First Reply That Girl is Poison

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

If I die, bury me with a tab I still haven't paid​

She hated Force-wrecked places.

They always felt wrong, like the walls were watching, and the air had learned to hold its breath. This place was no different. Every footstep Kinley took sent echoes bouncing off crumbling stone walls, answered only by silence and the low whine of her holo-map struggling to hold a signal. The structure had no name. No surviving coordinates. Her client, a robed ex-Imperial archivist with too many teeth and too few scruples, just called it The Hollow. Said it was buried on an unmarked moon outside the Ploo sector. Said it hadn't been touched since the Old Republic fell. Said there was a vault below, sealed with ancient tech and older blood.

Kinley didn't care for Force relics. They had a tendency to glow, hum, and kill you slowly. But the price? The price had been beautiful. Enough to pay off the Sullust job, fix her ship's nav core, and maybe even buy her a week without anyone pointing a blaster in her face. So here she was, thousands of kilometers from civilization, deep underground, walking into something ancient enough to be dangerous and forgotten enough to be valuable.

Her boots crunched across a mosaic half-swallowed by dust and time. Half of it was a language she didn't recognize. The other half was a figure carved in obsidian, faceless and kneeling. Promising. Kinley clicked on the light clipped to her collar and adjusted the beam. The narrow staircase ahead dropped into darkness, the edges worn smooth by something that had passed through long before she was born.

She drew her blaster, checked the charge, and exhaled.

"Let's make this fast" she said muttered to her partner for the job. "I've got a drink waiting for me planetside."

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Thal Mantis]

​

THE DEATHLESS
THE HOLLOW | Ploo Sector
TAG: N/A
GEAR: Armor, Two Lightsabers, Utility Belt

​

He took a deep breath. An exhale, a long strand of time between the next. He opened his eyes, his hands folded in front of him. Thal turned his head, towards the staircase. He had been here to find it- it, not being quite clear. But he needed to find it, he wanted to. Perhaps out of selfishness. Righteousness. It was said to be a great thing. Or at least, powerful.

But this place, felt wrong.

His partner- well, more accurately, it would be said that he was her partner for the job, led the way. His eyes went wide and around, before fixating back on her.

"I'd keep both hands unoccupied."

He said very matter-of-factly. He seemed concerned about traps, or worse. He crouched near the mosaic. Obsidian. Dark. A language he didn't recognize either- not that Thal was a terribly cerebral man, either. He looked up, activating his own light that came from his utility belt. He shined it around the chamber, noting the smoothness of the stone in some places.

"At the least, this was a place that was frequented a lot. Probably more than what we came for here, so keep your eyes peeled."

His voice was low, quiet. And unnerving to some. He was clearly an angry man. The entire time they'd been on the job, Thal hadn't smiled, talked much, or made anything other than the furrowed-brow-frown-face.

"Your drink will still be there."

A joke? A remark?

​

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

You shoot first, I shoot last. We both win​

Her partner didn’t say much that didn’t sound like an angry growl, but that suited Kinley just fine. As long as he could provide backup she didn’t care if he scowled or sang show tunes. The job just needed done.

They descended the staircase slowly, eyes peeled for traps, trip wires, or unwanted guests. The trip down was uneventful but once they reached level ground again things changed. The staircase lead to a large room with a black lake spanning most of it. There was a small stretch of shore that wrapped to one side but the only way across would be in the water. Kinley had rocket boots on but she wasn’t sure she wanted to waste fuel across the water.

“What do you think?”

Thal Mantis

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Thal Mantis]

​

THE DEATHLESS
THE HOLLOW | Ploo Sector
TAG: Kinley Pryse
GEAR: Armor, Two Lightsabers, Utility Belt

​

His eyes darted across the water- before his hand went near it. There was a rise in static in the air- perhaps Thal's caution, or perhaps some connection to the force in the vicinity. Upon closer inspection, the black lake was not only dark water- but either had been painted or filled with black rock or stone. Perhaps as an aesthetic choice for the place, or perhaps, to conceal something. But for the time being, Thal only sensed the same unwelcome feeling as before.

He stepped forward first, into the water.

Not deep yet. He wasn't sure if it was going to slope downward, but for the time, it seemed like this the best path forward.

"We shouldn't linger."

He pulled his lightsaber into his hand- just in case.

