karmatrik and huntress

[Huntress]

The girl stood at the edge of a dock, her dark red hair bound into a simple braid down her back. As she turned to the side, her observer realized she might not be female. The androgynous figure had a flat chest, whether from gender or from binding her breasts was unclear, and was wearing a man's uniform. She held a lightsabre in her hand and was looking up at the sky. Then, she turned and walked back to shore.

[Karma]

Several klicks away, Fal Carani switched off his macrobinoculars. This... woman? was on Dooku's personal targets-of-opportunity referendum, and though she was not high on the list, Fal had received information that she was on the same planet as he was. Walking around with her lightsaber in her hand was obviously his first tip, but he could sense her emotions even from this distance. He was an empath, the strongest currently known in the Order, but it was unusual for it to be so easy. Well, time to go see why she's on this list. Fal hopped onto his rented swoop and rode towards the city.

[Huntress]

As Tali walks through the city silently, she heads back to her temporary home base to think. It is clear she is on this mission alone, without her master.

[Karma]

Fal scanned the information he had been able to gather on Tali. The Jedi Archives, which he still had access to, noted nothing in particular. The Separatist intelligence bank had nothing. Dooku hadn't made any specific statements in his notice, only that she was to be captured or killed. Fal suspected his employer had intel that he wasn't sharing with anyone. He parked the swoop in the rental stall he had taken it from and dismounted, heading for the nearest cantina to ask some questions about this person.

[Huntress]

Tali sighed, bored, and rose off her bed. She dressed in the clothes she'd brought so she'd blend in, binding her body to appear male again. She sneaks out of her residence and into the main marketway.

[Karma]

I wonder if this is worth the trouble, Fal said, sighing mentally. Nobody knew anything, nobody had seen anything, or even heard anything. It was pretty unusual for anyone to go unnoticed in a place like this. Fal could still feel her, but not pinpoint her in the mess of uncensored emotion that was this ratty town. She was angry about something, and it was growing. He knew that within time he would be able to find her.

[Huntress]

"But i don't owe you anything!" Tali shouts at a merchant, claiming she is in debt up to her eyeballs over something stupid. "I didn't even break the damn thing!"
In her anger, she takes her lightsabre in her hand.

[Karma]

Fal stood behind the girl, watching. She had been only several dozen feet away. His head tilted in mild confusion at her outbursts. Not very composed for a Jedi Padawan... but there have been worse. Finally, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Sir, I'll cover her debts."

[Huntress]

Tali whirls around, cheeks flushed when she realizes someone has seen through her disguise. "Please don't touch me," she hisses, rolling her shoulder. He tells you the sum Tali owes; far more than is reasonable for what the situation seems to demand.

[Karma]

Fal paid the man and turned to Tali, who was glaring turbolasers at him. "I'll need you to come with me," he said, sounding innocent to all surrounding them, but the Force behind his words was felt strongly by Tali. He attempted to impress feelings of safety and warmth upon her.

[Huntress]

Tali threw off the attempts to control her mind, instead glaring and crossing her arms. "Who are you?" she asked telepathically.

[Huntress]

Tali pouts at the newcomer, trying to read his mind with the Force to see what's going on. She takes her lightsabre in hand and begins to breathe slowly, to calm herself

[Karma]

Fal's hand pulled his robe back, slowly, revealing his lightsaber still safely on its clip. "There's no need for that here," he said, raising his other hand in a peaceful open-hand gesture and impressing peace and calmness upon her mind once again. His empathic abilities could only enhance feelings that already existed, and with a maelstrom like this Tali, he couldn't quite be sure what did exist. If she really wanted to fight, he would fight - and win. But he was uncertain that he could do so without injuring her.

[Huntress]

Tali bit her lip softly, not entirely sure what to do. She tried to block out as much as possible, but felt the Force wash over her anyway. She pushed it back, incredibly angry with something mysterious which may or may not be revealed later, and shivered as she followed Fal out of the shop. Once outside, she made a run for it, charging down the street, ducking in and out of people.

