Station: The Mirror Casts Dark Reflections

Posted on Tue Aug 5th, 2025 @ 6:02pm by "Cpt." Ainkara "Kara" {SIS} {SoB} {SS Harbinger}

Mission: Stellar Problems
Location: Dark Harbor
Timeline: Current

ON:

Dropping from light speed, Kara set her fighter to cruise at full speed as they began to cross into Rift Alliance territory. On the way to the coordinates she had Nano reset the transponder to identify her as a civilian Federation registry and a Free Trader. With his capabilities it was not difficult for him to dig into the computer system and reprogram the device. Now, her identity was that of a civilian travelling the stars. The star system of Dark Harbor was fast approaching, with Kara using the Force as a supernatural sensor system, reaching out for anything the Force may tell her. So far, all was quiet in that arena. "Too quiet, Nano. What do you think?"

"If you would like me to hazard a guess, Master Kara, I would say we were being watched and reported on."

"My thoughts exactly," she agreed. But, she could feel nothing. Her instincts told her to be wary and that was enough to keep her focused on the slightest changes to the environment. "Rift vessels have cloaking devices. Scan the surrounding stars, Nano. Microlensing them to detect any gravity distortions. It could be from an invisible vessel."

"A brilliant detection method, Master. Due to the law of attraction, all masses in space do have a gravity signature." Nano sounded proud of her for the idea.

"I wish I could say I thought of it, Nano." Kara admitted. "It came from another source over a hundred years ago. Commander Spock, USS Enterprise."

"He sounds like a brilliant and logical man, Miss Kara. I would like to have met him." Nano said.

Kara grinned. "Yes, he was brilliant and the epitome of logic. He was Vulcan, after all. Became an ambassador before he passed away." As she finished her sentence, Nano spoke up.

"Detecting a gravity distortion, port side aft. It appears to be moving as we do, Master." The droid reported.

~Let it~ Kara thought. Again, she felt no threat coming her way. They were keeping tabs, not attacking. "We keep going. Keep an eye on it." Nano acknowledged the order.

***

After an hour of flight time they entered the Dark Harbor system proper. She knew this part of Dark Harbor well, having been aboard various transports to go to mining outposts on moons without atmosphere, used as labor or entertainment, depending on who had requested females to their operation. Humanoid females. As they had cruised along, Kara had Nano tie in with her palm PADD, accessing her music file. She had him download every song on it to his memory core so she could have him play them whenever she liked without having to scroll through the device herself. Master Ro was right, music made things better in most cases. Currently, Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC was rocking the speakers, with Kara grooving to the tune as the ship headed further into the system. As they came up and over the second moon over the planet of Dark Harbor, the airless moon as opposed to the forest moon, the comm bleeped for an incoming call.

"Here we go, Nano." Kara tapped the comm button. "Angel Two, here. Respond."

"This is Dark Harbor Port Authority. Send your identity code or turn around. If you do not comply you will be fired upon."

Pleasant as always, Ainkara thought to herself. "I understand and will comply with your protocols, Port Authority. However, your own directives state that you must prove to me who you are, as you could be a false signal. Therefore, I am requesting visual communication to determine the truth in this." Kara stated.

A heavy sigh came through the speakers. It always irked those in authority when they were caught up in their own regulations. "Very well, Angel Two. Switching to visual." The signal was sent so Kara activated her holoscreen, seeing a man wearing the PA uniform jacket and insignia for Dark Harbor. "Satisfied?"

"I am, and thank you for your understanding, Sir." Said Kara, giving a friendly grin. She then sent her transponder code. "There is my identity code, PA officer." Master Ro had said that the Force could have a strong influence on the weak minded. Perhaps he was weak enough in mind that she could manipulate circumstances in her favor. Using somatic gestures that seemed to just be talking with her hands, Kara reached out and gave it a try. "A Keep landing pad is available and I can go about my business."

