Ask Heritage

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

The space station of Tír na nÓg was very different from the surface of Annwfyn. While the planet that it orbited was mostly devoid of any sentient presence beyond that of the Annfyn, the station was full of different species. By the law of the planet, an outsider could only land therewith the approval of the Queen and of the Parliament. Due to that, this station had become the only place where non-Annfyn could stay.

Tír na nÓg wasn’t only a simple space station. It also had an entire city, with palaces for the nobles and houses for the commoners. Most of these houses were inhabited by beings of other species that worked in the buildings of the station and in the several structures used for farming that surrounded Tìr.

The station was also the only place where an Annfyn could receive a visit from an outsider. It was exactly for this purpose that Caerllion was waiting at a private landing pad. He was going to meet with a disguised Sith Agent. They were going to discuss the possibility of infiltrating more agents of the Empire on Annwfyn.

Of course, such agents would need to remain here in the space station until they find a way to be allowed to go to the surface. With Caerllion being the heir of House of Cyfnos, he would be able to help facilitate it.

While he waited, Caerllion wondered who the Empire had sent to talk with him. Being an Acolyte, he didn't receive much details about it. Hopefully, it would be someone which presence would not attract much attention.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Despite her heritage, Vahliri had never - and frankly had little desire - to visit the planet that her own mother had once called home. Having been raised entirely upon Indupar, the half-Annfyn had naturally been immersed in its culture and society for as long as she could remember. It was the only home she’d ever known or desired to have.

Nevertheless, she had heard stories of Annwfyn from her mother as a child. Fond memories turned stories of its tranquil, untouched landscapes and its tranquil culture. More importantly to Vahliri, however, were the whispers of the bigotry and elitism that ran rampant amongst its pure-blooded members. She knew exactly how the people of Annwfyn felt about those of mixed heritage, and it had served to kill any desire Vahliri once might’ve had to see her mothers home. She was confident and self-assured, and Vahliri didn’t care one iota to mingle with a society that considered her very existence some kind of abomination.

As a result, it was strictly Sith business that had finally prompted the half-Annfyn to make the journey to Tir Na Nog. War with the Free Worlds Alliance had made the planet a target, and it was Vahliri’s job to orchestrate the infiltration of Imperial spies and operatives into Annwfyn society. They would be tools essential for bringing the planet into the Imperial fold - though whether that would be through military or diplomatic means remained to be seen.

Vahliri didn’t give the question much thought for the moment, Instead, the half-Annfyn fixed her attention on meeting with the insider who was suppose to facilitate her access to the planet below. Having landed within the spaceport for Tir Na Nog a few minutes prior, Vahliri proceeded to step down the durasteel ramp of her ship - idly bringing up a hand to brush back a loose strand of her styled hair. The half-Annfyn had dressed a bit more professionally for the occasion - wearing a

striped-black dress-coat with a belt that cinched the waist. Her outfit was accessorized with a matching pair of heels and bracelet, while the air around her was sweetly scented with her perfume.

To be safe, the half-Annfyn had gone without her lightsaber for this portion of her mission. Her identity as an Induparan citizen and member of the nobility wasn’t likely to raise any questions or draw attention to herself by itself.

It didn’t take Vahliri long to find Caerllion, walking her way towards the Annfyn before giving him a nod. “Caerllion, right?” She said with the faintest, polite smile. While they had briefly met during that party on New Alderaan, their interactions had been exceedingly brief. “Good to see you again.”

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion watched the agent’s ship land at the spaceport. As he had been informed, it was a simple shuttle and wouldn't attract the attention of the authorities that worked on Tír na nÓg. When it landed, the Annfyn straightened himself and his clothes in preparation to meet the agent.

To his surprise, Caerllion saw Vahliri walk down the ramp. From all those that they could send, the Acolyte didn’t expect that it was going to be her. Surprisingly enough, dealing with the Sith was helping control this natural disgust for half-breeds. He couldn’t allow himself to do such a thing because it could deprive him of possible allies and of his own life.

However, the presence of a hybrid even in a relatively liberal place such as Tír na nÓg was enough to attract unwanted attention. This could make their attempts to settle Sith agents here more difficult.

“Hello, miss Kahtal. It’s also nice to see you again.” since she was a Champion and they only met at that party in New Alderaan. The Acolyte did feel right to call her by the first name without her voicing an approval for him doing it. “Welcome to the space station of Tír na nÓg, I hope that you had a good trip.”

Then, he would turn toward the exit of the spaceport. “Follow me, please. We are going to take my speeder so we can go to a place where we can talk about business with more privacity.” Caerllion was going to bring her to one of the farm houses that was owned by his family. No one would disturb the two here.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri’s lips tugged upwards ever-so-slightly, pulling into a polite smile as Caerllion addressed her. The half-Annfyn nodded her head a bit, offering a small wave of her hand. “Vahliri is just fine,” She corrected. While she had certainly begun to make a name for herself as a Champion, the half-Annfyn hadn’t yet grown entirely accustomed to the formalities. “Wasn’t bad, actually.” She offered a faint shrug of her shoulders as the topic shifted to her trip to the space station.

