Ask Lighter Skies

[Arla]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

Arla had been able to feel the call of the monster from all the way across the galaxy, and she was confident that Vahliri had felt it as well.

She'd followed the sensation all the way out to Felucia, her gut churning as she set her ship down. She'd done more preparation this time than last, and she could only hope that it would be enough.

She disembarked in a small clearing, making her way over to meet Vahliri where she had parked her own ship.

The Governor was reporting some disturbances in the area, I already got in contact with him. He said there's some nice rewards if we can real this thing in, she said.

Okay, we've gotta be careful. This time we've got to prepare better than we... and that was all the further she got before she was cut off.

Hellooooooooo... she heard from her ship. She'd been hoping she could give Vahliri a warning that Wilbur was with her before he appeared, but instead he emerged from The Explorer's ramp and charged toward Vahliri to throw his arms around her.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Despite best hopes.. Deep down, Vahliri knew the Spirit wasn’t going to remain buried for long. Unwittingly or not, they had unleashed that monster onto the Galaxy - and had been permanently marked by it in the process. And with each passing day, the half-Annfyn could feel its call growing stronger, scratching at the edges of her consciousness and attempting to pull her mind towards it.

Something had changed. It didn’t feel like the Spirit was running anymore - like it had taken root and was growing in strength once again. Thus, Vahliri almost wasn’t surprised by Arla’s call.

Knowing both the importance and severity of the summons, Vahliri wasted no time in reaching her destination. The Spirit was a threat all by itself - and it was made even worse by the fact it had taken root on a world in the Imperial Core. Did the Governor even know what they were dealing with? Perhap Arla didn’t share all the details. Perhaps it was better she didn’t.

The Pearl Empress punched through the wispy clouds of Raxus’ skyline, drifting lazily towards the landing pad where Vahliri knew Arla would be waiting. The chrome-plated ramp extended towards the ground, and Vahliri was swift to begin marchind down it - dressed in her signature robes and armed, with black hair tied back into a crown braid.

“Arla,” She nodded with a smile, reaching an arm around to briefly hug the Nightsister. “Good. I take it he doesn’t know everything about it, then?” Vahliri suspected that if he did, they would’ve sent more than just two Sith to deal with it. It terrified her, which meant it likely would’ve given some Imperial bureaucrat a shock.

Vahliri was prepared to listen to Arla more, up until Wilbur appeared behind her. The half-Annfyn’s eyes immediately lit up, fluted ears swiveling about as she stepped forward to greet him. “Wilbur! Hi!” She exclaimed, crouching down to wrap her arms around the boy. He latched onto her, and Vahliri didn’t hesitate to lift him right off the ground - spinning him in her arms a few times before setting him back down.

“I’ve missed you so much! How are you feeling, buddy? Do you like it on Dathomir?” She smiled, running a hand across his cheek. Free from the Spirit’s corruption and with some assistance from the Nightsister’s, Wilbur had largely returned to his original self. The boy was still.. Kind of odd, as a result of his experienced - but he was odd in that endearing sort of way.

 

[Arla]

Arla smiled as Wilbur and Vahliri embraced. She knew that the Anfynn enjoyed the young man as much as she did, and she also knew that it was unwise to bring him. But hey, he was here, nothing to be done about that now. Wilbur needed closure on this as much as they both did.

Aunt Renfry said I wasn't allowed to stay on Dathomir, he said, looking back at Arla. But she put me in a nice home... it's a mansion! With lots of other kids, and Aunt Arla introduced me to Nala. She's like me, she doesn't have parents anymore either, he said.

Yes, Arla seemed to be collecting orphaned or semi-orphaned children, and her mother had the resources and pull still to set them up in the "Waythe Home for at Risk Children" which was - at Arla's request - one of the finest children's homes in Imperial space.

He's been settling in quite well, haven't you? she asked, to which he nodded emphatically.

They don't know much about it, she confirmed for Vahliri. And I aim to keep it that way. I've also figured out what I think the creature is, and therefore, how to beat it, she said. While it did have incredible power, it had its weaknesses as well.

