Escape From Witch Mountain

[Mediha]

"Threatening me doesn't change the fact that you have not offered me anything of use."

Did he think being Jedi was special? She was interested in what the differences were, what ideas he could lend to her creativity, but his role as a user of the Force wasn't frightening in the slightest. Magick trumped whatever Force he had; the length of time it had taken him to break her net had proven that. Mediha relaxed and kept her thoughts to herself. The posturing and belief that he was cowing her would keep him pliable for now.

"What do Jedi offer for barter when they are, apparently, going to be leaving the planet?" She gestured vaguely with her hand, the first change in stance since she had exposed herself. "I'm Mediha." She left Clan Names out of it; it would mean nothing to him anyway.

She felt her insurance spell wending its ways through the last stages of completion.

Good.

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

"Not threatening, just making things clear."

He frowned. Seemed the Jedi title wasn't going to get him very far here. He really should have expected that much. She wanted more, but what? There wasn't anything he could offer her save for his skill, and it seemed that had little merit here. He decided to take a different approach.

The lightsaber was clipped to his belt. The movement was a peace offering. He took a single step forward, then another hands held away from his midriff to show a lack of hostilities. "I'd prefer to work on my ship in peace, [member="Mediha"] , so why don't you tell me what you need and I'll try to accommodate you."

There. Hopefully that would get things across better than this constant posturing. He wanted her gone. Pretty women with bad intentions and the means to make their desires happen were never a good thing. When those women valued your life as much as they valued cattle strictly because of what you were, even more so. Worst case scenario she would stab him in the back the moment he let his guard down.

"Otherwise we're going to get nowhere fast."

 

[Mediha]

What did she need? His heart presented itself as an option again and she brushed it away, knowing it was more her mind avoiding the issue. What was of most use to the Clan that a Force User could provide her? Promises for the future were nothing, as once he left the planet he had no reason to honor the bargain. She had no use for his weapons. He would not reveal his belongings, she imagined, and based on his outfit he would carry little that would be of value to her.

She paused.

The Allaya Stone.

The thought made her breath come shallowly. The Stone was in fact a polished gem of considerable size, one which it was purported had come from the days of Allaya herself. Over the centuries, witches had imbued the stone with hints of their power, in effect building a magickal artifact from which a witch could siphon power. The Clan Mother had never wanted to start a war over it, and the Singing Mountain Clan guarded their treasure religiously, meaning that any infiltration by the Nightsisters would become a war. Mediha had never considered getting it herself, both due to politics and self-preservation. She was strong, but even she couldn't take on an entire Clan alone. A pair or small group, though... they might make it in unnoticed with some magickal help and might be able to get out as unnoticed and with more chance of survival than if a person went alone. Darius would not know the value of the target-- and hopefully escape would trump his greed-- and he might offer a surprise if the Singing Mountain Clan confronted them during the attempt.

Also, as a partner he was expendable and a scapegoat. If he failed, he would not be missed; if he was caught-- or seen-- the Clan would believe it was off-worlders, so there would be no repercussions for the Clan.

"What are your skills like as a warrior?" She waited for him to answer before she added, "What about as a thief?"

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

His skills as a warrior? He wanted to say paramount, but that would be a lie. He could defend himself, and hold his own against the average Sith apprentice. Beasts were something he had tackled before he even had a lightsaber. In summary, he was adequate enough in the realm of combat. The question was what she wanted him to fight exactly. He could deal with any number of the monsters that wandered Dathomir's scarred surface. If she meant any number of the other witches, things might be slightly different. The force was more powerful than the Magicks when it came to the realm of combat, but he had never dealt with them either.

A thief?

He paused for a moment to consider. "I'm a Jedi Padawan. I can hold my own against most threats." Not a total lie. "And I can get around unnoticed if I need to. Why?" He lofted a brow. He could not agree to anything until he knew exactly was he would be doing.

"What is it you want from me?"

