Ask Darkest Skies

[Darth Tempest]

.

It took really no time at all for Vahliri to determine that she really wasn’t going to enjoy their current assignment. For all her time spent within the Empire and a multitude of military campaigns, the half-Annfyn had additionally been sent to her fair share of sketchy - often downright creepy - locations, and the upcoming destination was slated to be.. Well, nothing short of just that. For months now, rumors had filtered out of the Unknown Regions from a multitude of sources - whisperings of a planet supposedly steeped in the Darkness and isolated from the civilized galaxy. At seemingly every turn, there were tales of pilots who were driven to madness and suicide after only brief visits to the planet, or simply those who never returned at all.

None of it boded well for the two Champion’s sent to investigate - and for all of Vahliri’s curious, knowledge-seeking nature, it didn’t leave the half-Annfyn particularly thrilled.

She was, however, rather intrigued by the woman who had been assigned as the other half of her mission. Vahliri had only briefly met Arla during the Yacht-party and knew next to nothing about the woman, but their shared physiology and survival experience was enough to peak the half-Annfyn’s interest.

Hours of hyperspace travel came to their conclusion as The Pearl Empress dropped out of hyperspace. The blueish blur of stars began to still, and the horizon was instead dominated by the dark, shrouded globe that was their destination. At once, both of the Champion’s would be able to feel the energies that radiated out through the Force - an almost unnatural chill that filled their chests and brought with it a sense of dread. As time passed, the sensation waned and gradually became less palpable - but that initial wave would hit harsh all the same.

“No mistaking it - this is the place..” Vahliri muttered towards Arla, her fingers curling tightly around the controls of her ship. While the half-Annfyn was almost infamous at this point for her unorthodox and thrill-seeking method of flying, there was precisely zero arguing with her when it came to who was managing their landing. As far as she was concerned? Her ship, her rules.

Within only a few minutes, the Starblossom-Class dipped below the endless cloiud cover - allowing them both to get their first glimpse at the surface below. As far as the eye could see, the surface was dominated by grey, raging oceans - sending forth waves that crashed and battered against the small chain of islands scattered below. It was incredibly difficult to determine the time of day or how much time passed, as the sky was perpetually blanketed in storm-clouds - roaring their ferocity as streaks of azure lightning snaked across the sky.

All the rumors and whispers directed the pair of Sith to a small, fog-shrouded island isolated from the rest of the archipelago - a place that both of them would be able to feel the Darkness thrummed the strongest. It was a place shrouded in folklore, such that not a single one of the locals had stepped foot on the island in generations. Nature - and whatever else lurked there - had completely overtaken the half-sunken landmass, ever cloaked in a shadow and fog that never felt entirely natural.

Unfortunately, landing on the small island was neither easy nor advisable. The landmass itself was barely visible through the fog - and it meant finding a safe landing zone almost impossible. And really, did anyone want Vahliri trying to park in those odds? With no other alternative, Vahliri instead brought their vessel down on the closest - and largest - island in the chain, conveniently on the outskirts of one of the only settlements the entire planet hosted.

As could be expected, Vahliri arrived on the planet expecting the worst and armed accordingly. She wore her signature red-and-black robes, trimmed with Ur-Kittat runes along her cuffs and the hem of her hood. Her black hair was tied back into a single, long braid that draped down her right shoulder - while the air around her was sweetly scented with the half-Annfyn’s characteristic, floral perfume.

“Looks like we’re continuing on foot..” She muttered, glancing over to Arla before pushing herself from the pilot’s chair. The half-Annfyn glanced down to her waist briefly - ensuring that both her curved saberhilt and recently-crafted shoto were equip before making for the exit ramp.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla had decided the trip out to the Unknown Region aboard this particular vessel wasn't so bad. It was a massive step up from the public transport and Sith shuttles she had hitched on over the last few months. She hadn't ridden in her mother's yacht in a while now, and she had almost forgotten how nice it was to travel in style.

The niceness of the vessel was offset by the psychotic nature of the piloting, though. It was a good thing that Arla wasn't the spacesick type or she was pretty sure the entire cockpit would have been covered in stomach contents.

As they dropped into the atmosphere, Arla's eyes swept over the surface and her eyebrows furrowed into an evaluative scowl. There was something here that was dark to be sure, but the what was not like anything she had experienced before. It seemed to radiate animosity into the Force, willing the two away before they had ever set down.

For her part, Arla wore her typical grey and blue robes and as they landed she slung her bow and backpack over her shoulders. She had no idea what they'd be facing out here, but it was now abundantly clear why she'd been given this assignment. She may have been trash at urban assignments and even worse at diplomatic ones, but if you needed something arcane hunted down in a jungle, she was your woman plain and simple.

She couldn't help but evaluate the other girl, her partner in this ordeal, and note the similarities between them. She looked to be some sort of Sephi as well with her own facial tattoos. Of course, she was sure they had a different meaning for the other woman, but it was a curious thing to note. It also made her wonder a moment at where her own ears had come from. Her father had always been a frustrating mystery to her, and she hoped it wouldn't come up as a question. Though, she actually hoped nothing about her family would come up as a question. Except for a few very specific exceptions, she'd actually managed to keep her connection to the former-Empress largely under wraps.

You have a lot of experience with these types of things? she asked as she descended the ramp and out into the foggy... jungle.

I'm surprised anyone lives out here, she said. The reports that she had read from Imperial intelligence said that they knew basically nothing at all about the locals. The few agents that had been sent out to investigate had never come back. So it had been escalated to the pair of Sith.

Head to the high ground? If whatever we're looking for isn't there, we might be able to get an idea of where it is, she said.

