Csilla remembers

[Lupaster]

The Holocron showed the vastness of the galaxy despite it's small size. Indeed, it was inspiring as it was terrifying for an apparatus to show the whole universe with a simple voice command bringing circuitry of complex design to life. And such was the reality that Aa'shi'ra truly adored that technology was the boon that enlightens the path and overcomes obstacles with a variety of canny possibilities. Yet, the young Chiss was so depressed about the current situation, the other side of reality which proved to be harsh, the side which like most of her kindred wanted to change was the Chiss state of affairs.

Shi didn't really want to dwell on it. Instead, she thought about something else to do. Her marble-like red eyes fell upon some designs that she was working upon and books lied everywhere unorganized with tabs to keep her mind focused about what was needed to be read and done. Shi read and her mind received thoughts of intellectual nature about a frigate soon to become however by then, there was no calling from her own mind to lift the cursors and add the remaining dots which in return complete the project in demand. There were far more manuals and blue prints that Shi aspired to know first to make the whole idea feasible.

Anyhow what the young blue one wanted seriously to do was simply to vent off some steam. So eventually she found herself picking up her twin guns and leaving behind her accommodation. Aa'shi'ra lived nearby a military facility under Csilla's ground, it was a short walk actually and the Hutts only took the fleet but they wouldn't dare to take anything else or even venture to the icy tunnels and underground of the frozen world that is Csilla. Else they would fight for centuries until their skin and eyes become blue and red.

The whole idea behind these hundred steps was to reach the shooting range, it was morning and a practice would bring warmth to her body already clad in her Echani fiber suit and brown jacket but really, Shi was accustomed to Csilla's cold heat as she did to her light armor.

And then Aa'shi'ra passed through the gates after presenting proper credentials, her steps took her a little inside but they were halted to a stop as her crimson gaze fell upon a certain figurine. Shi knew the echelons by their sassy suits and tough looks. The young one gulped and couldn't resist but to approach and see why the high ranking figurine was there but words didn't leave Shi's blue lips. Instead she opted for a military salute.

 

[Radiwalker]

Mara didn't intend to spend much time on Csilla, for it reminded her too much of the fall of the glorious Chiss empire. It was rather ironic that the chiss, for all their intelligence would fail to predict the crisis that fell upon them. Of course, once that happened, their fate was sealed. It was obvious the sith wouldn't do anything to help a failing empire, no matter their alliance and there was no one else to help the Chiss. The mandalorians had problems of their own and the rest of the Galaxy was busy hating the Chiss or dealing with the sith threat... a threat that soon became the ruling force.

Slicer, that was her nickname and for all her technical capabilities, she didn't know how she could help, most probably because she couldn't stand the site of her home currently and preferred to be elsewhere, somewhere she could imagine her home was all alright and at the same time fight to avenge it, fight against the Empire and bring it to its knees, for the treacherous sith deserved nothing less.

Her eyes were scanning the environment, the bad state of the once beautiful homeworld, when something unusual happened. It seemed as if somebody had recognized her, or rather her uniform. She returned the salute to her comrade and then approached her. "Mar'a'nouroudo's the name, slicing's the game." a feint, barely visible smile came to her face. "That's what they used to call me... Slicer." she had been out of touch with the World for far too long. She had gone into exile with the fall of the Chiss and the rise of the Empire. She blamed herself, for not being able to do anything and preferred to condemn herself to solitude, but it wasn't too long before she became bored and realized she'd do better if she worked to take the Sith Empire down, rather than torture herself for the evil of others.

 

[Lupaster]

The military salute signified a state of denial while showing the credentials for no one was simply madness that was born of a militaristic practice and such was the precedence that took hold of her. The brilliant remembrance of regiments walking out of the same gates in a march of hell that promised woe to whomever would try to oppose the blue war machine. The heart warming chants rang will within the halls of her own mind, though what was really left behind were distant echoes and fragile ice. Actually this military base was abandoned trying to settle some debts for the devious Hutts. There was no more ammunition around except for scavenging but Shi didn't need to search for them since what made her own ammo. Morellian guns were not a Chiss specialty after all.

