This appears to be a collection of magical formulas…

[Darth Zilti]

Maja wasn’t one to stand and admire her handiwork but even she was caught out when the cultist levelled a blaster at them. Fortunately Sumiko intervened and the man was clearly controlled into firing at inner demons and the two were saved.

No sooner had the danger been averted than Maja felt her hand being tugged and she followed her accomplice towards the doorway that they felt sure led to the lower floor. And she felt the Force envelop her and was sure some Sith Magic was being exercised – although she could not see for herself. But Sumiko’s previous words added to the fact that they were not being tracked suggested they were in some way cloaked.

As they rounded the corner, they saw a steep staircase revealed below. It corkscrewed down and finally reached a landing that led to a sloping corridor that then led deeper into the stronghold. Maja led the way unerringly through the labyrinthine halls, drawn by something – she knew not what – calling to her from lower chambers.

The interior architecture reminded her of the Sith Academy on Korriban: ancient stone walls, heavy wooden doors, and narrow halls dimly lit by torches sputtering in sconces along the wall. As they marched through the corridors, they sensed the occasional presence of one or two individuals on the other side of the doors they passed. But the occupents simply cowered in their rooms, allowing them to continue on unhindered.

By the time they had reached the central chamber of the basement levels, all expectation of resistance was gone. Here at the heart of the building cultists had built another shrine to the Huntress. Glow lamps in each corner illuminated the room with their eerie green light. The walls were covered with murals depicting images of the Goddess unleashing her power against the armies of those who opposed her, and a great stone throne sat atop a dais in the middle of the room. Except it was not empty. A figure in a black cloak sat as still as a statue, her hood pulled sufficiently forward in the dim light to hide her features.

“I love a good chase. That’s why they call me the Huntress.” Her voice sounded as old as time, like leaves blowing in the autumn wind. And there was menace too. Plenty of it.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


So here they were now. In the 'holiest of holies' of the insane cult. The iconography, murals and general idolatry was something Sumiko had expected. However, the dark figure sitting upon the great stone throne had not been anticipated. Truth be told, she had expected a fraud, not this.


Her features were obscured by the hood, giving her an even more mysterious appearance. The words she spoke were few, but her voice sounded beyond ancient, as if she were far removed from the daily, mundane affairs and concerns of mortals. The aura of menace was unmistakeable. The same applied to the sensation of dark, malevolent power that was emanating from her in waves. Compared to her the idiot preacher was not even a blip on the radar.


The question was obvious, could this really be Cognus, the Huntress? There were techniques to withstand the ravages of time, but it might be a particularly potent spirit of her, or an unconnected darkside entity. Or just someone who had the same title. Whoever the entity was, she possessed power that should not be trifled with. The sort of thing that had always attracted Sumiko. For a very brief moment she was reminded of her early days as an acolyte of the Inquisition, when she had been brought before the Grand Inquisitor for a misdemeanour. It had been...very painful. Neither Lai nor [member="Mirien Valdier"] had been the kindly sort.


Still she controlled herself, outwardly appearing calm and placcid. It would do no good to show weakness. "We have heard much of your deeds and your power, Huntress. Likewise it was the hunt that brought us here," Sumiko spoke respectfully, bowing her head ever so slightly, though she kept her eyes on the figure before them. She doubted they would be having teas and crumpets, but it was probably for the best not to piss off the self-proclaimed Huntress right away. "But you're not known as Cognus, Lord of the Sith?"

 

[Darth Zilti]

Once more the sound of dried leaves as the figure in front of them half-laughed and half-wheezed. Two very old and broad hands came up and pulled back the hood.

An Iktotchi sat there – her skin showing her significant age. Her smaller horns and features revealing her to be definitely female.

“The Huntress is a title passed down from generation to generation. Some have had the power to use the Force, others have not. It is said I have tremendous potential with the Dark-side – but I have never been trained.”

She rapped her thighs through the cloak that covered them. The sound was hollow. "Since I barely escaped with my life some…eighty years ago, I have been a relative prisoner here. The…” she glanced upwards, “Cult above ebbs and flows but keeps me safe and cared for. If they knew the truth…” she shrugged as she spoke. “They would no doubt kill me. And were it not for that awful Event and that…creep upstairs, things would have continued to work perfectly well.”

She glanced up at them both – as if truly seeing them for the first time. “I can use the Force sometimes – it grants me visions. Yes, you two I saw. And since then I’ve been wondering what your purpose was. Were it to kill me, I’d be dead by now. So you seek something. And from your words, something of hers perhaps? Yes, your eyes betray you.”

