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Author	Topic: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 2/23 10:57am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2 - Date Edited: 2/23 11:01am (1 edits total) Edited By: Rogue1-and-a-half
	Ran Keltar felt unbearably close. He felt the presence of the child he was chasing like a breath on the back of his neck. It took all he had not to snap, grab Dun Weir and cut off small pieces of anatomy until he told him where the child was. As he entered the cluttered mechanic's shop behind Gibber and Dun, he felt that he could find the answer at any moment. His eyes scanned the shadows; the child could be here, he knew, could be locked behind the door he saw dimly at the back of the room behind a pile of junked machinery. A man stepped out from behind the pile of machinery. "Dun," he said simply. His face was a mask of non-emotion. "Whoa, whoa," Dun said. "Someone for you to meet. New man on the team." "I'm all aquiver," the man said. Keltar could see now that he bore a large scar on the left side of his face, a nasty wound that ran from the crown of his head to his chin, cutting through his scraggled beard. "Nasty cut you got there," Keltar said. "Get that from a Jedi?" "If it was your business, I'd have told you already," the man said. Keltar held up a hand. "Sorry, friend, I meant no offense." "And, since you're not my friend," the man said, his expression never changing, his tone of voice still utterly dispassionate, "You caused none." "You'll have to excuse Lucas here," Dun said. "Like I said, a bit off the beam. But good with a blaster. And a lot of other things." Keltar nodded. "I see. A man's entitled to his own personality." "Something the Jedi don't realize," another voice piped up. Keltar turned to see a small, nervous looking man, absentmindedly cleaning a small piece of machine workings with a rag so filthy it could be doing little good and possibly some bad. "Their very goal from the beginning: eradicate personality. Take a child as a blank slate and rather than letting him grow into a rational, self-defined, psychologically healthy individual, they make him part of a hive mind." Even as Keltar was inwardly snickering, figuring that among the many things the Council had called him that "part of the hive mind" was probably not one of them, Dun spoke. "And this," Dun said, "is Proktor." Dun gestured vaguely. "And if you ever wanted proof that even a virtue like hating the Jedi could be carried to the extreme of a vice, Proktor is it." Proktor cleared his throat, shifted his weight nervously. "I simply think . . ." "Too much," Gibber said, eliciting a small laugh from Dun. Keltar noted silence from Lucas and upon turning realized that the man had simply walked away at some point, apparently uninterested. He was nowhere in sight. "Proktor's an educated man," Dun said. "And like most educated people, he's prone to turn even the most reasonable of opinions into obnoxiousness. Try to ignore his little lectures and every time he reams the Jedi for creating psychologically unhealthy individuals, just point at Lucas, if you can find him. That usually shuts Prok up for a while." Keltar nodded and grinned, extended a hand to Proktor by way of inclusion and smiled. "So," Keltar said. "You mentioned a very intriguing idea back at the bar . . ." Dun raised a hand. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll show all of you the plans I've made and I think we might even manage to get Lucas a little excited. I'm finally going to deliver on all the promises I've been making you people." Amidst the affirmations from Gibber and Proktor, Keltar added his and a greater affirmation echoed in his mind. Yes, he thought, Dun was going to deliver; no mistake about that. And soon. -----signature----- All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 2/25 6:54am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	Dun raised a hand. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll show all of you the plans I've made and I think we might even manage to get Lucas a little excited. I'm finally going to deliver on all the promises I've been making you people." Amidst the affirmations from Gibber and Proktor, Keltar added his and a greater affirmation echoed in his mind. Yes, he thought, Dun was going to deliver; no mistake about that. And soon. And I'm looking forward to it! -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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Healer_Leona Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 2/27 7:42pm Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	Keltar nodded and grinned, extended a hand to Proktor by way of inclusion and smiled. "So," Keltar said. "You mentioned a very intriguing idea back at the bar . . ." Haha. Always glad to see more here. -----signature----- Still crazy after all these years.
