Weekend Treasure Hunt 1: Derelict -- Winner Take All (contest finished)

[Chloe Blake]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

Now that caught her attention, enough to quell the irrational wave of mighty fine vexing that's for sure. A frown would mar her brow, her face returning to him.

"A dark side drug?" two fingers would go rubbing across her temple and over her brow, attempting to smooth the lines over her blanched skin. Her mind would tick across that bit of information. Especially considering she caught it from that ship. "On a ship belonging to one of the Order?"

That didn't make sense. Granted, the way that the Order of Selab worked meant that very few cells would ever interact with others. Not a single member would know exactly how many there were out there and just what manner of practice and accordance they held to. Chloe only ever knew of Je'gan and then when she brought Jorus in. Once in the Sanctum, after Bayan, she could catch a few of the others, but she was always careful -- and so far, they were always of a more lighter shade of hue within the Force.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

Jorus, as it happened, didn't exactly know that Rave was a member.

"Well, no reason it couldn't have been stored there somehow for analysis, treatment -- how'd you get infected exactly? I'm fuzzy on the details."

The Aurora Hawk slewed wildly, avoiding a Republic battle group, more felt than glimpsed.

"Anyways, bottom line, Rave's life's work may be a little on the edge, but she'll know for sure whether my hunch is right."

 

[Chloe Blake]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

"I --" at the sudden shift Chloe's arms would spread to latch onto a measure safety. One hand would go snapping up to grab a handlebar upon the bulk head while the other had her curling her fingers tightly against her seat. Good thing the harness kept her nice and tight against the chair, but it still jostled her up some.

Blue eyes would go staring at him through tousled blonde bangs before they were pushed away by a puff of hot air, sending them flying back. "...The ship I found floating dead in space. Had folk hovering it like flies on a nerf's ass." her hand would let go of the bar, bringing it back to her lap. "Had to be that," she struggled to remember things. "....A.I told me I had all but ten minutes to leave before the blast doors closed..." fingers would twitch, she could feel the frustrating and a roll of anger rising.

"There... just -- Droyk, " came the curse. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and make sense. "Ship appeared out of hyperspace round my route. Hailed it but no word came back; nothing but static. Made me think of Reavers.... then I considered pirates."

Her mind would go through the images, back tracking.

"Went inside using the white current to stay hidden... ain't a soul alive that I could find. All dead. Everything left untouched... vaults open.... droids.... " the image of the strange astromech came to mind again. "Droids were patroling. Active as if on the defensive. Found a minature Selab tree in a room....surrounded by 'crons that were left out almost ripe for the picking."

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"Heck of a thing." It rang a quiet bell, but his attention stayed -- had to stay -- on acceleration through hyperspace. In due course, point-two-effective dropped them out over Alderaan. For the first time in many hours, Jorus forced himself to relax. He tapped in a sensor code and the Lethewalker's IFF came up; the nasty little frigate was already maneuvering to dock with the Aurora Hawk.

"Rave's changed some. Grown up, maybe grown away a little. You knew her as a young woman; now she owns companies, markets alchemy, mostly of the leather kind -- strange niche she's found herself in, or made for herself." He was rambling now, tired. Between the Force-accelerated jump to pick her up, then a similar jump to Rhommamool, and now this jaunt down the Hydian...

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

The airlock hissed open between the Lethewalker and the Aurora Hawk, and Rave wasted no time on politesse. Her mind snapped out, found Chloe, began the analysis even before the Warden was in sight. By the time she entered the cabin -- shipsuit stripped to the waist, skin and breast band daubed with ash, hands still aching from the hammer and tongs, and yes, she'd crammed a forge into that frigate -- her mouth was set in a thin line.

"Sith poison. Basic variant, but still nasty. Eight to ten hours' exposure, right?"

 

[Chloe Blake]

[member="Rave Merrill"] [member="Jorus Merrill"]

"I-- what?" Confusion would shape Chloe's face, fighting the conflicting emotions of concern over Jorus, Rave's sudden and haphazard arrival, and the processing of what the alchemist said.

The confusion would quickly flare into frustrated anger," I think so. Maybe--" her head would shake and that pounding headache would only continue to grow, stabbing her mind with hot pokers as she tried to make sense of things.