Come on, we should come and talk, she said, motioning toward her ship where they could speak indoors, in private, and with food or drink.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri could be far from the nurturing type at times, but her affection for Wilbur was clear as day. For one reason or another, the half-Annfyn felt a responsibility for the boy - and was overjoyed to see him happy and healthy in Arla and Renfry’s care. She set the boy down, placing a hand on his shoulder while he spoke. “That sounds like so much fun,” She smiled down at him, “I grew up in a mansion too, you know. Maybe we can make a trip there when this is over.” The half-Annfyn gave his shoulder a squeeze.

Her expression knitted up briefly. “This is serious, Wilbur. You need to do everything me and Arla tell you while you’re here. You understand?” She waited for the boy’s nod of affirmation before turning her attention to Arla, following the Nightsister.

“Good. The less people know.. The better.” Vahliri knew the type of panic and anxiety that the Spirit would cause - and for good reason. And the knowledge that Vahliri and Arla had released it.. Didn’t really reflect well on either of them. Her brow arched when the Nightsister claimed to know what it was.

“After you,” She nodded, stepping inside Arla’s own ship. It wasn’t until they both found a common room that Vahl turned, leaning her back against an adjacent wall with arms crossed over her chest.

“So what are we dealing with?”

 

[Arla]

Arla made her way inside the ship along with Vahliri. Felucia had a great deal of history with her family and her people, and she found high doubt that it was a coincidence that the Spirit had ended up here.

Arla let Wilbur wander into the spare room again where he could continue playing his Sbox and the two adults could begin to converse and plan.

It's a Shadow Fiend, she said in response to Vahliri's question. They concentrate their power in specific areas and can birth... other shadow-like creatures, which are the fleshy things we fought, she said.

So they sit and consolidate power in a certain place. When we destroyed the altar we both freed it and weakened it, she said. It was clear she'd been doing no small amount of research since they'd first come into contact with it.

There's an off-world coven of Nightsisters here on Felucia and the jungle natives are also in commune with the Shadow, she said, pausing a moment and hesitating to even say what she was thinking.

I'm worried it may have come here either for them or... at their behest, she said, fully aware of the implication of what she said. One of them may have been in league with or controlling the creature.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri watched as Wilbur wandered off onto the spare room, offering the boy a small wave of her hand and smile. With that, her attention settled right back onto Arla - brows knitting together seriously as she listened to the Nightsister. The words ‘Shadow Fiend’ immediately sent a chill down her spine. “Why would it have been bound in the first place?” She asked after a moment. Couldn’t it have been destroyed? Or could the pair of them only hope to do the same as their predecessors, by anchoring it to one world in particular?

Her arms crossed over her chest, already growing uncomfortable with the information she was receiving. The knowledge that they had weakened it was a small comfort, but something told Vahliri the challenges ahead of them still wouldn't be easy. Even still, the color drained further from her expression when Arla expressed her concerns. “..You believe they brought it here? And are.. What Attempting it control it?” The words were bitter on her tongue, and she doubted that anyone could truly reign in what the two of them had faced. The half-Annfyn blinked a few times. “To what end?”

Whatever Arla’s answer, the half-Annfyn leaned back against the wall, running a hand idly through her hair. “If they brought it here willingly, I doubt they’ll be happy with us trying to banish it. We may be forced to fight them.” Her eyes rested on Arla. “To fight your own people.”

There was the possibility that the Shadow Fiend had sought them out - and the Coven were merely victims to its arrival.. But the former hypothesis had more serious implications, and that was what Vahliri opted to focus on.

 

[Arla]

Arla squinted and twisted her face up a bit as Vahliri asked why the Spirit had been bound there.

After doing some studying about the runes, I think that it may have been... she trailed off, trying to think about the best way to explain it.

There are runes that can be used to bind and draw power from Spirits. I think maybe whoever bound it there was using the runes either as a power source for something or to sap it of its strength because it was too powerful to kill at the time, she said. It was a guess given she hadn't ever met the person who laid the binding in place, but it seemed as good a guess as anything.

Destroying the altar released all the energy they'd been siphoning: robbing it from the Spirit, she explained. As for the why of the Coven summoning it... that was harder and more dangerous to answer.

It could be that they're planning a rebellion. That they want to overthrow my Mother, she said. It wasn't unheard of for something like that to happen, and if some of the Nightsisters had been exposed to Sith Sorcery, they may have gotten their own ideas.

Or maybe they just see it as an opportunity, she said.

