Ask Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts

[Vander]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled​

Vander didn't often dabble in Sith politics. Freshly out of being an acolyte on his own he had decided it was better to stay out of the machinations and maneuverings of the Sith "high class." That was definitely the entirety of it and had nothing to do with the fact that Vander was absolutely terrbible at all of those games of manipulation. He liked to be... directly indirect. Yeah, someday he'd probably explain what that meant to someone, but it probably wasn't going to be tonight.

Tonight he was here to brush shoulders with others of the Sith Order at a party hosted by the one and only Master Raphael. You see, after rummaging through the information he'd gotten from the sewers and taking one of the datapads to a slicing contact, Raphael's name had come up, and Vander needed to know more. He needed to see just how deep the rabbit hole went, and what better opportunity than some relatively unknown Sith going to look around at a party on Zeltros that was "open invitation" to Sith. Such parties weren't uncommon and seemed to almost always end in some type of bloodshed. He'd even heard about someone shooting themselves at one of these parties in days gone by. Sith could be... weird.

Vander's arrival was marked by... pretty much no one, and that was all the better for the assassin. He was basically looking for his first opportunity to just not be around the other people, but if he walked in and immediately went for a side exit that'd be a little weird, wouldn't it?

Instead, he grabbed a glass of champagne from one of the passing waiters and just... held it. He certainly wasn't going to drink from an open glass at a place like this. He'd heard of far too many people being poisoned for that.

Instead, as he started moving through the room - of course passively looking for exits - he just watched the people passing by. Some he recognized as Sith Masters, others he could tell just from the way they carried themselves that they were Sith, but for each one of those there were ten more who were from all other walks of life: mercenaries, soldiers, entertainers, employees, and the list went on. As far as he was concerned they were all either direct threats or potential threats. A few he recognized as carrying weapons either overtly or covertly on their persons, and he was sure many more had done a better job of hiding lightsabers, knives, and hold out blasters.

For his part, he had, of course, brought his concealed lightsaber and knife, although he had forced himself to abandon his usual robes for a more dressy set of clothing that he lowkey hated. But this was the kind of thing people were wearing, so here he was... trying to not look as out of place as he felt. He had no idea how Arcanos made this kind of thing look so easy. "Oh we'll just blend in with the murder cult, it'll be fine. Just play along." Yeah, well... it still was apparently not Vander's cup of tea.

 

[Zira Suvan]

It was one of those rare instances where her master and owner Iymril (@Apollyon ) had a conflict at attending a party. So they sent her in their stead as a party guest to secretly relay back any insights on other Masters in attendance. Her life took a curious turn since she was bought by a Sith Champion Thus far Iymril treated her better than her prior owners, but she also did her best to avoid stepping a toe out of line.

The fashionable Sith had sent an outfit for her to wear while at the party and she was permitted to partake. She watched the others mingling for now, nursing a glass of wine in her hand. Zira was made to look striking at all times as part of her role as a pleasure slave. Even now, her attire was a sharp contrast to her azure skin and perfectly styled silver hair with polished horns.

A Sith Acolyte had arrived here with her master, and she promptly walked over to jeer at Zira, “Where is your owner, pet?” She asked with a chuckle, “Are you allowed out in civilized gatherings on your own?”

Zira simply gave her a warm smile, “My master is generous. I hope you are enjoying your evening.”

The Acolyte started to laugh at that, “Look at you," The tone of jealousy was unmistakable as she appraised Zira, "You can almost pass as an upstanding citizen of society. But everyone here knows you’re just some cheap toy to use and throw,” She said with a smirk as she sipped from her glass.

The tiefling remained silent, used to such treatment and far worse. None of this affected her anymore, so she simply stood there and sipped from her wine. This only began to agitate the acolyte even more, the Force starting to churn in her.

 

[Vander]

Vander's eyes continued to sweep over the crowd, trying not to linger too long on the rather gorgeous woman to his left. He saw no reason in being demeaning or rude and he hardly needed something distracting him from his work.

He started pressing on across the upper balcony when his path was cut off by an Acolyte who was practically making a beeline to the gorgeous tiefling.