"Sith what?!" Her fingers would start to impatiently drum over her arm rest in growing displeasure.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"Time's short." She raised her voice. "Attahox!"

One of the Lethewalker's noncoms brought in a heavy briefcase, an analysis kit composed largely of crystals, runes, and talismans, all in professional high-tech fittings. Rave selected an instrument. Keeping it a decent distance from Chloe, she peered through a multifaceted lens for a long moment. She calibrated it with a muttered spell, then snapped her fingers and conjured a small false-object out of spirit ichor, a little curved knife with a needle-point. Jorus cursed under his breath, but she shot him a glance and he held his peace.

"This is what my people use instead of a syringe, Chloe. I can use it and some...other things...to reverse the poison's hold on you. I have maybe an hour, at most, to fix this before it starts getting much worse. The process will take about half an hour. It will hurt, and it'll take longer if you give in to anger and pain. I've known you for a lot of years, but not well enough that I can get going without asking you if you can take it. This is your call. You say yes, you get hurt, but you get to keep your life as you know it. You say no, the poison takes its course, and you find a new kind of life -- maybe worse, maybe better, I don't judge. But you've got about twenty minutes to decide."

 

[Chloe Blake]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Rave Merrill"]

A questioning gaze would shoot back and forth between Jorus and Rave, her jaw dropping only to close. Ain't like she wasn't aware just what Rave was meddling with -- her time with the witches during her Rogue Jedi Order years gave her an inkling just what sort if flavor Rave was dealing. Granted, just like Ember it wasn't all black and white. Wait what did she mean that she knew her for a lot of years? Her head would pound again.

It was just a bit much to take.

That point blank countdown sent a resonating reminder of what the mysterious ship A.I. had warned her not ten hours ago.

She had a choice.

That irrational anger grew again. It went flashing in her eyes, her fingers curling into fists. One hand then rose to rub her temple.

"Can you just please explain what is going on?" She'd then eye the green glowing spirit ichor needle. The Corellian was flaring hot now. Sixth poison prompting a stubborn wave of defiance even she was starting to question. The confusion and wash of emotions was easy to pick up from her.

"I-- just. Droyk!"

By the Nine Hells what was going on with her?

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Chloe Blake"]


"You've been infected with alchemical poison designed to cause massive violent outbursts in Force users, cloud their minds, turn them to the Dark Side -- it's an ancient Sith weapon. In maybe two hours or less, the effects will be pretty close to irreversible, and you will become a Sith. I can probably fix it after that, but it'll hurt more and longer than what I'm set up to do right now, the moment you say yes."

 

[Chloe Blake]

[member="Rave Merrill"]

Funny how things work out. But that's just how the 'verse works. How it's spun.

Five minutes

Second warning. Ain't like the mirror of the situation she was in now as in the past didn't stick out in her mind like a sore thumb. Icy fear would send ice down her spine.

This ain't Dantooine darlin'. Things that go bump on the night are as real as a microscopic poison that would apparently turn her a new flavor of dark.

Kalahira...

A fine trembling would take her, and if there was any blood left in her face, it left it then and there.

Fists would clench at her side to release. Her breathing would spike. Either way, it was in the Gods hands. She'd prayed a prayer for protection when she left that ship. Ended up poisoned, drugged, and zapped. They answered with this.

Finally she gave a curt nod. "Do it. "

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"Brace yourse-"

In the middle of the phrase, she rammed the spirit ichor needle into Chloe's upper thigh. Those who could blend Nightsister shamanism and Sith alchemy were vanishingly few; Rave had been raised to both. As green light spiderwebbed around Chloe's leg, then got a grip on her entire body, Rave's attention returned to the processes and structures of bone and tendon and organ. The exposure was most prominent in blood vessels, lymph nodes, kidneys, and brain, as expected.

And Chloe began to cry blood. Sweat it, too. Oh, it was a little darker than pure blood, a little thicker, betraying its unnatural makeup, but blood it was and blood it looked like.

The pain would be significant.