Or we could try to link up with the locals, she said. She had no idea if they would be hostile, but she also knew her diplomatic skills... left something to be desired.

 

[Darth Tempest]

As she descended down the ramp, Vahliri couldn’t help the involuntary shiver that ran up her spine. There was something about the jungle environment - or perhaps just the planet itself - that put the half-Annfyn on edge. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it felt as if there was something lurking within the fog and tropical vegetation, watching their every move and very much not wanting to be seen. Even as her Force-imbued senses and advanced hearing picked up on nothing, the Champion simply couldn’t shake the sensation. There was no doubt that Arla would’ve felt it just as well.

It wasn’t until the Nightsister spoke that Vahliri glanced over, regarding her traveling companion for a moment. There was no mistaking the similarities between them, and there was no small part of the half-Annfyn that was enthusiastic about working with someone like her. That wasn’t to say they were entirely similar, though. By contrast, the half-Annfyn had only a rudimentary understanding of Sith Magick and similar Arcane knowledge. That said, she did have quite a bit of experience when it came to these types of missions.

“Surprisingly, I do,” She said back to Arla, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the Nightsister and through the fog. To her relief, a somewhat-paved - albeit heavily overgrown - path revealed itself at their feet. It carved through the horizon and towards the silhouette of the village up ahead - dilapidated wooden structures and the remnants of a gate marking the entrance to the settlement. “High-ups love sending me into the creepy ass locations. Apparently.”

"I take it you're used to this sort of thing,"

Vahliri frowned ever-so-slightly when Arla made her comment about being surprised anyone lived on the planet - and it was largely because she agreed with the sentiment. “The fact that they do is what concerns me,” She said after a long moment. “All of our agents have gone missing here. And the pilots and traders who have left this place? All of them are reported to have gone mad and offed themselves only weeks after.” She glanced back at Arla. “What does that tell you about the locals?”

She inhaled a breath, pondering the question for a long moment. “I vote the village,” The half-Annfyn said, though not without some reluctance to her voice. “It will be the easiest way to secure passage to the island.. Regardless of what we find there.” She had no idea if the locals would be hostile, friendly or something else entirely. But she knew that they would have to address them sooner or later.

Better to address it all head-on, as far as Vahliri was concerned.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla nodded at the question, and felt a twinge of relief that the other woman also proclaimed experience with this kind of work. She'd been partnered with some people before who were far from experienced with this kind of work. Not that Arla could judge. She'd been on a diplomatic mission recently in which she killed one of the people they'd gone to meet with and promptly annexed his businesses. It was... a form of diplomacy. All that to say, there were things Arla was most certainly not good at as well.

Yeah, this is just the kind of thing I get assigned all the time, too, she said. The fact that she kind of liked it just a little bit was beside the point.

Means the locals are either immune for some reason or they know what to avoid, she said. Or they're the cause of the madness, she added a moment later after some more thought.

Whichever the answer, she supposed they would find out soon enough, and she could only hope that her own mental barriers were going to be up to the task of... whatever she was about to experience.

They continued plodding through the jungle, heading along the path that was paved. Something about that struck her as "off" as well. Not only did she feel this sneaking feeling like someone who wasn't Vahliri was walking with them, but it all just felt wrong. They had enough visitors to have a cleared path? Why? So they could watch the visitors more easily? Or ambush them? Or booby trap the area? Her mind turned over the possibilities for several minutes before she prompted.

I wonder if we should travel directly on the road. Maybe off to the sides... or at least leave when we get closer to the locals, she said. Not that they would make it to the locals before things started getting very clear they weren't welcome.

A pole stuck out of the ground along the side of the road. The individual on it had been flayed and the smell was horrific. There was no uniform or clothing to show who the person had been in life, but it was clear he had had a truly terrible death.

We need to be very careful, she said, an obvious statement, but it was more to herself than anything. The spectacle reminded her of the pillars of warning they had on Dathomir: something that told others to stay away. Because the Nightsisters protected something sacred.

I think it's safe to say that the people here are in league with... whatever this is, she said. Or at least the close ones are, she said, recalling that she'd heard about multiple villages. Certainly traders had dealt with someone who wouldn't flay you on sight.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help the way that her nose crinkled ever-so-slightly at Arla’s words, and there was no masking her displeasure at really all of the options that the Nightsister laid out. None of them were out of the realm of likelihood, and none of them were comforting concepts - least of all the latter. Time would only tell, of course - but the half-Annfyn felt a distinct pang of discomfort at going into this blind to what awaited them. Not that she was surprised by that fact, of course.

“Then we stay cautious,” She said quietly, though the words were easily picked up by Arla’s own sensitive hearing. Wordlessly, the half-Annfyn unclipped the curved hilt from her belt - rolling the cool metal through her fingers. She didn’t ignite the crimson blade, but it was the faintest sign that didn’t lower her guard in the least and expected the worst.

She glanced back over to Arla when the woman spoke, arching a brow ever-so-slightly as the Nightsister suggested deviating from the paved path. The most Vahliri thought about it.. She couldn’t help but agree with the woman. Even if she lacked the same experience when it came to rural, village environments - there was no denying that the presence of a perfectly maintained path was.. Odd.

“Maybe you’re right..” She muttered with a nod, The half-Annfyn glanced ahead, allowing her amber gaze to wander before speaking again, “Let’s get a bit closer to the village and then break off. Get a look at the settlement without walking through the front door,” There was really no telling what awaited them with the locals, and there was some merit in getting a look at them before their presence was discovered. She continued to walk ahead - right up until the moment she laid eyes on the flayed man crucified in the middle of the road.

