Private An Intangible Guest

[Sylvia Virtos]

"And yet, there are billions of people out there willing to die for someone they've never met. Sad, if you ask me." After staring at the bottle for a few seconds, Sylvia shook her head and stood up. She walked back towards the cabinet where it came from and opened it to place the bottle back, then closed it. She wouldn't get tempted when it was out of sight.

"I mean, I kind of understand when you grow up being spoon fed that chit, but still," the spacer continued. She had grown up around those whose indoctrination had been much stronger than her own, so she understood where it came from. That didn't make it any less despicable to do to anyone, though. At least she had managed to get out herself.

When Sylvia made her way back to the couch, Kal came with an offer that caused the spacer to shoot an intrigued look at the ghost. Perhaps there was something to be gained from this conversation, after all.

"My services are always for hire," Sylvia replied as she plopped down and crossed her legs. It just so happened that work that involved using mechu deru was her favorite kind, too. "Feel free to put them in touch with me. I'm sure I'd be able to lend them a hand." And get paid in the process, of course. Sylvia wasn't a charity.

While she didn't verbally respond to the suggestion that came afterwards, Sylvia did give him a nod and kept it in mind. Quinn was likely to be unamused if she were to find out her 'cute spacer' had been on Nar Shaddaa of all places, but with a bit of luck Sylvia only had to go there once. That was more than enough, anyway.

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<Yes, starting early is a boon for those who wish to bend others to their will.> Exactly what had been attempted with her, if he was not mistaken.

Pleased by her reaction - interest was an excellent start, especially given the circumstances of their meeting - he found himself once more astounded how quickly the mention of credits could provoke a shift in a humanoid's perspective. Truly, he needed to spend more time amassing wealth if it was this easy, imagine how many interesting people he could potentially convince to work with him. Could he pay people to be willingly observed?

<Excellent, I shall keep you in mind,> Kal said, and he really would. Mechu-Deru was far from unique, but it was rare and supremely useful. Only one of the operatives he had access to was even remotely component in that strange art, and she much preferred a workshop to fieldwork.

Not that he blamed her for that, given her squishy organic nature. There were so many ways to kill a humanoid out there.

<Tell me, Sylvia, what do you desire in the long-term? Freedom and credits, or something more?>

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Kal ended up being fairly lucky that despite not having much experience with the mystical, Sylvia was still mostly desensitized to things such as ghosts by now. She had also been to an unexplored Sith tomb during her time with the empire, after all. Besides, the spacer wasn't going to turn down her favorite kind of work just because of a bad first impression. Kal just mostly seemed curious, anyway. She didn't sense any hostility coming from the spirit. If he had contacts, that meant she could expand her own. It seemed ridiculous to let that opportunity slide.

Then came a question that just a few days ago, Sylvia wouldn't have been able to answer.

"That... is a good question," she began, stalling for time. She still had far from a comprehensive view on the future, though her wishes were just a little clearer now thanks to Quinn. She just needed a moment to figure out what to say without divulging too much. He was already very much aware of the nature of the relationship, but she still didn't want to explain too much to a relative stranger.

"Freedom, mostly. Honestly, I don't care about fame or glory or any of that banthachit that a Force sensitive is expected to chase." The way Sylvia saw it, both the Sith and the Jedi were guilty of inspiring ridiculous 'heroics'. Said 'heroics' simply took on different forms. "Credits are nice to have, it's hard to live comfortably without it. And..." A sigh. He already knew anyway.

"I like that person you've been stalking. A lot. You connect the dots there." He probably already had. "Beyond that, I'm just taking life day by day. Can't be thinking about tomorrow so much you forget today, or something like that."

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

Clearly quite intrigued by her explanation, he waited silently until she was done then nodded to himself, shadowy form bobbing oddly.​

<I see. You find value in the freedom to be yourself, but also the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with others.> His analysis seemed almost clinical, yet there was perhaps some hint of approval to be found. He too was a social creature, after all - relationships, albeit probably not of the variety she was referring to, held far more value to him than empty laurels and the adoration of distant crowds.​

Considering for a moment what he knew of the person she was interested in, he nodded again. <Then I wish you the best of luck with that pursuit; for what it's worth, I believe the object of your affection, much like her sister, has a not insignificant need for attachment and belonging.>​

That was his best guess, anyway. Distant parents, the burden of heavy titles, and the need to set themselves apart from servants and bootlickers.​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Both Quinn and Sylvia alike needed that sense of connection. For reasons so similar yet so different, they had found themselves feeling abandoned and alone. That feeling of loneliness was what drove Sylvia to contact Quinn again after such a long time in the first place, then pulled them closer together so quickly. It should've felt wrong, but it never did. There was nothing to distract the spacer from how she felt about Quinn anymore. Thankfully, those feelings ended up being mutual.