I'm aware, she said in response to the final comment. Battles among Nightsister Clans weren't uncommon in the old day, and sometimes even now, rebellions arose. It wasn't something that she enjoyed but it was something she was prepared to deal with if need be.

Have you been to the base here before? It has a higher concentration of Nightsisters than most other Sith bases. It's the largest off-world location of Nightsisters, and... I may draw attention, she said. While few in the Empire knew she was the daughter of Andruil, the knowledge that she was effectively First of the entirety of Dathomir was not so much a secret.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri kept her arms crossed over her chest, quietly absorbing every bit of information that Arla provided. There was multiple questions that they simply.. Didn’t have answers to - which didn’t really provide the half-Annfyn with much comfort. Even still, the fact that the Spirit had been sapped of its energy, the fact that it was weaker, was good news from her perspective. Vahliri shifted a bit, her brows knitting together when Arla revealed the possibility of rebellion against Renfry.

“Delightful,” She said sarcastically. Though, Vahliri couldn’t deny that it certainly made things simpler. There was no doubt that Arla would be ready to do what was necessary - even to her own kin - if they were planning to overthrow Renfry.

“I haven’t, no.” Vahliri said with a small huff. She pushed off from where she was standing, starting to pace the room for a moment or two. “If you’re right, then they can’t know you’re here. They’ll immediately try to hide what they’re doing or.. Immediately turn hostile.” It was anyone’s guess whether they’d try to mask their true intentions or simply.. Kill the First of Dathomir and half-Annfyn Sith.

“We can try sneaking into the base quietly,” Vahliri said after a moment. “Disguise ourselves and try to get a better understanding of what they’re doing in the first place. Go from there,” She shrugged a bit. “Somehow I doubt they’ll be receptive if I go knocking, either.”

 

[Arla]

If you don't want to get involved in Clan politics, I understand, she said. Arla was likely going to have to kill some of the Nightsisters while she was here, and if that was the case, then Vahliri's life would be on the line as well. Something told her that Vahl wasn't about to decline.

They won't have a problem with you being here so long as you don't start asking questions, she said, which was, of course, the part that was most important for getting actual answers.

I've got an idea for that, she said in response to the comment about Arla needing to remain hidden.

She went to the kitchenette of her ship and grabbed a bowl and some water, filling it and letting the Spirit Ichors of Dathomir flow through her. A thick, green smoke rose from the bowl and Arla stepped through it, and when it parted on the other side, she was nearly imperceptible as if cast in Force cloak.

This spell will maintain for a while, and I've picked up some new abilities working with the Anzati. No one will see me. We can both be eyes and ears, and you can be the mouth. I won't be far away, she said.

The base was located in the mountain near the landing pads, built most of the way underground, it was natural protection for the base from those who would attack. They would have no difficulty getting inside - given they were Sith - and there was undeniably a higher quantity of Nightsisters roaming around here than most Sith bases. Arla could only hope that the conspiracy - if there was one - was isolated only to a few.

 

[Darth Tempest]

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Vahliri said at once, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I’m not about to let you deal with this shit alone - Clan politics or not.” The half-Annfyn genuinely considered Arla a friend - and it made the risks to herself hardly relevant. Vahliri put herself in harms way on a daily basis.

Moreover, she had even less reason than Arla to be troubled by killing Nightsister’s, if it came down to it.

The half-Annfyn couldn’t help but raise a brow, watching as Arla channeled her Magick. The Arcane had never quite been her forte, though that didn’t mean Vahliri didn’t find it exceptionally fascinating all the same. Her head tilted a bit, nodding when the Nightsister explained the spell. “That’ll definitely some in handy. The others won’t be able to sense the Magick?” She asked after a moment.

“What’d you pick up on Anzat?”

Regardless of the answer, Vahliri couldn’t waste much time after that. Turning on a heel, the half-Annfyn would begin to make her way towards the base itself - marching across the path that cut between colossal, bioluminescent mushrooms. As she approached the gate itself, the half-Annfyn - and Arla, of course - were greeted by a pair of Nightsister’s stationed atop the walls - both of them staring down at the new arrival(s).

“State your name and business here,”

“Champion Vahliri Kahtal,” She answered back. “Here on official business to Felucia with the natives.” The half-Annfyn doubted anyone was going to stop her at the gate, or dig deeper into her business on the planet. How to process once she was inside, though, was something the half-Annfyn would have to figure out once they got inside.

