Ask Reversing the Curse

[Arla]

Just like that, two of the hunters were down, and the Sith were still standing and very much in the fight.

Nice, we're a third of the way through, she said, but now was not the time to become overconfident. Now was the time for them to cinch this deal and finish off the remaining champions so that they could gain the loyalty of these Kaele tribes.

Arla began moving through the jungle, actually letting Fenris lead the way with her bow held tightly in her hand.

She could sense through the Shadow that they were close to their target, not through her own senses but through Fenris's senses relayed into her mind. The wolf moved closer to the ground before darting forward and pouncing quickly.

For all the wolf's speed, Arla was a Force-user and her speed could match even the quickest animals. Arla arrived nearly the moment that Fenris's teeth clamped down on one of the warrior's arms, shredding through flesh and bone.

Arla raised her bow and fired, sending a shot straight through his chest. He went down in a scream heap, and the noise attracted the other three hunters - a duo and a solo - toward the small clearing.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste truly couldn't help but to let out an amused scoff at Arla's remark. Her optimism came as a little surprise and while she was obviously right, Celeste knee they couldn't underestimate the other four. Celeste wasn't sure whether the Kaleesh would try to stretch this hunt and rather hold back and wait for them to track them, or whether it was the other way around.

As this was Arla's time to call the shots, she followed her, however keeping a little distance and rather flanking her while quietly moving through the thicket with Asha. The wolf was a whole body length in front of her and while Celeste followed Arla's movement, she also reached into the wolf in order to sense what she was picking up.

Asha obviously had a scent to follow. The Kaleesh might have been hunters, but they couldn't outsmart a beast's nose. There were surely tricks like covering your own scent with earth and mud, but this hunt was way too fresh, so that they couldn't have been that prepared.

Celeste soon realized that one Kaleesh was close, but while she broke into a little sprint, she arrived just in time to see how Arla and Fenris dealt with the foe. Her gaze, however, briefly flicked to her left as she could sense that someone was quickly approaching from that direction through the wolf.

Even worse, the noise had attracted all of them, and so this fight seemed to be moving into a more heated phase. While the sole hunter was closing on from their left, the other two still waited rather hesitantly to their right. They still seemed quite a distance away, but they had to be careful, as they probably were in the possession of long range weapons, too.

Using the sound Arla had Fenris had caused to her advantage, Celeste threw herself back into the thicket, not minding the branches that scratched the exposed parts of her skin, sending Asha forward and into a half circle around the sole hunter in an attempt to ambush him while he or she was still focused on the other Sith.

Holding her breath and stopping Asha where she was, she reached into her once again, spotting the woman with the sword just a few meters away and finally giving her the signal to jump out. Surprised, the hunter turned to the charging Saber Wolf, sword raised, but that was when Celeste shot out from her cover, dashing forward and impaling the Kaleesh with the hissing lightsaber while Asha skidded to a halt.

"Good girl" she quickly praised the wolf while the body toppled over, the Kaleesh mask breaking in two halves as the huntress's body thumbed to the ground, face grazing a rock. Celeste was still thrilled, but she knew they had to get back to Arla before the others arrives, and so she immediately broke into a sprint again.

Without a word and only threw their bond, she sent Asha back into the more secluded thicket while she took the direct route back to the others, however right as she came back into the clearing, she noticed how two darts came flying in Arla's direction. "Get down!" she loudly wanted to warm her, instinctively reaching out with her hand to stop the darts, but then realizing that she wasn't allowed to use the Force. With a frustrated hiss, she started dashing forwards, wanting to get closer to the remaining warriors, hoping that Arla would roll away just in time, however assuming that the Nightsister's keen senses would enable her to evade the foes' attack with ease.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Celeste cut down another one of the hunters in a flash, and darts came flying in Arla's direction a moment later. She leapt to the side, avoiding the thumping of the pointed, poisoned instruments only to miss the incoming club strike from the partner.

Arla ducked, but even so, the weapon slammed against the side of her head, probably the only things saving her was that the club had hit a branch and broken it before hitting the Nightsister, saving her from having her skull caved in outright.

Even so, the Nightsister went down to the ground, the whole world spinning and everything going black for a long moment as she tried to recover. Fenris leapt at the attacker, ripping him to pieces and likely saving Arla's life, which would only leave one more for Celeste to deal with.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Right after the darts had been launched, one of the two remaining Kaleesh hunters let out a war cry, or rather a deep, rumbling roar. Arla ducked, yet got hit by the club that was being swung at her from above, Celeste even perceiving the dull sound of the slam while Arla collapsed.

