Meet the Warden {Engima}

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Royal Guards Barracks: 0500
[member="Enigma"]

Circe Savan had not seen her adopted daughter in nearly five years. That was about to change. For the Prodigal Daughter was now awaiting her 'mother'. She sat quietly, so very still, the only one awake in the whole complex. A blaster rifle was held in her hands, pointed carelessly at her foot. Startling the lass was nearly impossible. There was no reason for her to worry. Anyone else in the area... they should be wary. To interrupt a meeting such as the one about to take place was akin to insulting a Mandalorian's honor. Simply put, it is something one should not do if they wished to live. Ire'Rain Sekairo waited for her aunt's former lover. She had not seen the woman in nearly five years. Things would change soon, she told herself, the gears would once more be set in motion. But they already were in motion, of course. Just like old times, a letter had been sent. It was signed by Private Solveig Laska. At first it would seem like the writer had sent it to the wrong address. Closer inspection would likely bring a smile to the Sith Lord's face. For it was arranged just like Ire's old messages had been. Minimal hacking was required to get her real message to show. Five years were coming to a close. Tides were turning.

They were back to the start.

-----
Dear Circe Savan,
I request your presence on Panatha, immediately. There are matters of the upmost importance we must discuss. Come to the Royal Guards Barracks at 0500. Wear a disguise. If anyone asks, tell them your name is Tyra Laska, and that you are here to visit your niece, Solveig. Should they question it, stall them for as long as possible. I will be watching for your arrival. Eventually I will come and intervene. Trust me.

Come alone.
Sincerely,
Ire'Rain Sekairo,
The Prodigal Daughter

 

[Onrai]

And lo and behold, CIrce did so. She was not Force-Sensitive when she came in, nor did she have trouble talking with the guards. She merely was here, and ready to talk with Ire. "So... I received your message. Good to finally hear from you after so long - if I may inquire, what came up to cause the sudden change in response time?"

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Royal Guards Barracks: 0510
[member="Enigma"]

Shadows swirled out of the alleys, rushing forward, spinning around the Sith Lady. Faces appeared in each one, twisted up in devious grins. Meanwhile Ire sat still as ever. It was a minute before she spoke. As she did, only her pale lips moved. "It's good to see you again." A sharp intake of breath caused her body to jolt upright. With a blink she put her rifle away, then resumed her previous position. "I wish to train under you. Officially this time. There are those who wish to use my powers. People I do not wish to let down." The One Sith. More specifically, the Zambranos. Power was something they required of their subjects. So that was what the insane impostor desired. As much as she could claim for herself. "That and I... do believe it is best to spend at least... some time with family. In addition you owe me an update on all things Savan, Sekairo, and friends." Once more she paused, finally letting a thin smile grace her lips. All the apparitions around the duo disappeared as she stood. One hand reached out to gently touch Circe's cheek. Scars littered both it and the attached limb. Yet Ire still managed to hold a certain kind of rough beauty. She was young, but she was worn. A sign of the hardships she had endured.

"All of it. Even what may not seem important. We have much to catch up on. Now... let us leave this hovel. There's an abandoned village about a mile out. I... consider it my true home. No one will bother us there." With that the lass turned to leave. After a few moments she looked back to make sure she was being followed. Circe would need to stay close behind if she didn't want to get lost.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

"So, you want to become a student under the ways of miss Circe Savan - Darth Pandeima, the enigmatic one?" She paused, thinking for a moment as to how the woman's mental state had deteriorated previously. "I'm not sure if you're solidly up to it." She followed behind the Sekairo woman. "Anyways, with the update, where exactly do you want me to start?"

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Royal Guards Barracks: 0510
[member="Enigma"]

She frowned. What did Circe mean by that? There was no reason to believe Ire was incapable of being taught. Right? This concerned the woman, making her pause mid-stride. Once again her demonic visions rushed out. With growls and snarls they spun around Circe, their see-through jaws attempting to bite her. It took all the concentration she could muster... but Ire slowly managed to get them to retreat. Previously she had been unable to control the illusions. Now, even in her state of madness, it was possible. "I've made much progress. Even without you. But my training will never be complete without assistance. If there is a reason for you to deny me what I require... then tell me so now. If you have nothing to offer me, than I fear your visit here will be short. We'll still catch up. That would be it though, unless you, my near-mother, wish to assist me in such an important endeavor." She scowled as she turned back around. Every step she took forced her hips into a swaying motion. Ire'Rain was indeed an adult now. That was more evident now than ever before. "As for telling me about the family... Start with Aunt."

