Ask Traces of the Past

[Celeste Stythani]

The outskirt plains of Elrood were nothing special, yet findings herself on the planet had been the result of the week long journey retracing Sol Kenuk's steps. It had taken a while to gain as much information as possible to retrace the steps of the former Sith Master that had seemingly fled before the most recent events and the schism.

The Sith Master had vanished after the embarrassing aftermath of his exaggerated 'discovery', but while he had brought nothing but disgrace with his failed attempts, the knowledge he had assembled could still be of use for them and thus Celeste had taken the pureblood acolyte Cyutadakyr with her. Celeste had recently had a little chat with Caer and since he had been in contact with the missing Sith Master a lot, he was the perfect addition to their little group.

The Dark Lord had voiced her interests in finding the laboratory and Celeste had huge personal interest in the quest as she needed his findings to advance in her endeavors concerning alchemy and the possibility of creating new assets. There were a few rumors about what Sol had been working on and Caer had been able to confirm a few of them, which was just perfect.

They were not clad in uniforms as they had to be careful about where to go and how to appear. The recent course of the Sith Order wasn't overt, as they were literally just at the beginning of a new Era, but for now they were forced to hide their faces and avoid the vast majority of the galaxy. They would report back to the Dark Lord if they'd find what they had come for and hopefully, they'd find more than just another trace. "Keep up" she flatly reminded them as the trio passed through the rather barren plain, making their way over a little hill. If what she had found out was true, Sol had resided in a smaller hut out here that would either be a laboratory or at least point towards the final direction. It had to be here somewhere and he must have left something behind that would be of use and Celeste was determined to find it.

@Xorism @LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Elrood was a simple planet, with nothing of interest on it. However, for some reason Sol Kenuk had decided to build his secret lab in this place. Caerllion was still surprised with how the Kel’Dor had fled like a coward when his ‘scientific discoveries’ became a joke for the entire Galaxy.

The Sith Master was always so full of himself and in his first setback he decided to leave. Although he could probably be killed because of this failure. The Annfyn always thought that this event was one of the reasons that made the public opinion inside the Empire turn against the Sith.

Even with this error on his part, Sol was a mad genius. It was thanks to him that Caerllion had learned how to use Alchemy combined with his sorcery. While he couldn’t share more ideas with the Kel’Dor, the opportunity of visiting his lab and having access to his search was too good for him to refuse.

This was the reason why he had accepted Celeste’s offer of going on this mission. They needed to find the Sith Master’s lab before the Empire and bring whatever they found here to the Order. However, before finding it, they would need to reach Sol’s hut.

“Even if it isn’t the place that we are after, I can find an object on it that can point us to the precise location.” he explained to Celeste, while walking next to her. They were dressed casually, like people that went to have a nice walk outside. Caerllion had dyed his hair red and was wearing green eye lenses. In these dangerous times, they needed to be very careful.

@Xorism @LadyRen

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyutadakyr had heard little beyond the rumors that swirled around the academy back on Korriban about the disappeared Master. The Killik cure aside, she had only heard good things about the Kel'dor's madness and expertise. It was a shame therefore that he was not present to witness the destruction of the Sith Empire and the rebirth of the new Sith Order under Darth Tempest's ever-watchful gaze.

Cyu wore a loose disguise, which from the outside appeared to be layered upon layers of clothing that conveniently covered almost all of her crimson-hued skin. While a little embarrassing, it did provide a measure of comfort for the pureblood as she was quite acclimatized to the heat that the scorching dunes of Korriban provided.

It wasn't exactly apparent why she had been chosen for this particular mission, Cyu hadn't met either of the champions before nor was it clear that they had any need for her particular talents. Still, the Dark Lord had ordered the task, and therefore that alone would be enough for her to see it through.

Perhaps they would stumble upon some cryptic clue or insidious monster lurking behind a closed door. A frightful adventure spelled both trouble and fun, both traits that she would enjoy. Though there didn't seem to be much of anything in their present location. A wide lonely plain stretched for some distance with sporadic hills to provide a small measure of relief from the mundane. Of course, the pureblood wasn't about to be left behind, ensuring that she'd keep pace while still joining the conversation.

