Private Something Always Interrupts

[Amur]

There was silence right now for the Sith Knight as she gazed at the blue cosmos zooming past her in hyperspace. It was something that never got old even when it transitioned from the spectacular to the mundane. Though it wasn't whimsical wonder or any of that nonsense that kept Amur quiet, it was something more human. Well to start she wasn't traveling in her own ship but rather the ship of one Kalanda Tishire. Amur's feelings towards the doctor could only be described as "It's complicated" though no matter what it meant that the Sith would always appreciate any reason to spend time with the kind doctor.

Really she found herself in a tidal wave of feeling around her and the Sith was trying to come to terms with what exactly was going on in the confines of her own mind. Whether she was just in need of a fellow kindred spirit having been deprived of that for years, or if there was a chance that she was led along by the force towards something deeper. She just wanted an answer of some kind from within, something to break this curse of uncertainty and lead her down something she could be confident with.

She found her gaze drifting towards her left at Kalanda as the two occupied the pilot and copilot's chairs, now beginning to furrow her brow trying to think of what to do. Her mind couldn't help but linger on the witch like a stuck frame in a film reel. She felt comfortable yet uneasy at the same time, a paradoxical mix of feelings that returned to her. Trying to search her own mind Amur would think and mull her brain feeling like it was about to implode. Amur found her mind revisiting an odd idle thought from a prior conversation.

"Kala what can you tell me about spira? I've never been there before and was curious about visiting it some day." She asked hoping desperately the witch wouldn't catch on to what she may want to imply.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

The Sith was quiet, exceptionally quiet at that. Which meant she was thinking. What she was thinking about, Kalanda had no way of knowing, but the aura that Amur gave off indicated she was mulling over something rather intently. Taking a pause from the controls, she looked over to the Sith and watched her, or perhaps studied her was more accurate. She seemed to be gazing out at the stars, admiring the blue tunnel of hyperspace. Kalanda wished she could see past the visor, to see the face underneath without it being obscured. If her blood was pure, she would have been able to, but alas that was beyond her capabilities. She suppressed the desire to sigh, and turned to look over some blinking lights on her console, trying to get a grip on the turbulent headspace she had been struggling with for the last few days. It was a selfish desire, not one she should have any issue relinquishing, and yet there was just something more at her core that wanted more. She winced behind her mask, disagreeing with herself, countering her points, then trying to rework them into an arguement that made sense.

Amur saved her from this dilemma however, as she asked about a destination, the beaches of Spira. A smile stretched across Kalanda's face, as she turned to face the Sith, feeling a bubbling sense of excitement swelling up in her chest once again. "Spira is a wonderful world! It's just one giant island resort! There are beaches everywhere, the water is always warm, the food is always delectable, and based on your funds you can keep affairs as private and discrete as you want. Unfortunately it's always very expensive, but given your status, you could certainly afford it!" She chimed, pointing towards Amur for a brief moment. "Sadly I only get to go for work, occasionally they need assistant doctors to help with the elderly visitors they get, but it's a very lovely world, extremely romantic." Kalanda continued, smiling all the while. She found herself leaning towards Amur, and pulled herself back, knowing that she and the Sith were on very tentative ground right now, and she really didn't want to push it.

Amur

 

[Amur]

Eyes beneath the helm of Amur looked back at the masked figure studying Kalanda as she spoke trying to divinate a glimpse inside Kalanda's mind, did she know? Amur's mind wandering a bit in thought especially when she lacked the ability to read the eyes and the way the moved and flexed which was always a powerful window for her to work in. Still the way she spoke about the planet was normal, the Sith soon finding herself noticed how headlong Kalanda dove into any topic or source of knowledge, it was endearing and quite enchanting to watch as it was difficult to stop the blind doctor's infectious passion from rubbing off on anyone she spoke with Amur included.

She could already get a picture of it or atleast the fantasy that Kala was trying to construct in her mind. She wouldn't be surprised if there was more to it though perhaps that would only cause problems to reveal those pitfalls. Still the armored figure subconsciously lean forward to Kalanda as she drew up on the witch's excitement and a thought or two perhaps came to mind. If it was as private as claimed then perhaps it would be the nice spot for her to finally figure out what made the witch tick. There was a lot underneath the surface of the witch that was just begging to rear their heads. She just wanted to see what would really show, when it was just them on a quiet beach just before the twilight of the night gave way to an encroaching sunset...

Heat would begin to rise from the Sith as she could feel herself getting lost in thought again. A shameful red tone and pressure flooded her cheeks and now she would pull back as it happened again. The thoughts never stopped, always intruding into her brain at the most inopportune times. Amur now leaning back into her chair. What was it about her that made her heart want to flutter and melt? She could understand sharing pain, but then the calls of lust would begin to play it's song, a song she knew and wanted to forget.

She tried to ignore it and just try to look at the witch like anyone else but it refused, and would wage a war to overpower her logic, to force her feelings. The old wounds and pain flaring up as Amur's mind became aware of it's constant sting, it's irritation. Some days she could just forget it, walk around like nothing had happened as she and everyone else tried to pretend that it was invisible and unfeelable. Other days it was a waking agony, and others? Well it wasn't just pain of the body but the memories too. A silence came from the Sith, for a few seconds processing everything including the word romantic as it seemed to bounce around inside her skull.

She wanted to retreat within again, but looking at the witch she could feel her body stiffen, an urge trying to prop herself up. She just wanted to feel that hug again... maybe spira wouldn't be too bad an idea.

"It sounds nice I might plan a visit..." Her throat tightened as she drifted off, while she wanted to finish the thought and just say it, her mind was now fighting back trying to claw her back to her senses. Feeling embarrassment claw back to her mind and a fear of what may be the answer if she completed the thought.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Here they were, once again taking in the residence of awkward silence. Kalanda's gaze fixed at the helmeted figure, and realized that she was able to faintly hear the sounds of Amur's breathing. She fidgeted her hands, clasping them together as her eyes fell to the floor. Her mind went on a journey, one fueled with nonsense and romantic desires that were so far removed from reality that they might as well have been a fairy tale. The silence only lasted for a moment, but to the Witch it seemed like an eternity. Amur had leaned closer, and Kalanda now realized that she too had done the same. A lingering sense of awkwardness trickled into the back of her mind, as she tried to process the scene laid out before her.

