Ask Dantooine Third Time's the Charm

[Varyn Atrix]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

And he was back. How many times had he come to Dantooine now? It was several by this point, but this time for a very different reason than before. The Empire was in all sorts of upheaval with the Sith on their way out, but Varyn couldn't have been happier. He'd come over to the Empire because he wanted to pursue a vision like this, and the fact that there were others who were likeminded was all the better.

One of the prime inconveniences for him now, though, was equipment. He'd had to put aside his Sith-rune laden armor and surrender his pair of lightsabers and that meant - per the ISB - he needed to craft new ones. Well, that was tricky, but of all the planets in Imperial space to seek one out, there was no better option that Dantooine.

He felt naked without his sabers. Absolutely in the nude, and despite wearing his old, custom IAC armor that he'd sported for several years, it didn't make him feel much better.

On the bright side, he had a partner for this excursion. It had been years since he'd seen Ailis but when they'd bumped into one another during their surrendering of sabers, he'd suggested they head out together to get set up with new gear. How excellent that it had been a "yes."

So, long time no see. How've you been? he asked, opting to sate his curiosity as they tore across the open fields in the open-topped speeder they had requisitioned.

 

[Ailis Drast]

Change was coming swiftly on the winds and Ailis Drast had no choice but to adapt. The question of whether to stay with the Sith Order, or to retain her Imperial citizenship had been a difficult one, but in the end the choice couldn't have been clearer. Ailis had come to the Sith willingly, thinking that they would give her power over her life, instead they had merely held power over her. Turning in her lightsaber hadn't been a hard decision, it was barely hers after all.

Being without a lightsaber, now that was another thing entirely. The Imperial decree had said no Sith religions or practices, no red lightsabers, and no using the force on Imperial citizens. That didn't automatically preclude the possession of a lightsaber so long as it wasn't red.

Ailis sat in the passenger seat of the speeder that Varyn had managed to requisition for this little outing, a beat up old rust bucket that she guessed the Imperial officer in charge of the motorpool was more than happy to hand off to the pair of ex-Sith. He likely expected it to break down and strand them out in the valleys of Dantooine. She wore her usual armor as it didn't hold any particular ties to the Sith, and was armed with a pair of short vibroswords on her back.

She had attempted to check out a blaster pistol from the armory which led to a little bit of an awkward standoff as she tried to control her temper at being told no, not used to such treatment, while a pair of Imperial soldiers on guard stood ready to draw their blasters on the first sign of an outburst. In the end she had taken a few deep breaths and walked out of there, mastering her anger to save for another day. Apparently the former Sith were not even trusted with a simple blaster pistold.

"How have I been?" Ailis turned her head to look at Varyn for a moment as the wind whipped past them. "Well all things considered I can't say terrible, could be dead." She said with a short laugh, looking back towards their heading, before continuing. "What was, last we saw each other I was recovering from a hole being punched in my chest." She remembered that day when they had been betrayed by an Imperial insurgent on Denon, when she had been shot in the chest and cleavage shirts were no longer on the fashion list.

"Graduated academy, became a Champion, was assigned to some back ass-ward planet where nothing fun happened for a few years. Next thing I know the Empress is dead, the Sith are outcast, and Altair is Emperor." This got a larger laugh out of the woman as she remembered the man. They had had some good times during academy but had grown apart over the years, and now he was leagues above her.

"How about you hotshot? It's been a while." She asked as she looked at him again with a tilt of her head. The other Sith had had a much more interesting career than her's, involved in all sorts of invasions and battles.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Denon sure was something else, he agreed. All the fighting and war that the Empire had done there and ultimately, they'd not even gotten anything out of the world. What a loss.

Yes, things had been wild, that was true, and everything had changed so quickly. In fact, it had been so quick that Varyn wasn't even sure it was all real. It felt like some fevered dream.

Well, I guess we'll see how things unfold. Life's been... he squinted behind the visor of his helmet. Actually, it really hadn't been that great. He'd nearly been killed at Yavin, betrayed the Jedi, broken up with Vahliri... but hey, the Empire was reformed, so that was a huge plus.

