Ask Stupid Title

[Wodan]

Wodan waited in the near empty arrivals lounge, only a handful of people had walked through in the hour he had been there. Every one of them gave the Firrerrian a strange look like he was mad to be on the planet of his own free will. At first he paid them no attention but by the sixth person he was starting to get a little itch on the back of his neck like he wasn’t actually supposed to be here. Though that itch could be part of the nerves, Wodan hadn’t seen Arla since the boat party and their little escapade after hours.

He couldn’t deny he hadn’t thought about her and that night more than once since they departed. It didn’t help that everyone else who he had spoken to who was also at the party, kept asking about the Firrerrian and the Dathmorian. Their respective responsibilities within the growing Sith Empire had pulled them in different directions.

The Firrerrian fidgeted in his seat as he waited, having come from the Southern Reaches of the Empire he had arrived first. Though now he was wishing he had spent a few hours doing laps around the system before landing to save the anxious wait. He wore a simple outfit of dark trousers and boots, an oversized light grey t-shirt and a zipped hoodie. Wodan’s lightsaber was hidden at his back and a small sling bag was at his feet with a change of clothes and some assorted items. The pair were here to scope out the planet, its people and perhaps if they could try and discover some of the secrets which made the Anzat tick.

Wodan had secured them a landspeeder which would take them to a nearby residence of someone who apparently had some sympathies towards the Dark Side. Though the person’s lack of details on his exact allegiance and desires from the meeting left Wodan with more worries than assurances.

Tapping his foot he continued to wait for the Dathmorian to arrive, his hands a little sweaty.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Anzat wasn't a planet that Arla was particularly familiar with before coming here but she'd found herself quite caught up with reading about them as soon as she did. They were a fascinating and terrifying people, and she knew that the moment she set down on planet, she would be in danger constantly. Just like on Dathomir.

It was exhilarating and her heart was pounding just a little bit harder as her new ship set down. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder as she descended the ramp and look out at the planet that awaited them.

She could already sense Wodan's presence in the Force and the corner of her mouth twitched ever-so-slightly in what was nearly a smile. They hadn't seen one another in a while, but she was glad to be working with him again.

She rounded the corner to see he was looking... well, he almost looked sick. She frowned almost immediately as she made her way over.

Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale, she said, knowing they could shift timing around if he wasn't well. They needed to be on their A game here. There was a potential for amazing training and even to bring a league of assassins into the Empire, but it would be dangerous. Perhaps the most dangerous mission she had been on yet.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

So engrossed in his own mind and what he would say when Arla turned up, Wodan didn’t feel the Dathmorian approach. Her voice caught him by surprise, the Firrerrian jumping slightly before quickly standing up in front of her. His eyes were filled with panic as he realised that his quick rising had landed in him almost nose to nose with Arla.

Taking a quick step back away from the Dathmorian he looked down and away. At his bag, snatching it up as something to do. “Sorry you caught me by surprise.” Hoisting the bag over his shoulder he looked back at the woman with an awkward smirk. “Oh no, I am fine. How are you?”

Wodan did an internal palm smack to the forehead ‘How are you?’, what a great opening line after fretting over what he was going to say for minutes he had nearly headbutted the woman and then asked how she was. An internal sigh followed the palm smack, this was going to be a long awkward day.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was surprised by his jump to his feet and the top of his head actually smacked her in the nose. Ughf! she grunted in pain and surprise, reaching up to place both of her hands over her nose, moving it around in that "rub the pain out" way that people do.

Mmph, she groaned, sniffing and pulling her hands away from her nose as she wiggled her nose around as if she had to sneeze.

I'm fine, she said, still fiddling with her nose for a moment and checking it was - fortunately - not bleeding.

It's good to see you again, I trust you've been busy, she said, finally stopping her messing with her nose as she started to turn her attention toward the mission. The "pleasantries" for her weren't really that. She didn't generally bother with pleasantries so when she asked something it was because she was genuinely curious.

Probably never been to Anzat before? she asked. The planet was filled with a fog in the Shadow. It was almost like Dathomir in a way where there was a layer just beyond the planet's surface that was... alive. She thought she'd heard that the Anzati referred to it as "Soup" or something strange, which she guessed was what she was sensing.

