[Init.] Containment

[Nephill Kilner]

OOC: http://www.thestarwarsrp.com/forum/showthread.php?45604-Init-Containment-(OOC)

Containment​

A Story Of Intrigue, Danger, and Horror​

A Fight To Survive

The elite members of The Initiative have been contacted by a desperate medical research corporation known as Unified Biotech Systems, Inc., to discreetly provide an unconventional solution to a catastrophe. Research being conducted at Facility 931 on the world called Coveway II, a dwarf planet in the Koradin sector in the Outer Rim, has been compromised by a breach. The facility has been lost, and an evacuation failed - as of 30 hours after initial reports of the crisis, no contact has been made with anyone from the station. The corporation has been dreading the worst.

After a scout team also failed to report back after being sent in 6 hours after the initial distress call, the corporation has resolved to contain the situation. The Initiative is being offered a multi-million contract to go in and secure the station. This involves uncovering what has transpired at the station, rescue any survivors, recover as much research as possible, and destroy all evidence of the station's existence.

The corporation is growing more nervous as the clock ticks, and is clearly panicked by the prospect of anything unauthorized leaving the facility.

The Planet: Coveway II is an average sized world in the Koradin sector in the Outer Rim. The only other planet of notice, Coveway, has been uninhabited after a colony set up by the Galactic Republic of old fell apart. UBS owns the rights to the world. There are no law enforcement or medical facilities in the entire sector, save for the ones on Coveway II. Volcanic in nature, sparse vegetation grows (limited to moss and low lying plants), covering dark ash. Looming mountains and active volcanoes dot the relatively flat terrain. There are some pools and lakes, and in the Northern and Southern tips there are frozen ice caps. The world is covered in a seemingly neverending cloud of mist (low lying clouds). The world's atmosphere is filled with lots of methane and carbon dioxide, and only 15% oxygen. The world is still in the process of developing the means to support complex forms of life, and UBS has not bothered to spend millions to terraform a planet that holds only one remote facility. Gravity and atmosphere is standard. The world cannot support anything better then microorganisms. Larger creatures that can survive in extreme conditions have no incentive to make their home on the world.

OOC: Pics are based off of Iceland in the summer/spring. Think the opening footage in Prometheus.

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The Facility: A medium sized facility, the research being conducted was classified, although one can infer it is medical related - and dangerous enough to be located in a remote, uninhabited world. Self contained and self-sustaining, it contains staff quarters, research labs, storage rooms, a comms/command center, and an armory. Located near the Northern ice cap, it is covered in snow and ice in the winter. In the spring (current setting), the ice is melting away and grass and moss are growing over the volcanic ash. A cool mist prevents the sun's rays from illuminating the area, but allows for a cool atmosphere - not that one can go outside of the controlled atmosphere of the research facility.

The facility is staffed by over 200 researchers, fifty of which hold degrees. There were also 100 security staff, which is a very unusual amount for a medical research facility. The security staff were equipped with weaponry on par with those used by the military forces of the Empire and GA, along with armor and other equipment.

The facility was equipped with a powerful communications dish, and the power generator is a stable fusion reactor that is unlikely to have shut down. Therefore, it is unlikely the cause for this incident is related to a power failure or communications failure.

It is also laced with self destruct charges in the event of widespread contamination. Requires three of the senior staff to insert special keys into a computer console in the command center, along with retina scans for confirmation of identity. Self destruct was not activated.

Art of the facility: http://robertdbrown.deviantart.com/art/Sci-Fi-testing-facility-145693560

The Employer: Unified Biotech Systems, Inc., is a renowned, albeit relatively new biotech research corporation with an emphasis on medical applications. Its corporate offices are listed with Coruscant addresses. Most interestingly, it is owned by a conglomerate that controls a variety of corporations that deal in various industries, and has known government ties. UBS has also employed some of the brightest scientists and has accumulated a large budget to support advanced research on planets that it holds the rights to, despite being founded less then a year ago. It has also put together the means to offer a 3.5 million contract to the Initiative for completion of the following objectives:

1. The rescue and extraction of any survivors
2. The recovery of data
3. Secure the facility and compromised material - may require destruction of the facility

The secondary team that was sent in was made up of 40 heavily armed security staff members that were in the nearby sector. Again, no return contact after entry.

