From Nee1@worldnet.att.net Sat Feb 8 13:57:26 2003 Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2002 14:34:53 -0500 From: Renee Gunn To: FoE Subject: FoE Role-Play: Face the music (pt. 1) [ The following text is in the "Windows-1252" character set. ] [ Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set. ] [ Some characters may be displayed incorrectly. ] Face the Music (pt. 1) by Renee Gunn, Jilly Harris, Dora Furlong and Rob Smith occ note: This takes place about one week before the household is disbanded. Blaze watched her prey from high in a tree, hiding in the shadows. She observed her prey^Òs movement, biding her time, awaiting her attack. Blaze grins sensing her prey relaxed and quickly dives from her tree, aiming for her prey^Òs back. Kaehlyiah finishes her conditioning exercise. She stops for a moment to contemplate when she senses impending danger. She turns and dodges, rolling across the ground and landing on her feet, immediately on the defensive, allowing her fingers to morph into their talon state, her nails lengthening and sharpening. Blaze smiles, landing and pulling her dragon like wings in and around her. She walks around, stalking her prey, circling, testing. Blaze smiles and throws a small fireball at her. Kaehlyiah easily dodges the fire. She does not yet make any attempts to attack, like Blaze watching, gauging and waiting for the right moment. Blaze eases her wings out, allowing her to hover over the ground. She senses that her task will be easier if she uses her flight abilities, giving her that much of an advantage over her prey. She quickly rolls to the side, avoiding a large branch. Kaehlyiah watches as Blaze dodges the branch that she has TK^Òd towards her. Kaehlyiah is careful to keep her attacker in focus. She allows her mind to wander, knowing that assistance is nearby. She finds Darana and Shade and allows them to sense the danger that she is under. Blaze senses this and tries to use her own skills to invade her mind. Instantly she is shut out as Kaehlyiah brings a shield down preventing her from entering, but allowing others in. Blaze smiles. She likes a challenge and this particular one will give it to her. Darana observes the match silently from a distance. Shade has already moved to the left side of the conflict, awaiting orders to interfere should he need to. Blaze is unaware of her observers as she circles Kaehlyiah in the air, searching for an opportunity to cause damage. She bares her teeth and dives quickly in not able to strike, but throwing her opponent off. She moves out of distance to protect herself and circles again. Shade reaches out, trying to read what he can of Kaehlyiah^Òs attacker. He is struck with an image of mental pain that can only ease if she is successful in her mission to kill. //Master// Shade reaches out to Darana. //I think she is being controlled. I^Òll try to trace.// //This is not of her own desire?// Darana focuses her attention on Blaze. She patiently awaits Shade^Òs results. Blaze is reading her opponent. Without warning she makes a final dive. As her opponent dodges, Blaze turns quickly in the air and lashes out. At last she is successful and catches the front of her shoulder, dragging her claws across her back. Kaehlyiah lets out a scream that is filled with pain and anger. She blindly reaches out Tking whatever she can find at Blaze. Blaze hisses loudly as the object strikes her shoulder, knocking her off balance. She lands, pulling her wings into a resting position and slowly walks towards her prey. Shade locates the source of the control coming from a ship on the outskirts of the planet^Òs atmosphere. //I have located the source of the control Master. Shall I attend to him Master?// //Yes, with swiftness.// Shade moves to their shuttle, cloaking his force presence before taking off. Darana moves forward towards the fight. //Enough of this.// Darana makes a motion towards Blaze. Blaze screeches in anger as she finds herself held in place by an invisible force field of some sort. She looks at the new woman who has entered the fray and done this to her. The woman glances at Kaehlyiah and then turns to Blaze. Kaehlyiah gathers herself as she would in meditations and rises, ignoring the pain. She turns to face Blaze. ~~ Shade approaches the ship directly aft, easily maneuvering through its sensors. The ship is unaware of his presence and takes no defensive stance. There are several life forces sensed on board, one being a force user. ~~ Darana watches Blaze, trying to understand how she is being controlled. She senses the force dampening. Blaze hisses at the two women now observing her. She struggles slightly, but is unable to do much good. Kaehlyiah walks over, //Can I kill her?// //No.// Darana replies quickly. //She is not the one in control here^Å there is another.// ~~ Shade quickly dons an eva suit and exits the shuttle. He flies to an airlock and cycles it open. As he enters the airlock he looks about the ship. One guard is moving towards him as he reaches out to sound an alarm. Shade quickly enters his mind. //You will shoot your boss.