smile crept across Xena's face, a blossoming warmth filling in behind it. "Besides, I would rather do this than put someone else through it... Because you are going to try this on someone else, aren't you? If I leave there will be others... and if they fail, then there will be more... you won't stop until you find a cure... will you?"

Xena left the question hanging there for Irajah. For her, this had been one of either the bravest, or stupidest, things she had ever done.

It's for the greater good though... just remember that. Remember what Kheera said... sometimes we need to make sacrifices for others, even if those sacrifices mean paying the ultimate price...

She had the growing feeling that what she did was the good thing to do, to be selfless where others would be selfish. Xena just hoped that the feeling wasn't a lowly dread of what was to come.

 

[Kuzo]

"No. I won't stop," she said softly. "But you have mistaken me."

Irajah had never been a good person. Like all people, of course she thought she was. And looking at her life and actions from the outside would certainly resemble the life of someone, if not noble, at least working hard to do the right thing where possible. And certainly if someone had asked her if she was a good person, she would have responded yes.

But being confronted by [member="Xena Amonali"] threw her true motivations into the stark, unforgiving light of day.

Everything that Irajah had ever done, everything, was done with selfish motivations. Somewhere, in her own mind, she knew that. But she had never truly examined it. After all, if the end result was the 'right' thing to do, then did it really matter?

This moment, it was no different. It wasn't obvious of course, but she wasn't explaining this to Xena because it was the right thing to do. But because she wouldn't be able to accept the guilt that would fill her chest if she went forward with her plans without explaining, at the very least, the risks truly involved.

"The Gideon virus was unleashed on only a single world. I have found and destroyed all research on it, so it cannot be recreated without a sample, or someone starting from the very beginning. If you will recall, I mentioned that the virus had a nearly 100% mortality rate. Nearly."

Slowly, she turned to look at the girl, her face tight, back teeth clenched.

"I am not doing this research to save *people*, Xena," she said quietly. "Gideon will never hurt more people than it already has. No. I'm doing this to save one person. The last survivor of the virus. And she isn't willing to live with your life on her conscience."

Irajah wore her heart on her sleeve. Now was no different. There was no doubt that when she said 'she isn't willing', that she was talking about herself.

 

[Xena Amonali]

"And what about when that survivor dies? What will stop the virus from spreading from them to others? What if that survivor dies from a crash on a populated planet. Whose to say that the virus won't infect that world?"

Xena stared up at [member="Irajah Ven"] with her soft smile in place. "The last survivor may think they are being selfish, and doing it for themselves... but I bet they wouldn't want this virus do what it did to them, and their world." She was just picking apart what Irajah had said, her own voice retained its warmth but it held a holopoint at its tip. "I don't know a lot... but I know what a carrier is... He at least made sure of that, even if he everything else he did was..." Xena's voice trailed off, again when talking about whoever this "He" was.

She turned herself to face Irajah fully, crossing her arms before herself, "Maybe you don't know yourself as well as you think Dr. Ven."

The air around them had grown silent once more, save for the thrum of the circulation encompassing the room. "Either way, I made my decision... my life is worth this. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for turning my back on someone who had helped me... even if they think they were being selfish"

With that said, she crossed her arms and stared back to Dr. Ven, her impulsive young defiance hanging before her like a closed door, rooting her firmly in place.

 

[Kuzo]

It wasn't easy. To stand there and listen to a child show how she was a better person than Irajah could ever be.

A better person than Irajah had ever bothered to try to be.

It surprised her in that moment. Not the realization that every. Single. Thing. That she had ever done was in truth motivated by selfishness (because, no matter what [member="Xena Amonali"] said, that was truth), but that it did not bother her to realize it. She hadn't become a doctor to help people. She had become one because she wanted to take back something from death itself. She didn't save lives for the people who lived them, but to deny them to an empty, mawing power, greater than any other she had ever looked into. That void didn't stare back- it yawned and swallowed, always empty, always hungry. And she took a personal pleasure from denying it what it wanted.

And that looked nothing like the defiant girl staring across at her.

Irajah supposed that it didn't have to look alike.

That did not mean that she was incapable of caring for a person, and sacrificing for them. Irajah loved, truly and fiercely. Those who became part of the chosen family were different. And in that moment, Xena cemented her position there.

It did not, however, change anything.

After all..... Irajah, at her core, respected someone else's right to choose their own destiny. She would not impose it on the girl for her. That would be taking away something vital, something utterly integral to this girl- it would make her less. And what Irajah wanted for the people she cared about was to raise them up. Never to bring them down.

Slowly, Irajah nodded.

She would infect Xena with Gideon. Because to do anything less would diminish exactly who and what she was. And that was something Irajah could give her, even if it meant taking so much more.

It was, after all, her choice.

*****

To: Doctor Toydaver
From: The Office of Doctor Ven
Subject: Next Phase

After our last project, you expressed interest in aiding in the next phase of the research. I have a volunteer. She has full knowledge of what is to come, but her biology and physiology makes her uniquely suited to my needs. I would appreciate your input and insight, if you have the time and opportunity. -V

[member="Pravus Zambrano"]

 

[Pravus Zambrano]

//Begin Encryption
//Begin Message
//Sender - Dr. Toydaver
//Recipient - The Office of Dr. Ven

I must confess that I am surprised, nay, elated to receive your message. Parting, as always, had been such sweet sorrow. I have been biding my time, mind riddled with thoughts of this condition, as I toiled with far less suitable replacements. Things to silence the mind, as it were. Why, just the other day, I performed a particular surgery where the brain was surgically removed from an Endorian Chicken and replaced with an electronic chip. Translating that brain to wireless signal, I was able to cull a certain and rather persistent instinct to peck, while maintaining the utility of the foul. Now that brain sits in a jar, just floating there...so many implications for modern science. Just imagine if we could simply tell a heart to stay healthy, or tell the bones to not degenerate?!?

