Si Deus Me Relinquit

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

The Spires of Hell
Atollis Nebula | Unknown Regions
[ First Order Territory ]

A planet with no sun.

A moon with no solar system.

In the midst of the Atollis Nebula was a place that should not exist. A rogue planet with a natural satellite. Across the surface of the moon, the spires protruded forth into the cold, dark expanse of endless night. No one knew who had built them, but wanderers had filled the depths of the spires through the passage of centuries. A variety of races from across the galaxy, lost in this vagrant space.

Six months prior, the Imperial forces of the First Order had descended upon the Spires of Hell in a bid to bring order to chaos. It had been part of the greater efforts at securing space lanes that had, for too long, succumbed to piracy as the last vestiges of the Lords of the Fringe in the region began to fade into obscurity.

The people here were lost. The kind of lost that didn't want to be found. Living off the grid, subsisting from old hydroponic farms seeded throughout the spires. Most were uninterested in bartering, few seemed to want any connection back to the galaxy writ large.

That fact left open questions regarding how the populace would react or adapt to the spectre of the First Order which now hung over the former territories of the Lords of the Fringe. A question that begged investigation.

Nothing so forceful as a garrison of stormtroopers. Something more subtle. More inquisitive.

Or, inquisitor, as the case may be.

The young Renling wandered across the hangar bay that welcomed the quiet arrival of a handful of the Supreme Leader's agents into the midst of these vagabonds. The sheer size of the spire, the existence of a world alone in the night, sparked the imagination and set his mind ablaze with wonder. With a child-like sense of awe, the young Atrisian seemed to gape at everything as he slowly turned to take in all of the sights around him.

It remained to be seen just what awaited around the corner.

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Praetorian Initiate
Equipment | Lightsaber (blue), Vibrodaggers, Throwing Knives, Binding Wires
Location | Hangar Bay, Bluespire, Athelvai
Allies | [member="Tao Liu Xian"], [member="Primat Ren"], [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

[SIZE=11pt]Like her younger brother, Marriskcal found her curiousity roused. Even before she was allowed to spread her wings and step beyond the sanctuary that was Skye, the thoughts of visiting and exploring different worlds has always been something that captured her interest and allowed her imagination to take flight. And now that she has gotten a taste of what the galaxy has to offer, the desire to see more, learn more, experience more has only burned all the brighter. It was interesting how one world differed from another, from the quiet elegance of Dosuun to the polluted surroundings of Eriadu to the unfathomable depths of Qeravert IV.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]She was one of the last to disembark from the transport vessel, her form blending in easily with the various personnel that were stationed on site. Unlike most of her other assignments, this quiet reconnaissance was relatively simple and made for an interesting change. Her gaze followed the durasteel containers as they were being slowly unloaded. From her brief glance through the manifest, it contained rations, various medicines and seeds, as well as farming and scientific equipment.

A continuous effort to court and soften the hearts of the drifters whom called the Spires of Hell their home[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Her eyes closed for a moment as her presence trailed over the members of the First Orders in the vicinity, using her senses to acquire a feel of their thoughts and sentiments towards the inhabitants of this desolate world. There were some ambivalence, but the feelings she garnered were mostly positive.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Appeased by her findings, the blonde made her way towards the youngling, a fond smile curving her lips as she sensed the sparks of his wonderment when she drew close. “Is this your first time here as well, Tao[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]?”[/SIZE]

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Ren
Location: Hangar Bay, Bluespire
Objective: Prepare and Ready for Exploration
Nearby: [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Tao Liu Xian"]

The Spires of Hell​

Moon, Athelvai​

A deep intake of air and Seto slowly walked out of the shuttle, his droid silently floated next to him, and with a nonchalant expression he brushed the controls on his gauntlet. A few strokes of his fingers and his droid zoomed off towards the highest perch it could find and act as a lookout for the young Du Couteau. Seto had rather enjoyed his sleep during their travel here, and he wondered how many sleepless nights his poor body would have to suffer for his current mission.

He looked down at his forearms, the gauntlets from his armor had been the only piece he took from his set, while it did give him some protection it certainly did his sleeves no favors. How the wrinkles his gauntlets made would ruin his sleeves for days to come, And I doubt I'll have time to smooth them out properly. Though with prospects of sleepless nights and wrinkled clothing as the worst outcome did make Seto slightly content. No sewers, insane Force Users or even a potential of a massive droid fleet coming in to kill everything. In his honest opinion, this planet only needed a casino and Seto would have considered this mission a vacation.

