Private Old friends reunited

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas
Objective: Track down the blood-beast
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Blood for blood.

Jenn had long abandoned bounty hunting, choosing the fire of the forge instead: and with the war against the Galactic Aliance kicking off, a vast portion of the Galaxy was now enemy territory to her. Leaving Enclave space to go out adventuring was the least of her wants and needs.

At least, until mad, desperate hope took hold of her heart, and she all but dropped all of her projects, sending apologies to those waiting for her to take care of their beskar'gam. Before anyone could truly come to terms with it all, Jenn had left Mandalorian-controlled space, venturing into dangerous territory to chase a lead - a lead that might just take her to someone she had once thought to be dead. Someone she once hunted as prey. Someone who defeated her and let her live, marking the beginning of an odd, but earnest friendship.

The attacks were sensational enough to be remarked upon by a Mandalorian bounty hunter she kept in touch with, and when he noted the vampiric nature of the quarry so many foolhardy rookies had gone after, she felt her blood run cold. There were more Sangnir (and indeed, vampiric beings!) in the galaxy than the one she had come to regard as a friend, and yet... there was a chance for her to find her again.

Even if it meant leaving for Dromund Kaas. A world she was not welcome in. A world where her presence would bring the attention of beings she would rather keep well out of her life - and within blaster range at worse. Try as she might to remain unseen, keeping an ample cloak over herself to conceal the easily-recognizable allure of beskar covering her form... stealth would only delay detection. That was why she chose speed over cautiousness, and went directly for the greatest prize: the royal estate, closely guarded as it was. If she knew Alina and that noble blood of hers, she would find her in a place of power. All she had to do was move between the shadows, and give any guard placed in an unfortunate spot a quick stun with her blaster.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You know my Master actually hates Mandalorians. More than I actually expected her to."

Alina pushed off a corner, arms crossed over her chest. A faint smile on her face. It was rare for any to sneak their way onto Dromund Kaas now. Alina refused to remain complacent after having lost the world herself during the fall of the Empire. But to see the world fall again, that would be a problem. Especially since she was now in charge. Not that this particular Mandalorian was a threat.

"What brings you to the core of the Holy Worlds, Jenn? Looking for round two?"

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Jenn's hand instinctively reached for the holster at her side, only to find... nothing. There surely was some irony to be found in the idea that she had left her favored tool meant for dispatching Force Users with a Jedi as a token of friendship - and was now facing a Sith she called friend as well. Turning around to face the Sangnir, the battle stance she was in relaxed somewhat, and the tension bled away from her shoulders as well. "And my people hate the Sith to their very core, as do our new adversaries."

Walking on over to Alina, she stopped to drink in the sight of her silently from behind the Y-shaped visor... before bringing a hand over her heart, and extending it towards her. The same gesture of peace she had shown her so long ago. "I think we both know who would win that little contest." Her tone was more playful than anything else - a rarity, to be sure, but the Sith before her was, in spite of her nature... very dear to her indeed. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out with her hand to rest it on her shoulder, as if she was afraid that the Sangnir was nothing more than a cruel illusion. And when she didn't, a chuckle escaped her.

"... I thought you were dead. I - I mourned you, Alina." There was a tenderness to her, her voice barely above a whisper as she spoke so... wearily. "I came here to see it for myself. To see if my friend was still alive."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Very true."

Alina flashed a fanged smile from where she stood. She didn't make a move to come closer, not yet. Death had robbed her of many of her memories. Of her emotions. Friendship, hate, they were still blurred. She'd realized as much now, but piecing together who were actually her friends, who were her real foes, she wasn't sure. And yet, Jenn seemed to fall under the friend category. Her expression softened as she shook her head.

"Oh, Jenn. I did die. My love brought be back, but I most certainly did die."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

That fanged smile... oh, she had missed it. Soon, it was mirrored with one of her own - not that Alina could tell. That realization gave Jenn pause, moving her hand to remove her buy'ce, holding it under her arm and baring her face for the Sangnir to see for the first time. She was her friend, and she deserved to rest her eyes upon a person, rather than a Y-shaped visor.

And there was no hiding the pain from her eyes when she learned of the fate that had befallen the vampiric Sith. The way her brows creased with concern, her lips open as she let out a gasp, lost in the Sangnir's twin pools of crimson. "Never, ever do that to me again." She sounded more pleading than stern.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You needn't worry about that."

