Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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A Dangerous Vigil

**A FEW DAYS PRIOR**

Kyrel Ren would receive an encrypted message during his time on Virgillia reforming the Knights of Ren. No words were in the contents of the missive. Only a lone sigil.

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No one but those of the secretive Force sect would be able to recognize it, and perhaps the one left Master left in charge - self imposed but necessary - would believe it to be a clue to Sieger Ren’s whereabouts. The sigil would reveal coordinates to Dathomir.

Whether he chose to follow them was completely up to him.

***NOW***

Between the bright sun, the dust and the noxious smells, Dathomir for an Umbaran was akin to torture. But Garnik had heard of a tame, witch-less rancor mount keeping watch over its dead owner somewhere in the thick jungle near the Frenzied River.

“Tame” was likely not the right terminology. The creature would be distraght and murderous to anyone else but Perla Pirjo, but the elder witch had a plan for a way to have the animal obey her instead of its former mistress. Xana was rumored to be one of the most sturdy battlemounts in the galaxy, having survived an onslaught from Mandalorians where a torpedo ripped through her hide and then being kept in a dungeon on Bastion… or was it Borosk? No matter now. Garnik only knew the rancor was here in the jungle and available to claim to any intrepid witch worth her black salt.

The Umbaran would be waiting at a small settlement near the Frenzied River. A rugged, leather stitched shadowcloak lay regal upon her shoulders, the hood raised, a pale face encircled in fabric and fur. They would go during the night as the bright sun would damage Garnik’s sensitive near-human eyes.

[member="Kyrel Ren"]
 
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Kyrel Ren's task of reforming the Knights of Ren had not been easy. He had been nothing more than a caretaker for the Order. A steward to keep the Ren in line, and to bring Order to Chaos. He had now been known as an Overlord within the Order. Or at least he liked to think, in many ways he felt he hasn't changed. But he had changed, no longer was he a weapon, an instrument to be wielded. No, he was a beacon of darkness. An emissary of the Supreme Leader in life and in death. For the past few weeks he had all but stepped foot outside of the Bastion, Vader's Castle was not a place he had even thought of. Too focused on trying to find a sign, anything that Sieger could have left for the Order. He spent his days going through Sieger's vast collection of dark side tomes, scrolls, ancient secrets of the Sith that might reveal what he could have been up to. But for days such a search was proven fruitless.

Even meditating on the dark side. Within days his physical appearance changed more so. What began as slow corruption turned into something more. His skin became more wrinkled and pale, as if Kyrel's aging body, but the effects had been slow, he looked like his thirties than his late twenties, but with the dark side corruption, he looked as if he was a pale skinned, vein showing yellow-eyed monster. He had often hidden it through what he could but stayed encased behind his armor, for the most part, only letting Varas seeing him in his bare skin. But to anyone else, he was behind the visor of his mask. After relentless dreams, he had awakened with an encrypted message appearing on the holoprojector, he had accessed it with a sigil that he had seen only a couple times. But recognizing it, he widened his eyes... Could that mean it would lead him to the Supreme Leader himself... Does that mean he was out there? So many questions were buzzing in his head but had forced himself to regain his composure. He had read the message closely, it was cryptic but had coordinates for him to come to Dathomir. He narrowed his eyes... Dathomir was where Sieger was.

Days later... Kyrel had prepared quite a bit for the trip to Dathomir, reading as much as he could from First Imperial databanks, and what he could find across the wider holonet. The world was steeped in mysticism, home to the Nightsister clans, part of descendants that hailed from an exiled Jedi Knight, hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Kyrel couldn't help but marvel the red planet from the cockpit of his TIE Silencer. He was sent specific instructions within the message that it had to be Sieger himself... He would be disappointed if it wasn't but he had to find out for sure. The Silencer roared as it entered the atmosphere. The world was covered in a perpetual red mist, surrounded by thick jungle. Animals weren't seen as much but those that he could see looked as if it was fierce predators.