"Some Vacation," Seto muttered to himself, as he had been on sunny beaches and plenty of oxygen to spare. At least the gravity here feels normal. He straightened his tie and vest, and with a quick glance back to the rest of his retinue the young Du Couteau walked quickly to catch up to his very young brother and younger sister.

Seto gracefully dodged a pair of dock workers that pushed their grav-sled, and with another attempt to smooth out his vest he realized that there was a lot of dust. "While we aren't in hostile territory, do keep your Comms clear and ready." Seto voiced his concern, "-This place feels strange." That was more of an understatement, because Seto did not think such a Celestial Phenomena was possible. A slight shiver ran down his spin as Seto extended his Force sense before he refocused it on himself.

Beauty and Danger often came hand in hand whenever someone would describe a place, and Seto hoped that this place was more eerie than perilous.

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

Kaiah Nihl || Stranger
Location: Blue Spire – Residential Quarter.
Objective: Trace her Brother’s steps.
Nearby: [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

The rock felt cool upon her bare feet, just as the chill in the air froze her skin. But when she shivered, it was not from the cold. ‘What could he have wanted here?’ she thought. This part of the galaxy was far from Nagi. She had seen the maps, her home-world was not on them.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the door opened in front of her. A small Togruta child peered up at her, no less suspicious from when he first approached Kaiah. “Gran says you may enter now” he said, eye-ing the blades strapped to her wrist. “Thank you” Kaiah responded with a smile, subtlety pulling her sleeves down to hide her weapons.

The house was warm, warmer than Kaiah expected for such a shoddy design. The boy led her to the living room, where she sat on a rug opposite an elderly Togruta. “Would you like tea?” her hostess asked. She laughed quietly as Kaiah nods her head vigorously. Kaiah sips the beverage, wincing at the bitter taste. It was a variety foreign to her, lacking the citrus flavour she was used to.

“You’re an interesting specimen, if I due say so myself”. The Togruta started. “I’ve only seen your kind once before”. Kaiah’s eyes narrowed, she knew where this woman was going. She had been on-planet only a short while before the child had sought her out, asking for an audience. Thus she figured the woman was some kind of seer.

“I know my brother was here, what did he want?” Kaiah asked, cutting straight to the point. The Togruta swallowed and lowered her cup of tea. “A source of power, some form of Dark Side energy” The Togruta said wearily. “I told him I couldn’t help him. This place is deceptive, whether you see through your eyes or through the Force”. She looked sadly at her grandchild. “It is a poor place to raise a young boy”.

Kaiah gritted her teeth, frustrated. Another dead end. She rose to leave but the old woman stopped her, her gnarled hand gripping her shoulder tightly. “Your brother ventured deep into the spire” she said, her voice raspy, her eyes rolled back in their sockets. “I know not what he found, if anything, but I urge you not to follow in his footsteps”. With that she slumped back down, and lay motionless.

Perturbed, Kaiah left the house.

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

[SIZE=11pt]“Is this your first time here as well, Tao[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]?”[/SIZE]

The boy's long black hair cascaded from over his shoulders as he turned his head and looked up as he was addressed. He was traveling in the company of the same pair that he had met during the incident on Mustafar. The young woman who had spoken was the very same that he had collided with in mid-sprint.

"Yeah," the boy chirped brightly. "There... I... There was this pirate base on... on this moon back in the Hoth System, that, like, I got to explore," the boy began, his mind working faster than his voice could supply words, causing him to start and them stammer over himself before he could get the thought out. Sniffling, he paused to wipe his nose before continuing on. "But, the... like, the moon there was nothing like this."

Seto spoke up, though his words of advice went straight over the youngling's head.

"Strange?" the boy echoed, clearly confused by the remark. "Feels fine to me," the boy added, because he actually paused to think about it.

"Kinda chilly."

[member="Kaiah Nihl"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"]​

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Praetorian Initiate
Equipment | Lightsaber (blue), Vibrodaggers, Throwing Knives, Binding Wires
Location | Hangar Bay, Bluespire, Athelvai
Allies | [member="Tao Liu Xian"], [member="Seto Du Couteau"], [member="Primat Ren"]
Unknown | [member="Kaiah Nihl"]