She was about to reach the attacker, but was interrupted by the second one right as Fenris moved to deal with the one that had hit Arla. Celeste had to parry a blow of the vibrosword with her lightsaber, not only fueled by her rage, but also a little too angry about the hit that had been landed against the other Sith.

With a furious roar, she kicked in the stomach, however, as she had not put more weight behind her kick with the Force, she immediately realized that hitting her foot against the armored chest wasn't a too effective move. The tall warrior immediately swung back the sword, grazing her right flank as she was about to quickly turn away.

She let out a pained hiss, now having back-stepped and prepared for a counter-strike, but she soon figured out that the last standing warrior was quite talented and quick with cortosis-coated vibroweapon. A series of blows and blocks followed, forcing Celeste to realize that she had to switch tactics.

Asha was attempting to rush in just then, but Celeste didn't leave her, fearing that the wolf would get in the blades' way. "Atgal!" she bellowed, sending the wolf off, but she only sprang back reluctantly, huge teeth bared and growling fiercely while the slightly breathless Celeste waited for the next blow to parry before she diagonally rolled to the side, the hunter's blade this time missing her by inches.

She immediately dropped the lightsaber and pulled out the blaster, swiftly firing two shots and thus penetrating the mumuu bone mask and hence piercing the brain and incapacitating the last one with one blaster bolt. With a slightly gashing wound at her side she immediately turned around, gaze flicking to the Nightsister before letting out a hissed "Arla!".

Fenris had torn the other hunter apart while Asha was growling with a frustrated undertone before she rushed over to the body her brother was still ripping into pieces. Celeste summoned the lightsaber back to her hand and jogged over, squatting down next to the Sith while applying pressure to her wound with one hand. "Are you alright?" she asked her, offering her a hand to help her up before she glanced around again. Only because they had killed the six didn't mean this was already over...

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla pushed herself back to her feet, the warm blood of the dead Kaleesh splashing a few drops across her face as the wolf finished its grisly work. By the time it was all said and done, the six hunters were dead and the Sith were alive if a bit woozy.

Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, she assured with a nod, holding hand to the side of her head where the club had hit. She could already feel a bump beginning to form, but nothing in the Shadow screamed to her that she was in danger or that the injury would be lethal.

She stumbled a moment, reaching out a hand to steady herself on a tree when she heard another siren blow and more Kaleesh - ornately dressed in battle garb - emerged into the arena.

We will fight, the lead man said. Her half-stunned eyes glazed over the markings and confirmed that they were from all of the tribes she had spoken to. Arla tried not to look weak as she nodded her head and then winced slightly.

Good. Then I will lead you to war. Prepare your troops, we leave tomorrow, she said.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Arla didn't look too well, but Celeste was confident she'd be fine in a few hours without suffering any fatal after effects. Her own wound was still bleeding and judging from the moderate amount of blood loss, she still assumed that she'd start to feel some dizziness sooner or later if she wouldn't reach the ship or find something else to tend to the wound.

Maybe it was the exhaustion and the pain that was distorting her perception for a moment, but as the leader talked about fighting, Celeste tensed up completely, assuming that they meant 'them' and 'now'. As if frozen, eyes locked with the warriors, she remained still for a few moments until she realized that this was nothing but a misunderstanding of the heavily accented and broken Standard. They had convinced them, even without relying on Force Powers.

She didn't flinch and only kept applying pressure to her side when she finally nodded curtly. Asha was still eyeing the strangers with misstrust as she emerged from the bushes, taking her spot at the Champion's side and waiting for further instructions. Leaving tomorrow would meant the Kaleesh would have enough time to prepare, the Sith enough time to recover and maybe all of them would even pick the chance to do some more talking and bonding with one another. Celeste was relieved that they had made it though and was ready for move into the next phase. As soon as they'd walk back to their ship, she'd ask for a clarification while tending to her wounds though. "That went...quicker than expected. Is it back to Telos then tomorrow or did you have another stop in mind?".

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla's head was pounding, and she wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. Maybe dunking her head in the Waters of Life. Yeah, that's what she would do. Go back to her ship and dunk her head straight into a bowel of it.

As the tribe leaders went to gather their troops, Arla finally turned back to Celeste.

