Deadmist Memories

[Kai Acheron]

OOC:
This thread takes place approximately 10 - 11 years in the past, within the mists of Dathomir and expands on the history between two characters that came from completely different sects of society. Enjoy!
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Thunderous roars of plasma engines reverberated off of the rigid faces of the Singing Mountains, as the courier-sized frigate prepared its landing sequence above the shrilling reeds. Much of the floating rock was uneven, threatening to force even the slightest miscalculation of the landing gear placement into sending the vessel plummeting into the terrain far below, beyond the dense icy mists that surrounded the vast majority of the planet. Glo’ra had been at the controls for nearly three hours, weaving the vessel in and out of the hovering formations of sediments. Dathomir was strong with the Force, as were a portion of its inhabitants, but that wasn’t the only focus that seemed to catch her attention. Even more so, her apprentice had been mesmerized by the scientific value of the mysteries lying beneath the surface. Magnetic disturbance that ushered the defiance of gravity beyond the basic laws of physics, beaten into submission. Mind-boggling perplexities that were the local wildlife. Kai couldn’t even begin to cover the culture between the various species and the two primary humanoid sects of society.

Fanning her tendrils out to rest as the ship landed, the adolescent was let out of the ship and onto the rock to check the placement of the gear before gaining an anti-grav pack to help their descent into the wilderness. The duo had been touring the planet for the better part of three years, venturing between the multiple clans that called the place home. Learning their norms, rituals and rights of passage was an important part in his training…focusing less on the broad details and more of the meaning behind how they treated the Living Force. Glo’ra had been consumed with the study of it her entire life, and while she was able to appease Kai’s need and particular affinity for strong blade work, her heart had always been with reconciling towards the people of the galaxy. Learning more about them, and in turn how to best be in synergy with the Force around her.

It was a bit expansive of an ideology for the teenager to understand, barely sixteen years of age at the time. He’d visited the Temple of the Stars, not four hundred kilometers from where they were. The titanous Misty Falls, and the even less remembered Rivers of Stone. Today was different, however. They would be jumping, with their anti-grav gear and lowering themselves into one of the least explored areas of the planet in nearly two centuries. At one point a village had been settled there, long since having fallen into ruins and been reclaimed by nature. Aurilia, it had been called, nearly a millenium ago.

There were tales of the hamlet appearing beyond the nigh impermeable mists to a select few for only the briefest of periods, later to mask itself when its secret had been discovered. A connection to the Force was incomparably strong here. Either sensitives had lived and died here, numerous points of training or rights of passage took place, or something Kai feared…a particularly important event. That usually meant battles. Things that, despite how natural he was with a light saber — even for his age, he shied away from conflict. It meant people dying.

As well as he could defend himself, Glo’ra hadn’t let him venture far by himself on the planet, unlike the wastelands of Tatooine or the glorified marshes of Naboo. Those had been relatively tame by comparison, even though they too held lethal mysteries lurking beneath the surface. The Togruta had been more than a master to him. More importantly she had been practically his mother, taking watch over him as he aged from a child into a teenager, and likely would continue to do so until he was of age to completely fend for himself. They were for, all intensive purposes, family. Where he went, she went. Occasionally he would get lucky and gain some private time as a reward for performing exceedingly well on a duty assigned to him, but the woman would never be far. She always had a watchful, yet compassionate eye.

That had been his weakness — the simplest acts of kindness. Something that had been nearly absent during their time amongst the tribes present on the planet. There was the infrequent welcome to the village…usually at weapon point, but after a few days of guarantee that there was no ill will or harm they were finally brought to the point of ignorance by much of the residents. Within a month generally they’d been accepted as ‘not causing a disturbance’, and were able to converse with most of the individuals.

Socializing had never been one of Kai’s strengths. He fumbled with words, and well…Dathomirians weren’t particularly fond of men. Moreso off-worlders, let alone those that weren’t of Zabrakian or Dathomirian descent. Humans were practically unheard of in this region, if it wasn’t a Mandalorian. He’d crossed paths with at least one Nightbrother clan that attempted to recruit him into their ranks, only for Glo’ra to step in with a resounding ‘No!’ after witnessing their customs. Needless to say the experience hadn’t been a pleasant one.