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

If Charm were a Weapon, She'd be Outlawed in Three Sectors​

Kinley hung back a step, eyes narrowing as Thal moved into the water. Her boots crunched softly on the stone, the sound dulled by the unnatural stillness of the chamber. She didn't trust it, not the black lake, not the static charge clinging to the air, and especially not the way the place felt like it was holding its breath.

The cold hit immediately, seeping in through the seams of her gear. She grimaced but didn't complain aa it wasn't worth the breath. The water looked like ink, but it didn't move like it. Too smooth. Too heavy. Her fingers twitched toward her holster, then thought better of it. If this went south, a blaster wouldn't do much good.
They kept moving, the black water slowly rising with every step. By the time it lapped at Kinley's shoulders, she knew—they'd have to go under.

Without a word, she pulled an aqua-breather from her belt and tossed the spare to Thal if he needed a spare. A brief nod passed between them. Then she dove. The surface slipped away, and the world narrowed to darkness, pressure, and the cold. The only light came from their gear, dim, flickering glows that barely cut through the murk. Black stone surrounded them, carved into unnatural shapes. The silence down here wasn't peaceful....it was predatory.

Something brushed Kinley's boot. She twisted mid-stroke, pulse spiking, and caught a glimpse for just a second of a long, hulking shape slipping silently through the gloom. Not a trick of the light. Not a rock. Something was down there.

And it was moving.


Thal Mantis

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Thal Mantis]

​

THE DEATHLESS
THE HOLLOW | Ploo Sector
TAG: Kinley Pryse
GEAR: Armor, Two Lightsabers, Utility Belt

​

He took the breather, plunging into the depths as the water became murkier, deeper, and eventually- pitch black. The predator in the darkness, looming beneath them, was hungry, vicious. It was hiding. Thal brought himself under the water slowly, falling, slower and slower. For a moment, he lingered about ten feet below.

He saw it.

Massive, looming- it skirted along just with the small light he was able to produce. Thal, however, narrowed his eyes- reached out with the force, his hand curling, finding, searching. He found purchase of something, some form of life. Flesh, bone, teeth, eyes in the water. A predator. He curled his hand inward. Crushing. Pulling in. Hate and anger, malevolence given action- and to inflict pain. Flesh, bone, skin, pulled, crushed, moved in an unnatural, hateful way.

The air changed too, above Thal, in the room. The static gave way to dread, to hate, to a looming sense of unease. Sickening, almost.

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Kinley Pryse: proof that composure and chaos can share the same skin​

Kinley's hand snapped to her belt the moment the air shifted, an instinct more primal than trained. The fine hairs along the back of her neck rose, the air heavy with static and something darker, fouler. Her visor flickered as her sensors tried to read the impossible distortion spreading through the chamber.

Through the water's gleam she caught a glimpse of it, an enormous shape convulsing in the depths, its form twisting in on itself like something was trying to turn it inside out. And then she saw him act. His silhouette framed by the dim, shimmering light, hand outstretched, eyes like twin embers under the waves.

Kinley grimaced behind her rebreather. Space wizards. They were always a gamble, either they saved the day or broke the planet doing it. Still, she couldn't deny he was handling the problem, and she wasn't about to interrupt a killing stroke that effective.

When the crushing pressure of his power broke, so did the surface. The water heaved around them, churning with debris and pieces of what used to be the creature. Kinley kicked hard, breaking through the surface in one smooth motion.

The chamber that awaited them was massive with stone walls slick with moss, towering columns half-submerged. Dim light filtered through cracks far above, casting long shadows that danced with every ripple.

She hauled herself onto a half-collapsed ledge, pulling her blaster free and sweeping the perimeter with practiced precision.

"Next time," she called over the echoing water, voice dry but edged, "maybe warn me before you boil a sea monster alive with your mind, huh?"

Her tone carried more grit than fear, but beneath it, there was a wary respect. Whatever he'd just done, it wasn't something she wanted turned on her.

Thal Mantis


​

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Thal Mantis]

​

THE DEATHLESS
THE HOLLOW | Ploo Sector
TAG: Kinley Pryse
GEAR: Armor, Two Lightsabers, Utility Belt

​

He emerged from the water, dropping the cloak and rags that went over his armor. They were wet and would weigh him down considerably. Underneath the cloak- he was built, to say the least. His strength was not in the force, that much was obvious. He was a man of strength, more than a man of learning. He rung out his clothes, shaking dry what clothing he still had on. He took a deep breath, before looking over at her. The comment she made ran through his mind for a brief moment. He seemed to think on how to respond, a few tense seconds before he did.

