Following in the Footsteps

[Vaylin]

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Athiss​

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It had been a couple months since Vaylin and Xena's little 'incident' down in Maena's megacity. But it had been even longer since the Zabrak had first set foot in Athiss. A planet that had been the stage of a significant change in Vaylin's life, overcoming a hurdle that had been holding her back for years. [member="Sumiko Tanaka"] had been the one to guide her along, aiding and outright pushing her to challenge what dared hinder her.

Vaylin intended to do the same with Xena.

She had picked the young Firrerreo up from Maena, plotting a course for the planet giving Xena a simple explanation.

They were going to go on a little adventure. And if Vaylin's prior experiences were anything to go by, it was going to push Xena to her limit - potentially drawing out her inner demons.

Figuratively and apparently literally in Xena's case.

Vaylin settled her ship down in a clearing, a fair distance away from the tomb she intended on them exploring. She didn't miss a beat as she departed the cockpit and headed deeper into the ship, stopping at the small room she had given to Xena during her stay.

"We've arrived, get your stuff and meet me outside."

A pause later and Vaylin walked away. The Zabrak had instructed her young charge to pack light - only bringing minimum supplies and a single choice of weapon. Vaylin had done something similar, though slightly different. Her twin lightsabers were clipped to her belt, but only had a small rucksack held over her one shoulder.

She waited at the bottom of the ship's ramp, staring out as the sun slowly began to set. Night was soon to fall, and they would need to set up a camp before going any further.

[member="Xena Amonali"]​

 

[Xena Amonali]

The offer for a trip had been quite a surprise for Xena, she hadn't one to go out too often anymore. It was a welcome experience that she wasn't going just pass up. The instructions to pack minimal gear though was one one that struck her as a bit odd. Regardless Xena had brought along the necessities that she had grown accustomed to.

Over her shoulder sat a small pack, the fiber strap set up across her form to keep it securely in place. Within she carried a spare set of clothes, an ultra light sleeping bag and enough dried meats and water to feed her for a few days. On the strap of her pack sat a glow light with both an ultra-violet and a normal flood light setting. While Xena didn't foresee herself using it, it was always nice to come prepared.
Xena wore a form fitting uniform that provided both comfort and ease of movement. Strapped to her wrist, in its usual holster, was her dagger that had been a gift from a mentor during her time with the Jedi.
Within her compartment on the ship she tested the equipment, making sure that each and every one worked as intended. Though she had done this as well during the prep time she had before her pick up, it never hurt to be sure.

Xena took one last look back at the ship before stepping out after [member="Vaylin"]. She remembered much of their last encounter through a dark haze, one that stuck with her. It always happened when her grip slipped on the reigns, it had never been that bad though. Rubbing her forehead slightly she pressed on, pushing the thought of it from the forefront of her conscious.

Golden eyes examined the surroundings, noting the barren feel to the place. Something at the back of her mind told her that this wasn't going to be some walk in the park. Still, it had been sometime that she'd been without a rush of excitement. Perhaps this expedition would reignite that for her, give her that lightning bolt of a spark once more.

"So, where to?"

The young woman's words hung in the open air exhuming the calm that she had forced onto herself once more. Her tone held a hint of curiosity, more so wondering what else this planet had in store.

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin glanced back as she heard Xena slowly walking through the ship and finally down the ramp. The younger woman had been a prominent figure in the Zabrak's thoughts as of late. What happened on Maena had illuminated her that there was layers beneath Xena that weren't apparent - not did it seem to be something the woman wanted to be known.

That just interested her more.

A burning desire to poke and prod, to test what brings the inner monster out to the surface. Could it be tamed? Turned into a weapon just like any other blade?

It would require training, something Vaylin hadn't thought about when it came to being the teacher. Time had passed since she had been Knighted by the Sith Empire, and most importantly her master [member="Aria Vale"]. Now the shoe was on the other foot, and Vaylin had found herself in a similar situation; finding potential within a beast.

Fortunately the Zabrak wasn't introduced by being attacked by said potential student, unlike Aria had when she had first discovered her.

She looked out at the treetops, watching as the sun slowly faded behind the red and orange leaves. The bright contrast fading to darkness and shadows.

"Onwards."

Vaylin took the lead as they left the safety of the ship entirely, crossing the clearing and into the forest itself. The canopy above was thick, and the light was steadily disappearing the further in they went.

[member="Xena Amonali"]​

 

[Xena Amonali]

The woman wasted no time going along after the Zabrak, her idle senses going to work to analyze her surroundings. To her the force was a tool and an ally she used to keep herself safe, and of course to fight if need be. Consistent pulses came from her to exhume the hidden potential in the underbrush around her, be it creatures or just the general topology of the place.

In the back of her mind though she felt a familiar, dark tingling come back to life. It gave her goosebumps and made it feel as though her hair was standing on its ends. The familiar voice of her, hidden, self re-emerged, edging itself into her consciousness.

