Private Ancient footsteps in Ancient halls

[Ariealla Vareldi]

Korriban was a resiliant world, that was certain. Unwilling to let go of what little life the tomb world clung to with rotting, fetid hands. It couldn't have possibly been a more fitting place for her to call home, ironically. She too had clung onto life far beyond what could be considered natural, refusing to die in just the same fashion as this dark world.

Yet she had to wonder why she was here again. Why come so far out of her way to return to such an easily found home, where no doubt some Jedi would be want to keep their eyes open wide? The memories had escaped her for the moment, though they started to trickle back in slow, trailing thoughts. Just as she stood now, her vibrant regalia, the heavy cape.. and her sword..

Ah yes. Her holocron... she closed her empty hands to remember. Yes, she came to retrieve her holocron, hidden away in her own tomb. It was not the Valley she was now standing in, but the secluded cliffside that housed her original body.

She nodded, hazy memories and thoughts scattering as she found the hidden door, and stepped inside. With her medicine still kicking in, she was unaware, for once, of a presence elsewhere.. where she could be seen and followed from.

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

A vast number of worlds shifted in front of her face like a kind of background, overgrown with pixels of different colours and sizes... And representing this or that flora and fauna and local culture... But this time the background was different... It was dead, but alive...

The dark sandy sky stretching overhead...
The cold sand, suggesting to even the insane that eternal perdition awaits you here...
...and the statues of the ancient Sith lords, many meters high...

It was a depressing sight for a mortal... but not for Neryn... An odd mortal.
This time the girl let Singing Fire take her on a historical tour of the ancient fallen worlds, the girl treading softly on the thin grains of time...
And thought until she heard the creature's joyful voice.
"You may have understood it thoroughly by now, as I do. That besides planetary beauty, you might meet a true Sith. Not a young one for your years. Lucky you! "

The girl nodded contentedly and walked towards the cluster of ancient power... Though there was a cosmic force of great antiquity emanating from herself, unusual for a cheerful woman of 34 years old since birth..

Soon she was only a couple of dozen metres from her target and waved her hand without any fear

"Excuse me please, was that power emanating from you? "

Ariealla Vareldi

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

A voice called to Ariealla, a real one, filled with life. A real and living woman's voice, she was surely not mistaken in that was she? She centered her thoughts and let the sliver of power leak from her mind, just enough to sense and confirm it. Indeed, she was not even trying to hide her presence. Unlike Ariealla herself, who truth be told had to maintain her illusion of normalcy constantly.

The Sith Lord hummed to herself, before continuing to step forward into her secluded tomb. She would have to behave herself for now, yes.. then hide herself away. Millenia of practice, and proper technique, she would catch this new prey off guard.

She had a suspicion the woman would follow, and only spoke after a few moments. "Is it so strange that a Sith Lord would hold power? Were you perhaps expecting one to be like a whimpering child, here on ancient Korriban?" She spoke in a voice that always held a lyrical quality to it, as though half singing every word she spoke. A suitable distraction she hoped, as she began the process of shrinking her Force Presence.

A necessary step to hide from Jedi, was hiding one's presence so wholely by shrinking the percieved power to the size of a walnut, then fading it into the background. She intended to use her voice to distract the woman while walking the broken hallways, so she could be vaught off guard by the next trick.

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

Neryn's response was at once emotional, though she could have calmly let Sith get away with it because she could sense many things.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't expect to make you angry. Is there anything I can do to help or perhaps wait for you here by the exit so you don't get lonely?"

"I think sometimes you act like a crazy adventuress who's just been drinking alcohol and is out in the cold looking for adventure.
You know exactly what she's trying to do and she's thinking of you little bit as a Jedi and not as some peaceful girl who I kindly take by the hand through all sorts of
dark planets to show and tell."

The girl remained silent in response and calmly followed the Sith forward, not thinking of the consequences of her decision. All around were traces of many centuries lost in the
in the past with no hope of being cherished and preserved in the future. The girl felt generations of Sith, anxieties, convictions, doubts, rivers of lies and blood.
But this did not embarrass her, she calmly walked forward adding one more phrase...

