Part 1: Corbantis
The second chapter in the story:
Dimensional Journey
Co-written with Mark Breedlove
Saturday, September 11, xxx4
An elderly woman in plain ochre robes administered a med shot to the volunteers and guards meant to protect the clients in their stasis units. She pondered the impact on the Force and wondered if this was Fate. As she looked at each one, touched their bare flesh, she got a glimpse of what was ahead of them. It pained her to know that most of them will not see the journey through, even if their charges did. She looked at them all and sighed. Having assisted with this before, she knew that only Zabrak survive. So why didn’t the request for bodyguards stipulate Zabrak only? Maybe it did. Maybe the clients didn’t have Zabrak among their staff. Zabrak are headstrong and usually small community folk. Very proud. Few would even take such a journey. She, as a human, so hoped to be able to join the temple on the other side. But alas, her age and her injuries from an attack so long ago meant she would never survive this trip. Her last patient arrived. She looked into the cool blue eyes of a young Zabrak woman with a fiery stripe of hair between her small horns. On this young face were the familiar three vertical stripes she earned at the age of 15 when she took vows. The face was so familiar that the elderly woman’s eyes filled with tears. “My firecat?” she whispered uncertainly.
Scar’let glanced about nervously, still shy to the closeness and touch of others. Looking into this woman’s face she recognized the priestess from her old temple. The very one who applied the tattoos on her face in a soft henna rusty-brown. Scar’let smiled. This woman would not harm nor betray her. They spoke a bit and the old woman cried.
The elderly priestess handed Scar’let the contact information for the temple on the other side. She beamed with pride and joy that this one survived the attack on the temple those many years ago. She prayed that this will be a safe escape and that this young woman will find peace on the other side, peace and a thriving temple of caring people. She took the Zabrak’s arm and pushed up the sleeve. For the briefest moment she was startled by the inch-wide band of scar tissue around Scar’let’s wrist. Then she deftly administered the injection of a drug that would keep this bodyguard from degeneration on this journey. They bowed reverently to each other. And parted ways… forever.
When I arrived at the transit station, I met... a familiar face! One of my old
teachers from the temple! She was badly scarred... I had not thought she
lived. When she saw me she too was surprised. She wasn't sure she recognized
me till I filled in some blanks cautiously. Then! WOW... she was so happy she
was crying!
She said she has something special for me. She was supposed to go on this
journey too, but couldnt, due to the damage she had incurred before. So she
was going to put me in contact with a benefactor. Some folks named Fyrshka
(another priestess) and a retiring smuggler named Ar'k. They will help make
the transfer smooth. She then wished me luck, strength and courage and gave me
the first med shot for the journey.
I hope we all survive!
Scar’let boarded the ship that looked like a dilapitated cargo freighter with minimal passenger holding. It really did not look like it was for long voyages, and especially not dangerous ones that broke experimental barriers of time and space… to shift dimensionally. But that was exactly the plan. Twenty-two stasis units of high class people and few secret agents were lined in rows with some flight chairs for the guards. Scar’let approached Blimey’s stasis unit. A protocal droid approached and explained the unit controls to each guard so that they may check the status of their charges en route. There were no other Zabrak guards, mostly humans and Mon Calamari and a Rodesian.
Dimensional shift travel is... interesting... not. The trip was long and involved two pauses for jump changes. We were boarded on those two instances. The first was pirates. We all fought them off fairly well. The second was a planned assassination organized by a bodyguard here that was betrying the client he was to guard. HOW DISHONOURABLE! Poetic justice... he died in that struggle. Unfortunately, so did his client... and 5 other clients and 3 other bodyguards. I was wounded, took a stab in the gut. I applied some first aid... but the bleeding won't stop and the wound won't heal. This is one of the side effects to the med we took to survive the journal out of stasis. We are alomost at the first Stopping Station. I hope there is a med centre or at least a doc there.