“The fuck..” She muttered, fingers curling a bit tighter around the hilt of her saber. Her eyes narrowed harshly upon the spectacle before looking over to Arla, “Sacrifice, warning..?” Neither of them could really make anything more than a guess, but the half-Annfyn’s mind immediately went to the latter. A sigh escaped from the half-Annfyn’s lips before she nodded once more, turning away from the pole and path that still carved ahead. “Agreed.”

“Continue the rest of the way off the path and through the jungle.. Try to reach the village from the west,” She said, pushing her way through some of the large ferns and vegetation. “Unless you’re getting second thoughts about going this way,” Which wasn’t.. Really unreasonable, given what they’d seen.

As the pair progressed through the jungle and fog, they would find the alternative route.. No less unsettling. The horizon was entirely shrouded in light grey moisture - and yet both women would catch glimpses of shapes moving between the vegetation. Long, inky tendrils that drug across the ground and slithered between ferns - dripping with ichor as dark as midnight. They snaked across the ground and played close to their ankles - threatening to grasp them if they turned their back entirely. Slender, vaguely humanoid figures stood far off in the distance - limbless save for the writhing, long tentacles that swayed where arms should have been.

Any attempt to turn to face the shadows directly - or otherwise touch them in any way - resulted in all of them to vanish completely from sight, leaving not a single trace that they had been there at all. It left the pair to wonder if they had been there at all - despite how real it all felt and heard.

Vahliri was uncharacteristically quiet - and it was reflected by the pangs of anxiety that echoed in the Force. There was no denying or words needed to know they both saw it. “We’re getting close,” She finally said after a long moment, tearing her gaze from the direction of the shadows and back to the village. Tall, tree-line pillars were positioned at the outskirts of the village - forming a vaguely-circular shape around the settlement.

Long ropes hung from each pillar, and the closer they got, Arla and Vahliri would slowly but surely catch a glimpse of what hung from each.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Warning, she said without hesitation, giving away to Vahliri that she had seen things like this before. The Nightsisters did horrible things to one another in times of war and even worse things to outsiders who trespassed on their world. There were few things that could unite the Clans quite as well as an off-worlder ravaging their planet.

They slipped into the foliage, and it normally would have offered Arla the comfort of anonymity... but right now, she felt more exposed than ever. She was a native to the jungles, but right now she felt like a foreigner. They were the domain of something else, and it was in total control.

The first time she saw one of the tentacles, she jumped, instinctively putting an arrow into it only to find that the arrow had either missed or the blackness was immune to such an attack. She backpedaled in fear, chills covering her entire body as she tried to put distance between herself and... it.

But there was no attack. No attempt at aggression from it. Over the course of nearly an hour, she somehow managed to "adjust" to the presence of the thing, though its unnerving effect was powerful. She found herself wanting to flee, and that feeling gave way shortly thereafter to anger. She was a Nightsister, heir to Dathomir,, and a Sith. She would not be bullied by some... some... tentacle things!

Arla was having second guesses all right. She wanted to turn back and flee from this place, never to look at it again, but she couldn't. She wouldn't. And, deep down, there was something drawing her in. Drawing them both in. There weren't words that could describe it, but it had a hold on them as if they could no longer retreat from this place. The only way out was through.

Their arrival at the edge of the village didn't do anything to put her mind at ease either. She saw the structures that were pillared around the area, and she saw the bodies that hung from them as well. They looked totally black as if dipped in tar or burned, at this distance it was difficult to tell.

She paused at the edge of the bushes, and her eyes swept over the pillars. They weren't at regular intervals away from the village. Not really. It triggered something in the back of her mind, like a word you can't quite remember.

I think I've seen a pattern like this before, she said quietly. The fact that they both had heightened hearing was quite convenient for having a conversation when so close to the enemy.

I think it's a ward of some kind. See how some of them are clustered together, too, she said, pointing out some of the chunks.

They're definitely trying to keep something away, she said. She was no foreigner to living somewhere where things would help you but things could also kill you. She suspected it was the same here.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri did her best to ignore the shadows that moved at the edge of her vision - tentacles that slithered at her feet and.. It, lingering far off in the distance. The half-Annfyn was beginning to understand what exactly the maddened travels to the planet had experienced, and she couldn’t help but second-guess what she was seeing. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on itself? Maybe she was paranoid after spending an entire journey pouring over reports from the planet. Maybe.

But none of that addressed just how real it all felt. The Shadow that scratched at the edges of her mind and sunk invisible claws down into her very core, even as its manifestations teased just at the edge of reality. It was a sinking realization that whatever existed on the planet, it had its grip firmly within the two of them - and Vahliri knew that returning to her ship now would only spell disaster. Because deep in the corners of her mind, she knew that it would follow her wherever she went if she ran now.

Slender fingers curled tightly - defiantly around the cool handle of her lightsaber. It was the weapon she had spent hours mastering and becoming deadly with - her primary line of defense against whatever stood in her way - and it was her anchor to reality. She knew that it was real - even when everything around her, even Arla if she stared at the Nightsister too long, seemed to distort into something nightmarish.

The half-Annfyn’s feet carried her forward until they reached the edge of the village - stopping short of one of the bodies that had been hung from the pole. Her expression immediately crinkled at the blackened state of it, though what exactly had happened to the corpse was unknown to her. The Force expanded from Vahliri - senses heightened as she reached out towards the village, attempting to pick up something. Anything.

There was a harrowing silence that hung in the village, both physical and mystical. No laughter from children. No pain. No fear. Just.. Nothing at all. All the signs that life hadn’t existed there for a very, very long time - despite all the reports that is very much did. The longer Vahliri peered through the veil of the Force - the more she attempted to pry deeper into the village - the most resistance she felt. It was as if something - It or something else entirely - was maintaining the veil. Whoever and whatever resided within didn’t wish to be seen, by her or anyone else - and the strength in which it fought back was almost startling to behold.

