New Ride

[Shikari]

Corellia
​

Shikari sat in her rented transport speeder as it sped along the busy streets of Corellia. Cargo transport speeders shot past to their left as the pilot droid navigated them to the Corellian Engineering Corp office. It was one of many offices scattered across the planet and was actually a pretty small one comparably. This particular location specialized in cargo craft. Light freighters mostly. It was not a place that most sith would usually bother visiting, or be caught dead in really, but Shikari needed what they were offering for her upcoming tasks, and she didn't want to haggle much on the price. This place would be full of average working-class citizens who would fear her presence and be susceptible to her sway. This would be quick and painless.

Shikari glanced up at the sky and watched as construction vessels lifted heavy shield generators and other various equipment onto the skeletons of large starships being constructed in the sky above. She had to wonder who they were building for. With the Republica in disarray after the death of the empress, she doubted that the government was placing any orders at this time. She wondered if they were even honoring the orders they had already placed? It was the height of stupidity. Right now the Republica was under attack from all sides. Already they had lost key systems to the burgeoning Mandalorian forces and Imperial Hutta had fallen to chaos due to attacks from this "Galactic Alliance" that had crept up out of the shadows, proving to be a greater threat than anyone had realized. Then there was the Old Empire who seemed to have one hand aiding their forces in the fight against the Mandos and the Alliance, but had the other hand working behind their back to try and topple the Republica and take complete control. The Republica needed all the military might they could muster right now, but no one seemed ready or willing to stand and take command of the situation. Shikari sighed. She was in no position to do so either. She had just been promoted to the rank of Crusader with much toil and struggle. Taking command of the Republican government would have to wait for some time, or for some other individual to take the initiative. Perhaps it would be Eriana? Shikari felt a bond of some sort to the other female sith. She just hoped her religious fervor wouldn't blind her to the military needs of the Republica. Well... Blind her any further, that was.

 

[The Confessor]

While Shikari was staring up at the sky, she would see something very familiar. A black and grey vexatious-class star fighter was coming in out of orbit and coasting slowly in its descent. The tattooed Pantoran would know there was only one single ship like it. And it belonged to Eriana Fox. It had been given a new paint job recently, and was also now decorated with a red fox logo on the wings. Like Shikari, Eriana had also been given a promotion recently, and with the addition of a battalion of troopers she now held status in a prison transport ship. This battalion she called The Fox Troopers and they all wore that same logo. Fitting.

The ship, as far as Shikari could tell from her limited view in the transport, was heading toward a hangar very close to where she was currently going. What Eriana was doing so far out this way was beyond her. But for the briefest of seconds, Shikari would feel despair. It ended as quickly as it came, for now Eriana was out of range.

Far up above her, the red ship would make a slow landing in the hangar bay. Eriana let her astromech droid do the flying. Normally in the city heights she liked to have the control. But this time...she was too distracted. She couldn't think right. Too much had happened in the past couple weeks. She had been forceably taken from her church on Ilum and led to Moraband. There, on the birthplace of the Exiled Sith, she was forced to make a choice. And that choice now made her feel like she was betraying everyone she'd ever known.

But she had a duty now. A job to do. Only, Eriana needed to speak with someone first. Someone she knew beyond any doubt would stand by her no matter what faction she was aligned to. But what she didn't know, was someone else would need to hear her story first. Eriana sat in her cockpit, deep in thought as the shield glass raised and opened the Coruscant air to her. But she didn't get up. Her droid would spin its head over to her and speak something in binary. Eriana sighed, saying nothing.

She was wearing her usual gear, the Sith marauder armor she always wore, only her long trench coat had been left behind. She didn't know specifically where it was now, for she'd thrown it off on Moraband when she knew she could no longer go back to the Imperial Republica. She still had all her codes and things to get past the security protocols in the atmosphere. If ever she was to be a double agent, now would be the best time. She wondered how many systems she could take down before anyone realized she was no longer on their side.

The decision was daunting. She felt awful. Horrible. Like a traitor. But...it was for the greater good, yeah? Her mission would crippled what was left of the Imperium and allow the Old Empire to seize control so the Sith would be united once and for all. Then, they could stop squabbling on this petty civil war and focus on the true enemy out there. That was the hope at least.

