Click here for lightsabers
  • Home
  • Help
  • Login
  • Register
Pages: 1 ... 6 7 [8] 9 10 ... 24   Go Down
Author Topic: Remnant of the Aether  (Read 47121 times)
TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #105 on: September 28, 2020, 05:24:58 PM »

This was an incredibly emotional chapter, from the highest of high to the lowest of low.  But I love the candid perspective from Ari, not only as she navigates her "new normal" but also feelings that confuse as well as elate.  And it's this kind of powerful writing that makes me re-live my love of Star Wars  Smiley

Another treat here is a fantastic look at pre-Cataclysm Alderaan: LSG you've emerged us with an incredible setting in perfect form, from the details of the geology, the fauna, and the artificial attractions that the beautiful planet has/had to offer... THIS is the kind of story that Disney REALLY should be giving us.

And throughout it all, the undercurrent that Ari is at odds with her own self, her hereditary culture versus her adopted.  Can she reconcile the two?  Will one take primacy, to the mutual exclusion of the other?  Or perhaps a synthesis, much like how Mili has attempted to straddle two worlds.  And speaking of Mili...

It seems that Mili has sparked a marked interest in Ari... THIS will be VERY interesting.  She's been raised by a loving relative (poor Tarasen...) and by loving adoptive parents...but can she accept the love from & for another who is not in a parental role?  Again: BRILLIANT writing LSG (excuse me for a moment, I seem to have something in my eye...)

I CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT!!!
Logged

Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #106 on: October 09, 2020, 03:43:13 AM »

 
Chapter 17 — Ari’s Quest — Huntress — Part 1
Several Years Ago

Few things surprised him.

After centuries of…Life in one form or other it could hardly be any other way.

He had plumbed the depths of Dormuund Kaas Oceans, scaled the peaks of Teth to scour the monasteries of B’omar in search of new and better means of achieving his goals.

And so Kadmaur savoured the novelty of this find.

Scouring the Temples of Yavin they had stumbled across the cairn set atop a mesa overlooking not the nearby Ziggurats and Towers, but the jungles.

Atop the pile of stone was a long stone the width of his forearm with marble veins, carved unusually precisely to represent three female figures with linked arms in a circle all staring out, a Triquetra symbol on each.  Each of the figures represented some kind of ‘aspect’…the bare breasted one fertility, the muscular predation and prey, the svelte one with the scroll knowledge.

It was utterly incongruous with anything else on Yavin, bearing no relation to the Sith Artefacts slowly plundered over the millennia, or the degenerate Massassi cultures crude totems.

In his long experience, Kadmaur had never seen a triune feminine deity of this kind. 

Of course that alone was not enough to stimulate his sense of wonder. There were millions of backward peoples on forgotten worlds worshipping queer gods, any one of which could stumble onto Yavin.

A half dozen tattooed Wraiths carefully prepared the specimen for extraction.  It had been a scouting team lead by a Shade that had detected the anomaly on Yavin while investigating what a Vhal’Dan expedition some years past had taken…and  more importantly left behind.

Upon realising the value of the find they had immediately signalled the rest of the Revenant to attend. 

The cult waxed and waned over the centuries in number, for now it was just over two hundred in all across six main locations, Taris and the Archive of course, but a few other secluded smaller facilities to continue their studies.

The orange haze of the Gas giant lit the canopies below as he waited for them to complete their task - an almost pleasing vista compared to the brute stone on the opposite side of the mesa.  Whoever had buried the body under the cairn had appreciated the natural world far more than the Sith Temples.

Over the last few years there had been…disturbances in the Force that unsettled him…tremors neither light nor dark…but…primal…ferocious…protective…and events just as disconcerting.  The Grand Master of the Jedi on Coruscant Kimar killed in the Council chambers by, according to rumour, his chosen assassin, the Mak’tor, already reeling from the exile from Coruscant struck again by a significant loss, and tensions among the Vhal’Dan, even the Sith were rumoured had experienced some kind of…set back.

There was a thread between these events he could not quite pluck free from the tangle….of course his concern was not to intervene, only to avoid whatever agents were causing these events – that seemed to be drawn to any clustering of the Force like lighting - from disrupting his own plans.

“Master, the specimen is prepared,” the awed voice of the Shade whispered

He turned swiftly to gaze upon the blue lit transparisteel at the body within.

The corpse was male of an unknown meta-human species, fortunately by laying it to rest on the scrappy thin dirt of the Mesa it had avoided the worst the moist jungle airs from below could do to a body, but even accounting for this the preservation was astounding. 

The rot was predominantly around orifices as expected, the bones remained inhumanly strong.  Buried with a number of leather and wooden grave goods, the three feminine figures and triquetra’s, along with a three pointed star the main symbols the skin had been painted a stark red using local ochre’s that also partially preserved its turgidity, whether this was an intentional attempt at embalming he could not say.

Most clear of all was the bodies lingering presence in the force.  Given they did not know the species decomposition rate, the best estimate for how long it had lain there the latent Force presence about the body was astounding and had immediately attracted the Shade scouts attention…

Indeed, Kadmaur, mused there were some among his ‘Wraiths’ not as strong in the Force alive as this body was dead.  And the taste of it…primal, strong, vicious and protective…just like the disturbance of the last few years.

Dirt blew up and round his waist as his ship lowered to hover nearby to load the specimen as he considered how best to proceed.

“Have the body examined in full…then divided,” he ordered the Shade as he handed over the marble laced statue to him.

“The Force about this being is unusual…and I sense more easily traced by the others of this…species....”

…and I do not wish to engage them… was the ending to his unfinished sentence as his slavish followers completed their tasks.

Kadmaur did not expect the chance of anyone seeking out this body was high, the Vhal’Dan after all had come and gone less than three years before and left it, but with recent events he did not want to take the risk, and though multiple Revenant covens studying pieces of the body in isolation would mean slower progress….

He had all the time in the galaxy.

<<<<>>>>

Aresaea
The shock was still raw as Ari sat knees to her chin a rug draped around her to ward off the cold.

She had lost her uncle twice.

Sofa and Valens had joined them atop the mesa as soon as they felt the wave of anguish, the Assault transport hovering nearby.

There was little to be said or done.  Valens slowly approached Ari face stern for the formal task even as his aura betrayed immense empathy.

“This was beyond your control, beyond any prediction, in consideration of that situation I relieve you of this Trial and will set anoth…”

“No,” Ari’s voice was clear and firm

“No I will fulfil my trial as it was set,”

Valens appreciated the gesture, but given the outright impossibility…

“It’s not…I can do it…” she brandished the rotten leather scrap
“I can use this to find out what happened at the very least, if it was a predator, carrion eater…or worse,”

Crouched beside her Valens paused for a moment that seemed compressed and expanded at the same time in the wake of the shocking find.

“Very well, that will be enough, do all you can for Nine days,”

By which he meant Aethan days of 43 Republic standard hours

“If you do not find the body or any trace, then your proven skills, dedication to the People, journey here, sharing Tarasens story and…enduring this horrifying grief…is already enough to affirm you a Guardian.”

Ari nodded, Milaea was still sitting with her rubbing her back gently beneath the blanket.

“Perhaps,” Sofa whispered to Valens, her relief at leaving the Massassi catacombs Valens had insisted on exploring short lived in light of the disappointment Ari now faced.

“…we should contact her parents on Galtea, have them support her,”

Valens shook his head

“Not until her trial is done…this is a matter for People alone,” he looked over to the two younger women

“Milaea will be a comfort for her, they get on very well,”

He knelt at the ground where the Cairn had been, there was no signs of disturbance anymore, the winds and rains had long since turned the site into another partly filled dent in the mesa.

Eyes firmly ahead he gazed back as much as he could seeking a fixed point of disturbance…if it were a natural removal, or even grave robber there was unlikely to be…

”hmmm…”

Even as the ship prepared to leave Kadmaur sensed a ripple about him across the fourth dimension…


“Ari…there is something here,”

<<<<>>>>

The warmth of morning wrapped her like a familiar friend.

The sounds of the jungle about her were unchanged, the rhythm in the aether a beat into which she felt she could almost step back into. 

Her small hut might still be there it was the perfect time to pick Juul berries…

Yavin had not changed but she had.  And she had a greater task to complete.

The shock and grief of the lack of discovery had worn thin over a largely sleepless night upon the mesa, a few levels of consciousness she shut down in turn for rest as she ate while Valens and Sofa maintained a vigil, Milaea never leaving her side for longer than a few minutes to obtain a drink of gormin milk for her or relieve herself.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply to re-centre she finally stood and walked toward the empty site.

“What did you sense?” she asked Valens as she knelt

“A presence…strong and focused…Tarasens body was taken with sentient, not primitive intention.”

“I will find out who,” her voice carried her conviction well.

“Flow vision can be dangerous, Milaea and I will make sure you are safe, if I say pull out you do so immediately,” Valens instructions broached no argument.

Ari nodded, Sofa, now in full armour, stood by the ships open hatch ready to evacuate them physically if needed, Gnurr and his Extolled, decorated with a few scars and trophies from Massassi they had sought out to fight patrolling the paths up the cliff.

Sitting legs crossed upon what should be a hallowed site, Ari gripped the last trace of her uncle in her hands, the aged soil damp leather scrap threatening to break under her grip.

She breathed in and pushed three levels of consciousness back

She breathed out and used the remaining three to channel the aether through her more deeply.

The abundant life of the jungle moon flowed as it ever had, as if she had never left the planet.  The blackened taint of the Sith presence lingered in the background, a source of power yes but it had its own goals making it of no use to her.

The great Green Deity of Yavin, the amalgamation of all that was native was in an grinding war of attrition against it, pulling the invading aetheric energy slowly apart just as it did the Massassi ruins with creeping vines and eroding water clogged soils.  The war was slow but the outcome inevitable.

It was to the green deity that she sought some help from, it had a rapport enough with her, it knew she was not native, but accepted that she and Tarasen had been respectful of it and were not here by choice nor violent intent.

The large multilayered nature of the deity offered its help, it had disliked something about the desecration as well.

Her mind shifted back effortlessly with the help of the planets ‘god’ its nature beyond gender.

Milaea standing to the side was transfixed by the inclusiveness of Ari’s ability to connect to the Aether.  A Jedi was taught to connect with the Light, or as Soryu more strongly taught the Living Force, Ari’s approach no doubt influenced by Vhal’Dan omni-theology was similar, but in a way deeper in its non-discrimination between light and dark.

There was a deep respect for the planet in Ari’s approach, the other People were cautious in using the aether or upsetting local ‘gods’ when they were known, but they didn’t actively try to commune with them as Ari did.

Dozens of questions and exciting thoughts filled Milaea’s mind as Ari’s delved deeper into the past.

The vast orange disc of Yavin pulled backward, light and darkness moved in reverse, trees returned to saplings, rain spiralled upward, the rotten dead picked at by carrion scavengers reanimated about her as she sought the unnatural, her technique more prolonged than Valens but more precise for it.

And it was not hard in the finding. 

He sensed it again, something was watching, whether forward or backward Kadmaur could not tell,

“Hurry fools!” he hissed in a rare display of anything other than serenity and wizened authority before his lackeys.

The last fragments of the burial were locked in sealed containers, the scouts quickly moving back as he felt the eyes upon him….

He could learn much from even this brief cross over, to flow walk any meaningful distance required mental control and an above average strength in the force, to do so across what he sensed was years required more still, and training…

A brief thought they were looking for something other than this exhumation was lost as the gaze strengthened.

He cut his presence back, trying to deny the watcher any view of him


Ari saw the ghostly…Man? vanish…he had gravitas across time, the others less so.

Eidetic memory noted every millimetre of them, the pallid skin, half healed scars pink and livid over written with arcane tattoos, well maintained but antiquated equipment.

She…yes she…was watching…his lip curled in irritation again, this body had enormous potential and risk in equal measure it seemed…

He was not at his most…refreshed as it was, he could not mask the Revenant and himself simultaneously

The last case was locked in, he leapt with spryness that defied his nominal age onto the ship, and glared at the glowing seated form of a young…

Woman seemed a misnomer, this thing was certainly not a humanoid of any kind he had seen, barely completely physical…he almost envied the native ease with which it seemed to exist in the Force…though he was well aware such an existence was equal blessing and curse.

Her head tilted toward him, expression unreadable in the glowing haze of her silhouette…but he felt even across over a decade the intent


<I will know what you are> Ari promised as she returned to the present.

<<<<>>>>

“The Jedi have no information on them, it’s been decades since they did anything to make waves…” Milaea sighed as the lines of blue scrolled past her face, the cool of the Aertemisaea’s nearby air duct blowing a strand of hair constantly across her face that seemed to Ari somewhat…cute

“Nor the Vhal’Dan…” Ari added returning to her datapad, having taken with her a full copy of Kazic’s personal archives when she left.

“Last record was actually by Arkady Kyne, the current Kage when he was Seventh Speaker…they found a small but abandoned outpost, evidence of some horrific experiments, but not enough leads to pursue any further…”

“I don’t suppose what we took from Almas Fortress had anything either?” Milaea called to Sofa at the second of nine consoles in the spacious war room behind the bridge, designed to be staffed by nine People to fight wars Ari hoped would never start.

“No…Xithar had little interest in such backward cults…”

With Ari’s description of the desecrators it had taken little time to narrow down the handful of groups known to the Jedi that attired themselves in that fashion and had a penchant for collecting dead, force sensitive bodies.  The group was known as the Revenant, a small clique that variously appeared and vanished over the decades mostly innocuous, if bizarre, but occasionally fiercely pursuing seemingly worthless relics.

“There is a place….” Valens said standing arms crossed behind them, his voice barely above a whisper

“..where Dark Jedi and other force sensitive outcasts were known to frequent, the kind of place the Revenant would recruit….”

Ari perked up immediately

“Well we should head there then, go undercover!”

Valens shared a look with Milaea that was…sad

“It’s not that easy Ari…if you want to go there you can…but…I can’t go there,” Milaea looked askance as if ashamed

“I’ll go with her,” Sofa said with firm empathy, her blue eyes fixed on her husband as Ari felt the undercurrent of a supportive nudge to both Milaea and Valens.

Ari looked around

“I don’t understand what is this place?”

Sofa sighed

“Nar Shadda,”

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #107 on: October 09, 2020, 03:45:53 AM »

Chapter 17 — Ari’s Quest — Huntress — Part 2

Aresaea


The smugglers moon, the Vertical city, or Littleslug Land.

Ari knew the stories, this was the place the majority of the her People had been taken after the Devastation, where they had been sold, murdered, raped, mutilated…where Valens had watched Shilea die, Jarys fought in the pits, Kiraea sold to a pervert, Milaea traumatized by seeing her mother killed while flow walking – and these were simply the horrors she knew about.

How many more had suffered here could be felt by the instant wave of despair and terror that struck her as soon as they dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the system.

Milaea visibly winced, to be in the sector was painful, to go to the surface unthinkable.

It was a shrine to the pain and suffering Outsiders had caused People, one that put Milaea on the verge of tears, Valens teeth clenched as tight as his fists barely able to stop himself grabbing the Aertemisaea’s controls off Sofa and launching Shikkar torpedoes straight at the surface

“The only time Valens will ever set foot on that moon again,” Sofa had said
“Is with his brother at the head of a legion of Sons of Kessel…and on that day I think Milaea will turn a blind eye to what they do….”

If Sofa felt the same waves of dread she didn’t show it as she set the auto pilot and nodded to Ari, the Destroyer in a fixed high orbit undetected by what passed for traffic control they headed to the hangar to take a Karintha Class Transport down,

“Ari,” Milaea said as they passed

“Be careful…but if you need help, we’ll be there,”

Ari nodded, she had no desire to make a scene, and certainly no wish to force Milaea to have to go planetside, the pain on her face was already making Ari regret coming here.