"I heard that he stumbled upon something that which he shouldn't and it cursed him, corruption ate from within and tore out his soul until he disappeared for good. If that is true, I'd say it might pay to be mindful of what we touch." Of course, such rumors always abounded and inflated, but with Sith Alchemy, who truly knew the limits of the Dark Side but those who ventured ...just...a little too....far?

@LadyRen @LouJoVi

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As soon as they were over the peak, the silhouette of a hut in the distance became visible, assuring that at least some of the information she had managed to gather was feasible, however, judging from the size of the wooden shack, it rather seemed like it had been nothing but a temporary home to the mad master and not the actual place they were looking for.

"Yes. The past leaves its traces so we will conduct a ritual to gather information" she confirmed, her gaze fixed on the hut in the distance under the gloomy horizon. The wind tugged at her hair and it looked like it was about to rain while the approaching storm was already starting to electrify the air.

As the acolyte spoke up, her gaze briefly flicked over, studying the young pureblood for a moment. While her heritage seemed promising, Celeste was hoping she'd proof herself useful as well. "Rumors aren't helpful" she stated flatly, assuming that it was some gossip she had picked up at the Academy. Of course they had to be wary though, the dark side was as beautifully powerful as unpredictably dangerous. "From what I've gathered he fled like a coward, but after all his failures, there might be something we could truly use". She then directed her gaze to the hut again, marching in an even faster pace as it seemed like they'd be around the area for some more time. "Acolyte, do you have experience with the Arcane?". If she had, she could help, otherwise she could be merely tapped, which was also fine, but not as helpful.

@LouJoVi @Xorism

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Caerllion looked out of the corner of his eye when the Acolyte said what she heard about Sol. He wanted to roll his eyes with how gullible she seemed. It was obvious that it was the type of gossip that would circle around the halls of the Sith Academies. In the good times when we still had academies. The Champion thought, thinking how low the Order had reached.

“Yeah, he fled after messing up.” the Annfyn said, agreeing with Celeste’s answer to Cyutadakyr. “I worked with him sometimes. Sol had an ego bigger than a star.” while it wasn’t uncommon to see Sith that were arrogant, the Champion believed that leaving it to persist could end becoming a weakness. I should take that into consideration from now on.

Once the group reached the peak, Caerllion was able to see the hut where the disgraced Sith Master used to live. The outside is exactly like Sol’s face, a pigsty. At least the place would work for the ritual that he needed to do. The only thing that remained was the object that was owned by the Kel’Dor.

While Celeste asked if the Acolyte was familiar with the arcane, Caerllion approached the entrance of the hut. His hand touched the dilapidated door handle and turned it to open. Like the outside, the interior of the building matched the opinion that the Annfyn had about the owner of the place.

"I need to find his bedroom, it'll be perfect for the ritual." He said, after having turned to look at the two women. "While I prepare it, you could search for an object that Sol could have brought with him to his lab. This will be our compass."

@Xorism @LadyRen

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyu glared as the pair mocked her for giving any credibility to rumors. While often the case, they weren't exactly dealing with a straight forward character and that only increased the chance of something going wrong in her mind.

"I only meant.." No, if they were going to dismiss her then she wouldn't elaborate further. The best way for them to learn would be to walk head strong into a well placed trap or defensive utility the crazed master placed over his possessions.

When Celeste spoke of the Arcane, the purebloods eyes lit up. "Some, my parents taught the basics of Alchemy and I have developed from there since joining the order. Some day I hope to be as powerful in the skill as my ancestors once were."

The Sith once were masters of the skill, enhancing weapons and creating monstrous beasts alike. Not only was controlling this skill a vital component of her future plans, but it would likely prove most useful for the order as well.

Cyu watched as the door creaked open. Mechanical noises could be heard cranking, hidden somewhere but otherwise nothing occurred yet. She'd cautious enter behind the two champions and set to work looking.