 

[Shikari]

Shikari was surprised to see Eriana's personal fighter pulling in to a landing bay ahead of her. It was quite a coincidence to see the fanatic female sith here of all places. Not to say she had no reason or right to be here. Shikari had simply assumed that she would be quite busy for the time being establishing her new church of the dark side on Ilum. They had only recently completed the pacification of remaining threats on the all-but-abandoned world, and Shikari assumed that it would take time to establish any sort of permanent holdings on the uninhabited planet which lacked any form of technology or settlement. Perhaps Eriana was here to procure supplies and tech for the construction of such a settlement? She couldn't be sure, but she was surprisingly pleased to see the woman here. Perhaps they would have time to speak at some point.

As the fighter flew past, Shikari's senses picked up a faint air of dismay and unrest. Peculiar, she thought to herself. Whether or not it was emanating from Eriana's ship was uncertain, but the timing seemed to match up. That was curious. Eriana was far from weak when it came to the force. If she was indeed leaking her emotions into the surroundings, that would be quite suspicious. Shikari couldn't help but wonder what the cause was.

But, before all of that, she was here to accomplish something important for her own ends. As her speeder pulled up to the sales office she had directed it to, Shikari stepped out and immediately made her way towards the door. She was in her usual garb, with only her twin curved saber hilts hanging from the back of her belt. Strolling around Corellia fully armed would be peculiar for most and might raise questions. Sure, as a Crusader she could probably deal with any authority issues, but why bother in a relatively safe location such as this? That had been her thinking, but then it couldn't be denied that Corellia had been attacked by a force of Jedi and Mandalorians not that long ago. It was hard to say if anywhere in the Republica was truly safe at this point.

Shikari strolled into the offices and was immediately greeted by a long line of traders and businessmen. Sneering beneath her mask, she immediately walked past them all, to the front of the line. There were mutters and confused grunts as she passed, but as the commoners saw her crossed lightsabers on her waist, there mutters of annoyance turned to fear and several actually turned and made their way out the door. As Shikari reached the front of the line, the man waiting saw her and opened his mouth to say something, but seeing her intimidating appearance and her lightsabers, he immediately shut his mouth and bowed, turning and stepping away. Shikari watched him leave and placed her arm on the counter, leaning forward. The counter attendant walked out from the back, looking over some papers. "Now, sir. We do have a VT-1100 available for purchase at the price we previously discussed. Would you-" The woman suddenly stopped in her tracks as she saw Shikari standing at the counter. "Excellent. I will take the vessel in question. Have it brought around to the forward landing pad. Oh, and I'll be taking it at a 50% discount." Shikari smiled at the woman beneath her mask. The woman was frozen for a second in apparent fear before she shakily nodded and ran back to the back. Shikari turned and gazed out at the thoroughfare where the office was located. She wondered if Eriana was somewhere nearby.

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Leaving her seat, Eriana would hop down from the starfighter and start making her way to the door of the hangar. Her droid stayed put, waiting to be taken out of the ship. Moving then from the hangar infrastructure Eriana found her way to the busy streets down below. It was harder getting started, but once she was moving she found her feet knew where they were going and before she knew it she'd found herself in front of the Corellian Engineering Corps. There was a time when she thought about getting a ship from them. A nice luxury liner to take her across the verse from Coruscant to Ilum. But that was before she had been given a dungeon-class ship for her subjects.

Eriana sighed again, a wave of doubt and unease came through her and to the others around her. Shikari would feel it inside the walls just a few meters away. Eriana put her hands behind her back and strode into the building. But she did not head up to the main deck like the common man did. She instead turned down a hall and a security officer came rushing up to her.

"Whoa whoa whoa. Where do you think you're going?"

Clearly the man did not see the lightsabers on her hip. Eriana's face angered. A vein popped up in her forehead. She raised her hand and the man's body slammed into the ceiling, cracking it and shattering a part of the light. Shikari would feel the sudden tug of the Force being used. Eriana continued walking and then dropped the man after she'd passed. His body slammed into the ground and a painful crack was heard from something breaking inside his torso. Blood would slowly start to drip out from under him. Eriana could smell the iron in the air, but she didn't bother stopping. She had a mission to complete.