"Now that I've answered your questions," Sylvia then remarked as she kicked up her feet on the table before her, "I think I want to ask you a couple now. Quite frankly, I have no idea who or what you are." For all she knew, Kal was someone's creation whose only purpose was to stalk on people.

"First of all, what exactly are you and where do you come from? I've seen some interesting beings before, but a ghost? That's a new one." She was curious to know. A possible answer was that he was once alive and then died to become a ghost somehow, but that didn't make much sense to her. Kal didn't seem too well-informed about life in the galaxy. That left another possibility, that he came into being that way. How, the spacer had no clue.

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

For a long moment, Kal did nothing but watch, quirking his head slightly to the side as she messed around with her feet on the table once more. Was she not concerned about scuffing her own furniture? That seems like one of those things humans were supposed to be concerned about.​

<Fair enough, I suppose. You've been quite patient,> came his telepathic response, and he really meant it. Most mortals tended to freak if they became aware of him, so he had become very good at hiding; evidently not good enough to hide from Forceful beings, however. Something to work on in the future, that. No matter, in this instance it had turned out for the better - he had learned quite a bit about her through her cooperation.​

<I suppose I can understand the confusion, but a ghost I am not. A ghost is the remnant of a dead soul whose essence has not yet become one with the Force, whereas I was never alive in that way. I am what I have always been.> Gesturing with a hand, the swirling shadows faded in and out of view, occasionally interspersed with sparks of luminosity. <My kind call ourselves the Shadows. Not terribly inventive, I know.>​

As if to explain, he relayed a concept alongside the word, the summation of how Kal regarded his kind in a single dense package, virtually impossible to process for one such as her. One to whom telepathy was less second nature more unusual phenomena. Still, it got the message across, he hoped.​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Not a ghost," Sylvia responded, her voice trailing off slightly as the concept was projected into her thoughts. Her brow furrowed for a moment, then the woman shrugged. "That makes sense, now that you say it. No offense, but you know way too little about the galaxy to ever have been a being born in it. Assuming you're not from here, anyway." It didn't suddenly explain everything about Kal, but it did clear up some misconceptions Sylvia had beforehand. The question of how he even existed or where he came from remained a complete mystery to her, though. The confusion hadn't been cleared up completely yet.

"If my assumption is correct, where does your kind come from?" It wasn't like Sylvia was expecting to understand the answer, but it was a question worth asking anyway. Before Kal could answer, however, something in the spacer's pocket buzzed and played its alarm. It caused Sylvia to jump slightly as she remembered what it was set for.

"Ah chite, hold your answer," she quickly added as she shoved her feet back off the table and got up. "My ship's scheduled to leave now. You're welcome to tag along if you want, I guess." Grabbing the bottle and glass, she placed them back where they came from on her way back to the cockpit. When she sat down, she flipped a few switches to let the engines awaken. "Sorry about that, bud. You were saying?"

In the meantime, Sylvia quickly checked the ship's systems.

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

He had learned to be a bit wary about telling the uninitiated he was a Netherworlder, so to speak, but she seemed reasonable enough. If his spiritual nature did not freak her out overmuch then he doubted that would make a difference. Before he could answer, however, an alarm sounded.​

<Why not. I have ways to come and go that do not require... much of anything, really.> The advantages of incorporeality.​

Drifting along behind her as she stashed her intoxicants and proceeded to perform the requisite pre-flight checks - wait, was there not some mortal rule or tradition restricting drinking and flying? Perhaps it had to do with quantity, or perhaps it was not a big deal with a proper autopilot.​

<I was born in Realspace, actually, but with a foot in the Netherworld, so to speak. I suppose you could consider me a native of both.> It might have been more accurate to state that he had been created, but that terminology seemed to raise some concern in mortals, more often than not. Not that any Shadow had ever been born in the same way humanoids were - no Shadeling came to be without intent and dedication.​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Huh," Sylvia vocalized as she kept an eye on the diagnostics. It all looked fine, meaning the ship was ready for takeoff. Instead, the expression of curiosity was directed at Kal. While the spacer went through the motions to get the ship off the ground, like she had done many times already, she kept a good amount of focus on their conversation. Mechu deru aided greatly in flying on instinct, allowing her to multitask while doing something most people needed their full attention for. Not even the drink in her system could hinder it much.

