First Reply Haunted Hyperlanes

[Delila Castillon]

Drifting through the vessel, Delila wasn't sure how she ended up here. This entire 'ghost' thing was trickier than Jorus Q. Merrill had let on during his trainings. If he told her how to control where she went it was certainly lost to her physical memories. Most days she just popped up where needed. Well, not so much needed. Most couldn't see her which lead to her doing annoying poltergeist activities such as dropping items or making spooky noises.

No one wanted her wisdom so she was going to be a menace for now.

Coming behind the person working in the underbelly of their vessel, the ghostly redhead shook her head.

"You're doing it wrong." A long sigh. "Kids these days. Hitting the hyperlanes without any training. Was I that stupid? Not really, never was a fan of flying. That's what pilots are for. I could fix things though, so there's that."

An annoyed sound.

"No, no, no. White is the neutral wire."

Not like they could hear but still.

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

Mercy had decided to take a short vacation from pillaging and running rampant all across the Deep Core. She let Arris Windrun know that she'd be absent for a week and then took off on a smaller ship.

To explore the lanes, get into a problem or two and live life like she used to.

It was difficult to find enjoyment when her cult insisted on following her every step. That was why she snuck out. Which was disgusting to her, how far had she fallen, that she needed to sneak out at night to avoid her own guards? But there was nothing to be done about it. The 'perks' of authority and responsibility she was told.

Then halfway through the jaunt the ship decided to stop working.

Cue her trying to figure out which wire went where in this infernal ship she had stolen.

"No, no, no. White is the neutral wire."

"That can't be right. In this model the white one is-" Then Mercy blinked and jumped up, whirling around, as she realized she was supposed to be all alone on this shuttle.

"Who the fuck said that?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Me. Your friendly redhead ghost."

Fine eyebrow raised. So this one could hear her but not see her. That happened sometimes. Again these types of things didn't come with a manual she could reference back to on the regular. Maybe if she thought hard about being a specter? Often times Jorus mentioned it depended all on the invidiual and the right conditions.

Either way.

"What type of model doesn't have white as neutral? This has to be a vessel made by the Galactic Alliance. Too focused on the Jedi, not enough on firepower. We see where that got them. Backwards ass designs."

Mercy ​

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

She whirled around again.

Still just a disembodied voice, but now at least it made sense. A ghost. After everything that Mercy had seen in her life a ghost was low on her list of things to be perplexed by.

"You are a ghost and you are forced to haunt my ship out of being anywhere in the Galaxy?" She said dryly, looking around her, trying to pin-point exactly where the disembodied voice was coming from. Every once in a while Mercy thought she could see a flicker of... something. Just a discoloration in the spectrum.

Her eyes, twin suns, saw more than most.

Courtesy of spending all of her metaphorical points in enhancing her body, versus anything external.

"It might have been. A jacked it from Coruscant, which was controlled by the Empire, but the Alliance was there first..." A slow shrug. "So, isn't it boring, drifting about and running commentary on other people's lives?"

Mercy was probably being a bit of an nerf herder.

But she didn't like the idea of someone watching her and having no idea where she was.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila 'walked' around the decking, coming to stand near the open hole in the decking. She peered down into the mess of cables and parts, looking. Nothing she was remotely familiar with but often these things were interchangeable. A small shrug as this snarky woman was commenting on her choices to haunt this ship.

"Listen here, this being dead ghost stuff is harder than it looks. Judging by your hair you can't even be bothered to pick up a brush, let alone figure out how to navigate this astral plane."

Life was indeed wasted on the living.

"So what's your story? You're giving me McYoda's barista vibes. Man...what I wouldn't do to taste caf again.."

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

Why was it that Mercy had to get the one ghost who didn't make weird oooooo and aaaaaaa noises and instead got the ghost with clear attitude and snark experience?

"Listen here, this being dead ghost stuff is harder than it looks. Judging by your hair you can't even be bothered to pick up a brush, let alone figure out how to navigate this astral plane."

"That's a first, don't think anyone, much less a ghost ever gave me shit about my hair." Her gaze went over the corridor again and it almost looked like something was crouching near the opening where Mercy had been working.

She blinked and... reached out to try and run her hand through the image.

Almost looked like a head.

