Faction Arcane Restraint

[0-7]

Dantooine
Tags: Eloise Dinn , Braze

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword
​

"No… what are you seeing? Do you feel okay?"

"I said I'm fine."

The notion of watching through someone else's eyes was intriguing. Braze suggested Eloise may have experienced some sort of force connection to someone else. Seven wasn't sure if that was the case. She knew of an ability that Kalrath had spoken of where one could see the memories of an object. Maybe it was more like that.

Whatever Eloise's visions may have been, she seemed to agree that they should depart. Seven would follow suit and begin to wade her way back through the water behind Braze.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

"Maybe… you have a dyadic-like connection, or a Force bond, with someone else?"

"I doubt it," Eloise replied. As far as she knew, the closest she'd come to having a special Force bond with another person had been her twin brother Marcus. They'd been together since conception, and she was able to sense his death half a galaxy away. This didn't feel like it was related to him, nor could she trace its origin to anyone else she knew.

Her skepticism aside, Braze's theory was better than nothing. "Whatever it is, it'll have to wait until we get out of here for me to deal with it." All she could do for now was hope that another vision didn't happen at a worse time.

Picking her way across the river, she paused on the other side, once again sensing a presence nearby. It wasn't a person; the energy was that of a sub-sentient being, all instinct and hunger. It crept along the outer edges of her periphery, evading her gaze even as she whirled around, trying to track its movements.

"We've got company," she announced to the others, nose wrinkling. "Some kind of creature is following us. It's hungry."

Braze 0-7​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Eloise Dinn 0-7 ​

Braze didn't like the sound of that and put a little pep in his step, moving double-time towards the entrance… that was, until he saw a towering Kinrath at the front of the cave.

He came skidding to a halt on wet shoes, almost slipping right out from under himself as his arms shot out for balance. His eyes went wide, staring up at the Kinrath as it loomed there in the entrance, spinning pale strands of silk across the opening as if it meant to seal them inside.

Braze froze dead in his tracks like a deer caught in headlights. His whole body seemed to tremble in an involuntary manner as he started to step back away from the towering form, one foot searching blindly behind him for safer ground. His mouth parted as if he meant to say something but nothing came out at first.

 

[0-7]

Dantooine
Tags: Eloise Dinn , Braze

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword
​

Seven listened intently to what Eloise said behind her. Something hungry. She couldn't feel instincts to that degree, but she chose to accept that word as fact and steeled herself for the possibility of facing another beast. Braze seemed to dislike such notions and made haste back towards the entrance when they got out of the water. That was only for them to run into a Kinrath, blocking off the entrance. They had been noted before as present in the caves. It was then that Braze did something she didn't expect. He wasn't just afraid...

He was petrified.

"Oh? Well, if I'm the new favorite, that makes you yesterday's toy, doesn't it?" He asked still toying with her emotionally and trying to see what was driving these actions. He moved to catch her this time, aiming to bind her in a wrist lock after disarming her.

"Perhaps you'd like to tell me what charming sociopath I apparently remind you of?"

The sight was diametrically opposed to what she had to face when Kalrath sent her to procure him... or more likely sent her to what he imagined would be her demise. To be so comfortable to twist the emotions of an opponent, only to become a statue in the face of a creature that could easily be overpowered by his strength.

They were in total conflict with her understanding.

"Cover our back," Seven told to Eloise. "There may be others."

From there she strode past Braze and drew her lightsaber. A blend of gold and ruby light reflected off the walls of the cave as it came to life with a snap-hiss. The Echani had been the catalyst that showed Seven how weak she truly was. The feeble creature she was designed to be, forged by cruel hands to be a tool with an expiration date. She tried to tell herself that this was an opportunity to find an instance where she wasn't lesser than him. That she was acting purely selfishly...

Any such thoughts as she moved to face the spider-beast were hollow. She didn't really care about being stronger, not really. Her heart knew it was only earnest intention, even as her mind denied it.

When she was ready, Seven raised her blade and lunged forward to slice through the body of the Kinrath.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise froze up as soon as she laid eyes on the kinrath. Not out of fear, but because she was hit by a third poorly timed vision.

"Master, there are too many of them!" she exclaimed, blade flashing in the dark.

"Cover me!" While she moved into a defensive position, her master cut through layers of webbing barring the exit. Light filtered through the cave mouth. "Go now! I will catch up."

By the time Eloise snapped out of it, Seven was lunging at the creature while Braze hung back, stricken with terror. More creatures were crawling along the walls toward them, a whole swarm. Acting on warrior instinct, Eloise ignited her blade and started swinging. Dismembered limbs fell to the ground, the air filling with the sound of screeching. One kinrath lost its head, its body twitching and writhing even as the others walked over it, scrambling to get at the Jedi.