She swallowed hard, pushed those ridiculous feelings down deep and gripped her hands tightly together, praying to the ichor that she would have the strength to pull herself back before she did something stupid. "We should go, you know, as friends!" She stumbled over her words, her gaze looking away and towards the console before her. She was trying to find something to deflect to, something that might just save her from having ruined this connection she was forming with a Sith. She noticed a small blinking dot on her comms system, but it could have very well have been an old message. Kalanda wasn't particularly paying attention either, if anything she was just looking for an excuse, or something to just deflect these sensations of awkwardness coursing through her mind right now.


Amur

 

[Amur]

So this dance around the bush continued as Amur lean back resigned to the fact that this moment was just not the right moment. Her mind winding itself and tying a gordian knot around it's contents and thoughts as she couldn't find a way to just cut through it all. She hated how she was feeling to the witch's reply, she hated how friend sounded like nothing more than a four letter word to her. There was something burning inside her that just rejected that notion and wanted more and more like a hunger that refused to satiated, and yet another part of her twisting and tearing at her insides as if an alchemy ritual was being performed on it. She just... just... wanted an answer...

Amur's head jerked up as their ship was suddenly pulled out of Hyperspace suddenly jerking to a halt as the inky black of space started to swallow the once blue cosmos. Looking around she saw that there was... nothing around them, no star large star, no masses of any kind just the blankness of space to might back other then some floating asteroids. Though as she looked around she could feel something and an intuition took hold telling her to look... right... there. Out in the depths of space far away was something moving that she now couldn't unsee as she stared off into the black.

Quickly looking down Amur would notice the small blinking dot of the comms array and one of the warning lights that now flashed though it's purpose was unknown to her. "Kala is something wrong with the ship... or is that supposed to be our destination? Amur said as she pointed out the small object in space to Kalanda. Any inspection of the ship and it's diagnostic functions would reveal no faults in the ship. If the ships comms were investigated as it remained blinking though would reveal a lone transmission being broadcasted. If allowed to play then the ship's comms would begin to transmit lonely desperate call of a distress signal crying out for help. The source being the unidentified floating object in space which would soon to proved to start resembling the outline of a ship if Kalanda and Amur drew near.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Well that made both her and Amur. They both wanted answers, but the likelyhood of that was...well almost nonexistent. At least for right now, Kalanda was her doctor after all and doctor client relationships were...well, they were not something Kalanda wanted to get wrapped up in. She wanted to bash her head into the console after using the word 'friend' to describe Amur. They were more than friends weren't they? Or maybe that's what Kalanda wanted, but what did Amur want? She didn't know, she had no way to know. Amur wanted to be solitary, to not have connections, and having connections just made her weak which meant that if Kalanda got involved it would just cause her friend more suffering. Why did falling in love have to be so complicated, and when did she start using the word love? No, it was way too soon, way too soon! They were friends! Yes, friends! Kalanda's head rattled with these thoughts, as her calm complexion on the outside was not at all what was going on within her. Amur could perhaps detect the battle of confusion waging on in the mind of the woman beside her, but the Sith's words would snap Kalanda out of it long enough to recognize the ship that was approaching.

The witch stirred from her position, looking up at the view screen beyond. Indeed it was ship, a Sith frigate as well. It didn't look damaged, though it's engines and shields were both offline according to the readout. That was unusual. Realizing that the flashing light on the comms might be a distress signal, Kalanda flipped it on. "That's strange, why is that ship powered down?" Kalanda asked aloud, looking to Amur for confirmation. The communication line was dead, but the line was still open, that was very unusual. Taking the comms, Kalanda powered down the engines, letting her ship drift past the frigate before she spun around to circle it. "Hello? Is anyone there? This is a Confederate Medial Ship, do you need assistance?" Kalanda asked with concern evident in her voice, only to receive silence from the other end. The witch frowned, and looking to her friend she wanted to do one last thing before they left the site behind. "Can we go check on them? There's something not right about this at all." Kalanda affirmed, as she glanced for an airlock they could dock with. All thoughts of Amur and romance dissolved, as Kalanda felt she had a job to do; Amur things could come after.

Amur

 

[Amur]

There was something about the ship that was deeply unsettling for the Sith. Charts revealed that they were no where, just one of the many pockets of deep space where the only thing that could occupy you was the light of distant far off stars reminding just how far life was to you. The ship upon inspection showed no signs of damage, no signs of tampering, nothing aloof as it stared at them. Well preserved in the vacuum of space. The fact that it was a powerful war ship too was equally problematic. Pirates would have either scrapped the ship or taken the ship for themselves. Infact most circumstances would have atleast brought out better communications. There really was no reason for this ship to be drifting here undamaged, unless they had to intentionally power the ship down.

Truth be told there was no reason she could think for the ship to be powered down yet she needed to say something to Kalanda. "Could be that the ship suffered a failure of their main power unit, or the crew may have to go on impulse power. They would normally shut down all nonessential system except for Life Support in such circumstances... though if it was impulse power they would still have short range communications. She didn't like it. Just looking at the ship caused something to stir in her, her mind briefly flashing images of what they could find and it unsettled her. Truth be told there was a chance that everyone was dead, and they would find nothing but frozen corpses.

Still Kalanda tried to hail the ship only to receive silence, only reinforcing the idea that this derelict was now only a tomb. Still she couldn't deny that this would most certainly be something she couldn't ignore. A mostly intact war ship was something that couldn't be ignored If brought back to being operational well it be a good addition to the fleet, especially when war was on the horizon, Another ship to add especially a brawler like this would have been ideal... hell if she could stomach the idea of living in a flying grave yard perhaps this ghost ship could be hers.

Amur made note to check the navigation systems of Kalanda's ship and saved the current location they were in. It would be useful to report to the engineers if it was decided to bring the ship back into service. Her helmet drifted towards Kalanda as she asked what to do about the ship, as one of the airlocks came into view.

