Ask A Beautiful, Not Drearia World

[Vanya]

Per my OP template, thread is death enabled​

Drearia seemed like a pretty nice place despite the name. Although the weather in the city they had just landed in was on the chilly side, the center of the planet had tropics and even the air up here - cold as it was - was crisp and clean. Vanya liked it.

They had reached out to the Jedi because of concerns about Sith skulking around. Their local security force had seen multiple bodies sacrificed and mutilated, and they had asked for the Jedi to come and look into it. Vanya was actually excited. Not because people were being murdered, but because confronting Dark Siders was actually something within her wheelhouse.

The fact that the planet was also hoping to open discussions about entering the Jedi protectorate was an added bonus. The planet had a history of being a fortress world with large quantities of gear and equipment that were stored here from prior regimes. Much of it might be out of date, but surely some of it was still salvageable.

Vanya also hoped she might be able to get a lightsaber crystal out of this if they were confronting Sith. Although she was more comfortable with her sword and pike, it tended to draw weird looks from people like it did now. Even strapped to her hip and slung across her back respectively, they were not things that people were used to seeing.

She had been partner up with a Justicar for this operation, and from Vanya's understanding they investigated Jedi. She wondered if that meant that she was under investigation as she was still on probation or if that meant there was suspicion that whoever was behind this was an ex-Jedi. Either way, Vanya didn't love it.

This world could be a huge benefit to the Jedi if they agree to join our cause, she said to her partner as they exited their ship and made the walk over to the governor's office. She was still skeptical, but hopefully they would follow through at least on having a discussion.

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

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"That it would," Rair replied to her current companion as she stretched. It had been some time since she felt comfortable starting a mission. Not since she attained the rank of Knight and been granted permission to become a Justicar. Since then she had been sent to investigate a mysterious illness and to broker peace on a world on the brink of war. Hardly the sort of missions she had expected, but this?

Track down rumors of potential Sith and bring them to justice? That was far more her speed than attempting diplomacy or staring down a plague.

"Honestly though? I'll just be happy If we can bring balance here. It's nice to have allies, of course, but that's for the diplomats to handle." she couldn't stop a small smile from spreading across her lips as her hands fell to her waist and she gave a small shrug. "Of course, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try our best, too. Definitely don't want to upset the locals if we can help it."

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix

 

[Vanya]

The other Jedi's comment gave Vanya pause. Could they... could they do that? Just pass off the negotiating to the Diplomacy core? Why not? That thought excited her more than it probably should have because just worrying about hunting down these Dark Side killers sounded more up her alley.

Really? Allies are good, she said. Was it bad that she wasn't just doing this out of the kindness of her heart? Who knew? She didn't feel bad about it.

Yes, I imagine the diplomatic core are better than I am, she said. The diplos would have a lot of work to do in her wake, but hopefully all good things.

Still, the pair were led in to the governor's office and directed to one of the security attendants.

The Governor's directed for your help. Take these so that you won't be harassed about your weapons or anything of the sort, the man said, handing them both small badges that could be clipped to their belts.

And these are all the reports about the sightings we've found, the man added, passing across small datacards with all the information they needed.

Vanya plugged it in and started looking at the information within. Five killings, all fitting similar MOs with occult symbols and mutilated victims. How unpleasant.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

Raising a hand up, the young knight tapped her nose knowingly as the other knight suggested the diplomats were better than she was. Truth was, if they stuck to their training, they probably made perfectly fine diplomats. Certainly Rair had proven she could handle the task on Verona, but that didn't mean they were the best people for the job. And she wasn't particularly interested in being that person. Diplomacy came with a lot more stress than investigating, at least in her opinion.

"Thank you," she offered to the guard as she took the badge and slipped it onto her belt. The datacard came next and she frowned. For all the force let her see much of the world unimpeded, some things didn't quite translate. She could, of course, sent it to her droid back on her ship. Cuetee had gotten quite deft at parsing information for her. Still, she did have someone standing right next to her.

