The Signal

[Kezia Starshooter]

The Underground member that Kezia Starshooter tortured was a pretty tough nut to crack. It was a fitting metaphor, in fact, for that was basically what she had to do to the soldier. Eventually, the man broke and gave up the frequencies of the Tachyon Rising but it got pretty messy before he did. Along with the frequency, her captive also offered up a suggestion. She’d need a hyperspace transponder because Coren Starchaser might be hiding in there, waiting to jump. It was so generous of him to give her that bit all on his own. The Sithspawn thanked him with a blaster bolt to the face.

Sage Bane had taught her well.

So there she was, out in the ass-end of space, in a repaired Galactic Alliance light freighter, shot down from a One Sith world that the Alliance hit, Belgaroth or maybe Coruscant. She didn’t quite remember which one. Kezia was sending a Holomessage that she hoped would transmit through hyperspace. It showed her round face pained with worry. Her posture uncertain, hands fluttering in a nervous gesture common in teenage girls who were just about to cry. She practiced the message a couple of times before she delivered it just to make sure it was perfect.

“Uncle Coren, it’s Kins. My ship is stranded. I don’t know why. My ship’s sensors say that I hit some kind of spatial anomaly that killed my sublight drive, and I can’t figure out how to get it working again. I could really use a tow.”

She couldn’t wait to meet this man that Sage was so obsessed with. She’d heard so much about him. It was like he was family or something.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren had a few things to do. He was setting up plans and getting the Underground that listened to him to prepare. The man needed to prep for the war. And that was going to be the best thing the Alliance could right now. Lujo was a frontier world, backwater, but securing a foothold on the front door of the Sith? They could hit Corellia and Coruscant, and start to open up the Core back to freedom. But right now? He was looking around for another base to set up.

Setting up new bases was important, but the man was also keeping his core work, exploration, checking strange signatures in the ass-end-of-no-where to see what the galaxy was hiding. He had heard rumors that there were makes of everything, formed by one Empire or another, and he needed to get to them. Right now, though, he was in a Forerunner exploration vessel, one that could carry, and was designed to carry, freighters and shuttles.

When he pulled into the next station, he heard the call and checked it. Kinsey was out here? That was interesting.

“What are you doing out --- nevermind.” He shook his head, he knew what she was doing out here, the same thing he was doing. “Transmit your coordinates. I’ve got something a bit better than a tow.” How did she get that frequency?

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

So there was "Uncle Coren" in three translucent blue dimensions. Kezia had to stop herself from cracking a grin. This was going better than expected.

The Sithspawn bit her lip and wheeled over to the ship's computer, where her fingers tapped on the keys. The Starchaser patriarch would receive the coordinates almost instantly.

"Ok, sent," she said, turning back to Coren, big blue eyes full of gratitude. "Thanks, Uncle. I'm just terrified that he's gonna come find me first, ya know?"

The call ended with a click.

In order to pull this off, Sage had specially prepared the Sithspawn who normally reeked of the dark side. Using ancient Sith sorcery he'd learned by studying the Sith Holocron of Darth Sanguis, her creator cast a spell called False Light Aura. The spell might have had an uncreative name, but it did the trick, masking her dark sided signature behind one of the light side.

Would it trick Coren? Hard to say. The man was a wild card who fought Sage on several occasions. Kezia had a contingency plan for things going south, and this one was entirely her own. This was going to be fun.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

How many times was he out there, pulling everyone out of fires? Enough, in a life before now. Right now, though, Coren hadn’t been doing much rescue work, and salvage work. Looking to the ship’s computer, where Porter was working, he nodded. Coordinates came in, a system not too far from where he was not. He was still a bit worried about Kinsey, so he didn’t want to leave her stranded. He nodded. “I’ll be there soon. Don’t worry.”

Really, it wasn’t going to be that bad of a trip. The Forerunner had a bit of a crew on her, and his Chiss co-pilot was working the navigation tables. Coren stepped back to the bridge of the ship, followed by Porter and took his seat at the navigation computer. Turning to the pilot of the larger Exploration vessel. “Coordinates are set. Take us there.”

The pilot nodded as he activated the controls and the ship made a burst to lightspeed. Coren, instead of waiting on the bridge, made his way down to the hangar, the Tachyon Rising was there and he could use her to help pull Kinsey’s ship towards the larger vessel.

