Starspeaker IC (Closed for silvertongue217)

[silvertongue217]

And so they slept. both of them free of worry as they found peace in each others arms. Jase reacted to her joining him even in his sleep curling up with her and sighing in pleasure. Sam checked on them one last time before going back to managing the ship and plotting their course ot Korlift.

...............

MEANWHILE

The man stood on the deck of his ship watching the stars twinkle. The computer in front of him showed a real time display of the two hyper gates his prey might have gone through. The station was only a pit stop but they bought enough cold weather gear to hint where they were going. Instead of following them the man had simply decided to wait watching the gates and activity for the unique ship.

He stood there for hours not moving not saying any thing. His helmet and body armor even though he was alone hadn't come off so there was no hint of the emotion he was feeling.

He simply waited

The computer finally beeped the advanced tracking system he was using tagging a ship that matched the targets Ion signature. He pulled it up zooming in and studying the ship before he went to his command console. His ship roared to life and he was off barreling after the ship that held his prey.

..........................

Jase woke up stretching out and smiling as he saw her curled up around him. He smiled and kissed her forehead before he got up patting her ass before he went into the bathroom. He took care of himself and then went to make some breakfast before joining Samantha on the bridge.

"Did you work it out?" Jase asked coming in and sliding into the pilots seat.

"You will be happy to know we did" Samantha said giving him a smile and sliding into her co pilots seat "at least we came to an agreement"

"thank you" Jase said turning to her and smiling "I promise you wont be sorry how far are we to Korlift?"

"ten hours out" Samantha said frowning "I dont think this is a good idea"

"im not even going down" Jase said shaking his head "In and out" He murmured reaching out and touching his branding.

"I'll go with her" Samantha offered "I mean I have to since we are linked but I can watch her back"

"I would appreciate it" Jase said sipping his water

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Jase and Sam dropped Vera right into Kolift's air base. Vera gave him a gentle kiss and a long hug before they did, telling him that she would make it as quick as possible. It should be simple- in and out. She was well aware of the different possible life forms on the planet and there was no overt cause for concern. After their geographical scanning they figured that there was a network of caves in the old mountain camp that looked promising. They had also found similar disturbances in their scans to the ones that had occured at the other two orb locations. They got stronger and stronger as they scanned the mountain in more detail, and Samantha assured Vera that the scanner imbedded in her suit would be able to help guide her once she is in the tunnels. That planet had been chosen by PEACe for the station as it had flooded due to environmental conditions. The section below the mountains, in the water had been that way for as long as the orb had existed, or so their research told them. Vera pulled out the orb and swore to herself when it failed to react. Just as she had suspected, it refused to light up. IT seemed that they parts were each meant to be found in order. Vera sighed and tucked the orb back into her pack. She was going in blind.

To access the caves Vera would have to go through the station and head for a section of mountain behind the fence between two sets of barracks. Even though she felt alone in this ghost of a place she was pleased that Jase hadn't come with her. After being dropped in she went straight into the front offices. The bulk of electronic records had been destroyed in the uprising, the victims hacking into the computer terminals and wiping them clean. She hoped that the experiments had kept individual records, or that she could find something to hint at what went on there. Something that could teach her about herself. About Jase's history.

Vera managed to make her way through several of the offices. Even after all of these years they still looked as though the uprising happened yesterday. Chairs were upturned, furniture broken, doors hanging of the hinges. However, there was nothing that she could find of any value. Instead she turned to leave the office complex, dejected, but tripped up on a loose flooring panel. She looked down, noticing that the square of it was different, the joins between it and the next were futher apart from the others. She squatted down, pulling at the edge. With a grunt and a heave it snapped loose, reaveling several data packs underneath. Her eyes widened as she snatched them up. She tapped the screens, pleased that they still worked. Immediately they recognised her vein scan info and unlocked, automatically giving her top clearance access.

"Vera, what's the situation?" Samantha's voice came over the comms.

"Just getting to the fence," Vera lied, "There's some debris in the way that I need to clear."