"Hopefully I won't have to."

He looked around the chamber they were in, a large cavernous structure. Stone walls and nature reclaiming it's territory lay before them. Thal walked over, placing a hand on the ground. The force was strong here- moving, swirling, a stream off a river. He blinked a few times, before looking at his companion.

"Hard to say how old or ancient this place may be."

He rose to a stand, fixing his hair, the short crop he had cut it into not but a few hours before the two of them met.

"I don't want to get wet again."

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Criminal? That's what they call you when you're better at business than they are.​

Kinley smirked, one brow arched as she leaned casually against a half-collapsed pillar. "Don't look at me like I pushed you in." Her gaze flicked over him, unapologetically amused as she added, "Though I've gotta say, the whole 'brooding warrior rising from the depths' thing? Very dramatic. Ten out of ten for presentation."

She stepped closer, boots crunching lightly against the damp stone. The cavern's echo made her voice seem to stretch, teasingly soft. "As for this place… ancient or not, if it starts collapsing, you can bet I'm using you as a shield. Big muscles have to be good for something besides looking heroic."

A sly grin tugged at her lips. "And don't worry, I'll try to keep you dry. No promises, though. Trouble and I have a long-standing arrangement."

She motioned for him to follow her and together they started walking through the cavernous room... which hopefully was not full of traps!


Thal Mantis

A Smooth Criminal

 

[Thal Mantis]

​

THE DEATHLESS
THE HOLLOW | Ploo Sector
TAG: Kinley Pryse
GEAR: Armor, Two Lightsabers, Utility Belt



Thal, reached up and dropped his mask. It was full of water now, and it fell to the floor with a heavy clunk. He let his face be exposed to the air, taking a deep breath.

Admittedly, he was handsome- though the corruption of the darkside meant that the blonde hair and blue eyed brute of a man appeared more haggard and less put together than usual. He shed most of the robes and the unnecessary armor- most of which, was ruined by being wet anyways.

And then, Thal did something he had not done in a while. His soft accented voice- a voice that spoke far more Huttese than Basic in his formative years, made a joke.

"I like trouble."

A double-entendre. A rarity. A monumental achievement in Fenn's vernacular and life that he was actively making jokes.

​

 

[Kinley Pryse]

You've been hit by... you've been struck by...

Kinley Pryse, because every bad idea needs a smooth woman to take credit for it.​

Her partner finally seemed to be loosening up which was a rare victory in Kinley's book. People who held on too tight didn't last long in her line of work. The galaxy had a habit of gutting the serious ones first.


"That's better," she muttered with a half-smirk, sweeping her hat off and giving it a brisk shake. Droplets scattered across the stone like tiny explosions. She did the same with her boots, planting each heel hard against the ground to get the water out. She jammed the hat back on and cast a glance at him with a ready, mischievous grin.

"Well," she drawled, tipping the brim of her hat in his direction, "let's see if we can find some more trouble to get into, eh?"

She strode forward before he had the chance to talk sense into either of them.

The chamber swallowed them as they walked. It was vast, damp, and humming with some pulse older than the Republic. Pale green lights seeped from the stone walls, pulsing in slow, almost biological rhythms. The glow stretched their shadows into long, warped creatures that followed at their heels like silent ghosts. Every step echoed. Every drip from the ceiling fell like a whispered warning.

Kinley kept her blaster low but ready, eyes sweeping corners, alcoves, cracks in the stone where something unpleasant might be waiting to leap out. The air was thick and moist, smelling faintly of moss and old circuitry.

"Place gives me the creeps," she muttered, though she didn't sound afraid, just irritated that the cave dared to unsettle her. "If I get eaten by somethin' down here, I'm hauntin' you first."

They pressed deeper, boots splashing softly through shallow puddles. The sound grew stranger the farther they went, like the cavern itself was starting to breathe around them.

Then the tunnel widened into an enormous open chamber, and everything fell into a hush.

At the far end stood a pedestal carved from the same green-veined stone, but polished to a mirror sheen. Resting atop it was a small ornamental box that was beautiful in a way that felt dangerous. It hummed with a faint resonance that buzzed in Kinley's teeth. A single beam of light from some unseen crack in the ceiling shone down on it, turning the box into the centerpiece of a shrine, or a trap. Probably both.

Thal Mantis

A Smooth Criminal