Alina smiled, always smiled. It was a force of habit now. Though she did find herself blinking in surprise as Jenn pulled her helmet free. Their first meeting alone had stressed just how important that it was she kept her helmet on. A Mandalorian's pride. Not all, of course, but for Jenn, that had always been something important. "I've no doubt I'll outlive you this time around." It was a tease, if also truth.

Sangnir were virtually immortal, after all.

"But we don't need to linger on my death. I died, it sucked, and I'm back. What about you? What have you been up to?"

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Jenn's touch lingered for a moment longer, resting on the Sangnir's shoulder as she looked into her eyes. In the past, the Mandalorian would have kept her expression hidden behind her helmet, buried her emotions deep in the back of her mind and moved on. But now, she allowed herself to bask in it all: the melancholy, the worry, the immense care she held for her friend. "Please do", came the warrior's voice in response to her friend's words, barely more than a whisper. "For both our sakes."

A smile tugged at her lips, and her fingers slowly slid off the Sith's shoulder as she began to make her own inquiries. Many things had transpired since the two of them had last met one another: a fact made all the more obvious by the Mandalorian's presence in the Force, her nature still unknown to her, but bubbling to the surface nonetheless. "I've... changed. And- you helped me change. You and others, who showed me I can be more than just a copy of those who came before me. I let go of the more archaic ways I used to follow, and I guess I'm... trying to figure things out as I go along." She gave a slow roll of her shoulders at that, a wistful sigh escaping her lips.

"What else... ah, yes. Found out how effective Sith Alchemy can be, first hand." Closing her eyes to concentrate, she took the time needed to shift... and when she next opened her mouth, the rows of sharp teeth were decidedly not human. "Not that I particularly want to go back anymore. I am Ersansyr now. I believe that means Songbird to the Sith. Don't ask me to sing, though, I've got a horrible voice." An amused chuckle escaped her lips, and she pulled on her undersuit a little as it brushed against the gills to the side of her neck.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina's eyes sparked. Almost literally. The flash of Anima in her eyes as she very literally enhanced her vision to watch the subtle transformation. Alchemy. It had been a brand of the Force she was locked off to. But death had broken that lock. And now she could far more freely indulge her curiosities in the arcane. Especially now. Jenn had a connection to the Force. She could smell it now, especially with the change. The scent of blood pumped full of Anima. Was she aware? Alina doubted it. Mandalorians tended to be very.. Standoffish about such things as the Force. "An Ersansyr? Fascinating."

She knew of them. How could she not when her master was the Mother of Monsters?

"How in the world did you get changed? Willingly? Alchemy is a dangerous thing. Especially with someone you don't know. Who knows what they could add. Or take away."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Jenn had always been a perceptive soul, and the shift in Alina's demeanor was not lost on her. Her friend's eyes had always been a source of awe: a testament to her nature, perhaps, a reminder of the hunger that animated her. Inhuman appetites that would see her branded as a monster by most. But she had always been a friend to the Mandalorian, and a friend she remained, no matter how odd it felt to suddenly feel said friend's interest piqued by her new nature. What she had become. And when she was asked how such a transformation had come to her, Jenn gave a long sigh.

"No, not really. Went poking around a Sith's chit when I really shouldn't have. They... weren't home, but that really didn't change much for me - got stuffed by its droids in the vat anyway. Bit of a blur after that. When I started to shift uncontrollably, I went to meet a friend of mine, who was... Mandalorian, once. But, dear to me all the same." All too aware that she was bombarding Alina with information, the Ersansyr found herself amazed by how she could simply... keep on talking without the need to stop for a breather. With her gills cycling air constantly, she could theoretically talk without stop for as long as she pleased. "Anyway. No, I didn't want this, but I've... grown fond of what I am. I wouldn't want to go back for anything in the galaxy."

A long pause followed her words, leaving the Mandalorian to ponder over her own words. "Is it wrong for me to think that?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"To make the circumstances forced on you your own isn't wrong at all. But it doesn't mean the Sith who did this to you should go unpunished." Though there was a very real possibility it was Taeli Raaf 's own who might've been responsible. Her master cared not for Mandalorians, and in a way Alina did not either. Jenn was an exception. The faint glow in Alina's eyes lessened as she blinked away the focused Anima, returned to a kinder smile.