 

[Wodan]

His eyes shot wide when he realised what he had done. Fuck had he broken her nose, he went to reach out to check on her, then thought that she probably didn’t want him touching her again after shattering her face. “Shit I’m so sorry.” His hand’s flayed around a little as part of him wanted to check on her and the other half thought better of it. Eventually he just grasped his hands together in front of himself.

He went from nervous to feeling like an idiot to mortified in only a matter of moments of Arla’s appearance. What the hell would the rest of his mission have in store for the both of them. “Umm, yea. I’ve been busy. Been all over the Galaxy, you?” His voice sounded a little panicked. Wodan noticed this himself and tried to calm himself by taking a few long breaths as she replied before answering her second question.

“No I haven’t, we were told a few stories in the Academy about the place and most of them warned us away from the planet until we had a little better mastery over The Force.” He wondered what Arla thought of that, her upbringing and training had been so different from his own he wondered if she thought his ‘stories’ were weird or childish.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

As the pain in her nose began to pass, so too, seemed any concern about the incident.

Same, she said. Put together a scheme to bring Columex into the Empire and managing it and its problems has been keeping me on the busier side. But I was able to delegate most to my "new governor," she said. It was why she had had money to purchase a new ship, droids, and some other goods for her mission here. Just because she had lived in poverty for the last few months didn't mean she intended to forever.

Never been before. The spaceports were built to for off-worlders and leaving them is discouraged. But even they're filled with crime and danger, she said. Most who left the spaceports never returned, but that was precisely what they were planning to do.

Most of the Anzati who travel off-world do so as assassins, which is why training here is so valuable, she said. It was a means to become the ultimate hunter. To track and kill prey without ever being seen. While most Anzati were not Force-sensitive, they moved and fought not unlike a Force-user.

Her hand reached down of its own accord and stroked the saber hilt beneath her robes for a moment before she gave a nod.

Let's go, she said, throwing her backpack in the back of the speeder and sliding into the passenger seat. They slipped toward the edge of the spaceport, the buildings becoming more thin before they finally exited the area.

As the buildings grew thinner, the fog grew thicker so that it became quite difficult to see. Moreover, the further out they got, the more they would hear the faint and distant whispers of the "Soup" of the planet, as if the fog itself was alive and the souls of the lost.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

If he was honest, learning the skills of an Assassin wasn’t extremely appealing to the Firrerrian, skulking around in the shadows and striking from the darkness just wasn’t really his style. But he was trying to open his mind and broaden his knowledge in both earthly things as well as The Force, so he was here. Also helped that Arla was his partner today.

He quickly followed Arla out of the spaceport lounge and into the streets beyond. His eyes flicked from side to side as they exited the large building, watching all who gave the pair a strange look. As Arla had said, the planet was not for the faint of heart and people regularly went missing. He eyes a pair of Anzati natives who gave them both a long stare before turning away and walking off.

Arla took the passenger seat meaning he was forced to drive. He wasn’t a bad driver but Wodan had always preferred to be a passenger, but he didn’t say anything, stowing his own bag on the back seat before slotting into the seat. A couple of quick buttons and switches flipped and they were away, moving quickly through the streets of the capital.

It didn’t take them long to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind, though as the concrete faded the fog increased. High beams on the speeder only got him so far, so Wodan was forced to keep the speed low in case something appeared from the darkness ahead. His head spun to the right as he heard a voice call to him, but nothing was there. Confused, he carried on ahead. “How is Nala doing?” He asked, as they passed over what appeared to be a high bridge.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla momentarily considered moving her lightsaber out to her belt as a warning, but from the rumors she had heard, that might just make them a larger target. The Soup of Force-users was more dangerous for obvious reasons, but also more sought after in general.

It wasn't until they made it to the edges of the city that she not only moved her saber hilt to her belt - and thus more easily accessible - but also reached back for her bow in the backseat and slid it along the console next to her in the seat. It was a subtle thing but it showed that she was nervous. Or at the very least, very wary of this place they now found themselves in. She knew the danger of hunting in unfamiliar territory, particularly if your prey was as or more dangerous than you.

She jumped slightly when he broke the silence and it took her a moment to place what he was talking about and then there was a very brief moment where something passed across her face that might have been discomfort.

