Private It's a Hell of a Time

[Vaylin]

When Vaylin had first woken after crawling her way out of the Netherworld, she had been very confused to find herself within a tank. And peering through the glass she found a particular visage staring back at her. That of the Dark Councillor of Scientific Advancement himself; AMCO .

The Sith Lord had informed her that Adriana Fortemps had contacted him for assistance. Vaylin had wracked her brain to try and remember, but the memories of her return were still vague. All she remembered was finally leaving the Netherworld, she had found Jorryn! She could distinctly remember being able to feel the Echani's presence, both physically and through the Force.

She was happy.

Only for darkness to follow not long after.

It had made sense then why Vandiir had been contacted. She had been dropped into Jorryn's lap from a mystical, hellish place that she had no familiarity with; and certainly didn't desire to change that. And there weren't that many contacts who had a knowledge of that stuff. Ergo, Vaylin found herself in one of Adrian's facilities. It was some bacta or kolto tank, or something unique developed by Vandiir, and Vaylin was more inclined to believe the latter.

But all the same, the time in that tank had given Zabrak the time to reflect on matters. Even managed to make a spooky appearance at the meeting called both Sith and Imperials to attend. And of course, once Vaylin was finally able to leave the tank, Adrian had made it clear he'd be in contact soon.

Favour for a favour.

And not a week later, the Zabrak had found herself in one of Adrian's offices, sitting on a couch with one leg propped along the other and a cup of caff in her hand. Vaylin had rediscovered her addiction to the stuff post-Netherworld it seemed. Though she was presently trying to ease down the caff she had almost choked on.

"Excuse me, can you repeat that? You want my help with the Netherworld?!"

 

[AMCO]

When Adriana Fortemps had contacted him, asking for his aid in restoring her Valkyrie girlfriend to health following an unintended stint in the Nether, Adrian had been only too happy to offer his assistance. Firstly, her connection to that realm fascinated him, secondly, providing yet more assistance to the newly-appointed Lord Inquisitor was politically prudent... and finally, he was generally inclined to help his fellow Sith to begin with.

With such an array of factors all pointing the same way, it was no surprise that Vaylin had found herself in one of his personal medical centres, hidden away in case he himself was ever critically wounded. As was to be expected, the equipment was of the highest quality.

Vaylin, of course, had been placed in his debt by his generosity... and he was only too eagre to collect.

Skin far paler than usual and eyes outlined by deep dark circles, Adrian nonetheless managed to maintain an air of unassailable confidence as he leaned back in a rather comfortable chair facing the Valkyrie, sipping a strangely blueish substance of his own.

"That's right, yes. I know of the Valkyries' ties to that realm... and you have plenty of personal experience. I, however, have never had the chance to study its mysteries in person." Smiling softly, as if what he was about to say would somehow eliminate her concerns, his tone remained calm with but a hint of tiredness. "Recently, my horizons have been... expanded. It seems only appropriate to delve further still."

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

Despite the steadily easing of the burning feeling in her throat, Vaylin still took another sip of her caf. She said nothing initially, just looking at Adrian and taking in his well...state.

From the small interactions she had previously with the Sith Lord, he had never struck as being more physically focused. But right now the man looked even worse for wear, and she was curious towards the why.

"Would these expanded horizons be the reason why you look like you haven't slept fully in a while?" Not like Vaylin could talk too much about that. She was still showing signs here and there of her prior injuries. That while Adrian's tech had seen to the vast majority of them, there were still a few smaller issues that needed time to mend. "I ask, because venturing into the Netherworld isn't a walk in the park. You need to be resolute in mind, body and emotion. It will find the gaps in your armour."

Speaking of, Vaylin cursed to herself remembering her armour was currently out of commission. It was still being repaired for the damage it had taken during the Mygeeto Invasion. Meaning the Valkyrie was going to be without her typical physical defence.

I'm gonna have to go full spectral for this excursion.

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Chuckling dryly at her question, he nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes. Some secrets weigh heavier on the mind - and body - than others."

Meeting her eyes with his own, his dark blue orbs were as clear as ever. Clearer, almost, as if they could pierce through flesh and bone to witness the truth beneath. "Make no mistake, however, I know exactly what I am asking of you and the risks involved. I even..." Pausing for a moment, as if visualising the source. "... know how to open a full rift. Or rather, know the ritual. Several rituals."