Hours into the flight, a tedious 14 hours to be exact, the ship came to a halt in the depth of a nebula. The navigational droid smoothly guided the ship from the nebula of swirling yellows and pinks to the open expanse of space and to the next navigational jump point. As the ship emerged from the nebula, a small sized pirate ship caught it in a tractor beam. An alarm blared back into the holds. Since this ship was equipped for diminsional travel, it had no room in its systems for offense, just some minimal defense. The guards all were unanimously concerned whether the journey was over already. The navigational droid worked frantically to to free the ship from the beam.
The pirate ship came up beside them and locked a transport passage to the door with a heavy shudder of the hull. A hiss and the doors opened. All guards stood ready, weapons in hand. They formed a line, a wall, blocking the incoming pirates from the stasis units. Scar’let took a breath and silently prayed all including her and Blimey survived. She gripped her vibroknuckler and stood with a feral stance remembering the wild cats of her past. She vowed her life would be taken before any harm came to Blimey.
The price look of surprise crossed the faces of the pirates. Laser-fire errupted within the hull. Startled and caught off guard, they were force to retreat. The blast door shut suddenly to preserve the life support. The ship tilted and finally broke free of the pirate ship. Cheers resounding in all the holds! The drives hummed as the ship moved into position for the next jump. Scar’let smiled as she verified that no laserfire touched Blimey’s unit and then sat gingerly into her chair to rest till the second pause in space jumping.
Twenty-two stasis units with twenty-two guards were crammed into two holds. The third hold was a combination of supplies for the guards and a small medical spot. Spot is all that can be attributed to this as it was one medical cot and a monitor with some med-packs and stims and first-aid supplies tucked into a nook not occupied by boxes and crates of rations and other supplies. Normally the stasis units would be spread throughout the three holds like cargo and stacked with supplies for the en route spaceports. All will have to manage with the cramped accomodation. Scar’let figured she was faring well with a chair and no one to bother her, though she really did not enjoy the cramped and enclosed space. She closed her eyes to try to shut out the memories of when she was transported to Lok. The first 14 hours were difficult. She wondered how long it was till the next pause.
She must have drifted to sleep for she was startled by the sounds of a scuffle. Two stasis units over from her was a fight among the guards. Snippits of disoriented conversation came to her. Assassination. Risking others. Stupid human. The fight escalated. One shoved another. A knife was drawn. A human snarled and hit buttons on the stasis unit. Another tried to restrain him. They both fell over knocking the instrument panel of the unit next to Scar’let. Alarms on two units went off. Scar’let lept up to protect Blimey’s stasis unit from the scuffle. The fight drew in a few more people. More weapons were drawn. Two more units were damaged. A pike got swung in the close confines splitting the skull of another guard ans smashing into another stasis unit. Scar’let blocked a tumble into Blimey’s stasis unit.
When the scuffle ended and the bodycount was done, five stasis units were permanently damaged. All anyone could do was watch as those clients slipped into death without ever knowing it. Three guards were dead, including the one who started the fight trying to assassinate his client. Several guards were wounded. Mostly bad bruises and some stab wounds, Scar’let among them with a bandage over a stab wound to the gut. The dead were jettisoned out the airlock. The hours passed slowly from there. So, she reviewed her datapad and added to her journal.
We made it to the first major pause. It was a pocket in the dimensional jump path. It was a large enough pocket to plunk a space station. There was a doc who patched me up. I will have a scar. He gave us the next injection... and warned us of some of the side effects. Partial memory loss was a strong possibility. Well, good thing I write everything down, eh?! But he mentioned that the memory loss can also be bodily. That means, I will practice my unarmed combat either with the others on the ship or against my shadow. The dimentional shift also deteriorate things... like clothing. He advised us to get "shift suits" at the next stop.
