Ask Minor Acts of Cannibalism

[Aadya Rasheer]

The cockpit of the ship was mostly quiet, the sound of music playing softly through the speakers the only thing Aadya could hear besides the thrumming of the hyperdrive. The young acolyte stared blankly out into the streaking lights that screeched across the viewport, her mind somehow both completely blank and perpetually preoccupied.

Her destination was the planet of Dathomir, a place she'd never been and never really considered going. When she was with the Jedi she'd heard the old stories of the place from back during the Clone Wars. Witches and magic, rituals and darkness. The fact that she was going there now - and willingly for that matter - said a lot about the journey Aadya had taken since leaving the Jedi those years ago. Whether or not it was a good thing was.. quite yet to be determined.

As Aadya's ship dropped out of hyperspace and pierced the atmosphere of Dathomir, it was almost immediately hailed over coms. Raising an eyebrow, Aadya pulled herself from the depths of her own mental nonsense and answered.

The Queen told us to expect you, The voice said, its tone clearly suspicious. That is the only reason you haven't been shot down. Proceed to the following coordinates.

Before Aadya could even manage a response, a set of coordinates were sent to her navicomputer and the comm was cut. Letting out a sigh that was both in relief and anxious at the same time, Aadya let the autopilot take over. Before long, she arrived at an open space outside what appeared like some kind of palace.. or fortress. Her ship landed quietly, and Aadya wasted little time in heading for the ramp and departing.

She had no idea what to expect in terms of a welcoming party, but if the conversation over the comms was any indication, she highly doubted Renfry had a mat in front of her door saying "welcome."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was sitting on the floor of her throne room again, reading and sipping at her fruit juice when Síle came over to inform her that Aadya had arrived on Dathomir. She wasn't sure when the other woman would arrive - or if she would arrive - but she wasn't unpleasantly surprised by it.

Oh! she said, eyebrows rising as she pushed herself to her feet. She floated her book across the room to a nearby table and walked out front of the main doors. The ship had just set down and she could see the other Sith woman descending.

She took another sip of her juice as she approached, giving a small wave to the other woman. While there was still still the occasional unhappy-looking Nightsisters lingering around, most didn't seem to mind the arrival of this particular visitor.

Welcome. I wasn't sure you were going to come, she said. In contrast to her covert, battle-garb from their last meeting, Renfry was in a more comfortable set of loose, black clothes with feathers attached at several locations and no helmet. Her hunting knife, lightsaber, and a book were bound to her belt as well. It was certainly a different feel than their last meeting.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

The difference in Andruil's demeanor was quite evident to Aadya the moment the Queen of Dathomir came to greet her. She supposed it did make sense, and to be honest, it was kind of nice. It was good to know that not all of the Darths in the Order remained super serious at all times. Maybe there was hope to actually befriend Andruil yet.

Oh, you won't be rid of me that easily. Aadya said jokingly, returning Andruil's wave with one of her own. After the good time we had on Alpheridies, there was no way I was going to miss out on the the best part.

Aadya had absolutely no idea what to expect when it came to Andruil and whatever ritual she had planned for the poor bastard they'd abducted on Alpheridies. A dozen possible ideas ran through her mind, each one more horrible than the last. Either way, the person's potential suffering was not her concern. She was here to hopefully impress Andruil, and to maybe learn something from the prolific Nightsister.

Pretty nice place you have. You get many visitors? A rhetorical question obviously, but small talk always made Aadya feel awkward so she just kind of said the first thing that came to mind.

Did our other friend ever come? Aadya hoped the answer was no, but she would have totally understood Kamelle coming to Dathomir. It wasn't every day you were extended an invitation from a Darth. Or is it just us two girls?

Aadya smiled at Andruil again, doing her best to seem friendly. She wasn't really sure how to act around other Sith, to be honest. So she just did what came natural to her.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry's eyebrows rose as the other woman talked about the "best part." She didn't know a great many people who were that into "blood rituals," but it was also premature to jump straight into blood rituals. Dathomirian magick was a closely guarded and coveted secret that she didn't often share.

