Into Thin Air

[Rosalina]

​

Morishim​

Tatmana Mountains​

​

The mountains were her home. The mountain life had taught her to hunt, to gather, to build shelter and to use her surroundings. Alm had given up the safety of a familiar lifestyle, at least temporarily, to see the galaxy. Modernization had come to her homeworld and slowly spread across the resource deficient desert. Now it was encroaching on the people of the mountains, the people who lived on more fertile land and had no reason or interest in changing their ways.

Except for rebellious teenagers, of course.

Alm was not rebellious by nature—she was obedient, dutiful and hardworking. But she could no longer find comfort in a lifestyle that ignored new discoveries. The spread of technology to her home would happen whether her people liked it or not.

For such a tall creature who still had room left to grow, Alm was decidedly deft when stepping around the rubble of the ruins. Her shoes were wrapped in a layer of cloth to dampen the sounds of crunching when she walked over brush. She’d been sent here by the Sith Empire to investigate some vague reports of disturbances near the ruins. Nothing big, nothing that would require more than an acolyte. Or so she hoped. The Sith were not one to make rash decisions, perhaps some great beast lived here and she was given this task to be culled from the others.

Her hand tightened its grip on the Warhammer resting at her shoulder. She’d grown stronger in her short time with the Sith, enough to wield the hammer decently with her immense strength. Now here she was, wandering among the dilapidated walls that once made up some sort of structure. Maybe she was here because she hailed from the mountains herself and would have an easier time uncovering what was wrong.

If anything was wrong.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]​

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

It was an inevitable reality of life that everything eventually progressed. What once was new gradually ticked onward through time until it became old, a mere echo of what it had once been. Places that had been prominent, that had held majestic beauty and splendor eventually grew into nothing more than desecrated husks of their former selves, haunting reminders of all the grandeur that had once been contained. People who had been important, who had led armies, stopped plagues, diverted rivers and moved mountains, who had sailed across the stars eventually rotted away until they were indiscernible from the dirt that others trod upon, or from the beauteous dust that encircled nebulae.

Still, despite the fact that all things eventually came to ruin, there were always diamonds hidden beneath the mountains of dust, grime, and gore that made up links to the ancient past. That was what had brought the Arue’tii to Morishim, though it was not his entire goal. There had been reports that recent mining expeditions up in the mountains had begun to uncover sites supposedly filled with relics of past civilizations, and whilst many of the basic vases and clay pots that had been discovered were indicative of pre-space age technology and civilization, the Explorer was not at all disinclined to explore the place so as to better understand the culture of the people who now inhabited the world. After all, at least some semblance of their current way of doing things had likely descended from their ancestors.

The second reason that he had decided to depart upon the expedition without bringing along the Paladin or any of his usual escort was because he had been reviewing recent galactic politics since he had gone into exile back upon his homeworld, and had recently come across some indication that there was a new Sith Empire on the rise. Curious how all old things became repeated in new iterations with differing names, as if though they were somehow different, or perhaps better than their predecessors in any manner. Nevertheless, he had been a Knight at one point, and he understood better than most of his people that it was important to keep an eye on the aggressions of the militant states owned by the Sith.

Abelain moved aside a large stone, peering out of the crevice he had created towards the villages below, observing as what he could only assume were people milled about hither and thither going about their daily lives. As of yet he had struggled to uncover anything of much value within what he could only presume had once been an ancient house that had collapsed partially under the weight of a mudslide. The floors had all been covered over with dirt, but, if one were willing to sift their hands through it for a few moments, they could find slight wooden and stone plates that had once made up assorted pieces of the home.

He paused for an instant as his hand made contact with the dirt, scenting the air once more to affirm what he already knew.

Someone was present.

 

[Rosalina]

The rough clatter of stone reached Alm’s ears, lighting a spark of adrenaline in her system. It seemed that she was not alone.

On hunter’s instinct, the Nasvali crouched in an effort to make her large frame smaller. Her people were not known for their stealth but rather their impressive strength when it came to hunting game. Weaponry and knowing the lay of the land were a large part of that as well. Here, Alm was in unfamiliar territory and carried a war hammer made for smashing, not a ranged weapon or a carving knife.

