A Stranger Comes Bearing Gifts

[Vayna Akhara]

Dathomir, a planet in the Quelii sector of the Outer Rim, a world tainted, or blessed depending on your viewpoint, with the Dark Side of the Force, a world almost untouched by habitation, one ruled by the Witches. Few people came here of their own volition, as one of the clans, the Nightsisters, had a fearsome reputation as slavers, and few wished to fall into their hands.

But now the Dark Seeker swooped down into the upper atmosphere of the planet, its stealth systems hiding it from prying eyes, even from Force sensitives on the planet below; there were ways of shielding even a spaceship, if one knew how and had the resources, And Master Sanayana had both; it was her alchemical talismans that hid the ship from all sight, cloaking it in darkness as it descended towards Dathomir. She had come with a valuable cargo to trade with the Nightsisters. one which she felt certain the Clan Mother she was here to find would consider well worth trading for.

The black ship settled to the ground near where Sanayana's intelligence reports had indicated a previous Sith visitor, one Count Vandergruff, had used when visiting the Nightsisters. She powered down the engines, let the Force cloak surrounding the ship drop, and walked down the lowered gangway to wait for the Nightsisters to respond to her appearance; she knew they would arrive soon.

 

[Kassa]

Meditation. Quiet meditation... Little got passed the sentries. Little indeed. Even fewer got past Lady Grethallion, who meditated to hone her prowess and keep a steady census on those entering and leaving her atmosphere. Dathomir was rarely visited and was only left by Grethallion and her guards. In fact, Dathomir's slave presence had earned up to it's reputation:

Once you got in, you were brutally interrogated, had your memories scrambled, and shoved into a processing line waiting to be sold. Or ritualistically sacrificed. Whichever happened first.

Such surprise came to the elderly woman when she felt an entirely new presence on her planet, did her eyes pulsate madly and a staff fly from across the room into her outstretched alarm.

By the time she was out of her office, a forerunner was already on her way. Spies had slunk through the underbrush, carefully Force stealthed. They watched the woman; their weapons brandished for any sign of hostility.

The woman was escorted by several guards. Levitating herself off the ground, the woman hovered in the center of the guards. The group efficiently made their way to the intruder. It was rare that Grethallion made a movement herself. Someone must be quite skilled to hide their ship like that...

In no time, the woman approached the Alchemist. Several Nightsisters poured from the trees, their hands crackling with electricity and lightning. Each were positioned towards the woman.

The guards created an opening, allowing Grethallion's ancient face to meet Sanayana's.

"Friend, foe, or trader?" she asks simply, her staff gripped tightly in her hands.

 

[Vayna Akhara]

Sanayana smiled, slowly and coldly. "Friend, in future perhaps. Enemy, no; I would not have waited but attacked without warning. Trader, that is why I have come. I am searching for genetic material I have not previously encountered, and the Nightsisters of Dathomir are renowned for their selection of slaves and breeding stock. In exchange I offer creatures moulded by Sith Alchemy for your own use; I am sure you will find them satisfactory. I am Master Sanayana, and you, if my sources are correct, would be Lady Grethallion, Clan Mother of the Nightsisters here."

She surveyed the other Nightsisters with interest, though no fear; her own battle-droids stood ready to intervene if she was attacked, and they would see if the Sisters were immune to plasma projectors. Still, the Sisters had been friendly to the Sith before, they had no reason to be hostile now.

 

[Kassa]

Grethallion twirled her staff around in her hand and slammed it into the ground before her. The guards and other Nightsisters all stepped into line and positioned themselves directly behind the Clan Mother. The tactic was common in attempting to impress or even cause the enemy fear at how obedient and loyal the Nightsisters were.

"What are you offering, Master Sanayana?" she asks, clearly calculating her words carefully. This would simply be a well played chess match won through compromise. "I can bring you slaves, DNA, or whatever you request,"

 

[Vayna Akhara]

The performance by the Nightsisters almost brought a smile to Sanayana's face - almost. She understood the intent behind the action, but a Sith Master is somewhat harder to intimidate than most. Still, she was not going to offend her host by letting on that she saw through the demonstration.

"First, Clan Mother, I would show you this." A gesture of the hand, and a medium-sized animal ran forward and sat at her feet, gazing around at the Nightsisters. "This is the DarkHound. He is fast, strong, and above all stealthy. You cannot hear him coming, and he takes to the shadows as if they were a part of him. He can track a man a day after he passed, see like a hawk, climb any tree as fast as a man can run on the ground, and his jaws are venomous. Above all though, one who has linked with him through the Force can see through his eyes, hear through his ears, as if you are there yourself. The perfect spy." Another gesture, and the DarkHound padded forward to sit at Grethallion's feet.

"Reach out to him, Clan Mother, and see for yourself."



((OOC : At the bottom of the first post here, look under "Sanayana's Creations For Others" for an image))

 

[Kassa]

Grethallion nodded and reached her hand out towards the Darkhound. Gnarled fingers met the thing's forehead as Force expressed itself between the two. Dark energy flowed through both and combined into a uniform-like mix.