Hopefully venturing into these misty ruins, as they finished their descent following the plunge, there wouldn’t be any dangers lurking for them. But on a hostile planet in which you could barely see two meters in front of you? Visual senses were less reliable, and you learned quickly to focus on your other sensory talents. Especially the Force. Something he was sorely lacking in his ability to harness beyond a blade.

 

[Vakarian]

The boy ran, he ran for all that he was worth. His feet dancing nimbly on the familiar ground that was Dathomir surface, it was clear that the child knew where he was and that he was familiar with the terrain. He was as a blur, weaving in and out of the foliage that snaked over head. He could hear the harsh language of his 'brothers' close behind him, they were on his trail and he knew that if he didn't get away from them soon, they would find him and punish him. He was running, not out of fear or cowardice, but out of hatred and sorrow. Night Brother training was not easy for an adult, even less so for a child - a human child at that. The zabrak were physically resistant to greater amounts of pain, thus they were able to endure more physically demanding tasks and wounds - he was not. And, the added fact that he was only a child of eight years of age only served to further his reason for being in the wilds.

He could not endure more pain, his limit had been reached some time ago, but only now had he had the chance to get away from them. He had slipped away hours before the dawn and escaped the gaze of the watch, fleeing into the forest at the foot of the mountains. The Night Brothers had tales of a village in the mountains, protected by an impenetrable mist that was created through the abilities of the people that had once lived there. The township was said to have appeared only to force sensitives, and only they were able to pierce the mist and discover the haven from Dathomiri dangers.

Coryn himself had never seen it, but he would take any avenue that presented itself, to get away from his 'brothers'. The harsh voices of his brothers were closing in on him, he could faintly hear their footfalls as they followed his trail. It wasn't too long after that that three zabrak burst through the foliage and turned their large, harsh, amber eyes on the young Coryn. Their faces were twisted into cruel smiles as they drew closer to him. He shook with fear and it flooded his eyes, but beneath that fear was an instinct far greater - survival. His survival instinct was screaming at him, pleading with him to listen to it, to banish the fear from his heart and to allow his instincts to do their jobs. Every step made brought the brothers closer to him, and every footfall struck another chord of fear in his heart, renewing him with a sense of hopelessness.

He would be caught, and punished, for running away from the village. It showed weakness and that was something that the Night Brothers did not believe in. They were to show no weakness, they were to fear nothing, and most of all... They were to fight. That was the life of a brother; you fight, you train, you fight, and you may be chosen as a mate or servant for the Nightsisters that dominated the far side of the planet. The brothers were nothing but tools for the sisters, tools to create their legacies and to serve their every whim.

He didn't want that for himself, he wanted more. He didn't like the constant nightmares that plagued him when he slept, he didn't like the darkness. He had chosen a long while ago that he wanted to follow the Light, to protect those who could not protect themselves. But, that choice was harder to enact than it was to choose. The brothers did not look kindly upon softness and compassion, they favored the darker spectrum of survival and merciless natures. He needed to get away from them.

Sapphire eyes darted up, as though they had been freed from his thoughts, and he became aware that he had allowed his pursuers to get within several yards of him. If they came any closer, they would capture him and take him back to the village. He wouldn't be taken back to that place, "You cannot take me back there. I will not go!" , his youthful cries echoed across the emptiness of the forest and brought a cruel smile back to the faces of the three zabrak across from him, their yellowed teeth showing in clear enjoyment of the boys words. It was clear that they believed he had no choice in the matter, that they would take him by force if that was needed.

It was then that a roar of engines blasted through the skies, and drew the attention of the three zabrak and his own eyes, as they all looked to the sky for the source of the sound. The village itself was well hidden away from the eyes of all but the sisters. The village that he had been brought to did not take kindly to off worlders, and had it not been for the command of the sisters that he be allowed to remain with the brothers, he likely would not have been alive.