// The guard blinks and then turns moving away from Shade and into a hallway. ~~ //Remove the collar from her.// Darana orders Kaehlyiah. Blaze tenses as Kaehlyiah approaches her. She watches as Kaehlyiah slips her fingers under the collar. She lashes through it with her nails and backs up handing it to Darana. As the collar is removed, she feels the mental pain that she has been experiencing ease and it causes her body to immediately relax. ^ÓWho are you?^Ô Darana asks watching Blaze. Blaze looks at her confused by their intentions. ^ÓBlaze.^Ô ^ÓAnd why are you here Blaze?^Ô ^ÓTo kill.^Ô Blaze can sense the anger in Kaehlyiah but she does not feel danger due to Darana^Òs calm. ~~ Shade moves down ship^Òs corridor, undetected. The only one who would have a chance to detect him is trying to reestablish his link with Blaze. Slowly he becomes aware that there is an unwanted presence on his ship. He immediately sends his four remaining guards to attack as he attempts to get to his escape pod. Shade has removed his suit and has turned on his saber. He quickly races for the man slicing and dicing all who try to prevent him from his goal. As he passes a control panel he quickly locks the clamps on the pod, overriding the system. He reaches the pod swiftly. The man in the pod panics, as he cannot override the controls and free the pod. He opens it and jumps out trying to find another escape route. He turns facing Shade and pulls his blaster. ~~ Kaehlyiah wants to strike against Blaze, but knows that she cannot. She will not disobey Darana. Darana studies the collar. She sees that it acts as a control, dampening the force of the wearer and increasing the abilities of the controller, often causing pain to the wearer. Cautiously Darana removes the TK on Blaze. Blaze looks in surprise at the woman, feeling herself freed from the force field that held her. She will not willingly attack them unless provoked since they have freed her. She stands in a defensive position in case she must. ^ÓAnswer me truthfully. How did you come into this situation?^Ô ^ÓI was born. I escaped and I was attacked. I remember pain, then darkness, and then more pain. That was around my neck. I could not remove it and I was forced to do as I was told or there would be more pain.^Ô Kaehlyiah watches in a defensive position, ready to defend herself and Darana should Blaze attack. ^ÓWhere were you born?^Ô She studies Blaze^Òs features. ^ÓIn a lab.^Ô Kaehlyiah looks at Darana. //She seems young.// //Yes, she does.// ~~ Shade easily, but carefully blocks the bolts from the blaster. He moves closer and closer. As the man reaches up to fire again, Shade pulls the blaster from his hand with TK. ^ÓDo you hear that noise coming up behind you? That^Òs your last guard coming to kill you, at my order. I truly think you want to surrender. NOW!^Ô The man^Òs eyes widen and he raises his hands in surrender. He still seeks an opportunity to escape, but he is not successful in locating one. Shade uncloaks his force presence and allows the man to feel his rage at attacking even a junior member of the House. ^ÓGive. Me. A. Reason.^Ô The man trembles as the reality of his error in taking this bounty hits him full force. Shade reaches out with his mind and forces the remaining guard asleep. ~~ ^ÓBlaze, you will accompany us. We mean you no harm, however if you attack we will defend ourselves. Do you understand this?^Ô Blaze looks at her unsure as to why she should. She accepts Darana^Òs word for the mere fact that she has freed her and not yet attempted to control her. ^ÓYes.^Ô Darana indicates for Blaze to precede them back down the path leading to where their transport is. Kaehlyiah can sense the rage in Blaze, but puts it aside to focus on her present duty. Blaze can also feel the rage from the others, not understating the reason behind it. As Blaze moves forward, Darana falls in step along side Kaehlyiah. She briefly touches Shade^Òs mind to see how it is going. Shade carries the man to a cell once he is bound and gagged. He tosses him into the cell and dampens it. //Shade, meet us on the Topaz.// //I have him Master. Understood.// ~~ Darana opens the transport and indicates for Blaze to enter. She hesitantly does so. She watches as Kaehlyiah settles. She is trying to understand the loyalty and concern she senses, being something she has never experienced. She allows Darana to settle her, aware of her watchful eye. Darana guides the transport up to the Topaz. Once upon the Topaz guards meet them. Darana turns to meet them. ^ÓYou will escort this one,^Ô she looks at Blaze, ^ÓTo guest quarters.^Ô Darana can sense the uncertainty of the young woman. ^ÓWe will speak later Blaze.^Ô Not knowing if her words will relieve the girl^Òs apprehension. Blaze nods and allows herself to be taken. Darana observes them as the guards walk her down the hall then turns to Kaehlyiah, ^ÓLet^Òs go meet the coward behind this attempt.^Ô ~~