Ask Wherever The Trail Leads

[Darth Tempest]

D'olop Mountain Range, M'haeli​

Ever since her recent elevation to Champion, Vahliri had found herself exceptionally busy with Imperial affairs. Her new-found privileges as more than just an Acolyte meant increased responsibilities when it came to conducting missions and participating in battles for the Empire. As a result, the half-Annfyn wasn’t entirely surprised to learn about this most recent expedition to Mh’haeli.

The neutral world has become something of a hotbed for skirmishes between the Empire, FWA and Jedi - and it didn’t a genius to piece together why both sides had fought for the planet as bitterly as they did. Nestled high within the frosted slopes of the D’olop Mountains were abundant deposits of Dragite crystals - one of the only places in the Galaxy with any sizable quantities - and all parties involved wished to stake their claim. It was near one such crystal cavern that the Sith had established a forward camp, and where Vahliri had arrived less than an hour prior.

Regardless of the task ahead of her or the bitter cold, Vahliri couldn’t deny feeling particularly excited as she arrived on M’haeli, and it had everything to do with the fact that Altair had been assigned to the planet as well. The last time they had seen each other had been that prison on New Alderaan, and it had been quite some time before that since they actually had an opportunity to properly spend time with the Tiefling due to their conflicting schedules. If nothing else, she hoped today would be an opportunity to change that.

Despite this being official Sith business, Vahliri had come adorned in a long, fur-trimmed coat - the winter garment pulled tight to stave off the cold. Her black hair was pulled back into a long braid that draped down her left shoulder, while the curved hilt of her saber was clipped to the side of her belt. As per usual, the half-Annfyn refused to omit her usual perfume even when traveling to the what was effectively a warzone, its signature floral scent filling the air around her.

Vahliri rubbed her hands together, wringing her fingerless gloves a bit as she strolled through the camp. It didn’t take her long to spot the officer tent where she knew the Tiefling would be - cutting a path through the snow as she made her way towards it.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Despite being comfortable in extreme temperatures, Altair had a great disdain for icy climates. He usually made an idiot of himself on ice and struggled navigating around snow, the weather element not common on Bandomeer. The tiefling had been assigned to the planet because there was known Jedi and rebel activity and it served as a great source for kyber crystals. As a Matukai, crystals were worthless to him, but he knew they were critical for Force users and their sabers. With regional territories being restricted to both Sith and Jedi, these pockets were especially lucrative.

Altair had thrown himself into his work to make a strong case for his military academy application. The capture and subsequent rescue made him determined to do better (and let's be real, it made for a great self reflection essay). He wanted to be someone worth the troubles the women went through to extract. He wanted to do his part for the Sith for the home they had given him. Losing Dromund Kaas also lit a fire for him, making him take missions far more seriously. He was running campaigns and leading acolytes and proposing ideas that went all the way up to Raze. He was fully determined to come through on the promise he had made to Veles on becoming one of the best Sith.

The tiefling was glancing up at a Holographic map in the center of the table inside the tent. He was accompanied by several NCOs that he had built a great rapport with throughout several campaigns. While he was in his champion armor, he didn’t have his helmet on. Altair spun the map at an angle, pointing to it, “This is where we lost some Imperials to mines, right?”

“Yes, sir,” The Sargent responded, “Five casualties.”

Once Vahliri showed her credentials, she was allowed to step inside the tent. As soon as she did, Altair looked up and froze. Right away she would be able to tell he looked different - it had been months since they had seen one another. He looked noticeably bulkier and his face began to lose that boyish impression it had since they had first met. There was a slight change to his normally bright wide lavender eyes, his entire demeanor slightly more reserved and somewhat rugged at the same time than she had seen him.

However, that didn’t mean his tail didn’t swish from side to side as soon as he spotted her. Altair gave her a wide smile, “Vahl,” He called out as he walked around the table. He hadn’t even seen her at the prison, though the two kept in touch whenever they could. Their individual goals and aspirations took them all across the galaxy.

Altair moved towards her but stopped short of embracing her, his NCOs positioned all around him. He glanced down at her, “So good to see ya,” He said before his gaze flicked down and then up, “Still putting fashion above practicality I see,” He flashed her a grin.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Thankfully, Vahliri didn’t have to wait long outside the command-tent - a flash of her identification and Sith credentials proving enough for the security officers outside to wave the half-Annfyn inside. As much as she might’ve tried to play it off, she was outright miserable in the cold climate - her Induparan upbringing leaving her with little tolerance for the frigid chill in the air. She stepped into the tent, immediately feeling the slight temperature change against her face while her amber gaze shifted around the room.

Her eyes flicked between the various NCO’s, regarding them for only split seconds before her attention fixated onto Altair and lingered there for a long moment.

