First Encounter

[Lydeck]

The sky was blue...
He had never seen such a clear, bright blue sky in his entire life. White clouds rolled across the valley and peppered the ground like a light steam. When the sunlight hit the mist it almost glowed, making the small Village he arrived in look like it was made of gold. But what Sidonis recognized instantly upon his entry was the large diversity in life, not only on the surface but within the Planets waters. The Living Force was strong here and echoed in the form of noise made by the large variety of birds and animals. They were faint but the Squire would hear them as if they were swarming directly around him.
He allowed himself a moment of clarity and took the time to fill his withering lungs with fresh, untainted air. It was divine. Having been stuck inside a transport shuttle for the last few weeks he was limited to stale and stagnant oxygen which left a sour taste at the back of his mouth. But this was its polar opposite. The air carried a sweet scent and filled ones nose with an unexplainable, yet extremely pleasant aroma.

The scenery almost allowed him to forget that he was no longer in Kilia IV, a Planet located within the Unknown regions. Kilia IV hardly held a candle in comparison to Naboo but it was home...and he was already missing it. But he was bound by duty and would faithfully serve his cause, and his Lord. His business in the bustling Planet was merely a brief stop before proceeding with his journey, but it was welcomed with a smile and open arms. It sure beat the last stop.
Sidonis began to wander the stone paved streets with his lavender eyes curiously glancing around casually. He was intruiged by everything from the pristine architecture, the lush green meadows and the perfect temperature. It was definately Kilia IV`s opposite.
Amidst the beauty of it all the young Squire was instantly brushed by a cold wind, an unatural chill usually associated with a flu or cold. But it was also something completely different. He couldn`t hear or see the apparation....but he could feel it, whatever it was.
[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna was back on Naboo once again, revisiting the scene of two crimes. The first crime was much more speculative, almost wildly so, a personal quest of which she sought answers in the Funeral Temple of Theed, but again as the first time she’d visited, all she found were ghosts of the past.

Ghost of the more recent present would appear as she walked the Naboo streets near an ale house where she’d gone to drink with a Jedi mercenary. They’d ended up brawling in the street like two slaves in a dueling pit. So yes, this was the scene of the second crime, but for Livna, a former servant of a cruel Sith Priestess, there was no avenging it. All she could do was replay the scene in her mind - how she was made to heel in the streets, her nose broken, body bruised.

The Caprine Dark Jedi was so much stronger now however, and in the daytime with the air perfumed by nature, sounds of the Solleu River a comforting white noise in the background, it was almost as if none of it had happened. Naboo was idyllic in the day but strange and bewitching at night.

Livna felt the cold air too, but through her nostrils she breathed in deeply and gratefully. A human or near-human was heading up the cobblestones ahead of her, but he merely looked like another Naboo noble off to whatever it is that occupied the monarchy of Theed.

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

[member="Livna Zios"]

Nubian fashion was something he failed to grasp, but he understood its influence. It was hard for one not to adopt colorful garments when raised around such beauty. The Squire unknowingly glanced down to his earthen attire and felt he must stick out like a sore thumb, yet eyes never rested on him. Naboo saw the arrival of many species, each one having their own unique culture and influences, and each one greeted with a warm smile. The Galaxy was a very harsh place, but Nubian society had cast its own touch upon the Planet to separate it from the sea of havoc.

Sidonis came to a halt as a whisper briefly brushed against his mind. Since leaving the Unknown Regions he had experienced this sensation multiple times, but was often unaware of its meaning. Sometimes he could understand the soft voice and act upon it, but he was inexperienced in precognition and his interpretation was lucky at best. It was no different this time. The whisper left as swiftly as it came, and instead of answers he was left with questions. He shifted his gaze to those at his rear yet all he saw were brightly colored men and women scuttling about the Markets upon cobblestone road.

Unable to detect the disturbance he continued his casual pace, switching his direction so he moved away from the crowds.

 

[Armand Temi]

Being an offworlder herself, Livna did not notice anything unusual with the Squire’s tan and brown garments. In fact, she also wore a leather tunic, long gloves and a flowing black skirt. She did not hide her wide-set horns under a hood as she did last time on Naboo.
Unlike the others who greeted him with a warm smile, the Caprine Dark Jedi’s face would remain impassive as she came upon a market area. Her lightsaber was safely hidden in a utility belt hidden under the tunic.

Spoiler

Perusing a stall with lush and colorful fabrics, jewelry and ornate masks, finally gazed at the Squire across the way, but it was not his clothing that attracted her attention. His Force signature beckoned to her like a pulse beating furiously, though her body language signaled nothing was amiss. The slightest turn of her head and glance around the market was all Livna did to try and pinpoint this individual.