"What are we looking at?" she asked as she turned towards the other Jedi.

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix

 

[Vanya]

Vanya wandered out of the room they were in and kept scrolling through the information, forgetting that her partner couldn't actually see with her eyes.

What happened to your eyes? she practically blurted out after a moment, having never met a Miraluka before. Yes, Vanya was not a diplomat, and subtlety was not her strong suit.

Rude, Vanya. Get back to work, she mentally chastised herself.

She scrolled quickly through the information, eyes scanning just as quickly over the words.

The nearest attack was only three kilometers from here, she said. We could start looking there, she said, looking for the details of the crime.

It was a couple living in an apartment. They were dismembered and arranged around a symbol, she said, scrolling to the photos. They were grotesque and revolting, but Vanya did her best to focus past that and on the symbols that had been written in blood.

While the symbols weren't ones she recognized specifically, they did bear some resemblance to the dark magick that some of the Nightsisters used. Different, of course, but not that different.

I believe... some of these symbols may have to do with controlling minds, she speculated before shaking her head. But I cannot be sure. We should go, she said, motioning onward for them to head to the crime scene itself.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

Blinking in surprise would almost certainly have happened if Rair actually possessed the ocular organs. Instead, the Jedi just let out a soft bark of laughter. Maybe that question would have been considered rude by most Miraluka, but she wasn't raised around any.

"I was born this way," she offered in way of an explanation. "Every Miraluka is. We see through the Force. Sort of our own... special connection to it, like how Dathomirans have theirs." Admittedly, Rair didn't quite know WHAT that special connection was as she hadn't had much chance to delve into other cultures' Force traditions, but she did know it existed.

As she listened to the quick rundown of the location, she nodded. In person, she would be able to pick up a lot more. And her companion was proving exactly why she had been paired with her.

"The symbols are familiar? Let's go take a better look, then. If you can understand them, we'll have a lot more knowledge than I suspect we're expected to gather."

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix

 

[Vanya]

Vanya's head tilted to the side in curiosity. Huh, fascinating, she said. She probably could have asked a billion more questions, but now probably wasn't the time. Questions could come on the ship later.

Not familiar necessarily, but similar to things I have seen before, she said, hoping it would help make sense of what she was trying to say.

She headed out and they covered the distance by cab to the crime scene in short order. Vanya's axe drew some odd looks, but she just gave a nod to the officer on duty who stood aside when he saw the badges they wore.

The real scene was much like the pictures had shown, and while Vanya wasn't an investigator per se, she also wasn't an idiot. There were signs of a struggle and the back door had been broken open. But her attention was drawn primarily to the runes written onto the floor.

I was correct, but some of these are smudged. There might be... a name here? But it's in a different language I can't read, she said, wondering if the other woman could perceive anything that Vanya couldn't.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

"Hrm... something a few levels removed but not the same. A common ancestor, maybe?" The Knight allowed the question to hang in the air, more rhetorical than anything. Perhaps an answer they would find during the course of the investigation, but likely as not ultimately unimportant. Rair was just grateful they had someone who could parse it, at least to a degree.

The trip didn't take too long, and soon the pair stood inside the crime scene. While Vanya studied the runes, Rair did her own work. Reaching out with the Force, she sensed the room around here, felt the struggle and carnage.

"Clouded," she mumbled to herself before turning her attention to her partner. "These aren't people pretending, that's for sure. While I can't say too much, I can be certain that darkness was worked here." Moving over, she knelt down next to the other knight and ran a finger over the runes as best she could. While the detail of written words was typically not something easily seen by a Miraluka's visions, the blood used here separated it from the floor.

"I can draw it, I think," she stated sheepishly, not entirely convinced. The smudge was apparent, but it hadn't been done before the blood had settled some and there was a warping to the floor. Raising a finger in the air, she did her best to copy the missing symbols in front of Vanya, hoping she might recognize them.