[SIZE=11pt]She listened to her younger brother’s retelling of his recent adventure with interest, her mind piecing his words with the ease of one who used to be afflicted with the curse of anxiety-induced babbling. And if Marriskcal was being truthful to herself, she still was. “I haven’t had the chance to visit the Hoth System myself, but it sounds like you had an interesting time,” the young woman said, her eyes instinctively looking over the youngling for any visible signs of bruises or scratches though the event must have happened awhile back. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Ah yes, the spires.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“There was nothing like them on the other worlds I’ve managed to visit either. But I’ve heard from the others that it was something constructed by Celestials.” The what, how, and why were still a mystery even to First Order researchers. And from the discussions she had witnessed while they were in transit, the invisible wall they ran into has only made them all the more excited and giddy. While Marriskcal herself was witnessing a construct left behind by Celestials for the first time, her curiousity was less academic in nature and leaned more towards seeing something rare and incomprehensible.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The familiar tone of her older brother made her turn to regard him, while his words of caution made her grin and salute him in a playful manner. “Will do~” With Seto’s inclusion into their conversation, the blonde wondered idly where was their remaining brother. Perhaps he was completing his own preparations on board the vessel? The fact that Primat had been subdued and even more quiet than usual was a clear cause for concern. But until the other voiced them, Marriskcal did not intend to press him for an answer… for now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Now that you’ve mentioned it…” she focused her senses purely on their surroundings. While the force continued its serene flow through the expanse, there was a slight almost imperceptible discordant hum that was present at its edge. “Perhaps because we’re standing within something that was built by Celestials?” It was a mere conjecture, for Marriskcal knew very little of these paradoxes, except that they existed. “Do you know more about them, Seto?”[/SIZE]

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Ren
Location: Hangar Bay, Bluespire
Objective: Prepare and Ready for Exploration
Nearby: [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Tao Liu Xian"]

The Spires of Hell​

Moon, Athelvai



Seto raised an eyebrow towards Marr, he knew better than to try push the issue of safety but at least she acknowledged his concern. Best to just let either my droid or I to keep a watch on them. A weary sigh passed through his lips as he continued to walk along side the duo, he had not expected to be the one to provide warnings and safety protocols. The sense that he was about to be outnumbered when it came to reasonable decisions and tempered emotions slowly started to give Seto slight concern. After all, he knew himself to be none of those things when outside a Sabacc table.

Both Marr and Tao continued to converse and share a bit of their limited experiences outside of their home sector, and with a rather softened expression and saddened eyes, Seto pondered where this place ranked in his leader-board of strange places traveled. ​Definitely Top Five. He needed to look back over his small collection of Holo Recordings, of course if they encountered something trying to kill him here Athelvai would shoot up to at least Top Two.

"Rumors and Spacer Tales from the crew," Seto explained, "-Whispers, shadows and a feeling of being unable to escape. As if this system had cut them off from the rest of the galaxy." He spoke of the stories he learned from the crew. And Engineering Department swore nothing was wrong with the Hyper-drive, but their more than usual check ups make me worry. Seto learned to deal with strange cards when dealt to him, but he never expected to be given a stick and a blaster to only be told that someone had scored by setting fire to his piece of paper.

Seto rubbed his neck as he admitted, "-While the prospect of seeing Space Angels or Celestial Faeries positively sounds fascinating, there are clear and present dangers here." Seto added, now his eyes jumped between Marr and Tao. "-Like low gravity areas and very weak atmospherics levels outside of the main city." He finished.

A planet without a star? Left adrift to travel the Universe. "Maybe the Celestial's abandoned this planet and moon, since they didn't even bother to give it a Sun." Seto conjured grimly.

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

Kaiah Nihl - Cold.
Location: Blue Spire – Hangar.
Objective: Blantantly Ignore the Warning.
Nearby: [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

​

“Sorry, can’t help you Miss”. The Weequay turned his back to her and continued his work. Kaiah let out a small growl and stalked off. The list was getting steadily shorter, but surely someone here would guide her into the tower depths.

She had to forego her usual attire for this trip. Accustomed to a loose-fitting robe, the tight travelers’ pants and shirt chafed. Her jacket was too tight and not nearly warm enough for some of the cooler areas of the spire. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun, and she hadn’t bothered to fix it.

Another denial didn’t help her mood. The locals seemed uninterested in any exploration. When she asked why, they would state there was no reason to go poking around. When she offered to pay, they said it was too dangerous. They refused to elaborate on what exactly posed such a threat.

She was scraping the bottom of the barrel now, and reluctantly approached some of the rougher looking locals. She asked around and was directed to a man named ‘Wreck’. The man was large, although it was mostly due to his fat rather than his muscle. He was moving crates, shirtless, when Kaiah approached. “Are you the one they call “Wreck’ ?" she asked. He nodded and grinned. The look in his eyes said: ‘I use my fists, not my brain’. Coincidently, so did the tattoo across his chest.

