Episode V: Akala Strikes Back

[Zaahir Asad]

Location: The River of Lies
Objective: None
Allies: Currently None
Enemies: Currently None

Screaming. Screaming and screaming and SCREAMING.

Save us? How? What? Where was he? What was going on? How could he save anyone when he did not even know where he was or what was happening?

He had been.. Where? Entertaining a woman. Yes. He'd seen her at a Nightclub, crying. The man she was with looming over her, fists clenched. He'd saved her. That was easy, he understood that. Then he'd comforted her. She'd thrown herself at him of course, she'd been in a vulnerable place. He'd been the white knight. So he'd tried to live up to that image, he hadn't taken advantage. He'd wined and dined her, bought her a flower for her hair and he'd been.. He'd been walking her home. That was it. Where he'd intended to leave her alone. Safe.

What planet?

He couldn't remember.

Wherever it had been, he wasn't there anymore.

Had he been attacked? He raised a hand to the back of his head. Knocked out by the womans once paramour and left here as retribution for his meddling? There was no bump, no blood.

He'd never seen anywhere like this. The Valley he found himself in might have been beautiful, if not for the giant skulls that dotted the landscape. As if aware of his gaze one of them ground it's way forward, and suddenly an unearthly scream rang forth, both from the skull he was looking at, as well as those further afield.

Turning, he ran. No thought, no plan, other than to distance himself from this skull, this threat, this unknowable nightmare. He wasn't grounded yet. Didn't know where or why or how. His mind was jumping around, trying to make sense of things, to find something to hold on to.

He splashed into the river in his flight to escape, the cold wetness about his legs bringing him back to himself. He stopped, and bent over to cup some water in his hands, intending to splash it on his face. An image rose from it's surface..

Himself.

Younger. Skinnier. With a cocky seductive grin on his face. He couldn't smell the pheromones, but he knew his alternate self was flooding the air with them.

"NO!"

He didn't know what was happening, but he knew this. He knew what moment this was. He swung wildly at himself and connected with nothing, the image wavered, he threw water at it, trying to disrupt it, it faded away. As he continued to back away, he tripped over a submerged rock and fell backwards, sitting waist deep in the freezing river. The image rose again.

Younger, skinnier, the grin, the pheromones. For a moment it looked him straight in the eyes, and then it looked over him, at someone he couldn't see.

"Come with me ma chérie, away from these prying eyes, my love, my heart, never have I seen a woman like you, come away with me. Let me steal just a moment with you to remember and warm my heart forever."

He reached out a hand to the unseen. A small, slight, graceful feminine hand put itself in his. Zaahir heard the ghostly giggle. It was faint, but he knew it. Of course he did. He heard it in his nightmares. He'd spent years running from that giggle. Trying to build himself into a person who had never heard it.

But he had, oh he had.

The woman stepped into his view. Exactly as he remembered her. Long brown hair pulled over her shoulder in a loose braid. Big green eyes, the spray of freckles across her cheeks and nose. Her teeth so white against her red lips as she smiled, trustingly at the Zeltron who's hand she held. As she followed him, as she let him pull her into an alley. As she let him hold her close.

Zaahir, the older Zaahir, wet and miserable raised a hand towards the two, impeaching, begging. A small animal noise, a whimper escaped him.

The younger Zaahir looked away from the girl for just a moment, met his eyes again and grinned.

This is who we are. Do you think you can change? Do you think you can undo the damage you did by buying some other girl a flower? Do you think she forgot what you did?

He brushed a strand of hair away from the girls face, tenderly, oh so tenderly, and pulled her closer. Slowly he kissed her, with an intensity that would ignite stars, that would prompt million of poems and songs and stories. And then, looking her in the eye, smiling softly, he suddenly punched her in the temple. The girl fell, crumpled on the non-existent street.

The younger Zeltron callously ignored the girl, instead going through her purse, taking her credit chits.

"No! NO! That's not how it happened! I.. I changed my mind! I helped her! I brought her to help, I turned myself in! I didn't-"

Do you think it matters? She never saw you again. You've made friends with doctors, now that you're pretending to be respectable. You know what happens to people hit in the temple. I was strong. You are weak now. So weak. A pathetic lie, but I was strong. What do you think happened to her? You never looked for her again because you knew.

"I- I. No! She got help, she got help! She was fine, she has to have been fine!"

A blow to the head can kill.

A single slow stream of blood ran from the girls nose.