The corporation is acting most strangely, and has demanded the group depart and arrive in orbit of Coveway II before it elaborates more on the circumstances of the mission. It has warned not to expect functional environmental systems, so the team must be equipped with personal air supplies/suits that are rated for biological threats. They have also requested Init starships be on standby to eliminate the facility by orbital bombardment if necessary.

The whole thing is very mysterious, and very unusual. A corporation with government ties and its own, private security force, is outsourcing a very unusual and dangerous mission to a private institution. The mission reeks of suppressing some sort of dangerous and tragic occurrence that should never have occurred. One can guess that something is amiss, whether it be bribed inspections to overlook safety regulations or illegal research.

--

The Initiative Team: The Initiative responded to the UBS contact within five hours, scrambling a team together comprising of some of its most elite members that were on standby in a nearby sector. The team is unparalleled in training and experience, and far exceeds anything the corporation could have assembled. The group is traveling in a small fleet. The Initiative contracted Captain Relli Andaros of Corellia and his independent crew to orbit in their corvette a support role. The corvette is armed with several turbolasers, to provide an orbital option if needed. The Initiative's science specialists and support staff will also be on board to support the ground team. The group is now on the verge of exiting Hyperspace at Coveway II, approaching the 36 hour mark since the distress call was sent out. The team will enter by Specter-class shuttle, which traveled independently. The two starships have rendezvoused in orbit. The team traveled on the corvette, known as the Corellian Fortune.

Cast:​

Nephill Kilner as GM/NPC of environment and all other NPCs

The Adamant Crusader as Borey, mysterious shapeshifter "3 n 1"

Gaja as Jon Vega, Deadly Chiss Immortal

Solaris as Nasiri Lavii, Chiss High Immortal

Luster as Lupo Sherradde, Mercenary

Xan as Xanthus, Gray Force Sensitive


Caluum Fallire as Or'dinii Fett

Niklas as Wraith

DISCLAIMER: Characters subject to injury. Nothing life-threatening without your consent (but a volunteer to make the plot more realistic would be nice).

 

[Nephill Kilner]

In Orbit around Coveway II, 36.5 hours after distress call
0 hour

Space.

Void and empty.

Dark.

Unforgiving and cold.

Exposure to space, unprotected, would result in unconsciousness within 15 seconds for a healthy human. Thirty seconds for bodily fluids to freeze over.

At the same time, intriguing.

Specks of light twinkled warmly like an all-encompassing blanket.

Coveway II was like an angry splotch of paint an impassioned painter had haphazardly flung onto a canvas. Indistinguishable colors, the world looked like a blob of grey, green, and black. The perfect setting for a biological emergency.

The Corellian corvette Corellian Fortune dropped out of Hyperspace suddenly, blinking into existence just outside of the planet's gravity well. The ship's navigator was clearly trying to show off. The Initiative's Specter-class shuttle had been in planetary orbit for two standard minutes earlier, and upon the Fortune's arrival, thrusted out to meet with it. The two ships slowed as the two came together, airlocks connected in a precise and fragile operation that could result in a disastrous collision if done carelessly.

No such disaster occurs this time. The two airlocks mate seamlessly and pressurize, and the captain of the Fortune, Relli Andaros, bids his strange group of passengers good luck and promises to be on standby as they immediately enter the shuttle. Within a minute, the shuttle has detached again and proceeds to enter into an atmospheric approach. The shuttle is piloted by a faceless Initiative grunt, and the ride is smooth and silent as they enter into Coveway II's atmosphere, on route to the Northern Hemisphere where Facility 931 lays.

Mid-journey, a holoprojector begins to play. Text scrolls. Updated information from UBS, their employer. They only reiterate the three objectives of the mission, and further advise extreme caution and the importance of wearing their biological warfare suits, which also provide an oxygen supply and radiation shielding from the planet's thin atmosphere. The only new details the skittish corporation offers is that military biological research was being conducted on the planet, along with complete blueprints of the facility. This, coupled with the fact around 300 lives have already been lost on the planet's surface, should be enough to spook even the most hardened commando.

The only reasonable explanation is that the facility was raided by space pirates. Why else would a medical corporation send in heavily armed mercenaries to a research facility, instead of a science team? Or even worse, dedicated mercenaries who were sent to commandeer the facility. Such mercenaries could be armed with the best weapons credits can buy and perhaps even armor or air support at worst. Such are the threats the team must be planning for.

"Five minutes till landing. Final approach," the pilot's monotone voice states.