The man hesitated in his hand movements on his console, then they began to move normally again after that slowing of activity. "We do have a Keep landing pad available. Landing pad two. Sending your flight vector now. You may go about your business and approach the metropolis."

"Again, thank you. You have been most helpful. Angel Two, out." Kara tapped the comm and closed the channel, the screen disappearing. "Put the flight trajectory on the HUD display, Nano. I know where the pads are but let us not give them reason to suspect anything."

"Of course, Kara." Nano manipulated the computer system and did as she had requested. He looked around at the planet as the X-wing tilted and turned to follow the lane provided.

***

Kara and Nano left the X-wing on landing pad two, with all the security measures active, and made their way to the main building for the Keep; the administration building. When she approached the main entrance she heard the locks for the doors release and then they slid open easy as that. Kara had not expected that after she had tried to kill Tore Bjorgo and Billi. Her only reasoning in that was that perhaps they focused on security measures dealing with her presence rather than dealing with her access to the facility. She could not imagine they had just forgotten to see to their own safety. Or, worse yet, this was a trap.

"Miss Kara, this makes me nervous," stated Nano. "We have accessed this building far too easily and I see no sentries at their posts. My scanners detect a large number of armed individuals on the second floor within the lobby dead ahead. We are walking into the kill zone if we continue into that lobby."

"So be it, Nano. I did not come here to fight." Sensing the same sentries that Nano had scanned, and feeling no malevolence from them, Kara surmised that they were simply doing their jobs; protecting the Overseer and Guard Captain as they had been ordered to do. She was impressed by the measures enacted since her departure. Bjorgo was nothing if not efficient. So, walking into the kill zone, the main lobby with a large staircase ahead of them to access the upper floors without using the lifts, the soldiers showed themselves. All of them stepped out from behind stanchions on the second floor, dressed in tactical gear and all of them pointing rifles directly at her over the balcony safety rails. She could feel their scrutiny of Nano, too, but their target was Kara. One wrong move, one misstep, and even she would not be able to offset the number of energy bolts sent her way easily. Kara raised her hands up to shoulder height, palms forward and away from her torso next to each shoulder, showing she was surrendering.

~Coward~ The Dark Spirit spoke into her mind. ~Release your anger. Destroy them all. Fulfill your destiny~

Kara ignored the voice in her head and remained still even as a squad of guards came towards her down the steps. Behind them, at the top of the stairs, were Billi and Tore, still showing themselves as who they really were.

As the guards removed Kara's saber hilt and put binders on her with hands in front, Billi leaned in towards Tore, speaking quietly. "Is this a good idea?" After all, it was Billi that had left Kara's bio-signature within the security systems, since she knew she would one day return. This soon had not been expected.

"We need to find out why she came back," Tore responded. "To finish what she started or, to help us."

Billi gave a frustrated sigh. "Damn it, Tore, I told you before that she was perfect for our needs and you ignored me. Now you want to make nicey nice? Be careful, she is highly dangerous and she can be most pleasant before she chokes the life out of you, as you know."

"Thank you for your concern," Tore said as the troops began to bring Kara up the steps. "I have contingencies in place." He walked away, tossing over his shoulder. "Deal with her and bring her to my office." He receded and disappeared into a hallway turn.

Billi did not like this. Tore was falling into his 'position' far too easily, and even seemed to be enjoying it; having his own little kingdom. This is not what she had signed up for. Kara had paid a terrible price for Bjorgo's ego to be assuaged. Billi had played the slave girl on a few occasions in her mother's clan, using that disguise to ruin a male buyer and reap their wealth with their complete compliance as long as they could be sexually gratified by a humanoid female. She still had hidden accounts throughout the galaxy, filled with latinum, that no one else knew about. If her mother knew she had been skimming her whole life, she would either be dead or an actual slave sold off for her mother's trouble. Kara, however, had been forced into 'relations', and the hatred she saw in those eyes towards those who had allowed it to happen still bothered Billi.

