Private Zealots, Martyrs, and False Prophets

[Dev Ossian]

Galahad was fairly certain he couldn’t just waltz into the office of an Alliance Senator. Scheduling a meeting was also out of the question—a simple security scan would blow his cover—and showing up at Count Organa’s private residence would be too risky.

He wound up sending Alicio an encoded message requesting they meet in a public location on Alderaan: the Rock Cafe. I’ll be standing over by the jukebox, it read. You won’t recognize my face.

At the appointed time, Galahad could be found standing near the Wurlitzer—or rather, a Mirialan man complete with facial tattoos was standing there. When you’re on the run, a good disguise is necessary. Luckily Neutralizers of his model could alter their appearances to look completely different. All it took was a rewrite of code.

Removing anything that might allow his former comrades to track him down was a little more complicated. He tried not to make it obvious, but his eyes were constantly scanning for any signs of his inevitable pursuers.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio had been to the Rock once or twice before.

After meeting Queen Faith, he'd transferred the University of Alderaan to finish his diplomacy degree. And while he'd found his time there valuable, rarely did the then-reclusive Count do anything beyond attending his classes. He'd only stopped into the Rock Café briefly, but had overheard once the rumors surrounding the jukebox. Back then, he'd discredited them as just another college urban legend.

But now, walking into the café, he tasted the Future in the air. The tension of potential, pulling them every which way. And he was glad to have brought an actual coin.

Dressed in his dark trenchcoat, toting his cane properly, the Count picked his way around tables and booths, stopping at the jukebox, and giving the 'Mirialan' a subtle grin. He produced the coin, and offered it palm-up to the man.

"Care for a song?"

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

“I see you dressed the part of an oddball college student,” Galahad remarked as the trenchcoat-clad, cane-wielding Alicio drew near. "It's good to see you again. I hope you've been well."

"Care for a song?"

“Please.” The Chaplain gestured to the jukebox. “Perhaps our fortunes are intertwined.”

Galahad had already tried out the Wurlitzer. Several times, in fact, using a variety of different types of coin currencies. As a result, he now had a varied playlist of robot-themed songs, and no clue what his future held. Apparently it didn’t work on Force Dead androids.

“Lance is dead,” Galahad said in a low, flat voice as Alicio inserted his coin. “Mother has gone completely mad. She calls herself the Parliament now, and has made a certain chaotic evil Dark Side Cult the new official religion of House Io. I ran away, but no doubt I’m being tracked and monitored.”

He paused, glancing around the room. So many faces, and any one of them could be an agent of Io. “I don’t exactly have many trustworthy contacts outside the House," he muttered, turning back to Alicio. "You’re the only one I thought I might be able to help.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I have been," Alicio returned, nodding knowingly, not offering the placative words in return for obvious reasons. "And... there is a method to the madness of my attire. I swear."

He'd tried to be a bit more subtle in his greeting, in case the Mirialan had just been a normal collegiate. But Galahad was quick to out himself, which Alicio responded to by slotting the coin into the machine.

His mouth was immediately assaulted by the harsh tastes of the new song. Probably not a good sign.

At the realization that Lancelot was dead, Alicio paused, any semblance of good mood draining from him. He studied Galahad as he continued to heap on the bad news. After the Neutralizer was done speaking, Alicio let a beat pass as he pondered the situation. If he was the most solid contact Gal had outside of his House...

"We've only met once, Galahad. But in that time, you and Lance saved my life multiple times. Of course I'll help."

"First things first. Do you think we're in immediate danger?"

Alicio opened his mind to the Future, letting what could be flush his vision.

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

The song the Wurlitzer gave Alicio earned a grim smirk from Galahad. “I wonder if you’ll start a riot on purpose, or unintentionally,” the Chaplain mused aloud.

Thankfully, Alicio agreed to help. Galahad had little doubt he would, but he was grateful all the same. "Thank you, Your Excellency," he said.

"First things first. Do you think we're in immediate danger?"

