All That is Destined Must Come Together First

[Boethiah]

Anja nodded, "A sound suggestion," she added.

Besides, the storm clouds seemed to have moved off into the distance for now. It was as good a time as any to move on and get out of this cave, what she had felt on this world seemed to pass for the time being and although her ship was only a distance away she wished to discover more about Asemir. Anja was a witch and she felt things about people she met and was vaguely able to determine small details about their role in her future. She may have not felt anything in particular but something about him made her wish to know more about who he was.

"We should move," she looked back to Asemir, allowing him to lead the way to his ship.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

OOC:

Apprentice said that he'd like to join, but his activity right now is limited because of limited access to his computer. As such, I'll leave it open for him, referring to him, and he can join whenever he gets back to his computer.

IC:

Asemir nodded. "Let's get going then." He stood and beckoned for the woman to follow. It was unsettling, to be leading a stranger instead of the other way around, as it left him open to ambush. What if the woman betrayed him? What if she was looking for an opening to strike? It didn't matter, Asemir decided. What would happen would happen. He'd just have to be prepared.

As they walked, he kept his senses and guard up, and devoted a piece of his consciousness to constantly sending out tendrils of the Force to monitor the woman. "You know," Asemir said, "I don't think I caught your name. What do I call you?"

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

Anja followed him from a distance, being neither too close for comfort nor too far that one must speak loudly. Their path retraced old steps as the two wandered through the familiar cavernous corridors, moisture formed along the walls and acidic droplets fell from the ceiling. The Host Lord's head searched around them, glancing from formation to formation, even locking onto him now and again.

When she asked him for a name she sunk inside, normally such a question didn't bother her -- strangers had a habit of asking it. Few in The Primeval ever used her name, let alone knew it. She was not a person to her cause, she was their Host Lord, a prophet, their guiding line that leads them to victory and successes en masse. Yet for a moment she had forgotten about all that, for a moment she wasn't the Host Lord, she was just Anja and in his presence that remained true. To him she was just another soul in the galaxy, no greater nor lesser than the other trillions.

She almost smiled but if he were to see she still lacked any sure display of emotion. "Anja," she spoke softly, her voice echoing off the cavern walls.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

IC:
"Well, Anja, it's nice to meet you," Asemir said with a smile that she couldn't see. A first name wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He made a mental note to run the name, as well as Anja's physical parameters, through his ship's computers. It was a long shot, but perhaps one of the search algorithms would be able to find something, a record or document, on the holoweb. He was doubtful he'd find anything; she was probably just another Force user, but it was best to be safe.

The trek out of the cave didn't take all that long, now that neither were moving with extra caution. They were allies, or at least not immediate enemies, and so Asemir didn't expect there to be any traps. The smell of acid-laden air became stronger as they neared the cave opening, and to his relief, he saw that the sulfuric rain had lessened.

"Looks like we're in luck. There's a lull in the storm." Asemir turned towards Anja as they navigated the puddle-ridden canyon. "I take it that you're travelling alone? No companions or anyone?"

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

"Yes, I am alone," she responded to him sincerely, although yet again this was a half-truth. She was alone here on this world but not too far there were distant stars where her word was law.

Anja followed him through the canyon, careful as to not step in any of the puddles and suffer an unnecessary injury. If he did search for records of her, there'd be few and none to actually conclude who she was entirely. Outside of The Primeval and allies she had never encountered many people; the only times where any record was made by her enemies was likely on Kashyyyk during her brief capture by The Republic and over a holocall when she had a brief talks with Mand'alor during a fleet engagement.

Should any records exist, they'd likely only mention her involvement with the Sith and that she was in a position of leadership--how high being unspecified--somewhere in the fringes of Wild Space to the east of Mandalore.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

OOC:
Tagging [member="Tacitanya"] to let him know where the thread is.

