Dominion Law Ant-ar-der | GA Dominion of Antar

[Spirit of Knowledge]

The Gotals of Antar IV have a society are as intricate as any. Six billion inhabitants on a small moon in the Mid Rim, living in harmony not only with each other but with their entire world. They trade, they negotiate, and they and their world are known throughout the galaxy. Yet, compared to many other societies, the Gotal state seems positively backwards – or, rather, doesn’t exist at all.

Even in a galaxy so wide and diverse, there are few places that exist in genuine anarchy. Most of them are shunned as lawless and crime-ridden. Some are the ruined places of the galaxy, ravaged by war and greed; others are empty and sparsely populated, the fringes of galactic society, where only the most desperate are forced to live.

The Gotals of Antar IV, however, manage to provide a quality of life virtually unheard of for an anarchic society. For the Gotals there exists no hunger, no poverty, and little crime; the social ills afflicting even the most advanced worlds in the galaxy are absent entirely on Antar IV. With the decay of many of the major galactic powers, the need for protection has waned; most experts in the Alliance thought the likelihood of the Gotals joining the Alliance to be extremely low.

Until, of course, representatives from Antar IV arrived on Coruscant to make an official request for membership.

Gotal Have It​

The Gotals have given two conditions before they join the Alliance. First is that Alliance politicians and policy-makers help them come up with a system for visitors and immigration. Gotals without much experience around off-worlders and aliens often have difficulty reading their emotions; visitors to Antar IV are the greatest source of trouble and unrest, whether they want it or not. The Gotals do not seek isolation, but instead desire a solution that will minimize the chances of conflict.

Second is that this policy is formed and generated on Antar IV during a historic eclipse cycle. For two weeks, the Alliance envoy will hunt, travel, and discuss with Gotal community leaders; when the sun finally rises, they expect to have reached a consensus, else the world may postpone membership to the Alliance.

Though the constantly star-speckled sky makes timekeeping difficult for the Alliance envoy, the third day is just beginning. Representatives of the furthest communities on Antar joined the procession late last night, bringing the numbers of the group up to nearly a hundred. The Gotal hunters have reported the detection of a small quivry herd ten miles from the camp, and as the day begins, the party begins their hunt and discussion. The Gotals see movement as important to decision-making – keep moving, and keep speaking.

BYOO​

The homeworld of the Gotals is the fourth of six moons; there is far more to explore than the darkened plains of Antar IV.

 

[Auteme]

Gotal-Alliance Travel Camp | Day 3​

The eclipse, though constant, was not total – early on the third morning (if it could still be called that), a distant glow lit the horizon to the west, as though the sun were rising, but Prindaar never broke through the tall grasses. When the light died down and the sky turned dark, the Gotals served a breakfast of fresh bread, quivry bone soup, and berries picked from the nearby fields.

Though their meals and lodgings were handled for them, the Senators were far from the luxury of Coruscant, or even the amenities of Temba Port, from which they had departed. The first two days they'd traveled nearly sixty miles from the city, but last night had been their first truly in the wilds. The plains of Antar IV seemed at first vast and monotone. But, as the off-worlders' eyes adjusted to the constant darkness of the eclipse, they could spot the breaks in continuity; ancient stone monuments dotted the landscape, and there were at least a dozen types of grasses that populated the plains.

The breakfast of the day had a subtle buzz to it; the Gotals were not people of many words, at least if the first two days were any indication. The Antarian language relied on cues that were largely imperceptible to those lacking the Gotals' head-cones. Long stretches of travel had gone with only a few grunts given between the group. None of the Gotals had explained why, but Auteme guessed that many of their party were not experienced in being around off-worlders; the first two days were to allow them to adjust to the presence of signals they were not used to, and overcome their initial readings that the strangers had come to kill them, or were deeply in love with them.

The most talkative Gotal in prior days was the elder Pocvi. He was a trusted negotiator and community leader, and among his people likely the most eloquent speaker. He'd spent time as part of the Gotal delegation to the previous Galactic Alliance, as well as a trusted third-party in many smaller-scale interstellar disputes. The true mark of his expertise was that he had learned to make his voice carry emotion – most Gotals spoke in a monotone Basic, not used to conversing with those who could not read their emotions outright.

Auteme had met Pocvi in her youth – she'd been to Antar a few times, but the first was when she was ten; her guardian had brought her to Antar, and they'd sat in on a Gotal justice circle, over which Pocvi had presided. They hadn't been allowed to speak, as they had no stake in the crime that was being righted, but Pocvi had still made an effort to ensure they knew what was going on.

In the years since she'd often come back to learning about Antar IV and its people, and she realized that the galaxy at large often misunderstood them. Their "peaceful anarchy" was not really a result of the Gotals' unique physiology, rather, the systems of society and justice they operated within were alien to those who knew only galactic and planetary states. Part of her wished she'd come back more often, if only to understand the Gotals better.

Pocvi had been their primary point of contact with the Gotals; he'd ensured their comfort for the past two days and made sure there was no friction between the envoy and the Gotal representatives. Now he rose from his seat in the dining tent and clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. He said a greeting in Antarian, and there was a mumble of assent from the Gotals, and then he spoke in Basic.

