Ask Secrets and Rumors

[Arla]

Likely to be closed after someone joins, just looking to get back into the swing of things. Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

It had taken some time but Arla had finally adjusted to her new place in the galaxy, and ultimately she had decided that it wasn't such a bad thing. She still had responsibilities as First Sister, but she had much more time to simply exist and go where the winds carried her.

Her path had taken her out to another small world in the Outer Rim. Largely cut off from the rest of the galaxy, those few spacers who had stopped there had told stories about mystics and shaman of incredible power. The rumors had reached Arla - mostly because she was searching them out - and she had loaded up her things and set out on the path.

The fact was that she had no idea what she would find when she got there. For all she knew it was a bunch of rumor and false stories, but she knew better than to discount manifestations of the Force that were simply different from what she had experienced.

Her ship had set down and she disembarked, mounting up on her speeder bike with her bow, a backpack full of supplies, and whatever else she thought she might need before heading off in the direction of the nearest village that had appeared on her scanners when flying in.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

There was always something new and interesting to see out in the galaxy, some ambition or train of thought to chug on after. Nakoa had often been busy between training and cultural studies on a certain planet and what he joking referred to as 'odd jobs', but he still made the time to travel the stars, one way or another. Besides, chasing rumors and ghost stories was fun! That, and the weather here was nice.

Springtime wind blew gentle and steady across the rolling hills, warmed by the sun and cooled by frost-tipped mountains in the distance. Birds unique to this faraway and forgotten world sang songs of tweeting, warbling, chirping, and other more unusual calls. When the Wrean's amber-gold eyes looked up at the bright blue sky, fluffy white clouds drifted windward like seafoam, bending sunlight into slender beams that danced lightfooted over the grassy ground.

Abruptly his gaze dropped to the villager's hand he grasped in two of his own, wrapped in simple cloth bandages that spelled heavily of herbs. He gently let it go, pointed to the sun, and held up three fingers. They awkwardly nodded, said something in their native language that Nakoa didn't understand precisely but got the general gist of, and wandered back toward the village. Nakoa was camped near the village, basically waiting for an important possibly-mystical figure of otherwise indeterminate location to show up. Should be only a day or two now.

He'd gone back to cloud gazing when he heard the rumble of a speeder bike, standing from his little stump seat to get a better look at what he assumed was the village's mythical wanderer. Both brows shot up when, as the figure approached more closely, it turned out he recognized them, and so waved his hand through the air. The villagers also noticed and started spreading the word about yet another strange outsider showing up.

Once Arla was close by and presumably stopped, Nakoa strode on over to the Dathomiri woman he hadn't seen much in a while and greeted her in accented basic. "Lucky me to see a sunrise twice in one day. How've you been, Arla?"

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

The wind whipped through the Nightsister's hair as she tore over the open ground and forests of the planet at near-suicidal speeds. Or at least suicidal for anyone but a Force-user. For Arla, it was just another thrilling ride that ultimately closed with her approaching the village at a more reasonable speed.

She saw several speeders parked at the edge of town and pulled to a slower speed before pulling into a slot between the others. She stood and climbed off before turning. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they settled on Nakoa, not entirely sure what to make of his appearance. It had, of course, been quite some time since they had seen one another, and she had no idea where he stood in the "Civil War."

Still, she liked him pretty well, which meant that while the appearance was unexpected it wasn't unpleasant.

Are you the mystic I've heard about? she asked. There was a bit of disappointment lingering deep within her if that were the case because it meant she was less likely to gain new information here, but still... revisiting an old ally wasn't the worst thing.

Also, it is nice to see you, she said, almost as if remembering she should try to do "pleasantries" sometimes.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Well, the opening attempt at flirting seemed to have gone unnoticed. To be fair, Arla was the type to require the phrase 'I'm flirting with you' to be tacked on to flirting. So was Nakoa though, so he wasn't sure what his plan was there. The young Wrean didn't seem to have any reaction to Arla's narrow-eyed look, breezing right past it the way he usually did awkward greetings and boring conversation.

