Ask Corellia Two Broken Souls

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Corellia. A slime hole that Cheriss couldn’t have cared less about. Yet here she was anyway, back where it all started, for nothing more than to exact her revenge on a local gang of criminals that had made her life miserable when she was younger. Now they were dead, but she felt no satisfaction. To make matters worse, her ship needed repairs, and she would have to stay for another night on the planet she hated most.

The Sith made her way along the sidewalk at a moderate pace in the pouring rain. She didn’t much care for how her cloak was beginning to soak, and she kept her gaze fixed straight ahead. The few passers-by outside with her didn’t stay that way for long, and they left for shelter almost as soon as they came. She would find hers soon enough.

Cheriss stopped outside an old cantina, looking up for a brief moment at the flickering neon orange sign that read “Kitik’s”. The place she was staying tonight. Most likely crawling with scum in this part of town, but it didn’t faze her as much as it would have years ago. Anyone who tried to mess with her would get what they asked for.

The door opened and she stepped inside to a cacophony of blaring music and a packed bar. Fortunately, there were a couple tables open in the back of the room and she sat down at one of them, lifting her hood back as she waved a droid server over.

“Corellian wine from the bar.” As the droid went to retrieve it, Cheriss would look back towards the entrance of the cantina with a strange feeling that her troubles weren’t over just yet.

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

They have been corned and there were way too many of them. Nova knew from the very beginning that this mission was doomed. She had always been questioning her master's plans and even his orders, which is why she wasn't so sure in the end why she did come to this forsaken, scum-packed planet after all.

She hated every bit of this city and most of all it's inhabitants and because of them Nova was all alone now, without her former master and without any chance to kill all of them. She stopped a laser beam from a blaster pistol every here and then and fired it back at it's initiator, or used her lightsaber to cut down some of them, but for every one she killed, two more seemed to appear from another shady corner.

Her master had been telling her about the importance of getting his credits back from those people but for Nova it was a stupid idea to simply confront them in the open field without any thoroughly planned strategy. She knew that those criminals would have the advantage of knowing every corner of this dirty, cold place and so she was even a little amused by the fact that he had been slain for his stupidity now. The only thing that did not amuse her was the fact that she wanted to get out of here alive by any means and this was also the reason for her to create the vast explosion that caused just enough trouble for her to slip away into the shadows and to start running for now. She was everything but a coward, but she was clever and so she knew that she had to get out of here for now, before she could strike them down one by one. She had no idea in which direction she was running, but she had to thin them out somehow.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

The droid had just brought the drink over and handed it to her when Cheriss suddenly heard what sounded like something exploding outside. She might have brushed it off if not for the sounds of blasters that followed. Curious.

Setting her glass down without having taken a sip, she headed outside to spot a group of men, dazed, on the ground. The rain had returned to being nothing more than a drizzle by now, though the sidewalk was still slippery and an explosion would have certainly caused the men to lose their footing. It was a clever idea, if it had been intentional. Although it didn’t seem to faze the ones still standing, who were sprinting down the street and shooting after something… or someone. Either way, there was no doubt that they were aiming for whoever had caused the explosion.

Whoever that was, she wanted to get to them first, simply to observe. Luckily, she had the advantage of knowing these streets, and she knew exactly where she would find them. The men, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have such knowledge on hand, and it was on them for that one.

Making her way into the alleys, she took a few turns before heading out onto the road again, this time coming to a stop behind a stack of crates at the side of the road the runner was on. They would be approaching soon, and when they did, Cheriss would watch and see just who it could be.

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

She had enough stamina to run down several blocks. She took some turns through shady alleys every now and then, hoping that she could shake them off somehow. As she could still hear their angry shouts, she knew that she had not yet lost them, and this made her even more angry. They were somehow too persistent and she wondered why. Her master was dead, wasn't that all they've wanted?

"There's the sith scum!", one man suddenly hollered, sliding into her way, pointing at her. "Yeah, kill that Force bitch!", another one yelled angrily. Ah right. Due to some oh so tragic events, Corellia wasn't the best place for both, Jedi and Sith right now. Nova rolled her eyes, let out an annoyed sigh and faced them confidently. Enough running, it was time for some killing. She activated her lightsaber again, blocking another blast from a pistol, directly rolling over to one of them and striking him down with ease. She was filled with hatred, because even though she didn't like her master any bit, he had taught her a few more useful skills and now she was left all alone again. She let out an angry growl while she sprang at the next one, cutting him cleanly into two halves, but therefore giving another one the opportunity to shoot. How many were still at her? She had lost the overview. However, the combat gave her some opportunity to finally let out some rage again, so it had certain advantages, too.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Sith?

