Let's Talk [Elpsis]

[Nima Tann]

"I am sure you are excited. But don't wander too far, okay? And if you see anyone, definitely don't jump on them."

Ice whined grumpily as the two continued walking along the path in a nearby forest, breathing the fresh air by each step and feeling the breeze touching their skin, which was a nice change of scenery after all the recent events. The most important part of them all, it was quiet. Quiet, and peaceful. Nima was here today to meditate and clear her mind, something that she didn't get the chance to do for a while, and Ice just tagged along because he complained he didn't get any screen time. Also he liked to run around and get Nima into all sorts of trouble. Being a wolf this size, it wasn't that difficult to do.

After a few minutes, they arrived to a clearing. She could hear the voice of the river nearby. Taking a deep breath, the tranquility brought a slight smile to her face, and she decided that it would be the place for her to meditate.

"Alright, you can play now! Don't forget, no running too far away, no jumping on people." With that, Ice immediately started running around like crazily, creating a game for himself in which the trees were the enemies. Poor trees.

Meanwhile, Nima sat in the middle, taking a comfortable position. Making sure that Ice was still around one more time, she closed her eyes. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Soon, her mind was closed to the outside as well.

And she realised how much she missed feeling like this.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


(Un)fortunately Nima and Ice would not remain alone for long in the forest. After all, otherwise this would be a solo thread and that would be boring! Collaborative writing and all that.


Anyhow, everyone's favourite neopagan, moderately hippie empath was in the forest as well. It was the perfect place to clear your mind, meditate and take a step back from whichever conflict you ended up in. You could walk for miles without running into another soul. It helped that the air was clean and free from pollution. Or traffic noise.


However, Elpsis was not alone. Her faithful feline Leo, a Cylix, trotted along with her. Presently, he was carrying an animal that looked like a deer. Having hunted and rightfully claimed it, he intended to fill his stomach with it. Elpsis was just looking for a good spot to sit down, when she happened on the same clearing Nima was meditating in.


"Nima," she mumbled, sensing the older woman's presence. "Leo, down," she spoke to the Cylix. Just in case he did something rash such as charge in when he noticed the giant wolf. She'd been kinda meaning to talk to the Twi'lek for a while.

 

[Nima Tann]

Even though being a master at meditations, it wasn't the best session of hers.

Memories continued to fly in her mind, Kaeshana, the rebellion in Tygara, the recent expedition to Tash Taral... Repeated and repeated until it started to become uncomfortable for her. Being in similar situations like these, she knew what to do. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the fresh air, then let it all out. Continued until the memories finally calmed down a bit. Deep breathing always helped.

Her slightly unsuccessful attempt of meditating continued for a few minutes until she sensed a familiar presence, getting closer and closer each second. It had the marks of the Light, which was radiating a calm aura around. And it seemed there was another presence as well, following the familiar one.

Nima opened her eyes once she heard Elpsis's voice, and stood up. Before she could say anything though, Ice already launched himself towards the girl, waiting for attention. He had the perfect technique for getting more every time. "Elpsis." She finally spoke up when she finished watching the two with a big smile. "It has been a long time."

It has been a long time indeed. She looked well, which made Nima happy.

It seemed Leo also joined Elpsis for her journey today, and he was carrying a dead deer with him. Which was concerning, considering Ice would want a piece as well and that could lead up to catastrophe. At some point, Ice noticed the deer and slowly went towards it, wagging his tail and thinking of it as a game. "Ice, be a good boy and let him have the deer." She said to prevent the Pet Wars 3, which, surprisingly worked somewhat. Then she turned back to the girl.

"The weather is quite nice today. Were you here to meditate as well?"

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]

Pet Wars!

Upon seeing the white wolf - not the one his mistress prayed to a lot, the other one - Leo puffed himself up and assumed a combative stance, ready to defend the prey he had rightfully slain and was intending to devour. "Down boy," Elpsis grunted. Anyhow, it seemed that Nima already compelled Ice to back away. She patted Leo on the head as the Cylix settled down and began to focus on the deer's beautiful meat.


