A Necessary Bond

[Kruel Zing]

Dathomir, the death place of the Aveil tribe, a clan of Dathomir witches and my family. They had accepted me with open arms upon marrying Shiva. They let me lead them in battle, and I failed them. They’re all gone. Not only was this the death place of my clan, but was to be my prison as it had been for the past five centuries. I am the sole remaining member of the Aveil clan and not by birth. My village had once been live with the celebrations of the dathomirian people, filled with cheer and those who cared for each other. All that remained were the signs of the battle that had happened centuries ago. To me it was still a fresh memory. The smell of burning flesh, the cries of parents and children pleading for mercy. Why did it have to me left alive? All the memories weighed on my shoulders feeling as though I was carrying the world. The clan that did this to us had been the Serpent clan, a tribe of Nightsisters that had subjected the Aveil tribe for years till me and Shiva came. The architecture was on its last strings of life nearly rubble. Moss covered those buildings that hadn’t been destroyed climbing up the walls. There were no longer any sentients that lived in the village besides the rodents and avian creatures that often came to visit me.

Worst of all my prison had been placed in the center of the village where I could see it all. I was forced to watch as the bodies of my people decayed over the years and became naught but dust. Head bowed low and chin against my chest I kept my eyes closed. I had seen enough, seeing anymore would’ve torn my mind asunder. I could still feel it though, the object that bound me to the world of the living. The blade that had been plunged a few centimeters below my heart and kept me pinned to the pillar that supported my weight. In each hand a dagger was plunged up into the hilt through the meaty flesh and digging into the pillar. Pain no longer came from the wounds, there was no pain that could be caused that I hadn’t felt seeing my people die. The sword hummed with the force the residue of the spell that had been cast imprisoning me and cursing me to live knowing that everyone I cared for was dead and that I’d never see them again.

Then in the distance I felt it, faint to my own diminishing abilities. But it was there, someone come too free me? Or yet another that had come seeking to plunder his village of what remained? Even so I would not let this chance slip by. Reaching out with the force I would touch the presence’s mind alerting them to my presence and trying to draw them to myself.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

Dathomir. About as much of a Bantha's behind as any world could aspire to be.

Now, most may question the sanity of a Sith Lord who'd choose a death-world to hide his holocron in, but to Nabrina, it made perfect sense. No one would be bothered to come here; only the most determined, or the most obsessed hunters would bother to seek such a relic out - an elaborate little bauble to most, but to some, a house of wisdom and knowledge unto itself. His name forever lost to the ages, all that remained of his legacy were his teachings, now sought after by the Twi'lek Nabrina Vao - daughter of Ryloth, supplicant of the ancient Sith Lords, pursuer of power.

She tread carefully but quickly across the deathworld's red soil - its entire terrain a crimson red thanks to its star. She went completely on instinct, and chose to rely on the Force instead of the shady leads of the next Rodian at some shady cantina around the sector. By now she had already passed more than a few Zabrak settlements, and several dozen miles of barren soil by now. It did not compare to the grim feeling of Korriban, Tattooine's desolate feeling, Jakku's remote backwater shanty-towns or Ryloth's great spice cities, but there was something about Dathomir that seemed to be conducive to the Dark Side - maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the Zabrak culture itself. A hardy but happy people, the few she had to interact with proved to be quite cordial, if not very useful and easily manipulated.

The Twi'lek was busying herself by humming a simple Rylothi indigenous song when a sudden ripple in the Force caused her to abruptly stop and silence herself, and then take cover behind a large rock formation until the sensation passed. What was that? It did not seem hostile or emit rage, hate or fury - but rather, sadness, melancholic emotion. It could very well be the holocron - the radial effect a mere deterrent. No one knew; she certainly didn't. She quickly started making her way towards the source, moving faster and almost breaking into a job as she raced toward it.

[member="Nomar"]

 

[Kruel Zing]

It had worked, whoever or whatever I had just reached out to touch was aware I was here and they were coming. Finally. The thought crossed through my mind and I could nearly taste the freedom that awaited me, the potential of returning to my homeworld and being among the wookies. To return to the people that had accepted me, my exile would be long over by this point and I would be welcomed into the clan with open arms. The waiting was becoming unbearable and my head swam. How long had it been since I last ate? Since I last had a drink of water. Just thinking about it I remembered the taste of delicious Rancor steak and couldn’t wait to once again feast on it.

