Jedi Council Forums - Scarlet Shadows - NJO AU, Anakin/Tahiri, Jacen/Danni/TenelKa, Jaina/Jag/Kyp/Zekk, Luke/Mara/Callista

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Author	Topic: Scarlet Shadows - NJO AU, Anakin/Tahiri, Jacen/Danni/TenelKa, Jaina/Jag/Kyp/Zekk, Luke/Mara/Callista
KazieSolo Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 5/25/03 11:58pm Subject: Scarlet Shadows - NJO AU, Anakin/Tahiri, Jacen/Danni/TenelKa, Jaina/Jag/Kyp/Zekk, Luke/Mara/Callista - Date Edited: 11/13/04 10:35pm (2 edits total) Edited By: KazieSolo
	Hi all! My friend recommended that I post my fanfic here, so I took her advice, and here I am. Unfortunately, I'm still a bit hesitant, so I'm going to post the summary and a teaser first before I actually post the whole thing. If you like it, then I will post the next chapters. So please let me know. ^__^ Also, I haven't decided who to have Jaina go with, as I haven't decided on what pairing I should support as well. The three guys (Kyp, Jag and Zekk) who are paired with her, however, will have moments with her, I just don't know who to pick as of the moment. Help? SUMMARY: Tahiri Veila, Danni Quee and a girl who might be the Solos' missing daughter, Jaina, are assassins in a woman-persecuting world, rising from the shadows under the tutelage of a certain Arica Jade. Their ultimate targets: the Solo brothers, Jacen and Anakin. TEASER: "Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one… one hundred!" Rolling over to lie on the soft patch of green grass that decorated the back lawn of the establishment popularly known as Feu de Joie, Tahiri Veila inhaled deeply and successively, trying to regain the air she had lost during her attempt to strengthen her body through various exercises. She had just completed a hundred push-ups; the next thing she was going to complete was her fifty rounds of jogging and twenty-five rounds of running around the area. Blond, willowy and undeniably attractive, she was one of the most sought-out courtesans in the nightclub, especially among the younger members of the elite society. Her popularity, however, was not only brought about by her beauty, but most especially because of her wit and charm. Only fifteen, she was already wise beyond her years, and she knew how to deal with sticky situations that most fifteen-year-olds would not be able to handle. She stood up, having recovered from the tiring exercise that she submitted herself into just a few minutes back, and prepared herself for the next round of her training that scorching afternoon. Barefooted like she always was --- for that was how she wanted to go about --- she sprinted around the grassy turf slowly but steadily, moving around it fifty times, as she intended to do. Taking only a short break from that exhausting activity, she began the faster twenty-five-lap exercise until she was clearly out of breath. "Wow, Tahiri. I could never pull that off like you could." Fanning herself with the use of her face towel, she turned around to face one of her two closest friends, Danni Quee, who looked like her adult counterpart with her long curly blond hair and emerald eyes that always seemed to be asking questions. All sorts of questions. Tahiri didn’t blame her, of course. The twenty-three year old was a gifted young woman, with an impressively high intellect and level of curiousity that rarely accompanied dames as beautiful as she was. "If you weren’t as sickly as you are now, I bet you could," she told the older woman, before she flashed her an apologetic smile along with a slight wave of her hand as she flipped her hair. "Hey, I’m not rubbing it on you or anything. I don’t think of you as a weakling at all." Then, they started walking towards their quarters, the rooms that were generously provided by the owner of the nightclub, Arica Jade. "In fact, I look up to you a lot. You’re basically an older version of me, only with a bigger brain." "Actually, smarter people have smaller brains." "Really?" Danni shrugged lightly, almost imperceptibly, but the fifteen-year-old knew her too well to notice it. "Or so I’ve heard," she added to the gesture in explanation. Smart she was, she didn’t want to go around spreading unverified information, especially when she gets the credit if ever it does get verified. Before she could add anything more to her statement --- not that she had anything more to add, anyway --- she came to a halt, apparently remembering something out of the blue. "You go on ahead, Tahiri. There’s something I was supposed to do but I haven’t done it. Argh, me and my memory." For someone very smart, she sure is forgetful, the younger blond woman thought, rather amused at the sight of Danni Quee commenting on her rather off memory, before she nodded and said confidently, "Oh sure, Danni. I’ll be fine on my own." She then winked, the light-hearted smile on her face becoming even more playful. "Besides, you won’t be gone ‘till nightfall, are you? I mean… you are helping out tonight, remember?" The other groaned, not actually pleased with the situation, but was left with no choice in the matter. "I’ll be back soon," she assured Tahiri, before she, too, broke into a playful smile that matched the other girl’s very well. "Unless I forget that I’m supposed to help you out tonight, of course. You know, me and my memory…" It seemed to be somewhat miraculous that someone as serious and contemplative as Danni pulled off a joke like that, and it was evident in the way Tahiri gaped at her while laughing in a totally heartfelt fashion. The older woman burst into laughter as well, not realizing the full value of what she had just done, aside from making Tahiri laugh. As soon as the fit was over, she gave a mock salute to the younger woman, then turned around and ran off, fearing that the use of words for a short goodbye would only cause her delay in accomplishing the errand. After a few moments of staring at the woman’s departing figure, Tahiri, too, turned around and went on her way, but not without heaving a sigh. Despite the fact that she considered Danni one of her closest friends --- and her older sister, in fact --- she barely knew anything about the woman. True, she was very intelligent, and would’ve done great as a researcher in one of the Solo’s many laboratories that were just starting out, yet she was wasting her life in the Feu de Joie as a waitress. It wasn’t right at all. -----signature----- Fan of me? Join: http://obsession.silver-bell.nu/spiffy ~Jacen Solo and Danni Quee rock my socks!~ Scarlet Shadows, NJO AU (Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Undecided) - http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=11788341&start=11798490
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EBrooklynW Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 5/26/03 12:55am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	MOre! I demand more! I have an insatiable thirst for more of this story. Please Continue on! ~EBrooklynW -----signature----- "For a second I totally forgot about Tyler's whole controlled demolition thing and I wonder how clean that gun is. " -Fight Club
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JainaJag00 Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 5/26/03 1:30pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide - Date Edited: 5/26/03 1:30pm (1 edits total) Edited By: JainaJag00
	i started reading this on ff.n.... its really good! i look fwd to more... j/j please! -jj00 -----signature----- Jag and Jaina forever!!!!!! Look in my bio for links to my stories/viggies! http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=10145097 A Niruaun Night- J/J Coming sometime in the future: The Final Force: Lost and Solo by JJ00 and TBF!
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JediMasterKobe Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 5/26/03 3:34pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Noooooooooo! Down! With! Jag! Kyp/Jaina forever! Great story though.
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Neobi_Kenobi Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 5/26/03 3:40pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Oh more, please! This is a great start. I know what you mean about being a little hesitant about posting it here.
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Arina_Jaylin Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 5/26/03 5:19pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Ooooh, very good I like. It's good and promising, much better than mine anyway. -----signature----- Aprentice to Agent_Jaid If there's a stupid idea, somebody will try it -You might regret what you do, but you'll regret what you don't do so much more. - Bad spellers of the world... UNTIE!!!!
