26: Friend or Foe?
"Okay, white robes, bad idea" Arielle yelled as she danced across the puddles of grey liquid and crossed both her blades before her to fend the Selkath named Ortuno off "Really really very bad idea!"
After sitting down with Theron he'd begun explaining everything he'd uncovered about Colonel Darok, the assaults on Korriban and Tython and Arielle's least favorite mysterious Sith, Darth Arkous. Both men had turned out to be working together and the assaults were merely a front for their true quest—obtaining ancient Rakata technology. They'd come to Manaan next and made several visits to an underwater facility and now it was up to Arielle and Lord Scourge to find out what they were up to exactly while Theron had gone to meet with a potential new ally.
"Stop worrying about your dry cleaning and finish him off already!" Lord Scourge shouted back as he himself faced a group of Shasa warriors.
One of them grazed his shoulder with a lightsaber as he whirled around and Lord Scourge leapt over the fighters to reposition himself. He found his footing on a set of railings not a moment too soon when Ortuno began channeling lightning across the room and watched as Arielle had no other option but to shield herself.
"He's, very powerful" she strained herself against the onslaught as the Selkath drove her into a corner.
Ortuno swung for her the moment he stopped channeling, his swords raised high and Arielle just barely ducked down in time as she rolled away. She landed on her feet behind him and prepared to strike when he formed a lightning blast and knocked her far back.
Lord Scourge jumped down and ran his sword through the last Shasa warrior foolish enough to chase him "Are you going to let me help you now?"
"Nope!" Arielle made a somersault charging right back at Ortuno and she successfully left a searing wound across his stomach.
The Selkath hissed at her as he sent another wave of crackling Force energies her way but Arielle was prepared and caught the stream on her blades, pushing back until he relented.
Ortuno fell back, his energies turned against him and Lord Scourge stepped aside while smirking down at the creature. He gestured for Arielle to go ahead and do the honors and she swung both her lightsabers overhead before burying the tips deep within the Selkath.
"See? I can do it just fine." she grinned as she sheathed her blades.
"I know you can" he shrugged "Those poor white robes though..."
Arielle laughed and playfully smacked his arm before activating her earpiece "Theron? We've taken care of the big fish, now where to?"
"Sorry, not Theron but an associate of his" they both heard a female voice respond "He's busy with his scanning equipment. Apparently he's picking up powerful energy readings from Gorima's laboratory. Readings consistent with Rakata technology."
"Alright then, the lab it is" Arielle agreed "Do you have a name?"
"Lana, and please do whatever you can to stop it, good luck."
"I guess he found his ally."
They made their way for the sliding doors and stormed through facing several more strike teams before finally reaching Gorima's laboratory and after wrongly presuming them to be part of Darok's team, the Selkath began explaining their plans. He revealed he'd been working to reverse engineer the Rakata technology in order to start creating an infinite army.
Arielle was about to raise further questions when she was interrupted by one, or two rather, prisoners she'd released earlier when they first entered the facility. Jakarro, a wookie, and the droid head he carried around named Deefour stormed in demanding retribution for all the experimental testing the geneticist had done on him.
"If you're going to do something, do it now" Lord Scourge whispered to Arielle "I sense another Sith nearby, no doubt Darth Arkous."
"I sense him too and I'll bet my left hand the Colonel is with him. We need to find them."
She spun around at the sounds of a battle cry and saw just in time how Jakarro tore into the geneticist in order to make the man pay "Jakarro!"
"Forget him Jedi, they're here."
Lord Scourge inclined his head towards the observation deck looking out over the laboratory where Darth Arkous and Colonel Darok both appeared.
"Look Darok, it's your Jedi and her Sith lover."
"I told you to let this go, your part in this is over." Colonel Darok warned though he seemed little bothered by their presence.
"Sorry, I don't take orders from treacherous scumbags like you." Arielle fired back as her eyes searched for ways to join them up on the deck "I knew it, the moment I returned from Korriban. Why?"
"To save the galaxy."
Before Arielle could get another word in, the shields sealed off access to the platform and Darth Arkous and Colonel Darok vanished from sight. Moments later, Arielle, Lord Scourge, Jakarro and Deefour were met with a loud blast as the entire structure shook.
"Theron, what's happening?"