If it could I was sure my mouth would be watering, but all moisture had left it long ago. Speaking was out of the question for me. Anything I tried to say came out no higher than a harsh, raspy whisper. “Come, come to me… Please.” The words couldn’t be heard by any but myself but they were a comfort, it would aid in the wait. Slowly raising my head, I opened my eyes for the first time in ages. Even the moonlight was too bright for my retina. It had been far too long since I had seen anything but darkness. The thing about being imprisoned for centuries was that you had a long time to think about your revenge. While the Serpent clan members that had killed his tribe would be long dead, their ancestors would pay the consequences. They will all meet fates worse than death.

Trying to move my arms, I knew it was a futile gesture. The pain was long past dull to my senses. It meant nothing anymore but my body still couldn’t fight against it. Especially not with the blade still within me. I had tried every spell and force power in my repertoire to free myself yet all attempts had failed leaving me to continue my living damnation.

After a few seconds my vision cleared and in the distance I saw a shadow moving. It was the one I had sensed earlier? How would they react to me in such a predicament, this person was the first force user to come to the remnants of my village and thus the only one capable of freeing me.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

The image before her was absurd; as if being pulled to what was essentially the ruins of a village that seemed centuries past its deathday wasn't strange enough. Surely enough time had taken its toll, but here and there the remains of what was once breathing or living could be seen - usually in the corners where the wild winds of Dathomir could not touch. A Firrerreo on the Zabrak homeworld had much explaining to do, even for an off-worlder such as her.

"You're a long ways off", Nabrina simply grunted as she stood in front of the towering Firrerreo, knowing better than to get too close - this species, she'd read, was notorious for their deceptively cunning strength and remarkable regenerative abilities. A sharp look and a smug half-grin remained on her face as she eyed him up and down. The Sith tattoos on her body seemed to absorb any light that came into contact with it; only her crimson red skin, red as Dathomir's skies in its own respect, glowed before @Nomar.

Her initial observations were simple. Force User, apparently pinned. She'd taken a quick mental note of the blade through his viscera, but made sure to keep at least two arms' distance for good measure.

"What's the meaning of all this?", she asked in an exasperated tone, as if disdainful of the very idea of dawdling. "I assume there's some sad story behind this mess of a village."

 

[Kruel Zing]

The person was finally here, but not what I had expected to find. A twi’lek, here? Why? Much more why was it a Sith on this world? The Sith had no hold on Dathomir and never had, this was the world of Witches even during the reign of Palpatine and Krayt they did not dare take the world due to the power the witches had. Perhaps this was just another Sith coming to look for power, they chastised the jedi for looking outwards for knowledge and power when they did the exact same. Truly nothing but mirror images of each other, both hypocrites. If I was free I’d smack that smug grin off the twi’lek’s face.

“The meaning of all this transcends you young one, what you see before you happened centuries ago. And while the story may be sad I do not think you’d truly care.” I was able to rasp out past my dry lips that hadn’t touched water in ages. “Isn’t that what you’re smiling for? You enjoy the site of others suffering? I did not call for you to hear some tale that happened long ago, I called for you to free me. In return I will grant you my knowledge of the land and of my people.”

It was a bargain that most Sith likely wouldn’t accept mainly because they always pushed for more thinking themselves deserving of more or that they were the upper echelon of beings in the galaxy… Oh how wrong they were. Flexing the fingers on my hands I motioned for the Sith to approach. “Remove the daggers from my hands and you shall receive your reward.” I gasped out. While I was certainly imprisoned it didn’t stop me from being able to use the force. Using the force on the weapons that bound me was out of the question but the environment itself was still free game. “I said release me.” I shouted yet and still it was no louder than a whisper. It had been so long since I felt a rage building inside of me. The inferno that I had learned to harness so long ago was growing out of control as freedom edged near. I wanted to finally be able to drink like others, eat, sleep. Most of all I wanted to avenge my people.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

Nabrina let out an exasperated sigh, as if she'd been disappointed by the snide remarks on [member="Nomar"]'s part. She rolled her eyes and shook her head while still maintaining that smug face, but slowly turned back as she began to speak again. "Oh, is there ever a corner of the galaxy that truly understands what I stand for?", she groaned and then chuckled, shrugging as she raised her hands.