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 4/10 12:11pm Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	Keltar was trying to look away from Lucas' scar, but it was difficult. It was a saber wound, he was sure of it, but there was something a bit odd about it. Lucas glanced at him and Keltar looked away quickly. Dun Weir was speaking. "Here we have the beginnings of our plan," he said. He looked up from his datapad. "We're looking at a time frame of a single week, so that doesn't give us much time to get to where we're going." A map shimmered on the holoprojector. "This is the planet in question," he said. "The name of it is . . ." Proktor spoke up. "Tangarin." "Thank you. Tangarin it is," Weir said. "Sometimes it pays to have an educated man in the room." "Actually, it says the name right below it there," Gibber pointed out. Weir shook his head. "Shut up. Does it also say that a Jedi candidate has been found there?" "No," Lucas said. "Well, there has been," Weir said. "Our source inside the Jedi," at this Keltar made a mental note, "has informed us that the request is in processing. That means, usually, a week before the Jedi arrive on planet. They'll send whoever's closest and at this point that looks to be the fellow we see here." Weir thumbed another button and Keltar felt his heart skip a beat. The image of Tomack appeared, a vacuous grin on his face. "Quite a speciman," Weir said. "Little too good looking. Like a plastique doll, isn't he?" The others laughed and Keltar joined in. "He'll be on planet in a week. We'll be there a day before him. And he'll have more trouble getting the kid he's going after than he'll be expecting." Keltar nodded along with the others. "Proktor," Weir said. "You'll keep tabs on the request through our contact in the Temple. Gibber, you and Lucas get the ship whipped into shape. Cap, I'm going to want you to work up a profile on this particular Jedi, any information you can find on the holonet and get a line on the ship he's using at the moment, so we'll know when he gets there." Dun clapped his hands. "We leave day after tomorrow which should get us there right on time. Get to work." Weir walked out of the room without another word. Keltar watched him go, wondering if he was going to the child right now, wondering if he should simply follow him. But, no, after they snatched this kid from Tomack, they'd have to reveal where they were keeping these children. And then he'd know and then he'd reveal himself. Not until then. "He gets like that," Proktor said to Keltar. "What?" Keltar said. "Focused," Proktor said. "He's looking forward to this." "Of course," Keltar said. "So am I." -----signature----- All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 4/14 7:17am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	So glad to see this updated!! "He gets like that," Proktor said to Keltar. "What?" Keltar said. "Focused," Proktor said. "He's looking forward to this." "Of course," Keltar said. "So am I." -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 4/17 11:10am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	Ran Keltar's heart was pounding as he headed for the meeting. It was dark outside, rain was slashing at the windows, lightning flashing, occasionally illuminating the long dark passageway down which Keltar was moving at a speed something close to the lightning itself. He was afraid and cursed himself for his fear; he'd screwed his courage to the sticking place and now he was going to get what he was after. Ahead of him was the spot in the passage where the meeting was to take place, a dark corner in the gallery. A large statue loomed over him as he paused, his eyes trying to pierce the shadows. Lightning flashed and he caught only the barest glimpse of someone in the shadows. He moved forward; this was not the best circumstances for what he had planned, but things would have to work. The Council wouldn't be happy to hear about what was going to happen here . . . so he would have to make sure they didn't hear about it. He approached quickly and then the figure in the corner stepped forward, a hood concealing the face of the figure. The figure raised it's hands to the hood and . . . A flash of lightning, extra bright this time, blindingly so, a hand clutched at Ran Keltar's shoulder, there was a shriek close to his ear and his hand flinched open. The flower he had held began a slow tumble to the floor. The shriek dissolved into a screaming, high pitched laughter and Ran Keltar awoke. He sat up in bed, ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm his beating heart. He had been twelve years old, he remembered, on that night, a night that he had not forgotten about, but managed to put out of his mind. And now it had come back with a strange vividness; everything about the dream had been hyperreal, tinged with incredible intensity; the shadows, the white blast of the lightning. He closed his eyes, saw again the flower in his hand slowly fall