[Karma]

Fal winced, annoyed. He never liked these fetching missions, they were always troublesome, and rarely worth the bother. With a sigh he Force gripped Tali's left ankle and yanked.

[Huntress]

tali screamed, falling, using her arms to cushion herself. She hobbled up and stumbled off to the side of the road and into a crowded shop. "he can't catch me..." she thought, not sure what her aversion to the stranger was. He wasn't completely atrocious looking... (correct if i'm wrong)

[Karma]

Fal twitched, detecting a slight attraction from his target. I sure do hope it's a woman, he thought, amused. With enhanced speed, he had already nearly caught up to the mildly inconvenienced Tali.

[Huntress]

Tali breathes heavily, not realizing her hair has come down and her clothes have torn a bit. She looks up to see Fal right in front of her. "What do you want?" she asks

[Karma]

"I want you to come with me," he said, annoyed. "If you run again there will be a clashing of blades." Being a Jedi, Fal was reasonably celibate. As such, he found himself enamored with his prey. She was nearly indeterminate, but with her hair down and that defiant gleam in her eyes, he could see her femininity burning brightly within her. Pledging to keep his Jedi oath, this time anyway, he offered her the chance to come with him, or face the consequences.

[Huntress]

Tali debates it within herself briefly. "Fine," she sighs. She harrumphs as she follows Fal, watching him to look for a weakness. She hobbles slightly on her wounded ankle, breathing sharply with each step. As she follows him, she tries to control her face so he doesn't see her pain.

[Karma]

"Now that I have you," Fal said slowly, "could you do me the kindness of telling me why?" As much as she was surprised by his catching her, he was confused at what her trait was that had her on the list of most-wanted. He had yet to notice anything remarkable about her, besides her crystalline eyes.

[Huntress]

"Why what?" she replies, continuing along. She winces and hisses as she trips over a rock and goes flying again.

[Karma]

Fal kneeled and turned in one smooth motion, catching Tali around her waist with his left arm. "Careful, now," he said, restraining his laughter. Through her clothing he could feel her toned muscle as their eyes locked in a test of wills. "The 'why' is that I don't know why I was sent to get you. Somebody wants you, but frankly, I can't figure out what for."

[Huntress]

Tali pushes him away. "Don't" she half-growls, half-whimpers. "I don't know either..." She tries to hobble on but finds her ankle completely unusable. "SHOOT!" she gasps in pain, feeling every single nerve light on fire. "What now?"

[Karma]

"Now," he said, standing and Force-lifting her into his strong arms, "we return to my ship." A swoop on auto-pilot whooshed to a stop in front of them. Fal set Tali down on it, and sat in front of her. "Hold on," he said. "It's rather unpleasant if you fall off one of these." He turned the throttle, and off they went.

[Huntress]

tali shivers as he holds her. "put me down" she growls, putting on her tough act. She shivers in her loose, torn clothes due to the coldness of flight. She looks away from him deliberately, not quite attracted to him but not repulsed, either. "Why me?" she asks herself softly, not really expecting an answer.

[Karma]

While on the mildly long swoop ride back to Fal's ship, he called Count Dooku on his personal frequency. Dooku appeared, in light blue as was custom for holograms, looking irritated. "Forgive me if I am short with you, Carani. Ventress has been... dissatisfactory, this day"
"Sir," Fal said curtly. "I simply wished to know if you could offer me any insight on the Jedi Tali. She was on your personal list, and I've picked her up."
Dooku slowly grinned widely. "Indeed. Her purpose will reveal itself in time, my friend. Please bring her back alive, and preferrably, in one piece."
A noise came from the background. "Stop ignoring me, Count! I am your apprentice, not that rat Jedi!"
"Silence!" Dooku roared, as the hologram cut off.
Fal frowned. Dooku was being cryptic as ever.

