Ask Into The Sands

[Darth Tempest]

It didn’t matter how many times Vahliri had stepped foot onto Korriban, for the planet never quite lost its effect on her - being equal parts intriguing and yet downright overwhelming to behold. It was a world of ancient, fabled structures and horrifically oppressive heat, and a presence within the Darkness that could be rivaled by few other locations in the Galaxy. It was a darkness that even an Acolyte herself could feel, as real and palpable as the dryness in the air. It had been weeks since the half-Annfyn had last been on the ancient homeworld of the Sith, and once again her arrival was directly linked to a summons she received by one of the resident Sith Lords on the planet.

Unsurprisingly, Lord Andoral has been exceptionally vague when it came to the details of this summons - leaving Vahliri with a time, date and the cryptic message that details would be revealed when he arrived.. She had no idea whether this was some kind of reprimand, an assignment, or neither. She didn't have any reason to believe it would be the former, but she hauled ass to get there on time regardless.

The half-Annfyn had arrived on Korriban in her signature black-and-red robes - the Sith attire fitted to her figure and providing her some modest protection. The curved-hilt of her lightsaber hung at Vahliri’s waist, while her black hair was pulled back from her face and braided in multiple places. As per usual, the air around the girl was lightly scented in her floral perfume - an almost comical contrast to the dry, dusty odor of the Korriban temple.

Readjusting the pack on her shoulder, Vahliri rounded a corner and began to make her way toward Lord Andoral’s main office. Her eyes casually wandered the etched, stone halls of the academy as she walked, taking in the sights all around her.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn's return to Korriban had seen him showing up in his all-black IAC armor not because he wanted to armor but because the environmental suit allowed for him to have temperature control inside. He hated the Korriban heat, and if there was a way for him to not have to suffer through it again, he was going to take it.

Hey Vahl, he said, nodding upward as he saw his fellow acolyte. You know what this is all about? he asked. The summon he had received was equally as vague, and in the olden days these things had been enough to cause him a lot of anxiety. These days, he'd come to learn that this was just how many of the Sith operated. Maybe it was a power flex or maybe it was just because of their paranoia. Varyn couldn't really tell.

There's no way he's going to send to acos into a creepy temple, right? Seems like a bit of a waste, he said, even though he'd heard many times about the acolytes who trained here who were forced to do just that. Sometimes killing each other in the process. Things were more cutthroat at this academy, and he was hoping that wasn't the expectation for the two of them today.

Varyn caught sight of Andoral moments later, but he wasn't actually... paying any attention to them. He was looking at a book set out on a table just in the room over. Several stacks of books were to either side of him, and he looked more... hunched than last time. Like something he'd done had accelerated the dark side corruption in him. He was well known for being interested in the forgotten and arcane arts, and Varyn wouldn't have been surprised to find out that he'd done some dumb ritual that sucked the life out of him.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri continued to make her way towards the Sith Lord’s office - going off of memory alone as she winded through the stone-carved hallways and corridors of the academy. Of course, it didn’t take the half-Annfyn very long to spot a familiar face already waiting there as well - amber eyes fixating on Varyn. “Oh, hey Varyn!” She said, offering the fellow Acolyte a wave of her fingers and a small smile.

While they weren’t exactly best friends, they knew each other and this wasn’t the first time they’d been assigned to one of these projects together. Hopefully this time they wouldn’t be some weirdo talking to themselves, though. “Damn, lookin’ sharp,” She gestured to the Acolyte’s IAC armor, giving him a nod of approval and a smirk before shrugging her shoulders in response to his question.

“Not a damn clue. They really do love to be cryptic, don’t they?” At this point, Vahliri was convinced that the vague-ass summons had absolutely nothing to do with paranoia, and everything to do with making students sweat bullets the entire walk to the office. She squinted a bit at what he said next, pondering the possibility of this turning into a trip to some creepy-ass temple. “Yeaaahhh I wouldn’t be too sure about that..” It was common-knowledge that the Acolytes of the Korriban academy were often subjected to the temples and ruins as part of their education, and Vahliri doubted they would somehow get different treatment. Moroever, why explore some potentially lethal ruins when there was a fresh batch of doe-eyed Acolytes to do it for you?