"Thank you for your patience, my friends. With the arrival of our brothers and sisters from the far reaches of our world, and those who have come back to us from the stars, it is time we begin our discussions. In a time where we are enveloped in darkness, we can still look for the light that surrounds us." He said something in Antarian; Auteme's understanding was poor, but she understood it as something akin to a prayer.

One of the elders next to Pocvi handed him a bowl filled with a wide-bladed grass; he took a piece and put it in his mouth to chew. It was passed around the room. Auteme took a piece for herself, then handed the bowl to the Senator next to her. It tasted a sickly sweet, and gave a strange buzz on her tongue.

"We gather to discuss our future. Before we begin the day's march – our trackers have found quivry east of here – it is my wish that we take a moment to sit, contemplate, and give the raw material for our discussion. If anyone has anything to provide, please speak now."

Auteme chewed her grass in silence, and contemplated what she wanted to say.

 

[Damian du Couteau]

Damian Du Couteau, Senator of Empress Teta
Location: Coruscant, Senate Hall, Office of the Senator Du Couteau
Objective: BYOO (Open)
Outfit

Anarchism, such a strange form of governance in Damian’s eyes, the instability that it would guarantee was quite large. Regardless of how connected the Gotal were with one another, they must take into consideration other species. Strong unified central bodies tend to provide the sure fire methods of protection and safety. But Damian mused one the possibilities presented to him, eyes scanning the data-slate he held with both hands. Antar 4 had the luxury of being located deep within the space of the former Concord government of the Silver Jedi, and with the Galactic Alliance to the North East. They had quite the peaceful times despite the Maw and the Imperials threatening to burn the galaxy through war.

Damian peered outside of the window, giving his eyes a moment of rest of his data-slate, and contemplated on the future staging points of the Alliance spearheading into the Expansion Regions. The markets were quite ravenous for new consumers and trade, and with the Antar System being brought into the fold they had a connection with the Cyrillia system. Droids, parts and even more industry to grow our profits. The young Du Couteau heir kept his bored expression as he closed his eyes for a few moments. He needed more time to organize the Royal Tetan Mining Guide to establish sufficient Union headquarters on these new Inner Rim and Expansion Region planets, and with the Senate on recess for the moment he could focus on that work for the moment.

But with Antar being accepted into the Alliance the Markets are primed. . . but several Corporations have the future expansion already priced in their share price. Damian shook his head as his fingers combed through his white hair. He knew that to push forward a new bill before the Senate he needed to take into consideration the anti-corporate sentiment. Of course most of the ill-will was primarily directed to a certain Senator, and the investigations into said Senator would reveal what it will reveal. -Sadly at the present this has only caused the Indepents to stand weary for any Corporate Adjacent talking points. Damian thought about the optics and knew he needed a different plan, if not an entirely new style of approach.
​

 

[Alicio Organa]

ANTAR IV
REMOTE HUNTING CAMP
- Auteme - Open -​

Alliance Senators were not known for their physical prowess.

What did one expect, with a natural habitat of durasteel skyscrapers and air-conditioned exteriors? Hunting grounds in the halls of galas and ritual combat on the Senate floor? Many representatives would find themselves out of their element, roughing it on a hunting expedition.

Not Alicio. He'd jumped at the chance to escape the duracrete jungle, and join the Chancellor on this diplomatic mission.

Perhaps that explained his upbeat mood as he'd woken up, gazing at the star-littered sky with no less wonder than he did the first day here. The Gotals had a lovely world- wild, blanketed in green, with an ever-shifting skyscape... it was no wonder they longed for travel. Alicio would want to see it all, too.

Taking a seat next to Auteme, Alicio observed the Gotals around them, taking a blade of grass as they did, and passing it along to the next person. After a moment of intense staring, the Count put the end of it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. It didn't quite taste like anything he'd had before.

As the speaker of the group, Pocvi, began the discussion, Alicio considered the rest in attendance. After noting the Chancellor silence, the Alderaanian was the first to speak up, in Basic. "A delegation from Antar IV traveled the stars, petitioning us to help you join the Galactic Alliance." The Gotal seemed like the straight-forward type. Alicio didn't bother beating around the bush. "To make the transition safe, and preserve your way of life, we must develop policies for off-worlders coming to your home."

"Which we must do with care, so as not to upset the balance of your system. The average regulations won't do, if we want to preserve this planet's stability."

"Does that about cover the basics?"

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa | SENATE GANG​

There was a murmur of assent from those gathered; a low hum permeated the air. Pocvi nodded. "Thank you, Senator Organa."

Another Gotal rose to speak; her horns were thinner than most, but quite long. She spoke in Basic with a bleating cadence. "If we are truly to allow outsiders to come here, we must especially keep safe spaces for the young and elderly. Our children must have space to develop safely, and our elders must be able to live peacefully without the stress of unfamiliar signals, if that is what they need."

There was another murmur of assent. "Thank you, Sar'lim." The woman sat back down.

