Ask Wherever The Trail Leads

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri would’ve been lying to herself by saying she wasn’t impressed by the casual fire-trick - though there was absolutely nothing that was going to stand between her and getting sweet revenge on the Tiefling for his earlier snow-throwing antics. And that pile of snow just oh-so-conveniently positioned on the boulder would be the instrument of her attack.

Her giggles and fits of laughter only grew more intense when the Tiefling began to hiss in frustration - her lips tugging incredibly wide and dimples on full display. She met Altair’s glare with a distinct glint in her eyes at that moment, wiggling her brows playfully in his direction. An expression that was prompted wiped off her face when Altair pulled her legs out from under her.

“ALTAIR!” She screeched only split-seconds before eating shit in the snow - the fact that her mouth was partially open meant that the half-Annfyn was met with a mouthful of snow upon impact. While she was still spitting out frost, Vahliri felt the Tiefling plant his ass on top of her - immediately causing the half-Annfyn to flail her arms dramatically in response. “ALTAIR THAT ISN’T FAIR!” She groaned in the snow. The fact that the Tiefling was almost double her weight and height meant that she wasn’t going anywhere with Altair on top of her.

"MOVE YOUR ASSSSSS!" She inadvertently started carving her own snow-angels as she flailed wildly on the ground, scooping up balls of snow and tossing them back over her shoulder in an attempt to hit the dude sitting on her like a park-bench.

After a moment or two of struggle, Vahliri reached out with the Force - promptly deciding to go nuclear. She coiled the Force around the freshly fallen snow immediately around them, digging her claws deep and proceeding to pull the snow inward. While he was still planted ontop of Vahliri, the Tiefling would see mounds of snow coming at him and Vahliri.Was it the nuclear option? Yes. Would it result in them both getting covered in snow? Yes.

Was Vahliri still going to do it? Damn right she was.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

As Vahl began to screech, he used his tail to press her down so she ate more snow, “Shhh, can’t have them cultists hearin’ you makin’ a fuss,” He said in between snickering, “Look at the pretty angel you’re making,” Altair remarked as she flailed and made all sorts of designs in the snow. He easily dodged the pathetic attempts at tossing balls of snow at him. Her aim was absolute shit from where she was, most of the snow missiles passing harmlessly by him or in the clear opposite direction.

Altair cleared his throat and began to quietly sing just to troll her even more, “Ohhh the weather outside is frightful, but Vahl’s coat is soooo delightful, and since I ain’t got a place to goooo, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!” He sang the popular Life Day song merrily and happily. Altair was about to sing the next verse when Vahl unleashed a mini avalanche on them. The tiefling was completely caught off guard and was bodily smacked by the entire snow dump.

Altair landed with a plop next to Vahl, lying on his back under a mound. Both of them were covered and he reached up to just clear off his face so it poked out from the snow. He turned to glare at her, “Well I hope you’re pleased with yourself for fuckin’ us both,” He grumbled, but he made no moves to get up. For him, being buried was oddly cozy, but he doubted that would be true for Vahl and her expensive coat not actually meant for terrible weather.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

As was likely anticipated, Vahliri’s combination of screeching and wild flailing in the snow only increased when Altair pushed her further down with his tail, causing her to eat just a bit more snow. Of course, the fact that the Tiefling dwarfed her in size meant that the half-Annfyn was going precisely nowhere - left to aimlessly throw snowballs over her shoulder in hopes of nailing him between the eyes.

His singing was the final straw that broke the Eopie’s back - prompting her to go nuclear and summon a mini avalanche to bury them both. In hindsight it was a move that was decidedly worse for her than it was for Altair, but that didn’t stop her - nor did it prevent a wide, very smug grin from spreading across her lips when the Tiefling’s troll-y song cut off mid-verse by the dump of snow.

At once, she felt the weight of Altair lift off from her back, only to be replaced by the additional pile of snow. They were both completely covered, and given that Vahliri was sprawled out on her stomach and already sunk into the snowbed, she was only further buried underneath it. By the time Altair cleared off his face, Vahliri hadn’t yet done the same.

Instead, for just that moment, Altair would only see Vahliri’s single fluted ear sticking out of the snow - the pointed tip flicking and twitching ever-so-slightly with irritation. Her designer coat did precisely nothing to keep her warm, doing quite the opposite as came wet and utterly frigid against her body. Of course, she still heard when Altair grumbled at her.

Vahliri finally lifted her head up from the snow a bit - just enough to clear her face and stare smugly back at the Tiefling. “After that song? Damn right I am.” She quipped right back, smirking at the state of them both completely buried, and the comical way that Altair’s horns poked out from the mound. Though she didn’t stay there for long - smugness alone was not enough to keep her warm beneath the mound.