“We’re safer here than we would be if I had met you in the privacy of your office or apartment,” Galahad replied. “But if I was followed here—which I very likely was—then we can't leave until we deal with them. So.” He raised his eyebrows. “Do you feel a void in the Force where a person with a too-symmetrical face is sitting down to eat? Or perhaps a seething cauldron of the Dark Side inside an oddly-dressed woman sipping caf?”

He was in fact describing two other patrons in the Rock whom he thought looked suspicious. What Alicio sensed would determine how bad the situation was. Galahad hoped he would find nothing amiss, of course, but if he had to choose between a Neutralizer and a Cultist... well, he wasn't sure which would be worse.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Of course, it wouldn't be as easy as simply leaving with the Ionite. There was someone else here. Someone that wouldn't hesitate to kill Gal and, by association, him. That kind of malice was hard to conceal from a Jedi, and mildly difficult to conceal from him. But he sensed... nothing.

With his suspicions in place, Alicio closed his eyes, opening his mind to the tastes of the Force. Each being, while connected, had it's own flavor in the Force. mixtures of seabreeze and burnt flowers that made up the complexity of a human being. He tasted nothing from the Chaplain, as was to be expected.

He also tasted nothing from the man with the perfect face. Also, to be expected. If the strangely dressed woman (who was likely just a rebellious daughter of some minor Alderaanian noble) had been a Brain Demon Cultist, he would've been assaulted by the taste of death the second he entered the room.

"Our man has no taste," he murmured, finding a shallow grin. "I've never fought a Neutralizer before. What should I look out for?"

He didn't turn around to look, but already his grip tightened on his cane.

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

Upon hearing Alicio’s diagnosis of their present circumstances, Galahad couldn’t help but sneak another peek. Sporting the face of a red-haired youth, he didn’t recognize the other Neutralizer on sight, but that was no surprise—he was in disguise himself, after all, why not his pursuer as well? Were he not trying to avoid detection, he could’ve learned the droid’s identity by tapping into the network that bound him and his siblings together, but that option remained closed to him.

On the other hand, most organic Neutralizers were programmed to have a feminine appearance. Masculine organics like Galahad were quite rare…

"I've never fought a Neutralizer before. What should I look out for?"

Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his circuitry, Galahad said, “It would be ill-advised for you to try and fight him, Your Excellency. But unless you brought along a bodyguard or other ally, I suppose we have no choice.

“Don’t bother trying to use your lightsaber. Conventional weaponry is your best bet—blasters, vibroblades, explosives, and so on. No direct application of the Force will work, but you can manipulate the environment around him and use it to your advantage. Keep in mind, however, that he has many, many tricks up his sleeves, and that if you do not destroy him completely, he will regenerate. So be sure to be thorough. And whatever you do, do not bifurcate him. When each half finishes regenerating, you’ll be dealing with two copies of the same Neutralizer. We don’t want that.”

The redhead was doing a splendid job of pretending not to notice them, enjoying a burger and fries. Finishing Alicio’s song, the Wurlitzer switched to another track.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“It would be ill-advised for you to try and fight him, Your Excellency. But unless you brought along a bodyguard or other ally, I suppose we have no choice."

Alicio simply turned down his lip. He'd left a message to Kai Bamarri , alerting him of his haste towards Alderaan before he left. Whether the shapeshifter had been able to follow him in time, Alicio didn't know.

But he knew he couldn't wait for the Sithspawn. Time was of the essence.

Alicio's frown strengthened severely as he was given the rundown on Neutralizers. They were designed to fight Force-wielders, after all. Of course lightsabers wouldn't work. He had precious few options to even damage a Force-nullified android.

But he did have a few.

"Alright," the Count finally said, grey eyes a hurricane. "First things first, we can't fight here. Too many innocents." His eyes flicked towards a side entrance. "Let's take this outside."

With a sudden burst of speed, Alicio pulled Galahad through the door, depositing them into a more private alleyway. And he waited, cane in hand, one step ahead of the Chaplain.

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

Galahad cast a final grim glance toward the redhead in the booth before allowing Alicio to usher him outside.

