Weekend Treasure Hunt 5: Just The Facts, Ma'am

[Darth Ayra]

| [member="Rave Merrill"] |

Going back to the Coruscant Undercity connection between it and the woman known as Alicia Drey, there was a recent convention between her and several figures including the Governor of Filth himself (@Fatty). The game had been Sabacc, but the result hadn't been settled due to the thread dying and presumably the Governor would of won anyway. After all, he was the son of Voracitos.

As for [member="Raziel"]'s investigation into the corporate side of Chandrila DataTech and Subach-Innes, it would be interesting to discover that upon DataTech's opening day, where the thread current stores in Hanna City were revealed to the public, that a scoundrel in the form of [member="Broorn Sabor"] was involved in a nasty incident that included him sticking up a DataTech employee in an attempt to get her to lower the price of a Lenoi I datapad and ended with him suddenly collapsing to the floor, screaming something about 'spooks' and 'you'll never make me submit again!'. The manager of the Upper District store, where the attempted robbery had occurred and where Alicia Drey had been on her store opening, had been speaking between his colleagues that the man had fallen to his knees after Alicia turned her gaze to Broorn and quote, "Seemed to really stare into him. Like the stare was the reason why he suddenly fell over and started screaming."

Alexander Starcrest of Republic of Starcrest (@Grimm), an investment banker from the InterGalactic Banking Clan Serj Sularis (NPC) and a fighter pilot in the rebel alliance who had recently became a shareholder in Chandrila DataTech (@Roth Tillian) had also been there to witness the events. The latter had departed the store after buying a Core I computer and Lenoi I datapad.

Back on Sojourn...

Ayra did have access to old Sith Empire records. The Pentastar alignment, a remnant of the Empire's navy prior to it's fall at Dromund Kaas, had come under the control of Darth Voracitos's spirit, who had attached itself to the Girth of Gluttony. When she had been on board one of those ships, she had taken the liberty of taking all the data that was on the fleet. "Now that I think about it, she didn't seem too keen on meeting me head on." Murmuring as she thought about the duel on the Lethewalker, Ayra deduced that the only reason why Rave had come out on top was because of her detonation of the warhead in the ships hangar bay. This was in a weakness in itself, because she hadn't been able to read her environment. But she knew now that she was the superior Lightsaber combatant; and she hadn't met a Force-sensitive that could handle their head being cut off or chopped to pieces, of which she was fully capable. Darth Ayra was one of a few Force-sensitives in the entire galaxy that could claim to be a master of Lightsaber techniques after all.

The Gathering was a ritual of sorts that Darth Plagueis had used to further the Sith imperative, as well as the furthering of his corporation Damask Holdings. After her visit to Muunilist, where she had secured Serj Solaris's funding and involvement of the InterGalactic Banking Clan alongside Circe Savan, the two had ventured into the past of Damask Holdings and their predeceasing Muun Dark Lord of the Sith. The two Cimmerian Shades had discovered the island and was led to Sojourn, after records revealed that Damask Holdings had held some of the most powerful and historic figures of the time. Thus, Alicia had revived the ritual and processes of the Gathering to further her aims as Darth Ayra. [member="Lord Daemos"] might be on the verge of revealing Darth Pandeima's goals to create an army in Otherspace, but the apprenticeship between the two Sith Lord wasn't exactly Sith Master and apprentice. In many ways, Darth Ayra was a lot more powerful than her 'master' and vice versa. They were mostly equals, except for the roles they played. The only possible reason Ayra hadn't betrayed Pandeima was because the two held an infatuation. Another weakness in the former. But would she removed it, like a certain famous Sith Warrior had once done? That remained to be seen.

Using the Gathering then to create contacts came second nature to what it really was: introducing the ways of the Sith to some of the most powerful figures in the galaxy. These men and women, with a new found subtle understanding made by their host, would then go about undermining the Republic, with any luck. That was the art of manipulation. Give the target an idea and they execute it for you. It had been the first event on Sojourn in a thousand years that Ayra had made contact with the Sun Guards. Elite, powerful soldiers, they were second only to the Mandalorians. They had been employed to guard "the Fort" through a lucrative contract supplied by DataTech's profit, which had soared in recent times. A direct supply of technology to a planet famous for it's enjoyment of anything technological was bound to create a lot of turnover and profit; and that was exactly what Chandrila DataTech was doing since it's inception.