Chaotic, he finally settled on as his answer and let out a little chuckle. But so far no one has decided to try to kill me yet from the new Empire, so that's a plus, he said. In fact, he'd even been given an assignment by ISB already that he should probably tell his partner about.

Oh uh, by the way... while we're out here, there's some trackers in the back that I told command we'd put in the crystal caves, he said. Hopefully you don't mind, he said. Surprise. He didn't anticipate an objection. After all, it couldn't hurt to get further into the ISBs good graces at a time like this.

 

[Ailis Drast]

"Chaotic is an understatement." Ailis said as she considered everything that had gone down in just the past week alone. Not that her own experience in it all had been chaotic. Sitting on some backwater for long enough that she was bored out of her wits before being informed that she was relieved of duty along with every other Sith. Being a Sith hadn't been all it was cracked up to be, it almost left her wishing she had had a little more chaos. She would have felt more at home with that.

"Hmm?" Ailis turned to look at Varyn again as she was jarred from her thoughts by his words, explaining that they were apparently on some mission for the ISB. "Nah, I don't mind. Beats sitting around being bored." She thought about it for a moment. "Somebody's gotta do it, not a bad idea for it to be us. New Empire and all that, don't wanna look like a bunch of slackers." She said with a smirk.

The speeder flew along as they talked and Ailis was briefly distracted by a pack of Kath hounds that they zoomed past, the animals raising their heads up and watching them pass. She was actually a bit nervous about finding a crystal, she knew it was usually a Jedi thing to do, and she had cheated the first time around with her saber.

"You think... that we'll find what we're looking for?" She asked Varyn suddenly as her doubts manifested into words. "I thought finding crystals... the whole kyber calling out to you... that that was a Jedi thing." She hadn't found herself to be a particularly good Sith. Sure, she had the anger and rage thing down pat. But her heart wasn't in it. Sill though she was a pretty far stretch from being a Jedi.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn thought about what Ailis asked and thought back to his experience when he was a Jedi. Things were different then, but maybe not quite so different. And yet, he knew the Force in him was... confused. That he was confused.

Kyber calls to you. The right kyber, at least, he said. But you have to be open to it and try to follow wherever the Force leads. Surrendering control, he said. It wasn't a Sith thing to do or say, but this wasn't a Sith activity.

He guided their speeder past the pack of hounds and out into the direction of the mountains and caves, eventually pulling to a stop as he could sense they had drawn closer.

Sometimes it's coupled with dangers, though, he said. In this case, probably Kinrath, he said. Or even rogue Sith, he thought to himself. Hopefully not because he didn't like his odds without a lightsaber in that situation. Even with a partner.

Decided not to stay with the Sith, huh? he asked, curious about the reasoning as he threw the backpack of trackers over his shoulder and started making his way inside one of the caves.

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis listened to Varyn explain about the kyber crystals and how they calledc to a Jedi, surrendering control and being open to the force. It wasn't how she had been taught to use the force, Sith training and all. They were all about domination and wielding power.

"Sounds... different than everything I've been taught." She said, recalling all of her training with the Sith. Nowhere in their teachings had they talked of surrendering control. She glanced at Varyn for a moment thoughtfully. He seemed pretty certain about it all.

"Kinrath?" She asked, unfamiliar with the name. Some cave monster no doubt, which made her thankful she had decided to bring a pair of vibroswords along to protect herself. She noticed that Varyn wielded no weapons. Perhaps he thought the force was enough.

"I don't think they were for me. Only reason I joined was when I discovered I was force sensitive the available options were them, and the Jedi." She said the last group with a bit of mockery in her tone, clearly holding them with little regard.

"At the time I was a wild street kid, wrapped up in all sorts of gangs and drugs. Joining the Sith seemed like the right thing to do at the time." She paused, thinking about it for a moment before smirking to herself as she recalled her younger motivations. "That and I was under the impression that getting dicked down was against the Jedi code." She said with an unashamed laugh and a sideways glance at Varyn as she walked with him into the cave. "Found out later that wasn't the case, but it was enough to make younger me want nothing to do with them.."

