All is Quiet in Wild Space

[Boethiah]

Dantooine...

A scarred world. Once a peaceful paradise, an example of hardships on the frontier where livable conditions could be forged from even the most remote planets in the galaxy. After the Primeval arrived, everything changed. First under the Host Lord, Anja Aj'Rou, it was sacked and conquered. Then when the heretical, Black Court regime entered the scene, they laid waste to life as if it were mere trash needing to be disposed of. Alas, not all life can be so easily eliminated by the cruel -- yet unintelligent -- antics of the Black Court.

Boethiah is one of the first to return, and she found it quiet... Far too quiet for a place of beauty thickened with ancient blba groves, and fields where packs of kath hound roamed undisturbed. Streaks of black stretched across its surface, uprooted and charred trees were scattered about their outskirts for all the eye could see. Even along flat terrain these deathly markings continued on without end.

Yet despite the devastation, Dantooine was a popular spot for smuggler's avoiding patrols along the Braxant Run -- a popular hyperlane -- and thus, with the lack of news escaping Wild Space, has proven to be an unfortunate end for many travelers hoping to lay low in the colonial planet's minor settlements; where they can grab a drink and avoid the law.

However; things would not end as they should.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

The quiet hum of her yacht was all that would announce her arrival, its cloaking device slowly revealing the noblewoman's vehicle, the grandeur of its gold and chrome colours standing out amidst the wasteland it had landed on. What got this woman to land on this forsaken place, not even she knew. Was it the breath of fresh air she had yearned throughout her travels and escape? Unlikely, for "fresh" was not a word she'd have used to describe this desolate place. Perhaps it was simple curiosity, like a child's, to find what others had not. Who knows ...- Not she.

She left the comfort of her yacht with her usual elegant stride, arrogantly trusting in her own technology that would protect her and her craft. Despite the look of the place, she found herself comforted. She knew that here she would not be known, that a new start -- albeit not one she had hoped for -- could potentially be found here. Dressed in, to her, casual and "inexpensive" clothing, she confidently walked from her vehicle, ready to explore this world and what it had to offer, however little.

If only she knew of the past the planet held ... -History never was her strongest suit.

 

[Nyla Crow]

Life was not good, and whoever said it was deserved a blaster bolt to the foot.

That was the thought going through Nyla's head as her ship, The Crow's Beak, orbited the desolate, charred corpse of Dantooine.
It was true, she had recently discovered she was in tune with the Force - that mysterious, mystical energy that infused everything and everyone, binding together all things - and it was true that she had escaped from the dead end career as a smuggler for a small time gang on Nar Shaddaa. But at what cost? She had never really liked any of her fellow gang members, but they were family, and they'd been there for her to the bitter end. She shuddered in her seat as images of her partner, slumped against a wall with a charred hole in her throat, crossed her mind.

She quickly shook those grim thoughts away, however, as she read the results of her preliminary scan of the planet's surface. Mostly desolate, with spatterings of life - two distinctly humanoid signatures, though, were present, and her curiosity was peaked. To add to that, as her vessel approached the approximate location of one of the signatures, Nyla felt...something. It would be hard to put into words for even the most advanced Force User, and to a novice like Nyla, what she felt was indescribable. Actually, no, it wasn't. It was powerful. Overwhelming. Someone down on that planet had a lot of power, and the erstwhile Force Adept was determined to find them.

 

[Boethiah]

Boethiah walked through what little remained of the tall grass until she entered the nothingness, her feet stepping into the black soot that lined the ground below her feet. Hard, crumbling earth shattered under foot with each small step she took. Two avian creatures fluttered over head, panicking as they spotted the young Witch; they maneuvered in zigzag patterns before diving for a nearby Blba tree.

This one was the last alive in the area by all she saw. Unfortunately, one of the two birds managed to impale itself upon the sharp thorns of the tree's trunk. Its partner looked on in a confused manner, pleading sorrowfully with its desperate songs. Two eyes, one blue and the other red looked on with curiosity. The girl turned on her heels and marched forward towards the tree, she reached out with a naked hand and began to grip the lifeless husk. Blood began to drip down her hand. The yet living bird began to peck at Boethiath, she retreated with a fright, and unwittingly called out to the force.

In a matter of seconds the creature became passive and serene, hopping along the branch until it moved further up the tree, yet its eyes were locked on Boethiah and didn't even twitch. Returning her thoughtful gaze to the other, she managed to yank it free, and held the creature in hand. Her small feet carried her away as she began to walk through the valley which reeked of death.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

If one word came to mind for all this, it would be ... "regret", all too audibly voiced by the various curses Yasindra had uttered in her hundred meter walk from her ship. Her clothes were being soiled, her boots had gained a thin layer of the soot she had walked on, and the air was just filled with reek and odor.