Almost at once, the Vahliri clearly took note of the subtle differences in the Tiefling since she had seen him last. He was undeniably stronger and bulkier, and his lavender gaze - just that bit more rugged and austere than the Acolyte she had met on Indupar - seemed to reflect just how much he had grown as both a man and Sith. For her own part, the half-Annfyn seemed to carry herself just ever-so-slightly different as she strolled into that tent - her posture a bit straighter and demeanor a bit more serious while surrounded by Imperials on duty. It was a reminder of how much they had both grown in the past few months - and how much had happened since they truly had an opportunity to catch up with one another.

None of it stopped the smile that immediately spread across Vahliri’s face - lips tugging wide and practically stretching from ear-to-ear in that moment. She strode forward at the same time the Tiefling did, stepping forth to meet him halfway. “Altair,” The half-Annfyn called back - her very tone of voice lighter and cheerier than it had been minutes ago.

She stopped in front of the Tiefling - head tilting up ever-so-slightly to meet his gaze. Just as he had, and despite her every urge to do so, Vahliri stopped short of throwing her arms around Altair and squeezing the daylights out of him - mindful of the other officers in the room. Nevertheless, no serious setting could prevent the way her fluted ears moved in that moment - swiveling and moving in that specific way that Altair had seen countless times in the past - betraying just how happy she was to see him.

“It’s really good to see you,” She finally said, amber eyes lingering on the Tiefling’s own. “You look great.”

Vahliri’s lips tugged a bit sideways when Altair mentioned her voice of attire - that familiar, playful glint flashing in her eyes for only a moment. “Hey, it looks good doesn’t it?” Her gaze only then flicked past the Tiefling for a moment, giving the NCO’s in the room a proper nod of acknowledgement. “Gentlemen.”

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair’s smile only widened when he saw her ears swivel and turn. It was no different than his tail acting of its own accord. There was something different about her and it was a change he had been slowly observing whenever they came across one another. They were both growing up in their own ways, but he liked that she still had those dimples, that almost shy smile and that spark of fire in her eyes.

“You do too,” He said finally, “Though that ain’t nothin’ new,” Altair said with a grin, nodding at her question, “Always does.”

He turned to regard the NCOs, “This is Sgt Dolov and Cpl Anders,” The two men saluted and greeted Vahl appropriately as Altair introduced the other two men, “And Cpls Vance and Dosh.”

Altair turned to regard them, “I think we’re ready to move out,” He declared, “Champion Vahliri and her team are the reinforcements we were waiting for.”

The men wrapped up the Holo map and packed up supplies to head out. Altair watched them step out and his gaze lingered behind them briefly. That was when he turned to Vahl and smiled bright, “Holy shit it’s been ages!” He said excitedly as he wrapped his arms around her and easily scooped her off the ground in a ridiculously tight bear hug. Altair placed her back down on her feet after a moment, keeping his hands on her shoulders. His tail was eagerly swaying back and forth as he smiled at her.

“I… never got the chance to properly thank ya for what you did at the prison,” Altair said as his smile faded just a bit. Tiamat had escorted him out and Vahl and Aadya were still engaged in combat. After that Altair had been in recovery and subsequently deployed, “I won't ever forget it. You had my back and risked everythin',” He said as he hugged her again.

Altair’s gaze lingered on hers for a moment longer before he finally opened the tent flap for them to step out into the frosty air. He grimaced at once, clearly not a fan. The tiefling’s boots sank into the snow as he began trekking through it, “How’ve you been?” He asked her as he tilted his head to look. They were still a respectable distance behind the troops. Their destination was a hill that would offer them a vantage point over where Imperials were ambushed last. It was the mouth to where the caves were, and it was highly contested territory.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri’s lips tugged just a bit wider just then - emphasizing the dimples of her smile when Altair threw in that compliment. They were words she had heard from the Tiefling several times before, and they never failed to fill her with that bit of warmth that manifested outwardly far beyond her control. It didn’t matter if months had passed - the familiar drawl of his voice, the glint of those lavender eyes and the happy swishing of his tail had all remained the same, and it was abundantly clear just how much she had missed him.

Her attention shifted to regard the NCO’s in the room, a pleasant smile tugging at her lips as they saluted and greeted her with respect. The half-Annfyn reciprocated with a nod to each of them individually. “A pleasure, all of you.” Her gaze lingered when Altair spoke next and the men began to filter out of the room - following the NCO’s as they finally exited the tent.

The moment they had gone, Vahliri’s attention immediately snapped back to Altair - her expression lighting up like a Life Day Tree. A squeak of delight escaped from the half-Annfyn as she proceeded to wrap her arms tightly around the back of the Tiefling’s neck to squeeze the daylights out of him. She was lifted off the ground with almost comical ease due to her smaller size, and the half-Annfyn couldn’t help the fit of giggles that escaped from - filled with all that mirth and glee - as the Tiefling held her there. “It has been way the hell too long!” She said back, gazing up at Altair when he finally set her down.

She didn’t miss the way his smile faded just a bit when the topic shifted to the prison. She had dropped everything to join the others in freeing the Tiefling, and he would’ve no doubt heard the lengths she had gone to the subsequent reckoning she had brought down the planet. Vahliri lifted her hand and gripped Altair’s bicep, giving it a squeeze. “And I’d do it again,” She said, that smile never fading. “I’ll always have your back, Altair.” And he would know she meant every word of it, eyes finally breaking contact in order to hug him once more.