"No you're not. I can tell. What are you doing in the offices." Samantha's voice was curt, Vera sighed.

"Look, I'm trying to find information."

"I doubt Jase would appreciate you snooping about there."

"I'm not looking for information on him," Vera snapped, event thought it wasn't entirely try. "I'm just trying to find something, anything. I've discovered that information is worth a lot to the council if presented at the right moment. I've used it to get out of scrapes before. I'm hoping there might be something here just in case things go pear-shaped on us."

"And will you share your findings with us?" Samantha queried, the answer she expected clear in her tone.

"Let's me see what there is first before we discuss that part of it."

Vera scrolled up through the info on the pads. With her access there were dozens of folders; inmate records, experimental details, project planning. Knowing she didn't have the time to look through the information now she took her pack off, slipping the data packs in and then putting it back on. She would deal with them later.

"Okay, on my way."

~*~

There was some junk in the way of the entrance to the caves. Without Jase or anyone else watching, Vera was able to use her enhanced strength and mag gloves to deal with it efficiently. She then entered the darkness of the tunnels, the red light of her torch casting it in an eerie hue. Between herself and Samantha, they worked hard to get her through the tunnels. Vera could get a good read of when the interference was getting stronger, but because the natural tunnels didn't follow the logical sequence of a man-made structure she was unable to figure out how to get where to go without Samantha's frequent scans of the tunnel network and guidance of how to get north, or east west but lower. They worked together well, all business despite whatever quarrels they may have had in the past. Vera had a feeling it might be to do with Sam and Jase's history on the planet.

Then, she saw it. The tunnels opened up before her into a large cavern. It was huge, the edges receeding into darkness. And there, in the centre, was a glowing red orb seated on a rough hewn pedestal. The only problem was that the cavern floor was broken- falling away into the mountain depths. Luckily, the armour Jase had made her came equipped with microboosters. With gritted teeth and a careful touch Vera was able to hop over to the orb, snatch it, and then hurry back to safety.

"Right," She announced, pleased with their progress thus far, "I have the orb, I'm on my way back now." Vera had committed the turns and twists she'd taken to memory and getting back out of the cave without Samantha's help would be easy enough. "My ETA at the air base is an hour. Will you meet me there Sam?"

 

[silvertongue217]

"You do realize how redundant that is right?" Samantha said appearing next to vera and raising an eyebrow.

"I'm in your blood" Samantha said "I go where you go so I can't meet you any where"

Samantha was about to say more when she suddenly paused staring off into space. She stayed like that for several long moments before she frowned and then her eyes widened in fear.

"Some thing is wrong with jase!"

,........

Five minutes earlier

Jase growled pacing across the cock pit as he tried not to focus on the planet spinning below him. It looked innocent enough a simple blue and white planet much similar to the fabled earth every one hailed from.

But he knew the truth

Flashes of his past rose to meet him, the pinch of a needle, the smell of ammonia, and most of all the screams of his parents saying no over and over again. His grip tightened on the chair bending it slightly as he tried to calm himself.

"Of all the fraking places" jase swore glaring "you old space wizards had to pick here!"

He didn't like it, didnt like it one bit. There was some orb hiding on the same place as the empires dirty little secret? There was no way that was happenstance! He smelled a conspiracy one he was ever increasingly determined to get to the bottom of.

If he didn't get killed first

His only warning was the glint of metal. It was enough however for him to dodge to the side just in time for the shuriken to thud into the deck exactly where he had been seconds ago. He continued his roll sensing more than seeing the other two that tracked his roll.

"What the-" jase said popping back up his eyes narrowing as he scanned for the source of the knives. His eyes widened as he noticed a man step out of the shadows clad in entirely black body armor.

"Don't suppose your here to swell girl scout cookies?" Jase asked raising an eyebrow as he sent out a mental command to Samantha. However an error flashed and a connection not established flashed over his eyes. He swore internally dropping down into a crouching fight as he waited for his answer.