Her attention finally broke and returned to Arla - briefly watching as the Nightsister’s facial features and limbs melded and twisted in the same manner as It in the distance - before reality dominated the illusion. She shook her head a bit, listening as she proclaimed that the poles were a pattern. Warding to keep something out.

“Likely what we’ve both been seeing..” She muttered, eyed lingering on the village as she neither looked at Arla nor the forest lurking behind her. Vahliri paused for a moment, watching the corpse sway before speaking again. “And us? Can we pass through it?” The half-Annfyn wasn’t versed well enough in Magick or anything close to the ward to know if it was meant to keep them out just as well. But perhaps it explained why she couldn’t feel deeper into the settlement.

“We can’t stay out here, regardless.” She said frankly. Wards or not, the pair of them would need to travel through the village. They would need to face whatever waited them there - if only long enough to secure passage to the island beyond.

Before either of them would answer, Vahliri’s attention snapped to movement within the village. Her eyes narrowed, following as a figure - no more than a child - stepped into a clearing between two buildings. Their body was blackened and charred like all the others, and yet it stood and moved as if no more damaged than they were. It’s arms were disturbingly long, extending past its thighs and so the tips of its fingers just barely graced the ground. There was something to its movements that was simply.. Unnatural. As if rigid bone had twisted and shaped to become languish and soft - tentacle-like in all the same ways as what they’d seen outside.

Despite being positioned in the bush. Despite not being visible to any natural being in the village - the child stopped in its gait - turning to face them both. There was no questioning whether the child saw them - peering into the depths of their very being with eyes that glittered like a sky full of star. It’s head tilted ever-so-slightly - complete with the crackle of joints and vertebrae as it twisted unnatural angles.

And it simply stared.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla watched the way Vahliri looked at her, seeing the distant look in her eyes as Arla looked once again to the arrangement of pillars. She couldn't feel anything beyond... all she could feel was the sneaking and nefarious feeling that surrounded them. It felt like... a hole in the Force. Like the energy that bound them all together was just... gone. Nothing inside the circle was connected to the Force.

I think so... we should be able to, she said, hoping she wasn't wrong about being able to pass through the ward. It wasn't one that she used often, so she couldn't be sure but... well, Vahl was right. They couldn't stay out here.

She was about to start creeping forward when the creepy came to her. She watched the child stroll out, his skin seemingly scorched or covered in tar. He seemed to flop around in his movements as if being puppeted by some higher power.

Arla felt sick as she watched the... boy turn and stare directly at them. She wanted to turn and run. She was overcome by a feeling of complete panic that she was unused to.

The boy didn't move and she felt frozen in place under his gaze. It was only the sound of a screech behind her that jolted her into movement. It cut her to her soul and she darted forward, running away from it instinctively and toward the boy... who was gone now.

She crossed the threshold of the poles, and the moment she did, everything was stripped of her. The Shadow had been her ally for her entire life, but now she couldn't feel it. She didn't know which thing was more terrifying to her, but she knew that not being able to sense the Shadow was a first in her entire life. She couldn't hear the song of her Sisters, feel Dathomir's energy, or feel herself connected to anyone including Vahliri.

She didn't even stop moving, bursting into one of the village houses just to try to get out of being exposed. She wanted to... she wanted to hide. To slide under a bed and hide there like a small child.

I don't feel anything. I can't... there's no... there's nothing! she said, her face betraying true fear.

 

[Darth Tempest]

The moment that she laid eyes on the demonic child, Vahliri felt every muscle in her body go tense - anxiety pulsing through her every extremity and giving rise to a distinct sense of anger. There was nothing natural or benevolent about the forest or village - and it reduced the half-Annfyn to her most basic fight-or-flight instincts, and every fiber of her being screamed to tear the monstrosity limb-from-limb. The Force flickered within her fingertips with mounting hostility. Arla would feel it - and she would see the way that the half-Annfyn’s jaw set into fine as if carved from marble.

Any sense of concentration was shattered as the scream tore through the air behind them - a shriek that split Vahliri’s sensitive hearing and nearly caused her knees to buckle inward. There was a strength behind it not at all natural and that echoed in the plane of the Force just as vibrantly as the physical. Almost through muscle memory, Vahliri whipped around to face the source of the sound - crimson saber snapping to life and swiping to decapitate whatever was coming towards them.

Until she saw it.

Still a few meters out, Vahliri saw It running - no, shambling - towards them at alarming speeds. Where the creature had once lingered on the edge of sight, observing their every step, now it closed in for the kill. And the closer it came, the better of a look Vahliri was able to get of it - the endless tentacles that slithered from beneath the writhing, shapeless mass of its slender torso. The rows of teeth that gnashes and groaned along its limbs and through the center of its chest. A face devoid of all expression or humanly feature - smooth and white like a painter’s canvas and moist against the faint forest light. She watched as it drew close - as its chest heaved upwards and the maw of endless, hungering teeth expanded as if to swallow her whole.

Before Vahliri knew what she was doing, the half-Annfyn was running - her legs carrying her as quickly as possible towards the village and the demonic child - just behind Arla and anywhere except for closer to It. It didn’t matter the wards or any dangers within the settlement so long as it brought them shelter and security from the thing hiding within the fog.

Even still, nothing could prepare Vahliri for the effects of crossing that threshold. Just as her boots stepped across the boundary of those wards, she felt the breath forcefully exit her lungs - as if pulled from her chest along with the strength that imbued every fiber of her being. It was a void that sickened the half-Annfyn to her very core and was entirely disorienting. Even as Arla kept running, Vahliri braced herself against a nearby pole - her breath coming in short, shallow gasps as she attempted to steady herself. She felt weaker than she ever had in that moment - empty without her connection to the Force and all the life around her. Even the Darkness of that place was suddenly lost to her.