Tearing his eyes away from the sky, he took this opportunity to escape from the brothers. By the time they turned their eyes back to him, he had already gone through the foliage and taken to the trees, they would not be able to track him from there. His footing was near perfect as he leaped from limb to limb with precision and surety, making it clear that this was not the first time that he had tried to run from his life. He cast his mind into the force, allowing his consciousness to spread in equidistant range around him, drinking in the presences of all that was around him. He had been practicing with his sensory ability for a long time, using it to evade the monsters that took residence in the forests and mountain ranges.

His own natural stealth abilities played a part in his ability to evade most danger, one needed to develop stealthy ways to stay alive on Dathomir - everything wanted to kill you, after all.

After several more minutes of dancing from tree limb to tree limb, Coryn paused and cast his consciousness in the direction that he was running from. As he did so, he could faintly feel the presence of the three zabrak brothers heading in the other direction. They had given up for now, though it was sure that they would be back with better trackers. For the moment, he had time to rest and regain his thoughts, pulling away from his connection to the Force and returning to his normal range of senses.

He needed to rest before he decided on his next course of action, he had expended quite the amount of energy running away from his brothers, as well as the use of Force Sense. He leaned heavily against the trunk of the tree, closing his eyes and focusing on the calming of his breathing and slowing of his hear rate, not realizing that he was entering a weakened state of jedi meditation.

 

[Kai Acheron]

Descending through the foggy mists was more of a challenge than one might have expected. Even with the instruments on the anti-grav pack, Kai had needed to swerve to the right or left on at least six occasions, landing directly in his master’s path. The floating rocks and debris of the Singing Mountains didn’t make navigation any easier, with the occasional spot of an avian flying up to investigate their slow climb downwards.

As the duo neared what the device had calculated to be the surface, there was little visible other than the thick mists of the planet, as was expected. He didn’t know if it was solid ground, muck from a swamp or something entirely different. There was, however, the loud pad of feet pounding against hard earth and screaming in a foreign tongue that the apprentice had only recently begun to pick up. Bits and pieces of taunting some kind of escapee to return to its rightful place in prison.

Save for his master, who had yet to set down and was still easily a good five minutes behind him, due to constantly needing to readjust her course, Kai was on his own. At least he could rely on his instincts and sense of auditory events, even if he couldn’t see in front of him. Part of the teenager wanted to reach out with the Force, but his own sensory skills applied to such arts was limited at best. Like thin ethereal tendrils they reached out, passing as a methodical sonar for him, allowing the boy to detail the landscape around him. There was a large outcrop of boulders to his adjacent corner, from where he had landed, and directly across there were three figures closing quickly.

“Enough of your hiding!” a masculine voice ripped through the fog. “You’re wasting our time. Come back with us now and your punishment for abandoning your duties may not be as severe as the Clan Mother would bestow.” Frowning, Kai could only wonder what kind of ‘duty’ a person had gotten themselves into that demanded punishment for simply walking off and exploring. But then again, he had only landed in the middle of an incident. It may very well could have been a younger person fleeing for their lives. Dathomirians, especially Nightbrothers, whom he assumed the voice belonged to, weren’t known for their hospitality. Moreso their savagery.

Holding his position, Kai’s device echoed off a brief ring to inform him that Glo’ra had just set foot onto the ground, about eight meters to his south. She was likely assessing the situation and waiting to see if her pupil would make any interactions or intervene in an engagement that didn’t involve them. He didn’t seem to be have given the opportunity, however, as the young apprentice had been approached by the three silhouettes that had previously been hidden.

“Where is he?” the tallest of the group all but shrieked in question at Kai, whom simply lifted an eyebrow. He stood his ground, hand ready on his hip to grab the ancient weapon if need be.

“Where is who?” the teenager shot back in a moderately innocent, yet questionable tone as if to give a hint he had no clue what was taking place.

What Kai could only assume to be the leader of the search party stepped forward and backhanded him, sending him to the ground. “You’re interfering with an internal matter, off-worlder. I advise you leave, or there will be an incident here.”