"Where are we now little lamb?" the voice mused in its singsong tone, "You wouldn't let me out and now you bring us somewhere new?"

Xena did her best to ignore the other side of her, as much as it made her breath hitch for a moment when it awakened. She despised the feeling of it, wishing for it to just go back to sleep. Though at least she was consciously aware of what was going on instead of remembering hazy memories of what her "other self" had done. There was a hope that it wouldn't rear its ugly head, not on this expedition. The girl could tell that her lack of acknowledgement to its presence made the other self, rather irate. Not that it mattered.

"You don't need to ignore me.. I am not your enemy here lamb. And you know it." With a hiss her "company" retreated back into the recesses of her mind, where it could watch the events unfold, waiting for its chance to grab the reigns.

As the sun set and the trees closed in, Xena flicked on her UV Glowlight that was strapped to her pack. It provided her, at least, with the ability to see while simultaneously not giving away her position to those that were unable to see within the ultraviolet spectrum. It was a fact that she abused on many an encounter in the past. She couldn't help, however, but let her mind wander as it pondered why this planet happened to be the specific choice of their destination. What did it hide that [member="Vaylin"] felt it was worthwhile to fly both of them out. Xena hoped she would get her answers sooner rather than later.

"Is there anything we're looking for on this.. er.. adventure? Or are we just exploring around?" she inquired, hoping to gleam some information from the zabrak.

A quick check of her blade, noting it still securely in her wrist sheath, and she was off at a brisk pace, doing her best to keep up with Vaylin. She had to admit, despite easily sensing the darkside from the woman, she didn't seem at all uneasy with it. Rather she was just more weary, as one should be in the presence of any darksider.

All the while, an eerie sense of unease crept at the back of her mind. It was as if something was trying to tell her something, but what it was she was none the wiser to.

 

[Vaylin]

The Zabrak glanced over at Xena the moment the younger woman let out a hitched breath. Vaylin immediately thought of the guest that apparently lingered somewhere within Xena's mind. She had questions, on whether it was part of the woman's psyche or if she had been possessed at some point. It was why coming to Athiss was somewhat ironic.

It had been significant change for Vaylin, and one where she had nearly been possessed by an ancient spirit.

As they trekked through the forest, Xena activated her UV Glowlight, illuminating some of the area around her. A handy little gadget for times like these, but Vaylin did not do anything similar. If anything she seemed perfectly content strolling onwards with no apparent sight of what was ahead of her.

It wasn't of course, Vaylin could see perfectly fine.

Her ambers eyes almost seemed to glow in the darkness, in a similar vein as Xena's glowlight in that it illuminated but didn't stretch out too far to draw attention to it. A handy little trick with the Force that Vaylin had developed during her years on Dxun.

The sudden rustling of the underbrush brought the Zabrak to a halt, throwing up a closed fist to silently signal Xena to do the same. Vaylin's eyes were affixed to the sound, moving through the foliage nearby. A thought crossed her mind, wondering if the same archnid creatures were going to appear - it would just be her luck that they'd show up again. But nothing came of it, and after several tense moments, Vaylin gave the 'all clear' and they carried on.

"Oh, we're definitely here for something specific." There was a mystery smile on the Zabrak's face after saying those words. "This is Athiss, homeworld to the Sith Purebloods. It has a steeped history; although not as much as say Korriban. But nonetheless, there have been many Sith that have been buried here, their tombs laying in wait to be explored." She paused there, letting the information linger for a bit.

"Although we're not here to necessary go tomb raiding, instead there are some ruins I want to explore."

[member="Xena Amonali"]​

 

[Xena Amonali]

The rustling put Xena on high alert, she had a hunch there would be creatures here but she hadn't a clue what they'd be like. A bit of subtle manipulation and she helped to enhance her hearing, just to be safe. Though [member="Vaylin"] gave her the all clear, she was still unsure, her hand twitching a bit near her dagger. Something about the atmosphere of the place put her moreso on edge. Maybe it was the lingering taint of the darkside that poked and prodded at her psyche, not enough to overwhelm but certainly enough to make her jumpy.

For once, she didn't mind the voice in her head, reminding her to remained focused. It seemed her other self wasn't too keen on trusting Vaylin, but it wasn't in control so it had no say as to where they went. The soft tones of its voice continued to echo in her consciousness though, tempting her to let it free.

When Vaylin spoke, Xena listened paying rather close attention to what the woman said. Sith temples? Sith ruins? They brought up some red flags from the girl's time as a Jedi. Yet the idea of it felt welcoming, and her curiosity was certainly peeked when she mentioned going to just explore them. She relished for the chance to learn something new, and this may be just that moment.