 

[Arla]

Thanks, she said with a nod and sad smile as Vahliri assured her she was all in on this. Clan wars and raids had been much more common before her mother's conquest, and from the sound of it, that had involved its share of spilling blood as well. Arla had been involved in some previous Clan conflicts and insurrections before, and they were rarely pretty. It was something Arla wouldn't hesitate to do again, but it wasn't anything that she enjoyed.

Shouldn't be able to, she said in response to Vahliri's question about the others sensing it. Or at least, not enough to be able to pinpoint anything, she added. In a place like Felucia, there was lots of magick floating around at any given time.

Extra training in how to be more difficult to notice, she said. Her time among the Shadow Killers and Hunters had taught her some of those things, but new perspectives and opportunities to polish the skills were always good.

As Vahliri made it to the front gate, the Nightsister stood watch while a droid ran the Champion's credentials through the system and they came back green. The doors slid open, and she received no more opposition. For her part, Arla just kind of slipped in as the door opened for Vahl, sticking to the edge of the room before looping back over to Vahliri as they headed into the bowels of the mountain.

Okay so, do you sense it? I wonder if we can go somewhere to use a locating spell and track it down. Or if we should just start with asking the one of the lead warriors here, she said, leaving it a bit more up to Vahliri which way they would pursue. She'd have to do the talking if they went with questioning the Nightsisters, while Alra may be able to conjure a spell for summoning the creature and potentially drawing It, and the Nightsisters in league with it, out of hiding.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri let out a small sigh of relief, watching as her credentials were approved and the gates were opened. Not that the Champion doubted they would be - but it was one hurdle crossed without any trouble or complication. For all she knew, Vahliri would have to cross blades with both of the women on the wall before too long. Better to get in without any issues and attack when they least expect it.

The half-Annfyn strolled right ahead - entering the Felucia base without a glance or word to anyone else. Even if she couldn’t see Arla, she didn’t doubt for one minute that the Nightsister was close nearby. While she considered taking a look around more thoroughly, neither did the half-Annfyn want to draw unnecessary attention.

So, Vahliri made her way towards the bowels of the mountain itself - cutting towards the stone-carved caves. Towards their entrance, Arla would likely notice a few totems and runes subtly placed in various places. To any normal bystander, it would look like nothing but decoration from the Nightsister diaspora. For Arla, however, their true meaning was much more clear. Runes and symbols meant for containment, and for anchoring something - a being, energy - in place.

She crossed her arms, weighing their options. “I feel it. Since we got here,” It tugged at the back of her mind and gnawed at her very soul. It was closer - lingering just beyond their physical plain. “I’m.. Not the diplomatic type.” Vahliri admitted. “And I feel like asking questions will give them time to ambush us. Or hide their doings.”

She shook her head. “I vote for the locating spell.” The half-Annfyn’s eyes narrowed. “I take it we’ll need to be prepared for some pissed off people.”

 

[Arla]

Arla moved in the shadows of the base, keeping to the edges of the room and fully exploiting her invisibility to move slowly near Vahliri, keeping her eyes on everything from the other Nightsisters to the markings that adorned the base. So it confirmed her concerns.

She bristled slightly, but didn't pull back from advancing onward, finally finding an isolated place for the two women to discuss.

Okay, I can do that, she said, preparing to execute her spell when she paused.

Wait, she said. Despite not really being able to see Arla, Vahliri would get the impression an idea had just come to her and she was weighing the pros and cons.

I think Anya is stationed here. She's a Sister... a good friend. I trust her, she said. If they could recruit allies - allies who could point them in the direction of more allies - it would be better than trying to keep the entire place at bay alone.

We should find her, she said. She let her cloak of invisibility drop away, becoming visible again but pulling up a small piece of cloth to cover the lower half of her face.

Didn't want them scanning my credentials at the front, but no one's going to look that closely now, she explained.

Follow me, she said, moving toward the barracks area and hoping that Anya... no, Anya couldn't have betrayed her and her Mother. She didn't believe it, and wouldn't even entertain the thought.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri nodded ever-so-slightly, preparing for the ritual to come. Though she said nothing about it, her hand lingered close to the saberhilt clipped to her belt - internally bracing for some level of resistance, either from the Spirit or the traitors amongst them. Arla.. Didn’t really answer her last question, which the half-Annfyn could only interpret as a confirmation of what she already, reasonably, believed to be the case.