Vahliri’s bright expression faded noticeably as they began trudging through the snow. While she omitted any vocal complaints with their troopers nearby, Altair knew the half-Annfyn well enough by now to know that she absolutely despised the cold. “I’ve been great! Just damn busy.” She exclaimed back to him. Whether it was that expedition to Tund, Imperial missions or her own research on Farana, the half-Annfyn had fallen deep into her own goals and aspirations as a fully fledged Sith. “Still gettin’ used to it, y’know?” She smiled a bit. “Feels like yesterday we were getting briefed by Champions.”

She nudged him a bit when she knew none of their troopers were looking their direction. “What about you?” The half-Annfyn asked in return. “When do you submit your academy application?” She knew that he had been eyeing some of the most respected military institutions within the Empire, and for her own part, Vahliri hadn’t slacked in getting her own applications started for the prestigious universities in her sights.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair could see wisps of his breath as they walked, and it took careful effort not to trip and eat shit. For all the ways he was slick, he was definitely a novice when it came to snow. The troops were looking through microbinocs to keep abreast of their surroundings. Altair kept glancing ahead, always alert about their situation. He had gotten especially paranoid since the ambush on Dantooine.

He looked over when Vahl nudged him, “I been all right I guess,” He shrugged vaguely, “Aadya and me split up,” Altair muttered quietly. He hadn’t exactly shared that information broadly even among his friends even though it had been several months now. While it was amicable and mutual, a break up was a break up.

“I’ll probably apply to academies after this mission, actually,” Altair explained as he walked, “I’m gonna write an essay about my time being captured,” He said. It was likely one of the most unique submissions a military academy would get. He still had the scuff marks on his horns from where the rebels attempted to use a vibroblade to saw them off.

Altair turned to Vahliri with a slightly sly grin, “So I heard some rumors that you apparently twirled around within Darth fuckin’ Raze at a social?” He asked, unable to hide the wonder in his voice. Not too many people had the balls to approach the Dark Lord including himself.

They were afforded a few more minutes of chitchat before chaos erupted. Out of the blue, two Imperials were peppered with bolts and dropped. Altair cursed, “They’re getting fucking bold,” He growled as he rushed towards the soldiers, “TAKE COVER!”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

As they walked, Vahliri briefly allowed her eyes to scan the horizons - while her fluted ears were trained to pick up on the little sounds others might miss. Her smile faded a bit when Altair mentioned the breakup with Aadya. No matter her own feelings about Aadya, it was a breakup that pained the Tiefling and that fact alone brought the etching of a frown to Vahliri’s face. “I didn’t know,” She said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“Well you’re going to blow them out of the water! I know you will.” Vahliri said with full confidence when he mentioned the Academy applications. “I’ve got my sights on the University of Carannia. Maybeee Ziost.” Both of them were known, prestigious institutions in the Empire, and both spectacular learning centers for politics and legal studies. She briefly glanced up to Altair’s horns when the Tiefling mentioned his time being captured, clearly noting the scuff marks that she had seen that day.

“They’re going to regret ever putting you there,” She said very flatly.

The half-Annfyn turned full to look at Altair when the Tiefling mentioned her dance with Dark Raze at the party. “I did! Walked up and asked him for a dance.” She said with a confident grin. Even Vahliri had been slightly surprised by her actions that night, and while she couldn’t deny that the Dark Lord was immensely intimidating, her dance with the man had been nothing but pleasant. And the man’s cologne was certainly a contributing factor to that. “It was really nice, actually.” Korriban was going to freeze over before she mentioned the fact that she had stepped on the Dark Lord’s toes.

A few additional minutes passed, and the half-Annfyn’s attention was drawn to the abrupt chaos ahead. “Shit!” She hissed. Without another word, Vahliri darted towards the soldiers alongside Altair. She broke off to the right as they reached the front of the group, the curved hilt of her saber snapping into her right hand and igniting with a hiss. While their troops moved behind the snowbank, the half-Annfyn swiped her saber defensively - batting away a few blue bolts of plasma in hopes of giving her men an opportunity to get behind cover. The moment they were, Vahliri promptly followed - knowing full-well she couldn’t maintain a prolonged defense against heavy fire.

Nevertheless, her brief exposure had given the half-Annfyn some idea of where their enemies had staked out. “Up on the ridge to the left!” She called out to Altair, keeping her saber positioned close to her body for the time being. Simply abandoning their cover and rushing the ridge - even for Sith armed with their plasma-deflecting weaponry and skills in the Force - likely would’ve been suicide.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair perked up a bit when she mentioned Ziost, “I was actually eyeing Ziost,” He said, the planet boasting one of the top Imperial academies, “The academy there is hella selective though,” Altair said with a grimace. He had a lot of extra things to beef up his application, but his grades weren’t exactly top notch. He was eyeing the path of a scholarship for his combat experience and being captain of the combat team throughout his time on Dromund Kaas.