“I told you, I don’t have the slightest clue who you’re talking about.” Watching from the distance, Glo’ra curiously pondered over how her apprentice was attempting to defuse the situation through words. Something that was most definitely not his strength, but it was a substantial progress from drawing blades first. The other party, however, didn’t seem all that moved or convinced by his wording and responded only by sending the young man hurling into a rock.

In but an instinctual movement, she stepped forward, her own weapon drawn and immediately ignited with grace. The soft glow of byzantium and amaranth shrouded the area, offering a reflective quality across the mist that shrouded her figure. “I think that’s far enough,” she spoke confidently. “He was attempting to be civil, and spoke honestly. I suggest you leave before you become the incident.”

Holding her ground, the men circled her, taking note of her apprentice who had either been dazed or knocked unconscious by the toss for a few minutes. He was moving, and more importantly breathing, however such motions were quite shallow.


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[member="Coryn Raxis"]

 

[Vakarian]

In his weakened state of meditation, a faint ripple echoed through his mind as if someone had stepped into the calm waters of a pool and shattered its tranquility. The young boys eyes snapped open and he stood once again, mind opening to the extended senses that were offered to him through the Force. It was through his sense that he was able to detect the distinct signatures of the three of his brothers as well as two new signatures, both of which were significantly lighter in nature than the other three. He felt the cruel intent building within one of the brothers, and he immediately set off in the direction of all of the presences. It did not take long for the young human to navigate the misty forest, before he found himself standing above a confrontation of sorts, his body still shrouded by the mist that lingered above them like a blanket that kept out much of the light.

He watched the confrontation with relative interest, as the harsh language of the Night Brothers broke through the mists like knives as they reached his ears. A shudder went down his spine as he recognized that they had not given up the hunt as he had originally thought - they knew the boy's abilities. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that they would have sought to fool him as they had done, they were not trackers and warriors for nothing, they were cunning when they needed to be.

"You are a fool!" he chastised himself, his words barely reaching above a whisper, as he continued to watched the scene below. He winced slightly as another voice rang out in defiance of the darker, harsh, tones of the Zabrak - a human voice. The tone of the humans voice would ignite a sense of anger in the brothers, they would view his innocent tone as a cover. They did not take kindly to such mockery, and as if he had predicted the future, the largest of the Zabrak struck the human and threw him against a stone a few feet behind them. A dark rage flooded through Coryn and a faint tremble resounded through the Force at his anger. No sooner had he begun to step forward from the branch, than did another figure step out from the mists -- a lightsaber fully extended and thrumming, filling the air with a tranquil energy.

Coryn fell back against the tree then, hearing the Togruta's threat towards his brothers. The Togruta scared him because she had power, and he had been taught through abuse and cruelty that those with power would only treat those below them with lesser regard. Another shudder traveled down his spine, before he turned his attention away from the scene and towards the human that was flung against the rock.

He needed to get closer to the boy, to see if he was alright, but he didn't want to be caught by his brothers nor the Togruta woman with the light sabers. After a few moments of deliberation, he climbed down the tree with little to no noise on his descent and felt the familiar packed earth beneath him. He had made it to the forest floor. He turned his attentions to the other human, one that he could feel through the Force. He was certain that the other human wasn't inherently evil, so he would risk being caught to check on the other boy - the one who had been harmed because his brothers were out looking for him - the coward who had run from his duties.

Keeping to the mists, and hiding his form behind various trunks of trees, he had made his way towards the boy. He was well within several feet of the boy, but remained shrouded in the mist, unconsciously pulling the mist around him to keep him from sight. As he stepped forwards, so too did the mist seemed to grow and creep forward with him, until it had shrouded both Coryn and Kai in its embrace, "They are cruel, my brothers. I am sorry that they hurt you." his soft, young and innocent, voice sounded to the right of Kai. If the other human looked hard enough, he would be able to make out the tiny form of Coryn kneeling next to him, the mist still shrouding his features from the other boy.

Coryn did not fully trust him yet.

