Where you lead I'll follow

[Elara Amadis]

[member="Kei Amadis"]​

​

Magic for that is what it seemed like at the moment it happened, the doors opened and the rise of the water slowed. Elara did not know if the deal she had just struck was would hold as much water as what had swirled about them. Imagine the possibilities of having an Intelligence that thought for itself, what could it accomplish if steered towards the good towards redemption for past acts? Did it even realize the difference between good and evil? Was everything it had done for survival? These questions were not anything she had thought to have discussion on with the AI but when there was time, when there was calm in all of them perhaps then she could.

The Clan began to shake more of the effects of the control off, their steps became more assured, the willingness to help one another more evident when it came to taking help from Kei the elders shrugged away, "He is my mate" That uttered should change how they acted at least for some. The few older ones among them looked at her and then to Kei for now they nodded, Elara looked to Kei comfortable with the younglings among the group and they with him. Good for they just might end up having to take some with them, resettle them....on Voss if they would go. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving them here again, at least on Voss they could survive.

The angry girl from earlier was silent as any statue standing next to Elara. Elara glanced over trying to figure out how did this girl fit into everything? While the clan moved through she seemed stuck, waiting. Elara reached up and gently touched her shoulder, "You are of the clan too"

The eyes turned upon Elara, "I will never be of the clan again. There is no place for me now among them. I am" there was a pause as she for the first time struggled for words. Elara then noticed that from underneath her hair a small device could be seen, blinking away as she thought. The girl was connected to it, maybe the device could be removed.

The light suddenly began to blink faster, the girl looked at Elara, "You should run it's coming" Decisions the girl was the eyes and ears of the others.

Elara stepped away just as the girls eyes began to change, "KEI RUN!" Elara thought of him first, as she began to push the others, "go go go" she looked back.

The girl smiled, "I'll try to hold him as long as I can" She took a breath, "they aren't here Elara, they left before all this............OUR parents left" Elara stopped dead in her tracks, this girl was family , how could she leave her now?

The girl stepped back, "get the other to help you....."

Elara could feel her heart pounding within her, as she felt the panic of leaving a member of her family, she couldn't do it.........."no...I can't leave here..not.."

"you can...you can come back for me...."

Elara felt someone pull on her sleeve, "listen to her..." She looked into the face of an old woman, a crone who had seen more than she needed over the space of her life, "it will keep her alive...as long as it thinks you will come back" she whispered.

Elara wanted to go back, she removed the woman's hand from her sleeve, "Unity"

All while Elara debated with her conscience of what she could do, Kei was moving the Clan into safety.

 

[Kei Amadis]

Kei Run! Hearing another member of her family was about to be lost, hearing panic in her voice. Kei was moving but you could be damned sure with his mate in limbo not far. Younglings across his shoulder and hand, he put them at the top of the first flight of stairs for another to take. The oldest of the two young girls started giving orders, because that’s what kei had promised her! At least till our youngling was picked up again and carried up by another soldier, everyone moving toward the highest points they could. Golden AI assisting them with doors as promised.

Hopping down the stairs at a heavy jump and splash, he walked into the room, protective mode well and truly on. Amadis was about to barrel over and pick the female Firrerreo up over his shoulder, both if needs be, even knowing he wouldn’t get five feet with either unwillingly.

Breathing in the force. “You’re all coming.” Amadis said bluntly wading through water, tired, drenched. “No more heroics. We'll knock you out for transport.” Kei telling people not to play the hero card was about as convincing as a friendly Sith.

“It isn’t that simple!” Elara's sister snarled, rising water again higher than ankle height. Thankfully everyone was making good time up the winding stairs, apart from our three heroes, hopefully our old lady nearby also followed suit!

The thumps below the floor gave way to a ripping and shredding of the metal. Elara’s sister might find a force stasis enveloping her body, her nervous system slowly making her faint. Slowly she might sink to floor and be caught by him, in a fireman’s carry across his arms. “Don’t know what they’ve done. We’ll fix it.” He had a promise to keep.

How much they could really fix, how much would be left behind here, or couldn’t come with them, he didn’t know. Once more acting with his heart, it’d get him killed one day. Maybe sooner than they thought. From under the floor, like rising from the ocean depths, coated in water, the first blue AI came. Its body looked a lot less friendly than when they had first encountered it, blue eyes blazing, sparks crackling along its hands. “NOBODY LEAVES ME.”

[member="Elara Wahia"]​

 

[Elara Amadis]

Sales was really tired of stubborn people, she shook her head. "Sister you under estimate what can be done. I'll not leave you to be fodder for this creature. We go together" She looked at Kei and nodded for him to do whatever it took.

The blue AI rose up. It growled and snarled as reality began to seep into its network. While it had been strong while her people were connected to it, it was using the last bursts of its energy to scare them, to make them stay.