As for the Force, Coren wasn’t really stalking her. And even if he was? He would not be able to tell, not with Kinsey being fresh away from the Sith.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

Her dark brows rose in surprise as the exploration vessel showed up on Kezia’s radar. The Sithspawn wasn’t expecting to deal with Starkarker’s whole crew, just whoever was with him on the Rising. No matter. She was confident in her abilities to handle a few additional soldiers. Kezia made her way to the refresher to double check her appearance. Sage, like a creeper, still had some of Kinsey Starchaser's clothing, like her tank tops, black pants, and combat boots, which helped. She glanced down to check her gear belt. Blaster. Stun net. Lightsaber. The lightsaber was a bit risky. The weapon belonged to Sage and the red glow might give her away. But it wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities that Kinsey still used his saber.

Kezia wasn’t hedging her bets on her gear. What she was counting on was Sage’s assurance that the chink in Starchaser’s armor was mentalism. Illusions were her main weapons in this game.

Pacing through the ring corridor like a caged animal, the Sithspawn let her freighter be maneuvered into the hangar of the exploration vessel. Soon, she’d be face to face with Sage Bane’s archenemy. How dramatic.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The Albatross, as the exploration vessel was known, wasn’t all that big, 275 meters, with modified hangar space, to allow larger vessels, but didn’t allow for starfighters. She was being Coren’s unofficial command as the Tyrene shuttled the Tiburons around the galaxy. Sure, she could connect to Tyrene and to Dawn Treader, but mostly she was ferrying Coren around the galaxy, and a few of his ships. Well, his Stealth X and the Tachyon Rising. His ship was ejecting from the larger one and the tractor beams were warming up on the other vessel.

Coren knew Starchasers were eclectic, picking up whatever gear they could. He even impressed that sort of thinking on his apprentice, but that didn’t matter here. What mattered as more the range of items someone had, rather than their point of origin. Welcome to the salvage life.

When the other vessel was pulled into the hangar, Coren landed as well, stepping out of his freighter, before crossing the hangar floor, to the new arrival.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

Kezia had taken Kinsey Starchaser 101. She knew exactly how to react at the sight of her Uncle entering the hangar. The Sithspawn strode towards him, picking up the pace the nearer she got to him, then threw herself at him, greeting him with a big hug. Her heartbeat quickened against his chest. She was confident in her abilities, but what if she fethed this up? He was a Master of the Force and he could probably snap her neck with a wave of his hand.

Through power I gain victory.

Yeah, she was all Sithed up. Kezia was Sage’s creation, and he insisted on rote recitation of the Qotsisajak whenever possible. During lightsaber training. During meditation on the dark side. During those extra credit assignments in his bedroom. Although dogmatic, she found that the Sith code did help her center herself.

Kezia released Coren with her best wide, innocent grin. She rocked on her heels, and gave him a light punch in the arm. “Thanks, Uncle. I owe you big time.”

Now remember the names of his ships. Tyrene is the Corvette. Tachyon Rising is the Freighter. The exploration vessel is...oh feth, she didn’t know that one.

“I’m starving. Can we go to your ship and eat something?”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

It had been how long since Coren had spent any bit of time with Kinsey? Way too long, but the two decades in carbonite would do that to anyone. Fair excuse? The Corellian thought so. He did what he had done in order to protect those he cared for. It was what had gotten him captured in the first place, and to him? He wouldn’t have changed one move for anything. Looking to the younger Starchaser, though, he smiled. This was why he was not completely evil, the family kept him honest.

Was he nearly as excited as she was? No, but he could feel it rolling off her. How long did Sage keep her grounded? Too long for his liking.

“What got you stuck out here?” He looked at her, rubbing his arm. “And sure. I mean Albatross has a better galley than the Rising does, unless you like survival rations?”

Some people juggle geese.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

“Rations,” Keiza said abruptly. “Rations are just fine.” Whatever food was on the exploration vessel which she guessed was the ship he called Albatross, she didn’t want. She needed to get him alone on the Rising in case things went bad. Then she needed him to take her back to Sullust with him. Sage told her that he didn’t care what happened to the real Kinsey once she was there, but Kezia knew his eyes were lying. She’d always be second best. That was fine. She had a love/hate relationship with the Sith Lord, one that lately seemed to be tipping the scales towards the side that wanted to rip his throat out.

He asked what got her stuck out here. Kezia didn’t have an elaborate story planned. She felt it was more genuine to just wing it with no rehearsals.

“Just scouting,” she answered, and pointed to herself. “I mean, hello...Starchaser.”

The Sithspawn laughed and gave her "Uncle" a playful shove. Then started in the direction of the Rising and looked back grinning.