"And my wine ...", she uttered throughout the curses. "Why did I leave my wine and warmth for this!"

But, against her better judgement, she trudged on, and that little bit of discipline seemed to bear its fruits, though she hoped it were not rotten ones. In the distance, she saw the young woman near the lonesome tree, and eyed her suspiciously. With a little flick of the arm towards her pouch, she took out a quaint looking visor and held it in front of her eyes, to get a better look at the woman.

Her lips grew quickly into a grin. "'Tis but a youngster ... likely adrift amidst the desolation. Oh, how somber ...", she quietly said to herself, her last words thick with sass and sarcasm. One learned to entertain oneself on such lonely flights through the stars ... But still, her cynicism and wariness kept her on her toes, as she paced slowly towards the woman in the distance, though stayed at a nice length ... just in case.

 

[Nyla Crow]

As Nyla Crow set her ship to land itself, she decided that she had become suicidal.

Considering that her main forms of protection were completely ineffective against a trained force user, she may have been right. An Armor Weave Jacket that might make a lightsaber wound a centimeter less deep, a blaster pistol that jammed more often than it fired, and a lightfoil - a pathetic knockoff of an actual lightsaber, used by pompous nobles of the Tapani Sector.

Considering she was wearing a Sith symbol on her back, she was probably doomed if this was a Jedi. Still, though, it was too late to turn back now. Her ship was close enough that her target could almost certainly hear it approaching, unless they happened to be completely deaf, and close enough to the ground she could jump without breaking much. With a sigh and a quiet promise that she would be less of an idiot if she survived this, Nyla stepped out of the ship's cargo bay, as ready as she could ever be.

 

[Boethiah]

Boethiah seemed to not notice [member="Yasindra Quorr"] in the distance, offering no sudden changes in movement or the pace of her footwork. Instead she walked on, holding the bird in the palm of her left hand and covering it gently with her right. However; before she was able to move on completely, she stopped dead in her tracks, the girl's head tilting up as a ship descended overhead, landing somewhere beyond the small cliff face to her right.

After the distraction passed, Boethiah returned to her walk and carried on down the lifeless path that was ahead of them. Her breathing slowed slightly as dust -- stirred up by the ship -- began to fill the air she breathed. Heeding it not, for whatever reasons, the witch continued with dedicated steps that crunched through the ash and charcoal. Providing an audible trail to follow, should she wander beyond the line of sight. A quiet breeze picked up, brushing through her dark brown hair. Boethiah's vision lingered on the horizon, fixated on something that wasn't exactly there.

Unfortunately, this made her all the more oblivious to those around her.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

She raised her eyebrows at the queer sight. No ... not the fact some ship had just landed right after she had, on a desolate and lonesome planet, but that this young woman paid it absolutely no heed. She didn't run, nor did it seem to alert her whatsoever. Yasindra found this strange ...- To be so unwary, where one should be, that was unnatural.

But, from the slow pace the young woman took, and Yasindra knowing she can track her down rather easily, she had turned her head warily towards the loudness of the -- what she perceived as, at least -- shoddy ship. It had not landed very far from her, and her curious gaze was quickly wiped away, quite literally, by the gust of dirt and soot the ship had brought up, covering her once beautiful and casual suit. Arrogance and anger overtook her, as she angrily walked towards the poodoo, very intent on lecturing whoever came out the expense of the suit they had just ruined.

Though, in her arrogance, she was cynical and smart enough to call over a droid from her ship. And, soon enough, she found herself accompanied by a little floating sphere to protect her, adorned leisurely in colours of golden and metallic chrome.

 

[Nyla Crow]

Stepping out onto the barren, ash covered fields of Dantooine, Nyla felt a pang of loss. Some of her best runs had ended, or started, on Dantooine, and all that was left of her favorite smuggling port was...ash. She stood there, lost in thought, for a moment. But only for a moment, as the crunch of ash and soot underfoot snapped her back to reality. With the sort of grace that only came with experience, Nyla's blaster arm snapped up, the discharge point aimed not for the woman, no, but for the droid under her command. She did not fire, however, but instead called out to the pompous looking woman.

"Now, what are you doing in a place like this, rich girl?" She spoke calmly, but venomous contempt and envy dripped from her voice. There was also, oddly enough, a hint of glee. Nyla needed a new source of income, and from her clothes and demeanor, she guessed that this lass would fetch quite a few credits.

 

[Boethiah]

Regardless of events transpiring around her, Boethiah was not distracted by the sudden commotion when [member="Nyla Crow"] drew her blaster against [member="Yasindra Quorr"]'s little droid companion. Rather, she simply continued forward as if they two didn't exist; as if the world around them was merely a figment of her imagination. However the two took it -- if they bothered to notice -- would likely not reveal any bit of useful information pertaining to the witch's nature. By all accounts, she moved without intention.