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KazieSolo Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 5/27/03 12:20am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Now I'm getting more confused than ever! Oh well, I've got a couple more chapters to decide on that. Or maybe I should just do something to Jaina so I won't have to choose? Nah, just kidding. I feel so flattered that you actually like what I've written. blushes And because you asked, here's the complete chapter. Thank you for all your comments; they were very encouraging. Chapter One - Suspicere There was nothing Leia Organa Solo could see in the room she was trapped in, no matter how hard she strained her eyes. Nothing but the darkness that already devoured her and continued to devour her despite her efforts to stay away from its ghastly vortex. It seemed to have fun torturing her that way. It would pull her into its dark abode, making her shriek and scream continuously because of the emptiness that she wasn’t used to experiencing; then it would push her out of it, making her crave for the light that existed at the end of the hollow tunnel. But before she could recover, the darkness would pull her again, and the cycle would repeat itself. Just released from the hold of the unseen entity that caused her much misery, Leia pushed herself up from the stone-cold floor, and attempted to find her way through the dark. She didn’t know where she was going, because she could not see a thing, but she knew what she was looking for. Who she was looking for. As she desperately searched for that person she wanted to come upon for many, many years, she bumped into the frigid wall of stone that made her remember that she was trapped in a cavity with no way out. She fell on her knees, pounding the barrier that kept her away from the rest of the world, the cruel world that refused to acknowledge her existence. She knew that the young woman she was looking for was somewhere in that barbaric world, probably treated as worse as she was by people she did not know. "Jaina…" she whispered in a barely audible tone, shutting her eyes as she allowed her hands and her body to slide down completely towards the ground in a heap. The woman then fell into a session of crying and yelling, demanding that her daughter be returned to her. But nobody came to her aid. In fact, nobody heard her. Her only companion was the darkness, which was, at the same time, her enemy. The darkness that, once again, began to take her away from the world of reality and into its own world of anguish and pain. "Jaina!" Leia screamed at the top of her lungs, reaching out to touch the figure that only she could see, but her efforts were all in vain. Not only did the shape that she believed to be her daughter disappear, the darkness began to eat her like a giant underground demon. Realizing that it was once again time for her to go through the disheartening process, she stopped struggling and submitted to the unseen force that started to gnaw on her spirit, understanding its pattern well enough to know that in a certain span of time, it would soon be over. And it started all over again. "It’s her again," Peter Stockher, a middle-aged doctor, commented as he heard an anguished howl from the far end of the corridor. He was used to the fact that his patients would go into such outbursts at one time or another, but not to the seemingly constant one of his most well kept shut-in, Leia Organa Solo. Sighing, he called his assistant over, handing her a syringe. "We better keep her mouth shut if we want the rest of the patients to sleep in peace." The nurse nodded in affirmation, taking the syringe from her superior’s hand, and followed him towards the detention cell labeled Z-099. Upon reaching the door, Dr. Stockher took out a chain of keys from the pocket of his trousers, looked for the appropriate one, and stuck it into the keyhole, determined more than ever to calm the patient down, as her cries grew worse. Extremely curious, Dr. Stockher’s assistant asked, "Doc, do you know who this Jaina is?" He only shrugged in response, continuing in his effort to pry the door open. "Nobody knows, I’m afraid," he added, pausing to look at his subordinate who waited for his wordy answer, "not even Dr. Heese, who handled her when she was first contained here. Some of the nurses told me that it’s the name of her daughter --- but she doesn’t have a daughter." He sighed, going back to what he was doing. "The things lunatics say…" There was a soft click from the door that made him smile in satisfaction. "Ah, there we go." He put the keys back into his pocket, checked if his own tranquilizer-filled syringe was within reach in case his patient would go berserk on him, then nodded to his nurse. "I would say ladies first, but I can’t take chances in this situation. Watch out; she can be very dangerous." They slid into the cell as quietly as possible, wondering why it grew calm all of a sudden. It didn’t take long for them to see the answer, however, for Leia was slumped on the ground, either asleep or plainly unconscious. Smiling, Dr. Stockher knelt down by her side, took her arm and felt her pulse, then, he took out the syringe from the folds of his robe. "Precautionary measures, Mrs. Solo. I’m sorry," he whispered, before he injected the dosage into her cold, frail arm. Leia moaned softly, then drifted into a peaceful slumber. "That should do it," Dr. Stockher muttered, standing up. He looked at the woman intently for a few moments, examining as much as he could through his eyes with the light the open door permitted, before he turned around and walked away. His female associate did the same, closing the door and once again, shutting off the light that would’ve done wonders for the patient --- when awake, of course. Inside the dark and eerily quiet detention cell, the suffering woman stirred lightly, moving slightly to lie down on another side of her body. The tranquilizer might have stopped her from screaming and shrieking, like what she had done time and again, but only for a short while. It would not be able to hold the darkness out for long, nor would it be able to keep away the pain, the hurt, the sadness and the anguish from Leia’s fragile heart. "Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… one… one hundred!" Rolling over to lie on the soft patch of green grass that decorated the back lawn of the establishment popularly known as Feu de Joie, Tahiri Veila inhaled deeply and successively, trying to regain the air she had lost during her attempt to strengthen her body through various exercises. She had just completed a hundred push-ups; the next thing she was going to complete was her fifty rounds of jogging and twenty-five rounds of running around the area. Blond, willowy and undeniably attractive, she was one of the most sought-out courtesans in the nightclub, especially among the younger members of the elite society. Her popularity, however, was not only brought about by her beauty, but most especially because of her wit and charm. Only fifteen, she was already wise beyond her years, and she knew how to deal with sticky situations that most fifteen-year-olds would not be able to handle. She stood up, having recovered from the tiring exercise that she submitted herself into just a few minutes back, and prepared herself for the next round of her training that scorching afternoon. Barefooted like she always was --- for that was how she wanted to go about --- she sprinted around the grassy turf slowly but steadily, moving around it fifty times, as she intended to do. Taking only a short break from that exhausting activity, she began the faster twenty-five-lap exercise until she was clearly out of breath. "Wow, Tahiri. I could never pull that off like you could." Fanning herself with the use of her face towel, she turned around to face one of her two closest friends, Danni Quee, who looked like her adult counterpart with her long curly blond hair and emerald eyes that always seemed to be asking questions. All sorts of questions. Tahiri didn’t blame her, of course. The twenty-three year old was a gifted young woman, with an impressively high intellect and level of curiousity that rarely accompanied dames as beautiful as she was. "If you weren’t as sickly as you are now, I bet you could," she told the older woman, before she flashed her an apologetic smile along with a slight wave of her hand as she flipped her hair. "Hey, I’m not rubbing it on you or anything. I don’t think of you as a weakling at all." Then, they started walking towards their quarters, the rooms that were generously provided by the owner of the nightclub, Arica Jade. "In fact, I look up to you a lot. You’re basically an older version of me, only with a bigger brain." "Actually, smarter people have smaller brains." "Really?" Danni shrugged lightly, almost imperceptibly, but the fifteen-year-old knew her too well to notice it. "Or so I’ve heard," she added to the gesture in explanation. Smart she was, she didn’t want to go around spreading unverified information, especially when she gets the credit if ever it does get verified. Before she could add anything more to her statement --- not that she had anything more to add, anyway --- she came to a halt, apparently remembering something out of the blue. "You go on ahead, Tahiri. There’s something I was supposed to do but I haven’t done it. Argh, me and my memory." For someone very smart, she sure is forgetful, the younger blond woman thought, rather amused at the sight of Danni Quee commenting on her rather off memory, before she nodded and said confidently, "Oh sure, Danni. I’ll be fine on my own." She then winked, the light-hearted smile on her face becoming even more playful. "Besides, you won’t be gone ‘till nightfall, are you? I mean… you are helping out tonight, remember?" The other groaned, not actually pleased with the situation, but was left with no choice in the matter. "I’ll be back soon," she assured Tahiri, before she, too, broke into a playful smile that matched the other girl’s very well. "Unless I forget that I’m supposed to help you out tonight, of course. You know, me and my memory…" It seemed to be somewhat miraculous that someone as serious and contemplative as Danni pulled off a joke like that, and it was evident in the way Tahiri gaped at her while laughing in a totally heartfelt fashion. The older woman burst into laughter as well, not realizing the full value of what she had just done, aside from making Tahiri laugh. As soon as the fit was over, she gave a mock salute to the younger woman, then turned