“It is quite the wonder,” She jutted her chin towards the sprawling station around her - allowing her amber eyes to linger at various points of it. After a moment or two, her gaze returned to Caerllion - lips tugging up ever-so-slightly as she regarded the man. “I look forward to the local hospitality.” The half-Annfyn wasn’t the least bit ignorant of how many aboard the station were likely to react to her presence, and frankly couldn’t give a fuck enough to be bothered by it. Quite the opposite, there was something almost playfully smug about her voice just then as she spoke to Caerllion.

Any additional difficulty in infiltrating the planet was something they would address and work through.

“So be it,” She gave a small nod when Caerllion turned towards the exit - proceeding to fall into lockstep with the Annfyn noble as they made their way out of the spaceport. The half-Annfyn allowed her eyes to wander once more. As they made their way out into the open street, Vahliri didn’t miss the dirty looks that were thrown her way - a mixture of twisted, lingering glares and deliberately averted eyes coming from many of the Pureblooded Annfyn they passed. For her part, Vahliri merely smiled a bit wider - smug satisfaction pumping through her veins with every step.

“It has been a while. How have you seen since that party?” The pair didn’t have much of an opportunity to interact then, but it was also their only interaction to date. The half-Annfyn tilted her head face him, awaiting his answer before they reached the waiting speeder.

Once they did, Vahliri promptly stepped inside - folding her hands into her lap as she awaited the driver to begin making its way towards the supposed farm house.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion wanted to laugh when Vahliri said that she was looking forward to the hospitality. He was certain that she wasn’t stupid and already knew what the pure Annfyn thought of hybrids. She would be lucky if they ignored her presence. The Acolyte didn’t want to deal with the problems that would happen if someone insulted her. They would be dead without any doubt.

It had started as soon as they left the spaceport. During their brief walk toward his speeder, they crossed paths with some pureblooded Annfyns that looked at Vahliri with obvious disgust. At least they were commoners and said nothing. If they were nobles, things would be very different.

He turned his attention back to the half-Annfyn when she mentioned the party in New Alderaan. Caerllion still tried to forget how he was forced to watch Asher and Vahliri dancing around. The Acolyte had only stopped doing it when the half-Sephi leaned to kiss her. He didn’t know what had happened after that, but she probably reciprocated. This thought made his blood boil with anger.

“I had been busy with some missions, my training with Vex and practicing my magick.” he calmly said to her, as if internally he wasn’t prepared to throw a fireball at her. Caerllion wondered if he would be capable of burning her and surviving it without being killed. Perhaps when he wasn’t an Acolyte anymore.

While controlling himself to not attack the half-Annfyn or give her as food to one of the giant cave spiders of Annwfyn, Caerllion would guide her toward the speeder. Their trip toward the Cyfnos farm would not be long, but the Acolyte would try to make some conversation with her. Perhaps knowing more about her could help him stop thinking that she was a dirty hybrid. “And you? What have you done since we met at the party?”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

While some might’ve been off-put by the disgusted looks from passersby, Vahliri didn’t look the least-bit concerned - and quite the opposite, looked entirely pleased with herself. The half-Annfyn practically dripped with confidence as she strolled out of the spaceport - her posture straight, head held high and that smug smile never quite fading from her lips. There was very likely nothing that any limp-wristed noble could say that would wound her.

She was a woman of noble birth and a Sith Champion in her own right. And as far as she was concerned, there wasn’t a single person in that spaceport that wasn’t beneath her.

Vahliri’s attention was drawn back towards Caerllion after a few moments, arching a brow at the Sith Acolyte. While he didn’t say anything, the half-Annfyn could clearly feel the pang of anger that roiled within him - evident through the Force and tangible like heat radiating from an oven. She couldn’t help the somewhat bemused smirk that crossed her lips. The half-Annfyn hadn’t the slightest clue about the Annfyn’s jealous episode back at the party regarding Asher. While she hadn’t reciprocated the kiss, that wasn’t a fact Caerllion was aware of nor did Vahliri plan on mentioning what occurred between them.

Wonderfully oblivious to the salt, Vahliri merely shrugged off the sensation and focused on his answer, a bit of inquisitiveness sparking within her. “Oh? So you’re one of Vex’s apprentices.” She gave a small nod, humming softly under her breath. “I take it you know Asher pretty well, then.” The half-Annfyn added, making her way towards the speeder bikes. “How is your training under her?”

The half-Annfyn leaned back into her seat a bit, taking a few minutes to relax as the speeder zipped through the airways. She rested her hands in the center of her lap, idly drumming her fingers against her thigh. When Caerllion asked his question, she merely shrugged a bit. “I’ve spent quite a bit of time on New Alderaan - ensuring a smooth transition after everything that has happened on that planet. A few personal projects of my own..” She listed off with a vague wave of her hand. “And then my journey here.” The half-Annfyn shrugged a bit.

“Believe I have a mission upcoming with Asher, actually.” She casually mentioned, thinking ahead to other matters on her schedule.

