Leviathan, Capture

Ebon Hawk:

Enroute to Korriban

Bastila

I came aboard Ebon Hawk, almost running to the berthing area. I fell to my knees. I had to meditate, I needed to meditate. I had to understand what was going on in my mind, in her mind!

But that center of peace wasn't there. I was buffeted by her emotions, and mine as well. Bad enough that I had problems dealing with such, now her emotions also swept over me. She had such clear emotional thoughts and reactions. Not muddied like most people I had met. Each emotion and the thoughts attached to it were a single jewel in a myriad of color. I could touch each and feel it as if it were my own. In fact her emotional existence was clearer than my own.

I felt a hand on my head, and peace flowed. 'Jolee, I can't do it any longer.' I whispered. 'Help me.'

'You have to let it go then. Talk to her, break the bond.'

'I can't!' I wailed in anguish. 'What if we fail because I did?'

'What if we fail because you didn't?' He asked.

'I can't stand it! I could double think myself into oblivion!'

'Welcome to what the masters deal with all the time.' He said. 'Why do you think I stayed hidden for 20 years? I didn't want to be a master, and they didn't want me to become one.'

'It couldn't be that simple.' I retorted.

'Of course not. Nothing ever is.' He didn't bother to tell me more though.

It would be two days to Korriban. Two of the longest days of my life. Danika was feeling something I couldn't touch. She was blocking me better than I had blocked her before. She would watch me, as if she was hoping I would say something, but I stayed mute. Once this mission was over, I would do everything I could to get as far away as the Galaxy permitted.

But there were still the dreams...

I found myself in the jungle of Deralia. I could hear, no I could feel the life scuttling through the dense underbrush. I heard a noise, and walked toward it. I came to a clearing, and there were huge barrel shaped bodies with ribbon wings along the sides floating in midair as they gently sculled about the clearing.

'Those are Tirlat.' I turned and Danika was there. She motioned for me to follow, and we climbed the tree. 'She looked at me, her hand touching my cheek. 'In all our dreams, this we have never done. I feel I can show it to you now.' She gripped my hand, and as one huge body began moving below us She said, 'Now!' And we dropped together. We landed on its back and she flung the line in a practiced motion, making the weighted end spin down and around the neck. She caught the loose end as I dropped down to sit with my legs straddling her, my arms around her waist.

The ribbons stiffened into blades, and the Tirlat tried to escape. The wings came up then down in a powerful thump, and we shot forward. I clutched to her desperately at the sudden acceleration. It was strange and wonderful at the same time. I found myself leaning into her, my hands roaming across the front of her body, my head turned to lay against her back.

It was timeless, and too short. She maneuvered the beast back to the clearing, and at her call we rolled back off the broad back. We landed, me flat on my back, her kneeling above me. She had a slight sad smile on her face.

'In all the time we have spent in the bond you have never told me why you started it.'

I tensed. 'What?'

'I know you created the bond, Bastila. I think I have always known I just don't know why. There is more, but you haven't told me.' She touched my face gently. 'I want to know, but I can't help but feel that it frightens you. I won't push. When you are ready, you can tell me. I trust you with my mind, and with my life.'

'Danika, you're right. The truth is-'

I felt myself slamming into the bulkhead. There was shouting, and I could see by the chrono that it was ship-night. I threw on my robe, and ran toward the cockpit. As I turned toward the cockpit through the lounge, Danika joined me. She had a look that promised ill tidings for whoever had awakened us.

Carth was at the controls, checking the readings. 'Gravity well, big one. What-' He stared at the proximity detector alarm. 'A big ship. Canderous, can you see it?'

'An Interdictor class cruiser!' Canderous answered. 'Looks like the Leviathan.'

'Leviathan.' Carth snarled. 'Saul's flagship. They're locking on a tractor beam.' He shut down the engines. 'We're caught.'

I found myself looking at Danika. She stood there, eyes closed. 'All hands to the lounge. We have what, five minutes?'

'Try three.' Carth said.

'Then we don't have a lot of time.'

Everyone was awake, standing there with eyes wide with shock. Danika immediately took charge. 'We've been caught by the Sith. I know that Karath knows about Bastila and Carth if they run our ID. If he does, he'll also have my file as well. But the rest of you he might not know about. We have to plan how we're going to escape right now, leaving the three of us out of the equation.'

'I am very good at concealment.' Juhani said. 'If I slip off the ship after they have captured the rest of you, I can find my way to the holding cells and release you.'

'Yeah, but they have three sections of cells.' Carth pointed out. 'The Interdictor Class was designed for blockade work. You can catch a lot of prisoners when on that duty. Five cells per holding area guard posts in each section, and each with their own computer access.'