 

[Shikari]

As the counter attendant slid away to make the preparations that Shikari had commanded, Shikari felt a familiar pulse within the force nearby. Eriana was near, and there were peculiar emotions leaking from her once more. Shikari turned and walked away from the desk, heading in the direction she felt the force being manipulated. She walked for a ways, turning down various hallways and walking up some stairs. At one point an imperial lieutenant almost walked into her. She walked past him, barely even aware of his presence. "Hey you! What exactly do you think your doing here - gwk!" His words were cut off as Shikari's hand reached back behind her and the force closed around his throat. The Lieutenant was raised off his feet and drug forward through the air to just behind Shikari. She raised her holodisk ID marking her as a Republican Crusader. "That's who I am, and that's what I think I am doing here. Now go back about your pointless life and leave me be." Shikari released his throat and threw him back down the hallway where he slowly picked himself up and scampered away. A simpleton would not disturb her right now. She had something more important drawing her forward.

Shikari rounded a corner and saw a security officer lying on the floor, blood pooling around his body. She reached back to her waist and slowly grabbed her twin saber hilts as she continued forward, quicker now. A few more corners and Shikari rounded a bend to see Eriana walking down the hall ahead of her. She moved with purpose, despite the feelings of doubt that Shikari felt leaking from her. "A pleasure to see you again, Lady Eriana." Shikari called out from behind the blind woman. "I had hoped that I would see you again soon, though I did not expect it to be here." Shikari kept her sabers disengaged, but still held them in her hands. "I had expected you to still be on Ilum, establishing your Sacellum? Might I enquire what draws you back to Corellia so soon?"

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

As the blind Sith headed to where she was going, she felt a touch of the Force somewhere behind her. Slowing down, she began walking with her hands at her sides (thus closer to her blades). Was she caught already? Or was someone just coming to investigate? Either way, she was careful to handle herself properly. She'd feign her reasoning, reasoning her actions simply as an ill-mannered Sith. It worked for everyone else -Shikari included apparently- so why couldn't Eriana get away with it too?

When she heard Shikari's voice, everything in Eriana relaxed. A small smile even came across her lips. In this troubling time, she needed a friend. Turning around, she cupped her hands in front of her legs, assuring Shikari she was in a peaceful stance. The tattooed Sith shared in her surprise, offering that it was pleasant to see her again. Eriana was in agreement, sharing in that sentiment. She then mentioned Ilum and for a brief second Eriana's expression changed. It turned dark for a moment, but she smiled to throw Shikari off of any scent.

"Business actually," she said. It wasn't a lie, it was just....and omission of the truth. "I would say I'm surprised to see you here, but the Force has a path for us all. Doesn't it?"

 

[Shikari]

Shikari raised her eyebrow at Eriana's demeanor. Normally the woman had a somewhat holier-than-thou sort of attitude and seemed to naturally dominate the conversation and in many instances, the room itself. But here she was acting almost... meek? Was that the way to describe it? It felt almost as though Shikari had caught a young girl doing something she knew she shouldn't. And then there was the prior feeling of unease that had been emanating from Eriana's position not so long before, though she appeared calm now. Something about the encounter just seemed a bit off. But, it was Eriana after all, and she had her hands clasped in front of her, far from her lightsabers, indicating that she was not preparing to fight. Shikari slowly slid her saber hilts back to her waist, hooking them in their positions on her belt. Her bemused eyebrow remained raised, though.

"Well, my love of spacecraft, particularly those made for war, and my continuing quest to acquire them brings me to Corellia quite often in fact. I happen to be here now acquiring a freighter which I'll be using on a job to acquire something much more substantial soon." Shikari's eyes shifted behind Eriana for a second, wondering where it was she was heading. "Eriana. I'm not inclined to doubt you, given our familiarity with one another... But I have to ask... What is it you are doing? Twice now since I became aware of your presence here I have felt your emotions leaking into the force, which is peculiar enough on it's own, but they seem quite troubled as well. And then there is the matter of the dead security guard back down the hall... What exactly is going on here?"

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

Eriana stood her ground while Shikari explained her reasoning. Apparently the Sith had come looking for a ship, and did so quite often. Maybe if Eriana wasn't blind to things, she might appreciate the sentimental value of a good ship. The sleek look, the beautiful colors, etc. All wonderful things that any collector would admire. But not Eriana. Aside from the fact she hated flying as a fact, she didn't really care what the ship looked like so long as it was safe and got her where she needed to be, and fast.

