Private Fount of Power

[Arlo Renard]

Somewhere in space

By now Damsy’s ship had become familiar enough to Kai that it was almost a mobile second home. The doppelganger was used to the noises it made, the rumble of the engines and the tick of the hyperdrive.

On this particular trip, they were headed for a rendezvous with some smugglers. Apparently they had stumbled upon something floating around in open space—a creature that might be a new type of Sithspawn. The smugglers were superstitious enough to refuse to bring it aboard their ship, but they had agreed to stay in the general vicinity and watch over the being until Damsy and her crew arrived.

Kai checked the coordinates on the navicomputer for the umpteenth time. It was roughly three months since he, Claudia, and Ax had made their ill-fated attempt at a vacation, only to wind up stranded on a forsaken graveyard world populated by zombified Bryn’adul due to a miscalculation. Ax hadn’t made it back. Kai didn’t intend to make the same mistakes again.

Kiber Dorn Damsy Callat Alina Tremiru Lief​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You know how much it sucks to be stuck out in space? I can only handle it for a couple minutes. How longs this thing been out there?" This was an.. Odd trip for Alina. They were going out to find Sithspawn to.. Bring back? There was a lot she'd yet to figure out about this group, but this seemed kinda dangerous. Especially when it was an unknown Sithspawn. She knew all too well how dangerous they could be. Her family adored them, adored creating them.

Adored becoming them.

Her eyes stayed out on the streaks of light passing by the window. She was uncomfortable. Not with what they were doing specifically. Going out to save someone who might need to be saved was what she was all for. But.. The unknown element, especially with the still unknown limit on just how terrible things could be twisted by Alchemy. She crossed her arms over her chest.

".. You sure it's even alive?"

Arlo Renard

 

[Damsy Callat]

Damsy shrugged as she entered Nauti's small bridge. "Smugglers say so," she answered for Arlo Renard . "Seemed real spooked too, so I believe 'em." She had more than enough experience listening to rescue calls in the military to know when someone was simply pranking or had really found something freaky somewhere it didn't belong.

Open space was just a new one.

Before sitting down in the pilot's seat and scooting in towards the control dash, she scooped up a tightly-balled Kezi. The small dragon uncoiled herself and scamper across the floor as soon as Damsy had let her down. If BD was in the room, she would settle back down near him. "We should be nearby right 'bout now," she added, glancing at the navicomputer as well before adverting her gaze out into the vacuum. "'Les they fat-fingered a coordinate."



**
Alina Tremiru | Lief | Kiber Dorn

 

[Kiber Dorn]

What is my purpose?

A conduit drifted through the void like errant, forgotten detritus, alone and abandoned.

The Creator was gone. It had happened some time ago, which ultimately meant nothing to the decrepit creature that meandered across stars without conviction. It was felt across the galaxy, a severing of the connection that had bound the Sithspawn in cause to The Creator. The creation did not mourn, nor did It feel sadness; such trivialities were bound to creatures of individual will and the conduit only existed as an extension of another's.

What is my purpose?

Its continued existence, however, only served but to create questions that spiralled in permanent cycles around the creature's mind. Questions that held answers of a self-perceived ill-natured, that ought never to be answered and not even to be pondered but with nothing but the stars for companions they asked.

If It was an extension of the Creator's will, why did It continue to exist? Why did it not also cease to be?

What is my purpose?

Nobody ever answered.

Until finally new whispers came, curious at first but It bore witness to ever-shifting colours as said curiosity trickled into caution and was reborn entirely into fear. Sightless eyes peered through the nearby hull and into the yellow hearts of men who kept their distance in fear of Its unknown.

What is my purpose? The detached colourless voice of telepathy questioned once more, forcing itself outwards into the minds of those close enough to listen.

More had come.

They felt, different.

---

Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat Lief​

 

[Lief]

Ensiss' crew was beyond spooked.​

​

There was something to be said about the suspicions of certain kinds of spacers. These were not the sort of people Eliphas typically associated with, but since the crash of The Atale and his subsequent fight for survival, both planet-side and once he was back in the throws of space, he had quickly realized that beggars could not be choosers.​

​

He was a long way from the Core, and even coming this far had been a whole ordeal. If he wanted to get back to Empress Teta any time soon he'd need to knuckle down and get some sort of work done. He needed credits, and fast. If not for passage on a ship, then for one of his own. Whichever came first.​