@LadyRen @LouJoVi

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As they reached the hut, Celeste's gaze attentively lingered on the Anfynn while she listened to what Cyu reported. It wasn't anything feasible, so she took a mental note. Sapping it is...It wouldn't kill her, but it would probably help more than otherwise, so it was fine.

While her heritage was remarkable, she didn't know enough of her to place her trust in her, but she saw one perfect opportunity. Cyutadakyr was still young and she'd probably learn a great deal here, yet the guidance needed to be firm. She wouldn't make the same mistakes her uncle had done on her.

She didn't comment on what she said, but carefully stepped in after Caer, immediately scanning the surroundings for possible traps, but the coast seemed clear. The Kel'Dor had been mad and apparently foolish, too, so there was not much to worry about she guessed.

Celeste immediately started to focus, the Force flowing right through her and the former master's presence clearly perceivable. She slowly wandered through the sparsely furnished hut whose interior was buried beneath a thick layer of dust. Her eyes narrowed as she approached the table, gaze immediately landing on a few simple tools and finally on a journal.

She immediately began flipping through the pages but didn't find much apart from a few scribbles that were hard to decipher. A droid might manage to make sense out of it by carefully decoding it, but for now it seemed suitable as it probably stemmed from the actual lab. "We can try that". She said as she stretched out her hand, handing Caer the little book. The hut was truly nothing special, but it would be enough to guide them.

@LouJoVi @Xorism

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

Once entered the hut, Caerllion immediately went after Sol’s bedroom. Since the place was small, it didn’t take much time for him to find it. Like the rest of the place, it was also a pigsty. He wondered if the Kel’Dor knew the meaning of organization or if it was only because he left the place in such a hurry that he ended leaving everything out of place.

The Annfyn moved the bed to a corner, opening a space at the center of the room. Then, he placed his bag on the floor and retrieved a sharp knife out of it. The Champion proceeded to use the weapon to carve a large four pointed star with a circle inside it. Both were filled with several runes.

Some years ago, he had seen Arla using something similar with her Dathomirian magik. Since then, Caerllion had studied the use of runes associated with Korriban sorcery. For his amazement, there were many possibilities for its use.

Celeste arrived with a book in the exact moment that Caerllion was leaving four candles in each point of the star. “I think that it’ll work.” the Annfyn said, while giving a look at the pages. Like the other Champion, he also had no idea about what was written on it. He placed the object in the circle at the center of the image that he had carved and lit the candles.

Whether Cyutadakyr was there with them or not, Caerllion would start the ritual. Stretching his hands over the symbols at the floor, the Annfyn recited the spell in the old tongue of the Sith. “<The pieces are in their places. The candles that represent the Light whose fate is to be consumed by the Darkness. The object that will be our compass.>”

He made a pause, pulling the knife from his belt. Then, he made a deep cut on his right hand, leaving a great amount of blood to fall over the book. “<The blood that is the fuel of my life and will fuel this ritual.>” immediately, the crimson liquid was lit with red fire that spread through the object that it had fallen over. The symbols carved in the floor shone red, while the Annfyn continued speaking the ritual.

Those around him would be able to feel the Dark Side converging over the book, with the fire of the candles immediately dying out. When the flames over the object disappeared and it started to shiny red, Caerllion turned to look at his fellow Sith. “It’s done. The book will shine more when we are the closest to the lab. Since it’s shining right now, it can’t be so far away.” he said, before feeling his hand burning due to the cut on it. A reminder that the Darkness always had a price.

While the others talked about their next step, Caerllion walked toward his back to put some bandages on his cut.

@LadyRen @Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyu took her place between the two champions, albiet with a little uncertainty. She'd never taken part in a ritual of the like herself although she had come across them in her studies. Despite the advance knowledge of the important part that she would play in it, nothing could prepare the pureblood for its reality.