around and ran off, fearing that the use of words for a short goodbye would only cause her delay in accomplishing the errand. After a few moments of staring at the woman’s departing figure, Tahiri, too, turned around and went on her way, but not without heaving a sigh. Despite the fact that she considered Danni one of her closest friends --- and her older sister, in fact --- she barely knew anything about the woman. True, she was very intelligent, and would’ve done great as a researcher in one of the Solo’s many laboratories that were just starting out, yet she was wasting her life in the Feu de Joie as a waitress. It wasn’t right at all. There was nobody in the Feu de Joie, however, who could match up to the luster of Nadine Nietzsche, the star of each night’s breathtaking show. A stunningly ravishing eighteen-year-old with no past to haunt her, she lived one day after the other with a smile, not at all caring what the future could possibly bring her. She welcomed every opportunity that came her way, whether that be a new job that she could indulge herself in during the day, or a new customer that she could toy around with during the night. Her room, which was basically unoccupied during the day, was already packed even before nightfall, as her friends were busy dressing her up for the upcoming show. As usual, she sat on a wooden stool in front of a large mirror, already dressed with the best garments the nightclub had in store for its performers, while the other courtesans fixed her hair, put on her make up, and did everything else that would make her even more beautiful than she already was. "Once again, the prettiest girl in the Feu de Joie," a voice said from the doorway, and immediately, all the women stopped to acknowledge the arrival of their superior, Arica Jade. She, too, was simply exquisite looking, with her long red-gold hair and expressive jade-colored eyes. In return, she nodded curtly to her subordinates, before she slowly motioned for them to go away and leave her alone with their precious starlet. Closing the door, she asked, "Where are the others?" "Tahiri’s in her quarters, changing; Danni’s out on an errand," Nadine replied rather nonchalantly as she continued to brush her long brown locks that so many people envied. She was forced to stop what she was doing, however, as soon as she saw the expression on her boss’ features through the older woman’s reflection on the mirror. Putting the hairbrush down, she muttered, "Oh no. Don’t tell me you’re not going to let me perform again tonight!" Arica shook her head apologetically, her green eyes fixed on their reflections, most especially that of her prized entertainer. "I need you three tonight," she stated plainly, and that was all Nadine needed to know. She gripped the doorknob and twisted it, but before she walked out, she told her, "Suit up. Run down and tell Tahiri, and Danni, too, once she returns. Work’s going to be a little tricky tonight, so you might want a special briefing of what you’re getting into." It took a few more moments after Arica’s departure for the young courtesan to stand up, sighing heavily as she did so. She then walked up to her wall calendar and crossed out the current date with a black marker, clearly disappointed at the sudden turn of events. After all, four X’s were already lined up in a row --- and that was only for a week. "Things are getting worse every day," Nadine told herself as she ran her fingers through the row of X’s, frowning. "And I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ll never get to perform again." Just like every night, the patient in detention cell Z-099 began her spell of shrieking and screaming, once again calling out aimlessly for someone named Jaina, as well as the attention of everyone else in the area. A heavy sigh escaped Dr. Peter Stockher’s lips as he stood up and picked up another syringe from his drawer of tranquilizers. It was once again time to visit the famous Leia Organa Solo, although there was no telling how his short appointment would turn out. It had only been a few short seconds since the doctor’s departure when a figure slid quietly into his office. Tall, slender and light-footed, she barely made a sound as she pressed herself against the wall just beside the door, hiding in case Dr. Stockher would turn around and go back to where he came from. She counted mentally from one to five, and when the doctor made no sign of returning, the mysterious young woman clad in a black bodysuit began rummaging through the stuff he kept inside his drawers. Then, a head popped from the top bar of the doorway. Apparently, she came from the roof. "Lachesis?" "I’m trying to find it, Clotho," the woman who snuck into the office replied, busy fumbling through the bottom drawer of the doctor’s desk. Finding nothing, she quietly shut the tranquilizer-laden drawer and headed to the far corner of the room, which was, to her advantage, engulfed in darkness. If ever the doctor would return, she would have no problem hiding. "It might be in his safe. Watch out for my back, all right?" The screams that came from the far end of the corridor faded into nothing a few heartbeats later. "Lachesis, hurry!" Clotho called out in a panicked whisper from her hiding place, still upside-down like she was when she first came in. Then, she heard the lock of the detention cell clamp loudly into place, making her heart beat even wilder than before. "He’s on his way back!" Footsteps. "Not quite." Those words, and the figure that accompanied them, made Clotho sigh in relief. "Thank heavens, Atropos! Boy, are we lucky to have you watching over both our backs!" she exclaimed as she jumped down from her post and joined the third member of their work force. Her pleased smile, however, disappeared as a frown fell into place. "You didn’t kill him, did you?" The other shook her head, although there was a closed expression on her face. Luckily, the youngest member of the Moirae --- an assassin group which surfaced over the past few months from out of nowhere --- was too overwhelmed by the close call to notice it. "Innocent until proven guilty, Clotho. I just knocked him out inside the detention cell," Atropos answered calmly, before she strained forward to address their squad member who disappeared under the cloak of darkness. "Any luck, Lachesis?" A few seconds of silence. Then, came Lachesis’ answer: "He’s guilty." "The crime?" the leader of the trio asked, rubbing her hands together in preparation for the next step in their mission. She actually didn’t have to ask, for their Commander already gave them the reason why they were hunting down the doctor, but she wanted to be sure, nonetheless. There was no harm in asking questions, after all. "Exactly as what we were told?" "Exactly as we were told. Sleeping serum," Lachesis confirmed as she stepped back into the light, holding a piece of paper and two small bottles of fluid. She looked angry, although she tried to keep that anger to herself. "It was tested on some of the patients here. Women. And it worked. It killed them in their sleep." She handed the parchment and pointed to a scribbled note at the bottom of it. "In fact, he’s planning to send the formula to the manufacturers the first thing tomorrow." "That’s horrible! And he tested it on women, too! What have we done to the opposite sex to make them despise us that much anyway?" the youngest of the three asked, not restraining the anger and hate she felt at all. She then put her hands on her hips, a sign of her exasperation at the situation. "Well? Don’t tell me you’re just going to stand here and do nothing, because I won’t!" "Clotho!" Atropos warned, her cinnamon eyes narrowing dangerously at the way their baby was acting. The young woman flinched considerably, and when the leader of the team knew she was back in charge, she began relaying her orders. "Go and get in touch with the police. They’ll want to be here to find the body. Make sure you change your voice, act like a lunatic or a panicked nurse or something, so they won’t recognize you. Lachesis, go back to headquarters. I’m sure you’d love to check that serum out. But I’ll be taking this paper and one of the bottles." "What about you, Atropos?" Her eyes had a dangerous, lethal edge, now more than ever. "I’m killing him." It was nearing sunrise, yet Nadine had not been able to sleep, even when the Feu de Joie already closed, making the noise brought about the dancing women and the drunk customers die down. As she lay on her bed, staring up at the bare ceiling, she joked to herself that she’d take a drop of the sleeping serum to make her drift off to dreamland, but took her words back soon after. All the women who died because of the crazy doctor’s schemes made her heart burn even more with anger. But it wasn’t their mission that kept her up, for she was comfortable in the knowledge that the victims of the heinous plot had been avenged. It wasn’t Tahiri’s childish behavior of rushing into things back at the ward, either. Rather, it was the startling discovery she made in the duration of their mission, the fact that Leia Organa Solo was alive --- yet she did not know why that struck her so hard in the first place. Leia Organa Solo’s alive… -----signature----- Fan of me? Join: http://obsession.silver-bell.nu/spiffy ~Jacen Solo and Danni Quee rock my socks!~ Scarlet Shadows, NJO AU (Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Undecided) - http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=11788341&start=11798490
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EBrooklynW Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 5/27/03 12:49am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP pauses for breath KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP KYP I Think i've made my point. Excellent post. I can't wait to see more! ~EBW -----signature----- "For a second I totally forgot about Tyler's whole controlled demolition thing and I wonder how clean that gun is. " -Fight Club
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JainaJag00 Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 5/27/03 3:56am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	good post. of course... we all know why that bothers her... i guess im kinda outgunned here... well... if its j/k... oh well. j/j please still then. -jj00 -----signature----- Jag and Jaina forever!!!!!! Look in my bio for links to my stories/viggies! http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=10145097 A Niruaun Night- J/J Coming sometime in the future: The Final Force: Lost and Solo by JJ00 and TBF!