The noise came from somewhere below, so Alm crawled onto a stony outcrop of questionable quality. Everything was crumbling here and liable to fall at a moment’s notice anyhow.

She placed the hammer down and peered between the cracks, deep brown eyes narrowing to a slant then widening in surprise at what she saw.

There was a creature, something she’d never seen before a little ways away. Humanoid in shape, but larger and…harder looking? It appeared as if it had a shell that was either deep blue or black and eyes of bright sapphire. Whatever the creature was, it paused and lifted its head to inhale the air.

Alm’s eyes narrowed once more as her hand slowly wrapped around the hilt of her hammer.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

Abelain might have concealed himself within the confines of the ruins if he did not have an inkling that whatever being had tracked him already knew of his presence. After all, what were the chances that someone would happen to stumble upon the ruins he was exploring around the same time that he had arrived to do the same? No, more than likely it was some measure of security force from the world who had heard stories of a strange alien beast maneuvering his way up one of the mountains. Perhaps it was even a hunter of wild game who had presumed that he was simply an unconscious creature, a local legend to be hunted in the hills and paraded around. Whatever the case, stealth seemed unreasonable.

He scented once more, attempting to narrow down any details that he could from her blood scent. It was tall by human standards, he noted as he scented the crimson iron flowing through her individual veins and arteries, taking note of the length of the passageways. It took only a few moments more to confirm his suspicion that she was female, though, her race was unfamiliar to him.

The Arue'tii was careful not to stare directly at the wall where he knew she hovered, aware that to do so might alert her to the fact that she had been spotted, but instead he slowly and carefully allowed his hands to fall at his sides where his lightsaber lay ready. It was a strange and handy weapon, one that had been taken off of a corpse as opposed to created by his own hand, a symbol of his first triumph in the galaxy at large, a treasure stolen from the cold dead form of an Iridonian who had once been champion of his people. It was a powerful weapon, capable of much, and he had seen lightsabers used in ways that spoke of their might, and yet, they were perhaps not as powerful as the arcane abilities granted by the Force.

He glanced over at the wall, finally allowing himself to gaze upon it, noting that there was seemingly nothing of value to be found inscribed or laying upon it. Reaffirmed that he would be damaging nothing of value, he allowed the Force to flow through him, concentrating intently on the structure before him, specifically focusing telekinetic pressure upon a circular portion of it, knowing that to annihilate the entire wall might cause structural failure and end in crushing him.

With a flourish of the hand, the circular space nearly a meter long would explode outwards to the side of the observer, sending debris and dust soaring into the air. The Arue'tii approached it, peering outside of the structure and directly towards the observer, his second 'smile' curling over his face and acting as a chitinous protection for his mouth as he spoke,

"Seeking something, young one?"

 

[Rosalina]

Something triggered Alm’s senses into a warning—it was the Force, but she was not yet skilled enough to read it as such—though it was enough for her to cross both arms in front of her as the wall to the side of her little cove tore outwards in an explosion of sand and debris. Truly these ruins were fragile.

The young Nasvalo skittered backwards and grabbed the hammer as she went, prepared to defend herself from the source of the explosion. She was just about sure that it had come from the creature she was observing moments ago.

And then he—presumably male from the tone of his voice—peered into the obscenely wide opening he had made. By this point, Alm was in a hunter’s crouch with her hammer drawn out in front of her torso for defense.

He spoke in Basic. She stared. Observed. He made no move to attack her, though everything about him spoke ‘danger’ and ‘predator’ from his strange physique to his ghostly smile.

Alm cocked her head to the side, never one taking her stony brown eyes off of this creature.

“You live here?”

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

The Arue'tii found himself carefully analyzing the female figure before him, attempting to discern whatever he could from her stance, her poise, and other physical features that would display any affinity or knowledge of certain behaviors. In her hand was a hammer of sorts, and whilst it was a foreign build to the types that might have been found upon Ghul, it was easy enough to recognize that it was an instrument designed for war as opposed to construction; there were subtle differences in such items, and he presumed that she was quite capable of using it.