A brief silence took the room; Auteme took it as her turn to jump in and rose to speak. "There are very many planets and peoples in the Alliance," she began. "We have historically preserved a consistency in rights for all individuals -- to do otherwise may risk a precedent for discrimination. Our Common Charter upholds the rights of our citizens to travel and live wherever they please; any restrictions, if they are reasonable, are left up to planetary governments."

There was a slight rumble from the crowd, a few chuckles.

"I would like to keep those rights as consistent as possible, but also ensure the continuation of the way of being of your people. The Alliance government can accommodate any and all logistical and administrative duties, whether that is handling immigration or travel, but I think that may also chip at your ability to have the final say on matters that concern your world. Regardless, the Alliance is willing to do what is necessary to ensure the safety of all Gotals."

Again, murmurs from the crowd; these were more mixed. Government was not practiced by Gotals for a reason. Involving a powerful state seemed counter to their goals. Nonetheless it needed to be laid out for their discussion to continue.

"Thank you, Chancellor. Are there any more thoughts?" Silence. "We shall begin our day's journey, then. Walk, speak. When our feet are blistered, we will begin again."

Everyone stood; Auteme rubbed her eyes and started back out towards the entrance, before pausing and waiting for Alicio.

"Alicio," she nodded, "tell me what you think. Ideal scenario, for the Alliance and Antar." They stepped out under a canopy of stars.

 

[Alicio Organa]

ANTAR IV
REMOTE HUNTING CAMP
- Auteme - Open -
​

Content that his words had rang true for the Gotals, Alicio nodded once to Pocvi, letting his presence fade to the background once more. Asserting himself to a group of strangers would always be... challenging, but he'd learned to stomach the feeling. And he would continue to, as long as doing so would improve lives of those he served.

Sar'lim's declaration, that the elderly and children would need special care, got the Count to caress his chin in thought. If Antar IV was truly planning on joining, no matter the decisions of today, the planet would have to go through significant change. It's people would feel the impact.

Of course, the Chancellor took the opportunity to jump in. As she spoke, Alicio found himself frowning. Not at her words, they were all true, necessary even. She had shone a light on the difficulty of the contradictory task set before them. The decisions they would have to make.

Alicio was so deep in his own thoughts, he nearly missed the congregation standing. Rising only a moment after, he swiftly joined Auteme in stepping out into a world of dark grasslands and stars like scattered seeds.

"Alicio, tell me what you think. Ideal scenario, for the Alliance and Antar."

Alicio considered the thought a moment longer, observing as the Gotals began packing up camp. Backpacks and weapons and tent leathers and hard faces. Anarchists they may be, but divided they were not.

"In an ideal galaxy, nothing here changes." Alicio smoothed out his own clothes, a grey poncho embroidered with the designs of dancing thrantas. He had no weapon of his own, aside from the lightsaber he kept hidden at his back. "Antar joins the Alliance. Our fleet protects the system, we establish trade on-world, and increase the quality of life for those that need it. Most importantly, the way of life of the people must be preserved."

"I've tried to research the organizational structure here on Antar IV, but there isn't much material in the senate records. I know that what's going on here is special. Their system of justice without governmental oversight is... frankly, unbelievable. Inspiring. But I don't want to see a world without a government to protect them become exploited by the largest superpower in the galaxy." Alicio's cynical view translated to his face; tense and downturned.

"Either the Gotal need to organize, or we need to check ourselves, somehow." He frowned, looking ahead. The party had gathered most of their equipment, and seemed to be congregating towards the edge of their ever-dwindling camp. "I think they're moving out. Let's not get left behind."

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa
​

"Mm." She realized with a bit of a start that the issue at hand was not merely a balancing of the rights of Antarians and Alliance citizens, but also a question of whether the Gotal's way of being would continue at all. The inertia of the Alliance traveled on many vectors; there were far more ways to change people's lives, for good and ill, than just immigration control or defense.

Perhaps they were overestimating the Alliance's effects on Antar -- like many planets throughout the galaxy, it'd seen states as powerful as them come and go. Still, it gnawed at her mind as she went to gather her things for the day's travel.

Her staff had prepared her with a thousand documents and statistics, old policy and possible amendments; being here, though, the task felt far greater, and she felt unprepared.

The Gotals and Senators packed up the camp. Auteme did her best to help where she could, but she mostly just followed the directions of the others; it'd been quite a long time since she'd camped out somewhere. Once the group was ready, they began their march through the grassy plains.

The Gotals did not walk out of necessity; they had speeders, a few of which were ridden by the oldest among them, who were not fit enough to walk. To take a speeder would make things too easy. A quivry was quick, but not nearly as fast as modern speeder. The point of the hunt was to hone one's senses throughout. Not just to track the weak electromagnetic signals, but also to read the winds, the stars, the grass. At a constant pace, a seasoned Gotal hunter could catch up to any quarry simply by tracking them properly.