But Shikari's pleasant mood then changed as she turned the questioning around on Eriana. When her friend mentioned doubting her, Eriana choked a sigh in her throat. Her face contorted a little and she turned her head to hide the fact what she said had bothered her. Apparently she wasn't good at hiding her emotions if Shikari could have felt the wave of her sorrow from there.

"I..." Eriana choked again on her words.

She tried to think of some excuse for why she'd killed that guard in cold blood. She had clearance. Her ID card would have still showed Imperial Republica status. Why had she been so quick tempered? She blamed it before on pretending to just be an ill tempered Sith. But Shikari knew that was far from the truth for Eriana.

Gasping again her voice shuddered. "Something....happened to me." She bit her lip, trying to figure out how to explain it. "On Ilum..." Her breathing picked up until she swallowed hard and sucked in a large gulp of air. "By the gods....what have I done?"

And just like that everything broke in Eriana. All the tears she held back. All the fear of dying and capture came rushing up. Eriana gasped for air which seemed like it would not come for her. She nearly fell over, leaning into the wall. Using it for balance she adjusted to rest her back against her. Shikari might note Eriana's legs were shaking under her. Raspy and uneven shudders left Eriana as she tried to hold the dam from breaking.

As that happened, the Force surged. Powerful waves of Force energy expended from Eriana. All of pain. Of sorrow. Of regret. The strange sense of sadness Shikari had felt was now doubled, tripled even. It was unlike anything else for a Sith to just let out. While Sith were usually wrapped up in their emotions, sadness wasn't really one of them. To show this emotion was almost a weakness. And of Shikari was the kind of Sith who looked down on her peers for their failures, she was sure to strike Eriana down right there and then.

Eriana didn't care. Let her die. Then she could finally be rid of this guilt. She sank down to her knees, then doubled over herself; her arms crossed under her chest to hold herself. "I'm so sorry," she began whispering over and over again.

 

[Shikari]

Shikari watched as Eriana tried to explain herself, but the woman seemed far too troubled to do so. Instead, Shikari took a step back as Eriana broke down, collapsing against the wall in shudders as fear and sorrow seemed to exude from her body through the force. This was unexpected, to be certain. Shikari had always seen Eriana playing the part of the calm, cool, collected noblewoman. One of high birth, certain of her place within the galaxy. Certain of her superiority of everyone else within the room. To see her so troubled, so fearful, almost broken under the weight of whatever it was that was dragging her down was more than a little troubling to the calculating Shikari. The thought ran through Shikari's mind for a moment that she could take advantage of the stronger woman's weakness. Whatever she was doing here, Eriana's actions seemed to be against the Imperial Republica in some way. Shikari could strike her down here and now and claim greater fame within the Republica. Perhaps she could even lay claim to Eriana's holdings and her apparently vast wealth, and use it to further her own goals.

Instead, though, Shikari stepped forward slowly, until she had drawn rather close to the other woman. If Eriana had pulled out her lightsaber now, she would almost certainly be able to strike out at Shikari, but Shikari kept her hands off of her own sabers despite this. Instead she stood over Eriana and crossed her arms, her eyes looking down on the other woman with a chilling sort of disdain. But it was not the sort of disdain one would expect from a sith. It was instead the kind of look that a friend would give another friend when they knew that person was behaving in a destructive manner. There was a familiarity to it. Shikari's yellow eyes did not hold hatred in them, but more along the lines of disappointment. "I'm having trouble reconciling the woman who struck down the ancient sith in the caverns of Ilum with the cowering girl who huddles before me now, Eriana. You've always behaved with such a strong sense of nobility and charisma. I know you have a fear of flying in small craft, but aside from that, I have never seen you act in such a way. Simply striking down a security guard should not weigh so heavily on the soul of a true sith. So tell me, what is it that happened to you on Ilum? What is it that troubles you so much that it has broken your spirit to this degree? You and I have fought side by side together. We have been through much. Do not think that I would be so quick to strike down a... friend." It had been a long time since Shikari had referred to anyone as her friend. The word did not come out easily. But if Shikari had anyone in her life who would fit the definition of the word, it had to be Eriana.