Well... it felt like an extremely long and uneventful 3 days to the second station. BUT... the time keepers on my datapad say that less than 24 hrs went by. WIERD!!! I had practiced my combat skills and counted things, and reread my journal over and over.... But I did not think our 3 days was actually ONE! I thought it was a bad memory screw up side effect. At the next station, the doctors and technicians informed us that time is a bit different in the shift tunnels. They gave us the next shot and let us know that this was the last leg of the journey that we will not be in stasis. It has 5 pauses. We were given specially treated weapons as all general effects tend to deteriorate and degenerate in this part of the journey. I aksed if the pendant I was wearing could be treated too. I got a HEAVY reprimand for even bringing it! TOUGH!!! After some grumbling... they agreed to treat the metal pendant... but could not treat the leather thong holding it about my neck. SO I tucked it safe into a pocket, close to my heart.
We got our next shot, were reminded of the side-effects and sent on our way.
Wow... 5 pauses... and a specially treated vibroknuckler. They must really think
something would go wrong.
Well, it did!
We were briefly attached at the first pause, but the pause was so short the ship
only got scortched a bit. The second pause was long enough to be boarded by
thieves. They attacked to distract us as others stole the food and meds and
spare shift-suits. Many of us took small injuries... but the attack was not
meant for killing... just stealing. They also took our flight driod. The other
bodyguards worried about the small amount of food left. I worried about not
having a flight droid. Would we be stuck here?
Apparently not. We jumped according to schedule... I just hope it was in the
right direction.
Nothing happened at the third pause... though we were all asleep. I can't quite
remember. Memory of some things is getting fuzzy. I tried to remember my
scouting skills and techniques but drew a blank. DAMN. Same with the first aid.
My unarmed I am trying to keep up in practice. I read through my datapad journal
(which they specially treated for me too) to make sure i don't forget other more
crucial things. One of the human bodyguards is now useless as he has forgotten
even his own name and sits in a corner wimpering.
3 stops so far and it felt like a week, but my datapad should be keeping "real"
time and it says 18 hours. Ug.
Well... that was unpleasant. The trip between pause #3 and pause #4 was like badly set hyperdrives... we left our lunches... and our stomaches behind somewhere along the way. The pause was like a sudden stop that knocked a stasis unit over crushing a man to death. We managed to free him, but there was no hope. And that stasis usit was damaged. I don't know if the person inside will survive. We hope they do not "deteriorate". We wrapped the poor dying guy and made him as comfortable as possible during the pause. He died a few moments later. I am glad Blimey is still ok. Now... we are just "surviving" with food rations and bad flying. The next jump was as bad as the last. So a droid pilot makes a big difference in the balancing... but the ship is otherwise on a programmed autopilot. One more pause and then the third official stop at a station. It is almost over. Thank Gods.
We came to the unpleasant sudden stop for the last pause before the station. I
feel like I am losing my mind but trying to keep cool and calm about it. Others
here are losing thier minds. Time is erratic. At one moment, we think we have
been sitting here for 2 days to find out only a few hours went by ... the next,
we grab a short nap and find out nearly a day passed. This is the longest pause.
We are wondering when we will be taking the next jump. Without the pilot droid,
we have no idea. Our food is low and we are hungry, which is not helping.
nvjctu 576tlko… grrrr….
crap... we are being attacked!
The unnamed freighter had unwittingly passed too close to an asteroid field, not knowing what lay in wait for it. Once past the field, small, unmarked fighter ships lifted from the larger asteroids’ surfaces and took up formation behind it. Realizing it was in danger the freighter lurched forward to full throttle, trying to get some distance between it and its pursuers. The fighters broke off into a flanking position, three fighters on each side of the ship, with a transport ship up the middle. The fighter wings took strafing positions and opened fire. The unlicensed ion cannons and pirated lasers ripped through the meager shields of the freighter, and slammed into the hull. The fighters took up position and the transport moved in. It latched to an aft port and blew the seal of the freighter open. The transport’s contents poured into the freighter: a wave of anger and hate and hunger in the form of blood thirsty pirates intent on two things… death to all in their way and the capture of the tasty morsels asleep in stasis units.