Excuse me, he said, receiving almost no response in return and his eyes rolled. Basic manners aren't that hard to come by, he thought to himself, wondering if she would sooner or later expire when she crossed paths with a more volatile Sith.

He pushed the thought from his mind as he started heading for one of the exits, passing by just in time to hear none but the same antagonizing the tiefling woman. He paused, jaw clenching slightly as he turned to look over his shoulder at the woman. He could feel that subtle flux of the Force and he knew he shouldn't do anything. He should just press on with his work and get to it...

Aw, kriff it all, he thought to himself, a sudden scene flashing through his mind of this acotwit getting off to some power grab of choking out a nice woman who was minding her own business. The realization of what the woman was saying settled in a moment later, and he realized the tiefling was a slave.

Punching down. Pathetic, he thought to himself. This was everything wrong with the Sith Order. So many of these people were simple bullies: finding someone they could exploit or harass to feel strong. Useless waste of space. If it wouldn't draw a completely undue amount of attention to himself he might have thought about just stabbing her, but that was... well, a bit excessive.

Acolyte, he said, his voice cold as ice. I'm sure you have something better to do than harass this woman, he said. And if you don't, then maybe you should talk to your Master about where you're needed before you get yourself into trouble, he said. He used the term intentionally, knowing full well that she - like everyone - reported to someone.

There was a moment where the Acolyte looked at him, judging whether she thought she could take him on or whether it was worth it. Vander was relatively young as Champions went, but there was something in his eyes - a flick of gold - that said it would likely be a hazardous decision.

She opened her mouth to say something else but held her tongue, walking away in a huff and muttering under her breath. Vander's eyes rolled again as he stood there a moment until he was content she wasn't going to just turn right back around.

Ma'am, he said, giving a quick and courteous nod toward Zira. He was about to head off again when he saw the same Acolyte heading out a side door. The kind of side door that wasn't for patrons. He frowned, a tickling at the back of his mind sticking him in place.

Zira would be able to see him watch the Acolyte, frowning and tossing a glance back toward the Acolyte's master.

You wouldn't happen to know where that door leads, would you? he asked, an innocent enough question and one he wasn't banking on the woman knowing the answer to. Or maybe she was Raphael's slave brought here for the guests, in which case she would know the answer. Either way, there was no down side to asking.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira almost expected an attack, but another Sith appeared. She remained silent, sipping from her drink as he effectively shooed the girl away. The tiefling gave a polite tilt of her head in response, finding the intervention interesting. It wasn’t the type of behavior she had come to know from Sith.

She followed his gaze when he asked the question, “I’ve seen a few people go through there,” Zira said, “Usually inconspicuous passages like that lead to..illicit activities,” She said matter of factly, having been on the other side of such doors enough times to know how these worked. In this case, however, it could have nothing to do with carnal pleasures.

Her gaze flicked over to the crowd, watching them getting steadily more drunk and dancing. Zira smirked as she glanced back at the man that addressed her, “Now’s a good time as any to investigate if you’re feeling nosy,” She said nonchalantly as she took a sip.

 

[Vander]

So Vander's assessment wasn't totally bonkers. Sometimes he wished he could have just peered through the wall, but if that was an ability of the Force it wasn't one he had mastered. Instead, he just settled for staring at the door for a moment as if by trying hard enough he might manage to peer through.

It didn't work.

Yeah, they do, don't they, he agreed. Illicit activity was just the kind of thing he was here to find. After all, if this Raphael was connected to the attempt on Arcanos and the network that Calix was building, then it wouldn't just be hanging as a big red sign.

Her final statement caught him by surprise, and if she was observant she would notice a split second's crack in his stony demeanor. A hint of surprise. Was she volunteering to help him? And if so, then why? Was this a trap? Obviously it had to be a trap, right? But... why? He had approached her not the other way around, so statistically it was unlikely to be a trap.

Okay, if it wasn't a trap, then he at least had confirmation that she was more than she appeared. An assassin? Was she a Sith as well? The way she completely nonchalantly seemed unperturbed by the acotwit's prepared attacks seemed to imply that maybe she was.

