A Runners Run-in with Reptilian Races

[Arianna Belasko]

"Creativity, the ability to repair and build. Many of the strongest wielders of the Force are skilled in the intricacies of the material." Arianna noted when Draco Miles explained the unique qualities of Bohatei Chorva .

"Ah well. We're bound to find something. But if you really are so talented in that field as Draco says, perhaps we could mix both it and your study of the Force into something interesting. Plus, your mind is open. Unclouded."

Arianna gave it some thought.

"I'm willing to take you as my Apprentice, Bohatei. But I must warn you. The road we will walk is not for the faint of heart. To join with me is to join with House Io in its struggles. It is not an easy path, and you will be tested as Draco is. As a matter of fact, since you are going to be my Apprentice like Draco, I have an excellent idea for us. We will explore the Great Vault of Khemost for secrets of the Force. The best way to learn is on the job, so to speak. An... associate of mine, The Battalion , is heading up an expedition there. I shall show you some of what I know and then you shall do your best to apply it in the field, while under pressure. Sound good?" Arianna asked.

 

[Draco Miles]

OH HELL YEAAAAH! Spelunking! Draco seemed excited it go on another expedition and was beaming with joy, though she stayed quiet so Bohatei Chorva could learn from Arianna Belasko and get situated with his training

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

"Huh. That so?" Bohatei inquires as Arianna spoke. That sounded strange to the Zabrak. If anything, he figured those with a preference for machinery would have more issues with connecting to the force due to their nature for tinkering with machinery rather than actually having an affinity for it. His lips purse in thought, nodding his head. "Hell, why am I questionin' it? You're the one with the knowledge here." He laughed softly.

As their new master continued, more questions were raised in his mind. Why would she call his mind open? It took three tries for him to even tap into the Force, much less maintain it with any degree of consistency. To the Zabrak, he felt his mind was more closed off than anything.

But then again, it wouldn't take alot for her to leverage his mind right open again.

Before Bohatei could get too immersed in his thoughts however, he was brought right back into the moment by his new master's next words. He seemed to visibly lighten up at her approval, quickly trying to conceal that mirthful grin to maintain some semblance of formality.

Even if it did look leagues more awkward than his previous greeting.

"Thank you, Master-I mean, Your Highness." Bohatei smiles, bowing for the third time without any certainty on what she wanted to be called by the Zabrak. "Truth be told, I've been getting tired of carrying freight to and fro. So having a chance like this, to actually live is something I'm thankful for. Even if I do end up regretting it later." Bohatei lets himself be honest for a moment. "I'll do my best not to let you down, Your Highness."

 

[Arianna Belasko]

Arianna smiled at Bohatei Chorva .

"Call me Arianna...Formal Titles are so stuffy between Master and Apprentice..." Arianna replied to him. "And it's not a matter of failing me...well, sometimes it is...but for the most part it's about not failing yourself."

Arianna then excused herself, as it would be necessary to go in with the proper gear, not just for herself but for her newest apprentice. Arianna switched out of her gown, putting on her Naiad Combat Armor. Then she went and got some light armor for Bohatei himself, basically armored robes insulated against cold weather.

"Now, apprentice..." Arianna trailed as she walked in. "Where we are going is perhaps the single most dangerous area on all of Khemost. It is known as the Great Vault of Khemost. It's treasures are so vast it technically takes up half the planet underground. It's filled with all sorts of nasty danger...Draco nearly died once just by locating one of it's many entrances, and I was personally forced to intervene. You must follow my every instruction while we are there. No matter what you see, touch nothing no matter how valuable it looks. Sometimes the treasures within have magical booby-traps surrounding them or are themselves magically booby-trapped, and they are never marked which is which. Also...

Arianna held out a simplistic hilt of Black Metal.

This is an energy sword used by my faction. It's yours now. Treat it responsibly and with care. Now, let's head out..."

Later on...

They had taken a Lambda Class Shuttle to the Golden City of Midas on Khemost.

