Private A New Beginning

[Callan Demitte]

PLANETARY SYSTEM
Zakuul
Terrain: Swamps, Bogs, Abandoned Hidden Facilities of the Knights of Zakuul

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TAG: Aren D'Shade

Callan had confiscated a Sith Starfighter from Coruscant during The Invasion of the Dark Empire. After helping his Sister Cordelia Dimitte and taking inspiration from her rebirth in Light, he had finally gotten the courage to “break his chains,” to the Demitte Cage. He faked his death in the ensuing battle, and had the tracker in his arm cut out, he caste it on the ground, stomping on it.

The objective was now to disappear for a while, to select somewhere the House of Demitte and thier ‘Trade’ did not frequent. As he looked through the holomap, he came across Zakuul, a planet in the wild of space, making it a perfect candidate. He set the coordinates and the small Sith craft made the jump into Lightspeed.

The trails of white stars like threads passing all around him, he began to think about his new life. The freedom, the lack of expectation was exhilarating. He closer his eyes and drifted off. The next moment he woke up to an alarm as he was descending into fog with branches sweeping across the glass:

The Prince of Demitte took the controls and tried to hit the braking thrusters when the nose dove into a great bog of jade water. The ship was sinking, and Cal had to wait till is submerged and pressurized, he then drew his Saber pike and thrusted it through the window, the hole poured water in and he pushed with the long shaft like pole vaukt to the surface, where he saw great trees with vines dapping like tentacles.

He came to the shore and dug his metallic staff into the sand as he pushed up, his long black hair dripping great drops of swamp water.

He had been baptized into his new life…

 

[Callan Demitte]

Cal took some fallen branches and pulled them together by the great tree not far from the shoreline. Taking his Saber Pike, he ignited the end on some mesh and leaves with slices of vine that immolated, and with a wave of his hand, the fire stoked on to the wood tell it took and there was fire that crackled. He took off his gray shirt with its intricate lace, he set it on staff of wood he drove in ground near the fire to warm it, chest was carved into blocks of muscle, his long wet locks falling about them as he took a seat on a log near the flames.

The world was ringing with the sounds of life, creatures clicking, howling, and singing. The symphony was soothing as he dried, a serpent slithering towards him of yellow and white. Her graced its scaly flesh with his hand as it slowly passed by. The difference from the world he had recently left, a concrete cityscape was jarring, this a true swamp teeming with life. He also felt echoes of The Force, Light and Dark in full measure, neither greater. This combined with the wild life made it feel like a vergence, a cauldron of the Living Force.

As he sat there, he held his saber pike close to him, for he knew a planet of such vitality was boubd to house predatory creatures, that he would need to dissuade, and kill if it was necessary. His sunken ship was not space worthy with a broken cockpit, and that was fine, he was in no rush to leave this world.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

When Aren left Zakuul, she really hadn't expected to return. Maybe she hadn't thought of visiting her parents, but things had happened in her life, and she had come back home just for a little while. She walked the market near her house. Aren turned to see a ship coming in from the wrong direction, and it didn't appear to be piloted very well. Calling on Red to follow the ship, he sent her images of a survivor coming up from underwater. This was all the woman needed to know, and she chose to head to his rescue.

Gathering up a few extra belongings from the market, it didn't take too long to finish getting ready, probably about as long as it took for him to dry himself. Whistling as she walked through the swamp, she hoped the noises she made gave the man enough warning of her approach.

"Hello, the fire! May I join you?"

A hovering droid might be seen flying above the small camp, and Aren came out from behind the tree she had not been hiding behind. It had only blocked their view of each other.

Wearing a backpack and another bag hung at her hip, and the young technomage held her hands out to show they were empty. Her body language did not give off any hint of threat, either. Remaining silent, though, she waited for Callan to answer.

Callan Demitte

 

[Callan Demitte]

TAG: Aren D'Shade

Callan heard the approach of someone which made him instictively take his now dry tunic and pull it ovrr, the warmth fabric soothing his skin as it carressed and then was properly adjusted.

The night music of the creatures was broken by the voice of a wolan, who asked if she may join him by the fire. She emerged as she stepped into the light, her lumiscsnt purple hair almost glowing even in the shadows, and her outfit of royal purple and streaks of yellow made Cal confident she was not an assassin, if she was one, this outfit and hair choice was not subtle.

He leaned on his long metal pike as s staff, the blade not activated, as he gave a slight bow.

“You are welcome to my fire.”

He could feel the technological eyes upon him, they were all the more easily felt in contrast to the organics freely roaming the world, which had souls and radiated the Living Force.

After having stood up for her, a sign of his chivalry, he returned to the log, the fire crackling. His eyes fixed on her. She was the last thing he expected on thus world, he had half expected some ahort pointed eared sage rambling on about shiny things, not a purple haired lady who’s appearance looked like it more the cantinas of Coruscant or Nar Shadda even.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

A small droid that looked almost like a spider was peeking over her shoulder.

"Are you hurt? I saw your ship come down and had to help. This is Sam, and he offers medical aid. That is Red, and he's the one who got me here. I had to leave my other droid behind because she wouldn't do well in the swamp."