As she sat there with her eyes closed, the familiar voices became chants. The noble tongue rung in her ears with each syllable drawn. Each word uttered was beautiful in its own way, enveloped and empowered by the dark side of the force. A twisted spasm crept across the purebloods body, at first barely noticeable but growing with each passing word.

It took all the Acolyte's concentration and will power, to remain seated and open to the offering. She could feel the others engorge upon that which she provided, a buffer to their own power and needs. Cyu's stomach snared into a ball of pain and misery, just in time for Caer to finish the ritual.

She refused to show weakness in front of the others, but it would take a few seconds for the pureblood to gather her senses. If she did well, perhaps she could learn the very powers they use and sought-after.

Then with a pained voice she would offer her thoughts.

"A recluse gone mad would surely value privacy over anything which limits where he would build a lab. But Alchemy offers another clue, he would need access to subjects, animal...or not. We could narrow the search by focusing on out of the way facilities, and then let the book guide us from there."

@LadyRen @LouJoVi

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As Caer started the ritual, Celeste closed her eyes and focused. She joined in with his chants in Sith and let all the darkness that place naturally bore flow right through her. Caer sacrificed a part of his blood, not just to connect himself to the ifem but to fuel the ritual and Celeste was doing the same with Cyu.

Channeling the Force through the acolyte and using her power to amplify what Caer was doing contributed to the successful completion that would make Cyu feel a little drained, but what mattered was that they had their trace and could finally move on. She could feel her fear and unease, yet wasn't bothered by it as it was a source to draw from.

It was good that the acolyte did neither complain nor show any further signs of weakness as Celeste would simply not tolerate it. The situation the Sith found themselves in right now was obviously not excellent, even though being driven back to their roots naturally came with its advantages as well. They were free from their shackles to the Empire and could do whatever was in their own interest and obviously getting hold of this lab was a top priority.

"Good, then we should get going" she agreed with Caer as she grabbed the journal. The other Champion treated his wounds while Celeste glanced around one last time, checking whether there was still anything useful in sight, but it didn't look like it.

"How did this ritual feel to you, acolyte?" she wanted to know from the Pudeblood who was in pain, before she directed her attention to her suggestion. "It will a location hidden from prying eyes, yet accessible, true. The Kel'Dor had history on this planet and it seems like he was in contact with some locals after all. We might also go interrogating". She then waited for Caer before she'd head out, pulling out the datapad to view the coordinates of the nearest village.

@LouJoVi @Xorism

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

While Celeste talked with the Acolyte, Caerllion bandaged his wound. It probably wasn’t the most terrible cut that someone could receive, not even being deep enough to reach the bones or nerves. However, the fact that it was open with a ritualistic dagger for a Dark Side ceremony meant that it would be more painful than it looked.

The Annfyn had learned to not show his pain to others or they could see it as a weakness. He would save that feeling inside himself and turn into strength. Besides that, his right hand would also remain immobilized for the rest of this mission. Only a long time applying bacta here would heal it totally.

Once his wound was satisfactorily bandaged, Caerllion turned back to the other Sith. “If we start interrogating the people, we should erase their memory after. We can’t leave any trace of our presence or clues about Sol’s lab.” he used his good hand to grab his bag, then walked outside.

He would wait for the others to leave before stretching his left hand toward the hut. “Any objection to burning this place? I don’t want the Empire finding it.” the Annfyn believed that the Imperials could come here after the same thing that they wanted. If no one argued, the Champion would set it on fire with a stream of red magick.

@LadyRen @Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

If Celeste had never asked, Cyu would never of told. Coupled with an innate desire to respect the rank and raw power of her superior Sith, she would comply even in her present state.

"It was peculiar, it felt like a raging inferno sucking the very breath out of ones lungs, life itself
came to a pause leaving only the worst imaginable pain and suffering." Her face was neutral with a slight smile behind it.

"But at the same time the dark side coursed around and through my body, feeding off my suffering and delivering ecstacy in its torment. Yes it was painful but through this I only felt my connection to the force grow stronger, causing more pain and strength again."