"Barista? I am the Empress of the Core, darling." She thought back to having to settle the disputes between Arris Windrun and Vestra Tane . And how lately she had felt more like a teacher in school than a Warlord. It was one of the reasons she left, for a while, to go do something else. It was the only thing keeping her sanity intact after being forced to be the reasonable one.

"But I suppose both positions require putting up with shit that you'd rather not."

Maybe Milla was right. Maybe all this nation-building shit wasn't where it was at.

"So, what is being a ghost like?" It seemed disgusting to Mercy, who already knew where she'd be heading after her death. If instead she was forced to haunt random people's ships... well, she wasn't sure what she'd do.

As a ghost.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila scoffed. Half-laugh, half-incredulous.

"Empress of the Core? What is that, your stripper name? I guess every sex worker needs delusions of grandeur. Probably helps you can charge more with a name like that. Empress alone implies...well...nevermind."

Watching the woman stick her hand out, Dells shook her head. She purposely moved to the other side of the decking now, if not to do anything other than mess with the woman. Hopefully her voice was changing directions as she moved about.

"Hmmm....I'm not sure. Its okay. A lot of pressure to be wise, which I am not. I was half-assed trained so this ghost thing is an adventure I'll give you that...first non-Jedi to do so, if I was told correctly. Pretty nifty in my opinion."

Delila paused.

"What's it like being a stripper?"

Mercy ​

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

A slow blink there as Mercy tracked the voice.

"Stripper?" She looked down at herself with incredulity. It was so unbelievable an insult that Mercy forgot to actually be insulted, because what creature would believe Mercy out of all people to be a stripper?

"You are lucky you are already dead or I'd rip your head off for that." But Mercy's voice had no anger in it. In truth this experience was really out of there, which shocked Mercy, because she truly thought she had seen it all. Being insulted by a ghost and called a stripper... well, that hadn't been on her bingo card.

Arris Windrun would have a field day with this.

"Aren't you supposed to be holy or self-actualized to become a Force Spirit?"

Hands settled on her hips, as she thought for a moment.

"Alright, I need a drink. If I am gonna be harassed by a damn ghost, I might as well be drunk for it." And she walked off towards the kitchen.

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Listen here Mistress of the Core, I don't know sh!t about the Force. Yet here I am, annoying the fuck out if you. Funny how life...or in this case, the afterlife works. I could be all mystical and say there's a reason for this. A lesson for you in this. However, let's just be frank - I got lost trying to get somewhere else and here I am. Let's not make this painful on both of us."

Delila rolled her eyes at the 'rip her head' off comment. Must have struck a nerve with the stripper thing. Not to mention it was more than likely frustrating for Miss Mistress to not be able to get rid of her. At least not yet. Delila wasn't sure how long her fun was going to last until she drifted off to the next location.

"What's your drink of choice? Mine was always brandy. Something about the mild fruit and spice taste always got to me."

Naturally, ghost Delila was following.

"I wasn't picky though."

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

Mercy groaned.

She was still talking and now following her too.

"What's your drink of choice?"

"Anything harsh and hard enough to get through my healing factor." Mercy said over her shoulder. She was a petty little (huge) schutta, but not petty enough to ignore someone walking next to her. That just seemed rude. "I managed to acquire this bottle of spirits from an alchemist. It is one of the few things that can get me drunk without me needing to drink three bottles of it."

Courtesy of her Firrerreo blood.

It had good moments, like being able to survive a lot of damage and keep going. But it was a right queen to try and actually get drunk.

Then a shrug.

"I do like Corellian Gold though. It used to be incredibly rare, before they rebuild the planet." Mercy still wasn't sure how you actually rebuild a whole fething planet, but somehow they managed it.

She pulled out the bottle once they were in the kitchen. Mercy glanced back and again noticed the subtle shimmer in the air.

"I'd offer you a shot, but I am guessing it would just spill down to the floor?" Pouring herself a glass. Then thinking about it and shrugging. Pulling out another shot, to pour it in too.

"I will drink it after, but the thought counts, right, little ghost shit?" So no, Mercy hadn't forgotten the stripper comments.

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Alchemist brewed. Sounds expensive. I'm sure being a Mistress and all you can afford it."