Rave Merrill's connections and business hadn't been difficult to discover, but the woman herself remained an enigma. Difficult to find was an understatement; and Ayra presumed that, if the Nightsister was following suit, then she was discovering the same obstacles in finding her. It was a galactic game of chess, where pawns were being maneuvered into position for a checkmate; and that would come when the two women finally clashed once more. Ayra was wiser, but so was Rave. If the first duel was anything to go by, then the second would prove to be extremely destructive.

Three days had been met with Ayra meeting with various contacts across the galaxy under the pseudonym of her alias Alicia Drey. It was slowly becoming public knowledge that she was a Sith Lord. But not to the galactic eye. Not yet anyway; and so she didn't find it difficult to manipulate the various criminals that she had invited to her residence on Sojourn. They came from Kyrikal 17, Laekia, Etti IV and Annaj. They were hired alongside a single Sun Guard to survey the corporate headquarters found on those worlds; and in particular on Annaj to discover more about the Fringe leadership and any individuals who held ties to Rave Merrill. The Sun Guards sent alongside these criminals, who were only hired due to their knowledge of the world, their contacts and terrain, were tasked to execute their partner and anyone else they met with, so as to cover their tracks and tie together the loose ends. Unlike the Mandalorians, the Sun Guard didn't have much of a concept of honor and in that respect made them the best military personnel in the galaxy. Do you think a Mandalorian could shoot a man in the back? Unlikely, especially today.

The Sith Lords plan was simple: take the fight to the enemy. Burn everything. Destruction bred creation. In Rave's mind, anger would be created. It would draw her to the person responsible, who was found on Sojourn. Rage would lure Rave to her enemy. That was why the Sith were the masters of the dark side.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Darth Janus"]

Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine handling this one alone for the time being. I know Tion would salt the earth for a CEO kidnapping, but let's keep it quiet for now if possible. I understand this is a Hegemony issue, not just a private issue. I'm sending you everything I have. Be discreet, please; she's mine.

***​

Kyrikal 17 was a desert mining world inhabited by eighty million Ithorians, many of them culturally distinct from standard Ithorian culture. AEL's holdings were in the deep desert, well away from any settlements. AEL's Kyrikal facility was a desert preserve, a free-range farm for terentateks; subterranean tikulini, too, benefited from alchemical processes that enhanced their breeding rate. The airspace was heavily patrolled by elite starfighter squadrons, while surface interests were guarded by battle droids and live guards. Kyrikal's other moons were very important, very rich, and the system was heavily secured by the Levantine Sanctum. The closest agents would be able to get without detection, whether on foot or by air or space, would not be very close at all. As the system was 85% Mon Calamari and 15% Ithorian, too, the Sun Guard would stand out like a sore thumb.

Laekia was far more diverse, its population far larger, a capitalist paradise of five billion. Laekia's AEL facility comprised the main corporate offices, the tanneries, the canneries, the fashion end of things. Laekia was the Sanctum's capital, even more heavily secured than Kyrikal, and the AEL facilities had a large contingent of elite battle droids of various kinds, plus some Force-sensitive personnel. Careful investigation would reveal that unnamed Masters had been on AEL's payroll or otherwise associated with it, and security was more than comfortable saying 'no' -- not stupid, and not easily browbeaten. Good links to the community, too. AEL kept its nose clean, hired local -- it had originally been Laekia House of Leatherwork, a longrunning local company -- and it was known to hire the Sanctum's finest as terentatek hunters. [member="Seydon of Arda"] was one such.

The Annaj investigation would reveal that Rave had been associated with Jared Ovmar, Kitt Solo, Sargon Vynea, Anders Sivas, the Rakatan Empress, and Lucianus Adair. She had participated in diplomatic efforts involving the Moross Crusade. By and large, though, she had done most of her High Council business by HoloNet telepresence. The Annaj investigation would also pick up her hostile takeover of a J.A.C. subsidiary that she had later sold -- Minerals and Metals Inc., renamed Mohc Extractives. It would reveal that she had personally destroyed the J.A.C. headquarters on Val'hala and permanently killed Zaiden/Penumbra/Kasamann, a body-trader, in that fight. Since he held demi-god status on Val'hala, Rave now held that status, and even had a fairly significant cult devoted to her on Val'hala, led by priests such as [member="Ariel Tull"]. The investigation would also conclude that Rave had little to do with her worshippers, though she was known to send them gifts of minor alchemical items like Dauntless swords.