There, a human male moving away from the throngs of Nabooians.

Livna paid quickly for one of the masks - a bejeweled egg colored humanesque face - and carefully donned it. Her long, flaxen hair and Nur horns would be visible but her features would be fully disguised.

Spoiler

Today on Naboo, she would not make the same mistake twice. The disturbance that [member="Lydeck"] felt would become more pronounced.

 

[Lydeck]

Noise eminating from the markets were reduced to echos as the Squire distanced himself from the cluster of citizens. He lacked the skill in foresight to properly translate the nature of these warnings, yet he was skilled enough to come to the conclusion that he was the one in danger, and not the civilians which surrounded him. Sidonis stretched out with the Force as he kept his stride, his sense of hearing extending far past its natural limits to detect anything unusual such as a quickened heart beat, heavy breathing or irratic movements that betrayed them among the casual.

His mentality sifted through the multiple taps of footsteps and the rythmic thump of heartbeats. But what he sought was cloaked from his senses, and the signs that usually betrayed an aggressor was absent. Yet the whisper persisted. Warnings buried in riddle and puzzle were swept against his mind, and Sidonis came to a complete stop. Despite his inexperience in precognition and its interpretation, he was able to clearly translate its message. For a moment he resembled a statue, and if not for his flowing hair and clothing he may have mimiced it perfectly. His long dark black duster danced with the wind as his voice pierced the void of silence "Those shrouded in darkness always lurk in the shadow" his accent was thick, and the way he carried his words indicated his life of nobility.

Sidonis ensured that his surroundings were clear of Nabooians. The last thing he needed was the death of an innocent on his hands.
[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna enjoyed the anonymity of the mask that she'd bought at the market. There was no way anyone could trace her to these malevolent Naboo activities.

The dark-haired creature moved into a more isolated area, which exactly suited the Caprine. The sounds and smells of the market behind them, all that could be noticed here was a light breeze and the odor of the Naboo pines. Every footstep the Squire took, Livna mirrored as though a doppelganger. One, two, three, four - when he stepped, the Darksider was right behind him, like an animal stalking her prey.

At his words, Livna said, "Yes, but sometimes those that lurk in shadows require the light in order to see. Will you help illuminate my surroundings?"

She asked this question almost beseechingly, as though she were in trouble, a siren calling to a sailor who was about to crash into the rock's edge.

An edge of reticence in her voice, she stood quietly allowing the man closer to her if he wished.

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

Were it not for the wrenching in his stomach, the young noble may have well dived into the Sirens embrace like a naive child. But his feelings were always right, even if they were generally vague and confusing. Instead of seeking the voices origin he remained still, his gaze gently shifting from his left to right, then back again. His breathing picked up in pace and his heart felt as if it were about to leap from his chest. It was more nerves than fear. Back on Kilia IV he knew everything about the Planet and its inhabitants. Here he knew nothing. Ignorance wasn`t always bliss.

"If you require help then cast off your shroud. Step into the light where I may see you"

Sidonis unknowingly played a dangerous game. Naboos environment and atmosphere had thrown his usual wariness of guard. He was yet to learn that even the most beautiful Planets were dangerous.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Livna stepped a little closer now, out of the shadows of the nearby pine trees, and into a scattered line of sunbeams which streamed down, casting her in an almost celestial spotlight. With the delicate ornate mask and her long flaxen hair, she would almost resemble an angelic being.

But the horns which sprouted at the sides of her temple gleamed sharply.

“Now that I’m in the light. What do you see?” she asked.

The recent events that took place in the Dark Jedi Padawan’s life had traumatized her past the point of constantly feeling like someone’s prey – her former Mistress for which she was a slave, and then her recent Master, Sith Lord Vengeance who she attacked while in a training exercise and had to escape or else she would face a trial and likely an execution.

No, she would no longer be the caged animal. She was now the predator.

And the mask made her feel all the more powerful because this young man, a Force sensitive, would never know her true identity. She could do anything to him right now – at least that’s how she felt and the thought of that was like a sip of a heady ale. Whether she was or not, she felt omniscient, rapacious and quite deadly. Livna wasn’t pre-planning her next move. She would wait to see how the gentleman responded before she decided what to do next.

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

As she stepped forth from her shroud of shadow the light illuminated her soft features, her ornate mask almost glowing as if it belonged to an angelic being. Sidonis paused for a moment and took in the beauty which stood before him, capricious horns and all. He pulled back his long raven hair and tied it loosely in a tail which dangled over his shoulder, revealing the single horn in the center of his forehead, indicating that his biological lineage hailed from the Zabrak. Yet despite his protrusion it was the only physical trait he shared with his Father. The markings and tattoos usually affiliated with the Zabrak were absent on his face, and he looked more Human than anything.