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix

 

[Vanya]

Vanya listened to what Rair said, noting that she said it wasn't being faked. That was reassuring that they were on the right path, but also disturbing that it meant there was something genuinely nefarious here.

Vanya copied the image of the rune that the woman drew, seeing several things in a language she didn't understand followed by a name.

Gret Marn, she said aloud. She had no idea who Gret Marn was but he was somehow involved, and the pieces were starting to come together in Vanya's head.

If this is a mind-controlling or altering ritual, then I suspect this Gret Marn is now under their influence. We should look into him, she said. She pulled up her phone and began typing into it, and her jaw dropped.

He is a mayoral candidate, she said. It wasn't what she had expected, but from all appearances, someone was trying to get into the political game and manipulate a future ruling member.

Kriff, we should warn someone or... something! she said, eyes wide. Or, they could start trying to find the people behind it.

I might be able to use a divination spell to track some of their magic, she offered, though she wasn't sure it would work or that the Jedi would even be comfortable with an attempt. She still didn't fully understand how the Jedi felt about her magick as it was... quite different from the Jedi arts.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

A mayoral candidate?

Figures. Common motive and with all the subtlety of a hammer on glass. Despite the chill-inducing evil that would leave a scene like the one they were in, these dark siders were as sophisticated as a Hutt.

Well, a Hutt that knew dark rituals.

"Need more information before we warn anyone. Don't want to start a panic or, worse, play into the perpetrator's hands. Hrm... five killings, wonder how many candidates? Can you look at the other scene images, see if things are similar there? If this is about an election, maybe they're stacking the deck. Why control one politician when you can control them all and ensure you win."

All the more reason to keep things under wraps a bit longer. If they informed on this Gret Marn, then that would likely disqualify him, but provide greater cover for any other stooges. Worse, if they were controlling those that weren't on their side, and only the last clean one was part of this...

"If you have a way to try and track them, I think that's a good idea."

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix

 

[Vanya]

Vanya looked through the other pictures of the crimes scene, but the symbols weren't the same.

Five different rituals, she said aloud before frowning. Or, no, wait. Three of these are similar. Or maybe the same. Then there's this one and one other that are the same, she said. The question was what was it all for? To control the minds of two people and do what to three others?

She shook her head in frustration and sighed. I don't know, she said, slipping the images away and deciding that maybe her tracking would be a bit more useful.

She headed for the kitchen and grabbed a bowl to be filled with water before enchanting it, letting some of her ichor flow into the water until it glowed green. She brought it back into the murder room and placed it on the ground, sitting crosslegged in front of it as she began to chant.

Her eyes blazed like green fire, and green mists rose from the bowl, filling the room and - for all intents and purposes - blotting out everything else. Both Jedi were surrounded in a mist of green that felt almost like being out in a muggy day or breathing in deeply from a fog machine.

The familiar scent was a welcome one to Vanya, and she didn't cease as foggy figures began to "emerge" from the air around them. They would be able to make out echoes of the dark ritual that had been performed here, and even as they did, a chill from the darkness that still lingered here crept down the Nightsister's spine.

Pokazhi mne tu ch'yu sushchnost' my nedelyu! she said, her tone rising as she reached the end of the phrase and she thrust her hand forward.

The mist dispersed for a moment before pulling back together into a small orb not much larger than a softball.

And off that orb went, out the back door and racing off in the direction of the ritual's performer.

Quick! Follow it before we lose it! she shouted, leaping to her feet and racing off after the orb, contemplating the possible need for a speeder and having no idea how far this might take them. Perhaps she should have planned this better...

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

"Two for control, three for something else..." Frowning, the Jedi pressed a pair of fingers to her temple as she tried to form any sort of theory. She came up with nothing at the moment, certain they needed more information. Luck had been on their side so far, with the pairs' unique skills getting them leads that few others could have found, so she allowed herself to be patient, especially since they still had another card to play.