Admittedly, Abelain feared the hammer as a weapon far more than he would more conventional weapons such as blasters or even the deadly lightsabers being wielded by so many throughout the galaxy. His chitinous covering could more than contain the force of a blaster bolt, could absorb the radiant heat that floundered off of such a projectile. In fact, the chitin he wore could even deflect a lightsaber, though, not indefinitely. What his chitin could not do quite as easily was negate the kinetic force commonly used by slugthrowers and blunt objects, and he had in the past nearly been killed by such force.

He made notice of the fact that she was holding the hammer before her as a sort of protective instrument as opposed to actively gauging how best to strike at the monstrous entity she had observed peering from the ruins. That seemed to indicate to the Arue'tii that she might not have sought conflict with him after all, or, at the least that she was not altogether prepared for it. Perhaps if he had looked weaker in appearance, if he had been only a human soul meandering through the ruins, she might have taken hostile action, but given his terrifying visage, he may well have halted conflict merely by displaying some semblance of power.

She spoke, indicating also that she was not a native of the land, though, in retrospect he had never truly considered that she was one. The people of the planet all smelled the same, generic, human, the blood having long since become familiar to the Arue'tii, but her own was unique to him, different in a way that was jubilant and intoxicating; he always enjoyed discovering new species.

"So long as I am here, I would rather live here than die here." He began in mock interpretation of sarcasm, as though it were evident enough by the facts that he was not mortally stricken nor on the verge of death. "You are not from here, young one." He stated, stepping through the portal from the ruins and out into the open with her, red cape draping over the ground behind him. "Strange that you would find me, isn't it?"

 

[Rosalina]

Alm rose, slowly, cautiously. Though not necessarily a predator, she was a hunter and hunters recognized their type.

This creature—a male if she had to guess from the depth of the voice—was stronger than her. Older, more experienced, more familiar with the Force. Alm was young and naive but she was not stupid nor was she remarkably rash.

She rose slowly, caution etched in her features. The way one might rise as if they were trying not to start someone, or something. Prey, or maybe the attention of a predator.

“I am not.” She affirmed. “And you are not.” She tilted her chin towards him as she stood to her full height. She was a few inches shorter than him, but he looked…harder? What a strange concept, but then again not as strange as the armor he wore. She wondered what was beneath. Alm doubted that he looked like the locals in the village below, not with his height and body shape.

“What are you?” She asked simply. There was no malice in her voice, more of a guarded curiosity.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

The Arue'tii took special notice of the way that the woman carried herself. He paid attention specifically to the way she arose, the caution implicit in the slightest nonverbal gesticulations created by such a movement. He was certainly no expert of the many races of the galaxy, and there was likely some variation of denotative or connotative meaning behind certain explicit movements, but he presumed that there was at least some common comparison between them, and he acted upon that assumption as he observed. Heuristic thinking such as that was far more effective than the alternative of scouring through assorted nonverbal signals and ensuring that they were proper reactions to differing processes.

There was never any doubt whatsoever to the Sith that he was stronger than the sole individual before him, and whilst that thought might well have caused distress in many, he also recognized that he had no reason to bother the girl unless she engaged in hostilities with him. Certainly he still considered himself a Sith, and he could clearly see the wisdom in many of their practices no matter how brutal at times they would have been; the culling of the weak to ensure that there was a strong foundation, but that did not mean that one needed to constantly engage in conflict with others. That sort of futile and conflicting relationship that the One Sith had shared with the remainder of the galaxy had eventually led to their demise. It was reasonable to ensure some level of conflict for the sake of staying ready, but to constantly incite war after war without rest was foolish.

The same could be said on an individual level.

She responded to his question, reaffirming his suspicions that she was not from here, and then clarified that he also was not of the planet. That was a simple truth, one that could be revealed simply by comparing his general physique with the local population. Arue'tii looked almost nothing like their human counterparts, the only comparison at all between them being that they were both humanoid.

She must have assumed that it was now her turn to question as she had answered his own, and he allowed the prospect, understanding that a proper dialogue between them might be necessary to determine her reason for locating him. That was something else that the Sith had failed at as a government. They always wanted to showcase their power, always wanted to display their bloodthirstiness as if it might detract reproach, but if ever they had simply listened to the peons who made up their population, they might have incited far more effectiveness from their people, and had forewarning of the activities of other sovereign peoples.