Thank you for helping me with this, she said with a smile. From start to finish on this operation, it had been a critical thing for Arla's agenda moving forward.

No, now I'm going to rest, get healed up, and ready for the next few days of fighting, she said. You should do the same.

---​

Surely enough, after the healing and rejuvenating powers of the water of life, channeling the Revitalization of the Whuffa, and a full night of sleep, she was feeling much better by the next day, emerging from her room and heading out for meditation in the jungle before sunrise.

By the time she returned, Celeste was up, and that meant it was likely time for them to get underway back to Telos. Back to the fight.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste watched the tribe leave, giving her more reason to let out a slightly relived breath. Now she was certain they had done it and as she was relaxing, Asha's tail was slowly wagging from left to right again.

"Of course...it was a pleasure so far" she glanced down towards her wound with lips curled into a slight smirk, however as she did the first step, a wince followed. She'd slap a bacta pad on it as quickly as possible and it would probably fine, however for now the blood was happily dripping down onto the temple's floor.

The two women started walking, the marks on their bodies bearing witness to the hunt they had just won, but Arla definitely had a point about resting. "Good". They needed some rest, time to heal and meditate. It had surely been an interesting experience and she appreciated the Kaleeshs' straightforwardness and was confident that they'd serve the cause well.

----
The hours passed by quicker than expected while they had been busy scrubbing off the dirt and blood from their skin yet another time, tended to their wounds and recovered from the exhaustion and pain.

Celeste woke as the sun was still low on the horizon and mediated in her chamber on the ship before she heard Arla re-entering the ship. She knew her well enough by know to tell that she had probably headed into the jungle, and why she had loved to do the same just now, it was time for them to leave.

"Good morning" she greeted her with a soft smile, feeling almost as new. She wasn't fully dressed yet as the uniform's fabric rubbed against the remains of the gash on her side, so that she was enjoying the crop top right now.

Still, it did not only expose the fresh wound, but also the burn marks of her own lightsaber she had received back on Raxus in front of Raze that still were a reminder of what had been. "Any news from Telos? Is everything going smoothly with the Anzati?". Surely, they were skilled hunters as well, but Telos was a tough nut to crack and the final battle was still in front of them.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla noticed the damage that Celeste had seemingly taken that was now healed over, but she didn't ask about it. Scars were incredibly common among the Sith, and at least this one wasn't disfiguring... and the damage hadn't been worse.

Things are going fairly well so far, she said, taking a seat as the ship began to lift off. In her time outside, she had briefly spoken with the tribes and obtained their agreement to leave immediately. The final fights were going to be underway soon.

Most of the strikes have been surgical. The Anzati have killed most of the senior military officers and the Colonel has managed to crush most of the pockets of resistance. We'll be heading out to one of the last dug in positions that TSF has taken. Along with the Kaleesh, she said.

The ship lifted off and began its hurtling journey back through hyperspace and toward the final confrontation.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste moved over to the co-pilot's chair, sitting down cross-legged and watching the ship hover over the surface before they started into the sky and soon made their jump into hyperspace.

"Now those are pleasant news" she immediately remarked, a soft smile landing on her lips while she leaned back. As long as everything went according to plan, her hopes for Telos were high.

"It sounds like the Anzati have stirred up quite some chaos...without the governor and those fit to lead still in charge or well, even alive, I assume they're submerging in the mess". All they'd have to do was to shatter the last line of resistance, but with the Kaleesh and their hunter's nature, they'd have strong warriors at their side.

"Kalee seemed beautiful...have you found anything interesting in the jungle?" she curiosly asked the Nightsister, knowing that they still had a few hours.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Yeah, everything seems to be going well, she said with a satisfied smile. They had a few hours to catch their breath, and that was all for the better. She had a feeling things would be quite chaotic when they actually landed.

I didn't get to spend as much time there as I'd like, she said. I'd like to go back eventually, she said, but that wasn't a today thing. They weren't here to sightsee or even really enjoy themselves. They were here to conquer.

It's kind of exciting in a way, she said. Time would tell what would happen.

Where will you be off to after this? she asked, wondering if Celeste's vision went beyond just Rattatak.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

While they had already worked a lot throughout this mission, she always found the talks and the few hours of free time she had with Arla pleasant. She had gotten oddly used to the Nightsister and they had gotten along well, which wasn't always given when traveling with other Sith.