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

While Shikari scolded Eriana, the blind Sith sniffled and tried not to make too much noise. She didn't want to cry, she just couldn't help herself. And over her bumbling she couldn't hear the girl clearly. So, she sucked in her breath and with every exhale it came out in shuddering gasps. Shikari reminded Eriana that she'd always acted so proud. And yet here she was cowering behind some...what? Shikari clearly didn't understand Eriana's pain. Shikari begged the question, but Eriana really didn't want to say it out loud. She wished she could just convey the knowledge to her friend and be done with it. Saying it aloud would solidify its truth. And Eriana was afraid to admit what had happened.

Yet, despite all of this, Shikari was still referring to Eriana as her friend. Eriana knew -or at least assumed- that it was because she didn't know the truth. If she were to say right now that she'd left the Imperial Republica then her "friend" would not be so quick to forgive. Eriana sucked in a breath and sat up to look at Shikari. Her face was a blur to the blind Sith, as she only saw her comrade as a ball of flame, but Shikari would be able to see the sadness within Eriana's.

"Just say it," she thought to herself. "Just say the words."

But Eriana couldn't let it out. There were probably one thousand different things worse than what had actually happened to the blind Sith, and for all Eriana knew she should be lucky she'd gotten off so easy. She could have been maimed. She could have been taken advantage of. Hell, she could have been killed. But to Eriana, who rooted herself so deeply in believe, trust, and commitment, her crime was that much more significant to her.

"They captured me," she finally said. Her voice was near a whisper. "Three of them. Agents of the Old Empire. In my own home."

Eriana had to stop as the tears resumed and she sniffled into her sleeve. Her voice breaking as she gasped and cried. She felt like she was ripping a piece of herself off by sharing this tale. As if the very act of saying it aloud would kill her. Then, after a moment she regained her composure to at least finish the story.

"I was helpless. I thought for sure they would kill me. I had no one to protect me. The Imperium would not come to rescue me. They still don't realize I'm not on Ilum. The fools." Eriana's voice got a little louder with anger now rising within her. "There were no defenses. No support. No help. The three Sith kidnapped me and stole me away to Moraband. Have you...ever been to Moraband, Shikari?"

The question was rhetorical, as Eriana really didn't care for an answer. She looked down to the ground and punched the floor with all her might. Pieces of the marble split and broke under her fists; she didn't even flinch. Anger was burning in her aura now. Her sadness turning to rage and fueling her with a fire she'd never felt before. Eriana normally had control over her emotions and such an outburst was unheard of. But the Old Empire had crushed that fortitude. Her wall crumbled and her emotions leaked through the cracks.

" The place was full of death. Of hate. I'd never been more scared for my life. I feared torture. I feared...things worse than death. I prayed that someone could come to my rescue, that the Force would not abandon me there. But no help came to me. I was marched to the tomb of Andraste and there I was made to forsake everything I knew and everyone I cared for."

Eriana stood and pulled off her left hand's glove then thrust the palm at Shikari. A single line of a scar was still fresh across the skin. "They made me swear on my life I would abandon the Imperium because it had left me to die. I betrayed my own people, Shikari. I'm a traitor. I'm a coward. I..." The rage seemed to break within her and she lowered her hand while clenching it into a fist.

"I don't know who I am anymore...

 

[Shikari]

Shikari listened as Eriana rattled away at the experience she had had. It was slightly troubling that enemies had found her on Ilum so quickly. The Sacellum was only just formed and the idea that those outside the Republica could have discovered it's existence was rather astonishing. But still, Shikari was slightly less than impressed at the tale, and it's explanation of why Eriana was like this right now. Shikari was patient, listening to Eriana's description of her experience on Moraband. It sounded slightly concerning, but once again, she was not overly impressed. Most sith temples here in the Republica had an air of menace to them. It was part of the nature of the dark side. The caverns on Ilum had been worse, though they had improved a bit after the defeat of the ancient hermit that she and Eriana had taken down. But then, she recalled that Eriana was particularly susceptible to such influences. It had to do, Shikari thought, with Eriana's blindness. Her connection to the force, and constant use of it to feel her surroundings meant that she was always open to the infiltration of such feelings. To close herself off from it would mean to blind herself even further. Still, she needed to learn to control these powers or they would continue to overwhelm her in the future.