Being Vander, he almost just outright asked her, but decided to keep his mouth shut for now. Never say five words when three will do. His gaze followed hers out to the dance floor, and there was no question that the intoxication was increasing. Yes, she was probably right: this was as good a time as any.

I think you're right, he said, eyes turning back toward the door. He could have lied about what he was going to do, but it probably wouldn't have been beneficial in the end.

If you don't mind my asking: your interest in the room is because you're curious or because you're looking for something? he asked. It was a bit presumptive of him that she was going to be joining him, but somehow that was what her statement had translated into in his mind.

Of course, he might not get an honest answer and he probably wouldn't trust whatever answer he did get, but... well, this was Sith politics. Five to one said that she was no friend of Raphael.

Corax, he said, extending a hand to her and introducing himself.

You have remarkable composure, he commented a moment later, the comment coming seemingly out of nowhere. Most people would not have held up under the rude scrutiny of the acotwit the way she had. Or... or maybe she was the slow burn type of vengeance. The kind that would sneak back into this back room and slit the throat of the insulter in the back halls of the mansion. Yeah, because that was definitely how most people thought.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira stared blankly as he introduced himself. As someone that was in the industry of often pretending to be something she wasn’t, she could tell when someone was giving her a bogus name. However, she didn’t really care nor was it her concern, “Zira,” She said with a smile, “I’m here on behalf of my master, Champion Iymril,” She said before correcting herself, “My owner - Champion Iymril,” She explained, “That acolyte was making comments because I am a pleasure slave,” Zira said with a shrug. She wanted to make it clear what she was to ward off any illusions.

“I have no choice but to keep my composure,” Zira added with a smile, “It has been fascinating watching the mannerisms of Sith,” She mused aloud, observing the crowd, “Several of them have a curious tattoo on the back of their necks…the ones that keep going into that back room. Almost seems like they are…preparing something,” Zira noted as she took another sip. Being a pretty showpiece in the corner had its advantages - she could pick up on every little detail and draw conclusions. Just the kind of thing her Master would want to hear about. If Vander looked, the tattoo she described would be similar to what he saw on some of the recruits in the sewers.

 

[Vander]

Zira, Zira, Zira, he repeated in his mind, trying to make sure he didn't forget it and being almost certain that he would. It seemed to be a real problem for him and he'd eventually put it into his EZphone in order to not forget it... you know, when no one was looking.

Z-I-R-A, he went on again. Yup, he'd definitely remember now. For sure.

She outright declared what the acotwit had been hinting at and it confirmed the question in his mind. Or at least confirmed the claim. As it turned out, he had absolutely no idea what kind of response was appropriate for that revelation.

Oh. Okay, he said, trying not to look the dear in headlights that he felt and then just decided that being polite and as sincere as he ever really got was probably for the best.

Well, it's nice to meet you, Zira, he said. Yeah, nailed it, he thought to himself. Vander thought back to who she said her master was and had - of course - already forgotten the name, but it wasn't anyone he recognized. He'd liked to have filed it away in his mind for later, but yeah, that wasn't apparently going to happen now. Kriff.

Well, I don't have to keep my composure, so I'll slap people for you, he said deadpan, not entirely clear whether he was making a joke or being serious.

His attention was drawn to the tattoos that she mentioned on the back of their necks and he grunted in the back of his throat. A sharp catch on her part, and his eyes started flicking around trying to pick out those among the crowd who had one.

And of course, his next thought was "well maybe we should blow up the whole party to wipe them out" followed by a quick "I think that's probably a little extreme, Vander."

I'd be interested to hear your assessment of the people here when the party winds down, he said, looping back to her comment about observing the Sith. Somewhere in the back of his mind he quashed a fleeting thought that wondered what she thought of him. It was irrelevant, of course, and something far too foolish for him to worry about.

He was sure, however, that she had noted far more than anyone here would realize. And that's probably why she was sent here, he realized. Observe and report. Crafty and dangerous move by... Limbyril? No, that's not right. Anyway, a dangerous one and will probably end up getting a whole report about you if you draw too much attention, he thought to himself. Of course, if he made himself irrelevant to her report then that would be great. Unlikely but great. Maybe. Anyway.