Auteme spent the first hour chatting with the youngest Gotals of the group; the three of them had just reached maturity, and this hunt was part of their passage into adulthood. Still, she found herself impressed by their perceptiveness and curiosity -- she told them about the politics of the Alliance, and they told her what they thought, reaching many of the same conclusions as she had about the structure of the Senate. She asked them about Antar, and they told her the basics of the Antarian creation story.

After some time she left them, and wandered back to walk next to Alicio.

"I don't think we can saddle these people with any kind of formal government," she said with a shrug. "The more I learn -- the more I see how well this works, how flawed in comparison we are. But... the loth cat's out of the bag, in terms of, well, states. It isn't here, and of all the places in the galaxy, I think this system- non-system- can preserve itself. Still, the galaxy doesn't want to wait for that."

She scratched her chin. "Even the Alliance has that... expansionist tendency. Like the corporatists and new markets. We feel the need to spread ourselves out, protect more, unify more. And maybe that's good, but there's still something lost there."

 

[Alicio Organa]

ANTAR IV
REMOTE HUNTING EXPEDITION
- Auteme -​

As much as he had changed in his time since becoming a senator, becoming a husband, nearly becoming a father, some things about the Count would never change.

Alicio was a contemplator, a quiet loner, the solitary philosopher type. He spent the first few minutes of their trek at the back of the pack, staring into the dark, expansive sky, running his hands along the grasses that grew around their waists, with an expression to suggest he was pondering the hidden secrets of the universe. In reality, he was pondering the situation of the Gotals, of Antar. How much was too much? Would their system of governance- none- survive the Alliance's influence?

After a while, he found himself walking next to a slowly-trundling speeder, containing some of the eldest of the group. Grizzled and wizened Gotals with long horns and prunish faces. Hunting was becoming difficult, they said in truncated, choppy Basic, but it was their way of life, and the way of life of their ancestors.

As much as he was the loner, Alicio had always been more curious than standoffish. So he listened to the elders as they eagerly described their way of life. In many ways, it was similar to the rest of the galaxy- villages and jobs and community- but there were notable differences, such the absence of conventional law, or the importance of the hunt. In turn, Alicio spoke about the Alliance. All the good they had done, across the galaxy. And some of the bad. They hid it well, but Alicio could taste the subtle anxieties in them- the unspoken fear of joining the galactic stage, of change.

Alicio wished he could give them peace, but he wasn't sure himself whether things would change for better, or for worse.

After a while, Alicio spied as Auteme went beside him. He was quiet as she spoke, lips pursed in thought as they walked. It took a moment for him to speak, as he digested her words. "If they join the Alliance, they are offered representation in the senate. Which means they must elect a senator. Then, they'll have an elected official helping curate the policies of their world." Alicio grew a slightly pained expression. "If they join, unless they deny representation, they'll have already lost their non-system. Even then, becoming a member-world means they must abide by Alliance law."

"The local situation likely won't change drastically, but they will have an overreaching government nonetheless."

"Whether that's a good change or not, I'm not sure. Maybe it's unavoidable. My main concern is how to deal with those expansionist tendencies we have." Alicio looked to Auteme with a question in his eye. "I have no doubt enterprising parties would like to take advantage of the unconventional system of law, here."

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa
​

"Mm- our system is... a little bit more flexible than that in practice," she said. "Most member worlds get to preserve systems of government, so long as they aren't terribly illegal or hostile to the Alliance. For a time we had a few outright Imperial warlords in the Senate. That's waned, but... Antar can get away with selecting a Senator however they please. It might end up being a question of legal legitimacy.

"As for our corporatist friends, I actually think this might be a situation where having no governing law would be the right choice. There isn't exactly a way to, say, buy the rights to a plot of land, when everyone has rights to all the land. Legislating one way sets a precedent that a future administration could legislate in the other way; if we try to protect Antar, those protections could be removed in the future."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"But they must still abide by the tenants of our Alliance," Alicio mused, watching on as a few of the younger members of their troupe playfully shoulder-checked each other, likely in response to some verbal challenge. "Our most basic laws are just, unobtrusive for the most part, but they are still laws that the Gotals must follow if they wish to maintain their membership." It was mostly conjecture; the planetary politics, or lack thereof, would stay the same. But they were accepting governmental oversight regardless.

"So, you're saying that the best protection we can offer... is none at all?" He thought on that for a moment. "That... goes against my nature, but it makes sense. Laws can be reversed." He frowned. "But that brings us to the hot-button issue, again. For people in the Alliance wanting to move here, or visit, there has to be a system to do so. If corporations wanted to begin building factories on Antar IV without permits, there's nothing in place to stop them, either. At least, not until the Gotals can meet and dole their justice."

Letting the unspoken question of 'what do we do?' hang in the air, Alicio turned his cobalt grey stare on Auteme. "What do you see as an ideal scenario, between Antar IV and the Alliance? What's the best-case scenario?"

- Auteme -

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa
​

"I was afraid you'd ask that," she said, smiling. "I don't know."

Auteme tilted her head up to look at the stars. Not that she really needed to; there were stars in every direction, but looking straight up brought them into much sharper focus. It made her realize how rare it was to see them from her residence on Coruscant. Being at the galaxy's centre distorted her vision of things.

