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As she had promised, Muriel made her way to Serena's quarters next. Her newly adapted form, that of a Clone Lieutenant, allowed her to meander down the hallways of the Hope unquestioned and unabated. When she phased inside the Jedi knight's quarters, Serena was up and awake, seated in a lotus-pose with her eyes closed and hands resting comfortably upon each knee.
She was meditating.
With a quirk of an eyebrow, Muriel shifted her weight from one foot to another and waited until the other woman opened her eyes before speaking. She was anticipating some kind of surprised reaction - an exclamation, perhaps - or a demand as to what a clone trooper was doing in her quarters, unannounced and uninvited. But to her astonishment, Serena did neither of these things. Instead, the Jedi looked up to Muriel's helmeted head, her head canting off to one side.
"What do you want?"
By that moment, Muriel had felt a gentle but insistent prodding of the Force and did not block it.
"Clever girl."
Serena nodded slowly, saying nothing further until an explanation was duly given. To that end, Muriel forced the illusion to dissipate without giving it another thought and now, in her true form, came to stare at the Jedi guardian mimicking her movements exactly, to the very breathing pattern of the young woman before her.
"You need to see Alonzo immediately," she placed subtle but noticeable emphasis on the last word. "You must speak with him. Everything depends on it."
Serena gazed at the emerald eyes, unconvinced.
"I must do nothing by your orders. How did you get here?"
Muriel flinched, clearly taken aback by the response. She anticipated some resistance, yes - but nothing so . . . absolute.
"I have my ways. I'm not without resources, and frankly - you insult my intelligence by asking. Stop wasting time, Serena. You know I'm telling the truth. You are all in danger. I have felt it. I feel it still."
"We have been in danger since Order Sixty-six was declared, years ago. How is that 'news'? Be more specific, or be gone." At this point, Serena considered contacting Davin telepathically, but did not want to risk Muriel finding out. The repercussions could have been rather . . . unpleasant.
"This is more of an imminent danger. Something is about to happen, something devastating. I had a vision in the Force, and it showed me many things. . . Among them, fire . . . pain . . . death."
"In conjunction with the Hope? Or someone specific? And why should I believe anything you say? For all I know you are leading us into a trap!"
Serena's face was set into a grim mask of stoic skepticism.
"Which is why I told you to see Alonzo, now. If you won't believe me and my vague interpretations of a Force-vision, then go talk to one of your own. He's a Jedi, last I checked?" a mocking tone taunted. "Give him a chance. Let him tell you what I cannot."
"Why would Alonzo have special knowledge of things that the Jedi masters would not?"
"Oh, empty arrogance!!"
Muriel shook her head in disgust, wondering just how these people survived on their own, all these years. With such a shallow, misguided belief system and narrow field of vision, they should have been captured by Imperial forces, long ago. Forcing an inner calm, the Sith Lord stilled her livid thoughts and assumed a posture of cool indifference.
"Alonzo and I share a special bond, as you recall. I feel that he knows something that is vital to the continued success of your survival. I do not know what it is; I can only speculate. Still, even if I did know, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. We're not exactly the best of friends."
"No, we are not," Serena admitted with a brief nod. "But this begs the question: why come to me? Why not Davin, whom you consider an acquaintance of longer standing?"
"Because," Muriel said icily, "once, you had done for me what no other ever has. Consider my debt to you as paid in full. What you do with the information I gave you - is your own affair."
"What I do with what information?? You haven't told me jack!"
Before Serena could say another word, Muriel simply vanished from view. Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, the irritated and justly unsettled Jedi knight rose to her feet with barely veiled urgency and, grabbing her utility belt began wrapping it quickly around her waist while walking toward the door of her private chambers.
The moment she stepped out into the hallway and took her first steps in the direction of Alonzo's quarters, a familiar loud siren began resounding throughout every corner of the ship.
"What is going on?" she reached out to grab the armored arm of a Clone trooper rushing toward a nearby turbolift. A ship-wide announcement answered her instead, deafening any reply that could have come from anywhere else.
"COMBAT ALERT: ALL COMMAND AND SENIOR STAFF TO THE BRIDGE. COMBAT ALERT!"