“Well you never were afraid to go for what you wanted,” He said with a grin and a wink as she mentioned simply waltzing up to Raze. The Dark Lord was unsettling and Altair couldn’t imagine keeping his nerves around the man. It also didn’t help that there were stories about him tossing people over balconies at social events.

As soon as the blasters started, Altair raised his Matukai gloves to deflect the bolts. The Imperials took cover behind snowbanks and propped up their blasters to return fire. The tiefling followed Vahliri before crouching down. Altair called out to the Imperials, “Give us suppressive fire!”

The Imperials began to pepper towards the ridge with bolts, allowing Altair and Vahl the chance to advance. Altair had to take extra care not to trip over himself. He glanced around and spotted a tree. He quickly stripped off an entire layer off the trunk and plopped the sliver of wood down. Without a word he jumped on and gave Vahliri a shrug, “Here goes nothin’.”

With that, Altair kicked off and began to skid down the incline before the path angled up into the ridge. The suppressive fire paused for a moment as he zoomed down with a surprising amount of finesse. Altair zigzagged and navigated perfectly, practically snowboarding as he deflected bolts with his gauntlets. A few of them actually countered back to hit the attackers and drop them. The Imperials had to pause what they were doing, jaw hanging open at the display.

One of the attackers attempted to shoot towards his legs. Altair jumped into the air, had the bolts zoom by under him, and landed right back on his makeshift board. His momentum carried him up towards the ridge and he sprang right into the air, even throwing in a flip as he landed. He snatched the board out of the air and promptly hit one of the men over the heads with it, knocking him out.

Needless to say, he had managed to take out enough of the enemy and knock one unconscious to where no one was firing back. Altair spotted three of them rapidly retreating and he coiled the Force around them to yank them back into the ground while he waited for Vahliri and the others to catch up.

Dice: 20/20 for navigating snow for some reason..

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri’s expression immediately brightened when Altair mentioned Ziost as well. She knew they were both rigorous programs and even with the best of grades, it would’ve been tough to get in. But that bit of excitement was abundantly clear on her face just then, lips tugging wide and full of warmth. “In that case, we might just end up neighbors again.” Her gaze lingered for a long moment before turning back ahead, though her expression didn’t quite fade even when she did.

Any thoughts of the future or the Tiefling was momentarily pushed down as they came under blaster fire. The half-Annfyn pressed the right side of her shoulder against the snowbank where they had taken cover, moving only when the suppressive fire began - saber closed in a high guard as she advanced - and miraculously managed not to eat shit - through the snow with Altair. She moved in lockstep with the Tiefling, her saber raised to bat away any stray blaster bolts zipping herself or Altair. Her eyes couldn't help but widened dramatically when Altair tore a chunk of wood from that nearby tree, blinking a few times at what very much looked like a disaster in the making. “Wha—“ She couldn’t protest the idea before the Tiefling abruptly pushed off and down the hill, leaving Vahliri to peak around the cover that the tree provided.

And much to her amazement, the snowboarding tactic actually worked - leaving the half-Annfyn with an expression that was equal parts amazed and utterly shocked, one that was mirrored by both her own troops and the enemies that Altair skated towards. She didn’t linger there for much longer - twisting around the corner of the tree and dashing forth. “Go!” She called back to the troopers, capitalizing on the distraction and break on fire that Altair had caused. The Force coiled around the half-Annfyn as she crossed the snows - enhancing her speed and enabling her to reach the ambush within only a few moments of the Tiefling bitchslapping one of them, cresting over the ridge with a leap and landing close to where Altair was standing.

The half-Annfyn didn’t hesitate to reach out with the Force, dragging one of the enemy soldiers towards her. He immediately twisted around on the ground and attempted to pepper her with blaster bolts, only to have them subsequently deflected right back with a graceful swipe of her saber - burning molten tunnels through his chest. Vahliri only grimaced. “Keep one of them alive!” She barked back at the troopers before they could unleash their volley, watching as the remaining would-be ambushers made a beeline for one of the mines in the distance.

Before they could get too far, the half-Annfyn reached out and coiled her grasp around one of them - a violent swipe of her arm sending him harshly against an adjacent tree - crumpling to the ground injured, while the others escaped.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair made his way over to the three he had downed. Right away he could tell they weren’t outfitted like the Rebels he had come across thus far. They wore dark armor that was made of material he wasn’t familiar with. They were human and their weapons looked as if they were stolen. The weapons certainly looked closer to what he had seen from the rebels. Altair was about to ask one of them a question when the man looked up with deep hatred.

“Hail…Savris..” He choked out before he bit down on something inside his mouth. Within moments his eyes began to roll back and his mouth began to foam. Altair watched in amazement as the two others did the same, promptly convulsing and dying. The tiefling whipped around and ran towards Vahliri.

“VAHL! STOP THE..” He stopped when he could already see the single survivor she had yanked convulsing similarly before collapsing. The same applied for any other survivors, all of them systematically killing themselves.