The answer was three more shurikens

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera started at Samantha's appearance, surprised that she managed to manifest without the aid of the ship's onboard resources. She brushed it off though, rolling her eyes at Samantha's comment. She was just about to tell her that Samantha knew exactly what Vera meant when the construct spaced out.

"What?" Vera demanded, not liking the vague reference to Jase being in danger, "What is it?"

"There's an intruder on the ship trying to kill him!" She said, Vera's heart skipped a beat.

"Then why the fuck are you wasting processing power on me?" Vera cried, waving at Samantha to get concentrate on Jase. "I can get out of here on my own! Over ride the controls of the ship, land it at the pad and I will get on board. Hopefully they can hold out until then."

 

[silvertongue217]

"Don't you think I would do that if I could!" Samantha said her voice in her ear not bothering to physically manifest "frak I'm locked out of the system!"

Meanwhile

Jase jumped charging forward with his shoulder and sending them both barreling down the stairs. They crashed onto the deck and Jase scrambled to get on top of him and punch him. The man/ bounty hunter/ creep (who doesnt have witty banter during a fight!) was luckily packing no weapons besides his retro throwing stars.

Unlucky for him his opponent was very very skilled in combat

"Frank" jase shouted relying on every bit of his skills to keep up. Lucky for him the man didn't seem to know about his enhancements which meant he was able to (mostly) meet him blow for blow if not he would have died in the beginning. He managed to land a few more punches before they disengaged moving apart from each other and finding themselves in the living room.

"Come on" he said pushing himself away from the man. He jumped over the table and reached out his hands fumbling for the manual release to the launch bay area as the man followed suit. His hands closed around the red handle just ash e snapped his foot out catching him square in the torso and propelling him back. The bay slid open lights flickering on and revealing the tubes to the canon.

"Come at me!" Jase growled dancing on the edge focusing

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"WHAT?" Vera demanded as she launched headlong into the tunnels beyond. Samantha followed, running and keeping pace with her.

"Whoever snuck on board locked me out first."

"Well hack back in. If you can't do that then see if you can find their's and hack it instead!"

Vera let off a trail of swear words as they dashed through the mountain. Every now and again Samantha suggested a correction to her course, a way that would be quicker than the one she had come. Either way it didn't matter- Vera was stuck on the planet, and nothing she could do would launch her into space and get her to Jase's side. He was on his own, and even though she was sure he could handle anything thrown at him a part of her was still terrified for him.

 

[silvertongue217]

Jayse waited, waited until the man launched himself at him before reacting. He used every bit of his speed and strength to side step the man and grab him. He tossed him over his shoulders crashing him down into one of the canon launch bays before jumping in after him. He jumped straight down slamming his fist into the mans face plate cracking his helmet in two.

"Stay down" jase snapped grabbing the manual door release for the canon and slamming it shut. It sealed with a faint his and he hobbled over to the console.

He initiated a manual reboot of the system and sat down panting he waited for the light to turn green and then got up casting out his mind.

"Samantha dear please fire the canon" jase said sending a mental I'm okay to vera

 

[SinisterSpiders]

"Thank the stars!" Vera panted over their mental connection, pleased beyond reason to hear Jase's voice as he ordered Sam to fire the canon. Vera was puzzled about the order, but pushed it aside.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

 

[silvertongue217]

"No just a few bruises and cuts" jase remarked watching as the firing siren blasted two short beeps. Base waved good bye to the sealed doors before she ship shuddered.

" canon fired jase" Samantha said a little smuggly

"Thank you ladies" jase said shaking his head "Samantha begin a descent to the planet let's pick Avery up"

The ship creaked and then spun around burning as it entered orbit. Jase descended and parked on the landing pad sliding the ramp open before going to meeT her in the bay.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera reached the landing pad much faster than she had anticipated. Running the whole way may have had something to do with it. As the ship lowered down she waited until the thrusters were at a safe level and dashed towards the open ramp. She saw Jase waiting, looking a touch banged up, but not terrible. She dashed up the ramp to him, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close as she panted, sweating from her mad dash to get to him.