[member="Mediha"]

 

[Mediha]

His response didn't instill much confidence in her, but it could also be his own reticence to agree to an unknown situation. At worst, he is a good decoy.

"There's a religious relic that is currently in the possession of one of the Clans. It's a symbol of status among the witches, and one all the Clans are interested in having for their own reputations. We have avoided taking it from them in order to avoid hostilities." Clan politics he would not understand; her words were true enough that she was able to speak them with conviction. "If you help me retrieve it, stealthily, I will make sure you get the space to repair your ship."

It was worth so much more than any Jedi Padawan. That was an exchange she could make-- if he agreed.

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

A religious relic? He supposed that would be better than getting attacked by Witches in the dead of night again. Of course, if this went awry, he'd just be walking into their open arms instead. Darius did not like his options. Frowning, he considered what little he could do. He could refuse, and risk getting into another battle with the Nightsister. Odds were in his favor considering the distance between them, but he really had no desire to fight if he did not have to.

That really only left one choice. It was highly probable this clan she spoke of consisted of some of the better sorts Dathomir had to offer, or they might be just as bad as the one [member="Mediha"] might belong to. He assumed they would all have some kind of problem with him.

"Fine," he grunted, "I'll trust you not to stab me in the back for now."

Probably asking a lot.

"When do you want to leave?"

 

[Mediha]

Mediha glanced up at the moon. It would be quite a hike, even if they took the speeder. Doing so at night with the predators out and with both of them operating on minimal sleep was unwise. That said, she hated the thought of doing it during the day; at night, at least, there would be fewer people about.

Did she dare waste another full day? Mediha studied his shuttle. It would take more than a day for those repairs, which meant she would be stuck for that amount of time anyway. If it didn't take more than a day, having the shuttle in working order so that he could leave as soon as their business was conducted would be best for all involved. He would leave before he could get any ideas about the Stone.

He'll betray me. Take the gem and flee with no way for me to stop him. Mediha returned her wary gaze to him. Stab me in the back and leave me for dead because he'll already have what he needs.

She considered it silently for a time, ignoring the suspicious padawan. Not, she finally decided, if you are careful.

Mediha saw his jacket pull tight across something as he moved.

Very careful.

"Tomorrow night. You can start repairs in the morning so that no time is wasted, and we'll leave before evening to travel up the mountain." She backed away, easily and quickly losing herself in the shadows. There was a need for rest for the both of them; she didn't intend to waste a minute, especially when she would need to be up before him.

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Darius gave [member="Mediha"] a nod as confirmation. Without another word, he returned to his little place in the camp. Part of him felt assured that she wasn't going to be killing him in his sleep, and if she tried, he would know. The force had warned him earlier; it would do so again. To say that solidified his faith in his own abilities was an understatement. Reassured and calm in his own thoughts, Darius lay down for the evening.

His sleep was thankfully dreamless. For too long he'd been plagued by visions of Coruscant. The old masters had told him it was a sign that he had the makings of a seer, but Darius always disagreed. They were only nightmares after all.

He awoke at the crack of dawn. Without taking the time to look for Mediha, he went to work on the ship. It was messy. He had to dig into the innards of the ship to get even the barest amount of progress done. Oil and engine fluids caked his hands and lower arms when he stepped off for a drink. They would be leaving soon, and he needed to be ready.

Sipping from a bottle of water, Darius sat on the gangplank of the ship watching the trees sway in the wind. A moment's peace before a battle did him good.

 

[Mediha]

Darius woke before Mediha, but not by much. Sleeping in a tree was not particularly comfortable, and the light didn't help. When she finally stretched and turned her head to peer out of one eye at the camp, he was gone. That brought her instantly awake; a wash of her power over the area sensed him in the ship, though, and she settled down. No. he couldn't have left; where would he go? He didn't know where the nearest Clan was or, she suspected, if they were friendly or not to Jedi.