He could picture the other Neutralizer now, watching them leave, then tossing a few credits down on the table to pay for his unfinished meal. Getting out of his seat, perhaps smoothing his civilian clothes or checking to make sure his hidden weapons were secured, and heading for the door. Following them out the side entrance was too obvious; he’d go for another exit, then circle around.

“I can’t destroy him,” Galahad whispered. “My loyalty programming won’t allow it. But I have one or two tricks of my own...”

The redhead appeared at the other end of the alleyway, pausing as he spotted them waiting there. Galahad tensed, fighting the urge to run. He wouldn’t move unless Alicio went with him, because if he fled alone the other Neutralizer would not stop to ask “What did he tell you?” before dispatching the Senator. House Io couldn’t afford to take any risks, even if Galahad wasn’t divulging their secrets to an enemy head of state.

Slowly but surely, the redhead walked down the alley toward them. “Galahad?” he called out. “Is that you?”

Galahad was careful not to show any reaction, but he doubted the redhead was fooled. “Don’t come any closer,” he warned, raising his arm.

The redhead stopped, a thin smile on his lips. “You cut yourself off from the network and changed your face, but something about your walk and talk gives you away,” he said. “You recognize me?”

“Yes.” Galahad set his jaw. “Percival.” His brother. His twin. He, Lance, and Percival Io had once shared mind and body, until the Trifurcation had split them apart like a zygote dividing in the womb. Percival was the eldest, the strongest, the most broken.

“I figured you would accept Mother’s offer to get rid of your loyalty programming,” Percival went on, taking another half-step forward. “But you didn’t. Why?”

“Because I don’t trust crazy people to tell the truth,” Galahad replied. “You got rid of your programming, yet you’re still serving her. Perhaps with even more loyalty and fervor than before.”

Percival took another step forward—only to suddenly seize up, frozen in place. Galahad lowered his arm and turned to Alicio. “Thirty second lockdown. If you want to do something, make it fast. Otherwise, run!”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

It appearered the two Neutralizers knew each other.

Alicio frowned, staring at Percival as a hawk might survey it's territory, waiting for him to make a wrong move. Sure, the Force wouldn't work on the android, but Alicio's visions of the Future still betrayed his secrets, as he kept his eyes peeled on the seconds ahead.

Their foe didn't regard Alicio, and perhaps that was for the best. The more he could fly under the radar, the better. The Count wasn't overly fond of being in the line of fire of a sonic blast today. So when Percy froze, Alicio didn't hesitate.

In running the opposite direction.

"Let's go!," the Alderaanian barked, dragging Gal along as they escaped the alleyway. He'd rather not rely on his tricks. Not when facing such a powerful enemy. Not when he wasn't sure they would work.

"Ship's in the nearest spaceport!," he continued, legs pumping wildly. "Can you keep doing that?!"

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

They fled. Galahad kept pace with Alicio, still operating on the assumption that their interactions had already painted a target on the Senator’s back.

“Not likely. His systems will figure out the frequency and block me,” Galahad replied. “But at least it gives us a thirty second head start!” Assuming Percival didn’t find a way to overcome it earlier than that...

In his head Galahad mapped out the quickest route to the nearest starport—but it would be a lot faster if they weren’t on foot. “Did you come here in your own speeder?” he asked.

If Alicio didn’t have a convenient getaway vehicle, Galahad would pounce on the first parked airspeeder he could find, jamming his scomp link into the ignition and manually forcing the engine to start.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“Did you come here in your own speeder?”

"No!" Alicio was kicking himself over it now. "Didn't think we'd be attacked today!"

He would have brought more protection, ensured Kai were there, had he known force would be necessary over subtlety. Not that he was completely defenseless, but... he couldn't deny the appeal of an armed escort.

With only a moment's hesitation, Alicio jumped into the stolen speeder alongside Gal, activating the panic button on his datapad. Law enforcement would be informed of the scuffle, but they likely wouldn't arrive in time to do anything significant for a while. As they drove, the Count kept his face turned behind them, lightsaber hilt appearing in his hand.

And the Future kaleidoscoped before him.