"Lana here, sorry. Theron's trying to salvage any data he can and you need to get out of there fast. They've detonated a bomb and the whole facility is starting to sink to crushing depths."
"Suddenly, not so fond of the water" Arielle groaned as they ran from the laboratory "Do you have an exit strategy for us or just more bad news?"
"I'm afraid all the emergency pods have been ejected and all hatches leading back to the facility's entrance are sealed off."
"I'm still not hearing a plan." Lord Scourge huffed as they now found themselves knee deep in the water that began flooding the structure.
"Yes I'm aware—fortunately I've secured a small watercraft for you which should be docking at a hatch near your location shortly."
"Near, where?"
"Through the room just up ahead but beware, their cyborg champion is coming for you. I can sense it's power from here, it's considerable."
Lord Scourge and Arielle briefly glanced at one another before charging the door and pushing through. Exactly as Lana had predicted, a massive Selkath enhanced by cybergenetics barged in bristling with fury.
"Okay.. now I'm gonna need your help." Arielle grimaced to Scourge before they both raced forward to deal the first blow.
Meanwhile back on the surface of Manaan, Theron rushed to salvage whichever he could about the infinite army the Selkath had been working on while Lana and her own two partners watched the security footage of the fight which ensued inside the crumbling facility.
"Oooh look look, he's going to tear her apart!" Me'ghan chuckled as she watched the champion tear into Arielle's shoulder and the Jedi screaming in agony "This is a lot better than those dreadful reality shows Vette tends to watch."
"Indeed my Lord." Quinn agreed as he paced around behind her.
"This is not something to amuse yourselves with!" Theron snapped, occasionally glancing at the screen with concern for his own allies.
"Sorry Agent Stick in The Mud" Me'ghan snorted.
He rolled his eyes and beckoned Lana over, turning off their comms for just a brief second while he whispered "Is there any chance you can get them out of here before Arielle and Lord Scourge make it back?"
"Why?" the blonde Sith frowned at him.
Theron sighed. He'd recognized Malavai Quinn's name immediately and he hadn't forgotten about the talk he'd promised to have with Arielle the moment she got back. This was one confrontation she likely didn't need right now but he had little time to explain it to Lana.
"Forget it never mind just, help her please. Help them get out of there."
Lana nodded and re-engaged her comms as she began speaking words of encouragement to the Jedi and her partner below the surface.
"Aww they killed it." Me'ghan sulked as the cyborg fell to the ground and collapsed.
"Apologies, but the remote docking procedure isn't quite finished.." Lana informed Arielle and Lord Scourge as she rushed to the consoles and sent several commands down to the watercraft.
"You're a Sith."
"But not your enemy, not today. Now are you interested in a ride back or would you prefer to swim?"
"Sith or not, I won't turn down a helping hand."
"I do appreciate a pragmatic mind."
"I'd say make them swim." Me'ghan grinned whispering to Quinn.
Her husband nodded "Who's the Pureblood, anyone you know?"
"Dear Quinn, unlike you I don't keep records on every single Imperial or Sith identity." she teased and playfully poked him in the ribs "We'll find out when they make it to the surface I suppose."
Theron, having managed to save all the data just in time, sat back behind his desk and anxiously looked back and forth between the door and Malavai. In the palm of his hand he held his datapad detailing Malavai's report submitted years ago about his missing niece and Theron wondered if he'd recognized her at all or if her hood and robes had kept her unique appearance hidden so far.
He cussed to himself wishing he'd made a move sooner and told Lord Scourge everything the second he found out rather than putting his faith in Satele's good intentions.
"Shan! Kolto now, she's got a large gash on her shoulder!" Lord Scourge bellowed as he supported Arielle under his arm and walked her inside.
"It's not that bad" she tried to laugh, oblivious to their company as she shrugged out of her robes and tried to glance at the cuts left by the cyborg's claws.
"Here" Theron rushed towards them with a cloth and some kolto solution.
Lord Scourge pulled up a chair for Arielle and sat her down as he took the items from Theron and began dabbing the kolto soaked cloth against her torn skin.
"Such fuss over a little shoulder wound, I can barely see it from here" Me'ghan snarked as she watched the scene unfold "Nice tatoo though or is that a birthmark?"
Next to her, Malavai Quinn stood frozen on the spot.