"I don't like it, but it'd be prudent to see if we can board and ascertain it's condition. I'm gonna warn you though there's a good chance the only crew we find are skeletons. Let's just make it quick." She told giving into Kalanda's suggestion. She had a feeling that she'd check the derelict regardless of what she said. The medical ship was ready to be guided to the airlock. It was all a simple affair really now but it just kept Amur on edge until finally a jolt over came over the hull when the two ships finally connected. The connection would allow aspects of the medical ship to interface showing that the ships atmosphere and climate was still maintained to acceptable levels though it was at a rather chilly 5 degrees Celsius. Though they still be able to walk around no problem.

Amur would walk herself to the connecting airlock and wait for Kalanda to take her side, so they could investigate the ship. When Kalanda was ready to board Amur look straight into the witches eyes as a protective instinct began to take hold. "Just stick close to me alright?" She would await for the witch's answer and then would beginning the procedure to open the airlock.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda has seen disabled ships before, in fact she had lived on one when things got really back. This however just put her mind in a strange position, making her question what was really going on. Her mood dimmed with Amur's comment about the crew being dead, but she was expecting as much, but if there was a chance to help someone she was going to risk it. "At the very least we can let your superiors know and get their bodies back home." It was a sober note for sure, but at least it would help in the healing of others. A tightness took hold over her chest, as if the ship was warning her to stay away, but they docked airlocks none the less. A shrill scream echoed at the back of Kalanda's mind, and she flinched in her seat, grabbing at the sides of her head, only for it to stop before the pain hit. Shaken, the witch looked to the dormant ship off to their starboard side, and could only feel a sinking feeling in her gut. She had dealt with unexplained phenomenon before, but something about this just didn't sit right with her.

There was an unusual energy coming from the vessel, almost a vacuum in space, drawing in anything that would venture closer, and for the first time in a long time Kalanda felt terror grip at her heart. Her gaze fell onto Amur, finding the Sith already to go, her eyes lingering upon herself, and the witch dug deep to steel herself against the concerns she harbored. Rising up, Kalanda pulled her lightsaber to herself and secured it, before grabbing her medical bag as well. After a few moments and several checks, she was ready to depart. Locking eyes with Amur, she gave a small nod and forced a smile upon her face. She preferred to stay with Amur, being with the Sith made her feel safe. "I'd prefer it, if any energy vampires come after me I know you'll come to my rescue." She replied, before opening up the airlock and revealing the desolate ship beyond. A low groan sounds as the pair would move through, though strangely the ships lighting controls were still active. Getting past the airlock, the first sign of crew was grisly indeed. A Sith officer, an ensign by his pip, had been disemboweled, his face contorted in horror, his eyes widen, but his face was sunken and thin. His body was sprayed across an inspection table, his eyes fixated on the ceiling light above, as his insides and blood had been sprayed across the room. By his face alone he looked to be nearly one hundred years old, yet his hair indicated there wasn't a touch of gray to him. Kalanda let out a gasp, her eyes fixated on the gory mess before her. "By the force..." Kalanada muttered, before moving to inspect the body; after doing a cautionary glance around the room first. She set her sights on the wounds, trying to see how this might have happened, potentially knowing what they would be dealing with, and what to expect. To Kalanda's shock, it seemed that brute force had torn the man apart, and the telltale signs of an animal attack were not present; this was a perplexing sight for sure. "A human being might have done this, but the face....looks like he was drained of his life." Kalanda muttered, taking note of how distorted the facial features were, then looking to the splattering of blood around the room. No foot prints, no signs of any person being in here at all. She frowned, then turned to Amur, hoping for some sort of comfort. "Do...you think a Sith Lord could have done this?" She asked, unsure what other line of logic to pursue.

Amur

 

[Amur]

Something was off as she felt a ticking itch burrow at the back of her skull putting her on edge. Her body going into high alert as she waited for Kalanda. Her anxiety beginning to nourish and fester. Even seeing Kalanda follow suit and join her wasn't quite as comforting as she hoped, there seemed to be something brewing inside, fear perhaps. Seeing that for the first time in her partner was disconcerting. Still as the doors of the air lock opened she shut her eyes tried to take in the comforting words of her doctor and step forth into the unknown.

The lights were on the inside and a fog of condensation occupied every breath the two took inside the ship. Wandering in the ship Amur would notice a light cover of dust on some sections of the various controls and on the floors intensifying the abandoned feeling the ship had, hinting that this ship had been laying dormant for quite some time. It's exact date however would be unknown until they could ascertain some documentation of any kind. The bridge of the ship would need to be found as with that they could quickly access a slew of information. Mission protocols, diagnostics, transmission logs, the works of information that could be used to figure out what happened.

That would be quickly put onto morbid delay as she saw the remains of the ensign. Savage was the word to describe his state. There was black staining littered about absolutely everywhere staining a large portion of the inspection table and the overall room. The blood already having oxidized now leaving a black textured pattern now that was flaky to the touch. The horror on his face was only amplified by the forced aging, like someone had dried him of liquid or perhaps a force drain? Maybe force Lightning as accelerated aging was a tell tale sign of the ability. Yet if that was the case why was he also torn asunder? There was a perplexed tone to Kalanda's voice as it seemed that she too was equally dumbfounded. Still her theory of what happened made sense.

"A Sith Lord losing themselves to madness and the dark side and taking his own ship with him as a result wouldn't be out of possibility." She pursed as she racked her mind to explain away. "Lightning could cause the aging or perhaps he was drained. Perhaps a lord decided to torture him too, but well I'll see if I can sense an echo." Amur would gently grab the officer's ensign pip and then shut her eyes trying to sense the force steeling herself for sensation of death to overwhelm her...

A scream raged across her mind reverberating and echoing in a chaotic whirlwind that seemed to amplify itself and implode echoing erratically and ringing her ears. Tinny overstimulating noise giving her a headache and tearing at her as her spine wanted to recoil and free itself from her body and her heart want to burst out of her chest captivity as it beat harder and harder and harder. Eyes slammed open and she recoiled back a few steps only to be caught by a medical table behind her. There was no vision, there was no pain, there was no smell, no touch the only thing that she could register flowing through to her in her bout of psychometry was a single harrowing scream that she never wanted to hear again. A few quick breaths came from her as she instinctually reached for her saber ready to ignite, ready to defend itself from a threat that didn't exist.