After a few moments, Vahliri started to push herself up from the ground - dusting off her face and knocking the clumps of snow out from her hair. The half-Annfyn grimaced down at the coat she was wearing - utterly stylish and utterly freezing now that it was wet. Grumbling under her breath, the half-Annfyn unbuttoned the coat and began to pull the wet sleeves off her arms. Which, in of itself, took way more effort than it should have.

With only the long-sleeved shirt she wore underneath, the half-Annfyn went through the trouble of neatly folding her coat and laying it on the boulder before plopping right back down into the snow. She stared at Altair as he laid there, a smirk spreading across his lips. “Getting up anytime soon, or you going to stay lookin' like a Wompa?" She said playfully, extending a hand out to him.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair saw nothing but the ear poking out and began to chuckle at the sight. The absurd display actually brightened his mood from the grumpiness of being buried in snow. He remained right where he was as she got up, her useless coat weighed down and soaked. Altair grinned as she struggled to remove the ridiculous article of clothing, unable to keep from snickering.

“What? No off the shoulders top?” He asked with genuine surprise, “Disappointing..” He added as an undertone. When she extended her hand, he half thought about tugging her back down, but he figured he tested her limits already. The tiefling peeled himself off the snow with a grunt. He dusted himself off and walked over to sit down across from her, still relatively unfazed by the cold.

“All right, let’s play your stupid game,” Altair said. Their comms were still on for any reports of movement from the cultists, but for now they appeared to be keeping a low profile. He eyed her for a moment, thinking back to the playful dynamic, her giggles and those dimples he couldn’t get enough of. He didn’t even realize the cheesy grin that found its way to his face, “I missed you, Vahl,”He muttered quietly, “Prolly more than I wanna admit,” Altair added very quietly. He looked as if he were about to say more, but he cleared his throat and pointed to her purse to remind them about the game.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

It didn’t matter how wet or cold Vahliri was, nothing could prevent the smile that crept its way onto her lips when she heard the Tiefling’s snickering and laughing. It was a sound that had grown exceptionally familiar to her in all the time they had known each other - filled with that sense of warmth and mirth - and it promptly lifted the half-Annfyn’s mood without fail - even as she comically struggled to peel off her jacket.

She paused for a moment when Altair mentioned her choice of top, flashing the Tiefling a grin. “I gotta spice it up every once in a while,” She quipped right back at him. Nevertheless, she didn’t miss that little undertone he threw in at the end - and the half-Annfyn wasn’t going to admit the little mental note she made to deliberately opt for one of those off-the-shoulder tops the next time she saw him.

Vahliri helped him up out of the snow, and promptly proceeded to give him just a bit of side-eye given how unfazed with the cold he seemed. The fact that he was just physiologically impervious to extreme temperatures on both ends of the spectrum was just totally unfair. “Yessssssssss,” She muttered overdramatically, looking all-too-pleased that the Tiefling was onboard with the game.

Of course, the half-Annfyn didn’t immediately reach into her purse - entirely focused on the way that Altair looked at her and the cheesy grin that spread across his lips. The moment he spoke - his words echoing loud-and-clear to her sensitive hearing - Vahliri could feel her cheeks turned a shade redder - fluted ears swiveling beyond her control in a far more pronounced way than anything verbal. “I’ve missed you too,” She muttered in return, reaching forward to brush her hand across the top of his own. “More than I can tell you, Altair.” There was a distinct sheepishness to her smile and the words that passed her lips, something that rarely cut through her confident and fiery nature, and yet did so clearly in that moment.

Her mind wasn’t anywhere near the board-game at that moment, and despite Altair pointing towards it, the half-Annfyn didn’t immediately seem to notice - that wide smile lingering on her lips as she stared at the Tiefling. “I miss just.. Bein’ around you,” She admitted quietly, reaching up to idly toy with a loose strand of her own hair. “Maybe we can find some time once this is all over. Just.. Do something.” She smiled a bit wider. “Somewhere warm though, so help me."

It was only after that, and her gaze lingering on the Tiefling for far longer than necessary, did she actually reach into her purse and pull out the folded, holograpic Dejarik board. She still seemed far more focused on Altair, not paying the board much attention beyond setting it out on the boulder between them.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

The ear swivels got to him every time, and his dorky smile only extended. He awkwardly cleared his throat when she spoke, suddenly feeling heat bubble up in his face and chest. Like her, he had involuntary things that betrayed him like his tail which began to almost eagerly swish side to side. It created a comical half circle in the snow behind where he was sitting, though he hardly noticed.