I think you're right, he said, suddenly wondering if Limmerick - nope that wasn't it either - had been assigned to investigate by Arcanos as well. Probably not, but maybe.

Well, that hallway is to the east, he said aloud. But walking right through the front door sounds like a great way to get stabbed. If we take the upper terrace level and one of the doors from there we can find stairs down and loop around to wherever they're meeting, he said, finally looking back to her and realizing this was probably not something she was accustomed to doing. Or... you know, maybe it was. He had no idea. Clearly he was an over planner.

And that was when something struck his mind.

You know, I haven't seen Raphael... he said.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira gave an amused chuckle when he said he would slap people for her. She doubted that was a joke, but she appreciated the sentiment nonetheless, “I wouldn’t mind seeing that,” She said as she raised her glass in toast to him before sipping from it. When he mentioned being interested in her assessment of the party guests, she quirked a brow, “Alas, I already have an owner that’s tasked me with that job. My report goes to them,” She said with a polite smile.

The tiefling finished her drink as Corax blabbed his stream of consciousness, “We?” She repeated, amusement dancing in her eye, “You realize I have no interest in any of the conspiracies that plague these people, right?” She asked with a giggle, “However, I am getting tired of standing here..and I suppose my master will want some juicy details. So I will join you, Corax,” She said, “But just so you know..I don’t have the Force or any magical abilities.”

They barely took a few steps before the acowit showed up again, this time with an acolyte friend. Both of them scowled at Zira, “Where are you going, whore?” The girl snapped, “You’re supposed to be a wallflower for the evening, aren’t you?” She laughed.

Her friend, a boy, looked over at Corax, “You’re a Champion, aren’t you? You shouldn’t be mingling with trash,” He said with a jut of his chin towards Zira's direction, “Come join us for a drink!” He said, clearly trying to impress a higher rank.

 

[Vander]

For a moment Vander nearly argued that there was nothing stopping her from giving him some info as well, but then it occurred to him that there very well probably was something stopping her. Her choices weren't her own, and it was a reminder of one of the many reasons he did what he did. Few people inside or outside the Order would ever understand why Vander fought and killed, but that was fine. Someday people would figure it out or he'd die along the way.

Eh, fair enough, he conceded. He was hardly trying to get her into trouble, though somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if this would result in him getting shot or stabbed in the back.

When she commented about her lack of interest in the goings on of the people here he smirked slightly. I think that's the first dishonest thing she's said so far, he thought to himself. Sure, he wasn't the best at reading people and maybe everything she'd said up until now was a lie, but that was the first one that had actually felt wrong. She saw too much and had too much fire behind her eyes to actually be disinterested.

That's fine, he said unperturbed by her allegedly not having the Force. You didn't need it to pick out the tattoos, he pointed out, starting to walk in the direction he had pointed out earlier.

And then there was acotwit. Oh for... he just sighed internally. Please leave me alooone... he whined inside, though none of it made it to his face. Instead, there was the intentional and well practiced "professionalism" that was expected of him. No eye rolls, derisive laughs, or heavy sighs.

This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them, he thought to himself. Now if he lured them away and stabbed one of them before the other realized what was happening, he'd reduce it back to a 1v1 that he could easily... wait, no, Vander, stop it.[/i]

No, but can you stab them without getting blood everywhere, his mind started again immediately. Maybe if I kill one of them I can cut off their tattoo and tape it onto the back of my neck. No, that's stupid, he thought to himself.

You're a little thick, aren't you? Clearly it didn't compute when I told you to leave earlier. That's why she's better company, he said, jutting a thumb back at Zira.

This seemed to enrage the new guy and turned all "bull seeing red." What'd you just say to her!? Let's take this... but he was cut off by Acotwit putting a hand on his arm and pulling him away.

We'll find you later, whore, Acotwit said, retreating again to lick their wounds and Vander reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as if he were getting a headache.

Well, that's definitely not the last of them. I'm probably going to have to stab them later tonight... he said with a sigh. The nonchalance with which he said it would probably be disturbing to most people, but this was Sith, after all.

He also realized that his antagonizing had probably put her at risk now, which... well, that was just typical Vander all over, wasn't it?