Shooting one final glance to the end of the hallway with Alonzo's door quickly fading away, Serena Elysar stepped into the turbolift and headed for the bridge.
She was meditating.
With a quirk of an eyebrow, Muriel shifted her weight from one foot to another and waited until the other woman opened her eyes before speaking. She was anticipating some kind of surprised reaction - an exclamation, perhaps - or a demand as to what a clone trooper was doing in her quarters, unannounced and uninvited. But to her astonishment, Serena did neither of these things. Instead, the Jedi looked up to Muriel's helmeted head, her head canting off to one side.
"What do you want?"
By that moment, Muriel had felt a gentle but insistent prodding of the Force and did not block it.
"Clever girl."
Serena nodded slowly, saying nothing further until an explanation was duly given. To that end, Muriel forced the illusion to dissipate without giving it another thought and now, in her true form, came to stare at the Jedi guardian mimicking her movements exactly, to the very breathing pattern of the young woman before her.
"You need to see Alonzo immediately," she placed subtle but noticeable emphasis on the last word. "You must speak with him. Everything depends on it."
Serena gazed at the emerald eyes, unconvinced.
"I must do nothing by your orders. How did you get here?"
Muriel flinched, clearly taken aback by the response. She anticipated some resistance, yes - but nothing so . . . absolute.
"I have my ways. I'm not without resources, and frankly - you insult my intelligence by asking. Stop wasting time, Serena. You know I'm telling the truth. You are all in danger. I have felt it. I feel it still."
"We have been in danger since Order Sixty-six was declared, years ago. How is that 'news'? Be more specific, or be gone." At this point, Serena considered contacting Davin telepathically, but did not want to risk Muriel finding out. The repercussions could have been rather . . . unpleasant.
"This is more of an imminent danger. Something is about to happen, something devastating. I had a vision in the Force, and it showed me many things. . . Among them, fire . . . pain . . . death."
"In conjunction with the Hope? Or someone specific? And why should I believe anything you say? For all I know you are leading us into a trap!"
Serena's face was set into a grim mask of stoic skepticism.
"Which is why I told you to see Alonzo, now. If you won't believe me and my vague interpretations of a Force-vision, then go talk to one of your own. He's a Jedi, last I checked?" a mocking tone taunted. "Give him a chance. Let him tell you what I cannot."
"Why would Alonzo have special knowledge of things that the Jedi masters would not?"
"Oh, empty arrogance!!"
Muriel shook her head in disgust, wondering just how these people survived on their own, all these years. With such a shallow, misguided belief system and narrow field of vision, they should have been captured by Imperial forces, long ago. Forcing an inner calm, the Sith Lord stilled her livid thoughts and assumed a posture of cool indifference.
"Alonzo and I share a special bond, as you recall. I feel that he knows something that is vital to the continued success of your survival. I do not know what it is; I can only speculate. Still, even if I did know, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. We're not exactly the best of friends."
"No, we are not," Serena admitted with a brief nod. "But this begs the question: why come to me? Why not Davin, whom you consider an acquaintance of longer standing?"
"Because," Muriel said icily, "once, you had done for me what no other ever has. Consider my debt to you as paid in full. What you do with the information I gave you - is your own affair."
"What I do with what information?? You haven't told me jack!"
Before Serena could say another word, Muriel simply vanished from view. Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, the irritated and justly unsettled Jedi knight rose to her feet with barely veiled urgency and, grabbing her utility belt began wrapping it quickly around her waist while walking toward the door of her private chambers.
The moment she stepped out into the hallway and took her first steps in the direction of Alonzo's quarters, a familiar loud siren began resounding throughout every corner of the ship.
"What is going on?" she reached out to grab the armored arm of a Clone trooper rushing toward a nearby turbolift. A ship-wide announcement answered her instead, deafening any reply that could have come from anywhere else.
"COMBAT ALERT: ALL COMMAND AND SENIOR STAFF TO THE BRIDGE. COMBAT ALERT!"
Shooting one final glance to the end of the hallway with Alonzo's door quickly fading away, Serena Elysar stepped into the turbolift and headed for the bridge.