She was happy the Anzati had done their job well and she nodded as Arla mentioned to get back at some point. "That's more than understandable. I'm thrilled to explore the hidden parts of the jungle...I bet there's a lot of interest stuff to find and flore and fauna to explore". For Arla, jungle weren't unknown terrains, but she could relate to her wish to come back. Perhaps some day...when they'd fine some time.

"I'll set course for the sector. There are a few planets that would aid us well" she explained, glancing over to her again. "And I'll study the Arcane...that's something I've slightly neglected in the past few months" despite all the training, it had been Arla who had brought her back to Magick.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla leaned back on the couch and poured herself a drink before taking a sip. Celeste's answer was a bit cryptic, but then, Arla's prior answers had also been cryptic on Centares. All the same, she supposed it didn't matter.

What did catch her attention, however, was the mention of the arcane. She frowned for a moment, curious, and decided it warranted a follow-up question to say the least.

Why the arcane? she asked. It seemed an odd choice, and she often found people picked it without really understanding what or why they were saying it. Whether that was the case with Celeste, Arla didn't know.

Any history working with it before? she asked.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste had always admired how Arla relied on her Magick and almost nothing else. The Nightsister was not fighting with a lightsaber. She sometimes brought her bow, especially when hunting, but otherwise she was casting and relying on the Shadow.

"Indeed...I've often found myself confronted with it, from an early age on even, but while I was merely a bystander at first, my interest grew. It's surely enticing...but it's not just curiosity that drives me. I seek a deeper understanding of it all and I want to expand my knowledge. I focused on more practical applications recently, but progress will only be achieved by studying it again. It's time to delve much deeper" she explained her motives, noticing that Arla seemed interested in her motives and knowing that there were only a few who actually showed genuine interest in it.

Altering the perceptions of others was just one aspect, but to truly bend minds you needed to understand the sorcery behind it. Back on Rattatak, when she had first set foot on the planet, the Rattataki tribes had entitled her as the dark sorceress, but all those years ago, when she had already felt strong, she had had no idea what true power felt like. She had been way too cautious and had held herself back, but those times were long past.

She had participated in arcane ritual and recovered artifacts before, but it had been years since she had studied them. She had always been interested in the Arcane history, yet she hadn't casted any runes in ages. Only through Arla she had found her way back to it. "Your powers are fascinating. If you ever open that temple, you can already reserve a few lessons for me" she replied with a smirk, half-joking because she knew she could actually learn a lot from her. Everything concerning the animal mond had been inspired by her, too.

She took a sip from her drink as another question cdossed her mind. After all the time they've spent with one another,
she still wondered how Arla had gotten to join the Sith. "What made you leave the Nightsisters?" she directly asked, actually curious about her answer. Arla was still following their philosophies, but she truly wondered why she had given up on her life their and joined the Empire.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla snickered slightly as Celeste said to reserve her a spot for the classes. Real magic and Sith ritual was rare. In fact, the truth was that the Sith seemed as if they had forgotten many of the old rituals or the Sith Lords who discovered them had never passed them on at all.

The question Celeste asked actually caught her off guard. It seemed strange to her because she didn't think of herself as having "left" the Nightsisters at all. She frowned for a moment in thought before she responded.

I didn't, she said with a shrug. I'm still a Nightsister. We've been sending people off-world from Dathomir for centuries. Since... well, since the alliance with the Sith, things have just been mostly for the Sith, she said.

I wanted to learn and make a name for myself. Build and grow and accumulate my own power rather than, well, make my own name, she said. She had been insistent on not trading on the name of her mother, or now that she knew who he was, her father.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste was still curios to find out what Arla would make out of Telos or well, her ideas to build up an academy for Hunters, the Arcane or both. It would surely be something more special than a regular Sith Academy and if she could really get the Anzati and the Kaleesh to help, the different cultural influences and specialities would aid the course well.

"Oh" she remarked with a smirk, noticing that she could have clarified the question, "I rather meant why you left Dathomir, but that makes sense" While it did made sense, the way Arla usually talked about her homeworld, made her wonder whether she was something wishing to be back.

She was definitely right about the growing part, she figured, as Arla had surely gotten the chance to broaden her knowledge within the Order, yet she couldn't help but to bluntly ask: "Do you miss it often?". Unlike her, Celeste wasn't really connected to the planet she had been born on, but Arla was obviously proud and happy with her heritage and rightfully so, yet she had given up a lot it seemed. Thus, it was impressive to see how she had made such a name for herself within the Sith Order as well.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla wasn't really sure what to make of Celeste's question. Was this some curiosity about someone who had a home to return to? Despite Celeste's conquest of Rattatak, Arla didn't get the impression the woman really had a home or family to return to but she supposed she didn't really know. Maybe she did and just never talked about it.

