Private Strands of Time

[Beric Layne]

V O Y A G E R

ZEFFO
Outer Rim
Edge of Imperial Space
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The wind whipped through Zeffo's high mountains in a way that reminded Beric Layne of home. But unlike his frost-ridden homeworld, Zeffo's electromagnetic storms were not as cold as they were fierce. Still, they had carved jagged edges and deep valleys into the mountain ranges over the eons, creating a distinctive, striking landscape. It was something that should be admired for its natural beauty, but Beric was not here to admire its nature. His journey held purpose.

The Galaxy was in Chaos. The Sith's latest attempt at galactic domination -- or had it been annihilation this time? -- had been thwarted over Tython, or so he'd heard. When the news had reached the traveling Jedi Master, he'd been on the far side of Imperial Space in the Outer Rim, laying low. Traveling through the Empire was not so easy as he'd thought, and keeping a low profile was especially important for a Jedi in Imperial Space. But a near month of journeying had brought him to his final destination: Zeffo.

He clambered over the steep face of a short cliff, drawing himself up onto a narrow rocky precipice. Ever since the events in Ashla's Grotto on Vandor, where Beric and his apprentice had glimpsed through the veil of Time into the lives of their ancestors, what he had seen had consumed him. Being able to watch his great-something grandfather Berr Layne. It was so tantalizing that it had consumed him. Something about Ashla's Grove allowed it to glimpse into Time as if it were merely talking a walk through another room. And Beric had to know more. He'd spent hours pouring over the archives of Frosthall to finally find the works of Berr Layne, who by the judge of the volumes of text he'd written in his research, had been consumed by the same lust for knowledge. Berr had connected the Grove with an extinct species called the Zeffo, an ancient civilization that had been strong with the Force. But the trail had gone cold, only for Beric to pick up on it centuries later.

Months of research had led him to the Zeffo's homeworld, which shared their namesake. Beric surveyed the entrance to the Imperial dig site buried in the rocky mountains. An ancient crashed warship could be seen over the distance, though it had been subject to centuries of erosion and wear by the environment by the look of it. The entrance was not heavily guarded, but Beric could make out a few of the recognizably-white armor of Stormtroopers patrolling the entrance. As he watched them from his nondescript vantage point, his lips pursed while the strands of his blond hair flew back in the breeze. His hand brushed past the hilt of his lightsaber clipped at his waist, but the thought of using weaponry was far from his mind. Best to draw as little attention as possible.

Tish Cowen​

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[Tish Cowen]

I N Q U I S I T O R

THE EMPIRE
DIG SITE | ZEFFO
TAG: Beric Layne
GEAR: Armour | Lightsaber | Pistol |Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

DEVIL IN DISGUISE​

Cold winds whipped up Raina's hair.

How long had it been since she was here? Months? A year? It was difficult to remember with everything that has happened in the meantime. The loss the Empire suffered, most of all. That the Knights suffered.

How close Raina had come to losing her Squire as well.

Victory had been achieved on Tython but at very great cost. Many Imperials have lost their lives, but the blow of the Emperor's death had left a hole in the Knights. It had also taken quite some time to wrest Mira's mind back from the New Sith Order's minion.

But she was finally at a place in her life again that she could relieve the Knight overseeing the dig site on Zeffo once more. It was protocol for at least one Knight to be present in a dig such as this, as you never knew what you might stumble onto while digging.

Zeffo wasn't exactly pleasant, however. Cold, electric winds and snowdrifts over gorges made mobility difficult without the sure-footedness of the Force.

"Colonel, we are close to some doorway. We'll be through in about an hour." some Trooper Commander told her.
Violet eyes regarded the alabaster helmet. "Very good, Commander. Just don't open that door before I am present. I want to see any inscriptions before the seal is broken." Raina told him. Foreign concepts was something she specialised in, after all. It was in that moment, that the Imperial Inquisitor felt another Presence nearby.
"Be on your guard, Commander. I'll be back." she said before disappearing behind a Zeffo mound.

By the time Beric reached his vantage point, all that could be seen was the few Troopers at the entrance to the tunnel. When his hand brushed against the saber hilt on his belt, an argent blade was humming just under his chin from behind.

"Who are you and state your business."

 

[Beric Layne]

V O Y A G E R​

Tag: Tish Cowen

The snap-hiss of the lightsaber ignition caught him by surprise, and Beric froze lest the argent blade part his head from his torso. From behind, the sound of a woman with crystal-cold authority spoke. Emotionless. Demanding.

Beric was careful with his next words, for if the lightsaber's wielder had been able to sneak up on him without him sensing her presence in the Force, then they could have access to power unknown to him. That made them dangerous, whoever they were. And that also meant that they'd seen the lightsaber at his hilt, the lightsaber that his hand was still resting on.