Then again, each step was elaborate and the gate which she walked in was spaced out evenly each time. There was no urgency or struggle in her movements, instead it seemed far too careful for any keen observer's notice. The sun began to lower itself, descending behind a thin cloud cover which forged an overcast above them. Rare was this weather for the likes of Dantooine, the paradisaical world being known for its predictably nice, and mild weather. If it weren't for the many dangerous beasts which once roamed the plains in droves, it is likely that the planet would've been settled in a far greater capacity than it ever was.

Unfortunately for them, Dantooine's beauty was cursed by its equally impressive dangers. Particularly the kath hounds, and then the kinrath which infested the many caves scattered throughout the hillside along the many open plains.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

"Do you have any idea how much these costed!?", she responded quickly as she paced towards the woman, though came to an abrupt halt as she saw the blaster pointed at her Droid. With the slightest tint of fear on her expression, she quickly shuffled to stand behind the droid, however much protection it would give her, as it was at head level with her. She began speaking again, though not before grabbing the little sphere guardian at its side, and yanking it downwards so her face would be shown. "Drop the weapon, damn you, I didn't come to this miserable planet to be killed by some brigand. Or .. or kill a brigand, more like! Hah!"

She looked backwards towards the young woman quickly, this instinct driven by curiosity, before glancing back to Nyla with a confident look, doing her best to mask her own fearfulness at the situation. This certainly wasn't the first time she had been in trouble, but it was the first she had a gun pointed at her being ... or her droid, for that matter.

 

[Nyla Crow]

Nyla smiled in response to the first question Yasindra asked, although there was no mirth evident in the expression. Quite the contrary, actually; she was angry. This pompous little tart had actually threatened her. Her. Yes, this would work quite well, she decided.

She remained quiet, for a moment, eyes closed, her body shaking with anger and indignation. It may have looked like she was having a seizure, from another's point of view, but in truth she was working herself up; making herself angrier, remembering the betrayal that sparked her exodus from Nar Shaddaa, from her home. Taking that rage, and adding it to the frustration she felt due to this inconvenience, she began channeling the Dark Side. In her mind's eye, tendrils of black smoke slithered from her head to Yasindra's, binding them together.

And then, she opened her eyes.


For the briefest of moments, they were not her normal crystal blue, but a deep, sickly yellow. And in that moment, all of the rage and frustration she had built up in herself was transferred through the tenuous mental link she had built up with her victim. Visions of pain, death, horror, bloodshed, all would pour into Yasindra's mind - unless, of course, she happened to have trained to resist this sort of thing.

"I think you should get out of my way."

 

[Boethiah]

Something snapped. Just before Boethiah vanished from their presence she froze in place, her arms fell limp and the avian carcass fell to the ground below. The young girl's head tilted back towards Nyla, her placid expression replaced with one resounding deeply with primal fear, as if she had immediately sensed the sudden reaction of Dark Side energy. In an almost inhuman reaction time, her body twisted, and her feet dug through the ground until she had turned in the direction of [member="Nyla Crow"] and [member="Yasindra Quorr"].

Boethiah reached out at a phantom object in the air, clenching her hand until the veins looked as if they were about to tear out of her own skin. A terribly crude, and untamed energy of the force lashed out towards Nyla, attempting to grip at her throat furiously like a predator's teeth sank into the jugular of its captured prey.

For anyone who could sense the force, it was clearly of the Dark Side. Any light that may be found was drowned out entirely, replaced by malice and terror.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

Yasindra's eyes snapped open at the sights portrayed within her mind, having never encountered such a feat. Fearfully, she clung onto her Droid as the visions of demise blackened her mind, though these quickly faded as Nyla's concentration was halted by the strange force that suddenly gripped her throat. Yasindra blinked as she was released; having no idea what was going on and seeing whoever she talked to was busied, she started hurrying towards Nyla's craft in fear at the odd forces at play around her.

"Quick, quick, quick, Geoffrey!", she shouted at her droid, which followed her loyally as she hurried towards the ship's cargo, hoping to find shelter with what went on, or at least something to "attempt" to defend herself with. And as she entered, her eyes quickly darted around, a slight aura of comfort entering her as she saw the familiar, yet outdated technology. Still, her eyes often darted towards the exit in fear, listening intently to what was going on outside while she looked for aid.

 

[Nyla Crow]

Nyla felt the surge of energy coming from Boethiah, a small smile forming on her face. She was certain that the woman was attempting to help her, to punish this wench for daring stand up to a fellow user of the Dark Side.

She was quite mistaken, as it turned out.