Maja tried to look as innocent as possible right now, in case Sumiko should shoot her a glance.

“Rid me of that…idiot and I’ll tell you what you want to know. It’s all in here.” She pointed to her head. “All the tricks of the assassin’ trade and knowledge of my predecessors. Kill him and it’s yours. And bring me that girl. The one that showed bravery…” She cackled again and pointed to a corner, where a screen showed images of the temple above, order had yet to be restored.

“Often more reliable than the Force. And she will make a fine successor for me. But hurry, it won’t be long before they know you’re gone and come looking for you.”

Maja looked at Sumiko. The request was clear. Let’s do this!

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


Well, this had been an interesting revelation. In a twisted way the story was even quite sad. The old, withered Huntress was an object of reverence for a lunatic, apocalyptic cult. To them she was a goddess, but if they knew the truth behind her and saw past the elaborate facade that had been built up around her, they would kill her.


It was just that: Smoke and mirrors, but beautifully designed. For just a moment Sumiko felt a little foolish, but that feeling passed soon as a different one took over: Covetuousness. With the added bonus of getting rid of that annoying cult boss. Well, that was just a bonus, albeit a very satisfying one, for it was the knowledge she craved. She locked eyes with Maja, seeing her own eagerness reflected by her. It would be quite amusing if the Vahla punished McCreep by making his deepest fear manifest as a demon of the psyche and turn him into a vegetable.


There were many questions she would like to ask the Huntress, about her lineage, about the mysteries they had guarded, but that could wait. Eventually the commotion upstairs would be resolved, one way or another, and then the cultists would come looking for them. "Let's do it," she said eagerly. "We'll be back when he is dead," then she turned away and headed back through the labyrinthine halls with seemingly unerring precision. She glanced over to Maja as they crossed the threshold. "Perhaps we can warp the minds of some of these fools to aid us. After all, we met their 'goddess' and were 'blessed' by her."


It was when they passed through the corridor and could see the staircase that opposition finally arrived, heralded by a hail of blaster bolts that came shooting their way. Whether ruckus upstairs was still ongoing was an open question, but clearly some cult members had decided to check on the inner sanctum, perhaps sent by the preacher.


Fortunately, most of the cultists were not trained soldiers. Indeed, their purpose was more to tread upon their fellow townspeople than actually fight outsiders with actual training. Still, bolts in enclosed spaces were a danger and so in a flash Sumiko's lightsabre had leapt into her grasp and ignited with a snap-hiss, glowing a bright crimson as she whirled around to meet this attack in what seemed like a blur of motion. Bolts were slashed out of the air by her lightsabre or reflected back at the shooters, with one of them being taken out outright and another falling over as he was struck in the thigh. Forced back onto the defensive the shooters sought cover as their weapons fire was turned against them. She felt a searing burn when a blaster bolt grazed her thigh. Shortly thereafter the offending blaster was gripped by her mind and crushed into little pieces.


One cultist, evidently the force-user of the bunch, after being injured roared loudly, letting loose an amplified scream fuelled by hatred and rage. Sumiko braced herself as the roar erupted, anchoring herself to the ground as the wave swept towards her, though she shook as it slammed into her chest and pain surged through her, whilst her eyes were ringing and blood seeped out.


Then she channelled the Force herself and abruptly a blast of crimson lightning surged from her fingertips like tendrils of pure dark side energy, enveloping him. The cultist shook and spasmed violently as the tendrils seized him, sucking him dry and leaving him hollow. The draining effect would not feed her, rather it would simply sap him of vitality until he had been simply sucked dry and lost consciousness.


"Your preacher is a deceiver. The Great Huntress has chosen us, for how else could we have survived in her presence? Join us and she will spare your souls from the reaping," she spoke loudly, using the Force to amplify her voice so that it would be carried across the corridor. Pulling at the strands of power she sought to penetrate their defences and twist their thinking, using just a little mentalism to aid her.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja was pleased that Sumiko so readily agreed to the course of action and was almost caught by surprise when the Dark Jedi strode out of the room and she had to hurry to catch up.

And they say great minds think alike, because Maja had precisely the same plan in mind. But as she planned her action, she was rudely interrupted by the sound of blaster fire and bolts started to head their way.

Fortunately Sumiko was more alert as she pretty much single-handedly dealt with the few idiots that tried to oppose them. And her partner took the main brunt of the Force attack, Maja was merely knocked on her posterior by the periphery of the wave and by the time she regained her feet, the threat was dealt with.