<<<<>>>>

The trip down was slow, traffic was dense and they were cloaked…and with each kilometre the anger and fear rose in her breast…needing a distraction she looked to Sofa, her raven black hair tied back in a loose pony tail as she took the ship in.

“Sofa…”

“mmm…”

“Might I ask you a personal question,”

“What?” Sofa jumped shocked

“Oh sorry I don’t mean to…”

“No you actually asked, usually Kiraea will just barge into my head…or other places…but to cover off the obvious yes cycling normally and spending quality time with Valens,”

“Oh…well that’s good…I mean…though not what I wanted to ask, not directly…but yes I suppose I learnt to be more…discreet after walking in on Saani and Kazic a few too many times…it took them along to teach me boundaries around outsider minds…”

“No doubt…” Sofa smiled “hopefully you can osmotically filter that to the others…” she kept tapping keys and adjusting the descent

“So what do you want to know?”

“You were human…but became Aethan, well partially, when Milaea healed you…then fully later…because you wanted children Kiraea says but…”

“but…”

“There must be more to it, to change yourself so much,”

“There wasn’t much choice after Milaea healed me…sometimes I wonder if Aethans can heal outsiders, or if they can only…change them”

Sofa paused reflecting

“You’re right though…there was more…” she glanced to the ships various digital clocks and timers, her voice becoming low

“When I was a child I was…abused…by a Jedi – I never trusted the Jedi to keep me safe, or being a Jedi to keep me safe. Being human, and female…is to always feel weak, afraid…under threat, sticking to well-lit areas, never going out alone, watching what you wear, carrying stun sticks…even as a Jedi….”

Ari shifted closer feeling the pain and fear Sofa held so close even against the background of the moon below…if Sofa didn’t react as strongly as the others to Nar Shadda it was perhaps because she was used to managing a weight of pain that could never be relieved.

“You come from a society where men literally worship you and lived in the more than tolerant, diversity celebrating upper class of another. I’m from one where many – not all but enough to be afraid - want to use you, pressure you, control you…even if you’re a Jedi…did you ever feel on Galtea afraid for your safety, apart from when Anson was trying to take you, worried to be alone”

Ari could only shake her head,

“No I…I never thought about it…I guess I always knew that if someone did threaten me…”

“You could blast them, or crush them because you are Aethan, a demi-God and they are not…that feeling, that safety, I never knew it until I became Aethan…not that we’re invincible but the fear is much less…I know I’m stronger and heavier than any human, or twi’lek, strong enough in the aether to keep anyone at bay…and backed up by a husband, sister, family that would stop at nothing to help me…”

Sofa turned to look at Ari expression firm.

“I’m a selfish person – proud of it – and knowing other people are weaker makes me feel safe and powerful.”

Nothing was said for quite a while as Sofa tapped keys to arrange for a pre-paid berth.

“Alright then,” Sofa finally said with a grin “Let’s get to it,”

<<<<>>>>

Holodrama’s often had such sets, grimy industrial decay populated by hunched sub-humanoids in filthy rags.

Ari had always thought that contained a large element of artistic license - until now.

Life imitated art as she kept close behind Sofa, thick treated gormin wool cloaks keeping the oil laced steam from clanking exhausts from sticking as their hands remained close to their weapons clipped to the Mark 1 Guardian Armour.

The maze of levels and alleys between the vast rotting towers was mind boggling, the state of the naked struts atrocious, the buildings seemed to stay upright from the collective belief of the denizens that they were fixtures of this world rather than static engineering.

Ari could only assume that the depredation was due to the absence, or suppression of local gods combined with vast numbers of not native inhabitants, even the Hutt gods Evona and Ardos were said to have been destroyed with the Hutt birth world of Varl…a fact that explained much she thought about Hutt culture as it currently existed.

Eyes were constantly on them as they passed, a few lingered, but the determined stride and cowled appearance kept them from being harassed as Sofa lead the way down, down then finally up to a shabby dark stair well, a spider like Harch, six hairy limbs a grime smeared grey rather than pale, sitting on a chair beside it.

Sofa stooped toward the creatures its six red eyes trying to get a fix on her,

“Tell Stark the hottest ass in the Order wants to talk,”

The creature grunted, chelicerae beside its mouth twitching

“’aint the password,” was the growling response

“Never said it was just tell him,” Sofa pressed.

<You’ve been here before?> Ari inquired
<A few times, when I was out on my own missions before I started training Milaea>

The Harch grunted and tapped quickly with one hand on a wrist data-slate, the other four arms twitching near folds in its baggy clothes that no doubt concealed an array of weapons.

A TT-6B Gate keeper droid poked out for a few seconds from the door frame around the stairs, Sofa looked straight into it.

“Hurry up Stark,”

The droid vanished back just as quick,

“Let them in,” A comm in the Harch auditory canal signalled, Aethan hearing more than able to pick it up before the Harch even passed it along,

“You in, no trouble but,”

“No just the best Butt,” Sofa sneered.

<<<<>>>>

Much like the streets the bar looked straight out of a holodrama, low lighting, shadowy hunched figures sipping beverages that bubbles or leached clouds of ammonia.

At the main bar was a haggard looking main with a dark beard flecked with grey.

“Been a long time S,” he said not looking up from cleaning a glass with a dishrag that needed to be washed months ago.

“So I long I heard you were dead a few years back, something ‘bout Ord Mirit and such…”

“Let’s say I was born again, nothing in the galaxy can kill this perky arse,”

“True dat,” ‘Stark’, or so Ari assumed it must be, spoke with a guttural street accent, and like the other beings here had a touch of the aether about him.

“So Chume-Crème for you and what about our friend?” he took out two bottles one of golden syrup one of a milky liquid and started mixing

“I’m guessing that ain’t O under that cloak, wouldn’t fit…”

<’O’?>

<Former Sentinel Oma, I was with her last time, on the hunt for a particularly nasty dark Jedi, it was that missions bloody end that drew Yshrrk to recruit her into the Sentinels>

It was easy Ari realised to forget Sofa had a life before joining the Aethans, or even being fully together with Valens.

“Just a water…” Ari said calmly taking in her surrounds, tasting the eddies of the aether now and in the past…and future…

<This place...it’s a haven, a refuge for Aether users of all kinds…a neutral ground of sorts…>

<Neutral enough> Sofa explained as Stark offered them seats at the bar
<Stark won’t allow any funny business inside, most people respect that>

<And the ones that don’t aren’t seen again I’m guessing?>

<Sharp girl> Sofa smiled <But information, rumours and the like trade freely here, and you need to be careful after you leave who might be following>

“Just stopping by S or here looking for someone?” Stark said the internal conversation not even a beat missed to his point of view

“Bit of both, you haven’t seen or heard about any tattooed goons about the place, pallid look, a bit gaunt?”

“Eghhh…” he scratched his long slightly greasy hair
“You know it’s been so long I can’t remember just how great that arse of yours is…”

Sofa slid her left hand palm down across the table, her right taking a sip of the Chume-Crème

<Aethan digestion…nothing gets through it> Sofa inwardly sighed at her inability to experience any effects from alcohol.

“Perhaps this will remind you.”

Stark swiped the credit chit so fast in fact Ari couldn’t make out its value.

“Couple o’ guys around here every few months, hand out these little books…” he turned to rummage beneath the counter before presenting a yellowed pamphlet in archaic looking Areu-besh

Youth. Strength. Eternity. Truth. was the heading before a confused jumbling tract of ecstatic zealous preaching both Aethan women read in milliseconds along with an Invitation to Find out More at Eternity Fane.

“Some people down on their luck take ‘em up, most don’t,”

“You let them proselytize?” Ari asked an incredulous eyebrow raised as she took command of the situation, this was her trial after all.

“They don’t call down brimstone, just gently hand out their books talk to anyone in their cups, and they pay upfront rather than have a tab, no complaints,” Stark explained as he presented a cup of what could only be called ‘water’ by Nar Shadda standards.

“Where can we find these preachers…apart from their little ‘Fane’”

“I don’t ask those kind of questions miss…?”

“Miss Terry,” Ari replied in the spirit of the anonymity of this place

“Ha, fair enough, wait long enough they’ll show up I suppose, always eager to chat,”

Ari considered her options, and focused one level of thought on the pamphlet…with no guarantees when they might return…she might just be able to use that…

“You know S I saw a zine the other week, a bunch of loose perky girls, The Arts of Aphrea or some such, one had an arse just as cute as yours…thought for a moment it was you but couldn’t be could it?”

“You never know Stark, living by my own rules now,” she gulped down the last of the cocktail

<Have enough> Sofa asked

<I think so, let’s head off>

“We’ll catch you later Stark,” Ari concluded her ‘water’ untouched

“Any time Mystery Girl, hey S keep that butt waggling,”

<Sofa…I know its personal but how does he know…I mean did you and Stark…>

<He wishes - hidden camera’s in the refresher, and rooms he lets…>

Sofa shook her head as they headed back up the stairs

<That’s the way this galaxy is>

<<<<>>>>

The pamphlet in her hand, Ari combined aspects of flow walking and psychometry as Kiraea had taught to track the source.  While it did list the times and location to ‘Learn more about achieving eternity by instinct Ari felt a more indirect approach would be better.

The pamphlet was not especially deep in ‘memory’, a throw away rather than valued object, but fortunately it had been passed through only two sets of hands, the printer and Stark.

In the hollow of a graffiti scrawled I beam Ari’s sought the printers location as Sofa kept a look out.

<A small apartment, stinking of ink, crowded by boxes, fanaticism wearing down amidst the drudgery of acting as a shipping hub…staff cycled through…>

She had the location, she just needed a deeper sense of its relative position…

“…keep moving…” she heard on the outer of her awareness as he minds sped through the streets up canyons of steel and cliffs of duracrete.

“…told you once….” 

Up several levels, then across further toward the moons equator….

TCCCZZZZZUUUM

The saber igniting forced Ari to pull two levels of thought from her search, four more kept the thread together.

The guardian blue cast ugly shadows through the alley as Sofa’s ploy failed.

The overly muscled hyper-stimm gangers took the glowing weapon as a challenge rather than deterrent...

“Stun stick” one grogged with a belly laugh with a voice unnaturally deep as it was tall, rough slabs of metal serving as armour, the red either blood or old paint.

His ignorance was soon dispelled as Sofa whirled through the eight of them with a unique Niman style. Ari was no stranger to the style, Kazic and his master Stryka Annix had been hard fought experts, Sofa’s technique shared a common base, but had smooth and calm to it, not doubt owing to Soryu’s influence.

“Wai…” even in the half second Ari spoke it was too late to stop the slaughter.  The cocktail of drugs pumping from small filthy units on the gangers backs was not enough to match the strength and speed of a trained Aethan. In less than three seconds they were a pile of cauterized limbs and crushed throats gagging on their own blood before their head’s were severed.

Ari looked wide eyed at Sofa as she shut off her sabre.

“What happened, you didn’t’ have to kill them…surely a mind trick…”

Sofa merely shrugged

“I’m not gonna leave them to rape and pillage another day,”

Sofa pushed one still twitching body over with her foot sensing Ari’s inability to reconcile the dismissive slaughter with Sofa’s Jedi background.

“There’s not enough resources, time or will in the galaxy to rehabilitate scum like this…” Sofa sneered before very deliberately stepping on the bodies. 

“The Jedi are always split between trying to save everyone like Soryu or purging like Oma…tears them apart time and again through history…and much as I consider Soryu my father…”

She began heading off idly leaving the dead like so much refuse

“You can see which side I fall on,”

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #108 on: October 09, 2020, 03:46:37 AM »

Chapter 17 — Ari’s Quest — Huntress — Part 3
Aresaea

“huh…” Sofa chuckled as they caught sight of the apartment Ari had seen in her psychometirc vision, located in an above average socioeconomic zone, the floors of the vast skyscraper were worn but not filthy, small mid-priced rectangular cleaning droids flitting about as clean dressed sentients going to and fro from administrative positions as accountants, analysts, stock traders and import/export workers – the white collar class of Nar Shadda.

“There’s an old Jedi riddle of sorts they ask padawans. You come across a locked door barring your path, do you a) knock it down b) slice the lock or c) knock…it’s meant to see whether you’re more akin to a Jedi Guardian, Sentinel or Consular respectively, though they don’t really use those classifications any more, I suppose the question is traditional so they keep it…anyway which way do you want to handle this,”

“I think it is a false dilemma to limit options to three,” Ari replied “in this case, I say we wait and watch, see who comes and who goes, and where,”

“Different approach…” Sofa noted although Ari couldn’t read whether it was approvingly or not.

Suppressing their presence across every detectable spectrum they found a small alcove for a cleaning droid recharge station to stake out the apartment.

<My husband and his sister would’ve broken in, knifed then mind ripped whoever came in….> Sofa noted as the first hour passed
<It seems the Vhal’dan instilled a more cautious approach, are they typically more…discrete?>

<Somewhat, it really depends on the individual, Saani is, Kazic less so…the Vhal’Dan have heavies, shadows, Sentinels…a mix really,>

<Much like the Jedi, though the Gray orders seem more pragmatic allowing people to be who they are, and be with who they want to be with…>

The venom in Sofa’s thoughts for her former Order was not concealed.

<It always seemed strange to me the Temple Jedi frown upon relationships> Ari agreed
<supressing such desires seems more dangerous than permitting them…>

<Another rule I could never obey,> Sofa noted

<I heard Kimar was very strict…> Ari offered <…was that part of why you left?>

Sofa pursed her lips, Ari could sense a well of darker inflections the older woman wished to keep from bubbling up making Ari fear she had overstepped unwittingly.

<I learned from a very young age, too young, how soiled and hypocritical the Jedi Order is, how much poison lurks within it…> Sofa suddenly said picking up on Ari’s concern

<There are some who try hard to be what their legend says they are, noble, brave, selfless…Soryu, Gurrlum, a handful of others, Yshrrk is almost a full badged Gray Jedi, even Yoda in a way…by and large it isn’t what it pretends to be…I never worried about breaking rules they didn’t keep themselves, and certainly don’t miss pretending too.>

<Sounds very stressful…>

<Bizarre - everyone knows that no one toes the line, but they all pretend to, it creates a culture of cover ups, blackmail and abuse…> Sofa’s telepathic ‘voice’ was laced with spite

<Even the great Orthodox reformer Kimar used Valens to assassinate the more unorthodox, and the worst scum the Order hid once they were brought to light…>

<So there was a purge? There were rumours of one on Galtea…I didn’t realise Valens was involved while pretending to be a Jedi…>  Ari realised it explained Valens startling expertise in defeating Jedi trained opponents – he had extensive practice.

<It was more complex…some of the targets deserved far worse than the mercy of being beaten to death by Valens…others far better…of course he didn’t care, they’re all outsiders…looks like someone’s coming…>

The conversation ended leaving Ari somewhat uncertain about how Sofa felt about the Jedi, the older woman was frankly of mixed opinion herself. 

In truth it had more to do with Ari, the more time she spent with her People, the more her perspectives concerning her adoptive family and the Vhal’Dan were changing, differences became more apparent, and things she had once thought good and ill about the Gray order switched round…

Ari had hoped Sofa’s experience might help resolve things, instead it seemed a split opinion was the norm…perhaps Milaea might be more resolute.

For now she watched as two humanoids in thick robes approached the apartment, a small hover sled with boxes behind them, her perceptive abilities keener than ever from training with Kiraea and Jarys soon discerned the key combination and the telekinetic deadbolt they used to open the room.

She sensed little of note from these two, aura’s neither concealed nor expansive – perhaps above average aetheric potential, but not enough to be a teidowan - though they might be using advanced concealment techniques.

Sofa tapped her HUD scanners
<Nothing of interest in the boxes…no power sources or heat…>

They waited another hour before the two left again, once they sensed they were out the building Ari moved swiftly, keying in the code and unlocking.

The inside was full of boxes with cheap flimsy receipts and packing slips, a number of the pamphlets in a box by a desk with an old holo-desktop.