At this point as Vander watched the retreat of Acotwit and Red Bull, he failed to notice the woman who had come up to Zira.

Oh Petal, aren't you just beautiful? When I was your age I used to look just like you. Oh, but now look at me, all shriveled and aged. I would kill to look like you again, she said.

Oh, and this outfit just does such wonders for you, too. Oh, Petal, you must come with me to my guest room. I have something I'd like to show you, she said, taking Zira's hand and starting pulling her - conveniently - toward one of the other hallways. On the flip side, this woman was giving off massive bad juju vibes that you didn't need the Force to sense. What could go wrong.

 

[Zira Suvan]

“I think that acolyte is rather into me,” Zira mused aloud as she watched acowit spin on her heel and storm away. Why else would she keep hovering like this and fixate on the tiefling so much? Such odd behavior always had some sort of underlying frustrations. Zira remained amused, not riled too easily. After all, she was not permitted to think for herself or provide her opinions on matters, so she kept a neutral outlook on most things.

As the woman that could pass for a witch grandmother materialized out of nowhere, Zira blinked a few times. Not really in a position to argue, she allowed herself to be tugged away, casting a glance over her shoulder to see if Corax would follow. She only hoped this little detour wouldn’t see her stabbed or sacrificed somehow.

“Nonsense, you are still beautiful,” Zira said smoothly to the crone, eliciting a blush and a giggle as she was thrilled at the compliment.

They stepped into an ornate side room with what appeared to be a pedestal in the middle. The woman looked back at Zira, “Petal, I just need to do a teeeeensy little prick in your palm for just a drop of blood.”

“Oh..uh, I don’t think-”

“Uh uh, it is impolite to disobey your elders,” She said as her grasp on Zira’s wrist tightened. For a moment, the woman’s eyes flashed golden and the sight unnerved the tiefling. Oh she was definitely going to die here. Without warning, Zira drew her head back and slammed the blunt integration point of her horns right into the woman’s face. There was an audible crunch while Zira yanked herself out of her grip and bolted from the room. If Corax happened to be standing right there, she would charge right into him by accident.

As all of this happened, the power to the entire party was cut, throwing everyone in pitch darkness.

 

[Vander]

Vander realized she was probably right, and this was why he found the idea of her insights so interesting. She was clearly much better at reading people than he was, and that was valuable.

You're... probably right, he agreed after a moment, turning and almost jumping when he saw... well, it probably wasn't nice to call her a hag, but this was his own head so he could do what he wanted.

For a moment, he thought about just heading off and leaving Zira to deal with the Hag, but not only was this his route into the back, it would also be a bit antithetical to who he was to just leave her to the mercies of Hag, Acotwit, and Red Bull now after he had antagonized at least two-thirds of those.

You know, you're really not on a roll tonight, Vander, he mentally reprimanded as he tried to make his way through the crowd and after the world's strangest couple.

He rounded the corner just in time to hear a "crunch" that he definitely recognized as bone before being absolutely plowed into by Zira. It must have been her dancer's athletics because holy frijoles she actually knocked him off his feet and into a heap on the floor.

And then everything went black followed by the angry shrieking of the hag inside.

You know, Vander had always heard the Sith parties got weird, but he had always figured it was an exaggeration. It was not, in fact, an exaggeration. He had almost no idea what was going on anymore and everything seemed to go downhill so quickly that he couldn't even react to it in time.

Well... at this point, Vander was scrambling back to his feet, getting temporarily tangled up in this stupid cloak-cape thing that he had on. Seriously, why did high society feel like they needed this? Well, anyway, his lightsaber was in hand now and his other hand was reaching down to try to find Zira's wrist and haul her to her feet as well. Hopefully he would find her wrist and not anything more awkward. He pretty much knew where her wrist was when they both went down.

Come on, we gotta go, he said, already feeling the flux and flow of something dark filling the air... and it wasn't the lights being out.