“I need a guide into the spire” she said. “I can pay”. That got human’s attention. His grin widened. “How much?” he said, his voice gravelly. “Up to a thousand” she replied flatly. “Depending on how far we travel”. “Got it on you?” “Of course”.

Wreck chuckled and rubbed his hands together. “I’ll be taking that then” he said. Kaiah gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?” He rolled his eyes. “Lemme put it in simple terms for you darling” his breath was sour from booze. “Your money or your life”. “Ahhhh” Kaiah responded. “So this is a mugging?” The grin returned to the man’s face. “Exactly” he said.

She ducked low and lashed out with her right leg. Pushing his feet out from under him, he toppled to the ground with a heavy thud. Uttering a sound of disgust, she left the man on the ground.

There was another group nearby, a young man, woman and child. She moved to approach but was interrupted by a roar behind her. Wreck came charging out of the shadow, moving fast despite his girth. Kaiah sidestepped and swung one of her blades out to intercept the man. Wreck’s hand flew out, barely stopping the blade before it met his throat.

“Ha!” he exclaimed, gripping her wrist tightly. She didn’t like the smug look on his face, so she punched him with her free hand, right between the eyes. The man uttered no sound, once again collapsing in a heap. He didn’t rise.

Kaiah stepped away from the unconscious body to find the aforementioned group close by. “My apologies” she said. Her hair had come loose during the fight, so she tied it up into a ponytail. “Lady Kaiah Nihl” she introduced herself with a small bow. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance”.

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

The longshanks were talking way over the boy's head.

"What's a Celestial?" the young Atrisian asked, as he tried to follow the conversation that was bouncing back and forth between Marr and Seto.

Also, why would someone build something way out here? Wouldn't a normal planet have been better? At least then, they might have had a Biscuit Baron or Pizza Hutt...

The boy's thought were interrupted by the sound of a dispute. As he turned his head, the youngling caught the tail-end of an altercation involving a fat man and a green woman. The conversation between which appear to have ended with the fat man laid out on the ground.

Bowing being a deeply ingrained cultural habit, the boy had returned the gesture even before he'd been conscious of the fact that he was doing it. He remained quiet however, as protocol dictated that the adults spoke first.

[member="Kaiah Nihl"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"]​

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Praetorian Initiate
Equipment | Lightsaber (blue), Vibrodaggers, Throwing Knives, Binding Wires
Location | Hangar Bay, Bluespire, Athelvai
Allies | [member="Tao Liu Xian"], [member="Seto Du Couteau"]
Unknown | [member="Kaiah Nihl"] (Seems to be an ally? Either way, she's a badass)

[SIZE=11pt]What’s a Celestial?[/SIZE]​

​

[SIZE=11pt]It was an excellent question posed by her younger sibling, one that Marriskcal knew close to nothing about other than what little she has found in the archives. Even then, a lot of the materials she had managed to find were based on inferences and read more like fantastical tales than xenoarchaeological research data. And while the blonde would like to refer to the Celestials as nothing more than myths and legends, it was hard for her to brush them off as such when they were standing within one of the spires of Athelvai, one of their purported creation. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Thus, the blonde could only give Tao a slight shrug and repeated the words Seto has graced them with. “We don’t know much about them yet…” she gestured lightly at their older brother, “But Seto described them best – Space Angels or Celestial Faeries.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Any further theories and surmises between the three Ren were placed on hold by the conflict unfolding ahead of their little group.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Ever curious, Marriskcal’s gaze followed the young woman’s fluid and decisive takedown of the brute, her own hands lifting to clap together in clear delight as the man took a solid blow and fell heavily to the ground, force presence diminished in his unconsciousness. If she were on an official assignment and all the dangers that it entailed, her playful quirk would never had made its appearance. But standing here on the moon of the Spires of Hell, with both her siblings by her side on what she barely considered an assignment, Marriskcal found herself unfettered from the twin chains of decorum and responsibility.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]But even then, her lessons from long ago dictated she returned the gesture of courtesy that was shown by the elegant and exotic lady before them. While bowing to another did not come naturally to Marriskcal when it came to any being other than her Lord and Master, her lithe form dipped into a bow with her golden head inclined. “Marr Lati. The pleasure is ours, Lady Nihl.” She stole another glance at the downed male and an impish grin curved the edges of her lips. “Especially after that impressive show of skills.”[/SIZE]

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Ren
Location: Hangar Bay, Bluespire
Objective: Prepare and Ready for Exploration (Meet Someone New)
Nearby: [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Kaiah Nihl"]

​

​

The Spires of Hell​

Moon, Athelvai


Eyes swapped from Tao to Marr as he pondered on who needed to take another day to relearn all their safety lessons. When to take certain precautions and how to deal with environmental dangers, even Tao admitted he felt cold and Seto wondered briefly if he should return back to their shuttle to grab the appropriate gear and clothing. Wait, why am I thinking like this? Seto hardly had the time to think of an answer as he directed his attention to a rather one sided fight.

