Swansong

[NightSister]

S A R N U S

Aria had gradually realised that the best secrets were the ones that truly were secrets.

She had the good fortune of living in a galaxy filled with planet upon planet filled with country upon country filled with a near-infinite supply of knowledge. Her curiosity about the world was only heightened with each time she indulged it, and she was more than fortunate to be able to satisfy her inquisitiveness at her leisure.
But gather enough knowledge and you start to acquire a taste - and Aria's was the occult and the dark, the strange and the abnormal and the beyond explanation. Such things required a bit more digging than it took to waltz to the nearest temple and read a few books, but that was how she knew they would be interesting.

So rather than go again to Dathomir or someplace similar Aria had returned to Sarnus, ship landing on the planet for the first time since the day she'd helped the Primeval conquer it. Whispers of a nexus somewhere on the planet had reached her ears after enough searching, and although she couldn't be certain she'd be successful in finding it she knew that if she did, basking in its power would be so much more insightful, prove so much more interesting than if she'd taken to the road more commonly traveled.

Without the Primeval's presence dampered by other influence, Sarnus was a relatively nice planet as far as Aria was concerned (and it was fortunate, too - hours exploring an ugly planet couldn't possibly have the same allure). Her vessel had set down in the middle of a clearing that was otherwise surrounded by trees across rather a lot of land, and Aria cemented its existence in her mind so she'd be able to relocate the craft without getting lost before she set off, instincts her guide.

More and more the Force seemed to guide her well, seemed impossibly aware of where she wanted its ripples to point her. Her senses honed in on the otherwordly aura that remained faint in the woods and she felt at ease simply for being there.

But something in the force brushed against the dark and ethereal backdrop of the forest - maybe the nexus she was after, and maybe not - and Aria fleetingly considered what a danger her curiosity could one day be before she turned her focus to the presence that had piqued that curiosity and went in its pursuit.

- [member="Diana Veneris"] -​

 

[Diana Veneris]

S A R N U S​

“NAIROBI!”

Diana Veneris streamed through the forest like an angel in flight. Her pale silhouette glimmered in and out of the trees, a blur of moon-white hair and billowing robes set starkly against a landscape of deep browns and earthy greens. She ran with the unnatural elegance that accompanied her Echani pedigree, but it was clear that she was still soft from her unusual upbringing. Years locked away in the proverbial tower did not lend themselves to developing athleticism. Diana breathed heavily as she ran, while perspiration beaded on her milky skin like diamonds. She was progressing in her training under Lady Kerrigan—slender muscles had begun to form beneath her delicate shape—but she still had far to go, in body and mind.

It seemed fitting to incorporate travel into Diana’s training regimen. Until her recent escape to Tygara, the girl had never left Eshan. Sarnus would be one of many stops on her educational tour of the stars. The transport carrying both her and her feline companion, Nairobi, had touched down on the dusky planet shortly after daybreak. Even in the morning light, an undeniable cloak of dark energy clung to Sarnus and permeated Diana’s senses like a thick, sultry smoke. She was immediately taken by its mysterious beauty, but Nairobi would have none of it. The spooked cat wasted no time in making her disapproval known. At her first opportunity, she had sprung from Diana’s rucksack like a bat out of hell and made an inglorious break for it. Diana had been chasing her for the better part of twenty minutes.

“Nairobi, please! Stop!” She panted, springing over fallen branches and ducking under tree limbs. The far-off outline of the small, furry creature scurried and scampered until it broke through the treeline and into the clearing beyond. Diana, still in hot pursuit, watched with bewilderment as Nairobi suddenly froze. Something, or someone, was there, but Diana’s senses were not attuned enough to discern what, or who, it was.

Diana burst from the forest. Brambles clung lovingly to the thick curls of her hair, and her cheeks were flushed a remarkable shade of pink. She dropped to the earth straight away, gathering the rogue cat into her arms like a little mother—but any relief that washed over her heart rushed away as quickly as it arrived. Diana and Nairobi were not alone. In fact, they had landed squarely at someone’s feet. Slowly, ever so slowly, the girl lifted her blonde head. Wide crystal eyes came to rest on [member="Aria Vale"].

 

[NightSister]

The wind behind her quickened excited pacing into a run, but she was not moving so fast as to not be able to see and enjoy the scenery. The forest was striking, morning sunlight blanketing the canopy with a gentle glow that cast rays between trees. It wasn't the reason Aria ran, but coupled with the darkness shrouding the planet, it elevated her mood tenfold.

She treaded through the forests, fast-paced, breeze sending dark hair flying backwards and lending a careless freedom to her rush. Aria had forever been easy prey to the recklessness of adventure, and in moments like these it was easier than ever to see why; caution didn't exist, everything that gave reason for caution dead with it, and in moments like these - just moments like these, it was what made them special - there was only the act, only doing. To her it was freedom.

Footsteps that came just short of sprinting finally slowed as Aria's senses seemed to locate that slight difference in the Force, that striking presence that seemed so out-of-place (but so similar at the same time - it was what made her so curious) as being nearby, just out of her reach. She'd not noticed how her breathing had fallen out of sync. Amber eyes studied the area as she fought to catch her breath.

That was when the frantic scrabble of an animal sprinting through the forest hit her ears and she whirled around as the loth-cat that had caused the sound came to a halt before Aria. She crouched partly to admire the pale creature, about to reach out to stroke it before slender arms scooped up the cat. Instinctually, she straightened, eyes landing on the delicate blonde holding Nairobi. The Echani - Echani, Aria noted in silent intrigue - seemed to line up the waves of the Force that had caught Aria's interest, so rather than excuse herself uncomfortably -

"Oh, hi," she smiled at the woman. "Your cat's gorgeous. What's her name?"

[member="Diana Veneris"]​