"NO! She was alive! When I left her she was alive! I-I would have been charged with murder if she'd died, she didn't, she couldn't have.."

No, death would have been merciful. And we both know you have no mercy, not really.

The girl sat up, her eyes opening and showing not the vibrant green they had been but milky whiteness.

H-hello? Anyone? Is anyone there? Can anyone hear me? I-I can't see! I can't see! Please! P-please, someone help me!

"I'm here! I'm here!"

Is that meant to comfort her? This is your fault. You did this. And now you think you can forget it. Forget her. Start a new life. Be a gentleman.

The younger version sneered at him, the girl didn't seem able to hear any of them, whirling about, hands groping for anything, falling, curling up to cry in despair.

P-please.. Isn't anyone there? Won't anyone help me? I d-don't want to be alone.. I'm afraid..

"No. No, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to."

Yes you did. I would know. I'm you, and I definitely meant to. Besides. It doesn't matter what you meant. It only matters what you did. You did this.

"No.."

His voice was barely more than a whisper now.

You deny it? We were there. This is your body and your fist. Your mind and your intentions. You. Did. This.

"I.."

YOU DID THIS.

"I did it, I did it, it was me.."

His voice was broken, cracked. He raised his hands to his face. Felt the tears streaming down from eyes clenched shut.

Open your eyes. Watch what you did. You have to see what you did. You have to remember. She deserves to be remembered, and you deserve to be punished.

In agony, he lowered his hands, and opened his eyes.

Younger, skinnier, he looked at himself and grinned.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Location: Fork down to Behelian Canyon (left) and over to Blood Wastes (right)

The fork was uninviting, as were both locations facing Connor beside the misty river.

Down into a vast brown canyon, or right into a molten swampland. Blue eyes looked left and then right.

Pushing back his greatcoat, Connor sat down on the dirty, gravelly ground and waited - for what? He didn't know. And indication of where to go.

Closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force but still could find no sign of life.

Coci. Dagos. Aika. Thurion. Serena. Corvus...please. Anyone. Hear me. Feel me...

 

[Daella Feanor]

She groans softly, and looks up at the sun. "Why can't you just leave me alone!" It was then that she notices [member="Glyph"] and would shake her head. "Great now theres another mean grown up..." She looked to her side, not caring as to what [member="Ace Torrevaso"] drew on the ground.

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Vulpesen"]

"I really hope you don't think you can 'kill' me... if you do i need you to say with me what i am because i am already dead." She sighed and lowered the pole as she looked at her footsteps in disgust before looking at Vulpesen again and speaking. "Lead on then Fox man, and show me that my daughter. Two rules though, if you disgrace the land of the dead in any ways by marking your territory i will remove you immediately. And if you are lying about it or here to harm my daughter, im going to find the most... harrowing way back to the real world and force you do it." She couldn't actually do anything too him but she could threaten him.

 

[Sin2]

He groaned, and was cold, his body was all red, and he couldnt think straight. A soft whimper came from his mouth, and a tear washed away the red on his face, leaving a pale trail. With a lot of effort, he pushed himself up, and looked around. "Hello!?" His words echoed for miles, and miles. Helloo!?" He yelled again, still only echoes of himself returned back to his ear.

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen let out a small sigh of relief and put away his saber. "Sadly, there's someone we have to meet first. So try to keep up." Facing the direction of [member="Daella Feanor"], he started to sprint. Ace was not happy he and he could hear his friend's pleas as he tried to hurry Vulpesen one his way. "I'm really gonna have to talk with her."

[member="The Ferrymen of the River"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Vulpesen"]

Maria sighed and slowly walked after the man, somehow keeping up with him withough looking like she was even expending any effort. Her eyes running over this man as he ran and studying him for any change in his direction or purpose, looking for any hint of a lie or distruth. It would be in that moment she sent this man back and until then she had to protect this weird fox man, and oh how she was having a large trouble doing so.

 

[Tora Mirkew]

[member="The Ferrymen of the River"] [member="Razer Sin"]

Tora gave a small smile at Frazer's antic. So unlike other 'darks'

"The method to which it happened matters little, fact is fact"

She then turned her rather careless gaze towards the boat... girl„ thing...whatever.

"A mercenary of the Mirkew's is to care only to the wellbeing of the one with their contract... and their ilk"

Tora added the last part of the sentence herself, knowing Razer would PROBALY care about the niece.... this also included the Ravens to which she was now homed. Well... was anyway.