Well, fight being the operative word here of course, because the woman non nonchalantly sent the man to his dirt nap. Seto eyed the figure carefully as she walked closer to their group, and in a regal fashion she introduced herself along with an apology. His hand rose up to wave a couple of the Stormtrooper guards, Seto pointed towards to the downed male before he returned to give his attention to the woman now self identified as Lady Kaiah Nihl.

Seto took a few steps forward and bowed with his hand over his chest and the other hand outstretched, "The name is Seto Du Couteau," Seto rose back up to meet Kaiah's eyes. Interesting color, and tad a tall. "No apologies needed, but do pardon me as I ask, what did the unruly worker want with you?" Seto asked, his eyes narrowed but his smile grew.

He took a few steps forward, ahead of both Marr and Tao, granted he doubt anyone would dare an attack on them but clearly they were no longer dealing with the ordinary. Lady Kaiah Nihl, who are you? Seto mused silently as his droid hovered quietly a bit further off as he gave Kaiah his full attention. Celestial or no, this whole planet simply oozes mystery and eeriness.

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

Kaiah Nihl.
Location: Blue Spire – Hangar.
Objective: Talk with the Newcomers.
Nearby: [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

​

"Such manners! It pleases me to see that there is still culture in such a savage galaxy". She smiled, moving aside to let the white armour-clad soldiers past.

She examined the trio in front of her. They were an eclectic group, of different ages and backgrounds. Yet they were bound together, that much was clear. She didn’t need to force to see that.

The tall one, with the pale hair, seemed to be the eldest. He was smiling, but it was the eyes that told his story. The deep blue betrayed a cunning intelligence. Her father once warned her that that a sharp mind cut deeper than any blade. She withdrew inter herself, casting up barriers in her mind lest the man’s curiosity tempted him to probe her mind.

“I was asking this man to escort me further into the spire” she explained to Seto. “Instead he insisted, rather forcefully, that I hand over my remaining wealth”. Kaiah looked down in disgust at the unconscious form. “Tsk. Men such as these have no honour”.

The second member of the group was a woman, younger than the white-hair and quite thin. Her small form belied deadly skill, however. It was hard to see at first, but the clues were there for those who were observant enough. The spacing of her feet, ready to leap forward or back, if necessary. The calluses on her hands, an indication of practice with some kind of weapon.

“You are not locals I see” Kaiah continued. “You are far better equipped than the poor folk here”. She gestured to the lightsaber on Marr’s hip. “An elegant, but difficult weapon to use. I once saw a youth cut his own arm off with one, during a duel”.

She turned towards the youngest and shortest of the group. This one was an enigma. He had a semblance of a normal youth, yet she remained wary. The look in his eyes brought back a memory, of when she had hunted with her brother on Dxun. He had underestimated the ferocity of the Drexl cub he’d caught, and it had raked its claws across its chest.

“You also carry a blade of light, yet all limbs remain attached” she said, a small smile on her face. “Most impressive, young one”.

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

At the woman's account of lost limbs and congratulatory remarks toward him, the young Atrisian held out his arms and then appeared to look himself over as if to double-check and verify that, yes, Virginia, he did, in fact, have all limbs, fingers, and toes accounted for.

His toes were currently in his shoes, but he was pretty certain those were all there.

It never hurt to check these things. Trust, but verify.

Arms dropped by his sides, the boy seemed to pop to military attention for a half-second, before giving a quick bow toward the woman. "Nǎ li nǎ li!" the youngling chirped, as the Atrisian language took on a certain sing-song quality to it that was reinforced by the boy's youthful tone.

"Do you shock-box?" the boy asked, jumping trains of thought and topics. Thinking back to how she'd brought down such a larger opponent, the boy candidly expressed, "You'd be good at it."

She'd addressed him, so that meant it was okay for him to talk, right?

It also meant no one knew what the youngling was about to say.