Her brow arched when Arla paused, mentioning a sister stationed at the base. Vahliri couldn’t help the way that her face scrunched a bit, skepticism etched into her expression. “Are you sure?” She asked, though it very much seemed like the Nightsister was. The half-Annfyn wasn’t about to argue, but made a mental note to keep her guard up - even around this ‘Anya’. She was no intention of allowing anyone - even someone Arla made the choice to trust - to reveal their intentions or betray them.

“If you trust her,” She added, starting to follow after Arla. “An insider would definitely be helpful,” The half-Annfyn added.

It didn’t take the pair long to find Anya within the base. The Nightsister was running her Duskblade across a wet stone, filling the tent with the distinct sound of metal scraping against stone. Her gaze flicked up to Vahliri and Arla, narrowing ever-so-slightly at the pair. “What do you want–”

A second glance was enough to catch sight of Arla’s eyes. While the woman didn’t stand out to most, Anya could recognize those eyes from a mile away. “Arla?” The woman sat up, setting her weapon aside to embrace the other woman. “What are you doing here?” Her brows knitted together ever-so-slightly.

“You.. Shouldn’t be here, sister.”

 

[Arla]

Arla nodded as Vahliri asked if she was sure. She did trust Anya in spite of everything. She's not involved, she said.

As soon as she saw the other woman, her face broke into a wide smile and she moved forward, embracing her tightly before pulling back.

I know, that's why I'm here, she said. Clearly nothing had changed when it came to Arla: always where she shouldn't have been.

There's insurrection and dark forces at work here, aren't there? she asked. The other woman nodded.

If they find you, they'll kill you. I've been trying to dig to the bottom of things, but I... I don't know what they're doing yet, she said. Well, Arla did.

It seemed like only now that Anya noticed Vahliri. Who is this? she asked, frowning again.

This is Vahliri. She's a friend and she's here to help, Arla said, practically sensing the mutual distrust flowing between the two women.

For kr... look, if you don't trust each other, then at least trust me. Anya, who is heading up the trouble? she asked.

Svarta. She's gotten a small group of Sisters following her. They spend hours locked away in one of the upper rooms performing... rituals. I don't know what, she said.

Arla nodded and looked back to Vahliri. There wasn't even a blink's hesitation. We need to get into that room and we need to kill Svarta. Whichever order, she said.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri didn’t attempt to mask her distrust of Anya. The half-Annfyn crossed her arms over her chest, amber eyes narrowed to appraise the other Nightsister. Regardless of the relationship between the two, Vahliri wouldn’t hesitate to drop the woman if she seemed the faintest bit sketchy - especially knowing that the spirit was involved in the entire mess.

“This’ll be simple then,” She said after a moment, fingers brushing the hilt of her lightsaber. Her gaze flicked over to Anya, staring down the other woman for a moment before speaking. “How many of your kin can we rely on?” She needed to know how many amongst them were aligned with Svarta. If it wasn’t all of them, Arla likely had a good chance of rallying them to her side and invoking their loyalty.

Anya paused for a moment, pondering the question. “A few dozen at most. The rest are either aligned with Svarta or uninvolved from what I can tell.” She grimaced a bit. They were fighting at a numerical disadvantage, but perhaps that wasn’t the problem it appeared to be. Once Svarta was dead, the rest weren’t likely to follow her into the grave.

“I can rally our loyal sisters within the hour.” Anya glanced to Arla, giving her a nod.

Vahliri tapped her fingers against her bicep, silent for a few moments - pondering her options. “I say we cause a distraction. Set fire to one of the structures or rig an explosion.” Her glanced between the two sisters. “They have no reason to suspect us yet, but it should draw some of Svarta’s loyalists away from her chambers. Once they are, we’ll strike with all our numbers and wipe her out.”

 

[Arla]

Arla weighed their situation in her mind. She knew how this was going to go, and she knew that blood was going to flow freely. She closed her eyes for a moment to think, her mind churning through how she thought this was going to go.

We're not leaving any traitors, she said when her eyes flicked back open. There was a seriousness and coldness that wasn't there before, the flecks of gold within her silver gaze slightly more prominent now than normal.