Altair stood in silence for a moment, wisps of his breath clouding from his breath. What were they so afraid of or revealing? And who was Savris? The tiefling looked over his shoulder at Vahl, “I’m gonna keep on them! Captives won’t reveal nothin’.”

With that, the tiefling sprang off from the ridge and kept hot on the trail of the ones that were still running. Once the Imperials caught up, he gave them hand signals to be discreet. They had to make the group think the Imperials had given up the chase.

The surviving attackers continued down the snowy path before ducking into a narrow gorge. It was icy and had long shards of ice hanging over it threatening to fall and impale anyone that crossed. Altair grimaced at the sight but he had to give the attackers a head start to avoid tipping them off. He contacted Vahliri quietly through his comlink, “You got visual on us? May need your help navigating."

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

While the other two ‘rebels’ escaped further down the ridge, Vahliri focused her attention strictly upon the single individual she had thrown against that adjacent tree - knowing that questioning and getting information out of him would be far more valuable than just gunning down the others. She dashed across the snow, using the Force to further pin the rebel against the tree - saber kept defensively across her body just in case the man pulled a blaster on her. To her surprise, however, he didn’t.

“Hail Savris,” The rebel barked at the half-Annfyn, a blissful smile spreading across his lips as he stared down the Sith Champion defiantly, blood trickling down his lips and from an open wound where he had hit the tree. “Bless the coming of Him. Bless the tide to wash over the Galaxy. May it be reborn through his purpose.” It was only then that Vahliri heard the warning from Altair, but it was already too late. With that last word uttered, the man bit down upon the pill in his mouth just as the others had - white foam mixing with the blood on his lips as it spilled down his face, body convulsing violently. "NO!" Vahliri could only stare in astonishment - glancing back over her shoulders to get a look at the other men who had committed suicide, and then back to Altair. Neither of them needed to say a single word - for the same questions were plain on the Tiefling’s face as they were on Vahliri’s. Questions that neither of them had answers to - at least not anymore.

While Altair leapt down with the Imperials to continue the chase, Vahliri crouched down close to the body of the dead rebel - taking a few moments to inspect the dark armor that he wore. It only took few a few moments of observation to clearly note the foreign markings that had been tattooed against his skin. She ran a hand across his collar - expecting to find a pair of dog-tags dangling against his neck. Instead, the half-Annfyn fished out a stone pendent in its place - the rough, carved stone bearing a marking across the front that she didn’t immediately recognize. Pocketing the pendent, Vahliri promptly pushed back to her feet - turning towards the hill that slopped up from the ridge. Instead of following after Altair and the rest of their troops directly, the half-Annfyn made her way further up the slope - the vantage point giving the Champion a wide range of visibility on the snowy path and surrounding valley.

As her eyes scanned the valley below, the half-Annfyn brought the commlink up to her lips. “I have visuals on you and the rebels,” Vahliri replied after a moment, gaze flicking between the Tiefling and the men fleeing up ahead - the latter beginning to slow as they started to believe that they had lost the Imperials. “They’re still directly ahead of you.” Her elevation position gave the woman a fantastic view of the gorge, even as it narrowed and became more difficult to maneuver in. “You’re coming up on a split to the left in the path, but it reconnects with the main path just up ahead. You may be able to hit them from the flank and catch them off-guard.” The half-Annfyn kept her binocs trained on the gorge below - lingering there for a few more minutes to navigate before she would attempt to regroup with the Tiefling and rest of her team.

Dice: 18/20 for visuals on the gorge.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Thanks,” Altair responded as he kept moving, “Won’t engage them though. I think they all got that suicidal filling in their mouth,” He said with a grimace, finding the entire idea unsettling. The path grew even narrower as they began to move towards the trail to the left. As they did so, one of the giant icicles fell and pierced right through the shoulders of one of the Imperials. Altair quickly coiled the Force around the man’s neck to prevent him from crying out, bringing up a finger to his lips to signal to be quiet. The man choked a bit and whimpered and Altair slowly released him only when he was sure there would be no noise. The other Imperials remained unmoving and Altair could clearly sense the fear they felt. He was a Sith and he was in command here - the mission ranked above their own issues.

The tiefling kept moving, navigating around the second path till he spotted the others filing into a cave. Thanks to Vahliri’s navigation, Altair and his group were able to flank around the path and find a gap that looked into the cave. The tiefling crouched low and brushed aside some thick snow, peering in after he removed a rock.

“Where are the others?” He heard a woman’s voice call out.

“They are with the stars, but they died for the cause without giving quarter.”

“Were you followed?”

“For a time, but we shook them.”

“The miners extracted quite a few crystals from the cave,” The woman explain, “No sign of the artifact, but the nexus remains guarded. We will stay another day and take our cargo offworld.”

“Yes, my lady, the ships are still hidden.”

“My lady, what of the Imperials?”