"All I know about the Netherworld was the crisis, and I was a toddler at the time. Despite my previous ties, all the sorcery chite was always beyond me. Portals, dimensions... no clue," Sylvia explained. There were too many unpredictable variables to sorcery when it went beyond the simple things, she had found. Tech was infinitely easier to understand, as everything could be explained with enough time and effort. Everything had its rules, loops, and methods of execution.

"Taking off." With her hands on the steering mechanism, Sylvia pulled the ship off the ground and pointed it towards the hangar's exit. As she flew it out into the open sky, she would continue. "So what's it like? The Netherworld, I mean. Still a place of horrors and nightmares?"

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

The Netherworld Crisis - it was usually one of if not the first thing that came to mind when most mortals were reminded of its existence. Never before had its role in galactic society been so central, never before had so many felt its influence as a tangible loss rather than distant mysticism.​

How many lives had been swallowed, how few had emerged from its distant shores?​

<Yes and no, I suppose. It was always a place of great variety and greater still potential - the depths of depravity and suffering can be found in the deep reaches of Chaos, but there are also wonders beyond the mortal ken. Even a few beacons of civilisation, though those are few and far in between.> The Outer Rim, Wild Space, even the Unknown Regions - their mystique paled in comparison to that of the land of the dead.​

<I suppose most places are difficult to navigate or even understand for mortals. Doubly so for ones like you, ones without specialised training. Those not even Sensitive to the invisible currents of the Force have... a harder time still.> It was easy to lose oneself there, without proper anchoring.​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Really? Beings actually live there? Wild," Sylvia mused as she flew the ship into orbit, the atmosphere changing its appearance around them the further they got away from the surface. As dangerous as it sounded, someone who had a drink moments before seemingly only paying half-attention to flying, the ascend was going very smoothly. "Here I was, thinking there was nothing but suffering and decay down there. You learn something new every single day," the spacer added with a healthy layer of humor.

Sylvia had never been tempted to pay a visit to the Nether, though. Kal explaining that it would be difficult for her to navigate only served to make that sentiment stronger. "I don't think you'd blame me for picking a different location for a vacation," her response sounded. A planet like Makeb sounded much better to Sylvia's ears.

"Hyperspace in three..." she then announced as the stars surrounded the ship. Coordinates were punched into the nav computer from memory; Sylvia had clearly visited her destination at least a few times before. "Two," her slow countdown continued as she locked it in and fired up the hyperdrive. "One..."

And stars turned into white streaks of light.

"Cool. Trip should take about an hour and a half, nothing too bad. with a bit of luck I'll be back on Eshan by tomorrow." Now that Sylvia had an actual planet of residence again, she found herself wanting to spend as much time as possible there. Though, that was likely due to the one she spent most of that time with.

Sylvia hopped out of her seat again and whistled, drawing Spark's attention. "Mind putting on some music? I'm feeling Discovery," she asked, to which the droid responded with a pair of beeps before hovering away. "Right, next question," the spacer added suddenly, as though she had snapped out of being distracted.

"Is there anything, like, interesting about the Nether? Like, cool chite?" Not long after asking, music began playing over the ship's speakers.

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

The telepathic equivalent of a chuckle projecting into her mind, Kal shook his head in amusement. Another series of little quirks picked up from observing the interactions of mortals. <I would not blame you one bit, no. It has its charm, but receptiveness to outsiders is not one of them.>

That was putting it mildly, as all too many had experienced during the Netherworld Crisis, years back.

Pausing to watch with fascination as the vessel entered Hyperspace, the luminous orbs that served as his eyes observed the currents of that strange dimension with clear interest. It was not his first time in Hyperspace, far from it, but most of his trips were made through the Nether or failing that in Greystone's own vessels, vessels that all-too-often rarely featured windows. As such, the sight of that mysterious realm always intrigued him.