Of course I miss it sometimes, she finally said. But I still get to visit. If I weren't so busy all the time I could get home more, but the Empire isn't going to run itself, and I have a lot of interests to watch out for, she said. And growing more and more each passing month.

Where did you grow up? she asked. Were you native to Rattatak? she asked. She didn't actually know much about the planet, but from what she'd heard it, too, was quite brutalistic.

She would listen to Celeste's answer, talking as the time passed before the beeps from the cockpit alerted them that they would be dropping out of hyperspace soon. The pilot droid would bring them in and Arla began to mentally prepare herself for the final stretch of this operation.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Time seemed to fly as the two women stayed engaged in their talk. While they had spent much time with one another, they only rarely dug deeper and usually only scraped the surface with their conversations, but Celeste usually enjoyed getting to know others better as well as simply gaining more information and understanding drives and motives.

There were still no ill intentions to it, but it was rather a deep curiosity deriving from an analytical mind that was usually always busy studying, analyzing and learning. She could aid her best if she knew the whole deal, like here with her mission regarding Telos, so she was happy about her openness to share.

"True...". Especially in busy times like this were things were often changing quickly, breaks could never actually be afforded. As she returned the question a slight smirk crossed her lips, knowing that her own past was neither as interesting nor as exciting as hers.

"I grew up on Kalist IV before I joined the Academy. My parents were loyalists and supported the Empire, I was mostly raised by my uncle though. He was a Sith, yet he was weak". He had run a long time ago and he had been holding her back as well, always keen on suppressing that inner flame and keeping it as low as possible.

A part of her wanted to hunt him down...but she was certain he had covered his tracks well and also, time usually never allowed such considerations. There were more important tasks at hand and now it was indeed time to end this conquest. When the droid informed them about their immanent arrival, Celeste called on the Force and spent some more minutes meditating and focusing, before she grabbed the belongings she needed, changed into her uniform and summoned Asha. There was not much time left and she felt ready, however briefly studied Arla, but she seemed prepared, too.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Hm, Arla said in response to the story. She hadn't heard of Kalist before nor of Celeste's uncle. The way she spoke of him made her wonder if she had killed him. Suffice it to say, she didn't seem to speak highly of him.

Ultimately, though, they arrived on Telos, so she didn't level any more questions. Instead, she flexed her fingers, quickly running through just the gestures of a selection of Signs as the ship set down on its landing gear with a lurch.

As she descended, she spotted the rising of smoke in the distance where the final battle was still unfolding, the soldiers having dug into a mountain base.

Good, you're here, the Colonel said. She was a serious looking woman and had performed excellently so far.

Did you bring my reinforcements? she asked, looking at just to the two of them with a little uncertainty.

They're en route, just behind us, Arla said with a nod.

We can keep the main force pinned down and distracted if you can find a route for yourselves and some of your new Kaleesh friends to get behind them or flank them. Get the gates open so we can storm the base, she suggested, and Arla wasn't really one to argue. The other woman was the expert, after all.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

The ship's usual rocking announced their entry into the atmosphere and as Arla raised no further questions, she focused on what was about to come. In a way, it was good that she had been reminded of her worthless uncle as this already set the path for the mood she needed anyway.

Asha was at her heel as she descended the ramp, tail already readily wagging as the wolf was seemingly ready for action. "Saut, Asha" she quietly whispered, only for the wolf's sensitive eyes to pick up, her tone determined though as she cautioned her to stay calm for now, her left hand resting on the wolf's neck.

Celeste then listened to the short exchange of words between the two women, her gaze scanning the scene before she turned to them with a nod. "I guess we can arrange that. They'll land in a few minutes and we can probably find a tunnel. A mountain base should surely have a few. They will be guarded, but if we are careful with our approach we might manage to surprise them" Celeste remarked, gaze flicking over to the Colonel.

"Do you have a slicer to spare? We might manage to choose a quieter approach if we can override some gates". Maybe she wouldn't like her idea, but the plan didn't seem too bad for her. Someone versed in tech might even manage to open the gates for the rest to storm quicker.

@Phoenix