 

[Chloe Blake]

[member="Rave Merrill"]

Brace herself she did. But that didn't stop the pain. Oh no. It was absolute agony. Her blood would feel as if were boiling, and in this her vision would blur as the thick sanguine ooze would seep from her tear ducts. Pores would burn as the Sith poison was manipulated by the magicks woven by the Nightsister shaman, and Chloe's nails would start to dig within the leather of the armrest she sat upon.

That which was continuously expelled by her body would form crimson rivulets that would start to saturate her clothes and pool in the chair she sat, beading until it would start to drip to the floor.

She couldn't help it. It was a pain beyond she could ever compare, beyond what she had ever personally experienced. Her back would arch, and a sound would bubble forth thick from her esophagus, up her throat and spew from her mouth in a blood curling scream.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

At this particular point, Jorus didn't especially care that the ship's lockbox held the Healing Crystals of Fire, the Sar Agorn holocron, the Arca Jeth holocron, and a necklace containing the final piece of the Codex of Tython. None of it could do much good here and now; neither he nor Rave could really use them well. Helpless, he watched as Rave applied some really vicious methods to twist reality and strip the evil out of Chloe's blood. When the process ended, he was ready with a cold cloth, wiping blood from her face and hands.

"Not sure I can thank you, though I know I should."

Rave shrugged eloquently. "I understand. Force knows you've told me enough about her that I feel I know her better than I do. Feels like she's family."

"She is, or close enough. Do you need anything from me, kid?"

"Nah." The Nightsister grinned, and for a long moment she was the stowaway he'd adopted as a little sister. "Not that I can't get later. My love to Alna and the rugrat. Get some fluids in this one, soon as you can."

As the Lethewalker broke away, Jorus made sure Chloe had access to all she needed -- water, electrolytes, sanisteam, personal space, time to think.

 

[Chloe Blake]

He made it hard to not love him.

Granted, this is just how [member="Jorus Merrill"] is to his core. He is a good man. Rough around the edges, but her granddaddy done told her that those are just the weathered lines of life molding upon the clay.

Chloe had yet to meet Alna, the woman who had managed to rightfully wrangle him down, but there wasn’t a need to say what went unsaid. If Alna ever had a thought of doing wrong with Jorus, she’ll have Chloe to deal with. She’d love him then and loved him still, happy as long as the Rebel Warden was.

But if’in there ever came a time that Alna Merrill ever would harm Jorus -- ain’t nothing in the ‘Verse that would stop Chloe from saying that which she’d should’ve had the courage to say a long while ago. What she said in hundreds of letters of loub-paper that she’d yet to send.

Ain’t long ‘fore under Jorus’s tender ministrations that the blonde Warden finally found a measure of herself again. Granted, she was quieter than usual. More introspective. More apt to let the silence linger after walking through that valley of the shadow of death.

She felt as if she’d traversed through the Nine Hells and back, every muscle, bone, and mind aching something fierce. She was thirsty. Dehydrated. And it wasn’t until after a long minutes in the sonic refresher to zap out the stench of blood and sweat that she felt a fraction of normalcy.

Wasn’t long ‘fore she’d be sitting in the lounge area of the Aurora, mug of steaming hot tea with a good dose of her granddaddy’s best to top off that nightcap. There were dark crescents under her eyes and her face was pale. The mechanic coveralls had been switched over for something far more comfortable, a loose shirt that hung over her bare curves and stretchy sleeping pants for ease of movement.

A thick blanket would be wrapped round her, and every now and then she’d shiver as if struck by an icy blast of Hoth wind. Perhaps that was a side-effect? Who knew. But there was a chill in her bones that hadn’t been there before.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

A little service hoverpod trundled behind Jorus as he entered the room -- hesitantly. "Welcome to the other side," he said. "Dark Side poison's no joke. I took orbalisk venom at Roon, had to get a healer to drag it out of me, and I knew I'd been poisoned. Sorry to put you through all that. I know you've never exactly had close contact with my sister, but I used to talk about ya, and she liked to hear. Didn't ask for anything in return, didn't even take the poison."

He ran a hand down his mouth and chin, yawning as stubble scraped his fingers. Hadn't shaved in a couple days. "I shoulda taken you to Ruusan or something. Weren't enough straight routes, not fast enough, but I maybe coulda called ahead, seen if they had someone useful, healer-wise. Someone who coulda used your toys."