"Doubt it," Nakoa replied with a casual shrug. He wasn't certain, but rumors of strange magic existed long before he'd shown up and were why he was on this planet at all. "I've yet to 'part the earth' or 'call the rain'." Bits of the story, which Arla'd likely heard if her opening question meant anything at all. His lips twitched slightly toward a smile at the nightsister bothering with a back-and-forth greeting.

"You too. Here for research?" A thumb pointed over his shoulder toward the gathering villagers, who were now observing the new stranger. Getting more than one a month was highly unusual. "Story tells of a wizard who wanders the plains."

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Give yourself time, she said without missing a beat as he mentioned parting the earth and calling the rain. It was quite within the realm of possibility to do just those things with magick.

She internally brightened slightly when he said that he wasn't the mystic because it meant there was still someone else here who might have information she hadn't been exposed to before. Of course, that wasn't to say that she knew everything about Nakoa's culture - not even close - but there was always a slight barrier in knowledge between Sith or former Sith or whatever. Speaking of which...

Yeah, chasing down leads. So what side did you take in the whole Civil War bit? she asked, eyes flashing momentarily over to the locals who were watching them. Maybe they'd just assume that the two were together... after all, they were certainly spending time talking to one another.

Is there a restaurant or somewhere around here where we can be out of everyone's sights, she asked, bristling slightly at the amount of attention they were garnering. She started walking deeper into the small town, following him to what could only be described as a cantina in the absolute most liberal sense of the word.

It was almost entirely empty and they were drawing weird looks from the "bartender" across the room as they sat down.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Nakoa blinked at her response, right eyebrow raising slightly. Encouragement hadn't been expected, and he would have wondered if it was disingenuous if it wasn't Arla saying it. He smirked slightly. "One day." If all went as intended, at least.

"My side," he answered to Arla's segway to the 'civil war'. Nakoa meant it literally. "Prefer research to a frigid civil war." The Order of Sith Lords lost a large amount of what drew him in the first place and the new Empire would neither hire nor provide him access to the sequestered knowledge. At least, not as things were now. He inclined his head toward town when she asked about a restaurant, noting the nightsister's increasing discomfort.

The Wrean pulled Arla's chair before sitting down himself and taking a moment or two to get comfortable in the rugged wooden seat. He gave no indication that he was bothered by the attention, making direct eye contact with the owner and miming cupping a bowl in his hand before looking back to Arla.

"Yourself?" Arla hadn't been on the news for that ill-fated meeting on Junction, so Nakoa doubted she'd overtly thrown in with the new Dark Lord, if at all. For all he knew, getting caught and thrown out could have been some kind of bluff. He didn't know Vahliri well enough to tell.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla nodded as he mentioned that he had ended up on his own side. She could hardly blame him given the path that she had followed as well. The Sith were not what they once were, and unlike many of them, Arla had the advantage of falling back on her true people for support, training, and even resources to a certain extent.

I can't blame you, she said. I returned to my Sisters. Much of what drew me to the Sith has been lost, she said simply. She still considered Vahliri a friend, and they had parted on good terms that still may see Arla help her on a personal level in the future, but not as a member of the Order... or what was left of it.

She took a seat and nodded, pointing to Nakoa to indicate she wanted the same thing he was making motions about.

You looking for a new group to join or just floating around as a free spirit? she asked. Although she didn't know where her life would take her, a group of reliable contacts would be a useful thing. For her part, she still wasn't sure where she would land now that the dust was settling. She had a certain level of freedom now that she enjoyed.

Heard anything about our mystic, then? Any luck tracking him down yet, she asked.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Nakoa shot Arla an amused smirk over the well-worn wooden table, leaning back to balance his chair atop its rear legs, so the chair's back stopped against the wall. "Mostly wandering. Seeing what I can see, learning here and there." After a moment his expression returned to neutral and he shook his head. "Well, maybe one day. Once I can call the rain." The Wrean shaman wasn't fond of the idea of chaining himself to another's ambitions unless he himself held the keys. The Order has been something of a lesson.

Besides, he still had his own people.