An eternity passed in Vahliri’s mind, even if it was only split moments of reality. She finally mustered the strength to push herself back into a sprint and follow Arla into the house - slamming the door behind them before bracing herself against a table. This couldn’t be happening, could it? It was just another illusion. It had to be.

“I-I can’t either..” She muttered, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. Desperately she attempted to call upon the Force, and was denied entirely. “This place.. The Wards.” It was a cold and sickening realization of exactly what the magical protections of this place did. And they had waltzed right into it.

Before she could say anything else, Vahliri’s body tensed at the sound of movement behind them - a door whining open and floorboards creaking beneath the weight of light steps. “Hello–” A voice began. Before it could finish, Vahliri whipped around - teeth barred aggressively as her crimson saber pointed towards the sound of the Force. Though the house had no lights, the sanguine glow of plasma brought illumination to the cottage and revealed the wrinkled face of a woman in the twilight years of her life - unarmed and dressed in modest, village attire.

“One more step and I swear It'll be your last,” Vahliri hissed, her fingers curled tightly around the hilt of her blade. Even without the Force, her instincts and abilities with a saber weren’t forgotten. “What are you?” Not a fiber of Vahliri's being trusted anything - or anyone - based on appearances at this point.

 

[Arla]

Arla wasn't thinking clearly anymore. Not even close, and her grip on her bow tightened for a moment. She forced herself to calm and slipped her bow away and pulled out her saber instead. More practical in a village. Yeah, that's right. It would all be fine.

She could tell that Vahliri wasn't doing any better than she was. They had ducked into some totally rando house in a village full of monstrosities. The fact that someone was in here caused her to activate her own saber. The old lady looked... pretty much exactly like what you'd think when the word "hag" was used.

Old, wrinkled, leather skin with long unkept grey hair. She didn't look worried by the presence of the two young women in her home. More annoyed than anything.

Oh put that thing away. If you were going to stab me, you wouldn't be asking me questions! she said, waving a hand in annoyance at them both.

You must have seen poor Wilbur out there. Poor boy just... there's no way for us to fix him again, she said, as if he wasn't one of the most horrifying things they'd both ever seen.

It can't get in here. That's what the runes are for, she said. Now, will you both please get out of my home, she said, putting her hands on her hips.

 

[Darth Tempest]

It didn’t take long for the immediate fear to pass, and once it did, Vahliri couldn’t help but blink a few times with utter confusion - amber eyes lingering for a long while. Any sane person would’ve shrunk away from the sizzling tip of a lightsaber - perhaps some would’ve instinctively lashed out in defense. She did neither. Instead, the nameless woman merely waved the weapon off - as if the half-Annfyn had drawn a butter-knife on the decrepit old hag.

Vahliri involuntarily made a face, squinting a bit before glancing over to Arla - as if to confirm the Nightsister was also seeing this. “Wilbur?” She asked, gradually lowering her lightsaber and allowing the crimson blade to hiss back into the hilt. “What do you mean ‘fix him’? What the fuck happened to him in the first-fuckin-place?” There was entirely too much calm coming off the old woman. Even for a native of the planet, Vahliri could fathom anyone being able to talk about It so nonchalantly.

“He was caught by the same thing you were running from–Get your dirty boots off my rug!” The woman crowed, shooing Vahliri into stepping backwards off the fabric.

The half-Annfyn didn’t immediately respond to the request to leave - still a bit shaken up and more importantly, curious about the sole individual so far that didn’t look wildly fucked up. The information about the runes was good to know, at least. “Who are you? What is thi–”

“Haggra.” She said, the tone of her voice growing more and more tense by the moment.

Well that fits..

“We’re from the Empire. We were sent here to investigate the–” Vahliri began, clearly hoping to gain a better understanding of what they were up against at this point. Only to be silenced by the old woman taking a step forward and incoming swipe of her hand.

“Out.” Haggra said sternly.

“If you’d just li–”

“Out!” The old woman cried, boldly stepping up despite the weapons they wielded. “Now I’ve about had it with you bantha-brained tourists poking around where you shouldn’t, and then proceeding to break my damn door running for your lives. Now I ain’t answerin’ no more question! Out!” It was clear that the old woman was in no position to overpower either of them, but it was equally clear that there was no possibility of her being voluntarily helpful.

@Phoenix

Dice: 1/20 on Haggra being forthcoming.. >_>

 

[Arla]

This was the weirdest trip that Arla had ever been on in her life. Vahliri took the lead in trying - and failing - to interrogate the old woman, and Arla might have thought about just threatening her if it weren't for the fact that she was now completely lacking her connection to the Shadow. Sure, she could probably overpower Haggra, but what then? Cut off limbs until she answered? Hope she wasn't lying because they couldn't sense the truth? It was an acute example of just how reliant she was on the Shadow/

Ultimately, Arla decided to leave the house and step outside before just... kind of standing there. It wasn't often that she felt completely useless, but she felt completely useless.

She stood outside on the front porch, looking around the otherwise almost-deserted village.

What are we even supposed to do now? she asked out loud, continuing to talk before allowing time for any kind of answer.

So there's... something out there that can turn people into... something weird. And it's kept at bay by the wards, she started reasoning aloud.

So it's either reliant on or is part of the Force, she said. That was... something.

After a moment she plopped down on the edge of the porch, rubbing her hands over her face. This is real, right? This isn't some weird dream? she asked. She normally would never have asked something like that, but this was just about the most bizarre thing she had ever experienced.