Kara was brought before Billi, standing tall and giving a bow from the neck. "Good to see you again, Billi." She gave a pleasant grin.

~Kill her now, you fool! Your weakness is insulting~

"You, too, Kara," Billi responded. The grin expressed a calm demeanor and a happiness to be here from Kara. Odd. "I have to ask. What are your intentions?"

"To talk, and to assist." Kara stated.

Billi paused for a few moments, looking Kara up and down as she tried to decide if the Voran woman was being honest and sincere, or greatly deceiving. She never wanted to feel that invisible choking ever again. "Remove her shack..." Even as she went to tell the soldiers to release the binders, they popped open and Kara hooked her fingers through a hoop and held them up casually to allow a sentry to take them back. "Never mind. Return to normal operations and dress down from the threat. Standard duty posts. Dismissed." Giving their nods, the NCO's began to issue orders and the troops began to disperse.

"Thank you, Billi, for at least this much trust. I am not here to fight you or to harm you unless I have to." Kara made this as clear as she could in a friendly yet neutral tone.

Using her head to say come on, Billi got them moving towards the section with the Overseer's office, speaking as they walked along. "For the record, Kara, I never agreed to let you get captured by the actual slavers. Tore ordered me to allow it because we needed an in. It killed me to do so because being Orion I know how brutal the underbelly of society can be. For what it's worth, I am truly sorry for all that happened to you."

~Excuses, excuses. Strangle the life from her and be done with it~

"I appreciate the sentiment, Billi. I do." Said Kara. "I have come to understand why you did it, why he did it. Does it make it easier? No, it makes it worse. But, for the good of others it had to be done. Yet, I see no drop in the slave market, only a curve in who gets to buy. Nothing has changed." Grabbing Billi as quick as could be, relying on her Voran strength, Kara grabbed the Orion by her shoulders and slammed her back against a wall. It was hard enough to cause a flash of light in Billi's eyes. "You two left me to die! Left me to be repeatedly assaulted in the most heinous ways. I am here to destroy the slave trade once and for all in Dark Harbor. You can either redeem yourself by helping me, or you will die! That is it! Make the choice!" Kara ripped her saber hilt from Billi's belt and hooked it back onto her own.

Billi had been shaken by the sudden attack, and then had to shake her head to clear her vision. What scared her the most was that for the briefest moment Kara's eyes had gone to that creepy amber color again. It was the sure sign that Kara had reached maximum pressure and was about to blow. But, thankfully, after a few moments they went back to their pleasant brown color even as her face still showed her anger.

~There you go, Apprentice. Feel your anger. Use it. Fear will control them. Fear of your power~

Kara had to shake her own head, stepping back from Billi quickly. "I...I'm sorry, Billi." She looked the Orion in the eye. "I lost control."

Billi gave a few weak nods, leaning back on the wall. "I've heard of Vulcans losing control and heard it is not pretty to witness. I can imagine it is the same for Voran, as you keep proving to me."

It was the Dark Spirit. Kara knew the spirit was having an affect on her state of mind, pushing her to act out with her base emotions to attain strength and power. The quick and easy path. The problem was, Kara was starting to like it again. To punish those who had hurt her, or tried to harm her. To rid the galaxy of enemies permanently, without mercy or remorse. Pain was an excellent teacher and it had taught Kara to become a weapon of hate and rage, to protect others how she saw fit, not how the galaxy thought it should be done. "Are my quarters still mine," asked Kara through gritted teeth, holding the heel of her left hand against her temple as if in pain. "I need rest."

"Yes." Billi stated. "I was afraid to close them to you, to be honest. No codes were changed."

"Thank you," said Kara as she stumbled away, still holding her head as she went.

Billi, glad she was gone, turned and stumbled her way to what was now called the governor's office. Kara had not been informed of that yet, and Billi was afraid of what might happen when she did, and the slavery problem was still the same. Entering the office, waiting for the doors to shut, Billi looked across the room at Tore. "We have a problem."

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