Shikari waited until Eriana was finished with her story to speak. "I've never told you of my own personal history, have I?" She glanced back and forth down the hallway to make sure no one was coming to interrupt them. They seemed to be in a lesser-used service corridor and she saw no one. Looking down at Eriana, Shikari continued. "I am Pantoran, and thus was born on Pantora, as you might have guessed. Pantora is a neutral and relatively reclusive planet as a whole. They don't do business with many outsiders there, save for a handful of small trading companies. My father ran a small trading company shipping pantoran goods to buyers off-world, and bringing money back into the Pantoran economy. There were few Pantoran traders who did such work, so his services were valued and he held a bit of standing within the Pantoran government. Still, there were many who distrusted outsiders and those who did business with them, so his ability to build and grow his company was limited. My father decided to establish himself more permanently on another world to grow his business there, so he packed up my mother and me on one of his trading vessels and set off. I was still quite young at that point, so I don't remember where we were going. I just remember being excited to go on one of my father's adventures. I was very naive then. Our ship was damaged just outside the Pantoran sector. Probably some wear on the hyperdrive that hadn't been noticed in the last overhaul, or perhaps a micro-meteor managed to slip through the shield. One way or another, the computer dropped us out of hyperdrive, and the pilots had to bring us down for a crash landing on an uninhabited world. Our ship was not operational anymore, so we had to set the emergency beacon and hope for rescue... The reason for Pantora's reclusiveness and distrust of outsiders is simple. The sectors around Pantora are popular hideouts and trafficking areas for pirates. It was men such as these who answered our distress call. I won't go into details about them. Suffice it to say that by the time they were done, my father and most of the crew were dead and my mother and I were taken to Hutt Space and sold into slavery. My mother and I were kept together at first, but as the years drew on and I got older, and we passed from the hands of one master to another, we were eventually separated. Sold to different owners. I never saw my mother again. Several years later I learned that she had died of a disease a year prior. I have no idea where she was buried, or even if she was. It was around this time that my powers in the force began to manifest. I was able to do things, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose, as most youth who are force sensitive are. Eventually I was able to harness my powers enough to break out of my bonds and escape my life of slavery. I was on Nal Hutta. Not a place one wants to live on the streets. I learned to steal. To fight. To kill for my own survival. I eventually gathered around me other young men and women who had been left to waste away on the streets of Hal Hutta and formed something of a gang. We started targeting larger prey for our theft and violence. Working to build something for ourselves rather than just survive. Unfortunately, in doing so we attracted the attention of larger predators. The authorities of Imperial Hutta eventually came down on us hard. I remember when they stormed our warehouse. I saw many of my... friends... get killed. Gunned down by armored troopers or cut down by sabers. I surrendered myself rather than be summarily executed. I thought that they would ship me off to Kessel or Bandomeer to be a slave once more, but they discovered my talent within the force and instead I was shipped off to the Sith Academy on Nav Shadda and eventually transferred to Corellia and then Coruscant where I finally became a sith acolyte."


Shikari had gazed off down the hall as she spoke and suddenly seemed to realize that she had been talking for quite some time. She snapped her head back to Eriana. "My point is this: I was not born a sith like you were. I found the dark side on my own and ironically it saved me from the darkness, one could say. I've experienced great pain, great sorrow, and misery. And I learned a long time ago not to trust in anyone to come and save me from my pain. Instead I trust in only myself, my own power, and that which I build for myself. I understand that this experience must have shaken you, but it could be worse. You were found by other sith. Others who embrace the dark side. Yes, they may have forced you to join the Old Empire, but that does not really matter. I believe you said yourself that your Sacellum was intended to bring the sith together to work towards an ultimate goal. That it was supposed to help the sith to rise above their selves and form a unified front, was it not? Then it matters not which side you stand on because the Sacellum rises above all of that nonsense, and will ultimately erase the lines dividing the sith as they are right now. Do not let this experience shake you such that you lose sight of your ultimate goal. Continue building. Continue fighting for the future of all sith. I’m sure that the dark side will continue to embrace you as it always has. Your constant source of power and purpose. You are not lost Eriana. If anything, perhaps this change serves a greater purpose than you can see.”