And then Sumiko went on the offensive, using subtle manipulations to encourage those cultists still standing to join them. And her words worked well as the nodded in unison and led the way back to the main hall.

Once there the riot was still in full swing but at the sight of the two ladies, the cult leader stop atop the base of the statue and pointed at them. “Unbelievers. They are the unworthy ones. They have twisted your minds against each other. They must be destroyed.”

You had to hand it to him, he was a great orator and he used enough of the Force to indicate that he was also manipulating them. But his was an amateur effort – and both Sumiko and Maja knew it.

Maja stepped forward. “I am Darth Zilti, a Vahla and blessed by my goddess. My hair is my proof.” She shook her tresses as if to emphasise her point. “And was sent here to speak with the Great Huntress on my goddess’s behalf. Both have indicated he,” she pointed at the creepy one at this point, “Is the manipulator and the Great Huntress has ordered us to kill him.”

She looked at the statue now. “If I speak to truth, I call on the Great Huntress to vindicate my words with a sign.” They were cultists and could be easily swayed to eat their kin’s flesh. What Maja was about to do was relatively simple by comparison.

She closed her eyes momentarily and her irises changed to yellow, and ringed crimson. When she opened them again, the statue appeared to come to life. It was a minor illusion but was enough for the congregation. It stood and gazed at them all before pointing at the cult leader and shaking its fist. There were collective oohs and aahs from the crowd.

But the creepy one was made of sterner stuff and was not taken in. “Fools,” he shouted, “This is a parlour trick, the statue has not moved.”

Once a seed of doubt was planted, Maja knew the illusion could easily crumble, so felt the need to keep the pressure on. “He is unworthy, that is why the Great Huntress does not reveal herself to him.” She remembered an old children’s tale about a naked king and it seemed an appropriate analogy. And true enough, there were collective noises of agreement from the crowd.

So he jumped down from the statue and came for her. If he broke her concentration, the spell would be ended and people would start to believe the creep. She had to silence him and make it look believable.

She raised her hands slightly, not wishing to draw attention to them. Weaving her ringers in a complex pattern in the air, she reached out with the Force and plunged deep inside the cult leader’s mind to find his secret, most primal fears. Buried in his subconscious were no doubt nameless horrors: abominations and creatures of nightmare never meant to see the light of day. Everyone had them but suppressed them and only allowed them out for nightmares. Drawing on the power of Sith sorcery, quickly Maja plucked them out and brought them to life – one at a time.

The entire process took less than a second. In that time the cultist had drawn a hidden blaster, but instead of pointing it at Maja he suddenly screamed and aimed it at the statue, firing wildly at demons conjured from his own mind that only he could see.

The illusions grew more real and more terrifying the longer the spell continued. The cult leader now shrieked and threw his weapon to the ground. He flung his head wildly from side to side, covering it with his arms. The crowd were silent, all eyes on the man that had terrorised them. Now he started screaming out loud, "No, the Huntress is not real," over and over before collapsing on the floor. Weeping and sobbing, he curled up into a tight little ball, still muttering "No, no, no..."

Everyone else in the room was staring at him in horror and bewilderment. Some of the congregation took a step back, afraid they might somehow become infected by his madness. But others stepped forward – retribution was clearly in their minds. Soon the man was hidden from sight as they looked to beat him senseless. .

The leader’s cries of terror became animal howls as his sanity was ripped apart by the ghastly visions. But suddenly he was silent and Maja felt the connection to him end. It was impossible to tell who dealt the death blow

The crowd stepped back. The man lay there, covered in blood, robes torn and his mouth still foaming.

Maja looked around. “You did well. The Huntress has asked us to take a chosen one to meet her. To be your new link with her. And I suspect things will be changing too.” She looked at Sumiko. “Your turn,” she smiled. They made quite a team.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


They really did make a good team. If Sumikoe had been a particularly wethennish or insecure person, she might have gotten sulky when Maja took charge and awed the cultists with her display of illusionist prowess. However, the Atrisian was not a wet hen, but strongly practical. So she stood back and watched the display, though she kept an eye upon the crowd and was ready to step in if the spell was broken and they turned hostile.


However, things went marvellously well. Like a pack of wild beasts the cultists fell upon their former master and he died painfully in a bloody shower of gore and violence. Once they were done he lay there, covered in his own blood, robes torn and mouth foaming. From his open wounds blood seeped out and dripped onto the floor. A fitting sight considering the nature of this cult.