[member="Kaiah Nihl"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"]​

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Praetorian Initiate
Equipment | Lightsaber (blue), Vibrodaggers, Throwing Knives, Binding Wires
Location | Hangar Bay, Bluespire, Athelvai
Allies | [member="Tao Liu Xian"], [member="Seto Du Couteau"]
Friendly | [member="Kaiah Nihl"]

[SIZE=11pt]The fact that Seto walked ahead to stand before the beautiful woman was enough to convey to her that their brother was being cautious. She blinked once in silent question, her gaze lifting to take in his side profile for a fleeting moment before returning to the Lady. While she had no idea why the other was apprehensive, Marriskcal trusted Seto enough to follow his lead. And, well, as someone who realised her own limitations, the initiate was aware that her older sibling had more experience when it came to discerning the whims and foibles of another individual.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]At Lady Nihl’s short retelling, Marriskcal wrinkled her nose in distaste even as the small group of stormtroopers dragged the lump of human refuse away. “Good riddance,” she mumbled with a hint of venom in her voice. As far as she was concerned, criminals and lawbreakers were barely better than Jedi. But before the blonde allowed herself to get even more annoyed on the Lady’s behalf, the other continued to speak, her observation astute. It swiftly became clear to Marriskcal why their older brother was being careful.

As such, though her demeanour continued to be pleasant, a thoughtful gleam entered her eyes. It was the initiate’s turn to take a few steps towards their acquaintance, pausing two steps behind Seto’s shoulder so that she was flanking him. “You are perceptive. We are here to conduct a simple survey and to take note of what else that could be done to improve the conditions here,” Marriskcal divulged, her speech becoming slightly formal in the presence of an unknown being. But Lady Nihl’s mention of ‘further into the spire’ has roused the latent curiousity in her, the prospect of exploring and adventure perking her interest.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The sudden shift in topic has Marriskcal blinking again, this time in bemusement as her younger brother spoke of a ‘shock box’. The only two things she could think of where its name would be pertinent was if it was a torture device, or a nimble and hard-hitting form of martial arts. And while she was not familiar enough with Tao to follow his thoughts when it meandered so far off the path, the blonde doubted either of her speculations were true. “…What is a shock box[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]?” [/SIZE]

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Ren
Location: Hangar Bay, Bluespire
Objective: Prepare and Ready for Exploration (Getting the Party Ready)
Nearby: [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Kaiah Nihl"]

The Spires of Hell​

Moon, Athelvai


Seto remained with smiles but his eyes softened to seem a tad inviting, he still had a few more questions but for the time being her responses would suffice. The picture he had painted of their new acquaintance certainly had some major areas that needed some more information, but for the moment Seto felt confident to make a gamble. She knows something about these Spires, something that we might need to know as well.

The conversation turn towards Kaiah's keen observations of their equipment, and Seto wondered how well verse Lady Nihl was with lightsabers. He turned his head to give Marr a nod of approval but he remained uncertain of Kaiah. He turned suddenly to his youngest brother of Ren and gave the boy a rather concerned look. Who let him watch that at his age? Than suddenly he remembered Marr's upbringing and wondered what else did his younger Siblings missed growing up.

I really should ask for a mission near a Park or something. Zoo? A Ice-cream shop and chocolate definitely.

Thoughts of fun aside, Seto slightly grimaced as he remembered the brutal sport but there were aspects of it that he admired. Of course the life expectancy of a professional Shock Boxer certainly rivals that of an Auxiliary Thrall of the First Order. Seto moved his head towards Marr, "-It's a Fighting Sport that involves Shock Gloves. Lost a lot of credits on a match once." Seto explained, a bit bitterly as he only realized the match had fixed after he lost his credits.

Seto turned to face Kaiah, "Lady Kaiah Nihl, perhaps you can honor us with your company as we explore this Spire? While our expertise can be limited, our resources are not." Seto offered, his smile returned and his eyes focused squarely on Kaiah's own orange.

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

Kaiah Nihl.
Location: Blue Spire – Hangar.
Objective: Accept the Invitation.
Secondary Objective: Give Sharp Objects to the Child.
Nearby: [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

​

She watched with amusement as the young one checked his arms and legs. He knew not where he hailed from, but his native tongue had a beautiful musical quality, much like Nagaian.

“Your dedication to these people is admirable” she addressed Marr. “I’m not sure they all deserve such attention, however”. Kaiah’s species had a poor reputation for tolerance. Historically, Nagai were only concerned with their own species or even just their family. That was slowly changing, particularly in Kaiah as she explored the galaxy.