As the other knight readied herself, Rair stepped back a bit, giving her room though watching closely. Curiosity was soon replaced by discomfort, however, as the mist filled the area and she felt goosebumps crawl along her skin. Then she saw the mist transform. Of the Force, it was crystal clear to her as figures moved about the space, enacting their dark deeds.

It all coalesced into a single point of light before shooting away. Rair moved on instinct, her body giving chase even before her partner could finish shouting to follow it. Everything fell away except the orb and its path and the Jedi moved with practiced grace in pursuit of it like a hound on the scent of its prey.

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

 

[Vanya]

Vanya was grateful for a partner who was so on top of things, charging off after the orb before Vanya even had to say anything. For her part, she fell in behind her, but the orb was - fortunately - not moving so fast that they had to maintain a full sprint after it. Still, it moved quickly enough that it was a moderate jog to keep pace.

Mentally, Vanya cursed herself for having made such a childish mistake. She had no talisman of transformation, no speeder, and no mount to follow the orb without tiring herself.

Minutes ticked by and it was nearly five kilometers before the orb finally came to a stop. Vanya was breathing heavily, and hunched over to brace against her knees as she stopped outside the building the orb had gone inside of.

Are you... doing fine? she asked between panted breaths, now keenly feeling the weight of the axe on her back and her sword at her side. The icy air stung the back of her throat that was now dried out from the heavy breathing, but she was here and had made it in one piece.

It seemed like only then that she started feeling wary of the building they were outside of. Inside, apparently, were cultists murderers. What precisely that was going to look like, Vanya didn't know, but she did note that it seemed the area of town they were now in was not as upscale as the one they had been in several minutes ago.

How far did this corruption run? Was it isolated or an entire conspiracy? Were they walking into a trap? What was the extent of this person's power? She didn't know, and she knew the first step of a hunt was to form a plan. They didn't really have one yet, and that made her very uncomfortable.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

Rair gave a small jump of surprise at Vanya's words and she stepped back from the orb. The entire run, things had faded away and it was just her, the light, and the path. Now she found herself stood before the stationary point with her hand reaching out of it and almost no memory of the actual trip.

A soft blush lit up her pale face and her hand fell to her side to rest on her belt. Somehow during the run she had lost her robes, and it was just her tunic and breeches that remained.

"Doing... fine?" she asked a bit quizzically before actually thinking about the question. At once the exertion hit her like a pile of bricks as she felt her legs wobble and her lungs burn. Taking in a deep breath, the knight coughed softly before giving a small nod. She had bolstered her body with the Force during the run, extending her stamina, but even that had its limits and now with it done...

"I'm alright, just... just need a minute." Letting herself fall back onto her rear, she sucked in air as she looked up at the building. "Have to say it doesn't look very welcoming, does it?"

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

 

[Vanya]

Vanya nodded her agreement about needing a minute and pulled her axe from off her back, setting it on the ground and leaning against it. On Dathomir, no one would have thought anything of it. On an industrialized planet it looked absolutely, hilariously out of place.

But it did help rest her sore muscles.

No, she agreed. It looks about like a place where you would find this kind of thing, she said. Even as she reached out to the Essence, she could feel the darkness here. It was insidious and stifling, and there was no question they were in the right location.

Do you feel that? she asked, taking the axe into both hands and moving closer to the door. She pressed the button, and the door sprung open, leading down to a set of downward stairs that descended into darkness. Oh that wasn't foreboding at all.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

"It does look exactly like that," the girl said with a soft chuckle. If it wasn't for Vanya's magic having brought them here, she might even be concerned that things were lining up too well. Truth was, it went back to this group lacking subtlety and hoping the esoteric practices would be enough to cloak their actions.

