Ask Checkmate With a Bishop

[Param Vour]

Wanderers hear a lot of whispers if they knew where to listen. Traveling the shipping lanes and handling smugglers trafficking sentient beings, it was pretty easy for Param to pick up on the rumors of attacks against villages, hunting parties, fishing parties, and attacks in general on Naos III. Something was brutalizing the locals, and even the non-locals looking to hunt or capture whatever was doing it. Every attack left a few bodies missing the would never be found. It was that fact that had drawn Param.

With her dyed brown hair fixed into a braided crown, and a white beanie over it, the only thing giving her away as echani was the echani war sword on her left hip, and her silver eyes that searched the frozen river for any signs of movement. The hood of her grey poncho was thrown over her head, and the black thermal shirt and tight brown leather trousers were covered in the snow that covered most of the moon. What wasn't snow, was ice, and Param had to admit- she really hated the cold. It reminded her of Gemini and the... monstrosity he had become on Eshan. An era she wished to forget entirely, but knew she never could.

A couple of days on this moon was all it took for Param to hate it. Almost everyone lived in a small habitable zone, and the ones that ventured out this far always ended up dead. Something that could possibly happen to Param if she didn't keep her wits about her. She pulled her poncho tighter around herself, feeling no warmer by the act but hopefully a second or two she would feel it. Even pulled tightly around her, it still hid her daggers and the medium blaster pistol holstered on her right thigh well.

Through the glaring snow and ice, a small dark speck caught Param's eyes. Even as Param drew closer the snow that buried dark spot hid what it really was. It wasn't until she was practically on top of it that she realized it was a cabin, half buried in snow. Then there was another, and another. A village, the only place not snow covered was the fire pit in the center. Bodies in shattered leathers and blood matted furs were strewn about. Param frowned as she hopped down from the top of the cabin, taking her steps carefully toward the fire pit that looked like it hadn't been lit in a couple of days.

@Sreeya

 

[Baldr Ivarsson]

Baldr wandered just as the ancient Deucalian people did. They were always on the move, conquering and expanding. While he didn’t exactly partake in raiding parties, he still wandered from planet to planet to spread the word of Thrane. His keen Sephi eyes allowed him to see the bodies ahead of time as he approached the village. However, he hadn’t expected to spot any movement.

The Deucalian had his bowcaster out and loaded, tilting his head to follow the movements of the figure that was snooping around the area. His gaze roamed over the person, deducing that it was female. From the looks of it, there were no ranged weapons on this person and by the time they went to grab one, Baldr would kill them.

“What’re you doing here?” He called out to the figure in accented Basic. If she turned around she would see a bowcaster trained on her from afar. Baldr wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t responsible for the deaths and he wouldn’t lower his weapon until he was positive.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

The spoken words from behind her echoed through the little village center. On instinct the Force coiled down her arms as she turned slowly. She first saw the bowcaster aimed at her, and then the man holding it. At least, she assumed they were a man given their stature and build. The Force still coiling around her arms and ready to be used, she raised them outward on either side, and away from any of her weapons. Despite the weapon being aimed at her, her lips curled into a warm smile. It wasn't the first weapon to be pointed at her, finger on the trigger- and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"I heard rumors of attacks," she said, raising her voice to be heard over the whispering breeze. Vee, seeing that Param was in a position she'd be in numerous times the last few months again hopped off her shoulder and began to inspect a corpse. Seems holding Param at blaster point was becoming a galaxy favorite. "I was worried that a band of slavers might be the culprit, so I wanted to investigate."

There was no telling her counterpart was apart of that slaving group or not. For all Param knew he could be the scout and initiator. As a Sith she never lied, and she wouldn't start now. If he was a slaver, the best thing for her that he could do was bring her to the rest of the group. The Force was a powerful ally, and it wouldn't be the first time she ended a hall of slavers with her bare hands. The warm smile kept upon her lips, and she twisted slightly, motioning with hands still held up in surrender toward the little red and silver BD-unit that was inspecting a corpse.

"I'm Rose, and this is my friend, Vee," she said. "Are these your people?"

@Sreeya

 

[Baldr Ivarsson]

Baldr had to bite back the urge to scoff at her initial guess at what happened, “These are nomadic Deucalians. They can fend off entire militias, let alone slavers,” He said as he lowered his weapon, “Which is why it’s curious anything managed to wipe them out at all,” Baldr mused as he stepped closer to the firepit.