His lavender eyes rested upon the Females figure. He was in awe, but the feeling in his stomach ceased to subside and tried to remind him of an unknown truth. She was not who she appeared to be. In response to her question his soft voice echoed "Beauty." It was the only word he could pry from his lips. He took a single step forward in a manner deemed non threatening, and as he advanced he felt another chill dance down his spine. The feeling alone was enough to halt his movement as his gaze concentrated on her form. Something was not right, and his lack of precognitive interpretation made the situation all the more frustrating. He spoke up once again, this time more direct "Who, no......what are you?" the change in question was not accidental.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

“Beauty is what most see,” said Livna, her voice feminine, if a bit muffled behind the mask. It was anything, but the guttural rumbling of some decrepit, overly-veined Sith. “My beauty has been traded for favors. Not of my own accord, mind you. Mostly as though I were an object passed back and forth, to be shared among men and women.”

She took a step closer to the man as he swept his hair into a rope-like configuration to hang over his shoulder. But his revealing of the Zabrak horn did take her aback - feeling a natural affinity for a fellow creature with horns - and the blonde Dark Jedi was silent for a moment. She would be close enough for the Squire to see that behind the eye holes in the mask sat a pair of vibrant blue eyes.

His voice was masculine but gentle and kind. The only thing Livna could compare it to was before her life had been so changed by the Sith, a time in her life when she was courted by shy Balae warriors on Iktotch. But bondage with Priestess Tiin, her Caprine Mistress, would not allow her to experience real love.

She was a borrowed plaything at the best of times, an abused slave at the worst.

No, dear sir, she thought. You will not bewitch me with your handsome, elegant looks.

“My species is Caprine,” she answered. “We are not often found off of our home world of Iktoch. One of our traits is natural precognition, which we inherited from our distant genetic relatives, the Iktotchi.”

Her gloved hand hovered near her light saber, but she did not grasp it.

“Would you like to know the future? Am I to be in your bed tonight? Or are you to be under my foot on the ground, gasping for your last breath?”

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

The situation in which she explained about herself was unfortunate. Such behavior was unacceptable in Kilia IV and its Rangers ensured that freedom was available to all, and those whom opposed its values often met the end of a Siang Lance. Since arriving in 'Known Space' Sidonis bore witness to the atrocities committed on a daily basis. The weak were preyed upon, and innocents were often robbed of their lives in order to satisfy the hunger of others. The horned Female which stood before him was a prime example.

As she stepped forward his lavender eyes met with her own, a pair of pale blue orbs which seemed to absorb anything it rested its gaze on. The Caprine explained her species and her origin, and to his surprise her race was just as reclusive as his own. Not his Zabrak ancestry, but the lineage of his Kilian blood. But her final statement is what took him back, his left foot finding a stable foundation as he unknowingly stepped back. "And beneath its beauty lies a heart of ice" the Squire noticed her slender hand hover above her hip, but chose not to react in the same manner. Instead he took another step forward and fixed his gaze securely on the horned beauty "Since precognition is your strength, perhaps you could enlighten me on my future."

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

While Livna had a natural talent for precognition, it wasn’t refined. Priestess Tiin had made quite sure her talents – both in the Force and in precognition – were firmly suppressed. She would never be the expert mystical seer that her Lady had been, no matter how hard she practiced.

“Oh I’m no soothsayer,” growled Livna with sneer, though he wouldn’t see it behind her mask. The frozen mouth on the fake face was unmoving. Only her real eyes shone with clear malice.

“I’m a charlatan at best. My skills are quite untamed in that area. Much like others I possess, but you will have to get to know me to take advantage of those.”

The dark-haired Squire stood still now, squared shoulders, firm stance, displaying more courage than she anticipated. So instead of remaining in one place, Livna began to move, slowly circling him, walking around and tilting her head as she spoke, almost inhumanly and much more like the porcelain wind-up doll that she resembled.

“But if I had to guess, I would say both are a possibility.”

She continued stalking his perimeter.

“That's the lovely thing about freedom. Your fate is completely up to you."

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

Sidonis remained unshifted as the slender Caprine circled her prey "For those lucky enough to have freedom, yes. But some are not as fortunate. I am a slave of honor and duty, and have given up my freedoms for a higher cause. Until my charge is complete I`m afraid ONE of those options lacks possibility." He could still see her in his peripherals, and as the Force flowed through him like a gentle wave, he could clearly hear her gentle footsteps and the grass which folded under her weight. All ambient noise began to slowly die away as the unnecessary information was filtered away.