"I am Abelain Narv'uk, Explorer of the Order of Hazarin and Sith Knight of the now dead One Sith. I am an Arue'tii from the world Ghul." He hid nothing from the girl, because he saw no point in deception. Admittedly, neither did he reveal too much. She would not know the whereabouts of his home world, and so it had not been put at risk, and simply knowing his species told her nothing of its physicality nor mental status. Perhaps the riskiest information he had offered was that he was a Sith Knight, but he had belonged to a now fallen organization, and besides, they were in the space of Dark Siders.

 

[Rosalina]

Alm stared.

“Arue’tii.” She sounded out. A strange word that she figured did not have its roots in Basic.

What she found most intriguing that he was a Sith. Now Alm didn’t know all of the Sith in the Sith Empire, but she assumed that was where their type congregated. The Nasvalo was not around for the One Sith but she had heard tales of the fallen empire, a behemoth organization of Sith that had ravaged the galaxy and taken over most of the core worlds. It had long since become defunct as the Jedi rose to power, but the Sith had warned her that power was cyclical. Their time was fast approaching.

“My name is Alm, of Manas.” She offered. Her voice was not unfriendly but not exactly welcoming. Where she was from, simply interacting with someone and displaying no outward signs of hostility was as friendly as you’d get with a strange…stranger.

“You are not of the Sith Empire?” Her words were plain but fluent in the most basic sense. Basic was a difficult language for her and she’d gotten much better at it over the months.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

Words were fascinating in their own way. The things that they represented were multitude, and words had been created and inscribed for nearly everything in the galaxy. Everything that could be found had a name, or at the very least could be described with a series of words, and they revealed so much about the very nature of things. Abelain had always been a quick learner, and he had taken to whatever knowledge he could gather like a moth to a flame, intent on devouring it whole so that he might better his understanding of the universe. Fascinatingly, he had learned much about the word ascribed to his species throughout his travels, the sound which did not emanate from Basic.

No. It was Mandalorian. That had stricken him as a fascinating fact when he had discovered it, but the truth was undeniable. There was simply no way whatsoever that the situation could have been reversed, with the Mandalorians having stolen the word from his planet-locked people. No, further research had revealed that the name had been assumed by his people after the arrival of the first aliens upon his world. They had changed their entire identity to suit the words given to them by inferior beings, and with that change they had managed to erase all history of what the world had been before that dire time, when they had been alone amidst the stars, before they had wiped away their record.

He was removed from his internal considerations on the nature of words, and the innate frustration he felt over having been robbed of a legacy as a species due to a simple utterance of the tongue by the girl before him. She spoke, identifying herself as Alm of Manas. He had never heard of the world Manas; at least, he assumed it was a world, it had the sense of cosmic power to it that seldom fell upon mere cities and townships. She was altogether not unfriendly, but certainly not the most amiable nor gregarious sort he had encountered either. That suited him perfectly, because it seemed to imply that she was a more logical being than an emotional one, and it was far easier to shift the thinking of those who thought in reason than those who thought with their hearts.

Her question to him caused him to pause for several instances, gazing upwards at the heavens above as though he could see the Sith Empire from his perspective, as though the borders and extent of that galactic political body was suddenly revealed to him by a simple glance.

"An intriguing question, young one." He rasped, redirecting his attention to the young woman. "If I am a Sith, then am I not automatically entitled to membership into an organization of my peers, or should my entry be determined by others? If it is an 'empire' of Sith, then they ought to realize that all Sith choose their own paths, and yet, I sincerely doubt it is in their nature to think such, or else you would not need to ask me whether or not I was of the Sith Empire, because all Sith would belong both to an empire, and to themselves."

He chuckled slightly as he finished, a gentle and guttural noise which poured through the 'smile' he wore upon his face. "Apologies. I did not mean to become so... philosophical in my answer, yet, I trust that you see my point."

"So, then, the question must arise Alm of Manas: Do you belong to the Sith Empire, or does it belong to you?"