She then looked around for a moment and then at the ground beneath her feet. Now, Dathomir was a pretty bleak place in general, but there was something about this derelict settlement that felt just a little more.. tainted. "Others suffering is nice, but only particularly so, if they're in the way. Other than that, I remain indifferent. They seem to have meant a lot to you though, so I apologize if I came off as insensitive", she continued in a tone that didn't seem as hostile anymore, but due to her generally brooding and melodic singsong voice one couldn't tell if she was being sincere or sardonic. Her eyes then squinted as she perceived the Force around this one - an impressive Midichlorian count could be surmised, but it was dormant? She restrained herself from asking any more questions, and simply contented herself by concluding, "I sense the Dark Side in you. Anger. Rage. Grief. Pain. I like that." She almost seemed to lick her lips - her delight in relishing in negative emotion almost a mockery to the man surely, but probably expected in the light of her upbringing as a slave and a courtesan. Concepts such as kin and kith were alien to her.

"A reward will not be necessary, at least not any more than what is immediately available. I will free you, you will tell me what happened here, and to you, and then we'll work something out." she raised one of her hands as her pupils visibly diluted - now tapping into that dark energy that brooded inside her and that she fed off of. Slowly, but surely, the daggers pinning the poor prisoner began to shake a little, but finally came off in the blink of an eye and flew towards Nabrina, which she then caught with both her hands. A small grunt of satisfaction escaped from her as she proceeded to examine both.

"Well this is interesting. Who did this to you?", she asked as she looked up at him, still holding both daggers. "The work of witches, I take it?"

 

[Kruel Zing]

Head rocking side to side I listened to the twi’lek speak her words meaning little, they could not wound me more than watching my own wife and unborn child die before my very eyes. The Sith’s words were pointless but her actions, that tone that felt condescending. I had dealt with many Sith in my day and she easily fit into the mold of being a sadistic, elitist. Choosing not to voice my thoughts I simply stayed silent keeping my words to myself. Anything offensive I said could easily change the Sith’s mind and she’d leave me imprisoned.

Flexing my fingers I felt the daggers loosening, the more they did so the more force flowed into my being. It filled me, and I could feel the strength of the force once more. I no longer carried the power I once had as a master, but some was better than none. With the daggers fully removed the large wounds in the palms of my hands slowly began healing. The flesh could be seen slowly knitting itself back together, I didn’t wait for them to even fully heal as warm blood cascaded down my arms. I was only a step away from freedom. The tools had been made to imprison me but now I am free.

Grasping the hilt of the large blade embedded beneath my heart I began pulling upon it. Slowly the blood from my hands leaked onto the hilt making it harder to grasp yet I did not give up. All the while I talked to the Sith trying to draw my own attention away from the pain withdrawing the blade caused. It felt as though my entire being had been set alight, the magic of the blade was trying to stop me, but my will was stronger. “Oh poor misunderstood Sith, no one understands me… No one knows what I wish for. I saw Sith destroy worlds, annihilate entire civilizations in my time. I’m sure your order hasn’t turned into flower peddling dandies?” I grunted out my voice finally carrying some strength.

With a final yank the sword came free. In that instant my body was flooded with life. No longer was I an immortal cursed to walk the plains forever. I was now a mortal. Collapsing to my knees I caught myself an instant before hitting the ground face first. Blood flowed freely from the wound in my chest pooling on the ground beneath me. “You made such demands as though you are my better. I said I’d grant you a reward, not that you get to command me.” Raising to my feet slowly I placed my hand to my chest. For the first time in ages I truly felt the force, summoning it to myself I delved into my core drawing on those passionate emotions using it to fuel my power. In the palm of my hand a thin layer of fire formed. Pressing it against my chest I cauterized the wound the smell of burnt flesh filling the air.

“This was not the work of ordinary witches. This was done by Nightsisters. Witch’s are not evil, they do not care to harm others nor take pleasure in their suffering. The Nightsisters are the complete opposites. They destroyed my village imprisoning me here to torture me.”

[SIZE=11pt]Spitting a glob of blood left my mouth landing at the Sith’s feet. “I watched my entire village be slaughtered, and have spent centuries chained to that pillar!” Turning and pointing a finger at the pillar he’d been pinned to a thin jet of flames was ejected from it setting it aflame. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Never again!” Kicking the sword into the burning flames I held my hand out to the sith. “Daggers please”[/SIZE]

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

"What cause could a coven of malevolent witches have for doing this to you?", Nabrina asked, obvious perplexed but fascinated at the same time. "I assume you did something to.. offend them?"