to the floor. The girl he had been going to see was in his class at the Academy. She had seemed more open to him than most. From the beginning, Keltar remembered, he had not been liked by his classmates. Everything he had tried to do to win their favor, with all the abandon of youth, had fallen flat, proven awkward and seemed only to alienate him farther from them. But this girl had been different or so she had seemed. She had been cold at first, but something abouut her eyes had given Ran the courage to try harder to win her than he had tried with the others. And eventually, she had seemed to respond to his questions, even favor him with a smile now and then. Ran Keltar had found a friend. And then he had asked her to meet him in the hallway after curfew; the storm had blown up from the east. That should have tipped him off. She wasn't there, at least not at first, but others were, others from his class, the ones who didn't like him for some reason he'd never been able to figure out. One of them, he suspected now, had been a rival for the affections of the girl in question. How they had found out about the meeting, he could only guess; the guesswork involved betrayal and a lie. The laughter had been the beginning. The shoving had followed hard on the heels of the laughter. Before it was over, fists had flown, Ran Keltar had been beaten, kicked . . . Spit on. And they had said it again and again, "You're nothing, nothing, nothing." Ran Keltar didn't understand cruelty, hadn't then, still didn't. He wondered why the dream had come now. In three days, Tomack was arriving on planet to pick up a child and Ran Keltar was going to help Family and Future steal the child away from him. If this connected in someway to the dream of the past, Keltar didn't see it. Ran Keltar pulled the sheets around him again; he closed his eyes. A flower fell again. A scream echoed. Ran Keltar kept his eyes shut. Tight. -----signature----- All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 4/21 1:23pm Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	Ran Keltar pulled the sheets around him again; he closed his eyes. A flower fell again. A scream echoed. Ran Keltar kept his eyes shut. Tight What's happened??? Can't wait to find out! -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 4/30 11:48am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	"Here's the deal," Dun Weir said. "The Jedi will be disembarking here," he pointed to a place on the diagram. "His padawan will probably go with him. We'll keep a low profile, but as soon as he's gone, we'll set up shop." "Proktor," Weir said, "You'll be here. We'll set the explosive to go off here. Nothing to do any damage of course, but just a hair of a distraction. Lucas, you be ready, when the bombs go off to go into your dying swan act." Lucas actually laughed, the first time Keltar had seen him break his stone face for anything other than a scowl. The skin around his scar puckered brutally, but in his eyes there was true amusement, a sight both frightening and somehow endearing. "Our Jedi Master Tomack will probably, given the psyche profile, given to us by our dear friend, Cap," Weir continued, his eyes finding Keltar's, "go himself and leave the kid with the padawan by the ship. Keltar, I want you in position with Proktor as well; when Tomack reaches Lucas, you fellows move and detain Master Tomack." Weir looked at Lucas again. "You understand my meaning." Lucas opened his robe to reveal two long blasters, one strapped on each side of his waist. "I do." "Do I get one of those?" Keltar asked. "You don't have one yet?" Weir said. "Criminy, you people . . . I have a simple job . . ." Proktor spoke up. "I think I left it in your locker, Cap." "Fine," Cap said. "Don't forget it," Weir said. "We don't want to be caught short handed when Master Tomack finds out what's going down." "I won't," Keltar said. Short handed was exactly what they were going to find themselves. "Meanwhile, I'll be at the ship with Gibber. The padawan will likely try to board the ship to secure the child and then return to help his master. Gibber and I will take care of the kids. Both of them." Dun shook his head. "Our ship will be posted at the next docking bay over from the Jedi's, whichever that turns out to be. You'll get an update on the escape vehicle's location after we've got it in place." "So, stun the Jedi and then join you?" Keltar said. "Do your best to get to the ship," Weir said. "That's all." Keltar nodded. "I'd best get that blaster out of my locker." "Right," Weir said. "The Jedi should be arriving in less than three hours. It'll take him probably that long to get the child cleared through the paperwork and get back to his ship. In six hours, we're a go, gentlemen." They all, Lucas included, smiled and clapped their hands. Ran Keltar's pulse was thundering in his head. In six hours . . . Tomack would lose a child and Ran Keltar would be on board a ship with that child. Dun Weir would take