<I’ll crack the computer, you scan the room?> Sofa suggested
<Agreed>

Delicately and swiftly she looked into the boxes, many were full of spare parts, converters, dehydrated meals, cloths, medical equipment, the receipts showed they were imported from all across Hutt and Republic space, often lower to mid-tier priced items. 

A number had been reboxed into ‘supply’ kits under flimsy stuck to the wall with what must be coded names  - ‘Scion’, ‘Touchstone’, ‘Byblos’, ‘Paladin’, ‘Ziggurat’.

<It’s a small scale logistics hub, they buy, repackage then distribute…> Ari surmised

<Lots of Holo-shopping…> Sofa confirmed the Chiss military grade slicer making easy work of the firewalls, Cheunh based coding would leave, even if the breach was detected, only garbled incomprehensible half pixelated results.

<financial records, working on a budget, and…here we are…monthly payments for a small mid-level docking port, keyed to five ships…> she shared her HUD view with Ari in a corner view.

It was immediately obvious each of the five ships corresponded to a different coded name as a resupply ship, the dock records showed each of the five consistently took on the same level of coaxium resupply indicating they made the same runs repeatedly.  They were not trying to conceal their operation, perhaps as ostensibly nothing untoward was occurring, or their resources were focused elsewhere.

<We just need to know which one Tarasen was taken to…if any…>

She began looking through the boxes for each code searching for…for anything that might be needed to…

To do what? She had no idea what they wanted with her uncle’s body…though based on experience she could guess…Aethan healing and genetics would be of great interest to a sect focused on achieving immortality.

<Here…for Touchstone – temperature regulators, medical centrifuges, intravenous tubes, cyrostatic fluids, agar for petri dishes…the kind of things you would need if you had a body in semi-suspended animation…does the computer tell us where each of these ships actually goes to>

<No…I doubt they even know…> Sofa determined

Ari nodded that made sense, it was a basic level of secrecy between cells for security.

<Looks like we will have to visit the docks…>

<<<<>>>>

<Was it difficult leaving the Jedi, when it was all the life you had known?> Ari asked as they wandered through the scruffy pedestrian bridges, an Aetheric Aura of Aversion about them to detract attention by ‘sliding’ beings senses away from noticing them, a method used by Snow-Beak Avaians to avoid Snow-Hawks preying on their mountain nests.

<You seem very inquisitive about that?> Sofa noted but with a mental smile
<Feeling homesick?>

Ari’s pace waddled slightly with discomfort.

<Not homesick so much as…feeling like maybe the home I had wasn’t the home I thought it was in the first place…>

Sofa, perhaps more than any of the other Aethans could understood Ari;s perspective.

<New life is changing how you think about your old one?>
<Yes, exactly like that…I didn’t realise it would be this…confusing…>

<More than when you left Aethas or Yavin>

<Yes…leaving Aethas wasn’t by choice of course, and Yavin was similar in some ways in how I lived with Uncle Tarasen…leaving Yavin I was going from being alone to having friends, family so I didn’t feel like I was losing anything, just gaining…>

<And now is different,> Sofa deduced <You’ve lost one family, or traded them for another…but more than that you’re wondering which home is really yours where you fit,>

Ari could only nod at the older woman’s accurate explanation of her feelings.

<Like I said by the time I left, I’d long since lost most of any sense of family or friendships among the Jedi, Soryu, Milaea and Valens were already my family and I still have two out of three…plus a whole new family to boot…some I wish I could boot every now and then…>

Ari smiled as Sofa openly imagined her kicking Kiraea in the rear after another annoying bout of extremely personal – by Outsider standards – questions.

<I was ready to leave long before I did, had my illusions shattered and disappointed time and again…and I think that is what you’re really confused about Ari…>

<What do you mean?>

<You were on Galtea living peacefully, if somewhat restricted for a long time, Saani kept you sheltered from the suspicions of Anson, right up until that last moment, now you’re looking back seeing those imperfections, and wondering if this…>

She gestured to the unappealing surrounds and the situation in general
<Is any better…>

The question was left hanging as they waited for a Turbolift to the vast docking tower the Revenant computer had receipts from.

<I can only speak for myself…> Sofa said as the door opened
<For me this is better, I still miss the idea of the Jedi, being about something more something noble and great, but not the disingenuous reality, here I get to be a living Goddess and indulge any whim…plus I never get fat no matter how much I eat>

The honest selfishness of Sofa was refreshing, Ari would’ve liked to ask Saani what she thought of such a philosophy.

<I miss the idea of the Vhal’dan as an inclusive society…> Ari replied finally zeroing in on the source of her dissonance

<That I could be accepted without suspicion…I miss the dream that I’d be reunited with all my family and friends who had somehow escaped, my uncle even, that somehow it would all be alright…> the turbo lifted rose with jolts and spasms till it reached a smooth section.

<I miss having my mother, my father to turn to, to guide me…the feeling I’m on my own in this…> Ari explained as they clanking lift hiccupped upward.

<No…not alone, but the one who has to make the decisions -  so much of my life has happened to me…being taken from Aethas, taken from Yavin, taken from Galtea…I could’ve turned away from this search, finished my training with a word...I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing, where It will lead…>

The doors clanked open to a broad quiet concourse peppered by loading droids and weary travellers.

<It’s all my choice this time…>

<<<<>>>>

Security at Nar Shadda ports was non-existent – unlike Galtea where travellers were scrutinised, issued permits and given bio scans for infectious diseases, here people came and went as they please, ports like this were purely parking areas for anyone with the credits to pay for a place.

It made it more difficult to track where ships had arrived from as no records were kept, denying Ari a chance to try out the various Chiss slicers she had packed.

Instead she focused on the workers, a curmudgeonly bunch of Ugnauts, Utai, and a dozen other species typically shorter in stature who busied themselves venting gas and patching the more obvious atmosphere leaks while selling overpriced, but decent quality coaxium.

It took a few hours in the vast 500 level facility to find the particular staff who worked on the Revenant bay and that unfortunately yielded little result.

<Nothing…> Ari sighed behind a corner while she gently probed the mind of a cantankerous Utai wrestling with tangled cables beneath a Zygerian Chaser.

<They just do the basic checks then leave, don’t ask any questions and don’t pay attention so long as they pay the bills>

<Who’d have thought honour among thieves…> Sofa breathed out equally exasperated

<And there are is no central traffic control on Nar Shadda…> what the mechanics did know could’ve helped, with knowledge of how much coaxium was refuelled and the type of ship Ari might’ve been able to narrow the field of possible locations the Revenant ships had come from. 

Of course even that was little help, as they likely made multiple stops on each supply run.

Her brow furrowed beneath her helmet as she tried to work out another way to get the information she needed without the risk of alerting the Revenant by interacting with them.

She could try flow walking in the hangar, hoping to pick up someone saying the name of the destination, but the aether on Nar Shadda was grubby at best and didn’t hold memories well, only emotionally powerful events tended to leave noticeable marks anyway.

She could wait until the Revenant ship returned form the next supply run…but that could be months for all she knew.

Frustration that she had reached a dead end began to itch, the pressing oily tar feel of the Aether on Nar Shadda was suffocating after so many hours.  She wished she could ask Kazic or Saani what to do form here…

Perhaps she had tried to be too much like them though, attempting to skirt around the edges and use stealth to…a more direct approach might have saved her time.

In her robe pocket was the pamphlet, the directions to the ‘Eternity Fane’ and times it was open in weary black print.

<Perhaps I should just knock…>

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #109 on: October 09, 2020, 03:49:25 AM »

Chapter 17 — Ari’s Quest — Huntress — Part 4
Aresaea
The Eternity Fane was located in a vast courtyard overseen by looming apartments and towers that seemed poised to collapse their full 400 stories down upon them at any moment.

Like so much of Nar Shadda it was grimy and unkempt, but this particular area was a religious zone of sorts, with various small churches, temples, shrines ensconced into the sides of buildings.

Naturally such an area attracted a vast array of beggars looking for handouts from whatever spiritual organisation would provide it.

Wrapped in a modified Affect Mind aura that diverted attention away from them, Ari and Sofa created a moving bubble of avoidance that sent attention anywhere except toward them.

The Eternity Fane was not what she expected from the Revenant based on their reputation.

A number of cheap worn fold out beds were cluttered outside and deep into a long orange lit central Nave, more she could spy in the partially sectioned off side naves. 
Upon each were coughing, bleeding or otherwise damaged sentients being attended to by clean shaven acolytes in tattered robes, runic tattoos from the bottom of their eyes curling down onto their necks and presumably onto their torso’s below.

There were only three of them, rushing to and from each of the patients as even more tugged at them demanding help.

<That is….odd…> Sofa noted

For a brief moment Ari feared she had wasted her time completely and these were not the Revenant at all, but as she cautiously slid in closer her genetically engineered eyesight picked up the exact words of the tattoo’s which matched precisely to those in Arkady Cyne and Master Gurrlum’s archived reports in font, dialect and context – though these appeared to be among the first tattoo’s received making these as junior acolytes.

<Have a look around> Ari asked Sofa taking charge once more
<I’ll talk to them>

With a nod Sofa deepened her suppression and slipped invisibly among into the Fane as Ari relaxed her avoidance measures zeroing in on each of the monks, determining that the young human male would be the easiest one to ply for intelligence.  If nothing else she could use her physical appearance which many humanoid species found quite pleasing.

Picking up a half used roll of bandages she began attending to one of the nearby beggars, patching the open sores and wounds as best she could.

Moving patient by patient closer to the young bald man, beginning to sense as he administered what basic treatments he could he was sending out a gentle healing flow in the aether – it was not large, but enough to provide some pain relief.

“Oh, thank you…” he said looking toward her as she bandaged an Aqualish arm who grunted in thanks.

“My pleasure…is it always so busy?” she added levity to her voice

“Ha, this is quiet, the need here is endless, we do what we can…what brings you here,”

The grunting aquatic creature nodding thanks she produced the pamphlet from her pocket,

“I was given this…thought I would look into it,”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, ummm…the Prior is usually here to talk with those interested in pursuing the path of Eternal life…”

“Why don’t you tell me?” she smiled to build rapport

“PLEEEASE!!!” a shriek interrupted the young mas reply as a wretched looking zeltron woman rushed up hair rank and oily as the rags in which she carried a flopping child coloured the same muddy brown as her own skin.

“He fell onto the mag rail….”

“Here on the gurney,” the young man unrepentantly shoved a haggard but otherwise fine looking gotal off the stained bed, a rapid triage process that left the furred creature curmudgeonly but unharmed, and little cause to complain having already received free anti-biotics.

The woman lay the child down, it was like a warbling doll of se kind, unresponsive apart from occasional ticks as the bald acolyte began initial checks for eye activity and heart rate.

With practised motion he drew small paddles from his pack and pressed them to the boys chest.  With a gurgle the body jolted upward…then again…then again…but the eyes remained lifeless..

The acolyte poured what comparatively meagre healing ability he had in, his eyes truing ever more red and blood shot from the effort.

Ari could feel the genuine concern the acolyte had, the desire to preserve, life, every life.

“Here let me,” she gently moved him aside placing her own hands above the boy, the Acolyte staring at the abyssal black of her armoured gloves.

An instant later his attention turned to the red fire flowing from her finger tips – pure energy Ari drew from the Aether entering the boys body – the damage was extensive but it was in critical areas, she sewed muscle, connected neurons, stymie internal burns, all the while observing peripherally the look of awe on the acolytes faces.

Finally done the boy gasped for breath as his tearful mother wept and all but worshipped at Ari’s feet, a troubling feeling for power flooding her despite the effort.  Such precision shatter point healing was trivial to Ari, yet well beyond the ability the vast majority of beings, putting her above them, figuratively and now literally as the beggars and vagabonds cowered around her.

“You…you have the Gift….” The Acolyte said with untempered awe,

“The gift of Life…of eternity….Blessed be the Master you have come here to join us!”

“I…just came here to learn about you…” Ari quickly dampened his eagerness as the throng about her grew jostling and demanding she turn her supernatural powers to heal them,

“Back leave the Gifted one be!” an elderly female Acolyte with a nurses stern countenance ordered pushing against the increasingly desperate and violent beggars.

“Yes of course,” the Shaven man said quickly, “We can speak more in the Fane’s Seclusiam…”

“Actually I’d rather speak somewhere else…I have to go…you know Stark’s?”
The desperation and hope emanating off the crowd, the possessive need to acquire the healing she had just provided to another for themselves was becoming overwhelming to her, flooding the aether with ugly aggravation.

An aggravation she had caused.

“I…yes of course,”

“Later tonight then,”  Ari said quickly already cloaking herself in her Affect Mind technique to divert the beggars attention and slip away.

She had healed a boy, saved his life she reflected sliding away from the religious courtyard Sofa not far behind.

But why…to manipulate a young Acolyte into trusting her and giving up the information she wanted.

And with what effect – impoverished beings fanatically desire her help enough to kill each other to attain it.

For a brief moment she felt a pang of uncertainty, as if breaking into apartments, skimming minds, healing children to ingratiate with a cult might be…wrong somehow…

Reaffirming her focus with her steps on the ancient durasteel she continued on.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #110 on: October 09, 2020, 04:03:29 AM »

 
Chapter 17 — Ari’s Quest — Huntress — Part 5
Sofa
“So what is the plan?” Sofa asked half sitting on the clean, but structurally weak bed, incapable of taking an Aethans full weight.

Returning to Stark’s had been quiet.  While Ari impressed the Revenant Acolytes Sofa had found something in the back of the Fane down some steps and past a hidden wall that could only be opened with a telekinetic latch.

Something she felt it best to allow Ari to discover for herself.  Sofa was not fully up on all the rules about Trials and Guardian training, it was…idiosyncratic at best…but she felt she should leave this one thing for her.

“I talk to the Acolyte and loosen his tongue as Kazic says…” 

In her hand were a number of small pills purchased off Stark to add to the Acolytes drink when he arrived, any one of which would be enough to make a Yinchorri sing like a Sullustan.

Ari placed her helmet against the wall over one of the four peep holes they had found no doubt to Starks irritation.

“And then?”

“Either we have our destination or I move up to the Prior of the Fane…”

Sofa had to admire her persistence in going for a ‘low impact’ approach to finding what she needed, even after a number of set backs.

“I just hope these are the same Revenant as the ones that took my uncle…the information in the apartment seems incongruous with their activities at the fane healing those beggars…”

“You think they could be different sects?”

“Possibly, but…maybe we have it wrong…maybe the Revenant are not an antagonistic cult after all, perhaps we can reason with them,”

“You’re more hopeful than Milaea!” Sofa laughed, in many ways to hide giving a hint at the truth she had uncovered.

“They don’t seem antagonistic, dedicated to their cause yes but not intentionally evil, they may have changed in the near 40 years since Arkady Cyne reported on them, or be an offshoot focused only on achieving immortality by developing better and better healing methods,”

“All groups like that hide dirty secrets, and no organisation or sect stays clean for long, the road to Hades begins on the Path of good intentions,” Sofa cautioned the younger woman.

Of course Sofa could not deny her own bias against any form of religious, military or other institution, but that didn’t invalidate her point.

The words stuck with Ari’s brow creased ever so slightly in contemplation. She wanted to believe the best, see the best, but already was seeing the darker sides of those things she was a part of in the Vhal’dan and the People, something Sofa had no desire to discourage – it was a hard lesson, that in the end no group however welcoming they seemed could be trusted, but the younger woman needed to take the lesson in rather than just skirting the edges as she currently was.

“I will consider what you’ve said…and….” She looked back toward her

“Thank you Sofa for helping me,”

<<<<>>>>

Aresaea

The Acolyte was already waiting when she headed upstairs to the bar, eyes eager as his bald head shone in the yellow lights.

The large room was sparsely populated but still he waved his hand as if signalling across a mosh pit. 

“I’m so happy to see you again!” he beamed, but the smile that creased the tattoo’s below his eyes only made him less appealing to her.