As Aren spoke, she pointed to the droids she had named. When the stranger said she was welcome and bowed, she automatically returned it as if she were used to being in similar situations. Approaching the fire, she held an arm out slightly and allowed Sam to crawl down and sit on her hand.

"I'm Aren."

Introducing herself last, she sat on the log next to Callan.

"I promise he won't damage you."

Motioning slightly with the hand holding the droid, the other one landed on the opposite side of the fire.

Callan Demitte

 

[Callan Demitte]

TAG: Aren D'Shade

Callan saw the arachnid bot peering over her shoukder, it was amusing how the mechanical creations could possess personalities and behave as animals, even pets. For himself, his memories of droids were rather dark, his Father once had toxic centipedal bots flood his room, and he had to kill them in the dark as a test.

Raising his eyes he gave reply,
“My crash landing was fortuitous.. now I am bound to this place till the time comes that I find a means to leave.. which I suspect will not be soon.”

His voice was gentle, at her behest she let the droid she called Sam he let examine him.
“Any wounds are likely minor, though my normal means of mend would require organics..” He said this with a chilled tone, the power to drain life was a dark side method of transferring vitality from one organic to the one casting the bolt like tongues to drink the healing elixir, a mixture that terrified the Jedi.

Turning to Aren who sat beside him, the long black locks of his head falling as a curtain and un strands.
“Aren.. I am Callan.. and you should know I am one of those who manipulates matter, and commands what many call The Force.”

The Prince of House Demitte tactfully sidestepped he was a Sith and from a House of repute or well in his eyes disrepute that enslaved people to Spice. The truth is he was here to escape his family, and begin anew. So shirking Demitte was not in essence a lie, for in his heart he was no longer the heir apparent.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Organics were sometimes confusing to Aren. When Callan said his crash was fortuitous, it boggled her mind. Then, he assumed he would be trapped on Zakuul for a while, and she shook her head.

"I don't know very many organics. I'm sorry I can't help you there."

On a world teeming with them, she didn't have anybody she could call on. Listening to him introduce himself, she gave him a half smile. One side of her mouth turned up and lowered almost as quickly. Taking a breath in through her nose, she exhaled it but remained silent for a few heartbeats. Looking up at the blue sky far above them, her hazel eyes returned to the fire before she spoke again.

"The Force must be laughing at me. I can also use it, but nobody has been around long enough to teach me how to use it properly. My master died and I drifted away from any Order and actually live on Denon. Now that's a planet. There's not a plant to be found, and there are droids everywhere, and then there's my flat. It's a dream come true. Have you ever visited Denon?"

Sam returned to her hand after spraying some bacta on his surface scrapes and gave her his opinion on the health of his patient.

"Good news is you check out fine and with a scrape or two. Sam has sprayed them, and they should be healed up soon. Which is exactly what you said."

The spider droid climbed back up to her shoulder and disappeared into the bag she had on.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

Opening up the shopping bag, she drew out some of the supplies she had brought.

Callan Demitte

 

[Callan Demitte]

TAG: Aren D'Shade

As the droid climbed on him and gave him an examination, Cal listened to Aren speak of her own Sensitivity and that her training was interruptus, to this he gave reply,
“I can teach you to harness your power.. however, it would not be in the Jedi vein of instruction..” He was rather hesitant to mention it, though if she did wish to take him up on an offer, he would need to divulge its name.

To her query if he had been to Denon, he nodded,
“Once or twice, it rivals Coruscant a city world..”
His memory of the place was on a mission for his House, to help establish the despicable trade that destroys lives. As Prince he was a peddler, and he hated his Pater for the position. He never understood how they could live the paradox of being this regale house while pushing drugs on the galaxy.

Sam sprayed him with some becta for his wounds, and he watched as the bot returned to its own and said, “Much obliged.”

The truth is he was rather surprised on this swamp world to meet someone, especially a technological lady.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

"That would be nice. My training would not be considered Jedi either, though I have dealings with them."

Leaving out she had been in jail, this trivia didn't need to be known. The Force had different paths, but Aren felt they were on the same one. Maybe not the same, but quite similar, at least. When he answered her question about visiting Denon, she could tell it wasn't high on his list of places he enjoyed.

"Yes, I was born there but don't remember it. My parents adopted me and moved here."

With the sun setting, the lights of the nearby city became visible. A hand waved in the direction of her home, and she turned her head to look at Callan.

Sam settled and powered down in one of the bags as she took out some of the food she had brought.

"It might not be what you like, but it doesn't need to be cooked."

Callan Demitte

 

[Callan Demitte]

When she mentioned having dealing with the Sith, that dis not alarm him since his Father Syndicate is not part of mainline orders.

“I have considered seeking The Sith out.. alas I already threw off chains and am not ready to put new ones on.”

A quip since the Sith claimed in their Code that they broke chains, his experience had been vastly different. He had known only the suffocating shackles his whole life and now, here, he could breath truly for the first time.

It was unexpected to meet someone so early in his departure from House Demitte. He sensed that she was kind, at least she had showed to be so with her droid mending his minor wounds and now she offered food. The fire crackling and bathing them in its glow.

“I am sure it will be fine.”
He had grown up in finery and eaten the most decadent foods, and honestly he looked forward to common fair. It he had to eat more caviar he might fast for a lifetime and live off The Force.

Aren D'Shade