After catching her breath, Rair jumped to her feet and, in a smooth motion, grasped her splitshoto in her left hand. Hopefully it wouldn't be needed, but better safe than sorry. Joining Vanya, she noted the darkness that permeated the area, though the literal darkness was a bit lost on her.

"No knocking?" she teased the Dathomiran as she slipped past and into the stairway. "Well, since the door is open already, perhaps we should make sure everyone's okay inside?" Letting her connection with the Force stretch out, she trusted her 'sight' and began the descent, saber held at the ready but unignited.

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

 

[Vanya]

Vanya let out a stiff laugh at the woman's statement, feeling the adrenaline mounting in her system and the warning bells in the back of her head increasing with each passing moment.

She made it to the bottom of the steps and found herself in a small room that smelled old and stale. A dim light hung in the center of the room and left something to be desired. Vanya let her mind melt into the Essence to guide her, but before she had time to center herself, a red lightsaber burst to life in the corner of the room.

It slashed horizontally at the Miralukan Jedi, aiming to cut her in half at shoulder height and approaching from the woman's own left side.

At the same moment that the Sith seemed to materialize from thin air, a trio of hooded figures with knives and short swords rounded the corner and descended on Vanya who quickly fell back on her own combat training, thrusting the axe's spiked end outward to ward off the first attacker to get too close.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

Four people. That's what she could see from a distance, all of them holding back like they were invisible if they just didn't move. A soft sigh escaped the girl's lips. The other species of the galaxy relied too much on their eyesight.

"That won't--" she began to say before the hum of a blade cut her words short and tried to cut her shorter. Her own lightsaber followed suit, the full length extending as she raised the weapon to block. "--work. No chance you want to surrender and go peacefully?"

It was a pointless question, but she could never get used to the idea of fighting without giving people the chance. Plus it gave her right hand a chance to pull the second weapon from her back and grip it right. "Just drop the weapon and call off your friends and everyone lives."

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix

 

[Vanya]

The Sith was vicious and relentless, his skill demonstrated in the way he moved gracefully. As his saber slammed into Rair's, he pulled it back almost as quickly, swinging down again, this time from the other direction in a diagonally downward strike at her right shoulder. He seemed to float effortlessly away from the weapon she was drawing even before she pulled it out.

For Vanya's part, the initial thrust kept her opponent at bay, leaping back to avoid it, and she used the opportunity to her advantage. She pulled the weapon back, swinging it in a wide arc around herself as she leapt forward, forcing the three cultists back again. It was not an ideal situation to fight three against one, but on the bright side, Vanya had the weapon for it.

She pressed off forward again and as the circle came to full once again, used the momentum to cleave at a slightly downward angle and directly at the man on the far side.

There was a sickening squelch and crack of bone snapping as the axe blade dug into the man's upper torso, a disgusting mess of blood and gurgling as he went down to the ground.

That was when the other cultists struck, and Vanya had to leap back, using the Essence to enhance her strength to wrench the axe free in the knick of time to block one of the thrusts at her side with the haft, shoving it off to the side and quickly leaping to reposition so that her opponents couldn't get behind her.

@KaraLi

 

[Rair]

Tonight the wall is coming down​

I am stronger than my fears

This is the mountain that I climb​

​

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​

Apparently, her new companion wasn't much of a talker. Not that it bothered Rair too much. She never really expected the answer to be 'I give up'. Besides, the sooner she finished with the Sith, the quicker she could get to Vanya's side and help her.

With a deft twist, she raised her guard shoto and extended the blade. Backwards it ignited and with a swift 'punch', she deflected the next blow with it, putting extra force behind in an attempt to put the man off balance. Using the momentum of the strike, she spun around and brought her original blade in a straight arc near his center mass, aiming to sever his body from right to left. Attempting to finish the fight quickly, she enhanced her speed with the Force, making the spin and slash far quicker than she could manage on her own.

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Got 100 steps to go

Tonight I'll make it 99​

@Phoenix