Nodding once more, an hour and a half was far from bad, and again at her suggestion of music, his attention left the flickering streaks of light to return to the conversation at hand, some of it now directed at her choice of music as well. He had yet to consider what that said about a person.

<Oh, there's plenty. The very realm itself is more malleable than Realspace, its properties shaped by strength of will and generations of expectations more than the ironclad rules of physics. Time is usually comparable, but not always synchronised. Rarely it may run in circles or do stranger things yet,> he explained, seemingly enjoying the chance to talk about it. <Within both hells and paradises can be found, though the former are hungrier.>

<There are also locations more understandable to living minds. The Great Shifting Bazaar, for one - just don't wander without a guide.>
​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Sounds like an insane shaper's paradise," Sylvia commented as she double-checked the ship's console. It was all steady and how it was supposed to be. While Kal continued his answer, Sylvia made her way back to the main area. Her head bopped along to the music and it took the spacer quite some effort to not sing along to the simple-yet-catchy lyrics.

Learning how to create music like it was becoming more and more tempting to her, though for now she kept her focus on the guitar and singing. She had tried learning how to play the instrument twice in the past, back when she still lived in the Sith academy. Both of the guitars she had then ended up getting smashed by the overseer upon discovery, but now that she was free from the clutches of the Sith she was making up for lost time. The fact that Quinn enjoyed the serenades she received from Sylvia also served as a major source of motivation.

Sylvia sat back down on the couch, the guitar resting against it. It tempted her, but with a visitor it felt a little awkward to pause the music that already played so soon after it started. Her original plan had been to practice a new song during travel time, but Kal had thrown a wrench in the works. She didn't mind all too much, though.

"A bazaar? What do merchants in the Nether sell?"

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<Oh yes. There are certainly those that have achieved feats that would be impossible in your more concrete reality.> Some few had even ascended to what the superstitious might consider godhood but which Kal chose to regard as a mere higher state of being. Higher in power, at least.

Drifting after Sylvia as she left the cockpit, the gentle bobbing of her head was noted but filed away as a sign of musical appreciation rather than the usual agreement, the matching rhythm a strong foundation for his quickly-formed hypothesis. Then there was the guitar leaning against the couch, another sign of musical interest. Quite the fascinating aspect of mortal culture that, though not one he chose to focus on at the moment.

Aspiring musicians weren't all that hard to find, after all. She had far more interesting properties about her.

<Oh, just about anything you may desire, I would say. Material assets and abstractions both. Information's a classic, but if you know where to look you can find stranger things yet; bottled happiness, for example.> Not that he would recommend relying on that over fixing the root issue of one's unhappiness. Those who did had a sorry tendency to lose themselves body and soul to the experiences of others.​

<I've personally had some success dealing in enspelled jellyfish - and, if you can believe it, hair-manipulating gel.>

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

Bottled happiness sounded like it was a real eye catcher on someone's shelf. Knowing it was from the Netherworld there was no Sylvia would actually drink it, if it even was a liquid, but crazy and strange items were always fascinating to own. Perhaps there was something out there as a gift to give to others. Surely there was something out there.

It was the final item Kal mentioned that truly drew Sylvia's attention, though. Not because of the exact product itself, but the idea it gave her. It was a long shot, but worth the try anyway. The spacer suddenly went to sit up straight, a curious look forming on her face as she ran a hand through her magenta locks to get it out of her face and looked towards Kal.

"That last one, the gel," Sylvia mused, "that just gave me an idea. I love this hair color, but honestly, having to re-dye it constantly is a massive pain." It was worth the annoyance, sure, but if there was an easier way she'd take it any day of the week. "Is there something you got that, like, makes dying hair easier? Or something that keeps the color until you want it gone?" It wasn't what she expected to ever ask someone who sold wares in the Netherworld of all places, but it was worth asking.

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

The hair product, of all things, drew her attention. Perhaps better not to mention that he had originally created it as part of an elaborate prank he still planned to inflict on Noelle Varanin one of these days - temporary hairlessness sounded quite hilarious to him, though she might not agree.