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Neobi_Kenobi Registered: Dec '01	Date Posted: 5/27/03 6:32pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Great! I'm sorry if my last post didn't sound right, some of my stories here don't do so well. Anyway I say J/J, but that's just me.
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KazieSolo Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 5/28/03 12:44am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Don't worry, Jaina will be spending time on all three guys; I just have to decide eventually who she would go with. At the moment, the votes for J/K and J/J are at even odds. So hard to decide! Anyway, I should be able to post the second chapter tomorrow. I still have to change the tags and all, you see. If you're really eager to read the next part, you can always check it in fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1352825 -----signature----- Fan of me? Join: http://obsession.silver-bell.nu/spiffy ~Jacen Solo and Danni Quee rock my socks!~ Scarlet Shadows, NJO AU (Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Undecided) - http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=11788341&start=11798490
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JainaDurron Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 5/28/03 3:43pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Hmm. I must read this when I get home from the movies. I hope for K/J merely cause... well look at my user ID. But if I like the story, I'll still read it if it is J/J or J/Z. ~~Jilly -----signature----- Qeryné, Handmaiden of the Crest Beta for Midnight_Jedi and Amidala_Skywalker Proud K/Jer (Rogue and Goddess); Twin Suns Lead- KDFC Winner for Best Romance Beyond the Saga, SFFA K/J is love!!!
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Jedi_Knight_Satine Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 5/28/03 3:59pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Wow this story is really neat (the word 'courtesan' also reminds me of Moulin Rouge, but the concept of the story is excellent) As for the pairing.... umm... I don't know. -----signature----- "I thought I just got plastered and bought a bunch of sombreros..... I didn't know there were dudes under them!" - Without A Paddle
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KazieSolo Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 5/30/03 11:55pm Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	I actually got some of the ideas from Moulin Rouge. Besides, I think that courtesan sounds a lot better than prostitute. Anyway, thanks for your nice comments! I hope that you'll forgive me, though, for the slow pace of this fic. Anyway, here's the next chapter: Chapter Two – Deyja At around half past seven in the morning, Arica heard thundering steps from the staircase as she continued to cook their breakfast, and smiled at the sound she was hearing. She guessed that it must be Tahiri, the youngest among the three young women she considered her nieces, running late for the morning meal, as usual. Danni, who was reading that day’s newspaper in silence, put the parchment down and averted her gaze on the flight of stairs just a short distance away from the dining room; Nadine, who was helping herself to a glass of water, stopped what she was doing, too. "I’m so sorry!" Tahiri apologized as she scooted into the doorway of their small but spacious dining hall, bowing ruefully as she said so. As usual, she wasn’t wearing her slippers or shoes, as she had told them how much she hated footwear, and how they were made to keep delicate toes in anguish and misery. "I was exhausted from going through the vents last night. It’s not an easy job, you know, being the vent-climber. It actually sucks." Sitting back down across her, Nadine flashed a loopsided grin. "You’re the one who likes to go around with bare feet, Tahiri. So live with it." She then leaned back against her chair, amusement playing in her features, although there was this certain gleam in her brown eyes that did not seem to go along with the expression of happiness on the rest of her face. The youngest woman laughed as she lifted her plate and examined her face through her reflection. She had obviously forgotten to drop by the big mirror by the bathroom on the second floor in her hurry. "That’s why I’m not requesting for another job, because I’m sure you will all tell me that I’m the one suited for it, robbing me of my freedom of choice," she commented, before she put down the plate and waited for the woman they considered their aunt to bring in the food. Arica laughed heartily as she put two large plates of food in the middle of the table, Danni standing up to get the rest without being told. "Well, if you want another job," the older woman began with a smirk, pausing to meet Tahiri’s eyes which were the color of emeralds, like her own, "you’ll have to learn to work with shoes. We’re not robbing you of your freedom of choice, Tahiri. It’s the vents, or the shoes. Which one would you go for?" "The vents." She sounded defeated. "Typical thing for Tahiri ‘I’d rather get swooshed than wear those shoes’ Veila to choose," Danni joked from her seat, her green eyes glittering playfully before one eyelid dropped to a wink. She then took one of the plates and helped a handful of the food in it into her plate, ignoring the younger woman’s threat of smacking her on the head if she says it again which came in an equally kittenish manner. The meal went on with a cheery atmosphere, the women exchanging jokes and witty comments as they stuffed themselves with the food Arica had kindly prepared for them. However, the club owner noticed that there was something wrong with Nadine. While she laughed whenever a gag was sang out, there was this expression on her pale features that made her look as if she was silently debating on whether she would divulge the secret she was keeping or not. And that was something Arica could not possibly allow to pass. "Nadine? What’s wrong?" Immediately, the young woman flinched, her chocolate-colored eyes looking at the empty plate that was before her as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. "N-nothing," she stuttered in reply as she fidgeted with her spoon, before averting her eyes to look at the three ladies who sat around her. "Nothing. I’m just stressed out with last night." Their superior raised a red-gold eyebrow. "You’re a terrible liar, Nadine," she stated sternly, obviously not convinced by the eighteen-year-old’s answer. She then leaned back against her wooden chair and crossed her arms in front of her chest in an authoritative fashion, her eyes staring at the courtesan-assassin intently. "I’m waiting for your answer. Your real answer." She looked at her comrades for help, but they were both as concerned as Arica was. Sighing in realization that there was nothing she could do to make them stop bothering her, she decided to tell them the truth. "I don’t know why this is even bothering me in the first place," Nadine began helplessly, keeping her gaze away from their boss who was making her very uncomfortable with the way she was looking at her, "and why I didn’t tell you the moment I found out, but…" Tahiri leaned even closer to her. "C’mon, Nadine! What is it?" "It’s Leia Organa Solo. She… she’s alive." The listeners were all shocked at her announcement, but their shock came at different intensities. Tahiri, though she seemed surprised, only gaped at the young woman. Danni, who usually took shocking news with limited physical gestures --- as she often took surprises of that kind in her life as a researcher --- did not only look at the speaker with wide eyes, one of her hands was covering her mouth. It was the eldest of the four women, however, who had the greatest intensity of shock among them all. Arica practically stood up, slamming her hands on the table and pushing her chair backward in reaction as she did so. "What?!" she asked, greatly surprised, and despite the firmness of her voice, there was no trace of anger in it. Shortly after, realizing how she had acted, she slid back into her seat and inquired in voice just above a whisper, "Are you sure it was her?" Nadine shrugged, much to the older woman’s disappointment. "I don’t know, Aunt Arica," she admitted, this time meeting the redhead’s green eyes with her brown ones, "I don’t know how I identified it as her in the first place. I don’t even know why I’m telling you about this, when I haven’t confirmed if it was really her." She then shook her head. "I don’t even know her!" "Well, this sure is something we have to investigate," Arica said, relaxing and regaining her composure. She swept her gaze from one girl to the other, finally resting it on the leader of the assassin trio she established. "But there’s something else we have to check out first." She stood up, walked over to the small table where Danni left the newspaper she was reading, and picked it up. "Gerhardus Wohler, a freelance photographer, working for various newspaper companies. I find it simply ironic that all the pictures associated with his name are of murder victims. Look at what we have for today." She tossed the newspaper to the young woman who sat nearest to her, which was Danni, and the other two immediately scurried to her side to examine the article that decorated the front page. Just as what Arica said, it was about a widow murdered in her own home, with a matching picture that had Wohler’s name printed immediately