Get back here, PETAL! Your beauty will be MINE! she screeched and a crackle of blue lightning tore through the air, thankfully slapping the area just above where the two had fallen. Vander half-scrambled, half shoved Zira further down the hall and wasn't quite so lucky as the second blast managed to clip him in the back, sending him sprawling forward and to his knees for a moment as the Hag began to pursue. Fortunately... she was not exactly in her prime anymore so top speed was a whole lot lower than it used to be.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira crashed to the ground after running into what she assumed was Corax, both of them toppling and scrambling to recover. She felt him yank her up by the arm and she barely found her footing before the fossil behind them began to screech and shoot lightning.

“Why are you all so weird?” Zira hissed as she charged through the darkness behind Corax. She couldn’t see anything, and she almost slipped a few times thanks to her skirt. Because Zira had been doing nothing but standing around observing, she could remember the layout of the place quite well. She grabbed a hold of Corax and started to make for the exit.

Though she couldn’t sense it, Corax would realize that the exit was blocked by several Sith Masters channeling the Force. Walking that way would spell certain death as sabers were ignited and clashing. This was beginning to feel as if the two were caught in the middle of an ambush or a war between two sides. Clearly Raphael and his group had staged an attack on the Tempest loyalist Sith. Zira, someone that wasn’t even a Sith, was caught right in the middle of it.

 

[Vander]

It's not me! he objected. You're the one she was trying to suck dry! he added. And it was her that the acolytes had been antagonizing. In fact, this was all her fault!

He didn't say that part out loud. And well, it was Vander. He had a tendency to try to stick his nose where it wasn't asked for to help people. You know... violently help people. It's fine.

He felt her grab his hand and pull him along, trying and failing to remember where this path was going to lead. He was normally pretty good about noting those things, but... nope, it hadn't happened. Instead, he had to rely on her: something that grated against his inner being. Not because of her, mind you, but because he hated relying on anyone. That necessitated trust and trusting people was a weakness and great way to end up dead.

That was when he felt the flux of the Force flowing through this place, pulsating at the door they were now headed to and he squeezed her hand tightly, pulling her to a stop.

Waitwaitwaitwaitwait, he said in that quick, quiet way where all the words just melded into one continuous word.

Not that way, he said. The clash that started was... violent. Crackles of lightning, screams of pain, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air and Vander... actually began to feel afraid. This was a well coordinated ambush and he was one of the intended victims.

Raphael is at the center of this. You need to kill him. No... maybe you could kill him... probably, but then what? You'd be exhausted and still surrounded by enemies. No, you need to find a way out, he reasoned.

We need to go up. We can find a way out from there, he said. And it was where no one was going to be looking for them. He could drop down from a higher ledge and... well, he knew how he could help her get out as well, although she probably wouldn't like it. He grabbed her hand and started to pull her along before she could object, making for a set of stairs before pausing.

They'll be hunting you because you're Sith and a Tempestian. They may not be hunting her. You're putting her in danger. You have to let her make the choices... Or... they might kill her anyway. If she's a stand in for her master, and... well, what they might plan for her could be even worse. He had no idea.

Being with me might put a bigger target on your back. If you want to go your own way, I'd understand, he said.

 

[Zira Suvan]

“Ugh your palms are so sweaty..” Zira muttered as he yanked her towards the upper levels. That made absolutely no sense to her considering there was no real way down. However, she feared all Sith and Corax was one as well. She was in no position to refuse anything he suggested.

“Uhh..” She muttered as he warned about the dangers of a target on her back, “Well, so far you’ve been the choice most aligned to my survival,” She said rather articulately. After all, he fended off the acolytes and helped her escape from the hag.

It was a full blown battle downstairs as they headed to the upper levels. Once Corax opened a door, he would spot Raphael there who was in the middle of discussing something with a Holo projection. It was a hooded figure where only the lower hemisphere of their face was visible - the countenance of an older human. Raphael quickly snapped the projection shut, turning to face the two.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” He growled, unleashing a concussive blast that would be powerful enough to throw both Corax and Zira from the upper level balcony if no defense was mounted.

 

[Vander]

That was good enough for Vander. If she thought she was better off with him - and maybe she was, it was a real toss up - then he wasn't going to argue.

Okay, let's do it, he said, heading up the stairs and looking for a balcony to jump over. As it turned out, that balcony was going to find them. Of all the things that Vander expected to find up here, he didn't expect to burst in on Raphael.