The Etti IV investigation, also within the Sanctum, would reveal extensive contracts with various offices within the CSA -- canned goods from Laekia, primarily. Dauntless combat blades and a few mild alchemical items, too. AEL's facility on Etti IV was a shipping/receiving spot jointly operated with CSA and secured by Espos and battle droids. The facility was more a convenience than anything; any port would do. Etti IV was the best fortified and secured world in several sectors, beefed up against the New Order threat by the Tion Hegemony and the Levantine Sanctum.

Rave did not, as yet, know of these investigations, but after her last meeting with Drey and Circe, she'd been beefing up security and relationships on the fairly reasonable assumption that there was a counterpunch coming. Now that she had concrete evidence linking Ayra, Drey, and Circe, it would have been fairly simple to call up her brother on the Jedi Council and tell him about the Master-level Sith sleeper agent on the Republic world of Chandrila, but she could fight her own battles -- and it was more fun this way. On the flipside, the Jedi Council, specifically Rave's brother Jorus, received an 'only open this if I disappear' file.

She had a sample of Circe's original body, she had a sample of Circe's Vinithi body, but she lacked a sample of the newest one. That said, considering Circe still used that Vinithi body from time to time (somehow circumventing Transfer Essence's destruction of the prior body), and considering two out of three wasn't bad, she spent a nice afternoon making a Nightsister tracking talisman, more as a safeguard than anything else. It wasn't a link Circe would be able to feel. Whatever charred skin Drey had left behind on the Lethewalker had gone into space when she blew the atmo field, and Rave hadn't thought to take a sample when she had Drey unconscious as a hostage, so making the same talisman for Drey wasn't an option just now.

Rave's Monitor-class surveillance corvette, the Starry Eyes, took up a position in some comets at the outer edge of the Sojourn system, well outside standard sensor range. Its intent was to monitor (imagine that) traffic to and from the system.

A few AEL personnel began interviewing actors on Atrisia. The Dromund Kaas digs continued, but a few of their excavators journeyed to Honoghr. AEL's Laekia offices put a call in to [member="Hion the Herglic"]'s Darkwater Security.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

​

Beep-beep. Beep-beep.

A spectacled terrapin picked up the ringing commlink.

"Darkwater Security, this is Okeene how may I help you?"

Sitting in a nearby chair of the dimly lit, black and grey interior of Darkwater Security's headquarter office was a huge reptilian with green-gold skin. He rolled his eyes at the terrapin and continued cleaning a wickedly curved blade with a dirty rag.

The spectacled-one covered the commlink with one hand. "Shut up, Sobek. I can smell your breath all the way over here."

A loud hiss emanated from Sobek and his beady eyes were fastened on Okeene. "Maybe your sweet, tender meat will make it smell better."

Trying to refrain from releasing his bowels, Okeene whimpered slightly. Sobek wasn't kidding. He'd seen the Saurton bite the arms off humans and swallow the limbs whole. Coughing, he removed his hand from the commlink and anxiously waited for the person on the other end to say something important.


[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Hion the Herglic"]

The Whiphid's name was Vel'oqq (no relation), a longtime representative for AEL. His voice resembled an erudite foghorn flavored with recently consumed herdbeast.

"Mister Okeene, my name is Vel'oqq. I'm an operations manager for Akure Executive Leatherworks, and I'm calling from our corporate headquarters on Laekia. Our CEO recently suffered a kidnap attempt in the Gromas system, and we expect a second attempt. We have operations on Laekia, Kyrikal Seventeen, Etti Four, and Dromund Kaas, and our existing security is top-notch, but I've been asked to approach Darkwater to ask about a rapid-response package for the duration of the situation. As you can imagine, collateral damage would be absolutely unacceptable, but successful performance on your part should give us enough information on our enemies to put together a response, and the bonus would be commensurate. Is this situation within your purview, Mister Okeene?"

 

[Arage Bao]

R,

Understand better than most the wish for some privacy when handling your affairs, my men found a couple of guys skulking around on my turf asking questions. They will be dropped off in the usual location, do with them as you wish. I'd finish up this game sooner rather than later though, the guy with the big sword is getting restless and usually skyscrapers start falling left and right when that happens. If people keep prancing about, it might not be up to me though.

-J

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

J.-

It's not that big.

-R

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Rave Merrill"]

R,

I will make sure to pass that on.

J-

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"I see, one second Mr. Vel'oqq. I will patch you through to Darkwater's Foreman, Mr. Graze."