[Huntress]

Tali watched Fal fearfully, blinking back silent tears. She knew it was unJedi-like of her to cry in front of her kidnapper, but she couldn't help it. She was a scared teenage girl, and she was crying. She blinked and shifted, uncomfortable in her cross-dressing outfit. Her body ached to be free of the confines of another identity. She wanted to be herself again.

[Karma]

Fal resisted the urge to look back at Tali. Her emotional walls were crumbling as her situation became more apparent to her. He wanted to comfort her, but that would have to wait until he wasn't in command of a ton-heavy piece of steel. He closed down his mind a bit, so her emotions wouldn't overwhelm his focus on driving.

[Huntress]

She just wrapped her arms around herself, desperate to maintain control. Her master surely would have given her a good "talking to" if he'd been there. By the day, he became less of a friend and more of a father. She was starting to think he didn't care about her, only about impressing the council. Tali sighed, playing with her soft, red hair.

[Karma]

Fal jetted up the open cargo hold door and parked. He dismounted, helping the girl down. As her emotions got the better of her, she looked more and more like just a girl. Tapping a button, he sent the swoop on its way. "Listen," he said, quietly. "No one's going to hurt you. But if you know anything at all about why you are wanted, I can better protect you." His tone was even and earnest, and he applied no Force to them.

[Huntress]

"I have no idea what's going on" she answered, voice a hoarse whisper. she pushed her emotions back down, controlling them, and looked determinedly away from the very good-looking man carrying her.

[Karma]

Fal didn't think she was being honest, but he decided not to push it. Being in Dooku's presence was sure to shake any lies loose from this girl. His ship began takeoff procedures. "You can sit in the cockpit with me, or you can stay here in the hold. None of the systems on this ship will react to anyone but me, so don't try anything." He moved towards the cockpit, leaving her to her own devices.

[Huntress]

she shivered. "Is there a bathroom?" she asked. she bit her lip, looking nervous. "I really need one" she admitted, blushing bright red. as she focused on her need, her thoughts sprang forth, overwhelming him with thoughts like "he can't see through my shirt, can he?" and "what does he think of me?" and the like. she refused to make eye contact

[Karma]

"Right there," Fal said, smirking. The fresher on this ship was basically a closet, barely big enough for one person. "Don't worry though. I'll erase the security camera footage." He entered the cockpit, the door swishing closed behind him.

[Huntress]

She gaped after him, shocked at what he'd said. She managed to fit herself into the tiny cubicle and quickly undid the band of plexicloth (invention of mine) that held her chest down. Sighing in relief, she smiled to herself for a minute before remembering the situation she was in. She quickly did up her uniform, used the facilities for their intended purpose, and then exited after washing her hands. "Thank you" she whispered, still mistrusting him but not letting it show. She blushed, realizing he could see her form a bit better but feeling far more comfortable.

[Karma]

"You can sit there," Fal said, indicating the co-pilot's seat. "I know what I said, but, just in case... don't touch anything." Fal's eyes flicked across the readouts. "He moved again," he mumbled, referring to Dooku's location. The man never stayed in one place for long, for obvious security reasons. After flipping a few switches, the stars streaked back behind them and they entered hyperspace.

[Huntress]

Tali curled up on the seat, terrified. She tucked her head into her arm, breathing softly. she'd always hated flying. Her friends loved it, but it made her sick. As they flew, she felt her stomach tossing and turning and groaned softly.

[Karma]

Fal left the cockpit for a moment, rustling through the various medications in the fresher. When he returned, he offered a pill to Tali. "This is a metabolic stabilizer - it'll help you to bear the inertial damping." As she stared at his open palm warily, he smiled. "I understand if you don't trust me enough to take this."

[Huntress]

she shook her head and ran for the bathroom. As Tali gripped the sides of the bowl of the "creature waste receptacle", she watched all she'd eaten in the whole day return to view. The thought made her sicker. After a few more minutes, Tali stumbled back to her chair, ankle aching again.

