Beyond the white light.

[Gaiaverse]

@Arclight @The Kyzer @Diva Tumi

The Pit, Bellum.

Beyond the white buildings of Vardook, shining in the moonlight as if waiting to be painted, was a large-brutalist-building. It was built like a fortress, armed like one too, with several towers holding at least one anti-aircraft gun, three at most. It was the Pit, a lifeless grey prison that held the most dangerous criminals the Ragon knew (and cared about). It was gigantic, five hundred and fifty five feet tall and three hundred fifty feet wide, and visitors would find themselves easily lost in it's vast labyrinth of halls and cells if not for the expert guide of it's guards.

It had four landing bays, hanging over a small canyon west of the city (and the Pit itself overlooked the entire canyon, one could see it's two endings from the upper floor). Three, Paratum (High-Security), Maratum (Medium-Security) and Laratum (Low-Security) were meant for prisoner transfer. The fourth, Vartum (Executive), was used by high-ranking officials and visitors. The two Sith "emissaries" (that the Goth's had invited as a 'gift' for the long-lived alliance between Bellum and the Sith Brotherhood) landed there and were escorted to Paratum by the Lord-Enforcer himself and his honor guard.

The Lord-Enforcer, who named was Laralos and held himself in a military fashion, did have worthwhile conversations with the Sith, only telling them what they needed to know-The prisoners name, the basics of her history and too not cause any trouble. He took the two Sith (he did not care on whether they are actually Sith or a member of the Sacred Band) through a scenic view of the prison. They passed through the large garden-were low security prisoners past the time over armed guard.

By the time they arrived to the Paratum landing bay, one could see a DRV-12 making a landing approach. Laralos barked some orders to his guards in Dar'vas (an ugly language, each word sounding like it was drowning in saliva) causing the guards to begin setting up positions. When ship finally landed and opened it's door, the guards would let the bounty hunter come out and grab her prisoner. A Jedi named Emilgotha.

The third in line for the Imperial throne by blood.

 

[Diva]

Bitter. Bracing. Rich.

The Chandrillan Coffee warmed Diva's throat, and the litte spark of energy it granted was felt instantly in her fingers, toes, and brain. The slight sprinkle of gliterstim she added certianly helped, though only to take the edge off the jitters. Diva rarely drank coffee. Today was a very special day. A day for new things.

The Matador was very delicate in it's approach to the Paratum, gracefully handled by the lady herslf to arouse no added suspicion. Diva was a stranger here; most of the galaxy would have been. Bellum was a devious sort of place, and made no attempt to hide it. It's decor was excessively defensive, but with the challenge to approach ever present, eager for the chance to test it's armor. Like a child with a shiny new guttripper carbine.

The journey had been swift, direct, and uneventful, giving Diva plenty of time to collect herself. She was not only fully armed, but polished. Her best foot forward as Guildmaster was something she had long since let lapse with the republic, but these clients were...more rare, and tended to appreciate a little pomp and circumstance as she understood. The meant of course that in addition to her full armor, she carried her heavy pistols on each thigh, one light uner her left shoulder, and her own guttripper slung from its strap under her right. Vibroblades tucked in her back, a bandoleer of knives like medals across her chest, and a motley assortment of two supernova, and even two ion grenades. Locked safely away in her room were her now two lightsaber, one very unhappy to be sharring a drawer with the other; and Davik Whiskers. Her visor was sealed and glistening, Hud already activiated and displaying as much data on the environment as it could without hindering her vision. Diva looked good. She looked lethal.

For all her agitation with Emil, it was finally time to admit the girl had some backbone. Once she woke up, the girl had been nothing but and ideal prisoner, and had managed to make Diva chuckle once during a brief exchange. Diva was far from sentimental about life, but in this instance she was glad the woman had allowed herself to be taken alive.