Okeene began typing rapidly on his nearby data terminal and within seconds had a line to Graze, a Karkarodon with more scar tissue than skin.

"Okeene, is this urgent." The grating voice was as cold as Hoth and as devoid of emotion as a metal-forged sword. The terrapin explained. There was a moment of silence, then "Put me through."

"Mr. Vel'oqq, I am Graze, Foreman of Darkwater. We can have a rapid-response team ready within the hour. It will not be cheap. How many do you need."

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Hion the Herglic"]

"Mister Graze, you will be paid your requested retainer, plus significant bonuses for information, captives, or resources captured. Our current theory is that we'll be facing some portion of the private forces of Subach-Innes Corporation and Chandrila DataTech, including at least two Sith Lords. Four to six of your top people should suffice, and you would have your preferred degree of support from air forces and several dozen top-of-the-line battle droids in any given location."

OOC/ We're only covering events that take place in a very short amount of time, while [member="Alicia Drey"] and I hammer out events that take days. Basically, conversation stuff won't follow the entire thread's posting order -- obviously Drey and Circe and the other big players can do conversations as quickly as they like -- but when we get to long-term big-picture stuff, stuff that affects the other side, that's when we'll be doing posting order. Fair enough?

 

[Matreya]

"This is Tantibus, the weapon your own advice helped to craft. By far this is my best show of skill, nearly everything involved in this event had alchemy added, or a similarity in the form of Art of the Small. I have plenty of others I can offer, such as scythes that fell to the side after not being truly completed to my standards (the ones that were approved then denied after a few uses), armor enhancements, I even once Alchemized a friends wooden cane so that it could battle lightsabers as well as ignite in a powerful ebony flame that would never burn the tool but could annihilate anything else. (An old sub before the purge for Corvo someone or other lol)

"I have skills, and in some places they are adequate, but nothing near yourself. Even with the Knotters of Entrails scroll passed to me on Zaidens death does little to make me feel I should even attempt bio Alch.

"With what meager evidence and simple personal vouching I have to offer, combined with the Datacron, will you take me as your apprentice?" Damien asked. The woman was renowned for being powerful, a witch of intense measure, an alchemist like no other...if he finished his tutelage under this being his power would be beyond intense. Taught martial skills by Echani and Mandalorians, mentalism by the king of Mentalism Voracitos, then taught Alchemy and whatever else Rave fething Merrill could teach?

He hoped she accepted.

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Lord Daemos"]

"If you're ready to unlearn what you've learned, Daemos, I can teach you. I can start right now." She rose, drew Entropy, laid it across his desk, one hand still latched around the grip. Her head bowed, her eyes closed...

...and his desk began to change, began to take on a strange sheen. "Follow what I do in your mind's eye," she said. "See if you can perceive what I'm doing, how I'm doing it this fast, how I'm altering the molecular arrangements of things, what I'm doing to lattices, what I'm doing to bonds. This is how I alchemize multiple simple blades at once, and it took me years to get to this point. Will your desk stop a lightsabre? Definitely not, but I could make that happen. Follow me in your mind's eye, Daemos. See what I see, see how I do it."

The wave of alchemical transformation swept under the holocron, and continued as she picked it up.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"This is acceptable."

Within an hour Sobek, Okeene, two Herglic redshirts, and Usar were on a Darkwater Security gunship heading for Laekia. They met up with Graze in transit and arrived not long after.

[member="Rave Merrill"].

 

[Onrai]

The information he would likely find to be most intriguing regarding Subach was less cabalistic manipulation and more frustration. The embargo raised by Sienar, recently ended, along with Fringe betrayal, Sith dissolution, and the Confederacy's wanton destruction were the foremost things on the executive's mind. People had not at all been kind to Subach, and his agitation was a clear sign of such.

He had not been in any recent contact with Circe aside from a single holocall, detailing the plans in the aftermath of the biased legal decision of the former Weedkiller participant who judged the Santhe v. Subach case. Plans were not yet finalized, but they seemed to involve stripping the current E-class ships of all tech, melting the frames down, and giving the resulting giant hunk of metal to Santhe as a "parting gift." Not like hurl it into a planet or anything - just to literally place it somewhere and waste their space, like the old cargo container gag. The ships were now useless, so why not?

Also discussed was the re-engining of both the TIE Agitator and the TIE Bow, though they had yet to decide whether a Rakatan-style TIE engine, unpatentable by Santhe and already in existence on a Star Forge fighter Circe had in her collection, or whether to fit in a single ion or even tri-ion engine. Either way would require modifications to the engine compartment.