​

Enter Ensiss.​

​

He'd found Eliphas on a space station, and was quick to welcome him aboard his ship. He worked alongside the Besalisk's crew, mostly sanitation work again since they didn't trust him with the navicomputers, but work was work. Most of what they were willing to pay him was funneled back into the ship, the cost of board and food and the like, but there was a little left over at the end. No small fortune, but it was a start.​

​

This, though... This could prove to be the tipping point. None of the Besalisk's crew wanted anything to do with the being they'd found floating through the void. They'd left the figure where it was, refusing to even bring it aboard. Eliphas however held none of their concerns himself. He'd actually argued 'til he was blue in the face with Ensiss, insisting that they help the floater out. Whatever was keeping them alive he couldn't know for sure, but with each passing second who knew if it would be their last?​

​

He couldn't have that on his conscience. Not alongside the other lives which had been lost on his watch.​

​

So now they waited for the arrival of others who would handle it. Ensiss had promised him quite the payout if he handled the situation from their end. Enough, perhaps, for a way back home?​

​

Eliphas certainly hoped so.​

​

Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat Kiber Dorn ​

 

[Arlo Renard]

"...You sure it's even alive?"

"Smugglers say so. Seemed real spooked too, so I believe 'em."

The chatter in the cockpit was background noise to Kai, who had become more withdrawn lately, even among his fellow Sithspawn. He had told Damsy and the others very little about what happened at Boz Pity—only that they had wound up there by accident, crashed, and were attacked. Ax was dead, Claudia was spooked, and Kai seemed to have ventured too near to a certain Abyss.

He of course harbored his own questions about the floating creature they had come to retrieve, even if he had yet to voice them. Chief among these inquiries was Is it dangerous?

<I can survive in a vacuum,> Kai said, the remark mainly aimed at Alina. <It's not so strange a thing for an unnatural being.>

It was also why he intended to be the first person to make contact with the being. Physical contact, namely. With his unique physiology, he was the most likely among them to survive any toxic matter or pollutants or who-knew-what they might be putting out.

The ship plunged out of hyperspace back into the deep black sea of space. Awash with stars, Kai relaxed as their computer picked up the nearby presence of the smuggler's vessel. Now they only had to find the—

What is my purpose?

Kai blinked. It was an unmistakable voice in his head, asking the same question over and over again.

What is my purpose?

<Anyone else hear that?> he asked. There was a chance the voice was only targeting him, or he was the only one sensitive enough to pick up the telepathic message. <We don't have a tractor beam. Does the smuggler ship have one?> Otherwise, he wasn't sure how they were going to reel 'em in, aside from using the weird squid droid in the cargo hold to snatch the floater and bring him aboard the Nauti.

Kiber Dorn Damsy Callat Alina Tremiru Lief​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Imean, yeah. It's not that unnatural. I just.." Yeah, she didn't have an answer. For Alina, Sithspawn had always been tools and monsters, forged by her family while she herself had been rendered unable by that very same power. There was a lot she still needed to get around when it came to understanding just what she was, and who these people were. They exited hyperspace, and she more calmly pulled her gaze from the window.

Whatever her personal feelings were, they were here to help one of their own, right?

"Thought you said you could survive in space." Alina paused by the airlock, glancing to Arlo Renard with a slight smirk.

"C'mon, we can go out n' grab em. Who needs a tractor beam."

Lief | Damsy Callat | Kiber Dorn

 

[Damsy Callat]

<Anyone else hear that?>

Damsy sure did.

She didn't have time to confirm, though, before Alina spoke up. Instead, she replied, "Yeah, good for the both of you, but ya girl ova here likes oxygen." Dissolved or gaseous, it didn't matter. ...Well, actually it did. "Let's give our friends time to weigh in 'fore y'all go spacewalking, 'right?"

Damsy held up her hand for quiet in the cockpit before switching live a hail to the smuggler's vessel. "'Ey there, strangers. It's Callat. Thanks for standin' your ground." She tiptoed the Chambered Nautilus towards the mysterious floating humanoid—nearer enough to see It clearly, or at least clearer, both through the windscreen and a holographic scan projecting up from the dash but far enough way to give everyone involved some breathing room. "Sitrep?"



**
Alina Tremiru | Lief | Kiber Dorn

 

[Kiber Dorn]

What is my purpose?

The secondary vessel crept in closer yet remained cautious in the distance, which gave sense to trepidatious spirits.

Sifting through the palette of colours like grains of living sand the conduit looked closer and found that fear was not the absolute consensus, which above all else was a curious thing. Not only that but there were sentients within those vessels that shone in tune with the thrum of the Force, perhaps not in absolute rhythmic harmony but more than potent enough to be noticed...