"Kinda yeah," she responded to the Twi'lek. "And Leo gets moody if he doesn't get to hunt in a while. Born and raised in the savannah and all that. It's good to see you. We haven't really gotten the chance to talk...since Kaeshana." A bunch of stuff had happened since then. A good deal of it had been unpleasant.


"I've been away for a while. Needed some time off." She also doubted that she would be staying on Tygara that long. Sooner or later, she would hear the call of the Force and the White Wolf and take off into the stars. It helped that she was fairly distant to most of Firemane these days. "How are ya doing?"

 

[Nima Tann]

Nima didn't interact with Leo that much, but she knew that he wasn't like Ice. Ice didn't have the need to hunt, thus didn't understand that how protective Leo would get over his prey. Luckily, they avoided the Pet Wars. She stopped watching him as he started devouring the deer, as it grossed her out a bit. When Elpsis mentioned Kaeshana, Nima sighed, knowing that there were still reports coming from there, and of course, they weren't good news. She didn't comment on the subject more, as both of them were there and knew what exactly happened already.

"I was wondering why I didn't see you around, but I understand. I have been feeling the same way for some time." She said, then continued. "Don't get me wrong, I love helping people and it isn't what's exhausting. But I feel like whatever we do these days gets someone else hurt." The last sentence was almost like a whisper, it sounded like she was talking to herself. The feeling of powerlessness was quite self-harming. If Elpsis knew about the event before Kaeshana was hit by a meteor, or the recent events in Tygara, she would probably understand where this was coming from. In both situations Nima tried to solve them in a more peaceful way, but they ended up with more bloodshed instead. It didn't mean Nima was imagining a world where everyone lived happily ever after with no consequences, it would only happen in fairytales, but inflicting fear upon an already upset crowd wasn't a good solution as well.

Anyway, she was being selfish by suddenly bringing down the mood.

"Uhm... I'm sorry." She said, forcing a smile. "You don't need to hear me rambling. So how have you been?"

Wanna sit down? I've brought some food."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


Elpsis nodded understandingly. "S'ok. I heard things got...hairy on Tygara. Sorry for not being there. Got the cliff notes from some Firemane people. Auntie Sio was super pissed." That was a considerable understatement. "Not that I talk to her much these days," there was a trace of unhappiness in her tone.


"We fight against evil. It always come back. We end up with a lot of dead bodies. I guess that can make anyone wonder whether it's worth it. Whenever I feel doubt or despair at how bleak things are, I turn to Her. It's no magic wand, but She always makes me feel better. Makes me realise there's still good things in the galaxy. Things worth fighting for," she coloured slightly.


While Elpsis was not shy about her faith, it was not something she often discussed. For one, she did not want to come across as trying to press it on others. She settled down close to Nima. "I've been ok. Travelled a bunch. Cleared my head a bit."

 

[Nima Tann]

"It was a bloodbath, I am glad you weren't there. I'm not an empath and even I got disturbed by the thoughts running in their minds. It's a shame I couldn't save more of them. It wasn't their fault, they were just... scared and confused. The combination of the two can be an open door to manipulation for those not trained to fight it." She said with a sigh. She did many stupid things before because of her sudden emotion swings, she would know. "As for Sio, I haven't talked to her after Kaeshana that much either. She has been too busy, even more now that I heard Tegs retired from being the CEO. Hopefully she's alright with all the new responsibilities she has to endure. "

She listened to Elpsis as she talked about a her. At first she thought she was talking about a person, considering the sudden color change and all. "Well, Taryc is a great person. I'm happy that she's making you feel like that." But then sudden realization hit her that she might not be talking about Taryc, but a completely different entity that she also referred as "Her". The Great White Wolf from her religion, of course.

Awkwardness ensues.

"You weren't.... talking about her at all, were you?" She said awkwardly. "Uhmmm... I mean, I..." She laughed afterwards. "Sorry!"

A thousand facepalms awaited the poor Twi'lek.