With her prisoner in the lead, the hunteress began to descend the Matador's boarding ramp even before it had hissed it's way fully open. She meat the arrival party with calculated confidence, and a cool and easy gait. Not cocky, just capable; not frivalous, but all business. She nodded her respects to the appropriate figure heads and her contact the Lord-Enforcer Laralos. Then finally with a respectful half bow she acknowledged the recievers: The Sith.

Diva had no particular animocity for the Sith, but immediately she could sense the dogmatic difference between them and the jedi she now prodded along at the end of a heavy blaster. She was new to the force still, and both sides in contrast was startling. Once greeted she extended her right hand, which in a loose grip held the trigger switch to the stun cuffs and anklets Emil wore, the cerimonially appropriate geasture for the exchange of a bounty. At her her her datapad was cued up and ready to recieve the data chip that would transfer the appropriae credits. Deep in the ship was Diva's one fail safe: a nervous CADDY unit plugged into the Matador's defenses, ready to open the hatch obove the loading ramp and cold drop a seismic charge at Diva's command. There was no reason yet to anticipate it's use, but Diva would be damned to aproach this world without an escape plan.

The speakers on her helmet were already dialed up slightly to carry her maliciously intoned voice over the ominous winds.

I, Guildmaster Diva of the Bounty Hunters guild, present, with pleasure, Emilgotha the lost to the agreed upon reciever's for her house.


@Arclight @The Kyzer @Gaiaverse

 

[The Kyzer]

The enigmatic noblewoman known as La Contessa Rafaella Tempesta was, to put it clearly, already tired of this useless planet and its petty political squabbles. She was absolutely sure that if Illgoth were somehow still alive, he'd probably find all of this interfamily squabbling irritating too. He may have been an irritating fool, but he did have a few redeeming qualities.

House Goth, from what Rafaella had seen, had gone from one of the Great Houses of the Old Empire to a bunch of idiots who wanted to play gods on their little useless planet that had more in common with a sandbox than a real asset to the Brotherhood. This Lord Enforcer was at least polite in his ignorance. It was dangerous to tell a member of the Brotherhood to not cause trouble in a threatening manner. Their little jaunt through the prison was a not-so-subtle hint to Rafaella that any "law"-breaking would result in her confinement here. Why else would one take such a mind-bendingly boring stroll through the complex?

Dressed in an older fashion, the Sith countess was sure to draw more than a passing glance from many who saw her. What many didn't realize unless they took a closer look was that the fancy frills and exagerated puffy sleeves concealed armored plates capable of resisting a couple blaster shots. The leggings were rather tight yet flexible for movement while some clear plates were visible along the calves, knees, and thighs that were similar to the upper body's armor. Her large and rather ancient lightsaber hung on her right hip while her two paired sabers were hidden beneath the folds of her blouse along her lower back. A large sonic pistol rested in its older on her upper left thigh. Needless to say, this wasn't her usual attire, but she usually wasn't armed and ready for battle. It never hurt to be prepared.

With that in mind, Rafaella took another glance at her compatriot, Kalii Wren. While the veritably ancient woman was glad for the company, she wasn't entirely sure just how much company she really had. Still, the Supreme Leader had verified the girl's abilities and that was good enough for Rafaella. Plus she was sure that the rather rude Warlord was glad to have some eyes on the countess. Oh well, that creature was a problem that would be rectified sooner than later.

The countess saw the bounty hunter exit the starship and give her and Kalii a little semi-formal half bow. Well, one couldn't exactly count on bounty hunters having much in the way of manners, but Rafaella couldn't really call her rude either. Rafaella nodded to Kalii to take the device from the bounty hunter as she spoke.


"We, the representatives of the Brotherhood and our ally House Goth, do officially receive the prisoner. My associate will now take possession of the prisoner and give unto you the reward bringing the blood traitor home.