The group has several minutes to perform final checks of their equipment and introduce themselves. The team was hastily assembled, and split up while traveling on the corvette. They will have to rely on their experience to create instant team chemistry. It might also be prudent to check comms with their support team, a group comprised of a science expert, a computer hacker, and an adviser to help them navigate the facility. A medical team that is part of the ship's crew is also available, as they are the only chance of receiving medical treatment for several lightyears.

 

[Gaja]

It had been roughly seven months since Jon Vega was last on a mission for the Initiative. It wasn't that he'd gotten lazy or scared of doing the job, rather he spent some time with his new friends over at the Chiss Ascendancy. Once more returning to his roots of being a soldier he was now part of the Immortals, as evidenced by the necklace dangling around his neck just a few minutes ago. Though with permission from the High Immortal herself the man joined her on this mission.

Once more adorning the ICA Mk. I armor of the Initiative this suit was sufficiently modified for this mission. The HUD software was update, an oxygen supply was added, as was radiation shielding for this particular job. Still for the most part Jon Vega appeared as he always did, big, mean and menacing in his suit of armor. They had no idea... The man was far different in many ways from the last time he went out on a mission for the mercenary organization. Jonathan Nash has little idea of the changes Nasiri and Jon went through since they joined the Immortals, but he would soon hear about it, and probably rejoice that they were on his side.

Performing one last check of his weapons and gear the heavily augmented human looked around at the team that was assembled. He remained silent, nothing wrong with his gear, no need to speak. His rifle was attached to his back and shoulder while his side arm was on the left side of his lower back. The man looked, through the red "eyes" of his visor looked at his hand for a few seconds wondering what the effects of the Phoenix virus and all that augmenting would feel like. Looking at the rest of the team, and anyone who looked at him Vega would only nod at, confirming that he was indeed ready...

 

[Solaris]

Nasiri meditated in her room in the passenger quarters, her mind walled off from the others' to leave her alone with her own emotions and her own feelings. She noted the information the holoprojector displayed, mentally recording it for a more in-depth analysis later. Even before she was an Immortal, she had been gifted with perfect recall; now she was practically a living computer. A genius with a memory like a holorecorder, Nasiri made an able High Immortal.

A raid like this was child's play for her.

Nothing about the conclusion of pirates or mercenaries made sense. Not on the surface. They wouldn't send a team of commandos after mercenaries, they'd send an army of mercenaries. Not for the price they paid - the Initiative was paying them a quarter-million each, with healthy combat bonuses to be assessed later, so the amount the corporation was paying must have been astronomical.

The requirement for biologically sealed suits meant only one thing: This was a disease outbreak. The claim of environmental control failure was just a cover, and a flimsy one to boot.

The company had ties to the Alliance, being based on Coruscant. Being that the Galactic Alliance did not engage in biological warfare, that they were sending in a team of commandos rather than a unit of mercenaries, that the team had been equipped for protection against bio-weapons, the lab must have been engaged in defense research. Nasiri's own adopted home-world of Naboo being under quarantine due to a Rakghoul outbreak, and more outbreaks bubbling up throughout the Alliance thanks to Sith efforts and ordinary quarantine failures, it seemed more than reasonable to her that the lab was involved in Rakghoul research.

The conclusion took Nasiri less than a minute to reach after the holoprojector had finished its broadcast; before that, she had not bothered giving the events any thought. Her lips curled in a mirthless smile. Good thing she was Immortal. "Vega," she commed over her implanted comlink, a signal untraceable and undetectable by the technology available to the Alliance or the Initiative, "tell me you figured it out."

 

[Luster]

Lupo Sherradde shifted nervously in his Initiative Recruit Armor. The armor was sealed against hazardous environments and contained it's own air filter as well. That might come in handy since this group might run into any number of chemical and biological contaminants while on the ground. This was his first mission with the organization and was basically his trial by fire, not a good time or place to mess up.

While UBS stayed tight lipped about what they were working on down they they had not said a peep about what the problem was either, leaving his imagination to run wild. It could have been pirates or mercenaries who were looking for some quick cash. But how had they ended up out here? And a secret and isolated station doing high level reasearch would have enough security to beat back the odd band of raiders. But most importantly was it possible that whoever shut down the facility released something bad? UBS seemed to think so. Who knows what could have been let looser out of containment down there, this place looked to have been built with containment in mind.