"You're okay," she huffed, not sure who she was trying to reassure.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Uh yeah I am" he said surprised but touched nonetheless. He wrapped his arms around her and gsave her a hug before smiling and reaching out to close the door.

"Let's get out of here" he said sighing and watching as the ramp closed shut behind him and sealed. He sighed feeling the engines kick up and being gksad to leave this place hopefully once and for all.

"So you got the orb I'm guessing" jase said raising an eyebrow at her before going over to the main deck.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

In the rush to get back to the ship she almost forgot about the orb.

"Yes," Vera said, taking her pack off and reaching in, retrieving the orb which was nestled between data packs. She held it up for him to see. It was bigger than the others again, this one transluscent and red. It was light too, comparable to the weight of a bubble despite the fact that it was firm and sturdy.

"Three down one to go," she announced. "Now if only all of the nasty creatures would stop attacking you we'd be fine."

 

[silvertongue217]

"Ha ha ha" jase said shaking his head and snorting "it would seem there attracted to me" he quibbed as they broke the upper atmosphere.

"So we only need one more" jase said sighing in relief and turning to her "which is at the big fancy pants party we have to break into" he said smirking and sitting down.

"Can't believe this will be over soon" he said looking at her his eyes flashing with some thing unknown.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera was touched by the look in his eyes, she wasn't sure what it was, but the end of their mission was drawing cloer. Two and a half weeks until the ball and then straight to wherever the globes led.

"Who knows?" She said, smiling up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. She brought her plan back to mind, the one that she had to keep him as well as the Lexicon. She had hope now that she could. She tried to push aside the way she felt when she had learned he was in danger, how good it felt to be in his arms again. Business, that was all this was.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Well no sense worrying bout the future" jase said surprisingly chipper as he stood up and stretched "Samantha plot us a course to the nearest station to unity hall no sense in going in without scouting the place first" jase said winking at vera.

"And you might want to bathe and get dressed down" jase said smirking "not that I couldn't think of some ways to get more sweaty but I doubt you want to stay in that armor"

He leaned in giving her a kiss before going into the cockpit to fly for a while

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera agreed with Jase, her armour certainly was uncomfortable. She went and showered before heading to her room. She sat on her bed, taking out a data pack and hoping to get a bit of research done before rejoining Jase.

~*~

The data pack were a gold mine. She had skimmed over the surface content of a lot of the files she had seem detailed experiment reports, full prisoner lists, condition reports. Everything. She wished she had more time to explore it now, but she knew she should join Jase. One thing she did look into was him. She searched the prisoner list, finding the numbers and names of the people who had looked like his parents. Their experiment subject codes had been one after the other. There was no child mentioned on the prisoner list, but when she went through the experiment record she found a number just after the males. The subject, after a bit more research, was nine and a half in the latest experiment conducted. Genetic manipulation.

Vera swore. So, they hadn't recorded children in their official prisoner records, but they had needed that data for experimental purposes. Vera skimmed the patient history of who she thought Jase was... Increased strength, speed, mental processing powers, memory. Fuck, it was everything she had done to her and four times what the other prisoners had endured. Her heart ached at the thought of the horrors that he would have lived through.

With a renewed sense of disgust for the atrocities of the past, and drive to do better herself, Vera swore she would get this Lexicon and fix PEACe. And Jase. He was a perfect match for her in every way. She would just have to find a way to reveal her true identity and convince him that the best place for him was at her side. Fuck. She had a better chance convincing the rebels to join the PEACe band and dying their skin hot pink.

Vera put the data packs away and gathered the orbs, taking them to the living room and intending to give them a better inspection. She scooped the first two in her arm, but they began to buzz. With a blast of light they floated out of her grip. The second spinning around the first in an ever increasing orbit. Faster and faster until hey clashed together. Instead of breaking, the first ord slipped through the second, filling the hollow space within and adding a new weight to it that it didn't have before.

"Jase!" Vera called, grabbing the third orb and dashing out of her room with both in her arms, excited to tell him what had happened.