"And what of you? Are you free? Is your fate your own? Or do you faithfully follow another like I?" he pulled back his dark ebony duster, revealing a long sleeved ivory shirt covered with a brown vest, his hand gently hovering above the leather holster which held his weapon.
[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

“There is no higher power,” snarled Livna. “I believed in a Goddess once, but she failed me. She did not protect the unfortunate. So why should I be a slave to anything… even a concept?”

Finally, she stopped and planted her feet in the ground. Luckily the two of them were still alone in the pine grove, but she worried that it wouldn’t be for long.

“Are you so sure that you will cheat death today?” she asked, undeterred by his own display of weaponry, finally grasping her golden colored lightsaber, more brilliant than her maize-yellow hair, but almost the same color. The Caprine Dark Jedi ignited it.

Livna had made daring escapes from two of her captors and one would think this would cause her to be reticent, hesitant and very careful with her life.

But the opposite had happened. She was reckless, slightly hopeless and extremely willing to be the pursuer for once.

“I follow no one. No Goddess or religion. And I am free to do as I please.” She took a step towards him, closing the gap between them, her saber humming close to his ear. Livna was so close he would be able to smell her tigercinth perfurme, mixed with the odor of freshly shined leather armor. She wasn’t sure exactly what she planned to do with the dark-haired man, but she only knew that she craved contact right now - the more violent the better.

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

His brow furrowed at her words and reminders of his past flooded the present. Unfortunately this was not the first time he had encountered a wayward soul, someone who had once dedicated their entire being only to have their beliefs altered dramatically. Although a small minority of those had managed to reclaim their former self, most were wrapped into husks of vengeance and pain. His cousin, whom was almost like a Brother to him, strayed from his path and became a Renegade.

It was one of the hardest moments of his life. But he still had hope. "Nothing cheats death. But I am not ready for it, not yet. When I have fulfilled my duty I will gladly accept the my end" with that said the golden haired Caprine ignited her lightsaber, a weapon not yet seen by the single horned Squire. Its activation let out an ambient hum that filled the air around them, coupled with a glow that radiated from its blade. Sidonis knowledge of the Jedi and the Sith were limited. He was aware of the war they fought, one which has existed for thousands of years. He was aware of the lightsaber.....but this was the first time he had ever seen one. She closed the gap that separated them both, her bright blade so close he could almost feel the heat.

His reaction was reactive as he swiftly grasped the handle of his blaster with his right hand, removing it from its sheath. In tandem to drawing his weapon he also concentrated his manipulation of the Force, imbuing his weapon to strengthen its properties [Force Weapon] . He swung the blaster towards the Caprines golden saber causing a collision between blades. On closer inspection his weapon was more than a mere blaster. Melded into its form was an attached bayonet, giving the weapon both ranged and melee capabilities. As their weapons locked Sidonis gazed into the masked Womans blue eyes "I will only ask this once. Please sheath your weapon. I don`t want to harm you."

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

The Zabrak hybrid appeared genuinely surprised at glimpsing a lightsaber, and instead of relishing his confusion, it took her back to when she’d first actually caught a glimpse of the crystal-powered swords. Wounds on her back from a particularly nasty saber cut had been covered with synth-skin, but it did not match her downy, pale epidermis. Livna’s back was a canvas of horror, but under her leather tunic, no one would know, how savagely scarred she was.

And the clever being that he was, the fellow Force user finally drew his weapon, some strange blaster-bayonet contraption and connected forcefully with her saber. The Caprine Dark Jedi could tell there was a Force enhancement of some kind but it was merely a vague ambient sensation to her as her own powers were still somewhat nascent.

Her arm trembled as it normally did when she was engaged in combat, but the golden saber did not move.

"I will only ask this once. Please sheath your weapon. I don`t want to harm you."

Her heart skipped a beat as his words were so gentle – firm and determined, yes – but so disciplined and cultured. And she could not remember when she was spoken to in such a kind manner. The Squire could hear her ragged breathing through the mask. He couldn’t see her facial expressions, but her cerulean irises would show a hint of doubt. For just a moment.

And then she windmilled her lightsaber, not to strike him but to move his weapon while she disengaged her hand and blasted him with a strong shot of Telekinesis, enough to send him flying away from her. It was the same kinetic attack that had her put on trial for the murder of an Imperial Captain and medic – a sheer accident at the time, of which she was silently and regretful.

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

There was a brief moment of pause, the reason eluding the Squire. Before he could contemplate his actions the Caprine spun her golden blade gracefully, its fluid movement representing the ease in which she wielded her weapon. With his own weapon effortlessly battered away, Sidonis prepared to position his blade between himself and the attacker, but was instead met with a violent push. He could neither see or detect the invisible Force, but it pressed against his entire being, almost as if he were physically struck by a huge blunt object.