She wasn't allowed to stay, she said, choosing in her typical fashion not to dance around the issue. But she was set up in a very comfortable home for at-risk children, she said. She wondered if the girl would ever recover from the trauma she had been subjected to. The one upside was that her mother had the power to pull whatever string she needed to keep the girl comfortable.

There were no happy endings for most people in this galaxy. Arla had already discovered that even at her age. Her namesake was a very reminder of that, the young girl who had been killed attempting to defend her mother from the Eternal.

Have you ever been on a planet like this before? With the whispers? she asked.

Shaman on Dathomir are trained how to shut it out, though the sounds are different and bear a different meaning there, she said. It wasn't often that she spoke of the intricacies of her homeworld, and truthfully, the more people asked, the less inclined she was to volunteer the information. He, on the other hand, didn't seem to pry, which she appreciated.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan caught Arla grabbing her bow from the back seat, was she nervous, or did she know something the Firrerrian did not. Whatever it was, it put him on edge as they continued to drive through the thick fog. He was disappointed when Arla informed him that Nala had not been able to join the Nightsisters, he would have felt more reassured had the young girl been inducted into Arla’s people, but he knew it was perhaps a long shot. But at least she had been put in a comfortable home, it was more than he could do at the time anyway.

“No, nothing like this.” Although he had been to a number of worlds strong in The Force, it was the cold undead kind like Korriban and Ziost, nothing like Anzat. “Though these whispers are unnerving to say the least.” He continued just as another voice tickled at his ear causing him to once again twist his head to see if someone was there.

The fact that Arla’s people had been trained how to deal with this sort of thing helped ease some of his nerves. “I will say from what you have told me, your people are pretty handy when it comes to the intricacies of The Force and your Magick.” His core tightened as they rounded a tight corner between two large stone obelisks. “I would love to visit once, if that's ok?”

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla could sense his disappointment and for some inexplicable reason, it caused her to wince ever-so-slightly. Very unprofessional, Arla. Mind on the mission, she reminded herself, immediately snapping her mind back to the job at hand.

They caused some of the Shaman in training to go insane, she said and then added a shrug. Or at least, that's what they say. It was probably incredibly true, but she hadn't met any of those individuals. Most of the Sisters learned to control it eventually.

The Sith and Jedi have a very alien way of viewing things, she said. Even the word for it: "Force" is just so sterile, she said. The Nightsisters had far different views on things, but Arla had been taught by her Mother and prepared to enter into the Sith world, so the ideas were less foreign to her than many of the other Nightsisters.

It's at the core of our people, and its so different from the Sith that it gives us a different perspective, she said. The Force is a lot more than some people teach, she said, though she didn't add that "some people" was the Sith. The Sith saw the Force only as a tool, and so that's what it was to them. But that wasn't the case with all sects.

Maybe, she said as he mentioned wanting to go to Dathomir. She turned that thought over in her mind for a few moments, before - almost immediately - a new question arose in her mind.

Why? Most people don't want to go to Dathomir, she said, though as soon as she said it, she had to question if that was actually true. More than a few idiots had tried to tresspass on and rob from the planet.

 

[Wodan]

Wodan continued to steer the landspeeder as Arla spoke, catching quick glimpses of the woman whenever the road straightened out. “I would agree, The Force is a bit bland.” He replied with a smile, but it made sense, to both The Sith and The Jedi in his opinion at least, seemed to view the mystical power more as a tool than anything. Yes there were some who were more philosophical in dealing with The Force, but the vast majority including himself viewed it as a tool.

Even though he doubted he ever could, part of him wished he could view The Force a little differently with a little more life and faith, like Arla and the Dathmorian’s did. Wodan wondered if he asked, would Arla teach him at all? He wanted too, but there was a fear in there, fear in what would happen should his opinion change.

Obviously to learn a little more about her and spend more time with the Dathmorian, but that was a little too forward. “I find you and your people fascinating. So I would love to visit and just learn a bit more about it all.” He replied as they rounded another right corner, if Arla didn’t brace she would end up falling into Wodan as they banked.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

She snorted slightly as he jokingly agreed with her. She realized some of what she said probably came across as sounding a bit judgmental, but she didn't apologize and he didn't seem to be searching for one.

She almost sensed a curiosity in him that never quite surfaced. As if he were on the verge of saying something but held off. Instead, he settled on a far less risky statement about her people. Perhaps there were always just naturally curious people.

