Ask [Dagobah] Quagmire Quintessence

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri had remained in an exceptionally foul mood ever since the destruction of the Dromund Kaas Academy. Students had been moved into temporary housing until further notice, and after spending some time with Altair and her other friends in the immediate aftermath, the half-Annfyn took the first opportunity to get the hell off Kaas and engross herself in something else. There was already talks of students being transferred to other academies in the meantime, and the notion of it was caustic to even consider

Everywhere she looked on Dromund Kaas, it was an unwelcome reminder of what had taken place. Vahliri couldn’t deny that she was heartbroken over - the loss of her home, the memories that had been built there and the sense of familiarity she would have to attempt to build somewhere else. She was heartbroken, and she was angry. Angry that the thing in which she cared about had been taken away - angry at the thought of what might’ve been if all of her friends hadn’t been off-campus during the attack. She wanted to make those responsible pay for what they did, and to hit them where it hurt most.

It was a thought that lingered in the back of her mind, even as she attempted to focus on the task ahead - quickened footsteps carrying her towards the still under-construction facilities on Dagobah and the summons she had received. The half-Annfyn still didn’t know exactly what the details of this all even were, but she did know that Sol would be the other half of whatever they were doing.

The rest, she figured, would he revealed soon enough.

As per usual, Vahliri was dressed professionally in her black-and-red Sith robes - curved saberhilt on her belt and black hair tied back into a braided ponytail. In stark contrast to the swampy funk that lingered all around, the air closest to Vahliri was sweetly scented with the half-Annfyn’s floral perfume - a little detail that she refused to omit in even the most rugged of environments.

After a few minutes of walking, Vahliri finally spotted Sol - proceeding to quickly make her way over to the Wrean Acolyte. While she had basically spammed his commlink in the immediate aftermath of Dromund Kaas to confirm he was okay, it was the girl’s first time actually seeing him in person since the entire ordeal. “Hey,” Vahliri stepped forward. While they weren’t exactly close friends, she didn’t hesitate to greet the Wrean with a brief hug before drawing back half-a-step. “..How are you?”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Soleil Altan]

When Vahliri walked up, Soleil looked like he was somewhere far away, fully spaced out. He was dressed in jungle field gear. Light and airy, with sturdy boots and a net undershirt for easy evaporation. The usual belt, bag, notebook, and so on. The most notable differences were the lightsaber clipped to his belt and his staring seemingly at nothing instead of some native bird or plant.

He stiffened slightly when Vahl hugged him- from surprise, not discomfort- and abruptly came back to life, turning to look at her with raised eyebrows. They dropped again when she asked how he was, his lips taking on a discomfited curl, gaze finding a bit of tangled root to look at. After a few moments, he gave a listless shrug and stood from the fallen log he'd been seated on. He wasn't sure he could communicate how he was even if he'd been able to say something aloud if he was being honest.

Sol gestured toward himself and shrugged again, with more energy this time, then waved a hand toward Vahliri herself. "You okay?" translated RoboCat from where it was perched in a tree, a reptilian-looking bird balanced on its back and pecking at a branch.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri didn’t miss the way that Sol’s lips seemed to immediately curl downward when she asked how he was - that shrug that followed even more of a confirmation. It was a response she really couldn’t blame him for, and in more ways than one, it was a response she wholeheartedly resonated with. It was difficult to quite put into words exactly how she was feeling at that moment, and the half-Annfyn could only guess the same could be said for him.

She blinked a few times when RoboCat translated, silent for a moment before shaking her head. “No, not really.” She admitted quietly, a somber edge appearing to haunt her tone. She wasn’t about to lie and say she was doing any better than she was.. Not to someone who was almost certainly going through it as well.

“But I will be.” She reaffirmed.

She shook her head a bit - a faint smile once more tugging at the corners of her mouth as she jutted her chin up ahead - towards the half-constructed administrative building where they were both suppose to be meeting with the residence superior Sith in charge of operations on Dagobah.

“Any idea what this is about, by the way? The brief was like four sentences and two of them were ‘come to Dagobah at once’ and ‘do not be late.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Soleil Altan]

Sol gave the half-Annfynn a wan, lopsided smile of understanding. Things were lost and still, time ticked right along. Sometimes that's just what was needed.

His head turned to look toward the admin building, a structure already partly covered in Dagobah's determined flora. Vines and the like had to be removed every day for more construction, slowing it greatly. Soleil shook his head in disbelief; wouldn't pre-fab be better in the local environment? Building in this place was obviously a nightmare.

At Vahliri's question, he checked the time on his 'pad and made a wry expression. The summoning individual was late themselves, putting the acolyte pair firmly in "hurry up and wait" territory. He gestured broadly toward the mess of construction scattered around and then shrugged at his companion. "Don't know," said Clover the RoboCat as Sol started signing. "Too much gone wrong."