"Yeah, food!" She said as she reached to her backpack and took out the container she put the food in. It contained salad. Yup.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


"Uh, yeah, Taryc's great and real hot...oh, wait you mean...no I wasn't talking about her," Elpsis burst out into laughter. She only managed to control herself when she saw how embarrassed the older woman was.


"Yes, Auntie. The Great White Wolf. That's her. She's real great, too. She's my guiding light. My candle in the dark." Ice whimpered slightly, when he realised she didn't mean him either. "Yes, you're a sweetheart as well, big guy," Elpsis added, sounding a bit amused.


Food! That sounded great. Even though it was just salad. Elpsis was not the healthiest eater by far. Regardless, she joined Nima. "Sorry for leaving you guys during all that crap on Tygara. I don't think Auntie Sio likes me," she suddenly said, sounding more than a little upset.

 

[Nima Tann]

It helped that the situation didn't escalate so Nima didn't need to turn into a tomato. She listened to her as Elpsis talked about the Great White Wolf, the Goddess in her religion she assumed, considering how highly she spoke about her and told that she was her guiding light. Ice whined a bit once he realised she wasn't talking about him, being a great white wolf as well, but then his goofy face returned once he got praised by the girl.

"I once believed the Force was my guiding light, and everything happened for a reason. Though, the things I have seen shook that belief quite a lot. Now, I just... you know, Force is a big part of me, I can only walk because of it, but that light has vanished. It's good to see some of us still believes in something. Refreshing."

Nima realised how much Elpsis matured since she met her. She wouldn't believe if someone told her they would be sitting around talking about religion some day. But then the subject changed, and turned back to Kaeshana. And then Sio. She sensed a bit anger in her voice when Elpsis talked about her. Was there a problem between the two?

"Why do you think that she doesn't like you? Did something happen?" She asked, concern could be read from her voice.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


"Even if you don't believe in her, she's cares about you," Elpsis said with an earnest look on her face. It was certainly a truth to her. "I've prayed for you." It seemed the young empath prayed on the behalf of quite a few people.


She looked unhappy at the mention of Siobhan. "Auntie doesn't like me because I'm not as tough as she is. She thinks I'm weak, naive and ungrateful. Yeah, I'm not as strong as she is, but who is that? When I take a life, I feel it. I got no problem giving bad guys what they deserve, but I don't want to be the kind of person who mows down hordes without a second thought. Maybe it's childish to think there's a compassionate goddess out there who cares about little old me, but it's better than drowning in cynicism and resentment. I know I'm not a great master...I'm just me," she sighed slightly. "I guess I'm being unfair. She's got a lot on her mind."

 

[Nima Tann]

She listened to her with full attention, examining her expression and body language very carefully. It seemed the girl was trying her best to prove herself, but had a bit self confidence issues so she blamed herself for it. It wasn't healthy, Nima knew the feeling very well, been there done that. So, thinking of what to say for a second, she prepared herself to play the therapist. It was either going to be a disaster since her social skills, or she would manage to clear some things. Either way, she wasn't just going to stay there. Auntie Nima to the rescue!

"Sio... she has lived a lot. She has a great power, that's true, but also it brings the burden with it. No matter how strong you are, it must be difficult to try to handle it alone, it changes you. But one thing that I can say for certain is she doesn't dislike you, Elpsis. If she's being harsh on you, that means she cares, and wants the best for you. We know what happens if she doesn't like someone. She would've hated me if what you said was right." Nima stopped there for a second. "You don't need to think of killing as normal. For some people, it's easier when you just see your enemies as obstacles, but it doesn't change the fact that they have a life just like ours. And taking a life should never be easy. Every life has a value, evil, good, it doesn't matter."

"I've worn many masks in my life. I pretended to be perfect, I pretended to be the Jedi they want me to be, I pretended to act normal when I felt like the most useless person in my wheelchair. It drains you. I was not in a good place when I met Sio, but she made me feel like myself. I stopped pretending, and that was the most freeing feeling of my entire life. You don't need to be a great master, just be you. That's what matters the most."