The statue, which had been given the appearance of coming to life due to the illusion Maja had conjured up, seemed to turn and gaze upon its flock, giving them an approving nod and spreading its arms, as if to embrace them, as Sumiko lent some of her strength to the spell. Awe, reverence and fear could be seen written upon the features of several cultists, then the illusion was over and all returned to normal. Simple parlour tricks, but effective in this situation, especially since so many here wanted to believe they were true.


One of the men, presumably one of the more vociferous members of the cult who had followed the preacher, suddenly stepped forward and tossed away his blood-splattered vibrosword, then threw himself to floor and prostrated himself before Darth Zilti, the emissary of the great goddess. "Great One, I erred and followed the devil's lies. My soul is stained his corruption and I deserve punishment. But I beg you to spare my family. I forced them into evil. Let my soul nourish the Great Huntress so that it can be wiped clean and accept the offering of..."


Sumiko cut him off with a wave of her hand. Not for humanitarian reasons, since she did not care much about whether the deluded fellow was eaten or not. But she presumed that Maja would not want to be pulled into a situation where she had to pretend to accept the 'offering'.


"Be silent. Your humility is noted. You were all deceived by the traitor's lies, but you turned against him. Today the Great Huntress is merciful and commands you to make a new covenant with her. Fail her, and the punishment will be hellfire," she spoke sternly, putting her force into her tone.


The cultist looked surprised at being spared, but then an expression of gratitude crossed his features. "Thank you, Great Ones. I will labour in her name and donate what meagre possessions I have to her," he declared. Well, he could probably look forward to being a serf for her!


However, Sumiko had stopped paying attention to him and instead focused on what Maja had said before. "The Huntress commands that one of your own be your link with her. Someone who shall be taught her secrets and ensure that the covenant remains strong. We shall choose her."


Needless to say this caused quite a clamour since various believers began presenting their children, obviously hoping that this would help their advancement. Undeterred by the clamour and the noise Sumiko walked through the crowd, before her eyes finally fell upon the girl from earlier, the one the huntress had mentioned. The girl was holding a knife that had been splattered with the blood of the preacher. Indeed, she had actually rammed it into his chest. But she looked frightened and skittish when she saw Sumiko's eyes upon her, though she resisted the urge to run. Sumiko could feel a sliver of the Force emanating from her. "You. You shall come with us," the Atrisian spoke, reaching out to raise the girl's chin.


"M-me....Mistress, I'm...," the girl stammered, looking like a deer in the headlight since suddenly all eyes were upon her. Immediately there was a loud clamour, with some in the crowd shouting encouragement and others voicing doubt, but the latter soon fell silent when Sumiko shot them a glare cold enough to freeze planets.


A woman chooses, a slave obeys. "Yes, you. You carry her gift inside you. The traitor abused you and yours, but you carry her light. You shall be this covenant's redemption. She shall make you strong."


"Y-yes, Mistress," the girl still sounded afraid, but there was something else in her eyes as well...a desire to no longer be weak. "I shall do it. I shall be strong."


"Praise the Great Huntress!"

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja was tired. Some simple parlour tricks for sure, but the ability to rip apart the mind of a Force User was a significantly greater challenge. To locate and bring to life all of his worst nightmares was taxing on her own mind and she was grateful when it was over.

Even more so when Sumiko stepped in and handled the next challenge. And she was not so exhausted that she didn’t recognise and appreciate the part her partner played in keeping the illusion alive.

So when a man fell prostrate at her feet and pleaded with her, she was wondering how to respond when fortunately Sumiko stepped in.

Whereas Maja had raised tensions, it was now her companion’s turn to alleviate them – to bring the cult back down to earth and get them in a place where they could be reasoned with, directed and left to their own devices.

So she nodded at Sumiko’s words but remained silent. Her partner was the planner of the pair and Maja knew when to keep quiet – and now was that time. For as the cultists pressed claims for why their child should be chosen, all eyes remained on Sumiko and Maja marvelled at how the Dark Jedi controlled the crowd by sheer presence alone.

They both knew who was to be chosen, but Sumiko made it look like some contrived selection process was under way – the will of the Great Huntress being upheld. So when the moment came that the girl was selected, Maja almost believed herself that some divine intervention had taken place. The fact the girl was clutching a blood-stained knife was simply poetic.

Of course the girl was scared – and that simply added to the theatre. And Maja felt the frightened girl’s emotions and how they subconsciously called on the Dark-side – this girl had potential for sure.

Of course, the dissenters were soon silenced. Maja herself would wither under the scorn of that particular stare. And once selected, who would dare voice opposition, when salvation was the price of acceptance?

So the two led the young girl down to where the Great Huntress sat. The girl still clutched the bloody knife in her hands – like some great-sword, the blade pointing to the ground, the odd bead of blood dripping onto the floor.