She took another juice sip before motioning with her thumb toward the temple. Want something to eat or drink? she asked, heading back in that direction as they spoke.

Pfft, more than you might think, she practically grumbled as Aadya asked about visitors. She didn't want visitors, but people just loved to show up on her world without an invitation.

She hasn't yet, but maybe she will, Renfry said with a shrug. It certainly didn't seem that Renfry was bothered by Aadya's friendly demeanor. The Nightsister was surprisingly kind for a Sith right up until she wasn't.

They headed inside the temple, passing momentarily through the throne room and then down one of the side halls toward a small kitchenette where Renfry refilled her cup of juice.

So... she said, before taking a drink and leaning back against the wall, looking at Aadya.

Why so interested in what I'm doing here? she asked curiously. Oh yes, Aadya was going to be unfortunately subjected to the endless slew of questions that Renfry always had for people.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Uh, yeah sure! Aadya said after Renfry asked her if she wanted anything to drink. Although she thought the hospitality that the Darth was showing seemed a little off character to the person she'd met earlier, the young acolyte wasn't going to turn down an offer in someone else's house.

Following Renfry into the temple, Aadya couldn't help but look around; finding herself quite impressed by the place overall, and couldn't help but wonder if someday she too would have a place like this. Knowing what she knew about the Sith.. it honestly didn't seem that out of the question.

Taking a cue from the hostess, Aadya too filled up a cup with the juice that Renfry was drinking. The first sip she took was hesitant, though she tried her best not to seem like that. For all Aadya knew Renfry was drinking some weird witch's brew made with the freshly juiced eyeballs of spiceheads from Alpheridies. To her delight and mild surprise, it was actually pretty good.

Who wouldn't be? Aadya replied to Renfry, answering a question with another question. Not particularly productive, but it was a bad habit of Aadya's that she did whenever she didn't really know how to answer something posed to her. It gave her time to think. To be honest though, traditional Sith ways have never really resonated with me. It seems like I'm always trying to find something that isn't there, craving something that the Order cannot provide. An honest answer, though it might not have really been that informative. Part of me was hoping to find it here, with you and the Nightsisters.

Aadya was no fool. She knew that the Nightsisters and likely Renfry chiefly were very secretive and possessive of their rituals, their culture. It made sense, but Aadya saw no need to beat around the bush or lie.

It can be exhausting constantly trying to figure out what you are. She paused for a moment before asking, What made you decide to extend an invitation?

There were some Sith that might have seen Aadya's response as weakness, and it was possible Renfry was one of those kind of Sith. Aadya had no way of knowing. Worst case scenario, she was asked to leave. Well, worst worst case scenario was she ended up as seasoning for a blood ritual, but that didn't seem super likely.

...she hoped, anyway.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry continued sipping away as she listened to Aadya's answer. Her eyebrows went up at the answer. It wasn't particularly what she was expecting, and she took it with a measure of skepticism. Becoming a Nightsister was an entire identity. It defined almost everything about who Renfry and her sisters were from the expressions of the Fanged Spirit on their skin to their views of the galaxy and its residents.

It could be true that Aadya really wanted to take all of that onto herself, but it was also possible that she simply wanted to learn the Nightsister techniques and then abandon them.

You're considering joining us? she asked, the surprise and hint of skepticism remaining within her voice, though she didn't try to talk the other woman out of it or discourage her from it.

Why did she extend an invitation? That was a good question. Perhaps she wanted more people loyal to her or perhaps she saw potential.

I guess you could say I was curious, she said with a shrug. You were all-but-dropped into my lap. Perhaps there was a reason for that, she said. She believed in fate, and not so much in coincidence.