She allowed a few moments of silence before finally glancing towards the Acolyte once more, arching a brow. “I trust you have a planned method of getting us to the surface?” The half-Annfyn finally asked. The Acolyte had been touted as their invaluable connection to the planet, and Vahliri was curious to test the validity of that claim. Alone within that speeder, they were able to speak freely enough.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion glanced at Vahliri out of the corner of his eyes. “Yes, I know him well.” he said, while fighting the urge of saying that he didn’t know the half-Sephi so well like she probably does. After their kiss during the party, the Acolyte believed that they probably went to know each other better.

“It’s going well.” he answered her question about his training with Vex. Now that they were inside the speeder, the Acolyte felt free to talk more about his training. There wasn’t any risk of someone hearing. “I’m getting better with my abilities with Korriban magick.” Caerllion showed his right hand to her. A sphere of red energy appeared and soon changed to a small fiery serpent that started to move around his arm, as if it was real. It was an illusion spell that he was working with, something that would be capable of giving great fear over those that had a weak mind. “There is still much to learn.” he closed his hand, finishing the spell.

During the trip to the farm, Caerllion was forced to hear the hybrid talk about her projects. His attention transited from what she was saying to the landscape beyond the window of the speeder. He only focused back on her when he heard Vahliri mention a future mission with Asher. Why was she constantly mentioning him? Was she trying to throw their relationship at his face? And first of all, why was he caring so much about it?

“Yes, I have.” he decided to focus on the mission, rather than thinking about how the half-Annfyn was a stupid bitch. Caerllion barely knew her and already started to call her with such names. “We are using the farm.” the Acolyte turned to point at the building behind the glass of the window. They had arrived.

Once the speeder stopped in front of the building, Caerllion would leave it and be a good enough gentleman to open the door to Vahliri, even if he wanted to hit it on her face. In front of them was a courtyard with a dry fountain and a statue of white stone. There were droids cleaning the place, which had some spider webs. This time the Acolyte didn’t shudder in the sight of it. After his work with his phobia, his fear was only with giant spiders.

“This place was a gift from my father to my mother. She always loved golden apples, so she could have a place to produce them.” he said, before stopping in front of the statue. Closing he touched it, before closing his eyes. The woman represented here was his mother, left here by his father after she died.

The Acolyte let go of the statue and turned to look at Vahliri. “As you can see, it was mostly abandoned and no one has come here since my mother died. Since she left it as my inheritance, I decided to reactivate it to produce the apples. The transports carrying the fruits are piloted by droids and can land without being stopped by the authorities. The presence of organic matter also makes it difficult for sensors to identify a person here. Of course, I already have supporters in the government that would stop it from happening to begin with.” it would be a perfect way for them to go to the surface. “The agents could be hired as fake workers of the farm and then shipped to the surface. I already arranged a place where they can hide down there. Perhaps you would like to also see it? This would be a test for the plan.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri tilted her head back ever-so-slightly, allowing a relaxed sigh to escape her lips as they closed in on the farmhouse. The journey to the space station had been long, and the half-Annfyn was going to enjoy ever bit of the momentary relaxation she could get, all the while indulging in some small talk with the Acolyte.

“Impressive,” Her gaze flicked down, lingering for a long moment upon the fiery serpent that the Acolyte conjured. While the half-Annfyn had certainly done her own research into the arcane, the Korriban Magick that Ven and her apprentices wielded was almost entirely foreign to her. The half-Annfyn turned her attention through the window - amber eyes fixating onto the ‘farmhouse’ in the distance. It was a rather pale description for what nothing short of a sprawling manor-house that just so happened to be surrounded by orchards. By virtue of her own upbringing, the half-Annfyn was no stranger to luxury - but the estate was excessively opulent even by her own standards.

“Thank you,” She said with a polite smile, stepping out of the speeder when Caer opened the door. She walked alongside him as they walked through the estate - allowing her gaze to wander the apple-filled orchards and the various droids that milled about. The half-Annfyn nodded along when the Acolyte laid out his plan - allowing the faintest smile to tug at her features. It was clear that he had put some thought into this, and there were no glaring flaws in what he laid out.

“I would,” She said in the affirmative, giving the Acolyte a nod when he mentioned touring the planet's surface. “I am also interested in any other facilities under Cyfnos control on the planetary surface,” The half-Annfyn added without missing a beat, keeping her hands folded in her lap. “Your father holds position within the Parliament, does he not? It will be necessary to strategically install our operatives through his office, as well - aides, staffers. Insiders to the inner workings of the Royal Court.” Vahliri wasn’t blind to just how much she demanded of the Acolyte, nor the inherent risks of it all. Nevertheless, the Annfyn noble had proposed to leverage the position of his family, and she was going to exploit that advantage to its very limits.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”You are welcome.” Caerllion said, before smiling at Vahliri. If the half-Annfyn could read his thoughts, she would see how he was controlling himself to not hit her with that door. Such hatred for her was excessive even for a pureblood Annfyn to have against a half-breed. Perhaps it was the Dark Side that increased it, or it was the result of jealousy for her possible relationship with Asher.

He felt satisfied when Vahliri showed interest in his plan. She would be an idiot if she didn’t agree with his idea. Not wanting to be arrogant, but already being, Caerllion thought that the plan was perfect with 0% chance of going wrong. He had planned each step of it for several months, thinking in ways to cover every single detail that could reveal to the Galaxy what they were going to do.