“Could be worse, though.” Vahliri shrugged. “Pretty sure we’re safe from any AMS-related assignments.” The half-Annfyn almost winced. She knew of several instances of Acolytes being sent on what were essentially suicide missions back on Dromund Kaas - including the story Altair had told her about himself and Cairo’s first meeting.

Before they could speculate any further though, Vahliri caught sight of Lord Andoral - blinking a few times as she regarded the Sith. The half-Annfyn didn’t miss the man’s almost withered and aged appearance - accompanied by his paled skin and the bruises beneath his eyes. They were features she had been from Lord Veles in her limited encountered with the Sith Lord, and Vahliri could only assume their appearance in Lord Andoral was connected to the same dark, twisted rituals. “My Lord. How may we be of service?” Vahliri stepped into the office with Varyn, bowing her head before the Sith Lord respectfully. Of course, he didn’t immediately acknowledge the half-Annfyn’s presence - continuing to read off from one of the tattered scrolls laid out in front of him.

There was a long, ever-so-slightly awkward silence that filled the room before the Sith Lord finally finished what he was reading and looked upwards - sunken, yellow eyes fixating onto the two Acolytes. “Acolyte Kahtal. Acolyte Atrix.” He started, his voice husky. “Good of you both to be punctual.”

“There is a matter I would like investigated as soon as possible. The both of you have proven yourselves to be largely competent, and thus I have selected to see it through..” With that, the Sith Lord pulled another piece of parchment from the stack of books and scrolls he had gather, gesturing for both of them to take a look. Upon closer inspection, the piece of parchment would reveal itself to be a map of some sort - though not a particularly detailed or well-maintained one. “Beyond the Valley of Golg and into the Dune Wastes, there is believed to be an ancient complex - one predating the first Drast Empire and whose origins lie with civilization of the Purebloods. I would have you both locate the complex, map its coordinates and return with your findings.”

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Had Varyn mentioned how much he disliked Korriban? There were just so many reasons not to like it and the people had moved up as a reason. Even by Sith standards these guys were just uptight.

Thanks, he said with a smile, glancing down at the armor he wore. The helmet was clipped to his belt for the moment, and he followed Vahl into the office. He listened as the twisted Sith Lord gave them their assignment, saying nothing and trying to stay focused rather than ponder what the guy had done to shrivel this much.

We'll see it done, my lord, he said with his own respectful nod. He took the piece of paper and looked at it for several moments, trying to make anything out of it but... not having much success. He wasn't very familiar with Korriban's surface, and that would probably have to be amended.

They were quickly dismissed and Varyn made his way outside before stopping and looking at Vahl, eyebrows raised.

I think we'll probably need speeders and maybe to hit the library for some planet maps or something? he threw out, unsure if they'd even have that. Otherwise they'd be going blind off of this... somewhat pathetic map.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri wasn’t the least bit surprised - or happy, to be honest - when it was revealed that this would be, in fact, a fucking temple-venture. Korriban was a notoriously hostile and unpleasant place even where the population was highest, and it only got drastically worse out in the howling sands. Nevertheless, there wasn’t exactly room to argue.

“As you command, My Lord.” Vahliri said in response, once more dipping her head towards the Sith Lord. The half-Annfyn proceeded to noisily peek her head around to look at the piece of paper that was handed off to Varyn, looking at the map for all of two seconds before an entirely unamused expression manifested on her face briefly.

..Seriously?

She followed Varyn out of the room as they were dismissed, finally letting out the groan of agitation she’d been holding in for quite some time. Sure, the half-Annfyn was an academic and enjoyed her studies as much as the next Acolyte - but that ended roughly where the moisture-deprived valleys of Korriban started.

