The Uneasy Truce

[Darth Miseria]

Lothal​

The Marshes​

Midnight​

[member=Corr Starburner]​

​

A thick stench of rot and blood clung heavily to the air. In the middle of a clearing, standing on the only piece of semi-dry land for miles around, was Dianah. Once again proving herself to have little to no sense of sensible clothing, she was wearing her thin white silks. Though how anyone could tell they were white anymore was beyond her. They were caked in a thick layer of crimson stained mud. Littered around her were no more then ten bodies, but they were almost unrecognisable as such. Most of them seemed to be male but there were a few females dotted here and there. They were strewn about in unnatural looking heaps as if their bones had been crushed to dust.

Here purpose for being here was her own secret one. Since her mission to Arbra there had been an uneasy realisation in her mind. One that she had ignored, usually, but now it was clear in her mind. She tried too hard to prove herself worthy. She tried too hard to make herself what she already was. This was her attempt at rectifying this.

For the past few weeks she had been visiting Lothal in order to carry out her mission. It had been easier then she had originally thought. People here weren't exactly what she'd call smart. They mostly came from settlements and had been silly enough to wonder far out into the arid, grassy plains. It wasn't long then before Dianah picked up their signatures with the force. Men because... well, because they were easier to convince. She had lured them away under the pretence of a maiden in distress. Perhaps a younger sister or mother who had gotten trapped or injured in the marshes and oh, of course, she was far too weak to pick them up and carry them away herself. They fell for it like flies to honey. Most men were thick enough to fall for the wide, round eyes and the thick, batting eyelashes.

Lowering her arms to her sides, she rolled her neck around gently. They too were dripping with red blood that seemed to ooze from her palms. Almost completely unaware that there was another presence drawing ever nearer, she mumbled to herself: 'Passion, strength, power, yada yada yada. Don't think... feel. You know you can do this so just do it already.' There was a deafening crunch and one of the bodies jerked violently upward.

 

[Corr Starburner]

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]
The Woman in White. A local rumour, a fairy tale of lates that the locals had taken a shaken to. Whenever logic failed to yield results, mythos and story telling took over. A woman in white, covered in the blood of her enemies. Yeah right. He looked at his list. At least ten missing within the span of a few weeks. They weren't missing, they were taken. Corr had arrived in town to help with the situation. Not bound by any law but his own, he was able to sneak into places that officers of the law could not. But in this case, there wasn't much going for him. Locals were all stir crazy, obsessed with their newfound 'Woman in White'. The local law enforcement was, barely anything except two gentlemen with badges. Even the children weren't that much help, too busy not being educated to be any real help.

Corr threw back another swig of his drink. Sitting outside he recollected, he'd been here a solid four days with nothing to go on. That was, until the child stepped up. The child walked up to Corr, and in his half drunken stupor he almost waved the kid off. "Whaddya want kid. Can't you see I'm busy." Corr said, trying to make the kid go away. He had already tried questioning the locale about the missing persons. This kid wouldn't know anything more, so the thought of asking didn't come to mind. "Ser, it's about my mum." Corr sighed as he took back another drink. "Right then, hurry up." he said, listening to the kid.

Moments later he was knee deep in water and muck. Kid actually had a good lead. His mother was reported missing not that long ago, and was last seen in this area. She and her son were out heading down to see some in laws of sorts when mommy dearest had some engine trouble. On the road above there was a landspeeder, with a blown engine part. When he inspected the machine he felt something, tug at his mind. It was different from the normal pulls. This one was forceful, direct, and tempting. The child said that his mother had strayed down the path to find something, or someone. So here Corr was, knee deep in these waters following a hunch and a lead.

Corr drew his gun, holding it at the ready. He could feel the resistance from his legs receding as he stepped out onto shore. He kept to the shadows, keeping his finger on the trigger of his slug thrower. He pressed up against a tree, and peeked around it. His eyes squinted in the darkness, as he tried to count. Ten. Ten bodies. The figure in the middle, paler than the moon said something as her lips moved and one of the bodies rose into the air. The bones in it crunched in the air, causing a flinch from Corr.