He sat down opposite her and cracked the pod. Six Healing Crystals of Fire, the holocron of Sar Agorn, the holocron of Arca Jeth, a double-pointed holocron whose nonhumanoid gatekeeper had said something unintelligible, and a necklace with a piece of holocron inside.

"I'm really fething impressed, and really annoyed with myself that I couldn't use'em to help you. And here they call me a Jedi Master." He snorted in self-derision.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Seeing him sitting there before her scruff and all had a mighty fine appeal to it, Chloe couldn’t help but think that. Her attention would fall to the collection of holcrons and artifacts Ember had sent her to collect and secure, among the double sided pyramid she’d found on Aurum. A slow exhale left her lips. It was no surprise that Jorus would find the contents of the Aurora’s lockbox. He knew her old girl like the back of his hand.

“You did what you could, Jorus.” she’d say quietly, with a slight upturn at the right corner of her mouth in reassurance. She was slowly going back to the old Chloe -- but not quite yet.

“Saved my life. ‘Long with your sister -- can’t thank you both ‘nuff for that.” she would add, her lids lowering a bit sheepishly “Not quite the manner I’d imagine meeting her, but I reckon that’s just the Gods plan.”

Blue eyes would lift to set upon [member="Jorus Merrill"] ‘s face.

“Jedi Master?” would come the light query from a sore throat. Blonde brows would draw together, furrowing in confusion, watching him above the rim of her steaming mug.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

He scratched his neck awkwardly. "The 'crons I showed you, the ones I kept under my seat for a few months, let's say I listened to'em too much. What I can and can't do hasn't changed a bit, who I am ain't changed much either, but sometime during the convocation at Sigma Station 'you guys' became 'us.' Still not sure how I feel about that. Never thought of myself as a Jedi 'til they asked me to join the Council, you believe that? A Warden of the Sky sittin' on the Jedi Council, full equal. Who'da thought it?

"Now, mostly," he admitted, "I'm thinkin' what sold'em was when I tore their artifact security to metaphorical shreds an' showed them how to legit keep things safe. That's the nametag they gave me - Master of the Council of First Knowledge, which apparently means I go out and get this stuff back an' figure out how to keep it safe. Not like I understand half of it. So far they haven't asked about robes. Or a lightsabre. I don't own either one.

"But anyways. Don't let me get too sucked into storytime." He held up one of the Healing Crystals of Fire to the light. "Few of these things, Aaralyn Rekali was bringin' in when she got nabbed by the One Sith. We're still puttin' her back together, an' until now, we thought these few -- the Arca Jeth and Sar Agorn holocrons, an' the crystals -- were in Sith hands. This is a big deal. Hope you'll take it more as personal curiosity and less as 'this is my job these days' if I ask what the story is -- where and how you got your hands on'em, and where they're bound."

 

[Chloe Blake]

They've taken her, Chloe. They took my girl, my very last. If I don't come back -- if I don't come back, I want Alex raised Mando, she's almost ready for her verd'goten. ​

​

Chloe would take slow sips of her teat as [member="Jorus Merrill"] told his tale. Upon his query to her tale, she gave a small sigh, pushing the thick mass of blonde curls away from her face.

I know you've only met her a time or two, but you're the one I trust. If this doesn't work -- and why should it? Feth it, I've worse than died a thousand times. Nothing's gone right. I'm cursed, Chloe, cursed for my sins, and I've brought that curse on every child of mine.​

​

"They were entrusted to me," she told him, blue eyes rising to meet the cybernetic ones she'd picked out for him long ago. "Met an Old Timer who took it 'pon himself to ensure things that need to be hidden stay that way." She would shuffle a bit in her seat, making herself more comfortable.

Uh, loose ends. The artifacts in the Lost City, make sure the Jedi don't get'em, make sure the Mandos don't break'em.​

​

"He got himself into a heck of situation that had him traveling deep into One Sith Territory-- Told me to keep watch over things one of his kids left behind. To secure them cause he wasn't so sure he or his kid would come back." there went the nod over towards the crystals, the 'crons, and the necklace.