“Yeah, we can pick up some speeders on our way out of the Academy. We can hit up the library first.. Buuuuut,” She reached around, swiping the map from Varyn to take a look at it. “This is old as shit. I doubt the library is gonna have anything useful, but.. Worth a look.” She shrugged.

After a few more moments of walking, Vahliri veered a bit closer and proceeded to nudge the Acolyte with her elbow. “You just had to jinx it, huh?”

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn looked down at the map before pulling out his datapad and taking a picture, handing it to her to do the same. Better safe than sorry.

Nothing current, no, but they might have some planet atlases. Even if the a lot has changed, surely some of the mountains and canyons have to be the same, right? he said, hopefully, But if this was built thousands of years ago, it was possible that even those had changed. But he'd argue it was more likely they hadn't.

They headed in that direction and she elbowed him and he scoffed. Look it was always going to be temple duty, he objected with an eye roll and slipped his helmet back on. Ah, temperature control.

Alright, let's see what we've got here, he said, curving off to the library and heading to the atlas section. He got a nasty glare from one of the instructors for wearing his helmet inside, but he didn't pay it any mind.

He pulled down one of the holobooks setting it on the table. See, like this? This could be this, he said, pointing from the holobook's representation of a mountain to the map's. They weren't exactly the same, but they were... close. Particularly when looking at how they were laid out compared to surrounding mountains.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri stared down at the map - which in all honesty was more just a scrap of paper - with an entirely unamused expression - blinking a few times before snapping a picture with her commlink. Yup. Looked old as shit in picture format too. “Mm, true.” She said with a nod.

She had to admit that Varyn had a good point - even if the maps weren’t current, there was bound to be some overlap when it came to mountains or canyons or anything more permanent. Probably. Maybe.

Vahliri’s eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly when Varyn objected to her accusation that his big mouth had jinxed it for them. The half-Annfyn turned her head towards the fellow Acolyte and leaned on close to whisper, “You smell that, Varyn? Smells like some fuckin’ banthashit.” She drew back, allowing the Acolyte to slip his helmet back on. “Totally jinxed it. It was probably gonna be some tedious translating old texts or routine nonsense, and then that decrepit old bastard heard you and decided ‘you know what, let me make the lives of these Acolytes completely and totally miserable just for that’.” She said without a shred of doubt or shame - wholeheartedly laying the blame at Varyn’s feet.

A faint grin started to tug at Vahliri’s lips, and it was clear she was struggling to keep a straight face just then. She quickly faced back ahead, rounding into the library with Varyn. The half-Annfyn glanced down to the holobook that Varyn whipped out, glancing between the two. “Could be.” She pulled down one or two more, swiping across the pages to cross reference the material. None of them completely matched each other, but they were at least close enough that the Acolyte’s could confirm it was probably the same location.

It was an approximate location, but it was certainly better than working off the piece of shit they got from Lord Andoral alone.

Vahliri swiped through a few more pages, squinting down at the Holobooks. “Nothing about this supposed temple, either..So we’ll be completely in the dark there.” She looked back to the map, roughly doing the calculation on the distance in her head - proving that all those lessons from Tiamat were actually starting to pay off. “This is at least a day of travel through the desert on speeder.” She grimaced.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Oh yeah, I'm sure that's totally what happened, he said with a snicker. She was going to try to lay this whole thing at his feet, and it was just preposterous!

They wouldn't have called us all the way to Korriban for translating, he said, which actually made him wonder: was this some sort of... final exam or something? He certainly had the power and skill to be a Champion so maybe this was the last step to promotion?

Besides, I'd rather go do something interesting than stick my nose in another book. Like, come on, he groaned.

She pointed out that there was no mention of a temple or tomb, and he shrugged. Bruh, I can only get us so far. Your turn to do the rest, he quipped. A day's ride into the desert sounded unpleasant particularly given the dangerous creatures out there, but he was short a ship and they didn't seem to have any other options.