“I told the Prior of your Gift, he was most impressed…here…” he produced a small booklet, one of dozens she had seen in the apartment outlining their philosophy.

“This may interest you, oh, how foolish, I’m Brother Nardon of the Eternal Family, and I can’t quite remember what you said your name was,”

Because I never gave it Ari mused

“Sheena,” she lied without missing a beat, “how about a drink while we talk?”

“Sheena, what a lovely name, and yes, just a Jool-Berry juice,”

Summoning Stark she placed her order, aiming to establish rapport she mirrored his forward leaning body language, the smell of his clothes and nervous sweat irritating her senses…she hadn’t been close to an outsider in so long, had forgotten how offensive their scent could be….

“So tell me about how you joined the Eternal Family,”

Ari added a certain loosening of the aether about the young man, not a direct mind control just calm and relaxation.

“Oh me…well not much to tell, I was born on a small agri-world but was always…always different…I had the Gift of course but it felt like a curse…strange things would happen, objects moving and the like when I was angry…it made the others in the commune afraid,”

“You felt you didn’t belong?”

“No…rather they felt I didn’t belong,” he replied sadly

Ari could empathize, a feeling she flowed to flow in the aether, her emotional strength spurring him to more detail.

“As I got older I learned on my own how to control it a little, how to make the Kaadu listen to my mind, I found work as a keeper, it was easier working with the animals, they didn’t stare or avoid me…eventually a passing Preacher noted me, told me about the Family, that what I’d always considered a curse was in fact a Gift, and a great Master could help me use it to heal others…”

The drinks arrived as Nardon leaned ever closer drawn in by the genuine empathy Ari felt for him.

“There wasn’t much to look forward to on the Kaadu ranch so I left with him, we stopped at a few planets…it was amazing I’d never been off world before, then came here where I saw the need, the good work being done and joined the Family fully,”

“Yes their work, helping the poor, what other work does the Family do,” she probed as Stark arrived with the drinks.

“Oh mostly research, you see the Family…we believe that life…life by its nature wants to perpetuate itself, to endure for all time, it’s only by accident of mechanical injury or negative interaction with other life that causes it to end…”

“What about ageing,” she asked her eyes locking his, incapable of observing her super human reflexes dash the ground up pill into his drink.

“Again mechanistic defect in replication of cells…something to repair or avoid, to promote life every way we can by offering free healing and care, and researching new ways to use our Gift to do the same…and your Gift is truly remarkable, how long have you had these amazing abilities,”

He lifted his glass to drink as she replied, the tasteless chemicals would take effect in mere minutes.

“Oh, not much to tell either, I came about them like you when I was young, I had to move place to place though, just like you people were afraid, not because of what I had done, but what they thought I might do…who they thought I was…I’ve never found a place where I can just…”

The words she spoke were all too true, the Vhal’Dan not trusted her - not for anything she had done but what they feared she was, a spy, a saboteur.  She used that emotion as a Guardian should to expedite the outcome she needed, sharing her sense of dislocation through the aether with the Acolyte as he blinked wetly the pills taking effect.

“Just be…a place I truly belong…”

A place she had not found yet.

“The Family welcomes everyone, all of us who were cast out, feared, loathed…Sheena, you could do amazing things, help so many and find yourself, the things I’ve seen done…”

“What did you see,” She pressed as she felt his aura waver into a drug induced warm pool of relaxed openness

“Men, women raised form the dead, any injury you can imagine repaired, the Master…I only saw him once…but the Master…he’s beyond this Life, and he can guide us all into Eternity…”

“Where did you see these things and meet the Master, on Nar Shadda,”

“Taris…”

Taris…. quick mental computations based on the amount of coaxium refuelled by the ships that used Nar Shadda as a hub ruled out that world as the location of where they were shipping their goods too.

“Where else, where else do the Family operate?”

“Here, Taris…other places, Touchstone, Scion…”

“Where is Touchstone?”

“I don’t know, they never tell me anything…” Nardon sighed oblivious to the fact the conversation had turned o interrogation, Ari not truly noticing how quickly she shifted in tone to get what she wanted.

“…I should be promoted, they say I’m not strong enough, but I’ve gotten better how am I meant to get stronger if they won’t show me more…I bring in so many worhsippers…”

“Who do you bring them to?”

“The Prior, I mean I reckon, if I can bring you, they’ll send you to Scion or Touchstone for sure, and you could…” he reached out to try and grab her hand

“You could demand they take me with you, we could go together away from here, to join the Masters great works,”

“Yes…we will…” she took his hand lightly
“We will speak to the Prior together,”

<<<<>>>>
<He seems genuine> Ari noted as she prepared to head off with the slightly groggy Nardon.

<A bit jaded in being passed over for promotion genuinely looks to help people, I think this revenant sect might be a charity>

<Based on one good egg?> Sofa queried keeping back so as to not interfere in Ari’s task but remain close enough to assist if needed.

<An organisation is the sum of its members,> Ari replied as they headed out into the alley the Harch still sentinel in front of Starks place snoring loudly.

<In a way, but it develops a life of its own, mob mentality that members are shaped by, making them devoted against their better judgement, they either drink the coolant and indulge in the depravities or blissfully ignore them cause their doing ‘good’ overall>

The poison Sofa felt toward the Jedi, which was clearly the example, as Ari smiled to the slowly swaying Nardon, but there was still truth in what she said.

Perhaps Ari wanted to believe one group could genuinely stand for something without compromising itself because she was becoming disillusioned with the Vhal’Dan and the People all at once.

The former made a great show of spreading justice and protecting others, yet fell into Anson’s paranoia when vague threats appeared.  The latter didn’t pretend to be anything other than utterly selfish and remorseless, and this was the group she was indelibly a part of.

Perhaps she hoped if the Revenant had been redeemed…

“A…accchhhkkk…” spluttering from the edges of the dimly lit corridor between vast skyscrapers broke her train of thought, she berated herself for not being focused on the here and now.

“Oh…are you sick…” Nardon strode toward the coughing sound with all the caution a drug addled human could.

“I think I have some inflammation suppressors and Multipathogen-Anti-virals,” his hands clambered in his robes looking for the pills as Ari’s tingled to pull her sabers at the potential threat.

Eyes quickly adjusting she made out a scruffy looking Tof, visibly ill his green skin pallid with black splotches.

Finding the pills Nardon jingled a few into the hair covered palm of the bulky humanoid, then provided one of the innumerable pamphlets directing him to the Eternity Fane for further treatment.

Stumbling back over to her Ari stared at the Tof gulping down the pills with water pooled in a pot hole in the ferrocrete.  Nardon’s reaction to the cough had been to try and help the sick, Ari’s to reach for her weapons.  Arguably hers was the wiser course given the location, but still…

Perhaps Sofa was right, an individual did become more like the tribe they were part of for better and worse.

<<<<<>>>>

“Wonderful new Prior!” Nardon beamed the short trip on a mag rail to the Fane having cleared his head, and Ari’s indulging of his fantasies strengthening his conviction she was going to join them.   

The elderly man, face fully covered in tattoo almost lost against ebony skin at the far end of the still crowded fane sighed exhaustedly,

“What is it Acolyte Nardon,”

“This is the Woman with the great Gift I spoke of, she wishes to join us and help with the Great work,”

“Does she…” he stood from his small desk genuine interest in his voice.

“I am Prior Ybuun of the Eternal Family…Nardon attend to your duties I will speak to…”

“Sheena,” Nardon answered for her trying to keep himself in the conversation even as he realised he was not surplus to both their needs.

“I will speak to Sheena privately,”

With a glum nod of obedience Nardon complied and Ybuun lead Ari to a small room closing the thick durasteel door.

“You have impressive abilities I hear…abilities that require training and practise…please sit,”

She took one of the two chairs in the cramped office replete with copies of their abundant pamphlets and booklets.

“So tell me where did you learn to use the Gift?”

“My older sister was a priestess of our village, a healer, she taught me, but the Jedi did not take kindly to her arts…”

The best lies are the truth Ari recalled using the very real facts that her adoptive older sister Kiraea had taught her more advanced shatterpoint healing, was the Peoples de facto priestess and the Jedi certainly did not take kindly to her at all to ensure the Prior sensed no deception.

It succeeded as the Prior nodded understanding.

“Many of our new acolytes have had similar experiences in recent years…Jedi Dogmatic Orthodoxy causing them to flee their worlds or supress their traditions of Force use, more than a few have come here,”

No doubt he was aware of Kimar’s Orthodox revival, snuffed by Valens blade, though that latter fact the Prior was likely unaware of given the distance from Coruscant.

“You will find only encouragement for you talents and a place to develop and use them with us…to carry on a role as healer, but expanded to all beings…of course only after study and appropriate vetting,”

“Of course,” Ari agreed

“Initial training is undertaken on Taris, but typically there is a trial period at a Healing Fane such as this for a few months, we must get to know you and you us…the path is not easy, but the rewards are great…”

He leaned forward the fire of a True Believer in his eyes

“To learn from Masters of Healing arts how to strengthen one’s body, to recover from any injury, to attain immortality from all but the most extreme physical damage, indeed many of our highest Prelates have lived for centuries beyond their species normal life span.  Such is the Truth we bring, lie fulfilling its goal to endure.”

He leaned back slightly pressing a small buzzer,

“If you don’t mind I would like a demonstration of your technique?”

“That won’t be a problem,”

“Very well this way,”

Leading her out of the room there was now an opening where before there had simply been a wall, two rows of six beds, eight of the twelve occupied.

“These are our most critical cases, we keep them hidden for their own safety, you have no doubt seen how…rowdy…the crowds can become…”

Pausing midway over a withered undernourished Koorivar, the usual gradient of dark to light skin on the face distorted.  The oddity was the beings chest was highly inflamed.

“What is the prognosis,” she asked

“An unknown pathogen causing a vast cyst to grow…see the others are suffering from the same effect in different parts of the body,” he gestured to expanded bulges on legs, faces and arms on the others.

“Each of them came in with different maladies but began to show these symptoms soon after, we believe there may be some kind of new infectious viral agent, as yet all our treatments have proven futile…perhaps you can assist?”

Determined to gain his trust, and in all honesty wishing to assist the work they were doing she stretched out her hands.

Lightning arced from her fingers as her mind delved the sore, the growth was rapid and featured proteins foreign to the Koorivans regular cellular make up that were replicating into very basic but aimless cells that did nothing but replicate more of the same….

Tracing back through the fractured lines of the body she found it centred on a chest wound…

Perhaps it infected the wound and spread out of control…

Yet there was something odd about the proteins the more she felt them in the aether…and a…responsiveness to her healing energy…they were excited…too excited…they were…

A cold shiver flowed through her.

“What treatments did you give them?”

“Standard cellular replication suppressants,”

“No before that…where did it come from…what…”

The whole puzzle fell into place…

“A typical wound sealant and cellular regeneration patch,”

The lie irritated her, this was not standard, this was experimentation and she knew the basis of the drug they had used.  The proteins, the cellular systems used were a corrupted and damaged version of Aethan cellular repair proteins, out of control when applied to another species.

They were experimenting on these impoverished beings, the Fane was not a place of charity but of study, Nar shadda proving millions of free test subjects…and of course the Revenant here, Nardon, Ybuun, genuinely believed they were doing good by everyone in trialling them on those so desperate they would agree to any course of treatment.

“Is there a problem?”

She lifted her hands from the Koorivar.

“Where is Touchstone?”

The Prior raised his hands defensively but she could smell and see the micro expressions of alarm clear as the mutations a sloppy job at reverse engineering Aethan genetics had produced on these hapless vagabonds.

“I don’t know what,”

“Where is Touchstone, your people are not only stealing my People’s heritage but hurting others with your misguided attempts to use our genetics!”

There was a fury to her words that surprised her, as blunt and xenophobic as her People were, they were still Her People, she could not countenance their genetic heritage being used in this way, less so with such ill effects.

“Sheena I truly do….”

With rapidity that caused the sensate patients to cry up Ari slammed the Prior into the far wall, her forearm pressed against his throat lifting him off the ground.

“Where is touchstone, I won’t ask again!”

“B….Boerin…we get the shipments from Boerin…”

Shocked at her own actions she let him drop.

“It…it helped at first…but….” He justified, Ari sensed no deceit from him

“Forget I was ever here,” she said firmly the aether sparking purple from her eyes singing her fringe.

“And never use those drugs on anyone again, incinerate them….and…”

It was a hard thing to do but it would be merciful compared to the weeks of suffering otherwise…

“…and all those you’ve treated already, they are beyond my help…”

The simple fact was she couldn’t repair what was wrong, as so far as her shatterpoint healing ability was concerned any Aethan cells were a Benefit to be stimulated more not cancer to be excised…any attempts would accelerate their degeneration into a blob of useless cells.

The Prior on the floor glassy eyed as memories wafted from his brain flopped fully as she stepped out.

Nardon rushed as she entered the main fane, only to stagger to the side as she stripped her memory from him as well.

Sofa leaning on a rail opposite the Fane’s crowd of beggars fell into step with her as she strode back to the ship.

“Do you want to talk about it,”

Ari said nothing for some time as they hopped on the mag-rail, the automated doors hissing closed shutting the events behind her.

“They thought they were doing good…but….”

Ari shook her head, she didn’t have time to get involved in such pontifications.

She had to find her uncle and put an end to the Revenant Experiments.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #111 on: October 11, 2020, 10:39:42 PM »

And Kadmaur makes his presence felt within the Aethan narrative, commensurate with his status as one of the Bigger Bads within the Forumverse  Smiley  What a wonderful and unexpected turn of events!

Seeing the Revenant operating procedure utilizing a very "grass-roots" paradigm just goes to show that they are A LOT more devious than what we'd previously seen... Nicely done, LSG!

But as Ari progresses through her Guardian training, it seems that her disenfranchisement with her previous life grows, especially when learning what all children experience: that their parents have feet of clay.  What's worse is that she has no counterpoint/balance to give her a true objective view; instead, as she veers towards the xenophobia of her People, they have no compunctions in doing anything other than allowing her to continue along that path.  Of course, not everyone shares that opinion...but will such a disparate perspective ever come to light, especially in Ari's hearing? 

Sometimes it's easy to forget that Ari has been through some terrible losses.  Yes, she was comparatively lucky (especially when reading about the other Aethans), yet she still has been through enough trials and tribulations terrible enough to break the most stalwart of individuals.  But I think that Ari is made of sterner stuff...but whether or not she allows this to continue her down the dark path will remain to be seen.

I have to admit that a favorite scene was the exchange between Sofa and Ari where we really get a glimpse into the motivations of the two women.  It's as touching as it is congenial to read.

Again, we see skillful weaving of pathos throughout the narrative where the characters act as themselves and not what any expectations dictate.  And this is precisely why RotA is one of my favorite stories (not just within the Forumverse but in the SW 'Verse itself  Smiley): an EXCELLENT narrative with interesting characters living their lives throughout adversity, warts and all.
Logged

Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Karmack
Forumverse Loremaster
Master of Ceremonies
SaberForum.Com Moderator
Knight Commander
************

Force Alignment: 1152
Posts: 5602


Light side points please.


« Reply #112 on: October 12, 2020, 02:57:23 PM »

Kadmaur again.   That guy shows up everywhere....    ;-)

Loving this.   Like Dutch, I am intrigued by Ari's development.   Her strength piqued my interest, her being the only "purple" outside of Milaea.  This mixture would seem to be rare, and here we have two with it.   And the other is the de-facto leader of the People.   Hmm....

Sofa is also interesting.   So sad that someone with such promise felt, in the end, compelled to become a different SPECIES just so she could finally feel safe.  Whatever their ideals, the Jedi were certainly not perfect.
Logged

signature picture by DarthScrub

Master Singer of the Mak'Tor

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #113 on: October 19, 2020, 12:26:22 AM »

Chapter 18 — Ari’s Quest — Crusade — Part 1
The Shade
Each day a few more millimetres were added. The regenerative properties of the Specimen were second only to the irrationally rapid regrowth in Gen’Dai.