below it. "Okay, so he took the picture of a dead woman. Big deal," Tahiri muttered, pulling back to address their boss. "What’s your point, Aunt Arica? I mean, people die everyday." "No, wait," the girl’s older version, twenty-three-year-old Danni, interrupted, handing the periodical to their leader as she turned to face their aunt. "I remember reading about a murder case just a few days ago. It was Wohler who took the photograph, and it was pretty fresh --- like it was taken just after the murder. To add to that, that certain victim, just like this widow, visited a fortune-teller named Kerouac sometime in the last thirty-six hours of his life." "Once again, your brilliance astounds me, Danni Quee," their commander praised, beaming at her deduction. While Danni felt like disappearing from where she was sitting out of embarrassment, Arica turned to look at the youngest member of Moirae, smiling lightly. "And that, Tahiri Veila, was the point I was trying to imply. I believe that Wohler has something to do with the murders themselves, and I, too, am suspecting him and the seer Kerouac to be one and the same. I want you to confirm those speculations of mine, though --- innocent until proven guilty, as we say. Then, when this is over, we shall deal with the surprising existence of Leia Organa Solo." The apartment Gerhardus Wohler was staying in was small, old and shabby, yet it was enough for the middle-aged freelance photographer, for he had nothing much to keep in his possession anyway. All he cared for was his camera, and all the pictures he had taken ever since he began his work. In fact, because of his lifestyle, the only part of the room that was ever occupied at a daily basis was his bedroom. It was ten in the morning, and the sun was once again causing intense heat to spread across the land. Wohler, who had been looking at his collection of pictures for nearly an hour, finally felt the heat and decided to open the window to let the air in. As he did so, he took the opportunity to peer out of his little room, and that was when he saw a young, attractive blond making her way through the busy streets. He brightened up considerably, not seeing women like her for quite sometime now. True, there were a lot of beautiful dames in the town where he lived, but most --- if not, all --- of them were dressed in shabby robes that did not make them look appealing in any way, and with greased, dirt-stained faces. But the woman he had his deep blue eyes fixed on was different. She was neat and impressive-looking. To add to his delight, she stopped just below him, in front of the door of his little apartment. Excited to have a guest such as her, the thirty-six year old bachelor rushed down from his bedroom, eager to welcome the visitor in his humble abode. He stopped by the cobweb-tainted wall mirror to fix his hair before he opened the door with a wide, welcoming smile on his face. "Yes, m’lady? How may I be of service to you?" "Mr. Gerhardus Wohler?" Her voice was strict and cold. "Y-yes," he stammered, flushing considerably as her emerald eyes pierced through him. He didn’t even notice how stern-faced she was, and how nonchalant and indifferent she appeared. All he knew was that she was young and beautiful, and that was all that mattered to the photographer who never had spent time with women like her for a long time. "It is I. Please, c-come in." He led her inside his unclean living room, obvious in the way the floors did not shine and in the way dust settled on the few pieces of furniture. However, she did not permit him to touch her. Instead of taking the arm he extended, she walked right in, looking around while wrinkling her nose. After a brief period of examination, she whirled around to face the photographer, who closed the door with an inviting smile. "Dana Reich." "Gerhardus Wohler. Miss Reich, if you like---" "I know," she cut her off sharply with drastically narrowed eyes, before her lips twisted into a sardonic smile, enjoying the priceless look on the man’s features. She wrinkled her nose once again. "Anyway, Mr. Wohler, I’d like to get down to business. I just wanted to inquire if you know someone named Kerouac, as well as his whereabouts." The question caught Wohler off-guard, just as intended, and his guest clearly noticed the expression that crept up to his face, faint as it was. A second after, however, it was gone --- but the impression that he knew the person mentioned remained on the young woman. "K-kerouac?" he croaked, his features showing mock confusion. "N-no, I haven’t heard of him at all, my lady, forgive me." She nodded curtly. "Very well, then. I shall be going." "W-wait, Miss Reich!" Wohler interrupted, reaching out to stop her. "May I at least offer you a cup of tea?" Reich stopped, her hand clamped on the doorknob. "I must refuse, Mr. Wohler, because I do not desire to be acquainted with liars," she pointed out loudly, her voice as steadfast as it was ever since she stepped into the photographer’s apartment. She twisted the knob open, opening the door, but before she completely walked out and shut the door, she added, "And it’s Madam, Mr. Wohler. Madam Reich." The door slammed shut. "What?! Kerouac isn’t here?!" Tahiri exclaimed in a high-pitched voice of phony panic, shaking her hands as if she had to use the bathroom before the world would come to an end. Her brown-eyed companion, Nadine, chose to wait outside, watching the younger girl’s back, as usual. "But I must talk to him! It’s an emergency! Can’t you give me his address or something?! I’ll pay as much as you need, just please, let me see him!" She annoyed the innkeeper, yes, but the man knew that it was the perfect opportunity to earn something more than the usual. He was given strict orders by the seer not to give his address out, but Kerouac never said that he could not sell his address. "Two hundred," he told the fifteen-year-old with a straight face, indicating that he did not want to go around in circles. "And I’ll give you his address." Unsure if she would waste that much money on such a bargain, the blond young woman turned around slightly to glance at her companion --- who nodded curtly even before she could ask her. Tahiri then pulled out a handful of bills from her pocket, counted two hundred, then gave them to the innkeeper shakily, maintaining her façade. "Please, hurry. I need to see him as soon as possible. I’m begging you, sir, I need---" "Yes, girlie, I’m at it. Just hang on quietly, all right?" the innkeeper interrupted in a vexed tone aiming to make the young woman shut her mouth. When Tahiri did not say a word after that, relief surged through the man at the short spell of silence, and taking advantage of it, he took a piece of paper, scribbled the fortune-teller’s address, then handed it to his guest without a word. Tahiri opened her mouth to say thanks, but quickly decided against it, as she saw that the man had more than enough of her prattling. Instead, she turned around and ran out of the inn, putting her act as a girl going through an emergency to a close, and Nadine marching after her shortly after. Disgust shone through Lachesis’ face as she averted her gaze from their target to her comrades, her black-colored combat shoes making a soft sound as she shifted her position. "The man’s a perverted freak," she whispered, obviously sickened as she pushed herself closer to the wall to observe his movements without being seen. "He was looking at me as if I was the most interesting thing in the world, and as if he hasn’t seen a woman since he was born. Honestly, I nearly lost my composure in abhorrence." It was already a quarter past nine when the trio headed for Wohler’s apartment, taking advantage of the fact that most of the villagers would be asleep the time they arrive at the area, and that the brain of their team would be able to rewire the lampposts to put them off without having to worry about being spotted. They successfully completed the first phase of their plan; it was time for them to infiltrate Wohler’s residence and shut his mouth for good. Clotho started removing her shoes, glad to be rid of them for the rest of the mission. "Up I go," she announced brightly, giving the other two assassins a thumbs up before she moved up using the pipes, as stealthily as she used to do. Their leader, Atropos, was also at her part of the mission. She unzipped her bodysuit to reveal a short, velvet dress that did not fail to show her curves that would definitely be appealing to the middle-aged photographer. Turning to the older woman, she said, "You stay here and keep watch. Clotho should be right over the bedroom once I get there. You know what to do if anything happens," before she motioned Lachesis to go away by placing her fist on the door. At that, the twenty-three-year-old nodded in affirmation, sprinting towards the other side of the house and staying there in silence, her back firmly pressed against the wall, in a position ready for anything, from eavesdropping to barging in without an invitation. She heard Atropos knock twice, Wohler scurry to the door to see who would visit him at a particular time of the night, and gasp slightly at the sight of yet another charming young woman. For the photographer, it was his lucky day. "P-please, come in, m’lady," he invited, which made Lachesis grimace considerably. He said the same words when she went to check up on him earlier that day. Atropos did not say a word as she was escorted inside, but merely nodded at the other’s statements; she