Border Journey

[Talia Larkin Swift]

The assassin had been sent on a mission to Vjun. Word had it there were still heretics here and Bryn was sent here to investigate this. This would be one of her first solo missions and it might prove to her superiors just how capable she was. Landing in Bast Castle, it's halls were patrolled by Sith and soldiers alike. The fortress clearly under their control.

Something lead her outside though. Not too far away was a city and she decided to walk. Thinking the air here might lead her to some clarity in things.

Something caught her attention though and she went to investigate an old crash sight. Nothing had been recorded in the archives that she knew of and she wondered what had happened to the occupants. Leaving the site, she noticed movement and headed in that direction.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

Drauchir could hardly believe that he had been gone for almost 2 years. A lot had changed since the first time he had arrived to Vjun. Back then, he knew practically nothing about the great dark beyond that was the Galaxy. All he had known was Eregion, and the teachings of his people. But Ra had taken him in and offered him a home in the Dark Hand. A group whose purpose was to combat the threat of the Sith.

A fight which he was reminded was not going in their favor, as he trekked through through the terrain of Vjun to his old crash site. From the reports he had read, the Sith Empire had invaded the planet, and forced Ra and the Dark Hand to move to a new safe haven. But that was not why he was here. He had no intention of needlessly mourning a loss that had long since passed.

His focus was upon finding Eryneth, his apprentice that had gone missing the day they had crash landed here. Something which more sharply came to the forefront of his thoughts as he arrived to the wreckage of the YX-1980. A ship which he had intended to have repaired for his travels amongst the stars. But which had been too extensively damaged to make it worthwhile nor repairable in the time frame he had needed it in.

Thankfully, however, all of the relics of importance had been cleared from the ship and any data had been stored within the pendant he wore around his neck. Something he was grateful for as he picked his way through the wreckage, examining the storage bay that Eryneth had been sucked out of. While it seemed a fools task to come back here after so long looking for clues, it was the only lead he had. And he had a feeling that people would not quickly forget a young woman with platinum blonde hair.

He emerged from the ship, looking back along the trail of destruction. His focus shifting toward the city that he knew resided in that direction. If she had gone anywhere after the crash, he suspected that would have been it. Vjun's climate was harsh enough that she could not avoid a population center. And so he jumped clear of the ship and headed off toward the city on foot, hoping she was either still there, or had left him a clue as to where she was now.

He paused a moment then, glancing back behind toward the wreckage. While he could not see anyone there, something tugged at the edge of his senses. Like he was being followed. He shook his head and continued his trek toward the city. If anyone wished to follow him and try take him by surprise, then let them. He was more then ready to defend himself.


[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

She wore grey clothing to better match the ground of Vjun. It helped her to blend in better and remain hidden. Not well trained in the Force yet, she could not hide her presence. There was a chance he could pick up on that if he had that ability. If he looked past the wreckage, then he might notice her as she moved in that direction.

Using her cybernetic eye, she focused in on his form and crouched down to further avoid being seen. On his back, he had two swords. If a combat happened, she would have to make sure to be close to him. Luckily Bryn was a close quarter fighter and had no fear if it came to fighting. She didn't think it would happen though and kept watching him. When she was confident her movement wouldn't reveal herself, she moved out.

There weren't many items to hide behind, but when they were presented, she did hide. Moving with a great amount of stealth, she always stayed behind him. When he stopped, she did too. However, the last time he stopped, he turned his head just slightly and apparently looked right at where she was.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

For most normal people, his pursuers movements would have gone unnoticed. But Drauchir had been raised as a hunter. His very being shaped and warped to hunt the creatures of the night. So, despite her best efforts, he could still feel her behind him. The sound of the ground crunching beneath her feet, the pebbles rolling across the ground. A incessant feeling of being watched.

All tell tale signs of someone trying to follow him. And credit, where credit was due. Thus far her abilities had been good enough that he was curious about her. The fact that he was still alive and had not been attacked yet, meant that her intention was not to kill him. At least not yet anyway.

After what had to have been a few minutes of travel with her tailing him, he came to a stop and looked toward the rocky outcropping that his tail was hiding behind. "You're good... I'll give you that. But don't ever try sneak up on a sleeping gundark... Now come on out..."




[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

Her brows furrowed when he turned and looked at where she was hiding. As he spoke, it was clear he knew of her presence. There was no thread in his tone and she read curiosity on him more than anything else. He had not drawn or reached for any of his weapons, but he was the kind of man that could do that in a heartbeat. She had gathered this information from him because of the way he moved, how he walked and carried himself. This alone did not scare or deter her from following him.

They were made differently, but Bryn was just as much of a hunter as he was. Along different paths though. Cursing slightly, her hood remained over her head, but her face was uncovered as she stepped out from behind the rocks. She too had weapons, but they were hidden. Within easy reach though.

Moving with the grace of a cat, she held her hands at her sides and walked at a comfortable pace. Openly looking at him now, he might notice the cybernetic eye. Both of them took further stock of him and she stopped just outside of the reach of his long blade.