Smiling warmly, some of his usual cheerfulness reemerged, as did his enthusiasm. There was great power in the Nether, which was exciting enough, but it was the uncertainty of it all that truly drew him. Having studied the nature of the soul, delving into its destination seemed the natural followup.

"I am hardly fool enough to attempt such a thing on my own, however, and will, of course, be bringing various protective Talismans and the like."

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin nodded, it made sense given Adrian was Saaraishash. The Zabrak had known quite a bit of their work through visiting Jorryn often enough while she was working. That, and the various collaborations the Valkyries had with the Inquisitors over the years.

"Good, the rituals are the much more preferred method of opening, and stabilizing the portals." All of the ranked Valkyries knew of the rituals on an innate level. It was a result of them surviving their Trials, which formed the bond with the Netherworld. Knowledge that was kept until death called, and the Valkyries were called back to the Nether.

"The alternative would require me directly doing it."

And that was the furthest thing Vaylin wanted to do now, especially so soon after using it to escape Mygeeto.

She hmm'd with approval at Adrian's preparations.

"You do not know how relieving that is to hear. I've encountered a good number of Sith that approach this with overconfidence and arrogance." Which wasn't exactly surprising from their ilk. "And end up so unprepared to physically traverse the Netherworld."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Going by her tone, it would seem the Elder Valkyrie was less than enthusiastic about personally opening such a portal - hardly surprising, given that while she had a certain intrinsic tie to that mysterious realm, she lacked his singular dedication to the Force and its myriad applications.

A dedication that came back to bite him every time he encountered a thrice-cursed Ysalamiri, but that was beside the point.

"Not to worry, while I have yet to travel to that realm myself, I have opened lesser portals for research purposes and summoned some of its inhabitants." Pausing, he smile widened. "Bound some of its inhabitants, too. They really can be rather useful."

Nodding in response to her evaluation of their fellow Sith, his response was uncharacteristically serious.

"Quite. I will admit that I am hardly amongst our Order's most physically formidable members, but that's where you come in... and besides, I would imagine a specialisation in the more mystical aspects of the Force to be a significant advantage, in such a place."

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

The Zabrak took one final sip of her caf, before placing the now empty cup onto the table in front of her. She looked at Adrian as she leaned back into the couch, fingers threading together atop her lap.

"I shouldn't be surprised you'd have a focus on binding spirit to science." She smirked. Hearing of the Sith Lord's reputation amongst his field. It was frankly why Vaylin wasn't raising more warnings, like she would do to her students preparing for their Trials. He was a scientist, a mind of caution and curiosity. With enough sense to not let the latter overule the former.

That, and the Valkyries hadn't felt a sudden unstable surge of spirits entering the galaxy.

"Well Lord Vandiir, I have no further personal preparations needed. So I'm at your discretion for when we depart."

She suspected they wouldn't be going too far. Adrian wouldn't have invited her to a specific facility, if it wasn't the one that contained the portal.

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Smiling softly, a sparkle in his eyes, he nodded. "Souls too, you know. The difference isn't nearly as significant as some tend to believe."

As much as he would love to elaborate about his findings and their significance, that would likely be wasting the Valkyrie's time - and possibly his opportunity to learn more, see more, potentially even become more.

"Excellent. As you might have guessed, we won't be going far."

Rising from his chair, he straightened his jacket before leading the way to the door. After passing a currently empty assistant's desk and several hallways that gradually transitioned into the sterile, they arrived at a security checkpoint, a biometric lock opening the way. Soon after, an empty lab...

... empty, that is, but for the large circular gateway at its centre, its form that of high technology fused with ancient runes and strange sorcery, and besides it what looked like a veritable armoury's worth of Talismans, artefacts, and protective equipment.

"As you can see, I've been quite busy. The hypertranscendental processors in particular should lend some much-needed stability to the process."

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin let out an amused snort at Adrian's words. "And yet, you'll still have people waxing poetics about the differences."

Standing up, the Zabrak followed Adrian as he led the way out of his office and to wherever he housed his portal experiments. Along the way Vaylin went over a mental checklist, making quite sure there was nothing she was forgetting.

The Valkyries were in a relatively solid footing now, the Fortress now settled in its new location while their numbers continued to get use to the new surroundings. It was a jarring experience to go from the icy weather and turmoulous storms of Mygeeto.

And she had made doubly sure to send Jorryn a message before she had departed for Vandiir's facility. Both knew the man would draw a favour as payment for his services. And Vaylin assumed it would involve the Netherworld, and her return to it so soon. The Echani hadn't been happy about it, but it was what the situation had placed her in.