Without twitching a muscle -- he did not need to move his physical body to channel the Living Force -- he breathed in and out, and as he exhaled the temperature around them cooled as he willed for the moisture in the air surrounding them to condense. Droplets began to form, rain from vapor in a matter of seconds. Just as they began to fall he willed heat into the water and the droplets turned to steam, a thick fog that obscured the senses. And in that moment he ducked to the side, down and away from the white blade as he drew his own lightsaber and ignited it in a defensive stance before he let the fog dissipate.

He stood there, for a moment, taking in the wielder of the lightsaber. She had fine raven hair and alluring amethyst eyes that sparked with the same cool danger that dripped from her voice. His ice-blue blade thrummed in the wind-whipped cold of the precipice as he gauged his opponent. After a couple of seconds of deep breathing, Beric allowed his lightsaber to lower, an appeal to nonconfrontation, before he spoke. "My business is none of your business." His words were economic and spare. He didn't need to waste his time with a lightsaber duel. "You and I have no quarrel; there is no need for our weapons."

 

[Tish Cowen]

I N Q U I S I T O R

THE EMPIRE
DIG SITE | ZEFFO
TAG: Beric Layne
GEAR: Armour | Lightsaber | Pistol |Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

DEVIL IN DISGUISE​

Of course it had to be an elementalist.

The air caught her by a slight surprise, the steam obscuring most. It was in that moment that the man pivoted and his own blade thrumming to life.

As the fog cleared some, her violet gaze fell on the man facing her, steel-blue eyes confused as he regarded her, the blue lightsaber humming in the wind before lowering somewhat.

"My business is none of your business. You and I have no quarrel; there is no need for our weapons."

"Is that so, Master Jedi?" she asked, placing emphasis on the title. "You haven't been paying attention to the Galaxy lately, have you? I'm afraid I can't let you go anywhere." she added, standing her ground.

There was little to no love for the Jedi anymore, tensions boiling over greatly on Tython not too long ago. She wasn't about to give an inch of ground.
"As for it being none of my business, I beg to differ. You stand on Imperial soil. Therefore, it is my business." Raina said, a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. "So again, who are you and what are you doing here?"

It was far too strategic to be coincidental that a Jedi would show up here after Tython. Something was afoot and she would get to the bottom of it either way.

She was nothing if not persistent.

 

[Beric Layne]

V O Y A G E R​

Tag: Tish Cowen

To her credit, the woman — the Imperial Inquisitor — did not attack Beric. She called him Jedi, which sounded odd though he supposed that was the case now. But given the animosity she was displaying towards the Jedi, Beric wasn’t exactly quick to clarify.

His lightsaber still hummed in the child, though his stance loosened somewhat. Easing the tension was his goal, because every moment spent on this interaction was time wasted where he could’ve been studying the artifact he was looking for.

“I am an archeologist,” he finally said, choosing his words carefully. “I have been following a trail that has led me here, to Zeffo. I wish to study an artifact, then I will be on my way. I have no quarrel with the Empire, nor do I seek to do them any harm.” For a Jedi, he lied pretty easily. The truth was that if he did find the artifact, he would spirit it away to Vandor as quick as possible less it disappear forever in some far-off, secluded Imperial vault.

 

[Tish Cowen]

I N Q U I S I T O R

THE EMPIRE
DIG SITE | ZEFFO
TAG: Beric Layne
GEAR: Armour | Lightsaber | Pistol |Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

DEVIL IN DISGUISE​

Predictable.

Jedi continuously trying to defuse a situation instead of facing it down. His saber didn't lower but his stance loosened as he regarded her.

“I am an archeologist. I have been following a trail that has led me here, to Zeffo. I wish to study an artifact, then I will be on my way. I have no quarrel with the Empire, nor do I seek to do them any harm.”

His sneaking around prior to her finding him had her eyebrows shooting up at his words. She highly doubted his sincerity.

But the best way to catch a rat is to lay out some cheese.

Raina decided to relax her swordarm somewhat as her violet gaze aloofly regarded him.
"Very well, Jedi. You can accompany me and be there when we open it." she said, opting to finally disengage her saber. Not that the Inquisitor would be stupid enough to let him out of her sight at the tomb.

She beckoned for him to follow her. She would most probably get yelled at by the higher ups for not disposing of a snooping Jedi, but her curiosity got the better of her, as it was clear he was hiding something.

She would find out what eventually.

 

[Beric Layne]

V O Y A G E R​

Tag: Tish Cowen

Good. They were making diplomatic progress; a surprise for Beric, whose apprentice had often reminded him that he was often too heavy-handed with his speech and mannerisms, but nonetheless a victory however small. The stench of distrust and suspicion still hung over the Imperial Inquisitor like a cloud, dark and heavy, easy to sense through the Force. It would take a great deal to dispel the Inquisitor's dislike of him, and the label of Jedi was doing him no favors. But if he wanted to get access to this artifact, he would have to achieve the impossible.

Get her to like him. Somehow.

"Your courtesy is much appreciated," he remarked as they neared the fortified entrance that he had been surveying only several minutes prior. He tried to keep his voice as polite and genuine as possible, with all the rich warmth he had learned to cultivate as Frosthall's Lord. "We need not be enemies. I am a servant of the Force, and the Force alone. A student of ancient histories. I have no wish -- nor need -- to sabotage or otherwise harm your Empire." Despite his best efforts, the word lay heavy on his tongue. Beric had a natural distaste for authoritarian regimes, and the collapse of the Confederacy had cemented his convictions on that. The Galactic Alliance was hardly better, with the dictator's iron fist traded for rank corruption and endless bureaucracy, but at least there were some measures of freedom and democracy left in the Core. The Empire and Alliance's conflict was not Vandor's problem at any length, seeing as the world remained independent -- and with Beric's protection, he hoped it would continue to do so.

"Also, I can't help by wonder why the Empire would be interested in the Zeffo, of all things," he continued innocently, slyly prying though his tone concealed the inquiry with a feint of casual conversation. "They were hardly a militaristic species, and, well, I can't see how your stormtroopers. . ." he gestured with a gloved hand towards one of the white-clad troopers standing guard at the perimeter, ". . . could benefit from ancient runes and ruins that predate the Old Republic. Hardly a strategic advantage over the Alliance, or the Maw, if you ask me."

 

[Tish Cowen]

I N Q U I S I T O R

THE EMPIRE
DIG SITE | ZEFFO
TAG: Beric Layne
GEAR: Armour | Lightsaber | Pistol |Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

DEVIL IN DISGUISE​

Small talk.

Why did the pacifists always want to settle for small talk? Though Raina did notice the disdain in his tone, however, which just strengthened her resolve to keep a close eye on him.
"Your own courtesy is...commendable." she said, sarcasm dripping from her words.

They reached the entrance to the lift that would lead them to the actual dig site.

"Also, I can't help by wonder why the Empire would be interested in the Zeffo, of all things, They were hardly a militaristic species, and, well, I can't see how your stormtroopers. . .could benefit from ancient runes and ruins that predate the Old Republic. Hardly a strategic advantage over the Alliance, or the Maw, if you ask me."

Raina turned to face him.
"Are you expertly versed in Imperial conviction, Mr...?" she pointedly asked him, leaving the question open for him to actually introduce himself. She had ways finding it out, but asking was definitely quicker than putting COMPNOR on the trail.

She then led them into the lift and it descended to the area of the tomb.

Stepping into the flood-light lit area, she approached the Commander, who snapped to attention.
"Are you ready for us, Commander?" she asked the Trooper.
His visor glanced at the Jedi at her side before turning back to her.
"Yes, Sir." he finally answered before turning to lead them to what be the actual entrance to the tomb.
Raina turned to face the Lightsider and spoke in a low voice.

"Try anything funny and you die."

 

[Beric Layne]

V O Y A G E R​

Tag: Tish Cowen

Beric did have his own memories of Imperial conviction, though they were few and far in between. He'd been part of an intervention mission to Serenno a decade ago during the Third Imperial Civil war in an effort to bring 'peace' to the warring states, as his Knights Obsidian superiors had described it. Rather, he was the mission. All it had lead to was an unfruitful standoff in the throne room of Serenno's palace, and the world had ended up being conquered anyways. The system had changed hands from one Empire to another, and Beric didn't think that its people knew the difference when one had Sith at the beginning of it.

And Beric didn't know if there was much difference at all.

"I think you'll find comedy to not be my strong suit," Beric replied sardonically as he followed the Inquisitor into the tomb entrance. The approach, a massive cavern, was thoroughly illuminated so that not even a pebble could escape Imperial scrutiny. Stormtroopers stood watch at every post, and he had a feeling all of their eyes were on him, ready to raise their blasters at a moment's notice. "After you," he gestured towards the tomb, content to not have his back turned to an enemy.

 

[Tish Cowen]

I N Q U I S I T O R

THE EMPIRE
DIG SITE | ZEFFO
TAG: Beric Layne
GEAR: Armour | Lightsaber | Pistol |Vibroblade | Vibroknife | Grenade loadout

DEVIL IN DISGUISE​

"I think you'll find comedy to not be my strong suit,"

She looked at him with a sinister smirk as they walked.
"I find that pretty funny, Jedi. Might want to work on your conviction." she said, before they entered the large cavern.
It brought a smug feeling to her to have a full force of Troopers on guard, the uniform look of expressionless visors and white armour perfect for intimidation. No single Force User would be able to stand a chance.

"After you,"

She looked at him then, the smirk not fading.
"I like to see the light leave the eyes of my enemy, Jedi. You need not fear my blade in your back." she said, knowing what would be going through his head - it would have been her thoughts as well. "Follow the Commander." No room for argument. It was either do or die.

The Commander was no fool and if the Lightsider did try something, the wrath of the Empire would descend on him instantly. He knew it. He was merely alive because she was curious. That curiosity was all that stood between him and the wheels that make the war machine turn.

How long it would stay that way, was anybody's guess.