...and to warrant directed attention.

Why won't you answer?

It was confused, by the continued silence. As if It did not exist in their space beyond terms of their apparent observation. Did they perceive It as a threat and were preparing to act in accordance with such perception? Perhaps without purpose, it was meant to perish under these circumstances, following The Creator in demise and ceasing the continuation of the man's will.

I will not bring harm.

Or perhaps not, there were so many questions.

---

Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat Lief​

 

[Lief]

The longer they lingered near the floating corpse, the more Eliphas began to feel strange. Every now and then he'd hear whispers no one else seemed to be reacting to, leaving him wondering if he was losing his mind... After so much had happened that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, right?​

​

When their ship got hailed by the other vessel he was thrown from his thoughts, and as much as he wanted no part in this Ensiss returned their transmission.​

​

" 'lo," he began, audibly uncomfortable, "You 'ere for that thing?" He made a gesture though the other side could not see it. "Reckon we can 'urry this up? Places to be, people to see, you know how it is..." Oh, Eliphas definitely knew how it was. Every single member of the crew appeared white as a ghost, they were itching to move on.​

​

"If there's any way we can help, please let us know. Scans show he's very much alive out there..." The scorned look the crew sent his way was difficult to ignore, but he did his best. Even though he was hearing things, even though he felt off, he felt as though they had something of an innate duty to assist.​

​

He knew he'd want the same were the roles reversed.​

​

Damsy Callat Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Kiber Dorn ​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai raised an eyebrow at Alina. Maybe taking matters into their own hands was the better choice. It would certainly give the crew of the Nauti more control over the situation if they used the weird droid to retrieve the corpse—

Why won't you answer?

Kai winced, some of the creature's own frustration leaking into him. <This is not up for debate,> he said. <We don't know how this being will react to us trying to grab it.> And we can't afford to take any risks. Without asking for permission, he slid into the co-pilot's seat and started pressing buttons, requesting that the smugglers tractor the being.

I will not bring harm.

<We're here to help you,> Kai replied. <We're going to put you on a ship and take you somewhere safe.>

Like so many spacefarers, the smugglers were superstitious and spooked enough by the floating body as-is. It was obvious by their response that they were reluctant to bring the corpse aboard. Kai's patience thinned. <Get that thing aboard your ship now,> he snapped, his telepathy lashing like a whip across space. Initiating a mind trick upon the captain and anyone else he could reach, he practically forced their hands to operate the tractor beam controls...

Kiber Dorn Damsy Callat Alina Tremiru Lief​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Why won't you answer?

"Because sound doesn't travel through space and I can't do the mind thing." Alina very frustratedly yelled at the airlock in the supposed direction of Kiber Dorn . Not that she could feel him. Such simple things of the Force were beyond what she could do or understand. "It can speak. It says it's not gonna hurt us. If it could, don't you think it would without people needing to y'know, go out in space with it?"

Of anyone, the vampiress and Arlo Renard were probably the most suited to actually go out there. No suit to fear being ruptured. She had a time limit for how long she could handle it, sure, but she wasn't worried in the slightest.

So she left out the airlock. There was a hiss as the double doors closed behind her. If Kai didn't want to go out, she would on her own. No one wanted to be tugged along by a faceless crowd. The room depressurized and Alina kicked off the door as soon as the outer one opened. Propelling herself through the air towards the figure. She couldn't talk to it, so that'd be it's own problem.

But at least Dorn wouldn't be alone.

Damsy Callat | Lief

 

[Kiber Dorn]

A response.

The conduit slowly considered the new telepathic voice that pierced through the constant hum of hushed and indecipherable whispers. It was peculiar in concept, the words of the other being melting into the creature's mind as if it were an unknown entity that needed to be broken down and savoured. Had it grown so lonely in the void? The conduit was unsure if It was so affected by such solitude.

Why would an extension of the Creator's will be designed to feel alone?

The swirl of colour amongst them turned forceful in nature, the unseen touch tinged with frustration that would compel the hands of those it struck. The new voice was upset.

Why?

Before the conduit could question such a turn of events one of the sentients had taken it upon themselves to join It in the void. A most curious display that spoke of alien physiology, there were not many beings suited to the cold vacuum of space.

Upon approach, Its new companion amongst the stars would find that corpse had been an apt moniker given to the Sithspawn. Its form was monstrous in construct, grey and anaemic, in physical function, it was not fit for purpose. Legless, shrunken, shrivelled. A clearly constructed helm hid skeletal features and lidless milky white eyes that were no longer capable of sensing the physical. The conduit, however, was unaware of Its own monstrous design.