was once again playing as the charming innocent lady falling into a trap. Unlike a true charming innocent lady falling into a trap, she was very much aware that she was walking into one. Lachesis strained to hear the conversation that was beginning to take place between the predator and the prey, when her sensitive eyes, exceptionally trained by their commander Arica who gave her the position of a watchman, caught the sound of footsteps, apparently heading towards the apartment. And it wasn’t coming from a single set of feet; to her analysis, there were about five men, two of them particularly large, coming her way. Sparing a glance at the rooftop --- where Clotho was stationed, once again hanging upside-down to peer into the target’s bedroom without being noticed --- she pulled out six darts from a storage space on her belt, holding three on each hand, and prepared to strike. She wasn’t going to take chances. She crept towards the unexposed side of the apartment to hide, so that if ever they were Wohler’s cronies she would be able to attack them by surprise. As the group of five drew closer and closer to the apartment, she heard a gruff voice murmur, "Such fools. Totally unaware that seeing Master Kerouac would seal their fate." And those words verified the assassin’s speculations about their target’s strategy. Kerouac, the fortune-teller, would speak of death to his clients, then have them killed through his own set of slayers in less than twenty-four hours in fulfillment to his prophecy. He would then take a picture of the victim, sending copies of it to various newspaper companies under the name Gerhardus Wohler. Since most journalists favored murders as topics to discuss in periodicals, the photographer was paid highly for all his efforts. Lachesis stole a glance inside the apartment, and saw Atropos succeeding in her plans. The man was trapped in a corner, trembling in fear at the sight that was before him, as the young woman had a pistol aimed at his forehead. The eighteen-year-old usually killed with a sword, as she was extremely skilled at handling one, but she also liked using a pistol, especially the one that was specifically created for her use. She fired. The sound made Wohler’s henchmen stop in their tracks; then, realizing that it came from their Master’s house, they hurried towards it as fast as their legs would carry them, swearing that if something happened to their boss, they were going to make sure he would be avenged. They did not make it to the door, however, for Clotho dropped from the roof and landed on one of men, sending him tumbling on his comrades as she did a back flip that kept her at a suitable distance from her foes. "And you’re equally unaware that seeing your Master would seal your fate," she taunted, her lips forming a smirk. Seeing that they were regaining their composure, she fell into a fighting stance, unsheathing the two swords that were strapped to her back. They were not as long and as big as the one Atropos usually carried with her, but they were just as effective. "Because I will seal your fate. Looks like the big boys wanna play. Very well, let’s play." She charged, slashing left and right as she tore through the wall of men that planned on fighting her and blocking her assault. Caught by surprise, they were unable to avoid or counter her attack on time, and they fell to the ground, one by one. Their leader, who stood at the last row of their formation --- a muscular man in his late twenties --- managed to take out his sword and block her two blades that were sliding down to slash him in two. Unfortunately for him, he never got the chance to strike back, or to even taunt the fifteen-year-old for her stupidity. He fell to the ground even before Clotho’s blade buried itself through his flesh, three darts pinned on his back. "Sorry, Clotho," Lachesis apologized as she stepped out from the shadows, with two darts on her left hand and one on the right, "but I couldn’t let you have all the fun. I didn’t want to just be a spectator in this mission, you know." The younger girl smiled as she put her swords back into their holsters, putting her hands on her hips proudly after she did so. "No worries, Lachesis. We were taught teamwork and cooperation; it would be stupid not to put into application what we have learned, wouldn’t it?" "Smooth," Atropos commented as she came up from behind her comrades, clutching Clotho’s new-looking combat shoes --- after all, the fifteen-year-old assassin barely used them. She threw the pair towards the youngest member of their squad, who did not, despite their expectation, put them back on. "Oh well, let’s head home. Our mission’s accomplished." -----signature----- Fan of me? Join: http://obsession.silver-bell.nu/spiffy ~Jacen Solo and Danni Quee rock my socks!~ Scarlet Shadows, NJO AU (Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Undecided) - http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=11788341&start=11798490
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KazieSolo Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 6/5/03 1:52am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Chapter Three – Mederi A woman at her late thirties lay in front of a doctor’s clinic, barely alive, her hand clutching her chest that was throbbing painfully. She wanted to see the general practitioner in their village to ask for the medicine that would cure her disease, but she was thrown out of the infirmary as if she was some garbage, all because she was female. "Please… I need… help…" she called out as loud as she could, but no one listened to her anguished pleas. They either pretended that they couldn’t see her, or that there was nothing they could do to save her from the clutches of death. Unable to walk, she crawled towards the clinic once again, desperate to get help. The rough stone pavement scratched her arms, her legs and her face, but she paid no attention to the cuts that appeared on her body. All she wanted was to see a doctor --- was it too much to desire for something like that? But nobody came to her rescue. Not one of the passers-by did anything to help her, even by just knocking on the door of the clinic and asking the doctor to come out and examine her. They all thought that she deserved to die, a horrible death at that, because she allowed herself to be taken over by the pills she had been taking to sustain herself. And so the suffering woman died without a sound, cold and alone, on a barren street with all her hope vanquished by the townsfolk who refused to lend a hand. He was working in a small but equipment-filled laboratory, holding a medium-sized flask that contained a murky liquid to the light in analysis. Frowning, he set the container down, pulled his stool towards him and sighed, his eyes still fixed on the formula he was working on. He had been at it for days, going through sleepless nights in his attempt to figure it all out, but he didn’t progress much, to his annoyance. "Ravi?" a voice called out from the doorway, and tilting his head to the side slightly, he saw his superior, a bony forty-two-year-old scientist with round eyeglasses, enter the laboratory casually. He smiled upon reaching the table where Ravi was working. "Don’t pressure yourself too much, my boy. I don’t want you to get sick just because you spent sleepless nights trying to figure the formula out." The younger man smiled wryly. "Thank you, sir." Realizing that it was best to leave the talented researcher on his own, the other nodded and turned to leave. He fell short, however, just as soon as he turned around, noticing something peculiar from the young man. "Excuse me, Ravi," he interrupted, making the lad face him and leave his work behind. The scientist’s eyes narrowed considerably as he swept his gaze from his subordinate’s head to his feet, then he grabbed the researcher by the middle of his robe and tore it open. Ravi looked terror-stricken; his boss trembled in anger. His cover, to his mortification, had been blown. Since his robes were destroyed when his apartment was set on fire, he had to borrow one of his friend’s for him to be able to report to the laboratory. Alas, it was too big for his size, the neckline dropping exceedingly low --- and that made the scientist he was working for notice his cleavage. And it was because he wasn’t actually a man. "You---" the scientist pointed an accusing finger on her chest, his dark eyes glaring daggers at her. "--- made us honest men believe that you could be trusted! And we trusted you so much that we gave you the most critical project in the entire facility! But no, you turn out to be a woman! A deceitful scum of the street who doesn’t deserve to be here, no matter how brilliant you are in what you do!" He pushed her forcefully, knocking her into a pile of crates. "Get out of my sight! Out of here, now!" "You watch your filthy mouth!" she snarled in return as she pushed herself up, her tone cold and sinister. She then met the scientist’s eyes with her fierce green ones that were full of anger and hate, standing up directly in front of her former boss without any hint of fear or hesitation. "You will have your time, that I swear. And when that time comes, you will feel the pain that I am feeling now --- even more!" As her final act of defiance, she grabbed the solution she had been working on for the last few days, hurled the flask on the wall, and stormed out as the scientist scurried to pick up the pieces of broken glass and wipe away the spilled fluid. A hand