'So we need more strings for our bow.' Jolee said. 'I can sway the mind of one of them. If there's more, I'm in trouble'

'What about medical units?' Canderous asked.

'Why?'

'We Mandalore were genetically altered as young warriors. Our immune systems and adrenal glands are under our control, and we heal about five times faster than a normal human. If I were to set off a concussion grenade in the engine room, I could knock myself unconscious. They'll take me to sick bay. Hopefully I'll get one of those idiot med techs that think Mandalore are normal humans. When I wake up they'll find out otherwise.'

'I have an alternate emergency power source, so I can appear to be deactivated.' HK said. 'Most people do not know my internal workings, so they will probably take me to the repair shop for reprogramming and powering up. My systems will notify me when I get there, and I can power myself back up and deal with them. I can also dismantle T3 sufficiently that they think he is under repair. He should end up in the same repair bay.'

'As for getting out of tight spots I'm a wiz at it!' Mission said. 'All I need is to badmouth a guard enough that he puts me in a separate section and cell.'

'If they don't kill you.' Zaalbar warned.

'They won't.' Mission answered smugly. 'Little girls may get slapped around, but they aren't going to blow me away when they might have fun with me first!'

'Mission!' Danika was appalled.

'Hey, if you wanted to stop that kind of thing, you would have had to find me a week after Griff left.' Mission looked haunted. 'But I found out that when a man is thinking with that,' she pointed at her crotch, 'His brain isn't engaged.'

Danika looked to each face, then at Sasha. 'Sasha, Berani li soope.'

'Sho!' She curled her fingers into claws. 'Malpali!'

'Sho!' Danika snapped. Then she knelt holding the girl. 'Abd de koolarti. Soope. Pres Kali?'

'Ya.' She whispered. Then she ran toward the cargo bay.

'You told her to hide.' I said.

'But she is a warrior born.' Canderous said approvingly. 'Her answer was to kill them all.'

'I wish it were that easy.' Jolee said. There was a thud against the hull, and we all looked up.

'If you need something specific, get it now.' Danika ordered.

Leviathan

Action report

Members of the 4th regiment boarded the captured vessel when it was brought aboard. This was facilitated by the crew of that vessel, who opened the hatch rather than forcing us to breach it.

However everything did not go smoothly. One crewperson, a Twi-lek girl assaulted one of the troopers, soaking him in a rather vile concoction from their galley. Another, a human male, had attempted to blow up the ship's hyper drive system, but only succeeded in injuring himself.

Captured were three human males, two human females, a Twi-lek female and a wookiee male. Two droids were discovered in stages of repair. One was an astromech design, the other appears to be a standard HK model. Both disabled.

One of the women was discovered to be the Jedi Bastila. The other is listed as the companion of one Lieutenant Carth Onasi, Republic Navy. One of the men was discovered to be this Carth Onasi. These three were sent to Maximum security holding central.

The injured human male has been sent to the Prison sickbay in Central corridor. The droids to maintenance on C deck. The female Twi-lek physically assaulted Captain Omari, kneeing him in the crotch hard enough that he also went to medical. The girl has been sent to Starboard holding. The wookiee and the other human male have been sent to portside holding.

Report ends.

Admiral Saul Karath read the report, smirking. 'Well Carth, your luck has finally run out.' He looked up to the com officer. 'Send to Lord Malak, Bastila and her companions captured. Give our present coordinates. Ask for instructions.' He stood, pulling down his coat. 'I am going to see an old friend.'

Leviathan

Danika

They used full restraints on us similar to what Darth Bandon had used on Bastila. Each arm and leg was attached to a collar around our necks. As long as we did exactly what we were told, we could move. But if we deviated even the smallest amount, the restraints would lock our muscles. We were taken to the Central holding facility, and one by one were thrust into interrogation tubes. The force fields forced us to stand upright. It was like being immersed in electrified jelly. Any movement set up a reaction in the field that balanced the energy you exerted.

A man entered. He was an older man, iron gray hair cut short under his cap. He was fit, wiry. Not a fighter, but still keeping himself in trim. His uniform was bland, only a couple of decorations marred the smooth expanse of cloth.

He stopped in front of the tubes, looking at us. 'Well, Bastila. So good to finally meet you. As for you-' He glared at me, '-I'll leave your welcome to Malak.' Then he turned to Carth, ignoring us.

'Well, the years have not treated you well, old friend.'

'Saul.' Carth gritted out.

'You really should have joined me. I could have used your level head a number of times. If you will give me your parole, I can have you out of there in a moment.'

'All I want to do is rip your head off, Saul! How's that for a parole?'