Much of Midas was uninhabited at the moment. Only key sections of the city were currently occupied or fully restored power to. The rest of its golden streets and domes and towers were still buried under snow. There were massive amounts of construction teams and scouting parties in all areas however. It was in near blizzard conditions that they set down on a landing pad, The mechanical Nuetralizers were immediately noticable, the Model 2's lifting heavy loads and erecting construction equipment everywhere as she passed by them as she headed to the frozen over remains of an ancient bank, where excavation work was being done, not just by Model 2's, but by General Purpose Nuetralizers as well, all the same, cute young woman in the same skintight Dark Green Catsuit, all monitoring Equipment and setting up sandbags with heavy machine gun emplacements inform of a great, blasted open pit in the middle of a marble floor that was cracked and dirty in the center of the dilapidated bank, at the center of which was an engraved golden door.

Arianna walked up to one. "Any word from the team led by The Battalion ?"

"Still no signal. Xiphos is offworld, training people, or she'd be here herself. The Battalion wanted to push further than tunnel section A007, even after heavy attacks by nesting Sithspawn."

Arianna sighed. "She got overconfident."

"We're preparing an entry team armed with blaster shotguns."

"I'm leading it..." Arianna said authoritatively. "Prep your sisters and brothers, we move in ten minutes."

The HRD nodded and wandered off. Arianna turned to her apprentices.

"Any questions?"



Draco Miles

 

[Draco Miles]

Draco felt embarrassed to be put on the spot like that. She blushed and began to speak in protest

“Hey! I did no—… mm… I just got distracted is all.”

She said crossing her arms. She still felt bad of course for putting Arianna Belasko in such a position and for even letting herself fall for such a simple trap. She knew now to always be scanning for booby traps and other horrid things.

At the golden city of midas, she took a liking to its shine, the golden streets some people walked around on were so beautiful! And the stark contrast of white on gold was even more intriguing… though that may just be her dragon horde loving self talking, she always did take a liking to it, just not enough for it to consume her. She followed closely behind and made sure Bohatei Chorva was with her too.

When they made it to the excavation site she stayed close and listened even closer to Arianna’s words, noting how hot headed the Battalion was and finding herself thinking she’d do the same thing honestly. She nodded and then heard 10 minutes until drop, Internally groaning at the thought of having to wait any longer! She craved battle and to plunge her saber into something already, so when she asked for any questions, Draco piped up

“If the battalion advanced so far already, wouldn’t it be best if we track her down as fast as possible? I think the neutralizers can catch up to us with no issue, and if the Battalion is in trouble, we should help her as fast as possible”

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

There is an almost palpable relief at Arianna's affirmations, allowing her student to just refer to him by name. Internally, he had thought that he had spent all this time making a fool out of himself.

Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case. "Alright, Arianna." He agreed, nodding his head attentively. Her next words seemed to confuse him for a moment, emerald eyes glancing down briefly in thought. Although, he soon found his answer in his thinking. After all, he had failed himself many a time already. But now, he had a chance to make things better for himself. A chance to /make/ something out of the Zabrak.

He just had to not screw it up.

Bohatei was soon equipped with a new set of light armor, his formal clothes being replaced with the darkly coloured suit with relatively thick armor plates along his form. He had not worn such a thing before, but didn't take too long to get used to it. While most of his clothes were packed up, the Zabrak insisted on keeping his sash with him.

It's embrace was comforting to Bohatei, and seemed to take some of the edge off when he had that reminder of his past alongside him. Although, he did feel just a little naked without his vibroknucklers or blaster.

A feeling that was partially made better with the hilt handed to him by Arianna.

The thin weapon sits comfortably in his palm, turning it over twice as he inspected the steel casing of the energy weapon she had given to him while she spoke. Draco's embarrassment at Arianna's warnings was amusing, although he didn't let that slip and took it seriously. He made a note to stick close to his new master, and to not even step out of line without explicit instruction to.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to be careful." He smiles after a moment.

Bohatei's curious emerald orbs never once stopped wandering as their ship landed at the Golden City. He had been to many different worlds and cities, although this one stood out to the Zabrak. It wasn't only the first step in a new chapter of his life, but it was also golden.

And really, really bright.

He blinked a few times when they had first stepped out, letting his eyes adjust to the light as he glances around at the various droids carrying boxes probably twice his weight and working away without a care for the cold around them.

Bohatei listened curiously as they spoke. From what he understood, there were others who had departed into the tunnels and had seemingly gotten lost. It didn't take long for him to piece together that they were most likely here on a rescue mission, only confirmed with Arianna said she would be leading it.

"I'm with Blues on this one. We should hurry to catch up with them, or at least get close enough that we can get communications up and running. If they're far down, we should get far enough down that we can try getting in touch." The Zabrak suggests, an idle hand thumbing the surface of his armor. It felt... oddly strange to be wearing something other than cloth, the thick metal upon his skin still being adjusted to.