Now to Maja and Sumiko, the presence of the Huntress was palpable. To a young girl, it must have been oppressive. But to her credit she did not lower her eyes, but rather stared at the cloaked and hooded figure in front of her.

“Yes…I sense the potential in you. You are my voice and hands with those above us. You shall lead them as I instruct or you shall befall the same fate as your predecessor. Now organise the crowd to disperse and clean the mess up. There will be no more ritual sacrifices nor eating of the flesh. Such things now displease me. Banishment will be the price to pay for not believing. What could be worse than not enjoying my benevolence? Surely death is too good for them. Now be gone.”

Once the girl left, Maja glanced at Sumiko. Who was going to do the asking?

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


The cult had been expertly managed by them. With some luck they would not be offering our 'heroines' more 'flesh' and blood when they departed. It was not exactly gourmet, you see. Along with being quite revolting for a number of reasons. Anyhow, the little girl, the future 'vessel of the Goddess', the chosen one and so on and so forth, was guided down to the throne room of the Great Huntress.


The girl showed promise by meeting the gaze of the dark figure rather than averting her eyes or running. Perhaps she would make it. Then the huntress spoke and announced changes to her regime, such as abolishing the displeasing practice of eating heretics, which Sumiko considered an improvement. The girl departed and now our heroines were left alone with old crone.


Sumiko met Maja's look and then decided to speak up. "We have fulfilled our end of the bargain, Huntress. The insane preacher is dead, you have a new vessel who can mould this cult in your image and succeed you one day. Now you will live up to your end? You were correct in assuming we sought something of Cognus', a spellbook we believe she possessed. And you promised us the knowledge of your predecessors."

 

[Darth Zilti]

The hooded figure sat in silence for a few moments. She was so still she could have been dead and were it not for the Force radiating from her still, the pair might have been worried.

Finally she moved her head and spoke. “I am aware of this book you speak of. The Huntress was angry that she never received it from her Master. This much I know. And…” she appeared to be thinking deeply. “Yes, yes, there was something else. She said, and I hope I have the words right. ‘She refused me three times. She said if I asked again, she would show me where it was but call my real name out loud.’ Apparently it was enough for the Huntress to stop asking. But what the message means, I have no idea. Sounds like some silly superstition to me – but it was clearly enough to dissuade my ancestor.”

“Now, in terms of what else you seek, my knowledge of the Force is paltry by your standards but may be able to help with your understanding of visions.” Maja believed this to mean Farseeing. “I was also taught to disrupt and suppress the use of the Force in others and can show you any manner of close-quarters combat techniques…after a fashion.” She rapped her false legs. “Blades in particular and I can show you where to find and how to use senflax. A sedative that allows the victim to remain conscious but incapable of movement or access to the Force.”

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


'She refused me three times. She said if I asked again, she would show me where it was but call my real name out loud.' Most intriguing, a tad annoying and cryptic. Something perhaps to discuss when they were alone again, since it seemed the huntress could not offer them any further information. If this was not just silly superstition.


However, what the hooded crone had to offer intrigued Sumiko and aroused her curiosity. It was known to the initiated that Cognus had not only been skilled at precognition, but also adept at disrupting and suppressing the use of the Force in others. Many felt sickened by the unexpected smothering feeling of the Huntress' power and suffered from a strongly diminished ability to harness the Force in her presence. Even Bane had not been immune to her influence, though he was able to overcome it - and that had been before she was trained.


It would have been a very useful skill for Sumiko to possess when she was still an Inquisitor, back when she served [member="Mirien Valdier"]. The same applied to the use senflax. After all, the former spook liked her poisons. Same applied to use of blades. So she looked at Maja and then gave the wizened, old crone a nod. "That is more than acceptable, huntress. I am eager to learn these skills. Particularly the use of senflax and how to disrupt the Force in others. It will be very useful."

 

[Darth Zilti]

The look on Maja’s face suggested the cat hadn’t only got the cream, but the keys to the dairy with it. But she shot Sumiko a glance and tried to rearrange her features to appear more neutral to the news.

Maja was more interested in the notebook than any training, but the ability to better manage her visions was something that the read-head truly valued and so was keen to see what she could be offered in this regard.

But training? From this apparently frail woman? Maja exchanged a glance with her comrade-in-arms. She just knew they were thinking the same thing at the same time. So as gently as Maja could, she connected with the woman’s mind. She was a Force-sensitive but relatively untrained, so Maja made an effort to be gentle but accessed those parts of her memory that contained the information she needed.