Guess we'd better get to it, then, he said, taking another photo from the atlas before putting it back.

I'll get supplies, you get the speeders? he suggested.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri was about… 0% convinced that the instructors wouldn’t have called them just for some translating and other lowkey nonsense. As far as the half-Annfyn was concerned, that was an entirely plausible sequence of events and it was strictly - solely - because of Varyn that they were now in their current situation. And she had every intention of reminding him of that fact going forward. Be prepared.

She blinked a few times, her eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly when Varyn declared that he would rather do something interesting. “Oh, yeah totally,” She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes with such intensity it was a wonder they didn’t spin out of her skull. “I’ll remind you of this conversation when you have a Tuk’ata on your ass.” She remarked with a faint grin.

The half-Annfyn walked back over to the archives, snagging a few more Holobooks to place down on the table - swiping through the pages. “I am helping.” She waved a hand dismissively at his assertion that he was doing everything. Nonsense. She continued to flip through pages for a few more minutes, and, sure enough, absolutely nothing about where they were going. The half-Annfyn let out a slightly agitated sigh before shrugging, her attention shifting towards Varyn taking a picture of the atlas.

Vahliri blinked a few times, looked around, and proceeded to swipe the atlas and discreetly place it in her bag. She stared down Varyn with a flat expression. “I don’t wanna be fucked when you’re datapad runs out of battery.” She shrugged, got up, and proceeded to make her way out of the library with him and her stolen map.

She nodded when Varyn suggested splitting up and meeting at the entrance. “See you in a bit,” She offered a faint wiggle of her fingers as a wave and turned down a different hallway, towards the main exit to the academy and where there was a variety of speeder bikes for rent to students.

–​

A few minutes passed, and Vahliri was - as promised - waiting for Varyn just outside the academy. It was still early in the day and the sun hadn’t moved into the center of the sky quite yet, but the heat was already oppressive and there was a clear sheen of sweat across the half-Annfyn’s face. She was in the process of tying her hair into a tight bun, and her usual robes and hood were accompanied by a veil for the lower hemisphere of her face, in order to the sand and debris away from her mouth.

Notably, Varyn would immediately see that there was only one speeder.

Upon spotting him, Vahliri took a step forward and jutted her chin back to the speeder. “Good news and bad news. The bad news is that almost every speeder is either already rented out or broken, so I could only get one.” She then turned back to the bike, a grin spreading across her lips. “The good news, is that I am an excellent driver.”

Whether Varyn would believe that statement, or rather or not it was factual…

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn returned shortly thereafter with a wide variety of equipment for their journey, not the least of which was food and water. He looked at the bike and even without seeing his face, she would be able to tell he was less than thrilled.

Seriously? Twelve hours splitting this thing? he grumbled. They can't even get us proper equipment. You know, you'd think the Empire could actually fund it's acolytes on their missions, I mean, come ooon, he grumbled before realizing he probably shouldn't have been.

Sorry, I'll stop, he said, slinging the packs over the bike. Alright, you can start out driving, I'll drive later, he said. It was the fairest option, though actually, sitting on the back might be more comfortable. "Comfortable" like it was going to be a pleasant experience either way.

Okay, let's get moving. We're burning daylight and I wanna get this drive over with, he said, though he couldn't help but thinking driving back on this thing if either of them was wounded could be almost impossible. Being wounded was all but a death sentence... wonderful.

 

[Darth Tempest]

While she took a moment or two to scope out the supplies he brought with him, Vahliri could immediately tell that Varyn was less than thrilled with this most recent turn of events - and the half-Annfyn couldn’t quite help the way her lips tugged ever-so-slightly upwards in response. “I mean it could be worse. It could’ve been one of the busted-ass speeders - this one actually works pretty well. For now, anyway.” She snickered a bit when Varyn stopped himself from his own grumbling, proceeding to sling the packs over the speeder bike. “It isn’t ideal, but we’ll manage.” She shrugged vaguely. It wasn’t like they had any other choice unless Varyn felt like walking.