The cave itself was dark and Ailis found herself wishing that she had a lightsaber to light the way. Or at least a glow rod. Apparently she hadn't had the presence of mind to bring one along. She hoped that Varyn had came more prepared than her. She of course could see through the force if she had to.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Yeah, pretty sure that's the idea, he said. The Sith had just been ousted from power, and the Empire wasn't eager for their teachings of the Dark Side to linger. Varyn wondered to himself at how it had changed him without his realizing it, and thought back to Yavin and what he had done. The brutality he had displayed that he didn't think himself capable of.

Yeah, they're... I don't know these mantis-spider things and they're big, he said, not really sure how precisely to describe a Kinrath. Understanding would come soon enough, though.

Varyn snorted slightly as he listened to the explanation of not wanting to go to the Jedi. The Jedi were... well, Varyn's thoughts on the Jedi were complicated.

The Jedi aren't the worst thing in the world, they just... have some issues, he said. Some big issues that he hoped the Empire - the new Empire - might be able to fix.

Varyn may not have brought a weapon, but he did have the thermal vision in his helmet to help him see the path ahead. Between the two of them, they made one functioning person, it seemed.

You feel anything? Reach out, he said. Kinrath, kyber, something else entirely, any of them could be useful to sense and there would certainly be something, no doubt.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

"Mantis...spiders? Great." Ailis said as they wandered further into the darkness. She could see Varyn's back so she let him lead the way as he could apparently see somehow, judging by the assuredness of his step. She was surprised when Varyn spoke on the Jedi, his tone more contemplative than antagonistic.

"Sound's like you have some thoughts on the subject." She said before stumbling, catching herself with a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry. I can't see fuck all in here." She apologized in the crude way that was just the way she talked. Something about growing up in the slums did that to a girl.

She paused for a moment as he told her to reach out, doing just that. It took a moment as the cave began to form within her mind, its tunnels a faint echo against the darkness. She thought she heard something.

"I hear..." She started, stretching her senses out further. It was almost... melodic, quiet in the far reaches of the cave. "I feel..." She tried to reach further, her senses getting closer. In a snap, her senses drew back to the immediate surroundings as something much more urgent tingled at the back of her mind, the silent skittering of too many legs, the gnawing of too many teeth.

"Look out!" She shouted, giving Varyn a shove before flinging herself back as something dropped from the ceiling. She fell roughly on her side, scrambling onto her back and sitting up as she drew a blade just in time to shunt something to the side. She couldn't see whatever it was that attacked them but she could feel its skittering claws and chittering teeth as they came after her aggressively as she scrambled backwards, blade moving to the silent warnings that only the force could give her to stave off the creature's assault.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

I have thoughts on a lot of things, he said with a laugh. Yes, he knew he had a tendency to wax philosophical out of nowhere at times. I'll keep it buttoned down, he said with another snicker.

With the declaration about not being able to see, he glanced back. Well that's a problem, he said, offering absolutely nothing by way of a helpful answer because he didn't really have one.

We can come back or something, he finally said after a moment. Maybe they should have prepared for this more. Probably would have been smart, but here they were now.

That was when something flashed in his mind. A creature dropping, an attack incoming. Even without a saber, his dueling reflexes didn't give up and he leapt back as the creature's spikes came falling in from above to impale him. He was going to make a counterattack when he felt Ailis slam into him as well, actually knocking him off balance and sending him stumbling into the wall.

Kriff, he spat but still spun quickly. as Ailis started making a counterattack. He reached out with the Force and yanked the creature down to grind its face against the ground for a moment so that Ailis could finish it... hopefully. Except it was still dark, potentially creating quite the problem.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis held off the flurry of spikes the creature tried to pierce her with, just barely in the dark with only the force as her guide. A surge in the force and the flurry stopped for a moment and Ailis sensed there was probably some sort of opportunity at hand.