I've sent Aaralyn's YTA-1300 down the big access shaft; good chance Aaralyn hid the Healing Crystals of Fire aboard, and a holocron too, doubt she's had time to get them back to the burlap brigade. Just lock that down if you've got time...​

"So I did." steam would lightly swirl in front of her face as she took another sip. "Had to finagle them from a feisty astromech droid --- had 'em in his storage compartment, all rattling inside there. Reckon you can imagine the shock at finding out exactly what they were."

"That's when... " she'd pause and her eyes would lower. "I felt a great disturbance in the Force. From Olra'en... secured as much as I could with the intention of heading towards Levantine space. " her free hand would rub and pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Towards the others of the Order. They needed to be kept safe." her hand would fall from her face as she would look at her fellow Warden, now Jedi.

Watch out for Alex, make sure she's safe from my legacy or whatever ill effect. ​

Tell her this from me -- Gar taldin ni jaonyc; gar sa buir, ori'wadaas'la.​

"Same as I got Alex to consider now... and that ain't with the burlap brigade. "

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Chloe Blake"]

"You'll see no burlap brain from this direction," he said absently, pondering the treasures laid out between them. "If two and two is four, your oldtimer is Ember Rekali, a man I've never crossed nor crossed paths with, an' both of those were on purpose. Like I said, Aaralyn Rekali's been brought in from the cold. Do I trust her? Feth no, not yet. Do I trust her with this stuff? Not a chance. She's the sort to make sweeping 'this is ours' kinds of calls.

"And I've got no idea what to do with her. She just barely landed in our collective laps. Nor do I have much of a clue what I should be askin' for any of this." He gestured at the tray; his fingers caught the necklace. "This here...this one's the real mess, from what I'm told. Before she was caught, she an' this necklace were inseparable. That's somethin' personal to her and might help the healers put her mind back together. There's also somethin' she said to Kiskla about somethin' hidden in it -- a shard of the Codex of Tython -- a key that might turn it on finally -- who knows.

"Then there's the crystals. Fethed if I know where those belong, not that it's my call. If it was, I'd shuffle a few of'em off to the Sanctum and the Selab, take a couple back for the Republic's healers.

"The holocrons -- Sar Agorn an' Arca Jeth -- that's where things get dicey. What're you thinkin'?"

 

[Chloe Blake]

​

Well he nailed Ember's name right there alright. And with the description of Aaralyn, well that certainly fit the woman she saw Rekali trade words with. She wasn't too sure what happened there, or what had potentially been involved with it all -- But Ember hadn't contacted her yet.

She wouldn't say it, cause no news is good news, but the concern that would wash over her face was apparent. "If'in that's a family heirloom and it can help the healers, I can see the advantage of granting it back." she'd glance down, looking over her tea, fingers skimming across the warm metal.

"Don't know what she might have gone through-- but whatever it is... she wasn't in the kind of mindset of one ready for her mastership. Ember done told her that herself...

And if'n she acted like that shard was her property, I can see why. But that shard ain't hers to keep." she took a deep breath and her eyes rose anew, "I was considering the same 'bout them crystals. Reckon Sanctum and the Selab can at the very least ensure that those get used wisely -- granted with a few going to the Order as well."

"As for the 'crons, with as much of trafficking of artifacts now, I wasn't too sure the Jedi Order would be able to keep 'em safe. They lost 'em once... could do so again." her lips would twist in a small grimace.

"I wouldn't be keen on handing them over unless it be to one who would know just what they truly meant. What they are worth -- and use 'em wisely." With Jorus saying he was handling those himself, she felt a bit better. What with it being Jorus and a Selab member to boot.

A hand would reach out, taking in hand Ara Jeth's holocron, a soft smile for once gracing her pale lips, "Tho I'm sure while Master Bnar and Master Agorn enjoy my company and my endless questions... I'm sure they'd be keen on answering others as well."

There came a pause, and a certain darkening to her gaze.

"Tho I'll be honest Jorus... if they lose these again... I ain't gonna be the only one holding back. " there was a seriousness to her gaze that told a new tale, one not seen before.

"Selab will claim what was lost, and that burlap brigade ain't ever gonna see another 'cron or artifact in this 'verse ever again." that was no threat.

That was a promise.