Chapter 1: Sojourn (PM To Join)

[Mythos]

The time had come... for the first time in his life Mythos found himself leaving One Sith space and thinking no more of his future with the order... there was no future with the order for him as far as he was concerned. With him aboard the stolen frigate was [member="Kida Malgus"], his adoptive daughter and [member="Serena Bouie"] the mother of his child Adas who was also with him... he could hear the cries of the boy through the corridors of the ship even through the roar of the engines. He knew Kida hated flying, but once they reached Dagobah both her and Groom would no doubt be happier for the most part.

He still had not gotten used to loosing his powers, so dependent on them that still he reached through to use telekinesis to grab things only to stare at his open palm futilely grasping at air. The trip had been uneventful, stopping in various space stations for resupply then moving on with the aid of the faithful Jar'Kai who still served Mythos even after his leave. The Jar'Kai had lost numbers, originally three hundred strong now slightly more than half of them remained. It was quiet in space... Dagobah was chosen by Mythos because of two things, the first being that it was secluded and abandoned enough for the One Sith to never look there and the second being that it was a planet filled with nature and wildlife that no doubt would make Kida very happy. Across his neck was the daux cat figurine his daughter had made, his fingers grasping at the carved wood while his brown eyes stared at the blank lines of hyperspace travel.... pondering...

Dagobah appaeard in front of his eyes. "We are home..."

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

[member="Mythos"]

Serena came forward holding young Adas, she was still tired whatever had happened that day had taken a great toll on her. But she was recovering slowing. She looked out to Dagobah.

"I"ve been here before it is a place of great wonder so much to see and learn. There are Jubba birds elusive colorful, and force sensitive. Dragonsnakes, spiders, the swamp itself, it is...teeming with life that waits for us." Serena had seen ahead, her far sight giving her glimpses.

She put a hand out for Animus , "Is [member="Kida Malgus"] ok with this, does she understand?" Serena fretted over the girl perhaps that was her instincts. Maybe during the times ahead she could become closer to her.

Serena's time with her family would be finite, a mere drop in the ocean, the smallest of ripples, and yet in her arms she knew her son had a part to play in the future.

Behind them Serena had left Izumi who did not understand why they were leaving, and Arabella who more than once said they should stay at her estate. But all avenues had been weighed, and this seemed to be the easiest. Serena had to admit...it was a bit frightening.

 

[Armand Temi]

She’d been warned of Dagobah being inhospitable, but Astrid found this to not be true. Food was plentiful – cyanoberrries, jubba bird eggs and Adder moss. The green spongy moss-plant was a particular favorite of hers. Chewy and flavorful, it could be eaten fresh and wet, or dried and saved for later, when her supplies of food were limited. Eventually, once she became used to the thick, humid forests and the hazardous swamps, she eventually stalked and killed toads and bog rats for the protein. For a petite human girl raised on a secluded space station, she was a competent hunter. But she had summers in Shili, spending each day living among Togruta tribes, to thank for that.

For the longest time – what felt like months really but was probably days – Astrid traveled alone, sleeping in caves and makeshift huts. But eventually she grew lonely and knowing there was a benevolent, tribe-like species called Hepsalum Tash, she tried to locate them, but as they were a fairly reclusive species, Astrid was unable to.

Muddy, tired and hungry, she made a small camp in a dry cave, eating the last of her dried adder moss. Dagobah sounded perfect, at the time, thought Astrid - an appropriate hiding place from her father and mother who were part of the One Sith, who expected her to grow into a great Sith warrior. Of course, mother would have pushed alchemy upon the young girl. Father would want to her to fight. But I do neither of those things very well at all, thought the human-Togruta hybrid. Which is why she had run away in the first place, paying to be smuggled in a cargo hold until she reached her swampy destination.

But now Astrid grew lonely for company. At least one other person maybe. Someone peaceful and kind. Not like her sister, but a true friend. If it was a Tash, well Astrid could live with that. Perhaps like the Togruta on Shili, a Tash family would take her in. She lay by her small fire, prodding it with a stick and pondered over her decision, coming to the conclusion that she could not stay alone her whole life.

She would have to come out of hiding at some point. But she wasn’t quite ready to do that yet.