She adjusted her position and leaned back, watching the light grow between the leaves above her. There was no hurry. Nothing would bother him during the day: the likelihood of beasts was slim and no hunting parties should pass this way. Mediha sat up and let her eyes scan the visible area, but nothing presented itself. That had been enough, though; she would not be able to relax again.

While Darius spent his morning fixing his spaceship, Mediha had breakfast and took time to gather additional plants; she could take them back to the speeder when they made their trip to the mountain. The afternoon passed more slowly; Mediha sent a message back to the Clan to let them know she would be back later than expected, so that they would not assume she had died, but she did nothing which would take energy or magick. She needed it all for later in case things went wrong. She had applied her usual paint rather than illusion; originally, she had considered not wearing so as to better blend in, but Darius would be obvious anyway. If they were found, it would not matter if she was wearing her paint or not.

When Darius emerged mid-afternoon, covered in the fluids of his ship, Mediha turned to drape herself over a branch, watching him. Physically, he would be tired from his work, and it was a long trip.

We'll take the speeder. She swung her leg, looking through Darius as she contemplated their evening plans, building the safest and surest plan of action. She had not brought a doll with her, which she regretted, but there were other spells to take care of single, powerful opponents. A group would be a larger issue. Again, she ran down a list of options in case the situation arose, lost in thought.

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Darius just assumed they would be walking. He was not aware of any speeders nearby, nor would he guess the Nightsisters used them. They seemed all too primitive for that sort of thing. At beast he imagined they rode some sort of beasts to get around, rather than the conventional forms of travel sed by the rest of the galaxy. Surprise then.

"You lead. I have no idea where we're going." He shrugged. There wasn't much he could do other than follow. Dathomir was a foreign world, and he had naught the slightest idea where this clan made its home. He could only assume it was somewhat fortified, meaning they would have to be careful on the approach. That was alright; Darius had always preferred going through the back door rather than breaking down the front.

He folded his arms over his chest and glanced up at the Nightsister. He had not had the chance to assess her appropriately the night before. She might have looked like your average person anywhere else in the galaxy; the savagery of her kin was not apparent in her features. Still, he'd seen it earlier -- she wasn't going to be tricking him with a smile. He could not make out any weapons on her person, though he assumed the magicks were dangerous enough.

"I'm guessing you'll be relying on your magicks if we run into trouble?"

[member="Mediha"]

 

[Mediha]

Mediha raised her eyebrows at his abrupt suggestion, refocusing on him as he looked up at her.

"Yes." She pushed up from her comfortable position, and dropped lightly to the ground not far from him. It was earlier than she had intended, but that was good. They might need the extra time. She brushed down her clothes, adjusted the pack over her shoulder, and beckoned him with a finger as she passed by. "Come."

Her senses were on high alert as soon as her back was to him and remained that way for the hike back to the speeder. She pulled the fronds obscuring it away, securing her pack with the others full of the materials she had gathered. There would just barely be enough room for the two of them; she had assessed that in her planning earlier, as she had the positioning they would need.

She mounted the speeder and swiftly tied her hair back, baring and emphasizing the lines of her neck and jaw. It left her feeling somewhat vulnerable, but the alternative was hair whipping into her face as she drove. As she started the engine of the older machine, Mediha glanced up at him. "Get on."

When he was settled, she eased it forward and turned it back toward the mountain, crossing the jungle carefully but with greater speed than they could have achieved on foot. It would take less than half an hour at this rate, which would greatly increase the time they had for the ascension.

Mediha stopped the speeder at the base, peering up the side. There was the start of a trail around the nearest edge, but she didn't intend to leave the speeder where someone might see it.

"There is a trail," she admitted. "We'll hide this here and start our ascent there."

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

The Nightsisters had a speeder? Seriously? Darius could not hide his amusement. He'd expected something more akin to a bantha; though he wasn't going to be complaining. A speeder was not going to throw him off because it didn't like him. Well, that was the theory anyway.