[member="Alm"]

 

[Rosalina]

Alm watched Abelain as he spoke. She the subtle shift of his features as he drifted into deeper thoughts, though obscured by the hard shell encasing most of him. She’d encountered humanoids with skin all colors of the rainbow, reptilian bipeds and those with horns sticking from their heads. Species with strange markings, those who were shorter and stranger with a wide array of features. Abelain was new.

She did not expect one of his build to be sentient, and certainly not to the extent where he spoke in such a scholarly manner. Still, Alm pushed past her surprise and focused on dissecting his speech so that she could wrap her head around the point he was trying to convey.

When he prompted her, the young woman tilted her head to the side just slightly and stared at him with a stern expression and those large, dark eyes. She was not upset but rather deep in thought herself. Nobody had ever asked her that question and this was the first time she had to think about it.

Silence lulled between them for several minutes before she spoke.

“I am only an apprentice.” Her words were slow, the expression on her face something of a faint strain as she worked hard to get the syntax right. “I have much to learn. The Sith of the Empire teach me.” It had become clear to her that he was more experienced in the ways of the Sith, and unlike several of the Acolytes she’d come across, Alm had no grand desire for power. Not yet anyhow. Perhaps that would work against her, but the Nasvalo only had the desire to learn, grow and find her place in the galaxy.

Once she knew what she wanted, she’d pursue it.

“Until I become more, I belong to the Empire.”

A tool of sorts. She was aware that she did the grunt work and was content to see it through. All her life Alm was used to doing things from the bare basics and working her way up. She saw no reason why things with the Sith should be different.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

The relative obscurity and isolation of his home world had allowed for the Arue'tii to remain relatively unknown in the grand scheme of the galaxy. Throughout his exploration, he had learned of many grandiose events and wars which had completely bypassed the region of space where Ghul was located. Unsurprisingly, his own people had been ignorant of the drama unfolding throughout the galaxy on a semi-regular basis, and had happily remained upon their swampy world until they had been coaxed out of their isolationist resolve by the arrival of alien beings who had quite nearly wiped out their entire species.

Since then, there had been efforts made to expand their understanding, and to scour the galaxy for any knowledge that might benefit them as a collective, and assist them to avoid any future cataclysms on the same scale as the Gulag Plague. Such escapades and adventures had required preparation, and the Arue'tii who were permitted to leave the world; the Order of Hazarin, had been drilled incessantly in the language most commonly used so that they might better communicate with others whilst on their trips.

It was a shame that other races did not take such efforts, but what could one expect from the inferior beings?

There was a long silence that seemed to stretch on for far longer than was necessary, and the Sith began to wonder whether or not the girl was waiting for him to speak once more on the subject of the Sith Empire, as though his words had somehow put her into a trance. Finally, she shattered the quiet that had overtaken them, revealing that she was only an apprentice, and that she believed the Sith Empire had much to teach her. She reached a conclusive answer to his question, declaring that she belonged to the Empire until she had become more.

The Arue'tii laughed gently at that, amused by the apprentice and her acceptance of her role in a system that would abuse her until it no longer required her service.

"Ah. Tell me, Alm. What have you learned thus far from the Sith Empire?" He reached out into the first, feeling a nearby chunk of stone that had been dislodged from the wall by the violence of his earlier explosive exit. He felt the stone, felt the Force wrap around it like an invisible hand, and gradually he lifted it up from its sitting position, allowing it to float gently to his palm where it was promptly crushed as though it were a meager toy. "Have you learned to move things with your mind? Or, perhaps..." He displayed his relatively empty hand, swatting away the dust particles with a simple shake before allowing an electrical current to play along his fingers, zapping to and fro the extended digits, "...you have been taught how to control lightning."

The Arue'tii spied a bush of little vegetation, a plant that had managed to grow upon the mountainous region even with its relative lack of nutrients and soil. He outstretched his electrified hand, tearing away a chunk of the plant, and showing it to girl as it caught fire and began to burn within his palm, ignited by the electricity that had jumped into it. "I have seen others with gifts of fire. Control of the elements, control of their physical features, their strength, their agility, their minds sharpened to a needle-point."