That, and Vaylin wasn't going to make the same mistake as last time.

Stepping into the mostly empty lab, Vaylin let out a short impressed whistle. "You certainly have been." She walked up to the gateway, fingers grazing over a few of the hypertranscendental processors. Feeling the hum of memory, of when they had been active during previous activity. That was certainly a new sensation for the Valkyrie, feeling something in technology that wasn't well...natural to it. Some had a stronger memory than others, indicating to Vaylin that some of them were much newer design, only having seen tests and not active use yet.

Design, build and test. Re-design, re-build and re-test. Rinse and repeat.

Vaylin mused, wondering just how new these processors were. Had they been constructed as early as her first day in his care? Or had things just fallen wonderfully in place for the Sith Scientist, finding himself a Valkyrie who owed him within the same time frame?

Either way, the Zabrak was impressed. "It's one thing to hear you've prepared for everything, it's another thing to actually see it."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Smiling softly as the Valkyrie examined his project with what seemed, at least, like admiration, Adrian went to his little armoury.

Shadow's Folly, that was a given, and a shield talisman of course. Something to ward off possession seemed reasonable, as did a Jin'Wodasir or two; he did not anticipate to face Force Light in the Nether, but it was not strictly a dark realm so it was best to make sure.

"Feel free to bring a shield talisman of your own - or really any of the remaining. In your experience, does some sort of purely physical protective gear seem necessary?" It seemed malleable enough, in the right places, but he could not disregard the risk of environments beyond his control.

Moving on from his various artefacts, he smirked at her comment, though the half-scorn half-amusement it carried was clearly not directed at her.

"One would have to be quite the fool to delve into that strange realm unprepared... but I suppose fools are hardly rare, in our Order."

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

"I'll take a shield talisman at least, it might prove useful to absorb any excess energy." She walked over and picked one up, examining it briefly before glancing over at Adrian as he spoke. She agreed with Adrian's words towards others in their Order. Arrogance had a way of making even the most powerful beings blind. Too greedy for further power and knowledge, that they scoffed at the Netherworld's threat.

Vaylin chuckled.

"Oh it's absolutely necessary. Normally you should only enter the Netherworld as a spirit, when you die. But while it is possible to physically traverse it, it's never the intended way. Even if you threw your mind into the Nether, any damages done there will roll back to the body too. Unless you're a disembodied soul, the Netherworld will see you as a foreign entity." It was what allowed the ranked Valkyries to physically change when outside of the Nether; their Spectral Forms. "It will assess your intent, and if it finds it foul, it will produce resistance in physical form."

The Zabrak stepped back as she called upon the Force. Let it surround and mingle with the aura of dread and terror that began to swirl around Vaylin's form. Then in a sudden flash the Valkyrie's hair and eyes ignited in flames, her form now more armoured than it had been moments before.

"Fortunately for you, you'll have someone accompanying you that has a bond to the Netherworld." She turned to look back at the gateway. "But even then, the place is insurmountable even for us Valkyries. I do not know what we'll encounter there."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Nodding in understanding, he pursued his lips before beginning to strip of his the suit he wore, revealing some sort of skintight protective gear beneath. Walking over to the collection of armour and the equivalent, he pulled on a long coat made of silvery scales engraved with Sith runes before beginning to slot his various Talismans into easily accessible - or less so, for Shield Talismans and the like - positions.

"I figured, but better to consult the expert."

Smiling softly as her form shifted, sharp eyes flickered back and forth, taking in the details even as he sensed the difference.

"Your, ah, Spectral Form? I can feel the similarities to that realm's energies, I have no doubt that it will come in handy."

Turning to the as-of-yet inert gateway, his eyes shone despite his all-around haggard look. "No time like the present, then. Oh, and one final matter as I commence - if cannon fodder could be useful, this site has Sithspawn - not Free Willed ones, mind you - that can be called upon promptly."

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

"Indeed. It is the physical manifestation of a Valkyrie's bond to the Netherworld. Utilized for when traversing the Nether itself, but it can be used outside of it too." Albeit, said use essentially put the Valkyrie on a timer. They were after all taking form and energy from the Netherworld, and it would drain the user continuously until either the point of deactivation or death. While within the Nether, it was a continuous cycle, one side feeding the other, returning the favour and repeating. So it's use outside of the Netherworld was intended for more important situations.

Certainly not for trivial matters...