With a combined Animal Firendship into the mix, the bond became very great. Flashes of memories was shared between the two. Eventually, the woman removed her gnarled hand from the dog's forehead.

"I'm taking this one. Name your price or barter,"

 

[Vayna Akhara]

Sanayana smiled; the first step of the negotiations had gone well. "I am seeking slaves, Lady Grethallion, preferably of the more exotic and rare sentient races, as I already have samples from the more common species. Intact DNA samples will also suffice."

She was curious as to what the Nightsisters had to offer; though they were famed, and feared, as slavers, that was a reason that others might avoid Dathomir making obtaining fresh slaves more difficult. Still, this was only the first step; she had a feeling that her next offer would be even better received.

 

[Kassa]

Grethallion dismissed the majority of her guards to go to the slaving chambers to bring back captured slaves. Their misfortune would bring her own fortune. And a Moff's fortune is much more important than simple slaves.

About twenty minutes passed of simply marveling the woman's creation until the sound of clanking chains could be heard. The Nightsisters were escorting several races, most of which have rarely been seen. Some of the aquatic variety were trapped in hoverpods filled with water. Others, like a Huttlet, were held by the women.

"Take what you please until I deem it so. Unless you have more wonderful things to trade, in which case I'll happily give you a larger multitude of slaves,"

 

[Vayna Akhara]

"Oh, I have something else you might wish to trade for, Lady Grethallion, Two of them, in fact. I think you will find these ... impressive." A thought, a touch of the Force, and two massive creatures came thundering down the gangway, roaring and bellowing as they came. Each five meters tall, with huge claws and gleaming yellow eyes, a ferocious-looking maw, and an air of bloodthirsty hunger for violence about them.

"These, Lady Grethallion, are the other creations I have to trade. The Reavers are hunters and slayers, pure and simple. Their claws shred durasteel like paper, they can track a foe like a hound, they are resistant to blaster fire and even lightsabers, extremely hard to kill, and they are lightning-fast for their size. Being hermaphroditic, they can also breed you a herd of them, and since they hear the call of the Dark Side and obey the Will of those strong in it, they are a powerful weapon for one such as yourself."

She waited patiently, feeling that, if the Darkhound had been well received, these would be even more desirable for the Nightsister leader.

 

[Kassa]

The woman grinned maliciously. "Very, very interesting. Bring out more slaves. Include a Twi'lek or two in the mix. Of the rare coloration. And a few Hoojibs. And any other rare breeds you can think of,"

Several women nodded lightly and vanished.

"Now for payment. How does fifty slaves sound? It's been getting a tad roomy in the prison cells and my breeding pairs have been put on hold. It would be nice to clear some out. And for your genetic sampling, feel free to take any and all from the slaves,"

 

[Vayna Akhara]

Sanayana smiled. "You are generous, Lady Grethallion. Fifty slaves will give me all the experimental material I need, and the genetic samples will fill many holes in my database. I have room aboard my ship to carry that many slaves back to my laboratories."

Fifty slaves would give her a wide range of genetic material, plus limbs and skulls and other organs that could be grafted onto other subjects to make a chimera, along with cybernetics and forged steel, Force crystals and so on. This was exactly why she'd come to Dathomir; the opportunities for someone such as her were almost endless.

She looked at the older woman. "I can even create something to your specification, if you wish. It may take time, but I'm sure I can design an organism to your satisfaction - if, that is, you have anything in mind." It hadn't been part of her original plan to make such an offer, but the Sith Master enjoyed a challenge.

 

[Kassa]

"Wonderful," Grethallion said, holding out her hand. Large amounts of dark energy floated around the Reavers and Darkhound. The three would soon succumb to her dark influence if it was kept up.

"That sounds very interesting. I shall keep that in mind if I want something created. Consider yourself a welcome guest here. No need for your cloaks; unneeded hostility will be met if you manage to get past my sensors unnoticed,"

 

[Vayna Akhara]

"My thanks for your hospitality, Lady Grethallion. I shall have my droids bring the slaves aboard and secured for transportation, and I shall not come cloaked again, as you say." She gestured, and watched as her four training droids, doubling as slavers, herded the fifty slaves aboard the Dark Seeker, ready for shipment back to her laboratories and a slow, agonising death.

Though the Reavers were powerful creations, she hadn't bothered with making any for herself; she had the huge herds of Firebeasts back on Purgatory for combat and suchlike.

 

[Kassa]

Grethallion nodded as the slaves were taken on board. There would be much more room for breeding in the compound now. She turned to finish focusing on the experiments she just received.

"Now, my pets. Relinquish yourselves to my bidding," An eerie mist overcame the area and coated the group in it.

The Ravagers began to respond to her, while the Dark Hound circled her defensively. Her power dark magics and animal friendship Force capabilities were enticing them to her already.

The group turned and began to walk away.

 

[Vayna Akhara]

Sanayana smiled; she had made an ally today, one who could keep her in new slave species for some time to come. She would just have to create the odd servitor creature and bring them to trade.

She turned and re-entered her ship, lifting the gangway behind her, and went to check that the slaves had been corralled properly. Satisfied, she strode to the pilot's seat, brought the engines online, and lifted the ship into the air, spearing upwards towards the stars.