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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 1990884" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 139: Reeled InAnd so they searched the ruined hangar. The Voorts went around the back of the X-Wing and Alderaan, while the two Alraxians quietly and carefully went around the front. They found nothing. All of them could feel something near. Something...but they found nothing at all. Nothing.    “We’re being watched,” Titus said quietly, making sure to continue walking around and looking just in case. When the others looked at him like he was a fool, he added, “Sniper’s instinct. I doubt the person we are looking for is anywhere near us.”    Akan looked out towards the exterior, “Well, we can’t just sit around here. Let’s just get out and forget it.”    This time, all eyes fell on him. After a moment, Shadow shrugged and grumbled, “The longer we wait the farther away Nine gets with Loki.”    There was a silence among them, then Titus nodded, “Alright. But she’s long gone by now.”    Jen couldn’t help agreeing, but raised a hand, “Where would she go, though? And why steal Loki?”    “Loki’s fast,” Shadow answered quickly, not sounding happy at all for obvious reasons, “As for her destination...from what I could gather, she is a bit...unhinged. Many of the more successful clones ended up losing their minds after only a few missions. The Empire didn’t know what they were doing with such a different brain structure.”    Titus agreed, leading them all to the cover of the Alderaan to speak...just in case, “Yes. Many had to be...killed because of it. But that isn’t the issue. If we’re going after her, which I assume we are, where are we going?”    Shadow didn’t speak until they’d reached the interior of Alderaan, standing in the small entrance way near the lounge, “She spoke of Ket. I do not know where he is...but I believe finding him could lead to her.”    The tail-less Halpak was involved with the remnants of the Black Sun last time I remember Marix interjected into Shadow’s thoughts. That was years ago, though, so I doubt that will do any good. Perhaps that is a place to start?    Thinking on this, Shadow shrugged visibly and mumbled, “I don’t know where she would go. I think we’re stuck.”    All of them went silent again. Then, breaking the silence suddenly, Jen spoke up, “Shadow, where did you go when you first escaped from that place down below?”    “I don’t...don’t remember...” Shadow mumbled. But a moment later, Marix was in their mind after digging through buried memories. You met up with your smuggler friends on Ord Mantell.    Shadow sighed and wondered why Marix got a better access to her memories than she did herself. It wasn’t right. Or even very nice. Or fair. But Marix was right. She shook her head before anyone could say anything else, “No, no I do remember. Ord Mantell.”    “Bounty hunter and smuggler’s haven,” Akan said to himself, obviously not liking the idea all that much.    Titus didn’t like it either, “That’s asking for trouble.”    “But what if Nine is there?” Jen asked, almost sounding more interested in finding Nine than Shadow did.    “The idea of her being in any populated place is worrying,” Shadow admitted, and then the tone of her voice altered just slightly enough to indicate that Marix was speaking, “If she is working with Halpak then we cannot delay. Every trail must be followed.”    Titus exchanged a raised eyebrow with Jen before nodding, “Alright. Ord Mantell it is. Shouldn’t take too long to get there.”    It took only fifteen minutes for the Alderaan and the X-Wing to leave the planet and make the jump to hyperspace. None of them noticed the ship that lifted off from not too far behind them, following them from a distance and becoming lost in the traffic above Coruscant. The small patrol craft waited a few moments after the shuttle and the starfighter had left the system before transmitting a short message to his employer and then following them.* * * *“You have Loki?’ Ket Halpak leaned back in his rolling chair as he looked at the small holographic image of Nine that stood on the other side of his desk, “Very interesting. What of the child? Has he found them?”    Nine bit her lip in the way that Marix had always done when she didn’t want to say something. No matter how much Nine had changed from Marix’s original personality, some small things still remained. After a moment, her voice still the cold and emotionless constant, she said, “There was a problem. It seems that he made it aboard Loki and...waited.”    “You mean you left with him?” rolling his eyes, Ket leaned forward again and idly glared at the holo of Nine.    She nodded, “I will...will bring him back when I return. I will set him loose on the next planet I reach so he can wait for her.”    “No,” Ket snapped, shaking his head, “No. Go about your plans. Have some fun. But bring him back here.”    “You are sure of this?” Nine raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t the first time she’d questioned him like that, and likely wouldn’t be the last. At least she didn’t get the idea to take it any farther than a question. She would be dangerous, otherwise.    “I am sure,” Ket said calmly with a nod, “It will require that a few plans are changed, but it will not be a problem. Perhaps then we can witness the entertainment first hand.”    Nine smiled and nodded, “But that is assuming that she follows me that far.”    “Oh, she will,” he smiled too, a much more dangerous and predatory smile, “Your younger clone is as resourceful as you. She will likely avert any trouble you leave in your wake. Hopefully, though, it will not be so easy that she smells the trap.”    “I will hide my scent,” Nine tilted her head in a bow. It was her way of indicating she was finished. So quick she was to avoid criticism.    But just before her holo faded away, Ket said quickly, “Make your scent known. But lead her to the trap in a way that she will not detect it.”    And then Nine was gone again. Ket sighed and sat back in his chair again. An interesting turn of events, but not one that could not be dealt with. However, now was not the time for him to. There were things to check on. Getting to his feet, he started to the far side of the gigantic chamber towards the turbolift. If all was on schedule as it should be, they could be on their way to the Hidden Worlds just after Nine returned. He smiled as he stood in the turbolift. These days were so exciting. And they were only going to get better. He would have to pay attention to the holonet to see the trouble that Nine left behind for the young clone to deal with.((Attached is a little character sketch for Shady, with a rough look at an Alarix off to her left and the real Marix in the background.))</blockquote>

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