"The fate of anyone outside that scope is not my concern"

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen noted her effortless pace to keep up with him. "Good. Guess you can keep up." Dropping to all fours, he then darted forward, racing across the netherworld. It wouldn't be long before he found Daella. In fact, he could feel his connection with Ace rapidly growing. He was almost there. And if Maria wanted proof, then she would get it once she saw her grand daughter.

[member="The Ferrymen of the River"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Daella Feanor"] [member="Ace Torrevaso"]

Glyph blinked and stood up as he patted off his clothing and wallked over, eyes staring down at the words and then at the girl. "I think it wants you to head that way miss and find your dad... how it wrote that i dont understand but if its that smart i would trust it... what ever this thing is." He reached down and grabbed Ace by his fur, looking at the Ashlan wolf like it was something he could study closely. "Curious creature."

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Vulpesen"]

Maria did drop behind a degree because of the speed in which this man could run but that was no hinderence on keeping track of which direction the man was heading so she was for more than capable at keeping track of this man. With that though then she looked on the distance, waiting to see whatt it was this man was running for and how it was that he would come to be... she continued to notices her burning footsteps though.

 

[Sin1]

[member="Tora Mirkew"] [member="The Ferrymen of the River"]

Razer looked at his bodyguard. "Fact is, I dont get shot at often, thanks to you, and that menacing glare of 'I dont care.'." He chuckled, and sat down. He shivered a little, and shrugged it off. "We're going to be here Samantha. I love how you dodge my questions, though, and not even acknowledge I have asked them." He looked up at the woman in the robes with a smirk. "You're hiding something."

The Vahla cursed in his tongue again, and looked at the ferrywomam. "So much blood, Tora...what if you're right, and this is the place where all the blood goes? So much death, and yet...I dont care!" He jumped back up, and yelled back to the others.

[member="Conner Garon"] [member="Cross Ikon"] [member="Keturah Sin"]

"HEY YOU GUYS COMING OR NOT!? I'M ABOUT TO LEAVE YOU ALL, AND I WONT CARE..Damn it.." He pointed a finger up. "Be right back." He then sprinted off, sloshing in the blood, running like a mad man. "Freakin, this is Romeo's job, not mine..his role..." As he ran, blood splashing up to his face, he finally made it to the group of people he knew personally. "Come on Keturah, we're getting you home, unless you want to come with me, I dont think Romeo would be to happy if you did, but I dont care what he feels either soo." He picked her up, and cradled her in his arms. "I know, I'm bloody..shush." He began to walk back to the ferrywoman, and Tora. "For the sake of the force, I better get like a reward for heroism or some crap..." He said to himself, not caring who heard it. "The woman there, in the robes, can take you back." He looked at her as he finally made it back to the river. "You're choice..".

 

[Daella Feanor]

She blinks and looks over at @Glyph. "I don't have to listen to you! Or it. I want to go this way. I don't care if Daddy is he-..." She stops herself, now becoming lost in thought. Suddenly all rage the girl had simply, vanished and she would go to scratch her head. "How did I get here..." She then looked down at Ace, and gasps. "D'aww.... its Ace!" She went to pick him up and cuddle him. "Soo fluffieh..." She went to rub his face against hers. The girl would softly start to purr, and forgets where she is.

[member="Vulpesen"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Ace let out a small sigh. Ok. Vulps had to know about this. Though, his words would wait as he simply enjoyed the time being held by the girl. His joy would then be increased as he sat a black figure race towards them. "Vulpesen!" He was here. Some how, some way, his bond mate had reached him, even in the pits of hell itself.

Vulpesen smiled as he sensed Ace loud and clear and once he saw Daella, he let out a happy call to her. "DAELLA!" Popping up to his legs at last moment, he wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her close to him, his black tail wagging happily. "This Maria, is your proof. My daughter, and you're granddaughter."

[member="Daella Feanor"]
[member="The Ferrymen of the River"]

 

[Roshki Belawiiks]

Location: Blood Wastes, heading towards the rift

I continued to walk, though with every passing moment it became even more painful. I was certain my feet were all chewed up and bloody, just like I was sure if I stopped to check I'd never resume my walk. My sleeping gown was also extremely dirty, thanks to the couple of trips I'd taken. My knees, too, looked like a really angry, blade-wielding Kowakian Monkey-Lizard had attacked them.