“We will simply need to antagonize the rebels once more and make them believe it was Imperial work,” The woman said, “They need to keep their focus on one another and leave us be. We have no part in their fight. Do you still the have Imperial armor of the soldiers we had ambushed?”

“Yes. We will raid a rebel camp tonight and lead the tracks back to where the Imperials are camped.”

“Good.”

Altair had been listening the whole time, but had his radio on so Vahliri could hear everything as well.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

On the other side of the commlink, Vahliri was completely silent as she listened to what was being said - the words echoing in her mind as realization dawned on her all at once. Their previous suspicions about the men that had committed suicide and the ominous mention of Savris suddenly made so much more sense. It also confirmed that they had a presence in the mines. And for all the questions that it answered, the revelation spawned a dozen more in her mind.

Who even were these people? Clearly not Sith or Jedi, and yet their interest in the crystals and mention of the Nexus could only lead her to believe they were something similar. What artifact did they seek? What drove such fanatical belief that their members were willing to die a painful, poisonous death without flinching? Vahliri didn’t know. The answers once more seemed just out of reach, and that uncertainty left the half-Annfyn with a sickening sensation in her stomach.

Moments passed and Vahliri’s mind swirled, her amber eyes flicking down to the pendent she had pocketed from one of the dying cultists. Her head tilted ever-so-slightly to the side - yet another hypothesis working up into her psyche and promptly her to get back to her feet. Before she went anywhere, however, Vahliri glanced down at her commlink - opening a map and pinning the coordinates where Altair and the cave entrance was located. With that, she pushed off from her vantage point - proceeding to travel back the way she came.

“Can you hear me? What is your and your teams status?” Vahliri asked, yet unaware of the injured trooper. The icicle had pierced deep into the man’s shoulder - severing muscle and tendons and making it effectively worthless in that moment. While the blood loss had been steady, a makeshift tourniquet has slowed the flow. The man was stable, but he was certainly moving slower than his comrades.

Vahliri continued down the slopes, trudging down through the thick snows. “We can’t afford to let them slip away,” She said quietly to Altair. “We don’t know who they are, but they are targeting the very resource that brought us to M’haeli in the first place, and are undoubtedly enemies of the Empire both here and wherever else they operate.” That, of course, didn’t address the very real threat of an attack coming that very night. The woman in the cave was right - the vast majority of Imperial forces couldn’t take their eyes off the opposing side - but perhaps they wouldn’t need to.

“We need to warn the rest of the camp of what might be coming - But Altair I propose that you, me and a few others infiltrate their outpost. Find out who they are and sabotage their operation - before they are allowed to slip off-world.” It was a tremendous risk. It would be putting the both of them and whoever they brought with them completely into the unknown and surrounded by an enemy they knew nothing about. But it was a risk all of them had signed up for when they came to M’haeli. “If we strike fast enough, we may be able to put a stop to their attack before it begins.”

The half-Annfyn finally reached her destination - arriving back at the four bodies that had been downed by some time ago. She crouched down near one of them, running her hand along the inside of his collar. Sure enough, Vahliri drew her hand back to reveal another pendent - identical to the one she had looted earlier - around his neck. It’s purpose suddenly seemed far more obvious. “I believe I may have our way in.” She rose back to her feet, proceeding to snag the remaining three pendants from the cultists - five in total - before turning to make her way towards Altair.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“We got one injured, but rest of us are aight,” Altair commed back after stepping back from the cave. He heard the rest of what she said as he made his way a short distance away from the cultists. However, he paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing, “Why? We're here right now. Me and these boys can smoke them right now,” It made sense to him. The cultists were literally two feet away.

However, that was when Sargent Dolov cleared his throat, “Sir, if I may?”

Altair stared at him.

“Champion Kahtal brings up a sound suggestion based on how this enemy operates,” He said calmly, carefully choosing his words, “This needs a…delicate touch rather than barging in even if we have the Force at our disposal.”

The tiefling scowled for a moment, his expression exceptionally moody. He wanted to argue, his tail swishing back and forth in irritation. In the end, he sighed, contacting Vahliri again, “Never mind, I copy. I’m sending back the injured trooper and most of my men. Sending you my exact location. We’ll camp here till you’re ready to strike. Over,” The moodiness in his tone was unmistakable. She would receive his coordinates seconds later.

Within moments, most of his men were making their way back to the Imperial camp. Two of the troopers stood near the gorge to watch for any movement. The cultists weren’t expected to leave their hideout anytime soon, not while they suspected Imperials, and this meant they had a few hours to kill before any action.

Altair found a little boulder and plopped down in front of it, exhaling. He took out a cigarra and lit it, having himself a smoke while he waited. It was a habit he picked up since being around Imperials all the time, and it was one his mother would skin him alive for. Oh well, she wasn’t here to see.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri felt that distinct wave of relief wash over when Altair confirmed that he was alright. Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but grimace ever-so-slightly at the news of the trooper's injury. It was a complication and undoubtedly one that would slow them down significantly in the long run. In her mind, even more of a reason to send the bulk of their troops away and engage as a strike force. The half-Annfyn paused when she heard Altair protest against her proposal, blinking a few times.