'Whatever did I do to you-'

'You bombed Telos, you killed Morgana!' Carth struggled, trying to break out of the field.

Saul actually looked sad. 'Oh, you were from Telos. I had forgotten. I wouldn't have hurt your wife for the world.'

'Don't get pious with me, Saul! She was on a planet, and the planet was in your way! You would have killed your own mother in that circumstance!'

'Now Carth you know I cannot direct every weapon in a battle. If I had known-'

'Spare me the hypocrisy! My wife dead, my son being raised by the Sith! What was so important that you had to betray everything you swore an oath to protect?'

Karath's eyes grew cold. 'Do not presume that our friendship will protect you if I get angry, Carth. I was saving my own life.'

'From what?' Carth laughed. 'Did Malak and Revan come in the night and threaten you?'

'No the Republic was going to destroy my life.' Saul growled. 'Remember what it was like when the Mandalore wars started? The incompetents that we were saddled with? The ones that defended the wrong place, attacked the wrong target, and blamed us for their failures? When the Jedi took over most were shuffled into positions where they couldn't do any harm, but they lived. Those great competent men we fought alongside died and those incompetent bastards lived and moved up the fleet list.

'When the war ended, and Revan and Malak went in search of the Star Forge, there was no one to protect us any more. The Republic Senators used their power to reinstate those has-beens, and whom do you think they had to displace? Only Admiral Dodonna was safe, but she had been to school with all of them hadn't she?

'But not 'good old Saul Karath', oh no. The son of a farmer, what weight did that carry with officers that lived and breathed privilege? They couldn't fire me, they couldn't retire me, so they decided to 'promote' me. They showered me with medals, and said that after that last cruise, they were assigning me as commandant of the Academy.' He growled again, and raised his fists. 'Can you see me wiping their children's noses, and trying to dun military history and tactics into those thick skulls? Neither could they! They wanted me to retire, or live out my life as a round peg in a hole they rounded out for me!

'Me who lead a third of the fleet! Who stood just below Revan and Malak as a leader! Who had to save their butts time and time again? Me as a non-entity!' There was a glint of madness in his eyes. 'But Malak saved me. He sent a messenger to me and promised me a command as long as I lived. He admired my skill, and didn't intend to stuff me off into a wasted position.'

Carth sighed. 'So to keep from getting old, you stuffed my planet and my people, my wife into the meat grinder to prove your loyalty.'

'I am not old! I wasn't too old to teach you everything you know.'

'I know that, Saul.' Carth said sadly. 'I looked up to you. I would have died for you. And you paid me back with murder.'

They looked at each other, old and young, and I wished I could reconcile them. But there was too much pain for even a Jedi to break through. Karath shook himself, then looked at the two of us, now ignoring Carth. 'The Dark Lord has been apprised of your capture, and I have no doubt he already has tortures aplenty for all of you. But since he is not here, I will merely have to fill in. Give them a taste of their future.'

I felt something reach into me, and try to rip out every organ simultaneously. Both Carth and Bastila echoed my cry of pain. Then it was gone.

'That is merely a taste of what you will endure. I would like some information to give to the Dark Lord when he arrives, and you will give it to me.'

'Don't waste your breath asking, Saul!' Carth rasped. 'We won't tell you anything!'

'I don't expect you to, Carth. But I happen to know your friend's loyalties have proven in the past to be much more, flexible.' He nodded toward me.

'What are you talking about?'

'Dear girl, I am doing the interrogating. I will ask the questions, you will answer.' He turned, now focusing his attention on me. 'It is time to put your loyalty to the test. I doubt you would break if I tortured you personally. Your will is much too strong to give that easily. However even a hero has a soft spot. With most it is seeing their companions tortured in their stead.

'Bastila is to be left alone, but there are no such restrictions on Carth. So I ask you this. Which is more important? Carth's life and well being? Or you precious mission?

'I will begin. Every time you refuse to answer a question, Carth gets punished for it. Every time you lie, I will punish him. I may just punish him-' He held up a hand and Carth screamed in agony. '-Just because I can. Shall we begin?'

'I won't betray the Jedi. Even to save myself.' I said.

'Don't tell him anything!' Carth shouted. He spasmed as the field slammed down again.

'So brave, and so stupid. Now, where is the Jedi Academy you trained at?' I just stared at him. He sighed, raising a finger. Carth screamed, then sagged. 'I wasn't merely going to ask you questions, dear girl. I know the answer to many of them, and I use them to test you. All you did was hurt Carth unnecessarily. I know you trained on Dantooine. We have destroyed that Academy, and the Jedi there are no more. Nothing remains but smoking ruins and the charred remains of your masters.'

