Ask Umbara Impatience

[Zorya]

"Methinks killin's like a spiced cider, lad - best served when needed, not guzzled at every stop," O'bog quipped, reflecting Zorya's latent reservations. His eyes gleamed with mischief, even as Zorya's stern gaze behind him reflected the depth of the decision. The commander was a potential wellspring of information, not yet a chit to be cast aside.

With a surge of anticipation, Zorya burst through the door, her imposing figure enveloping the room in an undeniable dread. Seated at the command desk, a Zabrak woman, no more than mid-age, her face masked by distinct tribal tattoos, sharp horns protruding from her forehead like a crown of thorns. Dressed in pristine military garb of the high command, her crimson eyes widened in shock, the calm demeanor she held just a moment ago shattered like the facade it was.

Two guards stationed at the entrance whirled around, their surprise echoing the commander's. Zorya's lightsaber thrummed to life, casting an eerie crimson glow, the energy blade aimed at the throat of the Zabrak commander. Meanwhile, her free hand raised, palm out, summoning the power of the Force to knock the guard on the right off his feet, the impact against the wall rendering him unconscious.

"Ye've got the other one, lad!" O'bog called out to Cremek, his tone teetering between excitement and mockery as the room filled with the discordant symphony of their entrance. The commander, terror in her crimson eyes, remained frozen under the deadly glow of Zorya's lightsaber.

@theaveragejedishadow

//Rolled an 18/20 for neutralizing one of the commander's guard.

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

Cremek drops down, his saber gauntlet ignition with a feirce purple color, the howl of a krayt sand dragons pearl ever present, he back slashed, clawing out the throat of one of them, disigniting and putting his arms under his cloak once more.

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

In the aftermath of their swift entrance, the chamber echoed an uncanny silence, punctuated solely by the sporadic, fearful breathing of the trapped Zabrak commander and the persistent thrum of the blood-red saber hovering at her throat. The air pulsed with unseen tension as the power dynamics in the room shifted, a threatening storm gathering beneath the surface. Zorya, the silent marionettist, relayed her message through the raspy voice of O'bog.

“Now look here, sweetheart,” began O’bog, his high-pitched voice carrying Zorya's underlying edge of menace. “Ye be lookin’ like a womp rat trapped in a den full of nexu. We ain’t come here to end ye, less ye give us no choice, understand?”

The commander’s wide golden eyes flickered from Zorya's implacable expression to O'bog, perched confidently on her shoulder, and she gulped, barely managing a nod.

“Aye, there’s a good lass,” O’bog continued, his teasing tone a stark contrast to the dangerous circumstances. “Ye hold quite the influential position, don’t ye? Well, we’ve got a wee favor to ask."

Zorya projected her thoughts into O'bog's consciousness, the pixie accurately conveying her intentions. “There’s an old pile of stones on Umbara, used to be a Sith Academy, it did. We be in need of a bit of free airspace above it for our Sith friends to travel. Ye are gonna make it happen. Simple as that. Clear as an Alderaanian crystal, aye?”

The Zabrak’s face paled, contrasting sharply with her prominent tribal tattoos. Her breath hitched at O'bog's blunt command, the hum of the lightsaber echoing the grim certainty of her precarious situation.

“That’s... That’s impossible,” she stammered, attempting to inject some form of authority into her wavering voice. “The airspace... I can’t just… There will be questions, investigations…”

Zorya, unfazed, let O'bog retort, his voice taking on a harsher edge, “Well, now, darling, that's why ye be in charge, ain’t it? To handle those questions, those investigations? Yer a commander, ain't ye? Use yer command.”

The commander, though clearly shaken, drew upon a well of resolve. “Why should I help you, Sith? What can you offer me?”

Zorya's unblinking gaze met the commander’s, her silence speaking volumes. Then O’bog laughed, a cackle of raw mischief, relaying Zorya's thoughts. “Aye, now there's a bright lass. What can we offer, ye ask? How about yer life?”

The woman’s jaw tightened, her golden eyes hardening. A moment of silence stretched between them, filled with the pulsing hum of the lightsaber and the commander’s shaky breaths. Then, with a decisive nod, she acquiesced. “I...I will do as you ask.”

Zorya savored the taste of victory, the intoxicating scent of dominance swirling in the room. As O’bog chortled victoriously, she withdrew the saber from the commander’s throat.

@theaveragejedishadow

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"uh.. is she.. alright?.. she seems like she's drunk, I mean I like victory as much as the next sith, but she's getting way too into it.."

He said with a snarky comment, sighing. if only he got to cuase more carnage.. oh well, a job well done..

He tightens the saber gauntlet, making it tighter.