She opened her mouth once more and lifted the commlink - prepared to make her pitch to Altair on why she thought this approach was better. Before she could, however, the Tiefling cut back with his response. She didn’t miss the clear moodiness in Altair’s voice - carrying far more of an edge to it than she was ever used to. The fact that it came after she had pitched her own suggestion was enough to give Vahliri pause in that moment, halting where she stood in the snow. A part of her immediately wanted to reply back to Altair - her finger hovering over the button for a few seconds. In the end, however, she decided against it - knowing full-well that the others were well within earshot of whatever she planned to say just then.

She stared down at her commlink for a moment as the coordinates came in, finally resuming her quick pace towards the Tiefling and the remaining men that Altair singled out for the operation. Even moving quickly through the snowy terrain, it took Vahliri a few minutes to actually reach the spot where Altair and the other three had camped - taking heed to keep herself out of the open in the event that cultists had established patrols or surveillance around the outpost. Their intention was to catch them off guard, and she wasn’t about to blow their cover on the way there.

“I’m coming up on your position,” She said quietly into her commlink, making them aware of her arrival in hopes that she wouldn’t be mistaken for one of the cultists upon arrival. A few more minutes, and the half-Annfyn finally rounded a corner through the gorge - stepping into view and proceeding to approach the camp. She gave a respectful nod towards the men stationed at the perimeter of the camp, amber eyes lingering on the others for only a moment before flicking onto Altair - spotting the Tiefling still propped against that boulder. The half-Annfyn didn’t miss his new habit - the familiar scent of cigarra smoke filling her nostrils as she walked over to him.

“Catch,” She called out to Altair, giving him a moment of heads-up before she tossed one of the pendants she had looted off the cultists. The half-Annfyn came to a halt before that same boulder - brushing her hand across it to knock away some of the snow before leaning against it. “Found them on the ones we downed back on the ridge. All of them were wearing them - no distinguishing differences on any. Think they might be symbols of membership in… Whatever they are. Could be our way in.”

She paused for a long moment before giving the Tiefling a soft nudge, keeping her gaze on his. “Trust me on this one, yeah? I know it's risky, but..” She hadn’t missed the moodiness from him earlier, and the half-Annfyn had no desire to let it fester. They were far enough away from the other men that their conversation would be between them alone. “I want you onboard with me on this.” The half-Annfyn smiled softly. "'Least we have some time to burn before dusk."

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair blew out a cloud of smoke shortly before Vahliri walked over. He almost considered putting the cigarra out as she approached, but he decided he didn’t feel like being his usual farmer gentleman self. They were in a warzone after all, and they were technically working still. The tiefling looked up when she tossed the pendants over, examining them in his hand. They looked as if they fit into something which surprised him. His brows furrowed slightly.

“Why would they have these for anyone to find when they go as far as suicide to avoid information breach?” He asked curiously. It had to be some sort of trap or the code was impossible to break. It seemed way too sloppy. Altair blew out more smoke as Vahliri nudged him before finally glancing up at her. His violet eyes appeared even more vivid against the backdrop of the snow.

“I said we’re doin’ it your way, didn’t I?” He replied before glancing away again, “What’re you gonna do with the free time? Clip your toenails on me?” Altair couldn’t keep a straight face after that, his shoulders shaking a bit as he attempted to hide his snickering.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help but furrow her brows ever-so-slightly when Altair spoke, her gaze shifting from the Tiefling himself and back to the pendant she had tossed his way. Serving as some kind of symbol of their organization, or piece of identification - those were certainly the most straight-forward answers to their purpose, and their presence on all of the cultists thus far alluded to their importance. Even still, the half-Annfyn couldn’t help but consider the question the Tiefling posed. “Maybe you’re right.” She admitted after a long moment, tilting her head to the side. “But.. I’m confident they serve some kind of function. Worth keeping around, for now at least.” It was possible that the pendants were deliberately there to trap would-be interlopers, but the half-Annfyn wasn’t sold on that theory quite yet.

And the idea that they were just walking into a trap was.. Not one she wanted to give much credence.

She glanced back to Altair when he mentioned going along with her plan - eyes lingering on him for a long moment. The half-Annfyn opened her mouth to say something in response, though the words seemed to catch in her throat the precise moment that the Tiefling instead mentioned her toenails out of nowhere. Almost at once, Vahliri’s almond-shaped eyes grew wide and her complexion shifted a few shades towards red. “UGH I don’t even do that!” She groaned defiantly giving the Tiefling another harsh nudge in the shoulder in retaliation while her fluted ears flicked around rapidly. It was one habit that Vahliri would always deny, despite being called out on it more than once. She pulled one of the granola-packets from her pack, tossing it at Altair's torso with a huff.

Despite her reddened face and flustered response, the half-Annfyn’s lips slowly-but-surely, involuntarily began to tug upwards the longer that she looked at Altair - the sight of him attempting to suppress his own laughter eliciting a few giggles and stifled exhales through her nostrils. “At least I don’t pick my teeth with my damn fingernails, Altair.” She squinted at him - though the tone of her voice and the way her lips twitched betrayed she wasn’t being entirely serious.