Okay, so... we need to find its source, right? Without being... Wilbured. Mobile wards? Or a warding item? she asked. She had an idea, but didn't know the proper incantations. Oh kriff, Arla, but you know how to get them, she thought to herself. Her face for a moment taking on an almost pained expression.

If we can get back to the ship, I think I know how to get us the information we need. But I need a long-range antenna, she said.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help but grumble under her breath, a thoroughly grumpy expression plastered across her face. Even as she stepped out and into the village, the half-Annfyn ran through their options - none of them seeming particularly appealing. There was no small part of her that wanted to drag Haggra by the hair beyond the wards - just so she could tap into the Force and rip the answers from the old woman’s mind.

The threat of It, however, quickly convinced her against that idea.

The half-Annfyn rubbed her temples with a sigh, as if attempting to massage away a headache caused by none other than Haggra the Hag. She glanced up when Arla questioned what they were going to do, only to watch the Nightsister as she continued talking without giving time for an initial answer. Vahliri nodded along with the reason, and once again found none of the possibilities particularly appealing.

“There are.. Entities, that exist within the Force. Scattered across the Galaxy,” She had done her own research on such occurrences, and most of them gave no real answer about what those entities were or how they came to be. Spirits? Something else entirely? Whatever the answer, they were almost always exceedingly powerful. “Let's hope it isn’t that.”

“...I dunno.” Vahliri said after a moment, blinking a few times as she stared at Arla. How was she supposed to know if this was real or not? After everything she’d seen? For all Vahliri knew, It had gotten them both and this was some kind of weird-ass vision they were trapped in. Resisting the urge to smack Arla and confirm if this was in fact real, the half-Annfyn nodded a bit and squinted when she mentioned wards.

“Like the ones they made?” She blinked. The half-Annfyn’s jaw dropped ever-so-slightly when the Nightsister proclaimed that they would need to go back to the ship and through the forest. “..You’re joking, right? You want to go back out there!?” She exclaimed, looking not at all pleased by the prospect. “My ship has one but.. What are you going to do? Phone home?” She said, assuming she was going to consult Dathomir for some magical refreshers. Not that she had any idea who.

Before Vahliri could argue any further, the half-Annfyn was interrupted by the slithering approach of none other than Wilbur. The demon-child eagerly rushed forward to meet them - using its extended arms to pull its upper body at an alarming rate, while its legs merely slide across the ground behind it. He smiled, revealing several rows of teeth that absolutely should not have been there.

“Hellllooooooooooooo–” He began, his maw parting as he approached the pair of Sith. Clearly, the sweet child was curious who they were. Without a second thought, Vahliri stepped forward - lifting her boot and proceeding to drive the heel of it right into Wilbur’s forehead. There was literally zero hesitation as she stopped the evil little fucker dead in his tracks - causing him to fall backwards, elongated lmbs flailing wildly as he shrieked like the demon he was.

Vahliri latched onto Arla’s wrist and started dragging the Nightsister at this point - booking it towards the path and back out of the village. “FUCK. THIS. PLACE.”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Yeah, I'm familiar, she said regarding the Entities. While she had never dealt with one directly, she'd grown up on the stories of the Forgotten and how it had kept the Entity back for decades on decades.

At the comment about phoning home, Arla winced a moment before deciding to just stiffen up a bit. Yes, that's exactly what I'm planning to do, she bit out sharply in a tone that showed she was a bit touchy about the subject.

She wasn't really expecting Wilbur to come over to see them, but he seemed so... excited. It was actually kind of cute once she got over the initial horror appearance. Apparently Vahliri did not get over it and absolutely yeeted the poor kid. Arla's mouth dropped open slightly.

Vahl-ir-i she said, in that tone parents used when they were dragging out their children's names in every syllable. She had popped up, pushing Vahl off as she started trying to drag Arla away.

Poor Wilbur started crying, and Arla knelt down next to him. You'll be okay, Wilbur. Sorry about her, she said, shooting a nasty glare Vahl's direction. She pulled some jerky from her gear and handed it to the boy who... oh boy, if Vahliri was still watching. His entire jaw looked like it came unhinged as he gobbled it down in a single bite, and even Arla had to pause for a "wow, that happened" moment.

It did manage to get the kid to stop crying, and Arla decided that was a good time to head out of the village and they could head back toward the ship.

I guess we can take the road, she said, pausing and frowning for a moment. Okay, but who killed these people and put their bodies up? she asked, still having to wonder. Haggra seemed like a grouch, but not the murderous kind, right?

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri could hardly believe it when Arla tugged free from her grasp and started going towards the creepy-ass demon-child-thing. She spun on a heel, eyes narrowing into amber slits upon the Nightsister. “Arla are you fuckin for real—“ She muttered, watching as the fellow Sith crouched down to console the crying Wilbur. She immediately braced herself in the likely event he tried to monch Arla’s head off or swallow her whole.

She stepped forward a bit, arms crossed over her chest while observing the exchange between the two of them. The longer she did, Vahliri couldn’t help the way her gaze softened ever-so-slightly - and the realization crept up that Wilbur was legitimately just some kid, one who had been fucked up by the monsters that lingered there. Vahliri exhaled through her nostrils, feeling quite a bit more guilty than when she had originally tried to book it out of the village.

She had to suppress an eye-twitch when the little dude unhinged his jaw to swallow the jerky snack whole.

“Thaannnnkkk youuuuuu,” Wilbur said towards Arla between sniffles, smacking his lips and blinking his large, star-lit eyes at the Nightsister before smiling. Vahliri said nothing and offered the kid a somewhat-apologetic look before quickly turning on a heel to get the hell out of dodge.