Oh, and what is it that you like so much about my people? she asked, a mix of coy and teasing. It was approaching about the closest thing she got to flirting.

He whipped around the next corner and Arla was not, in fact, braced for it. She fell along, and it wasn't particularly gentle as she slammed into him before righting herself. Sorry, she said, reaching up to grab one of the handles at the top of the speeder. If he had done it intentionally, she was completely oblivious to it. Signaling and subtlety were about as lost on her as spoken language was on a newborn.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

He couldn’t help but smile when she snorted at his joke, it did seem that slowly the Firrerrian was making his way through Arla’s hard outer shell. Maybe he wasn’t as hopeless as he thought at this. “I mean there is alot to like, at least from what I have seen so far.” He replied, turning to face her as he spoke, a little twinkle in his eye and a cheeky smirk just evident on his lips.

He let out a little oofph, when she slammed into his side. He wasn’t expecting it either, but he immediately reached out his hand to help her right herself, a gentle hand to the shoulder which he let hang there for a few moments after she was secure ‘just encase’. “It’s ok. Are you alright?” He replied softly as they reached another corner, he took this one a little wider, not wanting to rough Arla around too much in the speeder before they got their destination.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla looked over at him as he mentioned "from what he'd seen" and he got one of those deadpan stares that she often gave when something went entirely over her head.

You've seen things from Nightsister culture? she asked. The fact that he was flirting and talking about her was completely lost in translation. One of these days, she'd have to educate herself about courting off-world, but evidently it wasn't this day.

After they took the turn, she righted herself and he asked if she was okay. She was almost offended by the question. How fragile did he think she was? I'm not an infant, she said, her voice deadpan as she delivered it.

She glanced down at his hand on her shoulder, but didn't actually move it away.

Besides, I did worse to you on the boat, if you recall, she followed up, also completely deadpan.

The speeder pulled to a stop outside their destination, and the impending sense of doom once again returned as she looked up at the castle-like area in front of them. Still shrouded in mists, she wondered just how "safe" they were with their "host."

The large manor had a spacious outer courtyard with twisting trees and ivy-like bushes growing up within. It was actually rather beautiful if not for the ominous and foreboding sensations it gave off. They were not alone here, but where exactly this other presence was coming from, she couldn't tell.

No one came out to greet them but Arla slipped out of the vehicle and walked over to the gate.

It's unlatched. Maybe we're expected, she said, pushing it open and peeking her head into the courtyard area.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

Wodan had to bite his lip as Arla replied to him, did he have to spell it out to her? He thought his interest in Arla was pretty clear and well the yacht at least to him signalled that she had some interest in him. Was she truly not interested in him, or was it something else? “Umm.” Was all he got out before she snapped back at him with that deadpan look. Wodan was a little shocked, pulling his hand away from the Dathmorian as he turned his gaze back to the road ahead.

He kept his eyes front and mouth shut for the rest of the short journey, his mind trying to process what he had done wrong, or if he had just misread everything. The mist seemed to clear slightly around the large castle-manor building as they came to a stop, everything beyond a hundred fit was just a sea of grey and his vision within The Force stretched only a little further blanketed out by the intense energies of the planet.

Just like every moment since they left the spaceport Wodan had the sense that they were being constantly watched as he jumped out of the speeder grabbing his bags from the back. He made a special effort to not touch Arla’s things just encase she snapped again. The gate creaked slightly as metal rubbed on metal as Wodan stepped through behind Arla into the spacious courtyard. It was lined with coloured flowers, though much of the colour seemed to be sucked out by the thick mist around them.

A single light was shining from an upstairs window. “Maybe he got the time wrong? I don’t think we're late.” He said, reaching into his jacket to pull out his comm. The thing was dead, he was sure he had a full battery when he got off the shuttle, how was it dead already? “Do we knock?” He asked, walking up the short flight of stairs which led to the entrance.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Arla was completely oblivious to the confusion and conflict going on inside her partner as she took another careful step into the manor. She could make out the glowing light above, but somehow she knew this was a test. She'd heard and read about the Anzat teaching techniques and it all came flooding over her in a rush of realization.

She crouched low to the ground and motioned for Wodan to do the same before crouch-walking over to him and whispering quietly.