Months of training were shared with Maja in a matter of seconds. It would take a while to review and make full sense of it, but it allowed her to leave without having to learn the information blow by blow.

And she nodded to Sumiko as if to say, your turn…

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


And so our two heroines got a crash course via mental training montage!


Sumiko took a breath, then step by step lowered the barriers inside her mind before reaching out with the Force to connect with that of the crone's. She did so as gently as she could, pulling at the strands of Force. After all, the frail woman had held up her end of the agreement, so she made an effort to be gentle as she accessed her mind. The mind of a sentient being can be a chaotic thing, much like an ocean and as tempestuous as a storm.


However, in this case the process was sped up and helped by the fact that the crone was cooperating rather than offering resistance. And then it all came in a rush as months of training and ancestral knowledge flooded Sumiko in a matter of seconds like a wave.


Sumiko shook slightly under the pressure as she sought to absorb the information. Once the process was over, it would take time to review, analyse and fully understand, not to mention test out, but it sidestepped the problem of how to learn step by step since their teacher was in a quite frail condition. For a few moments the information was a chaotic, tempestuous flood that threatened to overwhelm her mind, but bit by bit she was able to restore some semblance of order. It was like she was reliving moments not only from the crone's life, but also from that of her ancestors, which suggested that this was a common practice when it came to passing on knowledge. The training Sumiko had received from [member="Mirien Valdier"], a specialist in memory manipulation, undoubtedly came in handy. Finally the process was complete and she gently withdrew from the crone's mind. It was done.

 

[Darth Zilti]

As with Ambria, Maja had a whole host of mental images in her head – many of them memories – and they were all foreign to her. For now she had to compartmentalise them – and would access them when she had time to decipher their meanings.

And while she erected that mental barrier, she was aware her comrade was no doubt undertaking a similar process – accessing whatever memories and knowledge she needed too.

The Huntress looked frail before the process and she looked tired as well now. They’d both been as gentle as they could but it would have taken its toll on her. And Maja smiled. In her exchange with the woman, she’d shared some memories the other way. Some basic uses of the Force that the Huntress’ apprentice would find most useful. It felt appropriate to do so.

You never knew when you might need a helping hand and if the young girl knew Maja was instrumental in part of her training, that would most likely be a useful thang to have in your back pocket.

Maja checked that her partner was finished and nodded an acceptance of the deal concluded to their host. “It’s unlikely we’ll meet again. I’ll suggest the girl visits you in a few hours, you’ll probably benefit from the rest,” she offered, her voice calm and soothing.

“And so we’ll be on our way.”

As soon as they were out of earshot, Maja pumped the air with her fist. “Well that couldn’t have gone any better. I mean, at least we know which planet to search on. And a likely location is bound to present itself when we get there, eh?”

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


This writer confesses that they did not understand the solution of the riddle till Zilti's told them! Zilti's writer shall henceforth be known as queen of cryptic. Presumably Sumiko is more genre-savvy than her writer. She refused me three times. She said if I asked again, she would show me where it was but call my real name out loud.’


"Yes, we do. Somov Rift. I suppose we shall out for Swamp Demons. Good thing I have many names," Sumiko said dryly. Once they had left the inner sanctum behind them there was obviously a crowd of worshippers who apparently wanted to ingratiate themselves with our heroines by offering them trinkets and baubles. Fortunately by now they seemed to have gotten the message that offerings of blood and flesh were no longer being accepted. This was good because otherwise Sumiko might have felt like smiting someone.


So the offerings consisted of alcohol, archaic looking coins, what passed for jewellry in this community. and fancy stuff such as talismans. Some of the aforementioned talismans seemed to have a very weak Force aura, which implied they had been mystically imbued, but most just seemed mundane and looked nice. Still, a few gestures and stern looks from Sumiko were enough to convince the cultists that they had loaded the chosen ones of the Great Huntress with enoug gifts and ought to allow them to leave. Outside night had fallen upon the town and a harsh wind was sweeping their way, throwing up sand and dust.


"I'll take my ship and meet you on the planet when we arrive. A location should present yourself. I'll look if I can find any intel and if your farsight reveals anything, inform me," she removed the flask from her bag and had a good drink because after the insane cult and the crash course she had received from the Huntress, she felt like she needed one. Then she offered it to Maja.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja listened to Sumiko and readily accepted both the alcohol and the advice. They were clearly on the same page – except Somov Rit was a planet, not a specific location. And her database revealed…nothing.

So she did what Maja did best. She slept on the problem.