appeared in front of the young woman’s face, waving itself up and down in silent interruption. "Danni?" The twenty-three-year-old jerked, as if snapping out from a terrible dream, which was what was happening, in a way. She was slightly startled upon seeing Tahiri in front of her, sitting on the windowsill with her legs dangling restlessly, but recovered her poise as quickly as she lost it. "Hey, Tahiri," she greeted rather lightly, sounding tired. "Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be out doing the groceries?" "It’s not my turn today," the younger girl replied, grinning widely as she jumped down from the sill. "It’s Nadine’s, so I’m free to do what I want until it’s time for us to suit up again." Her smile, however, immediately faded as she saw the expression on her friend’s face. "What were you thinking about, Danni? You looked… I don’t know. Wanna talk about it?" She closed her emerald eyes, leaning back against her chair; her blond hair gleaming even more as the rays of the sun illuminated her figure that was rather frail compared to that of her comrades, Tahiri and Nadine. "Sorry, Tahiri, but I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about it," she admitted, her eyes still shut. "It’s… complicated, you see. But once I am, I’ll let you know. All right?" Tahiri wanted to know what was disturbing the other woman badly, but she decided not to press it. She knew her friend too well that she was sure Danni would get irritated if she would persist on discussing the matter. "Sure thing, Danni. Whenever you’re ready. Just remember that you’re very much welcome to rant or rave about absolutely anything," the fifteen-year-old told her, before she flashed one of her classic smiles and added, "sis." At those words, Danni opened her eyes to look into the ones that belonged to Tahiri, the girl who was the sister she never had, and then, she smiled. The feeling was mutual, after all. "You too, sis," she whispered, opening her arms, and at that, the younger woman rushed to give her a hug. She didn’t know how, but she knew that it was something the lass had wanted to do for quite sometime. "You too." "Your next target is the drug dealer Lazaro Aalto, famous among the underworld folk for his ‘miracle remedies’ and pills for all occasions. It has been rumored that he recently developed a pill that can sustain a person’s hunger for a meal or two, which is something the slum-dwellers in the land would want to get their hands on." Arica then handed the newspaper to Nadine, the page with the news about the drug dealer’s latest victim already set for them to examine. "That’s his latest victim. She died of dehydration. She could’ve been saved, but unfortunately, we have a lot of prejudiced doctors at present. They refused to examine her." Tahiri, unable to control her anger --- which was obviously her weakness --- slammed her fist on the table. "Those morons!" she exclaimed in a huff, her eyes flashing dangerously. "What do they really want to happen? All the women in the world to be eliminated? How do they expect to go on without us? They won’t have any kids if they won’t get themselves attached to women!" The leader of the assassin trio ignored her. "What I’m wondering about, Aunt Arica," she began rather hesitantly, handing the newspaper to her companion who only got angrier than she already was, "is that… well, why didn’t you want Danni to be here? She’s the one who knows these stuff --- you know, drugs and medicine and all --- yet you told her to take the day off. Why?" As soon as Nadine pointed that out, the youngest of the three women present stopped, her green eyes looking at their boss questioningly. Sighing in defeat, Arica sat down across the two and answered, "Because I don’t want her personal involvement with Aalto to get in the way. As simple as that. I mean, would I send Tahiri on a mission that involves her friends among the pick-pocketing department? I don’t think so." "So you’re saying that Aalto and Danni are friends?" "I don’t think I have the right to tell you that. Not without Danni agreeing that I do, anyway," the redhead replied, shaking her head at what they just asked her. "If you want to know, ask her directly, but I don’t think it would be proper that you do it now. She might get suspicious about it. Finish up your mission, then ask her afterwards. That would be the best thing for you to do." "What about Leia Organa Solo? Any news about her yet?" Nadine probed as her younger companion stood up to get dressed for their next mission. Realizing that their leader had just extended the conversation by opening up another topic, which was not really what they should be worrying about, she sat back down and listened, waiting patiently for the meeting to come to an end. She was eager to slip into her bodysuit once again. Arica didn’t like the topic that was brought up, but there was no reason for her to lie to her nieces. "I went to the police department and arranged to visit Han Solo, her husband, who was sentenced to life imprisonment because he supposedly murdered her. Supposedly because I don’t believe it; I knew the man personally." She leaned back against her chair, crossing one leg over the other casually. "As for the mental ward, I still have to check it out myself. After all, I’m the only one among us four who knows how she looks like." "You’re leaving without me?" Those words made Tahiri stop short in her tracks, obviously surprised that she was spotted no matter how hard she tried to make her departure unseen. She knew, too, that there was no way out for her --- not when she was wearing her bodysuit and shoes, and she was gripping her mask tightly with her two gloved hands. "Um, well," she began, unsure of how she was going to tell her ‘sister’ that she and Nadine were going on a mission without her, "I gotta do some spying. Our target’s somewhat a toughie." Danni raised an eyebrow, suspicious about the way Tahiri was acting. "Who’s the target?" she pressed, part of her mad that she wasn’t informed about their next mission. She was supposed to be part of the group, not just the brain who they wouldn’t have to take along if the success of their next assignment would depend on their ability to fight. I can fight too! she added to herself, upset that they were underestimating her. The younger blond woman opened her mouth to answer, but she could not find the voice nor the words to do so. However, that was when a cold voice answered from one corner of the room, "Lazaro Aalto, a drug dealer. Aunt Arica ordered that we shouldn’t take you because your personal involvement with him might endanger the mission." Nadine looked up, her brown eyes stern, like the leader she was. "We don’t want that to happen, do we?" The courtesan’s answer made Danni grit her teeth, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She wasn’t sure, however, what caused her to be as furious as she was --- her grudge against Aalto, the man who corrupted her and brought the weight of guilt upon her shoulders; or the fact that they didn’t trust her because of her involvement with him. But she knew that either choice was something to be mad at. Sensing that the person responsible for assigning the matter had come up from behind her, she immediately asked in a steely voice that they’ve never heard her use before, "So you don’t trust me? You’re afraid that I’m going to go out of control in anger, and kill him by slicing his head off with a triumphant laugh that I’ve finally accomplished what I promised to accomplish?" She turned around to face Arica, her green eyes glowing with ire. "Isn’t that what Moirae is for? Revenge? To kill?" Arica’s answer was soft, simple and direct. "I don’t want your past to destroy you." There was confusion in Danni’s face, despite all the anger that she was feeling. Realizing that it was the best time to explain her intentions, the older woman continued, "You’ve managed to stand back up on your feet, after all the harsh and frustrating times you went through." She took a step forward. "You disguised yourself as a man in your desire to work in one of the Solos’ research institutes, but it didn’t take long before your cover was blown. When you were thrown out, Aalto took the opportunity to use your frustration and talent for his benefit --- and for your disadvantage. I see the pain brought about by your guilt shining through your eyes even in the midst of day, and I know that making you cross paths with Aalto again will only make things worse. This time, he might successfully destroy you, either by killing you, or bringing you back into the life that nearly ruined your very being, corrupting you like he did before." Although hesitant, Tahiri did not want to let the opportunity of knowing the truth pass. She walked up to her friend, looked at her in the eye, green meeting green, then asked, "How are you involved with Aalto, Danni? I know it may be complicated, but please, tell me. I want to know. No, I need to know." The older woman looked away, trying to avoid the fifteen-year-old’s piercing gaze, but she knew that she would have to tell her all about it eventually. She swallowed, her eyes beginning to sting as she envisioned Tahiri’s probable reaction to her confession. The teenager was going to hate her for sure, not only for lying to her about the past, but for causing the deaths of so many innocent people --- even women and children --- as a result of her accomplishment. "Tahiri Veila…" the young researcher began, turning away from her comrade