However the one that Shi's red gaze fell upon, the same one showed a decorum of conduct and returned back the salute though there were no need to, there was no Chiss military anymore it seemed. The former higher ranking officer served the Nouroudo but belonged the Mar and her name was 'A'. The way Mara introducing herself pulled an amused smile over Shi's facial features albeit flavored with innocence with no signs of mischief whatsoever, she was looking up to a Chiss and the Chiss was her pride, kin and family.

But the word that hammered the last nail in the coffin was the word 'Used' and brought Shi back again to the harsh reality of what Chiss were by then and what they used to be. 'Used' was truly a mean bullet aimed to every Chiss out there and thus the after effects showed up upon her as Shi, she herself remembered.

“Slicer..” The young Chiss said recognizing the name as she felt throbbing pain within her throat thus effecting the quality of her voice to a sad tone. “I know you..You are a shadow walker.” Shi fought desperately against the tears welling within her marble like crimson red eyes trying to look as a tough girl. But it was really fascinating to meet one of the famed four since only four survived the rigorous training and the deadly examinations. In the end, a sad smile formed upon her lips trying to channel her grief into anger and there was a success.

“Damn them those Sith..for leaving us like this!” There were bitterness in her voice while some tears were shed in frustration as they would change soon into droplets of ice.

 

[Radiwalker]

Mara felt much like her compatriot and yet she could not shrug off a strange sensational feeling. "It was our doing as well." the sith had become too reliant on their allies and hadn't considered their own situation. As a matter of fact the sith had done what they always do - rule out the weak, that did not make her feel better, thou, it actually made her feel worse and resent the sith further. You'd think that they would consider the great help the chiss had been in the war, but no, as soon as a weapon became blunt it was useless to the Sith... and it was time to teach them that a blunt weapon can be more dangerous than they'd like it to.

"That's why we owe it to ourselves and our ancestors, to rebuild our Empire and, what's more important, to avenge it." those words and that thought lingered within Mara's mind for a while and she didn't try to push them away, she let them sink in, for she would hold on tight to them for a long time ahead, a time during which she would be ready to sacrifice everything to bring down the Sith Empire... what was more important, however, was that she had nothing to lose now, which made her all the worse of an enemy.

"But yes, I am, or was..." she returned to the matter at hand. "... a Shadow Walker. And what about yourself, what is your name?" Someone who was still willing to salute, was surely willing to fight, had Mara found a possible ally for the planned vengeance against the sith? Then again perhaps every Chiss that could fight would probably be willing to fight and die in the name of that vengeance.

 

[Maxx]

Aaron was standing up at one of the shooting booths practicing with his pistols. He had come here everyday for the past two weeks and was beginning to see improvement in his aim. Every time a shot went through one of the holographic targets, he imagined he had just killed an Imperial, something he would really like to do. The Chiss had been abandoned. Tossed aside by the Sith after they couldn't do anything to help with the war anymore. Making a fleet to aid the Sith had bankrupted the Chiss. In a sense, the Sith had leeched them dry, taking everything that was valuable and then throwing away the corpse of what they had fed off of.

He had set his pistol down to replace the cartridge when he heard a voice float over to him. "That's why we owe it to ourselves and our ancestors, to rebuild our Empire and, what's more important, to avenge it." Ben slowly slid the cartridge into place before picking up his pistol and sliding it pack into place in it's holster at his side. He then looked behind him and saw the speaker. It was one of the higher ranked Chiss talking to what appeared to be only a teenager. Somehow however, he could tell she was more than a teenager, he just couldn't place it. He walked over to the two. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear something about avenging the Chiss. I'm intrigued."

 

[Lupaster]

It was their doing. Mara told Shi the truth that it was their mistake to fight for the Sith and in return they were burdened with mountainous debts rendering the Chiss' fleet usurped by the Cartel. Perhaps, it was a sin to meddle in the affairs of the non-chiss. The old policies of isolation kept them protected and the Chiss never attacked unless provoked, but to lament the old times was not the right thing to do. Focusing on the present and plan for the future was the way to go. For there was wisdom to rebuild and to pay their debts in full. Yes, the galaxy shall know that a Chiss always pays his debts.