She walked close beside Arla, eyes fixed ahead as they approached the threshold of the village. Stormclouds hung perpetually in the sky, and the streets were completely empty at that time of day. All the same, Arla and Vahliri would undoubtedly catch sight of curtains rustling and window-blinds snapping whenever they glanced at a house. It was clear they were being watched by those who resided there.

Vahliri glanced over when Arla spoke, her lips immediately tugging down at the series of new, uncomfortable questions. “Maybe part of the wards? The wicked witch of the cul de sac didn’t do it, maybe, but the rest of this village? Isn't all that it appears.” The half-Annfyn had limited magical knowledge, but blood sacrifices and using bodies as part of wards seemed to track.

“Or.. Like you said before, it’s a warning.” She said, chewing on her cheek for a moment. “For those inside the village.” Perhaps not everyone ended up Wilbur. Perhaps those bodies were left by whatever couldn’t get in - as a warning to anyone who dared to leave. Which was a very encouraging thought as the pair just then stepped outside the village boundary.

At once, Vahliri felt the Force return to her - surge of power and strength that sunk into very fiber of her being at once. It brought a yellowed hue to her amber eyes momentarily, fingers flexing as they adjusted to the Darkness once more. Less welcome, Vahliri once more felt the dreadful presence of something lurking at the edge of her vision. They were vunerable once again, and It knew it.

“We get in and out.” She muttered, picking up the pace at once.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla looked out at the jungle beyond, feeling uncomfortable with plunging in but knowing it was necessary. She stepped outside the wards and felt the return of the Shadow to her grip. It was a welcome relief like an old friend or a warm blanket. She had become so accustomed to a life with the Shadow since she was a young child and having been robbed of it earlier was... abominable.

She dropped her pack and took only her lightsaber so that she could move more quickly through the jungle. It was her stomping ground, after all, but this was It's domain.

She ducked under branches and leapt over fallen logs, pace picking up and she had to intentionally slow herself to ensure she didn't lose Vahliri. She could only hope that the ship would be safe. That was... maybe a foolish thing to think, but it was too late now.

She heard something rustling in the bush and dropped low, sliding under a bush and grabbing Vahliri, dragging her into the bush as well as more slithering tentacles emerged from the brush ahead of them. Arla held her breath, not daring to move even a single muscle as it moved past.

She waited until it passed and then started moving again, this time more slowly as she arrived back in the ship's clearing.

Kriff, kriff, kriff, she cursed, stopping at the edge of the clearing but hearing nothing.

We need to put a Hedgemon's quartet around the ship, she said, before looking to Vahliri and realizing she probably had no idea what Arla was talking about.

Here, she said, pulling out her lightsaber and carving a series of symbols on the ground at the front of the ship.

Front, back, left, and right. Take a picture if you need to, carve them as quickly as possible, she said, moving to the second position to do just that, hoping they could get this in place before It found them. It should at last serve as a temporary protection for them while they were stationary.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Packing light by default, Vahliri attempted to keep pace with Arla as the pair rapidly moved through the jungle terrain - ducking beneath low-hanging branches and weaving between lush, fern-like bushes. The almost unnatural fog, hugging close or the ground and around their knees - made it difficult to see too far ahead of them - causing the half-Annfyn to squint as she peered ahead. While the half-Annfyn managed to keep up relatively well, it was clear that she was entirely out of her element trekking through the wilderness.

And the added spookiness of It looming nearby didn’t help her mounting anxiety whatsoever.

Her sensitive hearing picked up on the same rustling of leaves, but before Vahliri could look to investigate, she was already being pulled into the bush by Arla. Her eyes widened upon spotting the tentacles that slithered just ahead - endless and seemingly coming from somewhere deeper in the jungle. It was never apparent where they started or ended, only that they were.. There.

All the same, Vahliri couldn’t help but exhale a clear sigh of relief upon reaching the ship clearing - amber eyes fixing onto the familiar hull of the Peal Empress. Nothing had come to eat her personal ship - not yet, anyway. She stepped forward, glancing over to Arla when the Nightsister spoke. Vahliri blinked.

“Hedge-what?” She blurted out, looking at Arla as if the Nightsister was speaking a foreign language. It wasn’t until she watched the demonstration that Vahliri actually pieced together what they were doing - quickly falling into step afterwards. “So help me this better work,” She muttered.

Without another word, Vahliri drew her crimson saber and began carving the same series of symbols along the ground. The first were slower and sloppier, but still acceptable to the ritual they were conducting. The ones following were far more fluid and precise. She didn’t say a word as she committed the rune and it’s purpose to memory, moving in the opposite direction as Arla to circle the ship.

When they finally rejoined, the circle of symbols completely surrounded the Star-Blossom class. As the tips of their sabers clashed and the lines of the circle joined into a loop, both would almost immediately be able to feel a certain vibrant energy fill the air - scintillating all around them and beyond sight. The heated glow of the runes never faded, but both it and everything inside the circle were suddenly shrouded from view beyond.

Vahliri glanced over to Arla, giving the woman a nod. “Okay that.. definitely has its perks,” She said, jutting her chin towards the extended ramp of the ship. “Come on. Should be able to make long-range communications from the cockpit,” The half-Annfyn wasted no time in stepping up into the ship, her destination obvious.

“Who are we even contacting, anyway?”

 

[Arla]

As she made sure that the runes were all in place, she returned to Vahliri, bending down and placing her hand on the first one she had drawn.

Lasto bethnire, reemoneem pooya kalim hoodiya, she said quietly, eyes closing and green "flame" dancing along her fingers. Each of the runes blazed to life for the briefest moment before fading, and she made one more trip around the perimeter to ensure that everything was as it needed to be.