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

Kalii Wren trailed La Contessa Raffaella Tempesta throughout the facility. She found the tour of the prison to be dreadfully boring, and somewhat jarring to the senses. The silent anguish of desperate prisoner's echoed off of her consciousness, and she wasn't sure whether she found them soothing or agitating. Things were so confusing as of late, and sometimes she found it simpler to just follow orders. Today her order's were clear. Receive he bounty for House Goth and pay the hunter. Keep an La Contessa safe. And keep an eye on her. It seemed the Warlord of the Sacred Band did not trust the woman, for reasons unknown to Kalii. She was just happy that her headache wasn't present.

So she followed the woman, keeping an eye on there surroundings as well as on the noble Sith. Kalii was heavily armed and armored. She wore her usual CCT armor, though its dark blue paint job was beginning to get worn from neglect, showing grey durasteel underneath. Armed to the teeth with her usual gear, she was ready for anything. Not that she would likely have to use her weapons. As far as she was concerned the job should be a blue milk run. Watch La Contessa, pay the bounty hunter, receive the prisoner and move onto the next job. While she might have been concerned about the ruling house of the planet, who was allied with the Sith but not of them, they appeared to be no threat. Preferring their wealth and the near worshipful servitude of their serfs, it appeared that the House of Goth had fallen far.

...Someone approaches...

And of course the headache was back, accompanied by the tickling sensation that someone approached. Someone with the force. It could only be the Jedi. Eyeing the bounty hunter as she exited her ship, the prisoner shuffling, cuffed and unarmed in the lead. The last time she had received prisoners from a bounty hunter, she had been a Jedi, and the bounty hunter Talia Al'saif had brought Sith and Sacred Band prisoners to the Peacekeeper. Strange how the situation had flipped on their head. The duo came to a halt in front of Kalii and La Contessa, and Kalii took the stun cuff trigger idly, placing a data chip that contained the code for credit transfer into the bounty hunter's now empty hand. "Your credits." She stated, a bored tone leaking through her helmets vocabulator.

...Jedi scum...

Anger surged through her as she examined the shackled Jedi before her, and on impulse she fingered the trigger that would send a surge of electricity through the stun cuffs. The cuffs crackled as energy poured from them into the prisoner. Releasing her finger from the trigger, she was dumbfounded as the energy continued to surge. Holding the activator up, she pressed the trigger a few more times, trying to deactivate the stun cuffs. To no luck. It appeared the trigger mechanism had broken from overuse, and was now stuck on the on position. She regarded the prisoner, who was not twitching and seizing on the ground, as if considering what to do about the situation.

 

[Gaiaverse]

It had been a long time since Emil had been on Bellum. It was still as beautiful and pretentious as Emil remembered when her mother brought her for family dinners and socialization. It seemed they had added more anti-aircraft guns since her last time here. If someone had to admire the Ragon for one thing it was their simple minded efficieny and readiness to corrects one mistakes. Atleast when it involved ensuring victory.

Laralos eyed the bounty hunter, two members of his honor guard following closely behind Kalii on her flanks. Emil said nothing during his exchange. She was well-rested and fed, but just glared at the group in front of her, humming silently to ease her nerves. She was calm, prepared, letting the force calm her and ease her mind. Pretty much everyone here either hated her or didn't care, through that was what she expected.

Kali's demented tinkering with the stun cuffs trigger caused her to let out a small whimper as she fell unconscious from the endless surge of electricity, writhing on floor as if in a seizure. The guard on Kalii's right silently asked her to hand him the device with his hand, ticketing with it until the surge stopped. Nodding, he hummed something into his comma while handing the back to Kalii.

The other guard crouched down, manipulating Emil's limp body into the recovery position. He then checked her pulse and opened one her eyelids, flashing a light into it before giving the okay symbol with his hand. He also patted her down for any contraband

The guard then heaved Emil over his shoulder, the other one unslung his carbine and followed him as they walked toward Laralos.