It took only a moment for her to center her mind and find clarity in the darkness of the tunnel, her vision stretching out of the physical and into the force. There the creatures head ground down against the... ground. Ailis swung with her sword, the sharp edge vibrated at ultrasonic speeds to cleave through the creatures neck, its body going limp.

She breathed there for a second before finding her footing, her eyes still closed and her vision working only through the force.

"Im guessing... that... was a Kinrath." She said through heavy breaths as she tried to breathe and get over the mixed panic and exertion. She breathed for a second and her heart rate settled down.

"I'm fine. You good?" She said, looking at Varyn through the force without actually looking at him. He seemed fine. That established, she drew her second sword and held it out, hilt first, towards the other... well they weren't exactly Sith anymore.

"Here. I think we keep going. I heard something deep in there before that fucker jumped us." She gestured towards the dead Kinrath with the other blade that she held at her side. "I think I'll be okay on the seeing department, so long as I don't hit my head." She could probably maintain the force sight indefinitely, but a blow to the head or something might jar her focus and send her plunging back into darkness.

Turning towards the direction she had heard the faint... singing, she started walking. "I don't mind hearing your thoughts on things. Makes me feel like I'm not the only one with a functioning brain." She said to the man behind her, deciding to refrain from making any jokes about buttons.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Yeah, he confirmed after he was satisfied the creature was dead and not just playing space-possum. They lay kyber eggs or... something weird like that, I think, he said. Honestly, he didn't really remember all the details he'd been taught by the Jedi, but he knew they were somehow connected.

Thanks, he said, reaching out and taking the offered sword without hesitation. He twirled it several times in the air and gathered a feel for its weight. It was no lightsaber, but it was better than nothing at least. Some of the Form I drills were probably still applicable.

Here, he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his datapad, flipping the small, weak flashlight on and passing it over. Better than nothing, right? Force'll hopefully help out, too, he said. The whole "Jedi not needing to see" and all that.

Oh yeah, I've got a brain alright, and it's hyperactive, he said with a snicker.

Truth is, I was never much of a fan of the Sith so much as I was an advocate of the Empire. As you might imagine, the new system suits me much better, he said, finally able to openly voice opinions he had kept under wraps for a very long time.

They pressed onward and came to a split in the tunnels, and Varyn... felt a tug to his left. A tug he knew had no explanation, but that he knew meant his crystal was down there.

I need to go left, he said.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Varyn gave a layman's explanation about the Kinrath, painting a vague visual picture that got one reaction.

"Gross." Ailis offered in response as he swung the sword around to get a feel for it. He handed over a datapad with a small light which barely even illuminated a step ahead. "Thanks..." I guess. Attitude left unspoken Ailis accepted the datapad anyways as they started moving ahead.

"Better hyperactive than underactive, definitely some Sith around that qualify in the second category." She said with a slight giggle that didn't quite match the tough persona she presented. She listened thoughtfully while focusing on their surroundings through the force as they walked, thinking.

"The Sith were... Well they gave me a start, but I could never really get into the whole cackling evil vibe that a lot of them had, it was just... unsettling." She gave her own thoughts on the subject before asking him. "So what exactly is it about the Empire that had your support?" She could understand the desire for safety and security, having grown up with neither of those. The authoritarianism was a tad bit grating, perhaps a good trade for most though.

As they came to a split Ailis felt a faint singing off to the right, right as Varyn commented about going left. She looked down both tunnels for a second, placing a hand on the wall and trying to visualize a path forwards. Her mind crept along the tunnel walls, feeling the turns and splits in a vague sense. After a few moments of this, she nodded.

"Left it is, I think that might work for me too." She hoped, turning to the left and proceeding. After a moment, a thought crossed her mind and she couldn't help but to voice it. "Say, if the Kinrath lay 'kyber eggs' or whatever... doesn't that mean we're heading right towards a fuck ton of those nasties?" It was definitely a concerning thought.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Well his light was better than nothing! Well, you're not wrong, he agreed with the comment about the brains being "underactive." It was a mixed bag, but you could always find the "bruisers" in any group.