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

"I merely am not entirely sure you'll be able to control the monstrous illusions... but I suppose you being kin gives me a right to try you, one way or another." She smiled. "Last I heard, Aunt was doing well. How about yourself? You likely have enough tales in those five years you've spent here to write a book. Or several."

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:

Royal Guards Barracks: 0525
[member="Enigma"]

Last she heard?... Once more Ire became heavily concerned. But this time she hid it behind an emotionless mask. Now was not the time to ask what had become of their relationship. To many civilians outside already. They still had a fair bit to go before they'd reach the fields. If anyone overheard them, and discovered that they were not who they said they were... either the intruder would end up dead, or they would. Zambranos typically did not enjoy impostors. Or pretenders. Even if she were to reveal her allegiance to them, and her past dedication to Elani, she was likely to end up with her head detached from her neck. Should she be lucky, that is. "That is one of the things I require your help on. Control. I am already capable of conjuring up a few fear-based visions. The issue is getting them to do what I want. More importantly... I wish to know how you hide yourself in the force. Perhaps I am not yet strong enough to do so... but it's never to early to start trying." Spoken like a true Sekairo. Madness in her tone, mischief in her eyes, and a pep in her step. It was a calculated insanity. The kind many of her family seemed to have. They were masters at being crazy... More importantly, they were masters at using that fact to their advantage.

"I joined the Panathan Guards after my... love passed away. Now others get to call me Private Solveig Laska. It's a nice title, I guess. Not much has happened in these five years. Just a lot of training." What sort of training, you might ask? Ire had been working on 'absorbing' the fear of those around her, fueling her madness, her powers, and her normal existence. She had developed a minor reliance on it. Trying to function without it... caused 'issues'. To put it lightly. There were also a good amount of upsides to the whole thing. Recently, as shown, she was able to control some of her demons. In addition she had learned basic pyrokinesis, something the fear of others helped drive. All in all... she was doing a lot better than she had been last time she talked to Circe.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

"Control of fear entities is not an easy task, to say the least." Circe smiled, thinking of the times she had actively attempted to control others. "I personally prefer controlling people, as it's far more challenging." She thought for a moment on how to best explain it. "These fear entities find themselves attracted to you because your deep mind represents an emotion or facet of the psyche that they reflect . They go into your dreams and see fear, and they themselves reflect it. You must replace fear with terror. Force them to cower at your whim, so that you are the master and they are the dogs."

She then thought for a moment. "Hiding oneself in the Force is not an easy task. To do it, you will need to completely immerse yourself in the Force. Drown yourself in its essence."

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Royal Guards Barracks: 0540
[member="Enigma"]

"Controlling others does seem far more difficult than controlling beasts of the mind... though with the right amount of well-placed fear, one can achieve similar results. There are so many ways to get the things one wants..." A devilish smirk graced the madwoman's features. This too did not last long, but it stayed enough for Circe to catch a glimpse. But then, once more, Ire turned away and kept walking. They were nearly there. Just another ten minutes or so. Panathan terrain wasn't always the smoothest. Luckily it was downhill from there on. "For so long I let them control me. The visions, of course. Years passed by... It wasn't until your assistance that I was even able to push them away. A few years after that I managed to be able to pick when they appeared and when they hid- for the most part. Alas, I am still working on who they affect. They're so much like real people, you know... I swear some of them are my friends sometimes..." Ire paused, fearing how... insane she sounded. Quietly she quickened her pace. How others viewed her was something she always took into account. To be considered crazy was something she wished to avoid, even though she knew she was.