She stifled a giggle as the boy continued babbling. It seemed like the young were all the same, no matter where you were in the galaxy. “I have not” she said in response to his question. “But my brother did, once”. In his youth, Raziah was not known for his intelligence. “For Nagai, it is more honourable to fight with traditional weapons, such as the Tehk’la blade” she pulled one of knives free and handed it to the boy, hilt first.

The tall one, known as Seto, seemed to be familiar with shock-boxing as well. The man expressed some regret before turning to Kaiah and suggesting she join the group.

She paused, before nodding. “How can I resist joining such a unique group of individuals?” She returned Seto’s grin. “My destination lies deep in the spire, I have reason to believe there maybe some kind of font of power within...”

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

"Eh?"

The youngling just blinked as the bladed instrument was extended toward him.

Curious, the small Atrisian seemed to slide closer toward the Nagai. "Zhè shì shénme?" he murmured looking up from the blade to the woman, holding her orange gaze for a moment before he turned to look at Marr and Seto in turn, as though waiting for some express permission that it was okay for him to take the offered weapon.

When he had, he immediately noted the balance. This was a throwing knife. Testing that theory, the boy flexed his wrist several times as he loosely gripped the handle.

Then he bounced the knife up, allowing it to go up and come back down to his palm.

Then he flipped it. Tossed up into the air, end over end. Subconsciously, the child was slipping into the Force. Or, rather, the layers of the Force that moved from one moment to the next. To him, everything seemed to slow down. For those around him, it likely seemed as through the child were moving with a preternatural grace.

He caught the knife, fingers nimbly gripping around the pointed edge. Then he tossed it over his shoulder, only to catch it behind his back and bring it around in a Shien style grip.

Then the moment had passed, as the child seemed to snap out of the neigh hypnotic Force Speed trance. Holding the blade out, handle toward the Nagai, the boy gave a bow as he murmured, "Tài kù le."

[member="Kaiah Nihl"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"]​

 

[Marriskcal Lati]

Praetorian Initiate
Equipment | Lightsaber (blue), Vibrodaggers, Throwing Knives, Binding Wires
Location | Hangar Bay, Bluespire, Athelvai
Allies | [member="Tao Liu Xian"], [member="Seto Du Couteau"]
Friendly | [member="Kaiah Nihl"]

[SIZE=11pt]It’s a Fighting Sport that involves Shock Gloves.[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]The young woman nodded to herself, pleased that her conjecture was close. Perhaps they should all go to one of these matches[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] so Seto could avenge himself in the arena? Though… Marriskcal found it a little skeptical that her older brother could ever lose.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]What was admirable was the First Order’s dedication to bettering the lives of every system that fell under their protection. Marriskcal herself would certainly prefer to be rid of all these criminals in a more permanent manner. One less problem to think about. One less drain on their resources. But despite her imperfect understanding of social norms, the blonde knew it was not a view she was allowed to express, especially not in front of a new acquaintance. So she merely gave their beautiful guest a tiny nod and a smile in reply.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Marriskcal said nothing, as their youngest sibling took the traditional weapon of the Nagai from Lady Nihl. While she did not know enough about their history nor culture to understand if there were any significance to it, the young woman knew it was a gesture of tentative trust. And as the force continued to flow calmly around their little group, Marriskcal decided to extend the same courtesy to the exotic lady. Her smile turned fond as Tao played with the Tehk’la blade, proud that his movements were fluid and assured. The next time she found the time to visit the marketplace, she would look for a set of knives for him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]At the confirmation that they were all going to traverse into the deeper parts of the spire, a place where their own scientists had yet to explore and document, her eyes gleamed with unconcealed joy. The fact that the lady mentioned that there may be a mysterious source of power made it all the more enticing. Marriskcal has always enjoyed thoughts of adventure and discovering the unknown, and even the unwelcome memory of Praesitlyn did not dampen her enthusiasm. I will be more cautious this time, she promised herself.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“The more the merrier. You already know more about this place than we do~”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]All they had were the maps that their scientists and personnel had documented thus far. Between them providing aid to ease the lives of the locales while slowly spreading their influence and making themselves indispensable, this was considered low in priority. In a way, the fact that the hangar were situated close to the top of Bluespire meant they had a long way to travel downwards. The turbolifts that has been installed stopped at the final 1,000km, where light from the Dark One were limited. From some of the theories Marriskcal has managed to catch from their researchers, one of them even theorising that the spires were buried deep into Athelvai’s subterranean, almost touching its core.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Taking the lead, Marriskcal made her way towards the guarded turbolifts, waving for her brothers and Lady Nihl to follow along.[/SIZE]

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Ren
Location: Hangar Bay, Bluespire
Objective: Prepare and Ready for Exploration (Moving Out!)