Corr spun out from the tree and fired a single shot from his slug thrower. He had deliberately missed the figure in the middle of the corpses. "Whoa there." He said, the echo from the gun still echoing through the air. He took a few steps closer, the grass crunching beneath his heel. His eyes closed, and reopened. He didn't like this, something seemed off. The barrel of his gun was still pointed at the figure. "Alrigh', speak up. Who are you?" Corr asked, taking another step closer to investigate.

 

[Darth Miseria]

The all to too familiar sound of a blaster froze Dianah's muscles. It zipped past her face, bringing her white hair flitting upward with the force of it. The smell of slightly singed hair soon followed. A small sigh escaped her lips. One quick analysis of the situation from where she stood, which suffice to say was not the best position to be in, told her three things.

One. There was a man standing behind her. It was definitely a man. He had a low gruff tone to his voice that attested to that. How long he had been there was a mystery to her, but it can't hvae been much longer than an hour. She had definitely checked the area beforehand. Two. He had a blaster pointed at her back .Type didn't really matter at this point. The air still smelt of charred hair so she was painfully aware of how easy a target she was. Three, and this was the most important fact of all. He seemed to be a damn good shot with it.

The amount of people that would have a fit if they could see Dianah now.

'Who, me?'

Her voice came out as smooth as the silks she was wearing, with no hint of fear or concern too it. She raised her hands slowly up into the air. The reason for her slowness was to show there were no weapons in her hands, nor did she intent to reach for the one tucked away in her silks. Now she had stated her lack of desire to fight with him, she took her chance to turn. It was now or never. Even if she got shot mid-turn it was better than having your back to your enemy as you die. It was one of the worst deaths Dianah could possibly imagine. Both as a Mandalorian and as a general show off.

'Well. I'd say that's a rather loaded question to ask a Lady who's out here all alone in the middle of the marshes. Especially when you have a gun pointed to her head.'

With the turn, her face had come into full view. Her eyes shone a dangerous amber behind thick black eyelashes. Streaks of blood littered her face in patches where she had vainly attempted to wipe it away. There was a playful attempt at a charming smile on the corner of her lips, but given her current attire it looked rather macabre. Beside her the body still hung limp and lifeless in the air. It seemed to react to her movement. The weight of it slumped and twisted as her hands did. All in all it wasn't a very innocent looking scene. But Dianah was nervous that dropping the body would cause him to shoot. She doubted he would miss his next shot.

One advantage of facing him was that she could now take a good long look at his face. The measure of a man was important. If this was going to turn into a fight she would take every chance she could get to drink in the finest details. He seemed rough and ready and by no means stupid. But beside the blaster she couldn't make out any other weapon of significance. She had no doubt he could do some serious damage with just the one, but hopefully he would be lost without it. Dianah had yet to meet a man who didn't feel lost when his weapon was taken. But right now, it didn't look like it would turn into a fight, so that information stayed tucked away neatly at the back of her mind.

[member=Corr Starburner]

 

[Corr Starburner]

The smell of death clung to the air in an eerie silence as Corr looked on. What the hell was this? A woman of sorts surrounded by bodies in the middle of a swamp, with one of the corpses floating beside her. Corr had heard, rumours of species able to control things with their mind, or some other unseen force. She looked human enough, but what kind? What planet was she from, no one here was that pale. He cocked the hammer of his slug throwing sidearm. Seeing the woman's face turned, and immediately was taken aback by her eyes. Deep amber and long lashes. Beautiful on most women, but on this one it was unsettling.

Corr held his posture as the woman turned. The infamous 'Woman in White' was apparently real and very much deadly. He could eye the floating corpse from the corner of his eye, but he dare not take off his focus on the woman in front of him. The woman held her hands up, an empty sign of good will. Didn't mean much when she could move bodies with her mind or by some other means. She treated the situation like it was something else. The barrel was still pointed at the woman. "I don't recall stutterin'." Corr said, his accent coming through again thick and heavy. "I ain't gonna ask again. Who are you, what the hell you doin', and why?" Corr asked again, taking a few steps forward.