him then to the child he was looking for. Ran Keltar felt the weight of his saber pressing into his spine. And then . . . then all hell would break loose. -----signature----- All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 5/1 2:47pm Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	They all, Lucas included, smiled and clapped their hands. Ran Keltar's pulse was thundering in his head. In six hours . . . Tomack would lose a child and Ran Keltar would be on board a ship with that child. Dun Weir would take him then to the child he was looking for. Ran Keltar felt the weight of his saber pressing into his spine. And then . . . then all hell would break loose. I can't wait for the next update. -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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Rogue1-and-a-half Title: Manager: Amphitheatre Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 5/9 12:16pm Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	Tomack went about his business like a man who had read the script three pages ahead. Keltar had always known this about him. He seemed consummately in control, always thinking ahead, always anticipating. This had always seemed an incredible positive and therefore incredibly annoying. Now, Ran Keltar was seeing things a little differently. He was waiting, chewing on his thumbnail, a habit he had given up years before and in his mind he was berating Tomack for doing everything so perfect and so exact. As before, he seemed to have read the script and he was setting himself up exactly as Dun Weir had anticipated. He had been gone for very nearly half an hour at this point and only five minutes ago, Proktor had stepped out on the street and removed his hat, a signal to Dun Weir at his station near the ship that the bomb was planted and things were all going as hoped for. Ran Keltar glanced at his chrono and then reached behind him to the crate where he had leaned his weapon. It seemed strangely light as he picked it up. He glanced to one side; Lucas was smoking as if he had not a care in the world, his chair tipped back against the wall, his hat pulled low. It would have seemed to a passerby that he was keeping the sun from his eyes; he was, in reality, keeping his scar from prying eyes. Keltar's commlink clicked. Lucas' must have as well but he showed no sign. Keltar jumped in spite of himself. It was a go; Tomack and Vivistec were returning, child in tow. Keltar slipped his blaster under his jacket and stepped quickly to the corner of the alley. It was them all right, coming down the quiet street in the midday cool. A breeze stirred. There was a moment of stillness and then from the alleyway just beside Lucas, there was a sharp concussion, incredibly loud and a burst of fire and smoke. Lucas, Keltar noted, did not react. In spite of himself, Keltar jumped again. Tomack and Vivistec had reached the ship, but at the sound, Tomack whirled, incredibly fast, his hand finding his saber. His other hand landed on Vivistec's shoulder and pushed him, hard, toward the ship. Vivistec, holding the child's hand in his own, stumbled, fell full length. Tomack was dashing across the street as another sharp concussion sounded. Lucas reacted. Finally, for God's sake, Lucas reacted. He was up, out of his seat, the chair coming up in one hand. He flung the chair into the middle of the street, his cigarette incongruously still clenched in his teeth. His other hand was already plunging into his robe, already leaping from the low porch into the street. Tomack began to turn and then Proktor appeared from the alleyway, a gun also in his hand, aimed at Tomack. Beyond them, Vivistec was stumbling to his feet, the child was crying. Dun Weir and Gibber were just coming out of the shadows of the hanger bay. Ran Keltar landed just behind Lucas, his saber already in his hand. He ignited it in one move and as Lucas' hand came out of his robe, clutching the pistol, the blade swept down and across, severing Lucas' hand at the midpoint between elbow and wrist. Tomack was already moving toward Proktor. Lucas spun, his other hand coming up, somehow his presence of mind not slipping, though Keltar wouldn't have expected it too anyway and the blaster slammed into the side of Keltar's head. Keltar let the blow push him to one side, his saber followed suit and Lucas' knees hit the dirt, his body remaining upright for just as long as it took his severed head to hit the ground behind him and then the trunk of his body slowly toppled as Keltar leapt over it. Vivistec was on the ground, Gibber's knee in his back and Keltar didn't even pause as he aimed his blaster and pulled the trigger, aiming to take Gibber out with a blaster shot even as he kept moving toward Dun Weir and the child. The blaster clicked harmlessly; no shot came. Gibber was slowly standing and his hands were waving in the air, his blaster on the ground next to him. Keltar ignored him; behind him, he could hear Tomack putting