Despite her equally malevolent tone, Nabrina seemed genuinely interested in the stranger's story. Her steely, disdainful stare seemed to contrast her probing queries. She remained standing still even as [member="Nomar"] seemed to mock her, seemingly unaffected and unfazed by the counter-slights her offered to her initial tirade of insensitivity. Her tattoos almost disappeared against the pitch-black darkness of her cloak, and her crimson skin seemed to blend in with the red sky above them - she was an attractive Twi'lek, but unfortunately, had about as much appeal as a Maelibus.

"The Sith have gone soft", she replied in counter, "Most of them might as well be flowering dandies. The days of burning and ravaging core worlds is behind us, but that's not an excuse to tolerate my insipid new generation of welps." She then shook her head, her eyes suggesting she was remembering something unpleasant or disdainful. "You can spare me the lecture - neither of us will find the sanctimony or the pretension of the Jedi here", she continued, then looking around again before turning to her feet, gazing upon the little crimson blob of lifeforce that had been spit before her. She said nothing, but turned up to him again as she held out both of the daggers with her left hand, crossed over one another.

She mentioned nothing about any reward she wanted but seemed as though she was expecting an offer or a counter-query.

 

[Kruel Zing]

What made the nightsisters do this to me? What made them do this to my people? The question alone made my blood boil. As with most Firrerreo when angered my skin changed to a silver color as it was in the process of doing. Even my hair had begun changing colors to a black and silver. Teeth gritting, I stared into the fire feeling its warmth reach out and caress me. I had waited so long to feel this type of warmth again. “We did nothing to them, and they did everything to us. Me and my people wished to live in peace… I realize how much of a facsimile that was. Peace is a lie, isn’t that a part of your code?” The last question was rhetorical but I had to voice it. For myself at least.

The entire incident still weighed heavily on my heart but with a heavy sigh the memories sprang back to my mind. “The nightsisters wanted to take all the young that could use the force. They wanted to indoctrinate them into their ways… My wife was pregnant at the time and I did not wish for my own child to be sucked into the nightsisters ways. So we denied them. Not long after they returned destroying our village and forcing me to watch as they did it.” Without looking back I took the daggers from her hands and tossed the first into the flames where the blade immediately started glowing red.

How easily this woman berated her own people was quite enjoyable. Looking down into the blade I stared at the reflective surface looking at myself. My violet eyes were now golden. The old me was dead. “I doubt the jedi would be welcome here anyways. They weren’t here to save my people from the bit of injustice that we suffered. They have no reason to be here now.” Looking back I noticed something. She was holding back as if there was more she had to say or wanted me to do.

“So you freed me, in return what can I do for you?”

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

It was the first time Nabrina had seen a Firrerreo in the flesh, and she wasn't disappointed. There seemed to be a rainbow of colors they could assume depending on the situation, and they also tended to be quite expressive which was refreshing. That didn't do anything to remove her from the awareness that this male had just been through something quite traumatic - even more so than her life's story to date; that even, there wasn't a lifeday she particularly enjoyed. Good memories were as priceless as Phrik to the Twi'lek.

"Yes, it is", she acknowledged, "but over time I find that people tend to be more complicated than codes." She had little more to say on the matter, but at least had the decency to refrain from any more snide remarks. The priorities had changed now. These Nightsisters were beginning to sound like real karkers, almost an allusion to how the Jedi would take younglings away to indoctrinate and bind them to their cute little dogmas. Even she had to admit that she had a penchant for tormenting, but that usually only extended to duelists or people foolish enough to try and rough her up. She had little to no interest in what she deemed to be mindless or senseless torture - a waste of time, surely, and a blight on her thus far efficiently brutal track record as an amateur but rapidly evolving duelist herself.

As she watched the daggers burn in the flame, and as she listened to [member="Nomar"]'s remarks on the Jedi's generally passivity when it came to the myriad injustices that plagued the galaxy, she couldn't help but smile. Centuries of anguish had deadened this being on the inside, leaving a gap for something else, something more powerful, to step in and take its place.