“And…no boats,” Altair added with a smile. They’d had mishaps with boats every time - first the day they met and then upside down lightning on their mission to rescue Ashla. He didn’t break the gaze just as she didn’t, the lavender hues vibrant and the look familiar to her and yet new at the same time. She had changed over time and so had he, and he knew he couldn’t justify past reservations anymore. That, in turn, almost terrified him and he knew it was something to sort through.

“You got any ideas?” He asked quietly, “I feel like all I do these days are Imperial missions,” Altair said with a sigh.

He opened up the game and set it out, flicking on the holographic projections. Even then it was obvious his mind wasn’t on this as he idly began to flick through different fighter characters.

“Ain’t you seein’ that Finn dude?” Altair blurted out abruptly before he could stop himself, “I mean it ain’t my business just figured..y’all were getting cozy and..” He trailed off and cleared his throat, “Aight, I got my lineup,” He said, gazing intently at the game. He felt like a dolt for waffling around the topic and butchering dialogue, so he attempted to make a smooth recovery by focusing on the game.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

In that moment, Vahliri’s mind was a thousand miles away from the holographic board, or any supposed notions of whipping the Tiefling’s ass at Dejarik. Instead, her attention remained focused on the dorky smile that stretched across the Altair’s face, as well as the little half-circles that his tail idly drew in the snow. They were involuntary reactions that she had come to recognize after years of knowing him, and she couldn’t quite help the way her own expression seemed to light up in ridiculous ways in response.

Without ever giving it much thought, Vahliri continued to play with that loose strand of her own hair, coiling and twirling it around her fingertip before idly tucking it behind one of her fluted ears. The smile on her lips only widened when Altair mentioned no boats, eliciting a few giggles and a shake of her head. “What do you mean? Don’t you know, third times the charm.” She tilted her head a bit. What could be worse than upside-down lightning, really?

Of course, Vahliri couldn’t help but blink a few times when Altair spoke next - staring at the Tiefling for a long moment. “Wait what? Finn? No,” She shook her head. “I'm not seeing him. I haven’t even talked to him since that party.” She cleared her throat before looking back up to the Tiefling. “I’m not seeing anyone.”

A few moments more, and the half-Annfyn finally opted to answer his question from before. “What about a trip to Vaynai?” She said after a long moment. “It’s warm, has kick-ass snorkeling and surfing, good food, some gorgeous hiking spots,” The half-Annfyn shrugged. “Plenty of shit to do - and it’s outside of Imperial territory. Total change of scenery.” She smiled. “But it might involve boats.”

“Could be something else, though.” She grinned. “I got a new ship - so I can take us just about anywhere you want to go.” Vahliri said eagerly, confidently in her ability to pilot them anywhere in the galaxy. The half-Annfyn shifted a bit, a fond expression on her lips as she suddenly stared down at the Dejarik board.

“I’m happy to go wherever, ‘long as it’s with you.” She blurted out before being able to stop herself. There was something unmistakably affectionate in those words, cutting beneath the playful and fiery way she typically operated. It wasn’t until they had left her lips that the half-Annfyn could feel the heat rising in her face, and she didn’t need to look in a mirror to know for certain that it was reflected in the color of her cheeks.

As per usual, her ears were practically doing cartwheels on the sides of her skull in the aftermath of that statement.

Vahliri fiddled with the bangle on her wrist for a moment before turning her attention to the game, scrolling through a few fighters before selecting at random - not really giving it.. Much thought at all. “Alright, I’m ready.” She said, staring down at her board for a very long moment while continuing to rotate and run her fingers across the metallic surface of her jewelry. "..Oh.” She said after a few seconds, pressing a button on the Holographic board to move her fight and actually start the damn game.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair’s eyebrows visibly rose when Vahliri admitted she wasn’t seeing anyone, “For real?” He blurted out, “That’s…surprising..” He added in an undertone. She was far too desirable to be single for any long period of time, especially when someone like him managed to have people interested in him. His tail continued to swish back and forth in the snow, comically in concert with all of her hair twirling and giggling. To anyone watching, it would be a teen sitcom playing out before their eyes and yet the two had no idea.

“Snorkeling? Surfing? Hiking?” Altair rattled off with a grin, “Is this Vahliri still talkin’ cuz the girl I know would rather lounge around on the beach all day,” He chuckled quietly before she mentioned her ship, “Yeah I’ll go as long as I’m doin’ all the flying,” He said promptly before she could say anything about it. Vahliri behind speeders or ship controls was recipe for disaster. Even with the crash in the past, he was still leagues ahead of her. Altair said nothing when she blurted out going anywhere with him, though his face heated up quite a bit. She knew him well enough to recognize it was the same kind of awkward fidgeting he sometimes did when Aadya first came around to social gatherings. It hadn’t been directed at Vahliri before this, and it was almost too subtle to catch.