They poured into the freighter, hesitating momentarily at the lack of resistance. In order to secure the ship, they broke off into six squads of five. The leader took four squads to the cargo holds, one left for the bridge, and the fifth squad left for engineering. Arriving in engineering, the pirates found no one. There seemed to have been some fighting here before but no humanoids were there. Not even service droids. Dutifully, they took up positions to guard the area in case resistance decided to show its face. The main force approached the cargo hold area, and their goal that awaited them inside. No resistance from their hull breach to the cargo hold meant everyone was dead, the stasis units were unguarded or everyone waited inside the holds for them. A crackle from the leader’s comm raised the attention of everyone as he was told engineering had been captured without a shot fired. The leader barked orders and the pirates took up positions to the left and right of the door, far enough back to allow the door to be breached. Charges were set and then the chaos began.
One group of guards with the stasis units had noted the pirates’ movements within the ship. Greatly outnumbered, they decided they would need to work with the other group to have a hint of a chance. The guards from one cargo hold crawled from their position to the hallway behind the pirates. They would either have to kill the pirates as they tried to breach the first hold or die protecting their own stasis units. Seeing the charges being placed, the guards dropped from the ceiling maintenance panels firing their weapons. Two of the guards drew their swords and rushed the pirates. Green blood splattered the narrow hallway as pirate after pirate was sliced open. The pirates reformed and shook the surprise from their minds. One of the swordsmen had fallen, a laser bolt to the spine. The second fell as his legs were swept out from under him with a deadly pike. Dazed he lay on the floor as the other guards began to take direct fire. These small lizard-like pirates were faster than anticipated. He glanced to his right in the hall as a silver cylinder rolled past him. A cryoban grenade. The blast of cold blew him back through the pirates and slammed him against the cargo holds door. He peered through the chaos and witnessed his fellow guards immobilized, frozen by the cryoban grenade solution. Now, icy crystallized corpses shattered into shards as they were pierced with a pike. He looked down to where his arm used to be, and tried to stand. What were once considered his legs, now flopped against the hull, useless. Soon the rest of the resistance fell and the pirates turned their attention towards him. Realizing the futility of fighting he dropped to his side, giving into his fate. It was then he realized he was looking into the eyes of the leader, whose dead hands still gripped the trigger to another charge. In one last futile attempt, the guard tripped the switch, exploding the cargo door, killing himself… and many of the pirates who had gathered around.
As the fight ensued the guards within had been slowly rising to their feet and arming themselves. They pulled armor off of the seriously wounded so that they may have a better chance. The remaining guards knew many of the wounded were already lost. A wild-eyed Zabrak female took a wounded human’s bracer, to protect her arm that was holding her vibroknuckers. The soft hum of the knucklers served as a reminder to what was about to pass through the door.
Outside the few remaining guards had called their cohorts away from their posts. The squads dispatched to the bridge and engineering area soon arrived, ready for a fight. They poured through the blown hatch, intent on eradicating their prey. Many were met with blaster fire and swords. The guards were just too outnumbered. Although they fought valiantly, the six still standing guards soon lost a member and the stasis unit he protected. Most of the surviving guards were on their knees clutching a near fatal wound. One remained unwounded… the Zabrak female, Scar’let. She was cornered by two pirates. Evil grins spread across their toothy snouts as they took in her well-hidden female form. She would be a very tasty morsel indeed, and it would soon be theirs. She sprang at them, intent on ending their thoughts, when she was struck by a blade across her shoulder. The pain swelled in her as she dropped to one knee. The blood coated the flesh of her arm, down to her hand. Something happened…. As the pirates were preoccupied with arguing who would be first with the new toy, the smell of her own blood hit her nose. Her head slowly raised, her eyes fixed on her soon to be tormentors. She bore holes through them as she gathered her strength, a strength welling from deep within. The pirates stopped their arguing and turned to her gaze. Their faces transitioned to fear at the intent reflected in her eyes. She pounced at them like a cat hunting its prey. The vibroknuckers nearly sliced the first one, then the other’s head off. As the pirates’ bodies hit the ground, the remaining invaders turned towards her to end her life. Small and fast as they were, she turned out to be faster. She swiftly spun and leaped, landing behind them. One took a swipe from her knuckers across the back of his neck, instantly becoming as limp as a boned fish. The distraction allowed two of the wounded guards to take aim at the remaining pirates. They fell, leaving one…the one with the Pike.