“Yes, he does. His position will be important to secure more supporters at the Parliament.” for now, this plan had remained a secret between him, his father and close allies. They had decided to not tell what was happening to his stepmother. Caerllion felt good in knowing that his father didn’t trust her even though they had been married for so many years. The woman would never have his heart like his mother had.

“Beyond the position that my father has, I’m also the grandnephew of the queen. I have access to parts of the palace that only the prince du sang can go to. It’ll help us to infiltrate even in the queen’s home.” he smiled at Vahliri. While it seemed that he was only giving her more useful information, Caerllion thought that it would show to the half-Annfyn that he was more important as a noble than her.

“We can go see the transports now. Perhaps even take one of them to visit the area where the agents are going to stay.” the idea of bringing an outsider to the surface of Annwfyn still left him with conflicting feelings, it was even worse with her being a half-breed. However, it was an evil necessary for this plan to work. “Do you want to go?”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri kept her amber gaze fixed straight ahead - following the curvature of the path as Caerllion spoke. She listened as the Acolyte rattled on about his connections to higher nobility, and had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at his own attempts at self-aggrandizement. The half-Annfyn had been surrounded by Induparan nobility and distant royals her entire life to know exactly what Caerllion was doing with his not-so-subtle mention of heritage, and wasn’t the least bit impressed by it. As a Sith, bloodline mattered little when compared to one's own achievements.

Instead, her interest was almost entirely devoted to how many of that information was useful to her objective. “Good,” She said after a long moment, following deeper across the estate and towards where the transports were stationed. “It sounds as if you’ll have your work cut out for you, then.” Vahliri said without missing a beat. She had no qualms about Caerllion personally risking his neck for the operation, conveniently punting all of the potential fallback onto the Acolyte if things went haywire.

“Once agents are established here on the surface, you’ll be working with them directly to access restricted sections of the palace and funnel information back to Imperial Intelligence.” The half-Annfyn informed, rounding a corner along the pathway before her gaze promptly settled upon one of the lavish transports. "Building a repertoire on key figures within the government is vital. Eventually, they will either heel to Imperial demands, or they will be forced out." The selective release of damning secrets and news-stories had been the downfall of various governments over the histories, and Vahliri had no qualms about resorting to blackmail to get her way.

“I would,” She replied simply, following the Acolyte as they prepared to embark towards the surface.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion wondered if he was being paranoid or Vahliri’s comment was a threat to him. The Annfyn was well aware that if this project failed, he was going to suffer dire consequences. He didn’t need a lowly half-breed to remind him of it. Besides that, everything was going to be well. He had planned every possible detail.

“I’m aware. I already selected a number of Annfyn servants and low nobles that can work as the proxy for our agents inside the government. The list with their files will be sent to be evaluated and approved by you.” he smiled at her. If any of them proved to be a problem for the operation, Vahliri would also need to deal with the consequences. After all, their approbation was going to be made by her.

The Annfyn guided the Champion toward one of the cargo shuttles that were going to be used to transport the agents to their secret base on the planet. “It was a simple model, exactly like the others used by any orbital farm to transport products to the land. Our agents would also need to share space with fruits, but it would still allow them to use it without problems.”

He would allow Vahliri to enter the cargo hold first, before coming after her. “As you can see, the great number of fruit in these boxes will hide the signature of our agents to any sensor that the police can use.” Caerllion said, before pointing to the several boxes organized in rows.

In the empty space between the rows, there were seats. “The agents will sit in these while the ship is moving.” after explaining it to her, Caerllion walked and sat on one. Once the half-breed was in her place, the Acolyte gave a signal to the droid pilot to start moving the ship. For the Annfyn, it was going to be a normal flight, with they soon arriving in the place that was going to be used as the base.

Unfortunately, nothing ever seemed to go as Caerllion expected. While their shuttle was descending in the atmosphere, another that was flying close to them lost control and collided against the propulsor. It was only a bump, but was enough to damage it and send the ship out of course and toward the planet below.

While Caerllion gripped his seat, confused about what was happening, their shuttle started to approach the surface of the planet. Going exactly toward the Great Swamp.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri made no attempt to clarify the underlying meaning of her comment - but the threat to her words was clear. There was no margin for error in these matters, and failure would not be addressed lightly. The half-Annfyn didn’t dwell on that matter for long however, merely glancing over her shoulder to give Caerllion a simple nod in response to his words. “Very well. I will see to it once we’ve concluded our tour of the facilities here.” In truth, Vahliri had no problem with being more involved in the selection and vetting process of their agents. It wasn’t to say that she didn’t trust Caerllion or his abilities - but merely that she was markedly more confident in her own. The more involved she was during the initial stages, the easier that maintenance would be in the long-term.

Handed folded together as she walked, Vahliri followed Caerllion towards the shuttle that awaited them - immediately allowing her amber gaze to wander the rather plain and unremarkable craft. “Unlikely to draw scrutiny, then.” She commented with a nod of approval. “Though I am surprised you are willing to travel in anything under first class,” Vahliri quipped towards Caer, flashing the Acolyte a playful - albeit somewhat snarky - grin. She followed him into the shuttle - glancing over the interior on the way to her seat.