"I know I don't want to, say, suddenly create a police force here. They don't have much 'crime' anyways; certainly not much that passes federal statutes. But even if they did, I'd think their 'courts' would still be faster than ours.

"I lean towards agreeing with you, overall, I mean -- what they're doing here is so much more egalitarian and just than what we are, even if our intentions are the same. It should be preserved.

"Honestly, maybe we're blowing this problem out of proportion. Antar's, you know, existed for a while. Their society hasn't collapsed with contact with the galaxy, or galactic powers. Granted, my understanding is that the Silvers basically left them alone, aside from a few bases of the Antarian Rangers, but..." She shrugged. "They seem to want something different this time."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Maybe they're stronger than we give them credit for," Alicio conceded, looking over the hunting band with a guilty smile. He was a senator- it was his job to overthink things. But Auteme was right- their way of life would survive a mostly well-intentioned Alliance. Perhaps they didn't need their protection, just their input.

Regardless, they still needed a system of welcoming off-worlders. He would have to think a little harder on that.

The hunting band continued on it's way, walking for a few hours over the rolling hills of their world. Alicio kept up well, despite his decidedly non-nomadic lifestyle on Coruscant. He had his exercise regime to thank for that, even if it did put him squarely at the back of the pack with the speeders. Which was fine. He enjoyed talking to the elders, hearing their stories, and answering their questions, most of which were directed towards his family once they discovered he was expecting children soon. Alicio and the older Gotals, for the lack of a better word, quibbled about raising young ones, the hunters offering a few choice pieces of advice. Letting them walk their own path being chief among them.

But eventually, a silence came over the troupe. Hand signals were exchanged from the front of the pack to the back, and while he didn't understand them, Alicio could guess at the meaning by the sudden hush, and the lowered stances of the people around him. This was a surprise- the elders had assumed it would take another day at least to close in. The herd of quivry must have doubled back.

They were close.

- Auteme -

 

[Syd Celsius]

Wearing: Sage Suit

Hooded Cloak

Armed With: Wind and Fire Wheels


Objective: BYOO


Antar 5


The suit fit perfectly... somehow, despite her previous self having a much different body type. But when your purpose in life was to adhere to whoever wore you, you either worked or the Sorceress went looking for a new catsuit.

Syd Celsius walked the lonely plains of Antar 5, the eclipse in the sky matching the shadows over her mind.

More memories of the thing she had merged with filtered through, and the more she learned, the more she realized just how strange Nathan agreeing to merge her with it was. Psychologically, it made no sense for him to do so, taking two pieces of the things that had caused him pain and mashing them together...

Why did he have so little objection?

This question dominated her in private. Haunted her. He clearly despised her, yet stayed his hand. But he was clearly at war with himself over it.

Syd Celsius walked the moon of Antar 5 an ashamed shadow of her former self. A hooded cloak obscured a nigh impossibly beautiful countenance, kept her face in shadow, her form huddled under brown fabric that billowed as she walked across it's ground, trying to keep the scrambled memories of two different, equally powerful beings from overwhelming her.

She was here because this was where Nathan had found the creature he had merged her with...but she was trying to piece back together the specifics. The Reflection had been here for a very specific reason.

The Reflection, since getting freed, found her thoughts drawing back to the strange man that had freed her, even as she used her green, double bladed lightsaber to brutally cut down a Brain Demon Cultist baying for her blood, dressed in a skin tight black catsuit. The red headed Sorceress of immense beauty maneuvered her self and her blade through dizzying, complex feints and spin attacks, green, Light Side Lightning occasionally unleashed from black gloved hands, melting and boiling the flesh off of hated Witches. The Reflection's only cause to annihilate those that had kept her from and poisoned the two people she loved most irrevocably.

Her grief twisted in her heart at learning of Laertia and Maple's fate. She was in mourning, under no illusion she would be able to save either of them. So that left destroying the Cult that had robbed her of any chance to keep them in the light.

It would have been almost preferable to her if the Cult had simply killed them both. She could almost accept that to the alternative.

The Reflection was attacked by three different Cultists, all of whom recognized her.

"Impossible! Darth Phyre infected and killed you!" one of them sputtered as The Reflection ripped through them, dueling them all expertly with her staff.

"I got better. Isn't that how it usually works these days?" The Reflection asked sarcastically as she beheaded the one who talked. She had come across them as they were about to perform a hidious ritual on a number of pregnant Antarian women kept in cages.

She had shown them no mercy. The ritual camp they had made lain in ruins as The Reflection ruthlessly slaughtered the Witches present, resisting their spells with her own counter curses, her light crackling against their collective darkness and utterly wrecking face as she one woman army'd the lot of them.

She felt a Witch toss a blade with extreme strength, coming at her too fast to evade. She spun, bringing her blade to deflect--

The thrown blade was caught by Nathan Bloodscrawl , clad in his black biker leathers.

Ths Reflection tilted her head in intrigued curiosity as he teleported behind the Witch that had thrown it and cut her in half lengthwise.