With his lightsaber tucked firmly on his belt, Darious settled down into the seat alongside Mediha. He took a silent moment to thank the force that this was not a speeder bike -- being forced to sit that close to the Nightsister would not go well for anyone -- and readied for the ride. It was a relatively short one; a silent one too. He was content to watch Dathomir fly by, though occasionally he would glance at Mediha.

She was attractive enough to garner his attentions every few minutes, but then the crazy scale balanced out and Dairus stopped all considerations. He was a man, and allowed to look. There just wouldn't be any touching.

"It's been awhile since I've been on a hike. I'll knock out two birds with one stone." Darius quipped with amusement. He slid out of his seat and took his lightsaber in hand.

They were no longer in the wilds; this was enemy territory. If something attacked, he would be ready.

"What part of this clan's village is the stone Mediha?"


[member="Mediha"]

 

[Mediha]

"I have no idea." She slung a small pack over her shoulder, one containing food and items she could use if it came down to needing them. She hoped she would have time; to expend magick constantly without a focus would only make the drain-- and backlash-- worse. She took a dagger from the pack and began cutting fronds to lay across it; it didn't have to be fully covered, but it needed enough to prevent it from standing out immediately.

The location of the Stone would prove problematic, but it was a small problem comparatively. It might be in their main shrine, or it could be with the Clan Mother-- the latter would end so poorly, though, that Mediha prayed to the Fanged Goddess that it would not be so. "I will seek it out once we get there. We still have to get in unnoticed, and a long walk is ahead of us."

After pulling a water bottle from the bags left behind, she headed around the jutting portion of the cliff face. Darius kept pace with her, and she nodded toward the path when the end of it-- little more than a minor break in the fronds-- appeared. "There. The Singing Mountain Clan lives well up the mountain. It will likely be dark by the time we reach it."

Mediha's words proved to be true; though they only stopped for breaks sparingly, it was still well into dusk by the time Mediha came to a stop and motioned for Darius to follow her in a cautious crawl pressed close to the mountain around a curve in the trail. She peeked around the corner, assessing the relatively narrow path that led to the entrance of the village which was half-contained within the caves of the mountain. Mediha's lips compressed as she examined the entrance and then leaned back. A sigh passed her lips. Two guards stood at the entrance of the cave; the huts outside would likely not house the Stone, though she would check. They would be entering the caverns, most certainly.

She closed her eyes and reached out with her magick, keeping to the minimal amount she could use to sense an artifact of sufficient strength. She felt small blips-- amulets, perhaps-- but nothing like what she wanted. They would need to distract, trick or incapacitate the guards, then, without alerting anyone in the huts outside. A few waited there, but they might not notice if they were careful enough.

"We need to get in," she murmured to Darius as she opened her eyes. "I will handle the guards; we don't want to alert the women in the huts."

At her next check, she nearly jerked back; the guards were talking with other witches. Within moments, they had changed, and Mediha felt the first sense of relief settle over her; change of shift. That was one problem that would not need solving.

Mediha waited patiently and silently for the guards to settle as she gathered her power within her. Carefully. Don't overdo it.

Bringing her hand palm-up to her chin, she blew steadily and slowly across her palm. A faint cloud, transparent with a faint green hue, billowed from her hand and rolled along the path, keeping to the rapidly darkening edges as it aimed for the cave entrance. To their credit, the guards recognized what was happening-- as the spell overwhelmed them and sent them careening into one another and the ground.

"Quickly," Mediha whispered, and she was gone, running silently down the path. She masked her magickal presence, but didn't dare otherwise utilize her skills.

[member="Darius"]

 

[Cedric Grayson]

A quick application of Tapas would have gotten the job done without causing any damage. Of course, he wasn't about to tell [member="Mediha"] how to do her job. This was her show; he was only here to secure some sense of peace on this damned world. He was no master, and masking his presence proved to be a daunting task. Still he tried and prayed that the Sisters would not take note of the small shift that he was in the force. He was foreign; perhaps that would make him harder to spot.