"If these Nightsisters are as malevolent as they sound, that means they do these to settlements and people a lot, I presume?", she idly hypothesized, now looking back at the Firrerreo. "That means they'll probably have a lot of precious little trinkets and baubles on their hands, doesn't it?", she continued, seeing if he'd catch her drift.

"You want your revenge, I want what else they might have", she concluded with that same smug grin again.

"So, Firrerreo, does the prospect of witch hunting with a Twi'lek interest you?"

 

[Kruel Zing]

Tossing the final dagger into the flames I let the things that had once bound me be destroyed. It felt oddly good, but it wasn’t enough. It wouldn’t bring my people back, nothing but more power would. If they had been able to return me to life the same could be done for them… Couldn’t it? All this time the twi’lek was still here with me. I found her presence to be comforting. How appalling is that? I’m being comforted by a Sith. If I was still relevant the holonet would’ve been having a field day with the news. Had this all been the force working in its mysterious ways? To bring me and this woman into contact, so she could free me and I could realize my true potential?

“Do we really? As far as I can tell whatever codes we started to follow can still shape you even if you’re not aware of it. You can think you’re deviating from it, that you’re being unique but at the end you’re still conforming to it.” Taking a deep breath, I drew in as much air as I could. The air was stale but it was a pleasure to truly smell the effects of my own abilities. In the past I had once left numerous roasting corpses in my wake. As I breathed out literal steam left my mouth. Channeling the force I took control of the flames burning the daggers. It was connected to me and I began pushing it pouring more energy into it. Rapidly the flame expanded growing wild and beginning to close on me purposely. Embers flew through the air touching on buildings igniting the dust. Soon enough the remnants of the village would be engulfed in flames.

“I’m sure they do this to anybody they can enforce their will upon… I had always heard rumors but never thought it would happen to me. Now I realize my mistake, I should’ve acted when I had the chance and destroyed them.” What the sith was saying didn’t fly over my head, I knew what she wanted and I’d give it to her as long as she was aiding me.

“A sith out for my own heart.” I scoffed and turned my back on the flames that were now going rampant. “I’m more than willing to join you in the endeavor… Also my name’s Nomar.” Walking past her I signaled for her to follow unless she wanted to get caught in the destruction.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

The Twi'lek simply grinned as around them the derelict little village began to burn. It was as if she could already see the carnage that would follow; be not that far removed from the ruins around them that were slowly being engulfed in flames. Pesky witches were always a nuisance, and although there were a fair number of more agreeable ones, a coven as irritating as these NightSisters sounded like an abscess that had to be drained before the infection escalated. In a way, she thought, this village he remained jailed in for the past centuries was a good metaphor for him, [member="Nomar"] - that was his name. Where once there were memories and fantasies of a life that once held such optimism, now there were only burning scaffolds and charred earth - a fitting end to anyone living life so delusionally. And out of the ashes, rage, hate, fury, disdain - these things she treasured and held on to for her strength. Few more things fueled the passions more, after all.

She said nothing, as characteristic of her, but in reflective silence delighted as she perceived the Force to be slowly rearing its will back to the Dark Side of things - at least on her account. Firrerreo's were renowned for their heightened regenerative abilities - a quality that would serve both him and her when in pursuit of any foe - Force-sensitive or otherwise. The fires illuminated against her red skin, and lit up even her tattoos like a torch held close to tar - ominous, and menacing.

Nabrina could feel the Firrerreo growing strong with the Dark Side of the Force - an tidal wave of rage washed over her and she loved it - the raw, primal passion of wantonly killing one's enemies; few things brought her as much malevolent joy. A flicker of yellow just danced about her eyes as she could feel the corrupting hate boil and well up inside her as well, like a kettle that had finally reached steaming point.

"Nabrina. Nabrina Vao", she simply replied as she finally turned her back, not looking back once but feeling the warmth from the dried wood burning behind them. No Darth to precede it yet as of now, but soon enough, starting perhaps here, for how much longer that state of affairs would continue would be brought to question.

"I get the feeling we'll do well in our quest to bring destruction and decay. May the NightSisters rot in its wake."