“And inspection of produce?” She arched a brow towards Caerllion. His plan was clever - but it wasn’t foolproof. “What is to prevent customs officers from requesting to inspect fruit being carried to the surface - testing for diseases or invasive species being brought to the surface?” The transport of agricultural goods came with its own level of safety checks, and there would be no explanation if agents were found hiding out with the apples.

Regardless of his answer, Vahliri found her seat and settled beside the Annfyn Acolyte - tilting her head back as the shuttle began to take to the air. “You mentioned your own connections. Tell me what you know of the Queen’s inner circle. Those she trusts, those who can potentially be brought into our influence,” She tilted her head towards him. “Rivals to her throne?”

The Acolyte, unfortunately, would only have a few moments to come up with an answer - if at all - before the collision occured. “FUCK!” Vahliri yelled a bit louder than intended, her fingers tightening into the armrest so tightly that her nails began to dig into the canvas padding. The half-Annfyn recognized the sensation of weightlessness that gripped the ship - the rapid loss of elevation and crash indicators all too familiar to the woman who had been in several crashed landings over the years.

Though her initial reaction had been to cling to her seat, Vahliri didn’t linger there. She took one look at Caerllion before pushing out of her seat, gripping the wall and nearby crates as she marched and clawed her way into the cockpit. Her amber eyes locked onto the Droid pilot still seated behind the controls, worthlessly attempting to pull the shuttle up from the nose-dive it was presently taking.

“Move.” The words were hissed through gritted teeth, spoke just as the Force billowed at the half-Annfyn’s command. She didn’t give the Droid time to respond before she seized the pilot with the Force, jerking her arm to bodily throw the Droid out of her way. She wasted no time sliding into the seat herself - slender fingers curling around the controls to begin steering it. She struggled to pull the shuttle up to a more forgiving angle - tilting the nose upwards as the ship careened towards the swamp’s below. The single solace was that the terrain would made for a somewhat softer landing.

“BRACE!” Vahliri yelled back towards Caer and whoever else was aboard the shuttle. Within a split moment, the entire vessel jerked and rocked wildly - colliding with the swamp floor and providing to skid through the vegetation. Saplings and immature trees snapped apart as the shuttle tore a trench along the ground, while mud and debris splattered across every inch of the viewport and hull. It was only by virtue of being strapped in and grasping the controls that Vahliri wasn’t thrown around the cockpit, and Caer wouldn’t exactly have an enjoyable go of it either.

Moments passed, and the shuttle finally came to a halt - skidding deep into the muck until the nose was half-buried into the murky water and soil. It wasn’t until that point that Vahliri finally pried herself from the pilot’s seat, gritting her teeth as she stepped out of the cockpit. “Are you alright?” She asked back into the cargo-hold, hoping against odds that Caer hadn’t been wounded or killed in the crash.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”When you go to a war torn area and fall several times in the mud, you start to ignore these things about first class.” Caerllion said to her, but it was obviously a lie. He could have learned to fake his reaction in such situations, but he still disliked traveling in a place like this one. He was a member of House of Cyfnos, not a simple low agent. However, he wasn’t going to give the hybrid the taste of being right.

Caerllion smiled, he already expected that she would ask something like that. “Such inspections only happen before the ships leave the farm. Our agents would only enter after it happens. Of course, I already have allies in the customs that would decrease the chances of such things happening.”

When they sat in the shuttle, Caerllion had expected that Vahliri would sit away from him, not so close to him. With five other seats there, he didn’t expect to stay right beside the hybrid. The trip down to the planet was going to be longer than he expected.

The answer to her question about the Queen’s inner cycle was one that Caerllion knew very well. The Annfyn had been seeking to win their good graces since he was old enough to understand how politics worked. “Some of her advisors are already my allies. They will help our cause. Regarding rivals to the throne, she has none. Her succession is more contested, though. Between me and my cousin.”

Before the Acolyte could say anything else, the collision happened. Without any control, the ship started to fall toward the planet’s surface. Caerllion had no idea of what he should do now. It was the first time that he ended up involved in a crash. The only thing that crossed his mind in the moment was to hold his seat with all the strength that he had.

In the end, Vahliri saved them. If she wasn’t fast and took control of the ship, the shuttle would have collided directly in the ground and exploded. With her intervention, this terrible fate was avoided. The Annfyn didn’t know what was worse, his headache because of the fall or the feeling of being indebted to a half-blood.

“I’m fine. And you?” he said, while trying to get up from his chair. His body was still shaken because of their near death. “Thank you. If you didn’t take control, we would be dead.” Caerllion hoped that it would be the last time that he needed to say thanks to someone like her.

“We need to see where we are.” Caerllion walked toward the door of the cargo hold and tried to open it with the switch. Since it didn’t work, the Acolyte presumed that it had been damaged during the fall. Then, he used the Force to open it.