"And if you ask me, you have grown up a lot since the day I met you. Don't underestimate yourself." She smiled afterwards.

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


Elpsis knitted her brow together. She hadn't considered that. "You think I have? Thanks," her eyes might have lit up...if they had not been milky-white. They were not very expressive since Omega. "I don't wanna sound ungrateful. I mean, I love Auntie. She's done a hell of a lot for me. I just wanna find my own path, instead of just following someone else's. Be myself, y'know," she sighed slightly. Doubts clearly remained. Hers were deeply ingrained.


"Thanks for listening, Auntie. You're a wise woman. I'm glad things improved for you. Maybe I can learn from your example," she paused before she spoke up again. "We still need to have that talk about Kaeshana..." Of course, the plot would interrupt.

 

[Nima Tann]

"You have the power to walk on your own path, Elpsis, you just need to realise that." She nodded with a smile to the girl, who still seemed to have some doubts. "Maybe try talking to Sio some time, since I know me talking about her wouldn't be as helpful as you hearing the words from her. Explain your side of this situation. I know that she will understand you, and maybe clear some things. Well, no matter what, I'm always here to talk, whenever you want." Once again, she nodded. Even if she still had doubts in her mind, if she helped her in some way she would be happy.

However, when the subject changed to her, her face dropped. She understood what she was talking about, the blackouts. For some reason, she just... didn't want to discuss this right now. The usage of mentalism was probably the reason for them, and she was getting old. Mentalism affected the user's mind as much as the victim. Or she kept telling herself that, since she knew she wasn't going to like what she was going to find out. Yet, even if she was uncomfortable, she knew she had to find out about the truth. "Yeah... We should." She said, Elpsis could probably catch the uneasiness radiating.

Fortunately(?), suddenly her comm started beeping. She reached out to her bag, and took it out. "Huh..." She said as she continued reading it. "It says that HQ has detected suspicious activity from one of the abandoned factories nearby our location. Several vehicles sighted around the area in the last couple of minutes. We should check it out."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


"I figure it's...not easy to talk about. But you're my aunt. I care about you, whether you want it or not," Elpsis pushed on, reaching out to take Nima's hand. Alas, then the plot had to intervene. Silly plot. She'd been so close to getting Nima to open up about that episode.


Well, maybe. She'd hoped so at least. Regardless, the comm beeped and Nima checked her mail. Elpsis could no longer do that because she was incapable of reading her mail. This also meant that she could no longer check her Spacebook account. If she had, she would have read lots of speculation about who she was dating at the moment. Some of the proposed ships were rather creepy.


Maybe it was a blessing that she could no longer go online. Anyhow, on with the plot. The empath knitted her brow together, feeling a bit annoyed about their little moment being interrupted. "Do we really have to check it out? I mean, there's...other people who can do that." Yes, Elpsis, but they're not the thread's protagonists.


She sighed slightly. "Well, alright. But once we're done, we're having this talk, Auntie," she insisted. She turned her head slightly to look at Ice and Leo. The latter had devoured a good portion of his meal. "Should we take them with us?" she wondered.

 

[Nima Tann]

Nima sighed, but Elpsis was right. A slight smile formed on her lips, seeing the young seer trying to encourage the Twi'lek. It seemed the roles have reversed. Still, she wished that she had more time. She got her wish with this new mail, but this time there was no running from the truth.

Elpsis might have missed a lot of Spacebook gossip. Also, there were a lot of new HoloNet shenanigans for the viewers' enjoyment. Nima wouldn't know that though, since she only checked her business related e-mails. Anyway, back to the plot.

"Okay, Elpsis, I promise, after this we'll talk about... that. Work always helps me deal with my problems. Besides, every second wasted puts more innocent people in danger." She said, and then slowly stood up, gathering her bag nearby.

When Elpsis asked about their companions tagging along, Nima shook her head. "We might need a stealthy approach, better not." She said, Ice whined since it was his one chance to show his enemy killing skills. He moved towards the Twi'lek and pushed her with a headbutt. Leo continued to sit with no objections. Perhaps Nima was going too easy on this big guy.