He had to assume that the hooded guy was either Calix or one of his cronies, but he his mind was quickly swept up in trying to think of an excuse about who he was to give it further thoughts.

We are... was all the more that Vander got out before he felt the flux of the Force. Instinctively, he stepped in front of Zira - some part of him reprimanding himself for putting someone at his back - and threw a barrier in front of them both. It kept them from being thrown off the balcony, but didn't stop Vander's boots from skidding along the marble floor as the energy waves slapped against each other.

Could he beat the Sith Master? Maybe. Did he want to risk it? No. Reinforcements would be wiser... Tempest still had to have some people loyal to her, right? Arcanos certainly did at least. Plenty of them were being butchered downstairs. How had this conspiracy stretched so far.

Out the door, go! A different room! he shouted. Somehow this felt like running from one room to the next. And how was it all connected? The Hag was apparently Raphael's guest, so she was probably a Calixian, too.

Vander darted for the door, once again all but shoving Zira through it before slamming it shut.

Nopenopenope.

That door, that door, gogogo! she said, slamming open another door that was - fortunately - empty of anyone at least for the moment.

We're going to jump over the balcony. I'll go first and I'll catch you with the Force. You have to trust me, he said. He was confident he could do it, but that probably wouldn't make a 20-30 foot drop any more appealing in her mind.

And then he proceeded to plop himself over the balcony, landing smoothly on the floor below. Zira had about five seconds to do the same as the call of PETAL! rang out from the hallway behind her.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira had no idea why Corax suddenly jumped in front of her, but she realized quickly it was because Raphael had launched something at them. She grunted as Corax skidded back into her, swinging her tail around to keep from toppling backwards. He didn’t need to tell her twice to run and she bolted through the door. It was impossible to see clearly with the only light being from the creepy candle light room Raphael had going on.

Within moments, Corax vaulted over the railing and casually landed on the first story. She thought about what he said and grimaced. Catch her with the Force? What? Zira chewed on her lip, hesitating even as she heard the crone’s voice behind her. Why the hell wasn’t her master here? They would know what to do and she wouldn’t have to think about anything. Making her own decisions and choices was frightening and entirely uncomfortable.

A streak of lightning just barely missed her, singing some of her hair. That was enough to make her leap over the balcony and trust Corax not to let her splat on the ground. Zira closed her eyes and fully expected full body pain, but she threw herself over the edge nonetheless.

 

[Vander]

Vander heard that voice even from down here, his muscles tensing even more and shocked that he was able to actually get more tense than he already was.

She seemed to glance back - understandably nervous - before a streak of lightning made her decision for her. She started dropping, and Vander could feel the cold wind of the Force streaking all around him. He focused the currents, drifting them and throwing them up toward her. She was feel the tight embrace of something wrapping around her, but would find that nothing was there. When she glanced down to her body there was no evidence of anything wrapped around her, but the sensation was unmistakable as it slowed her descent.

She would come to a near stop about four feet off the ground, both of Vander's arms held out in front of him as he focused on the Force, letting it come to a stop as she dropped to her feet.

Come on! he said, waving her on to follow him. His lightsaber hilt was now in his hand, and rather than looking at her, he looked up to balcony above them, prepared to block any attack as they fled.

They'll be hunting us. We need to get back to... my ship. Or yours, I guess, if that's closer, he said. He had taken a ride here and his ship was a good several kilometers away from here. He had no idea how she had gotten here, but he was guessing she didn't have a ship.

Taking someone to your ship? That's... not very smart of you, he reprimanded himself. The statement had just come out in the heat of the moment. He had already gotten this far and wasn't going to just leave her out to dry now.

The route to the actual grounds exit was clear, and beyond was the city of Zambrian: a largely high class area of town where people had money in abundance. A place where Vander assumed Raphael had friends.

We've got a head start so we should be able to stay ahead of them, he said. Yeah, but what if they're watching the Docking Bays. Well, you'll just have to deal with that when it comes down to it, he thought to himself.

He glanced back to Zira a moment later and realized something before beginning to unbutton this insufferable cape. Great excuse not to wear it, he thought to himself.