[member="Mythos"] [member="Serena Bouie"] [member="Kida Malgus"]

 

[Lief]

[At the moment Kida still looks like this; current artwork is for once she's adjusted on Dagobah]

Kida had stowed away for the entirety of the journey, clutching at Groom who never once left her side. The pair had become even more inseparable lately, with the arrival of young Adas. Groom found the babe a little too noisy, though he would monitor from afar and no doubt be the first one to the youngsters side should anything be amiss. As for Kida, she worried about her place in the family now that a trueborn child had graced her Father's life. A son, no less.

Deep down she wondered if Groom sensed that, her helplessness, her worry and stress. She had been abandoned before, and Mythos had tried to sway her mind against the thoughts, but all the same it left a sinking feeling in her stomach. It had taken a long time for her to readjust to being cared for by another, to being loved and cherished, to wearing clothes and talking, walking. To being a civilised human.

She hoped that now their stint on Atrisia, and with the Sith, was over, she could return to her more primal roots. Though that depended on where they ended up.

The ship slowed, Kida had become well versed in monitoring its movements away from the viewing ports and command deck, yet she knew that they had not yet touched down. While some worlds lacked wildlife, they often made up for it in other ways. People, for example. But they were in a void right now. That was the part she despised the most. There was no grounded connection for her here, just the few beating hearts of those she held dear. Not that they were not enough for her.

Kida was simply used to being among nature.

[member='Mythos'] [member='Serena Bouie'] [member="Astrid Santii"]

 

[Mythos]

If Mythos knew one thing was to be sure of the love of his daughter for nature and the love of his partner of archaeological and historical sites of long dead races, people or culture. Here in Dagobah Mythos appeased both with the choice, it was a world almost entirely covered in swamps and wildlife and a nexus of darkside energy that would do good for Adas and was a prime land for the archaeological desires of his companion. He looked over to Serena and pulled her in with her hand to lay her worries down with a passionate kiss that lasted a bit longer than he intended. The pilots on the crew shuffled in their seats at the display of affection but Mythos was unconcerned and pulled back from the kiss when he well felt like it. "Worry not, I know my daughter, she will love this world even more than she loved the pastures of Atrisia, you can bet on it." He stated confidently, his pride and self assurance was unshaken even after the past events, it only steeled his resolve.

The Jar'Kai in the frigate had kept up their routine training as was expected of them, it was known to Mythos that the front line of the Jar'Kai had shifted entirely their focus and he had helped with new training to their desire during the trip, yet he knew they above all else would need some getting used to when it came to this planet. He looked to Serena with a knowing smile and raised his eyebrow as he revealed to her what he knew about a certain place in Dagobah. "As for you... i know you will like this place once you get past the bogs and swamps..." He paced closer to her, laying another hiss in her neck as he walked closer and closer to her. "This planet is strong in the force, great for our son and also riddleswith mysteries that your eyes and skill with the radacons can uncover... this world holds much in history, i know once you find your first figurine you wont want to leave" He chuckled then turned back to the transparisteel command port, watching the red and blue blazing streak lines of the vessel breaking atmospherically entry. He frowned, knowing now to be the deciding moment where he needed to act and set up work, arriving was easy but setting up base camp was not.

Before leaving we looked at his son and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Don't give your mother much trouble now, I will be back in a flash" He shot his love a wink then stormed out of the command center back into the fray shouting at the soldiers of the Jar'Kai to prepare for landing and ready the equipment, he also passed by the room of Kida opening the door enthusiastically to let her know the news. "We are here, common, bring Groom" He turned knowing she would follow to the docking bay and after a few steps the loud *boom* of the frigate hitting ground and the ramp door being dropped echoed through the entire ship.

For the first time Mythos' eyes were placed on the swamps of Dagobah and he rushed to breathe the fresh air of the outside noticing the humid smell and breeze of carbon monoxide with pure oxygen. The first thing he noticed was that they lad landed next to a large swamp and a small lake and the frigate had landed on a massive pile of good land, albeit muddy and filled with vines. Large snakes covered the ground here and there and although it was technically daylight it wasn't very bright. "Alright boy and gals you know the drill, lets start building us some roofs and some floors... Kida and I will go ahead and scout for a while" Looking back to his daughter and the hound with a smile, he bent his knees and ran out on a dash to explore this new world... what was behind those tall trees was an enigma he sought to uncover. The adventure had begun.


