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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1988472" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 138: First Date with Destiny - Running Off Without Saying GoodbyeIs it done? Did it work? That was Shadow, or at least, she assumed it was.    Yes...I believe it did. Check everything just in case though. Marix, or maybe that was Shadow and the other was Marix? No...no this one was Marix.    Body...arms...hands...tail...ears?    Ears. Marix confirmed.    What about eyes? Its all dark! It sounded panicked, but more of a childish panic that had to be Shadow.    They’re closed.    Oh...right...yes... Shadow went ‘silent’ a moment, then Which form do we use?    Three. For now at least.    For now, then.     They opened their eyes to the world. It was just as both of them had left it, save for a decrease in the number of occupants within the room by one. The room came into focus and they...she could see the three others. Akan had actually left her alone, moving over to the two humans and speaking quietly with one of them. Jen was sitting up, so it was likely her. Jen’s eyes wandered across the room and then found the other Alraxian. Turning, she looked back to Akan and pointed back.    Akan looked towards her...them and looked less surprised than would have been expected. [Are you okay...?]    She nodded, mumbling, “We’re...I...I’m fine.”    Jen looked to Akan with a confused expression, still pointing to the other Alraxian, “You actually understand this?”    “Vaguely,” he shrugged, “Best I can understand is that um...well, there’s just one of them now.”    “One of them?” Jen raised an eyebrow before giving Akan a critical look, “That was a very good explanation. Insightful and detailed. Remind me to ask you to explain the intricacies of hyperspace travel sometime.”    Akan actually grinned, “Oh, that’s easy. Ship go fast fast. Fly long way in short time.”    Both Jen and Shadow rolled their eyes at the same time. But behind Akan, blocked from Shadow...Marix...their vision, Titus spoke up in a gruff and exhausted voice, “This is all wonderful, but you never did answer my question. Why are we sitting around here still?”    Akan bit his lip and turned to look over to...to Shadow. She shrugged, Marix shrugged mentally, and Akan sighed. Wonderfully helpful. But he got to his feet and said, “Then off we go.”    [They don’t know Nine got away, Akan.]    He looked over his shoulder and back to the sitting Shadow, who was wearing both her usual morphsuit and his clothes...which were big on her. He sighed and nodded. [Do you want to tell them?]    [I’m...we’re...still working out who ‘I’ am at this point.] Shadow’s voice was almost a whimper in Akan’s head.    He rolled his eyes and waited for the two Voorts to get to their feet. [And how long is this going to take?]    [It could be a while...] that wasn’t Shadow’s voice. There was just a slight difference in the way it sounded to prove it was Marix. [For now its best to just...pretend nothing has changed. We’ll work things out.]    [Whatever you say.] Akan grumbled before looking back to the Voorts. They’d gotten to their feet and were staring at both Alraxians. That glazed look showed there was a private conversation going on, and Jen had gotten to the point where it was at least slightly annoying. It showed a lack of trust. One that was becoming all too common from Akan, but to add Shadow...or whoever that was now, into that made it even worse.    She looked to Akan and gave him a serious look that was impossible to dodge, “What’s going on?”    “I told you,” Akan said quietly, shrugging again, “ I only know vaguely.”    “Not that,” she snapped back a little too quickly, “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”    “And not much time,” Akan cut in, shaking his head and stepping past them to the exit of the large, currently very bloodied and messy chamber. But Titus stepped back to allow Jen to catch Akan’s arm and grip it roughly. He stopped and turned to find an angry expression before she waved at the chamber behind them.    “What happened in here, Akan?” Jen’s words were calm, but had a bitter edge to them. Yet somehow, she looked concerned. Concerned because she already had a good idea because of Titus’ quiet comments on feeling darkness.    But his expression did change, becoming slightly helpless and much more like Jen had remembered him being. Akan’s voice was quieter, barely above a whisper, “I don’t know.”    While Jen’s expression became more sympathetic, understanding that he wasn’t lying to her, Titus’ changed. Before, he had been simply curious, but now it had gotten to the point where he knew there was danger. So he said sternly, “I know. And whether you chose to admit it or not, Akan, you do too.”    The young Alraxian turned away and stared at the floor without another word. It was a surprise to all of them when Shadow stepped in and pulled the two Voorts back, saying quietly, “Leave him be. He does know, but its something he will have to deal with alone. There are more important things to do now.”    That wasn’t Shadow’s voice. Or at least, it wasn’t in the same usual tones. Akan knew it was Marix speaking, as he had the advantage of the link to hint the chaos of the other’s mind to him. But Titus wasn’t lost either, knowing Marix when he heard her. So he nodded, allowing for Shadow’s usual voice to kick back in as she pressed through them and to the exit, “Nine got away.”    As the three of them followed, Jen asked, “What about this place?”    “I’d destroy it if there was time,” Shadow spoke bitterly, and started to lead them through the very dark series of corridors. She made sure that Akan was close behind and started the navigation back the way they’d come. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Nine was around one of these corners...waiting. She would know how to mask her own scent and hide in the Force. And she would probably try to go after the Voorts in the rear first...maybe Akan should go back there...? No. No that could be dangerous. He was still on edge and staying up here she could glance back to glare at him if he got into another argument with the Voorts.    He is an odd one. Marix idly commented, finding that there was little for her to do but literally tag along for the ride. Shadow ignored her and led the way, feeling odd as Marix searched through her memories. Learning. Taking everything in. It didn’t take long before she was going after the link, learning about Akan.    Whatever happened to privacy? Shadow found the time to ask it as they rounded another corner.    There was the equivalent of a mental of a smirk from Marix. Hypocrite. You know you’re curious.    Shadow grinned to herself, glad for the darkness so no one could see. The only hint to Akan was the odd feelings through the link, but it seemed that he was ignoring those for the moment and focusing on...on...she couldn’t tell. Marix could, but was too busy digging through other things.    But their quiet and cautious trek to the turbolift went uneventful. Traveling up in that turbolift was even more worrying, as they truly didn’t know what was going to be there when that door opened. Jen exchanged a look with Titus, and he knew there was something she wanted to say...but she stayed silent. That worried him some, as it was very unlike her to be so secretive as she was giving off in the Force. It was faint, but he could tell it was there. Something more had happened down in that clone chamber. There was a definite change in all of them since then and Titus didn’t like any of the changes.    The turbolift stopped and the door slid open. The makeshift hangar looked the same as they had left it. Wait. There was a sound. And movement. It wasn’t the movement of a person...but a ship. A ship?! All of their eye’s widened as Loki took to the air, lifting up and then shooting back before disappearing from view. Shadow ran out into the hangar, getting a quick sight of the ship disappearing off into space and yelling out, “LOKI!”    Even a mental cry would have done no good. Loki was fast, especially when it came to atmospheric travel. He was fast. And he was gone. Gone. Loki. Marix had ached to see her old friend so badly. Shadow had neglected him for too long on Corellia. And now...he was gone. Gone and they both knew exactly how. Nine. Nine had the same genetic makeup as the other clones and Loki wouldn’t know the difference. And now he was gone. Gone. Shadow whimpered and stared up at the bleak and off blue Coruscant sky. Loki was gone.    “Did anyone else just hear that?” Titus asked suddenly breaking the silence that had dropped over them all. Shadow looked up, sniffing the air. A smell. Strong. Near...and while it wasn’t familiar to her, it gave her a bad feeling that was similar to deja vu. But it was dangerous. Something in the Force within this area radiated a strong hatred...anger. Pain. Though part of it could be traced to Akan, there was another. Another that she couldn’t pinpoint. It was hunting. Hunting them.    Quietly, she said, “There’s something here.”</blockquote>

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