For someone who enjoyed the suffering of others, the chance to be tortured herself was always an opportunity worth taking. Not only would it give her more avenues to develop her own power and skill, but it tool truly understanding pain to be able to inflict it properly.

Cyu wouldn't object to the huts burning, joining Celeste outside. The distance to the next settlement was far enough away that nobody would notice anyway. While Elrood was a planet of 6 billion, it's vast capital was far away from its impoverished villages.

Building said lab in the middle of nowhere would draw attention, especially with the power drawn to somewhere you wouldn't expect. That was of course unless there was a large enough spot with dense enough infrastructure that it would plausibly blend in and no one else could find.

Of course, anyone without their book.

@LadyRen @LouJoVi

 

[Celeste Stythani]

So far, the journal didn't do much apart from throbbing with darkness, but she felt like they'd still have a way ahead of them. The quick exchange of words with Cyutadakyr was partly out of curiosity as well, simply because she hadn't seen much of the acolyte yet and Caerllion was still busy.

Her answer came more elaborate as expected and was masochistically poetic. A diamond in the rough maybe. At least she seemed no stranger to pain. "Good" was the only reply she offered before she gestured for her to follow her outside. "Yes. We need to cover our traces, but we need to be subtle about it".

It was then as if Caer read her mind as the moment she passed the threshold to the hut she wondered the same. They didn't need it any more and they didn't need anyone else to follow the trace of the ex master, so there was only one answer. "We should absolutely do that" she replied, leaving it to Caer as he was probably no stranger to pyrokinesis anyway and she used the time to pull out her datapad and open a map of the area which she then studied.

Whenever Caer was ready and the wooden hut consumed in flames, they'd start moving towards the nearest village which was located to their east. It seemed like nothing but a small collection of a few houses, but maybe they'd find someone who could aid their cause with information they needed.

@LouJoVi @Xorism

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

With the confirmation of other two Sith, Caerllion focused on the hut. “<Burn.>” he said in Sith and a stream of red energy left his stretched hand. It collided against the roof of the building and immediately erupted in flames. The fire spread with an abnormal speed and soon everything was consumed by it.

Fuelling the fire with his hatred, Caerllion was able to destroy the hut faster than normally would happen. When it was burned enough, the Annfyn stopped using the Force and let the flames finish the destruction by themselves. If anyone came here, they would think that it was an accident.

“It’s done.” he said, while turning to look at other Sith. With Sol’s traces destroyed, the Annfyn followed the other Sith toward the nearest village. The place wasn’t expressive, with Caerllion not even thinking if the name village was right to name the place. It was possible to count how many houses there were in this place.

“Sol was anti-social, I doubt that he would come here many times.” Caerllion looked around, trying to think of the best place to start this search. “We should start talking to someone in a place that sells food. Even him would need to eat at some point. Perhaps he could have mentioned something.”

@LadyRen @Xorism

 

[Nevizkas]

The illumination provided by the hut was twofold, both in the literal and figurative senses. Cyu wondered if there was a chance they'd find the wayward master dead in the lab somehow, whether by a creature of his own creation or over-exertion.

As they journeyed towards the interesting village, she couldn't help but also wonder what kind of things she could have learned studying under him. It was something of a shame that he had disappeared without passing along his knowledge directly, but if they could find enough written material, perhaps not all of it would be lost to time.

The lingering smell of food made it pretty obvious where they should head first, the wooden shack was the village's best impression of a saloon. Cyu entered first and took a quick look around, noticing only a number of locals and perhaps a handful that might be from outside the village. The folks glanced toward her at first but soon went back to their conversations and meals, leaving her to take a seat at a nearby table along with the other sith if they followed.

A cute but on the rougher side waiter came soon after, offering to fix them a drink and a hot meal. Depending on how well he was regarded here, asking the staff about Sol would either give them plenty of information or none at all. Cyu was more than prepared to use her...skills..to extract this information should Celeste ask her to. But for now the Pureblood would wait and see what the others did first.