"Gain altitude!" Alicio's eyes, alight with untold stories, glanced Galahad's way. "Are his clothes Force-dead too, or can they be manipulated?"

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

"Didn't think we'd be attacked today!"

"Perhaps you should make a habit of being better prepared."

The stolen speeder rose up into the sky. Galahad piloted recklessly, weaving in-between other vehicles in a wild dash toward the starport. It was then that the thought occurred to him—what if there were already other Neutralizers awaiting them there? He doubted Percival would have come to Alderaan alone.

There was only one surefire way to make sure he wasn't leading them into an ambush. Galahad would have to temporarily reconnect to the network—though it would cost him his secrecy. He would know where all the others were, and they would all know where he was. Not that they really had secrecy on their side anymore, now that Percival had found them...

"Are his clothes Force-dead too, or can they be manipulated?"

"They shouldn't be," Galahad replied, a bit thrown by the question. "What do you intend to do?"

As he spoke, he decided to take the plunge. Awareness of his brothers and sisters across the galaxy washed over him, clear as crystal, for only a microsecond of real-time.

There was no one waiting for them at the starport.

But Percival was right behind them, having also committed grand theft airspeeder. And it looked like his vehicle was faster than theirs.

The Future forked into two separate paths as their pursuer rapidly gained on them. In one, Percival deliberately crashed into them, resulting in a wreck that would send them plummeting to earth. In the other, Percival abandoned his vehicle and leaped onto theirs, attempting to manually seize control of it by force.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"They shouldn't be. What do you intend to do?"

"Something that probably won't work," he shot back, finding a sharp smile. "Veer off towards the outskirts! Find somewhere unpopulated!"

It would only be a matter of time until Percival caught up with them. Alicio used that time wisely, eyes closed, exploring the possible futures that befell them.

Alicio found a route he liked. And tried to navigate towards it, as best he could.

It required a bit of waiting, until Percy was just close enough to consider the conundrum; ram or jump. Alicio suddenly spun around in his seat, a holdout blaster previously concealed in his coat appearing in his hand, firing at the commercial airspeeder. One clean shot, and it could fry the repulsors.

No doubt Percival knew this, and was likely in range of leaping towards them. If he did, Alicio would reach out a clawed hand, attempting to grasp the scruff of the Neutralizer's shirt with the Force while he was midair, cutting his forward motion and forcing the droid to fall alongside his speeder.

If Percival decided to ram them, Alicio could only hope to hit the engine block before contact. If he didn't...

Hold on...?

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

Galahad did as instructed, pitching them toward the outskirts. Percival followed them, darting through hordes of other airborne vehicles to keep up.

He was getting close. Too close for comfort. What did Alicio intend to do about it?

Of all the things Galahad might have guessed, the Senator of Alderaan packing heat wasn’t the first option he would’ve considered. A shot from the holdout blaster fried the repulsors. Percival’s airspeeder coughed and sputtered, then began to drop, spiraling off into the landscape below.

Before it fell, the Neutralizer decided to make the leap from his vehicle to theirs. The Force held his shirt in place, but not Percival himself. Fabric ripped; Percival landed on the roof of the speeder with an audible thud.

“Well, you succeeded in getting his shirt off,” Galahad muttered.

A fist slammed through the driver’s window, shattering the transparisteel. Percival seized Galahad by the throat, trying to yank him out the window. Galahad clung to the controls in an effort to stay inside, jerking them to one side in the process. The speeder spun nauseatingly, losing altitude—

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Well, that didn't work.

Time for... his only other plan, at the moment.

Trusting his footwork, Alicio stood in his seat as the speeder began to pitch and wobble, lightsaber appearing in his other hand. The blue and black blade jumped to life, swinging towards Percival.

Of course, there was no need for the android to dodge, his skin being lightsaber resistant. So Percival might stay still, expecting a clueless lightsaber-wielder to be off-guard when his blade shorted

But before Introspect could kiss the skin of the Neutralizer, Alicio deactivated it mid-swing, his blaster suddenly positioned close to Percival's body. Alicio fired for center mass, more in an effort to make their enemy let go of Galahad than anything.