The Deucalian knelt by the corpses one by one, saying a quiet prayer in his native tongue. He made sure to shut their eyes if they were open, moving their hands to touch their weapons if they were nearby. Param would perhaps notice that almost all of them still had weapons nearby, revealing that everyone - including the children - put up a fight till the end.

However, even he knew he couldn’t linger to do the full rites when the culprit had to be hunted. The Deucalian kept looking through the site till he found a corpse with a blade tainted with what appeared to be inky black blood. Baldr picked it up, examining it from all sides. He touched a gloved finger against the blood, drawing it back as the corrosive material burned through the external layer of his thick, hide glove.

“Well met, Rose,” Baldr said with a curt nod, “May fortune walk with you wherever you go,” He said as he started to walk towards where he assumed a trail would lead. He wasn’t concerned about what the woman was doing and assumed she would linger around the village for one reason or another.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param tilted her head at the man’s response. Deucalians? It wasn’t a people she was familiar with. The galaxy proving yet again that even though she had come a long way, there was always more the galaxy could teach her. They must be a particularly strong people to be able to fight off militias and slavers. The dark tendrils of truth began to sneak into her mind at the thought. The man was right. If the people could fight off militias and slavers, whatever wiped them out would have to be worse.

“I’m not familiar with Deu- Due- Deucalians,” Param said, making sure to try to pronounce the name of the people correctly and as the man had said it. She watched him go from corpse to corpse, offering prayers and closing eyes. His need to have them touch nearby weapons had her curious, as did the weapons themselves. They were beautiful and intricate in their own way, much like the Echani and their weapons. There must be a significance to them if they have to touch them in death.

“Well met,” Param said, suppressing a giggle but not the smile that came with it. The man had a unique way of speaking; both accent and words. She liked it! It was stark contrast to the city dweller and “proper” accents she was so used to hearing. Arla had been the last, if she recalled, with a unique accent that had crossed her path.

Param watched the man pick up a weapon, and test the corrosive, inky blood on it. Her smile faded into a frown. Blood like that, coupled with the fact that whatever it came from had wiped out a village of warrior-like people, meant Param wasn’t hunting the usual slaver nest. This was a demon of a creature, and probably a large one at that. A lot more than ice started to bite at her quickening heart. Beasts were not her forte of hunting. She just hoped what weapons she did have would be enough.

“Why have their eyes closed, and touch their weapons?” Param asked, trying to find anything to remove her mind from what the culprit could possibly be. Even in death, the Deucalians seemed to be a beautiful people, both in appearance and rituals. She’d much rather talk about that than whatever it is was out there in the frozen wastes. Param followed the man, keeping a pace or two away, even as she quickened to be more on line with him.

@Sreeya

 

[Baldr Ivarsson]

Baldr simply quirked a brow as she stumbled over the word Deucalian as if she was about to drop a rhyme. In the end, she managed to choke the word out without developing a hernia and he kept walking in silence. His thoughts were back on what could be causing all this as he followed what appeared to be a path towards the woods.

His ears swiveled as he heard the woman approach from behind. Baldr was a loner by nature, but he wasn’t reclusive enough to turn away company. His gaze remained fixed ahead as she asked her question, “It allows them to enter the halls of their gods,” Baldr explained, “In my culture we are all warriors - every man, woman, and child. We grasp our weapons in death and meet our makers with honor. We no longer gaze at the vacant skies, but close our eyes and open them to the plane of the gods,” He said, passion in his words. His faith was absolute and his devotion was unrelenting.

“You know how to navigate this terrain?” Baldr asked as he finally cast her a sideways glance. The weather would only get worse as they ventured further away from civilization. He purposely slowed his strides to allow her to fall into step beside him, making it clear he didn’t mind her joining.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

The dark woods ahead stole Param’s attention as they moved toward them. Shadows danced between the tress, and the frigid air seemed even colder just from looking at the wood. She’d had a similar feeling when Gemini had transformed into… whatever his true self was. It wasn’t fear that gripped her, but an unease that made her shiver despite her poncho keeping her relatively warm. No one, even a warrior people, should have to see that sort of demon.