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

It seemed her sob story was nothing more than a pity party, and she was the only guest. Eriana didn't know what she expected from Shikari as she told her this crushing sorrow she felt within her, but she...well she hoped in all honesty for comfort. Care that she would not receive it seemed. Such was the way of the Sith. Weed out the weak and worry about about one's self. That's what Eriana felt like as she lay her burdens on Shikari who stood there listening patiently. Eriana didn't care though. Maybe she just needed a person to vent to.

While Eriana expected Shikari to say something condescending, it seemed it was the other girl's turn to share a story. Eriana lowered her hand as she started to listen; her right hand would start rubbing nervously against the cut she'd given herself. Shikari explained to Eriana her heritage as a Pantoran. Eriana never would have guessed other than the slightly different smell and aura that this girl had. But she'd ignored it as simply a personal trait. All the humanoid species were basically the same. The girl continued explaining her father's business and their fateful crash landing.

At this point, Eriana took a step back to lean against the wall again. She was feeling rather woozy from all the crying, but didn't want to sit down again. She'd just stand with her weight pushed against the wall and try to recover some of her lost energy. Shikari continued on with her story, explaining a far worse fate for the girl than Eriana could ever imagine. While Eriana was afraid of being subjected to some simple interrogating tortures that might've lasted a month at the most, Shikari had to grow up as a slave. Anything Eriana said now in comparison would be an insult to Shikari's upbringing. How could Eriana hope to sympathize with this girl when she'd been living the life of luxury? It made her feel absolutely disgusted with herself.

Eriana couldn't begin to fathom the cruelty Shikari had to grow up in. How horrible it would be to live as a slave, being sold as if nothing more than luggage. And then, when she needed her most, to be taken from ones mother. Never to see one another again? Destined to die of disease due to some distracted owner who couldn't bother to treat his property with decent care? How awful. How cruel. Eriana's family had never owned slaves, nor did she have much stock in the way of opinion. Not until now anyways. Slavery was always just a passing thing. Out of sight, out of mind. But hearing it from Shikari...Eriana had a whole new view on the trade.

Wanting to somehow comfort her friend, Eriana would stand up off the wall and move and inch closer, but she couldn't find the strength to raise her arms. To hold her hand; to put a gentle and steady grip on her shoulder; to hug her...Eriana was uncertain. She didn't know how the girl would take it. So she didn't. And in that time of hesitation Shikari continued. Unlike Eriana, she'd not been born into the Sith Imperium. A fact Eriana was blatantly aware of now. But where Shikari was concerned, Eriana's fate was not all that bad. As she pointed out, Eriana had been taken by fellow Sith. Although they were on opposite sides of the war, they were still kin to her. Shikari had to break free of her own chains by sheer willpower alone. In that way, Eriana would forever had a great deal of respect for the Pantoran.

Finally, Shikari reminded Eriana of her church, and what it stood for. It was a way of merging the two Sith families together. And something she had not considered before...it didn't matter which side of the war she aligned herself with. In the end they would be one. That was the goal. If joining the Old Empire was the fastest way to bring peace then why shouldn't she join. Things made...a lot more sense now to the blind Sith. Eriana sniffled and chuckled slightly as this new idealism dawned on her. And that new perspective gave The Confessor confidence to act where she'd hesitated before.

Taking another step forward Eriana would gently bring her arms up and wrap them around Shikari. She tucked her head into the girl's shoulder; their hairs meshed together in a beautiful stream of Pantoran colors and Coruscant black. "Thank you, Shikari." Eriana would say softly while embracing her friend. "You've been through so much. And I'm sorry you've suffered." She held her there for a good minute not talking. She just embraced her friend and held her close, as if to give her all the hugs she'd been neglected throughout her life. It would never be enough, but maybe if Shikari let her, she could at least try to mend those wounds.

Pulling away, Eriana wiped her eyes one final time. She kept her hands near Shikari and would rest them on the girl's shoulders rather than pull away completely. "And you're right. I was given a choice. It wasn't a choice I wanted to make, but it was one I had to. And I want to give you the thing I never had. A choice."