She looked back at tried to look at Kalanda but her head was kept tilted down towards the ground as she spoke. "I... I... couldn't get anything from that, just his screaming I think. Let's just go to the bridge and see what data we can pull from the computers and get off. I... don't like this place."

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda looked to Amur, hoping that the stoic Sith would relieve the concern that was building up within her chest. Her hands pressed against her chest, as Kalanda felt a rising tension growing. She looked to the dead man, saddened at how cruel of a fate he had been dealt, and how powerless she was in this moment. When her eyes fell upon Amur, she felt a chill overtake her at seeing the signs that her companion was shaken by whatever she had seen. Kalanda attempted to inquire on her own, reaching out with her grasp of the ichor, and felt another presence intercept her.

It was a foreign presence, and seemed almost animalistic at first, but to the witches horror it focused on her, studying her, before trying to pry into her. This ship was filled with death, Kalanda could feel it, she could smell it, and it was terrified her to her core. It was at this point Kalanda cut the connection.

Unable to stop herself, Kalanda hugged the woman tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as she just wanted her anexities to silence. "Amur there's something here! Something dark and powerful...it felt me, it knows we are here Amur..." Kalanda muttered, her grip tightening as she could feel the apparition calling for her, the shrill scream from before was back, and was almost like that of a radar. Kalanda took a moment to steady herself, trying to push that foreign presence out of her mind, hoping that they could find the computer and leave as soon as possible. "I'm sorry..." Kalanda muttered, stepping away and moving towards the door. Opening it, the scene that unfolded was not that different from the room before. Several stormtroopers had been torn to peices, the hallway lights flickered on and off, and the plates and floor covered in gore and blood. Kalanda gasped and stepped back, as processing this level of death was not something she was used to. "What did this..." Kalanda asked aloud, but would eventually move towards the turbolift that awaited the pair at the end of the hall. What Amur and Kalanda might not have caught, was the skeletal entity that would begin stalking them the moment they entered the turbolift, perhaps intending on stopping the pair heading towards the bridge.

Amur

 

[Amur]

As Amur was trying to get her bearings the air of this ship becoming more hostile by the minute and she was seeing Kalanda try to engross herself in something but shutting herself off just as quick, and soon having flung her arms around the Sith much to Amur's surprise. The Sith though would quickly wrap one arm around her back while the other one would rise to cradle the back of Kalanda's head pressing it softly into Amur's shoulder, she just couldn't bear to see the witch in such a state of fear as she swallowed hard to hold back her body from revolting in an outburst of emotion. Kala didn't need a teary eyed mess, she need something strong to rely on.

She heard the scream reverberate in her mind as she gritted her teeth and pulled the witch tighter to her, just trying to force the noise out of her karking head, as it felt like her mind was ready to hemorrhage just from that alone, still trying hard to not show that she was equally afraid of whatever unknown being was trying to infiltrate their minds.

"It's ok, you have me, you have me." A surprisingly tender quality could be heard from the Sith's voice as she tried to calm Kalanda. As she saw Kala eventually pull herself away and throwing out an unnecessary apology, Amur wanting to correct her but her mind was too focused now on keeping her senses on high alert. As she followed the nightsister the saber would be held with a death grip. When the hallway of meat moss opened up before them the saber promptly lit to life as she saw the piles and pieces of storm troopers that littered the poorly lit corridor. Where as Kalanda was finding herself lost in the pure carnage of the situation Amur was inspecting the bodies most being torn asunder like it was done by a savage beast but she also noticed that a few of the bodies had scorching on their armor similar to what you saw from a blaster wound, in fact there was blaster marks everywhere. Looking around for a trail of blood dried or whatever that may have served as a mark but once again nothing. Just stuff that could be traced back to the stormtroopers.

"It's strange Kala, there was a firefight. They were shooting in all directions, yet not a single trail that leads out of here. They only thing they seemed to hit was eachother." Amur mused partly to Kalanda but mainly to herself as they ventured forth towards the solitary turbolift. The Sith not wanting to stay any longer had quickly set the lift traveling upwards towards the bridge level thankful that the power for the turbolift was still functional. Though as they travel sitting in the still small lift an anxiety was fueling Amur as she could taste danger. A fear that seemed to latch on and refused to leave her as it dug deeper and deeper through the back of her head. There was a power here definitely and a brewing fury. Amur looked towards Kalanda, and then it thought to earlier suddenly intrusive thoughts egging the Sith in the back of her head in an unending chorus of sound.

"Kalanda. There's something I've been wanting to tell..." The Sith had blurted out and tried to say only for the Turbolift to shudder and halt suddenly leaving the two stranded on the lift. A momentary peace and silence until she felt it through the force. Something coming up towards them at a fast pace right under where they...

Amur quickly took her saber and flipped it downward and proceeded to do a two handed stab into the ground right infront of her as she drove the blade deeper and deeper down causing a lull and waning of the presence she felt die off once more. A tense sigh being released from Amur.

A clawed wiry thin hand would erupt through the floor phasing through it as if it didn't exist and hooked onto Amur's left foot. Razor sharp claws that dug deep around the ankle and formed a tight grip around Amur's boot. With it came and ear piercing scream that was louder then she ever heard before raging across her mind and blotting out the world, she couldn't hear herself think much less her own pained scream as it came upon her brain like a series of barbed steel wool tearing and digging and raking across her brain as the Sith could barely process that she was being lifted up. Soon a skeletal figure rose up into the cabin and Amur would hang upside down dangling, and then being lifted high enough that she was at eye level with it's chest. It was hard to describe as she could barely keep her eyes open while her head was pulsating from the noise wanting to split into two. She saw mainly torn whispy fabric and leathery flesh. Trying to attack she swung her saber at the monstrosity only for it to phase through not even making a noise. Shock could be barely registered before Amur felt it's other hand claw into her right side pressing deeply as it released it's grip around her foot. One moment she was dangling next she could feel herself get slammed into the walls of the turbo lift.