Ailis asked what it was that he believed in about the Empire, and that question was hard to answer. There needs to be a government, and if you can get someone good at the head - an Altair - then that's your best bet. People can pretend the Republic, FWA, ISC, or whatever aren't corrupt, but they are, he said with a shrug. It was just what brand of "bad" you wanted.

Yeah... he said in that short way that said "oh yes, we're definitely heading for trouble" way. He was glad to see that Ailis was coming with him. He wasn't sure whether or not the call would be this way for both of them.

He headed left, glad to have the company as they descended the path to the horde-nest of spider-mantises. He could feel them down there, skittering around. They were aware of the presence of the two, but Varyn wasn't going to be deterred.

So was the Empire just a way to have a place for you? he asked.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis listened to Varyn's explanation on his beliefs about empire. Ailis wasn't sure she agreed with everything, but there was one thing she knew he was right about.

"Pffft." She started laughing as he talked about how the Republic and all those other governments were corrupt. "They can pretend all they want but it's all rotten to the core." When it came to Coruscant she meant that quite literally. The rot ran deep but even the upper levels that gleamed of spit shine were filthy underneath.

Travelling further into the cave, there was the occasional skittering sensation that seemed to walk across her spine. Not literal but rather the metaphysical knowledge that something lurked ahead, multiple somethings. And they skittered.

"Yes and no." Ailis responded, taking a moment to think about it. "My parents were vaguely aware of the origin of our name, insisted our bloodline was destined to rule or something... They were spiced out most the time." She shrugged, such was life in the lower levels. "When I got old enough to bail I did, right after I figured out I had the whole force thing. The Jedi weren't for me and I grew up on stories of Sith power... I guess in the chaos of my life I just wanted to feel powerful." She finished. It didn't paint the prettiest picture of her, but it was honest.

"Of course it di-did you hear that?" She paused suddenly, cutting herself off as she stopped, listening. She could have sworn she had heard a skittering sound somewhere close by. Really. Really close.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn let out a sigh at the mention of all the corruption. It wasn't wrong, and that was the problem. No one seemed to care. The people in power benefited and the people without power lacked the power to change it. For all its many sins, at least in the Sith you could just go kill the corrupt person in power if you were strong enough.

He pressed on and listened to how Ailis decided where to go, and although it wasn't glamorous, he could related. He knew what it was like to grow up in the depths of poverty, though at least his parents had always cared for him. He wondered what they would think of where he ended up. He knew they'd have been appalled at what he did at Yavin, and the more he thought back on it, the more he wondered if he had lost his way. And if he could come back from it.

That was when he heard the sound as well. At the same time as Ailis, he stiffened, hand wrapping around the hilt of the weapon in his hand. They were close. He could hear the singing of the crystals, a sound he hadn't heard in so long. No longer the screaming pain of a bled crystal, but one that was in its natural state. It was... more peaceful.

Right side, seven feet. Up the wall, he said, and then as thermals swept over the area, he could see them. There were a couple of large Kinrath, and then so many of the small ones. Babies.

Kriff, he swore. There's a lot more than that, he said. I'm going to try to grab the crystal and dart, just... stay alive. Ready? he said. The timing would be tight.

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis listened as Varyn quietly called out the location of the noise they had heard. She concentrated harder, her eyes still closed as she formed a mental image of the cavern ahead. The walls came into gentle focus, the floor, the ceiling. There, right where Varyn said it was, a Kinrath moved slightly, its movement visible in her sight.

It was then that Ailis realized as Varyn confirmed what she thought she was seeing. Gentle movements all over the cavern, large and small. The cavern was seemingly crawling with the things. She took a deep breath.

"Ready." She said as she took a deep breath. As soon as Varyn started... They would be in a fight for their lives. Ailis had no false conviction that they could kill all of the kinrath present. Not with vibroswords at any rate. She gripped her sword tighter as she prepared for what would no doubt be a rush of chittering insectile bodies as soon as Varyn darted into the cavern.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn took several deep breaths in and gripped the hilt of the sword tighter. Oh how he wished for his two lightsabers right now. Couldn't they have taken them after he'd fetched new crystals.