His feet left the grass beneath him, and his entire body was thrown a few feet into the air. If not for his training he would have landed hard, perhaps forcing the air from his lungs and leaving him winded and exposed. Instead he tucked his knees into his chest and using the momentum of the telekinetic attack to his advantage. He landed hard, but upright, and immediately pulled his bladed pistol so that its aim was centered on the blonde Caprine, his finger hesitantly hovering above the trigger "You doubt this course of action?" he had her set in his sights, and with distance now placed between them he had the advantage of range. His finger was firmly planted on the weapons trigger and he half squeezed its firing mechanism, though not enough to discharge the bolt "I will do what I must...."

His finger now fully squeezed the trigger, releasing a bright blue bolt from the chamber and through the barrel. At its final moment Sidonis pulled the sights slightly towards the right, the bolts trajectory altered so that it shot above her left shoulder and pass her ear. It was a warning shot. The next time he would not be so forgiving.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Despite the warning shot, Livna instinctively blocked the bolt with her saber as she could not tell where it was going to land and wasn’t going to take any chances. However, her defensive maneuver wasn’t as graceful, illustrating to the Squire that the Caprine was not as adept at Soresu and was probably a better opponent in close combat.

And in that case, closer in proximity she would go.

Bending her knees she lunged forward, blade high to ward away any further blaster shots. Propelled by Force Speed, once she got closer, the crystal-fueled sword would hang low, and she would try and give the Squire a headbutt with her wide-set horns. While the pointed instruments weren’t made of phrik, they were structured from keratin, the substance of most bovidae species’s horns.

The opening would put her at risk for more of his ranged bolts, but Livna had gored a Corellian with this very type of headbutt, causing him a gaping wound. He eventually pummeled her so she lay limp on the cobblestone, but as she did, with pride, she watched his blood run down the civilized Naboo streets.

[member="Lydeck"]

 

[Lydeck]

He was shocked to see his bolt bounce off her golden blade, but he hid this well. Not only did she deflect the shot with the slim saber, but she almost did it effortlessly. Sidonis was somewhat aware of a Jedi and Siths ability, not through direct experience, but from rare holos and stories passed down from elders. He had little time to admire the skill of the masked Caprine as she enhanced herself with the Force, using its power to augment her speed as she sprung forth with great speed. The Squire smiled, genuinely surprised at her command of the Force "I should have expected this...", his words intended for himself than her. Other than a few Kilian Rangers and Lords this was the FIRST Force Sensitive he had encountered since his departure.

He grasped the handle tightly, anticipating a follow up attack from the glowing weapon. Instead he was shocked to see her blade drop low as she lunged her horned head towards his own. There wasn`t sufficient time to redirect the flow of the Force from his weapon to his legs, especially since her own movements were empowered. Instead Sidonis lifted his left arm and positioned his forearm in between the two horned heads. With a flex of his wrist and a closed fist a small shied, no greater than a meter in diameter and made of near invisible energy, materialized. Its visual properties mimicing the Gungan Shields of old. Her horns collided with his shield and the impact generated enough force to make him stumble back a few steps. As he tried to regain his footing he lifted his Siang Saber, discharging another blue bolt towards her outer left thigh.

[member="Livna Zios"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Activated by the Squire at the last possible moment, the energy shield caught Livna off-guard, but she arched up so that her head didn’t absorb all of the blow. She let her chest and torso bounce off of it and sailed backwards, trying to flip around, but Ataru was not her strong point. The impact caused the doll-like mask to fall off, and the Zabrak hybrid would finally be able to see her features. The soft lips, high cheekbones and golden hair was not the face of a killer, yet her eyes sparkled coldly like icicles in a Hoth cave.

The blaster bolt grazed her leg as she sailed in the air, causing the armor to sizzle and a hot burn spread over her upper thigh.
The Dark Jedi landed with a feminine grunt on the leaves and pine needles of the forest floor, her body in a heap. Unfamiliar with the properties of the energy shield, Liv assumed that it was likely to ward off a saber blade, so on her ungraceful perch on the ground, she sat up and reached her arms out. Gritting her teeth in pain, which she would just bear for now, and with Telekinesis, she began to firmly squeeze the windpipe of the dark-haired Squire.

"Forgive me," he would hear in his mind, an odd sentiment for his executor to express as she crushed his throat.

If he did not free himself somehow from the pressure, his hyoid bone and cervical vertebra would eventually snap from the pressure.

[member="Lydeck"]