[Karma]

Fal shrugged when she ran out and sighed when she came back in. "Your choice," he muttered. When she had calmed down a bit, he turned to her. "Tell me about yourself, Tali."

[Huntress]

"no" she answered, returning to not trusting him.

[Karma]

Fal's brow furrowed at her sudden obstinacy. He had been under the impression that she didn't mind his presence. "Very well then. My name is Fal Carani," he began. "Jedi Knight. My master was Depa Billaba. I practice the Vaapad style with a few of my own flourishes added in. I was taken at youth like most of my brother Jedi. Yoda once called me a 'destined one.'" He introduced himself, in hopes that it would help Tali loosen up.

[Huntress]

Tali shivered and nodded but said nothing. She stretched cat-style, arching her arms first backwards and then forwards. she yawned softly and asked, "is there somewhere to sleep?"

[Karma]

"There are bunks in the hold," Fal said, disappointed. The longer this girl played games, the less time Fal was going to have to avert any possibly injury to her. But, as long as she didn't trust him, he couldn't fault her for not telling him anything. I did appear unannounced, tripped her, and then carried her off like so many potatoes, he thought.

[Huntress]

Tali hobbled off to the bunks, clearly exhausted. She found the biggest one, which was not a bunk at all but indeed Fal's bed, and fell asleep. She had no idea what she had done....

[Karma]

Fal twitched, his empathy pinging from Tali entering what he considered personal space. Indeed, his powers were not limited to people, but could also to a limited extent extract extant feelings from spaces and items, as well. This power was greatly inferior to his standard empathy, of course. With her inside a space that was "his," Tali was now slightly more open to his mind. He could sense clearer her confusion, her fear, her hesitance, and... an attraction to him? How bothersome, he sighed. He wasn't unused to women falling for him. He had been graved with flowing wavy long hair, clear emerald eyes, and a strong jawline. He was slender, but not waifish. Women had tended to enjoy his presence ever since he had hit puberty. This, however, was more than a simple attraction - it was a full fledged infatuation. Well, she certainly doesn't waste time.

[Huntress]

Tali slept peacefully for the first time in ages, dreaming of faraway lands. She didn't realize it as she as sleeping, but her dream not only played out for her but for Fal as well... she dreamt she was standing at the edge of the dock, lightsabre in her hand. Instead of tucking it back into her belt and walking back to her residence, she threw it into the river. He was worth giving it all up for, and he had died. Her passion was gone... She no longer desired to be a Jedi Knight with all her heart. Feeling defeated, she dove into the water for a refreshing wash. Upon emerging from the water, she realized her uniform had become a simple dress and a man was standing on the shore. He approached her and touched her cheek softly. It was a kind gesture, she knew, but what it meant, this she did not know.

[Karma]

Fal stared blankly ahead of him. What had just happened had been horrendously unusual, especially because he knew how it had happened. Tali had dreamt of the two of them, romantically - and he, wide awake, had experienced the dream as if it were his own. He had no idea what to make of this, as few in the universe could claim a link to his mind strong enough to have an effect of that sort on him, even accounting for where she was at this moment. To his knowledge, only his Master and his old friend Tessa were capable. This was... interesting.

[Huntress]

As Tali woke several hours later, she ambled into the cockpit, still going gentle on her hurt ankle. "good morning" she murmured, not looking at him.

[Karma]

Fal looked sidelong at her, still bothered. She was younger than him by several years. Certainly beautiful, though. He set that aside for now. "We've almost arrived," he said, voice cracking for the first time in years.

[Huntress]

she nodded, barely controlling her response to everything. Overwhelmed, she burst into a fit of sobs. Curling up into a fetal position, she cried hard into her knees. Then, when she was done, she refused to look at him. He was too perfect...they were Jedi. Not even Qui-Gon and Tahl had crossed that barrier. She swallowed heavily, still a bit emotional, and just took deep breaths. "So sorry about taht" she whispered.