"Well met..." The Reflection uttered in a breathy voice, instantly focused on him. For some reason, she had expected to see him again, given her lack of surprise.

"Quiet." he said in his typical cold AF manner, activating his blue saberstaff.

The Reflection stared down at her own Lightsaber, surprised at how much it resembled his. He glanced at hers in turn but they both had bigger concerns, such as the hoard of Witches and Non Force Sensitive Acolytes that surrounded them with Lightsabers and swords.

They both went back to back on instinct , covering each other without realizing it.

The Cultists launched themselves at the pair, screaming out curses warped by the Dark Side, the blitz of the Reflection and Nathan bitter and devastating, Nathan relying on sheer bladework to cut down opposition, while The Reflection unleashed powerful streams of Electric Judgement from her fingertips, the green lightning cascading through witch bodies, making them catch fire, swell, explode, or sometimes all three. The pair compensated each other, Nathan's merciless cutting down of witch and acolyte alike that covered her flank, while the sheer, terrifying level of power she exhibited in her green lightning voraciously chewed through any flesh of the Dark Side, reducing it to ash.

They were attacked still, relentlessly, with swords, with the Dark Side, with Lightsabers. But the pair carved a deadly swath through the relentless hoard of psychopaths, and when it was done they were back to back, the same as when they had started.

Their blades shut off. Nathan was pale from shock at what he had just experienced. The Reflection, not fully comprehending most sensations other than her emotions regarding Maple and Laertia, didn't quite understand the shock of emotion running through her, nor the buzzing she had around Nathan at the moment.

"You fight very well..." The Reflection complimented, floating off the ground a few inches with the Force. She glided over to him.

"I am not as surprised by your presence as I should be." The Sorceress muttered, circling the silent, stoic Nathan. "But I am pleased that your distaste towards the Cultists matches my own."

She paused a moment.

"Did they hurt you once?" she asked very softly.

Nathan's expression frightened her in its grimness. But he refused to look her in the eye, looking pale, the hardness of his gaze giving away a hidden nausea.

"I am putting together a team. I require your expertise. No one person, not even you, can triumph alone against the Cult, or The Force Entity it serves." hs answered back as coldly as he could force himself to manage. He reminded himself of what the abomination in front of him had once been part of. It armored him.

"Want to start you a good old Witch Burning Crusade, eh?" The Reflection asked half jokingly.

"Something like that." Nathan answered.

"Well, I DO owe you for cutting me loose. And how can I possibly say no to such chiseled..."

She floated a micron closer.

"... classically handsome..."

Another micron.

"...face...?"

Nathan took an unconscious half step back.

"I can offer nothing but a base of operations." he pointed out.

The Reflection shrugged. "I've been living out of a used Lambda. Do your worst."

"You will be required to work with unpleasant, murderous people."

"I know the type, trust me." The crimson haired Sorceress joked in response.

Nathan didn't smile back or even react to the comment, which seemed to make him even more inhuman than her in some sense. The one thing preventing from being full uncanny valley was the unease and revulsion in his eyes, which The Reflection didn't comprehend or process properly.

"We should free the captives and then depart as quickly as possible." he said.

"Yes. I agree." The Reflection spoke in an unnaturally relaxed tone, disregarding the corpses around them.

One hour later...

Nathan sat across from her in the main hold of the ship, her soft blue eyes staring into hard green eyes, which avoided holding her gaze for more than a few seconds.

"How come I've never heard of you?" The Sorceress asked.

"I'm not the 'hearing of' type." Nathan replied quietly, shifting about uncomfortably as he maintained a certain distance from her at all times, whenever she moved about. She found herself wanting to get slightly closer to him but didn't understand why.

This was a curious mortal, who evaded her stare constantly.

"The Cult certainly seemed to know who you were. They stared at you with even more fear and hatred than they did me. Interesting. So who 'are' you to them?"

Then she posed the million dollar question.

"Your blade work is excellent. Were you a former student of Laertia's?"

"Sure. Let's go with that." Nathan replied as deliberately ambiguous as possible in his tone.

"Huh..." The Reflection posited, having completely missed the social cues to indicate a complete lie. Her dark self had always been much better at sniffing out such things.

"And now you wish to destroy her." The Reflection said in a smaller voice.

"She's too dangerous. She murders adult and youngling alike. She's become a rabid animal."

At this, The Reflection genuinely seemed to burst into tears.

"It is my fault..." she confessed, green tears of glowing blood sliding down her face. "I am the one who bears the most responsibility. I tried to turn the rest of me away from the path it was determined to set her upon but I wasn't strong enough. I was cast out from the rest of me."

The Reflection sat down on a bench integrated into the hull of Nathan's freighter

"And now all I have left of her are the brief times of happiness and moments where most of me wasn't trying to twist her to the dark side..." The Reflection said in a suddenly quite broken manner, too consumed by her feelings over Laertia and Maple at the moment to process the strange feelings she had being near Nathan. "You want to know why I annihilate these witches? Because I hate how I destroyed her. Me. No one bears the blame more than me."