Judging by the blueprints the projector displayed most of the major thoroughfares had several blast doors that would cut off parts of those halls, the obvious labs were cut off by airlocks, and the facility was on an isolated planet that could be quarantined very easily. All warning signs that he did not want to go around pressing random buttons and messing with test-tubes. Whatever UBS had been working on down there had to have been some scary stuff. But was it scarier than a forces that could subdue the whole three-hundred person population of the base with ease? Or were they in fact one in the same?

Lupo put his head back so that his helmet hit the bulkhead behind his seat and let out a tense breath. He needed to loosen up every muscle in his body and calm his mind. There was no deadlier force than someone who posses utter calm on the battlefield, and he did his best to be that warrior. He closed his eyes and took slow deliberate breaths, letting the tension and unease leave with every exhale. When he was relaxed and his mind back hin the zone his eyes snapped open. He was ready.

 

[Xan]

Within the confines of the metal plates that comprised his armor system, the Assassin sat in a meditative posture that promoted the passage of thoughts within the labyrinthine passages of his mind. Months had passed since Operative Xanthus had done an assignment for the Initiative, though he still counted himself to be amongst their number. Truly there had been little time to devote to the delicate games that revolved around the Operatives of the Initiative. Knowledge and power always came before business, and while not conducting his business Xanthus had grown in these two respective areas. This did however leave Xanthus feeling as though something more was required of him than usual, a mission that would offer recompense for his long absence. Thus he had taken one of the more difficult assignments that he had ever seen the Initiative offer.

An unseen ghost of a smile dimly lit Xanthus's face as he thought over the facts of the mission: a facility that had gone silent, resisted attempts by armed personal to extricate researchers, and now required the more precise hand that was being sent in without being let in on all of the facts. The entire situation was frankly rather easily seen for what it was: something got out, something that was not supposed to be released quite yet to cause whatever devastation it was meant to cause. 'One does not simply offer a quarter-million credits for clean-up duty.' Xanthus thought to himself as a voice indicated that five minutes were all that remained for preparation. The ghostly smile became one that was worn for the acceptance of irony; Xanthus had come prepared, that he was sure of. His armor system indicated that all systems were fully operational, including the environmental sealing. The matte-black armor was currently fully charged and ready for action, though it was running currently at minimum operational standards so that every ounce of energy could be spared for the mission. The mission...

Xanthus found his thoughts wandering to a day only so long ago when a mission of his had given him a thoroughly different outlook on the way of the Force. That day had also unlocked more of his potential, as such events are wont to do. Clenching his fist and releasing it a number of time experimentally, the Assassin thought to himself that perhaps within this mission he would have the opportunity to display that which he had learned. 'This might very well be interesting.'

OOC: Sorry I'm late everyone. Had an out of town trip that I only just returned from. I'll be able to post everyday from this point forward.

 

[Niklas]

I don't remember how I got here, but it wasn't like I could get away. I tried to move my arms. They were met with the cold grace of durasteel. I didn't fight it. My moth was gagged, and my face was covered by an oxygen mask, followed by what seemed to be a bag. I felt sick, the mask producing large amounts of sweat across my face. I rested my head against a hard surface behind me. The butterflies in my stomach had sprung to life, and it didn't seem like they were leaving any time soon.

I could think of a billion reasons why I was here, but only one stands out. The Rahkghoul Plague. Aside from it being a major part of myself and my personality, I knew enough about it. The plague and I were practically family. I figured that was why I was here. The Plague. I had something to do with this, hell, I was technically the cause for humans to be susceptible to it. And The other side... well... That's a different sory. I may just be here because I have certain abilities. Like changing into an epic kriffing monster at will/force. I think they're both valid reasons.

Through a mask and hood, I could kinda pick out certain things. I was in some kind of a transport. The five-minute warning gave everything away. ISat up, feeling myself bound around the shoulders and waste by cargo-straps, no less. I sighed. Through a hood and mask, I manage to get out:" So, when is the surprise party starting?"

 

[Caluum Fallire]

Or'dinii sat to one side and corner of the dropship, taking to his wrist mounted adjusting vibro-blades with an old and weathered looking grindstone small enough to fit into the palm of his hand. While he had attempted to keep it quiet so as to not disturb the eerie silence in the pod, it wasn't the easiest thing to shush, stone grinding along metal. He rested his head back against the headrest behind him and continued, after his childish nature had started tugging at him to take on a more impressive posture, knowing full well the incessant noise was soon to garner him some attention.