"Forgive me, Savan. I am not used to opening myself up. Not since Elani met her second, this time true, demise... It is with a deep breath and heavy heart that I speak. Tell me, Savan, of your relationship status. Of Aunt. Of my cousin, Renn. How does my family truly fare? What of War? Sekairos were not meant to be this distant from each other. And if you, like myself, have lost your love... then I wish to know." 'Twas her way of changing the subject, in a way. Madness was in her mind, it was in her heart, in her soul. Yet it was not something she spoke much of. Society was a cruel mistress, one who could turn her back on you in an instant. Such a thing was not one the woman could take. Not lightly. Though if she heard that her Aunt was no longer with the Sith before her... the pain might even be worse. Momentarily she contemplated the reason for that. Only a few seconds passed before she understood.

It was her connection to Ven that had brought her safety with Circe.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

"I prefer schmoozing. It's much more delicate than intimidation. Fear has this nasty side effect of producing rebellion that grows and grows until it consumes the fearscaper." Hence the reason why Circe focused more with desire than with fear. Both were equally powerful, but manipulation of desire oft held better results than the other more sinister compatriot.

"The essences of fear merely exist as minds of their own. To befriend them is not something unheard of." She smirked, thinking about how best to work alongside the beings with Ire. "But such must be dealt. Or must be forced."

Then came the news. "Ven and I are still close, but not in the romantic way. Installing her spirit in a new body rather dampened her affection for me. Darren is doing excellent - truly enjoyable to say the least. And haven't heard anything from War. Not recently." She thought for a moment more.

"I have missed you, Irene."

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Royal Guards Barracks: 0545
[member="Enigma"]

Schmoozing?... Such a strange term, Ire thought, one not commonly used. But it seemed like a decent one to her. "I... guess you are correct in that. Though if one is strong enough, and intimidating enough, they can sometimes squash a rebellion before it begins. A subtle mixture of both would be the best option. Of course, one would need to remain strong in as many ways as they could, just in case." With that, they arrived. Gargantuan trees were lined all around the large clearing, protecting it from all sorts of nature-related dangers. Once upon a time this had been a prosperous village... Kaine Zambrano had changed that when he reclaimed the throne. Many places had been torn apart. This little town had fallen victim to a grand siege. Of sorts. "Many of my demons seem to enjoy this place. It holds such beauty- yet much destruction took place here. Inside the ruined walls lie a thousand moments of peace, of comfort, and a thousand of horror, of death. Oddly... lovely, in a way." The way the woman said what she did was strange. One might imagine a sort of awed, whispy tone to her voice. Instead it held so little emotion. Despite all she still had inside of her... these days it seemed only her illusions could speak with the vigor that she once did.

"Aunt has... left you?... I am saddened by this. Greatly. Part of me wishes to offer my comfort... but I am still young, even though I no longer feel it. You are far more experienced than I. So I will simply tell you that things will be alright, and that you will always be a Sekairo. Always." Gently she placed a hand on Circe's shoulder. Considering their height difference... the intended effect was practically ruined. Noting this, Ire quickly tried to think of what else she could do. An answer found her within moments. "Follow me!" She exclaimed with a trace of excitement. So she could display emotions after all... Grinning she dashed off, heading towards the center of the destroyed town. After a minute of fast-paced running, jumping over discarded crates (along with the remains of vehicles and droids alike), and dashing through narrow alleys, they reached their true destination: A fountain. "Look at it! This entire city was torn apart- except for this one spot! No one was left to maintain the piping... but I was able to fix it up. Isn't it great? The statues in the middle remind me of when we first met. I just- I just love coming here." In the center of the structure were two figures. One seemed young, a girl with mid-length hair, her arm outstretched. The other was older, taller, and had her hand clasped over the child's. Smiles were forever etched into their faces.

Though everything around them had crumbled, they had survived.
Kind of like Circe.
And kind of like Ire.

 

[Onrai]

Circe thought further for a moment on Ire's words. "Palpatine thought that. Then he and his Empire crumbled thanks to a certain Luke Skywalker. Must unfortunate, but that was the reward reaped by his fearmongering. You must be very, very careful with how you use the fear. I would hate to see you end up having the same thing occur."

She paused, thinking also over the rationale for why Ire's demons would enjoy the ruins. "Likely they're feeding on the emotional imprint of what was once there. Places that experience drastic events such as this leave behind emotional imprints on the landscape. Otherwise, they just sense something that you don't."