Indeed it’s ability to rapidly repair reminiscent of Gen’Dai cellular regeneration, the hardiness of the cells and bone itself was well beyond what most humanoid or meta species, even cyberneticlly enhanced ones, possessed.

But most critical of all - the way it drew on the Force to repair and revitalize itself despite being detached from any particular homeostatic system.  If they could unlock the method behind it…turn it to their own bodies…

Cell by Cell it was giving up its secrets to Shade Fytr’Mas.  Each day brought new insights and a growing excitement among the scientists and biologists working in the long abandoned Stupa upon Boerin VI. 

The Revenant had come here decades ago seeking the truth behind the claims the monks here had attained a measure of immortality by submersion into the ‘Ki’ as they termed the Force – Myth was all they found even after the most exquisite tortures were applied to the hermits.

However the Stupa atop a network of caverns in the mountain of the icy world provided the perfect place for the Shades work, at great expense they had accumulated state of the art biological scanning and genetic analysis equipment – to say nothing of the artefacts they turned to tracing the threads of the Force that kept the Specimens cells ‘alive’

In the cold of the laboratory the Shade ran his hand over the transparisteel of the isolation pod – the Specimen indifferent within.  He noted the variance to his own red tattooed arm, it was pristine, clean white skin. 

The Specimen was only the arm just below the elbow – or it had been on arrival.  Behind him centrifuges produced the strange cocktail of metals and unusual proteins that through trial and error they had found fed the arms repair – over four years of study it had grown first an elbow, now almost a shoulder – Fytr’Mas speculated that eventually it would regrow a complete body – brain and all. 

Progress had been slow, his superiors accepted that - immortality could not be rushed – yet over the last few days there had been an increase in Force draw, the arm soaked in a greater volume of nutrients per hour.  Beside the isolation pod he noted the graphs of cellular division and electrical activity remained at 50% above the previous year’s averages.

Behind him the Adegan Crystal lattice that illuminated with the flow of the force was likewise 40% stronger. Fyt’r hoped that this signalled some kind of ‘critical mass’ at which point regeneration would accelerate dramatically – his only concern was not being able to synthesize enough of the required proteins to feed it.

The Shade would learn he had been concerned about the wrong thing.

<<<<>>>>

Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #114 on: October 19, 2020, 12:28:46 AM »

 
Chapter 18 — Ari’s Quest — Crusade — Part 2
Aresaea
Across the valley from the Stupa two figures took in all the stray strands of energy emanating from the facility.

There were 32 sentients in total, three potential threats…and one of their own.

Ever since entering the system Ari could feel a shadow of her Uncles presence…dead and yet…not…it made her feel ill.

Shaking it off with a firm countenance Aresaea focused on working out how to go about this – it was her Trial they were embarked upon.

“So…what’s the plan,” Milaea queried atop a jagged snow covered outcrop.

“The reputation from the files suggests we won’t be welcomed with open arms…” Ari replied the cold turning her breath to mist

“But the Sect on Nar Shadda were cordial enough, we should at least try to talk, convince them that what they are doing won’t work…”

And will bring down Valens and Kiraea’s wrath if I don’t put a stop to it myself before my Trial time frame ends was the unspoken understanding.

She had 4 Aethan days, 172 standard hours left until her Trials deadline of nine days passed, at which point events were no longer under her direct control - Valens and Kiraea would take over the ‘investigation’ of the Revenant…most likely commencing with ‘visiting’ the reputed base on Taris the Prior had mentioned with Thermonuclear weapons, as they had shown a propensity to use as backups on Galtea, indifferent to the millions of collateral casualties. 

“You think they will give up Tarasens body?” Milaea asked well aware of the same potentially devastating chain of events.

The very fact they could feel his necrotic presence meant they were actively performing experiments on Tarasen.

“I doubt it…but we have to try…”

“Why?”

Ari’s brow furrowed at the question, surely Milaea of all people would agree an attempt at negotiation was preferable to going in swords slashing…

But this was still Ari’s trial after all, there might be a test in her question.

“Because if we don’t then we lose all opportunities we might have to befriend them, learn from them.  If they respond aggressively then yes we strike back, but a pre-emptive strike diminishes our options, strategically it makes more sense to keep every option open in our approach and let the other side reduce them in reaction.”

Ari couched her reply in military rather than moral terms, after all only she, Milaea and possibly Sofa would value a peaceful approach – the People overall would consider it an inefficient if not offensive option when a Person was held captive and being experimented on, unless as a means of infiltration – and Ari’s plan achieved that just as well.

 “Alright, lead on,” Milaea said with a smile for the moral side of Ari’s reasoning.

<<<<>>>>

Fyt’r strode confidently toward the entrance, the Shadows had picked up the approaching figures from the base of the mountain nearly two hours ago as they made their assent. 

In thick furred cloaks they were most likely penitents from one of the small villages – a Talz offshoot with a blue tinge to the fur that the Revenant for the most part ignored – likely these were pilgrims who didn’t know the Stupa was no longer home to monks – they had a few come earlier in the year, a simple Force suggestion to spread the word the Stupa was abandoned had obviously not reached these two.

The heavy slate doors scraped open to reveal the two figures as Fyt’r waited for them. He was momentarily shocked to see they were not at all natives.

“Salutations,” a distorted voice called behind a helmet,

“My companion and I have journeyed a long way to seek out a kinsman of ours we have sensed nearby, we wonder if you would be kind enough to assist us in finding them?”

Ari kept her words formal and clear even behind the helmet.

“We can of course offer recompense for your services?”

“You have come a long way indeed we have few visitors?” the hideous tattooed man replied while making quick gestures with his fingers he thought Ari didn’t know were orders to the others about the entrance.
“What makes you believe your kinsman is here?”

Fyt’r noted everything about them, the unusual armour, the strangely subdued Force aura about them, it was not unusual for parents or families of members of the Revenant to try and ‘rescue’ their folk from the ‘crazed cult’ and hire bounty hunters to do so…but these seemed…different.

“We have sensed him in the Force,” Ari replied honestly
“It is important to us he is repatriated to our homeworld,”

“Repatriated?”Fyt’r probed

“He is…or was largely deceased…” Ari drew in a breath knowing this was very much not how Valens might like her to approach the situation, but buoyed by the warm supporting aura Milaea beside her gave off.

“…I think you know of whom I speak, we understand you found the body, and took it for your own research, we don’t begrudge you that, but we know the healing technologies you’ve attempted to develop have unilaterally failed and…I know for a fact they will never truly succeed…we just want to find a way to arrange for his return and proper burial in accordance with our customs and part amicably”

The longer the being spoke the more Fyt’r sensed it – he had spent hours meditating with the Specimen, he knew the taste of it in the force, and these two reeked of it – samples beyond his wildest fantasies had strolled straight up to him!  The Master would be overjoyed, the value of a living sample was beyond measure. 

With quick gestures invisible to the cloaked figures he ordered his wraiths into position.

He smiled
“Yes…we should discuss this…”
Fyt’r gestured them in

“…please enter and refresh yourselves…”

<<<<>>>>

Ari’s heart fell as soon as the heavy slate door closed behind her.

From either side of the entrance courtyards ancient wooden balconies attackers cloaked in competent if not expert Buried Presence techniques leapt at them as other warriors opened up with stun and suppressive weapons.

The large square area surrounded by four levels of worn walkways undercover was a perfect kill box, it was an adept ambush.

Against many others it would’ve succeeded.

Against two young Aethan women who now both felt bitterly disappointed and highly insulted their attempt at negotiation had been responded to with violence it was an excuse to vent.

The shots that were not bounced back were absorbed as raw energy, spun round their bodies like orbiting comets and flung back out into the still mid-air Wraiths, the stun energy had lost some charge but still caused half their number to crash writhing.

In barely an instant three purple blades lit the centre of the courtyard, Milaea’s single blade and Ari’s pair.

<Try and spare them if you can> Ari instructed as rather than retreating she charged straight forward into the enemy – an approach that caught them off-balance for an instant – an instant that for Aethan reflexes was four instants and as many hands cauterized.

They felt the covetousness for their bodies from the tattooed and robes cultists…not in lust but something more twisted…as…samples, something to idolize and emulate

It disgusted her.

She wove through them like azure fire, bouncing back their shots, cracking skulls and severing limbs, Milaea was behind telekinetically hurling any of the Wraiths on the balconies or roof down for Ari to finish off.

Side doors burst and more came in heavily armed with repeaters and stun nets,

<I’ll take the flanks, find the leader!>

The large doors to the internal chamber now opened before Ari as she broke the hip of the last one in range with her knee.  A half dozen more Wraiths with sabers lead by the one who had greeted them with a saber pike.

The leader offered a rictus grin and called across the courtyard

“Conquer Mortality Brethren!”

With a hideous drain on the aether about half of the cultists she had just disabled straggled back up eldritch energy knitting bones and muscle back together with preternatural speed  -the healing Ari could sense was not like Aethan methods that were deep and genetically idiosyncratic…this was a slapdash binding to fight on.

Outnumbered it left her only one option.

<Spare the leaders, slay the rest> she had to order, powerful as the Aethans were, numbers could bring them down and she doubted they had faced their best yet – shambling wounded fanatics were too much of a risk.

Without pause Ari threw both sabres forward at the Chosen Six who guarded the Shade, and sped her four glass shikkars along the ground, the carefully crafted stealth blades near undetectable.

Her hands free she unleashed a storm of aetheric lighting at the recently revived before they could make an attack – pure purple tinged energy struck them full on flash immolating their heads and torso’s.

It only made Fyt’r want her more.  His Chosen deflected the sabre throws, but then three retched in pain, a fourth managed to sense the shikkar in time and slice it apart – the other three found themselves stabbed in the groin join of their armour and an enchanted glass dagger now working up into their organs slicing them apart from within.

Ari rushed forward with bolts of lightning in time to catch her returning sabers and engages with the three Chosen and the Shade.

Even as she found herself in a tornado of light, the push and pull of telekinetic blows and tendrils of metaphysical probes she kept a level of thought watching out for Milaea.

Milaea’s moves were typical for a Jedi, flowing, defensive, strikes limited to disable and gain distance rather than kill, if there was a distinction it was that Milaea used the strength, speed and dexterity Aethan genetics granted her fully in her motions, beyond standard humanoid range and articulation it allowed her to gracefully avoid the comparatively clunky attacks aimed at her.

Just as Ari thought she discerned Milaea’s fighting style, the svelte red clad woman landed an upper cut that utterly shattered the jaw of a cultist and ratcheted their skull – and spine with it, up and back out of place…she followed through by bringing her elbow down onto the collar bone imploding it into the torso leaving a V shaped mess of wrecked bone beneath the tattooed skin and the cultist looking like a creature from a circus grotesquery.

An instant later Milaea spun with a round house kick that dented a skull inward with such force the other side of the head exploded outward with brain.


It seemed as un-Aethan like as Milaea was in always trying to avoid conflict even with those who threatened her….once the fight started she was merciless as Valens, lithe as Kiraea, and brutally efficient as Jarys.

Satisfied Milaea was fine Ari turned her attention fully to the battle around her, her modified Jar-Kai kept the enemy at a distance, despite their numerical advantage, Aethan speed denied them any openings and forced them to draw heavily on the Force just to keep up with her as she pushed the back into the large room that seemed to resemble a mediative Prayer room she had visited on Galtea with Saani once, tattered drapes and ancient wood floors covered in faded red carpets – the quiet alcoves for contemplation now given over to heinous experiments and self-mutilation.

Her enemy’s fatigue was soon apparent and Ari wasted no time, one Chosen had to divert concentration from telekinetic countermeasure to speed, Ari punished it by gripping the ribs beneath the chest armour and tearing them open, the Chosen collapsed in a mess.

A second died trying to cover his flank, Ari’s natural strength was taking its toll too, with the aether she struck 6 times human strength, even with the force to help them, each clash created recoil too much for the Chosen’s joints to deal with after a few blows, he faltered and Ari severed the head cleanly.

Now only three onto one she focused on the leader, amplifying her presence to intimidate hoping the others would flee or at least waver.

Amplify her instinctive kinetite shield to buffet the others she doubled her speed again to disable the Shade , the sudden burst of speed was too much, with the pommels of her sabers and her knees she broke every bone she could reach, the thin man crumpling in tremendous pain.

Without pause she moved on the Chosen to her right, her speed still carrying her into sweeping downward blows that cut him off at the knees then diced his head.

The last turned to flee until she grabbed its ankles with the aether and pulled them up above her own head – like a hanging body in an abattoir she sliced it open.

About to turn to help Milaea a vile whisper came from the ground where the Shade had landed

 “Through Death I walk to Birth…”

Hideous wet cracks of bones popping back into place were only marginally less disgusting than how the aether rippled with slapdash necromantic power around the thin man, his tattoo’s seeming to burn blacker into the skin as his limbs as he rose like a puppet on invisible strings.

<Well that is…unexpected> 

Ari rolled her shoulders back loosening herself for the next round as the creature she thought was dead…cackled was the wrong word…gurgled vile black blood.

“That is not dead which can eternal lie, by the Masters grace never shall we die!”

<We’ll see about that…>

With preternatural speed Ari and the Shade slammed together in a clash of aether powered blows.

The man’s body was wiry, gaunt, ‘skin and bones’ Saani would call it, yet it was titanium…the seeming absence of muscle yielded a kind of strength as there was less surface area to strike, fewer places she could do damage. His body was clearly fortified by the aether the mechanism of which she was unsure of and had no time to probe to try and undermine.

His fists and feet struck like the second hand on a clock, with rhythm and around the whole of her body looking for purchase. 

She felt the bony knuckles hit her cheek, the near skinless knees slam against her ribs as he unleashed like a drunken kowakiaan, random and furious.

She blocked where she could, turning blows aside, looking for a chance that finally came as she made a quick back step – his punch over shooting into the air as she stood side on and grabbed his arm in a lock.

Grunting she drew the aether into her arms and twisted, the thin yet resilient bone finally snapping within the ritualistically marked skin.

As soon as it broke she could sense the necromantic energies leech forth to try and reknit the bone and muscle…she couldn’t give any quarter.

Avoiding his head butt and gnashing teeth she kneed his ribs hard as she let go – but she kept her knee in place – using it as the anvil to her elbows hammer crushing the ribcage and sternum.  More wet popping cracks and sickly energy flowed

<How much can he take!>

Whatever his restorative ability there had to be a limit.  His core shattered he began to flop as she pulled away and grabbed at his legs, hauling one up in both hands and snapping the ankle then gripping the foot under her right arm bringing her left elbow down to snap the calf bone.

Again the man gurgled laughter and pushed her away with messy telekinetic blasts, she stood firm and spun out of the Aether Wave and straight into a full bodied tackle slamming him to the ground.

He kicked and thrashed as she punched him over and over in the head – the only effect to make his skin completely black as purple bruising filled the gap between tattooed script.

Giving up on knocking him unconscious she rammed her fists into each shoulder, her arms heavy with the aether to give her strength to shatter the artificially strong bone, then spun to the side to grab his undamaged legs as it kicked and palmed the knee cap backwards.

Still he blurted and spat irritating her with his intransigence.

“Will you just DIE!”

Purple hued light erupted around her as her anger turned to power and in a rage she grabbed his forearm with two hands, braced her foot on the ruined shoulder and tore it straight off.

That got a reaction, the cackling stopped as the last twitches died in the severed limb before she threw it aside.

Standing over the wrecked body she met his gaze, for the first time etched with genuine worry.

Finger twitching with frustration she unleash bladed arcs of electricity…his aetheric defences scattered the first few but she pushed ever harder, teeth gritted till his kinetic shield broke – her purple lighting curved like sickles cutting in at the hips and shoulder to sever both legs and remaining arm leaving the creature a torso with cauterized stumps.