He landed his fighter near the frenzied river. He hopped out encased in his armor. He could feel the similar dark void that was Sieger that he couldn't help but look at all directions and say. "Master!" As he wondered what was the purpose of him coming here.

[member="Garnik Verita"]
 
Yet the dark void was not Sieger at all. The black morass that pulled Kyrel into its depths was likely the planet of Dathomir itself. Bogan was stronger upon the richly nourished planet, and other scholars had tried to find out why. Her mother’s homeplanet held her interest only as far as what she could take from it, and then Garnik cared not to know. She was neither Nightsister nor Coveness.

If there was any location the Umbaran wanted to explore more it was Kohlma, the Moon of the Dead where the Bando Gora was founded. Yet that was a journey for another time.

Emerging from the shadows as though birthed from the night itself, Garnik floated over to the Master of Ren, her pale skin glowing.

“The Supreme Leader is not here. But this is no joke, I assure you. You may think of this as a series of puzzles, if not tests. And you’ve passed the first one. You are here."

With a melodic chuckle, Garnik pulled her hood down to expose her monochromatic hair and skin, so white it was nearly absent with pigment like an albino human.

“Forgive my manners. I’m Garnik Verita, daughter of Avlis Verita of the Rootai Council on Umbara.” And that’s where her sophisticated lineage ended and the felonious began. “You are Kyrel Ren? I feel extremely lucky to have one of the stronger, if not the strongest Knight of Ren by my side for this endeavor.”

At this point, he would not know her relation to Sieger Ren - savior or kidnapper? It was anyone's guess.

[member="Kyrel Ren"]
 
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Kyrel looked everywhere throughout the red mist landscape, and the source of that power was so like Sieger's he thought it was him. He frantically looked all around him, and for a moment a spark of hope was within him and then in the next moment was dashed away, the appearance of a cloaked figure stepped forth to meet him. A woman covered from head to toe in a white robe and cloak, the dark side was strong, stronger than he could have ever felt. It was so familiar to the Supreme Leader. Then the figure spoke and he could tell that it was not a man no it was a woman, going on to explain that Sieger was not here.. How did she know who was he after, how did she know that he would be here? Unless she led him to the place, and it most likely could have been a trap. Maybe it was.

Kyrel growled underneath his helmet, and if he wasn't behind a mask right now, his look already would have killed the woman, she removed her hood to reveal a humanoid look. Skin similar to the Dathomirians and something else.. Umbaran perhaps he wasn't sure. The woman was beautiful to say the least, but he rather not let himself flatter such a person who had dared to waste his time by coming here. He kept his fingers close to his saber itching to ignite it and cut her down, but her powerful force signature is what had made him think twice. He just stood silently letting her introduce herself. His suspicions of her being Umbaran confirmed but not like a pure one. A hybrid maybe? He furrowed his brow when she mentioned his name, his glare only intensified when she mentioned the Ren and the mention of puzzles and tests. He finally broke his silence and spoke his words dripping with venom.

Garnik.. Verita you say... You know me, the Ren, the Supreme Leader. Used the Supreme Leader's sigil and led me all the way here... Explain to me why you know me, why you want me here and what was your purpose for wasting my time!?" He said as his fingers still lied on the hilt of his blade. His eyes firmly locked on the woman.

[member="Garnik Verita"]
 
Kyrel’s hand hovered at his hip where his saber might be. She was playing a dangerous game, made even more thorny by the fact that Garnik had no weapon that would even compare to the power of a light blade. Her magic might, but either way, she felt an exhilaration at the thought of peril, a mainstay of Umbaran culture. If you were not in a state of discomfort, of paranoia, of envy and stratagem then you would not survive among the shadow people as the galaxy called them.

“Easy, my young warrior,” she said, wondering how he would react if she slathered flattery upon the Master of Ren. “Trust me, when we are done here, your time will not be wasted.”

The Bando Gora remained hidden around her. She needed to accomplish her task alone with only another strong Force user.