Her smile quickly faded as she felt the mass of dark energy coalesce around her throat, and her tenuous link with Yasindra was broken almost immediately. More out of reflex than any belief that it would do any good, made an attempt to wrap her fingers around the invisible "hand," and uncurl it. This was, of course, unsuccessful. With a mind filled with desperation, she attempted to send a message to the woman.

Mercy, please. I am an ally.

She was not, sadly, skilled enough to send an actual message, instead sending jumbled feelings of desperation and contrition to the young Witch's mind, should she allow them in.

 

[Boethiah]

Just as quickly as she seemed to lash out, Boethiah recoiled, releasing Nyla from her grip before turning off and running quickly in the opposite direction. Wild thoughts raced through the witch's head, feelings which she could not comprehend began to flood her mind as well, causing the young woman's mental state to deteriorate rapidly as sudden influx of power subsided, leaving the girl vulnerable to outside influences. As she rushed through the open valley, her eyes looked attentively towards a cavernous structure protruding from a cliff face.

Swiftly, she adjusted her direction and sprinted off towards its entrance, panting when she began to slow down now just a few meters out from what she believed to be safety. Whether or not this was true remained to be seen, but for the time being Boethiah had begun to stabilize. How long this state lasted depended entirely on the actions of those around her, and the dangers that may've been left behind on this remote world near the edges of Wild Space.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

After having a good look around the place and finding nothing of immediate value, she decided to head out again. Though she argued against herself that she could easily snatch the craft and be off, she didn't want to substitute her beautiful Galewing for a shoddy piece of work like this. And so, she took one of the outdated welders, likely intended for repair, in the cargo bay of the ship and peeked out of the exit, grinning lightly as she saw the young woman run off in the distance, and Nyla left behind.

This grin was quickly replaced though, as she remembered the odd powers at hand here. "I propose a peace ...", she said tentatively to Nyla, only having her head peek out, her fingers tracing the controls of the exit's opening, while the other hand held the welder. She knew very well this thing would not stand up to whatever force was at work here, but she pushed the thought away. "Which I think is a very reasonable thing to propose, considering ... you know ... whatever foulness you did to me ..."

She awaited a response with a wary gaze, Geoffrey at her side, but decided to quickly chime in a quick word before the woman either responded with words or actions: "Oh yes, and I do apologize ..."

 

[Nyla Crow]

Taking a moment to gasp for air, her response to Yasindra was delayed. After having reassured herself that she was still alive, she offered Yasindra a wary nod, standing up and dusting her jacket off. She kept her hands on her blaster and lightfoil, however; trusting this woman would almost assuredly end poorly for her. Still, it was good to have an ally of sorts, so she walked forward, and bowed slightly.

"What I did to you was use the Force."

Instead of waiting for a response, she slipped her way past Yasindra and into the cargo bay of her beloved ship - this was more her home than her actual tenement room was. With comfortable ease, she made her way to the pilot's chair, and leaned back.

"That girl, the one with stare. She's incredibly, incredibly powerful. I could feel her presence from Orbit." With a smirk, she turned and looked to the Arkanian.

"And we're going to find her."

 

[Boethiah]

Boethiah stumbled out of the light and into the darkness, the cavern's atmosphere was chillier compared to the mild climate of midday Dantooine weather. Yet eve as that chill nipped at the surface of the girl's skin, her attention was stolen by that which surrounded her. A Thick, misty fog emerged from somewhere deep within the cavern, faint light shaping around the corners at a distance. Sounds of clattering could be heard as well, yet its source remained unidentified for the time being.

Without much hesitation, she continued inward; rather than fending for herself... The witch still pondered on Nyla in confusion towards her powers. Something about them grasped her in the wrong way, and it was painful. Boethiah couldn't even recall the fact she had managed to unleash her own gifts as well. The path forward was dark and long, twisting and turning only subtly as she ventured within.

Her footsteps echoed quietly, and the deep, steady breaths she took distracted her from the mysterious ambiance.

 

[Yasindra Quorr]

"Hmph!", Yasindra huffed softly at the woman, lifting her fingers from the button, gently walking back from where she took the welder. "I suppose I have nothing better to do, anyway!", she finally spoke, her words gushing with sarcasm. "Oh wait, I do. Like ... everything but this". And as she hung the welder back, she took a careful seat on a crate, undoubtedly filled with some smuggled goods, as would befit a brigand. Her wary gaze had slowly turned back into the neutral gaze she normally wore, though it bit like a snake's. "Did you forget she somehow choked you from ... what ... half a mile away? However much it was ...- It seems rather suicidal. But I suppose I could do with picking up this garbage can for when you undoubtedly perish at her hands ... Oh- And I suppose I can't exactly leave either, can I ... What with your fancy Force."

She sighed and had a good look around the ship again with disappointed eyes. "It's going to need a lot of touching up, that's for sure ..."