"We need to leave now!" Eloise exclaimed to the others.

Braze 0-7​

 

[Braze]

Tags: Eloise Dinn 0-7 ​

Braze stood nearly motionless, stricken with abject terror, even as Seven stepped forward and cut down the first one. He whirled around, saw the swarm of Kinrath, and caught the sight of Eloise valiant and violent as she tore into them, rending several limb from limb.... That seemed to find him the will to move again.

A shiver ran down his spine, the pit of his stomach dropped, and his blood ran cold. Then he darted out, moving with the Force in a sudden burst of frantic speed, breaking for the sunlight and away toward the armored vehicle.

He reached out through the Force, popping the locks and throwing three of the doors open before making a direct run for the driver's seat. He had no intention of staying here as he kicked the speeder on and in to drive. The speeder lurched closer toward the entrance, doors still open for the girls to climb in as he swung its side toward them. Braze sat wide-eyed and hyperventilating, white-knuckled hands locked around the wheel as though the whole world might fall apart if he let go.

 

[0-7]

Dantooine
Tags: Eloise Dinn , Braze

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword
​

Seven's eyes followed Braze as he darted ahead to get the speeder started up. At least he was moving again. It let her turn back and see how Eloise was fairing. There were way more creatures. Even as she cut through the Kinrath, the swarm advanced in a manner that clearly demonstrated the threat. They couldn't let themselves get surrounded. The former-assassin mustered up her strength and let out a Force Push to drive them back as much as she could to give Eloise some relief, enough time to get into the open transport at the mouth of the cave.

"Screw this place," Seven huffed.

And from there she turned and bolted to the speeder, hopping into her side of the vehicle.

 

[Eloise Dinn]

Eloise burst out of the cave swinging, but it was clear her priorities were on escape. She booked it toward the speeder Braze was now driving, grabbing hold of the top of the vehicle and putting her feet in. Thus perched, she continued to fend off the kinrath with the Force, knocking them back with a telekinetic shove.

"Braze, get us out of here!" she exclaimed. He was already flooring it, speeding them away from the cave mouth.

Eloise swung into the speeder and shut the door. "Anybody hurt?" she asked. Slinging her pack off her back, she checked that its contents remained secure. The crystals were safe inside.

Braze 0-7​

 

[Braze]

Tags: 0-7 Eloise Dinn ​

Braze didn't need any further prompting to get them outta there… His eyes were wide and unblinking as he zipped away from that cavern, silently thanking whatever small mercy had kept Leos from running into those same problems.

He panted lightly, slow blinks finally catching up with Eloise Dinn 's words a few heartbeats after they had been spoken. He didn't answer at first, both hands still fixed to the controls as he continued to drive.

"I think so…" he mused, glancing between the pair in the rear-view mirror as they left that place behind them. Only then did his nerves begin to loosen, though the relief came with a tremendous drop, exhaustion sinking cold and heavy into the pit of his core.

He shivered at the thought of the creepy crawlies, sitting up straight with a sudden, uneasy shift before he sank back down into his seat, shoulders tucked in as if he could fold himself smaller. He shook his head trying to dispel such imagery... It wasn't too terribly long before they returned to the restored temple, not with how fast Braze had been zipping through the savannas.

When he finally stopped, he put the speeder in park, leaned forward, and pressed his forehead against the steering wheel.

"Thank you both…" he squeaked.

 

[0-7]

Dantooine
Tags: Eloise Dinn , Braze

NK-Witell-class Freighter, 0A-155, Songbird (lightsaber), Vibrosword
​

"Anybody hurt?

Seven took a moment to examine herself. She hadn't felt anything, but sometimes it was hard to tell. A part of the side-effect of being initially made to be quite sensitive to pain was she wound up being numb to a fair amount of it at some point. when she was certain nothing had gotten to her she finally answered.

"No..."

She returned to silence and kept an eye on Braze's demeanor as they made their way back to the temple. Fear was natural. Her entire existence until that point had been curated around fear. And yet, there was something far more severe about what he had just experienced. Maybe it was similar to what she experienced in the presence of Kalrath. Something overwhelming that suffocated the spirit.

"Thank you both…"

The young woman didn't respond. She sat there for a moment and took in the gesture. Thanks. It was... alien to her. Seven wasn't really sure what to answer with. To be there amidst someone else's vulnerability, someone who had seemed to collected until now, felt strange. Maybe even a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't that it was wrong that Braze had thanked her, more how little she had ever heard the words in her life. Naturally, the Evereni did what she always did in situations she wasn't ever prepared for:

She silently got out of the speeder and approached the entrance of the Temple.

Seven wasn't quite ready for praise just yet.