Maja stirred in her sleep, yet didn't wake. Someone was calling to her, but she didn't want to answer. In her dreams she could imagine she was Zannah, back home with her cousins, enjoying a simple but happy life. If she woke, she knew she'd have to face the truth: that life was more complicated than that.

In her dreams she saw a Jedi. Jedi-Master Torr, sent to recruit Force Sensitives to join the Army of Light. Zannah hadn't even really wanted to join. But Bug and Tomcat, her cousins, were both going. They were her only family, and she didn't want to be left behind. She was young – only ten – and her cousins had pleaded to allow her to come too. And so Master Torr had acceded.

Then the dream changed. She was on a shuttle and it was under attack. What occurred next was just a blur, but she experienced an explosion and screams. One wing of the ship sheared away and suddenly she was falling. The smoking wreckage of the shuttle became a speck in the sky above her as it spiralled off out of control and she fell down, down, down…

Restless sleep followed until, finally she was at peace. And she was in a boat – a small one – fishing, a bag of her captures flopping alongside her, a trident in her hand waiting to spear the next helpless creature to swim nearby. And she was laughing, mocking the myth of the Swamp Demon. But she called herself Rain none the less.

But she was happy. Maybe for the last time ever. Of all the memories of Zannah she’d experienced, this was different for that reason. And Maja knew the place and the time were significant.

As she woke, she wondered if Sumiko could swim!

Regardless, she checked a map of the planet and with what little she knew of Zannah’s history, she cross-checked Jedi recruitment on the planet. And she had it. Root’s name on a release form, allowing three of his charges to be taken into Jedi care. The dates tallied and so she sent the coordinates to Sumiko’s ship. They had a village – all they needed to do now was find the lake.

Well…all was a bit of an exaggeration. Somewhere there or thereabouts was a book. And they had to find it.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


Unlike some of this writer character's, Sumiko was not blessed with prophetic dreams and as such would not be receiving any such insights. Thus the time spent aboard her freighter whilst it traversed through the vastness of hyperspace was a good deal more conventional than her companion's.



And so what Sumiko did during her trip was have a good shower, then look up Somov Rift in her database. Alas, there was little intel to go by that was actually useful. By all accounts it was a sparsely populated green world mired in superstition and inhabited by a primitive people. Which, when one thought about it, would also make it a perfect place for Rain - or Zannah, as her true name was - to hide the mystical spellbook. Also more cost-effective than building a big, fancy vault.



Those tended to come with a big, invisible neon sign that declared 'override all my expensive security and heist me'. But beyond that the Galaxy seemed to have forgotten Somov, which was probably an advantage for the people since all too often making waves resulted in war coming to your doorstep. By the time she received Maja's transmission, Sumiko had conducted some research of her own, having tracked down information on Jedi Master Torr Snapit and the Army of Light.


Almost everything left a paper trail and this situation was no different as she cross-checked Jedi recruitment before she homed in on the village where Torr had acquired his three charges. It was amusing for her that the righteous 'Army of Light' had recruited children for the war. Of course, Sumiko was strongly lacking in moral virtues, so she could not accuse the Jedi of being, well, immoral, but it was always amusing how reality could make you fall from your pedestal.


The irony was that at the time when her cousins were recruited, Zannah had on first sight not shown any sign of Force potential. It had taken persuasion and her manipulating the Force sufficiently with help from her cousin to convince the Jedi. Who knew how things might have been different if she had been left behind on her homeworld, in a life of insignificance, instead of rising to greatness and darkness.


What she uncovered tallied with the information Maja sent her way. The coordinates and the information about the lake were gratefully accepted. The hours passed by and finally the freighter slipped out of hyperspace, emerging in a flash in orbit of the green planet. Taking the controls again, Sumiko steered the ship through the atmosphere, following the coordinates.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja landed first, just outside of the village and in fact the other side of a small copse that hid her shuttle from view. Outsiders would no doubt cause a bit of a stir, so arriving in an ostentatious way wouldn’t help matters.

So she made the final journey on foot, expecting her travelling partner to be right behind her. As she exited the copse, she saw it for the first time, Zannah’s village. The lake it was situated on gave it the look and feel of a coastal fishing village. It was somewhat isolated, and was built around a small natural harbour which provided a safe haven for a village fleet of fishing boats.

Maja was aware of the routine. The men literally work from just before dusk all the way through the night using lights to attract fish, reeling in the catch, fishing and waiting and doing it all over and over again. The work was hard and most villagers worked 14 to 21 days straight.