"Hey!" She said, smiling. "I promise I'll bring you outside when I'm back." She added, petting his head.

With that, she returned to Elpsis. "Let's go."

A timeskip would occur and our heroes would find themselves in the abandoned factory area mentioned in the mail. It looked quite abandoned, the building looked like it was about to collapse, if you don't count a few big vehicles parked nearby.

"Well, the building alone shouts suspicion."

[member="Elpsis Elaris"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


"You think? It clearly looks like an old rockers' convention," Elpsis quipped. She was not the groupie type, alas. Especiallly not for sweaty, old malelings who kept yammering about how macho they were. Surreptitiously, she approached the speeders. Bending down, she examined the fuel tank of one of the bikes.


She sniffed, as if she could pick up something by smell alone. "The petrol's fresh," she informed her companion. Closing the tank she turned her gaze towards the ground. Her hand reached down to touch the soil. "But these footprints aren't. This place has been used 'off-the-books' for a while."


"I take it we didn't get a map that conveniently has all important spots marked? Not that I could read it anyway," she said sardonically as she approached the old, decrepit factory, which looked like it was in serious need of renovation. Reaching into her pocket, she picked out a lockpick.


Growing up on the streets of the Coruscant underworld had taught her some useful skills. Such as breaking and entering. It took a moment, but she put her toy to good use and opened the lock. Noise could be heard coming from inside the facility.

 

[Nima Tann]

She smiled at her quip and shook her head. “I’d prefer a cult.” She said jokingly. Be careful what you wish for, Nima... Anyway, Elpsis went for one of the speeders and started investigating the area. Fresh petrol, non-recent footprints. “Huh, either our culprits are too brave, or they don’t know how to cover their tracks.” She commented as Elpsis went on to pick the locks of the factory. “I’d say the latter is more likely. Most criminals don’t do these rookie mistakes. And they don’t select buildings like this.” Nothing brought more attention than an old factory building about to collapse. Giving a pause, she looked at the speeders. “Nonetheless, let’s be careful. There are 6 speeders here, so we are dealing with 6 to 12 people.” Not too long after, Elpsis was done and the doors creaked open.

“Shall we?” Nima said, and started moving towards the entrance. There was noise echoing down the empty, big corridor. She heard... laughing? Her mind was probably playing some tricks. “Keep your lightsaber ready.” She said in a low tone as the two continued approaching the source of this noise. As they got closer, the echoes became more and more clear. And there was a foul scent.

“Look at what I got.” The voice belonged to a young girl, probably in her teens.

“Duude that book is so cool. Where did you find it?” This one was male. A teen as well.

“A book?” Nima whispered to Elpsis. “What is this?”

“I stole it from dad. He collects these weird stuff.” There was a pause. “Here, see.”

“Holy chit. That’s so... lit, dude. What can it do?” Another voice shouted. This one was a girl as well and sounded so out of it. Then, 5 different voices started chanting. There was also clapping. “Read it. Read it. Read it.”

“Are they... medicated?” Nima asked, confused. Then a sigh followed. “Here I thought it was going to be an easy job.”

“Okay okay wait.” The girl finally responded, which caused the others to stop. “Man, what a weird language. Okay. How about... This. Daelabbi aem ya aeyabbi laenhg, qunr zes mniath iaiae xhua!”

“What the feth, guys look at Kara.” A laugh erupted. “What the kark. Why am I blue? Am I imagining things?” Kara responded, confused if she was really blue or she was high enough to believe she was blue.

“Guys. Guys. This book actually fething works.” Another girl exclaimed, giggling.

“Did she just say she turned blue?” Well, there was no need for stealth at this point. The situation was clear. “Elpsis, let’s get that book before they hurt themselves.”

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]


"Can we take their blow, Auntie?" Elpsis whispered, keeping her voice low. Apparently the youngsters were sort of stoned. Elpsis did roll a joint sometimes, but not when on duty. Or in the proximity of dangerous books.