“Besides,” She turned to face him, taking a step towards the fellow Acolyte. The smile on her lips tugged sideways as Vahliri tilted her head ever-so-slightly. “Having your arms around my waist isn’t so bad, is it?” She said playfully, proceeding to nudge the fellow Acolyte in the chest before spinning on her heels and moving back towards the bike - pulling up the veil over the lower hemisphere of her face along with the hood of her robes.

She waited for Varyn to hop on behind her and secure himself before she started the ignition, activating the repulsor-engines as she began to drive them away from the academy and towards the desert. As soon as they passed the Sith facilities and structures, Vahliri abruptly leaned forward on the bike and began to drastically increase the speed they were traveling - going from a steady pace to all but blitzing through the sand dunes. For all the ways that the half-Anfynn was something of a priss, there was something about the wind on her face and the high speeds that got her blood pumping.

Without warning, Vahliri tugged the controls and steered the bike towards one of the towering dunes - crawling up the face of the shifting sands and towards its summit. As soon as they crested over the dune, the half-Annfyn leaned in to the gas and launched the speeder over the edge - briefly going airborne as the repulsors carried them through the air and back towards the desert floor.

As soon as they landed and continued speeding forward, Vahliri glanced back at Varyn. “Holding up back there?”

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

So you say, he grumbled as she talked about how good the speeder was. He was clearly very unconvinced.

When she mentioned his arms wrapped around her waist, he was momentarily quite flustered. Was she flirting with him?! Did he have a SITH GIRL FLIRTING WITH HIM?! WHAT DO!?

It's strictly for practical reasons! he objected in a "he doth protest too much" manner that he didn't mean to do. I mean, not that you're... uh... we need to get going, he said, his face turning bright red below his helmet now. Wait, did that sound like he was too eager to get started and wrap his arms around her? This was... oh my.

He climbed on behind her, wrapping his arms around her as she gunned it off in the direction of their target. And did she ever gun it. She was an absolute wild woman driver. He wondered if she even realized how much of a maniac she was and Varyn was absolutely sure they were going to die.

This, of course, caused him to clench on all the tighter, which could be interpreted however it would be.

I'm alive! he shouted over the wind. For now... he said, suddenly deciding that maybe he didn't want to hurt her feelings. He also didn't want to die, though...

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri watched as Varyn proceeded to go completely red and flustered at her comment, and the half-Annfyn couldn’t help the sideways grin that began to work its way onto her lips. The half-Annfyn’s gaze lingered on the fellow Acolyte for several seconds longer than was necessary, her amber eyes meeting his own for a moment.

“Mhm,” She hummed.

And then she promptly turned and directed her attention to driving like an absolute maniac.

Contrary to what Varyn might’ve thought, Vahliri was perfectly aware of hos wildly she drove and relished every second of it - feeling that distinct rush of adrenaline that coursed through her and got her blood pumping. It was the same rush she felt behind the controls of her Starfighter, and really any vehicle she managed to get behind. Naturally, it didn’t take very long for Cairo, Altair and Ashla to officially ban her from driving during any Acosquad outings.

Of course, her wild driving caused Varyn to clench around her waist all the tighter which she didn’t exactly mind. “You better not hurl.” She shouted back to him, flashing the Acolyte a smirk. Despite the clear amusement on her face, she wasn’t exactly lying either. She really didn’t want to have to deal with getting puked on.

Within a few minutes of driving, the landscape around them began to grow more and more consistent. As they sped past the deep canyons and valleys where the Sith congregated, and ventured further into the reddish sands, things rapidly grew less interesting - the same rolling sand dunes spreading out for miles without end. It was only after several miles of speeding through the sands did Vahliri reduce their speed ever-so-slightly - not enough for Varyn to really relax(?), but enough to make the wind in their ears a bit less oppressive.