He knelt down at the nearest corpse, his gun still pointed at the woman. His hand pressed against it's chest, checking for possible signs of life. But to no avail. This one was dead, and the rest were likely all dead as well. "You kill all of 'em?" Corr asked, standing back up. He didn't trust this woman one bit. Anyone who tried to feign a smile while surrounded by corpses was one of two things, a mortician or a monster. And frankly, she didn't look like the doctorin' type. She was dangerous, so Corr kept his distance.

 

[Darth Miseria]

A long, cheerful laugh escaped her lips and spread out over the quiet clearing. It was followed by a genuine smile of amusement. To Dianah the situation was now defused. Though she still thought better of moving her hands from their raised position. A velvet sigh followed the laugh.

'So, you're handsome and funny.'

She paused to focus her eyes firmly on his. They seemed to bear down with the knowledge and power of a million different things. With her hands still outstretched, far away from her own weapon, she slowly lowered herself into a crouch. The body next to them followed in suit. It came down against the ground with a soft thump. Now with her other hand free she didn't feel so trapped. Bringing herself up to a stand again she placed a cool expression on her face.

Dianah didn't recognise his accent being from anywhere she'd been before. A perfect idea popped into her mind. He looked like the type of man who would be willing to make a deal.

'I'll make you a trade. A question for a question. If that doesn't suit your fancy I can do a whole bottle of whatever you like in addition to each question I get to ask, provided you answer truthfully. And since you asked first, I will answer first.'

She threw the added sweetness of a reward in there at the last minute. From where she was standing the wind was blowing directly toward her and there was no mistaking the stench of alcohol. There wasn't much time for him to agree or disagree either way, because she followed quickly with a thoughtful sigh. What to tell him? Since this was now a game to her more than a dangerous situation, it seemed appropriate to go for the dramatic answer.

'If you believe in fairy stories I'm the "Woman in White".'

Her feet shuffled a fraction of an inch as she took a step forward. This action expressed a calm confidence that cloaked the wary pulling of her instinct to run. She could, of course, be out of this marsh in less then a few seconds. Force speed had proved useful in a number of situations already and Dianah was eager for more practice. She wondered how she'd fair against the chasing slug of a blaster. But this man interested her. He had come out to the middle of nowhere and stumbled upon her playground. There were a thousand questions burning in her mind.

'But you don't seem like the type who believes in fairy tales. So, for you, my name is Dianah.' She said it loudly and rather proudly. There was no mistaking it for a lie or a half truth. 'Your turn, mystery man. What are you doing out in my marshes?'

[member=Corr Starburner]

 

[Corr Starburner]

The laugh came into the air, and made things a bit more eerie than it should have. An attempt, to diffuse the situation. But then again, it was Corr with the gun pointed at her. But the laugher and the subtle movements didn't seem to solidify that Corr was in charge. The handsome and funny remark caused Corr to grit his teeth. What was that? Some sort of, dismissal or an attempt to distract either way it worked as she was able to kneel, then stand again.

She then proposed to him her game. The idea of it made Corr more frustrated. Why did murderer's all have to be so, mouthy? He grunted out a frustrated sigh, and let the woman continue. She went on with her fairy tale legend, the woman in white. Which of course, made Corr distrust her even more. What good was a conversation if one couldn't give a straight answer? But then again, all myths and fairy tales had root in reality. She then revealed her name. Dianah. She could of course, be lying. But why would she? Her posture remained calm, no shifting of her weight. Her gaze remained fixated on him, not purposely trying to meet eye contact. She was trying to hard for it to be a truth, an obvious lie.