"Take her to Chamber 5B. " He said in a cold, efficient tone. One had to admire the swift, efficient way they went about it. The guards did not need to be told their tasks, they simply let instinct and training take over.

Laralos coughed into his hand, watching a as the guards took Emil away. Tapping his foot, he scanned the horizon, awaiting for the transaction to be finished before taking the Sith to their...work.

 

[Diva]

Without hesitation, she palmed the data chip and slid it into the datapad on her hip. It was times like this her helmet served her well, as it would be uncooth to show that mile wide smile she always got, as her HUD displayed 85,000cr drop into her encrypted private account. She couldn't keep the grin out of her voice though, even through the mechanical filter..

Pleasure doing business....

Diva was already backing up into the Matador when Emil hit the ground yet again, frothing and writhing. Again, her vocal filter did little to hide her mirth and turned her laughter into a wicked crackling cackle.

Guess they don't make em like they used to.


Lovely time that she was having, Diva wasn't about to wear out her welcome, and a good exit was just as important as the enterance. The boarding ramp immedeately began to rise behind her, and she made a short trip of the walk to her cockpit. Engines still warm, she eased the matador ever so gently off the crowded landing pad, and hit the sky like a bat out of hell once she cleared the planet's defenses. The stereo blared, and she tore herself free us her armor, full speed ahead to Coruscant. She had a party to attend.

 

[The Kyzer]

"We're done here. Let's go have a chat with our new friend, Kalii...or whoever you feel like being right now."

The countess turned to Laralos and nodded slightly before following the unconscious Jedi's body to the interrogation room. It was plain enough. There was a "medical" examination table that could be lifted upright, a pair of short metal chairs, and a small table. The girl was put on the examination table and strapped down tightly. She was still limp at this point so it wasn't all that difficult for the guards to ensure her captivity. The Sith woman then sat down in one of the chairs and smoothed out the nonexistant ruffles in her pants.

"Ms. Wren, if you could wake our guest with your usual gentille manner, we could possibly get started."

The Sith then looked to Laralos one more time.

"You aren't going to want to be here for this next part."

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

Kalii tilted her head quizzically at La Contessa. What did she mean by whoever she meant to be. Shrugging the question off in her mind, she almost raised her blaster to shoot the guard who went to retrieve the Jedi. Shaking her head at the lack of discipline, she suppressed the urge and simply followed La Contessa into the prison and to the interrogation room. Watching with mild disinterest as the guards tied the Jedi prisoner down. Disinterest that turned to growing annoyance as her headache once again flaired, the bright lights of the interrogation room growing even brighter.

...Jediiiiii...

Usual manner. What was that? Looking to the captive Jedi, Kalii noticed a ring on her left hand. A gold band with a sparkling diamond. A cruel smile curled the corner of her mouth under her helmet as she stepped forward. Behind her Laralos seemed to stutter for a moment before hurriedly turning to exit the room as Kalii ignited her left hand saber, the short icy blue blade hissing to life in her hand.

...Hurt Jediiiii...

The light of her saber seemed to pulse in her mind as the headache faded, a bright halo surrounding it as she moved it forward slowly. The blade hovered next to the sparkling diamond of the ring, wavering slightly and bumping the diamond. Sparks flew as the carbon stone began to sizzle and melt. The gold band of the ring began to glow red with heat, and would begin the painful process of fusing with the skin beneath it.

 

[Gaiaverse]

The bright, orange, lights beaming into eyes force Emil to come too, her eyes irritated and her mind groggy. It took only moments to put the pieces together on were she was...and what was to come. The Sith seemed to be wasting time in starting their interrogation and torture, as Emil began to feel the golden band of her ring tighten on her skin, a warm heat emitting from Kalii's blade. At first the pain was bearable, nothing compared to the first time she was here nor....watching her parents die.

But it soon became harder to bare. Count to ten exhale....count to ten inhale was how Emil was taught to withstand pain, to not scream and kick, but it's comfort was tested by the feeling of her skin fusing with her golden band.

