station72 | [hatch log] the stealth ship's running out of fuel

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[hatch log] the stealth ship's running out of fuel

CHARACTERS: All
WHERE: The Station + Concordia
WHEN: DAY :29 - :30
SUMMARY: A new brood hatches; two new hosts arrive in Concordia.
WARNINGS: Will update as necessary.

YOU WAKE UP. Something is different - something unnamable, but palpable. You aren't the same person you were the last time you were aware of yourself.

You might not know it right away, though. What you do know: you're in a just slightly claustrophobic compartment. A gentle white light diffuses from the top panel. You're wearing the clothes you remember from wherever you came from. You feel... good - regardless of what condition you might have been in before you came to this place. Whatever injuries you might have had, whatever agony you may have been experiencing, whatever fear dogged your heels, they’re all gone. It’s quiet. Lastly, there’s a faint pinch at the base of your skull. Reach back to it and there's a small cable connected to the base of your neck and running back into the rear wall of the compartment. Disconnect it. Then it’s not so quiet anymore. Wherever here is, you aren't alone. You can feel that in your head: something big taking up space.

Welcome to Station 72, Mara and Murphy. All new hosts will have one day aboard the Station before being whisked off to Concordia to join the others. Get to know one another, ask the guardians of the Station - Prince and Cathaway - any burning questions you might have, explore Station 72. At the end of the day, a slick stealth shuttle will arrive in the hangar to take you to Concordia.

The pilot of the craft of a young man who buzzes across the fresh mental connection. It's loud enough to be irritating; he apologizes for it a few times during the trip through the pieces of the multiverse, as the ship pops into existence over the planet, and descends into the bustling inner city of Concordia in the dark hours of the morning on DAY 30. Nirad lands the stealth craft in a garden district; once you've disembarked, the ship reverts to an autopilot sequence and lifts off of it's own accord.

From there, it's just a short tram ride to the Bearings Apartment block building. The hosts, Nirad explains, have rented out Level 13. There are still some empty rooms there if you want one (you probably want one). That said-- if you don't want to go to Bearings and meet your new ~~family~~ ~~comrades in arms~~ ...friends...?

No one's stopping you. But some of them might come looking.

((OOC Notes: This is a mini-hatch log for Mara Jade and John Murphy; on-Station prompts should be closed to either one another or Station NPCs, but Concordia prompts may be open to everyone.

If you have questions about the mission specifically, direct them to the most recent calendar post HERE. You can find a more detailed overview of the hatching process HERE; you might also want to take a glance at the MISSION CONCORDIA BRIEFING. For all other questions, please hit up either the FAQ or MOD CONTACT pages.))

NAVIGATION • SETTING • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

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[For Mara's part, she's analyzing the situation as rapidly as possible. Was that fondness in the girl's eyes, or distraction? Mara tries to reach out with the Force, but the mental binding strangles her control, sending out a twang of frustrated confusion.]

[So Mara refocuses on the present. Her outward appearance is likewise cool, though it would be easy to see the truth through their apparent bond.]

And I'm Mara, for what it's worth. [Apparently nothing, as they'll all soon be lobotomized for the greater good.] Have you that sort of thing before?

[ Frankly, so much of what she has done here in Concordia has been utterly novel to her, so she inquires with sincerity, ]

Which sort of thing?

[Mara cocks her head to the side, thinking. A ploy or a genuine question? If it were Mara in that chair, it would be a ploy.]

[Well, it would be if they were enemies. They're all in the same boat, aren't they? Captured by some grand consortium of symbioses, forced to do their bidding? It's a naieve hope, Mara knows, but she'd like it if they were all on the same side.]

[So she explains it slowly, not just because the inherent authority gives her a sense of purpose.] Where I'm from, it's called espionage. Pretending to be someone else. An important person.

[ It is the first time anyone has put that word to it: espionage. She knows its literal meaning, but she pulls from the Hive's consensus to flesh out the ideas associated to it. This does not always work for her, at times the ideas can be so far from her basic grasp of the world that she needs more: more time, more explanation.

Functionally, she is a very well-read peasant girl. She has no education, and a very limited and specific set of experiences. Though, now that she is a member of the Hive... she flourishes; at her own pace, of course. ]

I see.

[ First she responds that she understands what she is being asked, but then she takes a moment to mull it over. The way Mara has put the question... Pretending to be someone important. It stings her, stirs something inside of her that is heavy and impenetrably dark, like a shadow that lurks at her back, whispering low melodic into her ear.

Dreus's voice is often one of the first touches of her mind that new Hosts see in her. ]

Yes, this is the first time. I was... my Godking's favored, in my world. There are things which are similar. The envy, the expectations, the very careful curation of my words.

[ There is so much more which is wildly different, but she tries not to inflict those memories on others. She begins to carefully pool her hair over one shoulder, running her fingers through it. ]

This is almost easier. The less I say the more intrigued they become, and if I sing for them they seem to lose all disbelief.