[member="Kida Malgus"] [member="Astrid Santii"] [member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

"If you think so" she replied to his words regarding [member="Kida Malgus"] . Serena had to admit who wouldn't love being out in the bogs and swamps of a planet covered in wildlife, and plants.

And if it was as [member="Mythos"] said a place where they could continue their love of archaeology then it would seem that Dagobah was perfect for them. And now they all had a task keeping Adas in the sling she began the task of clearing a way a place that could have a floor.

This looked to be near the place where she and Connor had once played among the trees. Course he had been very stubborn and hated being near the water, and bugs. Worse than most high born women.

Now there were other species here on Dagobah, she knew it. She wondered if the bird she had chased that day still lived. So much had already grown over, it was hard to distinguish the landscape.

She watched as everyone went off to scout.

[member="Astrid Santii"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Just as she prodded the fire enough that it warmed up more than a small radius around the smoking pit, she heard an unfamiliar noise. The Tash! I’ve found them after all.

But soon, her ears detected the mechanical whine of a ship landing. Sithspit, I’ve been tracked, she thought, or double-crossed by the smuggler perhaps, her location sold to a bounty hunter who would drag her back to the Retreat… or Shili… or even Glee Anselm to face the wrath of her parents. Amata would likely be there too just to witness her downfall, taking pleasure in her shortcomings as usual.

There was no hiding in the shallow cave, but Astrid extinguished the fire just the same. Still, curiosity got the better of her and she slung her homemade bow across her back, picked up a few arrows and tentatively emerged from the cave. Moving through the reeds, she spied a small group. Now they did not look threatening, but that didn’t mean they weren’t. But she recognized no one from the retreat, and based on the figure of a young woman with a child in a sling, she assumed it was not a group of bounty hunters or slavers.

Astrid waited a few beats and then finally emerged from her hiding place into the clearing where the ship hand landed and the scouting party had begun. Her face had been originally painted red and white, but currently most of her skin, hair and now-tattered tunic, pants and boots were completely caked with mud.

The bow twanging, the human-Togruta hybrid shot a warning arrow, which thunked into a large tree nearby the group, but not close enough to signal either danger or the fact that she was a good shot. Maybe it was foolhardy and she was about to be shot full of blaster bolts, but she needed to at least establish that she would fight back if pressured.

“Who’s there?” Astrid called out. It was time to meet the newcomers.

[member="Mythos"] [member="Serena Bouie"] [member="Kida Malgus"]

 

[Lief]

The moment the ship landed, the second the ramp fell, Kida shot from her room and out of the ship. Her actions were so swift that they could easily be mistaken for an extension of the Force. The truth of the matter was that the child was simply very well versed in sprinting, her legs having become more powerful since learning to walk. It was only natural that she would seek to retain and mimic her Daux-like mannerisms even in human form. After all, she had been a Daux for so long...

Groomed lolloped after her, hot on her tail, though the voice of her Father bit through her ecstasy and pulled her back around toward the starship. She longed to roll around, to transform and prowl, but Papa had other ideas.

Or did he?

As he explained that they had work to do, her task seemed to be exactly that. Without warning the girl transformed with a tearing sound, clothes crumpling to the ground. She had gotten good at not doing that, at removing them first or at least the outer layers, but this felt different. She could apologise later, right now she needed to stretch her legs.

She saw Mythos' initial sprint as not just an invitation, but a challenge.

And so she was off, darting through the trees alongside Groom. The pair made a formidable team on their own, but Force help anyone who tried to stand between the terrible trio that now made their way through the swamps of Dagobah.

[member="Astrid Santii"] [member="Serena Bouie"] [member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

Only looking back when the stride was in full swing, only turning to gaze at the rumbling foliage around him, Mythos jumped and ducked under and over vines and trees to the ever rhythmical splash of the swamp under his boots. He could feel his daughter and his hound slowly catching up to him and with a smile on his face put his legs in overdrive. It was like a scout mission like the old Sith Assasin days in his acolytehood yet not at the same time, no enemies, no blasterifre crossfire from the trees and no thumping artillery shells blasting around him... just the fog of the woods and a eerie yet exhilarating sensation of discovery. The elite Jar'Kai never left his flanks yet even with their force enhanced speed Mythos was able to keep up.