So what is it you're searching for, Aadya? she asked. She had a tendency to be both blunt and cryptically unhelpful all at the same time. At least she wasn't quite as bad as Emryc in the former or Morgan in the latter.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Renfry's last question seemed simple enough, but it made Aadya go quiet for a few moments. It was a question she had been asking herself for over a decade and she had never truly been able to answer it. She could easily put pen to paper and write a dissertation about what she thought she was searching for, but that isn't what she wanted to do. Aadya had done that a dozen times over inside of her head and she never got closer to anything other than continued frustration.

Now that someone else asked her the question that thus far she'd only asked herself, Aadya looked at it a bit differently than before. Like a block of duracrete where you chip, chip, chip away at everything that wasn't an answer until you were left with the only thing that was.

Purpose. Was her only reply.

Finishing her drink, Aadya placed her glass down on the counter and looked at Renfry intently, deciding to be as blunt with her next question as the Darth had been with her last.

Can you offer me that, Darth Andruil?

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry smiled at Aadya's counter question, draining the remnant of her own cup as well and setting it down.

That I can. Though, whether it's the purpose you're looking for... she said with a shrug, ...that's not a question I can answer for you. Though I will need an answer.

She started heading back out of the temple again, arriving once again to near where Aadya had landed. There was so, so much to tell her about being a Nightsister, and any of it could have easily been overwhelming.

She let out a deep breath with a faint hum as she did so. Her eyes were no longer on Aadya, but looking out to the distant horizon. She loved the view from the front of the palace. Miles ahead with the glow of the red sun overhead.

We're actually a religious people, she said after a moment. Perhaps it wasn't what people would have expected. Technically, the Sith were a religious sect as well, so maybe it wasn't unexpected.

She turned back to look at Aadya, letting a finger run along the markings that covered her face.

These markings honor the Fanged Spirit. You could say he is the personification of what you Sith call the Dark Side. And his sister the Winged Spirit is of the Light, she said.

We protect this world. It is the intersection point between the living and the dead, she said. It was the very, very quick and dirty of their cause. Although there was much more, it gave Aadya and idea if it was something she wished to continue on and dedicate her life to. It was no small thing and not something Renfry expected an answer to right away.

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya followed Renfry as they started back towards the front of the temple and went outside. She remained quiet, contemplating the Darth's initial statement. Aadya was certain she already knew the answer, but she didn't want it to seem like she wasn't giving it any thought at all. She wanted to dive headfirst into the Nightsisters, but perhaps a note of caution and contemplation was a better approach for now.

The Fanged Spirit and the Winged Spirit was something Aadya hadn't ever heard of before, but that probably wasn't surprising. The specifics of the Nightsister religion weren't a generally well known topic outside of Dathomir, after all.

How are the Nightsisters different than the Sith and the Jedi? She asked genuinely, Aadya looking out on the horizon instead of at Renfry.

She had been a part of both of the Orders in her life, and Aadya needed to know that what this was was actually different, something that she could believe in and not end up disappointed when it turned out it was the same old lies in Fanged God facepaint.

Were you born a Nightsister or did you find yourself in them? A weird question, but Aadya was curious. If the latter was true, perhaps she and Renfry were kindred spirits who would find their purpose in the same place. You don't have to answer if that's too personal.

Pausing for a moment, Aadya returned her gaze back to Renfry, her expression showing a bit of confusion. What do you mean an intersection between the living and the dead? I thought that when someone died they just returned to the force. Or are Nightsisters different?

Aadya may have been asking too many questions, but she just wanted to understand. She was willing to give herself fully to the Sisters and to Renfry, but only if she understood.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry thought about Aadya's question for a moment, but it wasn't an easy one to answer. Certainly not a one-sentence answer.

It depends on what you think it means to be a Jedi or a Sith, she said after a moment. I'm both a Sith and a Nightsister and the two have a lot of overlap, she admitted. It was the primary reason she was where she was today.