Although Force knows, Vaylin had been quite tempted to utilize it against Rae Cooke and that damned Corellian snark that escaped her lips.

But that was a whole other topic unrelated to the present.

"I would've been surprised if you didn't have some form of Sithspawn at the ready, Lord Vandiir." She glanced over at him with a smirk across her lips. "But yes, some cannon fodder could prove useful depending on how this goes." Vaylin walked over, standing before the currently inert gateway, ready to act should any wayward spirits try to escape. "Although they should be used as a last resort, I can't imagine how the Netherworld will respond to a sudden influx of Sith experiments."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Nodding in response to her explanation - he was curious what other effects the Spectral Form could produce in various circumstances and when in various states of mind, but something told him the Valkyries were generally not inclined to agree to be his lab rats - he went back to the preparations.

Simple preparations, for he had already made everything ready for her arrival in the hopes that she would agree to his request.

Grinning in response to her comment, he shrugged slightly. "Am I that predictable, my Lady? Oh, but I suppose I am - I will have our cannon fodder standing by near the portal then, ready to create a distraction or die in droves to facilitate a rapid departure should something go wrong."

They were, after all, quite expendable.

"That settled, let's do this."

Unless Vaylin suddenly voiced any protests, the Sith Lord would approach the portal, tracing the runes carved into its stone frame with his fingers and pouring in energy, rendering them aglow with power - after the entire portal had lit up, he would step back again, stretching his arms outwards as he switched between incantations and the silent manipulation of energy, streaks of soft light flowing from his fingers...

... and into the manifesting aperture, its growing shape a cold blue resembling his eyes, though others soon followed, leaking in from the Nether; all the while, the strange technologies merged with the stone silently did their work, being seemingly either autonomous or controlled remotely.

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin watched with interest as Adrian went about activating the gateway. She was very curious to see how this would go, having not seen someone approach activating a Netherworld portal via a mix of sorcery and science.

The Valkyries used a combination of sorcery and their bonds to the Nether in order to open portals.

Dathomirian witches used the very "magic" beneath their feet in order to open a gateway.

So she watched as the Sith Scientist walked up to the gateway and began imbuing the runes with his own energy. Vaylin mused quietly, wondering if the inclusion of the machines was to keep the portal powered. Using one's energy usually meant its continued existence relied on the user's power and will. Should that falter the connection would be severed. So were the machines there to ensure that connection remained consistent throughout, limiting the risk to the man in question.

Vaylin's entire posture straightened, shoulders squared up as the portal began to manifest. The larger it got, the more a prominent aura began to leak from within. Fear and terror began to swarm around the two individuals, trying to wrap around them both. Like a swarm of mosquitos, attempting to find a means to nip at their skin.

The Zabrak remained resolute, just staring at the portal with a pair of embered eyes. It's aura was like an old friend and enemy, ever bound together but always trying to find weaknesses in her defences.

She looked to Vandiir. "You ready?"

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

As it turned out, the Valkyries unvoiced musings were quite correct - the machinery was meant to stabilise and maintain the connection so that he wouldn't have to, decreasing the strain placed upon him in what might very well be an extremely hostile environment.

Portal manifesting, he felt the concept of fear made manifest billow forth, attempting to find gaps in his defences much like water seeks out the path of least resistance - after the briefest moment of hesitation, he shored up his defences, finishing the modified ritual with a flourish...

... and just like that, the portal was stable.

"I am."

Gathering his strength just in case, he began to slowly approach the portal while doing his best to perceive what lay on the other side with minimal success; slowly approach, for he had every intention of letting the more experienced Valkyrie take the lead.

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

The Zabrak nodded, taking a step forward and approaching the portal. She raised a clawed hand, pressing against its surface as though it was a physical barrier. She closed her eyes, whispered words slipping from her lips. The language was old, Ancient Sith and little something else mixed in. When the final word was spoken, a pulse of energy erupted from the Valkyrie's hand, rippling along the portal's surface.

Satisfied, Vaylin stepped forwards and disappeared through the veil.

The sensation of travel was akin to something like hyperspace travel, being suddenly propelled forwards. But the difference here was a distinct lack of anything. No sight, no sound, no feeling. The only semblance of the latter was the vague reminder that you were being moved. But that was easily lost, and you could find your mind being tricked into thinking you were floating in an abyss.

