Private Under a Sea of Trees

[Enlil]

Keskin, Outer Rim Territories

It was the perfect place for someone on the run to hold up. That made it just as good for an ambush, if someone felt so inclined. Enlil rode along with one of the spacers who frequented the fringes of Eternal Empire space that swore up and down he'd seen a fugitive. The difference was, when it came to that particular group, this pilot neither wanted to be personally involved or give his own name.

Enlil had yet to truly spend much time in the company of the Eternal Empire, but from the brief meeting with Tacitus and his small cadre of lackeys, he got the sense that they were a very stern, unforgiving bunch. Such men who called themselves Emperors were dangerous.

But, a person on the run from justice was still the jurisdiction of an Outer Rim Judge. Enlil had to earn his keep somehow. "You're certain you saw the fugitive on this world?" he asked. "Known information on the criminal 'Sar Vun' was fairly explicit. They could be anyone, anywhere, at any time. I wouldn't be upset if you were to say you were uncertain."

"On my oath, bloody hell, someone was out and about and I saw things what didn't seem normal, sir." The spacer shook his head vehemently. "Only take a look around, I promise, I ain't led you astray."

"At your word, then," the King replied slowly. "Remain here. I will scout the area."

Shavara

 

[Shavara]

Spoiler: Equipment:

shavaras-robes
shavaras-kestralis-ring
vuns-kaliek
sar-vuns-memory-holocron
sar-vuns-mask
shavaras-shield (not technically on her)
gkchrn

Basic shuttle transport for herself with hyperdrive, storage, and a basic biomed on board.

Appearence change: +1 inch, under mask/robes


Sar Vun, the name she had gone by. Size, shape, even gender was left functionally at a loss for most. The true Sar Vun, long dead, was male. But even he was known for never being limited to his species even though he should have lacked the ability to change. An alchemist of weak power, yet great knowledge and determination. The current Sar Vun only wished to grow to that point.

Here she was, robed a mask hid her face. The same mask that disguised her presence with its own, further keeping her identity hidden. Underneath that mask and robes, which hid her own more unique ones, she had a changed face. Though still female, she'd adjusted her height to an inch taller, changed her skin tone slightly, and a slight adjustment to her bone structure. Just enough, once again, to completely throw off any understanding of what she really was supposed to look like.

She was busy now putting up what was left of her equipment onto a shuttle in the jungle. She was unaccompanied, allowing her to leave easier. Only protected by her own gifts and equipment. She had helped some refugees escape recently, by now they were long gone, but she'd stayed alone to clean up, unfortunately unaware she'd been spotted.

Enlil

 

[Enlil]

He looked more regal than like one of the ratty, leather strapped Judges that the OPA was famed for. With a gilded gauntlet and his Ra'Kathan traveling clothes, the King seemed sorely out of place. He did not appear armed by any stretch of the imagination. Though anyone who knew him might tell you, that was by design.

In and out of conflict, it was important to allow those who wished you harm and those who's intentions you did not know alike to read as little as possible. A man with few friends had less hands to hold the knives that might stab him in the back. He looked from one side of the small ravine that opened at the mouth of a forested area to the other, and then back toward the ship.

His ruby gaze thinned. It was not impossible that the man had seen a changeling criminal, but it was subject to extreme doubt. On a planet like this one, even if the perpetrator had been there, it would be just as easy for them to disappear. Aggravating as it was, such was not the pilot's fault.

"I might as well take a look deeper in the forest, since he bothered to rouse me this far out of the way," Enlil reasoned.

As he stepped into the shade of the trees, almost immediately the darkness swallowed him. Only thing streams of light filtered through from above, and the wall of trees behind him all but snuffed out the sunlight he had bathed in only moments before.

Several more steps revealed a more dimly lit area, shielded from view by the canopy but still lit better than the murky copse of trees all around it. That was where he saw someone who appeared to be cleaning up an area of the jungle.

Reasonable enough, except... out here in the middle of nowhere?