We're wiping them all out, she said. Anya nodded. It was the Nightsister way and... the Sith way as well. It was very fitting.

Go get them ready. Spread the word I'm here if you need to, as many people as you can get, she said, and Anya moved to leave as Arla took a deep breath and focused her attention back on Vahliri.

I don't want to ruin the base if we don't have to, she said with regards to bombs and fires, but a distraction was a good idea.

What if we start a ritual to banish or bind It? she asked. They'll sense it and come out to try to find out what's going on. We might even be able to get rid of it before the final assault, she said.

 

[Darth Tempest]

“It will be done, sister.” Anya said, turning on a heel to leave. Of course, she didn’t neglect to cast Vahliri a sour look before ducking around the corner. Between loyalty to Renfry and Arla’s presence, the Nightsister had no doubt she would be able to rally several dozen loyalists, and perhaps even those that Svarta hadn’t explicitly swayed to her side.

Vahliri kept her arms crossed, listening to the amended plan that Arla provided. “Whichever works,” She said after a moment. The half-Annfyn didn’t have a preference, and if they would draw the traitors out without causing damage to the base, all the better in her opinion. "I'll be here to cover you the entire time,"

Of course, the half-Annfyn didn’t neglect to understand what that meant. A ritual to banish or bind the Spirit would draw it directly to them - bring it forth, angry and looking to prevent whatever they were doing. It would be risky by itself, and with the threat of traitorous Nightsister’s attacking in response..?

It wasn’t going to be easy.

“How can I help?” Vahliri asked after a moment. The half-Annfyn was perfectly capable of cutting her way through anything that came against them, but matters of the Arcane had always been a topic where her expertise found its limits. If there was a way for Vahliri to aid with the ritual or its preparation, Arla would need to guide her through the process.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla weighed their options in her mind for a moment before settling on a plan given Vahliri had deferred to the Nightsister.

We need to banish it anyway. We'll do that, but we need a location that we can defend, she said, trying to think of what the best option would be in such a scenario. Neither of them knew the insides of the base well enough to have a home advantage there, but they also didn't know the jungles as well as the local Nightsisters would. In other words, no matter where they went it was probably not going to be ideal.

She reached up and rubbed a hand across her face for a moment. There're caves out in the jungle we can use. Hopefully if we pick one far enough away, they won't be able to get to us before the banishing is done, but we have to pick one close enough that they'll still investigate, she said. A delicate balance.

They're also less likely to know those parts of the jungle than the mountain-base where they spend all of their time, she said. In other words, the two groups should miss one another in transit and it should allow the loyalists to cut down the traitors in two groups and two skirmishes instead of all at once.

We should go. We can leave a back route in for ourselves, she said. You want to grab a speeder and find a suitable spot while I brush up on the ritual details? she asked.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri listened patiently to what Arla was saying, considering the words carefully. For all the ways that the half-Annfyn was exceedingly confident in herself, she was out of element entirely - both in matters of the Arcane and Felucia’s geography. She had to trust in Arla’s expertise and knowledge to see them through the mission, a fact that came easier than it would have for most others. “I trust you,” She said simply in response to Arla’s plan.

The half-Annfyn offered a nod and turned on her heel, opting not to waste any time in getting the job done. “I can do that,” She said, beginning to make her way in the opposite direction. As a fully fledged Sith, no one in the camp was really going to question or stop the half-Annfyn was doing as she pleased.

Before she made it too far, Vahliri glanced back at Arla, “Be careful, Arla.” Both of them knew the risks - both of them knew that a single misstep could put either of them in death’s crosshairs.

---

It didn’t take more than an hour for Vahliri to secure a speeder and begin scouting the surrounding jungle. The caves were easy enough to locate, and the half-Annfyn settled on a particular cavern that ran deep into the earth just west of the base, winding and maze-like enough that she felt confident it would be suitable for their needs.

Wherever Arla was in the camp, the Nightsister would hear the familiar rumble of a speeder as Vahliri returned - blitzing her way through the gates. She yanked the controls, causing her vehicle to skid to a halt just a few steps away from Arla. “I found a place - just west of here. Should be enough for them to investigate without being too close for comfort.” Vahliri said with a nod.

“The ritual? And any word from your friend?”