Cheriss’ curiosity only grew when she heard the shouts. The champion could see the runner clearly now, a girl not too much younger than her, and the red lightsaber that she lit up as she turned to face her pursuers immediately told her why they believed that she was Sith. Whether she would live up to it or not remained to be seen.

Suddenly Cheriss felt a presence behind her, and she turned around to see one of the thugs. His blaster was pointed right at her, and she narrowed her eyes. Oh no, you don’t.

Extending a hand, she yanked the weapon out of his grip with the Force toward herself, catching it when it got close enough. The man had recovered from his shock rather quickly and was already on his feet running at her, but before he could do anything to reclaim his blaster, he had fallen to the ground with a thump. A sizzling bolt had gone straight through his brain.

Unfortunately, the shot seemed to have gotten the attention of three of the others fighting the girl, and when they fired twice at her, Cheriss ducked to avoid them. But as soon as she got back up and they got ready for another round, she planted each of their torsos with a bolt, and three dead men dropped down dead. She could have easily used her lightsaber, which was hidden inside the inside pocket of her jacket, but she didn’t want to reveal her identity just yet. Perhaps wisely so, as there was another wave of six men approaching her and the girl.

Cheriss glanced over at her with a sideways smile. “Need a hand?”

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

Nova fought viciously and angrily as always. She had absolutely no nerves to stay here any longer than needed, but the thugs did not seem to die out. There were even more of them, but suddenly she felt someone else getting involved. Someone with a massive presence, which she could feel through the Force like a bomb being dropped into the streets. Who was this someone, she wondered confusedly, but she couldn't bear to focus her attention in its direction, as she was still involved in combat.

But then something strange happened: Another woman appeared and Nova soon realized that she was the one where this immense presence was coming from. To her surprise, the young woman helped her kill the criminal scum but however, it seemed as though she was only doing that because they attacked her as well. Her ruthless manner soon told Nova that she must be a Sith, too, but she had definitely not seen her anywhere before and so she grew curious. However, as the woman asked her whether she needed help, she just let out an angry scoff. "I've dealt with worse, but why not. I find killing them quite soothing", she replied amusedly, throwing her a short, challenging sideways glace. Sure she could handle them herself, but maybe it would be fun having someone here to share the fun with.

@Sicadorito[/abox3]

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

“Hm. Maybe I should let you handle them on your own, then.” She was seriously considering it. If the girl was as capable as she claimed, perhaps she could keep the men occupied while Cheriss made her exit. She could save her energy for something more worth her time. That would have been the ideal situation, anyway, but it was too late for that. The six men had stopped to form a line about twenty feet away, each of them raising their blasters and pointing them at the two Sith.

“Looks like I’m stuck here for a little longer,” Cheriss muttered to herself as the two crimson red bolts came flying at her and the girl. But by the time the first bolt flew through the air where her torso would have been, Cheriss had in fact already landed right behind the group of men. She straightened up, watching their confused faces as they started to turn around.

One would find a blaster bolt planted in his face immediately after he did, and taking advantage of the others’ surprise, Cheriss smashed another’s head with the butt of her weapon. By then the other four men had regained their senses and were starting to turn on her, but before they could fire, Cheriss had kneed one in the groin, elbowed one in the throat, and shot the other two in the head. As the last man fell in front of her feet, Cheriss stepped back to avoid getting the blood on her boots, and looked to see how the girl was doing.

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

Nova studied the foreign woman for a short period of time before her attention was caught by at the men in front of them. There was no time to ask where the hell the woman came from or what she was doing in those dark alleys, because Nova realized that the woman had no chance but to fight back as well, as the thugs were now aiming for the two of them. Nova evaded the shots by stopping them mid-air with ease while the woman was already on them. It was good that she was dealing with the six of them, because just around a different corner to Nova's left, four more appeared. She was still smirking because having the prospect of ridding those streets of even more criminal scum sounded quite promising to her and so she sprinted in their direction without thinking twice, her crimson red lightsaber already extended.

She had the four men down faster than expecting, leaving her even a bit disappointed because they made it way too easy for her, but at least she was done for now. It didn't seem like anyone was still following her, meaning that she was free to leave. Her gaze shifted back to the woman who had also finished every one of them off already.