She turned her silver gaze to the man who’d slowed down. He spoke of an afterlife like it was a sure thing. The fire in his eyes, and the passion in his voice painted a picture. Whole families with sword in hand fighting all manner of beasts and beings. Their deaths not mourned, but celebrated as they reached the halls of their gods, celebrations never ending. Param found herself smiling at the thought. To live and die as a warrior was an honorable thing, to have an afterlife that praised such a life even better. His switching of the words their to we was not lost on Param. They were his people, maybe not his tribe, but he was Deucalian as well.

“That’s beautiful,” she said, turning back to the path before them. The woods were approaching faster than she would have liked. The things that had to be done always got in the way of what Param wanted to do, it seems. She was fascinated by different cultures and learning all the galaxy had to offer. The Mandalorians were her more recent quest, and now the Deucalians. From the sounds of it, the Deucalians could probably give the Mandalorians a run for their money- if it wasn’t stolen by a infamous pirate first.

“I’ll be okay,” Param said. Vee made a low whir on her shoulder, and she answered with a soft pet to his metallic head. “You’ll be okay too, Vee. Your joints are oiled enough.” She wasn’t ready yet to reveal that she had a certain level of control over elemental forces via the Force. The snow she could turn to ice, the ground she could reshape, and a fire she could start without much work at all. Param didn’t know how the man would react to knowing she was a Force user, but she would rather save that revelation to when it needed to be outed.

“You talk about the afterlife with a lot of passion,” Param said, keeping the conversation light as they stepped into the darkness of the woods. “Are you a priest?” She paused, realizing that she was diving deeper into conversation with the man, but didn’t know his name. “Can I ask you your name?” The warm smile on her lips was gone. Though her expression was deadpan, her tone still sounded with inflection and emotion. They were in dangerous territory now, and despite her light conversation her mind was focused on their surroundings.

@Sreeya

 

[Baldr Ivarsson]

Baldr could already see the broken branches and trees where the beast made an escape. While it was clever enough to not leave tracks behind, it was clearly enormous enough to break through trees. He ducked to avoid low branches, his tall and broad frame not well suited for dense woods. However, he moved with a surprising amount of grace for a man his size.

“I am,” He answered her question, “I am a Deucalian man of god and I speak for the god Thrane,” He explained, “I am called Baldr Ivarsson,” He gave her a sideways glance, a glint in his honey eyes, “And that is my real name,” He said simply, his lips almost tugging towards a smile. It was his job to read and understand others, and he had picked up a few subtle things from her that she perhaps didn’t realize she revealed. It wasn’t his business to pry, so he wouldn’t.

After they walked for a bit, Baldr spotted what appeared to be a scarf on the trail. He picked it up, “It’s still warm,” He said, daring to hope, “They may yet be alive,” He said as he quickened his pace where he could see footsteps. From the looks of it, they were the footsteps of a child. He hoped against hope their search would end positively.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param flinched when Baldr mentioning it being his real name, but kept walking with him. Her right hand had made its way to the hilt of her Echani war sword well before he had mentioned it. The only one that knew her real name after her “death” was Arla, and only because it would have been a fool’s errand to try to keep things from the woman. Param was good at reading intent, but apparently not people. Baldr was another she would not be able to fool so easily.

“What gave it away?” she asked softly, glancing over to him for only a second with a saddened smile. She didn’t know the man, but judging from his demeanor and the level of care he took in closing each individual’s eyes, and offering a prayer for each of the fallen- Param could guess he wasn’t the type to reveal any of her secrets. At least not any time soon.

“God…” she said, eyes flicking form shadow to shadow. Broken branches, no tracks. Whatever demon they hunted was smart, but not so graceful. Param herself moved with the grace of an Echani, carefully not stepping on fallen sticks; every foot fall was calculated and decided, every movement like fluid. Hide her silver hair and her tan herself as she may, her eyes and her mannerisms were tell tales that she was Echani through and through.

“You said gods, earlier. Do you get to choose the god you speak for? Or do they choose for you?” Param asked. Baldr Ivarsson, speaker for Thrane. Aside from the Force users she had met, this was the first time Param had met a man who believed in such gods. She didn’t know whether to feel comfort that she could be fighting beside him soon, or dismay.

Param turned her gaze to the scarf Baldr picked up, then to him. Her left hand on the scabbard of her sword, her thumb pushed the blade from its seal, letting her quick draw if needed. Ambush predators attacked when one wasn’t looking, so Param didn’t dare keep her eyes on Baldr, instead turning them outword. Silence came over them, and Param listened. The woods creaked and moaned, twigs snapped in various directions but there were no crunches of foot falls outside of their own.