Then of course there were discussions about the Pluton, the Attrition, and other products intending to be sold to the ASA. Circe had indicated her choosing to contact someone in the governmental structure - not Marek, considering his Weedkiller ties - and get contracts settled in for Subach technology. This was the one chance Subach had to get in and fight against the dead man's hand it had been dealt - to make life take the lemons back and get mad instead of making lemonade.

Circe's holocall number was also in there somewhere, in the event he just wanted to do things the simple way.

[member="Raziel"]

 

[Matreya]

Damien did as she said, following the process with a mental precision found only in those with photographic memory. Each step he witnessed would be folded into a storage shelf in the back of his consciousness. He noticed though, as his eyes followed the sheen as it spread across his desk, that the Datacron was now gone.

"Its programmed with an automatic erase clause, amongst other finer things as well as the information. You agree to teach, more so than a one time 'make a desk strong' event, and you will find the password forth with." Damien murmured, his eyes still focused and never wavering. Though his mind still shot at a thousand miles a minute, attempting to understand everything happening before him.

This was similar to how he had enhanced his friends cane, but nowhere near the same quality. This was master-ship, complete knowledge of what to do, where, when, and how best to do it.

True beauty.

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Lord Daemos"]

"Yeah, that's a fairly transparent power play. It would work on me if I didn't know that holocrons don't work like computers. I've made more holocrons than you've ever seen." Her hand glowed, the holocron as well, as she accessed it mind-to-lattice -- a far rarer skill than even the rare ability to make these. "And you're full of crap. I've not only given my word but given you a lesson, and I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to give you, sight unseen, before you'll acquiesce, when you keep moving the goalposts. But since I gave my word, here's your next lesson -- well, apart from don't make power plays against a Merrill."

She cracked the holocron, dropped its shards, dusted crystal off her hands.

"What do you know of biological alchemy? The transmutation of living creatures, of bodies, minds, even spirits?"

 

[Matreya]

(Keep sayin its a Datacron. Lol why would I make a holo just for that? Also, didnt intend for Damien to come off as rude. It was a comment not a threat.)

The Datacron was destroyed. That didnt bother Damien. Whether a skill existed to actually simply copy information from programming by touch was beyond him, so the idea never even crossed his mind.

"Its good then that Datacrons do work like computers. Power play?" Damien remarked, "It was a comment. What former hostility do you have to lead to this reaction?

"And on the matter of full of crap, from the beginning I said I would give it if you agreed to teach me as you never taught another. I hear word that you taught others far more than simple wood manipulations. Am I incorrect?" Damien arched a brow, "How does this sort of incident look for the Fringe? Illegally arresting innocent men, destroying private property, again illegally, and then when one attempts to trade help you destroy the evidence and reply with rude indignation.

"But I feel you are indeed a potent user of abilities I long to master, and wish to continue along this line of planning if we can." Damien said, "Only if you will continue however.

"For my knowledge, its simple. I hold a scroll which logs a great deal of biological transmutations, from the Knotters of Entrails. So theoretically, bundles, in the field however, not a damned thing."

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Lord Daemos"]

"You think what I can do to the original I can't do to the derivative? To someone with your skills and your perspective, I'm sure they're radically different. To me..." She thought vividly and fondly of the Belia Darzu holocron. "...not so much. And if you think I'm still a ranking member of the Fringe, you really need to get better sources." Her eyes narrowed fractionally. "Some masters like their students to always be striving for the upper hand. It's one element of the Sith tradition that I find idiotic. Let's get to work before I regret this."

With her off hand, she pulled a bone pin from her hair, a Tashai bond tracker, slim and two-pronged and carved in scrimshaw patterns. "This is a talisman from a hidden world," she said. "Hunters use it to keep from getting jumped by multiple tuk'ata once they've taken down a member of the pack. That makes it sound more powerful than it is. Its only power involves sensing things, and if you're to be an alchemist, a proper and dedicated one, you'll need to work on your alchemist's senses.

"Ignore the talisman for now. Stretch out with me and analyze the heart of this artifact." She slotted the pin back into her hair, tightly, and held out a tiny durasteel sphere, a mental maze. "It may take you some time to find the center. When you think you've succeeded, see if you can alchemize the entire sphere, from the inside out."