Her side radiating a pulsating burning sensation and her vision growing hazy as she saw the creature turn it's attention to Kalanda.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Being in Amur's arms felt good, it felt safe, and frankly it was a nice distraction from the world that was down right horrifying. If she could hold the Sith any tighter, she would have. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared. I've never felt anything like this before. Not even on Dathomir." Kalanda had wrestled with spirits before, but this was something else, almost malicious in it's intent. Whatever it was, it terrified her to the core. Amur's voice took on a soothing tone that she hadn't heard before, and Kalanda found herself forgetting all about the danger they were in; at least for a moment. As Kalanda's resolve returned, she took a look at the scene before the pair, and saw what Amur was concerned with. "Why would they do that....unless a Sith Lord made them do it?" The witch muttered, a bit lost for words at the mayhem she was witnessing. Seeing little else after having investigating the wounds, most were by blaster fire, the rest seemed to have been from being sliced apart. "I don't like this one bit." Kalanda muttered, before stepping into the turbolift, and trying to decompress. Leaning against the back of the lift, Kalanda let out a sigh, only to have her attention be caught by Amur. A tightness in her chest was made known, and for a moment she felt her heart skip a beat, but it only lasted a moment before the horror struck.

"AMUR!" Kalanda screamed out, watching as the creature attacked her friend, watching as she was hoisted into the air and skewered, as her friends blood poured out of the new wound. The Siths lightsaber passed through the creature unharmed, which Kalanda could now see in all its horror. It looked like a flayed corpse, it's body twisted and seemed to linger there like the ghosts of Dathomir. Kalanda watched in horror as the entity seemed to shimmer and bubble within the force, but unlike with living creatures that seemed to resignate in harmony, this being seemed to scream out in defiance against it's very nature. Having trapped the Sith, the being turned it's head to gaze at Kalanda, only to see an enraged witch ready to meet her. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Kalanda screamed out, throwing her hands forward as she called upon the force, aiming to throw the creature away from Amur with all her might. A low growl echoed in Kalanda's mind, as she took hold of the beast, and felt it's limbs begin to snap and pop, before it was sent hurtling backwards and into the wall. It seemed to almost phase into the wall, and Kalanda could no longer feel it's chilling presence; but she didn't care about that. Her attention fell immediately to Amur, as Kalanda dropped down to the woman, as she frantically tried to stop the bleeding. "I can fix this, I can fix this." She repeated to herself, fumbling with her healing supplies as she inspected the wound, and found that it was exceptionally deep. Wincing, Kalanda conjured forth her magick, and took Amur's hand in her own. "This is going to hurt a little, but it'll help." Kalanda stated, trying to maintain her clam, despite seeing her dear Amur bleeding out right before her. The wound would indeed begin to seal, but while she was busy healing her Sith friend, Kalanda would fail to notice the creature had returned, but this time it was descending from above, it's razor sharp claws reaching out towards Kalanda's neck.

Amur

 

[Amur]

She found herself laying face down her head canted uncomfortably so she could still see the creature or rather the bottom of it. Trying to look up and move her head created a raging headache that caused her vision to almost black out. Trying to use her left leg to help pick herself up only caused it to cry and stab at her mind, feeling herself get weaker. She knew she had to get up, had to keep fighting and so she would try to push herself up only for her insides to feel like they were tying themselves into a tighter and tighter knot that simultaneously teared apart as much as they tighten. A pained groan radiating out as she just start to get up onto her right knee only for her body to give up and to release it's strength causing her to flip onto her back instead.

A morbid moment took part as Amur stared at approximately where the wound had landed seeing the blood pouring out, her breathing quickening and a panic began to take hold, she could feel parts of the underlayer of her armor get wet and she tried to apply pressure only for the pain to stop her. She saw a blur move above her unable to tell what it was as she could only make out a vague outline. The outside world just being a chorus of random noises with no meaning for a brief period. Yet she would find silence as she was now stuck to staring up at the ceiling and quickly she would see Kala come into view.

Her breathing upon seeing her would change, growing erratic and seeming to shuffle, stop, and sputter. The reality was the Sith was crying. The pain was overbearing and well subconsciously there was something that was understood even if she couldn't admit it to herself yet. Her chest heaving up and down, and when Kala grabbed her bloodied right hand Amur would hold on as tightly as she could muster, not wanting to let go one last time. When she felt the nightsisters magick begin the messy process of closing the wound. Amur shut her eyes and bit down hard her sobbing now turning into a pained muffled whimper.

Amur's eyes would have stayed shut if it weren't for the fact she felt her stomach plummet and some calling forcing her to take notice. They opened and what she saw was the impending death of someone she loved unfolding in front of her. Her mind pictured the image of Kalanda's throat being slit by the creature above in her head. A part of her ready to accept that she had gotten someone that she now knew she loved killed, too much of a coward to even tell her how she truly felt before they both died.

There was another part however. One that refused.

Her left arm shot out aimed towards the damn beast's head, a final chorus of hatred, anger and mostly fear would arise as a current of lightning flew out basking the turbolift in light as she could hear the being cry in the most satisfying agony she had every heard in her life. For several seconds it took the brunt of the attack somehow finding a way to look even more decrepit than it already was as a result of the attack. It retreated once again, it was unsure if that truly killed it or merely forced it to back off and lick it's wounds, but it gave them a window.

As the lightning halted, Amur's hand would drop now feeling more like a piece of rubber then a usable limb. Amur finding that her vision was now starting to have a black border form around the edges. Body felt like dead weight. She was now shivering and could feel a comforting call to just close her eyes and sleep. Though she fought to ignore it, her desire to stay with Kalanda fueling her.

"Kal... I..." A faint voice rising from her helmet. Words trying to squeeze out before she had to stop and take a few heavy breaths.

"I... love you..."

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

She was hurting, and Kalanda could see it, hell she could practically feel it as she worked to mend the gash in the woman's side. She pushed the panic out of her mind, focusing on her medical training, knowing that a calm mind made would make a recovery more likely. Her attention lapsed at feeling the grip of Amurs' hand, and took comfort in the fact that her friend could at least do that. A slight chill dashed up her spine, and a voice almost screwed into her mind. Her mind went white, and she felt a sense of fear and dread that until then she hadn't known. There was a bright flash, and for a moment Kalanda thought herself dead, until she felt the screams impact against her back, and the smell of ozone entering her nostrils. Kalanda felt a presence in the force vanish, it's existence torn apart like an opening and closing in the very fabric, leaving a wailing screech in its wake. Kalanda found herself trembling, her hands shaking as she held the sides of her head, Amurs blood mixing with her tears as the relief began to escape from her.