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[member="Kai Acheron"]

 

[Kai Acheron]

The fog surrounding the ancient ruins of Aurilia was worse than the proverbial ‘primordial soup’, making it difficult to both move and breathe. While not impermeable, as was evidence by the three intruders, they had only been held at bay by the motherly Togruta that continued to harbor her apprentice and the younger boy that had since entered her area. Slipping underneath the mists, little light was offered due to the dense coverage of the trees and local flora that had been warped over the years, shrouding the area in darkness. Though it may have indeed been daylight on the exterior, there was little sign that such luminescence would be shared underneath the forest. Save for the lightsaber, that acted as a beacon in the darkness, it was disturbing for any use of physical senses beyond the mystic.

“Last chance. Surrender the boy, and his location…” the most prominent of the hostile Dathomirians announced as an ultimatum. “You off-worlders have no part in interfering with our tribe. Leave while you still have the chance.” Practically spitting the words at her, Glo’ra remained steadfast, holding her ground and casually forming a defensive dance as the three circled her.

Piercing through near silence, few words had been exchanged and save for the faint sheen of bladed weapons being drawn, there was little warning of the impending danger. Still, despite the threat against her and Kai’s life, the master held her ground, attempting to defuse the hostilities peacefully. Whether by luck, her own power or his natural ability to heal, the apprentice began to stir in attempts to shake off the daze. His vision was hazy, producing nothing more than blurry silhouettes including the one that had just spoken directly to him, less than a meter away.

He paused, offering a momentary, yet warmly neutral smile towards the figure still attempting to blink away the disorientation. “Your improvised servant is no longer amongst you. He left some time ago,” the Force Master re-affirmed in tranquil, yet confident words. “I implore you to not come further, or I will be forced to defend myself and my pupil. And trust me…” she stated, pausing only to cast a glance in his direction, though it was shrouded by the thick mists. “I will have no hesitation in doing so.” Flourishing her weapon, Glo’ra entered a more ready stance than what had casually been flowing from her earlier, using her footwork to weave in and out of the figures that had previously been circling her.

Finally, a defensive perimeter had been established, even if frail, granting a minimal sanctuary for the two trios that were part of the standoff. Though a peaceful woman herself, like many other motherly beings she was clearly a fierce protector of those that were cared for. In continuation of her own paces, the Dathomirians took it in kind and spat once more onto the ground.

“Brave, for a woman to explore by herself with nothing but a fragile human as an accompaniment. A young one at that,” the tallest of the three dark-skinned men arrogantly jested towards her. “Go back to where you came from. I’ll give you a minute to comply, or we’ll be taking our tribe’s best interests into play…” His companions offered little else in the way of words, save for a reinforcing hiss and scoff that were hastily thrown in the direction of the two off-worlders. Weaponry had been drawn on both sides, and though Master Glo’ra was not faltering in her position they were outnumbered.

Without dropping a beat, she smirked herself. “Well…if that’s the way you want to play, then…” Redirecting her eyes barely after finishing her sentence she took note of a flurry of objects being hurled through the air by one of the ruffians. Some form of warning had been used as a projectile to either reaffirm that the Nightbrothers wouldn’t be leaving, and that their resolve was not easy to break. In an instinctual cry towards her apprentice, Glo’ra threw her blade towards the offending individual, severing his hand as she cried out towards the teenager.

“Kai!” The name ripped through the shroud of the fog, and though still dazed and holding no clear vision of his own, the young man took no immediate hesitation in calling upon the energy around him to erect a barrier. Turning his back in a covering position over both himself and the figure that had been crouched nearby, he listened to the violent thrashing as the projectiles collided with the shield. In what took less than a second before both the shuriken-like blades and the barrier had dropped, a burst of cerulean and violet energy shattered through the mists.

Glo’ra, less than a dozen meters away had been concentrating to keep the three Nightbrothers aloft in some form of stasis. Built from glowing blue and gold energy, the woman had disabled them temporarily in a shorter time than they had been able to produce another attack. Though there was still the issue of what to do with them when the stasis wore off, it bought them some time.

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[member="Coryn Raxis"]