Delila chuckled and shook her head. That definitely had gotten on the nerves of the woman. Good thing too, she probably needed some teasing - Dells doubted many attempted with that attitude she had.

"Yeah, the rebuilding of Corellia was always odd to me. Guess they stitched the broken pieces back together or hauled in a moon or something."

Very weird. Not something she had really thought of before she died. Delila had even spent time on the 'new' Corellia oddly enough and didn't give it much thought. Maybe that was the entire point, so well done you didn't think about it.

"Yeah, have a shot in my honor. I'd appreciate it. " Jerec Asyr had a drink in her honor, the Ithorian being the only one who missed her presence. Said a lot about her life if she wanted to dwell on it. "Hate to see good alcohol go to waste."

"So, where we headed on his boat?"

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

Her eyebrow twitched.

Mistress.

Oh, if she could get her hands around her neck and twist and twist, until her head twisted clean off. She'd do it in a heart beat. In fact, the amount of patience Mercy was exhibiting right now was practically inhuman.

"Yeah, the rebuilding of Corellia was always odd to me. Guess they stitched the broken pieces back together or hauled in a moon or something."

She skipped past it on purpose as to not give the ghost satisfaction. "And yet Csilla is still a bunch of floating asteroids in space." Mercy drawled, pushing her temper down, while taking the first shot. It was enough to make her grunt lightly, the burn enough to strip paint away and probably the flesh of certain soft-bellied species.

"Makes you think, do blue lives matter less than... hm, orange lives? What color represents the Corellians the best?"

Mercy smirked there and pulled the second shot towards her.

"So, where we headed on his boat?"

"Away..." She said, a bit surprised by the question, but maybe she should not have been. "Away from the Core and all the infernal responsibilities being foisted on me."

At least it was a ghost, you could say what was bothering you to a ghost, right?

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Gold for Corellia...I would think. As for the rebuilding, perhaps due the alcohol industry. Can't have drunkards going too long without the Corellians products they are used to. It all boils down to credits in my opinion."

A small, ghostly shrug. It was always her thought that most things in the 'verse were run on greed. Make enough credits or rake in enough with an idea and it would happen. Wars only happened because it enriched someone's pockets.

"Away? Away is nice...I used to go hiking and camping when I was burnt out. I miss it, honestly." Being a ghost wasn't quite the same. Couldn't feel the breeze on her face, the sun on her back. "You sound important. Been there, done that. Don't let them get to you, it gets lonely at the top. Maybe its good you're getting away."

A small pause.

"Its only a small respite though. You know someone is going to harass you via HoloNet."

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

"Its only a small respite though. You know someone is going to harass you via HoloNet."

Almost as if summoned, her datapad went off, buzzing.

Before Mercy clicked away the notification Delila would notice it had about a hundred notifications. Mostly ranging from 'where the fuck are you' to 'get back here'.

"You sound important. Been there, done that. Don't let them get to you, it gets lonely at the top. Maybe its good you're getting away."

"I could handle being lonely." Mercy said with a sigh, shaking her head and downing the second shot finally. "It's the constant nagging that's getting to me. I thought being Empress would be fun. I love winning, winning is great." And Mercy had achieved the greatest victory. Together with her compatriots they had conquered the Core and Mercy had seized a throne.

Why was she now secretly wishing she had lost?

"And what do you do now? Or does a ghost no longer get burned out?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila raised an eyebrow at the messages. Obviously the other couldn't see but it didn't matter, this reaction was more for herself. As the woman explained how much she loved winning, it seemed more she was trying to convince herself rather than stating facts. Seemed one of those things a person had to figure on their own. Or go crazy. Maybe both.

"I haven't been dead that long so I don't know. When or if it happens I'll let you know. I imagine if I get burnt out as a ghost I'll stop putting my energy into trying to haunt people and drift into the wide expansive nothing. I figured I've got a little bit before that happens. Maybe I will figure out this apparition thing a bit better."

Shoulders shrugged.

"Not like I have control of this anyway. I'm dead."

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

"Bummer." Mercy said nonplussed without really knowing what else to say. "Is this what you imagined death to be like?" She finally said after a moment of contemplation, pouring herself another shot.

"I already know where I am going after I die, so I am not too worried about..."