"Quite a remote location to camp out," he called calmly, in a softer voice to the woman. "What brings you to this world, out of all the many civilized planets in the sector?"

Shavara

 

[Shavara]

Shavara's work was disturbed as she heard a voice, she didn't panic. Yet. As she saw him she still felt a sense of fear. He was not normal, his clothing was extremely unusual for an outsider and he had a presence outside of simply being another being. Much like those she was used to feeling from her own kind.

She returned, with words of an incredible precise nature. As was the way of most Vran when speaking galactic basic. They pronounced every word exactly as they were told it was phonetically spoken because of the requirements of their own language. She answered simply, with a deceitful partial truth braided with lies, "I am on a journey, or a quest, I have been called by one of long ago. They have guided me here, and shall guide me again. It is not people alone that makes any planet a place for one such as me to go to."

Force sensitives were not ones she still got to interact with much of her own world, and so she in turn made an inquiry, "What has brought you here. I can feel a presence of you. Something that is not unlike my own. That I have seen among another before. You do not dress like them. Yours is the dress of a different kind."

She did not know for sure that he was after her. She knew the Eternal Empire probably knew of her, as would her own people. However, she wondered if her own would turn against her. Her planet had a clash of culture against itself. But the Empire, they would happily have a bounty on her head wouldn't they. Send hunters and killers.

This was not a regular soldier though, and she would not attack someone when there was no need to. She was never a warrior. That was only a side-effect of her responsibility. She was a doctor and an alchemist. That was supposed to be her duty. But another had been given to her. Even if she didn't like having to embrace it.

Enlil

 

[Enlil]

The information he had was admittedly limited. To simply suspect someone for being in a strange place was not enough reason to effect an arrest. There was also no reasonable way to discern whether the being who spoke to him was a shapeshifter, and unless she did something to rouse suspicion or gave him cause to take action, any search that might justify that course of action was a violation of her most basic rights.

In short, the best he could do for the moment was indulge in conversation with her and see where it went. He had no intention of creating a scene where one need not arise. "You speak in a riddled tongue, as though you were lost, then found, and lost again," he replied. "Could it be that you too found yourself out of time, only to have it returned?"

Or perhaps worse, to return to it only to know nothing. He need not press further than that, lest he confuse the woman. "No, forget I asked that," he said after a pregnant pause. "These are the ramblings of a weary traveler, most certainly far off his course." He glanced back toward where the pilot awaited him, though he knew he could not chastise the man for his suspicions. It would be just as unfair.

"Truth to tell, I am of the order of Outer Rim Judges, and I am searching for an escapee from the law. I did not intend to intrude on you, but perhaps in your travels, you have come upon such a person? I would ask you some questions, if so."

Shavara

 

[Shavara]

He asked if she was out of time, another heart jump. While of course she wasn't, Sar Vun would be. She used his name, so naturally some believed that's simply who she was and not merely taking it as a title. However, before she thought up a response, he said to forget it and spoke about himself. A traveler himself. And then called himself a judge of the outer rim.

Searching for an escapee. She had to assume he really was here for her, but, hopefully, hadn't realized who for sure she was. He asked a question. She was unsure how much truth she wanted to give. She was not fond of deception, and yet she found herself often having to use some form of trickery, "I have seen many people. You will need to be more specific." she said beginning to finish loading up equipment into the shuttle.

"An Outer Rim Judge. I have not heard of these. Are you a formal employee of this planet? Or are you more like a bounty hunter, who goes where the money is." Her disgust with the Eternal Empire slipped into her language, "Justice is a hard thing to gain when it can be snuffed out by others. There are worlds in great need of it still."

Every bit of information was a risk. And yet, if she refused to answer, she risked also inciting suspicion. "I shall be departing soon. I am called to another place." maybe if she could just...leave, he would no longer need to be suspicious of her. Just get out, and what more questions could he ask. At least she hoped he'd give up.

Enlil