@LadyRen @LouJoVi

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Caer conjured fire without much effort and soon the wooden hut was burning. Smoke was rising into the gloomy sky while the trio was already on their way. "Yes. Still I've picked up information about him having been rather active on this planet. Someone might have seen him or heard anything", she interjected as Caer looked around, putting away her datapad as they had a straight trail to follow.

The Champion carried on, she raised a brow at Caer's suggestion, wondering whether he was referring to him potentially having shared information on the exact location. "I really don't think he mentioned anything to anyone...Sol didn't want his lab to be found. Our best chance is that someone saw him or knows what else he did here". If he had been up to something big, maybe someone knew.

As if the mad Kel'Dor used to have regular encounters in those places...Celeste also doubted he ordered food here or anything, but she assumed if someone had ever seen a masked Kel'Dor wandering around, they'd remember. Caer's compass would come in handy if they would manage to narrow their search down to an area, but for now they needed more information.

Their walk wasn't excessively long, yet the horizon had continued to darken and it looked like rain was about to fall any time soon. As they stepped into the saloon, Cyutadakyr was the first inside. She let the acolyte lead, watching her closely though, not minding the various guests much. Her gaze then flicked over to the woman behind the counter that was rather just the barkeeper or maybe even the owner and Celeste wondered whether she was the most informed person in this room.

As they posed as regular wanderers, instead of narrowing her eyes she kept her facial features soft and as friendly as possible while she telepathically adressed the acolyte. 'We don't want to waste time here' she curtly reminded her, which was actually a fine reason for Celeste to just take over and get it done...however, best case scenario was that Cyu proved herself and learned something, as there were actually not many Sith left and it seemed like the pureblood might soon want to leave her acolyte status behind, so she offered 'if you want a chance to show what you're capable off, feel free to start investigating'.

If this was getting out of hand, she'd take over. For now, literally just a simple talk would be fine. Cyu could choose a person, however Celeste mentally prepared plan B: subtle extraction of information without consent. 'Cyu...be subtle though. We don't need to steer things up' she added warningly, briefly throwing her a cold glance before Celeste reached for Caer's unharmed hand. "We should rest a moment. The hike was exhausting" her tone was light and friendly then, a soft smile crossing her lips as she led him over to a table. Whether the acolyte joined them or went to someone else first was upon her, but the three would continue their charade and so accepting the waiter's offer wasn't a bad plan. They could use the meal as a chance to ask around and collect their strength before pressing on.

@Xorism @LouJoVi

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

”I don’t think that he talked with the people.” Caerllion said, while they walked through the streets of the village. He was very aware that Sol was antisocial and would never share his ideas with others. “I only thought that he could have stopped in a market to buy food. If it happened, the news of a Kel’Dor walking around would spread in a small place like this one.”

The Annfyn didn’t understand why Cyutadakyr had entered the saloon. The Kel’Dor’s weren’t known for removing their masks in public. It was implausible that Sol would be an exception to that. However, there could still have some people that remembered seeing someone of his species walking around.

He wasn’t sure if they should leave the investigation for the Acolyte, they could be very stupid. Caerllion was going to question that decision when he felt Celeste hold his good hand. The offer of having some moments to rest was tempting. His right hand was hurting, but his resistance to it made him only feel discomfort.

“Sure.” Caerllion said, before letting himself be guided by the woman to a nearby table. It was good to see that Celeste was friendly with him. Since Altair exiled the Sith, the number of friends that the Annfyn had were reduced to zero.

While they waited for the Acolyte, the Champion decided to ask the waiter for a meal. His use of the Force in the ritual left him hungry. He only expected that the food on this place would be good.

@Xorism @LadyRen

 

[Nevizkas]

Cyutadakyr flashed a quick smile toward the waiter as he spoke about what was on offer. Acknowledging Celeste's instructions she set to work.

When it was her chance to speak, she confidently ordered something simple and hearty. Before he would escape to the kitchen, however, she would make mention that they might be interested in a room for the night. The man pointed toward the woman behind the bar and suggested they speak with the owner about such things, as he only served food.