“Seriously, Uncle Coren. Are you going to make me eat my left arm? Let’s go!”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Odd, but whatever. Some people juggled baby geese and they did live on a space ship. Sure, it felt like something out of a sci-fi movie, and… that was the end of Corey quoting Firefly. “Alright…” He nodded back towards his freighter, Porter wheeling out of the ship and tweeting as it rolled past Coren and Kinsey. The droid’s head swiveled around to blurt something out at Kinsey, mostly a ‘hello!’, the droid had been Coren’s companion for about as many years as he had lived on the Treader, after all.

He looked at the ship, his ship and smiled. Stepping up the gangway, the pilot made his way to the galley. Emergency rations, and a few better pieces, just that he kept around, gumbos and stews really, things that were simple to store. Busying himself in getting the food, he made to call out to Kinsey, wherever she was.

“So, what were you looking for? How’s that ship treating you?” He hadn’t spoken to Kaia in a bit, but two Wardens meeting up? Rare indeed.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

A droid came rolling down the landing ramp. The astromech knew her, or seemed to by the way it chirped out her name. She made her voice as bubbly as she could, for a dark-sided Sithspawn.

“Hi!” Don’t call him droid. “...little guy. Haven’t seen you in ages.”

She joined him in the galley, climbing up on one of the lounge chairs, and sitting cross-legged in it, like a teenager would.

As the questions kept coming, Kezia began to regret that she spaced out during Sage’s lesson on the Starchaser family tree. She knew she couldn’t keep them all straight. If he asked her about her family members she might need to kill him on the spot.

“I was mainly scouting for enemy patrols," she explained. "First Order. One Sith. I'm trying to make myself useful now that I’m back." When he asked her about the dead freighter, she shrugged.

"That ship is good, but I miss my old one, you know?”

Just don’t ask me what it’s called.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren quirked up an eyebrow as Porter rolled on by. He looked at the droid who spun its head to watch the pair and then shrugged. Everyone knew Porter’s nickname, didn’t they? He couldn’t quite remember, but he was Coren’s droid, and people knew who Coren was. Whatever, maybe it was stress. Getting stranded wasn’t easy, and when you were a Starchaser and couldn’t figure it out? That wasn’t the most fun situation to be in.

Stepping back from the food prep station, he put a few of the MRE pieces-parts on the table and nodded. “You don’t need to be doing that all by yourself. Don’t worry about it, Kins. I said I’d handle things.” He had wanted to watch out for her. He said to stay with Darius, and Kaia, and handle things as they came. And that he’d need her in the X-Wing soon.

But whatever, she wanted to wander, that was her idea, he wasn’t going to stop her.

“I know, its why we’re out here too.” Albatross having some of the best scanners in the fleet. The Alliance fleet, not just the strike force. “Find anything?” He finally sat down.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

Mmmmm freeze dried food. Her favorite. Kezia choked down the MRE as best she could, but it wasn’t easy. Starchasers probably ate this stuff so often they’d acquired a taste for it. Some of them even preferred it to real food maybe. Frankly, she found it disgusting. What she wouldn’t give for a plate of braised nerf and some Corellian ale.

“I didn’t find Sithspit out there. Not one scouting vessel.”

Keiza away pushed her uneaten food and stared straight into Coren’s matching blue eyes, feigning heartfelt gratitude.

“I’m really glad to see you, you know? I can’t even tell you how much I missed you when I was with him.”

Her fingertips slowly grazed her gear belt. Blaster. Lightsaber. Stun net.

“So, you are going back to Sullust aren’t you? Think I could get a ride all the way to the biodomes?”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

It was simple to carry and easy to store. Coren didn’t mind the freeze dried fare, but he knew that enough rosemary spices and sauces, and one could live on pre-packaged food until judgement day. Okay, one last quote. But that’s it. He had a variety of food, and well, even more that he could use that were just dry goods, but the way she was starving, it was time to pull out something fast and cheap, he assumed.

He shrugged. “They might not be too concerned with us. Setting up for where our fleet seems to be moving, maybe they’re not looking to where we’re striking. Just border skirmishes, testing them and all.” He didn’t ever want to discuss all his plans. But of course, he knew where to look, trying to find their staging areas, but the Sith seemed… stagnant?

Maybe the First Order was getting their help? He wasn’t rightly sure.

“I’m sorry that I kept getting pulled away. Kaia was scouring the galaxy. And… I could go back to Sullust, but I’m not really sure we need to?” Could do a lot from around the galaxy.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

Kaia. That was an easy one. Kaia was Kinsey’s cousin and Coren’s daughter. She was with Kinsey the night that her clone went traipsing off with a Sith Lord and getting herself mind controlled. Kaia was obviously the smart one.