"You're weak thing . You cannot have my people" She had her weapon of choice it would likely tickle the creature

Her sister turned looking at it Her eyes narrowed as her gaze intensified whatever connection she had she was trying to use it to hold him back. The blue hues flickered as she concentrated. "Wwwhhatt arrre youuu dooing'" it asked as the lightning unleashed snaking along the walls. The voice crackles with static it's gaze settling up in the three closest to it. The hair on Elaras arm slowly stood up, as the energy began to gather.

As the AI flickered Elara aimed for its head, letting bolts fly towards it.

It was then she began wading backwards heading for the stairs, from Kei's shoulder her sister made no sounds of protest she kept concentrating on slowing the blue hissing AI as it tried to follow.

"Anyone got a grenade?"

[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

Kei passed Elara a whole strip of them. After she’d thrown them or not, door was slammed behind her, by their other golden friend and Kei’s hammered fist upon their controls. Buying themselves much needed breather. Least he'd kept his promise to her, found one of her family.

“Zacka, that rescue coming?”

“Never fear youngun’s! Patches got our engines working smooth as a younglings...!”

Interrupting. Some good news. “How long till you dock?”

“No cause to startle you! But he ain’t dun nothin' much ‘bout our steering!”

Amadis rubbed his temples, giving Elara one of those looks and familiar furrowed forehead. Knowing exactly what the old goat was going to do, he’d have done it himself. “Alright but slow.” How many more hits to the nose could the old girl take. Never looked pretty on the best of days.

“Brace yourselves.” Calling high up their stairs, no longer worried about water around their ankles or shins, standing firm to hold her sister over his shoulder well.

Arrival of their freighter wasn’t fast or well-aimed, slowly forward nose of their craft hitting somewhere above their stairwell into a viewport, not rocking them as much as he’d feared, just sending a light or two to blink out to nothing. Shields would come up to cover sudden rushing air loss above, until their AI knew their plan.

[member="Elara Wahia"]​

 

[Elara Amadis]

Elara looked at Kei, oh he wasn't going to do that, was he? That look in Kei's eyes told her yes, once more into the fray they were going to go. She shook her head, they had gotten their teeth jarred, and a few broken bones if she remembered correctly the last time he did that.

"Really? That. Oh good grief" yes that little maneuver with the pod that time on Nar Shaddaa had rattled them all." Elara had to laugh some otherwise what would she do? "I'm jealous then I haven't been able to do that maneuver, I think next time it should be my turn"

Elara was still hoping someone would come up with something that would go BOOM, but so far no one had offered.

Before she could yell brace the station rocked from the impact, for a few moments everyone slide across the floor water sloshing up the walls, the station tilted back slightly giving them more of an incline to struggle up. The stairs were slick from the water, a few of the clan had fallen scraping their knees thankfully they could still heal slower but medical attention could wait.

The Blue AI seemed to vibrate where it stood, shimmering in and out and fighting with her sister. Elara couldn't remember at the moment if she had a name. It could wait, there would be time once they got on the ship, and got out of this sector.

She was downright tired of this being chased around by something that was made of some superficial form, that the only reason that it had so much control is that it had deviated from its original programming to become this, slave master.

Hell, she really wanted the fething grenade now. She felt around her belt she usually had one, at least one, not one, had she used it? No...she had, or must have dropped it. She began to slide on the floor, oh no that wasn't happening.

As soon as the station stopped shifting around from the impact of the ship, everyone began to move quicker, incentive that they were really leaving. Elara and Kei were bringing up the rear pushing, and he carrying the stubborn redhead. Well the other stubborn redhead.
She could hear the first of the clan and the Wild Cards making it to the next level, Zacka's voice carrying down through the gaps of metal, and the stairwell.

Elara and Kei reached the door Kei began the climb up, Elara looked at the AI she wanted to make sure it didn't give chase or interfere. She wasn't about to stay behind either she was ready for time away.

"Elara" someone called from above, "heads up" Elara stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up, she smiled, "oh thank you thank you."

Not one but two grenades were coming her way. She arched a brow at Kei, "I'm right behind you.." She looked to see what type of grenades they were. One looked like a sticky grenade, would that work on the AI, the other flash and bang. None of this would do much damage to the station it would provide enough distraction that they might get out...MIGHT.

Elara pulled the pin on the sticky and counted, she knew she had like 3 seconds..........1...................2

And toss......

[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

He too was tired of being given the run around, and looked forward to falling asleep at the ships controls, pretending he knew how to fly. “That.” Kei grimaced, braced as their station rocked around them. Replaceable hats of old men aside. The ship was never pretty to begin with, significantly less so now. “Sure you’ll get your turn for fireworks.” Amadis grinned to his love.