Then came the Ven talk. "We're close - but we no longer feth each other senseless. I blame the body she was out into - which disappoints me. I'm sorry... I should've accepted her proposal." It was a solid fact, but she frowned and moved ever closer to her ersatz daughter. "It's a regret of mine."

"I do like these statues. They look familiar."

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Royal Guards Barracks: 0555
[member="Enigma"]

Frowning slightly, Ire turned to look at her companion. "Palp karked up. Repeatedly. He made mistakes, held everyone in his iron grip, and then gave his strongest ally to much power- and to many reasons to hate him. I have no plans as grand as his. For now I am content in being a pawn. So I doubt I'll ever end up in the same situation as he. Do now worry, Circe, do not worry." Her expression softened a fair bit as she spoke. Then her pale features curled up in a crude smile. One that would make weaker hearts bend, make them flutter with fear. Perhaps she didn't notice the way it could make others feel. Or maybe that was exactly why she smiled like that. The world may never know. "They like chaos. Destruction, darkness. All sorts of vile things. But they have a fondness for beauty as well. Just not the conventional type of beauty. They would have loved the old Ven, when she was completely bonkers... Heh... Would've been real fun. 'Coulda had a 'lil sinister tea party with all our karked up friends..." It was an amusing thought, and she couldn't help but find herself laughing so hard she nearly fell over. Apparently she had two modes: No emotions, or ALL THE EMOTIONS. Interesting. Sometimes personality oddities come along with being insane, of course.

"Whew... Ahem, sorry about that. Now, moving on... I must disagree with you there. Marrying Ven wouldn't have changed a thing. She still would have died, still would have been brought back, and still would have gone where the Horde told her to. There's nothing you could have done differently- nothing that wouldn't change who you are. Sometimes... sometimes you lose, even when you don't make any mistakes. It's not called failure. It's called life. Now come here and give your crazy not-daughter a hug, you damn psycho," Ire said with another chuckle. Then, with only a little warning, she leaped at her not-mother. Should be successful, the two would tumble to the ground in a (literally) breathtaking hug.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

Circe responded chiefly to Ire's second utterance: "And if I might inquire, how did they respond back when you and Elani were..." She chose to stop, trying to artifice a word that would properly describe such. "feeding one another's passion?"

"I have doubts that Ven would've fallen in love with Ventasia had I married her and kept her with me. I held a position of leadership in the Horde, and I would have decided where she would go." She frowned. "It would've been better for all of us, especially Darren."

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Ruined City Fountains: 0600
[member="Enigma"]

"Ya know, when someone hugs you, the polite thing is usually to hug them back." With a raised eyebrow she gently pushed herself up into a sitting position. Then she oh-so-casually leaned back onto the fountain. "Ven loved Tasia for a long time. Even before she died. You know that, Circe. They would have met again eventually. You wouldn't have been able to keep her tied down forever. Aunt wasn't- and isn't- the type to let someone control every aspect of her life. Trying to keep her away from her old friends would have just driven a wedge between the two of you. This was bound to happen eventually. Somethings just happen. No matter how hard you try, what you say, or what you do... they just... happen. We always blame ourselves. You know? 'If I had just done this instead' or 'If I hadn't said this or done that'... but that's not true. Fate is a fickle thing, Circe. No matter what we do it has a hand in everything. Certain things are meant to be. Try as we may, try as we might, only some things are worth a fight. There is nothing you could have done to keep Aunt by your side. At most you could have kept her for a month or two longer. She still would have faded from the biggest parts of your life. Don't let the ghosts of her get to you. They may... seem like 'peckers drilling into your soul... but they aren't. They're just bastards making you long for time with her again, instead of loving all the time you did get with her. And... trust me here. Darren has all the family he could ever need. He'll do great."