IC:

He nodded at Anja's reply. They continued to walk and soon came across the spaceport. Asemir realized they were in the area where he had first spotted the woman through the scope of his rifle. It was slightly surreal to be standing here on the rain-slick tarmac, but he pushed that aside. The hangar bay wasn't much farther, and he pointed towards the ship sheltered within.

"That's my ship, the Redemption. It's built along the lines of an ancient YZ-900 but I've had it modified significantly. She doesn't look like much from the outside, which is just fine with me." As they headed towards the ship, Asemir added, "I should mention that I do have a companion. An apprentice if you will. She's probably on the ship, or else she's somewhere in the spaceport. I hope that won't be an issue?"

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

Anja continued to follow Asemir until they came upon the hangar, her eyes searched the ship thoughtfully; she admired its design. She wasn't someone who typically took a great interest in starships but she admired the thought of restoring an older design, it is what The Primeval had done before they began their incursion upon the galaxy. Once Anja was done looking over the vessel she turned to Asemir.

Shaking her head, "not at all," she replied to his question.

He was oddly thoughtful on that matter but that wasn't something that really came to her mind when he asked. Still; the Host Lord was curious as to who this companion was and what apprenticeship actually entailed for him. Without any further comments or statements she walked up to the starship and turned back, waiting for him to climb aboard before she followed in turn. Where would they head next? She wondered.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Beowoof]

Most of the time Tacitanya was just along for the ride. And not out of some enforced compliance. She liked the whole spacefaring life she was living now, exploration being a pastime that must have been integrated into her genes at some point. She had always wanted to see the galaxy, and Asemir offered that and more.

Whatever they were doing here, though, the twi'lek apprentice would be fine leaving be. This place hardly looked pleasant--as she was currently expressing in her strokes against the canvas. Shades of yellow, brown, and green were preeminent in the strikes and swirls on the painting board, amplifying the gloomy nature of the world outside. She had taken a few steps out there earlier to practice 'Force things' in a more open environment, but that had been miserable. Perfect time to take to herself and paint something new. It had been a while.

With subconscious motion, some markings on her canvas were transformed into shapes a little more solid than the rest of them, and Taci awoke from her trance-like focus on her art-in-progress to concentrate on the figures she had unknowingly translated onto woven parchment. She knew one of the silhouettes quite well, but the other one was unfamiliar. But cold.

Setting her painting utensils down and removing her smock, the short tyrian grabbed her cloak to make sure she looked all 'cool and stuff' to whomever was their unusual guest. She was not a Jedi per se, but who did not like that respectable look? Unrespectable people--that was who.

Kind of like herself not but a few months ago.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"], [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Asemir]

Asemir followed her aboard the Redemption, and as they stepped through the airlock, he called out, just loudly enough that his voice carried through the ship. "Taci, are you there? We've got a guest." He turned back towards Anja. "Let's head to the galley. It's a bit more comfortable than standing in the cargo hold."

It didn't take much more than a moment for Taci to make her appearance. She was dressed in a cloak, something akin to Jedi robes. "Hello Taci, this is Anja," Asemir said in greeting. "We met down past the spaceport while I was stalking a target. I've decided to help her with a request, a mission of sorts, to discover some long lost teachings on this world. And Anja, this is Tacitanya, my apprentice. I've been teaching her the ways of the Force. She's got quite the talent."

Asemir paused and headed to a refrigerator. "Do you two want anything to drink? I've got a foul taste in my mouth from all this acid rain."

OOC:
Blurgh, not my best writing, it's rather forced. But,, it's been a few days and I didn't want to hold back the thread.

[member="Tacitanya"]
[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

Anja went with Asemir towards the galley, she was curious to meet this 'Taci' he called for; wondering who the person was.

Finally she was lead into a room where a cloaked woman was present, the witch's pale eyes searched the stranger for any noticeable details that might've been missed with a typically quick glance. The Host Lord was an observant individual who tended to remain silent and boasted an unusual level of patience.

Her attention returned to Asemir, "I have everything I need," she replied to his offer.