What are you? It (unironically) asked the approaching one with simple curiosity, not realising that she could not respond in kind.

---

Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat Lief​

 

[Lief]

No force was really necessary.​

​

Though Captain and crew stepped back, refusing to participate, they opened the floor to Eliphas and the young Cadet stepped forward and took control. Within no time the tractor locked on to that floating mass, though seemingly not before one of the other ship's crewmates also launched themselves out into the void.​

​

"What the kriff?" The boy exclaimed, surprise wrought on his expression. "What is she doing? How---" Shouldn't she be dead already? Regardless as she came close to Kyber, provided she did, she'd also end up caught up in the tractor beam. Whether one or two they were pulled toward the smuggler's ship, much to the frustrations of its crew.​

​

"Bad omen," some of them grumbled, though Eliphas assured them he'd go down into the cargo bay himself to deal with this. When the tractor brought it closer he vacated the cockpit and headed down below, watching as either one or two bodies were pulled in to safety...​

​

Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat Kiber Dorn ​

 

[Damsy Callat]

"What the FETH?! Alina!!"

Damsy forgot for a previous few moments about Kai's aversion to loud noises. When she remembered it was too late: she had stood from her seat and ran halfway down the hall towards the airlock. Kezi was at her heels, weaving in between the Siren's strides, riled up by the agitation noisy in her mind. When Damsy got to the double-sealed doors, she peered out of the lined up porthole. Through it, she could just spot the abandoned Spawn as well as the back of the other making her way out to It.

Maybe those smugglers were on Sanctorium payroll, but they were also smugglers. Little to no honor amongst some of those types, plus they tended to have superstitions out the ears—or an anatomical equivalent depending upon their species. In this case, that meant that they might not like Sithspawn simply because they were getting paid by them. Damsy had wanted to keep all hands in the Chambered Nautilus for a reason. She had to think about a lot of things she had never bat an eyes at before, like public perception.

Ironic for someone who unwittingly terrorized the Lower Levels on the semi-reg.

"Dammit!" she exclaimed to herself, slamming a fist on the reinforced alloy. She almost regretted breaking the sangnir out of prison. Almost. "Urs, tell yonder crew I want both of 'em in their cargo hold ASAP. An' they best be careful."

Damsy's wrist holo beeped, electronically sending a text-only message across the vacuum.



**
Arlo Renard | Alina Tremiru | Kiber Dorn | Lief

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai could only watch as Alina blasted herself out the airlock. His ears promptly disappeared, muting the sound of Damsy’s yelling at her as his baffled glare followed the vampiress’ floating body across the stars.

The telepathic thing was still complaining loudly, though now it seemed distracted by Alina’s presence. Both of them were promptly netted by the tractor beam of the smuggler ship, which sucked them into the cargo bay.

The entire situation unfolded like a circus performance, albeit one where the pale-faced clown was revealed to be an aspiring acrobat.

Kai wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed or to laugh at it all. He settled for pressing buttons, requesting permission to link up for immediate transferal of cargo. Given that the smugglers didn’t want two Sithspawn on their ship, it was swiftly granted. The Chambered Nautilus and the smuggler’s ship connected via umbilical.

His ears reforming on either side of his head, Kai rose to his feet and headed for the docking tube. <I hope you’re happy, Alina.> Sighing, he palmed the door controls—only to be met with the barrel of a blaster in his face.

The smuggler holding the gun was sweating and out of breath, having evidently abandoned his station in a hurry to get there before the Sithspawn could board. Momentarily taken aback by Kai’s youthful appearance, he grabbed the Doppelganger’s arm and yanked him forward, holding the gun to his head. “Enough of this crap!” he exclaimed. “No more playing games with you freaks! Where’s the captain of this ship?”

Kai was quite past the point of peaceful negotiation. “Go ahead and shoot me,” he hissed. “My head will just grow back.”

“Fuck—!” The smuggler shoved him away, his blaster hand trembling. “No more of you are coming aboard! We’ll… we’ll bring those things in the cargo bay to you!”

Kiber Dorn Damsy Callat Alina Tremiru Lief​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Something alien.

If only Alina could actually answer Kiber Dorn . Right now she was just floating alongside him in the vacuum of space, waiting for the tractor beam to pull them back. Thinking about it, she probably shoulda just stayed on the ship with Arlo Renard and Damsy Callat . Now that she saw Dorn and realized he couldn't actually see or.. Have legs, she couldn't help but think this was all pointless.