Two earthenware bowls of gently steaming meat-and-vegetable soup were quietly delivered to the table by the "bartender", along with simple spoons. Nakoa sipped his. "Good soup." Simple, but far better than the canned stuff. He clicked his tongue at Arla's question with a mildly annoyed look directed toward the soup that quickly vanished. "I cannot track them. No sign at all, even from objects." Especially annoying since Nakoa was usually good at finding things and people.

"But from what I've gathered, this wandering wizard of theirs is due to travel through in the next day or two."

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Hmm, she hummed quietly as he mentioned that he hadn't seen anyone yet. She wasn't thrilled about that, but patience was going to be a necessary part.

She took the bowl and started shoveling mouthfuls in all at once, not worrying with pacing herself or anything of the sort. Her foot tapped impatiently below the table as she thought about how to track down their quarry. Certainly, they could just wait there and hope he came by, but what if he didn't?

She supposed this was a hunt just like anything else.

I guess we'll just have to wait, then, she said slightly grumpily. Or we could ask around and try to find him, she added a moment later, mouth twisting up slightly before nodding as if she had decided "yes, that is what we're doing."

I'm sure one of the locals at least knows something about him, she said.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

He placed his half-empty bowl down, nails rapping rhythmically along the side as he stared off at some corner of the "cantina". Then he shrugged, downed the rest of the soup, and scooted the bowl off to the side. "I'm sure they do," Nakoa agreed readily enough before fishing at his belt and placing four small coins on the table.

"If they answer." They were strangers from the stars, as evidenced by all the staring and furtive glances alike from surrounding locals. Nakoa looked at Arla. "One of the outlying farms, maybe?" Such places more often noticed travelers nearby, and everyone was a relative stranger to those living on society's outer limits.

Either way, he set his chair back down and stood, stretching both arms upward with a soft sigh. "Shall we go find out?"

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Yes, if they answered. Arla had half a mind to simply wander around looking for the wizard if only so that she could avoid having to interrogate people about things only to receive unhelpful, dismissive, or outright deceptive answers.

Seems that way, she agreed, pushing to her feet as she finished her food.

Would you like to do the questioning? she asked, though it somehow sounded less like the question it was. She was confident that he was going to be better for that than she was.

As it turned out, luck seemed to be on their side. The barkeep finally couldn't keep his curiosity in check anymore and wandered over again.

What brings new faces to my place? he asked the pair.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

While Nakoa personally wouldn't consider Arla lacking charm, she did have one main way of asking questions. Sort of the same way a hammer only swung one way. Blunt, straightforward, and effective at certain tasks. Many didn't seem to find that charming for some reason. "Sure," he replied, reaching into his jacket to retrieve something or other.

As he pulled out the object- a long, thin pipe carved from driftwood- the barkeep showed up. Midway through turning to look at the man, Nakoa's usual flat expression switched smoothly to something friendly, lips curled slightly upward and brows raised just a little. "The soup, of course," he answered with a movement of the face like he was trying not to laugh at his own joke. "But you're asking why we're in town, right?"

The barkeep looked awkward for a solid second. "You can just say so," Nakoa said, expression slipping toward a grin while he made a subtle sideways step closer to the barkeep. "My companion and I are scholars of xenoanthropology, and we'd heard tales about this place. Think you could help us out?" The Wrean was rather physically close to the distracted-looked barkeep now, all cheer and gregariousness. "Well, uh... What d'you want t'know?" asked the barkeep.

"Your name'd be a good start." The barkeep cleared his throat, shuffling in place. "Arkus Nahl, run the place. Obviously. Erm..." "Nakoa, dear." Nakoa shook the frazzled man's hand the same way a traveling vacuum salesman shook a prospective buyer's. "Can you tell me about the local vegetables and such?"

The following five minutes was entirely filled with vegetables and their use of use, with no obvious link to the mystic.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla just sat there and watched Nakoa as he talked to the man, seeming as friendly as could be. She wasn't sure how much of it was genuine and how much of it was an act, but she more or less assumed that it was mostly just an act. The charm and smoothtalking was - as usual - completely a foreign concept to her.