The only thing on the woman's mind was her task at hand, either he wasn't much for talking or he intended to be discreet--a mission for lost teachings was a rather vague description but one that worked nonetheless. Then her attention returned to the apprentice, Anja wondered about the nature of her education. It was clear based on what he's said thus far that he was a force user but he didn't seem like a Jedi nor a Sith. Where did he align? She thought to herself on the matter but decided not to ask.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"] | [member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Asemir]

IC:

Asemir filled a glass with water and added an extract of a bitter root. He thought it might neutralize that acrid taste in his mouth. He took a sip. It worked. Sort of. Better than nothing. "So Anja, now that we're here, out of that wonderful rain, do you have any ideas where to start?"

He thought back to their conversations in the cavern. "You said that the secrets on this world were untouched. You also mentioned dreams becoming real. Did you see anything in your dreams? A location or place? A landmark perhaps? Taci might be able to run a search through the planetary registry. Maybe something will pop up, something like a lost village or Jedi library.

OOC:
Sorry, it's been a busy week at work and RL, and I have an out of town friend over for the weekend. Plus, my muse has been really weak lately.

So.... moving right along!

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]
[member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Beowoof]

She heard the voices as Asemir and guest boarded the ship, signaling their arrival. "I'm here, I'm here," Taci said, rushing to greet them whilst rolling her shoulders to get her cloak to sit right on her body.

As she rounded the curves of the old freighter's corridor, the twi'lek gasped in recognition of that cold, sweeping sensation that she often encountered around people she did not exactly trust. 'Dark people', she called them. She was calmed by her master's indication that the visit was all well and good, but there still remained a hint of unease as she studied the woman. "Hello, Anja." The apprentice briefly rolled out her bottom lip and frowned when the stranger was not looking, and glanced at The Forgotten long enough to visually relay her initial impressions of the rather ghostly woman. She's not like you and me.

Taci allowed the two to pass by her before she stepped out of the galley, but doubled back with unheard footsteps and leaned against the partitioning wall to listen in on what was being spoken between them. Nothing incredibly interesting so far.

Just kidding. Dreams becoming real was quite the way to catch someone's attention--and Taci's imagination--especially after hearing her name mentioned. She was so excited, she nearly barged into the galley upon hearing the mention of her name. But she really did not want them to know she had been eavesdropping. So she waited a minute longer to leave them in peace. Timing was everything.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"], [member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Boethiah]

"There's a shrine... Or at least it looks like a shrine; and I believe it's in one of the caverns which would make sense. The Acidic rainfall would destroy most structures that weren't protected from the elements." She wasn't going to hold off on her explanation but sadly those were all the details she had for them. It was difficult to piece together a dream, no matter how lucid one might be inside them. However, she wasn't telling them the whole truth.

There was knowledge that she kept to herself, knowledge she didn't believe was crucial for them to know.

Anja's thoughts returned to the Twi'lek when Asemir mentioned the young woman's name. It reminded her about how unsure she really was for even going this far... It was as if only now she realized that she had stepped aboard a stranger's starship and was about to exploit their assistance for some adventure that seemed well beyond their very new relationship.

Yet some things required new approaches. This was more of a gamble than anything.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"] | [member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Asemir]

Asemir noted the look on Taci's face. He wanted to reassure her, to send her a gentle mental note of I know, she's not like us, but it's fine. She's safe. But, he had not taught his apprentice the skill of telepathy and he didn't want to alarm her with that mental intrusion. So, a simple nod to acknowledge her concern was what he gave.

He listened to Anja's very brief description of what she saw in her dreams. It wasn't much. The description could have matched any number of locations on the world, or galaxy for that matter. But the woman was right: Vjun's unique ecology was actually a benefit to them. Instead of having to search the entire world, all they had to do was search the entire underground world.

"That's a good point. The caverns make a lot of sense," the Forgotten said. He looked towards the galley's entrance, having sensed Taci's presence. "Taci will do a quick data search for any religious shrines or cults in the planet's history. That'll give us a place to start, or maybe trigger some more memories from you to narrow our search.