[Karma]

Fal sensed the general path of her thoughts and wondered if she had any idea she was dealing with a Jedi more rebellious than Qui-Gon ever was. It was soon to become no matter, however, as they pulled out of hyperspace. He glanced at the vulnerable girl once more.

[Huntress]

Tali focused on the window, feelign queasy once more. She bolted for the bathroom and unleashed whatever was left in her system, if anything. "I feel so weak" she whispered, almost collapsing into her seat.

[Karma]

Fal suddenly realized that her condition was far past what inertial damping sensitivity could do. "Computer, run a medical scan of my passenger," he said, worried.

[Huntress]

Tali shivered as it ran a check on her. She didn't want anything to be known. She trembled in the cold as she blinked, not looking at Fal. She fell into a drowsy sleep, dreaming the same dream again.

[Karma]

The computer chimed. "Scan complete. Foreign agents detected. Identity not found. Please contact Jocasta Nu, Jedi Archives, Jedi Temple, Coruscant, Main Cluster, Galactic Core to report this new agent." That was not what Fal wanted to hear. He knelt in front of her chair and placed his hand on her forehead, letting the Force flow freely between them. Healing was not his forte, but since the computer had failed, he was all that was available at the moment.

[Huntress]

Tali woke as she felt the wave of healing. "Why?" she asked softly, croaking as he wrapped a blanket around her shivering form

[Karma]

"Why?" Fal didn't understand the question. He could tell his healing was being repelled. We need a Mon Calamari healer for something like this. Dooku had nothing of the like. But, he could very well know what this is.

[Huntress]

"Why did you heal me? What's going on?" she asked softly.

[Karma]

"Something's in you," Fal said seriously. "I can't get it out. But it's killing you." He decided not to play mind games. This was deadly, whatever it was.

[Huntress]

Tali bit her lip. "Are you kidding?" she asked. She looked away, wiping a tear away.

[Karma]

Fal looked her directly in the eyes, unwavering. "If you know anything at all, tell me now. I can't help you if I don't know."

[Huntress]

she shook her head. "I don't know anything" she whispered. "I left the temple on a mission, and that's it. Clearly, I failed that." She then starts to ramble to herself, "I can't die a lowly padawan...My master will be SO disappointed...i won't have anywere else to go if i make it out alive" she begins to breathe heavily.

[Karma]

Fal cursed, swearing an oath usually reserved for Mandalorians. He prayed to the Force that Dooku wasn't behind this, but at the same time he did - that way he could fix it. Fal kept a constant Force presence over her, suppressing the invaders. But, that wouldn't hold for long.

[Huntress]

Tali looked at him. "I would tell you if I knew..." She shivers under his touch; her feet and hands are icy.

[Karma]

Fal hit the radio. "Separatist Command. This is Special Agent Zero. Keycode 'Krayt Dragon Fury.' Please accept us for landing. I will make my way in even if you don't. Over."

[Huntress]

Tali gave a small moan of pain as she shivered, despite the many layers in which she bundled herself.

[Karma]

"Copy, Zero. You are confirmed for landing." Fal's ship barreled towards the entrance, being set to "emergency automatic landing." Since this was his personal ship, it acted with a bit more emergency than a regulation ship would.

[Huntress]

As Fal carried her inside to a medical facility, Tali felt the Force sustaining her begin to fade. "Fal," she whimpered, nervous and scared. As he brought her to a doctor, various thoughts ambled around her head like how she felt about him and what could be going on. "Don't leave me here"

[Karma]

Fal took her hand unconsciously. "You have to trust me. I won't be in the room, but I won't be leaving you either. Do you understand?" He gazed into her eyes, intently.

[Huntress]

Tali shook her head. In her barely-conscious state she couldn't take in much. "Don't leave my side, Fal," she begged, starting to cry. She gripped his hand as hard as she could. "Please, I'm begging you, don't leave my side!"