Here, you can put this on. You'll probably attract a lot of attention in that outfit otherwise, he said. And for good reason. He certainly would have noticed her if she were walking down the street. The lightsaber holstered on his back was now slightly more visible, it was holstered, and after a bit of time he'd find a way to hide it more.

You good? No injuries? he asked before they headed off to make their way - probably hunted - through the city.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Back to his ship? Great, she supposed he would be wanting a reward for saving her life. She sighed to herself, wondering if her master would punish her for this. She had been around enough sleazy men to know ‘going back to my ship’ only meant one thing. The tiefling followed along in silence, shaking her head at his suggestion of her own ship. Iymril wasn’t that kind - she arrived on public transport.

When he took his cape thing off to hand to her, Zira eyed him curiously. Once he explained, she grabbed it and put it on, looking ridiculous as a result. When he asked about injuries, she shook her head, “I should probably contact my master,” She muttered, “They will want to know about this. They will not tolerate me coming back injured or damaged..” She said matter of factly, more concerned about presenting poorly to her master than regard for her own life. Zira glanced at her silver hair that was slightly burned and could already feel Iymril’s wrath.

“Why were they fighting back there?” She ventured to ask. Since Corax wasn’t her master, she felt slightly more open to actually speaking. Zira glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone gave chase, “Raphael and that old woman…they’re part of some cult, aren’t they?” She guessed, “Really I thought all Sith were a cult but I’m learning more..”

She wondered where Corax fit on that spectrum.

 

[Vander]

She mentioned reporting in to her master, and he shook his head.

Can't, they might be monitoring transmissions, he said. Her comment about being injured or damaged nearly made him physically ill. The fact that that was what she was worried about was...

His fist clenched at his side, a subtle and easily missable gesture though it did cause a slight pop in his knuckles as fingers dug into palms hard enough to leave a mark.

He started moving steadily down the street, trying to keep to the less populated areas vs being out in the open where they were easily visible. Maybe he was running from shadows that weren't there, but he wasn't going to take that risk.

Her question caught him somewhat off guard. He was surprised she hadn't been told about this, and it raised the question in his mind of Limmerick had sent her there to observe if she hadn't been told about... the schism. Maybe just general observe and report, and a reminder to him that he needed to be careful what he said around her that could compromise him.

The Sith have a long history of building powerbases, and those groups don't always get along. Right now, the Sith are largely loyal to Darth Arcanos, but there's a sect - growing sect - loyal to an old outcast from the Sith Order, he explained.

That party seemed to have been an ambush by the latter, he said. Of course, she'd be able to put together the fact that he was part of the former, but he was guessing her master was as well. A bit of a gamble, but it was fine. He didn't seem annoyed in the slightest to be answering her question and seemed quite forthcoming with answers as it turned out. She was part of this world now whether she wanted to be or not, and knowing what was going on was half the key to staying alive.

Where is home? I mean, where should I be dropping you off when we get out of here? he asked, realizing his question was probably a little bit confusing. He realized after he posed the question that there was a part of him wondering what her story was. How had she ended up where she was in life. Of course, he didn't like prying questions about himself, so he tried to respect that for her as well, but he couldn't help that itch of curiosity in his mind. For now, though, he kept the question limited to the task at hand. A real classic Vander move to be honest.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira knew about Arcanos, of course, because her master was constantly trying to impress him. In fact, she was certain Arcanos was the one that took over Zygerria during which her brother was killed trying to fruitlessly lead a rebellion. She said nothing aloud of this, “What about Tempest?” Zira asked curiously. After all, wasn’t Tempest the big bad Dark Lord and head honcho of the Sith? Why, then, did Zira keep hearing about a schism between Arcanos and the Sith outside of the Order?

When he asked about ‘home’ Zira blinked in surprise, “Uh..I suppose back to my master,” She said, unable to imagine what else he meant, “Thule,” She explained, “They reside there,” She said.

The tiefling fell into step behind Corax, unaccustomed to walking next to someone. She followed him obediently as she was taught her whole life. Her head was bowed and she would go where he led, hopefully to return to her master so she could put this debacle behind her.