"And after the Witches are annihilated, what then, Freak?" Nathan asked. The Reflection didn't protest his use of the word, for even she knew it to be the truth of her.

"I dunno." she answered. "Hadn't thought that far ahead."

She turned to him. "So tell me... when did she start training you--?"

Nathan didn't answer her question. Every muscle had tensed up, and she could feel his sudden distress through the cold shell surrounding his emotions.

"Nathan? What is it?"

"It's Celsius..." he spoke suddenly. "I have no time to explain. If you wish to help, we must leave. Now."

Ths Reflection threw up her hands in exasperation. But she knew the name he had dropped.

"Sure buddy. Your call..."

Nathan rushed to the cockpit.


Syd stopped at the remains of the Brain Demon camp. It had been in a canyon, so the sounds of the victim's screams would travel far.

He's a former student? Syd thought, sifting through the Reflection's memories, having a bit more down to earth experience with lies. He's lying. He must be. It doesn't make sense.

And how come we fought so well together?

Neither she nor The Reflection had understood the momentous occasion of what had occured at the camp. Nathan had. And he had understood it enough that he had done what he had done next, praying she wouldn't catch it in time. Neither of them had.

She had come back here, trying to understand. She still felt the echoes within this place. Vibrations of invisible suffering.

Syd knelt, down, got into a Lotus Position, and began trying to quiet the sounds and images in her head so she could meditate, and hopefully cleanse the area of it's immense suffering...

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa
​

The party's pace quickened at the report from the hunters. Auteme decided to keep pace towards the front; she knew she'd feel it in the evening, but a sense of urgency had overtaken the Gotals around her, and she felt compelled to take this seriously.

She ended up walking next to the Gotal who'd spoken that morning, Sar'lim; she asked if the quivry moving in this way was normal.

"Not at all," Sar'lim said, frowning. "I'm worried."

Auteme could not speak Antarian, but she could feel the woman's emotions rippling through the Force. There was a distress there, like she was learning a friend or family member were in danger.

"Quivry have excellent senses -- not like ours, but they're quite quick. We will need to help them."

"I thought this was a hunt."

Sar'lim tilted her head. "Maybe that's not the right word. The quivry are a nation of their own. We must treat them with respect -- help them when they need us, just as they have provided for us."

Auteme nodded.

The group reached the crest of a wide hill, overlooking a small river flowing south. The quivry had gathered towards the water, some dipping their legs in. They all perked up when they saw the gathered Gotals. Auteme was mostly seeing shapes in the dark, but there was a glint off a few of their eyes; they seemed to be looking up at her, or more likely towards the group. There was a splashing of water and rustling of grasses as the quivry began to move away from the river again.

Something in the distance caught her eye; a low glow, a distant shimmering- the stars in that direction seemed occasionally distorted. "Is that smoke?"

Sar'lim straightened slightly next to her. "I forgot you couldn't feel it," she admitted. "A meteor, or maybe a few. It's not too far ahead. But, I think some of the quivry may have been wounded. We should go quickly."

Auteme nodded, and alongside the others made her way down the hill.

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Maybe that's not the right word. The quivry are a nation of their own. We must treat them with respect -- help them when they need us, just as they have provided for us."

Alicio looked at Sar'lim with a curious tilt of his head. He'd been under a similar impression as the Chancellor, and hadn't expected the level of respect the Gotals would extend to their prey. Perhaps he should have- it matched the amount of respect they showed each other.

This 'hunt' had quickly evolved into an activity that Alicio was much more comfortable with. Cresting the hill along the other explorers, Alicio spied the herd of quivry, resting by the water's edge. Glancing at the others around him, Alicio was quick to step up, headed to the front of the pack with measured confidence.

Some members of the herd seemed skittish at the approach of the Antarians, but none darted away, like Alicio expected them to. They simply stared on, their dark eyes wide with caution, as if they knew the hunt had shifted to something kinder. As the group approached, the signs of injury on the animals became more apparent- bruises and burns and broken bones, likely from meteor shrapnel or an ensuing flash fire.

One quivry, a young doe with a painful twist in one of her legs, tried to hobble away as Alicio approached. He reached out his mind to the creature, trying to project some kind of calm, using the Force to see where his eyes failed. The quivry stared down the Count as he took a knee. But after a moment of waiting, the doe approached, and instinctively offered it's leg. Alicio was quick to let his fingers graze across the wounded flesh, feeling the fractured bone beneath.

And he gave.

The Force pressed heavy around the two of them for only a second, as the senator shared his soul with the animal. Her leg slowly untwisted, tendon and flesh rewriting itself underneath the creature's skin. The darkly-clothed figure stood gently, letting the quivry return to her herd.

"We should go to the site of the crash," Alicio offered, somber and sure. "The worst of it will be there."

- Auteme -

 

[CT- 5678 "Salo"]

Ct-5678 sighs, looking at the order report. He had been assigned to who? Some distant planet. '' Id rather be doing a battle... '' he grumbles.

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa
​

Auteme nodded, and then realized Alicio couldn't see her. "Yes, let's do that," she said.