Not long before she did as it turned out!

“Didn’t mean now!” Slipping up their stairs and sliding around on their footing, holding on to banisters as there was another larger boom, Elara would find him putting his arms over her sister to shield as he pulled both women to him once more, any stray rubble or fragment tapping along his back armor, standing as the stubborn wall he tried to be.

Dust, spraying water covering their already soaked bodies…. RISING WATER… coming up their stairs. Water found cracks through the explosion's effects and continued its rise, sprinklers not helping.

Highest floor above them Zacka and Patches were calling, pulling bodies, men and women, children into the Ambiguous statement’s ruined nose area. The old man waving his cane to shepherd people, and patches was being the silent gentle giant as ever. "Need to strip." Another time Kei might have joked with her. Amadis decided to take the armored chest off, stripping out of it to his grey t-shirt, legs to follow leaving him in his boxers, his tags always present, he tugged them into his t-shirt. Water now up to their chest. Surely they can just run upward?

"Can you swim?" Why was he asking if they can swim then? Attaching her sisters arms around his neck, and placing the lady over his back, "Hold on."

Because every single door, hatch and everything on this deck just lost its power when the AI died, "Yes.... about that!" Their AI admitted shouting from above, not knowing what might happen when its psychotic counterpart had been silenced. Flood was once again on the way to give them their send off, and the only way out was still up, picked up by the current. If she could not swim he'd be awkwardly moving both women with him, trying not to bang their heads on the winding staircase!

"You three youngun's done playing tag?" Zacka said throwing down a rope into the rising water. Might help, Patches tied it to the staircase above, huge hands bracing to hold it.

[member="Elara Wahia"]​

 

[Elara Amadis]

"I can" Elara quickly replied to his question about swimming. She smiled though she finally had enough of the blue AI running them through hoops and circles. She still wasn't so sure that they weren't in cahoots over the treatment of her clan but so far it had kept its word about helping.

But she was heavy too heavy she peeled off the armor glad and sad to be rid of it. Yes he had her wear it to protect her but she just got to where she felt more comfortable and safe relying on her instincts not some piece of duroplastic and metal. When it's your time it's your time and no amount of armor will keep it from being your time.

"Kei we get in the staircase the water as it rises will lift us up, we just have to get to the ship before the hull breaches from the pressure" Ok maybe the sticky grenade made a few holes, but it was intended to hold the AI still not destroy.

As she looked around for it thinking it was playing a game thinking it was going to once more try to keep them from leaving, or to reclaim her sister. She didn't have time to really think about the old man, cause well if the Blue AI was here that meant the old man was gone. That made her sad.

She looked at Kei, just as Zacka called from above, "Ok maybe more than a box of hats" She smiled nudging Kei to the take rope, "can you make it, or do you need help? I can give you incentive." She grinned a good goose to the ribs, a pinch on the back side.

Elara lifted the girls head, her eyes were rolled back. Had the explosion created such pain that the girl had been affected? It looked like it. She quickly checked for a pulse, yeah it was there slow steady, she was ok it seemed.

"Get moving" she ordered. Her urgency to get them out, "Kei." She grabbed the rope, "I want to tell you something, and you need to listen" she just told him get going only to hold him back, she couldn't make up her mind or what?

Like this was the time to tell him lives on the line, water rising, old man above them once again fussing about them getting a move on, her gold fleck eyes looked at him, her flame red hair sopping wet clinging to her, the water left nothing unrevealed from scars to what she looked like without much on. Everyone was getting an eyeful. She could only smile and bear it.

"We need alone time. No Zacka, No Patches, No Jedi, NO zombies, NO murderous AI, no gang member, no slavers, just you and I."

A strong PFFT was heard from above, Zacka was listening, and began to mumble 'like what she thinks we aren't doing nothing. I could use a cation away from them"

She smiled, "time to go, get up the rope" She would push him to go first to take her sister and go first.

[member="Kei Amadis"]

 

[Kei Amadis]

Kei laughed. Loudly. She was grabbing him! Broadest grin given, he looked at all of her, everything she was. Put a hand to the back of her head and kissed her strongly, if water wasn’t now up to his chest, running down their faces he wouldn’t have let her go. As that kiss ended, everything about her, he wanted everything, body, spirit, fire, scars, instinct, clan, loyalty, love all of it “You and I.”

It killed him to go first before his mate, but he did, to get her sister up. That was how they were together, watching out for each other, one more reason to love her.

Wrapping the rope around his waist and taking firm grip, securing her sister. He didn’t tell her, just looked at her, right at her. She might know if she wasn’t following them up the next rope, or swimming, she’d be seeing a splash around as he dived back in to find her.