“Huh?” Altair blurted as she said she was ready. He stared dumbly for a moment before remembering they were playing Dejarik, “Oh right…” He mumbled before looking down at the pieces. Once she moved her piece, Altair did the same, choosing black squares for himself. His mind was elsewhere again, and he thought it was his turn when it was hers. As she reached over to click the button to move her piece, he absentmindedly did the same, his hand layering above hers. His skin was still unusually warm from manipulating the fire and his touch lingered there briefly as he suddenly glanced up at her, “Oh..my bad..” He began to say, but actually didn’t withdraw his hand.

“Sir, we have movement,” A voice crackled through the shared channels. Altair quickly drew back, eyes still wide. He picked up the comlink, “Copy. We’ll move to infiltrate now,” He said as he glanced up at Vahliri for a moment before finally moving to stand up.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

There was no helping the way VahliriBeyond her own control, Vahliri’s cheeks shifted an even deeper shade of crimson when Altair blurted out his surprise at her being single. The half-Annfyn’s amber gaze continued to linger on him through their entire exchange, while the smile on her lips tugged wide to reveal that toothy, almost giddy expression. There was a distinct sense of softness and affection that was visibly behind the half-Annfyn’s gaze, manifesting in ways it rarely - if ever - did elsewhere.

She was entirely oblivious to how cheesy they might’ve looked to others. Every bit of her attention was on Altair and lingering in that moment for as long as it lasted.

Vahliri let out a defiant huff when Altair began singling out her listed activities. “I can hike just fine!” She said confidently, tilting her chin up ever-so-slightly. Of course, her definition of what qualified as a hike was likely wildly different from Altair’s own. “Besides. Who says I can’t lounge on the beach while you’re surfing?” She grinned back at him. Of course, her brows furrowed a bit when Altair flatly stated he would be doing the flying. Her mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish out of water, clearly prepared to argue the point. Despite her borderline suicidal style of flying, Vahliri had yet to actually crash - and in her own mind, that still put her leagues ahead of the Tiefling.

It was incredibly subtle, but Vahliri didn’t miss the way that Altair awkwardly fidgeted in the aftermath of her own statement - catching sight of the Tiefling’s movements while she attempted to recover from those words. It was a reaction from him she’d seen multiple times before, but never because of her. It’s manifestation in that moment only caused her ears to kick into overdrive and her face to continue towards beat-red. Unsurprisingly, the half-Annfyn was a thousand-miles away in that moment - and has only fractionally paying attention when she went to move her fighter. As a result, it wasn’t until she felt Altair’s hand layer over her own that her attention snapped back to reality - suddenly glancing down at their hands and then back up to Altair.

“Oh...No it’s fine..” She muttered quietly, staring back at him Entirely without thinking, the half-Annfyn’s finger lifted off the button ever-so-slightly and brushed against Altair’s hand - running the top before hooking loosely around one of his fingers. She didn’t say anything else or make any attempt to move from that position, suddenly finding herself wanting to bring time itself to a slow. It wasn’t until the voice cracked over their commlink that Vahliri finally glanced up - her hand withdrawing from Altair’s as she sprang back to her feet. Her gaze nevertheless lingered on Altair for a long moment, words unspoken burning in her eyes before they eventually tore away - fixing back onto the task ahead. She didn’t bother reaching for the designer coat still left on that boulder - still soaking wet and quite literally one of the last things on her mind.

It didn’t take them more than a few minutes of walking to arrive back at a small side-entrance to the cave outpost - positioned against a snowbank and tucked away from the primary mouth of the cavern. Vahliri immediately dropped down to a crouch beside the rest of their team, eyes narrowing on the entrance ahead. Just as the others had stated, Vahliri and Altair would immediately be able to see several individuals emerge from the outpost - adorned in that familiar dark armor and face covers that had been seen from other cult members - and began to filter out of the main entrance up ahead. Undoubtedly off to complete the latest assignment granted to them by the female voice that Altair had heard earlier.

Curiously, they would see the group momentarily stop near the entrance while others within the group gathered close - the familiar chanting and the words ‘Hail Savris’ echoing through the cavern just before the group left through the entente - giving the Sith team a small window to make their move inside.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

It took a few moments for Altair to get his head back in the game. Since when did Vahliri manage to fuck with his thoughts to this degree? They had done multiple missions before, and never had she managed to make him completely forget what the hell they were doing. He had to replay the entire dialogue exchange with his Sargent and the mission plan to remember their plan of action. The tiefling popped his helmet back on and began to walk towards the entrance. He watched the cultists gather, say a little creepy ritual and then disperse.