I think it's a test. Hunt and being hunted, she said. She'd heard about this as a means of Anzati testing their students, and she feared what would happen for the loser. She wasn't here to kill the Duke's students but she also wasn't here to die.

Truthfully, it was a tradition she could respect. A show of strength, skill, and cunning to demonstrate one's worth. Not unlike a rite of passage on her homeworld.

I think we have to get to the light, she whispered. And evade who or whatever students or servants the Duke may have here. Noooo pressure.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

A confused look passed over Wodan’s face as Arla gestured for him to crouch down. This wasn’t good; anything which put the Dathmorian hunter on edge was not going to be good news for Wodan. “I much prefer a quiz.” He quipped back, his nerves getting the better of his sense in the moment. His head twisted from side to side trying to spot their hunter. But all he could really see was the fog outside.

His hand slipped into his bag grasping the hilt of his lightsaber drawing it free as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Yes they may be trapped inside now but also meant that any foe would have to come at them from the front. The light looked like it was on the third or fourth floor and in a side wing. Would the main staircase in front of them lead the whole way up? Also did the main house’s floors connect directly to the wings?

“Main staircase looks like a good start.” He replied pointing towards the giant intricately designed staircase in the foyer.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

Then think of it as an Anzati quiz, she responded without missing a beat. That was exactly what it was. This was the way that Anzati teachers tested their students, but the stakes were... very high.

They crept their way into the manor, wondering what awaited them inside. There was an eerie lack of anyone inside. It almost gave the impression of a haunted house in that way that it was normal but just a tiny bit off. Imperceptibly wrong in a way that settled in the subconscious without being able to put a finger on it.

Yeah, she said quietly, creeping forward to the base of the staircase as she began to ascend, right hand wrapping around the hilt of her lightsaber while her left curled into an almost claw-like position that often heralded the use of her magick.

She took careful steps up, but even so, the wood creaked under her with each step, causing her to wince in almost-physical pain at the sound.

At the top of the stairs was a balcony she hadn't reached, and at either end of that balcony were doorways. From the doorway on her right, she could hear another faint creaking sound not unlike those she made on the stairs. She froze, wondering if Wodan had heard it as well or if it was only her Sephi ears that had picked it up.

She motioned toward the doorway, not moving for a long moment as she listened for another tell-tale creak.

@Braden

 

[Wodan]

If Wodan could take his lightsaber to the stairs to silence them he would. The light creaking noise of the wood underfoot sounded like an entire orchestra in the silence of the mansion as they reached the top of the first flight of stairs. His eyes were flickering from side to side as they stepped onto the balcony, looking down over the foyer to check nothing was following them.

He thought he heard something from one of the rooms but wasn’t sure, as he inched closer towards the doorway on the left of the landing. But after a step he saw Arla motioning him towards the other door, perhaps her ears had picked it up better than his own. Stepping forward and to the side he positioned himself next to the door handle, so that he could push it open but not be in the direct line to be sniped as he did so.

Motioning for Arla to take a step back his hand grasped the handle turning it slowly, closing his eyes he tried to concentrate on his hearing as much as possible. The lock clicked open and he paused for a moment, waiting for an attack, nothing. Taking a deep breath he pushed the door open and stepped back waiting for what came next.

Like a flash, a figure white as the moon burst through the open door. A glint of steel was evident in its hands as it dashed towards Arla, Wodan’s lightsaber burst into life as he tried to move towards the target, but it would get towards the Dathmorian first before he could strike.

@Phoenix

 

[Arla]

They crept over to the door and he pressed it open. She could hear the latch turning, and her grip on the saber tightened even further. She heard that same creek behind the door, but before either of them could make move to enter, their stalker emerged first.

He or she was darting toward Arla in a blur, and the Nightsister ended up reacting purely on instinct. Rather than activate her saber, her free hand came up with a ball of green energy that erupted outward, slamming into the attacker with enough force to knock him from his feet.

But it seemed that whoever this was was no simple fighter. He rolled and stumbled back, but - almost like a Jedi would - turned the momentum of the shove into a force that helped right him so he landed on his feet.

He spun immediately, and slashed at Wodan with a small knife that ran along the backside of his forearm, looking to catch him in a clean strike that would threaten to take out an eye.

@Braden