"If they haven't been dealt with, let me know so I might take care of them myself."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Jenn tilted her head to the side, taken aback by Alina's words... and left to ponder on them. "I never... sought to learn who had done this to me. I was-" She stopped and averted her gaze, burning with shame. An awkward silence followed, one in which she found herself suddenly vulnerable: and when she spoke once more, her voice was but a whisper, her words filled with worry and fear. "I was afraid. I still am afraid. I'm no stranger to fighting Sith, you know this, but... my transformation? It reminded me of how outmatched I am when it comes to those - dark lords and other such figures. I've heard the legends. And I don't have the making of those heroes who went and slew those beings. I'm not... strong enough." The Mandalorian had been vulnerable with Alina before, true enough, but never quite this much. And never with her helmet off, revealing just how she avoided the Sangnir's gaze, how crestfallen and terrified she look.

Alina had always been her friend. And, even with her mention of having a Master and all the implications surrounding the Sangnir's return to being a Sith, she refused to turn her back on her. No matter what the Mando'ade would tell her if they learned of this forbidden bond between those who should have been bitter enemies, or even what her new Jedi friend might think of it. Sometimes, she wondered if she truly was a fool, to maintain friendships with all manner of people who would doubtlessly murder one another without a second thought if they ever were to share a room... but she banished those thoughts each and every time they assailed her mind.

"Not quite the firebrand zealot you met all those years ago, I'm afraid", murmured the smith.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"The legends are true."

Alina watched the fear. Curiosity, mainly, focused in her eyes. It was rare to see Jenn vulnerable. No, she'd never seen this before. It was.. Alina couldn't think of the word. Her brow twitched. Another emotion that had been lost to death, then? No, just the memory of the emotion. The Sangnir's expression softened as she reached up to pat her friends shoulder. She understood this fear, likely more than others. Though she certainly didn't feel the same.

"But legends can be killed. You just need to learn how. A Mandalorian alone won't be able to kill a Sith like you imagine, not without great personal loss. But you're different than you were. I can smell the change, the power you'd been given perhaps unwittingly. You could be Sith, you know."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Jenn listened to her friend's words silently, eyes still downcast. The implications of a dear friend bringing up the idea that she might be Sith were... truly disquieting. Perhaps because she considered it, if only for a moment, as she thought of the power she could wield by walking this path. She could save her people, take vengeance upon the one who had changed her, become a blazing star in her own right rather than a mere candle-

Just as quickly as the thoughts came, the smith yanked them back to the edge of her consciousness, and forcefully so. To become Sith would be the ultimate betrayal: Mando'ade and Jetii alike would turn their backs on her, and rightfully so. Besides... she was not Force Sensitive. Or so the Mandalorian believed. Her mind was, more often than not, as a tranquil sea: but now, a storm raged in her very soul, fear gripping her heart tightly. She was afraid of what the future held in store for the Enclave, afraid of being left no choice but to shed the blood of those she called friends, and above all, afraid of feeling as weak and powerless as she had in that vat, her very nature rewritten as she thrashed and tried to shatter the glass.

"No", she spoke at last, her gaze finally daring to flit back over to Alina's eyes. Striking, beautiful, dangerous. "That is your path to walk, not mine. When you and I first met, you told me you were no longer Sith. Yet, here we are. Dromund Kaas. With your talk of a Master." There was no reproach behind her words, no spite, no hatred. But there was some firmness, nonetheless. Terrified as she was of a great many things, Jenn Kryze was not broken. "But I've come to understand that... there are things I do not want to sacrifice in the name of the ways I follow. My friendship with you is one such thing. We walk opposite paths, but you are my friend. Dear to me then, dear to me now, even with your return to the Sith."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Death has changed more than you know." There was the Jenn she did remember. Stalwart in her beliefs. That was what she respected, more than anything. Even if it would mean, at some point, they would be enemies. Alina had no delusions of anything else. Lines would be crossed, and friendships would be shattered. Not yet, though. And Alina was just as content with settling it when they broke as leaving it be until such a day came to pass.

"But you're welcome to your beliefs. I won't hold them against you. Though it would be best you learn how to control that budding connection you have sooner rather than later, less it consumes you."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Alina knew in her heart that the two of them would face against one another eventually - a friendship shattered, lightsaber against blaster, just as in their first encounter. But Jenn? Jenn... all but fled from the line of thought. Her greatest fear, perhaps, lie in the notion of choice: eventually, her friendship with Jedi and Sith alike would catch up to her, and the stalwart Mandalorian would have no choice but to turn her back on her people to preserve those bonds she cherished so dearly - or shatter them forever to remain among her people. It was nothing more than cold, harsh reality, and it saddened her immensely. Even now, her gaze betrayed the affection she held for the Sangnir.