 

[Kruel Zing]

The Aveil clan never got the burial it deserved and now I would give it to them. The wild flames licked at the sky continuing to grow no longer needing my strength in the force to amplify them. The task was finally happening. Tears streamed down my cheeks and the flames made them sparkle like diamonds. Things would never be the same after this day… Not for me, not for the nightsisters, not for the entire galaxy. This was just the prelude to things that were far greater. I was no stranger to the darkside, the emotions that were used to feed its power. Often thought to be the easy way to gain strength. I never devoted myself to it nor the light in the past but now I finally gave in to the darkness and as I gave in to it, it would give to me.

The scent of wood and stone burning filled my nostrils and a plume of smoke floated high into the air apparent from even miles away. My time here was done, continuing my walk out of the village the fire seemed to follow us as though trying to keep up or as if it wanted to engulf us as well. One of the last homes we passed on the way out of the village was mine and Shiva’s. The years hadn’t been kind to it. The wooden ceiling was completely crushed sinking into the house. Windows were shattered and portions of the walls had been destroyed. Just looking at it an image sprang unbidden to my mind. Shiva had been standing out hanging our clothes to dry and I had snuck up on her pulling her into my warm embrace. The thought alone warmed my heart. It took all my power to turn away and leave it behind.

“Hmm… Such a wholesome name, sure you deserve it?” Joking was the best way to take my mind off what was happening behind us. If I turned to watch I may never leave. “Oh there won’t be anything left of them to rot when I’m finished.” This I meant, I would be sure that I left no remains of the nightsisters we killed.

“In all honesty its been centuries I don’t even know if the Serpent clan still remains, but I can show you to where their coven used to convene.”

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

"To imply I was once pure? You flatter me", Nabrina sharply replied with a dismissive half-smile on her face, shaking her head as she walked slightly behind him, but at ease. "I was born and raised a slave. My last owner just wasn't as lucky." She had to walk a little faster to make up for the Firrerreo's larger steps, but could manage to keep up without straining herself for now.

The smell of burning wood and heated stones filled the air, the Dathomirian gusts blew it their way from where the smoldering village still burned bright and hotly. She let a few silent moments of simple walking pass before she finally laughed, shaking her head again in seemingly strong disapproval. "They do this to people within walking distance of their coven?" Nabrina almost laughed at the thought - amateurish, at best. She would have thought that they would at least relocate elsewhere - retribution was generally expected after such acts. "That's.. that's not how you kill people", she spurted out with a chuckle, nearly laughing in amusement.

"Their name suits them. Serpent Clan. About as creative as the animal as well. What're their weapons of choice? Tactics?" Nabrina was starting to get a little more serious now, snapping out of her dark bout of humor and moving on to talking shop.

[member="Nomar"]

 

[Kruel Zing]

“I didn’t say anything about you ever being pure now did I? As far as I’m concerned you were birthed in the netherworld of the force.” I knew not what Nabrina had been through or what had turned her into a Sith. Many had their own reasons for accepting the dark, some were just born into it naturally. It called to them, as it once did me. However not everyone is able to deny the call. I just had my village keeping me from tumbling into the void due to my habit of feeding on the force. That was an absolutely corruptive ability, I had even resorted to feeding on the life essences of wild animals so I wouldn’t go into a frenzy attacking other sentients. “Oh… You were a slave as well? So was I. Were you born into it or sold by family?”

A sharp crunch came from beneath my feet as I stepped on a twig. Before me and Vao sat a forest, the trees reaching high to the sky and their bodies grown in odd angles. Almost immediately after entering fog seemed to condense trying to cloud our vision. I didn’t need to see to remember where the Serpent clan had once been holed up. “No one was insane, or brave enough to retaliate against them. For every master our village had they had two. For every force user we had they had six. We would’ve been annihilated whether we attacked or not. I realize that now.” What condition the serpent clan was in now I had no clue. Probably nothing but shambles of their former selves, for all I knew their clan had dissolved long ago.

Coming to a sharp incline that led to the core of the forest I walked to the edge looking off and down to the foggy darkness. “Their favorite weapons? The force of course, though they use basic tribal weapons. Spears, daggers. On rare occasion one may have a blaster weapon of some sort. Tactics… Overwhelming numbers seemed to serve them centuries ago. Remember that I haven’t dealt with them since long before your forefathers were a twinkle in their father’s eyes.” Taking the step off the incline I slightly bent my knees right foot forward using the incline as a slide.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

"I was born into it", she replied just as [member="Nomar"] stepped onto a twig - the beckoning call of a forest before them. Nabrina stopped and looked to take it all in before continuing, "My mother was a scoundrel. Guess her days finally caught up to her. By the time I came around, she was already indentured for years." As both entered, the subsequent fog that followed unsettled the Twi'lek, having gotten used to the arid, barren and plain sights of desert worlds. It even seemed to offend her sensibility in the Force, which gave her that creeping feeling inside, like something wasn't right, or they weren't supposed to be there. She slowed her walk, being especially mindful as she juggled caution and keeping up with the much larger Firrerreo.