“I dtigh an diabhail!” Caerllion cursed in Sidhe when he saw the place where they had fallen. It was the Great Swamp, one of the most dangerous places in Annwfyn. “We need to get out of here before the night arrives. I don’t want to be here when the damháin alla start to hunt.” he shuddered with the thought of meeting these creatures again. “Do you think that the communications are working? The base isn’t far away from here, we could send a message asking for help.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

As she stepped out of the cockpit, Vahliri fought back the urge to whimper out in pain - feeling as sharp aches radiated through her upper body and back. While their landing could have been significantly worse, the force of impact left it mark on her well-enough. The half-Annfyn merely gritted her teeth together bitterly, exhaling through her nostrils as she peaked her head into the passenger compartment.

Her amber gaze fell upon Caerllion, and the half-Annfyn felt a pang of relief wash over her. Despite their tense exchances, she didn’t have any desire to see the Acolyte dead - nor did she have any desire to haul his corpse around where they landed. She gave a small nod and extended a hand towards him - offering to help the shaken Acolyte back onto his feet. While she wasn’t going too hot herself, Vahliri at the very least had the advantage of crashing multiple times in the past. As much of an advantage as they could be.

She blinked a few times, surprised to see the snooty noble actually thanking her. “I'm glad we're both alright.” Vahliri said with a small nod, “Besides, we aren’t out of the woods yet.” With that, the half-Annfyn followed the Acolyte towards the exit of the shuttle. Vahliri winced a bit before stepping down the ramp, narrowing her eyes at their surroundings as the humidity hit her face. There wasn’t a sign of civilization for miles - the horizon dominated by half-sunken trees and the sound of insects buzzing through the air.

Vahliri sneered a bit as she glanced over at Caerllion. She didn’t understand half of what the Acolyte said and merely exhaled through her nostrils before breaking her silence, “In Basic, please.” She cut in. The half-Annfyn couldn’t comprehend a word of his native language and was in no mood for a lesson on linguistics. “Where are we?” Judging by his fear of whatever the fuck a ‘damháin alla’ was, she surmised he actually knew the answer to that question.

She took one remorseful look down at her expensive boots before stepping down the rest of the way - her feet sinking ever-so-slightly into the muck. “We won’t,” Vahliri said without even looking back at the shuttle. “Systems are fried from the crash - and I haven’t been able to get signal on my commlink.” Her fluted ears swiveled a bit, picking on the ground of movement amongst the treeline.

“We can either stay here and hope that someone saw us go down,” She began, “Or we make our way on foot.” While she laid out the option, it was fairly clear from her tone that Vahliri favored the latter and was telling Caerllion more than she was asking.

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion turned to look at the hybrid, surprised that she didn’t understand what he had said in Sidhe. The Acolyte always thought that even those that weren’t pure bloods would at least have some knowledge of their ancestral language. Perhaps those that decided to marry with other species were really deranged individuals that decided to even forget every part of their culture.

“I said a curse. In basic it would mean something like “shit” or “damnit”. It’s pretty common around here.” the Acolyte explained, while thinking that perhaps he should teach the Champion aboud the Sidhe. While she was still a hybrid, Vahliri at least had the right to know her ancestral language. Her deranged parents shouldn’t deny it from her.

“We are in the Móin Mhór, or Great Swamp. It’s one of the most dangerous places in Annwfyn.” he looked around, seeing how the trees blocked most of the sunlight. “It’s already dangerous during the day, but at night the damháin alla leave their underground nests and start to search for prey.” once again the Acolyte shuddered with the thought of being ambushed by one of these creatures in the dark.

“They resemble spiders, but can grow larger than a male rancor of Dathomir. Their multiple eyes are red and their breath is poisonous, like their bite. Usually they live in deep caves, but the Great Swamp and the Dark Forest are the only two places where they come to the surface. They killed my mother.” he blurted the last part without even noticing, being far more concerned in trying to calm himself from his panic.

The thought of facing a damháin alla was a torment for someone arachnophobic like him. Caerllion wanted to go out of the swamp before the sun set. “I agree, we need to get out of here immediately.” he looked around trying to find something that could help them find their way to the place. When he saw a tall tree, which seemed to be strong enough to allow the two to climb on it. “Maybe we could get on the top of it and see the path out of this place. The base is in some hills close to the swamp, so we can go there if I find the right way.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri inhaled audibly through her nostrils, consciously suppressing the urge for her left eye to start twitching. She was interested very little in a language on linguistics or for Caerllion to start translating every other word, and simply preferred for him to converse in whatever language they both could understand. It was a remarkably good idea that the Annfyn noble kept his thoughts on Vahliri’s parents to himself - otherwise the ‘damháin alla’ would’ve been the absolute least of his concerns.

Amber eyes swept across the marshy horizon - scanning between the hanging willows and water-swelled foliage. The knowledge that they landed in a swamp was obvious, but the revelation that it was one of the most dangerous placed on the planet elicited a loud groan from Vahliri.

Of course it was.

She listened when Caerllion mentioned the giant spiders - not missing the fear in his voice. The mention of his mother caught her attention, enough for the half-Annfyn to glance back for a split moment to look at the Annfyn. “Then let’s make sure we don’t follow after them,” She said with a small nod, marching ahead and through the muck. Even if she completely bemoaned their current environment, the half-Annfyn was determined to make it out alive. That sense of self preservation, and the knowledge she likely couldn’t rely on an Acolyte as much support, carried her forward and manifested in the hardened expression on her face.