"I know you won't. I wouldn't bare my face before you and expose myself so if I didn't trust you." Trust. Even now, she trusted the Sith standing before her - a choice most would consider to be foolish, if not a sign of complete and utter naivete from the smith. And yet, here she was, speaking to her as she would a long-lost friend. Even as her words made the Mandalorian frown, visibly confused. "My... connection?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Yes. As I said, there is a power you were given. Perhaps unwittingly, but it's there. A connection to the Force, more than the average person." Alina shrugged regardless. It would be Jenn's decision to handle her connection, when she wanted to. They needn't talk more about it, not with how uncomfortable she looked. Uncomfortable and afraid. Of their eventual clash? Perhaps Alina was far more detached than she should've been.

Or Death had just taught her not to linger on the bad where she didn't need to.

"Why don't we go eat? Better than standing around here."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

"That... can't be. I've seen Mando'ade who can wield the Force, grew up alongside some of them, I'd... know, right?"

Jenn did not sound too sure of herself. Alina was a Sith, after all - surely she knew what she saw in her with that odd look she gave her earlier. And the Mandalorian was... oh-so uncomfortable about the notion. With the war between the Mandalorian Enclave and the Galactic Alliance starting in earnest, she had been far too busy turning the beskar'gam of fallen vod into something new- something they could use in the war. Dealing with the revelation that she might, in fact, possess a presence in the Force was... one step too far for now. Her weary mind could only take so much. And then, there was the knowledge that the two of them may very well just clash one day. The less she thought of battling Alina, the better.

The Kayatr'ade had no desire to see a friendship forged in honesty one another to end in blood.

"Agreed", spoke the Mandalorian with a nod as her friend offered to go and find something to eat, a smile tugging at her lips as she found herself reminded of another escapade of hers, a long time ago. "... you know, it's kind of funny. This makes the second time I march into a Sith stronghold and find myself invited to dinner. You ever hear of Darth Metus?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"When you do know, it'll likely be because you've done something you didn't want to."

She wasn't going to push it. It was good enough to have a warm meal and talk with a friend, not make her uncomfortable. She motioned ahead before leading the way towards the estate in question. Through the streets they walked, with the normal civilians wandering about their business as usual. With skeletons. Smooth, white bone skeletons wandered as helpers through the street, carrying packs for some, doing menial chores. Tending to store fronts and food stalls. Most were dressed in simple clothing, rattling along with their basic, unchanging expressions.

"The heretic, yes. We're taught much of his folly."

Jenn Kryze

 

[Jenn Kryze]

​

LOCATION: Dromund Kaas, Royal Estate
Objective: Reunite with an old friend. Enjoy lunch together.
Equipment: Beskar'gam I Blaster Pistol I Blaster Carbine I Deflector Shield
Tags: [ Alina Tremiru ]

Jenn... had never thought she would ever walk the streets of Dromund Kaas as anything but a conqueror. And yet, here she was, following her friend closely as she led the way through a city most would fine to be almost... banal, if not for the presence of animated skeletons tending to all manner of chores. If she thought anything of it, the Mandalorian kept it for herself: despite all of her reservations, she had to admire the efficiency and practicality behind the intent. With the dead taking care of the more ungrateful tasks, the living were free to pursue other ventures. Was this what the power of the Sith could lead to?

Slipping her helmet back on as the relative privacy of their heart-to-heart gave way to the bustling city life, she found herself lifting a brow at the mention of the word heretic. Yet more cultural implications she was blissfully unaware of. Perhaps a refresher course on what the Sith had become might be of use... but that could wait for another time. The two of them seemed content to share time together as friends, after all.

"Well, whoever he may be now, or then- I walked into his fortress. Found some beskar that was his, figured I'd do the right thing, give it back to Clan Verd. He chatted me up about how things used to be, back before... Mandalore was taken from us forever. Anyway, that's not the important thing- the important part is that I apparently have experience being invited to have dinner with Sith, and I find that funny." And she did, admittedly, sound very much amused by that.

So much for no Sith, no exceptions.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You've met a lot of very.. Interesting people." Metus was one that she could personally do without, but that was simply because she couldn't stand the hypocracy of the organization he'd built under him. Alina had once entertained the idea of working for the CIS. A regret, for certain. But not one she wanted to focus on now. Instead she flashed a grin, glanced towards her friend. "You're awfully troublesome, this is true. How many of your friends would be appalled at the idea?"

Jenn Kryze