Not the saving him part. Just the uh, her coming out so he wouldn't feel alone. Now he knew someone was there. And not talking.

She 'huffed', arms crossed, as the two were pulled into the smuggler ship. And promptly met with blasters. The Vampiress raised a brow curiously, glancing between the smugglers. Were they that scared? There were plenty of more common alien species that could survive the vacuum of space. Kel Dor were the most prime example in her mind. Now she let out an annoyed huff, audibly.

"Okay, someone want to talk about this before we end up fighting? I did just chill out in space, so I don't think this'll be a fight you can win." No point in trying to be kind about it. They pulled guns first, or at least so far as she was aware.

Lief

 

[Kiber Dorn]

Despite the conduit's limited understanding of social scenarios, even It knew that being pulled into the ship alongside the strange creature in mental silence was rather awkward. Had she just come out there to offer physical proximity? Such a strange kindness, but then again, sentient beings were awash with peculiar motivations and feelings.

It noted the immediate warmth that invaded sallow flesh the moment they were aboard the first vessel, but that discomfort was irrelevant in stark contrast to the overwhelming stench of fear that pervaded the air. The kind of dread that turned to violent intent, although rather mercifully, Its companion of the stars was rather cavalier when confronted by threat.

I am sorry if I have frightened you, It offered as it levitated before the armed and fearful smugglers in the cargo bay. The mental voice was placid and blank, booming out to all in proximity, there is no need for violence.

It filtered through the colours around them, sifting through a few glimpses of frustration and one that had blossomed into rage before settling upon the approaching presence of Lief , who felt comparatively more at ease with the unfolding calamity.

You are more composed than the others, It spoke only into the mind of the young man, would you like me to pacify the aggressors?

Despite the extinction of the Creator, it felt right to ask for permission before acting.

---

Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat​

 

[Lief]

So much for a peaceful engagement.​

​

Despite Eliphas' assurance that he would handle this himself, that he would keep the rest of the crew from incurring whatever ill omens were to be had, it seemed as though a couple had followed him into the cargo hold all the same. Though a little irked at this change in circumstances, the boy was initially relieved to not be going into the viper's nest alone.​

​

That was until blasters were pulled.​

​

"Woah, woah, woah," he said, moments before putting himself between the two parties, eyes wide with surprise, "I thought we didn't want to escalate things here..." His tone was a little chiding when directed toward the smugglers, like a parent disciplining their child. As the only one with a sensible head on his shoulders in that moment it certainly felt that way despite the vast age difference.​

​

"Put them away," he demanded, grateful that the Captain himself wasn't present to see his sudden show of authority. "You reckon them a bad omen? I'd say shooting someone you invited into your ship is an even worse one." Some of them grumbled, then slowly but surely blasters were reholstered. "If you can't keep your head, leave the hold."​

​

Only then did he turn to the strange pair who had survived the vacuum of space.​

​

One was floating, a strange limbless entity that appeared as though it ought to be in the utmost of pain yet didn't cry out or reveal such in any real capacity. Again he heard a voice lingering on the edge of his mind, and again it appeared as though no other heard it or at the very least reacted. He had the strange sense that it was coming from the floating one, though why that was he couldn't rightly say.​

​

Unsure of whether he could communicate back, he instead glanced toward the floating being and shook his head softly. No pacification would be necessary... he hoped.​

​

"I apologize for my... companions," he began, to the strangers aboard the ship, "They allow their superstitions to cloud their judgement. The two who braved the void... Are either in need of medical assistance?" He glanced once more to the levitating individual, more concerned for him than the female who seemed to brush off the experience with ease.​

​

Kiber Dorn Arlo Renard Alina Tremiru Damsy Callat ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Oh. Fuck man Kiber Dorn was actually better about trying to reach a peaceful conclusion to this than her. Alina frowned. Should she try to be more.. Merciful? .. Naw, these guys pulled guns first. She was in the right to at least be ready for a fight. Yep, justification. At least Lief spoke out and the guns were put away. Whatever the kid had over the rest of the crew, the Sangnir wasn't going to complain.

She untensed her fists and let her shoulders drop. No fighting. Though now she was hungry.

"I'm good. He.. Is also likely good." Her gaze shifted towards Kiber, the frown back again. Hard to tell with Sithspawn, but it seemed like this was his.. Intended form? Maybe. "Can we go back to our ship now?"