 

[silvertongue217]

Jase flew the ship with a practiced hand, even though Samantha could do all of it and more base was happy to tsake control. He relished it even! Doing the mundane was a perfect way for him to relax and flying was always one of his past times. He didn't bother to ask Samantha how it went and she didn't bother to make small talk.

Instead they enjoyed the ride

Jase heard her scream and turnded passing control back over to Samantha before looking at the orb.

"Well guess we are on the right track"' he murmured inspecting it before handing it back to her

"So you remember a mention of a vacation?" He asked winking at her "how's a mini one sound"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera looked up, eyes wide at the suggestion. The last vacations he had taken had been with her parents, twenty years ago. And it hadn't been a vacation, not really, it had been a diplomatic mission to a planet with some lovely scenery. She herself had been too busy, and her job meant that she was always on duty.

"I'd love that," she said, wondering what else the two of them could do with the two and a half weeks until the ball. She certainly had no plans.

 

[silvertongue217]

"Great!" Jase said smirking "and I got just the place"

FIVE DAYS LATER

Jase stood on the balcony leaning over the smooth Stine as he watched the waves crash down. He breathed in the air sighing in pleasure as he relaxed for the first time in he didn't know how long. The ocean of corleanera was well known for its picture perfect setting.

But really it was the girl who captivated him

The turned clad only in his tight fitting bathing suit and walked back in pausing to uncork the wine left by the service.he sauntered over to the bed a sesxy smirk om his face as he popped the cork.

"A toast sexy" he said winking

 

[SinisterSpiders]

The last five days had been beyond anything she had thought it would be. It had started out as business. Vera had no doubt about that. She had convinced herself that her continued interest in Jase was all about the fact that he would make a logical fit to rule beside her. If she could convince the council not to kill him, of course. It could also be a good move to sooth tensions with the rebels; Jase was undoubtedly one of their key neutral contacts. If he willingly came to their sides other may too.

But as they continued to spend time in each other's arms Vera's mind changed. She tried very very hard to keep neutral, but his kisses and touches, the small smiles shared and the genuine relationship developing between them was getting to her. She had felt like that once before, and this was even more frightening than the first time. Try as she might she could no longer deny that her feelings for him went beyond business. She knew she had to return to her own life, she only hoped that she could somehow take him with her.

Even though they were far from her normal life, it was never far from her mind.

Before arriving at their destination Vera and Samantha managed to get access to the ticketing system for the Unity Gala. She changed the genetic matching of the ticket to match her and Jase, which set them up to attend when the time came. In her spare time since (when they weren't having sex, exploring the beach, or lazing about together) arriving planetside she had been reading through the information she found at Kolift. In addition to the information on Jase's genetic experimentation she learned of all the failures it took to get his success. Scientists had tried on more people than she wanted to count- they had given them speed only to find they became fatally prone to underestimating it, strength to find their bones snap under the effort of their muscles, enhanced memory only to discover that people were only meant to remember so much, increased mental processing power to realise that not everything was meant to be processed. They realised that balance and adaptability was the key. People had to be young enough to learn, to adapt, so that they weren't yet set in their life and body that such drastic changes would cause adverse effects. So they used the children. Reading it had made Vera feel sick. They discovered that pre-adolescence and adolescence was the best age. Jase was their most successful experiment. He took to the enhancements well, despite the experimental conditions.

Vera also discovered that Samantha herself was an experiment. She was the reason Jase's parents had been arrested. The reason he had been taken along too. PEACe had requested his parents created an AI system for their use, to create automatic fighter craft with intelligence organic enough to recreate the reactiveness and instinct of a sentient pilot. They also were wondering whether they could adapt hard light technology in order to apply it to holographic AIs. There were so many potential goldmines that Jase's parents could have provided. But they refused to work for PEACe. So PEACe took them. They tortured them, coerced them to work, to create an AI that PEACe could only dream of. What they didn't count on, though, was just how intelligent Samantha would be. To create the organic element of her, to give her thoughts and opinions, Jase's parents had used never-before-seen biotechnological processes to imbue the AI with their own genetic material. The PEACe scientists had underestimate Jase's parents, and Vera was glad. Despite her own grievances with Samantha, she had no doubt just how much the AI had helped Jase.