The half-Annfyn paused, glancing up at the tree when Caerllion mentioned it. She blinked a few times before nodding. “Don’t fall.” Vahliri said flatly, a point emphasized as they were far, far from civilization or anyone who could patch them up. Without another word, Vahliri drew the Force into herself - using the condensed energy to spring forward and launch herself onto the first branch of the tree. She waited for Caerllion to reach the first branch - just to make sure the Acolyte could actually reach it - before continuing further up. She had no intention of slowing down again after that.

As they climbed, Vahliri abruptly broke the silence - calling back to Caerllion as they ascended the tree. “You believe yourself to a superior successor to your cousin,” The words cut through the silence - returning them to a topic briefly touched upon in the shuttle. It wasn’t a question but rather a statement - and one that Vahliri was confident she was accurate on. Puzzle pieces slowly began to piece together - why Caerllion was so committed to the success of this mission in the first place.

“Why?”

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion followed Vahliri through the mud toward the tree. His boots were completely covered by it, to the point of even the lower parts of his pants also getting dirty. While it was annoying, the Acolyte didn’t mind it so much anymore. After falling nearly fifteen times in the mud, you end up getting used to it.

The Acolyte felt the urge to roll his eyes when she asked him to not fall. He wondered if she thought that he was a baby. Caerllion was already a well trained Acolyte, he could very well use the Force to jump to branches without falling. The Annfyn only nodded and prepared to follow her.

After Vahliri had jumped, Caerllion covered himself with the Force. Focusing it on his legs, the Acolyte jumped. He reached the first branch without any problem, then turned to look at the half-blood. She was already climbing the rest of the tree. Not wanting to stay behind, he went after her.

When she asked him about his opinion about his cousin, Caerllion stopped and turned to look at her. He didn’t expect that she would ask something like that. “My cousin is a spoiled brat. His parents treat him like he was a baby, even if he is already older than me. He also acts as one.” he thought about the tantrums that his cousin would throw when things didn’t go how he wanted.

“I mean, we are Annfyn, emotions are an important part of our culture. But even that has a limit. We don’t go mad because our parents didn’t want to buy the most recent speeder in the same day that it went on sale.” he remembered how he wanted to bang his head against a wall when his cousin complained that his parents were only going to buy the vehicle in the next week.

“He has no knowledge of politics, never participated in a meeting of the parliament and lives only in parties. However, they prefer him because he is blond and is a Ileuad! Even if he drags Annwfyn to shit, they only wants him because he wasn’t a Cyfnos!” Caerllion was leaving his frustration apparent. In his opinion, it wasn’t fair for him and to all the citizens of the the planet.

“If he becomes King, it would be a second Cydwen. An incopetent that was put in the throne only because he wasn’t a Cyfnos! The guy spent trillions of credit in expensive parties, making the planet enter in one of the worst financial crises that it even experienced. But hey! It’s fine because he wasn’t a Cyfnos!” sometimes he thought that it was their own fault that his family turned to the Sith. At least they acknowledge them as competents.

“Sorry for this.” he said, after noticing that he ended turning her question into an opportunity to blurt out. “I only don’t want to see him making my homeworld enter another recession. This is why I want to establish this base here, I believe that the Empire is the best for Annwfyn’s future.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Even after Vahliri asked her question, she continued to scale the branches of the monstrous tree. Wispy, willow leaves billow in the breeze and hung like a canopy between the sturdier platforms of wood - and she could just begin to make out the pinnacle above them. With any luck, it would provide them with a better understanding of where they were. All the same, the half-Annfyn didn’t slow down in the slightest - expecting the Acolyte to keep pace and provide an answer at the same time. If Caerllion believed she was going to cut him any slack during their time together, the Annfyn noble would be in for a rude awakening.

Though Vahliri didn’t glance over her shoulder to look at him, her eyes nevertheless narrowed when Caerllion started talking. She wasn’t entirely sure what the noble was going to come up with in response to her question, and for a few moments, allowed him to go off on his little rant about his cousin. She heard all the pent up frustration and agitation in his voice, her lips twitching ever-so-slightly when he threw in the phrase ‘brat’ in the most ironic fashion possible.

To the half-Annfyn’s credit, she allowed the Acolyte to get through almost half of his tirade before stopping dead in her tracks to face him. The moment Caerllion mentioned his family name, Vahliri took in a sharp exhale through her nostrils - amber eyes fixing onto the Annfyn like those of a predator. “I really do not give a fuck.” Her voice cut right through his sentence - and the look behind her eyes indicated she had no appetite to be interrupted.

“I do not care about the shortcomings of your cousin or whatever perceived prejudice your exceptionally wealthy, privileged family suffers from,” She said sharply. Every word he had spoken dripped with sentiments of things not being ‘fair’ to him or his family. It was nothing short of exceptionally tedious - and Vahliri’s own lifetime of luxury had left her with precisely zero desire to listen to it from others.