This was his first mission for the Initiative, but he had shown promise in the manner in which he conducted close quarters combat enough to apparently qualify for this job. The whole thing sounded off to him, but he soon put his concerns aside, replacing them with an anticipation to get to work and a desperate curiosity to know what was really going on.

Regardless, the silence began to gnaw at him, and he soon opted to speak up against his better judgement. For better or worse, perhaps he could at least get to know the team.

"Five credits says freak accident."

He looked up, still donning his full suit of age old Clone Trooper Assassin Armour, unsure what to expect from the commandos who'd bothered to turn.

"Anybody else got a theory? Sounds like a freak accident to kill so many so quickly, mercs aren't usually interested in research centres are they?"

 

[Nephill Kilner]

The group does not have that much time to debate. Four minutes passes like a blink of an eye.

The ship shakes for a steady few minutes on atmospheric entry, and then smooths out. Out of the transparisteel ports, one can spy the smoking hulk of the research facility in the distance, the black fumes in stark contrast to the white snow. There are visible blast marks, but surprisingly few active fires. There is only one major smoke cloud, and three lesser ones. The facility is larger then it appeared on the holos, about the size of a university campus - except all enclosed. In fact, only a good few feet protrude from the ground, as most of it is covered in snowfall or partly submerged into the ground. What does poke out is uniform gray durasteel, with a few clusters of broadcasting spires and a sizable satellite array system, intact, sitting on a stone ledge. There is some block lettering spelling out the company's name and the facility's number, nothing too exciting.

The pilot lands the ship next to one of the facility's four entry points. The other two are buried under the snowfall, the other is the source of the fumes. This one seems to be mostly intact, though there are a few jagged blast marks on the door. The pathway to it has been cleared of snow. About thirty meters to the right of the parked shuttle is a burning hulk of a corvette sized dropship, the flames slowly crackling. The fuselage is already mostly burnt and twisted, and the snow is quickly smothering the rest.

"Have fun out there. I'll be around awaiting your comms call. Temperature is -20 degrees Fahrenheit, wind is thirty five miles per hour blowing northeasterly. Happy hunting," the nameless pilot broadcasts, and the single landing ramp opens. Snow flurry immediately blows into the area. It is about fifteen meters to the door.

 

[Gaja]

"That we'll be walking in to a Rakghoul pit? Yeah... It's not gonna be pretty."

The man said through his comm to the only woman in their little group. Though he, not for a second, didn't make the mistake of underestimating Nasiri because of her gender. The woman was the High Immortal of the Chiss Ascendancy, and much like he, she was heavily augmented. With the Phoenix Virus inside their bodies Immortals really could be described as super humans. Increased intellect, better memory, super human strength and many other things were the gifts of the Virus... There were some pretty serious risks and drawbacks as well but as Vega cracked his neck he figured that it wasn't that bad.

Either way the man stood up, encased in his heavy armor and was the first on to walk out of the transport. Studying his surroundings he immediately drew his rifle and moved away from the ship, making room for everyone else to exit. If their reasoning was correct, and he had no reason to suspect otherwise from the reports that were given to them, they would indeed need the guns. "Let's move out." The man said to the entire team through the comm as he moved past the burning gunship and towards the door.

Looking at the complex that was in front of them Jon could only imagine just how bad things were inside. Actually he couldn't quite imagine it, but he'd certainly see it for himself in a few. Reaching the door he secured the spot and would allow anyone else to open the door while he stood ready, in case anything jumped out at them, it would get a nice hello to the face from the Immortal...

 

[Caluum Fallire]

"You don't have to ask me twice."

Or'dinii stood upright, pushing his blades back into their locked positions inside their 'sheaths' on his forearms, and started for the door to the end of the shuttle. The first thing he noticed was the piercingly bright light, reflecting off the snow and straight into his visor, which was struggling to tint in time so he'd had to bring an arm up to his face and block as much light out as he could.

Once the light had died down however, it was the slight nip of cold along some of his less insulated and padded body.

Ignoring the cold, if not embracing it, Or'dinii looked past the glare of the sunlight and towards the doorway.

"My credits are still on freak accident, are we sure a generator didn't go down and they froze to death?"

He wasn't sure how far his very light humorous approach would go, he had hoped far, but from what he'd seen of his team already he wasn't sure they were the talkative kind.

"Gunna be a long day..." He thought to himself, walking down the ramp and making way for the others.