As if summoned by the talk, a tall, powerfully-built older man marched out of the admin building. He was followed by a weedy man who burst haphazardly out behind him, a collection of precariously balanced datapads wobbling in his arms. "Finally, you're here," said the man in a rumbling bass, wearing an expression as if he'd just smelled something horrible. It seemed permanently affixed on his face.

"Sith these days don't know what hard work is. Can you believe not a single Champion could be bothered? Shameful." The man shook his head. This must be the Overseer Lidicus from the message. "Right. We've found some kind of underground complex where construction's planned- James, for fuck's sake, give them the report you nancy twig." Half-tripping on his way, "James" stepped forward to deliver a datapad, a couple of others falling into the muck in the process.

Sol went to pick one up and got "Don't help him," barked in his direction before the explanation continued. "Collapsing it should drain the swamp, drive the native life away, and let us build atop it in goddamned peace. Supply drop's near the spot. Off you go then." And just like that, he marched off, stepping on James' hand and the datapad he'd been picking up in the process.

The Wrean acolyte stared after him with an almost comically aggrieved expression, then picked up the stepped-on pad. "U-um, thanks," mumbled James, wiping mud off on his trousers. "Th-there's more info, I-I-If you're interested." Sol was, and so took the pad. "G-Good luck! It- It seems like a complex c-complex." He snort-laughed a bit, which was interrupted by a shouted "MOVE YOUR ASS!" from the Overseer that sent James scuttling back onto the admin building.

Soleil, now holding two datapads, turned to look at Vahliri with an expression of mixed irritation and confusion. 'The Fuck?' he projected toward her, in monotone but with utter sincerity.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri simply blinked a few times when Sol replied vaguely to her question. In the end, the half-Annfyn merely shrugged her shoulders- somehow not particularly surprised that the Wrean wasn’t much more informed than she was.. But it was worth asking, at the very least.

Of course, they didn’t actually have to wait very long before the Overseer himself lumbered into view - closely followed by a dude that looked like he’d skipped one meal too many and a strong gust of wind could tip over. As they were briefed on their mission, the half-Annfyn was largely silent - arms crossed over her chest as her eyes flicked between the two men. Her fluted ears involuntarily flattened a bit whenever the Overseer felt the need to bellow like a bantha in heat, a few flicks of irritation following.

When they were finally left alone, Vahliri looked over to Sol - her expression a mixture of irritation and confusion around.. Whatever, just happened. “Riiiggghhttttttt..Okay then.” She shook her head with a huff, glancing down to the datapads they had scored.

“Dagobah hasn’t been inhabited in.. Ever.” She squinted a bit. “What the hell could’ve a complex that big under the swamp?” The half-Annfyn asked Sol, her boots carrying them towards a cluster of speeder bikes - retrofitted for maneuvering the swamps effectively.

“I’d like to get a closer look at them before we just go blowing them up.”

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Soleil Altan]

Sol stood from his improvised seat, scowling all the while, and arranged himself next to Vahliri so they could both read the datapads. His eyes narrowed at the supplementary one, wondering the exact thing Vahl'd voiced aloud. It couldn't possibly be a simple 'blow it up' kind of thing, right?

He hopped aboard his speeder, got comfortable, and the pair of Sith zoomed off into the verdant swamp. Sol didn't try to start a conversation on the way. His thoughts were occupied elsewhere as he maneuvered around trees and over bodies of water. Eventually, they reached the lowlands area where the underground complex had been reported. They seemed to have avoided the dragonsnake that prowled around the area, so far at least.

Nestled in the wet earth, framed by stone and old wood-growth, there was a hole into the underground. It was only visible at all because roots and vines had been hacked away at it. Already they were growing back into place, slung across the shadowed way to slowly re-weave their net. Tall mangrove trees shaded the area well, blocking much of what little light made it through Dagobah's permanently overcast sky. Sol's eyes glinted in the low light. From somewhere, native birds croaked their shouting calls.

He was instantly enamored with it all, if leery about the cave entrance itself. Soleil eagerly hopped off his bike and strode right up, eyes glittering as he walked a rapid loop around the area, taking it in from different angles. This transitioned into a quick, sure-footed climb up vines and branches over the entrance. Once up in the tree he looked from his vantage point. Sol slipped from his branch, hooking his legs around it to flip upside-down. He looked at Vahliri and flashed a grin.

'Well hidden' he said. From sky or ground, without coordinates, this place was basically unfindable. A moss-covered scanner pylon was still stuck in the ground near the entrance from the original scouting job. 'On purpose?' Surely whatever this was had been so concealed intentionally, he figured. Sol's expression obviously gave away his excitement toward a new puzzle.

@Altaris