“I asked why you would make a better successor,” She tilted her head. For every word the Annfyn had spoken, Caer hadn’t laid out a single one of his own qualifications or what made him anything better than his cousin - beside the obvious internal bias to his own actions. He owned a ‘farmhouse’ more lavish than most estates in the Galaxy and had more privilege at his fingertips than most. So far, she’d seen little to differentiate him from any other disillusioned, spoiled aristocrat. And one who wore his ambitions plainly on his sleeve.

“Why, should anyone - more importantly, why should the Empire allow you within a mile of the throne of this planet?” Her gaze bore into him for a split second. The Empire had expanded onto countless planets thus far, and there was nothing preventing them from merely installing a competent, effective Governor to oversee Annwfyn and its sector. An Acolyte barely grown? Brought little value to the table. If Caerllion ever wished to lead, it would take far more than complaints about the opposition and pointing to his own pedigree.

Regardless of whatever answer he came up with, Vahliri wasn’t going to stand around while he babbled. Instead, the half-Annfyn continued her ascend to the top of the tree - bounding from a few branches before finally reaching the summit. She pulled herself above the swamp canopy, allowing her amber gaze to wander the horizon - stopping when she finally spotted the tip of a building far, far off in the distance.

“There,” She pointed, glancing down to where Caerllion had hopefully joined her. “Looks to be an outpost of some kind. Any idea where that puts us?” Vahliri asked him, only for her lips to tug down significantly.

“We won’t reach it before nightfall.”

@LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

If the hybrid thought that her comment would piss Caerllion off, or make him have some type of visble angry tantrum, she was totally wrong. While his passionate rant was a result of being an Annfyn and unleashing his feelings was something allowed, the Acolyte had learned with years of diplomacy that in certain occasion some reactions should be ignored.

It was exactly what he was doing right now. Caerllion stopped climbing briefly to stare impassibly at Vahliri, before continuing to climb after her. He did what was nearly impossible for an Annfyn and discouraged by the Sith. The Acolyte had suppressed his anger and desire to set her on fire.

One of the first lessons that his father gave him regarding politics was that his rivals would say things to anger and destabilize him, but he should ignore them. Caerllion had already put this counsel in practice several times after hearing worse things than what this filthy piece of shit said to him. It wasn’t that I would lose control.

Then, he decided to ignore what she had said and continued talking. “As I was saying, my cousin is incompetent and his father is pro-Jedi. I studied diplomacy and politics, made several contacts inside the parliament and had several lesser nobles on my side. I’m organizing an entire network of Sith agents inside my homeworld to bring the Empire to it. With me as King, the Empire would have a competent and faithful ally in the throne of Annwfyn and in this entire sector. I would allow a peaceful transition, while properly quashing any signal of rebellion. This way making the Empire avoid spend resources in war efforts.”

Knowing the way that Vhaliri acted, she was probably already wanting to bring a fleet to conquer the sector. After all, she led several successful invasions. She could be a filthy hybrid and act like an insufferable bitch, but she was also competent. That the Acolyte needed to agree. However, he believed that seizing the power through diplomacy could be useful sometimes. It was far better to have a planet joining with their free will rather than making fire rain down on it and then needing to recover a ruined place.

During his answer, the Acolyte had continued to climb. If the half-blood thought that she would say something like that to him and act all superior leaving him behind like an annoying child, she was wrong. She could be a Champion and had conquered planets, but for him she was still less than the mud in the swamp. Even if she had a pretty face., but this thought the Annfyn supressed as soon as it appeared on his mind.

In this moment, he decided that he would also surpass her conquests. He would not only make himself superior to the hybrid, but also bring more things to the Empire. This would be a double win in his opinion.

He would reach the top of the tree seconds after her. Caerllion would look to where she was pointing unimpressed. “No idea what it’s, probably some outpost that was used by researchers in the swamp. Yes, probably one of those.” then he pointed to some hills, not far away from where they were. “These I recognize. The base was made there. Unfortunately we will also not reach there before the night.” it would take an entire day for them to walk there.

“Since they are in the same direction, we can spend the night in that building and see if there is anything useful to help us to get out of here.” he doubted, that thing was probably here since the time of the High Republic. “If not, then we will continue walking toward the hills tomorrow. Better than walking through the swamp during the night.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Though she heard everything that Caerllion said, Vahliri gave no response to the Acolyte’s follow-up qualifications. She cared exceedingly little about what the pureblood thought about her personally - and was still convinced that appointing an Imperial governor to the planet would’ve been far easier than attempting to maneuver some pretentious noble brat onto the throne of Annwfyn. If he wanted the throne, Caerllion could take it for himself - but Vahliri wasn’t going to lift a finger to help him. Nor would she allow his ambitions to get in the way of seizing the planet, if it came down to it.

As they reached the top of the trees, Vahliri glanced over to Caerllion - listening as the pureblood suggested it was nothing more than a research outpost. Her amber eyes wandered the horizon, nodding along when he mentioned the hills where a base was nestled.

“Good,” The half-Annfyn said with a small nod, proceeding to jump across to the next tree. “Then let’s not waste time. We made for the research station and camp there for the night.” She continued right along after that - eager to simply get to their destination at this point.

@LouJoVi