I was born here, she answered. She had no qualms with answering, and perhaps it wasn't the answer Aadya was looking for, but it was the truth. And it was likely why she had such a deep attachment to the world, and she silently wondered if Aadya would be able to create such an attachment herself. She had heard of outsiders joining the Nightsisters before, but it was rare, and rarer still in someone who wasn't a child.

Renfry smiled at Aadya's final question because it hit at the heart of her first question as well. It was what made the Nightsisters different and unique: they were pieces of this world. An extension of its ecosystem. They were at the top of its food chain and defenders of it, living in harmony because of its unique connection to the Shadow.

But rather than explain this, she took a step toward Aadya. "Seeing was believing" as some people said.

Relax your mind and remain still, she said. She reached out and pressed two fingers to Aadya's forehead, making the movement very obvious as she did so. Her own eyes began to glow a vibrant green, and suddenly Aadya's would as well.

The world around them shifted as Aadya would for only a few moments see through Renfry's "second sight." It was a technique taught to the Shaman of the Nightsisters, and would alter Aadya's vision entirely. She would still see the landscape around them, but she would now see an overlay atop it. Green spirits passed to and fro, appearing and vanishing from a seemingly sheer wall of green energy that surrounded everything around them. From each of them, she would be able to hear a siren-like song as well, in perfect sync that was both beautiful and chilling at once. It was what occurred around them at every moment here, but what was hidden from most. It was the convergence between living and dead.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya couldn't help but let the corners of her lips pull into just the slightest smirk at Renfry's first answer. It was so classic Darth, at least from her experience. Mostly a non-answer, but one that gave you just a little bit of hint to actually think it out for yourself. It reminded her of Darth Stolas.

When Renfry asked Aadya to relax she listened, exhaling a calming breath as she cleared her mind. She felt the Darth's fingers touch her forehead but only for a second, the feeling of being touched fading as the very world around her shifted, shimmering before fading and being replaced by something entirely different but still familiar.

Aadya saw the spirits floating lazily, moving from here to there as they sung their melodic song. Aadya would have given anything to reach out, to touch them, to know. She couldn't help but wonder who they were, how they found themselves here. She wondered if all souls ended up on Dathomir or only the lost ones.

As quickly as she'd been taken to the other side, Aadya felt Renfry remove her fingers and she was rushed back to the world of the living, feeling somehow fulfilled and hollowed at the same time by the experience. It was very clear now that the Nightsisters of Dathomir were nothing like the Jedi or the Sith that Aadya knew.

They were something else entirely, and the young Firrerreo felt deeply in her heart of hearts that this is what she wanted.

You said before that you couldn't answer my question for me, but you did need an answer, Aadya said after a few moments, her gaze turning serious and determined as she looked Renfry in her eyes.

For the first time, Aadya noticed how wild, almost feral the Darth's eyes were, and she understood why. Or at least, she was beginning to. Dathomir was a primal place, and it produced only survivors. I offer myself to you, to Dathomir. This place calls to me in ways I don't quite understand, but with your help, I know that I can.

Aadya was unsure if there was some custom to observe when a person gave themselves fully to another person's cause, offering themselves up like a ball of clay or a slab of marble wanting nothing else than to be molded into something entirely new. So she bowed her head slightly to the Queen of Dathomir before raising it once more and returning her determined eyes back to the Darth's.

What are the steps I need to take?

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was quite satisfied with the way things had unfolded. All she had really done was open the woman's eyes to something that she had never seen but was always there. Why the Jedi and Sith were so blind to it was confusing to Renfry in some ways.

Once you are one of us, there is no turning back. We do not share our ways with outsiders, she warned. It was a grave and serious warning, though not one she anticipated Aadya being turned away by. Still, to abandon what she began would likely to be an invitation for death to follow.

Not that you will be a prisoner to this world as you can clearly see, she said. Renfry spent nearly as much time off-world as she did here, and some of her hunters spent far more time away from home on deployment than they did here.

The first step is to really understand what Dathomir is and dedicate yourself fully to the Fanged Spirit and the hunt, she said. Which, yes, meant the facial tattoos.