Walking into the dense jungle, her pale face shining back at him momentarily like a beacon, she said, “What you might witness tonight is something most individuals in the galaxy do not get to experience, and while we walk I will tell you a little more about your Supreme Leader.” Wanting to keep the mystery going so he’d follow she drip fed him the slightest bit of information, like saline through in IV: “Sieger is alive, I can assure you.”

[member="Kyrel Ren"]
 
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The woman he did not know had spoken to him, to which even as her voice displayed no hostile intent that he could detect. He was still wary of her all the same, and the only thing that perhaps saved her thus far from being attacked by him, was that her presence in the dark side was strong, perhaps as close to the Supreme Leader, but why? He didn't know who this woman was or why she had brought him here. For all, he knew she was simply wasting his time, and that was an annoyance he could not withstand. He kept his eyes watching her, his eyes forming into a dreadful scowl, carefully hidden under his mask as he stepped forward a little closer from the forest.

The woman thought next that the best idea was to flatter him, as attractive and charming she may seem herself to be. He scoffed and spoke. "Flattery will get you nowhere woman. My time will be judged on why you have brought me here." He said as he gave her a fierce look, crossing his hands across his shoulders no longer leaning for the hilt of his lightsaber.

He waited patiently, waiting to see what the woman would say, but all she kept saying was more cryptic words and meanings, that often had him guessing to what it all meant. But hearing more of the Supreme Leader, it peaked his interest, but what she said next had shaken him to his core. His head a mess with thoughts and questioned, he wasn't sure if he felt such a way his entire life. All of a sudden the cold facade started to crack, and Kyrel was left stunned as he finally spoke. "S-Sieger... The Supreme Leader is alive?? How, when? Tell me now!" He shouted as he inched violently close to the woman in an effort of intimidation.

[member="Garnik Verita"]
 
He did not respond to flattery. Not now at least. That did not mean Kyrel was immune to it and could be coerced another time. The siren song of an accommodating woman was strong for powerful types who were used to taking what they wanted. Though Garnik was not a trophy.

The Umbaran only weaved her way onto a thin pathway in danger of being eclipsed by dense jungle growth. She talked slowly as they walked, peppering her steps with conversation. They had a few miles to go and Garnik would rather not all of it was traveled in silence.

“Sieger is on Terminus, inhabiting a the body of a young Jedi. He is very weak still. That is really all I know. I don’t know the plans for the Ren. I have my own clan to take care of. The Bando Gora. Have you heard of us?”

The closer they came to their destination, the louder the sounds around them grew. Cicada symphonies and the snapping of branches could be heard until all that was audible was a low rumbling sound of an animal being threatened.

“We are nearly there,” Garnik remarked in a whisper signaling that their destination involved a measure of danger.

[member="Kyrel Ren"]
 
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Kyrel was overcome by thoughts that were racing through his mind, he was overcome with happiness, shock, anger. To have heard that the Supreme Leader survived the attack on Lothal. It didn't surprise him at all that the Supreme Leader was not dead, he didn't even see a body nor could he come to that conclusion himself, no matter how much he had feared it or not. But what did surprise him, however, was the power the Supreme Leader held, that he couldn't help but widen his eyes when he had learned where Sieger was. "Terminus you say... But that is far beyond First Order space. Why did he leave, why to hide amongst the lawlessness of the Outer Rim." He couldn't help but wonder all these questions. This woman wasn't lying either she was telling the truth, she was not deceptive nor was she lying or gave off the impression.

He walked along with her, through the thick jungle brush, the growls, and chirps of animals were heard in the distance. He could feel the dark side radiate on the world, no doubt from the long millennia work of the Nightsisters. He fed off it and made it his own. He answered in return with amusement. "Hmmm how clever it is, Essence transfer. How interesting!" He kept walking closer and closer through the thick jungle brush. Hearing roars and growls grow louder, the ground even rumbled.