"What is a gundark?"

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

He turned fully to face her then, as the woman emerged from behind the rock and approached him. Her sense of ease quite apparent as she approached him, before coming to a stop. Not that he had any intent to strike at her. But it did not go unnoticed how far from him she had stopped. A faint smile forming as he examined her. His attention only briefly lingering upon the mechanical eye, and instead focusing upon the rest of her face. His eyebrow raising in a look of curiosity when she asked what a Gundark is. "A rather terrible creature, that you will know when you see it... Four arms, red skinned, and almost twice your size... Care to explain why you're following me? Hoping I might lead you to an easy bounty?"




[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

They were both silent as she walked over, both just looking and observing the other. Something she noticed was the faint smile as he looked at her face. That was something Bryn could use to her advantage. A weakness of men was the need for companionship and affection. Just how weak (or strong) he was she still needed to determine, but set her mind to doing that.

"Sounds like some sort of Sithspawn if you ask me."

He rightly asked why she was following him and she looked around the area surrounding them. Her eyes came back to meet his in almost an instant before she answered him.

"The Sith Empire controls this world, stranger. I am but one of a number and am here doing my duty to them. I follow you to find out what brought you here and report that to my leading officer."

Only parts of that were true, but he shouldn't be able to tell which was something Bryn fabricated yet. She was part of the Empire and felt like little more than a number, but she wasn't going to report this meeting to anybody.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

He gave a shrug as Bryn suggested the Gundark sounded like some kind of Sith Spawn. "Most likely..." He continued to remain un-phased as she stated the most obvious information about the controllers of this world. Even as she revealed she was a member of the organization, he stayed his hand. Merely letting out something of an exaggerated sigh as she spoke of reporting his activities to her superior officer. Either she knew who he was, or this kind of activity was normal for citizens living under Sith rule. At this stage, he suspected the latter. "It must be a slow day in Imperial Command, if they have you out following me... Well, let me save you some time. I'm here looking for a friend... Someone I lost contact with long ago... Good enough for you? Or do you intend to still follow me around?"




[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

Bryn was hardly anything more than a soldier, even if she was created and enhanced. Her childhood was still lost to her and her first memory was of Vanessa from when she went to sleep. At least the two of them agreed a Gundark was most likely some sort of creation by the Sith.

"Hey, I'm just doing my job."

A thought crossed her mind. If he had been able to pick up on the fact she had been tracking and following him, even with her training, that meant he was better at this than she was. Maybe he could teach her and improve her tactics. Pushing that thought away as he spoke on, Bryn listened and nodded.

"Who's your friend? Maybe we have information on her. Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you in for questioning."

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

Drauchir let out a sigh as he placed his hands upon his hips. Listening to her response, it seemed she was not taking a great deal of pleasure about her assignment anymore than he was. He met her gaze once more a few moments later. "Sorry... I had a long flight here..." He pulled out a slightly aged photo of Eryneth from his pocket and showed it to Bryn. "Her name is Eryneth. She crashed here a few years ago... She's a foot or two shorter than me..."



[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

As an associate of the Empire, questioning came somewhat naturally to Bryn. Even though she was trained as an assassin, she still needed to gather information now and then. Seeing this as an opportunity to accomplish a few things, she listened to Drauchir and realized something. Neither of them knew the other person's name.

However, that could be taken care of in a few minutes.

"Where did you come from?"

Taking the picture from him, she looked at the image and nodded. The face was familiar and she handed it back to him.

"I can't say I know her personally, but I have seen a file for a woman matching the description. She was taken captive when the planet was taken. Some few of the city there were brought in for questioning..."

Not elaborating on the point, he probably could imagine what had happened.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

He studied the woman for a few moments, wondering just how much to tell her about his own past.He raised an eyebrow for a moment, before adopting a more neutral expression once more as he crossed his arms. "That's... a bit of a long story... Suffice to say, me and Eryneth came from the same place... The name's Drauchir by the way... and you?" He accepted the photo back and returned it to his pocket as she spoke of a woman matching Eryneth's description having been captured when the planet was invaded. His brow furrowed as Bryn stated that a few of the residents in the city had been brought in the questioning. Which, if he knew the Sith Empire like he thought he did, likely meant torture. He set his gaze upon his new companion. While part of him hoped his suspicion was wrong, it was highly unlikely that anyone else around here looked similar enough to Eryneth to be mistaken for her. "Do you know where she might be now? Could you take me there, to see if it is her?"



[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

She wasn't asking about his origins, but his most recent place that he had come from. He evaded answering it and deflected the question. When he said he and Eryneth came from the same place, she accepted the answer with a curt nod. Giving his name, it was something Bryn would remember and make note of. Compiling information on him as they spoke, everything would be included in a report that would get filed away and then most likely collect dust.

"I'm Bryn."

There was more, but she didn't see the point in giving him any additional information about herself yet. It was a two way street and he probably felt the same way. When he asked if she knew where his friend was, she nodded and then shook her head when he concluded in asking if she could take him to see her.