Once again she paused. A deep breath left her lips and she closed her eyes. It was a few moments before she spoke again. This time she said everything quietly, barely above a whisper, with as little emotion as she had used in the start. "Elani was their favorite person in the world. God, she could be so cruel. They loved it. Fed off of it. Every second with her was a second they didn't try to destroy me. When we... you know... they got even happier. I got happier. It... it was great. Makes me wish I hadn't taken so much of it for granted. There was so much we had going for us. But I... I never really bothered to take notice until it was to late. Never got to tell her that I really did love her. More than anything... I should really shut up though. Just got past thinking about her. I'm a soldier now. 'Got bigger things to worry about. All Hail Emperor Kaine and all that... You know how it goes." Light purple orbs were uncovered again, and a sad laugh left her. "All Hail Emperor Kaine Zambrano!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Then she chuckled. Loudly. A flock of avian creatures were disturbed by both sounds, flying off into the distance. Several minutes passed before the pale-haired girl quieted down enough for Circe to respond. But the Sith might choose not to. Why?...

Her daughter was crying.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

"It's hard to remember... I have an apprentice I use for snuggling more often than not. She has cute eyes and desires to snuggle beyond belief." She leaned back, thinking more about how Ophelia was her cuddle buddy. "I suppose you're right about Ven. Too bad I never got to know Ventasia better, though..." She frowned, thinking more for a moment.

"I understand regarding these fear creatures... but could I perhaps make a suggestion?" She thought for a moment. "What's to stop you from doing to Elani what I did to Ven?"

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Ruined City Fountains: 0605
[member="Enigma"]

Such a suggestion felt... insulting. Somehow. Had she wanted to bring Elani back, she would have spoken to Circe far sooner. And to take back what death was given felt wrong. To say the least. "No. I... That would be wrong. We- we were great, yeah, but look at what's happened! First she goes into hiding, just, vanishes. She comes back, we meet up, she dies. Kaine the almighty freak brings her back. We meet up again. And then she- she just... she's gone. Again. It's obvious it wasn't meant to be. I am meant to live a different life. No matter how much that saddens me. The dead deserve to stay dead." Sorrow lingered in her heart as her arms slowly went to pull her cloak away. Underneath it was simple durasteel armor. Marks from blasters and slugthrowers alike were scattered across the metal. Ire ran her finger across the various dents with a deep sigh. Then she quietly rubbed her tears away. "It's simply not something I wish to have done. Ever."

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

"I understand." Circe brought a finger up to Ire's eye, wiping away the tears accumulating there. "I suppose I wouldn't want you to experience what happened to me, would I? Your lover going off and finding someone new to call her own." She sighed, thinking about her past time with Ven. "You're lucky. You're crazy enough to not get caught up in all this."

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

PANATHA:
Ruined City Fountains: 0610
[member="Enigma"]

"Lucky?... Honey, ain't no Sekairo ever been lucky. We get shot at, we get stabbed, betrayed, and blown up on a daily basis. Every last one of us. It's amazing we've survived this long... There really isn't to much luck in insanity. Only sharp edge on it is the imagination that comes with. But I guess that's what's helped me live this long. Now c'mon, it's getting cold out here. I have a little hideout not far from here. Just around that corner," Ire said, pointing to the North. Then she awkwardly pushed herself up with a little huff. There was only so many emotions she could show in one day. Besides hatred, that is. Eske (her favorite demon) swooped around them as they started towards Ire's 'home'. A look of sadness was on his face, mirroring what his mistress felt on the inside. Soon he flew ahead and disappeared into an alleyway. It was just past there that a small house stood. Compared to the places around it, the damn thing was pretty nice looking. Besides for all the chipped paint. "I've... had some time to fix the place up. Nothing to great until you get into the bunker downstairs. There's heating and some food there." She was right. The first three rooms were torn to shreds. Various bloodstains were on the walls, and what appeared to be an Akk Dog skeleton lay pitifully in on of the corners. Eventually they'd go around the structure to the back room. A trapdoor was have-concealed beneath a torn-up carpet. Without a word the woman opened it up and descended into the darkness...

 

[Onrai]

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

Circe smiled, following Ire down into the darkness of her hideout. That there was a bunker located underneath here stood to serve as little or no surprise - Panatha was a warworld, and Kaine would've mandated the construction of bunkers under houses to preserve as many Epicanthix as possible. "This is actually a pretty nice place you have here."