The group climbed up to the crest of the hill. For the first time in days, things looked astonishingly well-lit. The fires, of course, did not bode well for the quivry or the grasses.

The meteor -- or at least, the largest fragment -- was only half a dozen meters wide or so, but crater was nearly eighty meters across, the earth giving under the force of its impact. While it seemed like the site of spectacular destruction, the true damage laid with the burnt-off fragments that had set the surrounding field ablaze.

The Gotals were quick to get to work, grabbing heavy blankets and water to put out the flames. Auteme leapt into action alongside them, following Sar'lim to where the fires burned the hottest. Auteme raised a hand, and from it spouted a sheet of white threads that fell across a large section of grass; once the fire had been put out, the sheet seemed to melt, flowing like water to the next fire, which in turn was put out.

Soon there was nothing but a few embers left; the Gotals diligently stamping them out. Auteme found herself by the meteor, which still gave off a deadly, if slowly dying, heat.

She had no head-cones like the Gotals, but for whatever reason she could feel the magnetic core of the meteor. It was small, but seemed to offer a small bit of clarity, where the strong magnetic field of Antar IV was like a long, powerful droning in the ears. She sat and rested a few minutes.

Suddenly she could not feel the meteor anymore -- a new droning came in force. She glanced around. A few of the Gotals seemed a little confused, as though something were missing, but they seemed accustomed enough to whatever was going on...

In the distance she saw it; a towering creature whose horns stretched into the stars stood at the crater's edge, outlined dimly in a purple-blue glow. The light off some bright star or neighbouring moon gave the creature's eyes a distinct glint. It seemed to stare at her, or perhaps it was just observing what was below. Two Gotals crested the lip of the crater only two meters to the creature's left -- they did not even acknowledge it, as though it were not even there.

She found herself frozen in awe. The creature looked something like a quivry, and though she couldn't quite tell at this distance and in this darkness, she guessed it was twice the size of those they'd seen earlier. The low hum she felt seemed to emanate from it; it felt almost the same as the earth she walked on.

She stared at the quivry, and it stared in silence back.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio had jumped into action alongside the Gotals, taking off his poncho to beat back the flames that still threatened to spread. But even he couldn't continue fighting the fire, as he stared in awe at the Chancellor's application of the Force. He'd never seen anything like it before, it was a river of twisting threads, flowing freely and snuffing flames.

Allowing himself only a few seconds of dumbfoundment, Alicio got back to work, smothering fires alongside some of the younger Gotal. It was hard work, that blistered his hands and caused long lines of sweat to fall from his brow, and handily ruined his clothes, but Alicio dove into the work with reckless abandon anyways, not caring in the slightest about the damage to himself and his possessions.

He was still working when he sensed... a new presence. The Count glanced around, noting the unchanging rhythm of the hunters. Eventually, he looked to Auteme, following her gaze to...

Perhaps one of the most beautiful sights Alicio had ever seen.

"What is that?" Alicio leaned down towards one of the Gotals who spoke Basic.

"What is what?" The young man didn't seem to register anything had changed, didn't even bother turning his head. Because he could sense that nothing was there.

Except something was there. An enormous quivry, that Alicio could swear he tasted in the Force itself.

- Auteme -

 

[Auteme]

Alicio Organa
​

Auteme, though still unable to pull her gaze from the quivry, managed to find Alicio among the group. She waved around a bit before catching his arm. "You can see it, right? We need to follow it," she whispered, as though speaking too loudly would make it disappear.

Perhaps even that was too loud -- the majestic creature dipped its head slightly, and began to trod off the ridge, away from the crater. Auteme was drawn with it, as though compelled to follow. She walked across the crater and over its edge into the field past it. Not too far away, the massive quivry had stopped, looking down at something in the grass.

 

[Damian du Couteau]

Damian Du Couteau, Senator of Empress Teta
Location: Coruscant, Senate Hall, Office of the Senator Du Couteau
Objective: BYOO (Open)
Outfit

Damian kept his eyes closed even as he heard a knock on his door, probably one of his staffers, and with a quickly croaked word of “Busy.” The knocks stopped and Damian remained unmoved from his position, his head resting on his arms that were laid on his desk. The young Du Couteau heir had enough of the work that collected on his data-slate, the whole lot of it.

The spreadsheets and notices, alerts of new data-sets and the further accumulation of a frightening amount of information only further distressed Damian to no end. It was as if he was a computer centuries past its prime being forced to computate calculations far beyond its capabilities.

Though as sad of the state the young Senator found himself, he managed to break his countenance with a small smile. His lips dared to crack the facade of unending suffering and Damian slowly picked his head up and leaned against his arms on his desk. Eyes remained shut, hoping that the darkness he found himself would swallow up his worries and stresses.

Sadly the void doesn’t accept gifts nor offerings, it will take what and when it wants. Damian breathed slowly, deliberately, and with each breath he straightened himself and after a few moments of calm breathing he opened his eyes. Tired he may look, the darkening circles beneath his eyes, Damian lowered his head and continued his work on his data-slate. Obligations demanded it to be done, be it through tears and gnashing of the teeth, as long it was completed.
​