Though he was not nearly as quiet as Mediha was, he managed to keep himself from trampling over everything. He followed dutifully down the path, lightsaber ready to be drawn at a moment's notice if need be. He drew his cowl over his head and kept low to the ground. He'd spent quite some time on Endor, and Dathomir's forestry was quite similar. He traversed the forest floor with little difficulty.

"Go to sleep now," he murmured as another guard crossed his path. The Zabrak man was just on the edge of the treeline, but he could clearly Darius' figure moving in the darkness. Holding out a hand, Darius willed the man to lose his equilibrium. One moment he was stumbling, the next he was on the ground and completely unconscious. The threat dealt with, Darius turned to follow after Mediha.

"Picking up anything?" He whispered.

 

[Mediha]

Mediha glanced at the downed guard and shook her head. No. She had forgotten she hadn't mentioned that the artifact was magickal, too distracted with what needed doing. Her head turned back to the cave they were almost upon; it would be deep inside the village. It was going to be risky.

Easing her way through the huts, staying away from windows, Mediha finally slipped into the entrance and found herself in a surprisingly wide cave lit with torches down either side. She gave it a quick glance, then moved forward, aware of [member="Darius"] following behind her. There was so much magick here; witches in plenty along with a variety of magickal objects. Eventually, however, she felt it, the deep throbbing pulse of the clan.

And the Clan Leader.

She drew her awareness back carefully and stopped in the middle of the hall. A moment's wait didn't herald anyone reaching out to her, but the proximity of the two could be of no doubt. If the Clan Mother wasn't called away, there would be no retrieval of the Stone-- or no escape for the pair of interlopers. The only luck was that it was in a section of the village where the population was low and so other interference would be low.

"I think it's fairly far down," Mediha kept her voice low, well aware of how easily things could echo now that they were under the mountain. "There should be a path this way that will let us circumvent the worst of the area and still get us to our first location. If it's there, we can leave; if it isn't, we keep hunting."

 

[Cedric Grayson]

And so it began. A cave seemed like the suitable place for an item of importance to the Nightsisters to be held. It fit with everything Darius had heard of the clans, though he knew little of the sisters who practiced the Ashla; the true Witches of Dathomir. There wasn't much of a difference for Darius, though that might not be the case for Mediha. It would be something he would ask about later when they were no under fear of death.

"I guess we're going to be spelunking then," Darius whispered back, "Just let me know when you see it. This isn't the kind of place I want to be trapped in." He had no idea what the witches would do to [member="Mediha"] if they were caught, but he had a fair idea as to what his fate would be. It was far from favorable.

He stuck close to the walls of the cave as they descended. Occasionally they would come across the rare sister, but they never paid them any notice. None of them expected an attack at the heart of their village, and Mediha hid herself well enough. If Darius practiced the magicks, he would have been caught. Fortunately the force, without the tainted rituals of the Nightsisters, was entirely foreign. Darius passed without issue.

"I sense something here -- no, someone, and she's powerful. The leader maybe?"

 

[Mediha]

Mediha's eyes eventually adjusted to the dimmer lighting of the caves. As they moved, Mediha began trailing faint magical threads, letting them travel where Mediha and Darius would not. The pair stayed silent so as to stay under the radar of those who passed them by until the Jedi announced his awareness of the Clan Leader, another reminder of how close she was.

"Jiyai." Mediha acknowledged, naming the Singing Mountain's chieftain; she felt the tension growing in her with every step. What diversion would send her out of the way? She didn't dare throw [member="Darius"] to the witches, not this soon anyway. They would need to flee and it would take both of them. "I know."

They followed yet another tunnel down yet another level, but Mediha suddenly stopped. It would be this level. They were close. To fight the Clan Leader would be suicide; she would call her witches to her and that would be that-- unless she or the others were out of the way.

It was difficult to think over her pounding heart, the adrenaline deafening her, but she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had to focus now. With eyes still closed, she delved a hand into the pack she had brought, rummaging around. One item she shoved into her shirt, then she fished around again until she withdrew an oddly shaped wooden frame and a string. She opened her eyes to knot it to one corner, mouth tight. Every advantage.