 

[Solaris]

"Just as soon as I get you loose, sweetie," Nasiri answered pleasantly as she walked into the sealed chamber where "Wraith" was bound and shackled. She felt a twinge of irritation; she was going to have words with the command about the proper treatment of fellow sentients. There was no call for him to be so bound. She wore a her Panthac infiltrator suit, glossy black leathery material that fit to her body like a second skin, with her coil-gun pistols strapped to her thighs and a small pack on her back holding a selection of necessities - demo, medical, and the like. Nasiri held the suit's helmet tucked under her arm, and had her brilliant red-gold hair bound up in a twist on the back of her head.

"Well, let's see what you look like under there," Nasiri said as she started loosening the man's bonds starting with the hood. She smiled kindly when she exposed the man's eyes, quickly checking his pulse and breathing before pulling off the mask and gag. She was applying gentle manipulations through the Force both to keep him calm and to help improve his opinion and initial impression of her, each touch further reinforcing the manipulation. She didn't trust him to not be hostile, and that damn fool shuttle pilot was not waiting on her to do it her preferred way. Ideally, he would almost immediately regard her as at least a trustworthy friend.

"Hey hon," she said as she started undoing his shackles to let him move his limbs freely. She wasn't concerned about attack; Nasiri was vaccinated against the Rakghoul plague, and a genetically-engineered super-soldier besides. "My name's Nasiri Lavii. I'm with the Initiative. We saved you from the Alliance, do you remember? They tell me you're dangerous." She gestured towards a suit of armor in an armature coffin and a small weapons locker beside it containing a blaster rifle, pistol, vibroblades, and a handful of stun grenades. "I'm going to need you to prove it, hon."

 

[Niklas]

My bonds were coming off. I could see again, and talk. The woman freeing me introduced herself as Nasirii Lavii. What a weird name. There's something with her voice. Something relaxing. But it didn't take the pain away from the memories. My shackles were off now. She said that I was dangerous. ha.. I smile, and say, "Dangerous. Funny you should say that. I guess you'll see soon enough."

Standing up, I move past her to the coffin. I start to undress, removing my clothing and piling it to the side. I suit up. The armor was weird, fact being that I never wear armor. I turn to the weapons locker, getting a good look at the contents. I took everything. Fully prepared, I now turn to the woman, before putting my helmet on. "I'm going to need my clothes. The suit isn't going to last. Not with what I can do. Unless you want me to freeze to death, but that's up to you. But there's one other thing. You probably already know that I have a lot of questions. So..?" I would soon learn why I was here. Why I'm so important to them.

 

[Solaris]

"The Alliance is convinced that you're too dangerous to live," Nasiri said, hopping up to sit down on an examination table, crossing her legs and leaning forward on her hands. She didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed by the man undressing in front of her, instead studying him intently. His body seemed healthy enough. His mind was a swirl of confusion and chaos, making reading him a rather unpleasant experience for her. Nasiri could tell that someone had hamfistedly tinkered with his mind and memories, the sharp edges a staccato irritation that prevented his emotional emanations from having the proper sort of harmony a healthy mind had. "I believe otherwise. They fear what you are, while I'm much more concerned with who you are." She smiled and tilted her head coquettishly. "So . . . who are you, hon?"

Spoiler: OOC

The armor is specially-made to be elastic enough that it will survive transformation from Human to Rakghoul and back again.

I'm jumping posting order with this so that we can get Niklas up to speed and moving out with the rest of the crew.

 

[Niklas]

Spoiler: OOC

Thanks, Solaris.

I looked down at the ground at what she said. I couldn't answer that question. I knew what I was. Whoever I was was gone. Any fragment of that, aside from the fake life that I never head is gone. I could lie to her, and tell her I was a highly decorated CoreSec officer who watched his family burn. But that wasn't true. I frowned, knowing I had to tell her one or the other. It made me very uncomfortable.

"I don't know who I am. There is no me. I techincally don't exist. They gave me a false identity, a fake life. One with tragedy. I'm supposed to believe I was a detective. A detective who watched his family burn. But I "survived", falling into a coma. I ~" I stopped. I slid the helmet over my face. I could feel my heartrate speeding up, anger and rage welling up. The Voice didn't come back any more. It wasn't a part of me. If I didn't get a hold of myself, I would have turned. I looked down at my arm, watching it shift into a Rahkghoul claw, and then back.

"I'm a nonexistent monster, with no past or future. I shouldn't exist. I'm a science project that didn't happen to die. I'm nothing.

