Summary: Products of the Imperial Science Division's Project: Nashtah program are created for a singular purpose: infiltrate, gather intelligence, then eliminate the assigned target by any means neccessary. One of the last survivors of the program reckons with what she was made to become after leaving the Empire behind.
Flashbacks are set at various points between the Battle of Druckenwell to a few years before the beginning of the Imperial Agent storyline. Current day scenes are set at various points between Chapters Nine and Sixteen of Knights of the Fallen Empire
"TWELVE! NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" screamed the Mandalorian. She had never learned his name and he had never given it. He stomped over and ripped the blaster from her hands. "Miserable brat. Six months of training, you should be able to hit the target's inner ring! Do you know what the price of failure is?"
Chrysali shuddered, trying not to cry. She still had bruises from the last time she was caught crying. Her bunkmate Karo hadn't been seen since failing the last round of tests. "Elimination, sir."
She was afraid to know what kind.
"Exactly! Now do it again!"
Chrysali took a deep, shuddering breath, and aimed again at the target's rings, the inner circle painted over the humanoid mannequin's eye socket.
___
"Ugh. Two out of three."
Chrysali chuckled and hefted the pebble from hand to hand. "If you're sure."
"Definitely sure," Koth Vortena growled. He took aim at the empty metal crate tbree and a half meters away on the landing field and chucked his rock as hard as he could. It soared through the air in a perfect arc, but landed just shy of the crate's open lid. He cursed in Zakuulan. "So close."
Chrysali hummed and took a deep breath, squaring her feet. She weighed the rock, felt the wind, breathed in then out, and threw it, eyes never leaving the crate. The pebble flew with precision and landed squarely in the center of it with a resounding clang.
Koth shook his head. "I just don't get how you never miss anything."
Chrysali plastered a smile on her face. "Lots of training."
___
"Tell me what you see, Twelve."
Nashtah Twelve blinked through the blood pouring from the slash across her forehead, staring at her opponent. Narya Lsu, Ghost-killer of the Six Sisters system. The most dangerous Echani this side of the Hydian.
Feet are spaced evenly apart. Hands are folded behind back. Chin high, staring down nose. Breathing is even, facial mustles are relaxed. Tension in her shoulders. Slight set to her jaw. Conclusion?
"You're about to strike towards my... right side," Nashtah Twelve panted.
Lsu tilted her head slightly, a feral grin on her face, and Twelve's blood ran cold.
The move was swift and unforgiving, striking her firmly across the left cheek. She felt knife against bone and held back a scream.
"Look closer. You study everything. Down to the minute detail. You must see every weakness before they see yours, and strike, without mercy. Get up. Go again."
___
Chrysali peered over her glass of water at the crewman next to her. He was part of Koth's crew—former Republic military from what she understood. She didn't see him in the Odessen cantina much.
Eyes continuously shift towards the mechanics' table in the corner. Twi'lek woman in the orange coveralls. Fidgeting with his glass, rubbing his neck. Eyes dart back and forth. Ears are slightly flushed. Conclusion: admiration.
"You know you're never going to get her to talk to you if all you do is admire her from afar," Chrysali noted.
"What?" the man asked, a bit embarrassed. "That's—that's not—"
Chrysali raised a single eyebrow at him and he caved, sighing deeply as his head dropped. "That obvious?"
"You're subtle. I'm just good," Chrysali said matter-of-factly.
"I just... look at her. she's out of my league. I don't..."
Chrysali glanced over at the Twi'lek again. Laughing, acting casual. Continuous glances this direction, always looks away when he looks up. Playing with her lekku and drink. Blinking a lot—fluttering eyelashes? Flush in her cheeks, loud laughter. Conclusion?
"Go ask her if she wants to dance," Chrysali ordered.
The man looked at her like she was insane. "Were you listening?"
"No. I was watching. She's into you, too. Go," Chrysali said bluntly, shooing him towards her.
He looked nervous. "I—are you sure?"
"I told you, I'm good."
Chrysali watched with satisfaction as he stumbled towards the Twi'lek, and she practically leapt out of her seat at his offer to dance. She raised her glass in salute as he glanced over her way, then returned to her drink with a smile.
___
"Stop holding back."
Nashtah Twelve panted, squeezing her fists tight as she was circled by Paiiri'na'hala. Core name Irinah, codename Nashtah Zero—the progenitor and prototype. The Chiss woman grabbed her chin and forced her to look her in her blood-red eyes. "You are cybernetically and genetically enhanced with the strength of ten men. Your hands are made for precision and deadly force. Use it. Strike."
Nashtah Twelve looked back at her opponent, Nashtah Five. Five was barely able to stand, swaying slightly with blood pouring from multiple contusions.
"You are assets. You will heal, or be replaced," Nashtah Zero barked. "Do not let pity hamper you. Do not make me order you again,. Strike, Twelve."
She swallowed her emotions and pulled her fists back, ignoring the blood already staining her knuckles. And then she struck. And struck again. And again. And again.
___
"So what's the damage, doc?"
Chrysali bit back a small, warm laugh. She smiled wryly at Theron as she examined the cuts on his brow and forehead with care, shaking her head. "At this point, I feel like admonishing you for being reckless is a lost cause."
Theron snorted under his breath. "What's the saying about quactas calling stiflings slimy again?"
"Touché." She leaned closer, using the hand she had resting on his chin to adjust his head position slightly, put it more in the light. "Well, I don't think you've added to the scar collection from that glass table on Gatalenta, at least. They're much more shallow than they look, just a particularly vascular part of your face." She grabbed the antiseptic hypospray and gave him an apologetic glance. "I know the nerve receptors around your implants are particularly hypersensitive, so tell me if it starts to sting too badly and I'll ease up to let you breathe."