"Please..." The word was derogatory to the Sith, but in this context it was used less as a plead and more as a condescension, a question of teaching as opposed to a request to be taught. "...tell me Alm of Manas: What have you learned from the Sith Empire? What have they taught you of the Force and of the galaxy?"

One could learn much about the master by how well the student was taught.

[member="Alm"]

 

[Rosalina]

Big dark eyes watched the alien as he addressed her, as he moved to display his power in the Force. His telekinesis, his Sith lightning and his ability to conjure flame. The condescending nature of his questions registered to her but she took them to heart, ignoring any subtext for the time being in favor of not getting riled up. Alm had a temper on her but was generally slow to anger. Her people were hunters, patience was in their blood.

And if it was not in their nature, it would be taught.

“Do not worry about what I know.” Her tone was as smooth and deep as the black stones that sat at the bottom of the river that ran through the mountain valleys of Manas. No disrespect was intended, but that was for Abelain to decide.

The Sith Empire had snatched her up quickly with promises of training her. Alm proved to be an attractive specimen given that she was young enough to be molded and physically intimidating. Not all Sith were like her—yes, some towered over others. But there were just as many Knights and Lords with lithe or even scrawny bodies. They typically practiced sorcery to some degree, or mentalism.

Then again, she’d been surprised.

Backstabbing was quite common. Setting your friends up to fail was common as well—anything to make it to the top, anything to display how power hungry you were. In this, she was not surprised. She’d watched more than a few acolytes fizzle out this way and listen to the Knights squabble about the best way to train them.

Alm was a sentinel. Silence was a ruthless weapon.

She reached toward the burning plant matter in the creature’s hand, palm outstretched. Her fingers curled inwards suddenly, forming a fist that would extinguish the flickers of flame from the vegetation he held.

[member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Abelain Narv'uk]

It had not originally been his intention to frustrate the girl, or to incite her to any form of aggression or violence, but that wasn't to say that he didn't take notice of the fact that his words seem to have little effect upon her. That was fascinating in itself to the Arue'tii, because most of the Sith that he had encountered in his life time had been hotheaded and quick to anger; traits that were common among the murderous ilk of the galaxy who enjoyed the power that the Dark side granted to them and their more natural emotions. In the eyes of the chitinous creature, he had been one of the few Sith alive during the reign of the One Sith who preferred to keep a relatively cool head, and to restrain his emotions in favor of keeping a calculating and rational mind. It was true that he was vastly superior to the inferior beings that he typically encountered in battle, but that wasn't to say that he was completely immune to them, and mistakes were far easier to make when one submitted to following their heart instead of their head.

She spoke, declaring that her knowledge was not his to know, and making it clear that she would not reveal anything to him. To the Arue'tii, that seemed to hint at the fact that she knew quite little, because Sith had a tendency to flaunt their powers in prideful displays of vanity; a common enough act that it had besmirched all that he believed the original Sith had stood for in favor of displaying personal rank and status. That had been one of the greatest weaknesses of the dead organization he still claimed to follow... their pride had led them to overextend at times, and it certainly didn't help that there was a constant level of violent infighting among members who felt their face had been threatened by the insults of others whether real or perceived.

Conflict did well to strengthen and harden persons to future conflict, but the elimination of talented persons was undoubtedly a loss. If it had been up to Abelain, he might have kept a system of personal rank and growth in an effort at inciting healthy levels of competition among the Sith, but he likely would have supplemented such a competitive spirit with a well-defined system of codes and rules meant to prevent unnecessary death where it was possible. That wasn't to say that it would never happen, because that was unfortunately the nature of conflict, but if it could be restricted to only the most serious of occurrences, then it would provide much of the erosion of talent that had afflicted the One Sith.

She outstretched a limb towards him, displaying an evident lack of fear at his imposing stature or visage. That was actually quite impressive if his assumptions about her youth were accurate. He observed as she clenched the burning vegetation in his hand, snuffing out the flame with a single movement of her hand, and promptly retracted his own to allow the ashes and detritus left over to fall to the ground, or in some cases, to flutter away with the breeze.

"Very well, Alm of Manas. I shan't inquire further as to your training. Do tell me, though, why are you here? Whom sent you to this place?"

[member="Alm"]