Altair gave the signal to begin moving, quietly making his way down towards the entrance. Right away they came across a door with strange engravings and indents in the stone. He looked at Vahliri, “Those pendants,” He remarked as he took them from her and placed them in the appropriate indents. To his surprise, there was a soft rumble as the stone began to spin and churn, a series of clicks resounding before the entrance opened.

“This could be a trap so keep your guard up,” Altair whispered quietly as he ducked his head and stepped into the dark tunnel. From the looks of it, the tunnel led to a series of little rooms built into a cave system. Clearly the cultists had been here for a while. He couldn’t sense any life forms around and he didn’t pick up any heat signatures through his HUD.

“We should find their ships and plant a tracker,” Altair explained to Vahliri, “I don’t think we should interject their operation. We’ll never find out more unless we discreetly follow them. They’re probably expecting an attack, but they won’t expect us to do nothing,” He still refused to believe the cultist leader wasn’t smart enough to consider that the pendants would have been compromised. Their next challenge would be to quickly piece together some clues and figure out where the ships to go offworld were hidden.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri would’ve been lying to herself if she said that her head was entirely in the game at that precise moment. Even as she watched the cultist and her sensitive hearing picked up on every creepy-ass line of their ritual, the half-Annfyn’s mind continued to swim, lingering on the moment they had just left and the feeling of Altair’s hand layered over the top of her own. Of course, there was precisely zero chance she was going to admit that she hadn’t really been paying attention in that moment - snapping back to reality and promptly following when Altair gave the signal to advance on the entrance.

The half-Annfyn’s brows rose visibly when the Tiefling inserted the pendants into the stone, watching as the slab began to spin and split open to reveal the entrance. If nothing else, it revealed that the entire outpost - and the cultist presence on the planet - was far older than initially believed. She stepped through the entrance with Altair and the others, her hand instinctively hovering near the hilt of her saber as they passed into the cave system - quietly considering the fellow Champion’s own warning of a potential trap.

“I..” The half-Annfyn paused when Altair spoke, considering the words for a long moment. Despite the temptation to intervene with their objectively harmful operation, she couldn’t deny the merit behind what the Tiefling had suggested - especially considering the extreme lengths that the cultists had gone to in the past to avoid an information leak. “Good idea. Agreed.” She finally gave him a confident nod, glancing over to the rest of their team to ensure they were all on the same page.

With that, the half-Annfyn turned her attention back to the path ahead of them - trap or otherwise. Within only a few seconds of walking, the path began to split in multiple different directions - doorframes carved into the cave wall itself, leading into a series of small rooms that split off from the entrance chamber - darkness blanketing the inside of each just beyond the doorframe. There was no distinguishing feature to differentiate any of them, nor what their purposes were at a glance.

“We’ll have to search each to get through here..” She said with a grimace, though it was certainly better than splitting up - which was likely to get them all killed. Pulling the hilt from her belt, Vahliri ignited the crimson blade as a light source before stepping forward - squinting as they moved through the darkness. At least from what they could see, the entire room was empty - an endless sea of matching stone tiles constituting the floor beneath them. Curiously, the aura of light from the half-Annfyn’s saber seemed to abruptly end after only a few feet in front of her - as if the very darkness that gripped the room was fighting against the illumination she provided.

Silence gripped the chamber for minutes, until one of the soldiers finally stepped in exactly the wrong place. The tile beneath his foot sank down several inches into the floor, eliciting a series of mechanical clicking that echoed through the walls all around them. At first, there was nothing.

And then they would hear it - the whistle of metal cutting through the air only feet behind where Vahliri and Altair were standing. Before any of them had time to react, a colossal axeblade swung across the room - positioned perfectly to strike where the soldier had stepped. The man wouldn’t even have time to scream before the blade quite literally split him in half vertically - blood and viscera splashing across the room as the blade continued in its pendulum swing - vanishing back into the wall. And before any of them could make a move towards their fallen comrade - or perhaps wiser, the door - they would hear stone sliding behind them - a loud thud heralding that the path behind them had sealed shut.

Blanketed in complete darkness, the remaining members of their team could only continue through the chamber they had entered - blind to any of the boobytraps or horrors that now clearly awaited them.

@Sreeya

Dice roll: 20/20 for how bad this is. Fuck you Dice Maiden you spiteful hoe

 

[Altair Din]

Altair didn’t react as all of the bullshit played out. A huge part of him wasn’t even surprised that this happened - especially because of his suspicions from the pendants being left behind. He slowly tilted his head to look at Vahliri. However, she would only see the profile of his helmet gazing in her direction. No words were said. No words needed to be said.