We rule this world, but we're also a part of it. Its defenders. A barrier, she said. And that meant she needed to know the world. It needed to become a part of her in many ways. Each Sith and their training was different, and so Renfry couldn't say she knew what Aadya had already endured, but this would likely be no less trying and no less dangerous.

How comfortable are you in the wilds and jungles? she asked. That would be one of the core elements of whatever joining she underwent.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

The sarcastic and snide teenager in Aadya wanted to inform Renfry that her saying "we don't share our ways with outsiders" was sort of funny, considering she was potentially going to do just that - but she didn't. Mostly because there was nothing in the galaxy that could compel her to mess this up this opportunity at such a critical juncture, and a little bit because she wasn't really keen on being the next victim of the blood tub.

It didn't occur to Aadya that it was possible the Darth already saw her as something more than an outsider, a stranger in a place they didn't belong or couldn't understand. The ability for such tight self reflection would come to Aadya later, when all the feelings of youth had been crushed out of her by age twenty-nine. But hey, at least those feelings were replaced by lower back pain.

Aadya contemplated Renfry's last question for a few moments before deciding to answer. She'd spent time in jungles before, but nothing extended, and definitely not without amenities and an easy way out. She was positive that wouldn't be the case here. Her upbringing did grant her some skills she thought might be transferable, though.

Natural jungles aren't something I have a lot of expertise with, but I did grow up in a different sort of wilds. The lower cities, the ghettos of Coruscant are their own kind of jungle. Aadya said, finally. Instead of beasts, you fight other people. You scratch and claw and sometimes kill and steal to survive because that is what you have to do. She paused for a moment, gathering the confidence to say the next part, unsure if her analogy was satisfactory. And that's what I am, Darth Andruil. A survivor - make no mistake about that.

No matter what dangers and trials awaited her in the darkened forests of Dathomir, Aadya was ready to face them. As far as she was concerned, both of her feet were already past the event horizon. Whether her final destination was a black hole of failure or emerging on the other side a Nightsister, well - that was up to the force now.

I am ready to go if you are.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry considered the comparison for a moment and decided that it had some overlap. The desperation, fear, and need to survive were the same and perhaps even the lack of creature comforts. The ecosystem, however, was quite different and navigating it was therefore different as well.

Have you been to your home world before or were you born off world? she asked. Morgan had told her about the homeworld of their people and it wasn’t totally different from Dathomir.
She nodded as Aadya said she was ready to begin. She turned to one of the Nightsisters and began speaking in another language before the woman ran off.

What do you feel when you sense this world? she asked, starting to walk back inside and down a series of tunnels inside the temple that led far deeper underground.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

I know little of where I was born, Aadya said with a shrug. I grew up in an orphanage on Coruscant. Despite not being particularly ashamed of her childhood, Aadya didn't normally give that information so freely. With Renfry, though, she felt a comfort enough to do it.

Renfry's next question didn't have such a straightforward answer. She hadn't been on Dathomir long, but the planet was strong and its voice impossible to ignore. Aadya had really never been to a place like it ever in her life.

The darkside is strong here.. so much that you can almost taste it - but it doesn't overpower and envelop all things, which I have felt before on planets like Malheion and Korriban. There is a balance here, and it is intriguing.

As they delved further into the tunnels and the air moved towards the coolness of deep underground, Aadya found herself curious about something else.

Will you tell me about the Fanged Spirit?

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry nodded as she heard Aadya’s explanation of the world. She was hitting quite close to many of the truths of this world that made it so special.

“That’s because this world is in balance,” she said. “The Shadow - the Force - isn’t so binary as Jedi and Sith try to say. It all flows together and although we... or rather I tend to lend greater loyalty to the Fanged Spirit, the Winged Spirit is important as well.”

She headed downward deeper until she came out of the temple and onto the jungle floor. She started passing through the jungle and raised her hand up. A green orb appeared over her palm and she spoke into it before it vanished again.