[ A desire to believe, especially when she pays them personal attention. ]

Edited 2016-08-27 16:39 (UTC)

[Mara feels that shadow, but barely notices it. She spent over twenty years waiting for dark whisper to give her instruction. Subconsciously, she files it away for later, and focuses on the present. No one would be pleased if she let herself be distracted from her mission.]

[More importantly, Mara's own mood is turning with interest. Her own sour mood has been nurtured by a lack of purpose, a lack of prestige, a lack of feeling any sense of meaning or usefulness. She's trapped here, and that suits no one. Yet, instructing another on something she'd been trained in since she was a child, that gives a distracting sense of prestige and use. It isn't much, but she'll take it for now.]

Then you're a natural. Most people train for years to be able to manage what you've done. [She raises a brow, cocking her head to the side.] Think of it like an iceberg. People always assume there's more underneath.

[That's only how icebergs work to the chronically paranoid.]

[ A little touch of both surprise and interest touches Ilde's face, she looks up from where she had been distracting herself with her hair. ]

Yes, one of the younger boys from Earth was explaining this to me. My world was... quite barren. [ The image she lets be shared is a still-frame, very simple, a long stretch of wasteland that burns on the horizon, a sky filled with ash. ] All of this is very new to me.

But you are practiced at this, we could use your help. One has already died.

[Mara sees the barren wasteland Ilde provides, and starts with the shock of it. On instinct, she reacts as she always has when another Force user touches her mind. Expectantly, she awaits instruction, thinking of-]

[No. No, not now. She recenter herself with some effort. This mental connection isn't like the Force at all, and it takes a moment for her to become accustomed.] A desert planet. [What is it with desert planets these days. But that does explain the reference to a 'godking'. Wastelands always have some petty tyrant at the center of it.]

It was my sole profession since I was a child. [Best keep that vague.] Is anyone else... involved in this?

[Wait, she feels like she forgot something.] And I'm sorry for your loss. [That's what she's supposed to say, right?]

[ She stares at Mara silently for a moment, intrigued. She doesn't understand the reaction, and wonders what causes it, but isn't going to ask. There is no cause to pry, it will all come in time. ]

It was not always a desert.

[ But that is not precisely the topic of their conversation, so she continues smoothly, ]

There are five broods. [ A small tilt of her head, frowning. She is feeling out the shape of the Nest, she has relationships to all of the other broods, has general sense of each. Mara fits in none. ] Six, with you. We are all tasked to this.

[ And finally, of Mara's condolence... she says nothing. Death is not so very interesting to Ilde, even when it is one of her own broodmates. ]

[Mara is annoyed to realize her pause and confusion were caught so obviously. The Emperor will not be pleased when he's so near-]

[This is ridiculous, why is she reacting like he's here? Something's reminding her of his presence, but she can't put her finger on it. She continues to ignore the uncomfortable urge to serve, focusing again on the mission at hand.]

I meant, is anyone else involved in your cover. Saffron's backstory.

My broodmates have worked around it. We try to keep in pairs, so they have found excuses to be known to me.

[ They try to keep in pairs because Ilde and Kylo Ren have been known to kill people in cold blood. The others like to keep an eye on them, just in case. ]

I take Sam with me to the Subspace as my manager, Steven acts as coordination when it is wished for me to perform in a public venue. The tabloids speculate that I am in a relationship with Ren.

[ The latter is the easiest to find in the news: just prior to the Gaming Parlor bombing she had been under his arm at the edge of the ring. Apparently the people of Concordia found this interesting. ]

[Now that she's noticed the disturbance, this cloying pressure in her mind, she can't stop noticing it. How did she live with this for years? Where is it coming from? Frustration and worry clouds her mind, gnawing uncontrolled through the link she shares with every member of the Nest. The only outward sign is the way her hands have balled slightly into fists.]

It's a clever move. You sound safe enough- what have you been able to gather? Information or contacts?

[ A small nod. Ilde is not such a conscious observer as Mara is, she reacts to things in a more subconscious and instinctual way, and the other woman's mounting discomfort is almost a vibration in the air, certainly a sensation within the psychic landscape they all share. She answers carefully first, ]

I have a group of admirers, mainly young people from the Subspace. They enjoy my attention and introduce me to those they find important within the Underground. There is a female hacker, particularly, that I think may speak to me if I am able to win her over.

[ But then Ilde inquires, ]

Have you spent much time at the Bearings, and met the others? Your brood?

[ The thought occurs to her that Mara might be the only member of her brood right now. ]

You should focus on that. [The female hacker.]

[At the mention of her brood, Mara shakes her head, sneering. Finally, a place to focus all of this pent up anger and anxiety.] That's hardly relevant. More importantly...

[She focuses again, and the sense of familiarity floods over her once more. It must be the Force. She's confused because of this other, ridiculous connection in her mind.] Something is here. Stay calm. [She takes a breath, and begins focusing once more. Where is it coming from?]

[ She does as she's told, but... A little pinch appears between her brows. She watches Mara with concern, and after just enough silence that she feels nothing is going to happen she interrupts, ]

You should. You should be amongst the others.

No. [She says, simply and firmly, as though that solves the matter definitively.]