"That is classified."

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

Any evasion she thought he might have been doing on purpose, was purely unintentional. Despite how long he had spent adjusting to life in the wider galaxy, there were still a few 'cultural' differences, so to speak. He gave a nod in response as she stated her own name. Something that seemed like a step in the right direction. But any progress they may have made, was quickly set back as Bryn stated that Eryneth's possible location was classified. He fixed her with a cold stare, as he caged his immediate desire to lash out at her. Despite her skills in stealth being substandard by his reckoning. He suspected she was more than ready to defend herself in a fight. "I didn't ask if it was classified... I asked if you could take me there. I would much rather do this the easy way, and offer you training in exchange for helping me. But do not under estimate the lengths I will go to, to rescue her... And if that means gouging that fancy eye of yours out, then so be it..." His voice remained un-raised as he spoke. His gaze remaining locked upon her.


[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

"You think to scare me?"

Her body tensed up at his words, not because she was afraid of it happening, but to defend herself if it did. The loyalty she had to the Empire was still too great to be tempted away at the thought of training. Even if it had crossed her mind once already. Besides, Bryn was not much more than a simple soldier here and just doing her job.

Not taking any steps back, she stood her ground and stared back at Drauchir. She didn't want to fight, but she also didn't want to break any codes that had been programmed into her when she was brainwashed by Vanessa.

"What I can tell you is she not being held here. All the prisoners from here were taken to Bastion. Good luck getting there though. It's the capital of the Empire and almost impossible to breach."

Of course, she could come and go freely and that was a card she held up her sleeve. Maybe he would think of that and take her captive before actually causing her harm.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

"Scare you? no, you've been trained to resist that..." He stayed where he was. Not budging even as she tensed up, preparing to defend herself against any attack. She grossly overestimated herself if she thought this was going to be any great fight. He simply nodded as Bryn stated that the prisoners had all been taken to Bastion, the Imperial Capital. The eye slits on his pendant glowing red briefly as the information was logged within the small internal database. "Almost impossible... Just means it might actually be a challenge. I will get in and get out with Eryneth... And you will help me. Otherwise that Empire of yours will conveniently find out that you have been fraternizing with enemies of the state... Remember that crash site back there? That's what I arrived here in, before the Empire ruled this world... How do you think your masters will react, knowing you were with a member of the Dark Hand? Help me, and it all disappears... They will never know you were there. Besides, Eryneth is no enemy of yours. Just an innocent bystander caught up in a war she knows nothing about..."



[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

Not relaxing her stance one bit, Bryn made no move to any of her hidden weapons. He did not move either and that was fine. Her guard remained up as she listened to what he was saying. Not giving away anything, she made a mental note of his admission and would certainly include that in any report she made about this encounter.

"You're one of the heretics then."

Threat of it being exposed that she fraternized with him actually didn't mean much to her. If she brought him in as a captive, then that wouldn't make any difference. On the chance he got away, then it could. One thing she wasn't going to assume is that he would come willingly into captivity and she wasn't going to just take him to his friend either.

"How do I think they will react? Not with very much care actually. If you want to see your friend, I can take you into captivity and reunite you."

What Bryn didn't include was what the Empire might do to him before he ever got to her.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

He let out a sigh as she made it clear that she was not going to willingly come along. He met her gaze once more as she suggested he give up so he could be reunited with Eryneth in captivity. "Yeah... I'm going to have to pass..." Pushing forward, he slipped his right hand out from under his left as he extended it forward in a fist toward Bryn's forehead. Hoping to catch his opponent by surprise and knock her out with one hit. After all, he still needed her alive. And while being taken captive was an option, it would be a much longer process to escape.


[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]

 

[Talia Larkin Swift]

If Bryn had any real sense of humor at the moment, she would have probably chuckled a little at his comment. The suggestion had been given as her alternative to fighting. He was of a different mind though and he closed the distance between them. Her body had been enhanced when she was just a teen and the girl had grown into the woman she was now.

One bred for fighting, combat and assassination. She ducked under his attempt to hit her head and sent a quick jab in the direction of his currently exposed side. If the hit connected, it might leave a bruise, but not any permanent harm or damage.

"At this rate, you won't make it to your friend."

Hopping out of his reach, she stood ready to continue the fight if he pressed the issue.

[member="Drauchir"]

 

[Drauchir]

He had hoped he might have been able to close the distance quickly enough to knock her out and get this over with. Unfortunately she was faster than he had anticipated, and dodged beneath his swing. The leather and chainmail armour that covered his side took the brunt of the impact from the jab. But even so, he still winced slightly as the strike was still felt beneath the armour. He twisted slight to keep Bryn to his front as she taunted him. "I will get to her, I'm a lot harder to kill than I look..." He edged in closer to Bryn, He still remained unarmed since his intent was not to kill her. "Don't make this harder than it has to be... You help me, and I'll make sure they never know you were there..." He kept his guard low as he struck out with his left hand to grab at her right arm, to protect against any retaliatory strikes.



[member=Bryn Celli Ddu]