"Ruins? Sounds interesting.. let's hope some creatures haven't decided to make it their home though"

She spoke rather quietly, not wanting to attract any more attention to them than she had to. Especially when the rustling in the distance indicated that there were much larger "fish" in this forest, and she didn't want to find out what they were like.

Xena continued along after Vaylin though, letting her mind wander as she struck up a conversation with the voice in her head, sing it to distract her from each of the snaps and cracks of the living monster around them.

 

[Vaylin]

"I'd be more concern with what was left behind. The place we're heading, it was I believed to have been previously used to...experiment." She glanced over at Xena with a look, one that made it apparent there was nothing innocent about the place's history. "A venue for research, exploring what made the native beasts tick, and how to twist that into something else."

Sith Alchemy was a nasty venture, especially when it came to mutating the very nature of animals.

"We might get lucky, find that the place is abandoned of any of its test subjects - or they all got eaten by something bigger."

Neither one was particularly great in the larger scheme of things.

The duo pressed on for a couple more minutes, until the rustling suddenly returned. It was more aggressive this time, circling around them without pausing. Vaylin reached for a lightsaber, hand resting against it ready to grab at a moment's notice.

"Listen." Her voice came out as a low hiss, instructing Xena to focus her attention on the surrounding sounds. Filtering through the non-essential, piercing through the noise of the rustling revealed the origins of whatever it was sneaking around them. It sounded like multiple sharp things, stabbing into the dirt repeatedly.

Vaylin immediately knew what it was, and pulled her lightsaber into hand. Then the source burst out of a nearby bush, revealing itself as a small spider.

Well it's size was relative in comparison to the ones the Zabrak had encountered last time. But it was sizable enough that she wouldn't be able to easily squash it with her boot. Ultimately though it was smaller than them, meaning the moment it felt aggression from Vaylin - it scampered back off into the forest.

But Vaylin was still wary, hand gripped around her lightsaber hilt. This was a tactic she knew well, scouting ahead to alert the real enemy to the dangers ahead. If that was true...then it meant something worse was lurking in the shadows.

"Move!" The Zabrak yelled as her senses flared up in warning. A large shadow leaped from behind the trees and into the air towards them. Vaylin quickly rolled to the side as an armoured arachnid landed where they had been standing moments ago.

[member="Xena Amonali"]​

 

[Xena Amonali]

Xena's gaze was drawn to her surroundings as [member="Vaylin"] spoke to her about what they could potentially find. She had to admit that it did intrigue her a good bit, though something kept drawing her attention away. She couldn't shake it but she had this feeling that they were being watched. It made the girl rather uneasy to say the least. Letting out a breath she wasn't aware that she was holding, Xena pressed forward alongside her guide. The force probed into the thicket around her to at least heighten what she could perceive, though the inherent darkness was certainly starting to get to her. She had this sickening feeling that the passenger she carried around in her mind was enjoying itself as it had once again gone very quiet. Part of her wished that it'd at least speak, especially when Vaylin brought up the possibility of there being bigger predators in this forest.

Their walk, though tense, seemed to be going well until Vaylin motioned for them to stop. The sound of what could only be considered akin to a bunch of blades hitting the ground repeatedly filled her senses, with the girl turning her amber gaze towards the source of the sound, as of tracking it. When the source appeared before them, it certainly surprised Xena. She'd never seen an insect, much less a spider of that size. It made her rather uneasy. though when it skittered off at her zabrak companions aggression she let out a relieved breath. That was when the voice in her head began to chime its tones in once more, piercing through her mind and swirling around her like a storm. "Tut tut tut.. Growing complaisant are we little lamb? Just remember.. there's always bigger wolves on the prowl. I can certainly sense one nearby."

The girl had no time to question the mocking voice as Vaylin yelled out for her to move. A much larger shape flared up in her senses, causing her to step back just as a much larger spider appeared. Its blade like legs stabbing at the underbrush, causing some of it to fly up on impact. Its many eyes scanning for the two prey that just managed to elude its attack. There was a clicking noise that came from it as it moved its mandibles across one another, massive fangs glinting in the poor lighting. Xena's breath hitched as it was certainly not the only presence nearby. Still, as Vaylin stepped back, part of Xena was brought into action as another of the smaller spiders leapt at her from the shadows, it was then that her other self once more made itself known, piercing into her consciousness as she dived out of the way of the surprise attack.

"Tap into the power I offer lamb.. you know you have to. You have no need to cling onto that false light anymore. Just accept who you are.. what you are. Unleash it against these beasts and crush them.. Turn their carapaces into nothing but hollow husks..." Its voice once more sounded very smooth and forceful within her psych. She could feel the other mind she harbored attempting once more to wrench control from her, so that it could have its own way. The problem was, as the dust around the began to settle, Xena knew it was right. These beasts were more akin to tanks then arachnids. Her dagger wasn't going to cut it. Not without a bit of a helping hand, that is.