Hauled up, in the water came below rising and rising, they moved through the center of the staircase. Amadis made extra care not to bump her sister’s legs at the expense of a bruise or two as he went up, a banged knee and arm. Patches not going slowly, given the time they had! Reaching the top her sister was taken by family and placed aboard ship. Amadis unclipped the rope from his waist, stepping in front of the large silent giant. BOTH of them would pull Elara up when the time came. Throwing the rope down into the rising water torrents below. If she could move that fast, because waters below were only rising faster and she was right, this station wasn't going to take much more of this.

“Get us ready to leave old friend.” Zacka went to tip a none existent hat, muttered something, and moved off to the controls.

Soaked from above and below, floods pouring in. ~Elara. Hold on~ He sent through the force to the waters below, for her he'd be guiding her body, she feel strong protective energy assisting her not to be knocked by stair or rail. All of his concentration on the woman who would soon be his wife. If she needed it bubble of oxygen held in the force to breath from... all his thoughts were on getting her up, anyway he could.

[member="Elara Wahia"]​

 

[Elara Amadis]

[member="Kei Amadis"]

She could see that he was finally moving upwards, to a bit of safety all while the water gathered around her lifting her uncontrolled it was cold she didn't particularly like to the cold.

Once she knew they were safe she breathed a bit easy as usual not certain of her own circumstances but glad that Kei and her sister were safe. The water spun around her as if a giant plug had been pulled and now the swirling began not only to rise, but also to pull her down. She tilted her had back to keep her head from going under.

She saw them go over the edge above, within moments the rope was falling towards her. At that same moment she felt the warmth of his words whisper to her hold on...she nodded to him even if he couldn't see it. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the rope using her strength to hold on, and she worked to climb up, to escape the pull.

The suction pulled at her feet gasping for it's last breath with every ounce of strength to claim one more for the dieing station, for the AI that had made them miserable and sought in its own demented twistedness to kill them. It pulled hard upon her she held tightly as the water began a tug of war for the redhead.

"Kei" She whispered, cold, her strength being sucked away, "pull me up" She reached again to pull herself up.

Zacka was getting the engines on line and preparing for the hasty departure.

 

[Kei Amadis]

Force itself guiding her, he was her shield against the stairs, force bubble around his mate. Bouncing lightly off any obstacle. Both he and Patches pulled their rope, lifting her through flowing water with some strength between them. Elara came upward with a significant amount of force to see her clear! Parting waters flowing downward, and freeing her of the pull of the water sucking her down.

As she found herself pulled, his arms would place themselves around her waist and lift her to him. Detaching any rope, and taking her legs in his arms, letting her rest herself over him if needs be, though she may well object to being carried. Right now he wasn’t giving her a choice! As that water was about to sweep them off their feet! Piling into the broken ship, they cleared the bulkheads at the nose, water beginning to follow them inside! Till the shield came up, the inner door was sealed with a slam of his fist and he placed her by his side.

“Are you alright?” He checked her over, running a hand to her cheek, her hair, eyes on her face.

And so the rickety old ship, not quite first class, juddered away from the jetting water sent after it into space, no navigation it was spinning slowly but away. Hopefully someone would get the old girl back on line soon! He was too busy checking Elara’s condition, his arm noticeably still around her, he'd not even realised how tightly he was holding her, relaxing the grip. Kei would let go of course when she moved, but right now was feeling over protective of his mate. Especially below them watching their sister, his sister, soon to be. He'd just realised, she might be part of his family soon.

Their sister beside them, “how is she?” Kei asked as the medic worked. They didn’t know yet, but she was alive. That was a start.

[member="Elara Wahia"]​

 

[Elara Amadis]

If it had been anyone else other than [member="Kei Amadis"] to have come for her to have picked her up in such a manner she would have roared her fury, but now, this was the man who she knew had known from the moment of the meeting that he was destined to become her mate.

His coming for her she could accept without too much growling, she healed quickly certainly he remembered that about her, 'I'm fine" Well suited, protective, strong in their own right, assured of the other, yes they would go far together.

She looked over to see the angry girl, her sister. That was a shock to the system that was something she would have to learn to deal with.

She took one step from Kei and yet looked back at him for reassurance, the only times she might in family matters when she was uncertain. She looked her over, she couldn't remember her name if it was given. They were lifting her hair to look at the receiver, and yet her eyes were still rolled back. The pain of separation must have been too much.

She lay still nothing moved not even a twitch of a muscle but she was breathing, "We will continue to look to see if there is a way to remove the receiver."

Elara nodded, "I don't think it is wise it is so much apart of her that removing it might cause her more emotional damage. For now if you can work on just reviving her, my clan would appreciate it" Her clan. but not her parents. She let out a breath trying to release some of the emotions she felt.

They were headed back home back to Voss, and from there they would have to decide what to do, and how to do it.