“We got twelve hours before we get to anything close to our destination, so we might as well make this fun and get to know each other,” While she had gone on multiple missions with Varyn in the past, they didn’t really know one another particularly well.

“You can ask me any question about myself, and I have to answer. And I can ask the same of you,” She said, leaning back ever-so-slightly as they zoomed across the sandy expanse. “I’ll start - ask away.”

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn certainly had better not hurl because he had a helmet on and just no. Fortunately, he had a pretty iron stomach, and that wasn't going to happen.

Maybe if you weren't such a psycho behind the controls! he shouted accusatorially. It didn't help all that much, but after a few miles she seemed to calm down at least a little bit. He couldn't believe he was going to have to put up with this for like... six hours or something. At least it was open plains now with pretty much nothing to hit. Otherwise he'd have to throw her off the bike to take over or something.

Then she suggested a game of questions, and he frowned behind his helmet. He didn't want to answer questions about himself, because he didn't really want anyone poking at his cover story. That was just... not good.

But declining might also be suspicious? I mean, maybe not? They were Sith and Sith weren't open, right? Ultimately, he decided it would be worse not to answer, so he did.

Okay... why'd you join the Empire? he asked.

 

[Darth Tempest]

“Oh please, I’m getting us there faster!” Vahliri immediately shot back - though her serious tone was immediately undercut by the smirk that began to tug at her lips and the faint snickering that followed her words. In her defense, her maniac driving certainly was getting them there quite a bit faster. Albeit with significantly higher risk.. “Besides I haven’t even hit anything! You probably drive like my grandma.” She leaned back, nudging him in the stomach playfully while keeping the other hand on the controls.

Not too hard, though.. ‘Cause well, she really didn’t want him to puke.

Vahliri certainly wasn’t gonna force Varyn to play along with her game of questions, but she was pleased when the fellow Acolyte opted to do so. It was going to be a long-ass drive and it was a fun way to get to know more about one another. The half-Annfyn decided not to give much thought to why she was actually interested in learning more about the fellow Acolyte, at least at that moment.

She glanced back when Varyn proceeded to ask his first question, pondering it for a moment in her mind. It wasn’t the question she expected right out of the gate, but the half-Annfyn had no problems with divulging. “Well,” She began, leaning forward a bit on the speeder - just as they began to climb another sandy hill.

“I’m from Indupar, originally, spent most of my life living in the upper-class districts of Dahonis. I had everything I could’ve wanted growing up - money, nice things, position. All of it except my own freedom. Ability to make my own choices or follow my own ambitions. Even when I discovered I was Force Sensitive, I kept my ‘condition’ a secret for years. Never trained or explored it.” She tugged the controls, guiding the speeder as they created the hill. “I finally decided I wanted more than my life on Indupar, and I saw the Empire as my avenue to do it.”

“I joined, because the Empire gave me the opportunity to reach the limits of my own potential. To become.. Everything, that I potential to be.”

She grinned back at him. “I know, it isn’t the whole dramatic, tragic Sith origin story like most.”

“And you?” She said, her foot tilting toward to drive the speeder a bit faster as they once more arrived in flat ground. “Why did you join?”

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn listened as she talked about where she came from and as soon as she mentioned living in the upper class he couldn't resist teasing her.

Oooh, you're a richie. A things-haver! he said. It meant she was one of the people that he had once been jealous of in a life before all of this. It seemed like almost an eternity ago now, and he couldn't help thinking about his dad still back on Coruscant barely scraping by. Coruscant, the planet he couldn't even legally go visit anymore...

And what is that potential that you want to be? he asked before remembering that it wasn't actually his turn to ask. Dang it, fine, well he'd answer her first.

I was born on Coruscant in the undercity. A Sith on undercover assignment found me and fought off the people that... his voice trailed off and he decided that topic was too serious and heavy-handed for their conversation.

He brought me into the Sith and trained me up until he got killed a Denon. Then I got folded back into the academy system, he said.

