OOM: Jail Break

[last_kallig]

(OOC: Some lines taken from canon.)

The look on Harkun's face when she handed him the holocron would warm her heart for years to come; he'd looked as though he was about to have an apoplectic fit. He'd snarled her next task at her, ordering her to make copies of certain stelae in the Tomb of Tulak Hord.

But on her way to complete that task, Inquisitor Urinth waylaid her in one of the halls. One does not say no to the head of Intelligence on Korriban, even if you DO have other tasks.

They've caught a jedi, one Quorian Dorjis, twisted his memory with drugs and sorcery. And they intend for her to help stage his escape so he can carry the misinformation back to the Jedi.

Inquisitor Urinth thinks she can play a plausible traitor. Ibani agrees with her, although for different reasons. Being a traitor to the current order won't require any ACTING on her part. The tricky bit will be letting the jedi in on the fact that he's being played in a way that won't get her executed or worse.

Recent memories mean that the prison complex in the Academy is just about the last place in the galaxy Ibani wants to be, but she pushes those thoughts away as best she can.

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The prison is dimly lit, the figures of prisoners slumped inside the red force-field cages that contain them. The air carries the faint scent of blood and antiseptic, but there's little in the way of sound as no one is working on any 'subjects' at the moment.

Here, among the downtrodden and the broken, Ibani can feel one man's presence loudly in the Force. She approaches him slowly, her power spreading out from her, a touch of the Light side here in the midst of the Dark.

Comments

[infinitest]

It has been an ordeal; the mission was risky, but necessary, and he had volunteered knowing the odds and trusting the Force to guide him. As far as he knew, Quorian Dorjis had resisted the hours, days of interrogation, keeping himself focused on the Light, defending his mind and soul from the Darkness of the Inquisitors, and even now he sought inner peace, trying to focus on the Jedi teachings.

But he was exhausted, and focusing was hard, here among the pain, and fear, and hate of so many. "There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity." Lost in his attempt at meditation, he even fails to notice the approaching Acolyte.

[last_kallig]

"There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force," Ibani finishes.

Yes, she knows the Jedi code. Know your enemy and all that.

"Greetings, Quorian Dorjis."

[infinitest]

And that surely snaps the Jedi from his attempt at meditation. "Wh-who..." He squints and frowns, his confusion apparent, but then regains some control. "Yes, I'm Quorian Dorjis. I'm a Jedi. Even here... even on Korriban."

"Why do you care?" he narrows eyes at Ibani.

[last_kallig]

"I am Ibani," she says, spreading her hands in a calming gesture. "Not that anyone here can be bothered to use my name."

"I do not know precisely what they've done to you, but I can guess," she adds with a frown. "No one deserves that, even an enemy."

[infinitest]

"Amazing: a Sith with a conscience." Quorian frowns more, his confusion increasing. "Why are you here? Why it's so hard to concentrate?"

[last_kallig]

"It's....difficult to survive on Korriban with a conscience, but not impossible," Ibani replies quietly.

"You're confused because you've got enough drugs in you to down a small herd of nerfs," Ibani explains. "And I'm here to help you get out of here."

[infinitest]

"Yes, the interrogation... they wanted me to talk... five in, but I... why?" If possible, his confusion is even greater. "Why would you..."

"Wait, you told me already; conscience, you are not like the others, right? You... how?"

[last_kallig]

Ibani's not sure if he's asking how she's different or how she's going to help him escape, so she answers both questions.

"Korriban hasn't broken me yet, perhaps because I was raised a slave," Ibani explains.

"What would you need to make an escape, once the drugs leave your system? Did they take your gear when they caught you?"

[infinitest]

"Oh. No, my lightsaber, my datalog, I hid them. Before I was caught. A large urn, on the north side of the big tomb, atop some stairs, near an entranceway." The Jedi blinks and shakes head. "If... if you mean it, really, to help me, find them, and bring them to me."

[last_kallig]

Ibani nods. "I can do that."

"The big tomb.....that sounds like the tomb of Tulak Hord." She grins. "I have a reason to be there, so there won't be any awkward questions about my poking around."

"Rest, try and burn the drugs out of your system if you can," she says with a smile. "It will be hours at best before I can make my way back here."

[infinitest]

"Yes..." He nods, kneeling again into a meditative pose. "You... take care."

[last_kallig]

Ibani blinks at that last, then smiles briefly at the jedi. "I will."

The hours will pass with painful slowness, but at least the wait does not involve any more drugs or interrogation. It might be as many as 12 hours later when a shadow blocks the meager light that comes in through the door.

Ibani comes into view, carrying a small rucksack. She looks wearier than when the Jedi saw her last, a shallow cut across one side of her face betraying that she's seen battle.

"Your stash got looted and scattered," Ibani drawls. "I ought to teach you how to hide things better," she teases.

Hopefully, he's more lucid than he was the last time she saw him.

[infinitest]

"I... did not have much time to do it." He seems to be in a better condition, maybe because he burned away some of the interrogation drugs, or got used to them? The Jedi sighs and rubs eyes. "You kept your word, and that, I must say, is a surprise."

Because, you know, Sith.

[last_kallig]

Or they're wearing off naturally. Whatever the cause, she's glad he's more lucid.

"Things are not always what they seem, even if those things are Sith," Ibani suggests with a small smile. "You seem to be doing better," she remarks as she starts unpacking the rucksack.

She slips his lightsaber, comlink and datapad to him through the forcefield.

Then, she takes a deep breath and extends her senses. She's looking for any observers, any cameras, anything that might get them into trouble.

Nothing. Not even a droid eye. They really ARE arrogant.

"Well, I'll be. Nothing and nobody's looking at us right now."

[infinitest]

"Good, then you can leave and make sure you are not suspect, when I break out of here." Quorian examines the objects, relaxing a bit since there is no signs of sabotage or other tampering. "Thank you, for helping me; whatever end this situation reaches, I'll not forget this."

Then, a sigh. "I just wish my mind were clearer, it would make it easier getting to my ship."

[last_kallig]

She's oddly touched that he's worried about her.

Ibani sighs. "There are reasons your mind isn't clear right now," she explains. "I was sent here by an Inquisitor, to help you break out of this prison. Your memories have been altered by sorcery and drugs, and they want to ensure that the false information reaches the Jedi Council."

She smiles wryly. "Unfortunately for Inquisitor Urinth, she picked an actual traitor to play one."

"I can try and help you clear your mind, if you'll let me?" It might not work, but it's worth a shot, right?

[infinitest]

Quorian goes silent, watching her for a whole minute. Then... "No. You are anything but a traitor, and I will remember what you did for me."

"Now, go, make sure to not be caught or found out."

[last_kallig]

"They would not see it that way, I'm sure," Ibani replies with a smile. "You won't have human pursuers, but if you need to camp out there use the outside of a tomb, if you can. The shyracks nest inside of things and the tukata can't climb."

And with that bit of advice, Ibani sneaks out of the prison to report to Inquisitor Urinth.

[infinitest]

And the Jedi resumes meditating, preparing for his escape...