Either that, or he was still just nervous about his first actual deployment being so soon.

 

[Arianna Belasko]

"That is a most rational suggestion, at the moment..." Arianna assured both Bohatei Chorva and Draco Miles . With that, Arianna waited for the mix of Model 2 and General Purpose Nuetralizers to follow the three into the vault entrance, which rapidly parted open as ancient locks were dislodged.

"By the way, Draco, before I forget..."

Arianna presented Draco with a strange looking Lightsaber hilt.

"The crystal inside is ancient, and Dangerous. Be wary of it. As for you, Bohatei, we shall find the means to construct your weapon on the inside..."

What awaited them beyond was a golden played tunnel with deep pits on either side filled with treasures, coins, gemstones, statues, weapons, all glittering in artificial lights overhead. Arianna strode forward boldly.

"The Force is an energy that binds all things, Bohatei..." she explained as she walked ahead. "It is within even this place, which is filled with great danger. When you listen to the Force, it shall warn you of it. Try that here...try to sense what danger might be ahead."

 

[Draco Miles]

Draco stared at their mechanical companions, making sure to note key features of them and how they look like, even making idle chit chat to ask for their names or identification numbers if they didn’t have a name. Ancient Sith had a tendency for turning comrade against comrade, quite dastardly ways of working but at least predictable if you know your team well. She would not be tricked by illusions.

She stopped when Arianna Belasko spoke and offered her a gift, raising an eyebrow at the metallic hilt and gently grasping it as she felt it with the force, and the immense power behind it. She resonated with the Crystal and was giddy with emotions and excitement. Today was going to be a day of bloodbaths!!! She moved her current dual bladed saber to the back of her hip, having it be horizontal just above her tail, and kept her new toy in her hands. Eager to ignite it at a moments notice and cleave some fools!

“Let us know if we need to stand still for your concentration too, Bohatei Chorva . I know total silence is sometimes needed”

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

Bohatei seems to ease up slightly at the positive reinforcement, nodding his head. Hearing the sounds of decrepit machinery creak and groan as the vault opens, the Zabrak's hands subconsciously reach under the purple sash and thumbed the surface of his knucklers.

Even through he was given a proper energy blade mere moments before, his skill with it was lacking at best. In comparison, he was intimately familiar with the close quarters frenzy of his vibroknucklers and throwing his weight around.

The Zabrak watches the number of other machines that join them, the humming of droid motors following the trio's every step as they entered the building.

Bohatei watches the brief exchange between master and apprentice, the long hilt changing his hands. There was a pressure within it, the Zabrak narrows his eyes toward the weapon for a moment before he looked toward Arianna and nodded.

"Right. Just gotta focus." He replied, nodding his head attentively. Draco's words of encouragement elicit a nod Bohatei, smiling in response. "C'mon Blues, why do ya' think I was practicin' with a headset and walkin' around the ship?"

The Zabrak takes a deep breath, recalling that feeling of the Force and reaching out to it. His breaths become slower and more careful, focusing himself on the binding energies around him. Bohatei's pace slows down a little, unable to move around as quickly while maintaining this connection.

 

[The Battalion]

Wearing: Warrior's Skin

Consort's Ring

Armed with: Elaine Tear's Lightsaber (Corrupted)


Hours earlier...

The Battalion watched Xiphos at the computer terminal, feverishly typing in equations and measurements for one of her latest projects.

House Io dug its claws into Khemost more and more with each passing day. And the more it did, the more the Master Witch noticed how it was starting to take shape.

They were aboard the Leviathan of Sev Tok, in her personal quarters. It had used to be somewhat utilitarian, but The Battalion's encouragement had started to change this. Xiphos had started to display some of her old relics from past battles. Some armors were on display also. The Battalion seemed fascinated with crystals, as well as ships--much to the surprise of Xiphos, The Battalion liked to construct TIE Fighter Models in Glass Bottles as a meditative exercise.

"Julia... you're building all these ships, right? What's the end game?"

Xiphos spun around, raven hair draped over a snow pale face.

"Continuity of Civilization."

"Oh? We're a civilization now? We're barely past being a common Sith Cult." The Battalion stated bluntly.