Nearby: [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Kaiah Nihl"]

The Spires of Hell​

Moon, Athelvai​

How can you resist? Seto mused on the idea that perhaps a random group of Force Users probably indicated the best course of action would be to steer clear away from said group. The eagerness worries me. Though Seto inwardly sighed to himself, he after all extended the offer by his own hand so regardless they might as well push onward. He looked over to Marr with a middling expression of concern and approval.

Seto turned his attention back to his youngest sibling, and raised an eyebrow at the display of blade talent from Tao and carefully crossed off a few options from his list of possible gifts. Life Day after all loomed closer by the minute, and this mission (Undoubtedly creepy and mysterious) appeared the safest and easiest place to gauge and learn a bit more of his siblings. Oh, and maybe learn something new about the Spires of Hell.

Spot, his droid, quickly zoomed off ahead as it discovered a few other small crevasses to sneak through and scout further deeper in the Spire. Seto narrowed his eyes at the slight increase of interference between him and his droid, but walked along with the rest of his group. Marr herself quickly moved ahead and waved behind her to beckon the rest of them, Seto nearly opened his mouth to warn his sister about being careful if she fully intends of keep herself a bit ahead of the rest of them.

Better to just try and keep up.

He can't possibly slow down or limit his sister or brother, the best he thought he could do simply was to keep up and stand ready to provide bandages or advice. Seto hoped more for the later.

"While we are together Lady Kaiah Nihl, it must be made clear that my siblings and I are the First Order. As such, if I believe any power presents danger beyond control I will take actions accordingly." Seto warned, he gave Kaiah a knowing look as he turned ahead to the turbo lift.

"Though I do personally believe there's most likely a cosmic anomaly of sorts that is making this region of space behave strangely." He admitted, the idea that some sort of new element or old technology long forgotten that continues to create trouble does give Seto some calm.

 

[Kaiah Nihl]

Location: Blue Spire – Hangar.
Objective: Decend Deeper into the Spire.
Nearby: [member="Tao Liu Xian"] | [member="Marriskcal Lati"] | [member="Seto Du Couteau"]

​

​

Kaiah clasped her hands together in joy as the youngling showed his skill with the blade. ‘I wonder what he could do in the dueling circle’ she mused.

She watched the boy continue, but felt the smile drop from her face. She could feel the force around the boy, feel as he stepped into it and joined the flow. A horrible uneasy feeling crept into her stomach as she watched the young-one quicken his movements.

‘The force is sacred’ she told herself, her mind was muddling as conflicting thoughts ran through her head. ‘You don’t use the force. You keep it at a distance, lest it corrupt you’. That was the lesson her family learned from their ancient ancestor, Darth Nihl. The member of the One-Sith brought great shame to her family, and thus they renounced the Force despite their strong affinity for it.

She was shaken from her reverie as Tao held the blade back for her. She smiled, but it came out more like a grimace. She sheathed her weapon and turned to follow Marr. Seto pulled up aside her, to make his allegiances clear. Kaiah nodded. “I’ve heard of your Order” she said. “Nagi lies in the unknown regions, although not on any of your maps. I’ve passed through your territory before, many years ago".

- - - - -​

They were gathered in the elevator, ready to descend. “You’ve been gracious enough to share your plans with me” she addressed the group. “It is only fair that I share mine as well”. She pulled a piece of aging parchment from her pocket.

“An old rival of mine recently returned to Nagi, powerful in the force” she swallowed, this memory was difficult for her. “We didn’t have any of our own to counter him, as using the force in my hometown is considered…unnatural” she hesitated on the last word. Tao’s use of the force seemed so…pure. Could that really be considered unnatural?

“Anyway” she said. “I dueled him but lost. Fortunately, he spared me and I’ve been trying to find the source of his power ever since” She unfolded the map.

Spoiler

Spoiler

“It was no easy feat to find this; an ancient map of Bluespire. We are here” She made a red ‘X’ near the top of the tower. “And here is the location of the anomaly” she made another ‘X’ near the bottom of the spire.

She passed the map around and moved towards the elevator controls. She input the coordinates and watched the doors close. The elevator shuddered into motion and started their decent into the spire.