"I understand how that must feel. Sometimes though I learned that the only alternative to fighting an impossible battle is laying down to die."

Her steely stare remained as the two traversed that thick undergrowth - uncharacteristic of Dathomir, so much so that it started to worry her - not that she doubted the sincerity of her companion, but in the sense that she felt off. The thought of anyone, or anything, being able to fight through fog like this suggested at least an impressive level of proficiency, or mastery even. It seemed like a place that even a Mandalorian would second-guess before entering. Still though, the fear simply washed over her, to be left behind as she kept walking until they finally reached an incline on which they had to skid down.

She put one of her feet forward as well, pivoting to the side as she held her hands out to level herself as she descended with him.

 

[Kruel Zing]

For the first time since I had met Nabrina I felt an ounce of regret for what she must have went through as a child. I was no stranger to slavery and had suffered to the point that the events that befell continued to haunt me into my late teenager years. Slavery was glorified by beings like the Hutts and other scoundrels out on the Outterrim. The fact that Nabrina said her mother was a scoundrel hit home harder than it probably should. My own parents had been scoundrels working for a Hutt as smugglers, however they were able to get out while the getting was good. Didn’t mean they left the lifestyle behind. They had become drug addicts wasting the fortune they had built up. “I always here the force works in mysterious ways, but considering my own parents had been scoundrels I’m starting to believe it. I do not know exactly what you went through as a slave but I’m sorry it happened to you. Perhaps if you’d never been born into it…” I stopped I was going to comment on how Nabrina may not have ended up a Sith but she may actually love being a part of their ranks.

Coming to a stop at the bottom I straightened up as a bit in the distance the cave of a mouth could be seen through the fog. Their defenses were near nonexistent, even the cave itself seemed to be heavily neglected. What had once been a proud and powerful clan of Nightsisters seemed to be nothing more than a shadow of its former self. “I’d rather fight an impossible battle than bow down to those kriffing witches. They killed my people, they destroyed villages and took young. They will never be forgiven.” Walking through the fog I made way straight for the entrance of the cave, there was no calm in my walk. Each stride powerful and filled with purposed. My eyes glowed gold as the anger within myself began to mount up growing wilder.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

Nabrina payed no mind, understanding simply where the Firrerreo was coming from, and quite frankly even if she tried to lash out against her past now, it would be directionless rage. Without enemies in front of them yet, it'd be good energy gone to waste. She kept her intense composure as the two continued to slide down the pebble-laden but smooth incline, focusing on the task at hand and the potential for destruction before them. She was no emotionally enraged child like she perceived most of her peers to be.

"I've made peace with it", she said in reply, surprisingly uncharacteristic words to hear from a Sith. "The past has been written; it cannot be undone. But the rage drives me to make sure tomorrow will find me unafraid." She figured that a nonchalant response was best for things like this one - neither she or [member="Nomar"] would benefit from the other being cut down. That, and from earlier she had come to hypothesize that despite being pinned to a pillar for centuries, his still-latent ability to manipulate midichlorians to dominate the elements was a force to be reckoned with in its own right. Even if she wanted to, now was not the time - especially with him at the top of his emotions following what was clearly a traumatizing experience. Besides, she somehow fed off his rage as well, an odd draining phenomenon that he may have probably felt too if he learned to discern it amidst the chaotic flurry of emotions. It was a Force ability Nabrina herself had yet to understand, or even come to know of, but an uncanny craving for dark energy allowed her to feed off another's negativity - it wasn't necessarily draining, but she certainly profited from it.

