Know Your Enemy [Reboot]

[Meira]

[[OOC: This is a re-do of a thread, of the same title, that is now in the archive section of the site.]]

The brown robe, folded into a neat square, rested on a seat in the transport. It had been placed there as the ship moved from the docking bay and out into the black of space. As it made its descent to the planet below, the Jedi flexed her hands. The black crescent moons rippled as the skin moved and stretched. She placed those hands on her knees, verdant eyes staring sightlessly into the empty space in front of her. All around, armor clad men and women busied themselves with the work of checking their gear. A commander barked orders at them and occasionally glanced in her direction. She was only vaguely aware of them, preferring to pretend that none of them were there; that she wasn’t there.

The sudden jolt of the transport entering the atmosphere was a blatant reminder that she could not will away reality. She was here. They were here. There was a significant threat on Prazhi, one that overshadowed her reluctance to work with the Republic war machine. This was no skirmish or battle between two armies. The Republic was not looking to use her as an advantage over their foe. They were here because two of her own had called for assistance in subduing a Dark Jedi. This was what she was here for. She would have to work with these soldiers, like it or not, for the safety of the innocent people below.

“Ma’am” had come the commander’s voice. “General Valli.”

"General Valli."

Meira's eyes snapped into focus. The med bay was spotless. Too much white made the space too bright, in her opinion, and it took a moment for them to adjust. A corporal stood by, patiently waiting for her to acknowledge him.

"I am not a general." she said, wondering how many times she would have to repeat it. "Please, call me Meira." seeing the man's uneasiness, she amended, "Or Knight Valli."

"Yes ma'am. My apologies, Knight Valli." Visibly more comfortable, the corporal handed her a datapad. When she did not seem to understand what was before her, he continued. "Standard transfer of custody, ma'am. So that the body can be sent to the Jedi temple once we reach Coruscant."

The Kiffar night looked up from the legal jargon on the screen, temporarily confused. But the sight of the gurney moving behind the corporal, a white sheet covering the form it carried, reminded her. Quickly, she scrawled her signature onto the datapad and thrust it back into the corporal's hands and moved into the path of the gurney, forcing the droid pushing it to stop.

Hesitantly, she lifted the shroud to reveal empty vessel beneath. Once, it had been known as Untawa. Meira had not known him, but the Duros Jedi was gone. The pale, blue-grey body was nothing more than that now. It seemed peaceful; only the the round, scorched black hole under the jaw gave any clue as to the violence of his death. Meira studied the body for a moment longer until she could feel the acceptance of his death sap away the pain.

"There is no death," she whispered and then lowered the sheet, "there is the Force." She let the final tenant of the Jedi Code be her farewell to the Knight she would never know, then turned away.

Across the expanse of the med bay, kolto tanks lined one wall. Within one, floated a green twi'lek male. Meira moved toward the readout screen beside the tank. Jedi General Kearn, read the display, Cauterized saber laceration to the abdomen and chest. Internal bleeding upon arrival. Significant blood loss. Current condition: Critical. Induced coma for duration of recovery.

"General Valli, please report to Detention Block C."

Her jaw tightened, but she moved away from the kolto tank and quickly exited the med bay. It was time then. Detention Block C was a few levels down and aft on the Defender of Coronet. Meira entered into the main block, which was an open space with low security cells lining the walls. All were empty. There was only one prisoner aboard the ship, and his cell lay beyond a double set of security doors toward the back of the room. At the center of the room was a circular table, and that was where Thrast stood, waiting. Meira made her way forward, past the rows of soldiers assembled and stood opposite the table from the captain.

She had only met the Bothan briefly, when she and his soldiers had assembled to help capture Zarander. He was just a few inches shorter than herself, but what he lacked in height, he made up for with a commanding presence. She sensed a general disease from him and the other soldiers. It was not a surprise. Zarander seemed to poison the air around him. But Meira was reassured by the resolve of the Captain. He was not buckling, but was instead using his discomfort to reaffirm himself. Meira hoped his men would prove capable of doing the same.

"Knight Valli." Thrast said, nodding his head slightly to her as she took her place. Meira was thankful. He had referred to her as General at their first meeting, but had corrected himself when she asked.

"Captain Thrast." she replied, with a nod of her own.

After a moment, the Bothan called the soldiers to attention. The lights dimmed as the circular holotable flickered to life. A projection appeared above its surface; a detailed schematic of the cell block. There was the minimum security area where they now stood, a control room, and a maximum security area. That was where Zarander was being kept. Thrast pointed out the dots that were also present in the schematic; blue for soldiers, green for herself, and red for their prisoner. Fitting, Meira thought.

"Follow me please." Thrast said, pulling Meira from her musings as he turned toward the heavy security doors at the back of the room.

Meira followed, and she noted that six of the soldiers also fell into step behind them. From within the control room, the guards activated the outer doors, allowing them all to step through into the small space between the outer and inner door. It was only just large enough for the eight of them to stand somewhat uncomfortably as the outer door closed.

"These doors are designed so that only one can open at a time. Should any security breach be detected, they will both lock down until a command from the captain is given from the bridge." Thrast explained as the inner door opened.

[Dutch]

The shield was a cold, icy blue. With visibility akin to glass, only the edges of the ray shone azure. The clearer the energy, the higher grade of ray shield. Seemed the Republic had chosen the transport for moving him well. This was newer tech, top of the line. Not the usual hazy, often pink hued shields Jessoin knew he could overload with the proper surges of lightning. Given enough time and solitude to work, he could potentially discover where precisely to overcharge so he could escape. The Republic was not giving him much of either. Always were there guards, and until being placed in the cell there had been a blaster leveled at his head. He was fast, but not fast enough to avoid a point-blank shot. The only time the shield had been brought down was for one to drop a tray of food in. Even then, every blaster in the room was pointed at him then too. It remained untouched where it had fell.

Jess went over the events that had gotten him incarcerated. A simple kidnapping had been in order, the daughter of some Republic Senator Renata wanted sway over. She had told him to be as discreet as possible, to not advertise his identity. Jessoin instead had arrived fully clad in his Sith leathers, the Sith Order insignia carved visibly into the copper accents at his shoulder. It seemed the Strategic Information Service had been waiting for one of the Sith to show outside Empire territory, as hours after his arrival to Prazhi had the Blades shown. It had been a good fight, both the Duros and the Twi'lek clearly chosen for the task. And both were mortally wounded. The Duros culled quickly with a well placed stab to the neck, the Twi'lek slashed and shocked soon afterwards. Until the swarm of soldiers arrived with their accursed sonic grenades.

His vivid green eyes slid to a desk where one of the soldiers sat. Most of his leathers had been confiscated along with his lightsaber. The protective weave and leathers of his attire were piled upon the desk. He seethed, causing the Force to twist around him as his presence clawed at the others in the ship. A light hiss escaped his lips as Jessoin began to pace. Mere inches from the ray shield that blocked him from the three soldiers, his eyes burrowed into the visors of the soldiers at even intervals.

The soft fabric of his robes swooshed barely audible over his long stride. His hands were balled into fists, causing the greenish tint of his forearm skin to darken lightly. A hand idly moved up to run long fingers over where his chest was exposed, a scar that mirrored the one he had lain unto the Twi'lek. The top of his robes ran down in a 'V' to be tied at his waist with a sash of bright green. The sleeves of the robe were rolled up, tucked neatly and rolled perfectly against his biceps.

"How is it possible not one of you has anything to say? Do you even know how many of your kind I've crushed underfoot? The path I walk is littered with the very same helms perched upon you..." Jessoin's words were velvet venom, filling the room with his animosity towards them. All visibly turned their helms away from him in obvious discomfort. Again Jess fed his presence out into the Force, gently wrapping it around the tray of food at his feet. With a sudden jerk the tray flew rapidly from the floor to slam into the metal wall at his left with a massive bang!. The sound of metal on metal rang out into the no longer silent chamber.

"Look! At! Me!"

Jessoin snarled as he channeled lightning into his hands. Purple energy danced out from him, fingers of energy cracking out to the floor, walls and ceiling. Whenever his lightning touched the ray shield, the two energies squealed and sparked.

"I promise you... when I am released... I will personally tear this ship to shreds. I will peel your skin from your flesh, I will violate your women and I will savor every scream and every beg..."

[Meira]

“General Valli!”

The voice barely carried over the sound of the wind as the transport’s side doors slowly slid open. Meira stood, grabbing an overhead rail to steady herself as the transport jolted. She turned to face the commander, her typically calm features tightened in frustration. “I am not a general.” she said, each word given careful emphasis.

The commander was silent a moment, his expression hidden behind the visor of his helmet. He nodded his head. “We’re nearing the drop point.”

Just then, a static riddled voice came over the comms. ”...in pursuit! Untawa is dead. I need help now!” It was Kearn.

The sound of her own pumping blood filled her ears. The world seemed to fade around her and her limbs felt cold. She could hear the soldiers speaking around her, but their voices were the muffled hums that one might hear if underwater. It wasn’t until one of them, the commander perhaps, stepped right in front of her to speak that she came to and could focus again.

“What are your orders, ma’am?”

Just like that, her whole being seemed to restart from its momentary suspension. She called for the transport to divert to Kearn’s location and fly low, then circle back to recover Untawa’s body.

“Come as soon as you’ve recovered the body.” she shouted over the thundering air. When the commander acknowledged with a nod, she stepped from the threshold of the transport, her body suspended for a moment, and then fell to the ground below.

She did not move in perfect unison with Thrast and the soldiers as they stepped through the inner door to the high security cell area, but her softer leather boots did not echo as their did and the disconnect was not noticeable.

"and I will savor every scream and every beg..."

Meira's eyes were naturally drawn to the source of the voice that trailed off as they entered. Zarander stood, purple lightning sparking and fading around his frame, close to the ray shield wall that imprisoned him. Nearby, three more guards snapped to attention as Thrast came to a stop in the middle of the room.

There were no furnishings, spare for the few provided to the prisoner within his cell. The empty space was a dull grey, lit by recessed fixtures that gave the appearance that the light came from no particular source. Meira couldn't help but feel that the whole space was oppressive, but part of her wondered just how much of that sensation was due to Zarander's presence rather than the emptiness.

There was no denying that he was indeed having an effect on the space around him. Meira could feel the corruption that shrouded him like a thick fog, slowly seeping from him to fill up whatever space allowed it in. She could also feel the tension of the soldiers, and Thrast as well. She was distracted momentarily, wondering what it was that they felt. It was obvious that they detected something, but how clearly?

Thrast had started speaking, however, and Meira was pulled from her thoughts. He detailed to her how sets of three guards would stand guard in a rotation so that the prisoner might remain under constant surveillance, both from the control room and in person. He described the state of the art ray shield, which was grounded and kept on it's own system to prevent surges or overloads from disabling the system. He showed her the food delivery hatch system and informed her that only she would have the code for manipulating the hatch and that he would give her the code later.

"It is my request, Knight Valli, that you help in the guard and stand watch when you are able."

"Of course." she replied, tucking her hands into the sleeves of her robe and bowing her head slightly to the Captain.

Satisfied, Thrast ordered the sets of guards to change places and left with the three that had been in the room. As the doors sealed behind them, the remaining guards turned to Meira. It took a moment for her to realize that they were expecting orders from her.

"At ease." she said, pleased that only a slight hesitancy escaped in her voice. "Do not address the prisoner." The guards relaxed their forms from the attention position, but maintained their weapons at the ready.

That business done, Meira turned her eyes momentarily back to Zarander, but they lingered only for a moment as she moved to the center of the empty room. There, she lowered herself to a seated position, cross-legged on the floor. Rolling her neck and shoulders a few times, Meira concentrated on her breathing. Long, controlled breaths helped to ease the rigidity in her muscles that had formed in resistance to the prisoner's presence. She closed her eyes, revealing the unbroken line of her black band tattoo across her face and allowed her own presence to grow around her, a clear light in the haze.

[Dutch]

The twist of anger upon Jessoin's face would recede into a casual smile as the Captain and his party entered. Instantly his ever vivid green eyes would lock onto the sole Jedi. He could easily tell she was kiffar, the banded tattoos and dark hair betraying her lineage. The Sith would begin to slowly resume his pacing, eyes still locked on the Jedi. His grin would grow as he noted the Captain mentioning the Jedi's name. Though he recognized the surname 'Valli', no one of any note to him came to mind. Just some poor Knight who happened to be the only capable Jedi in the area. What with one dead and the other dying.

Still pacing, the Sith remained silent. He wondered if the girl would try to convince him to talk, to betray his Order and spill his secrets. Jess always loved when a Jedi tried to redeem him, as if some total stranger could convince him his path was wrong? When their Order were the ones to set him on said path? None had failed to disappoint so far in their lecturing, especially when they believe to be safe. Yet how safe did this little Jedi really feel? Was she assured that the big bad Sith wouldn't be able to harm her in any way? As Thrask and the majority of his group left, Jessoin stopped his pacing. With hands clasped behind his back he listened to the Jedi with a bemused smile.

"Like they'd have anything to say worth my attention..." Jessoin spoke softly with a light casual shrug. He continued to watch as the Jedi moved to the middle of the chamber. She seated herself with every bit of poise an outsider would expect from a Jedi, but in the heavy fog of the Force around them he could feel her emotions roil. Her visage showed only serenity, balanced by the inner light Jessoin could feel her kindling. It was an adorable attempt at self preservation really, by how slow and subtle she let her presence flow. His grin turned wicked as the Sith pulled the Force rapidly into himself, inhaling slowly as the dark power grew within. Followed by a harsh, hissing exhale as Jess let the gathered darkness pour forth from his presence. The Force would warp and twist around him, shadows seeming deeper within the cell. In the gloom his green eyes would leer evilly, momentarily flashing gold as his laugh echoed with glee.

"You'll have to do better than that if you wish to control this room, little flower..." The Sith crooned confidently. He resumed his pacing, letting his gaze travel from helmet to helmet as Jessoin stared down the troopers. Through the Force he could feel their fears and anxieties. Hidden behind face plates were there expressions, yet those did little for ones who could sense the Force. Which meant 'Knight Valli' felt every bit of their well chosen doubts. Jess stopped when parallel to the Jedi, and crouched down. With arms rested at his knees, he tilted his head and grinned at the girl.

"Or perhaps you like the feeling of darkness all over you... lending an ear to its sweet call... curious what it would feel like for it to push into you... is that it then, Jedi? Or are you just as weak as those that just died upon my blade..."

[Meira]

She did not need her eyes to see him, and though the ray shield kept him at bay, it did very little to enclose his presence within the force. As her senses tuned into her surroundings, she could feel his every movement as if it were her own. But as he postured and paced, she merely breathed, settling into the calm stillness of peace. She found this place withing herself quite easily, and always had. Even in the heat of battle, Meira was like a still pond. She did not try to overpower him with her own presence; that was an unnecessary battle of wills. She simply allowed herself to be in this place, occupying it and filling it with her own senses and presence. There was no one or the other in this instance. Their ethereal occupation of the room did not conform to the laws of mass and space. In this sense, one did not have to give way to the other. Even still, the Sith behaved as such, pushing and prodding, using his voice where his influence failed. Meira did not interfere with his efforts.

Instead, she turned her attention to the guards who stood nearby. Just as Zarander did, she studied the emotions that they unconsciously broadcasted. Recognizing their fears, she added her own serenity to the mix, showing their minds the choice between fear and peace and allowing them to decide. She could feel their tension easing, though never truly leaving them. She would not want that. A healthy dose of suspicion was always necessary. Let Zarander maintain their focus in that way. She would keep the balance.

When she felt the prisoner's attentions return to her, Meira brought her mind back into herself. His words came with a prodding and soft whisper of temptation in the force, but there was no real vigor behind it. Perhaps vigor wasn't the right word, however. It was clear that Zarander was intentional with his word choice and his presence within the room, but his ministrations lacked a certain finesse. Perhaps this was not his strong suit?

She opened her eyes and they at last connected with his. They were very similar, save for the brief glints of yellow that danced through his. She knew very little about Zarander. He had played a major role in a recent siege and had killed many. Apart from that, she also knew that he had once been a Jedi, or at least had been on the path to becoming one. She had not looked further into his history than that, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about what had turned him to far away from the light.

"The force flows through us all, regardless of the path we walk." she replied to his words, giving no heed to the double meaning. Then paused, giving it a second thought. "Is that what you like about it, though?" she asked, eyes steady.