She saw the limb that had saved her flop uselessly to the ground, and for a moment a fit of panic seized her; until a quick check revealed the Sith was still alive. She could make out the heavy breathing, the laboring of the Siths' chest, and the words that slowly hissed from the helmed woman. It almost shattered Kalanda's heart, as she nearly toppled onto Amur right then and there.

"Amur...." She whimpered, her fingers brushed against the visor of the Sith's mask, seeing the conflict within her. She wasn't sure what to say, let alone what to do. This was her patient, but more than that...this was someone she cared for. She had never loved before, so was this what she felt in this moment? Was this love? She had no way of knowing here and now. Words were caught in Kalanda's throat, as she didn't know what to say. A part of her was still thinking as a doctor, the other as a woman watching a soul she was so fond of, suffering and feeling like there was nothing she could do. "Just....just don't struggle, okay? I'll fix this. I can save you...." She muttered, as she tried to keep a grip on the situation, trying to tell herself that she wasn't about to die with Amur. No, she had to get them both out of here, she had something to fight for still. Checking the wound, Kalanda could see it had mostly closed, but a small bit of blood still flowed from it. Feeling weary, Kalanda reached out once again, this time sealing the wound, but feeling a wave of fatigue wash over her. Taking in a breath, she nearly collapsed atop of Amur, hugging the Sith tightly against her body, as the turbolift seemed to finally comeback to life. "I will get us out of here. I promise." Kalanda muttered, cradling Amurs' body, as she could feel the strength in her arms weaken ever so faintly. "I want you in my life Amur, I won't let you go....."

She felt so powerless, even with all her medical knowledge and power, in this instance she felt as worthless as could be. It was like being at the end of her mothers' vibrowhip all over again, the punishment never seemed to stop. "Amur, please don't die. Amur. I...I...I just...." She felt anger course through her, rage at the situation, and of what that thing had done to her friend. Her Amur. Her embrace on the woman tightened, as she found a new strength in that rage and dug into it. It was cold, but oh so comforting. She felt the waterworks stop, that sensation that made her want to crawl into a corner and cry was no more. She wasn't sure what she was experiencing, but it felt right, and it felt good; it was what was going to save her Amur. "I'm going to protect you. Just like you protected me." Kalanda's tone was different now, she herself felt it. She could feel the disturbances from before, there were more of them; how many, she wasn't sure. Unlike last time, as Kalanda felt their presence wash over her, she felt invigorated to strike back at them. Her training as a witch had allowed her to dabble into the darker nature of Dathomir, and now seemed like a perfect time to unleash it. Kalanda could feel the turbolift slowing, they would be at the bridge soon enough, and they would need to figure out how to deal with this infestation sooner or later. She attempted to sit Amur up, holding the woman upright, and if Amur lacked the strength, the witch would carry her instead. As the doors opened, the pair would be greeted to a bloody sight on the bridge, much like they had seen all about the ship earlier. Kalanda would guide her wounded friend towards the captains chair, and set her onto it, ignoring the bloody mess that was scattered all about. Now they needed to figure out how to get out of this place, and kill whatever was hunting them. She had someone she was fighting for now, and she'd be damned if some zombie rejects were going to cut those plans short.

Amur

 

[Amur]

Everything felt different once those words finally exited her mouth leaking out into the hollow air into Kalanda's ears. There was so much more that she wanted to say. 3 words weren't enough, they were merely a tip of an iceberg that laid below what was spoken. Thinking alone was hard enough and thinking loud enough for those thoughts to be turned into words felt like a climbing a mountain. It made Kalanda's reaction sting Amur that much more. It hurt because the feelings were mutual.

In what could have been her final moments all she had done was made sure that Kalanda's soul would be another casualty. It made Amur hate herself even more. She saw the witch brush her fingers across her helmet, wishing that they could phase through and touch her skin, just so she could have that sensation fresh in her mind one last time. She felt so helpless forced to just drift along and watch everything crumble. The rest of Kala's words deflect and bounced off of Amur's mind like harmless echoes. Hard to make out instead she could only see her body language, that was the only way she could understand the witch right now. Kala was doing her best to keep it together, bless her for trying.

Her side tinged again as Kala tried her best to work whatever she had left in an attempt to save Amur. Some of the pain now fading from her mind making it easier to hear, still she felt like nothing but pure ice as her body cried out for more warmth. Kala dropping down on top of her nearly would have done it as she could feel something akin to heat try to transfer over to her, try to comfort her but alas it felt inhibited. Her armor feeling like a shell that that numbed her to the touch she desperately wanted to feel against her skin. Then there's was the cold that acted like a mote between her inner being to Kalanda.

She heard Kala's words now drawing wishes over her mind like a shooting star. It was easy now for Amur to see what she wanted. Someone that looked at her, underneath the armor, the anger, the facades and just see the million shattered pieces that composed the canvas of what all those things stood on, and accept it as it was. Here was her best chance and now that it was all about to slip though the cracks. She felt like she was about to shatter once more hearing Kala begging for her to not die.

No she couldn't break. Not now. Something ignited in her mind and practically screaming in a fit of mental sound and fury. Starting with her forcing her right hand to wrap around Kalanda's body, just an attempt to try and get herself to move and act. She couldn't bear the thought of breaking the witch with her death, there was already enough pain between the two. She didn't want to offload all of it onto her. She could hear a similar resolve take over Kalanda, tenacity and determination fueling the both of them.

Being sat up, Amur would try her hardest to stand up, a mind running at peak will piloting a body that was spent. Still with some assistance from Kalanda she would be able to stand, swaying heavily as aching feet and a light head threaten to tumble her constantly. With some support from the witch she could begin walking. Every step took effort, an injured foot and lack of energy saw to that. Amur feeling like she could pass out with every meter they crossed, yet she still kept trying to force her body to keep working, to keep going.