As the two came to the mouth of the cave, she couldn't help but smugly grin a toothless smile and grunt as the Firrerreo understood the gist of her argument. This one understood the ways of the Sith, she thought. Where most go'rula would rather lay down to die, this one understood the gallantry in braving the galaxy, despite all the odds stacked against you. She strode right into its dark cavernous interior with him, her lightsaber flying away from its holster on her utility belt and landing onto the palm of her hand as they both disappeared into the dark, yet not igniting just yet. Other Sith, perhaps Inquisitors or Sorcerers, or more powerful Sith in general, would laugh at her guarded actions, but to Nabrina, young and pursuing the path of the Marauder, it was like turning the safety off on a blaster, priming herself for battle.

 

[Kruel Zing]

Nabrina said she had made peace with her past but did one ever truly do such a thing. What she said was somewhat nonsensical. How did one make peace with their past when they still used the negative emotions as power? Was there a middle ground that I had not yet traversed or could even perceive that Nabrina understood? I would have to be careful around this woman, she was more dangerous than she seemed. The fury of a Sith tempered by wisdom that could match a jedi. A dangerous combination indeed, if I got on Nabrina’s bad side I would possibly end up finding a lightsaber plunged through my back.

“The only people who feel no fear are fools. Fear is one of those emotions that can give you strength, that can feed not only your physical abilities but also the force. You can always fear something but you must be able to face it when it comes, without fear what are you truly? We all fear something we just don’t know what it is yet.” My words were to be left for Nabrina to chew on. I had been imprisoned for centuries of course such riddles and deep thoughts had been explored half a dozen times. Eventually I hoped Nabrina understood it and the next time we met she’d be better off for it.

Entering the darkness of the cave I closed my eyes for a few seconds listened. The senses of a Firrerreo were far greater than a humans and in the distance I hear the light tapping sound of water dropping but also the sounds of people chanting. Their voices overlapping with each other. It sounded as though there were at least six of them from their feet and the different tones of their voices. Not willing to talk while within the cave I held up six fingers so Nabrina understood how many there were. Within the cave there were two branching paths. One that would lead directly down into the area where the ritual was being commenced and another that led up where it would look over that area. Pointing to the path leading upwards I motioned for her to follow.

[member="Nabrina Vao"]

 

[Nabrina Vao]

"Without fear, I am free."

As the two entered the cave tunnel, it fell to [member="Nomar"]'s excellent and superior sensory organs and faculties to guide them through the damp dark. Nabrina merely kept her voice to a hushed volume, little more than a whisper, as she listened to the Firrerreo speak his piece as well. For what it was worth, there were nuggets of wisdom in there as well - she digested Nomar's advice piecemeal over the course of a few seconds, but it may take a while longer before she really appreciated it as a whole. The concept of a primal fear was as old as time itself, and as good a mechanism for change and evolution as any other, if not the one of cardinal importance.

As the two navigated deeper inside, the sounds of the cave's denizens chatter grew louder, and she had to lower her voice even more. "When this is over, Nomar, I will show you what I mean. Fear is the Path to the Dark Side, yes, but it is also the last link in the long chain that holds us back. Our lesser, more primal selves fear for their survival, but to gain anything of utter importance, you must first let go of everything - fear included. Fears compel us, drive us, but they take the place of our will - what I will, what we will, this should be the only thing propelling us forward. The Dark Side of the Force preys on the fearful, only to reduce them to cinders and rebuild them from the ashes."

"When you no longer fear, Nomar, you realize what is important."

"When you no longer fear, you learn that you only fear what you cannot control.."

"... but the Dark Side of the Force instructs us that to seek peace by running away is folly."

"For there is no peace, there is only passion - emotions.These things you can control; feed off of."

"When you control your passions, you find strength - the only strength worth pursuing. You gain... Power."

"With Power, you triumph over yourself. When you find this true strength, you earn the right to lord over others.."

"... Then as you learn to control yourself, you eventually extend it to other things - with the only strength that is true - mastery, not taming, of your passions, Nomar."

"With Power, anything is possible. Nothing will hold you back - only what you allow to get in your way. You then seek.. Victory."

"And finally, through victory, the attainment of true strength in yourself and in the Dark Side of the Force, you are finally.. Free."

She turned to the Firrerreo briefly. "I see things in this way, Nomar. The Way of the Dark Side of the Force." The expression on her face then changed to that of a more solemn one as she followed him up, nodding at the gesture with his hands as she kept low and away from any penumbra of light inside - sticking to the shadows against walls and putting her cloak up to conceal her red skin.