Nova quickly checked the pockets of the men that now lifelessly laid there in a big puddle of blood and picked up two blasters that seemed to be in good enough shape to be sold on the market before she made her way back to the woman. "Seems like you had fun as well", Nova said dryly, nodding into the direction of the bodies, her eyes still glowing with a slight hint of thrill. It was good that she could let out her aggression with a fight, even though this one was not even challenging.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

“Fun? Hardly.” The girl, on the other hand, genuinely seemed to have enjoyed the fight. Cheriss smiled and dropped the blaster, starting to make her way toward the alley. The authorities would soon be arriving, and she didn’t want to be here when they did. Whether or not the girl decided to follow her would be her choice and hers alone, though it was reasonable to assume that she wouldn’t want to be caught here either.

She looked back briefly, catching sight of the lightsaber hilt the girl carried on her before facing forward again.

“Your weapon. Where did you get it?” she asked, keeping her tone neutral as she walked. There were beings who carried a lightsaber who weren’t Force-sensitive, though Cheriss was already certain that wasn’t the case with the girl. Still, it took more than a red blade to be considered a Sith.

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

Her response let Nova smirk for a moment. How could someone not be delighted by going on a fun little killing spree? Nova felt her heartbeat normalizing again, the adrenaline leaving her body, while she starting to pick up the pace. She knew she had to be gone in a few minutes, as the blaster shots had probably already alarmed the authorities. If they wouldn't have heard it so far, it was only a matter of time until more scoundrels would appear.

At the heels of the woman, she forced herself to breathe deeply. Nova could still feel the rage pumping inside her veins but she knew it wouldn't help her now. By killing her master, the criminal scum had done her a favor in certain ways, but she was also aware of the fact that the Sith would not be happy with a half-trained acolyte, as their loyalty could not yet be fully proven. The woman who had just helped her was definitely one of the Sith, so Nova thought she could eventually put in a good word for her and let her rise in rank. Perhaps they would allow it. She wondered whether they did actually care about it anyway, or whether it was just a matter of bureaucracy.

They walked through the shadowy alleys in a fast pace, while Nova watched their surroundings closely. When she had the certainty that no one followed, she decided that it was safe to talk. "My master gave it to me", she replied truthfully, although with a slight scoff. That idiot. He had taken her lightsaber several times, insisting that she was not ready to use it, but Nova had proved herself on several occasions and she had always sensed that he was just saying that because he was unconsciously afraid if her. She would have killed him perhaps. Although not yet. She would have waited until she was officially a champion and then she would have given him what he deserved. "Why are you asking?", she wondered suspiciously.
@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

So she had a master. The girl was likely an acolyte, then. But what was she doing here on Corellia? It was nowhere near Sith space. Perhaps she had history here too… Cheriss’ gaze darkened as she continued to walk forward.

“You don’t find just anyone running about with a lightsaber, especially not in these parts,” she answered, finally turning around to face the younger woman as she rested her back on the wall behind her. It was a relatively shaded area, with only one narrow alley that led in or out of it, so it would be a safe place to talk.

“However, I must say, you did use it effectively. It seems your master taught you well. Where is he now, if I may ask?” Cheriss had half the mind to return the girl to her master, especially if criminals were after her. He shouldn’t have let her out of his sight anyway. Though capable with her lightsaber, she was still training, and if they were on a mission, a lone acolyte being chased through the streets by gangsters could potentially mean its failure.

But why did she care? Perhaps it was boredom, having nothing to do in these parts… but it might also have been the want to help someone. Cheriss immediately dismissed the thought. No one had ever thought twice about helping her here, so why should she extend her hand to someone else?

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

She still followed the woman even though she wouldn't do that much longer. She needed to get out of here eventually, better sooner than later and so they shouldn't continue their pointless chit-chat much longer, Nova thought. As the woman stopped, so did she, folding her arms in front of her body and staring at her confidently.

When the woman expressed her suspicion, Nova raised an eyebrow, because the statement was rather obvious. Of course you wouldn't find many people here on Corellia who knew how to fight with a lightsaber. Corellia, and especially its slum was neither a typical place for Jedi, nor for the Sith. And yet she was there too. So why would she be the only one that should be suspicious? "I was clearly not planning on staying here. Trust me, I will be gone as soon as I can. My master had stupid business to attend", the acolyte answered with a scoff, rolling her eyes another time. The foolishness of her master was seriously not easily topped.

When the Sith woman mentioned Nova's lightsaber handling, it almost sounded like she wanted to give her a compliment and so Nova nodded shortly as a sign of appreciation. But then Nova realized why she had made the comment in the first place. She was perhaps a little nosy. And she couldn't stand nosy people. Her misstrust grew, because it was also possible that the Sith woman was not acting out of heroic motives and Nova tended to see the bad in people. With her head tilted slightly to the side, she studied the woman carefully. "He did. At least sometimes, but now he is dead. Why?", she replied, again asking for her motives.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

The girl was cocky. Arrogant, even, and Cheriss raised her brow when she heard her describe her master’s business as “stupid”. Clearly she hadn’t spent much time at the Sith academy— such sentiments voiced aloud would have led to immediate, harsh punishment.