"But let's say we find the correct shrine," Asemir continued, trying to plan out the entire excursion. "What then? Is there some object you're looking for? Something intangible?"

OOC:
Getting back in the swing of writing is hard.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]
[member=Tacitanya]

 

[Beowoof]

Shrines, caverns... There was something beyond mysterious about this stranger and approaching mystical. There were things about the Force that many considered magic, but Taci had heard of far deeper, darker passions of those who dabbled in the black arts. Many 'witches' and the like were marketed in the slums of Nar Shaddaa. Whether they were real or charlatans, the young twi'lek had never thought it something she wanted to really find out. And so she stayed away from these types.

But perhaps she was drawing too much from all of this. Asemir would never put her in unnecessary danger. That much she was certain of. But what if he did not know?

Her ears refocused at the mention of her name. She had the feeling that her master knew she was listening in, and a mischievous grin crossed her face as she crept away and on down the corridor towards the cockpit, where she would consult the omniscient Holonet and research whatever these shrine things were. None of this felt right. But she would trust Asemir's judgment. Perhaps she had jumped to conclusions about Anja? "She's not so bad..." But the tyrian was not certain that she believed what she said.

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"], [member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Boethiah]

In truth, Anja had little idea what they'd actually be looking for, but when it came to objects involving magicks and the force it wasn't generally that hard to spot them. Was it a tome, a holocron? Who knew, but she'd know it when she saw it. "All I know is that it has great healing properties. Initially it was used for longevity, or at least helped in the process of obtaining it; that much is certain. I believe I could repurpose this power for healing instead." It was a gamble, and she wasn't going to say it any other way but she had few options.

So far all of her methods of containing this affliction of hers had been done through quick fixes, temporary solutions, and ones which had prices of their own. Certainly all of that would take a toll on her and she'd rather it not happen during a crucial moment of her life. If they could just find what she needed, then perhaps Anja will not suffer through the ordeal. However; there was a strong possibility they'd find nothing of use.

Anja could barely sense the Twi'lek's presence, the witch seemed quite relaxed within the stranger's ship.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"] | [member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Asemir]

OOC:
Asemir is posting! WOOOOO!

IC:

"A healing artifact." Asemir read between the lines. Anyone who could repurpose an artifact's abilities would have to be talented in the Force, and not just a general knowledge of the Force. He sipped at his water again. If this woman could manipulate an ancient artifact, that would mean her talents would lie in the realm of the arcane. A sorceress. Or something to that nature. Not a combat specialist. Probably not, anyways.

"I'm not sure how long it's going to take Taci to run her search. She's the tech genius on this ship, not me. In the mean time, is there anything I should know about you?" The ingr'nysk sensed Anja's hesitation at his question. "I mean, I don't need to know any of your darkest secrets or anything, but it's good to know a little about each other before we head to a potentially dangerous place."

He finished his water. "I'll go first. As I said in the cave, I'm technically a mercenary. Actually a bounty hunter by trade. I have many decades of military experience, so I'm pretty good at my art. As you've probably guessed, I am a Force user, but my talents lie in the martial planes. I'm a pretty lousy alchemist or sorcerer." That wasn't strictly true, Asemir was quite capable with some of the more magical ways of the Force, but it was always better to hold back a little information than volunteer too much.

"Taci is the technical genius, like I mentioned before. Give her anything machine-related, and she can disassemble it and put it back together like that," he said with a snap of his fingers. "She's my apprentice or student, and I'm doing what I can to train her. We make a pretty good team.

"What about you? Anything I should know? I mean, if you're deathly arachnophobic, and the shrine is guarded by giant spiders, that'd be nice to mention beforehand." He added that last sentence with a hint of a smile.

OOC:
Okay, I'm not sure how best to push this forward. Does anyone want to take the lead and make something up about shrines and mysterious artifacts and lost tombs and spelunking and adventuring and Indiana Jones?

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]
[member="Tacitanya"]