He turned to leave the Zabrak female to die slowly from her wound, and then he stopped. One female could not hurt him. He turned back towards her and stood facing the panting creature. He gave a brief salute to the warrior before him, and then they fought. With all her strength she blocked and parried his strikes with the Pike. Suddenly she stumbled on a body and fell onto her back. He struck at her with the pike and drove it through her flesh. She screamed a primal scream as she swung her vibroknucklers around, cutting the pike. Impossible! One half sat embedded in her shoulder, the other lay in the bewildered pirate’s hands. His eyes were fixed on the broken pike versus his prey that suddenly moved with the speed of a Plainscat to thrust her knucklers into his chest. She pierced both lungs with one blow. The pirate, stunned with disbelief, fell to his knees, still clutching his broken pike. The ship’s savior collapsed, drained from the battle and the peak of her rage against the pirates… swallowed by darkness.
One of the Mon Calamari lifted her from the floor by Blimey’s stasis unit and placed her on the one med cot. The four other guards, who all sustained minor injuries busied themselves jettisoning the dead, pairates and all, as the ship jumped its last shift jump. The wounded were treated as best as can be with what little of the supplies were left, though many of them died anyways. Scar’let was still seriously wounded but still clung fiercely to life. Thankfully the jump was short and the ship was guided by autopilot into the station. Some were still whispering things about the Zabrak and her miraculous fight, hinting at the mystical Force or the frightening feralness that took hold of her and saved their lives.
Well... I am not sure how long it has been as time in the shift jumps seem to be skewed. My datapad got wrecked last week when we were attacked and boarded. I am grateful that the core of it was still salvagable. The carnage in the ship was... unbelievable. They (some small and fast lizard-like race) attacked us and tried to take the stasis units. We fought long and hard. Many were injured and dead, many of the stasis units damaged or taken. I am glad I kept up my practice of combat... it did me good when I fought for Blimey's life. His stasis unit was fine... even when it was jostled by the sudden jump. I, on the other hand, was not fine. Now I can really see why the bodyguards were necessary. Blimey would be lost otherwise. I only wish I could remember how the fight went. I keep drawing a blank.
At the station, doctors did extensive medical treatments. But they said they
could do little more to help me until the Shifting meds wore off. So we were all
(all 5 of us left) split up onto different ships for different things.
The intact stasis units took their scheduled transit which should get them to
Radiant in about 2 weeks real time. The injured bodyguards were put into
short-term stasis and sent on a medium risk transit which will get them to a med
centre in Radiant in a few days to a week. I was among the two emergency cases.
We were put into a low-level stasis with a fast but high risk transit and
arrived in Radiant ... well today. Or ... rather a week ago... I am all
confused. Time is off and it will take me some time to get adjusted. This
low-level stasis was to help regeneration. Most of us had to go through some
form of reconstruction or cloning when we arrived.
That meant... I arrived and woke in my original core DNA signature, before any
image designers had modified my looks. It also meant that I lost much in the way
of skills and knowledge and recent memory. I am glad I have been so diligent
with my journal or I too might have lost my mind as the Rodesian next to me....
So... now I have like a whole week of datapad journaling to get caught up on as
I just got a datapad now and have been in Radiant for a week. What a time-mess.
I am as confused as you are. I do not recommend doing what I have done. The
cost... is too high and too risky... unless the reason is so important that none
of that matters. Mine was.
Blimey will not arrive for another 2 weeks... and then be in the process of
de-stasis (if that is what it is called) for another week.
I will try to update this journal to today's events and catch up on what has
happened to me over the past week in this new Radiant dimension.