"My name is Naivia Neryn, it is true that I have the power, but in no way do I want you to hurt yourself by thinking about how to attack me
at just the right moment. I am no threat to your life nor to your body"

Ariealla Vareldi

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

"You merely being here is a threat to a great many things more valuable than life or limb. You would be wise to remember that when walking on my homeworld. Not everyone is as simpleminded as you believe them to be." Oh she knew that was not her intended message, but it was heard all the same.

She did not cease considering how best to attack the girl either. She had little intention of allowing her to simply walk away knowing her tomb's location, it was just a matter of when and how. She knew the twisting pathways well enough, she could very quickly take her to the depths and leave her there. Seal the door and wait, but even with her medication ahe found such a tactic dull.

She would be more direct then yes? Bend light and escape sight, and then.... it was a question of if Suppression would work. She radiated power herself, it was unlikely she could contend with a direct fight at full strength. If Suppression did nothing then she wouldn't have strength to defeat her, or so she feared.

"Why have you come to this place? What do you hope to gain from dessecrating tombs of those long dead? Greater power? Do you seek to cleanse them in some grand act of self-righteous importance? Or are you just looking for some shiny treasure to pawn off to the unworthy?"

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

"If you are so many millennia old, can I rekindle life in your body so that you feel as young as before?
That's all I can offer at the moment. Especially since you yourself say this is your home. If you wish to take my life, then take it."

Neryn came within three metres and sat in a lotus pose in such a way that it was visible...She was completely unarmed. The only thing with her was
some clean water and a couple of syrups she had prepared for various illnesses and ailments that might catch her or life she might encounter on her way.

The girl was perfectly calm, as if she was not possessed by either the light side or the dark side or the middle. She looked respectfully at the Sith and held out her hand forward.

"And what is your name?"

"You know Neryn...Sometimes it's just interesting to watch different life forms communicate with each other, kill each other, save each other, love each other.
There's a meaning to it that eludes many but it's very precious. Even in an extreme case, if you don't give me control of your body, that's your choice. The One Who Will Ignite the Cosmos...


Ariealla Vareldi

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

She couldn't possibly know. There simply wasn't any reason for her to, she hadn't let her precautions slip that heavily. Right? She paused in her steps a moment. She had to be convinced any Sith here was simply an old spirit, of course. Why else would she make a baseless accusation?

"Deluded as well, are you? Do I look anything that old to you? I assure you I am only approaching my fourties, and it is quite rude to call a lady old in such a manner. Korriban is home to many who still draw breath, not all here are some wayward spirit."

Yes she couldn't know. There was nothing to give it away, and even an ancient would have to actually have known her before taking this body to even guess as to what happened. Her most important secret was surely safe.

"Darth Âhmyinizi. That is all you may adress me as, or 'my lord' if the language of my name escapes you. And again I ask," She spun on her heels, the cape she was so fond of flying out behind her as she drew her blade, aiming the tip of the blade at her. It made an aweful sound in the air, hissing and screaming almost until coming to a stop. "What do you want here?"

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

Neryne's fingers touched the sharp tip of the blade slightly...
She looked at the girl calmly, not a single muscle on her body trembling.

"Darth Âhmyinizi , can't I not see some connection to the past in you? ... I myself sometimes do not know why the force has brought me here... Or do you want me to guess what you've come for? It's something personal and important to you. I can tell you that much. But I have no intention of damaging this temple. Because it's part of you, part of your soul. And please forgive me for offending you. "

The girl lowered her hand to her knee and looked with soft fiery coloured eyes at the woman.

She was expecting a reaction and in no way was she planning to use her powers to harm her nor herseld not the ancient tomb.

Ariealla Vareldi

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

How best to play her observation off? Perhaps her usual cover story would be more than sufficient... "This tomb belongs to my ancestor. Perhaps you could merely sense the connection I have to their legacy. It would not be unusual in a bloodline."