Gritting her teeth, the pained grunts and cries spewing from her mouth became longer and louder. The two guards that secure her looked at the scene for a moment, before walking to the end of the room at attention, awaiting orders and listening to the cries from the Emils lips. Emil looked to Rafaella, wincing.

"W-well? Get on..." She began to say, stopping to let out a pained grunt, "...with it."

 

[The Kyzer]

"Silly Kalii, you gotta ask her a question first."

Rafaella clasped her hands together in front of her as she prepared her proposal.

"Alright then, Jedi, here's how this is going to go: I'm going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer them. If you lie or fail to answer, my associate, Ms. Wren, will get unpleasant. That rather permanent new ring of yours should be proof enough of the seriousness of your situation."

Rafaella stood up and stretched with a heavy sigh. She rather detested such methods, but there weren't any better options in this situation.

"Well let's start with something simple. Where are the Jedi Temples?"

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

A flicker of annoyance crossed Kalii's mind. Was she supposed to provide the incentive or ask the questions. This became clear when La Contessa explained the rules to the captive. Supressing a strange shiver of glee that didnt feel as if it were her own, she moved as La Cotessa elaborated.

Drawing a wickedly sharp combat blade, she swiftly cut through Emil's pants and boots, not being too careful with her handiwork. Emil would quite likely feel a few licks of the durasteel blade as it passed over her now bare flesh. Turning to the captive Jedi as La Contessa asked her first question, Kalii once again smirked wickedly. She already knew the answer to La Contessa's question, having once been a jedi herself. A twisted part of her hoped the Jedi would lie.

 

[Gaiaverse]

Either Rafaella didn't realize that her compatriot was a former Jedi or was trying to catch Emil in a trap. Through Emil had never talked nor really saw Kalii much, she did know her name, all the fallen Jedi name's were known and such information tends to spread quickly. Presumably Kalii and her 'friends' had already told the Sith about the location of the Jedi temples, as any defector would. Emil could hear Kalii cutting the fabric of her boots and fabric of her pants. The former Jedi wasn't exactly careful, cutting into Emil's skin a few time. Several small red cuts were now sprawled on her legs, through none of them were major.

Raising an eyebrow as Raf continued on with her question. "I'm sure your friend here can answer that." She tilted her head towards Kalii to point at her.

 

[The Kyzer]

The Sith woman let out a long and heavy sigh as she shook her head slightly. She had hoped the Jedi had at least the sense to recognize the futility of her continued resistance, but this one seemed to be a bit more nerf-headed that most.

That was too bad. Rafaella did not enjoy the hard way of these things at all.

"Very well. Ms. Wren, the answer?"

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

...YESSSSSS....

The Jedi's smartass answer under the threat of torture cause the evil smirk on Kalii's face to grow into a grin. The Jedi had given her exactly what she wanted. It seemed La Contessa was less than pleased.

"The answer. Oh that's too easy. I want to hear the Jedi sell out her comrades."

She turned back to the half nude Jedi on the table. Lit saber still in hand, she extended the bottom three fingers of her gloved hand and ran them down the Jedi's calf and foot before coming to a stop, hovering the tip of the blade bare inches away from the bottom of her left foot.

"Let's play a game Jedi," sneering emphasis on the word Jedi. "Every second you don't tell me a temple location, my blade inches closer. And... I will know when you lie."

With the rules in place, Kalii began to slowly move the blade of her saber towards the Jedi's foot. What happened next was in the Jedi's hands.

 

[Gaiaverse]

She wasn't going to win this, no matter all the tricks she pulled and ways she spun her lies, she wasn't going to win. Kalii knew all the answers, knew what was a lie or exaggeration. Sighing, Emil looked quizzically at Kalii's hand moving down her bare calf before ending at her foot. The vrãu of a lightsaber gliding through the air guided Emil's eyes to Kalii's trump card. If Emil didn't answer or lied, Kalii would simply stab her lightsaber into her foot and leave her with a prosthetic foot for the rest of her life.