Kezia reached out a hand. She placed it on the pilot's arm, a gesture of comfort she wasn’t sure if he’d appreciate. Starchaser wasn’t reputed to be that touchy-feely of a man.

“What do you mean you’re not sure we really need to go back?” the Sithspawn asked, dark brows arching in surprise. “You want me to stay here with you? Like, to help you here on the Rising?”

It wasn’t part of the plan, but maybe the plan could change.

“It would really help us make up for lost time.”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

See? There were certain points in a story when it just seemed like someone was being stalked. Had Coren been able to understand what was going on in Kinsey/Kezia’s head? Yeah, he would be a little concerned with Sage Bane’s well being. He didn’t want to deal with that man any less than he needed to. The fact he was gunning for the Starchaser clan? That was just bothersome. He looked at the girl and quirked up an eyebrow.
“You hit your head? I told you what I’ve been doing. Not basing out of Sullust any longer. Basing … wherever I damned well please.” Smuggler, after all. Well, scoundrel, lets go with that. He looked at her. “Do you need something on Sullust?”

She must have hit her head. He wasn't sure, but he was pretty confident there was a hit order out for him, from the Alliance, or a detain order.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

What. The. Feth! Coren wasn’t basing his operations out of Sullust anymore. But was he talking about himself or the entire GADF? She’d have to get more out of him somehow. Surely Lord Bane would be pleased with the fresh intel.

“Oh sorry Uncle Coren. I just forgot.” Kezia shoved down another bite of the freeze dried food, like a starving person would, and with a full mouth added, “I guess I really had low blood sugar, huh?”


Did she need something on Sullust? Yes, yes, she did. She needed Kinsey Starchaser in an oubliette and on her way back to Fresia. Or dead. It was hard to know which one would win her the most points with the Sith Lord. Lord Bane changed on a credit, one day wanting Kinsey brought back to him, another day wanting her head in a cryogenic cooler.

Kezia swallowed her food and shrugged. “I don’t really need anything. I just...well, Sullust feels like home now.” She gave him a tired smile, and looked around the galley. “At least it did, but now that I’m here. This feels like home.”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren was being Coren, and that meant he did things his own way. He didn’t want to get into all the details. Kinsey was only recently coming away from the One Sith capture, after all. She might be family, but Coren had to worry about the safety of hundreds in his strike force, and the whole Alliance if anything got taken to the wrong hands. One thing about Coren, he wasn’t crazy.

The pilot shrugged a bit. “Maybe, not a big deal, but yeah, we’re operating out of a few different areas right now.” And a lot of them changed.

“Well, you’re a Starchaser. So… where do you wanna get to?” Albatross could make its trip to wherever, if she really wanted to get moving elsewhere. For him, after all, home was a starship, power cells and a destination.
[member="Kezia Starshooter"]

 

[Kezia Starshooter]

Coren was still holding back. Maybe he sensed that something about her was off. Maybe not. Either way, it was time to turn on the waterworks and see if the guy had any feelings left in his jaded body. Kezia began to fidget anxiously in her seat, picking at her food again.

“Where do I wanna get to? I really don’t know.” She let out a long, frustrated sigh. “To be honest, I’m still a little messed up from being with that Sith Lord for so long. I’m trying, Uncle Coren...I really am.”

Kezia's eyes began to water, tears threatening to fall. Her lower lip quivered, and she let out a heavy sob. If things didn’t pan out in her Sithspawn career, she’d be a damn good actress.

“I can sleep because of all the fething nightmares I have about him. Sometimes I like, lose track of where I am and I feel like I’m back on Fresia.” She panned her head around the ship as if she were looking for something.

“Do you have any whiskey? I could really use a kriffing drink.”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

It wasn’t a matter that he didn’t trust her, it was a matter that he had so many lives at stake. He wanted to make sure he did his best to keep everyone safe. The pilot looked at his niece and nodded. He could understand where she was coming from, not that much, but a bit. “Take your time with it. That was a bad experience. We have people in the Jedi that may be able to help you… If you wanted.” He didn’t want to send her to the Jedi, but they may be helpful.

“Trust me, as long as you’re here, you’re not going to go back there.” He nodded. Biting his lip, he nodded to the cabinet. “Bottom shelf, Whyren’s. Do you want to talk about it?”

“We’ll get everything fixed. So, Sullust? Or…” He shrugged.

[member="Kezia Starshooter"]