"You're fine," he said with a slight nod. Chrysali started spraying, shooting him an apologetic glance as the antiseptic made contact and he took a sharp breath in through his teeth. After a moment, the numbing agent began to work and he exhaled slowly, and Chrysali started closing up the cuts with kolto strips. Halfway through, she caught his eyes flick up towards hers, smiling. "You might be one of the most gentle people I've ever had patch me up. You know that?"
Chrysali paused for a heartbeat, letting her gaze drift down to knuckle scars made shiny in the harsh light, and used her thumb to smooth the last couple of the strips into place with a smile. "I... thank you. I try to be, but I don't always do so well." She finished and stepped back, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Done."
Theron probed at her work, smiled, and rose up off the stool, taking her hands in his. "I wasn't just saying that to make you feel better either, Chrys. I mean it. You're really good at this."
She didn't flinch when he touched her. She used to do much worse when touched suddenly. Chrysali smiled to herself, a little bit proud, but turned it into a wry smirk as she tilted her head at him. "What? First aid? I should be, after being friends with you for so long."
Theron almost looked like he was going to argue, and then he shook his head. "You know what I mean."
His thumb brushed one of the scars on her knuckles for emphasis and Chrysali's eyes flicked down to them. She breathed deeply, then looked back up at him. "Don't get all mushy on me, Shan, we've still got a mission to complete," she teased, taking her hands back to gather up the first aid supplies.
Constant improvement, Nashtah Twelve, echoed SCORPIO's tinny voice in her ears. No one should ever be allowed to tell us what we are made to be.
Chrysali had never trusted SCORPIO, and knew better than to ever change that.
A/N: I don't write much pre-game Chrysali because it gets real heavy real fast, but. phew. yeah.
Yes, that was Corporal Ralo, I needed a random extra and he was the first one I landed on for some reason. I did not check Wookieepedia to see if I was messing with canon on giving him a potential love interest and as-of writing this I'm too tired to do it now 🤣😭
The program that produced Chrys is the same one that Quil from the previous prompt got his Rakata tech knockoff arm, just a different part of it. My inspo started at "y'know we don't really see much of what the Imperial Science Division does outside of superweapons and making people like Shara/Watcher 2, maybe I could do something with that?", and then it snowballed into a weird Star Wars-ified amalgamation of the Black Widow and Weapon X programs from Marvel, and Chrysali ended up with an ability set that's basically a weird mix of Captain America and X-23/Wolverine. It's tricky to write sometimes but I have no regrets. :P
If it isn't really obvious just from the few things I've posted, I love writing A: Chrysali learning to be gentle again after being made to be so cruel, and B: Theron giving her big ol' heart eyes because he loves watching her learn to be gentle again. <3
i would like to know the RPG! OCS opinion on Raloris, do they like him, hate him?
If so, why do they hate him, why do they love him?
GET WELL SOON LOVELY
HEHEHHE THANK YOUU DEARR!! <,33
Hmm!! I'll give explanations for the different boys!
Celtic
Celtic is known as someone who's neutral about,,almost everyone.
He held one person dear to him and he lost her. So whenever he gets close to someone, he makes sure that they know he loves and cares for them.
That doesn't exclude Raloris! Once he joins the party, Celtic is SET on making sure Raloris feels safe and protected while in the team.
He respects Raloris and what he has gone through.
Celtic enjoys Raloris' company! No matter what mood Raloris is in, Celtic enjoys it all the same :)
So yes! Celtic likes him! ^^
,,,maybe even more? 👁👁 but since Celtic is sort of oblivious to his own feelings, he probably won't find out so soon.
Zane:
You can forget about Zane liking anyone.
....
Just kidding! Zane may show that he despises everyone and everything (except for music) but deep down he cares so much for the ones he hold dear.
Watch him spew vulgarity and make teasing remarks about Raloris on a regular but whenever he sees him in injured after a fight or just feeling down and out of it, Zane would quietly sit next to him and bandage his wounds. He'd be silent the entire procedure and have a soft expression on his face as he concentrates on whatever he's doing.
If Raloris is to say anything snarky, Zane would bite back but he wouldn't be loud about it as he usually would. He'd just retort with a laugh.
Hmmm,,, I'd say Zane,, cares for Raloris. Like is too much for Zane!
Zion:
He cares deeply for every single one of them.
He constantly scolds them whenever they get injured for no reason, telling them that they should've gotten a certain armour, should've taken the potion. And so on and so forth--
He'd stay up whenever he sees Raloris being restless and walking around. No matter how tired Zion is, he'd make sure Raloris gets back to bed safely first.
He likes Raloris! He just doesn't show it upfront and you probably will never know since he always has a bored and irritated expression, accompanied by his monotonous voice,,
Vince:
He's,,,very scared of him,, sobssobs
He knows Raloris is his teammate but he can't help but jump/flinch whenever Raloris has an outburst.
Vince tries to calm himself whenever Raloris is near him because he never knows when Ralo will call him out on something
He knows Ralo can't control it so he doesn't hold him against anything!! He's just nervous and scared.
He likes him though!! (Especially when Raloris is quiet/timid, Vince will be closer to him as he relates to him more during those periods)
Sylvester:
Finds Raloris amusing and fun to be around.
He'd make teasing comments about Raloris not understanding certain terms (don't worry, he does it to everyone-)
Is very fascinated by how fast and drastic Raloris' emotions can change, Sylvester always has this surprised smirk on his face when he sees Raloris switch emotions
Not much can be said about Sylvester to be honest,,
In my campaign where I play Kadir, we had a near total team kill from a really powerful follower of Umberlee. Like the divine gods himself, our team member, Ralo, saved us before we all died.
This was a Christmas present for my friend and, holy shit, it was so much fun to draw!