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

He said nothing to either redeem or damn himself, instead meeting the unsavoury character's eyes with steely determination. Let him speculate all he wanted. "I don't much care for the stench of your cigar, Mr. Zax", he finally said. The man didn't seem to care to put it out himself for the comfort of his visitor. So be it. With a wave of his hand the cigar wiggled itself free from his teeth, hovering in the air before tossing itself out the window, all much to the initial surprise of the smoker, closely followed by a burst of anger.

"Hey! Do you know how much--" He rose up from behind his desk, only to be met with the raised palm of the Jedi Master, telling him to sit down and be quiet. There was no anger in Thurion's eyes; throughout the whole meeting he remained eerily calm and collected, much to the frustration of the buisnessman.

"Mr. Zax, do I return to tell my associates that you would not co-operate? They'd be awfully disappointed, and imagine having a whole slew of Jedi breathing down your neck. They're not gonna stop investigating just because I came back empty-handed", he spoke. It was only half a lie; while he had no real associates to speak of, no doubt [member="Rave Merrill"] would find others to continue the search should he fail.

"Hmph!" came his response. "You know what I don't much care for, Master Jedi? Being threatened inside my own office--"

"It's not a threat. I am merely informing you of what will come of this if you fail to co-operate with me, here and now. Next time won't be so easy, I assure you." There was a beep coming from behind the desk, and the man reluctantly picked up the call. "Mr. Zax, sir, your three o'clock appointment is here", came the clerk's voice. "Ah, yes..." he replied, his hand reaching for a tissue to wipe the gathering sweat upon his forehead. "Miss Scotia, do not even think of mentioning us having a Jedi visiting. I'll be right there." He hung up, then looked up at the seated Jedi, feigning a smile once more.

"Pardon me, Master Jedi. Bad for buisness, you see..." he said as he stepped outside, making sure to shut the door behind him as he left. Almost immediately Thurion rose from the chair, checking the office for any signs of surveillance. A camera sat atop the doorway, and had no doubt recorded the whole meeting. Tilting his head to one side and clenching his fist, the camera crumbled like a can of soda before shutting off. With that annoyance dealt with, he moved over to behind the desk and began rummaging it for information.

 

[Matreya]

Damien reached out mentally, 'placing' himself within the small sphere. Mental mazes were actually something he had attempted, but each was different from the last. As well he was to also Alchemize this one when finished, something entirely broad for the man: what did she want the effects to be? Hardening? Fire?

Moving slowly but surely Damien turned first right, then left, finding a dead end. Going back the way he came was simple, just revisioning himself back at the entrance. Now taking a right, followed by another, then a left, he began to move his way through the course mentally. Each 'step' brought him closer to the center, and therefore the possibility of becoming a truly amazing alchemist.

Left, right, straight away, it became almost routine. Every dead end simply resulted in tight concentration that returned him to the last correct choice he made. But it was worth it, for even though it wasn't an actual alchemical lesson, it still taught the indepth work needed to move on a minimal level.

Then, there before his Minds eye, was an odd sphere that emanated a tingling sensation. Figuring this to be the center, Damien focused, using his Spirits energies to enhance his power as he sought to spread Alch throughout.

[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Lord Daemos"]

As Daemos |earned his a|chemica| |esson, Rave did something e|se entire|y.

The Tashai bond tracker had been made for sensing Force bonds that branched off from a nearby target, so one cou|d avoid getting jumped by, say, the Master or packmate of whatever you just ki||ed. In the process of bui|ding the Deicide Ocu|us, however, Rave had rea|ized how broad|y app|icab|e the Tashai ta|isman cou|d be. It cou|d, for examp|e, give her a far better sense of one's |inks to bound spirits.

From age five to age eight, Rave had been possessed by a Master's sou|; exorcism had become an intimate part of her |ife. In her teens, too, she had |earned the on|y two Sith spe||s in her repertoire: hea|ing, and invocation of spirits.

With Daemos snared within the menta| maze -- designed to be far harder and more time-consuming to escape than to enter, and he was having troub|e entering this one -- she muttered the words of the |atter spe||. The Tashai ta|isman had he|ped her find his extra sou|s; now she app|ied the fu|| might of her strength in the Force to warp rea|ity against the Knight.

And ripped out his sou|s. Not to keep for herse|f, but to a||ow them to dissipate into the Force.

Stuck as he was in the menta| maze, he might not even fee| it unti| he emerged. Either that or he wou|d experience |udicrous amounts of pain immediate|y. She didn't especia||y care which.