The blood and viscera that coated this place served as only more ammunition, a constant reminder of what could kill her beloved if she failed now. Making it to the bridge and being sat in the captain's chair she could feel her body just shift down and sag into the chair, some heavy breathing accompanied it. Having forgotten why she wanted to go to the bridge after the turbolift altercation. Memories and sparks though floated her mind as it came back, slowly she took out her armor's built in scramble key and begin to pick through into the ships main interface and computer. Trying to take out a datapad she would try to copy over the ship's crew logs, blackbox data, and captain's logs along with position data over.

"There... everything we would... need to... get. Let's get out... and tel-" She would stop to grab onto her forehead, and prop it back up again, feeling the call to just drop and fade away. A series of heavy breaths erupted. Just keep going, for her sake She would think to herself, desperate to not leave Kalanda alone here. Even as the sensation of these creatures returned back to her.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

The fury within Kalanda's mind thundered like the plains of Dathomir, and as she sat Amur down, she could feel the other creatures entering her mind, calling out to her life a pack of hungry animals. They were going to be on them soon, and given her state, it was up to Kalanda to protect them now. Seeing that Amur was at least recovering, but she was still in no shape to fight.

Drawing from her pouch, a strange green glow began to flow over Kalanda, as she knew just what this called for. She had promised her matriarch not to show this power unless it was in the most dire of needs, and in Kalanda's mind this certainly called for it. She began her incantation in Dathomi, focusing on the ichor, her thoughts drawing back to that pit on Dathomir; where she had proven worthy of the gift. "Mother, sisters, hear my call, give me strength to withstand the fall. Mountains break, rivers dry, spirits wither, life dies. Give me power, hear my call, break the souls of those at fault!" A fierce pain flared up in her fingers and lanced up through her limbs, as the ichor took the offering, and granted her the power in return. Kalanda's arms were wreathed in green flame, as her robes ignited, though she seemed to be mostly unharmed. She had to hold just enough to get Amur out of her, but they needed to not be hunted. "I won't let them hurt you." Kalanda muttered, focusing away from the intense pain that coated her arms, and more of the righteous fury she was storing up for the creatures coming towards them.

One of the creatures rose from the floor, another from the ceiling, both darted towards the pain, but their fate was quite different from that of their companions. Kalanda reached out with her hands, and let the fire go, as two torrents of fire lashed out and warped around the floating corpses, as the fire began to work away and melt them down. Kalanda could feel their life force being sapped, their pain and agony lashed out against her mind like a feral loath cat, but it was all for not. She didn't feel remorse like the last time she had used this gift, rather this time she felt joy at the death she was dishing out. "DIE. DIE. DIE. YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT." Something unnatural lashed out, yet Kalanda didn't fear what this thing was, she wished to embrace it. The pain faded, and as the creatures withered and screamed in agony began to fade into ash, Kalanda felt the ichor sever its tie to her. Her arms dropped limp, smoldering and bare from the power she had called upon, as two withered and ashed bodies hit the deck of the ship. Kalanda's knees shook as her stance lowered, feeling a sense of wrongness about herself now. She needed to get Amur out of here, this was the chance they needed, but it was so hard to move right now. With ever inch of will she could must, she turned herself towards Amur and forced herself to stand. "Amur..."

Her mind went towards their ship, as Kalanda would fall onto Amur, her hands wrapping around the Sith as she stumbled. The ichor surrounded the two, mist covering their forms and whisking them out of harms way, as they would clatter onto the deck of Kalanda's ship. Kalanda felt her body begin to spasm, having not had to channel so much of the ichor into herself before, and now she was paying the price; it would all fade in time, but they needed to get to safety. Kalanda couldn't sense any more of the creatures near by, but they were probably furiously searching for the pair. "I got you, it's okay now...." Kalanda muttered, her mask no longer was on her face, having clattered away as the pair hit the floor. She could hardly move her arms at current, but she kept them wrapped around Amur, partly because she wanted to, and partly because she didn't have the strength to unwrap them. "Computer, initiate emergency disengagement protocol." Kalanda called out, able to raise her head slightly for a moment before her body rejected the command. The small 'beep' it gave, followed by the 'pop' of the airlock was music to her ears, but the sensation of lightspeed taking effect was the second best thing she heard today. Feeling as how they were mostly safe, Kalanda looked back to her friend, her eyes still filled with tears of both fear, pain, and relief, with words she couldn't even put together bouncing around in her head. "We did it Amur, we're safe." She spoke, her legs and arms twitched and stinging as if she was being prodded by a dozen electro-pikes, but holding Amur in her arms...well that was worth the suffering.

Amur

 

[Amur]

This new barrage of mental overstimulation from these infernal beings was the most overwhelming one yet for the Sith. The foundations of consciousness crumbling away as a solitary right hand gripped at the temple of her helmet. Her vision fading in and out in a unfocused haze that turned the whole universe into a series of blurry colors and lights. Sound was now only a faint memory as the wild screaming was the only thing she could understand in this moment. She wanted to continue crying again, to just let it consume her wholly. She fought this and with her gaze turning to Kalanda she felt a warmth take over, her eyes and mind able to focus once more upon that beautiful face. Her heart skipped whatever few beats it still had as she read the lips of the tortured witch.

She saw that beauty now baptize itself in flame. All for her... Burning flesh and the smells wafting faintly to her noise as she saw Kala's sweetness be replaced with fire and fury. Unknown, confused emotions were now twisting and writhing in her stomach as she saw the beasts get torn asunder, her mind struggling to compute what it saw. Amur could only freeze and watch the show.

When the flames died and the ashes fell there was relief, though the reasons for that feeling were numerous and uncountable. Worry though briefly took over when Amur saw Kala ready to topple over, thoughts of the worst case already coming to head like a set of knives always ready to cut. Yet, she felt her weight topple onto her expecting the chair to catch them only for it to fade into air as she impacted the floor, massively disoriented from the tumble. Breathes of anxiety creeping in only for the processing of stimuli to communicate the familiar sights of Kala's ship. That combined with the feeling of Kalanda's embrace finally liberated the Sith from this waking nightmare.