Now heaving and dribbling blood the body seemed to give out with a wimper…but settled into a queerly peaceful breathing as the enormity of the damage she had inflicted rendered him unconscious at last.

The heavy doors at the far end of the prayer room finally burst open, Ari turned with unconcealed rage as another dozen of the lesser cultists charged in, her hands filled with luminous power ready to turn them to dust.

Even as she raised her hands to unleash the leader of this next group’s head flew back as something dark split it apart between the eyes,

<Aresaea, Milaea cover the flanks, we’ll finish them> Valens directed as he strode past, arm machine like firing arrows into the horde while Sofa’s blue sabre was just ahead to keep them off him, both marching steady and firm into the enemy.

Wife and Husband were soon surrounded, or rather positioned in the heart of the enemy.

Sofa spun in a flawless Niman variant, the flexible style allowing her to block power maces and then sever legs through the tattered robes with ease around Valens who stood still in the centre firing arrow after arrow - the same six teleported back into his hand as the cultists dropped one by one.

If they avoided an arrow they got the sabre, where the dodged the sabre they got the arrow.

Ari and Milaea threw up telekinetic walls to keep the more wavering ones from fleeing and gently bounce them into the path of the sabre and arrows until within 30 seconds of their arrival Sofa and Valens had slaughtered all twelve.

“Are you alright?” Milaea put a hand on Ari’s bare shoulder, shirt long since torn off,

“Fine…just…”

“Angry?”

“Yes…” Ari settled, the purple glow of her power diminishing as she calmed.

“Me too…” Milaea agreed, “There was no need for this…we came here in peace…”

“Unfortunately our welcome was in deception and war as Saani would say…” Ari replied “They knew what we were…and they wanted to exploit us…

It did not bode well.

“….tchhh….tchhh….” the Shade hissed out still incredibly alive with his twisted healing abilities.

“The leader…” Valens surmised walking over to him
“You will interrogate him Aresaea?”

“Of course,” she replied as Valens crouched inspecting the gurgling creature.

“It’s stable…wretched but stable…” Valens drew out an Orb from seemingly nowhere.

It doesn’t need the ‘Force’ anymore.”

The Null Orb activated and sent the creature unconscious once more as its connection to the Force, and any chance to communicate with it’s ‘Master’ was disabled.

“We will take this…thing…away…Ari find your uncle,”

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #115 on: October 19, 2020, 12:29:22 AM »

 
Chapter 18 — Ari’s Quest — Crusade — Part 3
Aresaea
Milaea instinctively held her from behind

“It’s not your fault…at least we can....return part home,”

Her Uncle was not here…not fully…only their arm in a case being experimented upon, by these…fanatics…

The Pink Gormin in the room was what had become of the rest of him – had Ari’s uncle been hacked to pieces to be sent to places like this for outsiders to perform experiments on.

Ari felt the tears well in her eyes at Tarasen’s body so disrespected and denied rest.

The room was replete with scanners, test tubes, monitors and holo-desktops, as well as more eldritch aetheric devices.

Swallowing down her grief Ari gently pried herself out of Milaea’s arms, grateful for the support but needing to focus on the task at hand.

“There may be information here that can help find…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the rest
“…my uncle…”

Milaea considered trying to tell her to wait, to calm herself first…but a cold wash over Ari’s aura indicated hormonal activation of Aephrodaea’s Grace might be about to do that anyway.

“Alright let’s start looking.”

The records were in a strange code that seemed strangely archaic, however charts and graphs showed obvious similarities to bio-monitoring allowing them to determine which ones were for cellular division, nutrient flow and thereby work backwards to scry out key words.

They had been trying to, from the arm, regrow a whole body, and learn how the genetic and aetheric patterns enabled it to survive and thrive so easily comparative to other humanoid species…

One grisly find was other arms of non Aethans in similar tubes, most necrotic, failing the same tests…both women could only weep at what had become of their prior owners.

They worked for nearly six hours, Sofa coming to an fro collecting equipment for transport back to the Aephrodaea and bringing them food and drink, Valens outside amidst the cliffs and snow patrolling and flow walking to pick up any clues – unfortunately these Revenant were capable of covering aetheric tracks here far better than they had on Yavin.

The mood was sombre but lightened a little as, despite the grim task, Milaea and Aresaea found comfort in their close co-operation.

“I think that’s all we can find here…” Milaea finally said, placing her hand on Ari’s shoulder, a few small chips in the plate from the fight.

“We should head off get some rest…”

Reluctantly she nodded in agreement and they began packing and removing all evidence they had been there in the aether.

“You have to decide,” Valens said as they headed into the growing snow outside to meet him and the ship,

“What you want to do with this Stupa…it’s only a matter of time before other Revenant check in and find it…empty.”

Ari turned to look once more over the ancient building, it was beautiful in a way, so tall and noble, a place once for quiet religious observance and welcome, corrupted by the Revenant.

Two conflicting desires mingled in her, to purge everything these enemies of the People had touched from the galaxy with MASER fire from orbit…or to leave it to be, hopefully…reclaimed by the Talz native to this world – if they even still wanted it.

For long moments she stood staring into the clouds ever darker over the Stupa’s tip, puzzling over the best course.

She looked to two sources for guidance, the necklace about her neck Saani had given her, and Milaea beside her.  

Both brought her to herself and the only answer that was fitting.

“Leave it…but…destroy the bodies outside the perimeter. Leave nothing of them to be revived by the Revenant,”

With only a nod Valens set about the task of cremation leaving the young women to return to the ship and rest after a long disappointing day.

<<<<>>>>


Milaea

“You tried Ari…” Milaea soothed as they sat beside warm bowls of stew, finally changed and bathed.

“I hate them…” Ari replied staring at the table of her room where they sat.

“…I hate what they have done to my uncle, wanted to do to us…I want to destroy them, punish them all…”

Milaea had little she could respond with, she felt in most ways the same…try as she might not to.  It was the first time she had seen Ari without any sense of calm to her – even fighting the Shade there was still a level of control that now seemed…eroded by the vileness of the two fold desecration.

“It’s not wrong to want justice…” Milaea replied as best she could
“But don’t let the need for it consume you…remember why you’re on this journey,”

Ari nodded solemnly finally looking her in the eye.

“I know…I will find Tarasen, all of him…and…I have to destroy whatever they learnt from his body, I can’t allow any more be taken from us than already has,”

The words would not have been out of place from Kiraea or Selaena.  And Milaea could not disagree, the potency of their genetic and aetheric power in the wrong hands was beyond terrifying, Lucovis was merely the most successful in harnessing it – his downfall had been he, or in the end she, had acted largely alone, these Revenant as a cult scattered across the galaxy were potentially far more dangerous.

Even so the instinctual vengeance that tinged Ari’s aura was disturbing.

Something about her had hardened, at first Milaea it thought it was an understandable reaction to the battle on Boerin VI, but the more she felt out Ari’s depths of feeling the more she realised it was the culmination of all the changes, the lessons, the highs and lows since leaving Galtea.

Ari was working out who she was independent of her Uncle, her Adoptive Parents, and even the other Aethans – this trial was pushing her from being part of their stories into becoming the protagonist of her own.

It was a scary crossroads Milaea was all too familiar with.

With grim efficiency Ari downed the heated stew that must’ve stung given it had no time to properly cool.

With foreboding steps she left silently to begin the Interrogation.

<<<<>>>>

Interrogation
The restraints served more to pacify Aethan paranoia than any practical use.

The Shades irritating propensity to heal had inclined Valens to clamp pieces of metal onto the saber cauterized stumps of its legs and arms..

Hoisted on a beam in the centre of the Aetheric Nexus Chamber, the Shade had the same vile grin on his face.

“I will reveal nothing, you have no tortures that can harm me!” its voice was still a gargling bubble as Ari walked around him, the Null orb just beneath the beam he was tied to.

“Where is the rest of the body you found on Yavin?” her voice barely a whisper echoed in the vast circular Bloodstone chamber, one of three on the Destroyer.

The Shade merely grinned

“Inflict your pain, I welcome it, I indulge in it! Pain is life!”

Ari almost giggled at the similarity of his statement to the Extolled’s cultural interpretation of pain.  

It was something she could not appreciate, Aethans did not feel pain like other humanoids, they experienced the red hazy sensation – an awareness of damage or fatigue – but it was a neutral experience, not so different from feeling full after eating too much or hungry after training – physiological data not a visceral suffering.

Where Aethans could hurt was mentally and emotionally.

And Ari hurt now, frustrated at being unable to finish her trial, missing her adoptive parents, uncertain about her place and role among the People.

This hurt she would use against her enemies.

“Who is you Master?”

“A glorious being who leads us upon the path of eternity! Cower in awe at his magnificence when it visits you!”

She shook her head, she had given him another chance…and he had rejected it with mad ramblings.

“Do you know what an Anzat is?”

He made no reply expect the rictus smile.

“Soul eaters, spirit drinkers…one of them taught me how to manipulate minds, how to reach in and take what is needed, it is their biological speciality…”

She paused her pacing in front of him

“I exceeded my master by the end, I learned more than he ever knew, I felt the nascent instinct for the Soup he repressed as he taught me, the danger of giving in to it was the limit of his ability…a limit I do not possess”

Reaching down she plucked up the null Orb and deactivated it, the Aether briefly flooded the Nexus.  

For a fleeting moment the Shade’s Force based regeneration restarted and he attempted to send a signal of distress…It was lost to the Nexus Bloodstone walls.

Nothing of the aether entered or left the curved Bloodstone unless a Person - aetherically and biologically attuned to the ultradense material of their homeworld - desired it - a harmony this Shade could never attain rendering it a Null room for its own connection to the Force.

“This is your last chance, tell me where the body you found on Yavin is and who your Master is now or I will take what I need for myself and my People, and you will not so much die as be erased as an entity from your own brain.”

“I will be Eternal!” It’s zealotry knew no bounds it seemed.  One cannot reason with the insane Ari coolly concluded as her finger lit with sharp purples.

The mental barriers of the Shade were significant, no doubt he was well trained and had many safeguards in place to preserve the anonymity of his order…it would not be easy.

She had learned how to probe, control and twist minds by two very different masters – Kazic Ovarug and Kiraea.

From Kazic she learnt artfulness, precision, to do no more than what was needed to avoid unnecessary damage, and how to extract just enough.

Form Kiraea the lessons were similar but more…aggressive – to not just avoid or out flank barriers, but to remove them completely, to feel neither care nor concern about what state the subject ended up in so long as the People obtained what they needed.
 
She began with a butcher’s cleaver hacking down the blunt and obvious mental walls.

Then a paring knife skinning the soft but firm blocks surrounding the core of consciousness and memory.

What the Shade experienced as she progressed she did not note expect as simple feedback from a system, whatever parts of Ari were compassionate and sympathetic turned off by the desecration of her family this creature had perpetuated.

It was so easy to just see the being as a problem to solved.

Finally a scalpel, expertly severing parts of the cortex that gave rise to personality, to a sense of self, and even conscious awareness which was not necessary to her purpose.

All that was left was the raw memory cortices, neurons flaring in random reminiscence without direction or purpose, all sentience was gone.

And from this thin soup she plucked the words and patterns she needed by carefully and precisely activating neuronal patterns she needed while leaving the rest with atrophying or suppressed.

<<<<>>>>

“Teth,” was the final answer Ari gave as stood at the door to the Nexus, her shirt covered in blood, behind her barely visible the dead form of the Shade, face covered in dark dripping fluids that glugged from the ears, eyes and nose with every remaining beat of the dying heart.

“The rest of the body is held at Teth,”

“Anything else of note?” Valens asked ever the pragmatist he was blind to Ari’s distressed state, unable to comprehend how extracting information from an outsider could in anyway be emotionally draining.

“No…whatever knowledge of it’s Master it possessed was elusive to begin with, possibly suppressed by the Master itself, and soon dissolved in the slurry,”

Valens merely nodded and headed to research the location of their next stop, Ari slowly backed into the Nexus to ‘clean up’.  The condition Ari had left the Shade in sobering even to a merciless slayer such as himself.

“Are you alright?” Milaea’s voice a whisper echoes in the now eerily silent chamber that held a flitting memory of screams that had passed Ari by completely.

“Fine…” Ari replied deactivating the grav-shackles and letting the body drop,

“Relieved actually, I was worried I might not be able to pull the information out of it, I’ve never tried that precise a mental disassembly before.”

That Ari called the Shade ‘it’ rather than ‘he’ was a troubling shift Milaea would in other times note more prominently but for now she held off, it would do no good until Ari realised it herself.

Milaea left Aresaea to complete the messy work of cleaning up the remnants of a once living being from all over the floor.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #116 on: October 19, 2020, 12:29:55 AM »

Chapter 18 — Ari’s Quest — Crusade — Part 4
Valens
“How will you approach this?” Valens queried as the large view screen on the Aephrodaea’s bridge showed a zoomed in image of the B’omarr Monastery atop one of the dozens of skyscraper like mesa’s where the monks could contemplate the infinite in isolation from the jungles below – and likely completely indifferent to the Revenant that used their building as a base.

“Last time I gave them a chance to negotiate, the responded by attacking us…they struck first,” Ari reasoned beside him

“My attack will be retaliatory,”

He nodded approvingly

“I’ll go with you this time, your abilities are great, but these Revenant are unnaturally resilient, if we encounter another Shade leave it to me.”

Ari inclined in agreement, Valens meant no disrespect to her skills in his orders, as Warchief it was his role to develop strategy for the People in all fields of battle, in this situation it was better a full adult Guardian face the Revenant leaders, Ari’s abilities were a match for the one on Boerin – but only a match.

“Everything else I leave to you,” he turned to head to the armoury but paused to look at her

“This trial has been longer and harder than I imagined, I’m sure the Goddesses will be proud of the persistence, wisdom and strength you’ve shown and will reward you when you return to Aethas,”

“I need no more reward than repatriating my uncle.”

Valens smiled at the genuine humility of Ari’s reply as he descended via the stairs to the Armoury.

“What’s the Plan?” Sofa asked jutting her arms into the body glove.

“We hit them, Aresaea is determining her tactics now,”

“She’s a smart girl that one,” Sofa noted “Strong too,”

“Stronger than she knows…” Valens noted checking over his armour before casting off his casual leather vest.

“Three…always Three,” he said more to himself than his wife who by now was used to his occasionally obscure cultural utterings and paid them little mind.

“One for each Goddess…Milaea is one…if Ari is the second…”

<<<<>>>>
Aresaea

“Is that clear?” Ari finished her instructions to the Extolled force.

“Understood Avatar, These ones proudly to serve, none of the enemies of the Gods will escape Divine Justice this day.”

The religious zealotry at any other time would’ve sat ill with Ari, but when it served her needs so precisely…

It was very easy to exploit it without thought.

She nodded permission for them to return to their preparations and reflected on other things that had come too easily of late.

She had mind ripped the Revenant, plotted a surgical assault without any real thought about the means, only the end of retrieving her Uncle.

The violence inherent in the means had and did seem so natural, so expedient…

It felt unlike her…as if she had taken in the xenophobic indifference of her People toward outsiders already, not even noticing the shift from the liberal toleration Saani and Kazic had taught her.

“It’s too easy…” Milaea’s voice seemed to come from nowhere as Ari strolled back toward the armoury
“To lose ourselves to the Tribe…to slot into their way of thinking…”

Ari paused in her gait

“I…I know but…”

“At least you know” Milaea smiled catching up to her fully

“The problem comes when you’re changing how you think and act without realising it…The more time we spend with the others, the more we think like them, Valens and Kiraea especially, they are strong presences in the group mind, experienced, knowledgeable…”

“But their solutions to problems with Outsiders are very…one track…” Ari continued for her

“Yes….and Jarys and the others aren’t that different enough to temper it…even Sofa…”

Ari smiled “Is almost worse!”

“True,” Milaea agreed.  “I have to admit I’m, hoping that the two of us can…”

“…soften the sharp edges?”