Around a bend the fallen king sprawled over after hitting a protruding root of a large tree and headed down face first into the muddling water and intertwined vines of the floor. He exhaled, the sudden hit to the ground granting him a epiphany he had put off for the longest time.... no longer. Instinctively he called to the force to aid him standing up but there was no response... one knee after Mythos pulled himself back up from the floor and wiped the mud from his armor and brought his hands to his face. "Have i always been so weak?...."

It was a question he had put off for too damn long.

He was thin, barely one hundred and fifty pounds, the armor he wore before he had lost his powers would have been much easier to carry and almost weightless yet it was not now without the force to aid him in his lack luster strength. His daughter and his hound were not far off and he made sure than when they caught up to him which would be in seconds they did not see him in weakness... yet there was nothing he could hide from his daughter... or from his men for that matter.

Clenching his fists Mythos bit down on his lower lip in determined frustration against his impotence and weakness. "No... i must become strong again... with or without the force, i shall become stronger than i ever was before..." His words were accompanied by the thump of an arrow next to the trunk of the great tree. By pure instinct Mythos drew the axe from his back and the rudis taking the stance of Jar'Kai which felt awkward and vulnerable without the aid of the all encompassing force. His eyes scanned the forest for the voice that accompanied the warning shot.

Before he settled in his stance, lightsabers ignited in the trees above him and around him and clanking rifles were trained upon she who fired the primitive weapon. The Jar'Kai prepared to eliminate the hostile entity before Mythos even realized there was a threat. "Contact, four-three east sector, we got natives!"

The Jar'Kai captain, unsheathing the sith sword before him flanked Mythos and formed a protective parameter around him to protect him from what could be a much more accurate shot. Something inside Mythos stirred, he shook his head and broke forward from the formation, weapons tight in his hands and still wary of yet another shot. "We are visitors... we mean no harm..." He thought of ordering his troops to lower their weapons, yet... there was still some Sith mentality in him that prevented that from happening.

He could only Hope Kida did not go Feral on the natives along with groom...

[member="Kida Malgus"] [member="Astrid Santii"] [member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Serena was spreading her hands and pushing the fallen debrie away they needed a base to build upon, and while they could not go deep into the soil for platforms due to the water table, they could go upwards, and upwards would require a base, and walksways over the waterways, and protection from dragonsnakes that roamed the waters freely.

She drew a deep breath and then looked down at Adas who slept so soundly. The galaxy thought them gone, disappeared or dead but she had been sure to send her family a picture of Adas so they would know how beautiful he was. She wondered if his name should not have been Lucifer so beautiful as an angel, but [member="Mythos"] told her what he believed to be the destiny of their son.

If his destiny was to be so, she would make sure that for as long as she could she would show him love. His eyes were so blue right now, hair so blonde it seemed almost white, he was the child from her dreams. This had been her destiny all along, all the darkness that had crawled inside her for so long was actually preparing her for the meeting with Mythos so that their son would be born.

The men left behind with her began to mark out the dimensions of the home that they would all share during the exile here on Dagobah.

[member="Kida Malgus"] [member="Astrid Santii"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Astrid was still crouched in the loamy reeds, legs beginning to cramp from the tense position. She heard one of the beings rush past, not too close, but it made her hit the ground with fear. As the human-Togruta hybrid rose back up, her hands and knees were caked with slick mud.

That will make it difficult to shoot another arrow, she thought.

As fate would have it, the next words she heard were "We are visitors... we mean no harm...” But with a group of troops surrounding him, could the young daughter of two Sith Lords even compare to a warrior with his guards?Visitors like herself? Friend or foe?

Eventually it was the warrior’s thin frame and weathered face, which made her approach. Astrid slowly made her way out of her cover and lay her bow down in front of her, a gesture of surrender or even peace. “I believe you,” she said in a soft, shaky voice.

Astrid now noticed [member="Serena Bouie"] setting up their camp and clearing debris. The sight of the young woman, filled her with a pang of homesickness for The Retreat, Shili and even her Sith Lord mother who would occasionally and when time permitted, rock her to sleep after she’d had a nightmare.

“I’m Astrid,” she said. “Who are you?”

[member="Mythos"] [member="Kida Malgus"]

 

[Lief]

The child was blissfully unaware of her Father's misgivings. Now that she was in her feral form, that of a Daux cat, little would get in her way as she bounded through the swamp and swiftly came to be by her Father's side; she had always been unnaturally fast as a feline, and it didn't tax her at all. If anything she felt better for her run.