Slowing processing that Kala had jettisoned the ship and now they were being flung as far away as they could right now. Finally there was time to just breathe, to stop and think. As her darling had finally said they were safe. She could feel the way her body tensed and recoiled as each muscle pulled and relaxed to only pull again more violently. Poor dear, she put herself through hell for this. A small part whispering in Amur's mind wondering if she was really worth this much pain. Amur would wrap her arm around Kalanda's back and gently rub it.

"Easy there, relax your body and straighten your legs, it'll still hurt but it'll recover faster." She spoke trying her best to maintain a soothing tone partly to get herself to calm down as well. She forced herself to look into Kalanda's eyes, staring into the window to Kalanda's soul. So much suffering and all of it rested on her. A single thought ran through her mind.

She hurt herself so much for you, sacrificed for you, changed for you... suffered for you. Yet she still knows so little about you.

Quickly a hand went and clawed around her helmet searching for the release, a few clumsy seconds that were rewarded with a single press, that was accompanied by the hissing of air. Trying to grab hold as her other arm continued to rub and comfort Kala. Grabbing onto the now heavy feeling mask she barely summoned the strength required to lift it off her head, completely revealing her face. Feeling the air of the ship caress her face almost stinging around the scar that ran across her face.

"I... I never met someone willing to give so much for me. I don't know how to thank you. I'll find a way to make this up to you, for everything." A mixture of gratitude and guilt lingered in the woman's words.

Kalanda Tishire

 

[Kalanda Tishire]

Kalanda could hardly hear Amur's words over her own heartbeat, her body just seemed to be in the midst of convulsions, but the hand of Amur made the pain a tad easier to ignore. Amur was trying to give advice, but she couldn't know what Kalanda was feeling right now, she didn't know about the consequence of the ichor. Amur knew so little of her, of her power, of her creed...and it was better off that way; the ways of her people were strange, Amur couldn't understand. She tried to relax, feeling a bit of the muscle strain leave, but the fire still burned in her veins. She trembled for a moment, wincing in near agonizing pain for several moments, but it finally left her.

The hiss of the helmet being released caught Kalanda's attention. Her eyes met Amurs for the first time, no visor between them, face to face. She felt as though she couldn't breath. She could always roughly make out the woman's face, but the mask had obfuscated so much of it. Seeing it now, Kalanda's heart felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest. She could see past the burns, the scar tissue, and even the shroud of hate she hide behind. She was beautiful. Why did she hide away so often? Was it because someone had hurt her? If so, Kalanda would make sure no one ever hurt her again. "You don't need to make up for anything, just....stay with me, please." Kalanda muttered, gazing with her pale eyes into Amur's face, too moved to form anything beyond simple words. She needed someone to watch out for her, someone to keep her safe, and Kalanda felt she was the best. She was a doctor, and Amur was her patient after all.

She tried to reach up and touch her face, wanting to feel her skin for once, wanting to stay close and ensure nothing happened to the woman; but her body had other ideas. "Lets...lets go to Spira, just get away from everyone and everything. There's...so much I want to tell you Amur." The words 'love' came to mind, but Kalanda didn't know what they meant. Clearly it was important, and from what she had seen it was a form of communication between families and loved ones. Was she Amur's loved one now? Did that make Amur hers? She felt a tinge light headed, and a numbness that made the limb pain feel like like nothing at all. She would endure this pain one hundred times over, she would let herself be burned from the inside out to keep Amur safe. She didn't want to see her get hurt ever again. Kalanda set her head against the woman's chest, smiling as she could feel Amur's embrace. "I love you, Murmur." She spoke, her arms slowly wrapping around the Sith, not sure what she was saying in this moment, but feeling that she meant every word.

Amur

 

[Amur]

She wasn't used to the way her voice sounded, the way sound reverberated around the room, the feeling of air kissing her face with each subtle head movement. Years of her life spent in a cocoon that helped keep the world at bay. There was so much different that it caused her mind to just overflow from the contrast. The worst part though was the sensation of eyes upon her mind racing in fear of what thoughts may have come up, all the flaws that she was acutely aware of. She was fearing and expecting disgust or pity but the story being told in the witch's eyes was so different.

There was none of that and her mind was going completely blank at the sight of it. An unknown variable and outcome that forced to her to just freeze. There was no place for rational thought here, or higher thinking. All she could do was just follow her emotions and what her body was saying. She wanted to stay right now, no had to stay right now. She was beginning to feel something strange to her. All of her thoughts just fading away from her, the past, and the future were now nonexistent. It didn't matter if she spent an hour on this floor of the entire day, all that mattered to her was being right here, right now.

Hearing kalanda's speak of Spira sounded so much sweeter than when they first talked about it earlier that day. Her mind now flooding her with images of the two being together this time no longer afraid to indulge in them. The idea of just dedicating the entire thing to them was alluring. Her mind couldn't stop thinking about it no matter what may try to steer her thinking. "I would love that. There's a lot I want to tell you too."

Amur really meant that for once. For most her life was an enigma, something that one could only grasp with vague inferences and guess work, normally she felt safer that way, more secure. Yet with Kalanda she wanted to both talk more and smile more. So many things ate at her and the same was likely true for Kala, yet maybe they could just find a comfort in eachother. Though hearing Kala say I love you cemented that feeling. Both of Amur's arms wrapped Kala as she also tried to do the same. She felt weightless as she felt the embrace, a large smile forming on the Sith. Everything just felt right in the universe, no thoughts of empires, or wars, or dangers. There was nothing present even if her mind was trying to remind her of the immediate surroundings. There was just Amur and Kalanda or rather Murmur and Kala together.

Exhaustion was beginning to take hold as her eyes grew heavy and her limbs felt heavy, but there was no fear that she may never wake up again. No she just felt swathed in warmth, smothered in a blanket she was deprived of for so long. "I love you too." She would muttered hazily as her mind faded into the underworld of slumber. Kalanda would be able to feel with the calm, rhythmic rising and falling of her chest remain true and steady. As Amur finally lost consciousness there was only a feeling of contentment in the Sith, realizing that she finally had something she didn't know she wanted since she burned:

Acceptance​

Kalanda Tishire