“Exactly,”

“But in this case…the Revenant…” Ari glanced aside “I don’t think there is another way,”

Milaea could only nod in agreement, it seemed she did that a lot when talking to Ari,

“Their fanaticism…what they want to do with our genetic template…” Ari could tell Mili was reflecting on what Lucovis had done with the clone babies.

“They can’t be reasoned with, I admit I didn’t like how you interrogated the Shade, but with time critical… I couldn’t think of another way.”

Ari appreciated the honesty, she had her own doubts about the methods she had used on the Shade, and admittedly worried she hadn’t given herself time in her anger to think of alternatives…that Milaea herself could think of no other way made Ari feel relieved she had not acted hastily as she thought.

“Perhaps the important thing…” Ari began to summarise “Is that we both tried to find another way in the first place.”

She passed her hand over the door control the gentle swish sound revealing the nine large lockers, only two occupied by their personal sets of Mark 1 Oblivion Armour, cushioned seats to help change and racks of rifles, pistols, bows and arrows.

Striding forward Ari quickly slipped out of her simple black singlet, her typical wear on the ship, be bath which was only a very light dark bra that made Milaea slightly…not uncomfortable so much as…illicitly excited…to see as Ari changed.

“Maybe…” Ari thought out loud as she took off her trousers as well folding them neatly into the box beneath her suit of armour with the aether before checking over the nanite weave body glove

“…we need to remind each other to think of other ways, together we could present a stronger alternative view point in the group mind?”

Ari looked round to see Milaea was just standing there not getting changed.  Suddenly flushed with embarrassment Milaea quickly headed to her own locker, her armour Bloodstone rather than blackstone, the rarer harder to work ultradense material able to cope with the extreme of aetheric power she could wield – if she had to.

“Yes that’s a good idea, between us we can be a stronger voice…though more would help…maybe Xani when she is older, if we find any other survivors who had been treated well…and possibly…”

Milaea seemed in a sudden hurry to look like she was not unconsciously stealing glances at Ari as she jiggled- in all the right places - into the tight body glove.

“…Possibly?”

“Oh something we can talk about after,” Milaea hung up her own jacket and shirt, now only in pastel pink underwear.

“That’s nice, did you make them yourself?” Ari asked of Milaea’s underwear…realising only momentarily later it was an excuse to stare.

“Oh, a gift from Kiraea, much as she hates outsider clothes she can’t help copying their negligée designs.” Milaea replied not minding the attention to her figure at all.

“You look gorgeous…I mean they look good on you…” Ari corrected fumbling around Mili once more before a slightly awkward silence in which both eyed the other half dressed.

“…mmm I’d better check the power cells on the rifles….”

<<<<>>>>

She moved quickly and easily though the jungle undergrowth’s of Teth.

They had landed nearly 40 kilometres from the Monastery, moving closer by foot to avoid detection.

It reminded her of traversing Yavin for so many years, she knew by sight, by Feel how to glide silently through a jungle or forest, Jarys and Kiraea’s lessons had only sharpened her skills further.

Valens just behind her was equally adept, albeit having to keep only to the strongest branches due to his 50 kilograms of extra weight in muscle and armour.

She attuned herself quickly to the jungle, understood its ebbs and flows using the schema she’d learned from Yavin and Aethas, everything had a role with an analogue she could connect with prior experience, without even knowing the names of some plants she knew which ones would ruffle too much, or be home to reptiles or small mammals best left undisturbed.

They worked their way swiftly to the base of the tower like Mesa upon which the Monastery stood, at ground level they could only see the clouds not the top of the vast sheer cliff.

Up there like a blazing torch was the vile half living sense of her uncle.  Like Boerin IV, they were using him, artificially reviving his body for their experiments. 

The same anger that had turned her so cold in interrogating the Shade chilled the edges of her mind...

She stared intently at the rock face to refocus on the now - it would be quite a climb.

With a little discomfort she checked the bulbous villip communication device to confirm the Extolled were in position on the far side of the Mesa to also begin their ascent.  The way the leathery bulb transformed into the face of the Extolled group leader Gnuur was disturbing, as used to alien technologies as she was from Galtea the Extolled seemed on another level.

<And….> Valens asked openly to her thoughts as they clipped on the rappelling harnesses.

<And…that very strangeness is why they are such an effective ally> Ari deduced in this minor trial

<No one else in the galaxy we know of possesses such biotechnology, or will for centuries…it gives us a tremendous advantage…so long as they remain loyal>

Tightening the nyal-steel cable round her waist she paused considering

<What happens if they no longer believe we are Avatars of their gods or wish to share their knowledge with us?>

Valens didn’t reply.

She already knew the answer. 

Used to climbing the faces of greysleet – or phirk – mountains, the mesa’s grey-pink rock was easy to navigate being dramatically less dense – soft almost.  Their greatest difficulty was their sheer weight straining the cables designed for Chiss Commando’s not far denser aethan bodies, but with the aether they could create gravity diminishing fields to reduce the down pull and subtle telekinetic uplifts to increase buoyancy.

Trickles of water guided their way to where there were makeshift sewers flowing from the Monastery high above simply sloshing rain and waste out onto the jungle below.

Crawling into one such opening she checked the progress on the Extolled contingent on the overside of the cliff face, they were behind but not by much.

The caverns were dank and moist with the leaving of ages dripping down from stalagmites, the light from outside was soon lost as they stalked forward slowly finding traces of old dumped building materials, a few ancient bodies with hands bound to stakes, loose bricks and rubble in this forgotten section several hundred meters below the main monastery.

As the natural cavern gave way to sloppy brick work Ari held up a fist to stop as she heard movement ahead, genehanced hearing detecting four synchronized thin feet on the uneven ground ahead.

She peeked out to spy a Bo’marr Spider droid wandering, the brain in a glass jar beneath the main droid body.

Disgust radiated from Valens.

<Depraved and delusional creatures> he sneered telepathically

<Do you know much about the B’omarr?>

<Enough, they are a degenerate sect than pontificates on meaningless drivel rather than leading useful lives.>

The Xenophobic hate was palpable, Ari had come to respect and learn from so many cultures on the tolerant open Galtea, she knew a little of these monks desire to detach from ‘physical distractions’; to complete the mysteries of the universe, but had not expected such a vicious reaction from Valens, as if he was threatened by the nature of their philosophy.

<You think contemplating the nature of the universe and our place in it is wasteful?>

Ari immediately realised she need not have asked the question, the answer was so obvious.

Valens was a protector and leader of his People, a husband, brother, friend and mentor, he acted always to strengthen the People, he never contemplated the why of his actions, his motivations, he simply acted according to deep ingrained cultural and tribal dictates.  To spend time contemplating the nature of life beyond ways to restore or destroy it, to ponder the nature of a ‘good life’, or consider the moral implications of his actions and beliefs was utter folly, something that never even entered his mind to do.

<We are as we are, we plant our crops, herd our gormin, raise our children and love our People, what more is there to contemplate.>

<You never wonder why life, the aether, or universe exists?> Ari knew Valens was extraordinarily intelligent, even for an Aethan, with the memories of Valance from the Technocracy and his own experiences studying with Yoda he must possess a wealth of knowledge.

<They are as they are, these B’omarr waste their time, mutilating their bodies pursuing what is incomprehensible for mortals instead of contributing to their own People>

Ari could not disagree with some of what he said, the Monks goals did seem ultimately futile, yet she could at least respect their choice to pursue such a life, acknowledge their culture valued pursuits hers did not.  Valens though seemed to find it a direct affront, another reason their lives were worth less than Peoples.

She peeked out to view the thing wander about some task or other completely oblivious to both her and most likely the revenant that occupied the Monastery.

<If that can get down here there must be a way up…we’ll follow it> she decided.

Ari was soon proved correct, the seemingly random wandering lead up several levels of gentle sloping ramps made of harsh worn stones.

The Revenant had placed a number of motion sensors and detection equipment, but the technology was outdated to say the least and no match for her skills to disable or avoid.

They finally came to the bottom levels of the Monastery proper above the plant, cellars and catacombs lined with the ‘retired’ monks.

It was here they encountered the first of the Revenant. 

Lackies and underlings, limited if any aetheric power attending to menial tasks. They were eliminated with silence and speed.

The Monastery was composed largely of vast central round chambers, surrounded by innumerable spiralling walkways up the cylindrical buildings, it was through these they raced, a few of the Revenants prepared for them, most caught off guard by the speed of their progression as whatever alerts system they had failed to reach them before the Aethans did.

Some never even knew they were there before their head hit the floor.

Soon there were scores of cultists armed with antiquated las-Muskets – slow to fire compared to modern blasters but with a dangerously higher charge that risked exploding and killing the bearer just as much as the target – perhaps two dozen were armoured with Lightsabres – half at most knew how to use them proficiently.

This was a horde defence to wear them down – between them Ari knew she and Valens could carve a rapid bloody swathe.  But there would be better trained Wraiths and Shades deeper within, they needed to converse their power.

She scanned the entrances behind the gathering throng picking up the faintest of motion in the shadows

Do-ro'ik vong pratte!” Ari yelled her helmet speakers at full.

The Cultists only just on their knees to brace for a volley looked bemused at the unfamiliar language.

The Translation was ‘And woe to our Enemies’ – the Battle Cry of the Yuuzhan Vong Warrior Caste.

The Extolled forces who had scaled the other side of the mesa and made their way through the rear of the Monastery cried in response behind the cultists and delivered the Woe in bloody buckets.

The fury of twenty Extolled warriors crashed into the cultists rear and flanks – fully armoured in the first Aethas grown voduun crab armour and amphistaffs – stronger and healthier than anything the stagnant worldship crèches could grow - the charge sent the thin fanatics flying by the dozen.  While they had fought several times beside their avatars in ooglith masquers on infiltration missions, this was their first chances to fight in open combat fully armed as a warrior of the Extolled should be.

They relished it.

The cultists zealotry was no less, but their physical state was drastically less robust, and as had been the case time and again, they simply had no effective counter to the novel Extolled bio-weapons.

Ari and Valens charged through the now faltering front line, blades spinning through arms and legs as they went before advancing past the melee leaving the Extolled to slaughter the Revenant who or the first time faced opponents as obsessive and self-mutilated as they were.

Through the high arched corridors they passed two groups of Wraiths that tried to stop them with their red glowing saberstaffs and single hilt weapons – against two Aethans the first group of three were overwhelmed in mere seconds, Ari did not give them time to draw on the Force to enhance their speed to match the metahumans.

The second group of four were better prepared, rushing forward with strong defensive guards – Ari sent her four shikkar dagger flying in advance, the aetherically suppressed glass blades glided a millimetre above the stone floor then straight up into their abdomens – the blade snapping off at the hilt and burying into their organs. In excruciating pain the zealous creatures still fought on, but while their speed was a match with the Force their raw physical strength was not – shoulders and elbows popped with the first block of Ari and Valens blows, swift lows cuts and kicks finished them before they stomped the torso’s and skulls to ensure they could not use their strange ‘healing’ abilities to any effect.

Ari followed the presence of her uncle to large dull metal doors ahead, Wraiths either side fired from tripod-las Gattling cannons, the rapid fire yellow energy meeting her Jar-Kai deflections and pounding dozens of carbon smoking holes in the wall per second before she gripped both tripod weapons and pulled them to her – the Wraiths staggered and went for their blades – she responded with combination aetheric lighting and telekinesis that slammed them deeply into the door and boiled the water from their skin cells levels them shrivelled and burnt in moments.

She didn’t slow her run, simply twisting and galvanising her pauldron with the aether to shoulder tackle the vast door open.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #117 on: October 19, 2020, 12:30:34 AM »

Chapter 18 — Ari’s Quest — Crusade — Part 5
Aresaea
Behind was a vast wide round chamber, at least seven stories high, covered in hundreds of small alcoves where in red lit glass canisters the brains of the enlightened Bo’marr monks contemplated the mysteries of the universe free from the distractions of a body.

An incomprehensible web of cables and conduit snaked all over the walls between the brain jars, connecting across the huge empty centre a dozen ways.  Mid-sized spider droids wandered back and forth up and across the walls on perplexing tasks.

On the floor directly ahead the vast circular area was separated by medical white partitions, each filled with vials, scanners, resuscitators, bubbling tubes and variegated medical equipment all caked in viscera.

Ari suddenly realised why the Revenant had chosen this place – the Bo’marr had extensive surgical equipment to enable their ‘enlightenment’ by separating brains from bodies and keeping them alive – for a cult dedicated to achieving immortality by any means such a store of knowledge and equipment would be irresistible, especially given the pacifist monks would not, and arguably could not, resist their occupation.

Here also the most capable Revenant Forces were awaiting them – eight Wraiths and three Shades. 

One had been a near match, three would overwhelm her, the Wraiths would add to the pressure.  Any worry Ari felt was allayed by Valens firm presence beside her, another lesson affirmed that the People needed each other to survive.

“You have penetrated far and fast…” a female with stark white features etched by blood brown tattoos in the centre rasped
“Your beasts are impressive…our Master will revel in learning their secrets…but now you are ours!”

With a violent snap her jaw opened far wider than it should, the bone no doubt breaking, and a hideous twisted screech filled the vastness of the chamber causing the brain jars to vibrate dangerously close to shattering.

The Scream of Aether and sound hit Ari directly – her instinctive defences buckled and only in the nick of time did she redirect all her energy to fighting off the heinous attack that danced tendrils of horrific images about her vision.

The Banshee’s screech was a melange of attacks, mental, malacia, kinetic, thermal, attempting to overwhelm her while the Wraiths and Shades moved to attack her flanks and rear.

Gritting her teeth she focused on the sickly un-living presence of her uncle up ahead, she had come this far to save him, to protect him as a Guardian of the People must – she would not be stopped now.

Crimson energy blades were arcing toward her, bolts of yellow energy at the speed of sound about to strike as the universe entered slow motion a micron from the edge of her armour as dis-reality that cocooned her for precious seconds in her own temporal reality until she could fully channel her protective emotions into the hormonal and aetheric overdrive of Aephordaea’s Grace.

Just as Valens was shifting to take the brunt of the Banshee’s Screech Ari proved she didn’t need his rescue.

A wave of near white purple energy drilled through the centre of the Screech and into a halo all around Ari’s body.  The blades and blaster bolts fizzled and dissolved into it as the broken jawed Banshee was hurled back by the beam of aetheric energy.

Illuminated from within to an extent that made her purple sabers blades seem the darkest thing upon her, Ari turned into a precise flurry of impossibly accurate and perfectly time strikes against every Wraith within her reach – and a few outside as clean white purple bolts struck them with incinerating fury.

As quickly as her enormous burst of power had come it was gone replaced by an all over tingle as the Shades advanced and the Banshee, injured by not defeated, reared up under the necromantic power of the Revenant.

Within an instant they were engaged fully in vicious bouts – Valens directing the two Shades and remaining Wraiths to him, the Banshee, jaw cracking back into place rose on the Force, her gaunt bones seemingly too weak to carry such weighty robes, the plethora of ink from tattoos appeared half her body weight.

But such frailty was only in physical form, in the aether she was titanium - the coalesced energies of innumerable victims to power her desire for immortality.

Ari charged her head on, kinetic blasts and shots from her blasters hovering behind her head softening the Banshee’s guard before they met.

The unstoppable force of Aethan strength was ground against the unrelenting revivification of the Revenant, as hard as they broke the comparatively frail human bodies their necromantic arts sewed them back together with equal violence and snapping wet crunches of bone knitting.

Valens, no stranger to fighting outnumbered, methodically ruined the Wraiths with sword, fist and lighting while keeping the Shades distracted with non-crippling but painful blows that forced them to draw on their powers to repair.

Ari found in the Banshee a viciousness and formidable strength that cackled and cursed – whatever initial Screech attack she had used was obviously – for the time at least – depleted, but in her heightened senses Ari knew she was re building to launch another such blast.