"We won't be able to get rid of her," Mediha murmured, half to herself. Since that was the case, she would have to get rid of everyone else.

Winged Goddess, Fanged God, smile on us and burn away the opposition.

"Make ready."

 

[Cedric Grayson]

Make ready.

They were going to pounce then. Darius was ready. It was not against his teachings to combat the dark, and these sisters all had it. There was not a soul on this planet that would call him an ally. They were all out for themselves, [member="Mediha"] being a prime example of such. Of course she acted for her clan, but some of it must have been self-interest. Something to think about at a later date.

Darius stood up to his full height. The moment she let her magick loose, he would fall upon the sisters. His fingers rested on the activation switch of his lightsaber switch. He would not kill; he would distract and wound if he absolutely had to. The goal here was to give Mediha the time she would need to grab her artifact and make their escape unharmed.

If push came to shove, Darius could take a few hits. It was his smaller companion he was worried about. Mediha was powerful, but she wasn't exactly built. He was built to take punishment. They both had their particular talents to fall back on.

"Say the word."

[member="Mediha"]

 

[Mediha]

When Mediha peered around the corner, there was one guard outside the entrance of the apparent shrine where the Stone was being kept.

"The guard," she whispered and gestured at [member="Darius"] to take care of it.

Once the guard was down, she stole across the intervening space, confident that her partner would follow. Internally, Mediha braced herself; the fight to come would not be as easy as things had been thus far.

Jiyai was already turning as they entered, but Mediha took advantage of the moment to lash out with a witch bolt so powerful it roared as it coalesced. The Singing Mountain chieftain knocked it aside with a well placed shield spell and struck out with a lash made of her own magick; Mediha caught it in a magickal grip and snapped it in one hard yank. They were through the doorway, waging war in a cavern that was not particularly wide but whose ceiling extended further than the torch light reached. Toward the back of the room by a pool of water into which a stream trickled sat an altar. Placed on it was a wooden box that sang with power.

Mediha struck with another bolt, but Jiyai knocked it aside as she had the first. Mediha knew it wouldn't take long for some kind of guard to arrive, but she would have her hands full enough with Jiyai. [member="Darius"] would have to take care of it. The Clan Mother had manifested a spear and was in the process of surveying her attacker with a firm, displeased expression.

"A Nightsister? And here I thought Forine had more sense." Jiyai's magick spilled from her hand, forming a blazing shield. "Or are you alone, little bird? A cast off looking for another draught to feed your twisted power? You will find only death here."

 

[Cedric Grayson]

[member="Mediha"] had already begun her assault by the time Darius felt the box. Even with his lack of talent in sensing things of various natures, he could feel it thrumming with power. This had to be what the Nightsister wanted him to help retrieve. He considered doing just that as she came to blows with the clan leader. He could grab the box and help Mediha make their escape. Unfortunately things just could not be that simple.

The Witch was a quick one. She came upon him with an alchemized spear, one that easily negated his lightsaber's powerful blade. The weapon crashed against Darius', and he found himself wrapped up in his own duel. So long as he could buy Mediha the time she needed, he was sure she would find some way to succeed. It was blind faith, not logic that drove the padawan forward now.

The spear came toward his neck, but he managed to repel it with a side swipe. Then it angled toward his knee and was easily repelled by a shifted of his blade. The witch was growing more impatient, where as Darius was calm as ever.

She overextended herself. The blade slipped forward, and so did her hand. Darius cleaved it right off. A quick application of telekinesis to the chest sent her tumbling to the floor. The sudden pain and trauma, along with a bit of Darius' assistance via mental persuasion, left the woman out cold.

Darius turned toward the box. While Mediha dueled, he would grab the thing, and they could make her mistake.

He gave the Nightsister a nod to assure her his intentions were pure, doused his lightsaber, and darted for the box, all the while praying the clan leader did not notice him.