<Oh yes, that would be quite possible! The gel itself can do something of the sort as a secondary effect, but that was more of an afterthought if I am being honest. Do you think there's a market for that kind of product?> It was quite possible, he himself had been astonished at the profitability of the gel. There were those drawn in by the convenience, certainly - and those suffering from hairloss-based insecurities.

The latter category were especially willing to pay well - and more likely than most to follow strange HoloNet ads.

<Hair isn't terribly complicated compared to other bodily changes. I imagine creating an intent-based universal dye of sorts would be easy enough. Perhaps with more unusual variants that produce, say, ever-shifting colouring?> He had to make it interesting somehow, after all.​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

It was possible. Perhaps the Netherworld wasn't as bad as Sylvia thought after all. She still wasn't going to visit, but it was good to know that even a place where lost souls were supposed to end up could produce useful products.

"Absolutely. Especially when it's easy to use. Especially lighter colors take a lot of effort to maintain, so something that could do a better job than what's out there right now would probably sell very well," Sylvia explained. The effort likely kept a lot of people from going through it all just to get a hair color more exciting than the natural and boring blond and brown. "I know I would be standing in line for it, at the very least."

Kal even was quick to come up with an idea. He even took it a step further, but making it flashier did sound interesting. Sylvia nodded in approval as she listened on. "That's a pretty neat idea, if you ask me. Imagine being able to easily have multiple colors properly dyed in. You have no idea how difficult that is normally."

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

It was clear now that if he sought to do business with organics, actually seeking advice from one was a good idea. There was only so much one could learn by surreptitiously watching people go about their lives (clearly, Kal was not all that familiar with the concept of privacy), after all.

He would certainly not have considered hair dye of all things a viable product. It seemed so mundane.

<Excellent, excellent. I shall see what I can do, but it seems a simple enough project. A solid choice for practice.> He had succeeded in drastically altering even organic beings, but only simple ones like jellyfish, and even then only with assistance from his associates and their creations. As a result, he was only too happy to throw himself at some novelty or another, if nothing else because the experience alone was worth it.

Besides, it seemed like Sylvia at least would be enthusiastically receptive of such a substance.

<Your decision to dye your hair as you do, is it merely an aesthetic preference or a matter of some personal significance?> In what way and to what degree sentients valued their physical appearance was highly divergent, he knew. It was all some seemed to think about whereas others barely cared.​

Sylvia Virtos​

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

"Simple for you, perhaps. Keep me posted, yeah?" For someone who had been stalking Sylvia at first, Kal seemed like a decent person. As far as the spacer could tell, he didn't bear any ill intent. The fact he wasn't corporeal was still a little strange to her, but the galaxy housed even stranger things than ghost-like people.

While Sylvia had the tables turned on Kal for a little while now, he now was once again the one asking the question. It was a little bit of a weird one to respond to, even though the answer was quite simple.

"The former," her answer sounded as she leaned back into the couch's backrest. "The first time I dyed my hair it was to really drive home the fact I was different from the others at the Sith academy, but I liked it so much that I decided to maintain it. It never really succeeded in its original goal, anyway." Her behavior and personality were more than enough to set her apart. Dying her hair was nothing more than a drop in the bucket compared to the things that actually made a difference.

"I'm naturally a brunette, but... I don't know. It's boring. Anyway, if you need any more business ideas, I'm your gal." A healthy chuckle followed.

Kal ​

 

[Kal]

<Certainly. I will be sure to let you know once a product is finalised.> A message that would be accompanied by a free sample, more likely than not, or a lifetime supply if it turned out to be a particularly profitable idea. Kal was not one to avoid giving credit where credit was due.

<I see, seems reasonable.> A preference like any other, then, much like the clothes on her back, the food she ate, the ship she flew. Well, maybe not the latter, it was hard to say how much of a choice she had in the matter - starships were quite expensive, after all. He was not so removed from the common citizen as to fail to grasp that simple fact. Most could only dream of affording (and daring) to wander the stars.

Well, unless they were willing to settle and settling when it came to interstellar transportation was risky at best.

<I will be sure to keep you in mind - you certainly have a clearer grasp on the conveniences of mortal life than I do, for obvious reasons.> Along with other ideas, no doubt. She was not just a spacer after all. <Your journeys, are they driven by desire or the need to sustain yourself financially?>​

Sylvia Virtos​