She watched the barkeep intently and how uncomfortable he seemed with just speaking to other people (or maybe it was just outsiders). He kept looking back at her and seeming to stutter and she realized after a couple of minutes that it was probably because she was looking at him not unlike a rancor looks at a nerf. She should probably stop staring, she decided.

She pulled out her datapad and started idly scrolling through it not only to avoid staring at the man like a predator, but also because she didn't really care that much about the vegetable conversation. She understood that Nakoa needed to do this in order to break the ice, but by Dathomir was it boring.

You know, you're the first offworlders we've seen here in a while, he finally siad, seeming to lighten a bit from his awkward and uncomfortable manner of speaking if ever so slightly.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Making a good show of noting down vegetable information in shorthand- in that he did actually do that, he liked local produce- Nakoa moved along the moment Arkus mentioned offworlders. "Well, the system's out of the way. Not much information besides rumor, either." He gestured toward one of the chairs and sat back down himself, and the barkeep joined them. Arkus resisted the desire to stare at Arla, only glancing her way to see if she was still staring.

"Even heard something about a kind of 'mystic' who wanders around. Aha." There was a fairly subtle nudge through the Force, although Arla would pretty easily pick it up, from Nakoa to Arkus. The Wrean poked just a little, working to expand on the man's growing comfort and willingness to talk. Arkus looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, yeah. Calls themself a wizard and travels through some days healing the sick and blessing crops or somesuch. Shows up up every couple weeks like clockwork." Nakoa looked openly interested, still taking notes. "Really? They visit anywhere else?" The barkeep hesitated a moment. "Why d'ya ask?"

Nakoa lightly tapped Arla's foot beneath the table.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla listened as Nakoa worked his magic and she could feel the subtle nudging of the Force in the man's mind. It stimulated her to an idea as well, and in order to allow her partner to work the verbal side of things, she would focus more on the incorporeal side.

She focused her attention on the man's mind, though only lightly brushing against his consciousness. She simply maintained the open-minded and willingness to answer within him.

A moment later, Nakoa nudged her foot, and she took that as her cue to pick up answering. Now the pressure seemed on.

She decided to mix a bit of truth with a lie.

I am hoping to learn from him. My people have a history of raising and swelling plant life, she began. All of that was true, though the use of briar manipulation by the Nightsisters had little to do with why she was here.

We are hoping he might be able to help us improve our people's lives, she said, motioning to herself and Nakoa. It was... well, it wasn't entirely untrue. In fact, it was true "from a certain point of view" as the Jedi were fond of saying.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Stuck between two Force wielders who preferred subtle to overt, the poor bartender's inhibitions were swept away, particularly after Arla's addition. Arkus idly nodded, eyes glazing over for a moment as his thoughts sort of rearranged themselves in the way his two questioners wanted. "Right, yeah, that makes sense," he began as if he totally got it, although he didn't. "Well... There's a small village due north-east of here, few miles or such. Stops there on the way here for a few days. Heard rumor the wizard stays there longer than elsewhere." Arkus blinked one eye, then the other.

Arla and Nakoa may have overdone it a bit, but whatever. Nakoa slowly stood back up from his seat. "Appreciate the help, Arkus. Hopefully you'll get some tourists, aye?" Arkus nodded absentmindedly as Nakoa walked toward the exit, eventually standing to return to the bar and watch over his soup. Nakoa looked at Arla.

"Speeder fit two?" The Wrean shaman's tone, expression, and posture had abruptly shifted from the friendly persona he displayed toward Arkus, returning to his usual difficult-to-read self. He even looked a little annoyed. Masking took effort and he wasn't surprised Arla had no interest in bothering.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was about ready to jump out of her seat as soon as the man revealed the village and its location, but she managed to stifle it and call on what little patience she had as Nakoa finished the conversation. She saw his posture change as well, betraying that it was all an act as well. They were here with a purpose, after all.

Yes, there's a back seat, she said with a nod, heading outside and back toward her speeder bike. She swung her leg over the 99-V and punching in the coordinates to the speeder's HUD.