With a smile on her face she would now let go of Shikari and instead lower her hands outstretched to Shikari for her to take if she wished. "Come with me. Join the Old Empire. I know this is no easy decision. But look around. Do you remember at the meeting? You were the first on that podium to talk about security. About strength. And where was everyone else? The Imperium is failing. We are leaderless. And you have so much potential. More than me I think. Your suffering has molded you into something far sturdier than I could ever hope to be. Join me. Help me build my Sacellum. We can unite the Sith together and with your expertise and forward thinking we can secure the galaxy together."

Leaning forward slightly she asked with all her heart, "What do you say?"

 

[Shikari]

Shikari was taken aback by Eriana's response to her tale and her insight. As Eriana wrapped her arms around her, Shikari tensed a bit, not quite sure how to respond. But, she kept her mouth shut and allowed the other woman who appeared to be tearing up, hug her. It had been a long time since anyone had hugged the pantoran, or even touched her in a caring manner, aside from possibly a handshake here or there. Eriana's touch felt good. Warming and comforting. Not something one would expect from a sith. But Shikari didn't know how to take it. She kept her arms at her sides as the other woman's wrapped around her, and she couldn't help but glance nervously down the hallway over Eriana's head as she rested it on her shoulder. She looked down at the other woman and felt as her hands rubbed up her bare back beneath her short jacket. A shiver ran through Shikari and her heart began beating wildly. Shikari silently panicked, not sure what to make of the emotions she was feeling. She was glad she was wearing her mask so Eriana couldn't see the blush rising in her face. Not that Eriana would have been able to see anyway.

As Eriana pulled back and held Shikari's shoulders, Shikari fidgeted and her eyes shifted down the hallway. She couldn't bear to look Eriana in the eye with the dizzy feeling she was feeling. It sounded from Eriana's words at least like she had gotten the point that Shikari had been trying to make. But then she pushed the matter further, speaking of Shikari's own strength and potential and even going on to ask Shikari to leave the Imperial Republica and come over to the Old Empire with her to help her build the Sacellum. Shikari's mind still felt a bit foggy from the contact they had just had, but she was able to work things out alright. It was true, she didn't put much stock in the difference between the old and the new, and the opportunity to build something new, a new organization that wasn't strangled by bureaucracy like the current governments of the empire. This did sound like a promising idea.

As Eriana lowered her hands from Shikari's shoulders and held out her hand as her invitation, Shikari turned her eyes back to meet Eriana's unseeing eyes, which nonetheless, still felt as if they looked directly into Shikari's own and through, straight into her soul. Shikari's face became purplish as the red of her blush mixed with the blue of her skin. Slowly she reached out her hand to take Eriana's. "V-very well then. It's true that I have been calling for unification for some time, even if my calls have fallen on deaf ears. And, if you are flexible as to the future course of your blossoming Sacellum, then perhaps we could actually accomplish something where our superiors have been failing as of late. I w-will accept your invitation."

@EmilyHuene

 

[The Confessor]

The Blind Sith could feel the hesitation and uncertainty from her friend. It made her feel uneasy too. She wanted to apologize for it, but at the same time she couldn't take it back. She had feelings for Shikari that could not be suppressed and Eriana was not going to try. Hiding those feelings would only make them bubble up later and explode. She was glad to get them out, but at least now she knew where Shikari stood.

Once their embrace ended Shikari would take a moment to think about the offer and much to Eriana's surprise...she agreed. Eriana figured she'd have to prod a little to get the girl to see her way. While she didn't think Shikari would go and shun her right off, this was still not at all how she expected this exchange to go. In her own reasoning, Shikari felt that the faction was trying to fail. Her claim that her cry for rallying was falling on deaf ears. Eriana remembered that meeting with the console that nothing got done that night and how annoyed she'd been. But for her own reasoning, she had mentioned the Sacellum to her peers and that was all she'd come to accomplish. Shikari's plight -that night- had been of her own.

It did give Eriana some pleasure to hear that not only would Shikari travel to the other side, but she'd also come to join the church. That made Eriana want to hug the girl all over again. But, she would not. One embrace was enough for the both of them. Instead, they shook hands. Eriana let the girl's hand drop after a moment, afraid of lingering further than she needed to and crossing a line.

"I am most excited to hear that, my dear friend. You will be most welcome there. And together, we will rise through the ranks of the Sith Empire and show our people a better way."

~END THREAD~
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