But same question: what is it you dream of becoming? he asked curiously. She didn't seem evil. He wondered if she'd have made a good Jedi. Maybe she still could, though, of course, it was far too early for any sort of the hint of a thought of trying to actually convert her.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help but blink a few times as Varyn began to tease, her mouth proceeding to open and close rapidly like a fish out of water. “Richie!? I was totally not a richie!” She exclaimed, huffing loudly at the mere notion of it. She wasn’t one of those snooty, high-and-mighty princess types that she rolled her eyes at back home. Or at least, she wasn’t in her own mind..

She rolled her eyes before Varyn asked his next question - one that actually gave her some pause as she mulled it over. What did she want to become? Stronger, perhaps.. Powerful.. But Vahliri had been there on Kashyyyk. She had seen half an entire world set to torch to send a message. That was power in its rawest form..

And yet she didn’t want to believe she would ever be capable of something like that.

The half-Annfyn glanced back as Varyn began to answer her own question - revealing where he was from and the beginning of how he had been inducted into the Empire. Of course, she didn’t miss the way that he trailed off - hinting at a topic that was far too serious for their current conversation, and no doubt not a topic that the fellow Acolyte enjoyed discussing. Vahliri didn’t press for more information at that moment - and no small part of her kicked herself internally for bringing it up.

Instead, the half-Annfyn reached back from the controls of the speeder - keeping one hand on the steering - in order to find Varyn’s hand. The moment she did, Vahliri intertwined their fingers and gave his hand a light squeeze - a bit of comfort in that moment, even if she didn’t say anything. The half-Annfyn didn’t know what had possessed her to do it, nor if it was a gesture Varyn would even welcome in that moment.. But it was there.

For the moment, she focused back on the question he posed her - mulling it over in her mind for a few moments before finally coming to an answer. “I guess...” A pause, and then a final nod of her head. “Powerful. Strong enough to protect the things I care about. Strong enough to decide my own fate, wherever it takes me.” It was the promise she had made to herself after Zakuul - that bitter feeling of helplessness lingering in the middle of her chest.

She smiled back at him. “Alright, Varyn Atrix. What is it that you hope to become as a Sith? Some powerful Lord like Raze?”

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn didn't expect to feel her hand reach down and lock her fingers in his, but he didn't pull away. His heart beat a little bit faster and though he knew he probably shouldn't have, he squeezed back. He said nothing of it and knew his mind would linger on the moment long after this, but... he liked it. And maybe... maybe he could pull her out of this Empire that she had joined.

He listened to her answer, but he couldn't help noticing that it was barely an answer. He got the impression that she didn't really know what she wanted or why she wanted it.

Not only that, he could sense something else in her. She was mourning over something? There was something in what he had said that seemed to sting her or some memory that it had brought back.

Until then, I've got your back, he said to her. In this case, literally, though that wasn't how he meant it.

When she asked what he wanted to do with his life, he already knew the answer. Better than that, it was the truth. He'd learned recently that many of the Sith didn't really want to be all about murder and cruelty. It was only the upper echelon that were beyond likely help.

I don't like bullies. I'm going to put them in their place, he said. It was relatable to most and it was the reason Varyn had joined the Jedi Order in the first place. Or at least part of it.

So, now that I know you're a richie, he said, smiling widely behind his helmet. Now that he knew how up in arms about it she got, there was simply no resisting.

You gotta tell me what that was like! he shouted over the wind.

 

[Darth Tempest]

There was an involuntary, visible swivel of the half-Annfyn’s fluted ears when Varyn stated that he would have her back. They were words that she didn’t quite expect in that moment, and their utterance was something that caught her entirely off-guard. For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, they were words that brought sensations of warmth and genuine comfort to surge through her body - melting past any exterior and sinking right down to her core.