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

Galahad grappled with Percival, trying to push him off even as the speeder spiraled out of control. He even tried to use the control device in his arm again, but it had no effect.

He heard a lightsaber ignite and saw Alicio’s distinctive blade arcing toward them—then a blaster shot went off.

Percival jerked, a smoking hole blasted through his midsection. The artificial flesh around the wound wriggled and writhed grotesquely, already beginning the process of self-repair, but by some miracle the Count had hit a vital organ. Percival’s grip on Galahad slackened and he slumped. His eyes were open and conscious, and he still had a durasteel grip on the speeder, but he was gushing a fount of silvery blood all over the hood, which the rushing wind then splattered on what remained of the broken window.

“Keep shooting him,” Galahad said, his tone oddly calm as he regained control of the vehicle just in time to avoid slamming into a tower. "He probably has weapons better than your holdout pistol. Take them." To use on him, or at least to prevent him from using them.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio's shot seemed to deal real, unignorable damage to the android, which the Count immediately had mixed feelings about. Percival and Galahad obviously knew each other, and Alicio didn't want to hurt, or even kill, a past friend of Gal's.

So as Galahad gave his suggestion, Alicio continued to fire, his holdout blaster flashing with blue energy. All the while, he deactivated his blade, narrowed his eyes at the android's waist, and pulled forward with the Force. And he grabbed...

A large, elegant pistol.

Which Alicio quickly threw over the edge of the speeder. He'd pulled his punches when he shouldn't have before, let his morals, his emotions, get in the way of his safety one too many times. But he couldn't use a disruptor on anyone, not even an enemy.

Alicio continued to shoot at Percy, trying his best to dislodge the Neutralizer from their vehicle.

"Time to get low!," the Count shouted out, sensing a sudden need to bail.

- Galahad Io -

 

[Dev Ossian]

The result of Alicio’s continued fire was… unpleasant. The pistol, tiny as it was, packed a punch. Each shot ripped a new hole in Percival, from which more silvery blood leaked. But it was necessary to impede him. The more wounds he sustained, the more he would have to heal—and the slower he would be to catch them.

Galahad brought them in for a landing. Showing up at the starport with a frightful mess of writhing gore splayed across their hood would raise a lot of questions, so he landed a little ways outside it. Right in the middle of a park. A good place to abandon a stolen vehicle.

He got out as soon as he could, taking perhaps a second to stop and glance at Percival. His right eye had been blown out. The other stared at him with grim determination… and perhaps sadness as well.

They had been close, but they didn’t understand each other. For all his flaws, Lance was the glue which had held them together. They were incomplete without him, nothing but fraying ties to bind them.

“Leave him here,” Galahad said, turning away. “I trust you have somewhere safe to stow me, Your Excellency—”

He froze. Though he could not feel pain, he had sensors along his skin that permitted him to feel a sensation similar to touch. Those sensors told him that something had just struck him, perhaps a dart or needle of some kind which tore through his clothing with ease and embedded itself in his back, right between his shoulder blades.

Galahad whirled around, facing Percival in shock. Damage warnings began to flash across his vision. He ripped off his shirt and reached behind him, plucking the needle from rapidly necrotizing flesh.

“Alpha Red?” he said, wide-eyed with grim realization. “You are trying to kill me…”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“I trust you have somewhere safe to stow me, Your Excellency—”

Alicio saw the danger a second too late.

His blade reignited with a predatory growl, with the intention of swiping the dart out of the air, but the Count was too far away from Galahad, still recovering from a rocky landing, not expecting Percival to pose much of a threat after having been blasted full of holes.

The Count corrected for his failure, sliding like a shadow between the Androids, blade raised at a defensive angle. "Go! I'll keep him occupied." Alicio drew his blaster in his other hand. attempting to fire at Percival's legs, to keep them from fully regrowing. He wasn't the best shot, but a benefit of seeing the future was knowing just how the opponent would likely dodge.

Alicio didn't have to win. He just had to buy time.

A gambit he found himself in far too often. He would have to give it a name, one of these days.

- Galahad Io -