She gestured lazily towards the shimmering in the air that her eyes were finally starting to track better now.

It was still not the full shape, but something was beginning to show anyway.

"But I do wonder, because this sounds kinda depressing."

Then again, Mercy was currently trapped in a prison of her own making. Being the Empress, something that should have been the ultimate prize and instead it was starting to feel so claustrophobic. As if anyone was forcing her to. As if she couldn't just decide one day to leave her throne empty and watch how people would start to fight over it.

Who would win? Who would move for it?

That kinda made her cheer up a little.

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Not really. I figured I'd just stop existing and poof, that was that. Had the training for the ability to hold on to my consciousness so I figured why not. I didn't believe in the Force. Not sure I still do. Please, if you do, spare me the lecture."

Delila snorted. Did this woman just say she was suicidal? Must be a real hell of a job, being Empress. She would have thought there were fringe perks. Then again, many scrambled for a throne so it could also be exhausting. The cycle of having power.

"I wouldn't off yourself yet. Maybe drift to the edges of the 'verse? I did that for some time. I really enjoyed it. Something about being anonymous until someone gets a spark of recongition when they see you? A freeing feeling. I highly recommend it. Something about leaving all the nerfshit of the galaxy behind and making your own agenda."

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

"Oh, I wouldn't kill myself." She said dismissively. "That's the weak way out. If I ever decide I wish to go before my time, I will pick a fight I know I cannot win and then... see what happens."

Which some people would argue she had been doing over and over and over again.

As a Sith Apprentice knocking out an Akure Leviathan and breaking her arm. As a Sith Knight challenging the Drengir horde and getting infested by their hivemind. As a Sith Lord challenge the old Emperor and break his Empire, but find herself bored afterwards. Every one act could have been seen as suicidal by the people around her.

Maybe they even thought it had been.

"All I mean is that I have seen where I will end up. The Field of Blades... you may not have heard of it, if you don't believe in the Force." It was interesting to her that Delila did not fully believe it even now.

But Mercy didn't care enough to belabor the point.

She almost asked the ghost how one could maintain their presence after death. If that was something that could be taught. Mercy immediately dismissed that question however. Tempting, a little, and Mercy did not wish to give the weakness inside of her oxygen. The little voice that sometimes nagged are we going too hard? Is this too much? Will this be my final day in the Galaxy?

Eventually she'd starve that side of herself, as along as she didn't give it too much ground.

"What is the point of staying after your death? Can you control anything? Can you have any effect on the world? Or are you forced to simply observe and watch how others live their lives?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

"Hmm...all great questions."

Delila wasn't quite sure. It was probably hard for the other to believe she did this as a crapshoot. Kicks and giggles. Learned just for the fun of it and here she was. How did she explain she learned from her friend who turned into a ghost to just see if it could be done? If she was alive and been told this. definitely a scoff.

"I can give out my shitty advice, for one. Two, I can keep an eye on this woman named Ashin Cardé Varanin . Thats who took over my body. Now I was older, middle aged. However, this woman I swear isn't even taking care of my vessel. I have redhair, do you know the skin damage one can get without sunscreen and proper moisturizer? I freckle but still....caught her swimming naked as the day I was born, no care for proper skin routines."

A frustrated sigh came from the spirit.

"Really, I don't know why I stay around. Maybe soon I just take that final drift into nothingness. I'm not needed by anyone."

 

[Mercy]

Delila Castillon

Mercy blinked there suddenly when Castillon brought up that name.

"You are fucking with me, aren't you?" Baffled, so baffled, that in that blink she suddenly saw Delila crystal clear. Almost floating near her and she gasped, because no matter what Mercy had seen before in her life, it was another thing to actually see a ghost.

The Netherworld didn't count.

You expected freaky spirits back there.

"Ashin Varanin was my Master when I was an apprentice and a Knight." Again she leaned in, now that Mercy could see her (from the fright or the shock? She wasn't sure), trying to float her hand through her shoulder. To see if she was in any way corporeal now that she saw where she was floating about in the room.

"She stole your body?"

She thought about that.

"Now that you say it, she did have a period where she was just walking around in different bodies all the time. And they were all acting in consort. It was kinda freaky to tell you the truth."