It felt like I'd been walking for forever, which really wasn't helping my temperament. Of course, neither was the consistant moaning and griping the other folks around here were doing. Waving my newly acquired bone around in the air (hey, I wasn't going to wander around a strange place empty-handed) I snarled at the closest ones, "Hey! Quit your moaning and do something about your problems! You're giving me a headache!" Of course, none of them listened. Go figure.

At first glance it might seem like I wasn't scared, but truth was I would have wet myself by now if I hadn't gone to the 'fresher before my nap. This place was like the nightmare of a very demented, morbid being. The pools, for starters, could eat through flesh down to the bone, and then some. Flesh! I only found that out after a stoned-looking human fell into one. Yikes.

So, yeah. I was fearful alright. I was fearful because I didn't know where I was, I didn't see anyone I recognized, and I was basically abandoned here. Which gave rise to a whole host of thoughts: What if the Jedi were responsible for dropping me here? What if Karr decided I really wasn't good enough to be his Padawan? What if I was going to die here? These in turn sparked bitterness, and resentment, and I found myself not only convinced that Karr was the one who dumped me here, but also feeling betrayed.

True, in the beginning, I hadn't wanted to be a Jedi. Actually, I still didn't want to be a Jedi. At least, not in the traditional sense. But I wanted to be a Shadow like Karr. I wanted to do missions with him, and I wanted to continue our banter. Though I would never admit it, I found myself looking up to the Kel Dor; I found myself trying to please him. Please him. Even I was still surprised by this. Of course, he still didn't know about the A Vrassa addiction situation I had.

Maybe that's a good thing, a little voice whispered. After all, look at how he dumped you here like an unwanted nobody. How do you think he'd react to your addiction? I tried to shoo the voice away, but it only reawakened the doubt I'd tried to stuff away.

It also reawakened the hunger for AV. "Dammit," I muttered. This would not bode well; I had a feeling if I started going through withdrawal, it really could kill me.

I looked up. The chasm I'd spotted earlier was closer, much closer, actually. I could see all sorts of people standing around it, and...Holy smokes, were they jumping in?! I did a double-take, but only confirmed my initial suspicion. I felt a sliver of horror and despair begin to blossom. What in the gods' names could make people want to jump into one of the vats of acid blood?!

My feet numb from pain, I began to run closer to the cliffs. When I was close to the groups, I grabbed ahold of one of the people on their shoulder. Pointing at the pool with the bone I had, I demanded, "What the kark is going on?! Why're they jumping into the blood? Don't they know it's dangerous?!"

 

[Daella Feanor]

She blinked, and turned around. When she heard her name, she had seen who called it out. "Daddy? ...Daddieh!" She would go to run towards him, and eas easily taken into his grasp. "I-I was sooo scared." The girl let out a soft purring sound, and then places Ace down onto the ground. She slightly notices her Grandmother behind her, and would try to break off the hug to try to embrace the woman who looks like her mother. "And Mommieh!"

[member="Vulpesen"]
[member="The Ferrymen of the River"]

 

[Vulpesen]

Vulpesen let out a small laugh as she saw Maria. "Actually, that would be your grandmother." It was good to see his daughter again and as he saw Ace, he felt the familiar weight of his old friend leaping onto his shoulder. Raising his hand he started to pet Ace who noticeably relaxed, happy to no longer be some kind of simple beast in the eyes of others. "So, now we can find Alex."

[member="The Ferrymen of the River"]

 

[Corrin Tal'verda]

Location: Ruined City

Allies: [member="Rawnie Tal'verda"] [member="Galaar Tal'Verda"]

Nearby: [member="Miles Varden"] [member="Ciara Jevnaker"]

People were coming out of nowhere. Corrin stared wide eyed at [member="Miles Varden"] and brought his Verpine Sniper Rifle up to bare. The boy had never killed another sentient being. Nerf, Nexu, and the wolves around his village, sure, but never a person. In that moment of sheer terror, with the beasts of the city stalking him like a rabbit too far from its den, he was prepared to end the man's life. He could just barely see him around the next corner under an overgrown awning alongside some woman.

His finger twitched to pull the trigger.

The specter grabbed him just as he moved to kill the stranger before he could hurt them. Pain unlike anything the child had ever experienced coursed through his body. He dropped his rifle, and fell in a heap of furs and cloth onto the concrete street below. His bright blue eyes were stapled open by the unseen force of Galaar's touch.