But now it was time for her question, and she went right to the point. Why was he here? Corr spoke, truthfully and directly. "Missing persons. Person goes missing, I find them." He said, trying not to divulge too much information about himself. A whisper his his ear, and another question took over his mind. "What, is this place? Why is it important enough to be worth killin over?" He asked, wanting to know about the area more. But why? He was going to ask what she wasm doing here in the marshes but something replaced the words in his head.

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

She could feel the rage beginning to bubble up inside him. Not just rage but confusion and anger against her actions and mannerisms. It fed the excitement that was present in herself. Excitement for the new and interesting situation coupled with a new and interesting person.

So he was a bounty hunter of sorts. Dianah guessed vaguely that someone in the settlement had enough brain cells left to call someone in to deal with their problem. Next time she would have to make sure to take from different places. It might be longer and harder to find things to practice on but it would be safer in the end. It was his turn to ask something now.

His question confused her and it felt like rather a large waste of a perfect opportunity on his part. Still, a game was a game and it was her turn to answer.

'Well, I have to say I'm rather disappointed. What is this pl-...'

Half way through her sentence she stopped dead. How could she have not noticed it before? The man in front of her was giving off a faint force signature. It felt as though he was unaware of his gift. It certainly hadn't been used in a while. Even now with him barely 5 foot away, it was just barely noticeable. Dianah came to the realisation that the reason he had asked his question was because he could feel her dark energy. She had been coming here for weeks now to practice her force crush and the signature must have created a rather powerful hotspot, to anyone looking for that kind of thing.

'This place is the marshes. It's not really of any significant important. Save for the fact that I needed practice.'

Here was her chance to potentially shake someone's life forever.

'Did you know you're a force sensitive?'

[member=Corr Starburner]

 

[Corr Starburner]

Corr's brow furrowed at the woman's response. What she said wasn't making sense. Someone, something that could move things without touching them. Either through some sort of trick, or with her own mind. She had chose this spot, specifically for whatever reason. And whatever that reason was, she didn't want to disclose it. Another question that bogged down Corr's mind was why did she lure people down here if only to kill them? It was a healthy jog away from the main road, and a bit secluded. It seemed to be more of a hassle to get people down here, and then to just kill them? No, there was something else. Something that she didn't want to divulge.

She said she needed practice. Practice of what? Her ability to murder innocents? Her control of her odd power? If that was the case, then she was green and didn't know how it worked herself. Corr was in luck. First run in with a person who could move things with their mind, and they didn't know how it worked. While he on the other hand was experienced with combat in a sense of it. If you counted random brawls, and being outnumbered experience. But then her question came up.

The hell was a 'force sensitive'? Corr checked the logs of his brain. He remembered something about the force, that it gave the Jedi special powers. Or was it something else, like a tool they used or an extension of themselves. Corr re-readied his gun at the woman. "Not 'nother step there missy." He said, trying to make sense of it all. "And to answer 'yer question. Nawh. Ain't even heard of a force sensitive." He said, trying to bluff. The hell did she mean by that force sensitive crap anyway? Was that what she was doing? Using the force. Practising her control over it. Taking a second look over the bodies, it seemed that they had been crushed by something. And remembering the body that hung in the air, it was all sorts of misshapen. That meant she was a jedi. But, the jedi were supposed to be goodie goods. Protecting the weak, being self righteous and spouting all kinds of crap. So, she was just misusing her power. Or she was the opposite of a jedi. They existed, a polar opposite of the jedi, but the word was on the tip of his tongue. "Sith." Corr said remembering the term and looking at the woman, his brows furrowing further. "You killed these people in an interest to gain power, didn't you?" Corr asked, ready to pull the trigger if needed to.

[member="Dianah Vrorae"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

She could see the confusion swirling on his face. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. Just her luck. Someone who was a force sensitive but didn't have the first clue about it all. It felt like a giant let down to say the least. Though at the mention of the word Sith she turned her expression into a dazzling smile. He did have some knowledge of force users after all, but the way he spat the word out made her think he'd probably gotten his information from a Jedi. At least he knew she was dangerous.