“Stick together,” He called out to the two other soldiers that joined them, “We have to proceed with caution,” Altair said as he turned towards Vahliri again, “Do you have your saber? Can use that to light the way,” He suggested. With her help, they would start making their way through the tunnels. There was no way to tell where any traps were hidden.

There was a soft click as they took a step. Altair immediately grasped Vahliri by the hand and ducked, yanking her down. Unfortunately, this did nothing for the men behind them. Blades shot out from the walls and took them both out. Altair slowly rose to his feet, sighing, “Well there goes that..” He said quietly. They were completely and utterly fucked. Their only saving grace was the Force and heightened reflexes, but they were utterly lost otherwise.

He looked over to the side and spotted a desk with some papers and a datapad on it. Altair felt hopeful it might have some information and began to step towards it. That was when he realized he was still grasping onto her hand. He cleared his throat before quickly releasing her and walking over. The tiefling picked up the datapad, scrolling through it. The only thing it mentioned was that there were five ships flagged for transporting crystals offplanet.

“Great,” He grumbled quietly, “This was as effective as Darth Draugr's pick up lines...”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Naturally, Vahliri was the first one to pick up on thd sound of the axe releasing from its mechanism in the wall - the whistle of metal cutting through the air, a stark contrast to the otherwise unnaturally quiet chamber, terrifying in of itself. The half-Annfyn immediately whipped around - her eyes turning just in time to watch the soldier be split in half. She grimaced, watching his body fall and the splatter of blood that collided with her due to the proximity to the man. Vahliri’s gaze lingered on the corpse for a long moment before shifting to glance at Altair, though she didn’t say anything to him. In that moment, she didn’t need to.

“Stay close,” She said back to the group, before promptly igniting her crimson saber. Its sinister glow flooded the immediate area around them, allowing the group at least some illumination as they walked further into the chamber. Of course, it still wasn’t enough for the other two men who promptly set off one of the boobytraps. An involuntary squeak escaped from the half-Annfyn when Altair dragged her and ducked for cover, instinctively grabbing onto the Tiefling as blades tore through the room above their heads. Once more, Vahliri heard the thud of bodies hit the ground - leaving just her and Altair left alive.

“Are you alright?” She glanced up at him, amber eyes rapidly flicking across the Tiefling to confirm that was the case while rising back to her feet. Without putting much thought into it, the half-Annfyn began to step towards the desk - only pausing when Altair did, eyes shifting down to their still-conjoined hands. She frankly hadn’t noticed their grasp has lingered, nor did she realize just how tightly she was holding onto his hand until just then. She blinked a few times, gaze lingering on the Tiefling until he finally withdrew.

She couldn’t help but grimace as she glanced over the contents of the datapad, which effectively confirmed in writing what they already knew from overhearing the guards. “We’re fucked..” She grumbled, though the half-Annfyn couldn’t help but crack a grin when Altair made his quip about Draugr’s pickup-lines - exhaling a bit of amusement through her nostrils. “There has got to be something in here..” The half-Annfyn drew her hand across the wooden surface of the desk where Altair had nabbed the datapad.

And then she paused.

Her fingers ran underneath the edge of the desk as they had before - only this time she was paying far closer to attention to what she was feeling. A small gap between the top of the desk and the underside - alongside what felt to be a metallic mechanism secured at the center. Vahliri glanced up at Altair for a long moment, blinking a few times before taking a single step backwards.Sans an actual key, Vahliri reached out with the Force and coiled her grasp around the locking mechanism of the desk - a violent tug of her wrist forcing the mechanism out of place and to rattle across the floor. She pushed the lid of the desk to the side - revealing a series of hidden compartments just underneath. Stashed inside were an additional stack of datapads and neatly stashed filed. “..Jackpot.”

Vahliri picked up one of the datapads, scrolling across its surface. Unlike the other one that Altair had looted, the half-Annfyn really had struck gold with her find - as the datapad was equip with a complete layout of the compound - including a floorplan of the room they were in, tiles colored to indicate where not to step in order to trigger the boobytraps. Should Altair similarly pick up a datapad, the Tiefling would find it stashed with equally useful information - and most importantly, the location of the ships that the cultists had used during their time on M’haeli - located deeper into the cave system and in a chamber that had wide access to the outside.

“One problem,” Vahliri finally said before glancing up to Altair, her brows furrowing. “This doesn’t tell us how to get out of here.” She grimaced. It was quite frankly one of the few details that were omitted from the new-found treasure trove of information.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair glanced over when the series of clicks happened, and he silently watched Vahliri fiddle around and unearth a stash of datapads, “Damn Vahl,” He said, genuinely impressed as he stepped closer to inspect the datapads, “That was slick,” He grinned before nudging her with his tail. Altair shrugged at her remark about getting out, “That was always a given,” He grumbled as he began to take the path towards the ships.