Trying to play the heroic hero that never breaks under torture and holds on until rescued by their cunning allies was pointless, at least for this question. Closing her eyes, she let out a loud sigh. The heat from the former Jedi red blade was beginning to singed her foot before she finally spoke.

"Illum and Lothal." She said after swallowing, her tone making it clear she wasn't happy about the circumstances.

 

[The Kyzer]

"Now was that really so difficult?"

Kalii's methods were rather effective, it seemed, at getting this child to talk. That was both helpful and disheartening. How would Order be attained in a galaxy where young fools like this were given lightsabers, some half-hearted training in the Force, and told to save the Republic, the very institution that had ushered in the lawless disorder that plagued them all? Resorting to such base methods was far too time-consuming and had a rather nasty effect of creating the crazed Sith who'd she had seen slaughter orphanages with glee.

Oh well, there was time enough to figure all of this out. If there was anything Rafaella had learned over the course of her life, it was that she always had time.

"What is the name of that Jedi insurrectionist...the Jedi Lord, I think you call him? That's a rather Sith-ish name to give a Jedi. Don't you find that odd, Ms. Wren?"

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

Kalii had begun to slowly move the saber forward, and the plasma blades tip had been scant centimeters away from tickling the bottom of the Jedi's foot when the woman swallowed her pride and revealed to La Contessa the locations of the Jedi temples. With an inward sigh, she withdrew the blade a few centimeters, and the Jedi would feel the blades blistering heat lessen against her foot. She felt a burning rage inside her, that didn't feel as if it were hers. She wanted to hurt the Jedi. Not because it would help them gain information. But because it would feel good.

Holding her breath, Kalii awaited the response to La Contessa's next question.

 

[Gaiaverse]

The heat still tickled Emil's foot as she listened to the new question. The Sith didn't know who the Jedi Lord was? Interesting, she could lie and reasonably expect the Sith to take it as the truth, as Kalii was long gone by the time Sikhar take his place. Lying was one of Emil's many skills and one she was quiet experience in using. Hiding her lie behind an aura of panic, anger and images that supported her lie-That Marcus was the new Jedi Lord and not Sikhar, she spoke.

"Marcus Mor" She said, her voice and expression certain but still unhappy about the circumstances.

 

[The Kyzer]

It wasn't often that Rafaella felt a real emotional reaction. Normally she had to summon up the feelings required to control the Dark Side of the Force as it had stopped just coming naturally to her several centuries ago. Age had this nasty effect of dulling any emotions one might had. It was only through some strong emotional ties that the countess could truly feel certain things.

One of those things, however, was rage. The pure stupidity of Youth was one old hate that could bring up that old feeling. Did the girl think herself clever? A young girl with an established disposition towards useless rebellion answering her with anger on the first try? No. There was no defeat here. Rafaella truly didn't know if the girl was actually lying or not, but there was an easy way of finding out.

"Ms. Wren?"

@Arclight

 

[Arcangel]

Kalii could feel the anger and panic radiating off of the Jedi as she spoke. Anger flickered over her own face under her helmet as the Jedi uttered the name of Marcus Mor.

...LIESSSSSS...

Marcus Mor couldn't be the Jedi lord. When she had left the Jedi, he had been gone, off on a secret mission of some sort. He had been gone for a long time.

The scent of burning flesh filled the air as Kalii's lightsaber pierced the Jedi's bare foot. The foot was clamped down, and Emil would be unable to move away. Every second Emil stuck to her lie, Kalii's blade would move several inches up her leg, burning plasma replacing bone inside the Jedi's leg. If she waited too long to talk, she would soon find the bone inside her leg replace up to the knee by a lightsaber, the hilt pressed up against the bottom of her foot. Assuming she didnt pass out from pain.