But Cheriss was not one of those instructors, and she merely nodded.

“So you have a ship already? I’m impressed.” She chose to ignore the girl’s question. She was merely curious, and whether or not the girl trusted her was something she cared little about. Although, her lack of it was good in a way. The girl wouldn’t be easily tricked or swayed, and as a Sith, strong resolve was a virtue. Taking note of it, Cheriss made her way past the girl again, heading down the alley that led to the main street. They were far away from the scene now, and she saw no reason for anyone to suspect them here.

“Unless you want to come along with me, I suppose this is where we part ways,” she said, glancing back at the girl. A little bit of a pity, considering the potential Cheriss saw in her. “Do what you need to do. If you run into any more trouble…” She pulled out a piece of spare paper in her pocket and wrote a number on it, “...tell them you’re looking for Cheriss.” She handed it to the girl.

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

It made Nova a little angry that the woman was now starting to avoid her questions and it was clearly not helping with the acolyte's instinctive misstrust. The young woman knew that she was purposely ignoring the question, but however, Nova did not have the impression that the slightly older woman was any thread right now. She let her tense muscles relax a little bit more, still questioning her motifs but at least being convinced that they were somehow on the same side. In addition to that, the woman did help her in the end, even if it lead to Nova having a little less fun with the killing, but at least the business was handled a bit quicker.

When she mentioned the ship, Nova couldn't help but to scoff again. "Technically i don't, but I will see about that", she replied dryly as the other woman began to walk away. It was suprising to her, that she chose to leave right now but Nova couldn't blame her for wanting to leave this doomed place. Out of reflex, Nova followed her slowly, wanting to hear what else she wanted to say and as she indirectly offered her help, she became extremely curious. First of all, why would she help her in the first place? Second of all, was her first comment not already a subtle invite? Nova had to admit that she had assessed the woman named Cheriss wrongly. At first she had thought that she had no interest in any interaction, but right now she seemed actually open to help her. Nova tilted her head to the side, a slightly playful smirk on her lips when she accepted the paper. "Actually...I've got to admit that I might accept your offer. Due to my...inconvenient, unforseen change of plans, I might need a hand right now. Our leaders will not appreciate an acolyte running along unsupervised, so if you would take me with you, I'd be quite delighted", Nova replied as politely as possible, even though a trace of misstrust remained. It was helpful knowing her name for a start, but Nova had not yet heard it before anyway. Nevertheless, it was true that her offer could be helpful, so why not accepting it.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss’ lips curled upward, forming an amused smile at the girl’s abrupt change in attitude. Though she could still sense the mistrust in her tone, it was much less obvious than it had been before.

“Very well, then,” she said with a nod. “But first, let’s grab ourselves a drink. I’m sure there’s plenty to discuss, considering your… situation.” She flicked something off her nail before starting back toward the cantina along the dimly lit sidewalk she’d been on earlier. Although, with some of the clouds starting to make way for the sun in the sky, it was brighter now. It was quite reminiscent of the day her master had found her, and she briefly wondered if it was a sign from the Force before dismissing it. She was offering her help, and nothing more.

Anything else would be up to the girl.

[Exit character]

@LadyRen

 

[Nova Trent]

The smirk was still on Nova's lips, but it might have looked a little ironic now. Her situation was pretty ironic, actually. Nova came here because she had too, knowing that this wouldn't end well. And she was right. Her master was dead. It wasn't such a pity, because it would have only been a matter of time anyway, but while Nova felt at least a slight hint of satisfaction about his death, because she was somehow free, she had now decided to join the woman for now. And she wasn't so sure about whether it was a smart move, but she needn't to worry about that right now, because nothing was truly permanent. As soon as Nova would rise in rank, everything would be fine.,

When Cheriss mentioned drinks, Nova couldn't help but flash her a more genuine grin. "Sounds like a plan to me", she replied while following her into the alley. They might have had one or two things to discuss anyway and there was no better way than to do that with some drinks to lighten the mood. After that, they could still decide on where they were headed now. Nova realized that even after the few words they had exchanged for now, Cheriss seemed to be better company than her former master, so she was getting into a better mood quickly, especially after they had entered the cantina and starting to talk about their plans.


@Sicadorito

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