 

[Solaris]

"I don't think that's what you really believe," Nasiri said softly, her brow knit in sympathy and concern. It wasn't entirely feigned. She betrayed no shock at seeing his arm transform like that, but it had disturbed her - as had his statements. They shouldn't have dropped him off in a mission, they should've sat him down with a counselor. Oh, the words she was going to have. . .

"Well, it looks like the armor's doing what it's supposed to," she said with a smile. She used a little bit of the Force to make her words more convincing, to help him hear the truth of them through the barriers of his convictions. "Hon, you're not a monster just 'cause you turn into something ugly. You exist - else who am I talking to? The term that best describes you is a tabula rasa - a blank slate. Who a person is is the sum of their experiences and their choices - given that you have no experiences, you have only your choices left. You are, quite literally, who you choose to be." She hopped down and walked up to him, standing short and looking up at him. Nasiri stood close enough that he couldn't help but be aware of how much smaller than him she was, how delicate and vulnerable. "I think you'll choose to be a hero."

 

[Niklas]

I took off my helmet, holding it in my left hand. It seemed that she was right. I could be anything I wanted to be. A hero? Maybe. She did say I am who I choose to be. Whatever that means. But it seemed to make sense. I don't know why this woman seemed to be so convincing. Every word was almost like a fact. I replied, uneasy,"I wonder what the Alliance would have done with me. I think I wouldn't be breathing, if it hadn't been for you. I know this will come out as selfish, but I wish I had choices. I really don't. My life is limited to what those see fit of me. Aside from that, I'm just an experiment. I'm no hero. I was bred for killing. Hell, I've killed enough already. The Virus became transferrable to humanoids through the use of my DNA... I~ " I stopped.

 

[Solaris]

"You do have a choice," Nasiri insisted. "Sweetie, I saw it myself when you fought the transformation. You chose to do it. That might not seem like a lot, but it is. That's you deciding that you want to be a Human and talk to me, not an animal and fight."

She gently took his hand, the one that had momentarily transformed into a claw; Nasiri projected through physical contact, and thus only did touched someone when the emotions she was expressing were genuine - or to calm someone through projecting her Jedi serenity. In this case, it was something of both "You're blaming yourself for what was done to you," Nasiri said softly, looking up at him with her too-bright cyan eyes shining. "Those crimes . . . they were someone else's doing. The Alliance wanted to punish you for their crimes, for what they did, but I don't. You shouldn't, either. You didn't have any control over what they did to you and what they've done with you, but what you do have control over is you. You might have been bred for killing, but that's not relevant. The virus using your DNA was what it did; the fact that it spread was someone else's action, someone else's choice. Right now we're aboard a shuttle, headed towards a facility that's under attack. People are dying there, and we're going to try saving them.

"So . . . what do you choose to do?"

 

[Niklas]

As she looked up at me, my hand in hers, I felt my face drift from a frown to something neutral. I looked at her. I had to choose. I could be experimented on even further and die by the hands of the Alliance, or I could stop feeling guilty, and do what I've been brought here for."You know, you're extremely convincing. I don't know why. But it seems that you're right. You put up a kind, honest point. " Smiling, I started to speak once more, "So you think hero's right for me, eh? Saving people, shooting the bad guy... that sort of thing? Seeing that there's no way out, I guess I'll have to accept it and be a hero."

I had to do this. If it weren't for them, I'd actually be dead. Before sliding my helmet on, I remembered something. "I don't think I introduced myself. My name's Keven McNeill, as far as I know. But My codename at the lab was Wraith. So. Let's go save some people."

 

[Solaris]

Nasiri smiled, glad that he seemed so responsive. She let go of his hand and took her own helmet in both of her hands, ready to put it back on. Nasiri paused a moment and looked him over thoughtfully. She knew the effects of her little pep-talk would only be temporary, but she was confident that with the proper influence, manipulation, and time in counseling she could build on the groundwork she'd just established to make a good, loyal trooper out of him and restore his sanity while she was at it. "The sort of man who doesn't think he has much of a choice but to help people in need - I think I might have to like you, Keven."

Nasiri pulled the helmet down over her head as she walked out of the room, its glossy black plastic concealing her features entirely. She fiddled with the sensor-specs attached to it a moment, then sealed the helmet down onto the suit's body-glove. "Alright, hon, let's go - the other guys are waiting on us." She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was following, then headed out to join the rest of the crew outside the shuttle.