They made their way through the undergrowth of the jungle before finally breaking out onto a small walking path that was used by the Nightsisters.

“The Fanged Spirit is the master of the hunt and death. You could call him the patron of predators,” she said.

“The Winged Spirit is the patron of fertility and growth and is also necessary contrary to what some Sith might say,” she said.

“The first Nightsisters harnessed the power of the Fanged Spirit but the strain caused ruptures in the blood vessels. We now wear tattoos in memory and as a badge of pride,” she said. It was a lot of exposition but it was important fundamentals.

@Logan

 

[Aadya Rasheer]

Aadya listened intently to Renfry as she spoke of the Spirits. It was an interesting and much more sensical way to view life and the force, as far as she was concerned. The years she'd spent under the boot of the Jedi and within the freedom of the Sith offered her little in the way of true understanding. They each had their own vision but the scope seemed so narrow in comparison.

As they traversed the path worn through the jungle, Aadya made a concerted effort to take in her surroundings. She had heard more than once in her life that jungles held many secrets and she was sure that was even more true on Dathomir.

Where are we going? Aadya asked after awhile, curious to know where the Queen of Dathomir was taking her. She expected an answer that didn't tell her anything.

Is the Fanged Spirit where your magick comes from? A question with little segue from her previous, but Aadya had been wanting to ask for awhile. I know little of the Nightsister magick, only that it is.. different, but still similar to the force.

Aadya would continue to ask questions, hoping that Renfry did not find them or her annoying. Until they arrived at wherever they were going, there seemed little other way for her to learn more about what she had pledged herself to.

Of course, there was also the possibility that the answers to all her questions would reveal themselves in time - but Aadya couldn't help but be a little impatient. It was just her nature.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry walked the path through the jungle until a rustle could be heard in the bushes at the edge of the trail. Renfry stopped but seemed completely unperturbed by the sound as a large, white wolf pushed through the foliage.

It's fine, she said, assuming that the other woman would be understandably nervous.

Eves teth eber, Siph, she said to the wolf, reaching out and placing her hand momentarily against the lothwolf's snout. She could sense his energy and it reverberated with her own. Their minds were connected in a way and had been for years. It had only grown stronger with time.

This is Siph, she said, turning back to Aadya. He'll be our guide through the jungle, she said. It meant that Renfry didn't need to be quite so alert on their journey.

The wolf turned and disappeared back into the jungle moments later, though Renfry knew he would still be nearby.

To acclimate you to the jungle, she replied to Aadya's first question. It wasn't really a "destination" per se, but the point was to just be here. To let Aadya experience the world and all it had to offer.

Our magick does come from the world of the Spirits, not just the Fanged Spirit. Also the Winged Spirit as well as our ancestors, she said.

It draws from the "Force" or the Shadow, she said. But it is not always accessed through sheer force of will. Spells, incantations, and runes are all a part of it. We... we aren't about subjecting everything. We work in sync with worlds we are on. Channeling the power of everything, she said. It was a bit difficult to explain without experiencing it. Perhaps that was what needed to come next: a ritual for Aadya to experience. Perhaps.

They continued down the path until they reached a large overhang. A pit lay beneath with several beasts within. They looked like large dogs. Some chewed on bones, others slept, while others seemed to be playing with each other.

Renfry took a seat at the edge of the pit, her feet hanging over the edge and dangling below.

Those dogs are very territorial. Surprisingly dangerous predators not because they are the strongest or fastest but because they are so difficult to lose. Once they have a scent they can run forever and track their prey, she said.

She pulled free a large coin from her belt and held it up for Aadya to see before throwing it deep into the far side of the pit.

I'd like you to bring it back to me, she said. It was very obviously a test, and it wasn't clear if she would answer questions about it. She wanted to see what Aadya had understood. What she knew, and if or how she tackled the challenge.

@Logan