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

Unfathomable depths shimmered within Zorya’s dark eyes as Cremek's words drifted towards her, a puzzle of jest and jibe she found difficult to decipher. Her typically impassive face remained unmoved, not granting his snark the honor of recognition. Her silence prevailed, like the ghostly calm after the tempest, interrupted solely by the incessant chattering of O’bog, who took no notice of Cremek’s comment.

“Alright, big boy, enough lollygagging,” the Ximpi chirped, a mischievous gleam in his tiny eyes as he fluttered away from her shoulder, leading the way. “We’ve got places to be!”

As Zorya pivoted, her flowing dark robes fluttering behind her like the shadows of vanishing ghosts, the commander's voice, now laced with subtle respect, echoed in the room. “Wait, Sith... There was another, near the academy ruins... A powerful Force presence. We assumed him to be one of yours…”

Zorya paused, her mind buzzing with silent contemplation. A new player, it seemed, was on the board. While she wasn't one for surprises, the thrill of potential conflict was undeniably stimulating.

“Interesting…” O’bog mused aloud, his voice taking on a more somber tone. “We appreciate the tidbit, Commander. Mayhap this be the dawn of a fruitful association between us.” With a cackling chuckle, the pixie winked at the woman. “Don't ye worry yer pretty little head over it. We'll take care of this other ‘presence.’”

@theaveragejedishadow

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

Ohohoh.. another one? This woman really was dragging him along.

"Yeah, that wasn't in the job description when you enlisted my help."

Of course he was going to help, but he figured he would tease the strange duo before he did so...

"Gonna cost you extra."
He snickers.


@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

“An Inquisitor too, are ye now, Cremek?” O'bog shot back, his tiny form dancing mid-air with teasing merriment. "A Sith, a Mandalorian, and now ye're charging for reconnaissance, eh? Ha! Ye make quite the multitalented mercenary." The Ximpi swayed, laughter bubbling up like the fizz of a hastily uncorked ale bottle. “This new presence seems to be a touch above our pay grade. We’ll pass it up the chain, leave it for the high and mighty Sith Lords to sort out.”

With that settled, Zorya turned towards the labyrinthine passages of the airbase, her fluid silhouette flitting through the metallic corridors like a swift shadow. Their departure was a masterclass in subterfuge, Zorya’s knowledge of the base’s layout now lending itself to a quick and covert exodus. They ducked under low-hanging vents, slipped into narrow service tunnels, and sidestepped patrols with an uncanny, almost preternatural awareness. Guards were missed by mere moments, their attention drawn away just in time by strategically manipulated noise and light. As their footsteps echoed in the dimly lit, twisting hallways, Zorya remained silent and focused, every sense attuned to their environment, every nerve wired for evasion.

With the oppressive confines of the base at their back, the team stood by the airbase's exterior wall, the open expanse of the night beckoning them. Zorya, still hidden beneath her aura of silence, turned her gaze to Cremek. It was O’bog, of course, who broke the silence.

“So, any last words of wisdom or, mayhap, another invoice to present before we part ways, bucket-head?” O'bog ribbed, his tone jocular yet with an undercurrent of genuine curiosity.

@theaveragejedishadow

 

[Cremek "Krayt" Candorus]

"Well, no, not really."

He said bluntly, shrugging, his wisdom came from books, and actions, not bloody words!

"You have a good handle on yourself, you got a niche, keep it up, you'll be known soon, I reckon."

@Aberforth

 

[Zorya]

O'bog, clearly appreciative of Cremek's rare show of straightforwardness, hovered in the air before him. "Well, aren't ye full of surprises! Compliments and no invoices. Who knew?" The Ximpi's tone was light, threaded with his characteristic, irreverent mirth.

"Reckon yer not entirely useless yerself, Cremek. Quite handy to have around, ye are. Be seeing ya then." The goblin-like creature bobbed in the air, offering an absurdly formal bow before fluttering back to his perch on Zorya's shoulder.

With the parting words and shared nods, the unlikely allies went their separate ways, their missions intersecting and then diverging like twined strands of Fate. The brisk night air swirled around Zorya as she moved, her cloak trailing behind her like an echo of the darkness that stretched before them. O'bog flitted about, his spirited chatter now reduced to contemplative silence.

There was a path to carve through the ruins of the Sith Academy, their mission that was far from completed. She could feel the weight of the task, the enormity of the legacy they were treading on.

"Ever forward, O'bog," Zorya's silence seemed to echo in the stillness of the night, a silent sentinel watching over their journey. And with that, the Sith Champion and her garrulous Ximpi companion faded into the obscurity of the night, their shared silence holding more words than spoken conversations ever could.

@theaveragejedishadow

//End thread.