'Gain power?!' She let out a sharp, cackling laugh. 'Boy, I take it back, you really do believe in fairy stories don't you? No, you simple man, not to gain power. To practice it. To have it submit and make it my own. I already possess power, I just need to refine it. Does that make sense now?'

There was no other way she could think of explaining it. It was true that she had picked this particular place on Lothal not only because there was something creepy about it but because there was a boon in the force here. Her abilities came much easier and she strained less to get what she wanted. He had been drawn to this particular spot in order to find her but she didn't doubt he was drawn for other reasons too. After a short moment to think about what her next question would be she tilted her head slowly.

'If you had the power to do anything you wanted in the entire Galaxy, what would you do?'

Hopefully, this would lead up to an answer she could offer some help with. Her only chance to make him understand what marvels he possessed at the very ends of his finger tips. Instead of squeezing that blaster trigger he could be using them to move mountains or bend rivers. Not in the literal sense. But there was so much raw power just waiting to be tapped into.

[member=Corr Starburner]

 

[Corr Starburner]

Corr thought a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. What she said made sense. It was the same as any gun. It could kill anyone well enough, but with enough practice one could use it with much better proficiency. Was that the force he heard about? Was it only just, a tool within one's self that could be practiced with? It made sense if he thought about it. Old holobooks told him as such, but each book was just the same garble as the last one.

Corr looked up at the woman, and let out a sigh of defeat. The gun in his hand spun round his finger a few rotations before being slid back into his holster that rested on his thigh. If she was what he was being led to believe, the gun wouldn't do him any good. Half drunk, drugged up gang members were always an easy shot., But someone who could fling bodies and crush bones meant nothing against a gun. She was most likely prepared three times over to deal with it. Besides, they were having a conversation.

Her question nearly caught him off guard. What would he do if he had unlimited potential, what would he do if he possessed infinite power. "Probably try to do the right thing. Keep doing what I've been doing." He said, starting. "But I know that power can corrupt and that I'm not immune to it. And eventually, I would try to take the law into my own hands. I'd abuse that power every way I could. Like I do now." He said, leaning against a tree and pulling out a small cigaro and lighting it. "So, why do you care?" He asked.

[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"]

 

[Darth Miseria]

He was motionless for a time. Dianah could see the furrow in his brow caused by deep thought. This was the part she loved the most. The slow realisation that there was no way to escape. A large number of the bodies surrounding them had come to the same conclusion. Usually it came in the form of a scream or the flash of terror that lit up their eyes. Unfortunately, for those corpses, that meant death. For this man though? It meant survival and opportunity if he was smart enough to take it.

The sweet sound of surrender floated into her ears like music carried on the wind. It was followed by the satisfying sound of a gun being holstered. She took this as a good sign and lowered her own hands with a sigh of relief. They were getting rather sore hanging in the air like that. Now, without the threat of the blaster, Dianah felt quiet confident in herself when she strode across the distance between them to inspect him closer. The smoke from his cigaro filled her lungs in a not too unpleasant way.

'Hmm...'

The question made her pause for more than a few moments. One of her slim fingers pressed firmly against her lips as she thought. How could she explain why she cared? How could she explain the undefinable majesty contained inside? She glanced up from her reverie with a pensive expression.

'I care because you have that kind of power and I despise seeing it wasted. How to explain... If someone who had never touched a blaster before tried to use your gun, would you flinch? Would it hurt you to watch them being rough with it or hold it in the wrong way? What if they put it away in some dark cupboard and let it gather dust for years and years? It would be a tragedy. A gun as fine as that deserves to be used. It's a similar kind of feeling for me. This power is also my power. It's a force so strong it connects us in ways you couldn't even imagine. You're wasting a gift so mighty you cannot begin to picture what it's capable of. It pains me to see you do so.'

Her next question was simple to ask, but difficult to answer.

'Do you understand?'

[member=Corr Starburner]