and taking a deep breath that would give her the strength to continue, "… I made drugs for Lazaro Aalto." She did not see the look of disbelief that swept the teenager’s features, but she surely felt the drastic change in her composure. "You what?!" Tahiri half-screamed, her voice heavily strained. She then grabbed Danni, whirling her around so that they would once again be facing each other. The older of the two had tears falling out of her innocent-looking verdant eyes, making the anger in the other woman disappear, like it never existed. Then, she flung her arms around the woman she considered her sister, understanding and acceptance prevailing above all her other emotions. "Oh, Danni! It wasn’t your fault! Aalto made you do it!" the teenager exclaimed, tears coming out from the corners of her eyes as well. Pulling away, she added with much conviction, "I promise, sis, cross my heart and hope to die, that I’m gonna kill him for you! I won’t let him get away with what he did to you --- God, the horror of it all!" Her nose catching a strange, rather unpleasant scent, Atropos pulled herself away from the light and examined the large box that was keeping her hidden from the eyes of their target and his business associates. She watched out for anything that would be able to tell her the contents of the crate without having to wreck it and give themselves away, and despite the dim light, she almost immediately spotted the word Sustein hastily written on one side. She turned her head to the side casually, motioning to Clotho that she found what they were looking for. She was about to go back to her observation of the target, Lazaro Aalto, when the younger assassin held out a piece of paper just enough for her to see. Written in the same handwriting she identified were the words Ship: 0000. Atropos bit her lip. There were so many possibilities about the meaning of it, although she concluded that it had something to do with a ship or the drugs being shipped, as the drug dealer’s hideout was in one of the port’s storehouses. She nodded towards Clotho’s direction, a sign that she got the clue, and moved even closer towards the front row of wooden crates to eavesdrop on the conversation that was going on. "However, gentlemen," Aalto was saying, grinning wide enough to expose a few blackened teeth that made him look even more obscene than he already was, "that wasn’t the best part yet of tonight’s auction. True, I’ve presented very useful and profit-gaining miracle remedies for you to bring home, but I still have to introduce the best offer I have for all of you." He took out his watch, a golden timer with a thin chain that attached it to his belt, and nodded thoughtfully. "She should be here a few minutes from now, and we’ll get this auction done with in time to ship all these lovely medicine boxes." She? Clotho mouthed from the opposite side of the warehouse, confused at what the businessman was talking about. Her comrade, however, didn’t know what Aalto was talking about either. Taking a deep breath, the fifteen-year-old sorted out her thoughts --- Aalto was going to bring in someone to auction, and he was going to ship the drugs really soon. She and Atropos did not only have to things to prevent, their mission to eliminate the drug dealer remained. Crawling even closer, hoping that her luck won’t run on her, Clotho suddenly spotted the piece of paper she found earlier a short distance away from her. And as she observed the characters written on it, she realized that Aalto had just helped them figure out the meaning of the mysterious note: the drugs were going to be shipped at 00:00, or at twelve o’clock --- midnight. Her plan to tell her superior about what she discovered, however, was thwarted as she heard the door of the warehouse creak open, followed by the sound of a body being thrown against the cold floor. Moving as close to the light as possible to check who the unfortunate captive was, she found herself not believing her eyes --- for the hostage was their friend Danni Quee, bound and gagged in front of the man who almost destroyed everything that she was just a few years ago. "And this, gentlemen, is the best part of tonight’s auction," the drug dealer sneered and sniggered, making the young woman glare at him with impotent fury. "My last offer --- Danni Quee, my former employee, who created most, if not all, of the top-selling formulas in my possession. Not only is she extremely intelligent, with an IQ higher than the top researches in the Solos’ many institutes… she practically has a body to die for. At the end of the day, you’ll just have to take her in bed and refresh her for her work on the morrow." Clotho was about to launch herself at their enemies and kill them all for hurting the person she considered her sister, when Atropos pulled her back, her eyes glaring at the younger woman powerfully. "Think before you act, Clotho," she reprimanded in a voice barely above a whisper, yet fierce enough to make her point clear, "Do you think Lachesis is dumb and weak enough to get captured just like that? Remember what she told Aunt Arica; she promised Aalto that she was going to kill him. And what would be better than to appear as a helpless hostage?" The younger of the two glared back, not satisfied with her comrade’s explanation. "You don’t understand, Atropos. I promised her that I was going to kill Aalto for what he did to her. And I intend to keep that promise." Her blazing green eyes then softened, as well as the tone of her voice. "When Aunt Arica said that she didn’t want Lachesis’ past to destroy her, I believe what she wanted to imply was that… well, that if Lachesis would kill Aalto herself, her recovery would mean nothing. That, as a product of her past, would destroy her." She then shifted her position, crouching and putting a hand on one of her swords in preparation for her assault. "I don’t know about you, Atropos," she whispered, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, "but I’m not going to let that happen. Just like Aunt Arica, I don’t want her past to destroy her." And that said, Clotho charged. Taken by surprise, the drug dealer and his associates were unable to do anything to defend themselves from the assassin that rushed to them head-on. Clotho slashed and parried in a frenzy, determined not to let them get away with their heinous plans --- Aalto, most especially. To add to the surprise brought about by her sudden assault, explosions caused by the bombs she and Atropos planted by the crates began to rock the warehouse, making the men panic even more. Quee saw the effect of the sudden attack, and decided that it was time for her to complete her revenge. Freeing herself from the loose ropes that bound her hands, pulling off her gag and taking out a dagger that she carefully hid under her skirt, she sprinted after Aalto, who was on a dead run by then. She didn’t care if the uniform she was wearing --- she was a waitress in the Feu de Joie, after all --- would get stained by blood; all she wanted was to kill the man who corrupted her with her own hands. "Aalto!" she called out, lifting one hand as she prepared for the final blow that would put an end to the entire ordeal, "As I promised!" In the blink of an eye, the drug dealer stumbled, eventually falling backwards to reveal a large slash wound on his torso. Standing in front of Quee and the exanimate Aalto was Atropos, her sword dripping with blood. The two women looked at each other’s eyes for a few moments, the older of the two quivering in anger as her revenge was foiled by her own comrade, when the teenager held out her gloved palm, not wanting the other to say a word. "I didn’t want your revenge, as a product of your past, to destroy you. Besides, his blood isn’t worthy enough for you to get yourself dirtied with. He’s nothing but a lying, cheating scum." At that, Atropos sheathed her sword, then turned around and walked away. Their mission was accomplished after all. On the other hand, Quee stared at the drug dealer’s corpse for a few more moments, taking in the explanation of her fellow party member, before she averted her gaze to the door where her friend disappeared in and hurried after her. "Atropos, wait!" Quee half-shouted, in hopes that the black-clad figure would stop and turn to look at her before they would make it out of the abandoned depot. To her relief, the assassin leader did so, pulling her mask off to regard her not as a comrade in a mission, but as a friend. At that, the blond young woman smiled, her emerald eyes expressing her deepest gratitude. After all, the brunette practically saved her life, just not in the manner she expected her to eventually do. "Thanks." -----signature----- Fan of me? Join: http://obsession.silver-bell.nu/spiffy ~Jacen Solo and Danni Quee rock my socks!~ Scarlet Shadows, NJO AU (Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Undecided) - http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=11788341&start=11798490
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JainaDurron Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 6/5/03 6:31am Subject: RE: Scarlet Shadows (NJO AU, Jacen/Danni, Anakin/Tahiri, Jaina/Kyp, Jaina/Jag, Jaina/Zekk - Undecide
	Oooo! Good post! More! ~~Jilly -----signature----- Qeryné, Handmaiden of the Crest Beta for Midnight_Jedi and Amidala_Skywalker Proud K/Jer (Rogue and Goddess); Twin Suns Lead- KDFC Winner for Best Romance Beyond the Saga, SFFA K/J is love!!!
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