He reached into hi pack and dropped one of the trackers on the ground just... so they wouldn't have to come back here and took another look around.

Let's do it, he muttered to himself and then made his move. He could feel the crystal across the room and he darted forward. He leapt over the first grouping of kinrath as they hissed and cried out, landing near to the crystals.

And then the whole room seemed to start to move.

Varyn's saber - or rather, sword - swept low along the ground to cleave through the baby creatures, keeping them away.

He lunged forward again, reaching out and grabbing the small egg... thing that crumbled in his hand. Sure enough, inside were a pair of crystals, and Varyn really wanted to just pause there and admire them, but the hissing sounds told him that was a no-go.

Got them! he shouted as he looked for a path back out of the room and started charging for the ever-closing gap.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

As soon as Varyn stepped into the room it looked as if the whole floor started crawling. It seemed like half the Kinrath began to rush towards the darting man while the other half rushed towards Ailis. Her sword slashed a few times, severing heads and arms alike that came near her.

She dodged a stinger-face that dropped down from above suddenly, blade whirling as it sliced through the creatures neck.

"Hurry up, over here!" She shouted as Varyn charged her way, dancing through the skittering swarm. As soon as he got close, Ailis pulled back her hand. The moment he passed her by she would thrust the hand forwards to release a powerful wave of the force, pushing the creatures back.

"Run!" She shouted. That wouldn't keep the creatures for long. They were no doubt pissed at the pair of interlopers who had attacked their hive, smashed their eggs and murdered their children. If such creatures even had some feelings. She didn't think about it much longer than the split thought as she turned and started booking it down the tunnel, feeling where to step with the force.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn was quite graceful in his movements, his skills in the Force were those of a swordsman and a warrior, far better at that and doing nothing with arcanistry or the other tools of the Dark Side.

He narrowly managed to make it through one of the gaps when Ailis blasted the creatures back. Varyn didn't look back, slipping the crystals into his belt as he ran.

We still need to get your crystals, he said. In fact, one could argue that going down the split passage would throw off the creature's behind them... maybe. Or it could simply trap the two... which was more likely.

Or maybe we come back tonight, he said, finally glancing back to see Ailis and the creature behind. Right behind.

He slowed a moment, letting Ailis pass as he spun and swung, his sword coming around to cleave the head off of one of the creatures that had been just preparing to lash out at his partner. Then he wa off in a dead sprint once again.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis might have admired Varyn's graceful movements if it weren't for the horde of kinrath hungry for their flesh.

"Run. Just run!" Ailis said in response to Varyn's comment about her crystals. There wasn't anything they could do with a horde of kinrath on their tail and they at least knew the way back. Ailis didn't want to try traversing a whole new tunnel while fighting the horde off behind them.

Passing the split where she could still hear the singing coming from. She continued on towards the entrance, ducking as Varyn stopped and leveled a swing at her. Past her she realized, only thinking for a moment that he was gonna take her head off and leave her as bait so that he could get away.

They weren't sith anymore.

"Keep running!" She shouted as she spotted daylight ahead. Bursting out of the cave and into the light, she turned on her heel to face the darkness of the cavern to cover Varyn's retreat.

A pair of kinrath launched themselves at Varyn at the last moment and she reached out with the force, pushing them up into the ceiling so they smacked ruggedly against the stony roof before rolling out of the cave. She stabbed the tip of her sword down into the head of one that still wriggled and tried to stand, the other lay still.

The horde seemed to pause at the sun's rays, shying away from the entrance of the cave, not willing to wander into the sunlight.

"Still alive?" Ailis panted as she looked for Varyn. She assumed he had gotten his crystals, which mean that was one down. Of course, he could just abandon her here after this, his own goals achieved, but she figured there was more to the man than that.

They weren't sith after all.

"You have anything to build a saber with you?" She asked.

@Phoenix