Ari did nothing to frustrate it – every ounce of aetheric power the Banshee stored for another blast later was one less to counter Ari’s fusillade of strikes now – Ari had no intention of letting her live long enough to make use of her screech again.

Ari fought the creature with all she had. 

Creature was all it was for it seemed too far twisted to be humanoid any longer, and its status as either living or dead seemed ambiguous – it simply was – a hideously imperfect mode of immortality that tried to keep a body with natural genetic redundancy alive indefinitely and paid a terrible price for it.

She hammered physically with her blades and speed, countered by the incongruent strength of bone like arms, mentally with blades of metaphysical energy as she had the captured shade, but this creatures mind was barely existent, and the parts that were active in a conventional sense so fanatical as to be beyond confusion or damage.

Aetherically Ari’s lighting and kinetic blasts were expertly diverted, but the Banshee seemed unable to deliver counter attacks.

Forgotten around them medical equipment rigged for unnaturally lengthening life and studying the miraculous Subject was turned to so much scrap, stray bolts of lightning blasting brain jars apart frying the oblivious Bo’marr Enlightened within.

Aresaea tore furiously against the Banshee, all the strength and technique her teachers had given her on display, the dexterity of Kiraea, the brutal efficiency of Jarys, subtlety of Saani, and considered positioning of Kazic.  It did little good as again and again it simply refused to die or relent no matter the damage she seemed to inflict.

If she broke a leg it would knit an arm, if she severed a hand it would reattach a foot, the incessant nature of its revival was frustrating beyond measure.

For a brief moment Ari’s cold calculations considered the possibility the Banshee might actually have greater aetheric endurance than her – or at least equal.  The concept of a mere human exceeding Aethan Aetheric endurance seemed impossible till she realised the true source of the power.

All about her the Brain jars were blinking out lights as the Banshee and Shades drew life energy from the indifferent disembodied monks, slaughtering them by the dozen per second – the hundreds of rows of alcoves obviously flowing backward into the structure with ever more ranks of the ‘Enlightened’. It was industrial scale Life Drain upon the Bo’marr.

Ari’s choices were laid before her – try and overcome the Banshee with her own power, a test of raw strength, or use her skill in the Arts to pre-empt the Revenant and Drain Life from all the Bo’marr, or simply kill them, before they could harvest anymore life energy…

The first seemed unlikely to win, the latter would achieve victory in a way that gave truth to the xenophobic parasitic reputation of Aethan cultural regard for Outsiders.

It meant there was only one path to victory.

The Banshee’s wild saber, curved hilt moving like water between fingers with expert grace, sliced heated fissures into Ari’s armour as she closed feeling the Screech nearing readiness for a second wave. 

Ari shut off her sabers.

The momentary puzzlement on the Banshee allowing Ari to leap forward and grab the Banshee in a bear hug just as the jaw distended to deliver another screech straight to Ari’s face that would undoubtedly have broken her helmet and likely her skull besides.

The Screech died in the necrotic creature’s throat as Ari pulled and pushed the aether into a Null field about her.

One of the most potent trump cards an Aethan possessed, it stripped Ari of her aetheric powers, but it denied her enemy as well, and put them at the mercy of Aethan genehanced strength and speed.

Arms wrapped around in a hideous embrace Ari squeezed the Banshee as she head-butted forward again and again pulping and crushing the creature beyond any ability to restore.

The body slopped between her arms leaving a trail of black rotten blood on Ari’s armour.  But she would not let it fall – hauling it up she proficiently tore it limb from limb, breached the rib cage and yanked decayed organs ruined from dozens of revivals out piece by piece.

Heaving out Ari sunk to her knees amidst the ruin of the body, a Null field sustained for even thirty seconds took all her energy.

The sparking detritus of the medical equipment, broken cables and spider droids running frantically to and fro the chaotic background as she sought peace.

Valens lifted his boot from the ashen mess of the two Shades, their resilience had proved formidable – but they could not out heal flesh turned to carbon by aetheric flames. 

He looked somewhat worse for wear, fatigued from pounding out extreme volumes of fire, but was otherwise uninjured.

He strode forward less firmly than usual to kneel beside her. Ari’s armour was soaked in the blood of the Banshee gradually repelled by the Blackstone. 

Outside the main chamber were still the thvump’s of blasters and hiss of amphistaffs…usually followed by the screams of infidels fallen into fanatical Yuuzhan Vong hands…but now also the occasional drone of sabers as Milaea and Sofa tidied up.

Beyond tired Ari half leaned half flopped into Valens as he wrapped his arm around.

<<<<>>>>

“Fools, they seek to immortalise bodies not capable of such longevity in the first place,” Valens noted derisively some fifteen minutes later, the last of the Revenant lackies who had tried to flee getting to viscerally experience what Yuuzhan Vong Warriors whose matra was ‘Attack, Attack, Attack’ thought of cowards.

Their Extra Galactic allies now contented themselves by taking gruesome trophies and setting up mangled totems o their foes as warning to other enemies of the Avatars of the Gods.

“They don’t have much choice, they are the bodies they are born in….” Sofa trailed off at the irony given her own ageless body was not exactly the one she had been born to

“Their research was starting to make significant progress…” Milaea noted reviewing the logs

“…they’d cracked a few of our immune and wound binding sequences and how they interact with the aether, they were working on a retro virus to implant it into their own DNA…”

“Like the one we saw them testing on Nar Shadda…could it ever actually work?” Sofa asked

Milaea shut the laptop screen gently.  Then with a light touch of the aether severed the molecular bonds holding it together turning it to dust.

“I don’t think so, even if they have a back drives off world, without Tarasens body they won’t be able to progress any further… and like you saw the most likely result would be extreme cancers as the aethan half cells won’t know when to stop healing without a full range of chemical signals from other cell types,”

“Cross species genetic splicing is riddled with such difficulties…” Ari noted finally standing

“Saani and Kazic tried so long to have a child by modifying sequences, but Twi’leki and Anzat genes…”

Milaea quickly approached her hands on her shoulders, Mili’s aetheric vision probing her all over for injuries

“You need some rest, why don’t you head back to the ship and…”

“No, this my quest, I must finish it myself, and there is no time to lose, more Revenant could arrive any minute,”

As her overseer in the trial Valens now stepped forward

“We’ll get the Extolled out and take anything of value you place in that corner,” he pointed the location

“We leave in half an hour, make sure to remove all trace of our presence,”

Ari nodded and began rapidly checking the various scattered computers and drives, a handful of odd aetheric artefacts with skull motifs, or vile runes no doubt used in their aetheric revival techniques.

Of most interest was a hand written tome which Milaea quickly picked up and flicked through, excitement budding around her,

“What is it?”

“A Treatise of revivification…like our Necromancy and Sith Alchemy in essence…” her fingers moved the pages back and forth

“But distinct…a third way…”

Milaea’s voice became a hopeful whisper

This is the last piece

“Last piece of what?” Air asked curious at Milaea’s sudden change in tone.

“To…something I’ve been working on we can discuss it back on Aethas…”

Ari accepted the reply with a shrug and headed toward the largest of the vats where the rest of her uncles body existed in a perverted artificial life, cables and tubes piercing the skin in purple bruises that would never heal.

Her mouth dropped at the vile sight, and the necessity of what she had to do.

Her hand wavered...then balled into a fist…with succinct slashes she sliced the external cables, red warning lights blinkered out, then pierced the main shell of the tank.

The amino fluid gushed out over her arm, wetting the floor with gluggy slickness.

Delicately she removed the IV’s from the body, trying to avoid looking at the bloated face of a man dead so long then dredged up so unwillingly.  It was not how she wanted to remember Tarasen.

She imagined the man he had been, carrying her on his back, patiently teaching her how to carve, cook, hunt, a simple man who had done his best after a devastating trauma, and deserved far better than what these Outsider had done to him.

The others were all gone apart from Valens just outside the door as Ari cradled the body as if he were still alive.

One last task remained in this place.  Summoning the Null Orb from her bet she plotted the path it had to take with her mind.

The chance was low, but as a Guardian of the People, she could not take the risk.

Like a laser guided missile the Concealment Orb sped under her telekinetic control into and through every alcove of the large room, shattering every single brain jar and slicing the aether from the Bo’marr within for a brief second that purged any trace of them.

She had not used their life energy to power herself, in that she was proud, but if they had sensed or recalled anything it could endanger the People. That could not be permitted.

The Orb swept the room eating the aetheric traces of the People with it, anyone who flow walked here would see only perplexing deaths of Revenant and Bo’marr against blank air.

Its vast orbits complete, Valens having cleaned the other rooms and corridors, he held out two more devices as he caught the now full Orb.

These two were also spheres but of a very different make.

Taking them up with her mind she rolled the two Chiss Plasma Detonators behind her.

Heat of the incinerating blasts washed her back as she left this place forever.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

Lord_S_Gray
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 428
Posts: 1903



« Reply #118 on: October 19, 2020, 12:31:42 AM »

Chapter 18 — Ari’s Quest — Crusade — Part 6
The Old One

This was a major set back.

Or would be if he thought in such terms.

When one lived for millennia, such things were not even irritations anymore, they were mere steps along the path way.

Boerin had been purged. Teth incinerated.  At neither location had the scouts found any trace of who was responsible.

Kadmaur knew of course, it was the same species as that of the body they were studying found on Yavin years before.  This generation of Revenant had sunk much into it’s study…too much…

The retrovirus he had last been updated on had potential, but also danger now there was no template to work off of, the genetic sample defied sequencing by conventional bio-medical software.  Of course he would test it, but was not confident it would produce useful results.

Sitting in the centre of what had been the Great Chamber of the Enlightened, now ruined with the ancient stone blocks gluggy and still reeling from the heat of plasma based explosives, he wondered if he should investigate this strange species further…their abilities were certainly unique, their tactics surprising, and their motivations…unusual but intriguing.

And a final piece of the puzzle he sensed beneath the warped floor.  A single marble sized piece of ultradense material even he had rarely encountered.  It was expertly concealed he had to admit, few other beings would have sensed it.  But its message was clear, We are Watching Still.

Stroking his long white beard he pondered for many hours before resolving that, in the short or medium term even, this was not a species he would profit from any further encounter with.

They had retaken the body, claimed what they considered theirs. Let them.  He would take no action, and agree to their unspoken offer of a truce.  If they wished to pursue hostilities he was certain the Ziggurat on Taris would already be under assault.

Rising nimbly for his age – if such a dating scheme even had meaning to him – he wandered out of the ash coated room.

In time the Bo’marr would return, they always did.

In time the Revenant would rebuild – they always did.

In time he would remain to watch it all.

He always Was

<<<<>>>>

Aresaea
Aetheric blue candles lit the way to the alcove.

The linens normally so warm were cool on her skin as she carried her uncles body, reassembled as best she could, to his final place of actual rest.

Lovingly carved funerary totems upon his chest, small baskets of grave goods on the rock, she lowered him into the waiting freshly carved space.

Tarasen would finally be at peace here, undisturbed with his ancestors, friends and other family brought physically to the Goddesses as well as his spirit.

Her face shadowed by the blue glow Ari knelt beside the alcove gently closing the freshly woven curtain.

In finding him she had found herself as well, remembered that she was, and could be many things at once.

She could be both the child of Aethas, dedicated to her culture and People, and the daughter of a Twi’leki and Anzat as well.

She could respect Outsiders beliefs, enjoy learning from the varied cultures as the Taijitu and rainbow about her neck represented, and hope with Milaea in a future where all species could live in peace without suspicion or fear.

But like Sofa and Kazic she need hold no illusions that such noble ideas could overcome individual selfishness.

As a Guardian of her People, just like Kiraea, Jarys and Valens, she would, until such time as that multicultural Idyll could be reached, eliminate with neither regret nor remorse those that had, did, or would threaten her Family – all her Family, past present and future.

She could miss Galtea, but enjoy being on Aethas, question - critique even - both cultures – one that strived to be better, and one that could never admit it was wrong - and pick and choose what she made of herself from both.

It was dawn by the time she left the catacombs finding a small group waiting patiently for her, all of whom saw clearly the serenity with which Aresaea walked from the cavern entrance adult and a Guardian.

Valens approached her first affirming her completion with a firm embrace, Jarys followed then Kiraea who peppered her with kisses and presented a specially fashioned Triquetra – Blackheart inlaid with Aephrodaean Diamonds – the first material able to store four normal or two very powerful enchantments that the diamonds would amplify. 

It was left blank for her to imbue as she saw fit.

The last waiting for her was Milaea with a smile warmer than the morning sun

“How do you feel?” Mili asked

“Calmer, stronger…but…tired,” Ari laughed she had not had a fully six level sleep cycle since setting out on her Quest.

“Of course, take some time to rest, visit the others, visit the Caverns, and when you’re ready there is something I’d like your help with,”

“I’d be glad to, thank you Mili for coming with me, and more than that for…”

The women just smiled, the meaning flowed on a private connection between the friends better than words ever could.

<<<<>>>>
Logged

Lord_S_Gray

Surik: "Kreia, what are you—are you a Jedi, a Sith?"
Kreia: "Does it matter? Of course it does, such titles allow you to break the galaxy into light and dark, categorize it. Perhaps I am neither, and I hold both as what they are, pieces of a whole."

TheDutchman
Knight Commander
*

Force Alignment: 1106
Posts: 4131


Avatar courtesy of For Tyeth


« Reply #119 on: October 19, 2020, 05:44:36 PM »

OUTSTANDING!!!

So, SO much goodness going on here; let's sort it all out:

VERY satisfying seeing Ari's beliefs buoyed by her ascension to Guardian, and in no small part thanks to Mili!  Excellent arc where we see not only self-actualization on Ari's part but also her decision to balance a leg in both cultures--Aethan and her Adoptive Parents--while creating something unique to her character.  And yet, she still has to confront her uncertainty concerning the future (at least now she's accepted her morality as a barometer by which she can navigate future adversity).  This is the very reason that Ari is one of my favorite characters (of course, I'm sure that LSG trusting me with her in my own story has nothing at all to do with that  Wink).

On a serious note: I think that the friendship between Ari and Mili is also indicative of another facet of the Aethans: in this case, the 3 goddesses.  As Sofa and Valens posit the fact that Mili is DEFINITELY one, the more we see of Ari (e.g. the purple lightening) we now see why she is also such a powerful force (no shameless plug intended, but I'm reminded when Ari faced Anson and his dozen Sentinels; she was able to freeze them all in place, the first instance where we see her under the influence of Aephrodaea’s Grace).  Good thing too: that Shade was one tough opponent...

Speaking of which: this was an excellent reminder of just HOW dangerous the Revenant are!  Considering that a strike force consisting of two goddesses/avatars, a goddess killer, and their retinue of berserker, battle-lust Vong commented upon the Shades and Wraiths implacability, it speaks to just how powerful they are/were (that Banshee Shriek was unexpected...and awesome  Wink).  And--of course--above/behind it all watches Kadmaur... Again, this was such a natural inclusion of him, to say nothing of his Revenant during these times  Smiley

It was especially satisfying to see Tarasen finally given proper rest.  After all, had it not been for her Uncle, who knows where Ari would have ended up?

The only complaint that I've got is: the next chapter can't come soon enough  Grin
Logged

Sig courtesy of DarthScrub

Cataphract Triarch of the Vhal'Dan

My sabers:Zearic's Aldrnari, Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, AS; Zearic's shoto, Apprentice v4 w/Obsidian, AS; Graflex SE w/Obsidian, GB; Archon v3 (modded w/ activation box) w/Obsidian, CG; Dark Sentinel v4 w/Obsidian, BR; Sentinel LE v4 w/Obsidian, GB; Initiate v5 w/Obsidian, AS; Sentinel LE v4 stunt, EG; Aeon LE v4 stunt, FO; Dominix v4 stunt, BR; Aeon v3 stunt, SY

Pages: 1 ... 6 7 [8] 9 10 ... 24   Go Up
Send this topic | Print
Jump to: