Rikki Barnes aka Nomad (nomaderwhat) wrote in starnomad, @ 2015-06-13 19:37:00 |
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Everything was moving faster. As each day ticked by Rikki could feel the future looming down on her. That future was brought front and center by finding the first real and tangible link to the creation of the voxyn. Or at least that was what this would eventually become. There was no other reason for what she was finding. But Mykyr wasn't exactly a small place. She had no idea to what extent development was, who was involved, what the facility looked like. There was so much information she needed first before she could make a move. If she struck too soon with too little information all the Yuuzhan Vong would have to do would be to relocate. Then she would have nothing and the deaths would simply continue to pile up. Rikki was curled up on the couch, looking through her information on her data pad. There was no way to strike now but it would be sooner rather than later. After all her clock only had a few months left. The plan currently was that they would leave tomorrow. It had been interesting trying to figure out how to get in and out of the Falcon's bay without attracting the attention of those who were watching it. And it had been interesting too checking the entire ship for tracking devices and trying to determine if they found one what they were going to do with it. But so far it seemed that the information given to them by Rikki's informant via Lyric, had been accurate, which Jacen was really grateful for under the circumstances. It left his father's complaints about Lyric to being grumbles, rather than legitimate concerns - at least on this front. Jacen himself had stopped by the docks the morning after he'd spoken with Lyric, and talked a bit with his 'girlfriend', mentioning the need to keep quiet about just who was in the docking bay, even to other people in security uniform. She'd been sweet, honestly, and while Jacen wasn't remotely interested, there was something nice about the fact that she was even if it sounded somewhat egotistical to say so. But he'd watched Anakin get the attention of girls, even if he was completely oblivious, and it was pleasant to realize his brother wasn't the only who could catch someone's eye. And Lyric hadn't been entirely wrong about using that interest to their advantage even if Jacen wasn't entirely certain it was appropriate to do so. In conversation, she'd mentioned that there was another YT-1300 light freighter a few floors above theirs, and she could possibly spread that around if it would be helpful. And he'd responded "It might be," with a wink and a lopsided grin, and then wondered at his audacity in the implied lie that he was interested. But the next day it had been remarkably easy to slip back into the bay. And ultimately that had been Lyric's doing, because it had been Lyric that had brought the option to Jacen's attention in the first place. It left Jacen more certain that this was a good call, even if his father seemed to still be stuck in the 'resigned' phase where it came to Elix and Lyric. Right now though, Jacen Solo let himself into his Uncle & Aunt's apartment looking for Rikki. Despite the fact that the Peace Brigade had the Eastport docks under surveillance still, he felt remarkably optimistic about this particular mission. It was impossible not to when he knew that it was going to be with Lyric, in the same place for the next few weeks, or months, or however long they were away. He wasn't going to be separated from the other boy, and he wasn't going to have to worry about what was happening on Coruscant along with what was happening on the Falcon. He could focus his energies one place. Because whatever was happening on Coruscant, Rikki and his Uncle and his Aunt would likely have it covered. That didn't mean that he didn't want to say good-bye to Rikki though. And he was going to have to resist the urge to thank her for introducing him to Lyric. "Rikki here?" He asked Artoo as the droid came whirling into the main entrance area. He beeped an affirmative and rolled away with a series of whistles and beeps that were less intelligible to Jacen. His Uncle would have probably understood - somehow he always seemed to. Rikki looked up out of instinct when she heard the sound of someone else's voice in the apartment. The rarity of being alone (well outside of Artoo) left her hyper aware and maybe she should be spending a little less of her time in the undercity that the sound of someone else's voice was enough to put her on edge. But the alternative was less time to work and with time of the essence there was no way to give up those precious few hours. But when it registered as Jacen's voice her shoulders relaxed back into place. If two years ago she would have told herself that Jacen would be able to do that she would have laughed pointedly in Anakin's face for even mentioning it. Strange what a different universe and time did to personal opinions. Setting the datapad down, she got up from the couch to go meet him. She knew that he was getting ready to leave and from what she had been told Lyric and Elix were going with the Solo's. That meant fewer people for her to worry about. But with pieces just starting to form on her own mission and with few ears that she could turn to for advice, Jacen and Lyric leaving for what could be months had its own sort of irrational panic. There was no way she could pull off a mission like this by herself and Luke and the other Jedi would be on their own missions as the war barreled towards the destruction of Coruscant. For now that she managed to put on half a smile. "Hey, I was wondering if I was going to get to see you before you disappeared again." she teased gently. Jacen shook his head at her. "Really? You think I'd run off for who knows how long without coming by and saying something? You don't know me very well, clearly." Truth was that he knew she'd be fine on Coruscant, but there was that niggling reality that he wouldn't know what was happening until probably way after it happened and he had no idea when they would be in the same place again. It could be weeks or it might be months, and he was going to miss her. He ran a hand over Artoo's dome as the little droid rolled by him and he stepped into the room to take a seat on the sofa. "I guess I figured that I should give you instructions on how to stay out of trouble while I'm gone," he teased lightly. "I know they'll go completely unheeded, but you won't be able to say I haven't tried." "Well not really." Rikki smiled a little brighter. "But hey you never know. Something might have come up. It usually does." And that was true. Despite the different universe she thought Anakin would have at least said goodbye somehow before taking off to possibly die. He didn't know that Rikki knew he would be okay in the end. Instead she had simply to wait like everyone else to hear that he had done the impossible like she knew he would. That wasn't to say that she would expect the same from Jacen now it was just that they didn't know, as much of the future she did all the details were missing. She followed suit though and took her seat next to him on the couch. "As if you'd listen to the same." she teased gently. It was on the tip of his tongue for Jacen to respond that she sounded like Lyric. And she did rather sound like Lyric in that particular moment, a comparison that mostly just made Jacen smile even as he bit his tongue on the statement. There wasn't any particular reason for Jacen to say it and so far as Rikki knew he and Lyric hadn't worked together that much, and didn't even know each other that well. And for an instant he almost reversed the decision to keep quiet and considered changing that particular piece of knowledge regarding him and Lyric. Maybe not just how intimate the relationship had become, but that they had become friends, perhaps. But then it felt like it might require more explanation than he really wanted to dive into right now so he just shook his head at her. "I might, you have such little faith. If anything, the usual criticism leveled at me is that I'm too unwilling to get into trouble. It's not my fault that trouble seems to find me and force me into its embrace," he raised his eyebrows at her. "But we are leaving tomorrow, so I figured if I was going to come by, give you instructions to ignore and the like, now was the time." He shifted back into the sofa and considered her. "I guess you can take care of Aunt Mara and Uncle Luke too, since we know they tend to find trouble also. You've got your work cut out for you." "Maybe I know you better than you think." Rikki raised an eyebrow in playful mockery of his own expression. It was truer than he would ever know hopefully. But knowing that he cared enough to come and see her before he left, remembering the letters they sent back and forth, it warmed her heart. So much of her energy was spent trying to change a future that was laid out before them, missions and war and death seemed to permeate everything. And sometimes it was just nice to be reminded that there were people that cared if she came out of this. Shrugging slightly, she reached out and shoved his shoulder gently. "Watching after Skywalkers and Solos is what I'm good at, didn't you figure that out by now?" "You know I thought that for a while. But then you didn't want to kiss me," he teased. Somehow it came easily these days even though at the time the entire situation with him kissing her and her pulling back and it had been embarrassing - but right now he could grin about it. He could even be pleased with the idea of her and his younger brother assuming that it was a thing that really was happening. "What have you been working on?" He nodded to the datapad that she'd had put when he came in. Her cheeks flushed for a moment but Rikki laughed all the same. She could hardly say that things stopped surprising her, really far too many things still did. But Jacen Solo attempting to kiss her had definitely been up there on the list of things Rikki would have never expected in a million years. At least he seemed to have gotten over it, even seeming affectionate again. Which was good, another surprise was how dearly Rikki held Jacen's friendship. "I'm not a mind reader." she tilted her head, the smile coming a little easier. "Though you seemed to make out okay." She wanted to ask him about Tenel Ka, about the letters he had sent to her. Maybe it was specious but she couldn't help but think maybe they had connected earlier than they would have. It could be a good thing, they loved each other after all. If they found that sooner, before the rest of the galaxy fell apart, it could help. But she perked up, looking over at her datapad and picking it up. "I've been tracking shipments from the Peace Brigade." she flipped through the most recent bits of information she had added, shipping manifests that had been altered. "They're moving scientific equipment. They're trying to make something, I just haven't figured out what or where yet. But whatever it is, it can't be good." "I've been surviving," and with the words there was a smile that reached his eyes. there were days he still wasn't certain of what he had with Lyric and he didn't know if it would last but Lyric agreeing to come with them had boosted his hope that maybe there was more to it beyond the very enjoyable physical aspects. And only time was really likely to tell that. Time he was going to have. He couldn't ask for much more where that was concerned. But he considered Rikki's words and frowned. "Trying to make something?" "Mmm, surviving." Rikki nodded slightly, clearly believing him. True he was in a lot of danger and she didn't envy him that. But there was something different, there had to be. Jacen was more relaxed with a price on his head than when he had simply just been Jacen Solo. That didn't happen on its own. "Have you heard from Tenel Ka recently?" she asked innocently enough. "I know you were writing her." Then there was business though, which was probably more important than her own curiosity over Tenel Ka. "But yeah, they're definitely making something. Or experimenting on something. Either way no good. It looks biological though, not like a weapon. At least with what they're moving." "Um," Jacen tried to think back to the last time he had heard from Tenel Ka and realised he probably owed her a letter. He'd get on that tonight before they left but it meant the answer to the question was 'not recently'. "Probably it was before I left to find Booster," he admitted. "I should check in with her before I go. Cause I don't really know how communications will go. My parents didn't have a lot of luck contacting is much of the time." It was an odd question for Rikki to be asking but maybe not as odd as it seemed at first glance. She had met Tenel Ka after all and they had been friendly and Jacen had been writing her a bit. He wondered a little how Tenel Ka was doing. At one point he'd thought he was in love with her, now he really couldn't be sure except that she was still a friend. It had just gotten a little more complicated in the meantime. "Well, everything they do is biological really so that's not a particular surprise," Jacen pointed out. "But no idea what?" Not since before Booster? That seemed... As far as Rikki was aware Jacen hadn't been involved with someone else. Then again Anakin might not have known if he was. Because someone in his life seemed like the most likely answer for the shift in Jacen's temperament. He just seemed so much happier overall. But if it was not Tenel Ka then who was it? Maybe it was a mystery that she didn't need to solve but it was something to think about that wasn't the darkness of the future. "You probably should, so she doesn't worry." Rikki offered a small, encouraging smile. "No it's not a surprise." Rikki agreed, her smile dimming to a frown. "But they're experimenting it looks like. I'm not sure exactly what but I've been working non-stop on it. I just..." she looked at him, her eyes determined. How to explain this in a way that wasn't tipping off that yes she knew but she couldn't explain it? "You ever get that feeling that you know it's going to be something bad? I've got that feeling on this. Whatever they're doing it needs to be stopped." "I will," Jacen promised. Now that the idea had been mentioned he had every intention of following up on it. There were very good reasons why he would want Tenel Ka to know he was all right, even outside of any romantic attachment he might have harboured towards her. He tilted his head as he looked at her. Whatever it was, it definitely had her worried, and while Jacen wasn't going to jump straight to doom at the pronouncement that the Yuuzhan Vong and the Peace Brigade were working on biological experimentation, it could be something bad. And it wouldn't be the first time that Rikki had a sense about something that had turned out to be very worth paying attention to. "What types of experimenting?" "They have some shipments of animals. A few different kinds." Looking up at him, Rikki passed the manifest over to him. "You know way more about animals than I do. Even on my homeworld I wasn't all that good at them." As she handed him the datapad though Rikki watched Jacen. Anakin was on the other side of the galaxy sure but even if he wasn't there was no way that she could take him on this mission. There were so few people that Rikki actually trusted with something like this and they were going to be leaving on a space ship for who knew how long to who knew where. "Jacen. I need to ask you something." her face was set, frowning just slightly with the severity of her request. Jacen took the manifest over and started looking at the various pieces of information presented. Everything seemed to be coded. Numbers that seemed to match shipments, and he ran his fingers over the number. The shipments could be traced back by numbers, from system to system to - "Myrkr?" He frowned and went back over the manifest again, his eyes matching every number against the locations, tracing the entire thing. "Both of these shipments seem to be originating out of Myrkr. But that's in Yuuzhan Vong control right now, and there aren't - I mean, it's not the most populated planet, even before the Vong took it over." He scrolled through the manifest again and stopped when the numbers caught his eye again. This time next to what appeared to be a basic description of the crates, care of... "This can't be right. What would they be doing with Vornskrs? It's not like they're not scary enough on their own. I can't be sure, Rikki, but it's looking at size, and what they're doing with care here... Karrde has pets, but they're tame. Wild Vornskrs are another story." He pulled himself out of what he was doing to look over at Rikki, and noting the seriousness of her face he put the datapad down on his knee. "Sure. What's going on?" "I'd gotten Myrkr out of it so far." She knew the manifests by heart at this point, the numbers and letters burned into her brain from looking over them so many times. Myrkr was a big place even if it wasn't inhabited. "If they're trying to hide something for the Yuuzhan Vong though then a sparsely inhabited planet would be perfect. No one but Vong going to look and no one would think to look there even if they could." Vornskrs. So that's what the Voxyn were bred from, developed from, whatever it was that the Yuuzhan Vong were doing. And apparently they weren't the friendliest of creatures to start with which made sense if you were going to start breeding dangerous and near unstoppable jedi killing monsters. "Vornskrs. I'll have to look into those." she made a mental note to do so. If they caught it early enough the mission might be safer. "Whatever it is they're doing, I'm planning to stop it." Rikki looked up into his eyes, holding them as she spoke. "I need to stop them. But it's not something I'll be able to do alone. And it's also not something that I can probably sell Master Skywalker on." She paused for a moment, hesitating before continuing on. "I know you don't want violence. But you're one of the only people who I trust to have my back. If I need someone to watch it for me, could I count you in?" "Vornskrs are - well you can find stuff on the HoloNet, but you might talk to Uncle Luke, I know Talon Karrde had a pair, and he spent a bit of time with his base on Myrkr, back, well, when I was a baby, so it's been years ago now, but he'd be well familiar with the properties of wild ones as well. They - hunt using the Force. So they're particularly dangerous to Jedi. "And I can't be sure, because there's not any real indicators exactly, but I'm guessing these smaller crates - the other number being routed from Myrkr, are Ysalamiri which would be the natural prey of the vornskrs, and probably what they're feeding the vornskrs, assuming that's what these are," Jacen frowned and looked at the list. "Ysalamiri create bubbles in the Force - where you can't feel it at all. Mostly, none of this seems particularly good. I can't imagine they're wanting the Vornskrs for pets. Well... actually, maybe, but still." He looked over at her. "What are you planning Rikki?" All Rikki could hear was Jacen confirming her worst fears. But they were a reality that she knew was coming, one that she could be proactive in dealing with. If the voxyn were still in development a small team could be enough to completely halt production. If she managed to take out whoever was behind the project as well then there would be no starting from scratch. How many Jedi would that save outside of Anakin? Enough to maybe turn the tide of the war a little earlier? And with Anakin alive one more jedi to help fight for the light against the coming darkness. Frowning, Rikki looked Jacen right in the eyes with every bit of determination she could muster. Her eyes felt momentarily like they were on fire as she refused to let him look away. "Jacen if there was a creature that could hunt with the force, but couldn't be felt in the force, what kind of threat do you think they could be to the Jedi?" Jacen looked over and caught Rikki's eyes. He couldn't quite look away as the reality of what she was suggesting slipped into his mind. He had been half-joking about the Yuuzhan Vong wanting the Vronskrs as pets, but it didn't seem quite as funny in this context. He'd listened to Anakin's stories about what they had tried to do with Tahiri. And they hadn't succeeded in making a Jedi that believed they had been Yuuzhan Vong so this might be a different route but one with a similar conclusion. They were seeking a way to hunt and capture or kill Jedi and the Vronskrs were a possible way to that just as Tahiri had been. His mouth felt dry as he tried to come up with words for what she was suggesting but he couldn't and they sat unsettled in his chest. Until finally he said: "I helped start this hit against every Jedi. It's part of my responsibility to help finish it. I can't believe Uncle Luke would be against this, but regardless if this is what they're doing I have your back." "Jacen." Rikki lost her voice for a moment as she looked at him. There was so much that he blamed himself for and that guilt could be just as dangerous as the fear that the jedi always went on about. Guilt caused hesitation, it made people bury deep within themselves. That was already something that Jacen struggled with and to have more of the galaxy put onto his shoulders, none of that should be placed on him. Reaching out she took his hands in hers, squeezing them tight. "No, it's not your responsibility." She said simply. "But I do need your help. I can't do this alone. Master Skywalker has already given me so much leeway, but this is something that I can only take people who are willing to take the risk. I won't have anyone forced to go with me." She paused for a moment, still keeping a hold of his hands. Jacen was still trying to find himself, maybe Jacen would always be trying to find himself. But as much as he never seemed sure what Rikki knew more than anything was that this Jacen was someone she would trust with her life. Even in his darkest moments, moments where he tore apart the galaxy, he did it to protect people he loved. And right now she knew he would protect her just as she was trying to protect him from a future he would never want to face. "I need your help because I trust you more than just about anyone else in the galaxy, Jacen." Jacen had no idea why Rikki trusted him that much. He wasn't certain there was reason to trust him that much - he wasn't even certain he trusted himself that much - but she was staring at him with those eyes that suggested that she did. And something in that look had been part of the reason he'd taken the risk of kissing her. Today it was being directed towards him again, but in a different scenario and he knew more what to expect than he had before. She did trust him, they were friends, and he knew he couldn't let her down whether this was his responsibility or not - and part of him might still suspect that it was. "Ever since you've stepped into my life," Jacen turned the words he wanted to say over in his head and then he looked back at her, leaving his hands wrapped in hers. First there had been Rikki, and then Lyric, and Elix, and they were a direct result of Rikki being in his life and once again he was half-tempted to say something about Lyric, but it really wasn't the time or the place. "Ever since then, it's been different. Even with the war and everything I've been uncomfortable with as a part of that, I can honestly say you make me believe we might pull through this. And you've given me more than one thing to work towards. I've promised my parents this, but keep in touch, because if I can help you with something - especially something that might be essential to saving lives - then I'll do what I can." Rikki took a deep breath, a small bit of tension easing out of her shoulders. If she had Jacen, that meant Lyric would be around too. With the two of them and Darius she might have a chance of actually pulling this off. This might be able to save Anakin, to maybe even save Jacen, not to mention all the other Jedi who would have been hunted down by the voxyn before they would have gotten on anyone's radar. Letting go of his hands Rikki leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Jacen, pulling him tight into a hug. "You know you're one of the best friends I've ever had, right?" Rikki said quietly. "And we'll get through this. I just know we will." |