[So Mara clears her mind, and focuses on the sense of darkness emanating from... somewhere nearby. She knows it's nearby. What is it?] Do you feel it? Wait- [She focuses on the feeling of darkness in the Force, in her mind, and tries to send it to Ilde.]

[Darkness and service, the pressure of judgement, the knowledge that failure is loss of safety, loss of prestige and power and worth, voice, words commanding and enigmatic-] No. [Her voice is cold.] Ignore that. Nevermind.

[ Ilde inhales sharply, her eyes widening. She knows that voice. It rips into the empty place where Anakin Skywalker no longer resides in her brood -- He is dead now, he is gone, and his death is like a puncture wound in her throat. The darkness, the Force. She knows those things as well, she is tied even more deeply to Kylo Ren.

And the reason for those ties? Dreus. Palpatine. Snoke. These mighty figures with their dark pressure, their mind control, warping the young with their whispers.

Ilde stares at Mara deeply with her big blue eyes, and rather than obey the command to ignore that, she instead opens up. She lets everything that is similar about what Mara is showing her resonate. ]

( Mara. )

[ Her presence in the mental link comes with a faint perfume, both pretty and floral as well as smokey, decaying. ]

( You are not the only one. )

[Mara recoils physically, leaning back in her chair, and she tries to put a stopper on the mental link as well, but she doesn't have the training. All her instincts are for the Force, but the Force isn't like the Nest, and the wires keep crossing and strangling her in the process.]

[So try as she might to avoid any sense of sameness with these people, any sense of comfort in captivity, the flood of memory washes over her. The suggestion of sameness rankles, and skepticism meets Ilde's suggestion in the middle.]

( What are you trying to pull? ) [Was this her angle all along? It was a trap after all, wasn't it?]

[ Ilde offers her hand rather than presuming to touch, she can see enough of Mara's personality to expect it will be rejected, but she will try all the same. However, she knows some find the physical touch grounding when the inner world is overwhelming. ]

( Mara. )

[ Her name echoes in the space between them, an entreaty filled with sincerity. ]

( Please. )

[ Please feel where all these edges overlap. The worth and purpose dictated by a terrifying man with a terrible charisma, something which wormed past rationality and incapacitated resistance. The pain and emptiness when that despot and his decrees are lost.

Who am I, without it...

The loss of control. The longing for the power to take it back. The paranoia and anxiety that prickles under the surface of that insecurity.

Ilde knows all of this, and from her there are ties to others within the Hive who are bonded together over these pains. This incompleteness. This shadow. ]

( Hear me. )

[ It is very clear in this moment that Ilde has so much more experience with the symbiote's telepathy, she wields it with such grace. ]

[The emotions come flooding back with a crippling weight. The agony of the Emperor's death, the weariness of escaping Imperial prison, the knowledge that she was nothing to anyone, all of it floods back, rising in her throat like bile. She's overcome this. She's not back there-]

[No. She isn't. When she was there, the girl wasn't. As Mara feels the telepathy swarming around her with more cogency, she begins to form an image beside the bitterness and the paranoia. Somehow, this girl has stitched herself into the center of those feelings, that past, the screaming of a dying star.]

[Mara doesn't understand it intellectually, she's still too new at this and too inherently stubborn to innately take to the vulnerability of this act. But on an emotional level, something changes. There's a possibility of... something. She isn't sure what, doesn't know what it's called, but she's sure if she doesn't open herself to it, she'll never figure out what it is.]

( I hear you. ) [In her mind, the Emperor's voice echoes, hear me, Mara Jade...] ( What do you want? )

Edited (im a professional rp) 2016-08-27 19:44 (UTC)

[ Such an inflexible question. It almost makes Ilde smile, but she is focused inward, her expression does not change, there is merely a faint sense of warmth where their thoughts touch. An emotion from beneath her usual carefully curated chill. ]

( You do not have to be alone. )

( Stop telling me what to be! ) [It would be thunderous, full of rage, but the sense of warmth coming through the connection stops her. The anger is still there, but it's contained, controlled in her mind.]

[It reflects, echoing through her mind because of that similarity, that bridge between them. Mara can't tell if it's synthetic or true, but it's there. She frowns, reaching for her temple, and straightens in her chair. When had she become so hunched over.]

[She looks to Ilde with a hard expression. Her voice is strained and rough.] Tell me. No metaphors or pretty words. Tell me what you mean.

[ This reminds her so much of when she had attempted to greet Rey. So demanding. So determined for a tidy answer... ]

I do not intend to be cryptic. Part of our existence now defies words. It will all come with time, and being among those who understand what you are experiencing will help you as you learn.

[Mara narrows her eyes.] Very esoteric. You should give fortunes.

[Her anger simmers, though, rather than a full roaring boil. She brushes a stray strand of hair from her brow.] Whether or not I'm alone is not your concern.

It is.

[ She rejects that notion, immediately and without hesitation. ]

You are part of our whole.

[At that, Mara groans and puts her head in her hand. She looks up at Ilde from between her fingers.] Don't tell me you already bought what they're selling.

[She'd gotten a powerful sense from the girl, something like intelligence.]

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