“Actually,” He paused, “Help me hide the bodies. We’re gonna sneak aboard a ship and they can’t know we were ever in here,” Altair explained. It would be a pain in the ass, but they eventually moved the bodies out of sight. He even used some robes lying around to wipe off the blood as much as he could, hoping that the darkness in the cave would hide most of it.

Altair followed the datapad instructions, making his way through the tunnels that led to a level below. After some looking around, they came across a hangar with various shuttles parked. The tiefling looked at Vahliri and shrugged, “Guess we pick one and hunker down,” He suggested as he started walking, “This is prolly a really dumb idea and the type of shit I’d pull with Cairo, just so you know.”

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t contain the growing grin when Altair spoke - beaming confidently at his words and still internally impressed with her own handiwork unearthing the datapads. “All according to plan,” She added with a playful wink. She felt the Tiefling nudge her with his tail - that playful gesture eliciting a swivel of the half-Annfyn’s ears and causing her smile to tug just a bit wider and warm. She promptly leaned over to return the gesture - jabbing him with her elbow in the gut before moving ahead.

She blinked a few times when Altair laid out their plan - the idea of having to haul around the bodies causing her brows to immediate knit together in protest. It was bound to be a pain in the ass, and sneaking aboard the ship came with its own dangers, but Vahliri also didn’t see a better option. “Alright fine,” The half-Annfyn said - proceeding to make her way over to one of the bodies and move it across the room. Minutes passed, until most of the blood and guts had been mopped up, while the dead bodies were tucked back into the shadows - taking deliberate care to handle the bodies of their comrades respectfully.Luckily, the addition of the map meant that the pair didn’t have to guess where traps might be and can relatively freely move through the facility.

With their tracks mostly cleared up, Vahliri followed Altair until they reached the hangar bay filled with shuttles - exactly as the map had predicted. Despite her desire to simply plant a trapper and dip the hell out, the half-Annfyn was bitterly reminded of the fact that they were rather stuck in their current position.

She glanced over to Altair when he mentioned this being something he might pull with Cairo. “Oh yeah, you’re really sellin’ me on this.” She with a sarcastic grin, shaking her head a bit. There was seemingly always a comical amount of disaster that followed any idea cooked up by Altair and Cairo without fail. The half-Annfyn promptly faced back ahead, pointed her finger, and began to alternate between the vessel, idly picking from amongst the line-up.

“That one,” She said, singling out that particular reasons for no reason at all. Without a moment of hesitation, Vahliri strolled ahead and began to make her way inside the shuttle’s cargo compartment - the durasteel ramp left down for miners that periodically dropped crystals in the ships. Within the cargo compartment, Vahliri grabbed Altair by the arm and drug him over towards a secluded corner of the cargo cold - tucked behind a multitude of crates on the far side of the room, almost entirely out of sight unless someone walked right above them.

She gestured for Altair to have a seat and promptly did the same - plopping down onto her rear with her back to a stack of crates. There were two empty boxes near by as well, just incase they had to abruptly dive for cover during the journey.And they wouldn’t have to wait long, either. Only a few minutes after taking cover, they would both be able to hear the heavy sound of footsteps approaching and that familiar local tongue filling the air.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was quiet as he took a seat next to Vahliri, waiting for the cultists to leave. They came in and stacked more crates filled with their haul. They spoke to one another in their language before they left the cargo hold, leaving the two Champions alone. For a long moment, Altair said nothing, allowing his eyes to adjust to the very low lighting. It was only when he was very sure they were gone that he relaxed. He confirmed it by glancing over at Vahliri, knowing her sensitive ears would pick up any movement.

“Well,” He began after a moment, “I hope you’re pleased with your idea to infiltrate,” Altair grumbled quietly as he leaned his head back against a crate and closed his eyes. To say that he was irritated was an understatement. This was a dumb idea, but his curiosity overwhelmed him. He had a gut feeling this would lead somewhere interesting. It was just like him and Cairo to venture into something without having a solid way back. He was just surprised to see Vahliri come along.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

For once, Vahliri tempered her talkative habits and managed to keep quiet as the cultists entered the ship. Her gaze flicked between Altair and the direction where the foreign voices were coming from - a hand hovering instinctively just above the saberhilt on her waist. In the end, however, the cultists turned and departed without ever drawing closer to where the pair had hidden in the back of the cargo compartment. She held the silence for an additional few seconds, sensitive hearing trained to pick up on any faint movement or voice around them.