Wow to the Tal'verda, their eldest son was the first force sensitive born to their clan. To attuned to it in fact, that the beasts of the forest surrounding Kurs'taylir spoke to him. He conversed with dead spirits gone into the Manda, and when he always knew when something was wrong in that frozen land.

Jedi had come to take him twice. Both had been put down by his father before they could ever speak to him, but Corrin always knew they were near. He could feel them.

Now, that very same power crippled the child. His body finally settled from is pained spasms, and he gasped for air.

It was then that the beast struck.

A monstrous apparition of unknown origin as long as a speeder bus, and as wide as a gunship bore down upon them. It was feline in nature, looking akin to a giant panther with fangs so big they hung out of its mouth. Silently, the monster lunged for the two children and their ghostly protector.

 

[Falcon Rekali]

Location: Serenity's Redoubt
Proximity: [member="Token Waters"] | [member="Seamus Valik"] | [member="Marrik Aloxum"] | [member="Besk"]
Gear: Lightsaber, Lonesome Gun, a few daggers, etc.

He could see the girl's concern. This was confusing for everyone and anyone that had ended up in this place, without a doubt.

"I was just cleaning my gun here," he tapped the DL-44 in its holster, "and thinking of calling my wife. My kids..."

His brow furrowed. He could only hope that they were not sent into this confusion as well. No matter how relaxing it felt, he couldn't seem to.

"...well, I hope they're alright," and he knew they had a great deal of their own independence, "well, I don't know about you lot, but as much as the old anthropologist and archaeologist in me wants to poke around... we don't belong here, and I'd like to think I'm not the only one that has people he'd like to get back to."

 

[Nei Laa]

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Location: Behelian Canyon

After she'd screamed herself hoarse, Nei had stood up, quietly holstered her blasters, and walked. Screaming would do her no good -- just the opposite, actually. In fact, she'd probably alerted every single creature that enjoyed snacking on calamari to her presence.

As she walked, Nei spent the time contemplating what had happened. Granted, she wasn't much of a thinker ("shoot first and ask questions later" was her kind of motto) but even so, the Nautolan had to agree that she'd come up with a good list of possibilities.

One: This was all some sick, trippy dream caused by either gas being pumped into the Star, or a drink she'd had but didn't remember. She labeled this one as "highly unlikely", mostly because it had become her nightly ritual to down a glass of Reactor Core before bed. Everyone knew that drink was awesome in preventing toxins from taking effect. Unless somehow someone had slipped something in her drinks? This was making her head hurt too much.

Two: Someone had snuck aboard the Star, incapacitated her, and stuck her on some gods-forsaken planet. Again, unlikely. Her and Vag had been in hyperspace, and if they'd been pulled out she would have remembered that, at least.

Nei gave up trying to rationalize the situation. Her head was beginning to throb, and it was distracting her from keeping an eye out. Hell, she could have sworn she'd heard someone yelling. So, next, she did inventory check.

My blasters be fully loaded, my armour be here, my com be looking good...but no ammo, food, or anything else that would be useful. Curse it! Wait, her com!

Excitedly, Nei began to flip through the frequencies. At first, no luck. But then, on one channel, she began to hear words and felt herself getting excited. "Hello? Who be there?" she said into it. Or rather, tried to say into it. Her voice was still on vacation, making every noise of hers soft and raspy. Cursing mentally at her lack of luck, Nei clicked her com twice in rapid succession, paused, and then repeated. There was no more chatter on the com, but even so she remained somewhat hopeful.

Dropping her arm, she paused when, far ahead, her eyes picked up on what seemed to be a figure. Nei paused, hands on her blasters. The being appeared to be a humanoid, though it was too far for positive identification. For a moment, she thought to shout out, but decided quickly against it. And it wasn't just because she couldn't talk well.

Nei was in an unidentified place. Nothing but bones and creepy statues were around, and up until now she'd seen no indication of another living being. In fact, for all she knew, the person ahead was an enemy, or worse -- a mirage. So, she came up with an idea. Whether it was good or not was all a matter of perception.

Withdrawing her blasters, Nei began to run forward as the figure grew in size. As soon as she was within range, the Nautolan stopped, raised her guns, and fired off four warning shots -- two per gun. Provided the figure did not move, they would hit the dirt around it harmlessly (though the dust raised up might make the figure a little dirty). Once that was done, Nei tensed, ready to run if needed.