~*~

Vera looked up at Jase's proposal for a toast. She smiled at him as she left her towel in the bathroom and made her way over to him, her swimwear still damp from their dip in the Corleanera ocean. Unfortunately, they had decided that this day would need to be their last on the planet. Despite the fact that they had just over a week until the ball, they wanted to make sure that they were able to get scouting done and prepare their gear as well as themselves. They wanted to make sure they had prepared for as many eventualities as possible.

"A toast to what, exactly?" Vera asked. She sauntered over and pushed two glasses of wine towards Jase. "Usually a toast comes immediately before you take me to bed. You don't need to get me tipsy to do that," she laughed but nodded in the affirmative nevertheless.

 

[silvertongue217]

He smiled eyeing her up and down and licking his lips "A toast to the best vacation I have ever been on" He said handing her the glass of wine and then clinking them together. His eyes danced drinking her in as he took a slow measured sip.

"Its our last night sadly" He said smirking and waving his hand at the ocean outside "Though I think im retiring here if i live long enough to do so!" He said chuckling and coming over. He gently cupped her cheek then ran his hand down over her neck and down her back.

He took another sip and then pushed off his shirt which had been hanging lazily off of his frame. He reached over pulling her against his body as he gave her a long slow kiss.

"I need to say some thing to you before we go back out" Jase whispered against her lips before pulling back to look at her "no matter what happens with this thing I.... I have never felt this way about any one else I never though i would be this kind of guy with a woman but i am...."

"I love you"

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera had to agree that this was the best vacation she had ever been on. Thinking back on the oast week and a half, she realised the time she had spent with him had been the best in her life.

Jase"s kiss was intimate, slow and measured. Vera fell into it, allowing herself to be swept up in the romance.


Then he did it. He dropped the LOVE word vera's body filled with warmth and dread at the same time. Last time this had happened,last time she had dared loved some one. Vera looked at Jase, eyes stinging with emotion.

"I know," she said l, trying to seem cavalier. Instead she shook her head, chasing away her internal fears and apprehension. She gave herself a minute to sit with the moment before adding, "I love you too."

 

[silvertongue217]

"well now we are well and truly frakked?" Jase said watching her sit and laughing softly "We both told each other we love one another and were on opposite times its like on of those old vid movies"

He smiled and took her hand spreading her fingers and interlocking them together. He played with ehr fingers for a few seconds before smiling and leaning in to kiss her deeply.

"I think we should make our last night memorable" He said biting and nibbling on her neck running his hands up and down her back. He picked her up and threw her over to the pillow moving as he pushed off of his shirt and crawled into the bed with her. He moaned her name and kissed her pressing his naked chest against her.

 

[SinisterSpiders]

Vera chuckled at Jase's assessment, agreeing wholeheartedly. She sighed, enjoying the intimate and sweet contact. When he threw her on the bed, she smiled at him, his naked chest warming her body through her warm swimwear. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm going to be tacky but honest and say that every night with you is special," Vera said, wrapping her legs round him also, eager to press their bodies together more completely

 

[silvertongue217]

"Mmm is it" Jase purred smirking and leaning in kissing her more deeply as his eyes began to dance across her body.

"Well allow me to show you just how special I can make it"

He kissed her getting lost in her. Their bodies joined as the waves crashed on the rocky cliff beside them and they made love as they gently lapped away at the rock. The night was a whirl wind of passion and love each of them giving each other their all as time stood still.

THE NEXT DAY

"Did you have a fun time?"

Jase smiled at Samantha walking up the loading ramp before putting their duffel bags down "we did thank you" Jase said winking at Samantha (who cringed) before turning and helping Vera up. He hit the door ramp and grabbed their bags hoisting them over his shoulder as he walked into the ship.

"Samantha go ahead and take us out" Jase said going into his room and putting BOTH of their bags inside making it clear he wouldnt have her staying in the other room any more.