Vahliri could hear as they stomped their way down the durasteel ramp of the shuttle, and the faint voices in that foreign language as they conversed further way. By the time they had finally left her own earshot, the half-Annfyn glanced back at Altair and gave him a nod of confirmation.

“Don’t be such a grump,” Vahliri said in response to Altair’s grumbling, bumping him with her shoulder as she scooted to sit against the same crate. ”How was I suppose to know this was gonna be some shit out of Corellia Jones?” She shrugged. “And, you’re the one who suggested playing stowaway, as I recall.” Even still, she knew this was a bad idea. They were about to be transported to wherever the hell these cultists originated from, surrounded by hostiles and completely on their own. And as much as lingered on those negatives, the half-Annfyn was undeniably curious about the real origins of the cultists, where they came from and who the hell Sarvis was.

After a moment or two, the half-Annfyn rose up from where she was sitting and looked down inside the crate they were leaning against. Without a word, she slid open the lid - gazing down at the multitude of Kyber crystals that were stashed inside. After a moment of observation, Vahliri pulled two of them from the pile - tossing one to Altair before plopping down next to him again. “Isn’t all bad, though.” She rolled the crystal on her hand, noting how warm it held to the touch. “We might actually get to the bottom of these weirdos, put a stop to.. Whatever they're doing.”

“And I’m awesome to travel with, as you well know.” She nudged him a bit, grinning up at the Tiefling. She wasn’t blind to the fact that he was irritated by the situation, but there was little they could do about it now.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stared at the crystal she handed him, blinking at it, “The hell am I supposed to do with this?” He quipped as he promptly handed it back to her. He clearly had zero interest in kyber crystals or anything to do with sabers. It was a habit that almost always caught other Sith by surprise and he stopped bothering to explain himself. He only grunted as she nudged him, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah right,” He grumbled as she remarked on being awesome to travel with, closing his eyes, “Unless you’re about to do a sexy dance or somethin’ it’ll just be toenail clipping or you tripping over something and eating shit,” With that, he tilted his head back against a crate and promptly decided he would take a nap. The ship began to rumble and it was obvious they were slowly taking off from the hidden bay. He was nervous about the whole thing, but his curiosity trumped it.

For now, he decided he would be absolutely worthless and just vibe.

@Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri aggressively rolled her eyes when Altair handed the Kyber crystal back to her. The half-Annfyn was well aware of the Tiefling’s attitude towards the Kybers and the lightsabers they typically powered. He was Matukai and stuck to his principles, and that was something she had come to deeply respect about him. All the same, she couldn’t quite help her own fascination with the crystals and their multitude of properties. “They are useful for more than just lightsabers, you know,” She said after a moment, rolling her fingers. The Force flowed through her hands - causing the two crystals to levitate above her fingers and orbit one another.

“Not to mention the amount of crystals in this shuttle is worth an absolute fortune,” She muttered.

Vahliri glanced back to Altair when the Tiefling grumbled, momentarily pausing her little Force trick to stare in his direction - blinking a few times. She opened her mouth at once - fully prepared to come back with a denial or rebuttal to him yet again making ridiculous references to her supposed toeclipping and clumsiness. Instead, however, the half-Annfyn merely stared at him for a long moment - a glint gradually forming in her honeyed eyes.

“If you want me to do a sexy dance, you can just ask.” She said without missing a beat, her head tilting ever-so-slightly as a grin tugged at the corners of her lips. Vahliri kept her gaze on him for a long moment after that, amber eyes fixing onto those pools of amethyst if he ever opened them to look at her.

Her attention shifted only when the Vahliri felt the ship lurch forward and rise from the ground. She couldn’t deny the faint pit in her stomach at the entire ordeal - knowing full well that this was likely to lead to disaster.. But she was both too curious about the cult and too stubborn to ever admit her doubts aloud.

She shrugged a bit, glancing back to him. “Otherwise I’m starting up a movie while we wait,”

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair’s eyes opened when she casually mentioned he could just ask, “I can?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat and looked away at once, clearly flustered. In truth, he had seen Vahliri dance at socials before, and he had danced with her on numerous occasions. But he had never seen her do a striptease dance for him, and it had admittedly been one of his secret fantasies he felt too silly to ever share. His face grew extremely hot and he stared holes into a crate in front of him.

“Ah yeah..hmm movie.. Yup,” He remembered after a few seconds, pulling his head out of the clouds. He scooted over to make room for her to sit next to him, “Gimme one of your earbuds,” He said, “What we watchin’?” Altair asked, as he made himself comfortable. He had no idea where they were going, and it was just sinking in how terrible this idea was. What if they had to eat or use the refresher? It could be hours or it could be days before they arrived at their destination.

A movie sounded like a nice distraction for now to keep his mind from going into a spiral.

@Altaris