“If your people are as strong as you say, I’m sure they are,” she said, flashing him a warm smile. “We should hurry all the same, though.”

@Sreeya

 

[Baldr Ivarsson]

He chose not to respond to her question on what gave it away. She would learn soon enough that he was largely aloof and would pick and choose what topics to engage on.

Her second question, however, drew a response, “It is the same as it is with all religions across the galaxy, Rose,,” Baldr explained, amusement weaving into his tone, “They can be chosen for you when you are born…but as you grow, you then choose to accept it or seek out a belief of your own..no matter the cost. In my case I was fortunate where my faith in Thrane remained unwavering even as I grew older. For generations we have followed his word. There is no penalty for seeking out different gods,” He said as they walked. He would always entertain any questions about his culture and people - the only way they could exist was by word of mouth. They had no large presence across the galaxy like their rivals the Mandalorians.

His half Sephi ears picked up the noise long before Param would have heard them, and he didn’t go for his weapons. He could recognize when it sounded like standard animals like deer or foxes compared to people. Whatever tore through the woods was large.

After following the trail, Baldr could see the outline of a child in the distance. From the looks of it, it was a young girl that was no older than ten years old. However, Baldr approached cautiously, staying silent for now. From the sounds of it, she was crouched on the ground and crying.

“P-Please..” The girl gasped as she finally turned around, “H-Help me..” She said between shuddered breaths, tears streaming down her face. She looked at the two figures helplessly. And yet Baldr didn’t step forth - because he could see the blood that was smeared across her teeth and chin, her hands. He could see the unnatural traces of yellow in her eyes even though they were rapidly fading back into her normal sapphire hues.

Baldr’s face remained impassive as he exhaled, “Whatever she is,” He said calmly and quietly so only Rose could hear, “She has long been forsaken by every god.”

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

A mystery it would remain then, how the man could tell her usage of a fake name. It was of little consequence; he didn't seem to be too torn up about it. As long as her real name didn't make it back to unpleasant areas of the galaxy, Param was okay. Instead she focused on his talking of his culture and religion. Baldr and his people were fascinating. Warriors- man, woman, and child- devoted, or not, to gods that gave them the power to choose. She gave the sky a glance between the thick ceiling of trees. If these gods were real, would they be of the Force? There would be time to speculate that later, hopefully.

"And you've dedicated yourself to interpreting his word," Param said, piecing things together. Her attention fell on the forest around them again. Her thumb was pressed on the guard of her sword, her right hand on the hilt ready to draw. While she had a blaster pistol, she rarely ever used it. As a result she wouldn't be able to hit the broadside of a speeder reliably with it. Not that she wouldn't try if the situation called for it- she'd just much rather wield her sword.

"How does he-" Param began to ask a question when the girl caught her attention. Baldr's cautious appraoch was mirrored by Param. He knew his people better than Param did, and if he was being cautious it was probably for a good reason. As they neared, just within range to be able to make out details, Param understood why. The tail ends of the yellow traces in her eyes disappeared. Suddenly it wasn't a little girl standing before them in Param's mind, but Gemini. How his pale eyes had sunk into his skull and turned a fiery yellow. The blood dripping from his teeth and chin when he had emerged from the forest on Eshan.

The grip on the hilt of her sword tightened, but she stood her ground next to Baldr. Param's expression deadpanned. The girl pleaded for help, yet held the visual signs of being a demon for a moment more until the signs were all but gone. Param kept her gaze fixed on the girl, watching for any movement or sudden twitch. She was far better at learning someone's intent from their physical movements than she ever was being able to sense things in the Force. Her mind had instinctively thrown up every wall she had already.

"Or she was embraced by a new one," Param said quietly. "If she is like the demon I encountered before, we may need every prayer you have." Demon was the only word she could come up with for what the girl looked to be a moment ago, and what Gemini had become. An unnatural being hell bent on darkness. Param slowly and silently drew her sword out by another inch. She was fast, but she didn't trust her speed against something so... unnatural. She knew next to nothing about how the demons operated, or how many times they could turn in a day- if the girl was one. Param found herself whispering a prayer of her own to the Force and Thrane that it wasn't so.

The completely normal looking girl took a staggered step toward them, tears still streaming, and pleas still coming from her lips.

@Sreeya