The assault from the arachnid didn't stop, as they kept going after her, starting to grow into groups, attempting to entangle her in whatever way they could. She was managing of course to dodge most of the attacks, but a few were getting far too close for comfort. "Careful! There are more in the shadows" She called out to Vaylin, hoping her guide hadn't been taken down, though a slashing going just past her head reminded her to keep focused on herself. Each spider that jumped at, and past her, scuttled off into the brush, it was just enough so that Xena could never get a good idea as to how many of them were actually around her. It could be 3-4, or it could be hundreds. Given the larger stabbing noises that were coming in closer, something told her that the second number may be more accurate.

Those thoughts were placed at the wayside by a sudden burning feeling along her back. At first she thought that maybe she'd just been imaging it, but as she turned, Xena spotted the culprit. One of the spiders was just skittering along, a sheen of crimson along its leg. It was followed by yet another slash as they began jumping at her. working on taking down the larger prey as a team whilst the larger spider occupied itself with Vaylin. First it was one, then two, and then three. Each one stabbing in their legs to hold themselves in place. The pain of it all washed over Xena, fueling the within.

For Vaylin she may have first felt a surge of the darkside from around Xena, though the next thing is that she'd see it. The loud crackling of electricity arcing filled the air along with the scent of ozone. It all seemed to be coming from one point as the spiders all over Xena lit up like lights on a christmas tree, the girl letting out an absolutely guttural scream as she let her other side once more take its hold. The spiders that were stabbed into her effectively got cooked inside of their carapaces, each one falling down to the ground or just popping from the intense voltage being force thought them.

"Now we see.. who the better hunter is"

With that Xena seemed to spring into action, force lightning cracking along her entire form as her other self began to ignore her limits to just unleash as much hell as it could, basking in the pain from its actions, knowing full well that the girl's natural regeneration would be able to keep her afloat for at least some time.

Spiders dropped to the ground as they jumped out and moved in the brush. Xena continued to just shoot them down with a multitude of pale blue electricity, each one dropping into a smoking pile on the ground, nerves causing minor twitches. Yet that was not all, some of those arachnids still skittering in shadows fell victim to different horrors as the plants around them seemed to come to life with a vicious ferocity. They'd either get collapsed in on by the greenery around them or pulled under by the relentless onslaught.Yet it didn't stop there.

Letting loose a familiar giggle, Xena jumped towards the spider, dagger held firmly in her grasp. Of course her actions hadn't gone unnoticed. The large creature turned its attention from Vaylin and back to the girl that was now barreling down onto it. The spider did what it did best, rearing up slightly and attempting to slash this smaller annoyance out of the air. Be it by precognition, or some other knowledge, Xena altered her position in the air with the force. The new trajectory ended up placing Xena just underneath the spider, giving her access to the one point on its form that wasn't incredibly armoured. Though she was still moving rather quickly Xena did manage to throw out her dagger, amplified with a bit of force, into the spiders carapace. The metal of the blade hitched on the softer armour before just breaking through. It was by no means a death blow but it provided her with options. Once she was free of the predator's grasp, Xena moved back up to her feet, still having the electricity crackle along her arms. She raised them up a bit, an almost mocking voice coming from her "Looks like I win beast"

Once more silence filled the air, alongside it came the loud crackling of electricity bounding through the air towards its target. Blue streaks flashed along the spiders back, unable to really penetrate past it. That was until it met with the dagger, still just embedded beyond the armour. The dagger began to act like a lightning rod, causing all of the electricity to pool up and discharge through itself into the spider's whole form. The leaves and twigs nearby to the spider began to catch ablaze as electricity began to arc out of its large armoured form, dancing in a brilliant light show. Xena didn't dare stop with her assault. She needed to know that the spider was dead and that it was not coming back. Certainly a rather large change from the calm, collected girl that had been with Vaylin mere moments before. As the spider began the spider began to keel over, the girl stepped in closer. The entire flow of electricity slowing down, as if the storm was coming to an end. Giving herself one last burst of speed, Xena rushed under the spider, grasping her blade's hilt in her hand, and wrenching it as hard as she could from its carapace. One loud crack later and the steaming corpse of the spider collapsed to the ground.

Be it by sheer luck, or sudden fear from the spiders behalf, Xena felt the presences of the others around be backing up again until they were in a more advantageous position.

Calm began to sweep over the area again, aided along by some small crackling flames that were formed when the electricity hard arced from the spider to the ground. Xena just took in deep breaths, her aura returning to its neutral calm again. "I'm.. sorry I'm not sure what came over me." She spoke in a feigned ignorance, she knew full well what it was. Part of her just didn't want to accept it. Panting for air, Xena worked herself back down to a more calm state, it was going to take some time, with the adrenaline and everything still pumping through her system.

Once she felt good, she turned her head back to Vaylin, "Shall we.. continue forwards?"