Apparently one of the girls had turned blue. Or claimed to have done so at any rate. "Uh, yeah. Has she turned blue?" Elpsis wondered. She obviously could not tell. "Uh, ok." Regardless, it was time to focus and get the book. What were the odds it could be serious?"

"Oi, we got guests!" one of them called out. "

"Frak, it's the cops."

"Dude, it's two hot chicks. I told ya this book works."

"Guys, just hand over the book and we'll forget about the trespassing and the blow. By the way, where did you get it?" Elpsis had her lightsabre in hand. But she obviously did not engage. "Never mind, gimme the book before you hurt yourself."

“What? This here?" Kara pointed at the book, giggling. "Look, I can see rainbows." Then there was a great disturbance in the Force...

 

[Nima Tann]

“Absolutely not. It’s bad for your health.” She said disapprovingly as a response to her suggestion. She knew Elpsis was a free spirit, but she also had her duties as an aunt, a strict one especially about health issues. Anyway, the two approached the teenagers and were finally spotted by one of them after they were close enough. If they were actual criminals, they’d be in serious trouble. She didn’t understand why they’d use such substances that’d put their lives at risk. Today’s youth, she sighed and shook her head. Nima, stop acting like a grandma. Elpsis was doing the talking meanwhile Nima was examining the group, seeing if everything was okay. One of them was not. In fact, she looked and talked like she was in a trance. The one who said she was turning blue.

No, it wasn’t a simple color change. She was turning pale, her eyes were as cloudy as it got. She didn’t think it was because of the drugs. “Elpsis. The girl. There’s something wrong.” She said as she approached the girl as the chatter in the background intensified. “Dude, what’s going on? I’m scared.”, “I think we are tripping.”, “I feel cold all of a sudden.”, “Damn, the purple one is fine.”, “Is there something wrong with Kara?”

“Hush.” Nima looked at them a bit annoyed, and then turned back to the girl, and said with a caring tone. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Yes. I’m fine. I’m reaching the rainbows... Can’t you see them?” The girl responded in a very robotic tone and not so long after she started shaking like she was having a seizure. Things started happening very fast afterwards. A dark aura appeared suddenly, taking the shape of a wraith. Then, with a bone-chilling voice, it spoke in a completely foreign language.

“I oz haeng Enhna. S'ae gona qae laeta za ud mnaez zes gnaoz!” With each word, it felt like her life was being siphoned from her body. Not a friendly ghost at all, especially after it attacked the group with its giant shadowy claws. Nima immediately created a Force bubble around them and took a defensive position. There was a general aura of panic around the teenagers, who had no idea what was happening or if it was real at all. “One of us needs to bring them to safety if we want to fight that thing.” Nima said, trying to keep the Force bubble intact while it was getting hammered by the wraith. That meant one of them had to stay behind to keep it busy. It looked strong, but she knew both could keep it at bay until the other joined.

[member="Elpsis Kerrigan-Alcori"]

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

[member="Nima Tann"]

Well, frak.


A cold chill ran down Elpsis' spine. It was chilling to the bone. Goosebumps formed on her skin. A dark shadow filled the hall. It loomed large above them and seemed to fill the area, engulfing it with an aura of dread and despair.


It was a tear in the fabric of reality, a gateway to the Nether. Elpsis' ethereal eyes perceived the incorporeal shape of the wraith. It spoke in its vile, alien tongue and slashed at the group with its huge shadowy talons.


Luckily, Nima drew upon the Force to encase them in a bubble. The barrier of the Force shimmered, being hammered by the power of the wraith. Elpsis called upon her own gifts to strengthen it. She winced when she felt the wraith test her defences, seeking to drive something akin to needles into her mind.


"Get them out. I got this," she urged her Twi'lek auntie, trying to sound more confident than she actually was. She held her lightsabre in a one-handed grip. The weapon glowed with a fierce orange light. The hilt the sabre was made of Madog steel. It was designed to enable her to channel the Force. It was supposed to be able to hurt spectres that way. It seemed it was time to put this to the test.