Proktor down with what sounded like a boot to the head. He'd leave Gibber for Tomack or maybe Vivistec would finally grow a pair and do something effective on his own. In any event, Dun Weir was standing still, one hand on the child's head, the other holding a blaster which was slowly turning toward the child's head. Ran Keltar had a moment to register that this was out of character and then he was there, leaping through the air, his saber extended and it went straight through Weir's chest, like a vibroblade through butter. Weir's eyes widened and his knees sagged. Keltar swept the child away with a single motion and took Weir by the collar, his momentum pushing them both backwards toward the wall behind him. Weir struck, the saberblade still extending from his back slicing through the wall. "Where is the child?" Keltar shouted. Dun Weir opened his eyes again and Ran Keltar felt everything shift suddenly. Dun Weir laughed. "It . . . wasn't . . . me . . ." he said slowly, every word forcing itself out with an aspiration of breath. "The child you took from me," Keltar screamed. He felt the blaster barrel slam into his stomach then and there was a small pop. Keltar tensed, drew back, sliding the blade out of Weir's chest to assume a fighting stance a pace or two back. Weir grinned at the small tendril of smoke coming from the blaster barrel. "None of the guns . . . are . . . real," Weir said. The blaster fell from his hands and then he slid down the wall to the ground, his head lolling to one side. "I . . . never . . . took a kid . . . not once . . ." Keltar shook his head. "What?" Weir was dead. Tomack stepped up beside him. "Ran, what the hell's going on?" Tomack said. "He's right, none of the guns are real." Keltar turned around, his eyes finding Lucas' headless corpse, Gibber's body laying near Vivistec. "It was a set up," Keltar said, raising the gun in his own hand, the gun that had been real when he'd received it that morning, but wasn't now, was strangely light ever since he had picked it up in the alley. "We just killed three peaceful protesters," Tomack said. "God, Ran." "Go back to Coruscant," Keltar said. "Explain things." "I think you'd better come back with me," Tomack said. Keltar shook his head. "Weir was the one . . . Weir took the kid . . ." "I don't think so," Tomack said. "I think he knew you were looking, I think he knew who you were." Keltar felt his knees go weak. "Three peaceful protesters . . ." "Yeah," Tomack said. "The Council is going to want to talk to you." "Yes," Keltar said. "Yes, I'll talk to the Council." Tomack saw something in Keltar's face change. "And then I'm going to talk a man named Xerton about a story he told me. A story about Family and Future." Tomack put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll cross that one when we come to it." Keltar found Tomack's eyes with his own. "I wonder . . . how many lies I've been told." Tomack shook his head. "The Council can help us with that, I think." Keltar nodded, clipped his saber to his belt. "I wonder . . ." END OF PART TWO -----signature----- All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 5/11 6:35am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	"We just killed three peaceful protesters," Tomack said. "God, Ran." "Go back to Coruscant," Keltar said. "Explain things." "I think you'd better come back with me," Tomack said. Keltar shook his head. "Weir was the one . . . Weir took the kid . . ." "I don't think so," Tomack said. "I think he knew you were looking, I think he knew who you were." Keltar felt his knees go weak. "Three peaceful protesters . . ." "Yeah," Tomack said. "The Council is going to want to talk to you." "Yes," Keltar said. "Yes, I'll talk to the Council." Tomack saw something in Keltar's face change. "And then I'm going to talk a man named Xerton about a story he told me. A story about Family and Future." Tomack put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll cross that one when we come to it." Keltar found Tomack's eyes with his own. "I wonder . . . how many lies I've been told." Tomack shook his head. "The Council can help us with that, I think." Keltar nodded, clipped his saber to his belt. "I wonder . . ." Oh my. Please keep me on the PM list for this one. -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Proud New Army Mom - off to bootcamp!
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Katana_Geldar Title: Former CR Tasmania, AU Registered: Mar '03	Date Posted: 7/18 3:04am Subject: RE: Broken Circuit (The Innocent, Part 2
	This is great rogue, just go onto it with the excerpt thread. Glad to see someone else is trying mystery in SW! -----signature----- Jacen and the two Vergeres http://swfanon.wikia.com/wiki/User:Katana_Geldar/Jacen_Solo%2C_Vergere_and_the_Force You love your noir? http://boards.theforce.net/before_the_saga/b10475/28179404/p1/?10 Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent.
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