I digress. I would be more than happy to offer whatever input it is that you need. A specimen with unique biology and physiology, interesting indeed! Would tomorrow be suitable or do you have a more preferred time for my arrival?

//End Message
//End Encryption

Happy with the text-to-speech that had transmutated sounds to words on a screen - Pravus hit the send button.

"Darron, darling. Pack my bags. We have work to do."
He looked over as the strapping man seemed to be sleeping, standing up in the corner of what appeared to be a basement dwelling. "Ah yes, I should probably remove the bindings. You are tethered to me now, no reason to not flaunt it!" Pravus got up and start gathering his things.

[member="Irajah Ven"] | [member="Xena Amonali"]
​

 

[Kuzo]

Tomorrow had been suitable indeed. After all, Irajah needed time to prepare. And so too did [member="Xena Amonali"].

Where they had previously spent their time in the middling levels of the facility, for any work with the active Gideon virus, Xena had to be transferred down to the lowest levels. The levels kept under negative pressure and with the highest bio-security.

At the moment, Irajah had no other patients in that ward. If she had, she would have had them disposed of. There was no reason to upset the girl any more than was necessary. A glass elevator ride to (nearly) the lowest level- crystalline hallways looking into empty suites, each with their own airlock and decontamination.

They had sat, and Irajah had done her best to explain the symptoms that Xena might expect and in what order. Fever. Chills. Pain. Blood starting to leak from places it had no business flowing from- her eyes, her nose, her ears, her pores. But she also admitted that, with her healing faction, she really wasn't entirely certain what the progress of the disease would look like in her case. She answered any questions, offered any support either physical or mental that she might need.

All the while waiting to inject her with a virus that had already killed a million people. Waiting for [member="Pravus Zambrano"]. Waiting to find out if this would finally give her what she sought.... or if she would finally be utterly damned for the choices she now made.

 

[Xena Amonali]

The soft sound of some calming classical music filled the room where Xena sat. It reminded her of the cell she had been in before, but at least it had some more accommodations, like a decent bed and a "private" washroom. To her a may have been a small step down from her location in the main lab but it was still better ten that transparisteel box out of hell.

Xena had listened to [member="Irajah Ven"] on what to expect from this virus, namely the whole aches, pains and blood coming from places it shouldn't be coming from. She was certainly not looking forward to that one.

Many thoughts swirled through her head; had she done the right thing? Was it really worth it? Her life for the lives of many others?

She shook her head again, knowing full well that this was worth it. And so she sat, like a deathrow inmate, thinking of her past. Only a smile came to her face, she had a chance to redeem herself and to make those who had been in her life proud. Her mind wandered to the time with Kheera in the Jedi, how her mentor had been so patient and loving. Something Xena hadn't felt in the many years leading up to it during her imprisonment on the Tenebrum. Wandering thoughts then lead to her landing in Irajah's care; the good times and the bad of it. Xena had nothing to say against Irajah, someone who had treated her as a real living being after [member="Darth Carnifex"] had done his work.

A single tear streaked down her cheek which she promptly wiped away. It was almost time; soon she would either be dead, or among the 0.1% that lived.

---

[member="Pravus Zambrano"]

---

 

[Pravus Zambrano]

He shuffled like a bobble headed caricature of himself, his body moving gracefully with eyes and head aimed towards the sky. Or the cobble in front of him. Or the sliding glass doors that led into the facility. Smiling as he caught the reflection of himself, slowly sliding to the left and right, he felt as if a doll was split down the seam to reveal science and sterility and experimentation! Happily drumming his hand against the leather bound briefcase of supplies, he strode in as he dragged the ornate robes of his history in his wake.

Slow steps progressed him towards the front desk until he was right on it, large eyes peering over the white countertop to the guard that stood watch. Thumping his fingers across the top, he looked towards the figure with a certain hunger and anticipation. Realizing that even though they only stood a few feet away, he had failed to capture any attention, Pravus cleared his throat. Quite loudly.

"Excuse me, I'm here to assist Dr. Ven. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction. Here are my...uhh...credentials." He dangled the card from the lanyard, obtained from his previous work with the esteemed doctor. The guard sat up and attempted to scan it but just when it was close to registering, Pravus moved it to the left. Then to the right. Then he smiled at the mans frustration as it was scanned on the fourth attempt. "Sorry my dear, I'm just horribly excited."

The guard pressed the key and the door opened, leading to the glass elevator. With one final nervous tap on the counter, Pravus nodded and strode into the elevator. As the doors shut and the descent began, he started playing some alien keyboard instrument across the surface of his case. In the reflection of his eyes, the sight of blurred subterranean levels were captured. And all the suffering that he hoped he could witness one day, laid bare before him.

"How...exciting!"

Back at the front, the guard opened communications down to the lower levels.

​

:r. Ven. Dr. Toydaver has just signed in and is making his way down to the lower levels. Just thought you should know.::​

[member="Xena Amonali"] | [member="Irajah Ven"]​