Eventually though, you'd surface and find yourself gasping for air. Disorientation hitting strong on your first visit, as your body flipped around to land feet first onto the ground. The sensation lessening each time. Vaylin found her feet as she landed, falling into a crouched position as she anticipated the landing. A stark contrast to her very first time in the Netherworld, where she had face planted the ground.

The Zabrak stood up, eyes immediately scanning their surroundings. Adrian had been the one to activate the portal, no doubt having always been the one since he had started his experiments. So it was highly likely they were brought to whichever location he had been drawing spirits from. They were immediately beset upon by a strong, cold wind. She was familiar with cold, but even the Netherworld managed to find its place to chill her bones.

"Ah, I see now." Vaylin looked ahead and saw the chain of mountains that bordered their location. Large stone skulls sat atop, somehow moving slowly across the mountaintops if you looked long enough. A river ran through the middle of the valley, the main body of water splitting here and there, but always forming back up. Formless spirits dotted the river's edge, hunched over and stuck in a haunting scream as they peered into the waters.

"We've arrived into the Valley of Lies."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

The transition between realspace and the Netherworld was a sharp one, quite different from anything he had experienced... and so, quite unlike the Zabrak's practised ease, the Sith Lord stumbled and fell, eating dirt in a most undignified manner.

Pushing himself to his feet, Adrian brushed himself off as a matter of habit, a scrape on his jaw vanishing as his flesh seemed to writhe strangely.

"The Valley of Lies... yes, yes, that makes sense. The spirits I pulled from this spot did seem somewhat lost."

Voice muted by the howling winds, he slowly turned in a circle, quick eyes dancing back and forth as if to absorb every last detail. There was so much he could learn from this place, from its inhabitants and from the land itself - secrets of the Force and perhaps even new knowledge about the inner workings of reality itself. An outpost was possible, if perhaps ill-advised at this stage.

"The river is the focal point of this region, if I'm not mistaken - do you think it would be possible to collect some samples?"

Vaylin​

 

[Vaylin]

Vaylin spared Adrian a glance when the Sith finally arrived, not quite finding his footing as he stumbled and hit the ground. It was no doubt a strange feeling, especially for a man of science like Lord Vandiir. Feeling something physical, and yet fully aware they were within a plane of existence that shouldn't be.

The events that had transpired over a decade ago now, had drastically altered how Force Users perceived and interacted with the Netherworld.

"Agreed. There are many places where the spirits of the dead can get trapped, arguable every place here is capable of that." She looked around, taking in the amount of lost souls around them. "These ones would be easy to pull free with external help, but they'd also be some of the weakest."

Vaylin stepped away as she looked around, keeping an eye out for anything that might've caught sight of them. Typically, the Zabrak was here on Valkyrie duties, guiding a potential through their Trial. But right now she was guiding someone who was bonded to the Nether.

She looked back as Adrian spoke. "I doubt it, at least if you intend on taking the samples out of the Netherworld. We're only here physically because of our nature as Force Users." Vaylin was reminded of the time when she had followed Kaalia into here in order to help rescue her wife. The Balmorran's soul would've been easily lost if Kaalia and the Valkyries hadn't physically travelled to find her. It had not liked them doing that, taking a spirit that had naturally found it's way there through death. But when you had a determined and pissed redhead, backed up by her fellows, the retaliation was met with force.

"Items we have on our person are exempt because of that, but previous attempts have found that trying to take something, like a liquid in a vial, will result in the physical container being stuck here." It meant that unless a solution was found to tie both container and sample together, disassociated with the Netherworld. Any experiments would have to be done on location, within the Netherworld. Although Vaylin was certain Adrian would find a way in time. "Just don't peer into the water for too long. We may not be spirits, but we can easily be lured in over time, or with a particularly strong memory."

AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

"You're not wrong, I mostly caught small fish..." Continuing to survey their surroundings even as he spoke, the Sith Lord stepped closer to a faded spirit resolutely staring away from the river - unaware of their presence? Interesting. "... but that was partly the point. Easier to contain and study."

... and besides, they were all mostly made of the same stuff.

Nodding sadly at her explanation, he remained unsurprised. "I figured. Hard to bring matter that isn't really matter into realspace, after all. Hmm, unless one were to design some sort of sorcerous housing unit, one that contains and preserves the energies of this realm while isolating it to such an extent that extraction becomes plausible." It had potential, certainly. Something to file away for later consideration.

"Understood, I will apply all necessary precaution."

The last thing he wanted was to be trapped in the Netherworld, a slave to his own regrets death claimed him - and likely beyond.

Vaylin​