[Karma]

Fal glanced at the door, back to Tali, and then at the medical droid. "Can you cure her?" he said, strongly.
"No, sir," the 2-1B replied. "This mutagen is not in our database."
"Tali. If you don't let me go, I can't make you better..."

[Huntress]

She began to cry. "Go...But come back." She couldn't say it. Those three words would not leave her lips. She would not say them first. She released his hand and watched him leave, crying softly, in more pain than she'd ever been before. She felt like she was being eaten from the inside out.

[Karma]

"DOOKU!" Fal's voice roared through the cavernous rock of the underground base.

Dooku promptly emerged from some corridor, smiling. "Yes, my favorite agent?" Ventress was behind him, and Fal could feel her fuming at the comment.

"You know I don't participate in this sort of thing. Why is she on my list?"

Dooku smiled. "Whatever do you mean, my Jedi friend?"

"Whatever's in this girl isn't natural. There's nothing remarkable about her!" His words stung him. He didn't mean that. "Why would you send me after her if not to study whatever this is, that you planted?!"

"I resent that accusation," Dooku said smoothly. "But you are correct. I sense... you've become fond of her. Very well, she is yours. We have the data we need." Dooku tossed him a vial. "Give her that. But I warn you, Carani. Challenge me so directly in front of my apprentice and she will be forced to defend my honor." Ventress growled like a chained dog.

Fal moved quickly back to the medical bay.

[Huntress]

Tali weakly lay in the bed, not even able to move by the time Fal returned. She waited for him for such a long time...She began to fall asleep, softly and slowly breathing in and out. Each breath became slower by the minute. When he finally arrived, she couldn't even see when her eyes were open.

[Karma]

Fal injected her neck with the vial, expertly getting the needle cleanly into her jugular. "If this works, it'll work fast," he whispered.

[Huntress]

Tali's eyes opened and focused on him. She smiled and sighed when he touched her cheek. "Hello," she whispered. She breathed slowly, trying not to pant with desperation for oxygen. "I'm so hungry," she sighed, looking at him. "You were gone so long, I was so scared."

[Karma]

"It was only minutes," he said, worried. "How do you feel?"

[Huntress]

"much better," she smiled. She pushed herself up to sit, just glad he was back. "What happened?"

[Karma]

"You were poisoned," he said, flatly. He saw no use in hiding it. "You were used as an experiment."

[Huntress]

"For what?" she asked, starting to tear up. She shivered, curling into a fetal position. "Why?" She looked at him, face wretched with sorrow in every pore.

[Huntress]

Tali suddenly looked up into Fal's eyes, biting her lip. she looked over his face, contemplating what a life with him could be like. Then, it clicked in her head. It was too good to be true. "you know more about this than you're letting on," she realized. "you went behind my back, didn't you? You're part of this!"

[Karma]

Fal was taken aback, even a little anger creeping into his voice. "No, Tali," he said quietly. "Dooku just told me."

[Huntress]

She recoiled immediately, stunned into hurt silence. "He has something to do with this, doesn't he?" she asked, whispering. "And you're one of his minions, aren't you?" She looked up at him tearfully, not wanting to believe it.

[Karma]

"Minion?" Fal let this word settle for a moment. "It's a little bit more complex than that. But yes, I do perform tasks for him."

[Huntress]

Tali just shook her head at him. "You let me trust you. You let me think you cared." She curled into a fetal position, facing the far wall. She shook as though crying, curling one arm around her head.

[Karma]

Fal frowned, a sick feeling settling into his stomach. He knew his attraction to her was wrong, and this only set it in stone. She was but a child, to be nurtured, not lusted after. He sat down near her. He sent his thoughts to her amidst feelings of warmth and safety. If I didn't care, you'd be dead...

[Huntress]

Tali suddenly glared at him. "I'm not a child," she snarled. "Why should I trust you?"

[Trieste]

This topic will be placed on hold; details can be found in Huntress' intro thread.