At her side Groom howled, feeling the same rush as she no doubt. Kida knocked her body against his affectionately, propelling them both off course and into the murky waters of the swamp. Thankfully this was not acidic like the others they had tried to swim in before. Kida still had a slight scar from that burn!

All at once she heard another splash as Mythos tumbled to the ground. Ears pricking up, the girl turned her head and snarled. Nothing would hurt her Papa!

Bounding toward him, with Groom following suit, Kida came to where he lay in the swamp and sniffed around, making sure he wasn't hurt. He stood up just as she arrived, and spoke something that was intelligible to her in this form. Her maw nuzzled against his leg, a great beast that was as soft as a kitty cat where her Papa was concerned.

She didn't see him as weak. She didn't see him in a different light. All she saw was the Father she adored. So what if he had tripped over a root? Everyone did something like that at times!

The arrow, however, snatched her attention from Mythos as yet another snarl left her; this time her head sunk low, shoulders rolling as she prowled slowly forward and began to pace circles around her Papa. No one would harm him while she and Groom were here.

No one.

But she did not pounce. She did not attack. She waited for the right sign. Feral she may have been, but Kida had learned how to control it for the sake of her Papa.

[member="Astrid Santii"] [member="Mythos"]

 

[Mythos]

Tense moments like this was what training was for, no rash movements and no itchy trigger fingers. Mythos nodded and flashed a few coded hand signals and the lightsabers disengaged and the rifles were put on saftey. The weapons he held at each hand still called out for blood, even if he could not longer hear them in the force it was an urge that was hard to kick. Rhythmical breathing brought calm senses, one boot after the other accompanied by the splash of the swamp,Mythos patiently paced over to their "host"

She spoke her name and then asked for his, Mythos knew better than to give a recognizable one, it was the first time Mythos had thought of an secondary identity up to this point. He thought fast and the name came without hesitation."Colt, Killian Colt. We are setting up base over the lake and have food and shelter." He paused for effect, another hard habit to kick. "This is my daughter and Mr. Security" Groom introduced himself with a snarl and turned back to camp, sensing the danger was gone but still on edge.

Wiping his hair and swatting aside the water and muck he managed a smile and a gesture back to the camp."You are welcome to join us for supper if you wish." He turned back to the camp without even glancing back before he finally spoke in just enough a high tone his host could hear. "It would seem we are neighbors now"

He turned to his daughter and to the captain of the red guard Jar'Kai. "We could have more hosts that are not so kind, we will take west bank of the swamp and you boys and girls can take the east. Sound good?" He smiled at his daughter and shot her a wink, the race she wanted was not yet over and this parameter would not be clear until they had at least a mile in every direction mapped out.
"Yes my liege" The captain said with his usual traditional bow and headed off in the direction of the east bank of the swamp land aside from the construction of the base which Mythos could see by the distance that Serena was already handling quite fine. This time groom already had the lead by a full score of yards between the tree trunks as Mythos nodded in approval. "Last one around is a Nerf herder"
He said with a laugh before taking one large stride over a tree trunk and impulsed himself from the tree ahead with a mighty stride, this time determined to blaze through and make his body and skills up to the task.

[member="Kida Malgus"] [member="Astrid Santii"] [member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Darth Ren Malgus]

Serena turned and looked in the direction that a tremor of the force seemed to radiate from, Adas with his bright blue eyes looked up and seemed to want to look where his mother looked.

There was a moment, then she heard [member="Mythos"] voice he was alright good. She turned and went back to clearing the path needed to outline the house. This place would have to be secure it would have to have a strong foundation, and they would need to be able to put in ways to escape, not from the flora and fauna of Dagobah but from anyone who might come to find them, for those that stumbled upon them, and anyone who would do harm.

"Mistress" Serena turned, "yes" they pointed in the direction of the swamp, "We are going to set a guard station at least there" She nodded her approval, "Good, we might want to think about one in the trees too, give us a view of anyone incoming" Tasked now they went off to make it so.

What was Mythos doing out there? She had to giggle some, she didn't think he'd like the swamp, she on the other hand had always love living things like plants and animals.

[member="Astrid Santii"] [member="Kida Malgus"]