[member="Garnik Verita"]
 
The sour smell of death rose in the air, and for a Nightsister, Garnik displayed a fragile display of disgust towards it by pulling out a sheer piece of fabric and holding it to her nose. The spirit world was a notoriously maladorious place. The Umbaran had conjured an Army of the Dead before under her own Master, but her delicate sensibilities would ensure that she would only use that spell if absolutely necessary.

As the pair entered a copse of thick jungle trees a phenomenal sight lay before them. A giant rancor about twenty meters tall circled a corpse, half-decayed in the brush. It’s small eyes landed upon Kyrel and the beast roared, a desperate and melancholy sound.

Garnik’s lavender eyes glittered in the moonlight. “That rancor is mourning the death of its owner, a woman the creature was in symbiosis with.”

Its broad chest heaving, the behemoth had no idea how to react to the newcomers, and it only stood there, its long fingers scraping the dirt around the body with an unsettling scritch, scritch sound.

“Burying the witch may prove too perilous a task, but I want this beast to be mine.” Garnik tilted her head towards the Ren Master. “And you will help me tame her. Only one of Sieger's is strong enough to accomplish this task."

[member="Kyrel Ren"]
 
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The smell of Death and decay had permeated the thick jungle air of Dathomir. All around he could see what looked to scattered, and even rusted remains of durasteel within the growing Jungle brush. He had noticed Garnik's face contort into one of disgust. Holding a fabric to her mouth and nose to cover the stench. Kyrel did not need to worry being under a mask that provided it's own oxygen support. He felt the lure of the dark side the closer he got to the sounds of roars, and even the rumbling still continued.​
When the pair had reached the rancor, that lied 20 meters ahead. Kyrel could all but stare at the beast. He doesn't recount seeing a Rancor, at least not in person. He already found the creature fascinating up close, releasing a dark side aura that was perhaps intoxicating. He had often learned that the Nightsisters would train and use the creatures as mounts, and he could now see why they had chosen them so wisely.​
Upon hearing Garnik's words as being the only one to break such a creature. He pondered for a moment as he said. "One does not need to be so skilled to tame such a beast. It requires fear and most of all pain. Pain will even break anyone or anything." He said as he approached the creature, extending a hand out open palmed. He reached out with the dark side of the Force and imposed his own upon the creature, in an attempt to make it submissive to him.​
[member="Garnik Verita"]​
 
Kyrel’s attempt at bonding with the creature only caused it to crane its neck upward and bellow, shaking the ground on which they stood. Still, Garnik could not tell if the rancor’s protests were in anger or grief.

As the beast caught its breath, the Umbaran quickly whispered to the Ren Master: “Wait. I’m not sure this will work until we bury the girl.” For all of her bravado a moment ago, the platinum-haired near-human displayed an abundance of fear and caution now in her movements. A green wispy glow seemed to emerge from the Priestess herself, though as the clover-hued mist lit her face, her eyes were awash in fear. But instead of reaching out to the rancor, the spirit ichor covered both Garnik and Kyrel, protecting them in a Force-field like enclosure. Now they could talk without all of that incessant howling. With two swipes of its impossibly long claws it attempted to break through the barrier, but it could not, the Umbaran’s spell powerful enough to protect them, temporarily at least.

“I need to come back here alone,” she remarked. No, she would never admit to failure. In her mind, this was a first try and soon there would be a second. “You are wrong, pain will not break her. She is already mired in the depths of agony, grief and helplessness. I need to give her a reason to live, not die. And it will be a solo endeavor, Ren Master."

Escorting the darksider back the way they came, the mysterious Umbaran witch left him with coordinates to Sieger Ren on Terminus. If he wanted to pay his liege a visit, he could. Garnik then sent him to a witches enclave to be wined and dined by beautiful woman, payment for his trouble as she disappeared as though a sigh in the wind.

*End of Part One*

OOC: Feel free to set up a thread with Sieger if you want to find him via Garnik’s coordinates.
[member="Kyrel Ren"]​
 

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