Cyu nodded and thanked the man, making her way over to the bar and repeating her question. The owner briefly looked at the pureblood and her companions before nonchalantly directing the Sith to follow her. "How many beds?" "Uh, three." "Oh, that'll cost extra, we'll have to move another bed in unless you don't mind sharing." "Three if you don't mind."

After a brief walk up some stairs and down a corridor the lady presented Cyu with a reasonably sized room and stated the charge, which was to be paid before the key was given. She knew Celeste wouldn't want to stay long but getting the woman away from prying eyes was the goal here anyway. Cyu asked if she could take a quick peek around before agreeing to which the woman shrugged in approval.

The room wasn't in any particular good state, appearing to be relatively stale and unused by the looks of things. Cyu looked over to the woman and remarked on this. "You get many guests this far from the city?" to which the lady responded. "Not this time of year, although we do get the seasonal travelers that stay around for a bit before leaving for home. Why?"

Cyu bit her lip as she mulled her words, she didn't want to give up the game entirely yet but she had to find a way to layer the query without drawing suspicion and ruining everything. Drawing out what looked like an expensive piece of jewelry, and pulling in a facade of emotional instability, she continued. "I'm looking for someone my brother knew quite well, the pair were practically twins but it seemed work kept them apart for some time. And well..."

She hated crying but it was necessary to sell the deception. "You see my brother died in a tragic accident, he wanted his friend to have this but we've not been able to find him. I've managed to track him down to his planet but otherwise, I'm stumped and have just been wandering through the countryside blind."

The woman's tough demeanor started to crack witnessing the purebloods apparent distress. While she did try to maintain her composure, with a little more effort she would surely crack. "I uh..shouldn't discuss that kind of information with other guests," she said with a weak voice.

@LadyRen @LouJoVi

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Caer apparently had nothing against sitting down for a moment and filling their empty stomachs while checking whether this saloon was worth the visit. She watched Cyu from the corner of her eye, pretending to be focused on the waiter while actually keeping an eye on the pureblood.

Cyu seemed to try separating the innkeeper from the rest of the staff and while that was obvious necessary, losing Cyu from sight was making her a little nervous and impatient. 'What's your status'. She telepathically adressed the acolyte who had vanished upstairs, resisting the urge to get up. If Cyu blew this, they were fucked. The Sith were in a precarious position in the galaxy and if the acolyte wasn't careful enough, this might as well be her last day alive.

For as long as they would work out of the shadows, they'd only slip in as insignificant wanderers, try to dig up helpful information and get going, so once they had asked around and emptied their portion, they'd be on their way again. Celeste didn't care about what they served and whether it was good or not, all she wanted was to fill her stomach a little while getting ready to either help or slow down Cyu if necessary. 'Some people seem chatty, especially the ones drinking. Let's eat and ask them then' she telepathically said to Caer as the waiter was already approaching with the plates.

@LouJoVi @Xorism

 

[Caerllion of Cyfnos]

While they were seated at the table, Caerllion noticed that Celeste didn’t stop looking with concern at Cyutadakyr. He could have said that his fellow Champion should calm down and that the Pureblood would do a good job, but he would be lying to her. Acolytes were notorious for doing stupid things.

Besides, he also needed to maintain his pain under control. Even if he had already used rituals with blood before, Caerllion was still impressed with the fact that the cuts made during them seemed to be far more painful than any wound that he ever had before. The price of the Dark Side could be very high.

His thoughts were interrupted by Celeste’s voice in his mind. By this point, the Annfyn was already used in having telepathic conversations with the other Champion. He turned to look at the people that she mentioned and saw that indeed there was a group of very talkative individuals drinking in the bar.

“Good idea. Perhaps they know something.” he wondered if these people would know about a Kel’Dor that used to walk around this place, but it was worth trying. However, now his concerns were to eat the food that the waiter was leaving at their table.

@Xorism @LadyRen