Now would the woman buy it? She had to hope so, and be prepared for her to press the matter. For now, she would behave as her current identity would, and sheathed her sword with a flourish. The ear piercing and uncomfortable noises as it cut through the air sounding like music, if only to her.

"The doors here will not open back without the use of the center console in the antechamber. And you shouldn't be here to begin with. Seeing as I would hate to stain my dress, you are being permitted to live. Now come along, I can't have you triggering the security systems. Are we clear on the situation?"

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

"When your ancestor is yourself it's already some kind of mystery story starting. It's okay, really. Whether you kill me or not is up to you. But yes, I will follow you."

Neryn calmly got up from the ground and shook herself off a bit and followed the Sith while she got some water out and offered a with to drink it and said

"Darth Âhmyinizi, would you like a drink? I'm not getting on your nerves, just offering. It's the most common pure water. Really. "

The girl looked calmly at the Sith as if there was no possibility of losing her own life just now. Singing Fire was just silently observing situation as he was interested in possible outcome of Neryn`s actions and words.

Ariealla Vareldi

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

" Still delusional are we? I would recommend seeint a therapist and a doctor. Or throwing yourself into a rancor den would do to solve it as well." There was, hopefully, clear hostility in that entire little exchange. She was dropping the subject, and trying to imply she did the same before things got particularly bad.

She waved a hand dismissively at the water offerred, focusing on navigating the maze like interior of the tomb. Fortunately she knew the layout, she just had to recall it as she went. They came to a stop before a door, where she moved to it calmly.

"I would also appriciate silence for this part." She warned, before carefully manipulating the door's interior mechanisms via the Force. They had to be done a specific way, or traps would be triggered. And much like the halls, it was a sort of maze on the lock's interior.

When the door unlocked, she sighed ij relief. "Touch nothing. By bloodline, anything beyond this door belongs to me, understood?"

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

"In simple words, be quiet, or your life will end. I get it, no need in repeating yourself."

Neryn replied and with a heavy sigh fell silent as she continued walking and marvelling at the precision and knowledge of the Sith in his own tomb. She admired the art and bas-reliefs that adorned the
She admired the art and the bas-reliefs that covered the walls and the vaults of the dungeon, trying not to walk too close to the Sith as she still had the feeling that at some point she might take her life, and she really didn't want to.
Finally they reached the inner temple, or should I say the heart of the whole structure. Hearing the warning, the girl calmly replied

"Of course, I won't even talk. You don't have to worry. I am the most peaceful creature in the whole galaxy."

The girl replied in a more positive tone and walked confidently after the girl, putting her hands under her robe so as not to arouse any suspicion at all from the girl in front.

Ariealla Vareldi

 

[Ariealla Vareldi]

Back home.

She walked into the main chamber, which was noticably devoid of anything valuable. Like it had been looted, despite being so well protected and hidden in the maze of halls. Even more noticable, however, was a lack of dirth and sand on the path up to the central sarcophagus. Well maintained, and well trodden, it was free of the lingering dirt that would've come to rest there over time.

Ariealla walked calmly to the center, with the sarcophagus, and moved behind it. A series of slightly indented plates could be pushed, and after putting in the right order the central platform of the chamber began to descend.

Right into a trove of old items. Ancient armors, tattered robes, and many prizes taken from dead enemies. Far more than any one person should've been able to obtain in a lifetime, with a small pedastal containing a single holocron.

"You recognize what all this is, right?" She asked quietly, her tone less harsh than before. Being here was always comforting, and she could slip into her old role as historian.

A more peaceful role.

Naivia Neryn

 

[Naivia Neryn]

Neryn nodded in response, but decided to remain rather silent as even a historical mission might have improved her new friend's mood, but the fact that a complete stranger was in the heart of a place sacred to her also played no small part in the tension of the situation.

Almost without touching anything Neryn meanwhile analyzed everything in her head and added to her knowledge that would help her better flesh out the different sides of the eternal conflict from each side's key positions. Then the girl had a thought and quietly asked

"Do you come here often...? You might say so... It's just that the place doesn't look
the most open, even to its owner."

Ariealla Vareldi