Not all of the runes were perfect or pristine, which she knew meant they didn't have forever, but that was fine for now.

It'll probably only buy us a few hours, the runes aren't all perfect and they'll fade with time, but we shouldn't need more than a few hours, she said. It was clear that this was part of the reason she'd been sent out to the spooky world: she knew her arcane magicks.

She headed inside and toward the cockpit with Vahliri. I... she said when Vahl asked who she was going to contact. Oh, this was going to be awkward and potentially problematic.

She thought about asking Vahliri to step out for the call, but she was pretty sure that would bring on a lot more of both tension and investigation than Arla wanted to put up with.

She punched in the comlink code and glanced over at Vahliri for a moment as it dialed.

Please don't freak out, she said.

A blue hologram appeared in front of them, but the figure it made out was unmistakable.

Hello, my little gizka! How are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while, Renfry began, currently unable to see Vahliri in the shot.

Hi Mother, I'm here with a friend of mine, Vahliri, she said, hoping her mother would get the idea and not call her 'my little gizka' again. Vahl would be able to see the girls normally pale skin was now quite a shade of bright red.

Oh, why hello Vahliri! I hope Arla's not getting you in too much trouble, she said. Truthfully, Renfry was dubious about the Acolyte or Champion immediately, but she reserved judgment for a moment, mentally noting to make sure Sheehan dug up everything about Vahliri, her family, and everyone she cared about and had connection to just in case they needed to be killed if there was any kind of a threat there. Probably not, though.

She also knew that Arla had a tendency to drag herself into all kinds of trouble, and if she had a new friend, oh yes, the young woman would be dragged into it as well.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Understandably, Vahliri was quite pleased to be working with someone versed in Magick. For all of her intense studies, the half-Annfyn hadn’t quite touched upon the Arcane and thus had no experience wielding it. Perhaps she would rectify that before late - but for the moment, Vahliri was perfectly content to rely upon Arla in that department. She allowed herself a sigh of relief as they stepped inside the Starblossom-class - slamming the back of her hand against the button to seal the ramp behind them. Of course, It was probably just as likely to get into the ship whether the door was open or not - but it brought the half-Annfyn some measure of comfort and allowed her to relax a bit.

“Hopefully it doesn’t take nearly that long,” She muttered quietly. The half-Annfyn didn’t want to be stuck in the jungle now any longer than was absolutely necessary. At least not without any adequate protection.

The half-Annfyn allowed Arla to take a seat and opted to stand just off to the side. She blinked a few times, shooting the Nightsister an utterly confused glance when she was told ‘not to freak out’. She was more curious than ever as to whom they were calling, amber eyes eventually flicking back to the holographic figure popped up.

The moment it did, Vahliri’s jaw practically dropped to the floor.

The half-Annfyn’s almond-shaped eyes went as wide as a doe, her expression twisting up into utter dumbfoundment as the image of Renfry appeared. The half-Annfyn immediately recognized the visage of the former Empress and reigning Queen of Dathomir, and the implications of it all struck her at once. She blinked a few times, eyes darting between Arla and Renfry as the words ‘my little gizka’ and ‘mother’ were exchanged.

Her eyes darted back to the holographic image when Arla mentioned her name - stepping just a bit further into the picture so Renfry could get a good look at her. For an initial moment, Vahliri was unable to say a thing - still processing what was happening. Though she wasn’t about to start gushing before the woman right-then-and-there, the former Empress was someone who the half-Annfyn looked up to a great deal as a Sith. Role model was.. Definitely an accurate description.

“No, My Lady,” Vahliri smiled, settling those brief nerves to address the Nightsister Queen. “Nothing I am not used to.” Her lips tugged a bit wider just then, once again repeating Arla’s request to not freak out. “It's an honor to meet you.”

“We were hoping to get your help, for a current assignment we’re on..” She began, glancing over to Arla. “Wards, against.. Some kind of entity inhabiting this planet.” The half-Annfyn gestured a hand towards Arla who likely could explain the arcane-y, magick side of things a bit better than she could.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was relieved that Vahl wasn't making a fool of herself, but it still remained to be seen what would happen when the holocom turned off. It'll be fine, Arla, she told herself, hoping that it was actually true.

Oh please, she said, waving a hand at what an honor it was to meet her. You're a friend of Arla's and I'm glad to meet you. With your tattoos you're halfway to being a Nightsister already, she said. It was, of course, an oversimplification, but a compliment nonetheless.

An entity? she repeated, her face becoming somewhat harder and her gaze sweeping over to Arla. What have you gotten yourself into? she asked. Arla knew her well enough to sense the spike of concern despite the Queen's stoic face and flat emotions in the Force.

Just recon for the Order, she said, moving right along before her mother could ask too many more questions.

We need something like a Hedgemon's quartet, but mobile just around us, she said. I was thinking amulets of warding or something, but I don't know. The locals have some sort of ward around their village using bodies. I think it might be a Ysalmir Ward, she said.

This time, the shift in Renfry's expression would be noticeable to Vahliri as well. A Ysalmir Ward? Are you sure that's what you want to play with? she asked skeptically.

Renfry reached out of shot and pulled out a book, thumbing through it for several moments in silence.

Try putting a hex of dispersion on an amulet or item. You remember it? she asked.

Arla squinted as if in thought and then said refresh my memory?

I'll send you the incantation and symbols. Be careful you two. Arla, I want to know as soon as you're out of there. And send me your location, she said in that tone that said it was not up for debate.

Yes, Mother, I'll let you know. Love you, she said.

Love you, too. Vahliri, it was very nice to meet you. I hope we'll meet in person someday, she said, and with that they disconnected.