"You know what everyone is too reliant on? Planets. Even Khemost is only settled and controlled by us out of necessity. The Mandalorians know this, which is why you cannot fully wipe them out."

"Xiphos, you really need to think beyond mere survival and consider attainment of power and territory as a matter of policy, not just living to fight another day." The Battalion stated firmly, folding her arms.

"I am fully aware that there will come a point where we can't grow under the Eternal Empire's umbrella..." Xiphos replied.

"Not what I meant. You can acquire land, resources, and put them all to good use...I will give you that. But a successful Civilization requires more than opportunism." The Battalion cautioned striding over to her. "It requires ambition. The Ambition to take and keep for its own sake. To prove its greatness, and leave it's mark."

Xiphos rose.

"You think we should become an empire. Like what Carnifex had."

"I think, that we should become great. The Cult understands better than most that the concept of an empire is a dead thing. Too monolithic. Too lumbering. Too easily killed..." The Battalion clarified, hand covered in skintight white enchanted silk stroking Xiphos's face.

"Then uncovering The Great Vault's secrets is our best shot at getting what we should be. I've been pouring over Mammon's records...I think she left a fragment of herself in there...and possibly something...else. Something big. I'd like you to lead another expedition down there. Arianna would join you shortly afterwards.

"I've always been curious about something..." The Battalion asked. "Just how did you get Arianna to side with you?"

"Between you and me?" Xiphos trailed, pulling The Battalion close, fingers dancing on a catsuit covered spine.

"I did some pretty fethed up chit to win her over..."

"Do tell..." The Battalion replied quietly.

"Later..." Xiphos persuaded, drawing her in for a kiss.

"After I get done with ways to motivate you..."

Present...

The Battalion was bloody and scarred and burnt from running into various traps and the constant attacks by Rakghouls didn't help. The squads of House Mercenary Droids that had come with her had been whittled down as she made her way deeper into the Vault...

They had fallen back to a simple gold chamber filled with piles of gold coins, The Battalion taking a short breather to try and recover. This planet sized Vault was no joke. It made Korriban's tombs look like a dingy Liquor Store, and it was one of the single most dangerous dungeons she could recall being in. Which is why when she felt Arianna's presence as well as that of Draco Miles and Bohatei Chorva she immediately sent out a pulse of darkness from her own Aura as she meditated in the Gold Chamber, still leaking white blood everywhere.

Find me... she called out darkly in The Force...

Arianna's eyes snapped open.

"Bohatei? Did you feel The Battalion call out?" Arianna asked her new apprentice...

OOC: Sorry for making you both wait. RL hit.

 

[Draco Miles]

“I think it’s time we blow this thing… get everybody and their stuff together.”

She took a look at all the droids, Arianna Belasko and Bohatei Chorva , hoping they’d be able to keep up with Draco when she used the force to speed her way through shit. This would be a test of mettle, how fast could she disarm traps and close in on The Battalion ’s location. If the warrior sith sent out a message with such urgency, something else could find it as well, best to not keep her waiting. She already had reached out with the force by about 400ft into the vault to feel our prominent traps that were still active, marking their location so that she could see them as she ran on them.

“Okay, 3, 2, 1, let’s jam.”

With explosive force and the power of a Cowboy Bebop opening, she struck like lightning through the vault, twisting and turning through corridors and not caring if the expedition team could keep up. Her frivolous training on trap disarmament allowed her to start disarming 50ft away and by the time she reached the trap, she could have it disarmed. While constantly reaching out with the force every 200ft to keep her eyes clear and focused on traps while she closed in on the Battalion. An extreme feat of concentration and power to show just how dedicated she was to growing and combat

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

Bohatei walked with care in his pace.

Each step created a small sound, the Zabrak walking with probably a bit more caution than what was intended by his new teacher as part of his attention was delegated to the Force. He focused on how it flowed through him, how the others around him were perceived in this new field.

His senses were pretty good on their own, the addition of this new energy source taking some time for him to acclimate to the new source of input. Although it did take a bit more thought to understand, the Zabrak could still feel the sensation of another. It was like feeling for sight, but different. Like the outline of a person in pitch darkness, his expression furrowed as he feels out the Force around them.

And then, another presence makes itself known.

'Find me...'

Bohatei noticeably perked up at the sudden introduction, looking around for a moment before looking toward Arianna. He nodded his head softly. "Yeah, I did." He confirmed, reaching out again. The presence had called out, but it was hard to make out specifically. Unlike the master and fellow student beside him, this one was further away.