The half-Annfyn pulled the fur-lined jacket a bit tighter around her neck. Camped this close to the cultist outpost, they couldn’t really risk the smoke from starting a fire for warmth. “Y’know maybe one of these days we’ll get sent somewhere that isn’t cold as shit.” She shook her head a bit. "Could kill some time kickin' your ass in Dejarik," She grinned at him.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair kept his gaze trained ahead with a grin as Vahliri vehemently denied any toe clipping allegations. The tiefling released a series of smoke rings into the air, clearly relaxing with his smokes. When she called out his teeth picking habits, Altair simply scoffed and shrugged his shoulders, “Uh yeah, what else am I gonna use? I ain’t about to carry around a giant fuckin’ suitcase purse like you stashed with toothpicks,” He quipped right back, always finding her fashion clothing and accompanying designer purses absolutely ridiculous.

To further make his point, he discreetly used his tail to whip it up towards her with snow. A clump of it would fly right up and smack her in the face. Altair chuckled softly and grinned up at her, “I s’ppose you have Dejarik randomly stashed in your purse along with three changes of clothes and matching shoes,” He said as he took another long drag of the cigarra. He was perfectly cozy, not as impacted by the weather.

As if to make a point about being cozy, he ignited the lighter for his cigarra and lit one of his fingers ablaze. With the Force and with his natural immunity, Altair wiggled his fingers together as if he were playing the keys of a piano, the flame dancing between his fingers and circling down around his palm.

“Doesn’t seem like your designer coat is doin’ you any good,” He glanced at her and flashed her a wink.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Happily moving on from the allegations of toenail-clipping as quickly as possible - preferably without the Tiefling giving examples to substantiate his claims - Vahliri audibly groaned when Altair went on to defend his teeth picking habits. It was perhaps one of the few things that she would always give him shit for. “That isn’t even an excuse when I literally have toothpicks!” She crossed her arms over her chest, almond-shaped eyes narrowing just a touch.

“Excuse you,” She quipped right back. “Those purses always look good. And unlike some of us, I don’t have pockets big enough to fit a baby rancor.” The half-Annfyn pointed her index finger and poked him as if to emphasize her point.

Of course, it meant that she wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to the Tiefling’s tail - that clump of snow smacking her square between the eyes and catching her entirely off guard. She couldn’t help the high-pitched squeak that escaped her, followed by the half-Annfyn rapidly swiping her hand across her face to brush away the snow.

Her eyes narrowed on the Tiefling, lasting only a split-second before her lips inevitably tugged upwards upon seeing Altair smiling at her - the familiar glint in his eyes and that playful expression something that always seemed to elate her. She only scoffed when the Tiefling accused her of hauling around a Pary Moppins purse. “I’ll have you know these are the only shoes I brought.” She huffed. “I do have Dejarik in there, though.” She grinned a bit.

Vahliri watched for only a moment while Altair played with the fire in his hands - amber eyes following the flames as they danced between his fingertips without every leaving a burn. It was only a ruse, however, as her true intentions lied just behind the Tiefling. Seated with his back against that boulder, Altair was precariously positioned behind a large pile of snow that had fallen onto the boulder’s surface - a pile that Vahliri pulled over the edge and onto Altair with a sudden flick of her wrist.

The layer of snow would drop right down onto the Tiefling without warning - smacking him in the face and hair, while decorating the polished tips of his horns like pine-trees after a blizzard. Despite her best attempted to keep a straight face, it didn’t take more than a split-second for Vahliri to devolve into a fit of soft laughter and giggles - her fluted ears moving in an exceptionally pronounced way and her face turning just a bit more red. “There,” She said with a wide grin. “Much better.”

“Oh, and I wouldn’t say that,” The half-Annfyn crossed her arms over her chest and snuggled herself for a bit more warmth, though there was a glint of warmth behind her eyes as she looked up at Altair. “I seem to recall you saying you liked it, soo..” She smiled a bit wider, nudging him again. “It has that going for me.”

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Vahl’s trick worked spectacularly well because Altair was entirely sure that he was doing a great job impressing her with his casual fire display. The tiefling was so focused on showing off that he was caught unaware when the giant pile of snow plopped directly atop him. There was nothing but the sound of what sounded like an angry, hissing cat, followed by a grunt as Altair wiped the snow off just enough to glare at her. Some of it was still caked into his hair and piled atop his horns and his cigarra was a lost cause.

He eyed her for a moment before the Force coiled around her. It would make it so her legs were abruptly pulled from beneath her to make her land face down in the soft mound of snow. Without wasting a second, Altair promptly sprang to his feet before plopping down to sit right on her while she was eating shit, planting all 190 lbs of himself on her. He sat down on her ass as if he were sitting on a bench and casually looked up at the sky.

“You’re right,” Altair said, “I do like this coat.”

@Altaris