And then she spied the smaller boats, like the ones she’d seen in her visions. They were set away from the main fleet and looked only large enough for one child to sit in at any one time. A little girl came wandering up to her and tugged on her robe until she looked down.

“You want to hire my boat? I’ll give you the best deal.” The girl flashed Maja a toothy smile. Perhaps they were more used to tourists than the Sith had initially expected.

Maja out her hand in her bag and pulled out two bars of candy. “For this much, I want you to tell me where the best place to fish is. Where the brave girls go.”

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


The native girl looked at the gifts the sky woman was offering her with curiosity, then gave her a toothy smile and accepted the candy bars. "Down in the south of the village, in the Tigris Lake," she spoke in accented but still understandable Basic, then pointed towards the way Maja would have to go. Clearly despite the remoteness of the planet and its lack of resources, they were not wholly unused to tourists. "Brave girls go there. Many fish, many monsters. Don't say true name."


By now Sumiko had linked up with her partner in crime, having landed close to her vessel. So now she made her way over to her whilst the native provided directions, Her eyes scanned the small coastal village and the flotilla of boats that was anchored in the lake. Here, day and night, the natives toiled in their own world, following a way of life that had been almost unchanging for centuries, while the Galaxy was in seemingly constant flux, Sith Lords, Jedi Masters and Chancellors plotted and struggled to exact their vision upon the stars.


Birds chirped happily like they had no care in the world, frogs croaked and here and there a boat returned, loaded with fish that had been caught, which always caused a small commotion. Sumiko's boots made little noise on the grass as she crossed the distance to the Vahla. "I see you made contact. Found out some good fishing grounds?" she asked, though mainly for show.

 

[Darth Zilti]

Maja listened to the girl. “Don’t say true name eh?” Maja chuckled. “Well given I don’t know my true name, that should give me the edge, yes?” She smiled again and handed the girl an extra bar of candy. “And I’m sure you’re smart enough to make sure we get the best boat when we get there, eh?”

Maja watched the girl skip in the direction of the bay before turning her attention to her partner. She beamed. “Yes, apparently the best fishing to be had, local knowledge is a wonderful thing.”

Suddenly the colour drained from Maja’s face and she slumped to the ground, her derrière impacting the ground heavily as she landed. “Oh…” was all she could manage.

“She’s…she’s…she’s dead.” Maja looked around helplessly. “I just know it. I feel empty.” She looked up at Sumiko. “Silara and I, we share a Life Bond. We are permanently connected – it is the first thing I discovered when I found out I was Force-sensitive. We sense everything when we are close and strong feelings when we are apart. But now, suddenly…nothing. It hasn’t gone away but it’s like a wound. I feel the connection still but it’s empty.”

She tried to stand and wobbled a little before finally regaining her feet.

“I knew it would happen one day – to one of us. It’s the life we lead. But now? It feels so sudden. I’ve sensed her health of late – fading. But that happens. But now, it was…it was as if she were being held up and then someone cut the strings and she fell. Dead.”

She stared at the ground. “I…I…I…don’t know what to do. I know I must carry on but I can’t shake this feeling. This emptiness.”

She looked at Sumiko. “I need to keep busy. Follow that girl. She’s getting us a boat and will show us the spot to fish in. I’ll be right behind you.”

Maja shed no tears – but the colour had not returned to her face as yet. Her tattoo was so pale as to be almost unnoticeable.

[member="Sumiko Tanaka"]

 

[Darth Libertas]

[member="Darth Zilti"]


Massive mood whiplash. Equally substantial awkwardness ensued for Sumiko when Maja was confronted with the shocking revelation of her sister's demise and fell to the ground. When the Vahla tried to get up and looked a bit wobbly when she stood the Atrisian tried her best to stabilise her till it was clear that she had regained her feet.


What was an amoral sociopath such as Sumiko supposed to say? She tended to care little to nothing about other people. Yet...she liked Maja. Perhaps saw a kindred spirit in her to an extent. Probably the only person she genuinely liked other than [member="Mirien Valdier"]. Maybe even trusted her more than the former Grand Inquisitor. "This void. Like there's a deep, black hole inside of you," she said when Maja spoke about feeling an emptiness after losing someone who was not just her sister, but someone she had been life bonded to. The latter was something Sumiko had never experienced - and did not desire to. Too big a chance that such connections could undo you.


"I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my family on Atrisia," she said, as feelingly as she could. Her ability at pep talks was terribly limited and they would probably sound trite. "She'd want you to carry on. You're her legacy now," she spoke, then nodded after Maja said they should go get the boat and quickly headed after the native girl, who ended up taking them towards the boat she had offered them at the lake.