It blended into the background, the Zabrak soon shaking his head. "I can't tell where it's coming from. It's all muddled the further out I reach."

As if choosing to one-up him at Bohatei's words, the drake beside him broke into a wild sprint and disappeared into the dark with her signature becoming more and more harder to detect by the second before Bohatei raised a curious eyebrow. He looked toward Arianna for a moment.

"Does she... normally do that? If so, looks like I've alot to catch up on."

 

[Arianna Belasko]

"She does, and yes, you have much to learn. But everyone is a novice when they start. Even me..." Arianna reassured Bohatei Chorva earnestly before following Draco Miles into the interior of the Vault Pathway.

The walls and ceilings were lined with Aurodium Plating, and idle gems and coins sparkled immaculately in pits on the side.

"Draco, take it slow. We don't have this part of the vault even two percent mapped." Arianna called out before turning to Bohatei.

"Now..." Arianna went on. "Sensing life is one thing. But it's quite another..."

A tentacle of water formed and plunged into a pit of gemstones, fishing out a violentlg thrashing Rakghoul and crushing it, killing it instantly.

"To sense Danger. Danger becomes significantly more difficult to sense if it happens spontaneously. Now would be an excellent time to get out your weapon.

An inhuman howl rang out and suddenly more Rakghouls sprang out of the gemstone pits, snarling and ungainly. Arianna conjured spears of water, impaling some before being forced to pull out her Lightsaber as more charged...

 

[Bohatei Chorva]

A relieved expression crosses Bohatei's features at the reassurance, nodding his head slightly. "Yeah, just seems like a hell of a gap." He replied, following relatively close to his superior as he curiously looked around.

These gilded halls, as well as the haphazardly scattered piles of coin and crystal seemed to unnerve him. This was more money than the Zabrak would see an entire lifetime! Who would just leave all this lying around? To him, it had to be a trap! There was simply no other way to explain it to him.

He listened intently to Arianna as she spoke, doing his best to understand it. His slowly trained perception was able to feel out the world around him just fine. He could almost sense the presence of the woman not too far away, although the Drake down the hall was much harder to make out.

Before Bohatei could even notice the waiting predator, Arianna skillfully snuffed out it's life.

Even as the Zabrak tried to put presence to the danger, the concept made itself known with a deeper and animalistic roar that bounced off the walls and put Bohatei on guard.

He drew his weapon, flicking it's switch as the indigo blade came to life in his strong hand. One of the creatures would leap from the pits toward the pilot. He pointed the blade at it, keeping a vague sense of distance as it gnashed crooked teeth and tried to get past his guard.

A hand reaches for a blaster at the young man's thigh, drawing the armament and firing two shots.

Both missed either side of the Rakghoul, Bohatei throwing his weapon at it in frustration. As the beast shook it's head in response to the impact, he would step forward and kick.

His leg was like a coiled up spring, the solid toe of his boot knocking the beast off it's guard with a skillful swing before the pilot would close in and swing his energy blade with all the grace of a paper pag rustling in the wind.

It was a miracle he even hit the Rakghoul at all, the creature falling to the ground soon after.

"Kinda wish I had more training with this beforehand!" He remarked to himself, stepping back as his eyes darted around and both of his hearts slammed against the walls of his ribs.

 

[Draco Miles]

With the grace of a ballet dancer, Draco ignited her second saber fully, that dual bladed red lightsaber was now her backup, but carving through walls of flesh like this, she was glad she had it as well. Flying through the air, she slashed and spun, cleaving through enemies and still steadily making progress towards The Battalion .

Although much slower now as she tried to multitask so heavily, keeping her eye out for traps, keeping tabs on Batallion, and disarming said traps. Though for Draco, offsetting this with moving slower aided her immensely, as the Ping she did every 400ft took very little toll on her abilities, and she’d alternate this with tabbing in on the Battalion, so every 200ft she was sending out a ping, and would stop completely do so. For disarming traps, it was a similar situation, though with disarming, she’d also siphon force from them to replenish herself much like the twi’lek Sith had taught her. Her countless hours of training and honing her skills in was worth it!

She wondered most though when Arianna Belasko and Bohatei Chorva would catch up to her, just because she was burdened with so much and was basically doing flips back and forth while she slaughtered Rakghoul after Rakghoul