'No! You're lying!'

'What you believe is incidental. We destroyed that pustule of Jedi, and now all those that even know about your mission are dead. You are all that's left, and you will tell me.

'What was your mission? Why did the Jedi send you? What plan did you have to stop the Sith Armada?'

I closed my eyes, and shook my head. When I heard Carth scream again, I opened them. If someone suffers because of you, never close your eyes, or turn away. Remember and honor their sacrifice. He begged, words strung in the screaming.

As he sagged, Karath walked over almost close enough to touch except for the force field 'What kind of monster can simply listen to him being tormented? What manner of friend are you to him?'

'What manner of friend apologizes for murdering his wife then torments him?' I flared back. 'Your insane, Karath. Death will merely end your misery. Since we are going through this for your enjoyment, just stop asking, and torture us all you want.'

He raised a hand. This time the torture seemed to go on forever. Then Carth sagged in the field even though it still snapped. 'I would have expected him to pass out much sooner than that. There aren't many that can take such pain, even for brief intervals.

'However you are right. I am wasting my time. However when the Dark Lord gets here, you will find that my methods are hugs and kisses in comparison. So I will leave you with a taste of your future.'

The field ripped at me, and I screamed. My throat was raw when I finally passed out.

I found myself staring at the bulkhead, and just blinking hurt. I must have whimpered because Bastila spoke. 'Don't try to move too quickly. Admiral Karath had the guard torture you long after you passed out.'

'They tortured all of us, but they seemed to like punishing you more.'

'Saul has become some sort of perverted monster.' Carth said. I could hear the denial in his voice. It might be his enemy, but why would he have changed so drastically?

'Carth, the Dark side of the force infects everyone around a Dark Lord. Once a normal person begins that journey, there is no telling the depths they will sink to. I fear he has been lost forever.'

'There is always the chance of redemption, Bastila. Even for such as him.' I said.

She smiled sadly. 'I think you are correct in that. When you face such unbridled cruelty, it is hard to consider their redemption. I think I am still reacting to the destruction of the Academy.'

As she said it. I suddenly felt that loss. It was as if I had lost a tooth, and only as my tongue rolled across the gap could I sense it.

'I would like to believe that Admiral Karath was lying to us, but I could feel it when his words brought my attention to it. We should have felt such a great loss through the force. I fear the Dark side has grown so strong that they were able to hide it from us. I can only hope some of them survived. Vrook, Vandar, Dorak, Zhar. Some of them must have survived.'

'None of that matters if we can't get out of here!' Carth said.

'Where is Karath now?'

'He mentioned that Lord Malak is on his way here. I think Saul went to prepare for Malak's arrival. He probably won't bother to mention how his interrogation failed.'

'It was fortunate you were able to resist his interrogation, Danika. Even the smallest amount of information could be vital.'

I hate to admit it, but there was a time there where I wished you would tell him everything.' Carth said.

'What I did didn't matter. He was going to torture us anyway.' I said.

'I've known him for years. You are probably right. The entire interrogation was a sham. He just wanted a reason to torture us. To torture you, before Malak arrived.'

'Bastila, what were you going to tell me in the dream.'

'We don't have time for that now, Danika.'

'Saul seems to think he knows me. So did Darth Bandon. What is going on?'

'Danika, once we are back aboard the ship, I will answer all your questions.' She stiffened. Do you feel that?'

I had sensed it to. As if a great predator had opened it's eyes, and was watching us. Then I felt it moving toward us fast. 'Malak is coming.'

'Then we had better hope someone's plan works.' Carth said.

The Crew that wishes to remain nameless

Juhani

I walked softly, safe within my stealth field. The others were taken, and I went with them until we reached the elevator. There the guards split them up. Danika Carth and Bastila went first to the Central bay along with the litter carrying Canderous. The droids were sent to maintenance on C deck below them. Mission was taken to starboard holding then Jolee and Zaalbar were taken to Portside. Each required a separate trip for the elevator. A security measure that closed off direct lines of attack. I considered which to follow. I decided to go down and find the droids first, then work my way up and forward to gather Danika, Carth and Canderous. When we reached the elevator, I could then go down to either port or starboard for the others.

However a Stealth field stops you from opening doors if someone is there, and the passageway I was in was busy. I stood against a bulkhead, watching both ways for a gap. A guard in uniform came to the elevator, and hit the button. I stepped in, and stood against the bulkhead away from him. He pushed the button for C deck, and I stepped away from my hide to stand behind him. The door opened on an empty passageway, and he died as I walked past him. I ran down the passageway, checking each door as I passed. There!