Vengeance, the word held a delightful tingling to it, specially the 'v' and 'c' makes a dangerous mix. It would prove a good name for something grand once built over the rubble and bodies of their fallen enemies. The idea was fascinating at it was frightening, like the holocron in her accommodation. A single word would raise a banner and soon a nation would follow. It was a significant course of action, that is for sure. But Shi lacked the wisdom to foresee what kind of predicament that they will try to overcome. Young and headstrong, Shi had the intelligence to pursue her targets with pure enthusiasm and tenacious insistence.

“My name is..” And suddenly she was interrupted by the presence of another of her kin. Looked like this abandoned military had it's regulars. He overheard and certainly he was intrigued. Well, they all belonged to the former Chiss military one way or another. Mara was a shadow walker, that guy was certainly something too and Shishi was wanted to be cadet but the unforeseen had happened. Still, she managed to learn some of the tricks attending some classes as the smart educational system of Chiss didn't fall with the economical mismanagement and of course, the Hapan campaign but that was another story to tell.

“Shi..I mean Aa'Shi'Ra” Thus she introduced herself and let the words stuck within her throat to flow. Also the teenager shrugged her shoulders by adding more and commenting these.

“Looks like, you like to 'overhear' anything about 'avenging'” Shi quoted the statements with her fingers while letting out a short termed giggle ending it with a business cough. Could you believe it? This girl was shedding tears just some seconds ago and that shows how humans are contagious, they are able to shift their emotions quickly and she met a lot of humans in her youth.

“Ehem..yes. We were speaking about that sweet air cake they called vengeance...Corellians make some good cakes, I tell ya.” Her marble-like red eyes shifted back to the former shadow walker. “Ah! You can call me Shi. Ummm..didn't I say just that already!” Shi smiled again and pointed her index to her new companions. One for Mara, since Shi had no intention to call her every-time as Mar'a'nouroudo' and the other was pointed to the man hence there was no need to nickname him Mr. Vengeance. Actually on another note, maybe he would like to be called that.

And so, Shi gave away that smile that she used a lot within Hapan space. A very innocent smile, it was. However unlike Hapan, her intentions for her Chiss comrades were pure and Loyal, first and foremost.

 

[Radiwalker]

The place seemed abandoned and beyond repair and yet there was not one but two other chiss visiting it at the same time as Mara, perhaps there was still hope, that sensational feeling that humans and mostly jedi cling to and praise and promote. She shifted her eyes from the male that had only just joined the conversation to the one that introduced herself as Shi. The girl was young that much was certain, she probably had not seen the Chiss Empire in its grandest hour, but had come to know the ruins that were left behind, the stench of defeat, the crushing oppression and the feinting of last hope that the faction was clinging to.

The male on the other hand looked about as old as Mara and she even recognized him to be of the Nouroudo family, although she could not remember his name. Perhaps she had seen him in archives, or records, after all she was not initially of that family, she had no idea what family she was from, all she knew was that she was adopted at a very young age, by a prominent member of the family, one whose name was known throughout the galaxy and yet she had not thought about for some time. It was all evidence of the decay of the chiss...

"Yes." she sighted and turned to observe the horizon once more. "Vengeance, but perhaps before vengeance we should rebuild... in secret... our enemies must not know that we are gather forces... that we are to make a return... a glorious return that will echo throughout the ages... the Rise of the Chiss Empire." It certainly had a good ring to it, but how could it be done. There were so few left with the will to fight, most were tending to their families, trying to hold it together, the crisis had taken everything from the chiss, leaving them only their intelligence, which had failed them...

"You are a Nouroudo, are you not?" she turned to the male, realizing that the best way to go about it was to organize the few that were still willing to fight back and to taste the sweet... what was it the girl had said... air cake they call vengeance!