She didn’t immediately ponder why those simple words impacted her the way they did, and neither could she deny the effect they had. “Maybe long after that,” She said a bit quieter, drawing her thumb across the top of his hand. She didn’t immediately break the contact of their hands - lingering against his touch for far longer than was necessary. “And I’ve got yours.”

The half-Annfyn finally broke the contact as they began to move onto rougher terrain - necessitating the Acolyte to actually grip the controls with both hands as they advanced through the sands. She listened to his answer, the smirk on her lips tugging a bit wider. “That makes two of us.” The half-Annfyn was no fan of bullies, and her own fiery and pugnacious personally meant that she often found coming to blows with those she encountered.

There was a loud, overdramatic groan when Varyn once again called her a richie - unwittingly feeding into exactly the reasons the fellow Acolyte reiterated that nickname to begin with. Of course, she didn’t let him get away with it entirely - her elbow shooting backwards and jamming - playful, albeit still firm - into his ribs. She much as she claimed to find the nickname annoying, the half-Annfyn’s smile indicated that she found Varyn anything but.

“It isn’t as interesting as it sounds!” She shouted back at him, her voice echoing above the wind. The deserts around them began to narrow as they approached a deep canyon - towering rock walls surrounding them on both sides as they blitzed through the narrow passage. “My father is from Annwfyn, but the family on my mother’s side is Induparan nobility - not super rich like some.. But we had a lot. Our whole family - me and my older brothers - lived in a villa that overlooked the canals all growing up. Had everything we could’ve asked for.. Took vacations out to the countryside every year - nestled out near the waterfalls.” She smiled just then, the memory of those family outings very clearly a fond one.

“It does get boring, after a while. The same people, the same environment.” She shrugged a bit. “Guess that’s why I always found myself getting into trouble growing up.” It was no secret that she had developed something of a rebellious streak since childhood, and it was one that hadn’t quite left her as an adult. She really couldn’t complain though - especially knowing that Varyn had come from the undercity. Whatever gripes the half-Annfyn had about her own upbringing almost certainly paled in comparison to the struggles of Varyn’s own childhood.

“Do you have any siblings?” She asked back at him, glancing over her shoulders. The fellow Acolyte would only have a few moments to answer before a beeping on the sensor caught the half-Annfyn’s attention - eyes narrowing ever-so-slightly. She slowed the speeder, yanking the controls in order to bring the vehicle to a stop.

“There is something up ahead..” She blinked a few times. Despite very clearly picking up something straight ahead, neither of the Acolyte’s would actually be able to see anything. As far as they could tell, there wasn’t a single living organism with them in that canyon.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn listened and thought about how nice it sounded. Even as an adult and as a Jedi, he wasn't really supposed to have "stuff." Attachments and all that. Sure, it wasn't like the old Order, but they were hardly amassing great wealth for themselves. It occurred to him that he might actually get a taste of that life as a Sith, and he though he knew he probably shouldn't want that life, he couldn't deny there was something a bit alluring about it.

How many brothers? he asked. The family trips out to the countryside sounded nice, though he'd gotten sick of the wilderness a bit between Ajan Kloss and Yavin IV.

Nope. It was just me, he said. Me and my dad, now, but I don't really see him anymore, he said.

He wondered if she managed to see her family at all... maybe sometimes, but probably not often.

What's it like on... he started to ask, but his attention was drawn away as she mentioned something was ahead.

He didn't see anything.

Oh, it'd better not be those invisible lizards... he said. He didn't remember what they were called and he'd never seen one, but he'd heard about them.

What if we just like... keep going? he asked, only partially joking. He knew there was no way that she - Miss Adventurous - was going to go for that, so as the speeder pulled to a slow, Varyn slid off, grabbing the lightsaber from his belt without any hesitation.

The canyon was twisted and convoluted, leading to a nearly infinite number of places that something could hide.

I have a bad feeling about this, he said. Hey, this isn't where we're supposed to be, is it? he asked. Sure it hadn't seemed like they were here yet, but time flew when you were flirting.