Her mind traveled to what she hoped she might learn her. She had gained many powers over the years, and her physical skills and "direct" abilities were potent, but the Force had so much more to offer than just that. It had powers over space and time itself. She wanted to know things that no one else knew, and she hoped this wouldn't simply be another dead end. She hoped this "wizard" knew more than just how to make crops grow.

Hold on tight, she said, throwing a glance back over her shoulder before revving the engine. The speeder tore off into the forests at what would not be described as a comfortable pace. In fact, were it anyone but a Force-users, the speeds at which she was traveling would have been all-but-suicidal, but for Arla this was just par for the course.

They made good time this way, though. And just in time, it seemed. She could see the smoke rising from where the village should be before she saw the village itself. It was a bad omen and she slowed the speeder as they drew closer. The smoke began to alter the scent of the air, and as they pulled through the final layer of trees, she could see that every building in the village was up in flames.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Nakoa Singh]

Nakoa followed and hopped up behind Arla, one hand holding a roll bar while the opposite arm wrapped around Arla's waist, well-braced for the sort of speed only Force users could handle. He didn't bother speaking through the wind but let his mind wander despite a vague sense of distraction from some strong herbaceous scent. Hmm.

Despite thoughts wandering in an entirely unintentional direction, Nakoa snapped to when he both saw and smelled smoke on the horizon, nostrils flaring. He narrowed his eyes at the scene and hopped off the bike once Arla stopped it, bringing two fingers up to his lips. Arla would feel a pulse of the Force as his eyes flashed and he whistled, then pointed toward some wild birds fleeing the smoke. They abruptly turned around and flew toward the village.

Nakoa made a 'hrm' sort of noise, then paused as he remembered he needed to actually mention what he found out loud. He turned to Arla. "There're soldiers shooting things," he flatly informed the Nightsister, eyebrows rising. "Don't recognize them." And with that he strode toward what was now a very small warzone, taking a detour through a small cornfield that was mostly not on fire to avoid line of sight.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla's eyes drew down into an even deeper frown as he mentioned soldiers shooting things without a reason. Sounded about right.

Kill them? she suggested. They had their goal, and whatever it was that these soldiers wanted or were doing, it was probably contrary to what the two of them wanted.

Arla wasn't typically known for her subtle means of dealing with problems, and when something could be solved with violence, it was often quicker and simpler to do just that. A rancor didn't worry about "diplomacy."

She followed him through the field until they drew closer to the village, still unspotted. Several men could be heard laughing and jesting with screams in the background. The occasional crack of blasterfire still resounded.

That was when a bolt of lightning tore through the sky. The otherwise clear skies. It struck with a deafening boom, and struck directly into one of the thugs standing guard, even leaping over to his buddy a moment later.

 

[Nakoa Singh]

"Kill them," he agreed. These lives had no worth. Subtlety aside, Nakoa had no interest in talking to probably hostile obstacles any more than he'd converse with a wall. The shaman was just readying to do something when lightning struck from the sky, chaining from one soldier to the next. Nakoa nearly jumped where he hid, stiffening, gaze shoot up to where the bolt came from. He squinted.

Did a far-away bird just launch a lightning bolt? No, wait- the bird wasn't far away, it was huge. A figure was perched atop it, wooden staff crackling with electricity. Well, something for later, there were other things to do. Now with soldiers firing wildly into the sky, Nakoa called upon his magic and what he'd learned from the Shapers.


"'Ana mulzamat bialdumi. Aaghraq fi al'ard alhaqidati."He spoke firmly but soft, a pulse of Force energy sinking into the bloodstained mud around the group of soldiers. Red energy shaped it, earth rising in the form of grasping limbs and angry, mournful faces that screamed and gargled their fury toward the killers, fueled by blood and death. Naturally, the soldiers started to panic even more than they already were.

"Yo what the fuck-!?" The mud figures tried their damndest to bury and smother the soldiers, though it wasn't exactly a quit process and really Nakoa just figured Arla would follow up his crowd control with proper damage.

Meanwhile, lightning struck from above toward the other end of the village, followed by the sound of screaming soldiers.

@Phoenix